Bakugo Katsuki was indeed charging straight toward Midoriya Izuku—but Aizawa Shouta was standing nearby. Masata had no intention of letting Bakugo launch a reckless attack.
Slap. Slap.
Relying on his sharp reflexes and combat instincts, Bakugo rushed forward almost childishly. However, Masata reacted instantly—grabbing Bakugo's wrist with precise timing. His left leg shifted slightly, sweeping in a smooth motion.
With a sharp thud, Bakugo lost his balance and crashed face-first onto the ground.
"Ah!"
Before Bakugo could even recover, Masata followed up seamlessly. One hand pinned both of Bakugo's wrists, while the other pressed down on the back of his head. Masata deliberately forced Bakugo's palms behind his back—if Bakugo wasn't an idiot, he wouldn't dare activate his Quirk and blow himself up.
With Masata's knee pressed firmly against his back, Bakugo struggled furiously but couldn't break free.
The surrounding students barely had time to blink.
Just moments ago, Bakugo had been roaring with fury. Now he was completely immobilized on the ground.
"Th-That's incredible!" Uraraka Ochaco's eyes sparkled. "Bakugo was subdued so easily! Is that grappling technique? Igarashi's movements were insanely fast!"
Whoosh!
A white bandage suddenly shot through the air and wrapped tightly around Masata's body.
"Huh?" Masata froze, looking down at the cloth binding him. He twisted his body several times but couldn't break free. "This thing's tough…"
Turning his head, he saw Aizawa Shouta standing there—his eyes glowing red, hair floating wildly. The bandage was the capture weapon that usually hung around his neck.
"That's Aizawa-sensei's scarf?!" Masata exclaimed. "It can reach that far?"
"A capture weapon made of carbon fiber and special alloy steel wire," Aizawa said flatly. "Honestly… did you plan to escalate things? I don't like using my Quirk—my eyes dry out. And even though this weapon can withstand high temperatures, I'd rather not test it against magma."
"Ahahaha—Sensei, you're overthinking it!" Masata laughed awkwardly. "I wasn't going to use my Quirk."
Even though I was totally planning to melt it just now…
"Erasing Quirks?!" Izuku gasped, suddenly realizing who Aizawa truly was.
"That Hero who nullifies Quirks just by looking at you—Eraser Head!"
"Erasing Quirks? That's busted!" Masata said in shock. "That ability is downright unfair!"
More than ninety percent of Heroes and villains relied on Quirks in combat. Losing one instantly meant losing most of their fighting capability.
But my body doesn't feel much different, Masata thought. Which means the enhancement from Cell Strengthening is permanent. Even if my Quirk is erased, my physical body remains.
"Enough," Aizawa said, releasing Masata and stepping forward. He pulled out a small projector. "We're announcing the results. Explaining them one by one would take too long."
"The student with the lowest overall score will be expelled."
The words hit like a hammer.
Izuku, who had just been relieved moments earlier, stiffened instantly. Aside from the softball throw, his results had been mediocre at best. Statistically, his chances of ranking last were frighteningly high.
Tears welled up again.
All Might… I'm sorry…
"Oh, by the way," Aizawa added casually, "the expulsion was a lie."
"…?!"
Izuku froze mid-breakdown. The entire class stared blankly.
Aizawa smirked. "It's a psychological tactic. Designed to push you to your limits."
"YOU LIED?!" Iida Tenya, Midoriya Izuku, and Uraraka Ochaco shouted in unison.
"It was obvious if you thought about it for two seconds…" Yaoyorozu Momo said helplessly—before noticing something worse.
Masata was kneeling on the ground in an orz position, his soul seemingly drifting out of his body.
"I got tricked by a lazy-looking teacher?!" he muttered. "He looked so strict! Teachers actually lie?! Damn it…"
"The test is over," Aizawa said, turning away. "Teaching materials are in the classroom. Check them yourselves. Midoriya—go to the infirmary."
He paused.
"From tomorrow onward, things will only get harder."
The results were obvious.
With overwhelming physical ability, Igarashi Masata claimed first place without suspense. Yaoyorozu Momo followed closely in second.
"Hey, Momo, did you cheat?" Masata laughed exaggeratedly. "Since when were you this strong?"
"Idiot!" Momo snapped. "It's a Quirk test! How would I cheat? And just because I can't match your brute strength doesn't mean I'm inferior in Quirk development and application!"
Despite her refined demeanor, Momo always showed a rare sharpness around Masata.
"You two really get along well," Izuku said softly. "Not like me and Kacchan…"
"Haha, Izuku," Masata said reassuringly. "Bakugo cares about you—just in his own violent way. You are childhood friends, after all."
"Igarashi," Uraraka said shyly, stepping forward. "If I get the chance, could you teach me some close-combat techniques? Your movements were really cool!"
"Ah! And you're Yaoyorozu Momo, right? The recommended student! That's amazing!"
"Not at all," Momo replied politely. "It's just my Quirk. Uraraka, you did very well too."
"Of course!" Masata grinned. "If you don't get something, just ask me! And Momo's a genius too—we train together regularly."
"Really?!" Uraraka's eyes lit up. "Can I join?"
"…Sure," Momo said gently.
And for some reason, she suddenly felt like she had made a dangerous decision.