"Juzo Honenuki, can you still move?"
On the sidelines, Midnight who was partially frozen herself trembled from the chill as she asked a question she already knew the answer to.
"…I can't…"
Honenuki, feeling the numbing cold all over his body, barely managed to shake his frozen face as he whispered.
"Honenuki is incapacitated. Shoto Todoroki advances to the second round!"
Midnight cracked her whip, her voice echoing through the speakers.
But the crowd stayed silent, staring in awe at the enormous ice formation towering over the arena. The sheer scale of it left them speechless.
"Kaminari's mother stared wide-eyed, muttering to herself. "Was… was our son up against something like that just now?"
"Uh? Y-yeah!" Kaminari's father stammered, snapping out of his daze. He forced a smile, his voice a mix of pride and disbelief. "Our Kaminari… he's really something, isn't he?"
Down on the field, Todoroki approached the frozen Honenuki and placed his hand on the ice surrounding him.
"Sorry… I went overboard. I'm… not in the best of moods."
With that, he used his fire Quirk to thaw Honenuki's body. Then, he pressed his palm against the iceberg and began to melt it down, releasing a controlled wave of flames around him to vaporize the excess water.
As the towering ice structure melted, steam filled the arena, and within moments, the ground was completely dry. It was as if nothing had happened, leaving the audience even more in awe of Todoroki's precise control.
Kaminari chuckled as he rose from his seat, stretching slightly. "Guess it's my turn next," he said, walking down toward the arena under Bakugo's watchful gaze.
When he reached the corridor, he spotted Midoriya waiting with Uraraka and some of the other students who had come to support him. Uraraka seemed calmer now, though a hint of sadness lingered in her eyes.
"Kaminari-kun?" Midoriya asked, a bit confused as Kaminari paused to look at him.
Kaminari just grinned and patted Midoriya on the shoulder. "Nothing much. Let's put on a good show, alright?"
As he walked past, he left Midoriya with a final remark, his voice low but confident.
"I'm looking forward to this, Midoriya."
Kirishima let out a deep breath after Kaminari disappeared down the hall, then turned to Midoriya with a serious expression.
"Midoriya, you've gotta give it everything you've got. Kaminari's no weaker than Todoroki!"
"I know…" Midoriya nodded, clenching his fists tightly. Determination filled his eyes as he added, "I have my reasons for not holding back. No matter how strong he is, I'll do everything I can to win!"
He thought of All Might's words to him, about proving himself and letting his actions speak for his strength. He wouldn't disappoint his mentor.
"Yeah, you got this, Midoriya-kun!" Uraraka said, trying to lift his spirits with an encouraging smile, despite her own recent defeat.
Kaminari's friends, Tetsutetsu, Kyoka, and Momo, exchanged glances but remained quiet, their expressions carrying a hint of worry. They had all seen Kaminari's strength firsthand. It was a steep challenge, even for someone as determined as Midoriya.
---
As Kaminari and Midoriya arrived in the arena, the faculty prepared themselves. Given the intensity of the previous matches, U.A. had assigned an additional teacher to supervise this round: Vlad King, the homeroom teacher of Class 1-B.
Even All Might, sitting at the faculty table, was visibly tense. He was ready to intervene if Kaminari or Midoriya went overboard. He understood both boys' determination, but also the dangers of their respective powers. If either of them lost control, he'd step in immediately.
---
The crowd roared as the four flame towers at each corner of the arena ignited. Present Mic's voice boomed through the speakers, introducing the next competitors.
"From Class 1-A's Hero Course, it's Kaminari Denki, whose electrifying strength we've all seen before! And facing him is none other than Midoriya Izuku, who has shown impressive resilience and strength in previous events!"
The crowd cheered even louder. Kaminari's growing popularity was clear, with fans shouting his name, urging him to deliver another thrilling performance.
"Go, Kaminari!!"
"Knock him out like Todoroki did!"
"Kaminari! Hit him with a hundred thousand volts!"
---
As they faced each other in the arena, Kaminari eyed Midoriya thoughtfully, noticing the faint arcs of green electricity dancing around him.
"So, what exactly is your Quirk?" Kaminari asked, curious. "That looks… a lot like my high-speed movement."
Midoriya hesitated, looking down at the energy flickering around his hands. "Uh… well, it's complicated. I guess you could say it's a sort of… burst of strength?" he stammered, clearly unsure how to explain it.
In truth, Midoriya didn't fully understand it himself. Unlike his canon counterpart, he hadn't meticulously studied how to use ONE-FOR-ALL. His current state was something he'd stumbled into, without any clear method.
"Hmm, all right then. Let's see what you've got, Midoriya!"
Kaminari shrugged, brushing off the lack of a clear answer. His own body crackled to life with golden electricity, signaling that he was ready to go all out.
"Then let's find out how your version of 'high-speed movement' stacks up against mine!"
---
To the crowd's amazement, the two fighters looked almost identical in that moment, both wrapped in crackling energy, each facing down the other with fierce determination.
Without warning, Kaminari moved first, surging forward like a bolt of lightning. The sheer speed of his approach made Midoriya's eyes widen in shock.
"What's wrong? Did you forget already?" Kaminari said, his voice calm yet intense. "Weren't you going to do your best to beat me?"
The words spurred Midoriya to action. With a deep breath, he steadied himself, focusing all his willpower as Kaminari's electrified fist swung towards him.
***
For every 500 PS = 1 extra chapter. Support me on patreon to read 40+ advanced chapters: patreon.com/Blownleaves.