"Mo—Mt. Lady!?"
All Might's voice trembled slightly. Etsuha meant far too much to Mt. Lady. Now that things had reached this point, much of the responsibility could be traced back to U.A. If there was one person All Might didn't want to face, it was Etsuha… but the second was undoubtedly Yu Takeyama.
He had no idea what expression he should wear in front of her.
Principal Nezu felt the same. As U.A.'s headmaster, he was deeply connected to the situation as well. Seeing Yu Takeyama storm into the room, he cleared his throat awkwardly.
"So, it's Mt. Lady… ahem. We are currently investigating the Etsuha incident. I believe… he must have had his reasons…"
Just moments ago, in the videotape they had been watching—
Etsuha had crushed Hawks' head.
All Might: "..."
Principal Nezu: "..."
Neither of them had expected Etsuha's decision to be so decisive.
All Might couldn't believe what he had seen. The boy in the footage radiated cold brutality, especially in that final glance—it felt almost like a direct provocation toward the authorities.
This was nothing like the Etsuha he knew.
And yet… somehow, within that coldness, All Might sensed a trace of confusion.
Yu Takeyama had seen it too.
Her expression dimmed. She looked at both of them, then sighed.
"I've already resigned from my position as a Hero. The Mt. Lady agency was dissolved yesterday."
"No way!" All Might's eyes widened. "Has the situation really escalated that far?!"
"It has," Yu Takeyama replied, nodding. "I reported Etsuha's situation to the authorities earlier, but they forbade me from interfering. Instead, they assigned multiple top Heroes to take him down all at once."
Her voice hardened slightly.
"I couldn't accept that."
"So I resigned."
In truth, Yu Takeyama had been extremely anxious after hearing the news. Especially when she learned that several top-ranking Heroes had been dispatched simultaneously—she immediately understood the authorities' intent.
They weren't trying to capture Etsuha.
They were trying to eliminate him.
Otherwise, why forbid her—his own sister—from intervening?
After realizing this, she made her decision without hesitation. She resigned from her Hero position and rushed toward Hosu City, intending to find and protect Etsuha herself.
But time was against her.
Thinking U.A. might have information, she contacted Shouta Aizawa and came straight to the principal's office.
And instead… she walked into this.
"I see…" All Might fell into deep thought after hearing her explanation.
This situation was far too complicated—even for him.
A trusted companion had suddenly become a criminal.
Yet by everything he knew, Etsuha had always been kind.
How was he supposed to choose in a situation like this?
That was the dilemma All Might now faced.
"Tell me where Etsuha is," Yu Takeyama said firmly.
"All right… let me check…" All Might glanced at the recent activity report—and froze in surprise.
"Etsuha's lifestyle is… surprisingly relaxed."
"What?" Yu Takeyama blinked, unsure she'd heard correctly.
"I mean exactly that." All Might pointed at the file. "During the day, he visits arcades, sometimes goes to amusement parks… occasionally commits robberies at night… and even has a stable place to stay."
He paused.
"In short… he's living quite leisurely."
"…Seriously?"
Yu Takeyama's eyes widened.
She had been worried sick—imagining him struggling, being hunted, suffering alone.
And yet… this?
For a moment, she didn't know whether to laugh or cry.
"Then why aren't the other Heroes doing anything?" she asked, confused.
"It's not that they won't act," Principal Nezu said calmly, taking a sip of tea. "It's that they can't."
"Etsuha has already defeated Hawks. When the authorities originally dispatched three Heroes, they likely accounted for that possibility. But what they didn't expect… was how quickly Etsuha would grow."
He set the teacup down gently.
"Now that even Hawks has fallen, most Heroes would consider themselves lucky if Etsuha doesn't actively cause destruction. Organizing a pursuit? That's far too risky."
"…So that's why I've been called in?" All Might muttered. "Because I'm the only one who can stop him?"
"Yes," Principal Nezu nodded.
"But the most mysterious part of Etsuha isn't his ice… or even his eyes."
He leaned forward slightly, his tone growing serious.
"Those are just manifestations of his Quirk."
All Might and Yu Takeyama both looked at him intently.
"If my hypothesis is correct," Nezu continued, "Etsuha's true ability is something far more dangerous."
He paused.
"A growth-type Quirk."
"…Growth?" All Might frowned.
"The more he fights, the stronger he becomes," Nezu explained. "After each major battle, his power increases dramatically. If he isn't defeated instantly, his growth will surpass all expectations."
Both All Might and Yu Takeyama fell silent.
"So that's why the authorities changed their strategy…" All Might murmured.
"Exactly." Nezu sighed softly. "Under normal circumstances, Etsuha would have stood on the side of Heroes."
His gaze turned distant.
"But instead… he was pushed out."
"…You mean—"
"Yes," Nezu said firmly. "Etsuha is not truly a criminal."
He looked at them both.
"And we may still have a chance… to bring him back."