The Bodyguard!

On a hot summer day, with no clouds in the sky making it seem like an endless ocean, birds flew above a high school yard filled with students looking at some boards. some were happy with excited expressions, and others were not.

The exam scores are out. groups of students can be seen celebrating, and others comforting their friends. Sam and red jump in to see their results, red was not worried, he already had his own plans and going to college was not a priority for him. even when he was certain he would get a good score.

"Let's find our scores" with a worried expression Sam continues "Do you think we'll make it? I'm a terrified man..."

"Don't worry, just think positive."

They both start browsing through the boards looking for their class. "Here it is, I found it," Sam yells out. Red starts walking in his direction and he hears "Hey, you idiots are here? why? you really think you'll pass?" stan laughs. "You didn't learn your lesson have you?" Red says annoyed, he takes a step towards Stan, but he notices someone standing behind him. a man dressed in a black suit, walking behind stan while he came towards red.

"This is Austin, an E ranked awakened that started working for my dad. You think this'll end like last time?" With a grin on his face, stan slaps red. in the middle of the crowded schoolyard. He was confident, his dad was promoted to a B ranker, and with the new title and rank hiring low level rankers to help him around was easy.

Some rankers Don't like diving into dungeons and all the troubling stuff, they were either not brave enough or had a serious injury or curse that rendered them unable to join a party due to the chance of it getting in the way. so getting hired by high rankers or other people was common, they're still rankers with powers after all.

After hearing about the fight at school and what Red did to his son, Stan's father hired a ranker just so Stan can get back at him. A retired ranker to be a bodyguard for him was easy to find.

All the students started looking at them. walking back to give some space, if there was a fight they didn't want to be caught up in it. students were looking silently, some whispers can be heard talking about the ranker, he was a huge bald muscular man, with a scar on his face. he was glaring at red, thinking that red wouldn't dare and would take whatever stan throws at him

But ... he was wrong, to his surprise red didn't look at him twice, throwing a punch at stan... even when stan put up both his hands to guard, bones can be heard breaking. stan was sent flying back, it was like being hit by a car.

"AHH..."

Stan was on the ground yelling in pain, with closer look his hands were visibly broken, all students that saw the event had a shocked expression, in the crowd jen and some of his other classmates can be seen watching what has transpired with surprise.

"AHH... KILL HIM ... GOO..." screamed stan at the Austin.

Austin looked at stan... then looked at red. "You're awake, aren't you?" says Austin coldly.

" Have we awakened in our school?"

"So cool, did you see that?"

"Isn't that red? He was awakened?"

"I knew that he changed, he's so cool"

Whispers and noises can be heard from the crowd of students. looking at red with excited and surprised expressions. thinking they would see a fight between rankers.

"I used to take the tank position in parties, and I'm strong enough to crush your tiny head kid. you're new awakened, i can't sense a guild card on you, let me break your arms and legs then i'll let you go so don't fight me or i'll accidentally kill you." Austin looked red but he didn't have any expression on his face. it was like he didn't even see red as a threat even when he was a ranker.

The rank difference is huge, the longer one becomes a ranker, the more time he trained and experiences he had, The power that each person gets never stays the same, it was like awakening mana or some sort of energy and with time new skills and abilities can be learned. the more they train the stronger this energy and their abilities get. talent had a role in the progress that is why even after years of training some rankers were stuck at the same level. it was like leveling up, but red was the only one that could see his information clearly.

Red took a fighting stand, he didn't want to summon the skeleton, this was an opportunity for him, fighting another ranker will give him a good understanding of the level system. how strong he was with his current level compared to other rankers.

"I warned you kid." Suddenly a yellow transparent shell can be seen forming on Austin. "That's Energy Shell ... So cool." Red heard from the crowd. He knew this man was a tank, he said so himself.. red was curious about the skill, it was a skill used to protect the body, It had no time limit, with every hit, an amount of energy or mana will be deducted from the caster.

"Defensive Posture.." whispers red. a faint transparent shell formed on him. He rarely used the skill, thinking that sol would take the damage for him while he attacks from the back, it worked for him until now. but he wasn't planning on using Sol so he activated it.

"What is that? it looks like an Energy Shell.."

"Are they going to fight?, i can't wait." The crowd said while backing off a little more. Sam can be seen standing with them, his expression was of excitement and worry.

"I don't recognize that skill, but I can see it's a defensive type. You need to back off kid and just let me break your arms. it'll be easier for both of us." Austin had an excited expression, it seems that he doesn't want red to back out, it's been a while since he fought and failed to hide his excitement. he was cursed, it already did a lot of damage before it was dispelled, hes strength was reduced and his control over mana has sometimes failed.

Red didn't want to use Mana Bolt. This was a rare chance to test his strength against another ranker. Suddenly Austin ran towards red, his footsteps were heavy. when trying to grab him, red ducks and moves a little to the right hitting Austin with his strongest punch to his right side, then jumps back. it was fast, red was a little smaller than Austin so he was quick on his feet, for them it was not a big deal, that was just the beginning, but cheers can be heard from the student.

"Wow, That was fast, what's that student's name?"

"He's red, he's my classmate." one of the students brags, even when red looks at him he barely recognized him.

"Red? isn't that the one that ranked 1st is the exams?"

Austin straightens his back and says "You have one hell of a punch. that took out almost 30% of my shield well done... but you're still weaker than me." Austin had a creepy smile on his face, he was enjoying this. Red noticed but didn't react, Steady Mind was activated. He wanted to take a punch from Austin, he had his defensive skill on so he wasn't worried. "Come on then, i'll give you a free hit" red laughs mockingly.

"You f***ing brat, watch me break that pathetic shell of yours" says Austin before he leaps forward towards red with his right elbow reaching his back ready to punch. Red didn't react; he stood there waiting.

*TON*

Red was sent back a couple feet, the sound the punch made was like he hit an iron wall. Austin's hand was bleeding, he was in pain. "I don't know what that skill is, but i broke your shell.. and now i'll break your f***ing limbs" Austin was in pain, anger drawn all over face.

"Defensive Posture.." says red. and the same shell came back again. worry started creeping up on Austin, he frowned and said "i'll show you what a real skill is, kid." Austin raises his fists. The skin around his arms started to change color, turning dark brown, with some black mist circling his fists.

"My turn.." Red stretches his arm towards Austin and mumbles. "Mana Bolt.." suddenly a blue arch was drawn in the air before hitting Austin. it was so fast he couldn't even react.

*BOOM*

Austin was sent flying, hitting the wall on the other side of the yard. leaving a cracked floor with some yellow powder that quickly disappeared.

"OH MY GOD, WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT?" one of the students in the crowd yells.

Red knew how strong his Mana Bolt skill became, all he did was add points to mana after all, the damage became similar to getting shot by a tank. it was terrifying how powerful it became.

Red was done with the fight. He knew he couldn't win with just strength, and when he saw the skill, he didn't want to risk it anymore and used Mana Bolt. Red feared that he might have accidentally killed Austin. he walked over to him, Austin sat in a small gap in the floor from the force of the hit, blood was coming out of his head, but his eyes were open. He looked at red with fear. killing was common among the awakened, he feared that red might end him.

Laws were different for the rankers. if a fight started between them accidental death was common and so no punishment would be received, without the rankers the country would become weaker, the only thing they could do was minimize the deaths.

Everyone was terrified of red, he just used a skill that defeated an E ranker easily while he was a new awakened.

Police lights and ambulance sirens can be heard closing to the school. teachers were standing within the crowd as well, one of them called for help before the fight started. afraid that red would be in trouble or one of the students might get hurt.

Cops and three men wearing a black hunting suit and a black mask covering their faces, with a small card visible on their chest. Red somehow could sense something from the card, it was his first time feeling like this. He understood what Austin said about knowing he didn't have a guild card on him. Rankers are required to carry their cards wherever they go, those men were from the rankers guild.

"What happened here?" one of the three men spoke.

"He's a bodyguard of a kid, thinking he would scare me and I'll let him hit me. so i hit the kid and beat him.'' Red explains with a blank face, he was not scared or felt anything, even after doing something like this to another person. The men's faces were covered, they kept silent for a bit and spoke "Are you awakened? i can't sense your card. you better be awakened or there will be consequences for not carrying it."

"Yeah i awakened not so long ago.. i was planning to register in the guild after the exam results come out" red explains.

registering in the rankers guild was not an obligation, but all the awakened register because they would have the guilds protection and support. it was beneficial, taking care of something like the situation red was in was a part of the benefits.

The man was silent for a bit and spoke "For a new awakened you're strong. we will take care of things here, you can go."

Red nods and looks back, he saw the students and staff looking at him with surprise and amazement, then he leaves. he didn't know how to tell his mother, he scored 1st place in the exams he heard someone say so in the crowd and had no business there anymore. he waves at a taxi and gets in, heading to the Guild.

A taxi stopped in front of a skyscraper, he could not see the end of it due to the clouds. The building was built with a strange material, it was black with red lines all over it moving like snakes. He stared at it.

He walks in. Not many people were around, he knew the building had 4 entrances and each one led to a different lobby.

"Hi, welcome to the Rankers guild" A voice came out of nowhere, it was like it came from his head. Red looked at the reception desk and saw a gorgeous woman waving at him.

"This is Telepathy, one of the commonly used skills among rankers. my name is Sain, ask me if you need anything." she smiled at him and got back to whatever she was doing.

"This place is amazing.." red thought while he was slowly walking towards the woman.