"Sister Ying, you don't have to bring me dinner tonight. I have some errands to run," Akira said, glancing with concern at Inoue Ying's weary face as he stopped by the Fujiwara convenience store.
Lately, Ying had been looking exhausted. She'd been struggling with insomnia, haunted by recurring nightmares of a large fire. The frequency of these dreams had been troubling her, and Akira could tell it was affecting her.
He felt a twinge of guilt; despite her troubles, Ying still made time to prepare meals for him. If her recent pallor hadn't made him curious, he might not have realized she was going through this.
"Akira, I've been feeling uneasy lately. Try not to go wandering around... I'm worried," she said softly, her concern evident.
"Don't worry, Sister Ying. Just focus on yourself and get some rest. Don't work so hard. If needed, I can take care of you," Akira replied with a reassuring smile. Although he didn't have the means to support her yet, he was determined to make it happen.
Inoue Ying nodded, touched by his words. She now saw Akira as family, like a younger brother.
After Akira returned home, he took a hot shower, then decided it was time to upgrade his abilities. In the system store, he had two quirk upgrade pills: one from a lottery and another he bought directly. The lottery one wasn't as potent as the purchased pill, but it could still raise his quirk by one level.
Akira first chose the lottery upgrade pill. "Enhance air manipulation."
**"Air Manipulation - Level 250/200"**
The enhancement succeeded!
Without hesitation, he took the second pill. "Enhance air manipulation."
**"Air Manipulation - Level 310/300"**
The enhancement succeeded!
Akira could feel his power surging, stronger than ever before. Testing his abilities, he punched the air, creating a ripple that punched a hole through his wall, the size of an adult fist. It was an impressive display of controlled strength.
Curious to see the limits, Akira went to the rooftop, summoned the air around him, and threw a punch. The air recoiled with a satisfying snap, creating a shockwave that could easily rupture an opponent's internal organs if applied in battle. He extended his hand, and a focused stream of air shot from his palm, piercing a water tank on the opposite building. With another motion, he held the water in place, and with a slight effort, he directed it back into the tank.
Akira laughed excitedly, standing on the rooftop. "From today onward, I, Akira, am finally a force to be reckoned with!"
"Who's the idiot screaming like that? Can't you see I'm trying to get some peace?" a voice shouted from the floor below, clearly annoyed.
Unfazed, Akira grinned, feeling a rush of satisfaction. He then jumped from the rooftop, channeling his air manipulation to glide through the sky in graceful arcs, leaping from building to building.
Eventually, Akira found himself near a riverbank, watching the current with a contemplative look. He knew time was running out. The Villain Alliance was on the move, with Nomu—a monstrous creation made to challenge even All Might—likely already in development. Akira wasn't strong enough yet to confront it head-on, but he was determined to grow.
After purchasing a black cloak at a convenience store, Akira made his way into the city streets by night. Though bustling with people, his dark attire attracted some attention, as he now appeared rather ominous.
Suddenly, a woman's cry pierced the night. "Stop, thief!"
The crowd parted, and a man with spiky hair sprinted toward Akira, clutching a stolen handbag.
"Out of my way!" the thief shouted as he neared, flames igniting in his mouth as he prepared to unleash a fiery attack.
Without hesitation, Akira held out his hand, manipulating the air to extinguish the flames. The thief gasped, suddenly clutching his throat as if he couldn't breathe, dropping to his knees in panic.
A nearby pro hero finally tackled the thief, restraining him to cheers from the onlookers. No one knew that Akira was the one who had disabled the man's quirk. Satisfied, he turned to leave.
"Hey, wait a second!" called the pro hero, his eyes narrowing at Akira's cloaked figure. "Please remove your hood and show your face."
Akira kept his voice low. "Is there an issue?"
"Yes, there is. Please cooperate," the hero replied, suspicion clear in his tone.
Akira had no intention of revealing himself. With a smirk, he bent his knees and jumped high into the sky, channeling his quirk to glide away. The pro hero, startled, immediately radioed for backup.
"Suspicious individual on the move in the XX district, requesting assistance!"