The school's auditorium stage wasn't particurly rge, yet the teachers had goo great lengths to create the best atmosphere for Kaminari's performahey repced all the curtains with thick, bck, light-blog fabric.

  As the lights dimmed and the entire auditorium was engulfed in darkness, the teachers, students, and parents remained calm. After all, this kind of setup was quite on here, and everyone was familiar with the process.

  Snap!

  The moment the colorful spotlights above the ceiling verged on the ter of the stage, Kaminari was already standing there, aric guitar slung casually around his waist. He fshed a warm smile at the crowd as he gripped the microphoand.

  Several music teachers, serving as backup musis, held bass guitars or sat behind the drum set, their presenplementing Kaminari like stars surrounding the moon.

  But instead of bursting into cheers, the students waited in an expet hush, as if collectively holding their breath for what was to e.

  Without saying a word, Kaminari strummed the pick across the guitar strings, ung into a rhythmitro with practiced ease.

  The familiar melody swept through the auditorium like a wave, instantly igniting the crowd. Deafening cheers and screams erupted, their energy turning the entire veo a boiling cauldron of excitement.

  "Let go! A dream carved in my heart!"

  "The future be forsaken too!"

  The moment he belted out the opening line, his powerful voice resonated alongside the fierce apa. It felt like the air itself burst apart, the bined shouts of the students surging like waves, crashing against the walls and filling every er.

  This was their idol—someone who walked the same halls, shared the same csses, and was, incredibly, one of their own.

  The sense of pride, e, and the quality of the music left a sting impression on everyone present. Kaminari wasn't just aaleudent; he was a symbol of excellen their midst.

  "I don't reize boundaries!"

  "Meaningless!"

  "This power shines like light!"

  After Kaminari fihe first half of the song with an almost feverish tempo, the crowd finally joined in as he reached the line, "If the path I've walked only be retraced." Together, they sang along, a chorus of hundreds merging into one voibsp;

  "Might as well destroy everything here!"

  "A town that's fallen into the abyss of darkness!"

  "How long people keep fighting?"

  Even Kaminari's mother, who was sitting among the audience, was astohe sheer scale of the students' response left all the parents in the guest se wide-eyed and open-mouthed.

  What oh was happening?

  Was this really just a junih school graduation ceremony? It felt more like a rock star's cross-try tour than an ordinary school event.

  Previously, they had heard their children rave about how cool Kaminari was, how well he could sing, and how popur he was at school. They hadn't taken it too seriously at the time.

  After all, parents usually cared more about his academic performand his impressive feat of being the only student from Taniben First Junih to apply for U.A. High School's Hero Course and pass the written exam.

  But now, witnessing this firsthand, they realized just how exceptional this boy was.

  In Japanese society, test scores aren't the only measure of a student's worth; they aren't even the most important factor. What truly matters is the student's overall character and achievements.

  However, despite being so well-known within the school, Kaminari wasn't a household name beyond its walls. Two years ago, he had posted a music video online where he pyed and sang "Only My Railgun" on his electric guitar, gaining some attention for the quality of the performand his good looks. But he was still just a small-time singer, with songs that were better known than his face.

  The performanded before long; the song was only a little over four minutes. As the st note hung in the air, it signaled not only the end of the performa also the closing of Kaminari's three-year middle school journey.

  What y ahead was the more demanding world of Hero High School, where a multitude of challenges reted to being a Hero awaited him.

  In this world, the Hero circle is the pinnacle of achievement. Now that Kaminari had been given a sed ce at life, there was no way he'd let it pass without aiming for the top.

  After the ceremony cluded, Kaminari and his mother left the campus together, apanied by the well-wishes of friends and cssmates. Perhaps feeling a touch of nostalgia, Kaminari gnced back at the school's anibori No. 1 Junih" o time.

  Theurned around and tinued dowh to his future with his mother by his side.

  "U.A. High School… I 't wait. But why did that female teacher e to mind?"

  As soon as they arrived home, his overjoyed mother annouhat the family would have a grand dio celebrate—barbecue!

  Kaminari certainly had no pints; in fact, he weled the idea. He was still growing, and some extra protein couldn't hurt.

  But with some time to spare before his father got off work, Kaminari ged out of his school uniform, carefully folding it before pg it in the closet. He then hung his guitar bag on the wall.

  Today was February 6th, and there were still twenty days until the practical exam at U.A. High School. He had already prepared as much as he could, so for the few days, he would allow himself to rest and recharge, ensuring he was in peak ditiohe time came.

  ging into casual clothes, Kaminari flopped onto his soft bed. It's worth noting that his pillow and b were both adorned with Pikachu designs, and a Pikachu figure model sat on his puter desk.

  He hadn't bought these items himself. sidering he could draw Pikachu by heart, there wasn't much point in buying merdise. It was all made at home.

  Before he k, his eyelids grew heavy, his breaths became deep and even, and he drifted into sleep. The excitement from earlier had taken its toll.

  The Pikachu clo the wall quietly ticked away until nearly five iernoon, when the wooden door to his room suddenly creaked open.

  "Hey, still sleeping?"

  A middle-aged man with thick blond hair entered. When he saw his son dozing, he reached out and flicked Kaminari's forehead with two fingers.

  Crackle!

  But as soon as his fiouched Kaminari's hair, a bright spark of electricity shot out, causing the man to quickly pull his hand back.

  Oddly, silver-white sparks crackled from his fiips but fizzled out before f a plete current.

  "Dad… seriously?" Kaminari rubbed his forehead, looking at his father with a mixture of irritation and helplessness.

  "I've told you tless times, it's dangerous. My self-defense currents are strohan your low-level lightning immunity handle."

  Kaminari's father also had arical Quirk, which was why the doctors had anticipated Kaminari's abilities and takera precautions fhtning prote.

  But Quirks have levels. His father's Quirk was a lower-level "static" ability, capable only of releasing tiny amounts of static electricity that could cause a tingliion at best.

  He also possessed a passive trait on to lightning-based Quirks—partial immunity to electricity.

  This is simir to those with fire or ice-based Quirks, whenerally resistant to burns or frostbite. However, this resistance had its limits; with enough output, even they could get hurt.

  "Haha, my bad," his father chuckled sheepishly, rubbing his slightly numb fingers. "I didn't expect your currents to be that strong."

  His tourned serious, "But is it because your Quirk level is naturally high, or… have you been training i?"

  "Well…"