BNHA: I am Reiji Toga

The boxes were still stacked all over the living room, like small towers of battered cardboard. The aroma of freshly varnished wood couldn't hide the dusty smell that had been floating in the air since they arrived. In one corner, Reiji's mother was trying to hang the new curtains, stretching on her tiptoes while muttering something about how "cozy" the house could be if everyone pitched in.

"Has anyone seen the box with the router cables?" his father asked from the hallway, shaking a box with more resignation than hope.

"I think it's under the one labeled 'dishes,' but don't open it like you did last time," his wife replied without looking at him, while she struggled with the curtain.

Reiji watched everything from the front door. With his jacket on and his backpack slung over one shoulder, he seemed ready to leave for a while. He didn't say anything, but his expression screamed it.

"Are you planning on leaving now?" his mother asked, noticing his presence.

"I'm just going to walk around for a bit. I want to see what's around. Besides, I've already finished my room and helped set up the kitchen," she said, emphasizing the last part as if trying to muster merit to escape.

"Don't stray too far, we don't know the area well yet," her father said without looking up, now grumpily plugging a cable into an extension cord that didn't reach.

"Reiji..." The voice came from the dining room. Himiko had poked her head around the door with a frown. "Did you remember what I told you? The U.A. tests are upon us. I need to study, and some silence wouldn't hurt."

"You're in the wrong house if you want silence," he replied with a vague gesture, before turning back to the door.

"By the way," his father added before he left, "tell him thanks to your friend Hawks next time. If it weren't for his recommendation, I wouldn't have been transferred to Musutafu."

His mother immediately intervened, with a gentle smile that didn't quite hide the tension in her shoulders.

"It was an unexpected promotion, yes... but this city is much safer. Maybe... it's the best thing for you two. Everything is quieter here. I'll miss our old life, but I have high expectations here."

Reiji didn't respond. He looked down for a second. Then, as if that pause were enough to seal the conversation, he opened the door.

"Himiko, don't stress too much. You're good at this."

She mumbled something unintelligible as he left. She closed the door softly. Outside, the winter sun barely warmed the sidewalk. A couple of children rode by on bikes, an old woman watered her plants. The neighborhood seemed like another dimension compared to the darkness of the district he had left behind days before.

But Reiji knew: there's no place that doesn't hide something beneath its surface.

He adjusted his jacket and started walking. He'd barely arrived and already had things to do. Luckily, he was already familiar with this city from his "getaways" for the commission.

***

The sky over Musutafu was clearer. Or at least, that's what it seemed like to Reiji as he sat on a bench somewhat secluded from the central park, right where the trees were beginning to lose their leaves.

To Reiji, everything seemed too... normal. Too foreign.

A faint flutter of wings tore through the air to his right, barely perceptible. He didn't need to turn around to know who had sat next to him.

"Nice view," Hawks said, stretching his legs as if he were just another civilian.

Reiji didn't respond. He just tilted his head slightly.

"Are you settled in yet? The move was quick, even for you."

"I don't have many material things to cling to," Reiji replied. "It's the most natural thing in the world in this job."

"Natural?" Hawks repeated, amused. Then he lowered his voice. "There's nothing natural about what we do, kid. But yeah... this city has its thing."

There was a brief silence, broken by the crunch of leaves under the feet of a girl running past them.

"You did well on that mission," Hawks continued, without looking at him. "Aizawa made his report. He says you appeared out of nowhere and saved his ass. He didn't give any further details about your Quirk, and the physical appearance he described was very different from how you were. I think he's helping you in some way."

"I'd read things about him, but... He seemed quite different from what I knew," Reiji said, analyzing some things in his mind.

"I know. He's a curious guy, to say the least. He was a student at U.A., but until recently, he was on a case involving Naruhata."

Reiji turned slightly toward him.

"You didn't just call me in to flatter me. What's new?"

Hawks chuckled.

"No. They summoned you because the job isn't finished." He took a small device from his inside jacket pocket and placed it on the bench. An image floated across the screen: a blurry face, white mask, dark glasses, slicked-back hair. The image shook as if it had been captured from afar.

"That's the leader of the network you were investigating. No one knows his real name, but he moves freely between the districts. We had a trail of him near District 4... but he disappeared. He hasn't appeared since you dismantled his main operation, but I'm almost certain he's not the only one."

Reiji studied the face for a moment.

"And I have to find his trail again..." A long sigh accompanied his sentence.

"Not only that." Hawks lowered his tone even further. "We want you to find him, get close to him, and if possible... destroy him without him going to prison. He's a complex guy, and having him behind bars could be more dangerous than anything else."

Reiji nodded, knowing things had gotten complicated right now.

"You have room to move. Use the city change to your advantage. I'll get you a list of names. They're all connected to illegal Quirk trafficking. This guy probably won't be working alone."

"I already know that..." He sighed a little, trying to think about his first independent mission. Hawks was helping him, of course, but he was just passing through, and at some point he'd have to return to Tokyo.

"Take a break, explore the city, and familiarize yourself. You have a certain freedom of movement while you complete the mission. Take advantage of it..."

"I understand..."

And without another word, he walked off down the park path. Hawks didn't follow him. He just watched him walk away, his expression a mixture of pride and concern.

***

Musutafu was different from Tokyo.

It didn't have that persistent stench of smog or the constant chaos of sirens and street shouts. The streets were cleaner, the buildings more organized, and the heroes… More efficient. Here, both crime and justice seemed to operate with an almost business-like logic. Precision. Rhythm. Calculation.

A "civilized" city. Even for villains.

Reiji walked alone through a disused industrial area, partially converted into technical centers and school laboratories. From the shadow of a post, he watched cars calmly pass by. Not a patrol car. Not a chase. Nothing.

'It's not that there isn't crime… It's just better disguised.'

He was already thinking about going back when he heard it.

BOOM!

A sudden explosion forced him to turn around. White smoke rose from a building a few blocks away, accompanied by screams, sparks, and the metallic sound of falling objects. It wasn't serious, but it wasn't a normal scene either.

Reiji reacted instinctively. In less than a minute, he was skirting the area, slipping between half-open mesh screens and rusty containers.

He peered carefully... and there it was.

A small workshop on controlled fire. Several students were coming out with fire extinguishers, some coughing, others laughing. And at the center of it all, as if nothing had happened, a thin girl with tousled pink hair, huge glasses covered in soot... and a dangerous smile.

Reiji stopped dead in his tracks.

'It can't be... is that...?'

He recognized her immediately. Mei Hatsume. There was no mistaking that pink hair that always appeared for a huge explosion. The chaotic mind of the Support Department, famous for creating equipment as brilliant as it was unstable.

Although, of course, it hadn't reached that level of quality yet.

'Has she been creating things that explode since high school?'

He watched her closely. She was excited, rummaging through charred parts, talking to herself as if she'd already got it all figured out.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah! It worked too well!" she shouted, pulling out a part with torn gloves. "The thrust was perfect, just... it went off the roof! I need to adjust the ignition angle!"

Reiji couldn't help but raise an eyebrow.

He jumped out of hiding and approached with firm steps.

"You're playing with fire... literally," he muttered. He'd previously steered clear of the main characters, mostly because Tokyo wasn't particularly well-known.

She looked up, showing no fear.

"Oooh! Another curious person? Are you also excited by high-density propulsion systems?"

Reiji looked at her, like someone trying to recognize a blurry image from the past. He'd recognized her perfectly, but it had been over a decade since he'd seen the characters in this story, and his mind didn't quite remember everything. "The only thing that caught my attention was the explosion. Do you always test your inventions with people around?"

"Of course not!" He replied, as if that were obvious. "Today was an 'unauthorized spontaneous test.' Which means it worked, even if not legally."

Reiji crossed his arms, barely smiling inside. Her personality was just as he remembered. Brilliant, chaotic, unbridled.

"What if next time it blows up in your face?"

"Then I'll improve the design! Nothing moves forward without failures. Ask Edison. Or myself. Or this poor fuse."

He extended his hand, completely dirty.

"Mei Hatsume, future genius of professional support. And you?"

Reiji didn't answer.

"If things continue as they were, she'll be crucial in many developments. Useful... dangerous too, if she falls into the wrong hands." And I don't see it as likely considering so many things have changed.

"I'm Reiji Toga. Just a kid who just moved here."

He turned to leave. But before disappearing into the district's hallways, he said in a low voice:

"Be careful what you think, genius. Not everything shiny is harmless."

Mei stared at the direction he disappeared in.

"Hey! That was poetic and cryptic at the same time! I like it!"

And Reiji, walking away, thought:

"Musutafu... I'm starting to understand why the story takes place here."

***

The air was colder than usual that morning. Not because of the weather, but because of what it represented.

Reiji walked beside Himiko in silence. They were both dressed casually, though Himiko was carrying a larger-than-usual backpack and an expression that didn't show nerves... but pure excitement.

"Are you sure you don't want to come with me?" she asked, her smile thick with restrained tension. "You could blend in. Like one of those annoying assistants staring from afar."

Reiji gave a short, nasal laugh.

"I don't want to get kicked out before I even get in. Besides, you're the one with the exam, not me."

Himiko pursed her lips in a slight pout, though she didn't insist. She knew he was right. Because if there was anyone who understood what this day meant to her, it was Reiji.

"I can't believe it came so fast..." She said, staring straight ahead. The imposing entrance of the best academy in Japan, and probably the world, was in front of her. Still separated by a few blocks, it was noticeable. "Ever since we moved, everything has been so... immediate. No time to breathe. But I feel like I'm getting closer to you, somehow."

He looked down.

"If it's to be close to me... you should think twice before entering those doors. The idea is for you to live your life too."

Himiko stopped. She looked at him directly.

"You're always thinking about others, Reiji. But this time, I decided. I'm doing this for me. Because I want to be there. Because I want to prove that I can do it too."

The boy held her gaze for a long second, then nodded.

"Then go ahead and break them."

They both arrived at the entrance of the complex where the preliminary exams were being held. A group of young people were already gathering in front of the U.A. buildings, some alone, others in groups. Himiko picked up her pace energetically. But before leaving, she turned around one last time.

"And you? What will you do now?"

Reiji shifted his gaze eastward, toward an industrial area further from the center.

"I'll go train. Just moving to a new city won't change my habits."

She looked at him silently. She was already used to those ambiguous answers.

"Then promise me something," she said, taking a step toward him. "When this is over, we'll have dinner together. Like before. As a family."

He made a face, half smile, half resignation.

"Promise."

And with that, Himiko turned and walked among the applicants, her figure gliding through the bustle with that mixture of sweetness and danger that only she could carry.

Reiji watched her leave for a few seconds. Then he sighed, turned around, and walked down the opposite sidewalk, away from the school.

He took an earpiece out of his pocket and turned it on.

"This is Reiji. Initiating tracking. Target is still in the city. Requesting updated coordinates."

A voice answered instantly, deep and calm.

"Target detected in District 7. Abnormal activity in the surrounding area. Proceed with caution."

"Understood."

Before turning completely, his gaze shifted, almost reflexively, to a figure who had just crossed the side gate of the academy. Blue hair floating as if she were always underwater, a radiant smile, an energy impossible to ignore.

"Hado... Nejire"

There was no mistaking it.

He recognized her instantly. One of the Big Three in the future. An important player in the future. One of those people who shone with their own power.

His gaze remained glued to her for a moment, appreciating her figure and also her potential. Only when she seemed to notice, he casually looked away.

'Not yet... It's not time.'

***

Reiji walked down a narrow alley behind an old sewing factory converted into a mechanic's shop. The guy he was looking for didn't have an official name. They called him "Kumo," a low-level drug dealer with connections to those who distributed Quirk destabilizers. According to the last report, someone like him should at least have information on the most recent batches.

He found him where he expected: an old tool shed covered in graffiti and smelling of rancid oil. Kumo was sorting through a box of metal tubes with fluorescent valves. He had a minor Quirk, one that allowed him to create dense fog in a short radius. Nothing threatening about him… except for the pistol on his belt and the modified syringe magazine at his side.

"Are you expecting a visitor?" Reiji asked from the shadows.

Kumo turned around, startled. He barely had time to grab the weapon. A whip of blood disarmed him instantly and pushed him against the wall with controlled force.

"What the fuck…?!" He grunted, stunned.

Reiji didn't respond. He walked toward him, his eyes hidden behind the dull reflection of his contact lenses. From his palm, a curved blade of blood dripped slowly.

"I just have one question," he said. "Where are they storing the new batches?"

Kumo tried to activate his Quirk. A small steam began to cover the area. Reiji didn't flinch.

"I'm not Erased Head," he warned. "But I don't need to nullify your Quirk if I break your legs."

He placed the blade against the man's collarbone.

"Speak."

The man hesitated for a few seconds. Then he spat to the side.

"I only know they've moved to the western district... an electronic parts warehouse. No one knows who the boss is. They just refer to him as 'Hunter.' No one has seen him. No one wants to."

Reiji frowned.

"Hunter..."

The nickname wasn't new. He appeared in some darknet transmissions. But it was the first time I'd heard him directly linked to the destabilizers.

"Did you meet him?"

Kumo quickly shook his head.

"I just deliver. I don't even collect the money... I just leave it in locked boxes. There's another guy... one who always comes in a white suit. 'Hiss,' they call him. That guy must know better."

Reiji released the pressure. The blood whip retreated.

"If you lied to me... I'll come back. And you won't be able to use that fog even to cover yourself with your own sweat."

Kumo swallowed.

Reiji disappeared down the alley, his silhouette fading into the darkness.

He didn't have much... but it was something.

A name. An alias.

Hunter.

And a new target in the chain.

"Hiss"