Location: Venice, Italy
Date: Saturday | 09:00 AM
CLINK.
Kaito set a small white porcelain cup down on a metal outdoor table. He sat at a quiet café right next to a water canal.
He wasn't wearing his usual dark suit. He wore a casual, light blue linen shirt, sunglasses, and comfortable walking shoes. He looked exactly like a normal tourist.
"Here you go, signore. Fresh out of the oven," an older Italian waiter smiled, setting a warm pastry on the table. "Taking it easy today?"
"First time in a long time," Kaito smiled, handing the man a few euros. "Keep the change."
The waiter chuckled, tapping the table. "Good. The city is meant to be enjoyed slowly. Have a great morning."
Crunch.
Kaito took a bite of the pastry. It was warm and flaky. He followed it with a sip of his espresso. It was bitter and hot.
Just right.
He leaned back in his chair, watching a guy in a striped shirt paddle a wooden boat down the water.
A few months ago, Grandma Saki told him to explore the world. He had just ground through the American contract and Mirko's contract without a single break.
It was time to finally take her advice.
SIIP.
Kaito finished his coffee. He wiped his mouth, stood up, and walked around the corner into a quiet, dead-end alleyway.
He glanced up, making sure there were no security cameras.
He reached into his pocket and pulled out a thick stack of glossy photographs.
He found one of a massive, snowy mountain range. He locked the coordinates in his head.
SNAP.
He vanished from the alley.
_-_-_-_
Location: Mount Everest, Himalayas
Date: Saturday | 01:45 PM
WHOOSH.
Freezing cold wind hit Kaito right in the face.
He was standing at the absolute peak of the tallest mountain in the world.
He wanted to actually experience the environment.
Kaito was wearing a top-tier, heavy red mountaineering parka, thick insulated pants, and snow goggles.
He walked right to the edge, looking out at the endless white clouds below him. It was completely silent.
CRUNCH.
CRUNCH.
Heavy footsteps broke the silence.
Kaito turned his head.
A mountain climber was pulling himself up the final ledge.
The guy was completely exhausted, basically crawling to the top.
He pulled himself over the edge and collapsed on his back, panting heavily through his oxygen mask.
Kaito walked over casually.
"Hell of a climb, right?" Kaito asked, his breath turning into white fog.
The climber jumped a little, looking up at Kaito's heavy red parka. He let out a tired laugh, pulling his mask down for a second.
"Oh shi... Man you scared me... I didn't even hear you come up from the north ridge," the climber gasped. "I thought I was the first one up today."
"Just got here myself," Kaito lied smoothly. He reached into his deep jacket pocket and pulled out a high-calorie chocolate bar. He tossed it to the guy. "Here. You look like you need the sugar more than I do."
"Oh, man. Thank you," the climber sighed, tearing the wrapper open. "You're a lifesaver."
"Enjoy the view," Kaito nodded.
Kaito turned around and walked a few steps away toward the edge of the peak.
He didn't just snap away. He subtly activated his Quirk, laying down a low-level cognition block around himself.
To the climber behind him, Kaito simply blurred into the background, easily ignored and forgotten by the brain.
Hidden in plain sight, Kaito pulled out his stack of photos again.
The rest of Saturday was a blur of absolute freedom.
He snapped to a late lunch in the neon-lit streets of Tokyo, eating hot ramen at a street stall.
SNAP.
He watched the glowing green Northern lights from a quiet, freezing field in Iceland just past midnight.
SNAP.
_-_-_-_-_
Location: The Bahamas – Private Beach
Date: Sunday | 02:30 PM
CRASH.
A nice, solid six-foot wave curled over the clear blue ocean.
Kaito carved through the water. He was wearing dark blue board shorts.
He just surfed like a normal, experienced guy enjoying a good afternoon swell.
He slid his hand against the water, riding the wave smoothly all the way to the shallows.
SPLASH.
He laughed a little, shaking the wet hair out of his face. 'I really didn't expect I could surf this well,' he thought to himself. 'The public really believes Hero X can do anything.'
He grabbed the rental board under his arm and walked up the white sand beach toward a small wooden beach bar.
"Nice run out there, man," the local bartender said, wiping down the wooden counter.
"Water is perfect today," Kaito smiled, resting the board against the wall. "Can I get a cold beer?"
"You got it," the bartender nodded, popping the cap off a glass bottle and sliding it over. "You here for the whole week?"
"Just a quick weekend trip," Kaito said, taking a long drink. "Just clearing my head."
"Well, you found the right spot for it," the bartender chuckled.
Kaito took his beer and walked over to a lounge chair under a large umbrella. He sat down, stretching his legs out.
He clearly remembered watching that old movie, 'Jumper'. He remembered thinking how crazy it would be to just blink and go anywhere.
'Using that movie as a reference really paid off,' Kaito thought.
He finished his beer.
"Aah, that hit the spot."
RUSTLE. RUSTLE.
He grabbed his stack of photos again.
SNAP.
_-_-_-_-_
Location: Paris, France
Date: Sunday | 08:15 PM
DING.
The small bell above the bakery door chimed.
"Ah, bonsoir!" an old French woman smiled from behind the glass counter. "Late night snack, monsieur?"
"Yes, please," Kaito smiled. He was wearing a warm, dark peacoat to fight off the chilly evening air. "I'll take two of those chocolate croissants. The fresh ones."
"Wow you have a good accent. And you also have a good eye," the woman laughed, using her quirk, Grab, to place the warm pastries into a brown paper bag. "Enjoy the city!"
"Thank you," Kaito nodded, handing her a few euros.
He walked out of the bakery and into the busy street. He looked up.
Right in front of him, glowing with bright yellow lights against the night sky, was the Eiffel Tower.
Kaito walked toward it, slipping his hands into his coat pockets.
He cast his cognition block over himself again. Security guards and tourists just naturally looked away as he walked past the barricades.
He looked up at a restricted, narrow steel crossbeam on the very outside of the tower, hundreds of feet in the air where no normal person could ever reach.
SNAP.
BREEZE.
The cool evening wind ruffled Kaito's hair. He was sitting on the high steel beam, his legs dangling over the edge.
Miles and miles of glowing city lights spread out below him.
He opened the brown paper bag and took a bite of the warm chocolate croissant. He chewed slowly, enjoying the massive view.
BZZZT. BZZZT.
Kaito blinked.
His personal cell phone was vibrating in his coat pocket.
He pulled it out. The screen showed a video call request from Grandma Saki.
Kaito smiled and hit the green answer button.
"Hey, Grandma," Kaito said casually. "How are you doing?"
"I still can't believe him!" a loud voice yelled from the background of the video feed.
It wasn't Saki. It was Makoto.
The camera shook, and Makoto's face suddenly filled the screen.
She was wearing a pink cooking apron, holding a wooden spoon, and looking incredibly stressed out.
"Kaito!" Makoto yelled, pointing the wooden spoon at the phone. "Where the hell are you?! You didn't tell anyone you were leaving! Me, Koichi and the other went to your room yesterday and today! Nobody has seen you!"
Kaito chuckled, looking at the screen. "Makoto? What are you doing at my grandma's house?"
Saki's face leaned into the frame, smiling warmly. "She came over to help me cook dinner. She is a very good cook."
"We we'rewas worried about you!" Makoto argued, leaning back into the camera. "Seriously, where are you right now? You're wearing a heavy coat!"
Kaito didn't answer. He just grabbed his phone and turned the camera around.
Behind him, massive and glowing with bright yellow lights against the night sky, was the entire skyline of Paris, stretching out from the Eiffel Tower.
"....."
Makoto's jaw dropped. She stared at the screen, totally dumbfounded.
"Are you... in Paris?!" Makoto asked, her voice completely cracking. "How did you even get there?"
"I'm just testing out a new ability," Kaito said, turning the camera back to himself. "I'm taking a break for a couple of days. The contract with Rumi is done, so I wanted to see the world."
"A new ability that lets you go to Paris?! Being Hero X is really convenient. You really have an unreasonable quirk." Makoto rubbed her temples, letting out a heavy sigh. "You know what? Fine. Just bring us back a souvenir."
"I will," Kaito laughed softly. "Have a good dinner. See you later, Grandma."
BEEP.
The call ended.
_-_-_-_-_
Location: Shizuoka – Grandma Saki's House
Date: Sunday | 07:20 PM (JST)
Makoto stood in the living room, staring at the black screen of the phone.
SIGH.
She let out a long, heavy breath.
"Unbelievable," Makoto muttered, handing the phone back to Saki. "He literally has an S-Rank reality-warping Quirk, and he uses it to skip airport security and eat croissants."
Saki just laughed, slipping the phone back into her pocket. "Let him have his fun. The soup is going to burn, dear."
"Right!"
Makoto quickly spun around and jogged back into the kitchen.
A few minutes later, she carried two hot bowls over to the low wooden table in the living room.
She set them down and took a seat across from Saki.
They ate in comfortable silence for a bit. This wasn't a rare thing for them at all.
Months ago, Makoto was in Shizuoka handling some boring paperwork for the O'Clock agency.
She walked into a local grocery store to grab a drink and saw Saki carrying a bag of groceries.
Makoto stepped in, carried the bag all the way to this exact house, and they just started talking.
Since then, whenever Makoto had a day off or was in town for work, she would drop by to visit.
Saki liked her a lot, and Makoto loved having someone normal to talk to.
"I still can't believe him, Mrs. Arisaka" Makoto mumbled, blowing on her hot soup. "The others were literally looking for him yesterday. We thought he was busy or something... Or maybe defeating villains and so on. But, he's just chilling on the Eiffel Tower."
"....."
Saki smiled, setting her chopsticks down on her napkin. She could hear the genuine worry hiding right behind Makoto's annoyance.
"He's enjoying himself," Saki said softly. "I'm really glad. He never got to do things like that when he was young."
Makoto looked up, pausing with her spoon halfway to her mouth. "What do you mean?"
"Kaito was always way too serious... And well too worrying" Saki explained.
She looked down at her tea cup with a slightly sad smile. "After his parents passed, he grew up with just me. He didn't play outside. He didn't have any real childhood friends. He just studied, read his books, and maybe do things that were so weird I almost got a heart attack. Thankfully, he grew past that period. You could really say he's alone and detached to the world around him."
Makoto felt a slight ache in her chest hearing that. She pictured a young Kaito just sitting alone in his room, totally isolated from the world.
"Well, he has us now," Makoto said firmly, looking Saki right in the eye. "Koichi, Kazuho, the Old man and others. You and me... We won't let him be a loner anymore."
"....."
Saki looked at Makoto. Her eyes were warm, bright, and very knowing.
"You're a very kind girl, Makoto," Saki said gently. "You really look out for him. I appreciate that, Mrs. Arisaka."
"....."
Makoto froze.
"Huh?!"
Her eyes went wide. Her entire face turned completely bright red.
"M-Mrs. Arisaka?!" Makoto stuttered, waving her hands frantically in the air, nearly knocking over her soup. "No, no, no! We aren't married! We're just friends! I mean, neighbors! I mean— I just help him look out for things!"
Saki just laughed. It was a clear, happy sound that filled the room.
"Just call me Grandma," Saki teased gently.
Makoto looked down at her lap, totally defeated.
She was still blushing hard, her ears burning. She nervously picked at the fabric of her pink apron.
"I just..." Makoto started, her voice getting much quieter. "I don't know. It's hard."
"What's hard?" Saki asked kindly.
"Look at who he works with," Makoto muttered, staring at her soup. "He just finished living in a bunker with Mirko for two months. Ryukyu is super elegant. Uwabami is literally a famous model. And Midnight is... well, she's Midnight. He's surrounded by all these amazing, gorgeous, top-tier pro heroes. I'm just... Makoto. I'm just a normal civilian."
Saki reached across the small table and gently patted Makoto's hand.
"That's exactly why you shouldn't worry," Saki said firmly.
Makoto looked up, confused. "Huh?"
"From what I know, those women are just work," Saki explained simply. "He's a professional. They are clients. I believe he just sees them as people who need his help to fix their careers."
Saki gave Makoto a very encouraging smile.
"But you?" Saki continued. "You aren't a client. You know his real secret. You know he's Hero X. You sit right here in my living room and eat soup with me. You know his normal life. You treat him like a regular person, not a ticket to the Billboard charts."
Makoto didn't say anything. She just listened.
"That is a massive advantage," Saki said, squeezing her hand. "Don't underestimate being normal. You just need to be a little more proactive. Make a move. Don't wait for him to figure it out on his own. He's a genius when it comes to business, but he's completely passive when it comes to a girl right in front of him."
"...."
Makoto stared at Saki. The older woman wasn't just giving her advice.
She was basically giving Makoto her full blessing to go for it.
Makoto slowly nodded. A small, genuine smile crept onto her face, replacing the worry.
"Yeah," Makoto said softly, her confidence coming back. "I will think about it, Grandma. After all, knowing him, he isn't ready to have any sort of relationship."
"That's what I'm worrying dear. He will grow old and won't give me a bunch of great-grandchildren."
"Wha---?!"
"Hehehe... Just ignore me."
_-_-_-_-_-_
Location: Naruhata – Golden Manager Office
Date: Monday | 08:30 AM
BEEP. BEEP.
Kaito sat at his large wooden desk. He was back in his dark suit, his hair neatly styled. His two-day vacation was officially over.
The computer monitor on his desk flashed with dozens of notifications.
His agency system was filtering through a massive pile of emails and voicemails. The news broke last Friday that his contract with Mirko was over.
Now, every hero agency in the country and internationally top pro heroes were trying to make contract with him.
His private cell phone rang.
Kaito picked it up. "Hello?"
"Arisaka! It's me!"
Emi Fukukado's voice came through the speaker. She sounded out of breath and nervous, but extremely excited.
"Emi," Kaito said easily. "How are the second-year students holding up?"
"They are completely pumped," Emi laughed nervously. "Listen, today is the Provisional Hero License Exam. We are at the National Takoba Arena right now. The students are getting ready in the locker rooms. You have to come watch."
"I don't have a pass for the arena," Kaito pointed out.
"I already pulled some strings!" Emi said quickly. "I put your name on the guest faculty list for Ketsubutsu Academy. You can sit with us in the VIP observation deck. Please come. We want you to see the results of your syllabus."
Kaito checked his calendar. He didn't have any important things to attend.
"Alright," Kaito agreed. "I'll be there in twenty minutes."
"Yes! Awesome! See you soon!" Emi cheered and hung up.
Kaito stood up, grabbed his suit jacket off the back of his chair, and walked out of his office.
He took the elevator down to the ground floor and pushed the front glass doors open to step onto the sidewalk.
SWOOSH.
A massive gust of wind hit the street.
A figure dropped straight out of the morning sky and landed heavily on the pavement right in front of Kaito.
Large, bright red wings folded neatly behind the man's back.
Keigo Takami, the rising star Pro Hero Hawks, stood up straight.
He was wearing his usual fur-lined jacket and yellow visor. He had a half-eaten chicken skewer in his hand.
"Man, finally," Keigo sighed, taking a bite of the chicken. "I have been waiting around this neighborhood for two whole days. Where did you go?"
Kaito didn't flinch. He just looked at the winged hero.
"I took a weekend off," Kaito said calmly. "What business do you want, Hawks? Contract?"
Keigo grinned, pointing the wooden skewer at Kaito. "You're a hard guy to track down now. It wasn't like this back at the Shizuoka Hub."
"Back at the hub, you were just a loud kid who kept breaking his support gear every single week," Kaito replied smoothly.
It was about two years ago.
Before Kaito became the Golden Manager, he worked as an equipment auditor at the Support Hero Hub.
Keigo was just a rookie back then, but the Hero Public Safety Commission already trained him. Everyone just gave him whatever he wanted.
Except Kaito. Kaito audited his gear, bluntly told him his custom visors were badly designed, and actually guided Keigo on his Quirk usage.
He taught the rookie how to adjust his feather spread to reduce wind drag, so he wouldn't shatter his goggles every time he went into a high-speed dive.
Keigo never forgot that.
"Hey, I fly fast. Stuff breaks," Keigo shrugged, tossing the empty skewer into a nearby trash can.
He shoved his hands into his pockets. He dropped the casual smile and looked serious.
"I just started my own agency," Keigo said. "I'm officially independent now. I want to be the fastest hero in the country. But managing the patrol routes, the sidekicks, the paperwork... it slows me down. I want you to design my logistics and give me advice how to use my quirk better. I'm so envious on how Mirko got so strong."
"We'll talk about it later," Kaito replied.
"Huh? I have money," Keigo shot back. "Name your price."
Kaito checked his watch. He didn't have time to negotiate right now.
"I'm sorry Keigo but," Kaito said, stepping around Keigo and walking down the sidewalk. "I have somewhere to be."
"Where?" Keigo asked, quickly matching his pace.
"The National Takoba Arena," Kaito answered. "I was invited to watch the Provisional License Exam."
"...."
Keigo blinked. He looked at Kaito, then looked up at the sky. He was supposed to go back to Kyushu and run a patrol route.
"Cool," Keigo grinned, falling right into step beside Kaito. "I'll tag along."
Kaito glanced sideways at him. "You don't have a patrol?"
"I canceled it," Keigo said. "Like I said, I'm not waiting in line behind a bunch of emails to hire you. If I go back now maybe others will be accepted instead of me. If you go to the arena, I go to the arena."
Sigh.
Kaito just sighed quietly. "Suit yourself."
"Hehehe"
_-_-_-_-_-_
Location: National Takoba Arena – Observation Deck
Date: Monday | 09:15 AM
The VIP observation deck sat high above the arena floor.
It was a massive, soundproof room with floor-to-ceiling glass windows.
It gave a perfect view of the entire battlefield, from the ruined city zone to the rocky mountains.
The room was packed.
Dozens of veteran teachers from the top hero schools across the country stood around, drinking coffee and talking before the exam started.
Teachers wearing the dark uniforms and signature hats of Shiketsu High stood in one group.
The faculty of Seiai Academy and Isamu Academy mingled near the front.
In the back corner, sitting in a folding chair and looking completely exhausted, was Shota Aizawa.
Vlad King stood next to him, his massive arms crossed over his chest.
Midnight leaned against the glass nearby, casually checking her phone.
CREAAAK.
The heavy double doors to the observation deck pushed open.
Aizawa glanced over lazily. His eyes immediately narrowed.
Kaito walked into the room. His dark suit was perfectly tailored, and he looked completely calm.
Right behind him, casually looking around the room with his hands in his pockets, was Keigo Takami. The rising star who just went independent.
Fweet-ooh.
Keigo let out a low whistle. "Ooh, so this is what it looks like," he grinned. "I've never experienced this type of event."
He was given a private hero education from a very young age by the HPSC, bypassing the standard high school route entirely. So joining Kaito here was a new thing for him.
"..."
"..."
The loud chatter in the room instantly died. Every single teacher turned to look at the door.
Total silence.
"Hey isn't that Kaito Arisaka?"
"Yes, the most sought manager in the pro hero industry."
"The Golden Manager in the flesh."
"What is he doing here?"
"Someone probably invited him"
They all recognized Kaito from the news. The Golden Manager.
The guy who just pushed Best Jeanist into the top rankings, contracted Endeavor and handled America's No. 1 and No. 2 hero.
And Hawks, one of the most famous rising heroes in Japan, was just following him around like it was nothing.
Immediately, the networking started.
A tall teacher from Shiketsu High quickly walked over, holding out a business card with both hands.
"Mr. Arisaka," the Shiketsu teacher said respectfully. "It's an absolute honor. If you are ever looking to consult or manage promising new graduates, Shiketsu High would love to set up a meeting."
Kaito took the card smoothly and nodded. "Thank you. But I'm not here for business today. I'm just a guest spectator watching the exam."
A female teacher from Seiai Academy stepped up next, offering her hand. "Still, it's wonderful to meet you in person. I'm with Seiai Academy."
"A pleasure," Kaito said, shaking her hand politely.
He greeted every teacher who walked up to introduce themselves, handling the crowd with perfect professionalism.
He slowly made his way through the room until he reached the back area where the U.A. and Ketsubutsu teachers were standing.
Vlad King looked down at Kaito. The massive hero didn't offer a business card, just a firm nod.
"Kan Sekijiro. Vlad King. U.A. Class 1-B," the huge man introduced bluntly.
"Arisaka Kaito," Kaito replied, giving him a respectful nod back. "Good to meet you."
"Ugh."
Across from them, Aizawa let out a heavy groan and rubbed his tired eyes.
Aizawa knew exactly who Arisaka Kaito was. The whole industry did. And Aizawa knew for a fact that the Golden Manager didn't just take random days off to watch high school exams for fun.
Aizawa watched Kaito stand near Emi Fukukado.
Keigo was lingering right there too, leaning in and trying to insert himself into their conversation.
Emi didn't say anything out loud to the room, but she gave Kaito a massive, knowing smile and a very subtle nod.
Aizawa's headache instantly got worse. He put the pieces together.
"Unbelievable," Aizawa muttered under his breath. "That guy always brings a headache with him. He isn't just here as an acquaintance."
"What was that, Eraser?" Vlad King grunted, looking over.
"Ketsubutsu," Aizawa sighed, slouching deeper into his chair. "They brought a ringer to probably change their students."
"What do you mean by that, Eraser?"
"Just watch... Maybe I'm wrong."
Midnight chuckled on the side. She pushed herself off the glass wall and walked over.
CLICK.
CLICK.
Her heels tapped loudly on the floor. She walked right up to Kaito.
She didn't put on her usual R-Rated, flirtatious persona for the crowd. She looked genuine.
"Kaito," Nemuri smiled warmly. "It's really good to see you."
"Nemuri," Kaito nodded. "You look like you belong here."
"I took your advice," she said softly, her tone full of real gratitude. "I didn't just apply as an art history teacher. I pitched the psychological profiling and physiology class to Principal Nezu. I actually got the job. I really owe you for that."
"You put in the work," Kaito replied. "I just pointed you in the right direction."
"Let's have a dinner sometime. I want to thank you for your advice"
"Sure. Anytime."
Nemuri smiled wider.
She looked past him and spotted Keigo standing there with his hands in his pockets, looking down at the arena.
"And I see you brought a stray bird into the teacher's lounge," Nemuri teased.
"Excuse me Midnight... I'm independent now," Keigo grinned, giving her a lazy two-finger salute without looking away from the glass. "I go where I want."
"Sure you do," Nemuri smirked.
Before Keigo could answer back, a massive sound echoed through the entire arena.
BZZZZZT.
The loud buzzer vibrated through the floorboards.
"Attention all examinees," a loud voice spoke over the arena intercom. "Phase One of the Provisional Hero License Exam will now begin."
The massive screens mounted on the walls of the observation deck flickered on.
They showed live camera feeds of the different starting zones.
Emi stood right next to Kaito, looking at the screens. She was practically vibrating with excitement.
"Here we go," Emi whispered to him, her voice barely hiding her huge grin. "Let's see what your Specialists can do."
Kaito put his hands in his pockets. Keigo leaned against the glass next to him, his sharp golden eyes locked on the screens below.
The exam had started.
_-_-_-_-_-
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(9 Advanced Chapters)