Chapter I: Blood Oath

The blackened spires of Kurenai Gakuen pierced the evening sky like jagged blades. Beneath the blood-red clouds, the academy’s central courtyard, Cerberus Square, thrummed with danger. It wasn’t the welcoming ceremony the brochures promised—here, dominance was earned through grit, cunning, and blood.

For Cy Vance, this was exactly the kind of stage he thrived on.

A circle had formed, students whispering and jeering as Cy stood calmly in the center. His onyx black hair glinted faintly under the courtyard’s dim lanterns, and his soft red eyes seemed to drink in the tension like wine. He was surrounded by four upperclassmen, their weapons drawn, their arrogance palpable.

“You don’t belong here, freshman,” growled one, a towering brute with brass knuckles.

Cy gave a faint smirk, tilting his head lazily. “Let me guess. This is the part where you try to scare me?” He slid his hands into his pockets, utterly unfazed. “You’re boring me already.”

The crowd murmured, shocked at his audacity. No one dared to mock the upper ranks, especially on their first day.

“You’ve got guts, I’ll give you that,” said another attacker, twirling a serrated dagger. “Let’s see how long they last.”

The first blow came fast—a chain whip slicing through the air. Cy’s soft red eyes flashed as his Crimson Foresight activated. Time slowed, the world sharpening into vivid detail. He sidestepped effortlessly, the chain cracking against the stone where he’d just been standing.

“Too slow,” he said, almost bored.

The brute with brass knuckles charged next, swinging a fist aimed at Cy’s jaw. Cy ducked low, his movements smooth and deliberate. As the punch sailed past him, he countered with a sharp elbow to the ribs, sending the brute staggering.

Two more opponents rushed him at once. The first came at him with a staff, aiming for his legs, but Cy leapt, twisting midair to avoid the strike. He landed behind them, grabbing the second by their collar and yanking them into the path of the staff. The impact was brutal.

In less than thirty seconds, all four attackers were on the ground, groaning in pain. Cy adjusted his jacket, his smirk widening as he turned to the stunned crowd.

“Was that supposed to be difficult?” he asked, his voice dripping with mockery.

The students stared in disbelief, but then a new sound cut through the tension: slow, deliberate clapping.

“Impressive,” said a voice, smooth and commanding.

The crowd parted as Raven Solace stepped into the ring. Her crimson-accented uniform clung perfectly to her figure, and her long jet-black hair streaked with crimson caught the light. But it was her eyes—deep red and piercing—that silenced the murmurs. She didn’t walk; she stalked, like a predator closing in on prey.

“You’ve got skills, I’ll admit,” she said, stopping a few paces from him. “But skills alone don’t mean much here.”

Cy’s red eyes met hers, unflinching. “And you must be the queen of this little kingdom. What’s your name?”

Raven smirked, twirling a crimson dagger that materialized in her hand. “I’m the one who decides whether you get to stay or not.”

The air crackled with tension. Cy stepped closer, his voice low and challenging. “I didn’t come here to play by your rules. I came to win.”

The crowd held its breath as Raven’s smirk widened. “Then prove it.”

Before either could make a move, a loud gong echoed through the courtyard. The crowd parted again as the Headmaster, a towering figure with sharp features and a presence that demanded obedience, approached.

“Vance. Solace,” the Headmaster said, his voice cold and authoritative. “If you insist on causing a spectacle, you’ll do it under the academy’s terms.”

Two enforcers stepped forward, each carrying a small, black chalice.

“You will take the Blood Oath,” the Headmaster continued. “From this moment on, your fates are tied. You will rise or fall together. Succeed, and you will dominate. Fail, and you will die.”

Cy raised an eyebrow, intrigued. Raven’s expression didn’t falter. Without hesitation, she grabbed the offered chalice, slicing her palm with her dagger and letting her blood drip into it.

“Your move, silver boy,” she said, her voice dripping with challenge.

Cy smirked, taking the second chalice. He bit his thumb, letting his blood join hers. The crimson liquid in both chalices began to glow ominously as the oath sealed itself.

“You’ve just made the worst mistake of your life,” Raven said, her crimson eyes burning into his.

Cy leaned in slightly, his voice a low murmur. “Or the best decision of yours.”

The crowd erupted in whispers as the Headmaster stepped back, his expression unreadable.

“Welcome to the Blood Oath,” he said. “May you survive long enough to regret it.”

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