My Hero Academia: Thunder God

There's a saying often heard in Japan's Hero training circles: Heroes of the East, Scholars of the West. If Japan's top Hero school is U.A. High, then the second-best Hero course belongs to Shiketsu High.

Shiketsu is the second choice for many aspiring heroes who fail to pass the competitive U.A. entrance exam but are determined to pursue their dreams.

However, the ethos of these two schools couldn't be more different.

Put simply, U.A. emphasizes freedom and individuality, while Shiketsu prioritizes discipline and order. Of course, that's not to say U.A. disregards discipline entirely, but in comparison, Shiketsu's environment is far more rigid and serious.

At 3:20 in the afternoon, the end-of-school bell rang at Shiketsu High. Groups of students dressed in black uniforms strolled out of the building in twos and threes, their chatter filling the air.

"Kyoka! I just discovered something amazing about my Quirk. I'll stop by your place later to show you!"

Kazama, a boy with striking blue hair, smiled as he hit 'send' on his phone.

Smack!

Suddenly, a heavy hand clapped him on the shoulder from behind.

"Hey, Kazama! You were on fire during training today!"

Kazama turned around with a wince and found himself face-to-face with none other than Inasa Yoarashi, the most hot-blooded and energetic student in their class.

Kazama forced a smile. "Uh, hi, Yoarashi..."

Before Kazama's newfound motivation, his presence in the class had been minimal. He'd had little interest in making friends or standing out. And that suited him just fine, he knew Yoarashi, with his boundless enthusiasm, wasn't particularly fond of people who lacked passion.

However, in recent months, Kazama had made a conscious effort to change. He had a promise to keep, and that pushed him to take training more seriously.

In today's session, he'd gone all out, even catching the attention of Yoarashi, who was undoubtedly the strongest in their class. Though Kazama had ultimately lost, his performance had left an impression.

"Let me introduce myself again," Yoarashi declared loudly, extending his hand. "My name is Inasa Yoarashi. How about becoming friends?"

Yoarashi was taller and more muscular than Kazama, and his outstretched hand seemed almost comically large in comparison.

Kazama hesitated for a moment before reluctantly shaking his hand. "Sure… My name's Kazama Jin. I'll be in your care."

Though he responded politely, Kazama couldn't help but feel overwhelmed by Yoarashi's fiery personality. He wasn't alone in this, many of their classmates admired Yoarashi's strength but struggled to keep up with his intense demeanor.

"Oh, by the way," Yoarashi said, his eyes twinkling, "you had a really soft smile on your face earlier. Were you texting your mom or something?"

Kazama's face turned red with embarrassment. Before he could stammer out a reply, another male classmate chimed in teasingly.

"Not his mom, he's texting his 'Princess on the Clouds!'" A classmate chimed.

"Princess?"

"Oh yeah, Kazama said something about that during training today," another classmate added, smirking.

"I remember!" Yoarashi exclaimed, recalling Kazama's words. "You shouted something like, 'I want to get stronger, stronger than anyone else, because the princess standing on the clouds wants me to!'"

Yoarashi repeated the line dramatically, grinning as he gave Kazama an enthusiastic thumbs-up. "That's so passionate! I hope your 'Princess on the Clouds' inspires you to keep that fire burning!"

The speaker may not have intended it, but the listener was mortified. Kazama's face flushed an even deeper shade of red as he thought to himself, Did I really say something that embarrassing? …Yeah, I guess I did.

Desperate to escape the situation, Kazama waved off their comments and turned to leave. "Anyway, I've gotta get going. See you tomorrow!"

Without waiting for a response, he sprinted toward the underground station. As the sun began to set, his thoughts turned to his upcoming visit.

Kyoka, I've gotten stronger! I've really gotten stronger! And if you wish it, if you hope for it, I'll keep getting stronger—stronger than anyone else!

Even Kaminari Denki.

In Kazama's mind, the image of Kaminari appeared, framed by the golden light of the setting sun. His eyes hardened with determination.

Kaminari Denki… You may be a genius, but I'll prove that I'm one too!

For reasons even Kazama didn't fully understand, every time he thought about the way Kyoka looked at Kaminari, a surge of competitiveness filled him. It drove him to set Kaminari as his ultimate goal.

Kazama also had a secret habit, before starting his daily training at home, he would rewatch the match between Kaminari and

Todoroki from the Hero Sports Festival.

An interesting ritual, wasn't it?

---

As Kazama boarded the subway heading toward Shizuoka City, his thoughts lingered on the earlier battle with Yoarashi.

That guy's a monster, Kazama thought, replaying the fight in his head.

Yoarashi's mastery over wind was nearly insurmountable. Every time Kazama summoned clouds with his Quirk, they were instantly blown away by Yoarashi's powerful gales.

For most of the match, Kazama had felt completely outclassed. But then, just as he was knocked to the ground, memories of Kyoka flooded his mind:

The times they learned music together as children… The moments they played rock music side by side… The promise he'd made to her so long ago…

Fueled by this wave of nostalgia, Kazama had rallied. He gathered all his clouds into a single mass and launched them at Yoarashi with everything he had.

To his surprise, the attack worked. The concentrated "Cloud Fist" cut through Yoarashi's wind and struck him squarely, knocking him back several meters.

That moment had been a revelation for Kazama. He realized that if he concentrated enough clouds and truly believed in himself they could take on a solid, powerful form.

Unfortunately, the effort had drained him. The match ended soon after, with Yoarashi still standing.

The gap between us is too wide, Kazama admitted to himself. Even with a sudden burst of determination, he wasn't strong enough to defeat someone like Yoarashi.

Still, the encounter left him wondering. How does Yoarashi compare to Kaminari and Todoroki? Who's stronger?

Kazama knew that Yoarashi was stronger than Todoroki—after all, Yoarashi had ranked first among U.A.'s recommended candidates, a fact few knew since Yoarashi wasn't the type to brag.

But what about Kaminari?

"It's like something out of an anime," Kazama muttered as the subway approached his stop. "Three guys with insane powers: lightning, fire and ice, and wind. They're the perfect shonen protagonists…"

He let out a small, self-deprecating laugh. "And me? My clouds make me look like a side character."

Kazama paused, pulling out his phone as a thought struck him. "Wait, are there any anime protagonists who use clouds as their power? Hmm… better look it up."

As he scrolled through his search results, another thought crossed his mind.

What should I call that move I used today? I need something cool if I'm going to show it off to Kyoka later.

"Cloud Fist?" he muttered aloud. "Nah, too boring. How about naming it after myself? Something like… Jin Fist?" He smiled, satisfied.