Villain Side – League of Villains Hideout
Meanwhile, in a dark warehouse, Shigaraki's voice echoed through the chaos.
> "Heroes are panicking. The media's confused. And yet — no sign of him."
Dabi leaned on a wall, lighting another cigarette.
> "So what now? We chase a hacker while the world burns?"
Shigaraki grinned.
> "Not a hacker. A strategist. Someone who wants to rewrite the board."
Toga swung her knife lazily. "Oooh~ sounds fun! Can I go find him?"
> "Go," Shigaraki said simply. "Find him. But don't kill him yet. I want to meet this mind."
---
Meanwhile…
On the opposite side of the city, Ren stood on a rooftop, overlooking the neon streets below.
He had one hand on his earpiece, listening to the chaos his illusion had caused.
> "Heroes, villains… all moving exactly as predicted," he murmured, smirking.
"Perfect."
He looked at the city — now a chessboard in motion.
> "Let's see how long you take to find me."
Lightning flashed again — illuminating his eyes, sharp and calculating.
The Mastermind was already three moves ahead.
Rain poured over Hosu's ruined district, painting the streets in silver reflections.
Half the city was asleep; the other half watched the sky, waiting for a ghost that didn't exist.
Ren stood on a rooftop, his hood drawn low, eyes glowing faintly from the quirk's neural strain.
He wasn't hiding — he was listening.
Every radio frequency. Every hero transmission. Every League whisper on the black web.
All of it fed directly into his brain, stitched together by his quirk — Mastermind.
---
Villain Side – Toga & Dabi
Toga crouched on a lamppost, her blade spinning between her fingers.
> "Rain, night, and blood — I love this vibe."
Below, Dabi's flames hissed against the rain. His coat fluttered in the steam.
> "Focus, psycho. We're here to find someone who tricked Shigaraki, not to play dress-up."
Toga pouted. "You think I can't find him? Someone that clever must be fun!"
Dabi rolled his eyes. "Shigaraki said he's not just clever — he made Tartarus believe All For One escaped. If that's true…"
He smirked. "…then maybe he's the only villain who deserves my respect."
They walked deeper into the alley — unaware they were being watched from above.
---
Hero Side – Lemillion, Hawks, and Edgeshot
A flash of wings cut through the storm.
Hawks hovered high, his earpiece crackling.
> "Satellite confirms multiple heat signatures near the Hosu east district. Looks like our phantom friend might be in the neighborhood."
Edgeshot's voice came through, calm and sharp.
> "Then we strike fast. Whoever created that illusion could destabilize the entire hero network. Lemillion, be ready."
Mirio smiled, raindrops running down his blond hair.
> "If someone's trying to confuse people, I'll just punch the truth out of him!"
Hawks sighed. "You're too pure for espionage, man."
The three heroes moved like silent lightning through the city — one in the air, one through shadows, one through walls.
---
Above Them All – Ren
Ren's expression didn't change as he watched both groups converge on the same street.
> "Perfect," he murmured. "Let's test their instincts."
He pressed his palm against a nearby panel — small drones detached from the rooftop, invisible in the rain.
Each carried a holographic decoy — his silhouette, his voice, his energy signature.
Within seconds, the city filled with ten versions of him.
Heroes and villains both would see him, chase him, and fight each other.
Ren watched from a distance, recording every reaction.
> "Heroes rely on trust. Villains rely on fear."
"Let's see which breaks first."
---
The first explosion echoed — Dabi's flames meeting Lemillion's punch midair.
Hawks' feathers shot through the smoke.
Edgeshot's shadow blurred between them.
Toga laughed as chaos erupted
.
And Ren simply smiled, whispering into the storm:
> "Welcome to my experiment."
---
Rain slammed against the shattered street.
Blue flames, red feathers, and streaks of light blurred together — heroes and villains colliding in the dark.
Ren watched from a crumbling tower above, the entire battle reflected in his glasslike eyes.
Ten holographic doubles of himself ran through the chaos below, each moving, speaking, even bleeding exactly like the real one.
> "Ten simulations active," his voice murmured through his earpiece.
"Let's measure response time… and emotion thresholds."
---
Below – The Clash
Dabi's blue fire roared through the storm, engulfing a decoy.
The clone's scream was perfect — human, terrified.
It burned, melted, and dissolved into light.
Dabi's grin vanished. "What the hell—?"
Lemillion burst from the ground, landing a clean punch to Dabi's jaw before phasing away again.
> "Got you! …Wait—where's the body?"
Toga giggled from the shadows, eyes wide. "He's everywhere~! Isn't this fun?"
Feathers slashed through the air — Hawks moving too fast to see, trying to track each clone's position.
> "This isn't human. We've got digital interference — multiple heat signals but no biological match!"
Edgeshot reformed beside him, voice tight.
> "Then he's watching us. Somewhere nearby."
Dabi clenched his fist, anger boiling. "Show yourself, coward!"
As if in answer, a nearby decoy turned toward them — same black coat, same calm eyes.
> "You all fight for illusions," it said quietly.
"Tell me — when the truth finally breaks, what's left of you?"
Then it exploded — harmless light and smoke, but the shockwave threw everyone back.
---
Above – Ren's Observation
Ren's fingers danced across his wrist console, monitoring the chaos.
Heart rates, movements, voice stress patterns — he was analyzing every heartbeat.
> "Hawks reacts fastest to fear. Edgeshot prioritizes analysis. Lemillion… emotional attachment before logic. Dabi, aggression. Toga… curiosity."
He smiled faintly, almost proud.
> "Such predictable variables. Yet…"
His eyes narrowed — one of the drones blinked out. Destroyed.
Another vanished. Then another.
> "So. They're adapting."
He switched tactics — activating Phase 2.
The decoys projected distorted whispers directly into their comms and minds:
voices of people they trusted.
For Hawks — it was Endeavor's command.
For Lemillion — Mirio heard Amajiki's voice.
For Dabi — he heard Touya Todoroki, the name he'd buried.
They all hesitated — just for a second.
Ren's smirk widened.
> "Emotion is the ultimate weapon."
---
In the Chaos
Toga was the first to move again, spinning through the smoke.
Her eyes darted toward the rooftops — she didn't know why, but she felt something.
A pulse. A presence. Watching.
> "You're not down here, are you?" she whispered.
"You're up there… watching us like dolls."
Her knife glinted as she licked her lips.
> "I'll find you, mister brainy villain~."
Ren froze for half a breath, surprised.
> "Interesting… she felt the observation."
He turned away, shutting down the field.
> "Enough data for now."
The city went dark — illusions gone, drones melting into static.
Heroes regrouped. Villains retreated.
No trace of the mastermind remained.
But the whispers he left behind — they lingered.
---
Hawks hovered over the wreckage, feathers trembling.
> "Who the hell was that?"
Edgeshot's voice was low.
> "Someone who doesn't want to win by fighting… but by understanding."
---
Ren walked into the night, raindrops sliding off his hood.
> "Phase One complete," he muttered.
"Now let's see who learns faster — them or me."
The morning after the Hosu incident, Japan awoke to a new name.
"Unknown Villain Outsmarts Heroes and League Alike."
"Digital Ghost Causes Panic in Pro Circles."
"The Mastermind."
---
Hero Public Safety Commission – Tokyo HQ
A massive screen glowed in the center of a dark conference room.
The footage replayed over and over — holographic doubles, manipulated comms, false signals.
Lady Nagant stood beside a row of senior officers, arms crossed.
> "We're not dealing with a hacker. Whoever did this predicted every move we'd make — psychological, tactical, even emotional."
Across from her, Hawks looked uncharacteristically grim.
> "He didn't just beat us. He studied us. That's… creepy."
The Chairwoman's voice cut through the tension.
> "We've reviewed all footage. The entity responsible will be designated as S-Class Threat #017 – Mastermind."
A sharp click echoed as the hologram displayed Ren's silhouette — hooded, faceless.
> "Priority: locate, analyze, neutralize. And if possible… recruit."
Hawks frowned. "Recruit? You're joking."
The Chairwoman's smile didn't reach her eyes.
> "Genius has no alignment, Hawks. It's simply waiting to be directed."
---
League of Villains – Hidden Base
Meanwhile, far underground, Shigaraki's laughter echoed off the walls.
> "Mastermind… that's what they're calling him?"
He leaned forward, grin widening. "A fitting name for someone who made the world dance."
Dabi smirked from the corner.
> "You sure he's not just another wannabe? We still don't even know his face."
Toga twirled her knife, remembering the rooftop.
> "No, he's real. I felt him watching. Cold. Smart. Not like anyone else."
Shigaraki's red eyes gleamed in the darkness.
> "Then find him. If he can make the heroes crumble with their own fear — I want him."
---
Elsewhere – Ren's Hideout
A single candle flickered in front of a digital board filled with hero profiles.
Ren leaned over the holographic map of U.A., his expression calm and calculating.
> "They've named me. That's step one."
His fingers moved, highlighting entry points, faculty schedules, and student files.
He had memorized everything — even the underground tunnels U.A. used for evacuation drills.
> "If I'm going to understand their core… I have to see it from inside."
He tapped the name U.A. High School on the screen.
A digital ID appeared — a freshly constructed fake student record:
"Ren Saito – Transfer Student, General Studies."
A faint smirk crossed his lips.
> "Let's meet the future of hero society."
As he shut down the lights, the candle's flame flickered — the only light in the room —
before he whispered to himself,
> "Phase Two: Infiltration."
---