Thunder Emperor Kang Cheonhu ② - Losing My S-Rank Hero Big Sis and Childhood Friend - 6
"Sis! Are you okay?!"
Jinseok rushed over to Miyeon in a panic. To him, it looked like his sister had been caught in Behemoth's explosion. He'd hurried to the ruins left in the blast's aftermath to help her.
"Behemoth exploded? So many people must be hurt. We need to heal them fast."
Trailing behind Jinseok was Ye-eun. Seeing the widespread damage, she'd rushed over, thinking she had to find the injured and treat them right away. It was just like the kind-hearted Ye-eun to do that.
"You... Kang Cheonhu!"
Jinseok spotted Kang Cheonhu standing in the center of the ruins, facing off against Miyeon. He knew the infamous reputation of Kang Cheonhu, so the sight of Miyeon confronting him filled him with instant tension.
"Survival of the fittest? That's jungle logic, not the law of human society. The Hero's Duty is to protect the weak."
"Hmph. Hero's Duty? Spare me. I couldn't care less what happens to civilians."
Miyeon, locked in confrontation with Kang Cheonhu, kept invoking the Hero's Duty. But Kang Cheonhu acted like civilians were utterly beneath notice.
"From the start, civilians created the Hero's Duty under the guise of 'heroes' out of fear that powerful ability users would dominate them. I have no intention of blindly submitting to such forced obligations and restrictions."
"Kang Cheonhu, you're wrong. Civilians and ability users are all humans. That's the mindset of villains, nothing more."
"Kukuku. Right. If we heroes break free from the Hero's Duty, they label us villains and turn us into prey. Just the other day, they were praising us as heroes. What a ridiculous world. They're just scared of the strong. Face reality."
"That's not reality—it's just your prejudice. The path of justice is valuable precisely because it's hard to walk."
"Tch. So stubborn and stupid."
Miyeon kept arguing with Kang Cheonhu. Unlike his sneering, mocking tone, her words were cold and composed, yet firm in defending justice. But neither showed any sign of being swayed—they were just talking past each other.
It was a mere verbal spat, but with two S-rank heroes involved, the tension radiating around them was immense. It felt like the situation could explode at any moment.
"Hey, Kang Cheonhu! That's too rude, isn't it?!"
Unable to stand by any longer, Jinseok jumped into Miyeon's argument with Kang Cheonhu. He couldn't bear watching this brute speak so harshly to his precious sister.
"What the? It's just some B-rank trash. This isn't a place for garbage like you to butt in."
"W-what?!"
But the moment Kang Cheonhu saw Jinseok, he dismissed him as B-rank trash. The look in his eyes was pure contempt, like he was staring at refuse.
Jinseok bristled with anger at being belittled. Hero team member info was generally public. It was known that Jinseok, from Team Valkyrie, was a B-rank hero. Even Kang Cheonhu knew the basics about the rare all-S-rank team, Team Valkyrie.
"Kukuku. A B-rank loser like you hanging around an S-rank team? You think you're S-rank just because your sister's S-rank and you snuck into her team?"
"Urk!"
Kang Cheonhu completely ignored and mocked him. Jinseok's pride stung, but he was at a loss for words—there was truth to what he'd said.
In truth, a B-rank like Jinseok being on a team of S-rank heroes like Team Valkyrie was surprising to other heroes. Common sense said you needed at least A-rank to keep up with S-ranks. A B-rank might team with S-ranks if they had a rare support ability, but Jinseok's Physical Enhancement was common, and it wasn't particularly strong in support either.
"Stop it. He's a valuable member of our team. I won't tolerate you insulting him."
"That's right. Jinseok helps the team too. Don't treat him like that."
Miyeon and Ye-eun stepped forward together to shield Jinseok from Kang Cheonhu's mockery and insults. To them, Jinseok was undeniably a cherished part of Team Valkyrie. They couldn't accept the accusation that he was only there because he was Miyeon's brother.
"Tch. Now you're hiding behind your big sisters?"
"W-what...?"
"Kukuku. Got the guts to fight me one-on-one?"
"Ugh."
Kang Cheonhu clicked his tongue at Jinseok as Miyeon and Ye-eun stepped up. Jinseok burned with rage, but the thought of challenging someone like Kang Cheonhu never crossed his mind. The man could crush him with a flick of a finger.
"Sisters! W-what's going on? Are you fighting...?"
The tension was thickening between Miyeon, Ye-eun, Jinseok, and Kang Cheonhu when Serin descended from the sky and landed amid her teammates. Arriving late, she worried that a fight had broken out upon seeing the strained standoff between Kang Cheonhu and Team Valkyrie.
"Hm? The Hero?"
Kang Cheonhu muttered upon spotting the sudden arrival of Serin. As an S-rank hero, Serin was already famous in the media under her moniker, the Hero, thanks to her cute looks and powerful abilities.
"Kukuku. Both are real lookers."
Kang Cheonhu flashed a sleazy grin, leering over Serin and Miyeon's figures and outfits with perverted eyes.
Serin and Miyeon wore hot pants and t-shirts for easy movement in combat. Kang Cheonhu got a full view of Miyeon's slender, athletic build and Serin's cute frame with its modest chest but firm, plump hips.
"Heh heh heh. Killer bodies."
Kang Cheonhu's gaze lingered especially on their asses. Wrapped in thin hot pants, Miyeon's was slim and shapely, while Serin's was cute and perky—both utterly enticing.
(Kukuku. Team Valkyrie has three S-rank beauties, huh?)
He also cast a lewd glance at Ye-eun. She was no less stunning than Miyeon or Serin, boasting a glamorous, curvy figure. She wore a white dress combat suit with thigh-high slits for mobility, paired with stockings. The form-fitting fabric highlighted her massive breasts, voluptuous hips, and beautifully toned legs.
"Urk! What the hell?!"
"D-don't look at us like that."
"Th-this is kinda... um."
Feeling his stare, Miyeon covered her body with her hands, frowning in anger. Serin blushed and shyly hid herself too. Ye-eun turned away, a bit embarrassed by the pervy gaze.
"Tch. Whatever, this is annoying. If you wanna play hero for civilians so bad, go ahead without me."
Paat!
As Serin and Miyeon glared at him, Kang Cheonhu decided dragging out the conflict with Team Valkyrie was a hassle and left. He wrapped himself in lightning and storms from his powers, activating flight and speeding away.
......
"That jerk, talking so rudely..."
"Don't worry about Kang Cheonhu anymore. Our priority is wiping out the remaining monsters and rescuing civilians."
"Yes, Miyeon sis!"
"Yeah. Let's help people fast."
Miyeon directed them to rescue civilians, and Ye-eun, Serin, and Jinseok sprang into action. Miyeon slashed debris with her sword, Jinseok cleared broken concrete chunks, Serin blasted rubble with energy bursts, and Ye-eun healed the injured they uncovered.
With three S-rankers, clearing the ruins and extracting civilians went quickly. Miyeon's Sword Qi sliced through massive wreckage effortlessly, and Serin's versatile energy dismantled it effectively. Their raw power outstripped heavy machinery—especially since they moved freely with human bodies.
"Everyone! Are you okay?"
"Ooh, the pain's gone."
"Thank you so much. I thought I was done for."
Ye-eun proved most vital, instantly healing even those crushed under debris with fatal wounds. Her Healing was astonishing, and the rescued showered her with genuine gratitude.
"Heave-ho!"
Jinseok couldn't match Miyeon or Serin's heavy-equipment-level feats, but he diligently hauled away boulder-sized concrete chunks, helping plenty. Though not as much as the others, he still saved many lives.
In the end, Team Valkyrie provided tremendous aid to those caught in the disaster Kang Cheonhu had caused.