Sitting at home on my bed, I looked at my bandaged hands. A week had passed since the battle with that creature, or rather, number forty one. A week during which I felt like a complete wreck. After using my Quirk at full power, even the slightest manipulation of Dark Matter caused pain throughout my body. The wounds from the spikes that had pierced me had healed by the end of the fight, but they left behind several unpleasant scars. So I decided to cover them up, and also hide the fact that they had already healed. A small bribe at the hospital, and all my wounds and scars were the result of a car accident in Tokyo. Never mind that I hadn't even been there at the time.
Wounds I had received before healed almost without a trace, but much more slowly. Everything has its price.
As for my Quirk and Dark Matter, the Quirk itself allows me to create and manipulate Dark Matter as if it were another limb. Improving the quality of Dark Matter comes mainly from absorbing the life force of Quirk users. Increasing the quantity is not as significant in this case, though it is still better than ordinary training.
At the end of the fight, I pushed past my limits. My Quirk, fueled by a surge of emotion and adrenaline, began producing several times more Dark Matter than usual, and I tried to bring it all under control. If I hadn't been training my body, the consequences of such a strain would have been much more severe. The enormous amount of Dark Matter pouring out of me gave a qualitative leap to my power. In that moment, I felt like I could do anything.
It seemed like reality itself was warping around me. Moving through space, destroying skyscrapers with a single punch, absorbing all energy, even the heat from the surrounding air. I felt that with a single "Rejection," I could level several city blocks of dense buildings. But my body might not have survived it. And that state only lasted thirty seconds. In that time, I killed everyone from Haijima, then fled to my hideout. The backlash hit me over the course of an hour, until I finally passed out in the hideout itself.
Luckily, my enemies still didn't know my current last name or where I lived. Otherwise, they would have set up an ambush right at my home. I had to tell my acquaintances not to bother me. I wouldn't have been able to handle Hatsume's enthusiasm. Damn. And in two days, I had to submit my application to U.A.'s support course. Japanese middle schools require this at the beginning of the final year of school. You can change where you're applying during the year, but you have to submit the application by the deadline.
Officially, I was enrolled in a middle school similar to Midoriya's, but thanks to money and taking exams as an external student, I had already received my diploma. However, it was still sitting at the school, because using it before the end of my "studies" would be like walking around with a banner that said "something is fishy here." My classmates were told that the one student who was constantly absent was being homeschooled.
Sometimes it seemed like money really did rule the world. Until you run into villains or some high ranking hero wants to inquire about the source of your finances. Of course, you could hire mercenaries, whose services are actively used by leaders of third world countries, but they are unreliable. I sighed. I needed to rest and recover quickly. The rest of the world wouldn't stop for me.
After submitting all the necessary paperwork to the school, I walked and thought about what I should do today. I couldn't do my usual training, because I still hadn't fully recovered.
[music's lyrics:*
The promise I decided to keep is in this heart...*]
Music played from my headphones as usual, putting me in a good mood.
[music's lyrics:
*If there's a life I can save by losing everything,*
*I'll be happy to throw it all away.*
*I feel like I'm living for this feeling for the first time.*
*I won't hide my scars.*
*And even if despair becomes my weapon...*]
My feet carried me through the crowded streets of Musutafu. Some people rushed about their business, others strolled leisurely, breathing in the fresh air. There was an ice cream seller with a bored expression, his four pairs of eyes scanning the flow of people. Off to the side, a little girl with red hair looked at her mother with pleading eyes.
[music's lyrics:
*Try your best, swimming through these tears.*
*I'll give you everything I have.*
*Please don't disappear.*
*The promise I decided to keep is in this heart...*]
A man, tiredly shuffling his feet, walked along, lost in his own thoughts. A group of young students walked by, chatting happily.
[music's lyrics:
*My life exists, and I'm fighting right now,*
*Because someone is risking their life.*
*I'm not afraid to lose anymore.*
*I don't want to give up on winning.*]
On a TV behind a glass storefront, a reporter was talking about an arrest made by All Might and a group of local heroes. They had captured members of a drug cartel in South America.
[music's lyrics:
*I won't run away.*
*I just want to stay who I want to be.*
*This might sound good on paper, but*
*I'm fine as long as you understand me.*]
A group of children were happily playing "Heroes and Villains." In my relaxed state, I noticed one person who stood out from the crowd for some reason.
[music's lyrics:
*Power isn't about being on top.*
*It's the ability to hold onto something important.*]
An incredibly thin man in baggy clothes, his golden hair disheveled. I stopped. I couldn't figure out what it was about him that had caught my attention. Until I realized I could sense something from him with my "Gaze."
My eyes widened.
[music's lyrics:
*Even if I lose everything,*
*I won't forget about you.*]
An enormous radiance, shimmering with eight colors, was walking toward me. Captivated by its beauty, I couldn't move. I could feel the incredible power of this man, but I could also feel it slowly fading.
"Young man, are you alright?"
The blond man with sunken eyes asked me.
"Huh? Yes, I'm fine. I was just thinking about something."
Looking at me with his piercing blue eyes, he smiled.
"If that's the case, then that's good. *Cough.* I wish you luck, young man."
He said, clearing his throat and covering his mouth with his hand, then continued walking slowly. I watched him go, noticing the blood on his palm.
[music's lyrics:
*Try your best, swimming through these tears.*
*I'll give you everything I have.*
*Please don't disappear.*
*The promise I decided to keep is in this heart...*
*Even if the light is about to go out, keep going!*
*Keep going!*] (BLUE ENCOUNT — Polaris)
Walking home, I couldn't stop thinking about that man. His power raised questions in my mind. I had spent years increasing the range and understanding of my "Gaze." Through my "Gaze," I could sense my surroundings and other people as silhouettes of light. Strong Quirk users surpassed ordinary people in brightness and intensity as much as a bonfire surpasses the flame of a match. But that man's radiance dwarfed anything I had ever seen in others. And remembering his piercing blue eyes, I asked myself:
Who was he?