Chapter 233 : Transition into Darkness

The world felt different after the Joint Training ended. For most of the students of Class 1-A and Shiketsu, the following days were a period of spirited relaxation and analysis. They returned to their normal routines, but with a new perspective, new bonds, and new rivalries that made every training session feel more meaningful. However, for Tatsumi, the tranquility he had just felt after his team's victory felt like a brief and fragile illusion. The phone call from Hawks that night had torn away his veil of normality, pulling him back into the cold, unforgiving reality of war.

The next morning, the change in him was already palpable. During breakfast in the Heights Alliance common room, he was quieter than usual. The laughter and chatter of his friends sounded like echoes from another world. His mind was no longer focused on the next lesson or training; his mind was already in Yokohama, dissecting every piece of information Hawks had given him, running simulations in his head.

"Tatsumi-kun, you seem so serious this morning," Uraraka commented with a worried tone, noticing how Tatsumi was just stirring his rice without appetite. "Are you still tired from yesterday's exercise?"

Tatsumi forced a faint smile. He was getting better at wearing a mask. "Just thinking about a few things I need to improve on," he replied, a lie that sounded convincing enough. "Even though we won, I feel like there were a lot of gaps in my strategy and my movements." The echo of his hero's soul ached for having to constantly lie to his sincere friends, but his analytical mind knew this was the only way to protect them, both from the enemy and from the dangerous truth.

His first step was to create an alibi. After breakfast, he sought out Aizawa in the faculty room. His teacher was sitting at his desk, looking as tired as usual, surrounded by stacks of papers.

"Aizawa-sensei," Tatsumi began respectfully.

Aizawa looked up, his sharp eyes immediately analyzing Tatsumi's expression. "What is it, kid? You don't look like a student who just won a major exercise."

"I received a communication from the 'sponsor' of my special training program," Tatsumi said, using the cover story Hawks had prepared. "They've requested me to come to a final evaluation meeting this weekend. The location is in Yokohama."

Aizawa was silent for a moment, his gaze piercing, as if trying to read the truth behind the well-rehearsed lie. He knew this was more than just an "evaluation." He knew this was a call to duty from Hawks. His dislike for the situation was clear on his face, but he was also bound by orders from Nezu and the high-level secrecy surrounding this student.

"Yokohama, huh?" he muttered. "I'll grant you a three-day leave. But listen," he leaned forward, his voice becoming lower and more serious. "I don't know what you're dealing with out there. But Yokohama is not a friendly place, especially its port district. Whatever your 'evaluation' is, don't die. That's an order."

"I understand, Sensei. Thank you," Tatsumi replied with a bow, feeling the weight of his teacher's sincere concern.

The Digital War Council

That night, in the privacy of his locked room, Tatsumi joined an encrypted video conference. On his laptop screen, three faces appeared in separate windows: Hawks, from his neat-looking office; Akame, with a brick wall background from a safe house apartment; and Leone, who seemed to be in a moving van, the light from street lamps occasionally sweeping across her face.

"Welcome back to the game, Tyrant," Hawks greeted, the formality signaling that Tatsumi's student mode was over.

On the main screen, Hawks displayed a highly detailed three-dimensional map of an industrial district on the edge of the Yokohama port. A large, old, and abandoned-looking warehouse was marked in red.

"This is our target," Hawks explained. "Warehouse Number 7. According to our intelligence, the meeting between Gensei of the Yozakura, the remaining Humarise leadership, and an illegal tech supplier named 'Gecko' will take place here, the day after tomorrow, at night."

Akame, who had already conducted preliminary reconnaissance, gave her report. "The warehouse is a fortress. I detected three layers of security. On the outer perimeter, they're using local hired guards—thugs who are easily intimidated but numerous. Inside the fence, there's an advanced motion and heat sensor system. And inside the warehouse itself, I'm sure Gensei will bring his personal bodyguards, the Yozakura elites."

"I've already 'chatted' with some of the port's sewer rats," Leone added from her rocking van. "The port police in that sector have been 'taken care of.' They won't respond to any emergency calls during the meeting's time window. The Yozakura have bought their silence for one full hour. We're completely on our own there."

"Therefore, a direct assault is impossible," Hawks concluded. "Our mission is intelligence and sabotage, not annihilation. Primary objective: plant a listening device in the meeting room and attach a microscopic tracker to Gensei. We need to know what they're planning and where he's going after this. Secondary objective: if a very clear, low-risk opportunity presents itself, capture one of the Humarise leaders for interrogation. Combat is to be avoided as much as possible."

A plan began to form as they established their respective roles.

"Akame, you are our infiltration spearhead," Hawks said. "Your skill in moving silently is the best. You'll enter the warehouse a few hours before the meeting starts, while security is still lax. Find a hiding spot and plant the listening device."

"Tatsumi," he continued. "You are our eye in the sky and our rapid response. I want you on the roof of the old grain mill across from the warehouse. From there, you will have a perfect view of the entire area. Use Incursio's sensors to monitor all movement, both on the ground and in the air. If Akame is in trouble or if a target tries to escape, you are the one who will intercept them."

"And me?" Leone asked.

"You are our wild card, Leone," Hawks said with a smile. "You are our crowd control and our escape route. You'll blend in on the streets, disguised as one of the dockworkers. If things go south, your job is to create the biggest diversion possible. A small explosion, a bar fight, anything to draw the attention of the low-level guards away from the warehouse. And you'll also be the one to prepare our getaway vehicle."

The plan was complex and dangerous, each part depending on the success of the others.

A Promise Before Leaving

The night before he left for Yokohama, the atmosphere at the Heights Alliance dorm was normal. Most of the students were gathered in the common room, watching a hero action movie that, ironically, felt so simple compared to the reality Tatsumi was facing. He tried to act relaxed, laughing at Kaminari's jokes, but his mind was already on tomorrow's battlefield.

As he was getting a glass of water in the kitchen, Momo approached him. She hadn't joined the crowd, but stood in the doorway, her expression hard to read.

"I heard from Aizawa-sensei you're going to Yokohama tomorrow," she said softly, making sure no one else could hear. "For your final 'evaluation'?"

There was a questioning tone in her voice. She didn't fully believe the cover story. She was too smart for that. She knew something bigger was going on.

Tatsumi just nodded, not daring to look her in the eyes for too long, afraid his own would give away the truth. "Just some final business to take care of. It shouldn't take long."

Momo stepped closer, now standing in front of him. She looked at him with a gaze so sincere and full of worry that it made Tatsumi's chest feel tight. "I'm not going to ask what you're really doing," she said gently. "But I want you to promise me one thing, Tatsumi-san."

She waited until Tatsumi finally met her eyes. "Promise me you'll be careful. And promise me you'll come back."

It was no longer just the farewell words of a friend. It was a plea that came from the bottom of her heart. The moment felt so intimate and real. The echo of the soul within Tatsumi felt a strong wave of emotions—affection, a desire to protect, and a sadness for having to constantly hide the truth from her.

For a moment, his soldier's mask cracked. "I promise," he said, his voice softer than he intended. "I'll always come back."

Their eyes locked for a few seconds that felt like an eternity, an unspoken understanding woven between them in the silence of the kitchen.

The next morning, Tatsumi left just as dawn was breaking. He carried only a small backpack, looking like a normal student going on a weekend trip. As he walked past the still-quiet U.A. gate, he looked back at the dorm building where his friends were still fast asleep, towards the window of Momo's room.

He then turned and walked on without looking back. He was leaving the world of light, peace, and friendship. He was on his way back to his other world. A world filled with shadows, conspiracies, and death.

The train ride to Yokohama felt like a transition between dimensions. The bright city scenery slowly gave way to the grimmer, grittier industrial landscape of the port. When he got off at the station, an ordinary-looking man in a baseball cap greeted him. "The car is waiting," he said simply.

As Tatsumi got into the black sedan, he knew that Tatsumi, the U.A. student, had been left behind. Inside the car speeding towards the darkness of the port district, there was only Tyrant. And his hunt was about to begin.