At 5:30 in the morning, the crisp chill of dawn lingered in the air.
Kaminari arrived at Omiya Park once again, his usual training ground. However, it was rare for him not to run into Midnight. She was always earlier than him, but today she was nowhere to be seen.
Thankfully, he hadn't come here for a morning jog this time. Instead, he headed straight to his "secret base."
The place remained unchanged. A small open clearing surrounded by cracked mounds, a sun umbrella shading a makeshift plastic table and chairs, and a Pikachu alarm clock sitting nearby, it all looked just as it did yesterday.
"Alright," Kaminari muttered as he stood in the center of the clearing, taking a deep breath of the fresh jungle air. The coolness washed away the last remnants of his drowsiness.
"God Speed, activate!"
As he murmured those words, a faint crackling sound echoed through the clearing. It wasn't loud, and the occasional chirping of distant birds was much more noticeable.
"Good, let's warm up first."
Kaminari used his "God Speed" technique to let the electric current stimulate his muscles, essentially massaging his body into readiness.
This method of warming up was undoubtedly more efficient than jogging, and Kaminari couldn't help but appreciate the convenience it provided.
"Now, let's figure out what to focus on today," he thought, standing still as the gentle currents worked through his body.
The first step was recalling the shortcomings from yesterday's events.
"During the obstacle course, I was at a disadvantage because I couldn't fly. The second and third sections really slowed me down. Compared to someone like Bakugo, I was stuck dealing with more obstacles than necessary," Kaminari mused, narrowing his eyes.
"Learning how to fly stably has to be one of my priorities moving forward."
But he shook his head and refocused. "No... what's even more important is how reliant I am on external objects. That's a huge problem. It held me back in the cavalry battle and during the one-on-one matches. I need to fix that first."
Pulling a coin from his pocket, Kaminari studied it closely, lost in thought.
"Electromagnetic guns will always require a physical carrier. That's just the nature of the technique—after all, even Misaka Mikoto couldn't bypass this limitation..."
His gaze sharpened. "But... what if I didn't need to use my hands?"
He began thinking through the mechanics. "The principle behind the railgun isn't that complicated. By forming a spiral arc of electricity around my arm, I generate a magnetic field. That field becomes the electromagnetic track, and then I use a high-voltage shock to launch the projectile."
"But what if I could create that magnetic field in mid-air, controlling the coin with electromagnetic force before firing it?"
To test his idea, Kaminari flicked the coin into the air. A faint current from his "high-speed movement" state surrounded it, wrapping the coin in golden electricity.
"Bzzzzz..."
The coin hovered in mid-air, held steady under Kaminari's control. The electromagnetic force linking it to his palm was visible, a subtle golden thread of energy.
"Controlling the coin isn't hard," Kaminari muttered, his focus sharpening. "The tricky part is creating a magnetic field around it without direct contact."
He increased the intensity of the current in his arm, and a linear burst of electricity surged toward the coin. Sparks danced as the electric field around the coin expanded, forming a glowing golden ring coil in the air.
"Crack!"
The next moment, the coin disappeared in a flash of light.
"Boom!"
In the blink of an eye, the coin shot forward like a beam of golden energy, piercing through the mound in front of him. A clean, circular hole smoldered in its wake.
Kaminari blinked in surprise, staring at his raised hand.
"Wait... Did that actually work?" he asked himself, astonished. "It didn't even feel that difficult. I just needed to focus a bit more, definitely easier than firing it with my hands, where it's all instinct at this point."
He paused as realization dawned.
"Ah, of course... It's all about familiarity. I've practiced the hand-fired railgun so many times that it's basically muscle memory now. No wonder this feels so different."
A small smile tugged at the corner of his lips. "If I can launch a railgun like this, then I won't have to limit myself to just one at a time because of my hands."
His eyes gleamed with excitement as he pulled out two more coins from his pocket. Flicking them into the air, he began to replicate the process, controlling them with electromagnetic currents.
"If this works, then the railgun moves from being a single-target attack to a multi-target technique," Kaminari thought, his mind racing with possibilities.
He imagined a scenario where he was surrounded by enemies. If he could launch dozens of coins into the air and fire them all simultaneously, he could bombard every direction at once.
Or, against a stronger opponent, he could focus all his attacks on a single target, unleashing three, four, or even ten railguns in rapid succession. With that level of concentrated firepower, even someone as elusive as Shigaraki wouldn't be able to escape.
"Let's see you dodge when the sky is raining electromagnetic projectiles," Kaminari murmured, his smile widening at the thought.
"Bzzzzzz... Crack!"
Another golden beam of energy shot out, puncturing another mound with precision. But Kaminari frowned—this time, the second coin fell to the ground, untouched.
"Dang it," he muttered, bending down to pick up the coin. He studied it thoughtfully, replaying the moment in his head.
"As I expected... controlling multiple projectiles is tough. Trying to balance two railguns at once is like trying to focus on two completely different tasks at the same time."
Still, there was no frustration in his tone only determination.
"But if it's possible, that's all that matters," he said firmly. "A problem that can be solved with training is no problem at all."
His confidence flared as he pocketed the coins. "I've already made progress with Raikiri. Compared to that, mastering 'Multiple Railguns' is just a matter of effort."
Even so, Kaminari shifted his focus. For now, electromagnetic attacks requiring external objects weren't his top priority.
"What I really need is a move that uses pure electricity, a ranged attack that doesn't rely on anything else," he thought.
Raising his right arm, he aimed his palm toward the battered mound in front of him, now riddled with holes.
"Let's see where my limits are."
"Crack!!"
***
For every 500 PS = 1 extra chapter. Support me on patreon to read 45+ advanced chapters: patreon.com/Blownleaves.