My Hero Academia: Lion of Courage
Chapter 18: The Crimes of Others
Disclaimer: I do not own My Hero Academia. All rights go to Kohei Horikoshi.
It had been three days since the USJ Attack and, unfortunately, the world found out. Many media outlets wasted no time in doing what they could to slander U.A.'s name, calling their leadership and management into question. When word got out about the four students and three teachers who were injured, it only got worse.
But there was good news. After interrogating the criminals who were arrested at the USJ, the Police had finally figured out who was behind the attack: a group calling themselves the League of Villains, who were also responsible for destroying U.A.'s defensive barrier before the attack. Unfortunately, other than the name of the organization, the thugs knew nothing else.
Takeo Raionhato was walking through the city to Weapons For All, his usual store to pick up weapons he needed, often being arrows and throwing weapons. As he walked down the streets of the city, almost everywhere he went, he saw U.A. being mentioned. Some media outlets were defending U.A.'s integrity and claiming that the villains behind the attack were responsible for the injuries sustained. Other media outlets ruthlessly tore U.A. apart and accused them of negligence and arrogance, which made the attack inevitable.
He stopped for a moment when he saw a store with multiple TVs through a glass window, all of which were showing an interview with a woman named Hiretsuna Shita, a reporter from Pure News, someone Raionhato disdained with immense passion.
"So, Shita," a TV Host addressed her as they sat down in front of an audience. "What're your thoughts on the USJ Attack three days ago?" Shita smirked.
"All it does is prove that putting someone like Nezu in charge was a terrible mistake. What made people think it was a good idea to put something that belongs in a lab in charge of Japan's most prestigious hero school? I mean, come on; if that rat, Nezu, was running U.A. properly, this wouldn't have happened."
"Don't you think you're being a bit insensitive, Shita?" the TV Host asked. "Four students and three teachers were badly injured in the attack."
"I'm aware," Hiretsuna Shita answered. "Wanigame Kompire/ Razor Shell and Mina Ashido were two of them. I'm willing to bet Razor Shell was injured protecting himself rather than his students and with Ashido's injuries, I think it's safe to assume she was let in on her exotic appearance rather than actual fighting skills. But I suppose she had to have something to compensate for her incompetence."
Raionhato couldn't listen anymore and walked inside the store to find the owner to demand he change the channel. When he saw the owner behind a desk, an older man with gray hair and a beard, he walked over.
"Excuse me, sir," he spoke firmly. "Would you please change the channel on the TVs in the window? That's Hiretsuna Shita slandering my classmate and teacher."
"Seriously?" the store owner gasped. He quickly grabbed the remote and changed the channel to a nature documentary series based in Japan's countryside.
Takeo had no words to describe his disdain for the reporter, Hiretsuna Shita. As shown in the interview, she was openly bigoted towards those with mutant Quirks, such as Nezu, Razor Shell, Ashido and his mother, Lioness. She was utterly shameless in her bigotry towards those with mutant Quirks, so much so that she had become controversial even in the world of media.
"Despicable wretch," Takeo snarled.
"That she is," the store owner agreed. "Unfortunately, her complete lack of shame and willingness to share her opinion, no matter how unpopular, has earned her a lot of followers, many of whom are as bigoted as she is. Even if people don't like her opinion, they still listen to her because of how 'taboo' she can be."
"Then those people need to reassert what's right and what's wrong," Takeo responded. "All she cares about is spreading anti-mutant propaganda, no matter who gets hurt. How has she not been arrested yet?"
"She's unfortunately very popular, despite who she's hurting," the store owner replied. "A lot of people just love her work. Besides, she's smart enough not to openly encourage discrimination against mutants."
Takeo shook his head in frustration. Having read some of Shita's articles and listened to some of her interviews, she never actively engages in open discrimination nor encourages it. However, that didn't stop people from engaging it in themselves and Shita's refusal to condemn their actions all but soured many peoples' opinions of her.
"Well, thanks for changing the channel," Takeo told the store owner before leaving to get to where he wanted to go.
Takeo first heard about Hiretsuna Shita five years ago when she did an article on Lioness when his father, Paladin, disappeared. In that article, she accused Lioness of potentially being responsible for Paladin's disappearance and made people fear that Takeo himself was next. Luckily, she came under heavy fire for the article since it was close to breaking Japan's freedom of speech and was arrested for it. The article was dissolved and she was forced to apologize for it…though that wouldn't stop her from learning from her mistake and still engaging in bigotry, but in a way she'd avoid getting arrested.
Now she was taking advantage of the USJ Attack to slander more names. She was calling Nezu a failure for not preventing the attack, Razor Shell a coward by insisting he only protected himself rather than the students and Ashido incompetent by pointing out how she was one of the few students injured. She'd always find a way to badmouth mutants, regardless of what the consequences would be.
"Raionhato!" a voice called out. Raionhato turned to see his friend, Mashirao Ojiro, walking up to him.
"Hey, Ojiro!" Raionhato reciprocated and walked up to him. "Doing good?"
"I am," he replied. "I'm on my way to the grocery store to get some stuff for my parents. Where are you heading?"
"Weapons For All," Raionhato answered. "I need to replace some of my throwing weapons and perhaps get a new one."
"Weapons For All?" Ojiro questioned. "Mind if I tag along? I've been wanting to visit there for a while."
"Let's go," Raionhato replied. The two of them then started on their way to Weapons For All.
Raionhato was unsure of what Ojiro would look for at Weapons For All, but considering he was a martial artist, he might be looking for a weapon to train with or has trained with. Based on his Quirk and physiology, Raionhato deduced that if Ojiro was going to look for a weapon, it'd be one of three things: bo-staves, nunchuks or kusarigamas.
It wasn't too long before they reached the store and walked inside. Upon entering, they were greeted by the sight of a tall and spacious store with at least fourteen aisles of shelves, each one with a different kind of weapon. In front of each of the aisles were signs that read 'Must be 13 or older to handle steel weapons. No exceptions.'
"So, what're you here for?" Raionhato asked Ojiro.
"I'm looking for a kind of ranged weapon," Ojiro answered. "When I was in the Conflagration Zone, I got into quite a few close calls. I feel like my performance would improve if I had way for ranged attacks."
Raionhato didn't know what he meant by calls, but he could agree that Ojiro could use a ranged weapon. Luckily, Weapons For All had a lot of them: bows, arrows, shuriken, throwing stars, throwing crosses, pila…there were so many options for Ojiro to choose from. Of course, Raionhato could guide Ojiro through the store blindfolded as he had been coming here ever since he was a child.
"Are you very familiar with this place?" Ojiro asked.
"I've been coming here ever since I was a kid," Raionhato answered. "I'd often come here with my parents…and I wanted to hold the steel weapons, but until I was thirteen, I wasn't allowed to, which sucked."
As Raionhato and Ojiro walked down the aisles, examining the various weapons, Ojiro felt great joy and excitement while Raionhato could only feel rather empty. In the past, he'd often visit with his parents, his best friends, Forge…but as he continued, the empty feeling grew as he was reminded of reality.
His father was gone. Two of his friends, Anzu Yamashita and Kaze Yonaka, would no longer come with him; Anzu because she had died and Kaze because of his immense hatred for Raionhato. Forge had died after giving Raionhato the greatest weapons he had ever forged in his life. He wished he could join in Ojiro's fun, but the memories from his past prevented him from doing so.
It hit hard when they got to the aisle with polearms. While Ojiro was examining the bo-staves, Raionhato looked down at the wooden spears and remembered a very somber memory.
"Look, Dad!" a seven-year-old Takeo called out to his father, Takeshi Jonetsu. Takeo ran over to one of the wooden spears and picked it up. He then swung it around several times as he tried to emulate his father's fighting style. Takeshi, amused at his son, knelt down and stopped him.
"If you hold a spear with two hands, put your dominant hand near the end of the shaft and your other hand further up," he explained to his son. "Now go for it." Takeo thrusted and swiped the spear several times, much to his dad's approval.
"You still have a long ways to go, son," Takeshi told Takeo as he put his hand on his shoulder. "But I know one day, you'll be a great hero. Just keep practicing and you'll be there before you know it."
"Dad…" Raionhato spoke under his breath.
"Raionhato," Ojiro addressed. "You okay?"
"Huh?" Raionhato responded quickly. "Yeah, I need to go get my arrows and throwing weapons. I'll see you at checkout." Raionhato then walked away to the ranged weapons aisle, where he grabbed ten arrows and made his way to the checkout desk, where a TV was playing in the background.
"Here, near Hosu City, we have found yet another victim of the infamous vigilante, Fukushu, the Blade of Terror," an anchorwoman announced near an alleyway that police had sealed off. "The victim was Daisuke Kai, also known as The Scorcher, an infamous member of the Yakuza who was known for burning victims alive. As of right now, the Police Chief only has this to say." A tall man with a dog head walked forward onscreen and brought his mouth close to the microphone.
"My name is Kenji Tsuragamae, Chief of Police. Many would think of this as justice, but Fukushu isn't an avenger of those wronged; he is a violent vigilante who believes that he's justified in his crusade against those he deems criminals. It is because of people like him that others are convinced they can take the law into their own hands."
Takeo stopped listening, his blood boiling with seething rage at the mention of Fukushu. As Chief Tsuragamae said, he believed himself an avenger of justice, but in reality, was nothing more than a violent murderer. As soon as Takeo's arrows were paid for, he grabbed them, placed them in Inventory and walked off, not hearing Ojiro as he called out to him.
"Fukushu, you evil monster," Takeo growled. "I will never forgive you…"
"Ugh," Shoto groaned as he regained consciousness and immediately felt a bad headache. He found himself in the U.A. Infirmary, laying down on one of the medical beds with his right arm and leg wrapped in bandages. His memory was fuzzy, but he remembered the attack on the USJ when a Warp Gate allowed dozens of villains to flood into the area. After being warped to the Landslide Zone, Todoroki easily took out a group of villains, but then one showed up…and brutally beat him down.
"Todoroki!" Himari gasped and rushed over to him. "Please don't push yourself. You're still recovering." Todoroki looked over to the blonde-haired girl, but didn't recognize her.
"Who are you?" he asked stoically.
"Oh, w-we haven't met," Himari remembered. "I'm Himari Kataiya or Sunhealer, Recovery Girl's apprentice. It's…it's been three days since the attack on the USJ."
"I've been unconscious for three days?" Todoroki quietly gasped. "Who else was injured? Was anyone killed?" Himari shook her head timidly.
"No, there were no casualties. Though three of your classmates and the teachers there needed medical attention. Recovery Girl is tending to Eraser Head and Thirteen as we speak; they, along with you, arguably got the worst beatdowns."
Todoroki was relieved that no one had been killed during the attack and his classmates had already recovered, judging by how he was the only one in the room. Just as he was about to ask about his teachers, his stomach growled loudly.
"I'm guessing you must be hungry," Himari stated. "Anything you'd like?"
"Soba, cold, please," Todoroki replied. Himari then left the room to get him his food, leaving Todoroki by himself. He looked at the clock to see 11:00 A.M….and as he looked at the table next to him, he saw a folded note. He picked it up with his left hand and much to his disdain, it was from his father.
"Shoto,
I tried seeing you in person, but the U.A. Nurse wouldn't let me, so I wrote you this letter instead. I saw your costume and I cannot begin to say how disgraceful you are acting. You could've used your flames in the USJ when you were attacked, but I'm confident you didn't and it could've cost you your life. I expect you to show full gratitude to the U.A. Medical Staff for tending to your injuries for your novice mistake. You are my greatest creation and you must stop this childish rebellion-"
Todoroki couldn't be surprised by Endeavor's letter, but that didn't stop him from growing angry. Instead of showing the slightest bit of concern for his welfare, all he could do was criticize his 'idiocy' for not using his flames. He got so angry that he accidentally activated his flames before he could finish the letter, burning it to ashes that fell onto his bed.
The Half-Cold Half-Hot Quirk user hated the idea of considering his old man to be right. Had he used his flames during the USJ Attack…no. Todoroki refused to let his thoughts go there. He wanted to be a Pro Hero and he would do so without the aid of his father's Fire Quirk. He'd sooner suffer three more of those beatings than use his flames in combat.
If he used his flames, he'd prove Endeavor right and become what his father had always treated him as: a tool for his own vanity and ego. Todoroki would only use his right side, his ice, the Quirk he inherited from his mother. He'd prove to his old man that he wouldn't be a tool for his own pride and egotism.
His negative, hate-filled thoughts were broken when Himari returned to the room with a tray of cold soba and tea and was about to put it on the table, but noticed the ashes from Todoroki's burned letter. Todoroki was about to offer to hold the tray, but Himari was quick in placing it on the table, wiping off the ashes into a trash can and then placing it on Shoto's lap.
"Thank you," Shoto replied. "And apologies about the ashes."
"Do you need help?" Himari asked. "Your arm and leg have mostly healed, though they'll most likely still be quite sore."
"I'm fine," he replied. "My arm feels fine." Shoto then started eating the cold soba while Himari went over to a different table with a clipboard and started writing down on it. Todoroki guessed that it was his medical report and she was writing down when he had woken up.
"Tell me, do you feel any pain?" Himari asked.
"Just a headache," Shoto replied. "It's not overwhelming, though; just annoying."
"Well, once Recovery Girl checks you out, we'll make sure you're good to go," Kataiya stated. "However, you will need you and your classmates to come back before the Sports Festival."
Todoroki already guessed why. The Sports Festival, an important U.A. event where Hero Course students proved themselves to Pro Heroes and General Course students had the opportunity to prove themselves to the Hero Course, was less than a month away. In spite of the USJ Attack, it seemed as though U.A. would carry out the event as planned. If it was cancelled, then the world would assume that U.A. was letting fear rule their judgment, which they couldn't afford after such an attack.
Todoroki had been told that he was one of the four students injured in the attack and got the worst beatdown. He was certain he'd be fine by the time the Sports Festival came around, but Recovery Girl wasn't wrong to make sure he and the other injured students could join. If she felt they weren't ready, she'd pull them out.
"I…I suppose I understand," Todoroki reluctantly agreed.
"As soon as Recovery Girl gives you the clear to leave, we'll contact your sister," Himari stated. "She's a Kindergarten teacher, correct?"
"Yes," Todoroki confirmed. "She works at Miyamoto Elementary several miles from here."
"Thank you," Kataiya replied. "So…can you control fire? I clearly cleaned up the ashes of what I presume was Endeavor's letter."
Shoto stopped as he was about to take a bite of soba and put the chopsticks down. He looked very serious, so Himari started to think she hit a nerve.
"I-I'm sorry," she timidly apologized. "If it's too personal for you-"
"No, it's fine," Todoroki replied. "Yes, I can control fire…but I won't use it, not in combat." Todoroki expected Himari to protest this decision as Endeavor did, calling him an idiot for refusing to use his flames. He expected her to call him out on his 'idiocy' that near cost him his life at the hands of Talos.
"Oh," Kataiya replied. "I understand."
Instead of criticizing him, she simply replied that she understood and left it at that. Todoroki was caught completely by surprise at her response…but he was also interested now.
"What do you mean 'you understand'?" he asked curiously. Himari's face turned red.
"Um…well, you see…" she stammered. "Um...well...I'll go get Recovery Girl and tell her you're awake. Bye!" Before Shoto could object, she rushed out of the room, leaving him confused…but interested.
"What does she mean 'she understands'?" he wondered.
"Thank you," Kaze told the fishmonger after getting a wrapped up tuna and some crabmeat, then paid the yen it cost. Yonaka thought of using Shadow Flash to get home, but his home was pretty far and out of distance for him. He'd have to get closer before he could use his Quirk without tiring himself out due to the distance.
He was frustrated that classes had been canceled for the week because of the attack at the USJ. U.A.'s control and management was being called into question, especially since three teachers and four students were badly injured. He found it unnecessary to cancel classes for a whole week unless it was so additional security measures could be taken to ensure this wouldn't happen again.
"I wouldn't be surprised if some of them were injured because of that coward, Raionhato," he snarled as his expression changed to anger. "If so, then he's the one who deserved to be left beaten and battered."
"Yonaka!" Setsuna Tokage called out, causing his anger expression to return to his default stone-face. The green-haired girl was with Komori and Tsunotori, presumably out shopping judging by the bags they were carrying. He reluctantly looked up at them with his stoic expression.
"Afternoon," he greeted. "Are you doing well?"
"We're doing just fine," Tokage replied. "Since school's out for a while, I invited some of our classmates to hang out. Maybe you'd like to join us?"
"I'll pass," Yonaka responded. "I need to get home."
"Oh, come on!" Tokage insisted, using her Quirk to detach her arm and pull on Kaze's sleeve. "We could use some fun, don't you think?"
"I'd rather use that time to sharpen my skills," Kaze responded. "Now please release your hand from me."
To his frustration, Tokage wouldn't release her hand from his sleeve and kept pulling on it in her direction. He was sorely tempted to remove it by force, but he was unaware if that would hurt his classmate or not. Tokage just stood there with a smug and vain grin, confident that Yonaka would eventually cave in and join them.
Kaze had no desire to pursue what he deemed 'unnecessary relationships' while he was in U.A., but Tokage definitely had other plans for the martial artist. She had already reached out to him twice, both times he had rebuffed her since he was unsure why she found him interesting. Whatever the case, she wasn't going to leave him alone.
"Alright," he sighed. "But I'm not paying for anything. If you want it, you buy it."
"That's fair," Tokage agreed. Kaze reluctantly walked up to them, then Tokage removed her arm and attached it back to her body.
"I knew you couldn't resist," Tokage smirked. "I mean, who wouldn't want to go out with someone as gorgeous as we three?"
"You are a dark manipulator," a low, ghostly voice spoke, belonging to the pitch-black, white-haired member of Class 1-B, Shihai Kuroiro. He was already carrying three bags, most of which belonged to Kinoko Komori, meaning he had been travelling with the three girls for a while. When he saw Kaze, he grinned.
"Greetings, dark brother," he greeted.
"Don't call me 'dark brother'," Kaze responded, his stoic expression again hiding his feelings of annoyance.
For two hours, the three girls pulled the two boys around. While Kuroiro gladly tended to Komori whenever he could, Yonaka only got involved when necessary and kept to his word that he wouldn't pay for anything. Tokage would constantly talk to him in the hopes of him opening up, but he only spoke when he felt the need for it.
"Gotta say, you're a tough nut to crack," Tokage told Yonaka.
"I fail to understand why you wanted me to come along," Yonaka told his classmate. "I'm willing to help carry the bags, but I said I won't pay for anything."
"Why?" Setsuna asked before smirking. "Well, I'll be honest: I think you're closing yourself off from others, but that won't help in the long run, so…I'm trying to help you open up. Who better to help you than a beautiful, smart woman like me? I mean, I did get in on recommendation after all."
"I didn't come to U.A. to make friends," Yonaka replied. "I came because I wanted to become a Pro Hero like my father before me."
"You'd be surprised how helpful friends can be," Tokage spoke. "Speaking of helpful, why don't you help me understand why you took off the other day? You saw something on your phone and then left."
Kaze remembered that day. He had heard that Fukushu, the Blade of Terror, had claimed yet another victim. The Shadow Flash user despised the vigilante with a burning passion, hating that he believed he was an avenger of the wronged and oppressed when he was a violent murderer who used his beliefs to justify his brutality against criminals.
"I apologize," he replied. "I was angry about something…something I don't wish to talk about."
"Alright, I won't pry," Tokage acknowledged. "But don't do that again. It's rude to leave a beautiful lady all by herself, you know?"
Kaze found it annoying it annoying how much Tokage found herself beautiful and smart, though as she said, she did get in on recommendation. Still, he felt she could cut back on it…though he suspected that there was more to her than what she was showing.
"Hey, isn't that Chikao?" Tsunotori asked. She pointed out the store they were in and towards a coffee shop where Chikao Kato was asleep on the table where he was sitting at.
"Let's go invite him," Tokage insisted. "It'll be nice to get him to open up if we can."
"But we have to wake him up first," Kaze pointed out. After the girls paid for their belongings, they walked across the street to the coffee shop where Chikao was still asleep, snoring loudly. In front of him was a large coffee with presumably blasphemous amounts of sugar…and a file folder.
"Is that schoolwork?" Kuroiro asked as he looked at the folder.
"Let's take a look," Komori suggested, her curiosity piqued. Before anyone could object, she grabbed the folder and opened it…though she wished she hadn't. The excitement in her eyes was quickly replaced by terror and disgust and her smile dropped. Kaze took the folder and examined it: it was a police report, showing images of Haiiro Enmaku…Nightshade's latest victim who was killed the night after the USJ Attack.
"Nightshade…" Yonaka spoke quietly.
"Nightshade?" Tokage gasped. "She's the nighttime serial killer and a textbook sadist. All her victims are found with frostbite wounds and their faces frozen in horror. It's like her calling card you might say."
"Or he," Kuroiro replied. "We don't know if Nightshade is a man or woman as none of the victims have ever survived."
"Fair point, thought Nightshade does sound more feminine," Tokage responded.
"What does it say?" Tsunotori asked. "I'm…I'm not real fluent in Japanese yet."
"Actually, should we be reading this?" Yonaka questioned. "This is a police report-"
"Speaking of such, why would Chikao have a police report, especially before it's made public?" Tokage questioned curiously as she looked through the files.
Everyone thought on Setsuna's question. How did Chikao get his hands on a police report? Even though he was from the Kato Detective Agency, police reports weren't shared with Hero Agencies as police matters and Pro Hero matters were considered separate. Not only that, as Tokage said, the report hadn't been made public yet. How was it that Chikao had his hands on one?
"Maybe things are different at the Kato Detective Agency," Yonaka suggested.
"No, I don't think so," Tokage replied. "Pro Heroes and Police may work together at times, but their cases are treated separately. It doesn't matter how close the Kato Detective Agency is to Law Enforcement, Chikao shouldn't have his hands on this. Something's up."
"So what do we do?" Tsunotori questioned.
"Let's try talking to Chikao," Komori suggested. She then start shaking Chikao's shoulder to wake him up, but he kept snoring. She kept shaking him more, but he wouldn't wake up. Kaze then tried, but Chikao's eyes stayed shut and his snoring continued.
"Maybe we'll need to talk to him later," Komori suggested. "He's not waking up."
"Probably our best idea," Setsuna agreed as she placed the folder back on the table. "With that mind, let's get back to shopping, right Kaze?"
"Fine, but I'll need to head home soon," Kaze reluctantly agreed. The four students dragged Kaze along for their shopping…or as Kaze came to know it, a nightmare.
When the news about Enmaku's death was made public, Yukine was shocked and angered at the news of his death. She had so many questions she wanted to ask him concerning the fall of his family, but instead, he had been claimed as one of Nightshade's victims. She had watched the news from her motel room instead of the suite where her parents had set her up.
First Kori, then the Enmaku Family…who else had Reitan and Kitamo ruined in their goal of maintaining their power? Dozens? Hundreds? Thousands? Yukine couldn't stomach the idea of not knowing who else her family had destroyed, so she turned off the TV and went to a computer the motel provided.
She first looked up the Musashi Family, a wealthy family who once owned the prosperous grocery company, Musashi Enterprises. She remembered her parents inviting them over several times and trying to build a potential partnership, but the Musashis always refused as they had issues with some of their policies, especially concerning the rumors of their disappeared daughter.
Eventually, the Musashis openly stated that they condemned the Kuraokamis, insisting that their policies were meant to serve only themselves and not the people of Hokkaido. Three weeks after it happened, a terrible outbreak occurred at their stores. Somehow, the food had become contaminated and had gotten hundreds of people sick, even killing 34 people. The Musashis were forced to close down their company and left Hokkaido.
It was always claimed that it was poor mishandling and health violations that led to the food becoming contaminated, but now, Yukine had different suspicions. Were her parents involved in the outbreak? They could've easily bribed someone to contaminate the food and let the Musashis take the fall.
Next was Soetsu Ishikura, a former political ally of her parents. At first, Ishikura supported her parents, but after Kori ran away, he voiced opposition. Her parents told him that Kori chose to run away from home, but this did nothing to assuage his fears, so he broke off ties from the family and started helping another prominent family.
Two months later, his wife came forward claiming he had been molesting her for years. Soetsu acknowledged that their marriage was a bit rocky at the time, but denied ever being abusive. However, evidence was found that insisted he was very abusive, was arrested and his reputation was ruined. As for his wife, she was quick to run off with another man.
At first, it'd appear like her parents had no reason to get involved until she found out one important fact: Soetsu was offering his services to a political opponent of the Kuraokami family. Considering his wife was accused of being a gold digger, it was probably that her family could've bribed Soetsu's wife to make him appear as a domestic abuser to rob their opponent of Soetsu's political assistance.
Yukine kept looking and looking, finding at least three more figures who she believed her parents were responsible for ruining. All of them posed a danger to the Kuraokami Family and then suddenly, something happened that ruined their lives. Every time, her parents benefitted from their downfalls or robbed their opponents of an advantage.
Suddenly, Yukine's phone rung, her father calling her. She let it ring and refused to answer, but this didn't stop Reitan from calling three more times. Yukine finally decided to put the phone on silent so she didn't have to listen to her father's incessant calls, which only reminded her of the day after the USJ Attack.
"I knew sending you to U.A. was a mistake!" Reitan told Yukine over the phone. "A villain attack such as this cannot be excused! You are to pack up and return home at once!"
"Not a chance," Yukine openly refused. "For the first time, I finally have some form of freedom and you won't take that away from me like you did to Haiiro Enmaku!"
"Enmaku?" Reitan questioned.
"Haiiro Enmaku, a member of the family who ran against you for governor long ago," Yukine brought up. "Sadly for them, and FORTUNATELY FOR YOU, they were found guilty of corruption. Now he's a villain who tried to kill me at the USJ!"
"That was his choice," Reitan responded. "Now enough of this defiance! You are to pack up and return home immediately!"
No matter what her father said, Yukine refused to leave. She was determined to find her long-lost sister, Kori…and then hold her parents accountable if they were indeed responsible for the destruction of the Enmaku Family and so many others.