The Strongest Quirk in My Hero Academia

Akira overheard Hirayama mention that the quirk of the small steel cannon was tempered steel, and a thought struck him. Isn't Tetsutetsu Tetsutetsu's quirk also steel? These two quirks must be similar.

"So, you're the challenger Manshan?" The small steel cannon looked up and down at Manshan, clearly uncomfortable with anyone taller than him. "Is 1.9 meters that impressive? I've taken down people over two meters tall," he scoffed.

Manshan cast a cold look down at him. "Go ahead; you'll be seeing your ancestors soon."

"What did you say?" Small Steel Cannon, visibly angered, had never encountered such an arrogant challenger before.

Akira observed that Manshan seemed to be intent on killing. This wasn't just a regular fight.

"Greetings, audience!" A sudden voice broke through the noise, and the spotlight illuminated a young man in a suit, standing confidently on a high platform. He smiled broadly.

"I'm your old friend, Simi Ichiro. Today, we have a face-off between Small Steel Cannon, ranked fourth among the Five Kings, and the challenger, Manshan, making his debut in the underground Heroes arena. Let's see how this match unfolds!" With a wave of his hand, the host signaled the start of the battle.

"You'll regret those words!" Small Steel Cannon's arms shook, instantly turning pitch black. Akira noticed that his quirk was limited to his arms, which took on an exceptionally dark, metallic color—darker even than Tetsutetsu Tetsutetsu's.

This must mean his steel quirk is extremely hard, Akira thought, realizing Small Steel Cannon seemed much tougher than Tetsutetsu Tetsutetsu.

With his eyes narrowed, Manshan suddenly widened his stance, generating a shockwave from his legs, and launched a punch straight at Small Steel Cannon.

Small Steel Cannon scoffed in disdain, throwing his blackened right arm forward to meet the blow. But in the next moment, his face twisted in shock as something unexpected happened.

Manshan's punch made contact, and to everyone's astonishment, Small Steel Cannon's arm, which was as hard as steel, twisted grotesquely, his bones seemingly crushed from within.

"No…this can't be…" Small Steel Cannon's prideful expression collapsed as his once-formidable arm crumbled with just one punch. He was ranked fourth among the Five Kings!

Akira's eyes narrowed as he tried to understand Manshan's quirk. He hadn't seen anything unique until the moment of impact when a shockwave rippled from Manshan's body, distorting Small Steel Cannon's arm.

Shockwave? Akira thought. It's possible that Manshan's quirk revolves around generating shockwaves, but without knowing the specific details, it was difficult to judge its limits.

Still, one thing was clear: this Manshan was exceptionally strong.

On the platform, the host was visibly stunned, clearly taken aback. He'd expected Small Steel Cannon to win, being one of the Five Kings who had held his place for a long time, but this unknown challenger had just taken him down.

It seemed Manshan had no intention of giving Small Steel Cannon a chance to recover. He stepped forward, gripped Small Steel Cannon's head, and yanked—sending his head flying into the air. Blood gushed from the neck, quickly pooling on the ring.

The audience collectively held their breath. Then, someone started chanting, "Man Mountain! Man Mountain!"

The host snapped back to reality, announcing, "A new fourth-ranked King has risen—Manshan!"

"Congratulations!" the host exclaimed, barely fazed by the bloodshed. He'd seen his fair share of brutal battles, but this one had left him surprised and exhilarated.

The audience shared the excitement, though Hirayama Yuda wore a disappointed look, having lost his bet. The 100,000 yen was gone.

Hirayama wasn't alone; most spectators had placed their bets on Small Steel Cannon, expecting him to win easily, only to lose entirely.

Akira glanced at Himiko Toga, who looked particularly amused. He wondered if she'd bet on Manshan to win.

Standing in the ring, Manshan looked at the crowd with a blood-splattered smile before turning and leaving. No one could quite tell what that smile meant; most assumed he was celebrating his victory.

The battle's result spread quickly through the underground Heroes venue, and even those who hadn't attended were soon talking about it. Many regretted missing such a spectacle.

"No matter how glamorous you are in life, death can be indifferent."

Akira turned at the sound of a gentle voice nearby. An unusually beautiful woman stood beside him, dressed in white. Though her face was hidden by a veil, her elegance couldn't be concealed.

She smiled softly at Akira before disappearing into the crowd.

"Hey, Xiongda," Akira turned and patted Hirayama's shoulder. Hirayama was squatting, hammering the ground in frustration.

"Don't talk to me—I'm in a terrible mood!" Hirayama groaned, his face twisted in regret over the lost 100,000 yen.

Akira laughed. "Lost a bit of money, did you?"

"Leave me alone," Hirayama muttered, still dejected.

"Cheer up. I'll treat you to a nice dinner tonight," Akira said, helping him up.

"Really?" Hirayama asked, a glimmer of hope returning.

"Of course, but I need you to answer a question first," Akira replied with a grin.

Hirayama perked up. "Ask away. I'll tell you whatever I know."

"Did you see a woman in white standing next to me just now?" Akira asked.

"Nope, no woman in white here. There's never anyone dressed in white in this underground Heroes venue," Hirayama answered, then paused. "Wait…there's one person known for wearing white, but why would someone like her come to watch Small Steel Cannon?"

Akira pressed him. "Who are you talking about?"

"One of the Seven Saints—Baixue," Hirayama said.

Akira was taken aback. That woman was Bai Xue, one of the Seven Saints? And she had smiled at him? No one should be able to recognize him with his mask on.

"I think you were seeing things. Baixue wouldn't show up for a small-time match. She hasn't been challenged in months," Hirayama continued.

"Come on, let's go collect the winnings and grab that meal," Akira said, intrigued. This Bai Xue seemed interesting.

Hirayama suddenly jumped, pointing at Akira in surprise. "You won your bet!"