U.A. High School!
Not long after the USJ incident, the entire campus had fallen into chaos. Teachers and staff were scrambling everywhere, searching for any information about Shina Etsuha.
Class 1-A, in particular, was in an uproar.
They had only just recovered from that nightmare-like battle—but the most critical person, Etsuha, had disappeared. Even now, every student was discussing him anxiously.
Tenya Iida spoke first, his voice tense with urgency.
"It's been a full day and night… what exactly is going on with Etsuha? If U.A. can't give us an explanation, then I'll be deeply disappointed!"
A student had been attacked inside U.A. itself. A teacher had been severely injured. And now, a student was missing.
This was undeniably the school's responsibility.
Even someone as disciplined and principled as Iida found it hard to accept.
At this stage, the news hadn't reached them yet. None of them knew what had truly happened to Etsuha.
Katsuki Bakugo spoke in an unusually calm tone:
"With his strength, there's no way he's dead."
Shoto Todoroki nodded in agreement.
"His power… already surpasses most Pro Heroes. Even Aizawa-sensei couldn't defeat him. If he made it through the portal, I don't believe he'd be in any real danger."
Midoriya Izuku clenched his fist tightly, his expression filled with determination.
"No matter where he is… we're going to save Etsuha!"
One of his arms was still heavily bandaged—shattered from the recoil of his own quirk during the USJ incident. It hadn't healed yet.
Because of that, he hadn't even gone home. He was afraid that if his mother saw his injuries, she would stop him from returning to U.A.
Eijiro Kirishima placed a hand on his shoulder.
"That guy risked everything to save us. This time, we're the ones saving him. If U.A. won't act, then we'll do it ourselves."
Fumikage Tokoyami added in a low voice:
"Agreed. What we need now is information. Where did that portal lead? With U.A.'s resources, they should have found something by now."
Momo Yaoyorozu clutched one of Etsuha's manga volumes, her expression filled with worry.
"A whole day has already passed… where are you, Etsuha…?"
At that moment—
The classroom door slid open.
Aizawa Shouta stepped inside.
His entire body was wrapped in bandages.
During the USJ incident, he had suffered multiple fractures—his entire body battered, even his skull cracked. If Recovery Girl hadn't arrived in time, he might not have survived.
Even now, every step he took was painful.
The moment he entered, the entire classroom fell silent.
Dozens of eyes locked onto him.
The pressure in the room became suffocating.
Aizawa's expression was even more serious than usual. He held a video recorder in his hand as he looked at the class, his voice cold and heavy.
"There's good news… and there's news so bad it couldn't be worse. Which do you want to hear first?"
Everyone's hearts skipped a beat.
They immediately sensed something was wrong.
"…The good news," Iida said after taking a deep breath, making the decision for the class.
Aizawa nodded slightly, his tone softening just a fraction.
"The good news is… Shina Etsuha has been found."
A wave of relief almost broke through the room.
"He's in Hosu City, not far from here. Based on current reports, he hasn't been harmed. In fact… he's in surprisingly good condition."
The students' expressions lit up instantly.
"Really?!"
Momo's eyes sparkled with relief.
"That's wonderful—Etsuha is safe!"
Midoriya let out a long breath he didn't realize he'd been holding.
"…That's a relief."
Aizawa continued:
"During that time, he also encountered several top-ranked Pro Heroes… including the Ninja Hero, Akishoute."
The class relaxed slightly.
But—
Bakugo's gaze never left the video recorder in Aizawa's hand.
"The good news is already obvious," he said flatly. "So what about the bad news?"
His tone sharpened.
"If you're describing it like that… then it's probably something far worse."
The room fell silent again.
Every student instinctively focused on the device in Aizawa's hand.
Aizawa glanced at Bakugo briefly.
"…Sharp as always."
Then his expression hardened once more. His voice dropped, turning grave and oppressive.
"This next piece of information… is so serious that I expect all of you to remain calm after hearing it."
"I will allow questions."
"But if anyone acts out of line—"
His eyes narrowed dangerously.
"I will exercise my authority as your homeroom teacher… and expel you from U.A. immediately."
Gulp.
The air in the room became heavy.
Cold sweat formed on Iida's forehead.
He had already guessed—
This had something to do with Etsuha.
But no matter how he thought about it, he couldn't imagine what kind of news could be worse than death.
Etsuha had been found.
He was safe.
Then what could possibly be so terrible?
Iida raised his hand.
"…What is the bad news?"
Aizawa didn't answer right away.
Instead, he scanned the room.
"Are you prepared?"
The students hesitated—but one by one, they nodded.
"We're ready."
Aizawa took a slow breath.
Then, in a calm but heavy voice, he delivered the truth:
"From this moment onward… Shina Etsuha has been stripped of his U.A. student status."
A pause.
"…And has been officially designated as an S-class criminal."
"Wanted nationwide."