"Th-This… this is… an enhancement-type Quirk?!"
Endeavour twisted his body, staring at Shina Etsuha in shock.
At that moment, he could clearly feel it—Etsuha's speed and strength had surged again. This wasn't something that could be achieved through training alone. This was beyond human limits—true superhuman power. In this state, even Etsuha's bare hand was as deadly as a forged blade, piercing straight through Endeavour's shoulder!
"You can think of it that way," Etsuha replied calmly, stepping back without pressing the attack.
That strike had been aimed at Endeavour's heart. But at the very last moment, Endeavour's instincts had kicked in, forcing his body to shift just enough to avoid a fatal blow.
"If this keeps up… I'll lose for sure!"
Cold sweat streamed down Endeavour's face.
Before the fight began, he had believed he could at least contend with Etsuha. But now, after only a brief exchange, he realized just how naïve that thought had been.
His proud flames—his greatest weapon—had been neutralized by Etsuha's ice. In close combat, Etsuha displayed overwhelming skill and raw power. In mere seconds, Endeavour had already been wounded twice, unable to mount any effective counterattack.
If this continued, death was inevitable.
Gritting his teeth, Endeavour inhaled sharply. Flames erupted across his body, forming a blazing protective layer. Without hesitation, he turned and sprinted away. At the same time, he thrust one hand toward the sky and unleashed a massive fireball, which exploded overhead like a blazing signal flare.
"It's dangerous to turn your back on a villain."
Etsuha's voice sounded behind him.
An ice spear formed in his hand—and he hurled it.
Boom!
The spear tore through the flames like a meteor. Though the intense heat began melting it instantly, its speed was overwhelming. Before it could fully dissolve, it slammed into Endeavour's back, piercing through his shoulder blade and punching a bloody hole straight through him.
"—Ghh!"
Endeavour coughed violently but kept moving, finally stopping beneath the fading fireburst above him. His eyes darted around frantically.
Still no one.
A flicker of panic rose in his chest.
Hadn't the authorities responded yet? He had been fighting Etsuha for this long—why hadn't reinforcements arrived?!
Etsuha noticed his anxiety but paid it no mind. He walked forward slowly, an ice blade forming in his hand.
"Waiting for backup?" he said flatly. "It's pointless. Even if All Might shows up… I'll still kill you."
"Then you'd better prove you can!" Endeavour snapped, though inside, he had already prepared himself for death.
At that moment—
A shadow streaked across the sky.
Endeavour's sharp eyes locked onto it instantly. It wasn't a machine.
It was a person.
"…He's here!"
A surge of hope ignited within him. Who else could move through the sky at such speed?
All Might!
But in that brief instant of distraction—
Etsuha moved.
With the First Gate of the Eight Inner Gates open, his speed had already surpassed Endeavour's perception. In the blink of an eye, he appeared right in front of him. The ice blade in his hand pierced through the flames, driving deep into Endeavour's lung before melting away.
"—Pff!"
The flames flickering around Endeavour faltered violently. His eyes widened as blood spilled from his mouth.
"Etsuha—don't kill him!"
All Might's voice thundered from above.
Etsuha paused.
For a moment, hesitation flickered in his eyes.
He hadn't yet decided how to face All Might. Could he really fight him? Kill him?
No.
That was impossible.
Etsuha knew exactly what kind of person All Might was—and he had no desire to take his life.
…But Endeavour?
Etsuha's gaze darkened.
To him, Endeavour was already an enemy—a "villain" in his current path. As he had said before, anyone who came after him should be prepared to die.
But there was one complication.
Shoto Todoroki.
Etsuha's former classmate.
"…Sorry, Todoroki."
His expression hardened again.
Leaving Endeavour alive would be a risk. His flames were one of the few abilities that could restrain Etsuha.
That couldn't be allowed.
With a swift motion, Etsuha pulled his hand back from Endeavour's body. Blood sprayed into the air—but instead of finishing him off, Etsuha placed a hand against his chest.
His eyes narrowed.
A complex chain-like structure appeared in his perception—Endeavour's genetic structure… and within it, his Quirk.
The flames.
"I'll take this."
Without hesitation, Etsuha made his choice.
Destroy.
"—AAAAAGH!!"
Endeavour screamed.
Flames erupted wildly around him—but they were no longer under his control. They twisted violently before flickering out, like a fire starved of oxygen.
"What did you… do to me?!" Endeavour gasped in disbelief.
His power—his very identity—was vanishing.
No matter how he tried to summon it, the flames no longer answered.
His Quirk… was gone.
"For Shoto Todoroki's sake, I'll spare your life," Etsuha said coldly. "But your Quirk stays with me—no, it disappears."
Destroying Quirks—that was the line Etsuha had drawn for himself.
A cruel mercy.
With that, he turned to leave.
But it was too late.
The shadow in the sky had grown larger—until it landed before him with a thunderous impact.
A towering figure stood between him and escape.
"Yo, Etsuha, my boy!"
All Might.
..
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