Melissa slowly raised her hand, her eyes still carrying traces of hesitation, disbelief, and something deeper… trust.
For a brief moment, she looked at Arata's outstretched hand—specifically, the cracked Infinity Gauntlet that held unimaginable power.
'This is insane… everything about this is insane…'
Her thoughts wavered.
'But… he saved Dad… again and again… and everything he said… it all connects…'
Her fingers tightened slightly.
Without saying another word, she placed her hand on his.
"I'll join," Melissa said, her voice firm despite the storm of emotions inside her. "I'll join Nova Genesis."
Arata's lips slowly curved into a grin, a rare, genuine expression breaking through his usually composed demeanor.
"Glad to have you," he said.
He stood up from his chair, and Melissa followed shortly after, her expression now shifting from uncertainty to curiosity… and excitement.
"If you're joining the organization," Arata continued, turning slightly as he gestured for her to follow, "then there's no way I'm letting you go without proper gear."
They began walking toward the lab section of the base, the faint hum of machinery growing louder with each step.
"I'll prepare quirk gadgets for you… a full suit… everything," Arata said, his tone now carrying a hint of enthusiasm. "So tell me—what kind of suit do you want? What kind of mask? Maybe even a codename."
He paused briefly before adding with a small smirk, "I haven't even decided mine yet."
Melissa blinked, then a smile slowly formed on her face.
The earlier tension seemed to melt away as excitement replaced it.
'Quirk gadgets… multiple quirks…' she thought, her heart beating faster. 'For someone like me…'
She took off the rings from her fingers—the electricity generation ring and the healing ring—and handed them back to Arata.
"Speaking of quirk gadgets…" she said, her tone thoughtful. "I've always admired my uncle, All Might… so something suited for close combat would be great."
She hesitated slightly before adding, "But… I don't really have fighting experience. So maybe… something long-range too?"
Arata nodded without hesitation.
"We'll give you both," he said. "Close range and long range."
He gestured toward the lab around them.
"We have over ten thousand quirk samples here. Don't hold back. Pick whatever you like."
Melissa let out a small hum of agreement, her eyes wandering across the lab as her imagination began to run wild.
"For the mask…" she said after a moment, glancing at him, "since you use a demon mask… how about an angel mask for me?"
Arata hummed lightly.
"Sounds good."
They reached the main work area as Arata began removing his equipment one by one.
The telekinesis glove.
The compress glove.
The rings Melissa had used.
His own rings.
His coat.
Each item was placed carefully on the table.
"I need an upgrade too," he muttered. "A proper suit this time."
Finally, he removed the cracked Infinity Gauntlet from his hand and placed it on the table.
For a moment, his gaze lingered on it.
Then he reached forward and carefully removed the Space Stone.
The moment it rested in his palm, it pulsed faintly… vibrating with contained, overwhelming energy.
Arata turned and walked toward the center of the lab.
There, a massive glass chamber stood tall, cylindrical in shape. Inside it, six metallic spikes extended—six from below and six from above—their tips stopping just a meter apart.
Melissa followed behind him, her eyes widening slightly at the sight.
Arata opened the chamber and raised his hand.
The Space Stone floated out of his palm, rising slowly until it hovered perfectly between one the spikes.
He closed the chamber.
Almost instantly, streams of blue energy flowed out from the stone, traveling through the spikes and dispersing across the entire lab.
A low hum filled the room.
The lights flickered… then stabilized.
The entire facility came alive.
"Now," Arata said quietly, watching the system stabilize, "we have an infinite energy source."
Melissa looked around in awe, taking in the scale of what she had just witnessed.
Her attention shifted as she picked up a small chip from a nearby table.
She examined it closely.
"Earth manipulation…" she read aloud, her voice filled with wonder.
She moved around the lab, observing different chips, devices, and half-completed inventions, her curiosity completely taking over.
Meanwhile, Arata sat down at the main computer.
His fingers moved across the keyboard as multiple files opened before him—each one detailing different Infinity Stones.
'Next…'
His eyes scanned through the data.
'The closest one I can complete… is the Power Stone.'
His gaze narrowed slightly.
'But I'm still missing a key quirk… Over Modification… Anna's quirk.'
His fingers paused briefly.
'Getting that won't be easy… I'll have to deal with the Gollini family.'
His mind began calculating possibilities.
'If I succeed… I won't just get the Power Stone… I'll also gain access to multiple useful quirk samples.'
He leaned back slightly in his chair.
'But rushing in now would be stupid. I need more people… more strength… and better control over the Space Stone.'
His eyes shifted to another file.
The Time Stone.
He opened it.
'Still missing… Sir Nighteye's quirk… Eri's quirk… and one from the Gollini family.'
His expression turned thoughtful.
'After the Power Stone… I'll go for the Time Stone.'
A brief pause.
'Eri…'
His gaze softened just a fraction.
'She should be around one year old right now… just born a month or two ago.'
His fingers tapped lightly against the desk.
'I'll need to watch her situation carefully… and strike at the right time… when dealing with Chisaki.'
He exhaled slowly.
Then closed the files.
"First things first," he muttered to himself. "Our suits."
Melissa walked back toward him, still holding a chip, her eyes bright with excitement.
Arata pulled up multiple diagrams on the screen—designs for quirk gadgets, combat suits, and integrated systems.
Melissa leaned closer, her curiosity fully engaged as she began analyzing and suggesting ideas.
Side by side, the two of them began working.
Planning.
Designing.
Building the foundation of Nova Genesis.