"Honestly, Yaoyorozu really helped us a lot this time! We were worried we wouldn't be able to find the villains' exact location."
After listening to the report from Igarashi Masata and Yaoyorozu, All Might—now in his muscular form—broke into his signature bright smile.
"Then there's no time to waste! I'll head to the police station immediately and discuss the plan with them."
"I'll go with you."
Before All Might could finish speaking, Masata cut in.
His expression was unusually serious, his sharp gaze fixed firmly on All Might.
"As a student, you have no obligation to take part in such a dangerous operation," All Might replied at once.
After what had happened during the training camp, he was filled with guilt. There was no way he would allow Masata to be put in danger again.
"Even if I'm a student, I'm a Hero Course student," Masata said firmly. "My goal is to become a hero."
"If it's about fighting criminals and rescuing Bakugo, I'm willing to contribute my strength! And All Might, you know my abilities. Don't forget—the three villains captured this time were all taken down by me!"
Masata rarely boasted, but this time he had no choice. He needed to persuade the stubborn hero standing before him.
All Might fell silent for a moment.
"…This still requires permission from your parents and the police."
After hearing Masata's words, All Might was clearly moved. He had no real reason to stop a student who was willing to risk himself to save his companion.
So, he offered a compromise.
"Okay. I agree."
Masata's eyes lit up.
"That's no problem."
As long as he convinced All Might, everything else would be much easier.
"Then let's go to the police station," All Might said. "Detective Tsukauchi is already waiting."
Seeing Masata's determination, All Might wasted no more time and headed out immediately.
"Masata… are you really going?" Yaoyorozu asked softly.
She clasped her hands nervously, worry written all over her face. She had hoped he would simply pass along the information—not put himself in danger.
"Don't worry," Masata said with a relaxed smile, patting her shoulder. "You know my abilities."
"You've seen the League of Villains' strength. They're not my match. And the people targeting me won't get away easily."
"Besides, if things really get dangerous, I'll run. I'm not reckless."
He deliberately avoided mentioning the Quirk-erasing Nomu. He didn't want Yaoyorozu to worry even more.
After giving her a gentle hug, Masata got into the car with All Might and headed for the police station.
On the way, Masata called his parents.
He didn't explain much—only that he needed to discuss something important.
But "discussing something" at a police station was never good news.
As soon as his parents heard that, they rushed over without hesitation.
In fact, they arrived even earlier than Masata and All Might.
"Masata! Are you okay?!"
The moment she saw him, his mother rushed forward and pulled him into a tight embrace.
She had seen the news that morning. Even though Masata had messaged her saying he was safe, her heart had been filled with worry.
"Mom, I'm fine," Masata said helplessly, patting her back. "Look, I'm standing right here."
But he soon felt moisture on his shoulder.
She was crying.
His heart tightened.
He knew how deeply his parents cared about him.
If they learned that he was about to fight the League of Villains…
What would they think?
For the first time, Masata felt uncertain about convincing them.
"Excuse me," All Might said politely as he stepped forward. "I'm All Might, Masata's teacher."
He bowed slightly.
"Thank you for taking care of Masata. I'm grateful for your trust in our school."
Masata's mother was too emotional to respond, so his father spoke instead.
After exchanging greetings, the four of them entered the police station together.
"…This is really an incredible lineup."
When Masata walked into the conference room, he couldn't help but sigh.
Sitting inside were:
The No.2 Hero, Endeavor.
The No.4 Hero, Best Jeanist.
The No.5 Hero, Edgeshot.
And, of course, All Might.
More than half of the Top Ten Heroes were present.
Not only that—
All Might's former mentor, Gran Torino, was there.
Mt. Lady and Kamui Woods were seated nearby.
Several other unfamiliar pro heroes filled the room.
Nearly every major force had gathered.
"Our little hero is finally here," Detective Tsukauchi said with a smile as he stood in front of the screen.
Since All Might had already informed him, he wasn't surprised.
"Little hero?" Masata's father repeated in confusion. "What exactly did my son do?"
Hearing the detective's words and the praise from the heroes, Masata's parents were stunned.
They knew their son was strong—but they had no idea he had done so much.
Masata scratched his head awkwardly.
"Uh… I just caught a few villains and… did some decent things…"
He couldn't bring himself to brag about it.
Thankfully, Tsukauchi stepped in.
"You're being too modest," he said with a chuckle. "If not for Masata, the student casualties would have been far worse."
"He played a crucial role in both the USJ incident and the training camp attack. Internally, the police hold him in very high regard."
Endeavor, who had always valued Masata's potential, nodded in agreement.
"That's right. You already possess frontline hero-level strength."
"Even though you're still a student, you have the mentality of a true professional."
"Be proud of what you've accomplished."