"Goodbye, Etsuha."
"See you in a few days, Momo!"
On the U.A. bus, Shina Etsuha and Yaoyorozu Momo said their farewells. After spending the day together at U.A., the two had grown noticeably closer—their formal way of addressing each other had softened into something more natural and friendly.
Once Momo got off the bus, Etsuha was almost alone.
He glanced toward the front and noticed Aizawa Shouta slumped in his seat, clearly half-asleep. His eyes flickered slightly before he spoke.
"Aizawa-sensei."
"What is it, Shina?" Aizawa Shouta muttered, forcing himself awake with a lazy yawn.
This time, Aizawa was the only Pro Hero escorting the students. Present Mic had stayed behind to teach English to the second years. Without his usual noisy counterpart, Aizawa had taken full advantage—he'd even brought a sleeping bag and had spent most of the ride dozing.
"Are healing-type Quirks really that rare?" Etsuha asked. "I noticed that among all the recommended students this time, most have combat-type Quirks. Even the support-oriented ones don't include any healing abilities."
"…That's true," Aizawa said after a moment, nodding. "Healing Quirks are extremely rare across the entire world. The most well-known example is Recovery Girl. Most Pro Heroes go to her whenever they're injured."
He shifted slightly, now fully awake.
"In general, anyone with a healing-type Quirk is quickly recruited by agencies. Being a Hero is a high-risk profession. A strong healer… in some ways, is equivalent to an extra life."
Etsuha nodded thoughtfully.
It made sense. If healing Quirks were more common, All Might's condition wouldn't have deteriorated so badly.
Aizawa gave him a sidelong glance.
"What are you getting at? Don't tell me you know someone with a healing-type Quirk."
"If that's the case," he added, "the school would definitely offer them special consideration. Even granting an additional recommendation slot wouldn't be out of the question."
"…So people with healing Quirks receive that much attention?" Etsuha asked, choosing his words carefully.
"Very much so," Aizawa replied with a faint smile. "They gain recognition easily. Take Recovery Girl—her Quirk attracted massive attention as soon as she debuted. Every Hero agency wanted her. Even now, she's practically a symbol of U.A."
Etsuha's eyes lit up.
It seemed he had just found another path to building influence.
He was about to continue the conversation—
SCREECH—!
The bus suddenly slammed to a stop.
The force of the abrupt braking sent Aizawa flying forward, his head knocking against the window with a dull thud.
"Hey! Who the hell cuts someone off like that?!" the driver shouted, sticking his head out the window.
Ahead of them, a car had recklessly overtaken the bus. The person in the passenger seat appeared to be covering their face with one hand.
"Are these people insane?!" the driver cursed.
"What happened?" Aizawa quickly climbed out of his sleeping bag, his expression sharpening as he looked ahead.
After a brief glance, he relaxed slightly.
"Just some idiot forcing an overtake. Nothing serious."
Etsuha stepped closer to the window, trying to get a better look—but the car had already sped off, leaving only its fading silhouette behind.
"It's fine," Aizawa said. "Probably just someone in a hurry who startled the driver."
Etsuha nodded, though something about it lingered in his mind.
Elsewhere—
The same car that had cut off the U.A. bus turned sharply into a narrow alley.
Inside, the figure in the passenger seat slowly lowered his hand, revealing a pale face etched with excitement.
"Are you sure… Shina Etsuha was on that bus?"
The driver—shrouded in mist—was none other than Kurogiri.
"Yes," he replied after a brief hesitation. "It's been confirmed. But… is this really wise? Our leader said we shouldn't act yet…"
Shigaraki Tomura let out a low chuckle.
"As long as we don't kill him, it's fine, right?"
His fingers twitched as he scratched lightly at his neck.
"I'm really curious about his ability. Don't you want to see it too? The kind of power that could one day… kill All Might."
"…Well…" Kurogiri hesitated, then glanced into the back seat.
There, slumped in silence, was a grotesque figure—its brain exposed, its features barely human, resembling something closer to a beast than a man.
Just being near it was enough to feel an overwhelming pressure.
Power on the level of All Might.