Chapter 81: Vigilante's BeginningAuthor: Geraint
Several hours later, Mirko finally woke up in the hospital bed. Ryukyu and Lady Nagant stood by her side, worried as she suddenly sat up.
"Where am I?" she asked, looking around and holding her head.
"You should lie down for now, Mirko. You're in the hospital. I brought you here when you suddenly passed out in Falcon's arms," Ryukyu said.
Mirko's face turned red in embarrassment as she recalled what had happened. She felt pathetic for fainting over something like that.
"Uuuu... What am I doing..."
Ryukyu gathered her thoughts and spoke seriously.
"Mirko, wouldn't it be wiser to break up with him rather than keep enduring all this?"
"Huh? You mean Ichika?"
"Yeah."
"I think he's too young for you, Mirko. Just dump that kid and find someone more mature—someone closer to your age," Lady Nagant added.
Mirko blinked twice, trying to comprehend their words, then closed her eyes and declared:
"I refuse."
"Huh?"
Both of them were surprised—and a bit disappointed.
Mirko jumped out of bed and stretched like nothing had happened.
"To me, breaking up with him means giving up. It means admitting defeat. I'm the Rabbit Hero: Mirko! I won't succumb to anyone—not even my own Quirk! I'd rather endure and fight than admit defeat!"
They couldn't understand what was going on in her head.
"Then… are you going to, you know... do it with him? I mean... s-seggs... Ugh, what am I even saying..." Lady Nagant muttered, blushing furiously.
Mirko grinned.
"I don't really mind doing it with him—but only when I want to. Not just because my body craves it. It's not Ichika's fault our relationship is difficult. I'm happy he understands my situation. He's waiting for me to return on my own terms."
She placed a hand on her hip and continued with a proud smile.
"We promised that I'd train and get stronger while he tries to restore his peak strength as Captain Falcon. When the time comes, we'll face each other again—not with his overpowered adult form. You know, he doesn't even like that form because it gives him power without effort. He shows a lonely expression whenever he uses it."
Ryukyu and Lady Nagant were surprised at how deeply she understood Falcon. At the same time, they found it surreal to see the brash and tomboyish Mirko act like a smitten maiden in love.
"These two are really a strange couple."
"I feel you, Ryukyu."
"Alright! Let's get back to patrolling! I want to beat up some strong villains!" Mirko shouted, back to her energetic self—until she realized something.
"Wait. Where's Ichika?"
Ryukyu glanced at Lady Nagant, who looked guilty.
"I ran away..."
"Huh?"
"I ran away and left him alone because he did something weird to me! He might still be patrolling solo," Lady Nagant explained, her face red as she recalled the incident.
"That means he's handling the job all by himself... Serves him right for being annoying," Ryukyu muttered.
"This is bad," Mirko said, suddenly anxious.
"What's wrong?"
"When Ichika is alone and bored, strange things are bound to happen. I'm sure of it! That's why someone always has to watch over him!"
The two women looked at each other, sharing a bad feeling.
"Let's hurry!"
Meanwhile...
Since Lady Nagant had abandoned the patrol, Ichika had no choice but to continue alone. He was already regretting that he'd overdone it with her. He had used one of his powers—Charm of Venus—on her, and it worked too well. He knew it was wrong to use it on a comrade, but he hated being pressured to break up with Mirko.
Even with all their difficulties, he was doing his best to understand Mirko's situation and keep their relationship strong. He believed they could overcome it—as long as they stayed together.
He took a short break, stopping by a convenience store to buy a canned latte. Sitting on a nearby bench, he looked up at the clear sky.
"This job is really boring. I want to go back to my workshop and create something. I'm not cut out for being a corporate drone."
He had been looking forward to seeing Rumi, but she fainted and was taken to the hospital, leaving him in a sour mood.
"Gyaah!!!""A monster!"
Not far from him, a giant creature with black skin and glowing red veins suddenly appeared, rampaging through the area and throwing people into a panic.
"Huh?"
"Run!!""Raaaawrrr!!"
Screams erupted as terrified civilians ran past him. The monster's roar echoed through the streets, painfully loud.
"Where are the Pro Heroes?!"
"Someone was supposed to be patrolling!"
No one recognized Ichika in his black formal uniform—he just looked like another office worker.
He sighed, stood up, and downed his coffee in one go. Then, without even turning around, he tossed the can behind him and it landed perfectly in the trash.
Clink!
In a blink, he vanished—then reappeared in front of the monster and launched a flying kick into its face.
BAM!
The monster crashed to the ground. As it tried to recover, Ichika pulled out a small phone, tapped a few buttons, and raised it dramatically.
"Henshin!"
A slot on his belt opened, and he plugged the phone into it.
Click!Complete!
Nanomachines activated, forming a black armored suit with various gears and mechanisms.
The media and civilians watching were stunned by his transformation.
"Behold my latest invention using nanotech: Hentai Kamen—no, wait, Kamen Raider—no! Kamen Rider! That's the one!"
He struck a fighting pose.
The monster stood up again—but Ichika launched another attack. He punched it square in the chest, and its body glowed—before reverting back to a regular man in his mid-20s, now unconscious.
Peeeeew!
Ichika looked down, disappointed by how easy it had been.
The crowd, however, cheered wildly. Children were especially excited by his transformation suit. Despite the applause, he awkwardly waved, feeling like he had just performed at a kid's birthday party.
"Yeah!!"
Inside the armor, he was dejected. It didn't feel like a real fight at all.
Later, while reporting the incident to the police—
"Hm?"
He sensed someone watching him from a rooftop, but the presence vanished instantly.
"He must've been testing me..." he muttered, then glanced at the unconscious man being loaded into an ambulance.
"No doubt about it. That was the 'Trigger' drug. This is the work of Villain Factory."
The authorities saluted him before rushing off to file their reports.
Even if the job bored him, Ichika still prioritized public safety. So, he kept patrolling the district, alone, his mind drifting between work... and the one he wanted to see again.
(To be continued.)
A/N: I'll fix more mistakes later.