Chapter 384: The Real Monster!

"Is this poison gas?"

Todoroki walked alone from the dormitory facility into the forest, calmly observing the dense lavender fog swirling in front of him.

As a fire user, poisonous gas didn't mean much to him. Even his ice had a certain level of resistance to it.

That's why he claimed without hesitation that he was the best candidate for the situation. He was a natural counter to poisonous Quirks.

Beep—

Just as he was about to step into the poisonous gas area, a flame erupted from the left side of his body and quickly engulfed him.

As the poison gas came into contact with the flame, it let out a sizzling sound, turning into wisps of black smoke before dissipating. But more purple gas quickly gathered to take its place.

"So you noticed me."

Todoroki wasn't surprised as the gas in the air grew visibly more active, shifting from a light purple to a deeper, darker hue.

Since the opponent could control the gas in real time, it was only natural they'd be able to sense movements and detect intrusions through the gas.

Boom!!

Hotter, brighter flames surged forth, forming a sea of fire that charged into the purple haze. Todoroki watched coldly as the flames devoured everything in their path.

So what if you noticed?

Meanwhile, in the center of the poisonous gas, the dense fog had formed a massive tornado of purple smoke large enough to envelop dozens of people.

At the eye of the tornado stood a boy wearing a gas mask, a large oxygen tank strapped to his back, and dressed in a black western-style school uniform.

At that moment, purple gas continued to pour out from his body, feeding into the surrounding tornado and spreading outward under his control.

"Hmm?"

"Someone's actually heading this way?"

"As expected, there are people here who can detect me, and even someone capable of passing through the poison barrier."

"It really is a prestigious school."

Mustard's tone was complicated. As expected, he was calm, but there was a strange mix of envy and jealousy in his voice.

"But it's still pathetic. No matter how strong your Quirk is, you're still just human, aren't you?" he muttered as he pulled a dark revolver from his coat.

There was no other way. His Quirk couldn't cause real physical damage. If someone wore protective gear or had resistance to poison, he was basically powerless.

To make up for that weakness, he and Tomura Shigaraki had requested a firearm so he'd have a way to defend himself.

"Heroes... elite families... People with trash Quirks like me can never get close to that world."

He had once applied to the Hero Course at U.A. High School. But because his Quirk couldn't affect mock enemies and no teacher gave him support points, he was immediately rejected.

That made him feel increasingly inferior and resentful. After transferring to a regular high school and living a plain life among ordinary people, the frustration in his heart only grew.

This wasn't how his life was supposed to be. He should have been a Hero Course student, spending each day with promising heroes and professionals!

"Now, right? A Quirk like mine isn't even worthy of being compared to a hero's, is it?" As he spoke, Mustard suddenly raised the revolver and fired toward the poison gas zone on his right.

Bang!!

The sharp crack of the gunshot echoed rapidly through the forest, catching the attention of many nearby.

"That Mustard guy sounds like he's in trouble!" Spinner shouted as he fought Tiger and Mandalay in an open area. He turned to Magne, who wasn't far away.

"Don't worry about it. Even if he loses, it's not like he'll die, right, Hero?" Magne sneered as she dodged Tiger's relentless punches.

"Don't worry. When you lose, you won't die either," Tiger retorted without hesitation. His hands never stopped moving, but his heart was growing heavier.

This criminal's physical abilities were no less than his own, which made him even more cautious.

"If everyone in the League of Villains is at this level..."

Back at the center of the poison gas.

"I didn't expect it to be you." Mustard stared at Todoroki, his face grim as the student burned through the poison tornado and blocked his bullet with an ice wall.

"I saw you during the U.A. Sports Festival. You and Kaminari Denki are the last people I'd ever want to face."

"Guess I'm just unlucky."

Even as he spoke, he turned and ran into the thick poison gas behind him, vanishing from Todoroki's sight in an instant.

"Hiding in the gas to obscure your movements." Shoto Todoroki had no intention of chasing him. He simply watched as the boy disappeared into the fog.

Bang!

Another shot rang out. A bullet came at him from a different direction, but it was once again blocked by an ice wall that formed instantly.

"As expected of a recommended student, the son of Endeavor. You can even block bullets at close range. I really can't compare to someone as perfect as you!" Mustard's voice echoed from the thick gas, full of inferiority, jealousy, and the sound of more gunshots.

"But... I still want to try and kill you here!!"

Mustard, hidden within the poisonous fog, continued to fire wildly, trembling with both fear and excitement.

The reason he joined the League of Villains was to kill a few well-known Hero Course students with his own hands.

He believed that spilling the blood of a U.A. student would prove he was no less than them!

He hadn't expected to face one of U.A.'s strongest students, but he was secretly glad it wasn't Kaminari Denki. Someone with that kind of high-speed movement would render his pistol useless.

Shoto Todoroki, burning with anger, didn't respond to Mustard's words. He simply squatted down and placed his left palm gently on the moist forest floor.

A circle of ice walls formed around him, extending in every direction with no blind spots.

Woosh—

In the next moment, roaring flames erupted from his hand, forming a ring of fire that expanded outward from his position.

The fire spread rapidly, instantly melting the surrounding ice walls and clearing away all the nearby purple gas.

"Ahhh! It burns!!"

The flames crawled along the ground toward Mustard's legs. The intense heat made him feel the sheer terror of impending death.

"Hot, huh? Let me cool you down."

As soon as Shoto Todoroki finished speaking, a wave of white cold air burst forth from behind the flames. It instantly wiped out the searing heat and turned into a freezing domain of frost and ice.

"So cold... It's freezing..."

In the blink of an eye, the flames were gone, replaced by a massive iceberg. Mustard was now completely frozen to its surface.

Only his head could move slightly. His legs, arms, and torso were immobilized in ice, and even the gas mask on his face had cracked. All he could do was stare blankly as Todoroki walked toward him.

"This... this is a hero student...? He's so strong, it's like he's a monster..."

At that moment, the night sky in the distance lit up with a brilliant golden light, as radiant as the sun, drawing Todoroki's attention even as cold air still clung to his body.

"The real monsters are out there."

(To be continued.)

***

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