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Chapter 160 - Here We Go Again

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Nejire bumped into me lightly, then kept walking ahead like she was making sure I would follow. I did. Not because she told me to, but because that was the path to the meeting and I wasn't about to give Momo a reason to track me down with that damn clipboard.

Half the group was already by the community center. A crooked bell hung over the entrance like it was daring someone to ring it and summon the entire village. Bakugo stood with arms folded, scowling at the island. Or the ocean. Hard to tell. Iida paced in tight squares like someone had installed GPS inside his skull.

Midnight sat on the steps eating dried mangoes. She tossed me a slice. I caught it.

"Where is your little entourage?" she asked.

"Probably looting the beach."

"You left them unsupervised?"

"They are provisional heroes. And Jiro has a whistle."

"That will save lives."

"Depends on the pitch."

The meeting was short. Patrol routes, supply chains, emergency response drills. Mostly fluff. Mostly there so Midnight could say she gave us direction before we inevitably ignored it.

As soon as she dismissed everyone, the opening emptied faster than an open fridge in a dorm.

I hit the beach with others. Mina cartwheeled down the path, Jiro jogged after her yelling something about sunscreen, and Kaminari shouted "Beach gods, accept me!" as he charged toward the water. 

Eri grabbed my hand. "Can we build the castle now?"

"Right after I eat the mango."

She waited exactly three seconds before grabbing my wrist and pulling anyway.

I stuffed the slice in my mouth and followed. Someone had already dragged out buckets and plastic shovels from who-knows-where. Probably Toru. She had beach gear stashed like she was prepping for a survival game that only took place on sand.

Eri claimed a spot by the shallows, pointed like a general, and declared the zone optimal.

I started packing sand. She supervised. Occasionally she yelled at a crab. It worked.

Midnight sat on a folding chair nearby, a drink in hand and sunglasses too big for her face. "Are you going to wear that all day?"

I looked down. Shirt still on, pants rolled to my calves. "It is functional."

"It is boring."

"I am here to build castles, not show skin."

"I am here to supervise. And enjoy the view."

"I will start charging rent."

"Just take your shirt off, Little Bro," Nejire called from the water. "Let the sun love you."

Shrugging, I dropped the shirt. Nejire let out a quiet "whoa" like I had just pulled off a magic trick. A second later, I felt eyes. Full frontal attention from half the damn beach. Some heads tilted. A few pairs of sunglasses slid down to confirm trajectory. Girls pretended they weren't looking. They were.

Damn. I still got it. All-natural charisma. Definitely not stats.

Nejire whistled. "There he is."

"Put it back on," Jiro muttered, half-laughing, "Before turning this into a flex-off."

"I am building a sandcastle, not striking poses," I said, grabbing one of the buckets and setting it near Eri. "Unless any of you ask nicely."

Mina wandered over, dragging a towel behind her. "Alright, what are we building, Team Wildcard?"

"A castle," Eri said.

"No," I corrected, dumping the first pile. "A CASTLE."

Kaminari passed by, already wet from a failed cannonball attempt. "What is the plan, boss?"

"Turrets. Bridges. Reinforced outer wall. If it doesn't survive a high tide, it is a failure."

"I can dig that."

"You are banned from the architecture."

"Fair."

I started carving the base with a plastic shovel that bent on every third scoop. Eri crouched beside me, patting the sand into shape with both hands like she was frosting a cake. Her concentration looked lethal.

Mina dropped down across from us. "You want symmetry or chaos?"

"Let's start with symmetry. Chaos always finds a way."

Momo arrived with a thermos and handed me a drink. "Hydrate. The last time you ignored the sun, you ended up half-passed out on a rooftop."

"That was one time," I said, sipping. "And I was emotionally hydrated."

"You were dehydrated and emotionally constipated."

"See? Balance."

Eri giggled, still patting. "Mine looks like a dragon!"

She held up a lumpy mound that definitely didn't look like a dragon.

"It does," I lied. "A sleeping one."

"It is guarding the castle."

"Perfect. We are now royalty with a pet monster."

"You already are one," Toru chimed, sitting down with a tiny spade. "What is the password to the drawbridge?"

"Do you even see the drawbridge?"

"It is invisible. Like me."

Eri raised a finger at floating bikini. "That is cheating."

"You say that like I don't do it all the time."

The castle grew fast. I dug trenches around the sides, Mina shaped the towers, Momo used two shells and a stick to rig a flag. Eri positioned crab shells as 'defensive eldritch god monsters.' No one questioned it. 

Katsuma and Mahoro lingered a few feet away, watching like we were building a fortress made of pure legend. I waved them over. "You planning to judge or join?"

Katsuma lit up and sprinted. Mahoro followed with less enthusiasm but still sat down. She crossed her legs and grabbed a shell. "This thing is crooked."

"Tell the sand," I said. "I am just the guy stacking it."

"You are stacking it wrong."

"Fix it then."

She did.

"Can I add a trapdoor?"

"Only if it leads to a secret lab that makes Ryuu clones," Katsuma added. "So we always win."

"God help you if there are two of me."

He got to work, digging like he was afraid not to live up my expectations. He probably was. Hatsume yelled something from across the beach about "target locking" and "hydraulics," and then a small puff of smoke shot up from a portable grill someone was definitely not authorized to use. Midnight didn't react. She was too busy sunning herself like a cat on the grass. 

Sero, lounging near a half-buried cooler, raised his head. "You building a castle or a doomsday bunker?"

"Yes."

Uraraka passed by with a beach ball, kicked it, and watched it bounce off one of our towers. Eri gasped.

"Sabotage," I said.

"She is a spy," Mina added.

"No spies allowed," Katsuma said, defensive like we had just assigned him a real mission.

Uraraka raised her hands. "I was testing your defense systems!"

"Result?" I asked.

"Your west tower is a marshmallow."

I threw a wet glob of sand at her ankle. She shrieked and bolted.

The castle kept going. We added a moat, shaped it with plastic cups, then filled it with seawater Katsuma and Eri hauled in tiny buckets. The water stayed for five seconds and drained. Katsuma sighed. "Maybe we need better walls."

"Or clay," Momo said. "I could make some."

"You are banned from playing god," I replied.

She nodded. "Reasonable."

Toru pointed at one half-tilted wall. "Can we make a hidden tunnel?"

"We can try. If it collapses, it collapses on your section."

"Deal."

The sun crept down. Shadows stretched. Our sandcastle looked like a medieval fever dream. Towers. Goblin crab guards. A slightly sunburned defense committee.

"It is not awful," Mahoro said.

"High praise," I nodded.

She tossed a shell onto the top turret. "Now it is done."

"Perfect. Let's go get Eri a smoothie before she names the crabs."

"I already did," Eri said. "This one is Mr. Claws. That is Sheila. And that is Kevin."

"Why Kevin?"

"Looks like a Kevin."

I shrugged. "Fair."

As we cleaned up, Nejire returned from the water, towel around her waist, hair dripping, skin glinting. She flopped next to me, arms stretched.

"You built that without me?"

"You were busy swimming."

"I would've helped with the moat."

"You would've flooded the beach."

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I sat on one of the rooftops, legs hanging, watching Class 1-A and 1-B scatter around the village square like caffeinated ants. Earlier villages all came together to offer us food, so we turned it into a group thing. I assigned roles, and they were already at it. They were cutting, frying, yelling at each other over seasoning. Momo had created way too many chopping boards. Kirishima had two skewers in each hand like he was dual-wielding barbecue. Kaminari was trying to deep-fry squid without turning it into an electrical hazard. Setsuna had started juggling citrus because someone told her it was "good PR." Even Mineta was on dish duty, under strict surveillance.

I was about to climb down from the roof, maybe snatch a veggie skewer and make sure Kaminari didn't deep-fry a battery again, when my phone buzzed in my pocket. 

Blood Bitch: RYUUUUUU 💋💉 Missed you!

I didn't check the message. Just stared at the screen until the preview faded. Not in the mood for her drama. Not while everyone was laughing, eating, trying not to poison each other with undercooked fish. Ugh, fish.

Phone buzzed again.

Blood Bitch: It is serious.

Fuck.

I leaned back, stared at the sky. I scrolled up to the earlier text. All emojis, fake sweetness, same blood-laced love crap she always threw. But the second message... short, no frills. No hearts. That wasn't her usual chaos.

I wrote back.

Me: What happened?

Three seconds.

Blood Bitch: Oh you talk to me now? 😭🩸

I held my thumb in place. Breathed slow to calm myself.

Me: Toga, cut the crap.

Blood Bitch: Fiiineee~ A boogey is on his way to Nabu. 🎭💉🌊

I cursed under my breath. 

Me: After us or coincidence?

Blood Bitch: Mmm... looks like a coincidence 🧐 But he is looking for something squishy. Thought you would want to know 😘

I stared at the screen. No hearts. No bite emojis. No "Ryuuuuu marry me pls 🥺💔"

Below, Katsuma tried to lift a whole bucket of seawater. It tilted. He lost half of it. Mahoro sighed hard enough to stir the sand.

I pressed the speed dial. Calling Nezu.

"I am assuming this is not about sunscreen shortages."

I leaned against the wall. "We might have a situation."

"Define 'we.'"

"Class 1-A. 1-B. Midnight. Me. Sorashima."

The pause was short.

"Who?"

I sighed, pinched the bridge of my nose like that would help. "My informant said it is part of some experiment that got loose. Heading to Nabu with a goal. They do not know much, just that he is strong."

"League of Villains has been agitating mainland routes. Pro heroes are stretched. Most patrol zones already hit capacity. I can request assistance, but do not expect a pro response team before a few days."

"That is too late."

"I am aware. You said he is coming to Nabu. You are not on Nabu."

"It is damn close to go unnoticed."

"Define close."

I glanced down toward the village square. Katsuma and Mahoro had joined the cooking. Someone was feeding Midnight grilled pineapple like she was a Roman emperor. "Sorashima and Nabu are close enough to share tides. People from both islands eat together every few weeks. Markets cross over. Boats, supplies, gossip... all of it floats back and forth."

Nezu hummed. "So if someone is hunting in Nabu, odds are they will sniff this place out too."

"Yeah. They will show up. Sooner than later."

"You think it is Eri?" He asked.

"No. I thought so at first. But the way my informant worded it... it is not her."

"I will monitor League activity. But like I said, I cannot give you backup before it becomes official. And if it does become official..."

"Then it is already too late."

"Correct."

I stared at the ocean. It looked calm. Fake calm. Like a dog wagging its tail before it bit someone. "I will handle it."

"I expect you will." Then he clicked off.

[NEW QUEST: "CELLBREAKER: ISLAND DLC"]

You came for sunshine, but someone else came for cellular gold. There is no plan, no reinforcements, and no time for second chances.

Adapt. Endure. Break the bastard before he breaks your people. 

OBJECTIVE

Take a "relaxing" holiday on Sorashima. 

Keep a kid-sized walking miracle from getting organ-napped. 

Neutralize one quirk-hoarding test dummy plus three mini-bosses. 

Do all of that while wearing beach gear and pretending you are not panicking.

REWARD

+500 XP minimum 

+Stat Points (weighted toward Agility, Awareness, Charisma… depends on style) 

New Skill Unlock: Wave Runner (small speed boost on unstable terrain) 

Reputation Spike among Pro Heroes & Underground Net Dorks 

FAILURE

Kid is taken, organs go squish 

Classmates or civilians wiped out 

Public learns your "vacation" was a war zone → Reputation nosedive 

Possible expulsion / Commission grilling 

System deducts XP and mocks you on the splash screen 

SUB-QUESTS

1. WELCOME TO PARADISE

Scope out the kid, set up a beachhead, do not trigger alarms.

Reward: +50 XP +1 Awareness 

2. TIPPING POINT

Decode Toga's night love-note in time to prep defenses.

Reward: +75 XP +1 Awareness

3. FIRST BLOOD IN THE SHALLOWS

Stop the main boogey's grab attempt on the kid without turning the boardwalk into sushi.

Reward: +100 XP +1 Endurance if you stay conscious 

4. BIG DOG IN A STORM

Face Mini-Boss #1 or Mini-Boss #2 or Mini-Boss #3 one-on-one and win in five minutes.

Reward: +150 XP New Passive: Damage Notes (tiny buff against repeat attacks) 

5. DAWN PATROL

Secure prisoners, patch civilians, and be on the beach for sunrise selfies.

Reward: +100 XP Reputation Boost 

[HOPE YOU PACKED SPF-100. THE SUN ISN'T THE ONLY THING TRYING TO PEEL YOUR SKIN TODAY.] 

Good luck, Island Hero. Try not to redecorate the lagoon with your spleen.

(Image Here)

(Bonus Image Here)

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Author: hey just updated chapter 157!

Reader: OMG THAT WAS AMAZING I CRIED I LAUGHED I DIED I ASCENDED I AM A DIFFERENT PERSON NOW

Also Reader: [does not click Power Stone]

Author: cool cool no doubt no doubt cool

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