February 26th,
Musutafu, Shizuoka Prefecture
Inside a black limo, wearing a white shirt over black pants, Luke sat pressed between Mr. Reijirou and Sand, with Nyx on his shoulder.
Opposite them, Mr. Principal sat, drinking tea. After learning that Mr. Reijirou was coming to send off Luke for the Entrance Exam, he had arrived at the airport to tag along with them.
Now, it was already 8:00 am, and they were just standing on one side of the road, waiting for…
"Haha!" They heard the voice before the man had even entered. The limo's door opened, and, wearing a yellow suit, the Pro Hero sat inside, the entire vehicle sinking a few millimeters. "Sorry, I am late."
All Might — The Symbol of Peace!
Even Nyx, who usually didn't like these awkward silences, remained quiet, her eyes lighting up.
"One day…" she whispered in Luke's ear, easing the tension within him, "… you are going to look like that…"
What is she on about?! Luke hissed within, smiling wryly. I never looked like that even in my previous life… You idiot!
But even if Luke didn't look like that, he was definitely on his way to do that, it seemed.
Even seated, Luke was not only taller but bigger than the two men seated on either side. Maybe it was his genes. Maybe it was something else. One thing was sure, though. He looked powerful.
If it wasn't for All Might in the vicinity, Luke would have outshone them all.
And if looks weren't enough, then his Stats were screaming the same as well.
…
[
Blessed Stats:
— Spirit 300
— Stamina 105
]
…
"Where were you?" Nezu asked.
All Might coughed. "Just… jogging…"
Unknown to everyone, he was coming after meeting with young Midoriya and granting him One For All.
Hearing All Might's dodgy answer, Mr. Reijirou frowned.
Even Sand looked at the strongest man oddly.
It was the same for Luke as well.
Luke knew that Midoriya was All Might's successor, but he had no idea why, when, or how it happened.
These days, he constantly cursed himself for not having a curious personality when it came to social matters. Otherwise, if he knew the intricate details of everything, by talking it out with Momo in his previous life, he could have used them to his advantage.
Now, the information he did know felt like a much stronger version of his father's Soothsayer Quirk.
"Oh, who do we have here?" All Might asked, looking at Luke. "Renji Saionji, right?"
Luke lifted his head, his blue eyes matching All Might's. Should I talk to him about the future events? Given his history with All For One, he might believe me…
…
[
… Please be careful, Blessed.
We need to be extra careful after what happened in the dream that day…
]
…
Luke could still feel the fingers gripping his throat, an evil presence buzzing in his mind. "Hello," he let out a smile. "You can call me Luke."
Nezu sipped tea. "Are you sure your father didn't have more children, All Might?"
All Might laughed at the obvious joke. "Honestly, I am not sure. Haha!"
Mr. Reijirou had had enough of this. "Mr. Principal," he said, not feeling stifled by All Might's presence at all. "If Luke fails the exam, then I am sure you will not press upon what happens next."
Nezu declined to humor the insinuations.
Ever since he had seen the dread on Mr. Saionji's face when Luke had experienced a seizure around a year back, he knew things were more serious than they seemed.
If he was right about it, then it was that day Luke awakened his Quirk.
Now, Nezu knew Mr. Reijirou had a Quirk — Soothsayer, which the tycoon revealed when he and All Might had visited him.
Of course, he had taken All Might to pressure the Saionji family's head, which worked.
The fact that Soothsayer was a State Secret, and its presence couldn't be revealed, was another matter altogether.
Later, Nezu theorized that Mr. Saionji must have adopted Luke, knowing what type of Quirk he would awaken.
So, it couldn't be as simple as gigantifying a bird.
There was no way the boy would fail the entrance exam, unless…
"Why do you want to become a Hero, Luke?" Nezu asked slyly. "Why do you want to join UA High?"
Luke had grown physically. However, he still had a long way to go to make himself comfortable in foreign presences.
With Sand and Saionjis, it was still alright. He could be in the same room with all of them and not let his throat go dry, fearing a conversation. But, with Nezu and storming All Might…
I can't keep being like this… Luke told himself, letting out a breath.
Nyx looked at Luke from the corner of her eye. "He wants what all other boys want…" she cawed, giggling. "A girlfriend!"
"Nyx!" Luke gasped, blushing.
"Haha!" All Might laughed. "I like the crow…"
"Your mother's a crow!" Nyx lunged at All Might, brandishing her claws. "Make me big! I will slap some sense into this mongrel!!!"
…
Nyx eyed All Might with a murderous gaze from Luke's lap, a few of her feathers sticking out from All Might's spiky, golden hair.
All Might cleared his throat.
Nezu eyed the boy, picking a feather out of his tea.
"Why did you jump off the floor, Luke?" he asked, putting his question differently. "Why did you save the boy?"
Luke looked outside the window, asking himself another question.
Why did he orchestrate an attack that could very well have killed innocents?
"I… don't want to be a Hero," Luke said, shocking everyone. "Not without knowing what this word truly means."
He brought his gaze back inside, his blue eyes falling on Mr. Principal.
"I jumped off the floor because… I wanted to do more…" he said, letting out his true feelings. "I wanted to do more than what people expected of me… In that time… I didn't want to keep standing on the sidelines, letting fate dictate my life.
"So, I know nothing about becoming a Hero, but… I don't want to feel helpless when someone's life is on the line in front of me…"
… ever again… Luke added the words inside, remembering his wife.
This kid… All Might's blue eyes shone bluer.
Sand closed his eyes, his lips barely arching up into a smile.
Mr. Reijirou's mouth flattened into a thin line, his fingers balling into fists.
Opposite them, All Might and Mr. Principal shared a smile between them, nodding.
Suddenly, the limo stopped. They had arrived at the location of UA's Entrance Exam. A bodyguard in a black suit and pants opened the door.
All Might gave the boy a thumbs-up with his signature smile.
Looking at his father and Sand, Luke stepped out of the car and disappeared among the crowd of students.
Inside the limo, Mr. Saionji and Nezu looked at each other.
"If Luke passes the Entrance Exam," Reijirou said, "then I will let him join UA — on one condition…"
Nezu finished the tea. "I am hearing…"
Reijirou looked at All Might. "I heard UA's hiring… I have a — recommendation."
*********************
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