Whoosh!
The power of genetic modification slipped from Shina Etsuha's hand and directly made contact with the target gene chain. However, the contact lasted only an instant. Before Etsuha could confirm whether any damage had been done, Kurogiri's body completely vanished from sight.
"Did it work… or did it fail?"
Etsuha stared at the empty space where Kurogiri had disappeared, uncertainty flickering in his eyes.
Still, regardless of the result, one thing was certain—
The genetic chain representing Kurogiri's quirk now existed within his perception.
"A portal ability… I'll study it carefully."
A faint smile curved Etsuha's lips. This battle had yielded significant gains. Not only had he managed to wound Kurogiri—a rare quirk user—but he had also copied the structure of that quirk itself.
Of course, with his current level of ability, he couldn't fully analyze or replicate it yet. But as long as he continued to evolve, that genetic chain would eventually reveal all its secrets.
"Etsuha!!"
Just as he was lost in thought, Yu Takeyama's voice rang out from behind him.
"I'm freezing to death over here!!"
"…Oh, crap!"
Etsuha suddenly snapped back to reality, realizing he had completely forgotten about her. He hurried over and finally found her half-buried in a snowdrift.
Seeing her covered in snow like a sculpture, he couldn't help but chuckle. "Looks like you're still alive."
When he unleashed his ability, he had deliberately controlled the area around Yu Takeyama. While the snowflakes were cold, they lacked the enhanced freezing effect he used against enemies. Around the Nomu, however, every flake had been reinforced—capable of freezing even those monsters solid in seconds.
"Idiot… at least give me a warning next time before you do something like that…"
Yu Takeyama said weakly, her voice trembling slightly as the paralysis on her body finally wore off.
But by now, it hardly mattered.
Two of the three Nomu had already been completely frozen. The third was critically damaged—its regenerative ability unable to keep up with the devastation. It had effectively been abandoned by Kurogiri.
"Yeah… I'll be more careful next time."
Etsuha let out a long breath, cold sweat forming on his forehead.
The Ice Lan Admiral Army hadn't actually restored his stamina. Instead, it released energy he had stored over the past few days, converting it into power that supported his abilities. It allowed him to unleash his techniques at a reduced cost—but it couldn't replenish the energy he had already spent.
Now that the battle was over, exhaustion hit him all at once.
His body swayed—
And he collapsed straight into Yu Takeyama's arms.
She blinked in surprise, glancing down at him, then instinctively held him tighter.
"…Etsuha really has grown up."
If he hadn't been here today, the outcome would have been unthinkable.
At that thought, her expression darkened slightly. With a flick of irritation, she tore off the limiter chains still attached to her limbs and threw them aside. If not for those restraints, Stain would never have been able to corner her so easily.
"…We're suspending the training. U.A and the police can handle the rest."
Her gaze shifted to the three fallen Nomu, confusion lingering in her eyes. They clearly weren't human—but at the same time, they possessed disturbingly human traits.
In the end, it wasn't her concern.
As a hero, her job was simple—capture villains and leave the investigation to the authorities.
Meanwhile, in an abandoned factory—
"Pff—!"
Kurogiri stumbled out of a portal, his body visibly unstable. The mist that formed his figure had condensed, and a chilling frost clung stubbornly to his form. No matter what he did, he couldn't shake it off, and the cold seeped deep into him.
"You didn't tell me we'd be facing an opponent like that," Stain said coldly.
Even now, he struggled to find the words to describe the strength of that boy.
A professional hero?
No.
In Stain's view, most pro heroes wouldn't have survived that battle. And yet, that level of power belonged to a mere teenager.
"In truth… two weeks ago, he wasn't nearly this strong," Kurogiri replied with a helpless tone. "He's growing far too quickly. Just a month or two ago… he didn't even have a quirk."
"That's impossible!!"
Stain's voice rose sharply, disbelief clear in his eyes.
From quirkless… to that level of strength in just one or two months?
It defied all logic.
"Heh… and that's exactly why he has taken an interest in him," Kurogiri said with a chilling laugh. "Do you really think his ability is just ice? Think again. To grow that powerful in such a short time… his true quirk must be something far deeper. Something even we can't fully comprehend."
Stain fell silent.
Kurogiri's reasoning wasn't wrong. That kind of explosive growth couldn't be explained by a simple ability.
Seeing his reaction, Kurogiri continued coldly:
"That's precisely why he's a threat. We need to eliminate him before he grows any further. But today was just reconnaissance—no need to rush. When the time comes… he will die."
With that, Kurogiri raised his hand to open another portal.
But—
Something felt wrong.
His quirk… didn't activate.