"Hero Killer? Why are you here?"
The moment they saw Etsuha's face, the group froze—then quickly showed surprise.
"I received a request from Shigaraki Tomura to investigate the situation here," Etsuha replied coldly.
"I see…"
The explanation made sense. With the strength of the Hero Killer, it wasn't strange for Shigaraki Tomura to hire him.
The men in front of him clearly knew they were no match. After confirming his identity, they sneered nervously.
"Understood. We'll be on our way."
"Wait." Etsuha pointed at a few of them. "You three. Come with me. I've already checked inside the factory—there's no trace of him. I suspect he escaped outside. You're familiar with this area. Lead the way."
"…Alright."
The three he selected exchanged uneasy glances.
But under the oppressive gaze of the "Hero Killer," they felt a chill at their throats and quickly agreed.
Etsuha bent slightly, pretending to examine footprints, then shook his head.
"He's tricky. No trace at all. He may have already left this town. Move!"
The three men didn't dare hesitate. They rushed forward immediately.
Etsuha deliberately lagged a step behind, following them out of town within minutes.
"…Where did he go?"
The three looked around in confusion.
Etsuha rested one hand on the hilt of the tachi at his waist, his gaze settling on them with a faint killing intent.
At that moment—
A voice came from ahead.
"Why are you here?"
Etsuha froze slightly—and quietly let go of his sword.
That voice…
It was All For One.
"My lord, we were brought out by the Hero Killer," one of the thugs said respectfully.
"…So we meet here again."
Etsuha's expression stiffened slightly.
He hadn't expected to run into All For One the moment he stepped out—let alone while disguised as the Hero Killer.
More importantly—
All For One didn't rely on sight. His perception of the world came from a unique Quirk that allowed him to sense space itself.
That made this situation far more dangerous.
At the thug's words, All For One's head slowly turned toward Etsuha.
"Hero Killer… if I recall correctly, you shouldn't be anywhere near Hosu City right now. Why have you appeared here?"
"It's too boring there. No one worth killing," Etsuha replied in a cold, detached tone. "But Shina Etsuha… now that is interesting."
"Oh?" All For One sounded intrigued. "It seems you suffered a setback last time."
Then he continued casually—
"Perfect timing, then. I have a job for you. Are you interested in cooperating with us again, Hero Killer?"
His voice was calm, almost polite—
But the pressure behind it was suffocating.
It wasn't a request.
It was a warning.
Refuse—and there would be consequences.
Etsuha's current condition wasn't ideal. Fighting here would be suicide.
But agreeing too quickly wouldn't fit the Hero Killer's personality.
So he responded in a low voice:
"If it involves killing heroes… I might be interested."
"Of course." All For One chuckled lightly. "Our goals align. Cooperation is only natural. Head to the tavern—someone will explain the details there."
Etsuha said nothing further and began walking forward.
Behind him, All For One's perception remained fixed on him.
Something felt off.
The timing of this "Hero Killer's" appearance was too strange.
But time was tight. Shina Etsuha was likely still inside the factory.
There was no room to dwell on it.
After carefully sensing him once more and finding nothing unusual, All For One dismissed his suspicions and headed toward the factory.
Only then did Etsuha let out a quiet breath.
That had been far too close.
If it had been anyone else instead of Shigaraki Tomura earlier, things might have turned out very differently.
"…Looks like this entire area is under the League's control."
Etsuha remained alert as he moved, sensing countless unseen eyes watching from the shadows.
He didn't dare cancel the Transformation Technique.
Not here.
The area was remote—so remote that he hadn't even seen a single hero agency along the way.
Instead—
He saw criminals.
Many of them familiar faces.
Well-known offenders.
Yet the moment they saw him—
They fled.
The reputation of the Hero Killer alone was enough to terrify them. None of them even dared meet his gaze.
Thanks to that, Etsuha passed through the area without incident.
Before long, he reached a proper city.
"…That should be safe enough."
He exhaled slowly.
His stamina had recovered somewhat—he was back to about forty or fifty percent.
"I underestimated the League's intelligence network… but it's manageable."
Just as he was about to release the Transformation Technique—
His instincts flared.
Someone was there.
Startled, Etsuha looked up.
At the same moment—
The other person looked down at him.
Their eyes met.
And standing above him—
Was the real Hero Killer.
..
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