At this moment, the woman suddenly vanished from Akira's sight.
In the next second, she reappeared behind him, launching a powerful punch aimed directly at his back.
Unfortunately for her, Akira had already anticipated this move. He spun around swiftly, raising his hand to intercept the punch.
**"Bang!"**
The impact forced Akira to take a small step back, but he quickly regained his footing. His hand firmly gripped her fist, halting her attack completely.
The next moment, a horrifying scene unfolded. The woman's arm began to wither and dry up, as though all vitality was being drained from it.
Her eyes widened in panic as she felt the life ebbing from her body. She struggled to break free, but it was too late. Within seconds, her entire form was reduced to a desiccated husk, resembling a mummy.
**"Bang!"** Akira released her lifeless body, letting it fall to the ground. His cold gaze shifted toward Tada, who was still writhing in pain on the dirt.
**"Tap, tap, tap!"**
Hearing Akira's approaching footsteps, Tada scrambled to his feet despite his injuries. When he saw Akira and the dried corpse nearby, his face turned pale with terror.
"I-I was wrong! Akira, please forgive me!" Tada stammered, falling to his knees and kowtowing furiously. "It wasn't my fault! My mother forced me into this! It's all her fault!"
Desperate, he crawled forward, trying to grab Akira's legs in a plea for mercy.
Akira raised a hand to stop him, his expression impassive. "If not for Sato Kyoko's plea this morning, you would have already been rendered useless."
Without waiting for a response, Akira reached down, gripping Tada by the neck and lifting him effortlessly into the air.
Tada struggled, clawing at Akira's hand, but within moments, his movements slowed, and his skin began to dry out. His once vibrant form withered into a lifeless, mummified state.
**"Bah!"** Akira tossed the desiccated body aside as if it were trash.
Suddenly, a blur of motion caught his eye. A figure dashed out of the shadows, catching Tada's lifeless body before it hit the ground. The stranger then moved to place Tada beside the woman's corpse before turning to face Akira.
Akira's brows furrowed as he became more vigilant.
"It's over," the man said, his voice calm but laced with menace. "You won't leave here alive."
Without warning, flames erupted around the man's body. He raised his hands, and a massive fireball formed in the air above them.
**"Cremation of Hell!"** he roared.
The colossal fireball blazed with intense heat, illuminating the entire area before crashing down toward Akira.
**"Boom!"**
The resulting explosion engulfed the mountain in a sea of fire. The flames roared, spreading rapidly and consuming everything in their path.
---
At the foot of the mountain, Sato Kyoko and Akira's parents were rushing toward the scene. The deafening explosion and the sight of the inferno stopped them in their tracks.
"Akira... Do you think he's okay?" Sato Kyoko asked, her voice trembling with worry.
Akira's mother clenched her fists, her face pale. "He has to be fine… He has to be."
"Don't underestimate my grandson!" Akira's grandfather snapped. "That boy might be reckless, but he's not weak enough to die like this."
However, Yuta's expression betrayed his uncertainty. Staring at the raging flames, he murmured, "The chances of survival… are slim."
Suddenly, the raging fire began to diminish.
"What's happening?" Yuta muttered, his voice filled with disbelief.
The flames were not only failing to spread but were visibly shrinking. Dust and sand swirled through the air, smothering the fire.
"Could it be Akira?" Akira's mother whispered, her heart pounding.
"His Quirk revolves around sand," Yuta replied grimly. "It's possible he's still alive and fighting."
As they watched, the ground beneath their feet began to change. The once solid soil turned loose and grainy.
Sato Kyoko knelt down and scooped a handful, her eyes widening. "The ground… it's turning into sand!"
"It's him!" Akira's mother exclaimed, her voice filled with hope.
---
On the mountain, amidst the shrinking flames, Akira's voice rang out faintly.
**"Erosion of Reincarnation!"**
An invisible force radiated outward from Akira's position. Everywhere it passed, trees, rocks, and even the soil itself disintegrated into fine sand.
The sand spread rapidly, carried by the wind. In seconds, thick smoke and dust engulfed the entire Haiyuan Town.
The once lush, green mountain had been transformed into a golden desert. Even parts of Haiyuan Town were affected, with some buildings turning into sand.
As the smoke and dust cleared, the townspeople stared in awe and disbelief at the barren wasteland that had replaced the mountain.
"What… what just happened?" Yuta stammered, his voice barely audible.
"It… It was Akira," Akira's mother whispered, trembling. "He did all of this."
Sato Kyoko's legs felt weak as she stared at the transformed landscape. "If this is what Akira is capable of… what has he been through to gain such power?"
Akira's grandfather shook his head. "No, it can't be. There's no way Akira could do something this terrifying!"
"We can debate later," Yuta said firmly. "Right now, we need to find him." He sprinted forward, navigating the desert terrain.