The effects of Kaminari's high-voltage electricity were starting to take their toll on Todoroki. The searing pain and numbing paralysis threateo overwhelm him, nearly breaking his focus and pushing him to the edge of sciousness.
But even in this desperate situation, Todoroki's determination held firm. He was a "genius," after all—gifted with abilities that set him apart from others, in every possible way.
With a surge of cold air, Todoroki pushed himself to the limit, letting the frost on his right side pour out without restraint, even if it meant risking frostbite.
Crack, crack, crack.
In an instant, uhe extreme cold, his entire body was encased in ice. Despite being mid-air from Kaminari's earlier kick, Todoroki mao react, f a solid yer of ice around himself to brace for the impact.
Simultaneously, this of ice began to form in the air around him, attempting to slow Kaminari's relentless approach. But it was futile.
In his high-voltage mode, Kaminari's electricity geed intense heat, causing the id ist surrounding him to melt almost instantly as he drew closer.
Boom!
Crack!
Another powerful blow from Kaminari sent Todoroki flying even higher, a trail of white mist marking his trajectory. And within seds, a streak of golden lightning shot up to follow him, moving several times faster than before.
On three sides of the stadium, the audie mesmerized, while those watg from home witnessed a spectacle that would be seared into their memories forever.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
A series of thunderous impacts echoed through the arena as Kaminari tinued his high-speed assault. From a distance, he looked like a golden blur, weaving through the sky and creating streaks of light that left afterimages in the air. Each time he struck, a bst of electriergy and a sharp crack of ice resounded, with Todoroki ricocheting through the sky like a battered ragdoll.
"This… this…" Kyoka muttered, staring up at the dispy in stunned silence. Her mind was bnk, save for one overwhelming realization.
"This is Kaminari's power?"
All arouhe crowd remained in a state of awe, their eyes fixed otle above, uo tear themselves away.
"Are they really just first-year students? Are they even students at all?"
"This level of bat… it's beyond most Pro Heroes!"
Eve Mic, the usually eiouncer, was at a loss for words, his eyes wide with disbelief as he watched the two figures collide in mid-air.
"How much longer they keep this up?" he muttered to himself, though his voice lified by the speakers, making everyone in the arena hear his . "If this keeps going… Todoroki's going to reach his limit."
Oher side of the stadium, Endeavor's posure was starting to crack. Gone was his usual stoic stance, repced with a tense posture as he watched his son, his face dark with .
"Hmph…"
The fmes on Endeavor's body flickered more intensely, fring up as if iion to the tension. Kaminari's earlier words echoed in his mind:
"You keep talking about Todoroki's 'full power,' but have you ever seen my full power?"
"With all due respect… if I went all-out, he'd be dead already."
For a brief moment, Endeavor found himself believing Kaminari's words.
Boom!
Wham!
Finally, the of strikes in the sky came to a dramatid as Kaminari unleashed a particurly powerful blow. Todoroki was sent hurtling downward, the force breaking through the sound barrier and sending him plummeting like a fallieor.
"Oh no!" Midnight gasped. "This is bad!"
As Midnight, toss, and the other teachers prepared to intervene, Kaminari nded ba the tip of the iceberg he'd created earlier, his gaze cold and unwavering as he looked down at Todoroki's desding figure.
"Todoroki… you won't die from this, but if you hit the ground, you're definitely going to be hurt."
Just as Todoroki was about to crash into the ground, something ged. His falling figure started to glow with a faint red hue.
Wait… no. It wasn't just a glow. It was…
Boom!
A r pilr of fire erupted from Todoroki's body, engulfing the air around him and stopping his fall. The inferno expanded in all dires, so intehat anything that got close—including the teachers rushing to help ushed back by the seari.
"Oh? So you're finally using your fmes."
Kaminari stood at a height above the stadium, perched on the massive iation, watg as the bze ed the lower half of the arena.
"It looks like that promise you made to never use his fire means nothing when you're starih in the face."
He emphasized the word "promise" with a mog tohen steadied himself, grasping his right wrist with his left hand, fog energy into his palm.
"Well, if yoing all-out, then I suppose it's only fair I do the same."
His golden eyes narrowed, a sharp and deadly iy in his gaze.
"I wasn't joking earlier. If you don't bring everything you have, I will knock you out."
*Bzzzzzzzzzzzt! Chirp-Chirp-Chirp*
On top of the iceberg electricity began to gather, crag and snapping in Kaminari's hands. The sound echoed like thunder mixed with the sharp chirping of birds.
Below, deep in the sea of fire, Todoroki stood on scorched earth. His dition was rough, to say the least. His sports jacket was pletely burned away, leaving only his pants intact, almost as if by some strawist of fate.
His upper body was covered in burns and cuts, blood trig from the er of his mouth. But even the blood evaporated almost instantly uhe intense heat, leaving only a red smear as a reminder of his injuries.
"I… I almost died…"
Todoroki's eyes were wide, his heart rag as he recalled the terror he'd felt just moments ago. It was a fear he hadn't known before—a fear beyond anything he'd felt, even monizing than the memory of boiling water scalding him as a child. This time, it was real, visceral, a fear rooted in the prospect of death.
No matter how gifted he was, or how indiffereried to be, at his core, he was still a fifteen-year-old kid. And the reality of fag death shook him in a way he wasn't prepared for.
*Crackle, crackle.*
Just as he steadied himself, the familiar buzzing sound of electricity filled the air, drawing closer from above.
"That sound…"
***
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