As I turned around, I saw her.
She was stunning.
Dark, sun-kissed skin glowed under the moonlight. Long straight white hair flowed down to her thighs like liquid silk. Narrow red eyes were sharp and piercing, framed by long defined eyelashes that gave her an almost predatory allure.
Rabbit ears stood tall and proud on her head. That white leotard hugged her athletic curvaceous body like a second skin. It emphasized her toned abs, powerful thighs that looked capable of crushing anything, and a generous chest that rose and fell with each confident breath.
Damn, she was the kind of beautiful that hit like a punch. Fierce, sexy, and completely untouchable. One of my absolute favorite heroes from My Hero Academia, Mirko the Rabbit Hero herself. Popular for good reason. Every fan knew she was built like a goddess of battle and temptation.
Then, I suddenly heard a ping in my head.
[ SUITABLE TARGET DETECTED: RUMI USAGIYAMA (MIRKO)
AGE: 26
QUIRK: RABBIT
CAPTURE DIFFICULTY: HIGH ]
My pulse hammered like a jackhammer on steroids. It was really her.
But wait, I whispered urgently, "System, what do you mean by 'suitable target'?"
The screen flickered back.
[ HOST, OBVIOUSLY YOU CAN'T JUST TAKE RANDOM WOMEN TO THE ISLAND. ONLY QUALIFIED ONES ARE ALLOWED. SUITABILITY IS BASED ON APPEAL, STRENGTH, AND VALUE TO THE BUSINESS. ]
Damn it, System. Why didn't you tell me this earlier? Is this why you dropped me right here? For a perfect target?
The screen didn't respond, but Mirko's voice cut through the night like a whip.
"Hey, creep," she growled again, rough and low.
Mirko had been perched on the edge of the rooftop for a while. Long enough to catch Harlan materializing out of thin air.
Her narrow red eyes raked over me head to toe, lingering. Lips curled into a feral, toothy grin, disgust mixed with dark amusement, like she'd spotted a bug she was itching to crush.
"You think popping up buck-naked on my roof is gonna get you anywhere but a one-way ticket to the pavement?"
"And, Who the hell are you talkin' to, huh? Some imaginary friend? Or are you just that much of a pervert you get off mumblin' to yourself while flashin' heroes?"
She took one deliberate step closer. Grin widened, dangerous now. No hesitation. No fear. Just pure predatory confidence.
Those red eyes narrowed sharper. "Spit it out before I decide kickin' your ass off this building is too merciful. You got three seconds, weirdo. One..."
Naked? My brain short-circuited. I looked down, holy shit, no clothes! Just me, in all my average-19-year-old glory, bare-assed on a Tokyo rooftop at midnight. The cool wind hit everywhere it shouldn't. I yelped, hands flying to cover my junk, crouching like a goblin in full panic. "What the fuck? Where are my clothes?!"
[ THEY REMAIN ON THE ISLAND. PORTAL TRANSFER DOES NOT INCLUDE NON-SYSTEM ITEMS. ]
Two…
My heart slammed so hard I could taste it. Mirko's grin was gone now, replaced by a look of pure, burning contempt. Those rabbit ears flicked back slightly, like she was disgusted just breathing the same air as me.
She cracked her knuckles once, loud in the quiet night. I could practically see her weighing whether to punt me off the edge or stomp me flat first. No fear in her, just raw, predatory annoyance. If I didn't say something useful in the next heartbeat, I was done. She'd enjoy it, too.
Three…
"Time's up, perv." She stepped forward, voice dropping low and dangerous. "You just earned yourself a free flight. Hope you like pavement." Her powerful leg cocked back, thigh muscles coiling like loaded springs, ready to send me sailing off the roof.
"Wait! I can explain!" I blurted, "I'm your biggest fan! Seriously, huge fan! I... I really wanted to meet you, so I asked my friend to teleport me nearby. I had no idea it wouldn't bring my clothes! It was supposed to be quick, just say hi, maybe get a picture or something, please don't kick me off!"
Mirko's leg froze mid-air for a heartbeat. Her red eyes narrowed to slits, ears flicking once in obvious irritation. The feral grin twisted into something halfway between disbelief and pure annoyance.
Then she barked a short, harsh laugh. Not friendly. More like she couldn't believe how pathetic this was.
"A fan, huh?" she sneered, slowly lowering her leg, but not relaxing. Every muscle stayed coiled, ready. "Teleport buddy forgot your pants? And your brain, apparently."
She loomed closer, towering over my crouched, naked form. Her voice turned rougher, sharper.
"Real fans don't pull this creepy stalker crap. They cheer from the crowd, stay outta my way, and keep their damn clothes on." Her ears twitched forward again, scanning me like prey. "But you're shakin' like a damn leaf. Not villain vibes. Just idiot vibes."
She cracked her knuckles once, the sound loud in the night air. The grin crept back, feral, taunting.
"Tell you what, 'big fan.'" She jabbed a finger toward me. "You've got ten seconds to give me one good reason not to punt you anyway. And it better be better than 'my teleport friend screwed up.' Clock's tickin', weirdo."
Her leg tapped the rooftop once, impatient. The threat still hung thick. One wrong word and I'd be airborne. But for now, she was listening. Barely.
System, what the hell should I do? I thought desperately, my mind racing as the seconds ticked down.
The blue screen pinged in my vision almost instantly.
[ HOST, CAPTURE HER. ]
How? I shot back mentally, sweat beading on my forehead despite the cool night air.
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COST: 1 GOLD COIN
BOOST SERUM (TEMPORARY ENHANCEMENT): INJECTS TO BOOST STRENGTH, SPEED, AGILITY, AND ENDURANCE FOR 10 MINUTES. SINGLE USE.
COST: 2 GOLD COINS ]
I flicked my eyes back to Mirko. She stood there, leg still tapping, red eyes locked on me, tracking every twitch.
Buying time to run? No chance. Talking my way out completely? She'd see through any more bullshit in seconds.
Going back empty-handed now meant wasting the travel.
And Who knew where the fuck the system would dump me next time, some quiet suburb or maybe a warzone.
No. This was the shot. Mirko. Right here. Right now.
I swallowed hard.
System. Buy both. Now.