Location: Kashiya Ward – Cow Lady Agency
Time: Monday | 08:00 AM
SLURP.
Pam Carter, Cow Lady, finished the last bit of her protein shake. She stood in the middle of her agency's logistics room wearing her full cow-print hero costume.
Around her, the American PR and logistics team she brought over from the States sat at their desks.
They were typing on their keyboards and answering phones.
"Hey Mark," Pam called out, tossing her empty shaker into a nearby trash can. "What does my schedule look like today?"
A man in a dress shirt looked up from his clipboard.
"You have a magazine interview at ten o'clock," Mark read aloud. "Then a quick lunch. After that, you have a joint patrol with Fat Gum in Osaka."
"Keep the interview short," Pam told him, stretching her arms above her head. "I want to be fully warmed up before I meet Fat Gum. He covers a lot of ground."
"Got it," Mark nodded, writing a note on his clipboard.
CLICK. CLICK.
A young technician sitting near the wall suddenly stopped typing. He leaned closer to his computer monitor.
"Boss," the technician spoke up loudly. "The Arisaka Consulting website just updated."
Pam froze. She dropped her arms to her sides.
"Did it say he extended his vacation?" Pam asked quickly.
"No," the technician said, pointing at the screen. "The red banner is gone. It just flashed green. The status says active."
Pam's eyes went wide.
She remembered the last time she waited for Kaito.
Lion Shishido literally sprinted past her and stole the physical contract before she even reached the door.
SWOOSH.
Pam grabbed her heavy leather jacket off the back of a chair.
"Mark, clear my entire morning schedule!" Pam yelled, running straight for the front door. "Push the interview to tomorrow! I am going down the street right now!"
"Wait, Boss!" Mark called out.
BAM.
The door slammed shut.
Pam was already gone. She lived just a few blocks away from Kaito's office building, and she was absolutely determined to be the first person in line today.
*-*-*
Location: Tokyo – Crust's Hero Agency
The top floor of the agency was bustling with activity. Sidekicks ran down the hallways carrying mission reports.
Inside the main office, Crust sat at his large metal desk. The Shield Hero wore his heavy, gladiator-style armor.
THUMP.
His lead sidekick walked into the room and placed a digital tablet on the desk.
"Sir," the sidekick said quickly. "The Golden Manager just returned from his vacation. His website is officially active."
Crust looked down at the tablet. Next to it rested a printed copy of the latest Billboard Hero Rankings.
"Do you want me to pull the car around?" the sidekick asked, grabbing his car keys. "We can drive to Kashiwa Ward right now. We can fight for a three-month physical contract. It could help push you back into the top ten."
Crust stared at the printed rankings. He saw his name sitting at Rank 14. Then he looked at the names sitting high above him.
Mirko. Kamui Woods. Mt. Lady. Hawks.
Tears suddenly welled up in Crust's eyes.
"No," Crust cried loudly, thick tears streaming down his face.
He grabbed a white handkerchief from his desk and wiped his eyes.
"Look at them!" Crust sniffled, pointing a massive finger at the paper. "The young heroes are blooming so beautifully! They are getting so incredibly strong!"
The sidekick blinked, a bit confused by the sudden outburst.
"Sir?" the sidekick asked.
"I am almost forty years old," Crust explained, his voice thick with heavy emotion. "My shield techniques are already set in stone. I have reached my peak."
Crust stood up from his chair. He slammed his fist against his chest armor.
The sidekick slowly put his car keys back in his pocket.
"So, what do you want to do, Sir?" the sidekick asked. "As far as I know, Mr. Arisaka can help everyone developed their quirks further."
"Let's wait for a few days before meeting him." Crust ordered, blowing his nose into the handkerchief. "First, check at the roster for the new heroes who wanted to join my agency . We will refine our agency patrols and support the youth from the sidelines!"
*-*-*
Location: Kyoto – Yoroi Musha's Hero Agency
The traditional Japanese-style agency was incredibly quiet and peaceful.
Outside the open sliding doors, a small bamboo water feature tipped over and hit a smooth rock.
CLACK.
Yoroi Musha sat on a woven tatami mat. The elderly hero wore his traditional samurai armor.
He held a tiny porcelain teacup in his hands.
His sidekick knelt on the mat right next to him.
The sidekick looked highly frustrated.
"Boss," the sidekick spoke up, bowing his head slightly. "Kaito Arisaka is taking clients again. We should go to Kashiwa Ward immediately."
Yoroi Musha took a slow, calm sip of his hot tea.
SIP.
"Why would we do that?" Yoroi Musha asked quietly, setting his cup down on the low wooden table.
"Because we dropped to Rank 15," the sidekick answered, his voice tight with stress. "All these new heroes are bypassing us. If you secure a three-month physical contract with the Golden Manager, you can reclaim your top spot. We can show them the old ways are still superior."
Yoroi Musha looked out the sliding doors. He watched the bamboo water feature fill up with water again.
"You need to look at reality," Yoroi Musha said with quiet dignity. "I am in my seventies. My bones ache when it rains."
The sidekick looked down at the floor, unable to argue.
Yoroi Musha explained calmly. "I have absolutely no desire to compete with twenty-year-olds. They are doing an excellent job keeping the country safe. The public trusts them."
Yoroi Musha poured himself another cup of tea.
"My era is passing quietly," Yoroi Musha told his sidekick. "And I am fine with that. We will not need for a physical contract."
"Understood, Master," the sidekick sighed softly, accepting the decision.
Yoroi Musha instructed, taking another sip of his tea. "Just apply for the online contract. We will just ask Mr. Arisaka to help us organize our agency and quirks there. Leave the face to face contract to the new generation."
*-*-*
Location: Kashiya Ward – Arisaka Consulting Building
Time: A few minutes before
The top floor office was clean.
Ding.
Kaito walked out of the private elevator. He wore a dark blue suit. He carried a leather briefcase in one hand and a paper bag with fresh pastries in the other.
"Good morning, Eve," Kaito said, walking over to his desk.
[Welcome back to the office, Boss. Did you enjoy your time at Shiketsu High School?]
"It was a lot of work," Kaito admitted, setting his briefcase down. "The teachers there are incredibly smart. They picked up the syllabus fast."
Kaito walked over to the small kitchen area in the corner of the office.
He grabbed a bag of coffee beans and started up the espresso machine.
WHIRRR.
"Eve," Kaito called out over the noise of the grinder. "Change the public status to active. Open up the ten global online contract slots. Let the hero agencies know we are open for business."
[Status updated. Opening slots now.]
A few seconds passed.
PING. PING. PING.
[There are 80 documents and emails and counting being sent to the server.]
"Just do the same thing and choose ten pro heroes worldwide." Kaito smiled.
He grabbed two ceramic mugs from the shelf and set them under the coffee machine.
BAM. BAM. BAM.
Someone knocked on the office door.
"Come in," Kaito called out, pouring the hot coffee into the two mugs.
Swish.
The door swung open.
Pam Carter stood in the doorway. She was breathing slightly heavy from running. A massive, triumphant smile spread across her face.
"I kept my promise!" Pam announced loudly, pointing a finger at him. "I told you I would be the absolute first person you saw when you got back to work. No other pros in sight!"
Kaito chuckled. He picked up the two mugs and walked over to the leather couches.
"I figured you would be the first one," Kaito joked, handing her a mug. "Your agency is literally three blocks away. You had a massive head start against every other hero in Japan."
Pam grinned and took the mug. She walked into the office and dropped onto the leather couch.
"A win is a win," Pam laughed, taking a careful sip of the hot coffee. "Oh, that is really good."
"So," Kaito asked. "How have things been while I was gone?"
"It's alright," Pam answered honestly. She set her mug down on the glass table. "I have been running joint patrols with a bunch of people. Mirko, Fat Gum, Ryukyu. I kept myself busy."
Pam leaned forward and rested her elbows on her knees.
"I am going to get straight to the point," Pam said, looking directly at him. "I want the three-month physical contract. I want to be your next client."
Kaito set his mug down. He looked at her seriously.
"I appreciate the dedication, Pam," Kaito told her honestly.
Pam smiled, and Kaito held up his hand.
"Before you ask, I am not giving you an instant yes," Kaito explained clearly. "I know I did that for Lion Shishido. He showed up first five separate times in a row and refused to quit. That was a rare exception."
Pam nodded slowly. She knew the standard rules.
"I just finished a contract with Shiketsu High," Kaito continued. "I need a few days to rest my head. I am going to review all the new applications this week. I will make my final decision in a few days."
Pam didn't complain. She sat back and crossed her arms comfortably.
"A school?" Pam smiled. "I didn't know you accept other consultation outside hero agencies. But I understand the process. I can wait a few days."
She finished her coffee and stood up from the couch.
"I can't force you to pick me," Pam added, walking toward the door. "I did secure my name at the very front of the line anyway."
"You definitely did," Kaito chuckled, standing up to see her out.
Pam waved, stepping out into the hallway. "I will see you soon."
*-*-*
A few hours later.
The afternoon was busy.
Kaito sat behind his black desk running short consultations. A young hero wearing a green jumpsuit sat across from him.
"My quirk lets me turn my legs into coiled metal springs," the young hero explained nervously. "I can jump completely over buildings. But every time I land, the impact destroys the concrete sidewalks. The city keeps sending me property damage bills."
Kaito looked at the hero's costume design on his digital tablet.
"Your boots have hard, flat rubber soles," Kaito pointed out. "You are bringing all that kinetic energy straight down into a flat surface. You need to change your support gear."
SWISH. SWISH.
Kaito used his stylus to quickly draw a new boot design on the screen.
"Call a support company and ask for shock-absorbent gel pads," Kaito instructed, turning the tablet around to show the young hero. "Put the gel inside the heels. Then change the shape of the sole from flat to curved. When you land, roll your feet forward. The curve and the gel will disperse the energy across a wider area. You won't punch a hole in the ground anymore."
The young hero's eyes went wide.
"That makes perfect sense," the hero said excitedly. "Thank you so much, Mr. Arisaka!"
"No problem," Kaito smiled. "Pay the consultation fee at the front desk downstairs."
The hero bowed deeply and hurried out of the office.
Kaito ran through five more quick meetings over the next two hours.
He helped a water-quirk user draft a better public relations speech, and he fixed a scheduling issue for a hero with a glowing quirk. It was a steady stream of walk-in clients.
At exactly 4:00 PM, another pro hero entered.
It was Death Arms.
The muscular veteran hero wore his standard construction-themed gear with the yellow hazard stripes.
He looked incredibly tired. His shoulders were slumped, and he carried a massive yellow folder under his arm.
THUD.
Death Arms walked over and dropped the thick folder right in the middle of Kaito's desk.
"Hello, Death Arms," Kaito greeted him warmly. "Have a seat."
Death Arms pulled out the chair and sat down heavily. He rubbed his large hands together and stared at the yellow folder.
"That is my entire career," Death Arms said quietly. His voice sounded rough. "Every single patrol route. Every rescue op. Every villain capture. It spans years."
Kaito picked up the folder and opened it. He started reading through the pages.
The room went completely quiet.
"I need your help, Manager," Death Arms finally spoke up. He looked down at his hands. "I am completely stuck. The new generation is leaving me in the dust."
Kaito closed the folder and gave the veteran his full attention.
"Mt. Lady debuted years after I did," Death Arms continued, shaking his head. "Look at her now. Under your management, she is wrestling giant monsters in the middle of the street. She is an absolute powerhouse. And I am still doing the exact same things I was doing five years ago."
Death Arms clenched his fists tight.
"I was there in the western suburbs," Death Arms confessed, his voice tight with heavy frustration. "During the Gigantomachia incident. I tried to stop that giant."
Death Arms looked directly at Kaito.
"I grabbed his ankle," Death Arms muttered. "I put all my physical strength into holding him back. He didn't even look down. He just swung his foot and kicked me straight through a brick wall like a bug."
The veteran hero took a shaky breath.
"I had to lay there in the rubble," Death Arms said, his pride clearly shattered. "I laid there and watched Lion Shishido and Mt. Lady take him down easily. I felt completely useless."
Kaito listened quietly.
"I don't care about the Billboard rankings," Death Arms said honestly. "I don't care about fame or money. I just want to protect the civilians. I want to be a solid wall that doesn't break when a real threat shows up. I want the three-month contract."
Kaito tapped the yellow folder resting on his desk.
"You are being way too hard on yourself," Kaito told him seriously. "I just read your stats. Your civilian rescue numbers are crazy. You pull people out of collapsed buildings every single week. You have one of the highest safety ratings in the city."
Death Arms blinked in surprise. He didn't expect Kaito to praise his old files.
"You are a great hero," Kaito said, keeping his voice calm and respectful. "You didn't fail."
Death Arms relaxed slightly. The heavy tension in his shoulders finally dropped.
"I have a lot of new applications to review this week," Kaito explained openly. "I am going to take a few days to look at all of them before I decide who gets the contract. But I promise you, I will look at your file very closely."
Death Arms stood up from the chair. He bowed his head.
"Thank you, Mr. Arisaka," Death Arms said sincerely. "That is all I can ask for."
The large veteran turned around and walked out of the office, feeling a huge weight lift off his chest just having his hard work acknowledged.
*-*-*
Location: Europe – Commercial Shipping Port
Time: 11:00 PM (Local Time)
PATTER. PATTER.
The freezing rain fell heavily against the concrete docks.
Giulio Gandini stood in the deep shadows of a narrow alleyway between two massive warehouses.
The Scervino family butler wore a dark trench coat. He held a black umbrella over his head.
He looked incredibly tired. Deep lines covered his face.
He held a small, cheap burner phone pressed against his ear.
["Giulio, please tell me you found a lead,"] Mr. Scervino's voice echoed through the phone speaker. The wealthy man sounded completely broken.
"I am still looking, sir," Giulio answered quietly, keeping his single eye focused on the empty street.
["It doesn't make any sense!"] Mr. Scervino yelled, his voice cracking with pure grief. ["All For One is defeated. That American hero, Star and Stripe, completely wiped out the Gollini mafia family. Our enemies are gone! Why hasn't Anna come home or be found yet? Even those pro heroes and underground heroes I asked for commission had no clue."]
Giulio heard Mrs. Scervino crying softly in the background of the call.
He gripped the plastic phone tightly. His knuckles turned white.
"The European underground is still very dangerous, sir," Giulio lied smoothly, hiding the heavy guilt in his chest. "It is highly fragmented right now."
["Just bring my daughter back, Giulio. Whether if she's alive or.... Dead."] Mr. Scervino pleaded.
"I will, sir," Giulio promised.
CLICK.
He hung up the burner phone.
CRUNCH.
Giulio crushed the phone in his hand and dropped the broken plastic into a nearby puddle.
Sigh.
He let out a long, shaky breath. He reached up and touched his forehead.
He remembered the exact moment a year ago.
Anna looked at him with silently, pressed her fingers against his head, and knocked him out.
He also remembered the dark League of Villains mark burned directly into her shoulder.
Giulio opened his eyes and looked at the
massive shipping port in front of him.
The European underground was not fragmented at all. Over the past few months, Giulio had raided dozens of black markets and villain hideouts.
He noticed a terrifying pattern. There were no gang wars.
There was absolutely no chaos.
Every single criminal organization across the continent was suddenly falling in line. They were following strict orders from a single, unknown source.
The villains were terrified of whoever took the throne after the Gollini family fell.
Giulio's gut feeling screamed at him. He strongly suspected his Young Miss was the one holding this massive criminal empire together with an iron fist.
But he needed hard, physical proof before he made his move.
Giulio stepped out of the alleyway. He walked toward the largest warehouse on the docks to check the illegal shipping manifests inside.
CREAK.
He slipped through a side door, stepping into the dark, massive storage room.
CLINK. CLINK.
A sharp metallic sound echoed through the quiet warehouse.
Giulio stopped moving. He looked up.
A young man with pinkish hair sat on top of a tall wooden shipping crate.
He wore a dark jacket with a strange symbol on the sleeve. He had a highly arrogant smirk on his face.
He was casually tossing a solid iron ball up in the air and catching it in his bare hand.
([A/n]:
[Name: Sidero]
[Affiliation: Humarise]
[Quirk: Iron Ball]
[He can generate solid iron spheres from his hands and manipulate their trajectory at extremely high speeds!])
Sidero looked down at Giulio. He looked completely annoyed.
"You have been causing a lot of problems lately, eyepatch," Sidero complained lazily.
"..."
Giulio stayed perfectly quiet. He reached up and tightened his thick black leather combat gloves.
"My organization is trying to conduct a peaceful weapon transaction with the new European boss," Sidero sneered, gripping the iron ball tightly. "But you keep raiding the supply lines. You are just a quirk-diseased stray dog ruining the peace."
Giulio stepped forward into the dim light.
"Who do you work for?" Giulio demanded in a cold, even tone. "Give me the name of the boss you are doing business with."
"Hahahaha...." Sidero laughed loudly.
"I don't answer to diseased animals," Sidero mocked.
SWISH.
Sidero flicked his wrist. He launched the heavy iron ball straight at Giulio's head at a lethal speed.
WHOOSH.
Guilio used the raw mechanical power of his cybernetic legs to sidestep instantly.
The heavy iron ball sailed past his face and smashed a massive hole into the concrete wall behind him.
BAM.
Giulio reached inside his trench coat and pulled out his customized handgun.
"Struggle ant.." Sidero smirked.
He raised both of his hands.
Five more heavy iron balls suddenly generated in the air, floating right above his shoulders.
Giulio locked his lone eye on the target and charged straight forward.
SWIIISH.
...
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