"This boy…!!!"
The moment Stain saw Etsuha standing before him, an inexplicable sense of danger surged through his body.
He was certain—his blade should have struck Mt. Lady just now. And yet, when it fell, this young man had appeared out of nowhere. Even someone like Stain couldn't comprehend how Etsuha had done it.
Yu Takeyama slowly opened her eyes. Realizing she was still alive, the first thing she saw was Etsuha's back.
She froze for a moment—then immediately shouted:
"Etsuha, run! This isn't like the other Villains!"
Etsuha didn't know whether to laugh or sigh.
"I can't run. Trust me."
Yu Takeyama blinked. Remembering Etsuha's strength, a trace of resolve flashed across her face.
"Don't let him draw blood! His Quirk is tied to it—if he licks it, your whole body will freeze!"
"I know."
Etsuha took a slow, heavy breath.
His condition was far from ideal.
He had already burned through a large amount of stamina fighting the Nomu. After that, he pushed himself to his limits just to rush here at top speed. At the final moment, he had even frozen space-time using his ability just to block Stain's killing blow.
By now, his reserves were running dangerously low.
Even he wasn't sure how much longer he could hold out against someone like this.
But what Etsuha didn't know—
Stain wasn't in good condition either.
To secure victory quickly, he had deliberately taken the full force of Mt. Lady's attack earlier. A normal person would have been crippled by that level of impact. Only his iron will allowed him to keep moving.
"Etsuha… Shina Etsuha?"
Stain's gaze sharpened slightly.
"So you're the so-called genius boy. You're just as formidable as the rumors suggest… but—"
His killing intent surged.
"—that's all!"
He lunged forward, blade aimed straight for Etsuha's head!
"What incredible physical skill…!"
Etsuha felt the pressure instantly.
Unlike the thugs he had fought before, Stain's combat ability was on an entirely different level. His movements were sharp, efficient, and deadly—every strike carried intent to kill.
Etsuha twisted his wrist, angling his ice blade to intercept.
CLANG!
The impact rang out sharply.
Etsuha's body sank slightly as he redirected the force—but Stain didn't follow up with the same strike.
Instead—
His other hand moved.
A second blade flashed out from his waist, slashing toward Etsuha's abdomen from an impossible angle!
SWISH!
The attack was bizarre and unpredictable. Even a moment's hesitation would have meant being gutted.
But Etsuha reacted instantly.
Ice armor formed over his abdomen in the blink of an eye.
At the same time, he surged power into his arm—knocking Stain's main blade aside!
CRACK!
The short blade pierced into the ice armor, stopping just short of flesh.
And in that same instant—
Etsuha's blade thrust forward like a lion's strike, piercing straight into Stain's shoulder!
"Looking to die?!"
Stain didn't retreat.
Instead, he attacked again from another unnatural angle—relentless, unyielding. As long as he drew blood once, victory would be his.
Etsuha inhaled sharply.
His left hand flipped—
An ice shield materialized instantly!
With a quick motion, he deflected the incoming strike—and in the same movement, drove his foot forward in a powerful kick!
THUD!
The blow landed squarely in Stain's abdomen.
"Ghk—!"
A violent spasm twisted through Stain's stomach. The pain was intense enough to make most people collapse—but he endured it through sheer will, swinging his blade again toward Etsuha's head!
SWISH!
The blade sliced through the air, grazing Etsuha's hair.
At that exact moment, Stain seized the opening—
His sword lunged straight for Etsuha's face!
But once again—
A shield met it.
BANG!
The force of the collision split Etsuha's shield apart—and the backlash tore open Stain's palm, blood dripping from the impact.
Etsuha's eyes flickered with surprise, but his body had already moved.
He shifted sideways—
And in the next instant—
Ice erupted from the ground beneath Stain!
SHHK!
Multiple ice spikes burst upward, piercing through his defenses.
Stain reacted quickly, dodging most of them—but several still tore into his body, leaving fresh wounds.
Forced back, he abandoned the assault and retreated.
Both of them stepped away from each other.
Stain leaned against a tree, glancing down at his shoulder.
A bloody hole stared back at him.
His pupils tightened.
The exchange had lasted only seconds—but the impression it left was unmistakable.
Powerful.
Extremely powerful.
This was just a boy—and yet his swordsmanship had reached such a level.
Throughout the fight, Stain felt as though he were constantly on the brink. One mistake—and he would be killed instantly.
The last time he had felt this kind of pressure…
Was years ago, when he had just begun his path as a killer.
Compared to now, that version of himself was nothing.
"…To think a mere teenager could push me this far."
Stain's breathing grew heavier, more uneven. It was clear he was nearing his limit.
"But even so… I will kill—"
A new voice suddenly cut him off.
"Unfortunately, that's as far as you go, Stain."
Stain's eyes narrowed sharply.
"Still… you've done well."
The air behind him distorted—
A black portal opened.
"Now," the voice continued coldly, "it's time for our hunt."
From within the portal—
Three Nomu stepped out.