Rise of the Crusader

"A-Rank."

Serena's mouth opened wide, with shock and excitement written all over her.

She slowly stood from the bed, "What did you say?" Serena asked as she took a few steps toward Raphael.

"61,005... So, A-rank," Raphael replied nonchalantly.

"Can I have a look?" Serena asked.

And even before Raphael would react, she appeared in front of him. Serena was quick to triple the m-watch, and as the stats were shown, her eyelid trembled.

Serena's mouth opened so wide that an egg would fit inside, and as she stared at Raphael, the smile on her face widened.

She burst into laughter a second after. "I knew bringing you to the academy was the best decision, I ever made."

"Hahaha! Holy savior academy would forever regret losing you." Serena's face was full of smiles as she spoke.

Raphael kept the usual grim look on his face. Becoming an A-rank metahuman wasn't an easy feat, and most would have been extremely delighted by that fact, but it wasn't Raphael.

Raphael didn't think it was worth being happy for.

"I'm really happy for you, and if you didn't have a girlfriend, I would have kissed you already," Serena said, and the look on her face showed that she wasn't joking.

"But, since I can't do that, you get to ask me anything you want."

"Anything?" Raphael mumbled.

And as soon as Serena heard him, she nodded her head repeatedly. "Apart from the one we have discussed, you can ask me any other thing, and I promise to get it done."

There was confidence in Serena's voice as she spoke, and for some reason, hearing her say those words brought a devilish smile to Raphael's face.

Raphael seized her from head to toe and folded his hand across his chest.

It was unknown what Raphael was implying, but Serena's eyes twitched from seeing his expression. She wanted to speak, but she didn't know what to say.

"Raphael, Y-" Serena stammered, with her cheeks reddening.

Raphael suddenly laughed, and he wasn't the only one laughing at Serena. As a second after he began laughing, Gus joined in.

A confused look appeared on Serena's face, 'Could I have been mistaken?' Serena asked herself.

Serena shook her head, she remembered the look that was on Raphael's face when he stared at her. However, she didn't say a word and only continued to stare at him.

And after a few seconds, she couldn't resist it, "What is it?!"

Raphael paused, he then stared into Serena's eyes and shook his head. "Naughty girl, I have no such intention towards you."

"Y-" Serena stuttered.

"But, I'm going to hold on to that gift. It will surely come in hand at some point." Raphael said with a grin on his face.

For some reason, Serena couldn't help but feel disappointed. She seized herself and up, 'It can't be that, he doesn't find me attractive, right?" Serena said inwardly.

As someone who was used to receiving compliments every now and then from both men and even women, Serena couldn't help but find it strange that Raphael didn't have any thoughts on her.

Though she had no problem with the status of their relationship as it is, Serena believed that, like the others she had encountered, Raphael must also have impure thoughts about her.

So, when she heard Raphael boldly state that he doesn't have any intention toward her, she was stupefied.

"Serena, are you okay?"

Serena was in a trance state when she felt a slight touch on her shoulder. She was pulled out of her trance state, and as she stared at Raphael, she felt frustrated.

"Serena!"

"I'm good," Serena responded.

"You were saying?" She asked.

Raphael shook his head repeatedly and then said, "I said, is there any other person who has become an A-rank metahuman in the first year."

"Oh, yes," Serena answered. "As a matter of fact, among the seven divisions in the first year, you're the eighth people to become an A-rank."

Raphael's eyes twitched when he heard Serena's response. He wasn't concerned about the ranks because he knew that he was getting stronger every day, and also understood that the others were becoming stronger too.

But, he just didn't realize that the disparity was this much… Raphael didn't only find it disappointing, but he also found it infuriating that the gap was that much.

Serena was quick to discern the expression on Raphael. "You shouldn't feel that way, you have achieved impressive results when compared to the others."

"When you joined, you were only just at the C-rank, and you've gone from C-rank to A-rank within a few months. Your growth has been insane when compared to them." Serena exclaimed.

As the looks that were on Raphael's face showed that he wasn't buying it, Serena spoke.

"I'm not saying this to make you feel better, it's the fact. Most of them were B-rank when they resumed, some were even already edging close to A-rank, and yet you managed to close the gap."

"You're the true talent here," Serena said.

"Eight is still quite a lot," Raphael said, and even though a smile was on his face, it wasn't a friendly smile.

Gus, who was on the bed, shook it head, seeing the expression on Raphael's. Among the people in the room, Gus was the only one who knew that Raphael had a strange complex.

Not even Raphael knew that there was this side in him. And if Gus was to state it, there were chances that he would deny them.

It was a superiority complex. At every activity, either academy performance, training, or strength, Raphael always loved to be number one.

The fact that he was always ahead of others brought him an extreme amount of joy. It was why, when Gus heard that Raphael wasn't the number one in the seven divisions, he reacted that way.

As someone who knew Raphael more than himself, Gus knew for the next few days, weeks, even months, Raphael was going to bury himself in training.

"You said eight in the seven divisions, is there someone in the elite division who has become an A-rank?" Raphael asked as he thought back to the words that were spoken by Serena.

Serena nodded her head, she was about to speak, when the room door was opened.

Standing in the room was Elisa, and as she stared at Serena and Raphael, who were only a few meters apart, she raised an eyebrow.

"Can I have a moment with you, Raphael?"

....

An- Support book for mass release

Magic Castle will go for 6 bonus chapters

Spacecraft - 10 bonus chapters

Gachapon - 15 bonus chapters... Thanks in advance