Hearing Dabi's order, the Nomu immediately obeyed.
Its arms tightened even further, like an iron ring shrinking relentlessly, as if trying to crush Igarashi Masata's bones to dust.
Yet Masata barely noticed.
There was nothing left in his eyes except raging fury.
Even if every bone in his body shattered, he would not care.
He stared at Dabi without blinking.
"Hahaha… This kid isn't stupid, right? No—he's completely stupid!"
TWICE still had enough energy to observe the battlefield while blocking the attacks of the three students. When he saw that Masata seemed to have stopped resisting, he burst into mocking laughter.
"In your next life, don't become a Hero."
Dabi also returned to his usual indifferent expression. He casually slipped his hands into his pockets, preparing to watch the fall of this so-called rising star of the hero world.
"Justice!!!"
Bakugo, Tokoyami, and Shoji shouted in unison and charged forward from three different directions.
An ice wall surged up from the ground.
Six phantom arms swung fiercely.
Dark Shadow began to emerge once more.
Their combined attacks rushed toward Nomu from all sides.
However—
The ice wall instantly melted under Dabi's blue flames.
Shoji's arms were blocked completely by TWICE.
Dark Shadow retreated under the blazing light, forcing Tokoyami to suppress it no matter how hard he shouted.
"Give it up. None of you can save this kid today."
Seeing victory close at hand, Dabi's lips curled into a contemptuous smile.
"Damn it…"
Sweat dripped down Bakugo's forehead.
Though he always acted cold and arrogant, he cared deeply about his friends. Watching one of them about to be killed before his eyes made his teeth grind together.
But—
The distant shouts of his classmates.
Dabi's mocking laughter.
The crushing pressure in the air.
Masata heard none of it.
In his mind, there was only one image.
Yaoyorozu Momo and Chacha lying on the ground.
Blood at the corner of their mouths.
Confusion and disbelief in their eyes.
As if they were asking him—
Why didn't you save us?
And beside them, he himself knelt in humiliation, battered and helpless.
How could I fall here?!
Despair.
Regret.
Rage.
Unwillingness.
Countless emotions tangled together, swelling violently inside Masata's heart.
In an instant, his mind collapsed into madness.
And at that moment—
A tiny spark of light erupted from the deepest part of his soul.
A terrifying aura surged forth, like a wild beast breaking free from its chains.
It slammed into the forest.
Was it wind?
Was it pressure?
It felt as if an invisible storm blasted across everyone's faces.
Time itself seemed to freeze.
In everyone's eyes, the world turned black and white.
"What… happened?!"
Bakugo felt as if something had exploded inside his head. His vision blurred.
When he looked back, Tokoyami and Shoji had already collapsed to the ground, completely unconscious.
Dabi, who stood closest, fared even worse. He struggled to remain upright, swaying like a drunk man.
TWICE stumbled backward and fell as well. His two personalities shouted nonsense at each other, unable to control their bodies.
"Did… this kid do this…?"
Forcing his eyes open, Dabi looked at Masata.
He was still trapped in Nomu's grip.
Yet—
There was no trace of human emotion in his eyes.
Only boundless pressure.
Only overwhelming dominance.
A terrifying aura surged from his body, crushing everything around him.
"Get… out… of my way!!!"
Nomu was unaffected and continued carrying out its orders.
But Masata was no longer the same.
Power flooded his body.
With a roar, he forced himself upright, bracing with both hands.
Then—
He slammed his fist directly into Nomu's exposed brain.
"ROAR!!!"
Nomu screamed in agony.
Its most vulnerable point had been struck.
Its grip loosened for an instant.
Just an instant.
But it was enough.
An explosive force erupted from Masata's arms, surging outward like a cannon blast and slamming into Nomu's chest.
Not every Nomu possessed shock absorption.
Like an unprotected artillery shell, it was sent flying.
"BOOM!"
Nomu crashed into a massive tree.
Then another.
Then another.
After smashing through three thick trunks, it finally stopped and staggered upright.
"Burn!!!"
Freed from its grasp, magma surged from Masata's body.
But this time—
It was different.
The magma shone with a brilliant golden hue.
So bright that no one could look at it directly.
"Turn to ashes in my flames!!!"
Bathed in golden magma, Masata spread his arms wide, as if embracing the entire world.
Then he stomped his foot.
Instantly—
A colossal pillar of magma erupted from the ground where Nomu stood.
It pierced heaven and earth.
Golden lava swallowed Nomu completely.
Even as it released its feeble cold to resist, it was utterly meaningless.
Before this raging inferno, that bit of chill was nothing.
The magma column did not spread outward.
But its terrifying heat transformed into scorching winds.
Grass ignited.
Trees caught fire.
The forest trembled.
In its final scream, Nomu was reduced to drifting ashes.
"He… hey… this isn't what I was told…"
Dabi's legs trembled violently.
The overwhelming pressure from Masata still lingered.
He had not fully recovered.
After destroying Nomu, Masata slowly turned toward him.
"Are you ready… to turn into ashes?"
His voice was calm.
Cold.
Emotionless.
His blazing eyes stared directly at Dabi.
There was no anger.
No excitement.
Only judgment.
And this time—
Dabi was not facing a clone.
If he died here, it would be real death.