"Now, it's time to form your squads."

Wakamura could feel himself starting to get nervous.

Look at this crazy lineup... And I'm a captain like them!? What sort of criteria did they use to pick us!?

When he looked back around, he saw that Ariake was still pretty motionless, and Kirikari was being held in place by Mizukami and Murakami.

I guess...I'm not the only odd one out here.

There were strange people and another ordinary person here. Seeing another ordinary person there eased his mind a bit.

Now all he needed to do was keep his cool so he would not stand out.

"All other agents in attendance today have been split into three pools, with fifteen agents in each. Because Utagawa and Kodera were taken from their A-Rank squads to be captains here, Kikuchihara, Kitora, Takahashi, and Kobayashi will serve as ordinary agents for the purpose of this test. One by one, each of the captains will select their agents for their squads."

Smoking Mystery: "Like a sports draft, basically...?"

Zoe: "Oh, got it."

Lobo: "That makes this easy."

Wakamura heard something from Kirikari behind him, but Mizukami put a quick stop to it.

This was starting to become a dangerous area... he realized.

But Director Shinoda had not finished speaking, choosing to ignore Kirikari altogether.

"There's one special restriction, though. Former squadmates cannot be on the same squad together this time around. And that includes Operators."

"So I couldn't take both Inukai and Tsuji? Or, for example, Kage and Yuzuru?" asked Mizukami.

Shinoda nodded.

The Operator they stuck me with is Hosoi, so that blocks me from picking anyone else on Ikoma Squad...

Most of them were difficult to handle as it was, so having that restriction early on was not so hindering.

What mattered came next.

Shinoda moved forward with a cup of sticks in hand.

"For each pool, the picking order will be determined by a lottery. Everyone, please take one."

Doing as they were told, everyone moved forward to pick one of the sticks from the cup. Once everything settled, Wakamura looked at his and...

Fifteenth! I'm going dead last!

A small noise managed to reach him. He turned his head to see Ariake looking down at his own stick.

The look on his face was amazingly neutral, but there was a small tick there that Wakamura managed to pick up.

From it, he could tell something.

He...is probably further down the line too.

Wakamura gave his sympathy as the one going dead last.

"Now, in order, you will pick a single agent from pool one. Who drew to go first?"

Wakamura waited until he saw Ninomiya move forward.

And for that...

"I draft Azuma-san."

.

The reaction was instant.

"Whaaaat!? Ever heard of balance, Ninomiya!?"

"Whoa..."

"This guy's never been one to pull his punches."

Azuma's name was moved from the pool of agents to Ninomiya's squad.

It was a strong pick from the start that got everyone else thinking of who they could pick. The further down in number they were, the more they would have needed to accept whoever ended up being on their squad, whether it was up to them or not.

It was just how these things go.

All they could do was accept it and move on.

The first to do so was Kakizaki.

"I'll go with Kage."

Then the idiot.

"I'll take Tsuji then! Gimme, gimme!"

Next was Ōji.

"Aw, you took mine, Ji-chan. So I'll go with Ma-yan."

After him was Toby.

"Taking Tetsuji."

Mizukami was next, and...

"Tough choice, but... How 'bout Take-chan?"

Toby visibly jolted, while a noise could be heard behind them all.

No one looked back, but they knew where it came from.

Iko: "Damn you! Why'd you just take Take-chan from Eri-kun like that!? That's messed up!"

Shōgi Boy: "It's cuz I knew you'd want that. So I decided to take him for myself."

No one said anything and just waited for the next person to go.

"Give me Tsutsumi-san then," said Murakami.

"I'll take Okudera," followed up Asano.

Kodera stepped forward and spoke.

"I will take Shor."

.

"Urg... This really sucks." Hanzaki gave a sigh, resting his head on his crossed arms. "This kind of thing really makes you feel like unwanted goods. Might as well have Misaki here to really make it hurt for us."

"I could ask for her to be here, if you want," someone said in the seat above him.

Without looking, Hanzaki waved Daigo's words off.

Adding that kind of fuel to this fire would be too much for everyone in the room.

"But you know, that's just how it is. Urushima and us Snipers are bound to get picked last," said Hokari while looking over.

It was true. Their positions as Snipers made it hard for people to want to pick them when they would be put in an immediate disadvantage once the battle phase of the exam came up. Any chance of conserving trion for the fight would be made difficult due to Bagworm.

Hanzaki tried not to think about it, but it was the truth of the matter.

"This really does suck. Especially since two Snipers were already chosen like it was nothing."

Daigo tried to reach over the best he could for him.

Knowing this and wanting to be a bit spoiled, Hanzaki lifted his body so that Daigo could reach him. Once he did, he patted Hanzaki's head.

While doing so, they heard someone speak from the bottom level.

"I'll take Hokari," said Kuruma.

Hokari gave a salute that made Hanzaki quickly turn to Daigo.

The patting began anew.

"Oki."

"I'd like Urushima."

"Uhhh, I guess... Tono."

As the names continued to be called, Hanzaki could feel the reality of his words on him.

It was only when the next person had to call out that he realized something.

"I'll go with... Ah! Hanzaki-kun! Yeah, him, please!"

There were only two people left.

Leaning forward, Hanzaki looked down to see who had called for him.

"Hm. I didn't expect that guy to call for another Sniper. Maybe it's just his way of feeling bad for you."

It was Ariake. The harassing senpai who would normally be too afraid of his mentors to speak up against them.

Hanzaki looked at the list of people and saw who else was left to pick from.

It was between me and Yuki-san's sister, huh?

When thinking about it logically, picking her would have been the better choice. Having a Sniper as the captain would make them more cautious about picking another Sniper, yet he had done so without any sort of hesitation.

Another pat reached him, but this time it was from Hokari next to him.

"We're leaving him in your hands, Hanzaki," said Arafune with a grin.

.

Wakamura felt something rise up when the last name was moved under his name. It was a name he was all too familiar with.

The entire time he had been thinking that Hanzaki would be the person he would have on his team, but then Ariake had picked him instead of the other person. Due to that, the final person was left to be on his squad.

When he looked over, Ariake gave him a small wink and turned back around.

I owe you big time! Seriously! Anything you ask, I'll get it done!

Deciding that a small glance would be fine, Wakamura looked back to see the person who was forced onto his team had a glowing aura around her.

His mind went blank for a moment.

Taiyōko Hoshi had ended up on his squad without him needing to pick her.

"Moving right along to Pool Two. Please draw your lots."

Still feeling happy about having Hoshi on his squad, Wakamura moved forward and took his stick.

The number was 8.

I'm eighth! Way better than last time!

Although...last time got me Hoshi-san.

Relying on that sort of thing would only end poorly for him, so Wakamura shook those thoughts from his mind. Taking the one from Ariake was already more than enough for him here.

All that would matter now was who everyone else picked before him.

And the first to go was Utagawa.

"I'd like Kuga."

"Oh? So that's who I'm with," said Kuga from his seat.

That was one down.

Next was...

"I draft Amatori."

Ninomiya with another strong pick.

Koala: "Two Snipers on his squad then? Mitsu-paisen I get, but why would he do that?"

Okkun: "Maybe he's prioritizing fighters with tons of trion?"

They had a point, but there was still the chance of something else.

Utagawa took Kuga first.

So another good choice would have been his teammate.

Oh, well. It's to be expected that those kinds of people would be taken first.

There were still many other strong agents he could pick from here.

Not all of them could be taken before it reached his turn.

Wakamura looked back at the list of people and saw that Ikoma's name had been moved over to Ōji's squad. The strong choices were really diminishing rapidly.

But then he heard something.

A relieved sigh.

"Thank goodness, he wasn't taken."

It was Ariake again.

"I'll take Sasamori-kun, please."

Wakamura felt himself groan a bit on the inside.

While not the strongest member there, Hisato was someone he knew well enough. So having him taken like that meant any backup plans had to be changed.

The next three people were chosen, with Kikuchihara going to Kitazoe's squad, Meishō going to Awdry's squad, and Kashio being moved to Mizukami's squad.

Then it was his turn.

Six choices left, excluding Yuta. What should I go for!? I've kinda got the urge to team up with Mikumo, but I barely know the guy.

And his choice when it came to someone familiar had already been chosen.

I guess the next best thing would be someone who is already in a high position.

There were only two people like that remaining.

Both of which were on the same squad.

So he had to pick one. And the one he picked...

"I pick Takahashi!"

Was the one he could likely deal with best.

.

"So you were chosen first then."

Maki glanced over to see Hisoka looking down at the group of current captains.

The two of them had been silent from the very beginning, not having anything to particularly add to everything going on. As a matter of fact, he was still wondering why he had been called over with Hisoka to begin with.

They really didn't need us to fill in spots when they have others who could do it, so why are we here?

There had been no reason to reject, so they had accepted it for what it was.

Well, Hisoka had accepted it. Maki chose to continue thinking it over.

Now that he had been called out, his mind was on that.

Do I even know that guy?

Wakamura had added him to his squad, but he could say he only knew about the younger Taiyōko sister. And that was only due to her random appearances at the Tamakoma Branch.

"Well, I guess it doesn't seem like a bad squad to be in. Not when there are weirdos down there."

"Ah, yes. I think Oshiro had called him 'Wetman' before."

It was a strange name, but one he felt fit.

Maki and Hisoka continued to look down, this time at the weird boy down there. The way he seemed to gather attention was strange.

There was something Maki had to respect about the boy, though.

He always seems like he's living the way he wants...

The people around him had accepted that, even while they still tried to keep his energy down a bit. Even with those people trying to calm him down, he went about doing everything he wanted without any sort of restraint.

Maki would only respect that.

"Even if he's like that, I'm pretty glad I'm not on his squad. I don't know if I would be able to deal with him."

Maki noted that he had yet to pick his next teammate. And next seemed to be Kodera.

Miura's name was called out, and he was moved to Kodera's squad a moment later.

After him, the next person went.

It was Wetman.

Looks like we get to see who he picks.

As if on cue, he looked directly in Maki and Hisoka's direction.

"Oh! There she is! Hey, Hicchin! I'm picking you!"

Maki had to stop.

Wait, did he just call on...?

He slowly turned to see that Hisoka's expression didn't change. Even as her name was moved to Wetman's squad, she remained the same.

"So, uh... Looks like you were chosen then."

"It does. And on the same squad as Shin-kun."

"At least there's that."

"..."

"I don't know what you mean by that!"

Maki had a hard time imagining that that particular squad would be okay by the end of the exam.

I guess I have to pray that they get along well enough.

.

The options left were a bit concerning. There were still good choices left, but there was one problem with them all.

I don't get to pick anyone.

Eri gave a sigh in her heart at the thought.

Not being on the same squad as Takeshi is something I can live with, but being forced someone does leave a bit of a bitter taste in my mouth.

As long as it wasn't someone troublesome, she could settle for that. There were worse options that could be put upon her than whoever was left.

It was because of that that she was able to remain calm as Murakami picked Kumagai and Kuruma picked Koarai.

"I'll take Mikumo," said Suwa.

And there goes the only sane option left...

She had been meaning to speak with Mikumo. They had spoken at times, but not enough for her to know him.

This had been her chance to get him on her squad, but Suwa had beaten her to it. Now the only two left were Snipers she felt she would have trouble with.

The first was Asagi from Meishō Squad, and the second was Betsuyaku from Suzunari-1.

From what I know, Asagi is just always happy, so that isn't too much trouble. Maya is that and then some.

At worst, she would have to calm him down a bit.

The problem is Betsuyaku...

She knew that he had been getting along with Takeshi recently, but it was also clear that having him around could be a liability. The amount of chaos he normally brought to the area around him was something she was not sure she could handle.

All she could do was hope that she would be stuck with the lesser problem.

But...

"I'll go with Asagi."

Kakizaki had taken that from her.

Doing her best to calm down, Eri looked over to see Betsuyaku throw his head onto the table in front of him.

She did feel bad that he was the last to be placed.

"I look forward to having you," she called out.

He gave a weak thumbs up. She really couldn't blame him for that.

I guess I just have to make this last choice count.

They would be moving on to the final pool. Everyone remaining had their own abilities that made them stand out. Compared to the other two pools, this one felt like it was packed with capable people.

Upon noticing that, Eri looked back at the list of people again.

It really does...

There were clearly those who were better off than others, but there was no real bad choice here.

All that was left was getting the right number to be able to pick one of them.

"Please draw lots for the final pool."

Being near the back of the group, Eri was one of the last ones to get her number.

Looking around, she tried to gauge any reactions from those around her before looking at her own number.

When she did...

...So this is how it is.

Facing her was the same number as last time.

She was dead last.

There was no longer a chance for her to pick her own teammate.

Instead of feeling bitter about it, she accepted this fact and tried to calm herself down.

.

Izumo: "Eri-san must have gotten a bad number again."

Shooting Star: "How can you tell?"

Izumo: "She's trying to calm herself down right now. If she had gotten something good, she wouldn't be doing that."

Shooting Star: "I see. Takeshi-kun really is getting better at reading people."

Izumo: "That's!"

.

"Who's first?"

"Ah! M-me! It's me!"

"Oh? Please select your final member."

Toby leaned back on his heels as he waited with everyone else.

This should be pretty funny, he thought.

Rokurō was a fine enough person, but Toby found some enjoyment in watching him fumble around. In a way, it reminded him of some people he knew.

That was why he chose to stand back and enjoy what he was seeing.

Just looking at Rokurō's expressions told him everything that was going on in his mind. The amount of thought he was putting into his choices and how they could end up during the next phase of this exam.

I can get that. But this is why you think ahead and come up with backups, just in case.

Toby felt some bitterness come up at his own thoughts.

Fighting on the front lines let his mind enjoy the freedom of having to think about other things. There was no reason for someone like him to come up with strategies or backup plans when his body moved when it needed to and when he wanted to. That freedom was what he always strived for.

This was different.

His actions were no longer physical ones. They were choices that would affect others as time went on.

Moving his body was not something that would get him through this.

I wish I was an idiot. Someone like...

Off to the side, he could see Jinsei looking at the screen filled with names before turning around and looking at everyone still sitting down.

He would stop at times and wave at others. It took Mizukami and Ōji smacking him a bit to settle him back down.

It reminded him of a comedy routine.

Yeah, like that. Jinsei really doesn't have much to worry about when he's that kind of stupid.

Toby gave a sigh in his heart and accepted his situation.

There was not much he could do about it.

So instead, he focused back to see Rokurō still thinking about his choice.

Knowing him, and from what Hoshi's told me, there are a few people I think he'd pick. But the best choice for someone like him would be...

"I pick Hyuse."

Toby raised a brow and looked over to where Tamakoma-2 sat.

Hyuse made no movement.

But someone else did.

One of Minoru's squad members turned back to look at Hyuse.

Looks like Hoshi has an interesting squad to work with here.

As long as they took care of her, he would have no problems with that.

With that choice finally made, Toby looked back and knew that the next choices would go by faster.

"Yubacchi! I want Yubacchi!"

Toby blinked and looked back to see that Yuba had gone stiff in his seat.

Yeah, I can get that. So Jinsei's squad is...something. But I guess it's a good enough one for Shinnosuke. Too bad they have to deal with their new captain.

That could be said for a lot of people here, though.

After Jinsei, it was Kuruma, and then there would be three more people before Toby could make his choice.

Time to see if any of my choices are left by the time it gets to me.

.

"I'll take Shigenaga."

"Right!"

"Gimme Katori."

That sounds like it's going to be painful.

Mitsuteru didn't know exactly what was going on, but he could hear Katori complaining above him.

When he turned to look back, he could see Mikumo also giving a strange reaction to hearing the choice.

Out of the members on Suwa's squad, he felt the least bad for her. Mikumo-kun is a good guy, and Kōji should be able to handle them. All he could do was offer a silent prayer that they wouldn't fall apart as soon as the exam started.

He chose to pretend that he never saw the reactions and wait for his turn.

Oh, so Shōhei-kun is picking Kitora-san? His squad is looking pretty dangerous.

"Next."

It was Mitsuteru's turn, and there were still a good number of people to choose from.

At least I don't need to think about it.

There was no other option when he had already come this far.

"Girikage-kun, please."

The way the Hikigane Vice-Captain instantly turned to him was concerning. Above that, a noise started forming behind him, making him unsure if he wanted to listen to what was being said.

Even so, some things reached him.

"Two Snipers and two Attackers."

"That squad's a bit..."

"And the ones he chose for his squad are a bit..."

"Maybe we should watch out for a bit..."

This is starting to really sound like a bad bit!

Mitsuteru realized what he just thought and felt disappointment in himself.

Making a joke that only Kawa-san would laugh at... Just how low have I gone exactly?

Recently, he had been noticing that his own thoughts and actions were starting to align more with those of the people around him.

Others had pointed out how well he could understand others when given enough time, but he never thought it would be to this extent. Now there was little he could do if someone told him that he was acting more and more like the people he was wary of.

I guess I've just reached that point in life.

Feeling some life drain from him, he moved over to stand next to Murakami. Once there, he placed his head on Murakami's shoulder.

"What have I done, Kō-kun?"

"There, there."

At least there was still someone on his side.

.

Takeshi felt himself start to fidget as more names were moved to different squads.

Kurauchi-san to Toby, Inukai-senpai to Kakizaki-san, Shana to Kō-san.

All of them were people he would have been able to get along with well enough. None of them had any sort of grudge against him, and none of them were people he was overly wary of being around. Having others pick those people made him more nervous about who would be the last member on his squad.

From the side, he could see Kashio taking quick glances in his direction. Each time, he could feel a bit of malice coming from that direction.

This is already pretty bad.

Mizukami was fine enough, as was Kon. The two of them were part of a dangerous group, but they weren't bad people.

It was only Kashio who would make things difficult for him.

And now it was time for him to find out who else would be on his squad.

Mizukami was next.

"I'll take Teruya."

Takeshi froze.

Down below, he could see Toby and Kakizaki make a quick turn toward him. Both of them looked extremely worried. Eri tried to hide it, but she gave away her thoughts as well.

Taking a chance, he slowly turned his head. When he did, he saw that both Mikumo and Kumagai were also looking worriedly at him. Ikoma was giving him some sort of sign, but he had no clue what that was about.

The one who drowned all of that out was the hard glare that Teruya gave him from her seat.

Oh, no...

There were now two people glaring at him inside the room.

A wave of nerves rushed him. Feeling uneasy, he lowered his head and lifted his scarf to hide his face.

.

Of all people...

"That was pretty messed up."

"We can't take anything back, though."

"I'll need to make sure he's fine after this."

Eri agreed with what some others were saying and found herself wanting to go make sure Takeshi was fine.

After everything that had happened, he had spoken to her about the way Kashio and Teruya seemed to view him. Neither one of them liked him.

Now they are on the same squad as him. In a closed environment.

There was very little she could do about that.

I would have taken either one of them just to make sure he wouldn't have to deal with them, but I didn't even have that choice. And none of the others who know about this thought that something like this would happen.

Mizukami had been the one to choose his teammates after others had already been taken. Whether he knew the situation or not was up in the air, so Eri found it hard to really blame him for his choices.

When looking back up, she could see that Ikoma also didn't look happy with Mizukami's choice.

That's probably going to be annoying for Shiraishi later.

All they could do was accept this and hope for the best.

It was with that thought that Eri focused on who was next.

"Ah..."

It was Ninomiya.

He was looking at the list of names in front of them with a plain expression.

I guess there isn't really anyone he's interested in from everyone who is left. But it looks like he's still giving it some thought.

She wanted to think that he would just pick someone weak so she had a better chance at someone strong, but...

"Fine. I draft Ema."

He chose someone strong.

Eri took the chance to look back and see a strange aura around Ema.

In the seat across the stairs from him, Amatori brightened up and began waving.

Well, fine! I see how it is, people! Urg... But good for them, I suppose.

When she turned back to the list of people, she also noticed that Ariake seemed excited by what had happened. That excitement quickly turned to nervousness when Ninomiya glanced his way. The two averted their eyes from each other.

She found it strange but thought nothing of it.

People like them tend to have baggage that I have no part in.

She lightly shook her head as three other remaining captains chose their teammates.

"I'll go with Minamisawa-kun," said Kitazoe.

"I'll take Obi-nyan," Ōji followed up.

There were only two agents left over.

The last to pick was Utagawa.

"I pick Kotarō."

Eri let out a sigh in her heart as the final name was moved over to her squad.

It was a name she was familiar with, something that eased her nerves a bit.

"So I'm on Ericchi's squad then? Fufufu. This should be amusing."

"Take this seriously, Prince."

"I always do. I can't have someone from our little group of squads fail, can I?"

Fubuki was already enjoying herself.

At least she is someone I am more used to at this point.

.

"And that decides the squad lineups. The time and location of the test, as well as what you'll need to prepare, will all be sent to your devices today at 3 p.m. That's all from me. Any questions?"

Seiji gave a hum and propped his head with the palm of his hand.

Being chosen to be on one of Yuki's kids' squad had been interesting, but he was more focused on who Mitsuteru had chosen. Everyone on that squad was someone he would be able to manage, considering they were less high-maintenance than Shigenaga.

Teru-kun sure made his choices count.

He smiled down at everyone, even when he knew none of them were paying attention to him.

"Excuse me," someone said.

Tilting his head on his hand, Seiji looked over to see who spoke up.

Oh? This should be amusing.

It was Urushima Wataru. One of Mitsuteru's former captains

"Earlier, Commander Kido said that even if we turn down the mission, acing this would amount to something good on our records. I heard that right, yeah? But what does accomplishment actually do for us?"

That's a good question. In certain cases, this really doesn't mean much. Especially for anyone who plans to leave Border at some point in time.

Seiji himself felt like it shouldn't mean much to him. The thing keeping him satisfied was that this was a large-scale event that brought together many people.

It was something for him to enjoy.

"Up to now, going on these missions has basically been the job description for A-Rank agents, right? Does that mean you'll start treating me as if I'm A-Rank if I pass this exam? Like, say, by bumping my pay up to A-Rank status? Cuz, to be totally honest, without a good incentive like that, I might as well skip the exam and join the defense efforts. More money in it for me there. Right?"

"Wataru-kun!"

Seiji blinked twice at the sudden voice.

It was clear that the Urushima Operator was telling him something, but the other voice was one he was familiar with. For it to go that high meant that this really was something Urushima should have kept to himself.

"He's always been so greedy..."

"That's just how Ultima's mind works. But more than that..."

Everyone on the floor turned to the glaring Mitsuteru.

Seiji himself also stared at him.

For Teru-kun to shout out like that... My, I think Urushima-kun even stopped at that one.

Mitsuteru had been on Urushima Squad two times now. Anyone would have left it at thinking that this was just usual for Urushima, but Mitsuteru sounded like he was trying to put Urushima in his place.

"Hm. That guy must have forgotten that his babysitter was still around."

"What do you mean, Shigeko?"

"Urushima's a greedy bastard. We all know that by now. But Mitsuteru's been the one to manage that greed since he first joined those two."

"Whoa. So Tsu has been making sure we don't deal with an annoying guy," said Asagi with a sagely nod.

Shigenaga gave a huff and grinned down at their teammate.

If there was anyone in this room who knew the most about Mitsuteru, it was her. For her to speak up about him meant that this was something they should know.

"Well, it's really whatever. Even if he's glaring at Urushima like that, Command Kido looks ready to say something."

.

"I'm sorry to inform you that that isn't possible."

Mitsuteru nodded at Commander Kido's words.

Without him around, it seemed like Wataru had gotten a bit loose with his words.

Commander Kido is sure to deal with him.

"A-Rank benefits only go to those who pass the A-Rank advancement test."

But...

"It's perfectly understandable that you would like fair compensation for undergoing this exam."

Mitsuteru felt a chill run down his spine at Commander Kido's pause.

It was something he had heard when listening in on conversations his parents had while making deals with clients. Even with some of his former squads, this pause was something that told him something was coming.

I just hope it isn't something annoying to deal with.

Considering it was brought up while speaking with Wataru, that may have been a tough wish to make.

"How about this... In addition to the standard payment schedule for Neighborhood missions up to now, which has always included base pay on success, we can also offer a mission stipend of 10,000 yen per day. And for the full duration of the upcoming mission, even the agents who pass this selection exam but choose not to participate in the mission itself will receive half of that daily stipend."

Mitsuteru froze.

Everyone else in the room did the same.

"Given that this mission will be the longest one to date, even halved, the bonus pay will amount to a tidy sum."

Minty: "Half of 10,000 is... Wow, so we get 150,000 per month for doing nothing at all!"

Okay: "That's cash Id' be happy to have."

Damn you, Wataru-kun! Now I'm more fired up because of this! I can get some of my own tools when I need to go out for my parents!

There had been too many times when he would be scolded for the way he took care of his parents' tools. Having his own personal set would mean they would lay off the scolding and he could more readily go to some of their customers.

Overall, there was no downside to this.

"Sure. Okay... Fine by me."

Don't just smile like that! And I see you looking at me like that! I'm gonna give you a nice punch if you keep that up!

Wataru knew full well what he was doing here.

It was for that reason that Mitsuteru turned to Murakami and slammed his head onto his shoulder.

Murakami wobbled for a moment before making sure the two of them were still standing.

"Okay... Any more questions? Otherwise, this orientation is over."

Mitsuteru let out a breath while being patted on the back by Murakami.

Just let this be done...

"Um..."

Dammit!

He looked up to see who had spoken up.

Mikumo-kun? Oh, this might actually be something important, then.

"Will the other A-Rank agents be joining us for this exam?"

.

Shinoda stood still for a moment. It was small and completely unnoticeable.

Then...

"Yes and no."

He spoke into his microphone.

"Those in A-Rank who are not here at the moment will participate in Phase Two of the exam. And..."

And...

"During Phase One, they'll be judging all of you."