The Class That Cried Werewolf

23 - Nocturnal Struggle

-Tatsuya's POV-

After our encounter with the bat villain, Mirko and I spent the remainder of the day patrolling the streets of Japan. The rabbit heroine would hop to crime scenes at a breakneck speed, leaving me struggling to keep up.

As the day went on, I couldn't help but notice a recurring pattern. There were moments when I managed to arrive at the scene just moments after Mirko, only to witness her delivering the final, decisive blow to the villain. Each time this happened, a sense of frustration gnawed at me, and I yearned to bridge the gap between our abilities.

I knew I might not be able to match Mirko's incredible speed yet, but that awareness didn't waver my determination in the slightest. Instead, I saw it as a short-term goal, one to be achieved before the internship came to an end. It's a challenge I embrace, pushing myself during our training sessions and studying her techniques whenever I have the chance.

The following morning, Mirko kicked off my day with an early morning sparring session. It quickly became evident that it was more of a one-sided beatdown, with me doing my utmost to dodge her lightning-fast attacks. Even if she was holding back a bit, I knew that facing the rabbit heroine head-on could result in me getting broken bones, much like Izuku's unfortunate experiences.

I tried attacking Mirko once more, but she sidestepped and drove her knee into my gut. The impact knocked the wind out of me, and I crumpled to the ground, clutching my stomach in an attempt to ease the sharp pain.

"That ain't gonna cut it, Akiba," Mirko said, towering over me as I gazed up at her. "I clocked onto your little smelling and hearing tricks early on. Clever, but you can't rely on them alone. In that last fight at the festival, you let your guard down when Bakugo blinded you. Sure, he's quick, but your precious nose and ears won't bail you out every time."

"Come at me again!" Mirko challenged, backing away and assuming a battle stance.

Determined, I got back on my feet and charged at her. She swiftly sidestepped to the right, seemingly disappearing for a moment. Smelling her attack coming from behind, I whipped around to block, but before I could react, a powerful kick struck my back, sending me crashing to the ground.

I quickly pushed myself up to my knees, panting as I met Mirko's eyes. She was shaking her head, clicking her tongue in a disapproving manner. "When you're skilled as a fighter, it's easy to trick one of the senses," she said, her voice carrying the weight of experience. "Every hero has blind spots and tricks, squirt. You may have had a better chance at winning against other kids, but villains are more experienced than that. You can't let yourself be outsmarted that easily."

Feeling the weight of Mirko's advice, I pulled myself up, determination burning in my eyes. I gave her a firm nod. "Please, teach me everything you know!" I implored, my voice carrying the sincerity of someone eager to learn, ready to absorb every lesson she had to offer.

Mirko's eyes bore into me, her gaze unyielding as if assessing my determination. After a silent moment, the corners of her lips curled into a smirk, a glint of challenge in her eyes. "Don't come crying to me if you can't handle it," she said, her voice laced with a mix of amusement and determination. With a sharp crack, she flexed her fingers, preparing for the rigorous training ahead.

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For the last two days, we quickly established a structured routine. It encompassed a carefully balanced mix of patrolling the streets of Japan and engaging in intensive training sessions, with Mirko mostly kicking my tail at both things.