"Wait—hold on, you've misunderstood what I meant!" Edgeshot called out hurriedly, realization hitting him all at once. "I only meant that your actions were… too severe. Punishment should be carried out by the proper authorities. But what you did—against those criminals—it wasn't wrong."
Despite the injuries covering his body, Edgeshot still had plenty of stamina. He quickly caught up, moving far faster than the ice constructs trailing behind Etsuha. As he ran, he continued trying to persuade him:
"Don't worry. Even if someone tries to hold you accountable, your contributions will outweigh it in the end. You saved my life—I'll stand by you, no matter what happens…"
Etsuha felt a wave of helplessness.
He was already exhausted, his body pushed far beyond its limits. Being chased down like this made it impossible for him to slip away quietly.
In the end, he relented.
"I'm just looking for a place to rest. We can talk about everything else later."
There was no real hostility between them. Edgeshot's words came from concern, not malice, and Etsuha understood that. Naturally, he had no reason to respond with hostility.
Edgeshot let out a breath of relief.
He knew that people Etsuha's age could easily fall into extremes—especially after experiencing something like this. If handled poorly, even a single sentence could push them down the wrong path. Fortunately, Etsuha seemed level-headed, far more rational than expected.
"Don't worry," Edgeshot added, his tone softening. "I've already contacted nearby Heroes. They're all people I trust—they'll speak on your behalf."
Etsuha gave a small nod.
There was no denying it—what had just happened would shake the entire city.
When Izuku Midoriya defeated the Hero Killer, he had only received a warning. But that situation was completely different. Aside from that one fight, there had been little collateral damage.
This time, however—
Etsuha had killed multiple people.
He had also caused large-scale destruction across an entire area.
There was no way the authorities would ignore it. At the very least, it would reach the city's highest officials. That was exactly why Edgeshot was so concerned.
…
In the shadows nearby, a figure in a black mask let out a long breath.
It was Twice.
"That was way too dangerous… A kid like that, and he's already this strong…"
Relief washed over him as he looked in the direction Etsuha had gone.
When they had first been dragged into the battlefield by All For One, Twice had actually been the first to escape. But before leaving, he had used his Quirk—leaving behind a clone in his place.
That clone… had died in his stead.
Since then, Twice had been watching the entire battle from a distance.
At first, he'd been certain the severely injured man—All For One—would win. The sheer pressure he exuded had been overwhelming.
But then—
That boy had summoned a crimson skeletal giant.
With a single strike, his clone had been cut down.
And that wasn't even the extent of it.
There was also the ice—cold, lethal, and precise. Even if it had been overshadowed during the battle, Twice knew exactly how terrifying it was. That power alone would rank among the very top-tier Heroes.
And yet…
Someone like that was just a teenager?
A Hero?
The thought sent a chill through him.
Even in his prime, All Might had already dealt devastating blows to the underworld. Now, with someone like Etsuha emerging…
How were Villains supposed to survive?
"I can't handle this alone… Maybe I should head to the tavern."
Twice cast one last glance toward Etsuha before slipping fully into the shadows.
Somewhere in his mind, a message lingered—a location.
A tavern.
…
Elsewhere—
Dabi stared at the blue flames dancing in his palm, murmuring to himself.
"So there are people like that in this world… This is getting interesting."
He had been the second to escape.
Like Twice, he had retreated to a safe distance before observing the battle from afar. Though Etsuha and All For One appeared small from where he stood, the scale of their power was impossible to ignore. Their clash had engulfed nearly the entire town.
When Dabi saw the crimson skeletal figure, he immediately recognized the danger.
Especially at the end—
When Etsuha's blood-red eyes swept across the battlefield, it felt as though they had locked onto him directly.
For a brief moment, Dabi felt completely exposed.
As if every secret had been laid bare.
And then there was something else.
At the moment All For One died, Dabi heard a voice.
Not through his ears—but directly inside his mind.
It resembled All For One's voice, yet carried no clear words. Instead, it conveyed something else entirely—
A location.
The same tavern.
"That guy… I feel like I've heard of him before…"
Dabi frowned slightly, a thought forming in his mind.
Someone who once fought All Might… and survived?
His pupils shrank.
"So he wasn't dead after all… Guess I was wrong."
A faint smile crept onto his lips.
"Well, if things have reached this point, I might as well check out that tavern. There might be something worth finding."
The same message had reached the others who had been pulled into the battlefield.
It seemed that, in his final moments—after his lower body had been destroyed—All For One had activated a contingency plan, using a flawed mental transmission Quirk to pass on information.
If only it had been more refined… the message might have been clearer.
…
Inside the tavern—
Tomura Shigaraki slowly lifted his head.
His eyes darkened, filled with something far more dangerous than before.
"The master… is dead?"