Following the girls' line of sight, a massive shadow slowly emerged from the depths of the cave.
"Rumble—"
The ground began to shake violently, as if an enormous creature was charging toward them. The lights above flickered on and off, plunging the cave into alternating flashes of brightness and darkness, amplifying the terror in everyone's hearts.
"Don't panic! Getting out of the cave comes first!"
Igarashi Masata gritted his teeth. Without hesitation, he grabbed Yaoyorozu Momo and Chacha, hoisted them onto his shoulders, and sprinted forward at full speed.
The others snapped out of their shock and immediately followed. Carefully avoiding the scattered magma left behind from the previous battle, they ran as fast as they could toward the exit.
When they had entered earlier, the cave hadn't felt particularly long. But now, in a desperate escape, the distance seemed endless.
"Why can't we see the exit yet?!"
Masata felt his heart sink. They had been running for nearly five minutes, yet there wasn't even a trace of daylight ahead.
He quickly pulled out his phone—no signal. Not even emergency transmission worked. There would be no outside help.
Finally, they reached the end of the passage.
But instead of an exit, a solid stone wall stood before them.
"How is this possible?! There was only one path!"
Yaoyorozu rushed forward and pounded on the stone wall frantically, her voice trembling with panic.
Even Chacha—normally energetic and bright—had gone pale, her wide eyes losing their light.
Masata felt a chill creep into his chest. The cave had only one straight path. There was no branching route. And yet, the exit was gone.
Was this some kind of trap… or a false wall?
"Are we… going to die here? W–Wuwuwu… it's all my fault…"
Ashido Mina finally broke down. Tears streamed down her face as guilt consumed her.
She blamed herself for everything—suggesting the deserted island adventure, entering this strange cave, and especially pressing that mysterious switch. If anything happened to everyone because of her, she knew she would never forgive herself.
"Mina… the most important thing right now is finding a solution. Crying won't help."
Asui Tsuyu gently patted Mina's back, trying to calm her. Unfortunately, that only made Mina cry harder.
"Wait… where's Kurosawa Yoru?"
Masata suddenly spoke up.
Everyone froze.
Counting again, there were only six people present.
Had she been separated during the escape?
"I'm right here! Just because I don't stand out doesn't mean you can forget me, you know! That really hurts, Masata!"
Something soft slammed into Masata's chest, cutting off his breath mid-sentence.
"Ugh—!"
Before he could recover, a fist drove sharply into his stomach.
"Hmph. You deserved that."
Kurosawa Yoru snorted, clearly satisfied, while Masata bent forward, clutching his abdomen and gasping dramatically.
That brief interruption worked wonders.
Mina, who had been drowning in guilt, couldn't help but laugh through her tears. The oppressive atmosphere finally eased.
"If we didn't take the wrong path," Masata said seriously, straightening up, "then this wall is probably a barrier—something designed to stop intruders."
"You guys step back," he continued. "I'll break it."
Yaoyorozu nodded immediately and created a sturdy shield in front of everyone, ready to block debris.
Masata studied the massive stone wall. It was several meters thick, and its exact depth was unknown.
If he used a large-scale magma eruption and failed to break through, the leftover lava would only make things worse.
Techniques with high penetration wouldn't create a large enough opening either.
"…Then there's only one option."
He glanced back at the girls, who had retreated nearly ten meters behind the shield.
Only after confirming their safety did Masata relax slightly.
Magma began spinning rapidly around his fist, generating a scorching air current. The crimson glow illuminated the cave like a miniature sun.
He pulled his arm back, braced his stance, twisted his waist—
"Lava Burst Punch!"
The impact was catastrophic.
The solid rock shattered under the overwhelming force. Rotating magma tore through the stone, melting and absorbing it into itself.
Cracks spread instantly.
The entire wall glowed red.
Then—
it collapsed.
In mere seconds, what had once been an impenetrable barrier liquefied into molten lava and flowed across the ground.
The girls stared in stunned silence, mouths agape.
As the wall vanished, fresh air rushed in.
This had been the exit all along—blocked by a massive slab of stone.
But now, the floor was flooded with magma.
Masata frowned. Moving such a large volume of lava aside would be extremely difficult.
And the girls couldn't simply walk through it like he could.
One mistake would mean severe burns—or worse.
After a brief moment of thought, Masata turned back toward them and waved his hand.
"Come here," he said firmly.
"Get in my arms."