My Hero Academia: Thunder God

"Your previous idea was to turn the suit into loose particles, letting artificial intelligence control them to attack and defend," Dr. Tenma began as he gestured to the second glass case. "But after studying it all night, I ultimately decided to reject the concept."

Dr. Tenma stood in front of "Glass Cover No. 2," adjusting his white lab coat as he turned to face Kaminari.

"It's not that it's impossible to turn the suit into particles. In fact, that part is relatively simple. The material your battle suit is made of is excellent for shape manipulation."

"But!" he emphasized, pushing his glasses higher on the bridge of his nose.

"I've already explained this before, the hardness of the SIS memory alloy is only comparable to that of steel. If it's used directly in combat without additional structure, it'll sustain damage far too easily. And once it's damaged, we don't have any surplus SIS material to repair or replace it."

Kaminari listened carefully, nodding as his gaze shifted to the pile of golden sand inside the glass case. He wasn't disappointed by the rejection of his original idea, he trusted Dr. Tenma's expertise to find a better alternative.

"Then what are these?" he asked, gesturing toward the shimmering sand.

"These are nanomagnetic metamaterials," Dr. Tenma explained. "My revised idea is to have artificial intelligence control these particles. They will automatically attack or defend based on your commands and situational needs."

"But the most critical aspect of this concept," he continued, "is establishing a stable connection between these particles and the AI. That part is by far the most challenging."

At this point, Dr. Tenma glanced at the battle suit case Kaminari was holding.

"So, for now, you'll need to leave your suit with me."

Kaminari didn't hesitate to agree. After all, he wasn't likely to need the suit in the immediate future. However, he did set a condition.

"Alright, but it needs to be ready before the final exams. I'm guessing the hero subject's exam will include something like simulated combat."

Dr. Tenma raised an eyebrow. "When are these final exams?"

"Early July," Kaminari replied.

"Hmm, that gives us over a month. That's plenty of time," Dr. Tenma said with a confident smile. Then, as if struck by inspiration, he asked, "By the way, do you want to name the new functionality we're adding? It'd help us label it for development."

"Name it?" Kaminari tilted his head, puzzled.

"Yes. You've already named the existing modes of your suit. So why not name this new mode as well? It'll keep the naming scheme consistent, and we can log it properly in the project files."

"Oh!" Kaminari exclaimed as realization dawned on him. He rubbed his chin thoughtfully, muttering to himself.

"Gold Sand Mode? No, no, that's way too plain and uninspired. It needs something cooler—something dramatic to match the tone of the previous modes."

After a moment of deliberation, Kaminari straightened up, a confident smile playing on his lips. "Let's call it Absolute Defense!"

"Absolute Defense?" Dr. Tenma echoed, raising an eyebrow. "What's the reasoning behind that name?"

"Think about it," Kaminari said, gesturing enthusiastically. "If everything works out, these gold particles will be controlled by Pikachu, right?"

"Of course," Dr. Tenma confirmed.

"With Pikachu's processing power, it'll be able to analyze opponents' movements and respond instantly, creating near-perfect defenses. Even if I stand completely still, it'll be almost impossible for most opponents to land a hit on me, unless they're extraordinarily powerful!"

Kaminari's eyes gleamed as he envisioned the scenario. "This is the beauty of artificial intelligence. How many people could break through such a defense?"

"Hmm." Dr. Tenma nodded, stroking his chin. "The name does sound a bit over-the-top, but it's fitting. I'll approve it."

Then, with a faint smile, he added, "You have a knack for naming things. I struggled for ages to come up with a name for my son!"

"Uh… naming people is a bit different from naming modes and moves, don't you think?" Kaminari said, scratching the back of his head, looking slightly awkward.

Quickly changing the topic, he asked, "By the way, can you work on a carrying mode for the suit as well?"

"A carrying mode?" Dr. Tenma repeated, blinking in surprise.

"Yeah! The biggest difference between my suit and others isn't just the material, it's the built-in artificial intelligence, right? So, why can't I have the battle suit follow me?"

Kaminari explained further, "It's kind of inconvenient to carry this case everywhere. If the suit could transform into something portable, like a small 'pet' form, that would solve the problem. Maybe… something like Pikachu?"

Dr. Tenma stared at Kaminari, momentarily speechless at his whimsical suggestion. If Edgeshot were present, he might've patted Kaminari on the shoulder for his bold imagination.

Kaminari pointed toward the glass case containing the golden sand. "And these particles—they'll need to be portable too. How else can I bring them with me?"

Dr. Tenma chuckled, shaking his head. "You don't need to worry about that. While it may look like a lot, the particles are compressible. Once compacted, they'll only be slightly larger than an orange."

"What about the weight?" Kaminari asked skeptically. "Compressing the size doesn't change the mass."

"Ah, that's the clever part," Dr. Tenma explained with a knowing grin. "Pikachu will use electromagnetic manipulation to offset the weight. You won't feel it at all."

"That's amazing!" Kaminari exclaimed, thoroughly impressed. He knew the technological level of this world far surpassed that of his previous life, but the more he learned, the more it astonished him.

However, he was starting to realize just how advanced this research facility was. The laboratory was clearly one of the most cutting-edge in the world, and Dr. Tenma himself was likely among Japan's top three scientists, if not the very best.

"Since you can compress the sand, can it take the form of a Poké Ball when compacted?" Kaminari asked excitedly. "And maybe you could add some cool patterns or designs to it?"

"That's a simple shaping process," Dr. Tenma said with a laugh. He immediately guessed what Kaminari was thinking but agreed without hesitation.

"However," Dr. Tenma added with a serious tone, "I should warn you—all these extra features will come at a cost. The more additions we make, the more expensive it will be."

Kaminari froze, realizing he hadn't considered the price. Hesitantly, he asked, "How much are we talking about?"

"Let's see…" Dr. Tenma said thoughtfully before turning his attention upward. "Sadako, calculate the estimated cost of the modifications we just discussed."

"Understood," the AI replied, and after a brief pause, the voice delivered a response that made Kaminari's heart sink.

"Approximately 30 million yen. This estimate excludes the cost of the nanomagnetic metamaterials."

"Th-thirty million yen?!" Kaminari stammered, feeling a wave of dread wash over him.

Then, a thought struck him. "Wait—why are the material costs excluded?" Although it was a relief, he needed to understand why.

"Because if we included them, you couldn't afford it, even if your father's entire company were sold," Dr. Tenma said with a faint smile. "Mr. Mitsui personally authorized waiving the material fees for you."

At that moment, Kaminari realized just how incredibly valuable his combat suit truly was.

***

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