Review Replies with Alumni and Loki
61394: Kaede definitely has her work cut out for her as you'll soon seen. We hope you enjoy the Festival!
Supreme Kai of Booty: (On that note, Loki gets a giggle every time she sees your username...she approves) We salute you for your excellent puns and we're very excited to work with Mirai when the time comes; we think she'll be pretty close to exactly that. Haha, we've all been there! Thank you for the review, hope you enjoy!
gold crown dragon: Haha, glad you approve! (This might be more than just potential *shrugs*)
LifeisBeautiful17: Yes, they are! Yeah...poor Fume...she really didn't mean to do that. Yeah, there's a lot of them for sure! (9 in all) Haha, yeah Anamiya and Yukiko are going to be pretty fun to explore later on (unexpected but we think it'll be sweet) We have lots of surprises, as well as twists and turns, in store, so we hope you like them!
Starblitz1312:Thank you for mentioning it; we made sure to change that. We're glad you enjoyed all of that and we definitely agree with you about Anamiya and Yukiko. (A triple date, or even a quadruple one would be hilarious. We'll see what ends up happening!) We're glad to hear that you're enjoying Krio; they have quite the adventure waiting them. We hope you like everything!
Attackin: We're pleased to hear that! We hope you like the rest as it unfolds (It is a fun squad, that's for sure)
Firealis: A very strong chance since they seem to be on opposite sides of the personality stick. It was definitely a wild ride and we hope that this chapter is too. Yeah, we're proud of our lil' Anamiya...he's growing up and he's such a sweetheart. We're glad you liked things, such as the maze and new squad name, and hope this chapter is worth the wait!
MysteryAgain: We hope you enjoy our newest chapter! The Maze proved to be quite fun
Butterfly Chikage: It's completely fine; we understand and always look forward to hearing your thoughts. We have to admit that was one of our favorite scenes to write and haha, we really can't blame them for that. It was indeed Fuyuki's mom...and SPOILER ALERT...not a villain but very much disgraced END SPOILER ALERT Oh, a parents day/parent-teacher conference is a great idea and is certainly something to explore when we can...talk about chaos. But there's a strong possibility that you're right about those new ships...but hehe time will tell! Thank you so much and we hope this (overdue) chapter lives up to the hype. We hope you did great on your exams!
Artesys: We're glad you enjoyed the chapter and hope you do this one too. Enjoy!
Ajwin11: We're glad to hear that you're feeling better and thank you for sharing your thoughts; it's always good to hear from you. We're very glad you enjoyed chapter 15: it was one of our favorites to write and we're glad that you enjoyed it as much as we did. Chapter 16: Well, that certainly makes us happy! I'm glad we could turn an overdone trope into something fresh and interesting, and even enjoyable too! Chapter 17: Excellent to hear! Hope you enjoy this chapter and we'll have even more soon.
Fuyuki gritted her teeth as she slid to a halt in front of the stone hallway. This hallway wouldn't be so easy. Now that she was on the third floor things were beginning to get difficult. The others weren't far behind. She needed to win this, but how? How to walk across a floor that meant some sort of hindering trap? She studied it for a while, trying to come up with a solution.
"You have to walk across the right tiles," Kaori said, appearing behind the other girl and eyeing the floor. It took her only a moment to figure out the idea behind it. Terribly predictable. "Every third one it appears until you reach the halfway point then it's every second one."
"I don't need help," Fuyuki clenched her fist. "I can do this." She didn't need help, she needed to win this for herself.
Kaori rolled her eyes. "I'm not helping you," she pointed out. "I'm simply observing something." Moto had a lot to prove, but considering what happened with her mother, she couldn't say she was surprised.
Fuyuki took a deep breath. This was about observation, assessing a situation and she had just failed. Or had she? Heroes relied on each other. But she had to come through first. It took only the smallest mistake to bring others down with you. Taking another deep breath she stepped out onto a tile. She pulled her smoke out in front of her, effectively blocking vision to the other side. She wasn't about to let Tsukinose in front of her by way of quirk.
Waiting for the others to catch up, only because she would never hear the end of it from Rin, and annoyed that she hadn't been allowed her belt, Kaori watched Moto as much as she could through the smoke.
"Kaori!" Rin ran up. "Sorry we had a run in with some Support Class, who tried to get ahead. What's this? Ooh a combination."
Kaori nodded, having figured something like this had happened. "Every third tile then the second one when you reach halfway."
"That's tricky, I wonder what happens if you step on the wrong tile," Genjiro said joining them. "Should we warn the others?"
Staring intently at the floor, Kaori shrugged a shoulder. "It's simply goo," she said.
Anamiya made a face at that. Goo? That didn't sound like something he would consider simple. He thought they should let the others know; it sounded unpleasant.
"Smelly at that," Rin sniffed the air. "We'll watch our step." He carefully started across the floor.
Karoi followed, each step light and careful. "I applaud their creativity." Had it been Kito? Perhaps. He always did like finding amusement in whatever situations he could.
"I hope nobody gets too doused," Genjiro said. "I wonder who will, guess we will have to see at the end."
"It's not our problem if they do." Kaori jumped to another tile, then another. "If they're stupid enough to go across without understanding what they're getting into, it's simply their own fault."
Not entirely sure he agreed with this, Anamiya concentrated on what his feet were doing. He really didn't want to miss a step. That goo really stunk.
"That's not nice," Genjiro wrinkled his nose.
"When am I ever nice?" Kaori rolled her eyes, then stopped. "Halfway point. We need to step on every other now."
"Thanks," Rin nodded. "You know it doesn't feel right not helping the others. Aren't Heroes supposed to help Heroes?"
Anamiya paused, Rin's words echoing the the thoughts he had been having with each step he took. "I'll go back," he decided. "Pass the word along, then catch up?"
"Alright," Rin nodded. "This will also curry favor," He glanced at Kaori. "So if we need help in another level."
Kaori slowly nodded, seeing the advantage of that. "Doubtful, but it is always good to have options," she agreed.
"Allies mean better chances," Rin gave her a thumbs up. "We might need more than four people at some point."
Kaori nodded again, glancing as Anamiya began retracing his steps. "I can agree with this," she admitted. "It's always important to have allies."
"Right," Rin nodded, glad he had persuaded her.
"You're surprised I agree." Kaori's question really wasn't one. Glancing at him sideways, she kept walking.
"Only mildly," Rin shrugged.
"It happens but don't get used to it," Kaori warned, though she was smiling, just slightly. He was amusing in his own way.
"I will relish this moment," Rin promised, stepping out onto the regular flooring again.
Kaori followed. "I'm sure you will," she murmured, looking around. So far, they had done well.
Keoko skipped along, twirling her approved magnetic spheres around her fingers. "So I'm bored," she stated.
Akari giggled, not surprised. It had only been a matter of time. "Well, I'm not sure what we can do to help with that."
"Does this ever get interesting?" Keoko sighed. "We are just going around in circles. Literally, circles."
"How would we know?" Eizen asked, not at all bored. Now that they were away from the main crowd, he found the silence to be nice.
"When we decided it was circular," Keoko pointed out. "We are walking in circles."
Not about to mention that wasn't what he meant, Eizen looked at Akio, who simply shrugged.
"I'm sure we'll figure this out sometime," Akari said hopefully, though at this point, she was truly wondering if they would.
"Right," Keoko nodded. "No stairs. Akio is searching for a trap door."
Akio grunted, stopping suddenly. "There," he said, pointing.
"Where?" Keoko looked around.
Akari nudged her as soon as she saw it. A piece of ceiling, just slightly moved. "Good eye," she said to Akio, impressed that he had seen this.
"Ohh," Keoko grinned. "I'll need a boost," she frowned at the distance.
Eizen nodded patiently as Akio moved forward. He had been expecting this. "I'm ready when you are."
Keoko stretched, "Let's do this."
Shaking his head, Akio slipped through the opening, hearing Aari behind him. He was sure Eizen and Keoko had it handled between themselves.
Keoko hopped trying to reach the ceiling, but it was impossible. Pouting, she reached up to untangle her scarf from around her neck.
Shaking his head, Eizen kneeled on the ground, tangling his fingers together and looking at her expectedly.
"Ooh," Keoko grinned. "Thanks, Eizen!"
"Anytime," Eizen murmured, looking away as she used his hand as a step. He didn't want to look at places where he shouldn't; even with her wearing pants, he still felt like he should look away.
Getting the boost helped, Keoko grabbed the edge, pulling herself onto the next floor. "Need a hand?" She peeked down at him.
Straightening, Eizen quickly judged the distance then shook his head. "I have it," he said, reaching up and grabbing the edge, swinging himself up.
"Well, I wonder what this floor is like," Keoko pushed herself up, looking around.
Akio shook his head, having been wondering the same thing with Akari. "No idea but we haven't heard anyone else around." He wasn't sure if that was good or not.
"Are we in first place?" Keoko asked excitedly.
Shrugging a shoulder, Akio glanced around again. "No idea. Maybe."
"That would be awesome," Keoko hopped down the hallway.
Akari nodded, eyes bright with excitement. "It would but I'm sure Tsukinose is close."
"And Moto, she was in the lead last I saw," Keoko looked around. "So far Class A has the lead. I haven't seen much of the other classes past level three."
"I haven't either," Akari agreed. She was very proud of her classmates. "We might all make it."
"That would be wonderful," Keoko nodded. "The Pros are watching us especially. Such pressure!"
Akio grunted; the Pros were the last thing he was worried about. His parents were both out there, watching and that knowledge was more nerve wracking than anything else.
"Don't worry," Keoko looked up at him. "You'll do fine."
Startled, Akio looked down at her, drawn from his thoughts. "What?"
"Focus on what's going on in here or you might end up getting caught in a trap," Keoko warned, reaching up to tap his chest.
"I"m focused," Akio said flatly, even as he nodded his acknowledgement of what she was saying. She was right. He needed to do better.
"Good," Keoko nodded. "I wonder if there is a trap in here. It's so quiet."
Eizen had stopped, frowning as he stared into the distance. "We need to stop," he said lowly. "I think Keoko's right."
"What is it?" Keoko whispered, deciding to hid behind Eizen since he was closest.
Somewhat amused by this, Eizen shook his head. "I'm not sure," he said, voice quiet.
"It's so quiet," Keoko looked suspiciously around. "Don't you agree Akari?"
Akari nodded, frowning. This was just strange all the way around. "What should we do? Just keep going and be careful?"
"Akio?" Keoko asked looking around again.
Frowning, Akio slowly nodded. "Go slow, be careful," he decided, seeing no other way around this.
"Alright," Keoko nodded, though she stayed behind Eizen. Just in case.
Giving her an amused little smile, Eizen shook his head, then slowly ventured forward. Why Keoko had decided to follow behind him, instead of Akio, he didn't know. "Foam," he said suddenly, surprised as he pointed to a small pile of it in the corner.
"What does it do?" Keoko looked suspiciously at it.
Akari frowned, studying it as she kept her distance. "I have no idea," she decided after a moment. "But I don't want to find out."
"Alright," Keoko agreed to this, keeping her eyes on the floor.
Agreeing with this, Eizen also kept a careful eye on his surroundings. So far they had been incredibly lucky, but that didn't mean anything.
"Oh, Eizen," Akari said, remembering an idea she had. She had been meaning to mention it to him but had forgotten it until now. "Would you be interested in doing a book club with me and a few others?" She thought it would be great fun.
"I'll think about it," Eizen said after several long moments. Suddenly, something caught his eye and he jerked back, grabbing Keoko by the arm and pulling her several steps away. Foam rained abruptly from the ceiling, barely missing Akio.
"Aah it's raining the foam too?" Keoko squeaked.
Akio groaned softly, looking at it with distaste. "We need to give it a few minutes, see if we can wait this out."
"Or the room will just fill up," Keoko pointed out.
"I don't think it will," Akio murmured, gaze towards the ceiling. He was just guessing here, but he didn't think that would happen. This room had to be clear enough for the others behind them to be able to pass through.
"Alright," Keoko said doubtfully. "But isn't this also a race?"
"It is," Akio agreed absently, frowning slightly as he watched the foam. There was something here, but he wasn't sure what it was. "But if we get it on us, it'll slow us down any more."
"So, we just wait?" Keoko stared up at him.
Barely hearing her, Akio's frown grew as he kept watching. What was he missing? Without warning, it clicked. "I have it," he said, glancing down at her, then Eizen and Akari. "But we have to be fast."
"Alright," Keoko nodded. "If it's really fast you'll have to pick me up, but I can do fast."
"Ever six, seven seconds, the foam falls from another area," Akio explained, motioning with a had taken him several minutes of simply watching it to note the details.
"So we need to speed through?" Keoko asked.
"I think so," Akio murmured, hoping this was right. He didn't see any other option.
"Alright," Keoko nodded. She could agree to this. They just needed to find the pattern of course. This foam stuff was weird.
"Ride?" Akio asked, glancing down at her. It was ridiculous but it was how they worked.
"Yes, please," Keoko beamed.
Sighing, Akio stooped, stooping down considerably then picking her up, tucking her beneath his arm. Ridiculous was right
Keoko made a few noises, like a meowing kitten, before settling down.. "We'll be fast enough now."
Rolling his eyes, he would deny that it was fond, Akio nodded, glancing back at the foam. His other two friends stood on each side. "Alright, let's do this," he said, knowing they had would have to run. Hopefully this worked.
"Go!" Keoko cheered.
Lips twitching, Eizen took off, making it several steps before stilling, waiting for the foam to stop again so he could move. Wondering if his brother had made it yet, he took off again, counting the time. Seven seconds just as Akio had figured.
Keoko sighed as they made it through to the stairs. After Akio placed her back on the ground, she brushed her uniform off. She noticed a thin puddle of the foam with an abandoned shoe attached to it. So someone had been here before them. They needed to hurry up, they had lost too much time.
"Let's go," she smiled, racing up the stairs.
"Where do you think Fuyuki is?" Sutoi asked after a while of not seeing their other friend. He wasn't sure how much time had already passed but he thought they were making good time.
"I don't know," Hinata pursed her lips. Fuyuki had been worrying her for the past weeks. Ever since that bully had pushed her around for being like her mom, Fuyuki had retreated within herself. She wasn't being her usual fun loving tomboy self. She had gotten so intense. "We should find her quickly."
He wasn't sure what was going on, but Sutoi had to agree with Hinata's urgency. Fuyuki had been acting pretty weird lately, though he didn't know why. "Any ideas how?" he asked seriously. He wanted to get past this round but their friend was more important.
"We have to get to the front," Hinata tested her spray cans. They had been approved for the competition, but she didn't want to use them all up, especially in a test she couldn't use her quirk with successfully. "Fuyuki was aiming for first."
Sutoi nodded with a frown. "Alright," he murmured, wondering just how far they were. He hoped she wasn't being too reckless or anything like that.
"Can you do anything with your Hardlight to get us there faster?" Hinata asked, glancing at him.
At that, Sutoi paused, not sure. "I've never done something with two people before," he said slowly. "But I guess I could try."
"What about skateboards?" Hinata asked. "Can you make skateboards?"
Having no idea, but a part of him wanting to impress her, Sutoi slowed, then stopped, crouching down and concentrating hard. A moment passed, then two, and he wondered if he could really do it or not then suddenly, two skateboards appeared. He stared, eyes wide.
"Aha!" Hinata grinned. "That's awesome! Let's go!" She hopped on one, giving it a test spin before taking off down the hallway.
Finding himself grinning back, Sutoi got on his, then raced after her, hoping this would work and they could quickly find Fuyuki. Surely they could.
A wall suddenly flickered in front of them, digital writing flickered across the wall. Hinata squinted at it. "It's a riddle!" She exclaimed. "What's this here for? How is this related to the games?"
Sutoi frowned, examining it as well. Of all the things...he really didn't like riddles. "Maybe teamwork or something," he suggested, not entirely sure what the purpose was either.
"I think it's silly!" Reine popped up from her seat in the corner. "It's nothing like last year's game! Oh well. I've been trying to solve it for a while now."
Suoti jumped, spinning around and staring. A moment passed, in which he quickly composed himself, then he grinned. "Well, maybe between the three of us we can."
"I was hoping so!" Reine clapped her hands together. "Alright, I'll read it aloud. You can swallow me, but I can consume you too. What am I? Hmm this is really hard!"
Wishing Tsukinose was there, even though she honestly frightened him, Suoti frowned, reading the words again but this time silently and to himself. "Food, air, anger," he murmured, trying to figure out what could be swallowed.
"Maybe it's talking about big wild animals," Hinata joined in. "We can eat them, but they could eat us."
Thinking that made more sense than anything Sutoi had come up with himself, he nodded, then frowned. "Would it be such a broad answer?"
"Maybe it has to do with being a Hero," Reine said thoughtfully. "Ooh look the ceiling sparkles from the light!"
"Focus, Reine," Sutoi said patiently, mentally jumping on her first sentence. That would be just like something they would do. What was associated with being a hero?
"Oh you're right it does," Hinata looked up at the ceiling. "Kind of like light reflecting on water."
Shaking his head, Sutoi focused his attention to the riddle, tuning the girls out. Heroes...heroes are sacrificing, brave, kind, but none of those words fit, not in the way they needed to. He frowned again, repeating the riddle to himself again. He was missing something obvious here.
"Is it fame?" Hinata refocused. "If this has to do with being a Hero then that makes sense. You can let being famous swallow you up. We've seen that with some of the Profit Heroes."
At that, Sutoi made a face. "I don't understand those," he said, not sure why anyone would be want to be a hero just for the fame.
"Neither do I," Hinata sighed. "Not really anyways…"
"But I guess that's not it," Sutoi said with a frown. He had thought it was very likely but so far nothing had happened.
"This is hard!" Reine tugged at her hair. "What does this even have to do with being a hero?"
Having no answer, Sutoi shrugged, his frown deepening. Fame...he felt like they were on the right track there. What went with fame? "Pride," he gasped. "It's pride."
"Pride?" Both girls said at the same time, staring at him.
Sutoi nodded quickly, growing more certain of it. "It has to be," he said with a growing grin. "They talk about heroes not being too prideful all the time it feels like."
"Let's try it," Hinata nodded. She walked up to the wall, typing the answer into the provided keypad. Something clicked and the wall and it flickered before disappearing. "Well, that was rather quick," Hinata nodded. "Good job Sutoi!"
Surprised, Sutoi stared then his grin quickly appeared again. He loved it when his ideas actually panned out. "Teamwork," he said, then nodded at Reine. "Coming with us?"
"Of course I am!" Reine smiled brightly. "You guys are awesome!"
Well, he certainly couldn't disagree there. Shrugging, Sutoi quickly formed her a skateboard as well. So far it hadn't been a struggle to keep his and Hinata's going so he didn't think it would be too big of a challenge to make one for Reine as well.
"Fun!" Reine squealed. "This is amazing! I'm glad we are friends! Class A for the win!"
Grinning again, Sutoi got back on his. "Trying," he agreed, wondering how the others were doing.
"Why does it feel like Tsukinose is doing all the hard work?" Genjiro balanced on the rope as they walked across. "I feel like I should be doing something supportive besides cheering on."
"I have it under control," Kaori murmured, focusing on each careful step as she slowly and carefully lead them across the rope.
"I hope so," Rin inched along the rope. "This is seriously difficult. I hope the others are alright."
"We're the second team that's crossed this," Kaori said dismissively. She was enjoying this as she found it to be a challenge.
"Oh well that's good to know," Rin nodded, swinging his body out and catching the next rope.
Anamiya was certain he had never experienced anything as bad as this in all his time here. "Do you think we're almost done?" he asked, though he wasn't sure who exactly he was addressing this question to.
"Surely," Rin heaved a sigh.
"We are," Kaori said, then suddenly reached out and grabbed Rin's arm. "Watch it,' she warned. He had been about to fall and they didn't have time for mishaps like this.
"Thanks," Rin smiled at her, readjusting his grip.
Rolling her eyes, Kaori dropped her hand. "It would have just been an inconvenience to the rest of us," she muttered, trying to keep from returning his smile. She ended up failing.
"Wow you'll make a good leader in the Hero world," Genjiro said brightly. "Always looking out for your subordinates."
"Hey, who said we are subordinates?" Rin asked.
"I am not a leader," Kaori said, stressing the word 'not.' That was the last thing she wanted.
Anamiya glanced at her sideways. He thought she was, but he wasn't about to argue with her.
"Right, you're too bossy," Rin said after a moment.
At that, Kaori rolled her eyes again. "I wouldn't be if you listened to me more," she countered. That would solve so many problems.
"Of course, mother." Rin and Genjiro said in unison nodding their heads obediently.
Frowning as Anamiya choked on a laugh, Kaori stared pointedly ahead. "Why do I even bother with you?"
"Because we are friends," Rin pointed out proudly.
Kaori frowned again. "No, we're not," she said. She only considered Rin her friend.
"But I thought you said we were friends," Rin said, looking crestfallen.
"I said we were," Kaori muttered, jumping across to another rope. "But I didn't anything about the other two."
"Well they are my friends so in turn your friends," Rin stated.
She didn't see the logic in this, but Kaori decided this argument would be pointless. "Watch your step," she warned, not even having to see what was going on to know Rin was about to fall again.
"I'm watching," Rin sighed heavily.
Anamiya glanced at Genjiro then shrugged. Kaori and Rin definitely had an interesting dynamic. He wasn't sure if it made a whole lot of sense.
"We are close to the end I think," Rin panted as they stepped out onto a platform. "I think I counted ten levels."
"You did," Kaori said promptly. "We have one more." She had been keeping count as they passed each level.
"I wonder what the next level is," Genjiro glanced at the stairs.
"It has to be better," Anamiya murmured, wondering why, again, he was here. He really didn't like this.
"At this rate probably not," Rin shook his head.
"I doubt it will," Kaori said, not wanting them to have false hope. That was pointless.
"I thought so," Genjiro sighed heavily.
Anamiya groaned softly. This was getting worse by the moment. "At least we're almost done here," he said, trying to look on the bright side.
"Yes," Rin nodded. "We have to win this so we can advance to the next round. We wouldn't want our class to look bad."
"Class A will get through this," Kaori said firmly. She wouldn't let any of them not make it in the next round.
"That's the spirit!" Genjiro cheered. "Three cheers for Class A!"
Kaori sighed at that but didn't say anything as they reached the very top. She took a moment, looking around and trying to quickly figure out where to go now. "There," she said after a moment. "We need to go that way."
Rin nodded, turning down the hall. They sped up as the ascended the stairs. Final level. This was like a video game with a final boss, right?
Kaori stopped suddenly as she reached that final step, the sight before her drawing a sigh from her lips. "Company," she murmured, stepping back so the boys could see what she was.
"Class B," Genjiro said quietly, then wondered why he was whispering. His foot snagged on the last stair and he lost his balance, falling flat on the ground.
"I guess you won't need your quirk, Ikeda," Youta said flatly, staring down at the fallen Class A student. He glanced over at the dual-haired girl standing at the back of the group.
His eyes widening, Anamiya quickly reached down, helping Genjiro back to his feet. He didn't want a fight.
"Look, it's Moto," Rin pointed ahead. A narrow hallway was full of smoke, preventing the Class B students from entering.
Genjiro smiled sheepishly. "Sorry about that, I guess I got distracted. Hi guys, what's going on up here?"
Eiko Suzuki, not looking impressed, crossed his arms, glowering across the room at them. He wasn't in the mood to deal with any of them. He wanted to win.
"Sorry, we aren't letting Class A through. Well except her," Narruk glared at the smoke screen. "Class A's had all the attention and is revered as some higher class. It's been this way for years. This year we'll show the world that Class B is superior."
"You're not,"Kaori said flatly, glancing at each of the other students. "Especially after this immature stunt." Did they really think this would help their case?
"Class B is going to win!" Nana Yagami pumped her fist.
"Unlikely," Kaori said, gaze narrowing in on the girl who had spoken, eyes cool.
Anamiya glanced desperately at Rin, silently pleading for him to do something. She was doing to provoke them.
"Look this is a race too," Rin held his hands out peacefully. "It isn't sportsmen like to prevent other competitors from finishing. You reach the end because of aptitude and strategy. You can't wait for those less skilled to.."
"Talking down to us?" Narruk growled, baring his teeth. "It's all equal here, we aren't your subordinates."
"Enough," Kaori said, boredom creeping into her expression. It was a race. They were wasting time with this.
"Ikeda," Narruk backed up, closing his eyes.
Masami stepped forward, her ponytail swishing behind her. Both eyes, one green one blue, crossed suddenly.
"Well if this is a race you better run," Youta sighed.
Rin stepped back, glancing at Kaori. Judging from the others they best now keep their eyes open...what was this? The ground seemed to bubble under his feet and he staggered. The walls twisted and jerked back into place before spinning out of control again. A headache already started to form in the back of his head. "What the hell?" he staggered, nearly falling down the stairs.
Having been expecting something like this, she had done her research after all, Kaori managed to keep herself from making eye contact with the girl but she hadn't had the time to warn the other three. "Don't meet her eyes again," she warned, annoyance creeping into her expression as she narrowed in on Nana. She would take care of that one if the need arose.
"I can't meet anything," Genjiro staggered, feeling as if he might lose his stomach. "Let alone eyes."
"Get it together you three," Kaori snapped, wondering how Anamiya was even effected. He barely eye-contact to begin with.
"Yeah, tell me after the world stops spinning," Rin dropped to his knees, the ceiling following him at an alarming rate.
Rolling her eyes, Kaori turned her attention back to the class B students. "I'm giving you the option to leave," she said with a sigh. This was childish.
"Really," Youta sighed. "How very hero like of you. An ultimatum. Count me out, I don't even know why I'm here in the first place. This whole thing is lame."
"You're with the group that decided to do this," Kaori pointed out, glaring at the girl. They were wasting time.
"You think I had a choice? I'm just wanting to get out of this freak fest. Seriously, this has nothing to do with being a hero. It's just showing off and shit like that. What happened to society?" Youta waved at them, walking away.
Having figured this would happen, Kaori looked at each of the others, tapping her foot lightly. One...two...three...four...
Narruk grinned, "I was hoping to save this for the next test but now is just fine." He stepped forward, shifting into his wolf form.
"Idiot," Kaori murmured, though she had to admit she was impressed by his new form. She hadn't seen it in person until now.
"Don't look down on us," Narruk growled, springing towards her.
"Am I?" Kaori asked, not refusing to give up ground even as he advanced. A coy smile had found her lips by this point.
"Fight us like equals!" Narruk ran towards her.
Kaori, pressing her lips together in a tight line, suddenly lept into the air, flipping over her opponent then kneeing between his hairy shoulder blades. She landed gracefully back onto the ground, watching as he stumbled. Having not been able to bring her belt, or her daggers, she had done intensive research to find other options she might relay on if the need arose. Fighting like this wasn't her preferred type of combat, but one could never be careful enough. She spun around on her heel, black ponytail slicing through the air, then reached up, knowing that if she was fast, she would be able to disarm him in a minute.
Her eyes widening, Akari stopped suddenly as her and the others came upon Tsukinose and the others….and what appeared to be some of class B's students. "Um...should we help her?" she asked softly, not sure if she had it under control or not. What were going on with the boys?
"I have it," Kaori called, jumping out of the way as her opponent took a swipe at her, teeth snapping. He didn't know when he was beaten. He would understand shortly.
Akio sighed, tearing at his thumbnail for a moment. He wasn't sure about that but he knew better than to get in her way. He pulled himself up to his full height, staring at the other class B students. They knew better than this.
"Well," Sutoi said, slowing his skateboard down as he took in the events unfolding. "Looks like we got here in the nick of time." They had been following Fuyuki's smoke; they had been expecting to finally find her, not this...whatever this was.
"Fuyuki!" Hinata started forward, hesitating as she looked around. How was she going to get past these students? They didn't look friendly.
Grimacing as Kaori delivered another blow to the other student, it appeared to be on a pressure point, Akio glanced over, finding three of his other classmates. If the Class B students wanted a fight, they were outmatched, but he really didn't want to tangle with them.
"Pull back," Masami Ikeda said, releasing her hold on the students. "It's pointless, they have the upper hand. Let's make a break for the finish line."
Eiko Suzuki growled, then turned. "We'll have a rematch sometimes, class A," he warned over his shoulder.
Panting slightly, Kaori pulled back. "Had enough?" she asked, taking a moment then composing herself. Even though she had weighed the risks of engaging with him, she knew it had been the best choice.
"This is a strategic retreat," Masami Ikeda dipped her head. "You have been a worthy opponent. I respect your research on us. I hope to see you in the next rounds." She turned, leading the others towards the smoke.
Kaori's lips twitched in what might have been a smile, then straightening, she turned to her group, expression now one of pure disinterest. "We need to go."
"Yeah," Rin wobbled to his feet. "Is her quirk still working or is the room spinning around all on it's own?"
"Latter," Kaori said with a sigh, watching Anamiya haul himself to his feet, black hair shielding his face; she knew without seeing that his expression was like RIn and Genjiro's.
"That's good to know," Rin nodded. "I think I need another cigarette after this."
"Smoking makes you smell," Kaori said, disapproval clear as she glances around. "Glad to see everyone," it was a good strategic move, "But we need to go. We're wasting time."
"Right, we can't let them get ahead," Genjiro staggered forward.
"Are you coming?" Kaori directed this at the other two groups, knowing they really couldn't waste more time figuring things out. "Moto is close," she said, aware that was why one of them was there. Sentiment was ridiculous.
"Yeah, let's go Sutoi," Hinata said, pushing past on her skateboard.
Shaking his head, Suoti got back on his own transportation. "Hopefully Fuyuki is still close," he murmured, trying not to worry. This wasn't right. He should be enjoying himself, not worried about one of his classmates, but he supposed this was what friendship was all about.
"She is, her smoke is pretty thick," Hinata waved at the air.
"Then this should be easy," Sutoi said helpfully, skating ahead. He coughed slightly, finding her smoke got increasingly thick.
"Ugh," Hinata slipped off her outer shirt, wrapping it around her face. "Fuyuki it's us!"
"Fuyuki," Sutoi called, trying to take as shallow breaths as he could.
"Sutoi, Hinata," Fuyuki emerged from the smoke, the cloud around them lessening and pulling back to the gray skinned girl. "What are you doing here? I thought your were two levels down."
Sutoi grinned, adjusting his taloned feet slightly for a better grip on the board. "We're fast," he said, then nodded behind him. "We have a bunch of the others too. Reine's here, somewhere, too."
"Right here!" Reine popped up. "The smoke was really thick and my eyes were burning but I skated down here and oh dear those meenies from Class B probably passed us! Fuyuki, we were looking for you! Sutoi made this fantastic skateboard! Oh no your arms look burned, are you okay?"
"Yeah, I've just used my quirk a lot so my skin is getting irritated," Fuyuki shrugged it off.
Without a word, Akio stepped forward and handed her damp clothes that she could wrap around her arms, preventing them from getting worse and helping relieve some of the sting that he knew she had to be experiencing.
Fuyuki looked up surprised, "Uh...thanks."
Nodding grimly, Akio stepped back, crossing his arms again. He hoped that would help; those had to hurt.
"What do we do now?" Akari asked, glancing around. They had a large part of their class here and she wondered how the others were faring.
"Class B got ahead of me," Fuyuki scowled at the ground.
Sutoi frowned, looking at her resigned look. "Why aren't you going after them?"
"I don't know," Fuyuki touched her arms lightly.
At that, Sutoi stepped forward, eyes worried. He didn't really understand what was driving Fuyuki to prove herself so much but he would support his friend. "Don't give in now," he urged. "You're almost there."
"Yeah, don't give up," Hinata stepped up to Fuyuki's other side. "We know you can do it, you can prove yourself to the world."
At that, Sutoi nodded quickly, seeing where Hinata was going. "You can do it. You just have to try."
Fuyuki nodded slowly, a smile tugging at her lips. Her friends would believe in her no matter what. "Thanks guys. Let's do this."
"Let's," Sutoi said with a grin, then nodded. "Come on, let's go." He didn't want to lose any more time on the other class.
"Let's," Hinata held her hand out to Fuyuki letting her hop on. "Sutoi let's find a way to keep the others behind us." She didn't really trust Tsukinose.
Sutoi hesitated for a moment. He didn't like not including the others. "Well, alright," he agreed, then nodded at Reine. "Come on. We'll figure this out."
Reine nodded. "I don't think the others intend to let us get the lead!" she whispered, not too quietly. "My elevation is off, you guys have any cool tricks up your sleeves?" She glanced at her birthmark woefully. "I guess this is where I need to train. Controlling my situation even if the odds are against me! Oh guys this level looks really hard."
Frowning, Sutoi thought for a moment, not entirely sure what kind of options they had. He didn't know if he could make something that was faster than their skateboards. "I guess we just go and hope for the best," he said.
"Can you make a wall?" Fuyuki asked. "With your quirk?"
Sutoi bit his lip. "I could try," he said finally. He had never tried something like that before.
"I could make a smoke screen, but it'll be easier if there is a barrier to stop them physically," Fuyuki explained.
"Alright, I'll try," Sutoi said, straightening slightly. He could and he would; the girls were counting on him to figure this out. He glanced briefly at the others, wondering why they hadn't left. What were they waiting on?
"Why are we waiting?" Rin glanced at Kaori. Was she actually giving them a head start? She really did have a heart.
Kaori, lips pressed together in a tight frown, didn't look at him. "We're being watched," she said finally. "It would look good if we did this."
Rin sighed, of course she was doing it for the cameras. "I see," he shook his head.
"I'm definitely not sentimental but Fukumi Moto, back when she was a Kiato, was a classmate of my uncle here," Karoi said after a moment "She helped him once. I'm simply returning the favor as it fits into my end goal rather nicely."
"Well at least there's that," Rin shrugged, sharing a knowing look with the other two.
Anamiya grinned, then ducked his head, not anting Kaori to see him. She still scared him.
Refusing to look at any of them, Kaori crossed her arms. "Strategically, it was a good move," she muttered even though she knew she didn't have to defend herself.
"Oh yes," Rin nodded. "Of course."
"Stop that," Kaori said, frown turning into a scowl as she dropped her arms. He didn't have to believe her but he was being ridiculous.
"What?" Rin looked pleased with himself.
Rolling her eyes, Kaori didn't say anything, simply waited. She could be surprisingly patient when she wanted to be...and when she had something to occupy her mind, which she did now. Once they got through this, there would be two more challenges and she knew that if she thought long enough on them, she would be able to get an idea about what they would face on them. She would let Moto have this one, but she was determined to win the whole thing. However, she was very aware that she would end up having some tough competition.
Fuyuki strained, the water had helped, but her burns were stinging. She made a face as the path changed in front of them again. These shifting walls were no joke. She had no clue which way they were going anymore. How were they supposed to get out? She hoped the other students were just as confused as she was.
"What the hell?" Sutoi asked, gasping as one of the walls moved. This was making him dizzy. He had no idea what to do.
"Well, let's go this way, I think it's up," Hinata blinked twice.
He had no idea but it sounded good. "After you," Sutoi groaned. This was insane; he had thought the foam was bad.
"Yeah," Hinata took out her paint can, spraying a small spritz. "Let's do this to keep from walking in circles."
Even with the way his head was spinning, Sutoi found himself grinning. She was smart and pretty; as soon as the thought crossed his mind, he quickly banished it. He wasn't about to go there. "Good idea," he said, clearing his throat. "I feel like we might be."
"Exactly, which is why I'll use some of my paint," Hinata nodded.
Wondering how the others were doing, Sutoi nodded back. He didn't have anything that could help. "That'll go a long way."
"Yep," Hinata grinned. "Let's go gang!"
Her enthusiasm catching, Sutoi grinned, then fell into step behind would figure a way out of here.
"Let's," Fuyuki agreed.
They were walking in circles, Akio was certain of it, but they didn't have anything to prevent that. Exhaling softly, he glanced down at Keoko, who was looking somewhat green. He couldn't blame her. The walls were shifting nonstop, distorting both their sense of balance and understanding of their surroundings. He wondered how well the others were doing; he hadn't seen anyone lately besides Rokuro Saito and his group in passing. That had been unexpected, he hadn't thought Crook would associate himself with any of them least of all Rokuro and Hanko but somehow it worked. "We need some sort of plan," he said finally.
Eizen nodded, focusing on his feet. Akio was right, though he had no idea what they could do to help themselves in this situation.
"I don't even know how long we've been walking," Akari murmured. It had felt like forever but she knew it couldn't be. She was missing the foam.
"Akio we need something," Keoko groaned. "I'm so dizzy, and I can't manipulate these walls, and it's the last stage and I think I'll lose points if I throw up in the middle of the end of the competition."
Akio grimaced. He really didn't want to be puked on because if Keoko threw up, he knew it would so just happen to be on him; it always was. "Just keep going straight," he urged, though he didn't have much more to offer than that.
"There has to be a way out, is there a pattern or something?" Keoko sagged.
Eizen reached out, instantly grabbing a hold of her arm to keep her from falling. That was the last thing they needed.
Akio grimaced again, then stopped, taking a moment to examine the walls and their surroundings as best as he could.
Keoko hung onto Eizen's arm, leaning her face against it to block out the shifting walls. This was horrible.
"Wait," Akari gasped after a moment. How had they not noticed until now? "The wall colors are darker one way than they are the other way."
"But all walls have two sides," Keoko groaned against Eizen's shoulder.
"No, no," Akari said, quickly spinning then realizing that had been a mistake when she got dizzier. "Look. It's like that on both sides. I think the closer we get to the exit, the lighter the colors are."
"You look, I'll stay here," Keoko murmured, face pressed against Eizen.
Taking note of the light flush Eizen now had, Akari shook her head, then realized again she had made a mistake. She kept doing that. "Alright, hang on," she said, wanting to get her balance before venturing forward. It took a moment but once sure, she moved forward.
Akio watched Akari for a moment, then turned away. He was getting dizzier just by watching her. He hoped she knew what she was doing.
"There!" A moment later, Akari cried out the word in victory. She had been right. Turning back to the others, she grabbed Eizen with one hand and Akio with the other, dragging them forward.
Keoko looked up as they stepped up into the dazzling brightness of the arena. Blinking she rubbed her eyes, all nausea gone thankfully. The crowds were cheering and above the roar Present Mic's voice screaming over the airwaves.
"Looks like another group, comprised of our very own Class A comes in Fourth for groups and numbers 14, 15, 16, and 17!"
She looked around for Fuyuki Moto, wondering if she had done it. She found the girl standing with hands on her knees, her gray arms an unnatural red. She was breathing heavy but smiling in a way Keoko had never seen before. Keoko smiled.
"Hey guys, she did it."
Well here it is...We hope it isn't too confusing we really wanted to focus on the people rather than the test in this one...plus I (Alumni) kept falling asleep so there's that. You've probably noticed there are about three groups we focus on, and those are the ones who will experience the most character growth out of this. Don't worry though, the next chapter we will focus on quirks! *rubs hands together*
Hope you enjoyed the chapter! Hope the next isn't so long in the making...