"Teachers, can you let me go now?"
Kaminari asked, his voice tinged with a bit of frustration. Cementoss and Vlad exchanged glances before nodding in agreement, releasing their Quirks.
In truth, their intervention had been more of a precaution. If it hadn't been for All Might stepping in charging directly into the heart of the explosion to shield Todoroki from Kaminari's Raikiri things might have turned out very differently. All Might's decisive punch not only neutralized Kaminari's attack but also dispelled the fire pillar Endeavor had launched in retaliation. Without his intervention, there was a high chance that Todoroki would have been seriously hurt.
Then again, Cementoss couldn't help but think Endeavor had overstepped, too. Entering the arena from the stands and launching an attack on a student? It was technically a breach of the school rules, something that could even be viewed as villainous behavior.
"Endeavor, return to the stands!" All Might stepped forward, blocking Endeavor's path as he tried to approach his son. "Young Todoroki is fine."
Realizing his own overreaction, Endeavor's expression shifted slightly, though his gaze remained icy. He grunted, casting a long, hard look at Todoroki, then at Kaminari. With a final scoff, he turned to leave.
"Endeavor… sir?"
Just as he was about to walk away, Kaminari's voice cut through the tension.
"Hm?"
All Might, Cementoss, and the other teachers looked at Kaminari, surprised. After all, Kaminari had come close to injuring Endeavor's son—what more did he want to say?
Endeavor stopped, turning back to Kaminari with a cold, wordless glare.
"Nothing much," Kaminari replied, his earlier smile gone as he met Endeavor's gaze, his tone turning serious. "Just a reminder not to forget the deal we made."
"Deal?" All Might and the other teachers looked at each other in confusion, but Todoroki's face remained impassive.
Endeavor didn't show any reaction beyond a flat response. "I haven't forgotten. I'll be waiting."
With that, he turned and jumped back into the stands, leaving the stadium in full view of the 120,000 spectators. The crowd watched in silence as he strode out of the Hero Sports Hall, quickly disappearing from sight.
All Might raised an eyebrow, turning back to Kaminari. "Kaminari, what exactly is this deal between you and Endeavor?"
"It's nothing serious," Kaminari shrugged nonchalantly.
He chose to leave it at that, avoiding any public discussion of his issues with Endeavor. It felt too petty to air grievances openly, especially given the intensity of the battle they'd just had.
But deep down, Kaminari thought to himself, Sooner or later, Endeavor, I'm going to hit you back for everything you've done.
"Head referee, what's the status of this match? Did Kaminari Denki win?"
The stadium was still buzzing with confusion when Present Mic's voice broke the silence, asking the question that was on everyone's mind.
Midnight turned to Kaminari, a hint of uncertainty in her expression as she spoke. "Well… if we're judging purely by the battle's outcome, then yes, Kaminari would be the winner. But there are also competition rules that prohibit using excessive force or techniques that could be lethal."
She paused, glancing at All Might for confirmation. "If All Might hadn't intervened, Todoroki could have been seriously hurt, maybe even worse…"
All Might considered this, then nodded. "It's true. From the angle Kaminari attacked, he didn't aim for Todoroki's vital points—he was going for the shoulder. So it wasn't an intentional killing move. But given the power of that 'Raikiri' technique…"
All Might's gaze shifted to Todoroki, who stood nearby, still looking shaken from the encounter.
"If that attack had connected with Todoroki's shoulder, it could have caused serious injury, maybe even a permanent one."
"So, based on that…" Midnight nodded thoughtfully. "We should be cautious with this decision."
After a brief pause, she raised her voice to address the crowd. "For now, we'll hold off on officially declaring the winner. Let's proceed with the next two matches, and during that time, we'll carefully review the situation. We'll announce the result of this match after the next rounds are completed."
She knew Kaminari well enough, having trained alongside him in the mornings, and she wanted to ensure he was treated fairly. But as a pro hero and referee, she had to remain objective.
"Sounds good."
All Might nodded, showing his approval with a gentle smile before he turned to Kaminari.
"In that case, Kaminari, you should go rest. But regardless of what decision we reach, I hope you'll accept it with grace."
He placed a reassuring hand on Kaminari's shoulder. "Remember, having strength alone doesn't make you a great hero. You also need a strong heart, one that matches your power."
Kaminari nodded. "Understood."
Turning to Todoroki, he added quietly, "Sorry if I went too far and scared you."
Without waiting for a reply, Kaminari started walking toward the exit, but then he stopped, glancing back at Midnight with an awkward smile.
"Um… would it be okay to request a recharge? My electricity levels are running really low."
With his increased capacity to store up to three million volts, recharging at school saved him from facing a massive power bill at home.
Midnight chuckled and agreed. "Sure. We'll start drawing lots for the next match soon, so there's a chance you'll be fighting again. But remember, if the verdict goes against you, even if you win the next match, you'll be disqualified from advancing to the finals."
Kaminari shrugged. "Got it."
At this point, he knew there was no point in stressing over the outcome. Whatever happened, he'd deal with it. His thoughts drifted to Tetsutetsu, who he hoped to meet in the finals.
In the earlier rounds, Kaminari had sensed Tetsutetsu's determination and eagerness to challenge him. And as a friend, he wanted to honor that by facing him head-on.
After all, as heroes-in-training, wasn't it natural to respond to each other's fighting spirit?
***
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