"Are you… admitting defeat?" Shina Etsuha asked, a trace of regret in his voice. Aizawa Shouta's combat ability was clearly exceptional—he still seemed to have more in reserve. Etsuha hadn't expected him to concede so quickly.
"This kind of fight doesn't mean much," Aizawa Shouta replied, sounding unusually frustrated. "I've realized your ability is a complete hard counter to mine."
He felt genuinely stifled. Fighting Etsuha was like having several of his own advantages stripped away. If his Erasure could suppress Etsuha's freezing ability, things might have been different—but the problem was, it couldn't. That left him in a constant state of passive defense.
Worse still, the battlefield itself worked against him. Every shard of ice around Etsuha could become a lethal weapon at any moment. That constant pressure wasn't something raw physical skill alone could overcome.
By Aizawa Shouta's estimate, the only way to properly fight Etsuha would be to directly counter his ice. Without that, victory was simply out of reach.
That realization left him in a complicated mood. He had intended to teach his students a lesson—but instead, he'd become the example. How was he supposed to guide someone like this? If Etsuha weren't so young, he might already qualify for a provisional Hero license.
Around them, the rest of Class A stood in stunned silence.
"…Aizawa-sensei lost…" Midoriya Izuku murmured in disbelief.
"If his power can't even be erased, then what are we supposed to do?" Kaminari Denki said, recalling the fear he'd felt during the exam. "What was U.A thinking? We're just first-years, and they made us fight someone like him… even a teacher couldn't win!"
"This is a matter of compatibility," Ida Tenya said quietly. "Aizawa-sensei is still extremely strong."
The situation was difficult to describe. Fortunately, Aizawa Shouta wasn't someone who would lose face easily. Even after conceding, he simply cleared his throat and addressed the class calmly.
"Safety comes first. This was only a demonstration," he said. "But I trust you all understand now how important it is to master your quirk in order to improve your combat ability."
As he spoke, his gaze shifted toward Shoto Todoroki.
"Your quirk also involves ice, correct? And it's powerful. You can create massive structures—but can you use it like Shina?"
Shoto Todoroki shook his head. "No. Shina can shape ice into anything he wants. I can only generate it and attack directly."
He had already noticed the difference during the exam. While he could unleash overwhelming quantities of ice, his usage was straightforward and limited. In contrast, Etsuha's control was precise, adaptable, and deadly. The gap in technique was impossible to ignore.
Aizawa Shouta nodded. "That's a gap in skill—and exactly why I prepared today's quirk assessment."
He gestured toward the frozen battlefield. "Can you melt this?"
Reluctantly, Shoto Todoroki activated his flames. The ice gradually melted into water, then evaporated under rising heat, restoring the field to a usable state.
After that, the class moved into the standard quirk assessment tests. These exercises were designed to help students better understand and refine their abilities.
Etsuha participated as well, though his athletic performance was fairly average—his skating ability, in particular, left much to be desired.
During the tests, Midoriya Izuku encountered the same issue as before—his lack of control over his power. At one point, he nearly gave up, but instead chose to focus his strength into a single fingertip to pass the test. Etsuha even helped treat him afterward.
Watching this, Etsuha felt a quiet sense of concern.
Because of his own interference, the League of Villains would likely change their strategy. They wouldn't rely on disposable thugs anymore—they might send something far more dangerous.
And yet, Midoriya Izuku and the others hadn't grown significantly stronger.
Would their future still unfold the same way?
Etsuha couldn't be sure. In the end, there was no point overthinking it. Whatever happened, he would deal with it when the time came.
The first few days of school passed without incident—just ordinary classes and routines.
Meanwhile, Yaoyorozu Momo's creative ability continued to improve. Her work on the manga project had reached a rough structural stage, significantly reducing Etsuha's workload.
However, Etsuha soon noticed something unusual.
Aizawa Shouta seemed to be making separate arrangements for him.
Sure enough, not long after they received their combat suits, Aizawa Shouta called him aside again. This time, he handed over a document with a serious expression.
"Do you feel that your strength has already surpassed the level of a first-year student?"
Etsuha glanced at the document—and was surprised to see it was a commission from a Hero agency.
"…That sounds about right," he admitted. "But what is this for?"
"U.A has never prohibited students from participating in Hero internships during their studies," Aizawa Shouta explained. "In fact, real-world experience is far more valuable than classroom learning."
He continued, "Normally, internships are arranged after the Sports Festival. But your performance has been exceptional. Several Hero agencies have already requested you specifically. The school has spent the past two weeks reviewing and approving this."
He paused briefly before finishing:
"If you agree, you can begin working at a Hero agency immediately."
Etsuha studied the document for a moment. Then, after a brief consideration, he nodded.
"…I accept."