As Momo had said, news of the villain attack on the artificial tech island, I-Island, spread across the globe through the internet after dawn.
That morning, when people woke up and turned on their phones, computers, newspapers, or any medium connected to the outside world, the top headlines everywhere were about I-Island.
The Guardian: "Oh-My-God!! I-Island was invaded by villains last night!"
Washington Post: "Terrible! For the first time in a century, I-Island has been overtaken by villains!"
The New York Times: "Our nation's renowned scientist and former All Might partner, Dr. David, colluded with villains!"
People's Daily: "International fishing vessels strongly condemn the villains' atrocities in attacking I-Island. China calls for severe punishment for the villainous behavior!"
Asahi Shimbun: "During the attack on I-Island, several U.A. High School Hero Course students made notable contributions. I-Island publicly expresses its gratitude!"
U.C. Shock Department: "Shocking! The world is truly stunned this time. You'll regret it if you don't watch!"
Their photos and personal information spread across the internet, television, and newspapers worldwide.
Naturally, the "Pikachu Band" formed by Kaminari and the others instantly entered the public spotlight.
Countless people who were intrigued by their music flocked to Japan's MTV music network, searching for "Kaminari Denki" or "Pikachu Band."
This surge of interest caused the site's traffic to skyrocket, severely impacting the platform's performance.
But this kind of impact was the "pain of joy." Without hesitation, the site's management removed their existing homepage features and replaced them with "Pikachu Band" front and center!
From that point on, every song released by Kaminari saw its play count jump by hundreds every second.
And this was only the appetizer. After tomorrow night's live global broadcast of the music banquet, the results would be unimaginable.
So, in this "I-Island Attack," not only did All For One and the Snowman benefit—the Pikachu Band reaped massive rewards as well.
Especially Kaminari Denki. Aside from being a student of U.A.'s Hero Course and the leader of the Pikachu Band, he was also the model for the protagonist of Pokémon.
So… he was famous. Totally famous. Even ridiculously famous. Now, practically hundreds of millions of people across the globe knew his name, face, identity, music, and most importantly, his iconic hero name: Raikage!
But as the old saying goes—some people rejoice, while others grieve. Kaminari and the others were happy, but many others weren't.
First, the management system of I-Island was under intense scrutiny. Second, all the professional Heroes from various countries who had abandoned their posts or been captured by villains were under tremendous pressure.
It was easy to imagine that these pro Heroes would be recalled by their respective countries and disciplined to varying degrees. After all, their performance directly reflected their nation's image!
But all of that had nothing to do with Kaminari and the others. Right now, they were gathered on the 17th floor of the central tower.
This was a space recommended by Melissa, equipped with a full range of instruments for live performance—everything humanity had invented was available here.
Of course, there were drum kits—five of them, in different colors, neatly arranged in a row.
Dong dong da pip! Dong dong da pip!
Dong this da click, Dong this click!
Dong-dong-dap-dap! Dong-dong-dap-dap! Dong-dong-dap-dap!!
Everyone stood in stunned silence, watching Bakugo seated behind a red drum kit. Their eyes followed the wild movement of his drumsticks, and their ears took in the thunderous yet precise rhythm.
"Ka... Ka-chan… he really… really knows how to play the drums?!" Midoriya murmured. In that moment, Bakugo seemed to shine with a different kind of light.
"He's amazing—way better than me…" Kyoka, standing to Kaminari's left, sighed softly. But she also felt genuinely happy for the band.
"But this drumbeat really does suit Bakugo's style," Momo, on Kaminari's right, said with a smile.
Tokoyami, who had been silent until now, suddenly commented in a low voice, "The sound feels like hundreds of boulders struck by a quake, dancing in chaos."
"Yeah. There's a lot of raw emotion in that sound, like he's pouring all his anger and frustration into the drums. But the rhythm never breaks!" Kaminari said with deep admiration as he locked eyes with Bakugo from across the room.
He suddenly realized, the drums really did suit Bakugo Katsuki's fiery and impulsive personality.
Dang—
As the final beat echoed through the hall, Bakugo's brilliant performance came to an end.
Clap clap clap clap!!!!
Such an incredible display naturally drew thunderous applause from everyone—including Kaminari. At that moment, he had decided: Bakugo was the soul drummer of the Pikachu Band.
"!"
Understanding what Kaminari was thinking, Momo immediately stepped forward, extended her hand, and invited with a smile, "Bakugo-kun, would you like to be the drummer for our band?"
"No way."
Bakugo glanced coldly at Kaminari, set the drumsticks back in place, and replied with disdain as he headed toward the exit.
"Get it straight. I didn't come here to show off, much less to join your little band. I just came to prove that I could do it."
"This…" Kyoka looked awkwardly at Momo.
"Don't be like that. You're so good at it, why not help Kaminari and the others out? We're all friends here!" Midoriya tried to persuade him.
"Shut up, you damn nerd!"
But since it was the one person Bakugo hated most speaking, he snapped immediately, making Midoriya step back with an embarrassed expression.
"Forget it, don't bother trying to convince him."
At that moment, Kaminari waved his hand, signaling Kyoka to stop talking—which made Bakugo's ears perk up in the distance.
"His drumming really is impressive…" Kaminari said.
And just as he said that, Bakugo—still facing away from them—couldn't help but curl the corners of his mouth in pride.
But as Kaminari continued speaking, Bakugo's mood soured, and his expression darkened.
"But tomorrow night, we'll be performing in front of the entire island, pro Heroes, and viewers from all over the world in a live broadcast. That's an insane amount of pressure."
"And unlike us, who've performed before at the U.A. Sports Festival and Qingfeng's concerts, Bakugo has no formal stage experience."
"There's no guarantee he'll be able to play like that under those conditions. Honestly, it might be better to go with someone more stable for drums."
"Quit looking down on people, you damn lightning bastard!!"
As soon as the words left Kaminari's mouth, Bakugo suddenly turned around, pointed straight at his face, and roared:
"I am determined to be the drummer this time!!!"
(To be continued.)
***
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