In this new world, Takeshi learned of quirks—the miraculous, strange powers that most of the population awakened with. People who were born without them were called quirkless, scorned and often pushed to the outskirts of society.
His mother, Aiko Moriyama, was one of those few. yet filled with a warmth that no ability could replace. Her kindness was a balm to all who knew her. She helped many neighbors in times of need, tended to the sick, and gave comfort with words and gestures more powerful than any superhuman gift. The villagers couldn't help but feel pity for her, being quirkless.
His father, Haruto Moriyama, was a different kind of presence: disciplined, hardworking, and possessed a strong quirk called hammer. It turns his arms into any kind hammer, making him both an exceptional carpenter and a man no one wished to mess with.
Before Takeshi's birth, they had lived in the bustling city of Musutafu (Tokyo). But tragedy scarred their family—their firstborn son had died in a sudden accident. A wound no power could heal. Overwhelmed with grief, Haruto and Aiko left the city behind, retreating to their ancestral village of Kibayashi in Nagano Prefecture. There, surrounded by mountains and fields, they sought solace in a quieter life.
For a while, peace returned to them.
_
Takeshi was four and a half when the peace shattered.
It began' with a ripple of fear running through the village. A wild bear had strayed down from the mountains, with a massive, towering build. Its roar carried across the fields, and the villagers fled, slamming doors shut, barricading windows.
"Inside, everyone, inside!" voices shouted.
Children were dragged home by panicked mothers. Farmers dropped their tools. The village that normally rang with laughter now fell eerily silent.
Inside the Moriyama household, Haruto's voice cut through the tense air like steel. "Stay here, Takeshi. Don't leave the house." His voice was anxious because aiko wasn't at home, having gone into the back mountain earlier that day to gather herbs.
His eyes, normally calm, burned with determination as he issued an order to Takeshi that had to be followed. He didn't wait for argument. He bolted through the door, heading straight toward the back mountain.
Takeshi froze in the doorway, his small hands clenching. He still remembered his father's command—but in his chest, worry clawed at him like a living thing. In his previous life, he had been powerless, unable to save anyone he loved. The memory of his mother's cold rejection and his father's exhausted face haunted him. He would not—could not—just sit back again.
"I can't just sit here what if something anything happen to them," he whispered to himself.
Ignoring the voice of reason, ignoring the pounding of his small heart, Takeshi slipped outside and darted toward the forest's edge. His legs carried him faster than they should have, guided by desperation.
Beneath the tall pines, the air was thick with tension. And there, in a clearing dappled with fading sunlight, he found them.
His mother, Aiko, has nowhere to run. A shallow cut stained her arm crimson, and she clutched it to her chest. Standing between her and the beast was Haruto, his body coiled, every muscle straining as he uses his quirk to fight the bear.
The bear towered over them both, its fur bristling, eyes bloodshot with hunger. It lunged, and Haruto met it head-on, slamming the sludge hammer forward with his full strength. The impact echoed through the clearing, but the animal only staggered back, enraged rather than defeated.
Dazed and panicked, Aiko caught sight of her son. "Don't come near, Takeshi! Run away!" she shouted, but her warning fell on deaf ears.
For Takeshi, the sight of his parents being in the verge of death unleashed something deep inside him. His heart thundered. His body trembled with energy. His very skin seemed to hum, as though a storm raged beneath it.
And then—
It awakened.
Power surged through his tiny frame. His breath came sharp and fast, yet his body felt lighter, stronger. His legs coiled like springs.
Before anyone could stop him, Takeshi sprinted forward with unnatural speed. The ground seemed to vanish beneath his feet. The bear turned, roaring, massive claws raised to strike.
But the boy leapt.
Far higher than any child should ever leap.
And with a cry that tore from the depths of his soul, he drove his fist down.
CRACK!
The impact shook the clearing. The bear's skull cracked beneath the blow, and the massive beast collapsed, crashing into the earth in a heap. Dust and pine needles rose into the air, silence following in their wake.
The forest stilled.
Haruto stood frozen, his stick half-raised, his eyes wide in disbelief. Aiko's scream died in her throat, replaced by stunned silence.
And there, panting, his small chest rising and falling, stood Takeshi. His tiny fist still trembled from the strike.
"Takeshi…" Aiko finally found her voice, her body shaking as she rushed forward. She dropped to her knees, pulling him close, her hands trembling as they checked for wounds. Tears blurred her vision. "Why would you do something so reckless? What if you were hurt? You could've been—"
"I'm sorry, Mom," Takeshi whispered, his voice became hoarse with emotion. "I just… I didn't want to lose you. I wanted to protect you."
Her tears spilled freely now as she hugged him tighter. "My brave boy… but you mustn't throw away your life so carelessly."
Haruto exhaled heavily, his heartbeat finally slowing. He placed a steadying hand on his wife's shoulder, his face still carrying traces of shock—but also something else. Pride.
"That was no ordinary punch," he murmured. His eyes fell on his son, sharp but not calculating. "Takeshi… that was your quirk."
Aiko froze. Her hands tightened protectively around her child, as though the very word quirk might take him away from her. "But what if the quirk takes a toll on his body? It could be dangerous. We don't know what kind of power it is—or what it might do to him. We need to take him to the hospital." Many cases have shown that awakening a quirk can cause mutations in the body, which can be either beneficial or harmful
Haruto nodded slowly, he knew aiko concerns. "You're right. And you need treatment as well." He looked at Takeshi again, his lips curving into a faint smile. "Still… I can't deny it. That was incredible."
Takeshi's chest puffed out, his earlier fear gone, replaced by growing excitement. "Don't worry about me, Mom, Dad! I think I've awakened a powerful quirk! Someday, no one will be able to stop me! I will be invincible —" His grin widened, innocent yet fierce. "I'll become the Number One Hero!"
Aiko's tears turned into a shaky laugh as she brushed his damp hair from his forehead. "Number One Hero, hm? Then promise me you'll always come home safe."
Haruto chuckled, the sound deep and warm. He ruffled his son's hair, though his voice carried a warning edge. "A young hero shouldn't get too cocky. The world is harsher than you think, Takeshi. But…" He paused, pride flickering in his eyes. "I think you've taken your first step."
The boy's small fists clenched with determination. In the shadow of the mountains, with his parents by his side, Takeshi Moriyama's journey had truly begun.
End of chapter!!.