By the time night fell, it was already close to eight o'clock.
When Amano Sora finally returned home, the apartment was empty. Neither his aunt, Takeyama Yū, nor her partner Hanabira Nanami had come back yet.
"Night shift again?" Sora muttered to himself.
That was normal. Even professional Heroes didn't have fixed schedules. Nighttime, after all, was when crimes were most likely to occur.
Since he had already eaten outside, Sora went straight into his room, shut the door behind him, and collapsed onto the bed.
"Ahhh… I'm exhausted…"
He lay there staring at the ceiling, eyes half-lidded, his body heavy with fatigue.
In just one day, he had experienced more than most people did in a month—awakening a mysterious power, moving into a new home, returning to school, testing the Speed Force, catching a thief, getting lost, and even meeting All Might himself.
It was enough to drain anyone.
Especially that first use of the Speed Force.
If it weren't for the fact that the Speed Force reinforced his body, he doubted he could've survived running dozens of kilometers in one go.
"I've still got about fifty thousand yen left…" Sora muttered, turning over on the bed. "Barely enough for one meal at this rate…"
His biggest headache wasn't whether his aunt would lend him money.
She would.
The problem was how much.
With his current consumption, he would need at least a hundred thousand yen per day just to survive. Multiply that over a few months, and the amount became terrifying.
Even asking felt embarrassing.
Lying there, staring blankly at the ceiling, exhaustion slowly dragged him under.
Just before falling asleep, one last thought crossed his mind.
"…If I cook for myself, it should be cheaper, right?"
And with that, he passed out.
Elsewhere in the city, someone else remained wide awake.
Inside a quiet apartment, All Might sat alone, staring at the documents in his hands. His blue eyes glowed faintly in the dim light.
A phone call connected.
"Beep."
"Uncle Might!" A cheerful female voice came through. "You finally called!"
All Might smiled faintly. "Melissa."
"Uncle Might, you haven't visited in so long!" Melissa complained playfully.
"Haha… I've been busy lately. But I'll definitely come to I-Island for the expo this year."
"Really? Dad will be thrilled! But don't tell him yet—let's make it a surprise!"
"All right, all right," All Might laughed.
"By the way," he added, "is your father still in the lab?"
"Yeah, he probably won't come out until midnight. Why?"
"I need help checking something. I was hoping to consult his research database."
"Oh! I can do that!" Melissa said confidently. "I've already been approved as a trainee researcher."
All Might blinked in surprise. "Already?"
"Heh, of course. Once I graduate, I'll officially join the research team."
"…That's incredible," All Might said sincerely. "Even your father didn't get full access until college."
Melissa laughed proudly.
"So what do you want me to check, Uncle Might?"
All Might's expression slowly turned serious.
"I need you to look into something for me. Are there any recorded cases… of someone awakening a Quirk at fourteen or fifteen years old?"
There was a brief silence.
"…That's impossible," Melissa blurted out. "Quirks awaken before age four in almost all cases. Late awakenings are extremely rare—and even then, the Quirks are weak."
"I know," All Might said quietly. "But I met someone today. A boy. Fifteen years old. His Quirk awakened today… and it's powerful."
"…That's absurd," Melissa breathed.
"I know. That's why I'm asking you to check."
There was a pause.
"Alright," Melissa said seriously. "I'll look into it right away."
After hanging up, All Might stared at the screen in silence.
"David… you raised her well," he murmured.
But soon, his expression darkened again as he looked back at the documents in his hand.
A Quirk awakening this late…
It reminded him uncomfortably of someone he wished to never encounter again.
"I hope you're not involved…" he whispered.
The next morning, Sora woke up to a familiar sensation.
Hunger.
Not ordinary hunger.
A violent, stomach-twisting hunger.
"…Okay, okay, I hear you," he muttered, clutching his stomach. "I'll feed you."
Dragging himself out of bed, he stepped into the quiet living room. His aunt still hadn't returned.
On the table lay his phone.
Several missed calls.
And a message.
Couldn't make it home. Sorry! I transferred you some money for food.
Attached was a transfer notification.
1,000 yen.
Sora stared at it silently.
"…That's barely an appetizer."
Still, he grabbed his bag and headed out.
An hour later, he walked out of a nearby restaurant, expression blank.
Another ten thousand yen gone.
Staring at the receipt in his hand, a dangerous thought surfaced.
Maybe I should start making money… fast.
But after thinking about it, he sighed.
"Being a delivery guy is out of the question…"
Using the Speed Force to deliver food would burn more calories than the pay was worth.
After all, the Speed Force wasn't free.
It consumed energy.
And energy meant food.
Lots of it.
"In the end…" Sora muttered, walking toward school, "I really do have to become a Hero."
Only Heroes could afford this kind of appetite.
And only Heroes could make full use of power like his.
As he disappeared down the street, one thing was certain—
His peaceful life had officially come to an end.