Taiji's POV

"We have found the lost child and safely delivered him back home. We're heading back now." A sigh escaped my lips as Mori's message relieved me of my worries. Shifting back in the chair, I proceeded to note this down on the records, marking another request as fulfilled.

Within a few days of us finally settling down here in the agency and taking over the regular work Pro Heroes Switch and Pele, who were sick and currently out of action. We had received a good number of requests from the residents. This meant more work for the patrollers and those who were maintaining the records.

This was another reason we had divided our team into two shifts, day and night. We were finished with the night shift as well and were about to hit the hay when the patrolling team returned.

"Time to catch some well-deserved sleep," I said, not even bothering to suppress my yawning.

"Yeah, nope," Gabi quipped, shutting down her laptop. Her job was to write the daily reports of what all we were doing here and how we were handling things. "The mayor is paying us a visit later today."

"Wait, seriously? Tomorrow?" I inquired, earning a nod from my pink-haired friend. "There goes sleep down the drain."

"You can always catch up on your sleep once they go home." The pinkette shrugged.

"Do you know how difficult it is to catch up on lost sleep?" I asked.

Once again, she shrugged nonchalantly before getting up from her seat. "I am off. Goodnight, Rocket. Goodnight, Taiji."

With that, she left, leaving me and our Vice-Leader to our devices. As I went on to close the office for the night, my mind flashed back to a few weeks ago when this voluntary activity was announced in our classes.

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Weeks Ago

"...So, they decided to go with a new approach, that being using the future generation of economy makers in the mix, and that's not just heroes I am talking about," Miss Akame continued. "Technicians, businessmen, regular wage employees, everyone is involved in it."

"So, in short, with Switch and Pele getting sick, instead of requesting for other heroes to substitute them for their sick period, they are asking students to volunteer which would help them in gaining practical experience," Touka, our Vice Class Rep, summarized before inquiring her own doubt. "But isn't it risky? I mean asking the students to take on Hero work?"

"And another thing, why is this being announced in our class?" another student questioned. "As you mentioned, the students are to substitute the Pro Heroes of that area as temporary Pro Heroes so..."

"First off, this announcement is being made by the homeroom teachers of all the classes at the moment," Akame clarified before taking a short pause. "Tell me, do you think a Hero Agency is run only by Heroes?"

This question caused all the murmur in the class to go down for a moment. The question was a sensible one, and, if given enough thought, we could come to a conclusion that an Agency isn't always run by Heroes all by themselves.

Sure, they are the ones doing the main work of beating the bad guys and saving the citizens, but there are also those that maintain the logs of what the heroes did. The Pro Heroes wouldn't have time to do so, and they are also human beings that need some rest. They can't be filing paperwork during their resting period which means there are people assigned for keeping the logs together.

Then comes the Hero Suits and the equipment they use. Heroes can give the design and a rough idea of what kind of suit they want, but they aren't the ones making it with their own two hands.

There are exceptional cases, but not everyone is Arachnid Man who will be sewing their costumes at home like he did in the movies. Plus, that was a movie just like Iron Man where the main character made his suit himself.

Unlike those cases in the movies, we have our Support Department here in the hero schools where they work on making hero suits and equipment as per the students' requirement. Similar to this, there must be a Research and Development team within the agency that would be doing the same work for the Pros.

The answer was obvious.

"I am pretty sure most of you have figured the answer by now and, even the fact that the announcement of student volunteering has something to do with this question."

The prospect was interesting which was more than enough reason to wake up the idiot beside me, having his sweet nap.

Slightly raising my arm, I smacked Blake on his back.

His eyes opened, and he took a quick survey of the classroom. One of the perks of sitting in the last rows is that the teachers don't notice you right away, unless they are strolling around in the classroom. Sensing no immediate danger, he glared daggers at me.

"You have exactly ten seconds to explain why you disrupted my daily classroom nap," he asked in a dangerously low voice, in a futile attempt to be intimidating.

"An important announcement that I think you might like," I nonchalantly responded.

"Any idea on what it's about?" the indigo-haired boy inquired, rubbing his eyes to get rid of his drowsiness.

"How about listening attentively for once?"

"Jerk."

"Like I was saying before," our homeroom teacher resumed, "with the two Pro Heroes falling ill, the working of their agency has come to a standstill, and they have requested various hero schools to send students who are willing to volunteer for this activity."

"Also, as an added incentive for the volunteers is that they also get to spend their time on an island while working," she added with a wink.

Immediately after, almost all of the class jumped out from their seats, ready to volunteer themselves for this activity. Who in their right mind wouldn't want to take a break from regular classes and spend a good number of weeks on an island? And Aru was a rural kind of area which means it would be a good break from the routine city life. Judging by Miss Akame's expressions, she expected this reaction from the class, and she was about to throw another ball in the court.

"I do remember saying students can volunteer for this, but nowhere did I say that the entire class will be going if they volunteer," Miss Akame explained with a sly smirk, enjoying herself at the expense of her students' disappointed faces. "Also, the limit is 20 students, and they didn't say all 20 will be from UA. The total headcount for this activity will be 20 from all the schools combined."

"Now then, be like responsible adults and decide amongst yourselves who will be going." Miss Akame sat down on her seat. "Or maybe you all can drop out of this entirely. No compulsion."

I will have to hand it to her. This was a great strategy of pinning the students against one another and making them think for themselves. And it also reminded me of a fact that had kind of slipped my mind: we are in UA High, and no matter what course you are in, students aim for the top, and competition is ever existing.

"Well, I know a way on how we can decide." Cracking his knuckles, Blake got up from his seat, earning everyone's attention. "We will have an ultimate showdown–"

"Are you thinking of bullying us into submission with your quirk?" The student sitting right in front of him resisted the urge to roll her eyes.

"No, I didn't say anything like that." Blake shook his head in response. "What I wanted to say is having an ultimate showdown of Rock-Paper-Scissors to decide our fates."

"Hey! That's not a bad idea."

"Yeah, and even if we lose, we will have our poor luck to blame." The majority of our class seemed to be on the same wavelength at the idea of deciding things through a game of pure luck.

So much for being responsible adults.

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"Dude, I still can't believe that I won 18 times back to back," Blake rambled on during the lunch break, not bothering to eat his meal, unlike me who was simply letting his rant go in one ear and out of the other. "All that is left to decide is what and how many clothes I should pack. Hey! Nerd, what about you?"

"Dunno, no idea," I replied, not paying much attention.

"You are ignoring me, aren't you?"

"Emphasis on trying."

"Why you little–"

"Why is it that whenever I see you two during lunch, you are always at each other's throats?" Our pink-haired friend's voice prompted us to turn our heads towards her as she slammed her tray on the table. "Can't you two live a day without being at each other's throats for a change?"

"No we/he can't!" Both me and Blake chorused at the same time before the latter caught onto what I said. "Hey! I heard that!"

"Ignoring him, did you hear about the voluntary activity?" I inquired.

"Well, duh. It was announced in all the classes. Also, I am going as well!" the pinkette beamed.

"You and?"

"My classmate Tami," Gabi informed before taking a spoonful of her meal.

"And how did your class conduct the selection ritual?" Blake curiously inquired, finally joining in on the conversation.

"Selection ritual? What are you onto?" Gabi raised her eyebrow.

"Well, in our class, a literal battle royale of Rock-Paper-Scissors took place just to decide who would be going from our class since the limit is 20 students," I quickly explained. "How did it go for your class?"

Understanding what we meant to ask, Gabi went on to narrate how the majority of her class had zero motivation for this activity, half of them being mostly laid back and few of them having their own plans during the time frame of the activity. Given the fact that she was looking for a trip like this, she got herself and her classmate, Tami, to volunteer into this, with the latter having no qualms on having her name added. From her story, it sounded that Tami was the only other person from their class excited for this trip.

"That was oddly peaceful," I commented, thinking of the difference between the two classes.

"Still, we had a Rock-Paper-Scissor showdown, and it still counts as a showdown," Blake pointed out. "Wonder what the Hero Course students will do to decide on volunteers? Raze Ground Beta or Gamma to dust?"

"You are completely overthinking," I retorted, rolling my eyes. "Putting that aside, any idea on what our activities would be out there?"

"Our teacher said that we would be briefed with all the 20 students together," the pinkette answered with a shrug. "Gotta wait until then."

"Enough about what we have to do or not do," our indigo-haired friend chided, rolling his spoon on his now empty plate. "I have a serious question. Is Argent, the Billionaire Hero, a cool hero name?"

"....."

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Back to Present

"Taiji, wake up. It's eight."

"Five more minutes," I groaned in response, putting the pillow over my head.

"We can't have that," Akihiko responded with a long sigh. "The mayor's coming to visit today, and we need everyone up and running to welcome them, you know."

"Mayor?" It took a moment for my half-asleep brain to process the word before finally putting two and two together and figuring out where and what was happening. Groggily, I sat up on my bed, rubbing my sleepy eyes. "Yeah, they are coming today alright. Still, I will be resuming my nap once they go."

"Same here," Mori added. We had been provided with bunk beds. He was above Akihiko's. While above mine was Hinata's.

"They haven't arrived yet, have they?" I inquired, getting off the bed and stretching my tired limbs.

"Not yet." The amethyst-haired boy shook his head before taking his leave from the room. "You two get ready. I will go and check how things are downstairs."

We were quickly left to our devices, using this time to get freshened up and ready for the Mayor's visit. Sporting some casual clothing, we got down to the living room, seeing everyone already gathered and placed around in different corners of the room either talking to one another, and for some of them simply staying where they were. The ones who would be leaving for the morning patrols had donned on their Hero Costumes.

We did not have to wait for long as the doorbell rang a couple of minutes later signifying the arrival of the Mayor. Sporting our best looks and expressions, we opened the door and welcomed the Mayor inside. They weren't alone. Accompanying them was a girl of barely six. A huge grin came up on her face with her eyes lighting up on seeing some of the students in their Hero Costumes.

"Hello everyone, I am Mayor Mana, and this is my niece Toki, Switch and Pele's daughter," the Mayor respectfully greeted. "It really is an honor to meet you all, and I sincerely thank you for all the work you are doing for this island."

"The pleasure is ours," Akihiko responded, holding out his hand for a handshake with the Mayor wholeheartedly returning the gesture. "My name is Akihiko Mochizuki."

"Oh please, where is the fun in your real names?" The Mayor chuckled. "You all are this island's temporary Pro Heroes, so I should properly address you as such. You wouldn't mind sharing your hero names would you?"

"Definitely not, I go by Chrysalis," Akihiko re-introduced himself.

While everyone began introducing themselves to the mayor and exchanging small talks with them, their niece's eyes sparkled even more. Somehow getting away from their relative's hold, she walked up to Kita before latching herself onto her leg, earning a surprised yelp from the pinkette.

"Pretty lady, what Quirk do you have?" she innocently asked. "I want to see everyone's Quirks."

Kita was visibly flattered by the girl calling her pretty and with a big smile, picked Toki in her arms. "Why thank you Toki. And as for my Quirk, it is called Ram. That's why I have these horns and fuzzy ears."

"Ram." She carefully repeated the word as if trying to memorize it before throwing her next question. "Then, can you beat up the bad guys?"

"Of course I can. I'll do whatever it takes to help the people in need," Kita proudly stated.

"Don't you have a Quirk?" Vivi got bored of the conversation with the mayor and instead switched her attention to the little ball of sunshine named Toki.

"The doctor said I can't have one while Mommy said I might get one later," Toki admitted before her short-attention span was then attracted towards Tanami or more like her hair. "Shiny lady."

"She surely is excited to see so many Heroes around her." Mayor Mana admitted, watching how her eyes sparkled when Tanami conjured her a small flower made of crystal. "I did not want to bring her here at first, but she insisted on going and seeing the new Heroes and their Quirks."

"It's fine," Hinata assured. "It's good for her as well. Rather than staying cooped up in the house all day, she can have some fun here."

Toki wandered from one person to another asking them to show off their Quirks. Rose flexed her prosthetic arm much to the excitement of the little kid who for the first time had laid eyes on a metallic arm on a person. Mori spread out and flapped his wings, earning a series of excited claps from Toki. Kaito proceeded to entertain the kid by showing off his skills with the light giving her a good show, and Gabi blew out a small amount of mist.

"Woah," Toki flailed her arms in the air. "I want to touch smokey."

"Well then, off you go." Sakura picked up the little girl, the latter letting out an excited squeal while trying to catch the damned mist in her tiny arms. Her face twitched when a little bit of mist got into her nose and mouth.

"ACHOO!"

"Ah! My bad," Gabi said in mild surprise. She hadn't expected her mist to instigate a sneeze. For all she knew, her mist was simply a column of white smoke that obscured visibility. Never had it affected the other person.

It must be a child's weak immune system, or Toki must have some kind of allergy that came into play. Sakura, without taking any chances, quickly placed her on the sofa and brought some tissue papers.

"I don't feel good." Her face twitched again as she held onto her sneeze doing her best to prevent another one but failed. "ACHOO!"

"Toki!" Mayor Mana called out in concern before picking their niece up in their arms. "I think we should get going. Thank you for letting us visit. We will see you around."

We all said our goodbyes to the mayor, wishing for Toki to get better. After they were gone, the morning workers got down to work while the patrollers left out for their daily patrol. Those who worked in the night shift went back to their respective rooms in hope of catching up with their lost sleep.

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Maybe it was due to more workload today or maybe the coffee wasn't that well-made, I had fallen asleep on my work table. Not asleep per say, but more like taking a short nap. I hadn't realized it until a notification popped up and broke me out from my nap.

Rubbing my eyes to get rid of the lingering drowsiness, I grabbed it to see what the notification was about when the surface of the screen didn't feel smooth at all, instead felt irregularly hard and rough.

'Hold up!' I blinked twice in order to believe that what I was seeing was a hallucination, but apparently that wasn't the case. Somehow, my phone's screen was now an obsidian?

"I swear if somebody is playing a prank–" My sentence was cut short when my hand went ahead and touched something that wasn't my hair at all. Now that I mention it, my head felt sort of heavier than usual for some reason. As if some kind of weight was pressed on me.

Gulping and fearing the worst, I glanced at the glass windows only to see my hair wasn't my hair anymore. Sure, it had my usual spiky style, but now, it was fully obsidian like the screen of my phone.

'What's going on?!' I had to be calm and analyze this weirdness properly. First off, this wasn't a dream since I just checked by pinching myself. Maybe Tanami was playing a prank on me? But she wasn't the type to play this kind of prank, and would she even bother to do so late at night?

With numerous questions running in my head, I stepped out from the office room and headed straight for the dorm rooms. If it is a problem regarding crystals, the crystal twins were the only ones who can answer them. As I reached the hallway, I saw someone coming out from our room.

"Akihi–Wait! Who the hell are you?" I blurted out at the sight of the lavender-haired teen in front of me.

"It's me, Akihiko." Groaning the teen switched on the flashlight of his phone, only to nearly drop it seconds after laying his eyes on me. "What the!? What happened to your hair?"

"I should be asking you the same question. Your hair isn't amethyst anymore," I pointed out, getting more freaked out with each passing second. "It's normal."

"Normal?" Akihiko paused, his eyes widening in surprise when he saw his own reflection on his phone. His irises weren't diamond shaped anymore and were circular instead. Same could be said for his hair as it was no longer amethyst, instead was dull and fluffy.

"I am not sure about anything anymore." Was all he said as we wondered what kind of nightmare did we wake up into.

And this was just the beginning of all our troubles.

Author's Note:

Character Spotlight: Taiji Kurumada
Book: Glittering Gold
OriginalQuirk: Memorize Current
Quirk: Reflective Crystallization