Arata walked through the bustling expo grounds of I-Island.
Today, he looked completely different.
Gone was the usual hoodie and casual wear he preferred.
Instead, he wore a perfectly tailored black formal suit, the kind often seen in movies from his past life, much like the agents from Men in Black. The suit fit him flawlessly, enhancing his already refined appearance.
His hair, usually left naturally, was now slicked back neatly in a style reminiscent of Aizen, giving him a more mature aura far beyond his age.
'Appearance matters… especially today.'
His gaze swept across the crowd as he walked toward the meeting point Melissa had sent him the previous night after their long phone conversation.
Around him, the expo buzzed with energy.
Inventors showcased their latest creations, crowds gathered around demonstrations, and voices filled the air with excitement.
But Arata's attention wasn't on the spectacle.
The glasses resting on his face, appearing completely ordinary to anyone else, were actively scanning everything around him.
Information flickered faintly across his vision—heroes, civilians, staff—each being analyzed in real time.
Quirks. Capabilities. Threat levels.
His hand casually adjusted the pearl bracelet on his wrist.
To others, it was nothing more than an accessory.
But in reality—Every single bead was a compressed storage unit, made from the compress quirk, containing his equipment.
Offensive tools. Support devices. Everything he would need for today's operation.
'Everything is ready…'
'Today… I take the first real step towards my goal.'
His eyes moved through the crowd—and then stopped.
Melissa.
She stood a short distance away, looking around as if searching for someone. Today, she looked different as well.
She wore a soft pink button-up top paired with a blue skirt, along with pink knee-high stockings.
Her blonde hair flowed freely, no longer tied, and notably—she wasn't wearing her glasses.
For a brief moment, Arata simply looked at her.
'…She really does look different without them.'
He walked toward her.
Melissa noticed him almost immediately, her eyes lighting up slightly in recognition.
"Arata!" she called out.
He gave a small smile as he approached.
"You look lovely today," he said.
Melissa blinked for a moment before smiling warmly.
"Thank you… you look really handsome too."
Arata inclined his head slightly.
"Glad you think so."
The two began walking together, blending naturally into the flow of the crowd as they moved through the expo.
They stopped at various stalls, observing inventions and occasionally discussing them.
Their conversation flowed easily, filled with ideas, suggestions, and technical observations.
Melissa pointed out certain designs while Arata offered subtle improvements or alternate approaches.
Time passed without either of them noticing.
After about an hour, Melissa glanced at her watch.
"Oh—it should be time for the party soon," she said.
Arata nodded.
"Then we should head there."
The two turned and began walking toward the main building, the towering structure standing at the center of I-Island.
As they walked, Arata spoke casually.
"There must be quite a few high-ranking heroes attending today. I wonder what kind of support equipment they use."
Melissa tilted her head slightly as she thought.
"Well, there are some high-ranking ones," she said, "but most of the guests are newer trending heroes. Like Ingenium, Present Mic, Captain Gamma… and some well-known ones like Godzilla and Mr. Tode man."
She paused briefly before adding,
"The only really high-ranking ones I remember are the new Number 10 hero of Japan—Hawks—and the 5th ranked hero of China—Zoro."
Arata nodded slowly.
'I see… so those two are the main variables.'
Melissa sighed lightly.
"It's kind of disappointing though," she added.
"They probably won't bring their support equipment to a party like this. Otherwise, we could've seen some really amazing gear."
Arata gave a small nod in agreement.
"Yeah… that would have been interesting."
But internally—'Good.'
His thoughts briefly lingered.
'Hawks… and Zoro…'
A faint sense of curiosity surfaced.
'Why do I feel like… I should tell that Zoro guy he's not supposed to be here…?'
He frowned slightly.
'…Strange. Forget it. Not important right now.'
They soon entered the main building.
Melissa led the way confidently, guiding him through the interior corridors toward the party hall located on the ground floor.
The environment changed as they moved deeper inside. The noise of the expo faded, replaced by a more refined and controlled atmosphere.
Polished floors, glass walls, and advanced lighting gave the interior a futuristic elegance.
As they approached a section of the corridor with large glass panels overlooking the ground floor—They could see the party already underway below.
Guests gathered. Heroes conversed. Staff moved efficiently.
Everything seemed… normal.
Then—Alarms blared loudly!
The entire building froze.
Red warning lights flashed across the walls as mechanical sounds echoed throughout the structure.
CLANG!CLANG!
Security shutters slammed down across entrances and exits.
Barriers rose from floors and walls, sealing off sections instantly.
"What—?" Melissa gasped, her eyes widening.
Panic erupted.
Both inside and outside the building, civilians began shouting in confusion as the sudden lockdown triggered chaos.
Heroes moved quickly, trying to calm people down and assess the situation.
But then—Something far worse happened.
Black sludge-like portals began opening across the island.
From them—Creatures emerged.
Grotesque.
Inhuman.
Their brains exposed, their bodies distorted and unnatural.
Monsters.
Nomus.
They rampaged instantly, attacking everything in sight.
Heroes rushed to engage them, but something was wrong.
Shock spread among them.
"These things—!"
"They have more than one quirk!?"
The situation escalated rapidly as the heroes found themselves overwhelmed.
Melissa and Arata stood frozen in the corridor leading to the stairs toward the party, their eyes fixed on the chaos unfolding beyond the glass walls.
Before they could react further—SHUNK—The shutters slammed down, cutting off their view of the outside.
Even the glass wall overlooking the party floor was sealed.
But not before they saw—Villains emerging from the black portals.
And among them—Two of those monstrous creatures.
Leading them was a man in an orange suit, wearing a black facemask and a cowboy hat.
"What is happening…?" Melissa whispered, fear evident in her voice. "Why are villains attacking the island…?"
Her hands clenched slightly.
"My father… he's down there…"
Her worry deepened as she imagined him surrounded by villains and those terrifying creatures.
Beside her, Arata's expression mirrored shock for a brief moment—but it didn't last.
It shifted.
Hardened into something serious.
'…So it begins.'
His mind moved quickly, connecting the dots.
'The butterfly effect…'
His eyes darkened slightly.
'Who would've thought… the production of low-level Nomus would start five years earlier…'
A pause.
Then—'…And that they would attack I-Island of all places. Right on the day of my first step towards my goal.'