Midoriya's movements were extremely fast—far more refined than during the Sports Festival. His footwork was disciplined, his attacks cleaner and more controlled. At a glance, it was obvious how much effort he had put into training.
Watching Midoriya's fist coming straight at him, Igarashi Masata responded seriously as well. His arm drew back slightly, muscles tightening as he gathered strength.
Boom!
Their fists collided head-on.
Midoriya was immediately pushed back several steps by the impact, while Masata remained standing firmly in place, not moving an inch.
Even relying purely on physical strength, Masata was still overwhelmingly powerful.
"So strong…"
Midoriya clenched his aching fist, thinking rapidly. "At my current output, I still can't match Masata head-on."
His gaze sharpened.
"If all of Masata's attacks rely on his fists… then maybe his lower body is the key."
Once the thought formed, Midoriya didn't hesitate.
He lowered his center of gravity, hips sinking as he feinted again—this time clearly aiming for Masata's legs.
"That's a good idea," Masata said calmly, immediately reading his intention. "When you can't win head-on, you look for another path. But—"
Midoriya suddenly accelerated.
Electricity crackled around his body as he swept his leg toward Masata's calf in a sharp, low strike.
Seeing the flicker of surprise on Masata's face, Midoriya's heart leapt.
It worked!
If Masata lost his balance, there were countless follow-up options—
"You fell for it."
Masata's expression shifted instantly from surprise to a confident grin.
Just before the kick landed, Masata leapt upward, cleanly evading the attack. While airborne, he twisted his body and reached down with one hand—
—and grabbed Midoriya's ankle.
Midoriya hadn't recovered from his forward momentum. There was no time to react.
"Got you."
Masata's grip tightened. With both hands, he swung Midoriya up like a hammer and hurled him straight toward Ojiro Mashirao, who was still locked in combat with Uraraka.
"Aaaah—!! Ojiro, move!!"
Midoriya shouted helplessly midair. Dizzy from being swung and unable to stabilize himself, all he could do was watch Ojiro's figure rapidly fill his vision.
Boom!
By the time Ojiro reacted, it was already too late. The two collided violently and crashed to the ground together.
Though Ojiro came from a martial arts family, he was already being pushed back by Uraraka using Yaoyorozu's equipment. Just as he was about to turn the tide, he was suddenly taken out by a flying "human projectile."
Frustration surged through him.
"Nice work!"
Yaoyorozu immediately took advantage of the opening, rapidly creating a large restraining net and throwing it over them.
Earlier, she had kept Iida busy with bombs and traps, finally freeing herself to intervene.
The net tightened from all sides, completely binding both Midoriya and Ojiro. At this point, the two had no remaining ability to resist.
Next was Sato.
While Sato's strength during his sugar-enhanced state was terrifying, he struggled badly against opponents who refused to fight head-on.
Asui quickly identified his lack of mobility. Using her tree-climbing ability and long tongue, she easily avoided him until his enhancement wore off.
Once Sato's mind dulled from the side effects, Asui wrapped him up with her tongue and hung him from a large tree, knocking him unconscious.
Iida, who had already been battered by explosives and immobilized by traps, looked around and saw all his teammates defeated—while the opposing four remained completely unharmed.
"…I surrender," he said stiffly.
"That should do it," Yaoyorozu said, tying all four to the tree with ropes she created, brushing imaginary sweat from her forehead.
"We've eliminated one full team. After a short rest, we'll head toward the explosion site."
Everyone agreed. Aside from Masata, the others had expended considerable energy in the battle and needed a moment to recover.
On the other side of the forest, Bakugo and Todoroki had also finished their fight—decisively.
Mineta's sticky spheres were useless against ice walls and explosions, leaving him completely ineffective.
Kaminari's electricity was powerful, but his inability to control ranged discharge left him helpless. Sero restrained him easily—after all, tape was an excellent insulator.
Shoji, who possessed solid combat ability, fought evenly with Kirishima at first. However, with Todoroki's assistance, Kirishima quickly overwhelmed him.
Finally, Bakugo confronted Tokoyami.
"You're the strongest one here," Bakugo snarled, eyes sharp with hostility.
Tokoyami remained silent, but his confidence wavered. While the forest and shadows empowered Dark Shadow, Bakugo's explosions produced blinding light—his natural counter.
Dark Shadow surged forward at Tokoyami's command, claws descending from above.
"BOOM!!"
Bakugo's explosion forced Dark Shadow back immediately.
After several exchanges, Bakugo identified the weakness without hesitation.
"Flashbang!"
A blinding burst of light erupted from his palms.
Dark Shadow shrieked and shrank away, curling up helplessly.
Without his greatest strength, Tokoyami was quickly defeated.
"Tch."
Bakugo cracked his neck and glared into the forest.
"Let's go find that magma bastard. I'm ending him this time."
Todoroki didn't respond verbally—but as he began moving forward, it was clear he agreed.
The two had formed a team for a single reason.
To defeat Igarashi Masata.