092 Cecil Antwerp

I still remember the first time I saw Battle Universe like it was yesterday.

I was a bit of a brat back then, always flipping over any box I could get my hands on. One day, a bunch of little figures came tumbling out of one, clattering onto the floor.

"Cecil, stop that. Those are very important, you know."

"Papa, what are these?"

"Those? That’s Battle Universe. It might be a little too difficult for you, Cecil."

"Then what’s this? And this one?"

"That one is a knight. This one is a mage. They’re very, very strong, and they protect everyone."

"Hmm. I want to play with them too."

"It’s too early for you. Let's find something else to—"

"No! I want to do this!"

I didn't really understand the rules, but just moving the tiny pieces around was enough to make me happy. Little dolls holding swords and staves, marching forward to defeat the bad guys... even as a child, I knew how cool that was.

From that day on, I spent every waking moment with a figure clutched in my hand. It was a long time before I realized they were actually called pieces.

"Okay, I’m moving the mage to the front!"

"...I lost? You’ve got to be kidding me... Cecil, you’re amazing! You’re a natural!"

By the time I turned six, I had completely mastered the rules and defeated my father. I found out much later that he was actually supposed to be quite good at the game.

By age seven, the "strong" adults in my hometown were no match for me. I was a noble and my family was fairly well-off, so I never lacked for opponents.

"Cecil is incredible, isn't she?"

"Little Cecil is a genius!"

"This girl is going to be someone special!"

It was fun. Not just because of the praise, but because I could get so lost in Battle Universe that the rest of the world just faded away.

When I was eight, I heard about an international tournament. I entered, and to everyone's shock, I won the whole thing. People called it a legendary achievement, but honestly? It didn't feel like that big of a deal. No one had even put up a fight.

That was when things started to change. I could feel the world around me shifting.

"Hey, Papa, let’s play Battle Universe!"

"I’m busy, Cecil. Besides, I can’t win anymore. It’s not fun playing against me, is it?"

That’s not true, I wanted to say. But looking around, I realized that no one who played against me actually looked like they were having fun.

The tournament had been the same. I was so happy that I couldn't stop smiling, but people whispered that I had a "nasty personality" for grinning while I crushed my opponents.

I didn't understand. Doesn't everyone here love Battle Universe?

When I entered the academy for nobles, I was treated like a celebrity at first. Everyone clamored to challenge me, but then, just as suddenly as it started, the invitations stopped. Even when I tried to join the groups of people who claimed to love the game...

"Sorry, Cecil-san, but our levels are just too different..."

"Yeah, exactly. It wouldn't even be fun for you to play with us, right?"

Before I knew it, I was completely isolated.

Schoolwork was never a struggle. People often asked me how I did it, but I didn't have an answer. I just wrote down the things I’d memorized. It was that simple.

Magic, however, was a different story.

"Cecil, if you can’t do at least this much, people will look down on you."

"Yes, Teacher."

The problem was clear as day: an overwhelming lack of mana. I simply didn't have enough to construct proper spells.

I didn't necessarily need to be strong. Since I was a noble, just having the title of "mage" was enough to get by. But every time I looked at my game pieces, I felt a pang of envy.

I wanted to be like you guys.

The pieces in Battle Universe were modeled after heroes of the past. Grist, the legendary knight; Lemli, the strongest mage in history. I wanted to be like them—the ones who stood tall and protected their king.

But I didn't have the talent for it.

"You passed, Cecil! I knew you could do it!"

"Wonderful, Cecil."

"Thank you, Father. Thank you, Mother."

I enrolled in Noblesse Magic Academy because I knew it would make my parents happy. Even if I wasn't strong, Noblesse still valued academic excellence. But deep down, I harbored a tiny, flickering hope that maybe—just maybe—I could change. That I could become like the knights and mages I admired.

Reality, however, was a cruel teacher.

"First place: Weiss Fancent. Second place: Allen..."

I was top of the class in academics, but I was dead last in physical and magical exams. At Noblesse, that didn't technically lower my standing since the academy was a meritocracy based on total points, but everyone in this world looks up to the strong.

I was no exception.

I watched the "strong" students from afar, thinking to myself that they were the true protagonists of this world. I was just someone who sat on the sidelines, indulging in a game to keep my ego intact because I couldn't stand in the center of the stage.

Then, one day in the library, I found someone from that side.

Weiss Fancent.

To my absolute shock, he was holding a book on the history of Battle Universe. My face practically split into a grin before I could stop it.

I knew he had a terrible reputation, but his behavior inside the academy was nothing like the rumors. Then again, history is full of people who were misunderstood by their contemporaries.

I swallowed my nerves, tried to keep my heart from leaping out of my chest, and spoke to him. He actually asked me for a match.

I was terrified, though. Most people start off excited to play me, only for their faces to go dark as the match progresses. I was so scared that he would end up just like the others.

But Weiss was different.

"One more time, Cecil."

Even when he lost, he never looked discouraged. He kept his eyes forward, challenging me again and again with a burning desire to win. I could never be that resilient. He was... so cool.

And then, he asked me for a favor. He told me a story about a "Calamity" that was coming.

It sounds terrible to say, but in that moment, I felt like a hand was being reached out to me from the other side, inviting me to join him. I felt like a wallflower in the corner of a classroom who had suddenly been swept up by a hero.

Normally, I wouldn't have believed a word of it. But Weiss had been so sincere in his attempts to beat me. I had felt his earnestness through the game.

From that day on, we met almost every day to discuss the Calamity. I researched every piece of ancient literature I could find, desperate to account for every possibility. I wanted to protect everyone.

When the Calamity actually arrived, I was so scared I wanted to run away. The realization that my words and actions would decide whether people lived or died was a crushing weight.

But Weiss faced it head-on. He was just so cool.

"Cecil-san, it's all thanks to you."

"Cecil, that was awesome!"

"As expected of Cecil!"

For the first time, people were recognizing me—and not because of Battle Universe. They were recognizing me.

I was so happy. Truly.

But... I was still in the "safe zone." Unlike the others who were sweating, bleeding, and putting their lives on the line, I was just watching from safety.

"Teacher Chloe, I have a request."

"Cecil? What’s wrong?"

"...I want to become strong."

Unlike Teacher Milk or Darius, Teacher Chloe didn't have a massive pool of mana. Yet, she was a faculty member at Noblesse and had been incredible during the Calamity. She knew how to fight with limited resources.

But her path required a terrifying amount of effort.

"Is that all? Is that the extent of your resolve?"

"No... I can keep going!"

I threw away my old, pampered self and began training to intentionally burn through my meager mana at full power.

In this world, a rare few are born with no mana at all, but they are compensated with incredible physical abilities. Teacher Chloe knew a way to mimic that state artificially. By intentionally exhausting every drop of mana and constructing spells with the resolve to die, one can achieve a similar effect.

The downside? Once your mana is gone, the slightest scratch becomes a fatal wound.

"Teacher, did I...?"

"Yes, Cecil. Your speed is remarkable. You have a real gift for this. You've done well."

In exchange for my safety, I gained speed. A double-edged sword if there ever was one. A single hit would likely finish me.

But that’s fine.

I’m not just a piece watching from a distance anymore. Even if it costs me everything, Weiss Fancent... I’m going to beat you.