Finally, under Aizawa-sensei's surprised gaze, Igarashi Masata moved off to the side to focus on developing his Quirk further. Tiger had no intention of stopping him—he had absolutely no desire to be punched again.
To avoid accidentally starting a forest fire, Masata specifically asked the North American Shorthair to help create a large, open training area. She agreed without hesitation and even expressed strong optimism about Masata's future.
After that, Masata began training alone.
As time passed, the sky gradually darkened, leaving only the last traces of sunset to illuminate the land.
Under the whistles of Aizawa Shouta and Vlad King, the students of Classes A and B finally brought their brutal day of training to an end. At this point, they were completely exhausted. For the first time in their lives, many of them had pushed their Quirks so violently, truly experiencing what total physical and mental depletion felt like.
Suddenly—
A thunderous sound erupted from deep within the forest.
A blinding crimson glow flooded the surroundings, and a towering red giant rose from the woods. The massive figure moved clumsily, like a newborn child unfamiliar with its own limbs, waving its arms and legs without restraint.
To the giant itself, these movements were probably nothing more than simple gestures.
To the students watching, however, it was something else entirely.
The ground trembled violently. Birds scattered in panic, fleeing the forest in every direction. In an instant, the once-quiet woodland erupted into chaos.
"…That smell—sulfur?"
Kirishima sniffed the air uncertainly.
The others noticed it too. Along with the strange scent came a wave of intense heat, as if the air itself had turned into a furnace. Even their skin felt dry and tight, as though it might crack at any moment.
Fortunately, after about three minutes, the giant vanished—as if it had never existed at all.
But the scorched grass, warped soil, and lingering stench made one thing clear.
This was no illusion.
"That was definitely Masata!"
Mineta shouted, rubbing his now completely bald scalp. The sticky spheres on his head were gone—probably not growing back until tomorrow. His smooth head gleamed unnaturally.
Watching this, Bakugo clenched his fist in frustration.
While he was still struggling to refine control over his own power, Masata had already made such a massive breakthrough without saying a word. That red giant—Bakugo had never once seen Masata use anything like it before.
"Yo! How's everyone holding up?"
Not long after, Masata emerged from the forest, waving cheerfully. He looked completely relaxed—no sign of fatigue at all.
"People really are born unfair!!!"
Kaminari roared in resentment. "Why do you look so refreshed, Masata?!"
After spending the entire afternoon electrocuting himself nonstop, Kaminari was lucky he hadn't turned into an idiot.
Masata didn't bother responding. His strength wasn't something that came out of nowhere. Sure, his hidden Quirk played a major role—but it was also the result of countless days of relentless training, steadily strengthening his body. Those hardships simply weren't visible to most people.
"Looks like everyone survived!"
Pixie-Bob said brightly as she and the North American Shorthair stepped out, arms full of ingredients. They set everything down in front of the students.
"It's getting late. Gather your supplies and start cooking!"
"No one survived except him!!!"
Classes A and B groaned in unison.
Masata even noticed a few students whose souls looked like they had already left their bodies. After a day like this, all anyone wanted was food, a bath, and sleep. Yet even that wish wasn't being granted easily.
"You can't say that," Pixie-Bob laughed. "This is training too!"
Normally, Mandalay handled cooking herself, but with this many people, it was impossible. So she simply framed it as part of the lesson.
"She's right," Iida said seriously, light flashing across his glasses.
"In disaster scenarios, providing food and comfort to exhausted evacuees is also a vital rescue skill!"
"That really is U.A.," someone muttered.
Aizawa watched Iida burning with motivation and thought silently:
He's way too easy to manipulate.
"So… what should we make?"
Masata stared at the ingredients, slightly lost. His best cooking method was grilling—but none of this looked suitable for barbecue.
"How about curry?"
Kurosawa Yoru said enthusiastically. "After intense training, nothing beats a bowl of hot curry!"
"Curry sounds good!"
"Yeah, that works!"
The girls quickly agreed, clearly trusting Yoru's cooking skills.
Soon, under Chef Kurosawa Yoru's command, everyone began working in an orderly fashion. Masata and Bakugo were assigned to handle the fire, which left both of them feeling oddly awkward.
"Didn't expect you to be so good with a knife, Bakugo!"
Sero laughed after Masata lit the stove.
"Shut up!" Bakugo snapped.
"Want to become this radish and get chopped too?!"
Despite Bakugo's temper, his popularity in Class A was surprisingly high. Though the boys constantly competed and argued, they were united when it mattered.
"By the way, Momo—can you really still eat?"
Masata asked in disbelief as Yaoyorozu Momo added spices to the massive pot of curry.
Masata had seen her training earlier. Because her Quirk consumed fat, she had been force-feeding herself nonstop just to maintain efficiency. The sight had been painful.
"Of course I can eat!"
Yaoyorozu said confidently. "The fat I stored this afternoon is already gone. I'm starving! And this isn't training—it's enjoying food!"
She spoke with absolute conviction.
Masata could only sigh.
No girl could resist food—not even Yaoyorozu Momo.
And the best part? She could eat freely without ever worrying about gaining weight or losing her figure.
Regarding that, Masata could only conclude:
"…Amazing."