"I'm going to kill you!!! Absolutely!!!"
The muscular man's arm had been scorched by magma, a massive hole burned straight through it. Even the blood inside had been completely evaporated. His reaction speed had already been extremely fast—he had immediately layered dense muscle fibers over his arm to block the attack.
But just as before, his pride and joy—his Quirk—was utterly useless in front of Masata. The reinforced fibers were swallowed whole by the raging magma, offering no protection at all.
At this moment, the muscular man's remaining eye burned with madness. Uncontrollable rage surged through his chest, swelling to an even greater intensity.
To be injured by this brat—caught off guard, no less—was unforgivable.
Yet Masata had already turned his attention elsewhere.
He charged straight toward the motionless Nomu, which had paused because it had not received a new command.
"Meteor Ray!"
Masata spread his fingers wide. Instantly, all five transformed into thick streams of molten lava, launching forward like blazing arrows. They pierced cleanly through Nomu's grotesque head, punching five holes straight through it. Several writhing tentacles were severed and dropped to the ground.
But this Nomu had already withstood a full-force blow from Midoriya Izuku.
Naturally, Masata's attack followed the same pattern.
Within moments, the wounds in Nomu's head regenerated completely. The tentacles regrew, squirming as if nothing had happened.
"Tch… troublesome."
Masata clicked his tongue—not because he lacked stronger techniques, but because of the glaring problem beside him.
That walking pile of muscle.
"Don't you dare ignore me!!!"
Seeing Masata attack Nomu instead of finishing him off, the muscular man's fury exploded. He stomped the ground with terrifying force, cracking the cliff beneath his feet. Using the recoil, his massive body shot forward like a human cannonball.
The ground shattered along his path. The compressed air screamed under the pressure, forcing Masata to turn back and face the incoming impact.
"I'll tear you apart!!!"
Muscle fibers bulged grotesquely, bursting through the man's skin. Blood-red strands spread across his upper body as his form twisted into something barely human. His monstrous fist swung straight toward Masata.
Facing such a crude, straightforward melee attacker, Masata felt not fear—but relief.
This was exactly the type of opponent he countered best.
"No—you're the one getting torn apart!"
Masata roared back, raising his arms to meet the attack head-on.
There was no magma coating his arms this time.
Under the muscular man's terrifying physique, Masata's arms looked almost fragile—like matchsticks striking a steel beam.
"Crack!"
The sound that rang out wasn't bone against bone, nor flesh colliding.
It sounded like a watermelon bursting open.
"Aaaaaagh!!! You bastard!!!"
Agonizing pain exploded through the muscular man's arm.
Masata's entire arm had transformed into magma mid-strike. The villain had punched directly into searing molten heat. Even though the magma dispersed on impact, the burn damage was immediate and catastrophic.
"You think it's that simple?! You're not going anywhere now!"
Masata's control over magma had reached an entirely new level—especially magma connected directly to his body. His manipulation was terrifyingly precise.
The scattered magma regrouped instantly. From Masata's shoulders, it surged forward, crawling along the muscular man's arm like a venomous serpent, coiling tightly around it.
The volume of magma increased rapidly.
In less than a second, the villain's entire arm was engulfed.
A scorched stench filled the air, making Masata frown.
"Aaaaaaahhhhhh!!!"
The muscular man screamed.
The pain was unbearable. Even though his muscle fibers protected the rest of his body structurally, they did nothing to dull the agony. In fact, as the contact area expanded, the pain multiplied exponentially.
Then—
The pain vanished.
Along with his arm.
Realizing the magma was spreading toward his shoulder, terror finally replaced rage in the man's eyes. In mere seconds, one arm had been completely destroyed. If Masata were given any more time, death was guaranteed.
"Nomu!!!"
Fear overtook him, his voice hoarse and cracking.
Responding instantly, Nomu acted.
Masata felt the muscular man vanish from his sight—and in the next instant, Nomu's massive fist filled his vision.
"Heaven Dog!!!"
Ignoring the damage to himself, Masata drove his arm straight into Nomu's chest.
"Crack!"
His head was blown apart once again, magma splashing violently. For a brief moment, Masata looked like a headless corpse—yet his arm had pierced deep into Nomu's body.
"BOOM!!!"
Destructive magma surged through Nomu's torso, annihilating it from the inside. At the same time, Masata's head rapidly reformed.
But then—
Something went wrong.
Masata felt his arm suddenly grow weightless.
Nomu vanished.
Without warning.
"I'll rip you apart alive and chew the flesh from your bones!!!"
The muscular man reappeared right in front of Masata, roaring like a beast.
His body had swollen even further, yet his agility hadn't diminished—in fact, it had increased. The severed arm had already begun regenerating, muscle fibers sealing the wound with horrifying speed.
Masata's head had not fully reformed yet.
A crushing impact slammed into his abdomen, like a siege hammer striking point-blank. Even his reinforced body couldn't withstand it.
A massive spray of blood burst from his mouth.
"BOOM!!!"
This time, the impact was real.
Masata was smashed straight into the ground, carving out a massive crater. His vision went black for a split second.
"Damn it… careless."
The muscular man showed no intention of stopping.
A savage gleam filled his eyes. Like a predator claiming its kill, he leapt high into the air and landed above Masata. Countless muscle fibers erupted from his arm, forming a crushing mass that slammed downward.
Masata's head spun violently.
He didn't dare fully elementalize his body now—doing so would consume enormous stamina and demand intense concentration.
And right now, he had neither.