"If one day, Lock, you really do become a Pro Hero—I'd be honored to join you."
After a moment of thought, Fire Buster finally nodded and accepted Lock's offer.
At first, he'd thought the boy was joking—after all, the Hero License Exams were coming up soon. But how could Lock possibly be ready for that?
He was still only a second-year junior high student. It would take at least another four or five years before he met the minimum age to even apply.
Fire Buster had been active for many years already. As one of the country's top rescue-type Heroes, he was famous, experienced, and nearing the age when most Heroes considered retirement from front-line work.
Four or five years from now, he would likely step down—and when that time came, if Lock truly became a Hero, he would gladly join his agency to repay this debt.
Lock smiled knowingly, clearly anticipating Fire Buster's thoughts. "That's good, but… resignations and agency transfers can be troublesome, so you should probably prepare early, Senior Fire Buster."
Fire Buster blinked, confused. "What do you mean by that?"
Lock's expression turned calm and certain. "I plan to participate in the Hero License Exam this September."
"…What?"
They stared at each other—one dumbfounded, the other quietly confident.
Fire Buster thought he must've misheard. "You mean the temporary license exam, right? But even then, you don't meet the requirements."
There were two types of Hero License Exams:
The Pro License Exam – for those aiming to become full-fledged Pro Heroes.
The Temporary License Exam – for Hero Course students still in school.
With a temporary license, one could act in emergencies but not establish an agency.
To take the Pro License Exam, three conditions had to be met:
The candidate must be of legal age.
They must have graduated from a high school Hero Course.
They must have at least two years of Hero internship experience.
Lock met none of these.
Could it be that he didn't know the rules?
But then, Fire Buster noticed Lock's gaze shift to the side—toward Prosecutor Yanei Fumihiko.
Lock spoke firmly. "I plan to take another route—through inheritance."
"Inheritance?"
Yanei's brows drew together, his mind immediately grasping the implication. Then, with a faint, knowing sigh, he nodded. "Ah… yes. That is indeed possible."
Japan's modern Hero System was still relatively young. Many of its laws were incomplete—some even relics of chaotic times.
The existence of All For One had long been erased from public records. Back when he ruled the country from the shadows, Japan's government was nothing short of a farce.
Only after All Might rose as the Symbol of Peace and defeated All For One—though at great cost—did order begin to return.
That had been barely ten years ago.
The government, still recovering, hastily assembled the laws that governed Hero agencies. Among them was one particularly archaic clause—one that Lock now planned to use.
During the early, chaotic Hero era, before Pro Heroes were officially recognized, small independent Hero organizations formed out of necessity. They were self-governed groups of vigilantes who banded together for justice.
When those early leaders died in battle, their groups would collapse. To prevent that, the government passed an emergency continuity law:
"If the founder of a Hero organization dies, their descendants may inherit the organization's title and operations—provided they pass a government assessment."
That law evolved into the modern Hero Office Inheritance Act, which now states:
"If the Pro Hero who established an agency dies, their direct descendants may inherit it—provided they pass a special Hero License Examination designed for heirs."
The key was that this special examination followed a unique mechanism—separate from the standard licensing system.
There were no age restrictions, no schooling or internship requirements.
All that was needed was:
Three Pro Heroes were willing to publicly vouch for the heir's character.
The heir's own strength—proven through a direct evaluation battle.
Before awakening his system, Lock wouldn't have dared.
But now?
Now he was certain he could pass.
"Still… isn't that kind of test too difficult?" Fire Buster said, scratching his head helplessly. "You'd be the first junior high student to even attempt it! I doubt the lawmakers ever imagined that could happen!"
Lock just smiled. "Senior Fire Buster, that villain I fought—Flamingo—he wasn't weak, was he?"
He pointed at the unconscious body lying amid the rubble.
Fire Buster fell silent.
Flamingo had been incredibly strong, enhanced by his Quirk and experience. Normally, it would've taken at least three Pros working together to bring him down.
And yet Lock—a single middle-schooler—had done it alone.
That spoke volumes.
Soon after, the police and support Heroes arrived to secure the scene, arrest Flamingo, and take witness statements.
When they learned that the villain had been defeated singlehandedly by a junior high student, their shock was beyond words.
As for the issue of using a "Quirk" to harm someone, Lock quickly stepped forward before anyone could object.
"I was under the supervision of Pro Hero Fire Buster," he said smoothly. "He can vouch for me."
Caught off guard, Fire Buster could only give a weary smile and back him up.
And just like that, the Flamingo Incident came to an end.
The public's response, however, was explosive.
A former Hero who fell into villainy—defeated by a mere student.
And that student's name… Lock.
---
Support: patreon.com/Narrator_San