A New Beginning
The sun was rising in Academy City, bringing a new day and new opportunities— for some, a new beginning, For our dear little hero, however, the sun meant annoyance, the obligation to wake up and face the rest of the day.
A 7-year-old boy lay in bed when the sun invaded his room uninvited. Its rays shone directly on his face, causing him to move as if to hide from the sunlight. Unfortunately for him, he was already awake.
Still drowsy, he got up and tried to rub his eyes with his hand to shake off the sleep, but it didn't work very well. He sighed and began staring at the ceiling, hoping it would collapse—only to be disappointed when it remained as firm as ever.
He then started moving around his dorm room. It was a very simple space that hardly resembled a typical child's bedroom.
There were no toys in sight, nor any posters of superheroes or cartoons on the walls. It was just him, the bed, an improvised desk, and a chair.
There were some school supplies, but it seemed as if no one had ever touched them. Strangely, spread out on a clothesline was a Tokiwadai uniform, far too large for the boy.
He noticed the oversized uniform and muttered, "She is very lazy, she doesn't even live here."
Feeling hungry, the boy decided to go to the makeshift kitchen. With short, slow steps, he approached the stove and put water on it to make coffee—a task no normal child should be doing.
Besides, a normal child shouldn't be living alone in a high school student dormitory.
Soon, he went to the refrigerator in search of something to curb his hunger. "I forgot to put anything away…" he thought, and he found a piece of bread that was nearly moldy at the back. Finding nothing better, he took the bread.
After a few minutes, the water boiled, and he made his coffee. He began his breakfast—a routine almost ritualistic, though quite strange for someone his age. But Touma had always been peculiar.
The bitter, warm smell of coffee spread throughout his dorm as he slowly chewed on the hard bread, barely caring about the taste. The only sound was the crunching of the bread. It was quiet. It was sad. It was lonely.
And that was how Kamijou Touma's mornings always were.
After finishing his overly bitter coffee—a taste far too strong for a child—he grabbed his well-worn sweater, threw it over his shoulders, and left his dorm. The hallway of the dormitory was silent except for the occasional sound of doors closing or the hurried footsteps of early-rising students.
That's when he heard a familiar, teasing, and slightly sleepy voice.
"Yo, Kamijou-chan, so early and already looking grumpy, huh? Watch out—girls don't like a scowling face." It was Tsuchimikado Motoharu, Touma's neighbor.
Touma tried to walk past the older boy, but Tsuchimikado blocked his way. Before Touma could react, the older boy had already started messing up the little boy's already disheveled hair with unnecessary force.
"Stop… stop that! I already told you not to!" Touma cried as he struggled to push away the intrusive hands, but it was like trying to catch the wind. Tsuchimikado burst into laughter. "Hahaha! Relax, relax—I'm just giving you a cool new hairstyle."
After a few moments of the little boy's embarrassment and the blond teen's amusement, the teasing finally stopped. However, the mischief left Touma's hair even messier than before.
Tsuchimikado then pointed toward the building's exit. "Are you going to class today?"
Touma shook his head silently and turned to walk away, his gaze fixed on the floor, avoiding many words.
Before disappearing down the corridor, Tsuchimikado shouted, "Hey, Kamijou! My sister is making strawberry cake today. If you have nothing else to do, come by—trust me, she's a top-notch cook, but don't even think about hitting on her," he ended with a smile.
Touma didn't reply. He simply kept walking until, after turning a corner in the corridor, his footsteps faded away along with his fragile silhouette.
Academy City Streets
Daily life in Academy City was chaotic. People were running everywhere—students were late, scientists were coming and going from their labs, and many were lost in the busy cityscape. It was a bustling place, easy to get lost in.
In the midst of this urban chaos, Touma wandered the busy streets of Academy City without direction or purpose.
He just walked, hoping that the hours would pass quickly. His small footsteps echoed on the concrete as the vibrant sounds of the city filled the air around him.
He passed by all kinds of places—from playgrounds to squares, shops, schools, and busy streets—yet no one paid much attention to him. It was as if he were invisible, and in truth, he preferred it that way.
While passing by a snack bar, he decided to peek in through the brightly lit display window.
He saw a boy his age, smiling happily as he had lunch with his parents. They laughed and enjoyed light conversations over a warm meal. That sight struck Touma's heart like a cold knife. Even after all this time, he still hadn't overcome his past.
Without a word or shedding a single tear, he turned away and distanced himself from the scene. His pace quickened, as if he wanted to escape that image, and he began to run.
After running for what might have been hours—or minutes, or seconds? He wasn't sure. All he knew was that he was tired. He sat down right on the sidewalk. Everything was normal until…
"Hey, little guy, are you all right?" a firm, feminine voice reached him.
Turning around, Touma came face-to-face with a girl sporting pigtail-style hair. She wore a Tokiwadai uniform with a Judgment armband.
Her name was Shirai Kuroko (though Touma did not actually know her).
With concern in her eyes, she approached him. "You look a bit… lost and tired. Are you alone? Where are your parents?"
Touma fell silent, lowering his gaze. When she gently extended her hand, he took a quick step back, his eyes widening in fear.
This gesture caused Kuroko's eyes to narrow—a clear sign of alert. "What's your name? Where do you live?" When a child reacts like that, it isn't a good sign.
Touma quickly replied, "That's none of your business…!" while furtively putting his left hand in his pocket as if searching for something.
He spun on his heel and started running, darting through the alleys and backstreets of the city.
He rounded a corner, only to see the girl still there.
He ran back the way he came, spotted a park, and tried to hide among the bushes. But when he looked up, he saw that the girl was perched in a tree, watching him.
"I just want to help you. Please don't run," she said as gently as she could.
Touma ran again, leaving the park behind. He dashed into a nearby street and hid behind a car in a snack bar parking lot. Suddenly, he heard a familiar female voice from behind him.
"Looks like we've lost her for now," she said, and there she was again.
It was then that Touma realized he might have the ability to teleport—a power that increased the danger. "Damn, my luck," he thought.
He ran, trying to escape the girl, but no matter how many corners he turned...
"I found you," Kuroko would appear again, effortlessly teleporting. "Listen, you'd better come with me. We can help you, okay?"
Touma shook his head vigorously. At that moment, she tried to touch him in order to teleport him to the nearest Judgment headquarters.
But… nothing happened.
Kuroko's eyes widened. "Wha—what… my power…?"
That was the chance Touma needed. Seizing her moment of confusion, he bolted into the crowd. She tried to pursue him, but the mass of people concealed him. By the time she realized, he had vanished.
Night was beginning to fall, tinting the city with artificial lights.
Far away from that scene, Kamijou Touma continued to walk without any specific thought in mind.
Academy City at Night
For an outsider, walking through Academy City at night was strange. The area was filled with light; darkness never quite reached the ground.
It was a very well-lit city, yet somehow, this visual pollution did not affect the starry sky above.
Beneath that sky and in the middle of the city, Misaka Mikoto was walking alone on the street. Normally, it wasn't advisable to walk alone at that hour, but for her it was fine—she knew how to defend herself better than anyone.
Well, that notion was about to be put to the test.
Four delinquents suddenly appeared out of nowhere and quickly surrounded Misaka. However, she wasn't worried.
"Heh… look at that, a little Tokiwa Dai girl walking alone at this hour," one of them sneered.
Another one stepped forward. "What a waste… why don't you come have some fun with us, princess?"
Misaka maintained a cold gaze; anyone who knew her understood that those guys had no idea whom they were messing with. She could take them down in an instant and was already preparing to defeat these fools.
Then, something unexpected happened.
PLOK!
A stone hurled with force struck one of the bullies square in the head, sending him staggering backward. Everyone, including Misaka, turned their eyes toward the source of the attack.
There he was—the hero of this story.
A slight, skinny boy with messy hair and determined eyes, seemingly no older than eight, appeared. He was unkempt, dressed in shabby clothes, but his voice was firm
"Do you even know the meaning of decency? You're picking on a girl now! How low can you all go?" he declared as if commanding the place.
For a second, silence fell. Then the men began to laugh raucously.
"Look what we have here—a mini-hero! Hey kid, you're going to regret..." Before he could finish, the boy turned and began to run, almost disappearing into the night's darkness.
But then he turned his head back and shot a look that clearly said, "Try your luck."
Now enraged, the bullies completely forgot about Misaka and charged after the small interloper.
"Idiots," Misaka muttered. She snapped her fingers, and a spark cut through the air. A bolt of lightning struck the group, knocking two of the men down instantly. The smell of burnt flesh and clothing filled the area.
However, two of them managed to escape the electrical shock and continued their pursuit of the daring boy. Misaka's eyes narrowed. "Fool…"
She began to run as well. The streets grew narrower and darker, and she quickened her pace, a discomfort tightening in her chest that she hoped was not too late.
In a nearby alley, the boy ran as if he had plenty of experience escaping. He dodged obstacles and darted through alleys like he knew the way. Until, finally, he found himself in a literal dead-end.
The sound of his footsteps echoed in the narrow alley as the two bullies closed in, their heavy steps and angry shouts resounding: "You little brat! We're going to teach you never to stick your nose where it doesn't belong!"
Touma turned to face the men, and for a moment, they felt fear in his eyes—though it passed quickly. After all, he was just a child; what harm could he do? They should have considered that question before acting.
Then the men slowly advanced toward him, smiling as they anticipated revenge.
"Time's up for you, kid!"
The first one lunged with a violent kick aimed at the boy's small body. But Touma moved with a speed that belied his age, dodging to the side; the man's kick sailed through empty air.
SLASH!
A precise cut opened on the bully's leg—not deep enough to disable him completely, but sufficient for blood to begin streaming.
"ARGH! MY… MY GOD, THE KID HAS A KNIFE!"
In Touma's left hand was a simple kitchen knife, unadorned and unremarkable.
Enraged, the second man charged with a heavy punch.
Touma ducked, rolling on the ground to avoid the blow; his eyes flashed in the pale streetlight for a moment. The look in his eyes revealed who he really was—not a normal little boy, but a wild animal.
The first bully tried to grab him with both hands, but Touma evaded him. Then, using the bully's arm as leverage, he began to climb over the man as though scaling a tree. He lodged the knife into the man's shoulder, gathered momentum, and executed a spinning leap.
He landed on his feet like an acrobat with a lifetime of experience, then swiftly withdrew another knife from his pocket.
He waited for them to strike again.
Realizing that if they didn't attack together they stood no chance, the two assailants unleashed everything they had—kicks, punches, and attempts to grab him.
One even tried to use the knife that had been embedded in his shoulder, but that proved to be a mistake; the boy knew how to disarm an opponent armed with a knife.
Touma dodged narrowly as if he could anticipate their every move, yet he wasn't unscathed.
A kick caught him in the ribs, making him grit his teeth, but he did not fall. Soon, a punch landed on his cheek, opening a small cut, but he kept going.
He responded with swift, precise cuts—on their legs and arms—always avoiding vital areas. His intent was clear: to wound, but not to gravely injure.
The fight continued for several breathless minutes, the men, already panting, spewing curses and blood.
Finally, Touma knocked down the last assailant with a sharp blow to the back of his knee followed by a direct punch to the throat. The man crumpled to his knees, choking.
Touma was injured and out of breath, his body stained with other people's blood and sweat.
"Damn, I'm gonna have to take a bath," he muttered as if he hadn't just fought with a knife in a dark alley.
He turned, ready to vanish into the night, when suddenly he felt a small hand gripping his arm tightly.
He spun around, his eyes wild like those of a cornered animal. It was her—the girl he had tried to save from those bullies.
She stood there silently, sparks still crackling at her fingertips. At that moment, Touma met her gaze. He no longer looked like a child. Numerous questions must have raced through her mind, but before she could ask, Misaka squeezed his arm even tighter.
"You shouldn't have done that. It's dangerous let the grown-ups handle danger," she said, her voice filled with concern.
Then she glanced at the knife and tried to take it from him. "Give me that knife. That's not a toy!"
But the boy slapped her hand away and started running.
"Hey, wait up! It's way too late for a child to be roaming around alone," she shouted, but the boy paid no heed.
Still holding the knife in his left hand, Misaka began to concentrate her magnetism to pull it away.
The boy noticed and moved his right hand toward the knife. In that moment, Misaka swore she heard the sound of shattering glass, accompanied by the sensation of her power faltering.
"...What…?" Misaka exclaimed with wide eyes.
The boy stopped running and began to stare at her. Finally, when she looked at him properly, he was just a small, frail boy with dark hair, a dust-covered shirt, and small streaks of blood on his cheeks and forehead.
Yet he did not seem surprised by what had just happened—as if he were already accustomed to it
Touma looked at her for a few more moments before turning his back and walking away.
"W-wait!" Misaka called out, taking two quick steps toward him, her tone both irritated and concerned.
"Don't you understand what I said?! This isn't a child's game! You can't go around fighting like that! You could have died!"
He didn't stop, but replied in his own way, "Someone had to do something."
Misaka knew she couldn't let a boy wander alone at night. She had already resolved to follow him, but then her phone rang. She glanced at it and saw it was her roommate calling.
When she turned her attention back to the street, the boy was nowhere to be seen.