(No updates for tomorrow or the day after tomorrow because I'll be busy with school.)
What I didn't expect was for him to adopt me.
Sukuna Shi-Omori.
A nice name to have.
The whole process took five hours—apparently, having no background makes things complicated. But he handled most of it in a special, expedited manner. Being a hero had its perks.
Still, I had to ask. "Why adopt me?"
His response was blunt. "Because you're too stupid to live on your own. And you're Quirkless."
Quirks. People in this world had superpowers, sometimes even physical mutations. Yet, I had none. Back where I came from, technology was king. Powers didn't matter. But here? Here, they defined people.
After the paperwork, we walked to a restaurant for breakfast. Fans constantly stopped him for autographs and pictures. Some even included me, though he never revealed I was his son.
They looked up to him. Admired him.
So why bother with me?
We later strolled through a park, the air crisp with the scent of trees and distant food stalls. The place buzzed with life, but my thoughts kept circling the same question.
"Why did you adopt me?" I asked again. "I know I already asked, but why spend so much time? Isn't this supposed to be your free day?"
He stopped walking, his eyes distant for a moment—like he was remembering something.
"Don't worry about it, kiddo. But just so we're clear, you'll work for your stuff. I'm not here to pamper a child."
Yet, as he spoke, he smiled.
That smile—it wasn't forced, wasn't for the cameras. It was real.
"Hey, Sukuna. Let's go. What are you standing there for? You get a free pass today."
I followed him as we entered a massive shopping mall, heading straight for a high-end brand called ULTRA.
"We should probably change that look of yours."
What followed was… an experience.
Matching outfits. Photoshoots. Roller coasters, Ferris wheels, drop towers—And that Viking ride.
A boat swinging a full 180 degrees? A chair that drops down from the sky?
What kind of insane world is this?
Yet… for the first time in a long while—maybe even ever—
I felt like a kid.
A kid unbounded by restraints, enjoying life to its fullest.
"So how was it? Your day?" he asked me with a smile while eating ice cream.
"It's nice." I replied, tears welling up in my eyes.
It was also my first time eating ice cream. I learned so many things today. I never knew life could be like this outside the battlefield.
All was good. I thought nothing bad could happen on this day.
That was until…
"Hey, I never really thought about it until now, but how did quirks appear, and how do they work?"
He looked at me. "Well—"
Before I could even blink, two holes tore through the wall, sending my father flying with the crash.
Debris rained around me as I sat in shock.
And then I saw something I never wanted to see again.
Blood.
My father's blood.
I forced myself to move, to push past my frozen limbs. My body screamed in protest, but I didn't care. I ran to the hole on the left, my breath ragged. My mind was blank, only filled with one thought
He's still alive. He has to be.
Peeking through the destruction, I saw my father, battered and barely standing, facing off against something that sent shivers down my spine.
It wasn't human.
A blackened, female-shaped figure stood before him, its exposed brain pulsating unnaturally. Every fiber of my being screamed at me to run. But my body moved on its own.
"FATHER!"
I screamed, rushing forward. My fingers clenched around a rock, the only weapon I had. I hurled it with everything I had, watching as it harmlessly bounced off the creature's shoulder.
It turned to me slowly.
"NO! RUN, SUKUNA!" My father's voice was hoarse, desperate. He tried to move but was met with a devastating slap that sent him crashing into a wall, and breaking the ice that enclosed his body, protecting him. "R-Run…" T
Me? Run? While you die?
No.
I charged forward, my legs trembling but steady. I launched a kick at its chest. My foot connected, but the creature barely budged. Before I could react, it grabbed me and slammed me into the ground with crushing force.
I gasped, blood spilling from my mouth.
That… hurt.
I gritted my teeth. My vision blurred for a moment, but I forced myself to focus. Rage coursed through me as I clenched my fists and punched its hand, forcing it to release me.
It wasn't fighting seriously.
Why?
We locked eyes, and for a brief second, hesitation flickered in its gaze. But then, it lunged at me.
I barely managed to dodge, twisting away as I retaliated with a kick to its back. Again, it only budged slightly.
My body's weaker than I thought.
She twisted mid-air and swung at me. I raised my arms in defense, but the impact sent me flying back. My limbs ached. My breath was ragged. I can't keep this up.
But I pushed forward anyway.
I took my stance. My hands formed a triangle as I leaned my body to one side, steadying my breath.
"I won't let my training go to waste."
I dashed forward, throwing a straight jab at its face. It didn't even try to dodge. My fist met its cheek—and it just stood there.
Then, a punch slammed into my gut.
Pain exploded through my body as I staggered backward, barely maintaining my posture. My mind screamed at me to stop, to retreat. But I couldn't. I wouldn't.
I rushed in again, twisting my body, launching a sharp jab to its chest, followed by a hook. It swung wildly, but I ducked, dodging just in time before countering with another punch to its face.
Why isn't it fighting seriously? Why is it holding back?
I heard a groan from behind her. I recognized the voice—it was him.
Sharp icicles shot forward, piercing through her body. She twisted around and charged toward my father, but I lunged at her, tackling her off balance.
More icicles formed at my father's fingertips, launching toward her with deadly precision. I pinned her down as he forced his battered body to lift a massive sledgehammer of ice, slamming it down onto her head.
She let out a furious scream, sending both of us flying back. Neither of us was in any condition to fight—my body was barely holding together, and my father was worse.
But she wasn't done.
She screamed again, pure rage filling her voice. Then, she dashed at my father, fists raining down in a brutal barrage.
My body moved before my mind could catch up.
Ignoring the pain screaming through my limbs, I threw myself between them.
She twisted mid-charge and drove her elbow into the side of my head.
It hurt.
But…
My palm found her neck on instinct.
"Cleave."
A deep, jagged cut split down her body from her neck.
"GRRAAHHHH!!" She shrieked in agony and flung me away.
Before she could retaliate, a scarf whipped from behind me, restraining her in midair.
Then—two figures in hero costumes descended, drop-kicking her simultaneously. The scarf released its grip on the creature and instead pulled my father and me away, while the two heroes crashed down, landing blow after blow in perfect sync.
"You good, Yuki?"
I turned to see a man clad in black, his long scarf still wrapped around my father.
"Yeah, thanks to you and my new kid here," my father—Yuki—said, looking at me with a proud, if pained, smile. His body was covered in wounds, yet he still smiled.
He eyed me curiously. "Didn't know you had a Quirk. The test said you had none earlier."
Before I could respond, the other man cut in. "We need to get both of you checked up. Let's move."
"Thanks, Shouta," my father muttered.
So, that was his name. Shouta.
I managed to help. I wasn't useless this time.
A small smile crept onto my face as I watched them—my father and Shouta—exchange grins.
"So, who's the kid?" Shouta asked.
My father glanced at me, still smiling. "My son."
"Adopted?"
"Yeah."
Shouta smirked. "Didn't think you had a soft spot for kids—going as far as adopting one."
"I always liked kids," my father replied.
Shouta gave him a look. "Don't say it like that."
"Yeah, yeah…" My father waved him off. "You should probably help in the fight."
"They got it," Shouta said, glancing toward the ongoing battle. "I believe in them."
And with that, he continued carrying us with his scarf, guiding us toward medical attention.
The exhaustion finally caught up to me.
I closed my eyes and let sleep take over.