My Hero Academia: Thunder God

In the small dining area of the kitchen, Edgeshot, Kaminari, and Kosuke sat around the modest wooden table, quietly enjoying their simple Japanese breakfast.

Unexpectedly, Kosuke didn't just have miso soup and rice in front of him, as Kaminari had predicted earlier. Instead, he also had a small piece of grilled fish on his plate. Kaminari's sharp eyes immediately noticed the change.

Looking at the remaining fish on Edgeshot's plate, Kaminari raised an eyebrow. "Wait, you shared your fish with him? Didn't expect you to have a soft side, Edgeshot."

Edgeshot, still composed as always, took a sip of his warm miso soup and replied, "This is simply the hospitality of a Hero." His calm tone carried a deeper meaning that wasn't lost on Kaminari.

"Okay, okay. You're a shining example of generosity," Kaminari teased with a grin before shifting the topic. "Anyway, can you explain more about the compass failure you mentioned earlier? That part really got me curious."

"It's not that complicated," Edgeshot replied, setting down his bowl of soup. "Basically, apart from primitive methods like following natural markers, modern reconnaissance tools don't work here. That includes compasses, satellite navigation, and radar."

"Huh… why though?" Kaminari blinked in disbelief. The concept felt like something pulled straight out of an adventure novel, a forbidden zone of some kind. Even Kosuke, who had been quietly eating, perked up at the explanation.

Edgeshot continued, his tone still level. "The most common theory is that there's a high concentration of magnetite underground. This creates geomagnetic anomalies that disrupt compasses and similar devices. As for the satellites and radar, that's still unexplained, though."

He paused briefly before adding, "Then, of course, there's the local folklore."

"Oh boy, here we go." Kaminari leaned back slightly, a grin tugging at his lips.

Edgeshot remained unfazed. "According to legend, the sheer number of deaths in this forest has led to an accumulation of 'resentment' or 'evil energy.' That's why people lose their way here. They say even those who don't intend to die here might eventually starve to death after getting lost."

Kaminari chewed on a piece of tender grilled fish, savoring the smoky flavor before swallowing. "So which explanation do you think is more reliable? Magnetite or ghosts?"

"Neither," Edgeshot deadpanned, picking up a piece of salty radish to accompany his rice. "The magnetite theory might explain the compass failure, but it doesn't account for the satellite and radar issues. And the folklore? Completely baseless nonsense. If it were true, I and the other Heroes stationed here would've been dead long ago."

"That's fair," Kaminari nodded. He couldn't deny the logic. "But if compasses and GPS don't work here, then there's still some sort of mystery, right? Something we don't fully understand yet…"

Edgeshot didn't respond immediately, but the weight of his words had clearly sparked Kaminari's curiosity.

Eventually, Kaminari shifted his gaze toward Kosuke, who had been silently absorbing the conversation. "So… if the police can't navigate this place, what's the plan for him?" Kaminari asked, jerking a thumb toward the middle-aged man.

Edgeshot replied without hesitation, "Later, during patrol, I'll take him to the edge of the forest. There's a small police station nearby specifically set up to handle situations like this."

"Lucky for you, huh?" Kaminari teased Kosuke lightly, flashing him a smile.

Kosuke nodded absently. His mind seemed elsewhere, likely replaying Kaminari's earlier words about taking revenge rather than giving up.

Ten minutes later, breakfast was finished.

Kosuke was given free rein to wander around the camp, with Edgeshot even taking the time to explain where the restroom was. Once that was settled, Edgeshot led Kaminari toward a section of the camp known as the Bamboo Pillar area.

"Shua——"

Edgeshot leaped onto a towering bamboo pole, about ten meters high. With one foot planted firmly on the pole's tip, he slowly transitioned into a seated, cross-legged position as if balancing on thin air.

Kaminari's jaw dropped. "Seriously? You're just gonna casually sit like that?"

Edgeshot closed his eyes and spoke without breaking his balance. "Now it's your turn. Stand on one of the shorter poles and use the breathing technique I taught you last night. The goal is to enter a state of meditation without falling. Don't disappoint me."

"Uh-huh…" Kaminari stared at the shorter pole, about a meter high, and scratched the back of his head. "And… do I have to sit cross-legged too?"

"No," Edgeshot replied flatly. "Standing is sufficient. But you can't lose balance. Falling means failure."

"Huh… alright, here goes."

Taking a deep breath, Kaminari hopped onto the bamboo pole. For a moment, he felt stable. Confident, even. "This isn't so bad," he muttered to himself.

But the moment he tried to focus his breathing and clear his mind, his muscles slackened involuntarily.

"Boom!!"

He hit the ground. Hard.

Kosuke, who had been watching from a distance, winced. "That… looked painful," he muttered to himself.

Kaminari groaned as he rubbed his aching head. "Seriously? You expect me to fall asleep while balancing on this thing?" he grumbled.

Edgeshot didn't respond. Kaminari glanced up and noticed the Hero was already deep in meditation, completely unmoved by Kaminari's complaints.

"Tch… showoff." Kaminari rolled his eyes and clambered back onto the bamboo pole.

This time, he was determined. "If he can do it, then I can do it too. No way I'm losing to some old-school ninja!"

He steadied himself and began regulating his breathing again. Slowly but surely, he felt the pull of sleep creeping in.

Then, he heard it—a faint sound. It was subtle, almost imperceptible.

"Was that…?" Kaminari's eyes snapped open just as his body wobbled.

"Boom!!"

He hit the ground again.

But this time, Kaminari wasn't frustrated. He stood up with renewed excitement. "I heard something! It sounded like rushing water… What was that?"

As Kaminari climbed back onto the pole for his third attempt, Edgeshot cracked open one eye, observing the boy silently.

"This kid…" Edgeshot thought to himself. "It took me over a week to sense the flow of my blood, but he's already on the verge of understanding it after just one night of practice."

Edgeshot's lips curved ever so slightly into a faint smile. "Impressive."

***

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