Location: Naruhata Ward – Main Commercial District
Monday | 02:00 PM (Two Months Later)
Click. Flash!
A blinding barrage of camera flashes illuminated the crowded afternoon sidewalk.
The bustling noise of the Naruhata commercial district was entirely drowned out by the shouts of aggressive hero-paparazzi.
Koichi Haimawari stood frozen in the center of the media circus.
He was wearing his upgraded blue hoodie and protective mask, cornered against the brick wall of a convenience store.
Over the past two months, the officially licensed O'Clock Hero Agency had turned Naruhata Ward into a near-zero crime zone.
The local news networks had finally caught on, and they wanted answers from the agency's most visible sidekick.
"Crawler! Over here!" a reporter shouted, shoving a heavy microphone directly into Koichi's personal space.
"Can you confirm the rumors that the O'Clock Agency has effectively annexed this ward from the HPSC?"
"Is it true you're being trained directly by a veteran underground hero?!" another reporter yelled over the noise. "What is your stance on the current Billboard Chart rankings?!"
Koichi opened his mouth, but only a strained squeak came out.
He gripped the hem of his hoodie, sweating violently under his mask. His social anxiety, always his greatest weakness, hit him like a freight train.
"I—uh, I mean, we just—we just do patrols!" Koichi stuttered, waving his hands defensively.
"I slide around and pick up trash mostly! Please, I have to finish my route!"
The reporters ignored his pleas, surging forward to block his escape path.
Step. Step. Twirl.
"Alright, alright, that's enough, boys!" a bright, highly energetic voice rang out over the crowd.
Kazuho Haneyama vaulted over a nearby fire hydrant, landing flawlessly between Koichi and the press.
She was in her full Pop★Step idol costume, her pink hair bouncing as she struck a picture-perfect pose.
Unlike Koichi, Kazuho thrived under the camera flashes. She had spent years performing illegal street concerts; a dozen reporters were nothing but a captive audience.
"If you want official agency statements, you have to go through our PR department!"
Kazuho winked, blowing a playful kiss to the cameras that sent the photographers into a frenzy.
"Oooohhhh!"
"Pop★Step!"
"For now, the Crawler and I have a city to protect! See you at my next live show!"
Without dropping her dazzling smile, Kazuho reached backward, grabbed Koichi by the hood of his jacket, and yanked him hard.
"Let's go, dummy," Kazuho muttered out of the corner of her mouth.
Using the distraction, Koichi activated his quirk, dropping to three points of contact.
With Kazuho riding on his back, he shot down a narrow side alley, leaving the bewildered paparazzi in the dust.
_-_-_-_-_-_
Location: Naruhata Ward – Abandoned Warehouse District
The heavy scent of dust hung in the air above the abandoned warehouse.
Iwao Oguro stood in the center of the vast, flat concrete roof.
He wore his full O'Clock tactical gear, holding a solid oak training staff loosely at his side.
He wasn't panting, but the sweat on his brow proved he had been pushing himself.
Ten meters away, Koichi was breathing heavily, wiping dirt from his visor.
Sitting on a steel folding chair near the roof access door was Kaito Arisaka.
He wore his usual crisp beige trench coat, holding a digital tablet.
Over the past two months, whenever Kaito wasn't optimizing Ryukyu's patrol routes, he was here, acting as the tactical overseer for Iwao's intense combat training.
"Your horizontal speed is excellent, kid," Iwao called out, twirling the staff. "But the moment an enemy forces you off the ground, you become a sitting duck. You lose your traction. Again."
Koichi nodded, dropping into his stance. His quirk, Slide and Glide, built up a repulsive force against the concrete.
FWOOSH!
Koichi launched himself forward, skating across the roof at forty miles per hour.
He aimed straight for Iwao's center of mass, preparing to pivot and strike.
Iwao didn't flinch.
At the last possible second, the veteran hero sidestepped, swinging the heavy oak staff in a sweeping arc aimed directly at Koichi's knees.
Koichi panicked.
To avoid getting his legs shattered, he pushed all his repulsive force downward.
He launched himself high into the air, successfully dodging the staff, but completely losing his forward momentum.
Koichi reached the apex of his jump, hanging in the air for a fraction of a second.
Gravity immediately took hold, pulling him back down toward the hard concrete.
"Push off the air!" Iwao shouted, watching him fall. "Project the repulsion field outward!"
Koichi gritted his teeth, kicking his boots out desperately.
He tried to force his quirk to grab onto the empty space, but there was nothing there.
From his folding chair, Kaito watched the trajectory.
His mind, overflowing with absolute kinetic knowledge, instantly calculated Koichi's mass, velocity, and the atmospheric pressure surrounding his boots.
Kaito didn't move a muscle. He simply tapped his finger against the back of his tablet.
Snap.
A silent, invisible edit rippled through reality.
For exactly one-tenth of a second, Kaito artificially condensed the air molecules directly beneath Koichi's soles, turning a pocket of oxygen into a solid platform.
Koichi's boots slammed into the invisible barrier.
BAM!
A shockwave of air blasted outward. Koichi rebounded off the hardened pocket of oxygen, launching himself higher into the sky.
He flipped perfectly over Iwao's head, landing on his feet with a smooth, controlled slide on the other side of the roof.
Koichi stared at his boots in absolute shock.
He looked up at the sky, then back at his feet.
"I... I did it!" Koichi yelled, his voice cracking with excitement. "Master! I jumped on the air! I actually did it!"
Iwao lowered his staff, a proud, gruff smile crossing his scarred face.
"You're finally getting it," Iwao said. He tossed the staff aside. "You aren't just crawling on the ground anymore, kid. From now on, you're the Skycrawler."
"Congratulations, Koichi" Kaito smiled and and put precise checkmark on his tablet.
"You're already standing with the Pros now. With this evolution you have a long way ahead of your career" He closed the device and stood up.
"Hehe. Thank you very much. Thank you for guiding me Kaito. Thank you, Master.". Koichi smiled sheepishly and bowed to Iwao and Kaito with deep gratitude.
"Were friends Koichi. His kinetic vectors are stabilizing, Old man," Kaito stated and turned to Iwao.
"The O'Clock Agency's internal combat proficiency is now operating at acceptable parameters. I will leave the rest of his conditioning to you, O'Clock."
"Heading out already, Arisaka?" Iwao asked.
"Yes," Kaito replied, adjusting his cuffs. "Today is the final day of my contract with the Ryukyu Agency. I have a farewell dinner to attend."
_-_-_-_-_-_
Location: Minato Ward – The Azure Restaurant
07:00 PM
The Azure Restaurant occupied the breathtaking top floor of a high-rise tower in Tokyo's wealthiest district.
It was an establishment that required reservations six months in advance, vibrating with the soft sound of live jazz and the clinking of crystal wine glasses.
Kaito sat at a secluded corner table overlooking the glittering city skyline. He wore a perfectly tailored black suit, his posture completely rigid.
Sitting across from him was Ryuko Tatsuma.
She was not in her hero costume. She wore an elegant, deep-red evening gown that contrasted beautifully with her sharp, draconic features.
The table between them was covered in plates of high-grade wagyu beef, seared scallops, and expensive truffles.
Today marked exactly three months since Kaito signed the Standard Operations Package with the Ryukyu Agency.
Ryuko picked up her glass of expensive sparkling water, a genuinely warm smile on her face.
"Rank Eleven," Ryuko said softly, her eyes locked on Kaito.
Kaito raised his cup of black coffee.
"Congratulations, Ryuko-san," Kaito replied, his tone polite but measured.
They clinked their glasses together.
Clink.
"It is entirely because of you, Kaito," Ryuko said, setting her glass down and leaning forward.
"Over the last two months, we have maintained zero civilian casualties. Property damage in our patrol sector has dropped by an additional sixty percent. Yesterday, the Hero Public Safety Commission sent me an official commendation letter. The media is calling my team the most efficient strike force in Japan."
"You and your sidekicks performed the physical labor," Kaito stated, cutting a small piece of steak. "I merely mapped the logistical routes and eliminated operational redundancies."
Ryuko reached into her designer clutch purse.
She pulled out a thick, heavy black envelope embossed with gold foil.
Swish
She slid the envelope slowly across the white tablecloth.
"This is a permanent executive contract," Ryuko said, her voice dropping into a serious, almost pleading tone.
"It includes a base salary of fifty million yen per year, full medical benefits, and complete operational authority over my entire dispatch floor. You would answer to no one but me."
Kaito looked down at the envelope. He did not reach for it.
He set his fork down and looked back into Ryuko's eyes.
"I am deeply honored by the offer, Ryuko-san," Kaito said evenly.
"But I must politely decline."
Ryuko blinked, her draconic slit-pupils widening in surprise. "Is it the compensation? Arisaka, I can double the salary. I can give you equity in the agency."
"It is not a matter of capital," Kaito answered, his voice completely devoid of greed or hesitation.
"My professional rules are absolute. I build the foundation. I establish the routes. Once the operation reaches peak output and the system can run itself, I move on. Staying would foster complacency."
Ryuko stared at him.
She searched his face for any sign of negotiation, any crack in his corporate armor.
She found none.
Sigh
She sighed softly, a mixture of profound respect and quiet disappointment washing over her.
She pulled the black envelope back across the table.
"You are an incredibly stubborn man," Ryuko murmured, a small, fond smile returning to her lips. "But I suppose that stubbornness is exactly why you are so brilliant. Thank you, Arisaka. For everything you have done for my girls."
"You are welcome, Ryuko," Kaito said, giving her a respectful bow of his head.
Bzzt. Bzzt.
His encrypted work phone suddenly vibrated in his suit pocket.
He ignored it.
He was off the clock, and it was basic manners to finish the meal.
_-_-_-_-_-_
Location: Tokyo – Team Idaten Headquarters
08:00 AM
The Team Idaten building was a massive, modern complex spanning an entire city block. It was the premier speed-hero agency in Tokyo.
Makoto Tsukauchi stood in the pristine front lobby, holding a thick briefcase against her chest. Kaito stood silently next to her, holding his own.
"They are the absolute fastest heroes in Tokyo aside from Iwao-san's Agency" Makoto explained as they waited for the elevator.
"Tensei Iida runs the agency. His hero name is Ingenium. He's incredibly popular, and honestly, he is one of the nicest men in the industry."
"Kindness does not stop crime, Makoto-san," Kaito noted. "Efficiency does."
The heavy steel doors opened.
They stepped out onto the main dispatch floor.
It was an absolute nightmare.
The massive room was a chaotic storm of noise and movement.
Sixty-five sidekicks, all wearing variations of aerodynamic hero armor, were sprinting back and forth across the floor.
Ring. Ring.
Beep. Beep.
Alarm bells rang continuously from the server racks.
Emergency phones blinked red, completely unanswered.
Sidekicks bumped shoulders, spilling coffee and dropping incident reports onto the floor.
The radio frequencies blasting from the central speakers were a tangled mess of overlapping voices shouting over one another.
Kaito stopped dead in his tracks.
His eyes narrowed behind his glasses.
He stared at the massive digital map on the wall.
He saw three different, fully equipped patrol teams assigned to the exact same street corner.
He saw five sidekicks clustered around a single desk, arguing over how to fill out the same incident report.
Tensei Iida jogged up to them. He wore his sleek, white Ingenium armor, his helmet tucked under his arm.
He had a bright, welcoming smile on his face.
"Makoto! It is so good to see you!" Tensei boomed, extending a heavily armored hand.
"And you must be Arisaka! I've heard incredible things about your work with the Ryukyu Agency! You're the most sought-after Haken Specialist in Japan right now!"
Tensei bowed his head slightly. "Thank you for giving me—no, Team Idaten—a chance, Arisaka-san."
Kaito shook his hand briefly, his grip firm and entirely unenthusiastic.
"Your agency is a catastrophic failure, Iida-san," Kaito said.
Tensei blinked.
He dropped his hand, his bright smile vanishing in an instant.
"Excuse me?" Tensei asked, visibly taken aback by the blunt remark.
"You employ sixty-five sidekicks," Kaito said, pointing a rigid finger toward the chaotic dispatch board.
"Yet, you currently have four speed-quirk users assigned to chase a single purse-snatcher in District Two, while assigning zero responders to the ongoing multi-car traffic collision on the highway in District Five."
Tensei rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly, a sheepish look crossing his face.
"Well, we believe heavily in teamwork here. I view every sidekick in this building as family. We all pitch in!"
"Family is for holidays," Kaito said, his voice dropping to a terrifyingly flat, corporate monotone.
"This is an emergency response facility. You are treating heroism like a charity."
Kaito walked past the stunned Pro Hero.
He approached a clear metal desk, unceremoniously shoved a stack of disorganized paperwork onto the floor, and set his briefcase down.
Click.
Click.
He opened the latches, pulling out a mechanical stopwatch and a blank notepad.
"I will conduct an operational audit," Kaito announced to the room, though his eyes remained locked on the stopwatch. "Do not speak to me for the next six hours."
"....."
"What's happening?" Tensei looked at Makoto in sheer bewilderment.
"He's in work mode now." Makoto simply offered an apologetic shrug. "You'll get used to it."
Kaito sat down. He clicked the button on the top of the watch.
Click.
_-_-_-_-_-_
Location: Tokyo – Team Idaten Headquarters
"....."
Click.
Kaito stopped the stopwatch. Exactly six hours had passed.
He stood up from the desk, ripped a single page out of his notebook, and walked directly into Tensei Iida's private, glass-walled office.
Tensei was sitting at his desk, exhausted, aggressively signing a massive stack of payroll documents.
Kaito placed the piece of paper directly on top of the documents.
Flap. Thud.
Tensei stopped writing.
He looked at the paper. It was a neatly printed list of twenty-six names.
"What is this?" Tensei asked, his brow furrowing.
"That is a list of your most redundant staff members," Kaito said, clasping his hands behind his back.
"They represent the bottom forty percent of your operational output. They are actively blocking your fast responders. They clog your radio frequencies and slow down your overall dispatch times by half. They are dead weight."
Tensei stood up abruptly, his chair rolling backward.
He slammed both hands onto his desk.
"I am not firing twenty-six people!" Tensei yelled, his protective nature flaring up. "They depend on this agency for their livelihood! They are good heroes with good hearts!"
"They are terrible heroes with bad situational awareness," Kaito corrected him smoothly.
"You are paying them to cause traffic jams."
Kaito looked Tensei dead in the eye, utterly unmoved by the hero's anger.
"You have two choices," Kaito stated. "Choice one: You keep them. You continue to arrive late to emergencies because your sidekicks trip over each other. I will pack my briefcase, leave this building, and you will never receive my Standard Operations Package."
Tensei clenched his jaw, his eyes darting to the chaotic dispatch floor outside his window.
"Choice two," Kaito continued relentlessly.
"You immediately remove all twenty-six of those names from field duty. You revoke their patrol licenses. You reassign them to filing paperwork, managing server maintenance, and directing civilian foot traffic. Until they learn the proper operational methods and routines"
Tensei glared at Kaito, appalled by the ruthless corporate strategy. "Demoting them to desk duty will humiliate them! Most of them will quit out of sheer pride!"
"Then the problem solves itself without you having to fire them," Kaito said, tapping the list.
"Make your choice, Iida-san. Do you want to run a family, or do you want to save lives?"
Tensei looked down at the paper. He looked at the sheer volume of delayed incident reports on his desk.
He hated Kaito's methods, but he couldn't argue with the cold, hard logic.
Slowly, Tensei picked up a red pen.
With a heavy sigh, he signed his name at the bottom of Kaito's list, officially authorizing the massive demotion.
"Do it," Tensei whispered.
_-_-_-_-_-_-_
The main dispatch floor was completely silent.
Only thirty-nine sidekicks remained in the building.
Exactly as Kaito had predicted, the twenty-six demoted heroes had angrily resigned, offended by their reassignment to desk duty.
The surviving sidekicks sat at their stations.
They sat with perfect, terrified posture. Nobody spoke.
Nobody drank coffee. They all simply watched Kaito Arisaka.
Kaito stood at the center of the room, staring at the massive digital map.
A red light flashed silently on the screen.
"Armed robbery in progress. District Four," the lead dispatcher announced clearly, entirely devoid of panic.
Kaito did not hesitate.
"Team A, take the north arterial route," Kaito ordered, his voice echoing in the quiet room.
"Team B, intercept the south alleyway. Team C, secure the civilian perimeter."
Ten sidekicks bolted out the front doors in a blur of speed.
They moved with absolute, terrifying precision.
They did not overlap.
They did not block each other's momentum.
They acted like a single, unified machine.
Two minutes later, the radio clicked.
"Suspects apprehended," a sidekick reported crisply. "Zero civilian injuries. Zero property damage."
Tensei Iida stood near the glass wall of his office. He stared at the dispatch clock in absolute awe.
His agency's average response time had improved by three hundred percent in forty-eight hours.
The overlapping chaos was gone. Team Idaten was finally the fastest agency in Tokyo.
Kaito looked down at his stopwatch.
He wrote a final number in his notebook, nodded to himself in satisfaction, and clicked his briefcase shut.
The supply chain was fixed.
~~~~~
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(9 Advanced Chapters)