A high-level meeting was in progress. Present there were the Rank 2 Hero, God of Thunder, Rank 3 Hero , top headquarters officials, and government authorities.
God of Thunder asked,
“Is there still no information from Rank 1 Hero Aqualis?”
The officials exchanged uneasy looks and replied,
“No. There has been no contact so far.”
God of Thunder frowned slightly.
“We need to hold a press briefing immediately. We cannot allow the people’s trust in us to collapse.”
The higher officials nodded and began making arrangements.
Soon, a press conference was organized.
On the panel sat:
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God of Thunder
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Rank 3 Hero
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Several top government officials
The moment the questions began, one reporter stood up and asked sharply:
“What did you do with the harvested energy?”
God of Thunder immediately sensed something was wrong.
This wasn’t an ordinary question.
It felt deliberate.
As if other nations had paid these reporters to create unrest inside their country.
Still, the panel remained calm and began explaining.
“This was due to an extraterrestrial attack—”
Before they could finish, the reporters erupted in anger.
“Do we look like fools to you?”
“You stole the energy and now you’re blaming extraterrestrials?”
“You expect us to believe that?!”
At that moment, government officials brought forward civilians from the destroyed village — victims of the Harvested land.
They gave their testimonies.
They spoke of what they saw.
What they experienced.
Their fear.
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Their suffering.
Slowly, the atmosphere began to shift.
Many reporters fell silent.
They began to accept that this truly was an extraterrestrial attack.
And then—
An alert arrived.
A sudden emergency alert.
A major attack at the city’s central subway station.
The message reached most heroes.
But none were near to report.
The same alert appeared before Takiro.
He had just returned to his country.
He had just decided to go see his family.
He froze.
His heart began to race.
Should I go?
If I go alone… what if something happens to me?
I just came back…
I wanted to see my family first…
His feet hesitated.
His mind trembled.
Then—
Memories flashed in his mind.
The villagers.
Their voices.
His promise to them.
His fists clenched.
If I don’t step up now…
I’ll never be able to believe in myself.
First…
I must believe in myself.
Can I do it?
Why am I afraid?
I completed that mission.
I returned alive.
I can do this.
I will save them.
His eyes hardened.
Takiro sent a response to the alert system.
“I am engaging. I will handle the battle.”
Shock spread across the hero network.
A low-level hero…?
Responding alone?
The higher-rank heroes scoffed.
“Has he lost his mind?”
Meanwhile, during the press briefing…
The same alert appeared before the Rank 2 Hero.
God of Thunder saw Takiro’s response.
A small smirk appeared on his lips.
A quiet one.
No one noticed.
Inside his heart…
Something stirred.
He spoke calmly to the press:
“Do not worry.”
“There are heroes among us… far more powerful than you realize.”
The reporters were confused.
Who was he talking about?
No one knew.
At the subway station.
Chaos.
A large local gang was terrorizing civilians.
Stealing.
Beating.
Destroying.
Takiro walked in.
The gang noticed him.
“A hero?”
They paused.
But something was strange.
He wore no badge.
No rank symbol.
They frowned.
“Maybe he’s just another thug.”
They laughed.
“Don’t even think of joining us. We don’t share our loot.”
Takiro smiled.
Calmly.
He looked around.
People were watching.
Afraid.
But inside him—
There was no fear now.
Only belief.
Takiro stepped forward.
“Wind Strike.”
His sword moved.
A thug charging toward him was blown away instantly.
He crashed across the ground.
Everyone froze.
The gang leader’s face twisted in rage.
He lifted his axe.
“I’ll kill you myself!”
He swung it toward Takiro’s head.
CLANG!!!
The sound exploded like two trains colliding.
Takiro blocked it with his Thunder Sword.
The vibration shook the entire station.
Before the leader could react—
Takiro punched his stomach.
The leader staggered back.
Takiro moved again.
Air Strike.
One by one.
Each gang member fell.
But Takiro noticed something.
His mana was decreasing fast.
I can’t win like this…
I need to take down the leader.
He steadied his breathing.
He compressed the air.
Condensed it.
Focused it.
The leader attacked again.
Takiro blocked.
And released—
BOOM!!!
The compressed air exploded.
The axe flew away.
The leader was thrown ten feet back.
Everyone stared in shock.
They had never seen anything like it.
He didn’t strike the body.
Yet the impact alone sent the enemy flying.
Takiro realized something.
I can compress the air…
And release it.
A new idea was born.
A new technique.
Behind him, civilians cheered.
“Thank you!”
“We’ll handle the rest!”
They beat the fallen gang members.
The leader was arrested.
The crowd shouted:
“Long live the Unranked Hero!”
Because Takiro…
Had no badge.
No rank.
Yet he saved them.
Back at headquarters…
The news reached the press conference.
Even the reporters accepted now.
This was real.
This was serious.
One reporter asked:
“Then where is Rank 1 Hero Aqualis?”
Silence filled the room.
No one spoke.
At that moment—
A government official received a message.
He leaned toward another official.
And whispered:
“We’ve received a signal…”
“…from an extraterrestrial planet.”
The official lifted his head.
He turned toward the press.
He opened his mouth to answer—