Chapter 8: Sakura Inoue's Homemade Bento
Inside the small rental apartment, Akio Tatsuma swallowed the Quirk Upgrade Pill.
Almost immediately, heat surged through his entire body.
It felt like energy was flooding his muscles, as if every part of him had suddenly been charged with power.
A prompt appeared in his mind.
[Please select the Quirk to upgrade.]Lightning — Air Manipulation
"I'll upgrade Lightning."
For Akio right now, the power he could use openly mattered more.
Air Manipulation was extremely useful, but it was better kept hidden for the moment.
Perhaps one day, when his strength reached the level of All Might at his peak, he could use it freely without worrying about attention.
But that day hadn't come yet.
[Lightning — Level 2][Upgrade successful.][Current Experience: 0 / 200]
Akio raised his right hand.
Blue electricity crackled across his palm.
Compared to before, the current was noticeably thicker and more intense.
He flicked his wrist.
CRACK!
A bolt shot forward, piercing through a wooden stool before striking the floor.
A charred black mark instantly appeared where the electricity landed.
Akio nodded with satisfaction.
"The output definitely improved."
Then his focus shifted to the second reward.
The Energy Enhancement Pill.
For the past several months, Akio had been training his body every day.
However, this world revolved around Quirks, and the natural energy in the environment was extremely weak.
If he relied only on physical conditioning and training, progress would be slow.
But the pill might change that.
Akio swallowed it.
Warm energy spread through his body immediately.
The circulation of energy inside him became smoother, stronger.
Without hesitation, he sat cross-legged on the floor and focused on stabilizing that energy.
Time passed quietly.
Akio had no idea how long he remained like that.
Eventually—
Knock knock.
Someone knocked on the door.
Akio slowly opened his eyes.
The room was already dark.
When he opened the door, he blinked in surprise.
Standing outside was Sakura Inoue, holding a small basket.
"Akio, do you know what time it is?" she asked. "I didn't see you leave your apartment tonight. Did you skip dinner?"
Akio glanced at the clock on the wall.
It was already 10 PM.
The convenience store Sakura managed closed around that time every night.
Her store was less than a hundred meters from his apartment, so she usually saw him come and go.
Tonight she hadn't seen him at all.
And no delivery driver had come upstairs either.
So she assumed he hadn't eaten.
After the chaos earlier during the Sludge Villain incident, she also worried that Akio might be shaken.
Teenagers didn't always handle things like that well.
"Come in," Akio said. "I'll get you some water."
He closed the door behind her.
Sakura looked around the dim room, noticing the faint glow of the computer screen.
"Are you really okay?" she asked.
"I'm fine."
Akio turned on the light.
But when Sakura looked down, she noticed something.
A burn mark on the floor.
She frowned slightly.
"Akio… what happened here?"
Akio immediately felt awkward.
Earlier he had told Sakura his Quirk improved his running speed, allowing him to sprint faster than normal people.
That explanation didn't exactly match the burned floor.
"It's nothing serious," he said quickly. "Don't worry about it."
He let out a quiet breath.
"You already have enough to deal with managing the store. You don't need to worry about me too."
"You should head home and rest."
Sakura studied him silently for a moment.
Then she placed the basket on the table.
"Eat this first."
"I'll leave after you finish."
Akio opened the basket.
Inside was a carefully prepared bento.
The rice and side dishes had been arranged into the shape of a heart.
It was clearly made with care.
Sakura's face turned slightly red.
Her younger brother used to love the bentos she made.
Especially the heart-shaped ones.
But he could never eat them again.
For some reason, when she looked at Akio, she saw a faint resemblance to her brother.
That was why she had started caring about him so quickly.
Watching Akio eat the meal happily made her smile.
"Your smile looks nice," Akio suddenly said while chewing.
A piece of meat slipped from his chopsticks, making the moment look slightly ridiculous.
Sakura couldn't help laughing.
"If you like it, I can make one for you again sometime."
Akio immediately felt a bit embarrassed.
Having someone cook for him regularly felt strange.
Especially since his real mental age was far older than hers, even though he looked like a teenager.
After finishing the meal, Akio walked Sakura downstairs and watched her leave.
When he returned to his apartment, he leaned back on the sofa.
He closed his eyes and felt the energy circulating inside his body.
Something had clearly changed.
His physical conditioning had reached a new stage.
Originally he estimated it would take about a year to reach this point through training alone.
Even under ideal conditions, it would take at least half a year.
But the pill had shortened that process dramatically.
If he obtained more items like that, his combat ability would improve far faster.
Akio leaned back and spoke quietly to himself.
"If the timeline is right… Midoriya should start that brutal training soon."
Compared to Izuku Midoriya, Akio knew he had been extremely lucky.
But luck also meant responsibility.
One For All symbolized power inherited to protect others.
Akio's Rescue System wasn't so different.
The more people he saved, the stronger he would become.
If he continued down this path, one day he might carry a burden just as heavy.
Midoriya might become the hero everyone saw.
Bakugo, Todoroki, Tokoyami—those future classmates would all become powerful heroes.
And Akio…
He imagined himself supporting everything quietly from behind the scenes.
The thought made him smile.
Eventually—
He fell asleep on the sofa.
A small line of drool slipped from the corner of his mouth.
Outside the window, moonlight spread across the rooftops.
On the roof above Akio's apartment, a lone figure stood in the wind.
A sword hung at his waist, and a long red scarf drifted behind him.
The faint scent of blood lingered in the air.
Nearby, a man lay motionless on the rooftop.
Completely drained of blood.
The swordsman slowly sheathed his blade.
The smell of blood faded.
He looked down at the city below and spoke quietly.
"Everything… is for a just society."
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