"This child, with proper training, will undoubtedly become an outstanding Pro Hero in the future!" Yamada gazed at Akira's back and sighed.
---
"You bastard… you hurt me. Do you even realize that?" Mitsui growled, his eyes bloodshot and his face twisted with anger.
Without another word, Mitsui swung his fist at Akira.
Akira narrowly dodged the blow, but the sound of the impact echoed through the room.
**"Boom!"**
The ground cracked under Mitsui's punch.
"You brat! I'm going to kill you!" Mitsui roared, following up with a flurry of attacks aimed at Akira.
"Stop!" Yamada shouted, rushing in to intervene.
The scene quickly escalated into a clash between Mitsui and Yamada, leaving Akira to observe from the sidelines.
Akira frowned but chose to distance himself from the commotion. He realized Mitsui's hostility likely stemmed from some unresolved issues with his father, Yuta, making Akira an easy target for his frustrations.
With the two locked in their brawl, Akira wandered off to explore the training equipment scattered throughout the room.
The variety was impressive, with some machines specifically designed for unique Quirks. However, most of the equipment wasn't practical for Akira. Then he stumbled upon something that piqued his interest: a gravity chamber.
The chamber's settings started at 100 kilograms, equivalent to 200 kilograms in gravity, making it ideal for enhancing physical strength.
"This might just be what I need," Akira muttered as he inspected the controls. The chamber was simple to operate—step in, close the door, and press the activation button.
Inside, the walls were reinforced steel, illuminated by a dim red glow that gave the chamber an oppressive atmosphere.
Taking a deep breath, Akira stepped in, shutting the door behind him. Rows of buttons labeled from 100 to 1,000 kilograms lined the control panel.
"The 100-kilogram setting should be manageable," he decided, pressing the button.
The moment he activated it, Akira felt an immense pressure bearing down on him.
"Not bad," he mused, adjusting his stance. The strain slowed his movements, but it was a challenge he welcomed.
"Alright, time to get to work!"
---
Meanwhile, Yamada and Mitsui's heated exchange continued in full swing.
Yuta returned to the office, taken aback by the chaos. "What's going on here?" he asked, his brow furrowing.
Yamada paused, wiping the sweat from his brow. "Mitsui was being unreasonable, so I had to step in. Is this guy giving your son a hard time? If so, you owe me dinner tonight!"
Mitsui scowled. "I was just testing the kid."
"And what's your verdict?" Yamada asked with a smirk.
"He's… barely passable," Mitsui admitted begrudgingly.
Yamada chuckled. "Can't admit someone's better than you, can you?"
"Shut up," Mitsui grumbled, turning away.
Yamada glanced at Yuta and said quietly, "Your kid's impressive. You've done a great job training him."
Yuta frowned. "Don't give me too much credit. I haven't done anything. Akira's been doing his own thing."
"Come on, don't be modest," Yamada insisted. "One punch and Mitsui was bleeding. That's not something a regular kid can pull off."
"That's impossible," Yuta countered. "Akira's never been interested in fighting, let alone training. There's no way he could injure Mitsui."
"Tell him, Mitsui," Yamada teased.
Mitsui's face turned crimson. "I was already injured from a previous fight. He just happened to hit the same spot!"
Yamada snorted in disbelief but let the matter drop.
"By the way, what's Akira's Quirk?" Yamada asked suddenly.
Yuta hesitated. "It's hard to say. He was tested years ago, but the results were inconclusive. By the time we considered retesting, Akira didn't seem interested, so we never pursued it further."
Yamada looked skeptical. "Is that really the case?"
Yuta nodded firmly. "Yes."
---
It was well past midnight by the time Akira wrapped up his training. Yuta insisted he get some rest, reminding him about school in the morning. Reluctantly, Akira complied.
Once at home, Akira made a brief appearance to avoid suspicion, then slipped away to a secluded beach littered with garbage. This was his secret training ground.
The next morning, he returned to school, catching up on sleep during class. The teacher, though initially annoyed, eventually gave up trying to scold him.
---
Over the past month, Akira's progress had been remarkable. His body grew stronger, his stamina increased, and his training regimen became more intense.
However, whispers began circulating about strange happenings at the seaside park.
"Did you hear about the garbage there?"
"Yeah, one day it's piled on the east side, the next day it's on the west."
"Someone said a lunatic's been moving it around at two in the morning."
"We should call the police. Who knows what a person like that could do?"
"Why bother? It's not our problem."
Unbeknownst to the gossiping students, Akira was the so-called "lunatic." He used the garbage piles to test his strength and precision.
---
After school, Akira arrived at the office only to find it locked. Most of the Pro Heroes were likely out on missions.
As he reached for the key, a soft voice broke the silence.
"Your name is Akira, right?"