Everyone, I love Gogeta.
Everyone, I love Gogeta.
Everyone, I absolutely love Gogeta.
I love his battle against Janemba. I love his battle against Frieza. I love his battle against Broly. I love his battle against Cell. I love his battle against Majin Buu. I love his battle against Super Goku and Vegeta.
On land. Underwater. In the sky. In outer space.
I love every single incarnation of Goku and Vegeta who appear in games, movies, and anime.
When Goku and Vegeta couldn't defeat Janemba even working together, but Gogeta defeated him in mere seconds after appearing, my heart raced. When Gogeta felt an attack that could end the universe itself as if it were just a shoulder massage, I was moved to tears.
Well, as a die-hard Gogeta fan, I—Goto Shintaro, have been reincarnated into a world where "Quirks" are commonplace abilities, and I've been reborn as Gogeta.
—No, that's not quite right. To be precise, I have a face and body identical to Gogeta's, and I've gained the ability to transform into a Super Saiyan through my "Quirk"... I think.
To be honest, I'm not entirely sure. I secretly checked myself in the bath, thinking maybe I was actually born a Saiyan, but there was no tail where there should be one, not even a trace of where one might have been.
So I'm not a Saiyan. That's what I tell myself, anyway. But even in my natural state without using my Quirk, I'm remarkably strong and can shrug off ordinary impacts without flinching. My physical abilities, arm strength, leg strength, are all above average, and I was often called upon for heavy lifting at the facility.
And here's the main thing: I don't have the Saiyan trait of being a bottomless pit for food. I might eat more than average, but that's about it. I couldn't possibly devour everything in a store, it's just that my appetite and stomach capacity are a bit above normal.
With my unclear origins as a Saiyan or something else, I set that mystery aside for now and started my second life as a child in the facility. Fortunately, the adults there were all kind people who took care of us children without complaint, despite all the trouble we caused.
When I manifested my abilities, they were genuinely happy for me and encouraged me to become a hero in the future.
Yes, "heroes." In this world, heroes are recognized as an official profession. It all began when past generations rose up to oppose those who used their individual powers for evil. They're a completely new kind of defender of justice, distinct from police, the Self-Defense Forces, or any nation's military.
I have no particular interest in being a defender of justice, but it's the only place where I can fully utilize my Quirk. With that conviction, I enrolled in U.A. High School, renowned for producing many famous heroes.
I was shaped by my diverse classmates and upperclassmen, and within a year, I obtained a provisional license for hero activities. During internships, I learned disaster rescue techniques from a group of four cat-themed heroes, and learned combat skills from a glasses-wearing hero at another placement.
Thanks to everyone's support, I graduated from U.A. High School as valedictorian. Due to my student status, this isn't widely known, but I encountered quite a few incidents and accidents during my time there, giving me more experience than my peers.
However, due to my tendency to get caught up in situations, I couldn't participate in the sports festival during my first year, I got swept up in a natural disaster. I was mainly busy with rescue operations, which I wasn't familiar with at the time, so it couldn't be helped!
Interestingly, it was through that very incident that I met those four cat heroes. You never know what life has in store.
After graduating, I spent a year working as a sidekick at a senior hero's agency before going independent. I moved away from the city center to a rural area with no resident heroes.
At the time, my senior kept insisting I team up with him permanently, but thanks to another senior hero's intervention, I managed to escape the agency safely.
Man, I really owe him one. Maybe I'll ask him about some feather-repair medicine next time I see him.
Anyway, after reflecting on my life so far, I suppose I'll get back to my hero activities as "Gogeta" today.
◇
"Hey, hey, do that again, Gogeta! The one where you go 'Gou Gou' and then 'Shin Shin'!"
"I can't do that."
News that a villain had attacked the town spread quickly through the countryside. Word was that the enemy had been extremely violent and vicious, but that the hero who'd come to town had defeated them. The town was in a state of festive celebration.
Today, people from all over town have gathered to catch a glimpse of the hero.
"Huh, so that's the hero everyone's been talking about. He does look strong."
"He seems well-trained and reliable."
"But why is such a hero in this rural town?"
"Did he really defeat the enemy? I heard they were incredibly dangerous."
Opinions are divided. The reactions of the chattering, laughing people seem to lean more toward approval. After all, first impressions matter, and a hero is someone who has arrived at certain truths through lived experience, including their past.
"Hey, it's almost time for school. Your mother was pretty worried about what happened the other day, so don't make your family worry anymore."
"Ugh, fine. But show me next time! I promised my friends!"
The boy had encountered a villain and faced a crisis. Fortunately, his spirit seems unbroken, and he heads to school cheerfully today.
Gogeta is a little taken aback by the boy, who's completely different from his frightened state before, but he thinks it's a small price to pay to protect one boy's peace of mind. The boy's promise is probably just childish boasting... Well, it can't be helped.
Now, the problem is the remaining onlookers...
"Hey, hey! Disperse! Follow traffic rules!"
A patrol car arrives. Due to increased police presence following the villain incident, the onlookers scatter while muttering complaints. The boy bows to the officer who dispersed the crowd, and the officer notices and tips his hat in return.
In recent years, as Quirks have become more prevalent in society and the profession of hero has emerged, the police, who are generally prohibited from using their individual abilities, have been injured in battles with villains and are sometimes mockingly referred to as "villain transporters" for their role in hauling away incapacitated criminals.
However, in this era where battles between heroes and villains are seen as part of life's fabric, their existence has become indispensable to heroes.
When fighting villains, it's a matter of life and death. Since villains also wield their Quirks, the scene is always fraught with danger.
The existence of police, who strive to protect people from that possibility, was also appreciated by Gogeta. He felt gratitude toward the officers who had looked after him since his internship days...
"What's that?"
He suddenly sensed something wrong. His gaze toward the distant sky caused the police officers to follow suit, and there it was...
A massive meteorite was visible against the sky.
◇
"Why didn't we detect this situation sooner?!"
The fiery No. 2 hero known as "Endeavor" was flying at high speed over the ocean surface, releasing flames from his legs like jet engines.
The same intense flames that raged from his body also burned in his ears as the calm voice of the Hero Committee echoed through his headset.
"It's likely due to long-term neglect of space monitoring systems. This meteorite is a complete natural disaster, an unintended catastrophe with no malicious intent. There's little we can do to protect humanity."
"Enough with the excuses! What about reinforcements?!"
"We've already contacted hero committees from all nations. Please hold on until then, we're begging you, heroes!"
"I understand! For that—!"
"I'll handle it—!"
Something else speeds past the flying Endeavor. It's the strongest and greatest hero, No. 1 "All Might." The hero who bears the name of omnipotence, determined to save everyone from all threats, races across the sea surface to destroy the meteorite.
"All Might!"
"Sorry, but complaints can wait, Endeavor! We don't have time!"
"I know that! How much do you have under control?"
"The first reinforcements from America should arrive soon. Until then, we have to..."
"We have to do something about this meteorite!"
The two arrive at the predicted impact site and are met with a sight that distorts their battle-hardened faces.
Gigantic. A massive rock, not just any rock, but one that covered the entire sea surface around them. By rough estimate, it was several kilometers in diameter. If it collided with the ocean as-is, it would cause the greatest disaster in recorded history.
A catastrophe on the scale of the dinosaur extinction was now before their eyes. Why had they overlooked this crisis? Why couldn't they foresee it? Faced with an unimaginable, unprecedented disaster, both heroes' minds immediately shifted.
It's not about what we can or can't do, we have to do it.
"I'll use my flames to slow it down, even if it's just a little! In that time, you break it apart!"
"But then you'll be—"
"This isn't the time for that!"
Endeavor's Quirk grants him immense firepower, but it also has a drawback: he accumulates heat within his body, and prolonged use of his flames risks burning his own flesh.
All Might hesitates for an instant, fearing for Endeavor's safety, but there's no time to think. To stop this disaster, they have no choice but to give everything they have.
The flames rage. Above the vast ocean, a massive red inferno burns brilliantly. However, the falling meteorite is even larger.
But even so, even then...!
"We have no choice but to do this!!"
"Prominence Burn!"
Endeavor's maximum firepower, prepared for self-destruction. The flames raging high in the sky collide with the massive meteorite...
"?!"
The impact causes his consciousness to momentarily fade. What is this weight? Is this the mass of a meteorite from space? Endeavor was amazed by this sensation he'd never experienced before.
But the pillar of flames won't hold. There isn't enough time to wait for All Might to destroy the meteorite. He desperately hoped someone else would come to help, even though he knew that as a hero, he shouldn't rely on others.
"I made it!"
A voice came from the sky. Through his dazed consciousness, Endeavor saw the Stars and Stripes emblem.
"Catherine! Orders from the President! No holds barred. Stop that meteorite at all costs and protect humanity!"
"Roger! I'm here! I'll lift it!"
Several high-speed flying objects appeared. Someone leaped out and shouted toward the meteorite.
"The atmosphere will solidify at one hundred times my size!"
In an instant, the atmosphere roars and shifts, forming a new order centered around the woman who appears to be a hero. A massive humanoid figure emerges, raising its fist toward the meteorite.
"Fist bump to the Earth!!"
The fist of air strikes the meteorite with tremendous force, causing the surrounding space to creak. The blow, combined with Endeavor's flames, slightly slows the meteorite's descent...
"Thank you, Endeavor, Catherine! Let's gooooo!!"
The greatest hero roars before the unprecedented disaster.
"DETROIT SMASH!!"
The strongest strike is unleashed. A blow capable of shattering any villain, delivered by the man hailed as the symbol of peace—the ultimate punch.
The super-destructive strike, far surpassing any output a human could produce, was... however.
"What... the hell?!"
It failed to completely shatter the massive meteorite.
Even among worst-case scenarios, this was the absolute worst. The fact that even the strongest hero's strike had failed left everyone watching in shock, including Endeavor and Catherine, America's No. 1 hero.
However, the No. 1 hero refuses to give up. If he were to falter here, what would become of the people living in this world? What would become of the hope of those who believe that tomorrow will surely come?
This body is a symbol of peace. He cannot allow himself to break or bend. Therefore, All Might raises his shattered fist once more.
"Endeavor, please! Do it again!"
"Don't make it sound so easy! I'm doing it!"
Endeavor has already reached his limit. The heat accumulated in his body is so intense it distorts the surrounding space, burning his flesh.
But he cannot stop. As a hero, there's no option to flee based on his own emotions.
Besides, even if he flees, he'll lose everything. Then...
"Plus Ultra!"
The motto displayed at the high school he once attended—something Endeavor had always found irritating.
But still... If this is what must be done, then this is what must be done!
"Prominence——"
Burning his life away, he prepared to unleash his maximum firepower once more.
Then he heard it.
"Ka——"
"!"
"What?!"
"Me——"
The voice echoed. In this turbulent sea, in this chaotic atmosphere, the voice was strangely clear.
"Ha——"
"Who is it? Is there another hero here besides us?!"
At this moment, the number of heroes who could rush to this location was limited worldwide. Even the fastest heroes and those capable of unleashing their full power were helpless here. What kind of hero could possibly be coming?
Just as Endeavor was filled with doubt, a voice from the Hero Committee reached his ears.
"Now! A new hero has just taken off from Honshu!"
"From Honshu?! Do you know how far away that is?!"
Currently, Endeavor and the others are in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. All Might aside, Endeavor had only just arrived at the scene with help from the fastest available hero. Without access to technology capable of high-speed flight like the United States has, further reinforcements from Japan are unlikely.
However, there can be no mistake in the communication from the committee heard through the intercom. Who could it be? Just then, a golden flame streaks past Endeavor.
"What?!"
The image burned into Endeavor's mind. It wasn't the kind of flame that consumed enemies like his own, but a guiding light illuminating the path forward.
"——!"
The golden flame passed by Endeavor's side, then ascended at a right angle and swiftly approached the meteorite. The speed was absurd, so fast it seemed like teleportation, causing Endeavor's eyes to widen in shock.
The flame-wrapped figure revealed itself as it reached All Might.
"You are—?!"
Ignoring All Might's shock, the hero wrapped in golden flames—Gogeta—
"Waaaaaave!!"
Released the energy gathered in both hands toward the meteorite.
A torrent of energy as vast as the aurora fills the sky, penetrating the crack created by All Might's strike and expanding it. The relentless torrent of power engulfs the giant meteorite, shattering it into pieces, and the pale blue light disappears into the sky.
The shattered meteorite fragments were pulverized into even smaller pieces and fell toward the sea. Amidst the stunned silence of everyone witnessing the scene...
"Phew, that was close. Well, I guess that's one down..."
Hero Gogeta, feeling a sense of accomplishment, set off on his way home.
◇
Hero "Gogeta" desired to become stronger by utilizing his Quirk rather than simply being a hero for fame.
As long as he bore the name Gogeta, defeat was unforgivable. Driven by his relentless pursuit of strength, he sought to focus on training and self-improvement, choosing to become a disaster-response hero rather than a villain-fighting hero who drew public attention.
To fully enjoy a peaceful yet fulfilling Gogeta life and to be a warrior worthy of the name Gogeta, Goto Shintaro chose strength over fame.
Yet, despite that...
"Come on, answer them all, hero! From today on, you're the one!"
Why am I here? Why is All Might standing beside me, smiling broadly as he grabs my arm and raises it high?
Why is my name at the top of the hero billboard rankings?
(I don't understand anymore.)
On this day, a new No. 1 hero was born. As people cheered for the arrival of a new hero transcending even the symbol of peace, the very person who had become the new No. 1 hero was... staring blankly ahead.
———
[Power stones and reviews please]
Support link: www.patr eon.com/Well_being
[10 Advanced Chs][7 Chapters/week]