Chapter 7: Shigaraki Tomura
[Rescue Points +100]
The system notification echoed in Akio Tatsuma's mind.
The exhaustion that had built up in his body suddenly faded, replaced by a surge of vitality.
He hadn't expected the Sludge Villain incident to earn him another hundred rescue points.
It seemed the villain had truly been defeated and subdued.
Since Akio had secretly intervened during the fight, the system counted the result as part of his rescue effort.
That meant something important.
In the future, even if he only interfered secretly, as long as a villain was eventually defeated, the system would still credit him with the rescue points.
Akio's eyes brightened slightly.
That meant he could accumulate points without revealing himself.
Right now, he had enough points for another lottery draw.
But that would have to wait until he returned home.
Meanwhile, All Might stood in the rain among the crowd.
Steam rose faintly from his body, drifting upward into the dark sky.
He knew the truth.
His time in this form had run out.
"Ahaha! Everyone's safe now, right?" All Might said loudly. "Then please head home! Goodbye!"
As he spoke, his eyes briefly glanced toward Izuku Midoriya, who was lying exhausted on the ground.
Something seemed to settle in his heart.
Then—
BOOM!
All Might bent his knees and launched himself into the sky like a cannonball, disappearing from sight.
Akio didn't linger.
He turned to leave.
But just as he began walking away, something caught the corner of his eye.
A figure wearing a black cloak.
Akio's expression shifted slightly.
The person's face was hidden, but their behavior immediately seemed suspicious.
Wearing a heavy cloak in broad daylight…
Standing alone in a shadowed corner…
There was no way that person was harmless.
Akio quietly followed.
The further they walked, the fewer people remained on the street.
Eventually, the cloaked figure entered a quiet alley.
Akio slowed his steps.
He didn't dare follow too closely.
Right now, his strength was still limited.
Compared to most students preparing for hero school, he was already quite strong.
But if he faced people like Katsuki Bakugo, Shoto Todoroki, or Fumikage Tokoyami, the outcome would still depend on the actual battle.
Still—
Akio was confident.
Even without using his Quirks, the combat skills he carried from his previous life gave him a strong advantage.
And with both Lightning and Air Manipulation…
His potential was enormous.
Quirks in this world came in many forms.
Two people might both possess fire abilities, but the names and strengths of those Quirks could differ greatly.
For example:
Some were called Flame Wings.
Others were Burning Flames.
And then there were powerful abilities like Hellflame, the Quirk of Endeavor.
Among fire-type Quirks, Hellflame stood near the top.
Unless someone with an equally powerful water-based ability appeared, few could suppress him.
Akio stopped at the corner of the alley.
He pretended to look down at his phone.
From this position, he could still see into the darkness between the buildings.
The cloaked figure slowly removed the hood.
Then—
A pale hand appeared, gripping the person's face.
Akio's pupils shrank slightly.
"…So it really is him."
That feature was unmistakable.
Tomura Shigaraki.
The white hand covering his face seemed almost symbolic.
Shigaraki often referred to that hand as belonging to his father.
Akio didn't know the full meaning behind it, but it clearly held significance.
Shigaraki scratched his chin irritably.
"I thought that sludge villain had some potential," he muttered. "Turns out he was just trash. I'm… really disappointed."
From the shadows behind him, a swirling mass of purple-black mist slowly appeared.
A voice echoed from within it.
"If you had acted earlier, we could have captured him. Once the villain fully swallowed that boy with the powerful Quirk, our forces would have grown."
The figure in the mist was Kurogiri.
Shigaraki scratched his neck again, leaving faint claw marks.
"Forget it," he said impatiently. "It's not time for us to reveal ourselves yet."
"Kurogiri. Take me back."
Kurogiri hesitated briefly.
If Shigaraki had acted earlier, he could have simply teleported them away.
Even if All Might had arrived afterward, it wouldn't have mattered.
They would have escaped easily.
Still—
"There's something strange," Kurogiri said quietly. "At the scene earlier, I sensed an unfamiliar Quirk fluctuation."
Shigaraki's eyes narrowed.
"Did you see anyone suspicious?"
"Not yet," Kurogiri replied. "The rain weakened my detection, and the ability felt unusual… perhaps a subtle-type Quirk. It was difficult to trace."
Shigaraki stretched his arms lazily.
"In that case, forget it."
"Maybe it was just some insignificant insect."
He looked up toward the sky with a twisted smile.
"Soon enough… the world will hear the name of the League of Villains."
"And when it does—"
"It will feel both terror… and excitement."
The next moment, Kurogiri's mist enveloped him.
Both figures vanished.
The alley fell silent.
Akio slowly slipped his phone back into his pocket.
He stared at the empty alley.
"…The League of Villains."
They probably didn't realize something had already changed in this world.
The greatest variable wasn't Midoriya Izuku.
It wasn't All Might.
It was Akio Tatsuma.
But for now—
He had to remain cautious.
Until he grew stronger, he might truly be nothing more than the "insect" Shigaraki described.
Akio turned and left the alley.
There was nothing more to hear.
When he returned home, the news was already broadcasting the Sludge Villain incident.
The entire event was shown in detail.
Especially the footage of Katsuki Bakugo being captured.
Akio couldn't help smiling.
"This might be the biggest black history moment of Bakugo's life."
If Bakugo ever saw this broadcast again, he would probably explode with rage.
Akio leaned back against his small sofa and thought for a moment.
Then he spoke quietly.
"System… start the lottery."
A golden roulette appeared in his mind and began spinning rapidly.
Akio's mood spun along with it.
Finally—
The pointer stopped.
A notification appeared.
[Congratulations, Host.]
[Reward obtained: Quirk Upgrade Pill.]
[Bonus reward obtained: Qi Cultivation Pill.]
Akio jumped up excitedly.
"This system really understands me!"
The Quirk Upgrade Pill was exactly what he needed.
His current level was still too low.
Facing a slightly stronger villain could easily put him in danger.
But if his Quirk improved…
At the very least, he could handle smaller threats.
The Qi Cultivation Pill, however, puzzled him.
It seemed the system somehow knew he could train using his old methods.
Still—
Whether it worked or not, he would test it later.
"First things first."
Akio held the Quirk Upgrade Pill between his fingers.
"Let's try this."
Without hesitation, he tossed it into his mouth.
"…Hmm."
He blinked.
"It melts instantly."
Then he grinned.
"Smooth entrance… straight down the throat."
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