8:55 a.m.
"Kaminari, you're too slow!"
At the entrance to Omiya Park, Tetsutetsu stood impatiently in a white T-shirt and jeans, his tone almost accusatory as Kaminari approached.
"Huh?"
Kaminari glanced at his watch a Pikachu-themed one, naturally—and looked back at Tetsutetsu, bewildered. "What do you mean? I'm not late. We agreed to meet at nine."
Kaminari had slept in a bit that morning, enjoying a rare full night of rest after the excitement of last night's barbecue. He hadn't rushed; after all, it was only a short walk to the park. By his watch, he was perfectly on time. It was 8:55, a full five minutes early.
But Tetsutetsu wasn't having it. "Showing up exactly on time isn't good enough," he lectured, his voice unexpectedly serious. "You should always aim to arrive at least ten minutes early. Half an hour, if possible. You never know what might happen on the way."
Kaminari was a little taken aback. For someone who seemed so rough around the edges, Tetsutetsu had a surprisingly strict sense of time. This unexpected seriousness added a new dimension to Kaminari's perception of him, deepening his appreciation for the boy's character.
Maybe this guy was worth keeping around after all. A Quirk user with a straightforward personality, a sense of discipline, and a strong set of principles could definitely be a trustworthy ally. Someone you could count on to watch your back.
"Well, that's just what my dad taught me…" Tetsutetsu added, scratching his head sheepishly.
"…Right." Kaminari gave him a flat look, then chuckled. "You know, if you hadn't said that last part, you'd have sounded a lot cooler."
"Wait, really?" Tetsutetsu touched his spiky hair instinctively, then laughed awkwardly. "Uh, just pretend I didn't say that then."
Kaminari rolled his eyes and shook his head with a smile, stepping past Tetsutetsu and heading into the park. "Come on, we've got stuff to do."
"Stuff?" Tetsutetsu hurried to catch up. "You still haven't told me why we're here. What are we doing?"
"Trust me, I'm taking you somewhere interesting," Kaminari said with a knowing grin.
Tetsutetsu seemed skeptical. "You're not just bringing me here to give me a tour of the park, are you?" he asked cautiously. "I mean, I've lived in Saitama my whole life. I've been to Omiya Park like… a dozen times."
Kaminari shook his head, amused at how far off the mark Tetsutetsu was. "No, it's not that. There's a place I want to show you. It's deeper in the park—a little secret spot."
Tetsutetsu looked like he was about to say something else, but Kaminari cut him off. "You'll see when we get there."
They continued walking, heading further into the park. After about ten minutes, they had reached an area where few people ventured. The trees thickened, and the sounds of the main paths faded away. The dense foliage of ancient cherry trees lined the narrow dirt trail, and underbrush blocked the view in every direction.
Then Kaminari abruptly veered off the path, pushing his way through a thicket of bushes.
Tetsutetsu hesitated, feeling an odd sense of unease. The thought crossed his mind that maybe this wasn't just about showing him a secret spot. Was this some kind of… test? Or worse, some bizarre initiation? His steps faltered, and he whispered nervously.
"Uh, Kaminari…"
"What?" Kaminari glanced back without stopping, already near the end of the bushy path.
"It's just… um…" Tetsutetsu stammered. "Look, I'm a straight guy, okay? I, uh, only like girls…"
"What?!"
Kaminari froze mid-step, processing what Tetsutetsu had just implied. He then looked around at the secluded surroundings and finally pieced together what his friend was getting at.
"You idiot!" Kaminari shouted, turning back to face him, his face twisted in a mix of disbelief and irritation. "What kind of nonsense are you even thinking?!"
"Oh… so that's not it?" Tetsutetsu's confusion faded into relief. He realized he'd completely misunderstood the situation.
"Of course not! Geez, just follow me." Kaminari grumbled, stomping forward with renewed determination. "We're almost there."
But as Kaminari led the way deeper into the thicket, he mentally noted that he owed Tetsutetsu a little payback for this awkward moment. Sure, the guy was taller, but did he really think Kaminari would lose in a one-on-one? What a joke.
Height wasn't everything. Tetsutetsu might be 1.74 meters, but Kaminari wasn't exactly short at 1.68. Besides, that kind of difference wasn't a big deal. It wasn't like Kaminari was jealous or anything. No way. Not a chance.
"Here we are," Kaminari announced, stepping out of the brush and into a clearing.
Tetsutetsu emerged right behind him and immediately found himself at a loss for words.
The space before them was roughly the size of a basketball court, enclosed on all sides by thick vegetation. On the far end, a small raised mound jutted out of the ground, scarred with countless blackened burn marks. It looked like it had been subjected to years of abuse, pockmarked with craters and darkened streaks.
Nearby, a yellow umbrella stood anchored into the ground, its canopy adorned with dozens of tiny Pikachu patterns. Beneath it were a plastic table and a pair of matching chairs. A Pikachu alarm clock sat on the table, ticking away quietly.
But the real eye-catchers were the ground itself and the cracked surface of the mound. The earth was riddled with deep fissures of various sizes, crisscrossing the area like an intricate web. The sight of it all made Tetsutetsu's jaw drop.
"Are you kidding me? What's with this place?" he exclaimed, his eyes wide. "It looks like some kind of battlefield!"
"Not quite," Kaminari said, his voice steady. He walked toward the mound, his back to Tetsutetsu, and placed a hand on its rough surface. "This isn't a battlefield. It's a training ground. My training ground."
He turned around to face Tetsutetsu, his expression serious. "I've been coming here for the past nine years, practicing and refining my Quirk. Every mark, every crack you see is a witness to the effort I've put in."
Kaminari's gaze drifted toward the Pikachu alarm clock on the table—a small, silent companion that had been present for almost every one of those training sessions. For him, this little corner of the park was more than just a place to train; it was a testament to his determination and growth.
"So," he continued, his tone lighter as he extended a hand toward Tetsutetsu, "how about it? Want to spar with me here? I'm guessing you've never had the chance to fight someone while using your Quirk at full power, right?"
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"Fighting with Quirks?!"
Tetsutetsu's eyes widened in surprise. Kaminari had expected at least some hesitation, maybe even a refusal, but the boy's enthusiastic reaction caught him off guard, rendering any words of persuasion Kaminari had prepared useless.
"Are you serious? We're really gonna fight using our Quirks?" Tetsutetsu asked, his voice filled with excitement. He stared at Kaminari, half-expecting him to backtrack or change his mind. After all, using Quirks in a fight was technically illegal unless you were a licensed Hero, and he'd been itching for a chance like this for a long time.
For years, his own Quirk had felt like a waste, unable to be used for anything meaningful. Was there anything more frustrating?
"Absolutely," Kaminari confirmed without hesitation. "That's exactly why I brought you here."
At this, Tetsutetsu's excitement reached new heights. He couldn't help but look at Kaminari with even more eagerness. But a flicker of doubt crossed his face, and he frowned slightly as a thought occurred to him.
"But… what if I hurt you?" he asked, his voice tinged with concern. His Quirk, after all, wasn't just about being made of steel—it was about having the raw power and resilience of it too. He could break rocks with a single punch, and if he accidentally hit Kaminari too hard...
"Hurt me?" Kaminari scoffed, already seeing where Tetsutetsu's thoughts were headed. But he needed Tetsutetsu to fight without holding back, so he swallowed his amusement and let his confidence shine through.
"I think you're dreaming if you think that'll happen," he retorted, smirking.
*KZZT-CRACK!*
Electricity crackled as Kaminari clenched his fists, arcs of golden lightning snaking across his skin. He stared Tetsutetsu down with a look of cool disdain, his body glowing with energy. "Your Quirk may be tough, but mine…" He paused, letting the electricity sizzle for effect. "…is on a whole different level."
Tetsutetsu blinked, momentarily speechless. He hadn't expected this side of Kaminari. In the short time they'd known each other, Kaminari had seemed like a laid-back, easygoing guy. But now, there was a fire in his eyes that Tetsutetsu hadn't seen before.
It didn't bother him, though. If anything, it fired him up even more. After all, what was the point of a fight if your opponent didn't have some fire of their own?
"Hahaha! Then don't blame me for not holding back!" Tetsutetsu exclaimed, his voice booming with excitement.
With a deep breath, he activated his Quirk, his entire body turning a shiny black as steel encased him from head to toe. He clenched his fists, testing his hardened form, and the sound of metal grinding against metal echoed through the clearing.
*BOOM!*
With a powerful step, Tetsutetsu launched himself forward, the ground beneath his foot cracking from the force. He charged at Kaminari like a human battering ram, his steel-coated fists ready to smash through anything in his way.
*KZZT-CRACK!*
Electricity arced across Kaminari's body as he braced himself, deciding to meet Tetsutetsu's charge head-on. He needed to gauge the difference in their strength, and there was no better way than a direct clash.
"Electric Light Fist!"
"Bring it on!" Tetsutetsu roared back. He saw Kaminari's fist crackling with electricity and felt his excitement swell. He was confident that his steel would be more than a match for a little lightning.
*BOOM!*
The two fists collided, and the impact sent a shockwave rippling through the clearing. The golden electricity exploded outward from Kaminari's fist, and he felt it surge through Tetsutetsu's arm. But as the current coursed across Tetsutetsu's steel body, Kaminari's confident expression faltered.
*WHAM!*
A moment later, Tetsutetsu's fist broke through the electric resistance and slammed into Kaminari's chest, knocking him back several steps. The impact left him breathless, and he could feel the dull ache spreading through his torso.
It wasn't a light hit, but it wasn't enough to knock him down either. He dug his feet into the ground, steadying himself as quickly as he could.
Tetsutetsu, meanwhile, held back from pressing his advantage, staying where he was and watching Kaminari curiously. The remnants of the electric current still clung to his body, crackling and popping. But aside from a mild tingling sensation in his fist, he didn't feel much else.
"Heh, looks like your electricity doesn't affect me that much," Tetsutetsu taunted with a grin.
Kaminari took a deep breath, rubbing his sore chest. He wasn't particularly surprised by the result. "So, going head-to-head doesn't work…"
He thought back to the impact and what he had felt. It wasn't just that Tetsutetsu's Quirk made him hard as steel; there was more to it than that. "It's not just the steel… He's got enhanced strength and endurance too," Kaminari muttered to himself. "Makes sense, though. A body like that would need some serious muscle to move around."
It was a passive trait, much like his own immunity to electricity. And with the way his Quirk worked, Kaminari suspected that as he grew stronger, he might even gain some resistance to heat and fire after all, lightning did generate high temperatures.
Tetsutetsu broke his train of thought. "Well? Are we done here, or do you want another round?"
Kaminari didn't respond right away. Instead, his eyes narrowed, and a determined smile crept onto his face. "Oh, we're just getting started."
"What?"
Before Tetsutetsu could process the words, Kaminari's entire body lit up with electricity. This time, the golden arcs danced across his whole form, not just his fists.
"You're just gonna crank up the voltage?" Tetsutetsu asked, raising his guard. He wasn't sure if Kaminari was stubbornly refusing to accept that his electricity didn't work, or if he had some other trick up his sleeve. But he wasn't about to let his guard down now.
*KZZT-CRACK!*
In an instant, Kaminari surged forward, his entire body moving with a speed that seemed almost unnatural. Tetsutetsu's eyes widened as he watched Kaminari close the distance in a blur of golden light. He tried to react, raising his arm to intercept, but it felt like his limbs were moving through molasses.
*KRAK!*
Kaminari's fist connected with Tetsutetsu's chest, sending a burst of electricity across the steel surface. Tetsutetsu gritted his teeth, but his real concern wasn't the hit—it was the realization that Kaminari was already slipping past him, ducking to his left and circling around.
His brain registered every movement, and he could clearly see Kaminari's every step and shift in weight. Yet somehow, his own body felt slow and unresponsive, as if it were lagging behind his thoughts.
"What…?" Tetsutetsu's frustration grew as he spun around, only to find that Kaminari had already moved out of range again.
His mind knew what to do, knew exactly how to counter every move Kaminari made but his body simply couldn't keep up.
Why? Why did it feel like his own limbs weren't responding the way they should? Why was he always a beat behind?
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New Fics are out now, Checkout my profile(Reading List) to read.
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