"Ah—Endeavour?!"
The shop owner was startled by the sudden arrival of a Hero. But the moment he recognized the No. 2 Hero, Endeavour, his expression shifted to excitement.
The surrounding customers began murmuring as well, their voices filled with awe. In this world, top Heroes were treated even better than celebrities. Despite Endeavour's harsh reputation, his popularity remained immense.
Even so, no one dared approach him for an autograph. They could only whisper among themselves.
"Who is that kid? Endeavour actually sat down across from him?"
"That's unbelievable… Endeavour doesn't just sit with anyone."
"That boy looks kind of familiar… though I can't place it."
"Man… I'm jealous…"
The owner quickly composed himself and smiled.
"Heroes get a 20% discount here."
Endeavour gave a brief nod, his gaze never leaving Shina Etsuha.
Etsuha, meanwhile, continued eating as if the Hero didn't exist.
"If I'm not mistaken," Endeavour said in a low voice, "everyone around you has already been influenced by your eyes. They have a hypnotic effect—subtly altering people's perception so they fail to recognize you."
"Yes… and no," Etsuha replied vaguely.
The Sharingan possessed hypnotic properties, but not in the conventional sense. Beyond casting illusions, it could plant subtle suggestions—much like how people unconsciously ignore their own nose in their field of vision.
Etsuha used this to suppress his presence, making it easy for ordinary people to overlook him entirely. However, this wasn't true hypnosis. Anyone with a strong awareness of him could break free with enough focus.
Endeavour's expression darkened. A chilling killing intent spread from him, heavy and oppressive—yet he remained silent.
Etsuha didn't react in the slightest. He calmly took another bite of fruit salad and remarked, "This is really well made."
Endeavour frowned.
He had been testing Etsuha, but the boy showed no response whatsoever. It left him unable to predict his next move.
What the hell is this guy…?
What kind of fugitive behaved like this? Calmly eating in a public restaurant, as if nothing in the world concerned him—he seemed more like an ordinary person than anyone else in the room.
By the time Endeavour gathered his thoughts, Etsuha had already finished eating.
"Thanks for the meal."
He stood up and walked out.
After a brief hesitation, Endeavour followed.
His orders were clear: prevent destruction—not engage unless necessary. But as the day dragged on, Etsuha did nothing but wander, eat, and relax. To outsiders, it looked as though Endeavour had become his personal bodyguard, trailing him everywhere under countless curious stares.
It was deeply irritating.
Two days passed.
Etsuha's routine remained unchanged. Eating, walking, resting—simple, almost mundane. But what Endeavour didn't realize was that during this time, Etsuha had continued refining his combat skills and mastering new abilities.
All of it was fueled by one thing:
The spread of the video.
Despite official suppression, recordings of Etsuha defeating Hawks had spread like wildfire through private channels. Hawks' reputation ensured that his fall couldn't be contained. The news spread like a virus beneath the surface.
Inside a dimly lit bar, a disheveled young man sat slouched in a chair.
Shigaraki Tomura.
Since the fall of All For One, much of his former immaturity had faded. His demeanor had grown colder, more calculated.
With the remnants of All For One's power, Shigaraki had gained access to multiple Quirks and even restored Kurogiri's body.
Recently, he had received shocking news:
The Winged Hero, Hawks, had been killed—by Shina Etsuha.
Even the League of Villains was stunned.
Shigaraki replayed the video carefully, his expression shifting.
"So this happened…"
In his original plans, Etsuha had been a potential cornerstone for the League—a powerful future asset. But in just two days, everything had changed.
Etsuha had become something else entirely.
Kurogiri chuckled darkly.
"What a tragic turn. Such a bright future… and now he's ended up like this."
"The chaos I've always wanted…" Shigaraki murmured, scratching at his neck. "…he's already created it."
The sender of the video had an unusual name:
Hassaikai (Shie Hassaikai).
A message followed shortly after:
"League of Villains… are you interested in making contact?"
"Oh?" Shigaraki's interest was piqued.
After a moment's thought, he replied:
"Yes."
He had only recently come into contact with this group through an intermediary. They appeared to be an organized underground force.
If they were strong, cooperation might be beneficial.
If not…
Absorption was always an option.
As he considered this, the bar door suddenly opened.
"Is Mr. Shigaraki here? Someone wants to join," the intermediary said with a grin.
Several figures stood behind him.
..
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