The room had been built for war.
Thick reinforced walls muted the outside world, sealing away the noise of preparation that echoed throughout the facility. Screens lined the far wall, dormant for now, waiting to display the shape of humanity's enemy. A long table dominated the center, its polished surface reflecting the gathered figures like a distorted mirror of resolve and doubt.
Heroes from two nations stood shoulder to shoulder.
Some wore capes. Some wore armor. Some stood in plain uniforms, their presence alone enough to command respect. All Might sat at the head of the table, his posture calm but heavy with responsibility. Beside him stood Sir Nighteye, arms folded, eyes sharp and calculating as he observed everyone in the room.
Reinhard stood near All Might's side.
Despite the gravity of the meeting, several pairs of eyes drifted toward him again and again. Some held curiosity. Others discomfort. A few barely concealed disbelief.
A twelve year old had no place here.
And yet he did.
Temporary authorization had been granted. Documents had been signed. Exceptions had been made. The world was ending, and rules had become flexible in the face of extinction.
The door at the far end of the room opened.
Stars and Stripes stepped forward.
The room quieted instantly.
She moved with the confidence of someone accustomed to command, boots striking the floor with measured certainty. Her expression was composed, but beneath it burned an intensity sharpened by failure, loss, and survival. She did not sit. Instead, she stood at the center of the table, placing both hands against its surface as she looked around at the gathered heroes.
"I will be leading this briefing," she said clearly.
No one objected.
Not All Might. Not Endeavor, who stood with his arms crossed and flames flickering low along his beard. Not the American heroes who had fought beside her weeks ago ago. Not the Japanese heroes who had only witnessed the disaster from across the ocean.
"I have direct combat experience with the White Whale," Stars and Stripes continued. "That alone makes me the most qualified person in this room to explain what we are walking into."
She gestured toward the monitors.
They came to life all at once.
The image of the White Whale filled the room.
Even on a screen, it was overwhelming.
Its immense white body floated above the ruins of New York, its shape both organic and unnatural. Its surface looked smooth from a distance, but close up, the footage revealed subtle ridges and patterns like scars carved by time itself. Mist poured endlessly from its body, rolling outward in thick waves that swallowed buildings, streets, and people alike.
Several heroes tensed unconsciously.
Stars and Stripes spoke without hesitation.
"This is not a villain. This is not a quirk manifestation. This is not something you can capture."
She tapped the screen, and the image shifted to a diagram highlighting the creature's known abilities.
"First. The roar. Anyone exposed to it without protection will experience immediate psychological collapse. Hallucinations. Self harm. Complete loss of rational thought. Captain Celebrity was taken out within seconds."
A brief pause followed.
"We have developed earpieces equipped with advanced sound suppression. They must remain in your ears at all times. Do not remove them. Do not tamper with them. If one fails, you have another pair."
The image changed again, showing a mist covered street.
"Second. The mist. Physical contact alone does not trigger its effect. You can brush against it. You can move through its edge. But if it fully engulfs your body, you will be erased."
Silence spread across the room.
"Not killed," she clarified. "Erased. No body. No remains. No memory of you in the minds of those who knew you. Only records will prove you ever existed."
She straightened.
"This is an extermination mission."
The words landed like a verdict.
"Search and destroy," Stars and Stripes continued. "This is unprecedented. There is no capture plan. No containment strategy. The White Whale cannot be restrained for long periods. It must be eliminated."
Several heroes nodded grimly.
"All Might and I will lead the vanguard," she said, glancing briefly toward him. "We will be responsible for clearing the mist and drawing the creature's attention."
At that moment, Reinhard spoke.
"I want to be in the forefront as well."
Every head turned toward him.
Stars and Stripes studied him closely.
"I can help clear the mist," Reinhard said calmly. "And I can strike the whale directly."
A murmur rippled through the room.
Stars and Stripes did not dismiss him. Instead, her gaze softened slightly as memory surfaced.
Just a day ago, she had tested him.
She had not wanted to. Every instinct in her screamed against placing a child anywhere near the front lines. But Reinhard had insisted, and what she had seen had shaken her more than she cared to admit.
The way she was utterly powerless in his presence. The unnatural skill in his movements. The quiet certainty behind his eyes.
Stars and Stripes nodded once.
"Very well," she said. "You will advance with us."
Some heroes stiffened, but none argued.
She continued.
"Long range specialists will provide support. Snipe. Endeavor. American artillery heroes. You will focus on sustained fire and suppression. Do not attempt to close distance unless ordered."
Endeavor's flames flared slightly as his eyes narrowed with focus.
"Our objective is to eliminate one whale at a time," Stars and Stripes said. "We are aware that at least two remain active. I expect the second to intervene once combat begins."
Endeavor spoke then, his voice sharp.
"When it does?"
Stars and Stripes turned toward All Might.
"I will trust my mentor to hold it back."
All Might met her gaze and nodded solemnly. No hero doubted his strength.
She then looked back to Reinhard.
"One last thing," she said. "You said you had a method capable of destroying the whale without deploying Tiamat missiles. I need confirmation."
The héros all turned towards him.
Reinhard placed his hands on the hilts of the two swords at his sides.
Their presence was unmistakable.
"These were commissioned for this purpose," he said. "I can kill it."
Stars and Stripes exhaled slowly. Endeavor narrowed his eyes with dissatisfaction.
"Good," she said. "Then we move forward with that as our primary kill option."
The meeting drew toward its end. Orders were finalized. Roles assigned. Routes plotted.
Yet Reinhard barely heard the rest.
His thoughts drifted inward, pulled by something older than this world.
A battlefield soaked in mist.
A towering white shadow blotting out the sky.
A gentle hand resting on his head.
Theresia Van Astrea.
His grandmother.
The Sword Saint.
The one who had stood against the White Whale four hundred years ago.
This was not just a mission.
It was a duty.
A burden passed down through blood and steel.
As the meeting adjourned, Reinhard closed his eyes briefly.
In his mind, he heard her voice again.
Soft. Steady. Unwavering.
"You can do it."
When he opened his eyes, the path ahead was clear.
The Sword Saint would face the calamity.
And this time, the White Whale would fall.