Chương 15: Chapter 14: Ghost

This time, Tetsutetsu had learned his lesson. He kept his focus on Kaminari, staying completely silent and fully alert, his body in a boxing stance. He wasn't going to be caught off guard again. Every muscle was tense, ready to react at a moment's notice.

"I'll end this in one move," Kaminari declared as he charged forward, golden lightning crackling around him. His right palm was wrapped in a fierce, concentrated energy that was far more intense than any of his previous attacks. The air around him sizzled, carrying a faint hint of sulfur that dispersed almost instantly in the forest breeze.

"Bring it on!" Tetsutetsu shouted, his eyes locked on Kaminari, who was closing the distance rapidly.

Just when Tetsutetsu expected Kaminari to launch another straight attack with his electrified palm, Kaminari's feet made an unexpected twist, propelling him to Tetsutetsu's left side.

"So, you're trying to get behind me again?" Tetsutetsu thought, recognizing the tactic from before. But this time, he didn't rely solely on his eyes to follow Kaminari's movements. Instead, he trusted his instincts and turned to defend even before seeing Kaminari's next move.

Surprisingly, it worked. He managed to track Kaminari, his eyes meeting Kaminari's just as the latter tried to circle behind him.

"He's keeping up?" Kaminari thought, intrigued by the determination in Tetsutetsu's gaze. It was impressive how quickly he'd adapted, considering Kaminari had only briefly explained his speed advantage moments earlier.

"Maybe this guy really does have a knack for fighting," Kaminari mused. It wasn't just his strength that made Tetsutetsu formidable; he had a kind of raw combat intuition that Kaminari found impressive. The electric stimulation coursing through Kaminari's body was heightening his senses, allowing him to think more quickly and control his high-speed movements with precision.

"But let's see how long you can keep this up."

Without hesitation, Kaminari shifted tactics. He abandoned his previous strategy and began moving in rapid circles around Tetsutetsu, maintaining a one-meter distance. He darted left and right, accelerating his pace, trying to force Tetsutetsu to lose track.

Tetsutetsu spun around desperately, doing his best to keep up. He knew that if he allowed Kaminari to get behind him again, it would be like the first round all over—Kaminari raining blows from every angle while he had no chance to fight back.

His frustration was growing, especially since, as he had pointed out earlier, Kaminari's electric punches hadn't done any real damage. But being kept on the defensive like this was maddening.

What Tetsutetsu didn't realize, though, was something Kaminari knew all too well:

"If you defend for too long, you'll eventually lose."

The thought resonated in Kaminari's mind as he narrowed his eyes, electricity flaring up with newfound intensity. He saw a brief opening, a momentary misstep in Tetsutetsu's footing and that was all he needed.

"Now!"

"Claw Strike!"

Kaminari's right palm, wrapped in a continuous current, struck like a blade. He dashed forward, exploiting Tetsutetsu's split-second vulnerability, and chopped downward at the back of his neck.

*KZZT-CRACK!*

A burst of electricity, twice as powerful as his usual Lightning Fist, erupted upon impact, and Kaminari felt the current penetrate the hardened steel exterior. He had gambled correctly Tetsutetsu's Quirk didn't fully transform his internal anatomy. The steel transformation was limited to his skin, hair, and nails, leaving his muscles and nervous system relatively unprotected.

The electric current surged into Tetsutetsu's nervous system, temporarily disrupting the signals between his brain and body.

Kaminari landed lightly on his feet, halting his high-speed movements as he stood behind Tetsutetsu, who had gone completely rigid. He reached out and tapped the steel boy's back gently with a finger.

"It's over. You've lost."

Tetsutetsu's eyes went wide in panic. His body wasn't responding, his limbs were frozen, and his Quirk had deactivated on its own. He couldn't move his arms or legs; even his mouth refused to cooperate, rendering him speechless. Only his eyes could move freely, darting around in bewilderment.

"What… What did he do to me?" Tetsutetsu's mind raced. For the first time, a trace of fear crept into his thoughts. He was completely paralyzed.

"Relax, you're not hurt," Kaminari assured him, stepping in front of Tetsutetsu and speaking calmly. "You'll be fine in about a minute."

Tetsutetsu's panic subsided slightly at Kaminari's words, but he was still desperate for an explanation.

"I used an enhanced version of my electric palm strike," Kaminari began. "The current penetrated your iron skin and disrupted the electrical signals in your nervous system. Basically, I temporarily cut off the communication between your brain and most of your body."

He added, "That's why you're having trouble moving. Your body's response signals are all messed up. In a severe case, you could even find yourself doing the exact opposite of what you intended."

Tetsutetsu's mind spun as he tried to process Kaminari's explanation. The terminology was familiar, he'd heard some of it in school but the practical application was far beyond anything he'd expected to encounter in a sparring match.

Kaminari saw the blank look in Tetsutetsu's eyes and sighed. "In simpler terms, I've temporarily disabled your control over your body. Since Quirks are also regulated by the brain, you're unable to use your steel transformation right now."

He added, "You might still be able to move a bit if you try hard enough, but it'll be unpredictable. The current disrupted the normal pathways in your nervous system, so your commands could end up controlling the wrong parts of your body."

As if to test Kaminari's words, Tetsutetsu tried to lift his right arm, only to find his left leg twitching instead, almost causing him to fall over.

"Whoa, careful!" Kaminari caught him just in time, helping him regain his balance. "I wasn't finished explaining yet. Your body can react, but because the signals are scrambled, it won't always do what you intend."

Kaminari thought for a moment, then decided to put it in terms Tetsutetsu might better understand. "You know when you play online games, and there's a skill that silences your character or adds a fear effect? Think of it like that. Except instead of your character, it's your body that's being affected. Your Quirk is the one being silenced."

However, Kaminari didn't mention that for this technique to work, he had to strike a specific spot on the back of the neck. His control over the electrical currents wasn't refined enough yet to apply the same effect elsewhere on the body.

As Tetsutetsu's muscles slowly regained their normal function, he let out a shaky breath and collapsed to the ground in a sitting position, his mind still reeling from the experience. The sensation of being completely helpless had been terrifying.

"You okay?" Kaminari asked, sitting down next to him. He felt a pang of guilt for pushing the match as far as he did. "Sorry about that. I shouldn't have used that move on you. But you've got to understand your Quirk's defense is so strong, I didn't have many options."

The apology seemed to hit the right note. Tetsutetsu, who had been staring at the ground, finally looked up, a grin spreading across his face. "Don't worry about it, I'm fine! That was actually kind of awesome," he said, waving off the apology. "What do you call that move, anyway?"

Kaminari paused. He hadn't actually thought of a name for it yet. He didn't want to use something obvious like "Thunder Chop," and he was hoping to develop a whole set of techniques in the future. As he recalled the sensation of controlling Tetsutetsu's movements and the eerie stillness that had taken over his body, an idea came to him.

"Fear your own body… Silence your own Quirk… It's like there's a ghost inside you," Kaminari muttered to himself.

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Chương 16: 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…"