In a world that seemed perfectly normal, overnight, humans awakened to unimaginable, unexpected magical abilities.
The world was under constant attack from villains no one had ever believed could be real.
That same morning, at home, Tanaka Itsuki's mother was preparing breakfast. She used her telekinesis to do a thousand things at once, without ever lifting her hands. Dishes washed themselves while floating in the air, and on the stove, Itsuki's favorite breakfast was cooking on its own, without her touching it at all.
She simply supervised everything while scrolling through the breaking news on her phone.
On the news, the reporter announced that the city center had been sealed off due to the sudden appearance of a new villain. Many superheroes had gathered to confront him, yet even the most skilled among them were struggling to take him down.
The reporter also urged that anyone whose powers had awakened that very morning should immediately enroll in the city's Superhero Academy, since registrations were still open. More and more villains as powerful as the heroes kept showing up, and chaos was becoming utterly uncontrollable.
They needed more heroes.
Otherwise, humanity would face extinction, and villains would end up ruling the world.
Itsuki's mother stopped watching the news, closed the browser, and slipped the phone into the pocket of her kitchen robe. She was worried about the city's situation, and even though she had powers, her telekinesis was not the kind that earned someone the title of "hero." She couldn't step out to save the world from destruction.
For that reason, she was considered more human than superhero.
The future of her country depended on those selections.
That morning, Tanaka Itsuki had woken up at dawn. He had only managed four hours of sleep, spending the rest of the night rereading his favorite book over and over. He was searching for answers that weren't there, yet clung to the hope that somehow he might find something that explained his lack of powers.
Like everyone else, Tanaka dreamed of becoming a hero one day.
But that moment had not come.
Frustration, despair, and bullying grew heavier every day.
Tanaka skimmed through the pages quickly, flipping them restlessly, even though he already knew the book inside out, as if he had memorized it.
"Come on… There has to be some clue here, some answer about why my powers haven't awakened yet. It's about time!" His voice almost rose so loud his mother could have heard him, but he stopped himself just in time.
Tanaka didn't want to talk about it with his mother. Even if he could, and even if he had her support, he didn't want to worry her more than she already was. They had already spent too much money on pointless visits to superhero doctors, trying to figure out what was wrong with him. Only one specialist had suggested a possible genetic delay—according to him, that was the reason Itsuki's awakening was slower than usual.
He no longer wanted to see any doctors. He trusted that, eventually, his powers would awaken—and when they did, they would be impressive enough to secure him a place among the chosen heroes.
"Itsuki, breakfast is ready! Hurry up, or you'll be late for school," his mother called patiently from the kitchen.
Itsuki answered back loudly.
"Coming!"
He hadn't realized he only had thirty minutes before class started. He couldn't afford to be late again—he was already facing a week's detention after classes.
Detention was boring. The room always smelled musty because Mr. Yuto, the eighty-year-old teacher in charge, had no powers and was constantly ill.
Without showering, Itsuki threw on his school uniform, quickly packed his materials and his book on superpowers—planning to study it during recess—and rushed to breakfast.
At the table, he ate so fast he nearly choked, but managed to hold it back.
Sato glanced at Suzuki before speaking, as if asking for permission. Suzuki nodded without meeting his eyes, his gaze locked on Tanaka, waiting for his prey to show no intention of escaping his fate.
"I'm done. Can I go now?" he muttered with his mouth still half full, his mother barely hearing him.
"Wash your face and brush your teeth first. I expect you home at four sharp. We have one last appointment with a doctor at 4:30. Understood?" she ordered, finishing the last sip of black tea in her cup.
Tanaka only nodded. He wasn't about to argue. His mother was still upset with him for refusing further medical evaluations, and neither of them could stand another fight.
Itsuki brushed his teeth, washed his face, grabbed his backpack, and ran out the door.
He sprinted all the way to school.
Classes were the same as the day before, and it was only Tuesday. To him, the week already felt painfully boring and long. He didn't have many friends—in fact, he had none except for his best friend, who was in a higher grade and attended a different class.
"Hey, Tanaka, are we going to the arcade today, like always?" asked Shimizu Takumi, his best friend, when they met after school.
"Not today, Shimizu. Sorry. My mom wants me home quickly. Tomorrow, maybe?" Tanaka replied with disappointment, tying a loose shoelace.
Shimizu nodded.
"Alright, see you tomorrow."
They waved goodbye and went their separate ways.
If Itsuki wanted to get home quickly and avoid his mother's anger, he had to take the alley shortcut.
What he didn't notice was that three boys had started following him, and he would know exactly who they were the moment he saw their eyes.
As he walked through the alley, the silence and emptiness of the place made him uneasy. Even though it was daytime, it was dangerous to walk there alone. Halfway through, a strange sensation crept over him—as if someone had been tailing him all along, and he had only just realized it.
Itsuki froze.
Suddenly, his hearing sharpened. Odd, since he didn't have powers, and his ears weren't in great shape—years of blasting music through his earbuds had damaged them.
"Itsuki Tanaka… what a surprise seeing you here. What brings you down this alley? Do you want another beating like last time? Or maybe… something even better?"
The boy's skin crawled with terror as he instantly recognized the threatening voice behind him.
Tanaka Itsuki turned around.
There they were: Suzuki Haruto, Sato Ren, and Yamamoto Riku—his classmates, the biggest bullies in the entire school. Everyone feared and respected them, not only because of their behavior, but also because the three of them had been blessed with extraordinary superpowers that many envied and longed to possess.
Everyone, including Tanaka, wished they had those magnificent powers. It was almost certain that the three bullies would be accepted into the city's Superhero Academy—except they were so rebellious that they had no interest in attending another school where someone would tell them what to do.
Tanaka swallowed hard, his skin prickling once more.
His body trembled, for he knew what was coming—and he wasn't ready for it.
We're not leaving until we've beaten you up, worthless," Sato finally said, turning his gaze back to Tanaka. He held himself back from pouncing, waiting for Suzuki's signal to attack.