Welcome back, everyone, after over a year-long hiatus. I have officially returned with a brand new handle, no less!

That's right, LordXG3 is gone, but I'm still me. Older and wiser, hence why I go under the ZXEmperor name now.

It's been an interesting time, going on hiatus and doing the remasters of the older chapters. This first brand new chapter is a culmination of my passion and hard work that has gone into this unexpected side project. I won't lie to you guys. There were times I felt like quitting, that I felt like I was way over my head.

Especially when my job would continue to push countless more hours of overtime and other personal issues that took me from working on it. Of course, there were other issues like my declining mental health and a lot of other nonsense.

Yet, I still pressed on.

Now, I am here. To keep telling this funny little story that so many of you seemed to enjoy.

I have more to say, but I'll save that for my commentary.

Right now? I would just like you to enjoy this newest in the saga of the Fafnir Knight.


My Hero Academia Untold: The Fafnir Knight (Remastered Edition)

Saga I: Dusk

Arc III: The Sports Festival

Chapter XXXIV: Placing the pieces


"Just take this as a warning. Know that there's always a price for not being yourself."

Benilde Little, Acting Out


Within one of the many hidden laboratories that dotted Japan was Tomura Shigaraki, sitting in the middle of a dimly lit room with its only light source being a tube in front of him filled with a sickly green liquid that glowed ever so faintly in the dark. He yawned as he waited impatiently for his brother to arrive, all while looking over a report that Doctor Garaki had returned to him that concluded the findings of Overhaul's research.

Research that Tomura found very interesting, indeed.

'Damn it, Kurogiri,' he thought to himself. While he checked the time on the corner of his phone screen, this gave him time to study the possibility of a powerful future asset. He was still impatient as all he wanted was to return to bed. Tomura had been up almost all night gaming on his big rig PC to celebrate his recent string of personal victories that restored his standing after the disaster of the USJ.

Still, the window of opportunity he had to get a direct report from Mimicry was narrow, so Tomura would reluctantly wait.

'How fucking long does it take to warp someone?' He thought with annoyance while occasionally glancing at the green tube, providing a laugh as he gazed upon the contents floating inside of it. Fortunately for Tomura, it only took another minute before a familiar dark purple hole had opened wide, and a familiar figure appeared, dressed in casual sleepwear with matching white fluffy bunny slippers that were stained head to toe in blood and viscera.

"Ugh! Goddamn it! It's all on my favorite sleeping clothes!" Mimicry complained as he stepped out of the portal, followed shortly by Kurogiri, who took his spot at the corner of the room.

"Why the fuck is the warp gate such a mess?!" He added as he started to remove the large, dark chunks of flesh and gray matter from himself in the hopes of salvaging his messy sleepwear.

"It's not the first time we've had to deal with it," said Tomura, laughing as he watched his former rival try to clean himself off. Thankfully, he had been prepared and grabbed the small towel in the corner for this very reason, tossing it toward his foster brother.

"Yeah, not since we had to deal with Nine," Mimicry snatched the towel in midair and started to wipe himself down. All while grumbling about their Master's first guinea pig: the predecessor to the Heirs of the Darkness. "He and his rogue crew made mincemeat out of…How many of us?"

"Well, our dear new King is to blame for the current mess, and then some!" Tomura replied as he lazily placed the report on a small table, having finished reading it and wanting to change the subject. "He was too late to save Overhaul, but bringing his corpse was a clever alternative to fool the cops."

"Wait... what?" Mimicry stopped cleaning himself up and looked at Tomura with a puzzled expression. "I thought Overhaul had broken out successfully!?" He already knew from other contacts that their brother had been named both Phoenix and Dragon King for saving the rogue Yakuza capo. The former promotion was expected, but the latter was a surprise that threw everyone off guard.

Tomura threw his head back and laughed again, pointing towards the glowing green tube.

"See for yourself! I was forced to use Himiko as a backup plan, but it worked out all the same."

Mimicry stepped forward as he wiped the remainder of the blood off his face and looked at the contents of the green tube. "Holy shit...right between the eyes, eh?" He said with a long whistle. "Must've been the Chief's handiwork, which explains why they found his carcass by the transport... But how...?"

"Ah…suddenly everything adds up," and seeing the towel and remembering the bloodshed still within Kurogiri's warp gate, "That explains why he didn't fly out...So what, did he just tear out the whole bed with him?"

Tomura simply pointed at the large metal frame that once served as Overhaul's transport bed, tucked in the corner of the room that was awash in the dead man's stale fluids.

"I'll give him points for improvising on the fly, all things considered," Mimicry shrugged before looking at Tomura's discarded file.

"What's this?" He picked up the report and began reading it. "Who's Eri?" He turned to face Tomura.

"She was the key to Overhaul's project," Tomura replied. His eyes turned to look at the Yakuza boss' corpse floating in the tube. He had managed to find a few samples of Overhaul's quirk destroying bullets. They weren't fully complete, but even the prototypes could be helpful in a pinch.

Of course, completing the project would be even better.

"And if that report is right, she could become a powerful tool for us."

"Ooooh?" Mimicry hummed with curiosity, looking at an older picture of Eri when she was still in captivity. "And she has eyes just like ours!" He added with a delighted grin. "Maybe we could get a new baby sister! HAHAHHAHAHAH!"

"Possibly, but she won't be easy to get..." Tomura muttered darkly. "It doesn't matter. Right now, we can put that idea on the back burner since we have other issues to focus on."

"How hard can it be?" Mimicry was confused by Tomura's response. He saw the value in having the girl as an asset in their hands, between these bullets and even being a potential future Heir of Darkness like themselves. He found it odd for Tomura not to jump at the chance to go even further ahead over their royal sibling. "We have a lot of control! Why not have the cops place her under protective custody? Then she could...you know – 'get lost in the system?' Wouldn't be the first time it's happened, after all!"

"She's already under protective custody with…the Heroes," Tomura answered, annoyed at Mimicry's moronic face. "And she has a top watchdog on her already: Izuku Midoriya."

Mimicry paused and remembered the name on the news, "Ah! Draco Knight's kid! Hahahaha! Well shit! I suppose we'll have to wait for our dear brother then. He already has dibs, so he could settle the score for his dead daddy after all!"

"That little dragon shit is the primary reason for my failure at the USJ," Tomura muttered, again focusing on the green tube. While he did not show it, Izuku Midoriya really did shake him to the core. The boy was an unknown variable he once jokingly said his brother could deal with. Yet, any unknown variables, especially ones that were strong enough to bring Overhaul to heel, should always be kept under strict scrutiny. "He's strong...much stronger than his father."

"Isn't that normal, though?" Mimicry asked, remembering his lessons with Dr. Garaki's theories on quirks. "I know my mom had to touch people to mimic their voices, while I just have to hear them in person for me to do it."

"This was different. Thanks to our brother, we've seen what Draco Knight can do," Tomura continued flexing and stretching his fingers while still in thought. "No, this is much more different. It felt more like he was fighting with All Might's strength..." He shuddered, remembering the powerful gusts of wind that followed each of the young Dragon's attacks.

"I never got my hands on the USJ report," Mimicry lamented. He continued to skim through the file on Eri and thought of his own way of possibly getting his hands on the girl.

"But this might make their future fight more interesting: The Heroic Dragon Knight of mighty strength? Or the Evil Dragon King with the flames of a Phoenix; the lightning of Thor, and capable of flying like Icarus?" He wondered aloud with a gleeful laugh as he slapped the paper with the back of his hand. "Sounds like a fairy tale, if you ask me."

"Fairy tales are overrated," Tomura dismissed, getting annoyed by Mimicry's more artistic side coming through.

"Ah, fair," Mimicry finished the report and tossed it aside. "Then again, we might have to deal with another war before those two end up clashing," he groaned. Everyone in the underworld knew their brother's dual coronation would likely result in a full-blown yakuza civil war soon. They needed to move quickly if they wanted to collapse the government and kill All Might before such a thing would happen.

"As long as Master lives, the other big-timers wouldn't dare make a move that big without his leeway. Small grabs for rival territory? That's fine and to be expected," Tomura knew his gambit of playing the long con required him to continue his role in the background. He needed to avoid the limelight that the younger and less mature version of himself would have wanted.

Why would he interfere, especially now that his biggest competition had a giant target on his back?

"But a full-on war that scale would mess things up for everyone? No, the league and other groups would be forced to step in to destroy the flames of war before it got out of hand."

"And...if the Master falls one day?"

"Then it'll be a battle royale!" Tomura proclaimed with a wild grin as he stood up. Once he gained All For One, he knew it would be wise to allow his enemies to exhaust themselves. Leaving them ripe for the picking when it came time to kick off his own ascension. "Now, there may be a chance soon for us to get the girl, but I'm not going to place all my bets on it. But enough about those moronic yakuza, the girl, and all that dragon shit! What's going on within the cops right now?"

"Ah!" Mimicry sighed with a nod, now remembering they were on a limited time for their little meeting. "The cops in my department are in a complete clusterfuck. Chief's in a coma; my dear Captain is dead, and since I used Lieutenant Ippongi's credentials. My department is still on lockdown for at least the next week until Internal Affairs finishes their investigation."

He paused for a moment, only to start chuckling again. He was pretty much cleared of suspicion as the poor lieutenant was getting all the blame for the operation's failure. Even if the man could get off the hook for the sabotage, he knew the higher-ups would still blame him. The top brass had to at least appear to have found the culprit. After all, a lowly junior detective who valiantly tried to save his captain couldn't have possibly done such a horrible thing.

"I honestly found it funny. I never really knew just how popular the Chief was in the department. Hell, everyone got considerable raise for being part of the transport job, including me! All thanks to him."

"Getting paid extra to sabotage the trucks," Tomura remarked in mild amusement. "Must be nice."

"That being said, while I did get rid of our rat problem, the Neocons had the Police Commission appoint some annoying son of a bitch from Hosu to be the acting Chief. He's being real gung-ho about trying to shape up our department because of 'Doumeki's incompetence,'"Mimicry said with finger quotes. "The good news is that the department is basically in open revolt with the mutt, but the bad news is that he might replace all of the remaining senior staff. If he digs too deep, too quickly, I could get found out."

"I'll have Giran make some noise to our puppets and ensure those fools get back in line. Fortunately, now that the rat problem has been dealt with," Tomura mentally marked another check off his hit list. "I can finally focus on other things. I got wind of someone else checking into our business from within The Diet itse –"

"Don't celebrate yet, Tomura," Mimicry interrupted cautiously. "I found out the rat already told his Hero buddy about the old clinic in Hosu. You know the one."

Mimicry walked up to the green tube with Overhaul's remains, curious about what was to be done with him. "I managed to intercept the report that would be sent to him. But the report told me that the hero already knows there is something to be found within Hosu that can blow the lid off of this operation."

"Is it the same Hero?"

"Indeed it is, which…!" Mimicry turned around with a twisted grin growing on his face. "If you give me a chance and convince the Master to give me a new quirk. I can give you a good idea that could...help set the record straight with our Hero friend and take care of another witness from six years ago who also happens to work in Hosu."

Tomura leaned his head up, motioning with his hand for his subordinate to continue, interest piqued with what his foster brother had planned.

"I'm listening..."


Tenya Iida was making his way down the halls of UA after separating from Izuku, Ochako, and Eri. As Vice-President of Class 1-A, Tenya did have a fundamental duty to fill at the beginning of every school week, including collecting the weekly duty sheets for logging school assignments like monitor and or cleaning duty.

As Tenya turned a corner to arrive at the entrance to the Teacher's Lounge, he was met with a familiar face. With a face that made him clench his jaw, Shino Mizuoji leaned next to the room's entrance, seemingly waiting for something or someone. Given their last encounter, Tenya did not like the idea of speaking with his now class 1-B counterpart. Still, regardless of his personal feelings, he would work with him the best he could manage.

"Iida," said Shino with a nod and acknowledged his counterpart's presence from the corner of his view.

"Mizuoji," Tenya answered in a firm but polite voice. He hoped to avoid reliving any past issues by opening a casual conversation. "I hope your holiday was pleasant."

"It could have been better," Shino answered with a sad, tired sigh. "This past week was anything but relaxing, given it was the anniversary of my brother's passing."

"And I am quite sorry to hear that," Tenya responded as he walked past Shino and went for the door, finding the answer to be uncomfortable to start off. However, he was stopped in his tracks as Shino's arm came up, blocking him.

"If you are here to pick up the duty sheets," Shino spoke, turning his bright golden eyes towards Tenya. "You will have to wait. The teachers are currently having a conference with some ministers from the Board of Education."

"Are they now?" Tenya responded with surprise. "How do you know this?"

"My father has several connections...though personally, I am not surprised," said Shino with the faint hint of smug self-importance. "The teachers have a lot on their hands to think about and given recent events. Between one of the big bad bosses that attacked UA escaping. To allow a big bad wolf to live among us, it is only logical that the government is trying to rein everything in for our sake."

Tenya's arm subconsciously twitched when he heard the: "big bad wolf" comment. Izuku was both his friend and guest at his household and, as such, felt honor-bound to defend him from slander.

"Mizuoji," Tenya started up, taking a step back to look at his shorter counterpart in the eyes. "I know we do not get off on the right foot last we spoke, but must you continue to try to label Midoriya so unfairly?"

"Heh, I never said anything about Midoriya," Shino responded with a growing smirk. "You filled in that answer on your own, Iida, after all: the writing is on the wall, clear for everyone to see."

"Spare me the platitude, Mizuoji," Tenya answered sharply as his eyes narrowed. "You continue to allow the past to cloud your eyes rather than letting go and let yourself see that Midoriya is not your enemy. Nor one you would want to make your enemy."

"Is that a threat?" Shino retorted, taking a step forward and getting within Tenya's personal space. "It is easy for someone like you to say something like that, Iida; you do not have a past that haunts you as I do."

"You make it sound like you are special or unique in that department, sir," Tenya replied unflinchingly, knowing he was more than content with his life. However, he knew others who had hardships pressed on them, hardships that still haunted them to this day. "Let me remind you that you are not, and one of them is Midoriya himself. Yet he continues to try not to let it weigh him down."

"He stepped down being 1-A's president after the USJ like a coward," Shino followed up, voice like a snapping bear trap. "Because we learned the truth about him. Then again, that little action benefited you getting bumped up to Vice-President..." said Shino mockingly, unfazed by Tenya's answer. "So I cannot blame you for having some due loyalty to him."

"Midoriya is my friend," Tenya countered, refusing to back down. "He stepped down as a matter of integrity, and I respect him for that."

Shino scoffed, rolling his eyes as he returned to leaning against the wall.

"I only hope you make the right choice when the time comes, Iida," Shino started up again with a smirk. "History is not kind to those on the wrong side. Can you not see how dangerous he is? Knowing that he could easily become a beast strong enough to kill us all, much like his father did to many innocents six years ago."

Tenya was about to answer when the teacher's lounge door opened up, and a familiar - if bandaged – face popped his head out into the hallway.

"You two are loud," Spoke Eraserhead in a tired, muffled voice, sporting an annoyed expression visible even from behind the wrappings. He stepped out into the hallway with two binders dangling awkwardly in his arms. "The meeting is almost done, but you two will have to inform your respective classes that the teachers will be running a little late today." He added as he handed both vice-presidents the binders with the weekly duty sheets.

"Is everything okay, Mr. Aizawa?" Tenya asked as he accepted the binder.

"It's nothing to worry about, but you will learn more about it soon," Eraserhead answered quickly. "Now go, and I better not hear anything else between you except a polite goodbye, or else."

Shino stifled another scoff, knowing better than to incur Eraserhead's wrath. Tenya simply bowed and said his farewells to both before turning around and speed-walked his way back to class. His thoughts returned to what his counterpart had told him.

'People from the Ministry of Education are here?' He wondered as he made his way back to his classroom. 'Why exactly? Could it really be about Midoriya or something else entirely?'


"And therefore, Ms. Kayama may be late coming to class," Tenya explained to Mina and Eijirou. Albeit, the former ignored their vice-president to greet Eri happily, exclaiming with delight that her baby horn buddy was back. Eijirou, on the other hand, was at least respectful enough to listen before making Mina sit down to avoid crowding Eri.

While that was happening, Minoru arrived in the room, which prompted Tenya to repeat the announcement. Kyouka groaned while Momo and Kashiko let out exasperated laughs. Ever since Tenya had returned from the teacher's lounge, he quickly handed the duty sheets to Momo and then took over the teacher's podium. From there, T began to announce that the teachers would be running late for class today.

"Yaomomo, couldn't you step in?" Kyouka asked as Rikidou arrived, making Tenya repeat the same announcement...again.

Just like he had done every time, someone entered the classroom.

Verbatim.

Like a robot.

"You are THE Class President."

"I mean, I could. However, part of being Class President is to delegate tasks," said Momo as she looked over the duty sheets and started making assignments for the week. "I should take Eri into consideration," she said to herself before turning to Kyouka. "Besides, Iida might be a little...heavy-handed, but he is thorough."

Hanta entered the room, making Tenya repeat the announcement to him.

"Nothing is stopping you from suggesting that he tone it down, Yaoyorozu," Kashiko gently suggested. However, Katsuki's voice suddenly rang out the room, making all three ladies jump in their seats.

"OKAY, WE GET IT! JUST WAIT UNTIL EVERYONE IS HERE!"

The three turned their attention to see that Tsuyu was at the door; however, Katsuki had interrupted the class vice-president before repeating the same announcement repeatedly. Kyouka was, for once, thankful for Katsuki's general aggressive attitude this time. As rare as that sentiment was, it was nice to have someone challenge Tenya's overbearing methods.

"There is no need to shout, Bakugou!" Tenya scolded while marking Tsuyu's attendance. "I am just ensuring everyone is informed in a timely fashion!"

"Maybe you have a point, ladies," Momo sighed as she finished making the assignments for the week. "I'll speak with him later."

"Thank goodness," Kyouka muttered to herself sarcastically, turning her attention to her phone. Only for her earjacks to pick up something interesting from the other end of the room. Something she didn't expect.

"Mama, Papa," she heard Eri's gentle voice say, making her look up with a puzzled expression. Given the small crowd around her, she could not see Eri, but Kyouka could still hear her well enough. "Can I speak with Miss Tsu, please?"

"I don't see why not, right Ochako?" She heard Izuku say in a cheery voice.

"Tsu's always been very nice, so I don't think it will be a problem," she overheard Ochako follow up.

'Did I hear that right?' Kyouka thought to herself. 'Did Eri refer to Midoriya and Uraraka as Papa and Mama?'

Alongside the announcement that the teachers would be running late, everyone was surprised by the reappearance of Eri. No complaints were made, as they all had become fond of the unicorn child during her first visit. It seemed like she would be here a little longer, but there was no mention of this sudden development.

'It is kind of cute, though...'

Not a moment too soon, she saw the trio rise from their seats and make their way to her side of the classroom, heading to where Tsuyu was seated. Everyone's attention was gathered on the three, though they all made sure not to stare too long to ensure Eri was comfortable. Yet, Kyouka was at the perfect angle to see and hear everything without worry.

"Morning, ribbit," Tsuyu greeted the trio with a broad and happy froggy smile. "I see my tadpole friend is back, ribbit."

"Eri wanted to speak with you, Asu – I mean, Tsu!" Izuku quickly corrected himself on how the frog girl preferred to be addressed.

"Only if that's okay with you," Ochako followed up and presented Eri forward.

"Oh?" Tsuyu croaked as she placed her bag down. "Sure, ribbit; class hasn't started yet after all." She turned her attention to Eri. "Now, how I can help you, ribbit?"

And to Kyouka's and everyone's surprise, Eri simply opened her arms, motioning for a hug. Tsuyu looked confused before looking at her two surrogate parents, almost as if she was asking permission to take Eri from them. Without hesitation, the two teens nodded, happy to see Eri opening up even further than before. After a moment's silence, Tsuyu accepted Eri into her arms, only for Eri to wrap her around the froggy girl and whisper something only Kyouka could pick up.

"Thank you, Miss Tsu," said Eri in a way that made Kyouka's heart skip a beat.

Tsuyu was surprised by the kind words and sniffed as tears started welling up in her eyes. "I'm so glad you're okay, ribbit," Tsuyu sniffed happily, brushing the child's hair. "I'm so sorry for letting you go, ribbit."

Kyouka felt the need to look away, a guilty look formed upon realizing that the moment between the two was private. Everyone in class knew that Tsuyu felt horrible for not being able to have done much during the USJ attack. Worst of all was when Eri had been taken from them. Indeed, no one blamed Tsuyu or Fumikage for what had happened. Everyone was thankful that they had even managed to escape with their lives, considering the odds had been stacked against them.

Everyone stayed silent until the door slid open again, and, speaking of the devil, Fumikage entered. He appeared confused, seeing everything in the classroom was out of place given the current time.

"What is going on?" He asked only for Tenya to immediately jump in.

"Ah, Tokoyami!" said Tenya as he marked him present in the binder. "Please take to your seat. I have been informed that the teachers will be running a little late today, so –"

"DANG IT, GLASSES! I SAID WAIT TILL EVERYONE ELSE IS HERE!" Katsuki interrupted again and broke the spell of silence in the class as the two began to bicker back and forth.

"I see that madness continues to be the order of the day," Fumikage said nonchalantly, watching Tenya and Katsuki argue with each other. "In short...nothing new."

"Mister Fumi!"

Silence filled the room once again as everyone turned their attention to Eri. All of them were shocked to see the little girl was not only calling for Fumikage but raising her arms up like she had done to Tsuyu moments earlier. Given how much Eri had avoided Fumikage when she first arrived, even as she grew comfortable with most people here. Fumikage simply was one of the few Eri couldn't bond with...until now.

"Eri?" Fumikage was taken aback by her unexpected presence and the fact that she did not show an ounce of fear in her eyes looking at him. Like Tsuyu before him, he looked toward Eri's guardians and was unsure what to do now. And unlike Tsuyu, he wasn't one for public displays of affection but changed when seeing Eri's determined face and seeing that she seemed to no longer fear him.

"Midoriya, Uraraka...may I?" He ultimately asked, unsure of himself. Izuku and Ochako both turned to look at each other with a hint of hesitation this time.

"Only if you're okay with it," Izuku answered, while Ochako nodded. With their approval, Tsuyu lifted Eri by her armpits and presented her to Fumikage. The bird-headed boy reached for Eri, only for the girl to embrace him as she did to Tsuyu.

"Thank you, Mister Fumi!" Unlike Tsuyu, Eri didn't whisper this time. Her voice rang out clear for everyone to hear.

Most of the class, including Kyouka, couldn't help but say, "Awwww...!"

Fumikage shot out a murderous glare at everyone, instantly silencing them. Thankfully, Eri was busy still hugging him to notice the face the raven-headed boy made, but that still didn't stop Tsuyu from commenting.

"So adorable, ribbit."

"Revelry in Dark," Fumikage muttered under his breath, his visible skin glowing slightly pink with embarrassment. Like Tsuyu, Kyouka could almost feel the guilt radiating off of Fumikage. His heartbeat paced at a slow, steady rate. "Please...forgive my weakness, Eri," she heard him whisper while awkwardly rubbing Eri's back.

Another pang of guilt shot through Kyouka. Usually, she would be able to tune out of such things to avoid getting into other people's business. However, thanks to everyone focusing on Eri's interactions, the lack of ambient noise only made her attempts to ignore them more demanding, thanks to her advanced hearing.

Finally, once Eri seemed satisfied, she was returned to her surrogate parents. They soon returned to their seats and left only Kyouka to hear the elevated heart rates of the two animal-like teens. As everyone settled and more people filled the classroom, it wasn't much longer when the final bell rang out, signaling the start of the school day. Thanks to Tenya's constant reminders, everyone expected that Midnight would not arrive for a few more minutes, but she wasn't the only one.

It took a moment for the class to realize that two of their fellow classmates hadn't arrived yet.

"Mineta, has either Kaminari or Kasei contacted you?" Tenya asked after double-checking the attendance list. Almost everyone turned their attention to Minoru, who was already on his phone.

"Nope," he answered, looking up from his phone, somewhat concerned that his two friends weren't here yet. "But I can call or text them to see what's going on!"

Tenya hummed in response, raising his hand to his chin, thinking of what to do next. "Normally, I would not condone phone usage during class, but seeing as we are dealing with unusual circumstances, please do at this time."

Minoru began his calls with Tenya's approval. "I'll call Kaminari first," he said, putting the phone to his ear. After a minute or two, the short boy hung up. "No dice, I'll shoot him a text, and I'll call Kasei next."

"No need, Mineta," Everyone turned to see the door slide open, revealing a worn-out Ryu entering with a wide yawn. Jet-black hair was lightly peppered gray on the right side of his head, while his dulled golden eyes had dark bags under them. "I'm here."

"Kasei!" Tenya proclaimed as Ryu took his seat, marking the boy's tardiness on the sheet. "You are late!"

"Too loud, Iida," Ryu flinched and dropped his bag by his desk. "I overslept and missed my alarm this morning. Besides, Midnight isn't here yet...so yeah, class hasn't informally started! So, logically speaking, I'm not late to class."

"You are a Hero Course student, Kasei! You need to set an example and arrive on time!"

"Iida could have been on time if I ran down the halls. Do you want me to break the rules to get here on time, or not break the rules and arrive late?" Ryu replied with another yawn, hoping his logic would be enough to stump the tall robotic boy. Unfortunately for him, Tenya Iida was not one to be stumped easily.

"The simple solution would be to arrive here earlier to avoid doing either!" Tenya answered promptly with a few quick arm chops.

Ryu's only response was to plant his desk with his face groaning. "It's too early for this..."

Kyouka and a couple others couldn't help but laugh in agreement with the Fire-eater's answer.

"Papa," She turned her head towards Izuku. Amidst the laughter, Eri's whispered voice could still be heard as clear as day due to her quirk. "Can I speak with Mr. Kasei, too?"

"Umm...Not right now, but maybe we can...later," Izuku answered silently.

While Kyouka couldn't see Izuku's face from here, she could tell by his voice that there was some severe hesitation this time.

'That's weird...are Kasei and Midoriya on bad terms?' Kyouka wondered to herself as she turned to look at both Izuku and Ryu. The former was looking at Tenya with Eri sitting comfortably on his lap. At the same time, the latter was still face down on his desk, breathing heavily as if he was beyond exhausted.

It was common knowledge that Katsuki and Ryu would spat and often argue, almost like they were brothers. Yet, nothing so far suggested that Izuku and Ryu had issues with each other. Sure, they didn't hang out regularly, though that could be chalked up to Katsuki being part of Izuku's group. It's not like everyone actively talked to each other outside of established friend groups or teams.

'Actually, that's not completely true,' Kyouka realized after thinking about it.

Denki.

Denki was the outlier.

Denki tried to be friends with everyone in the class. It was perhaps one of the most notable things about the electric blond boy. However, Kyouka didn't have much time to ponder on the affairs of her classmates. The door slid open again, allowing Midnight to enter. Tenya promptly moved to take his seat while their homeroom teacher arrived at her podium.

"All rise!" Momo called out, making everyone rise from their seats. "Bow!"

"Good morning, Ms. Kayama!" They all greeted in unison, paying their respects to their teacher.

"Good morning, everyone," A worn-out Midnight sported a proud smile.

"Be seated!" Momo called out once more and allowed their teacher to continue.

"Sorry that our meeting took a little longer than expected," said Midnight as she looked over the attendance sheet and added a few papers. "Anyways, I hope Golden Week went well for you all..." She said with some hesitation, trying to be careful due to recent events.

"Now, I'm sure you all have already noticed, "she added, waving to Eri. "We have the return of our dear little Eri. How are you doing, sweetie?"

"Good, Ms. Kayama," Eri answered, imitating how everyone had greeted the teacher and waved back.

"I'm glad!" Midnight nodded in approval. "She'll be here only for the rest of the week. The same rules apply just like before. Any additional concerns should be addressed with Midoriya, understood?"

"Yes, Ms. Kayama," the remainder of the class answered together.

"Now that we have that covered, it's time for us to focus back on our studies. After all! The Sports Festival is fast approaching…."

Kyouka could feel the collective pulse of the class shift from cheerful thanks to seeing Eri looking happy. To collectively tensed up as they were reminded of such an important event. It was the main event to show off UA's Hero Course to all of Japan and beyond, so there was a lot of pressure on the whole class. For the freshman year group that survived a villain attack, expectations from the general public and heroes, in general, would be higher than usual.

"…which is why there will be a temporary shift in your class schedules to refocus on your quirk training and development."

Everyone, even the exhausted-looking Ryu, perked up at this change in her tone. Midnight was often far more playful and teasing, often filling announcements like these with innuendos and lewd jokes. But she seemed more serious and determined this time. Kyouka could pick up on the more subtle hints of her teacher's mannerisms.

'Something's going on...' Kyouka tried to see if she could gauge anything else from her teacher. 'And it's probably not good news.'

"Yes, Iida?"

Kyouka snapped out of her thoughts when Midnight called on Tenya's raised his hand.

"I am not sure if you noticed, but Kaminari is not here. We had Mineta try and contact him, but he did not answer," Tenya answered promptly.

"Oh, that's right," Midnight nodded in understanding. "I'm aware of his absence already, thanks to his guardian. He should be back later in the week."

"Ah, I see," Tenya answered, satisfied with her response.

"Now," Midnight continued looking over the rest of her class. "With our refocusing on the Sports Festival, there are also a few changes that the staff has decided to implement going forward."

"The first one is pushing back the next ranking evaluation due to the lack of new footage," she coughed awkwardly. That footage was supposed to be from their USJ training. "Instead, it will be held after the Sports Festival to ensure everyone has a fair chance for exposure."

'No... There's more to than just that,' Kyouka thought when noticing Midnight's unusual cardio rhythm. 'She's not lying, but she is hiding something...' Her advanced hearing could even pick up when someone was nervous or lyingalbeit, she was far from an expert in lie detection. She was sure that Midnight hid something related to the evaluation from the class.

What she was hiding was the real question.

"Next," Midnight continued shuffling to her next sheet. "There will be one significant change to the Sports Festival."

She paused to look over everyone's increasingly nervous expressions. "Going forward, except for the Hero Course and A-B Liaisons, all other courses will be permitted to decline participation in the Festival itself."

In an instant, the room went silent, not out of nervousness but out of confusion.

"Wait, I thought that was already the case?" Eijirou finally said, scratching the side of his forehead.

"Yeah, I thought the same thing, too," Hanta concurred, putting his hand to his chin, trying to remember the previous festivals he had watched online.

"Well, not exactly," Midnight awkwardly replied. "Before, the only course that was exempted from participation was Business. However, after a recent re-evaluation of the curriculum, it was decided that only the Hero Course and the Liaisons from General Studies would be mandated to participate. For everyone else, it is now voluntary."

"Considering that the festival is primarily aimed at Hero Course students. I don't see an issue with this," Kashiko commented, gently tapping on her desk with her fingers as she thought more about the subject.

"I imagine this will cause additional changes to the festival, correct?" Momo followed up, noting that a drastic change like that couldn't be the only shake-up for the competition. "Doing the math in my head, between all departments that were once mandated to participate. Classes 1-A through 1-H, that's about eight classes with twenty students each for a total of one hundred and sixty students. But now, under the new mandate, there would only be forty-two students who have to participate, a participation reduction of 73.75%."

"Whoa, talk about quick math," said Tōru, amazed by Momo's brainpower.

"Correct, and an excellent observation, Yaoyorozu," Midnight had a ghost of a sadistic smile. "We had a survey conducted to the other course via email during the holiday break. The projected results estimated that roughly four to six students would be willing to volunteer for the Festival now that it's no longer required."

"So even if we factored those possible participants, it would still be a difference of 71.25 to 70%," Tenya interjected by going off Momo's observation. "Still far below compared to the previous festivals."

'Whoa...' Kyouka almost recoiled by the sudden rush of Tenya's cardio rhythm. 'Outwardly calm, but internally pissed. Man, today is starting off so weird...'

"Indeed, hence the needed adjustment to your classwork as the competition among yourselves will only be greater!"

Everyone looked around, evaluating their positions as classmates, friends, and soon-to-be fellow competitors.

"With the delay of the evaluation, the other courses will be using their time to assist with both the set-up and participate in the festival in other ways," Midnight cautioned. "While we know that most will no longer be in the competition. You can bet that they will still have roles to play in the Festival to make it more exciting for everyone, be they participant or spectator."

Midnight shuffled to the next sheet from her stack of papers.

"And finally, I'm not sure if you've met Class 1-B's business liaison," she continued looking over her class. She could see some people knew the lass while others tried to remember who that was. "Well, despite being Class 1-B's liaison, she'll be conducting interviews* with each other at different times throughout the semester."

She paused when she saw a few hands go up.

"Sekigai?"

"Will we know when we'll be interviewed?"

"I'm unsure how Mikami plans to schedule her interviews," Midnight answered honestly. "But from the last liaison meeting, I know she plans to take turns between the classes. So if she starts with a 1-B student, her next interview will be a 1-A student and so on."

She paused to call out the next question. "Yes, Mineta?"

"So, will these interviews be public or private?"

"Private," she continued, knowing it was common for everyone to have something to keep quiet about. "The goals of these interviews range from preparing you all for a life in the public eye. However, the same could be said for teaching our journalism students. Mikami has been briefed on the expectations and conduct. And while the interviews will be available for public access once her team finishes editing, you will have a chance to see the final presentation before release. This will allow you to catch any hiccups and learn to correct them. Unfortunately, real-life interviews can go horribly wrong by things as minor as miscommunication."

Again, Midnight stopped to answer questions.

"Ojiro?"

"When it's our turn to be interviewed, will it be done during school, or will it be an after-school activity?" The young martial artist was concerned about missing class or training time.

"Ah, a fair concern," Midnight started off to reassure them. "Mikami will be conducting interviews when you have downtime, like on free days. With our refocus on the Sports Festival and the internships afterward, there will be more free days to get more Quirk training."

Several faces lit up at hearing that. After all, free training days were quickly becoming their favorite class days.

At last, the bell rang and signaled the end of the Homeroom period.

"Alright! That's all I have for homeroom today," Midnight declared as she double-checked her papers. "Standby for Mr. Yamada to begin the first period...Oh! Before I forget: Mineta, Kasei, I can see both outside the classroom for a moment?"

The two boys looked at each other before silently rising from their seats and following their teacher outside, leaving the remainder of Class 1-A wondering why they had been called on. Kyouka was one exception, ignoring the gossiping whispers in the classroom and straining to hear them outside.

"I'm afraid Kaminari had to be rushed to Saitama General Hospital over the weekend."

Kyouka sat frozen in her seat. 'What?'

Ironically both boys had the same reaction, only they had yelled it out, making everyone in class go quiet. This was perfectly fine for Kyouka, and it only made her listen easier.

"Keep it down, you two!" Midnight spoke low and was quick to keep them calm. Kyouka then heard the three walk away further from the door, which forced her to concentrate all her focus to keep listening.

"Damn, and we just saw him last Thursday," Ryu continued sounding concerned. "He looked fine..."

"How's he doing?" Minoru asked in a low voice.

"His uncle reported that he will make a full recovery but didn't go into details about his condition," Midnight reassured them. "Given that there might be homework assigned today, I was hoping that maybe one of you could deliver it to him?"

"It's kind of out of my way," Minoru replied, cursing himself. "I actually had a few things to take care of with my dad today..."

"Don't worry about it, Mineta. I'll take care of it," Ryu followed up, reassuring his friend. "I had already planned to go there for a different reason...so it won't be any trouble for me, ma'am."

'Kasei's was already going to...?'

"Oh, that's right...how is your father doing, Kasei?"

That's when Kyouka put the pieces together. By going off what Denki had told her and seeing the news of Overhaul's escape, Ryu's adopted father, Kai Doumeki, must be staying in the same hospital.

"He could be worse..." Ryu answered softly.

"Give him my best wishes," Midnight replied. "And on another note: your new costume is ready, Kasei, but it's still at the support department. Hatsume needs to double-check if it fits correctly."

Kyouka didn't need an advanced sense of hearing to hear the long, drawn-out groan from the fire-eater.

"Can I bring Iida along, then?" The boy retorted in annoyance, accompanied by Minoru's snickers. "Just so he can keep his girlfriend in check?

"It really shouldn't take long, Kasei," Midnight assured him. "Just head there during my art class, and it'll be done before you know it."


"I still can't believe he managed to pull this off," Hitoshi muttered in disbelief as he walked alongside Reiko. They were heading towards the cafeteria after dropping off a series of forms in their lockers. They had just finished a quick impromptu meeting with Eraserhead to look over their progress and new expectations with the recent developments on the Sports Festival.

After training with Alex during the holiday, both liaisons felt like they had rapidly leveled up. And yet, there were still some lingering self-doubts between them and hesitation if it would even be enough for the Festival. As the only non-hero course students were mandated to participate in, they were more pressured to show off what they had to offer. And that wasn't even the worst or best part – despite not even being at the school. It turns out that their foreign-exchange mentor had left them with quite a surprise that Eraserhead was quick to inform them. A colossal bombshell dropped on their laps with a narrow window of opportunity for them to act.

"Leave it to the American to keep us on our toes," Reiko commented sarcastically. She could easily picture the grin on Alex's face if he had seen their reaction to his gift.

It didn't take long for the two to arrive at the cafeteria. Unfortunately, the two had found themselves near the end of the line since they underestimated the distance from the lockers and everyone's other hungry appetites. Even with the long line, the wait wasn't nearly as long as Lunch Rush had plenty of helpers from the Business Course to speed things along. All the better for them to collect their food and discuss the finer details of their immediate future.

"Any ideas on what you'd like to have?" Hitoshi asked as he collected his food in hand. He was sure that Alex's little surprise was just another test to see if they could adapt to the limited time they were given as he had been training them to do.

"I had a general design in mind," Reiko answered as she grabbed her own tray and started following him to an empty table away from everyone else. "But our training with Spring has given me some new ideas to try out. How about you?"

"Same thing; I had an initial idea. But our training completely reshaped all my original plans," Hitoshi admitted as the two arrived at a secluded table away from everyone else.

"But..." With a rare grin growing on his face, he added, "We can't disappoint him now, right?

After all, the two were hungry to prove they had what it took to become Hero Course students.

"Indeed," Reiko answered with a small smile. "Now, let's finish lunch quickly. We have much to discuss, like our approach to the Festival itself."

Hitoshi nodded in agreement as the two began to enjoy their meal. It was nice to enjoy the simple silence away from everyone else -especially from some of the more annoying classmates from General Studies. At least that was the plan until Hitoshi felt a gentle, rhythmic tapping on his shoulder. It was one of the many signals the two had developed during their training with Alex, using her Quirk to communicate silently.

He looked up from his half-eaten hamburg steak to look at Reiko's blank face as he slowly decoded her message.

'Trouble incoming, on your right.'

From the corner of Hitoshi's eyes, he saw two individuals moving toward them. When they got close enough, he realized they were from Class 1-B, and one of them was their vice-president.

'Oh great...what the hell does he want?' Hitoshi wondered. He personally was starting to find the guy insufferable after seeing him try to manipulate more and more of the General Studies students.

"Ah...I was wondering where you two were seated," said Shino Mizuoji, trying to greet the two liaisons like old friends. "I have been trying to speak with both of you for a while now. Unfortunately, you –"

"We need to be quick, Mizuoji," Kosei interrupted, looking over his shoulder nervously. "Kamakiri and Monoma can only keep Kendou busy for so long."

"We are just here to have a chat, Tsuburaba," Shino waved it off dismissively before focusing his attention on their liaisons. The boy pulled up a chair and placed it next to their table. Once seated, he leaned forward, planting his elbows on the table and getting perhaps a little too close for their comfort.

"There's nothing wrong with just having a small chat, right?" he looked back at this companion. "You can go back him up if you feel so inclined."

Kosei nodded as he left, leaving the three alone.

"My apologies," Shino's attention returned to the two silent liaisons, who had simply continued eating when he had been occupied. He tried to be polite and waited for them to finish, but to his annoyance, the two seemed to be intentionally eating slower than before.

Finally, he cleared his throat. Given his limited time, he had no choice but to force his hand. "Anyways, as I was saying. I have wanted to speak with both of you in private for quite some time now. But it seems like you have been avoiding the rest of your friends in General Studies."

"We're not exactly in the business of making friends," Hitoshi flatly answered before taking a sip of his iced tea.

"Especially with those who wish to take our spots," Reiko added as she finished her meal. "Best to keep our distance, lest they attempt sabotage against us."

"Fair, fair," Shino responded with a knowing nod. "Everyone in the General Studies would be rivals for your liaison spots. Just how you are competing for our spots in the Hero Course."

"Indeed," Reiko began cleaning her tray. "Hence our desire to maintain our distance."

"About that," Shino responded, gesturing with his hands open. "I wish to change the nature of our relationship that could benefit all of us, especially with the Sports Festival coming up. This includes ensuring both of you get promoted to the Hero Course, so you would no longer be our rivals and, instead, be colleagues."

The two liaisons shifted in their seats, focusing on the regal, golden-eyed boy. There was a moment of silence that Shino hoped was acceptance. Hitoshi felt another set of invisible taps on his shoulder.

'Play along?'

He answered by gently tapping on the table with his right index finger; while his left held up his face.

'Yes.'

"And how do you plan on doing this, Mizuoji?" Hitoshi asked in a low voice. "After all, the only way for that to happen is if two Hero Course students left and their spots open for us to take over."

"Meaning they would have to leave willingly, get demoted, expelled, or die," Reiko interjected as her eyes narrowed slightly. "All four being quite uncommon occurrences, all things considered."

Shino sat straight, no longer smiling, as it was time for him to get to the core of his concerns.

"Simple: you help me get rid of a certain problem."

Hitoshi felt Reiko's invisible taps again, and he answered by nodding toward Shino. Yet, the latter, however, took it as a sign to continue.

"The staff here at school have...foolishly allowed for a very dangerous individual to remain here at UA."

"You mean Midoriya, right?" Hitoshi quickly answered and hoped that Reiko was on top of things.

Shino chuckled, "I did not even have to say who the problem is anymore. But the beast is not our only problem," Shino added as his face became incensed. "Listen..." He took in a deep breath. "A hero is supposed to protect people, right? No matter the cost?"

The two nodded in agreement.

"And sometimes, to protect people, a hero would need to put themselves at great risk," Shino continued as his hands began to tremble. "Be it physically, mentally, or even socially, a true hero should be ready to risk everything to ensure the people are safe."

Hitoshi and Reiko couldn't help but remember Alex's words; regarding his actions that resulted in his career ending in Japan.

"I've already killed someone, Shinsou. I did it to save one of my juniors who was about to be killed by an A-rank villain. And what was my reward? I was humiliated and stripped of the career path, despite working my ass off to get here! And you know what?! If I had to make the same choice all over again, knowing where I would end up, I would do it all over again. Because in the end, a proper hero should always put others before themselves while on duty."

"I truly believe he is a threat to everyone here," Shino continued explaining as his hands fidgeted out of anxiety. "Yet, we also have the idiots in 1-A covering for him." The boy's hands stopped fidgeting, tensing up as he shook his head.

"None of them are aware of the real danger they – no, we – are in, despite witnessing the insane beast in action." He added with a growl, looking up at the two.

"Inaction allowed Draco Knight to cause that nightmare six years ago. I will not allow a repeat of that, especially when I can do something about it," Shino added with a shudder.

"And as prospective heroes, shouldn't we be doing everything possible to stop all threats, especially if we can prevent another calamity? If this beast lost control and killed one or more of us, would you be able to live with that?"

Hitoshi took in a deep breath. They had learned that Izuku Midoriya could be a real threat thanks to his quirk's berserker feature. Alex didn't even hide that he and the rest of the Big Five had once had to devise a plan to safely contain Izuku if he had ever gone berserk during training. This meant Shino wasn't exactly wrong about the possible threat Izuku posed to all of them at school.

"So, what exactly is your point? What is it that you want from us?" Reiko asked. Outside their view, she had stealthily pulled out her cell phone from her pocket, recording the audio under the table.

"We know that you've basically mobilized most, if not all, of the first-year General Studies students in a campaign against him," Hitoshi said bluntly. Despite his personal reservations regarding Izuku. He still didn't appreciate what he saw as an organized form of bullying, compounded by the fact it was due to his quirk. "I don't take kindly to the idea of quirk discrimination."

"Call it what you will," Shino answered straightforwardly. "There is a difference between those who have complete control of their powers," he said, narrowing his own eyes at Hitoshi with a knowing glance. "And choosing to still be good and proper people. Then you have those with good intentions but without being able to keep their powers in check."

'The road to hell is often paved with good intentions...' Thanks to Alex, the familiar British pre-quirk era proverb rang in Hitoshi's mind.

"I'd argue the same could be said regarding your own actions," Reiko countered. "You have good intentions, yet who is to say you're not leading your own followers straight to Hell. You could easily take us down with you since you want our assistance with your plan."

"Now here is the onion," Shino retorted with a sad smile, opening his hands almost as if he was surrendering. "I am not asking anything of you."

Hitoshi blinked in confusion. "But you just said..."

"I know what I said," Shino interrupted, looking right into Hitoshi's eyes. "That is the nice thing about my plan. You do not need to do anything at all."

"Oh...so you simply want us to not interfere with your plans," Reiko concluded. It all made sense; they knew General Studies had been concocting a few methods to protest Izuku Midoriya's presence at school. Thanks to the recent update earlier today, the threat to boycott the Sports Festival was instantly quelled.

So this meant they were planning something else.

"Indeed," Shino admitted. He was calming down, yet his voice was still bitter. "Mind you, that was supposed to begin today. However, with that child the beast is fostering here, I made sure no one would act until she was out of the picture. I will not allow her to get caught up in a bigger mess than she is already in."

"Yet, this raises another question," Hitoshi followed up."You said that your plan would open up two spots. Yet, everything I've heard up to this point only mentions getting rid of Midoriya. Who else is on your shit list?"

Shino closed his eyes as he inhaled deeply.

"Despite believing that Class 1-A are nothing more than morons for accepting such a dangerous creature into their midst. 1-A is still full of solid hero candidates that I would rather not sacrifice their futures. Or at least apart from that disgusting purple goblin, of course. I suspect any of the beast's friends might be forced to exit if they truly feel strongly about his future departure. However, I am also not delusional and quite aware of my actions. Despite my intentions, I will have to face the consequences." He leaned back and finally opened his golden eyes.

"The second spot would be my own," he admitted hesitantly. The two liaisons hid their shock but were surprised by his answer. "I was born with the luxury of coming from wealth. I am more than aware that I have privileges that most do not. This includes being able to face expulsion** without it ruining my life."

Shino finally relaxed as he leaned forward, placing his elbow on the table again with his hands in front of him.

"As I said before, I believe a true hero should be willing to risk everything to protect people. I wanted to be a hero, to prevent another calamity like the Draco Knight incident six years ago from ever happening again. And lo and behold, destiny has placed his son, another catalyst of calamity, within my reach. I will do as I swore to do. If the beast is removed from UA, my goal is completed. I will be more than willing to voluntarily vacate my spot or, in the likely case I am caught, will face expulsion directly. Either way that would leave two spots open for you to take; that is, my plans have to work for that to happen."

There was a long silence between the three, except for a couple silent taps between Hitoshi and Reiko. Finally, Hitoshi broke the silence.

"What exactly did you have in mind?" Hitoshi asked as his eyes honed in on Shino's.

"If I answer that, it would make you an acces –" Shino's words trailed out as his face became blank as Hitoshi activated his power.

"Finally," said Reiko with some annoyance. "So, what should we do now?"

"I'm working on getting what else I can get out of him right now," Hitoshi replied, making sure not to break eye contact with his target. As his Quirk slowly began to pierce through Shino's mind.

"What about this?" Reiko questioned as she stopped recording audio and made sure it was saved.

There was a lot of risk in carrying this audio file. On the one hand, it was evidence against Shino that the school could use to make a case against him. However, their recording without his consent was still illegal and carried its own share of risks. Especially against someone who came from money and was able to afford lawyers that could probably sue them into oblivion.***

"I'm not sure," Hitoshi admitted as he honed in within the boy's mind. He could see bits and pieces.**** His powers didn't let him read the mind of those he gathered under his influence per se. Instead, it was more akin to using a very limited search engine that could let him collect surface-level thoughts. Unfortunately, this aspect of his Quirk was far more taxing than his usual basic possession commands. It was far easier for someone with a strong will to fight back and even leak into his own thoughts if he wasn't careful enough.

'Izuku Midoriya, several general ed students, pranks,' it was the best he could make out as Shino's willpower struggled to regain control. 'Fear, expulsion, villains...Draco Knight...' Hitoshi suddenly felt something strange. There was something else there, deep within his mind, as the subject of Draco Knight appeared. Still, whatever it was, Shino was guarding it fiercely.

However, there was one thing he could determine: Shino was being completely honest about giving up his own spot in the hero course. Despite how distasteful it seemed, the amount of conviction regarding his plan was substantial enough that even Hitoshi had difficulty disagreeing. Unfortunately, his Quirk timed out as Shino's mind began to leak into his own, risking his own secrets.

"Damn," Hitoshi muttered as he blinked and quickly relaxed as he was previously sat as he let Shino go from his influence.

"–sory…" Shino blinked as he shook his head, only to look at Hitoshi, puzzled. The Mind Binder spoke up as if nothing had happened.

"You're right..." Hitoshi answered with a sagely nod before giving Reiko a silent signal with a gentle side-tap of his feet to hers.

"Look, I can't say we agree with your actions, but you make some good points. So for right now, we'll take a wait-and-see approach," Hitoshi added as Reiko nodded.

"We won't interfere unless you end up hurting others. Then all bets are off," she said before looking away from him.

Shino still looked confused but knew he had to cut the conversation short after checking the time.

"Agreed," he replied as he rose up from his seat, shaking his confused head. "Now, if you would please excuse me."

"Did we make the right move?" Reiko questioned as she watched the regal teen walk away.

"I don't know," Hitoshi answered as he was left pondering.

"There is no question in my mind that he believes he's doing the right thing. The question now is how things play out. Regardless of the outcome, we'll be in a place to intervene if either side goes too far," he added, looking at his partner. "Even heroes have to go hide in the shadows, especially those of us, to plan to work in the underbelly of life."


"So, you finally going to explain why you decided to come along with me, Jirou?" Ryu asked quietly with a teasing smirk as the two made a quick pit stop near Saitama General Hospital. The school day came and went without incident, but Ryu was surprised that Kyouka had asked to come along out of the blue when he made his way to the train station.

"What? Can't I visit a sick classmate?" She retorted with a light blush across her face while trying to compare two different bento boxes while her earjacks fidgeted together. "I'm just doing what you're doing, too."

For Kyouka Jirou, the decision to follow Ryu to visit Denki was impulsive. Still, she couldn't help but worry about the electric blond hero-in-training. Unfortunately for her, her cellphone battery died shortly after sending a text to her parents letting them know about her after-school plans, leaving her at the mercy of Ryu's questions after their quiet yet crowded train ride here.

"Well, the only people who knew that I was visiting Kaminari were Midnight and Mineta," Ryu shook his head in amusement as he selected a few items from the shelf. "Which confirms two things about you: one, you just confirmed that you have super hearing, which leads to two, you're an eavesdropper."

"Shut up!" Kyouka snapped, only to drop her head as she drew the attention of other customers.

"I...I didn't mean to do it on purpose," she sighed. "It just seemed messed up that he'd only be getting one visitor. I mean, you got two when you were out of commission, right?"

"Alright, alright, calm down," said Ryu as he double-checked his phone. "You almost done? Because I am," he added, carrying two different bento boxes, one significantly bigger and more expensive than the other, alongside other snacks and a couple drinks.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm just checking if there's a discount special for any of these," Kyouka answered in an annoyed tone. "Money's a bit tight for me."

"Ah, to hell with it. Just get what you want. I'm buying," said Ryu, not having the patience or time to deal with the stubborn lass. "I'd rather get this done sooner than later."

"You sure about that?" Kyouka questioned, raising a suspicious eyebrow.

"Ease up, Jirou," Ryu retorted flatly, rolling his eyes. "Don't get the wrong idea. Just like I'm paying back Kaminari for the snacks he got me while I was out. This is me paying you back for the money you spent for the fish catching game for Maki."

"Alright then," Kyouka answered with a smirk, grabbing one of the more expensive bento boxes and a bottle of pricey green tea.

'Fucking tsunderes, I swear...' Ryu thought, shaking his head while suppressing a snort. 'But if it'll make him feel better knowing his type of girl is visiting.'

Once Ryu promptly paid for the food without issue. The two continued towards the hospital's main entrance with their goodies on hand. After a few minutes of awkward silence within the sterile white walls and feeling guilty about her earlier attitude, Kyouka finally spoke up.

"Thanks, Kasei."

"Don't worry about it. I said I had it covered," said Ryu as they walked towards the reception desk.

"Hello," His voice became soft and polite towards the receptionist on duty. "Two visitor's passes, please." A few moments later, the two found themselves well towards Denki's room with their passes on hand.

Once they entered the elevator, Kyouka continued where they left off.

"Hey...How are your siblings doing? Since Kaminari's sick, I figured you might want to check up on them."

"They're doing alright," Ryu answered casually as a warm smile grew on his face. "Kaminari's condition isn't something that could be spread around, so there was no chance of that happening."

"Oh, okay. That's good to hear," Kyouka replied with a sigh of relief. "Maki's a good kid."

"They're all good kids," Ryu swiftly corrected her with the slightest hint of annoyance.

"Sorry," Kyouka apologized, caught off-guard by his sudden defensiveness. "I only really knew Maki."

"No..." Ryu quickly reiterated, shaking his head as he realized his mistake. "You're right. I'm...I'm just really protective about all of them."

"They really do mean that much to you, huh?" She could instantly see a myriad of emotions going through Ryu's face. The elevator stopped, and the doors opened to their floor when his expression settled with a sad smile.

"They're my whole world," Ryu admitted as he took a few steps into the hall. His golden eyes reflected the afternoon sun peeking through the window, making them shine even brighter. "I'd do just anything for them."

"I grew up an only child," She was becoming a little envious of Ryu as they quietly made their way toward their final destination. "I always wondered what life would have been like if I had a sibling."

"It's not all fun and games, that's for sure," he said as his smile disappeared, stopping in front of Denki's door. 'Especially when the world conspires against you every step of the way.'

Kyouka paused and felt Ryu's body rhythm change as he said those words. "What do you mean by that?"

Ryu looked at her as he placed a hand on the door latch. "Don't worry about it for now," he said as a smile returned to his face, but his rhythm did not. "We got a friend to visit."

That said, Ryu opened the door to find Denki in a medical robe, playing a game on his cell phone. The electric blond looked up from his game as a smile instantly grew on his face.

"Hey, dude!" Denki exclaimed happily.

"I see you're feeling better already, Kaminari," Ryu responded as he lifted the bag with the food. "You ready for a real meal?"

"Hell yeah!" Denki answered as he dropped his phone and extended his arms out for his bento with excitement. "The food here isn't the worst, but man, I needed some real grub, y'know?"

Ryu handed him the smaller of the two bento boxes, some candy, and a bottle of lemonade, only to notice that Kyouka hadn't entered the room yet. The girl appeared frozen in embarrassment behind the open door, just out of Denki's view. Ryu had to suppress the instant urge to roar a massive ball of fire out of frustration.

'FUCKING TSUNDERES! I SWEAR TO HORIKOSHI!" Ryu became increasingly annoyed with the girl's actions. Thankfully, Denki was busy stuffing his face with food to notice the fire-eater's peeved expression.

"Mineta's sorry that he couldn't make it," Ryu continued as he relaxed against the wall and a devious smile grew on his face. He wouldn't allow her to remain off the hook for now.

"Yeah, he texted me and let me know what's up," Denki shrugged after taking a sip from his sour beverage. "Sucks, but it happens. I can't blame the guy not being able to come along."

"Yeah..." said Ryu as he glanced over to Kyouka, managing to make eye contact with her. "Such a shame he couldn't come up, but that doesn't mean I came alone," he added, leaning his head forward as he gave her one last chance to step in before outing her outright.

"Huh? Who else is here?" Denki questioned, turning his attention to the door that had been left ajar. After realizing she couldn't hide any longer, Kyouka stepped into the room looking embarrassed.

"Hey, Kaminari..." Kyouka started off, avoiding Ryu's deadpan stare. "Glad your feeling better..."

"WHOA, JIROU?!" Denki yelled out in surprise. "WHAT, WHY, HO –"

"Too loud!" Kyouka snapped, putting a finger to her lips and closing the door behind her quickly. "You'll get us kicked out!"

"Oh shit! Yeah, sorry!" Denki quickly sobered up while laughing nervously. "I'm just surprised to see you here!"

"Well, someone had to make sure you didn't somehow make things worse for yourself," Kyouka retorted sarcastically as she pulled up a seat. "So, you okay?" She added, trying to shift the conversation away from her embarrassment.

"Oh! I'm good," Denki replied while gently patting the lower right side of his abdomen.

"Apparently, my appendix decided to go rogue and tried to kill me," he explained with a pained smile. "Phew...I didn't think it would hurt so much! But I was in and out of surgery pretty quick."

"How did that happen?"

"I'm not sure," Denki replied, deep in thought. "I asked the surgeon before I went under, and apparently, there are a bunch of reasons for an appendix to get kill-happy. From physical trauma to an infection to nothing at all! Either way, I'm feeling way better now!"

"That's good," Ryu interjected as he opened up his backpack to give Denki his homework for the day. "You didn't miss out on much. Fortunately, the workload is light since they want us to focus on the Sports Fest."

"Nice, so I didn't miss out on any fun hero classes today?" Denki asked as he put aside his food for a moment and started to review today's English homework. "Covering Poe today? Tokoyami must have been having a field day during Present Mic's class."

"No, Midnight said we'll start tackling the next lesson with All Might on Wednesday," Kyouka answered as she opened her own bento box. "And Mister 'Revelry in Dark' was in a better mood than usual."

"Nice. I'm getting discharged tomorrow, so I won't miss out on the fun," Denki replied with a chuckle. He finished looking over his schoolwork and returned to his meal, only to notice that Ryu had returned to his spot against the wall and hadn't started on his own food. "Not hungry yet, dude?"

"Huh?" Ryu looked confused before following Denki's eyes toward the larger bento box still in the plastic bag. "Oh...that."

He looked up at the ceiling, "That actually reminds me of the other reason I'm here for," he stood up straight and grabbed the bag. "I'll be back in a bit. You'll keep Kaminari entertained, right Jirou?"

"Hey! Where are you going?" A fierce blush grew on his friend while Denki remained oblivious.

Ryu stopped by the door and turned to look at the two with a somber look on his face.

"To see how my..."Ryu's voice trailed off momentarily, "...father is doing."

"Oh yeah," Denki cleared his throat awkwardly. "Give him my best, and I hope he gets better soon!"


"Again, I won't be gone long. Watch my bag, will ya?" Ryu finished up and left the tsundere and the idiot behind.

The walk to Kai Doumeki's hospital room was uneventful until he got onto the floor where he was currently housed. Due to the many causalities of the Overhaul transport team, hospital management had decided to admit every injured officer to their own dedicated wing. Because of this, the police top brass decided to include a team of fully armed and armored SWAT officers guarding the door of every room in the hallway as a show of force. The sole exception was Kai's room, which had two officers guarding the entrance to his room.

None of the guards bothered to stop him as the young man made his way silently down the hall. Hell, they actually saluted him upon realizing who he was, adopted or not. Any family member of Kai Doumeki was instantly treated with complete and total respect by the man's subordinates, even though it made him uncomfortable considering the circumstances. In the end, Ryu simply nodded in acknowledgment, unsure that it was even appropriate to return the gesture.

Instead, he focused on keeping an unexpected promise he had made to his adopted father.

Ryu slowly opened the door and instantly flinched at sight. Where Denki's room had been brightly lit with plenty of background noise. Kai's room was dimmed in contrast with the only noise being made: the ventilator and heart monitor working to keep the giant frame of Kai Doumeki alive. The man was as silent as the grave, heavily bandaged with small splotches of dark red blood visible under the heavy layers of gauze and plaster.

However, the worst part was the other occupant in the room.

For the whole time Ryu had known Saya Doumeki, she had always managed to light up the room with a bright smile. The woman could easily project the presence of serene calm that could force him to lower his emotional and physical guard. Unfortunately, it seemed like that spark was lost. Saya's figure was downcast and silent; her clothes had become disheveled, as she hadn't been home since Kai was admitted. She remained seated next to Kai, gently holding her husband's left hand.

As Ryu got closer, Saya looked up as she finally picked up his presence, not realizing that he had even entered the room. Despite her tired, doe-like eyes that were red-rimmed from tears and the lack of sleep, Saya managed a small smile upon seeing him.

"Hello, Hisashi," She asked in a weary, fake cheery voice. "How was school?"

Ryu took a step back in surprise as his eyes widened. There was a long awkward pause between the two. Finally, Saya began to narrow her eyes at him in confusion after a moment.

"Umm... Mrs. Doumeki?" Ryu asked with a grim look on his face. "Are you okay?"

Saya blinked for a moment, then she stopped to rub the sleep from her eyes and looked back at the young fire-eater. "Oh...I'm sorry, Ryu," she said with embarrassment. "I...I haven't been sleeping well, and I got confused there for a moment."

"It's okay," Ryu answered, gently looking away. "School was alright, a bit boring but considering recent events, I'd say that's an improvement," he added to lighten the mood.

To his dismay, Saya's face only seemed to darken.

'FUCK!' Ryu mentally chided himself for his poor choice of words. 'Leave the comedy to Kaminari! You're not funny like he is!'

Realizing his mistake, Ryu was quick to change topics and hoped this would remedy some concerns.

"Here, I got you something," he presented Saya with a large fancy Bento box.

"Oh!" Saya squeaked in surprise at the large meal as a visible pained look of hunger appeared on her face. Ryu had a feeling she hadn't been eating or sleeping well. The poor lady must have been famished given her quirk's side-effect of burning calories beyond an average human.

"I hope you like it. You know, Mr. Doumeki would want to keep your strength up," He added with a small smile as he handed the food to Saya. "You don't want to worry him when he wakes now, right?"

Saya opened the box and was amazed by the contents; this was one of the more expensive and filling bentos available. However, fresh tears ran down her face before even Saya started eating. Ryu felt his heart sink as he watched his adopted mother begin to cry again, making Ryu almost go into panic mode.

"W-w-what's wrong?" He asked, confused by the reaction. "Did I get you the wrong food? I could go get another one and eat that one if –" he was cut off by Saya shaking her head.

"I'm sorry, Ryu," Saya managed to say between sniffs. "I should be home, making sure you're being taken care of...instead; you've been taking care of me."

"Mrs. Doumeki..."

"I've...no," Saya continued reaching for her husband's hand again. "We've wanted a child for so long, and now when we finally have one...I'm not prioritizing you like I should be doing. Adopted or not, that's not fair to you. I'm...I'm a failure as a mother."

Ryu bit his lip as Saya continued to break down. He was unsure what to do at the moment. The Fire Eater was starting to get sweaty and anxious, barely being able to control his own breathing. Since he had repeatedly tried and failed repeatedly to comfort her. He almost felt like running, as everything he had done up to this point had only caused her more pain.

'Reach out...It's okay...'

'It is really?'

'She's pain. As strong as she is, she's still a gentle soul.'

'I've fucked up this interaction twice now! I...I don't want to keep hurting her.'

'Remember how you and Takuya first bonded? Be brave and step up as you've done before.'

Ryu took a deep breath to calm himself. He was thinking carefully about his next set of actions before finally opening his eyes. With renewed determination, Ryu walked up to Saya and, without a word, gave her a warm and gentle hug.

"And I've been a failure as a son."

He instantly heard Saya's breath hitch up in shock. Ryu had never tried any attempt at physical affection toward her. He had always reserved that for his foster siblings.

"No, sweetie...you've been –"

"I've always been more independent, even before knowing you," Ryu interrupted softly. "You've seen how I am with my siblings. I've almost always been the caretaker, not the one being taken care of," He sighed.

"Yet when I was injured after the USJ attack. You took care of me for most of the time I had been recovering," he added with some embarrassment, as it was difficult to admit.

"I don't think I've ever even thanked you for that...and for everything else you've been doing for me."

Saya was surprised but found herself smiling. Ryu was finally opening up like she had hoped he would do for a long time, and given everything, she thought she would have to wait much longer.

"I don't know anything about my biological mother, and I've never known what a mother's love is. But I can say for sure that I've been fortunate to have yours this past year," Ryu confessed as he felt Saya's arms wrapped around him. "And yet, I've been aloof, stubborn, and dare I say...reckless," he laughed nervously.

"I've only been in this family for a little over a year. While you've been married to Mr. Doumeki for over twenty-five. I can't blame you for prioritizing him. It just makes sense."

"It's still not fair to you, sweetie," Saya managed to say between sniffs. "I should still be there for you. The house must feel so empty with you there by yourself."

"I'm still learning about what family really means," Ryu continued as he felt warm tears stain his left shoulder. "The only family I've really known is those between siblings. The concept of parents is still…foreign to me, but I know that love and support go both ways," as those words left his mouth, he looked up at Kai's comatose body.

"Right now, both of you are the ones who need support. And that's why I am here for both of you...when you need me. I'll handle things at home. I can take care of your normal chores and even make dinner," Ryu offered with a chuckle. "I'm not the greatest cook, but I can make a whip up a mean curry and still try learning other things. Please come back home and take care of yourself for when he wakes up."

"Thank you...my dear son," Saya said breathlessly as her body finally relaxed. As the two broke apart, Ryu was relieved to see Saya was in better spirits as the smile she carried wasn't like the false one from the beginning of their meeting.

"Regardless...I promise to do better," she added with a more determined look.

"And...I swear to do the same," Ryu answered back in kind with a smile of his own.

'Damn...that actually worked!'

'Told you.'

"Oh! I just remembered!" Saya suddenly spoke up, making Ryu almost jump. She gently replaced the lid of the bento box and placed it aside, and reached for her purse tucked beside her seat. It took her only a moment to open and rummage through it and another to pull out a long thin dark blue box.

"Here..." Saya added as she handed the box to him. "Kai and I had planned to give this to you when he returned."

Ryu accepted it, not wanting to disrupt Saya's improved mood. He was surprised to find a long silver necklace, accompanied by a round silver medallion with the kanji for 'Heart' etched on it as he opened it. Ryu looked up in surprise as he removed the elegant piece from his container and inspected it.

"I had wanted you to have something after one year of living with us, but at the time, I didn't have a clue on what to give you," Saya explained as she placed her purse down and reached for her food. "I didn't want to give anything too gaudy or anything that didn't carry meaning. I wanted to make sure you had something you could keep close to you."

Ryu was speechless. He wasn't exactly the type of person who would wear jewelry or accessories and couldn't care less about status symbols. Yet just like Saya said, it was a simple necklace, nothing that screamed expensive or overdone.

"It was Kai who suggested a straight silver necklace, but I added what I think is the most important part. Could you please open the locket?"

Ryu looked confused as he inspected the medallion again, only to discover the tiniest latch confirming that this was more than just a medallion piece. It took a moment for Ryu to gingerly grab and open the tiny, silvered door with his short nails. However, it was worth it once he discovered what was inside.

A picture.

The recent one that Ryu had recently made his new lock screen after his latest visit to his foster siblings after the Golden Week festivities. Ryu bit his lip again, this time feeling tears of his own well up in his eyes.

"I know it might still be too soon for you," Saya continued as she managed to wipe the last of the tears from her face. "But I was hoping when your father recovers...if we could take a family portrait? So far, I've only had pictures of just you and you and the kids. But if you're up for it, I'd like to have a couple of all of us together one day. One you can carry alongside the other."

The Fire-eater inhaled deeply, slowly regaining control of his emotions. There was a lot for him to process, and it didn't help with a fair amount of guilt that was starting to gnaw at him. There was so much Saya still didn't know about him: the circumstances of why he was really here, why he was a part of this family, all the lies that allowed him to serve as a spy. And yet here he was, growing closer and only making his original mission harder. Saya didn't know that there was a very good chance that one way or another, she would have her heart broken by him and her husband if she learned the truth.

Despite his wants and guilt, he couldn't afford to fail yet.


"Yeah...we could do that someday. When I'm ready."

For Izuku Midoriya, most of today had gone by pleasantly, save for the occasional passing stares and gossiping whispers from others in the student body. The day had been rather dull, but seeing Eri being so much more open to everyone in the class had made it worthwhile. He should have been over the moon, and earnestly was, until he had gone to his locker at the end of the school day, where he found a couple letters waiting for him.

'I knew this was bound to happen,' Izuku thought sadly as he reviewed the letters in his room. 'I'm just glad I managed to hide it this time.'

Their contents were all too familiar with threats and hateful rants reminding him of his days in elementary school. It wasn't their fault, as only a handful of people knew the absolute truth about the event his father had been framed for.

'At least no one is trying to beat me up this time, so I'd say this is a step up from before,' Izuku chuckled. There was one silver lining about these letters; none were romantic confessions, not that he was expecting them. But considering his future date with Ochako, the last thing he wanted was a complicated, one-sided affair to mess things up with the mistress of gravity. Yet, he feared that these letters would spread, which led to the chance that others in his class had received them. 'I don't want anyone to be dragged into my mess again...not like Kacchan did...'

Izuku finally discovered that Katsuki - and by extension, Fumikage – had been probational students this whole time and had only been released from probation today. He was glad his best friend was free from the threat of expulsion. Still, these letters reminded him that he had only been on the list due to his elementary and middle school records.

It was a grim reminder that no matter what, being friends with him came with a price. And he feared who would be next to pay up. Who would be next to pay up for associating with Izuku or the Midoriya family?

Knock, knock, knock!

Izuku turned to see his door open slightly as Ochako peeked her head to see him.

"You okay, Izuku?"

"Yeah," Izuku answered casually with a small smile, fluidly sliding the letters into his desk and leaving only his English homework on top. "Just double-checking my homework for Present Mic's class."

"After the long homework session with Iida, I think we have it covered," Ochako answered with a stifled giggle.

"True, I think I just might be a bit paranoid," Izuku replied before putting away his homework in his English binder. "How's Eri?"

"Good, she's already asleep. Given how much energy she spent playing with Hikari, Eri was out before I could read her favorite bedtime story," said Ochako before opening the door. "Hey...speaking of her and paranoia... Can I come in to talk about something that's been bugging me today?"

Izuku could see the look on Ochako's face, it wasn't angry or sad, but he could see the concern in her eyes.

"Sure," Izuku answered, motioning her to enter. She nodded and slipped inside, gingerly closing the door behind her and making her way to take a seat on his bed. "What's wrong?"

Ochako took a moment to collect her thoughts. She knew what she wanted to say, but how she would say it was the hard part. Finally, after looking around and seeing her medal hanging on the wall, Ochako remembered that honesty would be the best policy. For Eri's sake, she wouldn't take any chances.

"When I was getting Eri ready for bed, she asked me something," Ochako started off, looking back at Izuku. "She asked why she couldn't speak to Kasei and that you kept pushing back every chance for her to talk with him. Is that true?"

Izuku couldn't help but inhale sharply.

For the most part, Ryu Kasei had been out of sight and mind of Izuku since he started UA. Besides the occasional random spat with Katsuki, Izuku honestly forgot that Ryu even existed at times. Let alone the fact that he looked like a younger version of his father. The two never had a reason to interact, which didn't help with his recent dreams of seeing his father's ghostly white face in his last haunting nightmare.

The young Hisashi doppelganger had become an unintentional reminder of this. And it only increased Izuku's desire to keep his distance from him.

"It is," Izuku admitted lowering his head in shame.

"Is it because he looks like your dad?"

"Yeah..." Izuku continued with a stiff nod. "Plus, it doesn't help that Kacchan doesn't like him."

"I understand trying to keep Eri out of the drama between whatever is up with those two, but you do know that it's not fair to him or Eri, right?" Ochako followed up, while Izuku couldn't see her. He did hear her shuffling closer to him. "Kasei almost died trying to save everyone back in the Fire Zone, remember?"

"How could I not?" Izuku replied, shuddering as he remembered discovering Ryu's near-dead body. "I'd hate to think what would have happened to everyone had he not stepped in to save them."

"So doesn't he deserve to be thanked by Eri, too?"

"He does..."Izuku finally admitted and looked up at her face. Thankfully, she had a look of understanding rather than annoyance or anger.

"I know about the rumors," Ochako followed, reminding him of the tabloids that spread various rumors about Hisashi. From scandalous underworld connections to receiving police kickbacks, and the most damning being that Hisashi had cheated on Inko with various mistresses. None of which had ever been proven true, but it was easy to slander a hero who died in disgrace and could not argue back in his own defense.

"Are you afraid that they're true?"

"Maybe," said Izuku vaguely.

The truth was that Izuku was one-hundred percent positive that his father never cheated or sired a bastard son. Given everything, he knew about his father and all the lies that had been spread. There was no way Ryu could be his half-brother, given several factors that didn't add to the public record. The lives of Pro-heroes in the top ten often didn't get much privacy when working. However, what really concerned Izuku was related to One For All. Izuku hoped that Ochako would accept this as a reasonable answer for now.

"Well, you already know that I don't believe them," Ochako followed up to reassure him. "Even if he has your dad's old name."

Izuku froze, only to blink in confusion several times as he slowly processed what she had said.

"Wait, what?" That was all Izuku had to say as several other questions were running wild in his head.

"You...didn't know?" She followed up in surprise.

"Know what?"

"Your dad's last name..." Ochako answered, and she realized that Izuku didn't know the truth about his father's original name. "It used to be Kasei."

Izuku's face went blank. He found no reason to call Ochako a liar, but it all seemed odd that he, Hisashi's own son, didn't know this about his father. Seeing Izuku's face and knowing that he mumbling up a storm of questions inside his head, Ochako was quick to explain herself.

"I only knew when I looked over your old family pictures with your mom. I found a copy of your family's register, and it showed when your dad changed his last name," said Ochako as her soft voice trailed off. "I thought this whole time you knew..."

"I didn't..." Izuku rattled his head for any last clues and came up dry when he realized something he missed, something this important. Despite all times Izuku had ever spoken to or trained with his father. Any honest conversation regarding how his father's personal life aside from his work as a Pro Hero never came up. Questions about how he had grown up were either given short, concise answers or were carefully brushed aside in favor of other topics that caught a younger Izuku's interest instead. As that realization kicked in, he almost felt his heart start to break.

'Did I really even know who dad was as a person?'

Ochako could see the pain and sadness growing on Izuku's face.

"Did you know about how your dad grew up?"

"I knew a couple of things. Like how my dad lived with Kyū's family instead of my grandparents," Izuku managed to say. "But I never knew why he had to do that. I remember asking once or twice...but I somehow never got an answer from him."

It was difficult for Izuku to suddenly accept that he did not know his father as he thought, and the more he thought about it. More doubts began to plague his mind. Suddenly many things seemed possible if the idea of what or who his father really was came into question.

"No, my son...the burden I'm talking about...was of my own follies in life...because I was a coward...and allowed good people to become lost. People I failed to save."

"I...I rarely questioned it... And I don't even know why it's like that..." Izuku continued shaking his head as his late father's words from his dream echoed in his mind.

"Izuku, maybe you could ask your mom or Ryūkyū about that now?" Ochako asked, feeling horrible about placing his weight on her friend's shoulders.

"They're both far too busy. Kyū's still a full-time Pro. Plus, mom's been busy with Mrs. Iida and Mrs. Todoroki setting up Eri's schooling," Izuku answered. He also knew that asking about Hisashi was a great way to dampen their mood. "I don't want to bother them about this right now."

As much Ochako wanted to protest, knowing that Izuku was putting himself down to spare the feelings of others. She had been the one who had unknowingly placed this burden on his shoulders, and it would be her to help him bear it. But there was one solution that she believed could answer their problems.

"We could ask Kasei himself," Ochako suggested leaning closer to Izuku, gently reaching and holding both his hands. "And see if he knows anything."

"But...I mean, wouldn't that be weird to ask?" Izuku wondered precisely how he could just casually bring up what could be a very awkward topic.

"We don't have to start the conversation like that, silly," Ochako said with a silent giggle and a reassuring squeeze of her hands. "I've actually talked to Kasei since he's on my team. He's honestly a nice guy, even if he tries a little too hard to be funny," she added with an amused shake of her head.

"We could have Eri thank him during one of our training days this week," she recommended. "That way, Bakugou wouldn't be around to pick a fight, and we could get privacy for her to thank him, too. And that would then give you the chance to ask him directly, but only if you're up for it! Either way, Izuku...you know I'm on your side."

Izuku looked into those bright, beautiful brown eyes, looking strangely more familiar than before. But given several emotions in flux, he couldn't quite pinpoint why. Yet, Ochako did have a point – sitting around, and moping wasn't going to solve his problems. If he wanted answers, he had to seek them out. If his father's pleads had been true, how else would he be able to give the man the rest he deserved?

"Okay, I will...Thank you, Ochako."


Author's Commentary

*interviews: Formally introducing the fourth spin-off: My Hero Academia Untold: Interviews!

Where you, the readers! Get to choose which characters get interviewed and can even drop suggestions on what you would like Kiyoko Mikami to ask on your behalf! You can also influence who gets chosen next for an interview.

Interviews might also include some potential foreshadowing for the particular character ranging from romance to plot.

However, within the meta-verse of the Interviews world, Kiyoko isn't restricted to only Class 1-A and Class 1-B. So you can actually vote for almost any character at any time! And they will be interviewed with a slightly more meta and comedic bent. They won't affect the main storyline, but it's a way for me to have some fun when shit gets heavier later.

**Expulsion: Expulsion in Japan has MASSIVE ramifications on students that could permanently ruin someone's life. Where once you're expelled, that's basically it. It's rare for schools to admit a student if they have been expelled from school. Without a complete education and the social stigma of being an expelled student, they're basically shit out of luck unless they have some kind of connections.

***Privacy Laws: I covered this topic before, but it still applies here. Hitoshi and Reiko could expose Shino's plans, but it could land them in some deep shit. I've read quite a few court cases in Japan of people exposing illegal/illicit activities with non-consensual recordings. For example, I remember one case of a woman who hired a private detective to investigate if her husband was having an affair for evidence in a divorce.

The Detective collected evidence of the affair, including pictures of the husband with a mistress. (These photos were taken in public and were not indecent but proved the man had a mistress.) That Detective would later be sued by the now ex-husband of his client for damages, with the detective losing that court case as the man did not consent to have his picture taken by the detective.

So yeah, it's not a cut-and-dry case for Hitoshi and Reiko to come out with this information.

****As I mentioned, here is an example of how I modified Hitoshi's quirk. It activates in the same manner, but the victim answers a question. But once Hitoshi is in, here can either give commands or force his mind into his victim. The former is more manageable and can have multiple people under his control simultaneously. The latter is more complex and can only be done to one person at a time.

This should prove more interesting when I have Hitoshi peek into the minds of others.

That covers the notes, but I still have a little more to say.

The first is about new expectations. While I am back and here to stay.

I can only do so without committing to a set upload schedule.

Unfortunately, I could only complete 4 chapters thanks to some setbacks I had during my time off. I'm trying to do more, but I have other things I want to do, including finishing my first novel!

So, yes, I'm always working on the Untold Universe, but I cannot commit all of my efforts to it.

I am canceling all of my plans for other stories outside the Untold Universe.

This does mean I am canceling Starfall and all my other planned side projects.

Except for the sequel to Guilt, that will still be written, but I want to at least complete the first Saga before I touch that story again.

Otherwise, my focus will only remain on the Untold Universe.

Fafnir Knight

Draco Knight

Shield of Spring

Interviews

However, I may do a couple of Fantasy One-shots instead when the mood and time strike me.

Otherwise, I want to focus my other writing energies on my original novel.

I think that about covers it. Thank you all again, everyone. I hope you've enjoyed a refreshed story and new chapter. I'll see you all again soon!