Chapter 165: Qualification!
The Electromagnetic Cannon was different from the Railgun. While the Railgun relied on pure electromagnetic propulsion, the Electromagnetic Cannon harnessed both electric energy and centrifugal force generated by high-speed rotation.
Though it lacked the piercing power of the Railgun, it compensated with sheer destructive potential. In fact, it was Kaminari's most powerful attack yet.
But such immense power came with a cost. When the Electromagnetic Cannon collided with the giant bear's blood-infused Destruction Beam, the resulting explosion didn't just obliterate the battlefield, it overwhelmed Kaminari's Registeel construct and directly endangered him.
He had been too close to the center of the blast.
Forced to abandon his meditative state, Kaminari canceled his control over the Registeel. His survival instincts took over, and in a flash of desperation, he activated his High-Voltage mode and retreated at the speed of sound.
Picture it:
A swirling ball of golden and crimson energy expanded violently, tearing through everything in its path. Trees, animals, and even the ground itself were consumed, leaving a barren crater in its wake.
Kaminari ran, lightning surging through his body, the edge of the explosion only centimeters behind him. The expanding energy felt like it was breathing down his neck.
He didn't need calculations or theories to know what would happen if it touched him. Even his Cancer's Golden Cloth wouldn't protect him.
He knew this with absolute certainty.
The desire to survive screamed at him, warning him to keep running no matter what.
Finally, just as the energy wave began to dissipate, Kaminari skidded to a halt, his breathing ragged.
"That was way too close…" Kaminari muttered, the lingering fear evident in his wide eyes.
He glanced back at the battlefield, where the explosion had carved out a massive crater. The devastation stretched for fifty meters in every direction.
Looking at the barren, smoldering ground, Kaminari couldn't help but exhale in disbelief. "This is insane… The radius alone is massive."
He chuckled dryly, his confidence returning. "But with that kind of power, even if that thing survived, it'd definitely be on its last legs."
But as Kaminari scanned the battlefield, his smirk faded.
There, in the middle of the crater, stood the five-meter giant bear.
Its once-majestic black fur was charred, clumps of it burned away to reveal scorched, pitted skin. Black smoke rose from its battered frame, filling the air with the acrid stench of burning flesh.
It had clearly taken severe damage, but it was still standing.
Kaminari's eyes narrowed. This wasn't just resilience—this was something unnatural.
The explosion hadn't just been his attack; it had also included the bear's own Destruction Beam. The combined force should have been enough to overwhelm even the toughest opponent.
Yet, somehow, it still refused to fall.
The answer became clear as Kaminari observed the bear's movements.
It was weakened. The massive creature's body swayed unsteadily, its energy depleted. The intense Destruction Beam had drained its reserves of "blood energy."
Kaminari now understood why that ability was only used in moments of desperation. Every time the bear fired one of those beams, it consumed a significant amount of its vital energy.
And from the looks of it, this latest attack had pushed the bear to its limit.
"ROAR!!!"
Even so, the giant bear let out a deafening roar, its bloodshot eyes fixed on Kaminari. It wasn't the roar of a king or a predator, it was the mournful, defiant cry of a mother who had lost everything.
Kaminari's expression hardened. He didn't flinch, nor did he show pity. Instead, he crouched slightly and clasped his left hand over his right wrist.
"Maybe Hideo and his grandson did something unforgivable to you…" Kaminari said quietly.
"But I'm sorry. I'm human."
"Zzzzzt!"
Golden electricity crackled in Kaminari's right hand, growing brighter and more intense with each passing second. The sound was sharper, harsher than anything he'd unleashed before—even the Lightning Dragon's Roar and the Electromagnetic Cannon.
On the other side, the giant bear's instincts kicked into overdrive. Every nerve in its body screamed of impending doom.
Danger.
Danger.
Danger.
"ROAR!!!"
The bear, now more beast than creature, roared again, its primal instincts driving it to fight. But the advanced AI in Kaminari's battle suit, Pikachu, had already confirmed through scans that the bear's current strength was at its lowest.
It couldn't win.
"It's time to end this," Kaminari muttered. His golden eyes glinted with resolve. "Under this Raikiri... even the heavens would split."
The electric energy in Kaminari's palm condensed into a dark golden sphere, crackling wildly with power.
In a flash of light, Kaminari vanished, leaving only a streak of golden lightning in his wake.
"ROAR!!!"
The bear felt it—a cold, deadly pressure bearing down on it. In desperation, it opened its mouth one last time, gathering the remnants of its strength.
"Buzz!"
A blood-colored energy cluster formed in its jaws, but this time its once-mighty body visibly shrank. Its desperation had forced it to sacrifice more of its already depleted reserves.
"BOOM!!!"
With a roar filled with rage, despair, and sorrow, the bear unleashed its final attack. A massive beam of blood-red energy tore through the air, hurtling toward the golden streak that was Kaminari.
The two forces collided.
"ZZZZZT!!!"
Instead of exploding, the two attacks ground against each other, like claws tearing through fabric.
Kaminari pushed forward, his dark golden sphere tearing apart the blood-red beam with sheer, unrelenting power. Meter by meter, he closed the distance between himself and the bear.
"I hope you are reincarnated as something else in your next life." Kaminari said solemnly as he approached.
To his surprise, the words didn't come from a place of arrogance—they carried a genuine sense of finality, almost like a prayer.
But just as Kaminari prepared to deliver the finishing blow, a voice rang out.
"Stop! Kaminari!!"
The voice was familiar, sharp and commanding.
Before Kaminari could process what was happening, a streak of white shot through the air at twice the speed of sound. It coiled around Kaminari's wrist, yanking it away from the bear and slamming the charged Raikiri into the ground.
"BOOM!!!"
The ground erupted, but the bear remained untouched.
Another streak of white wrapped around the bear's neck, pulling it to the ground with surprising gentleness. Though the bear was immobilized, it was still alive.
"Master?!" Kaminari exclaimed, staring at the figure that had suddenly appeared.
Standing not far from him was Edgeshot, his sharp eyes calm yet firm.
"Kaminari," Edgeshot said, his voice steady but grave, "we are not qualified to kill it."
Kaminari blinked, stunned. His mind raced, but no words came out.
In the distance, the blurry figures of Hideo and Ryoichi could be seen, though they were too far away to intervene.
"What?" Kaminari whispered, frozen in place.
The battlefield fell silent, leaving Kaminari to grapple with the weight of Edgeshot's words. What explanation could his master possibly give?
***
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