While the two were still talking, Yu Takeyama finally rushed onto the scene. The moment she confirmed that Shina Etsuha was unharmed, she let out a breath of relief—only to immediately tense up again.
"Where's the fugitive?!"
"Uh… he was already defeated by your brother," one of the onlookers replied.
"…Huh?"
Yu Takeyama blinked, her expression unusually blank.
Since when did her little brother have that kind of ability?
"And it was an instant victory," the man added.
"…Huh?"
Still no reaction.
But as his older sister, Yu Takeyama naturally had privileges no one else did.
Before Etsuha could slip away and return to school, she grabbed him by the head and smacked him lightly.
"What's going on with your quirk?!"
"It's ice! Ice!" Etsuha protested helplessly.
"Ice, huh? That's interesting," Yu Takeyama said, narrowing her eyes. "When did it awaken? Why didn't I know about it?"
Then, putting on an exaggeratedly sad expression, she sighed.
"Ah… my little brother's grown up. He's even started keeping secrets from his big sister…"
"This is a hidden quirk! I told you about it years ago!" Etsuha shot back immediately.
As soon as she heard the phrase hidden quirk, Yu Takeyama froze for a moment.
"…A hidden quirk?" she repeated slowly, her expression turning uncertain.
Clearly, she hadn't taken it seriously back then. Only now, after seeing Etsuha's power firsthand, did she recall that conversation.
Etsuha's face darkened in frustration.
Seeing his expression, Yu Takeyama laughed and ruffled his hair.
"Alright, alright. That's on me," she admitted. "But be honest with your sister—how strong is your quirk, really?"
"Does that matter?" Etsuha asked.
"It matters a lot," she replied seriously.
Etsuha thought for a moment before answering calmly, "I can freeze a large river instantly."
"…That powerful?!"
Yu Takeyama's eyes lit up.
"If that's the case, I'll arrange for you to get a recommendation for U.A.," she said decisively. "You want to go there, right? With this level of ability, you can skip the regular entrance exam and go straight in."
"There's still a test for recommended students, right?"
"Of course. And it's difficult. But it shouldn't be a problem for you."
"Oh. I don't really care."
"…What kind of reaction is that? This is U.A. we're talking about! Even with your ability, it's not guaranteed you'll stand out."
"Oh."
"…You brat!"
As the siblings bickered back and forth, the incident gradually came to a close.
Thanks to the severity of the situation, Etsuha didn't attend school for the next few days. During that time, Yu Takeyama began making arrangements for his U.A. recommendation exam.
However, the impact of the Muscle Killer incident continued to spread.
As the story circulated, Etsuha's classmates gradually learned what had happened—and the classroom exploded with excitement.
"Hey, did you hear? Shina awakened his quirk, and it caused a huge commotion!"
"Yeah! Not only did he awaken it, but it's insanely strong! That fugitive couldn't even touch him the whole time!"
"That's nothing! He's already applied for U.A.'s recommendation admission. If he passes, he can enter directly without the standard exam!"
"No wonder he hasn't been coming to class these past few days—he's preparing for the test!"
"I don't care about any of that—I just want to send blades to Etsuha! Why did my Queen Esdeath have to die?! I want to hack him to death!"
"That damn Etsuha—what a thief!"
Snap!
A sudden explosion of flames burst from a crushed can, instantly silencing the entire classroom.
A tense atmosphere settled in.
Seeing this, a thin, green-haired boy quickly tried to ease the situation.
"K-Kacchan… are you okay?" Midoriya Izuku asked awkwardly. "Etsuha getting a quirk is a good thing, right? We should be happy for him…"
"Hmph. It's annoying when someone who was quirkless suddenly awakens a quirk," Bakugo Katsuki muttered coldly, clenching his fist.
"Etsuha said it was a hidden quirk…" Midoriya replied quietly.
"…What?"
Bakugo's gaze turned sharp, almost murderous.
"You think you can suddenly get a quirk like him? That's impossible, you useless nerd."
Midoriya fell silent.
"Whatever. It's boring," Bakugo scoffed, slinging his bag over his shoulder. "Shina's nothing special. Plenty of elites get recommendation slots. Whether he passes or not is another matter entirely… Hmph."
"Etsuha really did have a hidden quirk… and now he's aiming for U.A.'s recommendation…" Midoriya murmured, his eyes filled with longing.
Unlike most people, Midoriya had always believed Etsuha when he talked about his hidden quirk.
Bakugo shot him one last cold glance, said nothing more, and walked out of the classroom.
"Kacchan…"
Midoriya watched his back, his lips moving slightly—but in the end, he said nothing.