The students standing at the top of the stairway were still a little dazed.
Just moments ago, the atmosphere had been overwhelmingly tense—yet not long after All Might arrived, the leader of the villains had fled the battlefield.
At this time, Nomu was being firmly pinned inside the magma pool by All Might. Its flesh regenerated again and again, only to be destroyed just as quickly by the intense heat. Eventually, even its terrifying self-healing ability reached its limit, and the monster was reduced to blackened charcoal under the scorching temperature.
With the villains' retreat confirmed, the tension that had been gripping everyone finally loosened.
Not long after, Principal Nezu arrived at USJ alongside professional Heroes affiliated with U.A. High School. They quickly swept through every disaster zone within USJ, rescuing stranded students and apprehending the villains who had been abandoned by their leader.
Among everyone involved in the battle, the most seriously injured were No. 13, Aizawa Shouta, and Igarashi Masata.
No. 13 had suffered partial bodily destruction caused by their own Quirk.
Aizawa Shouta had sustained comminuted fractures in both arms, along with severe head trauma—especially damage to the bone beneath the eye socket.
As for Masata, both arms were fractured, the bones in his right hand were shattered, and his body had been pushed into a state of extreme overexertion.
Fortunately, none of the three were in immediate danger. They were swiftly transferred to the school infirmary for emergency treatment.
In a quiet bar far away, a dark whirlpool slowly formed in midair.
Tomura Shigaraki stepped out.
"Damn that magma brat!!"
He roared the moment he returned to the safehouse.
"If it weren't for him, All Might would have been killed by Nomu!!"
Back in familiar surroundings, Shigaraki's irritation exploded. He scratched at his neck violently, leaving bloody marks across his pale skin.
"Even Nomu was left behind at U.A.! That was the strongest one!"
Suddenly, the television behind the bar flickered on.
A blurred human silhouette appeared on the screen.
"What happened, Shigaraki?"
A deep, gloomy voice echoed from the TV.
"Did the plan fail?"
"Teacher!"
Shigaraki's posture instantly collapsed, like a child who had found their parent.
"The plan failed! All Might wasn't killed—and even Nomu was destroyed! I need a stronger Nomu!"
"Nomu was destroyed?"
The figure on the screen paused, clearly surprised.
"Wasn't All Might already weakened?"
"He is weaker!" Shigaraki snapped.
"But there was a kid—one who can produce magma!"
"That kid injured Nomu. By the time All Might arrived, Nomu's rapid regeneration had already reached its limit!"
The mention of Masata reignited Shigaraki's fury. He slammed his hand down, shattering the glass on the bar counter.
"Magma…"
The figure on the screen fell silent for a moment.
"With that level of power, it's understandable that Nomu couldn't hold out."
"Enough. Don't concern yourself with this for now," the voice continued calmly.
"Lie low for the time being. Focus on developing the organization and recruiting stronger members."
"Next time…"
The silhouette's voice grew colder.
"You will make the entire world taste fear."
The screen went dark.
The bar fell into silence once more.
Meanwhile, back at U.A. High School—
Igarashi Masata lay quietly in a special medical ward, his body wrapped in plaster and bandages.
"How is the boy's condition?"
A tall, thin blond man pushed open the door—it was All Might, now back in his frail form.
Recovery Girl, standing beside Masata and monitoring the instruments, glanced at him sharply.
"All Might? You pushed yourself again, didn't you?" she scolded.
"If you keep this up, you won't be able to continue Hero work at all!"
"I'll deal with my condition later," All Might said hurriedly.
"How badly is Igarashi injured?"
"Hm…"
Recovery Girl tapped her cane lightly against the floor.
"According to the data, his injuries themselves aren't life-threatening—mostly fractures."
"But," she continued seriously,
"he completely overdrawn his body's energy. His natural self-repair function has temporarily shut down, and his brain has triggered a protective mechanism to keep him unconscious."
"He's currently relying entirely on externally supplied nutrients."
"Fortunately, this child's physique is exceptional," she added.
"I can feel his vitality slowly returning. Once his energy recovers, he should wake up on his own."
"…I see."
All Might fell silent.
Before he arrived at USJ, Masata had been fighting Nomu alone.
Aizawa had fallen.
No. 13 was incapacitated.
The students were moments from being slaughtered.
And in that situation—
Masata stepped forward.
Nomu's strength and speed were comparable to All Might himself in his current condition. Yet Masata was only a first-year high school student.
The battle he had fought…
All Might couldn't even begin to imagine how brutal it must have been.
That was not a reckless fight.
That was a battle to protect lives.
"Igarashi Masata…"
All Might clenched his fist.
Remembering the doubts he once had about the boy's temperament, All Might felt deep shame.
Anyone willing to risk their life for their comrades—
Was a born Hero.
That afternoon became an unforgettable one for U.A. High School Class 1-A.
That afternoon, they fought villains for the first time.
That afternoon, they truly experienced the world of professional Heroes.
That afternoon, they glimpsed the darkness that lurked within society.
That afternoon, their class representative was gravely injured protecting them.
In the evening, after completing statements with the police, all nineteen students of Class 1-A gathered outside the infirmary door.
Even Bakugo Katsuki, who normally clashed with Masata the most, was there.
"Recovery Girl… is he okay?"
Unable to enter the ward, Yaoyorozu Momo, who had been holding it together all day, finally asked the question everyone feared.
"Don't worry, dear," Recovery Girl replied gently.
"Your little boyfriend's life isn't in danger. But healing won't be easy—he'll be bedridden for at least a few days."
Hearing this, everyone finally let out the breath they had been holding.
"Now go back," Recovery Girl added firmly.
"Rest is critical for patients. No interruptions."
Reluctantly, the students dispersed.
Later that night, while packing up in the classroom, Yaoyorozu suddenly spoke.
"Ochaco… tonight I'll stay at Masata's house. I can't sleep alone."
"…Okay," Ochaco replied softly.
She was worried too.