As if unwilling to be outdone by the two boys, Enyo stepped forward, her heavy claymore resting against her shoulder. The weight of leadership had held her back before—forced to command her classmates, issue orders, and provide support. But now, alone?
Now, she could show her true strength.
A murmur spread through the students. Unlike Austin, a swordmaster, and the Crown Prince, a mage prodigy, Enyo was both a warrior and a Blood Ability user. Her reputation as a young genius among her peers wasn't for nothing.
She didn't hesitate. Gripping the edge of her claymore, she dragged the blade across her palm.
A thin line of red appeared—then, as if alive, the blood rippled and lifted into the air.
The moment her blood met oxygen, an eerie, tangible scent of rusty iron filled the training grounds.
The combat puppet activated, its eyes glowing with artificial intelligence, and rushed forward with mechanical precision.
Enyo slammed her claymore into the ground—and blood moved.
A Blood Rune ignited beneath her feet.
Dark crimson symbols flared to life, spreading outward like veins across the earth. The air seemed to thicken as her blood responded to the rune, twisting unnaturally.
The puppet lunged, its metallic fists aimed straight for her chest.
Enyo lifted her claymore, her blood-infused strength surging. She swung.
A loud CLANG! echoed through the air—her blade met the puppet's strike head-on. The force sent a ripple through the earth, the impact splitting the ground beneath them.
She slid back slightly but didn't waver.
Instead, her blood, still floating in the air, shot forward.
The crimson tendrils wrapped around the puppet's arm, tightening like iron chains. It struggled, gears whirring as it tried to break free.
But Enyo wasn't done.
With a flick of her wrist, the floating blood hardened into spikes—impaling the puppet's arm joints.
The students gasped as the thick iron limb struggled to move, jammed by hardened blood.
Taking advantage of the moment, Enyo stepped forward, rotating her claymore above her head.
Then—she swung.
A wave of crimson energy followed the blade's arc, a Blood-Enchanted Strike aiming straight for the puppet's chest.
The attack connected. The puppet skidded backward, its armor dented where her blade had landed.
The runes beneath her feet flickered, her blood magic draining energy quickly. Blood magic was powerful, but it came with a cost.
The puppet recalibrated, breaking free from her blood spikes, and charged again.
Enyo lifted her claymore once more, her breath steady.
Even as exhaustion started to creep in from using too much blood, she still held her ground—still fought with unwavering determination.
After several more clashes, the puppet remained undefeated—but it bore the marks of battle.
Crimson streaks covered its metal frame, dents and scratches proof of Enyo's strength.
She exhaled deeply and took a step back. It wasn't a victory, but it was a statement.
Celeste whistled, leaning lazily against the fence. "Hell yeah, girl. You show them."
The other students murmured in approval, clearly impressed.
Yuna, on the other hand, simply sighed and shook her head. These teenagers and their competitive spirits…
The Club Class Representative sighed inwardly. He had hoped to avoid unnecessary fights, but after the other two class reps—the Crown Prince and Enyo—had stepped forward alone, it would be impossible for him to hold back.
If he didn't stand on equal footing, his authority among the class reps would weaken. Negotiations, transactions, and cooperation between classes would become more difficult even though it is not outright stated.
Understanding this, he stepped forward.
A murmur rippled through the students as all eyes settled on him.
Unlike Austin, whose sword mastery dazzled the crowd, or the Crown Prince, who wielded powerful magecraft, the Club Class Rep had always been seen as the least remarkable among them.
*Brown hair, brown eyes, a perpetually amiable expression—*he hardly looked intimidating.
But now?
The air around him shifted as he activated his Enhancement Ability.
The combat puppet whirred to life, its artificial eyes locking onto him as its metal body tensed. The Club Class Rep remained calm.
Reaching into his bag, he pulled out a low-tier sword, a handful of daggers, and a few unremarkable scrolls.
Several students blinked in confusion. Was he seriously going to fight the puppet with… that?
Even the Crown Prince frowned slightly. He had previously dismissed the Club Rep's Enhancement Ability as mediocre. But now, seeing him step forward, he did paid closer attention.
Instead of attacking immediately, the Club Class Rep did something else.
Slowly, methodically, he activated his ability.
A faint golden glow enveloped his body as his physical strength surged.
Then—he turned to his weapons.
He gripped his ordinary sword and, with a steady breath, poured his Enhancement Ability into it. A deep golden hue seeped into the blade, its surface shimmering.
Then, he did the same for his daggers—one by one, each blade glowed brighter.
Finally, he activated several enchanted scrolls, boosting their power with Enhancement.
What were originally low-tier enchantments suddenly doubled in effectiveness.
Weapons that should have been weak now pulsed with tremendous energy.
The crowd stared in shock..
The puppet lunged.
With a flick of his wrist, the Club Class Rep threw an enhanced dagger straight at its joint.
CLANG!
The dagger sank into the metal, deeper than expected.
The puppet staggered slightly—its movements hindered.
The Club Class Rep didn't stop. He dashed forward, brandishing his enhanced sword.
Each strike landed with twice the power it should have, his weapon cutting into the puppet's defenses.
His movements were calculated, efficient. He never wasted energy attacking blindly. Instead, he aimed at weak points—joints, cracks, areas where the metal plating was thinner.
The puppet retaliated, swinging its arm in a heavy arc.
The Club Class Rep barely dodged, rolling to the side.
Instead of counterattacking directly, he reached for an enhanced scroll.
A low-tier Fire Enchantment, originally weak, flared up with newfound strength.
He activated it—then slapped it onto his sword.
The blade ignited.
Now wielding a fire-enhanced weapon, he leaped forward.
His next strike left a burning gash on the puppet's chest.
The students gasped.
This wasn't just raw power—it was strategy. Efficiency. Resourcefulness.
He wasn't the strongest in terms of brute force.
But he was the best at maximizing what he had.
Eventually, the combat puppet recalibrated, adjusting to his tactics. Though he landed multiple solid hits, he couldn't fully defeat it.
But that didn't matter.
Because by the time he stepped back, the puppet had visible scorch marks, punctures, and weakened joints.
It had taken substantial damage from weapons that were originally low-tier.
The students murmured in surprise. Many had underestimated him—but not anymore.
The Crown Prince's violet eyes lingered on him, unreadable. He had initially dismissed the Club Class Rep's ability, thinking it was nothing special.
But now?
Now, he had to reevaluate his opinion.
The Diamond Class Teacher, still dressed like he belonged in a ballroom, looked faintly intrigued. Even the Spade Class Teacher, even with her cold eyes, nodded slightly in acknowledgment.
Celeste grinned, nudging Yuna. "Hey, not bad, right?"
Yuna nods her head.
With all the Card Class Representatives having stepped forward, the attention of the students naturally shifted to the Heart Class.
Would their class rep step up as well?
Would they show off their skills?
Would they fight?
The answer became apparent almost immediately.
The Heart Class, as if blissfully unaware of the expectant gazes, acted as if nothing was happening.
Some of them tilted their heads, pretending to be interested in the ceiling architecture.
A few turned toward their classmates, whispering as if discussing deep philosophical matters—like what was for lunch.
Others simply crossed their arms, spectating with a casual air, as if they were just here to enjoy the show.
And then there was Yuna.
The true Heart Class Representative.
She, too, looked around.
Not at the combat puppet.
Not at the eager students.
Not at the instructors.
Just… around.
Her gaze flitted to the trees outside the window, to the distant clouds in the sky, to the tiniest crack on the floor.
Anywhere but at the people staring at her and her other classmates.
Like hell she was going to fight. Let them fight if they want to, she's not going to fight.
A faint "Tsk."
A few murmurs spread through the crowd.
"Cowards."
"Heart Class is useless as always."
"Not even their class rep will step forward?"
The irritation was evident in some voices, but neither Yuna nor her classmates reacted.
Not a twitch.
Not a frown.
Not even a flicker of acknowledgment.
If ignoring people was an art, the Heart Class had perfected it.
Even when the murmurs grew louder, they remained completely unbothered.
It was one of their greatest strengths.
With no movement from the Heart Class, the instructors finally ended the combat session.
The students began dispersing, some still grumbling about the Heart Class's indifference.
But Yuna and her classmates?
Without a single glance back, without a word of explanation, they simply turned and walked away.
Back to their classroom.
As if nothing had ever happened.