[Location: Dorm Room 666]
[Time: 07:00 AM]
The sun rose over the Academy, casting long shadows over the dilapidated Building F.
Inside Room 666, peace was about to be shattered.
Grog, the massive Half-Demon, was sleeping soundly, dreaming of crushing rocks.
Suddenly, he felt a small weight on his chest.
He opened one eye.
Sitting on his chest was a small, porcelain doll in a black gothic dress. She had button eyes and a cracked smile.
She was holding a kitchen knife against Grog's throat.
"Good morning, Big Brother," Annabelle whispered, her head tilting 90 degrees. "Do you bleed?"
"AAAAAAHHHH!"
Grog screamed like a banshee. He didn't fight back. He didn't use his super strength.
He rolled off the bed, crashed onto the floor, and scrambled into the corner, shivering.
"Boss! Boss! The toy is trying to kill Grog!"
Ryan, who was brushing his teeth at the sink, spit out the toothpaste and sighed.
"Annie, put the knife down. We talked about this. No killing roommates before breakfast."
Annabelle pouted (which looked terrifying on a cracked face). She hopped off the bed and walked towards Ryan.
"But Papa... he smells like wet dog. Can I cut him? Just a little?"
Ryan patted her head. "No. Grog is a friend. Friends are not food. Friends are not targets."
[System Notification: Pet Loyalty Check.]
[Annabelle Loyalty: 60% (She listens, but she really wants to stab something).]
Ryan turned to the trembling giant.
"Grog, meet the new family member. This is Annabelle. She's... spirited."
Grog looked at the doll with pure terror.
"First a Headless Ghost. Now a Knife Doll. Boss... are you sure you are human?"
"Debatable," Ryan grabbed his hoodie. "Get dressed, big guy. We have a training session before class."
[Location: The Haunted Forest - Outskirts]
[Time: 08:00 AM]
Ryan stood in a clearing.
In front of him stood his "Army".
Grog: (Tank / Meat Shield).Bob (Shadow Butcher): (Bruiser / Heavy Damage).Annabelle: (Assassin / Stealth).
"Okay, team," Ryan clapped his hands. "The Academy thinks Class F is trash. They think we are weak. My goal is simple: We are going to rob them blind."
"Bob, step forward."
The Shadow Butcher stepped up, axe ready.
"Annabelle, attack Bob."
"YAY!"
The doll vanished.
She didn't run; she flickered.
Slash. Slash. Slash.
In one second, she appeared on Bob's shoulder, stabbed his shadow neck, and backflipped away.
Bob tried to swing his axe, but he was too slow.
[System Analysis: Annabelle Agility is S-Rank.]
[Weakness: Low Defense. One hit will shatter her.]
"Good," Ryan nodded. "Bob is the distraction. Annabelle is the finisher. And Grog..."
Grog puffed out his chest. "Grog smash?"
"No. Grog, you scream loudly and run in circles to confuse the enemy," Ryan joked.
Grog looked disappointed.
"Just kidding. You protect me. I'm the squishy wizard."
Suddenly, the ground shook.
DING DONG.
The massive magical bells of the Academy tolled.
A magical projection appeared in the sky—a giant hologram of Director Malik.
"ATTENTION STUDENTS!"
Malik's voice boomed across the entire campus.
"The Annual 'Class Wars' Tournament begins in 3 days!"
The hologram changed to show a bracket.
"Rules: 5 vs 5 Team Battles."
"Prize: Access to the 'Royal Armory' and 100,000 Credits."
"And for the first round... we have a special match up."
The hologram zoomed in.
MATCH 1: Class A (Led by Leo Sterling) vs Class F (Led by Ryan).
The entire campus went silent. Then, laughter erupted from the Class A dorms.
"Class F? Against the Student Council President?"
"It's a slaughter!"
"Ryan is dead meat!"
Ryan looked at the sky.
He saw the name Leo Sterling. The guy he scammed last night.
"Director Malik..." Ryan muttered. "You did this on purpose, didn't you? You want to see a show."
Ryan looked at his team.
A scared demon. A headless ghost. A murder doll.
"Well," Ryan grinned, pulling out his Soul Shatterer gun. "Leo wants a rematch? Let's give him a show he'll never forget."
[System Mission: Win the Tournament.]
[Reward: Rank Up (D -> C) + Mystery Key.]
"Annie," Ryan looked at the doll. "In 3 days, you get to stab a Golden Lion."
Annabelle's button eyes glinted. She licked her knife.
"Can I keep his eyes, Papa?"
"If we win," Ryan promised. "You can keep the whole head."