Chapter 221 : Dance of Ghosts and the Cannon's Fury

Ground Gamma under the morning sun felt like a giant oven. The heat reflecting off the asphalt and concrete buildings created a shimmering layer of air, adding to the surreal impression of the silent, artificial city. Inside the targeted office building, the villain team had taken their positions, albeit in a formation born from a heated debate rather than a coherent strategy.

The robot hostage was tied to a chair in the middle of an open-plan office on the fourth floor, next to a prop "bomb" with a large digital clock showing thirty minutes. Seiji Shishikura stood near the hostage, his arms crossed, his expression haughty as if this task was beneath him. Jiro had plugged her earphone jacks into various surfaces—walls, floors, even water pipes—creating a sonic listening web around their position. Meanwhile, Bakugo and Mine stood near the large windows overlooking the main street, still arguing about the best firing angles.

"I TOLD YOU I'M HANDLING THE FRONT DOOR!" Bakugo growled. "ANYONE WHO COMES IN GETS BLOWN UP!"

"And just let them walk into your reckless kill zone?" Mine retorted sarcastically, her pink eyes narrowing. "No, thanks. The smart plan is to let them enter the corridor, then I'll shoot them from this end. A perfect firing range."

"Time starts... now!"

Aizawa's monotonous voice from a hidden speaker cut off their debate. Outside, on the main street, Tatsumi's plan was immediately executed.

Suddenly, four figures emerged from an alley and began to run towards the front door of the building. It was Tatsumi, Uraraka, Inasa, and Camie. Or so it seemed. 'Inasa' was laughing loudly while creating small dust devils, while 'Tatsumi' activated spectral energy claws on his hands.

"They're coming!" Bakugo shouted from the window. "Idiots! They're really attacking from the front! I TOLD YOU, DIDN'T I?!"

"So arrogant," Mine muttered, immediately lifting her equipment case. The case opened and with a series of satisfying mechanical clicks, its components assembled in her hands, forming a giant pink and white energy rifle—the Spirit Gun: Pumpkin. She took a firing stance, aiming its large muzzle at the front door. They had taken the bait.

Meanwhile, two blocks away, the real Tatsumi and Uraraka moved silently through the shadows. They had arrived at the base of a taller office building, adjacent to the target building. Using a combination of Tatsumi's incredible physical strength and Uraraka's Zero Gravity Quirk to lighten their weight at crucial moments, they scaled the building in a series of near-impossible leaps and climbs. For Tatsumi, this was a reminder of his real infiltration missions, but this time without the life-or-death stakes. There was a lightness in his movements, a confidence born from far more terrifying experiences.

They reached the roof in less than a minute, their hearts pounding not from exhaustion, but from anticipation. Across from them, separated by a ten-meter gap, was the roof of the target building. Tatsumi crouched, and Uraraka, already understanding, quickly climbed onto his back. With one powerful leap, they crossed the gap, landing perfectly on the opposite roof.

"Jiro, do you hear anything?" Seiji asked, realizing that his two most powerful teammates were now completely focused on the illusion on the street.

Jiro concentrated, her jack plugged into the floor. "I hear vibrations... but they're very faint. Above us. It might just be the wind or a rat..." Her confidence had been shaken by Bakugo's earlier shouting.

On the roof, Tatsumi and Uraraka found a maintenance access hatch. With controlled strength, Tatsumi forced the lock open without making any significant noise. They descended into a dimly lit emergency staircase. Uraraka lightly touched the soles of both their shoes, muffling their every step to a whisper. They were two ghosts slipping into the nest of a distracted enemy.

They reached the door to the fourth floor and carefully opened it a crack. They could see the entire room from behind a row of filing cabinets. Bakugo and Mine were still at the window, waiting for the illusion to get closer. Seiji stood guard near the hostage. Jiro looked restless, continuously moving her jacks from one surface to another.

Tatsumi touched his communicator. "Inasa-san, Camie-san, we're in position. Uraraka, get ready. In three... two... one... Now!"

Their coordinated attack began like a perfect orchestra of destruction.

Outside, Camie's illusion suddenly vanished, surprising Bakugo and Mine. At that exact moment, Inasa, from his distant rooftop, unleashed a highly precise gust of wind. The wind shot in through the open window, not as a storm, but as a powerful, invisible push, sending Bakugo and Mine stumbling back and losing their balance.

Inside, simultaneously, Uraraka touched her fingers to the floor and activated her Quirk on a large office desk and two filing cabinets near Seiji. The heavy objects immediately floated into the air, creating an instant barricade that blocked Seiji from the hostage and restricted his movement.

And as everyone was distracted, Tatsumi moved.

He shot out from his hiding place with surprising speed. His target wasn't Mine or Seiji. His target was the most unstable and most dangerous element: Bakugo. Before Bakugo could recover from Inasa's gust of wind, a familiar length of Aizawa's capture weapon shot out and wrapped around his body.

"DAMMIT—!" Bakugo shouted, but he was too late.

However, the battle had just begun. Bakugo blasted himself free from the capture weapon. Jiro, who now knew where the attack was coming from, sent a powerful sonic wave from the speakers on her legs. Uraraka, using her new support item from Hatsume, fired a grappling wire to the ceiling and swung away from the sound wave. Seiji, with a frustrated growl, began to turn the floating desks around him into strange blobs of flesh, trying to clear his path.

In the midst of the chaos, only one confrontation mattered.

Mine, who recovered the fastest, saw Tatsumi now moving towards the hostage. Her anger and wounded pride exploded. This was her chance. She ignored all the other fights around her.

"I WON'T LET YOU PASS!" she screamed.

With a movement she had practiced a thousand times, she raised Pumpkin. The rifle glowed with a dazzling pink energy. "My firepower is proportional to my emotional state!" she exclaimed, a declaration of war. "And right now, I AM VERY PISSED OFF AT YOU!"

An energy ball the size of a cannonball shot out from the muzzle of her rifle, leaving a trail of heat in the air, heading straight for Tatsumi.

Time seemed to stop. Tatsumi was between the shot and the hostage. There was no time to dodge. He had to block it. The echo of the soul within him reacted instinctively. He didn't need to summon the full armor. He just needed one part.

He raised his left arm. Out of thin air, with a flash of green energy, a large, intricate dragon shield formed instantly. The shield wasn't just made of metal; it looked alive, with carved scales and a pulsing green gem in its center.

BOOOOOOM!

The pink energy beam slammed into the green shield with incredible force. The resulting explosion of light and air pressure shattered all the windows in the room and sent papers flying like a snowstorm. The entire floor shook.

Tatsumi was pushed back several meters, the soles of his boots digging trenches in the linoleum floor. His arm trembled violently from withstanding the incredible force. But the shield... held.

As the smoke and dust began to clear, the sight that was revealed left everyone speechless. Tatsumi stood tall, the shield on his arm still intact, protecting him and the hostage behind him.

Mine stared with wide eyes, in disbelief. Her strongest attack, fueled by all her frustration and anger, an attack that should have been able to tear through steel, had been stopped. Not just stopped, but stopped so easily, with a partial manifestation technique she had never seen before. Her arrogance, her pride as Shiketsu's sniper, was shattered into a million pieces in an instant.

The dragon shield on Tatsumi's arm dissipated into particles of green light. He lowered his trembling arm and looked at Mine. His expression wasn't one of victory or arrogance. It was a serious expression, and for some reason, it looked a little sad.

"I told you," he said, his voice calm amidst the ringing in their ears. "You're troublesome."

BBZZZZZZZZT!

A loud buzzer sounded throughout the room. The clock on the "bomb" now showed zero.

"Time's up," Aizawa's flat voice echoed from the speakers. "Hostage is secure. Villain Team has been neutralized. Winner: Hero Team."

The fight was over. But for Mine, who stood frozen amidst the destruction, staring at the young man who had just shattered her confidence, her personal war had just begun.