Chapter 78: Surpass Me! Todoroki Shoto!

"Kaminari! You guys were amazing out there!!"

"What's the name of that song?!"

"Wow, I can't believe I have two celebrity classmates! I'm totally getting an autograph!"

"And group photos! Then we can use them to impress the cute girls!"

Ahem, needless to say, that last comment came from Mineta, the ever-"resourceful" grape boy.

"Hahahahaha!"

Still buzzing from the performance, Kaminari laughed heartily. He'd just finished his first major show, and the thrill was still coursing through him. He realized he truly loved being on stage.

"Yeah… this is it. I'm on the right path."

That thought solidified his commitment to his dream, strengthening his confidence in his goal of becoming a superstar Hero.

Nearby, Kyoka was surrounded by a cluster of her female classmates, all chatting excitedly. She seemed just as pleased with how the performance had gone, a small smile breaking through her usual cool demeanor.

"Kaminari."

Suddenly, Todoroki's calm, serious voice cut through the chatter in the room. Kaminari turned to find Todoroki standing right in front of him, his expression colder than usual.

"Hm? What's up?" Kaminari asked, slightly surprised.

Todoroki's gaze was intense as he said, "This time, I'm not holding back. I'll show you the difference between us in a real competition of strength."

"The final winner… will be me."

The room fell silent, the weight of Todoroki's words hanging in the air. But Kaminari only smirked, crossing his arms and meeting Todoroki's icy stare with his own confident smile.

"Alright then."

"Although, to be honest, I think it's still a little early for you…"

"But I, Kaminari Denki, will be waiting for you at the top."

With that, Kaminari's voice grew louder, his stance stronger. Under the stunned gazes of his classmates, he issued his own challenge to Todoroki.

"Surpass my lightning!"

"Surpass me, Todoroki!"

Todoroki's face darkened at Kaminari's words. What was that supposed to mean? He'd come here to challenge Kaminari, but somehow it felt like he was the one being challenged!

Kaminari's words stirred something inside him—anger, pride, and a fierce determination. Frost started to form on his right side as he clenched his fists, a reminder that this Sports Festival would be his chance to prove himself. Words don't matter here, he reminded himself. Only actions.

"Stop it, Todoroki!"

Midoriya, noticing the tension, stepped forward, placing a hand on Todoroki's arm. "Calm down, you guys. We're about to start."

Smack!

But Todoroki shrugged Midoriya's hand off, looking at him with an icy glare. "I don't know why, but I can't ignore you. I don't need to know the details… but today, you're also someone I'm determined to defeat."

"Don't underestimate me."

Midoriya's eyes widened briefly, but then his expression turned resolute. "I know you're stronger than me. Honestly, except for Kaminari, most of our classmates probably don't stand a chance against you."

Bakugo's face immediately twisted in annoyance at that comment, but Midoriya didn't notice and continued.

"Subjectively and objectively, you're one of the best here," Midoriya acknowledged. "But everyone—all of us, including students from other classes, came here to fight for the top spot!"

Gone was the hesitant boy of yesterday. Now, Midoriya's gaze was sharp, his resolve clear as he looked straight into Todoroki's intense eyes.

"So! I'll give it everything I've got to fight for first place!"

This tense exchange between Kaminari, Todoroki, and Midoriya quickly made the three of them the center of attention. The rest of Class 1-A watched in silence, sensing the brewing rivalry. The atmosphere was charged, like a powder keg ready to explode.

Bakugo, standing nearby, clenched his fists, veins pulsing on his forearms as he glared at the three with pure fury.

"Oi, oi, oi, oi, oi… so what, I'm just a side character now?!"

"You three… just wait! I'll crush every single one of you!"

"The top spot is MINE!"

---

Meanwhile, outside in the stadium, the Hero Sports Festival was about to kick off. The four giant screens around the arena suddenly cut to Present Mic.

"Alright, people, are you READY?!"

His voice boomed through the speakers, sending another wave of cheers throughout the stands. The crowd had been waiting eagerly for this moment, and audiences across Japan, glued to their TVs, leaned in with excitement.

"And for all the media out there—"

"This year, it's the thing you love most, high schoolers unleashed, competing with everything they've got!"

"The Hero Sports Festival has officially begun! EVERYBODY—ARE YOU READY?!"

Present Mic's boundless enthusiasm whipped the already electrified crowd into a frenzy, the cheers so loud they seemed to shake the very stadium.

"First-year contestants, ENTER!"

The music around the venue shifted, the school anthem of U.A. High blaring triumphantly as the first-year students stepped out onto the field.

Step. Step.

Kaminari, Midoriya, Bakugo, and Todoroki were the first to emerge, leading Class 1-A into the stadium.

Pop! Pop! Pop!

Fireworks erupted above them, filling the sky with color as the crowd roared even louder. Even though it was still daytime, the spectacle only added to the already intense energy in the air.

"The next generation of heroes is here, about to face a gauntlet of fierce challenges! The ultimate showdown of the year!"

"Everyone in this stadium is looking forward to these students!"

"And this first group, Class 1-A of the Hero Course! The miracle class that survived a villain attack with grit and determination!"

Present Mic's words lit another fire in the crowd, turning all eyes to Class 1-A. Kaminari and Kyoka, fresh from their performance, were showered with cheers and applause. Many of the spectators were younger kids, elementary and middle school students, who had come with their families and were now screaming their names.

As Class 1-A stepped out, the rest of the Hero Course classes followed, along with students from General Studies, Support, and Business Courses. Some of them grumbled quietly to themselves. They didn't like being in the shadow of Class 1-A's reputation. In particular, the students of Hero Course Class 1-B felt annoyed.

To them, Class 1-A wasn't special. They'd only gotten attention because they were in the wrong place at the wrong time and just happened to encounter villains.

If they'd been there, they thought, they would have handled it just as well.

But what these students didn't realize was that Class 1-A hadn't been lucky to survive the villain attack. They'd been tested, pushed to their limits, facing life and death.

---

"The competitors will now take the oath!"

At that moment, Midnight, standing on a raised platform in a daring, form-fitting outfit, raised a microphone and announced, "Competitor representative, Class 1-A's Kaminari Denki!"

The crowd erupted once more, and Kaminari's confident smile was projected onto the giant screens.

None of Class 1-A was surprised by the choice. Kaminari had ranked first in the entrance exams, after all. But Bakugo's face twisted in irritation, his fists clenching even tighter.

"Why does that lightning jerk always get the spotlight?! Just wait till I blow you out of my way!"

Under the gaze of a hundred thousand people, Kaminari slowly walked onto the platform and stood beside Midnight and Present Mic.

He took a deep breath, a spark of inspiration hitting him. This is my chance to make an impression.

He leaned into the microphone, his voice calm yet carrying across the stadium.

"Please remember my name and the way I look standing here… because I, Kaminari Denki, will be the one claiming the crown!"

******

T/N: I've change a bit in Chp 60 and 61 where Kaminari was shown killing villains. I totally understand the complaints because it didn't feel realistic for UA to overlook something like that. The original author didn't address it again, almost like it didn't happen, so I've revised it so that Kaminari just knocks them unconscious instead of killing them. Feel free to re-read it if you'd like. Thanks.