The figure streaked through the sky at incredible speed, passing over Etsuha's head in an instant.
Sensing the presence above him, Shina Etsuha raised his eyes and looked up in surprise.
"That should be the Wing Hero… is he here for me?"
He had heard of Hawks before. This wasn't Hosu's local Hero, so his sudden appearance here caught Etsuha off guard.
But just as quickly as he had passed, the Hero suddenly turned back.
His black wings flared as he hovered in the air above Etsuha, muttering to himself, "Good thing I didn't fly too fast… otherwise I might've missed him."
A faint glint flashed in Etsuha's eyes.
He hadn't wanted to face a Hero just yet—but now that one had come directly to him, there was no reason to avoid it.
"Shina Etsuha… so it really is you." Hawks remained suspended midair, a trace of surprise in his gaze. "You look just like the photo. Hard to believe someone this young could become an S-class criminal. I heard you're… quite cunning?"
Etsuha didn't respond.
Instead, his mind remained fixed on a single question.
If we fight… should I kill him? Or not?
"No answer?" Hawks frowned slightly. This was the first time he had seen someone like this. According to the reports, Etsuha was supposed to be ruthless—someone who would attack without hesitation.
But standing here now, the boy gave off an entirely different impression.
Calm. Quiet. Almost ordinary.
Not at all like an S-class criminal.
It was as if he were simply a person who had gained power—without a clear sense of purpose.
"You look like you're thinking about something," Hawks said, descending from the sky until he stood directly in front of Etsuha.
For someone whose greatest advantage was aerial mobility, this was a reckless move. Against a dangerous opponent, he should have kept his distance.
But his instincts told him something strange—
In this moment, the boy wouldn't attack.
Etsuha finally spoke.
"I'm thinking… whether I should kill you."
The words were undeniably hostile.
Yet strangely, there was no killing intent behind them.
Hawks narrowed his eyes, intrigued. "Why?"
Etsuha hesitated for a moment before answering honestly.
"…Because I don't want to kill good people."
That was his conclusion.
He didn't consider himself a good person—but he couldn't bring himself to harm those who genuinely helped others. Most Heroes he had encountered fit that description.
He didn't know much about Hawks yet.
But if he killed him by mistake…
That would be a regret he couldn't undo.
Hawks let out a low chuckle.
"What counts as a 'good person'? You're an odd one. You do realize that if I capture you, you'll likely be sentenced to death? You could say I'm here to kill you. Doesn't that make me a bad person in your eyes?"
"I don't know," Etsuha replied calmly. "But I suggest you stay out of my affairs."
His gaze sharpened slightly.
"Because anyone who stands against me—even if they're a good person—I'll break their legs."
He had never intended to avoid fighting.
From the moment he left the Hero side, he knew clashes with Heroes were inevitable. He wouldn't go out of his way to cleanse society like some fanatic—but he also wouldn't show mercy to those who came after him.
The only difference was—
Whether he killed them or not.
"Hahaha! What arrogance!" Hawks laughed, finding the boy both strange and amusing. "Enough talk. I don't have time to analyze your philosophy."
His expression hardened.
"All I need to do… is defeat you."
"Let me see what makes you worthy of being an S-class criminal!"
With that, he moved first.
Several feathers detached from his wings, aligning in midair like arrows before shooting toward Etsuha with a sharp whistle.
Etsuha's gaze locked onto the incoming projectiles.
His body moved lightly—fluid, precise.
He dodged every single attack with ease.
The feathers pierced into the ground behind him, sinking in like blades through soft clay without making a sound.
With his current physical condition, even without the aid of his Sharingan, evading attacks at bullet-like speed was effortless.
"Fast…"
Hawks' eyes narrowed.
He had seen it clearly—there was no trick, no technique involved. Etsuha had relied purely on his physical abilities to evade.
It was the first time Hawks had encountered something like this.
"The intel said his Quirk is ability-based… ice, ocular powers… avoid eye contact…" Hawks thought rapidly. "But this level of physical performance—what is this?"
At that moment—
Etsuha's figure flickered.
And vanished.
"Not good!"
Hawks' pupils shrank.
The speed was beyond anything he had anticipated—something he had never encountered before. With no time to react properly, he relied on instinct and experience.
His wings snapped shut around him, forming a dense, steel-like shell—a defensive cocoon.
In the next instant—
Etsuha appeared above him.
One leg raised high, like a battle axe poised to strike.
And then—
He brought it crashing down.
BOOM!
The ground exploded, a massive crater forming instantly beneath the impact.