The cry of an eagle filled the sky.
A man seemed to be judging heretics, while armored figures stood guard around him.
And "he" watched over them all.
Like an eagle spotting its prey before the hunt.
A quiet stillness lingered, then a bell rang out.
"He" vanished.
"He" moved through the crowd, tracking his target and closing in.
The man overseeing the trial shouted for someone to stop him, and two armored men stepped in to block his path.
"He" hurled the crossbow on his back at one of the armored knights, while the other swung his sword.
He calmly avoided the blade, subdued the other man with a small dagger, then stepped onto the fallen knight and leaped away.
The man saw it before he died.
A white robe unfurling, a hood pulled low, golden eyes glowing from within, and on the raised left wrist, a small blade that could take a life in an instant...
Like a white eagle snatching up its prey.
And "he" took the prey’s life.
The armored men stared blankly for a moment before rushing in to kill him.
But "he" fled and toyed with them.
He climbed walls and moved across rooftops.
When he landed, he stepped on an armored knight to soften the impact.
Then "he" arrived at the door of a certain building.
The knights mocked him, saying he could not escape, but "he" only smiled, completely unhurried.
Then monks in white robes emerged from the doorway.
"He" disappeared among the monks.
The knights searched desperately for him, but in the end, they had no choice but to give up.
______________________________________
It was that dream again.
I woke up in the worst mood, making my bed as I started the morning.
"Hero Course"
The things I had seen yesterday, and Midoriya Izuku’s actions, had begun to change the way I thought about Heroes.
"U.A. Hero Course"
Its national average was 79, and the competition was so fierce every year that ordinary students did not even dare to try.
Fortunately, my grades were pretty good. The problem was the practical exam.
I had trained my body to some extent, but that did not change the fact that, without a Quirk, I was at a major disadvantage.
"If I had one..."
I closed my eyes and opened them again.
The world had lost its color, and I could see people through objects.
People were moving with a blue tint. As the frequency of those "dreams" increased, I was growing used to this "sense."
Who was "he," and why did I have this kind of power? While I was thinking that, someone called out to me, and I stopped thinking about it.
"Big brother, the headmistress says it’s time to eat."
"Got it."
______________________________________
"Taka, you look like you’ve got a lot on your mind."
"Is it that obvious?"
"What’s with you? You’re usually not this troubled. Something happen?"
After school, while I was working at the bookstore, Minori asked me with an uneasy expression.
"I want to take the exam for the Hero Course. My grades are fine, but I’m worried about the practical."
"Hmm. Then how about I help you?"
"You, Minori?"
"You don’t have to use a Quirk for the practical. You can use support items."
"Still, aren’t those expensive?"
Support items were expensive. Especially since distribution was almost entirely limited to Heroes, they were not easy to get.
"Heh-heh-heh, don’t worry. I know an engineer, so I should be able to borrow some."
With a proud look, Minori smiled at me.
"I’ve finished most of the work anyway, so let’s go now."
"Now?"
"Yep!! Right now."
______________________________________
I followed Minori to see the engineer.
"Hehe, it’s nearby, so we’ll be there soon."
Minori spoke to me cheerfully, and I nodded.
"Hey!! Old man!! You’re making so much noise I can’t sleep because of you!! Keep it down!!"
What was that? Minori and I were startled by the shout and headed toward the sound.
There, we saw a man with a cast on his right arm yelling, while a white-haired old man looked flustered.
"Mr. Tokoro?"
Minori approached the old man in surprise, and the man backed away, startled by the woman who had suddenly appeared.
"What are you doing!! Assaulting an old man like that? Don’t you even know to respect your elders?"
"What? Move!! Get out of the way, you unrelated woman!!"
The man looked ready to throw a punch at any moment, but I stepped in before he could.
"Hey."
"Huh? You again... wha... t?"
The man went pale and trailed off.
Come to think of it, it was the same man I had seen yesterday.
The one who had picked a fight with me and ended up with a dislocated shoulder.
The man backed away, then ran without even looking over his shoulder.
I ignored him and approached Minori and the old man.
"Are you all right?"
"I’m fine. Thank you, boy."
The old man got to his feet with Minori’s support.
"Taka, this is the engineer I wanted to introduce you to. His name is..."
"I’m Tokoro Hatsume, just an unremarkable old man."
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