What did the demonic creep mean by "cut off a decade off his lifespan"? Arata ponders, her eyes zeroing at the slight crinkles on Ephialtes's once-flawless skin.
Lifespan isn't something humans can add and subtract. Nobody should be able to lengthen their own lifespan without any serious consequence.
It's highly impossible to do, unless... it has something to do with the dormant potential Denise-san and Dace-san talked about. Does it mean...?
Forcing herself to pull her weight back to her feet, Arata clasps the seams of her dress and takes a step back, horrified at her own conclusion. "All those fainting accidents... Those quirkless girls... You— You absorbed their dormant potential and turned it into your own lifespan."
"Once again, you've blown me away. Clever, aren't you, Little Red Riding Hood?" Ephialtes claps his hands dramatically, his lips curling deeper. "'Dormant potential', huh? So, that's the official term..."
"Wait, if that is your quirk... how come you can hypnotize people too? Do you... have two quirks?"
As soon as the question leaves her mouth, a singsong laugh fills the air—hearty and ringing lightly, as if the laugher truly thinks it as amusing. "My, my, are you jealous because you don't even have one?"
This quirkless impression again... It's getting old, Arata sighs, her eyebrows twitching in annoyance. Well, probably I should let him be for now. Quirkless people have larger dormant potential reserves for him to absorb. If he knows I have a quirk, no doubt he will go straight for Melissa-san.
"I just want to know. I'm, um— I'm curious about quirks."
"Why would I need multiple quirks if I have a mutant-type quirk? Let's say those abilities are extensions of my quirk."
"Which is?"
"I would like to tell you all about it, but I need you to come closer to me."
"I would like to do it, but you'll put me to sleep."
"Isn't that a fair thing to do, considering you have made me this old? Our conversation has been pleasant, however I haven't forgotten about it."
Ephialtes moves forward and Arata steps back again, her muscles tensing in anticipation. Maintaining the distance between them is perhaps her best bet. It seems like he doesn't have a long-ranged attack, so as long as she avoids getting hypnotized, it will be fine.
And if it's not, I have to hold out, at least until—
"Little Red Riding Hood, you've glanced up there three times in the past minute, even though all your friends had escaped. Well, maybe not all of them. I wouldn't be surprised if your green-haired friend is quietly climbing down the ladder to help you right now."
Crap! Since when did he realize?
"Then, why didn't you do anything? It's like you're waiting for— for..." Then, an unseen possibility dawns on Arata and her stomach immediately lurches. "Oh. Oh."
To help her, Midoriya has to exit the roof panel, go down the ladder, get off on the bridge, then somehow jumps down to where they are. But, if he does that, there is no way he can climb up again, because he can't fly. The only way they could get to the bridge the first time was thanks to Shoto's ice pillar.
However, that isn't the case for this demon-like villain. With his wings, he can fly straight to the roof panel. Once Midoriya jumps to save her, the villain will soar again to the roof panel... and chase after Melissa instead, leaving her and Midoriya stuck in the botanical garden, unable to catch up.
This realization makes Arata's heart sink with dread in an instant. Disgust leaks into her voice, smearing it with a rare defiance as she spits out, "You're a coward. Trying to get out from a fight before it even begins."
"Watch what you say, Little Red Riding Hood. Haven't I told you that I despise aging? Between two quirkless girls, of course I'll pick the easiest one. Why should I fight your broccoli friend for you, when I can just pluck Melissa Shield? Don't worry, I'll come for you after my allies over there finish off those boys."
"Melissa-san isn't alone. My friends are with her. You won't be able to touch her."
"With the element of surprise on my side?" Ephialtes chuckles, yellow eyes gleaming confidently under curly, dark purple tresses. "Wanna try me?"
"... No."
Arata hates the situation at the moment, but there is no other way, isn't it? If Midoriya jumped down and protected her, the demon would go after Melissa. But if she got Midoriya out of the picture, she would be completely defenseless, thus an easier prey for the demon. He wouldn't need to hunt Melissa down.
It is either her or Melissa, no in-between. She has chosen to offer herself up for Melissa when she jumped from the ladder, and that decision still stands until now.
However I think about it, it's better me than Melissa-san... Nobody except her will be able to recover the security system, and... her father—David Shield—must be worried sick if anything ever happens to his daughter.
Whereas I'm... unwanted... by my own mother—Hanakiri. She had made it clear that I wasn't important. And the Shirayuki...
It's just natural... that I am the disposable one.
"Good girl. Then, cooperate with me." Ephialtes walks up to her, and this time, Arata doesn't have an option to back away. He stops a couple of meters in front of her, then clicks his tongue. "Open your left fist, Little Red Riding Hood. I know you're planning to spatter my eyes with soil."
Growling, Arata does as he says, a handful of dirt drizzling down the floor. "What now?"
"Tell your broccoli boy of a friend to climb back to the roof panel and lock it. He can't return here for a surprise attack later. I don't want any intervention during our little sleeping session."
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Midoriya is about to step on the lowest rung of the ladder when Arata shouts to him to return. Frozen in confusion, he squints his eyes and bites his lips, torn between following and denying her request. For him, a friend in need has been his number one priority, yet there is a sense of urgency that pushes him not to do so.
The desperation in her voice hits too close to his heart. It vaguely reminds him of himself when he was at the mercy of Tomura Shigaraki. Side by side on a bench in the shopping mall, fed with a talk full of threats, helplessly yelling for Uraraka to stay away. All of them so nobody would get hurt because of him.
He used to think that maybe, if the same blackmail situation ever happened again, if only there was a little difference... he could do better. But, now, although the situation is different and he is placed on the receiving end like Uraraka was, Midoriya realizes that he still doesn't have what it takes to diffuse it.
What should I do? What would I do? What could I do? I don't want to choose either of them!
But, maybe, his decision was actually never needed. Because the next moment, his—and Arata's—salvation comes in the form of a red blur in a dark suit, dry-surfing on a frozen wave. With hardened skin and all, it slams into the demon and sends him flying to the wall.
Slumping to the bridge in relief, Midoriya almost can't stop himself from gushing like a little girl. "Kirishima-kun!"
"Sorry I'm late!" Kirishima grins and makes an "X" with his rock-like arms. "I was stuck in the wall for a bit, but now Red Riot is here! You can rest easy now, Arata-chan. And Midoriya, don't you have somewhere to be? Just leave this villain to me!"
"Are you going to be okay, though?"
"For sure! Bakubro and Todoroki are keeping the other villains' hands full, so we'll be okay. Right, Arata-chan?"
"R— Right!" Arata nods, the worry on her face is starting to seep out. Her hand fidgets with the fabric of her dress. "Please keep Melissa-san safe, Midoriya-kun!"
"Definitely! Please catch up as soon as you can!"
"We'll see you on top, Midoriya. Now go, or else Iida will come running to get you."
It's like a physical burden lifted off Arata's shoulders when she sees the roof panel sealed again, together with the disappearance of Midoriya's green hair. At least now, Ephialtes would need to get past Kirishima and her first to chase after Melissa. Midoriya will also be able to inform their friends of the possibility of Ephialtes coming after them, so they can be more cautious.
From the corner of her eye, she sees the demon is sitting on a small crater, preoccupied. His hands are pressed together, then lifted up solemnly. Mouth burbling indistinct sentences, he stands and tilts his head up to the ceiling.
Huh, what is he doing? Is he... praying?
A tap lands on Arata's right shoulder, and a jolt of pain that comes with it shatters her concentration. "Ouch!"
"Whoops! Did it hurt?" Kirishima grimaces. "Sorry, I didn't know you injured your right arm. Are you okay, Arata-chan?"
"It's all right. Thank you so much for helping me, Kirishima-kun. If you hadn't come... I would have been off in la-la land."
"No worries. Todoroki also lent me a hand in this, you know."
"Oh, sorry for weighing all of you down... How are Shoto-san and Bakugou-kun doing?"
"Not at all. Your move was so manly, Arata-chan!" Kirishima chimes, upbringing as laid-back as usual. "Plus, don't you worry about them both. After what you've seen at I-Speed, you should be more worried for their opponents."
Somehow, Kirishima's presence always brings positivity for the people around him. And, for the first time since their quest to the top floor, Arata lets out a breathy chuckle. "About time until we have an ice sculpture and a grilled meat, huh?"
"Yup. Now, about our villain, is there anything I should be aware of?"
"Nothing much, unless you're secretly a girl." Turning away from the laughing Kirishima, Arata gestures to Ephialtes, who is hot on his heels and marching back towards them with creaking and popping sounds. "Well, he... can sort of recover his own injuries... He grows older every time he does that, though."
"Wait, for real!? Oh damn, so that's how he survived that fall."
"Yeah. It seems the more severe his injuries are, the older he gets. Last time, he grew almost a decade in age. Just now... not so much, it's barely considerable."
"It means I'll just have to up my damage points until he becomes a grandpa, right?" Kirishima slaps one fist to his other palm, his sharp teeth forming a smirk.
Arata doesn't think it will be as easy as said, but Kirishima's optimism spreads like a plague and she finds herself smiling, the fear in her being momentarily quelled. "I never pegged you for someone who wishes to hurt a grandpa, Kirishima-kun."
"Of course— Eh, what? That's not what I meant, Arata-chan!"