"Masata, what are you saying?!" Kaminari Denki shouted, panic creeping into his voice.
"There are way too many of them!"
Kaminari's Quirk allowed him to discharge electricity through his entire body, but it lacked precision. Worse still, the communication device in his ear crackled uselessly—the villains' interference had completely cut off outside contact. In other words, they were isolated.
Jiro Kyoka, standing beside him, remained surprisingly calm. "Panicking won't help. Figuring out how to beat them is the priority."
As she spoke, Jiro plugged her earphone jacks into the amplifier strapped to her calf. A violent soundwave erupted outward, slamming into the villains ahead. Several of them clutched their ears and staggered back, faces twisted in pain.
But the attack's lethality was limited. Once the sound faded, the villains quickly regained their footing.
"Momo, Kaminari, Jiro—move up to the top of the mountain," Igarashi Masata said calmly as he dropped down from higher ground and landed beside them. He turned toward Yaoyorozu Momo.
"You can build a slope, right?"
"Yes," Momo replied without hesitation. Trusting Masata completely, she had already begun creating thick metal slabs to form a path upward.
"Masata, be realistic!" Kaminari protested. "No matter how strong you are, there are dozens of them! If we coordinate our Quirks, we can—"
"Yeah," Jiro added seriously. "Going alone is too dangerous."
"Relax," Masata replied impatiently. "Trash like this doesn't matter how many there are. Hurry up and get out of my way—I don't want to hurt you by accident."
The villains across from them burst into laughter.
"Did you hear that?" one of them sneered. "This brat thinks he can take all of us by himself!"
A hulking villain whose arm had transformed entirely into jagged stone charged forward.
"Die already!"
Masata lifted his head, eyes burning with contempt.
"Did you not hear me clearly?"
"You're the first one I'm killing."
Scalding magma surged over Masata's arm. Instead of dodging, he stepped forward and met the attack head-on.
The two fists collided.
The stone arm was instantly engulfed by molten magma. The intense heat blackened it in seconds, turning solid rock into brittle charcoal.
"AAAAAAAH—MY ARM!!!"
The villain collapsed to the ground, screaming. His arm was gone—completely erased. Even tears and mucus evaporated the moment they formed under the surrounding heat.
"Compared to my Quirk," Masata said coldly as he looked down at him,
"yours is garbage."
The rock villain stared up at him in terror. In Masata's eyes, he wasn't a living being at all—just dust.
Masata's rage boiled over.
Yaoyorozu Momo, who had never raised her voice at him since childhood, had been injured by these people.
That alone was unforgivable.
Lava surged violently around Masata's body.
Seeing one of their strongest members crippled in an instant, the remaining villains froze. The brutal efficiency, the merciless words, and the overwhelming pressure pouring off Masata made it feel as if hell itself had descended.
Breathing became difficult.
"D-Don't panic!" someone shouted shakily.
"He's just a kid! There are so many of us—he can't beat everyone!"
Masata sneered.
"Trash is still trash."
"You don't even qualify as a warm-up."
"Whether you survive what comes next…"
"…depends on your luck."
He roared.
"Flying Meteor!!!"
Lava exploded from Masata's body, submerging his vest completely. His entire upper body became encased in molten rock as he unleashed a storm of magma fists, launching them forward like falling meteors.
The villains saw nothing but blazing fists raining down on them.
Despair spread.
"RUN!!!"
It was useless.
These low-level thugs—little more than cannon fodder—were no match for a natural disaster.
One was struck.
Then another.
Then dozens more.
Magma swallowed them whole.
Moments later, the hillside that had been crowded with villains was filled with nothing but screams echoing through the heat.
"This…" Kaminari muttered weakly, his legs trembling.
Jiro turned away, gagging at the stench of scorched flesh and evaporated blood.
"Even knowing his strength…" Momo whispered, staring in disbelief,
"…this still feels unreal."
The once-flat terrain had been transformed into a cratered magma field. Molten pools bubbled violently, warping the air itself.
A single Quirk had altered the landscape.
"This technique isn't meant to kill with my current control," Masata said as he shook off the remaining magma, standing bare-chested in the heat.
"They'll survive—but losing arms or legs is unavoidable. I'll take responsibility for the consequences."
He turned back toward the three of them.
"Find somewhere hidden and stay there."
"What about you?" Momo asked quietly, watching his back as he began to walk away.
"Yeah," Masata replied.
"Other classmates are still fighting elsewhere. And I don't like the situation Aizawa-sensei is in."
"That hand-covered creep is focused on him. This might just be a diversion. They said they wanted All Might dead."
"Be careful," Momo said firmly. "And don't hold back. This is a special situation—I'll talk to my parents about handling the aftermath."
Masata burst into laughter.
"Hahaha! That's a lifesaver. You really are the best support."
His laughter faded into the wind as he charged off, leaving behind a blushing Momo—and two utterly stunned classmates.