Despite everything, Amano Sora's mind was racing like a storm, tiny arcs of lightning flashing through his thoughts.
Why did All Might talk to me?
He replayed the scene again and again in his head.
Earlier, he had looked like just another lost kid on the street. And in a city this big, there were countless people who needed help every day. Even patrol heroes passed by without stopping for every civilian.
So why him?
All Might wasn't the kind of person who casually struck up conversations with strangers—especially not when he wasn't in hero form.
Unless…
"…He saw me use the Speed Force."
Sora's gaze sharpened.
Normal civilians wouldn't notice anything strange. But All Might wasn't normal. Even in his weakened state, his perception far surpassed that of ordinary people.
And that strange nickname…
Scud boy.
Sora narrowed his eyes.
"So that's it…"
He hadn't realized it at the time, but now it made sense.
The only moment when he had clearly used the Speed Force in public was at the bus stop.
And if All Might had been nearby then…
That would explain everything.
—
The bustling street remained lively as ever, pedestrians passing by in waves. Sora and the emaciated version of All Might stood facing each other, an odd pair in the middle of the crowd.
"Young man," All Might said with a friendly smile, gesturing to the road behind them, "you looked like you needed help earlier. Why didn't you ask one of the patrolling Heroes?"
He pointed toward two Heroes who had just passed by—Burst Spring and Violent Wolf, both well-known in the area.
Sora didn't answer immediately.
Instead, he tilted his head slightly and smiled faintly.
"Uncle Zombie… you're really strong, aren't you?"
All Might froze.
"…Eh?"
Sora continued calmly, "When you called me earlier, you said 'Scud boy,' right? That wasn't a random guess."
A bead of sweat slid down All Might's temple.
"Haha… you must be mistaken!" he laughed awkwardly. "I just thought you ran pretty fast, that's all!"
Sora shook his head lightly.
"That wouldn't be enough. Ordinary people can't even see that kind of speed."
He lifted his gaze, eyes sharp and steady.
"This is the age of Quirks. Strength isn't about appearance."
All Might's smile stiffened.
He had slipped.
"…Haha, you're quite perceptive for your age," he said, waving his hand dismissively. "But I only saw you appear and disappear. That's all."
Exactly, Sora thought.
Which meant—
"You were at the bus stop earlier," he said calmly.
All Might blinked. "Hm?"
"You saw what happened there."
The old hero fell silent for a moment.
Then he laughed softly.
"You're sharper than you look."
Sora exhaled slowly. So his guess had been right.
He hadn't intended to expose All Might's identity—but the man himself had walked straight into the truth.
"Let's not talk here," Sora said, glancing around. "Too many people."
All Might hesitated, then nodded. His hero time was almost over anyway.
They walked together into a small park nearby and sat down on a bench beneath the shade of a tree.
After a brief silence, All Might spoke again.
"So… care to explain?"
Sora leaned back and shrugged.
"It's simple. My Quirk just awakened today."
"…Today?"
"Yes. First time ever."
All Might's eyes widened slightly.
"You're saying you only started using it today?"
"Yep."
A moment passed.
Then All Might's expression changed completely.
"May I ask… how old you are?"
"Fifteen."
The words hit like a thunderclap.
"Fifteen…" All Might murmured.
His mind raced.
Quirks usually manifested by age four. Even late bloomers rarely awakened after six. Cases beyond seven were almost nonexistent—and even those were usually weak.
A fifteen-year-old awakening a Quirk…
And one this powerful?
Impossible.
Yet the boy sat right in front of him.
"And you can already control it?" All Might asked carefully.
"More or less," Sora replied casually. "It's not that hard."
That answer nearly made All Might choke.
Not that hard?!
This was unprecedented.
His mind immediately leapt to one conclusion—
A miracle… or a destiny-level anomaly.
All Might fell into deep thought, muttering to himself without realizing it.
"Late awakening… overwhelming power… instant control… could it be a mutation beyond recorded parameters… or something else entirely…"
Sora watched him silently, the corners of his mouth twitching.
Yep. He's gone full nerd mode.
Finally, All Might snapped out of it and coughed awkwardly.
"Ah—sorry about that. Old habit."
Sora smiled faintly.
"By the way, uncle… I actually wanted to ask for directions."
"Oh?"
"I'm trying to get back to the Hero residential district."
"All of them?"
"…Yes."
All Might stared at him.
Then burst out laughing.
"So you're lost!"
Sora's face darkened. "You didn't have to say it out loud…"
All Might wiped a tear from his eye, still smiling.
"Well, you're not too far. The D-sector is closest from here."
He pointed down the street.
"Go straight through seven intersections, turn left at the next big crossing, then right after three blocks. You'll see the Hero residential area sign."
"…That far?"
"No wonder you're lost."
Sora sighed deeply.
He really had run too far while starving.
"Well," All Might said kindly, standing up, "I hope you make it home safely."
Sora nodded.
"Thanks. And… um…"
He hesitated, then bowed slightly.
"Thanks for earlier."
All Might smiled warmly.
"No problem, young man."
As Sora turned to leave, neither of them noticed the faint shift in the air.
Fate had already begun to turn.