"…Uh, are we really calling her a villain?"
Yaoyorozu Momo looked conflicted. Technically speaking, Himiko Toga was affiliated with the League of Villains—but the irony was that she hadn't attacked anyone at all. On the contrary, most of the information they currently had came straight from her mouth. If anything, she felt less like a villain and more like an outright traitor.
"Fans?"
Aizawa-sensei was at a loss for words. "Since when did that kid become so popular?"
As a professional Hero, Aizawa was no stranger to having fans himself—though he avoided the public spotlight as much as possible. His colleague Present Mic, on the other hand, had an enormous following and interacted with fans online daily. Still, Masata was only a first-year student. Having an obsessive fan already felt absurd.
"Forget it. This girl is strange no matter how you look at it. Keep her restrained for now," Aizawa said calmly. "Are these genetic monsters all that's left? Where are the League of Villains' members?"
Without hesitation, he turned to Mandalay. He had already learned from Dabi that this entire operation had been orchestrated by the League of Villains.
The reason was obvious.
Ever since All Might began teaching at U.A.—the nation's top Hero academy—the image of U.A. and the Symbol of Peace had merged in the public's heart. These two pillars of trust now stood as one.
The League of Villains' goal was to shatter that trust.
By repeatedly creating large-scale incidents, they were spreading anxiety throughout society, step by step pushing the Hero system toward collapse.
The air grew heavy. Mandalay and Tiger both lowered their heads.
"…This is our fault," Tiger finally admitted. "Because of our negligence, the villains were rescued by reinforcements."
He continued honestly, "There were originally only two villains here. Thanks to Igarashi's intervention, both were severely injured. But just as we were preparing to escort them back to the facility, the League's reinforcements arrived."
"This isn't Mandalay's or Tiger's fault," Yaoyorozu said quickly, guilt written across her face. "Kurogiri appeared."
She clenched her fists. If she had prepared heavier weaponry earlier, maybe things wouldn't have turned out like this.
"Kurogiri brought these genetic beasts with him," she explained. "Then he used his Quirk to extract the two villains. There were too many enemies at the time—we also share responsibility."
"Enough," Aizawa said, raising a hand. "There's no need to rush into self-blame. If Kurogiri was involved, this outcome was inevitable."
After the USJ incident, U.A. had conducted a full investigation on Kurogiri. Though officially labeled an unknown entity, records showed that he had been active in society before. U.A. classified him as an extremely dangerous and troublesome villain—one that even professional Heroes were advised to avoid direct confrontation with.
Expecting Mandalay, Tiger, and a group of students to stop him was unrealistic.
"Since Igarashi was here earlier," Aizawa asked, scanning the area, "where is he now?"
"Igarashi said he was going to support Midoriya," Mandalay replied. "He also requested permission for the students to use their Quirks in combat and asked me to relay the message."
Despite herself, Mandalay felt a hint of admiration. For a high school student to assess the situation so clearly—and step forward to shoulder responsibility in the middle of a crisis—was almost unbelievable. Even All Might hadn't been this decisive when he was a student.
"He's strong. I trust his judgment," Aizawa said calmly. "Yaoyorozu, you and the others will return to the facility with me. Mr. Vlad King will be there to protect you."
As expected, Aizawa showed no concern for Masata's safety.
"Mandalay, Tiger—please take care of the remaining students in the forest."
"Leave it to us!"
The two answered without hesitation, guilt replaced by resolve. In a flash, they disappeared into the trees.
Yaoyorozu Momo, Chacha, and the others escorted Himiko Toga and followed Aizawa-sensei back toward the facility.
Meanwhile, Masata's group was already closing in on Bakugo and Todoroki.
There was no need to search carefully—the chaos ahead made their location obvious. Explosions lit up the forest in rapid succession, flames flashing again and again.
"…Looks like those two still have plenty of fight left," Masata muttered, relieved.
Even without knowing the full situation, the fact that they were still resisting was already good news.
"BOOM!!!"
"Hahahaha! I couldn't beat that magma freak—but crushing you is easy!"
Another explosion thundered through the clearing, accompanied by a voice Masata knew all too well.
"…Well, that makes things easy."
Masata's expression darkened with grim amusement. The muscular villain he'd let slip away had actually run straight into Bakugo and Todoroki—and was even bullying them.
This should be interesting.
With that thought, Masata burst out of the forest and into the clearing.
"Hey! Bakugo! Todoroki! You guys still alive?!"
He raised a hand to greet them—
And dozens of razor-sharp blades suddenly descended from above, slicing through the air with piercing whistles.
"Watch out—this guy is—!"
Tokoyami and Shoji shouted from behind him, but before they could finish, Masata had already reacted.
His arm instantly transformed into a massive magma limb and swept sideways.
CRASH!
Every blade shattered on impact, exploding into fragments that scattered through the air, glinting briefly in the firelight.
"This kind of trick doesn't work on me."
Masata casually withdrew his arm and walked toward Bakugo and Todoroki.
"Took you long enough," Bakugo snarled, though there was clear relief in his voice.
He was carrying a Class B student on his back—Kamakiri Togaru, unconscious after inhaling poison gas. Frost coated the entire right side of Todoroki's body, and his breathing was uneven. Protecting someone clearly limited his fighting power.
But with Masata's arrival, the pressure finally lifted.
For the first time in a long while, they could breathe.