Ryuko led Yami into her office, gesturing for him to take a seat before settling into her own chair.
The room had a cold, corporate feel—plain grey walls, a simple desk, and few decorations.
The only real sign of personality was a neatly stacked pile of reports on the side of her desk and a few unopened energy drinks sitting next to them.
She leaned back in her chair, crossing her arms as she looked at Yami. "First off, thanks for choosing my agency," she said, her tone professional but not unfriendly. "I know you had plenty of options, so I appreciate it."
Yami shrugged. "Figured you'd be a good fit."
Ryuko tilted her head slightly. "That brings me to my first question—why me? With all the top agencies that scouted you, what made you pick mine?"
Yami didn't hesitate. "Because I want to learn from a hero with a transformation quirk. You're one of the best at crowd control, and your combat skills are solid," he said casually, then smirked slightly.
"And, of course, I admire your figure."
Ryuko blinked at him, caught off guard for a split second before letting out a short chuckle.
"Honest. I respect that," she said, tapping her fingers against the desk. "Though I'm guessing you're sugarcoating some details."
'Yeah, I also want to bend you over this desk. But that's just dessert and not the main course.'
Ryuko didn't press further, nodding as she shifted into a more formal posture. "Alright. What exactly do you want to gain from this internship?" she asked, getting straight to the point.
Yami leaned back in his chair, stretching his legs slightly. "Simple. I want to push my quirk further. I've already figured out a lot independently. Still, I need real-world experience with someone who can shapeshift and adapt their body at will."
"Your dragon form has insane physical strength and durability, but you know when to pull back and handle things strategically. That's exactly what I want to learn."
Ryuko studied him momentarily, then leaned forward slightly, resting her elbows on the desk. "So, you're looking for more than just combat training. You want crowd control."
"Exactly," Yami said. "Power isn't a problem for me. My issue is fine-tuning. I don't just want to hit harder—I want to be smarter about using what I have. You're one of the best at controlling large-scale situations without losing efficiency. That's something I need to master."
Ryuko hummed, tapping her nails against the desk. "Not a bad mindset. Many young heroes focus too much on brute force, but knowing when and how to use your strength separates the pros from the reckless."
Yami nodded. "You have to learn if you want to make it to the top."
Ryuko sat back, arms crossing again. "Alright. I think I get where your head's at. We'll cover a lot during your time here—patrol work, crisis management, and controlled combat scenarios. I expect you to keep up."
Yami smirked. "No problem."
Ryuko glanced at the clock. "Good. Then we'll start now. Come on, we've got patrol duty."
Yami stood, following her towards a red door. They climbed a set of stairs until they reached the agency's rooftop.
The calm wind brushed against their faces as they stepped into the open space. The city stretched before them, skyscrapers standing tall under the bright afternoon sky.
Ryuko turned to Yami with a slight smirk before walking toward the edge of the building. Without hesitation, she jumped off.
As she plummeted downward, her body shifted in midair. Her arms extended, stretching into powerful dragon limbs, her skin transformed into tough green scales, and her wings burst from her back with a loud whoosh.
She flapped them once, stopping her fall instantly.
Hovering just above the edge, she looked back up at Yami. "Jump. I'll catch you," she called.
Yami tilted his head. "You sure? I'm not exactly light."
Ryuko snorted. "You're not heavier than a bus, are you? Just jump."
Yami shrugged. "Alright, then." Without another word, he stepped off the rooftop and dropped straight down.
True to her word, Ryuko caught him easily, her strong hands gripping his shoulders as she beat her massive wings. In one swift motion, she carried him higher, soaring above the city.
The view from the sky was breathtaking. Buildings stretched far and wide, the streets below buzzing with cars and people.
The wind rushed past them, cool and refreshing. Yami glanced at Ryuko, who was focused ahead, her dragon wings keeping them steady as she glided effortlessly through the sky.
"This is actually pretty nice," Yami admitted, looking around. "Way faster than walking."
Ryuko smirked. "Flying's the best way to travel. Gets you anywhere in no time."
They flew over the city for a while, patrolling the area from above. Everything seemed calm at first—until Ryuko suddenly tensed.
"There," she said, her sharp eyes locking onto something in the distance not even Yami could see.
Yami followed her gaze as best he could and spotted a thick cloud of dark smoke rising into the sky—fire.
Ryuko changed course instantly, angling her wings as she sped toward the burning apartment complex. Yami braced himself as the rush of air grew stronger, his golden eyes locked onto the flames consuming the upper floors.
When they arrived, Ryuko flapped her wings hard, pushing a powerful gust of wind toward the fire, attempting to keep it from spreading.
"I'll handle the fire—go help the firefighters with the rescue!" she ordered.
Yami nodded and jumped down from her grip, landing on the ground with a soft thud.
He immediately took action. With a quick thought, he petrified his nose and mouth, forming a makeshift stone mask to filter out the smoke. Then, without waiting for backup, he sprinted into the burning building.
Inside, the heat was intense. Flames crawled up the walls, smoke filling the hallways, making it almost impossible to see.
But Yami moved forward without fear, his enhanced senses helping him navigate the suffocating environment.
He kicked down a door and found a small family—two parents and a child—huddled in a corner, coughing heavily.
"Come on, we're getting out of here," Yami said firmly.
He scooped up the child in one arm and led the parents through the hallway, dodging falling debris and spreading flames.
When they reached the exit, he handed the kid over to a firefighter before returning for more survivors.
Room after room, he found and carried out as many people as he could. Some were trapped behind fallen beams Yami had to cut with Space Ripper, and others were unconscious from the smoke, but Yami ensured no one was left behind.
By the time he was confident the building was empty, his skin was burning from the heat, and his clothes were covered in soot.
He tried using his Vaporizing Freezing to cool the structure and slow the fire, but the intense heat inside was too much. His body couldn't lower the temperature enough.
Gritting his teeth, Yami stepped back. He knew when to let professionals handle the rest.
He exited the building, shaking off the ash and dust left from petrification from his arms. The firefighters took over, hosing down the remaining flames.
Ryuko landed beside him, her wings folding against her back as she studied him with an approving nod. "You did good, kid."
Yami rolled his shoulders. "Yeah, but I couldn't freeze the building like I wanted. The heat made it impossible."
Ryuko tapped a clawed finger against her chin. "You were already pushing your limits. No shame in knowing when to step back." Then, her lips curved into a slight grin. "Come on. Let's grab some food. You earned it."
They were seated at a small burger joint near the agency a few minutes later. Ryuko kept it simple, ordering a cheeseburger with a side of fries.
On the other hand, Yami ordered two double bacon cheeseburgers, three large fries, and a giant soda.
Ryuko raised an eyebrow as their food arrived. "You eat this much regularly?"
Yami shrugged, biting into his burger. "Not really. Technically, I don't even need to eat. As long as I get sunlight every now and then, I'm good."
Ryuko paused mid-bite. "You're messing with me."
"Nope," Yami smirked. "Food's just too good to give up."
Ryuko shook her head, amused. "Weird guy."
They ate silently for a bit before Yami brought up his earlier issue. "About that cooldown problem—any ideas?"
Ryuko wiped her mouth with a napkin. "Actually, yeah." She leaned back slightly, looking thoughtful. "Since my quirk lets me transform into a dragon, my body isn't like a normal human's. My temperature regulation works differently."
Yami raised an eyebrow. "Like how?"
Ryuko set her burger down. "I'm cold-blooded."
Yami smirked. "Damn, that explains why you're so chill."
Ryuko blinked, then groaned. "Really? A cold-blooded joke?"
Yami chuckled, taking another bite of his burger. "Couldn't resist, what can I say? I'm cool."
Ryuko rolled her eyes but continued. "Anyway, because of that, I have to control my body temperature carefully. Too much heat, and I slow down. Too much cold, and I get sluggish."
Yami leaned forward, interested. "So, how do you deal with it?"
Ryuko took a sip of her drink before answering. "I control my blood flow. I can shift heat distribution to different body parts in my dragon form. I send the excess heat to my tail if my wings get too hot. If my core temperature rises, I slow circulation to non-essential areas."
Yami thought about that for a moment. "So, if I apply that logic to my quirk, I might be able to redirect heat buildup instead of letting it overload me."
"Exactly," Ryuko nodded. "Your body adapts fast. If you train yourself to control heat distribution like I do, you might be able to keep up longer."
Yami smirked. "Guess I got homework, then."
Ryuko grinned. "Looks like it. Now, hurry up and finish eating. We've got more work to do."
Yami cracked his knuckles. "Sounds good to me."
Yami and Ryuko continued patrolling for a few more hours, dealing with criminals, handling minor incidents, and practising new techniques.
While working, Yami focused on refining his petrification ability, testing an armour-like coating over his skin.
He left just enough room to flex his joints, but even with that adjustment, movement was a struggle.
By the end of the day, he had made solid progress. He could cover his body in a hardened layer, tough enough to withstand attacks while still allowing him to move.
The problem was that the material kept cutting into him with every motion. No matter how carefully he shaped it, the edges scraped against his skin, and the added weight made his muscles work twice as hard.
Without using Flame Mode to loosen himself up, his body felt like it was fighting against him.
His muscles ached, and he was exhausted when patrol was over from pushing localized Petrification. And for someone who broke his bones daily in training, that said a lot.
"Phew," Yami exhaled as he sat on the steps of Ryuko's agency, stretching out his sore arms.
'A little more, and I think I might need sleep.' The streets were quieter now, and the agency's front office was empty—her secretary had gone home hours ago.
Ryuko leaned against the railing beside him, rolling her shoulders. "Don't sweat it. Today was busier than usual, weirdly enough. But you did good—way better than some of the local heroes."
She gave him a few notes on how he could improve, pointing out the weak points in his new technique.
Yami laughed, brushing off the criticism. "Guess I'll have to keep grinding, then." He pushed himself to his feet, getting ready to leave. "Well, thanks for today. I'm gonna head out and crash."
Ryuko raised an eyebrow. "Where are you going?"
"Uh... to rest?" Yami said, glancing back at her.
Ryuko folded her arms. "Yeah, I got that. But where?"
"The U.A. provided an apartment," Yami said, stretching his arms over his head. "It's a few minutes on the train from here."
Ryuko scoffed, shaking her head. "Oh, hell no. I was in U.A. too, and I remember how bad those beds are. You're not dealing with that after the day we just had."
Yami blinked. "So...?"
"If you want, you can crash at my place," Ryuko said, her tone casual like it was no big deal.
Yami barely stopped himself from smirking. She had no idea what kind of invitation she had just given him. She thought she was offering a favour, a simple act of kindness. But all she had done was invite a wolf into the barn.
His golden eyes flickered with amusement as he shoved his hands into his pockets. "You sure about that?" he asked, his voice smooth, hiding the grin tugging at his lips.
Ryuko rolled her eyes. "Don't make it weird. I'm just saying it makes more sense. My place is closer, and you need a real bed if you'll keep up with me tomorrow."
Yami tilted his head, pretending to think about it. "Well, if you're offering, saying no would be rude."
Ryuko sighed, rubbing her forehead like she was already regretting it. "Just don't trash my place."
Yami chuckled. "Relax, I'll be on my best behaviour."
Ryuko gave him a side-eye. "Yeah, somehow I don't believe that."
With that, she turned and started walking, leading the way to her apartment. Yami followed, keeping his pace easy, but inside, he was already planning how to push his luck.