"…Are you serious?"
Seeing the incoming attack, Shina Etsuha almost laughed.
He had originally planned to leave, but it seemed the other party had no intention of giving up—instead, he was trying to kill him outright. The idea was almost laughable.
A rock thrown with brute force—how much damage could that possibly do to him?
It might work against ordinary people, sure. But against his ice defenses? This kind of attack wouldn't even scratch him.
"Ice Shield!"
Etsuha raised his hand, and a layer of crystalline ice began to form in front of him.
But just before it could fully materialize, something unexpected happened—
Death Arms suddenly leapt forward and took the hit with his own body.
"Hey—are you okay?!" Etsuha's mouth twitched in disbelief. Was this guy seriously that dedicated?
With Death Arms now directly in front of him, using his ice abilities would risk injuring him as well. Left with no choice, Etsuha dispersed the forming shield.
"Cough… As a Pro Hero, there's no way I'd let a kid get hurt in front of me," Death Arms said, wiping blood from the corner of his mouth. He gave Etsuha a reassuring pat on the shoulder. "Get out of here. Reinforcements will be here soon—Kamui Woods is on the way."
Even as he spoke—
The Muscle Killer was already charging again.
His entire body tensed, muscles swelling as he moved like a blur. In the blink of an eye, he appeared in front of Death Arms and threw a vicious punch.
"So fast—!"
Death Arms barely had time to react.
Bang!
The blow landed squarely on his jaw, sending him flying backward.
"The so-called Pro Heroes… how pathetic," the Muscle Killer sneered. "Your quirk only enhances your arms. Compared to me? You're nothing but a cheap imitation."
Before Death Arms could recover, the villain grabbed him by the hair and yanked him up. His right arm swelled grotesquely as muscle fibers twisted together into a massive lump of raw power—
Then he drove his fist straight into Death Arms' abdomen.
Bang!
Death Arms' eyes bulged as the impact hit like a sledgehammer.
The difference was clear.
Death Arms' quirk only enhanced his arms, while the Muscle Killer could strengthen every muscle in his body. Against such overwhelming power, he had no chance.
"If you want to save people next time, you should consider whether you're strong enough," the villain said coldly. "Though… there won't be a next time."
His grip tightened.
His fingers dug into Death Arms' skull, drawing blood as the pressure increased.
A scream tore from Death Arms' throat.
The Pro Hero had been completely overpowered.
That scream shattered what little calm remained among the crowd.
"Death Arms lost?!""Where are the other Pro Heroes?! Why aren't they here yet?!""H-Heroes… a Hero is going to die…!"
The death of a Pro Hero wasn't just another crime—it was a devastating blow to society. Incidents like this could shake public trust to its core.
Death Arms forced his eyes open, glaring at his opponent. But the relentless blows had left him unable to move. All he could feel was the crushing grip tightening around his head, his consciousness fading under the strain.
…Am I really going to die here?
Out of the corner of his eye, he caught glimpses of the panicked crowd. A trace of sorrow flickered in his gaze.
No one could save him now.
And yet—
A sudden chill spread through the air.
Death Arms frowned slightly.
Was it his imagination?
Then his eyes widened.
…What the hell? Who is that kid?
Isn't that Etsuha?!
Why hasn't he run?!
"What are you doing?! Get out of here!!" Death Arms shouted with what little strength he had left.
His voice snapped the crowd's attention back toward the center.
"That's Etsuha? Has he lost his mind?!""If he runs, the other Heroes might arrive in time to save Death Arms—but if he goes closer, he'll just get himself killed!""What is he doing? This isn't the time to act reckless!"
The crowd erupted into panic again.
Etsuha's actions made no sense to them.
"Uncle… I can't just stand by and watch you die," Etsuha said calmly, ignoring the noise around him. "I thought you could handle this guy… but it seems I overestimated the situation."
"…What are you talking about…" Death Arms muttered weakly.
Meanwhile, the Muscle Killer's excitement only grew.
One of his eyes glowed with a crimson light as he grinned wildly.
"Hahaha! Another idiot walking right into my hands! Since you want to die, I'll turn you into bait for the other Pro Heroes!"
He released Death Arms and reached out with his massive hand toward Etsuha.
But in that instant—
A freezing aura erupted.
A violent surge of cold burst from Etsuha's body. The temperature plummeted, and frost rapidly spread across the ground. Ice crystals began forming on the villain's body, creeping over his muscles.
At the same time, Etsuha's voice rang out—
"Freeze."
Bang!
There was no time to react.
In an instant, the Muscle Killer's entire body was encased in solid ice—transformed into a frozen statue.
Silence.
The chaotic crowd fell completely still.
Everyone stared in disbelief at the scene before them.
Even Death Arms—
Who had just been shouting at Etsuha moments ago—
Was left utterly stunned.