Chapter 160 : War Meeting Beneath the Eagle's Roof

The air inside Hawks' luxurious villa felt more suffocating than the ash-filled air of the volcanic island. Seriousness was a thick blanket covering us, a stark contrast to the modern interior and the calm ocean view outside the window. I sat on a plush sofa in the main living room, my body still screaming in protest in the form of a dull ache in every muscle and joint. Clean bandages were wrapped around my arms and chest beneath the loose shirt they had given me.

Across from me, in a single armchair, Endeavor sat like a dormant volcano. His large hands were clenched on his knees, and his blazing eyes stared blankly at the coffee table between us as if he could set it on fire with his gaze alone. His presence filled the room with an aura of heated impatience.

At my side, Akame stood silently by the window, her back to us. She was like a shadow, her presence barely perceptible if not for the sheathed Murasame on her back and the cold aura that seemed to absorb all the warmth around her. She had been observing Endeavor training in the garden a few moments ago, and since coming inside, she had not uttered a single word.

And then there was Hawks. The Number Two Hero leaned casually against the doorframe, but his trademark smile had completely vanished, replaced by a sharp, calculating expression that made the hairs on my neck stand up. He was the one who had arranged this meeting, a meeting that should never have happened.

"Alright," Hawks began, his voice breaking the heavy silence. He walked in and sat on another sofa, crossing his legs. "Since our hero is awake, we can begin." He nodded in my direction, but his eyes showed no warmth. "Welcome to the first day of the 'Three-Power War,' kid. You've just officially started it."

Endeavor snorted loudly, finally tearing his gaze from the table. "Enough with your dramatic terms, Hawks. Get to the point. What are we going to do about that ice woman?"

"We can't do anything about her. Not directly," Hawks replied, his tone flat. "Not for now."

"Nonsense," Endeavor growled, small flames flaring at his temples. "I turned her entire island into a sea of fire. She ran."

"She didn't run because she lost," a cold voice cut in from near the window. Akame finally turned around. Her crimson eyes stared straight at Endeavor, without a trace of fear. "She retreated because she found something more interesting than just conquering an island. She found her new toy." Her gaze flickered to me for a moment.

Akame stepped closer to the table. "Endeavor-san, you see her as a villain with a powerful ice Quirk. That is a fatal mistake," she said. "Esdeath is not from this world. She is a force of conquest. In our world, she flattened entire nations single-handedly not because she wanted power or money. She does it because battle and domination are her very breath. She will not stop until this world is either frozen or on its knees."

The silence that followed Akame's words was far colder than any of Esdeath's ice. I could see Endeavor processing the information, his jaw tightening. He was a warrior. He understood the concept of an enemy who lived to fight.

"This is getting more and more complicated," Hawks continued, taking over. "Initial intelligence analysis from the Commission—I fabricated most of it, of course—shows an unprecedented energy anomaly. They're panicking. They'll form an investigation team, and sooner or later, they'll sniff out our trail. Especially your trail," he said, pointing to me and Akame. "Two unregistered individuals with power that's off the charts."

He leaned forward. "Listen. Right now, there are three major players on the chessboard. First, us—or rather, the heroes and the clueless HPSC. Second, the Paranormal Liberation Front. They're consolidating their power, and the sudden appearance of an 'ice monster' as strong as Esdeath will have them very interested. Shigaraki might try to recruit her. Third, the newly born faction: Esdeath, or the 'Apex Front' as I've heard from some of my underworld informants. Three powers ready to collide."

"And you," Hawks stared at me intently, "you are the center of it all. You are the reason Esdeath is here. You are the only one who has ever faced her and survived. You are the anomaly that could either shatter or save the balance."

I swallowed hard. The weight of his words felt like the Incursio armor pressing me to the ground. I was no longer just a U.A. student or a secret asset. I had become the king piece that had to be protected, and at the same time, the only piece that could win this war.

"So... what's the plan?" I asked, my voice sounding hoarser than I intended.

"For now, the plan is that there is no plan," Hawks answered, which sounded completely contradictory. "I mean, no open attack plan. Fighting Esdeath head-on right now is suicide. Fighting the PLF openly will trigger a war we aren't ready for. So, we will start our own war. A shadow war."

"A shadow war," Endeavor repeated with a tone of disgust. "Sounds like your kind of work."

"Exactly," Hawks replied without taking offense. "And now it's all of our work. This alliance," he gestured to the four of us, "does not officially exist. We are an independent cell. Our mission: spread disinformation, cut off enemy resources, conduct surgical strikes on key targets, and most importantly, prepare for the inevitable war."

He then looked at each of us in turn, assigning our roles without needing to ask.

"Endeavor-san, you will continue to be the Number One Hero. The public face. You will handle the visible threats, calm the public, and secretly feed me information on HPSC movements. You are our shield."

"Akame-san," he continued, turning to the assassin. "You are our walking encyclopedia on the threats from your world. You will analyze all the data we gather on Esdeath, look for weaknesses, predict her movements. You are our analytical dagger."

"I," he said with a faint smile, "will be our eyes and ears. I will remain inside the PLF and the HPSC, manipulating information and steering our enemies into each other. I am the puppet master."

Finally, his eyes landed on me. The entire room seemed to hold its breath.

"And you, Tatsumi-kun... you are our ultimate sword. But right now, you're a dull, cracked blade. Esdeath knows about you. The PLF will soon know about you. You're too valuable to be seen right now. So, for the time being, you will become a ghost."

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"I mean," Hawks said, standing and walking to the large window, gazing at the horizon. "Starting tomorrow, the world will believe that Tatsumi, the unknown student involved in the Hosu incident, has disappeared. Perhaps kidnapped, perhaps killed in another incident. Your records at U.A. will be manipulated. You don't exist."

He turned back, and his eyes glinted with a cold intensity.

"You will train. Here, in this hidden place. You will train with Akame to understand your enemy. You will train with me to understand strategy. And occasionally, you will train with Endeavor to push the limits of your power. You must learn to control that dragon power of yours, not just react. We need you to be more than just someone who can survive Esdeath. We need you to be someone who can defeat her definitively."

Silence fell once more. The plan was insane, dangerous, and put all of us at risk of betrayal and ruin. But as I looked at the faces in the room—Endeavor, furious but not objecting; Akame, nodding in agreement with a sharp gaze; and Hawks, who was risking everything—I knew there was no other choice.

This was the only way.

"I understand," I said, straightening my body despite the stabbing pain. I looked at them one by one. "I'll do it."

Hawks smiled faintly, the first real smile since the meeting began. "Good. Now get some rest. Your training begins at dawn."