Fantasia Library

At this moment, the defensive barriers around the stage were fully activated, leaving only two openings: the left and right entrances for the participants.

Emerging from the competitor's lounge, Aizen walked through the passageway leading to the stage.

The Monthly Ranking Battle had been underway for some time, with several duels already concluded. The audience was abuzz with excitement, engrossed in the spectacle, their discussions filling the air.

In this charged atmosphere, Aizen and his chosen opponent stepped onto the stage, greeted by a round of cheers.

On closer inspection, it was clear the applause was noticeably louder than it had been for previous matches.

And with good reason.

"Rank 13, Arkadi Fanken, is entering the stage!"

"The strongest below the Page Ones!"

"Finally, a heavyweight contender!"

The spectators were visibly thrilled.

Ranked 13th, Arkadi was the highest-ranked student below the Page Ones—the elite top 12—and held the first position on the second page of the Named Charts. He was just one step away from the prestigious first page.

In the earlier duels, although some ranked students had participated, no Page Ones had taken the stage yet.

After all, the Page Ones represented the pinnacle of the academy. Even during the Monthly Ranking Battles, they rarely received challenges. At this event, only two duels involved Page Ones: one was a ranked student challenging the 12th rank, and the other was a duel between the 1st and 10th rankers—a clash between two Page Ones.

Other than these two matches, the most anticipated duel was this one, featuring the top contender below the Page Ones. It was considered one of the event's highlights.

Naturally, the audience's excitement was justified.

However…

"Wait, isn't the challenger some no-name nobody?"

"Let me check… huh? They're not even on the Named Charts?"

"You've got to be kidding me. An unranked student challenging the strongest below the Page Ones?"

"This duel's outcome is already obvious."

Many spectators accessed their holo-displays to look up information on Arkadi's opponent, only to be sorely disappointed.

An unranked student from the third tier, challenging the top contender of the second tier? It seemed ridiculous.

Just as many in the crowd were losing interest, someone gasped in surprise.

"Wait! He's a wielder of an Orga Lux!"

Orga Lux.

The term sent a ripple of shock through the audience. They quickly dove deeper into Aizen's profile and were stunned to discover he was Seidoukan Academy's eighth Orga Lux wielder.

"Ser-Veresta?"

"I've heard of it! It's famous, isn't it?"

"Of course! It's one of the Four Colored Magic Swords!"

"He's the wielder of one of the Four Colored Magic Swords?"

"No wonder he dared to challenge Rank 13!"

The audience buzzed with a mix of awe and anticipation.

Orga Lux weapons were incredibly rare.

Before Aizen, only seven students at Seidoukan Academy had wielded an Orga Lux, four of whom were Page Ones.

This meant over half of the academy's Orga Lux users had reached the Page One ranks.

It was a testament to the immense power an Orga Lux could grant its wielder.

Naturally, anyone who could wield an Orga Lux wasn't likely to be weak—especially when it was one of the legendary Four Colored Magic Swords.

Perhaps this was another rising star destined to join the Page Ones.

With this thought, the crowd's interest in the duel soared.

Even among the ranked students, many watched Aizen intently. If he truly was a contender for the Page Ones, he was undoubtedly a powerful threat.

Julis, seated in the VIP section, also showed a rare hint of seriousness.

Claudia, on the other hand, maintained her usual playful smile and remarked, "Finally, it's his turn."

Julis turned to her with sudden realization.

"He's the one you've been watching?"

Julis narrowed her eyes at Claudia.

Claudia offered no denial. 

"I was the one who helped process his Orga Lux application," she said cheerfully. "I'm curious to see how well he can wield Ser-Veresta. Just thinking about it is exciting."

Julis redirected her gaze to the stage, her eyes locking onto Aizen.

The Four Colored Magic Swords were legendary even to her. Ser-Veresta, in particular, was renowned for its destructive power, with stories claiming it can disintegrate everything it touches, even turning the world into purgatory.

Such an infamous weapon made Julis equally curious about its true potential.

The crowd's cheers grew even louder as Aizen and Arkadi finally faced each other on the stage.

---

Aizen took a moment to observe his opponent.

Arkadi Fanken, a second-year university student, was 20 years old and ranked 13th at Seidoukan Academy.

In his second year of high school, Arkadi had participated in the Phoenix Festa alongside the 8th-ranked Page One at the time. Together, they had reached the top 16.

Though he had since dropped to Rank 13 and fallen out of the Page Ones, his strength remained undeniable.

"As a first opponent, he's qualified," Aizen thought.

Arkadi, meanwhile, studied Aizen with a wary expression.

Unlike the audience, Arkadi had reviewed Aizen's profile when he received the challenge. He knew Aizen was an Orga Lux wielder and not someone to be underestimated.

But…

"You're a bit too eager, junior," Arkadi said suddenly.

"Even Orga Lux wielders don't automatically become top-ranked students. There are Orga Lux wielders who've never reached the Page Ones, after all."

It was true. Of Seidoukan's seven Orga Lux users, three had failed to make it into the Page Ones.

After all, Orga Lux weapons varied in strength, and so did their wielders. Even with a powerful weapon, an average wielder couldn't fully exploit its potential.

To Arkadi, Aizen seemed like one of those cases. Having recently obtained Ser-Veresta, how much power could he realistically harness?

Though he was cautious of Ser-Veresta's potential, Arkadi was confident Aizen wasn't strong enough to threaten him.

Unfortunately, Arkadi had no idea the opponent before him defied all conventional logic.

"Are you worried about me, senior?" Aizen asked, smiling innocently, seemingly unfazed by Arkadi's words.

"Then, please show me the strength of a top-ranked student."

With that, Aizen drew his weapon.

"Zing!"

A vivid crimson glow erupted from the Urm Manadyte, illuminating the stage.