After the heartwarming meeting between Ace and Grandma Nara, a neighbor who had cared for Ace since his parents were imprisoned five years ago.
The next morning. Reiko, who had decided to stay over at Ace's house last night.
Now, at 9 AM, he took Ace to a major city in Japan: Tokyo.
A distance of a thousand kilometers. Reiko, who was used to it, immediately took him using the fastest train, the Shinkansen.
The fastest train in Japan.
. . .
Clothes that weren't flashy, not too concerned with fashion, only prioritizing comfort, and a large backpack slung over their shoulders.
That's what the two of them wore as they arrived at Hakata Station. The blazing sunlight shone down on both of them.
Reiko watched people staring and talking about them.
Especially... Reiko's gaze. Like a street thug whose only hobby was sucking on candy every day.
It made everyone uncomfortable, wanting to scream about either the lack or excess of this 6th hero's appearance.
"Tch... Do these people not understand fashion or what? Annoying." His face darkened, his eyes sharply staring at the people talking about them.
Beside him, someone mumbled in full protest. "I wanna eat." Turns out it was Ace.
Reiko crossed his arms, looking away into the distance. "Annoying." Meanwhile, Ace stared blankly, his stomach growling from hunger.
. . .
Then, when they started to board the train, Ace was slightly amazed seeing how advanced the train was, the first one he'd ever seen.
His eyes scanned every corner, his body feeling a strange yet very comfortable touch as he sat in his seat.
Reiko, sitting next to him, kept watching Ace, who was fascinated by the train window, gazing at the scenery even though it was unclear due to the immense speed.
In his mind, this was the first time Reiko would be looking after a young person in his life. Who knew what could happen.
Now, he truly held a great responsibility for handling a kid who was like an anomaly.
"WHOOSHHH!" Then, shortly after, the train started moving extremely fast. Its futuristic white form, with flashes of shining blue underneath as the train moved every second.
. . .
Thirty minutes after departure, filled with silence between the two. However, this boredom began to peak, making Ace want to ask the many questions in his mind.
He looked at the window, resting his arm under his chin to support his face. "Hmmm... By the way, what's the reason you're taking me to Tokyo, Uncle?"
Reiko, whose face had relaxed, was already very sleepy. But upon hearing Ace call him 'uncle' for the first time.
His body twitched. "..."
He opened one eye, looking at Ace. "Well... At first I just wanted to take you along."
He closed both eyes again, his relaxed body sinking a little lower into the seat. "But, when I heard from Tsukishima that you were expelled from school..."
"Then, my goal is to give you experience and knowledge there. Or maybe..." Reiko looked at Ace again.
"To find someone who can wake you up." His voice grew heavier from drowsiness.
Ace's body slightly recoiled upon hearing Tsukishima's name from Reiko's mouth.
Other than that, he kept looking at the window while trying to understand what was being said.
Reiko spoke again, his voice already starting to fade. "Ace, what's your favorite song?" His arm gently tapped Ace's frozen shoulder.
Ace shivered from the strange touch, but he only half-turned his body. "Ummm..."
"Love me again—" Reiko cut in. "Oh, the song by John Newman? Goodness, that's really nostalgic."
Ace looked at Reiko, his body eager for a long conversation. "Uncle Reiko knows it?"
Reiko inhaled slowly before exhaling just as slowly. "It was quite famous, especially in 2013 and early 2014."
"I enjoyed it quite a bit." He said while pulling out candy and a sleep mask from his bag. "Now... Let me sleep..."
Ace, who was ready and willing to talk at length, now saw Reiko beginning to snore, his mouth opening and closing wide.
"Typical old man." He decided to look back out the window.
. . .
Ace yawned, he woke from his sleep... Rubbing both eyes before stretching.
At first, he wasn't aware. He sat back up and looked at the window.
After he became aware because the window was still and he saw cracked walls.
He immediately looked around with quick movements, his eyes scanning every corner.
When he turned to look behind him in the train car. It turned out everyone from inside the train had vanished... Including Reiko.
When he decided to exit the train car, he found a shattered signboard lying in front of him, covered in dust and rubble.
Indicating he was at Shin-Osaka, exactly halfway through the train journey from Fukuoka to Tokyo.
Ace walked, seeing cracked station walls everywhere, fragments scattered as if this wasn't an accident.
When he looked behind him, he realized again... That half of the train was missing.
Making his body shiver in fear.
He, who had just woken from sleep, tried hard to comprehend all of this, because it felt too deliberate.
Without thinking long, he had to immediately find where Reiko was.
He spun his body around, heading out of the station, and hurriedly ran here and there with rising anxiety.
. . .
Eventually, he arrived outside the station. His breath came in and out rapidly, his body drenched in sweat.
He lowered his tired body, holding his knees. "Hufft... Haahh!"
After that, Ace walked a little away from the station's outer doors. He was immediately faced with busy-looking buildings.
However, instead of seeing a noisy, crowded main road...
Now, he only saw a horrifying silence. Cars parked haphazardly, doors open, debris from—
As he walked further to a red light intersection.
"HELP!!".... "aAAAH!"
Ace saw many people fleeing ahead of him. "Swoshh... THUMBB!" His eyes wide with confusion, he reflexively jumped in shock! looking toward the tall building to his left that was crumbling.
In the cheerful, bright sky. He saw two people fighting, but using powers he had never seen with his own eyes.
Their speed...
"Starting from the air, moving to the top of a building... Moving to the air again! Then moving again, smashing through that building until parts of it shattered to pieces!"
"Brughhhh!" The building collapsed because of them.
Instead, their speed created a bright, purple light that followed every single movement.
Ace stood alone, watching the incredible speed capable of creating massive chaos before him. "What the hell..."
Seeing buildings collapse, people panicking for their lives, and witnessing a battle that was not normal for humans to perform.
The wind blew "Swoshh..."
Tingling in Ace's ears as he stood frozen and panicked in the middle of the deserted road. ". . ."
Suddenly. "Ah... Seems like that fight is pretty exciting..."
"Right?"
. . . End.