Chapter 22 — Akio's Strength
Bakugo Katsuki stared at Akio Tatsuma in disbelief.
Akio had been completely frozen in ice by Todoroki's attack—yet he still managed to activate his Quirk and release lightning through his eyes.
Was that even possible?
"…Damn it!"
Bakugo slammed his fist into the ground, leaving a deep crater. His chest rose and fell violently as anger boiled inside him.
During this training battle, he had realized something he hated admitting.
He wasn't the strongest.
Both Akio and Shoto Todoroki seemed to stand above him.
Todoroki's Quirk alone could freeze an entire building. The scale and power of his ice attacks were overwhelming. In a wider battlefield, his range would be even more terrifying.
As for Akio…
Bakugo clenched his teeth.
Lightning—fast, lethal, and precise.
Even now his body still felt slightly numb from the electric shock.
When Akio faced the two of them together, he had only been at a slight disadvantage. And in the end, the one who changed the outcome of the battle… had been Akio.
The more Bakugo thought about it, the more furious he became.
Where did this guy even come from?
Standing near the destroyed nuclear prop, Todoroki looked at Akio silently.
Although Akio had been frozen moments earlier, Todoroki had already acknowledged his strength.
Akio was strong.
Possibly even stronger than him.
If Todoroki used the fire side of his Quirk—the power inherited from his father—the result might be different.
But he refused to use it.
That was his rule.
Because of that restriction, Akio currently stood on equal ground with him… perhaps even slightly ahead.
"…Interesting," Todoroki murmured quietly.
He stepped forward and melted the ice that had trapped Akio.
Akio flexed his arm as the frost cracked away.
"Thanks."
Now he had a clearer understanding of Todoroki's strength.
And it was impressive.
Meanwhile—
Two system notifications appeared in Akio's mind.
Save Points +50Saved Person: Denki Kaminari
Save Points +100Saved Person: Momo Yaoyorozu
Akio glanced toward them.
Kaminari and Yaoyorozu were both looking at him with clear relief.
Although the result had been declared a draw, everyone knew who had carried the fight.
Without Akio, their team would have lost long ago.
Even Todoroki alone was currently beyond their ability to handle.
Kaminari's eyes were filled with admiration.
Yaoyorozu's gaze carried respect—and something slightly warmer.
Akio smiled faintly.
Looks like I'm making progress.
Unfortunately, that smile triggered someone else.
"You're laughing at me?"
Bakugo pointed angrily at Akio.
Todoroki spoke calmly before Akio could answer.
"I hope you fight seriously next time."
Akio shrugged.
"Same to you."
He knew Todoroki had held back.
If Todoroki had used both halves of his Quirk, the entire building might have collapsed under the ice. Even Yaoyorozu's heater would have become useless.
Bakugo raised the grenade-shaped equipment on his arm.
"I still haven't used my finishing move."
"You want to test it right now?"
Akio glanced at him.
"We'll fight again eventually."
"No need to rush."
His tone was calm—but deliberately dismissive.
Bakugo's veins bulged.
"What did you say?!"
Akio had already turned away with Yaoyorozu and Kaminari.
"BAKUGO BOY!"
All Might's voice thundered across the training ground.
"The match is over! Return immediately!"
Bakugo stared at Akio's back as he walked away.
After a long moment, he spat on the ground.
"Tch."
The main event of the exercise had clearly been the battle between:
Akio's teamvsBakugo and Todoroki
Although officially declared a draw, most students understood the truth.
Akio had been the key factor.
The rest of the training matches felt much calmer by comparison.
Only the fight involving Tokoyami and Midoriya drew notable attention. The remaining matches were relatively ordinary.
Eventually, All Might gathered the class again.
"Everyone worked hard today!"
He stood proudly with his hands on his hips.
"Fortunately, no one suffered serious injuries—except Midoriya and Bakugo."
"But for your first combat training, you all performed very well!"
He intentionally avoided praising Akio too directly.
Many of the students already felt pressure from Akio's strength. Excessive praise would only increase the tension.
Tsuyu tilted her head thoughtfully.
"After Mr. Aizawa's harsh teaching style earlier… this feels a little anticlimactic."
All Might laughed.
"Teaching styles are a teacher's freedom!"
"Now, I need to speak with Midoriya for a moment."
"The rest of you—change clothes and return to the classroom."
Before anyone could respond, All Might suddenly rushed off at high speed.
Only Akio understood why.
His time limit was almost up.
Back in the classroom, Akio sat quietly at his desk.
He was thinking about something important.
His Save Points had just reached 1,000.
The points from Toga, Kaminari, and Yaoyorozu had pushed him past the threshold.
He had also discovered something interesting.
Saving someone didn't always require defeating enemies or dramatic rescues.
If someone began to trust him, rely on him, or admire him, the system could also reward points.
That made things much easier.
He no longer needed to hunt down criminals just to gain points.
Even interacting with his classmates could generate them.
Now that he had 1,000 points, he reconsidered his earlier plan.
Originally he wanted to buy weapons and equipment.
But after using the U.A. combat suit, he had changed his mind.
The suit already enhanced his lightning abilities.
For example:
His Lightning Style: Chidori Spear originally had a range of only 1 meter.
With the suit's amplification system, it could now extend to 1.5 meters.
That was already a huge improvement.
So instead of equipment—
He decided to improve himself.
Inside the system shop, a Quirk Enhancement Pill cost 500 Save Points.
As long as the Quirk level was below Level 5, it could increase the level by one.
Akio leaned back in his chair.
"…Let's start with a lottery draw."
And he activated the system.
✨Enjoying the story? You can support me on Patreon —
Patreon.com/MizuSan
✨ Patreon members get early chapter access, bonus content! 🥰
🎉 Plus, I'll release 1 extra chapter for every 5 reviews!💎 Or grab 1 bonus chapter for every 50 Power Stones you send my way! 🥳
🌊 Let's reach 20 Patreon members to unlock 5 extra chapters together