Saint

Saints (聖人) are powerful people on the Magic Side, with less than 20 of them in the world. Their existence is also called 'Child of God'.

Principles
The theory behind their power is based on Idol Theory, where a replica of a more powerful being or item can also gain a tiny portion of the original's strength. Humans are said to be made in the image of God, and Saints are said to be a higher replica that can bring out more strength.

The special bodily characteristics that allow a Saint to draw out a portion of the Son of God's power are sometimes inaccurately referred to as Stigma (聖痕 (スティグマ) ) (plural Stigmata), however this technically refers to stab wounds of unknown cause appearing in the same places as the stab wounds the Son of God received on the cross - wounds which the Saints don't necessarily have.

Traits that most Saints have include superhuman physical strength, incredible speed, capable of channeling a larger amount of mana compared to normal magicians, and superhuman senses. Examples of superhuman senses are demonstrated many times in the novels, when it was stated Kanzaki have vision of 8.0 and Acqua of the Back can hear a whisper from over 10m away. Some Saints possess blood with special healing properties.

Weaknesses
Due to their nature, Saints in general are weak to attacks that resemble how the Son of God was killed (being stabbed, a crown of Thorns, and the crucifix), though this weakness normally is inconsequential since most magicians don't have the power to exploit these weaknesses, and most saints are aware of this problem and take measure to prevent them being affected by the weakness.

The spell Saint Destroyer designed by the Amakusa Church aims to disrupt the balance of holy power and magic power inside a saint, and against a normal saint it only temporarily brings them down to levels like a normal human. In Amakusa's fight against Acqua of the Back, the Saint Destroyer made him self-destruct because he has too much power due to his role as one of the God's Right Seat as well.

It is also possible for a Saint to use up too much power, past the limits of the human body, and destroy themselves. This was demonstrated when Kanzaki Kaori fought Misha Kreutzev during the Angel Fall incident and was on the brink of over-exertion and death before Motoharu blasted the ritual location. Some Saints can also fall victim to their own power in other ways, such as meeting obstructions and failing sharp turns at supersonic speed without adequate protection.

Fate
There is a path which many Saints, such as Kanzaki Kaori and Brunhild Eiktobel, go down due to their nature. Being born with rare qualities, they are often on the receiving end of the darker side of human nature and this not only affects them but also the few people that have truly connected with them, who don't share these unique traits that allow them to survive most attacks against them. As a result, loved ones may be caught in a trap meant for the Saint and likely perish while they live on.

When this happens, the Saint wouldn't resign themselves to fate and give up - this feeling is strong in them because they are Saints, and thus possess characteristics similar to the Son of God, who in one story raised the dead, allowing them to use a portion of his power. Knowing this and the smiles of the people who cared about them, they would seriously think about detailed and absurd plans to miraculously save them, store up power and accurately carry them out, not giving up without trying - their actions opposing the image given by the word Saint.

In the end though, they all despair for none of these plans would work and no matter what the people whose minds and bodies were destroyed would never return to normal. In trying to bring their loved ones back, they lose sight of the simple fact that human life isn't such a simple thing. After wearing themselves down, trying everything and offering all they have, they fail, despair, then finally come to terms with the deaths of the ones they cared about.

Ranking
Saints have rankings akin to the seven Level 5s of Academy City, which is based on their level of contribution to society.

Known Saints
These are the Saints seen or mentioned in the series thus far:
 * Kanzaki Kaori
 * William Orwell - Lost his Saint powers in World War III.
 * Silvia - Higher rank than Brunhild.
 * Brunhild Eiktobel - Lower rank than Silvia.
 * Number Ten Saint (第10位の聖人) - Not much is known of them, except that he/she has been continually flying through the sky for years.

Special cases

 * Meigo Arisa - Due to her strange existence, she was temporarily ranked as the ninth Saint, and it is speculated by Kanzaki that she could outclass her if her powers awaken. It is likely her Saint rank is stripped after she merges back with Shutaura Sequenzia.
 * Pantagruel - The antagonist of the Toaru Majutsu to Kagaku no Ensemble game temporarily made himself into a Saint using his spell. He inputted Kanzaki's body parameters into his own body in order to gain the "parameters" of being a Saint. As a result, he gains the speed equal to that of a Saint like Kanzaki.
 * Kanzaki Kigomi - Not much is known of her, except that she is the only successful example of standard saint with spiritual item assisted.

Historical Saints
These are some of the historical figures who have held the title 'Saint'. The stories surrounding them form the basis for various spells in the series.