The comments section all think I'm a really good person.

Of course, that will take quite some time.

In the eyes of the viewers, Aicheng Hualian is probably just a reckless yet energetic person. She came all the way to this remote place to take the entrance exam without even realizing she should have taken transportation.

Even more coincidentally, they met the kind Kita Kirihara and Kobayashi Ryo, which saved them from the predicament of walking to the college.

Kita Kirihara blinked, a warm smile on his face: "I'm Kita Kirihara, and this is Ms. Kobayashi Ryo. Ms. Aijo, are you also going to the vocational high school for the entrance exam?"

That's obvious, of course. After all, a girl who would appear alone in such a remote place couldn't possibly be just on a picnic. Kita Kirihara asked the question simply to confirm it.

"Oh? You too!" Karen Aijo happily moved closer to Kita Kirihara, trying to get close to him. "Hey, I'm going to take the A-class exam. Where are you going, Kita Kirihara? Oh, and you smell really nice..."

With the enthusiasm of a small dog wagging its tail and coming up to you, it quickly became friends with Kita Kirihara thanks to its approachable nature.

107. Heartfelt Scene

The National Heroes Higher Specialized School is enrolling students for the first time today.

It was also the first edition.

However, the number of students admitted was not large. The total number of admission invitations sent out, whether for the Hero Training Department or the Logistics Support Department, was no more than twenty.

After all, selecting suitable individuals with the ability and the desire to become heroes from the already limited pool of ability users is already a matter of one in ten thousand.

Not to mention, many more people are still observing.

This brings us to the scarcity of people with special abilities.

Although the number of ability users exploded after the Void Flood incident, they are still a tiny minority compared to the world's huge population.

After the real-name registration law was introduced, there were only slightly more than 10,000 registered ability users nationwide, not to mention that some of these ability users had already been admitted to mental hospitals and special prisons.

Those who meet the age requirement and have the relevant interest, after a little screening and adding those who are willing to enroll, only amount to twenty people.

Of these, 15 are students in the Logistics Support Department, meaning that only 5 are willing to enter the Hero Training Department.

However, considering that this is only the first step in promoting professionalization, it is normal that many people are still observing.

After all, many people's thinking about heroes is still stuck in the era of masked vigilantes, believing that as long as you do your job well, you can be a hero without any requirements.

But in reality, without superhuman willpower and self-control, under the influence of manic factors, heroes are not far from becoming thugs.

This is why many of the ability users who were exceptionally active during the Void Flood incident, and whose stories still exist today, often ended up in prisons or mental institutions due to their violent or antisocial tendencies. There are even more than a dozen ability users currently imprisoned in the Floating Prison, each possessing strength comparable to that of a Special Forces user.

In fact, the problem of hero attrition has remained unresolved for the past seven years.

Countless masked vigilantes turned into masked thugs. Before the enactment of the real-name registration law, there was virtually no prohibition against people with special abilities.

After all, even slightly stronger individuals can disregard societal coercion. Without absolute power to suppress them, and with coercion proving ineffective, even enacting a hundred laws would be futile.

The government chose to cooperate with the Kobayashi Foundation and entrusted this important task to [God's Name], namely Saki Koizumi.

Saki Koizumi lived up to her reputation as the strongest, resolving the entire problem in just six months.

Her approach was to visit each of the individuals whose manic traits could no longer be controlled by reason.

Then they were brought back to the floating prison one by one.

As mentioned before, Koizumi Saki's ability is the strongest in this world in a conceptual sense. Even the amount of nutrients needed to sustain her alone would require half a world's worth when she goes all out.

For her, these tasks were just a piece of cake.

Then, the framework she had established was reorganized, and the Tower of Civilization was officially established.

Professionalization is also progressing steadily.

The special-class heroes currently in the tower also have dealings with Saki Koizumi and are quite familiar with her.

In reality, she was already Koizumi Saki's third or fourth partner.

When Koizumi Saki first obtained her current power, she was actually in another team with other companions.

However, as time went by, most of the comrades who had fought alongside him disappeared from everyone's sight.

A floating prison, located 25 kilometers above the collapsed Tokyo Tower.

Through the subspace created by a former spatial ability user burning their life force in their final moments, Saki Koizumi landed lightly without making a sound.

She was wearing a sports jacket and sneakers, dressed like a student, which made her face look very young.

I still have the list of students from Class A of the Heroic Education Department of the Higher Vocational College in my hand, and I was slightly shocked by the number.

“...Five people, a little more than I expected,” she whispered, not to herself.

Her voice carried precisely into the dark depths of the prison.

The empty, deep prison corridors were unguarded, and even Koizumi Saki's gaze could not penetrate to the deepest part.

She could feel the distortion of the space, the old, moss-covered stone walls, and the oppressive atmosphere reminiscent of an underground water prison.

She had long been accustomed to the atmosphere here, and even the unease of having her abilities suppressed after entering the place had become a habit.

Her body felt a little heavy, and she took a moment to adjust as she walked forward.

[The floating prison... So, why did the chief come here before the assessment began...?]

[He's probably going to meet with White Eagle; after all, they were once comrades.]

Ah, is that the white eagle who transformed itself into this forbidden zone? The one who sacrificed himself before the hierarchy even existed...?

[It was indeed her. Later research mentioned that in the [Watchmen] team before dawn, only the Chief continued to act as a hero; the others either sacrificed themselves or...]

【What is it?】

[He's completely out of control. He's gone utterly insane, and then Koizumi personally imprisoned him.]

【…Huh?】

[Doesn't it seem like Koizumi, at three years old, doesn't look like someone who would be ruthless?]

[Actually, most people would think so, after all, she really is naive (just kidding)]

However, the Chief wasn't entirely without growth. As seen in the forum post analyzing the comic's timeline, she personally experienced at least three major events and played a decisive role in them.

[Hmm, now that I think about it... maybe it's not just a mascot?]

[Of course, it's more than just a mascot. To maintain its essence for seven years, Chief Koizumi must have grown considerably.]

At least ordinary people couldn't do what she did—to be able to imprison her former teammates without batting an eye and then come to visit them...

It feels like she knows everything, but refuses to say anything.

What constitutes a smart person's approach to life?

Kita Kirihara carefully observed his own Koizumi Saki through the lens.

She carefully zoomed in with the camera, capturing Saki Koizumi's silence and melancholy.

Through her lens, Saki Koizumi's every appearance leaves a different impression.

This time, it's probably...

...Let's say it's "mature".

Saki, who secretly grows into a composed adult without anyone noticing, is truly adorable.

P.S.: Damn, I still have so much to write!

Speaking of which, my new computer arrived today, and it feels great to use.

So I tried it out a bit, downloaded the game, and then realized I was still far from getting my six-month bonus, sob sob sob.

I'll have to stay up a little late tonight.

Damn it!

PS2: Here's a little joke from Shaolin Pop:

For Edison Chinese Love, there are five principles:

Don't think about Kagura Hikaru.

If you must think, don't listen.

If you want to think and listen at the same time, then don't look.

If you're thinking, watching, and listening, then don't search.

If you don't follow any of these rules, then don't be surprised by fate.

108. Girl, you're such a love-struck fool.

Saki Koizumi was unaware that her every move was being secretly recorded by someone, who even saved a lot of footage and planned to edit it into a compilation.

She just felt like someone was talking about her behind her back, and her nose was slightly itchy.

She rubbed her nose with a hint of confusion, and a slight change appeared on her usually expressionless face, making her even more adorable and almost overwhelming Kita Kirihara.

Kita Kirihara: ...Saki, with a confused cat-like expression...Shifuku (clasping his hands together).

In fact, after obtaining this power, Saki Koizumi occasionally felt that she was surrounded by strange gazes.

At first, she thought that maybe she was being too sensitive and that's why she felt like someone was watching her.

But later, this feeling just wouldn't go away, and she gradually figured out the pattern of these gazes appearing, and she got used to it to some extent... or so she thought.

This is hard to get used to.

Saki Koizumi would carefully search for the direction from which the gaze was coming each time, but each time it was to no avail.

really weird.

Despite her doubts, Koizumi Saki, who was used to keeping a low profile, suppressed her thoughts and stepped deeper into the prison.

At the same time, familiar words appeared on the wall to her right.

[Oh wow? Isn't this our busy lady, Saki? What brings you here today?]

[Let me see... Oh, so it's that lousy school you mentioned last time that's recruiting students today? That's great news!]

[Huh? Only five people? There are fifteen in logistics, the ratio seems a bit off, there are so few people.]

As Saki Koizumi walked, words with a mocking tone yet a certain familiarity appeared on the wall, and she conversed with the words in this way.

This is proof that the soul of her former companion lingers here.