"So… flames really are useless against him."
Seeing that his fire had failed to deal any direct damage to Igarashi Masata, Todoroki couldn't help but feel surprised.
At this moment, he finally understood how Bakugo must have felt earlier.
The opponent standing before him was completely unfazed by both water and fire. Even now, Masata's expression showed no trace of fatigue.
Although using flames had removed the freezing backlash from his body, Todoroki's stamina loss was very real.
He understood his own position clearly.
He was never good at close combat. If he forced himself into a melee, he might not even be able to defeat Kirishima. His true advantage lay in range and raw Quirk power. That was why, from the very beginning, he had chosen to confront Masata head-on with overwhelming output.
And Masata was more than happy to oblige.
Since the other party wanted to fight using his greatest strengths, Masata would defeat him exactly where he was strongest.
"Do you have anything else planned?"
Seeing Todoroki pause, Masata asked calmly.
It was fortunate that Todoroki was facing him. If anyone else had taken that fireball head-on earlier, severe burns would have been the least of their worries. Two top-tier Quirks concentrated on a single person—this level of power was more than worthy of surrender.
Without answering, Todoroki continued launching flames toward Masata.
It looked strange. He clearly knew the flames were ineffective, yet he kept attacking anyway.
"How long are you going to keep up an attack this monotonous?"
Masata crushed another wave of fire effortlessly. At this point, the last remaining ice in the arena had fully evaporated. The entire stadium was bathed in scorching heat, like standing inside an active volcanic crater.
Hearing Masata's words, Todoroki slowly raised his head and looked toward the sky.
"It's almost time," he said.
"I don't know if this will be enough to limit your abilities."
Masata followed his gaze.
"This is…"
At some point, the once-clear sky had been completely swallowed by dark clouds.
"So that's it," Masata muttered.
"You used the temperature difference on the battlefield to create rising air currents… and forced the formation of cumulonimbus clouds?"
Was he planning to use rain to weaken Masata's Quirk?
The clouds overhead were already heavy with moisture. Moments later, a torrential downpour began.
"Todoroki changed the weather using battlefield conditions! Does this have deeper meaning?!"
As rain hammered down, magma across the arena visibly cooled. Both fighters were instantly soaked.
Class A erupted into discussion.
"Todoroki is incredible! When he fought me, he didn't even use anything this extreme!"
Midoriya Izuku, still recovering from his injuries, watched in awe. He could already walk again and had come specifically to witness the final.
"Then what does that make me…"
Sero Hanta muttered gloomily.
"Rain places serious restrictions on Masata's Quirk," Iida Tenya adjusted his glasses and analyzed calmly.
"Under heavy rainfall, magma temperature drops faster, and its duration shortens significantly."
"And in a humid environment, Todoroki's ice should become even stronger," someone added.
"At this point, the outcome really is uncertain."
"Tch."
Bakugo curled his lips in disdain.
He was one of the few who truly understood Masata's Quirk after facing him head-on.
The true terror of magma wasn't its temperature—it was the explosive force created by extreme internal pressure.
Even from Bakugo's perspective, Masata's earlier move Heaven Dog was absurd. The sheer shockwave alone could blow someone away. Taking it head-on would result in total destruction.
Yaoyorozu Momo believed Masata wouldn't lose either.
She lived and trained alongside him every day. Aside from Masata himself, she might be the person who understood his true strength best. Rain might pose some inconvenience, but it couldn't fundamentally weaken him.
Uraraka Ochaco—Chacha—felt the same. Having been utterly overwhelmed by Masata's power before, she trusted him without reservation.
Back on the field, the once-flat concrete floor had been transformed into jagged volcanic rock. Rainwater splashed against the ground, pooling in uneven depressions.
Feeling the cold rain striking his body, Todoroki launched another attack.
Faster than before, larger than before, a massive cone of ice surged toward Masata like a collapsing mountain.
"So rain really does amplify your power," Masata acknowledged calmly.
He raised his arm.
"For Quirks like ours, favorable terrain can massively increase combat effectiveness. But against erupting magma—everything will still be reduced to ash!"
"Heaven Dog!!!"
Masata stepped forward.
Even under the pouring rain, his arm blazed a dazzling crimson as it slammed directly into the colossal iceberg.
"He didn't use the massive lava fist this time?!"
The audience gasped.
"Why would Igarashi counter a huge iceberg with just a single arm?!"
Before fist and ice collided, a violent explosion of steam erupted between them.
Under the overwhelming force driven by magma pressure, the massive ice structure collapsed instantly. The superheated shockwave vaporized everything in its path, surging straight toward Todoroki.
"That power—!"
Todoroki hurriedly erected ice walls in succession. But Masata didn't slow down even for a moment.
Rain tried desperately to cool the heat radiating from Masata's body, but under the raging magma, it could only turn into thick white steam.
"Get out of my way!!!"
One ice wall after another shattered like paper beneath Masata's charge.
At this point, Todoroki had no options left.
Seeing the blazing red fist closing in, even the raindrops on the tip of his nose evaporated instantly.
Masata, of course, had no intention of delivering a killing blow.
The moment he broke through Todoroki's defenses, he dissipated the magma's heat and followed through with a purely physical punch.
Todoroki had already overexerted himself. After creating another massive iceberg, his stamina was completely depleted. He couldn't dodge, couldn't counter—he could only watch as the punch landed.
"—Hnn!"
Todoroki was sent flying in an arc through the air before crashing outside the arena.
"OUT OF BOUNDS!"
"WINNER—CHAMPION OF THE U.A. SPORTS FESTIVAL, FIRST-YEAR HERO COURSE CLASS A—IGARASHI MASATA!!!"
Midnight, who had been monitoring the field closely, announced the result without hesitation.
"OOOOOOOOHHHH!!!"
The entire stadium erupted.
The audience leapt to their feet, applause and cheers crashing like waves. The deafening roar pierced through the storm clouds above.
Even among past third-year tournaments, battles this intense were rare. This first-year bracket had completely redefined expectations.
"Haa…"
Masata exhaled deeply.
Using so many high-output techniques in a single day had drained him significantly. Thanks to his abnormal recovery speed, he was still standing—otherwise, he might have collapsed already.
"I'm the champion."
He looked toward the stands and caught sight of a certain wide-eyed, stunned expression.
A wicked grin spread across Masata's face as he thought to himself:
Now you see how powerful this 'uncle' really is.