Chapter 2 — Flames Born from Blue
Three years later.
The morning sun bathed the Todoroki family garden in a gentle, golden glow. The breeze that swept across the yard was light and cool, rustling the leaves with a soft, rustling whisper. Birds chirped in the distance, their melodies blending with the faint laughter of children playing nearby. The entire atmosphere felt like a snapshot of peace — a fragile illusion painted over something much heavier beneath the surface.
Aoi sat on the wooden porch, legs crossed, back straight, gaze fixed on the sky above. The vast expanse of blue mirrored his own hair, now slightly longer and always a bit messy — a striking oceanic color that stood out among his family.
"Three years have passed…" he murmured to himself with a half-smile — more ironic than amused. "And I'm doing fine, all things considered… especially with Endeavor as my dad."
He let out a slow breath, closing his eyes as the warmth of the sun touched his skin. His thoughts drifted — unwillingly — to his father. That rigid posture, that constantly furrowed brow, the intensity in his eyes that felt more like fire than warmth.
"Seriously, Dad? In a world full of amazing women… you decided to get obsessed with a muscular blonde guy who's basically Superman with a salesman's grin? The man gets stronger every generation. That's not talent — that's genetic hacking."
He chuckled under his breath, though there was a bitterness hidden in the sound — the kind that only comes with the weight of knowing too much for your age.
His eyes returned to the garden. His younger siblings were scattered around, running, laughing, enjoying the morning with the kind of carefree energy only children can muster. They didn't know the pressure, the legacy, the expectations that loomed over their family like a storm cloud.
Aoi's gaze landed on Shoto. So small, so bright with life, unaware of the burden already waiting for him in the future.
"Poor kid… He has no idea what he'll go through once that quirk awakens. And me? I'm just watching, useless. I can't change a damn thing."
He leaned back and lay down flat against the porch floor, folding his arms behind his head, eyes drifting once more to the sky — wide, open, endless. The kind of sky that made you feel both free and insignificant.
"I'm just a reincarnated guy. No system, no cheat, no magical interface. Defeating All Might at age three? Yeah, no thanks. This isn't One Punch Man."
A grin pulled at his lips. It was crooked, lopsided, and tinged with something hollow.
"I don't even know what my quirk is going to be. But if it were like Shoto's, our appearances would be more similar. I mean, look at him — his hair screams 'plot device.' Half white, half red? Total family drama vibes. Mine's just… ocean blue. Calm and confusing."
There was one thing, though, that made Aoi feel slightly less powerless: his mind. His comprehension — his ability to understand, analyze, and process things — was far beyond anything he'd had in his previous life. A strange byproduct of reincarnation. His two souls, past and present, had fused into something new, something sharp.
But even that had limits.
"What good is genius if you don't have a quirk to back it up?" he muttered. "This isn't Naruto. No chakra, no Rasengan. And it sure as hell isn't Fairy Tail. No cool fire magic explosions here. My comprehension's useless until I get an actual quirk. Then maybe I'll do something flashy. Cool techniques, new fighting styles… or just become a rockstar. Make movies. Draw manga. Get rich. Solid plan B."
Just as he was letting himself relax into the absurdity of it all, the peaceful morning was suddenly pierced by a sharp scream.
High-pitched. Loud. Urgent.
Aoi bolted upright, heart pounding in his chest. His eyes darted to the garden.
There stood Shoto. His small hands stretched out, trembling. Crimson flames erupted from one arm, swirling with heat and energy. On the other arm, cold, crystalline ice spread outward, sparkling in the sunlight. Fire and ice — colliding, swirling, forming a storm around the small boy. Two forces, opposite and powerful, born in the same moment.
"So… he awakened."
But before Aoi could fully absorb the scene, something deep inside him snapped.
It wasn't painful. It wasn't violent. But it was undeniable — like chains inside him had been suddenly broken.
A warmth flowed through his chest, slow and steady, like the tide of the ocean rolling in after years of stillness. His skin tingled. His senses sharpened. The world seemed to glow with a subtle hue.
His vision began to shift… taking on a blue tint.
And then, the flames came.
Blue flames.
They didn't scorch. They didn't burn. They danced.
Soft, smooth, and mesmerizing — like the flickering light at the bottom of a calm, deep sea. They curled around him, weaving through the air as if welcoming an old friend.
Aoi stared at his own hands in disbelief. Blue fire licked his fingers, coating his arms. And yet… he felt no pain. Only warmth. Lightness.
A strange joy welled up inside him — quiet, yet overwhelming.
"These… are mine?" he whispered. "These flames… they're really mine?"
But before he could fall deeper into that wonder, the sound of footsteps thundered through the garden.
Endeavor.
Charging toward Shoto, eyes blazing with that mix of pride and obsession. That look of a man who finally got what he wanted.
Aoi didn't flinch.
He just watched.
And watched as his father — his biological father — ran straight past him.
Didn't even look.
Didn't even see the flames that surrounded him.
As if Aoi didn't exist at all.
But then — softer footsteps.
Rei Todoroki.
She moved differently. Gently. Carefully. Her eyes widened when she saw Aoi, and without hesitation, she knelt before him. Concern. Awe. Fear. And… something else.
She reached out.
"Are you okay, Aoi?"
He nodded quietly.
She pulled him into her arms — warm, protective, comforting. For the first time, Aoi felt something he hadn't realized he was missing.
He felt seen.
Truly, deeply seen.
Meanwhile, Endeavor had already scooped Shoto up, holding him as if he were a trophy made of fire and ice.
"Rei, let's go. We need to take them to the hospital. I have to evaluate their quirks immediately."
Rei nodded but didn't take her eyes off Aoi. Not for a second.
And there, wrapped in blue fire as gentle as the sea, Aoi understood something simple… but profound.
Someone saw him.
Someone knew he existed.
But his father's eyes…
…were still only on Shoto.
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