CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE
Rio lay lazily on his back, his body sinking into his friend Tenya's mattress, arm outstretched as he drew invisible circles in the air, bored. The tips of his fingers traced languid spirals as if he were trying to conjure something from the ceiling.
Tenya, seated at his desk with his notes spread out in precise rows, frowned deeply as he turned to Rio. "Can you stop doing that? It's distracting me!" Tenya huffed as he closed the book he was reading.
Rio sat up and continued drawing circles with his finger as he leaned his head lazily to the side, facing Tenya. "Bruh, just read. I'm on my own here. You're making a big deal out of nothing."
Tenya's frown deepened at that statement. "You're making funny buzzing noises while doing that. It's getting on my nerves," Tenya said in irritation.
"Yeah, yeah, whatever," Rio said dismissively, continuing to make the circular motions, careful not to make a sound and disturb his friend's memorizing.
Rio had arrived earlier today for the final review of the debate topic his class was to present. This was the third time already he had come to the Iida family home for the sake of the debate. Rio couldn't be bothered to take the debate seriously, but Tenya had already discarded two earlier manuscripts that, mind you, he had personally written himself. The kid was too much of a perfectionist; his insane work ethic was seriously exhausting.
"Rio, you need to focus. The debate is next week." The school term had come to a much-needed end, and this was the last school-related agenda he would have for the next month.
"I'm focused," Rio replied, voice nonchalant. "I already memorized everything. You're the one stressing." Seriously, an eidetic memory was such a cheat; it was the kind of power that every student dreams of.
"Then stop distracting me!" Tenya snapped, not unkindly though—the boy was such a goody two-shoes that the emotion seemed beyond him. "Unlike you, I haven't gotten everything down yet."
With the sound of a knock, the door creaked open, a familiar voice drifting in. "You boys hungry? Mum made something to eat."
Tensei Iida stood at the doorway, casually dressed in a hoodie and sweatpants—the pro hero known as Ingenium.
The Iidas were a family of pro heroes. Tenya's grandfather, father, and now his older brother had been pro heroes. There was no mistake that Tenya was gearing up to follow in their footsteps. A legacy of heroics that had spanned three generations—a truly impressive family history.
Tensei Iida smiled brightly, though there was an unmistakable weariness in his eyes.
Rio didn't even lift his head. "Yo." It wasn't the first time he was seeing him—there was no need for any formalities. Tenya's brother was kinda chill like that.
Tenya, however, practically leapt from his seat. "Nii-san! What are you doing here? I thought you were on patrol!"
Tensei sighed as he stepped into the room. "I got dusted by some messy villain. He was too fast for me to handle—couldn't keep up," he said as he plopped down on the edge of the bed.
Tenya stared at his brother in disbelief. "No way! There's no way someone's faster than you!"
Rio just rolled his eyes at that naive declaration. There was someone way faster in this room alone.
Tensei chuckled at his younger brother's antics, ruffling his hair. "There's always someone faster, smarter, or stronger, Tenya. That's why we work in teams—to cover each other's blind spots. Besides, the others at the agency keep asking about you."
Yeah, or you could just get strong enough to need only yourself.
Then again, not everyone possessed the level of potential he did.
His smile softened. "Study hard, and maybe one day you'll be working with me."
As Tensei walked out of the room, Rio turned lazily toward Tenya. "Hey, want to find out where he's headed? That'll be more fun than sitting here."
Tenya didn't even hesitate—he slapped Rio on the back of the head. "Don't drag me into your nonsense."
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The day of the debate had arrived, and the auditorium was packed full of individuals—those who were relatives of the students at the school and others who had just come to witness the CEO and President of Detnerat, one of the most premier companies in Japan.
Rio sat at the front of the assembly beside Tenya, arms crossed, looking more like someone who was about to doze off than one ready to argue about civil liberties. He may have enjoyed the attention of the crowd, but he wished to be anywhere else.
His mother waved at him from the front row, her presence subdued but still dazzling in her own way. In contrast, Tenya's father was bawling like a fountain, while his mother frantically waved her hands in fervor.
The announcer's voice sounded over the microphone. "Before we begin, I'd like us to give a warm round of applause for our sponsor—give it up for Detnerat Industries!"
The crowd broke into a loud round of applause. A man stood up, dressed in a tailored pinstripe black blazer, a green dress shirt that complemented his dull green eyes, and a green tie, with a perfect smile on his face.
The man's orange-brown hair sported the most brutal widow's peak Rio had ever seen—a middle-aged man with a sharp nose that made him look nearly twice his age. Clearly, the stress had gotten to him. He'd been balding for a long while.
Rikiya Yotsubashi.
The man was important, and he knew it. He carried himself with the regal grace of a lion patrolling his territory.
Rio tilted his eyes slightly, undeniably curious. So this is the infamous corporate giant, the CEO of Detnerat Industries. The man looked…
Painfully average.
Sure, he was tall, but that was the only thing the man had going for him. His looks weren't flattering in the slightest—just the stock image of a rich, clean, generically powerful businessman.
And then, the man's gaze snapped directly to him with focused intensity.
Out of the hundreds of eyes on Rikiya Yotsubashi, he returned none of their looks—only Rio's. Rio's brows furrowed at the man's gaze while the CEO just smiled thoughtfully in his direction.
Rio wanted to brush the encounter off as mere coincidence, but something about it rubbed him the wrong way. The man smiled thoughtfully at him like he was contemplating a joke that he knew others weren't privy to.
The announcer's voice broke him out of his trance. "Next up, representing the third grade: Rio Hayami and Tenya Iida!"
He walked up to the podium, Tenya in tow, posture relaxed. He had already been preparing for this for a long enough time—this would be a breeze.
The speech was a blur—it wasn't as difficult as Tenya made it out to be. His opponents were a group of bumbling nine-year-olds.
Truly the peak of incompetence. He despised such weakness.
When they were finished with their presentation, applause followed as the four debating students bowed to the crowd.
Rio exhaled, muttering under his breath, "Finally." Now he could be preoccupied with things that he actually enjoyed doing and forget about school for the next month.
Two more groups presented, their arguments more dramatic, voicing their opinions loudly.
In the end, it was the team from the fifth grade—the twins who Rio had gotten the debate date from back in the school hallway—who were declared the winners. They rushed to the stage in celebration, glowing with pride.
Rio slumped in his seat. "What a waste of time…" Resting his hand on his chin, he wondered when he could head back to the pit.
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Detnerat Tower
The dim conference room was a stark contrast to the gleaming Detnerat towers above it. Screens hummed softly as footage played on loop—various angles of the debate, audience reactions all on display for the ones in the room.
Rikiya Yotsubashi stood before it all, arms behind his back, posture composed as ever. He stared thoughtfully at the screen. Seemingly coming to a conclusion, he turned to his waiting adjutant—the only other person present in the room.
The silence was broken by a lanky man with a head of shiny, waist-length black hair. "Re-Destro…" he paused, figuring out a way to say this without sounding rude to the grand commander.
"Why them?" he said in a low voice, his tone tinged with disapproval. "Those twins were arguing for state regulation. Their values are fundamentally opposed to what the Army stands for. If we're planning recruitment, then they do not qualify."
Re-Destro didn't answer immediately. He merely turned to another screen—one showing the crowd during the opening ceremony. The camera locked on one figure: Rio Hayami, sitting with his arms folded, his face plastered with boredom.
"Calm yourself, Tomoyasu," Re-Destro finally said. "You're an exceptional tactician, but you're looking at this too narrowly. You need to learn how to appreciate the bigger picture."
Tomoyasu Chikazoku stood from his seat impatiently. "With all due respect, sir, we do not have the time nor the luxury for sentiment. Their speech reeked of insincerity. This was a school project at most—it has no bearing on—"
"And? So what?" Re-Destro cut in, only now turning to face his general. "It matters not who wins the debate. I take it as my annual charitable endeavor. Whether they align with our core philosophy or not is inconsequential."
He walked over to the table and grabbed a glass of water. "People are getting suspicious of our motives, Tomoyasu. This is a small ploy to throw them off our scent. Accusations about Detnerat being a front for something radical have been thrown around by our competitors. While those are just malicious statements to cause problems with our stock prices…" Re-Destro paused as he took a gulp of water.
"I will not allow these… speculative narratives to gain traction."
"So we do not train them into management? I thought—"
"My, Tomoyasu, so even you have been deceived by rumors online. There is no such thing happening. You've been with me long enough to understand that that's not how the company is run," Re-Destro said with a chuckle.
He reached into a drawer and pulled out a single photograph. The face on it was unmistakable—Rio. He placed it on the desk in front of Tomoyasu with quiet finality.
"That one," Re-Destro said with thinly veiled admiration. "He met my gaze earlier… the boy… he is strong! I see myself in him. He will understand my mission."
Tomoyasu reached for the photo and looked at the image, unimpressed. "I do not recall this face."
"Now, now, Tomoyasu-san. You really need to stop your bad habit of underestimating everyone." Re-Destro tapped the image lightly. "This is the second time he's come into my sights… You could say this is the call of destiny, eh?"
Tomoyasu glanced at his leader curiously. "You want to recruit him?" While this wouldn't be the first time Re-Destro had personally recruited a child, it was still a rare occurrence.
Re-Destro shook his head softly. "The time is not ripe… I'm already receiving multiple reports from our contact at the juvenile quirk center. The boy has a ruthless streak—he just doesn't know it yet. He will make a fine whetstone… or better yet, a rival for Geten."
Tomoyasu just raised an eyebrow in response. "And if he finds out and doesn't like what we're offering?"
Re-Destro's face fell ever so slightly—not with anger or disappointment, but something more akin to pity, his expression mournful.
"If he refuses, then he will have to become a martyr for the cause."
"You mean to eliminate the child?" Tomoyasu blinked in recognition. It would not be the worst thing his leader had done, but he usually cried and felt bad about doing such things for a whole day. He did not want his leader to suffer such tragedy.
Re-Destro exhaled in exhaustion. "If we cannot make use of his potential, then he is meaningless to me. Being a child is no excuse. This mission was entrusted to me at a tender age. Regardless, I will treat him like a warrior and offer a swift end."
"Keep an eye on him, Tomoyasu," he said, holding the photo between his fingers as he studied it one last time before sliding it back into the drawer. "Don't make contact. Just watch. I want to see if he sparks on his own."
Authors note: So that's a wrap folks.
...
Not to the story obviously. Just the first volume.
Looking back at my journey writing this, I realize i still don't understand half the shit I'm doing. So since all the foreshadowing has been done and i've laid the background for this fic, we can now go 100% into the main fic.
Seriously guys Koichi is the GOAT. He may not understand half the shit he's doing as well but man he really developed his powers to heights I didn't think possible.
Peace out.
PS: How do you use emoji's on PC.