Vlad King had a rough idea as to why Aizawa requested a staff meeting after the exams.

The exams, for the most part, went well. Everyone in his class did their utmost to outwit the mock-villains, either by escaping from the premises or by capturing them. Some of these might have been down to luck and strange circumstances, but a win was a win. Sometimes, once they all would become respectable pros, this luck would accompany them to some of their cases. The important part was not to rely on it as a crutch, and keep refining their skills to ensure you could stand on your own.

Everyone but Maria.

He loathed to fail Monoma – especially considering that he opted to try and talk sense to her rather than selfishly escape on his own; something that he wouldn't be able to do either way – but he was a collateral of a larger problem. Maria had a lot on her mind recently; between Stain, the Mensis, the Healing Church, the girl under the guardianship of an Executioner… her own Quirk she deemed cursed. Kan knew that his knowledge of Yharnam and Cainhurst was lacking, merely second-hand account of what Master Gehrman would have told him back in a day and what few experiences he had with the outer layer of it all. It seemed he was one of the lucky few of his students to avoid getting tangled up in this madness at a larger level.

However, now he had to explain this to the staff, and hope his arguments were enough to outweigh Aizawa's footage. Maria was shown taking a moment to make up her mind before going into the alleyway where she first found Stain. Click, next video: her fight with Kendo at the Festival, where she nearly killed her with an outburst of her Quirk. Click, next video: Native's body cam which first showed him almost dying to Stain, then Maria and Iida arriving to the scene and the following – her consciously chasing Stain even after the Hero Killer chose to make himself scarce. Another clip, seemingly the most innocuous one: an excerpt from one of Heroics classes in which the sharp blades of her Quirk kept Honenuki from overtaking her until the area got more spacious.

"Muradasilova demonstrated a startling lack of willingness to cooperate with her classmates, to use her Quirk as anything else but as a way to vent her frustrations, and finally" One last video: of her standing there and calmly explaining why she will not lend Monoma her power, failing them both in the process. "actively sabotage the exam effort of another student. Unlike another example of that behavior, the Bakugo-Midoriya team, she made no effort to try and get that attitude fixed."

Aizawa turned off the projector and set the remote down on the table. "Combined with Inui's diagnosis that she suffers from PTSD as a result of events before her admission to UA, I find it irresponsible at best and actively dangerous to herself and other students at worst to let her continue the education here." For a moment no one said anything. Vlad's face was impassive, even as other members of the staff regarded him with various expressions. All Might looked the most sympathetic to the situation, bless his heart. Others were more inscrutable in what they thought.

"Kan, I've said it many times: I do believe you're a better teacher than me. However" Aizawa's voice took on a heavier tone. "you have omitted crucial details concerning Muradasilova and have so far been unwilling to elaborate beyond what you and her told us at the official hearing at the beginning of the year. Do you deny that accusation?"

"...no. I do not."

"If there's a good reason – and by that, I mean a comprehensive explanation without any faults – for that, you would be wise to explain it to the forum. Otherwise, I will be filing an official claim to relieve you of your duty as 1B's homeroom teacher. That is all." Eraser took a seat, letting the silence take the teacher lounge. All Might, in his powered-down form, shifted uncomfortably in his seat.

"If that's alright with you, Kan-kun, I would like to hear what the rest of the staff has to say about this first." Nezu nodded, having just jumped out from Aizawa's capture scarf. Vlad nodded back without a word. "Thank you very much. Ladies first then: Kayama-kun?" Midnight hummed at being called up to the stand, a contemplative look on her face.

"Muradasilova is definitely a curious case." She started, her nails beginning to drum on the table. "As a teacher, I can definitely say she is studious and makes no trouble for herself or her classmates, even if she's not as active as, say, Yaoyorozu or Iida. As a hero, however… her resolve is lacking. She has no drive to be a hero which, arguably, is the most important part of being one in the first place. Even those who join the profession for less valorous reasons would like to keep realizing themselves. Muradasilova… just goes through the motions."

"Remind me, Kayama" Snipe piped up from his spot, craning his neck slightly towards the R-Rated Heroine. "did she really write her hero name in her own blood?"

"That she did – although I don't think that was meant to be her hero name, after all."

"Vileblood." Cementoss hummed. "I recall this word being used during the first hearing. A word of reminder, Kan?"

"A society of Cainhurst, the place from which Maria originates." Vlad nodded, mulling over how to explain this in a reasonable manner. Aizawa watched him gather his thoughts like a hawk. "Vilebloods were the nobility of the place, with a heritage of various blood-based Quirks. While they originally held a different name, they eventually adapted it for themselves to wear it as their own, heedless of their detractors."

"Huh. That's a bit like Midoriya's "Deku", innit?" Mic questioned curiously. All Might shifted in his seat again.

"Writing it with your own blood is a bit on the nose though." Snipe chuffed.

"To wrap it up… I agree with Aizawa, although" Midnight raised a finger for emphasis. "given her connection to the Mensis it would be prudent to keep her under close watch even if she's not a student."

"I had an idea to introduce the students to school dorms, given the recent happenings." Nezu hummed. "Perhaps we might apply that idea just for Muradasilova-kun for now, as a test drive of sorts. Next up, Yamada-kun." Mic nodded, lifting himself up to a more proper seating position from his earlier slouch.

"I think she should stay. Both classes are stuffed with kids full of problems – and while Muradasilova's problems might be the worst, I've a feeling that shutting her off from her classmates will just make things worse."

"She might lack a hero's drive, but she is certainly stubborn." Ectoplasm nodded. "...and I can see her acting on her own should she stop being a student."

"That's a voice against her." Aizawa countered with an annoyed look. "If she cannot follow the rules of the society, she risks ostracism and arrest."

"To try and help Yamada out, I think he is a proponent of socialization as a tool to help Muradasilova soften up and become more open to her surroundings." Inui said, his voice still coming out like a raspy growl despite the calm delivery. "And to that end I'll agree with him. She has a fair share of friends in both classes, and generally gets along well with most. Furthermore…" Hound Dog hesitated. "her absence is bound to affect Momo Yaoyorozu negatively as a side-effect."

"Did we ever figure out just what is it that the Mensis wants with Young Yaoyorozu and Young Tokage?" All Might spoke up. Inui shook his head.

"I believe Muradasilova might have a clue, but she's been tight-lipped about it." Hound Dog's eyes wandered to Vlad as he spoke those words. 1B's homeroom teacher's face remained impassive.

"Kan, there are only so many secrets you can keep." Snipe's voice dropped slightly in a warning.

"I… am not at a liberty to reveal more than I already did." He choked out eventually, one hand coming up to rest on his forehead, elbow on the table. "Honestly, the truth… it's so out there, you might just ferry me to the psych ward straight away."

"Why don't you try us, Kan-kun?" Nezu wasn't stymied, the same polite smile on his face. "You're talking to a super-intelligent animal purpose-bred for his job. I'd say we have high tolerance for the strange." Vlad didn't resist an urge to snort in grim amusement.

"...Principal, can I have your word – and everyone else's word here – that what I'm about to say will not leave this room, much less reach Maria or any other student?"

"Of course. Take your time."

In one of the UA gyms, Togaru Kamakiri was working out some anger.

Less slashing at the target dummies and more just slamming them with dull blades until they broke, he had a lot on his mind ever since the finals. It was good that they passed, even though it was a fluke and a half. Neither he nor Komori had any chance against Endeavor; it was only because of what she said that he got distracted. Even then, Kamakiri didn't know if he truly was so thrown off or if he let him put the cuffs on him instead.

It was because of what Komori said that here he was at the gym, feeling like he's about to lose his mind.

Endeavor was a model for him; someone he aspired to be in the future. Togaru didn't kid himself; he could not be someone like All Might; someone who smiles defiantly in face of danger, who reassures even the most distressed souls that everything was going to be okay. He knew that the way he looked and carried himself just did not gel with that all-loving hero shtick. Kendo could try that, he thought, but not him.

Endeavor being right behind All Might as a Number Two of the rankings gave him hope that there's a place for the likes of him in this business. His Quirk wasn't exactly applicable for much beyond cutting things up. Sure, he could use a dull blade to catch someone or use them to hold up a piece of debris – but his power was growing deadly knives, at the end of the day. It was not the kind of power an average hero had.

He's been told time and again that he was bound to end up as a thug skulking in dark alleyways. With his attitude, with his Quirk – how could someone like him even think of being a hero? Togaru was nothing if not stubborn though, and muscled his way into UA. All this time, he looked towards Endeavor for inspiration. Number Two Hero might not have been very sociable or popular, but he got shit done! He held the highest number of cases resolved, more than even All Might. He worked himself to the bone, provided results, kicked bad guys's asses and saved the day.

Togaru Kamakiri wanted to be Endeavor so bad… until today's afternoon.

He had no idea how Komori came to know any of this – she even said she just overheard it by accident – but he had no reason to assume she was just talking out of her ass. What for? To piss Endeavor off, sure, distract him and maybe buy Kamakiri some time to try and make something on his own. Yet, she saw how beaten up he was. Number Two certainly didn't pull punches on him. Frankly it was a miracle he stayed conscious for as long as he did.

And even if it was just hot air, Endeavor could dismiss it as nonsense. If someone accused Kamakiri of burning anthills under a magnifying glass, he'd call them an idiot and refuse what was an obvious falsehood. Except Endeavor didn't. He chose to skip the question altogether, pontificating about coddling and hard work and what not. He never denied any of what Komori accused him of. Why not? Did he just… not see any of this as wrong or something?

And Togaru wanted to be him?

If he could shed skin, he'd do so in a heartbeat and burn it away. It now felt dirty, filthy. He wanted to be such a piece of shit all this time. What would happen if he didn't learn any of this? Would he too become such a person?

Kamakiri didn't consider himself a good person, not by a long shot. He didn't consider himself to be a bad guy either, however – and what Endeavor did, hero or no hero, was what bad guys did. This was why he was just mindlessly hacking away at the training dummy, blinking away frustrated tears, heedless of his knuckles running red with blood. He just needed to punch and hack and slash all of this away. He had to, or he would just go insane – whichever hit him first.

"...oh gosh, Kamakiri." Togaru swerved wildly to come face to face with Komori, staring at him with widened eyes. "...you're bleeding." Once the buzz in his ears died down, Kamakiri blinked, as if making sure he was seeing correctly, and then deflated with a frustrated grunt. "How long have you…?"

"...'s nothin'."

"Don't give me that bullshroom." He'd bark a laugh at her mushroom puns getting in the way of cussing if he wasn't so tired and sore. Kinoko approached him with a frown. "I think that's enough of that."

"Get lost, Komori. I'm fine."

"No you're not." He wanted to flip her off, to tell her to mind her own business… but today's been tiring in more than just physical ways. With a grunt, he slumped down to a sit, now only a little shorter than the girl in front of him standing straight.

"No I'm not." For a moment neither of them said a word. Kinoko finally let out a slow, weary sigh.

"I'll get a first aid kit and then we're going to Recovery Girl, alright?" Togaru made a noncommittal grunt in response. The mushroom girl returned with the red bag soon enough, getting to work on cleaning his hands off blood first. Kamakiri hissed at the tingling feeling.

"How long have you been here?"

"...dunno, lost count." Kinoko hummed, for a moment opting to just work on cleaning. Once all the blood was taken care of, she moved on to disinfecting and bandaging. It was just a temporary solution to keep things under control until they visited Recovery Girl. Good thing she found him so soon to begin with. She had to thank Nejire-senpai for pointing her in the right direction later. "...hey, Komori."

"Shroom?"

"Is… all that stuff you said to Endeavor…" Kinoko's frown softened. She didn't know that much about Kamakiri's childhood heroes, but someone like Number Two was a lot like him in a lot of ways. No wonder he'd look up to him as a model. No wonder he was so crushed right now. This is my fault, some small part of Kinoko poked in her brain before she chose to ignore it. She wasn't the one behind these terrible events.

"I only overheard it by accident. If… well, Todoroki probably won't tell you, but you can try asking Midoriya. He knows I know." A beat. "Maitake is Todoroki had no reason to lie about any of this."

"...right." Silence again, at least until Kinoko was finished bandaging Kamakiri's hands. Then, a single wet drop fell on the bandage. "...guess that whole "don't meet your heroes" shit is true, after all…"

"...I'm sorry, Kamakiri-kun." Togaru chuffed, shaking his head vigorously and blinking away tears. God, he was about to start blubbering in front of Komori of all people. Was he going to get even more pathetic and embarrassing? "...it's… it's okay to cry, you know. I won't judge you."

"...I just…" His hands now free, Togaru shuffled to sit crosslegged, putting them on his knees. "...fuck, I don't know what I just. This shit's fucked up and it's… I…" He looked down, feeling the inevitable embarrassment gather at his eyes. Fucking fuck, why did he have to—

A pair of small arms wrapped around his back. "...shh. You're fine, Kamakiri-kun. I get it. I really do." Kinoko said softly, opting to give him a hug. Togaru flinched, but did not pull back, opting to let the mushroom girl do his thing and hoping she won't take long. It did feel nice, though. Warm. Kinda happy.

He returned the hug without thinking, but it seemed Komori expected that. "...once we're back from the infirmary, want to grab shroomthing to eat?" Kamakiri was not crying. He so wasn't. His eyes just got sweaty from all this pounding on the training dummy. And maybe from just having someone to turn to with his frustration. Not that he'd admit to it to anyone.

"...yeah… s-sure."

Maria put down her phone with a sigh, staring at the night city from up high. Next to her, the ghoulish form of Flora perched like a faithful dog, listening in on the conversation.

Takahashi was on the other side of the line to inform her that she would be having a meeting concerning a strike at the yakuza stronghold somewhere in the coming days, possibly as early as tomorrow. She would be introduced to the pros taking part in the operation, provide information of her own on the Hassaikai's mysterious benefactors… and then they would get to work.

To that end, Takahashi did stress she would not be participating in the operation herself, not even having a provisional license. Frustrating, but she was willing to swallow her annoyance if it meant the justice would be done. At the very least she was assured that she can remain in the wings while the pros proceed with the operation. In case anything went south, they would reach out to her.

Flora crooned, offering her head for brushes and pets. "Aren't you needy today." Maria smiled, a slow breath slipping from her lips as she felt at the tendrils crowning the Moon Presence's featureless head. "...perhaps this is the turning point for me, that operation. If this precious life can be saved… it might not deal with Mensis or the Church or Annalise's butchers…" She sighed, looking up at the pale moon alight in the night sky. "It could be a start of a new path. An anchor that will keep the ship of mine in place for once. For good, maybe."

Monoma probably hated her guts, not that she could blame him. Some barriers refused to topple, even when nothing seemed to be holding them up but her own spite. Though Master Kan already told her all of them were going to the summer camp for further training, she was also warned that her in particular was going to be under closer surveillance of the teachers. Apparently 1A's Aizawa wanted her to give up the position of a student.

It was another hard-won battle Maria put Master Kan through. Though some of the other teachers came to his aid, the slightest tipping of balance in the other direction would spell doom not just for her, but for his position in the school. That, in turn, would jeopardize the education of her whole class.

…

"Flora. Do you think there is a place for me in this world of hope and promise?" She asked her unlikely companion. The Moon Presence had no answer to that question. Hers was the position of an observer and a guardian of sorts. As agreed with the last caretaker of the Hunter's Dream, she would detach herself from that dimension and watch over the young huntress. How long was this going to be, Flora did not know.

As payment, Gehrman and his name would be erased from the consciousness of most and the Dream would perish, damning Yharnam and its neighbors to a nightmarish reality. Maria perhaps was once envisioned to be a piece of that nightmare, but something changed Gehrman's mind. Flora did not bother asking. Having been chained to this endless battle for a long time, she relished the opportunity to see more of the world. It certainly helped that some of the Great Ones abandoned Yharnam, likely not finding it as potent a breeding ground for their children as they once expected. So did Mensis go away and the Healing Church retreated from the land to plot a new scheme.

It felt like human millennia had passed.

"...and do you think that this place could be shared with another?" That too was a mystery for the Moon Presence. Human courtship eluded her thoroughly. From what she could see, plenty of her fellow lasses had interest in her, but either chose to keep it down and away or dismiss it as brief infatuation. Maria too once had such a soulmate, at least before she was sacrificed for the good of mankind, by the esteemed ministers of the Healing Church.

That Adeline became a willing Blood Saint, welcoming her ascension for the betterment of her fellow men, did nothing to assuage the void in Maria's heart. "I… forgive me, Flora. I have been more emotional than it is proper recently. I just… want to hope, to have this path I can follow. Save this child. Find myself. Become… a hero, even." She accepted a nuzzle from her companion with a slight smile. That certainly was something. A way to go beyond, perhaps.

Perhaps.

Elsewhere, the way to go beyond crumbled.

Takahashi eyed the bespectacled stranger in front of him, from over the phone. On this phone displayed a photo of his family; of his beautiful wife, her kooky but well-meaning father that lived with them, and a pair of twins, both aged six; wonderful sunny children. A third one was on its way – his wife was in the sixth month of pregnancy.

The phone wasn't his. It was the stranger's.

"Now, since I imagine you are quite attached to your family, Takahashi-san…" The man, who only introduced himself as "a member of the Choir", spoke softly, but his eyes were cold as ice; nor was he alone. A quartet of four wide-shouldered gentlemen accompanied him; each of them with a plain, pale face devoid of emotions. Two of these flanked Takahashi at his seat, not letting him escape too easily. "I would like to explain the steps for you to take."

Whoever this man was, he knew where his family lived, and likely had no scruples to make use of this knowledge. The official swallowed nervously. "Make sure you swallow your sushi roll first. I'd loathe for you to choke."

Whoever this man was, he had no fear of the Hero Commission – and if he sought to intimidate him specifically, then he must have wanted something to do with the Hassaikai case.

The four gentlemen remained perfectly still, their flat faces displaying no emotions whatsoever. They sat with perfect poise, completely straight-backed, their fish eyes following every of Takahashi's movements. One of them came in a wide-brimmed hat; another had a walking cane. It didn't feel like they needed these implements much.

"I understand you have a case to make against this particular criminal outfit… hm, what was their name again? Six Precepts?" Takahashi couldn't even hope to call for help; he was immediately escorted to a private lounge of the sushi bar. A massively convenient locale for the VIP's, like a pro-hero who wanted to just have a quiet lunch in peace, was now his cage. "You don't have to give me the specifics, of course. I'll just say this: I can offer you a better case, against a more notorious criminal."

…

That… Takahashi didn't expect. The bespectacled stranger smiled wistfully. "I see I took you by surprise, Takahashi-san. Please don't misunderstand: I am a man of integrity, and so is the group that I represent. We will give you something in return for what you had. Considering the recent news feed, I think you might enjoy the result of this exchange."

The official wasn't stupid. The stranger might have been generous, but Takahashi was still expected to comply. His family was still on the line. "Now… I understand you have to go through the necessary procedures and stage the raid anyway. Here is what we shall do about that." The stranger smiled, and there was no joy behind it. "Do not worry: should you perform adequately, we won't meet ever again."

Hawks, real name obscured to the public at large, reviewed the case files with a raised eyebrow.

A recent investigation into a dinosaur of a yakuza group went to some interesting places. He was asked to have a scouting flight just above the compound where this Shie Hassaikai business was supposed to operate. He had some vague memories of the name, from a while back. His old man might have done some business for them.

Nothing concerning illegal experimentation on minors though.

Honestly, his involvement so far was minimal, but Lady Chairman did stress this was a more clandestine kind of operation. While they were conducting a raid, complete with a number of policemen and the commanding Hero Commission officer, Kirihito Takahashi, things were expected to be calm and quiet. The Hassaikai was expected to not know much if anything about the incoming operation which would make it easier to sweep in and secure the girl – Eri, aged six with a question mark – from the compound.

The difficulties were obvious from the word go.

First, they had no description of the girl beyond a spoken account of one Maria Muradasilova. A growing name on the street, that one; not just from her background as a recommended student at UA from all the way back in Finland, but from everything that she's been up to in Japan, including allegedly putting an end to Hero Killer Stain. That one was a headache and a half, since there was no easy way to sweep the incident under the rug or credit it to a pro.

Of course she'd be the one to spearhead this operation, even as she sat ramrod straight at the table with the other pros. A curious selection, Hawks thought; Fat Gum made sense, since he had experience with drug dealers – what was the Hassaikai's main source of income – and Kamui Woods would help a lot with apprehending more ornery criminals, coming in a package deal with Mt. Lady in case they needed heavy artillery. Fourth Kind though? Takeshita, that lovable goober? Slidin' Go of all people?

Obviously, Muradasilova commanded a great deal of attention, being still in a UA uniform among the parade of costumed heroes and police officers.

Difficulty number two: the Hassaikai had some kind of unknown ally, which they only knew under the name of "Healing Church" which in turn employed a group known as "Executioners". Alfred, the chummy guy with a hammer seen at Hosu, was one of their number – and the one who put a full pistol clip in Muradasilova. She identified him as the captive girl's guardian.

They didn't know much more than that. The research commenced through the use of Commission's wisest internet trawlers gave them some general information; the Healing Church was a subsidiary group to the seat of power in Vatican City, though only loosely subordinate to what Hawks understood to be a leader-in-name-only. The group was, as befitting their name, healers; applying a variety of experimental treatments to help the ailing. Their main ground of operation appeared to be Scandinavia, but their groups were also found in the Middle East and in smaller doses all over the world. They couldn't gleam much more than that: it seemed a lot of information concerning the group was confidential.

An obvious question arose: why would such a seemingly benevolent organization need a paramilitary arm literally called "Executioners"?

"Executioners were originally in employ only to combat the threat of Cainhurst – my homeland." Muradasilova explained, her voice carefully neutral and her face impassive. Hawks could commend her on a good poker face, even if there was a couple of small tells that betrayed the storm of emotions brewing just underneath the surface, like the fact that she always tilted her head to the left when agitated. "If one of them aids a mere rogue group as a liaison, then it means the Healing Church has fallen on hard times. However, they would still have more men – and else – for other enemies. Whether we'll find them at the yakuza stronghold, I cannot say."

"This entire operation smells funny." Mt. Lady grumbled, shaking her head. "We only have a single spoken account about that supposed abducted girl, a yakuza group with a backing of some kind of unknowable Illuminati, and now you're telling me they might have a small army waiting in the wings for us?"

"The girl does exist." Slidin' Go pointed out. "It's a bit hard for me to wrap my head around it, but we have the document on her. Give us a refresher, Takahashi-san?"

"S-sure." Difficulty number three, Hawks thought as he reclined in his seat with a cheerful irreverent air about him.

Takahashi might have been compromised.

The Number Three Hero wouldn't claim to know all employees of the Commission, but the first impression he had of him over the phone was that of confidence. Arrogance, even – of someone completely assured they were going to crack the case wide open. And yet, now it seemed he shrunk on himself whenever someone so much as addressed him in a louder voice. That wouldn't be happening without a good reason. "The girl's name is Eri Modoshi, aged six. Her last name was later changed to Chisaki, most likely by her new legal guardian, Tetsuo Chisaki, the boss of the Hassaikai."

"What happened to her parents?" Takeshita asked softly.

"According to the report, her father perished in wake of Eri's Quirk awakening, although the details are unclear on what happened." Takahashi browsed through the file, casting a single – oh so sneaky, he must have thought – glance at Hawks. "Her mother left her in Chisaki's care afterwards."

"That sounds more like running away from responsibility." The winged hero hummed all too conspicuously, playing his part of the easygoing fool.

"Regardless, her Quirk is registered as "Rewind". It's a mutation."

"Mutation? She did not have particularly distinguishing characteristics besides a single horn." Muradasilova's eyebrow raised.

"Takahashi-san means that Eri-chan's Quirk is an aberrant, not that she's a heteromorph." Kamui Woods interjected with a shake of his head. "I suppose that might have gotten lost in translation."

"An aberrant Quirk is the one that has no logical explanation; a one in a million case of a Quirk having nothing to do with the Quirks of her parents." Fourth Kind added with a nod. Maria's eyes alighted with a strange wistfulness.

"A curse, then. A mark from the stars placed on an unsuspecting child to haunt them." She shifted on her chair, arms folded. "I can see why the Church would take interest in her, besides their usual proclivities."

"You make it sound very Quirkist, you know that?" Mt. Lady sighed, shaking her head. "Anyway, what does that Rewind do?"

"We're not sure." Takahashi replied. "It involves reversing the flow of time, but the exact specifics are not listed here. We do know the general Quirks of the Hassaikai ruling body however, chiefly…" The police officer turned on the projector at the official's prompting, displaying a selection of faces belonging to members of the yakuza. Takahashi brought attention to the one in the middle, a sharp-eyed man with short black hair and a red beak mask he used to obscure his features with. "Kai Chisaki, the Hassaikai's number two; villain name Overhaul. In light of Tetsuo Chisaki's absence from the public life, we have to assume that Overhaul took over and is the brains of their operation."

"Right, can I?" Fat Gum spoke up before shuffling out of his chair (with some difficulty) and taking a spot next to Takahashi, presenting a couple of dart-shaped bullets hidden in a see-through baggy. "We had a situation a few days back in Osaka; a couple of street punks had guns loaded with these bullets. Didn't get to use them, luckily, but apparently they got them from a middleman in touch with the Hassaikai… which leads us directly to this case."

The rotund hero looked at Takahashi. "What are the results of the lab test? What's in these?" Hawks leaned forward in his seat, watching the official really, really want to say what was in these darts – and instead trying to come up with a convincing lie to sell.

"It… appears to be some kind of a Quirk dampener. The ingredients, uh… look to be plant-based, with a hint of an animal component." Takahashi squinted, having a better look at the list. "...some table salt? All of it appears to be rather haphazardly made, but we've tested it on a willing subject, one of the Commission's members. Their ability to create smoke was greatly diminished, from being able to fill up the whole room to just a two liter bottle."

"That just sounds like Quirk dampening medication. Well, ingredients aside… it would be bad if the Hassaikai distributed such a thing illegally, but otherwise there doesn't seem to be anything unusual about that." Slidin' Go hummed. "Unless that effect persists for a long time?"

"It's about an hour."

"...Takahashi-san, that seems like a lot of trouble for what appears to be an ordinary drug bust." Hawks smiled mirthlessly, watching the dread creep down the official's spine. "The initial summary made it sound as if Eri-chan was somehow connected to the drug trafficking – presumably through the experiments with her Quirk – but now it sounds a lot like two separate incidents."

"We should still ensure the girl's safety, Hawks-san…" Takeshita pointed out with a frown. "She shouldn't be raised by the yakuza to begin with."

"See, that makes sense – except the Hassaikai's boss took the girl in no strings attached. Criminals can be parents too. If the documents are sound and there is no connection between Eri-chan and the drug trafficking, we can't take her off the Hassaikai's hands." Muradasilova's earlier calm demeanor gave way to burbling rage as she glared daggers at the back of his head. She definitely believed in doing what was right, law and order be damned. Hawks could appreciate that sentiment – and in any other situation, he would be happy to back her up.

"Sure, there would still be charges for drug trafficking – if we can connect them to the Hassaikai in the first place. Any small fry in the street can use their name as a shield if they spent five minutes on the internet searching for plausible criminal fronts; particularly the old ones that haven't done much in recent memory."

"...what are you saying—"

"Unless, of course, we don't know the whole story still." Takahashi looked like he was about to jump out of his skin; Hawks's eyes were on him the whole time.

"It sounded pretty comprehensive to me." Mt. Lady hummed, shaking her head. Slidin' Go made a sound of acknowledgment. "...though you make it sound like the raid's over nothing, Hawks."

"W-w-well…" Takahashi finally spoke up, putting away the file. "We still need to go through the necessary procedures. Bureaucracy, y-you understand…"

"We could at least get that Alfred guy. I mean, I think we should make sure that we're not missing anything anyway, but he's the one who shot our student here." Fat Gum pointed out with a huff. "Something's fishy about all this. Are you sure the Hassaikai doesn't know about the raid?"

"Even if they don't know, they'll mobilize once they see a hero and police force outside their gates." Fourth Kind's glare was heavy as he regarded both the unusually nervous official and Muradasilova shaking with rage. "I suppose we could lock them up for resisting. The yakuza hates having its authority challenged, even if there's no intent behind it."

"...isn't that just entrapment?" Takeshita pointed out with a scoff.

"Either way, all of you shall be updated with a text message soon." Takahashi cut off further chatter, regaining some of his earlier fervor. Was it because he was about to escape scrutiny, Hawks wondered, and found it likely. "We suspect the operation will take place tomorrow or in two days."

"...this is all wrong. You said you will make sure the girl will be rescued – yet you find excuses to avoid committing to the idea?" It was easy to forget when she sat there in an unassuming school uniform, but now that she rose to her feet, fists planted on the table, she certainly stood tall. Even when she was leaning forward, she dwarfed most people in the room – and certainly dwarfed Takahashi who shrunk in on himself. "What devilry is this? Why should we care these incidents are unrelated? The scoundrels have a helpless child in their clutches, performing experiments on her very flesh that would have the finest torture technicians blanch – and you dare say she might not be rescued?"

"Sit down, Muradasilova." Fourth Kind's voice was firm and unwavering. The girl cast him a withering look. "I said sit down." A tense staredown lasted for a couple of seconds before the student slowly, stiffly, but returned to her chair. "Takahashi, I would like to have a talk with your superiors after this is all over. For now, make sure to keep us updated. The girl will be saved. The drug traffickers will be apprehended. I swear on my name of a Chivalrous Hero – and I will hold all of you here to uphold this promise yourselves."

Edgar checked his phone. It seemed everything was set up in place for the Healing Church to establish a beachhead in Japan, eliminate Mensis out of the equation, and cast suspicions off of the Hassaikai in a single swoop.

Sinking the Cainhurst vampire on top of it all was just a bonus.

Here we go. The showdown with the Hassaikai is happening earlier and radically more differently than in canon. Admittedly, I feel like I've tangled myself up with that plotline more than necessary, but there's no turning it back now. Hopefully, we should be back to canon for the summer camp. Hopefully. The "seat-of-pants" writing school allows a lot of leeway.

Also, Kinoko x Togaru just kind of randomly happened, don't ask me why. They'll probably be in the background being good friends and one or the other will confess eventually. What else? Well, Setsuna hadn't had a lot to do recently, so she'll have her moment in the coming chapter - though she won't necessarily like it.

As for Edgar... huh, talk about an upgrade; making him so important when he's just a featureless invader in Bloodborne proper. He'll remain a major player until more members of the Healing Church show up. If you were wondering, his quartet of gentlemen is Church Servants. Let's just say that just like Mensis, the Church can summon some additional muscle if need to.

As always, I'm happy to hear from you in terms of reviews and questions. Thanks for putting up with me. :)