"Get down!"
Just as everyone was processing the aftermath of the battle, Todoroki Shouto suddenly shouted a warning.
From the darkness above, a winged Nomu burst out of the night sky, diving straight toward a stunned Midoriya Izuku.
"So it really never ends!"
Masata, still riding the adrenaline from the earlier fight, didn't hesitate. The heat in his blood hadn't cooled yet. He raised both arms and spread his fingers wide.
"Meteor Ray!"
Each of his five fingers transformed into streaks of molten magma, shooting forward like blazing arrows.
"ROAR—!"
The Nomu bellowed midair. Its chest suddenly bulged as massive muscle tissue rapidly expanded outward, forming a crude but powerful biological shield in front of its body.
"Physical enhancement? Or some bizarre Quirk?"
Masata grinned as he watched the Nomu attempt to block the attack.
The magma bolts slammed into the creature. They didn't pierce the shield—instead, they burst outward and spread across the Nomu's body like a molten web, clinging tightly.
The winged Nomu thrashed violently in the air, its body sizzling as burns spread everywhere. Even when chunks of magma were shaken loose, more immediately latched back on, sticking like tar.
"Is this a new move?" Endeavor asked, watching closely as Masata's magma-connected hand and the molten net moved as one. "I don't recall seeing this before."
"Yeah," Masata replied casually, fully focused on controlling the magma. "It's something I developed after watching your techniques."
In truth, this was the result of partial elementalization—applying it directly in combat rather than defensively. Since adopting this approach, Masata's fighting style had become far more flexible and unpredictable.
"So he's imitating my compression-based attacks…" Endeavor thought. "This kid really does learn fast."
Although Masata's control wasn't flawless yet, Endeavor could already see it clearly—with this rate of growth, Masata would soon become a rising star among Heroes.
Todoroki stared in quiet shock.
Despite sharing a fire-based Quirk lineage, Todoroki himself still struggled with refinement and balance. Meanwhile, Masata had already begun absorbing and applying lessons from Endeavor's combat almost immediately.
By now, the Nomu's body was essentially cooked. Its wings stopped moving, and it finally lost all lift, crashing down like a burning meteor.
BOOM!
It smashed into the street below, leaving behind a deep crater.
"That really saved me, Masata…" Midoriya exhaled shakily. "I didn't even react in time."
Masata waved it off. "No problem."
"This should be the last Nomu," Masata said, turning to Endeavor.
"It should be," Endeavor confirmed. "One was defeated earlier. I took down three elsewhere. With this one, that makes five—exactly matching the police reports."
He nodded, though irritation flickered in his eyes. The sudden appearance of another Nomu had nearly caused unnecessary casualties.
Endeavor quickly contacted the police, coordinating the capture of surviving villains and assigning professional Heroes to assist with rescue efforts. With collapsed buildings, fires, and injured civilians across Hosu City, damage control was now the real battle.
High above the city, on a distant rooftop—
"Why are all my Nomu dead?!"
Shigaraki Tomura slammed his binoculars down, spreading his arms in frustration.
"And why is that magma brat here again?!"
"It's him again… again… AGAIN!"
Behind him, Kurogiri stood silently, allowing Shigaraki to vent.
"That idiot Hero Killer got all the attention!" Shigaraki snarled. "We were completely used as background characters!"
The next morning, television broadcasts flooded every channel.
"Hero Killer Stain has been captured following his violent actions in Hosu City."
"Five unidentified monsters known as 'Nomu' caused widespread destruction."
"Helicopter footage suggests the League of Villains may be responsible for the coordinated attack."
Emergency responders, police, and medical teams worked nonstop. The Hero offices mobilized fully to handle the aftermath.
Shigaraki sat in front of the TV, scratching his neck obsessively.
"Stain gets all the spotlight… we look like clowns."
He had wanted to sabotage Stain's plan out of disgust—yet instead, Stain had become even more infamous.
"Calm down, Tomura," Kurogiri said smoothly. "Look at this."
He handed over his phone.
Shigaraki frowned. "Another Stain video? You've got to be kidding me."
"Keep watching."
The video transitioned from a biography of Hero Killer Stain to a dark screen. Then, audio played:
"Whether it's counterfeit Heroes or criminals abusing power, they are all targets of elimination. Everything is for a righteous society. Someone must awaken the true Heroes!"
Shigaraki froze.
The view count had already surpassed 100,000.
"I planted a miniature transmitter on Stain during your first meeting," Kurogiri explained calmly. "It only activates during critical moments."
"This society has been suppressed for too long," Kurogiri continued. "His ideology resonates with those harboring resentment. Public opinion is spreading rapidly."
"Our League of Villains," he concluded, "will use this moment to recruit allies."
After a long silence, Shigaraki finally nodded.
"Fine. Increase recruitment."
His hand clenched.
"And next time I see that magma kid… I'll crush him myself."
The phone in his hand disintegrated into dust.