"Man, this is good!"
At the moment, Masata was holding a massive bowl of ice cream meant for five people, eating it in huge mouthfuls.
"No wonder Momo-chan likes sweets so much—desserts really are amazing!"
Back when he was still focused on maintaining balanced nutrition, Masata only tasted sweets occasionally. But as his understanding of his own genetic enhancement Quirk deepened, he discovered that no matter what he ate, it could all be converted into energy for his body anyway.
"Huh? Midoriya?"
Wandering around aimlessly, Masata turned a corner and suddenly spotted a familiar green-haired figure inside a shop, apparently picking something out.
Curious about what he was buying, Masata walked in.
"Hey, what are you buying? Iida isn't with you?"
He patted Midoriya Izuku on the back and asked casually.
"Iida said he wanted to buy his favorite orange soda, so he went ahead," Midoriya replied. "I wanted to get a new pair of shoes."
As he spoke, Midoriya glanced down at the red sneakers he was wearing. To be fair, he really liked them—Masata could hardly remember seeing him wear anything else.
"That works out. Once you're done, I'll treat you to something to eat. There are still a lot of shops on this floor I haven't tried yet—I'm planning to go all out."
Having finally found a companion, Masata was clearly in a good mood. Midoriya, who hadn't eaten anything since school, was starting to feel hungry as well.
After buying the shoes and paying, the two stopped at a snack stall near the entrance.
"Oden, takoyaki, donuts… there's so much stuff. It's hard to choose."
Midoriya stared at the menu, completely overwhelmed.
"Boss, give us two of everything!"
Masata's indecisiveness did not apply to food. As someone with an absurd appetite, he never hesitated at moments like this.
"Masata, your appetite really hasn't changed…"
Midoriya broke out in a cold sweat. If it were him, that amount of food would probably be enough to feed three people.
Once the food was ready, they carried their trays to the seating area and ate while chatting.
"You've improved a lot lately, Midoriya. You can already use ONE FOR ALL properly now."
Masata stuffed a donut into his mouth, his words slightly muffled.
"Don't say it so loudly!" Midoriya hurriedly whispered. "I figured it out during the on-site internship… I've just gotten more familiar with it since then."
Talking about his Quirk in public made him nervous.
"Whoa! Isn't that a U.A. student? I'm so lucky—sign this for me!"
Just as Masata was struggling to swallow the donut and reply, a hooded man suddenly sat down beside Midoriya and casually threw an arm around his shoulder.
"Huh?!"
That strangely familiar voice made Masata freeze. His gaze locked onto the hooded man's face.
The next second, Masata's eyes widened and he stood up abruptly.
"What's wrong?"
Ever since the Sports Festival, Midoriya had grown used to being recognized. He assumed it was just an overenthusiastic fan—until he felt four cold fingers press against his neck.
"…Shigaraki?"
Masata's voice dropped instantly.
Even without that disgusting hand covering his face, the withered hair color and sunken eyes were unmistakable.
Tomura Shigaraki.
Only then did Midoriya realize who the man beside him was. His body stiffened as he slowly turned his eyes.
"I'm only here by coincidence," Shigaraki said flatly. "You can treat me as a random passerby."
Despite clearly hating Masata, Shigaraki didn't attack him outright this time.
"Oh?" Masata's expression darkened. "Aren't you afraid I'll kill you right here? Or do you think I'm not your match?"
"I really want to kill you," Shigaraki replied calmly, "but I'm not confident about fighting you alone. That's why I grabbed your friend instead."
His fingers tightened slightly.
"The moment all five of my fingers touch his neck, the skin will crumble. He'll suffocate in seconds."
"So… want to test which of us is faster?"
Masata's expression twisted repeatedly. Rage, hesitation, and calculation flashed across his face.
In the end, he let out a heavy sigh.
"Fine. Talk. What do you actually want?"
He sat back down, unwilling but forced. He didn't believe for a second that Shigaraki had come just to chat.
"It really was a coincidence," Shigaraki said, his fingers still tapping lightly against Midoriya's neck. "But since we met, I figured we might as well talk."
"I've been wondering about something lately."
His expression gradually turned ugly.
"I attacked U.A. and Hosu City. I did all of that. But everyone's attention went to the Hero Killer instead."
His fingers moved faster.
"Why hasn't anyone noticed my achievements? Why did the media steal everything from me? We're doing the same thing—destroying what we hate! So why?!"
Masata narrowed his eyes.
"You just want to destroy things. The Hero Killer has beliefs. Twisted beliefs, sure—but beliefs nonetheless. That's why some idiots resonate with him. You two are fundamentally different."
Midoriya, despite having his life in the other man's hands, spoke up as well.
"I can understand the Hero Killer's warped ideals," he said. "But with you… all I feel is madness."
For a moment, Shigaraki froze.
Then a sickly smile spread across his face.
"So that's it… I finally get it."
His eyes gleamed.
"All Might. As long as that stupid smile disappears, everything will be better."
He suddenly burst into laughter.
"This was great—really great! Thanks, Igarashi. Thanks, Midoriya."
Standing up, Shigaraki adjusted his hood.
"I'll leave now. But don't try to catch me. If you do, Kurogiri will release Nomu."
"In a place this crowded… even you can only save so many people, right?"
Masata didn't move.
If Nomu were released here, the destruction would be unimaginable—regardless of how strong he was.
"Next time we meet," Shigaraki said softly, "I'll kill you all."
Pulling his hood lower, Tomura Shigaraki slipped into the crowd and vanished from their sight.