Love beyond Ranks

"Monsters are here! Run…" frightened civilians crowding the four lanes surrounded by luxurious buildings screamed running off to wherever they can escape. 

"And they call themselves 'Rankers.' Tsk!" a smirk passed off his amused lips. His sharp slant eyes staring the amazing scenario. Standing outside a café putting his hands deep inside his jeans pocket. Sucking gorgeously at a candid lollipop. 

Beside him was his friend standing comparing his height that couldn't reach that of his. This wasn't the first time. Whenever he looks up at Ethan, their height difference irks him. "Come on. They aren't trained to fight them. You can't expect anything much." 

Loud sirens of emergency started across the whole city of Ranthore. People started to rush knowing well that soon government personnel will take care of it. But something was odd. It's been years since a monster entered one of the cities. Slayers should've made their appearance to this frantic situation by now but nonetheless no such thing has happened yet. 

"So, what's the use? Every company and place hire people based on their ability to wield their power but in the end, they do things that even a normie can do. If they can't slay, then that's it. They are all useless!" mean words that passed his lips left Roi in utter confusing state. 

He can't retaliate since those words were true and can't be neglected but the sound of it was really mean. "Not everything you say is true," his lips twisted as he moved his small body frame to keep up with Ethan. 

Ethan kept going in the direction of the huge dark monster that looked like a black caterpillar. 

"That Mossgrub sure has some status," Roi raised his arm, shutting his eyes. A gust of wind passing by stopped for two seconds as his inner force disturbed the natural flow. 

He moved his arm down and let out a sigh, "That's a 'B grade' Mossgrub. Not sure how it entered the city suddenly but it won't be so easy." He looked at Ethan nod and turned his gaze back to the sky. The huge monster spewing out dark webs was destroying buildings like nothing with its fat body. 

And they were just half a kilometer away from it. 

"You gonna fight?" he tilted his head, asking curiously. 

"No. I am gonna slay," his neck rolled in a smooth, calculated motion, the tension leaving his body as he prepared himself. 

Roi let out a sigh seeing that arrogant man whose face is adorned with chiseled features - a strong jawline, high cheekbones, and a well-defined, slightly stubbled chin. His piercing eyes, perhaps a deep shade of blue or emerald green, are windows to a passionate soul. But in all his arrogance was really annoying.

"Hmm. Ok. Let me guide you through this hellish creature," Roi clutched his fist and rolled his right arm, "Gosh, a brave man there!" he creased his eyes, trying to take a look at the feisty man who reached the monster before them. It took him a minute as they both observed in silence. The person trying to slice down the Mossgrub doesn't have that power. 

"He got some skill there," Ethan cold eyes smiled staring the guy trying to defeat the monster all alone. 

A spine-chilling shiver covered Roi as he saw those eyes, "But no power." Even after breaking out the fact, it didn't changed Ethan look in his eyes. he seemed interested seeing a man fighting with no fear for his life. 

"That's foolish, don't you think? Powerless people should be the first to vacate. All the buildings are almost empty but that outrageous person remained there. Do you think this might be a new way to suicide." Roi pinpointed continuously trying to see Ethan reaction but it remained creepy. 

…

"Let's party!" Lydia screamed with joy. Linking her arm with her brother's, being jolly over not only the fact that her brother became a guide under a prestigious company but also over the fact that she got a job with hefty payment for a complete three months. 

Nerua grinned, "Yes. Finally, you will be free from going around looking for jobs for at least three months," he glanced at his sister who was more handsome than him. Feeling envy over it yet guilty for having such feeling, he let out a sigh. 

The girl with short hair was draped in a boy's outfit that suited her honestly. "We both are moving out of the house to different places, finally I think I can get a girl who won't be interested in you." 

"Yea, because she won't be meeting me. Haiz, really? I think being by my side you can have a more loyal girl then some bitches," Lydia slapped his back while carrying some party stuff in her other arm for the night.

Nerua gave a side glance, "A loyal girl? That will only be possible if a girl looks at my side. Their eyes shake the moment they saw you and boom, I become invisible in their eyes." 

"So what? Its not like they will stay interested if they know my 'rank'" 

Nerua replied with a silence since the topic was quite sensitive to touch. He would rather accept defeat. A person can't make money through their looks only. They need power that they are born with. More then skills this world demanded power in the people. If you have it, you have the whole world on your side. 

Their conversation would've been quite smooth even with the awkward silence that came without a knock. Those two of the same height looking like good brothers having good time- it ended all when out of thin air a Mossgrub appeared and wrecked destruction. They were so close and got swayed by the crowd of civilians running away. Nerua fell down. To save him from being stomped by the crowd, Lydia tried to cover him using her body but that was still not easy. The frantic crowd was too hostile to look for others wellbeing. Hoping to live, they crawled with injuries over their body and stopped, leaning over the wall of a building. 

"Huff… are you alright?" Lydia screamed out to Nerua since the noise made it difficult to be heard easily. 

Nerua nodded, slowly getting on his foot. His body froze once again when he saw that Mossgrub, all black and throwing out webs that actually worked as acid more. 

His left eye covered with patch throbbed. That was the work he got and now it was moving to work. 

Though Lydia did scan that monster once, she was more worried about her brother condition. "Ner, lets leave. ok?" she held his arms looking as he ran out of breath. His body bending forward, nauseous and fear struck. Wrapping her arms around him and supporting to leave that place that was once a peaceful street but turned into dark and dangerous zone. She could think nothing but leaving this place with her brother. 

The lanes were now mostly empty within five minutes that her brother took to take a breather and calm himself. 

"You don't have to try so hard; you know right?" Lydia worriedly gazed at her brother.

He shook his head, "I am a guide to be. I can't cower at the site of them." 

"That's right but you are still not a guide, so you can. Now let's leave." she took his hand, brows creased, eyes trembling at the fact that between them and Mossgrub lied only a building of ten floor that could crumble and turn into a debris any minute, leaving them to die beneath it. 

Nerua swallowed and they ran to the direction opposite of that Mossgrub. But maybe they were the only left and it was too late to escape still hiding beneath the shattered remnants of a building. They could only pray for a rescue team to save them. 

"Shhh…" Lydia stopped Nerua from making a single noise. It was odd but his sister was weirdly calm for a situation like this. As if it wasn't her first time to get tangle into one. 

While various scenarios were passing through his head, he was trembling more then his sister whose sharp eyes glanced around to check for an escape route. 

"Help!" a scream got them unsteady. They looked to their left and a woman in her twenties was on the ground in front of the Mossgrub. She was mostly twenty steps away from them. Trying to run away but unintentionally caught the attention of a monster she could never dream of defeating. 

Lydia knew what she was thinking of doing will have a bigger effect on her brother life, too, but it was hard to see someone die in front of her eyes. she slowly stood. Nerua caught her arm, "What are you thinking of doing?" 

Lydia looked back at him with a faint smile, "I might be no better then a normie but still a F grader. You should stay here since as a guide its no place for you to fight." 

"Are you mad?!" Nerua gritted, his voice was low but expression can show how mad he was at her odd behavior, "Its practically a suicide! And that woman might be better than you but still she is nothing out there sitting on the ground." 

"No. She is a normie. I… I know her. She is quite famous here. If I won't help now, I will feel as if the day will be nearing when I would be there, too, with no help before my death. Nothing worse than that," she got emotional but that serious look on her face didn't change. 

A feeling in Nerua throbbed. He would feel guilty if he can't help now. Maybe if he survives this while cowering in fear and doing nothing, he can never shrug that guilt and could move forward to work as a guide. He was quick to take decision this time and got up, taking off the patch from his left eye and letting the shade of amber free. 

It sparked like lightening, his left eye that brightened as he used his powers to guide his sister through this, "Under his eyes. Hit under his eyes. There's the life stone. It is brimming red." 

Lydia looked back at her brother, released her sword from her emerald bracelet. She might not have any power but in skills of swordsmanship if fought fair and square she can wipe out a 'S ranker' and she was definitely sure of it. 

She rushed with as high speed as she could before that monster swallows the girl alive and jumped-up rushing to bare her sword at the right place but only could make a few cuts. Not the sword that was at fault neither her strength – it was simply because she had no inner mana flowing through her veins to grant higher capacity to her sword like others do. 

And after a few try out and escaping from the acidic attack and body slam, she got the monster attention while her brother helped the other girl out. 

But now she was down on the ground with heavy injuries on her shoulders which was mostly caused by being stampede by the civilians and became worse once she started to fight. 

"Run!" her brother screamed in pain for his sister who was on the edge of her death. His scream got Mossgrub and he became his instant target. 

Lydia eyes glowed in terrific fear. She got up as soon as she could. As if another of her life was coming to a vicious end that she couldn't stand, she rushed with all her remaining strength but Mossburg has already attacked. 

It became foggy all of a sudden restricting her movement. Her eyes wide open, looking grim from shock. She swallowed denying everything she saw. "No… th-that's not… possible. He must have escaped," she again swallowed moving forward with her trembling legs wondering if all of this was because of her stubbornness. Her heart was wrenching in pain. She could not possibly live anymore if something has happened to her brother. 

But something suddenly sliced through the mist. Things became clear and bam!

A man jumped down after slicing the monster to the point that only black blood could be seen everywhere. He looked scary covered in blood. His murderous eyes shimmering like a monster yet he looked like an angel descending as a devil because of his outrageous beauty that even blood couldn't cover and he walked toward her with his rare sword blade placed over his shoulder and fist holding its hilt. 

And that's how they met for the first time.