MHATG: Chapter 339/341

Chapter 339: Bakugo Knows How to Play Drums?

Early the next morning, all those involved in the villain attack underwent a comprehensive physical examination at the hospital with help from the I-Island staff.

Well, of course it was free—one of I-Island's gestures of appreciation in return.

"Kaminari, you're in bad shape.…" Kyoka winced as she looked at Kaminari's bruised upper body.

"It's not that bad. Nothing compared to that guy Tetsutetsu." Kaminari stood up from the hospital bed while putting on his shirt.

"By the way, don't tell my parents, or they'll just worry again."

Kyoka hesitated for a moment but eventually nodded obediently. After all, the doctor had said Kaminari's injuries were just surface wounds and nothing serious.

The two walked out of the ward and soon saw the others—Bakugo, Todoroki, Momo—they were all there. But there were also some unexpected faces.

"Tokoyami? Ojiro? Why are you guys here?" Kaminari looked at the classmates who suddenly appeared in surprise.

And not just them—Ashido and Toru Hagakure were also there, and they promptly pulled Kyoka away from him without hesitation.

"Unlike you, who got an invitation and entered the island a day early, we just arrived today according to the regular procedures," Tokoyami said softly.

"Yeah, we got in touch with Class Rep Iida right after arriving, and that's when we found out you guys got caught up in something huge!" Ojiro looked at Kaminari with amazement.

"So it's true. Everyone knows what happened last night, huh?" Kaminari shrugged helplessly and smiled.

"Exactly. The whole world knows about the villain attack now and they know what we did too," Momo said as she walked over with a smile.

Kaminari asked, "How's the public reaction?"

"It's okay. Aside from a few media outlets criticizing us for fighting villains without authorization, most praised us for being brave and decisive," Shoto said, leaning against the hospital wall.

"Especially I-Island. Melissa told me they're planning a thank-you banquet for us!" Mineta looked excited.

He figured there would definitely be lots of pretty girls at the banquet, and as a member of the Heroes involved, he'd surely be in the spotlight!

"A banquet, huh…" Kaminari muttered. He had a feeling that, besides thanking them, the banquet was also meant to ease the negative impact of the villain attack.

"By the way, where are Melissa and Midoriya?"

"Oh, they're probably still in the ICU. After all, Dr. David took a pretty bad hit, and he's just a regular person. And All Might…" Kirishima sighed.

"I get it," Kaminari nodded. Based on what he said, there shouldn't be any life-threatening danger. Then he asked, "What about my parents?"

Kyoka, who was being hugged by Ashido, immediately responded, "Your mom was really scared yesterday. She wanted to stay and take care of you, but your dad took her back to the hotel to rest."

"That's good," Kaminari nodded. He would've felt really guilty if his mom had stayed with him all night.

"Son!"

At that moment, his parents appeared at the other end of the hospital hallway. The moment his mom saw him, she rushed over.

"Mom, I'm fine, really!" Kaminari said with a wry smile as his mom hugged him.

"But the doctor said you suffered a lot of injuries!"

"They're all just surface wounds…" Kaminari quickly turned to his dad and asked, "Dad, did you want to say something?"

His dad raised an eyebrow, clearly understanding his son was trying to change the subject, and cooperatively nodded. "Yes. I-Island asked me to see if your 'Pikachu Band' can perform at tomorrow night's banquet!"

"A performance?!"

As soon as the words came out, they instantly caught the attention of all the Class A students—especially Kyoka and Momo, both members of the band.

"Yeah, and it'll be a pretty big event. Everyone on the island will be invited to gather at the entertainment area for an outdoor music banquet!"

His dad paused briefly, his face full of excitement, then added, "And not just that, it'll be broadcast live worldwide! The scale definitely won't be smaller than the U.A. Sports Festival!"

But what he didn't say was that, thanks to Kaminari, the previously proposed [Pokémon Program] had been fully accepted by I-Island.

Where before they had only cooperated with a few doctors, now they were working with the entire island!

"Kaminari, if that's true, then after this banquet, our 'Pikachu Band' will become a globally recognized band!" Momo said with a gentle smile.

Though her hands were tightly clenched, clearly showing her excitement, she still kept herself composed thanks to her upbringing.

Kaminari nodded—he understood this perfectly. After a moment's thought, he said, "In that case… besides the usual songs, let's use this opportunity to debut a new one."

"A new song?!" everyone shouted in unison.

They all knew that every song by the Pikachu Band was written by Kaminari himself, and each one was high quality. Basically, everyone had them on their phones.

"What's the name of the new song?!" Ashido asked excitedly.

"Isn't it too late to start practicing now?" Kyoka was more concerned about the performance itself.

"It's the second part of the Hero Trilogy, Kaminari's eyes suddenly turned serious. He wanted to dedicate this song to the entire world.

"Hero Trilogy…" Asui muttered, tilting her head slightly.

"Quite the title," Tokoyami commented lightly. He was fond of that kind of chuuni name—it made his fingers twitch subconsciously.

"As for the performance… whether it's this song or another, a good drummer is essential," Kaminari sighed. After all, the drummer is the soul of a band!

"Drummer?"

Everyone else was calm, but Bakugo raised an eyebrow when he heard that. Though he still turned away, feigning disinterest.

But at that moment, Kirishima, standing beside him, pointed and said with a grin, "I heard Bakugo say before that he learned how to play drums!"

"What?!"

Everyone—including Kaminari—looked at Bakugo in disbelief. They never expected him to have any connection to something as artsy as a musical instrument.

"Y-You bastard…" Bakugo's face flushed red. He grabbed Kirishima by the neck and shook him violently. "Who told you to blab like that?!"

"If Bakugo-kun really can play drums, maybe we should try it out now?" Momo asked happily. The drummer had always been a sore spot for their band.

"No way!"

Bakugo let go of Kirishima, turned around with a proud look, and walked away. "Why should I do something that boring?"

Kyoka and Momo exchanged helpless looks. It was true, Bakugo's personality was like that.

Then Kaminari said something that instantly froze Bakugo in his tracks.

"I think you just suck at it. That's why you're too scared to show off in front of everyone. After all, learning to play and playing well are two different things."

That said, Kaminari who already knew Bakugo pretty well was certain that with his personality, there's no way he wouldn't know what he was doing.

"What did you say… you walking lightning rod bastard?!" Bakugo slowly turned his head, eyes blazing with such ferocity that it made people question if he was even Hero material—or a villain in disguise.

But a mischievous smirk crept across Kaminari's face, and he made no effort to hide his doubt.

"I! Said! You! Don't! Dare!"

(To be continued.)

Chapter 340: I’m Determined to Be the Drummer!

As Momo had said, news of the villain attack on the artificial tech island, I-Island, spread across the globe through the internet after dawn.

That morning, when people woke up and turned on their phones, computers, newspapers, or any medium connected to the outside world, the top headlines everywhere were about I-Island.

The Guardian: "Oh-My-God!! I-Island was invaded by villains last night!"
Washington Post: "Terrible! For the first time in a century, I-Island has been overtaken by villains!"
The New York Times: "Our nation's renowned scientist and former All Might partner, Dr. David, colluded with villains!"
People's Daily: "International fishing vessels strongly condemn the villains' atrocities in attacking I-Island. China calls for severe punishment for the villainous behavior!"
Asahi Shimbun: "During the attack on I-Island, several U.A. High School Hero Course students made notable contributions. I-Island publicly expresses its gratitude!"
U.C. Shock Department: "Shocking! The world is truly stunned this time. You'll regret it if you don't watch!"

Their photos and personal information spread across the internet, television, and newspapers worldwide.

Naturally, the "Pikachu Band" formed by Kaminari and the others instantly entered the public spotlight.

Countless people who were intrigued by their music flocked to Japan's MTV music network, searching for "Kaminari Denki" or "Pikachu Band."

This surge of interest caused the site's traffic to skyrocket, severely impacting the platform's performance.

But this kind of impact was the "pain of joy." Without hesitation, the site's management removed their existing homepage features and replaced them with "Pikachu Band" front and center!

From that point on, every song released by Kaminari saw its play count jump by hundreds every second.

And this was only the appetizer. After tomorrow night's live global broadcast of the music banquet, the results would be unimaginable.

So, in this "I-Island Attack," not only did All For One and the Snowman benefit—the Pikachu Band reaped massive rewards as well.

Especially Kaminari Denki. Aside from being a student of U.A.'s Hero Course and the leader of the Pikachu Band, he was also the model for the protagonist of Pokémon.

So… he was famous. Totally famous. Even ridiculously famous. Now, practically hundreds of millions of people across the globe knew his name, face, identity, music, and most importantly, his iconic hero name: Raikage!

But as the old saying goes—some people rejoice, while others grieve. Kaminari and the others were happy, but many others weren't.

First, the management system of I-Island was under intense scrutiny. Second, all the professional Heroes from various countries who had abandoned their posts or been captured by villains were under tremendous pressure.

It was easy to imagine that these pro Heroes would be recalled by their respective countries and disciplined to varying degrees. After all, their performance directly reflected their nation's image!

But all of that had nothing to do with Kaminari and the others. Right now, they were gathered on the 17th floor of the central tower.

This was a space recommended by Melissa, equipped with a full range of instruments for live performance—everything humanity had invented was available here.

Of course, there were drum kits—five of them, in different colors, neatly arranged in a row.

Dong dong da pip! Dong dong da pip!
Dong this da click, Dong this click!
Dong-dong-dap-dap! Dong-dong-dap-dap! Dong-dong-dap-dap!!

Everyone stood in stunned silence, watching Bakugo seated behind a red drum kit. Their eyes followed the wild movement of his drumsticks, and their ears took in the thunderous yet precise rhythm.

"Ka... Ka-chan… he really… really knows how to play the drums?!" Midoriya murmured. In that moment, Bakugo seemed to shine with a different kind of light.

"He's amazing—way better than me…" Kyoka, standing to Kaminari's left, sighed softly. But she also felt genuinely happy for the band.

"But this drumbeat really does suit Bakugo's style," Momo, on Kaminari's right, said with a smile.

Tokoyami, who had been silent until now, suddenly commented in a low voice, "The sound feels like hundreds of boulders struck by a quake, dancing in chaos."

"Yeah. There's a lot of raw emotion in that sound, like he's pouring all his anger and frustration into the drums. But the rhythm never breaks!" Kaminari said with deep admiration as he locked eyes with Bakugo from across the room.

He suddenly realized, the drums really did suit Bakugo Katsuki's fiery and impulsive personality.

Dang—

As the final beat echoed through the hall, Bakugo's brilliant performance came to an end.

Clap clap clap clap!!!!

Such an incredible display naturally drew thunderous applause from everyone—including Kaminari. At that moment, he had decided: Bakugo was the soul drummer of the Pikachu Band.

"!"

Understanding what Kaminari was thinking, Momo immediately stepped forward, extended her hand, and invited with a smile, "Bakugo-kun, would you like to be the drummer for our band?"

"No way."

Bakugo glanced coldly at Kaminari, set the drumsticks back in place, and replied with disdain as he headed toward the exit.

"Get it straight. I didn't come here to show off, much less to join your little band. I just came to prove that I could do it."

"This…" Kyoka looked awkwardly at Momo.

"Don't be like that. You're so good at it, why not help Kaminari and the others out? We're all friends here!" Midoriya tried to persuade him.

"Shut up, you damn nerd!"

But since it was the one person Bakugo hated most speaking, he snapped immediately, making Midoriya step back with an embarrassed expression.

"Forget it, don't bother trying to convince him."

At that moment, Kaminari waved his hand, signaling Kyoka to stop talking—which made Bakugo's ears perk up in the distance.

"His drumming really is impressive…" Kaminari said.

And just as he said that, Bakugo—still facing away from them—couldn't help but curl the corners of his mouth in pride.

But as Kaminari continued speaking, Bakugo's mood soured, and his expression darkened.

"But tomorrow night, we'll be performing in front of the entire island, pro Heroes, and viewers from all over the world in a live broadcast. That's an insane amount of pressure."

"And unlike us, who've performed before at the U.A. Sports Festival and Qingfeng's concerts, Bakugo has no formal stage experience."

"There's no guarantee he'll be able to play like that under those conditions. Honestly, it might be better to go with someone more stable for drums."

"Quit looking down on people, you damn lightning bastard!!"

As soon as the words left Kaminari's mouth, Bakugo suddenly turned around, pointed straight at his face, and roared:

"I am determined to be the drummer this time!!!"

(To be continued.)

Chapter 341: Everyone Is in Place!

In the hours that followed, compared to the chaos outside, the atmosphere on I-Island was calm and orderly.

The construction crews responsible for rebuilding the central tower's roof worked quietly, supported by advanced technology and Quirk abilities.

The professional Heroes recalled from various countries wore bitter smiles as they walked toward their respective boarding gates, apologizing to onlookers along the way.

This naturally included notable Heroes such as the Soloist, the Matador, the Peacock Lady, and the Queen Bee—names Midoriya Izuku had paid particular attention to earlier.

The troubles they were about to face were only beginning. Their careers and reputations were sure to take a serious hit.

At the same time, Melissa's father, Dr. David Shield—the primary culprit—was taken into custody by several American police officers and Heroes. Melissa naturally followed him.

At the time, emotional girls like Kyoka and Momo burst into tears. But thankfully, nothing had happened to Melissa herself, so while everyone felt sorry for her, the mood wasn't overly tragic.

After that, everyone went back to doing their own thing. Those without any tasks could continue enjoying the attractions on I-Island.

Meanwhile, Kaminari, Kyoka, Momo, and Bakugo were rehearsing intensely in the music hall.

In addition to rehearsing their new songs, they needed to practice their older tracks several more times due to the addition of Bakugo Katsuki.

"Only My Railgun," "Hero," "Braveheart," "Become a Pokémon Master," "Blue Bird," and their newest track, "Poem of Heroes," made up the setlist for tomorrow night's music banquet.

Additionally, Kaminari planned to use this golden opportunity to perform the theme song for his company's upcoming comic Yu-Gi-Oh.

That would be "Fierce Duelists," the piece he had played with Kyoka and her family before. If Bakugo could keep up and there was enough time, they'd also perform another instrumental-only track.

The reason he brought up that song was because he realized "Only My Railgun" didn't quite work as background music for an intense battle.

It worked better as entrance music. For instance, when he became a Hero in the future, he wanted "Only My Railgun" to play the moment he appeared.

When that music started, everyone would know, Kaminari Denki is here!

Its symbolic impact would rival All Might's iconic line, "It's fine now, because I am here!"

Kaminari firmly believed that the power of a great song could be just as impactful as a single powerful phrase.

In short, the BGM he wanted to compose this time was music meant to accompany a full-power fight, something intense and powerful.

As for how to play it at just the right time, he'd leave that to his good friend Pikachu!

For the other songs, like "In Your Heart LALALA," Kaminari had previously promised Kyoka he'd sing it only for her.

So, he would never upload that song online or perform it publicly. It was something private, just for the two of them.

"Bakugo's amazing. He picked up all the drum patterns so fast," Momo said in admiration.

"Tch." Bakugo, sitting at the drum kit, clicked his tongue and looked away as if it wasn't a big deal.

"Looks like you've been listening to our band's songs," Kaminari teased while fiddling with his electric guitar.

Bakugo's face instantly turned red, and he snapped, "Stop running your mouth already!!!"

"Okay, okay. Let's run through the old tracks again, then we'll start working on 'Poem of Heroes' and 'Justice Enforcement,'" Kaminari said casually.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Just then, there was a knock at the door. Kyoka, Momo, and the others exchanged glances. They had agreed beforehand not to disturb practice unless it was something important.

"Is it someone from I-Island?"

While they were speculating, the door slowly opened—and someone unexpected walked in.

Kyoka looked at the figure in surprise and asked, "Tokoyami-kun, why are you here?"

That's right—the one who entered was Tokoyami Fumikage, the most calm, soft-spoken, and second-most "cool guy" in the class!

"Well…" Tokoyami hesitated, opened his mouth, then closed it again, saying nothing.

The atmosphere became awkward. Kaminari and the others were eager to practice but didn't want to rush him, so they all just stared in silence.

"Oh my god… didn't you already think this through? Why are you hesitating now?"

Just when Kaminari Denki was about to tell him to hurry up or head out, Dark Shadow suddenly emerged from Tokoyami and shouted irritably.

"So, Tokoyami, what do you want to say?" Kaminari asked helplessly.

Tokoyami and Dark Shadow exchanged a look, and Dark Shadow offered, "Want me to say it for you?"

"Hmm… no. It's better if I say it myself," Tokoyami said after a brief pause.

"Alright, partner. It's up to you!" With that, Dark Shadow retreated back into Tokoyami, drawing everyone's attention to him once again.

"I want to join you," Tokoyami said softly as he walked forward.

"Join us?!" Kyoka looked at him in surprise. Momo followed up, "Tokoyami-kun, what can you do?"

Kaminari and Bakugo both looked quietly at Tokoyami as he pointed at Kaminari's electric guitar and said, "I can do that."

His tone was serious, resolute, and confident—so much so that everyone believed him. Kaminari immediately handed over the guitar.

"Then give it a try. Follow this sheet music."

Tokoyami slung the guitar over his shoulder without hesitation, took the sheet, and looked down. The title at the top caught his attention immediately.

"Justice Enforcement…"

Seeing a title so full of power, Tokoyami's dark eyes lit up.

The four others watched silently as Tokoyami studied the notes. Kaminari was especially focused, because he had realized a weakness in their band.

They didn't have a dedicated guitarist. Normally, Kaminari could sing and play at the same time, but during longer concerts, doing both would exhaust him.

The energy and stamina needed for singing and playing together was far greater than doing either alone. That's why most bands had separate lead vocalists and guitarists.

If Fumikage could really take on the role of guitarist, not only would it solve their issues for tomorrow's I-Island concert, it would help with all future medium and large-scale performances.

"—T…"

Tokoyami handed the sheet music back to Kaminari, then began to familiarize himself with the electric guitar. Soon, he launched into a smooth impromptu solo.

His fingers were a bit stiff at first, but as time passed, his playing grew more fluid and confident by the second.

"That's it!"

As the impromptu solo ended and the final note faded, Tokoyami raised his head and looked straight at Kaminari.

"Let's begin, Captain."

Kaminari was stunned for a second, then broke into a satisfied smile. He clapped his hands, signaling Kyoka, Momo, and Bakugo to take their positions.

Ten seconds later, a thrilling ensemble rang out in the music hall. At that moment, the BGM once known as "Justice Enforcement" from One Punch Man was brought to life in this world by the Pikachu Band!

Male vocalist and leader – Kaminari Denki!
Female vocalist and bassist – Kyoka Jiro!
Manager and keyboardist – Momo Yaoyorozu!
Drummer – Bakugo Katsuki!
Lead guitarist – Tokoyami Fumikage!

At this moment, the full five-member pro-level band of Heroes, one with the brightest future was complete… and they would take the stage before the entire world tomorrow night.

(To be continued.)