Chapter 15: Mysterious Theory

"Reggae," Kaminari said with a grin.

Tetsutetsu, still sitting cross-legged on the ground, nodded hesitantly. "Yeah, that name fits. It felt like I was possessed or something… like a ghost was controlling me."

Kaminari's expression shifted, and he asked, "How do you feel?"

Tetsutetsu blinked, not immediately understanding what Kaminari was getting at. "Huh? What do you mean?"

"The feeling of fighting!" Kaminari clarified, his eyes lighting up with excitement. He raised his hands, small arcs of electricity crackling between his fingers. "Didn't you feel it? The thrill of using your Quirk to its fullest, of clashing with someone else at full power wasn't it exhilarating?"

Tetsutetsu thought back to their sparring session. There was definitely something different about the experience, something he hadn't felt in the fifteen years he'd lived. The clash between his steel body and Kaminari's lightning had felt like a dance of opposing forces, each trying to overwhelm the other. It was as if every punch, every shock, had resonated through his entire being.

He couldn't deny it fighting like that had felt like gulping down ice-cold soda on a scorching summer day, every nerve tingling with a strange kind of joy. And then there was that one moment…

Tetsutetsu recalled the rush of satisfaction he'd felt when he'd managed to catch Kaminari's movements out of the corner of his eye, relying on pure instinct to turn and face his opponent in time. It had felt like he'd conquered something, overcome a hurdle through sheer determination and wits. The feeling was almost as rewarding as the day he'd passed the U.A. written exam.

However, his expression shifted slightly as he looked at Kaminari and said, "But you're the one who was doing most of the beating. If anyone was having a good time, it was you, right?"

Kaminari almost choked on his own laughter. "The way this guy words things..." He couldn't help but cough and quickly steer the conversation back on track. "Alright, alright, let's not get hung up on who had the better time," he said, trying to keep a straight face.

"Let's talk about your Quirk."

Tetsutetsu blinked, momentarily thrown off track. "My Quirk? What about it?"

"Have you ever trained your Quirk before?" Kaminari asked, tilting his head slightly.

"Trained? No," Tetsutetsu replied, his brows furrowing in confusion. "I thought Quirks were just… well, you know, natural. You're born with them, right?"

"That's true," Kaminari nodded, "but that doesn't mean they can't be improved. Think of it like working out. You can build your muscles and get stronger through exercise, and the same logic applies to Quirks."

"Wait a second… That means…" Tetsutetsu's eyes widened as realization dawned. He looked around the clearing and remembered what Kaminari had told him before. "So this is where you've been training your Quirk? All those things you just did—your speed, that Reggae move were they all developed here?"

"That's right," Kaminari confirmed. "I started training my Quirk here nine years ago after reading some professional reports online about Quirk development. I figured if I could make my body stronger through regular exercise, then I could definitely strengthen my Quirk too."

"Nine years… all on your own?" Tetsutetsu muttered, his voice trailing off. For some reason, his frustration over losing to Kaminari started to fade, replaced by a newfound respect for the boy standing in front of him.

Tetsutetsu glanced at the cracked ground and the scorch marks scattered across the clearing. There was no doubt Kaminari had put in years of hard work. Every mark was a testament to countless hours of training.

Tetsutetsu clenched his fists. "So… does that mean I can make my Quirk stronger through training too?"

"Theoretically, yes," Kaminari replied, "but I'm not a professional Quirk instructor, so I can't say for sure what kind of training would work best for your Quirk."

Tetsutetsu's excitement dipped slightly, but then he remembered that they would be attending U.A. soon. "Well, U.A.'s full of pro Heroes, right? I'm sure I can find someone there who can help me train my Quirk," he said, his confidence returning.

"Exactly. I have my own questions I want to ask the instructors there too," Kaminari said as he stood up and stretched. His legs had gone a bit stiff from sitting for so long.

"But one thing is for sure, training your body will definitely help improve your Quirk, especially since your type of Quirk probably relies more on physical strength."

"In that case, I'll ask my dad to find me a gym tomorrow!" Tetsutetsu exclaimed, clenching his fists.

"And don't forget to come here and spar with me often," Kaminari added, adopting a mock serious expression. "Combat experience is just as important as physical training. We've got the practical exam coming up, and if you're not used to fighting, you might end up freezing up when it matters most."

He continued, "I'm willing to bet a lot of the other students taking the exam have never used their Quirks at full strength before. They probably haven't even had any real combat experience. That gives us a big advantage."

Kaminari's words seemed to hit home, and Tetsutetsu nodded eagerly. He hadn't thought about it before, but it made sense. Most people never got the chance to push their Quirks to the limit, and having an edge in experience could be the key to passing the practical exam.

"Also, even though your Quirk gives you great strength and defense, it has some obvious weaknesses," Kaminari said as he walked over to the plastic table, grabbing a chair.

"Like what?" Tetsutetsu asked, following him.

"For starters, your speed and agility," Kaminari said bluntly. "If you're up against someone faster or someone with long-range attacks, you'll have a hard time. If they keep their distance and wear you down, you won't be able to catch up, let alone land a hit."

He continued, "It's a big problem if you can't close the gap. If your opponent can choose when to engage and when to retreat, you'll always be on the losing side."

Tetsutetsu frowned. "But that's just how my Quirk works, right? It's not like I can change that."

"There are ways to compensate," Kaminari said, shaking his head. "I remember reading that U.A. also has a Support Course. They train students to become support Heroes, and part of their job is to develop gear and gadgets for pro Heroes."

He glanced at Tetsutetsu. "So, the easiest way to cover your weaknesses would be to get some support gear maybe a net launcher to trap opponents at a distance or some kind of booster boots to help increase your movement speed."

Hearing this, Tetsutetsu's face lit up. "That's awesome! I didn't know there were things like that," he said excitedly.

"But don't get too reliant on support gear," Kaminari added, his tone serious. "If you depend too much on gadgets, you might get caught off guard when you're forced to fight without them. For people like us who have strong Quirks, it's better to have a technique or strategy that we've trained ourselves."

"I see… That makes sense," Tetsutetsu nodded. He was starting to see the bigger picture.

"Actually, I think there's a training method that could work for you," Kaminari said, a thoughtful expression crossing his face. "It's… unconventional, and it's not something I've ever tried myself, but given your physical condition, it might be just the thing you need."

Tetsutetsu was intrigued. "Really? What is it?"

"Well," Kaminari began slowly, "I've seen this technique in an old anime I used to watch… It involves using the body's natural strength and speed in a very specific way. If you can master it, you could achieve bursts of speed that would let you close the distance between you and your opponent in an instant."

He rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "It's difficult, though. If I had to rate it, I'd say it's an S-class technique in terms of training difficulty. But… given your physique, there's actually a chance it could work."

Tetsutetsu's eyes gleamed with anticipation. "Tell me more! What's the technique?"

Kaminari took a breath. "Alright, listen carefully…"