Kapitel 146: Chapter 145: Racing

"Where exactly are we going?"

Kaminari followed Edgeshot out of the small town. They were no longer on paved streets there were no pedestrians in sight, and even the sparse buildings had disappeared. The cement road beneath them had given way to dirt.

"We're heading to camp," Edgeshot replied calmly, his tone as steady as ever.

"How far is this 'camp' from here?" Kaminari asked, a touch of helplessness creeping into his voice.

"At this pace, about two and a half hours on foot," Edgeshot replied matter-of-factly.

"Two and a half hours?!"

Kaminari stopped in his tracks, staring in disbelief at the Hero's back. Glancing ahead, he realized they were heading straight for a forest.

"Wait, don't tell me… this 'camp' is literally a camp in the forest?"

"That's right."

Edgeshot nodded as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. He glanced back at Kaminari, who stood frozen in realization, and added, "Why else would it be called a 'camp'?"

Kaminari sighed deeply, muttering under his breath, "You've got a point…."

For a moment, neither of them spoke. The atmosphere returned to its earlier silence as they continued walking.

---

"Regretting it already?" Edgeshot asked without looking back.

"Uh… no, not really," Kaminari replied, shaking his head. "It's just… we only have a week, and spending hours just walking feels like such a waste of time."

"Calm yourself," Edgeshot instructed, his tone unwavering. "Even walking is a form of training. It's not meaningless. Focus on the sensation of leaving the city behind and immersing yourself in nature."

"…Got it."

Taking a deep breath, Kaminari adjusted his perspective. As his gaze drifted toward the distant forest, he resigned himself to the journey.

"Well, no use complaining now. I just have to go with the flow."

---

For nearly an hour, the two walked quietly. By this point, they were surrounded by dense vegetation. Shrubs and tall grass dotted the landscape, and the occasional rustle of small animals broke the monotony. The air was alive with the sounds of insects and birds, making the trek feel like an escape into another world.

The further they went, the harder the terrain became.

"Kaminari," Edgeshot suddenly spoke, breaking the silence. He was carefully clearing a path through the trees.

"You know a move that lets you move at high speed, don't you?"

Kaminari nodded, curious where this was going.

"Good. Let's turn this into a game—a race," Edgeshot said, stopping to turn and face Kaminari directly.

"A race?" Kaminari raised an eyebrow.

"Yes. Since you said my style suits you, you must know that I'm also skilled at high-speed movement," Edgeshot said, his calm expression betraying a flicker of excitement.

"So, what? You want to race me?" Kaminari asked, his tone half-joking. "I don't even know where the camp is. How are we supposed to race?"

Edgeshot didn't seem fazed. "That's one of the challenges you'll have to deal with. If you're slower than me, just try to keep up. But if you overtake me, you'll need to watch my position and adjust your pace accordingly."

"Once we're close to the camp, you'll be free to race ahead without holding back."

Edgeshot's eyes glimmered with anticipation. For a moment, Kaminari thought he caught a hint of excitement in the usually composed Hero's demeanor.

"Alright… is it just a race, then?" Kaminari asked, wanting to clarify the rules.

"If that feels too dull, let's add another rule," Edgeshot said, a faint smirk playing at the corner of his lips. "The one behind is free to attack the one in the lead. However, the leader can only dodge, they aren't allowed to counterattack."

With that, the game had taken on a more interesting twist.

"Now we're talking!" Kaminari grinned, his competitive spirit igniting. After all, his opponent wasn't just anyone, it was Edgeshot, the No. 5 Pro Hero in Japan.

"When do we start?" Kaminari asked, his body tensing in anticipation.

"Now."

Shu!

Before Kaminari could react, Edgeshot vanished, leaping onto a tree trunk and racing ahead with incredible speed.

"Seriously?!" Kaminari shouted, startled. "You're the No. 5 Pro Hero, and you still resort to sneaky starts?!"

Bzzzzt!

"God Speed—activate!"

Golden electricity surged through Kaminari's body as he turned into a streak of light, darting after Edgeshot along the tree trunks.

It wasn't long before he caught sight of the Hero again. But as Kaminari observed Edgeshot's movements, something struck him as oddly familiar.

"Wait a second…" Kaminari muttered, narrowing his eyes. "Why does the way he's running look so familiar?"

Then it hit him.

"That's the ninja run from Naruto! Arms back, leaning forward—it's exactly the same!"

It was true. Edgeshot leapt from tree to tree with practiced grace, his movements resembling a scene straight out of an anime.

"Didn't people prove this running style was inefficient?" Kaminari thought, suppressing a laugh. But instead of judging, it only heightened his interest in the training to come.

---

"Edgeshot, what you just did was cheating," Kaminari teased as he caught up to the Hero.

"This isn't school," Edgeshot replied sharply. "And I'm not your classmate. Don't expect 'fairness' outside the classroom."

"…Got it," Kaminari muttered, his tone serious.

Edgeshot's words struck a chord. The world outside U.A. didn't care about fairness or playing by the rules. It was a harsh reality he needed to face, and this internship seemed determined to hammer that lesson home.

"Is this your full speed?" Edgeshot asked suddenly, his tone calm but laced with challenge.

"Not even close!"

"During your battle with Todoroki at the Sports Festival, you moved far faster than this. Show me that speed, many times faster than you are now!"

Hearing this, Kaminari smirked. He wasn't about to let a little goading affect him. He wasn't some naive kid who fell for obvious provocations.

"Want to see me go faster?" Kaminari called out. "Then you'd better show me your top speed first!"

Edgeshot chuckled under his breath. He was starting to like Kaminari more and more.

Without another word, he activated one of his signature techniques.

"Ninjutsu: Thin Body, Quick Step!"

Kaminari's eyes widened as he saw Edgeshot's body visibly shrink, his form becoming sleeker and more aerodynamic.

Boom!

A sonic boom echoed through the forest as Edgeshot shot forward like an arrow, his speed breaking the sound barrier in an instant.

"So fast!"

Kaminari's golden eyes narrowed as he tracked the streak of movement. The air rippled with Edgeshot's passage, a clear indication of just how far he'd pushed his speed.

"Alright…" Kaminari muttered, licking his lips. A spark of determination flashed in his gaze.

"If that's how we're playing, then it's my turn to get serious."

"High-Voltage Mode—activate!"

Crackle!

Golden electricity surged around Kaminari as his body lit up like a beacon.

If anyone had been watching from above, they would have seen a streak of golden light tearing through the forest, rapidly closing the gap between Kaminari and Edgeshot.

At that moment, the race had truly begun.

***

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Kapitel 147: Chapter 146: Discussion

"So fast!"

Edgeshot darted between the tree trunks with incredible agility. Although he didn't bother to turn his head, his sharp senses easily detected Kaminari's rapid approach. The faint crackle of electricity and the golden light trailing behind the boy were hard to miss.

"Amazing… truly an impressive young man," Edgeshot thought to himself.

As a Hero ranked in Japan's top ten, he could confidently say that the speed Kaminari was displaying had already surpassed at least 70% of professional Heroes.

Shu!

Suddenly, Edgeshot, in his elongated paper-thin form, twisted to the left in an almost unnatural motion. A fraction of a second later, ten golden threads of electricity shot past where he had been, crackling as they embedded themselves in a thick tree trunk ahead. The impact left faint, singed marks on the bark.

"He dodged it?"

Kaminari, still chasing behind, was stunned. He wasn't surprised that Edgeshot had avoided his miniature Lightning Dragon's Roar. After all, this was the No. 5 Pro Hero. What shocked him was how the man had dodged.

Edgeshot's maneuver wasn't just a simple sidestep or jump. It was as if his entire body had suddenly shifted a meter to the side without losing any forward momentum.

"That… that wasn't his Quirk," Kaminari thought, his mind racing. "It's some kind of advanced movement technique. Something done purely with skill!"

Excitement flickered in Kaminari's eyes as he continued to close the gap.

"I have to learn how to do that!"

But first, he had a race to win.

Crackle!

Determined, Kaminari pushed his High-Voltage Mode to its maximum limit. The golden light around him grew brighter, and his speed increased even further, leaving a brilliant trail behind him like the tail of a comet.

At that moment, he had fully transformed into a "golden meteor."

Shu!

As he closed the gap to less than ten meters, Kaminari began firing streams of golden electrical current from his mouth, aiming to disrupt Edgeshot's momentum.

"Damn it," Kaminari muttered under his breath. "This game has too many rules holding me back, not just the ones about not attacking full force, but even the environment itself!"

He wasn't afraid of hurting Edgeshot. No, the real issue was the forest. Kaminari knew full well that using a concentrated, high-temperature attack like the Lightning Dragon's Roar here would be a disaster waiting to happen.

One stray blast could ignite the lush vegetation around them and turn the entire area into an uncontrollable inferno.

---

Meanwhile, Edgeshot's movements remained smooth and precise as he continued to evade the incoming golden currents. He dodged with uncanny grace, weaving through the forest with a rhythm that made it look effortless.

But Kaminari's attacks weren't entirely in vain. While Edgeshot was able to avoid the streams of electricity, the act of dodging slowed him down, allowing Kaminari to close the distance even further.

---

"Electrified Fist!"

Kaminari seized his chance. With a burst of speed, he appeared directly behind Edgeshot and launched a punch cloaked in golden lightning.

Shu!

But just before Kaminari's attack could connect, Edgeshot's body twisted into an S-shape, bending like a snake. His flexible form easily slipped past the punch, and with a swift motion, he repositioned himself behind Kaminari.

"This kid's whole body is coated in electricity," Edgeshot thought, observing Kaminari carefully. "That makes him tricky to handle up close."

If not for the crackling golden aura surrounding Kaminari, Edgeshot would have already neutralized him by restraining his arm or locking him in place, a technique he frequently used when facing villains.

"But let's see what else he's capable of," Edgeshot murmured to himself.

---

Reaching out as he moved, Edgeshot plucked a handful of leaves from a passing branch.

"Ninja Technique: Leaf Shuriken," he muttered.

With a quick flick of his fingers, he sent four leaves flying through the air like projectiles. They zipped toward Kaminari, targeting him from four different directions: above, below, left, and right.

Shu!

The sound of the leaves cutting through the air reached Kaminari's ears, but he didn't have time to react.

Pop!

The leaves struck Kaminari's golden aura but burned to ashes the instant they made contact.

"What was that?" Kaminari muttered, confused. He'd felt the briefest resistance but hadn't seen anything significant.

Edgeshot, on the other hand, frowned slightly.

"They… burned?"

As impressive as his Leaf Shuriken technique was, the fact remained that they were still just leaves. Against the high-temperature electric field surrounding Kaminari, they had disintegrated the moment they touched him.

"So, that golden aura isn't just for show," Edgeshot thought. "It offers both offensive and defensive capabilities. This boy really has crafted a unique and versatile move."

His gaze sharpened as he watched Kaminari charge forward once again.

"Eraser Head was right to call him a genius."

---

Still, despite Kaminari's ingenuity, Edgeshot couldn't help but notice the gaps in his technique.

"His Quirk usage is exceptional," Edgeshot thought as he moved alongside the boy. "But his body control is… lacking."

Kaminari's movements were powerful, but they lacked finesse. He was like a rocket, relying solely on brute thrust to move in a straight line.

"His speed is excellent, but his flexibility leaves much to be desired," Edgeshot mused. "It's clear his physical training hasn't caught up to his Quirk mastery yet."

As he pondered Kaminari's shortcomings, Edgeshot's mind drifted back to something the boy had said earlier.

"So that's what he meant by 'suitable,'" Edgeshot realized.

Kaminari hadn't chosen him just because he was a high-ranking Hero. He had chosen him for his specific skill set, his mastery of precision and technique.

"He knows where his weaknesses lie," Edgeshot thought, a sense of admiration growing in his chest. "And he's determined to address them by learning from someone who can help him improve."

"That's why he said he was looking for a 'master,' not a 'backer.'"

Edgeshot's lips curled into a faint smile as he glanced at the streak of golden light ahead of him.

"To have such clarity of thought and maturity at his age…"

***

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