From a satellite view, the lush Aokigahara Forest, only known as the Sea of Trees, sprawled like a green crest at the southwestern base of Mount Fuji.

  Deep within the forest, two streaks of light one golden, the other silver raced through the trees, colliding with explosive force as they cshed at high speeds.

  Boom!

  Boom!

  Each impact sent shockwaves through the air, the sound reverberating with rapid iy.

  Kaminari currently the golden streak, was flung backward by yet another powerful strike from the relentless silver figure behind him. As he steadied himself mid-air, his mind raced with fusion and frustration.

  "What's going on? Why isn't Edgeshot affected by my electricity at all?"

  Although their duel had only sted a short time, the sheer speed of both batants meant they'd already exged numerous blows.

  But uzzled Kaminari most was how Edgeshot remained ued by his High-Voltage Mode. The golderic fmes surrounding Kaminari's body, which should have deterred any close batant, didn't seem to faze Edgeshot in the slightest.

  Each time the Hero shed out whether by stretg his paper-thin limbs or darting in for a direct hit, his body iably made tact with Kaminari's electrified aura. Yet, aside from the occasional flicker of sparks on his silver form, Edgeshot's movements remained smooth and ued.

  Boom!

  Another elongated paper limb struck Kaminari, sending him flying. Sparks of goldericity climbed up the extended limb, briefly lighting up Edgeshot's body.

  Zap!

  This time, Edgeshot let out a faint grunt from the jolt, but his expression remained calm, and his attacks tinued as if nothing had happened.

  "Damn it!" Kaminari cursed as he regained his footing mid-air, bang himself just in time to avoid crashing into a tree.

  The situation was frustrating. "He's not just ign my electric shocks," Kaminari muttered to himself, "but every attack he throws nds like it's guided, like some sort of homing missile. No matter how I dodge, he still ects!"

  His bad shoulders ached from repeated impacts. The force behind Edgeshot's blows was no joke, each hit felt like getting smmed by a speeding freight train.

  A, despite having tless opportuo pass him, Edgeshot remained just a meter behind Kaminari, deliberately holding back.

  "Why doesn't he overtake me?" Kaminari thought, gritting his teeth. He could feel Edgeshot's presence lingering just out of reach, like a shadow.

  Even when Kaminari slowed down, Edgeshot mirrored his pace, refusing to take the lead. It was as though the Pro Hero was iionally staying at his heels, keeping the pressure on without finishing the race.

  ---

  Unbeknownst to Kaminari, Edgeshot had his reasons for holding back. Though his calm expressiorayed nothing, the Hero was reag his physical limits.

  Kaminari's electric aura wasn't something he could simply ig was a stant assault on his body. Every strike, every close enter, left Edgeshot enduring sharp, stinging jolts of electricity.

  It wasn't immunity that kept him moving; it ure endurance. Years of training and discipline allowed him to push through the pain, but even he had his limits.

  "I 't take too many more of these shocks," Edgeshot thought to himself, his movements still precise despite the strain.

  But there was a lesson he wanted Kaminari to learn, ohat couldn't be taught through words alone.

  At the beginning of their csh, Kaminari had shown a dangerous overfiden his electric aura. He'd relied entirely on its defensive aerrent properties, ing to evade attacks altogether.

  Edgeshot had deliberately tinued his relentless assault to drive the point home: not everyone will fear your electricity.

  "If I were wielding a bde instead of fists," Edgeshot thought, "this battle would've been over before it started. He'd be lying in a pool of his own blood."

  Edgeshot hoped to instill a crucial lesson: Kaminari o use his speed not just for offense, but also for defense. His high-speed capabilities were wasted if he didn't dodge attacks when he had the ce.

  "Let's see if he's starting to figure it out," Edgeshot thought as he adjusted his movements, temporarily pulling ba his attacks.

  ---

  Kaminari, notig the sudden ge in pace, furrowed his brows. "Why isn't he attag anymore?"

  Before he could dwell on it, Edgeshot's voice rang out from behind him.

  "We're here."

  Kaminari's gaze shot forward, and for the first time, he spotted their destination: a pact camp led in a clearing.

  The camp was simple yet well-structed, sisting of wooden buildings surrounded by high wooden walls. While it wasn't massive, it was more than spacious enough for two people.

  But before Kaminari could get a good look, a sharp sound whistled through the air.

  "No way…" Kaminari's eyes widened. He reized that sound instantly, it was the distinoise of Edgeshot stretg his paper-thin limbs.

  Instinctively, Kaminari attempted to dodge, but, as always, Edgeshot's precisio no room for escape.

  A thin, paper-like arm snaked out, ing around Kaminari's ankle and yanking him off the tree trunk.

  "What?!" Kaminari yelped as he was thrown to the ground.

  Thud!

  He crashed onto the forest floor, rolling several times before finally ing to a stop. His bat suit box flew from his grip, nding a few feet away.

  "Damn it!" Kaminari groaned, lying ft on his back. Above him, the dense opy of trees let in fragments of sunlight, casting dappled shadows across the ground.

  "First, he warns me we're close to the destination," Kaminari muttered bitterly. "Then, just as I let my guard dowhrows me off the course."

  He let out a resigned sigh, staring up at the fragmented sky. "Is he trying to teach me not to get distracted by my oppo's words?"

  After a moment, Kaminari pushed himself to his feet, dusting off his clothes. Pig up his fallen bat suit box, he trudged toward the camp.

  There was no point wasting any more energy. He'd already lost the race, so he deactivated his High-Voltage Mode to serve what stamina he had left.

  "There's no way I'm wasting what's left of my charge. Who knows if this camp even has proper electricity?" Kaminari thought wryly.

  ---

  Soon, Kaminari arrived outside the camp's wooden walls. To his surprise, he couldn't find a gate or entranywhere.

  "Huh?" Kaminari muttered, looking around in fusion. "Where's the door?"

  Before he could start cirg the perimeter, a familiar voice called out from above.

  "What are you doing down there? Hurry up a inside!"

  Kaminari looked up to see Edgeshot standing atop the wooden wall in a crouched ninja stance.

  "Where's the entrance?" Kaminari asked helplessly.

  "There isn't one," Edgeshot replied ftly. "Just jump over."

  Kaminari stared at him, dumbfounded, before letting out an exasperated sigh.

  "Fine, fine… you win," he muttered, a small spark of electricity crag around him as he prepared to leap.

  "You really don't make this easy, do you?"