The Rise Of Calamity

*** 

Lecross City

"Alright students! In 2 days' time, the beast tide will be upon us and I need to get you ready for that catastrophe, is that understood?" A feminine voice announced, heeding the response of the students she was speaking to.

"Yes, teacher!" All the kids shouted at the same time. While it might be right to call a lot of them kids, many of them if not the majority of them were over the age of 16, therefore making them adults in this world.

Within the crowd of students stood two identical-looking figures, however, while one was hunched down and more reserved, the other had pumped out his chest in both pride and arrogance. It looked like he had the utter utmost confidence in being able to kill the most beasts in the class, and to that many decided to stand around him, making him the 'popular kid'.

The other boy on the other hand with the hunched figure and reserved posture tried to stay away from the crowd, yet even then he was also considered the 'Popular kid', not only because he was the twin of the prideful one, but it was also because he was technically the stronger one of the two.

In the entrance exam, he had automatically entered into the A bracket while his twin brother had to go through the tedious tasks of trying to show that his experience in fighting, as well as his martial arts and quick decisions, were A-worthy.

"Zack!" A sweet feminine voice entered Zack's ear, yet it made both Zarch and Zack look back in curiosity until Zack's eyes widened in surprise.

"Matilda? What are you doing here!" Zack looked back in surprise before holding her hands and kissing her forehead when she had come close enough

"To see your dummy" She smiled warmly, causing a warm tingly feeling to shoot through Zack's entire body.

"Yes, but it is dangerous for you to be here," Zack said with concern that I myself would have been shocked to my core to hear if I was there. Thankfully, I wasn't there or I would have probably had a heart attack,

"Hahaha. I knew you were going to say that but still, how could I go so long without being able to see you" She gripped onto his hand tighter and put her head on his chest.

After seeing her in such a state, Zack could not help but lift his hand and hold her head tighter to his chest before sighing.

"The tide should be here in 2-3 days. I'll allow you to stay with me for a day but after that, it is way too dangerous for you forgemasters to be around" He narrowed his eyes before another voice chimed in.

"My brother is right... It would be a disaster if any of the forgemasters were to get injured, especially when the tide is this big." Zarch crossed his arms, his reserved stature disappearing and getting replaced with a much more powerful and serious demeanor than before.

Matilda looked at Zarch before raising a brow and chuckling with a smug grin.

"You are only saying that because that girl you like is a forge master too... You two are so similar kekeke" She laughed at Zarch, causing him to blush slightly while also looking away at the same time.

"So what if I like her. My brother likes you, what's the difference?" He muttered at a speed that would have named him "The Rap God" back on earth.

"Hahahahaah! You go for it girl~" She laughed once again, before patting him on the back while watching him blush like a high school girl in love.

"I-I-I'M NOT A GIRL" Zarch stuttered out loud in a higher volume as his face had become beet-red while his hand pointed at Matilda accusingly.

"Hahahahaha-" Both Zack and Matilda began to laugh at the same time while holding their bellies, however, they were interrupted by a sweet yet slightly croaky voice that chimed into their laughter.

"What are you two idiots laughing at" The figure smiled while patting their shoulders and looking at the beet-red Zarch in front of her.

"Bullying my grandson?" She asked with a raised brow and a sinister grin.

"N-No granny... We were just playing around" Zack stuttered while Zarch slowly regained his cool, allowing his face to return back to the normal non-red color that it previously was.

"Hey granny" Zarch waved with a smile

"Hey there little boy" She quickly moved away from the couple and went towards Zarch before lifting him off the ground effortlessly

As Zarch flailed mid-air, Zack could not help but ask "Why are you here granny?" 

"Well, I am here to protect you guys as well as the other students." She smiled

"Really? But aren't you injured?" Zarch asked with a tinge of concern in his voice.

"Stop it, that was 7 years ago and you don't have to worry about it anymore. Even if I was injured back then, I am still a lot stronger than all the kids your age" She sneered towards the end

"Stronger than most people their age?" A voice came out from the side, causing the flailing Zarch to shudder a little while the rest snapped their heads towards the direction of the voice, well everyone except Xela(My grandma).

"You would probably beat the crap out of anyone in the Imperial Wizard or Knight ranks if not even go toe to toe with someone in the Guardian or Sage ranks." A man with Jet-black hair snorted when he heard what Xela had said.

"He is right... You would beat the crap out of anyone even if they didn't do anything wrong" A man with pale blond hair and a muscular build chimed in from the other side, but this time, everyone felt his presence before he had even gotten close to them, after all, he was a giant.

"I am so thankful uncle Throid doesn't sneak up on everyone like uncle Alan" Zack sighed.

"Who's this little girl?" Alan raised a brown while looking at the girl who stood shoulder to shoulder with Zack. He could almost see the lines of intimacy between the two, yet he was still prompted to ask about it.

"Oh... Uhm, she is Matilda Twilight and she is my... Uhm" Zack rubbed the back of his neck with an awkward yet tense atmosphere enveloping the area.

Matilda sucked in a breath of cold air and finally spoke out confidently with her chest pumping out and her hands leaning on her waist "I am his girlfriend"