Chapter 77: New Android
Author: Geraint
After returning from the beach, Ichika went straight to his workshop with Roboco and La Brava. Meanwhile, Toru, Momo, Little Bel, and Nejire relaxed in the living room.
"There he goes again—straight to work right after coming back from the beach," Toru said with a sigh.
"That guy's unbelievable. He never wastes a moment when it comes to inventing something. I can't keep up," Momo muttered, visibly tired from the trip.
Little Bel lay across Momo's lap, turning it into a makeshift pillow. Momo didn't seem to mind—after all, she only saw her as a child.
Nejire was already fast asleep, worn out from all the activity.
BOOOOOOOM!
A sudden explosion shook the entire building.
The girls sat up instantly, startled.
Toru already had a pretty good idea of who was responsible.
"Don't tell me..."
"Yeah... it's Ichika," Momo groaned, clearly used to this sort of thing.
Nejire joined them as they hurried toward the workshop—leaving Little Bel behind, who simply rolled over and continued her nap, undisturbed.
When they arrived, they were met with the sight of a stunning android standing in the center of the room. She resembled a young woman with a pale complexion and a slim, graceful figure. She had a small mole beneath her chin, short silvery-white hair, and wore a blindfold over her grayish-blue eyes. Her black dress revealed a white leotard underneath, and she wore long black heels with sheer stockings. Her hands were gloved in elegant, black-and-white finger gloves.
She was breathtaking—eerily lifelike.
Behind the android, Roboco was plugging in thick power cords, while La Brava furiously typed away on a nearby computer.
The girls approached, unsure of what was happening.
"Uhm... what just happened? We heard a huge explosion," Nejire asked.
Roboco and La Brava exchanged glances. Roboco simply pointed toward another room behind them—the storage room where Ichika kept his bulkier inventions.
The girls peeked inside.
"Ichika-kun?" Toru called.
Everything inside was a mess. A car, blackened and twisted from an explosion, sat smoking in the center. Standing near it was a large black iron suit with gold plating on its face and several joints.
"Ichika! Is that you?" Momo asked.
The helmet opened, revealing Ichika's face.
"Oh, it's just you girls. What's wrong?" he asked nonchalantly.
"You just woke us up with that explosion!" Momo snapped.
"Hehehe… Sorry! I was testing my new Repulsor upgrade. Look at this armored car—it was completely obliterated!"
He looked proud of the destruction, much to Momo's dismay.
"Wait, this car was one of my failed inventions anyway. I was planning to scrap it."
"...Okay." Momo gave in.
Nejire began circling him, inspecting his suit with curiosity.
"Nee, Ichika-kun, what can that suit do?"
"This is a powered exoskeleton with armored plating. It enhances the wearer's strength, speed, agility, and endurance. It's powered by a miniaturized Arc Reactor built into the chest."
He tapped the glowing red circle on his chestpiece.
"It looks heavy. Can you move around in it easily?"
"Yup! I used a lightweight yet durable metal alloy. It can withstand cannons and artillery fire."
"Ichika-kun, can I try it on?"
"Of course, but…" His eyes drifted down to her chest.
"Huh?" Nejire frowned and pinched his cheek.
"Pervert!"
"How about this—I'll make a special hero costume for you once you get accepted into a hero school?"
Her mood instantly brightened. She grabbed his hand.
"Really? Promise?"
"Promise."
Ichika smiled, and she beamed back at him.
"Ichika-kun..."
Toru looked jealous watching them.
"Of course, I'll make something for you two as well," Ichika added quickly. "Especially for you, Toru. I'm concerned about how you have to be naked to use your quirk effectively. I'll work on a special material that's compatible with your invisibility."
"Ichika-kun is concerned about me...? Hehehe..." Toru giggled, visibly touched.
Momo just sighed, watching how easily Toru was swayed.
—Several Days Later—
On the city streets, the Dragoon Hero Ryukyu was patrolling, her expression stiff and uncomfortable.
Why?
Because walking beside her—without a care in the world—was none other than Ichika, now in his adult form. The former vigilante Captain Falcon had officially become a Pro Hero under the name Falcon. Dressed in a sleek black suit—his Hero Commission uniform—he munched on popcorn casually.
"What's wrong, Ryuko? You seem tense," he asked, glancing at her.
"Stop calling me by my real name! It's Ryukyu!" she snapped, trying to keep her distance.
"Ryuko, want some popcorn?"
She sighed. "No, I'm fine." She remembered how he never called Mirko by her hero name either—always using real names like they were friends.
Still, he was the acting president of the Hero Commission... her boss. She couldn't do anything about it.
Just thinking about that made her want to quit.
Meanwhile, Ichika remained completely oblivious to the awkward tension.
"Ryuko."
"It's Ryukyu."
"I heard you rejected all the marriage candidates I introduced. Something wrong with them?"
"Ugh..." She paled.
"Falcon, you don't need to go through all this trouble. They were all good guys, but I'm not interested in dating or marriage right now. That's why I rejected them."
"Eh..." Ichika sounded genuinely disappointed. He sighed and muttered,
"What a waste, Ryuko... You're not only beautiful—you're kind, dependable. You'd make a great mom one day. I guarantee it."
Her face turned red. She went quiet.
"...If this keeps up, our country's declining birthrate will get worse."
"I'm fine by myself. You should be convincing other people, not just me."
"If I can't even convince you, how can I convince others?" he said wearily. "What do you expect me to do? Ask Endeavor to have more kids?"
"Pfffffft!" Ryukyu quickly covered her mouth to hide her laughter.
"Can you imagine? Sitting across from him and his angry kids, all glaring and yelling 'Falcon!' at me? That sounds like a nightmare. Hey—Ryuko! You listening?"
"Pfffffft... Stop it, Ichika... Fufu..."
(To be continued.)
A/N: I'll fix my mistakes later.