MHATG: Chapter 371/375

Chapter 371: Aizawa’s Hesitation

Kaminari returned to his cave, and his good mood was slightly dampened by Tokoyami's decision to follow him.

He hadn't expected that, and he didn't like the outcome of using support gear for remote control. Besides, even if such equipment were approved, it would still be monitored by the Hero Public Safety Commission.

Originally, he thought that veteran Pro Heroes like Pixie-Bob knew some kind of secret technique, similar to Edgeshot's "Meditative Technique" or Daimon Goro's "Blood Transport Technique."

"Actually, if I think about it carefully, the 'radar' I developed earlier can perfectly replace those specialized rescue goggles used in hazardous environments." Kaminari picked up the thick wire and muttered to himself.

He had practiced this trick several times before, but how to standardize and incorporate it into his usual routine had always been a puzzle.

The issue was simple—it was about performing three tasks simultaneously. The 'radar' itself involved controlling the radio waves on his body to form an electromagnetic field while also running the "Meditation Method." That alone was already multitasking.

"Is it because I haven't practiced enough, or because I haven't mastered the finer details? How did Enel do it in One Piece?" With that question in mind, Kaminari powered up and once again entered a brain short-circuiting state.

Evening gradually approached. Everyone, having completed their training for the day, began preparing dinner despite being mentally and physically exhausted.

Tonight's meal was beef stew with potatoes. Yes, this dish exists not only in China but also in Japan, where it's made in a distinct Japanese style, giving it a sweet taste.

"Wow, Bakugo is amazing! I really didn't expect this," Uraraka said in surprise as she watched a kitchen knife rapidly dicing carrots on the cutting board.

"What's so surprising about that?!" Bakugo continued chopping at high speed, then turned to snap back with a hint of irritation. "It's just cutting vegetables, nothing special."

"Here we go again, Almighty Boy…" Kirishima, carrying an armful of firewood, sighed as he passed by. "According to Bakugo's mom, this guy picks things up instantly!"

"The raw gap in talent is honestly depressing," Monoma commented while cleaning the beef, glancing over with a smirk.

"Talent, huh? But hard work can surpass talent," Tetsutetsu added casually.

But when he glanced at Kaminari, who was helping light the fire, he silently added in his heart, "...It's just hard to catch up to someone who has both talent and works hard."

"Do I have any talent?" Kaminari stood up after lighting the firewood with a small thunderball, distracted by the conversation.

"Now that I think about it, my Quirk development has been relatively smooth—like god-speed, the railgun, and Raikiri."

Although those techniques had taken a lot of sweat and effort to master, in the end, they had all come together naturally. It's hard to say they were solely the result of effort.

"So what exactly is my talent?"

"I don't have Todoroki's dual-Quirk ability, which allows him to perfectly balance weaknesses. Nor do I have Bakugo's instinctive grasp of combat or his ability to instantly learn new techniques."

Kaminari, deep in thought, didn't realize he had subconsciously whispered the last part aloud. Kyoka, standing beside him, overheard and chuckled. "Isn't that just luck?"

"Luck?!"

That word hit Kaminari like a jolt. Kyoka continued, "Yeah, when we went to I-Island, no one in that whole room could beat you. That kind of luck is almost like a Quirk itself, isn't it?"

"Hey, hey, what do you mean? What kind of luck is close to a Quirk?" Monoma suddenly popped up and asked curiously.

"It really happened, now that I think about it. It's kinda unbelievable," Kirishima said, hands on his hips with a big grin.

Kaminari didn't pay much attention to them teasing him about his luck. He was still caught up in his own thoughts.

"If luck really is a talent, how can you use it consciously? Or is it a passive ability?"

After the Japanese-style beef stew and white rice were ready, everyone gathered around the long table, eating their hot meal and chatting about "Lucky Kaminari."

"Sensei, can I ask you something?" After finishing his meal and washing his dishes, Kaminari walked into the dorm building and found Class 1-A's homeroom teacher, Aizawa.

"What is it?" Aizawa looked up briefly from the desk where he was organizing student reports, then returned to his work.

Although he didn't seem to do much during the day besides watching their training, at night, he and Class B's Mr. Vlad King would sort and record the students' training data.

"I want to ask you about mental strength."

Kaminari had thought long and hard before deciding to come to Aizawa. He had seen him manipulate his capture weapon multiple times, making the bandages around his neck move as if by will.

When he first enrolled, Aizawa had even used it to directly bind Midoriya. Compared to his own "luck," Aizawa's control seemed much closer to being a real Quirk.

If Kaminari hadn't known that Aizawa's Quirk was "Erasure," and that he didn't have a second Quirk, he might've suspected him of having psychic powers.

So this had to involve the use of "mental strength," and Kaminari suspected that his inability to multitask might stem from lacking in that area.

Just like how Enel in One Piece developed his "Judgment of God" technique—with Observation Haki playing a major role.

He hadn't originally wanted to go to Aizawa, since he was part of U.A. and Kaminari didn't want to reveal too many of his secrets to the school.

But there was no choice. If he wanted to grow stronger, he had to take some risks.

"Mental strength…"

Hearing those words, Aizawa looked up at him in surprise. After a moment, he said, "So you've grown to that level already."

"Edgeshot told me during my work-study that I surpassed him in that area." Kaminari spoke sincerely.

"Did he take you on as a disciple?" Aizawa's tone remained calm, unaffected by the flattery.

"Things like that are usually only taught to people with close relationships. Parent and child, or master and disciple—those are the most common."

"Uh… yeah."

Kaminari understood what Aizawa was implying—that this sort of technique wasn't something taught in the regular U.A. curriculum, and Aizawa had no obligation to help someone who wasn't his student in that regard.

"Starting tomorrow, set aside one hour of your training time. I'll come to your cave and teach you what you want to learn."

"If you're still here after school starts, the time remains the same—one hour—but I'll only teach you for a month. If you can't master it in that time, it means you don't have the talent for it."

Just as Kaminari was bracing himself for rejection, Aizawa looked down at his paperwork and gave his reply softly.

Kaminari was stunned, then quickly nodded. "Okay, okay, thank you so much!"

"Alright, go on. Walk off that dinner, but skip the Courage Test afterward. You and Todoroki still have tutoring to do."

"Yes!"

Kaminari had no complaints. He wasn't interested in the Courage Test anyway and left the room happily.

Boom.

As the door closed, Aizawa looked up thoughtfully and muttered under his breath, "I don't know if this is the right decision. Kaminari, just how strong will you become? And what kind of path will you take in the future?"

He already had a feeling that the decision he had just made might very well lead to the rise of another powerhouse on the level of All Might.

But in an era where peace was gradually settling in and even Pro Heroes were becoming saturated… would the emergence of an overwhelmingly powerful existence truly be a good thing?

(To be continued.)

Chapter 372: Furious Bakugo!

The night had fully taken over the sky. The bright moon and starlight replaced the white clouds and sunshine as the main backdrop above.

"Now that we're all full and the dishes are washed, next up is..." Pixie-Bob grinned.

"The Test of Courage!!!" Ashido, Kirishima, Sero, and the others shouted excitedly.

"Nope," Mandalay said with a smile, adjusting her red dress.

"Huh?" Everyone leaned forward in confusion. Weren't they supposed to be playing a game tonight?

"Before the Test of Courage, we're having a Class A vs. Class B boys' arm-wrestling match. The loser will be the one who gets scared first. No Quirks allowed!" Ragdoll, dressed in yellow with green hair, added cheerfully.

"Since there are fourteen boys in Class A and only twelve in Class B, two from Class A will need to sit out."

"Do you think we'll have a draw, or will someone volunteer to abstain?" Tiger flexed his muscular arm and asked with a smile.

The boys from Class A looked at each other, unsure of what to do. Just then, Minoru Mineta and Yuga Aoyama raised their hands.

"I'm not interested in arm wrestling or anything like that!" Mineta said, glancing away.

He knew his small frame meant he'd be easy pickings, and with so many girls watching, he didn't want to get humiliated.

"Me too. Crude activities like arm wrestling don't suit someone as refined as Yuga," Aoyama added with a flourish, brushing his blond hair.

"Alright then. Everyone else, face off!" Mandalay said with a smile as Pixie-Bob activated her Quirk to form a makeshift earthen platform.

"The first group: Shoda Nirengeki versus Mashirao Ojiro!"

"Second group: Kojiro Bondo versus Mezo Shoji!"

"Third group: Rikido Sato versus Katsuki Bakugo!"

"Fourth group: Kosei Tsuburaba versus Tetsutetsu Tetsutetsu!"

"Fifth group: Togaru Kamakiri versus Koji Koda!"

"Sixth group: Yosetsu Awase versus Eijiro Kirishima!"

"Seventh group: Neito Monoma versus Izuku Midoriya!"

"Eighth group: Niriko Fukidashi versus Ibara Shiozaki!"

"Ninth group: Jurota Shishida versus Hanta Sero!"

"Tenth group: Shihai Kuroiro versus Fumikage Tokoyami!"

"Eleventh group: Kaibara Sen versus Shoto Todoroki!"

"Twelfth group: Lin Feilong versus Denki Kaminari!"

After rattling off the matchups, Mandalay exhaled a long breath. No one really knew why Vlad King had suddenly suggested this, and somehow, Tiger had actually agreed.

"This looks like so much fun!" Ashido Mina beamed. "Kirishima, don't lose!"

"Don't worry, arm wrestling's my thing!" Kirishima said confidently.

"Go for it, Midoriya-kun!" Uraraka cheered, throwing up her hands and making Midoriya blush.

"You've got this, Kaminari!" Kyoka and Momo said at the same time, then glanced at each other.

"Yeah, no worries," Kaminari replied casually. He didn't notice the strange vibe between the two girls. He looked at his opponent, Lin Feilong, and smiled.

"I'll do my best, Lin Feilong-san!"

Soon, the first match between Shoda Nirengeki and Mashirao Ojiro began, both stepping onto the platform with serious expressions as cheers erupted from the girls.

They were young and full of pride, and the mention of a face-off stirred their competitive spirits. Neither wanted to lose.

"Ojiro-san should win this one. He's practiced martial arts and taekwondo since childhood," Asui Tsuyu said quietly.

"Definitely. Ojiro might look plain, but he's actually really strong!" Toru Hagakure laughed, only her gloves and uniform floating in the air.

But their comments made the Class B students exchange knowing smiles, which caused Todoroki, who was paying close attention, to frown and look at Shoda Nirengeki.

"Alright, let the match begin!"

At Pixie-Bob's cue, the clasped hands tensed. The surrounding voices faded as everyone focused on the battle of strength.

Gradually, Ojiro's expression grew more strained. His teeth clenched audibly as he struggled.

Shoda, on the other hand, remained calm. His eyes were steady, and his right arm didn't even flinch.

Solid. So solid!

"No way..." Hagakure muttered in disbelief.

"Now!"

Boom!!

Shoda's eyes lit up. At the moment Ojiro's strength peaked, he exploded with power and slammed Ojiro's hand to the platform.

"First group, Class B wins!" Pixie-Bob declared.

"Yes! Let's go, Shoda!" Kendo and the other Class B girls cheered wildly while Class A fell into stunned silence.

"Shoda's raw strength beats Beast Taro's." Nirengeki taunted with mock pride.

"You're underestimating him..." Iida frowned. Maybe Class A had been taking Class B too lightly.

"It's fine. Shoji-san's up next!" Uraraka encouraged, still smiling.

As expected, Mezo Shoji easily defeated Kojiro Bondo in seconds.

"Ouch. Strength really isn't my thing..." Bondo muttered, rubbing his sore palm.

"Quit stalling and get up here so I can crush you!!" Bakugo suddenly stepped onto the platform, his face full of aggression.

"Uh, so scary..." Pony Tsunotori hid behind Kendo.

"Think Bakugo can win? Sato seems pretty strong," Sero asked nervously.

Everyone looked at Sato's large, muscular build, then back at Bakugo. They couldn't help but feel unsure.

"What the hell are you looking at?! I'm gonna win, obviously!!" Bakugo shouted.

"Of course you are!" Kirishima encouraged him with a smile.

Boom!!!

But when the match ended, everyone was stunned. Both Class B and the Wild, Wild Pussycats stared in disbelief. The bulky Sato had been defeated instantly!

"You bastard!!"

Bakugo exploded with rage. He grabbed Sato's collar and yelled furiously, "You held back, didn't you?! I'll blow you up!"

"Kacchan! Stop it!!" Midoriya ran over to intervene, but Bakugo refused to let go.

He felt insulted. There had been no challenge in that arm-wrestling match. If Sato didn't explain himself properly, he might seriously blow him up right there.

"N-no! I didn't mean to hold back! I was just shocked by your strength!" Sato quickly waved his hands and tried to explain.

After Iida, Midoriya, and the others calmed Bakugo down, he finally let go. Sato then lifted his shirt with an embarrassed smile.

"Honestly, without my Quirk, I'm pretty strong, but far from superhuman. And I eat dessert every day, so I've got a bit of a belly.

"I thought my natural strength would be enough to win, but I didn't expect you to be that powerful..."

Kirishima's hardened strength is comparable to Sato's Quirk-enhanced strength (five times increase).

So, if we assume Quirks like Hardening and Steel don't provide passive strength boosts, then Kirishima's normal strength is about equal to Sato's five-times boost.

Thus, based on discussions, Sato's normal strength might be relatively low and fully dependent on his Quirk. Unlike Bakugo, Kirishima, or Tetsutetsu, who train regularly.

(To be continued.)

Chapter 373: Continuous Surprises!

"You've never worked out before?" The one asking was Kaminari, his face full of doubt. Judging by Sato's frame, he didn't seem particularly weak.

Of course, Sato's so-called frailty and lack of strength were only relative to people like Bakugo and Kirishima. In truth, his physique was far stronger than that of most adults.

"Well, I've done some exercise..." Sato scratched the back of his head in embarrassment, and now everyone understood.

"This is what they call wasted talent! Damn it, why wasn't I born with this kind of wasted talent?!" Mineta muttered, consumed by jealousy. The envy twisted his expression into something borderline terrifying.

On the other side, Kaminari lowered his head in thought, then spoke to Aizawa, who was silently observing.

"Sensei, I think we may have misunderstood Sato-san's Quirk up until now."

Aizawa lifted his eyes slightly. He didn't say anything, but his gaze signaled Kaminari to continue.

"Previously, Sato's training focused on eating sweets repeatedly and using his Quirk to build up resistance to sugar and reduce the cognitive side effects."

"But judging from what we just saw, his Quirk should be considered a physical-type with supplemental enhancement, similar to Midoriya, Jurota Shishida, and Kaibara."

At this moment, Momo nodded in realization and smiled. "I see. While some of us have Quirks that interact with our physical abilities, there are actually two different development paths."

"As long as students like Sato continue physical training, the effects of their Quirks will improve too!"

"So Sato-san's Quirk is actually a 'simple amplification type'. He shouldn't have been grouped with me for training, but with Tiger, right?" Kyoka said, suddenly understanding.

"Exactly. His Quirk, 'Sugar Rush,' works by consuming sugar to temporarily increase his strength fivefold for about three minutes, though it comes with temporary cognitive impairment after the effect ends," Kaminari continued.

"If he improves his base physical strength, the effect duration could increase, and the side effects would naturally be delayed. To test this theory..."

"Let Sato activate his Quirk now. If the recent training has helped, it proves the current plan is working. If not, then your hypothesis is correct."

After Kaminari finished, Aizawa silently reached into his pants pocket and tossed a candy toward Sato.

"Eh? Mint flavor?" Sato caught the candy instinctively and glanced at the wrapper.

"This one's for students doing night classes. As for the flavor, it's a punishment," Aizawa said expressionlessly.

"Well, I think mint is pretty good." Kaminari muttered.

"Yeah." Todoroki nodded in agreement.

Soon, the truth about Sato Rikido's Quirk came to light. The result? It was no different from before his training.

"Your training plan will be adjusted starting tomorrow. For the revised program, speak with Tiger tonight. It'll focus mainly on physical training," Aizawa said, turning toward Tiger.

"Got it! Leave it to me!" Tiger gave a thumbs-up with a grin. Among the present Pro Heroes, he was undoubtedly the most experienced when it came to physical training.

Sato felt a little uncomfortable. His previous training had been relatively easy, but those carefree days were clearly over starting tomorrow.

Still, he didn't resent Kaminari. He knew it was for his own good, and deep down, he was grateful.

Kaminari turned to him and said, "Sato-san, your Quirk is actually really powerful. In terms of potential, it's on par with Kirishima's 'Hardening'."

"If your base physical strength is one, and your Quirk increases it to five, then if your base strength becomes ten… how much would it increase to?"

"Fifty... Fifty..." Sato muttered, eyes wide.

"Exactly. So don't waste your Quirk. You've got the potential to be a top-tier Pro Hero." With that, Kaminari turned his attention to the next arm-wrestling match.

Class B's Kosei Tsuburaba versus Class A's Tetsutetsu Tetsutetsu. Tsuburaba was exactly the kind of 'pure amplification type' that Kyoka had just mentioned.

His Quirk, 'Solid Air', could harden air into barriers or footholds. However, the volume of air he could solidify was entirely dependent on his lung capacity.

In other words, if his lung capacity rivaled the fire-style users in Naruto, he could probably blow out a mini-tornado.

In the end, he lost the match decisively. It couldn't be helped—his opponent was Tetsutetsu.

This was just arm wrestling. If it had been a thigh-wrestling contest, his leg might have snapped…

Next up was Group 5: Jurota Shishida from Class B versus Koji Koda from Class A. Shishida's Quirk, 'Beast', turned him into a large, muscular creature with enhanced senses.

His Hero name was equally dramatic: "Gévaudan," named after the legendary wolf monster from French folklore—a literal giant werewolf.

So naturally, everyone thought Class A would struggle against that kind of power Quirk.

But the result was another shock—Koda won. And not just that, he won easily. His expression barely even changed.

"I used to wonder how Koda passed the entrance exam, but now I finally get it!" Kaminari exclaimed.

"Seriously. With that kind of strength, he could probably flatten an 'imaginary enemy' with a few punches," Tetsutetsu agreed.

"But then again, Toru Hagakure… how did you pass the entrance exam?" Ashido asked, turning toward the floating gloves.

"Ah, um..." The gloves flailed a bit, and a shy voice came out.

"Actually, it was Ojiro who helped me. He scored some rescue points too..."

"That's right!" Class A's students all nodded in sudden realization, though Mashirao Ojiro looked a little uncomfortable.

"Don't sell yourself short. While it's true we teamed up during the entrance exam, it's not like I carried you the way people might think!"

"You guys probably didn't notice, but Toru's physical abilities are actually pretty good. During the test, she was able to easily jump onto an 'imaginary enemy' and take out its power supply!"

"What?!" Kirishima and the others were stunned. Even Todoroki, usually calm, looked up at Hagakure.

"Now that I think about it, in the physical fitness test when we first entered, Toru didn't place at the bottom. She was ranked above Midoriya and a few others," Kaminari added thoughtfully.

"Wait, really? Am I that strong? No way, hahaha!" Hagakure laughed awkwardly, waving her gloves.

"Next up, Group 6! Class B's Yosetsu Awase and Class A's Eijiro Kirishima, please come forward," Mandalay announced in front of the platform.

"Alright! My turn at last!" Kirishima stepped up with excitement. Just watching the others was getting boring.

"If you lose, I'm gonna laugh at you the whole trip," Tetsutetsu joked.

"Don't worry. I'm definitely winning this one!" Kirishima said confidently, staring down his opponent. He was aiming to be the toughest Hero of the new era.

Yosetsu Awase wore a blue-and-white striped headband. His Quirk, 'Weld', allowed him to fuse objects at a molecular level.

"Start!"

At the signal, Kirishima and Awase began to exert force. But to everyone's surprise, Awase held his ground.

As the struggle continued, both of their expressions grew more intense, and their forearms bulged with effort.

"No way?!"

The usually slender-looking Yosetsu Awase was actually holding his own against Kirishima Eijiro!

(To be continued.)

Chapter 374: Murderous Intent Is Coming, Dark Clouds Are Approaching!

"The time exceeded five minutes. It's a tie!" Mandalay placed her hand on the boys' tightly clasped hands and slowly separated them.

"Huff, huff..." As soon as they let go, both Kirishima and Awase panted heavily, visibly relieved. Holding out in a full-powered stalemate for several minutes was not something an average person could endure.

"What? You're both so weak!" Tetsutetsu complained in surprise.

"I... I didn't expect this guy to be so strong..." Kirishima's face flushed red at Tetsutetsu's comment.

"Even though I don't fully agree with Monoma's attitude, I do agree with one thing he said. Class A shouldn't look down on us from Class B!" Awase said as he panted, looking directly at Kirishima.

This caused the Class A students to exchange glances. When had they ever looked down on anyone?

The next match in Group 7 ended quickly. Despite Monoma's boasts beforehand, Midoriya pinned him down in seconds.

The contestants in Group 8 were quite interesting. Hirado Kunijiro from Class B probably looked the least human in the whole group.

Even though Tokoyami Fumikage from Class A had a crow head, at least he had a normal pair of eyes.

But this guy's head looked like a yellowish clay tower, with numerous small holes in front and a small curved yellow horn on top.

His Quirk was "Glue", which allowed him to spray a glue-like substance from his mouth that solidified quickly after drying.

The result came swiftly. Iida Tenya won the match with overwhelming strength. Whether the opponent had trained or not didn't seem to matter. Beating Iida in pure strength would be difficult for anyone.

Iida came from a famous Hero family and had undergone professional training from a young age. Unlike Kaminari, who focused on developing his Quirk since childhood, Iida had always prioritized physical fitness.

Group 9 featured Class B's Backdraft Spin versus Class A's Sero Hanta. The former's Quirk, "Spin", could make any part of his body rotate at high speeds like an electric motor.

Kaminari had seen his Quirk in action earlier in the day. It was quite bizarre. Other than his head, his fingers, palms, arms, and even his entire body could spin.

It reminded Kaminari of the "Wheel-Wheel Fruit" from One Piece, which had a similar ability to rotate the body like a wheel.

As for the outcome, it wasn't very surprising. Backdraft Spin won, and it was clear his Quirk required considerable physical endurance, suggesting prior training.

Group 10 brought together Class B's Shihai Kuroiro and Tokoyami Fumikage from Class A—a fascinating match-up, since the former's Quirk was a natural counter to the latter.

Kuroiro's Quirk, "Black", allowed him to merge into black-colored objects and move freely through them.

In theory, he could even enter Dark Shadow's body. Given his recent training, it seemed he was starting to develop the ability to manipulate black objects while merged with them. He had been strengthening this aspect lately.

The result was predictable. Tokoyami lost. He had focused so much on training Dark Shadow that he had neglected his own physical development.

"Hey, I think Kuroiro's and Tokoyami's Quirks could actually complement each other," Momo suggested.

"You mean Kuroiro controlling Dark Shadow to rampage through the darkness?" Kaminari asked in realization.

"Exactly!" Momo smiled.

"That's worth trying," Aizawa nodded, agreeing that the idea made sense.

"Then I'll bring Kuroiro to Tokoyami's training cave tomorrow," said Vlad King, Class B's homeroom teacher, speaking for the first time in a while.

"Please do," Aizawa replied.

"Now for Group 11, Class B's Togaru Kamakiri versus Class A's Shoto Todoroki!" Pixie-Bob, dressed in blue, announced the match.

"Let's do this," Todoroki said as he stepped up and extended his hand.

"Please go easy on me," Kamakiri replied, matching Todoroki's calm demeanor as they clasped hands.

"Hey, don't these two kinda look alike?" Uraraka commented cheerfully.

Shoji nodded. "Yeah, they both give off a chilly vibe..."

"That's because both their Quirks are cold in nature," Asui Tsuyu said, her lips forming a small pout. She didn't care for the cold and was prone to hibernating in low temperatures.

"Kamakiri's Quirk, 'Razor Sharp', lets him emit blades all over his body. With all those edges, he definitely gives off a cold impression," said Kendo, Class B's representative, with a smile.

While everyone was discussing their Quirks and personalities, the match had already started, and the result was clear from the start.

Having trained under Endeavor's brutal regimen since childhood, Todoroki had no real physical weaknesses.

While Kamakiri was one of the more capable students in both classes, with outstanding speed, pure strength was not his strong suit. In an event like arm wrestling, he couldn't compare to Todoroki.

"The last match is Kaminari!" Tetsutetsu said with a grin.

"Go for it, Kaminari!" Kyoka cheered loudly. Momo didn't say anything this time but watched him with gentle eyes.

"Alright."

Kaminari walked up, knelt down, and placed his right hand on the platform.

"Good."

Lin Feilong wasn't the talkative type. He grasped Kaminari's right hand without saying a word, then silently locked eyes with him.

Denki Kaminari, the strongest first-year student, was famous not just in Class A, but also in Class B.

And now, Lin Feilong would get to face this "strongest." Even though it was only arm wrestling, the chance still filled him with anticipation.

Kaminari looked into his opponent's eager eyes and smiled.

"Start!!"

Three minutes later, inside the building corridor, Kaminari and Todoroki followed Aizawa to a room temporarily being used as a classroom.

Unlike last time, Kaminari looked forward to this session. Aizawa had promised to teach him about mental power during their one-hour tutoring period.

As for everyone else, they had already begun the "Test of Courage" outside. Class A had won seven out of twelve arm-wrestling matches, so they would go first.

"Alright, Class A will draw lots now. Two people with matching numbers form a group. Number one starts first. Got it?" Mandalay pulled out a bunch of numbered slips.

"Got it!" everyone replied in unison.

Soon, the pairs were drawn. Group one: Tokoyami Fumikage and Shoji Mezo. Group two: Kirishima Eijiro and Bakugo Katsuki.

Group three: Kyoka and Aoyama Yuga. Group four: Toru Hagakure and Midoriya Izuku. Group five: Uraraka Ochaco and Asui Tsuyu.

Group six: Mineta Minoru and Ojiro Mashirao. Group seven: Koji Koda and Iida Tenya. Group eight: Tetsutetsu and Kyoka. Group nine: Sero Hanta and Ashido Mina.

Unlike the main timeline, since only Kaminari and Todoroki needed tutoring, Class A was split into nine groups, and Midoriya wasn't left alone.

Meanwhile, in the forest where Class B had gone to hide and prepare to scare them, eleven figures gathered on a hillside.

"It begins now."

"Fall to the ground, Heroes clinging to false glory... Let us, the 'League of Villains Advance Team,' deliver judgment!" Dabi, wearing a black coat, raised his palm. The eerie blue fire flickering in it lit up the face hidden under his hood.

But he was smiling. The ten elites behind him were smiling too. Each of them carried a look of anticipation...

Dark clouds thick with murderous intent were slowly approaching.

(To be continued.)

Chapter 375: Midoriya’s Call

"What's wrong?"

Just as Aizawa and Kaminari returned to the entrance of the dormitory facility area, Shoto Todoroki suddenly asked from the side.

"Huh?!" Kaminari, who was frowning with his golden brows, was momentarily stunned.

"You've looked uneasy for a while now," Todoroki said calmly as he walked.

"Nothing..."

Kaminari shook his head and sighed. "Honestly, I'm not even sure. I just suddenly started feeling really down."

There was one thing he didn't say aloud—he had this constant sense that something was about to happen. But if he voiced it and something actually did happen afterward, it would be difficult to explain.

Aizawa had ignored their earlier conversation and now walked toward the tutoring room, opening the door casually.

"Hey, Eraser Head!" Vlad King, the vampire-like teacher, greeted him cheerfully with arms crossed.

Monoma Neito, who had been sitting at the desk in front of Vlad, immediately made an uncomfortable face when he saw Kaminari and Todoroki.

Well, he was just holding back his frustration. If it were someone else, he could've mocked them freely. But against these two, he could only stay quiet.

It's worth noting he was the only Class B student who failed the final exam.

"Todoroki's yours. Just have him work on a written test. I've prepared other lessons for Kaminari..." Aizawa, hands in his pockets, began to explain.

Before he could finish, a buzzing sound suddenly echoed in everyone's minds.

This sound was very familiar—it was the telepathic signal used by Mandalay.

"We were attacked by two villains. There may be more. All students capable of moving, return to the facility immediately!"

"Remember, even if you encounter a villain, students must not engage without authorization. Retreat and defend yourselves!"

Mandalay's message shocked everyone. Kaminari's already unsettled mood suddenly worsened.

"It's finally happening..."

"Brad, I'm leaving this to you. I'm going to protect the students!" Aizawa shouted, turning and running out of the room.

"Let's go too." Todoroki moved immediately, and Kaminari also got up to leave.

"No!"

Aizawa raised his hand and quickly rejected their proposal. "Stay here. Students are not allowed to fight villains. You both know that very well!"

Then he ran off quickly, without waiting to hear Todoroki or Kaminari's protests or see their grim expressions.

"Don't worry. The Pussycats are guarding the outside. They're more experienced than me or Eraser Head. Everything will be fine," Vlad King said firmly, looking at the two boys.

Meanwhile, Aizawa was sprinting through the hallway with increasing unease.

"I really don't want to think this way, but... damn it!" As he exited the dormitory building and saw the blue flames and thick smoke rising from the forest, his expression turned heavy.

"You worry too much, Eraser Head!"

Suddenly, a young, unfamiliar voice came from beside him. Before Aizawa could turn his head, a burnt-red, skin-grafted hand stretched out toward him.

BOOM!!!

Blue flames erupted from the palm, instantly turning into a raging inferno that swallowed the area around Aizawa.

"Step aside, Pro Hero..." Dabi said with a smile as he stared at the strange flames. "I'm not here for you today."

At the same time, back in the tutoring room, Kaminari, now filled with anxiety and worry, received a call from Midoriya.

"Kaminari-kun, please go to the location I sent you right away. He's there!"

Midoriya's voice on the phone was urgent, like he was running while carrying something heavy.

"Kyoka and Momo—how are they?!" Kaminari immediately asked, his thoughts going to the people he cared about most. As for Tetsutetsu, he knew the guy was tough, so he wasn't too worried.

"I... I'm sorry, I don't know how they're doing. Right now, we're all scattered, and the forest is on fire..."

In another part of the forest, Midoriya was running with the unconscious Hagakure in his arms, shouting desperately into the phone.

Originally, he had planned to go to Kota's location himself, but he couldn't ignore Hagakure. Then he remembered the few students who had stayed behind for tutoring.

Among them, Kaminari Denki was the fastest. And geographically, the facility was even closer to Kota's hiding spot than Midoriya was.

"Please, Kaminari-kun, I'm begging you. Go bring Kota back first. He's still just a kid!"

As Midoriya pleaded through the phone, Kaminari's eyes flickered. He was also struggling to make a decision.

He wanted to rush to Kyoka, Momo, and the others right away. But Midoriya was right—Kota was still very young.

Even if he was selfish, Kaminari wasn't heartless. He couldn't just ignore a child's life. He was human, after all.

"...Got it."

After ending the call, Kaminari informed Vlad King about Kota's situation. As expected, Vlad hesitated too.

Of course, Vlad wanted Kaminari to go and bring Kota back.

But Mandalay's telepathic message had been clear, no one knew how many villains were involved. If Kaminari left, who would protect the other students rushing back to the facility?

Dozens of students versus one small child. Which choice was right?

As a Pro Hero, and more importantly, as a teacher of Heroes, his top priority was protecting the students.

A single incident had already triggered internal conflicts. Everyone had their own thoughts, their own responsibilities, and their own struggles.

Crack—!

Just as Vlad was trapped in indecision, a sharp electric crackle echoed. A golden flash of light streaked past his eyes, and Kaminari vanished from the room.

"Kaminari Denki!!"

Vlad called out to the fading light, but no words followed. In truth, he felt a sense of relief in his heart.

"I'm counting on you, strongest first-year student."

(Of course, he wouldn't say that out loud. On the surface, he had to object. That's a Pro Hero's basic stance.)

In the forest clearing where the arm-wrestling contest had been held earlier, the atmosphere had grown tense with the sudden appearance of two figures.

Spinner, clearly lizard-like but dressed like a Ninja Turtle, stared angrily at Tiger, Mandalay, and the others.

"Nice to meet you. We're from U.A. High School!"

"We're the League of Villains' Vanguard Action Squad!"

Behind him stood Magne. The magnetic pole she carried was pressed firmly against Pixie-Bob's head. Blood slowly dripped from the woman's forehead to the ground.

"So? Should I smash this woman's head in? What do you all think?"

A smile crept onto Magne's face. Their first objective was already complete. Now all they had to do was hold off Tiger and Mandalay.

"I won't let you get away with this!!" Tiger roared, his voice echoing across the clearing.

(To be continued.)