The two villains were dealt with swiftly.
Igarashi Masata walked over and pulled Spinner out of the still-cooling magma. Large portions of his body were badly burned, but considering the physical resilience common in this world, he wasn't in danger of dying anytime soon.
"Mandalay," Masata said as he tossed Spinner toward Tiger, "can you contact Ragdoll? I need the exact locations of the students so I can go help them."
Although Masata spoke calmly, urgency flickered in his eyes.
Mandalay and Tiger exchanged a glance.
Spinner was already considered a highly dangerous combatant in their eyes—extremely agile, physically strong, and terrifyingly effective with his blade-based weaponry. Mandalay herself had struggled to keep up with him earlier. Yet in front of Masata, he hadn't even lasted a single exchange.
It became painfully clear that she had underestimated this student before. And now, she finally understood why U.A. held him in such high regard.
"…Technically," Mandalay said carefully, "you already broke the rules by using your Quirk to injure villains. I really don't recommend you continuing deeper into the forest. Leave the rest to us professionals."
Masata turned to her, his expression unwavering.
"This isn't a normal situation. Special circumstances require special measures," he said firmly. "Right now, I'm one of the strongest combat forces available. You and the teachers alone won't be enough. You know that."
The words left Mandalay silent.
Among the Wild, Wild Pussycats, only Tiger specialized in direct combat. The other three were rescue-type Heroes. In a full-scale villain assault like this, their combat effectiveness was limited.
After several seconds, Mandalay exhaled slowly.
"I tried contacting Ragdoll earlier," she said. "But she never responded. Normally, she answers almost immediately."
Masata's chest tightened.
If communication had completely failed, there were only two possibilities.
Either the communicator was damaged…
—or Ragdoll had already been taken out.
He didn't want to assume the worst, but he forced himself to prepare for it.
"I got information from one of the villains earlier," Masata continued. "Their target this time is the students. That means they came prepared—prepared enough to authorize Quirk use in critical situations."
The "villain" he referred to was obvious.
On the way here, Himiko Toga had practically leaked half the League of Villains' internal information. Whether it was true or exaggerated, Masata couldn't be sure—but one thing was undeniable.
The poison user.
Magna.
Spinner.
All of them clearly knew who he was.
That alone confirmed it.
"I'm the primary target," Masata said quietly.
He stopped speaking and looked straight at Mandalay, forcing her to confront the reality of the situation.
Behind him, Yaoyorozu Momo, Uraraka, Kendo, and the others held their breath. Even Toga had gone unusually quiet, watching Masata with unsettling focus.
After what felt like an eternity, Mandalay finally let out a long sigh.
"…You win."
She opened her eyes, her gaze complicated, and activated her Quirk.
"Students of Class A and Class B," her voice echoed clearly through telepathy, "listen carefully. By the authority of professional Heroes Wild, Wild Pussycats, you are now permitted to engage villains in combat."
The moment the message spread—
Even Aizawa Shouta, rushing through the forest, heard it.
"…Good."
Aizawa's expression remained unchanged, but the tension in his chest eased slightly. He had already been considering this option himself. Hearing Mandalay's authorization lifted the last weight from his mind.
"Finally," Bakugo Katsuki snarled with excitement somewhere in the forest. "Now I can really blow this bastard away."
He and Kirishima had already encountered a villain earlier, but Kirishima had been holding him back to prevent forest fires, leaving Bakugo furious and restrained.
With Spinner and Magna restrained by Yaoyorozu's handcuffs, Masata turned to the others.
"The villains here are secured. Let's regroup at the camp."
Just as they were about to move—
Buzz.
Masata felt his phone vibrate.
He took it out, and his pupils shrank.
The message was from Midoriya Izuku.
"Masata."
(Location attached)
Only two words.
But they carried terrifying weight.
"Mandalay," Masata said sharply, "why did Midoriya leave the camp?"
Mandalay's face immediately filled with guilt.
"…He usually doesn't tell me where he's going. Midoriya noticed and went after him alone."
As an aunt, her lack of awareness hit her like a physical blow.
This was the cruel reality of Hero society.
Professional Heroes were constantly busy. High income and reputation came at the cost of family time. Bakugo's father was a classic example—according to Bakugo, Endeavor could stay at the office for an entire week without returning home.
Even top Heroes lived like this.
In comparison, U.A.'s teachers were almost leisurely.
And that was exactly why Masata was desperate to become strong.
Strong enough to choose his own path.
Strong enough to protect the people he cared about.
But right now—
Midoriya's situation mirrored Hosu City all over again.
If Izuku could only send two words, it meant he didn't even have time to think.
"Yaoyorozu. Uraraka," Masata said decisively. "You stay with Mandalay and return to the camp. I'm going somewhere else."
Yaoyorozu's face turned pale.
"But Masata—if the League of Villains' real target is you—!"
This time was different.
The villains came prepared. They intended to erase him.
Sending Masata alone was unthinkably dangerous.
Meeting her eyes, Masata felt a sharp stab of guilt. Once again, he was making her worry. Once again, he was adding to the emotional debt he owed her.
Suppressing the urge to pull her into his arms, Masata raised his thumb and gave her that familiar, reckless grin.
"Don't worry," he said lightly. "I'm not done living yet."
Then, softer—but just as firmly—
"If I come back alive…"
"…I'll marry you."