Without effort, there is no result. Young Nejire understood this since childhood while trying to attract her mother's attention. Unfortunately, her mother did not appreciate her efforts; she was vibrant and extremely energetic, to the point that her parents could not keep up with her. Remaining just as energetic and curious, she continued to put in effort to achieve her dreams. Like all teenagers, she faced doubts not only from her peers but also within herself. It seemed that such a beautiful girl was not meant to be a hero. If she were to become one, it would only be as a model hero, thinking about fame. Understanding her path and what she wanted, she constantly challenged her doubts, sometimes successfully, sometimes not, but her curious nature was supported by her father, who often prioritized Nejire's needs over his own.
Tadao's job was extremely responsible, especially in his position as a high-ranking police officer, on whom everyone relied and looked up to. Thanks to this job, there were many benefits, such as free medical insurance and discounts for the family and their expenses. Compared to other residents in Japan, due to a shortage of staff, Tadao paid 40% less for Nejire's education than the average citizen. As a single father, along with government benefits, he paid 60% less than other parents. Thanks to the benefits and the status of a single father, the Hado family's budget experienced some relief, but not enough to live extravagantly. He would not be himself if he did not possess diligence and responsibility. With a high position always comes fatigue and burnout, often accompanied by stress. In Tadao's case, he never expected that over the last 10 years his work would become monotonous. On the contrary, work became unpredictable after the divorce. Frequent unexpected calls, villains who often attacked peaceful civilians and properties became a headache for many law enforcement officers. Controlling peaceful citizens during protests and overseeing the security of properties from aggressive individuals dissatisfied with their situation, as well as training new employees, often caused not only physical but also mental fatigue.
Often, new heroes who debuted worked alongside police officers until they found suitable agencies or created their own. One such heroine was Ryukyu, who worked with Tadao at the beginning of her career. In the hero world, this was a normal practice, but working with heroes and their registration added an extra burden on the shoulders of the management and staff of the police station.
Of course, the breadwinner of the Hado family had many thoughts about resigning from a stressful job if he were single, but the responsibility of raising and caring for the blue meteor named Nejire weighed heavily on his shoulders. She was the most precious thing he had, and despite his work fatigue and burnout, he continued to smile at her while she looked at him. For many, it might seem abnormal to essentially torture oneself for the sake of another person, but for those close to him, he did not spare himself. Tadao, as a person, often thought ahead to avoid difficult situations and not complicate life for Nejire and himself, but the human factor made itself known. Frequent overtime at work did not go without consequences.
"Hado-san, your test results show that your health is not in the best condition." Sitting in the doctor's office, Tadao addressed the doctor due to chronic fatigue at work and stomach pain that had been bothering him lately. Compared to other people, he ate healthier, consuming a variety of food three times a day.
"You are experiencing chronic fatigue and stomach issues?" The doctor sitting across from him looked over all the tests carefully, monitoring every line.
"Yes, it all started 8 months ago. I've been holding on, suppressing the pain. In recent weeks, I've often experienced migraines and stomach aches. I don't know the cause, so I came to you." The doctor sighed, realizing what she had to say. Compared to other patients, he looked healthy. Patients who came to her were often burned out and tired, with a bouquet of diseases that would take years to treat, costing a fortune.
"I don't approve of self-medication, but you should have come here as soon as you felt bad." Tadao rolled his eyes at the most obvious medical phrase that nearly every medical professional says.
"To the point, what did you find?" The doctor hesitated a bit before speaking, as if choosing her words carefully to avoid scaring him but also not sugarcoating the reality.
"You have chronic gastric ulcer disease," she finally said. "Plus, you have early-stage hypertension, and to be honest, your psycho-emotional state leaves much to be desired. Your cortisol levels are off the charts." Tadao nodded silently, as if he had already expected something like this, but his jaw tightened further. He leaned back in his chair and ran a hand over his face.
"How long do I have until... complications?"
"It depends on how you change your lifestyle. If you continue in the same manner — overtime, night shifts, stress — complications could arise within a year. Possibly sooner. I'm serious. You need to urgently reduce your workload. Vacation, reassessment of your schedule, change of duties — anything that can help reduce stress." Tadao had hoped for a different diagnosis, but all expectations were shattered by the doctor's precise statement, which forced him to look at the problems differently.
"To be honest, you are holding up very well compared to others. Many come too late, even knowing that something is wrong. Young and even adult people do not take care of their health and are surprised at 30 or 25 years old that something is wrong with them." Tadao was not pleased with what he heard; it was one thing for him to have health problems at 39 years old, which was an impressive result compared to his peers. Of course, like any parent, he constantly kept track of the news about what was happening with the youth, and honestly, it often worried him. Essentially, children from the age of 4 or 5 live under the same stress as adults or teenagers.
"I could prescribe you a whole package of pills and not bother my head, but that would be pointless. If you want to live a long, happy life, then don't rely on doctors or whims. Doctors do not deal with your health; they deal with diseases." Tadao sat silently, staring into space as the doctor's words settled in his mind. He was not foolish — he understood perfectly well where all of this was going; he just did not want to admit it until this moment. So much was at stake. Nejire was growing, becoming stronger, more talented... and he did not want to be the one who could not support her, who would not live to see the moment she finally fulfilled her dream.
"Thank you, doctor," he croaked as he got up.
"I'll think about what can be done."
"Don't take too long to think; otherwise, it might be too late," she said sternly. Those words hit harder than the diagnosis. This month would bring no less stress than other days, and perhaps even more. Now, in Hoshu, many heroes and police officers would be working due to the death of the Yakuza leader. He would have to observe and control the actions of his employees and the security of many streets throughout the city.
He left the clinic in gloomy, gray weather. Cars honked, passersby hurried about their business. Everything was going as usual, as if the whole city did not notice how one person in the crowd was slowly breaking inside. While he was stuck in traffic, Nejire was training in the gym, honing her quirk. He had taken an hour off work to go and visit the doctor.
****
Meanwhile, Nejire was training in a specialized training hall after school under the guidance of her sensei. The fact that she could control her quirk well without misfires and problems was her achievement. As a former pro-hero who knew how to harness energy, she was well aware of how to train such individuals. Of course, Nejire was not the first to come to her for training, nor would she be the last.
"Look, Nejire, try to take off into the air using attack techniques." Her confident voice instilled confidence in the young girl. Nodding, she effortlessly took off into the air, and, extending her arms, she shot a wave of energy at 25% to avoid overloading herself. Sensei Nejire noticed this and was not pleased, as it meant she wouldn't learn her limits. Standing below, she called out to Nejire, loudly shouting her name.
"NEJIRE!!! Use all your power to the max. Remember, there are three levels to your quirk. You are currently at the first stage and have not even reached the limit of the first level. Try your best to use the first level at a hundred percent." Nejire nodded at her. Closing her eyes, she concentrated her energy in her hands. Yellow energy began to gather around her palms, emitting a charging sound. Opening her eyes, she felt an excess of energy and shot toward a structure that was supposed to withstand devastating attacks.
She fired at the structure and managed to cause some minor damage. This happened very suddenly, as the energy she released from her hands shot out instantaneously. She could control the speed of her projectiles, but she did not know how fast they could fly.
"Not bad, come on, break your limits. This is still not your limit. Your second shot was at 64% of the total power of the first level." Nejire descended to the ground, feeling the strain on her body, but her sensei was not satisfied with her results.
"We've been doing this for 2 months, Nejire, and you still can't use 100% while at the first level. Yes, you are showing impressive results, but this is not UA level and certainly not the level of professional heroes." Nejire felt a bit panicked at this thought, as if this continued, she would not pass the hero exam and would definitely not get into the hero course as she originally wanted. She recalled how her father, despite his fatigue, financed all her whims, and she had to justify every yen he invested in her.
Rubbing her forehead, she looked at her sensei, who crossed her arms, waiting for a response from her student.
"Do you have anything to say in your defense?" she asked mockingly as her student contemplated a response. She lied to her that her progress did not reach UA level, as at this level of quirk control, she would struggle but could pass into the prestigious hero course. But her task was to train her so that in the first course, she would be at a professional level. Yes, she was a girl in her eyes, but certainly not weak, especially with such a strong quirk and determination with which she trained.
"No, ma'am!" — she shouted loudly, standing tall and not taking her eyes off the structure.
"Wonderful, try again." Taking off into the sky once more, Nejire directed her hand toward the structure, but this time the charge was weaker than the previous one, barely damaging the structure, specially designed for such types of quirks.
"One more time."
Failure — insufficient concentration.
Again.
Failure — too fast a speed and insufficient penetrating power.
Again.
Failure — poor control.
Again.
Failure — not enough strength.
Again.
Failure — not enough energy.
By the end of her last attempt, Nejire was completely exhausted, falling to the floor of the training ground, all sweaty and tired from using her quirk. Her gaze was fixed on the ceiling. Her sensei immediately closed her view, hovering over her displeased.
"That's enough for today, Hado-san. We are progressing too slowly. We still have a lot to learn, and it's not just about quirk control; other disciplines also exist." Nejire covered her face at this thought. Yes, she wanted to become a hero, but emotions swirled within her, and letting out a few cartoonish sounds, she cutely puffed up, rising with her last strength.
"For example?" At her sensei's question, a sadistic smile appeared, which Nejire did not appreciate.
"All the school sports standards, but four times stronger and more intense." Swallowing a lump, Nejire imagined how she would run, jump, swim, fly, and do strength exercises.
"That's all for today; we've been training for two hours. I think you should go home. We'll continue training tomorrow." Lying on the ground, Nejire was dissatisfied with herself and certainly was not pleased with the results she showed her sensei.
"Can I lie down for another five minutes?" — she asked her sensei. Her teacher shrugged, walking toward the locker room.
"As long as you want; if you need me, I'll be in the locker room." She left the girl, and upon hearing the door close, Nejire continued to lie there, thinking about how she could reach 100% power of her quirk.
Finally, gathering her last strength, she soared into the air, closed her eyes, and stretched out both hands forward, directing them toward the structure. Energy accompanied by the sound of charging surrounded her, but it was not enough; she needed more energy that she could draw from her body to hit the target. Everything strained around her with their last efforts, but in her opinion, having a strong quirk, she complained about herself, feeling pity for herself, which was not characteristic of her. If she had to protect her dearest people, what would she say if she couldn't control her quirk?
"Bullshit," she blurted out as she concentrated her quirk. All thoughts made her shudder, and in an instant, she unleashed her energy at full power. Energy shot from her hands, crashing into the target and destroying the structure. The structure began to crack before collapsing like a house of cards.
At the sound of the broken structure, her teacher rushed over and, seeing the mess created by her, was shocked but pleased with her student's result.
"Did you see, sensei? I did it! I managed to reach 100% of my power!" — she exclaimed joyfully, flying and doing a somersault. Celebrating her success, Nejire couldn't contain her excitement, and ultimately, after overcoming her joy with hard work, she landed on the ground.
"Yes, I see you managed to do it, but who will clean up all the mess you made?" An awkward silence hung between them, and in the next second, a piece of the structure fell to the ground with a crash, drawing the attention of the two girls.
"Oops..."
"Alright, go to the locker room, and I'll think of something in the meantime." An awkward bead of sweat rolled down the cheek of the blue-haired comet, and clumsily, but still, she went to change her clothes.
As she exited the entrance door, Nejire met a tall guy with a proud smile on his face and spiky black hair. Nejire pretended not to notice him and tried to walk past him, but he grabbed her wrist, not letting her go.
"Hey, let go of my hand!" He was bigger than her and definitely not physically weak. Compared to him, she looked like a small child. Judging by his school uniform, he was Nejire's peer.
"You know, I've been coming to this gym for a while. And damn, you're the most beautiful girl I've met here." Nejire smiled at the guy's compliment, but he continued to hold her hand tightly, not letting her go.
"Thanks, but could you let go of my hand?" With curious eyes, Nejire looked into her peer's dark eyes, which reflected confidence and arrogance. He placed his other hand on her shoulder and confidently said,
"Hey, don't you want to date a handsome guy like me?" His question immediately embarrassed her, and not wanting to appear weak, she replied without thinking.
"Sorry, but I'm not looking for a relationship." The guy rolled his eyes at her response, grumbling but still answered her.
"Why does everyone act like some untouchable princess in the highest castle?" he said, not hiding his disgust for her. Many beautiful girls seemed to him arrogant or infantile, but after talking to Nejire, his desire to dominate the conversation became much stronger than before.
"How about a bet? We'll go one-on-one in this gym. If I win, you become my girlfriend." Nejire blushed at his words and, moreover, she didn't want to hear anything else. She had much more to do than getting involved with some guy who arrogantly thought he could win her heart, especially by setting the terms of the game.
"If I win, you'll leave this gym in disgrace and never come back." The guy was surprised by the girl's statement, and he agreed to her terms, confident that he could defeat the fragile girl in a hand-to-hand fight.
"Agreed." Letting go of her hand, they got dressed and stood facing each other. Outside their training area were two people, apparently his friends, Nejire presumed.
Analyzing his physique, Nejire realized that his quirk was linked to strength and power enhancement. She could have asked him a lot of questions about his quirk, but he openly challenged her, almost mocking her. Her train of thought was interrupted by the next words of her peer, whom she called "the jerk."
"If you're afraid of losing, I'll hold back." A chuckle escaped his lips, which she did not appreciate, and making a serious face, she prepared for battle.
"Are you all ready?" shouted his friends. Both fighters nodded, ready to begin. The guy's skin began to take on a rocky hue, while Nejire's hands began to spark with yellow energy, preparing for an attack.
"Start!!!" Without thinking, the guy lunged at her in a melee fight, but she soared upwards, not allowing him to hit her. Soaring into the sky, she stuck her tongue out at the guy, but he shoved a hand into his pocket, searching for something.
"Hey, get down here!!" Instead, Nejire began to attack the guy with 30% of her strength. The guy ran away from her attacks, constantly dodging, realizing from the impact that if one hit landed, he would be knocked out cold, thereby losing the bet.
The guy's friends, who were watching him, laughed uncontrollably at the situation. The girl hovered above the ground, shooting at their friend, her energy driving him around like livestock. He waited for her to come down to catch her in his strong embrace. But there was one problem: she wasn't coming down; on the contrary, she was gaining altitude as if she had gone hunting for big game. The field was littered with chunks of rock that had once been the guy's armor. Taking another round, he grabbed a rock and threw it toward the flying girl.
Nejire saw the trajectory of the throw and, instead of dodging, she used her energy to destroy the projectile heading toward her.
Jumping high into the air, he tried to catch her but missed. Nejire changed her position to avoid getting caught in the most obvious moment. Her hands began to shine, and the energy she had accumulated transformed into a long yellow whip.
[Energy whip] — the whip wrapped around the guy's waist, squeezing him tightly. The grip was so strong that the armor on his waist cracked. He let out a groan but was not at all prepared to be pulled into the air. The ground beneath his feet vanished, and opening his eyes, he saw himself in mid-air, which scared him greatly. Now he was at the mercy of the flying comet.
Nejire tossed him around in different directions, completely disorienting him, but she did not realize that she was open to attack. When Nejire swung to throw the guy to the ground, he took advantage of her distraction and grabbed her hands, finally catching her. Nejire did not understand how he escaped from the whips, but his stone hands gripped hers, preventing her from attacking directly. He lifted her hands up so that her spiraling energy would not accidentally hit him. Due to the weight of the two of them, Nejire had to descend to the ground to avoid exhausting herself to the point of collapse.
"Well, you lost." The guy stood firm on the ground, holding her hands. His height was greater than hers, and in his rocky form, he looked even bigger, preventing Nejire's feet from touching the ground.
"I haven't lost yet." She tried to break free from the guy's grip, but he held her hands tightly, refusing to let go under any circumstances.
"Yeah, Tatsuya, don't worry, soon she will be your girlfriend." His friends cheered him on. Hearing such words, Nejire was not pleased with this forced date. Looking up, she met his eyes, which reflected his victory. She stopped resisting, finally hanging limp, but as soon as the guy relaxed, Nejire touched his chest with her feet, activating her quirk.
"What the..." He did not expect her to be capable of such, as he relaxed his grip, only to be thrown back ten meters from her. Nejire was breathing heavily from the constant control of her quirk, but she needed to finish this fight quickly before she collapsed on the floor without strength.
"That's enough for me. I've been holding back against you all this time; this time, I won't show mercy." He clenched his fists, and before her eyes, his skin began to take on an even tougher armor. Despite his bulky form, Nejire was not the least bit scared of his full stone golem form.
Like an unstoppable bull, he charged at Nejire, trying to defeat her with a single blow. To his misfortune, Nejire gathered energy in her fist, reaching almost 100%. As soon as Tatsuya got within reach, Nejire struck him on the chin with a sparkling fist, shouting the name of her signature move.
"Hadouken!" Tatsuya flew into the air with force, crashing down to the ground, but before her eyes, he rose to his feet, barely managing to stand. Nejire frowned at the sight of him; deep down, she felt she had overdone it with her power.
"I need to finish this; otherwise, I'll miss the last bus home." Gathering all the possible energy in her fist, she ran at Tatsuya, who was barely able to remain on his feet, unable to launch any attack.
"Wave Motion!" With a shining fist, Nejire struck him in the solar plexus, destroying all the stone armor from the inside. The wave of energy spread through his body as if it were a hammer hitting him at speed. With a hoarse groan, Tatsuya did not comprehend what happened before flying to the edge of the arena with his armor completely shattered. In a cartoonish manner, he crashed to the floor with his entire body. Birds began to circle around his head from dizziness as the blue comet celebrated her victory.
"Nejire Hado Wins. Flawless Victory." In her style, she raised her fist in the air, celebrating her victory. Tatsuya's friends stood frozen in shock, watching as their "invincible" buddy lay unconscious. One of them even dropped a water bottle, which rolled across the floor with a crash.
"T-you... you killed him?!" whispered the red-haired boy with round glasses. Nejire immediately switched from a victorious mood to panic. Tatsuya was dizzy, but Nejire had no intention of killing him. She wanted to put him in his place, and her quirk couldn't cause serious damage to the guy if she really wanted to.
"W-what? No! He just... uh..." She rushed over to Tatsuya and leaned down to check his pulse. Fortunately, he simply passed out from the overload and the attack she had used against him. Smiling at her victory, Nejire did not hear someone enter the gym and see the mess they had created.
"He's alive!" she turned to his friends, brightly smiling and proudly lifting her chest.
"Just a knockout!" The red-haired boy sighed with relief, but the second — a tall brunette with a predatory smirk — suddenly stepped forward. His body cracked in an unnatural manner, symbolizing his quirk linked to vibration.
"Alright, since that's the case... now *I* challenge you." Nejire rolled her eyes at Tatsuya's friends' stubbornness. She would not refuse a fight if not for her exhaustion after this battle.
"Seriously? You *all* are so stubborn?" Making a serious face, Nejire was ready for battle, but fatigue resonated throughout her body, especially in her legs.
"You defeated our leader," he crossed his arms, and his body began to vibrate as the surrounding stones began to gather around him. Small stones started to rise, threatening to shake around him.
"According to our code of honor, I now have to..."
"Oh, just shut up already!" A new, strict female voice rang out. Nejire swallowed a lump at the voice, as she knew who it belonged to.
Everyone turned around. In the doorway stood Nejire's sensei, arms crossed, with a face expressing *extreme* dissatisfaction.
"You three," she pointed a finger at Tatsuya's friends, "take your idiot and don't show up in *my* gym again. Otherwise, I will personally tell your parents what you're doing instead of studying."
The brunette immediately shrank back, his body stopped vibrating, and the stones fell to the ground with a crash.
"Yeah, we were just..."
"Out!"
They did not argue. Grabbing Tatsuya by the arms, they dragged him toward the exit, mumbling something about "unfairness." When the door slammed shut, the sensei turned to Nejire with a stern expression.
"And *you*." Pointing at her with a finger.
"Me?" Nejire pointed at herself, making innocent eyes. This was a question of pride that her father had taught and instilled in her. Swallowing such a dispute meant for her a loss and disrespect for herself.
"Yes, you. Do you know how much it costs to repair this arena?" Nejire looked down, scratching her head.
"A lot?" Her voice took on an innocent tone, as if being scolded like a little child. In Nejire's mind, a picture emerged of her as a small girl standing before an adult.
"*Very* much."
"But... but he started it!" — she exclaimed, waving her hands. Her lively and mental side was filled with enthusiasm, and when she got angry, many thought she was trying to squeeze out her anger, but for many, it was endearingly beautiful.
"And you could have just left. Instead, you made a circus here." Nejire puffed her cheeks, crossing her arms.
"He called me 'untouchable.' But I'm not like that!" The sensei sighed, rubbing her nose.
"Alright. Since you're *such* a hero, here's your punishment." Her teacher was strict but always fair; she wanted to teach her students not only about strength but also about the consequences of fighting villains to minimize damage without endangering civilians.
"Punishment?" Nejire became alert at this; her bus was about to arrive, and being late meant waiting another 45 minutes for the next bus.
"Yes. Tomorrow *you* will clean up the entire hall from the mess you made, and those three idiots will join you." She huffed, covering her ears, as from the expression on her student's face, she sensed that a piercing scream was about to ensue that would hurt her ears.
"WHAT?!"
"And now go home. It's late." Nejire opened her mouth to protest, but then her phone vibrated. A message from her father:
Dad🤪🩵
"Where are you? The bus has already left. I'll meet you at the station in 10 minutes."
"Oh no!" she grabbed her backpack and dashed for the exit, feeling fatigue in her legs and throughout her body.
"See you tomorrow, sensei!" Nejire rushed out into the street, where dusk was already gathering. She sprinted toward the station; using her quirk would ease her task, but public use of quirks was prohibited.
*"Dad will kill me..."* But deep down, she was smiling. Today, she not only reached 100% power — she also won her first *real* fight.
And it was worth all future punishments.
"We interrupt today's news broadcast with a shocking announcement. The second member of the Wild Wild Pussycats team, known as Tiger, will no longer be able to fulfill his duties as a pro hero."
Following the incident involving Silent Phantom, public opinion and online hero forums have become deeply divided.
Some branded him a villain, citing the number of heroes he had injured since debuting as a vigilante. Others, more analytical and composed, didn't see him as a hero either — but expressed a measure of respect for his determination to challenge crime.
Ambiguity followed him everywhere, even in his everyday life. In a world full of double standards, there is always room for the other side of the coin.
"After clashing with Silent Phantom during an attempt to arrest the masked vigilante, the hero barely escaped with his life. The rage and fury radiating from that man knew no bounds. Tiger has been left permanently disabled and will never return to active hero duty."
"We have yet to receive an official statement from the other members of the Wild Wild Pussycats, but our instincts tell us a dark chapter is about to begin in their careers."
---
Izuku focused on each strike as he trained with a wooden striking dummy, his movements carefully watched by Venom, who monitored every detail.
For two straight months, he had trained daily, pushing his body and honing his skills. Though physically weaker than most adults due to his youthful build, he was their equal — if not superior — in intellect.
Since childhood, he'd analyzed heroes and noticed the flaws of even his idols. But now, as a vigilante, he realized that unless he exploited those weaknesses, he would either be caught or killed — just like what almost happened with the police.
Through countless battles against villains and heroes alike, one truth had become clear: everyone has a weakness to some degree.
He still remembered AllMight's abdominal wound, yet never dared to face him one-on-one — the power gap was too great. A single solid blow from the number two hero could shatter him into pieces. That's why he avoided direct confrontations with the top ten.
Despite the resentment he held, Izuku still understood the importance of his former idol.
As weeks passed, a faint outline of muscle began forming on his chest and arms. He didn't look like a bodybuilder, but compared to most of his peers, he had become noticeably more defined and athletic.
Finally finishing his training, he stood before the mirror, examining his reflection while Venom offered his usual commentary — always looking for a chance to admire Izuku's growth and resolve.
"Not bad. Compared to our first meeting, you looked like a scrawny kid back then couldn't even carry a bag of groceries."
Izuku rolled his eyes at the remark but couldn't help smiling. He remembered how much his companion had changed him.
In the beginning, he tried everything to get rid of him, desperately searching for a way to sever their bond.
But gradually, he came to understand — without Venom's help and support, he would've remained the same pathetic, powerless Deku.