MHA: The Sentry

_____[POV: Third Person]_____

Nine & Tails Inn, one of Japan's top tourist attractions, is a renowned onsen ryokan, famous not only for the luxury of its hot springs and impeccable service but also for its peculiar culture. Not everyone can enter, as only couples deemed "pure of heart" are able to find their way in.

In short, free admission for couples.

For single individuals, unless they have the means to pay an exorbitant fee, they cannot secure a stay. The few who do cross its threshold often become regular patrons, captivated by both the atmosphere and the diverse staff of kitsunes and other mutants who meticulously attend to each guest. However, there is one element that makes the place even more famous: Esunami, the owner of the establishment herself.

Despite being the most recognizable face of Nine & Tails Inn, Esunami isn't always willing to personally attend to guests, especially those who come just to see her. The covetous gazes irritate her deeply, as she believes her body and attention belong solely to one person dear to her.

At the moment, Esunami was relaxing in one of the hot springs reserved for "special" occasions. The warm steam rose in gentle spirals, reflecting the soft glow of the lanterns around. But she wasn't alone. Lilith and Morrigan, her two companions, were also immersed in the hot water beside her.

"How are you feeling, my dears?" Esunami asked with a smile, her voice soft and melodic.

Lilith was the first to respond, her childlike energy shining through her voice:

"Much better! Being away for four years was such a drag! Morrigan barely let me do anything fun."

Morrigan, leaning against one of the rocks, smirked mockingly.

"I was making sure you didn't get into trouble. Besides, our mission was just to watch and eliminate any nuisances that came up."

Esunami sighed, her maternal expression showing a hint of concern. "I imagine you encountered a few 'ants' along the way, didn't you?"

Morrigan raised an eyebrow and shrugged. "A few interesting ones, but nothing troublesome. Aside from the boredom, it was a pretty simple mission. But I bet you monopolized Ryuji the entire time, didn't you, Esu?"

Esunami's teasing smile was enough to make Morrigan frown.

"Ara, ara~," she hummed, which only served to irritate the succubus further.

"You think it's funny, huh? I bet it's not all that!" Morrigan shot back, crossing her arms. "I doubt he actually likes your… 'over-the-top' ways."

Esunami simply laughed softly, provocatively. "It was this very way that Ryuji raised me, so I'd say he likes it very much…"

Morrigan froze for a moment before forcing a laugh, trying to hide that the words had struck a nerve. "Hah! That applies to me too!"

The two were now face to face, their bodies pressed together competitively. Esunami's voluptuous frame contrasted with Morrigan's slimmer yet equally alluring form. A battle of their assets was underway, and neither seemed willing to back down despite the difference in size.

Meanwhile, Lilith, who had been quietly observing the exchange, glanced down at her own flat chest and visibly deflated.

Then, without hesitation, she suddenly stood up, puffing out her chest. "Hey! Don't leave me out of this! I like Ryuji too!"

Esunami and Morrigan turned their gaze to her, scrutinizing her for a moment before their eyes fell on Lilith's wide hips and well-developed thighs.

"…Unfair," both thought simultaneously.

Then, they simply calmed down and retreated from their earlier dispute, leaving Lilith completely confused.

"Huh? What's wrong?" the smaller succubus asked, blinking in bewilderment.

Esunami simply smiled enigmatically, while Morrigan let out an exaggerated sigh, sinking a little deeper into the water.

The night at Nine & Tails Inn remained peaceful, but for those three, the competition never truly ceased.

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Lucifer was in his spacious and elegant office, surrounded by stacks of documents demanding his attention. He worked meticulously, reviewing contracts, transactions, and other financial aspects of the RF. His pace was swift and efficient; he mastered bureaucracy with impressive ease. After all, this great responsibility had been entrusted to him by his master, and he took pride in bearing this burden. More than that, he genuinely enjoyed his work.

The silence of the room was interrupted by a discreet knock on the door. Before he could respond, the impeccable figure of Alfred, his trusted butler, crossed the threshold and gave a respectful bow.

"I apologize for the intrusion, Sir. I merely came to inform you that little Eri has gone to bed."

Lucifer lifted his eyes from his papers and offered a slight nod, his face maintaining its usual impassive expression.

"Thank you for looking after her, Alfred." His voice was calm but carried a tone of genuine satisfaction. "I've been far too busy lately and already missed two tea parties last week. It's unacceptable for me to leave Lady Eri without my company."

The butler smiled faintly, understanding the importance of the child to Lucifer. To others, the man might seem cold and calculating, but when it came to Eri, there was a softer side hidden beneath his dense armor of pride.

Lucifer let out a quiet sigh, twirling a silver pen between his fingers before setting his sharp gaze on a cargo shipment document. There was a detail that bothered him, and his meticulous mind couldn't ignore it.

"Changing the subject, Alfred..." He raised an eyebrow. "Have you noticed any unusual activity? Foreigners arriving without explanation? Suspicious shipments?"

The butler maintained his impeccable posture as he responded.

"Nothing out of the ordinary, Sir. Our scouts have not identified any significant activity. It's been three months since we last encountered any new reincarnates."

Lucifer drummed his fingers on the desk, his expression subtly furrowed in contemplation.

"Strange..." he murmured. "While it's a relief, it's also concerning."

If the flow of reincarnates into Japan had truly ceased, there were two possibilities: either new ones weren't coming, or they were being diverted elsewhere.

"Could they be going to the United States?" Lucifer pondered aloud. "Even if they are, the number one hero there should be able to handle most of them... Unless there's an exceptionally powerful reincarnate among them."

Alfred, ever attentive, inclined his head slightly.

"Shall we intensify our monitoring, Sir?"

Lucifer twirled the pen once more before setting it down on the desk.

"Yes. I want a comprehensive report on any unusual patterns. No anomaly should go unnoticed."

The butler gave a slight bow before taking his leave, leaving Lucifer immersed in his thoughts.

_____[POV: Ryuji]_____

Third day at U.A., and as expected, a swarm of reporters was crowded at the school's entrance. It was as if the front gate had turned into a zoo, with microphones in place of cages and cameras instead of curious eyes. They were thirsty for any information about the Symbol of Peace, as if they expected some student to drop a bombshell secret like, "Actually, he's an alien and feeds on crushed dreams."

An excited reporter nearly shoved her microphone down Uraraka's throat.

"What's it like having the Symbol of Peace as a teacher?"

Uraraka blinked a few times, like a deer caught in headlights.

"Ah! Um… well… it's like… wow, you know? All Might! He's really tall! And muscular! And… and he teaches really well!" She laughed nervously.

The journalist must have realized she wasn't going to get anything useful from her, because she quickly turned to Iida.

"Young man, could you share your thoughts on All Might as a teacher?"

Fatal mistake.

"Of course!" Iida adjusted his glasses as if he were about to recite the Constitution of Justice. "All Might is not just a hero, but a symbol! His presence at U.A. inspires the next generation of Pro-Heroes to reach the pinnacle of justice! His methodology reflects the importance of discipline and perseverance—"

The camera shook as the cameraman tried to keep up with his frantic gestures, which made it seem like he was about to deliver a TED Talk on the concept of heroism.

Meanwhile, Izuku made the smartest move: he walked right past them.

"Hey, you! Do you have anything to say about studying with All Might?"

Izuku stopped, turned his head slightly, and replied dryly, "No comment."

That's my boy.

Poetic. Elegant. Simple.

That's when they noticed me.

Microphones in my face, cameras flashing as if I were a celebrity. Everyone waiting for an elaborate response, maybe an inspiring quote, a motivational speech, or a bombshell revelation.

I stared at the camera for a few seconds, building suspense.

Then I gave a thumbs-up.

"He's good."

Silence.

The reporters blinked, as if they had frozen. I could almost hear the gears in their heads grinding, trying to turn that generic statement into a sensational headline.

I took advantage of the moment and simply walked on, passing through the gate without looking back.

Maybe I should start charging for these iconic moments. After all, it's not every day you get to destroy an entire group of journalists with two words and a thumbs-up.

_____[POV: Third Person]_____

In classroom 1-A, Aizawa dumped the notes and evaluations from the previous day's battle test onto the table, his tired eyes scanning each student.

"I hope everyone has recovered from yesterday's incident," he said, his monotone voice filling the room. "Bakugou paid dearly for his mistake and has been expelled. With that, we have one less person in the class."

The atmosphere grew tense for a moment, but Aizawa didn't allow time for mourning, quickly changing the subject.

"I took the opportunity to review each of your grades and evaluations."

He looked directly at Izuku. "Midoriya, be more careful with surprise attacks. Yesterday's incident may have happened during a class, but real villains could act the same way."

Izuku nodded, understanding Aizawa's point.

"Even with that unforeseen event, you did a good job. Your team managed to defeat the villain team."

Izuku blinked, confused. "But I... lost consciousness after the explosion. How—?"

Aizawa raised an eyebrow, equally intrigued. "Uraraka managed to capture Iida using one of the items you provided."

Izuku turned to Uraraka, who smiled and gave him a thumbs-up. He blinked again, remembering the black sphere he had given her.

What happened was that, after the explosion and with no news from Izuku, Uraraka decided to use the strange black sphere he had given her. Using her quirk on it, she launched it toward a distracted Iida. The sphere split into two parts, connected by a rope, and each piece activated a thruster, causing the structure to spin in circles. When Iida noticed and tried to escape, the device followed him, reaching his legs and immobilizing him. With that, Uraraka secured the nuclear artifact and sealed the victory for the hero team.

Turning back to Aizawa, he now directed his gaze to Hagakure.

"Hagakure, make better use of your quirk. You were easily caught because your clothes were visible."

Hagakure opened her mouth, seeming ready to argue, but then she blushed and averted her eyes to Ryuji. Much of the class chuckled softly, knowing the reason.

Aizawa frowned, confused, before deciding to ignore it and move on.

"Now let's move on to the classroom announcements." Aizawa sighed heavily, pausing for dramatic effect. "We need to choose a class president."

The class fell silent for a few seconds before erupting in celebration. Each student presented their proposals in case they were elected:

"I promise to make breaks longer!" Kaminari declared.

"I promise to implement a more intense training system to maximize our performance!" Kirishima suggested.

"How about weekly parties, huh?!" Mina raised her arms excitedly.

Meanwhile, Izuku and Ryuji remained silent.

Izuku turned around from his desk. "Do you want to be class president?"

Ryuji snorted. "Not even if a million suns exploded."

"Same. I already have too much to deal with."

After some more debate, the class decided on the class president by vote. In the end, the result was... Ryuji as president and Izuku as vice.

The two stood at the front of the class, exchanging confused looks.

"What the hell just happened?" Ryuji asked.

"I was wondering the same thing," Izuku replied, furrowing his brow.

The class began to share their opinions:

"I think it makes sense. Ryuji is the strongest guy in the class, so it's natural for him to lead!" Kirishima said with a smile.

"He seems mature enough for the role... even if he's a bit sarcastic," Momo commented thoughtfully.

"Honestly, I just voted for him because I didn't want someone too strict bossing us around," Kaminari shrugged.

"I disagree with this decision," Todoroki said simply.

"Noted and ignored," Ryuji shot back.

Meanwhile, Izuku turned to Aizawa, who was tucked inside his sleeping bag.

"Aizawa-sensei, can I switch roles with Yaoyorozu?" he asked politely. "I have a lot to manage with my current schedule, and I think she would be a better fit."

Aizawa looked at him, blinked once, and then shrugged.

"Fine," Aizawa said before retreating back into his sleeping bag.

Ryuji also opened his mouth to request a switch, but Izuku held his shoulder.

"Now it's your turn to have some responsibility," Izuku said with a small smile before returning to his seat.

Ryuji stood there, processing the low blow he had just received.

"Traitor."

_____[POV: Ryuji]_____

Interval. The only time of day when I can pretend I wasn't forced to be Class President and just eat in peace.

The cafeteria line was as long as ever, but nothing out of the ordinary. Students grabbing their lunches, chatting, laughing. A typical scene in any school. But the real horror was there, hidden among the food options: Lunch Rush's Coffee Jelly.*

I tried it on the first day. It was a mistake. A mistake that almost made me question my immortality. I don't know where they got the idea that Lunch Rush is a culinary genius, because that thing tasted like the result of a failed experiment between chemistry and psychological torture.

I had to hold myself back from channeling Gordon Ramsay and giving Lunch Rush a lecture.

Fortunately, I learned from my mistake. Now, I always bring my own coffee jelly. Made with care, the right way. The plan was simple: finish my lunch and savor the jelly without interruptions.

"Ryuji, that's not healthy," Momo said beside me, looking at me as if I were about to commit a food crime.

"So what? I'm not healthy anyway."

"I'm serious. You should eat something more nutritious after lunch," Momo insisted, still concerned.

I stare at my jelly. Then I stare at Momo. Then I stare at my jelly again.

"Coffee jelly is nutritious. It nourishes my soul."

"It nourishes your caffeine addiction," Izuku comments, not even needing to look at me.

"That too."

Before I could finally open my jelly, Uraraka approaches with curiosity.

"Did you bring that from home?"

"Yes."

"But why?"

"Because Lunch Rush's version tastes like despair."

Uraraka blinks a few times, as if unsure whether I was joking or being serious. I was being serious.

Meanwhile, Iida continues a monologue about his family to Izuku, who listens patiently while eating. As for me, I just wanted to eat my jelly.

If there's a moment I can call peace, it's the exact instant before I put my long-awaited Coffee Jelly into my mouth.

"Security Level 3 breached. All students must evacuate immediately."

Uhm...

"Is this an attack?"

The scent of caffeine...

"Doubt it."

Jiggling happily on the spoon as always...

"What could have happened to trigger Security Level 3?" Momo pondered. Why am I even paying attention to them?!

It's just me and my precious Coffee Jelly.

And then, someone bumped into me from behind.

The spoon slipped from my hand. My body lurched forward. My chest hit the table, and then, I felt it.

The worst possible feeling.

My jacket. Wet. Sticky. Cold.

My brain took a few seconds to process the crime scene.

There it was. The victim. My beloved Coffee Jelly. Spread in a tragic stain across my jacket and the table.

Veins popped on my forehead. Who the hell...

"S-sorry, dude!" came a voice from behind me.

I turned my head slowly.

Neito Monoma.

Izuku, who knows me all too well, immediately went into panic mode.

"Oh no..."

I stood up. The entire cafeteria fell silent. A golden aura exploded around me.

Everyone stopped. Literally.

All the students in the cafeteria froze in place, immobilized by my energy. Only Izuku, Uraraka, Iida, and Momo were left, staring at me as if I were about to commit a war crime.

Monoma blinked a few times, confused. He tried to move, but his body wouldn't obey. Then, he looked at me and saw my face.

"H-hey, man... it was an accident, I swear!"

"..."

"It was a mistake! I didn't mean to—"

"SHUT UP, YOU JELLY MURDERER!"

Izuku grabbed my shoulder. Or rather, tried to grab it. He practically hung onto me as I marched toward the bastard.

"Ryuji! Ryuji, calm down! It's just jelly!"

"IT'S NOT JUST JELLY, IZUKU."

"I'll buy you another one!"

"IT'S NOT THE SAME!"

I kept advancing.

Monoma gulped, sweating bullets. "I-I swear, I didn't even see you there! It was the panic from the alarm!"

"Panic from the alarm?" I stopped, narrowing my eyes.

That's when Iida cut in, raising his hand as if he were about to lead a revolution. "Everyone, calm down! The alarm doesn't indicate real danger! The breach is just a group of reporters who managed to get onto campus!"

...

Oh.

I dispelled the golden aura around them. The cafeteria students started moving again, exchanging confused and relieved glances. Guess I owe Nezu an explanation later...

I looked at my jacket. Still dirty.

I looked at Monoma. Still alive, for now...

I looked at my table. The jelly smeared across the surface.

I sighed deeply. "...I hate this place."

Izuku relaxed, letting go of my shoulder. "It's okay now?"

"No. I lost my jelly."

"I'll buy you another one."

"...Fine."

I sat back down, crossing my arms. Everyone started returning to normal, but inside, I was still in mourning.

I never have peace.

The only peace I have is at home with my mom.

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(A/N: Phew, I managed to update today after all. You have no idea how much I'm spoiling you with daily updates—I literally suffer while writing these chapters. Anyway, changing the subject. Class 1-A is down one student, and the most obvious choice to fill the spot would be Hitoshi Shinso. But as you know me, I always want to bring something new. That's when the idea of a new character came to me—not a reincarnated one, just a different variable. I thought of a girl with a quirk that gives her the appearance of a lamia, mainly because I wanted to add another mutant to the class besides Mina and Tsuyu. It's a good idea since I plan to explore the theme of mutants in the future. Anyway, I'll stop here for now. Until the next update.)