Pro Hero and HPSC assassin Lady Nagant—real name Kaina Tsutsumi—sat across from Arata in the communication room of the Nova Genesis base, her posture stiff and unmoving. Her eyes were wide, unfocused, as if she was staring through him rather than at him.
The flood of information Arata had just given her kept replaying in her mind again and again, refusing to settle.
'This… this is insane', she thought, her fingers curling slightly over her knees. 'Infinity Stones? The origin of quirks? A war to overturn the entire world?'
Her breathing slowed, but not because she was calming down—it was because her brain was struggling to process everything at once.
Arata leaned forward slightly, waving his hand in front of her face.
"Hey… you still with us?"
No response.
Melissa crossed her arms and gave a small sigh. "Yeah… she's gone." She glanced at Arata. "Give her a break. Anyone would crash after hearing all that. You basically rewrote her entire understanding of the world in ten minutes."
Arata scratched the back of his head awkwardly. "I didn't think it would hit that hard…"
Melissa gave him a flat look. "You told her the universe created six god-level stones and that you're planning to recreate a low powered versions of them to start a global revolution. What did you expect? The only reason i accepted that was because we are still young and you should know teenagers like us love cool things that sound like they are taken straight out of a movie."
Arata paused, then nodded slowly. "…Fair point."
He stood up and stretched lightly. "Alright, let her process it. We'll come back later."
Melissa gave one last glance at Kaina, whose expression was still frozen in shock, before following Arata out of the room. As the door closed behind them, the silence around Kaina deepened, leaving her alone with her spiraling thoughts.
The two of them walked into the medical room, where David was sitting upright on a bed, his body wrapped in bandages and dressed in a patient gown. Despite his condition, his attention was fully locked onto the television mounted on the wall.
On the screen, footage of Arata's speech played alongside clips of Melissa's fight. The recordings, taken by reporters, showed her flying through the air, summoning elements, and overwhelming dozens of heroes and guards.
David let out a low whistle. "Well… I don't know whether I should be worried or impressed."
Melissa blinked. "Huh?"
He turned his head toward her, a grin forming on his face. "I mean, I'm still processing the fact that my daughter just beat the hell out of around forty-five pro heroes and twenty HPSC guards."
Melissa's face turned red instantly. "D-Dad! It's not like that! I mean—it is, but—it's because of the quirk chip Arata made!"
She pointed at Arata quickly, trying to shift the attention away from herself. "The Seven Elemental quirk—it did most of the work!"
David chuckled softly before turning toward Arata, his expression shifting into something more thoughtful. "Still… that kind of technology…" He leaned back slightly. "Even considering what your father worked on, what you've achieved goes beyond that. Quirk chips… artificial replication this refined…"
'This kid… is terrifying', David thought, his eyes briefly flickering toward the Infinity Gauntlet.
Arata gave a small shrug. "It's nothing special. Just trial and error."
Melissa immediately turned toward him with an annoyed expression. "You literally rewrote biological engineering, and you're calling it 'trial and error'?"
Arata ignored her and instead looked at David seriously. "So… what do you think?"
David raised an eyebrow. "About what?"
"About my offer," Arata said calmly. "Joining Nova Genesis."
The room went quiet for a moment.
David's expression turned contemplative as he looked down at his bandaged hands. "I'll be honest…" he began slowly, "I don't want to get involved in dangerous situations like before. I-Island was already more than enough."
He paused, then continued, "And when it comes to your quirk chips… I'm not even sure I can contribute much. From what I've seen, that technology is already beyond anything I've worked on. It's… honestly the peak of both biological and mechanical integration."
Melissa blinked in surprise. "Wait, even you think that?"
David nodded. "Absolutely."
Arata remained quiet for a moment before speaking again. "I'm not asking you to fight."
David looked up.
"I need someone to help stabilize and perfect the Infinity Gauntlet," Arata continued, raising his right hand slightly. The cracks on the gauntlet were clearly visible. "Right now, it can barely handle the Space Stone. If I try to use more stones in the future, it'll break."
David's eyes immediately sharpened, his scientific curiosity taking over. "...I see."
"And," Arata added, "when Nova Genesis grows, we'll need someone to manage resources, finances, logistics. You built and managed I-Island. You're perfect for that role."
David glanced at the Space Stone, then at the gauntlet, his mind already running through possibilities. 'An unknown material… capable of channeling something like that… If I can study this…'
He let out a small sigh. "You really know how to tempt a scientist."
Melissa smirked. "So that's a yes?"
David gave a small smile. "…Yeah. It's a yes."
Arata grinned and immediately picked up a mask from a nearby table, handing it to him. "Welcome to Nova Genesis, then."
David took the mask and examined it. It was a green snake design with yellow glass lenses for eyes.
"From now on," Arata said, crossing his arms confidently, "you're our part time scientist and finance manager. Code name—Novagent."
David raised an eyebrow as he immediately knew the names meaning. "Novagent, huh? Not bad."
Melissa suddenly leaned forward with a mischievous grin. "You know, Dad… back on I-Island, you used to kick me out of the lab whenever I bothered you."
David froze.
"And now," she continued sweetly, "I'm the second-in-command of Nova Genesis."
A dangerous smile spread across her face. "So I think it's only fair that I assign you some small tasks before letting you into the lab."
David's face turned pale. "M-My dear daughter… let's not make emotional decisions here…"
Melissa let out a dramatic, ojou-sama-like laugh. "Too late~"
David slumped back in defeat. "...I knew you got that from your mother."
Arata stood there with a small sweat drop forming on his forehead. 'What kind of family dynamic is this…?'
Deciding it was best not to get involved, he quietly turned and left the room, letting the two continue their banter.
Arata entered the lab, the familiar hum of machines greeting him as he walked toward the main computer. His expression shifted instantly, becoming focused and serious.
He began typing rapidly, and soon, the massive database he had stolen from the HPSC and the government appeared on the screen. Countless files, classified records, and hidden data scrolled before his eyes.
"Let's see…" he muttered.
He skimmed through multiple categories before opening the national quirk registry. Thousands upon thousands of entries filled the screen, each containing detailed information about individuals and their abilities.
Arata's eyes narrowed slightly as he began filtering the data.
"Quirks related to energy amplification… matter manipulation… time distortion…"
One by one, he selected specific individuals and transferred their data into a separate file.
"…Looks like the next step is pretty clear."
He leaned back slightly, glancing at the newly created file.
"Europe, huh…" he murmured.
His smirk widened just a little.
"Wonder how the food tastes like."