"All Might…"
Shina Etsuha took a slow breath. His expression stiffened slightly as he looked at the man before him.
"…Did you come here to beat me?"
"Correct!" All Might replied instantly, giving a thumbs-up. "But not just to beat you—I'm here to bring you back!"
"…I can't go back anymore."
Etsuha shook his head.
What he had done could no longer be undone. His crimes were real, undeniable—and if he returned, punishment was inevitable. In Etsuha's mind, he had made the right choices. There was no way he would quietly accept judgment now.
More importantly… he had heard similar words before.
And in the end, it had only led to him killing a Hero and standing in direct opposition to the authorities.
Under those circumstances, going back was no longer an option.
"…Don't you want to see your sister?" All Might asked, left with no choice but to bring up Yu Takeyama.
"I do."
Etsuha nodded.
"But not like this. If I go back now, she might give up being a Hero and stand on my side. That's not worth it."
All Might froze.
He hadn't expected Etsuha to understand Yu Takeyama so well. And yet… everything he said was true.
Yu Takeyama had already resigned from her position as a Hero and was on her way to Hosu City.
The only difference was that All Might had arrived first—having spotted Endeavour's signal flare and rushed over using his Quirk. Without her Hero status, Yu Takeyama could only travel by conventional means. She was still on her way.
"Etsuha…"
All Might tried to speak again—but Etsuha cut him off.
"That's enough."
His crimson eyes locked onto All Might.
"You want me to come back? Fine. But can you guarantee I won't be punished?"
His voice turned colder.
"From the very beginning, the authorities wanted me dead. And now? I've killed two Heroes—Death Arm and Hawks, the No. 3 Hero. I've even destroyed Endeavour's Quirk."
He paused.
"If you can convince them to erase all my crimes… to silence the public and let me walk free—then sure, I'll go back."
"…Endeavour's Quirk?!" All Might turned sharply, finally noticing Endeavour's condition.
The once-mighty Hero could barely stand.
A heavy weight settled in All Might's chest.
At that moment, he finally understood.
When the authorities had dispatched three top Heroes, it wasn't to capture Etsuha—it was to eliminate him.
If they had truly wanted to resolve things peacefully, they would have sent someone like Yu Takeyama to negotiate.
But they hadn't.
And because of that, everything had spiraled out of control.
Faced with lethal intent, Etsuha had responded in kind—swiftly, decisively. And now, his strength had reached a level where no one but All Might could even hope to stop him.
Seeing All Might fall silent, Etsuha's tone softened slightly.
"It's cruel," he said. "But necessary."
"If I don't kill Heroes, they'll keep coming after me. My life will never be peaceful."
"There's only one way—to make an example. To scare everyone enough that they leave me alone."
With that, he turned his back.
"If you want to stop me… then try."
"Even if it's you, I won't hold back."
By now, the surrounding crowd had grown bold.
With All Might present—the Symbol of Peace—fear began to fade. People gathered from all directions, whispering and pointing as they watched the unfolding scene.
"Look! That's All Might! He's here in Hosu City!"
"And behind him—that's Endeavour! He looks awful…"
"Was he injured by that villain? Doesn't matter now—All Might's here!"
"That kid must be the S-class fugitive everyone's talking about. He's so young… if he'd just gone to U.A., he could've become a Hero!"
"Now look—he's forced All Might to step in…"
"…"
All Might's presence alone was enough to inspire courage.
The battlefield that had once been deserted was now crowded with civilians, reporters, and even other Heroes who had arrived after hearing the news.
Hidden among them were members of the League of Villains… and representatives from the Hassaikai, blending into the crowd.
They watched with keen interest.
"This is Shina Etsuha?" one observer muttered, narrowing his eyes. "He looks about the age described… but can he really stand against All Might?"
Shigaraki Tomura, his eyes bloodshot but focused, replied calmly, "Don't underestimate him. When I first met him, he struggled against a Nomu. Now… he's defeated Endeavour with ease."
Himiko Toga tilted her head, smiling brightly. "I'm so lucky to see Etsuha again~ I heard he fought All For One before, right? His growth is amazing!"
Dabi scoffed. "That 'victory' was a fluke. If All For One hadn't been weakened, Etsuha wouldn't have stood a chance."
Another voice cut in coldly, "Still… Ranbo's death was tied to Shina Etsuha. I hope All Might crushes him. Though honestly… I don't like either of them."
Kurogiri suddenly spoke, his tone sharp.
"Something's changing."
Just as he said that—
Several Heroes pushed their way through the crowd, stepping forward with grim expressions.
They faced Etsuha directly.
"All Might," one of them said coldly, "let us assist you in eliminating this kid."