
Plot: Teito Klein, a boy attending 315th districts Barsburg's military academy, has been having strange dreams of his past that he can't quite place. Once a slave, he's now the Chairman's favorite student one of the elite with potential to become superb soldiers who won't bring shame to the name of the empire. The students of the special program freely utilize an ability called zaiphon to fight. Zaiphon is the ability to convert a life source into various forms, varying on the person wielding the gift it can be used in offense, heal, impare movement, etc.
At the graduation exam with a pass rate of only twenty out of five hundred, Teito shows remarkable skill and passes easily along with his best friend Mikage. Only a few hours later he walked past a group of several people, stopping when he heard his name. While listening to the conversation, Teito recognizes the man in his dreams as the one who killed his father. When he is discovered eavesdropping Taito charges, attempting to attack his father's murderer, Ayanami. However he is quickly taken down by one of Ayanami's subordinates, and sent to prison to await questioning. When Mikage comes to rescue him, he finds Teito already having escaped already. Using his Mikage as a "hostage", Teito is a able to flee the academy on a motorbike without ruining the reputation of his friend.
Unfortunately while fleeing, Teito gets hit from a zaiphon cast by Ayanami, wounding him. The injury causes him to eventually crash into another motorbike rider. Luckily the group Teito crashed into were bishops from a nearby church in the 'God's Territory' District. Teito is offered sanctuary at their church and so becomes temporarily protected from the soldiers of the Barsburg empire who still seek him.
It's later revealed that Teito carries the Eye of Mikheil, which his country was ransacked for. The tragic death of someone very close to him then starts his quest for his past, power and revenge, all the while getting caught up in the business of the Gods, Verloren and the 7 Ghosts.