When everyone heard this, their faces grew tense with uncertainty.
"K-Kill him? You're joking, right?" Iida asked Akira stiffly, his voice betraying his unease.
"Yeah, these are villains! This isn't training—we could actually die here!" Mineta stammered, his entire body trembling in fear.
"Isn't there another way, Akira?" another student chimed in, desperation evident in their voice.
Akira's expression darkened as he turned to face them. "Of course, there's another way."
"Really?" Hope flickered in their eyes.
"Yes. The other way is waiting to die. But I refuse to just sit back and do nothing." Akira's voice was cold and firm. "If you want to survive, follow me, and I'll do everything I can to keep you alive. But if you're just going to give up and wait for the end, don't expect me to protect you."
A heavy silence descended over the group. Akira's words hung in the air, forcing them to confront the reality of the situation.
"He's right. I've been wanting to take these guys down anyway," Bakugo growled, clenching his fists with a confident sneer.
"Count me in! This feels like something straight out of a battle manga!" Kirishima said enthusiastically, his hands hardening with a loud *swish* as he activated his Quirk.
"I'm not just going to stand here and do nothing," Todoroki added coolly.
"Me too!"
"I don't want to die either—I want to live!"
One by one, the students steeled their resolve, their fighting spirit reigniting. Even Kurogiri, standing before them, seemed momentarily stunned by the shift in their determination.
Akira slowly raised his right hand and pointed directly at Kurogiri. "Then, in the name of the squad leader—let's take him down!"
"Yeah!" the class roared, their collective shout echoing through the training ground as they prepared their Quirks.
"Foolish children," Kurogiri said calmly. His dark mist expanded rapidly, preparing to engulf the charging students and scatter them across the battlefield.
But before the mist could reach them, a sudden barrier of sand rose, forming a protective shield around the students. At the same time, Akira leapt into the air, a pair of sand wings erupting from his back, propelling him toward Kurogiri at high speed.
"Wings…?!" Jiro's eyes widened in disbelief. "His Quirk can do that?"
"That's so cool!" Midoriya exclaimed, unable to hide his amazement.
"It *is* impressive, but now's not the time to admire it!" Yaoyorozu snapped, bringing them back to focus.
Akira had no intention of engaging Kurogiri recklessly. Instead, he utilized his Sand-Sand Fruit powers with precision.
"**Sand Rain!**"
With a sharp command, countless sand arrows materialized from his wings and rained down on Kurogiri. The barrage forced the villain to teleport away to avoid the attack.
*Boom!* Explosions echoed in the distance as the sand arrows struck their unintended targets. Kurogiri reappeared, but Akira was ready.
"So, your mist isn't your true form—it's just a defense for your real body," Akira said coldly, his sharp gaze locking onto the metallic collar embedded within the mist.
Kurogiri frowned. "You're quite perceptive… Akira Kitagawa, All Might's apprentice."
Akira smirked. "Oh, so you've heard of me. Glad to know I'm already famous."
"Of course we've heard of you. You and All Might are the reasons we're here. Consider this our special greeting." Kurogiri's voice was steady, but there was an edge of tension beneath his calm demeanor.
"Then let me return the favor properly!" Akira surged forward, moving faster than Kurogiri could react. His hand shot out, grabbing Kurogiri's collar and slamming it into the ground with a deafening *crack*. The impact sent shockwaves rippling through the area.
"Let's see how sturdy that head of yours really is," Akira muttered, raising his Haki-coated fist.
With a single punch, the ground beneath Kurogiri cracked like a spiderweb, and his metallic collar buckled under the force.
"Not bad," Akira said with a grin. "But if one punch isn't enough, let's try another!"
Before he could land a second blow, Kurogiri desperately expanded his mist, enveloping Akira. In a flash, Akira vanished, teleported away from the battlefield.
"*Cough*… That was close. Any longer, and I'd be finished," Kurogiri muttered as he staggered to his feet. "I need to report this to Shigaraki immediately."
---
Akira landed in the middle of the *Landslide Zone*, surrounded by a barren, sand-filled area.
"Damn it. He teleported me," Akira muttered, brushing sand off his clothes. Before he could gather his bearings, he heard voices behind him.
"Hey, looks like we've got one guy to deal with."
"Only one? That's boring. Let's finish him quickly and head somewhere more fun."
"Yeah, talk about bad luck for this guy."
Akira turned to see a group of villainous thugs approaching. They looked more like monsters than humans, their Quirks giving them grotesque appearances.
"Only one against all of you?" Akira said, his tone filled with mockery. "You must feel confident."
"Oh, we'll make quick work of you," one of the villains sneered.
Akira smirked, the sand around him beginning to swirl. "What a coincidence. Your Quirks seem to be sand-based too. Let's see who's better, shall we?"
With a wave of his hand, the sand beneath him rose like a tidal wave. "*Let's dance.*"