Krans R. Tsarskiy

Krans R. Tsarskiy (クランス＝R＝ツァールスキー) is a character introduced in Toaru Majutsu no Index. He is the current Patriarch of the Russian Orthodox Church. Although a child in looks and often times in disposition, he has the wits with him to be able to wield such a position, making him one of the most politically powerful persons in the world of Toaru Majutsu no Index.

Appearance
He is a boy of about 15 he is so slender that he almost has an effeminate appearance that rivals that of Vasilisa. He appears out of place in the majestic outfit of the patriarch which makes him look more like a small child who had put on his father’s suit rather than the leader of one of the three great Christian Churches.

Personality
Despite being a child, Krans has the diplomatic, political, and charismatic skills to be a Patriarch of the Russian Orthodox Church. However, as he is a child, he still has childish qualities, which most often times rises up to the surface when it comes with the antics of his subordinates Sasha and Vasilisa. In fact, Vasilisa calls him "pure" and does the dirty work for him to preserve it.

World War III Arc
During the course of the war he was imprisoned in his own palace in Moscow after being used to start the war with Academy City by Nikolai Tolstoy, who took the patriarch's signature by electronically signing a random dummy document on a tablet and then attached the handwriting data to a more dangerous document there by starting the war. After the war Nikolai to have the guards "protecting" him assassinate the patriarch later and thus allowing Nikolai to assume the mantle himself.

Afterwards Vasilisa defeated the final guards within the patriarch's palace, and finally reached the child leader of the church who expresses joy of being rescued by someone still loyal to him. She briefs him on the current situation of Star of Bethlehem and that a single spell was connecting them, he then comments that they could use the Phenomena Control and Reduction Reproduction Facility to find and analyze that spell. To fully understand the spell Vasilisa contacts Matthai Reese to coordinate their plans ignoring the fact he is no longer the pope and all the while going on about the Patriarch's cuteness.

He later signed a proclamation to finally end the war:

"We can't let this meaningless war continue."

"Our side has clearly examined the conditions proposed by Academy City, and we will continue to discuss this. We'll negotiate about the details, but we can assure that Russia will not end up disadvantaged."

"In the past, we ignored the advice of the public, followed the suggestions of a few people and were unable to undo our choice. As for how tragic the situation was, I suppose everyone knows it better than I do. Regarding this historical error, we can't make any excuses."

"At least what I can do is to end all these abnormal situations as soon as possible, and let the world regain the peace that it should have had."

"Before all of these end, we shall be punished."

"So before that, please give me some time."

"A minority may be unhappy with this result, and may feel that putting down our arms isn't what we should do. However, I want everyone to calm down and think: what were we fighting for? If it's to fight for our family, our friends, our lovers, all the people that are important to us, this is the time, the moment to get all of 'these'. Continuing to fight on will only cause you to lose 'these'."

"The thing that made us recognize this were the actions of everyone on the battlefield."

"Facing the supernatural disaster near the end of the war, we chose a 'correct' move that's way above us, helping everyone, enemies and allies, without any difference. I believe that we can accept this ending."

"From now on, I declare that all fighting will cease. I hope for everyone to agree with this decision, and will be recorded for a future peaceful world to see."

"30th October, Archbishop of the Russian Orthodox Church"

"Krans R. Tsarskiy"

GREMLIN invasion of Tokyo
The Russian Orthodox Church representatives, Russian Orthodox Church Patriarch Krans R. Tsarskiy, Vasilisa, and Sasha Kreutzev, arrive before the United Nations Building in New York for a conference called upon by Roberto Katze. Upon their arrival, Sasha is arguing about Vasilisa having "faith" in something other than "Japanimation" and American culture, despite being a member of the Russian Orthodox Church. Sasha then says that Vasilisa should be afraid of falling victim to an inquisition for saying such things in front of the Patriarch. Krans hears this and says that he wouldn't do it. Roberto then asks where there others are while reading a lewd magazine in front of the others. Roseline says that the French are already inside the United Nations building, the Roman Catholic representatives should arrive shortly along with the Italian Foreign Minister. Thus the meeting of the Anti-GREMLIN Alliance draw near.

After Roberto and Roseline has been briefed on the fantastical topics of the current situation of GREMLIN, the lance of Gungnir, and Sargasso, Roseline speaks to summarize and clarify what they just discussed. Elizard says that she is correct and that the information comes from a spy in GREMLIN. She then says that what matter most is the creation of the lance at Sargasso as it is very dangerous. Roberto doesn't understand and compares it to a nuclear weapon. Krans explains to him that it is because that what GREMLIN is doing is so large scale that it feels difficult for it to be real. Krans reminds the people there the fate of the world if it falls in the hands of Othinus. He says that they don't actually know what GREMLIN's ultimate objective is, but when an age comes that is dominated by a single individual's ideal, a single straying ideal will be enough to have one's severed head displayed in the public square. After the other state heads take turns explaining the danger of the lance of Gungnir, Elizard says that it must be stop before it is finished. Roberto then asks how they will find it, noting the extremely difficulty of such a task in such a short timeframe. Elizard says that it is not impossible, surprising Roseline. Elizard not only gives an example but confides to them that England had a secret transportation network that allowed them to fill the entire world with their magicians. Elizard comments on the Roman Catholic Church and its countless followers, assuming that the Church may have a large scale magic to utilize each member of the Church who is wearing a symbol of their Church. Pope Pietro Yogdis says that he can think of a few but has shut them all down since the dissolution of God's Right and shall never see the light of day so long as he is around. And thus it is revealed that already know the location of Sargasso, apparently waiting for a proper deliberation from all the members of the conference before making a decision. Elizard suggests the use of standard forces comprising of America, Russia, England, and France, while the magical forces however, will be led by England, Rome, Russia, and France, though requiring other countries to double duty. Hearing this, Russia and France readily agreed.

Elizard then asks President Roberto Katze on how much firepower they could use. Roberto answers that since the House of Representatives is still itching for revenge over the invasion of Hawaii, he can get immediate approval from them for an attack on Sargasso. Roberto states that he can officially use the military stationed at four overseas bases in allied nations and if Sargasso is in international waters or the territorial waters of America, the European Union, or any other allied nation, he can have ballistic missiles fired in the name of having a test launch. And though he cannot use any nuclear, biological, or chemical weapons, he can at least have them fill the warhead with bunker clusters. Concerns over straining of the relationships between the countries later arise after Roberto's politically dangerous suggestion, to which he concludes by saying that he'd rather have countries gaining grudges with each other for what they will do than have the world destroyed today. Krans R. Tsarskiy then asks where the Sargasso might be, to which Elizard states may be in the North Sea or the sea near Iceland. And thus begins the Anti-GREMLIN Alliance attack on the North Sea Sargasso. After receiving word of the disastrous mission, the members do not have time to grief over their failure as immediately after they are forced to counter GREMLIN who has begun their move, an invasion of Tokyo.

The alliance have their work cut out for them as GREMLIN puts pressure on their enemies, distributing what people desired to gain in order to prevent their enemies to unite and defeat just like what happened against Fiamma of the Right during World War III. With this, the alliance could not launch a counteroffensive against GREMLIN quickly enough. Roberto chastises a Japanese representative over the phone, asking why they have yet to make a move against GREMLIN, demanding consent that the United States should intervene. After the representative doesn't give a satisfactory response, Roberto ends the call. Elizard says that he should've asked what Academy City intends to do, though Roberto doubts that they would've known anyway. Roseline says that the Japanese government is divided on the issue, and Academy City has made no announcement. She is amazed at GREMLIN for intentionally created this current balance of power. With the clock ticking and with the Japanese government neutered into focusing in moving their government elsewhere before taking action, Roberto deliberates on his choices. Pietro then says that Academy City will make their move soon, though he has doubts if Academy City will bother distinguishing between friend or foe. The Maiden of Versailles then says that she doubts that Academy City even completely trust them, conjecturing that they another magical group will try to attack them within the confusion caused by GREMLIN, something that is only favorable to GREMLIN itself. Krans tries to remind them that doubts and constraints are all part of GREMLIN's attempt to buy time, and that they need to have as many people they can at least trust. However, no one agrees with his assessment as there was no time. Roberto then asks Elizard if the Anglican Church have a hotline with Academy City, as they have joined forces during World War III. Elizard points out that it was the Anglican Church's doing and the British Royal Family was barely involved. Elizard then states that the Church as well wasn't able to contact Aleister since the end of the War. Out of allies, out of options, and out of time, Roberto contemplates what they should do. His stupor is later broken by Roseline, and there Roberto gave a small smile. He says that what they should do hasn't changed, and tells them that they should make a vote. One of the people there asks if they are using democratic decision to distribute responsibility, to which Roberto says that only those who go along with their plan will become responsible. Thus the alliance finally makes their move against GREMLIN.

Shifting and Fluctuating World
In the first recreation of the world by Othinus, known as the Version_Alpha world in-text, where she has changed the entire perspective of the world to make Touma into the world's enemy and thus break his spirit, the alliance formed to combat her and GREMLIN in Touma's original world is an international coalition that is set out to kill Touma. When Touma first arrives through Othinus' powers, he discovers that Tokyo has been invaded by the coalition in order to eliminate him, ravaging Japan's capital greatly with 70% of its 23 special wards destroyed.

Several leaders appear in the television right after Othinus herself appears to Touma to taunt him regarding the world. She changes the channel at random to continue her torment on Touma. Patriarch Krans is shown speaking to a crowd in front of a sanctuary. Here, he says that God respects man's free will but they will not support people's mistakes for they must be corrected. He refers to Touma as a stagnation created by misusing the freedom man has been given, and that their ability to purify themselves is being tested.

VS The World
The Patriarch along with the other participants of the Anti-GREMLIN Alliance at the UN Headquarters building in New York witnessed and were troubled about what Touma did and his disappearance along with the magic god. Confused himself, he then raises his hand and tells them that what Touma has done does not fit with his previous behavior and asks them if they have any ideas on what possibly happened, to which others replies with their own thoughts but then Roberto Katze decides that they will continue on as normal and destroy Othinus and her “faction”.

Thus, the international coalition begins mobilizing for the manhunt for Othinus and Kamijou Touma, with the three major churches releasing the restrictions on specially sealed spells. As Elizard watches as her fellow representatives begin their preparations, she thinks that it might be better to leave the matter to "official" groups like the SAS and MI6, as she thinks extreme irregulars using supernatural power might actually give him a way out. Roberto sighs as the events unfold before his very eyes. Without much of a choice, he says that they can only continue as normal. He says that they will find the "Othinus faction" and destroy them as it is the only way to prevent society from growing any more unstable.

With that, the coalition later somehow find that Touma and Othinus are in Denmark and direct their forces there. The Pope and Roman Catholic Church relieves Agnese Sanctis, Lucia, and Angelene of their positions as security for the meeting of the international coalition and have them and the rest of the Agnese Forces sent to Denmark. They are transported there with their ally the United States of America through the use of their stealth bombers. The Patriarch and the Russian Orthodox Church relieves Vasilisa and Sasha Kreutzev of their bodyguard duties for Krans and are sent to Denmark through unknown means. The Queen despite her thinking that it would be better to use soldiers, later with the Anglican Church relieves Kanzaki Kaori of her bodyguard duty and has her rendezvous with Princess Carissa, William Orwell, and the Knight Leader on the Hotel Ariel just off their recent mission. Likely with her blessing, she allows Index, Leivinia Birdway, and Lessar to go to Denmark as well, with Lessar in communication with their forces. France also plans to mobilize their own forces as well.

Finally, the President and the United States of America, not having any magicians with them, send out commandos to Denmark for Operation Norse Wind. There, the coalition monitor the actions of their units from the New York.

Krans is the first of the representatives of the international coalition to communicate with Kamijou Touma after his "betrayal". After Vasilisa tosses a Russian military radio to Touma during her and Sasha's confrontation with him, Krans is able to talk to him. He tells Touma that they have constructed a unique spell to use against a magic god and it would be also probably effective against him. He then asks him if he would still challenge them. Touma then tells them that they won’t be able to stop him. Vasilisa then starts chanting the spell while standing a distance away behind Sasha. Roaring flames starts to spiral around Vasilisa, prompting Touma to wraps his left arm with his jacket as the flames expanded. As he negated it, Sasha approaches him from the side and swings her saw to tear his chest but he uses his wrapped left arm to shield himself. He then negates the saw. The voice speaks again, amazed of his accomplishments but tells him that it means that he is trampling on the wishes of the whole world and considers it prideful. Touma’s leg then suddenly collapses. It turns out that the Patriarch was using the “Seven Deadly Sins” spell against Touma thus slowly debilitating him for each sin he deems that Touma has done. After forcing the last deadly sin, “Gluttony”, on Touma, he then collapses and Sasha checks up on him. After realizing that he isn’t responding, she and concludes that he is already dead, she decides that she will thoroughly destroy his body in order to ensure that it won’t be a problem in the future since they know that Othinus can animate corpses. As she was about to swing down her saw, she suddenly stops when Touma smashes his right fist at her saw. As Sasha tries to finish him off, Vasilisa stops her as suddenly Touma shouts to the phone asking if silencing people with violence and not hearing them is how their god does things then tells him that it is an incredible level of pride. Vasilisa then realizes that Touma has figured out the mechanics of the spell and is now using it against them and thus decides to not interfere since it would be much worse. Touma manages to force six out of the seven deadly sins to the Patriarch. The Patriarch then asks Touma his motivations for siding with the magic god to which he responds that he had a good reason of doing so instead of them who has decided to kill her without actually knowing and talking it out with her, and that it would be the root sin of all their other sins.

Strength returns to Touma’s body, thus ends the battle, though he comments on how he is unable to force the last deadly sin “Lust” onto the Patriarch. He then turns to Vasilisa and Sasha and asks them if they will still continue the fight without any support. Vasilisa then tells him that they won’t continue the fight any longer and that killing him would only make the Patriarch trap himself in the “Seven Deadly Sins.” She also regrets that they didn’t use a breaker like what the Roman Catholics did earlier. Before parting, Vasilisa tells him that they can’t touch him since the spell is still active and explains the scope of the spell further saying that if an assassin that is not a Russian Orthodox believer kills him, it will not feed back to the Patriarch. By the time Touma catches on, someone attacks him and renders him unconscious. Krans later regains consciousness and likely monitored the rest of the events of the manhunt unfold. He and the other representatives later stare at Roberto after he willingly let both Touma and Othinus go, where he later apologizes to them and says that he is their enemy now. Apparently, Roberto meets no reprisal for this.

After Roberto decides to declassify the footage of Touma's efforts to save Othinus and ask the world for forgiveness, he tells them that he will be holding an emergency press conference, asking the others what they will do. Elizard says that she will leave that to people who want to stand out in public and says she'd rather handle the internal announcement. She says that she is worried that she won't easily calm her military obsessed daughter, who was eager to be deployed, and had her mobile fortress destroyed. Roberto is amazed and asks if she isn't dead set on killing Touma and Othinus anymore. The Patriarch cuts in and asks not to tease the Queen Regnant too much. With a sigh, he then says that he will focus on reaching those people in places America's voice cannot reach. The Pope also says that he can provide assistance as well. They then turn to the representative of France, the Maiden of Versailles. She says that France never sent anyone in the first place, and as such they have no reason to struggle as well. The Queen then says that it seems one of the world's problems is how the clever have a way of going unnoticed. This later leads to a small fight between them.

The Patriarch then speaks in front of many cameras. He tells the people that though Othinus has indeed committed many sins, he asks them if they should declare her to be irredeemable in accordance to their beliefs. He compares the situation with the Apostles initially renouncing Jesus but is later forgiven by him, and says that before them is a test, a test of whether or not people will give in to their hatred or have the strength to forgive. He asks the people to look at Othinus with unclouded eyes, saying that though she casted aside the opportunity of being saved and brought further punishment on herself even if it destroys her body (referring to Othinus using her world crossbow spell furthering the deterioration of her body through the fairy spell), just so she could save Touma. The Patriarch says that the only sin there is that she is easily being swept to suicide because of their teachings, and as such Othinus must live in order to make up for her sins. He further says that once she has made up for them he wants her to be saved. He tells them that by showing that even someone like Othinus can be saved, it means that other people who are heading down the wrong path can also be saved.

Seven Deadly Sins spell
Krans can use a spell that takes a concept of Christianity and forces the target to be judged according to their rules and biases. When Krans used this spell, he used the concept of the Seven Deadly Sins, which allowed him to take a portion of the target's strength for each sin he judges the target has. If all sins have been applied properly, the spell even takes away the strength needed to move the heart, likely leading to death.

It, however, can backfire as it also allows the target to judge the user with the same concept, as demonstrated by Touma. Moreover, as it requires the use of believers in the Russian Orthodox Church for the spell, any interference and even harm that comes upon the target that has reversed the spell to the user can be considered as a "sin" as well, and can affect the target.

Character Art Designs
Despite appearing at the very end of Toaru Majutsu no Index, Krans doesn't get a design up until Shinyaku Toaru Majutsu no Index. According to Haimura, he didn't base the Patriarch on anyone or anything in particular, unlike Pietro Yogdis. Instead, he just focused on him having similarities with his fellow Russian Orthodox members, Sasha and Vasilisa.