The robot reached her first.
Its arm shot forward in a straight punch aimed directly at her face. The movement was swift and precise, devoid of even the slightest wasted motion. The worst part was that it was not restraining itself in the slightest.
The speed alone made several students flinch. A training doll with B rank combat proficiency did not simply swing wildly like an ordinary machine.
The strikes were anchored and supported by proper footing, just like a veteran Hunter who had survived innumerable battles. Yet the girl did not move until the final possible moment.
Cloud was instantly astonished by her patience. This was something he could not yet replicate, and it was also one of the mistakes that had contributed to his defeat against Ignivar in the previous challenge.
'Sheesh.'
She tilted her head slightly to the side, and the fist swept past her cheek, missing by the narrowest of margins. Before the robot could retract its arm, she stepped forward with immaculate footwork and closed the distance in an instant, then drove her palm into the machine's torso.
The impact produced a dull metallic reverberation.
The robot was affected by the strike, causing it to stagger back half a step. A ripple of astonishment spread through the watching students, stunned that she had actually managed to land a blow.
The prestigious girl grinned widely and swiftly reestablished her balance.
Cloud's eyes widened slightly. Truthfully, he was learning a great deal from this sparring session, and if by chance she managed to win, his prediction that her overconfidence would lead to failure would prove utterly ridiculous. Heek!
Not that it truly mattered, because there was no conceivable way she could defeat a training doll embedded with countless battle experiences, even with her well practiced combat proficiency.
However, on the negative side, there was one factor he had failed to consider.
The robot adjusted immediately. Its body stabilized, and its arms moved again, unleashing a rapid succession of strikes toward her upper body. Punches, elbow swings, and short kicks followed one another in a disciplined, fluid sequence of movements.
The locomotion was so extraordinary that he struggled to keep track of it, each motion flowing seamlessly into the next as though the machine were following an invisible combat pattern. Of course, this was what B rank combat proficiency looked like. He could not even begin to imagine what an A rank might be capable of performing.
Even without possessing the raw destructive force of a genuine B rank Hunter, the machine moved with the accumulated experience of one.
On the other hand, the girl confronted the assault with complete composure. Her expression turned cold, devoid of the earlier grin and clownish reactions. She instantly seemed like an entirely different person, especially after noticing that the training doll had entered a precise and decisive combat mode.
She stepped aside from the first punch, bent her upper body to evade the second, and slipped past a sweeping kick aimed at her legs. Her steps were not flashy at all.
For a moment, it resembled less a student battling a training robot and more someone correcting a predictable pattern.
Cloud frowned deeply.
This was not luck. She was accomplishing all of this without even using her Ability.
The robot abruptly altered its approach. Its foot struck the ground, and its body rotated sharply, launching a heavy kick aimed at her ribs.
This time, she did not evade.
She raised her arm and blocked the strike directly. The impact reverberated through the hall. Nevertheless, even after receiving that blow, her feet did not slide back an inch. It was immediately evident that she possessed extraordinary strength that surpassed his own, not merely superior combat proficiency.
In fact, that was her greatest advantage in this fight. The robot possessed greater speed than she did, yet she matched it in every other aspect, making her a formidable opponent.
If that were the case, there was no conceivable way she could truly be ranked as E rank. Such a classification would be unacceptable, regardless of her lack of actual battle experience.
Before the robot could execute a follow up, she moved again. Her hand shot forward and seized the machine's extended leg, exploiting the momentary opening as she twisted her body and pulled.
The robot lost its balance, its body tilting slightly. That single mistake was sufficient.
She stepped in close and drove a sharp strike into the side of its torso, where several mechanical joints were connected. The impact produced a loud metallic crack, and the robot's entire frame froze for a brief moment as its internal systems attempted to compensate.
However, the Starfall girl did not grant it time. She followed with another strike to the same point, then another. Three precise blows landed in rapid succession, each targeting the same structural weakness.
The robot attempted to retaliate with another punch, but the motion slowed midway as its balance collapsed.
With one final movement, she stepped behind it, placed her foot against the back of its knee joint, and pushed, causing the machine to fall forward heavily onto the reinforced floor.
That alone caused the hall to fall into complete silence. The robot attempted to move again, but its arm twitched once before its systems shut down entirely.
Just like that, the match was over.
The girl straightened her posture calmly, brushing a strand of green hair away from her face as though she had merely concluded a minor inconvenience.
Around the hall, the students stared in stunned silence.
Cloud remained frozen in place.
A training doll with B rank combat proficiency had just been defeated. Even though her movements had not been wasted in the slightest and he had barely managed to keep up with them, Cloud still grasped a few details that would certainly assist him along the way.
If he were to compare her to Ignivar, despite having lasted only a few seconds when it transformed into its Draconic Knight form, she would have no chance against that battle demon. The Devouring Crown was realistically above an S rank in combat proficiency, something she simply could not handle. However, she already possessed an edge above him.
Nevertheless, he would catch up to her. That was the reason he had come here in the first place, to grow stronger and gain an actual life. In that regard, this had been an indirect lesson.
The students around her began to disperse as she walked away from the main stage of the battle, and almost instantly, she became the topic of the day. Meanwhile, the instructors were also somewhat surprised that she had managed to secure such a clean victory. Though they had expected her to perform well judging by her family background, she must have fought dozens of such training dolls while growing up, they had not anticipated it unfolding this way.
Without further delay, the two instructors turned their attention to the other students while the young Starfall girl moved toward a corner to rest. She was famished.
Cloud's attention lingered on her for a moment before he finally looked away. To be honest, he had considered approaching her and asking her to mentor him, regardless of how much he despised people of her status, but he hesitated to do so now.
He brushed his hair back and muttered at length:
"Well, that was very attractive. Perhaps another time, after all. I really need to focus on gaining a foothold here first. Since I am also among the top ten students, it should not be a problem to get close to her. I have to remain pragmatic in this situation, just like every other…"
Suddenly, his attention was drawn to the male student who, before the battle even began, had nonchalantly dismissed the Starfall girl as unimpressive despite her background. He and his female companion now approached her, attempting to strike up a conversation.
However, she merely offered them a brief, warm smile, exchanging not a single word. Realizing she was deliberately ignoring them, the two were forced to retreat in embarrassed silence.
A smile crept across his lips.
'That's perfect! Yeah! Serves them right, opportunistic hypocrites.'
Ahem!
Coming from someone who had also been certain she would fail at the start of the match.
Out of the blue, another student approached her. The others could no longer muster the courage after the first two had been rebuffed. Cloud decided to watch this student attempt — and likely fail — to capture her attention. Perhaps he was a little idle, but witnessing others falter in shame was oddly captivating.
To his astonishment, she seemed visibly happier than before and shook hands with the student as if they were old friends.
'What the…!?'
He stared at them in disbelief. Upon closer inspection, he instantly recognized the student: the handsome but irritating boy he had met in the lobby. It was definitely him.
'…T-they know each other? Could he be from a top family, too?'
Suddenly, a student tapped him on the shoulder.
Turning, he found Mireille's vacant eyes fixed on him, frightening him enough to yelp in horror.
Her expression brightened slightly as he reacted, yet there was not a hint of a smile.
"It's really you, Cloud. I suppose finding you was rather easy."
Cloud stammered, once again feeling her frigid, deathly aura:
"H-heh. When did you get here? And how did you even find m-me?"
The blind girl shrugged.
"Your presence… I knew I would recognize it without issue."
'My presence? Oh?'
***
A few days later, the Academy's entrance test finally commenced, and students were confronted with a shock they could never have anticipated. If anything, it bordered on suicidal.
They were to venture into an E rank Portal in teams of four, and any team whose participation points fell below fifty would be instantly disqualified from full admission to the Academy. Naturally, each team would be accompanied by a guardian, responsible for recording their points and preventing them from facing any deadly threats or monsters beyond their capacity.
Unexpectedly, Cloud found himself grouped with the Starfall girl, Mireille, and the handsome boy, as if some strange fate had conspired to bring them together.
Yet, that was the least of his worries. In fact, he felt oddly comfortable in this arrangement. Mireille might be blind, but her ability was far from trivial. The Starfall girl was undeniably a force to be reckoned with, and the handsome teenager… well, he knew very little about him.
The real danger was his own flaw. It was… undeniably going to lead him straight to death the moment he stepped into the portal. E rank or not, the most formidable creatures within would be instinctively drawn to him.
'Now I'm getting screwed sideways…'
—--
A/N: This is just a brief announcement. I'm pleased to share that I have officially released this novel as an Original under the same title, with slight changes and edits to improve readability and compatibility for the WSA 2026 contest. If you are enjoying this story, I would be genuinely delighted to see your support for the Original. I understand that some readers may be wary of paywalls, but as the author, I can assure you that many chapters will remain free. The more support I receive, the better. Your Power Stones, Golden Tickets, available for voting on the novel once I secure a contract, comments, and reviews truly matter to me. I humbly request that you submit them to the Calamity Dragons.
Additionally, I will be releasing a Guide to the novel's world for anyone struggling to understand the setting and power system. There may be minor spoilers, but I will do my utmost to keep them subtle and difficult to detect. You are also welcome to join the Discord server, the link is in my author page bio, and select the Beast Clan role to show your connection to this story. Once again, I would deeply appreciate your support, as it would significantly improve my chances in the contest. I am sincerely grateful for your votes and for the top three fans who have repeatedly gifted Power Stones. Your support means more than words can express.
Furthermore, many of you might be anticipating a unique take on what is typically a familiar trope. I can assure you that this story offers something fresh and exciting, and it might just become your new favorite. I have extensive world-building prepared, so this will not be a typical beast-taming or hunters-versus-monsters tale. I hope you will consider voting for the Original. Thank you again for your incredible support. I know I promised this would be brief, but, as usual, I rarely keep my word on word counts.