"Winged Hero Hawks vs. fugitive Shina Etsuha—defeated in tens of seconds! (Video)"
"The strongest fugitive? A physique that terrifies the No. 3 Hero!"
"Hero crisis! Hawks defeated by a fugitive—life or death unknown!"
Explosive headlines flooded every major hero forum.
At first, people ignored them. But the shocking titles drew clicks—and once viewers saw the footage, even the quietest lurkers erupted.
"Why does he have three Quirks? That's impossible!"
"Enhancement is one, ability-type is another… every single one is top-tier—who is this guy?!"
"That combat power is insane. Is he really just a fugitive?!"
"Hawks should be fine… right?"
"I've seen the video—it's on the NNT live broadcast site! They're still fighting—it's basically life and death!"
"That site? I'm going now!"
"…!"
The defeat of the No. 3 Hero was something ordinary people simply couldn't comprehend. In their minds, Heroes were nearly invincible.
Panic spread instantly.
Authorities reacted just as fast. Large numbers of posts were deleted, labeled as rumors. Discussions were suppressed.
After all—if this were confirmed, it could cause massive social unrest.
Soon, the public forums fell silent.
But beneath that silence, the undercurrent surged. Saved clips spread privately, faster than ever.
Meanwhile, in Hosu City—
The Flame Hero, Endeavor, and the No. 4 Hero, Best Jeanist, arrived at nearly the same time.
During the drive, bored, Endeavor casually opened a forum—and immediately noticed an interesting title.
"'Winged Hero Hawks vs. fugitive Shina Etsuha,' huh? Looks like I'm a step too late."
He sneered.
"Seems I won't even need to act. Imagine struggling to handle a mere kid."
He tapped the post.
The full title loaded:
"Winged Hero Hawks vs. fugitive Shina Etsuha—defeated in tens of seconds! (With video)"
Endeavor's pupils shrank.
He knew Hawks' strength better than most. They had worked together before. That No. 3 ranking wasn't for show.
Even he couldn't defeat Hawks in mere seconds.
"What's wrong?" Best Jeanist asked, noticing his expression.
"Hmph. Nothing."
Endeavor locked his phone and scoffed.
From the beginning, he had no intention of cooperating. To him, Best Jeanist wasn't an ally—just a rival.
"Since we're not working together, let's split up," Best Jeanist said calmly. His goal wasn't to defeat Etsuha—but to understand the truth.
He believed Etsuha wouldn't fight him without reason.
"I'll head this way," Endeavor said, pointing toward the open area mentioned in the forum.
"Then I'll go the opposite direction."
With that, they parted ways.
Endeavor walked forward, eyes cold.
"If you can defeat Hawks in seconds… then show me what you've got."
He intended to prove himself through this battle.
Meanwhile—
At the center of everything, the source of all the chaos—
Shina Etsuha stood facing a decision that would define his path.
To kill… or not to kill.
His earlier punch had shattered Hawks' ribs. The Hero now lay barely breathing, clinging to life.
Etsuha's expression remained calm.
Behind him, an aerial camera captured everything in perfect clarity.
If he could see the livestream, he'd notice the comments flooding endlessly:
"What is he doing? He's not actually going to kill a Hero, right?!"
"That's the No. 3 Hero—there's no way he'd dare!"
"…Something feels wrong."
"Idiot, it's just intimidation. There are too many Heroes in Hosu. I heard Endeavor is nearby—if he kills him, he's dead!"
"Yeah, no way he has the guts."
The scrolling comments never stopped.
But Etsuha saw none of it.
He crouched beside Hawks, his voice steady.
"You came to capture me under a wanted order, didn't you?"
It sounded like a question—but his tone carried certainty.
Hawks coughed up blood, forcing out a faint "...Yeah."
Etsuha nodded slightly.
"I understand now."
"There's no point in running. If I keep hiding, trouble will always find me."
"I don't like killing people. Maybe you're a good person."
His voice didn't change.
"But if you accept a mission against me… then you should be prepared to face death."
He reached out.
Gripped Hawks' head.
Lifted him off the ground—
And tightened his fingers.
Bang!
Hawks' head burst apart like a smashed watermelon.
Blood splattered across Etsuha's hand.
"For you… this was probably the least painful way to die."
His tone remained calm.
The scene was brutal. Shocking.
But to Etsuha—it wasn't cruelty.
Hawks hadn't suffered long.
And all of it—
Was broadcast live.
For a moment—
The entire barrage froze.
Then—
It exploded.