The two days off after the Sports Festival felt like a brief moment to catch my breath in the middle of a storm. I spent most of my time resting, letting my newly discovered passive healing ability work on repairing the damage to my body. The process was still a mystery, but I couldn't deny the results: the pain that should have lasted a week was now almost completely gone, leaving only a deep exhaustion. My parents, who now saw me as a U.A. champion, treated me with a mixture of overflowing pride and lingering worry. Every time I winced while stretching a muscle, my mother would immediately offer a pillow or a warm drink. It was a little over the top, but I appreciated it.
The day of departure for the internships arrived. The train station was filled with familiar faces from Class 1-A, all with their hero costumes in suitcases, ready to head to different agencies all over Japan. The atmosphere was filled with excitement and a little sadness for the temporary separation. I saw Iida, his face firm and filled with a cold determination as he boarded a train bound for Hosu. I knew where he was going, and for what purpose. I could only hope he wouldn't do something he would regret. I also saw Midoriya, looking nervous as he talked about interning with an old hero named Gran Torino.
"Take care, Tatsumi-kun!" Toru said, giving me an invisible wave. She was going to intern with a hero specializing in espionage, a perfect choice for her.
"You too," I replied. "Try not to lose your shoes again."
She laughed, and we parted ways. I exchanged a brief nod with Momo, a wordless acknowledgment of our mutual respect, before I boarded my own train. The journey felt long. As the city scenery changed to countryside and back to another city, I reflected on my choice. Ryukyu's agency. I hadn't chosen it based on location or popularity, but purely on instinct. The dragon's heartbeat within me felt calm, almost content, with this decision. As if it knew it was going home.
Ryukyu's agency was located in a bustling business district near the coast. The building wasn't as ostentatious as Endeavor's grand agency, but it exuded an aura of quiet strength. It was a sleek, modern tower of dark steel and blue glass, with subtle architectural accents resembling dragon scales along its facade. It looked professional, strong, and efficient.
I stepped into the spacious, minimalist lobby. I had expected to be the only intern, but I was wrong. Two familiar figures were already waiting there.
"Tatsumi-kun!" Ochaco Uraraka exclaimed, her face beaming. "You're interning here too? Wow, what a coincidence!"
Beside her, Tsuyu Asui looked at me with her typical flat stare. "I didn't expect you to choose a mainstream hero, kero," she said bluntly. "I thought your strategic fighting style was better suited for an underground hero."
I smiled faintly. "I have my reasons," I replied.
Before we could continue our conversation, a blur of blue and white shot into the lobby with seemingly limitless energy. It was a third-year girl with long blue hair that stretched to her waist and large blue eyes full of curiosity.
"Oh! You're the new interns, right? From U.A., right? Of course! I saw you on TV!" she said in a rapid-fire burst of words, her eyes darting between us. "You're the gravity girl, and you're the frog girl! And you..." Her eyes landed on me. "You're Tatsumi! The number one! Wow! So cool! Why didn't you use your big Quirk until the end? Was it super tiring? What's it like to have armor come out of your skin? Does it hurt? Why did you choose the name 'Tyrant'? It sounds a little evil, but so cool! I'm Nejire Hado! It's nice to meet you!"
I, Uraraka, and Tsuyu could only stare at her with our mouths slightly agape, a little intimidated by the hurricane of her enthusiasm and endless questions. She was one of U.A.'s Big Three, but her personality was nothing like I had imagined.
"Nejire," a calm, authoritative voice cut through her barrage of questions. "Let them breathe."
We all turned to the source of the voice. Standing at the top of a grand staircase was a tall, elegant woman with long blonde hair and sharp, reptilian golden eyes. She wore an elegant business suit, but the aura of power she radiated was so strong it filled the entire room. Ryuko Tatsuma. The Dragoon Hero, Ryukyu.
The moment our eyes met, I felt it. The heartbeat in my chest gave a single, strong, deep throb. THUMP. It wasn't a painful or aggressive pulse. It was an echo, a recognition. As if two strings on the same instrument were vibrating in perfect harmony. Something in Incursio recognized something in her. Primal instinct meeting another primal instinct. I had to hold my breath for a moment to steady myself.
Ryukyu descended the stairs, her gaze never leaving me. She must have felt it too. A faint tremor in the air, a whisper of ancient power that only someone with a draconic connection like hers could perceive. She stopped in front of us, a professional, faint smile on her lips, though her sharp eyes were analyzing me with a deep intensity. She knew she had made the right choice in accepting me.
"Welcome to my agency," she said, her voice calm yet carrying the weight of authority. She greeted Uraraka and Tsuyu warmly, then turned her gaze back to me. "And you, Tatsumi-kun. I watched your performance at the Sports Festival very closely."
We followed her to her office, a spacious room with floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the city. "My agency's philosophy is simple," she explained, sitting behind her desk. "We prioritize the rescue of civilians and minimizing damage. Fighting is a last resort, not a first. Uraraka-san, your Quirk is excellent for evacuation and rescue in disaster areas. Asui-san, your mobility in water and your ability to reach difficult places make you invaluable. You will both learn a great deal here."
Then, she looked at me. "And you, Tatsumi-kun. I saw your incredible power, and I saw your strategic mind. But what impressed me most were your decisions. You have the power to dominate, yet you choose to think first. That is the quality of a true hero." She paused for a moment. "However, that power of yours is wild. Unstable. For this week, your primary goal here is not to fight villains or go on patrol. Your primary goal is to learn to control the beast within you. I will help you with that."
Her words made me feel both relieved and excited. This was what I had been looking for. A mentor who saw not just my power, but also its danger, and was willing to help me overcome it.
Our first day of internship was spent on a routine patrol around the district. There were no major incidents, just the day-to-day work of a hero: helping an old lady cross the street, giving directions to tourists, and generally being a calming presence for the community. This was the side of heroism rarely shown on the news, but I knew it was just as important.
During the patrol, Nejire constantly flew around me, still bombarding me with questions. "So, is your armor heavy? Can you swim with it? Can you eat while wearing it? Can the red eye on its chest shoot lasers? That would be so cool!"
"Nejire-senpai, you're making him uncomfortable, kero," Tsuyu said bluntly.
I just smiled. While a little exhausting, her genuine enthusiasm was refreshing. As the sun began to set, we walked back to the towering agency building, its silhouette looking majestic against the twilight sky. Today may have been quiet, but I felt something new. A purpose. I was in a professional environment, under the guidance of one of the country's top heroes, surrounded by new and old allies. The path to understanding and mastering Incursio, to becoming the true 'Tyrant', began here, under the wing of the dragon. And I was ready to begin.