"The villains have reinforcements!"
The sudden turn of events sent a chill through everyone present. None of them had expected the villains to possess such a method—one that instantly nullified everything Masata had accomplished moments earlier.
"That man is from the League of Villains! His Quirk is teleportation—he can open portals!"
Kurogiri's ability was no longer a secret. Class A had encountered him before at USJ, so Yaoyorozu Momo and Chacha recognized him immediately.
The moment Tiger heard this, he charged straight toward Kurogiri. This villain was clearly the mastermind behind the assault on the training camp. Catch the leader first—that was Tiger's instinct.
Unfortunately, it was already too late.
Kurogiri had never intended to fight here. After sending Spinner and Sister Mag through the portal, he activated his Quirk again. His body twisted unnaturally, dissolving into mist before vanishing into the void.
"…Damn it!"
Tiger lunged forward, but his claws only sliced through empty air. Letting out a furious roar, he had no choice but to turn back—because the tide of genetic monsters surging around them left no time for regret.
At the same time, Midoriya Izuku was carrying Kota through most of the forest.
"Everyone should be okay… they have to hold on."
With the situation still unclear, Midoriya couldn't help but worry. He'd assumed all the villains were as powerful as the muscular man he'd encountered earlier—and that thought alone made his chest tighten.
"…Are you hurt badly?"
Because Midoriya's arms were fractured, Kota wrapped his arms around Midoriya's neck to keep himself from falling.
The scene of Midoriya fighting desperately against that muscular villain to protect him was burned deep into Kota's memory. As far as he could remember, Midoriya was the first person who had ever risked his life for him. The word Hero suddenly carried a far heavier meaning.
"It's fine," Midoriya said with a strained smile. "I'm used to getting hurt."
Despite the searing pain screaming through his body, he forced a smile to reassure Kota.
"The person who saved me earlier… will he be okay?"
The muscular villain's overwhelming power had left a deep impression on Kota. Even his Aunt Mandalay and Tiger had never shown that level of destructive strength. Midoriya hadn't been a match for him either—so could that strange boy really win?
Midoriya slowed his steps for just a moment.
"You mean Masata?" he said firmly. "If it's Masata, there's no problem at all."
Thinking of Masata's everyday behavior—and the terrifying strength he'd displayed during class matches—Midoriya felt his resolve settle.
"He's insanely strong. Honestly, he's the strongest person in our class. I'm not even close."
Hearing this, Kota remembered the time Masata had effortlessly picked him up and scolded him. He'd thought it was just a trick back then. Now he realized just how wrong he'd been.
If Masata ever found out what Kota was thinking, he'd probably hang him upside down and spank him again.
What kind of image of 'strong' do kids even have anyway? Kota wondered. Do you have to look as cold as Bakugo to count?
Meanwhile, Igarashi Masata had already re-entered the forest.
But something was wrong.
The scenery around him was unfamiliar—clearly not the same area he'd just passed through.
"Where did that guy go?" Masata muttered. "With moves that big, he should've left a trail."
The truth was simple: Masata had lost the muscular villain.
"Shoji?!"
The bushes ahead suddenly rustled. A tall figure burst out—Shoji Mezo, one of Masata's classmates.
"What happened? You're badly injured. Where's the villain?"
Shoji looked terrible. His body was covered in wounds of all sizes, and one of his duplicated arms had a clean, deep cut. Blood dripped steadily to the ground.
He didn't answer verbally.
Instead, Shoji signaled Masata to stay quiet. An ear grew from the wrist of one of his duplicated arms as he listened intently to the forest around them.
"Ooooooh—!"
The woods suddenly fell silent.
Masata heard it too—the howling of monsters moving rapidly toward them.
"…They found us."
Shoji sighed softly, then spoke quickly.
"Tokoyami and I encountered a powerful villain. During the ambush, Tokoyami protected me—but the shadow he's been desperately suppressing lost control. Now it's completely rampaging… attacking everything indiscriminately."
Masata understood immediately.
In daylight, Shoji and Tokoyami could fight normally. But in the dark, it was a completely different story.
Tokoyami's Quirk grew stronger the darker it became—but his control weakened drastically. He'd been training separately during this camp, deep inside a cave, precisely to master that power.
Still, seeing Shoji's tense expression, Masata waved it off.
"Relax. Dark Shadow is terrified of me. If it shows up, I'll just beat it into submission."
As he spoke, the eerie hissing sound grew louder. The pressure alone made their ears ache.
Then—
A massive black monster burst out of the forest.
Trees snapped like twigs beneath its charge. The shadow had completely run wild.
At its center, Tokoyami Fumikage was trapped, his limbs bound tightly by Dark Shadow's massive body. His hands twitched helplessly—completely restrained.
"Calm down! Dark Shadow!"
Tokoyami's voice trembled with frustration and guilt. The rampage had nearly hurt Shoji earlier, and that regret only fueled Dark Shadow's madness further.
It could no longer hear him.
Masata stepped forward, magma already seething beneath his skin.
"Oh? Dark Shadow…"
A grin spread across his face.
"…Remember me?"
...
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