The afternoon sun continued to shine generously, bathing the city in warmth. Fortunately, it was only early June—hot, but still bearable.
Outside Shizuoka General Hospital, Amano Sora dragged a small suitcase as he stepped through the entrance.
He paused for a moment, looking at the bustling street before him. Cars passed by, people hurried along the sidewalks, and the city pulsed with life. Familiar, yet unfamiliar.
A trace of hesitation flashed through his eyes—only to vanish an instant later, replaced by quiet determination.
I'll live properly this time…
Ahem. From today onward, I'll live strong in this world.
—Screeech!
A car braked to a stop nearby.
Sora turned just in time to see a tall, beautiful woman step out. Her long legs, confident posture, and striking presence made her impossible to ignore.
It was his aunt.
Takeyama Yu — the Pro Hero known as Mt. Lady.
"Sora! Hurry up!" she called, striding toward him. "Didn't you say you'd wait for me to finish the discharge procedures together?"
"I handled most of it myself," Sora replied with a small smile. "No need to trouble you with everything."
"Oh?" Takeyama Yu raised a brow, then laughed. "Looks like our little Sora has finally grown up."
She reached over, grabbed his suitcase with ease, and turned toward the car—
Only to stop short.
There was someone standing beside it.
A traffic officer.
"What kind of person is that…?" Sora muttered under his breath.
Takeyama Yu instantly clasped her hands together and leaned forward, her expression pitiful.
"Officer, please—just for a moment! I'll move the car right away! Could you maybe not write a ticket…?"
The traffic officer remained unmoved, already writing on his pad.
"Stopping is stopping. This is the hospital entrance. Ambulances come and go constantly. Blocking this area—even briefly—can delay emergency treatment. That delay could cost lives."
He spoke with righteous seriousness, never once looking up.
Takeyama Yu twitched as she glanced at the wide, empty road in front of her. Even if ten ambulances came at once, they'd have room to pass.
Is he blind or just stubborn…?
Unfortunately, she wasn't wearing her hero costume today. Though she had already debuted and gained some fame, she wasn't well-known enough to avoid embarrassment.
And so…
She could only accept her fate.
"U-Um… Officer," she said sweetly, blinking innocently. "How about increasing the fine a little, but not deducting points…?"
The corner of Sora's mouth twitched as he watched her act cute.
The officer finally looked up, his eyes narrowing.
Calling me "uncle" at your age? Fine. Then I'll make sure you remember this.
He silently finished writing the ticket.
The fine was minimal.
The point deduction, however, was the maximum allowed.
—
Inside the car, Sora sat in the passenger seat, staring out the window as buildings and billboards flew past. Enormous holographic advertisements of All Might dominated the skyline.
Behind him came a triumphant laugh.
"Hah! Genius move!" Takeyama Yu grinned proudly. "That guy never stood a chance against me!"
Sora glanced at her helplessly.
All that over a small fine…
His aunt really was something else—kind, brave, righteous, beautiful… and hopelessly obsessed with money.
"It's the Quirk," Sora sighed inwardly.
He remembered that her gigantification Quirk had been destructive since childhood. Compensation payments were practically a part of her life.
Even now, as a professional Hero, she still had to pay massive sums after missions.
And yet…
"Heroes…" Sora muttered.
In his previous life, he had always felt strange watching My Hero Academia. The idea of professional heroes felt contradictory.
If they succeeded, it was "their job."
If they failed, they were blamed.
They had to restrain themselves in battle.
They had to pay compensation afterward.
It felt less like heroism—and more like exploitation.
But after coming to this world, Sora finally understood why people still became heroes.
The answer was simple.
Money.
A lot of money.
Even excluding All Might, Endeavor alone paid over one billion yen in taxes per year.
Taxes.
Not income.
That meant his actual earnings were astronomical.
"Being a Hero really is terrifying…" Sora muttered.
No wonder people fought so desperately for rankings.
Still, despite understanding it logically, something about the word professional hero continued to bother him.
And yet…
"…Maybe I'll try becoming one too," Sora said softly.
Of course, definitely not for money. Absolutely not. Definitely.
But the truth was, the original owner of this body had dreamed of becoming a hero. He had even secretly signed up for the U.A. entrance exam before giving up.
Now that Sora carried his memories—
Helping him fulfill that dream felt… right.
—
The car slowed to a stop.
"We're here," Takeyama Yu said casually.
Sora looked up. "This isn't—"
Before he could finish, the ground shook.
Takeyama Yu suddenly grew taller.
And taller.
And taller.
In the blink of an eye, she had transformed into a towering giant.
Sora froze.
Even though he knew about her Quirk, seeing it in person was something else entirely.
"What… is she doing?"
Then—
The car was lifted.
Tilted.
Straightened.
And carefully placed into a parking space.
Sora sat frozen in his seat, gripping the door.
"…Female drivers are terrifying."
The moment she returned to normal size, Sora bolted out of the car, pale-faced.
"Come on," she said casually, locking the car. "Let's go."
"Aunt… where exactly are we?" Sora asked, glancing around.
"Our place," she replied. "You're fourteen. You're not living alone."
He froze.
Then understood.
She was afraid he'd go back to an empty house… and break.
"…I see."
"Quit spacing out," she called. "This is the apartment I just bought. Come on, I'll show you around."
Sora hesitated for a moment, then followed her.
"I'm coming…"