Etsuha walked up to the fallen Hero Killer.
The three ice bolts had proven even more lethal than he had anticipated. A horrifying, gaping hole tore through the man's body—there was no difference between this and death.
"How… who are you… really?"
The Hero Killer raised his head weakly. Even at the very end, he couldn't understand why the person before him had taken on his identity.
"You don't need to worry about that. Just die quietly."
Etsuha glanced at him indifferently.
After a brief pause, he made his decision. Ice rapidly spread across the Hero Killer's body, sealing it completely. Then, with a light tap of his finger—
Crack!
The ice shattered into countless fragments.
Along with it, the Hero Killer's body broke apart, scattering into pieces.
Etsuha let out a cold sneer.
Hero Society strictly prohibited killing—but only when someone was watching. When too many eyes were on him, he would restrain himself. But in a place like this, where no one knew what had happened—
There was no reason to show mercy.
Still, the Hero Killer had died too quickly. He hadn't displayed the terrifying conviction people spoke of. Etsuha couldn't help but wonder whether this criminal had ever truly intended to join the League of Villains.
"It really is worth spending a bit of energy on the Transformation Technique… but what now? Should I just head back like this?"
Etsuha rubbed his chin thoughtfully.
To be honest, he felt unwilling.
Being suppressed by the League of Villains earlier still left a sour taste in his mouth. The more he thought about it, the more irritated he became. It felt like he needed to do something—anything—to settle that frustration.
The last two abilities he had obtained were extremely convenient and consumed very little energy.
In fact, the power within Etsuha's body was nearly overflowing. Under its constant nourishment, his body was recovering at an astonishing rate. After the battle with the Hero Killer, even his exhausted eyes had regained much of their strength.
Now—
He could use the Sharingan again.
Even so, defeating the League of Villains in his current condition was impossible.
After a moment of hesitation, Etsuha decided it would be better to fully recover before making any further moves.
This area lay on the edge of the city, lined with small street vendors.
Etsuha didn't have much money on him, but it was enough for a few simple meals.
With time to spare, he blended into the flow of the city—eating, wandering, passing time—before disappearing into the crowd in the blink of an eye.
After filling his stomach, his stamina recovered somewhat. He was now at roughly fifty percent of his peak condition. A proper rest would be enough to restore him completely.
Just then—
He noticed a team of Pro Heroes moving quickly in a specific direction.
Etsuha's heart skipped a beat.
That direction… was exactly where he had killed the Hero Killer.
"Have the Heroes already received news? That was fast…"
He muttered quietly before following after them.
He didn't have much money left anyway—getting some help from these Heroes might not be a bad option.
Just as Etsuha expected, the Hero team arrived at the alley where the battle had taken place.
They stopped and carefully observed their surroundings.
"There's a smell of blood… and this water… is it a water-type Quirk?"
The dampness came from the melted ice Etsuha had left behind, making the ground slick and wet. But the Hero Killer's shattered remains were far less subtle.
As the ice melted, fragments of the body were exposed, releasing a faint but unmistakable scent of blood. Even diluted by moisture in the air, it was enough for several Heroes to immediately notice something was wrong.
The "Ninja Hero," Edgeshot, turned his gaze toward a corner.
There, a mouse crouched quietly, gnawing contentedly on a small piece of congealed blood clutched in its paws.
Edgeshot was a powerful Pro Hero, ranked fifth on the Japan Hero Billboard Chart—just one place behind Best Jeanist. He had personally come to pursue the reappearing Hero Killer, whose strength warranted direct intervention.
"Someone died here."
Edgeshot's voice was solemn.
"A violent incident already?!"
The other Heroes were visibly shaken.
"I remember the Hero Killer passed through this area not long ago. Could this be his doing?"
"Criminals around here are usually careful—they wouldn't leave something this exposed. This feels like a direct provocation!"
Edgeshot shook his head.
"The Hero Killer's abilities have nothing to do with water… What about the investigation team? Have they retrieved the earlier surveillance footage? Any updates?"
"Yes!"
One of the team members stepped forward, sweat beading on his forehead.
"But… something's wrong…"
"What do you mean 'wrong'?"
Edgeshot frowned.
The team member quickly opened a laptop, displaying two video feeds side by side.
The timestamps were identical—but the locations were different.
And in both recordings—
A Hero Killer could be seen running.
"This is… two Hero Killers?!"
Edgeshot's expression changed instantly.
How could there be two?
It was completely absurd.
The footage showed both figures entering the same alley—the very place they were now standing.
Moments later, faint sounds of combat echoed through the recording. Then came several sharp, piercing impacts—
And silence.
Finally, one of the Hero Killers walked out of the alley.
Edgeshot stared at the screen, disbelief written across his face.
"If this footage is accurate… then that means…"
"Two Hero Killers encountered each other here—and one of them killed the other?"
"That's right…"
The team member nodded heavily.
Edgeshot felt a rare sense of confusion.
What exactly… is going on?
At that moment—
A young voice suddenly spoke from behind them.
"Are you the Ninja Hero?"
Edgeshot's entire body tensed.
A chill ran down his spine.
For the first time in a long while—
He felt an overwhelming sense of danger.