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.
He stood at the door of the room in which his wife rested, looking down at his feet, holding a bouquet of roses. He tapped his foot once before he opened the door, taking a deep breath.
The room was well-lit, clean, and sterile. The Helios Sanctum was the best hospital in Japan; it had some standards. There was a nurse at the edge of the room.
"Excuse me..." he said softly.
The nurse turned to him, widening her eyes a bit.
"Can you please leave the room for a minute? I need a moment with my wife," he told, resting the bouquet on the table beside the bed.
The nurse nodded shortly before hurrying out of the room.
Akira looked at Sayaka, caressing her face slowly with his hands, though they were shivering a bit. He didn't know whether it was because of the air conditioning or the sight of his wife.
He smiled slightly as he grabbed a chair and sat down beside her. "Sayaka-chan, it's been a while since I last saw you, hasn't it?" he asked, chuckling softly, though not with joy. "I hope these people are taking good care of you," he added, looking at her sleeping face.
Akira's hand trembled as he held Sayaka's. Her skin was warm, alive, but there was no response.
"Kazuki got into U.A.," he said quietly. "First place in his class assessment. You should've seen the scores-1,450 meters on the ball throw."
He paused, brushing a strand of hair from her face.
"He's using the techniques you taught him. Remember those afternoons in the backyard? You'd create those light constructs, and he'd try to blow them away with his wind." A faint smile crossed his lips. "He cried the first time he managed it. Said he wanted to be strong like you."
The machines beeped steadily.
"He's fourteen now. Looks more like you every day." Akira leaned back in the chair. "I tried talking to him this morning. Asked how school was going. He gave me three-word answers and went back to his room."
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 fucking approach him." His jaw tightened. "Maybe it's my fault. I threw myself into work after you... after the accident. Sixteen-hour days at Starbuster. Board meetings. Product launches."
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 without you there to celebrate with me."
He returned to her bedside, taking her hand again.
Akira squeezed her hand gently.
"I love you, Sayaka. I'll see you next week."
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 the quiet confidence of a man who owned the world. Doctors and nurses nodded respectfully as he passed. He didn't acknowledge them.
His driver was waiting outside.
"Home, sir?" the driver asked as Akira slid into the back seat.
"No. Take me to Starbuster headquarters."
"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: Then they'll have to wait. I have more important matters to handle.
He put his phone away.
The board was always requesting something. More meetings. More approvals. More justifications for decisions they didn't understand. 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...
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 overlooked the entire city, floor-to-ceiling windows providing a panoramic view.
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. All of it related to one question: 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 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 one brilliant but strange neuroscientist he'd recruited 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. Not healing, exactly. More like... awakening.
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...
Akira closed the laptop.
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.
His phone buzzed again.
Kazuki: I'm staying at Tetsuji's house tonight. His parents invited me for dinner.
Akira stared at the message. Kazuki was making friends. That was good. He should encourage it.
Akira: Have fun. Be safe.
Three dots appeared, then disappeared. Then nothing.
Akira set the phone down and looked out at the city.
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.
"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. Sayaka's hero costume was visible under her jacket. Kazuki was holding a small pinwheel, watching it spin in the wind.
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. Akira clenched his fists because of how helpless he was, but let go.
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 tonight felt like 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, 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. The gauntlet needed to be calibrated, the sensors checked, and the safety protocols verified. 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, white and gold with light-based design elements. Her hair was tied back practically, and her eyes were studying his equipment with genuine interest.
"Yes," Akira said, straightening. "Are you here for the demonstration?"
"I am." She walked closer, and that's when he recognized her. "Lumina, right? The light manipulation hero."
She smiled. "That's my hero name. I'm Sayaka Shimizu when I'm not saving people." 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 amplification 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. She'd identified the main technical challenge in less than thirty seconds.
"It does," he admitted. "About point-three seconds. We're working on reducing that."
"Have you considered using a predictive algorithm instead of reactive capture?" Sayaka handed the gauntlet back. "If the device could anticipate the user's movements based on muscle tension and joint positioning, you could eliminate the lag entirely."
"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."
"Do you punch things for a living?"
"Sometimes. But I prefer to think my way through problems first." She glanced at her watch. "The demonstration starts in five minutes. Are you ready?"
"Yeah, I just need to-" Akira fumbled with the calibration 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... surprisingly reassuring."
"I'm full of surprises." 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?"
"Lumina 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," he said.
Akira froze for five seconds. "Oh, okay, alright. Thanks," he said.
He looked at Renji, "Go get ready to welcome him, Renji," he ordered.
Akira wasn't ready for this sudden encounter, to meet with Kazuki all of a sudden.
But by the time Renji could even turn, Akira heard a voice downstairs. His son's voice.
"Renji! I'm hungry, order me some pizza, I don't want the food our cook makes." he shouted.