Aoyama Akira was living in Musutafu City, Japan. This was where his home was. It was an ordinary apartment in an aging residential building, only about sixty square meters in size. There was no information about his parents in his memories at all. It was as if, in this world, he had no relatives to speak of.
Because of that, this small apartment was more than enough for him to live alone. If anything, it felt spacious.
At this moment, Akira was inside his apartment, repeatedly testing his Quirk—Holy Light—trying to gain more precise control over it.
Earlier, the white-haired old man had said that the four of them belonged to different camps. At the time, Akira hadn't fully understood what that meant. Now, he did.
That white-haired old man was likely something like a creator—someone who had guided the four of them into this world. As for Akira himself, the camp he belonged to was clearly the righteous side. The information displayed by the golden ring on the back of his hand confirmed that he would be able to directly participate in U.A. High School's entrance examination in ten months.
As long as he passed, he would enroll straight into the Hero Course, Class 1-A. He would live and study alongside the protagonists of this world, growing stronger day by day.
That was undoubtedly good news.
But when Akira thought of the other three travelers who existed in the same world as him, a sense of unease crept into his chest. He still remembered their appearances vividly. Even though what he had seen was their state five years in the future, the impression they left behind was terrifying.
Those three could be somewhere in Japan—or perhaps overseas. There were simply too many unknowns. As travelers, they couldn't reveal their identities. And if they encountered others like themselves, enemies from opposing camps had to be eliminated.
That wasn't a suggestion. It was a clear rule displayed by the system.
There was no room for carelessness.
If you didn't kill the other party, you would eventually be killed by them. As for when—or whether—it would even be possible to leave this world, there was no information at all. For now, Akira only knew this much, which meant every step he took from here on had to be planned carefully.
Since arriving in this world, Akira had come to a clear realization. He didn't know what Quirks the other three travelers possessed, but his own—Holy Light—was fairly solid. After an entire day of testing, he discovered that he could coat parts of his body with Holy Light energy on a small scale. However, at most, it could only protect vital areas.
That was its defensive application.
As for offense, Holy Light could be wrapped around his fists. With his current output, it was strong enough to pierce through a wall, but not to completely shatter one. Overall, it wasn't much different from an average Quirk at this stage.
Everyone started at the same line. What came next depended entirely on individual effort.
Akira knew that Seaside Park would be the ideal place to train his Quirk. This was the same location where All Might had trained Midoriya Izuku. The park itself was enormous, so as long as Akira and Midoriya trained in different areas, there was little chance of running into each other.
Even if they did cross paths, it wouldn't be a big deal. Holy Light wasn't particularly eye-catching at the beginning. Compared to Quirks like Half-Cold Half-Hot or Electrification, it wouldn't stand out much at all.
That meant he had to act quickly.
The other three travelers would definitely think the same way—training hard, strengthening their Quirks, and ensuring their own survival at the very least.
For someone like Akira, who frequently watched anime and attended conventions, My Hero Academia was extremely familiar territory. That knowledge was his advantage. If the other travelers weren't familiar with this world—or hadn't watched this series at all—then Akira would be one step ahead.
As long as he gained enough time, he could grow stronger first and ensure his own safety. As for actively hunting down the other travelers… Akira wasn't prepared for that yet. He didn't have the mindset, nor could he bring himself to do it. He was the type who wouldn't bother others unless they crossed his line first.
Of course, that was assuming they didn't interfere with him.
"Alright. I'll start training at Seaside Park tomorrow," Akira muttered, suddenly slapping his thigh. "Wait—has Midoriya Izuku met All Might yet?"
He had a computer at home.
He could check the news.
As long as the sludge villain incident hadn't happened yet, there would be no connection between Midoriya Izuku and All Might. Once that incident occurred, everything would begin.
Akira turned on his desktop computer and started searching through the news. What surprised him was that there were no reports related to the sludge villain at all. Japan was still relatively stable at the moment, with only small-scale violent incidents popping up here and there.
"So that means… I still have plenty of time. Almost ten months?" Akira murmured to himself.
His stomach suddenly growled.
"Grrr~"
He reached into his pocket, pulled out his wallet, and opened it. Inside was a stack of Japanese yen. After thinking for a moment, he walked to the bedside table, opened the drawer, and found another bundle of cash—about ¥10,000 in total.
This amount would support him for a little over a month at most. After that, he'd need to find work locally. His identification and paperwork were all in order, so as long as he applied, he could start working.
There was no strict rule in this world prohibiting minors from working. While he couldn't take on a full-time position, part-time jobs were perfectly acceptable.
By working part-time, Akira could support himself while integrating into society. It was the best possible arrangement.
As the sky outside gradually darkened, Akira took a large-denomination bill from his wallet, slipped on his shoes, opened the door, and headed downstairs.
This residential building was relatively old by Musutafu standards. The distance between buildings was just over twenty meters, making the area feel dense and compact.
Once outside, the street stretched ahead of him. A short walk would take him to a bustling commercial district, though Musutafu was still far from being comparable to Shibuya.
Directly across the street from the building was a ramen shop. Its sign read "Fat Uncle Ramen." The sign was written in Japanese, yet Akira could read it effortlessly—likely another effect of the golden ring on the back of his hand.
"Boss, one bowl of Three-Treasure Ramen!" Akira called out as soon as he entered.
The chubby owner nodded with a smile and headed back to prepare the order. Akira found a corner seat and sat down casually.
Business was good. About half of the fifteen tables in the shop were occupied, with customers of all ages—men and women alike.
"Your Three-Treasure Ramen is ready," the owner said, personally bringing the bowl over. Akira quickly thanked him and handed over the money.
The owner smiled as he accepted it, then glanced at Akira. "First time eating here, kid?"
Akira was just about to pick up his chopsticks. The aroma of the ramen had already made his mouth water. Hearing the question, he turned his head and smiled. "Yeah, it's my first time."
The owner called toward the kitchen. "Keiko, bring a bottle of juice for this kid."
A woman came out from the back, glanced at the owner, then smiled at Akira before turning around to grab the drink.
"Boss, you really don't have to—" Akira said, feeling a little embarrassed. The owner was almost too enthusiastic.
"Hey, don't worry about it," the owner said cheerfully. "Anyone who eats here for the first time gets a free drink." He then turned toward the other customers and called out, "Right, everyone?"
"That's right! Fat Uncle's the best—he gave me juice the first time I came too," a male customer said with a grin.
"I still remember my first visit," a woman added with a smile. "It was raining that day, and I was soaked. The boss warmed up some soy milk for me. Honestly, it saved my life."
Several customers echoed their agreement, laughing and chatting. Akira could only smile and thank the owner again.
The boss was so warm and welcoming that Akira had no choice but to accept the juice.
But first—
He needed to eat.
He was absolutely starving.