As Astra licked her fingers, savoring every moment of her triumph and the lingering sweetness, she slowly stood up, her legs trembling but gaining strength with each passing second.
Suddenly, a strange sensation coursed through her body, causing her to lose her balance and fall to the ground.
"Damn it, this caught me off guard," she grunted as she tried to get back on her feet.
As she did, she felt an unfamiliar current flowing through her, a need to regret releasing something. Her hand began to transform, becoming liquid like Majin Buu's when he absorbed someone.
Astra would watch in fascination as her quirk attempted to manifest in new ways. But just before unleashing this new power, she looked around and realized where she was.
"Ugh! I forgot I'm in a damn sewer," she muttered in disgust as a shiver ran down her spine. "If I had unleashed my ability here, my body would have touched... those things."
Determined not to take any chances, Astra got to her feet, wiping her hands of the last remnants of the villain, literally savoring her victory as she licked her fingers.
"Delicious..." she whispered again, this time with a wicked smile as she looked at her hands, flexing them as if testing her new strength.
However, unknown to her, the integration of the slime villain's essence hadn't been as perfect as it seemed.
Deep in her subconscious, something began to stir. Within the strange cocoon that had formed in her mind, the villain, now reduced to an essence, remained dormant. He was not dead, far from it.
He had been absorbed, consumed, but his core still existed, trapped in a pink prison created by her own mind.
Astra, unaware of this persistent presence, reveled in the immediate rewards of her conquest.
With these new abilities, she would be unstoppable, a force that no one could ignore in the world she was shaping.
Suddenly, she gave herself a couple of gentle slaps on the face, laughing to herself.
"Wow... if this is what it feels like to consume a Quirk, now I understand why AFO is so full of himself."
Emerging from the sewer and walking through the alley, Astra continued to reflect.
"It makes sense. Gaining a gift, even if it's weak, makes you feel superior, like someone above all those who only have one... one that defines their lives forever. Not to mention those who have no quirks. The privileged like me are the only ones not bound to the fate of this society..."
Once out of the tunnel, Astra looked up at the clear sky above her, a huge smile on her face.
"Yes... I am stronger. I am better. I am superior to everyone else. I am not bound by that thing called fate. I don't follow the law, I'm not against it, I don't destroy it... I am the law."
Astra walked confidently, skipping lightly, radiating satisfaction.
To others, this change might seem radical, but imagine an ordinary person, someone destined for oblivion like so many others on this vast board known as society.
Gaining a power that you can get from simply consuming the bearer, now Astra had that power, the power to change and define her destiny.
She was no longer bound by opportunities, her birth, privileges, or luck. Now she decided what she wanted to be.
Astra kept walking, lost in her thoughts, enjoying the sweet taste of the popsicle she had pulled from her pocket.
The little hops she made as she walked radiated an innocent happiness while her mind navigated through much darker thoughts.
"The power I have now is something most will never understand," she told herself, savoring the mix of victory and sugar in her mouth.
She looked around with a new perspective; the people around her, all with their own quirks, seemed insignificant.
Their feats, which once seemed unique and valuable, were no longer unattainable. With a single flick of her fingers, she could snatch them away, just as she had done with the slime.
Happy with this new reality, Astra let an air of superiority envelop her. She could feel the power within her, pulsing, waiting to be used. If this was what it felt like to consume a quirk, she thought, how glorious would it be to consume more?
"The world is full of beings with gifts... their abilities could be mine if I desire them," she murmured to herself while licking the popsicle.
She could absorb them, consume them, and grow even more powerful.
There was a small voice inside her, a part of her former self, warning her about the danger of becoming a monster like All For One.
That morality that once defined her still clung on, though it was beginning to fade.
"Should I continue?" she pondered as she gritted her teeth, crushing the popsicle stick between them. "Should I only collect the powers of those I deem worthy? Or should I simply consume everyone? After all, if they could, they would do the same."
Astra shook her head, wishing it would disappear, but the seed of doubt was already planted.
However, as she began to walk more calmly, her mind refocused on what had always guided her: power. "I can't just ignore what a god has granted me," she thought, trying to convince herself.
Having that ability in her hands must mean something. Wouldn't it be an insult to nature itself to waste it?
"Why should I stop?" she asked herself as she crushed the popsicle stick between her teeth. "If a god doesn't care what I do with this power, why should I? Am I worthy enough to contradict him?"
But a doubt briefly assailed her. "Though... do I really need to use Sweetmania? I could live a quiet, normal life without resorting to that. After all, I'm not obligated to use it."
Astra quickly arrived home, went up to her room, grabbed a change of clothes, and slipped into the bathtub. The water covered almost all of her body, except her head. As the heat enveloped her, her thoughts continued to be at odds.
"I can live a worthy, normal life. I don't need Sweetmania. I could have an ordinary life, marry a beautiful woman, and have lovely pink children running around my house."
A small smile appeared on her face as she imagined that scene. She let her body float in the tub, submerging her face in the water as if she could dissolve her darkest thoughts.
As she floated in the bathtub, with the water wrapping around her body, Astra let the heat and silence give her a false sense of peace.
But inside her mind, the echo of her thoughts kept resonating. The power was intoxicating, like a drug that urged her to want more.
It wasn't just the feeling of physical strength or the ability to change her destiny at will; it was the idea of being above everyone else, of being different, special, of controlling not just her life, but the lives of others.
"Dying turned into candy can't be that painful..." she murmured once more, almost like a mantra. But as she repeated it, a part of her knew those words were just a facade, a lie that helped her bear the reality of what she was doing.
The water in the bathtub began to cool, but Astra didn't move. The cold that was starting to seep into her bones was a reflection of something deeper, an internal struggle she couldn't ignore. "Do I really want to become a monster?"
She thought as the water brushed against her face, covering her eyes for a moment. She remembered how Gogeta could still move when he was turned into candy, and many others too, albeit briefly; this meant they remained conscious in some form, trapped, prisoners in a candy bar.
For a moment, she felt a pang of compassion. "Is that what I want to do? Condemn others to such a fate just to feed my power?"
But that doubt was fleeting, quickly drowned out by the thought of what she could achieve if she didn't stop. Power was a weapon, a tool, and like any other, it depended on how she used it. "Maybe I'll only use it on those who deserve it," she told herself, trying to rationalize her inclination. "Those who stand in my way, who are a threat... they don't deserve anything else."
As she stepped out of the bathtub, the cold air touched her skin, and as she dried herself with a towel, certainty flooded back in. "I can't waste this," she said to herself as she looked in the mirror, her eyes shining with a mix of determination and madness. "Gods, humans... everyone has a destiny, and mine is not to be weak."
With that conviction, Astra quickly got dressed, feeling how every fiber of her being strengthened, both in body and mind.
If the world wanted to put obstacles in her way, she would knock them down one by one. She didn't need compassion or doubt. There was a path laid out before her, and she would follow it, no matter the cost.
As she walked toward the door of her balcony, the echo of her darkest thoughts still resonated. "It doesn't matter if the candies are still alive. If they can't fight, if they can't defend themselves... does it really matter?"
The winter chill greeted her as she stepped outside. Astra looked up at the stars, the vast sky stretching above her.
The city lights flickered in the distance, insignificant compared to her own brilliance. With a dangerous smile on her lips, she murmured to herself:
"My destiny belongs to me, and those who cross my path... well, there's always room for more candy."
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[End of Chapter 4]
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Hi, I saw that many wanted Astra to consume Izuku, but there's something they haven't taken into account: her mentality. In this chapter, it became clear that she will do whatever it takes to be strong, to not be just another face in the crowd. Two facets are shown here: her previous mentality and the new one, which begins to reflect signs of superiority and arrogance. However, this doesn't completely define who she is. After all, her old self doesn't disappear overnight. It's like a mix of both mentalities.
Astra doesn't want to be common, but she also doesn't want to become a monster. That's why anyone who stands in her "way" will be seen as someone she can consume.
For example, Erin's quirk is useful, but Astra wouldn't consume her because she's just a child. In contrast, if it's Captain Celebrity, she would do it without hesitation, as he has a valuable quirk and is a hero—someone who, in her opinion, should be prepared to die. In summary, if you're a civilian with a useful quirk, she might leave you alone, but if you're a hero with a valuable quirk, she won't hesitate to absorb you. The same applies to villains.
Now, if you belong to any of these groups but possess a Great Gift, she won't care who you are: she'll absorb you without hesitation.
[Words 1868]