NOVEL NEXT Chapter 1: A girl named Rimi.
It's been a month since he woke up in this world. He quickly discovered that it was not normal.
For the few days that he was in the hospital, he collected his senses but found that it is very difficult. Ever since he's been 'reborn', he's found himself sleeping heavily.
It makes sense in a way since he was awake in what he felt was a timeless void for many years.
Whenever he's awake, he can sometimes make out the words that are being spoken around him. Being around the Japanese so much has allowed him to pick up on some of their languages. He's come to understand that Rimi, the name he'd been hearing in the void, is his own.
He's never had a name before, so he couldn't say that he was upset about this turn of events. More importantly, the world around him is more unnatural than he'd originally thought.
When he was being held by his mother, who looks identical to the caring woman from his past life, he noticed many... anthropomorphic people walking around. Some even had unnatural bodies, like someone with a microwave for a head.
It wasn't until he took a look at the television did he fully understand the situation he was in. On the television, a fist was raised in the air, drawing the loving light of the sun to shine in its direction. That red, white, and blue suit—with yellow applied at his wrists and feet. His hair had two spikes that stood out, well over his head, but his massive muscular frame seemed to make everything perfect. The massive smile on his face sent cheer throughout the entire hospital, and outside, though distant, he can hear his name being chanted.
"All Might! All Might! All Might!" They repeatedly changed, and once the line came through the television, he recognized it immediately. Whether it be in a foreign language or one he could perfectly understand, it's hard to forget one of the lines that entertained him the most in his past life. "I AM HERE!"
My Hero Academia? So, he ended up dying and being sent to this world? That's not so bad, this is a world filled with crime-fighting heroes, but also some very problematic villains. Villains are the least of his problems right now, though!
He needs to continue focusing so that he can get a grasp on Japanese, that way he'll be able to understand what his mother is saying to him! She's always poking at him and holding him, but he's become annoyed since he doesn't understand a word he's saying. He's a real baby in that sense.
Besides his own name, he's struggled to keep track of conversations. Thankfully, his mother has actually taken the effort to read books to him which has allowed him to grasp bits and pieces of conversations.
"...quirk is...disaster...!" He made the decision to hold off before trying to listen in on more conversations. He'll be lost in thought.
After 8 months, he finally manages to grasp an understanding of the Japanese language. As time went by, it became clear that he was completely different. He saw himself in a mirror while being carried around by his mother, and he was able to bask in his adorable appearance. He was in a girl's body. He—or rather, it's more appropriate to say she—has black hair with natural crimson streaks.
Her eyes were the most surprising aspect of her body. They were golden with dilated pupils, like a feline's. 'Am I a mutant...?' Rimi worried, fearing the worst. Rimi doesn't hate mutants, but to be one in the world of My Hero Academia is the same as asking to be oppressed.
Mutants in this world were mistreated, leading to their eventual siding with the villains later on in the story.
Thankfully, on that day, she wasn't given enough time to think about it since she'd be seeing her father for the first time.
Her father was normal, thankfully, so she wouldn't need to fall victim to any discrimination from anti-mutant supporters. Rimi doesn't remember ever hearing her father's voice, but that may have been because she was so focused on her mother's voice instead. "Hey, little Rimi!" Her father spoke to her in a puerile voice, trying to get a reaction out of her.
After a few minutes of Rimi just blankly staring, her mother decided that it'd be best to lay her down for the day.
* * * *
Now, at 8 months old, she could walk around on her own. Coordinating her steps wasn't easy, but thanks to the memories of her past left, she quickly got the hang of it. The remaining problem was exploring her home without being caught by her mother and father.
They are not fans of their 8-month daughter sneaking out of her crib to explore.
Currently, she is sneaking her way through the hallway of the home. Her parents usually leave the door cracked open so they can hear her if she cries or falls, but Rimi has used this to her advantage on many occasions. By slipping her pillows and blankets between the rods of her crib, she creates a cushion for herself to land on.
Rimi's eyes look around the halls that seem massive to her. Their home isn't very big, in fact, it looks like a traditional Japanese household she's seen in other stories. There are a few paintings on the wall, and minor decorations placed around the home to supply a welcoming feeling. It's one of those feelings that'd make you say 'home sweet home' when you open the door.
Even if she's walking around right now, Rimi can't afford to be careless right now. Her mother and father are still awake in their bedroom, and they're not even the worst of what's lurking in the confines of this labyrinth of a home. Rimi's greatest enemy is their dog.
Too many times in the last few months has that ferocious canine lept over the bars of her playpen and assaulted her with sniffs and licks! 'I'll be doomed to a fate worse than death if that monster catches me,' she thinks to herself. In her past life, she'd fought her fair share of dogs. She'd killed many, especially the ones that guarded their owners.
This dog is a bit different, however. Because of her small size and lack of strength, fighting any dog in this state is the same as killing yourself.
Rimi soon turns the corner that leads to the real playing field. The living room lies before her, more massive than the hallway she had to warily walk down to reach here!
Step one of her plan is complete, now she has to do the hard part...
Getting on the couch!
Rimi's small size meant that she could run as much as she wanted without shaking the floor too much. She barely left noticeable steps when she dodders down the hall.
Using this to her advantage, the baby quickly totters past the bookshelf at the corner of the hallway, hurrying to the couch. With such small steps, it's difficult for her to cover much ground fast enough. Rimi uses the fabric of her onesie to her advantage once she sees the tail of the familiar beast peaking from behind one of the couches.
She crouches just a bit and leaps forward, using the material to slip and slide forward by a few feet before she spins to a halt right in front of the large sofa that she was aiming for. As if expecting her, a hand reaches down and catches the child by her miniature torso. "Look who it is," a familiar, older voice calls out to her. "Little Rimi!"
Nervously, the child raises her head up to see who it is. To her relief, it's another child, her older sister to be exact. The girl lifts her up from the ground, pulling Rimi up to sit on her lap.
With hair that nearly matched hers, albeit having red being the dominant color, Madoka looks down at her little sister in her lap.
Coming around the corner after her is the adorable, white-furred Pomeranian, its tongue hanging out of its mouth happily. "Marble! Here boy!" Madoka pats her knee, beckoning the dog over. Instinctively, Rimi makes her best attempt to move away from the dog as it props itself up best her on Madoka's lap.
She's convinced that her sister does not feel much compassion for her. She also hasn't ordered her to do anything though, so Rimi feels that she can indulge in her hobby without an issue.
The television's ongoing show ends, switching to the next scheduled show.
"Your favorite show's on, Rimi," Madoka rocks the girl up and down on her lap, pointing to the TV that Rimi was already focused on. Madoka can't help but chuckle at the intense expression Rimi gets when watching shows on TV. It's like the child is analyzing every detail on the screen, consuming as much knowledge as possible.
[Today, on Hero's Daily, we're here to introduce a new hero making themselves known to the public—a rising star!] This was Rimi's favorite program. In her past life, she would watch anything that she thought was entertaining, and My Hero Academia is one of those things she made sure to read and watch as much as possible. She managed to finish the story, though her memories are very fuzzy since those happy thoughts were usually drowned by murderous imagery shortly after.
Watching the news on the upcoming heroes and seeing how they fight is equally as entertaining as watching an anime. What's better is this time, with her raw understanding of this once-foreign language, she can consume the raw material without the need for subtitles or mediocre voiceovers.
[His name is Ringtune! Just yesterday, he defeated and captured the wicked villain, Audiovile, who is currently awaiting trial!] The hero didn't look too unique. His black suit had blue ornaments that gave it a sports-like appearance. The black pair of goggles he wore concealed his face, and with the headphones, he was wearing, Rimi deduced that it played a crucial role in defeating Audiovile.
Rimi doesn't know how to fight with powers, since she hasn't awakened her quirk yet, but her knowledge of combat from her previous life came in handy at times like these.
Audiovile had a sound-based quirk that'd impede the senses of anyone who heard the sounds produced from his body. Ringtune's headphones likely blocked out the sound on demand, given the nature of hero equipment.
Madoka watches Rimi's eyes sparkle in interest, captivated by the dozens of heroes who appear and their achievements. "Do you like any of the heroes, Rimi?" Madoka tilts her head, using her hand to block off Marble before he can pounce on her younger sister.
Madoka is only 11 years old, meaning she'd be going to middle school next school year. By the time her little sister enrolls in school, she'll already be getting started with her career. "Uwah! Wuhba!" Although Rimi has learned to read and understand Japanese, speaking it is still too difficult for her. "Ah, you like Tupperhead? You've got such odd tastes, Rimi." Her sister teases, turning her head away as her sister frantically protests, trying her hardest to put words together.
Another voice joins in on their 'conversation', "Rimi..." When she turns in the direction of the voice, the blood drains from her face. Madoka looks over soon after, immediately sympathy for her sister instinctively pours out. Even Marble, who's been trying to sneak and reach Rimi without her noticing has tucked himself away behind one of the pillows.
Their mother, Kimiko, stands there with her purple eyes daring to split the room in half. Her arms are crossed, a dark cloud spreading from where she stands. This isn't even a result of her quirk! This is the result of motherhood!
Kimiko carried Rimi in one arm and holds Madoka under her arm with the other. "You're a big sister now, Madoka. You can't let your sister walk around so carelessly, she might get hurt!" Kimiko's concerns were reasonable. Even Rimi questions her own safety when performing stuns like climbing over her crib and dropping onto a pillow and blanket.
"But look at her mom! She's adorable, how could you say no to her happy face!?" Madoka retorts, striking Kimiko enough that she briefly stops in her tracks. Her reasoning is very fair, but as the mother of the house, Kimiko would never admit it. "Shame on you," Kimiko counters, refusing to comment further. "H-Hey!" Madoka stammers, realizing that her mother purposely didn't agree with her!
"Also," Kimiko speaks up again as the two of them make it to the bathroom. "Please don't keep showing her any of that hero stuff. You know how... odd she behaves sometimes." Kimiko looks down at Rimi with weary, sympathetic eyes. "I don't want her to get any ideas while she's so young, especially since she hasn't awakened her quirk."
Rimi has been trying to figure out what her family's quirks are. She's come to the conclusion that Madoka's quirk is very impressive. Her quirk, 'Allseer', grants Madoka the ability to see all things within a certain range. As long as she has an idea of what she's looking for, she'll find it. Admittedly, this isn't something that Rimi figured out with her detective skills, but rather, something her mother explained to her for some reason.
Judging by the praise she received from both of their parents, Madoka's ability likely has almost no relation to their parent's quirks. This attribute alone is very impressive since it means that Madoka is an early sign of the 'Quirk Singularity'. This is both a positive and a negative, but Rimi is happy for her sister nonetheless.
A thought occurred in her mind. 'Since when did I start to feel this? When did I ever feel happy?' For the past few months, she's been going with the flow of things. She hasn't been told to kill anyone since she was a baby, and she's been nurtured and loved by those around her.
Their love is very different from the love given to her in her past life. Is there more than one way to love, or did her family just not love her?
Rimi is so deep in thought that she doesn't even realize her mother, Kimiko has set her and Madoka down on the bathroom floor. Already, Kimiko is preparing the bath for the three of them. It wouldn't be the first time the three of them have bathed together. Rimi oftentimes indulged in menial warfare, using her feeble, stubby arms to splash water in the direction of her sister who'd go as far as to poke and tickle her ticklish body!
Rimi is snapped out of her deep thoughts when she feels her body merge with the warm water of the tub. They can't make the water too hot or else it'd 'burn her', which she finds strange. In her past life, Rimi was fine sleeping against the heat of a stove to find warmth, under the orders of her father. It's thanks to these orders that in her old life, she managed to become numb to pains since she lacked feeling in her body altogether after enduring so much 'training'.
Rimi's head is held against Kimiko's chest, the woman folding her legs to both give room for Madoka to sit across from her, but also support Rimi so that she won't drop to the bottom of their bathtub.
"Madoka, are you sure you want to be a hero?" Kimiko questions the child while washing Rimi. "I know you want to use your quirk to help people, but there are so many other jobs you can take with that ability, you could become a policewoman!" Rimi thinks about it, concluding that her sister's ability would be useful to the police force.
Madoka shakes her head, "I just feel like I need to be a hero, mom. I may not get into U.A., but I feel like I can make it into Shiketsu!" Kimiko's face twists into an odd expression before she speaks, "They're both in the same league, dear. Only, you'd need to move further away to attend Shiketsu."
'This is good information. If I learn how to read a map, or at least hear where we live, I can finally figure out how close we are to any impending disasters. Not that there are any that I can know about right now, I don't even think this world's main story has kicked off yet.'
"Tomato-Tomato!" Madoka crosses her arms, turning her head away with a 'hmph'.
After being given a thorough cleaning, Rimi is taken out of the water by Kimiko, and Madoka soon follows. As they dry off, Rimi's thoughts start to wander off elsewhere, again.
It's become a common thing for her to think of things from her past life, but they are not related to the voices of the damned that she appears to have forgotten. She instead thinks about the many different scenarios she experienced in her line of work.
At one point, she'd killed the mother of a family just like this. While the woman was sitting down in her bathtub, Rimi, just a boy at the time, nonchalantly entered the bathroom and slit the woman's throat while she was relaxing in her bathtub. Rimi heard the woman's daughters laughing and giggling in the background as the woman choked on her own blood, her attempts at getting up being foiled by his hand holding her down.
He doesn't know why, but it felt like something was burning his innards at the time. When his hand covered her mouth, when he stared into her pleading eyes, trying to come to an understanding about the emotions held within them, and the eventual drowsiness that followed as she sunk deeper into the tub.
Rimi recalls that she laid the woman back down in the tub in a comfortable position since it'd be inconsiderate to leave her sprawled that way. 'Why am I thinking about this?' Rimi snaps herself out of the memory, noticing that the scenery around her has changed. She must've fallen asleep in the bathroom since she is once again wearing a pink-colored babygro.
Rimi looks through the bars of her crib and sees her mother talking to Madoka across the room. Madoka and Rimi shared a room since Rimi was a virtually well-behaved baby who didn't cry often. Madoka also insisted on having her sister close to her. The signs of her heroism were visible early on.
Rimi begins to wonder, 'What would I do if someone did the same thing to my mother? Could I continue behaving like none of this ever happened, even if it is going to end one day?' Rimi feels an emotion that she admittedly knows well, the feeling that she'd fought and defeated in her past life—fear. A shiver runs up her, thinking of the various unknown emotions she'd feel if someone committed the same sins against her own mother.
'I won't let them,' Rimi thought with a firm resolve. 'It's selfish of me, but I refuse to let anyone or anything take this from me.' They were her family, and unless they requested her to, she'd never allow anything to harm them.
Clinching her small hand into a fist, Rimi raises it into the air, as if clutching a star. A symbol that is seen many times in this world, mainly because of All Might. Rimi is no hero, she is a murderer who has brought insurmountable suffering to those she's crossed paths with. Yet, somehow, with nothing but confidence, Rimi can make a declaration.
"Ewo!" The infant shouts out, drawing the attention of her mother and sister, who both stare before laughing at her adorable pose. 'I'll be my family's hero!' Even if the world threw karma her way, Rimi would not let it succeed. She'd bend time and space if she needed to keep her family safe; only she will bear the burdens of her past actions, no matter who stood before her!