Chapter 45: The Second Battle Between Group B And Group G

Kaminari saw the look in All Might's eyes and could already guess what was running through his mind. Laughing, he joked, "For those who are curious, maybe once Midoriya recovers from his injuries, we can have him try out my Railgun. Let's see whose moves pack more punch!"

Though Kaminari was half-joking, a small part of him was genuinely curious. However, he also knew All Might would never agree to something so dangerous.

Sure enough...

"Good joke!" All Might smiled but quickly became serious, casting a glance at Midoriya on the screen. "But that's way too dangerous. First of all, I won't allow it under any circumstances, and I hope none of you even consider trying it in private!"

His tone darkened. "From my experience, if your powers were to clash head-on, the resulting shockwave would likely be fatal. Even if you were lucky enough to survive, serious injury would be inevitable!"

"So... Kaminari, promise me you won't entertain that thought again."

Kaminari shrugged, feeling slightly disappointed but understanding the weight of All Might's warning. "Alright, I was just messing around. I won't."

Hearing this, All Might finally relaxed. He had been genuinely worried that these young and reckless students might try to settle their curiosity by challenging each other to see who was stronger.

Ordinary teenagers could have a scuffle and get away with a few bruises. But if Kaminari and Midoriya, both capable of incredibly destructive power, fought recklessly, the consequences would be catastrophic.

At that moment, Midoriya had already been transferred to the school's infirmary for recovery. Meanwhile, Bakugo, Iida, and Uraraka returned to the monitoring room, awaiting All Might's final evaluation.

The outcome of the battle was clear: Midoriya's Group A won the training exercise. However, from a real-world perspective, the situation told a different story.

Neither Bakugo nor Iida had suffered injuries or been captured, whereas both Midoriya and Uraraka were incapacitated one severely injured, the other barely conscious. In an actual combat scenario, their defeat would have been certain.

That's why Tokoyami had whispered to himself, "Win the battle, lose the war."

"The best performer this time was Iida," All Might declared in his usual booming voice.

Kaminari silently agreed with this assessment. Midoriya and Bakugo had approached the exercise like it was just a school test, but they had overlooked a critical aspect: the essence of the Hero course was to train them to be professional Heroes. To truly succeed, they needed to approach every exercise with the mindset of a professional Hero, not just students.

Kaminari had grasped this idea during the entrance exam and used it to guide his actions, opting to tackle the "zero-point" robot despite knowing he might fail. He had focused on the bigger picture.

Once Yaoyorozu finished her detailed analysis of the match, All Might prepared for the next round.

"Alright! Let's move to a new location and get ready for the second battle!"

After relocating to another control room in a different building, All Might reminded everyone, "Be sure to reflect on Yaoyorozu's excellent feedback. Think carefully about it before you dive into this next match."

With that, he reached into the black and white boxes once again to determine the teams.

"In the second battle, the Heroes team will be... Group B! The villains will be... Group G!"

As the results were announced, the students exchanged glances, each trying to remember who was in which group. Then Kaminari Denki, Jiro Kyoka, Shoto Todoroki, and Shoji Mezo stepped forward and walked out in silence.

"It's Kaminari versus Todoroki!" Sero exclaimed, his eyes wide with excitement.

"Haha, this is going to be intense!" Mina Ashido practically bounced with enthusiasm.

Bakugo, however, remained silent. Of all the students in Class 1-A, he was the most eager to see how Kaminari and Todoroki's powers measured up. Were they really so much stronger than him? He couldn't accept that. He wouldn't.

"There's no way I'm gonna settle for third place," Bakugo thought, his fists clenching as he watched Kaminari and Todoroki leave. "I'm the best. I'm the one who's going to win."

"I didn't expect those two to be paired up..." All Might muttered to himself, his expression serious. Then, turning to the rest of the class, he said, "You all stay here. I'm going outside to keep an eye on things."

Without much explanation, he left quickly, preparing to intervene if anything went wrong.

"Whoa! Their match even has All Might nervous!" Kirishima said, scratching the back of his head and grinning.

"I'm looking forward to it too," Yaoyorozu added, her gaze following Kaminari on the screen.

"Tch, Kaminari will win for sure!" Tetsutetsu declared with absolute confidence in his friend.

For once, no one argued with him. Kaminari's earlier performance had earned him the respect of the class, and many believed he had the strength to stand toe-to-toe with Shoto Todoroki, the top recommended student. But which one was stronger? That was the real question.

Meanwhile, on the fourth floor of the building where the battle would take place, Kaminari and Jiro were preparing.

"Jiro," Kaminari said, glancing at her. "Your Quirk lets you amplify your heartbeat and use it as a sound-based attack, right?"

Jiro nodded, pointing to her special combat boots. "Yeah, I can emit mid-range sound waves through these speakers. It's powerful enough to cause some serious damage."

"Good. You'll stay here and guard the corridor. If Shoji shows up, try to hold him off until time runs out."

Jiro frowned. "What about Todoroki? His ice powers are—"

"I'll handle Todoroki. He won't make it to this floor." Kaminari clicked the communicator on his ear and began walking toward the exit.

"Where are you going? Are you seriously planning to take them both on by yourself?!" Jiro asked, her voice laced with worry.

Kaminari smirked, not stopping as he headed down the stairs. "Todoroki's Quirk is ice. If we stay in a confined space, we're done for. I'm going to drag him outside."

Jiro blinked in confusion. "Fight him... outside?"

Even All Might, listening through his earpiece, raised an eyebrow. "This boy... is he really planning to fight Todoroki head-on?"

On the other side of the building, Shoto Todoroki and Shoji Mezo had already begun their approach.

"There's someone in a room on the north side of the fourth floor," Shoji reported, his four additional ears relaying the information. "The other one... they're moving fast, coming straight toward us."

Todoroki nodded and stepped forward. "Go outside. It's going to get dangerous in here."

Before Shoji could respond, a bright golden light flashed from the dark hallway. The light intensified rapidly, accompanied by the crackling sound of electricity.

"He's here!" Shoji shouted.

Todoroki's expression remained calm, but his movements were swift. He pressed his hand against the wall and activated his ice Quirk.

In an instant, the corridor was filled with thick, glistening icicles that shot forward, rapidly expanding and freezing everything in their path.

"Your strategy isn't bad," Todoroki thought as he focused on the approaching light. "But there's a gap between us you won't be able to close."

*Sizzle!*