Aize had never worried about whether he could pass the compatibility test for a Pure Star Radiant Armament.
Possessing ultimate authority over armaments, Aize had absolute confidence in passing the test no matter which Pure Star Radiant Armament he chose. The only question was which one to pick as his first exclusive weapon.
That was where his hesitation lay.
He stared at the projected images of the various Pure Star Radiant Armaments before him, unable to make a decision.
"If I'm going to choose, then it has to be the best."
All Pure Star Radiant Armaments were vastly superior to regular Radiant Armaments, but even among them, there were levels of difference.
Leaving aside output and attack power, each one also had unique abilities.
Some abilities seemed unimpressive—like flight, or altering the user's weight. Not exactly useless, but not overwhelmingly powerful either.
Others, however, were undeniably potent—controlling sandstorms, manipulating water, altering gravity, or even affecting others' minds. These were enticing powers.
Among the 22 Pure Star Radiant Armaments in the Star Guidance Academy's possession, 7 were on loan. Of the 15 remaining, some were powerful, others weak—some extraordinarily so.
Naturally, Aize wanted the strongest one.
Since he didn't need to worry about compatibility, he could go for raw power.
However...
"Out of all of them, this one seems to be the strongest…"
His gaze lingered on one image among the many projections before him.
It was a sword.
A massive sword, black-handled with a crimson Adaptive Crystal embedded in the hilt. The blade itself flickered like it was made of flowing flames.
The data displayed on this weapon—output, attack power, special abilities—was off the charts. It surpassed not only regular Radiant Armaments, but even most Pure Star Radiant Armaments.
It was, in short, the strongest among the 15 available.
Naturally so.
"This is one of the Four-Colored Demon Swords, a top-tier Pure Star Radiant Armament."
Truth be told, Aize very much wanted to choose it.
"But isn't this the one the protagonist uses in the original story?"
That was his dilemma.
In the original narrative, the protagonist hadn't yet transferred to the academy. When he did—just before the Star Martial Festival—he would be allowed to choose one weapon freely.
This was the weapon he picked.
Knowing this, Aize hesitated.
Then he made up his mind.
"I'm here first, so there's no reason to hold back for something that hasn't happened yet."
If there were another equally strong weapon, Aize would've considered it instead.
But nothing else matched this sword.
It was powerful, unique, and drew him in.
And he was still just getting started—he couldn't afford to hold back.
The strength of his first weapon would determine the outcome of his first real experience in this world.
There was no debate.
"Sorry, brother. I'll make it up to you later—maybe find you a girlfriend or something."
Muttering under his breath, Aize tapped the image of the black demon sword.
Ding!
With a chime, all the projections vanished.
Behind him, Claudia, who had been observing, was visibly shocked.
"He chose that?"
She looked more shaken than ever.
"Why that one?"
Her hand subconsciously pressed against the holster on her waist, her expression shifting rapidly.
But it was too late. The choice was made.
Clunk!
From the ceiling, a cylindrical containment pod descended with a mechanical whir.
It stopped in front of Aize and opened, extending two mechanical arms to present a weapon core.
Aize took it.
A black sword hilt embedded with a crimson Adaptive Crystal—exactly like the one he'd seen in the projection.
The red crystal clearly marked it as a Pure Star Radiant Armament; standard ones only used green Adaptive Ore.
"Compatibility test ready. Please activate your chosen Pure Star Radiant Armament."
The lab speaker sounded. Aize nodded and activated the weapon.
Zing!
The crystal flared with bright red light, drawing Adaptive Particles from the surrounding air to form a heavy sword guard.
From the guard extended a blade of pure white energy—massive, single-edged, and glowing.
Holding the massive sword, Aize's eyes lit up as he murmured its name.
"—[Black Furnace Demon Sword]."
In the lab, staff members in white coats stirred.
"He picked the Black Furnace Demon Sword?"
"One of the Four-Colored Demon Swords—said to be undefendable, able to burn through anything, and turn the earth into a furnace…"
"Of all weapons, he chose that?"
"Probably just impressed by the reputation."
"Foolish. That sword hasn't accepted anyone in years. And he's not even in the Sacred Register. He thinks just because he passed the loan test, he can tame that thing?"
"Enough chatter. Let's just do our job."
"Yeah. Begin the test."
The technicians returned to work.
Meanwhile, Claudia stood silently in the back, her expression unreadable.
And Aize… closed his eyes.
No one else knew what he was doing: listening.
The weapon had a will of its own. And in this moment, Aize could feel it.
It was watching him. Judging his worth.
Then, seemingly unimpressed, the sword's will withdrew.
"Current compatibility: 8%."
The announcement rang in the room.
"So it doesn't like the current me, huh?"
Aize
opened his eyes—and smiled.
"In that case… let's begin for real."
(End of chapter)
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