Of course, Masata's words earlier were only half a joke.
In a situation like this, he had no thoughts about romance at all.
What he meant was simple—he would carry the girls one by one so that everyone could get out safely.
"Hurry up! Don't freeze there!"
Yaoyorozu Momo shouted urgently. The tremors coming from deep within the cave were growing stronger by the second, and the roars echoing behind them were becoming clearer and more terrifying.
Masata didn't waste another moment. He stepped forward decisively, grabbed one girl in each arm, pulled them tightly against his chest, and sprinted straight toward the faint light ahead.
Trip after trip—
After three rapid runs, he finally moved everyone out of the cave and into the forest.
"Momo! Take them to the boat—now! I'll hold them off here!"
Escaping the cave was only the first step. The real danger had just begun.
Masata didn't even have time to catch his breath before shouting orders.
"We stay and help you! If we go, we go together!"
Yaoyorozu, usually calm and rational, looked unusually resolute now. Her expression was firm, leaving no room for argument.
The fear that had once filled the other girls' faces had completely vanished. They all stared at Masata, unwavering.
Seeing this, Masata knew there was no convincing them otherwise.
And truthfully, their combat strength was far from weak. With proper coordination, they could handle this together.
Masata's intention was clear—
Every monster on this island would be stopped here.
If even one escaped, the consequences for society would be catastrophic.
"Then contact the school immediately and report everything!"
"Leave that to me. My frontal combat ability isn't great anyway."
Kurosawa Yoru immediately volunteered, pulling out her phone and rushing to the side. Contacting U.A. was crucial—not only to report the situation, but also to legally justify their Quirk usage.
Turning back toward the dark cave entrance, Masata issued rapid instructions.
"Jiro, you'll suppress them with sound waves!
Momo, you and I handle frontal firepower!
Chacha, Mina, Tsuyu—deal with anything that slips through!"
The formation was clear and logical. No one objected.
"Big Spitfire!"
In the open terrain outside the cave, Masata no longer held back.
A colossal magma fist slammed into the cave entrance.
BOOM!
A massive surge of lava flooded inside, completely sealing the opening. The cave that had once looked dark and ominous was now reduced to a solid wall of dark-red magma.
Yaoyorozu's body glowed continuously as she created weapons at high speed. Even a heavy machine gun materialized on the ground beside her.
Jiro stood closest to the cave, visibly tense. She was effectively the first line of defense.
Chacha, Mina, and Tsuyu remained on standby, ready to respond at any moment.
"Did that work…?"
Masata stared at the cooling lava wall.
If that single strike could trap all the monsters inside, it would be ideal.
But reality was rarely that kind.
The cliff suddenly shook violently.
Large chunks of rock broke free and crashed down, kicking up clouds of dust.
"Watch yourselves!"
Masata shouted as chaos erupted.
But Class 1-A students were no ordinary civilians.
Yaoyorozu instantly formed a steel shell and pulled Jiro inside.
Mina slid across the ground, acid coating her movements.
Tsuyu leapt effortlessly to a safe position.
Chacha activated her Quirk and emerged completely unscathed beneath the falling debris.
Then—
BOOM!!!
An explosion tore through the side of the lava-sealed cave.
The cliff face was violently blown apart as a massive four-legged serpent burst through.
The creature resembled the python they had encountered earlier—at least in sheer size—but the differences were unmistakable.
It possessed four thick, powerful legs.
Its entire body was wrapped in pitch-black scale armor that gleamed under the sunlight.
Razor-sharp claws scraped against the stone, grinding solid rock into powder.
"A fusion… pangolin and python?"
Masata's expression darkened instantly.
There was no doubt—this was another genetically fused monster.
The four-legged serpent locked onto Masata, flicking its tongue before twisting its enormous body forward.
"So it was you that blocked the exit earlier…!"
"Scorching Hell!"
Masata stomped the ground hard.
The soil beneath them liquefied into magma and rapidly spread outward.
But—
The four-legged serpent showed no fear at all.
It stepped directly into the magma without hesitation, its speed completely unaffected.
"What—?!"
Before Masata could react, the monster was already in front of him. It lowered its massive head and slammed forward with raw, primitive force.
Masata countered instinctively, his arms transforming into magma as he struck back.
But for the first time—
His attack failed.
His magma arms scattered on impact, completely unable to penetrate the creature's defense. The serpent's head crashed into Masata's body with overwhelming force, launching him into the air.
Thankfully, Masata had already elementalized his entire body. He wasn't injured—but his stamina took a heavy hit.
"This thing… isn't on the same level as the lizard from before."
The serpent crawled out of the magma pool, violently shaking off the molten residue. Not a single burn marked its black, gleaming scales.
Masata's gaze sharpened.
"Heat-resistant scales… insane defense… moderate speed… and it can burrow underground…"
"A nightmare-type villain."
"Jiro! Sonic attack—now!"
Masata immediately called for support. Physical attacks weren't working; sound waves might damage it internally.
"Got it!"
Jiro slammed her headphone jack into the ground and activated her Quirk.
"Ommmm—!"
A powerful shockwave rippled outward.
The four-legged serpent stiffened mid-motion, its massive body freezing in place as the sound waves tore through it.