MC POV
I stood outside the club, my mind still buzzing with the information I had gathered. The case had turned out to be far more complex than I initially thought—powerful people, hidden deals, and a dead broker who knew too much. It felt like I was dancing on the edge of something much bigger. I slipped my phone from my pocket and checked the time.
"Shit."
It was late—way too late. I had missed the entire first day of Class 1-A.
For a moment, I stood still, staring at my phone. The students of UA, especially Class 1-A, were supposed to be my top priority today. I had been looking forward to seeing how they performed, but instead, I was caught up in a murder case and interrogating criminals. It wasn't the first time my work as a detective had pulled me away from hero duties, but still, I couldn't help but curse my luck why does it always happen to me, Its almost like the Universe loves to troll me.
I dialed Aizawa's number. It rang twice before he picked up.
"You missed it," Aizawa's voice sounded groggy, probably from one of his famous naps.
"Yeah, sorry about that. Got caught up in something. How'd it go?" I asked, leaning against a nearby wall.
"They're promising," he replied simply, which, coming from Aizawa, was high praise.
"Any standouts?" I pressed, imagining the faces of the students I had missed.
"Midoriya," Aizawa replied after a pause. "He's... interesting."
I couldn't help but smile. Of course, it would be Midoriya. Even from the anime, he had always been the underdog with an insane drive to be a hero.
"I'll catch up with them tomorrow. Anything else I should know?"
Aizawa sighed. "Bakugo and Todoroki are impressive, but they've got their issues. They'll figure it out eventually."
"Noted. I'll see you tomorrow," I said before hanging up. Pocketing my phone, I realized I would have to make up for missing today. I'd need to introduce myself to Class 1-A personally and make sure they understood who I was. Aizawa probably mentioned me, but the students would have their own expectations.
---
The next morning, I made my way to UA, the familiar building looming ahead as the early sun cast a warm glow over the campus. Even though I'd been working here for a year now, the sight of UA still filled me with a sense of pride. I had come a long way from the White Room. Now, I was a hero, a detective, and a teacher at one of the most prestigious schools in the world.
As I entered the staff lounge, I ran into Present Mic and Midnight.
"You missed all the fun yesterday!" Present Mic exclaimed, throwing his arms wide in a dramatic gesture. "Class 1-A is gonna be the next big thing!"
"I heard," I replied with a smirk. "Aizawa mentioned some good potential."
Midnight leaned against the counter, her arms crossed. "These kids are something special. But you know what? They've been talking about you more."
"Me?" I raised an eyebrow.
"Yeah," she said with a playful grin. "Bladie, Aizawa told them about how you're the best student UA's ever had."
I blinked. "He actually said that?"
Midnight nodded. "You've got quite the reputation to live up to now. Even if they don't know who you are as a hero, they're expecting big things from you."
"Great," I muttered, shaking my head.
As I made my way to Class 1-A's homeroom, I couldn't help but think about what Aizawa had told them. I wasn't famous like All Might, especially not in the traditional hero sense. Being an underground hero meant my work stayed in the shadows, away from the spotlight. But if Aizawa had told them about me being the best student to ever graduate from UA, the kids were probably going to have questions.
---
When I slid the classroom door open, the students were in the middle of a conversation, but they immediately fell silent when they saw me. Twenty pairs of curious eyes locked onto me, trying to size me up. They had no doubt heard about me from Aizawa. The "best student UA ever had" title must have stirred some imaginations.
"Good morning, Class 1-A," I greeted them, walking to the front of the room. "My name is Shiro Emiya, but you probably know me better as Blade. I'll be working alongside your other teachers, and I'll also be keeping a close eye on your progress throughout the year."
I watched as a few students exchanged glances, clearly intrigued. Most of them had probably expected someone more famous, but they were stuck with me—the underground hero they had never heard of.
Midoriya, sitting behind Bakugo, raised his hand tentatively. "Excuse me, sir, is it true? Are you really the best student UA's ever had? That's what Mr. Aizawa told us."
I could see some heads nodding in agreement, and I knew the question was coming even before it left someone else's mouth. Bakugo, sitting in the back with his arms crossed, leaned forward, scowling.
"How the hell are you the best student? Shouldn't that be All Might?"
I chuckled at Bakugo's straightforwardness, crossing my arms as I looked at him. "A hero has many aspects, Bakugo. While All Might is without a doubt the strongest student UA has ever had, being the strongest doesn't necessarily make you the best."
Some of the students leaned forward, intrigued by what I meant.
I continued, "There have been students better than All Might, both before and after him, in different ways. Strength alone doesn't define a hero. Intelligence, strategy, leadership—these are all qualities that make someone stand out. All Might became the Symbol of Peace after UA, but he wasn't the perfect student. No one is."
Bakugo didn't seem convinced, but Midoriya was staring at me with wide eyes, as if he were piecing together what I had said. The rest of the class looked equally fascinated, especially since I had given them something to think about.
I gestured to the board behind me. "You'll learn this yourselves. Over the next year, you'll realize that being a hero isn't just about raw power. It's about how you use that power. How you think. How you act. Keep that in mind as we move forward."
---
After my introduction, the class went back to their usual lessons, but I could feel their eyes on me now and then, probably trying to figure out what made me "the best" in School's eyes. As the morning rolled into the afternoon, I spent the rest of the time observing their quirks and how they handled various tasks.
Midoriya was weak right now, as expected he didn't know how to control his quirk, and Bakugo was a powerhouse of raw energy. Todoroki remained quiet, but I could see the conflict in his eyes. There was a lot of potential here, and while some students were rough around the edges, it was clear they had promise. This class could go far.
When lunchtime arrived, I found myself back in the staff lounge with Aizawa, who was eating his usual simple meal.
"So?" he asked without looking up from his food.
I grabbed a cup of coffee and leaned against the counter. "You told them I was the best student to ever graduate UA?"
He shrugged. "You're the only one who matched both the hero and detective work seamlessly. You were the best overall. What else was I supposed to say?"
"I don't know. Maybe ease them into it?" I said with a smirk.
Aizawa finally glanced up. "They'll see for themselves soon enough."
I chuckled, sipping my coffee. "True. But still, I missed the Quirk Assesment Test. How was it?"
Aizawa leaned back, looking thoughtful. "It was chaotic. But Midoriya impressed me. Almost quirkless kid, but he didn't back down. He'll get stronger."
"Almost quirkless?" I raised an eyebrow.
"He has no control over his quirk," Aizawa said vaguely.
I decided to let it drop. "And Bakugo?"
"He's got potential, but needs to cool his head. Same with Todoroki. They've got potential, but they need guidance."
I nodded. "I'll catch up with them tomorrow. I want to see how they do in action."
Aizawa gave a lazy nod. "Just don't go too hard on them. Not yet."
---
Later that day, I stood in the observation room with Aizawa, watching the students train. Below us, Class 1-A was engaged in various exercises, pushing their limits.
"They've got potential as I mentioned," Aizawa said after a while.
"They do," I agreed. "But potential alone won't get them far. They need to be pushed."
"That's where we come in," Aizawa said dryly.
I nodded. We were the ones responsible for molding these kids into the best versions of themselves. The real world wasn't kind, and the threats they would face would be far worse than anything they could imagine right now.
As I watched Midoriya dodge a barrage of attacks during one of the exercises, I couldn't help but feel a sense of responsibility. These kids had no idea what the real world held for them. But I did. And I would make sure they were ready for it.
---
By the end of the day, I was mentally exhausted. Between catching up with the students and dealing with the ongoing case, my mind was spinning. But as I sat in my office, reviewing some files Naomasa had sent me, I realized that, despite the whirlwind of events, I had no time to rest.
The case Naomasa had sent me was weighing heavily on my mind. I had to juggle my work at UA with my duties as a detective, and the murder case wasn't going to solve itself. I glanced at the files, the gruesome details of the crime scene staring back at me.
The victim, a broker involved with the black market, was found dead in an alleyway downtown. Naomasa's report suggested that this man had been involved in some underground dealings, potentially supplying weapons and tech to villains. However, every lead we had hit a dead end. There were no witnesses, no fingerprints, no trace of the killer.
I leaned back in my chair, rubbing my temples. I had to make progress on this case before more bodies started piling up.
I decided to head out and retrace the victim's last steps, hoping to find something the police missed. Slipping my P226 into its holster and checking my other gear, I left my office, heading toward the darker side of the city.
---
It was already dark by the time I arrived at the scene. The alley where the broker's body had been found was quiet, just like it had been the first time I visited. This time, though, I wasn't going to rely on conventional methods. I needed something more—something Aizen's power could give me.
Walking into the alley, I activated Kyōka Suigetsu, casting a subtle illusion over the area. Anyone nearby would think they were seeing a perfectly normal street, while I worked in the shadows.
I scanned the ground for any hidden clues, focusing on the small details. The police had missed something—I could feel it. My Herrscher of Reason powers made it easy to analyze everything in the vicinity, from the tiniest crack in the pavement to the subtle disturbance in the air. But so far, nothing.
As I continued, I caught sight of a faint glow near the edge of the alley. Kneeling down, I reached out, brushing the dust away from what appeared to be a fragment of a tech device. It was small, barely noticeable, but it was there—a clue the police had overlooked.
Pulling the fragment closer, I analyzed it, running it through the various filters in my mind. The design was advanced—too advanced for any ordinary criminal. This was cutting-edge technology almost like Hero Support Tech, something that could only be obtained through very specific and dangerous channels.
"This isn't just any black-market deal," I muttered to myself. "This is bigger."
Suddenly, a faint shuffle echoed from behind me. I turned, instinctively reaching for my gun, but I didn't draw it just yet. My senses were sharp, and I could feel someone nearby.
"You can come out," I called, my voice calm. "I know you're there."
A figure stepped out from the shadows, their face hidden beneath a hood. They moved with caution, as if trying to gauge my strength before deciding their next move.
"You're the one looking into the broker's death," the figure said, their voice low.
I kept my stance relaxed, but my hand hovered near my weapon. "Who are you?"
The figure didn't answer directly, instead moving closer. "You're wasting your time. This case is bigger than you think."
"And who do you work for?" I asked, keeping my tone neutral.
The figure hesitated, then chuckled softly. "I don't work for anyone. I'm just here to warn you—back off before you get in too deep."
I activated Aizen's power, subtly casting an illusion over the figure. Their mind would now be trapped in an endless cycle of visions, all controlled by me. I would get the truth out of them one way or another.
"Why don't you tell me what you know?" I said, my voice smooth and steady as the illusion took hold.
The figure's eyes glazed over for a moment, their body going slack. The illusion had worked perfectly.
"I... I can't... tell you everything," the figure muttered, struggling against the illusion. "But... the broker was selling tech. Something dangerous. A group... they wanted it silenced."
"A group?" I pressed, leaning in closer. "Who? What group?"
The figure's breathing quickened, their mind still trapped in the illusion. "Villains... powerful ones... they're connected. Not just one or two... but many. You can't stop them."
I clenched my jaw. This wasn't just a random murder—it was part of something much larger. And I was only scratching the surface.
Withdrawing from the illusion, I stepped back, allowing the figure to collapse onto the ground. They would wake up with no memory of the conversation or what had happened.
As I left the alley, I couldn't shake the feeling that I was getting pulled into something far more dangerous than I anticipated. The tech fragment in my pocket was proof that the broker had been dealing with advanced technology, and now, it seemed like a group of villains was involved in silencing him to keep that tech out of the wrong—or right—hands.
---
Back in my office, I placed the tech fragment on my desk, staring at it as if it held the answers to all my questions. I pulled up a secure channel and contacted Naomasa.
"I found something," I said as soon as his face appeared on the screen.
Naomasa leaned forward. "What is it?"
"Tech—highly advanced. This wasn't just a black-market deal gone wrong. The broker was selling something big, and now I've got a lead on a group of villains involved in it."
Naomasa's expression darkened. "This could get messy."
I nodded. "It already has. I'm going to need more resources on this, maybe some backup."
"I'll send what I can," Naomasa replied. "But be careful, Shiro. If this group is as dangerous as you say, we don't know what we're dealing with."
"I'll keep you updated," I said before ending the call.
Leaning back in my chair, I exhaled slowly. The murder case was quickly spiraling into something much larger than I had expected. And while I had Aizen's power, my Herrscher abilities, and my weapons, I couldn't help but feel that this was just the beginning of something far worse.
As I sat there, pondering my next move, I'd have to balance my work as a hero and detective while mentoring these kids. They didn't know it yet, but the world outside UA was far more dangerous than they realized.
x---x---x---x
Hello!
This chapter is longer than usual.