The Continent of Orience is divided into four nations, each with a crystal that gives it unique powers. Militants, nation of the White Tiger, Concordia, country of the Dragon Azur, Lorica, guardian of the Black Turtle and Rubrum, homeland of the Vermillon Bird, have long been engaged in a bloody war with disastrous consequences... Nine years before the outbreak of this conflict, young Kurasame Susaya is still only a student of the prestigious Rubrum Magic Academy. Cold, distant and contemptuous vis-à-vis other students, the fearsome fighter will yet mark the story of Rubrum before becoming the instructor of the legendary Zero Class...