Fantasia Library

The Equipment Division of the Seidoukan Academy was located beneath the main school building.

Saying "beneath" wasn't entirely accurate—it was more apt to say it was underwater. After all, Asterisk was an artificial island floating atop a crater lake. There was no "underground," only "underwater." Yet, because there wasn't a single window down here, the feeling of walking into the area was indistinguishable from entering a basement. Consequently, it was simply referred to as the "underground section."

It didn't matter much either way; the distinction wasn't worth fussing over.

However, as Aizen walked down a corridor alongside Claudia, he felt there was something else worth commenting on.

"The president's popularity is really something else. My classmates went completely wild," Aizen remarked in a tone that was ambiguous—somewhere between a complaint and an observation.

"Did they?" Claudia responded, smiling gracefully as if entirely unaware of the uproar she had caused. "Perhaps they were just being overly polite? I don't think I'm particularly popular."

…Calling that mob of gawking students—eyes practically popping out of their sockets and shouting incessantly—"polite" was a stretch.

It seemed like Claudia had a unique interpretation of the word "polite."

"Is something the matter? Did it bother you?" Claudia asked with an innocent expression, leaving Aizen to sigh.

"I'm not sure if it's 'bothering' me yet," Aizen admitted, "but I'm certain of one thing: you personally coming to my classroom to fetch me has already spread across the entire high school division, maybe even to the other divisions. My profile views must be skyrocketing, and I wouldn't be surprised if there's already gossip spreading online."

In other words, the once-unremarkable Aizen had likely become the center of attention for many.

The fact that the student council president was personally escorting him to the Equipment Division to process his application for a Orga Lux was bound to catch the attention of plenty of people.

"There's nothing to be done about that," Claudia said with a smile. "Even if it hadn't been today, once you successfully borrow a Orga Lux, your information will be made public anyway. People would have noticed you sooner or later."

The borrowing records for the Academy's Orga Lux were generally public.

The moment someone successfully borrowed one, information about the user and the Lux would be posted online for all students in Asterisk to see.

In other words, even if Aizen wanted to stay low-profile, that wouldn't be an option after today.

Of course…

"That's assuming I pass the compatibility evaluation," Aizen said flatly.

As previously mentioned, Orga Lux had their own consciousness and chose their users. Only those deemed compatible and capable of wielding their power to some extent could gain their approval.

The compatibility evaluation measured the extent to which a person could harmonize with an Orga Lux and draw out its abilities.

The higher the compatibility score, the stronger the bond between the user and the weapon, allowing for greater power and performance. Conversely, if the compatibility score fell below a certain threshold, even wielding the Orga Lux would yield limited results. In extreme cases, the weapon could reject the user entirely, potentially going berserk and attacking others.

The compatibility evaluation existed to ensure that only suitable users could borrow an Orga Lux. If someone's compatibility was too low, the Academy wouldn't lend them a weapon, even if it didn't pose a risk of going out of control.

There were two main reasons for this:

A low compatibility meant the weapon's potential couldn't be fully utilized, which was wasteful for such a rare and powerful resource.

The Integrated Enterprise Foundation lent Orga Lux to students primarily to collect usage data. If the compatibility was too low, the data gathered would be negligible.

As a result, passing the compatibility evaluation was a prerequisite for borrowing an Orga Lux.

The evaluation criteria varied between academies, some stricter than others.

"At Seidoukan, you need at least 80% compatibility to borrow an Orga Lux. Anything less, and the Integrated Enterprise Foundation won't approve the loan, no matter what the Academy wants," Claudia explained as they entered an elevator leading to the deepest section of the Equipment Division.

"By the way, Seidoukan currently possesses 22 Orga Lux—the most among all six academies. Seven are already on loan, but you should choose carefully," Claudia added, glancing at Aizen with a playful smile. "You only get one chance at the compatibility evaluation. If you pick an Orga Lux that doesn't suit you, and the evaluation fails, you'll have to wait for the next application period."

If a suitable Orga Lux remained among the unborrowed ones but the applicant failed to select it, the evaluation would end with no second chances.

This underscored just how challenging it was to secure an Orga Lux.

But once someone succeeded, it marked a transformative turning point.

In Seidoukan, four out of the top twelve students were Orga Lux users, highlighting just how much of an advantage wielding such a weapon provided.

"I hope you'll become one of us," Claudia said meaningfully as the elevator came to a stop at the lowest level.

Aizen remained silent, as the elevator doors slid open.

The two stepped into a spacious, sealed-off chamber that resembled an underground laboratory.

The ceiling was high, with various instruments scattered around. A section of the sidewall was made of glass, revealing another room brimming with even more equipment and personnel in white lab coats bustling about. Some were operating instruments, others darting around giving instructions. They appeared to be the ones conducting the compatibility evaluation.

The two rooms were completely isolated from one another, even soundproofed. Aizen couldn't hear what they were saying, though he noticed some of them glancing at him like he was a test subject, causing his brows to furrow slightly.

"They're ready on their end," Claudia said. At some point, a holographic screen had appeared before her, likely connecting her to the evaluation staff. She noticed Aizen's reaction and tilted her head with a smile. "Don't worry about them. They don't decide anything. All you need to do is focus on your part."

She proceeded to explain the steps and procedures to Aizen before stepping back, watching from the sidelines.

Taking a deep breath, Aizen set aside his stray thoughts and walked toward the center of the room.

"Beep-beep!"

The moment he reached the designated spot, holographic screens lit up around him.

Displayed on the screens were images of weapons, vastly different in design and color from conventional Lux.

"So these are the Orga Lux of Seidoukan Academy?" Aizen murmured, his curiosity piqued as he began exploring the interface.

Each Orga Lux had a detailed description, including its design, capabilities, functions, and combat data. The variety was staggering—blades, swords, spears, axes, even naginata, war hammers, and gauntlets. Their appearances were eye-catching, each more impressive than the last. Several items on the list were grayed out, indicating they were already in use.

Now, Aizen had to select one of these remaining weapons for the compatibility evaluation.

If he passed, the Orga Lux would be his.

If not, he'd leave empty-handed.

With that thought, Aizen hesitated, carefully weighing his decision.