At the final moment, All For One struggled violently, as if trying to pull something through from elsewhere. Shina Etsuha suspected this was his trump card. If something like the original Nomu suddenly appeared, he likely wouldn't have any strength left to resist.
However, after waiting cautiously for a long time, nothing happened.
The expected Nomu never appeared. The silver liquid churned briefly before dissipating into the air. Just before it vanished, Etsuha thought he glimpsed a familiar arm within it—one that looked completely human.
"That arm… it looked normal. It couldn't have been a Nomu… What was All For One trying to say at the end?"
Etsuha frowned slightly. Still, overall, the plan had succeeded beyond expectations. All For One had behaved exactly as anticipated—arrogant and overconfident. The moment he sensed Etsuha's return, he charged forward without thinking, never stopping to consider whether it was a trap. By the time he realized something was wrong, it was already too late.
Even so, Etsuha couldn't ignore how abnormal his opponent had been.
Unlike Orochimaru, All For One's resistance to mental interference was astonishingly high. He had even managed to break free from the sealing effect of the Totsuka Blade—if only for a moment. It was the first time Etsuha had encountered someone capable of that. Though Quirks often seemed straightforward, their unpredictability made them far more troublesome than expected—especially against someone immune to illusions.
Only now did Etsuha turn his attention to the others.
Most of the Villains who had been dragged here as cannon fodder had already fled without a trace. But through the Sharingan, Etsuha could still sense lingering presences nearby. They hadn't gone far—just hiding, watching, waiting.
"Typical Villains… cautious to the end," Etsuha thought coldly.
They had been forcibly brought here by All For One's teleportation ability, yet not a single one had truly committed to the fight. Only the unfortunate Twice had been thrown directly into danger, used as a shield, and killed in the process.
Even now, the survivors weren't running—they were observing, hoping to benefit from the aftermath.
A cold snort escaped Etsuha's lips.
He raised his hand, summoning several ice constructs. The Sharingan spun slightly, locking onto one hidden presence nearby. In an instant, he identified a Villain who had narrowly survived Garuda's blast but remained too close.
The man's face twisted with panic—but then hardened with greed. Seeing Etsuha's exhausted state, he made his move.
Too slow.
Etsuha had already anticipated it.
With a flicker of the Sharingan, a genjutsu seized the man's mind. His movements froze, sluggish and disjointed—
—and in the next instant, the ice constructs struck.
The Villain was cut down instantly.
Another kill.
The surrounding criminals stiffened.
This was the first time they had seen a "Hero" who killed so decisively. Weren't Heroes bound by law? Weren't they forbidden from taking lives?
Yet this boy… killed without hesitation.
The display worked.
Any lingering greed vanished. Even weakened, Etsuha was still far beyond anything they could handle.
One by one, the remaining Villains withdrew.
Only then did Etsuha let out a quiet breath.
The cost of this battle had been immense. His stamina had already been low, and maintaining Susanoo had drained him further. Even that final illusion attack had pushed him to his limits.
He had nothing left.
Even so, he maintained a calm facade, walking slowly behind his ice constructs as if nothing were wrong.
"Wait."
A voice stopped him.
It was Edgeshot.
He looked around at the devastated battlefield, his expression grim.
"The impact of this incident is too great. You need to stay and wait for the official investigation."
For Edgeshot, the battle itself was secondary.
The real issue was the aftermath.
Dozens were dead.
All For One had been defeated—sealed away by an unknown method—and another person had just been killed in front of him. This wasn't something that could be ignored. The higher authorities would definitely intervene.
What happened next… was unpredictable.
"…Why?" Etsuha asked, turning back.
"Because you killed people."
"…Yeah," Edgeshot answered firmly.
Etsuha met his gaze.
"But those people were trying to kill me."
His voice was calm—but unwavering.
"I remember every one of them. They attacked us at U.A., hunted me down, and came to the Nomu factory with nothing but killing intent. Tell me—am I not allowed to kill them?"
Garuda hadn't just destroyed animals—it had wiped out the criminals inside the factory as well.
And Etsuha had done it deliberately.
He didn't regret it.
Why was it acceptable for Villains to kill—
—but not for him?
"That's not what a Hero should do!" Edgeshot shouted.
Etsuha looked at him, expression unreadable.
"I'm not a Hero."
A pause.
"I just want to survive."
If he hadn't known transformation techniques… if he hadn't escaped the Nomu… if he hadn't outplayed those hunting him—
He would already be dead.
He had no reason to show mercy to those who showed him none.
Edgeshot froze.
As he replayed Etsuha's words in his mind, something shifted in his expression.
Shock.
Realization.
Had he… just pushed a boy to the very edge?