He hated bullies. True. But he hated schools even more. So why the hell did he just agree to work in one?
Short answer — he's scared. Of what?
His mother's texts.
Long answer — again, he's scared. Scared to die.
In his life, his mother had texted him only seventeen times. Sixteen times, what she said came true.
And his gut told him the seventeenth time would too.
'I hope you will follow in your father's footsteps.'
'Mom, you are really a bitch. I really want to fuck you to death.'
So before that happened, his only choice was to escape. To run somewhere far enough that his mother couldn't reach.
[Welcome, Student #0, to CrusadeVeil High.]
Dimitrios didn't flinch when the world turned sideways. It wasn't the first time something surreal had happened to him.
He could see the weakness of anything just by looking at it. That's what made him the number one fighter in the hood.
Sometimes he would feel as if he had died. Then he'd open his eyes — carrying the memory of death, but nothing of what came before it.
Strange things had always happened around him. Nothing special. Nothing extraordinary, either.
So, floating in midair while the world paused like a broken film reel? Nothing new. But what was new was the silence.
A suffocating, stretched-out kind of silence.
Like the universe had taken a breath and forgotten how to exhale. Leaves hovered mid-tumble outside the bus window.
The orange cat from earlier hung in the air like a cheap sticker pasted on glass. Even the hum of the engine vanished.
A paper appeared in his hands as if from nowhere. Along with it was an ID card — his face plastered on it.
Then the ID suddenly flashed before his eyes, a blue screen materialising in front of him.
Name: Dimitrios Diamantakos
Title: #0
Virtus: Fatebreaker (O), Echoing Eternity (O)
Rank: Novice (Red 0%)
Depth:10 (1/s)
Eidos: Not registered
Manifestations: Threads of Fate, Eternal Echo
Spells: Not registered
"What does this mean?"
[Purpose: Stop the bullies.]
[Pay: Increase the depth.]
"Wait... what the fuck is 'pay'?"
[All the best.]
The atmosphere around him swirled. A single thread of golden light floated toward him, curling like a snake. It brushed against his chest. His instincts screamed — but not in warning. In hunger.
His body moved on its own, pushing the bus door open as he stepped out. The scenery around him shattered like glass —
And revealed her.
She stood barefoot atop a cliff, her silver hair dancing in the breeze. Sweat mingled with blood trailed down her forehead.
Her light blue eyes blazed with anger and, above all, desperation. She wore what looked like a school uniform.
Star-shaped pins lined her collar. Total: three. Her white uniform was soaked with blood, uneven claw marks slashed across her body.
Her head snapped toward him. Hope flashed in her exhausted eyes — then disappeared, like a shooting star.
"I failed again..." Her voice was soft.
"Hahah..." a boy laughed. "I thought you were gonna pull some divine shit. And here — here's a normal human? Is he your summon? Haha!"
Only then did Dimitri notice the group cornering the girl. Three boys, about her age. Their uniforms bore the same number of stars. Same class, he guessed.
'So this is typical high school bullying...' Dimitri thought. Looking at the girl once more, he shook his head. 'No. It's more than ordinary bullying. They're going to kill her...'
His eyes moved between the girl and the cliff's edge. One step back, and she would die.
"I know this may not be what you expected. You're confused — like me," the girl said. "I am Luna. I'm the one who asked for your help."
"What? You asked for help from a common peasant? How laughable." The boy's mockery landed in the air, but Luna never once glanced in his direction.
Her eyes stayed locked with Dimitri's. In them, he saw something he had never seen in the bullied.
Defiance. The raw, desperate urge to break free. And that made him smile.
"Dimitrios. Dimitrios Diamantakos."
A smile appeared on her face. While the three boys wore confused expressions, Dimitri realised something — only she could hear his voice.
No... he wasn't speaking. At least, not through his mouth. They were talking through their minds.
He felt a slight pull at his chest. He looked down. A golden thread stretched from there, connecting him to Luna.
Through it, he could feel her every emotion, her every thought... even her scent. It was almost magical.
"I awakened two Virtus..." She seemed to read his doubts.
"Slut... how could a null like you awaken a Virtus? Let alone two?" the boy laughed again. Dimitri understood then — everything she said could be heard by the others.
"Virtus...?" he asked, visibly confused.
"Innate traits. That's all I can tell you now. We have no time. They will never give us time." Her eyes darted toward the three approaching figures.
"One of my Virtus is called Stellar Bound. It allows me to forge an eternal soul-bond with an individual from another realm, destined to become their fated companion." Her voice paused.
"So this peasant is your fated companion? Haha... Trash times trash... matching..." Dimitri wanted to kill that boy. He gave him a cold glance.
"I'm that individual? But why me?"
"That... I don't know. I truly don't. It only said everything depends on my fate — and you are here. I'm really sorry. I seem to have pulled you into danger..."
He felt the sadness in her tone. And the disappointment. Sadness for dragging a clueless guy like him into this mess. Disappointment for getting a weak one.
"I have the urge to do the same thing I keep wanting to do to my mother," he shrugged.
"What?"
"Nothing. Sounds like you wanted a slave and got a defective one, so now you're offended."
"No!" she flared up, folding her arms. "It's sacred! A connection between two fates! Forged by the Well of Stars!"
"Still sounds like slavery with extra steps."
The girl looked offended. A smirk crossed Dimitri's face as he shrugged.
"You know I can sense your emotions... that includes lies."
He watched the color drain from her face. Her outburst seemed to embolden the bullies, who now advanced toward her with wide grins.
"Slut. I wanna see where you run now..." the lead boy taunted, flashing a mouthful of crooked teeth.
"No..." Dimitri watched Luna's calm façade shatter as the gap closed.
"Help me... I'll tell you everything after..."
"That's it." Dimitri laughed, taking a step forward. The golden thread between them pulsed — then pulled.
His body cut through space like the flipping of pages. And appeared in front of her.
He turned toward her. Luna, visibly alarmed, tried to wave him off.
"W-wait! If you touch me, the ceremony will complete — you can't go ba—!"
Too late.
Dimitri poked her forehead with one finger. "Oh. You're warm."
She yelped. Not from pain, but from surprise. Like no one had ever touched her before.
"You're lying again," Dimitri curled his lips. "We're already bonded, right? And that seems to be irreversible."