The phenomenon that sprouted within Aizen after he absorbed the Fantasia Library's power wasn't just an ability—it was an Authority.
This Authority was both a symbol and a supreme capability, unparalleled and sovereign.
It functioned exclusively on the concept of "armaments." Any weapon, armor, or tool capable of influencing its wielder fell under the jurisdiction of this Authority. This included, but wasn't limited to, weapons, protective gear, and various artifacts.
Whenever Aizen came into contact with such items, he could selectively activate his Authority to manipulate them.
The exact methods of manipulation? Those were left for Aizen to discover on his own.
What he did know was that this Authority granted him ultimate dominion over armaments—a power so great it could surpass even the divine.
"…This feels like something outrageous," Aizen murmured, watching the golden patterns sink completely into his body.
Unfortunately, without access to powerful weapons, this ability was little more than a decoration.
In short, for now, Aizen was still just an ordinary human.
But this situation was about to change.
No longer dwelling on his newfound power, Aizen turned his attention to the rows of bookshelves around him.
"Are these books really complete fantasy worlds manifested into existence?"
Though the Fantasia Library had already granted him foundational knowledge, his curiosity persisted.
He moved toward a corner of the rest area, ascending a staircase that curved along the wall. After following its path in a modest arc, he stepped onto the red carpet leading into the archive area.
Stopping at the nearest bookshelf, Aizen reached out and randomly pulled a book from its shelf.
Before he could open it, the Library's presence silently descended.
[Opening a book will transport you into the fantasy world recorded within it. Your life experience will then be determined at random.]
[Note: You will be unable to return to the Library until you reach a key milestone in your experience.]
[Should you die in the fantasy world, and revival is deemed impossible, the Library will revoke your status and select a new Librarian.]
Aizen froze mid-motion, frowning.
"So… if I die, it's game over for real?"
After a moment of contemplation, he relaxed.
"That makes sense. The Fantasia Library's purpose is to transform fantasy into reality. Once I—a real person—enter these worlds and live through them, that goal will gradually be achieved."
"And if the worlds are real, then naturally, death would be real too."
Perhaps these worlds were merely constructs of fantasy before Aizen entered them.
But once he stepped inside and began to experience them, they would cease being illusions and transform into tangible realities.
Given that…
"Let's just get started."
Aizen hesitated no longer and opened the book in his hands.
"Whirr—"
The book immediately began flipping its pages on its own.
As it flipped, the pages detached themselves from the book, floating freely around Aizen as though they were alive.
"So many?" Aizen murmured in astonishment.
According to the Library's rules, each page in a book represented a life imagined by someone.
Much like crafting a story, some protagonists were extraordinary from the start—blessed with noble lineage, powerful backing, overwhelming strength, or blatant advantages. Others began as ordinary, slowly rising through struggle and growth.
The Fantasia Library filtered out entirely unreasonable lives, collecting only those plausible enough to exist within their worlds.
Even so, each life had its highs and lows.
Some started at the pinnacle of existence; others began in ruin. The experiences could vary dramatically.
For first-time entries into a fantasy world, the Librarian would randomly draw one of these lives as their starting background. Once chosen, all other life pages would vanish. Even if Aizen returned to the same world later, he would only continue the life he had originally experienced.
After all, the fantasy world would become a real one once he completed a life journey within it.
Now, Aizen was in the middle of this first random selection process.
If he drew a good life, he'd enjoy great benefits.
If he drew a bad one, it would be a nightmare.
And this process was entirely beyond his control. Aizen could only stand there and watch as the pages swirled around him.
Time passed, and the number of pages dwindled until only one remained.
"Zing!"
At that moment, the book's cover in Aizen's hand began to glow.
In the light, an invisible pen seemed to write across the cover, forming a title: "The Asterisk War."
"That world…?" Aizen murmured, his expression turning to one of surprise.
"Whoosh!"
Suddenly, the remaining life page transformed into a beam of light and entered Aizen's mind.
At the same time, the book left his hand and opened itself in front of him.
Its pages remained intact, but they were now blank.
The story had yet to be written.
Drawn by an invisible force, Aizen stepped forward and touched the book.
In the next moment, he vanished without a sound, leaving the book floating in midair, gently rising and falling…
Aizen felt something indescribable.
He could sense his body leaving the ground, yet there was no sensation of floating.
His vision was flooded with white—nothing but a blank, colorless void.
Around him, the space wavered as though a scene were being transitioned in slow motion. The Fantasia Library's image faded, replaced by something new.
When the white faded, the motion ceased, and Aizen felt his feet touch solid ground again. He found himself standing in a classroom.
It was a multipurpose classroom with only a few desks, each separated from the others. Around twenty or thirty students, all wearing uniforms, sat scattered throughout, giving Aizen a strange sense of nostalgia for high school.
At the front of the room stood a teacher, a holographic screen behind them displaying scenes of disaster.
"This is the Invertia, an unprecedented event that reshaped the entire world," the teacher droned in a monotone voice.
"It struck the Earth in the 20th century, causing catastrophic damage across the globe."
"For three days and nights, meteor showers rained down, obliterating countless cities."
"This disaster weakened national powers, altered geopolitical structures, and led to the emergence of the Integrated Enterprise Foundation, without which the world might never have recovered."
The teacher's dull delivery made most students drowsy.
"And from the meteoric remnants, humanity discovered an unknown element called mana, which spurred technological progress and gave rise to a new breed of humans—'Genestella.'"
"Yes, that's you sitting here today."
While most students remained bored and half-asleep, Aizen, seated near the corner, took a deep breath.
He lowered his gaze to his hand, which he had unconsciously clenched.
Stardust-like motes of light began to swirl around it.
Feeling the alien power—the flow of prana within him—Aizen knew.
He had truly become one of the new humans described by the teacher.
In other words—a Genestella.