Reiji exhaled slowly. Sweat trickled down his forehead as his gaze remained fixed on the opponents in front of him.
Six Level 1 sensor-activated steel humanoid dummies surrounded him in a semicircular formation. The sharp starting beep echoed through the hidden speakers.
He moved instantly.
His blood surged forth effortlessly, taking the form of whips and spears, dancing with harmonious precision. There was no mistake, no hesitation. Three of the dummies were pierced before the first could even feign an attack.
The fourth managed to fire a simulated electric shock. Reiji deflected its path with a curved blade of solidified blood. He spun on a heel, dodged another blow, and struck the fifth robot with a needle that pierced the slot in its mechanical neck.
Before the fourth could attack again, he hurled the spear in his other hand straight into its metal eye. The crimson weapon pierced it, before exploding at Reiji's command, completely shattering its head.
Reiji leaped backward, dodging the last one's sneak attack, and using only his brute strength, struck the robot's "chin," punching its skull right off along with the circuits.
Ten seconds. All out of commission.
The digital timer displayed it in red, flashing. It wasn't his best time. But it didn't matter; he wasn't trying anyway.
He looked at his knuckles; he might have regeneration, but punching a steel dummy was no small feat either. He still had the red marks with a little blood seeping from wounds that were closing before his eyes.
"You're holding back again."
The familiar voice boomed from the observation balcony. Reiji looked up. Hawks watched him with his arms crossed, leaning casually against the railing. Although he was now wearing a hero's uniform, his attitude hadn't changed. He smiled with the same mocking air, but his eyes were sharper.
"I'm not holding back," Reiji said, wiping the sweat from his brow with the back of his arm. "I'm testing my body."
"Testing, holding back. It's the same with the data—you can do better, but you don't."
Hawks descended with a soft flutter of his wings. His boots touched the ground with a faint crunch. He walked among the shattered dummies and nodded approvingly.
Then his gaze settled on the boy in front of him; he was a head taller, but Hawks wasn't sure how long that would last.
"I spoke with the Commission today… Or rather, they spoke with me," he said without looking at him. "They told me you passed the advanced simulation scenarios with flying colors. They even asked me if you were fit for real-world operations."
"And what did you say?"
"That you still don't know how to take a life if the situation warrants it."
Reiji nodded in understanding; he knew that what he was doing would inevitably lead him down that path. But he wanted to put it off as long as possible; the thought that he could become as cold-hearted as those who had experimented on him made him reject the idea of taking a life.
Three and a half years had passed since he accepted Hawks' offer. Three and a half years since Himiko and Reiji received that "miraculous" scholarship to a private school, modern and equipped like no other.
Three and a half years during which his family believed he was simply a brilliant child, while Reiji trained relentlessly until he bled in the labyrinth of rooms, chambers, and hidden offices beneath the school.
"The Commission wants results no matter the cost," Hawks said, his tone softer now. "And I know you're capable of it—I'd even say you're better prepared than I was at your age… But I'd rather you live your life a little longer. Once you start taking on real cases, things really change."
Hawks paused.
"I became a professional hero a year ago," he said, without embellishment. "The Commission helped me with everything. Agency, permits, media coverage… Even so, I don't feel like I've fulfilled the purpose for which I was born; I'm still trying to see myself as more than just an asset."
He made a gesture with his fingers, a sort of quotation mark in the air as he said "asset." The gesture took away some of the formality, but not the weight.
"What's this about?" Reiji said, without a trace of sarcasm.
"Always straight to the point," Hawks replied, smiling this time. "What I want you to understand, Reiji, is that this path comes at a cost. Every time you accept a job, even if it's just symbolic… you lose something."
Reiji lowered his gaze. Hawks usually called him by his first name only for serious matters, as in this case.
"The day I agreed to join the Commission," Hawks continued, pacing slowly around the room. "I didn't know what it really meant. I was an orphan who had lost his parents and knew nothing else."
Even though he'd already told him the story a few times, he repeated it again just to make sure the message was clear to Reiji.
"But they trained me to see it. To notice what traditional heroes can't see. Information trafficking. Corruption in the upper echelons. Not even the most dangerous villains are as messed up as the things hidden under society's shiny rugs."
He stopped right in front of Reiji.
"You already know that, don't you? I can't put it into words, but it was as if your mind wasn't in sync with your body; you were… You're much older than you should be." He said it casually; Reiji didn't flinch.
He knew Hawks was observant, very analytical despite his laid-back personality. But he wouldn't exactly tell him that he'd lived two lives—if you could even call the first one a life.
"You're starting to sound like my older brother, don't you think?" he asked with a crooked smile, one he rarely showed.
He didn't even feel as much affection for his parents as he did for Hawks; unlike them, the person in front of him was someone who perfectly understood the world and how easily things change—a trusted friend, almost a brother.
Perhaps the kind of person he'd hoped would save him in his previous life.
"And that's why I want you to be prepared. Not just physically. Not just with your Quirk. I want you to have good judgment. Because someday you're going to have to make decisions that don't have a right side, and I don't want you to lose the certainty you have."
He walked back toward the room's sensors. He touched a panel and shut down all the remaining dummies with a simple code. The light changed slightly, shifting from a clinical white to a softer amber.
"What you can't lose, in simple terms, is your reason. Your motive." Hawks always spoke philosophically; he had a unique gift for making you reflect.
"Himiko?"
"Her, yourself, the world you want to protect… It doesn't matter which one you choose. Just make sure it's yours."
Silence took hold of the room once more. This time, it was warmer. Almost brotherly.
Reiji took a few steps and sat down on a nearby bench. When his body finally relaxed, he let out a low chuckle.
"That was pretty poetic for someone who's always telling bad jokes."
Hawks let out a brief laugh. "Hey, poetry and sarcasm aren't mutually exclusive."
After that, they both fell silent for a few minutes. Hawks walked over to a nearby locker and pulled out a towel along with a bag containing fresh blood, tossing it to Reiji. He caught it on the fly.
It wasn't too difficult for an organization that could afford a large animal facility to get a little animal blood to feed one of its future agents.
"So?" Hawks asked. "Do you want to move on to the next stage?"
Reiji didn't hesitate. "Yes."
Hawks nodded, satisfied.
"Then get ready. The next stage will be different. Less theory, more fieldwork. They'll train you in observation, infiltration, reading body language, forgery, fingerprints, digital espionage."
He leaned toward him.
"And when the time comes… you'll do your first real job."
Reiji didn't answer. Hawks ruffled his hair like a younger brother's. "You're almost there, Reiji. Just don't rush into growing up. Believe me, being an adult comes with more paperwork than it's worth."
They both laughed softly. It was an unusual sound in that room.
***
Reiji walked into his house, carelessly dropping his backpack on the floor. His school uniform was slightly wrinkled, and his collar was unbuttoned. As soon as he closed the door, he heard Himiko's voice behind him.
He startled slightly; even with his senses trained and prepared for such things, he hadn't noticed her presence.
"He has a natural talent for this… No wonder he got so strong on his own."
"Did you train again?" she asked, frowning, her arms crossed over her chest. Although she still had that worried older-sister expression, the height difference between them made the scene almost comical. Reiji had grown fast. Too fast.
Reiji was twelve and Himiko fourteen, yet it seemed as though Reiji were the older one.
"Yeah, you know that. Why are you asking?" he replied, without stopping to look at her as he headed to the kitchen for a glass of water. Over time, the family's view of the scholarship had shifted somewhat.
Now he was also training to become a hero, which meant spending more time at the academy, training for that purpose.
"Because you're not supposed to skip all your classes like it's no big deal…" she insisted, following him with light but firm steps. Reiji wasn't surprised that Himiko knew that; although he could lie to his classmates, he couldn't lie to Himiko.
Reiji drank in silence. The water was cold, just what he needed on a hot day.
"I've got it under control," he said at last, setting the glass down in the sink. "Besides, it's not like my grades have dropped. I already told you that."
Himiko looked at him in silence. Clearly annoyed by his response—since her parents had gotten a promotion, they no longer spent much time at home, and Himiko spent most of her time alone.
"That's not what I mean…"
Reiji gave a weary smile.
'I'm basically training to be an assassin; I can't tell you that…'
"Sorry, I'll try to get home earlier tomorrow."
Himiko just sighed and moved away a little; loneliness was the greatest pain a person could experience, and Reiji knew it.
"I'm doing this to protect you," Reiji tried to explain.
"You're supposed to be by my side to do that," Himiko emphasized, and immediately afterward, without warning, she bit his shoulder.
"Agh! Not that again?" Reiji complained, taking a step back while bringing his hand to the affected area. It wasn't the first time his sister had used her teeth as a method of protest.
She, however, just puffed out her cheeks as if she were absolutely right.
"It's my official punishment. For acting like an adult when you shouldn't."
Reiji let out a soft laugh, his head bowed. Then he reached out and ruffled his sister's blonde hair, just as Hawks used to do to him.
"Thanks for caring, Himiko."
She snorted, though a smile crept into the corner of her lips. "You're welcome. But you owe me a night out for every time you come home late."
"That would ruin me."
"Then start coming home earlier, silly."
Reiji had already turned around, ready to go up to his room, when he heard her voice again, this time softer.
"Reiji…"
The boy stopped, one eyebrow raised and a sidelong glance.
"What's up now? Another emotional punishment? An extra lecture?" he said in a teasing tone, though his smile was sincere.
Himiko slowly shook her head, twirling a strand of her hair.
"Do you have any blood?"
The question was direct, but not awkward. Almost like someone asking for a treat before dinner.
Reiji didn't answer right away. He turned fully toward her, looking at his sister. The evening light streaming through the window cast a golden glow on her face, etching that expression—a mix of tenderness and need—into his mind.
"Do you really need it? I thought you were more stable lately"
"I am..." Himiko looked away, somewhat embarrassed. "But today was a little harder. I don't know why"
She fell silent for a second, then looked up at Reiji with a shy smile. The boy had understood why; his sense of smell didn't reveal the fact that Himiko had already started her period.
As a result, she'd likely have stronger blood urges due to hormonal changes—at least that's what Hawks had told him when Reiji himself reached puberty. It made sense that it would be worse for a woman.
'Maybe this is what made her give in to her impulse in the story.'
"All right, this is my payment for being late today."
Himiko's eyes sparkled, and she nodded repeatedly as she walked over to Reiji, who bared his forearm; the girl frowned.
"From the neck… It shows more…" she said, almost as a demand, while blushing slightly with embarrassment.
Reiji looked at her with a mixture of disbelief and resignation. He tilted his head slightly, exhaling through his nose.
"Not that again? Didn't we agree that the arms were more practical?"
Himiko looked away, puffing out her cheeks a little with childish stubbornness.
"It's just a little… Besides, the taste changes depending on the area, did you know that? It's like… Like it has nuances." Her fingers intertwined behind her back, and though she spoke confidently, the faint blush on her cheeks betrayed her deep embarrassment.
'I know perfectly well, Himiko—the neck is easier to pierce and find an artery rich in blood and minerals…'
Reiji remained silent for a few more seconds, then let out a final sigh and shrugged. With a single gesture, he unbuttoned the top button of his school shirt and tilted his head slightly, exposing the side of his neck.
"All right. Just a little."
Himiko nodded silently, but her eyes shone with a mixture of restrained excitement and tenderness. She approached with soft, almost reverent steps, and when she was close enough, she carefully placed her hands on her brother's shoulders.
Her fangs brushed against his warm skin before piercing it with precision. There was no pain, or if there was, Reiji didn't show it. He just stood still, resting one hand against the countertop to steady himself as his pulse slowed.
Himiko drank slowly. She was no longer the same as she had been as a child, letting herself be carried away by impulse, taking everything as fast as possible. Now she savored the moment as if it were something sacred, taking the time to relish the taste.
When she pulled away, she let out a soft sigh, her cheeks still tinged with that faint blush that wouldn't fade.
"Thank you…" she murmured, almost in a whisper.
Reiji buttoned his collar back up and patted her on the forehead.
"I hope that makes up for past delays," he emphasized, feeling a bit fatigued; it was hard to gauge how much blood he'd drunk, but he could clearly have filled a glass with ease.
Her face had grown a little paler.
She smiled, calmer now, as if that little ritual between them had restored something within her.
"It was worth two."
"Cheater."
They both laughed softly.
Reiji simply turned halfway around and walked toward the stairs, and before going up, he said without turning back:
"Let me know if you ever need it again… But promise me you won't do it with anyone else."
"I don't want anyone else."
The answer was immediate. And so firm that it hung in the air, laden with a feeling Reiji didn't want to acknowledge.
***
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