Whether it was because the surrounding Heroes had learned about All For One or not, Shina Etsuha could feel it clearly—his energy was accumulating at a faster rate than before.
As a result, his stamina had recovered significantly.
At this point, he still had more than enough strength left to deal with ordinary Heroes without any real difficulty.
Seeing Etsuha's open provocation, one of the Heroes gritted his teeth and shouted:
"Don't joke around! You killed Death Arm over a minor conflict—you're clearly a Villain!"
"Yeah! People like you can't be allowed to exist!"
"Prepare to arrest him!"
Etsuha's expression didn't change in the slightest.
Some people were like this—after committing countless wrongs, they never reflected on themselves. Instead, they demanded tolerance from others.
That kind of behavior disgusted him.
Death Arm had pushed things to the edge again and again. There was no way Etsuha would tolerate someone like that continuing to live.
"The so-called Professional Heroes… what a joke."
He looked at the group in front of him, his eyes carrying a faint trace of mockery.
"If you want to kill me… then come."
With that, he turned and walked away calmly in a chosen direction.
At that moment, an invisible pressure seemed to radiate from him.
It wasn't something that could be clearly defined—but it was enough to make the surrounding Heroes hesitate.
It wasn't fear.
It was confusion.
The boy in front of them had just resolved a disaster of unimaginable scale. By all logic, he should have been the greatest contributor—someone to be praised.
So why… had things turned out like this?
Some fell into deep thought.
Others wanted to act—but none of them moved.
Akishoute watched as Etsuha walked past him without a glance, as if he were nothing more than a stranger.
At that moment, something sank deep in his chest.
Not long ago, he had sworn to protect this boy.
But now…
He couldn't do anything at all.
The pressure crushed him, making it hard to breathe. Akishoute closed his eyes, shame flooding his heart.
"I'm sorry…"
Etsuha passed by him without stopping.
By now, he finally understood the mindset of the so-called "Hero Killer."
But unlike that person, Etsuha didn't have any grand ambition to reform society.
He didn't care about changing the Hero system.
In this world, where strength reigned supreme, all so-called truths would shatter in the face of overwhelming power.
He didn't need to do anything else.
As long as he continued to grow stronger—that was enough.
And with his current strength, there were very few Heroes left who could even threaten him.
"…I didn't expect I'd end up walking this path too."
After reaching a quiet, secluded place, Etsuha looked up at the sky and spoke softly.
There was something fundamentally broken about this society.
Given his personality, a clash like this was inevitable—it was only a matter of time.
He just hadn't expected it to come so soon.
But he didn't regret it.
If anything… there was a faint sense of excitement.
What kind of impact would this decision have?
If the news spread, how would society react?
Etsuha couldn't see the future.
But one thing was certain—
Even negative fame could become his power.
"Let's see… what choice you make."
He narrowed his eyes slightly.
Meanwhile…
Back at the scene, shortly after Etsuha left, the atmosphere exploded into chaos.
"Damn it! Why did we let him escape?! He was clearly exhausted!"
"Hmph, you were the ones scared by his presence. He's just a kid—we can catch him anytime!"
"He killed a Hero! He's a wanted criminal now!"
"Contact the police immediately! Issue a citywide warrant for Shina Etsuha—raise his threat level to S-Class! Anyone capable of killing Death Arm in an instant is beyond normal containment!"
"He must be captured and severely punished!"
"And that battle—clearly it was criminals fighting among themselves! Look at the destruction it caused!"
The Heroes began voicing their regrets.
To them, capturing Shina Etsuha now would be a massive achievement—something that could boost their rankings significantly.
It was a missed opportunity.
At that moment, a kobold-headed official arrived with a small team.
The moment the Heroes saw him, their expressions turned cautious.
This wasn't just another Hero—this was an official authority, someone who stood above them.
"Where is Shina Etsuha?" the kobold asked directly.
He had already received reports about the incident and had rushed over personally—initially to reward Etsuha.
After all, no one understood better than him what it meant to eliminate someone like All For One.
"That kid escaped," someone replied.
"Escaped?" The kobold frowned. "Why would he escape?"
"He's a criminal. He killed a Hero—of course he ran."
"…What exactly happened here?"
The kobold's expression darkened instantly, anger flashing in his eyes.
"Shina Etsuha killed a Hero? Don't joke with me! Where's the Ninja Hero? Explain everything!"
The surrounding Heroes fell silent, intimidated by his presence.
Akishoute stepped forward and carefully recounted everything that had happened.
As he spoke, the kobold's expression shifted again and again.
"That Shina Etsuha is a ruthless killer!" one of the previously scolded Heroes argued stubbornly. "Someone like him will definitely reoffend!"
"Shut up!" the kobold snapped.
He swept his gaze across everyone, fury blazing in his eyes.
"The person Shina Etsuha killed was the leader of the criminal underworld—someone who once stood on equal footing with All Might!"
He took a step forward, his voice rising.
"Punish him? He should be rewarded! He might even be granted a Hero license on the spot!"
"And yet—you idiots drove him away?!"
The entire scene fell into stunned silence.
Then—
An uproar erupted.