Chapter 23: Electricity VS Darkness

"Start!" Midnight announces.

Immediately, Denki started running towards Tokoyami. His speed shocked many of the Class 1-A including his opponent. After all, Denki wasn't really the guy to run to his opponent head-on. However, Tokoyami wasn't shocked to not react as he quickly sent Dark Shadow to face Denki.

It didn't take long for the two to meet each other and seeing this, Denki suddenly jumps. This prompts Dark Shadow to follow him but was then greeted by something bad.

"250,000 Volts!" Denki shouts as he held out his hands in a sideways 'Kamehameha' position and hits Dark Shadow with a surge of electricity paralyzing him. He landed successfully and he continues to run towards his opponent.

"I know that your Dark Shadow weakens not only on its opposing quirk but also the farther it is to you." Due to his attack, Dark Shadow quickly returns to Tokoyami who was displeased at what happened. Given everyone's perception of Kaminari, they all know that close combat was the last of his choices.

Of course, he also knows that Kaminari had to engage him either way to win or he'll have to use his reserves causing him to fry his brain. But still, seeing Kaminari be fearless and facing the battle with a big smile is something new to him and even his friends like Jirou and Momo.

"Dark Shadow!" Tokoyami releases him once again. Given their relatively shorter distance, he adjusted his position to not only maintain his distance but also be ready for another attack. Dark Shadow and Kaminari face once again and the former prepares themselves for his attack.

But this time, he slides to the ground dodging Dark Shadow's claw attack. It then rushes to come back to attack him but given the distance, Denki just gives a smile. Electricity surges out of his body and before Dark Shadow can attack him again from back, half of the arena was covered by his quirk.

"Indiscriminate Shock 1.3 Million Volts!" Denki screams. This move paralyzes both Dark Shadow and Tokoyami who was smoking and on the verge of passing out. At the same time, Kaminari was laughing weirdly.

"I fried a little of my brain there. Luckily, my training paid off. Hahaha." Denki said to himself as he runs to the paralyzed Tokoyami. The next was an easy win as he releases another 500,000 volts before pulling him to the edge of the arena.

"The winner for the round… Denki Kaminari!" The audience all cheers after seeing the fast but intense fight.

All of their classmates were amazed by the fight especially Jirou who was close to him. She was dumbfounded at first but became happy seeing how he won. However, she became nervous again as Midnight announces the next fight.

"As for the next fight, let us welcome… Momo Yaoyorozu and… Araki Yamamoto!"

Araki enters the stadium as he hears the cheering of the people. With the wind hitting his face, his hair got messed up. Without looking at the cameras, he brushes his hand to fix it intentionally or unintentionally posing for it.

Seeing his actions, many ladies from their seats and their homes feel their hearts skipping a beat.

"He's very handsome! Why haven't I noticed him?" One of the girls said to her friends to which they agreed.

"He looks so charismatic!" One of the viewers from their home tweets. On the other hand, in a dark room with a lone appliance being a television, a man with dry skin and hands all over his body and a man with a dark mist for a head is also watching.

"Master! That was the one that caused me to be caught me! ARGH!!! I HATE HIM! I HATE HIM! I HATE HIM!" Shigaraki said as he continuously scratches his neck nearly scraping his dry skin.

"Calm down, Tomura. We have to lay low for a moment. It hasn't been long since you got sent to Tartarus. Kurogiri, you know what to do."

Kurogiri acts quickly as he starts to calm down Shigaraki.

In the arena, both Momo and Araki are smiling at each other. One was nervous, while the other isn't. Uncomfortable with the silence, Momo can't help but speak her mind.

"I won't hold back, so I hope that you won't too," Momo said to him. However, he didn't immediately reply. Getting even more nervous, she can't help but ask.

"Why are you not answering?" Araki snaps out and looks at her in the eyes.

"I'm just thinking how weird it is how our hair looks so similar. Don't worry, I won't hold back just because I don't hurt women. I also know how to make exceptions." Araki said just before Midnight announces the start of the fight.

Knowing her disadvantages, Momo moves quickly and creates many gadgets on her body opening up her jacket. The people watching, they all recognize these two items – military goggles and a gas mask. She wears it immediately before creating a couple more items from her stomach area.

This time, they were a couple of cylindrical cans with a pin on top. By this time, Araki has already started to move towards her. She then removes a pin of two of the cans and throws it to her opponent's position.

"Take this!" The can then detonates as it releasing a thick cloud of white and gray smoke. It was a tear gas and a smoke grenade. These two grenades made Araki stop in his tracks. Another pair of can arrive in his position as the two detonate again. By the time she was finished, the whole arena was now covered with a thick cloud of gray and white smoke.

She then sends a couple of stun grenades in there too, without forgetting to protect herself from it too as the intense light and high pitch noises sounded.

With her thermal goggles and gas mask, Momo was able to see Araki's figure coughing a lot inside the cloud as he starts to go lower and lower even down to his knees. Because of her anxiety, she was able to plan this and all her creations were nearing the border of what she can legally create.

Even though she wanted to win, she knows that Araki's greatest strength is the resiliency and endurance of his mind and body. If not even Bakugo's explosion can harm him externally, then the only possible way was internally – by suffocating him.

It sounds very bad but she knows that even if he loses, Araki would get it and forgive her. As she looks at his figure, she then sees another one suddenly appear with a blink of an eye, and the figure on his knees disappears.

Removing her goggles, she saw Araki standing there in the area of the arena with little smoke. The only word she was able to say was…

"How?"