Chapter 37: Chapter 34 Professional Hero's Job
Akira ignored the woman's question and turned to Kyoko Sato. "Leave now. With your strength, staying here will only slow me down."
"But…" Kyoko hesitated, concern flickering in her eyes.
"Don't worry." Akira's tone softened. "I've figured out her Quirk."
Reluctantly, Kyoko nodded. "Be careful. I'll get reinforcements!" Without waiting for another word, she turned and ran as fast as she could.
Tada, furious, lunged toward Kyoko to stop her, but Akira intercepted him. He appeared mid-air with a powerful kick.
**Bang!**
Tada crashed to the ground with a groan. Kyoko used the chance to disappear into the distance.
Tada struggled to his feet, his eyes burning with rage, ready to give chase. But his mother's sharp voice froze him in his tracks.
"There's no need to chase her. Our target is Akira. Let the girl go," the woman said with icy calm.
Reluctantly, Tada dusted himself off and nodded. "Okay, Mom."
The woman's calculating gaze turned to Akira. "You… you can see it, can't you?" she asked, referring to her invisible mental attack.
Akira smirked. "Do I owe you an explanation?"
Her eyes narrowed, her voice cold. "It doesn't matter. I'll find out soon enough."
She unleashed another wave of invisible force. But once again, Akira dodged with ease, leaping high into the air.
The woman's brow furrowed in frustration. Akira's movements confirmed her fear: he could see her mental attacks, rendering her Quirk almost useless.
"Is this all you've got?" Akira taunted, vanishing in a blur.
In an instant, he reappeared behind her.
**Thud!**
Akira's kick landed squarely on her side, sending her tumbling across the ground.
**Bang! Bang! Bang!**
She rolled several times before coming to a stop, coughing as she tried to get up. Dust and debris filled the air.
"Mom!" Tada shouted, his voice trembling. His confidence had completely crumbled at the sight of his mother's defeat.
In the swirling dust, the woman staggered to her feet, clutching her side. Her expression was grim. "Is your Quirk speed-based?" she muttered under her breath.
"Guess again." Akira's voice was calm, his eyes sharp as he assessed her. "And besides your weak mental attacks, do you know anything else?"
Her frustration grew, beads of sweat forming on her forehead. Things weren't going the way she had expected. She'd assumed her Quirk would quickly incapacitate Akira, allowing her to finish the job. But now, her plan was falling apart.
"Tada, get over here!" she snapped.
Tada hesitated, his voice shaking. "Mom, my Quirk doesn't work on him!"
"You're as useless as your father," she growled.
Tada lowered his head, shame written all over his face.
"You're trash! When we get back, I'll deal with you properly!" she barked, her anger overflowing.
Akira chuckled coldly. "Go back? Do you really think you'll make it out of here alive?"
The woman's face darkened. "What? Are you planning to kill us? You wouldn't dare!"
Akira's response was a simple smirk. He raised his hand, summoning a sharp, shimmering blade of sand.
**"Desert Sword."**
The blade shot forward, slicing through the earth and heading straight for Tada and his mother.
The woman's instincts kicked in, and she narrowly dodged the attack. But Tada wasn't so lucky. The blade struck his arm, severing it cleanly.
**"Ahhhh!"**
Tada fell to the ground, clutching his bleeding stump and screaming in agony. "Help me! Mom, help me! I'm going to die!"
The woman's gaze darted between her son and Akira, her face pale with fear. Beads of sweat dripped down her face as the situation spiraled out of control.
"Enough of your nonsense," Akira said, his voice calm but laced with menace. "You've already lost. You're nothing but a threat I need to eliminate."
"You… you're filled with murderous intent. You're not worthy of being a pro hero!" she spat, her voice trembling.
Akira's laughter echoed in the air, cold and mocking. "Worthy? Do you think professional heroes are noble? Don't make me laugh. Being a hero is just a job in this society."
His expression darkened as he continued. "If you threaten me, you die. No exceptions. It's that simple."
Tada writhed on the ground, his cries growing louder. "Mom, please! Do something! It hurts so much!"
"Shut up!" she snapped, her anger and desperation boiling over. "If you keep whining, I'll kill you myself!"
Akira ignored their squabbling, his gaze sharp and unyielding. "Your Quirk is useless against me. You've already lost. This ends now."
As he spoke, a swirling tornado of sand began to form in his hand, its power crackling in the air like a predator ready to strike.