141 The Seven Calamity Sins

High-level monsters I recognized from the Original Story came leaping out of the transfer windows.

The individual creatures weren't particularly massive, but they were all the fierce, cunning type. The Lizardfolk had their bodies encased in thick, hard scales, clutching oversized sabers in their right hands. They didn't speak a word I could understand, but their humanoid appearance made them feel all the more threatening.

The undead possessed pain nullification and immortal-grade resistance, but against my light, such things were meaningless.

Handling a crisis this severe is practically the definition of Noblesse Oblige.

The fact that I could even think something so lofty was probably because my predictions were hitting the mark. It probably helped that despite Allen’s reckless, unilateral decision-making, I knew I had a bunch of reliable comrades—those idiots—backing me up.

Princess Sophia, however, was a different story.

She was trembling, her shoulders shaking. She was paralyzed with fear, staring at high-level monsters she had likely never seen before in her life.

That was why I decided to call out to her with a bit of a taunt. I figured that would be the fastest way to snap her out of it.

"What’s this? Even a princess gets scared of monsters?"

"O-Of course I am! Who wouldn't be?!"

"—Then just watch. I’ll give you some peace of mind."

If I showed her an overwhelming gap in power, she’d probably settle down. Conserving mana was a priority, sure, but the opening act of a battle is always the most important.

I let my mana surge with everything I had.

In a flash, I drove my blade through a Lizardman's heart and took its head in one clean motion. I didn't stop there, carving the undead monsters into ribbons. I made sure to use Light Infusion as I swung so the bastards wouldn't just stitch themselves back together.

After that, I tore through the small fry one by one. I didn't let my guard down, but I kept my movements cold and mechanical.

When it was all over, nothing but corpses remained.

Wait, did I go too fast?

Princess Sophia looked even more terrified than before, until—

"Incredible... That was amazing! You’re amazing! You really are strong!"

Hah. As expected of a princess. She’s got more grit than I gave her credit for.

"Yeah. But this is just the beginning."

Monsters of this caliber were things the guard knights should be able to handle eventually. Which meant the real threat—the Demon Race or something even worse—was bound to show up soon.

The teams stationed at each gate were likely busy exterminating their own waves of monsters. Since I hadn't heard from Cecil, she was undoubtedly preoccupied with commanding the front lines.

I looked up at the sky. It was a horrifying sight; monsters were pouring out as if they were infinitely multiplying. But I had a team I could trust here, along with Eva and Teacher Milk.

Sophia was staring at the sky alongside me. I placed a hand gently on her trembling shoulder.

"The citizens..." she whispered.

"They’ll be fine. We’ve got plenty of the Strongest over there."

"...Are they stronger than you?"

"Well... a few of them are."

Just then, Cecil’s voice crackled into my head.

[Weiss-kun, how are things on your end?]

[No problems here. Give me a sitrep.]

[There are a lot of monsters, but only a few minor injuries so far. Eva-san and Teacher Milk are working themselves to the bone, but we really owe it to Teacher Coco. It looks like her barrier includes a weakening debuff for the monsters. It’s absolutely incredible magic.]

[Yeah, I figured.]

Coco was a character who, like Teacher Milk, usually didn't show up until the very final stages of the game. She was so powerful it was almost cheating for her to be here now. Then again, her resume was legendary even by the standards of Nobless Academy.

Though I’m pretty sure Eva could still blow past all of that single-handedly.

[Are Cynthia and the others okay?]

[They’re fine. Handling everything that comes their way. We haven't confirmed any of the Demon Race or Pseudos yet. We’re planning to loop around from the North Gate to regroup with Allen and Shari, so I want you to start moving clockwise toward us. Don't let your guard down.]

[Roger that.]

Shari’s Magic Enchantment provided the most absolute defense out of anyone in our group. And as much as it annoyed me, Allen’s Copy ability let him handle basically any situation thrown at him. Cecil’s judgment was spot on.

"We’re moving. We’re going to fly again, so hang on tight."

"I understand. And... I'm sorry for doubting you."

"Don't worry about it. But once this is over, I expect at least a thank you."

"I'll say it as many times as you want!"

"Hah. Look at you, changing your tune already."

I pulled Sophia onto my back and took to the sky once more. I couldn't see Carta anywhere, but I could see the flashes of light from Mana Cannons being fired from the ground.

If our strategy and my predictions held up, knights and mages from Ostrava—who we were already on friendly terms with—should be en route to assist. As long as we could buy enough time, victory was guaranteed.

I turned my gaze toward the Great Full Moon.

There was a specific reason why this day was so significant. The difficulty of Noblesse Oblige was notoriously high, with a ton of RNG. But since it was a game, the player community had eventually crowdsourced the answer.

On the Day of the Great Full Moon, monsters received a massive boost to their mana capacity. That was the only reason they could even dream of targeting a major power like this. Normally, no matter how strong the Demon Race was, they’d be overwhelmed by sheer numbers.

I know there are always exceptions to the rule, but I’m certain of this. I’ve cleared Noblesse more times than I can count.

"—There they are."

I spotted Allen and Shari fighting near the Outer Gate, surrounded by a swarm of monsters. They were being pushed; Allen aside, Shari’s magic wasn't really suited for high-mobility combat. They were trying to fight their way toward us, which meant she didn't have the breathing room to set her usual traps.

Fine, I guess I’ll lend them a hand.

"Sophia, we're diving. Grip's about to get tight!"

"Y-Yes!"

"—One-Hit Kill!"

I unleashed a massive slash from the sky, aiming right at the horde surrounding Allen. Sensing my mana, the two of them leaped high into the air to clear the impact zone. Below them, the heads of the monsters they’d been fighting were vaporized instantly.

I touched down on the ground just as they landed.

"Good job," I said, jogging over.

"T-That was dangerous, Weiss! What would you have done if we died?!" Allen barked, looking frantic.

"I figured you two could dodge it. Which you did, didn't you?"

"If I had died just now, I would have haunted your family for generations," Shari hissed, glaring at me.

Okay, maybe I overdid it a little. Allen was flustered and Shari looked ready to stab me, but hey, all’s well that ends well.

Shari dropped to one knee, and a panicked Allen quickly followed suit.

"Please forgive our lack of decorum, Princess Sophia."

"O-Our sincerest apologies!"

Shari looked every bit the polished noble, while Allen looked like he was vibrating with nervous energy. It was almost funny to watch.

"Please, it’s quite alright," Sophia replied. "More than that, I am grateful. To push forward knowing you could be charged with a great sin... it is a truly honorable thing. Nobless Academy is full of people with wonderful hearts, just as the rumors say."

Shari gave a radiant smile at that, then immediately went back to glaring at me. Her eyes were screaming, How the hell do you know everything that's going on? It was going to be a pain to explain, so I just looked away.

"Allen, what’s the status?"

"Lilith-san already met up with Duke; they’re engaged in combat near the castle. Tura and Olynn-san are helping evacuate the locals."

"I see. We’ve got less than an hour until the Great Full Moon ends. The Demon Race is definitely going to make their move before then. Don't drop your guard."

Right on cue, a massive teleportation circle manifested in the sky. I thought the big boss had finally arrived, but what emerged was a monster that was as nostalgic as it was irritating.

"A dragon..." Allen muttered.

The memories came rushing back. We had been so desperate back then. We’d only managed to kill it by pushing ourselves far beyond our limits.

But things were different now. I—no, we—had grown stronger.

"Weiss."

"Yeah, I know."

"Shari, buffs on me and Weiss."

"You got it—"

Shari tapped both of our backs, applying Spirit's Blessing. My body felt light as a feather instantly. It was annoying, but the girl had clearly been putting in the work.

"Keep Sophia safe," I commanded.

Allen and I shot into the air. I used Unnatural to create footing while Allen simply flew. We reached the beast at the same moment. The second the dragon spotted us, it began pooling fire in the back of its throat.

Once upon a time, that red flame had been the very color of despair. Now? I could look it right in the eye.

Heh. It’s actually kind of fun, seeing how much I've grown.

My body remembered the rhythm. I knew exactly when it would fire and how much heat it was packing.

"Allen—"

"I’m on it!"

We split left and right simultaneously, tracing the exact patterns of our previous battle. My body moved on instinct. All that grinding hadn't been for nothing.

We danced around the flames and drove our swords into the dragon's skull at the same time. The beast let out an ear-piercing shriek as it began its final descent. We followed it down. When my eyes met Allen’s, I couldn't help but smirk. He was definitely thinking the same thing.

Back then, we had been frantic. This time, we’d taken it down with room to spare.

"So, Allen. How exactly did you persuade them?" I asked.

He knew exactly who I meant. Eva, Milk, and Coco. He just gave me that same annoying, carefree smile.

"It wasn't easy!"

"Hah. You positive bastard."

But Noblesse Oblige was never one to allow a moment of relief. In that second, I was reminded just how much this game’s difficulty settings hated me.

Screams erupted from the gates. I strained my eyes and spotted figures possessing massive amounts of mana—Pseudo-Demons.

Finally. Here we go.

But it didn't stop there. Five more massive teleportation circles opened in the sky, and figures began to descend.

They were the same ones I’d seen during the first Calamity—three of the Seven Calamity Sins.

Beefa, the handsome blond. Sulus, the brown-haired woman with the ice-cold eyes. And Racom, the massive black-haired man who looked like he was in a state of perpetual rage.

But it was the other two who stopped my heart. Their mana was on an entirely different level. And one of them... she looked exactly like someone I knew.

Allen and Shari had noticed it too. Hell, everyone from the Academy probably had.

Straight silver hair. Translucent, milky-white skin. A face as refined and beautiful as a Western doll.

"—Eva Avery?" I croaked.

But there, protruding from her head, were the black horns that served as the mark of the Demon Race.

It wasn't a hallucination, an illusion, or some shapeshifting trick. Every fiber of my being screamed that this was the real deal—a monstrous, high-spec entity with an identical face and off-the-charts mana.

This was a development I’d never seen in the Original Story.

But then again, this was Noblesse. This was the game I’d fallen in love with. Despair following hot on the heels of more despair... that was exactly why the high of finally clearing it was so unparalleled.

Bring it on. I don't care who I have to face—I'm going to win.