Kirishima and Sero had only just escaped danger when the battle on the other side reached its peak.
A massive iceberg radiated bone-chilling cold as it rose around Igarashi Masata, completely encircling him. Knowing full well that flames would be useless against this opponent, Todoroki Shoto abandoned fire entirely and focused solely on ice.
The surrounding ice walls surged inward at the same time, sealing off every possible escape route. The intent was clear—trap Masata completely and crush him inside.
"Tch… that half-and-half bastard actually knows what he's doing."
Watching the encirclement form, Bakugo Katsuki let out a grudging comment that counted as praise by his standards. He leapt into the air, both palms aimed directly at Masata. Explosive energy rapidly accumulated in his hands—he was clearly preparing a decisive attack.
"This is terrifying… We were getting along just fine before. Why does it suddenly feel like we're fighting to the death?"
Even surrounded by ice, Masata showed no sign of panic. Bakugo's explosions weren't a concern—elementalization could negate those easily. Being frozen solid, however, was another matter entirely.
Although—
"Even so…"
Standing beyond the ice ring, Todoroki stomped the ground, ice forming beneath his feet as he watched cautiously.
"Even if you thanked me during the Sports Festival… I still want to settle this properly. Win or lose."
From Todoroki's perspective, Masata was still wearing that same ridiculous grin—completely unconcerned, as if the situation were under his control.
"Tch. Not cute at all."
Masata stopped joking.
The magma coating his body surged violently, heat flooding outward. The moment the scorching temperature touched the ice, the entire battlefield was swallowed by thick steam.
"Bakugo," Masata's voice echoed calmly through the mist, "I suggest you dodge. This is my first time using this move, and my control isn't great yet."
Those words alone were enough to set Bakugo off completely.
"Stop running your mouth!" Bakugo roared. "I'll kill you today! I'm done being toyed with!"
He grabbed his right wrist with his left hand to stabilize it, twisting his body rapidly in midair.
"Howitzer—BIG EXPLOSION!!"
Propelled by violent rotation and explosive force, Bakugo became a living cannonball, tearing through the steam toward Masata.
But before his attack could reach its target—
Something far more terrifying was already forming.
Bright red magma—tinged faintly with yellow—began spiraling rapidly around Masata's upper body. A scorching vortex formed, generating a hurricane of searing heat.
Even before the move was fully unleashed, its power was overwhelming.
The thick ice walls surrounding Masata cracked apart under the cutting force of the heated wind, shattering into fragments that were immediately caught in the vortex and melted into vapor.
Bakugo's body wobbled violently in the turbulent airflow, like a kite with a snapped string. He struggled desperately just to stay balanced, his attack veering wildly off course and detonating deep in the distant forest.
"Bakugo!"
Seeing his teammate in danger, Todoroki shouted, ice forming rapidly around him as he attempted a rescue.
But his ice was helpless in this environment.
The moment it formed, it was torn apart by the high-temperature airflow, shattered and melted before it could stabilize. No matter how fast Todoroki created ice, it was destroyed even faster.
Watching Bakugo spin helplessly inside the hurricane, Todoroki could do nothing.
"Damn it…"
Bakugo's vision blurred as the wind battered his face. His eyelids trembled as he forced them open. He didn't need a mirror to know how miserable he looked.
The thought that he was being crushed—again—by that magma bastard made his blood boil.
"Maximum output… give me EVERYTHING!!"
The extreme heat caused Bakugo's sweat glands to go into overdrive. Explosive fluid flooded his palms as he unleashed the most powerful blast he had ever produced.
At the same moment—
Masata completed his move.
The high-speed rotating magma condensed, energy reaching its peak—then erupted violently outward in a massive semicircular blast.
"Lava Eruption!!"
A blazing wave of molten force exploded outward, filling everyone's vision in an instant. Bakugo's attack vanished without leaving a ripple, his body blown away by the shockwave before he could even get close.
BOOOOM—!!!
The deafening roar made everyone's ears ring. Every battle across the forest paused as eyes turned toward the source.
When the smoke finally cleared, everyone froze.
The ground where Masata had stood was gone—replaced by a massive crater with a radius of three meters. The earth itself had seemingly been erased.
Todoroki barely survived by erecting multiple ice walls in succession. Even so, his right side was completely encased in ice, only a shattered barrier remaining in front of him.
Bakugo fared far worse.
The shockwave slammed him straight into a tree—then through it. He lay unconscious amid scorched bark and splintered wood, burn marks covering his body.
"Huh… first time hitting this scale."
Masata looked around, nodding with satisfaction.
"Not bad."
This move was essentially turning himself into a living volcano. To amplify the explosion, he had forced the magma into high-speed rotation before detonating it outward.
He had deliberately held back—otherwise the destruction radius would have been at least another meter wider.
"Still…"
Masata frowned slightly.
"The range is too small. And honestly, it's not great at actually hitting people."
If a villain wasn't reckless, they could easily avoid it once they saw the charge-up. Someone could even be blown away by the initial airflow before the eruption hit.
"Feels like a pretty useless move."
Realizing the flaw after all that effort dampened his mood. Anyone would feel disappointed.
"Are you kidding me?! That was awesome!"
Kirishima's voice suddenly rang out from afar.
"That power was insane! If your fists could hit that hard, you'd be unstoppable!"
"…Fists?"
Masata froze.
A spark flashed through his mind.
A new idea was already forming.