A few dark clouds covered the moon, making the already dark sky darker.
On a swing in a park somewhere, a teenager finally stopped the swing, looked up at the sky, and said to himself, "It's time to go back."
However, just as he jumped off the swing and was about to leave, three punks appeared from the corner out of nowhere. They held short wooden sticks in their hands, slapping them rhythmically as they walked toward him.
"If you know what's good for you, hand over your pocket money. Your mom must give you plenty of cash for snacks, right?" The thug in the lead, who looked about 20, had a rough face and an air of arrogance. He twirled his stick with ease, as if it were a weapon of power.
The lonely boy, named Akira Fujiwara, was 15 years old—a true "transmigrator." He had hoped to be reborn on Earth, only to find himself in a world beyond his imagination. This wasn't a rebirth but a journey to an entirely different world.
Eighty percent of humans in this world possess superhuman abilities. Those with potential may awaken in kindergarten, the gifted awaken in elementary school, while others only awaken during junior high or high school.
This ability is known as a "Quirk."
Yes, Akira had traveled to the world of My Hero Academia, but the specific process was unique to him alone.
He had been here for a month without yet awakening a Quirk. However, to his surprise, even without a Quirk, he was granted a system.
This system, called the "Rescue System," irritated Akira to no end. As its name implies, its sole focus was on "rescue." But who, exactly, was he meant to save?
Anything or anyone in distress, danger, or dire need could be a target, whether human, animal, or even something beyond human or animal understanding. Essentially, it boiled down to this: save lives in perilous situations.
In exchange, he would receive "rescue points" and could enter a lottery once he accumulated enough. What could be won in this lottery, Akira didn't know, as he hadn't yet collected enough points.
But here, he had three people who just might need "saving."
These three thugs had awakened Quirks, but Akira hadn't, so what could he do?
Of course, it was time to use traditional martial arts. As it happened, Akira had been a Taoist disciple in his previous life, practicing for decades. However, thanks to a manipulative woman, his foundation was ruined, leading to his downfall. After his master's death, he soon followed suit.
Although he hadn't practiced in this life, his skills and training remained intact. Seeing the thugs approaching, Akira smirked. "My mom told me three people would give me 'pocket money' tonight. I've been waiting here."
The lead thug paused and laughed. "Three people? Right here?"
Akira looked at him as though he were an idiot. "Right here."
"Where?" The thug glanced around in confusion.
Akira just looked at him silently. Realizing he'd been tricked, the thug raised his stick and charged, shouting, "You little brat, messing with me!"
"Oh please, when I was training on the mountain, you weren't even a glint in your father's eye." With that, Akira dropped low, using a strange angle to approach the thug's feet before supporting himself with his hands and kicking up to strike his opponent's chin.
The thug, caught off guard by Akira's move, had his teeth slam together and fell back, yelling in pain.
The other two punks stared in shock. Could this kid actually know martial arts? Even their friend, Gaoji, with his Quirk, had been taken down.
Akira didn't let up, quickly closing the distance to knock down the other two and "save" them.
However, the remaining two seemed too scared to fight, glancing at each other before shouting, "Run!"
They turned tail and fled, leaving their boss behind.
"Cowards!" Gaoji rubbed his chin in frustration but eyed Akira cautiously. He assumed Akira hadn't awakened his Quirk, yet the boy's skill was undeniable.
Akira squatted in front of him and grinned, "Learned your lesson?"
Gaoji's pride was hurt. He couldn't bear the humiliation of being schooled by a kid. Akira's question only added salt to the wound.
Admit he was wrong? Never!
"Seems you're still harboring resentment," Akira sighed, raising his right hand and delivering a clear slap across Gaoji's face.
"You…" Gaoji, stunned by the slap, grabbed a nearby leaf with his Quirk. The leaf expanded rapidly, aiming to strike Akira.
"Slap…slap…slap."
Akira delivered three more hits, knocking the leaf out of Gaoji's hand. His face was now red and swollen.
"Ready to admit it yet?"
Gaoji remained silent.
"Slap! Slap! Slap!"
"Fine! I was wrong, I was wrong!" Gaoji finally begged.
"Now, hand over the pocket money."
Gaoji, dazed, pulled a few notes from his pocket. Akira took them without hesitation; after all, someone trying to rob him should have prepared to be robbed in return.
With a big man crying before him, Akira felt a little awkward. Just then, a notification appeared in his mind.
"Rescue Points +20."
Akira smiled. Finally, he had enough points to enter his first lottery and see what he could win.
As he adjusted to this new world, Akira resolved to make the most of his situation. In his past life, he had lived quietly, but this time, he would live loudly and proudly.
After all, this was a world of heroes.
Later, at home, Akira took a hot shower before bowing to a small shrine. "Spirits, please grant me some good luck," he prayed.
With that, he began his first lottery draw. After a month here, training and "saving" others, he had finally earned enough points. It required 100 rescue points for a single draw, and tonight he was just qualified.
Located in Japan, he was fully immersed in a world where Quirks had awakened worldwide. This was the era of All Might, although Akira knew the hero was secretly injured, known only to the principal of U.A. and a few others.
Even Izuku Midoriya hadn't met All Might yet, just an ordinary third-year student.
Akira licked his lips in anticipation and mentally started the lottery. A golden roulette wheel spun, each prize marked with a question mark, so he had no idea what he would receive.
When the pointer stopped, the question marks on the reward changed. A voice announced in his mind:
"Congratulations, Host, for obtaining the Quirk Awakening Option. Please select a Quirk to begin training."
"Quirk: Manipulate Water Element"
"Quirk: Manipulate Fire Element"
"Quirk: Manipulate Ice Element"
"Quirk: Manipulate Metal Element"
"Quirk: Manipulate Wood Element"
"Quirk: Manipulate Earth Element"
"Quirk: Manipulate Thunder Element"
"Quirk: Control…"
Akira's eyes widened as he scanned the options, taking a deep breath before exclaiming, "So many choices?"