"Mhm~"
Arisu's eyelids faintly lifted to find himself floating in a tight capsule filled with cold water. A tube was forced down his throat, constantly pumping air, keeping him away from the possibility of drowning.
"Papa, the preparations have been completed."
The voices seemed muffled to Arisu.
The cold water pressed on his skin.
His heartbeat echoed in the tight capsule.
Only a thin light landed on his face from a small glass window.
The light on the other side was blindingly bright.
"...Good job, son. The dream I've been visualizing for all these years will finally come to fruition. Son, all those plans I've been working on are now in your hands. Show me how you'll handle them while I'm gone… I'm expecting to see great results from you."
"You will, Papa. I will not disappoint."
"Mhmm~ What's happening to me?..."
"...Well, the time has come… I'm off."
A sudden wave of calmness washed over Arisu, easing his stress and pulling him back to deep, dormant sleep.
Beep! Beep! Beep!
The echoing sound of an alarm clock bounced around the room and attacked Arisu's ears relentlessly.
"Aaaahhh~!"
Arisu slapped down on the alarm clock, making it quit its bickering. He then pushed himself to the edge of his bed and just sat there waiting for his grogginess to fade.
A couple of dozen seconds later, Arisu stood up and shuffled to his washroom. Cold water ran down his back as he took a quick shower, just quick enough to fully wake himself up. The toothpaste burned faintly on his tongue as he continued brushing his teeth.
Black Uniform. Buttoned. Straightened
The mirror reflected a rather scary face.
A face he'd wished he had never been born with.
A face that caused him a life of loneliness.
He quickly made his way downstairs, being welcomed by his mother, who was sitting on the living room couch. A plate of omelette was placed on the living room table,e just waiting to be eaten.
"Eat up, and hurry to school before you're late."
His mother got up and left the living room for her room, planning on finishing a load of work her boss had assigned her.
"Yeah, yeah, thank you for the meal."
After devouring the delicious meal,l he hurried out of the house.
He rode his bike down the long streets until he reached it…
Kiora Middle School.
Arisu's middle school.
"Only a couple of days left until the break."
The moment he reached the front gates, all those students who were just chatting with their friends all of sudden got quiet and walked in silence when they saw him.
Arisu saw this yet did nothing about it; he was used to this kind of treatment… That didn't mean it hadn't hurt him. He kept a calm and composed face, but on the inside, he was hit with a feeling of longing.
Arisu pushed it aside and advanced over to the bicycle parking lot and secured his bike. He then walked into the building and walked up the stairs, past the hallways of quiet students, and into his classroom.
Classroom 3-D.
The moment Arisu stepped foot in class, the usually chatty students suddenly got real quiet and took their seats, and everyone else soon followed. They only continued their conversation in whispers, fearing they'd annoy the Grimshade. (A nickname they came up with to call Arisu)
SLAM!...
The door at the front of the classroom suddenly flew open, and in walked Mr. Uo.
The teacher of classroom 3-A
"Everyone, get into your seats and open your notebooks to page 237!"
He paused in his tracks the moment he witnessed all his students already sitting in their chairs and in silence.
Something he hadn't seen before.
Usually, it'd be a hassle gathering all their attention.
"...You all are in your seats already? Well, that's a first."
He then noticed Arisu, who was still standing at the door in the back of the classroom.
"You haven't been to class in a while, and now you're disturbing the flow of the class? Take your seat now!"
"Ah, I'm sorry, sir."
Arisu scratched the back of his head and apologized.
Arisu walked over to his desk in the back of the classroom as discreetly as possible to not gather any more attention to himself.
"Just a couple more days.
Then it'll all get better.
Don't give up, Arisu.
Just hang in there a little while longer."
Bwreklebeeeeeeeep!!!! Bwreklebeeeeeeep!!!
The sound of a dying bird that came from an alarm clock assaulted Kagetsu's ears until he got up and turned it off.
"What the fuuuuck!!"
Unlike Arisu, his room was very small and cramped.
He slept on a mattress on the ground; the walls had mold growing on them.
Kagetsu was long used to it by now.
He had lived his entire life in poverty.
Kagetsu grabbed his phone from under his pillow and checked the time displayed on the screen.
His eyes widened in shock.
If he didn't hurry, he'd be late once again.
He rushed to the washroom, brushing his teeth at lightning speed. He didn't bother taking a shower as he mumbled something about how natural smell is better than using chemicals. Worst excuse I've personally ever heard, just to not take a shower.
Gray-Uniform. Wrinkled. Falling buttons. Creased beyond saving.
He then zoomed into the small living room and commented on his grandpa having left for work earlier than usual.
Usually, he'd walk in and see his grandpa slumped over the couch with a beer in his hand and laughing at his show with a big grin.
In this home, it was only he and his grandpa.
They sometimes missed entire meals, starving themselves until they had enough to buy groceries.
But none of it mattered to Kagetsu, as long as they were together, he knew better days would come.
Yet deep down, he really did hate it.
The life of poverty.
Kagetsu didn't have more time to spare thinking about it, so he shoved a piece of toast in his mouth and hurriedly ran out of his run-down apartment unit and down the rusty metal stairs, which almost broke under his feet.
He continued running on the asphalt, his mind was thinking of the fastest shortcut, whilst his legs took him there.
He reached halfway down the crosswalk but still hadn't seen it. The shadow stretches against the pavement.
The roar of a car roared down the streets.
The loud honking of the car alerted Kagetsu, who turned his head and saw it.
A large black limousine was only inches away from hitting him.
Time seemed to have slowed down; Kagetsu remained suspended in motion.
Only one thought crossed his mind.
"Is this really the end?
Is my story meant to end today?"
Then an image flashed before his eyes.
An image of Kagetsu's truest, deepest desire.
He bathed in a jacuzzi filled with money as 12 sexy girls with big boobs massaged him.
A dream he'd silently sworn to accomplish.
This couldn't be the end of his dream.
He wouldn't let it end here.
Then a spark of determination ignited the fire in Kagetsu.
"I won't let it end like this
I can't let it end like this
Not until my dream has been achieved!!
I will not surrender to death!"
With all the strength Kagetsu's thin and weak body could muster up, he pivoted his foot and quickly pushed against it as hard as he could, which pushed himself out of the trajectory of the limousine.
Kagetsu made a swift landing… Face first into the concrete. He quickly stood up with a line of blood dripping from his nose, looked at the limousine, and expressed his anger.
"You blind fuck!. Driving can't be that fucking difficult!"
SKREEE!
Suddenly, the limousine came to a sudden halt and slowly began reversing in Kagetsu's direction.
Kagetsu's eyes widened in fear, for he knew it was game over. He must've insulted the car of a high-ranking Yakuza and now would get ripped apart and then fed to the guard dogs.
A truly horrible luck.
"It's over, isn't it?"
The Limo halted as it reached Kagetsu. The driver's seat window slowly lowered, revealing a professional woman in a neat black suit with sunglasses that rested above her nose, driving the vehicle.
"What was that just now?. Have you insulted the luxurious limousine of the prodigy Miss Yuki?"
Kagetsu kept a calm exterior.
Yet he was panicking inside.
His legs trembled.
His heart thumped harder and harder.
A nervous drop of sweat streamed down his face.
"Play it cool.
Play it cool.
All I have to do is suck up to her.
Simple task.
Please don't mess it up."
"Answer me, you inferior swine!"
The lady was frustrated by Kagetsu ignoring her questions. Her anger just kept piling up.
"Who would commit such an atrocious crime against the greatness of Madam Yuki?" Kagetsu kept a calm and respectful tone with a little anger sprinkled on top.
The woman gave Kagetsu a side eye as he spoke.
"If I get the chance to catch that bastard, I will personally teach him a lesson he will never forget. I will now go out and search for this person. I will not stop until I have found them." Kagetsu continued. His acting skills were on par with professionals.
"A sharp tongue can start trouble,
But a smooth one can slip right out of it."
It was a quote that resonated in Kagetsu and a quote that he carried throughout his life.
Kagetsu bolted right out of there, not wanting to wait for the execution to begin.
"What an audacious personality. How dare he insult someone of such astronomical superiority to himself?"
"You can drop me off here, I'll walk the rest of the way." A voice came from the backseat, it was a cool and composed voice that sliced through the air like a blade.
The back door opened, and from it stepped out a young girl.
Black uniform. Neat. Dazzling.
Her long, raven black hair flowed like ink from her roots, only to bleed a moon white colour at the tips.
"But Miss Yuki, I have firm orders from the Master to drive you to and from school." The driver tried protesting just to be silenced by the young woman in one singular sentence.
"I can live my own life."
The driver acknowledged her wishes and drove away.
She then began walking on the sidewalk with a calculated elegance.
The air seemed to thin as she passed, as if the atmosphere were holding its breath; such beauty was fascinating.
People would steal glances at her as she passed, silently praying she'd look in their direction.
Ding! Ding! Ding!
The school bell announcing the arrival of lunch break rang out throughout the school. Class remained quiet. Arisu pushed himself out of his seat and began walking to the exit, planning on going out to buy something.
As he reached the door, someone bumped into him. He looked down to see who it was, to see a girl frozen in fear at the sight of him.
"Sorry…" Arisu mumbled as he continued walking.
The moment he left, the class regained its noise as other students from different classes flooded the classroom.
The friends of the girl walked up to her to see if she was alright.
"Are you okay?. Did he do anything?" A friend checked on her.
"No, No. I'm fine, he just apologized and left."
"You're lucky that's all he did. I heard that someone once bumped into him and he almost killed the person on the spot." Another friend jumped in and villainized Arisu.
"Hope that girl was alright," Arisu thought as he walked down the hallways.
Arisu then walked until he reached the school gates and turned the corner on his way to the convenience store to buy a snack or two to eat with the money he had in his pockets.
As he continued walking down the street, he heard sudden shouts behind him like a conflict had arisen. He turned around to see what was happening to see a man wearing a black ski mask run past him, holding a purse.
An older woman was chasing behind him, but due to her old age, her speed wasn't helpful.
As if it were instinct, Arisu began pursuing the man. As the man noticed, he began accelerating. A goose chase arose in which, for the next dozen minutes, Arisu was chasing the man around the city.
"Huff~
I'm tired as hell.
When is this gonna end?"
The man then took a sudden, sharp turn into an alleyway. Arisu quickly followed and realized it was a dead end, and had finally trapped the man.
"Huff~ Toss the purse."
The man turned around and instantly rejected Arisu's offer with a conniving voice.
"This is your first, last, and only chance to leave, kid."
Arisu gave out an uninterested look and let out a smirk.
"Shut that shit up, you fucking bum. You're that desperate you had to rob an old woman?"
"I warned you, kid." The man announced.
The man suddenly ripped off the ski mask from his face, revealing a scalp filled with thick, jagged, metallic quills as hair. The man then tucked his chin and suddenly propped the metallic quills in Arisu's direction.
The attack caught Arisu so off guard that he couldn't dodge in time and was pierced with dozens of sharp quills.
Shkk! Shkk! Shkk! Shkk!
SHKK!
And one final quill pierced and embedded itself right in between Arisu's two eyes and killed him instantly.
Arisu then dropped to the ground.
He had stopped moving.
Blood slowly dripped from the wound, down his face, and on the concrete floor.
Not a single memory flashed before his eyes. Usually, when someone died, they'd relive all of their happiest memories, Arisu thought. But how? How could Arisu still have thoughts?
Nothing flashed before his eyes, yet the echoing sound of a bell echoed in his ears over and over again.
Dong! Dong! Dong!
Arisu lifted his eyelids to find himself staring at the masked man speaking in the same exact conniving voice.
"This is your first, last, and only chance to leave, kid."
Arisu remained silent, shocked by the events that had just occurred.
Huff~
Huff~
Huff~
His heart thumped as if it was going to jump out.
His hand clenched his chest, fearing his death.
His breathing became uncontrollable.
"What…
What just happened?.
How am I…
still here?!
What's going on?!"
"I warned you, kid!"
Once more, the ski mask was ripped off, revealing those ugly metal quills. And once more, the man tucked his chin and began propelling his metallic quills in Arisu's direction.
Arisu knew what was going to happen if he didn't act.
He'd have to relive his death once more.
He dived behind a big metallic garbage box to his right at the last moment.
The man realized this and redirected his quills to the garbage box.
CLANG!. SPARK!.
Orange and yellow sparks went flying everywhere as the quills scraped the side of the box.
Arisu hadn't fully comprehended the seriousness of the situation, but one thing was for sure.
He wouldn't let it happen again.
CLANG!. SPARK!.
"You should've kept walking!"
After realizing the severity of the situation Arisu was trapped in, he quickly gained back his composure and scrambled to think of a plan to make it out alive.
"Think! Think!.
How can I make it out of this?!"
Then an idea popped into his mind.
A risky idea that'd put his life at risk if it wasn't executed just right.
But if it were, victory would be guaranteed.
"I'll fucking kick your ass!" Arisu spat from behind the box
Arisu's hand searched around for a minute until grabbing a small pebble the size of a peanut.
He clenched it with both hands and prayed for his plan to work.
He then suddenly tossed it behind him with calculated power.
"Vizualize"
He visualized where the pebble had landed.
"And…
Transport!"
Clap!
He clapped his two hands together and suddenly vanished from thin air.
What remained in his place was that very pebble he had thrown seconds prior.
In the pebbles, a spot appeared, Arisu.
He was right behind the man.
His plan was victorious.
Without a second of hesitation, Arisu mustered up all the pent-up hatred he had felt towards the man for the suffering he had caused him and directed it all towards one kick aimed right at the man's ass.
SMACK!.
The kick landed successfully and made the man fall to the ground.
Arisu didn't stop after that; he repeatedly pounded on the man with his foot until his metallic quills vanished into dust, revealing a head as smooth as a baby's bum.
Not like I'd know what that looks like 👀.
Sigh!~
"Finally, it's over."
Arisu Kuichi
Ability: ClapClap
This ability allows the user to trade places with any object or person they focus on, triggered by the user's clap of hands.
Arisu slowly approached the man to retrieve the stolen purse.
As he grabbed the purse and pulled it away from him, a strange tattoo on the man's hand captured Arisu's attention.
The number 19 in bold was the tattoo.
On closer inspection, the man's body suddenly caught on fire.
The man didn't scream or resist it.
His now hollow eye socket stared into Arisu's soul.
Arisu was frightened by the unfolding scene, a fear he'd never experienced before.
He bolted out of that alleyway, not bothering to turn around until he made sure that thing hadn't followed him.
Arisu's hand clenched his chest as he tried to calm himself down before continuing to walk in the direction of his school to return the stolen property.
"Students!. A new seating plan has been formed. Quickly make your way to your new seats before going for lunch break," Mr. Bao told the class.
"Come on, sir, there's only a week and a half left until the break." A student tried protesting against this sudden seat change.
"Yeah, come on, sir, have a heart." Another tried to join in, thinking they could change the mind of their homeroom teacher.
"Do you find my instruction Optional?" Mr. Bao sternly said with a stern tone.
With one singular, scary glance, he shut down any attempt and put a seed of fear inside his students.
It was as if he could magically dictate over the student by their fear of him.
Even Kagetsu didn't bother trying; he glanced at the board, grabbed his desk, and silently walked over and placed his desk in his new designated seat.
THUD.
The sound of a desk slamming against the floor assaulted Kagetsu's right ear.
He glanced at the board once more and realized who he had the chance to sit next to.
Hamiri Hiri
A girl known for her beauty.
She was known for being a child model for a famous magazine.
And Kagetsu, an ugly bastard, had the opportunity to sit next to her.
Kagetsu slightly turned his head to his right and caught a faint smell of roses.
She was drop-dead gorgeous; she even made Kagetsu have butterflies in his stomach.
"Oh shit!
This is so it!
My school life…
Is finally turning into a rom-com!"
He then leaned over, trying to flash a seductive smile that probably made him look like a creep.
"Hey, my name's Kagetsu. I guess we're seatmates for the remainder of the school year. I guess we'll have to suffer through class together now, hehe.
Kagetsu's utterly pathetic attempt at a joke did NOT stick.
Hamiri's face then twisted into a disgusted expression as if she was repulsed by Kagetsu.
"Don't breathe so loud," She muttered, "I can smell your disgusting breath."
Kagetsu's forced smile didn't break, but deep down, his soul cracked.
"Ouch!.
Direct Hit.
Usually, the popular girl falls for the unpopular guy.
I get it, this is the "Girl rejects boy but then regrets it" Type of story.
Kagetsu didn't try redeeming himself; he thought she'd regret it sooner or later.
He just walked out of class, not bothering to look behind him.
From her seat, Hamiri shot a glance at him, with a small grin forming on her face.
Her new prey had just shown himself to her.
Arisu continued walking until he saw the old woman from earlier, who was now discussing with an officer, whilst other fellow students watched it unfold.
As Arisu approached closer and closer, the old woman noticed him.
She pointed him out to the officer and began approaching him.
She wore a furious expression.
"Here you go, ma'me—" Arisu pulled out his arm, trying to return the stolen property.
Smack!
The sound of the woman's hand slapping against Arisu's face echoed down the street.
When she pulled her hand back, what remained was a large, red handprint of her hand imprinted on Arisu's face.
She then ripped the purse from his hand and dragged him to the officer by his earlobe.
"Ahh, ahh, it hurts."
"You should have thought about that before trying to steal from me." The woman angrily responded.
"Ma'me, you got it all wrong–" Arisu tried explaining that it was a misunderstanding.
"I won't fall for your tricks. You can explain your fake story when you're in jail." She didn't bother trying to listen.
The eyes of other students on him made Arisu embarrassed.
He was wrongfully accused when all he did was try to help.
Yet he was looked at as the wrongdoer.
"Officer, he's one of the people who stole my purse. I demand he gets arrested!" The woman yelled at the officer
The woman tossed Arisu to the officer with a look of anger and disappointment on her face.
"I got it from here, ma'me. Hey kid, is what she's saying true?"
"No! I tried to explain that I just tried to help."
The cop and Arisu walked a little further away from the woman demanding prison time, and the officer demanded that Arisu tell him the full story of what happened.
Then Arisu began to explain the entire thing from the beginning
But when he reached the point where he had died, Arisu skipped over it, thinking it'd make the story totally unbelievable
"Okay, kid, mind turning around for a second?" The officer asked.
"Why? I just told you what happened." Arisu tried protesting against this wrongful arrest.
"You think I'm gonna fall for this story? You're not some hero." The officer flatly told him.
The officer then grabbed Arisu, cuffed him, and threw him in the back of the cop car.
Meanwhile, other students pulled out their phones and recorded the interaction.
Arisu witnessed this cruel treatment; his eyes were void of emotion, and a blank expression was all that remained on his face.
"How unfair this all is.
Just because I tried helping, I'm seen as the wrongdoer?
Will it take me becoming a hero to stop other people's judgments upon me?.
I hate it.
I hate all of it."
Lunch break was coming to an end, and Kagetsu had just walked back from the cafeteria when he stepped foot into his classroom and saw Hamiri talking to him.
Kio namasuji
Or Kagetsu's bully.
He had relentlessy Harassed Kagetsu the moment he arrived at this middle school.
He had made Kagetsu's life a living hell.
The moment Hamiri noticed Kagetsu glancing at both of them, she whispered something into Kio's ears and pointed in Kagetsu's direction.
Kio then stood up and walked over to Kagetsu.
"The final boss appears… Gulp~
Annnd there goes my day.
really is fascinating how fast my day could take a turn for the worse."
Kagetsu didn't move an inch, not out of rebellion but because his muscles had stopped working.
The fear Kio had implanted into Kagetsu was taking effect.
Without Kagetsu even noticing, a thin layer of metal began forming on Kio's right hand.
Crack!.
The sound of cracking bones echoes in the classroom right after Kio had smacked Kagetsu in the face.
It began gathering the attention of other students who watched.
Not a single one of them bothered trying to help.
"Heard you were trying to flirt with Hamiri. You know she's leagues above you, right?" Kio placed his left hand on Kagetsu's shoulder.
Kagetsu remained quiet, not daring to answer.
The numbing pain throbbed in his cheeks, pounding throughout his face.
When Kio realized Kagetsu wouldn't fight back, he began toying with him.
"Ya hear me?" Smack! "I'm talking, answer me." Smack!. "Is anyone there?. Smack!
By this point, Kagetsu's face was bloodied and bruised.
Then the front doors of the classroom opened wide, and in walked Mr. Bao.
Kagetsu thought he'd been saved, but to his complete shock, Mr. Bao took one glance at the ongoing situation and… did absolutely nothing about it.
He just sat at his desk waiting for it all to be over so he could begin class.
"You're just going to watch?
Even when someone is in trouble?"
Kagetsu clenched his teeth in anger.
You fucking coward!
Kagetsu wasn't fully surprised either.
Kio's father was a well-respected entrepreneur who frequently donated to this middle school.
As a result of that, his son received an ego that just grew over the years like a cancer consuming everything in its path.
Now he does anything he wants, and if someone gets in his way, he gets his father to deal with it.
A truly corrupted system.
"I guess you're not gonna answer me, huh?... I guess it's time to teach you a little lesson."
Kio's Pulled his arm back and delivered one strong punch to Kagetsu's face.
But as Kagetsu was falling to the ground, he saw something he'd remember for a long time.
Past all the light from the recording smartphones of other students, there she was.
Hamiri's conniving expression while she smirked at what was happening.
SLAM!.
Kagetsu dropped to the ground, clenching his broken nose whilst blood and tears dripped down onto the classroom floor.
His vision seemed to get blurry from the blood that entered his eye as he squirmed around on the floor.
But even with his current predicament, he pushed himself up and dragged himself to his desk.
He grabbed his bag while ignoring Hamiri, who was giggling at him.
He then left the classroom as a trail of blood droplets followed him.
As he walked down the stairs, he could only think of one thing. How unfair life was.
"Birth is a game of chance.
The chance to be born with power
People like him leverage themselves above others thanks to their powerful Abilities.
…But I can't?"
Kagetsu walked along the sidewalk, ignoring the looks of other people
"I wasn't born with one, so I couldn't.
I'm the only one on this damn earth without one!
Am I destined to be a stepping stool for the rest of my life?
How unfair!
…But what can I do about it?"
After a bit more walking, Kagetsu collapsed on a small hill that faced a long lake.
Tears flowed down his face, for he was on the verge of giving up.
After a while, the tears stopped, and what came after was absolute silence.
Until the sound of a notification alerted Kagetsu.
He reached into his pockets and pulled out his phone.
He read what the notification was, and all of a sudden, that look of despair on his face from a moment earlier instantly faded away.
New email from: Tsubasa Academy
Dear Applicant, thank you for your interest in Tsubasa Academy. The foundation for the next generation of heroes. Entrance exams are scheduled for 10:00 AM, exactly one week from today. Please report to Zone #3 at the location we will provide in the following days. Be advised: we accept only the elite.
Thank you.
Tsubasa academy.
What replaced his expression was a genuine smile.
Something he hadn't shown in a while.
"It doesn't matter anymore.
None of it matters.
I don't need an ability to be great.
I'll be the first to become a hero without it!
I'll prove to myself and to all of them how truly amazing Kagetsu Hitoshi really is!"
Kagetsu Hitoshi
Ability: Nothing
Kagetsu was born with a birth defect that prevented him from being granted an ability.
Kagetsu released a deep sigh of relief as he dropped his arm from fatigue and breathed in a breath of fresh air, and admired the beautiful view of the lake.
Maybe life wasn't so bad?
Arisu stepped out of the police station with his mother walking beside him.
Nighttime had already arrived.
Both got into the car and drove away.
"Mom, None of what they said was true. I just tried to help, and they shifted the blame to me." Arisu attempted to explain, his voice empty from emotion.
"I know Arisu, I know." "Just tell me everything that happened from the start," His mother warmly comforted him.
Arisu then began explaining what had happened from the very beginning.
Until he arrived at the part where the man had taken off his ski mask.
"He then shot a bunch of metal quills at me, and then a weird thing happened."
"Really? What happened?" She asked softly.
"One of the Quill's pierced into my brain and then I—"
As he continued talking, Arisu suddenly felt a pair of hands pressing on his neck, preventing air from traveling, which was effectively suffocating Arisu.
Arisu flailed around trying to hit his stomach as an attempt to breathe, but it wasn't working. No matter what he tried, nothing was working; it was as if an untouchable entity was physically choking him.
His mother noticed his struggles and began panicking.
"Arisu!?. What's happening to you!. I'm driving to the hospital right now!"
Cough~! Cough~!
Arisu punched his door in his panic and somehow managed to open it.
He then fell out of the car and began twisting and turning due to the fast velocity of the vehicle.
His face slid against the concrete road, which was like sandpaper to his face, and began ripping the skin off his face.
His mother saw Arisu fall out and managed to stop the car only a couple of meters away from Arisu's current position.
She then stepped out and tried running over to him.
"Ahh!~ What's… Going… On?."
Arisu tried looking around.
The last thing he saw was an immense speeding truck only inches from his face.
BAM!.
The truck crashed into him, causing his blood to splatter on the street like paint.
Resulting in his immediate death.
"AHHHH!" His mother yelled.
This time, either. Not a single memory flashed before his eyes.
Just that same echoing bell.
Dong! Dong! Dong!
Arisu lifted his eyelids, realizing he was back in the car.
His hand clenched his chest for dear life.
"So after chasing him into the alleyway, what happened?... Arisu?" She turned to him and noticed his agitated state.
"It happened again.
Why did it hurt so much?
Even if it was for a split second.
The pain was unbearable."
"Arisu, is something wrong?. Are you okay?" His mother slowly began worrying.
Arisu quickly snapped out of his agitated state and reassured his mother that he was fine to get rid of her worries.
"Yeah, I think I just had a small heart attack." Arisu giggled.
"I don't think that's good. We'll go check it out tomorrow at the hospital." His mother sighed.
Ding! Ding! Ding!
The sound of the notification vibrated against Arisu's clothes and skin.
He grabbed his phone from his pocket and read the message displayed on it.
"Dear applicant.
Blah Blah Blah.
Zone #1, 10 AM.
Blah Blah Blah.
Thank you.
Tsubasa Academy."
Arisu's expression remained the same.
Yes, he may have been granted an opportunity to become a hero, something he had always wanted to be.
But the nauseating feeling that crept over him was excruciating
The feeling of dying was for sure not a pleasant one.
He stared out the window and had one pondering question he couldn't avoid thinking about.
"Can I really become a hero?"