As Anyi declared his intention to "become the enemy," a shiver ran through the three of them. They recalled their first training session, where Anyi had taken on the role of the opponent, leaving them battered and unable to fight back. Though their own attributes had improved since then, Anyi’s had also seen an uptick, not to mention the presence of that troublesome slime sword.

Unaware of their apprehension, Anyi continued laying out the rules. "I remember last time, we had no rules. This time, we’ll make a few adjustments. First, Miruku and Layton will fight me directly, doing their utmost to bring me down. The Holy Maiden will refrain from direct confrontation; instead, she’ll move around the training ground, much like she did against the Goblin Centurion. You all need to keep moving and find ways to attack me with magic, understood?"

"Yes! I understand!" Ariana replied with sincere enthusiasm.

"Alright, then run."

"It hasn't even started yet?" Layton protested.

"Run!" Anyi repeated.

"Yes!!"

With her staff in hand, Ariana darted toward the edges of the training ground. Once she had taken off, Anyi continued, "I’ve checked with the system, and it turns out that Endurance can be improved through training. So let her run more; it’ll be good for her."

"What about me?" Princess Karen asked, feeling a bit sidelined.

"Just step back a little further and observe."

"Okay! I’ll be sure to watch closely and learn," Karen said, winking at Anyi as if to jest about her inability to see clearly.

The soldiers lined up nearby were soon evacuated, wary of potential accidents. They squinted at Ariana, running with her staff, questioning if this was what a Hero truly looked like. Could someone with such a physique really pose a threat?

Suddenly, a flash of white light danced in Anyi's hand, followed by a resounding thud as a massive iron greatsword crashed into the ground, causing the earth to tremble beneath them.

Anyi effortlessly lifted the weapon onto his shoulder, his gaze sweeping over the soldiers. They trembled at the sight, hastily retreating from the training ground. Layton and Miruku shared the soldiers’ unease, feeling as though a mountain of pressure loomed over them. While they knew they wouldn’t be killed, the thought of being struck by such a heavy object was daunting.

Meanwhile, Ariana felt a rush of relief as she continued her run. 'Thank goodness I don’t have to fight directly!' In their previous sparring matches, Anyi had always targeted her first, knowing her low physical defenses meant a single hit could take her down.

She shuddered at the thought of being struck by that greatsword—bones would surely shatter!

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"Are you ready?" Anyi called to the others from a distance.

"Yes!" Layton declared, hoisting the shield he had just received.

[Item: Goblin Centurion Bone Shield]

The shield was crafted from long bones, towering over Layton and capable of shielding his entire form. In its center, the skull of the Goblin Centurion stared back at him.

Miruku, meanwhile, opted for her light venom armor. While using the venom prohibited her from wielding any other weapons, its protection was invaluable—hits to the venom wouldn’t hurt her.

[Thorn Hero: Let's begin.]

From a distance, Anyi nodded.

"Roar——!"

With a fierce cry, Miruku charged forward, not using her full speed but rather half, knowing that Anyi intended to simulate the Goblin Centurion's state. In this instance, her role was the Rod Hero.

Anyi observed Miruku's approach, nodding slightly—but the first step was misguided.

As Miruku closed the distance, her sharp claws lunged toward him while the greatsword swung in a wide arc. Though Miruku's speed was impressive, Anyi’s agility made her almost impossible to hit.

"Bang!"

At the moment Miruku dodged the greatsword, Anyi's other hand shot out, seizing her leg and yanking her off her feet, then swinging her harshly to the ground.

Before she could recover, the immense greatsword was pressed down upon her, pinning her in place.

"So heavy!!" Miruku screamed.

'Mr. Anyi is actually using such a heavy weapon to fight?!'

Meanwhile, Layton sprinted over, shield raised, but he found Miruku sprawled out on the ground, her venom already released.

"What a pity, Mr. Layton, you didn't protect your teammate well," Anyi remarked, his tone light yet critical.

"This..." Layton frowned, feeling the weight of dejection. "I couldn’t keep up with her."

"Yes, I’m sorry!!" Miruku cried, tears welling in her eyes. "It’s my fault for running too fast! I didn’t consider Mr. Layton! I’m really sorry! So wrong, so wrong—"

Layton, caught off guard by her apology, hesitated, unsure how to respond. He had intended to say it was her eagerness that had led to this.

"Alright, let’s say she’s seriously injured and has fallen. Holy Maiden! Come take her away!" Anyi called out to Ariana, who was still darting around the training ground.

Ariana swiftly altered her course, hurrying to their side. "What’s going on? Finished training?"

"She’s seriously injured and on the ground; you need to treat her. While she’s being treated, she can’t move—simulate the injured state." Anyi lifted his greatsword, pointing it at Miruku, who lay with a pitiful expression.

"Ah! Okay! Miruku, let’s go!" Ariana helped her to her feet, then quickly led her away from the scene. Once they reached a safe distance, Ariana let Miruku rest on her knee, gently caressing her small face as if it were part of the healing.

"Now, Mr. Layton, what do you think you should do?" Anyi asked, turning his gaze to Layton.

Layton glanced between Ariana and Miruku, then back to Anyi. "I’ll use Taunt to buy time here, until the treatment is finished." He raised his shield toward Anyi, determination on his face.

"Very good. Now, what if I do this?"

Anyi suddenly swung the greatsword, striking Layton’s shield with a thunderous clash.

Layton’s legs quaked as he braced against the weight of the greatsword. Just then, he felt his hands grow unexpectedly light, the heavy pressure lifting abruptly.

Instead, he was engulfed in—

Slime!

"Boom!!"

A torrent of slime splattered across Layton's body, and he struggled to keep his footing, slipping and crashing down onto the ground.

Anyi had simply kicked, and Layton found himself like a flipped turtle atop the gooey mess.

Clambering to his feet, Layton saw Anyi move toward Ariana and Miruku.

Anyi squatted down and grasped Miruku's face, looking over to Layton from a distance.

"What a pity, Mr. Layton, you once again failed to protect your teammates well. Now both of them are dead."