Author's Notes: Chapter edited and corrected by Vongrak.
Izumi POV - October 15, 2xxx
"What do you think Nezu wants to talk about?" Taylor asked cautiously beside me, I just snorted.
"There aren't many options, honey, the call was too precise to be a coincidence." I said with a grimace. Taylor shuddered slightly.
"Even so, it can be about anything!" Taylor practically begged as she looked at me, I just looked at her wearily before massaging my temple.
"Unfortunately, I doubt it is. Whatever it is, we'll find out right away." I said easily before knocking on the principal's office door in front of me. The door opened immediately, revealing Aizawa.
"Alright, they're here, come in." Aizawa growled quickly. Once we entered, I raised an eyebrow, but Taylor and I went in anyway. I paused slightly when I saw not only Nezu, but also All Might and Grandpa there. Nezu was sitting in his chair, while All Might was standing at the side of the desk and Grandpa was leaning against one of the walls, but both of them had furious expressions on their faces.
"Ryuma?! All Might?!" Taylor said in surprise as she stopped, I sighed.
"So it really is that bad, huh?" I grumbled in annoyance as I dragged Taylor along to get her moving.
"Please sit down," Nezu said wearily, gesturing to the seats in front of the desk. Aizawa walked behind Nezu, and now that I noticed, he too had a furious expression on his face—in fact, Nezu did too, but he was much better at containing it than the other three.
"So, Jeju." I said simply as I sat down.
"Jeju." Nezu confirmed, though he spat the word out almost contemptuously. "As you may have heard on the live news broadcast, the fourth incursion into Jeju Island in Korea has just been announced."
"The raid will be a joint effort between the Korean and Japanese hunting associations, and will take place on November 19th," Nezu summarized with a grimace, tapping his small finger against his desk. And just as he had mentioned.
We were in our dorm room, relaxing, watching the news. It had been announced yesterday that the Japanese Hunters Association would be holding a press conference, and we'd all decided to watch it just to see what it was about.
And just as Nezu had said, the Association had announced the fourth incursion to Jeju. But that, that hadn't really been the problem.
"One week after our festival and one week before the Hero Billboard Chart." I noted with ease. Nezu nodded solemnly.
"Yes, that wouldn't have been a problem at all, if it had simply been an announcement from the Hunter Association." Nezu growled furiously before calming down. "As you know, after the announcement from the Association's president, Matsumoto Shizue, the president of the HPSC, Madam President, came out with her announcement."
"They will send a hero to help with the effort to reconquer Jeju Island," Nezu said contemptuously.
"A political maneuver," All Might said, frowning. "It's a PR stunt. With the Hero Billboard just a week after Jeju, they're planning to grab as much attention as they can."
"After my retirement, and with the rise of villains across Japan, the presence of heroes is needed more than ever. It would make sense; it would be a good way to draw attention, and it would really be effective as public relations."
"But the problem is, it's Jeju." All Might hissed, arms crossed. "An S-Rank gate is broken, and they want to send a hero, and not just any hero, they—" All Might stopped, but his glance at Taylor spoke volumes.
"They want to send you there, girl," said the grandfather bluntly. Taylor shuddered and almost seemed to wither away.
"So, can they force me to go to Jeju?" Taylor asked slowly. Everyone shook their heads.
"No," Nezu said firmly. "You're still a hero in training, a student, and even with your temporary license, you're still a civilian. That means you're not obligated to follow HPSC's orders to a certain extent, and this would be a really hard line." Nezu assured her, and Taylor seemed to sigh with relief. "The problem is, if you refuse, it will affect your popularity and your reputation."
"I must admit, Madam President was spectacular in using others to steer the situation where she wanted without being incriminated or accused of anything. You'll notice that she only mentioned the idea of sending a heroine to help in the raid."
"But she said, and I quote, 'We have the ideal heroine for this job, incredibly strong with a quirk suited to stop these insects that inhabit Jeju.' she didn't use the word monsters, she didn't use ants, the term she used was, 'insects.' She wanted to create a parallel, but in such a subtle way that she couldn't be accused of anything; after all, she's just the president of the HPSC, not a hunter expected to know the difference."
"And if that wasn't enough, as soon as I finished speaking, your name, 'Taylor Hebert', 'Taylor Miyamura', and 'Skitter', had already been mentioned thousands of times. Even reporters and presenters mentioned your name more than once."
"Unfortunately, you're one of the few heroines with an insect-themed quirk, and even more so, one whose quirk is capable of controlling insect-like monsters, and all that information is public. That alone was enough for the public to connect the dots and for the situation to escalate as it did."
"No, she can't force you to do anything. She knows she can't give you an unreasonable order, but they can use public pressure to force you to do it. You're at the height of your fame, with everything that's happened around you, and the public really expects a lot from you."
"S-rank, UA student, class representative, second place in the sports festival, wielder of the black sword Shusui, Ryuma's heir, wife of Ryuma's grandson, and finally your performance as a hero in Brockton Bay, with your solo victory over Lung and the other gangs in the city, and even against the League of Villains."
"As I said, you're at the height of your fame, and the public expects a lot from you. Refusing means you could lose a great deal of public support," Nezu said solemnly. Taylor's expression darkened.
"Especially since you're a foreigner," Ryuma said mockingly. "Yes, you're married to my grandson, and you have Japanese citizenship, but in the public eye, you're still considered a 'foreigner,' especially since you fought villains like Lung and Sophia Hess with Moord Nag—both villains who could potentially reach S-Rank given enough time."
"If you were to refuse, public opinion might turn against you. They'd simply say you're willing to risk your life for the United States, but not for Japan," Ryuma scoffed. "Idiots."
"So... I have to go to Jeju?" Taylor asked through gritted teeth.
"No," Nezu said softly, but firmly. "We're weighing the pros and cons," he said with a sigh. "The truth is, yes, this will severely damage your reputation. After all, popularity and public approval are like a house of cards; they're built slowly, but with one wrong move, they'll collapse completely."
"But that doesn't mean you can't rebuild it. You'll have mistrust, you'll have people who don't like you, and they'll make their opinions known on social media—those people are always the loudest, unfortunately. But that doesn't mean you can't rebuild everything over time."
"So no, if you don't want to go to Jeju, we'll support you, we'll make a plan, and we'll make sure everything is resolved as smoothly and efficiently as possible," Nezu said firmly. Taylor breathed shakily and nodded.
"Thank you," Taylor said gently. Nezu shook his head.
"It's the least I can do, especially since it's the only thing I can do," Nezu said in frustration.
"It's best if you don't go, girl," Grandpa said with a sigh. "Sending you to Jeju, a broken S-rank dungeon with a death toll of S-rank hunters, especially under Goto's command? They practically want you dead." Grandpa sneered.
"It's very likely, yes," Nezu said with a sigh. "I can understand that Matsumoto, as head of the Hunter Association, is working with Goto on this whole scheme, but I didn't think Matsumoto would be working with Madam President, or that she would have anything against her to force her to act this way."
"But the signs are there, so yes, I agree with Ryuma that you shouldn't go to Jeju," Nezu said solemnly.
"If Taylor doesn't go, will they send another heroine to Jeju? The HPSC didn't mention Taylor's name, so if she stays silent and doesn't go to Jeju, the HPSC will be forced to send someone else; they can't back out." I said disdainfully. Nezu nodded.
"They will. Who will they send? I haven't the slightest idea," Nezu said, shaking his head. "I don't want to think about the worst-case scenario, I really don't. But if Madam President is indeed conspiring with Matsumoto, and they're really pushing for young Taylor to go, then we have no choice but to seriously consider the worst-case scenario."
"And that's it, if they want to push young Taylor to Jeju, they'll choose someone important to her. You didn't have any training in Japan, and the week-long internship you did was with Ryuma, so luckily you didn't get mixed up with any heroes in Japan."
"But they could frame anyone to make you feel guilty," Nezu said, almost contemptuously. Taylor gritted her teeth.
I was about to speak when my scroll wheel clicked loudly. I blinked before taking it out of my pocket, quickly reading the message. I blinked a few more times and reread it once more, and finally my gaze hardened.
"It's the Hunter Association." I spat mockingly before handing the scroll to Nezu. He quickly read it before passing it on to the others. Everyone's expressions darkened as they read the message, including Taylor, who was the last to read it.
"Are they... inviting you to Jeju? Like a genuine offer?" Taylor asked, frowning. I snorted and shook my head.
"Genuine? Of course not," the grandfather scoffed dryly.
"For some reason, they want me in Jeju too," I said mockingly. "This message is nothing more than a simple provocation. They're hoping I'll accept."
"Dear Mr. Izumi Miyamura: Due to your recent achievements and after much consideration, the Japan Hunting Association is pleased to extend an invitation to you to attend and, if you deem it appropriate, participate in the upcoming operation to retake Jeju Island. Given the current circumstances, we believe your presence would be received with great enthusiasm by ALL participants."
"Oh, they're covering their asses by not mentioning anything at all, but they're hardly subtle. They're hoping that when you're forced to go to Jeju, I'll go with you." I sneered. Taylor's eyes widened slightly in shock.
"Young Izumi is right." Nezu said solemnly, confirming my words. The grandfather laughed mockingly.
"And that's revealing, isn't it?" scoffed the grandfather. "Matsumoto and Goto have nothing against you, or at least they didn't. Now it seems they simply want to get rid of you along with Taylor, especially if they consider you dangerous to them for some reason, perhaps as my grandson, but I doubt it."
"For some reason, I have a feeling there's something more at stake that we're not seeing." Ryuma said, shaking his head.
"Anything else?" All Might asked seriously, Ryuma just shrugged.
"The smell." He said it simply, as if that explained everything, even though it only made sense to him, and then he fell silent. I rolled my eyes.
"So, they want Izumi and me in Jeju. Possibly to kill us both. Or at least, kill me. Great." Taylor said, massaging her temple. "I thought I was done with malicious, petty governments or groups after leaving the PRT and the US hunters." She said wearily.
"Welcome to the problems of the powerful. It's all politics and backstabbing." Grandfather snorted mockingly.
"Did you see any of this?" Aizawa asked, staring intently. "Did you see anything about what they're planning? Anything that could help us?" Aizawa asked, almost insistently.
"Can you tell us something?" Nezu asked calmly. I sighed.
"Oh, I saw a lot, I was at Draw Sword, so yes, I saw everything about Jeju, although I didn't see Taylor or me there, so I really have no idea what they're planning for us."
"Even so, I'll tell you what I saw about Jeju, without hiding anything. At this point, there's practically nothing left to hide." I said with a grimace. "So, let's start with Goto's reasons for going to Jeju." I sneered.
"Reasons? Doesn't she want to be a National Rank?" the grandfather mocked, I nodded.
"Is one of them, yes," I said easily. "But she also wants to weaken the Koreans," I said seriously.
"Weaken, like—" All Might stammered, confused, before stopping, his gaze hardening along with everyone else's. "Planning to assassinate the Korean hunters?" All Might demanded sharply. Taylor's eyes widened in surprise. I simply nodded.
"Yes, she plans to do it, really… I don't know how she'd manage it." I said, confused, before stopping to think about it. I remembered the Jeju raid I knew about. Even without the Ant King appearing, how was Goto supposed to kill the Koreans?
I mean, the Korean group was able to kill the queen ant and her guards, and there was a camera broadcasting everything. When were they supposed to, or how were they supposed to, fake the Koreans' deaths?
"Don't you know? Didn't you see it?" Nezu asked seriously.
"I didn't see it, because Goto failed to do so," I said honestly. That seemed to surprise everyone.
"Failure? Did they arrest Goto?" All Might asked hesitantly, I shook my head.
"Not the Koreans, it was... something else." I said with a grimace. "We'd better start from the beginning." I said with a sigh. "First, the plan for the raid was quite simple. Draw Sword would spread out across Jeju, near the edges, and release their aura to attract the attention of all the ants."
"With the path clear, the Koreans, the main group, would go straight for the queen. Simple enough, and effective. The Koreans manage to kill the queen, and that's when everything goes to hell." I said with a sigh, noticing everyone listening intently. "I assume you're aware that monsters are capable of... coming back stronger? Smarter, right?" I asked. Everyone nodded except Taylor.
"Do they get stronger?" Taylor asked, confused.
"Yes. They are capable of growing, of learning, of adapting. An old monster is a dangerous monster. That's why broken doors must be closed immediately. There are countless examples just with the Grimms and Orario."
"The old Grimms are the most dangerous, strongest, and smartest. The longer they roam the earth, the more dangerous they become to face, to the point that some of them, who are decades old, can face off against S-rank hunters."
"And the same is true in Orario. Monsters, even the weakest ones, if they aren't killed quickly, are capable of learning. They create tactics to kill hunters, they adapt, they are able to learn to use the weapons that dead hunters leave behind; the longer they survive, the stronger and more dangerous those monsters become."
"And it's the same in Aincrad too." I said quickly to Taylor, who looked surprised.
"Oh... I didn't know that." Taylor murmured in surprise.
"Are you saying that the monsters of Jeju have become more intelligent? Stronger? Even if that were true and they were all able to survive, not all of them are capable of 'evolving,' it's very strange. Are you saying that there are monsters of that type on Jeju? Or all of them?" Nezu asked directly. I snorted and shook my head.
"You're right, not everyone has the ability to achieve it, but it's not necessary, not in Jeju. All that matters is that one of those monsters becomes intelligent." I said easily.
"The dungeon boss," Grandpa said easily, and I nodded.
"Exactly." I snapped my fingers in their direction. "And that's even worse, because the dungeon boss is an ant queen, a monster capable of endlessly spawning more monsters, and most importantly, capable of adapting them with each iteration." I said seriously. Everyone's eyes widened slightly.
"The dungeon boss created new monsters, more dangerous monsters. Normal monsters don't need to be smarter when they're stronger," Nezu said solemnly. I nodded.
"Jeju, the main reason they surrendered and left the island in peace, is because it was an island. They're trapped there. The monsters would eventually finish eating everything around them and die; in fact, they're almost certainly cannibalizing each other right now to survive. But the point is, they're trapped. Ants don't swim and they could definitely drown."
"It would have worked, if the dungeon boss hadn't evolved and found a way around it by creating winged ants," I said with a grimace. I could see the alarm on all their faces.
"Wings?! Did it give wings to the ants?!" All Might asked urgently.
"That makes sense," Nezu said with a grimace as he quickly used the tablet in his hands. "Ants have been evolving, going from simple, crawling ants to almost bipedal-looking ones in two years."
"That level of evolution shouldn't normally be possible; we didn't realize it because no one paid enough attention to the ants, only that they were dangerous or simply another type of ant in the dungeon."
"But if evolution is controlled..." Nezu said solemnly. I nodded.
"If I'm not mistaken, they should reach the shores of Japan first and then Korea at some point, just one or two of them, but by the time the incursion begins, it will be swarming with flying ants." I sighed wearily.
"Can't we alert the hunters? To come immediately?" Taylor asked, almost panicking.
"Calm down, girl. Izumi said they killed the queen, and I doubt flying ants would have been a threat to S-ranks. There's something else going on, isn't there?" Grandpa asked, his gaze sharp. I nodded.
"The queen created something monstrous, something capable of killing seven S-rank Draw Sword warriors without them even being able to fight back, including Goto," I said solemnly. Everyone's eyes widened as they stared at me in shock. Yes, that would definitely shock anyone.
Author Notes: And very well, to conclude, as I mentioned a couple of weeks ago, I'll be taking a short break next week. That means there won't be any chapters on August 7th, and regular posts will resume on August 14th. Thanks for understanding!
A/N: If you liked the story, join my patreon, patreon.com/Camellya_Addams, there are up to 10 chapters in advance, thank you. Or you can also visit my Ko-Fi, ko-fi.com/camellya_addams.