ShuraZero
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Chapter 81: The Masquerade Ball
🕑 Added 2025-10-03 16:29:59 +0000 UTCThe inside of the limousine was a world of black leather, dim lights, and the soft hum of the engine that completely isolated them from the city at night. Outside, the neon lights of Tokyo slid past the tinted windows like a river of colors. Inside, the atmosphere was a strange mix of nervousness and an almost childlike excitement.
Izuku felt absurdly out of place. The tuxedo Momo had created for him was perfect, custom-made, but it felt like a costume. He adjusted his bowtie for the tenth time.
"Relax, Izuku-kun," Momo said, sitting across from him with natural elegance. Her evening gown, a deep sapphire, shimmered subtly in the light. "You look like a penguin about to face a firing squad."
"It's just... I'm not used to this," he admitted, his face feeling hot. "My idea of a fancy night out is when my mom orders pizza with double cheese."
Ochako let out a small laugh. Her dress, a soft pale pink, made her look like a fairytale princess.
"Same here. I feel like if I move too fast, something's going to break. Probably me."
The only one who seemed comfortable in her own skin was Toru. Her dress, a vibrant emerald that matched the streaks in her hair, was short and playful. But her smile didn't reach her eyes. She stared out the window at the crowds gathering on the sidewalks, her body tense.
Mt. Lady, sitting at the far end of the limo like a queen on her throne, noticed her anxiety.
"Nervous, Ghost?" she said, her voice an amused purr. "You should be. High society can be more dangerous than a full-blown battle. The smiles are sharper than knives, and the gossip can do more damage than an explosion."
"It's just... there are so many people," Toru murmured, her voice a trembling thread. "Everyone is going to be watching... judging. I'm afraid my nerves will make my invisibility flicker at the worst possible moment."
Izuku's intervention was so smooth and natural it surprised everyone. He leaned toward her, his voice calm and genuine; it wasn't a strategist giving orders, but a friend offering support.
"Hey. Look at me."
She did, her blue eyes filled with anxiety.
"They're not going to be looking at you, at Toru," he said. "They're going to be looking at 'The Invisible Girl,' the hero who surprised everyone at the festival. The one who's part of the coolest team at U.A. The one who can bend light and move without being seen."
He gave her a sincere and slightly goofy smile, one that was purely Izuku.
"And if anyone gives you a bad look, just remember this: according to my infallible and scientifically proven theory, you have a huge heart. That makes you, by default, the strongest, kindest, and most valuable person in that room. Besides," he added, his gaze sweeping over her dress with honest appreciation, "you look absolutely incredible. Seriously. Green is your color."
His compliment, which mixed his famous and peculiar "theory" with such genuine and sweet support, made her let out a small laugh. A small, shaky, but real laugh. The tension in her shoulders noticeably dissipated.
"Thank you, Izuku-kun," she whispered.
Ochako and Momo watched the exchange with proud smiles. Their clumsy coach was becoming a real leader.
Kaito Taniguchi's mansion was a monstrosity of opulence. Marble columns, crystal chandeliers that looked like constellations, and an army of waiters moving with silent efficiency. The sound of a chamber orchestra and the murmur of polite conversations filled a ballroom so large that Izuku was sure they could hold a training match inside it.
"Okay, team, we're in," Izuku's voice came through their earpieces, now crisp and professional. "Stay calm, smiles on. Act like you're bored, like you belong here. Rich people hate enthusiasm."
"Got it, boss," Toru replied, her voice much steadier now.
"Ochako, I see three major reporters from the Hero Daily and Taniguchi's head of security near the champagne fountain. That's your stage. Keep them busy."
"On it, coach," Ochako said, her smile turning charming and a little mischievous.
"Momo, Taniguchi is talking to the mayor near the large window. Wait for your chance to intercept him. Toru, stay invisible and stick to Momo until I give the signal. Lady, you and I are going to mingle."
"This is my turf, darling," Mt. Lady responded, her voice a conspiratorial murmur in his ear. "But yes, let's take a stroll."
The music served as their cue. Each began to play their part. Ochako, a glass of what looked like non-alcoholic champagne in her hand, approached the group of reporters with feigned clumsiness.
"Oh, excuse me!" she said, pretending to stumble and spilling a little of her drink. "How clumsy of me! With these heels…"
Her natural charm and her festival fame instantly made her the center of attention. In less than a minute, she had them roaring with laughter with an exaggerated and funny story about how she almost made her father's car float by accident. The head of security, a burly man who looked like he was carved from living rock, watched her with a paternal smile, completely distracted from his duties.
Across the hall, Izuku and Mt. Lady were approached by a portly, sweating businessman.
"Mt. Lady! A pleasure! I'm Kenji Takeda, from Quirk Solutions Incorporated," he said, his gaze shamelessly fixed on her cleavage. "And this must be your... young assistant."
"My protégé," Mt. Lady corrected, her celebrity smile as bright as it was fake. "Izuku-kun is a prodigy. I was so impressed by his tactical performance in the sports festival that I decided to offer him an internship. His mind for strategy is... revolutionary."
"Really?" Takeda said skeptically, looking Izuku up and down. "And what does the prodigy think of the recent drop in stocks for brute-force type hero agencies?"
Izuku, without losing his cool, answered.
"I believe it's a logical market correction, Mr. Takeda. The public no longer values just strength, but also efficiency and the minimization of collateral damage. Agencies that invest in strategy and coordinated teams will see a greater return on investment in the long term. Your company should consider it."
The businessman stared at him, surprised by the sharpness of his response. Mt. Lady smiled, giving his shoulder a supportive squeeze. Their "genius protégé" cover was solidifying.
Meanwhile, Momo navigated gracefully through the crowd, her eyes fixed on her target. Taniguchi had finished speaking with the mayor. It was her moment.
"Taniguchi-san."
Kaito Taniguchi turned. He was a middle-aged man, impeccably dressed, with a polished smile and eyes like a shark's: cold, calculating, and lifeless.
"Miss Yaoyorozu. It is an absolute honor," he said, taking her hand and placing a kiss on her knuckles that lasted a second too long. "Your demonstration at the festival was exquisitely intelligent. Such a brilliant mind in such a beautiful young woman. A truly formidable combination."
"The honor is mine, Taniguchi-san," Momo replied, withdrawing her hand with a polite smile that didn't reach her eyes. "I immensely admire your charity work. Helping the victims of villain attacks is the noblest of callings."
"I do what I can," he said with false modesty. "The true nobility lies with you, the future pillars of our society. Your Quirk, Creation... it's extraordinary. It must require an immense amount of energy. And an encyclopedic knowledge."
"It requires constant discipline and study," she replied, playing her part perfectly. "Much like business, I suppose. I've heard your company, Taniguchi Tech, is at the forefront of bio-enhancement research. It must be fascinating to work with such brilliant minds."
The conversation was a tense game of verbal chess. He tried to flatter her, looking for an opening. She praised him, guiding the conversation toward the topic they were interested in.
"Perfect, Momo. You've got him hooked. He's showing off," Izuku's voice came, calm and precise, in her and Toru's earpieces. "Keep him talking about his labs. Toru, the service staircase to your left is clear. The security camera in that hall has a five-second blind spot every minute. I'm sending you the pattern now. You have a five-minute window. Move. Now."
She slipped through the crowd, an unseen presence in a sea of wealth and power. She reached the service staircase without being noticed. She went up to the second floor, a world of silent, carpeted hallways, a sharp contrast to the party below.
Okay, Toru, you can do this, she told herself, her heart hammering against her ribs. You're a stealth hero. You're a ghost. You're the Invisible Girl.
She dodged two guards patrolling the hallway, slipping between them while holding her breath. Following Izuku's directions, she arrived at a heavy oak door. Taniguchi's office.
Momo had created a small hacking tool for her, a device that looked like an elegant brooch on her dress. She detached it and placed it over the electronic lock. A green light blinked. The door opened with a nearly inaudible click.
She entered and closed the door behind her. The office was dark, luxurious, and smelled of leather and money. In the center, a massive mahogany desk. And on it, a laptop. The target.
"I'm in," she whispered into her communicator.
"Well done, Toru," Izuku replied. "Momo is still distracting him, but we don't have much time. Plug in the device."
Toru pulled a small data storage device from her evening bag and connected it to the laptop's USB port. A progress bar appeared on the device's small screen. 10%. 20%.
The tension was unbearable. Every second felt like an hour.
Come on, come on, come on…
The bar reached 98%. 99%.
Just as it was about to hit 100%, she heard a faint click from inside the room. It didn't come from the door she had entered through. It came from the wall behind the desk.
The knob of a hidden door, disguised as a panel in the bookshelf, began to turn slowly from the inside. Someone was already in there.
Toru flattened herself against the wall next to the main door, invisible, her heart leaping into her throat, not daring to breathe.
The hidden door opened. A figure dressed entirely in black, agile and silent as a panther, stepped into the office. They wore a mask that covered their entire face. In their gloved hand, they held a small storage device, identical to the one she had just used.
The infiltrator stopped in the center of the room. They stood completely still for a second, as if sniffing the air.
And then, their head turned. Slow, deliberate, directly in her direction.
![DoBert [ ドベルト]](https://runfaps.com/kistorage/93596.jpg)
