Through the celestial cracks descended beings born from a nameless world.
Colossal deformities that transcended reason and defied comprehension.
Some called them gods; others feared they were divine punishment.
We called them this: "Shinjū," Divine Beasts.
Cities vanished one after another from the map, human weapons proved useless, and not even prayers reached them.
But when the demonic power slumbering in human blood awakened, the balance finally began to break.
When a Divine Beast perished, it left behind a crystalline structure.
A small pyramid the size of a fist, yet containing power capable of altering the fate of entire nations.
Thus began an era of war, magic, and glory.
And also an era of arrogance, betrayal, and death, hidden behind the brilliance.
---
Only the sound of gravel crunching under his feet broke the silence.
A young man walked along the path toward the Celestial Dragon Empire's Magic Academy.
Tricolor hair waving in the wind.
A black shirt with golden embroidery.
White pants with black patterns that moved as if alive.
In his right hand, a letter sealed with red wax.
But his eyes lacked emotion.
"So this is it…"
He murmured in a dry voice, stopping before the enormous torii gate.
The academy rose like a temple from another world.
Towers piercing the clouds, floating training grounds, the council hall crowned by a golden dome at the center.
Students flying on magical beasts, others training with energy swords, laughter and spell explosions echoing everywhere.
For some, a dream world.
For others, a playground.
But for Shiraha Alex—it was just a place where people who thought their effort was special gathered.
He looked at the letter again. Though somewhat wrinkled, the wax had not lost its luster.
The mark was a dragon coiled around an inverted pyramid.
"Dear Shiragami Alex,
By the direct designation of Headmistress Mikagami, you are granted admission to the Celestial Dragon Empire's Magic Academy.
An anomalous synchronization between you and an unidentified-level Pyramid Core has been observed.
Your attendance is mandatory.
Welcome to the dawn of a new era."
"...What a bother."
He tucked the letter into his pocket and took a step forward.
As he crossed the threshold, a warm breeze greeted him.
At that moment, no one knew.
That the gears of the gods' judgment had begun to turn once more.
And that the emotionless young man, Alex, would be their executioner.
---
The interior of the main building was spacious, elegant, and enveloped in silence.
Red carpet with golden trim, black marble columns, floating lamps like fireflies trapped in crystal cages.
Alex stopped before large double doors engraved with ancient characters.
He didn't need to knock.
The doors opened on their own.
Inside, seated behind an ebony desk, was a woman—Mikagami Satsuki, Headmistress of the Celestial Dragon Academy.
She appeared to be less than thirty. But her eyes held the depth of one who has seen civilizations die.
Waist-length white hair, purple robes adorned with shifting runes, and a presence that turned even silence into intimidation.
"Welcome, Shiragami Alex-kun."
She said without raising her voice, yet with a resonance that made the entire room vibrate.
Alex entered the room, his hands still in his pockets.
"...Well? Is this the famous 'headmistress who kidnaps students'? Going so far as to send a handwritten letter, how kind."
Mikagami slightly raised an eyebrow and offered a faint smile.
"It is not a kidnapping. You belonged to no organization. No one, not even, knew you had a Pyramid… until it appeared."
She extended a hand, and a black pyramid materialized, floating above the desk. It spun slowly, emitting a reddish pulse.
"When we placed the last Divine Beast core into the tracking detector, only one coordinate appeared. Just one—"
The hologram changed. It showed Alex's room. The bed, the desk, him sleeping.
"Your magical energy is something that should not exist in this world. But… that pyramid rejected anyone but you."
Alex crossed his arms and looked away.
"...And that justifies forcing me to come here?"
"Your power has the potential to change the balance in the war against the Divine Beasts. If you manage to graduate and defeat some of them…"
She leaned forward.
"—You will be granted anything you desire."
Silence flowed.
Finally, Alex smiled with irony.
"...Desperate, huh? Are things that bad?"
Mikagami did not respond.
"Is a Category 5 coming?"
Alex continued.
"Or did you just realize this academy is nothing but a nest of idiots who think they're heroes just for having shiny pyramids?"
She held his gaze for an instant, then directed her eyes toward the window.
"I would not have spoken with you if I were not certain."
---