Chapter 7 - Choice

Three years had gone by since the fierce conflicts that moulded the futures of heroes and villains in the busy metropolis of Mustafu.

Yuta, who is now 12 years old, stood in his training area amid the reconstruction and restoration work, intent on honing his sand-based trick. Yuta was determined to make a name for himself in the hero world because of his potential and unyielding resolve.

The determination of both young and elderly heroes was put to the test as Mustafu dealt with a fresh wave of villain activity while Yuta trained nonstop.

One fateful day, a formidable collection of villains came out of the shadows, leaving a path of fear and despair in their wake. The pro heroes rushed into action, their resolve unflinching in the face of the villains' overwhelming forces.

Ten people make up the infamous gang of villains in the city's shadows. Licht, the water-quirked leader of the savage gang. Enzo, who has an ice quirk that causes everything in his path to freeze, and a scorched scar. With his upper torso shaped like a bird, Shoyou is a bird quirk. A female with a sound quirk is named Rika. A woman named Hina has a wind quirk. Choji has the ability to transform any part of his body into a gun because of his gun quirk. Ishigami, with the quirk of a laser. With a speed quirk, Morata. Hito had a lightning quirk, and Gin had a strength quirk.

With the help of his quirk, this gang of criminals, led by the crafty and vicious Licht the mastermind, was able to eliminate numerous heroes. They entered the city with the sole intention of exacting "revenge" on their deceased friend, who had been struck down by Edgeshot, the despised number five hero.

These kinds of villains are the ones who hurt any of their allies or who never condone snitching. But the second time they particularly targeted him, Edgeshot, maintaining his cool and collected demeanor, captured them all with ease.

The specifics of the fight was withheld from the public so the only thing the buzzing news anchor could really do about the fight was offer up speculations and feed the ever curious mind of the public.

 Unfortunately, the scale of the fight was so huge that it engulfed a few city blocks because of the chase, leaving the sidekicks and other lower ranked heroes to take care of the aftermath of their chase while Edgeshot pursued the villains and also led them to the lower populated areas.

"Hmm!" Given the commotion surrounding the unexpected villain's strike in Japan, it appears that the train station has been closed. He checked his phone's notification and saw that the villain's destruction had resulted in numerous fatalities as well as the collapse of certain businesses and structures.

"Damn it." He blamed himself after witnessing the carnage and rage of the unidentified group of villains before the heroes showed up and captured some of them while the others ran away..

Yuta was unable to control his excitement as he entered the school. The busy students were bathed in a warm glow as the sun shone down on the courtyard. The prospect of the difficulties and exploits that lay ahead made his sand quirk quiver.

Yuta was welcomed by his classmates in his homeroom class, each of them had their own peculiarities and aspirations to be heroes. They included Koji, who had the ability to control water, and Riku, who possessed the telekinetic quirk. In contrast to their ostentatious powers, Yuta's sand quirk appeared commonplace, yet he was aware that his power went beyond that.

Ms. Hikari announced the role call during class, during which students are asked to stand up, reveal their names, and spend 30 seconds showcasing their quirk. It was Yuta's turn to show off his sand trick. 

Sand grains whirled around him as he concentrated, creating complex patterns and shapes in the atmosphere. The elegance and accuracy of his control caused the students to gasp in amazement.

Not everyone was impressed, though. A pupil with a wind quirk named Riku mocked Yuta's skills. "Sand is weak and boring," Riku said disdainfully. Yuta, however, was undaunted and resolved to demonstrate that his quirk was equally as powerful as any other.

The school day flew by as he packed up his belongings and left the school grounds. Yuta left for a walk after six o'clock in the evening, his face hidden by his black hoodie.

He clenched his fist in the back seat of the cab; "I wish I had the strength to have caught that girl right away, but I still lack it." As he asked the driver a question, he pondered in frustration.

"What distinguishes a villain from a hero?" The cabbie was asked.

"Well! In my opinion, a villain is a horrible person who uses violence to obtain anything, while a hero is someone who rescues others from danger and brings about peace."  Looking at Yuta in the rear seat reflected in the front mirror, the driver said.

"So you're saying that anyone who uses violence or force is a villain?" 

"I really won't say that because this country is full of hate and malice, so you can say that a villain is someone who uses violence to try to get what they want and is driven by their own selfish desires, power, retaliation, or just plain malice." 

"This is the reason the world is corrupt. You can't simply go and proclaim that someone is a villain because of their horrible deed. Or do you argue that every hero in his world hasn't used violence at some point in their life? Whether being a child or as an adult?" Yuta questioned the driver sternly and instructed him to stop at the intersection up ahead.

Yuta brought down his hoodie covering his face as he made his way to the house.

"Mom, I am back." With an exhausted voice, he exclaimed, went to his room, showered, and came downstairs for dinner.

"Welcome home, sweetie. Time for dinner." Mom said as she dished the food on the plates.

He quickly said "Itadakimasu" as he sat down and finished his meal. "Mom, do you think all heroes are good people and all villains are bad people?" He questioned, glancing at Mom.

"Huh! Where did that come from?" she said.

"I'm just curious Mom."

"If I had to choose, not all heroes are good, and not all villains are terrible. We cannot pass judgment on them since you cannot know what is going through their head or what experiences have brought them to where they are now."

"So what do you say about someone who appears and brings down the villains and evil heroes of the society?"

"I will say that's great, but that's the work of a hero, which is why the nation has so many heroes in different places to bring justice and peace, not some random person or vigilante."

"I've got another question for you Mom since it's been bothering me for a while now."

"Go on."

"I'm very thankful that you've been there for me, supporting and loving me through my academic endeavors and my solo quirk training. To be honest, though, Mom, I'm intrigued and would really like to learn martial arts so that I can defend and fight for the people I care about." 

"Martial arts? Although I believe you are correct, I also believe that hiring a martial arts advisor at a young age is quite difficult. However, since I know someone who owns a dojo nearby, I believe I can find you the ideal person to assist you in your martial arts training if you truly meant what you said."

"Well, if you say so Mom then that's fine by me."

Yuta got up from the dining table, walked to his bedroom, and fell asleep…