"Hey! You're just a kid! It's too dangerous here—run away!"
When Mt. Lady saw the "meteor" land, she immediately panicked. If the reinforcement was Igarashi Masata, she would honestly rather he hadn't come at all.
"Well, I am a member of the special operations team," Masata replied calmly.
"I was given freedom of action. Coming here is my choice."
His voice, accompanied by intense heat, reached Mt. Lady's ears and left her speechless.
Indeed, among everyone involved in this operation, Masata possessed the highest level of autonomy.
"Oh?"
All For One chuckled lightly.
"What gave you the courage to say that, when you ran from me just a few months ago?"
As the molten lava gradually cooled and solidified, Masata's figure became fully visible.
All For One watched him with amusement.
Over the past few months, he had learned about Masata's growth through various channels.
Even he was shocked.
Masata's rate of improvement had far surpassed expectations—far faster than his own in his early days.
"I gave you a choice before, and you refused," All For One said slowly.
"Now, I'll give you another chance."
"Join me."
"If you become my disciple, I guarantee I'll make you even stronger."
No one knew whether it was disappointment in Shigaraki, interest in Masata's future, or simple curiosity—
But once again, All For One extended an invitation.
"What?!"
The surrounding professional heroes were stunned.
They never expected this man—the suspected mastermind behind the League of Villains—to personally try to recruit Masata.
Their hearts began pounding wildly.
They all knew Masata's reputation.
A genius praised by both All Might and Endeavor.
The brightest star of the new generation.
His strength was already astonishing.
His potential was immeasurable.
If he defected now—
The entire hero society would collapse.
Fortunately, Masata had rejected him once before.
Everyone silently prayed he would do so again.
Masata himself was momentarily stunned.
He had been preparing for an all-out battle.
He hadn't expected All For One to try recruiting him again.
In his mind, the idea was ridiculous.
He was already living well as a hero-in-training.
Why would he abandon everything and become a criminal hated by society?
There was nothing to gain.
So, instead of answering—
He acted.
His arms instantly transformed into blazing magma.
They expanded rapidly, forming two massive lava arms beside him.
"Big Spitfire!"
The overwhelming heat and sulfurous stench surged forward.
All For One sighed softly.
"I knew you would refuse."
"But you're too stubborn, Hero."
His tone changed.
From casual.
To cold.
He had abandoned all thoughts of recruitment.
Now, this was war.
"Let's use the same move as before."
"[Air Compression Radiation] + [Explosive Force] ×3 + [Musculoskeletal Springing]."
"More than enough for you."
His arm swelled once again.
An invisible air cannon roared forward, crushing everything in its path.
"Hah! Do you really think I'm the same as I was back then?!"
Seeing All For One use the same technique that had nearly killed him months ago, anger surged in Masata's chest.
Steam erupted beneath his feet.
His speed increased dramatically.
So fast that even distant heroes could barely track him.
"That's reckless!"
A nearby hero shouted.
"In this situation, dodging is the best option!"
"In terms of firepower, AFO is unmatched!"
But Masata ignored him.
Power wasn't just about calculation.
It was also about momentum.
And his momentum was overwhelming.
He raised his left arm and charged straight into the attack.
In less than a second—
They collided.
"BOOM!!"
A deafening explosion shook the battlefield.
Masata felt immense pressure against his arm.
But he grinned.
Magma surged from his shoulders.
The stalemate collapsed instantly.
His lava arm shattered the air wave.
Countless streams of molten rock erupted forward, propelling him ahead.
"Take this—AFO!!!"
Using the recoil, Masata raised his right arm high.
Blazing magma illuminated the night sky.
It was visible even kilometers away.
On another battlefield—
"Masata is fighting the boss!"
Kirishima shouted while smashing a Nomu.
He glanced at the crimson sky with worry.
After the villains were teleported away, Masata had ordered them to hold off the Nomu.
Then he flew away without hesitation.
Everyone knew—
He had gone to fight alone.
"Tch. You still have time to worry about that bastard?"
Bakugo snorted.
After blasting a Nomu's head apart, he shouted,
"Even if we die here, that idiot won't die!"
"…That sounded weirdly supportive."
Kirishima laughed loudly.
"I like it!"
He activated his hardened form and charged into the swarm.
"We can't fall behind either!"
Across the battlefield—
Green lightning flashed.
Ice and fire intertwined.
Explosions roared.
Hardened bodies crashed forward.
The Class A students had become the center of attention.
"These kids are incredible…"
Officer Tsukauchi murmured.
"Endeavor, you raised a good son."
Hearing this, Endeavor intensified his flames, incinerating nearby Nomu.
"Hmph."
"He's still far behind that brat."
...
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