"Nomu again…? This time, the League of Villains really came prepared."
For once, a rare seriousness appeared on Etsuha's face.
When he rushed here to save his sister, he had already considered the possibility of encountering something like this. But even so, he hadn't expected the enemy to go this far.
Not only had they sent the Hero Killer—
They had also deployed three Nomu.
None of them were the massive prototype used against All Might, but the pressure they gave off was completely different from the ones he had faced earlier.
They were far stronger.
"What… what are these things?!"
Yu Takeyama's eyes widened in shock as she stared at the monsters for the first time.
Each Nomu had a different form. One had wings sprouting from its back. Another crawled low to the ground like a cheetah. Their expressions were dull, almost lifeless—but the oppressive aura they emitted was unmistakable.
Each one possessed strength comparable to a professional Hero.
"Damn it… move…!"
Yu Takeyama struggled desperately to stand—but her body still refused to respond.
All she could do was watch as Etsuha was surrounded.
Stain glanced at the three grotesque figures, a flicker of surprise crossing his eyes.
He had been aware of the League's capabilities, but even he hadn't expected them to unleash monsters of this level—especially against a single student.
"Kurogiri… you've gone too far."
"Etsuha," Kurogiri's voice echoed calmly, "your stamina is nearly depleted. Against these Nomu, what miracles can you still perform? I look forward to seeing it."
He paused briefly before adding:
"By the way… each of these Nomu possesses extremely dangerous Quirks. Even lower-ranked Pro Heroes would struggle against them."
Etsuha glanced toward the portal, his eyes flickering with an unreadable light.
"You're not running? Even now?"
Kurogiri let out a low laugh.
"Run? Hahaha… an interesting suggestion. If you were at full strength, I might consider it. But now? Facing three Nomu at once… what can you possibly do?"
"...How boring."
Stain had already stepped back, no longer participating in the fight.
Even as a fugitive, he still clung to his own distorted sense of Heroism. In his eyes, this kind of overwhelming ambush had no meaning.
He simply watched from the sidelines, cold and silent.
"ROAR!!"
The first Nomu charged.
Its speed wasn't particularly fast—but its sheer mass made it unstoppable, like a rampaging tank.
"Close combat type…?"
Etsuha's mind worked quickly as he leapt lightly onto a nearby tree, avoiding the attack.
CRACK!
The massive trunk shattered instantly under the Nomu's impact.
Etsuha descended from above, his ice blade aimed straight at its exposed brain.
But—
CLANG!
Sparks flew.
"…?!"
The moment his blade struck, a metallic sound echoed.
The Nomu grabbed the ice sword with one hand and yanked it free. The wound in its brain regenerated almost instantly.
Then it charged again.
"Hardening… and regeneration. That's troublesome."
Even Stain's expression darkened slightly.
A towering ice wall erupted in front of Etsuha.
The hardened Nomu slammed into it—and the instant its limbs made contact, ice spread rapidly across its body.
With a swift follow-up slash—
CRACK!
Half of its body shattered into fragments.
"GRAAAH—!"
The second Nomu attacked immediately.
Its ability was even more bizarre.
When Etsuha launched an ice spike toward it, the attack was absorbed directly into its body—only to be released again moments later, redirected straight back at him!
"Absorption… and reflection?" Stain muttered under his breath, a bead of sweat forming on his forehead.
One such enemy was manageable.
Two… still possible.
But three?
Even he wouldn't survive that.
The third Nomu stepped forward.
Unlike the others, it was pure brute force.
Its muscles bulged grotesquely beneath its skin, every movement radiating overwhelming power. With a single step, the ground trembled beneath it.
Then—
It swung its fist.
BOOM!
The earth cracked beneath the force, and in the next instant, the massive punch appeared behind Etsuha.
"…Impressive strength."
Etsuha's eyes flickered with surprise.
His ice blade moved swiftly—
SHHK!
The edge sliced across the Nomu's arm, severing a large portion of its muscle fibers. The limb visibly shrank as its mass was cut away.
"To remain calm in this situation… admirable composure," Kurogiri remarked with a faint laugh.
Etsuha exhaled slowly.
"…Thankfully, their Quirks aren't invincible. That gives me just enough time."
"What did you say?" Kurogiri and Stain both paused.
In the next moment—
Etsuha raised his hand.
Then snapped his fingers.
"Come forth…"
A faint chill spread across the battlefield.
"Ice Lan Admiral Army."