Happy belated birthday to A Hero's Creed! As of today (5/23/23), AHC is one year and one day old! Please show it some extra love since I couldn't finish this chapter in time for yesterday.

Coach Blahk: Izuku was involved in the situation, and we will never know what result him staying out of it would have caused (but I think we can conclude it would not have been good). Still, a guilty mind is evil like that. There's only so much worldbuilding I can do while we're in Japan, but I do try to sprinkle it in where I can, so I'm glad you enjoy it.

Gamelover41592: And we're still preparing. I hope to start the Provisional Exam next chapter.

gurtop: I have already fixed that translation error. Needless to say, I do not speak French, so thank you for the heads-up.

LEGOBRICK13: Trust me, I am very aware of Divide Music and their excellent songs. I regularly listen to them, NerdOut, and Rustage while I write and "Drag Me Under" has quickly become one of my favorites alongside "Devil's Game", "Chasing Shadows", and "Feather in Blood" by NerdOut. I will also admit that two (2) users of One for All were Assassins in the past but that they lost track of the power afterward and assume it gone.

Monkey D. Conan: Now that Aizawa doesn't have that secret weighing him down, he's like a whole different person! Dabi's an unusual case we'll have to save for another day, though.

Movieboy66: Not only that, but with no Kamino Ward, there's no reason for UA to implement their dorm policy, either. We'll just have to see how the exam plays out when we get there, but no dorms does mean less comradery.

Shadowwolf1997: Emi loves when Aizawa makes jokes, as long as they are age-appropriate. dismemberment jokes to a maybe-five-year-old? That's probably a no. We don't have that much to work with from AC Canon in regards to 2000's Brotherhoods, much less the distinctions between them, and there's only so much I can introduce without focusing the whole story around it, so you'll have to settle for this slow lore drip.

Wizardwolf 1020: We already discussed the MHA-to-AC scale in our PMs, but I think I can safely admit that the scale will start to tip further once we get to the point where this is almost completely original plots, so more-or-less around around or after the Cultural Festival Arc. That means we've got the Provisional Licenses and work-studies before that, but I still have ideas to make those interesting. Plus, I want to establish that this shadow war is so much more complicated behind the scenes than I could properly explain. But I have said that something has to give at some point in this delicate balance.

Chapter 46:

New and Old Blood

"Welcome, Shay, to Eden Academy," Kanri Yaoyorozu said as he, Kyoryoku, and Simon stepped through the gates of the prestigious school. Its entrance was a large, gray building with two wings framing an impressive, concrete courtyard ringed with silver statues and art pieces. The center of the entrance courtyard held a polished bronze statue of a man whom the American assumed was the school's founder, giving the courtyard a sophisticated air. The school building that he could see boasted two floors, the taller, main building connecting the wings coming to a head with two solariums on either side, a clock set between them. "This is where Momo graduated from last year and where Kyoryoku currently attends. It is also where you will obtain your immediate schooling."

"It is very impressive," Simon commented, taking in the sight. Students of all ages sat on benches in the shadows of the edges of the courtyard, speaking in pairs or small groups as they readied themselves for their first class in a half-hour. Each and every one was dressed in the school uniform. For the boys, it was a black jacket with gold accents and buttons over a white button-up and black slacks, a red tie dipping into the collar of the jacket. The female students wore knee-length black dresses or a jacket/skirt ensemble with the same gold embroidery, red ribbons taking the place of the ties the boys wore. Both the dresses and jackets had the emblem of Eden Academy —a tree with a golden apple— embroidered on the left breast. Some of the students, both male and female, wore round hats with a gold trim, but that aspect of the uniform seemed optional. Said uniforms changed slightly as the students aged, denoting their grade with golden lines on the students' right cuffs.

"You'll love it here, cousin," Kyoryoku insisted. Not even Kanri was sure if his youngest believed the story of Simon —or Shay, since Kyoryoku had not been given his real name— being his orphaned second cousin from overseas, but he played along with it exceptionally well if he did not. Apparently accessories were acceptable as Kyoryoku carried his emerald-topped cane, the smaller version of Kanri's ruby-capped one "The campus is massive, but you don't need to worry if you get lost the first week. The teachers are lenient since there are so man… ahem, multiple buildings, and they are lenient on new students moreso."

Kyoryoku turned, his eyes sparkling. Kanri smiled, setting a hand on his son's head.

"It seems those vocabulary lessons with Madam Zora are sinking in." Kyoryoku preened under the praise, Kanri silently chuckling as he turned back to Simon. "Do not get too comfortable here, Shay. You know you have only one semester before you may apply for a Hero school entrance exam. You will have to work hard to catch up to the other children in Eden's Pre-Hero Curriculum since they have several months over you."

"I am aware M… Uncle," Shay corrected. It would be strange for a supposed member of the family, even a distant one, to refer to his benefactor and guardian as 'Master' in public. "Kyo, will you be able to show me around the campus?"

"Of course!" the younger boy grinned. "I can show you all the public areas and even your first classroom."

"That would be pleasant, Kyo," Simon replied. "I suppose we will see you at the end of the day, Uncle?"

"You will see me at home, but I will not be picking you up."

"It's usually Hito that picks me up," Kyoryoku offered. "Eden has dorms, too, and the Yaoyorozu family keeps one open in the event Big Sister or I wanted to stay the night to work on a project or socialize with friends. We just need to call to let Father and Hito know if we'll be staying."

"Thank you for reminding me, Kyoryoku," Kanri nodded, pulling a key from his pocket and offering it to Simon. It had the Eden emblem on one side and the number 442 on the other. "Here is a key to the Yaoyorozu dorm room, should you wish to use it overnight or during long breaks. Simply give us a call."

"Thank you," Simon said, bowing.

"Please, remember to bring honor to yourself and us," the older man replied. "Work hard to make something of yourself."

"I will be ready when the time comes, Uncle."

"Follow me, cousin," Kyoryoku insisted. "Eden's campus is bigger than you think, so we should get going now so we don't run out of time."

"Yes, I agree." The pair wished Kanri well, the younger hugging his father goodbye, before Simon allowed the Japanese native to lead him into the main building.

As it turned out, the entrance building (named Nobunaga Hall) was mostly for administration and was the location of many of the staff's offices and a few of the high-school-age classes. Students of that age were fewer in number than other grades despite Eden's reputation, but this was because of the number of students that transferred out to Hero Schools for training that Eden could not have as its central focus. This spoke volumes of the culture seeing as Eden had schools for quite literally everything else from math to sports to the arts and everything in between. Former attendees of Eden included all the members of the Yaoyorozu and Shiozaki families for the last four generations, the Hyde family for the last three generations, Yahashi and his son Yuga Aoyama, Sekijiro Kan, Toru Nara, Keigo Takami, Moe Kamiji, Rikiya Yotsubashi, and Mai Yamane among so many others, and most of those had transferred out for Hero Schools.

"This is one of my favorite places," Kyoryoku said, leading Simon into a corridor around the back side of Nobunaga Hall. The boy extended his hand to reveal walls lined with photos of students, each with a nameplate and date underneath. "This is the Hall of New Greats."

"The Hall of New Greats?" Simon echoed.

"Mm," the boy nodded, tugging on the older's arm to lead him to one picture not too far in. The familiar face of Momo Yaoyorozu stared back, dressed in the uniform and hat of Eden Academy but with the addition of a red cape around her shoulders. She held a plaque ringed with star-shaped pins, the date below reading from March 2168, 18 months prior.

"These are the pictures of the Imperial Scholars," Kyoryoku said, a whist in his voice as he looked at the picture of his sister. "They're the best of the best. Big Sis is one of the few to earn 20 Estrella and receive the honor before transferring to a Hero school and still have time to enjoy the perks."

"That sounds very impressive, Kyo."

"Big Sister's amazing, but she sets a really high standard. Da… Father says that if Big Sister can become an Imperial Scholar by 14, then I should to."

"Are you close?"

In response, Kyoryoku unbuttoned his jacket, opening the right side to show six shining star pins. He looked down, studying them.

"I still need 14, all in the next six years. Father says Big Sister already had nine by this point."

"You can't constantly compare yourself to your sister," Simon said, getting down on one knee to be eye-to-eye with the eight-year-old. "I had a big sister growing up, you know."

"You did?" Kyoryoku asked. That was news to him. "Where is she?"

"I… I don't know," Simon admitted. "Nascha's missing right now and I really want to find her, but that's not why I mentioned her. See, I compared myself to her constantly and followed her everywhere. I thought she was the coolest and wanted to be exactly like her. Her grades were always better than mine despite her help, and no matter how hard I tried, I could not match her test scores. She was always stronger than me as well; unsurprising given the age difference. I followed her everywhere until she left for college when I was around your age. I did not know what to do without her and fell into a slump. My grades slipped, I stopped going out, I called her constantly. Our parents had to sit me down and give me this talk about being my own person." Simon gave a melancholic smile. "I think that is what you need, Kyo."

"But I don't follow Big Sister everywhere," the boy said.

"No, you're trying to follow her footprints. Kyoryoku, do you want to be an Imperial Scholar because you can be, or is it because your big sister was one and your dad expects you to?"

"Because…" Kyoryoku trailed off, considering the question.

"That's what I thought," Simon nodded. He'd already lived one life where the expectations of others and a blind following of orders caused major mistakes he had to correct. He didn't want to see Kyoryoku make similar mistakes where one could not just resync to get back on track. "You can do things because others tell you to, but you will only reach your best by doing what you want to do. That way you're not thinking about others' expectations, but about your mission."

"I'll do it," Kyoryoku swore. "I'll become one of the youngest Imperial Scholars. Not because of Big Sister and not because dad says so. I want to show everyone that I can, that everyone can trust the Yaoyorozu Group to me without worry."

The bell rang, though it was less like a bell and more like several short gongs.

"Oh, we need to get going!" Kyoryoku gasped, grabbing Simon by the hand. "We only have ten minutes to get to class and the classrooms are past the gardens and gymnasium!"

"Then let us go," Simon nodded, his Spirit Eagle forming on his shoulder so he could get a bird's eye view of the campus. "We do not want to be late the first day of the semester."

Izuku limped out of the infirmary, rubbing his leg with a sigh. The last week of their Heroics classes had focused on forming their first Super Moves, and as a hidden Quirkless, Izuku was having very little luck compared to his classmates. With only a little over a week left to figure something out, he was getting a little risky with his acrobatics training. Unfortunately, this had burned him when he'd been caught in the collateral of Sato's most recent attempt at his Sugar Drop technique and ended up with a broken leg. As 1-A and 1-B students had practically turned the infirmary door into a revolving one, Recovery Girl had chosen to save her energy and only healed him well enough for him to walk and told him to come back at the end of the day. Now, there wasn't enough time for him to return to class and he had a little break before the next one began, so he set out for another destination.

The walk to the Design Studio felt longer than it needed to be, but Izuku arrived before the bell rang and knocked on the reinforced metal door. He only needed to wait a moment before it opened, the tall form of Power Loader filling the space. His eyes widened behind the mask, recognizing one of the few students crazy enough to interact with his most talented —and most destructive— student.

"You here for Hatsume?"

"Is she in?"

"It's practically impossible to get her out." The pro Hero stepped aside, allowing Izuku entrance into the studio. The verdet zeroed in on the pink-haired inventor, approaching her slowly while angling his course to get into her line for sight. She looked up as he did, her eyes —pupils widening and contracting as she used Zoom even as Izuku noticed the pronounced bags under them— brightening.

"Freckles!" Mei grinned. "How are my babies holding up?"

"No problems yet," Izuku reported, having long since given up on getting the rosette to remember his actual name. "Thing is, I need your help brainstorming a little."

"Brainstorming? There's no need for that!" She practically dove into a pile of inventions, carelessly tossing some of them backwards, forcing Izuku to dodge. "I've got a dozen babies ready and waiting! Like these Pulse Gauntlets or this deployable exoske—"

"Hatsume," Izuku interrupted, placing a firm hand over hers so she couldn't run off or grab anything more. "Please listen to me first. You don't want someone to leave you a bad review just because you wouldn't take their needs into consideration."

"But I already know your specs, Freckles," Mei protested.

"That's not what I'm here for." Mei pulled up short, a look of confusion crossing her face. "I'm here because I need gear for Super Moves."

"Super Moves?" the girl echoed, her eyes lighting up.

"Listen, I've got a few ideas, but I'll need your help with the specifics. First of all, I'll need an upgrade to my bo—"

The bell rang, cutting the boy off. Other Support Course students began tidying up their workspaces, but Mei didn't so much as react to the sound.

"Why'd you stop?" Mei asked, her other hand now holding a wrist-mounted tablet to the hand Izuku had in his grip.

"Class is over. We need to head out."

"No we don't. We've got babies to make!"

"Hatsume," Powerloader warned. "Your next class is Invention Law and Ethics. It is your most important class."

"But that stuff is boring, Sensei!" If Izuku didn't know Mei's disposition by now, he would have thought she was whining. "I'd rather be crossing wires and learning what works and what to avoid!"

"You need to learn what's acceptable and what's not so you don't screw up and get sued," the pro replied. "You have nine minutes now to get to your ILE class. You and Midoriya can talk on the way there."

"Who's Midoriya?"

"That would be me, Hatsume," Izuku sighed, turning to the teacher. "You know my name, sir?"

"Pretty memorable when you're one of the few willing to work with Hatsume," Power Loader said. Izuku chuckled, scratching his cheek. Power Loader scribbled a note on a scrap of paper and handed it to the Hero student. "I'll clean up here. Please take her to classroom 1-F. Here's a note to excuse you if you're tardy to your last class."

"Thank you, sir. Come on, Hatsume. We need to go."

"But—"

"Your babies will be here when you get back," the teacher told her. "Now go, before I have to take away your experimentation privileges, again."

"Fine," Mei sighed with a roll of her eyes. "But I'll be back as soon as class is over."

"I'm sure you will be."

Izuku held the door open for the rosette, Mei not bothering to take her overalls off despite the dress code for the school. Her attitude totally flipped as soon as the door shut, the inventor nearly pinning Izuku against it.

"So about those ideas you had! What were you thinking? Power gauntlets? Rocket boots? Jetpack? Shock gun? Electric net?"

"Nothing like… Actually, is there a way you could modify my bo to double as a shock gun? How would that even work?"

"Check this out." Mei tapped something on her tablet, a three-dimensional model appearing over it. It depicted what looked like an old musket or rifle, the area over the trigger a tube with a lightning bolt in it. "This is just the prototype specs I've drawn up. I'm still working out the math, but it's looking good so far. Power Loader-sensei won't let me actually make it until someone requests it. Says the voltage could mess with someone's brain or something minor like that."

Personally, Izuku didn't think messing with someone's brain was a minor detail. This was, however, his chance to capitalize on Saiko Intelli's recommendation from so long ago about having a transforming weapon since Mei's now put the option on the table for him.

One has to love coincidence and plausible deniability.

"Can we walk and talk?" he asked. Rather than waiting, Izuku started moving, activating his Eagle Vision. A golden trail appeared to his eyes, leading him directly to 1-F, presumably. "So, it'd be great if my bo had a long-range function, but I also need distraction and crowd-control items. I guess you could call them consumables."

"Consumables…" Mei echoed. She flicked the projection, the system moving to a list. Izuku managed to read Blushes, Freckles, and Frog before Mei clicked the center one. "You can see the outlines of people through darkness and even walls, colors indicating goodwill or malice, right?

"Uh, yeah."

"In that case, smoke bombs will be your best friend. How soon do you need them?"

"The Provisional License Exam is next week."

"I can get you ten smoke bombs, alter your bo to transform, and still have time to make sure the Edison works and won't explode."

"Yeah, I'd rather my stuff doesn't explode. I'll take what you can give me."

"Great! Perfect! This is going to be—" She yawned, Izuku reaching forward to keep her from falling over.

"Have you been sleeping?"

"Who needs sleep?" Mei waved off, pushing herself to her feet and trudging ahead. "I lost so much time over the summer that I need to catch up on. I don't have time for sleep."

"Hatsume, you need to sleep. You're human, too."

"Brantz Desmond doesn't need to sleep."

"Who?"

"He's only one of the foremost inventors of our time!" Mei gasped, stopping to spin toward him. Her expression could not have been more scandalized if Izuku tried to slap her. He might as well have with his ignorance. "He's the founder and chief semanticist of QuirkTech Inc.! He's going to be my greatest competition!"

"And what is his Quirk?"

"Insomnia," Mei answered instantly. "It allows him to never need to sleep."

"See?" Izuku pointed out. "You can't do that."

"Not yet!"

They reached their destination with little time to spare, though Mei walked past it in her tired drudge. The boy grabbed her by the collar and opened the door, Izuku walking in without fear and pretty much shoving Mei into the only open seat. The teacher, a woman with purple hair flickering with electricity, gave him a questioning look.

"Pardon my interruption," Izuku said, bowing. "Power Loader asked me to make sure Hatsume got to class. I'll be going now."

"Ah, yes, thank you."

Izuku stepped out and began heading to his final class. He'd be a couple minutes late, but he wasn't too worried about that with the note Power Loader gave him. Rather, he considered Mei Hatsume and what could become of her after their graduation. She wanted to become the CEO of her own support gear company, but he now knew she didn't necessarily care for the rules and regulations. He didn't really blame her despite how he'd benefit from her slowing down a little, but this could be an open door if he could get a little more information out of her. Hatsume was a promising inventor and having such a person, especially one with such ambitions of greatness, on their side would be a major boon. If she found the regulations stifling rather than boring…

Yes, that could work. They just needed a chance and an opening.

Simon let out a breath and rubbed his eye as his final first class ended. Eden was, by every account, an exceptional and beautiful school, but that did not mean the first day would be any less boring. Make no mistake, he was thankful for the review he received as a new student from overseas but compared to the wars he fought in the Animus, now having to listen to a man drone on about mathematics was sleep-inducing. Besides, coming to Eden was not his idea; Master Kanri insisted he do so as the start of a long-term strategy the details of which Simon was not yet privy to. Luckily, he fought off the siren song of sleep and avoided the stigma that would have come with napping on his first day.

Packing his things, Simon let his eyes wander over his classmates as three of them practically fled out the door. From what he'd overheard throughout the day, each had some prominent connection to the school —typically a parent or two— but a couple children had benefactors or were just that good as a child that they managed to squeeze past the entrance exam.

Misa and Raito Misami, the fraternal twins of a prominent idol and her detective husband.

Yuu Ishigami, the son of an expansive game company.

Daigoro Desmond, the son of a major inventor.

His yes-men, Sonansu and Maaiika Hiao. They and Desmond were already out the door.

Taiga Aisaka, the daughter of a Heroine from a branch family to the Hyde's of Animal Cosmetics.

Kerori Himura, a daughter of the powerful Himura family.

Anya Forger, a bubbly student that got in on guts, apparently. Her parents were foreigners who immigrated to Japan.

Beki Kuroberu, the daughter of a clothing competitor to Detnerat, BlackBell Clothing.

Ren Amaki, a quiet boy from an independently-wealthy family that traded stocks.

Each was certainly unique in their own ways, from the Misamis' red eyes to Aisaka's heteromorphic tiger features to Forger's horn-like growths. Having shared all their classes of the day together, Simon had managed to gain more than just their names, at least, for those who didn't shy away from conversation. Amaki and Ishigami were tentative friends but only so much because of their mutual love of videogames and dislike of socializing. Desmond's father owned a major support company where the Haio twins' father worked as his assistant, and this trio had a strange love-hate relationship with Kuroberu, Forger, and Aisaka. Finally, the Misami twins were good friends with Himura and wanted her to become an idol with them. This was a delicate balance that had been formed over the last eight-and-a-half years.

A balance Simon threatened to tip.

"So, new kid," a voice said, Simon looking up from his bookbag to see Kuroberu leaning against his desk. She had black hair in two twintails down her to back, the follicles and her clothing fluttering forever on account of her Quirk: Flutter. She had large, dark blue eyes and wore the optional hat. "Shay Lee, right? I noticed you do a lot of listening but not a lot of talking. Thinking of joining the Gloomy Duo other there?" She gestured with her thumb toward Ishigami and Amaki, the two packing their bags in silence. Ishigami pulled a pair of headphones from his bag and put them on.

"Not really," Simon replied as Kuroberu's 'wings' came to her side. While Kuroberu was the tallest of the three, Forger came in second with medium-length pink hair, bright green eyes, and two horn-like protrusions. Aisaka was the shortest of the three with long, orange hair interspersed with black like the pelt of a tiger and a tiger's tail. Aisaka wore the hat while Forger did not. "I'll only be here for a semester before applying to a Hero school."

"In that case, you'll be doing extracurriculars with Taiga, Kerori, and Amaki," Kuroberu commented. Aisaka nodded, punching her palm with a sharp-toothed grin. Simon noted that the backs of her hands and arms had orange fur and her nails were sharp.

"Aisaka, Himura, and Amaki, huh?" Simon echoed. "Interesting."

"So Lee," Kuroberu pressed. "Can I call you Shay?"

"No."

"Tell us about yourself, Lee."

Simon recognized the blatant attempt at fishing for information, his eyes moving from Kuroberu to Forger. Her horns had a slight glow about them. He quirked an eyebrow, Forger's lips pressing together as the glow faded and a dusting if pink appeared on her cheeks. Simon didn't know what her Quirk was, but she knew he'd caught her trying to use it on him.

"I thought you had to be upfront when using your Quirk on someone," Simon said, Kuroberu recoiling at his words. "That's how it is in America, at least, and I thought Quirk laws were even more strict here."

"Aw, come on," Kuroberu waved off with a grin. "You can't blame us, right? New cute guy from overseas shows up with dangerous scars; we can't help wanting to know everything."

"I'd rather you not mention those," Simon hissed, a hand rising to cover the scars on his cheek. Forger, horns glowing once more, stumbled backward, a look of fear on her face.

"Anya!" Aisaka called, catching her friend before she could fall. "What is it?"

"F-Fire," Forger stuttered.

"Reading my mind?" the American questioned. He had not seen the fire himself —smoke inhalation having knocked him unconscious while he slept— but Master Kanri had shown him a video of the Assassins burning his home to the ground. That was probably the image the girl saw. "Not cool, Forger. And I bet you put her up to it, Kuroberu."

"Okay, sorry," the black-haired girl sighed, hands up in surrender. "Just wanted to know why you came here from America. Dad always said Americans were nutty over their freedoms and found the laws in Japan stifling."

"I wouldn't exactly call us nutty," Simon responded. "That being said, our laws mostly boil down to an 'all's good if no one gets hurt' mentality. As long as no one's being invasive, that is." He directed the last comment at Forger, the girl bowing in apology like a good yes-man. Or a yes-woman in this case.

"So that's how it is over there. Then why—"

"I don't want to talk about it," Simon growled, the look in his eye making Kuroberu back off.

"Alright, alright, sheesh. You don't have to be so touchy."

"You don't have to be so invasive." He turned, choosing to ignore the dark-haired girl's presence until she got the message. "Aisaka, you're taking the pre-Hero classes?"

"I am," the smaller girl admitted, now wary of the foreigner. "Why?"

"I'd like some information about it. I am behind the rest of you and starting late."

"We can do that," the heteromorph grinned, showing off sharpened incisors. Simon started to walk away, Aisaka at his heels as she began telling him about the extra training classes she and the other two took three days a week with the school's security force, a rotating group of Heroes from an agency made mostly of former Eden attendees. Two sentences in and he could already tell the girl was a battle maniac.

"Wait!" Kuroberu called. "At least tell me what your Quirk is!"

Simon ignored her. The door to the room opened as he approached, the slightly-panting form of Kyoryoku standing there. Humorously, the eight-year-old was the same height as the tiger heteromorph at least six years his senior.

"Cousin!" the boy said. "How was your first day? Eden's great, isn't it? Are you hungry? Big Sister was always hungry after classes let out. We can go get snacks from the cafeteria before we call Hito if you want."

"Cousin?" Aisaka questioned, turning an eye on Simon. "I thought you were from America, Lee?"

"Second cousins," he waved off, using the cover story Kyoryoku may-or-may-not believe. "This is Kyoryoku Yaoyorozu. Uncle, his father, took me in after the fire happened."

"I guess that's why you want to be a Hero," the girl commented, more to herself than anyone else.

"He's adorable!" Kuroberu squeaked, blowing past Simon to invade the third-grader's personal space with a hug, shoving the boy's face into her blossoming figure and swinging him around. "Oh my gosh, I just want to eat him up!"

"Kuroberu, let go," Simon demanded.

"You can't keep such a cutey all to yourself!" the girl protested.

"Kuroberu…"

"Beki, I think he can't breathe," Forger said, tapping the girl's shoulder. Kuroberu looked down just as Kyoryoku melted, activating his Transformation-type Quirk to escape the older girl's grip. He collapsed into a puddle, his green-trimmed black mass oozing to Simon's feet before reforming behind him. Undaunted, Kuroberu bent at the waist and stabilized her hands on her knees.

"Hi cutey, I'm Beki Kuroberu, but you can call me Beki or Senpai. Or I could be your new big sister."

"You do not have the right to talk to my cousin," Simon said, a memory of Nascha doing the same for him many years ago flashing through his mind. His focus on Kuroberu made him miss the way Forger's eyes widened slightly, her horns glowing. "Back off."

"You all are being too loud," Ren Amaki commented, stepping into the group with Ishigami practically hiding behind him. Both boys had black hair with Ren's being much longer. "Go home and talk or go to a communal area and talk. Some of us want to get out of the room."

"Our apologies," Simon insisted, stepping aside to open a path to the door. "We will be going now."

Forger's lips pressed together as her new classmate and the younger boy left, Aisaka running after him, wanting to continue their conversation about the pre-Hero classes. A new student from overseas appearing with the backing of the Yaoyorozu family? That in itself wasn't inherently suspicious, but even minor details should be noted before they become problems. Every detail was important.

Mama and Papa would want to know about this.

Tsuyu stopped in the middle of the alleyway, a small shiver going down her spine. In was a sensation she'd long-since learned how to distinguish, the girl using her advanced senses to read the area.

She jumped, flipping as her tongue shot out toward one of the rooftops. Rather than missing as the figure dodged, her tongue was blocked by a shield of floating scales. Tsuyu's eyes narrowed as her tongue returned and she completed her maneuver.

"Do you make it a habit to follow girls into alleyways, Rin, ribbit?"

"Only ones that can snap my neck like a twig and probably have orders to bring me in." He landed on the concrete beside her, the scales he'd attached to his heels to act like simple winged shoes moving back into his pants legs to reunify with his legs.

"Well, you're right on that second part, ribbit." Tsuyu looked up, studying the cloudy sky. A storm was brewing, which was probably why Rin had chosen now to confront her. All the better to obscure evidence of their passage. "How did you know to find me here?"

"You take this alleyway every day but divert your path beyond this point."

"Rin, ribbit, that's creepy."

"But it is effective," he pointed out. "So, I have not managed to learn how to access the Osaka den. Will you enlighten me?"

"You probably won't learn today." Tsuyu dug through her bag and pulled out her PE uniform jacket, extending it to him. "Use this as a blindfold, ribbit. I'll carry you to Mentor. That is, unless you want me to call our secret-keeper to wipe your memory of the trip, ribbit. It's not exactly a pleasant experience."

"Is this really necessary?" Rin asked, taking the jacket as he tried to find the best way to comply with the request.

"Mentor doesn't consider you trustworthy yet. Until you are deemed such, ribbit, you are on a need-to-know basis, and the entrances to our den doesn't make that list."

"Fair enough." Rin tied the sleeves behind his head, the rolled-up back of the jacket blocking his vision. Tsuyu's tongue wrapped around his torso, pinning his arms to his sides while the end of it slithered upward to cover his eyes with another layer. Unnecessary, but Rin respected the surety and caution.

Tsuyu took off at her top speed, taking extra turns and jumping buildings in her best attempts to confuse Rin's sense of direction. Soon, however, she arrived at the closest portal (behind a screen under an old stairwell) and slipped into the portal room.

Her father wasn't there to greet her, the lack of his presence hitting her just as hard now as it did a week ago after their first day of post-break classes. Still, she couldn't let Rin know of the emotions going through her as she stepped into the halls, forsaking changing into her robes to hurry the Chinese Assassin to Mentor.

She found him in the training hall, the old man watching from his pillow as he so often did. She slowed to a walk, moving into his line of vision before setting Rin on his feet.

"You are in the presence of the Mentor of the Osaka Brotherhood, ribbit," she said, her tone formal and demanding. "Fall to seiza and bow. Leave your eyes closed and the blindfold on. Do not rise until told to, ribbit. If you have any weapons, remove them. Do you understand?"

"I understand." Rin dropped to his knees and sat on his calves. He rolled up his sleeves, showing that he did not wear any hidden blades, before reaching into his clothing and removing a pair of deer-horn-style knives, three butterfly knives, and several throwing needles with three bottles of different toxins. Finally, he removed a coin from where it had been held by the band keeping his hair in its ponytail. The face of the coin held the sigil of the Assassins' Brotherhood on one side and an identification number on the other (R824607), the method by which Chinese Assassins tended to identify each other. Finished, Rin bowed, keeping the makeshift blindfold on. Tsuyu took up a position behind him, standing.

"Mentor, this is Hiryu Rin, ribbit, an Assassin of the Chinese Brotherhood. His Quirk is Scales."

"Hiryu Rin," Mentor said slowly. "I did not expect to meet you so soon, but I will not complain. Tell me, how did the Chinese Mentor react to you revealing yourself to my agents?"

"I have not informed him yet," Rin admitted. "I am certain his first instinct will be to berate me and demand I return to China. I must show him that we can trust the other Brotherhoods if we hope to make any headway against Symphony."

"I see. That may be for the best. Old Longwei and I have rarely seen eye-to-eye on any matter except our devotion to the Creed."

"I suppose I should not be surprised you know my great-uncle," Rin commented.

"Oh, yes," Mentor nodded. "I had a feeling you were related to Longwei Rin in some capacity when I heard your name. The old lizard wouldn't entrust a mission like yours to anyone but his own blood." His grandfatherly voice turned cold in a way Tsuyu had never heard before, sending a shiver down her spine. "Why are you in my country?"

Rin visibly shivered, a plethora of blue scales rising over the back of his neck and arms like goosebumps as his other skin shifted to more of a similar blue color. Tsuyu noticed a bulge forming underneath the clothing covering Rin's back. He tried to move only to find his body frozen in place.

"I see the Rin Family Dragon Quirk remains powerful," Mentor said without a shred of emotion. Tsuyu's eyes widened. Rin's Quirk was Dragon, not Scales? That was a surprise. Could he be distantly related to the pro Hero Ryukyu? Mentor continued. "You in China call Quirks Réncái if I remember properly. Ah, but you cannot hope to escape my Pause. Tell me, boy. Why... are you... in my country?"

"Mentor Longwei Rin does not trust your methods," Rin admitted with another shiver. His grand-uncle's stories had downplayed how scary the Osaka Mentor and his Quirk could be. His scales continued to form slowly as his merinthophobia tingled under the effects of Oshoto Aizawa's paralyzing Quirked gaze. "He believes your ideas of trusting outdated tradition unnecessarily risks compromising the Brotherhood in this superpowered age of technology. All it takes is a viral video of two Assassins in robes and your cover will be blown."

Mentor stared at the teen for several seconds longer, letting the boy try to fidget, before he finally blinked, cutting off the effects of his Quirk. Rin visibly relaxed, his scales fading back into skin.

"I see," Mentor said. "It appears we have taken to the ancient teachings of Sun Tzu better than you have. In your study of our traditional adherence, you failed to look under the underneath. Where you think we are weak, you do not see our strength. Where you see the robes, you do not see the policemen and the engineers and the computer analysts and the support designers and all of our informants. Where you see the active Assassins, you do not see those behind the curtain who do not have the guts to kill but have the positions, the knowhow, and the power to obscure our actions in the digital world. I agree, operating in our capacity is dangerous today, but do you think we would have lasted this long without exposure on pure skill?"

"I was not sure," Rin swallowed. "Your computer analysts took several months before eliminating the backdoor to your system I used to identify your agents within UA."

"I thought as much. No system is perfect in this time of unpredictability. I am certain Apprentice Asui had a few things to say about your opinions."

"One could say that." Rin could feel Tsuyu's eyes on his back.

"She recently lost her father on a mission, his sacrifice ensuring the rescue of a little girl. He adhered to our beliefs and principles as a model Assassin. Hearing you insult our ways struck a nerve in her, I'm certain."

"I see. Asui, I am sorry for your loss."

"You didn't know him, ribbit."

"Hiryu Rin, raise your head and remove your blindfold," Mentor ordered. "I think it is time you tell us everything you know and suspect about Symphony."

End of chapter 46

Not a lot of action this chapter as we continue to build up toward the Provisional Hero License Exam and the subsequent Work-Studies, but I think this chapter was needed to establish the foundation for a lot of major plans I have down the line. I'll have you all know I name-dropped Eden Academy a long time ago. Chapter 34, actually, and no one seemed to catch on. I did proceed straight to I-Island that same chapter, so I suppose it's no surprise. Also no surprise that we find references to other shows in Eden Academy, specifically Spy X Family. I "Japanized" some of the names here (Damien to Daigoro and Becky Blackbell to Beki Kuroberu) but I trust you all can see the connection that I couldn't resist. A school named after Eden and an apple as the symbol? A girl with superpowers whose parents are a spy and an assassin? In MHA-setting Assassin's Creed? It was practically a forgone conclusion, really.

What secrets hide within the hallowed halls of Eden Academy? What role might this school play in the Devil's Game of Death? What plans does Izuku have for Mei Hatsume and can she be convinced to help the Assassins? Will this semester change Simon and Kyoryoku for the better or the worse? Finally, what effects will Rin's meeting with Mentor have on their plans going forward? Tell me what you think!

Read and Review!

-SwordOfTheGods