Teased unmercifully for his past as an orphan and a slave, Teito has only his best friend Mikage to ease his days at the elite Barsburg Academy - and his mastery of the magical art of Zaiphon! But even that will not be enough to save him when he discovers a horrifying secret behind the ruling Empire. Trapped in an ancient battle between a wicked Death God and the Seven Ghosts and guided by three mysterious priests, Teito discovers a power that could save the world... and shed light on his own mysterious past.