Location: Underground Training Facility
Date: Two Weeks Later | 04:00 PM
BEEP. BEEP. BEEEEEEEEP.
The monitor on the wall flashed bright red. 600 BPM.
Down on the training floor, it was an absolute chaos.
Kaito didn't just drop one dummy this time. The entire room was active.
RATATATATAT.
BAAAM
BOOM
Automated turrets were firing dense foam rounds from the walls, the floor panels were shifting, and three heavy-duty combat drones were swarming the center.
And Rumi was just walking through it.
To Kaito, standing behind the reinforced glass, it looked like pure chaos. The air was a blur of crossfire.
But to Rumi? The room was dead quiet.
Everything was moving through molasses.
A foam round drifted toward her face. She didn't block. She just tilted her head an inch.
The round grazed her shoulder, but she used that liquid relaxation. Her muscle went completely limp for a microsecond, letting the impact slide right off her sweat-soaked skin without even leaving a red mark.
"Take the sky," Kaito's voice crackled over the intercom.
Rumi grinned.
BAM.
She coiled her legs and exploded off the mat. She shot straight up, but gravity tried to pull her right back down.
She didn't let it. She snapped her right foot down hard.
CRACK.
The sound echoed like a gunshot. She compressed the oxygen directly beneath her foot, turning the empty air into a solid brick for a split second.
THUD. THUD. THUD.
She stepped on it, bounced, and kicked with her left.
CRACK.
She ran right up an invisible staircase, completely dominating the open air.
WHIRRR.
The final target dropped from the ceiling on a thick cable. A high-end, heavily armored combat dummy.
Rumi didn't hesitate. She threw a massive sweeping kick right at its head.
WHOOSH.
She missed on purpose.
Instead of stopping, she let the heavy, twisting momentum of the missed kick carry her whole body into a spin.
She whipped around, building insane centrifugal force. One spin. Two spins.
She became a mid-air cyclone.
WHIISH-whooosh.
On the third rotation, she lined up her heel with the center of the dummy's chest. She didn't just swing.
She thumped.
BRRRRT.
She vibrated the thick muscles in her leg at an insanely high frequency right before impact.
CRUNCH.
She didn't push the dummy back.
The vibration bypassed the thick shock-absorption armor completely and traveled straight into the core.
BOOM.
The internal steel spine of the dummy shattered.
The back of the machine blew out in a shower of jagged metal and sparks.
Rumi flipped backward and landed lightly on her feet right in front of the observation window.
HUFF-PUFF.
She took a long, deep breath. The red numbers on the monitor slowly dropped back down to 80 BPM.
CLICK.
Kaito opened the heavy steel door and walked out onto the floor.
He sidestepped a smoking piece of metal and stopped a few feet away from her.
Rumi wiped the sweat off her forehead. She was panting, but she was beaming.
"Tell me you recorded that," Rumi demanded, pointing at the ruined dummy. "Did you see that air-step? I hit three in a row! Three!"
"I saw it," Kaito said, looking up at the dangling, destroyed machine. "Though you completely missed your first two kicks on the target."
"Are you blind?!" Rumi barked, throwing her hands up. "That was the recoil momentum you literally forced me to learn! I missed on purpose to build the spin!"
Kaito actually cracked a smile.
"I know," Kaito said softly. He pulled out his clipboard and tossed it onto a nearby bench. "I'm just messing with you. You chained the whole sequence perfectly, Rumi. The adrenaline control, the relaxation, the vibration strike. All of it."
Rumi crossed her arms, looking pretty damn proud of herself. "Yeah. I did. I feel completely different, Kaito. Like... I'm not even forcing the hits anymore. My body just knows what to do."
"That was the point," Kaito said. He looked right at her. "Which means we're done."
"...."
Rumi paused. Her long ears twitched. "Done? Like... done for the day?"
"Done for good," Kaito clarified. "The physical training is over. I can't teach you anything else down here. You actually survived the two months without quitting."
"...."
Rumi just stared at him.
No more waking up at 3:00 AM. No more getting bruised by metal pendulums. No more pushing her heart to the absolute breaking point.
"Wait. Seriously?" Rumi asked, leaning closer. "So... no more freezing bio-tank?"
"You can finally sleep in a real bed," Kaito nodded. "And wear actual clothes."
A slow, mischievous smirk spread across Rumi's face. She bumped her shoulder against his.
"Oh, come on," Rumi teased, looking up at him with that fierce glint in her eye. "You're telling me you aren't going to miss the view? Sixty days of me dropping my clothes for the tank. You're gonna have withdrawals, Manager."
Kaito didn't stutter or look away.
He just looked down at her and gave a short, easy laugh.
"I'll survive," Kaito said smoothly. "My wallet was taking a much bigger hit than my eyes down here anyway. You destroyed a million yen worth of dummies combined"
"Hey, you're the one who told me to break them!" Rumi laughed loudly, shoving him in the chest.
"Take a shower," Kaito said, stepping back toward the door. "I ordered spicy chicken and rice. It's waiting up in the office."
"Hell yes," Rumi grinned, her stomach instantly giving a loud growl. "I could eat an entire cow right now. Let's go."
_-_-_-_-_-_
Location: Naruhata – Commercial District
Date: Friday | 08:30 PM
"Is that all you got, you badge-wearing cowards?!"
A massive, mutated villain smashed a metal mailbox into the side of a brick building.
He was hopped up on a fresh batch of Trigger, his arms bulging with thick, red-veined muscles that looked like they were going to burst through his skin.
He kicked a parked scooter into the street, laughing loudly.
Three local police cars were blocking the intersection, their lights flashing.
The cops were hiding behind their open doors, aiming their guns, but nobody was shooting. They were sweating bullets.
"Hold your fire!" the police captain yelled into his radio. "He's got heavy bone armor under the skin! Small arms won't do anything! Where is the O'Clock Agency?!"
"They said they're a minute out!" a younger officer shouted back, gripping his pistol tightly.
"I'm not waiting a minute!" the villain roared.
He reached down and ripped an entire streetlamp out of the concrete like it was a weed.
He swung it like a baseball bat, shattering the window of a nearby storefront.
"Come out and play, cops!"
VROOOM.
A deep, heavy engine roared from the far end of the dark street.
The cops looked over their shoulders. The civilians hiding behind the barricade peeked out.
A massive, armored motorcycle tore down the road. It didn't slow down for the flashing lights. It was painted in bright blue and white.
"Hey! Get the hell out of here, kid!" the police captain yelled, waving his arm. "It's an active zone!"
"Wait, isn't that...?" one of the civilians pointed. "Blue and white... is that Skycrawler?"
"Skycrawler doesn't ride a bike, he slides on the ground and air!" another civilian argued. "And he's just O'Clock's sidekick!"
The rider didn't listen to the cops. He hit a small, slanted concrete ramp near the sidewalk and launched the heavy bike directly over the police blockade.
"Butler! Eject and intercept!" Koichi yelled from the driver's seat.
["Acknowledged, Skycrawler,"] a smooth, calm robotic voice replied from the dashboard.
CLACK.
The seat lock disengaged. Koichi pushed off the handlebars and launched himself high into the air.
The heavy motorcycle didn't crash into the street.
The smart A.I. took over the steering, revved the engine to the max, and drove the bike straight into the villain's shins like a high-speed battering ram.
CRASH.
"AGH!" the villain screamed. He dropped the streetlamp and stumbled backward. He was furious. "You little rat! I'll smash this toy into pieces!"
The villain raised his massive, rock-hard fists and slammed them down onto the motorcycle's chassis.
CLANG.
The villain's hands bounced right off. The Quirk-resistant Shield armor didn't even dent.
"What the hell is this thing made of?!" the villain yelled, shaking his bruised hands.
Up in the air, Koichi flipped smoothly. He wasn't wearing his old, baggy thrift-store hoodie anymore.
He had a sleek, upgraded version of his suit, complete with a specialized visor that David Shield had built specifically for him.
He didn't panic. He was totally focused.
"Soga! Secure the left flank! Get the civilians behind the cars!" Koichi shouted, his voice echoing over the loud street.
"You got it, Skycrawler!" Soga yelled. He ran out from a side alley with Rapt and Moyuru right behind him.
"Hey, ugly!" Soga shouted, throwing a loose brick at the villain's head. It bounced off harmlessly, but it did the job. "Look over here! I've seen better-looking muscles on a dead fish!"
The villain snarled, completely forgetting about the motorcycle. "I'll rip your head off!"
The villain lunged toward Soga, raising a massive fist.
"Pop Step! Blind him!" Koichi commanded from the air.
"On it!" Kazuho yelled from the rooftop across the street. Pop Step leaped into the air.
She used her idol microphone to amplify her voice. "Hey, big guy! Smile for the camera!"
The villain reflexively looked up at her voice.
Kazuho tossed three small flash-bang capsules right at his face.
POP. POP. POP.
Blinding white light exploded.
"MY EYES!" the villain screamed, covering his face with his massive hands and stumbling blindly in a circle.
Koichi was already coming down.
SWISH-SWOOSH.
He activated his Glide Quirk, but he didn't use it to fly away. He used it to accelerate his fall, pushing against the air resistance.
He shot down like a blue bullet. He twisted his body, aiming both of his feet right at the villain's exposed chest.
Shooter Style: Skycrawler Strike.
BAM.
Koichi hit him square in the sternum. The impact sounded like a car crash.
The villain's eyes rolled back into his head, all the air was forced out of his lungs, and his massive body slammed face-first into the pavement.
THUD.
A thick cloud of dust kicked up.
When it cleared, the villain was out cold, snoring loudly on the asphalt.
Koichi stood up, dusting off his sleek new kneepads.
VROOOM.
The smart bike drove itself back over to him, doing a neat little half-turn before parking perfectly by the curb.
The police captain lowered his gun and walked past the barricade, staring at the knocked-out villain in shock. He looked over at Koichi.
"Good work, kid," the captain said, pulling out a pair of heavy-duty cuffs. "But where's O'Clock? You sidekicks usually don't take the lead on a heavy hitter like this unless the boss is right behind you."
Koichi smiled. He reached into his upgraded jacket and pulled out a solid plastic card with a shining gold seal. He handed it to the captain.
"No sidekicks today, Captain," Koichi said, his smile getting a little wider. "Pro Hero Skycrawler. I'm officially licensed as an independent now. The area is secure. You can move your men in."
The captain looked at the real Pro License, then looked back at Koichi. He couldn't help but smile, handing the card back.
"Well, I'll be damned," the captain laughed. "Congratulations, Skycrawler. We'll take it from here."
Soga and Kazuho ran over, high-fiving Koichi.
"Man, that A.I. bike is basically cheating!" Soga laughed. He reached out to pat the heavy armor of the motorcycle.
BZZZT.
The bike let out a sharp, loud electrical warning beep, flashing its headlights directly in Soga's eyes.
"Hey!" Soga jumped back, rubbing his eyes. "This stupid bike is arrogant! Tell it I'm on your team, Koichi!"
"It only responds to me, Soga," Koichi laughed, hopping back onto the seat and grabbing the handlebars.
He looked over at Kazuho and gave her a thumbs up. "Great timing on the flash-bangs, Kazuho. You set him up perfectly."
Kazuho blushed a little, smiling wide. "Anytime, Koichi. We make a pretty good team."
"Alright, crew," Koichi said, revving the engine. "Let's finish the patrol route. We've got a whole ward to cover tonight."
_-_-_-_-_-_
Location: Tokyo – Shibuya Crossing
Date: Saturday | 11:00 AM
The massive digital billboards towering over the crossing all flashed to the same news channel at once.
Thousands of people were waiting for the light to change.
A lot of them stopped looking at their phones and looked up at the screens.
["Breaking news today! The Hero Public Safety Commission has just announced a massive milestone!"] the news anchor announced loudly. ["At only eighteen years old, the HPSC's top prodigy, Hawks, has officially launched his own independent agency in Kyushu!"]
Footage started playing on the giant screen. It showed a massive villain causing a major pileup on a highway.
SWISH.
A red blur ripped right through the camera frame.
Before the villain could even throw a single punch, dozens of sharp red feathers pinned his arms and legs to a concrete wall.
Hawks landed on top of a crashed car. He gave his trademark lazy smile and waved two fingers at the news helicopter.
["He is already breaking arrest records in his very first week!"] the anchor continued. ["The Commission trained him well. With his insane aerial mobility, public forums are already debating if he's going to steal the title of 'Fastest Man in Japan' right out from under top speedsters like Ingenium and O'Clock!"]
Down on the street, two high school students were waiting at the front of the crosswalk.
"Man, that guy is insane," the first kid said, staring up at the billboard. "Eighteen? We're sixteen and I can barely wake up for first period. He owns a whole agency now."
An older salaryman standing next to them chuckled, adjusting his briefcase.
"It is pretty crazy," the salaryman said. "Usually, a sidekick has to grind for ten or fifteen years before the government even looks at their agency application. That kid must be a total genius."
"He really is," the second kid argued, leaning against a streetlamp. "Did you see the clip from yesterday? He caught falling debris from a building while buying chicken skewers at a food stand. He didn't even drop his lunch."
The first kid pulled his phone out of his pocket and started tapping the screen.
"Yeah, Hawks is cool for a TV hero," the first kid said. "But have you guys seen the stuff happening down in Naruhata lately?"
"Naruhata?" The second kid made a face. "Isn't that just old rundown alleys and minor thugs?"
"Not anymore. Look at this."
The first kid shoved his phone over. The second kid leaned in to look.
A shaky cell phone video started playing. It was dark, lit only by the flashing red and blue lights of police cars.
"Wait," the second kid squinted at the screen. "Isn't that the sliding guy from the Sky Egg concert? The one who was singing on stage with the idol?"
"Yeah! Skycrawler," the first kid grinned. "He used to just do local neighborhood stuff even after that concert. But he just got a real Pro License. Watch."
VROOOM.
The audio on the phone speaker was loud. The video showed a heavy blue and white armored motorcycle jumping a police barricade and crashing right into a huge Trigger villain's legs.
Then the camera panned up to the rooftops.
"Whoa, he's actually got Pop Step backing him up on the field?" the second kid asked, his eyes going wide.
"Yeah, they're a team," the first kid said excitedly. "She threw the flash-bangs to blind the guy. And then boom."
BAM.
The video shook as Koichi crashed down from the sky, slamming both feet into the giant villain's chest and knocking him out cold.
The civilians in the background of the video started cheering wildly.
The second kid stared at the phone screen.
"Okay, that was actually awesome," the second kid admitted. "I remember him looking kind of goofy at that concert, but he doesn't look like a sidekick anymore. He looks like a boss. And that bike is sick."
"Right?" the first kid nodded, putting his phone back in his pocket. "The big flashy guys in the sky are cool. But these street-level teams are really taking over right now."
BEEP.
BEEP.
The crosswalk light finally turned green.
The massive crowd started walking, merging into the busy street. The world was definitely shifting.
_-_-_-_-_-_
Location: The Mirko Agency – Commercial District
Time: 4:24 PM
CHOMP.
Rumi aggressively bit a huge piece of spicy chicken right off the bone.
She wasn't even looking at the food. She was sitting on the couch in Kaito's office, glaring hard at the large TV mounted on the wall.
The news was running a special interview with Hawks. He was sitting on a talk show couch, laughing and talking about his new agency down in Kyushu.
Kaito sat at his desk across the room, eating his own rice bowl while typing on his laptop.
"He's getting way too much screen time," Rumi scowled with a mouthful of chicken.
"He forced the Commission's hand," Kaito said casually. "The media thinks it's just a planned graduation for their golden boy, but he definitely backed them into a corner behind closed doors. Plus, he's actually doing the work. His patrol routes are solid."
THUD.
"I don't care," Rumi muttered, tossing a bare chicken bone into the trash bin. "He looks like a smug pigeon. I'm stronger than him. And I hit way harder."
"You probably do," Kaito agreed, not looking up from his screen.
Rumi stood up. She wiped her hands on a napkin, walked over to the desk, and slammed both hands down on the wood.
BAM.
"I'm ready, Kaito," Rumi said. Her red eyes were completely serious. "The physical training is done. I signed all those massive stacks of agency paperwork weeks ago. We are legally open. So call the dispatchers. Hire the shadow team. Let's launch tomorrow. I want to hit the streets and crush his arrest record."
"...."
Kaito finally stopped typing.
He looked at her.
CLICK.
He reached over, clicked a button on his laptop, and turned the screen so she could see it.
"We can't launch tomorrow, Rumi," Kaito said flatly.
Rumi frowned and looked at the screen. It was a bank statement. Her bank statement.
The balance was sitting at exactly 14,000 yen. Roughly enough to buy groceries for a week.
"What is this?" Rumi asked, pointing at the screen.
"That is your entire net worth," Kaito said.
"Where did all my money go?!" Rumi was dumbfounded.
"You never had any," Kaito explained, leaning back in his chair. "Pro Heroes don't get a fixed monthly salary from the government, Rumi. You get paid by the HPSC per arrest, per rescue, and based on the threat level of the villain."
"I know how the pay works," Rumi crossed her arms.
"Then you should know that you haven't arrested a single villain in two months," Kaito said. "You've been locked in an underground bunker kicking dummies. Your government paychecks stopped on week one."
"...."
"...."
Rumi just stared at him.
She honestly hadn't even thought about the money. She only cared about the training and getting stronger.
"The agency is legally registered," Kaito said, pulling up another file. "And I have the shadow dispatch team waiting for the call. I even have the factory lined up for the 'M-Usagi' merchandise. But you can't pay the intel team's monthly salary, and you definitely can't pay a factory to print your brand. You are completely broke."
Rumi didn't panic. She didn't look defeated at all.
She looked at the bank screen. Then she looked at Kaito.
She thought about his international reputation, his massive corporate contracts, and the Detnerat-Shield merger he just finished.
A slow, sharp smirk spread across her face.
She walked around the desk and leaned her hip against the armrest of his chair. She looked down at him, totally shameless.
"So..." Rumi said, her voice dropping into a teasing, playful tone. "Are you offering to be my sugar daddy?"
"...."
"...."
Kaito just stared at her.
He didn't blink. He didn't say a word. He just gave her a completely deadpan, blank stare.
Rumi burst out laughing, slapping his shoulder.
"Haha... I'm kidding, relax!" Rumi laughed loudly. She crossed her arms again, getting serious. "But for real. Give me a loan."
"A loan?"
"A massive one," Rumi nodded. "Pay for the intel team. Fund the first batch of my merchandise. Spot me the cash."
Kaito raised an eyebrow. "You are asking your manager to personally fund your entire hero agency out of pocket."
"I'm giving you a business pitch," Rumi corrected him. "Look, I know I'm not a Top 10 hero right now. I can't just drop a brand like others and expect it to sell millions on day one. I need seed money."
She poked him hard in the chest with her finger.
"But you spent two months building me into a literal monster," Rumi said, her red eyes fierce and totally confident. "You know exactly what I can do. If I hit the streets tomorrow, I'll clear three wards before lunch. I'll hit the Top 10 in a year and half. The brand will explode."
"...."
Kaito looked at her.
She wasn't begging. She wasn't asking for a handout.
She had total, absolute faith in her own strength, and she trusted him enough to ask for the backing.
Kaito couldn't help it. He actually smiled.
He reached over to his laptop, closed her empty bank statement, and opened a blank transfer form.
"I want fifteen percent of the gross merchandise sales for the first two years," Kaito said, typing rapidly.
"Done," Rumi said instantly.
"And you follow the patrol routes my intel team gives you without complaining," Kaito added.
"If the villains are there, I'll punch them," Rumi agreed.
Kaito hit the enter key.
BEEP.
"The funds are in the agency account," Kaito said, standing up. He grabbed his jacket off the back of the chair. "I'll call the dispatchers right now and tell them they are officially hired. We go live tomorrow morning."
Rumi's eyes lit up. She threw her hands in the air.
"Yes!" Rumi yelled.
She grabbed Kaito in a massive, crushing hug, lifting him slightly off the floor.
"Rumi. Ribs. Ribs," Kaito wheezed, tapping her on the back.
She let him go, laughing loudly.
"Sorry, Manager," Rumi grinned, cracking her knuckles. "Alright. Tell the shadow team to find me the biggest, ugliest targets in the city. The rabbit is going hunting."