"Who is it?!"
Jinmu, who was dragging the heavily injured Ranbo (Chaos Shoulder) along with him, suddenly sensed something indescribable chasing from behind. When he turned his head, he saw a man with wings descending from the sky, landing directly in front of them.
"'Wing Hero'… Hawks!"
At the sight of those wide, outstretched wings, both Otomoto Jin and Jinmu's pupils shrank.
"A masked group… and one of you is critically injured?" Hawks quickly judged that something was wrong. Combined with the disturbance in the park earlier, he had no intention of letting them leave.
His wings flared.
Several sharp feathers shot forward like steel blades.
Clang! Clang!
The feathers pierced into the ground at terrifying speed. Jinmu and Otomoto Jin were forced to let go and dodge. In the process, the dying Ranbo fell hard onto the ground, a mouthful of blood spilling from his lips.
It was obvious—he had already reached his limit.
"It's over… he won't last any longer!" Jinmu exclaimed in shock.
Ranbo's injuries were already severe. Even the slightest delay could push him past the point of no return. Now, with Hawks intervening, his body finally gave out completely.
"Such serious injuries…"
Hawks frowned and crouched beside him, examining the damage. His expression darkened.
"Every bone is shattered. Internal bleeding everywhere. And he's still alive… This must be an enhancement-type powerhouse. Rare. What kind of Villain could do this?"
To Hawks, survival in this condition was only temporary. Without a healing Quirk capable of complete restoration, the man's chances of living were practically zero.
"…Stay away from him!" Jinmu's voice turned cold.
Hawks glanced at him.
"His condition isn't my doing. But what happened here is your responsibility. You caused that explosion in the park—so how did your companion end up like this? I'm curious."
Otomoto Jin stepped forward with a smile.
"Well, we just happened to run into an S-class fugitive and tried to stop him. But to think we'd meet the famous Wing Hero here… what brings you to Hosu City, Hawks?"
As he spoke, his Quirk silently activated.
Hawks felt something off—but his thoughts dulled for a brief moment.
"We recently received a commission… to capture Shina Etsuha. Intelligence suggested he's in Hosu City."
At that exact moment—
The ground beneath them shifted.
Chunks of earth rose up, wrapping around the three like massive blocks before sinking back underground. By the time Hawks snapped out of it, they were already gone.
Otomoto Jin's voice echoed faintly from below:
"As for Shina Etsuha… he just escaped to the west, Mr. Hero."
Hawks clicked his tongue.
"An unknown criminal group… and they've already clashed with Shina Etsuha. That explains why they pointed me in a direction."
He didn't fully understand the masked group, but it was clear they belonged to an organized force.
After reporting the situation, Hawks turned toward the direction Otomoto had mentioned. His priority was clear—Shina Etsuha, not the Shie Hassaikai. Other Heroes could handle the aftermath here.
"Found him! The No. 3 Wing Hero, Hawks!"
Suddenly, a reporter rushed in, followed by a crowd carrying cameras. Flashing lights erupted instantly.
"…Already?" Hawks muttered, his expression souring.
Being surrounded during missions was nothing new for him. With no way to escape, he forced a composed expression as the reporters crowded around.
"Mr. Hawks! What brings you to Hosu City?" one asked, microphone raised.
"I'm here on a commission," Hawks replied calmly. "My objective is to capture Shina Etsuha."
"The same target as the Flame Hero?" the reporter asked in surprise. "Wasn't that mission assigned to Endeavor?"
Hawks nodded.
"It's not just him. Three of us accepted the same job—myself, Endeavor, and Best Jeanist."
The reporters fell into stunned silence.
Three top-ranked Heroes… for a single target.
"Does that mean Shina Etsuha is strong enough to require all three of you?" one asked quickly.
Hawks chuckled lightly.
"Not exactly. His Quirk is just… tricky. Hard to pin down alone."
"So you need at least two to guarantee capture?"
Hawks shook his head, a confident smile forming.
"No."
"To deal with Shina Etsuha… I'm enough on my own."