"Who's there?!"
Edgeshot instantly turned his head.
What he saw was a young boy—his face still carrying a trace of childish softness, his clear eyes watching them with quiet curiosity.
"…What? Just a kid…"
Edgeshot let out a small sigh of relief.
For a brief moment, he had felt as if he were being watched by something monstrous. But looking at Etsuha now, he couldn't help but question his own instincts. How could a boy this young give off such a feeling? It didn't make sense.
Etsuha, after all, had only just graduated from junior high. There was still a certain youthful delicacy about him—one of the reasons he blended in so easily.
"What are you doing here? This isn't a place for a middle schooler. Go home, quickly."
After regaining his composure, Edgeshot waved him off, his attention clearly more focused on the Hero Killer incident.
"Hey, uncle!"
Etsuha put on an annoyed expression.
"Is this how Pro Heroes act? Someone comes asking for help, and you just send them away?"
Edgeshot fell silent for a moment.
He wasn't even that much older than Etsuha—and yet he was being called "uncle." For a second, he looked genuinely conflicted.
"Kid, I'm in the middle of something urgent right now…"
Etsuha's expression turned serious.
"I'm serious too. Right now, you're in a very dangerous situation. You're surrounded by Villains—and I'm not in great condition myself. Of course, if you help me contact my sister and explain the situation, that would be fine too."
"Surrounded by Villains? Don't joke around. Spreading false information can get you detained."
The surrounding Heroes exchanged skeptical looks.
Etsuha simply shrugged and began explaining:
"My name is Shina Etsuha. I'm a first-year at U.A. I was attacked by Villains during training at the USJ. I got separated and teleported nearby by someone's Quirk. I barely escaped being surrounded."
He pointed toward the direction the Heroes had been heading.
"The place you're going? That's where I just came from. I saw at least three nationally wanted criminals there. And… there's a Nomu factory inside."
"…What?!"
Several Heroes stiffened instantly.
The term "Nomu" had been circulating among Pro Heroes recently, but very few people fully understood it. Hearing it come from a student made the situation even more unsettling.
Edgeshot's expression finally turned serious.
"Is this information reliable? Which wanted criminals did you see?"
"Of course it's reliable. I saw Moonfish—and a few others. One of them is extremely powerful. Honestly… even All Might might not be able to defeat him right now."
The statement caused visible tension among the group.
Of course, Etsuha was exaggerating.
All For One and All Might were no longer at their peaks—but even so, that level of threat wasn't something ordinary Heroes could handle. Etsuha didn't actually intend for these people to rush in and die—he simply didn't want to get dragged into unnecessary trouble himself.
"A Villain even All Might can't defeat… could it be the one behind the Nomu?"
Edgeshot immediately grasped the implication.
Etsuha gave him a surprised look, then nodded.
"More or less."
Edgeshot fell into deep thought.
He quickly gathered the other Heroes and moved to the side, where they began a rapid discussion.
"What do you think about that kid's information?"
"Shina Etsuha? I've heard of him. A top student from U.A. Even Best Jeanist has mentioned him—he's supposed to be extremely talented."
"Isn't he Mt. Lady's younger brother? I've seen photos—looks exactly the same."
"I'm not asking about that. I mean the Nomu information."
"…If Nomu are involved, we can't ignore it. We need to investigate."
"Agreed. That's my plan as well."
The discussion was quick—barely three minutes before they reached a conclusion.
Edgeshot turned back toward Etsuha.
"We understand the situation now. But what exactly did you come to us for?"
Etsuha scratched his head, looking slightly embarrassed.
"I… don't have enough money to get back to Shizuoka. I was hoping to borrow some."
For a moment, Edgeshot's expression froze.
He had assumed Etsuha had rushed over seeking protection—but it turned out to be something far more mundane.
Still, since Etsuha was related to Mt. Lady, Edgeshot wasn't worried about repayment.
After a brief hesitation, he reached into his pocket, pulled out 10,000 yen, and handed it over.
"This should be enough. Also, we can arrange for someone to escort you back to U.A. They're probably worried about you."
Etsuha quickly shook his head.
"I don't need an escort. I'll contact them myself later."
Edgeshot narrowed his eyes slightly.
"…Is there something else you need to do here?"
"Of course not…"
Etsuha gave a faint, unreadable smile.
"I see."
Edgeshot didn't press further.
"We've decided to investigate the Nomu factory. If the situation matches what you described, we'll withdraw immediately."
Etsuha opened his mouth, intending to stop them—
But Edgeshot cut him off.
"The investigation team needs to stay small. Three of you will remain here—keep an eye on Etsuha and continue investigating the Hero Killer incident. The rest of us will move out."