Chapter 232 - 231: Changes

Location: Musutafu - Midoriya Apartment

VMMMM.

"~~Hmm"

Inko Midoriya pushed the vacuum cleaner across the living room carpet.

She wiped sweat from her forehead with the back of her hand.

CLACK.

The metal flap on the front door mail slot snapped shut.

Inko turned the vacuum off. She walked over to the genkan.

A thick white envelope rested on the floorboards.

She picked it up and flipped it over. The red wax seal on the back carried the official crest of UA High School.

"Oh my goodness!"

Inko screamed at the top of her lungs. She dropped the envelope, fumbled to pick it up, and sprinted down the narrow hallway.

Inside his bedroom, Izuku Midoriya was face down on the floor doing push-ups.

Sweat dripped from his chin. His triceps shook under the strain.

Kuro in his muscle cat form sat squarely on the middle of his back.

The cat rested his full body weight on the boy, making the exercise significantly harder.

"One thousand and three," Izuku grunted, pushing himself up.

HUFF-PUFF.

He lowered himself back down, his breathing ragged.

"One thousand and four."

He pushed up again.

"One thousand and five."

"IZUKU!" Inko yelled from the hallway.

Kuro turned back to his normal form and jumped off his back and landed softly on the bed.

BAM.

She threw the bedroom door open.

Izuku scrambled off the floor.

"Meow," Kuro said softly.

Izuku wiped his sweaty face with a towel. He looked at his mother. She stood in the doorway, shaking violently.

She held the UA envelope out to him with both hands. Tears were already streaming down her cheeks.

"It's here," Inko gasped. "The letter came."

Izuku walked over to his desk. Inko followed him inside.

She grabbed a pair of scissors from the pen holder.

"Let me do it," Inko said, her hands trembling. "I want to open it."

"Okay, Mom," Izuku smiled, pulling out his chair.

SNIP.

Inko carefully cut the top edge of the thick paper.

She reached inside and pulled out a small, flat metal disc. She set it down on the center of the wooden desk.

BZZZT.

A blue light shot upward from the disc. The light expanded quickly, forming a detailed hologram of All Might.

He wore a bright yellow suit and a massive smile.

[I AM HERE AS A PROJECTION!] All Might boomed.

"Oh my!"

Inko jumped back slightly, clutching her chest.

[Midoriya-shonen,] All Might said, looking directly out from the hologram. [You did excellent work on the exam. You passed with perfect marks.]

The hologram shifted. A digital scoreboard appeared next to All Might's face.

[You completely locked down the top spot for combat,] All Might continued, pointing at the board. [You secured a massive eighty-five villain points. Your martial arts and control over your support gear were incredible.]

Izuku stared at the number.

[Wait,] All Might raised a hand. [The hero course requires more than just fighting villains. A hero saves people.]

The hologram played a short video clip.

The camera angle looked down from a tall building.

It showed Izuku diving off the four-story roof. It showed him pulling the aggro of the massive Zero Pointer away from the panicked crowd.

It showed his final kick severing the robot's head to protecting everyone.

[We award rescue points,] All Might smiled proudly. [A panel of judges awards these points for selfless actions during the exam.]

The scoreboard updated.

[Sixty rescue points!] All Might announced loudly.

The numbers added together.

A large, glowing '145' flashed on the screen.

[One hundred and forty-five total points,] All Might stated. He dropped his booming persona. He spoke with genuine, quiet awe. [You just broke the historical record for the UA entrance exam. Welcome, Izuku Midoriya. This is your hero academia.]

The hologram flickered and turned off.

"..."

The room went completely quiet.

Then.

"Waaaaah!"

Inko burst into heavy tears. She lunged forward and hugged Izuku tightly. She buried her face in his shoulder, sobbing openly.

"I was so wrong," Inko cried, squeezing him harder. "I shouldn't have said sorry. I should have told you that you could do it!"

Izuku hugged her back. Tears formed in his own eyes.

"Look at you now," Inko sobbed, stepping back to look at his face. "You worked so hard. You trained with day and night. You never gave up. I am so proud of you, Izuku."

"Thanks, Mom," Izuku smiled, wiping a tear from his cheek. "We did it."

"Meow."

Kuro sat on the mattress. The black cat gave a slow, approving nod.

They successfully predicted the hidden scoring system.

...

Location: Musutafu - Bakugo Household

"Katsuki! Open the damn letter!" Mitsuki Bakugo yelled on the kitchen counter.

"Shut up, old hag! I'm doing it!" Katsuki yelled back.

He sat at the kitchen table. He grabbed the UA envelope and ripped it entirely in half.

The metal disc clattered onto the table and activated.

The hologram of All Might played.

Katsuki crossed his arms and stared at the projection.

The scores flashed on the screen. He watched the final total appear.

A massive, feral grin spread across his face.

He leaned back in his chair, completely satisfied. He dominated his sector exactly like he planned.

'I should be higher than Deku right?'

...

Location: Hosu City - Iida Estate

Tenya Iida stood in the center of his massive family dojo.

His older brother, Tensei, sat on the wooden bench nearby. They both watched the blue hologram projecting from the floor.

The final score appeared on the screen.

Tenya pressed his arms to his sides. He bowed perfectly, bending at a strict ninety-degree angle toward the projection.

"Thank you very much for this opportunity!" Tenya shouted at the top of his lungs. "I will not let UA down!"

Tensei laughed out loud. He walked over and slapped Tenya on the back, ruffling his hair.

...

Location: Musutafu - Koda Household

Koji Koda sat on the edge of his bed.

He stared down at a small tablet in his hands. A video message played on the screen.

Vlad King wore his red hero costume. He spoke calmly and professionally into the camera.

[Koji Koda,] Vlad King said. [The faculty reviewed your exam footage extensively. You showed great courage. You immobilized targets and prioritized the safety of the students around you.]

Koji gripped the edges of the table.

[Your Anivoice quirk is highly dependent on your environment,] Vlad King continued softly. [The artificial city offered zero animals for you to command. We understand this placed you at a severe disadvantage against the other examinees. Because of this, your final score fell below our cutoff line for enrollment.]

A single tear rolled down Koji's cheek.

Sob.

He failed.

[We recognize your potential,] Vlad King said firmly. [I strongly recommend you submit an application to Ketsubutsu Academy. They prioritize outdoor training facilities. Your quirk will thrive there.]

The video ended. The screen went black.

Sob.

Koji cried silently, his shoulders shaking.

CREAK.

The bedroom door opened. Koji's father walked in.

He walked over and placed a large, warm hand on Koji's shoulder.

"It's okay, Koji," his father said quietly. "Vlad King gave you a great recommendation. UA isn't the only path to becoming a hero."

Koji looked up at his father, wiping his face.

"Have you looked at Ketsubutsu Academy?" his father asked, giving him a reassuring smile. "Your mother and I actually met there. The campus is surrounded by a massive forest. You would have hundreds of animals to work with."

Koji looked at the blank tablet screen. He took a deep breath.

HUFF-PUFF.

He gave a small, determined nod. He pulled up the web browser and typed in the Ketsubutsu Academy application portal.

He still wanted to be a hero. He just needed to take a different path.

...

Location: Hosu City - Police Precinct

Time: A Few Days Later

Kaito steered his car down the busy morning streets of Hosu City.

Makoto sat in the passenger seat. She held a brown paper bag resting on her lap. The smell of fresh coffee drifted through the cabin.

"Snatch's agency is just down the next block," Kaito said, checking the dashboard clock. "We're a few minutes early."

"Pull over by the precinct," Makoto pointed at the large concrete building coming up on the right. "I want to drop this off for Naomasa first."

Kaito merged into the right lane. "He still isn't answering his phone?"

"Two days," Makoto sighed, looking at her blank text messages. "Which usually means he fell asleep on the small couch in his office again. He needs clean shirts."

Kaito parked the car near the front steps of the precinct.

They stepped out of the vehicle and walked up the concrete steps.

SLID.

The sliding glass doors opened.

The lobby was busy.

Radios crackled with overlapping dispatch codes.

Two uniformed officers were dragging a cursing, low-level thug in handcuffs toward the booking area.

A desk sergeant aggressively typed on a keyboard while pinning a phone to his ear with his shoulder.

Makoto navigated the chaos effortlessly.

An officer carrying a heavy stack of folders walked past them.

"Morning, Sato-san," Makoto greeted warmly. "How did your daughter's middle school exams go?"

The officer stopped. A bright smile broke across his stressed face.

"She passed, Makoto-san!" Sato answered quickly. "Got into her top choice. Thanks for remembering!"

"Tell her congratulations," Makoto smiled back.

Sato bowed his head quickly and hurried down the hall.

Kaito watched her. She charmed the stressed police staff without even trying.

A tall man walked out of the main bullpen.

He wore a tan trench coat and a fedora. He had the head of a large beagle.

Chief Kenji Tsuragamae spotted Makoto. His tail gave a quick, rhythmic wag.

Kenji walked over and extended a large, furry hand.

"Makoto," Kenji greeted, his voice deep and slightly gruff. "Good to see you. Woof."

"Hi, Chief," Makoto smiled, shaking his hand. "This is Kaito Arisaka."

Kenji turned to Kaito. He offered a firm handshake.

"The Golden Manager," Kenji said respectfully. "I want to thank you personally. Snatch does a lot of VIP escort work for our department. Knowing he has an Arisaka contract puts my officers at ease. Woof."

"Glad to help, Chief," Kaito replied. "We are heading to his agency right after this. We're going to boost his offensive output today."

"Excellent," Kenji nodded approvingly.

Makoto held up the brown paper bag.

"Is Naomasa in his office?" Makoto asked. "I brought him some fresh coffee and a clean shirt."

Kenji shook his head. His long ears flapped slightly.

"Naomasa isn't in Hosu," Kenji explained. "He was emergency-airlifted out of the country forty-eight hours ago on a classified Interpol transport. Woof."

"Overseas?" Makoto asked. "Where did they send him?"

Kenji lowered his voice. He stepped a fraction closer to them.

"Otheon," Kenji answered quietly. "The number five pro hero in Otheon captured a high-ranking terrorist cell. Humarise. Woof."

"Interpol needed the absolute best human lie detector on the planet," Kenji explained. "They drafted your brother to interrogate the captured agents."

Makoto gripped the paper bag tightly.

"Are they dangerous?" Makoto asked.

Kenji raised his furry hands, quickly reassuring her.

"Naomasa is perfectly safe, Makoto," Kenji promised. "He is sitting in a highly secured, underground Interpol command center. He is surrounded by top-tier international pro heroes. He is just running the interrogation room. He will call you the second he gets access to a secure line. Woof."

Makoto took a slow breath. She relaxed her shoulders.

"Okay," Makoto sighed. "Thank you for letting me know, Chief."

She held the paper bag out to him.

"Give the coffee to whoever on the night shift needs it the most," Makoto offered.

Kenji took the bag with a grateful nod.

"Will do. Have a good meeting with Snatch. Woof," Kenji waved, turning back toward the chaotic bullpen.

Kaito and Makoto turned around and walked out of the precinct.

"Don't worry you're brother will be safe..." Kaito assured her.

"...Hearing you say that put me at ease"

They got back into the black car and pulled away from the curb, heading down the street toward Snatch's agency.

...

Location: Hosu City - Snatch Agency

Kaito and Makoto walked up to a brick building.

Thick steel bars covered the ground-floor windows.

A flat metal sign hung over the front door reading Snatch Agency - VIP Protection.

Kaito grabbed the handle and pulled the door open.

DING.

They stepped into the lobby.

Sajin Higawara stood by the reception desk wearing his usual tan trench coat and thick scarf.

Four pro heroes stood right behind him, wearing various tactical suits and armor.

Snatch walked forward immediately. He reached out and shook Kaito's hand.

"Arisaka," Snatch said, his voice loud and relieved. "Welcome

"

"Glad to be here," Kaito replied. He looked at the four heroes behind Snatch.

"These are my sidekicks," Snatch said, gesturing to the group. "They run every transport convoy with me."

Makoto stepped forward. She offered a warm, easy smile.

"Hi everyone," Makoto greeted them. "I'm Makoto Tsukauchi."

One of the older sidekicks blinked and pointed at her.

"Wait," the sidekick said. "Tsukauchi? Are you the primary manager for the O'Clock agency?"

The other three sidekicks stared at her. They suddenly looked a lot more happy and nervous. Having the golden manager and the manager of the number four hero in Japan standing in their small lobby was a massive deal.

Makoto laughed softly. She waved a hand to brush off the tension.

"I was," Makoto nodded. "But now I work with the Arisaka Consultant. Let's take care of each other."

The four sidekicks visibly relaxed. Her natural tone completely broke the ice. They smiled and nodded back at her.

"Let's get into it," Kaito said. "Where is the meeting room?"

...

They sat around a scratched wooden table in the back room.

Makoto set her datapad on the table. She connected a cable to a small projector. A blank white screen lit up on the far wall.

Kaito sat across from Snatch.

"Tell me about a standard convoy," Kaito started. "What actually goes wrong during a high-risk transport?"

Snatch crossed his arms and sighed.

"The police drive the vans," Snatch explained. "The law strictly prohibits them from using their quirks to fight. If a villain strike team hits the highway, my sidekicks and I are the only ones allowed to engage. We are the entire defense line."

"And the villains know that," a sidekick added.

"Exactly," Snatch nodded. "They hit us with radio jammers first. We can't call for backup. Even if we survive the initial ambush, waiting for police command to authorize a counter-attack takes hours. On top of that, captured villains constantly mutate or break standard handcuffs right inside the moving van."

Kaito listened to the whole list. He tapped his finger on the table.

"We are scrapping your standard police radios," Kaito said.

Makoto tapped her screen.

A schematic for a small earpiece appeared on the wall.

"We are moving the entire agency to a closed-circuit, quantum-encrypted tactical network," Makoto explained. "These are bone-conduction headsets. Villains cannot jam this frequency. Your transport routes stay completely secure."

The sidekicks looked at the screen, wide-eyed.

"What about the restraints?" Snatch asked.

"Standard handcuffs are useless against high-tier targets," Kaito answered. "Arisaka Consulting is securing legal access to state-level containment tech for your agency. We are installing neuro-dampening restraints and quick-deploy kinetic cells straight into your transport vans. If a villain acts up in transit, you can neutralize them before they tear the vehicle apart."

A female sidekick leaned forward.

"We still get ambushed at choke points," she pointed out. "Tunnels and bridges."

Makoto brought up a map of Hosu City on the projector. Several red zones highlighted narrow streets and highway overpasses.

"We are integrating predictive threat matrix software into your navigation systems," Makoto said. "The system analyzes high-risk choke points and generates alternate routes on the fly. You avoid the ambush zones before the villains even set up."

"And when they force a fight?" Snatch asked. "The police bureaucracy leaves us sitting ducks while we wait for permission to strike back."

"We also need to take care of that," Kaito stated.

Makoto clicked a final file.

A digital legal portal appeared on the screen, bearing the seal of the supreme hero courts.

"We established a fast-tracked digital warrant pipeline directly to the supreme courts," Kaito explained. "If you get hit, you push the request. You get emergency operational clearances in minutes. You get to strike back immediately."

"..."

The room went dead silent for a few seconds.

"Is that even possible?"

"Don't ask me.."

"But if that happens we a have a few problems now."

"...It all depends on the boss"

Snatch and his four sidekicks who were murmuring stared at the projector.

The excitement in the room spiked.

"This changes everything," Snatch said, leaning forward. "We can lock down any transport route."

Kaito tapped his knuckles on the table.

"The agency development is solid plan," Kaito said.

Makoto turned the projector off. The room dimmed.

Kaito opened a physical file folder.

He slid it across the table toward Snatch.

"None of this tactical gear matters if you get injured and possibly die on the front lines," Kaito said plainly.

Snatch frowned. "What do you mean?"

Kaito looked directly into Snatch's eyes.

"Your quirk," Kaito said. "You can turn your upper body into sand. Your lower half remains completely solid flesh. If a villain traps your feet, what will happen?"

"..."

Snatch froze.

He knew Kaito was completely right. He just haven't met someone who can do that.

"We are going to fix that," Kaito said.

He opened the file, revealing the specialized Quirk Development training plans.

"Let's proceed to the next part of our contract."

...

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