In a vibrant city with pedestrians traversing from side to side, families engaged in lively conversations, individuals captivated by the mesmerizing night view, and others relishing their carefree moments of leisure.

Amidst this atmosphere, a girl is currently plummeting from the pinnacle of a skyscraper, her gaze locked straight ahead toward the ground.

"So you must be asking, how I ended up here" she muses.

"Well, let's rewind to where it all began."

[10 Years Ago]

In a cozy living room, a child fixates on the television while clutching a pillow with a Ninja character on it, surrounded by a scattered array of toys sprawled on the floor. The child becomes absorbed in a scene from the television.

"I'm done fooling around with you guys of the leaf...Go home." said a character on the TV screen.

The child's eyes widen with anticipation as another character on the show retaliates, leaping into action and charging forward.

"How do you take your comrades of the Leaf?!"

Filled with exhilaration, the child revels in the spectacle of two characters engaged in a fierce confrontation.

"This is me, Takara Yumi"

"and I am a huge fan of superheroes"

A tired man in a work suit opens the door, kicking off his shoes upon entering.

He is greeted by a woman wearing an apron, who holds a knife in her hand.

"Welcome home, dear" the woman says

Her voice filled with warmth, the man smiled in return.

The woman points towards the living room.

The man walks towards and both of them glance at their child exchanging smiles together.

"These are my parents, Ishikawa Hiroshi and Ishikawa Ayu" Yumi introduced

"They are the greatest treasure in my life"

Hiroshi playfully approaches Yumi, sneaking up on her and lifting her into the air.

"Whoa! Here comes the monster" Hiroshi exclaims.

Yumi screams playfully and bursts into laughter as they engage in a playful interaction.

Yumi grabs a blanket and wraps it around herself, pretending to be a hero.

"How dare you sneak up on me monster! Prepare for my powerful attack" Yumi declares

Hiroshi chuckles, pretending to tremble in fear.

"Oh no! My only weakness from the mighty hero herself"

Yumi clutches her pillow like a sword and strikes a fierce pose.

"Excalibur!" she shouts, swinging her arm with all her might.

Hiroshi struck by Yumi's attack, falls dramatically to the ground, causing Yumi to erupt into a fit of giggles.

Ayu stood by the doorway observing the playful scene between her husband and daughter.

"Dinner's ready, you two"

Hiroshi rose from the floor, gently smoothing down Yumi's tousled hair.

"Alright, my little hero"

"Let's put our battle on hold for now. I have something special planned for tomorrow"

As they made their way toward the dining room, Yumi turned to Hiroshi

"What is it? Where are we going"

Settling down at the dinner table, Ayu joined them, scooping rice onto each plate. With a curious smile, she asked her husband

"What's the occasion tomorrow dear?"

Hiroshi's gaze shifted from Yumi to Ayu

"Well, I've taken the day off tomorrow and I thought it would be a perfect opportunity for us to spend some time together"

Yumi's excitement bubbled within her, causing her to bounce up and down on her chair.

"I want to know where we are going!" she exclaimed

Hiroshi chuckling playfully, teased Yumi

"Oh, you'll find out soon enough"

"But Mom gets to know first"

Yumi pouted at Hiroshi

"No fair!"

"Alright, you two. the food's getting cold" Ayu interjects, her voice gentle but firm.

Both Hiroshi and Yumi brought their attention back to the table

"Yeah, better to eat while it's hot" said Hiroshi

Yumi's pouting transformed into an excited grin as she is curious and excited about the surprise waiting for her tomorrow. They all said in unison.

"Thank you for the food"

[The Next Day]

The following day, the sun rose as its warm rays bathed the city, awakening Yumi and filling her heart with eager anticipation.

Overflowing with excitement, she sprang out of bed and quickly went through her morning routine. She then descended the stairs to find her parents already waiting for her

"There she is" Hiroshi greeted Yumi with a smile

"Come and eat first before we set off" Ayu said, placing plates filled with food on the table.

Yumi hurriedly made her way to the table and ate with haste

"Woah, slow down! We still have plenty of time" Hiroshi chuckled

Yumi finishing her meal, noticed Hiroshi handing her a blindfold

"Blindfold?" Yumi asked

Her parents exchanged knowing glances

"It's all part of the surprise Yumi" Hiroshi replied, while Ayu gently tied the blindfold around Yumi's eyes.

Yumi settled into the backseat of their car as they embarked on the journey to a destination. Yumi attempted to peek through the blindfold, but Ayu caught her in the act

"Oh, no peeking Yumi"

Startled, Yumi closed her blindfolds again

"Trust me, the surprise will be worth the wait" Hiroshi assured Yumi.

After what felt like an eternity, the car finally came to a stop. Yumi's father guided her out of the car. Ayu took Yumi's hands and lead her step by step. Each step filled her with anticipation and excitement. As they walked, the sound of the city buzzed with life, and the sounds of laughter and chattering grew louder.

Finally, they reached their destination, Hiroshi carefully removed the blindfold from Yumi's eyes. Yumi slowly opens her eyes unfolding a vibrant scene before her. Yumi's face lit up and her eyes widened in awe.

"HEROES!" Yumi shouted

She stood in front of a bustling Comic Con festival, adorned with colorful booths and filled with people dressed in elaborate costumes.

"That's a hero! And another one over there! So many heroes!" Yumi exclaimed in excitement

Her parents watched with joy as Yumi absorbed the sights and atmosphere around her.

"I knew you would love this place," Hiroshi said proudly

"Come on Yumi" Ayu held out her hand to Yumi

The family wandered through the festival taking in the sights and sounds. Yumo browsed through comic book stalls and soaked in the lively atmosphere.

In the midst of the joyful festival, Yumi became abruptly separated from her parents, sending waves of panic coursing through her veins. Her heart raced, pounding with an overwhelming mix of fear and desperation as she looked around trying to find them.

"Mom! Dad!" she shouted, hoping that her parents would hear her call.

In an instant, chaos consumed the festival grounds, plunging the once vibrant atmosphere into a scene of terror. A deafening explosion rocked the festival grounds, sending shockwaves through the air. Panic rippled through the crowd, scattering people in all directions, desperate to escape to the exit.

Yumi froze in fear amidst the pandemonium, her heart raced, and her senses were overwhelmed by the cacophony of screams and commotion. Questions raced through her mind.

"Huh?" she whispered, her voice drowned out by the chaos.

Her wide eyes darted around, searching for answers.

"What's happening?"

Summoning her inner strength, Yumi fought against the paralyzing grip of fear. She willed her trembling legs to move, and amid the stampede of panicked onlookers, she found a fleeting opening and seized the opportunity to flee.

Just as she began to sprint, a menacing figure appeared before her, exuding an aura of menace that sent shivers down Yumi's spine. Yumi's hope of escape crumbled as she was cornered.

"Where do you think you're going?"

The terrorist raised its firearm, aiming it directly at Yumi.

"Get on the ground now"

The terrorist closed in on her, a wicked grin twisted his features. Fear tightened its grip on Yumi's heart, her every instinct urging her to fight or flee.

In a hushed tone, Yumi whispered to herself

"A hero never surrenders"

The terrorist regarded her with a perplexed expression, his brow furrowing in confusion.

"What?"

"I said!" Yumi declared with determination

"A HERO NEVER SURRENDERS!"

With a surge of courage, she lunges forward, trying to unleash a punch

However, before Yumi could make contact, the terrorist swiftly knocked her away with a forceful strike from his firearm. Helpless, Yumi crashed to the ground.

"Hero? Oh please kid" the terrorist scoffed at Yumi

"There's no such thing as a he-"

The terrorist's sentence was abruptly cut off as a masked figure appeared from above, delivering a swift and powerful kick straight to the face. The impact sent the terrorist sprawling backward.

The echoes of the commotion reached the ears of the other terrorists, drawing their attention to the location where Yumi and the masked figure is.

In a deep voice, the masked figure reassured Yumi

"Stay behind me, you'll be safe"

With unparalleled agility and an unruffled grace, the masked figure became a blur of movement, engaging the approaching terrorists with precision. Each delivered strike rendered the enemies powerless, Yumi watch in awe as the masked hero effortlessly incapacitated the assailants.

Time seemed to stand still as the masked hero weaved through the chaos, Yumi's eyes widened in wonderment, captivated by the awe-inspiring display of a hero in action.

But in the blink of an eye, the masked figure vanished, leaving Yumi perplexed and searching the surroundings for any trace of their presence.

As the chaos subsided, Yumi's parents, their faces etched with worry, spotted their daughter emerging from the building. Ayu's relief overflowed, her eyes brimming with tears as she rushed forward, embracing Yumi in a tight hug

"Yumi! We were so worried! Are you alright?"

Yumi nodded silently

"Sorry it took us so long to find you" Hiroshi's voice wavered with remorse

"It's okay Dad and Mom, I'm fine" Yumi replied

"Because today I witnessed something incredible"

Hiroshi's eyes lit up, his voice filled with relief.

"We're just glad you're safe, Yumi"

In the midst of gathering their thoughts, the distant wail of sirens pierced the air. Police cars and armored vehicles swarmed the vicinity, accompanied by uniformed officers and soldiers swiftly taking control of the situation, securing the area, tending to the wounded, and assessing the extent of the damage.

Yumi's eyes narrowed, a flicker of determination igniting within her as memories of the masked figure flooded her mind. She tilted her head back, gazing up at the sky.

"and that's why, I want to become a hero!" Yumi who is now eleven years old proclaimed resolutely, standing in front of her classroom. The chalkboard behind her reads "What do you want to be when you grow up?"

As she concluded her heartfelt story, a chorus of laughter erupted from her classmates.

"Why are you all laughing?" Yumi questioned them

Sitting at her desk beside Yumi, the teacher raised a hand, signaling for the class to settle down. The teacher turned to face Yumi and spoke with a mixture of sympathy and realism.

"Yumi, as the brightest mind in this school, you of all people should have known this"

The teacher began, her tone gentle yet firm

"There's no such thing as real superheroes"

Yumi's eyes widened in disbelief, her heart sinking at the teacher's words.