The Night Before

“So, the Blessing of Healing and Impulse of Destruction won’t work on her?”

“Yeah, not against Priscilla. Or rather, it’s just way too dangerous to even try.”

Priscilla’s Gift was never fully fleshed out in the Original Story. The only thing the authors ever committed to paper was the fact that she possessed a nearly bottomless reservoir of Mana. In that one specific category, it was written that she even surpassed the legendary Eva Avery.

Before we’d ever set foot in Nobless Academy, Priscilla had faced Eva in a Joint Exam. The match ended in a draw, but according to the accounts of those who watched, Priscilla had been spamming high-level magic for the entire duration without breaking a sweat.

If I tried to activate my Magic Formula to drain her Mana, the sheer volume of it would likely cause my body to expand until I literally burst. Death by magical over-inflation—definitely not on my bucket list. To make matters worse, the Future Prediction from my Magic Eye didn't work on her either.

This was going to be the toughest fight of my life.

Neil was an enigma in his own right, the type of guy who never showed his hand until it was too late. I shared everything I knew from the Original Story and my own research with Cynthia, and the two of us threw ourselves into training.

During one of our sessions, she managed to catch me off guard.

“Weiss, if I combine my Glacies and Dual Sword, the output increases exponentially.”

“Then let’s refine that. Can you manifest the Ice Wings at the same time?”

“I can. And I actually have a proposal regarding the Unnatural as well.”

I was floored. Her knowledge of magical theory had skyrocketed. She’d clearly spent every waking moment brainstorming every possible tactical advantage. Even with my meta-knowledge of the Original Story, her suggestions were brilliant enough to make my head spin.

As the school year progressed in Noblesse—or rather, as the plot advanced—the cast grew and the complexity of coordination techniques evolved. It was as if she’d been taking notes during the Large-scale Invasion and our practice sessions with Shari and applying them with terrifying efficiency.

Cynthia’s knowledge base was now staggering. Even during the Summer Vacation (Estarm), she hadn't rested for a second, dedicating herself entirely to self-improvement. I knew she’d been burning the midnight oil studying, yet here I was, having told her practically nothing about the truth.

I’ve been so focused on what’s ahead that I haven't even looked at the ground beneath my feet. I’m such a moron.

I had to win this fight. I had to show Cynthia and Lilith that I trusted them with everything I had. That was my responsibility.

Beating Neil and Priscilla was going to be like trying to take down Eva Avery in a fair fight. But I didn't have the luxury of losing. We spent the night perfecting one final trump card—a technique to ensure our Victory.

“...Weiss, this is incredible,” Cynthia whispered, looking at the results. “We’ve succeeded where no one else ever has.”

“Yeah. With this, we can definitely win. Neil, Priscilla—we’re taking them down.”

“Right.”

For most students, this Joint Exam was just another grade. For us, it was everything.

Later that night, I had Cynthia arrange a meeting with Lilith on the rooftop of City Area B. I wasn't even sure if she’d show up, but...

“Lord Weiss.”

She was there. Her expression was uncharacteristically heavy, draped in a sadness that made my chest tighten.

“Have you been eating?” I asked.

“...A little.”

“I see.”

She’d clearly lost weight. Usually, she could out-eat anyone. We stood there for a while, staring at the night sky in silence before I finally bit the bullet.

“You noticed, didn't you? That I’m... different.”

I waited. The silence stretched until she slowly, tentatively nodded.

Of course she did.

I’d suspected as much for a while now, based on the way she’d acted after we defeated Beltony. I’d just been coasting on her kindness. I’d been taking advantage of the fact that she didn’t say anything or ask any questions. I’d been relying on her loyalty as a crutch, and I felt like a total loser for it.

She could have demanded answers at any point. But she didn't. She’d kept her mouth shut because I hadn't said a word.

But this thing with Neil had forced her hand. She was worried that my goals were going to fall apart. At least, that’s what I’d assumed.

“I am your maid, Lord Weiss,” she said, her voice trembling. “But everything changed the moment I met you. I know you destroyed all the evidence of my past. I never doubted your intentions. However... I realized that my presence in the light was a mistake from the start. I am a shadow. I want to support you from behind the scenes. Forever, if possible. That’s why... I wanted you to discard me. I am so deeply sorry for the trouble I’ve caused.”

Lilith bowed her head, and the realization hit me like a physical blow.

Neil was wrong, and so was I.

Lilith wasn’t cowering. She wasn't afraid. She was trying to submerge herself back into the Darkness—trying to hide herself away so she wouldn't be a burden to me.

“My failure to explain myself led to this situation,” she continued. “I... I will fix this.”

No. You haven’t done anything wrong. You’re—

“I’ll go see the Academy Principal right now and—”

“Lilith, stop. This story was already written.”

The core of Noblesse Oblige was stubborn. If anything, this whole mess was an irregular result of my own interference. As long as I existed in this world, a confrontation with Neil was inevitable. Just as the Demon Race’s invasion of the Human World was a predetermined Calamity, this was always going to happen.

“I’m going to win. And then I’m going to drag you back into the light with me. So just... stay calm and wait for me.”

From here on out, this was my story. I was going to tear the scenario to shreds and rewrite it. That was the only way to avoid ruin and achieve a Perfect Clear.

“...Lord Weiss.”

“Actually, you did a great job, Lilith.”

“Huh? What do you—”

“I’m going to win this battle and turn those two into my pawns. It’s actually a perfect opportunity.”

“...You really are incredible, Lord Weiss.”

“Yeah. And when it’s over, I’ll tell you everything. I’ll tell you exactly what’s going on in this head of mine.”

“Thank... thank you...”

Lilith began to weep quietly.

I meant every word. I am the villain, Weiss Fancent. If I can crush Neil Albert, I become the center of this world’s narrative. I’ll use every tool at my disposal. If I didn't have Carta, Cecil, and Shari, I would have hit a Game Over long ago.

You can’t beat a trash game like this by playing fair.

Right, Weiss?

You’d agree, wouldn't you? You’d seize every advantage and turn your enemies into stepping stones. You’d crush anything that got in your way.

I’m going to show everyone an ending they never could have imagined. Just watch me.

In the Noblesse Girls' Dormitory, Priscilla sat in a cavernous, empty room. She stared into a mirror, her fingers tracing the Slave Crest branded onto her neck. Tears tracked down her cheeks.

“...If only... if only this thing didn’t exist...”

In the underground training hall, Allen was swinging his sword with frantic, single-minded intensity.

“Allen, give it a rest. The exam is tomorrow,” Shari said, appearing from the shadows.

Allen didn’t stop. He didn’t even look at her.

“That’s why I can’t stop. Tomorrow is everything. I have to win. I’m going to take down Neil and save Priscilla.”

“...I know.” Shari gave a sad, fragile smile. “But we don't even know the rules for the Joint Exam yet. What if it’s a test where we don't have Training Uniforms? It could be lethal. We might actually have to kill each other. And you know Weiss will—”

“I know.”

Allen stopped mid-swing and looked her dead in the eye.

“I won’t kill anyone—and I won’t let anyone be killed. I’m going to win without losing anyone. I need you to lend me your strength for that.”

Shari’s smile turned genuine. “I figured you’d say that. Fine. Let’s make the impossible possible.”

The night faded, each of them carrying their own heavy burdens into the dawn of the exam.