Chapter 1: Yoshikage Kira Wants to Be a Hero
"If you don't want him to die, then back off!"
A man, completely surrounded by police, held a knife to another person's throat in a tense standoff.
"Damn it! If only a Pro Hero were here!" one of the police officers cursed, aiming his gun at the villain but not daring to make a move.
"Heh heh, you cops are nothing but cowards. You don't have the guts to shoot me," the villain laughed smugly, waving the hand that held the hostage in an exaggerated motion.
"Hey, if you're going to be a villain, could you at least be professional about it? You'll hurt the hostage if you keep shaking like that," Yoshikage Kira said calmly, his eyes half-lidded.
The kidnapper's triumphant movements froze for a second. He lowered his head and growled at Yoshikage. "You've got some nerve! You're the hostage, so could you please take this seriously? Stop looking like you've already accepted death and show some fear!"
"Yes, yes..." Yoshikage replied perfunctorily, thinking to himself, The "hero" should be making his entrance any second now.
BOOM! A powerful gust of wind ripped through the area, shaking the ground violently. While a faint, almost invisible ripple of Hamon protected Yoshikage's footing, everyone else was thrown off balance.
"What was that?!" the villain shouted, struggling to stay upright. "Which Pro Hero is it? Let me turn you into mincemeat!"
A man in a suit resembling Superman's descended from the sky, landing with a crash in the center of a newly formed crater and kicking up another hurricane of wind.
"It's fine now. Why? Because I am here!"
A tall, muscular man emerged from the dust cloud, revealing his iconic costume—a classic red and blue design. His flawless physique was packed with explosive muscles, and he let out a booming laugh that was both a warning to his enemies and a reassurance to the public.
"All Might!" The villain was stunned by his presence and instinctively took a few steps back. He quickly regained his composure, as if trying to hype himself up.
"So what if it's All Might? I have a hostage! If you take one step closer, I'll take him down with me!"
"Hahaha, is that so? Then where is your hostage?" All Might asked with a laugh.
"My hostage..." The villain's gaze shifted from All Might and back to Yoshikage, who was still quietly in his grasp. He let out a sigh of relief.
"My hostage is right he—"
As the villain turned his head to issue his threat, he realized that All Might had already closed the distance with blinding speed, appearing right in front of him! In the instant it took for the villain's pupils to dilate, All Might zipped past him, snatching the hostage from his grip.
"So fast!" a police officer yelled. "That's All Might for you!"
All Might set Yoshikage down and turned to face the villain. "Now, it is time to repent for your crimes!"
Before the villain could react, All Might was on him again. His fist, wreathed in immense wind pressure, slammed into the villain's stomach. "SMASH!"
"Aaaargh!" The villain took the full force of the blow, the unstoppable gale sending him flying into the sky.
All Might turned to face the massive crowd, raised his right hand with a grin, and laughed.
As if on cue, the entire audience shot to their feet, thrusting their fists into the air and shouting in unison:
"PLUS ULTRA!"
The stands of the normally empty school stadium were now packed with people, all buzzing with excitement over the scene they had just witnessed.
"As expected of Makihara Junior High, the cradle of heroes! For a second, I thought I was really seeing All Might!"
"Haha, you said it! That performance even got an old man like me fired up."
Hearing the audience's positive reviews, the homeroom teacher, who had been watching nervously from the stands, finally breathed a sigh of relief.
Backstage, the cleanup was underway.
A student with a telekinesis Quirk was controlling pre-mixed cement to patch the ground. Another, who was clinging to a wall several meters high using only his feet, retrieved props from the rafters. A third student with a compression Quirk turned the prop police cars back into cardboard cutouts.
In the dressing room.
"I'm so sorry! I really didn't mean to hit you that hard!"
The student who played "All Might" shouted, bowing a full 180 degrees and hitting his head on the floor in apology to the student who played the "villain."
"It's fine, really! My Quirk is 'Softening,' so I can change my body's shape to absorb impacts. I'm barely hurt," said the "villain," or rather, the student with a rubber-like Quirk. He waved his hands in dismissal. "It was all thanks to your amazing performance, Yoarashi-san. You did all the hard work, using your Quirk to 'save' me and 'attack' the set to put on such a great show."
Inasa Yoarashi rubbed his bleeding head and laughed heartily. "Haha, we all worked hard! This was a team effort."
"Exactly. Great job, everyone," the teacher said, walking into the room with a smile. "You all did wonderfully. The performance was incredibly compelling. However..."
The teacher's eyes shifted to Yoshikage Kira, who was standing off to the side, completely disengaged. "One student seemed a bit unfocused, which was a little distracting. Thankfully, everyone else's fantastic work made the show a perfect success. This victory belongs to all of you."
"Haha." Everyone laughed. It was true. Without the students whose Quirks could manipulate sound levels, alter the environment, or repair the damage afterward, they never could have pulled off such a flawless performance.
They were the best!
"The results are in!" A staff member rushed backstage, a joyful and surprised look on his face. "Makihara Junior High's performance won first place!"
Everyone froze for a moment, then simultaneously threw their hands in the air, shouting with a laugh, "Plus Ultra!"
Well, "everyone" might have been an overstatement. As he celebrated, Inasa Yoarashi keenly noticed that one person was missing from the cheer—Yoshikage Kira.
Why? he thought. Why isn't he celebrating with us? If you're going to be part of the show, you shouldn't act so detached!
Suppressing his irritation, Inasa searched the backstage area for Yoshikage, occasionally stopping to greet audience members who recognized him as the one who played All Might.
He finally found him at the exit of the grandstand. Yoshikage was leaning against a wall, his upper body shrouded in shadow, making his expression unreadable. He appeared to be watching the guest Pro Hero who was giving a speech for the closing ceremony.
Inasa paused, then walked over to stand beside him, looking out at the stage from the same perspective. Though their spot was dim, it offered a clear view of the stage.
As Inasa found himself captivated by the rising star, the Arbor Hero: Kamui Woods, performing his signature move, the spectacular "Lacquered Chain Prison," Yoshikage's quiet voice broke the silence. "You know, I suddenly feel like becoming a hero wouldn't be so bad."
Inasa's anger vanished instantly, replaced by disbelief. "You... want to become a Pro Hero?"
"No. A hero, not a Pro Hero," Yoshikage corrected him. "A hero like All Might, who can save people with a smile."
Ignoring Kamui Woods' flashy performance, Inasa placed his hands on Yoshikage's shoulders and stared earnestly into his handsome face. "Are you serious?"
Yoshikage repeated himself, his voice firm. "I want to become a hero."