111: The Final Event

With the New Year safely behind us, we students of Nobless Academy spent our days as we always did—grinding away and honing our skills.

It felt surreal to think I’d be an intermediate-year student soon. Looking back at how much blood and sweat I’d poured into just getting through the entrance exams, I realized I’d become a full-fledged resident of this world.

"Fancent-kun, do you have a second?"

I was lost in thought when a voice called out from behind me in the hallway. It was Cecil, a slender woman wearing a sharp pair of glasses. Ever since I’d filled her in on the Calamity, I’d had her digging into everything she could find regarding the Demon Race—from ancient history to data on the current Pseudo-Demons.

Whenever Cecil and I talked shop, we did it in the Nobless Library. We wove through the rows of perfectly organized shelves, housing tens of thousands of volumes, and took our usual seats in a secluded corner where no one would bother us.

"New info," she started. "Apparently, when Aria Magic Academy was attacked, several books were stolen."

"...Books? That’s the first I’m hearing of it."

"It’s not unusual for the Academies to keep secrets from one another. Just look at the Nobless Point System."

Cecil had a point. However, what really bothered me was that nothing like this had happened in the Original Story. That was the most jarring realization of all.

Cecil continued, "The books were studies on the definition of the soul at the moment of death. To put it simply: Ancient Necromancy. It’s a compilation of literature regarding the resurrection of the dead."

"Does magic like that even exist? I mean, I know the Pseudo-Demons were... well, what they were, but still."

Resurrection magic definitely didn't exist in the world of Noblesse Oblige. Yet, the members of Disobey were clearly walking and talking.

"Technically, it exists," Cecil explained. "But there are no successful examples on record. Even if they could mimic a person’s physical form, they could never get a human soul to take root."

"To take root?"

"I haven't seen it personally, so I can't be sure, but resurrecting the dead apparently requires the subject's 'information'—hair, bones, or blood. But even with the correct formula, you just end up with a mindless doll. It was originally a technique from the western regions used to commune with ancestors, but it was fundamentally incomplete."

"But they wanted it anyway. Or rather, there’s a high chance the Demon Race wanted it. Still, something’s off. The members of Disobey were indistinguishable from normal humans."

"I’ve been thinking about that too. I dug into the records, and the backgrounds of those two—Bull and Mika—were incredible. They were the captain and vice-captain of a unit that operated in the shadows during the Great War a hundred years ago. That’s about all I could find, but why would people like that choose to stand and fight against Teacher Milk and Eva-senpai? Doesn't that strike you as odd?"

Even from my perspective, those two had possessed terrifying magic and movement. The others were the same. Was it that they didn't run, or that they couldn't? The fact that they’d chosen self-destruction was another nagging splinter in my mind.

Which meant—

"It’s only natural to assume they were incomplete as well," I muttered.

Cecil nodded, though she looked visibly anxious.

"Even if the shell is perfect, you can't know what's going on inside. Maybe they had a time limit. Or maybe they were under a compulsory order from the Demon Race. Of course, there’s always the simple possibility that they just liked fighting. Ultimately, we just don't know."

No, I felt the same incongruity she did. But resurrecting the dead? This was turning into a nightmare.

"I’ll keep digging, but don't get your hopes up."

"No, thank you. You’re a lifesaver, Cecil. Sorry for always using you like this when it's convenient for me."

"You really should be. Honestly, wouldn't a single date be a fair trade?"

"Yeah, I guess... Wait, what?"

"Hehe, see you later. I need to go get ready."

Without waiting for my brain to catch up, Cecil walked away with a playful smile. I stood there, blinking. What did she mean by that?

House Antwerp had handled intelligence work for generations. With a diplomat father and mother, they were a prestigious family whose donations to the various Academies were legendary. I’d asked for her help knowing all that, yet Cecil always told me she didn't mind. I truly was no match for her.

"Right, I better get ready too."

Checking the library clock, I realized it was almost time. I hurried back to my room and changed into my gym uniform.

The Nobless gym clothes were functionally similar to our training gear. It consisted of a white shirt and red pants that looked like any old student outfit, but the fabric was woven with a special formula to reduce impact damage. That said, it left a lot of skin exposed, so it didn't offer nearly as much protection as our standard gear. On the flip side, it was incredibly easy to move in, and the students loved it because it actually looked stylish.

I guess everyone was tired of wearing nothing but solid black. Since I had the Darkness attribute, I couldn't really relate to that sentiment, but I could appreciate the aesthetic.

I left my room and headed outside, joining a throng of students rushing toward the schoolyard.

"Hell yeah! We're gonna crush 'em!"

"I'm so excited. I'm definitely not losing today!"

"I heard the winners get a massive point bonus."

In the Original Story, this event had been a fan favorite. It was the "Triple Threat" of events: it had laughs, it had tears, and it was notoriously difficult.

The reason for its popularity, however, was undoubtedly these clothes. It wasn't an exaggeration to say the uniform was developed specifically for this day.

"Weiss, you're late."

I turned to see Cynthia and Lilith waiting for me in the hallway.

"Yeah, sorry. Got held up."

"Weiss-sama, are we enemies today? Or allies?" Lilith asked.

"Who knows? Either way, I'm not going easy on you."

Both Cynthia and Lilith were dressed in the short-sleeved shirts and short-shorts. The "exposure level" was frankly ridiculous—too much thigh was on display, and every time Lilith hopped with excitement, I caught a glimpse of her navel.

The guy who designed these was definitely a man of culture.

Even though winter had been freezing, the air felt significantly warmer all of a sudden. It was time for the final showdown of the year.

Under a perfectly clear sky, the entire student body—all three years—gathered in the courtyard. Everyone was wearing the same uniform.

"Dude, aren't these outfits the best?"

"Yeah, for real... it really hits the spot, you know?"

"Nobless is the best! Nobless is the best!"

Are these guys really nobles? They sound like a bunch of thirsty high schoolers.

And then—

"Representatives of each year, please step forward."

The announcement blared, and I moved to the front. Standing there with me were Sierra and Eva.

"Vai, I wonder if we'll be friends or foes today," Sierra mused.

"I'm going all out regardless. Though, I have to say, I'm surprised. I thought you'd skip this, Eva-senpai."

"Ufufu, I thought I'd join in for once. Everyone seems to be getting so much stronger, after all."

The world's situation was going to hell in a handbasket, but I was still a student at Nobless Academy. I couldn't skip the school events, nor did I want to. There was something to be gained from every experience, and I intended to crush every challenge that came my way.

Even if that challenge was the Three-Year Joint Sports Festival.

"Athlete's Oath! I, Sierra Witch, in accordance with Nobless-ship, swear to fight fair and square!"

"Me too!" Eva added.

Their responses were as half-hearted as ever, but nobody dared to correct them. It would have been a waste of breath anyway.

Finally, it was my turn. "Lowerclassmen representative, Weiss Fancent. I so swear."

The moment I finished, a roar of cheers erupted from the three grade levels. This was likely the largest-scale battle I'd faced since arriving at Nobless. It wasn't just a fight; it was a gauntlet of every traditional sports festival activity imaginable. While we usually competed by grade, there were joint battles as well.

We would be split into the Red Team and the White Team to compete for total victory. Naturally, there was "candy" for the winners—and a "whip" for the losers that felt a bit too intense for a school setting. But that was fine. That was what made it exciting.

The teams were allocated automatically by a magic formula etched into the ground. Our team colors would be determined by the hats on our heads.

"Now, let us begin."

The moment Teacher Chloe chanted the spell, the ground began to glow. A second later, my hat turned red.

Alright. Now, who are my enemies?

"Weiss! I'm so glad we're on the same side."

"Weiss-sama, we're together!"

Cynthia and Lilith were both Red. Honestly, that made things a lot easier for me.

"Weiss-dono! We are together as well!"

Tura was Red too. Unfortunately, the Allen Team and Cecil Team were... White. I wondered if the school was balancing the teams based on our grades.

"Onee-chan, I’m not going to lose!"

"Is that so? Then I’ll have to get serious too. Oh—Vai, you're Red with me!"

Sierra was Red like me, while Eleanor was White. Once everyone had finished checking their own colors, every eye in the courtyard fixed on a single hat. Cheers and groans filled the air simultaneously.

The target of everyone’s gaze was Eva Avery. Her hat was a snowy, brilliant white.

"Fufufu, this is going to be fun."

For some reason, she seemed even more cheerful than usual. I didn't know why, but her being on the other side was the "worst-case scenario" and the "best-case scenario" all rolled into one.

But this festival was ultimately about deepening our bonds. It was about proving how much we’d grown and hyping ourselves up for the next school year. Once this was over, I’d finally be an intermediate-year student.

I was going to win this. That was my only goal here at Nobless.

"And now, the Nobless Sports Festival... begins!"

[Red Team] Weiss Cynthia Lilith Tura Sierra

[White Team] Allen Duke Shari Cecil Carta Olynn Eleanor Eva