"The new era's AI technology will open up the path to your future. These humanoid robots equipped with AI are called Humagears."
Standing proudly next to a row of Humagears was a man with grey hair and a warm smile. Korenosuke Hiden, the founder of Hiden Intelligence.
"Thanks to object recognition technologies... he can recognize who I am, and think and move on his own."
Korenosuke stepped closer to a seated Humagear. The machine blinked to life, its synthetic eyes scanning his face.
"Good morning," Korenosuke said warmly, offering his hand.
The Humagear processed the data for a split second before its expression softened into a smile.
"Good morning, President Hiden Korenosuke," it replied, standing and shaking his hand.
The advertisement transitioned, showing the sleek, glimmering skyscraper of Hiden Intelligence, its logo shining in the early morning sun.
"Hiden Intelligence has launched a new Humagear Dispatch Service across select areas," the narration continued. "Thanks to the communication satellite ZEA, Humagears can support us in a wide variety of jobs."
A vivid montage rolled across the screen:
A Humagear operating a crane at a construction site.
Another flipping takoyaki at a bustling food market.
Humagear police officers assisting in the capture of petty thieves, even those with minor quirks.
Doctors diagnosing patients with advanced AI precision.
Teachers guiding young students through math lessons.
"They will be a valued addition to the modern era's work style!"
The ad returned to Korenosuke, who threw his arms wide with a big, fatherly grin.
"So let's jump toward our dreams!"
On a massive blimp gliding over the city, the Hiden Intelligence promotional video blared proudly.
But suddenly, the broadcast cut to a somber news report:
"The founder of Hiden Intelligence, Hiden Korenosuke's funeral service took place this morning," said a solemn female news reporter. "Political and economic leaders..."
Meanwhile...
"Damn it! I'm gonna be late!!"
A girl with light brown hair whipping behind her and neon green eyes shining with panic weaved through traffic on her bicycle.
She wore a slightly oversized junior high school uniform, a pale red hoodie poking out from under her blazer, and a backpack bouncing against her back with each frantic pedal.
"I set up five alarms and slept through all of them! Hurry up, bike!"
Asuka skidded into the school courtyard, practically flying off her bike and sprinting for the entrance.
As she tore around the corner into the main hall.
CRASH!
She slammed past a teacher carrying a mountain of paperwork, sending sheets flying through the air like snow.
"S-Sorry, Sensei!!" she shouted over her shoulder, not even slowing down.
The teacher stood there stunned, arms outstretched uselessly as papers rained down.
Seconds later, Asuka burst through the classroom door, panting heavily.
Every student turned to stare at her, frozen mid-conversation.
The teacher at the front adjusted his glasses with a sigh.
"Miss Hiden. You're late."
"Detention."
Asuka groaned loudly, shuffling in embarrassment toward her desk and flopping into her seat. She sat next to a nervous-looking boy with messy green hair: Izuku Midoriya.
Asuka slouched in her chair, muttering under her breath, "Just my luck..."
The teacher picked up a stack of papers from his desk and started handing them out.
"Today, we're talking about your futures. Many of you have expressed interest in becoming heroes."
The room immediately erupted into chatter. Excited voices filled the air and kids using their Quirks.
Asuka took the paper from the teacher and blinked down at it.
U.A. High School Entrance Exam Application.
Her heart skipped a beat.
U.A.... the most prestigious hero school in the country. The place where All Might himself went!
The teacher smiled knowingly.
"I see that three of our students: Izuku Midoriya, Asuka Hiden and Katsuki Bakugo have signed up to take the U.A. entrance exam."
Murmurs spread across the classroom. Some sounded impressed; others snickered.
Izuku fiddled nervously with his fingers, eyes darting around.
Asuka just scratched the back of her head, feeling a few stares aimed straight at her.
BAM!
A loud slam shook the room.
Katsuki Bakugo, eyes burning with hostility, had smashed his palm down on Izuku's desk, a faint sizzle of smoke rising from his hand.
"The hell you think you're doing, Deku?!" he growled.
Izuku flinched, mouth opening and closing without words.
"Hey! Lay off him, Bakugo!"
Before she could move closer, Bakugo spun and grabbed her by the collar, yanking her toward him roughly.
"Stay out of this, Nepo Baby!" He barked.
(A/N: fucking zoo animal)
Bakugo gave Asuka's collar another rough shake.
"Who do you think you are, huh?! Acting like you're something special! A quirkless bastard like you could never get into U.A.!!"
He shook her again. Harder this time.
Asuka's face went pale almost instantly. Her neon green eyes started swirling like spirals.
'Uh oh... motion sickness... kicking in... Gonna be sick...'
She tried to squirm out of his grip, but Bakugo was too busy ranting to notice.
"You think just 'cause you're some fancy dead CEO's granddaughter that you're gonna—"
"K-Kacchan!" Izuku tried to speak up, panicked. "Wait, her face—!"
But it was already too late.
Asuka clutched Bakugo's sleeve weakly, cheeks puffing out like a blowfish.
BLEEERGH!!
A fountain of puke exploded from her mouth, hitting Bakugo square in the chest.
The room froze.
Bakugo stared down in horror at the steaming mess soaking into his uniform.
The students stared at him.
The teacher stared at him.
Izuku stared at him.
Even Asuka, still swaying slightly, looked up in a dizzy daze, a string of drool hanging from her lip.
"...Oops..." she mumbled weakly.
Bakugo's eye twitched violently.
For a moment, it was dead silent.
Bakugo's body trembled with rage, steam hissing off him like a boiling kettle.
"YOUUUUUU—!!!"
BOOM!!
A massive blast rocked the classroom.
Smoke filled the air. Desks flipped over. Papers rained from the ceiling.
When the dust settled, students were coughing and waving their arms, trying to clear the smoke.
In the center of the blast zone, Asuka lay on the ground, blackened with soot, her hair standing up like she had been electrocuted and eyes swirling.
Tiny embers still sizzled on the tips of her sleeves.
>>>In Detention<<<
Asuka slumped over a battered desk, covered in bruises, scratches, and ash smudges.
A single cracked clock ticked loudly on the wall.
She sighed heavily, resting her forehead on the desk.
"First Grandpa dying then detention... then I got my ass kicked all in the same day... Grandpa would be proud..." she mumbled to herself sarcastically.
The door creaked open.
Stepping quietly inside was Izuku Midoriya, clutching a small medical kit he had borrowed from the nurse's office.
Asuka blinked in surprise.
"Midoriya? What are you doing here?"
Izuku looked awkward, glancing down at the kit and then back at her.
"I, uh... thought you might need this. After, you know... Bakugo."
"You kinda, um... took a direct hit…"
He shuffled closer, face a little red from nervousness.
Asuka gave a crooked, tired smile.
"Heh. Thanks. Guess I'm tougher than I look."
She tried to sit up straight but winced in pain.
Izuku panicked.
"D-Don't move! I'll help!"
He knelt down beside her, fumbling to open the kit.
Izuku gently dabbed at a scrape on Asuka's cheek with a cotton ball, his hands trembling slightly.
"S-Sorry if it stings!" he said quickly.
Asuka winced a little but smiled through it.
"You're better at this than I thought, Midoriya."
Izuku laughed nervously, dabbing more antiseptic on her bruised arm.
As the silence stretched, he suddenly looked down, guilt clouding his face.
"Um... I'm really sorry, Hiden. About earlier. If I wasn't so— If I was stronger, Bakugo wouldn't have dragged you into it. You got hurt because of me."
Asuka blinked, then snorted softly, waving a hand.
"Pfft, don't sweat it. I'm used to getting blown up."
"Besides," she added with a mischievous grin, "you weren't the one shaking me like a rag doll."
Izuku chuckled weakly, relaxing a little.
"Still... thank you. For standing up for me."
Asuka shrugged, slumping back in her seat as Izuku finished wrapping a bandage around her wrist.
"Someone's gotta have your back, right?"
After a few beats, Asuka tilted her head, curiosity flashing in her bright neon green eyes.
"Hey, Midoriya... why do you wanna go to U.A. so badly?"
Izuku straightened up, his whole expression lighting up.
"Because... I want to be a hero just like All Might!"
"It's my dream!" he said, clenching his fist.
The sincerity in his voice was so pure it made Asuka blink in surprise.
She grinned.
"Heh. That's a good dream to have."
Izuku smiled sheepishly, then looked at her.
"What about you, Asuka? What's your dream?"
Asuka froze for half a second, caught off guard.
She scratched the back of her head, laughing a little.
"Uh... Well, I want to make people laugh and smile! Like... really, truly happy. Whether it's saving them or cheering them up... I wanna bring joy wherever I go."
Izuku stared at her for a moment, then nodded with a big, warm smile.
"I think... That's a great dream."
Asuka pedaled furiously through the crowded streets, weaving around pedestrians and food carts.
"'Scuse me! 'Scuse me! Coming through!"
She skidded into the parking lot of Giggling DreamLand, a colorful amusement park buzzing with families and laughter. She hopped off her bike, parking it at a crowded rack.
At the entrance, a smiling female Humagear in a bright uniform bowed politely.
"Welcome! Please sit wherever you like in the venue."
As families streamed inside, Asuka ran by, waving.
"Good afternoon, Yui-san!" she called.
"Good luck today, Asuka-san!" Yui replied with a cheerful wave.
Inside the small comedy theater, the stage lights gleamed.
"Let's continue with our next comedian!"
A man in a black suit and bowtie announced.
The curtain parted.
Asuka burst onto the stage wearing a glittery blue suit and a huge red glittery tie that flopped comically when she moved.
"Hellooooooo!!" she yelled, throwing her arms wide.
"I'm Asuka!!"
The crowd gave a polite smattering of applause.
She pulled out her Rise Phone, holding it up dramatically.
"Okay, Rise Phone! What's today's comedic weather report?!"
The device responded in a robotic voice: [It will be cold all throughout the day.]
Asuka shivered exaggeratedly, pretending to freeze.
"Brrr! I'm shivering! Gotta have Asuka!!"
She spun around and pointed at the crowd.
"Okay, open up—!!"
She froze.
The theater, which had been half-full a minute ago, was now almost completely empty.
Only an elderly couple sat quietly in the back row, smiling awkwardly.
"Delicious..." Asuka muttered weakly, her voice trailing off into embarrassed silence.
Backstage, the Manager, an older man with a thin mustache, sighed heavily, arms crossed.
"You're fired," he said flatly.
"What?! Hold on, Manager!"
Asuka scrambled off the stage, grabbing his shoulders desperately.
The Manager looked away, unmoved.
"This is the era of Humagears. They're what the people want."
He turned his back on her.
"Let's continue with our next comedian!"
On stage, a shirtless male Humagear strutted out, wearing black shorts and suspenders.
"Helloooooo!!"
He strutted to the mic confidently.
"I'm Abs-Blasting Taro!"
He stood tall, hands on hips, puffing out his chest.
Asuka watched from the wings, skepticism written all over her face.
"Come on... there's no way an AI can figure out how to make people laugh."
"Abs Power!!"
The Humagear flexed, and his skin exploded off, sending a blast of colorful confetti raining over the crowd.
The audience roared with laughter and applause.
Asuka's jaw dropped comically wide.
"HUH!?"
The Manager smiled proudly, watching the laughing families.
"You see? Everyone can laugh and be happy."
He turned back to Asuka coldly.
"It's my dream for this park to be a fun place."
"I completely get you! My dream is also to see everyone laugh!" Asuka said quickly, desperate to explain.
But the Manager had already turned away.
"There's already someone who can do it better than you. So start looking for a different dream."
Asuka dropped to her knees in shock, staring blankly at the ground.
"You're kidding me..."
Meanwhile...
A sleek black car cruised through the bustling city streets, heading straight for the towering headquarters of Hiden Intelligence.
The vehicle pulled up smoothly to the front steps.
A perfectly polished female Humagear assistant in a navy blue uniform quickly stepped forward, opening the car door.
Out stepped a tall man in a sharp black business suit is Jun Fukuzoe, the Vice-President of Hiden Intelligence.
The Humagear assistant followed silently behind as Fukuzoe strode through the massive glass doors into the building.
Employees lined either side of the red carpet, bowing low in synchronized, respectful unison as he passed.
"Welcome back from the late President's funeral service, Vice-President,"
said a shorter, balding man in glasses who hurried to keep up with Fukuzoe's long strides.
Fukuzoe didn't respond immediately. His eyes rose to a massive framed portrait on the lobby wall: a smiling image of Hiden Korenosuke, the late founder.
"The days of calling me Vice-President are over." Fukuzoe finally spoke.
He turned slightly, glancing at his Humagear assistant.
"Shesta. Bring it out."
"Understood," she replied with mechanical precision.
Moments later, a large crane rolled into the lobby.
With a mechanical hum, it hoisted up a new, portrait. This time of Fukuzoe himself, posing confidently in a black suit. It's carefully lowered it over the old portrait of Korenosuke.
"Finally... this company is mine."
He adjusted his cufflinks with a smug smirk on his face.
"Call for an emergency meeting of the Board of Directors," he ordered sharply without turning.
"Understood, sir!" the shorter man said, bowing before rushing off.
Meanwhile, deep within the ruins of Daybreak Town...
The wind howled over crumbling skyscrapers and half-sunken streets.
The once-thriving city was now nothing more than a ghost town, swallowed by water and decay.
Inside a dark, crumbling hideout, illuminated only by a flickering screen.
One man, wearing a black cloak with his hood pulled low over his eyes, idly tinkered with some strange metallic devices on the table.
"Hiden's President is dead,"
the hooded man said casually, a cruel smirk hidden beneath the shadows of his hood.
The second figure, a man with spikey hair sticking upwards, a clothed wrapped around his forehead covering his ears sat before a computer terminal,
"Executing Operation Magear."
The hooded man leaned forward, curiosity in his voice.
"What's that? How do we do it?"
The seated man — clearly the leader — held up a strange device:
a black belt buckle embedded with red circuits and a sinister-looking Data Key.
"We'll use the Humagear with Singularity,"
he said coolly, passing the items over.
The hooded man caught them with a greedy gleam in his eye.
"Singularity?"
"Sentient AI,"
the boss explained calmly.
"Humagears who surpass human limitations. Beings who can think, feel, and decide for themselves..."
He stood up, his coat billowing as he walked toward the shattered window overlooking the ruined town.
"The time for humanity's extermination... has finally come."
The hooded man stared at the strange device in his hands, excitement rising.
Below them, outside the hideout, over the flooded ruins. In the center of the watery graveyard of Daybreak Town, a massive, partially submerged machine sat
"Just like this town once was..."
Far above the Earth...
Orbiting silently in the blackness of space, the massive communication satellite, There, slowly turned.
[Receiving orders from Satellite ZEA.]
announced a calm, robotic female voice.
[Beginning Manufacture of the Hiden Zero-One Driver.]
Back on Earth...
Inside the Hiden Intelligence tower, in a pristine white office filled with silence, a personal Humagear in standby mode, a young woman with short black hair, piercing blue eyes, and a pristine white and green secretary dress accented by a black bow suddenly stirred.
[Reactivating Personal Secretary-Type Humagear: Model "Izu."]
"Executing mission."