"Wait—what did you just say? I'm the final boss?"
Shina Etsuha blinked, momentarily unable to process what he'd just heard. U.A.'s entrance exam was supposed to be about fighting robots, wasn't it? Since when did it involve a "final boss"? And more importantly—why was he being assigned that role?
"It just means you'll act as the strongest opponent," Aizawa Shouta explained calmly.
"That's not what I'm asking," Etsuha replied flatly. "I mean, why me? What's the point?"
"There's a very clear point," Aizawa said. "You remember the recent attack by the enemy alliance. Even though we suppressed most of the information, there are still people questioning U.A.'s strength behind the scenes. The principal believes that if you step forward, it will silence those doubts."
He paused before continuing, "And the school won't let you do this for nothing. I heard from Mt. Lady that you're looking for fame. The entrance exam will be broadcast live. If you perform well, you'll get exactly the kind of attention you're after."
"You've really thought this through…"
Etsuha's interest was immediately piqued. What he needed most right now was energy—and fame translated directly into that. After extracting the Mangekyō Sharingan, his reserves had been nearly depleted. If the U.A. exam could help replenish even a fraction of that, it would be worth it.
Still, despite the clear appeal, Etsuha pretended to hesitate.
"That alone… might not be enough."
"…"
A faint vein throbbed on Aizawa's forehead. He had expected this. Knowing Etsuha's personality, he had already prepared for negotiations.
After a brief silence, Aizawa sighed. "Fine. I'll agree to the condition you mentioned before. But you're not allowed to mess around."
"Deal."
Etsuha agreed instantly.
Previously, when considering how to use the Sharingan to copy genetic sequences, Etsuha had proposed becoming a temporary assistant in the infirmary. His reasoning was simple: U.A.'s intense training meant injuries were inevitable, and the infirmary would give him legitimate access to various quirks. Combined with the Sharingan, it would allow him to gather a vast number of gene sequences.
However, that request had been rejected at the time.
Now, with Aizawa bringing it back up himself, it was clear U.A. had begun to place greater importance on Etsuha's role.
"Just make sure you arrive early," Aizawa added before hanging up.
"Do you really think it's wise to make him the final boss?"
A familiar voice spoke from nearby—All Might.
"We don't have much choice," Aizawa replied. "The incident damaged U.A.'s reputation. If people see that someone like Etsuha is part of our school, it'll shut down most of the criticism."
The real goal wasn't to test Etsuha—it was to use him as a deterrent.
After all, the candidates taking the exam would be elite students from across the country. Individually, none of them could match Etsuha—but in large numbers? Even he might struggle.
"…Midoriya, I hope you don't run into him," All Might muttered under his breath.
"Final boss, huh? U.A. really does love these dramatic setups."
After hanging up, Etsuha muttered to himself before turning his attention back to the book in front of him.
It was a math reference guide, filled with dense formulas—normally something that would take hours to memorize.
But now, with the Sharingan active, he only needed a single glance.
The information imprinted itself into his mind instantly, crystal clear and perfectly organized.
"So the Sharingan enhances memory and observation too… not just copying."
Etsuha nodded thoughtfully. This ability would be perfect for analyzing Nomu.
Without wasting time, he contacted the police officer he had spoken to earlier and requested permission to visit the captured Nomu.
"Visit them? That's fine," the officer replied. "But they've been transferred to a high-security facility in Shizuoka Prefecture. You'll need clearance—"
After a series of explanations and arrangements, Etsuha finally confirmed the location. Packing lightly, he set off immediately.
"Are you Mr. Shina?"
At the prison, a guard recognized him right away. After verifying his identity, the guard led him inside.
Soon, Etsuha saw the Nomu again.
Compared to before, the three creatures had become significantly thinner. Each was confined in a separate chamber, sealed behind thick bulletproof glass.
Just like before, they remained completely unresponsive—blank-eyed and motionless, like lifeless puppets.
"How are they holding up?" Etsuha asked.
"Hard to say," the guard replied. "We tracked down their identities. They were all low-level criminals from different cities, with almost no social connections. It took over six months before anyone even reported them missing."
He let out a frustrated sigh.
"And honestly, they barely qualify as human anymore. They don't even know how to eat. If we weren't feeding them nutrient solutions every day, they would've starved to death by now."
Only then did Etsuha notice how emaciated they had become. One of them—the one with regeneration—had lost so much weight that its ribs were clearly visible.
"Can I go inside?" Etsuha asked, presenting his special certification.
The guard examined it and immediately straightened.
"A medical-type quirk? Of course. Please proceed."
Stepping into the first chamber, Etsuha approached the Nomu and placed his hand against its cold, unnatural skin.
In an instant, an intricate web of genetic chains unfolded before his eyes.
Fragments. Failures. Incomplete sequences.
But among the chaos, there were also intact quirk gene chains.
Etsuha quickly identified two complete ones and activated his Sharingan.
As the three tomoe spun within his crimson eyes, every detail of those genetic structures was captured perfectly—etched into his mind with absolute clarity.