"Whoa!"
"Is that the alarm?!"
"Security Level 3 has been breached. All students, please evacuate to the outdoors immediately."
The announcement turned the already restless cafeteria into a powder keg. The room erupted in bedlam as students surged toward the exits in a desperate, singular mass.
"What the hell is Security Level 3?!" someone screamed over the din.
"I think... I think it means someone managed to infiltrate the school grounds!"
"Are you serious? But look at this crowd!"
"Exactly... we can't even move, let alone evacuate!"
While the general student body devolved into a shouting, shoving panic, my classmates stood their ground. They were trying to read the room—true to the Hero Course's reputation. Around them, the atmosphere was thick with hysteria; if this kept up, the crush of people would start causing injuries. Or worse.
This is bad, I thought. The panic is spreading like a virus.
Just as the thought crossed my mind, a figure shot up from the middle of the crowd. Iida soared into the air—likely thanks to a well-timed assist from Uraraka's Quirk. Without a second of hesitation, he kicked his internal engines into gear and blasted across the room, slamming himself against the wall directly above the exit.
"EVERYONE, STAY CALM!!"
His voice thundered through the cafeteria, cutting through the screams.
"It is merely the press! There is absolutely no cause for alarm! Everything is alright!"
"The press...?"
"Oh, he's right! Look out the window!"
"Whoa, look at all those cameras!"
Iida's words acted like a cooling balm, and the frantic energy in the room began to subside. Following Hagakure's pointing finger, I could see them—a swarm of reporters had forced their way onto the campus. Master Eraser Head and Master Present Mic were out there trying to handle the situation, though they looked visibly exasperated.
It was more than just a nuisance; it was a clear case of trespassing. They probably could have been arrested on the spot.
...No, that wasn't the issue.
I reached out with my senses. The "darkness" radiating from those reporters was no more than the petty, everyday malice of common civilians. It didn't match the cold, sickening dread I had felt earlier.
"...The press? Are you sure?" a voice whispered beside me.
"I'm with you," I replied softly. "I feel a different, much more potent presence from the Dark Side. There is something else in this school, and it's not them."
"I thought so... Kotoha-chan..."
"Yes. We might be the only ones who realize it. I have to go, even if it's a risk. Can I leave this area to you?"
"...Of course. That's just the kind of person you are, Koto-chan. It's why I... well, never mind. Leave it to me. Just be careful. May the Force be with you."
"Thank you. May the Force be with you as well."
Using my small stature to my advantage, I slipped through the thinning crowd and ducked out of the cafeteria.
"Wait, Kotoha-chan?" Tsuyu's voice drifted toward me.
"Stay here with the others, Tsuyu-chan. It's safer," I called back without stopping.
I followed the ripple in the Force, letting it guide me toward the faculty office. As I drew closer, the sensation of shadow grew heavy, cloying. By the time I reached the hallway outside the office, the air felt as though it were draped in a suffocating shroud of the Dark Side.
The malice here was tiers above anything I'd felt from Himiko. It felt like a concentrated mass of pure, unadulterated spite. It was the kind of cold that would make even a seasoned Jedi hesitate.
If I hadn't faced darkness deeper than this in my previous life... I wouldn't be able to move my legs right now.
Steeling my resolve, I draped myself in a Force Cloak—a technique that masks one's presence to the point of near-invisibility—and peered into the office.
"...So, it's you."
A man with pale, shaggy hair stood there, loitering in the shadows. He looked young, perhaps in his early twenties, standing at least 170 centimeters tall. His face was obscured by a bizarre, severed hand—some kind of macabre ornament? It was a disturbing aesthetic, to say the least.
But the eyes peering through the gaps in the fingers were the real threat. They burned with a dangerous light. More than his posture, his gaze spoke with terrifying eloquence: I will destroy everything I see.
He was dangerous. Instantly, my mind shifted into combat readiness.
However, I had to be careful. I was currently a student, and even in the Hero Course, using one's Quirk outside of class is strictly regulated. While the school is private property, it wasn't encouraged. More importantly, as a Jedi, I knew that jumping straight to violence should always be the last resort.
What can I do now? I asked myself. Gather intelligence. Leave evidence.
I pulled my mobile device from my pocket and began recording the intruder. I didn't know his objective yet, but there is a famous saying on this planet: If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles. I couldn't agree more. Accurate information is the greatest weapon.
"Alright. Kurogiri."
The man spoke into the empty air as he tucked some documents into his coat. A moment later, a plume of black mist manifested behind him. Out of that cloud-like void emerged a humanoid shape. It appeared to be another man.
But my blood ran cold as I looked at him.
What is that? I can't feel the Force coming from it! It isn't alive!
And yet, it moved. It spoke. How was such a thing possible?
Calm down... center yourself, I commanded my racing heart. If your mind wavers, the Force Cloak will fail. Find your peace!
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