"Masata, you take the main attack! I'll restrict his movement!"
Seeing that his own attacks weren't having much effect on the Rhino-Man, Todoroki made a decisive call and shouted loudly, snapping Masata out of his brief daze.
"Oh—got it!"
Regaining his focus, Masata immediately entered combat mode. Molten magma began flowing over his body, radiating intense heat.
"Shotgun!"
Wanting to test the Rhino-Man's defenses first, Masata opened with a fast, wide-range attack that was difficult to dodge.
The Rhino-Man showed no intention of avoiding it.
As dense magma pellets flew toward him, he raised his arms and crossed them over his head, charging forward without slowing down.
Boom!
The magma struck his body like rain hitting steel. Black scorch marks appeared across his surface, but the force only knocked him slightly backward.
"…He really is a walking iron box."
Realizing that ranged attacks were useless, Masata abandoned the idea and charged in himself, leaping forward to engage in close combat.
"Big Spitfire!"
In the confined passage, erupting magma flooded the entire space instantly, slamming into the Rhino-Man from every direction.
At the same time, Todoroki erected a thick ice wall behind the Rhino-Man, cutting off any retreat. With a wave of his left hand, roaring flames wrapped around Masata's magma-coated fist, pushing the temperature even higher.
"So I can't dodge… then I'll take it head-on."
Trapped between the ice wall and the advancing lava, the Rhino-Man braced himself.
BOOM!
Even with his immense strength, the Rhino-Man was blasted backward by the magma fist. The attack didn't stop there—the molten force surged forward, engulfing him completely and slamming him violently into the ground.
BOOM!!
Lava poured down like a torrent, splashing outward in all directions. Just as it threatened to spread further, Todoroki reacted instantly.
A wave of frigid air burst forth. Countless ice spikes crashed into the magma, the two forces clashing violently. The ice continued spreading while Masata stopped releasing magma, and eventually, the molten flood cooled into solid rock.
"…Did that Rhino-Man suffocate to death?"
Masata stared at the newly formed rocky mound full of air holes, his thoughts drifting dangerously.
Unexpectedly, the coordination between him and Todoroki had been flawless.
Compared to ice, this hardened volcanic rock was far more restrictive. It wasn't just a pile—it was a sealed prison.
Endeavor stood not far away, silently watching the two figures with their backs to him, a complicated emotion stirring in his chest.
Competition truly did accelerate growth.
Todoroki's strength had clearly improved since the Sports Festival—and it had only been a few days. As for Masata, his combat sense and decisiveness were obvious. It was no wonder All Might held him in such high regard.
The rocky mound remained still.
It was too still.
"Should we dig him out?" Masata asked, turning to Todoroki.
"That Rhino-Man looks like an elite. He might know where the doctor is."
Before Todoroki could answer, his eyes suddenly widened.
Masata felt it too.
The ground beneath their feet trembled.
"Already breaking out?" Masata muttered, teeth clenched.
"You're just a monster—stay buried!"
He immediately leapt backward, retreating to Todoroki's side, both of them staring intently at the shaking mound.
BOOM!!
With a deafening explosion, the rocky prison shattered.
Dust filled the air as a massive black shadow emerged.
"He used a larger body form to break through the rock?!"
The Rhino-Man had reverted to his full beast form.
His furious roar echoed through the passage.
"You little brats… you've made me angry!"
He was clearly in terrible condition.
Large sections of his metallic skin had peeled away, exposing raw flesh beneath. His quirk had clearly been pushed to its absolute limit to survive the magma and crushing pressure.
One of his eyes was completely gone—blind and hollow. One hind leg twisted unnaturally, likely broken.
"It looks like you're already at the end," Todoroki said coldly.
"What are you going to fight us with now?"
Masata and Todoroki were still uninjured, their stamina largely intact. They remained at their peak.
"I'll crush you with sheer size!!"
The enraged Rhino-Man exploded forward with power several times greater than before. Steel plates beneath his feet warped and buckled under the force.
An injured beast was the most dangerous kind.
"So now you've lost your mind and are relying on brute force alone," Masata said calmly.
"That makes things easier."
The Rhino-Man's eyes were bloodshot—his rationality was gone.
But mindless opponents were Masata's specialty.
Raw destruction was exactly what he excelled at.
"Heaven Dog!"
Masata's arm turned a deep crimson, as if molten metal were being forged around it. The heat alone made the air tremble.
Todoroki didn't bother naming his attack.
A massive wave of flame surged forward, roaring toward the Rhino-Man.
"I wonder," Masata shouted,
"if your skin is still that tough!"
The Rhino-Man's quirk had been developed to a frightening degree—stronger even than Kirishima's in Masata's estimation. But after overusing it, whether it could withstand this final assault was uncertain.
With explosive force propelling him forward, Masata rushed straight at the Rhino-Man, closing the distance in an instant.
"I'm not stupid enough to wrestle you head-on!"
As the Rhino-Man charged, Masata ducked sharply at the last moment. The massive horn skimmed past his hair, the violent wind tearing across his face.
Sliding beneath the beast, Masata planted his feet.
"Lie down!"
Stabilizing his stance, he drove his crimson arm upward.
For a split second, his fist met resistance—
—and then pierced straight into the Rhino-Man's abdomen.
The charging beast froze.
Magma erupted from Masata's arm, bursting through the Rhino-Man's back in a violent explosion. A massive hole was burned clean through, the internal cavity flooded with molten lava.
The Rhino-Man's enormous body was actually lifted off the ground by the blast.
At the same time, Todoroki's flames engulfed him midair, producing a violent sizzling sound.
Once the magma's propulsive force faded, the Rhino-Man crashed back to the ground, sending shockwaves through the passage.
"…That should finish him."
The smell of burnt flesh hung thick in the air.
Masata looked at the fallen Rhino-Man. His internal organs were completely incinerated, and his skin was badly charred. Without immediate treatment, survival was impossible.
Boom—boom—
Just as Masata and Todoroki were about to catch their breath, a heavy sound echoed from deeper within the passage.
Something else… was coming.
...
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