Jilan Jiyu Wants to Become a Hero

"If you don't want him to die, get out of the way!"

Surrounded by police, a man held a knife to someone's neck, locked in a standoff with the officers.

"Damn it, if only a Pro Hero were here!" A police officer aimed his gun at the criminal. Though he spoke in frustration, he still didn't dare act rashly.

"Heh heh, you cops are just cowards. You don't dare shoot me." The criminal laughed smugly, wildly waving the arm he had around the hostage's neck up and down.

"Hey, hey, can you be a little more professional as a criminal? Could you stop swinging around? You could easily hurt your hostage." Jilan Jiyu narrowed his eyes and spoke with complete composure.

The kidnapper's body stiffened mid-swing. He looked down at Jilan Jiyu and growled, "The same goes for you! Can't you put some effort into being a hostage? Wipe that look off your face like you don't care whether you live or die, and act a little more nervous!"

"Yeah, yeah..." Jilan Jiyu replied halfheartedly, thinking, The "hero" should show up about now, right?

Boom! A powerful gust swept in, shaking the entire area. Apart from Jilan Jiyu, the hostage, beneath whose feet an almost imperceptible ripple flashed, everyone was knocked off balance.

"What's going on?!" the criminal said, struggling to keep his balance. "Which Pro Hero is here? I'll tear you to shreds!"

A man dressed like Superman fell from the sky, crashing in an instant into the middle of the battlefield, where a huge crater had formed, and whipping up another gale!

"Everything's all right now! Why? Because I am here!"

A tall, powerfully built man emerged from the gale, gradually revealing his signature outfit—the classic red-and-blue color scheme, the exaggerated, explosive muscles on his perfectly streamlined physique, and that trademark, unrestrained laugh, seemingly meant to intimidate enemies and put hostages at ease!

"All Might!" The criminal, shaken by his imposing presence, involuntarily backed away a few steps. But he quickly stopped and spoke as if to bolster his own courage.

"So what if you're All Might? I've got a hostage! If you come any closer, I'll take him down with me!"

"Ha ha, is that so? Then where's your hostage?" "All Might" asked with a hearty laugh.

"My hostage..." The criminal took his eyes off "All Might" and saw that Jilan Jiyu was still quietly in his grasp, and relaxed.

"My hostage is right he...re..."

The criminal turned his head, just about to issue a threat, only to discover that, at some point, "All Might" had charged over at incredible speed and reached him in an instant! In the moment his pupils widened, "All Might" brushed past him and snatched the hostage from his grasp!

"So fast!" the police officers cried. "That's All Might for you!"

"All Might" set Jilan Jiyu down and turned to the criminal. "Now, repent for what you've done!"

Before the criminal could react, "All Might" closed in again, wind pressure swirling around his fist. He struck the criminal in the stomach with a blow carrying a powerful rush of air. "Smash!"

"Aaaah!" The criminal took the full force of the blow and was sent flying into the sky by the irresistible wind pressure!

"All Might" turned to face the crowd of spectators and raised his right hand with a hearty laugh.

The spectators understood. They all sprang to their feet as if rehearsed, thrust their fists toward the sky, and shouted the phrase in unison:

"Plus Ultra!"

The stands of the school stadium, usually empty, were now packed with people. The excited spectators discussed the scene they had just witnessed with those around them.

"Makihara Middle School really lives up to its reputation as the cradle of heroes. Just now, it was like I was actually watching All Might!"

"Ha ha, it certainly was. Even these old bones of mine felt fired up just now."

Hearing the spectators around him give the performance fairly good reviews, the homeroom teacher, who had been sitting anxiously in the stands the whole time, breathed a sigh of relief.

A student with a telekinesis Quirk controlled cement that had been mixed beforehand to repair the ground. A student who could stay fixed to a wall several meters high using only his feet took down the props placed on the beams earlier. A student with a Quirk that compressed objects turned props like the police cars back into cardboard...

Backstage.

"I'm so sorry I hit you that hard!"

"All Might" shouted, bowing a full 180 degrees to the "criminal" and slamming his head against the ground.

"It's fine. My Quirk is softening, so I can change my body into different shapes and absorb impacts. I wasn't hurt much." The "criminal"-no, the student who was as soft as rubber-waved his hand with a troubled look. "It was all thanks to how well you performed, Yoarashi. Thanks for the hard work. You had to use your Quirk to save me and attack the stage to put on a performance like that."

Inasa Yoarashi touched his bleeding head and laughed. "Ha ha, we all worked hard. It was everyone's achievement."

"That's right. Thank you for your hard work, everyone." The teacher entered the preparation room with a smile. "You all did very well. The performance was moving, but..."

The teacher turned his gaze to Jilan Jiyu, who was slacking off to the side. "One student wasn't focused enough and was rather distracting. Luckily, everyone performed well, bringing the show to a perfect close. That was everyone's achievement."

"Ha ha." Everyone laughed. Yes, it was everyone's achievement. Without the students' Quirks to control volume, alter the surroundings, and repair the damage afterward, they couldn't have put on such a perfect performance.

Everyone was the best!

"The results are in." A staff member rushed backstage, unable to hide the delight on his face. "Our Makihara Middle School performance won first place!"

Everyone froze for a moment, then raised their hands as one and shouted with smiles, "Plus Ultra!"

"Everyone" was a somewhat broad term. As Inasa Yoarashi smiled and celebrated, he keenly noticed that Jilan Jiyu wasn't among them.

Why the hell not?! Why wasn't that guy celebrating? If he'd taken part in the performance, he shouldn't be doing something so antisocial!

Inasa Yoarashi held back his anger as he searched backstage for Jilan Jiyu, occasionally greeting spectators who recognized him as the one who had played All Might.

At last, he found Jilan Jiyu at the entrance to the stands. He was leaning against the wall, his upper body in shadow, hiding his expression. All Yoarashi could tell was that he was watching the specially invited Pro Hero deliver a speech and the closing ceremony.

Inasa Yoarashi paused, then walked over and looked at the entire stage from his vantage point. Though the spot was somewhat dim, he could still see everything happening onstage at a glance.

As Inasa Yoarashi found himself almost unable to look away from the spectacular sight of the new-generation idol hero Kamui Woods performing his ultimate move, Lacquered Chain Prison, onstage, Jilan Jiyu spoke in a calm voice. "All of a sudden, I feel like becoming a hero wouldn't be so bad."

Inasa Yoarashi's anger vanished instantly. He even thought he had misheard. "You want to become a... Pro Hero?"

"No, a hero, not a Pro Hero," Jilan Jiyu corrected him. "A hero like All Might, who can save others with a smile."

Ignoring Kamui Woods' flashy acrobatics, Inasa Yoarashi put his hands on Jilan Jiyu's shoulders and stared intently at his delicate features. "Are you serious?"

Jilan Jiyu repeated himself. "I want to become a hero."