Mha: Sand Sand Fruit

All Might's voice echoed in Akira's ears as he bolted up the staircase.

"The remaining hostages are on the top floor. Akira, be careful!"

Akira gave a brief nod, his mind racing. The clock was ticking, and every second mattered. The building had twenty floors, but thanks to All Might gathering intel from fleeing civilians, he already knew the key locations: the second floor and the topmost level.

**Five minutes.**

That was all the time Akira had. He moved swiftly, vaulting the stairs three at a time. His movements were fluid, calculated for maximum efficiency. In mere seconds, he cleared the first set of levels, reaching the top floor in just over a minute.

Standing before the final stairwell door, Akira hesitated.

Behind that door lay the unknown—hostages, criminals, and potentially dangerous Quirks. Could he afford to risk opening it?

As if to answer his hesitation, the door creaked open. Akira tensed, his sharp instincts urging him to stay on guard.

A red-haired man stepped through the doorway, his eyes narrowing as he spotted Akira.

"Hey! Another brat sneaking around, huh?" the man barked, his voice gruff.

Akira stood his ground, maintaining a calm expression as he evaluated the situation.

"Bring him here," came a commanding voice from within the room. "And check if there are any others hiding nearby."

"Got it," the red-haired man replied. He turned back to Akira, sneering. "What's it gonna be, kid? You walk, or I drag you?"

"I'll go on my own," Akira said evenly, stepping forward.

The top floor was dimly lit, but Akira's sharp gaze quickly took in the layout. Three criminals occupied the room, two standing guard while the third patrolled. A group of frightened hostages cowered against the far wall, heads down and trembling.

Among the hostages, Akira's eyes locked onto a familiar figure—**Yaoyorozu Momo**.

Surprise flickered across his face, but he quickly composed himself. He moved closer and crouched beside her, keeping his voice low.

"Are these all the criminals?" he asked.

Momo glanced at him, startled, then whispered back. "Are you…?"

"Answer me," Akira interrupted, urgency in his tone.

Momo hesitated, then nodded. "There are three here, plus one more who went downstairs earlier."

The "one more" she mentioned had to be the hairy figure Akira had seen on the second floor. That meant there were only four enemies total.

"You're sure?" he pressed.

"Yes. They started on this floor and split up later," Momo confirmed.

Akira nodded. "Good. Stay quiet."

He glanced around, formulating a plan. The situation was dire, and the hostages' safety was paramount. A risky but necessary idea began to form in his mind.

Placing his hands on the ground, Akira focused his energy.

"What are you doing?" Momo whispered, alarmed.

"Handling business," he replied.

The ground beneath them began to shift, the solid floor morphing into fine grains of sand. With a sharp motion, Akira raised his arms.

"**Desert Wall!**"

The sand surged upward, forming a towering barrier between the hostages and the criminals. The sudden movement caught the guards off guard.