chapter 17: Dreams of Being a Hero

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Shiro saw the news as he walked home, already transformed back to his normal self.

"I can't believe I did all that" Shiro said to himself.

"Well, believe it kid, you were fantastic" Inari jumped out of nowhere, wrapping her legs around his head, Shiro was small, so she brought him tumbling down facing upward.

She laughed, Inari was taller than Shiro at 5'9, and she had gold hair and dark green eyes, she had a look of wonder in her eyes as she stared at Shiro beneath her, her voluptuous and tall stature wasn't helping Shiro.

"Please, get off" Shiro stuttered, and she stood from him.

"That was incredible, plus, how did you get to use my powers?" she asked.

"I'm not sure, I just did" he replied, not knowing what happened.

"Hmm, must have been the wisdom of Athena or the gift of Micheal, both are good for making decisions" she said as she walked ahead in the general direction of Shiro's house, and he followed her.

She was currently wearing a blue and purple kimono with a peach blossoms design, and beautiful skin that looked like it glowed at the sunset, she looked dazzling.

"You did good Shiro, well done" She smiled and Shiro was reduced to a blushing mess.

"Uh-um, well, y-yes, thank you" he stuttered, and she laughed at his behavior, finding it cute.

"You should learn to take a compliment" she smiled.

"You'll be getting it more often" she added as she stopped and turned to face him, her sheer beauty was something inconceivable.

Shiro just stared in amazement at the beauty before him.

"I know you'll do just fine" she stated as she leaned and kissed his forehead, before vanishing in a burst of butterflies shimmering with magic.

Shiro just stared into the air for a while until "SHIRO!" a harsh voice called out and he looked to see his classmate 'Daichi'.

"Daichi?" Shiro answered, not sure why he was there, he didn't expect to see someone like Daichi looking for him.

"Don't expect a thank you, you hear me, I would have been fine on my own" Daichi yelled at him, "You don't get to look down on me, you hear me?" he added as he sneered at Shiro, but Shiro just smiled with kindness and empathy, "Sure, it's ok, your welcome" Shiro smiled at him, hiding no malice or spite, just clearly happy that he's alive and well.

Daichi froze at this, taking in his classmate's expression, it wasn't like the last times when it looked like he was smiling at him nervously, now Shiro looked happy for him.

"Tch, whatever nerd" he sneered at him as walked away, leaving Shiro there.

"But he's right, I guess, I didn't do much," Shiro said to himself as he began to walk off, thinking about the ordeal of today when out of nowhere.

"Hey kid" Sentinel came from the corner

"Wah!!, Sentinel, what are you doing here, I thought you were with the reporters?" Shiro asked surprised.

"Of course, I was, they can't stop me, I evaded them with ease and…" Suddenly Sentinel falls to a knee.

"Ah!!, are you ok?" Shiro asked, worried for the hero state.

"I'm fine um?" Sentinel asked, never really getting the boy's name.

"It Shiro sir, Shiro Megami" Shiro stated as he helped the hero on his feet.

"Shiro, right, well I saw what you did today, so I came here for 2 things: to thank you and to apologize for what I said earlier," Sentinel said as he gave a slight bow.

"Thank me? What for?" Shiro asked, he couldn't put together a reason why Sentinel 'the number 3 hero in Japan' would be here to thank him.

"Let me finish" Sentinel stopped his train of thought "First of all, I'm sorry for what I said, I see now that I was clearly mistaken, and for the other reason, I'm here to thank you, it's because you inspired me today," Sentinel said, recalling what he had witnessed earlier that day.

"I inspired you?" Shiro asked, not even able to comprehend someone like Sentinel being inspired by him.

"Yes, it was in a situation like that, where the heroes and hunters' coward at their inability to save that boy, that you, a boy with no skill, decided to save that person, jumping into action without a second thought" Sentinel paused.

"There's a saying among all great heroes, 'their bodies just move on its own' That's what happened, isn't it?" Sentinel smiled.

Shiro eyes were already watering up, not sure he could handle what he thought was coming next.

"So, with that, I've come here to apologize and say…" Sentinel paused as he placed his hand on Shiro's shoulder.

"Young man, you too can become a Hero" he added as he smiled at Shiro.

Tears streamed down Shiro's face as he looked at Sentinel's smile and thought of his past.

{FLASH BACK}

[I've always thought something was wrong with me since I was little] Shiro narrates.

"Hey Mom, what's wrong with me" he said holding a knife, in horror she rushed to take it from him cutting her forearm in the process. "Why would you hold a knife? What were you…." She paused seeing the devastated look on his face, tears starting to roll from his eyes, she began to cry as well as she hugged her son "I'm sorry Shiro, I'm so sorry" she cried.

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[I've always been a laughing stock for people]

"Seriously, how is it possible for one to be born without spark essence, you're an abomination to society," a student said as he glared at Shiro in disgust.

"I even wonder what your parent would think of you?" the same student asked, Shiro gasped in shock when he heard those words.

'He's right, what would mum think of me now' Shiro thought with a disheartened expression.

"I'm sure they must feel disappointed for giving birth to a creature like you I'm sure they must wish they shouldn't have given birth to someone like you, you're a disgrace to your family" the student's peers added as he grinned at Shiro.

{END OF FLASH BACK}