After the initial shock passed, Death Arm gradually calmed down. He looked at Shina Etsuha with a cold sneer.
"What 'trouble'? I'm just stating facts. A crime is a crime. Using a Quirk without a Hero license or proper authorization, causing massive destruction or casualties—those offenses carry sentences of over ten years, or even the death penalty. If you hadn't taken down several criminals, I'd already have the authority to arrest you on the spot."
At that moment, the darker side of "Professional Heroes" was laid bare.
In today's society, where being a Hero had become institutionalized, the title itself was nothing more than a profession. Not everyone possessed the selfless spirit of All Might. Many so-called professionals were driven by fame, money, and personal gain—sometimes even at the expense of their own allies.
This was human nature.
The public only ever saw the bright side of Heroes. But where there was light, there was also shadow. Even someone like Endeavor, the current No. 2 Hero, had a past filled with actions toward his family that were difficult to accept. Compared to that, the existence of someone like Death Arm was hardly surprising.
Etsuha understood this clearly.
"What you're saying… makes sense."
His expression didn't change, but a deep chill flickered in his eyes. A trace of anger surfaced beneath the calm.
"Ah, so I'm the criminal you're talking about. I killed dozens of people—on purpose. So what are you going to do about it? Arrest me? Send me to prison?"
Gulp.
Death Arm swallowed hard. His expression twisted.
"You brat… you dare threaten me? Fine. Since you're so eager to die, I'll arrest you in the name of a Hero!"
Boom—
In an instant, a massive sheet of ice spread beneath his feet.
The temperature plummeted drastically. Even the air people exhaled crystallized into faint snowflakes. Death Arm's eyes widened in disbelief.
Wasn't Etsuha exhausted?
Wasn't he injured?
Wasn't he just a kid?
Then how could he unleash such overwhelming power so suddenly?
Before he could react, his legs were completely frozen in place. The cold penetrated deep into his bones, sending a numbing pain through his body—yet he couldn't even move.
"Heroes…?" Etsuha repeated quietly, looking at him.
Then he spoke, his voice calm but merciless.
"You're not worthy."
Crack.
A fracture spread through the ice encasing Death Arm's legs.
The frozen mass had fused with his flesh. As the ice cracked, so did his body. There was no blood—everything had already frozen solid. Only pale, broken flesh remained where the ice split apart.
Death Arm's eyes widened in horror.
His legs were numb. Even as his bones fractured, he felt no pain—only an overwhelming fear.
This boy… was serious.
He really intended to kill him.
"AHHH!!" Death Arm screamed in panic. "What are you all standing there for?! He's attacking a Hero—kill him!!"
The surrounding Heroes snapped out of their shock, staring at Etsuha in disbelief.
"What are you doing?! Stop!"
"You actually attacked a Hero—stop him! This guy's a Villain!"
"So Death Arm was right all along… he really had bad intentions!"
Etsuha raised an eyebrow but said nothing.
Between a stranger and a long-time colleague, people would always choose the familiar side. As the conflict escalated, the Heroes who had rushed over instinctively stood with Death Arm.
Only Akishoute remained frozen in place.
"This isn't right… Etsuha… he's not a Villain…"
A voice in his heart urged him to speak—to step forward and declare that everything Etsuha had done was under his authorization.
But could he really do that?
He had a family to support. As the No. 5 Hero, he still had a future ahead of him. If he took responsibility now, everything would be gone.
His license.
His career.
The skills he had spent years honing.
All of it would become meaningless.
Sweat beaded on his forehead as the conflict tore at him. He looked toward Etsuha, opened his mouth—
—but no words came out.
Because the moment he spoke… he would lose everything.
"I'm sorry…" Akishoute whispered.
Bang!
In an instant, the ice surrounding Death Arm exploded.
Fragments of ice scattered through the air—mixed with shredded flesh. Among them, something rolled across the ground.
Death Arm's head.
His eyes remained wide open, still filled with terror—as if he couldn't understand why Etsuha had truly gone through with it.
Akishoute's thoughts were abruptly cut off.
"This is…"
His gaze fell on the severed head, and a chill ran through him.
The mixture of ice shards and flesh… it reminded him of the mangled corpses he had once seen in a narrow alley.
"…The Hero Killer… was that you too, Etsuha?"
He slowly raised his head.
Meeting his gaze was a pair of blood-red eyes—cold, distant, unreadable.
Countless emotions surged within Akishoute. He wanted to speak—but it felt as though something was lodged in his throat. No matter how hard he tried, no words would come out.
At this point… there was no turning back.
—Shina Etsuha had become a criminal.
"I've already killed someone," Etsuha said calmly, glancing at the crowd.
"Do you want to try me too?"
Those who knew him would understand—
He was truly angry now.
..
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