Combat Class

"How the hell do you hit someone trying to help you out?" The fat kid groaned painfully while following Lucius to the training grounds.

"Come on, man, speak up! Or are you mute?" 

"Maybe you can't speak. No. What if you can speak, but you are just deaf?"

"Wow, this first deaf S-rated guardian… Crazy"

'What the hell is wrong with this kid?' Lucius cursed.

For the first time since he fused with the Xenovian royalty, he was struggling to keep his emotions in check. Never did he think the person who would force him to feel was a fat kid shaped like a ball.

[Hahaha! This kid is clueless. The perfect combination of innocence and sheer stupidity.]

The fat kid kept ranting while Lucius followed the crowd of students to the training grounds.

After walking for five minutes, he was stunned to see a massive stadium being used as the training ground. They entered the stadium and picked out seats, but to everyone's surprise, the fat kid was sitting next to Lucius.

'What the hell is he doing with that D-rated potential brat?' 

That was the thought on everyone's mind.

Seated, Lucius observed the training grounds and suspected the racetrack below was somewhere about eight hundred meters. 

At the center was an elevated platform which was an arena and at the center was a bald man dressed in a tight black shirt and camouflage military trousers.

His muscular frame made him look like an unmovable wall, and his fierce gaze could melt the courage of even the bravest men. The most eye-catching feature of this man was the claw-shaped scar running down the left side of his face.

Girls blushed while looking at him, whispering amongst themselves with reddened faces. They watched as Miss Joanne walked up to the man and whispered something to the man, which made his fierce expression break with a look of genuine surprise.

"Lucius Blackwater, get down here!" The man roared at the top of his voice.

[Does he have to shout?]

Sighs.

Lucius let out a heavy sigh as he left his seat and walked toward the arena. A minute later, he stood in the arena, gazing at the man with a blank expression. 

"Do you know who I am?" The man said as he walked closer to Lucius, his towering figure looming over him.

"Am I supposed to?" Lucius asked, his unimpressed gaze fixated on the man's face.

His response left the man shocked because most students would be intimidated by him, but for some reason, this kid wasn't moved.

"I am a retired A-rated Scavenger guardian, popularly known as General Steel. The combat class instructor." General Steel said with a prideful tone.

He was an accomplished man who was willing to spend the rest of his days tutoring the new generation within the safety of the walls. His life was the kind any average person would envy.

"Okay… So?" 

Buzz.

Murmurs from the students began rising rapidly as Lucius's response threw everyone off guard. They expected General Steel to be able to get a much better reaction from the kid, but nothing changed.

Miss Joanne stood from the sidelines with a shocked expression as well. Even she, a veteran guardian, would feel uncomfortable in the presence of this man, but Lucius wasn't moved.

'What the hell did this kid experience while he was outside the walls that made him this fearless?' 

"Good! Good! I like kids with guts. You have the talent to become an S-rated guardian and the heart!" General Steel laughed.

"For that reason, I will make this class all about you." His eyes flashed with cruelty. "Alex Briggs got down here. I would like to see if this kid is all bark and no bite."

[Not good…]

'What's wrong?' Lucius asked.

[In the United States, there are two SS-rated guardians. The Briggs family patriarch is one of them. This was a family of assassins before the Blue Death event. While they do not have abilities, they possess the Demon-kin martial art. A martial technique considered S-rated at the very least! Alex Briggs is considered the young demon who will most likely succeed the family patriarch due to his terrifying talent in martial arts.]

Lucius frowned as he heard this, his gaze shifted to the figure walking down the stairs while glaring at him from the distance.

'How do you even know all of this? What the hell are you?' Lucius couldn't help but ask.

He found it strange that a talking voice from a meteor would know everything going on in the country.

[We will have this conversation later, but for now, focus on the fight. General Steel is using this opportunity to gauge your true potential. If you lose badly, people will believe you are not qualified to be given the S potential rating.]

'You think I'll lose?' Lucius watched Alex walk up the stage.

[You lack combat experience. You are disadvantaged.] The voice responded honestly.

"I see." Lucius muttered, standing face to face with Alex.

Alex Briggs was a thirteen-year-old kid about 5'5 ft tall, with strangely perfect skin. He had spiky black hair and for someone who practiced martial arts, his lean build made it hard to believe.

For someone from a powerful family, he looked plain. He lacked the overbearing presence of a powerful martial arts practitioner. 

Lucius slowly took off his jacket and tossed it aside, he stood and waited for the Combat class guardian to give the signal.

'This kid is either really brave or just stupid.' General Steel couldn't help but think.