"The highest-priority target on the list—Igarashi Masata—is you!"
Tearing away the black robe covering his body, the muscular man revealed his grotesquely swollen physique. Thick veins pulsed across his skin as his muscles expanded even further.
"So this is the strength the boss talked about," he said with a twisted grin. "Not bad at all."
Though his words sounded like praise, the mockery in his tone was unmistakable.
"You could've stayed safe inside the facility," he continued coldly. "But instead, you ran straight here. Don't blame me for what happens next."
As he spoke, his body continued to swell, radiating a terrifying pressure. Mechanical components embedded in his flesh creaked as they adjusted, fully exposing his savage nature. Undisguised malice flooded the air and pressed down toward Masata.
Masata himself remained unaffected.
But Kota, standing behind him, began to tremble violently. Terror filled the child's eyes. For a five-year-old, this oppressive killing intent was more than enough to crush the spirit—especially when the man before him was the murderer of his parents.
"Midoriya," Masata said calmly, without turning his head. "Take Kota and get out of here. Leave this to me."
His gaze lingered briefly on the grotesque prosthetic embedded in the villain's left eye. His voice was flat, as if he were facing nothing more than a passing drizzle.
Midoriya Izuku didn't respond immediately.
He understood the situation perfectly. In his current condition, neither he nor Kota could offer any real combat power—worse, they would only become a burden. Retreating now was the correct decision.
Without a word, Midoriya acted.
Using his shattered arms, he gathered Kota into his embrace, squeezing out the last bit of strength left in his body. Green lightning flickered faintly around his legs once more—far dimmer than usual, but still burning.
"Trying to run? Nomu!"
The muscular man reacted instantly. Having already experienced Midoriya's devastating punch earlier, he barked the command without hesitation.
The Nomu surged forward.
This one was different from the previous ones Masata had encountered. Its entire body was orange, and unlike earlier models, its brain was not exposed. Instead, its head resembled a grotesque starfish, thick tendrils writhing at its sides. Human facial features were completely absent, replaced by a massive, gaping maw packed with blade-like teeth.
Responding to the order, the Nomu charged—but it did not activate the position-swapping ability Masata had seen before. Instead, it sprinted directly after Midoriya.
"Not happening!"
Masata stepped directly into its path.
Black smoke poured from his body as molten lava dripped down his arm, heat distorting the air.
"Big Spitfire!"
A colossal magma fist sealed off every possible route, slamming down toward the Nomu at ground level. The mindless creature didn't slow or hesitate—it rushed straight into the attack.
Just as the magma was about to engulf it, the muscular man standing nearby revealed a sinister smile.
And in that instant—
Masata's vision shifted.
The Nomu vanished.
In its place was Midoriya Izuku, clutching Kota, directly in the path of Masata's descending magma fist.
"What—?! You switched positions with him?!"
Masata's blood ran cold.
Only the Nomu's Quirk could cause such a displacement—but there was no time to analyze it now. If his attack landed, Midoriya, already grievously injured, would be killed instantly.
"Jump, Midoriya!!!"
Masata roared as he forcibly restrained his own attack.
But the sheer inertia of the massive magma construct couldn't be halted completely. Gritting his teeth, Masata slammed his arm downward, redirecting the strike as much as possible so it wouldn't reach Midoriya and Kota.
Midoriya heard the shout, twisted around, and saw the descending inferno. Acting on pure instinct, he leapt into the air.
The magma fist smashed into the ground below, triggering a thunderous explosion and violent shockwaves.
Riding the blast and smoke, Midoriya disappeared into the darkness of the forest—successfully escaping.
Masata had barely exhaled in relief when—
A sharp, overwhelming impact slammed into his back.
It felt like being struck by a speeding truck.
His body was hurled forward uncontrollably, crashing into the mountainside and carving out a massive crater.
"Tch. So he got away."
The muscular man didn't seem particularly angry. Midoriya was on the list, but his priority was far lower than Masata's. As long as Masata remained here, this mission was already a massive success.
Stepping forward, the villain smiled with absolute confidence. He trusted this Nomu completely.
"Taking a hit like that without guarding?" he sneered. "Even Igarashi Masata must be seriously injured."
"Let me see the color of your blood."
Suddenly—
A blinding crimson light erupted from within the smoke.
Thick black fumes burst outward, far denser than before, as a towering pillar of magma shot straight through the haze and pierced the muscular man's chest.
"BOOM!!!"
The stench of scorched flesh filled the air. The muscular man screamed in agony and staggered backward, clutching his chest.
Masata had taken the Nomu's blow head-on.
Because he had been focused entirely on Midoriya's safety, he'd failed to notice the attack from behind. By the time he realized it was coming, it was already too late to fully elementalize.
Fortunately, while airborne, Masata had slammed his fist into the mountainside, using the recoil to reduce the impact. The earlier smoke wasn't from the collision—it was from his own counterstrike.
Even so, his condition was far from comfortable.
It felt as if his internal organs had been violently displaced. The sheer physical strength of the Nomu was horrifying. If his body hadn't been reinforced far beyond normal human limits, his bones would have shattered.
Spitting out a mouthful of blood, Masata looked at the muscular man—whose face now twisted between disbelief and rage—and grinned faintly.
"Not bad," Masata said, wiping the blood from his lips.
"Finally… an opponent who isn't just a paper dragon."