Chapter 62: Friendship Between Men

The simulated disaster area, designed to replicate earthquake accidents, was a scene of chaos. Twisted buildings, cracked streets, and scattered rubble painted a grim picture. It resembled a post-apocalyptic wasteland, only without the innocent civilians caught in the crossfire.

"Go to hell!!"

*Boom!*

A violent explosion erupted from the ruins of a broken building, scattering debris and sending unconscious villains flying.

*Thud!*

The bodies and rubble hit the ground with brutal force, the dull sound echoing across the desolate area. The carnage caused by the blast was clear to see.

"Damn, Bakugo's on a rampage!" Kirishima exclaimed, wiping the sweat from his forehead after landing a hard punch on a villain. He turned to watch Bakugo wreaking havoc nearby, using his explosive Quirk with reckless abandon.

Tetsutetsu, whose battle uniform was in tatters from fighting, frowned in agreement. "I thought I was one of the top guys in Class A, especially after Kaminari and Todoroki. But after fighting alongside Bakugo for just a few minutes, I realized—" he clenched his fists, "I can't beat that guy."

As much as he hated to admit it, the truth was undeniable. Even though Bakugo's personality was grating, Tetsutetsu had to acknowledge his strength.

"Damn it!" he growled, frustration boiling over. With a swift kick, he sent two villains crashing out of a window.

"I've been working so hard, so why do I feel like I'm falling behind?"

The battlefield calmed for a moment. The villains who had been swarming the three boys lay scattered on the ground, either unconscious or thrown from the building. The best those villains could hope for was a few broken bones, if they were lucky.

"Wow! What's with your kicks, Tetsutetsu? They're insane!" Kirishima said, genuinely curious. He'd noticed that despite their similar Quirks, Tetsutetsu fought differently from him.

While Kirishima preferred to go in with his fists hardened and ready, Tetsutetsu relied more on his legs. And when he kicked, villains flew like they'd been hit by a wrecking ball.

"Huh?" Tetsutetsu scratched the back of his head. "It's simple. They're weak, so it's easier to clear them out with kicks."

Inwardly, though, he thought, "Just wait until I master judo, I'll be a force of nature with my punches and kicks."

Despite his frustration, Tetsutetsu was satisfied with his leg strength. It was the result of endless practice, training his body at high speed day and night.

As the dust settled, the two boys noticed Bakugo moving outside the building, heading off on his own.

"Hey, Bakugo, where are you going?" Kirishima called after him, jogging to catch up.

"Hah?" Bakugo shot him a look of irritation. "Where do you think? I'm going after that teleporting b*****d. I'm gonna kill him!"

Kirishima groaned, shaking his head. "We're still in the middle of this, and you're acting like a kid!"

Bakugo ignored him, his face set in that familiar stubborn glare. Kirishima looked helplessly to Tetsutetsu for backup.

Surprisingly, Tetsutetsu nodded in agreement with Bakugo this time. "Actually, he's got a point. That smoke guy is the key to their movements. If we catch him, we stop them from getting away."

Kirishima blinked in surprise. "Since when did you get so thoughtful?"

Tetsutetsu shrugged, scratching his head. "After hanging around Kaminari for so long, I've picked up a few things. But if Kaminari's here, he's probably already figured this out. He's probably dealing with it right now."

"Didn't expect much from your iron head," Bakugo sneered, though his tone was more mocking than hostile.

"Tch, don't act like you thought any of this through," Tetsutetsu shot back, unbothered. "You're just following your instincts as usual."

"Whatever you say," Bakugo grumbled, not bothering to argue. He sprinted off, explosions popping from his palms as he shot forward.

"Bakugo!!" Kirishima called after him, frustrated at his friend's stubbornness.

"Let's go," Tetsutetsu said, patting Kirishima on the shoulder. He canceled his steel transformation, relying on his trained legs to close the gap. "We can't let him hog all the action."

Kirishima grinned, falling back into his regular form as well. "You got it!"

Though Bakugo led the way, the two boys were right behind him, their competitive spirits pushing them to keep up.

"Stop following me!" Bakugo barked again, his temper flaring.

Kirishima couldn't help but laugh. "We're not following you! We're going to find Kaminari!"

Tetsutetsu chimed in, "If I can figure out the black smoke guy is key, Kaminari's already miles ahead of us."

Bakugo snorted. "What are you, his lapdog?"

Tetsutetsu just smiled, not taking the bait. "I doubt you'd understand something like the 'friendship between men.'"

"Tsk, that's disgusting," Bakugo snapped, though his mind drifted to Midoriya for a moment. That idiot had always rushed in to help, even when Bakugo pushed him away. He shook the thought from his mind.

---

Meanwhile, Kaminari, Momo, and Kyoka had returned to the entrance of USJ, where they'd first been teleported.

"Thirteen!!" Momo gasped, spotting Thirteen's damaged spacesuit, now ripped open and useless.

"Kaminari! YaoMomo! Jiro!" Uraraka and Mina waved at them, their relief palpable.

Kaminari quickly assessed the area. Bodies of defeated villains were strewn about, but something was off. "Where's the smoke b*****d?" he asked sharply.

Shoji Mezo, the tall multi-armed student, stepped forward. "The black smoke disappeared after Iida made it out to get help."

Kaminari's eyes followed the direction Shoji was pointing, toward the far end of the battlefield. Through the haze of knocked-out minions, he could make out a dark figure—still moving.

The black smoke guy.

"Stay here. I'm going to help Mr. Aizawa," Kaminari said, his voice steady and serious.

"Kaminari, are you crazy?!" Momo called after him. "It's too dangerous!"

"Don't go alone!" Kyoka added, her voice filled with concern.

Kaminari gave them a reassuring glance over his shoulder. "We can't let Mr. Aizawa handle all of this by himself. Don't worry I've still got those fifty steel balls from earlier. I can handle a group fight."

"Steel balls?" Uraraka asked, looking confused, but Kaminari didn't offer any more explanation.

With that, Kaminari sprinted off, his speed leaving behind a golden afterimage. The words printed on the back of his robe—"The First Raikage" fluttered in the wind as if they had come to life.