Doctor Heartless

is the former head of the Department of Modern Magecraft Theory of the Clock Tower. He is the Master of Faker in Lord El-Melloi II's Case Files.Lord El-Melloi II Case Files Volume 5 - "case. Mystic Eyes collection train (Lower)" He is the main antagonist of Lord El-Melloi II's Case Files.
==Profile==
===Background===
The previous head of the Department of Modern Magecraft Theory, and Lord El-Melloi II's predecessor, though unlike El-Melloi II he was not a Lord. His heart was stolen by Fairies, hence the alias 'Doctor Heartless'. His true name is .Lord El-Melloi II's Case Files Volume 10: case. Grand Roll (Lower) - Chapter 5 Part 3 It is believed that he is the adopted sibling of Hishiri Adashino, but secretly she is his half-sister through their father. Both of them were adopted by the Norwich family.Lord El-Melloi II Case Files Volume 8: case. Grand Roll (Upper) - Chapter 1 Part 1
The Department of Modern Magecraft Theory didn't have much in the way of family lines, and so worked to preserve numerous forms of Magecraft of relatively shallow histories. Heartless' area of study was each and every one of those. Though it is hard to say how much he was aware of it, due to a certain kind of time paradox, having lead the dual lives of Kurou Adashino and Heartless had a large influence on him.
More than ten years before Case Files, during his time in the Spiritual Tomb, he was most skilled at excavation, his element was Earth. Though he didn’t learn any impressive types of Magecraft from his New Age mother, it was enough for him to navigate the labyrinth. He had been taught all he needed to know to find and extract rare ores and talismans.Lord El-Melloi II Case Files Volume 8: case. Grand Roll (Upper) - Chapter 1 Part 3
Unlike others, he didn't go down to the labyrinth from the surface, but was actually born there. He had never seen people that weren't Magi, and had never seen the sky. One day, he awakened in a narrow alley of London, having arrived there after "floating up" to the surface from the labyrinth, he felt terrified and was very weak due to an injury in his stomach caused from his attempt to reach the surface. There he met a man from whom he could not sense a trace of life, spooked he attacked him with a sacrificial dagger, but the dagger stopped at the surface of his jacket due to some kind of defensive Magecraft.
The man then introduced himself, the Dean of Modern Magecraft Theory, he knew that as a New Age student, whatever tricked he pulled wouldn't work. Surprisingly, the man had helped him and asked him to follow him, chatting in the way before collapsing in the stairs of the man's flat. The next day, he asked the man why he was being so nice to him, he had illegally escaped from the labyrinth, as a Clock Tower Magus he should be capturing him, the man explained that he just did what his former teacher, Mr. Norwich, would have done: if he comes across anyone who looks promising, he will reach out to help them. By promising, he doesn’t mean talented, sometimes it can be based just on whoever he finds interesting.
After showing him the items he brought with him to sell, Kurou asked him to buy them, but the man rejected the offer, telling him that the risks outweighted the benefits. However, even after rejecting him now, he could change his mind, the man then makes him a proposal, if he is able to return to the surface again, he would make him his student. After recovering from his surprise, Kurou asked the man to tell him his name, Doctor Heartless.
Betrayed by his fellow students, Kurou was thrown down a hole in the Spiritual Tomb of Albion that led to the land of Fairies. After his encounter with the Fairies he used his Mystic Eyes of Finding to find an exit, only to find once he returned to the human world that he had traveled to the past because the land of Fairies was outside of time and space. Calling himself Heartless, he decided to complete the time loop he now realized he was in to get his revenge. He decided to tear down the Magecraft society that allowed such a betrayal to exist.Lord El-Melloi II's Case Files Volume 10: case. Grand Roll (Lower) - Chapter 5 Part 4
Kurou Adashino received all kinds of guidance from his future self, Heartless, causing his abilities to grow at an unprecedented rate. To those around him, it seemed like the pouring of water from one bottle into another, but there was nothing supernatural about it. In reality, his future self knew his own nature and thought process so well that he could provide the perfect teaching and guidance for him, thus transferring all of his skills.
He spent ten years on his plan to turn the World of Magecraft on its head. This was not because of some anger at Kurou's friends among the survivors (or his four students, from Heartless' perspective) betraying him. Having experienced that betrayal twice after jumping through time, he considered that situation to be "a simple result of karma."
Water flows from high to low. Things burned turn to ash. As such, if the system itself never changes, the same things will happen over and over for all eternity. That was why he left behind his position as head of the Department of Modern Magecraft Theory and, using every method imaginable, sought to upend the World of Magecraft known to the Clock Tower. In this case, the first thing he needed was information to overwhelm the other Magi.
Heartless was approached by Marisbury Animusphere to investigate the Fuyuki Holy Grail War: to that end, seven years prior to the events of the Mystic Eyes Collection Train incident, he controlled Karabo Frampton into committing a series of "murders" where users of Mystic Eyes were decapitated. The heads were saved and kept "alive" in a sense that their Mystic Eyes remained usable, and Heartless used them in his investigations.Lord El-Melloi II Case Files Volume 5: case. Mystic Eyes collection train (Lower) - Chapter 4 Part 3
He discovered that the Greater Holy Grail of Fuyuki was corrupted, rendering any wish made by the winner fundamentally twisted. Marisbury abandoned his plans for the Holy Grail War (and subsequently his daughter) when presented with these results, but Heartless' own interest was piqued, as the ritual's function of summoning Servants remained true.Lord El-Melloi II's Case Files Volume 8: case. Grand Roll (Upper) - Chapter 5 Part 1
Heartless, knowing about the truth of the Fourth Holy Grail War and the existence of Servants, moved on to the next step of his plan. In short, through the use of the Divine Spirit Iskandar, the plan for the revival of the Magecraft from the Age of Gods. The conspiracies of the Clock Tower were nothing more than scrabbling over Mysteries that were already in decline. So, it was better to return to the Age of Gods, where such intrigue was unnecessary, he thought.
===Appearance===
Heartless is a man somewhere between his mid-twenties to mid-forties. He is tall and sleek, with a combination of fiery red hair and pale white skin, and usually wearing a suit as blue as the sea.Lord El-Melloi II Case Files Volume 5: case. Mystic Eyes collection train (Lower) - Chapter 5 Part 1 His hair turned red during his time in the land of fairies.
Heartless Grand Roll.png|Heartless in the Grand Roll case, illustrated by Mineji Sakamoto.
Heartless Troyca grace note Character Sheet1.png|Troyca character design of Doctor Heartless in Lord El-Melloi II's Case Files.
Heartless Troyca grace note Character Sheet2.png|thumb|Troyca character sheet of Doctor Heartless in Lord El-Melloi II's Case Files.
===Personality===
Heartless always shows a congenial smile in his face and acts friendly towards anyone, but at the same time he has an inhuman disposition as if he lacks any kind of real emotion.
In his student days he had feelings for Asheara Mystras. As a teacher, he was very passionate about education, different from other lecturers in other Departments.Lord El-Melloi II's Case Files Volume 8: case. Grand Roll (Upper) - Chapter 4 Part 2 While El-Melloi II could be characterized as one so lacking in talent he is always being saved by his students, Heartless can be characterized by one who is so peerless in ability that he was inevitably betrayed by his students.
Unlike other Magi, his sights are set on something other than reaching the Swirl of the Root, his mantra being "Dedicate your life to the most radiant thing." He doesn't seek to attain an exceptional rank like other Mages in the past who, similar to him, had received something from the Fairies, and used that to do so, like for instance, someone who learned how to speak to everything in the world because they once touched a Fairy.Lord El-Melloi II's Case Files Volume 9: case. Grand Roll (Middle) - Prologue
His partnership with Faker is an enjoyable one for him. Within his life, where he had already predicted his own betrayal, the companionship of Faker who rages at being betrayed by the Ionioi Hetairoi was something he could accept without consideration. In most cases the relationship between Master and Servant is riddled with tension, but regardless of Faker’s opinion of Heartless, Heartless’ opinion of Faker is that he could rest assured in their partnership.
Part of the reason much of the malice in Faker's personality seemed to disappear in the Grand Roll case was no doubt because of Heartless’ attitude in that respect. Between the times of the Rail Zeppelin and Grand Roll incidents, the pair of them got involved in numerous incidents beyond the knowledge of El-Melloi II. Through it all, Heartless always seemed to be strangely enjoying himself, an attitude that always brought a frown and a “what’s with this guy?” from Faker.
In comparison to the rest of his unfortunate life, the last two months of his plan to upend the World of Magecraft were, despite the tremendous upheaval, incredibly calm.
He does not drink alcohol.Lord El-Melloi II's Case Files Volume 8: case. Grand Roll (Upper) - Prologue: Dream
==Role==
===Lord El-Melloi II Case Files===
Seven years before the series start, he was doing research on the Holy Grail War on behalf of ‎Marisbury Animusphere.
Heartless spent some time observing Blackmore Cemetery and learning about their ritual to revive King Arthur, to help further his own plans to revive Iskandar. He met Magdalena who gave him information about it, and Heartless in turn helped Magdalena come up with a plan to prevent the ritual so she could save her daughter, Gray.Lord El-Melloi II Case Files Volume 7: case. Atlas Contract (Lower) - Chapter 4 Part 2 He also met with Zepia Eltnam Atlasia during this time, who was staying in the village. Heartless provided Zepia with information about Holy Grail Wars in exchange for Zepia not calculating anything regarding Heartless's future.Lord El-Melloi II Case Files Volume 7: case. Atlas Contract (Lower) - Epilogue
Heartless gave Byron Valualeta Iselma the money needed to purchase Siegfried's catalyst. He believed that Iselma’s ritual of "aligning the lives of humans to the motions of the planets" was necessary for his own ends.
====case. Mystic Eyes Collection Train====
Doctor Heartless stole Lord El-Melloi II's dearest treasure, the mantle of Iskandar, and left in its place a ticket to the Rail Zeppelin. By using the mantle as a catalyst, combined with linking the Rail Zeppelin and Child of Einnashe on leylines connected to the Greater Grail in Fuyuki to create a "distortion" imitation Grail, Heartless was able to summon an imitation Servant in the special Faker class, Iskandar's Shadow.
He spends much of the case disguised as Caules Forvedge and is only identified at the end.
====Between the Rail Zeppelin Incident and the Grand Roll Incident====
Between the times of the Rail Zeppelin and Grand Roll incidents, Heartless and Faker got involved in numerous incidents beyond the knowledge of El-Melloi II. Through it all, Heartless always seemed to be strangely enjoying himself, an attitude that always brought a frown and a “what’s with this guy?” from Faker.
====case. Grand Roll====
Faker and Heartless.jpg|Heartless and Faker
Heartless and Faker.jpg|Inside the Spiritual Tomb of Albion.
Leaving clues to Lord El-Melloi II to find his Workshop and figure out his plan,Lord El-Melloi II Case Files Volume 8: case. Grand Roll (Upper) - Chapter 5 Part 6 it is revealed that, inspired by the ritual from Blackmore Cemetery that would have turned Gray into a second coming of King Arthur, Heartless planned to turn Faker into Iskandar as a Divine Spirit.Lord El-Melloi II's Case Files Volume 9: case. Grand Roll (Middle) - Chapter 3 Part 4
Heartless and Faker attack the Department of Modern Magecraft Theory, using Faker's chariot to destroy one of the old buildings. A cavern is revealed containing the remains of beasts from the Spiritual Tomb of Albion and a rift leading to it. Reines speculates this as proof that it's a hidden portal to Albion, and that Heartless and his apprentices had been involved in smuggling materials out, bypassing the normal managerial organization. This explains how Heartless used huge amounts of money in earlier incidents, since the Clock Tower takes most of the profit normally. Heartless is half dead and chugging mana potions to keep himself alive.Lord El-Melloi II Case Files Volume 9: case. Grand Roll (Middle)
A battle ensues between Heartless and Faker, and Touko Aozaki and Svin Glascheit. Faker compliments Touko's skill, but Faker's Magecraft is fundamentally stronger due to its origins in the Age of Gods. Heartless and Faker eventually have to withdraw through the rift to Albion before it closes, but Touko's last attack knocks a golden coin free from their chariot. The golden coin has Iskandar's face on it, an old currency from his empire, and it's thanks to it that Lord El-Melloi II is able to figure out Heartless' plan.
Heartless plans to travel to the heart of the Spiritual Tomb of Albion, making use of its properties as a labyrinth in death and rebirth initiation rites to ascend Faker's Saint Graph closer to that of Iskandar's. He also plans to use the Sealing Designated Norikata Emiya to accelerate Faker's time billions of times over using Innate Time Control, praying to her the whole time. This should have the effect of accumulating thousands of years of prayer to her, or more specifically to Iskandar, who was said to carry the blood of Zeus. The Grand Roll itself also provides the required amount of tons of Magical Energy, as during the ceremony the Dragon's heart of the Spiritual Tomb of Albion is opened, making it the best place to get a wave of Mystery big enough connected to the Inner Sea of the Planet to turn a Heroic Spirit into a Divine Spirit. With this, Iskandar will ascend to the rank of a Divine Spirit in modern times. The Authority of a god is the source of the Magecraft of the Age of Gods, and with it MagI won't need to seek the Root anymore, ushering in a new age of Magic. Coins like the one they dropped would become powerful magical catalysts, as after Iskandar became a god they would work as a pass, connecting their holder to Iskandar as a sort of pseudo-Master.
When El-Melloi II pursues him within the Spiritual Tomb of Albion, Heartless leaves traps and monsters on his way to slow him down, including using his Mystic Eyes to make what may be Cerberus open an eye and immobilize them in place.Lord El-Melloi II's Case Files Volume 10: case. Grand Roll (Lower) - Chapter 4 Part 2 In the heart of Albion, he is confronted by El-Melloi II and Gray, but they are too late and he has already transformed Faker into Divine Spirit Iskandar.
El-Melloi II unravels the truth of Heartless, how he was originally Kurou, one of his five apprentices, and he time slipped when he was taken by the Fairies, becoming his own teacher, Heartless. How the Fairies gifted him with Mystic Eyes that could temporarily steal the sight of another. How he killed his apprentices because they had betrayed him as both Kurou and Heartless. The shining Divine Spirit opens its eyes,Lord El-Melloi II's Case Files Volume 10: case. Grand Roll (Lower) - Chapter 5 Part 5 and Albion is replaced by the Ionioi Hetairoi Reality Marble. Heartless says that even if he's killed, the coins that he's given to others will register them as sub-Masters, maintaining Iskandar's link to the world.Lord El-Melloi II's Case Files Volume 10: case. Grand Roll (Lower) - Chapter 5 Part 6
He nearly succeeds, but is then stopped by Lord El-Melloi II, who uses a Command Spell to banish Iskandar. Heartless tries to use his own Command Spell to stop him, but Gray cuts his hand off with her scythe. Heartless is left dying, having given everything to complete his ritual and burned out by all the powerful Magecraft he'd been using. Faker escapes with himLord El-Melloi II's Case Files Volume 10: case. Grand Roll (Lower) - Chapter 5 Part 8 and sits with him in his final moments before disappearing herself.Lord El-Melloi II's Case Files Volume 10: case. Grand Roll (Lower) - Epilogue
==Abilities==
As a human that had his heart stolen by Fairies, even if he was the only Head of a Department that wasn't one of the Twelve Lords, he is a Mystery feared by the Clock Tower. The Magecraft he uses is wide and varied. His knowledge and skills go beyond Modern Magecraft, being also an adept at conventional and advanced techniques from the Botany, Zoology, and Spiritual Evocation faculties. He also possesses a foundation in western Alchemy, with which he handles mineralogy, Spiritual Evocation, metamorphism, and Modern Magecraft at a high level.
His elemental affinity was originally Earth, but passing through the fairylands caused it to be altered.
As his nickname shows, he literally doesn't have a heart inside his chest, but a fissure that connects to a different space akin to an Imaginary Number Space. By using the incantation he can perform instantaneous spatial movement with the side effect of a pain similar to having his heart torn apart. He weaponizes it to teleport a Child of Einnashe to attack the train.Lord El-Melloi II Case Files Volume 5: case. Mystic Eyes collection train (Lower) - Chapter 5 Part 2 His ability to completely flip his heart is, as El-Melloi II recognized, not an ability so much as it is a defect. His heart, left behind in the Land of the Fairies, once connected to the body that was now like an empty shell, made a kind of pseudo-teleportation possible for him, an ability encroaching on the domain of True Magic. However, it is an act similar to inserting a scalpel into one's heart and flipping it over. Though he did this twice in the Rail Zeppelin case, his back was really up against the wall.
He also has a pair of Mystic Eyes, originally with the ability to find things called the Mystic Eyes of Finding, only able to find lost things that they were specifically paired with — rare to be sure, but all in all rather low level as far as Mystic Eyes are concerned. However, due to his time spent in the Land of the Fairies, they transformed into the Jewel-rank that can usurp at will the vision of any eyes, regardless if it's from a Human or a Divine Spirit, being described as "Mystic Eyes that could steal even the vision from Mystic Eyes." Once linked, Dr. Heartless can even make use of his victim's Mystic Eyes.
He was capable of creating the Extra Servant Class Faker by having reproduced the framework of the Holy Grail War with an imitation Holy Grail as an imitation Master with imitation Command Spells. Normally, even the most talented Mages would not be able to summon the kind of Heroic Spirit that is Iskandar's Shadow. However, Heartless seemed to have used the spell of the imminent Fifth Holy Grail War, connected the Ley Lines of Japan to those of London, and manipulated a Subcategory Holy Grail as well as the Magical Energy of Dead Apostles. By stacking the phenomena caused by these, he had achieved the impossible. Though Heartless used a Subcategory Holy Grail that he created himself to summon and maintain that Servant, it will inevitably be influenced by the original. This is evidenced by the fact that he chose a time before the Fuyuki Holy Grail War for the summoning. That is to say, once the Holy Grail War reaches its final stage, Faker will disappear.
During case. Mystic Eyes collection train, Doctor Heartless uses a transformation spell to disguise himself as Caules Forvedge for most of it. Doctor Heartless had been taught a technique of transformation Magecraft through Gurdoa Davenant.Kiyomune Miwa Twitter 12:05 AM JST · Sep 21, 2019 - "At the Clock Tower, transformation is essentially a zoological genre. In other words, he had been taught technique of this magecraft through Sir Davenant of this department." He also uses abilities similarly to Caules' own Magecraft to maintain the disguise, such as bio-electrical Magecraft to adjust bioelectric currents to activate someone's Od and increase the rate of their body's natural healing;Lord El-Melloi II Case Files Volume 4: case. Mystic Eyes collection train (Upper) - Chapter 4 Part 1 however, Waver pointed out that Doctor Heartless' skills were well above Caules' own which allowed him to see through the disguise.Lord El-Melloi II Case Files Volume 5: case. Mystic Eyes collection train (Lower) - Chapter 4 Part 4
==Development==
Kurou Adashino receiving guidance from his future self was an homage to Shirou Emiya and Archer.
==References==
Category:Magi
Category:Humans
Category:Masters
Category:Characters in Lord El-Melloi II Case Files
Category:Clock Tower magi
Category:Clock Tower teachers
Category:Authorities
Category:Introduced in 2016
Category:Clock Tower students
Category:Japanese