MHATG: Chapter 282/283

Chapter 282: The Reappearing Iceberg!

"Damn... damn it!!"

The principal was right. Kaminari Denki hadn't suffered any major injuries—just pain. Yes, just pain. It hurt—hurt a lot—but there were no internal injuries or severe external wounds.

But... but the feeling of being picked up and smashed into the ground was absolutely unbearable!

Shame.

Humiliation.

Rage.

These complicated emotions exploded inside Kaminari.

"Crackle!"

"Zzzzt-crackle, crackle!"

Fueled by his anger, Kaminari unleashed two million volts of electricity, striking All Might with a vicious burst of corona discharge. At the same time, dark golden lightning, like twin blades of 'Raikiri,' crackled in his palms as he slashed toward All Might's waist without hesitation.

"Let me go!!!"

In that moment, Kaminari didn't care about the exam anymore only about retaliating.

"Hmph!"

All Might grunted, pain shooting through him as two million volts coursed through his body. His waist, already a weak point, throbbed intensely. His face twisted in discomfort, and his battle suit began to heat and redden under the strain.

The buzzing crackle of Kaminari's 'Raikiri' intensified, surging toward the injured waist. All Might's eyes sharpened immediately.

While he could handle Kaminari's Raikiri with ease under normal circumstances, taking a direct hit to his injured waist was out of the question.

Without hesitation, All Might released Kaminari's wrist, then delivered a sharp kick to his chest.

"BOOM!!!"

Kaminari's body hurtled backward. Fortunately, a layer of golden sand formed beneath him, cushioning the impact.

"So… it takes two million volts to make him feel pain? And he's not completely immune to Raikiri… it's just that my speed's too slow to hit him!"

Despite the rage still coursing through his veins, Kaminari's mind raced to analyze the battle.

All Might… isn't invincible. He just outclasses me… right now.

He checked his current electricity reserves and smiled bitterly.

"Less than a million volts left. Great."

Even with his battle suit continually recharging his energy, this battle's intensity far exceeded its recovery speed.

"Guess I'll have to run."

Whispering into his suit, he commanded: "'Pikachu,' cover me with golden sand and then…"

All Might, still holding his waist, narrowed his eyes as he saw the golden sand swirling around Kaminari.

"Hiding again, Kaminari boy? Haven't I warned you about relying too much on these tools?"

But then—

His expression changed. The golden sand didn't just form a shield. Instead, it separated into dozens of identical Cancer's Golden Cloth forms, scattering in every direction!

From behind, they all looked identical. None showed the signature electric aura of Kaminari's High-Voltage Mode because he had canceled it entirely.

Without his signature electric field, distinguishing the real Kaminari from the fakes became nearly impossible.

And truthfully, with less than one million volts left, keeping High-Voltage Mode active was no longer an option.

"If this can buy me even a few seconds to recharge… I might have a chance."

As he dashed away amidst the golden clones, Kaminari couldn't help but think of Todoroki.

"He should be near the gate by now, right?"

Even though less than four minutes had passed since they'd separated.

"Hmph. Childish tricks."

All Might chuckled, watching the golden-armored clones scatter.

If each one moved at the speed of Kaminari's High-Voltage Mode, he might have had trouble.

But at regular running speed?

Far too slow.

"I don't even need to chase them."

Crossing his arms in front of his chest, All Might took a deep breath and then swung his arms outward with terrifying force.

"Carolina SMASH!!!"

Whoosh!

The resulting shockwave morphed into a massive cross-shaped hurricane, sweeping across the field in every direction.

"Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!"

The clones shattered into clouds of sand, one after another, scattering in the wind.

In seconds, only one figure remained Kaminari, lying on the ground.

"Tap. Tap. Tap."

All Might's footsteps grew louder as he approached.

Hearing those footsteps, Kaminari clenched his fists, his expression dark with desperation.

"How is someone this strong even real?!"

All Might stopped directly in front of him. Kaminari forced himself to stand up wobbly, but defiant.

"It seems you finally understand."

"Understand what?"

"That you're still too weak and that relying on tools like these won't change that."

"Tch."

Kaminari clenched his jaw. Weak? Sure, compared to All Might, everyone was weak.

"Teacher All Might, I may be weak… but don't forget—it was me, with my weak power and these 'unreliable tools,' who dragged you out this long!"

"Right now, Todoroki's probably already at the exit gate."

"So no matter how strong you are—

"You've already lost."

All Might's eyes darkened.

"You still don't get it."

"What don't I get?"

"You don't realize how much you're holding yourself back by depending on these tools."

The ground beneath All Might's feet cracked violently.

"Until Todoroki passes through that gate or the timer hits zero…"

"I'll make you experience that pain all over again.

"And this time, it'll hurt even more!"

"Shit!"

Kaminari's face paled.

The memory of being slammed into the ground repeatedly came rushing back.

The pain he could handle.

The humiliation?

That was unbearable.

"What do I do? What do I do?!"

In his panic, he tried to re-enter High-Voltage Mode, even though his body screamed from the strain.

But before he could escape.

All Might appeared in front of him.

His thick arm reached toward Kaminari's shoulder inch by inch, like a slow-motion nightmare.

Then—

A chill swept through the air.

Suddenly, a massive iceberg materialized between them!

Kaminari's eyes widened in shock.

"Todoroki… why… are you here?"


_____________
Chapter 283: Come On!!!

Todoroki stood with his usual cold expression, icy mist swirling around him. And yet, for some reason, Kaminari felt a wave of relief at the sight of his classmate. At least, for now, he was safe.

But Kaminari quickly snapped out of it and shouted, "Why did you come back?!"

The words came out harsher than intended, especially toward someone who had just saved him. But Todoroki's return meant their exam was effectively over.

Kaminari no longer had the strength to hold All Might back. All his earlier efforts were about to go to waste.

"Because you were in a desperate situation," Todoroki replied calmly.

"Huh?" Kaminari shook his head with a bitter smile. "It's just a final exam, there's no 'desperate situation' here."

"Do you remember?"

Todoroki didn't respond directly. Instead, his gaze remained on the massive iceberg in front of them.

"Remember what?" Kaminari's golden eyebrows knit together in confusion. His initial frustration cooled slightly. At this point, he had already given up on passing the exam, so he figured he might as well listen.

"Do you remember the two choices you gave me during our first 'Indoor Battle Simulation' class?"

Kaminari froze, his mouth opening slightly but no words coming out. Of course he remembered. The memory surfaced vividly:


---

"But, Hero—the nuclear bomb inside is about to detonate. Are you really going to give up?"

"We don't have time! Choose, Hero!"

"Isn't it simple? There are only two options. Sacrifice your partner and stop the bomb, or save your partner and fight me while letting the bomb destroy the entire city."

"If it were me, I'd leave my partner behind and go straight for the bomb. Isn't that what a pro hero is supposed to do?"


---

Todoroki's voice pulled him back to the present. "Back then... I chose my partner."

His eyes shifted to Kaminari. "And this time, I made the same choice."

Kaminari's heart skipped a beat.

Todoroki's voice remained steady. "Whether it's the 'Indoor Battle Simulation' or this 'Final Exam,' the point is the same: to act like professional heroes. To think like them. To make choices like them."

The ice on his right side crackled while flames flared to life on his left. His voice grew louder, more resolute.

"So if I were a pro hero, my choice would be to come back and save you. Even if it's not the 'correct' decision."

He turned his gaze forward again, face calm but eyes burning with conviction.


---

Kaminari was speechless. The weight of Todoroki's words hit him like a sledgehammer.

Todoroki wasn't just taking an exam he was living the mindset of a hero.

Is this what Momo was talking about before?

Kaminari remembered Momo's words from earlier. Back then, he'd dismissed her advice, convinced he already understood what it meant to be strong.

But now, he saw the difference.

He thought he was above the heroes he aspired to surpass. Todoroki, on the other hand, was shaping himself into one from the ground up.

Strength without purpose was arrogance. And he'd been blind to that truth.

I've lived two lifetimes and still acted like a naive kid.

Shame flooded him. Not the humiliation from being slammed into the ground by All Might but something deeper. Real, humbling self-awareness.

And then, like the toll of a distant bell, Momo's voice echoed in his mind:

"I hope you seriously consider: should you spend your time at U.A. with the humility to learn… or with the arrogance of someone who thinks they're already better than professional heroes?"


---

Kaminari let out a shaky breath.

"I was wrong," he whispered.

Todoroki's eyes flicked toward him, confusion flashing across his face. "What?"

Crack!

Suddenly, deep fractures spread through the iceberg in front of them. A sharp, invisible force sliced it clean in two.

"Well said, Todoroki boy!"

All Might stepped out from the icy canyon, his familiar smile stretching across his face.

But when his gaze landed on Kaminari, the hand that had just split the iceberg gave a firm thumbs-up.

"And you, Kaminari boy… I'm glad you recognized your mistake. That realization can help you go Plus Ultra!"

Kaminari inhaled deeply and clenched his fists.

"'Pikachu,' recall all the golden sands," he ordered.

The AI didn't hesitate. The floating sands around the battlefield swirled together, compressing into five golden spheres that hovered in the air before returning to his waist.

"What are you doing?" Todoroki asked, surprised. "Wouldn't it be better to use those to fight?"

"It doesn't matter now," Kaminari said, eyes narrowing.

Electricity crackled across his body again, golden arcs sparking in the air.

"Let's give it everything we've got, Todoroki. One last push!"

Todoroki nodded without hesitation. "Right."


---

The two students stood side-by-side one shrouded in cold mist, the other wreathed in lightning.

In the principal's office, Nezu chuckled as he watched the scene on the monitor. "The real test is just beginning," he murmured.


---

Back in the monitoring room, Class 1-A sat in silence.

On the screen, their classmates stood defiantly against All Might, their eyes fierce with unyielding resolve.

Even Bakugo, arms crossed and lips pressed tightly together, couldn't look away.

"Kaminari... Todoroki..."

And then, almost as one, the entire class willed them forward.

"Come on!!!"