Following Yu Takeyama's words, the atmosphere fell into an eerie silence.
After a long pause, Aizawa Shouta asked cautiously, "One… person?"
No matter how he thought about it, he simply couldn't imagine how Etsuha alone could have defeated enemies of that level.
But Yu Takeyama answered firmly, "I was immobilized by the enemy's quirk during the battle. I was down the entire time. Etsuha arrived and handled everything on his own."
"…I see." Aizawa Shouta fell silent, unable to find the right words.
Yu Takeyama added, "I've already notified the local police about the Villains. The bigger issue is the two students involved in this incident. Even though they're safe, if this isn't handled properly, it could cause a major public backlash."
Aizawa's expression turned serious. U.A. students being attacked by Villains was ultimately the school's responsibility. As the nation's top hero academy, any incident involving its students would carry enormous social consequences. If U.A. failed to respond appropriately, the fallout could be severe.
After thanking Yu Takeyama for the warning, Aizawa immediately contacted the principal, and U.A. quickly convened an internal emergency meeting.
…
At that moment, Etsuha was at a police station.
Behind him stood three Nomu, restrained in handcuffs. The massive creatures now stood motionless, following Etsuha sluggishly like puppets.
"These are the Villains who attacked you?" one officer asked, staring at them in disbelief. "It's hard to imagine something like this…"
"Yes," Etsuha replied. "And I suspect their mental faculties have been erased. No matter what I try, they won't respond. It's similar to brainwashing—but not quite the same."
"No sanity at all…" The officer frowned and stepped forward.
"Hey. Can you speak?"
Nomu: "…"
The three creatures stared ahead blankly, like machines without power. Aside from breathing, they showed no signs of awareness. Even basic movement required assistance.
One of them was even stranger—its body was as hard as steel, and unlike the others, it had no eyes at all. It was impossible to tell how it perceived its surroundings.
"Looks like they really can't talk," the officer muttered. "With quirks like these, standard interrogation methods won't work…"
Etsuha simply shrugged, confirming his suspicions.
"In that case, we'll need specialists." The officer picked up his radio. "Doctor? We need a team here for a psychiatric evaluation. These 'subjects' may be incapable of normal communication."
Soon, four doctors in white coats arrived.
The moment they saw the Nomu, they froze.
"…What in the world is this?"
Their shock was unmistakable.
Without hesitation, they gathered around the Nomu and began examining them closely—some even touching them directly.
"This skin texture… it's like metal. Is that due to a quirk?"
"This one has no eyes… how is that even possible?"
"Hey, don't cut into it with a blade—!"
"It's not human… I'll just take a small sample—wait… it's regenerating…"
As they continued their examination, their expressions grew increasingly grave.
The officer looked uncomfortable but explained, "These are the attackers. They were extremely aggressive earlier, but after the mastermind left, they just… stopped."
"…This is human," one doctor suddenly said.
"…What?" The officer blinked.
The other doctors quickly confirmed similar findings, and their faces darkened.
"There's no mistake," one of them said. "By every measurable standard, these are human bodies. As for why they've taken this form… we don't know."
He paused before continuing, "As for their inability to speak, it's likely due to severe brain damage. What remains are only basic motor functions. To determine the full extent, we'll need proper laboratory analysis."
Even the doctors, experienced as they were, had never seen anything like this. The Nomu retained human biological traits, yet their forms were grotesquely inhuman. The exposed brain tissue alone was enough to turn the stomach.
A sense of dread settled over the room.
"…Then we'll proceed that way," the officer said with a sigh. "It's hard to believe these monsters were once human…"
He turned to Etsuha. "Do you have any idea who was behind the attack? Any clues would be extremely helpful."
"It's connected to the Hero Killer," Etsuha replied. "And likely an organization called the League of Villains."
He didn't expect the police to act immediately, but providing some information couldn't hurt.
"…The Hero Killer…" The officer wrote it down, his expression tightening. "That complicates things."
He looked back up. "Thank you for your assistance. We'll take custody of these 'Nomu' for now. Once we have results, we'll inform you."
Etsuha nodded. That much was expected.
As he turned to leave, a sudden thought crossed his mind.
He glanced back at the three Nomu… and reached out, touching one casually.
In an instant—
Countless gene strands unfolded before his eyes.