Chapter 010: Price, Side Effects, and Sacrifice

Two days later, Aizen finally received Ser-Veresta from Claudia.

"Sorry to keep you waiting, Ser-Veresta."

Standing in a secluded corner of Seidoukan Academy, Aizen held the pitch-black activator of Ser-Veresta. Feeling the excitement emanating from the weapon, he smiled faintly and activated it.

"Zing!"

A vivid crimson light radiated from the crimson Urm Manadyte core, as surrounding mana responded to the weapon's power. The light materialized into a massive, heavy guard, from which the pure white blade extended.

"Buzz!"

Aizen raised Ser-Veresta high and channeled his prana into it. Black patterns emerged around the pure white blade, spiraling toward the crimson core.

The immense heat instantly coalesced along the blade, causing its once-white surface to turn pitch black.

Under Aizen's control, and with the weapon's full cooperation, the heat remained concentrated on the blade this time, unlike the uncontrolled surge from before.

"Hmm…"

Gripping the now-blackened blade, Aizen pondered for a moment, speaking to himself.

"While it feels natural to use, Ser-Veresta is still too large."

The sword's design as a massive greatsword posed limitations. Ordinary people likely couldn't even lift it, and even most Genestella would struggle to wield it fluidly in battle.

"Smaller would be better."

The moment those words left Aizen's mouth, Ser-Veresta began to transform.

"Zing!"

The crimson core emitted another burst of radiant light. Mana materialized as dark patterns swirled around the blade, spiraling downward.

In this state, Ser-Veresta disassembled.

No, it wasn't disassembling—it was undergoing a reconfiguration.

The bulky guard diminished, and the broad blade compressed, condensing its overwhelming heat into a more compact form.

Within moments, the once-massive greatsword was now the size of an ordinary longsword. No longer unwieldy, it appeared agile, sleek, and no less dangerous.

Witnessing this, Aizen smiled, unsurprised.

"You really can adjust your size freely, Ser-Veresta."

With his ultimate authority over weapons, Aizen could completely master any weapon he touched. Moreover, Ser-Veresta had already recognized him as its rightful master, becoming his personal weapon.

From the first time he grasped it, Aizen had known its capabilities, including its ability to change size at will.

"This is much more practical."

He swung the reconfigured sword lightly, leaving trails of distorted heat in the air.

"Buzz!" "Buzz!" "Buzz!"

As he continued, Aizen's movements became faster and faster, his body naturally flowing with the rhythm of the blade. Black streaks of energy followed each swing, as the superheated blade emitted a resonant hum with every strike.

If anyone had witnessed this scene, they wouldn't believe it was Aizen's first time wielding Ser-Veresta.

The seamless fluidity of his movements, the natural synchronization between his body and the weapon, was indistinguishable from that of a swordsman who had wielded the blade for over a decade.

Anyone who knew that Aizen had only received Ser-Veresta earlier that day would find this display utterly incomprehensible.

Even Aizen himself felt as if he had fought alongside Ser-Veresta for years. The synergy between them far exceeded that of any previous wielder.

"Man and sword as one"—the phrase surfaced in Aizen's mind.

But there was a drawback…

"This prana consumption is ridiculous."

Without warning, Aizen stopped, his face pale as he let out a wry smile.

"So this is the price of using Ser-Veresta?"

Though Orga Lux were extraordinarily powerful, they always exacted a price for their use.

These costs varied between weapons, acting both as a drawback and as a barrier to wielding them.

For Ser-Veresta, the cost was a massive consumption of prana.

Here, "massive" was no exaggeration.

If an ordinary Genestella attempted to wield the weapon, their prana would likely be drained instantly.

"The original protagonist had prana levels far exceeding most. In terms of sheer quantity, only two or three characters in the entire story could surpass him."

"That's probably why he earned Ser-Veresta's recognition."

"Compared to him, my prana levels are far inferior."

Aizen's capabilities in all areas, including prana, were average by Seidoukan Academy's standards.

With his meager prana reserves, even wielding Ser-Veresta for a short time would normally drain him completely.

Had the weapon not already recognized him as its master, Ser-Veresta would have ruthlessly drained him dry within seconds, leaving him incapacitated before he could even swing it.

Now, however, two factors allowed Aizen to use the weapon. First, Ser-Veresta restrained itself, consciously reducing its prana consumption. Second, after recognizing him as its master, the weapon's functions were enhanced by Aizen's authority, lessening its usual costs.

Even so, Aizen could only wield Ser-Veresta for a few minutes at a time.

And this was with the weapon holding back most of its power.

If Aizen wanted to unleash its full potential and push its output to the maximum, he would likely only manage a few strikes.

"In the end, I just don't have enough prana."

Aizen sighed helplessly.

At that moment—

"Buzz!"

Ser-Veresta suddenly trembled, releasing a surge of mana from its crimson core.

"Ser-Veresta?"

Aizen froze, startled.

The weapon didn't respond. Instead, the mana it released began enveloping Aizen, even seeping into his body.

Moments later, Aizen realized, to his shock, that his prana levels and physical abilities were rapidly increasing.

"This…"

Aizen's eyes widened in disbelief before breaking into a grin.

"Ser-Veresta can enhance my power?"

What was happening?

This had never occurred in the original story!

"Wait…"

Suddenly, Aizen understood.

"The Genestella were originally born due to the influence of mana."

"And the Urm Manadytes are high-purity crystallizations of mana—essentially condensed mana itself."

"In other words, by using the mana within the Urm Manadyte to interfere with the body, it's possible to either create Genestella or enhance their abilities!"

This wasn't something that could be done easily.

But since Ser-Veresta had already recognized Aizen as its master and bonded with him, it could release its mana to strengthen him directly.

"This is an unexpected bonus."

Feeling his prana and physical abilities steadily rising, Aizen's grin widened.

However, his smile soon vanished.

He sensed Ser-Veresta's presence growing weaker.

"Ser-Veresta! Stop!"

Aizen's expression changed drastically as he hurriedly tried to halt the weapon.

But Ser-Veresta didn't stop. It continued releasing mana, causing its crimson core to dim.

It was sacrificing its own strength to empower Aizen.

"Stop it!"

Realizing this, Aizen quickly asserted his authority over Ser-Veresta, forcibly cutting off the flow of mana.

As its master, Aizen's command over Ser-Veresta was absolute. Even against the weapon's will, he could control it.

The crimson core ceased releasing mana, and its glow slowly stabilized.