Bang!
A deafening explosion tore through the city, followed by a violent tremor that shook the surrounding buildings and jolted countless people awake.
"What was that? An earthquake?"
"Why does it sound like… someone's fighting?"
"I just saw people from Best Jeanist's agency rushing over. Could they be arresting a villain?"
"Don't be ridiculous—what kind of villain could cause something like that?"
The shock left people stunned. If it wasn't an earthquake, then it was something far more terrifying. The sheer force felt like a bomb had gone off, reverberating through the streets.
"Was that… Yamazaki's punch?"
At that moment, Best Jeanist, who was on his way to provide support, also noticed the shockwave. His expression turned grave.
"A strike powerful enough to cause this much destruction in the middle of the city… that alone could result in astronomical damages," he muttered. "Yet she still chose to attack. That means the enemy she's facing is no ordinary threat."
"No way," someone beside him said in disbelief. "If a villain can push Yamazaki that far, why would they be committing crimes in secret?"
"Maybe their objective isn't just the missing persons…" Best Jeanist replied, his tone uncertain. "Whatever the case, we move now. Full speed."
"Yes!"
…
"Who is that?"
When Shina Etsuha appeared, Yamazaki Yuka and the others were momentarily stunned. She hadn't seen him before—having been out on assignment—and didn't recognize him. Seeing only his calm and confident expression, she instinctively assumed he was a seasoned hero.
"Etsuha… Didn't I tell you to patrol in the opposite direction?!" Yusuke Tensen nearly coughed up blood when he realized who had arrived.
A group of professional heroes couldn't handle this enemy—and now an intern had shown up to die?!
"Etsuha? You mean… Shina Etsuha?" Yamazaki Yuka's eyes widened in realization.
So this was the prodigy Best Jeanist had mentioned.
But no matter how talented he was, he was still just a student. What could he possibly do in a situation like this?
"Run! This isn't something you can handle!" Isshiki Naomi shouted desperately. No matter what, she couldn't bear to see a teenager die here.
"Relax," Etsuha said with a faint smile, his voice calm and assured. "Leave it to me."
The Nomu before them was unmistakably the same model that had attacked Etsuha before—possessing strength and speed comparable to All Might, combined with overwhelming durability and terrifying regeneration. It was the nightmare of all enhancement-type heroes.
But since that last encounter, Etsuha had been thinking.
He had already found a way to deal with it.
He just hadn't had the chance to prove it—until now.
"Shina Etsuha?" Shigaraki Tomura looked genuinely surprised. Then, a crooked grin spread across his face. "What a coincidence. You got lucky last time… but not today."
"Nomu—kill him."
Hearing that command, Yusuke Tensen's heart seized.
"Watch out!!"
He knew exactly what that order meant.
Nomu would obey—perfectly.
And no one could match its speed.
Boom!
Just like before, the massive creature vanished in an instant, propelled forward with explosive force. Its hulking frame blurred into an afterimage as it closed the distance in the blink of an eye, its fist swinging down toward Etsuha with devastating power.
"It's over…"
Several heroes widened their eyes in despair.
But then—
Etsuha's eyes turned crimson.
Three tomoe spun within them, locking onto Nomu's movements.
In that instant, his body reacted before the attack even landed.
He leaned back—
And Nomu's fist barely grazed past his shoulder.
BOOM!!
The strike unleashed a shockwave like a compressed air cannon. The resulting gust tore forward, slicing through the street for dozens of meters. Buildings in its path were cleanly split apart, collapsing in fragments.
And yet—
Etsuha stood there, completely unharmed.
"He… dodged it?" Yusuke Tensen could hardly believe what he was seeing.
That speed was beyond human limits. How had he avoided it?
"Oh?" Shigaraki Tomura's expression shifted, a flicker of interest sparking in his eyes. "Now this is getting interesting…"
Had this once-hidden variable really grown this much?
Before anyone could process what had happened, ice began to surge beneath Etsuha's feet.
A massive wave of frost erupted upward, expanding rapidly. In an instant, it formed a towering structure—dozens of meters high—that swallowed Nomu whole.
The temperature plummeted.
Within seconds, the monstrous creature was sealed inside a colossal block of ice.
"Not good!"
Shigaraki's expression darkened. He finally understood the source of his unease.
This Nomu had been created to counter All Might.
But against Etsuha—
Its abilities were completely countered.
Bang!
Even frozen, Nomu's raw power remained terrifying. With a single punch, it shattered the ice encasing it and began to move again.
But it was too late.
At some point, countless ice mirrors had already formed around it.
Etsuha's voice rang out, cold and decisive.
"Die."
In the next instant—
An overwhelming storm of ice spikes erupted from every mirror, converging toward Nomu like a living nightmare.