Baudelaire often said he found "being useful to be something quite hideous," as though the poet, the artist, could not serve society without becoming disfigured by it — ugly, unworthy of continuing his art.
That's precisely what Sereki Minazuki believes, the young hero whose story you're about to follow — a story that begins a bit before Izuku's, and eventually, intertwines with it, as both of them strive to become the greatest heroes in the world.
So allow me to introduce him:
His Quirk: Void StepThis ability allows him to teleport (in a manner similar to Minato Namikaze's Hiraishin), marking specific people or locations as anchor points. However, he cannot use it recklessly; overuse results in crippling migraines and sensory disorientation.
The other half of his Quirk lies within a treasured family heirloom — the katana "Kureha", or Blade of the Dusk, inherited from his grandfather, who was once a hero himself.
If you hadn't already guessed, yes — his power echoes Vergil from Devil May Cry 5. The katana is his main weapon, allowing him to channel and control his abilities.
General Description:
Sereki is a fairly normal kid — average height, well-built but a little round around the edges, a lover of food and life. He has white hair, a rebellious mid-length cut, and a sincere, often mischievous smile, especially when teasing his friends or opponents.
But his true strength lies in his unshakable kindness, his hopelessly romantic heart, and the weighty soul of a poet — perhaps unbearably so. The perfect match, it seems, for a cheerful, clingy, radiant blue-haired girl whose Quirk radiates waves of energy: Nejire Hado.
But be warned, dear reader: the beginning of Izuku's story will only come many chapters later. This is, first and foremost, the tale of Sereki, and of his love — for heroism, and for his fairy. We'll follow his journey, starting two years before the canonical events of the series. I hope you'll enjoy it.
The Minazuki Family Home, the Night Before the School Year Begins
It was a pleasant spring evening. The cherry blossoms were starting to bloom, and the usually quiet Minazuki household was bustling — for what could only be described as the event of the century.
"Go pack your things for tomorrow already, and stop playing those brain-numbing video games."
"Alright, alright, alright... and they're not brain-numbing! They help me unwind after a long day of training,"Sereki called back casually to his mother.
He was sprawled across his bed, a game controller in hand. His mother had just walked into his room to fold the freshly washed laundry. She paused for a moment, watching her son, before suddenly tossing a letter onto his lap.
"Here, we got this this morning. It's from U.A. — probably your official enrollment papers and dormitory confirmation."
"Was I really that good during the demo?"
"Apparently. You received a special recommendation. No entrance exam for you. Be sure to thank your uncle."
"...Wait, Uncle Edgeshot recommended me? That's awesome! But why?"
"Because students with recommendations skip the entrance exams and can jump straight into the prep for the opening festival, that's why! And also because you impressed the hell out of me and my partners during your demonstration!"
Came a voice from the doorway — Edgeshot, still in full hero gear, currently ranked ninth among pro heroes. He had come to wish his godson good luck on the eve of his debut at U.A.
"Hey Uncle! Honestly, I just gave it my all. I wanted to show what I could do."
The demonstration, organized by Edgeshot himself at his agency, had made quite an impression. Principal Nezu and Professor Aizawa had both come to observe the promising new talent Edgeshot had been hyping up. During the demo, Sereki faced off against two of Edgeshot's own sidekicks — close-combat specialists — and managed to knock them out without even drawing Kureha from its sheath.
"Oh, you showed what you could do alright," Edgeshot chuckled. "My sidekicks are still red with embarrassment…"
— FLASHBACK —
Sereki stood in a gymnasium, Kureha in his left hand, still sheathed. He wore his favorite jacket — a new hoodie gifted by his mother for his birthday. Across from him stood two of Edgeshot's partners — both recent graduates, both deadly in combat.
The first wore a blue hero outfit reminiscent of Edgeshot's, and his Quirk allowed him to turn his limbs into blades or other sharp weapons. The second was clad head to toe in black, clearly built for stealth. His Quirk enabled him to mask his presence and hurl shadowy projectiles, like a child born from darkness itself.
Sunlight streamed through the tall windows, revealing the skyline of beautiful Kyoto, deep in Nara Prefecture. To the right, a tinted observation room held Edgeshot and a handful of observers gathered for this unusual audition.
Over the intercom, Edgeshot's voice rang out:
"Alright, get ready. We start in two minutes."Then, in a gentler tone:"You'll be fine, Sereki. Don't stress. They're pros, you've got no experience yet — just give it your all, and remember your training."
Sereki's thoughts drifted to his uncle — always his role model, his heroic compass, his father figure. He had never known his real father. His mother would tell stories, vague ones, about a brave and charming hero who vanished suddenly after learning she was pregnant.
Lost in thought, he was brought back by the blue hero, who spoke up:
"I'll try to go easy on you, alright?"
"Oh no, don't do that, Clone. If you hold back, you'll be eating dirt,"Sereki replied with a cocky, wolfish grin.
"Clone? What the hell does that mean, kid?"
"Well… you dress like my uncle — but in blue. Super original."
The blue hero was about to respond when a loud buzzer marked the beginning of the match.
Sereki lunged.
Without unsheathing Kureha, he struck the "Clone" with his palm. In an instant, a flash of black — he vanished and reappeared behind him, launched off his back, ricocheted off the wall, and landed a clean strike to the black-clad partner's temple.
"Are you sure you're pros?"Sereki asked as he teleported behind the Clone and drove his sheathed katana into his back with piercing precision.
"You arrogant little punk!"shouted the blue sidekick, now half-dazed.
"Not that arrogant, considering your level,"Sereki replied coolly.
The shadow user finally spoke:
"You're forgetting you've got two opponents, rookie,"he said as he lunged at Sereki from behind.
"Nope, I was waiting for you. Right on time, Batman,"Sereki joked as he turned his head — then vanished, reappearing above his attacker and crashing down hard, slamming him into the floor, katana pinning his shoulders.
As Sereki held both heroes pinned to the ground, Edgeshot emerged from the observation room. His eyes crinkled with pride behind the hero mask.
He pulled his godson into a warm embrace.
"So… did you like your birthday present, my boy?"
Honestly, I loved it. It's so cool to finally put into practice all the stuff you've been drilling into me day after day," he said, while letting the two sidekicks get back on their feet and tend to their wounds.
"But?" Edgeshot cut in, already bracing himself for whatever monumental nonsense his godson was about to spout this time.
"Your sidekicks weren't that impressive. And I clearly saw Eraserhead behind you when you came out of the room. Were you trying to show me off to other Pro Heroes?"
"First of all," Edgeshot replied with a sigh, "my sidekicks are not 'not impressive.' They're freshly graduated from U.A., and no, the world doesn't revolve around you. Eraserhead was their former homeroom teacher—he's here to check in on how they're adjusting to the agency."
"Your kid's as tough as he is arrogant," groaned the blue-suited sidekick as he got up, still unsteady and leaning on his superior.
"Of course he is—I'm the one training him. And you? You just got your ass handed to you by a kid with zero real hero experience..."
The two sidekicks, red with shame and aching from the fight, quietly made their way over to Eraserhead. The latter greeted them with a smirk on his face. Then Principal Nezu finally appeared, climbing out of the teacher's hair to join the conversation and chat with his former students about their entry into pro hero society.
"Alright, Sereki, your mom said I could treat you to a pizza to reward you for all the effort today," Edgeshot said with a proud smile.
"Family-sized, right? I'm starving! And besides, it's been ages since I've had any with that crazy diet you guys put me on," the boy whined.
"Of course. After all, you just turned fifteen and you're about to start your first year of high school—at U.A., hopefully. That deserves a proper celebration!"
They left the gym and headed to the agency's restaurant. That day, Sereki felt something shift. He'd been training so long for the U.A. entrance exams, to become a real hero, to be like his uncle...
END OF FLASHBACK
"Yeah, I know—I wasn't exactly nice to them," Sereki laughed. "But hey, I have no regrets. I had a great meal afterward, haha!"
"You little devil... Have you finished packing?" his mom asked with a disapproving tone. "Don't forget you're staying at the dorms now. Even if you can teleport, getting out of the house will do you good. I could use the vacation."
"Yup, everything's ready. Honestly? Mixed feelings. It'll be nice not having you breathing down my neck for once!"
While the early afternoon was filled with laughter between mother and son, the evening brought tears. Sereki was about to board the Shinkansen to Masafutsu and U.A. when he suddenly stopped on the platform, dropped his luggage, and teleported back to his mom to give her a hug.
"It's just goodbye for now, sweetheart. You'll come back one day," she said gently.
"We'll have pizza when I do, right?" he joked.
"We'll see… Now go on, get on board—the train's about to leave."
Sereki teleported back to his luggage—literally just two meters away—and looked one last time at his mother and uncle, who were both a little stunned by the flash of his Quirk. He hadn't said much to his uncle on the way to the station, nor on the platform. Goodbyes weren't his thing. He had seen it—that his uncle was holding back tears.
The whistle blew. The train started to move. Lost in thought, our young hero knew that in less than four hours, he would be standing at the gates of U.A.
End.