During the final weeks before Raiden's summer break, he spent most of his time trying to uncover anything useful against the Bureau. But the task proved far more difficult than he expected.
He did find a few things here and there, though none of them were substantial enough to truly incriminate anyone. Most of what Mewtwo discovered involved minor issues—small cover-ups to protect a hero's reputation after an accident, or cases of quietly disposing of heroes who had clearly collaborated with villains.
The main problem was that much of what Raiden uncovered aligned with his own sense of reason. He understood why some of those actions had been taken. He also believed that protecting a hero who made an honest mistake while trying to save lives wasn't entirely wrong.
He had been in dangerous battles himself; he knew how easy it was for collateral damage to happen. Until now, he'd been lucky—no civilians had been seriously harmed during his missions—but deep down he knew that, someday, that luck could end. And if it did, he didn't want to be treated like a criminal for an accident.
Still, he disagreed with how the Bureau handled such cases. The hero who had accidentally killed two people had made a tragic mistake, but the least he could have done was offer condolences to the victims' families. The Bureau, instead of helping both sides find peace, had only thrown money at the problem. Compensation could never replace respect.
The other cases he found were similar, though less severe—mostly involving heroes being shielded from minor property damage or procedural errors, often covered up by the Bureau and insurance companies.
As for the heroes who had knowingly worked with villains, their files were vague, carefully sanitized. Nothing Raiden read could destroy the director's career, let alone send him to prison.
After weeks of discussion, he and Lady Nagant came to the same conclusion: this investigation wouldn't be resolved quickly. It might take more time. Still, that didn't mean they were doing nothing.
From her end, Lady Nagant had started quietly refusing some of the director's orders—especially those that involved illegal surveillance or unsanctioned missions.
They weren't major acts of rebellion, but they were enough to show she would no longer follow his whims blindly. Naturally, the director wasn't pleased, yet he couldn't act against her either.
Raiden knew that pushing too far could ruin them both. For now, the mission remained in standby, advancing only in small, careful steps. There was no other choice.
Time moved on, and before long, summer break finally arrived. Raiden's internship had ended, and for the first time in months, he was free. Two full months to do whatever he wanted. Even if he was training to become a hero, U.A. students were still students, and they deserved the same holidays as everyone else.
The first few days were pure rest—movies, naps, and doing absolutely nothing. It was a well-earned break… at least until boredom inevitably crept in. After four days of lazy comfort, he decided it was time to go out and see some friends. The first person he called was Mirio, who immediately told him he'd stop by the next day.
To Raiden's surprise, Mirio didn't come alone. Tamaki and Nejire tagged along as well, turning what he expected to be a quiet visit into a full reunion. It was unexpected—but definitely welcome.
The four of them went to see a movie and later spent the evening back at Raiden's place, playing games and laughing until late. Their friendship had grown deep over time. After so many missions and training sessions together, they trusted each other completely—enough to put their lives in each other's hands if necessary.
Even among U.A.'s students, the four of them were known as the strongest of their year. Sure, there were other talented students in Class 1-B, but none had quite reached their level yet.
After spending a few good days with his classmates, Raiden took one more day to rest. Then, it was time. Emi—his childhood friend, the one he hadn't seen in almost a year—was finally free too. With no missions, no Bureau duties, and no other plans, he decided to visit her. No detours to his mentor's house, no distractions. The only thing that could possibly delay him would be a random villain encounter, but even if that happened, he'd just deal with it and keep going.
Luckily, nothing got in his way. In less than fifteen minutes, he was standing at her doorstep. A wave of nervousness hit him. It had been so long—too long. They'd only spoken a few times over the phone during the past year, and knowing Emi, she was probably going to be angry about that.
"Heh… well, it's now or never," Raiden muttered with a small laugh as he turned the key.
Being friends since childhood, they each had a key to the other's home. Their parents had grown up together, and both families were so close it was like they had been raised as siblings. So, for him, walking in unannounced felt perfectly natural.
Given the time, Emi's parents shouldn't have been home yet—they usually arrived an hour or two later. So Raiden simply let himself in and called out, his voice loud enough to carry through the house, just in case she was in the shower or listening to music. Mostly, though, he didn't want to scare her half to death.
"Emiii! It's me, Raiden! Are you home?"
The answer came almost immediately—from upstairs. There was a loud thump, followed by hurried footsteps. A second later, Emi appeared at the top of the stairs, then sprinted down toward him. Before he could say a word, she jumped straight at him, colliding head-first with his stomach.
"Wha—!"
The unexpected impact knocked the air out of him, sending him crashing down onto his back. Emi stood over him triumphantly, wearing a Shin-chan pajama set—loose pants and an oversized shirt.
Raiden blinked, rubbing his ribs. There was no way she'd managed that without using her Quirk.
"You didn't visit me all this time, and now you just show up like nothing happened!" she scolded, frowning down at him.
"Sorry, sorry! It's been… a complicated year. I barely had any free time," Raiden said, trying to come up with an excuse.
"A call isn't enough, and you know it," she huffed. Then, her expression softened into a mischievous grin. "But fine. I won't be that kind of friend. Instead, as punishment for your total lack of commitment to this friendship, you're paying for dinner tonight. I want fries, Coke, hamburgers, and sashimi."
Raiden couldn't help but laugh, shaking his head. Same old Emi.
Still, as he looked at her more closely, he noticed something different. There were faint bags under her eyes—signs of exhaustion he didn't remember seeing before. Maybe she'd been studying too much. He recalled that she was majoring in something related to construction or engineering, so he brushed the thought aside, not wanting to pry just yet.
"Hahaha, all right, I'll call for delivery now. How have you been?" Raiden asked with a grin as he stood up, brushing off his clothes.
"Good," Emi replied brightly. "I've had a few problems sleeping—something about my new schedule and anxiety, or at least that's what the doctor says. I'm on treatment now, and lately I've been sleeping better. But you know what? I love what I'm doing! School's amazing. Maybe not as amazing as training to be a hero, but still, pretty awesome!"
She said it with such cheerful energy that Raiden couldn't help but smile. It was just like her—always finding the good side of everything, even when talking about her own health. And knowing Emi, she truly didn't see it as a big deal. She was never the type to hide her problems.
"And what about you?" she asked, her eyes gleaming with curiosity. "You told me a few things over the phone, but that's not the same! I want to hear about your fights. I heard you beat the guy who put you in a coma—what was that like?"
That question led to hours of conversation. The two of them talked nonstop, laughing and catching up on everything they'd missed. Even when Emi's parents got home, they joined in, chatting and playing games together. Raiden hadn't seen them in a long time either, so he took the chance to talk with them as well.
Before long, Emi's parents invited him to stay the night—something that wasn't unusual at all. He'd stayed there countless times before, enough that he already had a set of pajamas waiting for him in her room.
His pajamas were simple: loose pants decorated with stars and stripes—the emblem of America's number one hero.
That night promised to be a good one. It had been too long since he'd stayed there, and as he settled in, a wave of nostalgia washed over him, warm and familiar.