"This morning, authorities confird another robbery linked to the series of incidents that have been affecting various parts of the country in recent days."
The reporter's voice echoed from the television in the living room as an aerial shot showed the cordoned-off exterior of a small shop in Shibuya. Several police cars were parked in front of the building, along with a group of heroes talking with police investigators.
"The incident occurred at approximately 2:50 a.m. According to the preliminary report, the perpetrators used a combination of Quirks to gain access to the establishnt and break into the main safe. Experts note significant similarities to three other robberies that recently occurred in different prefectures."
Seated on the sofa, Reiji held a cup of hot tea in his hands as he watched the screen intently, still wearing his U.A. uniform. The house was quiet at that early hour. The aroma of breakfast still lingered faintly in the air, and the only constant sound, aside from the television, was the running water from the kitchen.
Himiko was finishing washing the mug she had just used for breakfast. A towel was wrapped around her head, her hair still wet, as she tidied things away with distracted movents.
"The police haven't confird the identities of those responsible, but various sources point to the possible involvent of at least two individuals. One of them possesses an ability related to instantaneous displacent, while the second is believed to be responsible for the damage observed in the security structures."
The cara briefly showed an image of the damaged safe.
The tal appeared to have been corroded in so way, eventually disappearing from the central sections.
Himiko placed a plate on the dish rack and turned her attention to the news report.
"Those are the ones they ntioned yesterday," Himiko murmured, more to herself than to Reiji.
The boy barely glanced up.
"Hm?"
"The thieves," she replied, drying her hands. "Ryukyu was talking about it when the patrol ended. They seem to be giving the police quite a few headaches."
She walked toward the room, still watching the screen.
"They appear, steal, and disappear before anyone arrives. I think they said each heist happens in a different prefecture; this is the fourth one already." Her expression took on a slightly thoughtful quality. "Now that I think about it... They also ntioned that it was strange that they always went for relatively small amounts."
Reiji briefly glanced at her.
"Small?"
"Well, small compared to what a criminal organization usually steals in this type of robbery." Himiko shrugged. "I don't know exactly how much money it was, but Ryukyu said it seed like they were accumulating funds little by little rather than trying to get rich all at once."
Himiko herself frowned slightly as she processed what she had just said.
"Now that I think about it, that is strange."
He remained motionless for a few seconds.
Thinking.
Then he shook his head.
"Bah, I'm sure the detectives are already analyzing all of that. For now, their area of operation seems to be far from Musutafu and its surroundings."
The reporter continued speaking in the background.
"Authorities have asked citizens to remain vigilant and report any suspicious activity related to these incidents. So far, there have been no reported casualties or direct confrontations during the robberies."
Reiji glanced at the clock on the wall, noticing how they had both been watching the news longer than necessary.
Then he turned his gaze to Himiko.
"You should finish getting ready. I don't want to be blad again for you being late."
Himiko tensed imdiately.
"Ah! Right!"
She turned toward the stairs at once.
"I think if we're late, you'll finally admit it's your fault."
Himiko just snorted a little as she raced up the stairs, Reiji watching the scene with a barely perceptible smile.
A few seconds later, the boy turned his attention back to the television.
His expression changed almost imdiately.
The footage of the robbery continued to flash across the screen as the reporter ran through tilines, locations, and the investigators' preliminary theories.
'A teleportation Quirk.' Reiji's fingers tightened slightly around the mug. 'And a disintegration one.'
He didn't need to hear much more.
The connection was too obvious.
'What are you doing, Shigaraki?' The question lingered in his mind as the reporter's voice continued to fill the room.
If Tomura was truly behind it all, then the money must have a specific purpose. The problem was, he couldn't find it.
All For One possessed resources.
Contacts.
Hideouts.
Far more than any average villain could dream of.
So why bother attacking small businesses scattered across different prefectures?
Why take unnecessary risks for relatively modest amounts?
'It doesn't add up.' He took a small sip of tea as he continued watching the screen. 'Everything is going off the rails.'
He knew it; it was obvious, and it was confird by Aoyama's complete absence, which changed the entire ga. For this very reason, during the first week, he had tried to help his comrades progress as much as possible.
Regardless of whether the U.S.J. incident occurred or not, Shigaraki's objective was to eradicate hero society and specifically All Might, which would inevitably lead to a confrontation with U.A. in so way.
Having his classmates, Himiko, i, and to a lesser extent, Nejire, ready was part of his long-term survival strategy. However, he didn't know if his plan could work if he had absolutely no idea what was about to happen.
Seeing him in that underground area didn't help him conjure up countless scenarios either. The only thing he was certain of was that Shigaraki was on the move, and if that was the case, he would have to move too to avoid being left behind.
The reporter continued discussing possible lines of investigation as new images of the affected location appeared.
Finally, Reiji placed his cup on the table.
'Let's hope what happened at the U.S.J. doesn't happen again. That, at least, will buy so more ti.'
The thought ca to him with a soft sigh.
And as the television continued to broadcast news reports about the robberies, a feeling of uncertainty lingered in the back of his mind.
***
The weekend had just ended, and that was reflected in the relaxed atmosphere of the classroom.
Groups of students chatted amongst themselves while waiting for Aizawa to arrive, exchanging stories, anecdotes, and small adventures from their days off.
The constant hum of conversation filled the room without ever becoming chaotic, creating that strangely comfortable atmosphere that was slowly beginning to form among the students.
"So you did go to the aquarium?" Mina asked from her seat, leaning over Uraraka's desk with an almost undisguised curiosity. Her eyes practically sparkled as she awaited the answer.
"Yeah, I went with Tsuyu," Uraraka smiled at the mory. "There was this huge tank with a giant squid inside. I swear it appeared out of nowhere behind the glass and almost made jump. I think I even scread a little."
"That sounds amazing!" Denki imdiately turned around from several rows back. "I spent the whole weekend trying to build a smart toaster."
"Trying?" Jiro asked suspiciously.
"It ended up exploding."
"I knew that line was coming."
"But it worked for three seconds!" Denki held up a finger. "A full three seconds!"
Momo, sitting nearby, couldn't help but chi in.
"Denki, a smart toaster already exists."
"Yeah, but mine talked."
The silence lasted barely a second.
"What?"
"It talked!" he repeated proudly.
"And it scread when the toast got burnt."
Jiro closed her eyes.
"That sounds awful."
"What kind of alarm did you set?" Kirishima asked, clearly interested.
Denki's smile widened.
"A recording of myself."
"That explains a lot."
"And what did it say?"
Denki inhaled deeply.
"BREAD BREAD BREAD BREAD BREAD BREAD!"
The classroom erupted in laughter for a few seconds at the joke.
"That's not an alarm," Jiro said. "That's more like torture."
"Imagine waking up at six in the morning to that!" Mina added.
"Exactly!" Denki replied. "It's impossible to ignore!"
The conversation continued, moving from one topic to another with complete ease. Little by little, the barriers that had existed during the first few days of classes began to disappear.
Reiji watched the scene from his seat. The sun stread through the windows, bathing the classroom in a soft light that reflected off the desks, creating an almost peaceful atmosphere.
And yet… Sothing bothered him.
It wasn't a specific feeling.
Nor an identifiable threat.
Just a persistent unease that had settled in the back of his mind since watching the news that morning.
'What am I missing?'
His gaze drifted briefly to the window.
'Aoyama isn't here,' he thought. 'The story has changed. Shigaraki is acting differently. The robberies didn't happen as they originally did, either.'
His finger tapped the desk once.
'So why do I still feel like sothing's going to go wrong?'
The sliding door opened.
And the atmosphere in the classroom changed almost instantly.
Aizawa entered with his usual exhausted expression, shuffling as if he'd just woken up after a week without sleep. His ssy hair fell across his face as he walked toward the desk with his usual nonchalant ease.
The conversations gradually faded away.
Not because he'd asked for it.
It just happened.
Aizawa possessed that strange ability.
He reached the front of the classroom and placed a folder on the desk.
"Stand up." The class obeyed almost imdiately, as if it were a military drill. "We won't have class in the classroom today."
Several students exchanged glances.
Attention imdiately increased.
"We're going to the U.S.J. for rescue training in simulated environnts." Murmurs arose imdiately.
The U.S.J. wasn't just any place. It was a renowned center for simulating events and disasters in a controlled environnt to teach students like them about the various real-life situations that can occur in a hero's work.
"The U.S.J.?" lissa raised her eyebrows slightly.
Momo turned her head toward her.
"I thought they mainly used it for advanced simulations."
" too," lissa replied, not believing it would be a center for first-year students like them.
Denki was much less reserved.
"Are we going to train with All Might?!" he asked, his excitent impossible to hide.
Several students seed to share the sa curiosity.
Aizawa didn't answer the question.
He simply continued.
"Put on your hero costus." His gaze swept across the room, leaving Denki feeling sowhat depressed at being ignored. "And get ready because this isn't a field trip."
Those last words slightly changed the atmosphere.
Not enough to quell the excitent.
But enough to remind them that this was still professional training.
Without another word, Aizawa left the classroom.
And the room imdiately erupted in conversation.
"Let's go!"
"Finally!"
"I want to see those facilities."
"Do you think there will be flood scenarios?"
"And landslides?"
"And water rescues?"
The students quickly began to get up and head to the locker rooms.
In less than a minute, the classroom began to empty.
Reiji remained seated.
Still.
Observing the empty space that the class was slowly leaving behind. His mind wandered with nonsensical theories, but his instincts had never failed him.
Until a voice interrupted his thoughts.
"Do you plan to put down roots there?"
Reiji looked up.
lissa was still in the classroom.
She had gathered her things, but remained by his desk, watching him curiously.
"I was just thinking," he replied.
lissa studied him for a mont.
As if trying to determine if that was true or simply an excuse.
Finally, she smiled.
"Well, you can keep thinking while you walk," she said, gesturing toward the door. "Because we're already falling behind."
Reiji looked away.
The classroom was practically empty.
Only the two of them remained.
"...I suppose you're right."
Reiji stood up calmly and picked up his bag.
lissa started walking toward the exit with Reiji following a few steps behind.
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