"Hey, Takeyama, that kid over there… isn't that your brother?"
A female Pro Hero, shopping in a mall in Shizuoka, suddenly pointed into the distance, her voice rising in surprise as she nudged Mt. Lady beside her.
"Huh?!"
Yu Takeyama had been preoccupied with a nearby criminal case, but at her companion's words, she immediately looked up. The moment her eyes landed on the suspicious figure trying to slip away through the crowd, a vein popped on her forehead.
"Shina Etsuha!!"
"…Crap!"
Shina Etsuha froze. Of all the bad luck—running into his sister while skipping school? That was the last thing he expected.
The instant he spotted Yu Takeyama, he hurriedly stuffed the newly purchased manga, Crimson Eye, into his shopping bag. Forcing an awkward smile, he stammered, "Sis… I mean… um…"
He hesitated, unable to come up with an excuse. There was no way he could tell her the truth—that he'd skipped class for the sake of his own quirk. If he did, she'd laugh herself to death. After all, everyone—including experts—had long concluded that Shina Etsuha was completely quirkless.
Meanwhile, passersby began to notice the pair, their expressions shifting to shock and curiosity.
"Isn't that the rising Pro Hero, Mt. Lady? That kid she's talking to… is her brother?"
"Isn't that Etsuha? I heard he became a well-known manga artist at a really young age."
"Yeah, it's a shame he's quirkless. Still, if he can't be a hero, being a manga artist isn't a bad path."
Hearing the chatter around him, Etsuha couldn't help rolling his eyes.
If only they knew.
His quirk was deeply tied to manga—but no one could possibly understand it. Not even Yu Takeyama knew the truth: he wasn't quirkless. In fact, his ability was something incredibly rare… something extraordinary.
He had lived in this world for over ten years now. Ever since being taken in by Yu Takeyama, he'd led a relatively normal life. Declared quirkless in kindergarten, he had long since stopped striving for anything extraordinary.
That changed the moment he began publishing manga.
When he adapted works from his previous life and released them to the public, something awakened within him—his true quirk:
Virtual Extraction.
It allowed him to extract abilities from fictional works.
Even powers like those of Saitama from One Punch Man… theoretically, he could obtain them.
But the ability came with conditions.
First, the work had to possess a complete and recognized world. He couldn't simply scribble "I can destroy the universe" on paper and expect it to manifest. The source had to be an established story, acknowledged by the public.
Second, his own popularity mattered. Fame acted as fuel—the greater his recognition, the more powerful the abilities he could extract.
Etsuha had already done the math. To replicate Saitama's invincibility, he would need global fame. At his current level, supported only by his manga readership, he could barely tap into the power system of Akame ga Kill—known here as Crimson Eye.
"Etsuha!!"
Yu Takeyama strode forward and grabbed him by the collar. "Shouldn't you be in school right now?! What are you doing here?!"
"I—I took the day off!" Etsuha replied quickly, stiffening. Technically, he had left a note… though he hadn't exactly gotten permission.
"Oh really?" Yu Takeyama narrowed her eyes. "You take a day off and instead of going home, you come here to buy manga?"
She let go of him with a sigh, her anger already fading. At least he hadn't completely ignored school.
"Uh… well, the manga I drew just got released. I wanted to buy a copy as a keepsake," Etsuha said, scratching his cheek awkwardly. In truth, he could have waited until he got home to use his ability on the manuscript—but home was far, and this store was closer. He just hadn't expected to run into her here.
"Honestly…" Yu Takeyama crossed her arms. "I'll take you home. Even if your grades are good, skipping class causes trouble for your teachers."
"Sorry! It won't happen again! I'll head back to school right now!" Etsuha quickly apologized, putting on a pitiful expression.
"That's better. Go on—head back. It's not safe here," she said, her tone turning serious. She had come out today to track down a fugitive. Running into Etsuha here was purely coincidence.
Etsuha didn't need to be told twice. He nodded and dashed off, disappearing into the crowd in no time.
"That kid…" Yu Takeyama muttered, watching his retreating figure with a helpless look.
"You're way too soft on him," her companion teased. "The so-called 'black-hearted queen' turns into a doting sister the moment he's around. It's shocking."
"Mind your own business," Yu Takeyama shot back with a glare.
…
"Hah… finally!"
Etsuha ducked into a quiet alley, his excitement barely contained as he pulled out the manga.
This would be the first time he actually used his quirk.
Flipping through the pages, character after character filled his vision. At the same time, a strange sensation washed over him—his hands felt as though they could reach into the pages themselves, as if the world within the manga truly existed.
"Tatsumi? Not suitable…"
"Akame? The sword's limitations are too restrictive… I'd need superhuman physical ability to handle it…"
"The Emperor? No…"
His eyes scanned rapidly—until they stopped.
"…Found it. Esdeath."
A queen with long, ice-blue hair appeared on the page.
Etsuha's eyes lit up. Without hesitation, he reached out toward her.
"Virtual Extraction!"