Eria

"So, how do you feel?"

I turned to Todoroki, who sat beside me during a short break from physical training. His skin was glistened with sweat and his hair drooped, yet he still looked handsome.

"I'm fine," I said, taking a sip of water.

Todoroki eyed me incredulously.

"You've asked me for the twentieth time today. I'm fine," I repeated firmly. "Scarlet's medication was just a test product, but it seemed to be effective, even though I just started eating it today."

Todoroki scanned me from head to toe, as though he was checking for any visible physical injuries. His gaze rested on my face and I blushed from his intense stare.

"But your face is red," he stated bluntly.

It only made my face redder.

"It would be better if you cool her down by putting your hand on her forehead," Ochako chimed in as she planted her butt next to me.

"Oh, okay," Todoroki nodded innocently and lifted his hand but I pushed it away while blushing furiously.

"No! It's really fine!" I explained and shot a vicious glare at Ochako, who was trying not to choke from laughter.

"If you idiots want to flirt, get a fucking room," Bakugou's angry voice interjected rudely as he walked past. He glared at me, then at Todoroki.

Before I opened my mouth to speak, Todoroki had retorted nonchalantly. "We're not flirting. I'm just caring for my friend. How does that even count as flirting?"

The blank expression on Todoroki's face irked Bakugou. "To me, you two looked like you're flirting!"

Baffled, Todoroki tilted his head a little. "I still don't understand. Could you explain?"

"Are you dumb?!" Bakugou roared.

Yes he is, Bakugou. You have no idea. I sighed. "Just give it a break and let me rest."

Bakugou scoffed and retreated to somewhere far from here, though I could still feel his gaze trained on me.

"The medicine you're taking...... is it really safe?" Iida said and took a sip of water. "There aren't many regenerative drugs in the market that can be guaranteed safe."

"I trust Scarlet. Even if it's still under testing, I'm fine being a white rat. I have to try everything. I can't just wait for a solution to happen on its own," I said firmly. But it didn't reassure my friends.

Ochako sighed disapprovingly. "I'm still worried about the side effects."

"Scarlet said there would be an increase in appetite, but it would be because the drug is taking effect to let the cells regenerate," I explained. "There could be some other minor side effects too, but Scarlet will monitor my condition on a daily basis. I'll go to the lab for them to take samples every week. So she'll know if there are any negative impacts on my body. If there is, she would stop the medication immediately. But I do hope it will work because it will not only help me, it could help other people in need. It feels like... saving people in a different way, a special hero task, I guess!" I chuckled, but my friends didn't really smile along with my optimism.

Midoriya fell into deep silent contemplation. His eyebrows furrowed at first, but he tried to smile. "I'm not sure, but I'll support your efforts. Just don't force yourself too hard, okay?"

I nodded. "If the medicine works, I could continue to be a hero, and it could also help you too, Midoriya. It may help you to heal when you overused your quirk."

Iida gave out a long sigh in defeat. "Just promise us you won't force yourself."

"I won't."

"And tell us if there's something wrong!" Ochako demanded in a shrill voice.

"Okay!"

I waited for Todoroki's request, but he didn't say anything. I didn't have to look at him to know there was something heavy on his mind.

Sensing a dilemma, Ochako quickly rose from her seat. "Deku, Iida, I'm gonna get some water. Come with me."

Midoriya and Iida lifted their water bottles. "But we still have plenty of water," they said simultaneously, unaware of the current situation.

With a wide smile on her face, Ochako repeated her demand firmly. "I said, we are getting some water together."

Finally, the two innocent boys seemed to have sensed the cue Ochako was hinting and they hurriedly left with Ochako, leaving me and Todoroki behind.

"So..." I murmured. "Do you want to talk?"

Todoroki turned his head to look at me. His expression was solemn. "Are you really sure about this?" He sounded worried.

I touched his arm. "Don't worry. I'll be fine." I showed him my brightest smile, but he didn't give any response. His expression was still grim.

"...... If anything happens to you, I...... I don't know if I can handle it," he muttered in a very soft but depressed voice. His expressed concern warmed my heart very much.

Todoroki, you're so kind. What did I do to deserve you?

I twisted my body so that I could see his face, which was looking downwards at the floor. When our eyes met, the beauty of his eyes never failed to mesmerise me. I nearly forgotten what I was about to say.

"Todoroki, I'll be fine. Trust me. I can't guarantee 100% but...... if anything does happen, I'm counting on you to have my back. That's what friends do, right?" I flashed him a broad, toothy grin, trying to reassure him.

"Yes, I'll support you, like what friends do. I promise."

And then, Todoroki gave me a genuinely sweet smile that warmth gushed through me like an ocean wave. It was an enthralling smile — my heart skipped a beat and my face flushed. It was like a whole new world that completely overwhelmed me — this was the first time I realised Todoroki's smile was the most precious, most beautiful thing in the world.

"Class A! Back to training!" Aizawa-sensei bellowed from the far end of the training ground.

I obeyed his instruction and immediately rose to my feet, though staggering a little because of the blood that rushed to my head. It was going to take tremendous effort for me to focus for the rest of the whole day. Todoroki's beautiful smile was still freshly imprinted in my mind.

If only... if only we're more than just friends......

***

As the chilly winter approached, it was time for people to change into warmer, thicker garments for the cold. Most of the students of Class A had their hero costumes modified to withstand winter, including me who was susceptible to the cold.

My crimson cargo pants were made thicker with extra linings of cotton. I got rid of my crop top and chose a long-sleeved, thick, and body-tight sweater that was made from black-coloured wool. There were two openings on my back that could let my wings spread freely. As usual, my entire outfit could still absorb impacts and resist high temperatures.

"Are you that afraid of the cold?" Todoroki asked, his gaze scanned my entire outfit.

"I can't warm myself up like you do," I replied and popped the medicine Scarlet gave me into my mouth. I eyed my best friend, who made no significant changes to his costume. It was the same dark blue suit, which suited his handsomeness perfectly.

"Shut up, Deku!" Bakugou snapped angrily when Midoriya mumbled on the changes of the former's costume.

My gaze rested on Bakugou, who was completely covered from neck to toe in a tight, body-fitting black suit. Even without exposing his toned muscles, one could easily tell from the outline of his shape he was extremely well-built.

Looks like we both hate the cold, huh?

As I continued to stare at Bakugou, he turned around and our gazes met. Instead of a scowl, his face was unsmiling.

"Are you staring at me, Snowy?" Bakugou growled in deep voice.

"Yeah. Your costume looks cool," I said bluntly.

Bakugou's eyes spanned wide in surprise. "Are you mocking me?"

I didn't understand how his brain worked to understand my praise as a hostile insult. "Can't I praise you for looking nice?"

Bakugou clamped his lips in a straight line and an incomprehensible, curious look appeared on his face.

"But Todoroki still looks nicer than you," I admitted.

"HAAAAAAH?!" Bakugou's roar blasted my ears deaf. I quickly retreated away from him before he blew me up out of fury.

I found my spot next to Yaomomo, who donned a cape that turned her into a sorceress. It was warm enough to protect her from the cold, since she had to expose much of skin for her quirk.

God she's just so pretty... and smart... and her boobs...... I looked down at my lesser breasts and released a short sigh. How is she so perfect? I'm not smart, I'm not pretty, my body is just meh, and all I have is brute strength, which definitely does not appeal to the opposite gender...

I cast a sideways glance at the rest of my classmates and caught Todoroki staring at my direction — more accurately, at Yaomomo. Bitter jealousy grew in me.

My intuition told me a long time ago that Todoroki might harboured something special for Yaomomo, even if he didn't understand it was love. I could tell from his increasing focus on Yaomomo, ever since he tried to be more sociable with his classmates.

Maybe it was just a platonic friendship, maybe Todoroki only saw her as a friend, but I still loathed it. I didn't like my best friend/ crush's attention to fall on someone else, especially when that person was prettier and smarter than I was.

What is wrong with me?! Why am I so jealous? I thought I should not be focusing on romance but look what I'm doing now! I'm basically begging for his attention! Do I like him THAT MUCH?!

If Ochako heard this, she would be laughing like crazy.

"LOOK WHAT WE HAVE HERE! CLASS A!" An obnoxiously loud voice reverberated in the air. Monoma, dressed in his tuxedo-like hero costume, addressed Class 1-A with a twisted grin on his face. Accompanying him was Class 1-B, who were also dressed in their winter hero uniforms.

"Today, we will be performing the Joint Training with Class B," Aizawa-sensei announced. He gestured at Vlad, who nodded in agreement. "But first, I'll introduce a guest."

A boy with purple hair like a lion's mane walked into the spotlight. I hardly recognised him as the Shinsou Hitoshi I met a few months back. He used to be a scrawny kid, but now he seemed stronger as his muscles were toned.

"Shinsou will be joining either Class A or Class B next year if he is able to do well in the Joint Training," Aizawa-sensei added.

As the taller man and the younger boy stood side by side, I finally saw the resemblance in their appearances. Both of them were garbed in the similar scarf-like bandages around their necks. Shinsou looked just like Aizawa-sensei's protégé.

Shinsou's eyes raved over the students, and his eyes rested briefly upon me. He shot me a sharp glare and I glared back at him ferociously. I could tell he wanted to challenge me once more, ever since I could resist his quirk during Sports Festival.

"Why is he glaring at you?" Ochako whispered and nudged me.

"He's probably mad that I could resist his quirk before," I explained. The hairs on the back of neck stood when I thought that Shinsou's quirk could have improved. He would definitely try it on me first to make sure I could no longer resist it.

What if he forces me to spill my deepest secret? What if I'm forced to tell the whole world I like Todoroki? That very thought sent chills down my spine.

"I'm not here to make friends," Shinsou announced, looking at us with a derisive glare. He was very determined yet stubborn at the same time, like someone I used to know.

"It's like I'm looking at Early-roki," Sero commented and snickered.

"Really?" Todoroki asked innocently.

I stifled a laugh. Gosh, he's so cute.

With Shinsou as the additional member, both classes will have 21 students in their teams. The classes will be facing each other for five rounds, with each team consisting of four to five members. I was placed in the last team, with Midoriya, Ochako, Ashido and Mineta. Our team will be facing Shinsou Hitoshi, Monoma Neito, Kodai Yui, Shoda Nirengeki and Yanagi Reiko. I wasn't acquainted with most of them, so I had near to zero knowledge on their quirks. Thankfully, Midoriya's habit of keeping notes on everyone's quirks was extremely helpful at a time like this.

My team huddled together in a tightly-knitted group and discussed on our plans. Honestly, I wasn't sure of my team's possibility to win, since we were lacking in physical quirks. Midoriya and I were the only ones with huge firepower. With Ochako's floating quirk, Mineta's sticky balls and Ashido's corrosive acid, our team's future was slightly bleak. But the excitement to fight Class B made me curious – what would be the outcome of my team's curious combination? I wanted to know.

I popped a pill into my mouth as Midoriya began the discussion on our strategy.

"Shinsou is probably the biggest problem we have. With his voice changer, he could imitate anyone and trick us," Midoriya said. "Takasaki, you might be the only one who could resist his quirk, but you're unsure if your resistance still works, right?"

I nodded. "But I'm also worried of Monoma. If he copied my quirk, he could be indestructible."

"I still think we should take Shinsou out first," Ochako said, agreeing to Midoriya. "His quirk has too many uncertainties that could prove lethal to us."

"On the other hand, I think Class B would either target Midoriya or Takasaki first. If our two powerhouses are taken out, we'll be left for the picking like a buffet!" Mineta voiced out his concern.

"But Eria and Midoriya won't be that easy, right?" Ashido said, looking at me with an expectant smile.

"But......" Ochako trailed off, glancing at me. She was still worried of my condition.

I smiled and touched her hand. "I'm fine," I said. "I ate my pill."

Soon, the first round was about to begin and the rest of the students gathered before the large overhead screens to watch the battle at Ground Gamma. Round One consisted of Kirishima, Kaminari, Kouda and Tsuyu versus Tsuburaba Kosei, Rin Hiryu, Shishida Jurota and Shiozaki Ibara. Class A won by a very slim chance and Aizawa-sensei forced them to reflect on their mistakes.

The second round was Team Yaoyorozu versus Team Kendo. Both girls were very great strategists, aside from their flawless beauty.

"Hmm......" Todoroki hummed, his eyes fixated on the overhead screen.

"What's wrong?" I asked. Even though his face was void of emotions, I could tell he seemed worried as he furrowed his brows just a little. "Are you worried?"

"I guess so," he replied nonchalantly. "I hope Yaoyorozu won't lose this battle or she would lose her confidence again."

I gave him a weak smile. Even though I was supposed to be glad that he cared for his classmates, it felt like an invisible force had clenched over my heart.

I shouldn't be jealous. I'm supposed to be glad, but......

I slapped my cheeks, as if it could stop me from overthinking.

Eventually, Kendo's team bested Yaomomo's team and won the first victory for Class B. I pondered on Todoroki's words and felt apologetic for thinking negatively. In a way, he was right. Despite Yaomomo's efforts in devising strategies, her team still lost. Her confidence could be wavered, but I believed she wasn't the kind of person who would be defeated that easily. She would grow stronger, just like the first time she lost her confidence during the test.

Maybe Todoroki just cared for her as a friend.

Or maybe he likes her.

I shouldn't be jealous.

I should be his friend and support him.

"Good luck," I said to Todoroki, who prepared to leave for Ground Gamma.

He nodded. With a small smile on his face, he left with his team.

Even though there was some distance from here to Ground Gamma, I could feel the raging heatwaves that Todoroki emanated as he was locked in battle against Tetsutetsu. This was the first time I saw Todoroki pushing himself beyond his limits and released burning flames comparable with the sun. At any moment now, Todoroki could faint from the overheating of his body if he didn't cool it down in time. The cameras that were littered all over Ground Gamma were malfunctioning from the heat.

In the end, the battle came to a draw. The students who were fainted, including Todoroki, were sent to Recovery Girl immediately.

Seeing an unconscious Todoroki being towed away by the robots, my insides writhed and squirmed like serpents. All feelings of jealousy were immediately washed over by worry. Even though I knew Recovery Girl could easily heal him with a kiss, I still wanted to check on him with my own eyes. I was also worried of Iida, who was probably frustrated that he couldn't do anything to help his team.

I clenched my fists as my feet staggered, taking me to where I wanted to go even though my mind was still indecisive.

"Where are you going?" Bakugou growled in a low voice. His crimson eyes were fused to mine.

"Err......"

Bakugou glared at me and gave no snide remarks. He turned around and was about to leave, before he mumbled something that only I could hear.

"Stay here and watch me win."

I looked at Bakugou's retreating back, a mixed feeling bubbled in my chest. My emotional state felt like it had been through ups and downs like a roller coaster ride in a short time. I slapped my cheeks harder this time, the noise drew my team's attention. They looked at me quizzically.

The fourth round ensued. At first, it was hard to believe that Bakugou wanted to claim a full victory without any loses on their side. But as time passed, Bakugou's team has proven that it was not unachievable. Bakugou's mobility and strength were impeccable. He shielded Jirou from an attack and continued to lead the team as their trustworthy leader. The rest of his team placed full faith in him as his passionate motivation drove them on, helping them to execute their strategy flawlessly. Against Class B's — especially Monoma's — expectation, Bakugou's team did achieve a full victory in mere minutes.

I had to admit, despite his arrogance and brash personality, Bakugou was indeed powerful.

When Bakugou's team returned with wide, victorious grins on their faces, they were welcomed by the rest of Class A. Midoriya praised Bakugou, but the latter scoffed as usual, claiming that he will always surpass Midoriya.

Bakugou's sharp eyes raved over his classmates, and finally his gaze rested on me. See? I won. His gaze seemed to have sent me that message, along with a victorious smug that crept onto his face.

I clapped my hands for him and then I left with my team to prepare for the last round.

"Good luck," was Todoroki's gentle voice when he finally appeared right before I left. He seemed guilty for bringing his match to a draw.

I patted his shoulder cajolingly. "Watch me win, kay?"

"Don't overexert yourself."

Todoroki's reminder brought a smile to my face. I nodded and headed off to Ground Gamma with my team.

***

As the beginning of the final match came to its last few seconds, my heart had been pounding in my ears from the adrenaline. I activated my hidden demon quirk, letting my wings spread wide behind my back. I stretched my limbs, making sure there were no abnormalities in my quirk. After taking the pills Scarlet gave me, I felt much at ease and my body a little bit lighter. I wasn't sure if the pills had taken effect or was it just some placebo effect, but I decided to put my worries aside and focus on the matters at hand.

"Anything?" Mineta asked as I clamped my eyes shut and used my Sixth Sense. I shook my head.

"They probably stayed out my range deliberately," I said.

"Then I'll go as a decoy," Midoriya suggested. We nodded and he used his quirk to move swiftly through the steel pipes. His movements resembled Bakugou using his quirk to propel himself.

Mineta continued to set up traps with his quirk as the rest of us stayed on high alert.

Suddenly, a piercing scream resonated in the air. It sounded like Ochako's voice, but the real Ochako who was standing with us was just as startled.

"It's Shinsou," I assumed. "They've begun."

"I caught something!" Mineta exclaimed as he felt a gentle tug on the string that he set laying around the pipes. The string was glued with his purple balls.

My Sixth Sense was immediately activated. It wasn't a human; in fact, they were objects of multiple sizes, all heading towards us at high speed.

"Ashido, use your acid!"

Ashido quickly created an acidic veil that covered us from the barrage of attacks. The acid successfully melted the flying objects, but more projectiles were still flying around haphazardly.

"I'll go!" I said, flapping my wings. I tried to discern the attacker's precise location, but an extremely large screw flew straight to me and I dodged just in time. The large screw ruffled my hair as it flew passed.

"What the —"

Before I could catch my breath, more objects were immediately enlarged before my eyes and I had to brace for the impact upfront. Thankfully my quirk reduced the pain. I protected Ashido and Mineta from the onslaught by using my wings and Ochako moved around swiftly to use her quirk on the flying projectiles.

When we thought it was over, the floating objects abruptly lurched forward, as though they were given a rocket boost. The four of us quickly scrambled away to hide from the new wave of attack, which was proven much lethal than the previous one. Large tanks shielded us from the barrage of attacks until it died down.

"They'll know where we are now," Ochako said.

I nodded. "If Midoriya is lured away by Shinsou, then I'll be the decoy to lure the rest out. Set your traps."

Ashido and Mineta nodded in agreement.

As I was about to move, something in the air changed. Large black tendrils shot into the air, as though a monster had appeared out of nowhere. I was pretty sure that no one in Class A or B had a quirk like that and that thought sent chills down my spine. The horrible memory of the uninvited villains to my exam immediately pervaded my mind.

The black tendrils shot across the area and some of them headed towards us. We jumped away from the attacks and one of the tendrils grazed my wing. I was still trying to recollect myself from the horrifying when Ochako gasped sharply.

"Deku?!"

I looked into the air at the origin of the black tendrils. A small relief bloomed in me when it was just Midoriya and not another villain, but it was not the time to relax. Midoriya seemed to be in a struggle against the black tendrils that emerged from his arms as his face contorted in pain. I was sure All Might's One For All quirk didn't consist of black tendrils like these.

"Eria!" Ochako called for me, her eyes pleading with mine. A fleeting, frightened look appeared on her face.

I knew what I had to do. I caught her in my arms and propelled her into the air at Midoriya's direction. She reached Midoriya with some help from her quirk and embraced the boy, trying her best to calm him down.

As my gaze was fixated on Midoriya and Ochako, Monoma shot out of nowhere and touched my shoulder. I flinched and immediately tried to launch an attack, but he had slid away from my attack range as he rode on an enlarged floating screw nut.

"What a good quirk I got," Monoma said contemptuously. A derisive smug appeared on his face as he took advantage of my momentary unwariness. "I think I'm gonna use it well."

The fear that settled in the pit of my stomach slowly evolved into rage. I didn't like that I was bested by someone like Monoma, who could use my quirk to hurt my friends. It was déjà vu, like when I lost control and nearly hurt my friends, yet I had no chance to stop it from happening.

"I'm so gonna —"

'Kill him.'

"— kick your ass!" I shouted and ready to lunge for him, but my entire body froze like ice had enveloped me.

Who......said that?

Probably just a hallucination. I ignored the strange voice and focused on the battlefield. Monoma was a pain in the ass who would be my team's downfall if I didn't subdue him immediately, and yet I was also worried for Midoriya and Ochako, who were still floating in the air with black tendrils scattered everywhere. I should stop Monoma first —

'So kill him.'

The voice returned, hissing with malignance.

'It's very easy. Just crush his throat and he'll die. And you'll win.'

'Come on. It takes one second.'

'You're a demon after all. Stop pretending to be human.'

'KILL HIM.'

The voice continued to pester me, affecting me.

It was right. It was very easy.

Very easy to kill.

I want to... I want to......

'Yes, just kill.'

'Kill them all.'

Somewhere in the corner of my mind, my rationality snapped me back into reality. This was an all too familiar feeling — the feeling I loathed and feared, the feeling I thought I had under control, the feeling I thought it had disappeared and would continue to be for my entire life.

It was bloodlust.

The malevolent voice seemed to be ignoring my resistance and continued its lethal attempt to seduce me.

'Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill them all. Kill those who defy you. Just kill. Kill. Kill. KILL. KILL —'

I covered my ears in a desperate attempt to drown out the voice, but it continued to reverberate in my skull. I must control this. I must. I can't lose control and hurt everyone again. I must!

"SHUT UP!" I yelled furiously, snapping at the voice in my mind.

"Eria?!" Ashido gasped.

Monoma snickered as he watched my panic attack. "Oh ho ho ho? Looks like it's gonna be our win!"

I was still in a daze, trying to control my reemerging bloodlust, when something hard crashed into my torso. I coughed as air rushed out of my lungs. The pain snapped me back into reality and it made me felt real. I returned to Ground Gamma, where I was supposed to be engaged in battle against Class B. But instead of standing, I was kneeling on the ground with an enlarged screw lying next to me.

"TAKASAKI, SNAP OUT OF IT!" Mineta yelled, enraged.

I tried to stand but the screw that lied next to me flew straight to my head. I dodged it just in time, but a kick connected to my body and I was thrown against a steel tank.

"Crap......" I cursed, forcing myself to stay focused. When my vision refocused, what I saw shocked me.

Monoma stood proudly, with sharp claws on his hands and scales covered his forearms. Small, sharp horns grew on his forehead, like an imp.

"This is such a good quirk. I feel so powerful," Monoma snickered derisively. "I don't know what's wrong with you but...... your loss is our win. I need you to be unconscious, so..." He hurled a punch in my face, thinking that he could easily knock me unconscious, but he was wrong.

Thankfully the bloodlust disappeared, but the pain and the confusion were still clouding my judgement. Despite that, I was able to capture Monoma's punch in my grasp. While shock drew upon Monoma's face, I rose to my feet feebly, pushing my strength against his.

We were both demons for now, which meant we would possess equal strength, speed and instincts. But one thing separated us.

I had wings. Monoma didn't.

The mixture of shock and fear was a distasteful concoction on Monoma's face. His arm was being pushed back as I pushed forward with my strength, finding the battle heavily favoured in my odds. The smug slid off his face and I smirked.

Monoma didn't copy my hidden demon quirk. he copied my old one, which meant —

"I'm stronger than you."

"HAH! ARE YOU SURE?" The fear on Monoma's face immediately vanished. He forced all of his strength to push me back but to no avail.

"You can't use other quirks you've copied now because you can only use one at a time. But if you change your quirk to change the tide of the battle, with my grasp so tight around your frail arm, I'm afraid I might break it like a twig," I retorted.

"You're right. I can't change my quirk. I'm in a disadvantage, I admit. But I'm not alone," Monoma's contemptuous smirk appeared on his face.

Large objects were hurled straight at me and I had to let go of Monoma to dodge the attacks. With an arrogant chortle, Monoma quickly used the speed given by my quirk and retreated to a safer spot.

As the adrenaline ebbed, the disgusting concoction of mixed feelings immediately washed over me. They were fear, confusion, pain...... negative feelings that I loathed.

My legs buckled, trying to get a breather. The migraine in my head worsened from the stress.

"Eria, are you alright? You've been acting weird," Ashido said, feeling concerned.

"I'm fine," I breathed, trying not to expose any emotions on my face.

"HURRY UP! THEY'RE GOING TO MIDORIYA AND URARAKA!" Mineta urged desperately.

Ashido's gaze was tinted with concern. I forced a smile on my face to reassure her.

"Let's go." I grabbed onto Ashido and Mineta and we flew towards Midoriya and Ochako's location.

Midoriya and Ochako were still recovering as they sat together, their backs wide opened for any attacks. Monoma, with my demon quirk, charged towards Midoriya. Midoriya wasn't able to react in time and carelessly let Monoma touched him.

The rest of Monoma's team arrived at the scene, hurling their projectiles at their opponents. I released Ashido and Mineta to handle with them while I charged at Monoma, who was startled by my appearance.

With carefully planned battle strategies thrown aside, the battle had turned into an all-out brawl. I could not afford to make any mistakes now.

"I thought I copied your quirk correctly," Monoma said. He flexed his claws. "Looks like I was wrong."

"Sorry but... not all humans can be real demons," I commented and lurched at Monoma, who deftly avoided my attack.

A long, bandage-like cloth that came out of nowhere nearly grazed my hand. I jumped away and glared at Shinsou, who stood high and mighty, watching us from afar.

"Long time no see, Takasaki. Would you mind answering my questions so I could know if my quirk works on you?" Shinsou called.

I ignored him and focused on my battle against Monoma. I didn't want my thoughts to stray to anything but the battle at hand, partly because I was afraid my bloodlust would reemerge if I was distracted.

"So what if you're stronger than me?" Monoma retorted snidely. "I just got myself a nice quirk." His demonic features disappeared instantly and I knew he was going to use the strongest card in his deck: Midoriya's One For All.

Honestly, I wasn't sure if I could handle against Midoriya's quirk. His quirk had too many uncertainties and its upper limit knew no boundaries.

'So kill him.'

The annoying voice hissed again, when I thought I had suppressed it.

What is wrong with me? I have to control it!

'You can't control me. I'm your deepest, darkest self.'

'I'm your bloodlust.'

"Shit!" I cursed under my breath. If this carries on, I might......

Monoma hurled his punch at me, but something of it was off. It didn't give off the powerful vibe Midoriya emanated whenever he used his quirk.

A fleeting look of horror flashed across Monoma's face, as if he was thinking the same like I did. Realising I could be having the upper hand in this fight, I lurched at Monoma, trying not to hurt him so that my bloodlust would not worsen.

I grabbed his outstretched arm in a tight, vice-like grip and hurled a kick in his torso. Then, I pushed him down to the floor, using my entire weight to hold him.

"Shit, it was a dud," Monoma cursed angrily.

'Kill him now. It's easy. You had him pinned down.'

'Just grab his neck and break it.'

'Do it. DO IT. KILL HIM.'

The voice was annoyingly persistent. There was no stopping it.

"Ochako, take him to the prison," I said and Ochako tied Monoma with a rope. She levitated the obnoxious boy, who became defenseless.

'Kill them. Come on.'

"Let's get Shinsou!" Midoriya gestured at me, eyes gleaming with enthusiasm.

'Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill.'

"Sorry, I can't," I muttered. The malevolent voice in my head was overwhelming. I was slowly losing my grip on the very little self-control I had.

"Eria?" Ochako's voice cracked a little. Midoriya's eyes spanned wide in surprise.

I had to stop the bloodlust. I can't lose control and hurt my friends. And the only way to do it was —

"I'm sorry. It's all up to you now," I muttered to my friends. I couldn't explain much right now. If my team lost because of my mistake, I would gladly take the blame. But I couldn't just let my bloodlust take control and do nothing.

"SHINSOU, BRAINWASH ME!" I yelled at Shinsou

"Eria?!" "Takasaki?!"

Shinsou probably didn't understand what was happening with me. He gaped with surprise. Even so, it was probably his innate wish to test his quirk on me again so he obliged to my demand.

"I don't know what's wrong with you and I don't know if my quirk is going to work, but I've come too far not to try it on you. I'm going to surpass you!" Shinsou yelled determinedly.

I relaxed myself, ignored the voice in my head and let Shinsou take me. "I will surpass you too!" I shouted back. An irritable itch appeared on the back of my neck and the next second, my mind was entirely blank. I felt the impact as I fell to the ground, unable to move any of my limbs.

I watched silently as Midoriya shot me a concerned look and launched himself towards Shinsou with Ochako's quirk. Even though I was disappointed that I didn't manage to resist against Shinsou's brainwashing, at least the voice had disappeared from my mind and I could relax for now. Weirdly, Shinsou just left me lying and didn't bother to control me or use me against my teammates. He and Midoriya disappeared further into the complex structures of Ground Gamma.

I waited and waited. No one bothered to disturb me. My mind was at ease without the bloodlust. I sincerely prayed for my team's success and wondered how Aizawa-sensei would reprimand me for giving myself up to my opponent.

But the biggest problem was still the bloodlust that reappeared.

I was certain I had it under control. It didn't appear anymore as my control on my hidden demon quirk grew steadily with the increasing physical trainings.

What caused it to happen? Am I returning back to zero? Are all my efforts wasted? Something must have caused it to happen again.

I recounted my recent life. Nothing changed much, except the stress that piled up from my studies and my health, and.......

And the medicine I have begun taking daily.

"Shit," I cursed. "Reality can't let me live my life smoothly for once, eh?"

I rose from the ground. "I can talk? I can move? Shinsou's brainwashing stopped?"

A loud siren blared in the air. Midnight's voice resonated through the speakers. "With the score of 4-0, Class A wins!"

I deactivated my quirk and carried my leaden legs to the assembly point, my overwrought brain exhausted from the possibility that the medicine Scarlet gave me had severe side effects. Despite the joy that overwhelmed them, my team greeted me with concern gleaming in their eyes.

"What the hell were you doing back there?!" Mineta yelled angrily.

I lowered my head. "Sorry. It's... complicated."

Ochako sensed my distress and squeezed my hand. "It's fine now. We won!"

Midoriya watched me silently. His gaze carried the weight of unspoken words.

Ashido chided Mineta harshly for being inconsiderate, while Monoma's team recollected themselves and joined us to meet the others. Shinsou glanced at me and approached me.

"I don't know why you did that back there. But I just wanted to tell you that......" Shinsou clicked his tongue resentfully. "My quirk didn't really work on you."

The bloodlust problem in my mind was pushed aside to a corner. "What?" I asked.

"I did manage to brainwash you at first, but when I tried to order you to attack Midoriya, you didn't really move. You just fell to the ground like a lifeless corpse. Basically, you're a...... useless puppet."

I gaped. "So I still managed to resist your quirk?"

Shinsou sighed regretfully. "Unfortunately, in a way, yes."

That brought a smile to my face. "I'm glad we've both grown stronger."

He smirked. "No worries. I'm going to defeat you one day and brainwash you for real."

"We'll see."

Shinsou's 'compliment' somehow lifted my spirits among the stress I felt throughout the whole battle. Now, it was time to face another battle.

I pulled Midoriya and Ochako aside, who looked at me with curiosity and concern.

"Guys, I need help."

***

Author's notes:

1. Longest chapter ever! I didn't write down a lot of details from the Joint Training Arc, so if you wanted to have a recap, you can refer to the manga as well. 

2. I decided to write a chapter on Heroes Rising so I had it done during my short holiday. I'll be posting it after chapter 49.  

3. Thank you for all the comments and love for this story!!! I'm glad there are so many people who love this story when it's not romance oriented. 

4. The next chapter will be coming in a week or two, so I'll see you then! Don't forget to vote for this chapter too! Bye!