Arata and Melissa stood at the entrance of the Scervino estate, facing Anna and Giulio, who were now joined by Anna's father. The atmosphere was calm, yet carried an undercurrent of urgency. Anna's father looked between the two masked figures and his daughter, his expression filled with both gratitude and concern.
He turned toward Giulio first. "Protect her," he said firmly, his voice carrying the weight of a father who had lived too long in fear for his child.
Giulio placed a hand over his chest and bowed respectfully. "With my life."
Satisfied, Anna's father then faced Arata and Melissa. He gave them a slight bow, something that carried far more meaning than words. "Thank you," he said sincerely. "Not only for freeing my daughter from her quirk… but also for warning us about the Gollini family."
Arata simply waved his hand dismissively. "Don't mention it. We just handled a problem before it got worse."
Before anything else could be said, the distant hum of an engine echoed through the air. Everyone instinctively looked up.
The Nova-Drive descended from the sky, sleek and imposing as it circled the mansion once before lowering itself smoothly near the entrance. The faint glow from its energy lines reflected across the polished ground.
David lowered the window and gave them a casual wave.
Arata gestured toward the vehicle. "That's Nova-Drive—our ride. And the one piloting it is Novagent."
With a soft mechanical sound, the van's doors slid open.
Anna and Giulio exchanged a brief glance before stepping inside first. Melissa and Arata followed right after. Anna paused for a moment, turning back toward her father and giving him a small wave through the window.
The Nova-Drive lifted into the air once more, rising steadily until Arata raised his gauntlet.
Space twisted. A portal opened.
And within seconds, they were gone—transported across continents toward Japan.
Inside the Nova-Drive, the atmosphere settled slightly as the mission progressed.
David kept his eyes on the controls as he spoke. "We've got an update from Novak."
Arata leaned forward slightly. "What is it?"
"Valdo Gollini," David continued, "has killed his father. He's taken over as the new head of the family."
Melissa blinked. "Already?"
David nodded. "He's planning to hold a funeral in two days. After that, he intends to eliminate any internal opposition and consolidate full control. Once that's done… his next move is Anna."
A brief silence filled the van.
"And after that," David added, "he plans to Make a move on Japan and All Might."
Melissa scoffed, unable to hide her disbelief. "That guy's an idiot. Does he seriously think he can defeat All Might that easily?" She caught herself just in time, stopping short of saying uncle.
Giulio spoke up calmly from the back. "Miss Anna's quirk… would have allowed him to continuously enhance his own power, as well as that of his subordinates, as long as physical contact was maintained. With enough time, their strength could increase exponentially."
He paused, glancing at Anna.
"It's fortunate… that her quirk is no longer active."
Anna smiled softly at him. "Oh, Giulio…"
Arata visibly winced. "Can you two pause the emotional love drama for five minutes?" he said flatly. "At least until we get you settled somewhere."
Melissa immediately smacked his arm. "Ignore him," she told Anna with a grin. "Continue."
Arata leaned closer to David, lowering his voice slightly. "Do you have any advice on human brains? Specifically female ones? Because I genuinely don't understand how they switch emotions so fast."
David didn't even hesitate. "The female brain," he said solemnly, "is the greatest mystery in existence."
Arata blinked.
"And as men," David continued, "we are not meant to understand it."
Arata slowly leaned back in his seat, absorbing that statement like it was some profound truth.
"…That explains a lot."
After some time, the Nova-Drive descended toward Okinawa. Its wings folded smoothly as it deactivated invisibility mode, landing quietly on a secluded road.
The van drove off the main path, eventually stopping in front of a modest but well-equipped house. Arata tossed a key toward Giulio.
"You'll stay here for the week," he said. "Food, supplies—everything's already stocked. If you need anything, just contact us."
Then, with a completely straight face, he added, "And try not to multiply too fast. We don't need half-blonde, half-red mini versions of you running around."
Anna's face instantly turned bright red, steam practically rising from her head. Giulio froze before stuttering uncontrollably. "W-We—That—We would never—!"
Melissa burst out laughing as she lightly elbowed Arata. "I didn't know you had it in you to tease people like that."
Arata shrugged casually. "Even I can relax sometimes."
After ensuring the two were settled inside, the Nova-Drive took off once again.
Inside the van, Melissa and Arata continued their playful banter, while David watched them with a faint smile hidden beneath his mask.
Back at the base, the Nova-Drive landed smoothly inside the transport chamber.
The three of them stepped out and immediately headed toward the lab.
"Kaina needs to spread the information," Arata said as they walked. "Make sure the Gollini family knows Anna is in Japan."
David nodded. "I'll handle it."
He moved toward the communication console, already beginning the process.
Melissa, meanwhile, made her way toward a workbench, immediately diving back into her nanotech project with focused excitement.
Arata walked toward the central supercomputer. He sat down, his expression turning serious as the screen lit up before him.
Quirk factors appeared in complex sequences across the holographic interface.
He began carefully combining them—testing compatibility, rejecting unstable formations, and refining structures.
"Overmodification… Stockpile…" he muttered under his breath.
Lines of code shifted as he integrated energy manipulation quirks, laser-based quirks, enhancement quirks, and even destructive quirks like decay.
Each attempt either stabilized briefly… or collapsed entirely.
Arata's eyes narrowed as he continued.
Deleting.
Adding.
Rewriting.
Again and again.
The foundation of the Power Stone will soon be complete.