238: The Thunder of Effort

"So, you're the Weiss I've heard so much about. The rumors were one thing, but... I never imagined you'd be this capable."

Standing before me was Ertur Rigit, an upperclassman.

With his hair shimmering like spun gold, he possessed the rare Gifts of Earth and Light. Even within the Original Story, he was a top-tier powerhouse—a massive wall that Allen had to smash his head against multiple times just to get past.

"No," I replied, trying to sound cool while my heart hammered against my ribs. "You were strong too."

"Hah! That sounded exactly like a child’s book report." Ertur gave a wry, pained smile. "I’ve wanted to be strong since I was a boy. I’ve swung my sword every day, obsessively refining my craft. Even after enrolling in Noblesse, I never missed a single day of training. And yet, you... your sword... it far surpassed mine. Magic is mostly a matter of innate talent, but Weiss, the sheer amount of effort I felt behind your blade was staggering."

Now, however, he was slumped against a wall on the ground.

In the Original Story, he was just 'that one strong guy.' But after crossing blades and actually speaking with him, I finally understood just how much blood, sweat, and tears he’d poured into his life.

"……Thank you," I said sincerely.

"Haha, no, thank you. Neil is an arrogant brat, but he’s got the strength to back up his attitude. Good luck out there."

"I will."

[Ertur Rigit: Defeated. Points awarded to Weiss Fancent and Cynthia Violetta.]

Honestly, opportunities to test myself against upperclassmen were rare and precious. Many of the seniors left standing had far more experience than I did. But I didn't have time to soak in the sentimentality of the moment.

The interior of the Royal Castle wasn't exactly a labyrinth, but the terrain was incredibly intricate. It made sense—castles from this era were designed specifically to give intruders a massive headache. This place had been a stronghold during the Dark War; its paths branched out like a demented maze.

Still, even in this mess, one person was displaying a level of strength that was frankly terrifying.

"Dammit—she’s too fast—!"

"Your attacks will never reach me."

It was Tura.

She was flooding her legs with Mana, sprinting along the walls and picking off upperclassmen with surgical precision. That was Cecil’s specialty. She must have picked it up when they paired up earlier. In a close-quarters brawl, the only person who could likely match her now was Duke. She was definitely a variable Neil hadn't accounted for.

However, the one who truly blew past my expectations was Cynthia.

"Tura-san, hold still. I’m going to heal you."

"Thanks. You’re amazing, Cynthia... really."

The Training Uniforms were designed to leak Mana based on a precise calculation of "damage" taken. If you took a hit that would normally lop off an arm, the suit would spray out Mana instead of blood. But Cynthia was using her healing magic to forcibly plug those leaks, essentially stopping the "bleeding" of Mana.

Watching her, a theory began to form about Neil’s Gift—the one the Original Story had always called a mystery.

"Weiss, is it true that attacks barely work on Lord Neil?" Cynthia asked.

"Yeah, probably. I couldn't be sure until now, but seeing your healing and hearing Tura’s report, I’m certain."

"I managed to land a hit on him," Tura added. "But the Mana leaking from his suit... it just suddenly wound back."

Neil and Priscilla had a terrifyingly perfect compatibility as healers. Simply put, they could do to themselves exactly what Cynthia was doing to us. They could "rewind" the leakage of Mana, returning themselves to a state of being completely unharmed.

The most terrifying part of that tactic? He could play "flesh for bone"—letting you land a "mortal" hit just so he could ignore the damage and kill you while you were open.

But they aren't invincible.

The fact that Mana leaked at all meant they were taking damage. If we hit them with an instant-death blow, they wouldn't have time to "rewind." Furthermore, healing that much damage had to be a massive drain on their Mana pools. Our only move was to accumulate damage until they were running on fumes, then hit them with everything we had.

The real problem was Priscilla. In the Original Story, she was described as having inexhaustible Mana reserves. If that was true, she was basically Immortal.

Seriously, Noblesse students are such a pain to deal with.

"Someone’s coming!" Tura shouted, her voice sharp.

I readied my sword, but as I sensed the familiar Mana signatures, I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding.

"Relax... they’re allies."

Out of the shadows emerged the "Hero of Justice" and my childhood friend.

"Weiss! There you are! And Tura-san and Cynthia-san too!"

Allen was grinning like a maniac. Seriously, is this guy a golden retriever? I can almost see the tail wagging.

Then, Shari caught my eye. She was wearing a very suspicious smirk. What now?

"Oh, my, Weiss. So you do think of us as allies? Hmmm? My, how much you've grown."

"……Shut up. More importantly, do you actually know what's happening with the battle?"

Allen answered my question with typical enthusiasm. "Of course! Duke is out, and Cecil-san is gone. Olynn too... but Carta-san is still in the game. We have plenty of reliable people left. We can definitely win this!"

"Hah. You’re a hot-blooded idiot as always. You planning to just charge in there without a plan?"

"We just have to react to whatever they throw at us!"

"If winning were that easy, I wouldn't be sweating through my uniform right now."

"What’s that supposed to mean!?"

"Hey, hey! This is no time for a domestic dispute!" Shari chirped, stepping in to "help" while Cynthia physically moved between us.

"Please, be serious," Cynthia sighed. "We don't have time for infighting. Weiss, please just tell them the plan."

Fine. I’ll listen to her. Mostly because she’s the only sane person here.

I quickly broke down the mechanics of the "rewind" healing and the Training Uniforms. Allen and Shari were surprised, but they were quick studies. They understood the goal: force the seniors to burn through their Mana, then deliver a finishing blow.

At least they're talented. I’ll give them that.

"Listen up. From here on out, the seniors are going to have the castle rigged with traps," I warned.

"Right. We'll proceed with caution," Allen nodded.

"……You moron."

"Weiss."

"Look... this is a country, but for the sake of the exam, it's a stage. I didn't come here to play hide-and-seek. I came here to bait them into using their Mana and then pull the rug out from under them. Remember what Teacher Milk said? Shari, you’re the smart one, you should get it."

I’d set the stage this far. If I didn't get these guys to start thinking outside the box, we were going to lose the match on points alone. Shari’s eyes widened as the realization hit her. Allen followed a second later, his jaw dropping.

Suddenly, there was a thud at the window. It was Carta.

"S-Sorry... I'm late..."

"Carta-san! Are you okay—?"

"Shari, quiet. That's not the point. ——Carta, are you ready to 'die'?"

I’d discussed this with Carta beforehand, but seeing her now, she had even less Mana left than I’d feared. I kept my words brief, but she knew exactly what I was asking.

She gave a firm, resolute nod. "Of course. ——I’m not a coward anymore."

Hah. Now that’s what I’m talking about.

Normally, anyone would hesitate. But she could do it. I knew she could. After all, she was the first girl at this Academy that I’d truly acknowledged.

"Let's go. It's time to show those seniors exactly what happens when you underestimate us."

---

"This should be high enough. ——Carta."

"Yes."

We were hovering in the sky far above the Royal Castle. We had doubled back outside and used Flight Magic to get a bird's-eye view of the entire stronghold. Below us, the other intermediate-year students were still poking around the Outer Gate.

I didn't have time to explain the plan to everyone down there. A few of them would probably get caught in the blast, but if we waited any longer, the seniors would sniff us out.

Black wings sprouted from our backs—a completely new magic I'd whipped up by reinforcing Shari’s spirits. Carta was already deep in a trance, her focus so absolute she couldn't even hear us. Her eyes were fixed on a single point below.

If she had been knocked out by Neil earlier, this plan would have been dead in the water. We would have been forced into a miserable, grinding slog through a trapped castle. But with her, the entire board was about to be flipped. Honestly, there was a good chance this would just end the match right here.

Neil and Priscilla probably thought Carta was already out of the picture. They couldn't even imagine what was coming.

"I’m... ready."

"Good. ——Alright, everyone, listen up. Use me as a conduit and pour every drop of your Mana into Carta. Allen, you combine One-Hit Kill and Time Lapse to shatter as many Shields as possible on the way down."

"Got it!"

"Tura, you use One-Hit Kill too—"

"Leave it to me. I’ve picked up something even nastier than that."

"Hah. I’m counting on you. Shari, Cynthia, ready with the Mana?"

"Of course, darling."

"Ready when you are."

Carta leveled both palms at the Royal Castle. She began drawing in our Mana. It started small, like a flickering candle, then roared into a bonfire. From one to ten, the output spiked without limit.

Mana capacity can be improved with effort, sure, but everyone has an innate "tank" size. No matter how much Cecil trained, she had a limit. But Carta? Carta was a freak of nature. Her storage capacity was on a completely different scale from a normal human.

If we were pistols, she was a Mana Cannon.

Shari, Cynthia, and I funneled our power into her. In a way, this was a technique born from my "modern" knowledge—a coordinated attack that never existed in the Original Story.

"Carta... I won't let your 'death' be in vain."

Without a word, without wasting a single ounce of motion, she unleashed the entirety of her being onto the castle below.

At the same instant, Allen and Tura let fly.

"One-Hit Kill!"

"All Kill!"

---

"——Lord Neil! From the sky——something is——!"

"——What!?"

It was impossible. I hadn't been careless. I’d pushed my Mana Sense to its absolute limit. I’d set the traps. I’d organized the perfect formation based on the Gifts of every remaining upperclassman.

And yet——what was this?

A force capable of unmaking the world was screaming down from the heavens.

"Full Shield!"

Priscilla threw herself in front of me. I gripped her shoulder, pushing my healing to its breaking point. This was a gamble. If the system judged this as "instant death," we would both be deleted from the match instantly.

"BRACE YOURSELVES!!!!!!" I screamed to the other seniors.

But I couldn't lose. Not this match——.

——DOGOOOOOOOOOOOOM!

The sky turned white. A pillar of Mana thick enough to vaporize every structure in the castle slammed home. It was a localized natural disaster. This wasn't the power of a single human; it was something far beyond that.

A coordinated strike——!?

The pressure was relentless, raining down in waves. To make matters worse, Wind Magic was weaving through the blast, specifically designed to unravel our Defense Barriers. It was insane. How could they generate this much output?

"Kh……!"

Priscilla’s Full Shield formula was fraying at the edges. The sheer firepower combined with that level of coordination was absurd.

"Lord Neil... I’m dropping the useless defensive spells," Priscilla gasped. "I’m going to pump healing to the absolute limit. The rest... is up to you——"

In the next moment, Priscilla intentionally collapsed her shield. She bared her body to the downpouring Mana. She’d realized that if the Full Shield was going to be shattered anyway, she might as well use that Mana to keep us "alive" through the hit.

"Kuaaaaaaaaaaaah……!"

Even with the Training Uniforms dampening the sensation, you couldn't erase the pain of being vaporized. She screamed, a raw, guttural sound. I pushed my healing to the max; she did the same. We screamed together, taking the full brunt of the cataclysm with everything we had.

I wouldn't lose. I couldn't lose——.

---

[Carta Wiore: Disqualified due to total Mana depletion.]

Having squeezed every last drop of Mana from her cells, Carta vanished without a word. The sheer willpower required for that was staggering. Humans in this world are fueled by Mana; even when you hit your limit, your body usually keeps a tiny "emergency reserve" for basic biological survival.

But Carta had burned even that. She’d put her soul into that shot. It was the magical equivalent of slowly cutting your own throat.

I’ll never call her a coward again. Not even as a joke.

The announcements from the Magic Birds began to overlap, a chorus of disqualifications. The upperclassmen who had been hunkered down in the castle were being erased en masse, unable to even offer a token resistance.

"Incredible……"

"Carta-san... she really did it."

"Normally, that would be impossible."

"Simply brilliant."

Even though we acted as the batteries, the "cannon" was all Carta. Looking down, the once-proud Royal Castle was a smoking ruin. Pillars were shattered, walls had collapsed, and I could hear the muffled wails of seniors pinned under the rubble. If we weren't wearing Training Uniforms, this would have been a historic atrocity.

“I don’t care how much of the scenery you break; it’ll all reset eventually. In other words, go nuts.”

Teacher Milk’s words echoed in my head. Normally, no one would be crazy enough to interpret that as "level the entire castle," but this was an exam. The one who thinks flexibly and seizes the initiative wins.

The intermediate-year students who had been loitering outside began to swarm forward, eager to finish off the half-dead seniors.

"It’s over. We won——"

"——Don’t give me that crap. You bottom-feeders."

[Address Debi: Disqualified. Points awarded to Neil Albert and Priscilla Shertz.]

Neil Albert stepped out from the wreckage. I knew it. He’s still in.

A few other upperclassmen began to crawl out from the debris as well. We had aimed the brunt of the attack directly at Neil’s coordinates, but because they were at the epicenter, the Mana had likely dispersed outward, ironically allowing a few of them to survive the "instant death" threshold.

Still, we had a massive advantage now. But the real fight was only just beginning.

"Fufu... how wonderful. I’m so glad I got a front-row seat for this."

Up in the sky, Eva Avery was hovering gracefully on her staff, watching the chaos with an amused smile. I couldn't afford to worry about her yet. If she decided to jump in, I’d just have to cut her down too.

"Priscilla isn't with him. Everyone, stay sharp!"

"——Yes!"

I hadn't heard a disqualification announcement for her yet.

Suddenly, a voice whispered from directly behind me. Priscilla swung her arm in a wide arc. My world flipped. Up was down, down was up.

Was that a... Gravity inversion?

"You people really are quite troublesome," she remarked coolly.

"Hah! Did you think that would be enough to stop me?"

In the next heartbeat, I slashed through the empty air. It wasn't a random swing; I was using Time Lapse to sever the magic itself. Flight Magic is a delicate formula; by injecting just a tiny bit of my own Mana into the flow, I could force it into a feedback loop.

It was Mana Manipulation on a magnetic level—something only the most elite could pull off. But my Magic Eye sees everything. Even if I can’t see the "future," these eyes are a custom-made masterpiece.

In the confusion, the remaining seniors—Neil included—began to propel themselves into the air. They were different from the fodder we’d fought so far. This was Neil’s hand-picked elite unit.

"Alright, everyone. The warm-up is over. ——Don’t you dare lose!"

Allen, Shari, Tura, and Cynthia all nodded.

However, a thought lingered in the back of my mind. I’d seen it just a moment ago—the way Priscilla had protected Neil with everything she had. That was fine. But Neil... Neil had entrusted his entire life to her, barely defending himself so he could focus entirely on boosting her.

That didn't look like a master and a slave. That didn't look like a guy using a tool.

The tiny itch of "wrongness" I’d felt about them was growing into a dull ache. Well, fine. I’ll just win this and drag the truth out of them.

But first things first.

"Priscilla, you’re the first to go. I’ll deal with Neil after you’re gone."

"Is that so? By all means, do try."

There was only one thing left to do. I had to take down the woman considered the Strongest in the story—the only student in Noblesse who had ever fought Eva Avery to a draw.

I was going to defeat the final member of the Noblesse Elite Four, the one character no one could ever beat in the Original Story——Priscilla Shertz.