My Hero Academia: The Dragon's Quirk

I left the rusted industrial district the same way I came: like a ghost in the middle of the night. Behind me, I could hear the sound of approaching sirens, the pro heroes and police sent by Ryukyu to secure the location and "clean up" the mess I had made. I didn't wait for them. My role in this drama was complete. I leaped from rooftop to rooftop, away from the light, and melted back into the city's shadows.

The journey back on the first train in the morning was a surreal experience. I sat among sleepy workers and students heading to school, a hoodie covering my head, trying to look normal. But inside, everything felt different. My body ached with a satisfying exhaustion. My mind kept replaying the fight against Kain, analyzing every move, every mistake, every success. I had faced a Tartarus escapee alone, and I had won. Not just with raw power, but with strategy, adaptation, and will. The echo of the original Tatsumi's soul within me, usually filled with sadness or the rage of battle, now felt calm, as if this small victory had brought it a little peace.

As I dozed off for a moment on the train, I dreamed. I saw my former self, Tatsumi of Night Raid, completing a solo assassination mission. I felt a cold, professional satisfaction, the completion of a difficult task. But then, I saw him return to base, greeted by Leone's laughter and Mine's scolding. I felt the warmth of a family waiting for him to come home. When I woke up, I realized something. The original Tatsumi didn't fight for ideology or abstract justice. He fought to protect the people he cared about, to have a place where he could return. And now, so did I.

When I arrived back at the U.A. underground facility, Ryukyu was already waiting for me in the briefing room. No one else was there. Just the two of us. She poured me a cup of tea, her movements calm and controlled.

"I've received the initial report from the recovery team," she said, sitting across from me. "Target neutralized, no casualties, minimal property damage outside the main tower. The residents of that district... they're celebrating this morning. They're calling the 'Black Ghost' their guardian angel."

I just nodded, sipping the warm tea.

"Now, give me your report, Tatsumi," she continued, her tone now shifting to that of a commander. "Every detail."

For the next hour, I told her everything. I explained Kain's tactics, about his bodyguards, about his versatile molten metal Quirk. I explained how I used Dragon's Fang to disable the guards, and how I used Incursio's heat adaptation to defeat Kain. I hid nothing, including the pain and exhaustion I felt.

Ryukyu listened intently, her golden eyes never leaving me. "You defeated a high-level villain who had escaped from Tartarus, alone," she said after I finished, her voice filled with a mixture of admiration and concern. "And you did it with minimal losses and no casualties. That... is the performance of a veteran pro hero, not a first-year student."

She leaned back in her chair. "Adaptation to heat... that means Incursio doesn't just react to elements, it learns. Every fight you go through makes it stronger in ways we can't predict. That makes you a greater asset, but also a more dangerous anomaly in the eyes of the Commission, if they knew."

"I understand the risks," I said.

"Good," she replied. "Because the risks are about to get bigger." She displayed a file on the screen behind her. It was the data I had given her from Akame's flash drive. "My analyst team and Sir Nighteye's team have been working non-stop. We've found a deeper connection between Yozakura and the remnants of the Meta Liberation Army. They're not just allies. They're business partners. Yozakura provides 'personnel' and 'rare technology,' while the PLF provides funding and protection. They're building something big."

"What do we do?" I asked.

"We continue doing what you're doing," she replied. "You are our spearhead. You will continue to hunt the most dangerous Tartarus escapees, cutting off the limbs of larger villain organizations. Every villain you neutralize is one step closer to drawing Shigaraki and the others out of hiding."

Atop the newly rebuilt tower in Deika City, which now served as the headquarters of the Paranormal Liberation Front, a war council was in session. Tomura Shigaraki, now more often controlled by All For One, sat in the main chair, while the lieutenants from the League and the MLA gathered.

"A report from the Hosu industrial district," Skeptic said, his face appearing on a screen. "Our asset there, Kain, has been neutralized. His entire operation is destroyed."

Shigaraki scratched his neck. "By whom? Endeavor?"

"No," Skeptic replied. "Eyewitness reports and some blurry security footage show a single, lone assailant. Moves fast, wears black armor, uses some kind of energy blade. He incapacitated more than twenty guards and Kain himself in less than an hour."

Dabi, leaning against the wall, smiled faintly. "Black armor," he muttered. "I've seen it before."

All For One's interest was piqued. "That anomaly from U.A.," he said through Shigaraki's mouth. "The student who withstood your flames, Dabi. The one who survived the battle in Kamino. 'Tyrant'." He seemed to think for a moment. "He's becoming more and more interesting. Dr. Garaki, I want all the data we have on this boy and his 'Quirk.' I want to know the source of his power."

"Immediately, my Lord," Dr. Garaki's voice replied from a speaker.

I was no longer an extra in their eyes. I had now become an interesting piece on their chessboard, a piece they had to understand or remove.

I was finally allowed back at the U.A. dorms for a "rest period" of a few days. Returning to the warmth and noise of Alliance Heights felt like coming back from a war.

"Tatsumi-kun! You're back!" Uraraka exclaimed as I entered the common room.

"Mission complete?" Momo asked, approaching with a cup of tea.

Nejire floated down and inspected me from head to toe. "You're not hurt, are you? You don't look like you just exploded this time!"

I smiled, accepting the tea from Momo. "The mission went smoothly," I said, a lie that now felt so easy. "Just long-term data collection. A little boring."

They seemed relieved, although I knew this circle of trust of mine could feel that I was hiding something behind my tired eyes. We spent the evening chatting, watching a movie, doing the normal things teenagers do. It was a luxury I greatly appreciated.

That night, I sat on my room's balcony, looking at the night sky. I thought of Kain, who was now in Tartarus. I thought of the factory workers who were now free from his tyranny. I thought of Akame, who was out there hunting. I thought of Ryukyu and Nezu, who were planning a war. And I thought of my friends, sleeping peacefully in their rooms.

My world had been split in two. On one side, I was Tatsumi, a U.A. student, a friend to the greatest hero candidates. On the other side, I was Tyrant, a shadow hunter, a secret weapon in an unseen war. Balancing these two lives was my real challenge.

I looked at my hand. I could feel the power of Incursio pulsing under my skin, calm but always ready. In the midst of my friends' laughter earlier, I had felt peace. I smiled. I knew why I was doing all this. I would continue to walk in the darkness, so that they could remain in the light.