The next morning, Mr. Yaoyorozu received the call just after sunrise. Officers stationed at the forest's edge reported that the boy had appeared on his own. He immediately ordered the car prepared at once and went to meet the boy.
When he arrived, he found Junsei sitting on the ground at the very edge of the forest, knees drawn to his chest. Around him, at a careful distance, stood heroes, officers, and rangers in a loose ring. Weapons were lowered but ready. Eyes never left the boy. Yet no one dared step closer, as though an invisible boundary had been drawn around him.
Mandalay approached Mr. Yaoyorozu as he arrived. "He came out of the forest on his own," she said quietly. "He demanded we call you. Then he sat there. No one wanted to provoke him by approaching first."
Mr. Yaoyorozu nodded once, then he walked forward.
"Good morning," he said calmly as he neared the boy. "Should I take your presence here as a yes?"
Junsei lifted his head. His blue eyes were tired, but resolute. "How long do I need to protect your home and family?"
"Ten years," Mr. Yaoyorozu replied without pause.
Junsei considered this for a moment. "Fine," he said. "But no one is allowed to harm the forest. And after ten years, it will be mine."
"There are procedures to these things," Mr. Yaoyorozu said carefully, "but I can guarantee that for the next ten years, no one will touch it. I hold this land. After that period, depending on what you want, you may return to live there or stay with us. You should understand that ownership does not last forever. Certain factors can change that. Naturally, if I don't die, I can maintain control for decades."
Junsei did not fully grasp the intricacies of what the man was saying, but he understood enough. There were limits to this. Death of the man could break the agreement.
It was not ideal. But it was the only path.
"Fine," Junsei said. "I will come with you."
Mr. Yaoyorozu smiled faintly. "Splendid. Follow me."
Junsei stood and took a step forward, then stopped.
He turned back toward the forest.
Mr. Yaoyorozu noticed at once. So did everyone else. The atmosphere shifted.
From within the trees, movement erupted.
Hundreds if not thousands of animals emerged. Birds, mammals, insects, all spilling from the forest's depths. They surrounded Junsei completely, their cries and calls rising into a deafening chorus. The humans recoiled instinctively, retreating as weapons were raised and hearts pounded.
But no attack came.
The animals pressed close to Junsei, brushing against him, circling him. Then, just as suddenly as they had arrived, they turned away, flowing back into the forest like a living tide, swallowed once more by green and shadow.
Silence followed.
Mr. Yaoyorozu steadied himself and exhaled. "What… was that about?"
"They came to say goodbye," Junsei replied simply. "And to say they will await my return."
Mr. Yaoyorozu nodded slowly. "That was… unexpected."
Junsei stepped toward him, then paused again, eyes shifting to the side.
A blur of white and muscle charged toward them.
"You bastard!!" Mirko screamed. "I'll pay you back for yesterday!"
Mr. Yaoyorozu frowned.
"What do you think you're doing?" he snapped. "Is this the behavior of a hero?"
"I don't care!" Mirko shouted. "I want a rematch with the brat!"
Mandalay and the rest of the Wild Wild Pussycats moved instantly, blocking her path. "That's enough!" Mandalay said. "Do you have no shame? Starting a fight with a child because your pride was hurt?"
"I'm not a coward like you!" Mirko growled. "I won't admit defeat! Age doesn't matter, he can fight, and he knows how!"
She locked eyes with Junsei. "What? Afraid to fight?"
Mandalay turned on her. "You muscle-brained brute, there has to be a limit to this behavior…"
She was cut off.
"If we fight," Junsei said softly, "I will devour your life."
Mirko froze.
Her quirk went haywire. The world warped. Her vision filled with countless blue eyes staring at her from every angle. Her skin broke out in sweat, and an overwhelming urge to run, to flee as far and as fast as possible, crashed over her, but her body refused to move or make a sound. She lost control completely.
Everyone saw it.
The Rabbit Hero's face was drained of color. She stood rigid, staring at Junsei without any movement, all bravado was gone.
Junsei turned away from her and looked at his new employer.
Mr. Yaoyorozu glanced between the trembling hero and the boy, then said quietly, "Let's leave."
He turned toward his car. Junsei followed immediately, moving past the watching crowd beneath a hundred wary gazes.
Only when they were gone did Mirko finally breathe again.
"What the hell was that?" she muttered. "What exactly is his quirk?"
Pixie-Bob snorted. "The obvious. He threatened you, and you got scared."
Mirko looked at her, but there was no anger. "Did none of you see it? Or feel it? What about your quirks, did they feel normal?"
She was met with confused looks.
Mirko clenched her fists slowly. She prided herself on fearlessness and strength. And yet whatever that boy did, it had reached past her body and mind, affecting her quirk directly.
——————
Near the car, the chauffeur stood waiting, holding a neatly folded coat in both hands. He looked unsure whether to step forward or not, eyes flicking nervously toward the boy. Mr. Yaoyorozu noticed and intervened calmly.
"We can't have you walking around naked like this," he said. "For a start, wear this coat. We'll get you proper clothes later. Do you know how to put it on, or do you need help?"
Junsei took the coat from the chauffeur and examined it as though it were some strange unknown item. After a moment, he slipped his arms through and pulled it around himself.
"You also need to close it," Mr. Yaoyorozu added.
Junsei did so, fumbling briefly before managing it. Only then did they both enter the car, the door closing with a soft, final click.
As the vehicle began to move, Mr. Yaoyorozu glanced at the boy seated opposite him.
"Back there," he said, "you said you would devour life. Does that phrase have any special meaning? What does devouring do?"
Junsei answered without hesitation. "It kills a human."
Mr. Yaoyorozu blinked. "Devour life means to kill a human? You have a… unique vocabulary, certainly. And the rabbit hero, what happened to her?"
"I don't know," Junsei replied. "But her rabbit parts felt fear."
Mr. Yaoyorozu leaned back slightly, thoughtful. "So her instincts or quirk recognized you as a severe threat," he murmured. "That's interesting."
He turned his gaze toward the window as the building slid past them.
"We're heading back to my mansion nearby. But we don't live here permanently, I have a home in another prefecture, so expect us to move again soon. Have you ever left this city before? Aside from the forest."
Junsei shook his head.
Mr. Yaoyorozu studied the silent boy once more before asking, "Does the Nagi Noshiro Orphanage ring any bell to you?"
"I lived there," Junsei said.
That was the confirmation Mr. Yaoyorozu had been waiting for.
"Do you mind telling me what happened there? How did you end up in the forest?"
Junsei was silent for several seconds. Mr. Yaoyorozu had almost resigned himself to the idea that he would receive no answer for the time being when the boy finally spoke.
"Men wearing masks came," Junsei said. "They killed Mrs. Kikyo and Mrs. Kagome. Took everyone away while sleeping. Then burned everything."
Mr. Yaoyorozu's expression hardened. "How did you escape that night?"
"I killed some of them," Junsei replied. "Then I played dead when they shot me. I ran away when they left."
Shock rippled through Mr. Yaoyorozu. He had reviewed the incident report only the night before, multiple destroyed corpses found among the burned ruins, only the bodies of the two caretakers were identified.
[So it was him,] he thought. [A child fighting to protect what little home he had… and fleeing when he failed. And worse, he was shot and had no one to turn to for help. It is a miracle he survived. No wonder the forest had become his refuge. Fear and hatred of humans must have rooted themselves deeply in him that night.]
Mr. Yaoyorozu exhaled slowly. "I'm sorry that happened to you."
Junsei tilted his head. "Why sorry? It was not you who did it."
Mr. Yaoyorozu sighed again. "It's something people say when they hear about a painful past. Don't mind me. You'll learn with time."
As the car continued on, he watched the boy quietly, a mixture of resolve and pity settling in his chest. His decision to bring Junsei with him felt increasingly justified. The boy possessed extraordinary potential, probably the greatest he had ever seen.
And yet, beneath that power was a child born an orphan, who had watched the only people he knew die or disappear, then survived alone among animals for years.
[Life,] Mr. Yaoyorozu thought, [rarely dealt a harsher hand than this.]