The office door closed with a dry click, as if dragging all the chaotic memories of the previous incident out, leaving a heavy silence. The atmosphere in the room changed instantly, from the forced humor of the "punishment" situation or whatever, to now being stifling to the point of being suffocating. The neon lights hanging from the ceiling cast a cold white light, casting long shadows on the old wooden walls of the temporary building in the campsite. The conference table in the middle of the room, with a few simple wooden chairs and a few messy papers, now looked more like an interrogation table than a place for discussion. There was no more giggling or joking; instead, there was a pervasive tension, like a thick fog, making every movement heavy. I sat there, still wrapped in only a thin towel around my waist, the cold feeling of the air conditioner seeping through my skin, while Aizawa-sensei stood in the corner of the room with a tired expression, Mandalay crossed his arms over his chest, and Guren – the new "guest" – stood tall like a stone statue, his aura pressing down on the space.
Guren, without wasting a second, placed the giant greatsword on the floor with a dry "clack", the sound echoing in the quiet room like a warning. The blade glittered under the light, exuding a deadly danger, making the atmosphere even more stifling. He scanned all of us, his expression changing from his initial lazy smile to a cold professionalism, like a sharp blade being drawn from its sheath.
"Before we begin," he said, his voice low but clear, no longer carrying any hint of joking, "I want everything in this room to be absolutely 'clean'. I hope everyone here understands and cooperates with me."
Without waiting for a response, he immediately took action.
With a quick and precise movement like a machine, he checked every corner of the room: flipping over chairs, flipping over tables, checking under the floor, behind the curtains, even the cracks in the walls. Every gesture was professional, not superfluous, but the pressure from him made the atmosphere even heavier – as if everyone was being watched by an invisible eye.
After finishing, he turned to the three of us, his amber eyes flashing with vigilance.
"Now it's time for cross-examination. I don't want any loopholes. Ryuga, since you're almost naked now, there's no need to check you. You check Aizawa-sensei, and I'll check this young lady."
"How about we reverse it? I'll check Miss Mandalay, and you..."
"Hey, you're not in this state for no reason. If you really want to be a pervert, I'll let you check this young lady, okay?" Guren interrupted, his face showing mockery, his eyes flashing with obvious sarcasm.
Fuck it, this bastard is so opportunistic. And he didn't say anything wrong.
Aizawa and Mandalay, probably understood that Guren was trying to take care of me and willingly complied, and they also understood the seriousness of this situation much more than the ecchi bullshit situations, so no one complained.
Guren started with Mandalay. I had to admit he was a real professional – his hands glided over the devices on her outfit, examining every detail with the speed and precision of a seasoned police officer. His long, slender fingers moved smoothly like a programmed machine, gliding over the buttons, straps, and tools with intense concentration, as if performing a standard security check.
The atmosphere in the room was now even more tense, with the soft rustle of fabric and everyone's steady breathing, no one dared to break the professional silence. But I noticed, and only I could see clearly: his hands "slipped" over the "sensitive" parts slowly, carefully, under the guise of professionalism. His fingers paused longer than necessary, caressing lightly as if by accident, but with intent, making me clearly feel the vileness hidden behind the serious mask. He pretended to check the belt, around her chest or waist, or even under her dress, but there was a hint of furtiveness in the movement, a hint of secret pleasure, as if he were enjoying a private game in public.
And the worst part is Mandalay didn't even realize she was being taken advantage of, all she did was just frowned slightly and blushed, occasionally making small noises because of the strange and embarrassing feeling of being examined so closely like this, but somehow she kept quiet most of the time, believing that it was just part of the process. How ironic...
As for me, it was normal. Men together so the inspection was quite comfortable and without any loopholes, and he did not care that I did it carelessly, especially with his mechanical prosthetic leg - because in my heart, he was clearly an honest man and not a hypocrite.
Once he was sure the room was safe, Guren turned to me.
"Say it, Onodera Ryuga. The farce is over. How will the raid go? And above all, who is the 'traitor' you're referring to?"
I recounted in detail what I "saw". About the League of Villains' Vanguard Action Squad raiding this place in two days during the test of courage, the developments and the number of casualties, and their goal of kidnapping a student with the potential to become a villain: Bakugo Katsuki.
"...However, there is a variable," I said. "In my 'vision', one of the squad members is Toga Himiko. But since I intervened beforehand, she's now at U.A. as an official student after this training, so the scale or composition of the attack might change a little."
"We could go ahead and set a trap," Mandalay suggested.
"Too public," I interrupted. "The traitor will notice and inform the Alliance at any opportunity. Since Todoroki-senpai has already arrived in such a grand manner" - I glared at Guren - "it's best to keep this plan as low as possible, and as few people as possible. Let them think they have the upper hand, then counterattack."
Everyone, after hearing my plan, seemed to agree to some extent, but even if this plan was too passive, no one could think of a better way without alerting the enemy before the strike.
Guren, who had been listening silently, suddenly sneered.
"Toga? So it's that girl. So you've thought this far ahead..." He shrugged. "What about the 'traitor'? Can you identify who it is?"
I turned to Aizawa. "During the attack, there will definitely be someone injured. That's the opportunity. After everything is over, have all students in Class 1-A and 1-B undergo a general physical examination to check for injuries. Most importantly, a full-body X-ray."
"X-ray?" Aizawa frowned.
"Only then can we close the gap between us and the traitor," I replied, my voice full of meaning. "And when the X-rays are done, only Aizawa-sensei, All Might, Principal Nezu, and I are allowed to examine each student's feet. For top secret reasons."
I knew they would understand. Having two joints in the little toe was a near-certain sign of Quirklessness, something that was impossible for a U.A. student. And since Izuku was originally a Quirkless person - and later received All Might's "One For All" legacy - this absolutely could not be revealed.
Guren, though he knew the reason for the x-ray, seemed to not understand why he was not allowed to participate in the examination. But then he gradually showed that he did not care much.
"It's up to you. What I'm more interested in is the 'one who can create blue flames' that you mentioned." His amber eyes flashed with a dangerous light. "A flame hotter than Enji's... It must be someone from Todoroki's. I'll have to drag him back to the clan. This really involves a lot more parties than I thought."
Before the meeting ended, I suddenly shivered and sneezed. The cold from last night, combined with only wearing a towel around my waist in the air-conditioned room, finally took effect on me.
Guren noticed that. He said nothing, silently walking towards Aizawa. To everyone's surprise, he grabbed Aizawa's Capture Weapon Strip, pulling out a long piece without any warning.
The greatsword in his hand swung at a terrifying speed.
Swish!
A long and sturdy piece of carbon cloth was cut off as easily as a thread. Guren casually threw the piece of cloth to me.
"Wrap it up for warmth. It's a high-quality product. Use it"
I was stunned, not daring to accept it. My entire body froze. Not because of Guren's actions, but because of Aizawa's gaze. It was the first time I saw him with such a terrifying expression. His bloodshot eyes, filled with blood vessels due to his unconscious activation of Quirk, stared at me as if saying, "I dare you to accept it, you little brat."
At the same time, the pressure that Guren radiated as he wanted me to accept this damn gift, heavy as a mountain, made me feel extremely short of breath.
Damn it, who can withstand this anyway???
...
5:30 AM the next day
The early morning in the training camp area in the middle of the mountains was still covered in a thin layer of fog, carrying the chill of the dawn that had not yet awakened. The air was fresh but quiet to the point of being almost suffocating, with sporadic bird chirps echoing from the canopy of tall trees, and dew drops on the leaves glistening under the first weak rays of sunlight. The simple wooden cabin area, surrounded by rows of tall ancient trees, seemed to still be hibernating after a chaotic night. The smell of damp soil mixed with the smell of smoke from last night's fire, creating a wild space, far away from the hustle and bustle of the city, making everyone feel isolated in the harsh nature.
The entire class 1-A had gathered outside the cabin, standing in a haphazard line under the dim light of dawn. Everyone looked exhausted, their eyes were dark from lack of sleep, their hair was messy, and some people were still yawning continuously. The air was heavy with tired silence, interspersed with soft murmurs of complaints – someone complaining about the interrupted sleep, someone else grumbling about the cold seeping into our skin.
In fact, Izuku and I were the most tired ones here. Last night, we had both been plagued by colds all night, our noses were stuffy and we were constantly coughing, making sleep a luxury. On top of that, who knew who the bastard in the class was snoring like a tractor all night, the loud sound echoing through the thin wooden walls, making me feel like I was being tortured nonstop. Every little movement made my body ache, and the cold air made our breaths turn into white clouds that drifted lazily.
Shota Aizawa stood before us, with his usual tired eyes, long, messy hair, and a new scarf that covered most of his face. He stood up straight, his voice resounding firmly, cutting through the silence, carrying an uncompromising sternness: "Good morning everyone. Today, we will begin a training camp to seriously improve our strength. The goal of this training camp is to improve everyone's strength, and from there, be able to obtain a temporary hero license. This is to prepare you to face the enemy forces more realistically every moment..."
"Did you forget something, Aizawa-sensei?!" A voice rang out from afar, interrupting Aizawa's words rudely but confidently. It was Guren, who was leaning against a nearby tree, wearing black shorts, a black t-shirt and a flip-flop, lazily flipping through a newspaper as if not caring about the serious atmosphere around him.
The atmosphere suddenly changed – from tired silence to surprise mixed with curiosity, as everyone turned to look at him, with his fiery red hair and amber eyes flashing in the morning sun.
"I'm not a scarecrow here!"
"Ah, right, I forgot. And over there is your new Temporary Class Advisor along with me, sent by Principal Nezu, Guren-san." Aizawa said perfunctorily, his tone revealing his reluctance. "Aren't you going to do anything, Guren?"
"Don't rush me, I'll only do it when office hours start." Guren replied lazily, his eyes still glued to the newspaper, creating an uncomfortable atmosphere – as if he was challenging Aizawa's authority without even trying.
Seeing that he couldn't say anything to this "tough guy", Aizawa just sighed helplessly, then returned to the classroom to continue his unfinished speech. The atmosphere was now more tense, with Guren's presence like a time bomb, causing everyone to sneak glances at him, a mixture of curiosity and apprehension.
"Proceed carefully. So Bakugo," he said as he threw the ball towards Bakugo. "Try throwing that ball."
"This is from the gymnastics competition..." He looked thoughtfully at the ball in his hand.
"Exactly, your previous record, right after entering school, was 705.2 meters. Let's see how much you've improved."
Bakugo immediately stepped forward amidst the cheers from the class, a smug smile clearly on his lips. He stretched his shoulders, took a deep breath, and then put all his strength into the throw, roaring with great energy.
"Well then, now.... GO TO HELL!!!!!"
BOOM!
The ball flew with tremendous force, the explosion resounding, creating a strong wind that swept through the area, rustling leaves and flying dust. The atmosphere was suddenly lively, with excited shouts from the class, but it quickly died down as everyone waited for the results. But the number on Aizawa's device stunned the class.
"709.6 meters."
"Huh? That's it?" Kaminari exclaimed. "Almost the same as last time!"
"That's right," Aizawa said evenly, his voice not wavering at all. "Over the course of the semester, you have accumulated a lot of experience, and have certainly matured. But that growth has been mainly mental and technical, and your Quirk abilities have barely improved. It's time to focus on physical development." He looked around the class, his sharp gaze scanning each face. "So, we will continue to improve your abilities starting today…"
Then, he let out a creepy laugh that startled the entire class, the atmosphere suddenly became heavy, filled with anxiety and suspense, as if a storm was about to hit.
"It's going to be extremely difficult and you'll feel like you're about to die..." He said while looking dangerous, his voice low and threatening. "So... try not to let yourself be..."
Yeah right, as if this shit was that hard....