The sun dipped lower, casting long golden rays over the beach. Sweat clung to Izuku's skin as he dragged an old water heater across the sand, muscles trembling, breath ragged. He looked ready to collapse — but still, he pushed forward.
All Might stood nearby, proud and resolute, hands on his hips like a colossus of old.
"Push past your limits, Young Midoriya!" he boomed. "A real hero must build more than muscle — they must forge spirit!"
"Y-Yes, All Might!" Izuku gasped, stumbling another few feet under the weight.
Then... something shifted. A presence — silent, measured — brushed the edge of the beach like a phantom wind.
stepped onto the sand with calm, deliberate grace. His long black coat flowed behind him in the sea breeze like the cloak of a forgotten era. Eyes like dying embers scanned the scene.
"You're training him well," Akaito said, his voice smooth and low.
All Might gave a respectful nod. "He asked for it. He wants to be a hero more than anyone I've ever met."
Akaito's gaze lingered on the boy, then narrowed slightly.
"He'll need to be more than that."
A silence settled between the two legends — heavy, unspoken.
Then All Might looked sideways.
"You know... she spoke of you," All Might said softly. "My master. Nana Shimura."
Akaito didn't move.
"She said her master told stories — about a man named Akaito. A warrior who made All For One run with shattered bones."
Something flickered behind Akaito's gaze.
"I stopped holding back," he said, voice low. "He bled this country dry — twisted minds, crushed lives. I tore it all down — his empire, his inner circle. When I stood over him, broken, bloodied... all I had to do was end it."
Akaito's fists clenched, trembling slightly. "But I saw myself in that moment — not the man I was, but the monster I could become. And I refused."
His voice hardened, iron beneath the calm.
"I told him... If you ever return, I will end you."
All Might said nothing for a moment, the breeze whispering around them.
"And I was the one who ended him," he said softly. "But that cost me everything."
Akaito's gaze met his.
"You were wounded."
Toshinori pulled back his shirt slightly, revealing the deep scar beneath.
"A fight no one saw," he said. "No cameras. No headlines. Just life and death. I gave everything I had to stop him."
Akaito's eyes softened for a heartbeat. "He always targeted the brightest flames."
Toshinori looked toward Izuku.
"He's going to be my successor."
Akaito raised a brow. "You're passing it on."
"Because I have to," All Might replied. "My time is running out. And the world needs a symbol — someone to inspire the people."
A beat.
Then Toshinori turned to Akaito again, quieter now.
"You could be that symbol again."
Akaito's eyes darkened. His voice remained calm.
I never wanted to be a symbol. Symbols inspire — but they also lie. They shine so bright, no one sees the cracks underneath.
He turned toward the ocean, watching the waves catch the last red light of day.
"I only ever wanted to defend the defenseless... to bring peace. That was enough."
He paused, then added:
"I'm back now. But I remain a vigilante. When the time comes, I will reveal myself to Japan."
All Might stepped closer, his expression sincere.
"Are you going to keep hiding until then?"
Akaito met his gaze evenly.
"I fight when I'm needed," he said. "But I do it on my own terms."
And with that... he vanished — swept away by the wind, as if never there at all.
Weeks passed.
I stayed in the shadows, watching the world evolve — a silent guardian. I continued saving those I could, defeating villains where others failed.
I remained in the shadows — a silent guardian. I saved who I could. Took down villains others couldn't. I moved unseen, unthanked, unknown.
Then one day, I found myself in a burning forest at the edge of the city.
Flames devoured trees and earth alike, clawing into the sky. Civilians screamed, choking on smoke. Panic reigned.
I shot into the inferno. Trees cracked. Fire roared. I carved a path, pulled children from smoke, carried families through flame.
When the last ember faded. I saw them.
A strange roup nearby. Three women. One man--wearing a cat-like costume.
Loud. Flashy. Odd in manner and dress. Nothing like my era.
Back then, there were no heroes — only me, fighting in the dark.
But these people... they cared. They tried. And that counts for something.
Later, I returned quietly to the beach.
All Might stood with Izuku again. But this time, he held something in his hand — a single strand of hair.
"Eat it," he said.
Izuku blinked. "Wait — eat it?"
"It contains my DNA," All Might explained. "That's how the power transfers."
So simple... almost laughably absurd. And yet, it worked.
"It reminds me of comics I read back in America," I said, stepping out from the shadows. "A boy bitten by a spider. A man struck by lightning. Another, falling into chemicals. Power granted by fate—or accident."
Izuku jumped slightly. "Ah—Akaito!"
I gave him a slight nod.
"Well," I said, stepping closer, "I hear the U.A. entrance exam is tomorrow. Do your best, Izuku Midoriya."
He swallowed, nodding.
"I will."
I turned to leave.
The world didn't need to see me yet. But soon, it would.
The wind carried me forward. The past followed close behind. And like a shadow slipping through dusk... I vanished.
Izuku stared at the spot where Akaito had stood. A chill ran down his spine. That man... he wasn't just strong. He was something else.
A part of him feared Akaito.
But another part... wanted to reach that level.