MHA: Sand Sand Fruit

(A/N: Don't Worry About Chapter 78)

Listening to Akira's request to stop, Boiling Rasenki let out a thoughtful "hmm" and fixed her wide, curious eyes on him.

Akira couldn't help but smile bitterly. He knew that unless he provided some kind of answer, her relentless questioning would continue without pause.

"Fine, let me explain my Quirk," Akira began, raising his arm. The entire arm transformed into sand, shifting and forming into the shape of a sharp sand blade.

"As you can see, my Quirk allows me to manipulate sand freely. I can create weapons, reshape the terrain, or even defend myself. In short, my Quirk is highly versatile, excelling in offense, defense, and support," he explained, keeping his tone casual yet confident.

Boiling Rasenki's eyes sparkled with intrigue, but it was Uzumaki Rasenaki who chimed in next. "That's an incredible Quirk! But I have to ask—how did you manage to land a hit on Takeshi Tsuda when his Quirk allows him to phase through attacks?"

Akira paused, considering his words carefully. "Honestly... I'm not entirely sure myself."

Boiling Rasenki leaned in, her curiosity unrelenting. "During the fight, I noticed that his Quirk worked normally until your hand turned black. After that, his phasing ability seemed to fail. Is there something special about your hands? A secret, maybe?"

Smiling faintly, Akira covered his right hand with the jet-black sheen of Haki. "It's not a secret, really. This ability comes from a unique evolution of my Quirk. So far, I've discovered that it enhances both my attack and defense, and it also seems capable of affecting Quirks like his."

"Quirk evolution?"

The term caught everyone's attention, including Midoriya, who couldn't resist asking, "What exactly do you mean by Quirk evolution?"

"Yeah, Akira, we're classmates. If there's a way to grow stronger, you have to share it with us!" Tokoyami added, his tone half-joking but eager.

Akira rolled his eyes. "Don't get any ideas about shortcuts. There's no easy path to strength—it's all about effort and gradual progress. As for Quirk evolution, it's essentially a significant breakthrough that occurs when you push your Quirk to its limits. Think of it as an advanced development stage."

Everyone nodded in understanding, though their expressions showed varying degrees of curiosity and determination.

With the explanations done, Takeshi Tsuda stepped forward. "If there's nothing else, All Might, we'll take our leave now," he said.

All Might hesitated briefly but eventually nodded.

Before leaving, Tsuda turned to Akira. "Next time, let's try a team match. It'll be interesting to see how you handle it."

Boiling Rasenki added eagerly, "Yeah, Akira! A team competition would be so much fun. Don't you think?"

"Team competition?" Midoriya and the others seemed less enthusiastic, glancing at one another uncertainly.

Takeshi smiled. "That's right. We'll face you five as the 'Three Giants' versus the 'Five Secret Guards.' Sound good?"

Akira smiled faintly, neither committing nor declining. "We'll see if there's time."

"Alright!" Tsuda grinned. "We'll head out now."

With that, the three senior heroes exited the training ground, leaving Akira and his classmates behind.

Not long after, All Might cleared his throat. "Ahem, now that they're gone, I have an important announcement to make."

"An announcement?" The students turned to him, their faces filled with anticipation.

Akira, however, had a sinking feeling.

"All great teams need a great leader. With that in mind, I've decided that Akira will serve as the leader of the Five Secret Guards. Any objections?"

"I'm fine with it."

"Me too."

"I agree!"

"Same here!"

Akira immediately raised his hand in protest. "Wait, All Might! I don't mind being part of the team, but being the leader is a bit much, don't you think?"

All Might gave a knowing smile. "You're the only one capable of leading this team. Your classmates trust you, and your strength speaks for itself. It's settled."

"What exactly does the leader have to do?" Akira asked warily.

"Nothing too complicated," All Might replied. "They just need to follow your orders absolutely. That's all."

Akira thought for a moment. Having absolute obedience from his team sounded convenient. After a moment's hesitation, he relented. "Alright, I'll do it."

"Great!" All Might said, beaming. "However, training your teammates will be part of your responsibilities. Aizawa and I will assist you, of course."

Time passed quickly, and night fell over U.A. As All Might left the training ground, he headed to an important meeting with the principal.

---

In the principal's office, Nezu leaned back in his chair, looking utterly exhausted. "So, All Might, did Akira accept the position?"

"He did," All Might confirmed with a wry smile.

Nezu raised a skeptical brow. "That easily? I expected more resistance."

"Well, there are certain details I didn't mention," All Might admitted. "If I told him everything, I doubt he'd have agreed."

Nezu sighed. "We'll have to keep him occupied for now. Speaking of which..."

The principal opened a drawer and pulled out a stack of papers, handing them to All Might.

"What's this?" All Might asked, flipping through the documents.

"Application materials for an exchange program with Country M," Nezu explained.

"Exchange students?"

Nezu nodded. "Yes. If everything proceeds as planned, this will introduce a whole new dynamic to our already eventful year."