"The name's simple, but the drug is anything but. It pushes quirks to their absolute limit—forces an awakening of sorts. But the side effects are brutal. Over time, users lose parts of their rationality. They get... unstable."
She could feel the weight of their stares as they processed her words.
She was playing her part well—feeding them just enough truth to seem credible, while her real secrets stayed hidden. Or so she thought.
When Erika finished her explanation, Kaina nodded before pressing further.
"Where exactly will this cargo be delivered? And are you absolutely sure it's just drugs?"
Kaina wasn't expecting a direct confession—just a slip, something revealing. The trick was in the details, the way people thought rather than what they said. But they had to be careful with the quetions.
In a world dominated by quirks, the existence of a mind-reading ability wasn't far-fetched. If Erika suspected they had one, she'd start filtering her thoughts.
And she was already catching on.
Why would they ask me that? I get why they want to know the location, but the doubt about what the cargo is? Her mind raced through possibilities, carefully constructing a response. I'll give them the wrong location—somewhere plausible, a place where deals like this happen all the time. The junk beach should work. It's a common spot for low-profile exchanges. That'll send them on a stupid chase.
After a moment, she spoke, her voice steady. "The deal is happening at Junk Beach, east of the city. And as far as I know, it's the same drug. I can't say I'm a hundred percent certain, but I'm confident enough. I always am."
Under different circumstances, her words might have been convincing. But in this room, filled with people trained to read between the lines, everyone could tell she was trying to mislead them.
"The Junk Beach, huh?" Kaina mused, drumming her fingers on the table. "That place has a history of being a trafficking hub. We'll verify your information."
Then, with calculated nonchalance, she added, "One last thing—for now. August mentioned something interesting. He said that once, when Edward thought he was alone, he muttered something about 'reaching Father's standards.' Does that mean anything to you?"
The question made Erika's pupils contract. Her mind went into overdrive, scrambling for an explanation. This wasn't supposed to happen.
That muscle-headed idiot. Her thoughts turned frantic. I knew it. I knew it! He never should have been part of the brothers. No matter how lucky he's been completing missions, he's reckless. He's going to bring us all down at this rate. We've spent years staying under the radar, and he just had to attack U.A. Even if that led to Father perfecting the serum… now they've heard his alias. This is a disaster, I just hope that idiot at this point had deleted the important files.
But despite the chaos in her head, she forced her face to remain neutral.
"I don't know," she said, feigning indifference. "Maybe he has some family issues. Truth is, I don't know him well. He climbed the ranks quickly, but he's always been… unpredictable."
Kaina's expression didn't change, but Erika knew she hadn't convinced her.
"Alright, last two questions," Kaina continued. "Where is the cargo coming from? And who is your real boss—the actual leader of this organization?"
For the first time since the interrogation began, Erika's thoughts and words aligned perfectly, like pieces of a puzzle clicking into place.
'I don't know. I don't know who the leader is. I don't know if those U.A. kids are still targets.'
She exhaled slowly before repeating the exact words aloud. "I don't know. Neither who the leader is nor if the kids are still targets."
Silence settled over the room as everyone processed her response. But in that silence, they had all formed the same conclusion.
She was high-ranking—an executive. And judging by the way she thought of the organization, it operated like a family, with "Father" at the top.
The cargo was coming into the city.
The real identity of "Father" remained unknown, but whatever they were transporting was dangerous.
After the double interrogation, it was time for phase three, now they had enough information to justify a raid into the company, and enough profs to think they could find more information there. Given the situation, the pro heroes weren't about to sit back and wait for everything to unfold.
That same night, Kaina, the detective, and Raiden rushed to the Public Hero Safety Commission, heading straight for the director's office. They moved with urgency, cutting through the hallways without pause and now, without any deviation.
Raiden noticed something off. Kaina's usually cold demeanor had sharpened even further the moment they stepped into the main building of the bureau. It was subtle, but unmistakable. Sensing her unease, he reached out with his mental connection.
For a fleeting moment, as their minds connected, he caught a glimpse of her emotions—guilt, mostly. But as soon as she felt his presence, she locked down her thoughts, shutting him out.
"Something wrong, kid?" Kaina asked telepathically.
"That's what I was about to ask. Your mood changed the second we walked in."
The question made Kaina flinch, but she responded quickly.
"The director isn't someone I particularly like. That's all." Short. Blunt. Dismissive.
Raiden wasn't convinced. There was more to it than just personal dislike. He had felt it, even if only for a second—something deeper, something she wasn't saying. But he knew Kaina well enough to hold back. Pressing her wouldn't get him any answers.
Still, when they finally arrived at the director's office, he couldn't ignore how she took a deep breath before stepping inside.
Inside, a single man sat behind a large desk, typing something on his computer. To his side, a couch was occupied by Hawks, Tamaki, and a few other heroes. Among them were Yoroi Musha, Best Jeanist, and several heroes from their respective agencies.
A few others were stationed throughout the room—operatives who worked directly under the Public Hero Safety Commission.
As the three of them entered, the director, Gozen, finally looked up. His expression remained neutral for a beat before his lips curled into a strange smile.
"You're finally here. Good. I've received the full report. First of all, congratulations on your findings—each of you managed to capture an individual tied to the organization."
His tone was smooth, almost too smooth.
Raiden's eyes narrowed slightly. Why is he smiling?
A similar thought passed through Tamaki's mind as the two exchanged glances.
The director's reaction felt... off. Sure, this was a step forward—they had finally uncovered crucial information—but no one in this room should be happy about it. There was a possible network of human experimentation operating under the city. That wasn't something to smile about.
And yet, Gozen was smiling.
"With this, we have enough information to act. Now, before we continue, there are two things we need to settle. And that, kids, would be you."
Gozen's gaze shifted between Tamaki and Raiden, his expression unreadable.
"What we're about to discuss and do next is classified. And the two of you, despite being under the guidance of prominent heroes, are not officially licensed heroes. Normally, that would mean keeping you away from this case entirely. But…" He leaned back slightly, his smile unwavering. "Your contributions have proven invaluable in more ways than one."
Without breaking his stride, he reached into a drawer and pulled out two cards. Holding them up for everyone to see, he continued.
"Since I can't justify keeping you out of this any longer—especially after everything we've asked of you—I've come up with another solution. You two will assist in the raid. I'm granting you provisional hero licenses, valid only for this operation. Of course, after that, you'll have to go through the proper channels to obtain an official one. But the good news is—" He didn't get to finish his sentence.
The atmosphere in the room shifted instantly. Kaina, Yoroi Musha, Best Jeanist—even Raiden and Tamaki—stiffened.
Everyone knew that the two kids had grown immensely over the past months. Their training had pushed them beyond what most hero school students in the country had achieved. Even so, this was reckless.
Leaking fake information of their location had already been a gamble. Allowing them to assist in tracking and capturing suspects had been another beth, all of them ordered by the bureau director. But both of those actions had been within "controlled" parameters—"justifiable risks", considering they were hero applicants.
Bu this?
This was different.
Sending them into a raid against an underground hero organization—one that had actively targeted them—wasn't just dangerous. It was outright irresponsible. There were too many unknowns, too many ways this could go horribly wrong.
This wasn't about giving them a provisional license. This was about a bad decision from the director.
Yoroi Musha spoke first, his voice calm, slow but with a firm tone. "Sir, let me say this—I believe these kids are ready for a hero license. However, I do not believe they are ready to participate in a raid against an organization that has specifically marked them as targets, or any other organization of this caliber."
There was no hostility in his tone, only the weight of experience.
Gozen's smile didn't waver. He met Yoroi Musha's gaze with a measured look before responding.
"I understand your concerns. However, I'm afraid this isn't up for debate, and for two reasons. First—Raiden."
His attention turned to the boy.
"His ability to detect lies, to sense what the enemy is thinking—that will be crucial. With him, our mission's effectiveness increases dramatically."
His smile widened slightly.
Gozen turned his attention to Tamaki, his expression unreadable. "And according to this report, student Tamaki possesses the ability to manifest various animal traits. With that in mind, we've prepared a special gift."
He reached down and retrieved a suitcase from his desk. With a click, he unlocked it and swung the lid open, revealing five vials filled with preserved meat samples.
"Sperm whale, orca, bat… With these, you'll be able to enhance your abilities and help us map out the entire building—identify hidden routes, possible escape paths, and any structural weaknesses."
The room remained silent.
It should have been a moment of recognition, maybe even excitement. They had just been granted provisional hero licenses, an opportunity few students ever received. But something about the situation felt wrong. So wrong that neither Raiden nor Tamaki could bring themselves to feel any sense of accomplishment, they felt used by this man.
Something was off, everything knew, all of the man words were just excuses.
The matter had been settled. Or rather, the director had settled it—without anyone else's input.
And now, Raiden understood why Kaina had such a deep-seated unease about this man. Why her distrust ran so deep, or at least he thought it was for this.
But there was no time to dwell on it. The planning phase had begun, and they had to focus.
The strategy was simple: teams would be formed with three heroes each, accompanied by special police units tasked with making arrests. This was going to be a "daylight" operation, this was just a name given that it was still night, the name meaning that the director had given strict orders—no unnecessary destruction, no explosions, nothing that could cause mass panic or disrupt public order, that was the ideal, they were going to strike now.
The initial strike would be swift and precise. Once the attack began, additional police forces would establish a perimeter around the area, ensuring civilian safety while they moved in.
With the plan finalized, it was time to move out.
One by one, the teams made their way to their designated transports. For Raiden, Tamaki, Hawks, and Kaina, their method of deployment was… unconventional.
An aircraft.
A bit excessive? Maybe. But necessary.
Their task was different from the others. They weren't storming in from the front or clearing out the lower levels. No, they were going straight for the top.
Straight for the director's office.
Straight for Edward.
In no time, everyone was ready, and the team was aboard the plane. They were the first wave—the ones who would breach the building before anyone else.
End of the chapter.
Hello guys, thank you very much for the power stones, enjoy the chapter.