Control Room, Tower I, 200th Floor.
The reinforced door slid open with a metallic hiss.
Wolfram entered first, followed by two armed thugs. Close behind came David, Sam, and Helena, under tight escort.
"Senju," Wolfram called.
In the center of the room, standing before the main console, a man turned his head slightly. His whitish-blond hair was disheveled, and the top of his skull was clearly mechanical, covered in plates with a visible ocular lens nestled among the hair. From the nose down, his face was completely human.
"Finally," said Senju No. 2, his voice impatient. "Took you long enough."
Wolfram took a step forward.
"I brought him."
He turned to the thug beside him.
"Swordkil."
The man nodded and shoved David toward the center of the room.
"Hurry up and unlock the vault," ordered Senju No. 2, not even bothering to look directly at him.
Swordkil reached up, removed his helmet. His face was revealed under the cold light of the room: dark, purplish-pink, curved and linear marks cut across the skin beneath his eyes and over his cheeks. Faded pink hair fell to his shoulders.
He stared at David with contempt.
"Acting so proud back in the hall…" he said, activating his quirk.
Retractable blades slid from his forearm, merging into a single cone-shaped blade.
Swordkil brought the sharp tip close to David's face.
"You heard him. If you don't want to die, hurry up and do it."
David swallowed dryly. He glanced quickly back at Sam and Helena, then looked at Wolfram.
"…O-Okay."
Wolfram smiled, satisfied.
"Take them to the vault room."
Two thugs grabbed David and Sam by the arms. As they started to pull them away, David turned.
"Wait. What about her?"
Helena tried to take a step to follow, but Wolfram raised his gun, casually pointing it at her.
"She stays."
David immediately spun around.
"What?! No—!"
"Don't worry," Wolfram interrupted calmly. "We'll take very good care of her while you're gone."
David clenched his teeth but was finally dragged away by force with Sam. The door closed behind them with a heavy clang.
Silence fell in the room.
Helena and Wolfram stared at each other for a few seconds.
"You're frighteningly good at that," Wolfram said finally. "If you hadn't tipped me off about who you'd be, I never would have suspected."
A slow smile spread across Helena's face.
Her appearance began to distort like a reflection in water. In seconds, her brown hair shifted and gained a silvery sheen, her skin took on a bronzed tone, and her facial features changed completely.
"Thanks for the compliment~" said Mirage, now revealed. "And I must say… you all weren't bad in your roles either."
Wolfram raised an eyebrow.
"Was that sarcasm?"
Mirage laughed softly.
"Perhaps~"
She walked over to Wolfram and Senju No. 2, who remained seated before the main console.
"So," she continued, "let's get down to business."
Wolfram crossed his arms.
"The plan isn't just to get the Individuality Amplifier, since our second client wants a bunch of information from the projects stored in the Tower's system."
"All the data," Mirage added. "Secret projects, hidden research… everything this island tries to keep buried."
Senju No. 2 let out a dry laugh.
"That might be impossible." He tapped lightly on the keyboards. "The firewall here rivals Tartarus. There's no way—"
"I know, sweetiepie~"
Wolfram arched an eyebrow as he watched Mirage approach Senju No. 2 from behind.
She rested her hands on his shoulders, sliding them slowly down his chest and neck. Senju No. 2 tensed up.
"That's precisely why I wouldn't come without a… countermeasure~"
She ran her fingers from his chin to his ear… and then pulled something from behind his collar.
A long, black thumb drive glinted under the room's light.
"A gift from my master," she said with a dangerous smile. "A little toy that can slice through that security like butter."
Senju stared at the thumb drive, silent, his hand moving subtly to cover his groin.
"R-Right… So let's begin."
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In the tower's emergency stairwell, Midoriya and the others were rushing upwards. He and Iida stopped on one of the floors when Iida noticed the number painted on the wall.
"Thirtieth floor," he announced.
Midoriya turned to the group right behind him and asked, still panting:
"Melissa, where's the control room?"
"On… on the 200th floor…" she replied, trying to catch her breath.
Kaminari's eyes went wide and he immediately turned to her.
"Wait, are we seriously gonna have to climb all that?!"
Before Melissa could answer, Ryo passed by him, completely calm, not showing the slightest sign of fatigue.
"It's better than being noticed by the villains," he said, not even slowing his pace. "Come on, we don't have time to waste."
With that, the group continued their climb.
As he moved, Ryo recalled the information he had received from All Might. A terrorist group had taken control of the tower and seized the entire island's security system, turning everyone there into hostages.
The heroes present in the main hall had also been neutralized by the security system.
Any move that drew attention was dangerous. Under normal circumstances, All Might would have ordered them to evacuate immediately… but these were not normal circumstances.
Not with Ryo present.
When they reached the 50th floor, Uraraka noticed that Melissa was starting to fall behind, visibly exhausted.
"Do you want me to use my quirk on you?" she suggested, concerned.
"No, it's fine…" she took several deep breaths, trying to recover her air. "You should save your quirk for whe—"
The sentence was cut off when Melissa was suddenly lifted off the ground. A small gasp of surprise escaped her lips as she realized she was being carried in Ryo's arms.
"If you're tired, I'll carry you," he said, unfazed by the situation.
"W-what?! But this will tire you out too!" she protested, blushing.
"Not in the slightest," Ryo replied. "In fact, I'm going slow to keep you guys pace."
He shot a quick glance at a surprised Uraraka before turning back to Melissa.
"We need you at the top as soon as possible to reactivate the security system, right?"
Melissa blinked, confused, before he added:
"Hold on tight."
The next instant, Ryo shot up the stairs at high speed. Melissa reflexively clung to his shoulders, startled by the sudden acceleration.
As he ran and passed the rest of the class, Ryo organized the plan he received from All Might in his mind: reach the 200th floor, reactivate the security system, and avoid direct confrontations so as not to put the lives of those around the island at risk.
Only Melissa could operate the main panel among them, so getting her there quickly was the top priority.
The rest of the group stood still for a second, staring at the empty space left by Ryo going up the stairs.
"Did… did I just see Ryo run past carrying Melissa?" asked Sero, incredulous.
"Seems so," replied Dash.
Todoroki passed by them shortly after.
"That saves a lot of time. Keep climbing."
The group resumed their run. Dash was about to do the same when Pony tugged at the sleeve of his uniform.
He turned.
"What is it?"
Pony just pointed at herself twice, smiling excitedly.
"Uh, uh!"
Dash frowned… until his face turned completely red.
"E-eh…?"
Seconds later, Dash was shooting up the stairs carrying Pony in his arms, exactly as Ryo had done with Melissa. They sped past the group at high speed.
"Did I just see Dash carrying Pony now?!" Sero asked again.
"Seems so…" confirmed Midoriya.
Kaminari gritted his teeth, biting his shirt.
"Why can I never have the same luck these guys are having with girls today…!"
Jiro shot a look at him. She opened her mouth to respond… but ended up giving up, just turning back to climb the stairs.
"Quit fooling around and hurry up, idiot."
"Y-yeah, I'm coming!" replied Kaminari, sheepishly, running right after her.
The group kept climbing until they finally reached the 80th floor, only to be met with a solid metal door completely blocking the way. Ryo and Dash, who had already been there for several minutes along with Pony and Melissa, exchanged quick glances.
Ryo crossed his arms, staring at the door.
"Looks like we've hit a dead end…"
Dash scratched his head.
"Yeah, looks that way. Now what?"
The rest of the class arrived right behind them, still trying to catch their breath.
Ryo turned to Melissa, pointing at the door.
"Are you sure we can't break through this?"
Melissa shook her head.
"No. The entire tower is covered in sensors. If you cause any structural damage here, the villains will be alerted immediately."
Before anyone could respond, Kaminari dragged himself over, and without much thought, walked up to a side door.
"Can't we just go out this way?" he asked, reaching out his hand.
"Kaminari, wait!" Midoriya's eyes widened as he tried to grab him.
"No!" Melissa shouted at the same time.
Ryo acted on instinct. In the blink of an eye, he appeared beside Kaminari and yanked his hand back. The problem was, the sudden movement caused the door to swing open anyway—the handle was the type that unlocks when pulled.
The door opened with a metallic click, revealing the hallway just ahead.
Ryo stood frozen for a few seconds before sighing in defeat.
"…Shit."
In the command room, a sharp beep echoed from the building's control panel.
Wolfram looked up at the monitor.
"What was that?"
Senu No. 2 typed rapidly.
"A door on the 80th floor has been opened."
After a few commands, the screens displayed footage from the security cameras, showing the group running through the halls.
"Kids…?" Wolfram clicked his tongue. "How the hell did they get in?"
Mirage's eyes widened slightly as she recognized a face among the group.
"Wait… that one there…"
"Seal all doors on the 80th floor," Wolfram ordered.
"It won't help," Mirage interrupted, pointing at the screen. "They're U.A. students. And there's one there who's far too strong. Doors won't hold him."
"Then what do you suggest?!" Wolfram retorted, growing impatient.
Mirage smiled.
"Let them reach the Botanical Garden. We can contain them there with our personnel. And…" she paused briefly, "…I recommend deploying the heavy equipment my master provided."
Wolfram frowned, surprised.
"Using that against kids is overkill—"
"No, it's not," Mirage cut in. "As I said, there's someone there who should not be underestimated."
She watched the screen silently as Ryo charged toward the large gate leading to the Botanical Garden… and destroyed it with a single punch. Mirage's smile widened.
"If I can capture him," she thought, "the master will be very pleased~"
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Ryo and the others carefully entered the Garden. The place was spacious, illuminated by artificial lights that reflected off the leaves and the surrounding glass greenhouses.
"Where are we?" Ryo asked in a low voice.
"We're in the Botanical Garden," Melissa replied. "This is where they conduct various quirk-related plant research."
Before anyone could say anything else, Pony widened her eyes and pointed toward the back of the area.
"There's… someone coming from the elevator!" she said nervously, indicating the elevator.
The numbers above the door were rising rapidly.
"Everyone, hide," Ryo ordered immediately. "We must avoid direct combat."
The group ducked behind a large bush, watching in silence. As they waited, Ryo leaned toward Melissa.
"Can we use that elevator to get to the top?"
Melissa shook her head.
"No. Only authorized personnel can use it."
Ryo clicked his tongue, but an idea soon crossed his mind.
"Then I'll destroy it. That way the villains lose mobility."
"What?!" Melissa whispered sharply. "That's impossible! That elevator is as sturdy as an anti-aircraft shelter!"
Ryo raised an eyebrow.
"Is that so?"
She nodded seriously.
"Alright then," he replied calmly. "I can still destroy it."
Melissa's eyes widened, and she turned to Midoriya for an explanation.
"Yeah…" Midoriya laughed awkwardly. "He's not joking."
Before Ryo could move, the elevator arrived with a metallic clang.
"Dammit… I took too long," he murmured, ducking back into hiding.
The doors opened, and two men stepped out.
The first was tall and thin, with yellowish skin and a strange face, resembling a goat. He had narrow eyes, a beard, and a dark green mohawk that ran along the sides of his face.
The second was shorter, stocky, with a head almost fused to his thick neck. His small eyes remained closed the entire time, and his hooked nose stood out on his face.
Both wore black combat suits.
"The boss said the kids were here," grumbled the shorter one, Daigo.
The other, Nobu, scanned the garden irritably.
"Hah… these brats had to wander into a really annoying place."
Uraraka covered her mouth, her heart racing.
"T-they… they're coming…" she whispered.
"Quiet," Iida replied firmly, without even turning his head.
The men advanced to the center of the plaza, their heavy footsteps echoing through the garden. They looked in every direction, overly attentive.
Ryo remained motionless, but every muscle in his body was on high alert, ready to respond at any moment. His hand gripped Dash's shoulder, already prepared to take them down the instant they were discovered.
The silence was broken when Nobu stomped heavily on the ground.
"Finally found you…" he growled. "Damn kids!"
Ryo activated Inner Transition in the same instant. The whites of his eyes darkened… but he froze upon hearing a familiar voice echo across the plaza.
"HUH?! What did you say, you goat-faced bastard?!" Bakugo shouted angrily.
Ryo glanced slightly to the right. A few meters away, Bakugo and Kirishima were exposed, right in the middle of the plaza.
"What are they doing here…?!"
Nobu clicked his tongue impatiently.
"What the hell are you doing here?"
"That's exactly what I want to know!" Bakugo retorted, taking a step forward.
Kirishima grabbed him by the arm.
"Calm down, Bakugo… let me handle this."
Visibly nervous, he took a step forward and spoke politely:
"S-so… we just got lost. Could you tell us where the reception is?"
Dash's eyes widened.
"Have they been lost the whole time since we split up?!"
Daigo and Nobu stared at each other for a few seconds. Then Nobu scoffed and turned away, irritated.
"I don't have time for cheap lies like that." His gaze turned cold. "And since the boss said there's a strong one among you…"
He raised his hand.
"S-V3s. Eliminate these two."
Two shadows leaped from the slightly open elevator, moving at incredible speed.
"Kiri—!" Bakugo barely had time to react.
An explosion swallowed part of the garden.
"KIRISHIMA! KACCHAN!" Midoriya jolted up along with the rest of the group, immediately drawing attention.
"More brats?!" Daigo grumbled irritably.
Todoroki furrowed his brow, sensing something wrong. He turned to Ryo.
"Takeda—!"
He stopped.
Ryo was no longer there. Neither was Dash.
Todoroki's eyes widened in understanding. He turned toward the column of smoke rising where Bakugo and Kirishima had been.
As the dust began to settle, four silhouettes emerged.
Ryo and Dash were there, unharmed… along with Bakugo and Kirishima.
They had acted at the last second.
"Huh…?" Kirishima blinked, confused. "What just happened?"
"HEY!" Bakugo shouted furiously. "LET ME GO, YOU IDIOT!"
He was mad because Ryo was carrying him like a princess. Without responding, Ryo simply dropped him on the ground.
"AAAARGH!" Bakugo grunted in pain. "YOU—"
"Shut up," Ryo cut in seriously. "Look."
The tone made Bakugo freeze. He followed Ryo's gaze toward the smoke… and his eyes widened.
Four yellowish glows appeared amidst the dust.
The smoke dissipated completely, revealing two tall, slender black humanoid figures made of movable metal plates.
They turned their heads mechanically, scanning the group until they locked onto Ryo.
[Target located]
[Initiating containment procedure for Rito Takeda]
[Target threat level: 11]
The air grew heavy.
"These guys are…" Bakugo murmured.
Ryo clenched his fists.
"Sentinels."
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Sorry for the delay, I took a day off to rest as many of you suggested, and seriously... it was the best thing I've ever done!
Wow, I feel so light for some reason, was I pushing myself that hard? Maybe I never noticed it, I need to take better care of myself from now on.
As you can see below, I've changed the goal values now, so I won't be easily overwhelmed by you and your flash stones. Seriously, you were always so quick to hit the first goal every time, I really underestimated you.
Stone Goals:
1000 PS – Not Complete
3000 PS – Not Complete
And before I go... where's my Shining Knight?
If you're reading this, thank you!