Seaside Park
Over the next week, Jilan Jiyu settled into a regular routine of part-time work. He worked at a convenience store in the morning, sold tickets at a movie theater in the afternoon, and took on translation jobs after returning home at night... In short, he never stopped to relax, working hard to save up for tuition.
He didn't see Inasa Yoarashi often these days either. Inasa went to Shiketsu every day to train his Quirk, effectively starting high school early. Jilan Jiyu hadn't seen Camie Utsushimi again since that day, either. She seemed to be traveling all over the place every day to promote the school, and he often saw her photo on flyers handed out on the streets.
Amid those uneventful, busy days, Jilan Jiyu received his acceptance letter from the Hero Course at U.A. High School.
As expected, the letter congratulated Jilan Jiyu on passing the exam and explained the scoring criteria: combat points and rescue points. He had earned 50 combat points and 30 rescue points, placing first overall.
The next day, the results were also posted on U.A. High School's official website. To his surprise, the delinquent Katsuki Bakugo had placed second. Although he had zero rescue points, his combat score was a staggering 77 points, 27 more than Jilan Jiyu's!
By contrast, that green-haired boy, Izuku Midoriya, had somehow gotten zero combat points. Although his high rescue score had put him in the top ten, it still seemed absurd. He clearly had such a powerful Quirk, so why didn't he use it from the start? Or was it like explosion magic, leaving him powerless after a single use?
I took down that giant robot too, but I only got half as many points as he did. Was it because too many people attacked it together? Even though I landed the final blow, did they still take away a lot of my points...?
Next, Jilan Jiyu was a little surprised to find the guy who had kept shouting "I, the great Tetsutetsu" during the exam. His name was Tetsutetsu Tetsutetsu, and he had also earned 10 rescue points, apparently because he had still been bouncing around and drawing the giant robot's fire after it had pounded him.
Since the official website had only published the scores of the top ten, he could only see that Mina Ashido's name was also on the list, without knowing her exact score. Seeing that the girl hadn't failed because of him, Jilan Jiyu breathed a sigh of relief.
Meanwhile, Mina Ashido held her acceptance letter, cold sweat breaking out on her face as she said in relief, "Luckily, that whole group got carried away by the zero-point faux villain at the end, giving me a chance to earn some rescue points..."
Looking at the name ranked first on the computer, she pressed her palms together and bowed reverently toward him. "I feel a little sorry for the students who didn't make it, but I really have Jilan Jiyu to thank!"
Whether the candidates were excited to receive their acceptance letters or tearing their hair out over failing, everything was settled, with no room for changes.
That night, Jilan Jiyu relaxed for the first time in a while and, for once, decided to take a walk outside.
The streets were still brightly lit at night. Perhaps because All Might had come to the city, even the dim alleys felt less sinister. Pedestrians everywhere wore smiles, and Pro Heroes in strange outfits could occasionally be seen patrolling the streets.
Could one hero really have such a huge influence? The petty thugs who usually acted so brazenly had all toned it down considerably. Even when someone accidentally bumped into them, they merely shot the person a warning glare, showing none of their former arrogance.
Soon, he could become a hero too!
Even Jilan Jiyu, who had a soul from a previous life, grew a little excited at the thought. Becoming a hero was, one might say, an unattainable dream in everyone's heart, and now he was getting closer and closer to it. That was also one reason he had been willing to use Killer Queen to get into U.A. High School.
He would be able to meet All Might and have him as his teacher. The thought was a little exciting.
Before he knew it, Jilan Jiyu had arrived at Seaside Park. Though it was by the sea, people rarely came here, because-
"Where's the garbage?"
The sight before him made Jilan Jiyu's eyes widen. The place that had once been piled high with trash had actually become a clean beach!
After checking his surroundings again and again, Jilan Jiyu confirmed that this was indeed the place he had visited before.
Because the terrain here was flat, garbage drifting in from the ocean would eventually be pushed ashore at high tide and left behind when the tide went out. Over time, the place had become a dumping ground for trash and waste. Homeless people often scavenged here, and some criminals hid here as well. It could be called the city's den of filth and vice.
But now... Jilan Jiyu looked at the shimmering sea and said with a wry smile, "Even the criminals' last paradise is gone? That's All Might for you."
This was a place people acknowledged as dangerous, a gray area even the police tacitly accepted. Although some Pro Heroes had wanted to clean it up, the criminals were like rats hiding in the dark. Even if they were temporarily held in check, malice would quietly breed again.
The Pro Heroes had the will but not the means, while the police felt it would be a thankless struggle... Yet the simplest solution had been right in front of them: clear away all the garbage in Seaside Park. Without the cover of darkness, the rats could only scurry away, and this was no longer a lawless place.
Although he didn't know who had done this, All Might was still the most likely possibility. Only he had that kind of perseverance and means, and only he had the strength to face the malicious retaliation here.
"All Might!"
"All Might? No way, where?!" someone cried out.
A name suddenly caught Jilan Jiyu's attention. All Might is nearby? He hurriedly looked around.
Aside from a stooped old man wearing a cheap T-shirt, there was no one in sight. Instead, the few people who had just reacted so strongly caught Jilan Jiyu's attention. Could there still be people bold enough to make deals here? Thinking the most dangerous place is the safest—they really have some nerve.
Jilan Jiyu quietly approached the group, failing to notice the green-haired boy running past him.
They had gathered in a pavilion in the park. Under cover of darkness, Jilan Jiyu crouched behind a pillar. The men all wore short sleeves and had tattoos of dragons, tigers, skulls, and the like. They looked like the kind of thugs who sold drugs on the street.
"I mistook someone else for him!" a voice called from afar.
The men immediately breathed a sigh of relief. One of them sat down on a stone bench with a smack, fanning himself with his hand as he said indignantly, "It's all All Might's fault. He went and cleaned up our trading spot, so now we have to sneak around to do business."
"We're selling to people from the United States, after all. You can't be too careful," one man said, pushing up his glasses. His hair was slicked back neatly with gel. Although he was well dressed, he looked like a shrewd businessman to Jilan Jiyu.
"I don't care who we sell it to. I just want the money!" The man sitting on the bench seemed to be the boss. He gave a signal, and one of his men took a black box out of a backpack. "Go on, inspect the goods."
The businessman stepped forward and took the box. He opened it and looked inside, then closed the lid without saying anything. A person behind him handed a briefcase to the subordinate.
"I have a question." The businessman smiled. "Why don't you use something this good that can enhance Quirks yourselves?"
The boss curled his lip. "Even if I used it and got stronger, could I be stronger than All Might?" Besides, who knew what side effects this stuff might have...
"I see," the businessman said with a smile. The two men understood each other without another word. They weren't the ones who would be using it, anyway.
Goods like this, which circulated only among a small number of people, either had severe side effects or lacked a reliable supplier.