"What's coming now?!"
Feeling the violent vibrations beneath his feet, Igarashi Masata immediately sprang upright.
Todoroki Shouto was already on guard as well. One enemy after another—this underground facility was turning into a nightmare.
"Beetles…?!"
What emerged from the depths of the passage was a group of creatures as large as humans.
Calling them beetles didn't quite feel accurate. They had beetle-like bodies, but their heads were unmistakably human. Each had four arms, two thick legs, and a heavy black carapace covering their backs, giving off an almost indestructible impression.
"I feel like the deeper we go," Masata muttered,
"the more ridiculous things get."
Although quirks that altered human physiology weren't uncommon, creatures like this were clearly unnatural. Even similar quirks rarely appeared in such numbers—let alone identical forms mass-produced like this.
"But since they're bugs…"
Todoroki's left hand ignited with flames.
Although fire hadn't worked on the Rhino-Man earlier, could these insect bodies really turn to steel as well?
The roaring flames surged forward, filling the corridor in an instant and swallowing the insect-men before they could even react.
They didn't stand a chance.
"Is it because they were mass-produced?" Masata frowned.
"Why are they so weak?"
Watching shadows collapse one after another within the flames, he felt uneasy. Based on everything they had encountered so far, shouldn't enemies at this depth be far stronger?
Todoroki shared the same confusion. Judging by earlier battles, these creatures shouldn't have been defeated so easily.
"Something's wrong—"
Suddenly, Endeavor, who had been observing from behind, narrowed his eyes and sniffed the air.
A strange odor was spreading from the burning insect corpses, drifting rapidly toward them.
"Move!" Endeavor barked.
"That gas is poisonous!"
Masata felt it instantly. Just inhaling a trace made his body feel weak.
Without hesitation, he grabbed Todoroki and pulled him toward the entrance.
At the same time, Masata slammed his hand down, raising a wall of magma behind them. He wasn't sure it could completely block the gas—but it would buy them time.
BOOM!!
Before they could gain any distance, a deafening crash erupted above them.
The steel ceiling ruptured.
A massive plate tore free, and a figure dropped down from the opening.
"You—?!"
All three froze.
Standing before them was the monkey that had guided them earlier—the same one that had been flung away by the Rhino-Man.
"I have to say," the monkey spoke calmly,
"you're surprisingly strong. You even killed my elite creations."
There was no trace of fear left on his face. The injuries he'd suffered earlier were completely gone, replaced by a calculating, intelligent gaze.
"I originally planned to use the No. 2 Hero to test my combat results," he continued casually.
"But who would've thought two kids would handle it instead?"
He walked over to the Rhino-Man's dying body.
Ignoring the desperate look in the creature's remaining eye, the monkey plunged his arm directly into the wound.
"What is he doing?!"
Masata's mind raced.
The monkey's words revealed too much.
First—he was never a helpless test subject. He was clearly someone in control of this base.
Second—he knew exactly who Endeavor was, and had deliberately tried to test him.
And now, after revealing his identity, he still stood calmly before them.
Why?
Poison gas? Backup plans? Or something else entirely?
Todoroki could disperse the gas instantly with extreme temperature shifts—so that alone couldn't be his confidence.
"Allow me to formally introduce myself," the monkey said.
"I am the owner of this underground facility."
"The doctor you've been searching for."
As if victory were already assured, he openly revealed his identity.
"All of the animal-hybrids you've seen—including myself—are products of my experiments."
"Honestly, I should thank you. I've never encountered experimental materials as powerful as you. I wonder… what kind of genes would suit you best?"
"Buffalo? Lion? Crocodile?"
As he spoke, the Rhino-Man's flesh began to writhe.
The muscle and blood twisted unnaturally, liquefying and flowing into the monkey's body through his fingertips.
The doctor's face contorted in pleasure, as if experiencing an intense surge of comfort.
"Failed waste still has value," he said softly.
"Come… continue working for me."
His body expanded rapidly.
The thin monkey transformed into a three-meter-tall gorilla-like monster. His skin turned metallic, gleaming like polished steel. A sharp horn began forming on his nose—an unmistakable fusion of multiple biological traits.
"I didn't expect you to be the doctor," Masata said coldly.
"So why lead us straight to your own lair?"
The doctor smiled.
"Didn't I already tell you?"
"I wanted to test the results of my research."
"Fusing animal genes into the human body while retaining intelligence and quirks—this is revolutionary technology!"
"This is evolution. Humanity's next step!"
Like most villains, the doctor was unusually talkative when he believed victory was guaranteed.
Masata's eyes darkened.
So he really has nothing to do with All For One…
But this level of gene manipulation is insane.
The information they had been given was completely wrong.
Wasn't this man supposed to be physically weak? Didn't his quirk only accelerate self-healing?
Then how was he reorganizing others' flesh and absorbing it to strengthen himself?
Seeing the situation spiral beyond expectations, Endeavor finally stepped forward.
The flames around his body surged violently.
"This is where you stop," Endeavor said, positioning himself in front of Masata and Todoroki.