The Helios Sanctum, Musutafu...
Akira Hayashi. One of the richest men in the world. CEO and founder of Starbuster Inc., Father of Kazuki Hayashi. Husband of Sayaka Hayashi.
Akira Hayashi stood outside the hospital room door, holding a bouquet of white roses. Not red—Sayaka had always said red roses were too predictable. He tapped his foot once before he opened the door, taking a deep breath.
The room was sterile and well-maintained. The Helios Sanctum had standards to uphold as Japan's premier long-term care facility.
A nurse sat in the corner, monitoring vitals.
"Give me a moment," Akira said.
The nurse nodded and left without a word. They all knew him by now, years of visits, it is hard not to know.
"Sayaka... how're you doing? Hope these people are taking good care of you," he said, setting down the roses.
"Kazuki got into U.A.," he said quietly.
"He came first in the quirk assessment test, I heard. Your control techniques, mostly. I didn't teach him anything useful, or anything at all." Akira leaned back slightly. "He does this thing where he layers the wind currents. Some bullshit. I don't know where he learned that. Maybe he figured it out himself. He's a smart kid."
The machines beeped steadily.
"He's fourteen now. Looks more like you every day." Akira leaned back in the chair. "He doesn't talk much anymore. Answers in three words or less if he can help it." Akira looked at his hands. "He acts like it's all fine with other people around, and I have to play along. Difficult times."
He stared at her peaceful face.
"I don't know how to reach him, Sayaka. Every time I try, I see that same distant look. I know that he needs me... his father... but I can't just bring myself to just approach him." His jaw tightened. "It's my fault. I threw myself into work after you... after the accident. I just can't do it, Sayaka. I can't fuckin' do it. I know that makes me a piece of shit but I can't do it."
Akira stood and walked to the window.
"The company's doing well. Stock prices are up forty percent this quarter. We just secured the contract with Endeavor's agency for their new support equipment line." He turned back to her. "But none of it matters."
He returned to her bedside, taking her hand again.
Akira squeezed her hand gently.
"You were better at this. I just build things. That's what I know how to do. I'll leave now. See you later."
He stood, adjusted his tie, and walked to the door. The nurse was waiting outside.
"Is everything alright, Hayashi-san?" she asked.
"Yes. Thank you for your care." He handed her an envelope. "A donation to the hospital. Use it however you see fit."
"Sir, this is too much-"
"Consider it an investment in my wife's recovery." His expression was unreadable. "Good evening."
Akira walked through the hospital corridors with his hands in his pockets and a cigarette in his mouth, unlit. He knows he can't smoke in a hospital, that's obvious.
His driver was waiting outside.
"Home, sir?" the driver asked as Akira slid into the back seat. He handed him a lighter.
"No. Take me to Starbuster headquarters." Akira said, grabbing the lighter, and bringing it close to the cigarette.
"Sir, it's nearly eight PM."
"I'm aware of the time."
His phone buzzed. A message from his secretary.
Secretary: The board wants to schedule an emergency meeting regarding the Q3 projections.
Akira: Tell them I'll review the numbers tonight and respond tomorrow.
Secretary: They're requesting your presence specifically, sir.
Akira: ?? tell them I dont care, then. I have more important matters to handle.
He put his phone away.
The board was always requesting something. More meetings. More approvals. It was exhausting dealing with people who thought quarterly profits were more important than innovation.
Starbuster Inc. wasn't just a company. It was his legacy. His contribution to the hero society. Every support item they developed, every piece of technology they pioneered, all served one purpose: making heroes stronger, safer, more effective.
And if those technologies could one day help his wife... well, that's the main objective ever since the accident.
The car arrived at Starbuster headquarters. Enormous building, state-of-the-art architecture and design. Fifty floors, all were still lit up. His employees were dedicated; he paid them well enough to be.
Akira took the private elevator to the top floor. His office.
He didn't turn on the lights. Just walked to his desk and opened his laptop.
Research files filled the screen. Medical data. Quirk theory. Neurological studies. Could a person in a vegetative state be brought back to full consciousness using Quirk-enhancement technology?
The answer, according to every expert he'd consulted, was no.
Akira didn't accept that answer. He just didn't have the tech as of now.
He pulled up Project Helios, his private research initiative, hidden from the board, funded through personal accounts. Only three people in the entire company knew it existed: himself, his head of R&D, and a brilliant neuroscientist he brought from overseas.
The project was simple in concept, impossibly complex in execution. Develop a support device that could stimulate dormant neural pathways using controlled Quirk energy.
Early tests on lab mice had been promising. Ninety-two percent success rate in restoring consciousness to induced comatose states.
But mice weren't people. And the ethics of human trials...
He wasn't a villain. He wouldn't cross certain lines. But he was also running out of time. Sayaka had been in that coma for ten years. Every year, the chances of her waking up naturally decreased.
He'd built an empire from nothing. Started Starbuster Inc. in his garage with nothing but a prototype design and a dream. Now it was worth billions, employed thousands, and equipped heroes across Japan. But it's worth shit now to him.
"Sir?"
Akira turned. His head of security stood in the doorway.
"The building's closing for the night. Do you need anything before we lock down?"
"No. I'll be leaving soon."
The security chief nodded and left.
Akira gathered his things. As he walked to the elevator, he paused by a framed photo on the wall. Himself, Sayaka, and a four-year-old Kazuki. They were at a beach somewhere, all smiling.
It was the last family photo they'd taken before the accident.
Akira touched the glass gently, then continued to the elevator.
The mansion was quiet as ever. He'd come home, but this time, Kazuki wasn't there to accompany him.
The house was too big. Always had been. Sayaka had wanted something cozy, but he'd insisted on something that matched their status.
Another regret.
He ended up in his study, pouring himself a glass of whiskey. He rarely drank, but today was an exception.
Fifteen years ago...
Akira Hayashi wasn't supposed to be at the Hero Gala that night.
He'd received the invitation months ago- some corporate formality because Starbuster Inc. was sponsoring the event. His secretary had already sent his regrets. He had prototypes to finish, investors to meet, and a company to build from the ground up.
But then his lead engineer had gotten food poisoning, and suddenly, Akira was the only one available to demonstrate their new support gear prototype to potential hero clients.
So there he was, twenty-six years old, wearing an uncomfortable suit, standing in a ballroom full of pro heroes he'd only seen on television.
"Mr. Hayashi?" A woman in an elegant dress approached him. She worked for the Hero Public Safety Commission, he thought. "The demonstration area is this way."
He followed her through the crowd, carrying the prototype case carefully. The device inside represented two years of research and development. A support gauntlet that could amplify physical quirks by redistributing kinetic energy. If this worked, if he could secure even one major hero agency as a client...
"We've set up a testing zone in the east wing," the woman explained. "Several heroes have expressed interest in seeing your work."
"How many?"
"Three confirmed. Possibly more if word spreads during the demonstration."
Three. That was better than nothing.
The testing zone was surprisingly spacious. Professional setup. The Commission clearly took these demonstrations seriously.
Akira began setting up his equipment. He was so focused on his work that he didn't notice someone had entered the testing zone until she spoke.
"Is that the Starbuster prototype?"
...
Akira looked up.
She stood about ten feet away, dressed in a hero costume, green and white, symbolizing wind. It seemed calm, relaxed. Her hair was left free, and her eyes were analyzing his equipment.
"Yes," Akira said, straightening. "Are you here for the demonstration?"
"I am." She walked closer, and that's when he recognized her. "Tempestra, right? The wind hero."
She smiled. "That's my hero name. I'm Sayaka Shimizu." She extended her hand.
Akira shook it. Her grip was firm.
"Akira Hayashi. Though I guess you already knew that."
"Founder and CEO of Starbuster Inc.," Sayaka said. "I've read about your company. You're doing interesting work with quirk technology."
"You've read about us?"
"Of course. Heroes who don't stay informed about new support technology tend to get left behind." She looked at the gauntlet. "May I?"
Akira hesitated, then handed it to her carefully. Most heroes just wanted to see it in action.
"The design is clever," she said after a moment. "You're using a feedback loop to capture kinetic energy from the user's movements and redirect it through the strike point. But won't that create a lag between movement and amplification?"
Akira blinked in surprise. She's knowledgeable about this stuff.
"It- It does," he admitted. "About point-three seconds. We're working on reducing that."
"If the device could anticipate the user's movements based on muscle tension and joint positioning, you could eliminate the lag."
"That would require biometric sensors integrated into the whole costume, not just the gauntlet. I've thought of it, but the costs will be-"
"Higher, yes. But for top-tier heroes, the performance increase would justify the expense." She smiled. "Just a thought."
Akira stared at her.
"I have a degree in applied physics," Sayaka said. "Most people don't know that. They just see the hero costume and assume I punch things for a living."
"That seems reasonable."
"It is. But I prefer to think things through." She glanced at her watch. "The demonstration starts in five minutes. Are you ready?"
"Yeah, I just need to-" Akira fumbled with the tablet. His hands were suddenly clumsy. Why were his hands clumsy? He built intricate support devices for a living.
Sayaka noticed. "Nervous?"
"No. Maybe. This is my first major demonstration."
"Well, for what it's worth, your technology is impressive. Even if the demonstration goes badly, anyone with actual technical knowledge will see the potential."
"That's... reassuring."
She smiled again. "Good luck, Mr. Hayashi."
She walked toward the observation area, leaving Akira standing there with his prototype and a strange feeling he couldn't quite name.
The demonstration went perfectly.
The gauntlet performed exactly as designed.
By the time Akira finished his presentation, five more heroes had shown up to watch. Two agencies requested follow-up meetings. One hero wanted to commission a custom version immediately.
It was everything he'd hoped for.
But as he packed up his equipment, Akira found himself looking around the testing zone.
"Mr. Hayashi?"
Akira turned. The Commission woman from earlier stood there with a tablet.
"Yes?"
"Tempestra asked me to give you this." She handed him a business card.
Akira looked at it. Not a hero agency card. A personal contact card with a phone number and email address. On the back, written in neat handwriting:
"Your predictive algorithm idea has potential. Call me if you want to discuss implementation. - S.S."
Akira was pulled out of the trance as a glass fell from the dining table in the dining hall.
He sighed, rubbing his eyes. "Renji!" he called out to his head servant.
The door opened softly, revealing a tall, middle-aged man with greyed-out hair. "Sir," he responded.
"The fuck was that?" Akira asked, getting up from his chair.
"One of the maids, sir, was cleaning the table. Should I fire her?" he asked instantly.
...
"Just leave it, tell her to be more careful," he ordered.
But then Akira's phone rang. It was the security.
"Yes?" he answered.
"Master Kazuki has entered the mansion, sir. Just thought I'd tell you, sir," he said.
...