At the point where Nomu had been severed by Masata, black smoke was still rising. Within the charred flesh, red granulation began to sprout. The granules twisted and intertwined, writhing like living organisms, as though a new body were about to form.
Masata stared at the scene, his thoughts racing.
Can this thing really not be cut apart?
If that's the case… does it mean it has two separate consciousnesses now?
That description might not be entirely accurate. After all, Nomu didn't truly possess intelligence—only the ability to follow simple commands.
Masata didn't have to wait long.
The regeneration accelerated rapidly. In less than ten seconds, the Nomu that had been split in half had reformed its missing portions. In the end, two complete Nomu stood there—identical to the one from moments before.
"…Huh? What is this? Asexual reproduction?"
It was the first time Masata had ever witnessed something so bizarre. Judging by its appearance, Nomu must have incorporated starfish genes. He hadn't expected it to inherit not only regeneration, but also the starfish's ability to divide and reproduce. It was genuinely astonishing.
Cell biology and genetics had always been a nightmare in school. Whoever had engineered these creatures was clearly operating at the cutting edge of science—easily more than a decade ahead of the rest of the world.
That said, no matter how terrifying the ability was, it meant little in front of Flame Suzaku.
Without orders from the muscular man, these Nomu could only rely on raw physical attacks. That troublesome Quirk that allowed position-swapping hadn't activated again. Perhaps the division had weakened or erased that ability entirely.
It was far too complicated to analyze further.
Masata dismissed the thought.
No matter how strange it is—just crush it with overwhelming force.
That had always been Masata's philosophy in battle.
The two Nomu moved simultaneously, one approaching from the left and the other from the right, attempting to surround him.
"You two are the ones being surrounded."
Masata's voice echoed from within the magma construct, distorted and inhuman.
The magma greatsword swung again. A scorching whirlwind erupted outward, slicing through both Nomu before they could react. Unlike before, this time they were cleaved horizontally, torn cleanly in half at the waist.
Having already seen their regenerative ability, Masata didn't give them time to recover.
He raised the greatsword overhead and drove it down like a massive pile driver into the writhing remains.
The enormous magma blade engulfed both bodies completely. The immense weight and impact shattered the ground beneath, and even the cliffside let out a strained groan. The hillside had already suffered enough destruction.
When the battlefield finally settled into a boiling magma pool, Masata released Flame Suzaku and dropped from midair.
"…Whew. Using this much stamina in real combat for the first time really is exhausting."
The sudden disengagement from the construct caused a wave of dizziness. Masata nearly stumbled, but steadied himself, hands braced on his knees as he gasped for breath.
During the fight, his nerves had been stretched to the limit, hormones surging unnaturally. Now that the tension had broken, exhaustion flooded his entire body.
Without hesitation, Masata sank himself into the magma pool.
Moments later, four scorched black shapes—remains that hadn't fully melted—floated to the surface.
Masata emerged as well, glancing at the motionless remnants with a look of disdain.
"In the end, they're just artificial products. No matter how strong the body is, something without a brain is useless."
The comforting heat of the magma seeped into his body. Masata closed his eyes, allowing himself to recover. He had noticed long ago that soaking in magma greatly accelerated his stamina recovery.
At first, he'd been startled, worried that he was drifting further away from humanity—but nothing had changed.
Since there were no side effects, he accepted the benefit without guilt.
About five minutes later, Masata leapt out of the magma pool, refreshed—and immediately noticed something was wrong.
The muscular man was gone.
"…Damn. I let him escape."
Still, Masata wasn't overly concerned. That man was far too distinctive. Finding him again shouldn't be difficult.
He followed the trail left behind. The ground was deeply indented, clearly stamped by the villain's massive body. Masata advanced while scanning the surroundings carefully.
As for Yaoyorozu and the others, he wasn't overly worried. The major villains had been subdued, Tiger and Mandalay Cat were present, and the students themselves weren't weak.
Any remaining villains shouldn't be more than a nuisance.
Unfortunately—
Reality proved him wrong.
"Where did all these freaks come from?!"
At that very moment, Yaoyorozu Momo, Chacha, and the others were completely surrounded.
Encircling them was a group of grotesque genetic monsters, each with a different distorted appearance. Their ugliness went far beyond what ordinary human imagination could conceive.
Just minutes earlier, the Heroes escorting Sister Mag, Spinner, and Himiko Toga had heard strange noises from the forest. They halted instantly, staring into the darkness with full vigilance.
In this situation, any disturbance could mean a villain attack.
Sure enough, not long after, the monsters poured out of the woods, surrounding them completely.
Individually, the creatures weren't particularly strong. Tiger had already beaten several to the ground. But their numbers were overwhelming.
Although Yaoyorozu Momo, Chacha, and Kodai Yui fought with everything they had, they also had to protect the unconscious captives. Their effective combat output was limited.
As the battle dragged on, a black vortex suddenly opened behind them in the forest.
Kurogiri emerged.
"I didn't expect Spinner and Sister Mag to fall so quickly. Useless."
Though irritated, Kurogiri understood their value. At this stage, even defeated, they were still important assets to the League of Villains. Retrieving them was the reason he had come.
However, Kurogiri was wary of Aizawa Shouta's Quirk. According to Dabi's report, his multiplied clone hadn't managed to stall Aizawa—meaning Aizawa was already on his way.
If Kurogiri encountered him directly, his own Quirk would be suppressed, and everything would collapse.
That was why he had released this final batch of genetic beasts.
These monsters were among the last remaining creations of the League of Villains. Most of the others had already been permanently buried on that island—by Masata himself. This batch was extremely precious.
This has to be finished quickly.
Kurogiri's body expanded, swallowing the unconscious Sister Mag and Spinner into the swirling mist.
As for Himiko Toga…
Kurogiri hesitated.
That twisted girl didn't look panicked at all. There wasn't even a hint of fear on her face. The more he looked at her, the more unreliable she seemed.
Annoyed, he left her behind.