Chapter 021: Future Sight

Sneaking into the girls' dormitory at night!

Undeniably, this was a reckless and potentially disastrous endeavor.

The Seidoukan Academy girls' dormitory was notoriously tricky to breach. Why? Because conventional security measures were ineffective against Genestella.

If a Genestella decided to infiltrate, they could easily leap several stories high and enter through a window silently. To guard against such capabilities, the academy had implemented enhanced security measures.

Instead of standard locks and barriers, the dormitory was equipped with a system linked to on-call security personnel. With just the press of a button—or even a single shout—residents could summon help. The system also allowed students to customize their room's security settings, such as triggering alarms if a window was broken.

This made the dormitory a challenging place for intruders.

Aizen, however, had no choice but to take the risk.

"If I get caught, my life in this world might as well be over," he muttered.

He genuinely didn't want his first real-life experience in this new world to end in such an embarrassing and permanent way.

But…

"I'm counting on you, Ser-Veresta."

In the shadowy corner of the dormitory grounds, Aizen whispered to his weapon before activating it.

Suppressing its usual crimson brilliance, Ser-Veresta's crimson core glimmered faintly as it entered activation mode. The weapon's pure white blade emerged, only to shrink rapidly under Aizen's precise control.

In moments, the weapon had compressed into a small dagger, barely recognizable as a Lux weapon—let alone a pure Orga Lux.

If anyone well-versed in weaponry had seen this, they would have been shocked.

Manipulating Ser-Veresta with such precision, transforming it into a compact size, was a feat thought impossible. That Aizen could achieve it in less than a week of owning the weapon was unprecedented.

But what he was about to attempt next was even more difficult.

A faint hum emanated from the dagger-sized Ser-Veresta as it emitted heat. Guided by Aizen, the heat coalesced into controlled gusts of wind that swirled around him.

As the wind strengthened, Aizen's feet began to lift off the ground.

"Alright."

Satisfied that the method was working, Aizen ascended silently.

His destination? The dormitory's top floor.

According to his knowledge, the person he was seeking lived there.

With his heat-propulsion method, Aizen reached his goal with little difficulty, only delayed by his need to avoid detection.

"She should be asleep by now," he murmured.

Peeking cautiously through the window and ensuring the coast was clear, Aizen held up the miniature Ser-Veresta and lightly slashed at the window's edge.

A faint hiss sounded as if something had been seared away.

What Aizen had just severed were the ambient mana particles woven into the dormitory's security systems.

In this world, post-Invertia technology heavily relied on mana. By manipulating the flow of mana, security measures like alarms could be disabled.

With Ser-Veresta's ability to burn through anything, severing mana links was child's play.

Thus, Aizen infiltrated the top floor of the dormitory with ease, gliding into the room on a cushion of warm air.

The room was nothing short of opulent. Spacious and elegantly furnished, it resembled the suite of a luxurious hotel rather than a student dormitory. The furniture and decor exuded refinement, almost noble in style.

"So this is a student's room? Must be nice," Aizen muttered to himself.

It was clear that this wasn't an ordinary dorm. As one of the academy's elite Page Ones, the room's owner enjoyed special privileges.

Indeed, the accommodations for the top-ranked students in Seidoukan Academy rivaled those of high-class residences. Aizen couldn't help but think about his current situation.

"Now that I'm ranked 13th, I should probably apply for an upgrade."

Until now, Aizen had been living in a shared, standard dorm room. While adequate, it often felt stifling—especially due to his overly opportunistic roommate.

The same roommate who had initially ignored Aizen now seemed intent on ingratiating himself after Claudia's visit to their class and Aizen's acquisition of Ser-Veresta. After Aizen's victory over Arkadi, the roommate's attitude shifted dramatically, bordering on obsequiousness.

This newfound attention made Aizen wary.

In Asterisk, every student was a competitor. Even those uninterested in the Festa tournaments had their own ambitions and motives. The original protagonist's experience with opportunistic fans was a cautionary tale—his autograph had once been sold for a high price.

Aizen couldn't shake the suspicion that his roommate might one day sell his personal items or leak his information to rivals.

With that thought in mind, he made a decision.

"Tomorrow, I'm applying for a new dorm."

As the 13th-ranked student, Aizen was entitled to a larger, private room. It would be a relief to have his own space without the constant worry of being spied on or exploited.

His resolve firm, Aizen turned his attention to a door leading to the next room.

It appeared to be a bedroom.

Careful not to make any noise, Aizen approached and eased the door open. The lock seemed to have been disabled—likely a result of the surrounding mana particles being severed.

Inside, bathed in moonlight streaming through the window, a large, luxurious bed took center stage.

Lying on the bed, her golden hair shimmering in the pale light, was Claudia Enfield.

She was curled up on her side, her serene beauty reminiscent of a sleeping princess.

But something was wrong.

"Mm…"

Soft murmurs escaped Claudia's lips. Her expression twisted slightly, her brow furrowed as if caught in the grip of a nightmare. Her breathing was shallow, and her body was tightly curled, radiating an aura of distress.

Aizen said nothing, merely watching her in silence.

After a moment, he moved closer to the bed. His gaze swept over Claudia before settling on a particular spot beneath her blanket.

Reaching under the covers, Aizen carefully retrieved two small objects.

They were a pair of sinister-looking devices, each adorned with intricate, eye-like patterns.

"Pan-Dora."

Aizen whispered the name softly, recognizing the weapon instantly.

Pan-Dora was a pure Orga Lux as famous as Ser-Veresta, if not more so in certain circles.

Unlike Ser-Veresta, known for its overwhelming destructive power, Pan-Dora's true terror lay in its unique ability:

Future Sight.

It granted its wielder the power to glimpse into the future.