The Spectacular Rank F Hero

The following morning, Rin woke up to a splitting headache. The glowing shard, still tucked beneath his pillow, pulsed faintly, as if mocking his attempts to ignore it.

"Why couldn't I just have one normal day?" Rin muttered, rubbing his temples.

Throwing on his uniform, Rin decided he'd deal with the shard later. He tucked it into his pocket, making sure it was out of sight. Whatever it was, he wasn't about to leave it lying around for someone else to find.

---

Aila's Warnings

Rin met Aila at the Academy cafeteria before their morning combat drills. She immediately picked up on his unease.

"You didn't sleep, did you?" Aila asked, crossing her arms.

Rin shook his head. "Not really."

"Let me guess—Leon, Zeke, or something else entirely?"

"Something else," Rin admitted.

Aila frowned but didn't press further. "You need to stay sharp today. The instructors are ramping up the difficulty for the drills. And if Leon's involved, you can bet he'll try to make you look bad."

"Sounds like a great time," Rin said sarcastically, biting into a piece of toast.

Aila sighed, clearly worried. "Just don't do anything reckless, okay?"

"No promises," Rin said with a grin, but Aila's concern lingered in the back of his mind.

---

Drills Turn Deadly

The combat drills were held in the Academy's sprawling training arena, a high-tech facility that simulated various environments. Today's drill was a "team survival" exercise, where students were divided into groups and tasked with defending a central objective against waves of automated drones.

Rin, of course, was assigned to a team that included Leon.

"Great," Rin muttered under his breath as Leon strutted into the simulation chamber, flanked by his usual lackeys.

"Try not to drag us down, Park," Leon sneered.

"Don't worry, I'll carry," Rin shot back with a smirk.

The exercise began, and the drones came in fast. The simulation environment was a dense forest, with limited visibility and plenty of cover. Rin immediately took to the shadows, using his agility and quick thinking to outmaneuver the mechanical attackers.

Leon, meanwhile, charged headfirst into the fray, relying on brute strength and flashy techniques to take down as many drones as possible. His lackeys followed suit, more interested in impressing Leon than actually completing the objective.

"Idiots," Rin muttered, watching them from a safe vantage point.

Spotting a group of drones closing in on the central objective, Rin darted out of cover, his movements precise and calculated. With a series of quick strikes, he dismantled the drones before they could do any damage.

"Nice work!" Aila's voice crackled through the team's comms.

"Thanks," Rin replied, scanning the area for more threats.

Just as he was about to move, a shadow loomed over him. A massive drone, far larger and more advanced than the others, emerged from the trees, its red eyes glowing menacingly.

"Oh, come on," Rin groaned.

The drone lunged at him with blinding speed, forcing Rin to roll out of the way. He reached for his weapon—a standard-issue training blade—but the drone swatted it aside like a toy.

"Rin! Fall back!" Aila shouted through the comms, but Rin had no intention of running.

---

The Shard's Power

As the drone prepared to strike, the shard in Rin's pocket began to glow. He felt a surge of energy coursing through his body, sharpening his senses and quickening his reflexes.

Before he knew it, he was moving faster than he thought possible. He dodged the drone's attacks with ease, his movements almost instinctive.

Grabbing a broken piece of his weapon, Rin lunged at the drone, striking a critical weak point in its armor. The drone shuddered, sparks flying as it collapsed to the ground.

"How did I…?" Rin muttered, staring at his hands.

He didn't have time to process what had just happened. More drones were closing in, and Leon was nowhere to be found.

---

Confrontation

After the exercise ended, Rin found himself cornered by Leon in the locker room.

"You think you're so clever, don't you?" Leon spat, his face twisted with anger.

"What are you talking about?" Rin asked, genuinely confused.

"Don't play dumb," Leon snapped. "You embarrassed me out there, again. People are starting to talk."

Rin rolled his eyes. "Maybe if you focused on the objective instead of your ego, you wouldn't have to worry about what people are saying."

Leon's fists clenched. "You don't belong here, Park. You're a nobody—a bottom-ranked loser who got lucky. But luck runs out."

"Funny," Rin said, smirking. "That's the second time someone's told me that today."

Leon's eyes narrowed. "Watch your back, Park. Next time, there won't be any drones to save you."

With that, he stormed out, leaving Rin alone in the locker room.

---

A New Resolve

Later that evening, Rin sat on the edge of his bed, the shard glowing faintly in his hand. He still didn't understand what it was or why it had chosen him, but one thing was clear—it was powerful.

And power, Rin realized, came with a price.

"I didn't ask for this," he muttered, gripping the shard tightly. "But if it's going to keep dragging me into trouble, I might as well figure out how to use it."

For the first time, Rin felt a spark of determination. He didn't know what the future held, but he wasn't about to let Leon, Zeke, or anyone else dictate his fate.

The shard pulsed in response, as if agreeing with him.

"Let's see where this goes," Rin said, a small smile tugging at his lips.

And with that, he began to prepare for whatever lay ahead.