"Kaminari…"
In the corridor, after recharging his electricity reserves, Kaminari made his way back to the auditorium to meet Kyoka and the others. On the way, he crossed paths with Tetsutetsu, who was heading toward the arena.
"Tetsutetsu…"
Kaminari offered a sheepish smile. "Sorry, but I might not make it to the finals."
"You'll make it. You will make it!" Tetsutetsu's tone was firm, even though both of them understood that the outcome was still uncertain.
"But if—just if—you don't, then I'll give Todoroki a proper beating in your place!" Tetsutetsu declared, his voice rising with conviction. "Because I don't accept it!"
Kaminari raised an eyebrow. "Don't accept what?"
"I don't accept him making it to the finals in this way!" Tetsutetsu said, locking eyes with Kaminari. His voice was loud and full of dissatisfaction.
For him, if Todoroki made it to the finals without having earned it fairly without truly fighting, it was nothing short of an insult to the competition.
"Heh, well, before you worry about Todoroki, maybe you should figure out how to beat Tokoyami first," Kaminari teased with a shrug, trying to lighten the mood.
Tetsutetsu chuckled but didn't deny it. Kaminari, however, seemed to slip into a thoughtful tone, analyzing the situation aloud.
"Tokoyami's strong, but… if you can figure out how to handle his 'Dark Shadow,' he's not that hard to beat," Kaminari said, his mind ticking through Tokoyami's strengths and weaknesses.
"Most of his power is tied to Dark Shadow, and while it's fast and strong, Tokoyami himself isn't as remarkable in other areas. If you can lure Dark Shadow far enough away from him, you could use that window to rush straight at Tokoyami with something like 'Shave.'"
Tetsutetsu smirked at Kaminari's familiar way of dissecting strategies. It reminded him of Midoriya.
"Yeah, well, about that… I'm still working on 'Shave.'" Tetsutetsu scratched his head sheepishly. "I only just figured out the right step frequency. I can't control the direction or distance properly yet."
"Ah…" Kaminari blinked, then let out a disappointed sigh. "That's a shame. I was kind of looking forward to seeing you teleport all over the field."
Tetsutetsu laughed at Kaminari's honesty. "Don't worry, though. Even without 'Shave,' I'll take down Tokoyami and make it to the finals!"
With a confident grin, Tetsutetsu patted his chest and walked past Kaminari toward the arena. Just before entering the corridor leading to the field, he paused without turning back.
"Whether you make it to the finals or not, Kaminari, I'll be waiting for you there."
Kaminari stood silently, watching his friend's retreating figure. In that moment, he felt a pang of gratitude for having such a determined and loyal partner.
---
On the other side, Tokoyami had already stepped onto the cement arena amidst cheers. He stood still, his sharp gaze fixed on the shadowy corridor where Tetsutetsu was emerging.
"Be ready for his strange tactics," Tokoyami thought to himself, steeling his resolve.
Tetsutetsu stepped into the light, his iron-hard stance exuding confidence. Kaminari, now seated among his classmates, glanced around, noticing that Todoroki was conspicuously absent from the crowd.
Meanwhile, on the Class B side, Monoma was unusually quiet. His typical sharp tongue was nowhere to be found as he observed Kaminari from a distance, his expression tinged with unease.
"Kendo, listen," Monoma said to the orange-haired girl beside him. "If Kaminari or Todoroki ends up being your opponent in the next match, my advice is simple: forfeit. There's no way we can compete with them."
But Kendo shook her head firmly. "I can't do that."
"Kendo—"
"I know they're both way stronger than me, and my odds of winning are basically zero," Kendou interrupted. "But backing down just because of that? That's not what a hero does."
Her voice was steady and filled with conviction. "Plus Ultra. Relentless progress, never-ending. Even if I lose, I'll at least land a punch before I go down!"
Monoma fell silent, though it was clear he didn't agree.
---
"Start!" Present Mic's energetic voice signaled the beginning of the match.
As soon as the game began, Tokoyami's Dark Shadow emerged, its massive form rushing toward Tetsutetsu.
Neither side wasted time exchanging words. Tetsutetsu charged straight in, meeting Dark Shadow's assault head-on. His first attack came in the form of a powerful kick, his steel-coated leg striking with tremendous force.
Boom!
The collision was explosive. Tetsutetsu's kick sent Dark Shadow reeling back, unable to withstand the sheer power of the blow.
"Don't fight him head-on! Go for aerial attacks—aim for his head!" Tokoyami called out, recalling Bakugo's strategy against Tetsutetsu earlier.
Dark Shadow quickly adjusted, flying high above Tetsutetsu and diving down toward his upper body.
But Tetsutetsu just smirked.
In the audience, a tall, muscular man with a stern expression—Tetsutetsu's mentor, Daimon Goro also allowed himself a small smile.
As Dark Shadow dove down, Tetsutetsu shifted his stance, adopting a judo posture that took everyone by surprise.
"You've been too focused on my legs," Tetsutetsu said. "Time for me to remind you what real grappling looks like!"
Before Dark Shadow could react, Tetsutetsu caught its arm and, with a powerful movement, slammed it into the ground.
"What?!" Tokoyami's eyes widened as he watched the normally indomitable Dark Shadow crumble under Tetsutetsu's technique.
"Attacking from above? That's a rookie mistake," Tetsutetsu said confidently. "I've been training with Daimon-sensei for years, he's over two meters tall. I've faced overhead attacks more times than I can count."
"And…" Tetsutetsu added, his grin widening, "I've figured out your weakness."
Before Dark Shadow could recover, Tetsutetsu unleashed another devastating kick, this time enhanced by his developing "Shave" technique.
Boom!
The blow sent Dark Shadow flying, its form dissolving into streaks of black light as it was forcibly pushed back toward Tokoyami.
"Move, partner!" Tokoyami shouted, leaping to the side to avoid being caught in the backlash.
But Tetsutetsu's voice cut through the air. "It's no use, Tokoyami. You and Dark Shadow are connected. You can't escape."
Boom!
A loud crash echoed as Tokoyami's expression shifted from calm to alarm.
"Not good!"
***
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