"What's going on with this girl…?"
She was undeniably cute.
Delicate features, small tiger-like teeth, beige hair tied into twin buns—Himiko Toga's appearance perfectly matched mainstream aesthetics. She was the type who would naturally draw attention anywhere in Tokyo.
But paired with her twisted expression and unsettling words, the charm became deeply disturbing.
Yaoyorozu Momo and Kendo Itsuka instinctively stepped forward, but Masata raised a hand, stopping them.
"We don't know her Quirk yet," Masata said gravely. "Don't act rashly."
The poison-user earlier had already proven one thing clearly: in real combat, raw strength wasn't the only deciding factor. Intelligence, information, and preparation could be just as lethal.
Among the group, only Masata could partially ignore this risk. Against most abilities, his elementalization placed him in a near-invulnerable state—at least for a short time.
"Are you a member of the League of Villains?" Masata asked in a low voice.
"League of Villains?"
Himiko Toga tilted her head, smiling brightly. "That sounds way too serious. You mean dead-wood guy? I'm not the same as him at all!"
She leaned closer, eyes sparkling.
"My goal this time is you, Masata!"
"I've been thinking about you every single day lately! You smell so nice~"
As she spoke, she leaned forward and sniffed the air around him like an animal tracking prey.
Masata froze for a split second.
Why does this feel like she wandered onto the battlefield by mistake…?
And worse—she actually seemed genuinely interested in him. That kind of attention was unsettling in every possible way.
"No matter what your goal is," Masata said coldly, "since you're here, you're coming down first."
Time was running out. He decided to subdue her immediately and question her later. This was not the time to hesitate out of misplaced sympathy.
Crimson light flared across his body. With a single step, Masata vanished from where he stood and reappeared directly in front of Himiko Toga.
"That's it!" she exclaimed happily. "That color—just like blood! I love you so much, Masata!"
To his surprise, she made no attempt to dodge. Instead, she spread her arms wide, as if welcoming him into an embrace. The smile on her face was disturbingly sincere.
"…This is troublesome."
Masata couldn't bring himself to drive a magma-coated fist into such a fragile-looking girl. He wasn't incapable of hitting women—but if he struck her seriously, she would die instantly.
Retracting the magma, Masata switched to pure physical technique. He seized her wrist, twisted her body cleanly, and slammed her face-down into the ground. His knee pinned her back firmly in place.
"Yaoyorozu! Restraints—now!"
"What? That's no fun at all~"
Even while immobilized, Himiko Toga giggled. "Your scent is getting stronger and stronger~"
Her eyes gleamed with obsession.
"I still like you best when you're glowing red all over! Let me help you with that!"
In a sudden movement, one of the syringes hidden on her body stabbed directly into Masata's thigh.
The needle activated instantly, drawing blood and sending it through a transparent tube into a vial at her waist.
"…Huh?"
Masata felt the prick immediately. He yanked the needle out without hesitation. The wound closed on its own seconds later.
In that brief opening, Himiko Toga flicked a knife out from her sleeve, her expression ecstatic, and stabbed backward toward Masata.
But this time, he didn't give her the chance.
His palm snapped down like a blade, slashing hard against her wrist. A jolt of force numbed her arm completely.
The knife fell from her hand.
"As expected—no talking sense into you," Masata said flatly. "Still trying to sneak attack? Too naïve."
By then, Yaoyorozu had already completed the restraints. In one smooth motion, she cuffed Himiko Toga's wrists and ankles, locking her down completely. Masata dismantled the syringe pack on her back piece by piece.
Judging from the ambush just now, her combat ability likely relied heavily on those tools.
"Well," Masata said, standing up, "as long as you don't want to be knocked unconscious, behave."
Bound tightly, Himiko Toga lay on the ground, staring up at Masata with an unfocused, dreamy gaze.
Leaving her behind wasn't an option. She clearly knew far too much. After a brief exchange, they decided to bring her back to the camp.
However, Kendo already had her hands full escorting another injured student. If Yaoyorozu or Chacha carried Toga, their mobility would drop sharply.
That left only one choice.
Masata grabbed Himiko Toga unceremoniously and slung her over his shoulder.
"Let's move," he said. "The camp shouldn't be far."
Unsure how many other villains remained in the forest, Masata advanced cautiously. He led the formation, followed by Kendo and Chacha in the middle, with Yaoyorozu guarding the rear.
"Hah~"
Suddenly, Masata felt a warm breath brush against his ear.
"Don't move," he growled under his breath, tightening his grip to restrain her.