Location: Salaam Agency Indoor Training Facility
Time: 7 Days Later
BAM.
CLANG.
Nuubis threw a hard right hook. His fist bounced off the thick metal armor of the training drone.
He stepped back, breathing heavily, and tried to kick it.
The drone swiped its mechanical arm. Nuubis blocked, but the impact pushed him across the mat.
"Stop," Kaito called out.
Nuubis dropped his hands. He wiped the sweat from his fur.
Gale and Sirocco sat on the benches nearby, drinking water and watching.
Kaito walked onto the mat. He didn't look mad. He had his hands in his pockets and offered a small, reassuring smile.
"You are fighting like a regular human," Kaito said. "You just happen to have a dog mask on."
Nuubis blinked. "I mean... I am a human, Kaito. I just look like a jackal."
"I already had written it right? In the quirk development documents I gave you last time. Your DNA is different," Kaito explained gently. "Your muscle fibers, your center of gravity, your jaw density. They are all mutated. You are fighting standing straight up, throwing standard boxing punches. Your body is not built for that."
Nuubis looked down at his clawed hands. "So do I really need to change my stance?"
"Yes, drop to all fours," Kaito said.
Nuubis hesitated.
He looked at Gale and Sirocco, feeling a little embarrassed.
"Manager, I'm a pro hero. I can't just run around on all fours and bite people. The media will call me a wild animal."
Kaito placed a hand on Nuubis's shoulder.
"I understand why that worries you," Kaito said softly. "But think about the people trapped under rubble. Think about the villains who are faster than a normal human. Your body is a gift. Jackals are endurance hunters. They have explosive burst speed from a low angle. If dropping to all fours saves a life, who cares what a reporter says?"
Huff.
Nuubis took a deep breath. He nodded. "Okay."
"Shift your weight forward," Kaito guided him. "Get low. When the drone attacks, do not block with your arms. Launch yourself off your back legs. Use your claws to grip, and use your jaw force to snap the primary joint."
Nuubis dropped down. His hands touched the mat. He instantly felt the difference.
His spine aligned perfectly. The tension in his lower back vanished.
BEEP.
The drone charged forward.
Nuubis didn't even think. His instincts took over.
WHOOSH.
He moved so fast he became a blur. He shot under the drone's mechanical arm, latched onto its main chassis with his claws, and sank his teeth directly into the thick steel neck cable.
CRUNCH.
The steel cable snapped like a dry twig. The drone sparked and completely shut down, falling flat on the mat.
THUD.
The training room went dead quiet.
Gale choked on her water. "Holy crap."
Sirocco dropped his towel. "Did you just bite through steel?"
Nuubis stood up.
Ptui.
He spit out a piece of plastic casing. He looked at his hands, then at the broken drone. A massive smile spread across his face.
"I didn't even feel resistance," Nuubis laughed. "My jaw just crushed it."
Kaito smiled and tossed Nuubis a towel. "That is your actual Quirk. Now we focus on that. Then next we proceed to the development of Fang Over Fang technique."
*-*-*
Location: Giza Plateau – Outskirts of Cairo
Time: 7 Days Later
The afternoon sun baked the sand.
Kaito and Salaam stood on a high rocky ridge.
They had a perfect view of the Great Pyramids in the distance. The city of Cairo stretched out behind them.
There were no sirens. No smoke in the sky.
The radio on Salaam's belt was completely silent.
Salaam sat down on a flat rock. He unzipped his suit slightly and handed Kaito a foil-wrapped shawarma sandwich.
"Eat," Salaam said. "You haven't had lunch yet."
Kaito sat down next to him. He unwrapped the food and took a bite. "Thanks."
They ate in silence for a few minutes. It was peaceful. Just the wind blowing across the desert.
"The dispatch room hasn't called us in four hours," Salaam said quietly. "The rookies handled two purse snatchers and a broken traffic light. The local police actually took their lunch breaks today."
Kaito looked at the city skyline. "The system is doing exactly what it is supposed to do. You guys have the streets locked down."
Salaam turned to Kaito.
The Number One hero looked completely relaxed. The massive bags under his eyes from two months ago were gone.
"I really appreciate this, Kaito," Salaam said. His voice was entirely genuine. "Not just the tech or the training. You treated my team like actual people. You listened to them. You made them believe in themselves again."
Kaito stopped eating. He looked at the pyramids, a soft smile on his face.
"That is my actual work," Kaito replied. "Besides... it is pretty nice hanging out with you guys."
Salaam laughed loudly. He clapped Kaito on the back. "Haha... Don't get soft on me now, Manager. We still have a few weeks left."
Kaito chuckled and took another bite of his shawarma.
*-*-*
Location: Kaito's room
Time: 6 Days Later
CLACK.
CLACK.
Kaito typed quickly on his laptop.
The clock on the wall read 2:15 AM. The rest of the agency was totally dark, but Kaito's room glowed from three different monitors.
On the center screen, a list of ten names sat in a neat row.
Eve, the A.I., had spent the last few weeks scanning thousands of hero agencies worldwide.
Kaito gave her a specific criteria: find Top pro heroes all over the world who were struggling. Heroes with good hearts but failing agencies.
Kaito clicked on the top file.
Target: Capitão Sol.
Rank: Number 5 in Brazil.
Quirk: Solar Battery.
Issue: Severe budget deficit. Sidekicks lacking proper support gear. Quirk relies too heavily on sunlight, making him useless at night.
Kaito drafted a massive document.
He designed a completely new patrol schedule for Capitão Sol's agency.
He added a blueprint for a specialized suit that stored UV rays for night combat. He even wrote a training regimen for the Brazilian sidekicks. And specific quirk development of the Pro-Hero and
Creak.
The office door opened. Salaam walked in wearing loose sweatpants. He held two mugs of hot green tea.
"You're still up? I saw the light under the door," Salaam said.
He set a mug on Kaito's desk.
"Thanks," Kaito took a sip. It was perfectly warm.
Salaam looked at the monitors. He saw the files for Brazil, Australia, Mexico, and Argentina.
"You are doing it, aren't you?" Salaam asked softly.
"Just the online work," Kaito nodded. "I already chose different agencies worldwide."
Kaito hit the enter key. The file was sent out across the globe.
"I just can't imagine how much work you put into everyone. That takes serious dedication." Salaam smiled. He leaned against the wall. "The new Billboard charts came out an hour ago. We are still Number One. But we didn't just trail Number Two. We doubled their point score."
Before Kaito could reply, his laptop chimed loudly.
RING.
A video call request popped up on the screen.
The location tag said Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Kaito accepted the call.
The screen flickered.
A massive man with tanned skin and bright yellow hair appeared.
It was Capitão Sol.
He was sitting in a dark, messy office. He looked exhausted, but his eyes were wide. He was holding a printed copy of the blueprint Kaito just sent.
"Hello?" Capitão Sol spoke in Portuguese. Eve instantly translated it to clear audio.
"Hello, Capitão," Kaito said warmly.
The Brazilian hero rubbed his eyes. He looked like he was about to cry.
"Thank you for choosing me Golden Manager. I... I just read this," Capitão Sol's voice cracked. "My agency is struggling. We couldn't figure out how to fix the night patrols. This suit design... this schedule... it fixes everything."
He leaned closer to the camera. "With this, all the problems I'm facing will be corrected. You even have this development plans on my quirk. I could save more people and fight villains fast."
"Stick to that plan," he replied simply. "I noticed you were carrying too much weight on your shoulders. I thought you could use a hand."
Capitão Sol put his face in his hands and took a deep, shaky breath. "Thank you. Manager, thank you so much. I will start this training tomorrow morning. I'm already wiring the payment."
Kaito nodded and smiled. "Just keep your city safe. You can ask me if you have any questions and problems later."
KACHA.
Kaito ended the call. He looked up at Salaam.
Salaam just shook his head and laughed. "You are going to take over the whole world from this tiny desk, aren't you?
Haha... Thankfully you aren't a villain Kaito. You'll be much more dangerous than that guy All For One."
*-*-*
Location: Downtown Cairo
Time: 6 Days Later
RUMBLE.
The sky over the city was completely brown.
A massive Khamsin sandstorm hit Cairo. The winds screamed through the streets.
Sand hit the windows of the buildings like heavy gravel. Visibility was down to zero.
"Hold the line!" Nuubis shouted over the radio. He was standing near a barricade, covering his eyes.
A ten-story apartment building was groaning. The wind was tearing the roof apart.
People were trapped on the top floor. The stairwell had collapsed from the sheer pressure of the storm.
The rookies couldn't get close. The sand dunes in the street were too thick.
"Kaito," Salaam's voice came through the comms. He was standing on a rooftop two blocks away, completely exposed to the wind. "We can't use the sand tube. The storm is too chaotic."
Back in the command center, Kaito watched the weather radar. He was totally calm.
"We don't need the tube," Kaito said into his headset. "Use the gliding method. The wind is blowing directly southeast at sixty miles an hour. Just ride it."
"Ooh. Forgot about that. My bad," Salaam replied sheepishly.
Up on the roof, Gale stood behind Salaam. She had a thick scarf wrapped around her face.
"Ready, Boss?" Gale yelled over the wind.
Salaam didn't answer. He took a breath and focused.
CRACKLE.
He folded.
He flattened his entire body out, spreading his arms and legs until he looked like a massive, red and gold sheet of paper. He had zero mass.
"Hit me!" Salaam yelled.
Gale threw her hands forward.
WHOOSH.
A burst of wind pushed Salaam off the edge of the roof.
The moment he hit the open air, the massive sandstorm caught him.
Because he was completely flat, the sand didn't hurt him.
He angled his flat body, catching the brutal wind currents perfectly. He glided through the brown sky like a massive kite.
He navigated the chaotic storm with ease, sliding left and right, completely bypassing the blocked streets below.
He reached the apartment building in seconds. He crashed through the broken window of the top floor.
CRASH.
He popped back into his 3D shape, landing in the hallway where twenty terrified civilians were huddled together.
"Everyone stay calm!" Salaam shouted warmly.
He ran to the window and looked down.
Resin was on the ground directly below, spraying a massive, thick pool of yellow sap to create a soft landing pad.
"Jump into the yellow circle!" Salaam ordered the civilians.
"It's too high!" a man yelled.
"I got you," Salaam smiled.
He jumped out the window first. Mid-air, he flattened his body again, but this time he folded his edges upward.
He turned his entire body into a massive, wide slide that connected the top window straight down to Resin's sap pool.
"Go! Slide down!" Kaito's voice echoed from Salaam's radio.
The civilians didn't hesitate. They jumped onto Salaam's flat, smooth body and slid all the way down, landing safely in the soft sap.
The entire rescue took exactly two minutes.
*-*-*
Location: Agency Command Center
Time: 4 Days Later
The large digital calendar on the wall flipped to a new day.
It was officially 30 days since the last major check-in.
Kaito had been at the agency for two and a half months total.
Nuubis was drinking coffee and reading a comic book.
Gale was stretching her legs. The rookies were chatting on the couches. Everything ran perfectly.
Kaito stood near the main console, packing his personal notebook into his backpack.
Gale walked over and leaned against the desk. She looked at Kaito's bag.
"So," Gale said softly. "Fifteen days left on the contract."
Kaito zipped up the bag and looked at her. "Yeah. Two weeks."
Gale rubbed the back of her neck. "It's gonna be really weird without you yelling at us from the sidelines." She looked down at her boots. "You're actually going to stay in touch, right? Or are you just going to disappear back to Japan?"
Kaito stopped what he was doing. He looked at Gale, then over at Nuubis and the rest of the room.
They were all looking at him, waiting for his answer.
Kaito smiled. A real, warm smile.
"I am not disappearing," Kaito said. "You guys are family now. If you ever need anything, you call me. I will always pick up."
Gale smiled brightly. She punched Kaito lightly on the shoulder.
"Good," she said. "Because if you ignored my calls, I would fly to Tokyo and blow your apartment down."
Kaito laughed.
His phone buzzed in his pocket. He pulled it out. It was a new email alert.
Sender: Strider (Number 13 Hero, Australia).
Subject: Thank You. I'm sending the money.
Kaito looked at the screen.
The seeds were growing faster than he thought.
The final two weeks in Cairo were going to be very busy.
*-*-*-*-*
Location: | UA | Principal Office |
CLINK.
Nezu set a small porcelain teacup on the coffee table.
"Drink up, Yagi," Nezu said, taking his own seat on the small stool. "You look like you've been staring at those files all night."
All Might rubbed his eyes and let out a long breath.
He was wearing a simple yellow button-down shirt, the sleeves rolled up past his massive elbows.
But reading tiny text was still a pain.
"There are just so many students, Nezu," All Might chuckled. He dropped a thick folder onto the glass table. "I didn't realize how much paperwork goes into teaching."
Nezu smiled and slid a sleek tablet across the table.
"Take a break from the applicants," Nezu offered. "Look at the international news. The Egyptian Hero Billboard just went public."
All Might picked up the tablet. He scrolled down the page.
A loud, booming laugh echoed through the office.
"Hahaha... I knew it!" All Might grinned, leaning back into the sofa.
"They shattered the point records," Nezu added, picking up his own tea. "Arisaka-kun really is something else. He went to a foreign country and completely flipped their hero agency their."
"And he did it without a single superpower," All Might said, looking at Kaito's picture on the screen. "Just pure brainpower and planning. He really proved the point."
Nezu nodded.
"Speaking of that point," Nezu said. "How is the search going? Have you narrowed down any candidates for One For All?"
All Might sighed. He reached over and tapped the thick stack of student files on the table.
"It's tough," All Might admitted. "Like Kaito told us back at the tower. Giving this power to someone who already has a Quirk will kill them. I have to find a Quirkless kid."
All Might grabbed a file with a red stamp on it and tossed it to the side.
"I stopped looking at the Hero Course applications completely," All Might said flatly. "The entrance exam is built around fighting giant robots. A Quirkless kid wouldn't even pass the practical test."
"So where are you looking?" Nezu asked.
"Support Course. General Studies. Management," All Might listed off, counting on his massive fingers. "I'm looking for a Quirkless kid applying to those three departments. Someone who wants to help people through engineering or academics. If I can find a kid with a heroic heart in the Support class, I can train them up."
All Might picked up his teacup.
"But," All Might added before taking a sip, "finding a Quirkless teenager with that kind of crazy drive is hard."
SLURP.
Nezu drank his tea loudly. He lowered the cup and let out a small, amused hum.
"It is rare," Nezu agreed. "But maybe you shouldn't just look at the school files."
All Might paused, the cup halfway to his mouth. "What do you mean?"
"I have a side hobby right now," Nezu said cheerfully. "I'm playing a game of hide-and-seek with a local vigilante here in Musutafu."
All Might raised an eyebrow. "A vigilante? Nezu, the HPSC is cracking down hard on unauthorized quirk usage."
"That is the best part," Nezu smiled wide. "He doesn't have a Quirk."
THUD.
All Might set his cup down a little too hard on the saucer. "Are you serious?"
"Very serious," Nezu said. "The locals call him Greenhood. He wears custom-built kinetic bracers to absorb heavy impacts. His footwork is incredible. He fights armed thugs in the alleyways using just his fists, gadgets, and his partner."
"Who is his partner?" All Might asked, leaning forward.
"A cat," Nezu replied simply. "A fluffy black and white cat with a high-level polymorph Quirk. It turns into a ninja or a heavily armored samurai or even a muscled humanoid form to back him up in a fight."
All Might just stared at Nezu. He looked completely dumbfounded.
"A Quirkless individual and a shapeshifting cat," All Might repeated slowly, making sure he heard that right.
"Exactly," Nezu laughed. "And the kid is incredibly smart. Every time a street camera catches them, they wiped the server data. We've been having a hacking war for months."
All Might rested his elbows on his knees. The fatigue from reading files was completely gone now.
"How old is he?" All Might asked.
"Based on his height, build, and the hours he patrols, he has to be a middle school," Nezu stated.
All Might looked down at the files on the table, then looked back at Nezu.
"Do you know his real name?" All Might asked quietly.
"Not yet," Nezu admitted, crossing his small arms. "He covers his tracks too well. But a kid that smart, who builds his own support gears.. he is definitely going to apply to U.A. soon."
Nezu looked right at All Might.
"When I finally catch him," Nezu said, his eyes shining with excitement, "I'll introduce you."
All Might slowly smiled.
"I'll hold you to that, Principal."
*-*-*-*
Location: Tokyo – The Underground Hub
CHATTER.
CLINK.
The underground hub was packed.
Dozens of street vigilantes and thugs sat around the metal tables. They traded gear and drank cheap beer.
Above the main bar, a large flat-screen TV played the evening news.
[The HPSC has officially declared the vigilante known as Stendhal a High-Priority Villain] the news anchor said. [Authorities confirm he attacked a secure state transport last month. He murdered thirty individuals inside a highway tunnel. Citizens are advised to contact the police immediately.]
BAM.
Spinner slammed his fist on the bar counter.
"Thirty individuals?" Spinner yelled. "Are you kidding me?"
Some thugs looked over, then went back to their drinks.
Spinner grabbed his empty glass and shoved it aside.
"They are straight up lying to the whole country!" Spinner complained loudly. "Those weren't random guys. They were Tartarus escapees! The same guys who wrecked the city. Stendhal did everyone a favor, and the government is calling him a mass murderer!"
Stendhal sat in a dark booth nearby.
GULP.
He took a drink of water. His body was completely healed now.
The cracked ribs and deep bruises he got from fighting Lady Nagant last month were gone.
"Calm down, Spinner," Mr. Compress said.
Compress sat across from Stendhal. He casually shuffled a deck of playing cards.
FLIP.
FLIP.
"The government isn't lying," Compress pointed out. "Hero law is very strict. Executing restrained captives is murder. The HPSC is completely justified in hunting him down."
"It's still garbage," Spinner crossed his arms. "He cleaned up the trash the heroes couldn't handle."
"You are missing the point," Compress sighed.
He placed a card face-up on the table. "Old Tartarus was breached by the League. It is completely compromised. So the HPSC built a brand new, highly secured facility somewhere else. They were quietly and legally transporting those prisoners to the new jail. Stendhal ambushed a legal government convoy and killed thirty people. In the eyes of the law, he is a villain."
Stendhal set his glass down.
"I don't care about their laws," Stendhal rasped. "Locking them up in a new box just means they will break out again later. The heroes are too weak to end the threat. I chose to end it permanently. I am following the path Hero X showed us."
"And that is exactly why the public needs to hear your side."
Giran walked over to the booth. He pulled up a chair and sat down. He lit a cigarette.
PUFF.
He blew a cloud of smoke toward the ceiling.
"Compress is right," Giran grinned. "Legally, the HPSC is just doing their job. But the general public doesn't care about the law right now."
Giran pulled a small black USB drive from his pocket.
CLACK.
He tossed it onto the table.
"My boys on the servers managed to get the transport logs," Giran explained. "We have the prisoner manifests. We have the dashcam footage from the trucks. We know exactly who was in there."
Spinner leaned in. "So we leak it to the news?"
"Local news will just bury it," Giran shook his head. "The HPSC controls them. We need to go bigger. We send this drive directly to Chitose Kizuki."
Compress stopped shuffling his cards. "The publisher?"
"She is way more than a publisher," Giran said. "Chitose runs the biggest mainstream media empire in Japan. She owns Keeping Up With the Todorokis. She runs the Project Hero: The Runway show. Millions of people watch her networks every single day. She is a media mogul."
Stendhal stared at the black drive.
"Think about the angle," Giran tapped the table. "If we give this to her, she will broadcast the raw footage on national television. The public will see that the HPSC was secretly moving the exact villains who caused the disaster. Then they will see you killing those monsters."
Spinner smiled wide. "The people will side with Stendhal."
"Exactly," Giran laughed. "They will support a murderer because he made them feel safe. It will cause a massive political war between the citizens and the HPSC."
Stendhal looked at the USB drive. He hated the media. He hated PR stunts.
"It doesn't matter," Stendhal replied. He pushed the drive across the table. "As long as I follow my conviction. I don't care about the other opinions for me."
"Then I agree with the old guy. He doesn't care but I do. Those stupid HPSC think they always right." Spinner grabbed the drive and gave it to Giran.
"This is going to be fun," Giran smirked.
*-*-*-*
Location: Cairo, Egypt – Salaam Agency Lobby
Time: Final Day of the Contract
CHATTER.
MUSIC.
The main lobby of the Salaam Agency was completely transformed.
The reception desks were shoved against the walls.
Huge folding tables sat in the middle of the room, piled high with roast lamb, flatbread, grilled meats, and giant bowls of hummus.
Upbeat Egyptian music played from the speakers.
Kaito sat on a stool near the food tables, a plate of lamb on his lap.
He smiled as he watched the rookies dancing in the center of the room.
He wasn't standing on the sidelines tonight. He was right in the middle of it.
Nuubis walked over and sat on the stool next to him. He bumped his shoulder against Kaito's arm.
"Tomorrow morning, huh?" Nuubis asked.
Kaito nodded. "Yeah. My flight to Tokyo leaves at eight."
Gale and Sirocco walked over, carrying plates full of food. They pulled up chairs and sat around Kaito.
"We are really going to miss you, Manager," Gale said warmly. She took a bite of flatbread. "I mean it. You made us so much stronger."
"She is right," Nuubis grinned, showing his sharp teeth. "You changed my whole life, Kaito. That Fang Over Fang technique? I dropped to all fours yesterday and spun right through a villain's concrete wall. I may actually have the strongest physical attack in the whole agency now."
"Hey!" Sirocco complained through a mouthful of meat. "I have area damage!"
Everyone at the table laughed. Kaito chuckled and patted Nuubis on the back.
"You put in the effort, Nuubis," Kaito said. "You all did. That is why you are stronger. I just guided you."
Salaam walked over to their table. He wasn't wearing his hero suit. He wore a simple button-up shirt and held a thick paper folder.
He grabbed a chair and sat down right next to Kaito.
"Having fun?" Salaam smiled widely.
"Yeah," Kaito smiled back. "You guys throw a good party."
Salaam looked at the team, then looked at Kaito. His expression turned genuine and warm.
Salaam said quietly. "The people have always loved us. But before you came, my sidekicks were getting hurt left and right. I was taking hits I shouldn't have taken. You fixed my combat style. You taught me how to actually attack and counter-attack."
Salaam placed the thick folder on the table and pushed it toward Kaito.
"Your contract is done," Salaam said. "But standard pay isn't enough. Inside is a property deed. It is a private island in the Red Sea. Deep harbor, fresh water, total privacy. I bought it years ago. It is yours now."
Gale dropped her piece of flatbread. Nuubis stared at the folder with wide eyes.
Kaito looked at the folder. He didn't even open it. He just slid it right back to Salaam.
"No thanks," Kaito said casually.
Salaam blinked. "What?"
"I don't want an island, Salaam," Kaito laughed. "I live in an apartment in Japan. I don't want to deal with property taxes or hire people to clean a whole island. That is a massive headache. Just give me the exact cash value instead."
"..."
Salaam stared at Kaito for a few seconds.
Then, Salaam burst out laughing. He laughed so hard he had to hold his stomach.
"Hahaha... You are unbelievable!" Salaam laughed loudly. "Any normal person would jump at a private island! Fine! I will have my guys add the exact value of the island to your final paycheck."
"Perfect," Kaito smiled, taking a sip of his juice. "I really appreciate it."
"You deserve it," Salaam patted Kaito on the shoulder.
Salaam held up his plastic cup.
"To the Golden Manager... KAITO!" Salaam cheered loudly.
"To Kaito!" Nuubis, Gale, and Sirocco yelled together.
"GOLDEN MANAGER!" "KAITO!" Everyone in the agency joined together.
CLINK.
...
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(9 Advanced Chapters)