146 Weiss Fansent

"Hyaaa... aaahn!!!"

The trigger was a sense of déjà vu.

I had been killed by that shitty Demon King. But the next thing I knew, a woman was crouching right in front of me. Actually, to be precise, she was tied up in a rather... indecent state.

"Lord Weiss... is something the matter?"

Without turning her body, the woman glanced back at me over her shoulder, her voice laced with concern. Her eyes sparkled, and her golden hair was soft, fluttering in the breeze. I knew I'd seen her somewhere before... Wait, it’s Lilith. My maid, Lilith Scarlet.

"What the hell are you doing?" I asked.

"What... do you mean, Master?"

Looking around, I realized this was the mansion I used to live in. But why? It was supposed to have been demolished. More importantly, I looked at my hands, my body—How am I still alive?

Did I resurrect? Was it the Demon King’s magic? No, that didn't make sense. If that were the case, Lilith wouldn't be here. Wait a minute.

"Lilith, put some clothes on."

"Y-Yes, Master."

"...Is Zebis here?"

"Y-Yes. I believe he’s currently preparing your meal—"

"Kukuku... Hahaha! Ahahaha!"

"L-Lord Weiss?"

After that, I came face-to-face with Zebis. He looked exactly the same as he always had. The shitty bastard who would eventually betray me. But he hadn't done it yet. Not now.

"Young Master Weiss... did today’s seasoning particularly suit your palate?"

"Huh?"

I realized I had already polished off the entire meal. It had been ages since I’d tasted his cooking. It wasn't half bad.

"I suppose so."

"Is that so? I am humbled by your praise."

"Zebis, where’s my father?"

"At work, Master. Do you have business with him?"

"No, never mind." "More importantly, there’s something I need you to do."

"Command me as you wish."

"Gather every magic book you can find on Transfer, Teleportation, and Time Magic. I don't care how much it costs."

"—Understood. I will see to it immediately."

I didn't really get it. I didn't understand what was happening at all, but ha, this was incredible. There was no mistaking it. I was getting a second shot at life.

---

The next day, I woke up to sunlight filtering through the trees outside my window. I never thought dying once would make me feel so grateful for such trivial things. That damn Demon King.

...Wait. If this was a reset, did that mean I was destined to be killed the same way again? Was I going to be looked down on by that shitty Allen all over again? ...I didn't like the sound of that.

From that day on, I scoured every magic book I could get my hands on.

"Lord Weiss, you’ve been working so hard until late at night."

"...Yeah."

Lilith hadn't changed. Not her face, not her voice. I considered the possibility that this was all an illusion or a hallucination, but no matter how I looked at it, things were too consistent. It was hard to believe that every single event I’d experienced once before was playing out exactly the same way.

Then, I found a single piece of literature with a tiny footnote.

"Time Loop...?"

It was a dubious-sounding spell, a "tall tale" magic that claimed to rewind time by only a few seconds. There was no proof it worked, and it was hard to believe such a thing even existed. But if it did exist, and if I assumed it was currently affecting me, then this whole phenomenon finally made sense.

However, that still meant I was on a collision course with the Demon King.

—Losing over and over again just isn't in my nature.

I had never put in a day of effort in my life. But I wasn't about to forgive the bastard who killed me.

From that day, I started doing that thing people call "effort." I didn't really know what I was doing, but I had Zebis train me in the sword, and I began to learn magic. It was difficult, but surprisingly, it was also fun.

I met Cynthia at the Ball. She was as beautiful as ever, but she still spat those shitty insults at me. Well, whatever. I figured I’d never have to see her again anyway.

I passed the entrance test for the Academy without a hitch. In the end, I still couldn't beat that shitty bastard Allen. But the real battle was only just beginning.

As expected, it was the same Point System. Dammit, everyone around me was getting stronger by the second. What am I missing?

"S-Stop it!"

"Carta, you’re just in the way."

Just like before, Carta was expelled. Everyone was leaving me in the dust.

Shari died during the field exercise. She was a loud-mouthed brat, but she had a hell of a will. Well, it couldn't be helped.

Cynthia and Allen seemed as close as ever. ...I hated it.

"Yo, Weiss! You doing good!?"

"Don't touch me, you muscle-head."

Actually, out of all of them, I didn't hate Duke that much. He was way too friendly, but he was a bright guy, just like before. I mean, he was still annoying as hell, though.

—I can't win. I can't win.

Why couldn't I win? I was putting in the effort this time. Shit... what was wrong with me?

I managed to promote to the Intermediate-year Students, but I was already a bottom-feeder. Nothing had changed. They just kept getting stronger.

Today, I committed a crime. My points went up. It couldn't be helped—sometimes you have to do what’s necessary. Looking at Eleanor and Sierra made me irrationally angry. They had all that talent, yet they were stuck in Sloth, doing absolutely nothing.

—Duke died.

Same as before. How pathetic. Dying to save your friends—it was just like him, I guess.

—Olynn died.

You too? What was the point of being a shield for your comrades?

—Tura died.

Hah. Did you really love Allen that much?

—Cecil died.

Trying to protect everyone is nothing but a pipe dream.

The Calamity was exactly the same. And I still couldn't do a damn thing. I just stood there and watched my classmates die one by one. But what was I supposed to do? What could I have done?

"Weiss, we can do this! Together!"

With those words, Allen stared straight ahead alongside Cynthia. You shitty effort-freak.

The S-class Adventurer, Milk Abitus, was fighting desperately too, but a person with talent like hers would never understand how I felt.

In the end, I was alone. The only thing that changed was that Zebis didn't betray me this time. Well, he still left the mansion, though. But...

"Lord Weiss, have you been well? You look a little haggard."

"...I'm the same as always."

Lilith was a little kinder. Kindered than she had been the first time. Dammit.

—Lilith died.

She fought the Demon Race just to save me. What was this? It wasn't like this before. Wasn't I supposed to be happier this time? Shit. Shit, shit, SHIT!

"Isn't it a relief to be so light? —Weiss."

And then, I was killed by that shitty Demon King’s magic again. I should have been able to do it... I should have done better...

---

"Lord Weiss... is something the matter?"

"You... are you Lilith?"

"Yes?"

...I didn't understand. The third loop. That’s what I wrote in my notebook. Everything after that was a repeat. Except I managed to beat Allen in the entrance test. I’d grown a little. A few more people survived, but others still died. And then I died too. I never found out what happened to Allen after that.

—The fourth loop.

Allen was the same stupidly straightforward guy as always. But in the end, I still died. Maybe I became a little bit of friends with Cecil that time. That guy was way too good at Battle Universe, though.

The fifth loop, sixth, seventh, eighth.

I couldn't beat that shitty Demon King. No matter how hard I tried, the result was the same. Everything was always the same.

—But I have time.

I didn't understand why this was happening, but I didn't care. I’d challenge him as many times as it took.

The ninth loop.

"Hey, Weiss-kun. Why did you save me that day?"

"It was nothing. I just hated looking at a weakling getting bullied."

"I see... thank you. I'm glad I got to see such a beautiful sky at the end. You've gotten really good at Flight Magic."

"Carta, next time I'll do it better. So... just sleep for now."

"...Heehee. Weiss-kun, you always... say the weirdest things..."

Carta had taken a spell from the Demon King meant for me, and her body was slowly turning to stone. Carta was the one who taught me how much fun it was to fly. She... she was a good person. Thanks for everything.

The tenth loop.

I recruited Carta again. I reached the top of the class. I became friends with Allen. But it still wasn't enough. What am I missing? What is it?!

The forty-fifth loop.

"Hey, Eva. Lend me a hand."

"That's quite a bold way to talk to your senior, Junior-kun."

"If you're there, we can win. Besides, it'll be fun."

"Hmm. Well, if it’s fun, I guess I'm in."

If I saved Shari, Cynthia died. If I saved Cecil, Duke died. Then Olynn. Then Carta. Eleanor died. Sierra died. Tura went missing. Shit, shit, shit, shit! Why? Why couldn't I get it right?! Don't die. Don't die. Don't die! Please... somebody, just stay alive.

The one hundred twenty-fifth loop.

"Weiss! You're too far forward!"

"Shut up, Sierra! Hey, Eleanor, keep your sister on a shorter leash!"

"If you badmouth my sister again... I’ll kill you."

"Everyone, calm down! I'll take the lead. Just trust me!"

"Allen, don't push yourself too hard."

"Yeah, I'll be fine."

That was the best run yet. I almost—just almost—reached that bastard. But it wasn't enough. I couldn't even save Sierra. I was pathetic.

—The one thousand two hundred forty-fifth loop.

"...Lilith, why don't we go to the southern sea together?"

"I would be delighted. I'll go anywhere with you, Lord Weiss."

No matter what I did, it was all for nothing. In the end, I just didn't have the talent. In a peaceful town where we spent about a year, Lilith died saving a child from a demon.

"Lord Weiss... I'm so sorry."

"No. You didn't do anything wrong. It’s me. It’s all my fault..."

Even if I changed the location, the result stayed the same. I couldn't change a damn thing. The ending was always the same. My life had no meaning. I wasn't the one who could do this.

...Maybe. Maybe someone else... someone different... Could they have done it? Who? Who could possibly tear that shitty bastard's head off?

...Dammit.

—And so, I resolved to throw myself away.

From that point on, I devoted every waking moment to refining my magic. I spent over three hundred years building it up.

"—Heteroworld Reincarnation Magic."

That’s what I called it. A spell to anchor another person’s soul into my own body. But there was a catch. There was a very real chance my own consciousness would be completely erased. This magic was a one-shot deal. This loop I was stuck in would probably vanish too. But I poured enough mana into it to kill me. Surely, a guy capable of ending this shitty story would answer the call.

It has to be you. Save them. My comrades... save them. I’ve lived long enough.

I chanted the spell. And once again, I died.

---

"Hyaaa... aaahn!!!"

I woke up. But it was the exact same scene as the very first time. The magic had failed. I couldn't do it. Wait—why couldn't I speak?

Suddenly, a different voice came out of my mouth.

"Wh-wh-wh-what... is going on...?"

...Who the hell is this guy? Apparently, the magic had worked after all. But the guy who showed up was a total coward. I thought I’d wasted my only chance.

But then, the guy suddenly chanted Recovery Magic. Next, he sought out Milk Abitus as a master and actually started putting in work. Hah! What is wrong with you? Seriously, how are you doing that?

During the practical test, he demolished three wanted criminals. The guy had more guts than I gave him credit for. Hah. Not bad.

Then, he somehow made that Cynthia fall for him. He even figured out how to combine Light and Darkness magic—something I never managed.

"Let's see, Darkness and Light should be—"

He didn't seem to notice I was still here. I'd catch his thoughts sometimes, but there was no point in me interfering. I was the failure, after all.

"Carta, if it's you, you should be able to make good use of me."

He brought Carta into the fold. His methods were a lot like mine, though he was way kinder than I ever was. Eva stayed at the Academy. Even Cecil became an ally.

—Now this is interesting.

I couldn't do it. I couldn't win. So, let me see this through to the very end. My consciousness fades sometimes. My memories are getting blurry. I'll probably disappear for good eventually. But Shari is alive. He even saved Olynn. It's perfect.

Hah, you're a weird one. How do you know the future like that?

On the Day of the Great Full Moon, he was fighting his heart out to protect the princess—the one I had failed to save. But—

"What a pity. I'm afraid I'll have to ask you to die, Sophia-chan."

This situation was bad. Really bad. I’d never seen this happen before. Yeah, the current "you" probably can't handle this.

—Good grief.

This is the only time I'm helping out. There's no point in me sticking around anyway. But in exchange, you'd better kill that shitty Demon King.

—First, I'll put Sophia to sleep.

"Hey, Weiss, what are you—"

"Quiet down, you feisty princess."

"—Who... are you?"

That bastard Allen actually noticed me. The guy who only knows how to charge straight ahead. That’s so like you, Allen.

Wait, what was "Noblesse Oblige" again? Eh, whatever. I won't remember it for long anyway.

"Who am I? I'm Weiss Fansent, obviously."

Allen just stood there, gaping. Hah! You're hilarious in every single loop.

"I’ll handle these guys for the time remaining. You keep an eye on that girl."

"...Don't you dare die, Weiss."

"Hah! You think I'm scared of that now?"

I wasn't scared at all. Not of my own death. Not anymore.