At this point, Tsukauchi paused briefly before calmly delivering the conclusion to his strategy.
"In other words…"
"Whether Tsuki Sen'gen noticed something was wrong…"
"Whether he didn't notice anything at all…"
"Or even whether he already realized the news broadcast itself was a smokescreen…"
"In the end, the result remains the same."
"He will still fall into the trap we carefully prepared for him."
The room fell silent.
Then Tsukauchi adjusted his glasses and continued in an even tone.
"This isn't a matter of intelligence."
"It's a matter of information disparity."
"No matter how clever he is, there are certain things he simply cannot predict."
"For example—"
"He would never imagine that All Might is strong enough to carry someone across a distance that should've taken three days to travel…"
"…in only a few hours."
"And he also wouldn't know that, thanks to a helpful civilian report, we already discovered his hiding place long ago."
"Right now, he and Muscular are under constant surveillance."
"And most importantly—"
"He would never expect the police to act this quickly and decisively."
"The moment the news aired, we immediately mobilized personnel and began preparing the arrest operation."
As his words sank in, the heroes present slowly began showing expressions of realization.
They had all guessed the news report served some hidden purpose.
But none of them had expected the layers behind it to run this deep.
Trap within trap.
Misdirection layered atop misdirection.
At that moment, many of them shared the exact same thought.
No wonder tacticians were terrifying.
Their brains simply worked differently from normal people.
"Of course…"
Tsukauchi continued after noticing everyone's reactions.
"The broadcast wasn't only meant to mislead Tsuki Sen'gen and Muscular."
"It had several additional objectives."
He raised a finger.
"First—"
"To calm the civilians."
"Once people learn that two highly dangerous criminals are hiding within their city, fear and panic naturally spread."
"The broadcast reassures the public that the authorities already have the situation under control."
Then he raised a second finger.
"Second—"
"It serves as our own public declaration."
"A military pledge, if you will."
"It motivates everyone involved."
His expression gradually grew more serious.
"Of course, this approach has both advantages and risks."
"If the operation succeeds…"
"Then we can use this incident to rebuild public trust."
"We'll establish the image of a decisive, efficient police force capable of responding quickly to crises."
"And we'll erase the embarrassment caused by being caught off guard during Tsuki Sen'gen's previous actions."
"But…"
His voice slowed.
"If we fail…"
He stopped there.
He didn't finish the sentence.
He didn't need to.
Everyone present already understood.
Failure was not an option.
Because if they failed now—
after publicly boasting that they would resolve the situation within three days—
then not only would public trust collapse again…
the confidence and arrogance of criminals across society would skyrocket as well.
Thinking of that, many heroes unconsciously inhaled sharply.
Then, one after another, looks of admiration appeared on their faces.
Regardless of the plan's risks—
the fact that Tsukauchi had managed to design such a comprehensive strategy and mobilize all necessary personnel in barely a single day…
was genuinely impressive.
"Incredible…"
"What a plan."
"As expected of Tsukauchi Naomasa…"
"The rising star of the police force really lives up to the reputation."
Hearing the flood of praise, Tsukauchi's face reddened slightly.
He awkwardly waved his hands.
"No, no, no… this was everyone's combined effort. It definitely wasn't my work alone…"
"Ahem…"
Seeing his friend beginning to flounder under the compliments, All Might rolled his eyes helplessly before stepping in to rescue him.
"Alright, everyone, stop praising him already."
"He's terrible at handling compliments."
The atmosphere relaxed slightly.
Then All Might turned toward Tsukauchi again.
"Tsukauchi, we're almost at the operation start time."
"Focus on the important points first."
"For example—how we're supposed to deal with Tsuki Sen'gen's Quirk."
"And your tactical arrangements."
"Right."
Tsukauchi immediately regained his composure.
After lightly clearing his throat, he drew everyone's attention back toward himself.
"Regarding enemies like Tsuki Sen'gen…"
"Those capable of directly interfering with a target's senses rather than manipulating the surrounding environment…"
"They're extremely troublesome opponents."
"Especially in a situation like this."
His gaze shifted toward All Might.
"To be honest…"
"Even someone as powerful as All Might likely has no perfect solution."
"Not in a crowded shopping mall."
"The environment itself becomes a restraint."
"Because he has to worry about civilians."
"And the building."
"He can't unleash his full strength freely."
"And even if he could…"
"There's still the risk of his senses being disrupted by Tsuki Sen'gen's Quirk."
"If that happens, even momentarily…"
"He could attack the wrong target."
"And with All Might's level of power…"
"The resulting collateral damage would be catastrophic."
"Hahaha…"
All Might scratched the back of his head awkwardly.
"You're right."
"I really do struggle against this type of enemy."
He wasn't joking.
Fighting an illusion user capable of manipulating the five senses inside a densely populated shopping center was an absolute nightmare for him.
There were simply too many things he needed to protect.
Too many things he couldn't risk damaging.
And if he accidentally lost focus for even a split second—
if Tsuki Sen'gen distorted his senses at the wrong moment—
then with the sheer destructive force behind All Might's punches…
he could very well collapse the entire shopping center with a single mistake.
Or worse—
cause mass civilian casualties.
As the Symbol of Peace, that was absolutely unacceptable.
Even the mere possibility of such an outcome was intolerable to him.
Because Tsukauchi understood both All Might's personality and fighting style, he never intended to force him into directly confronting Tsuki Sen'gen.
Instead, he calmly said:
"So during the operation, All Might…"
"Pay close attention to your surroundings before attacking."
"If necessary, avoid offensive actions entirely."
"Focus on defense and containment instead."
"Use your presence to pin the enemy down."
"All right."
All Might nodded seriously.
"I understand."
After finishing his instructions for All Might, Tsukauchi slowly shifted his gaze toward the true centerpiece of the operation—
The No. 4 Hero.
Best Jeanist.
"Jeanist," Tsukauchi said calmly, "your role is the most important one here."
The blond hero adjusted the collar of his denim uniform slightly and replied in his usual composed tone:
"I assumed as much."
Tsukauchi nodded.
"Among everyone present, your Quirk is the safest and most effective tool for dealing with Tsuki Sen'gen."
"You can restrain him from a distance without exposing yourself directly to prolonged eye contact."
"And as long as he's wearing clothes…"
Tsukauchi's mouth twitched faintly.
"…then your advantage becomes overwhelming."
Several heroes immediately looked at Best Jeanist with subtle expressions.
Because—
that statement was absolutely true.
Against Fiber Master, wearing clothes was practically the same as handing over your own capture restraints in advance.
Best Jeanist himself gave a small, elegant nod.
"Understood."
"If I successfully secure him, what comes next?"
Tsukauchi answered immediately.
"The instant you restrain Tsuki Sen'gen, Kamui Woods and Edgeshot will move in for secondary suppression."
"Meanwhile, the remaining heroes will focus entirely on Muscular."
"And All Might…"
His gaze shifted again.
"…will serve as the final guarantee."
The final wall.
The ultimate insurance policy.
As long as All Might remained on the field—
no matter how chaotic things became—
the operation still possessed a stabilizing pillar.
That was the meaning behind the Symbol of Peace.
Even now, simply having him present was enough to calm countless nerves.
Tsukauchi exhaled slowly.
Then his expression hardened completely.
"Everyone."
"The operation begins in twenty minutes."
"This time…"
"We absolutely cannot fail."
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