Thanks to Mr. and Mrs. Picot arranging everything ahead of time, the adoption process was cut remarkably short. There were no long waits, no complicated delays. They could have taken Sykes with them that very moment. Instead, they chose to leave him for one final day at the orphanage, so he could gather the few belongings he owned and say his goodbyes to the children he had grown up with.
Sykes could hardly contain himself.
He strutted through the courtyard with his chest puffed out, telling anyone who would listen that it was because of his amazing quirk that he had been chosen. His voice rang loud with pride. One of the children, burning with envy, snapped back that Sykes was only picked because Junsei had said no, and that if Junsei changed his mind, Sykes's new parents would throw him away without a second thought.
The words struck like a match to dry grass.
A fight broke out almost instantly. Shouts echoed, fists struck, and it took both caretakers to pull the children apart. Through it all, Junsei sat where he always did, watching in silence.
The next morning, before Mr. and Mrs. Picot arrived, Sykes sought Junsei out.
Junsei was sitting in his usual spot, half in the shade. Sykes stopped beside him and announced, "I'm leaving today. I'll have a father and a mother."
Junsei tilted his head to the side slightly, his eyes resting on Sykes, but he said nothing.
Sykes waited, then frowned. "You can't go back on it now," he added sharply. "Even if you change your mind."
Still nothing.
"Say something!" Sykes snapped.
Junsei finally spoke. "What do you want me to say?"
Sykes's voice rose "Why are you like this? Why did you say no to them? Why didn't you say yes?"
Junsei looked genuinely confused. "I didn't like them," he said simply. "Why are you angry? They are yours now."
Something inside Sykes snapped.
He clenched his fists, hatred boiling up toward Junsei's calm voice, toward the way he spoke as if he were above it all, as if parents were something he could casually have. He hated the attention Junsei received from Ms. Kimi and the caretakers. He hated that his parents had chosen Junsei first. He hated everything about him.
Sykes took a step closer.
At once, Junsei was full of alertness and his eyes began to glow. Sykes froze. The memory of a broken leg flashed through his mind. It took a little over two weeks to recover and that was only thanks to his quirk, he did not want to experience that again.
Thinking quickly, Sykes pointed past Junsei's shoulder. "What's that?"
Junsei's eyes naively followed the gesture.
In that instant, Sykes struck.
Bones protruded from his fist as it slammed into the back of Junsei's head. Blood sprayed, and Junsei collapsed to the ground, utterly still.
The courtyard went silent.
Then the children screamed.
Blood pooled beneath Junsei's head as Sykes stood frozen, his face drained of color.
"Junsei? Junsei?" he whispered with a fearful tone.
He had wanted him to feel a little pain, nothing more.
The caretakers came running.
Kikyo dropped to her knees beside Junsei.
"The back of his head is bleeding badly," she said urgently. "Kagome!! call an ambulance. Now!"
Kagome's hands shook as she reached for her phone. Just then, the youngest child in the orphanage, little Sally, wandered closer, her eyes fixed on the blood.
"Sally, step back," Kikyo said sharply.
The girl did not answer.
Her hand began to glow gold.
Before anyone could stop her, a tentacle of pure light extended from her palm and touched Junsei. The light flared and then Sally collapsed to the ground. At the same moment, Junsei stirred, blinking as if waking up.
Kagome rushed to the girl. Kikyo turned to Junsei.
"Don't move," she said.
Junsei did not answer. He lifted a hand to the back of his head, where the wound should have been. There was no pain, only the wetness of blood.
His gaze shifted to Sykes.
"You tried to kill me," Junsei said softly.
Sykes stammered, "N–no, I-I just…"
Junsei's eyes flared. His pupils widened until they swallowed the whites completely. A faint blue mist began to seep from his body as a low growl rumbled from his throat.
Sykes stumbled backward, terror seizing him.
Junsei lowered himself, ready to charge and fight for his life.
Then Kikyo moved.
She threw herself in front of him, wrapping her arms tightly around his body.
"Calm down," she whispered urgently. "Calm down. You're fine. No one is going to hurt you."
The growling faded. Slowly, Junsei's eyes returned to normal.
Sykes turned and ran.
Kagome lifted Sally carefully. "Let's take these two inside," she said. "We can deal with Sykes later."
Kikyo nodded, still holding Junsei close, and together they led the children inside, leaving the bloodstained courtyard behind.
——————
Once Kikyo and Kagome were certain that both children were stable, they left the room quietly, closing the door behind them.
Kagome let out a long breath.
"Luckily, Junsei is fine," she said, pressing a hand to her chest. "And to think Sally had a healing quirk… one of the rarest quirks anyone could have."
Kikyo nodded slowly. "Yes. If not for her, Junsei might have…" She stopped herself abruptly, her lips pressing together before she shook her head. "How could Sykes do such a thing? We told him again and again not to use his quirk to hurt others."
"He's leaving in a few hours at most," Kagome replied grimly. "He probably thought he could do whatever he wanted without fear of punishment."
Kikyo frowned. "No. He looked genuinely shocked and terrified. I don't think he planned it." She hesitated. "It felt like an impulse. A mistake. Junsei probably said something that pushed him over the edge."
Kagome's expression hardened. "Nothing justifies what he did."
"I know," Kikyo said quietly. "But he is still a child. Children do foolish, cruel things without understanding the weight of them. You know that."
Kagome folded her arms. "So what do we do now?"
"We talk to him," Kikyo answered. "We make sure he understands how disappointed we are. That's all we can do. We don't have much time left to give him any meaningful punishment."
"We could tell Mr. and Mrs. Picot," Kagome said after a pause.
Kikyo shook her head immediately. "No. Better we don't. It could cause trouble or worse, they might refuse to take him. This could ruin his life." She sighed. "It isn't fair to Junsei, but he is alive, and he is safe. If Sykes stays here, those two might clash again." Her voice lowered. "You saw what happened when Junsei stood up."
Kagome nodded slowly. "Yes… what was that? His quirk isn't just talking to animals."
"No," Kikyo agreed. "It can do something else. It can make him dangerous to others." Her gaze darkened. "If I hadn't stepped in… I don't want to imagine what could have happened."
Kagome sighed. "Is it just me, or are children's quirks becoming more dangerous every year?"
"Let's not think about that, it won't lead anywhere," Kikyo replied. "I'll go find Sykes. You tell the others that Junsei and Sally are fine."
Kagome nodded, and they parted ways.
Back in the room, Junsei sat upright on the bed, his hands resting neatly in his lap. He listened to the muffled sounds of the orphanage beyond the walls, the distant voices of caretakers and children. Whether Sykes would be punished or forgiven did not concern him. What mattered was simpler.
The threat was gone.
His thoughts turned inward. He had lowered his guard. He had allowed a false sense of safety to settle over him, because of Kimi, because of the caretakers, because for a brief moment he had believed he was not in danger.
That had been a mistake. He would not make that mistake again.
——————
With Kikyo and Kagome quietly handling the incident, the matter was kept entirely from Mr. and Mrs. Picot. Kikyo made certain, however, that Sykes understood the weight of what he had done. She sat him down away from the other children. She told him plainly of the consequences of his actions and of her deep disappointment. If not for Sally, she said, he might have lost his chance to leave with the Picots or with any family at all.
Sykes cried through it all and kept apologizing over and over, swearing he would never strike another person with his quirk as long as he lived. Kikyo listened and watched him carefully. When she was satisfied that his remorse was genuine and that he learned his lesson, she dismissed him and went to check on Kagome and the other children. That same day, Sykes left the orphanage. He never returned.
The following day, Sally was taken to the hospital to register her quirk. The official explanation was simple: her ability had manifested while the children were playing, when one of them had been scratched. The revelation drew immediate attention. Healing quirks were exceedingly rare, and depending on their potency, stamina requirements, and other variables, they were often considered invaluable.
However, Sally was only four years old, and the fact that she had lost consciousness from healing something as minor as a scratch made any proper testing impossible. The hospital, with government support, registered her as a valuable quirk user in need of careful supervision. It was decided that she would require to grow older before any further evaluations could be conducted.
Additional government funding was issued to the orphanage to ensure Sally's well-being and healthy development. Her name was added to a special registry of children requiring extra assurances and paperwork before adoption. Should no suitable family meeting the new standards come forward before she turned six, Sally would be transferred to a specialized government facility for gifted children.
Kikyo and Kagome did not object. The orphanage benefited from the added support, and if Sally were eventually moved, she would be going somewhere better equipped than they could ever hope to be. For them, that was enough.