All Might's voice echoed across the training grounds, calling the third group of testants to take their positions. Kaminari raised an eyebrow, brushing his golden bangs aside as he stood up.
He exged a quick wave with Kyoka and the others before stepping into the field alongside Todoroki, Bakugo, Tokoyami, and Aoyama.
"It's up to you, Kaminari!"
"Don't worry, I've got this!" he replied with a grin.
"Sp!"
He aetsu exged a high five, their camaraderie on full dispy before Kaminari walked off to his starting point.
The third group of the petition was about to begin.
"This time, I'll win!" Bakugo muttered, gng at Kaminari and Todoroki as they walked ahead of him. His crimson eyes burned with determination as he ched his fists.
pared to the Bakugo from the inal timelihis version of him carried a far heavier burden. In this life, Todoroki wasn't the only oshining him in css.
Not only were Kaminari and Todoroki ahead of him, but even Midoriya someone he used to see as weaker had caught up faster than expected. Add Tokoyami, who had always been sistent, aetsu, who had rapidly improved, and Bakugo's frustration had reached its boiling point.
When he first applied to U.A., he'd beeermio bee the "stro" and the "number one hero."
But now? He wasn't even sure he could cim a spot iop three of Css 1-A.
Oher side of the arena, Kaminari had chosen his starting point: a steel pilr t high above the industrial training field.
He hadn't put much thought into the location, as All Might's "rescue spot" was different in every round. Still, standing atop the pilr, Kaminari had a perfect view of the entire Sports Field Y.
"Huh… no matter how many times I see this, I 't help but be amazed by U.A.'s resources." Kaminari let out a low whistle, his voice filled with genuine admiration.
"This isn't just a high school. It's a massive, state-of-the-art training anization!"
As he stretched and warmed up, Kaminari began thinking about his strategy.
Should he ght into God-Speed? Or maybe use his High Voltage Mht off the bat? Then again, this could be a good ce to practice his Iron Sand Series.
In truth, Kaminari didn't view the Iron Sand Series as a "finisher" or "ultimate move." To him, it was more of an "opening act" or "defensive yer."
In his imagined battle sarios, the Iron Sand Series was the first line of defense, an initial barrier that the enemy would have to break through before he unleashed his full power.
"Si's meant to be my first line of defense, I should use it more often to refi," he thought, nodding to himself.
With his deade, Kaminari closed his eyes and began steadying his breathing.
"Third match, START!!"
"BOOM!"
The moment All Might's voice rang out, a deafening explosion followed. Everyone on the viewing ptform turheir heads as the camera focused on Bakugo Katsuki, who had bsted himself into the air using his explosions. Fire and smoke trailed behind him as he soared across the field.
"The winner is me!" Bakugo shouted fidently, his voice brimming with his usual fiery charisma.
"Whoosh!"
On another s, Todoroki was seen gliding across a path of ice he'd created beh his feet, advang steadily toward All Might. While he couldn't fly like Bakugo, his iade short work of the obstacles in his path.
"Zap!"
A sudden fsh of light caught everyone's attention. The camera pao Aoyama, who eeding forward by firing his naval ser behind him. He struck a dramatic pose as he zipped across the arena, looking far too pleased with himself.
"Did you all see that?!" Aoyama decred, his voice full of fir. "Look at me! Look how brilliantly I shine!"
G!
A thunderous metallic collisi out, immediately followed by Aoyama's panicked scream.
The spectatroaned in unison as the camera showed Aoyama, now pstered against a rge steel pipe. His pose hadn't ged at all, giving him the appearance of a bizarre, humanoid poster stuck to the metal.
"Seriously?" Kyoka muttered in disbelief.
"He was so busy showing off that he didn't notice the pipe behind him," Momo said, shaking her head.
"Well, at least his ser is strong," Asui ented lightly, noting the dent Aoyama had left in the pipe.
With Aoyama effectively out of the running, the others turheir attention to Tokoyami and Kaminari.
Tokoyami's performance wasn't anythiraordinary. Without yet developing the ability to fly using Dark Shadow, he could only rely on his natural agility to parkour through the industrial ndscape.
"Hey, look at Kaminari!" Sero suddenly shouted. "What… what is that?!"
"Is that… a bck cloud?" someone murmured.
The camera switched to Kaminari's perspective, but the s was so dark that it was hard to make out anything.
"What's he up to now?" Tetsutetsu wondered aloud, the fusion evident in his tone.
"Wait, zoom in!"
As the camera zoomed in, everyone could finally see Kaminari's location. He was floating above the field on peared to be a sleek, bck ptform.
"Is that a… skateboard?" Asui tilted her head, her expression puzzled.
"No, it's too big. It looks more like a surfboard," Uraraka corrected, leaning forward for a better look.
Indeed, Kaminari was standing on what resembled a bck, streamlined surfboard. He banced himself with a casual surfing posture, his body tilted forward slightly as he glided through the air.
To add a dramatic fir, he'd surrounded himself with a swirling ring of iron sand, which orbited him like a pary ring.
Kaminari's i was clear, this wasn't just about winning. This was about looking good.
"As expected of an industrial zone," he muttered to himself, surveying the enviro. "There's way more iron sahan there was ba the forests of Aokigahara!"
From a higher vantage point, the se was striking. Bakugo's fiery explosions lit up oion of the field, while Todoroki's frosty terrain stretched across another. Kaminari, with his dark, stormy aesthetic, stood out as a menag presence.
"Are those… iron sand particles?" All Might squi the rotating ring around Kaminari, his sharp eyes capturing every detail like a high-definition camera.
"But how is he trolling them?" All Might wondered aloud. "Or… has he awakened a sed Quirk?"
***
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