Several weeks passed after the incident at the Humarise facility, which the media only reported as a "major raid on a villain syndicate" on the outskirts of the city. Life at U.A. returned to a rhythm that could be considered normal, although the word 'normal' now had a completely new meaning for us. The Alliance Heights dorm no longer just felt like a place to live; it had become a fortress, a sanctuary where we, Class 1-A, could be ourselves, bound by the secrets and traumas we shared.
The mornings in the dorm were an organized chaos. I would wake up before dawn for my physical training session, and by the time I returned, the common room was already full of life. Iida would be moving like a robot, ensuring everyone followed the breakfast schedule. Kaminari and Mineta would be arguing about the latest female hero in the news. And Bakugo would be grumbling at anyone who dared to use his favorite mug. In the midst of it all, I found my place. I was no longer a loner observing from a distance. I had my group.
"Tatsumi-kun, are you sure it's okay to eat a raw egg on your rice?" Uraraka asked one morning, looking at my breakfast bowl with a horrified expression.
"It's good for protein, kero," Tsuyu chimed in with a flat face. "Though I prefer jelly."
Nejire, who often dropped by to have breakfast with us, floated beside me. "So, so! Did you have any more weird dreams? Did you dream you were flying? Or maybe about eating giant monster meat? I'm so curious about the menu in your other world!"
I just smiled. "Just the usual dream about chasing homework," I replied, a lie that now felt easier to tell. They were my circle of trust. They knew I was different, and even though they didn't know every detail, they accepted me. Their presence was the anchor that kept me in this world, preventing me from drowning in my sea of secrets.
My training also entered a new phase. I was no longer just trying to summon Incursio; I was trying to understand it. Every night, I would meditate on the quiet rooftop of the dorm. I focused on the dragon's heartbeat within me. I began to realize that it didn't just react to danger, but also to my intent. I started to be able to manifest partial armor—gauntlets, leg guards—with less pain and with less concentration. It was still draining, but it no longer felt like tearing my own body apart.
In my dreams, the echoes of the original Tatsumi's soul became clearer and more frequent. I saw flashes of battles, not as a spectator, but from his own eyes. I felt the weight of the spear Neuntote, felt the satisfaction of successfully protecting a comrade, and felt a piercing sadness at seeing a friend fall. These dreams left their mark on my consciousness, giving me a combat instinct and tactical understanding that I could never have learned from any book.
This relatively quiet school life was a beautiful lie, and I knew it. Outside the walls of U.A., the world was changing.
In her high-tech office, Ryukyu was on a secret video conference with Principal Nezu and Detective Tsukauchi. "The organization calling themselves 'Humarise' has vanished without a trace," Tsukauchi reported. "That research facility was the only real lead we had, and most of their data was remotely wiped. They're like ghosts."
"Ghosts capable of kidnapping one of U.A.'s strongest students and possessing advanced Quirk-suppressing technology," Ryukyu countered, her tone serious. "I have placed my asset"—she paused for a moment, choosing her words carefully—"to continue monitoring for any 'echoes' or connections that may arise. But for now, we're at a dead end."
Nezu, from his screen, sipped his tea. "This is worrying. With All Might's absence, a power vacuum has been created. Various groups will try to fill it. The League of Villains is just the most visible." He looked at Ryukyu. "Keep a close watch on that asset of yours, Ryukyu. He may be the key to understanding the threats we cannot see."
In a different city, under a relentless rain, Akame was on the trail. She was no longer hunting random corrupt officials. She had a new target: Yozakura. Her truce with Tatsumi gave her a more focused purpose. She knew that to truly understand this new world and her role in it, she first had to face the ghosts of her own past, or at least, this world's version of them. She had gotten a lead on one of the clan's lieutenants operating in this city. Her hunt was personal now.
At the new, even grittier League of Villains hideout, Tomura Shigaraki stared at his bandaged hand. His defeat in Kamino was a burning humiliation. "Shie Hassaikai," he hissed, scratching his neck in frustration. "Those low-life yakuza think they can take over the underworld. They know nothing about true power." Dabi, leaning against the wall, just smiled faintly. He knew that the real war wasn't against the heroes, but among the villains themselves. And he was ready to burn it all to ash.
Back at U.A., our peace finally came to an end. Aizawa-sensei announced that the Hero Internship program would be replaced by a new, more intense and integrated program: the Hero Work-Studies. It was a chance for us to work for a longer period with a pro hero agency, to truly experience what it was like to be a hero.
To introduce the program, the U.A. Big Three came to our class. I saw Nejire enter with two other figures. One was a tall, muscular boy with blond hair and a smile that seemed to pass through everything, Mirio Togata. The other was a shy boy with indigo hair and an elf-like appearance, Tamaki Amajiki.
I watched as Mirio easily "defeated" almost our entire class in a training bout, his Permeation Quirk making him an impossible opponent to touch. He was the embodiment of power and optimism, a perfect potential successor to All Might.
After the demonstration, I spoke with Nejire. "So, Work-Studies, huh?"
"Yup!" she said cheerfully. "You have to do it with me at Ryukyu's agency again! It'll be so much fun! We can investigate more mysterious conspiracies together!"
It was the most logical choice. I already had a working relationship with Ryukyu. Continuing under her guidance was the best step to develop my power. Meanwhile, Midoriya, desperate to get stronger and control One For All, asked All Might for guidance and was eventually introduced to his former sidekick, Sir Nighteye.
A few days later, I found myself walking with Midoriya and Mirio. Mirio, with his friendly personality, had offered to escort Midoriya to Sir Nighteye's agency, and I happened to be on my way to deliver some documents to a nearby agency for Ryukyu.
As we were walking down a busy street, that's when it happened. A small body bumped hard into Midoriya, making him fall. It was a little girl, maybe six or seven years old, with long, silvery-white hair and a strange little horn on her forehead. She was wearing tattered clothes and her whole body was trembling with fear. Her large red eyes were filled with pure terror.
"I-I'm sorry," she whispered.
Before Midoriya could comfort her, a figure stepped out from a nearby dark alley. He wore a neat suit, white gloves, and a dark plague doctor mask that covered the lower half of his face. His cold, emotionless eyes looked at us.
The moment he appeared, I felt a reaction I had never experienced before. The dragon's heartbeat in my chest didn't pound with danger or resonate with a connection. It recoiled. As if the entire existence of Incursio, a power born of evolution and primal life, felt disgusted and horrified. I felt a piercing cold, not the cold of ice, but the cold of nothingness. A fundamental, sickening feeling, as if I were standing in the presence of something that was the antithesis of life itself.
"My apologies for my daughter," the masked man said, his voice calm yet skin-crawling. "She's so clumsy. Come, Eri. We're going home."
He held out his hand, and the little girl named Eri flinched in horror, gripping Midoriya's leg tightly.
I watched the scene, the silent struggle between Midoriya who wanted to help and the man who was clearly the source of the girl's fear. I knew we couldn't interfere rashly. But I also knew I couldn't turn away. I looked at the masked man, known as Overhaul.
My hand, which I had put in my pocket, was trembling. I didn't know why, but my instinct, the echo of the dragon's soul within me, was screaming that this man before me was a different kind of threat. Not just a villain. He was a disease.
'That man's power...' I thought, as I felt the unnatural chill from him. 'It feels like... death itself.'