Location: Private Testing Ground – Sector 4
Time: Monday | 07:00 AM
VMMMMM.
A massive set of hydraulic gears locked into place near the ceiling.
Kaito walked into the observation deck holding a cup of hot coffee.
He looked through the thick, reinforced glass window down into the underground bunker.
Tomoyasu sat at the main control console next to him. He looked completely miserable.
Clack. Clack. Clack.
He had heavy, dark bags under his eyes. He aggressively typed on two different keyboards at the same time.
"I am going to physically melt my own sensors," Tomoyasu complained loudly, glaring at the monitors. "Calibrating a fifty-thousand-ton hydraulic drop is pushing the hardware way past the safety limits."
Down in the massive training room, Rikiya Yotsubashi stood dead center on the mats.
"...."
He wore a crisp dress shirt and slacks. He was fully recovered from his latest cycle in the medical healing tanks. He stared straight ahead, completely silent.
Tomoyasu checked the live biometric readings on his screen. He frowned and hit the intercom button.
"Rikiya," Tomoyasu spoke into the microphone. "Your heart rate is completely calm. Your brain waves are flat. You need to run the VR simulation again. Build up your fear and stress levels first. If I drop fifty thousand tons on you right now, you will turn into a bloody paste."
"Heh." Rikiya laughed softly.
He grabbed the collar of his dress shirt.
RIIIP.
He tore the shirt open, pulling it off his shoulders, and tossed it onto the floor.
He looked straight up at the reinforced glass window and gave Kaito a firm nod.
"I don't need the VR room, Tomoyasu," Rikiya declared, his voice carrying clearly through the bunker speakers. "Carrying the weight of my father's legacy, managing a multinational corporation, and knowing I am completely unworthy of standing in Hero X's shadow...
I am always stressed."
Tomoyasu rolled his eyes and hit the red release button on the console.
CLANK.
The heavy metal clamps disengaged.
A custom fifty-thousand-ton steel hydraulic block free-fell directly toward Rikiya's head.
Rikiya triggered his Rage Refinement.
Crackle-crickle.
He violently forced the raw energy inward. He packed the power down incredibly tight against his own bones.
His skin turned pitch-black.
It looked like thick, dense armor. The sheer heat radiating from the physical compression actually distorted and rippled the air around his body.
BAM.
Rikiya caught the fifty-thousand-ton block with his bare hands.
CRUNCH.
The heavy concrete floor completely shattered under his boots, cratering outward.
His knees bent slightly, but they held firm.
"HRAAAAH!" Rikiya roared at the top of his lungs.
He locked his elbows. He pushed the impossibly heavy metal block straight up over his head. His normal-sized body held the massive weight perfectly.
Rikiya shoved his arms forward, throwing the giant steel block.
CRASH.
The block slammed into the bunker wall, shaking the entire underground facility. Dust rained down from the ceiling.
Huff-puff
Huff-puff
Rikiya dropped hard onto his knees. He panted heavily as the pitch-black energy faded from his skin.
He looked up at the observation deck. A massive, bruised smile stretched across his face.
"Kaito!" Rikiya yelled, his voice completely filled with pure fanboy hype. "Was that it? Did I finally reach ten percent of Hero X's power?!"
Kaito held his coffee cup. He held back a heavy sigh and pressed the intercom button.
"That was a great lift, Rikiya," Kaito said evenly, playing right along with the CEO's obsession. "You are definitely getting closer."
*-*-*
Location: Arisaka Consulting Office
Time: 03:00 PM
The afternoon sun shined through the large windows of the office.
Kaito sat behind his large wooden desk.
A young guy in a basic spandex hero costume sat across from him.
The guy looked incredibly nervous. He kept tapping his knee rapidly.
Kaito handed a printed piece of paper across the desk.
"You have a great tracking Quirk," Kaito told the beginner hero. "But you are planning to blow your entire startup budget on renting a flashy office downtown. Break your lease today."
"Break the lease?" the young hero asked, totally confused. "But all the big villain fights happen downtown."
"You are a tracker," Kaito pointed out firmly. "You belong near the shipping routes. Constant cargo theft and smuggling rings happen out there every single night. You will get ten times the cases out there, and the warehouse rent is dirt cheap. Build your cash flow first. You can worry about looking cool downtown later."
The young hero stared at the paper. He stopped tapping his knee.
He stood up quickly and bowed as deep as he could.
"Thank you, Arisaka-san!" the hero said loudly. "I will call my real estate agent right now!"
The guy grabbed his paperwork and hurried out of the office.
Click.
The automatic glass doors slid shut.
Kaito sighed and stretched his arms over his head. He spent the entire afternoon doing basic walk-in consults.
He grabbed his glass of cold coffee from the desk and took a sip.
"Eve," Kaito spoke to the empty room.
[Yes, Boss] Eve replied instantly through the desk speakers.
"Open the ten slots for the Online Consultation packages on the website," Kaito instructed.
[Opening the servers now] Eve announced.
BEEP.
Kaito's computer monitor immediately lit up.
Hundreds of data packets started rapidly scrolling down the screen.
[I am receiving thousands of applications from global hero agencies,] Eve reported smoothly. [They are flooding the site. I will filter the spam and compile the top candidates for you to review tomorrow.]
"Thanks, Eve," Kaito said.
He leaned back in his comfortable leather chair and closed his eyes. He took a slow breath, resting for a moment while Eve handled the digital chaos.
The television mounted on the office wall was playing a local news broadcast on low volume.
DING-DING.
A sharp, sudden chime rang out from the TV speakers.
Kaito opened his eyes. He looked at the flat-screen monitor.
A bright red 'BREAKING NEWS' banner was flashing rapidly across the bottom of the screen.
"Eve, turn the volume up," Kaito said, sitting up straight.
The camera cut to a live helicopter shot. It showed the exterior of Might Tower in Tokyo.
The entire street in front of the massive agency was completely surrounded by hundreds of news vans and reporters.
*-*-*
Location: Tokyo – Might Tower Press Room
FLASH. FLASH. FLASH.
Dozens of camera shutters clicked rapidly. The massive press room was completely packed with people.
Journalists shoved microphones toward the front stage. News anchors talked quickly to their camera crews.
All Might stood behind a sleek wooden podium.
He wore his bright yellow pinstripe suit. He stood tall, projecting absolute confidence to the entire country watching the live broadcast.
"Settle down, everyone!" All Might's booming voice echoed through the speakers. "Please, one question at a time!"
A reporter in the front row jumped up, waving a notepad.
"All Might!" the reporter yelled over the loud crowd. "You just announced you are taking a teaching position at U.A. Academy next school year! Does this mean you are stepping down from active duty? Is the Symbol of Peace finally retiring?"
"...."
"...."
The entire room went completely silent. Every single camera locked onto his face. They waited for the biggest scoop of the decade.
All Might threw his head back.
"HAHAHA!" All Might laughed from his chest.
He gripped the edges of the podium and leaned forward, flashing his trademark smile.
"I am absolutely not retiring!" All Might declared loudly. "I am in the physical prime of my life! I will remain the Number One Pro Hero. I will still run this agency, and I will still do my daily patrols!"
The reporters quickly scribbled notes, visibly relieved.
A different reporter raised her hand.
"Then why teach in UA high school?" she asked loudly. "Why not just hire more professional sidekicks here at Might Tower to help you?"
All Might looked at her. His smile softened into something deeply genuine.
"Peace requires a strong foundation," All Might told the cameras. "I want to personally guide the next generation. These teenagers need to learn how to properly carry the weight of this society. I am going to U.A. Academy to help build our future!"
The room erupted into loud cheers and applause.
*-*-*
Location: Tokyo – Endeavor Agency
Enji Todoroki sat behind his heavy office desk. He wore his hero costume. His flames burned quietly across his chest.
Burnin leaned against the office doorframe.
She held a digital tablet in her hands. She just turned the flat-screen television on for her boss.
They watched All Might waving to the cheering reporters on the screen.
"Can you imagine the big guy actually grading papers?" Burnin joked, crossing her arms. "Sounds like a desk job to me."
Endeavor didn't yell
Ever since his family participated in the reality television show, he learned how to control his temper. He built a habit of staying perfectly calm.
"It is a brilliant move," Endeavor said, his deep voice rumbling.
Burnin raised an eyebrow. "You think so?"
"He is shaping the next era," Endeavor replied, keeping his eyes on the television screen. "He is securing his legacy right in front of the public. They will adore him for it."
Endeavor leaned back in his chair. He thought about his own family.
Shoto was currently in his third year of middle school. Next year, he would apply to U.A. Academy.
Endeavor reached into his pocket and pulled out his smartphone. He stared at the blank text message screen. He wanted to say something supportive to his son.
TAP. TAP. TAP.
He typed: 'You will crush the U.A. exams next year. Do not fail.'
Endeavor frowned. He stared at the words.
DELETE. DELETE. DELETE.
He aggressively backspaced the entire message.
Sigh.
He let out a heavy, frustrated sigh.
TAP. TAP.
He tried again: 'All Might is teaching at U.A. Keep your grades up.'
He stared at the screen for a full minute.
He hovered his thick thumb over the send button.
"What are you doing boss?" Burnin on the side asked as he watched him stare on his phone for a minute.
"...." Endeavor.
*-*-*
Location: New York – Skyline Agency
The bright neon lights of the city shined through the massive office windows.
Christopher Skyline sat on his plush leather couch.
Captain Celebrity wore his heavy, star-spangled hero jacket. He held a glass of ice water.
He watched the Japanese news broadcast on his huge projector screen.
"That is a perfect media spin," Christopher smiled, taking a sip of his water.
A tall man walked into the office. He wore a sleek silver flight suit.
Sidekick Name: Aero-Brake.
Quirk: Air Friction.
SLAP.
Aero-Brake dropped a thick stack of paperwork onto the glass coffee table. He looked completely exhausted.
"Here are the damage reports from the bridge rescue today, Boss," Aero-Brake sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "The city council is asking who is going to pay for the cracked asphalt."
Christopher ignored the papers completely. He pointed his glass at the projector screen.
"Aero, look at this," Christopher said excitedly. "Controlling the narrative like that is the exact playbook Kaito Arisaka used when he first managed me in Japan. It is genius."
Aero-Brake glanced at the screen. "All Might is teaching high school. Good for him. Can you please sign the damage reports?"
"I need a PR boost right now, Aero," Christopher complained, standing up from the couch. "The government kept me stationed in Japan for years. I just got back home. I am still the Number One hero here, but the data is slipping."
Christopher pulled up a holographic chart from his phone.
"Cathleen is eating up my ranking points," Christopher pointed at the chart. "Star and Stripe is getting way too popular. If I don't do something massive, she is going to knock me down to Number Two by the end of the year."
Aero-Brake crossed his arms. "What is your plan?"
"I am going to copy All Might," Christopher decided immediately. "But it should also be different."
SNAP.
He snapped his fingers.
"I am going to be a special guest teacher of all the Hero High School in America," Christopher grinned widely. "The press will love it. The humble top hero giving back to the kids."
Aero-Brake stared at him.
"Boss," Aero-Brake said flatly. "As far as I'm concerned you hate teenagers. They ask way too many questions."
"I love the youth," Christopher waved his hand dismissively.
"You do not have a teaching license," Aero-Brake reminded him strictly. "The US Board of Education will demand fifty different background checks before you even step foot in a classroom."
Christopher completely ignored the logic.
"Call my publicist, Aero," Christopher smiled brightly, already imagining the magazine covers. "Tell them Captain Celebrity is going back to school. Oh, and find someone to buy me a sweater vest. I need to look smart. And also glasses, I need one."
Aero-Brake groaned loudly. He pulled his smartphone out of his pocket.
He really didn't expect it, being able to become the sidekick of the number 1 hero, the Symbol of Hope, was way too much for him.
'Did I make a mistake?'
*-*-*
Location: Arisaka Consulting Office
Time: Two Day After | Wednesday | 10:00 AM
SWISH.
The automatic glass doors slid open.
[Boss, you have a walk-in client in the lobby] Eve announced through the office speakers.
Kaito looked up from his computer monitor.
Pam Carter walked right into his office. She didn't wear her hero costume.
She wore worn-in blue jeans, heavy work boots, and a red flannel shirt. Her blonde hair was tied up in a messy bun.
She walked straight up to his large wooden desk. She held a thick black data drive in her right hand.
THUD.
She dropped the drive onto the wood.
Kaito leaned back in his leather chair. He looked at the black drive, then looked up at her face. He was genuinely impressed.
"You actually did it," Kaito said.
"I told you on the phone last week," Pam grinned, pulling up a guest chair and sitting down heavily. "I don't make empty promises."
"You flew across the Pacific ocean because I said no to a phone call," Kaito shook his head, smiling.
"I landed yesterday morning," Pam told him proudly. "I already rented a commercial building three streets over. Right here in Kashiya Ward. My core team lands in Tokyo on Friday. I am legally operating in Japan."
Kaito crossed his arms over his chest.
"The Japanese HPSC is famously strict with foreign heroes," Kaito pointed out. "How did you get an International Transfer and a Temporary Operating License approved in two days?"
Pam laughed out loud.
"Hehe." Pam explained. "Being Rank 48 in the United States carries a lot of weight. Having a top-tier American hero open a local branch makes the Japanese government look amazing to the international press. They stamped my license immediately."
"Fair enough," Kaito nodded. "And you definitely earned that rank. You actually listened to my advice on that airplane years ago."
"I did," Pam agreed, resting her hands on her knees. "I ditched my old corporate sponsors. I built my own independent agency from scratch. Climbing to Rank 48 was the hardest thing I have ever done."
"But you hit a wall," Kaito guessed easily.
Sigh.
Pam let out a long, tired sigh. Her confident grin dropped.
"Yes," Pam admitted. "Running an independent agency is stretching me completely thin. To keep the lights on and pay my staff, I still have to do dairy commercials and farm sponsorships. The media still treats me like a cute mascot. I hate it."
She looked Kaito right in the eyes.
"I learned about the Rabbit Hero," Pam said seriously. "I want exactly what you built for Rumi."
Kaito raised an eyebrow.
"I want to fight completely alone," Pam explained, her voice full of determination. "I don't want sidekicks getting in my way during a raid. I want a support team that strictly handles the annoying paperwork and logistics behind the scenes. I want to build a real, respected brand like her. And I want to push into the Top."
Kaito understood her frustration completely.
The hero industry was brutal on independent fighters without heavy financial backing. Especially in America which has a huge population. And active pro heroes numbering tens of thousands.
"You know I still haven't chosen a hero for my physical contract," Kaito told her directly. "Lion Shishido literally pitched tents on my sidewalk. Crust submitted a massive bid. The Japanese were fighting hard for this three-month slot. I am not handing it to you today just because you bought a plane ticket."
"I know how the game works, Manager," Pam smiled confidently. "I expect zero handouts. I am perfectly happy working domestic cases here in Tokyo while you make up your mind."
Pam tapped her finger against the black data drive on the desk.
"All my combat metrics, financial logistics, and agency structures are on that drive," Pam told him. "Just run the numbers. Evaluate my data fairly alongside the domestic heroes. See if I have what it takes."
Kaito picked up the drive. He spun the small black rectangle in his fingers.
"I will run it through Eve," Kaito agreed. "I will let you know what I think."
"That is all I am asking for," Pam said.
She stood up, stretching her tall frame. She reached her hand across the desk.
Kaito stood up and shook her hand firmly.
"Welcome to Japan, Pam," Kaito smiled.
"Glad to be here, Kaito," Pam laughed.
*-*-*
Location: Classified HPSC Blacksite (New Prison after Tartarus was defunct)
Time: Unknown
Total silence.
The underground vault was completely sealed. Thick steel walls lined the massive room.
There were no windows. There were no guards stationed inside.
A single sterile metal pedestal stood in the dead center of the floor.
A crumpled piece of paper sat on top of the pedestal. It looked completely pathetic. Just a piece of trash left in an empty room.
Deep inside the two-dimensional paper prison, the reality was entirely different.
It was an endless, flat white void. There was no up. There was no down.
All For One floated in the blank space. His seven Crown clones floated right next to him.
Because they were trapped inside a two-dimensional plane, their bodies were completely flat.
They looked like static ink drawings on a white canvas.
All For One didn't thrash around. He couldn't. He just floated in the silence.
"How long has it been?" All For One whispered to himself.
His voice echoed softly in the empty space.
"A week? A month? Ten years?"
He genuinely didn't know. The sensory deprivation was maddening. There was no day or night.
Time simply did not exist inside this flat space.
He had nothing to do except think.
His mind obsessively replayed the Global Raid.
He analyzed every single second of his defeat. He played it over and over again, trying to make sense of it.
"I was at the absolute peak," All For One muttered, his voice dripping with heavy frustration. "I injected the God Serum. I pushed my physical body past the absolute limit. I used Dr. Garaki's biomedical engineering to create these perfect clones. I awakened my Quirks."
He clenched his flat, two-dimensional jaw. His wounded pride burned his chest.
"And he just crumpled me," All For One said, completely baffled by the memory.
Hero X didn't use a martial arts technique. He didn't use a massive ultimate attack. He just raised his hand, snapped him, and crumpled him up like a literal piece of trash.
All For One stared out into the blank void.
He looked down at his own flat hands. He knew exactly what his options were. He wasn't entirely helpless.
He had clone bodies hidden in the outside world.
He prepared empty clones with Dr. Garaki years ago just in case his main body ever died.
"I can leave right now," All For One told himself calmly. "I can severe my own consciousness. I can let this trapped body die right here. I will just wake up in a fresh clone in a secret lab."
"Heh." He let out a short, bitter laugh.
"What is the point?" All For One asked the empty void.
If he woke up in a new body tomorrow, Hero X would still be out there.
All For One remembered their very first encounter back in Osu Ward. He remembered reaching out and touching the vigilante. He tried to steal his power.
He felt absolutely nothing. There was zero biological feedback. There was no Quirk factor. There were no genetics to copy.
"His quirk is conceptual." All For One realized it by thinking all the time here.
He pieced the impossible puzzle together.
Hero X didn't follow the laws of physics. Hero X snapped his fingers, and the universe just obeyed him.
"I cannot defeat a concept," All For One admitted.
He stopped obsessing over the humiliation. He stopped acting like a victim. He ran through the variables many times.
Raw strength was useless.
Quirk combinations were useless.
Biological evolution was useless.
If he woke up in a new body, Hero X would just snap him again.
"The present is a dead end," All For One mumbled rapidly, his brain working on overdrive. "As long as Hero X exists on the current board, I have a zero percent chance of winning. I am completely checkmated in this era."
"..."
"..."
"..."
All For One stopped talking.
The absolute silence stretched in the void.
Then..
A slow, terrifying thought crept into his mind.
He couldn't fight Hero X in the present. The three-dimensional world was totally locked.
If the present was a dead end, he had to leave the present entirely.
He had to change the board before Hero X was ever put into play.
A cold, incredibly dark smile slowly stretched across his face.
His eyes gleamed brightly in the blank dimension. He finally found the one single variable he hadn't manipulated yet.
"Time," All For One whispered.
...
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(9 Advanced Chapters)