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E P I S O D E
36

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Ako wiped the remaining blood off her cheeks using the back of her hand-grinning in excitement.

It is always exciting fighting like this with someone she considered as her rival and precious bestfriend.

Her slender hands formed into a fist, punching the air; with the use of her special ability, multiple balls of airs that shaped like a fist came for Yurika's way.

Seeing the upcoming attack from Ako - Yurika didn't hesitate to bring her shield up to protect herself from Ako's attack.

  Expecting that the attack should be really heavy, she strengthen her core to keep herself on place. As the force from Ako's telekinesis punched its way to Yurika's shield, the crowds watching the fight could feel the vibrations from both the air and the floor.

  "Woah woah, do you feel that!?"

"It's vibrating!"

  "She looks like she's not struggling holding off that cat lady's attack, but this is ridiculous."

Meanwhile, Class 1-A who're watching the match between two bestfriends were both bewildered and is immersed.

This is a fight between bestfriends who both treasures each other, but they are fighting like enemies.

"You'll get tired if you keep holding on, Yurika!" Ako shouted; still not stopping her multiple attacks.

"How do i stop if you keep raining punches on me, you stupid cat!" Yurika on the other hand is on the edge already, and Ako just have to distract her. No way she's going to lose to this stupid cat who can't even understand people but calls herself a genius!

"Can't you do something? I thought you're not the same anymore, was that a lie desu no?" Ako stopped her punches but prepared a wave of electromagnetic pressures.

Just as Yurika thought that it finally stopped, looking up - she was met by an enourmous tsunami-like waves from Ako's special ability. Before she could lift up her shield, she was blasted away from the stage.

  "Todou Yurika blew off from the stage! What kind of power if our Saotome Ako is showing right now!? Is that her full potential!? Will the young Yurika be okay!?"

"Don't get too excited, they're only starting."

As the thick smokes dispersed, they finally saw Yurika's figure. Her whole figure is crouching like she's climbing a mountain, her nails were digging into the floor, a long crimson lines painted the floor; Yurika's barely inside the bounds.

"SHE'S HANGING ON DEAR LIFE!"

"Don't exaggerate."

 
Ako's eyes flared up, "Mou, you're so stubborn. Yurika." She taunted again, by now, the only thing that is running inside Yurika's mind is to win. She wanted to beat Ako, she wanted Ako to think highly of her as an enemy - not as a dear friend.

Slowly standing up, Yurika's jade-like eyes gleamed - as though her eyes is water, colors of red roses started washing through the color of her jade eyes.

Seeing that she'll go all out, Ako's began getting herself ready - her ears and tails out - pupils turned into slits and whiskers started growing on her cheeks.

Yurika smirked, "I'll win."

Without thinking twice and wasting a millisecond, both of them rushed towards each other.

Bloody strings wrapped around Ako's torso, not giving Ako any second to think about what she would do in that situation, Yurika flings Ako using her strings to the other side of the ring.

"!!!"

Ako immediately got ready to cut the strings, but before she could do - another pair of strings wrapped its way around both of her wrist - stopping her from doing what she was supposed to do.
 
'Are you forgetting that I have a special ability?' Ako thought.

However, Yurika had already saw this through Ako. Spreading her wings, she flew to Ako before she could use her ability.

As Ako sensed Yurika's presence, she actived her barrier - a powerful punch was stopped just in time. 

Ako created a barrier behind her to stop her from stepping out of bounds, hopping from the barrier itselt - she pushed herself to dashed to Yurika who is still on air.

  "Get back on the ground, desu wa!"

Ako aimed for Yurika's back, grabbing both Yurika's shoulders - she twirled to get behind Yurika, exerting pressure on her knees.

"Ahk!"

  Ako perfectly aimed for Yurika's weakspot, now that her wings' on display, she also let out more of her weaknesses. Like the roots of her wings, she's incredibly sensitive about it.

Her wings flattered as she is in pain, heading straight to the ground unable to use her wings after Ako aimed for her weakspot.

They both crashed to the ground, and created a large dent; sending the whole stadium a large smokes of dusts.

"WHAT HAPPENED?! BOTH OF THEM CRASHED TO THE GROUND! BUT I CAN'T SEE A THING!"

By now, Present Mic is getting hysterical because he can't see the result of the intense battle yet.

"Relax, it's going to go away after some time."

Seeing Yurika wriggle in pain after she mercilessly penetrated her knees on her weakspot, her face hardened.

"What are you trying to prove to me, desu no? I already know you're strong, you don't have to beat me." Ako watched Yurika struggle to look up at her.

"You may be called a genius, but you don't understand me, at all." Yurika let out a dejected and a weak chuckle; it made Ako raise her eyebrows in confusion.

"You want to win because you want to beat me, right? What's there to understand? I already know." Ako said with a proud smile.

In truth, Ako had misinterpreted Yurika's intention. She thought that Yurika wanted to win because she wants to be the best like her. But Yurika only wanted to be recognize as a worthy rival.

There's only one rival that Ako had ever wanted to beat, and it's Yume. But Yurika could never have that kind of privilege because she's not stong enough to beat Ako.

She's not strong enough, to even save Ako that day.

"You don't understand.." Yurika gritted her teeth; desperate to convey her true intentions to her dear friend. To that impenetrable shield of the kingdom, Ako.

"It doesn't matter, right?"

At Ako's words - Yurika clenched her hands in frustrations.

  'It does matter! Atleast for me!'

"You're already really strong. I had a lot of fun fighting with you."

Yurika froze from Ako's words, stunned; she actually enjoyed their match?

"Not anyone can make me have fun like this, you're the only one who could really bring out the best in me."

Yurika had looked up at Ako in awe.

"...Is that a new privilege? That I am the very first person that could make you enjoy the fight that much?" Yurika asked, wanting some confirmation as she could not stop the warm feelings rushing through her whole system.

  Ako shrugged with a carefree grin, "Well, ofcourse. Who do you think you are? You're my bestfriend, desu wa!"

Is that alright?

She's not acknowledge as a worthy rival, but Ako had given her the privilege to call herself - her bestfriend. It's a much more important role than a rival.

She chuckled to herself, feeling stupid all of a sudden.

  As the smoke disappeared, they can finally see the two figures. Ako standing proudly, and Yurika on the ground, her feet outside of the bounds.

  "TODOU YURIKA IS OUT OF THE BOUNDS! SAOTOME AKO ADVANCES TO THE NEXT ROUND!"

Thunderous roars welcomed the ears of the two. Ako helped Yurika to stand up since she had lost all her strength on her knees.

"I guess I lost again." Yurika sighed, but this time in relief.

"Make sure to win against me next time, desu wa!" Ako giggled as they walked out of the stadium.

....

The next match continued after the intense fight between Yurika and Ako. Yurika is getting treated at Recovery Girl; given that her back's been fractured by Ako.

Also, her wings had became so sensitive that she doesn't let it out that often anymore - and she just have to damage it further.

  Meanwhile, Ako is sipping orange juice beside the vending machine to replenish her energy for her upcoming match with Bakugo. To be honest, she's kind of nervous to face Bakugo's ferocious strength; and he even defeated Koharu.

In other words, Bakugo is someone she cannot underestimate at all. She had fight him last time with the indoor hero training with All Might, and she had experienced how sharp his sense and intuition is.

The more calm he is, the more it would be dangerous. Should she taunt him? Nah, it would probably be a bad idea.

"Oi."

Bakugo's voice brought out Ako from her deep thoughts - she immediately looked up the pair of red eyes, intensely staring right into her cyan ones.

 "Bakugo?" Ako tilted her head, questions in her eyes.

  Bakugo remained silent for a few seconds. Observing Ako's clueless face made him annoyed, how can someone be so goddamn dense? It's irritating him to no end, but at the same time - he kinda find her cute at some point.

He scoffed at the thought, there's really no denying anymore. When did it start? This kind of bothersome feelings towards this girl? He doesn't know. But when she smiles, it tickles his heart like a bitch.

Her blunt and straightforward personality attracted him to no end; proud grins, smarty remarks, brave and is very strong. There's no one besides her who could perfectly match his pace.

And he realize at some point. "I'm fucking falling, dammit." When he saw her with that half and half bastard, he felt extremely sick, he wanted to tore that bastard's hands away from Ako, he wanted Ako to be just beside him and don't let other dudes get close to her.

There's no one stopping him anymore.

"What's up with you and that icy-hot bastard?" He asked straight to the point.

At his question, Ako raised one of her eyebrows in wonder. Is Bakugo the type of person that gets nosy?

  At the thought, Ako mischievously grinned. "Why are you curious, desu no? Were you jealous that I pay more attention to Todoroki-kun than you?"

"Don't get ahead of yourself, pussycat." He grumbled under his breath, leaning his back on the vending machine to calm his heart. Just getting this close to her drives him crazy.

At the mere mention of Ako's nickname, a vein popped out of her neck. "My name is Saotome Ako, not pussycat, desu no!" She hissed, pouted, and looked away in annoyance.

Bakugo smirked, "I know that."

"Hmph! Anyways, whatever's going on between Todoroki-kun and me is none of your business, desu wa."

  As Ako said that, his mood dropped immediately. "You're saying i should stay out of it?" His voice was so low, it could be mistaken as a growl rather than his usual grumbles.

  Ako looked at him confused again, "What's wrong with you, desu no? You're acting really really weird right now. By what I am saying you would be spewing out insults already."

"Tch. Whatever. You're brain's too small to even comprehend what's going on." He stood up straight, about to walk away.

"Huh!? What did you say about me!? I'm a genius, desu wa!" Ako, obviously offended by Bakugo's statement, started saying things about how great she really is.

Bakugo - ofcourse, ignored her rants and started walking away.

"What's wrong with him, desu no?" She muttered as she watched his back fade in the distance. Paying him no mind, she was about to take a step forward when an excruciating pain suddenly overtook her whole body.

"AAAAAAACKKK!"

At the sound of her agonising screams echoing around the halls, Bakugo looked back in alert. What met his eyes is Ako's body wriggling in discomfort on the ground. It felt like his heart dropped from the sight.

"Saotome!" He sprinted to get to her, sincerely worried.

"AAAAAACKKK!" The pain was unbearable, it felt lile thousands of needles were pricking her heart, and chain that has a lot of thorns were digging inside every flesh of her being.

"Oi! What's wrong with you!?" Bakugo watched in horror when Ako's eyes started tearing up with the color of blood, tattoos of what looks like roses and thorns started crawling up her body.

"IT HURTS!"

  Bakugo immediately lifted her up and dashed towards Recovery Girl. Hoping that it could somehow ease her pain.

  
𝚞𝚗𝚎𝚍𝚒𝚝𝚎𝚍

 
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