15. To Win Is To Cheat.

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

ONE YEAR LATER

Laughter and the clinking of cutlery filled the dining room as a family of four enjoyed a hearty breakfast.

It had been over a year since they'd moved into Grandma Yuki's home, and by now, Rio had fully adjusted to their new dynamic. Even so, one thing remained unchanged—his mother's icy demeanor toward her.

Every attempt Rio made to understand the rift between them had led nowhere. Both women were tight-lipped about the past, refusing to offer so much as a hint about what had happened between them. It was frustrating, but Rio knew better than to push. If they weren't willing to talk, prying would only make things worse.

"Would you like another serving, dear?" Grandma Yukina asked, already reaching for the serving spoon.

"Yes, please!" Rio grinned.

Over the past year, he'd gone through a massive growth spurt—five whole inches! Proper nutrition (and an unlimited supply of food) had worked wonders. But even with all that, it still wasn't enough.

His brother, on the other hand, was a genetic anomaly.

Takeru had shot up even faster, making Rio suspect that his growth wasn't natural.

"...I swear, he's on fertilizer or something," Rio muttered under his breath as he dug into his food.

"Hmm? Did someone say something? I couldn't hear you from way down there—must've been the wind." Takeru smirked, glancing around the dining table.

 "We're sitting at the same table, dumbass. We're practically the same height." Rio seethed, his voice dropping to a sharp hiss.

 "Sure thing, short stuff." Takeru replied, completely unbothered as he took a swig of juice.

At just fourteen years old, Takeru already stood at an impressive 6'1. Unfortunately, for all his height and athleticism, basketball wasn't as popular as it used to be. If it was, he probably could've been an all-star. Instead, he was just a very tall, quirkless brat.

 "You were thinking something very rude just now." Takeru suddenly turned to Rio, eyes narrowing.

 Rio scoffed. "Scratch that—a very perceptive brat."

 Before Takeru could get the last word, Grandma Yukina stood up, tapping her glass lightly to draw everyone's attention.

 Rio personally thought she didn't need to—just standing was enough to command a room—but who was he to judge?

"So," she began, her tone poised but brimming with something close to pride. "I've been in talks with the HSPC for some time now, negotiating the rights to your little contraption. Madam President herself was impressed with what's now officially named the Sentinel System."

 She paused, letting the words sink in before delivering the final blow.

"Congratulations, Takeru. You might soon be one of the wealthiest self-made fourteen-year-olds in the world."

A round of applause followed as Mom, Grandma, and I clapped profusely.

Rio meant it—he was genuinely proud of his brother. At first, the project had been something they worked on together, but once his apprenticeship with O'Clock took off, Rio had to focus on school and catching up on new knowledge. That meant stepping away from the project, no matter how much he hated leaving it unfinished.

Luckily, Grandma's ex-husband owned a hero support company specializing in communication devices. With their marketing expertise, Takeru's system had found the perfect launchpad. And now, here they were.

"Don't worry, lil' bro. I'll make sure to keep a shed in my mansion for when you come over," Takeru whispered in Rio's ear.

 Ah, the ancients were right—money truly revealed a man's nature. The cash hadn't even arrived yet, and Takeru was already turning into an insufferable brat.

 Smirking at Rio's mounting frustration, Takeru stood and gave a theatrical bow to his adoring audience.

 "So, what do you plan to do now?" Izumi asked, her gaze sharp as she studied her son. "You're about to make more money than any fourteen-year-old has a right to—does this change your future plans?"

 Takeru hummed in thought before answering. "I've been really thinking about it, and support gear is pretty interesting. I'm considering U.A. or Shiketsu—I wonder which school has the better support course."

The room went silent.

 Rio winced. His mother's expression remained carefully neutral, while Grandma Yuki's smile looked a little too forced.

 Takeru, noticing the shift, frowned. "What's wrong?"

 Izumi hesitated, struggling for a response, but Grandma Yuki only shook her head slightly. "There's nothing wrong with your dream, dear. We're all rooting for you."

 Takeru studied them for a long moment, but everyone here had mastered the art of keeping their emotions in check.

 After a few seconds of silence, he dropped the subject.

Rio let out a quiet breath of relief. He had no interest in getting involved in whatever that conversation would've turned into.

 "I'm heading out. Mum, Grandma, I'll see you soon," Rio said, standing up. He quickly kissed both women on the cheek before making his escape.

Upon exiting the house, he was met with Sebastian, who seemingly popped out of the hedges. Over a year, and the old man still managed to catch him off guard. It was either his quirk, or the old man was a really skilled ninja.

 "Are you taking a car today, Master Rio? The driver has already warmed it up for you," Sebastian said, giving a graceful bow.

 "Nah, no need, man. You know that stuff is too slow for me. See you later." Rio waved as he immediately vanished from the spot.

 Sebastian, to his credit, just picked off the leaves dotting his shirt, muttering under his breath about hyperactive children.

Rio breezed through cars and individuals alike with impressive speed. In this still world, he was the only moving passenger, a sight that never failed to leave him intoxicated. Within minutes, he neared his destination. With a rapid burst of speed, he made his way to the top of an abandoned building, scaling the walls like they were flat ground.

 "I see you've mastered wall-walking," O'Clock said as he puffed on a cigarette. The hero leaned against the wall leisurely, standing in his iconic hero suit, unmasked, his square jaw well pronounced.

 "Please, I mastered that trick two weeks ago," Rio scoffed as he quickly popped a pill he procured from a strap on his belt.

 That was something his grandma had commissioned. Seeing how his quirk took too much out of him, she had a lab work on condensing a ton of nutrients into the smallest container possible. It was something that could have easily been solved by Condenium, but Grandma wasn't that rich.

"Sorry, I was—wait, why am I even apologizing? You're the one who's too early. Don't you have a wife and kid? Not a happy home or something?"

 O'Clock gave him a flat look. "I don't see how that relates to you being late, but sure, let's go with that. And for the record, my wife and kid love me."

 "Whatever helps you sleep at night, old man," Rio said, rolling his shoulders as he changed into his loose training clothes.

 O'Clock sighed but didn't take the bait. Instead, he swapped out of his hero costume. " So what are working on today, did you suddenly figure out your quirk lets you run on air?"

 "If you mean moving so fast the air molecules don't have time to give way—which is complete bullshit, by the way—then no, I cannot. But I think running on water is a feasible direction to explore. I should be fast enough for it by now."

"Quit it with the potty mouth. Your mum probably already blames me for corrupting her kid. You used to be such an adorable little thing, too." O'Clock shook his head, then smirked. "Still, running on water? How do you even come up with this stuff?"

 "It's not that I'm smarter than you," Rio said with a grin. "You just haven't been in a situation where you had to run on water."

 O'Clock chuckled. "It's not just that. You've figured out how to use speed to learn faster, how to take advantage of your accelerated metabolism and healing to push your training past normal limits. I didn't expect this apprenticeship to last this long, but you keep showing me new angles to explore." He exhaled, shaking his head. "You're a fascinating brat, you know that?"

 "Ewww! Perv alert! There's a pervert over here!" Rio yelled dramatically.

 O'Clock just ruffled his hair roughly, ignoring his protests as Rio laughingly begged for mercy.

"Really, though," O'Clock continued once he'd had his fill of manhandling the kid. "It is impressive."

"It's cheating, really."

"Huh?"

"There are plenty of people out there with overpowered abilities," Rio said, his tone shifting. "In this world, in the universe—even the larger omniverse, if you want to go that far. Some people are just born stronger, faster, smarter, and more talented than me. If you think hard work alone is enough, congratulations—you'll meet someone better than you who's also willing to work harder. If you think time and experience will get you there, congrats again—there's probably some billion-year-old cultivator out there who still calls himself a young master."

Rio shrugged. "If you're talented, you'll find monsters. The only way to catch up and surpass those people? Cheat. Stack as many advantages as you can. Use every resource at your disposal. That's hax."

O'Clock scratched his head at Rio's speech, clearly not understanding a word of it. But this was a philosophy Rio lived by. Naruto with his shadow clones, Ichigo and Goku with their unique biology—proof that hard work without the right direction was just meaningless effort.

"Enough about that," O'Clock said, shifting gears. "We still need to work on your natural reflexes. You rely too much on your quirk to compensate."

 "It works, doesn't it? I don't see the problem."

 "And what are you going to do if you run into an enemy just as fast as you? Or someone who can erase your quirk's effects?"

 "First off, that's why I'm training—to make sure I'm always the fastest. And secondly, there's no way a quirk like that exists."

 O'Clock smirked. "Guess we'll just have to find out if you're as fast as you think you are."

 With that, he threw a punch. Rio barely had time to react, raising his arms to deflect.

 They sparred for nearly an hour. By the end of it, Rio was panting, sweat dripping down his forehead—while O'Clock stood there, looking as fresh as when they started.

"Our weekly sessions will have to stop for now," O'Clock said suddenly.

 Rio frowned. "Did something happen? Maybe I can help?"

 "It's a big case. It'll take months to narrow down the ones involved. I won't be able to make it until it's wrapped up."

 Rio's frown deepened. "What's this about? What kind of case has you so worked up?"

 "Sorry, kid. That's classified. You don't have clearance for those details."

 "Oh, come on, man. I'll be super discreet."

 O'Clock just gave a small chuckle and shook his head. "I'll see you when I see you. Stay safe, kid."

Before Rio could press further, O'Clock sped away, already shifting into his hero costume mid-motion.

 Rio exhaled sharply, watching the empty space where the old man had stood just moments before.

 "So that's what it feels like to be left hanging," he muttered under his breath. Now he could understand why others would find this annoying.

 Shaking his head, he got to work cleaning up the training area.