BOOM!!!
A massive mushroom cloud erupted at the center of the stadium. The violent shockwave swept outward, forcing the audience to instinctively lower their heads as the stands shook.
"What just happened?! That was an enormous explosion!"
Present Mic nearly jumped out of his seat as he grabbed the microphone. "Did Igarashi actually stop Bakugo's final attack?!"
Inside the dense smoke—
"Heaven Dog!!!"
This move wasn't complete elementalization—Masata was forcibly channeling magma power through his arm instead. The pain shot straight through him, searing his nerves.
The explosion detonated at the very tip of his fist. Scorching heat and overwhelming pressure surged forward, trying to crush him completely.
"Break through it!!!"
Thick black smoke suddenly poured from Masata's shoulders, like a volcano moments before eruption, power rapidly accumulating.
BOOM!!!
When the pressure reached its limit, the magma inside his arm erupted violently. Propelled by an immense surge of molten force, Masata's fist punched straight through the explosion.
The sheer force of the punch generated a storm-like shockwave. Smoke was instantly blown away, and the entire stadium became clear once more.
Bakugo, having already exhausted himself after unleashing his ultimate move, could no longer stand. His arms hung limply at his sides, strength completely drained. The scorching updraft sent him flying backward before he crashed onto the field, unconscious.
"Winner—IGARASHI MASATA!!!"
Present Mic shouted excitedly. "An absolutely devastating punch filled with raw power!!!"
The visual impact of Masata's final strike was overwhelming—a perfect fusion of brutality and spectacle. As the result was announced, the stadium erupted into thunderous cheers. Waves of sound rolled endlessly; anyone unaware of the situation might have thought a superstar concert was taking place.
"That was incredible…"
Masata watched as the medical staff carried Bakugo away, murmuring quietly to himself.
"At first, he was just using simple explosions. But now he can compress and control his Quirk like that… honestly, Bakugo really is a genius."
Masata's own mastery came from years of deliberate training. Breakthroughs achieved in the heat of battle weren't something he believed he could surpass Bakugo in.
"You'll have to work even harder," he thought.
"The people around you are monsters too."
The next match was Shoto Todoroki vs. Tenya Iida.
At the start, Iida attempted his usual tactic—activating his engines instantly and grabbing Todoroki around the waist, planning to use explosive speed to hurl him out of bounds.
But Todoroki wasn't Mina.
He had anticipated this.
The moment Iida made contact, Todoroki placed his right hand directly on the exhaust ports along Iida's calf.
Mid-sprint, Iida suddenly felt all propulsion vanish, as if his engine had completely stalled.
"What—?! I didn't even notice!"
Looking back, Iida saw his engine coated in ice crystals. The precision and timing of Todoroki's ice made it terrifying to defend against.
With his speed neutralized—his greatest strength—Iida had no way to resist. He was frozen solid and eliminated from the tournament.
"Guess I'll be fighting you next, Bai?" Masata said with a grin.
"Go easy on me, okay?"
After a short break, the final match before the championship was announced: Igarashi Masata vs. Yaoyorozu Momo. The two waited in the lounge.
"Don't try to change the subject," Yaoyorozu said coolly, turning her head away.
"You still haven't explained what that was earlier. Do you know how worried I was?"
"…Ah." Masata scratched his head.
"That ability's something I only developed recently. You can think of it as temporary damage immunity—but it burns stamina like crazy, so I don't use it often."
With the person closest to him, Masata didn't bother hiding the basics of his elementalization. Truthfully, he could've dodged Bakugo's final attack easily—but against a classmate rather than a real villain, he chose to meet force with force.
Yaoyorozu's expression softened slightly.
"…Honestly, you're ridiculous," she sighed.
"Just don't disappoint me later. I want to see where I stand now."
"Yeah, but my high-output weapons are off-limits," she added seriously.
"I can control them, but if I hurt you, I wouldn't forgive myself."
Her words left Masata conflicted. If he didn't hold back, his Quirk was too destructive—but holding back too much would be disrespectful. Arena battles really weren't suited to Yaoyorozu's fighting style. Against villains, things were much simpler.
"In the final match before the championship—Igarashi Masata faces Yaoyorozu Momo!"
As the two stepped into the arena, Class A exploded with excitement.
"This is wild—can Masata really handle this?" Kaminari laughed mischievously.
"Hey Kirishima," Mineta snickered,
"Do you think Masata's gonna get beaten up at home later?"
"I don't think Yaoyorozu's holding back at all," Kirishima replied seriously.
"She was really worried about him earlier."
Asui Tsuyu nodded in agreement.
Her assumption was immediately proven wrong.
"Take this, Masata!"
The instant Yaoyorozu entered the arena, she flicked her wrist and hurled two grenades at him—without the slightest hesitation.
"Hey—seriously? That's brutal!" Masata laughed.
He waved his hand, and a magma wall surged up, completely blocking the explosion.
Seeing Masata make no move to attack, Yaoyorozu used the opening to create a simple machine gun. Its power was limited, but the firing rate was high—and the ammunition self-generated.
"Da-da-da-da-da!"
Bullets streaked toward Masata in rapid succession.
"It's useless," Masata said calmly.
"You know these attacks can't hurt me."
Feeling like a live training target, he raised another magma wall. The bullets struck the hardened lava with metallic clinks before dropping harmlessly to the ground.