As soon as Akira finished speaking, the villain cast him a contemptuous look. But the sneer on the man's face froze for a moment as if something about Akira's face stirred a memory buried deep in his mind. He frowned, trying to recall where he'd seen him before.
After scrutinizing Akira for a moment, he spoke with a dismissive tone.
"You... kid. I could've sworn I've seen you before. But never mind that. Orders are orders. Tomura Shigaraki wants you dead, and I'm not one to disappoint him."
The man's gaze darkened, but his tone remained oddly casual.
"Still... I'm not a fan of dealing with weaklings. How about you save me the trouble and just... kill yourself?"
"Suicide?" Akira raised an eyebrow, his expression blank. He couldn't believe this was becoming a trend among villains he encountered.
"Sorry, but I have plans that require me to stay alive."
The man's grin widened, his voice dripping with mockery.
"Plans? That's adorable. But listen, kid, you'll save yourself a lot of pain if you just obey your elders and off yourself. Otherwise, I'll have to get creative... and trust me, it won't be pretty."
Akira's face stiffened. He didn't dignify the man's absurd words with a response. Instead, his right hand moved subtly, manipulating the sand beneath his feet.
Suddenly, a series of sharp sand spikes erupted from the ground, racing toward the man.
"Whoa!" The man's eyes widened as he leaped into the air, barely evading the attack. Landing precariously atop one of the spikes, he wiped the sweat from his brow.
"Not bad, little hero," he said with a nervous chuckle. "Guess I underestimated you." His demeanor shifted as recognition sparked in his eyes. "Ah, right. You're one of those kids from U.A.'s Hero Course. Makes sense you'd have a little bite to you."
Akira smirked. "We both control sand. How about we see who's better?"
Their eyes locked, and the air grew tense.
The man's grin twisted into a sneer.
"Compete? You?" His voice dripped with disdain. "Listen, kid. Maybe you're hot stuff at U.A., but to me, you're nothing. No—calling you nothing is being too generous. You're trash."
Before he could finish, a shadow loomed over him. In the blink of an eye, Akira appeared before him, slamming his head into the sand with brutal force.
"Trash, huh?" Akira's voice was cold and calm as he stared down at his struggling opponent. "Say that again. I dare you."
The man thrashed in the sand, trying to free himself. But before he could recover, Akira grabbed him by the collar and lifted him into the air.
"Here's how it works," Akira said, his voice low and dangerous. "If I decide you live, you live. If I decide you die, nothing can save you."
The man's panicked gaze darted around for a way out. Summoning his Quirk, he manipulated the sand around him, forming a sharp spike in his hand.
Without warning, the spike shot toward Akira's head at point-blank range.
But instead of flesh and blood, the spike hit... sand.
The man's triumphant expression vanished as he realized the truth: Akira had turned his body to sand using his ability.
"Nice try," Akira said, his tone icy.
Before the man could react, Akira's left fist, clad in Armament Haki, smashed into his chest, sending him flying. The villain skidded across the ground, raising a thick cloud of dust.
From within the haze, the man's trembling voice called out.
"Wait... I... I remember now. You're All Might's apprentice. Kitagawa Akira."
"And what good does that do you?" Akira's voice was calm but carried a deadly edge.
"Remembering my name doesn't mean you'll live to tell anyone else."
Akira's hand transformed into a blade of compressed sand, which pierced the man's abdomen before he could react.
The villain coughed up blood, his wide eyes betraying his terror.
"You're... a monster," he choked out.
Akira pulled the blade free, letting the man collapse onto the ground. "Monster? No. I'm just better than you."
He turned his back to the fallen villain and muttered, "Kurogiri's still out there. I need to find him before he causes more trouble."
With a flap of his sand wings, Akira launched himself into the air, leaving the simulation zone behind in seconds.
---
Meanwhile, Kurogiri had regrouped with Tomura Shigaraki, reporting the latest developments.
"All students have been scattered," Kurogiri said. "The U.A. gate is sealed, and their communication equipment is down. But..."
"But what?" Tomura Shigaraki asked, his voice sharp.
Kurogiri hesitated before continuing.
"There was... an unexpected complication. All Might's apprentice—Kitagawa Akira—nearly killed me."
Tomura Shigaraki's lip curled into a sneer.
"That kid? No matter. They're all cornered now, including All Might. His strength is failing, just as I suspected."
He let out a chilling laugh that echoed through the air.
"But what about the teachers?" Tomura Shigaraki asked suddenly. "What's happening with them?"
"They're holding for now," Kurogiri replied. "But we have the numbers. If nothing else, they'll exhaust themselves."
Tomura Shigaraki's grin widened. "Perfect. Let's show these so-called heroes what true despair looks like."
---
All Might, locked in a fierce battle with Nomu, gritted his teeth. His time in his hero form was running out, and he could feel his body weakening.
"Damn it..." he muttered, clenching his fists.
Time was slipping away, and the stakes had never been higher.