────A society of the extraordinary. It all began with news of a glowing infant born in a hospital in China.
Since then, individuals with extraordinary abilities have been discovered worldwide. Though the cause remains unknown, time has passed, and the extraordinary has gradually permeated everyday life, transforming dreams into reality.
In this society, where approximately 80% of the global population possesses some form of unique physical trait, a once-fantasy "profession" had gained widespread recognition amid the chaos.
Heroes—a highly popular profession recognized worldwide, formed by volunteers who rose to combat incidents and accidents caused by individuals with supernatural abilities.
Protecting people from those who spread malice and violence—their existence, which holds a form of authority distinct from the police, spread throughout the world alongside the "individuality society" where those with supernatural abilities are recognized.
This is the activity record of one such hero, known as [], among those with supernatural abilities.
***
"Teacher, goodbye!"
"Alright. Use your individuality wisely, don't take any detours, and be careful on your way home."
The elementary school buzzes with children's voices. After the final class of the day, the young students leave the school grounds as the dismissal bell rings, obediently heeding their homeroom teacher's words.
Today's classes ended in the morning, and the children, on their way home, make plans to play with friends during the remaining afternoon hours.
Among them, a young boy's cheerful expression suddenly sours as he approaches the crosswalk leading to his home.
"—Ugh, he's here again."
"Come on, saying 'ugh' right off the bat is a bit harsh, isn't it?"
A man holding a pedestrian crossing flag guides younger students across the street. The boy despises this man with every fiber of his being.
With his spiky black hair and unique attire resembling traditional ethnic clothing, his well-toned physique was visible through the open collar of his shirt.
"Hero." A being legally permitted to use the unique abilities that individuals possess, the man standing before the boy was one such superhuman.
"Stop loafing around here and go catch some villains. Are you really a hero?"
"No, no. Watching over the young fledglings who will carry the future is also an important part of a hero's job. Don't be so harsh."
"Shut up, good-for-nothing. You came to this town saying you'd be a hero, but you've never done anything heroic! I know what you are! They call guys like you 'Curry Thieves'!"
"Well, heroes are basically paid on commission, so I don't really get paid that much."
The man smiled wryly at the boy, who was glaring at him and picking fights. However, since heroes did indeed serve as a deterrent against villains, the boy's words couldn't be called completely unreasonable.
"Just go defeat some villains already! All the other heroes are doing it!"
"Well, I'm not really into using brute force. Villains feel pain and cry, right? My fists hurt when I punch them, so I'd rather not do that."
"What the hell are you talking about? A hero who can't defeat villains isn't a hero!"
"No, no, defeating villains isn't the only thing that makes a hero, kid. Watching over you guys like this is also a hero's duty, and besides, I'm actually pretty useful during disaster relief efforts..."
"Shut up, you idiot! You're useless!"
The man just laughed nervously and made excuses to the boy who was demanding that he defeat villains.
Fed up with the man's lack of initiative, the boy finally shouts insults at him and storms away.
"You're still full of energy, aren't you?"
The man watches the boy's retreating figure with a smile, but only for a moment.
"Wait, Eliza! Come back!"
"Woof! Woof-woof!"
A large dog and an elderly woman were running away from the man. The old woman, who had probably let go of the leash during their walk, called out to her dog, trying to stop it.
However, Elizabeth, the large dog, was in high spirits from her favorite walk and wouldn't stop. Just as the large dog reached the intersection—it happened.
A truck was approaching. The elderly woman's eyes widened at the sight of the large transport vehicle bearing down on them. If this continues, her beloved dog will be in danger. She tries to scream for help, but there's no one around. She had chosen this quiet area for her walk, but it was a complete mistake.
Someone, anyone, please help! If this continues, her beloved Elizabeth will be turned into roadkill. The elderly woman screams with her mouth wide open, begging for help—
"Whoa, that was close. Are you okay, doggie?"
Before she could finish, the situation had already changed and ended. The runaway dog was suddenly caught in a man's arms, and the massive transport truck was suspended above them.
"Here you go, old lady. It's good to take care of your dog, but you should think about yourself too. If you're being dragged around by a cute dog like that, your family will worry."
"Yes, I'm fine. Thank you."
Half in a daze from the scene, the old woman took her dog's leash and headed back the way she came. The large dog must have been quite shocked, because it calmed down and followed the old woman home.
After seeing off the owner and her dog, the man slowly lowered the truck to the ground, tapped the door lightly with the back of his hand, and checked on the driver.
"Hey, driver, are you okay?"
"Huh? I think I just had a bird's-eye view for a moment there."
"Hey, are you okay? Did you hit anything or feel sick?"
While driving, the driver suddenly saw a large dog dart out from the side of the road, causing the entire vehicle to lift off the ground. The driver, who had just experienced such an odd occurrence, was left speechless and stunned.
When the driver was addressed, he snapped back to reality and received a stern warning from the man who looked like a hero. After that, he drove carefully, slowing down, and left the scene.
Satisfied with the return to normalcy, the man returned to the crosswalk, which was now empty.
***
"What the hell is that guy? A hero who can't defeat villains? What's the point of being a hero?"
Without hiding his irritation, the boy vented his frustration about the man from earlier.
The town where they lived had no villains and no heroes. It was peaceful, but also boring—a typical small town.
So when they first heard that a new hero had come to their town, they were thrilled and full of expectations. The boy, who was still a child, was overjoyed that a hero had come to their town and welcomed him along with his friends.
At first, it was wonderful. The hero who had arrived stood out in his costume, and his well-trained physique made him look amazing. He couldn't put it into words, but... in any case, he was cool.
However, that excitement didn't last long. The man spent his days wandering around town under the pretense of patrolling, and when he seemed to be working, he was just helping the elderly carry their bags or watching over younger children.
It was dull. The hero who had come to their town was nothing more than a flashy figure who did nothing but mundane tasks.
There was nothing left to expect from the man among their friends. At least I tried to support him, but he didn't seem to care at all and just wasted his days.
He claims that his main activity is disaster relief, but even that is now in doubt.
He's a hero, but he doesn't fight and can't defeat villains. It's ridiculous for someone like that to call himself a hero.
"I wish he would just leave."
Then, maybe a strong and cool hero would come this time. A boy comes up with a baseless hope...
"Hey, what's with this damp town? It's completely in the sticks."
A giant man stood there looking bored.
The boy didn't know that just as heroes exist until they become saturated, so too does malice exist in abundance. Just as heroes of justice are close at hand, so too is the hideous malice that lurks nearby.
"Damn, this isn't enough to let off steam. Well, if I kill a kid or two, the heroes will show up, right?"
"──────Ah"
The boy, despite his age, understood the man's predatory smile as he turned his gaze toward him.
This man is a villain. Not just some petty thug, but a true, genuine enemy of order.
"!"
"Hm?"
He's going to kill me. Realizing this instinctively, the boy threw the backpack he was carrying at the man, briefly blocking his vision, and fled the scene at full speed. For a nine-year-old child, this was the right decision.
"Hey, wait, wait, wait. We finally met the first townsperson. Let's enjoy some more communication."
Muscle fibers erupted from the man's body, wrapping themselves around him like armor and explosively enhancing his physical abilities. He easily caught up to the fleeing boy.
A vicious smile, filled with malice unlike that of a carnivorous animal determined not to let its prey escape. At that moment, the boy's will to resist completely breaks, and he collapses, tears streaming down his face. A wet puddle forms where he sits.
"Oh, are you scared? Did you pee yourself? Don't worry, I don't really enjoy torturing kids... well, maybe a little, but I'll kill you relatively painlessly."
He laughs. The malicious laughter mocking the child struggling not to die, knowing it was futile, existed in this world. Why, why was he being treated like this? He wanted to scream, but the fear made his voice tremble and he couldn't speak.
Instead, a faint, questioning voice came out.
"What... are you doing here?"
"Huh?"
"What are you doing in this town?"
The boy asks in a tearful voice why he came to the town where he lives, and the man sneers again.
"Stress relief. I haven't had any real fun lately, so I just wanted to destroy something. I thought this town was boring and worthless, but I've changed my mind. I'm going to destroy this town completely."
"Why...?"
"Well, you're a kid, aren't you? Kids cry a lot, right? Look, there's a school over there. If I cause a ruckus around there, the kids' screams will be a chorus for sure."
The boy felt more fear than anger toward the man, who was laughing with genuine enjoyment. This man was mad. He valued his own ego over coexisting with others and was willing to destroy everything around him to satisfy his desires.
The man before him was the real deal—a true villain.
"Alright, let's make this a memorable moment for the victim. You'll die in style..."
His massive arm swung down. The concrete ground shattered, and the earth beneath cracked. Amidst the deafening roar and flying dust, the villain noticed something off.
There's no resistance. Normally, he should feel the flesh and bones shattering from his fingertips all the way to his brain, but there's nothing.
"—He's not here?"
A quirk? A clone, or something related to that? The man considers his options, but none of them fit.
Because the cause of this is right there in front of him.
"What the hell? What the hell? You're right there, aren't you, hero?"
"You... you..."
Trembling at the villain's roaring voice, the boy looks at the man holding him. It's the same man who was standing at the crosswalk just moments ago, the hero he had been berating. A hero who never amounted to much, someone who only ever noticed the mundane things in life, someone who didn't seem like a hero at all.
Yet here he was, protecting him from the villain. Standing behind that terrifying villain, shielding him.
"Hey, are you okay, kid? That was close."
"Ah, yeah... um..."
"But don't worry, I'm here now. I'm not as good as All Might or Endeavor, but I'm a hero too."
Having narrowly escaped death and been saved, the boy's tension reaches its peak, making it difficult for him to speak.
Does he want to say thank you, or does he want to run away? Either way, given his usual demeanor, it's hard to imagine him defeating that villain.
Stop trying to look cool and run away. Whether he knows the boy's thoughts or not, the hero turns back to the villain.
"If you're a hero, fight me! Let's have some fun!"
The villain's choice is to charge forward. If the hero dodges, the child behind him will be hit, leaving the hero with no choice but to take the blow. The villain's charge, powered by his enhanced muscles, is so powerful that the boy's face turns pale.
"What!?"
The hero catches the villain's charge, which has been amplified to its limit by muscle hypertrophy, with one hand. The villain's charge, which would have killed even a hero if it connected, has been effortlessly blocked. The fact that the villain's prideful attack, which has sent countless heroes to the ground, has been so easily stopped.
The villain's mind was filled with the image of the strongest and greatest hero, hailed as a symbol of peace. Could this hero truly be on par with that monster in terms of power?
"So what? Can you stop me now?!"
It doesn't matter. Even if the opponent possesses power rivaling that of the symbol of peace, the villain has no intention of changing his way of life now. This body is nothing but a worthless piece of trash, stained to the tips of its toes. Due to its twisted way of thinking, it cannot fit into human society and can only feel alive by destroying others.
Then, I will stick to this way of life until the end. The man tried to put all his strength into his legs planted on the ground, but... he was blown away.
"What the hell? What's this?"
Flames erupted. Golden flames surged from the hero's body, their fantastical yet powerful glow momentarily blinding the villain.
"Hah, using flames? I thought you were Endeavor for a moment and got a little nervous, but it's not that hot. I'm not going to be intimidated by such a hollow display...!"
He felt no heat from the flames themselves. Determined to show off his true power once more, he charged forward... this time, the villain's feet froze in place.
What met his eyes was... confusion and awe. Even the muscles that had once wrapped around him like armor trembled, unable to move an inch.
Fear, trembling, and shock overwhelmed the villain... but on the boy's face, there was no trace of fear.
All that remained was admiration for the hero before him.
"That's amazing..."
His black hair stood on end, glowing with golden light, and his eyes, once black like his hair, now shone emerald green.
"I'm not All Might or Endeavor. But I'm here to defeat you!"
This is the activity log of a certain hero who once dreamed of a peaceful life as a hero...