In the world of Noblesse Oblige, it was extremely rare for a human to be born without any mana at all.
Even commoners had mana. Newborns, children, the elderly—everyone possessed it to some degree. However, in those cases where mana was completely absent, a "blessing" occurred where the individual’s physical abilities and five senses were drastically enhanced.
The Original Story had revealed this to be a type of biological self-defense mechanism, though the finer details remained a mystery.
But that only applied to congenital cases. If someone like us—those born with mana—ran out of it, at least a tiny fragment usually remained deep inside.
Yet, I couldn't sense even a trace of mana from Cecil.
She probably poured every last drop of her mana into Construction Magic, scrubbing her body clean of it.
There was no character like that in the Original Story.
The price for such a feat had to be astronomical. In a state of zero mana, her natural resistance would be non-existent. There was a very real possibility that even a gentle breeze caused her agonizing pain.
And yet, I couldn't read a hint of it on her face.
Hah, as expected of the genius Cecil Antwerp.
"Even with those training clothes on, you’re making a dangerous gamble," I said.
"I’m quite fond of Challenge Play. After all, you’re always far too strong."
If Cecil had played it safe, she could have easily aimed for a top rank even if she didn't win the whole thing. But she had discarded that safety net, grasping for the power necessary to actually claim victory.
That effort, that sheer mental fortitude... it was worthy of my respect.
God, you’re the best! You really are!
I charged at her head-on. I wasn't going to pull any shameful stunts like aiming for a glancing blow with petty techniques. I was going to meet her resolve with everything I had.
"—Thank you."
Cecil noticed my intent and mouthed the words silently.
But I wasn't about to hand her the Victory.
"Debibit!"
"Shut up and watch! This is a match between Cecil and me!"
I barked at Debi, who was operating in Auto Mode, and swung my blade. Cecil tried to parry with the flat of her sword. Her reaction speed and reflexes were laughable—so fast they were almost inhuman. She was like a total superhuman.
But my sword wasn't weak enough to be brushed aside by that alone.
The moment she tried to redirect my blade, I poured every ounce of strength into my arms. I shoved the sword forward with a grunt, forcing Cecil to leap backward in a hurry. Her ability to adapt on the fly was definitely one of her greatest strengths.
However—!
"That wasn't the right move!"
Without a breath of delay, I drove my sword home. A horizontal sweep this time, aimed right for her flank. If she took the hit, she’d be forced to a halt. But she couldn't retreat any further, either.
Now then... what will you do?
"—It was on purpose."
The ground beneath Cecil’s feet suddenly glowed. She vanished—no, she had launched herself into the air.
Cecil had no mana left. She couldn't chant magic. That meant she had set up the magic formulas on the ground in advance. Immediately after, the air itself began to shine.
Hah! Setting fixed formulas in mid-air is a technique students don't even learn until they're upperclassmen! Just how much of a genius are you?!
"You're amazing, Cecil!"
At my shout, a smile played on Cecil’s lips. I had no idea what she was thinking, but she looked like she was enjoying this from the bottom of her soul.
It was the same look she wore whenever we played Battle Universe. Back then, whenever she gave instructions, she was always so deadly serious that she never let a smile slip.
I see. You really were one of us after all.
I braced myself and caught the sword she swung down from above. Cecil looked truly, deeply happy.
From that point on, I parried every single one of Cecil’s strikes. I did it because I felt it was a matter of courtesy—because her effort deserved that level of respect.
She was drawing out every bit of her potential, clearly pushing far past her limits. Eventually, her movements began to slow.
I felt a surge of joy. It wasn't just Cecil; plenty of things were moving beyond the confines of the Original Story, but she had completely shattered her own shell.
"...Thank you, Fansent-kun."
Toward the end, it seemed she realized it. She realized she couldn't win against me.
Even so, after those words, she launched one final, all-out attack. Her face was twisted in anguish, and she was clearly enduring pain so intense she couldn't even manage a smile.
"You were strong, Cecil."
I offered her my highest praise as I finished the fight.
I struck her flank once. I wanted to cause as little pain as possible. As she lost consciousness, a teleportation formula triggered, whisking her away. It was a pre-installed safety measure for the exam.
【Cecil Antwerp: Unable to Continue. Points awarded to Weiss Fansent.】
You did great.
Three days had passed since the Survival exam began.
Yesterday, the moment the Magic Bird circling above announced a familiar name, my heart gave a painful little squeeze.
『Carta-san, I won't lose. Let's give it our all together!』 『Yes, Cecil-san!』
Cecil-san had lost to Weiss-kun.
But I’d known that was coming. This was a Battle Royale. No matter who the opponent was, I had to win. Besides, this wasn't just a simple contest of raw strength.
In this exam, I was more advantaged than anyone. I could move through the zones faster than anyone else, and I could launch unilateral attacks from heights where no one could reach me. That was how I had defeated so many lowerclassmen over the last three days.
I wasn't that "weakling" I used to be.
【Forbidden Area: E-1, E-2, E-3】
The Magic Bird’s announcement echoed through the trees. I checked my map in a panic, only to realize I was currently standing right in the middle of a danger zone. Three of them in a row, even.
Normally, I would have been terrified.
"...Okay."
I slowly mounted my broom. I closed my eyes and visualized the wind wrapping around my body, imagining myself soaring into the sky.
The image became reality. Wind swirled around my feet, kicking up dust, and in the next heartbeat, I shot high into the air.
Still, no matter how many times I saw it, it took my breath away—the fact that the barrier reached all the way up here.
Teacher Coco... you're incredible.
This uninhabited island was gargantuan, yet a layer of Barrier Magic covered the entire thing. It was likely a precaution to prevent another dragon invasion like last time, but covering an entire island was a staggering feat of technique.
Wait, now wasn't the time to be impressed.
"E-1... E-2..."
I repeated the zone coordinates to myself as I flew across the boundaries. I had a thirty-minute grace period, which was more than enough time.
But then, I spotted people fighting down in the E-3 area. They didn't seem to be working together, but based on their positions, it looked like a three-on-one.
Suddenly, the lone fighter began unleashing an absurd sequence of magic. It wasn't like my Mana Cannon; it was sharp, fast, and packed a terrifying amount of instantaneous power.
At that moment, the announcements triggered.
【Ilua Grid: Unable to Continue. Points awarded to Cynthia Violetta.】 【Waiton Ils: Unable to Continue. Points awarded to Cynthia Violetta.】 【Mistis Ann: Unable to Continue. Points awarded to Cynthia Violetta.】
Wow...
Unlike me, she had no openings at any range—short, medium, or long. Her mana capacity was enormous, and in terms of Balance, she was arguably the best in all of Noblesse.
“…………”
But I’d been thinking about something ever since I first heard the rules of this exam. There was a strategy that only I could pull off.
A cowardly, cunning, and downright terrible plan that was only possible because it was me.
But... I—
"...I'm going to win."
Steeling my resolve, I pointed my palm toward the ground below.
"Whew..."
Being surrounded by three people outside the safe zone was a shock, but I was lucky they weren't among the top-ranked students.
If they had been... no, I need to stop being so timid.
I didn't have time to stand around. If I didn't get through E-3 soon, my points would be forfeited. I had to hurry—
Suddenly, the sky flashed. An instant later, a colossal pillar of light rained down from the heavens. It was saturated with a terrifying amount of mana.
—B-BOOOM!!
With an ear-splitting roar, a massive crater opened in the earth. The shockwave made my whole body tremble. When the dust finally settled, I was left speechless.
"...The path."
The road in front of me had simply vanished. No, it had been gouged out of existence.
To make matters worse, I was in the worst possible spot. To my left was a sheer cliff dropping into the sea; to my right was a high stone wall. It was a narrow, one-way pass.
I looked up. In the sky, I could see Carta-san straddling her broom. To move forward, I would have to jump across that massive hole. But if I tried, the chances of being attacked mid-jump were incredibly high.
But why had Carta-san left the path behind me untouched?
"—I see."
She left me an escape route on purpose just to guarantee she gets the points.
If I ran back the way I came, she would just wait until the very last second before the time limit to block that path too. With her broom, she could use her mana to fly into the safe zone at full speed no matter how little time was left.
The teacher had mentioned there was a ten-second grace period even after the zone closed. Carta-san would easily be able to escape in that window.
I had three options.
First, I could try to jump the gap ahead and escape the zone. But the hole was too big. Plus, after that explosion, the other Noblesse students would be heading this way like sharks to blood. I’d have to dodge Carta-san’s attacks while fighting off a crowd.
Second, I could use Ice Magic to take to the sky right now and try to defeat Carta-san. But the sky was her domain. My chances of winning up there were abysmal.
Third, I could hurry back the way I came and try to escape before she blocked the rear path. It looked like the most viable option, but that was the trap.
Carta-san’s true goal was to block that final exit at the very last second. If she succeeded, she wouldn't even have to fight. She would force me to choose between being attacked by her or losing all my points to the Forbidden Area—which effectively meant expulsion. It was a strategy designed to force a surrender while consuming the minimum amount of mana.
I’d known she had the advantage in this exam, but this was beyond my expectations.
Floating in the sky, she didn't look frightened, nor did she look at me with pity. She stared me down with a face full of resolve.
If she blocked the back path right now, I would probably launch a desperate, all-or-nothing attack against her. She’d have the advantage, but there would still be a chance she could lose. That was why she was observing.
If I were in her shoes, I would have done the same thing. The more a person panics, the more their thoughts cloud, and the more their magic falters.
『Ten minutes remaining. Ten minutes remaining.』
"...Carta-san, I always thought you were just a kind person. No, you probably were. But... you’ve changed too, haven't you?"
I thought of Weiss.
There was only one answer.
I flooded my legs with mana.
"Carta-san... I will not lose."
Steeling my resolve, I turned and sprinted back toward the path behind me.