The principal paused for a moment, his expression turning grave. "Sand? That's quite peculiar. None of the students' Quirks involve sand manipulation, do they?"
All Might rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Not to my knowledge. It's possible that the villain had an unknown Quirk, or…" His voice trailed off, and his gaze darkened.
"Or what?" the principal prompted.
"Or someone else was there—someone we're unaware of," All Might said grimly. "It's troubling that a new element is being added to the equation. We'll need to investigate further."
The principal nodded in agreement. "We'll keep an eye on the students, especially Kitagawa Akira and Bakugo. If there's more to this, it'll likely surface sooner rather than later."
"All Might," the principal continued after a moment of silence, "do you think it's possible that Akira…?"
All Might held up a hand. "Let's not jump to conclusions. Kitagawa Akira has shown extraordinary potential, but he's still a student. For now, let's focus on keeping the school safe and uncovering the source of this information leak."
The principal leaned back in his chair, his small stature somehow exuding authority. "Agreed. But we can't ignore the possibility that Akira's abilities may be more complex than we initially assumed. Keep an eye on him."
All Might nodded solemnly. "I will. For now, we must tread carefully. The villains are becoming bolder, and this is just the beginning."
---
**Back in Class 1-A**
The atmosphere was bustling as the students adjusted to their new leadership. Akira sat at his desk, his head in his hands, still processing his forced appointment as the class leader.
"Man, I didn't sign up for this," Akira muttered under his breath.
"You'll be fine, Akira!" Midoriya said with a bright smile. "You're reliable and strong. Everyone believes in you."
"Great, just what I needed," Akira replied sarcastically. "Belief and responsibility. The perfect combo to ruin my free time."
Bakugo scoffed from across the room. "Stop whining, Kitagawa. If you can't handle being the leader, just give up and let me take over."
Akira shot him a glare. "No thanks. If I step down, you'd probably turn the whole class into a war zone."
"Tch. Whatever," Bakugo muttered, looking away.
Iida, meanwhile, was diligently making notes. "Don't worry, Akira! As your deputy, I'll ensure everything runs smoothly. Together, we'll maintain order and discipline in the class!"
Akira sighed. "Yeah, sure. Thanks, Iida."
The day passed uneventfully, but the weight of his new responsibilities lingered in Akira's mind. Even as he tried to focus on his studies, he couldn't shake the feeling that something bigger was brewing—something that would soon change everything.
---
**Later That Evening**
In a dimly lit room, Tomura Shigaraki stared at a screen displaying news reports about the kidnapping incident and the student council elections.
"So, Kitagawa Akira is the new leader of Class 1-A," he murmured, his lips curling into a twisted smile. "Interesting. Very interesting."
Behind him, Kurogiri appeared with a tray of drinks. "Do you think he poses a threat to our plans, Shigaraki?"
Shigaraki scratched at his neck, the itch intensifying with his growing irritation. "Not yet. But he might. Let's keep an eye on him and see how far he's willing to go. If he's as good as they say, he'll either become a valuable asset… or a dangerous enemy."
Kurogiri bowed slightly. "Understood. Shall I prepare for any contingencies?"
"Not yet," Shigaraki said, his gaze locked on Akira's image on the screen. "But soon. Very soon."
The room fell silent, the tension thick as shadows danced along the walls. The game was just beginning, and the pieces were falling into place.