Chapter 164: Steel Construct

At the center of the battlefield, it was now a clash of titans: the massive iron construct and the enraged giant bear.

"Wrestling, huh?" Kaminari mused.

"If this goes on, my Steel Serpent is definitely going to win. After all, it doesn't get tired or have physical limitations like a living creature."

He paused, his brow furrowing in realization.

"Wait… that's not exactly true."

Kaminari's eyes flickered with understanding. While the Steel Serpent didn't have physical limits, he certainly did. His ability to control the iron sand swarm only lasted about ten minutes before the strain on his body became too much.

This wasn't speculation—it was a fact proven through prior training.

"Looks like I need to finish this quickly," Kaminari sighed internally. "Who knows how long this bear can keep going? I wanted to subdue it without killing it, but…"

His golden eyes narrowed as his resolve hardened.

"Guess I'll have to turn up the pressure."

With that, Kaminari adjusted his strategy, gathering more electromagnetic force. The next second, the mouth of the Steel Serpent began to glow with golden current, arcs of electricity crackling ominously as they built up.

Electromagnetism—the unity of electricity and magnetism. Electricity generates magnetism, and magnetism generates electricity. Kaminari used his mental power to transform the currents he controlled into electric waves, channeling them through the snake.

However, the source of this power wasn't the natural magnetic field of the Earth, it all came from Kaminari himself. He wasn't yet capable of harnessing external energy sources. Someday, if he reached that level, he'd never have to worry about exhausting his internal reserves. He could simply draw power from his surroundings and strike down anyone foolish enough to oppose him.

But for now, the burden remained on his body.

As the electromagnetic energy gathered in the Steel Serpent, its sharp iron teeth began to glow, coated in golden electricity. The sight alone gave off an unmistakable air of danger.

"Steel Serpent, Thunder Fang!" Kaminari commanded mentally.

He winced a little at how dramatic it sounded but figured it was necessary to focus his intent.

"Whoosh!"

With a burst of speed, the Steel Serpent lunged, its electrified jaws clamping down on the giant bear's neck.

"CRACKLE! ZZZZT!"

Electricity surged through the bear's thick fur, burning its skin and sending waves of paralyzing energy through its body.

"ROAR!!!"

The bear roared in pain, shaking violently as it tried to throw the snake off. Its thick fur may have been enough to protect it from most attacks, but its neck remained a vulnerable point. The combination of piercing fangs, burning heat, and electrical paralysis overwhelmed even its immense durability.

But the agony only served to enrage the beast further. Its eyes, already bloodshot, seemed to glow a feral red as it completely lost all sense of reason.

Suddenly, the bear opened its massive jaws wide.

"What the—?!" Kaminari's eyes shot open, his meditative focus momentarily shattered.

From the bear's mouth, a crimson beam of energy blasted forth with incredible force. It wasn't simply blood spewing out—this was a focused, high-pressure attack.

The beam tore through the Steel Serpent's body like a knife through paper, scattering iron sand in every direction. The entire snake construct collapsed in an instant.

"What… what just happened?!" Kaminari muttered, disbelief flooding his mind.

"Did… did that bear just fire a beam?! Is this a joke?!"

Even more absurd thoughts raced through his mind. "What's next? Is it a Pokémon?! Was that supposed to be Hyper Beam?!"

Meanwhile, Ryoichi and Hideo, watching from a distance, were equally dumbfounded.

"What… what just happened?" Ryoichi whispered, covering his nose and mouth. "Ugh, it stinks!"

Hideo grimaced, leaning against his grandson for support. "With the smell this strong, it must've spat out a massive amount of blood just now…"

The reality was that the bear's Quirk wasn't "giant size" as they'd initially assumed. Instead, it had a unique ability to metabolize the flesh and blood of its prey, converting it into a substance that fueled its growth and strength.

This energy, stored in its body, could also be weaponized, allowing it to unleash devastating, high-pressure blood blasts in times of desperation.

As the remnants of the Steel Serpent reformed in front of Kaminari, he frowned.

"Looks like I need to change tactics."

This time, instead of rebuilding the Serpent, he reshaped the iron sand into something more suited for combat.

The swirling mass compressed and condensed until a humanoid figure stood in its place—roughly four to five meters tall, with a spherical upper body and long, powerful limbs.

"The choice is clear," Kaminari thought, a hint of determination flashing across his face.

"Registeel —activate!"

The newly-formed Registeel raised its thick, claw-like hands, stepping forward to intercept the bear.

"ROAR!!!"

The bear, now fully consumed by rage, opened its mouth again, gathering energy for another crimson beam. Its bloodshot eyes locked onto the Registeel spherical chest.

"You think I'll fall for the same move twice?" Kaminari muttered under his breath, his tone calm but sharp.

Golden energy began to gather at the top of the Registeel, forming a rapidly spinning orb of electricity.

"Registeel, fire the Electromagnetic Cannon!"

The orb condensed further, glowing with intensity as it built up over 2.5 million volts of energy.

"BOOM!!!"

The Registeel unleashed its attack at the same moment the bear fired its crimson beam. The two forces collided in mid-air, clashing with raw, destructive power.

For a few tense seconds, neither attack gave way. The electromagnetic cannon pushed forward, only to be forced back by the bear's blood beam, and then surged forward again.

The struggle ended in a massive explosion, sending a shockwave rippling through the forest.

"BOOM!!!"

The force of the blast was overwhelming. Hideo and Ryoichi, who had been watching from afar, were thrown off their feet by the sheer intensity of the detonation.

As the smoke and energy cleared, half-golden and half-crimson light illuminated the battlefield.

Kaminari's calm exterior didn't waver, but internally, he cursed.

"Ugh… I lost control of the power output!"

***

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