[Time: 08:00 AM][Location: Nighteye Agency – Main Conference Room]
The room was crowded, yet silence hung heavy in the air like a guillotine blade waiting to drop.
A long table dominated the center of the room. Seated around it were some of the top heroes in Japan.
Ryukyu, the Dragoon Hero. Fat Gum, the BMI Hero. Rock Lock, the Lock Hero. Sir Nighteye, presiding at the head.
And scattered among them were the students—the "interns."
Midoriya sat with his head bowed, his hands gripping his knees. Beside him, Kirishima and Asui looked nervous. The "Big Three"—Mirio, Tamaki, and Nejire—sat together, though Mirio lacked his usual radiant smile.
And in the corner, leaning against the wall with his arms crossed, stood Reiji.
He wasn't sitting. He felt too restless to sit. Next to him, Mirko was filing her nails, but her leg was bouncing up and down at a rapid rhythm.
"Let's begin," Sir Nighteye said, adjusting his glasses.
He pressed a button, and a holographic map of the Shie Hassaikai compound appeared in the center of the table.
"Thanks to the intel provided by Kurobane Reiji and the confirmation from yesterday's patrol," Nighteye began, his voice flat, "we have confirmed that the Shie Hassaikai is manufacturing an illegal quirk-boosting drug."
Nighteye tapped the table. A picture of Eri popped up.
A collective gasp went through the room.
"They are using the blood and cells of this child," Nighteye said. "Her quirk allows her to 'Rewind' biological states. Overhaul is disassembling her body to create bullets that can destroy a person's quirk factor permanently."
"That's sick..." Fat Gum growled, crushing the armrest of his chair. "Disassembling a kid? Just for money?"
"It's not just money," Nighteye corrected. "It's ideology. Overhaul wants to return the world to the way it was before quirks. He wants to sell the poison and the cure."
"So we kick down the door," Mirko interrupted, slamming her hand on the table. "We know where they are. Why are we talking?"
"Because," a dark-skinned hero with a padlock quirk spoke up—Rock Lock. He glared at Mirko, then at the students. "This isn't a street brawl. This is a siege. The Yakuza have been digging into that compound for years. It's a labyrinth."
Rock Lock turned his gaze to the students.
"And honestly? I don't like having kids here. This operation is too dangerous for work-studies. Look at them."
He pointed at Midoriya and Mirio.
"They look like they're about to cry. If they hesitate in there, people die."
Midoriya flinched. "I... I won't hesitate. Not again."
"Easy to say," Rock Lock scoffed. "But when you saw the girl yesterday, you let her go, didn't you?"
The room went deadly silent.
Mirio looked down, his fists trembling. "It was... to protect the investigation. To protect her from immediate harm."
"And how is that working out for her right now?" Rock Lock pressed.
SCHWING.
A sharp sound cut through the tension.
Reiji had drawn a kunai. He spun it lazily around his finger.
"You talk a lot for a guy whose quirk is just 'locking things in place'," Reiji said, his voice echoing in the quiet room.
Rock Lock stood up, offended. "Excuse me?"
Reiji pushed himself off the wall. He walked toward the table, the Pro Heroes watching him warily.
"Midoriya and Mirio made a mistake," Reiji admitted cold-bloodedly. "They followed orders. They tried to be 'good heroes.' And because of that, Eri is suffering right now."
Reiji slammed the kunai into the wooden table, embedding it deep into the wood right in front of Rock Lock.
"But don't act like you would have done better. While you guys were filing permits, I was burning their supply chain. While you were debating safety, I was ready to kill Overhaul in the street."
Reiji leaned over the table, his eyes glowing faintly.
"So if you want to send the kids home, go ahead. Send Midoriya home. Send Mirio home."
He pointed a thumb at himself.
"But try to send me home, and I'll walk into that base alone and burn it down with everyone inside."
"You little—!" Rock Lock bristled.
"Enough," Aizawa's tired voice cut in. The Erasure Hero stood up from the back. "Kurobane, sit down. Rock Lock, stop antagonizing the students. They are the ones who found the girl. They have a right to be here."
Nighteye watched Reiji closely. He didn't scold him.
"The operation begins tomorrow morning at 08:00," Nighteye announced. "We have the police warrant. We will surround the compound. Ryukyu and Fat Gum's teams will handle the front line. My agency will locate the girl."
Nighteye looked at Reiji.
"Mirko's team... you are the wildcard. Do what you do best. Create chaos."
Mirko grinned, showing all her teeth. "Finally."
"Dismissed," Nighteye said.
The meeting broke up. The air was still tense, but now it had direction.
Midoriya and Mirio walked out into the hallway. They looked defeated.
"Reiji-kun..." Midoriya called out as Reiji passed them. "You were right. Yesterday... we should have taken her."
Reiji stopped. He didn't look back.
"Regret is useless, Midoriya," Reiji said. "You can't rewind time. But you can make sure that when we see Overhaul tomorrow..."
Reiji turned his head, his mask hiding his expression, but his eyes were hard as flint.
"...you don't blink."
Reiji walked away, disappearing down the corridor.
"He's scary," Kirishima whispered to Amajiki.
"He's focused," Amajiki mumbled, staring at the floor. "He's like a sun that burns too hot."
[Time: 08:00 PM][Location: U.A. Dorms – Reiji's Room]
Reiji sat on his bed, inspecting his gear. He sharpened his blades. He checked the durability of his armor.
[System Notification: Major Quest Starting Soon.][Quest: The Yakuza Raid.][Recommended Level: 45.][Current Level: 42.]
"Close enough," Reiji muttered.
Knock, knock.
Reiji looked up. "It's open."
The door opened. It wasn't Midoriya or Bakugo.
It was Uraraka Ochaco.
She stood in the doorway, looking resolute. She held a small charm in her hand—a omamori (good luck charm).
"Decided to drop by?" Reiji asked, returning to his blade.
"I heard about the meeting," Uraraka said, stepping inside. "Ryukyu-san told us. About the girl. And what you said to Rock Lock."
She walked over and placed the charm on his desk.
"I know you like to act like you don't care about anyone," Uraraka said softly. "Like you're just here to fight. But... you looked really angry when you talked about Eri."
Reiji paused.
"She reminds me of something," Reiji said vaguely. Of being helpless. Of being controlled by a system.
"We're going to save her, Reiji-kun," Uraraka said firmly. "All of us."
She turned to leave.
"Don't die out there," she added.
"I don't plan to," Reiji replied.
As the door closed, Reiji looked at the charm. It was a generic "Victory" charm from a shrine.
He put it in his pocket.
"Victory," Reiji whispered. "The only thing that matters."
He lay back on his bed, staring at the ceiling. Tomorrow, the raid would begin.
And somewhere in the dark, the Traitor was making a call.
End of Chapter 116.
_________________________________________________________________________
🔥 Hey legends! Quick updates! 🔥
💥 Can't wait for the next chapter? Good news—ALL advance chapters are available on Patreon for just $5! No more waiting, just pure binge-reading goodness! 🚀
👉 patreon.com/cyci07
✨ Power Stone Challenge! ✨
If we hit 100 power stones, I'll drop 2 bonus chapters! Let's see if you guys can make me suffer! 😂
💬 Enjoying the story? Leave a review and let me know your favorite moment so far! It helps the novel grow and reach more readers!
Thanks for all your support—you guys are awesome! ❤️