After a few weeks of hard training, I decided to test my quirk again.
This time, I'm going to try using different animal blood—if I can.
Ester grabbed his notebook and backpack, ready to write down everything he observed about how his quirk worked. Maybe he'd even regain more memories about the My Hero Academia world.
He slipped on his shoes, dressed in black sweatpants and a tight black shirt that showed off his slim but toned body.
Instead of using the front door, Ester quietly slipped out the back. Why? Because the front was still crawling with reporters. Ever since news of his appearance broke, Japan couldn't stop talking.
Was he the illegitimate child of a Pro Hero? Someone from America? A government experiment?
They didn't know. And that made it worse.
Ester ran toward the same hidden cabin he'd discovered weeks ago while escaping a swarm of cameras.
"Haah, being able to run again is the best!" he shouted to no one. "But being chased by reporters? THE WORST!"
As he reached the cabin, something felt off. The door—it was unlocked.
His breath caught in his throat.
He shut it quickly, then crept over to the dusty window, peering inside. No shadows. No movement.
But someone's been here, he thought. I was sure this place was abandoned...
He eased the door open and stepped inside.
The cabin smelled like mildew and ash. Old deer heads hung from the walls, and dust clung to every surface.
He moved past the abandoned living room into a hallway, making his way to a hidden spot under a broken bed.
From beneath a piece of cardboard, he pulled out two things: a small dagger and a notebook filled with everything he remembered about the My Hero Academia world.
He stuffed them into his backpack, ready to leave
—when he heard a click.
The front door creaked open.
A tall, shadowy figure stepped inside.
Ester froze.
Shit. Someone's here. And I can't escape through the window—there isn't one!
Guess I really am here to test my quirk... he thought bitterly, and ducked behind the bedroom door.
Then—
Another voice.
Two people.
"Fuck..." he whispered, heart pounding. He didn't stand a chance against two grown people.
"You want me to work with them?" said the first voice—deep, cold, and laced with sarcasm. "They're all boring. No taste for being villains. One of them's just too childish."
The second man sighed. "Yeah, I know. But listen—they didn't hire you. They hired a broker to talk to you. Me. They want to form a big villain alliance."
The cold voice scoffed. "And you think I give a damn?"
"They're serious, Dabi. That 'childish' one you're thinking of? He's got someone powerful backing him. If you work with them, you might get revenge."
"Revenge?" Dabi's voice dropped darker. "Tch. I don't want revenge. I want to eliminate him. And everyone who ever loved him."
He paused. "That includes me."
Just then, the floor creaked beneath Ester's foot.
Dabi went silent. "...Hey. Did you hear that?"
The other man paused. "Huh? No. Must've been your imagination, Dabi. Just give me your answer in a few weeks."
Footsteps faded.
Ester held his breath. Please don't open the door. Please don't—
Dabi slowly stepped toward the room. The doorknob turned. The door creaked open—
—but Dabi saw nothing.
"...Maybe I was imagining things." He turned and walked away.
Ester let out the breath he was holding, collapsing slightly behind the door.
Thank god he didn't check behind me...
But then it hit him.
Wait—Dabi? That's... Endeavor's missing son!
His eyes widened.
Why am I meeting characters like him so early? What's going on with this timeline?
He shook his head and hurried out of the room, clutching his backpack.
Just as he stepped outside—
FOOOM!
Blue flames erupted behind him. The cabin was on fire.
Not red flames. Not orange.
Blue.
Terror lit up his face as heat rolled across his back. The air thickened.
Oxygen wouldn't reach his lungs—
Smoke curled down his throat—
And then—
He collapsed.
Everything faded into black.
Until—
A shadow stepped through the smoke.
Strong arms lifted Ester's limp body.
And then—darkness.
__
"So is this the kid that was hiding in your cabin? Hehe! He's kinda scary-looking!" said a sweet-toned voice.
"Yeah. I was wondering who kept sneaking in until I finally caught him. Surprised it took me this long," replied a man, voice cold and serious.
As Ester opened his eyes, he realized his hands and legs were tied, mouth slightly open, eyes covered. He didn't know where he was.
Damn... I got caught, I think, he thought, trying to stay still and not alert them he was awake.
"Oh! Dabi, look! He's awake now!" the girl said, her tone sugary and excited.
"Heyyy, take off his blindfold! I wanna see his eyes—and how tasty his blood is!" she added with an eerie smile.
When the blindfold came off, Ester squinted. Two figures stood there: a young girl in a high school uniform and a man with a half-burned face and cold blue eyes.
"It's beautiful," Ester muttered, not even realizing he said it aloud.
"Haha! Dabi, this kid—I like him! Let's not kill him just yet," the girl giggled, spinning a knife between her fingers.
Dabi stared at Ester, then clicked his tongue. "I was gonna ask him how he found my place, but now that I look at him... he looks familiar."
The girl tilted her head. "He's that illegitimate kid of Endeavor! Word's been spreading all over!"
Dabi froze, then suddenly lit up in blue flames. "Speak. Who sent you here? If you don't answer... I'll kill you." His voice was ice cold.
Just like his father... Ester thought.
But I'm not dying yet. I've been paralyzed for 60 years—I'm not dying both young and old.
He gave them a smile. One that was cold, empty, and full of defiance.
"Stab me."
His voice was flat, emotionless.
They froze. They expected panic. Instead, they got... him.
"Haha?! Did that kid just ask to be stabbed?! With a knife?! Dabi, pleaseee let me do it—I wanna taste his blood so bad!" she squealed with joy.
Dabi stared harder, something feeling off.
"...Go ahead. He's gonna die anyway."
The girl skipped forward with the knife, smiling. But her grin faltered when she saw Ester's eyes—glowing red and completely empty.
"D-Dabi?" she said nervously.
Dabi didn't reply. He started laughing instead.
"Haha! It's him! The one we were looking for. Guess burning that orphanage was worth it." He touched Ester's face.
"Your name... Ester, right?"
Ester's eyes widened.
How the hell does he know who I am?! Did this body meet him before? Wait—did he burn down the orphanage I woke up in?!
Dabi kept talking. "Still shocked Endeavor wanted to adopt you. Didn't expect to find you there. Ester, Ester, Ester... tell me—do you remember him?"
Ester stayed quiet.
Then, a memory echoed in his mind:
("Is he still alive? I can't believe this bastard betrayed us. Tch. Talking about some hero adopting him—as if. Tell the boss he's marked dead.")
Then nothing. Just darkness.
They threw me away...
His blood boiled. He needed to escape. To live.
In a split second, Ester threw himself into the girl's knife—stabbing himself in the gut.
FUCK!! THAT HURT!!
Blood gushed out like a waterfall.
Dabi flinched, stepping back in shock. The blood didn't just spill—it moved. It formed something.
Strings.
Deadly blood strings.
Toga was still stunned.
Dabi yelled, "TOGA, BACK—NOW!"
But she was frozen in place.
Ester yanked the blade out, pain flashing through his whole body. "Damn... that really hurts," he hissed, clutching his stomach. His other hand controlled the blood—forming razor-thin wires.
Dabi reacted fast, grabbing Toga and leaping back. One of the blood strings still managed to slice across his cheek.
"AGH!!" he yelled, nearly dropping her. The cut burned deeper than any fire he'd felt.
Ester didn't even blink. His body moved on instinct.
He closed the distance fast—but stopped.
"...Toga?"
He saw her. The trembling, wide-eyed girl in front of him. And for a second, he remembered.
Her. Her past. The loneliness.
Just like his own.
He stopped the strings. His breathing was uneven.
Dabi snatched Toga and bolted, leaving behind only blood and smoke.
Ester stood there, swaying.
"Why didn't I kill them...?" he muttered.
"They were gonna kill me..."
Blood soaked the floor. It hurt. Everything hurt.
"Being human with morals is... kinda funny..." he laughed weakly.
He staggered toward the door.
His steps were slow, painful. Each one left a red trail behind him. But he kept going.
Down the dark hall.
Out the door.
Into the cold night.
The stars blinked above, blurred through his vision. His legs buckled as he reached the street outside.
"I made it... I actually made it..."
But his body gave up.
His knees hit the ground.
His vision faded.
Just before everything went black, he saw a silhouette walking toward him. A figure he couldn't make out.
And then—
Silence.
__
Hmm? Who do you think took him when he collapsed? Hmmm?
Haah, This is why writing is such a pain, I need an idea and more like agh! I post 4 chapters a week, why? Because I need to figure out which arc is next and etc...haah