"Could it be that there's a magma layer deep beneath this island?"
What had happened here was no longer the simulated volcanic eruption Masata had envisioned. This was a real, full-scale natural disaster.
As Masata reflected on it, the explanation became clear. Beneath the island, countless magma channels within the Earth's crust were interconnected. Under the stimulation of Masata's Quirk, those dormant magma veins had been awakened all at once.
With the deep magma erupting violently, what followed was inevitable—terrain collapse and a massive earthquake.
Lava surged skyward like a colossal fountain, far more dazzling than any firework display. Brilliant crimson light engulfed the entire island.
This was the authority of magma.
The power of nature itself.
Before long, the island was swallowed by molten lava erupting from deep within the crust. Superheated steam spread rapidly across the land, thick black smoke mixing into the air and drifting outward. Rivers of magma spilled into the surrounding sea, and even the ocean water seemed to evaporate under the overwhelming heat.
Fortunately, under Masata's warning, the girls had already steered the yacht far away from the danger zone. They were now several kilometers from the island—but even at that distance, the heat radiating through the air made their skin sting.
"This is… way too exaggerated," Yaoyorozu said, staring in shock at the island shrouded in curtains of fire. "Does Masata intend to destroy the entire island?!"
Even Yaoyorozu—who knew Masata better than anyone—was stunned. Mina and Kurosawa Yoru were completely speechless. The boy who was usually gentle and reliable, almost like the dependable older brother next door, had just created a scene straight out of a disaster movie.
"Masata will be okay… right?" Asui asked quietly, watching the island that had turned into a sea of magma.
"He'll be fine," Yaoyorozu replied without hesitation. "Masata is magma. Lava can't hurt him."
She wasn't worried about Masata at all. The real danger had been the monsters—and now, those creatures were undoubtedly buried beneath an ocean of molten rock.
And just as she believed, apart from Masata, nothing living remained on the island.
Covered in thick lava, the landmass had become a lifeless wasteland. It would likely take hundreds of years before it could regain vitality and return to anything resembling its former state.
At the center of the island, within a towering magma plume, a brighter cluster of molten rock twisted and reshaped itself—slowly forming a human silhouette.
The tremors finally ceased. The magma beneath the island had fully erupted.
Surveying the hellish landscape around him, Masata exhaled deeply. Wrapping his body in a thin layer of magma armor, he began moving toward the edge of the island.
"Ming—!"
A loud horn echoed across the sea.
Yaoyorozu and the others were steering the yacht closer.
Before they could even reach the shoreline, Masata transformed from the waist down into magma, blasting himself into the sky with explosive force. He flew forward in a blazing arc, finally stopping above the yacht and plunging straight into the sea beside it.
Splash!
Masata didn't dare board the yacht directly. Even though the deck wasn't made of wood, he couldn't risk damaging it with residual heat. Letting the seawater cool his body was the safest option.
Steam billowed as Masata surfaced. He grabbed the rope beside the yacht and climbed aboard.
"Mission accomplished!"
Wiping seawater from his face and shaking his head, Masata struck what he thought was a cool victory pose toward the girls.
What he received, however, were not admiring gazes—but strange, awkward looks. A few of them even turned their heads away deliberately.
Masata was baffled.
Did my entrance lack flair?
Was the volcano not shocking enough?
That eruption scared even me…
Finally, Yaoyorozu spoke. Summoning considerable courage, her face flushed red as she said awkwardly:
"W-Whatever you did back there… can you put on some clothes before we talk?"
The air froze.
A sudden sea breeze brushed past Masata, and only then did he feel an odd chill.
He looked down.
There wasn't even a scrap of clothing left on his body.
The magma covering he'd formed earlier must have cooled instantly and shattered away when he entered the sea.
Masata's mind went completely blank.
If only Yaoyorozu and Chacha had seen him, that might have been survivable—but there were six people here!
This wasn't bravery anymore. This was public humiliation.
With lightning speed, Masata covered his vital areas and bolted into the yacht cabin, slamming the door shut behind him.
"I didn't expect Masata to be so shy," Asui said calmly, though her cheeks were faintly red.
Chacha, meanwhile, looked like a kettle about to boil over—steam practically rising from her bright-red face.
"Heh~"
Yaoyorozu sighed. She'd planned to ask Masata about what had happened on the island, but after that, all motivation evaporated. Shaking her head, she entered the cockpit and steered the yacht back toward the pier.
Dusk had already fallen.
Under the glow of the half-cooled magma, the sky above the island was dyed a deep blood-red. Thick volcanic ash lingered over the land, giving the entire scene a suffocating aura of death.
"I never imagined something like this would happen on our vacation," Chacha said softly, gazing at the island. From afar, it almost looked beautiful—like new life quietly forming within destruction.
"It was so thrilling!" Kurosawa Yoru exclaimed excitedly. "When those monsters showed up, I was terrified—it felt like I was inside a movie!"
She'd actually fared better than most. Thanks to her Quirk, she hadn't suffered many attacks and had even taken down several monsters herself.
"UA has already responded," Yaoyorozu added. "They'll send someone tomorrow to investigate the situation. Looks like our vacation… ends here."
As the sun sank below the horizon, the yacht swayed gently in the crimson sunset, slowly drifting away from the ruined island.