Chapter 170 : Echoes Across the Distance

Several days passed after the tense reconnaissance mission. Those days were filled with a new, intense routine. Mornings were spent on physical and control training with Akame. Afternoons on tactical analysis and war scenarios with Hawks. Nights were for rest and recovering his weary body and mind. Tatsumi could feel himself changing, not just in strength, but in his way of thinking. The recklessness of a teenager was slowly being eroded, replaced by the vigilance of a soldier.

That morning, in the familiar training arena, Akame gave him a new challenge. "Just flying isn't enough," she said, observing Tatsumi as he hovered steadily ten meters above the ground. "Your enemy won't just stand by and let you fly. You have to be able to fight in the air. Maintain your flight while manifesting a weapon. Your intent must be divided, but your mind must remain one."

Tatsumi nodded, thinking it would be easy. He concentrated, and the spear Neuntote formed in his hands. However, the moment the spear fully materialized, his left wing flickered and lost power. He immediately tilted in the air, nearly falling before he quickly dismissed the spear to stabilize his flight.

"Your mind isn't used to it," Akame commented from below. "Forming a weapon and maintaining the concept of 'flight' are two different commands for Incursio. You're trying to speak two languages at once. You must find a way to unify that intent. Think of the wings and the spear not as two separate things, but as equal extensions of your will."

For hours, Tatsumi practiced. Failing, trying again, failing again. It was a mental exercise far more draining than any physical training. Slowly, he began to find it. He didn't think of "flight" and "spear." He focused on a single concept: "become an aerial predator." An eagle has wings and talons. A dragon has wings and fiery breath. Both are parts of a single, deadly whole. With that new mindset, he tried again. He hovered, then with a steady breath, he manifested his shortsword. His wings wobbled slightly, but this time, they remained extended. He had done it. He could fly while holding a weapon. A small step, but a huge leap towards true combat readiness.

In the afternoon, as Tatsumi was resting, Hawks approached him. In his hand was an old-model phone that looked brand new. A burner phone.

"Here," Hawks said, handing it over. "It's secure and untraceable. You have ten minutes. Voice call only, no video, no messages. When you're done, destroy it."

Tatsumi looked at him, confused. "What for?"

"For your friends," Hawks replied. "I know you're thinking about them. Their worry can become a vulnerability. And total long-term secrecy can turn into distrust. You need to reassure them. Consider this part of your training too... a personal disinformation exercise. Give them enough to feel at ease, but not enough to compromise our operation."

Tatsumi's heart pounded. The chance to hear their voices again...

He dialed the number Hawks had preset. Momo Yaoyorozu's number.

In the U.A. dorms, Momo was sitting at her desk, trying to focus on an advanced Quirk theory textbook. But her mind kept drifting. It had been over a week since Aizawa's announcement, and there had been no news. Her phone suddenly vibrated, displaying "Unknown Number" on the screen. Normally she would ignore it, but a gut feeling told her to answer.

"Hello?" she asked tentatively.

A moment of silence, then a voice she missed dearly came through, a little hoarse and hesitant. "Yaoyorozu... it's me."

Momo gasped, her free hand flying to her mouth to stifle a cry. "Tatsumi-san!" she whispered, her eyes immediately welling with tears. "Where are you? Are you okay? Aizawa-sensei's announcement... we were all so worried!"

On the other end, Tatsumi closed his eyes, feeling a wave of mixed relief and guilt. "I'm okay, really," he said, trying to keep his voice steady. "I'm... I'm in a long-term special training program. It's very intense. I can't say where or why, but I'm safe. I just... I just wanted you and the others to know that, so you don't have to worry."

Momo, with her intelligence, could hear what wasn't being said. 'Special training' was code for a dangerous mission. 'Can't say where or why' meant it was top-level secret. She wouldn't press him.

"I understand," she replied, her voice steadier now as she wiped her tears. "I'll tell Uraraka-san, Asui-san, Nejire-senpai, and the others. We... we've been training hard too. We won't be left behind." She paused for a moment. "Come back soon, Tatsumi-san."

"I will," Tatsumi promised, his voice stronger. "I promise."

The ten-minute call ended. Momo sat in silence, feeling an overwhelming sense of relief wash over her, along with a new, burning determination. At the villa, Tatsumi destroyed the phone as instructed, his heart feeling lighter, but also heavier with the promise he had just made.

In his lavish agency office, Endeavor was reviewing damage reports from his last fight with a giant villain. An encrypted message popped up on his private terminal. It was from Hawks.

The message was short and to the point.

Asset 'Owl's Eye' successful. Target: PLF training camp in Yamanashi. Air security tightened. New Mission: Intercept PLF weapons cargo at Hosu Port. Estimated time: 10 days. Your role: Create a high-level hero incident in the neighboring district 24 hours before D-day. Divert local police and heroes' attention from the port area.

Endeavor grunted. So, the kid succeeded. There was a strange sense of satisfaction in hearing it. But he hated playing Hawks' chess game. Yet, he understood the necessity. With a low growl, he opened a city map and began planning an "incident" big enough to draw everyone's attention, a spectacular show of fire.

That night, Tatsumi couldn't sleep. He went to the cliff's edge, his favorite spot now. The phone call with Momo still echoed in his mind. His friends' trust was the anchor keeping him from getting lost in this world of shadows.

He no longer felt like he was fighting alone, or just for Akame's past revenge. He was fighting for a future where he could return to them.

With a clear mind, he leaped from the cliff. His wings unfolded with perfect grace and power. He hovered over the ocean, gazing at the distant horizon, in the direction of Hosu City.

Hosu... he thought. The place where my life in this world really began. Now, I'm going back, not as an intern, but as a soldier in a secret war.

He felt the power of Incursio respond to his will, steady and strong.

Wait for me, everyone.