Konata Doesn't Want To Be The Female Lead

A violent explosion echoed through the narrow corridor. With each blast, searing heat surged closer, like a living inferno chasing down its prey.

A silhouette wrapped in fire burst forth, surging forward at impossible speed. Using an explosion from his left hand to propel himself, Bakugo Katsuki launched straight at the girl with a villainous grin carved across his face. Flames swirled around his right fist, punching down like a meteor.

"Number one, huh?"

Just as Bakugo's blazing strike was about to hit, a net of crackling blue electricity erupted around the short-haired brunette. The blue-white arcs clashed with the fire mid-air. But instead of a booming explosion, an unseen force shoved Bakugo backward several steps.

"Che. Electromagnetic field?"

Regaining his balance, Bakugo clicked his tongue in irritation, eyes filled with disdain.

"You really think you can take me on?"

The girl narrowed her eyes slightly, her tone unamused.

Arcs of blue-white lightning flickered across her form, a storm wrapped around her body like armor. From a distance, the sight was mesmerizing—dangerous, yet beautiful.

"Time's up! Villain team wins!"

All Might's voice came through the earpiece just in time.

Bakugo glared at both Midoriya Izuku and the girl standing beside him. He didn't say a word. Instead, he turned and leapt straight out of the hole he'd blasted in the wall.

"…We still lost."

Midoriya slumped against the wall, his costume torn and battered. His voice was bitter.

"Is winning really all that matters?"

Konata stood in front of him, voice sharp.

"If I hadn't shown up… you were going to use your Quirk, weren't you?"

"I—Konata, I…"

Midoriya struggled to respond. He already knew this girl wasn't just some random classmate—he'd learned from Tokoyami that this sharp-tongued transfer student was the infamous Konata.

But standing face to face with her, he still found himself speechless.

She cut him off coldly.

"You can't even control your own Quirk, and you were about to blow out your arm again? What, just because Recovery Girl can heal you, you think your body's disposable now? You think you're some kind of Super Saiyan?!"

"I wasn't—!"

"If you really want to be a hero, the first thing you should learn is how to protect yourself. Abuse your Quirk before you understand how to control it, and I promise you—your arm will be permanently crippled. Then what? You think a one-armed hero is gonna make headlines?"

"S-Sorry… I'll be more careful."

Midoriya's voice trembled as he apologized, even though he wasn't sure why he felt like he had to.

"Hmph. You'd better."

Konata scoffed, arms crossed, and turned to head downstairs.

[Story Progress: 20%]

[New transformation unlocked. Please check your system screen.]

A quiet notification popped up on a screen only she could see.

"Not bad. Three-day cooldown, but it's not like there's going to be some major boss battle in school anyway. I don't need Railgun for daily stuff. Besides, if anything does happen, Sanna's got my back. Plus… new form, huh? I wonder who it is~?"

Smirking inwardly, Konata returned to the monitor room. Bakugo had beaten her back, glaring at her as she entered before huffing and turning away.

Bakugo Katsuki Affection Level: 5

"Wow, his affection level really is easy to grind," she thought, amused, as she quietly rejoined the group.

Almost instantly, half the class swarmed her with excited chatter.

Though the upper floor's cameras had been damaged, and no one had seen her Railgun attack, the crackling lightning that surrounded her afterward had left a deep impression. Her presence, her power—it was like she'd become someone entirely different.

Mysterious. Powerful. Unforgettable.

"This is my Quirk's true form," she said, tugging down her cap and coughing slightly.

The questions didn't stop coming—too many for one girl to answer at once. Some of them had… questionable undertones, like "Is she just a hardcore chuunibyou?" Those were definitely ignored.

Come on. Her? A chuunibyou? Absolutely not.

Before long, Midoriya and Tokoyami returned. The latter was as calm as ever—clearly unaffected by the loss. But Midoriya… he had his head down, clearly deep in thought.

Konata's words had hit him. Hard.

"All right! Time for a quick review!"

All Might stood before the class with his notebook.

"Bakugo-kun, your behavior was the most problematic. You charged ahead alone, ignored your partner, and used highly destructive moves in a confined space. That's a huge no-no."

He frowned slightly, pausing.

"And at the end, attacking your own teammates…"

He let the rest hang in the air.

"Let's be honest. If Konata hadn't revealed her true power, she wouldn't have stood a chance against Tokoyami. The smarter strategy would've been to hold off Tokoyami and let Konata face Midoriya. But you let your emotions get the better of you, putting the mission at risk. Of all four, you performed the worst."

"…"

Bakugo didn't respond, but Konata could see it—his fists were clenched so tight, they were trembling.