Team Valkyrie ③ - Losing My S-Rank Hero Sister and Childhood Friend - 3
"Damn it! Because of you, I'm gonna die too!"
Unable to escape the range of Behemoth's heat ray attack due to Cerberus's interference, Jinseok collapsed to the floor in despair. It was a desperate move, hoping to dodge even a fraction of the incoming heat ray.
Yelling at the Cerberus still clamped onto his ankle was pointless. His reinforced suit had fire resistance and heat tolerance, but not enough to withstand Behemoth's heat ray. And just as his instincts had warned, the air around where Jinseok lay began to heat up to an unbearable degree.
"Aaaagh!"
Jinseok screamed in despair as the scorching heat surged in an instant. Sensing the temperature skyrocketing, he realized he wasn't just going to burn—he'd evaporate completely, leaving no trace behind. Terror gripped him.
But then—
"No!"
Boom!
A girl's voice rang out, followed by a deafening explosion. The ultra-high-temperature heat ray from Behemoth suddenly cut off.
The beam pouring relentlessly from Behemoth's gaping maw halted abruptly, as if blocked by a wall right in front of Jinseok's eyes.
"Ugh! W-what is this…?!"
No, there really was a barrier right in front of him. A translucent energy shield glowing with a soft cherry blossom pink was blocking the heat ray's intense thermal energy, protecting Jinseok.
"Serin?!"
"Ugh…!"
Jinseok whipped his head around. A short distance away stood a girl about his age, sniffling back tears.
Han Serin, another S-rank hero from Team Valkyrie.
Like Jinseok's older sister Miyeon, Serin was an S-rank hero with astonishing abilities, nicknamed the "Hero."
The shield that saved him was Serin's power. She could emit energy from her body and manipulate it freely—a versatile ability with endless applications.
To protect Jinseok from danger, she'd concentrated her energy into a defensive barrier to block the heat ray.
"Thanks for saving me, Serin!"
"You almost died! That was so dangerous… sob!"
Jinseok expressed his gratitude, but Serin was trembling and on the verge of tears from the shock of his near-death experience. Her timing had been perfect, but he'd truly been one step from death.
The Cerberus and hellhounds outside the barrier were already charred black. Without it, Jinseok would've ended up the same.
Tears welled up in Serin's beautiful ruby-red eyes. The thought of Jinseok dying horribly right before her had shaken her deeply.
Serin had been Jinseok's childhood friend since they were kids, and they were still incredibly close.
Though the heat ray was blocked, fierce hot winds battered them. Serin's shoulder-length pink cherry blossom hair fluttered beautifully in the gusts, making her look like a fairy amid the inferno.
"Heh. You're still alive. No need to cry."
"Ugh… haa… wahhh!"
Jinseok rushed to Serin, wiping the tears from her eyes and pulling her into a hug, stroking her hair.
Embraced by him, Serin felt a wave of relief and buried herself in his chest, bursting into sobs.
"Sob…"
"It's okay. You're okay."
Jinseok patted her back as she continued to whimper. He gently stroked her hair, shoulders, back, and waist, calming her confusion and tears.
It was hard to believe they were an S-rank and B-rank hero in the heat of battle.
(Phew… She's got insane power, but such a soft heart…)
Jinseok sighed inwardly. Serin was undeniably an S-rank hero with unbelievable strength, but her personality was incredibly fragile. Despite being a grown woman, she'd sometimes cry like a child, often needing Jinseok's comfort to stop.
"Jinseok. You okay?"
"Ah, Leader. I'm fine. Serin helped me…"
While Jinseok and Serin were getting affectionate amid the battle, Behemoth's ultra-high-heat beam began to fade. A transmission came through from Miyeon to Jinseok—but it was riddled with static.
The superheated air had ionized into plasma, disrupting communications.
"Phew. I figured you might not make it out in time. Good thing I had Serin watching your side. Dodge properly from now on."
"No, it's just… I could've gotten away, but Cerberus…"
"We're still in combat. Explanations later. Calm Serin down quick and send her my way. Don't flirt too long."
"Y-you saw that?! That's embarrassing…"
Miyeon issued her orders in her usual cold tone. She'd used her swift speed to escape the heat ray's safe range—and had even witnessed Jinseok and Serin flirting mid-battle.
"Serin. You good now? Ready to fight?"
"Yeah… I can go fight…"
"Phew, good. Let me wipe those tears."
"Okay."
Thanks to Jinseok's soothing words and encouragement, Serin stopped crying. He pulled a handkerchief from his pocket and gently dabbed her tears. She obediently tilted her head up, letting him tend to her doll-like cute face, his fingers brushing her skin.
"But… before we fight… one request…"
"What is it?"
As he wiped her tears, Serin whispered shyly, her cheeks flushing pink. She had a favor to ask.
"Hug me tight… just once…"
"Got it. Just a sec."
Squeeze!
Serin looked up at Jinseok from his arms and made her plea. He obliged, hugging her petite body with all his strength. Since she was smaller than him, she fit completely into his embrace.
"Phew… Being held by you feels so safe. When you hug me this tight…"
Serin melted into him, feeling an inexplicable relief. Lately, she'd been asking Jinseok for hugs now and then. They helped stabilize her mentally, so he usually obliged. She seemed to find comfort in his strong embraces.
"But you're way stronger than me. Even if I hugged you full force, I couldn't hurt you…"
"N-no! That's not it!"
A B-rank hero was far stronger than a normal person, but S-ranks like Serin or Miyeon were on another level entirely. As Jinseok held her, it hit him—he couldn't even scratch her delicate frame at full power. He muttered it aloud.
"O-okay, that's enough. Time to fight."
"Yeah… Be careful out there. Don't get hurt."
"You too, Jinseok!"
Serin suddenly slipped from his arms and headed into battle. Pink cherry blossom-like energy crystals gathered around her back, forming angelic wings that let her take flight.
Jinseok watched her angelic figure soar away, yelling for her to be careful. She called back the same to him before vanishing into the fray.
"Flirting again in the middle of battle. You two are so close. Hehe."
"Ah?! Ye-eun sis, you saw too?"
As Jinseok gazed after Serin, another woman appeared behind him. Silver hair, golden eyes, glamorous curves, and a soft, gentle voice with a smile—it was Seong Ye-eun, Team Valkyrie's other S-rank hero, known as the "Saintess."
True to her title, Ye-eun wielded powerful healing abilities. After awakening her powers, her hair turned silver and eyes gold, paired with a pristine white dress combat suit.
Older than Jinseok and the same age as Miyeon, she was another "big sis" to him. She was Miyeon's close friend.