"Mimesis."
No dramatic chant—just a soft activation.
The others blinked in confusion. Lock knew they needed to see it to understand, so he stepped into the wooden-walled safehouse and let his magic spread across his skin.
The brown tones of the room dissolved into him.
His outline blurred.
Then—he vanished.
"What the—?" Sirius swung a hand through space. Lock had already slipped behind Pixie-Bob, where her golden ponytail hung like a loose sunbeam.
He gave the elastic band a gentle tug.
"Eh!?"
Pixie-Bob whirled around, blonde hair cascading around her—
And Lock reappeared, Mimesis dropped.
"You—you—you—!"
Her face reddened, fangs bared in flustered outrage.
Lock placed the rubber band in her palm before she exploded.
"This is one application of my Quirk—blending into the environment. Perfect for infiltration."
Kōgūyami nodded. "Good. Then you're our scout."
Lock didn't waste time.
"Let's move."
…
They crossed into the suburbs and reached a pre-established observation point overlooking the abandoned Kawasaki Electric factory. Support could arrive the instant something went wrong.
"Mimesis."
Lock slipped away from the group like a dissolving shadow.
The factory ahead was swallowed in weeds and darkness. Winter evenings were fast; the sky bled into night, and the thin moonlight made the derelict building loom like some beast baring rusted fangs.
A perfect villain hideout.
But Lock's draconic senses cut through the shadows. His night vision painted the world in faint clarity.
Inside the factory, the assembly floor looked ordinary at first—dusty conveyor lines, outdated machinery, silent belts.
Until—
"Footprints?"
He checked for cameras—none. Lock knelt by a dark red door. Boots had stamped fresh tracks in the dust.
He didn't touch the handle.
The door burst open on its own.
Lock froze against the wall, breath shallow.
A man with an orangutan-like head emerged, followed by a wiry man whose arms were feathered wings.
"What a mess!" the orangutan-headed man snarled. "That damn Size-M raincoat Nomu swallowed everything! Even the enhancement drug we threw outside!"
"Master Yamamoto, please calm down," the winged man urged. "We've been exposed. Even with those thugs stalling for us, the police will find this place soon."
Yamamoto growled. "Relax. I ordered all researchers to pack the data and the Quirk-Enhancement Drugs. When Kurogiri arrives, we evacuate. Leave this empty shell for the police!"
Kurogiri.
Nomu.
Lock's heartbeat stuttered.
He ducked past the two villains while Yamamoto raised a comms device to his ear. A faint breeze brushed the villain's neck—he turned slightly, suspicious…
…but the call connected, and Yamamoto dismissed the sensation.
Inside, Lock's shock deepened.
Rows of scientists in white coats moved frantically between tanks filled with warped humanoid figures—brain-exposed monsters, barely squirming.
Nomu.
Confirmed.
Size-M raincoat Nomu.
Kurogiri.
League of Villains.
The Evolutionary group…
and the League of Villains…
They were cooperating.
Or worse—connected at the roots.
The timeline of this world…
had already diverged far from the My Hero Academia he knew before reincarnation.
If he had followed the original story, he might not have even known how he died.
Lock steadied his breathing.
"I've infiltrated the interior. This factory is definitely Evolutionary's base."
He transmitted his thoughts through telepathy.
This plan was only possible thanks to Mandalay. Her Quirk—Telepath—allowed long-range mental communication, even through factory walls.
Lock relayed everything: the layout, the villains present, and Yamamoto's evacuation plan.
Outside, Kōgūyami immediately alerted the police for reinforcements.
Then came the order:
Attack before the villains escaped.
Lock remained hidden inside.
Waiting for the perfect moment—
—to launch a surprise attack.
---
A/N: Advanced Chapters Have Been Uploaded On My Patreon
Support: patreon.com/Narrator_San