Chapter 124 : A Report for a Dying World and a Wounded Alliance

The flight back from the Gunma mountains was a journey through a silent hell. I sat in the cold stealth helicopter, my body trembling uncontrollably, not from the cold, but from shock and exhaustion. Across from me, Nejire Hado was curled up in her seat, silent tears streaming down her cheeks, her usually sparkling eyes now staring blankly at the floor. She said nothing. She didn't have to. We were both survivors of a sacrifice, and that guilt felt like a heavy anchor drowning our souls. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw her: Ryukyu in her magnificent dragon form, roaring as she charged toward an endless army to buy us time.

We didn't return to the agency. The pilot, following new, urgent instructions, took us to a hidden landing pad in one of U.A.'s underground facilities that wasn't on any public map. As the door opened, I saw three figures waiting for us under the dim light of emergency lamps. Principal Nezu, Aizawa-sensei, and All Might in his skinny form. Their faces were incredibly serious, and I knew that my brief report over the radio couldn't have described a tenth of the horror we had witnessed.

They took us to a sterile, secure briefing room. Nejire, too shaken to speak, was immediately taken by Hound Dog for psychological care. I was left alone with the three most influential figures in Japan's hero world.

"Tatsumi-kun," Nezu began, his usually cheerful voice now flat and heavy. "We have received your preliminary report. Now, we want to hear it again from the beginning. Every detail. Leave nothing out."

For the next hour, I told them everything. I described how we approached Deika City, how my senses felt the presence of tens of thousands of people underground. I explained about the city being a facade, a disguised military fortress. I told them about how we were detected, about the wailing sirens, and about the army that came out of the ground like ants from their nest. I told them about our fight in the forest, about their lieutenants, about Geten's ice Quirk, and finally, about Ryukyu's decision.

As I spoke, I watched their reactions. Aizawa listened in a deathly silence, his fists clenched at his sides, his tired eyes burning with a cold rage. All Might bowed his head, a shadow covering his face, but I could see his thin shoulders shaking with a mixture of anger and helplessness. Nezu, the strategist, just listened, his black beady eyes processing every piece of information, his super-genius brain already running through a hundred scenarios and possible responses.

"An army... that has been hiding in plain sight for years," Nezu muttered when I finished. "This is no longer just the League of Villains. This is a threat to national sovereignty." He looked at me, his gaze sharp. "You're certain about the numbers? Tens of thousands?"

"More," I replied in a hoarse voice. "I could feel it. The entire city was alive. Every resident is a soldier."

The terrifying truth of my words hung in the air. The heroes had fatally underestimated their enemy.

Elsewhere, in an apartment overlooking the city, Hawks felt his phone vibrate with an encrypted message. It was from Nezu. It was short, but its impact was immense.

"Your asset was accurate. The situation is far worse than we anticipated. Ryukyu is currently MIA, presumed fallen in the line of duty. Her remaining team escaped with vital intelligence. War is coming. Prepare."

Hawks read the message over and over. Ryukyu... fallen. A coldness that had nothing to do with the night air ran through him. He had sent one of his colleagues, a hero he respected, on a suicide mission. His risky gamble to get information quickly had claimed its first victim, and that victim was a Top 10 hero. He gripped his balcony railing so tightly his knuckles turned white. His usually relaxed, smiling face now hardened into a mask of cold anger and determination. 'This is no longer a game,' he thought. 'This has become personal.' His shadow war against the League and the Commission now had much higher stakes.

Back at the now-empty Ryukyu agency, Uraraka, Tsuyu, and Momo sat in the silent operations room. They had lost contact with the field team hours ago, and every passing second felt like a year. Suddenly, Aizawa-sensei entered. His grim expression was enough to tell them that something very bad had happened.

"Aizawa-sensei!" Uraraka exclaimed, immediately standing up. "Where are they? Where are Ryukyu-san and the others?"

Aizawa looked at his three anxious students. "Tatsumi-kun and Hado-senpai are on their way back. They are safe," he said, providing a small measure of relief. But then, he paused. "However, Ryukyu... she is not with them. She chose to stay behind to ensure they could escape."

The words "stay behind" were a euphemism that everyone in the room understood. Uraraka covered her mouth, tears immediately flooding her eyes. Tsuyu bowed her head, her fists clenched. And Momo, usually so calm and controlled, felt her world collapse. She felt responsible. Her analysis had helped find that location. She felt as if she had sent her mentor and her friends into a death trap.

On a dark rooftop, Akame felt the strong draconic echo in the distance suddenly vanish, like an extinguished flame. But she could still feel a smaller, more familiar echo—the echo of Incursio—moving quickly away. She understood what had happened. The Great Dragon had sacrificed herself to save the younger one. She gripped the hilt of Murasame. She remembered the sacrifices of her friends in Night Raid. This world might be different, but the sacrifice of a hero felt just as painful anywhere. 'So, this is your new war, Tatsumi,' she thought to herself. 'And you've already felt your first loss. Welcome to my world.'

In the U.A. briefing room, an emergency war council had been formed. Nezu, Aizawa, All Might, and a few other trusted teachers stared at a map of the Gunma mountains.

"We can't attack directly," Nezu said. "They have the advantage in numbers and terrain. And they know that we know about them. Any frontal assault would be a massacre."

"So we just do nothing?!" Present Mic asked angrily. "We let Ryukyu...?"

"No," Nezu cut in calmly. "We will formulate a plan. We will gather every hero we can trust. We will coordinate with Hawks and his assets in the Commission. And we will use our secret weapon." All eyes turned to me.

"Tatsumi-kun," Nezu said. "From now on, you are a part of this war council. Your knowledge from your old world, and your unique sensory abilities, are our key. You will not be returning to the dorms for a while. You will stay here, in this facility, under my protection. You will help me plan every step of this coming war."

I felt overwhelmed. I was just a student. But now, I was being pushed into the role of a strategist in a war that could decide the fate of Japan. I looked at the faces of the legendary heroes around me. I remembered Ryukyu's determined face. I couldn't refuse.

I nodded. "I understand, Principal."

A few hours later, I was in a simple room in the U.A. underground facility. I was alone with my thoughts. I had given my report. The wheels of war had begun to turn. But all I could think about was Ryukyu. I had failed. I had let my mentor sacrifice herself.

I clenched my fists. Guilt and anger churned within me. I felt my dragon's heartbeat respond to my emotions, pulsing with a burning heat. I would not let her sacrifice be in vain. I would train harder than ever. I would master this power. I would become strong enough to return to that mountain.

The helicopter carrying me and Nejire landed smoothly on the hidden landing pad beneath U.A. As the door opened, I saw Nezu, Aizawa, and All Might already waiting. Their faces showed a seriousness I had never seen before. I looked at the distant mountains behind us, where a faint light of battle was still visible on the horizon.

"I will come back for you, Ryukyu-san," I whispered to myself, a vow spoken in the silence of my heart. "I swear it."