MARKED FOR DEATH After secretly training in a hidden dungeon, Noir Stardia managed to pass the entrance exam for the Hero Academy. Yet despite having inherited powerful skills from a legendary adventurer, Noir's lower social standing means that all of the other students are perfectly content to shun him--all, that is, except for Maria, daughter of a duke. But Maria is afflicted with a curse that will cause her to drop dead the instant she turns sixteen...and her birthday is only a week away. Can Noir use his newly acquired skills to save her?