Principal Nezu's conclusion sounded almost naïve.
They all understood that Shina Etsuha was not an inherently evil person—but his crimes were undeniable. No matter how much they personally believed in him, those actions couldn't simply be erased.
That was reality.
All Might knew this better than anyone.
But even so… he couldn't bring himself to abandon Etsuha.
For him, defeating Etsuha was not the real goal. What truly mattered was bringing him back—alive and intact. As for what would happen afterward… there might still be another way.
With that thought, he and Yu Takeyama exchanged a glance and nodded silently. None of them chose to dig further into the consequences.
Soon after, All Might and Yu Takeyama set out for Hosu City.
…
In a quiet corner of a street in Hosu City, Endeavour stood with his phone pressed to his ear, his expression dark and frustrated.
"How long are you planning to make me endure this?" he demanded in a low, suppressed voice. "As long as All Might hasn't arrived, you're just going to let him wander around like this?!"
After shadowing Etsuha for an entire day, Endeavour was at his limit.
The so-called fugitive wasn't hiding, wasn't struggling—he was living more comfortably than most ordinary people.
It made absolutely no sense.
"Mr. Endeavour, this is for the safety of the citizens," came a calm, emotionless voice from the other end. "Think of it like a nuclear bomb—we cannot allow it to detonate within the city. If you engage him directly, the resulting destruction would be catastrophic. The losses would be immeasurable. Please understand."
Endeavour's eyes flickered coldly.
"Shina Etsuha's case has already spread online. No matter how much you try to suppress it, you can't hide the fact that Hawks was killed. Sooner or later, this will explode into a larger problem."
"That responsibility lies partly with you, Mr. Endeavour," the voice replied flatly. "If you and Hawks hadn't insisted you could handle Shina Etsuha alone, Hawks would not have died."
Endeavour's gaze darkened further.
"Maybe Hawks and I misjudged him," he admitted coldly. "But can you guarantee that All Might will be able to defeat him?"
"…That…"
For the first time, the person on the other end hesitated.
Endeavour pressed on.
"Think carefully about the sludge incident. He already had the power to defeat that creature—so why did he let it go? At the time, a far more dangerous Villain appeared. Based on my investigation, it was likely the same kind of Nomu that appeared near Best Jeanist—something with power comparable to All Might."
His voice grew heavier.
"And even back then, Shina Etsuha managed to escape."
"That means his true abilities go far beyond what we've seen."
The other side fell silent.
They knew he was right.
From the earliest investigations, Etsuha had already demonstrated abnormal growth. During the sludge incident, he didn't just survive—he counterattacked with overwhelming force.
And that power… clearly wasn't just ice.
It was something beyond their understanding.
Because of that, the authorities had acted decisively—sending multiple top Heroes to eliminate him before he could grow further.
And yet… they had failed.
Now, with Etsuha likely even stronger, they didn't dare act recklessly. Their only option had been to call in All Might.
But after hearing Endeavour's analysis, even that no longer felt certain.
"All Might alone may not be enough," Endeavour said grimly. "His Quirk has weaknesses—it can be countered. The best option is to assemble a team of Heroes with opposing abilities and overwhelm Etsuha from multiple angles. That's the only way to maximize our chances."
"…We will consider your proposal," the voice replied at last.
And then—
A new voice suddenly spoke beside him.
"Hey, Endeavour."
Cold. Calm. Unmistakable.
"I've been watching you follow me around all day like a rat," Shina Etsuha said quietly. "Are you trying to get yourself killed?"
Endeavour froze.
At some point—he hadn't even noticed when—Etsuha had appeared right beside him.
His body stiffened as he slowly turned his head.
"When did he—?!"
"Hello? Mr. Endeavour?!" the voice on the phone called out urgently.
Crack.
Etsuha reached out casually and snatched the phone from Endeavour's hand.
"I heard your entire conversation," he said lightly. "Don't worry—I'll deal with Endeavour myself. That way, you can stop clinging to your illusions about me."
With a slight squeeze of his fingers—
The phone crumpled into a twisted ball of metal.
Etsuha tossed it aside as if it were nothing.
He had noticed Endeavour's presence since the ramen shop.
At first, he assumed it was coincidence and didn't pay it much mind.
But after being followed all day—after seeing the irritation and hostility in Endeavour's expression again and again—it became impossible to ignore.
It was as if Endeavour saw him as a mortal enemy.
That annoyed him.
So, when Endeavour started making his call, Etsuha simply listened in.
He hadn't expected to hear something so… ridiculous.
For a moment, he almost found it amusing.
Did they really think he was some harmless child?
Discussing how to defeat him so openly… without even considering his abilities?
How naive.
Meanwhile—
A storm surged through Endeavour's mind.
His speed… I couldn't even see it.
That single thought echoed over and over.
At the exact moment Etsuha grabbed the phone, Endeavour realized something terrifying—
His eyes hadn't been able to track Etsuha's movement at all.