---
The bell rang. The sky cracked. And Kairo Venn still didn't have a god.
He stared up at the ceiling fan in Room 3-B as it wobbled like it was about to commit suicide. His classmates were pulling out their phone screens, checking their god statuses.
"Blessing upgrade! My Flame God just unlocked Heat Aura II!" one kid bragged, fist-pumping like he'd just won the lottery.
Another girl let out a dreamy sigh. "My Love Goddess said I'll meet my soulmate by next semester. She even sent a heart emoji."
Kairo leaned back in his chair and muttered, "Must be nice to have a god that texts you."
"Still nothing, Venn?" asked Mr. Drel, his history teacher—and a proud bondholder to the God of Toast. (He never shut up about it. His literal aura smelled like butter.)
Kairo didn't answer. Just flashed his blank divine interface to the class.
[BOND STATUS: UNASSIGNED]
Silence. Then the giggles started.
Someone threw a crumpled paper at him. "Hey Godless, maybe your divine partner's just really shy!"
Kairo caught the paper mid-air, didn't even look at who threw it, and tossed it in the trash like a no-look basketball shot.
"Maybe," he said coolly. "Or maybe your god's just a backup character in my origin story."
That earned a few laughs. Not the mean kind—just surprised ones. Mr. Drel sighed like he aged ten years.
"Kairo, for the last time—no dramatic monologues during class."
"But that was a good one," someone whispered.
---
Later that day,
Kairo found himself standing in front of a rusted steel door at the back of the museum's restricted wing. The class was on a field trip to view "Divine Relics of the Pre-Bonded Era," which was just a fancy way of saying ancient junk from when gods actually cared.
While the others followed the guide, Kairo hung back. Because the door… was humming.
He didn't believe in fate, but the sound was calling him. It sounded like a low war drum buried beneath concrete. Every part of him knew one thing:
"Open this, and life changes."
So naturally, he opened it.
Inside was a single obsidian box floating above a stone pedestal. No dust. No locks. Just glowing red lines pulsing like veins.
Kairo stepped forward.
System Warning: Unauthorized Access Detected.
Divine Relic Awakening…
WARNING: Relic contains Class-S Deity. Bonding Not Recommended.
Kairo blinked. "Did you just call me Class-S material? Why thank you—"
The box exploded in a burst of red light.
He was slammed backward into the wall, his body lifted off the floor, spinning as thousands of golden symbols raced across his skin like tattoos on fire. His head rang like an entire orchestra falling down a staircase.
And then he heard a voice.
Deep. Thunderous. Mad.
"WHO DARES SUMMON THE WAR GOD ZERITH—"
There was a pause.
"…Wait. You're just a kid."
Kairo coughed. "You're just a disembodied voice. What's your point?"
"I should incinerate you."
"Do it. End my suffering."
"...Are you always this annoying?"
"Only on weekdays."
Then the air turned cold. His vision warped.
The world bent inward and snapped.
And suddenly—he was standing in a crater.
The relic chamber was gone. The ceiling blown open. Debris floated mid-air. His classmates screamed from behind safety glass.
In the center of the chaos, Kairo stood untouched.
And behind him… a towering red phantom with glowing eyes, war armor, and a massive ethereal sword slung over his shoulder.
Zerith, God of War, had returned.
Only, he didn't look happy.
"Ugh," the god muttered, "I'm bonded to a mortal with zero divine potential and too much sarcasm. This is the worst exile ever."
Kairo wiped ash off his sleeve. "Cool. You gonna teach me how to throw fireballs or what?"
Zerith leaned in. Their faces inches apart.
"You want power, brat?"
"Earn it."
---