NOVEL NEXT Chapter 74: Chapter 67
Akira smiled and patted Sero Hanta on the back. "Sero, you don't understand. Darkness and light are proportional. Although we don't see much darkness in our daily lives, it's only because the government suppresses it. If they didn't, the extent of the darkness would shock us all."
Suddenly, Akira's heavy words silenced the group. Everyone held their breath, unsure how to respond.
Akira continued, "There are many pro Heroes who operate publicly, but just as many underground Heroes walk in the shadows. My decision not to participate in the Sports Festival has its reasons—staying low-key is one of them."
He looked around and added, "After the Villain Alliance incident at USJ, they've had their eyes on me. So far, I've managed to stay safe, probably because they see my quirk as troublesome to deal with for now."
The class was stunned by his bold claims, except for Bakugo Katsuki, who marched right up to Akira. "Can you stop pretending already? I can't stand it!"
Akira laughed and patted Bakugo on the shoulder. "Sorry, Bakugo, but I've earned the right to brag."
Without waiting for a reply, Akira walked out of the classroom, leaving behind a mix of admiration and exasperation.
"Hahaha," Hagakure Toru suddenly laughed. "Akira really has a way of making his words sound both cool and infuriating."
Jiro Kyoka nodded. "True, but he has the strength to back it up."
Most of the class agreed. If anyone else had said those things, it might have sounded arrogant, but Akira's achievements made it acceptable.
"Hey, you idiots!" Bakugo shouted, glaring at his classmates. "Why are you hyping him up? He's not all that!"
"And what's worse," he muttered under his breath, "he called me Bakugo just now. Like we're close or something."
"Relax, Bakugo," Kaminari Denki teased. "Only people with the skills can pull it off."
Bakugo's temper flared as he lunged at Kaminari. "I've had enough of you!"
"Whoa, whoa, calm down! It's lunchtime!" Kaminari yelped, dodging frantically.
The classroom erupted into laughter, the tension easing as everyone returned to their usual banter.
---
**In the Cafeteria**
Akira walked to the cafeteria, relieved to be away from the attention. He mused to himself, *Good thing I've kept my other identity as Dark Night hidden. Drawing too much attention now would be dangerous.*
Lost in thought, he was interrupted by a voice. "You're that guy from USJ, right? Akira?"
Looking up, Akira saw Monoma Neito from Class 1-B.
"Yeah, that's me. What's up?" Akira replied casually, chuckling.
Monoma smirked and extended his hand for a friendly pat on the shoulder, but Akira felt the subtle shift of his quirk. *So, he's trying to copy my abilities?* Akira thought, amused.
Monoma's expression shifted slightly as he realized he could only copy part of Akira's quirk. "Interesting," Monoma said, stepping back. "You're as strong as the rumors say."
"Thanks for the compliment," Akira said, watching him leave. *So that's his plan—use my quirk during the Sports Festival. Good luck with that.*
As Monoma walked away, he tested his new ability by summoning a small thunderball. Feeling the immense power within, his grin widened. "Akira's quirk… This could change everything."
Meanwhile, Akira ordered a bowl of ramen, enjoying the quiet moment. As he began eating, Midoriya Izuku sat across from him, a determined look on his face.
"Akira," Midoriya began earnestly, "thank you for your advice. It really helped me understand my quirk better."
Akira smiled. "That's good to hear. Overcoming fear is a crucial step. You're learning, Midoriya."
For a moment, Midoriya felt a strange sense of familiarity between Akira and the mysterious Dark Night Hero who had helped him during the USJ attack. But he brushed the thought aside, focusing instead on his newfound confidence.