MHATG: Chapter 342/343

Chapter 342: Let the World Listen!

As the sun slowly rose over the horizon once more, it marked the end of the old day and the arrival of a new one.

While Kaminari and the "Pikachu Band" continued rehearsing and performing in the music hall, the staff of I-Island temporarily paused repairs on the Central Tower and began constructing the stage for the evening event in the entertainment district.

At the same time, they joined forces with news media from around the world to promote the event at full intensity!

I-Island's idea was simple. Since they had suffered an unprecedented villain attack, they would host an equally unprecedented celebration to erase its negative impact.

And this strategy was remarkably effective. Not only did it energize the residents and tourists on the island, but it also shifted the world's attention from the earlier assault to the upcoming entertainment event.

In particular, Kaminari, Kyoka, Momo, Bakugo, and Tokoyami drew enormous attention.

On top of that, the island began looping songs from the Pikachu Band such as "Only My Railgun," "Hero," and "Blue Bird."

Clearly, this was an international collaboration to launch new stars into the spotlight!

Tetsutetsu, Kirishima, Iida, and other Class 1-A students from U.A. High School also began attracting attention.

Especially Mineta, who now took great pleasure in taking strolls and snapping photos with girls who wanted pictures with him.

You could say he'd already achieved the goal he had when he applied to the Hero Course, thanks to his earlier life-risking feat of climbing a section of the Central Tower's outer wall!

As night slowly fell, the various lights across the island lit up, and people began making their way in small groups to the entertainment district.

At this moment, whether it was international scientists, local families, or tourists visiting the island, everyone looked with excitement and laughter toward the five new stages.

That's right—five stages!

Five thick, towering pillars made of different materials and painted in different colors stood at five points on the edge of the entertainment area, rising high into the sky like sentinels.

Powerful lights shone directly on the strange structures, and those with sharp eyes could spot musical instruments placed atop each one.

Meanwhile, five helicopters in various colors hovered in the night sky. The entire scene was grand and breathtaking!

Moreover, live broadcasts had started on television, online platforms, and even on the giant screens in public squares around the world.

Massive amounts of traffic flooded in. Even though the show hadn't started yet, comment streams had already overwhelmed the display screens!

Since the event was hosted by I-Island, the world's leading tech hub, over 60% of the streaming platforms were synchronized.

What did that mean?

It meant the comments from viewers all over the world would appear together and be automatically translated into each country's native language according to the region!

Of course, users could also adjust settings, block comments from certain countries or only view those from their own.

"Dad, I never thought Kaminari would be able to stand on such a huge stage one day…"

Kaminari's mother looked around in amazement, her eyes drawn especially to the tall golden pillar with a black outline of Pikachu on it. Her son had told them he would be performing up there!

"Yeah, I thought the U.A. Sports Festival was already a big deal, but it's nothing compared to this performance." His father smiled proudly while holding Tobio's hand.

"But Uncle, Auntie… it's so high up, we won't be able to see Kaminari-nii and the others perform!" Tobio said worriedly.

"It's okay. I'm sure there'll be a virtual screen, so everyone will be able to see clearly," his mom reassured him with a gentle smile.

On the other side, Tetsutetsu, standing with Kirishima, Iida, and the others, scratched his head and sighed regretfully. "If I knew how to play an instrument, maybe I'd be up there too!"

"Doesn't everyone feel that way?" Ashido said enviously, glancing at the purple pillar with the outline of a Noibat before shifting her gaze to the flesh-colored pillar on the far end with a Vulpix on it.

"But why isn't Bakugo's pillar a fire monkey?" Kirishima asked curiously, pointing at the red pillar in the distance marked with a Cyndaquil.

"Well… knowing Bakugo, he probably refused to be associated with a monkey." Tetsutetsu then mimicked Bakugo's fierce expression and roared, "I don't look like a monkey!!"

"Hahahahaha!"

Everyone burst into laughter at Tetsutetsu's performance. His imitation, facial expression, movement, tone was so accurate that they could practically picture Bakugo roaring in real life.

"But Tokoyami-kun's pillar is a perfect fit." Asui said softly, lips pursed. She was looking at the black pillar outlined with a deep purple raven.

"Yeah, 'perfect' doesn't even cover it. It's basically a chibi version of Tokoyami!" Toru Hagakure added with a giggle, waving her gloved hands.

"Hey everyone!!!"

At that moment, a familiar shout came from behind. Turning around, they saw Midoriya Izuku walking over with All Might, followed by a group of excited European fans.

"All Might…"

Tetsutetsu, Kirishima, and the others looked at each other, a bit dumbfounded at All Might's gaunt appearance. Meanwhile, Ashido, Hagakure, and Ojiro, who weren't in on the secret, reacted as if everything were normal.

"Sorry, sorry! We were having a conversation with the island's management, so we're running a little late," All Might said with a hearty laugh.

Midoriya looked around and smiled. "But it looks like we made it in time since the show hasn't started yet!"

Beep—

Suddenly, most of the lights in the entertainment area dimmed, while the five towering pillars on the perimeter lit up brightly.

First gold, then purple, then flesh-colored, red, and black, followed by the sound of a strange yet moving melody that swept through the entire audience.

"Whoa!!!"

"Look up there!"

Everyone's attention was instantly drawn to five massive virtual screens that appeared in the night sky above the pillars.

Each screen corresponded to a pillar, displaying a boy or girl dressed in their respective hero costume!

Each of them was either holding a guitar, bass, or seated behind an electric keyboard or drum set. Clearly, these five were the ones playing the exhilarating, rhythmic music.

"What song is this?" Ochaco Uraraka asked Ashido Mina in confusion.

Ashido shook her head thoughtfully. "I've never heard it before. It must be the new song Kaminari mentioned!"

Not just them—the entire island, and viewers all over the world watching the livestream, were captivated by the alluring melody. Even the on-screen comments had noticeably decreased.

At that moment, Kaminari's mother and father exchanged proud glances before his father smiled and said, "Yes, this is the new song Kaminari composed recently!"

"Then you must know the name, right?" Iida asked.

Looking up at his precious son on the virtual screen, the father replied gently, "He said the name of the opening song is… 'The Passionate Duelists.'"

Just as he finished speaking, the one-minute-and-thirty-seven-second instrumental came to an end but right after, Kaminari's loud, passionate voice rang out.

(To be continued.)

Chapter 343: A Symbol of the New Era?

About ten seconds after "Only My Railgun" began, the comment streams from various countries on the market completely exploded.

It wasn't because the song was too stunning or because Kaminari's singing reached euphoric levels but rather, they were completely overwhelmed by the dazzling and magnificent special effects.

As Kaminari sang, the five giant colored pillars lit up even more brilliantly, and then a massive projection appeared in the sky!

These projections instantly rendered the earlier giant screens obsolete—they simply couldn't compare.

"So huge!" Seeing the astonishing scene, Tobio suddenly became excited, tugged on Kaminari's mom's hand, and shouted, "Uncle, Auntie, look! Kaminari-nii and the others got so big!"

"Yeah… they really are…" Kaminari's father looked up at the five projections, each fifty or sixty meters tall, with a stunned expression.

And his expression and reaction were exactly the same as those of everyone else on the island—no, of everyone around the world!

Can you imagine it?

Five giant projections performing frantically with massive instruments, and Kaminari, as the lead vocalist, holding the mic and singing his heart out.

It had to be said, I-Island's support for this music event was beyond extravagant. If there's ever a performance that matches or surpasses this one, it'll be at least ten years from now!

Tonight, the entire island fell into a carnival. People were singing, dancing, drinking, playing, and enjoying the rides and attractions as the "Pikachu Band" played on.

"So this is a band…" Bakugo, pounding on the drums from atop the pillar, could feel his blood boiling.

He realized that he truly, deeply loved the feeling of pouring everything in his heart into explosive music under the spotlight.

Even if it was something he would never say out loud, deep down, he knew he was hooked and couldn't leave this band anymore.

On the other side, Tokoyami, performing on such a massive stage for the first time, had his eyes completely closed. But his fingers flew across the strings like butterflies fluttering through flowers.

His heart and soul had become one with the music, the vocals, the crowd's cheers, the harmonizing voices, and the surrounding lights… That was the sensation consuming him now.

Essentially, all five performers felt the same. They were immersed, moved, and exhilarated. Even Momo, the refined and elegant young lady, had completely lost herself in the moment.

"Hero!"

"Brave Heart!"

"Blue Bird!"

As the bright moon slowly moved across the galaxy from east to west, song after song of exceptional quality continued to captivate the world.

And when the intro of "Becoming a Pokémon Master" began playing, countless Pokémon began gathering from all over the island toward the entertainment district.

Caterpie, Charmander, Squirtle, Bulbasaur, Sandshrew, Nidoran, Meowth, Vulpix, Eevee… as long as they walked on land, they were all there!

"Asui-chan! Uraraka-chan! Look!" Ashido grabbed her friends' arms and shouted in excitement.

And she wasn't alone—more and more people began noticing the Pokémon army running toward them, and exclamations echoed throughout the area.

Immediately after, numerous flying Pokémon also appeared in the sky. Of course, they were all virtual projections, but even so, the effect was jaw-dropping.

This scene could only be described as a massive advertisement for "Pokémon." Just one look at Kaminari's father, his face flushed red from excitement made it clear how effective it was!

Whoosh—

After finishing "Becoming a Pokémon Master," Kaminari exhaled deeply into the mic and wiped the hot sweat from his forehead.

"Everyone! The next song we're about to perform is a brand-new one!" He paused for a second and then smiled. "Of course, for those unfamiliar with the Pikachu Band…"

"All the songs we've played so far are new songs!"

"Hahahaha!" The crowd erupted in laughter.

"Anyway, what I wanted to announce is… this song is called 'Poem of Hero!' It's part of a Hero trilogy, along with 'Hero,' which we performed earlier!"

As soon as Kaminari finished speaking, Kyoka, Momo, Bakugo, and Tokoyami began to play in unison.

Soon, a fresh, unfamiliar, yet equally beautiful and stirring melody echoed across the world.

Bakugo's fierce and rapid drumming, in particular, seemed to inject an electrifying pulse into the song—causing the heartbeat of every listener to sync up with the rhythm.

This was why the drummer was the soul of the band!

"Imprisoned between invisible shackles

Each day feels suffocating"

Kaminari sang with a radiant smile, waving toward the helicopter filming overhead.

Only he, as the lead singer, had the freedom to make gestures like that—everyone else was too busy playing their instruments.

"Only your gentle, warm smile can become a light that guides us forward into the future"

---

"Ahhh! Kaminari is so handsome!"

"Oh my god! Blond hair, golden eyes, good-looking, Hero Course student, band lead singer—what can't he do? He's just too cool!"

"He's got looks, talent, a future, and he's even from a well-off family… Why does someone like this even exist? Ugh."

"Did you see Kaminari and Kyoka's eye contact just now? I seriously think something's going on between them!"

"Don't be ridiculous. How could they look at each other when they're hundreds of meters apart?"

"You're the clueless one! They may be far apart, but the five giant projections aren't! Kaminari was clearly looking in Kyoka's direction!"

"If they were really a couple, I'd be so jealous. Forget reality—in the Pokémon world, the two of them even travel together on adventures!"

…

"Well… I think Momo is also gorgeous. And she's in the Pokémon universe too, okay?"

Yeah, at this point, the global comment stream had completely gone off-track. People weren't even focused on the music or the performance anymore—they were deep into gossip.

But just because they weren't paying attention didn't mean Kaminari and the others weren't performing. The cheers from the live audience had been constant since the beginning!

"The moment when dreams shattered—regret took flight"

"Crying tears? Do you still remember the tears you cried?

---

All Might, dressed in his "Golden Age" hero costume, looked up at Kaminari Denki singing his heart out and suddenly understood why the principal placed such high hopes on him.

In this generation, Pro Heroes couldn't rely on strength alone. Popularity and public support were just as important when it came to rankings.

In other words, being a Hero wasn't just about completing missions or protecting civilians—it was also about leading society forward with ideals, values, and vision!

And right now, all of Kaminari's songs echoed the themes of this world and its heroes—especially this one: "Poem of Hero."

"If things continue like this, as his popularity grows… that Kaminari boy might just use his strength and his music to become the symbol of peace for the next generation. A symbol more suited for this new era… This must be what you had in mind, Principal."

For some reason, All Might subconsciously turned and glanced at Midoriya standing beside him, thinking silently.

"Come on, Midoriya Boy!"

(To be continued.)