Rumble!
As the massive ice sphere began to move, the ground trembled violently. The entire street shook as if struck by an earthquake. Seeing this, Death Arm's heart nearly stopped in terror.
"How can a kid like this even exist?!"
The sludge tried to escape—but at that moment, two walls of ice suddenly rose up on either side of him. Their strength wasn't overwhelming, but it was more than enough to delay him.
"Damn it!" Death Arm roared.
In desperation, he hurled Katsuki Bakugo away and leapt upward with all his strength!
"Oh? Giving up your hostage that easily?" Shina Etsuha raised an eyebrow in mild surprise. With a flick of his control, he guided a chunk of ice to catch and push the unconscious Bakugo safely aside, ensuring he wouldn't be crushed by the rolling sphere.
At the same time, the massive ice sphere beneath Etsuha's feet surged forward—but the spot where Death Arm had been was now empty. Using his explosive leap, the sludge had already propelled himself onto the rooftop of a nearby building.
"Up here, you shouldn't be able to reach me now, right?" Death Arm sneered coldly.
"Really?" Shina Etsuha shrugged casually. "Then you might want to watch your surroundings."
"…What?"
Startled, Death Arm turned—
—and found himself surrounded by Heroes.
"Grr—!" A Hero clenched his fist, coordinating instantly with Kamui Woods. Together, they struck at the sludge on the rooftop at the exact same moment.
Bang!
The attacks landed simultaneously, producing a dull, heavy impact. Though Death Arm himself didn't take significant damage, the combined force knocked his bloated body off balance—
—and sent him crashing back down.
Straight into the path of the incoming ice sphere.
"No!!"
Death Arm struggled desperately—but against the overwhelming force of the rolling mass, resistance was meaningless.
BOOM!
His body was crushed instantly, shattered into countless fragments under the sheer weight.
"…That power…"
Everyone who witnessed the scene felt a chill run down their spine. Aside from the very top professional Heroes, who could possibly stop something like that?
Under Shina Etsuha's precise control, the ice sphere rolled faster and faster before finally shattering apart. However, he had no immediate way to undo the ice he had created. The surrounding buildings remained frozen solid, unable to return to normal anytime soon.
"Is it… over?" All Might finally let out a breath of relief.
Only now did the others begin to recover from their shock.
What had they just witnessed?
A devastating, city-shaking technique—
executed by a boy who wasn't even a licensed Hero.
"Who is that kid? Pulling off a Quirk like that at his age…"
"That's Shina Etsuha!"
"What?!"
"So it's him? I thought the newspaper exaggerated his abilities… I didn't expect him to be this strong!"
"Shina Etsuha… I won't forget that name."
Kamui Woods and the other Heroes exchanged complicated looks.
"I never imagined such a troublesome villain would be taken down by a teenager," Kamui Woods admitted quietly. "We barely even contributed."
"Still," another Hero nodded, "his Quirk is incredible. That ice sphere—was that his ultimate move? The accuracy might be limited, but against certain opponents, it's devastating."
Nearby, Mt. Lady watched Shina Etsuha with a thoughtful glint in her eyes.
"He's gotten strong before we even realized it…" she murmured. "I should find a chance to test him myself."
Wailing sirens echoed through the streets as fire trucks and ambulances finally arrived. But when the firefighters saw the frozen buildings, they could only stare in stunned silence.
"Where's the fire?"
"…We deal with fires—not ice disasters!"
Even the fire-suppression Hero looked awkward. He had been the one to call them, but he hadn't expected Etsuha's freezing power to extinguish everything instantly.
Meanwhile, Shina Etsuha walked calmly over to what remained of Death Arm.
Despite being crushed into fragments, the sludge still writhed faintly. Its durability was extraordinary—even in this state, it clung stubbornly to life. However, it had clearly lost consciousness and could no longer control its form.
"…A bottle should do the trick."
Thinking back, Etsuha picked up a nearby soda bottle and carefully sealed the remaining sludge inside. The method worked perfectly.
If nothing else, today's events would likely push his reputation even higher. As for any punishment for using his Quirk in public—
That hardly mattered.
At worst, he might face some verbal criticism. With Mt. Lady around, the attention would be shared—and more importantly, he had saved lives. That alone was enough to outweigh any minor infractions.
But just as he finished his thoughts—
An urgent voice rang out from the ambulance:
"This boy has severe internal injuries!"