Chapter 28: Withdrawing From The Group

"Sigh..."

Kaminari, now drained of electricity, stepped into the elevator and hit the button for the ground floor. The elevator's quiet hum filled the air, the only sound as he descended. No BGM, no explosions just the soft whirr of the machinery.

This was a rare moment of peace, giving him time to think.

It wasn't that Kaminari didn't want to keep up his cool, "high-speed movement" entrance, with "Only My Railgun" blasting as he heroically swept Jiro off her feet from outside the building. But his body had other plans. The "super electromagnetic gun" he'd just used had wiped out all the electricity in his system.

Luckily, the glove on his right hand had started recharging him. The crystal on the back of his glove emitted a soft, glowing blue light as it worked.

Now, about that electromagnetic railgun…

In truth, that move was Kaminari's strongest attack, but before this, his "railgun" had only been a knockoff version of Misaka Mikoto's technique, using coins as a medium. The range was short, and the power output was capped, with a maximum distance of only fifty meters.

The reason for using coins aside from being easy to carry was his control over electromagnetism. It simply wasn't strong enough for anything more complex. Unlike the Misaka Mikoto of another world, Kaminari had some serious limitations to consider.

That's why when he told Tetsutetsu and Jiro he had a 50% chance of success, he was honestly overselling it. The actual odds were way lower. If the railgun failed, the worst that would happen was that he'd run out of power without being able to launch Tetsutetsu at the Zero Pointer.

Still, it had been a gamble worth taking.

After all, what's life without a little risk?

As long as you're prepared for the consequences and can handle them, why not go for it?

And this time, it had paid off. Not only had Kaminari secured passing marks for himself, Tetsutetsu, and Jiro, but he'd also grabbed the attention of U.A.'s teachers. Most importantly, though, he had gained a deeper understanding of his railgun technique.

This wasn't something he could have learned from studying electromagnetism in textbooks. It was the kind of knowledge that came from real experience, from pushing his limits in the heat of battle. While the payoff might not be obvious yet, Kaminari knew that in the future, this experience would be crucial for developing more advanced electromagnetic techniques.

"Still... I should brush up more on electromagnetism..."

*Ding!*

The elevator reached the first floor, the soft chime snapping Kaminari out of his thoughts. The metal doors slid open with a cold, mechanical precision, as if to silently remind him it was time to leave.

"Kaminari!!"

Jiro Kyoka's voice echoed through the entrance hall as she rushed toward him, clearly relieved to see him.

"Huh?"

Jiro looked around the elevator, puzzled. "Where's Tetsutetsu?"

"Oh, him..." Kaminari started, walking out of the elevator as he explained the chaotic events that had unfolded on the rooftop. Jiro listened, her mouth opening in disbelief. By the time Kaminari finished, she managed to distill her complicated emotions into one simple phrase:

"So the light that just shot out was... Tetsutetsu?"

When they stepped outside, Jiro frowned as she stared in the direction Tetsutetsu had been launched. "Is he going to be okay?"

"He'll be fine," Kaminari said, shaking his head. "The force from the electromagnetic push would've died down after it penetrated the Zero Pointer. I aimed to send him far, but not too far."

After all, the weight difference between a coin and Tetsutetsu was massive. Just because Kaminari could shoot a coin fifty meters didn't mean he could launch Tetsutetsu the same distance.

"After that, it was just inertia. But with Tetsutetsu's steel body, he'll be alright. Plus, we're still within U.A.'s grounds. Heroes must've already recovered him by now."

That said, only Tetsutetsu could have survived that kind of high-risk stunt. If anyone else had tried it, things might not have ended so well.

"Recovered..." Jiro muttered, her lips twitching at the odd choice of words. Still, the mention of U.A. heroes reassured her, easing her worry about Tetsutetsu.

Soon, Kaminari and Jiro reached the exit of Area C. The space was filled with candidates, many of whom looked battered and bruised after their encounters with the robots. But the moment Kaminari and Jiro appeared, all eyes were on them.

They all wanted to know what had caused that massive beam of light and why Kaminari had bothered with the Zero Pointer, knowing full well it didn't award any points. Most of the candidates had enough brains to figure out there had to be more to the story.

But Kaminari wasn't in the mood to explain. He was exhausted. Ignoring the stares, he gestured to Jiro and led her toward the exit, slipping through the crowd and heading toward the large iron gates.

He knew that once they left the 'simulation community,' there would be little chance for him to see or interact with the rest of the candidates anytime soon. Their paths were likely to diverge.

Well, except maybe if they liked his music. Some might brag about taking the U.A. exam alongside Kaminari Denki, the rising star with the hot new single.

But let's be real when it came to exams like this, any talk of "friendship before competition" was just an empty platitude. The cold, hard fact was that only forty out of over a thousand candidates would pass. Well, actually, excluding the four recommended students, only thirty-six people would make it through those gates wearing the U.A. school uniform tomorrow.

Kaminari climbed onto the bus, returned to his seat, and closed his eyes. He needed rest. There was so much to look forward to, becoming a hero, meeting new friends, and, of course, facing new villains.

Having watched tons of anime in his previous life, Kaminari knew all too well that in a world filled with Quirks, heroes, and villains, conflict was inevitable. It was part of the balance.

Although Kaminari didn't aspire to be a typical, professional Hero, by choosing this path, he'd knowingly stepped into the middle of that conflict.

But wasn't that what made life exciting?

In his old world, a world without Quirks, Kaminari had spent countless hours fantasizing about moments like these. Now, those fantasies were becoming reality. How could he back down now?

This was why he'd spent 80% of his free time studying, training, and preparing himself.

Otherwise, wouldn't it have been easier to just copy songs and animations, become a pop star, and make a fortune that way?

But then what? What if a villain threatened him or his family? Was he supposed to just sit on his wealth, hoping some professional Hero would show up in time to save them?

No way.

It was better to be strong. To have the power to protect the people around him.

And as for being a star? Well, why not have both? Kaminari Denki wanted it all. With a new life ahead of him, why not make it as extraordinary as possible?

If that meant trading away his leisure time, sweat, and hard work to achieve it, then so be it. He had no regrets.

Meanwhile, the buses carrying candidates from all the major 'simulation communities' were making their way back to U.A. High School, where their fates would soon be decided.

In the teacher's lounge, the principal and the instructors began their final discussions about who would be placed in Class 1-A of the Hero Course. U.A.'s rules were strict, only forty students would be admitted into the Hero Course, with Class A and Class B each having twenty members.

Four names were already set in stone: Kaminari, Tetsutetsu, Jiro, and Midoriya. They had passed with flying colors in terms of their performance, their Hero spirit, teamwork, and the potential of their Quirks. No debate was needed.

As for Midoriya, his performance spoke for itself.

The real discussion, however, was focused on two candidates: Minoru Mineta and Eijiro Kirishima. Mineta had the lowest score in the practical exam, and his Quirk was more suited to support than direct combat.

Kirishima, on the other hand, had a high score, but his Quirk overlapped significantly with Tetsutetsu's, and his overall performance hadn't been as strong as Tetsutetsu's.

Now the question was clear: who would be asked to withdraw from Class 1-A?

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