Ch196- Second Stage Starts

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As they continued their march towards the building designated for the second round, Mina took her place beside Mokami, her pink hair bouncing with each step. She nudged him gently, a playful grin on her face. "Think you can teach me that trick sometime?" she asked, half teasing, half serious.

Mokami's response was a soft chuckle, and he looked down at her with an affectionate smile. "Only if you promise to use it on me."

"I promise to not to use on you..." Mina started, then looked at him, "Wait, did you say to use on you?"

"I mean," Mokami smirked as he leaned towards Mina's ear, "That meat bounced off me, right?" His voice, though low, had a teasing lilt to it.

Hearing this, Mina's ears got even pinker, if that was even possible. She slapped his arm lightly, a playful pout on her face. "You're insufferable, you know that?" she muttered, but there was no heat in her words. Just the warm glow of friendship and something a bit deeper.

The rest of the class watched this exchange, a mix of amusement and envy flitting across their faces. Shoji shook his head in disbelief, his multiple arms crossed over his chest. "You have a way with words, Mokami," he chuckled, earning a smirk from Mokami.

His smirk, however, faltered when he caught sight of the building designated for the second round. It was a colossal structure, its imposing architecture standing stark against the evening sky. Windows littered its surface, casting long shadows over the clearing.

They were the first to arrive, their footsteps echoing in the eerily quiet surroundings. Mokami took a step forward, his gaze trained on the ominous building.

Stepping inside the Ante Room, a wave of anticipatory silence washed over them. Though their recent triumph was still fresh in their minds, the looming second stage of the exam was impossible to ignore. As they settled into the uncomfortable silence, Mokami took a seat, Mina and Hagakure on either side of him, their warmth a reassuring presence.

Bakugo was the first to break the silence, crossing his arms and leaning back, his gaze thoughtful. "Anyone got any clue what the second stage might be?" His question was casual, but the tension in his voice was evident.

"I heard it's going to be different than the last one," Kirishima said, running a hand through his hair. "A complete 180, they said."

Ojiro piped in from his seat, his tail flicking anxiously. "The first was a battle, maybe the next one is more about strategy, cooperation?"

"What if it's a puzzle?" Jiro suggested, her earjacks twitching with curiosity. "Like, we have to solve it to get through."

They watched in disbelief from the monitors in the waiting room as the second stage commenced with a staggering display of pyrotechnics. The various sectors of the stadium detonated, the once serene area transforming into a veritable disaster zone.

Images of debris-strewn streets and toppled buildings flickered across the screens, accompanied by the simulated cries and wails of the injured. It was a chilling and realistic imitation of a catastrophe, causing the hearts of even the most hardened students to constrict in apprehension.

The examiner's voice, Mare, resonated through the room, his instructions echoing clearly amidst the chaos on the screens. "This is your final task," he began, his gaze piercing through the camera. "For this round, you are to act as heroes and carry out rescue operations."

The room fell into a tense silence as the students internalized this announcement. They had been preparing for another physical showdown, but the twist of a rescue operation had thrown them for a loop.

"Rescue operations?" Momo repeated, her eyebrows furrowing in contemplation.

Asui's tongue flicked out in quick thought. "This is gonna be tough, ribbit."

Mare’s voice reverberated through the room, each word falling heavy in the silence, "The 'victims' you will encounter in this exercise are all trained professionals, including some former heroes and sidekicks. They will be assessing your ability to adapt, to prioritize and to strategize in a crisis situation."

A flicker of doubt shadowed some of the students' faces, and Mare's next words only seemed to confirm their apprehension, "Remember, these aren't your run-of-the-mill victims. They've seen real crises, real heroes in action. They know what to look for."

A rush of whispers filled the room, a cacophony of uncertainties and half-formed ideas, as Class 1-A collectively grappled with the gravity of this new challenge.

Mokami watched silently from his corner, his hands clasped together in his lap, eyes flicking from one face to another, absorbing the discordant symphony of their reactions.

"It’s not going to be about brute force," Itsuka voiced out, her arms crossed in thought, her gaze trained on the screen depicting the simulated disaster. "This is about saving lives."

Jiro, her earjacks twitching as she processed this information, nodded in agreement. "It's not just about who's in immediate danger, but also who can be moved safely, who needs immediate medical attention…"

Asui cut in with her usual candidness, "And also how to reassure them, keep them calm while we're doing it, ribbit."

"Yes," Momo concurred, her stern face mirroring the serious undertone of the conversation. "That will be paramount."

Mina, looking more thoughtful than usual, leaned closer to Mokami. "There's also debris, smoke, possibly fire," she murmured, a hint of excitement in her voice. "Sounds like it's going to get messy."

Mokami turned to her, the ghost of a smile playing on his lips. He said nothing but nodded, his silent agreement a testament to the faith he had in her capabilities.

Across the room, Yui was trying her best to add to the conversation but her timid nature was making it difficult. Her eyes darted over to Mokami, and in an instant, he caught her gaze, giving her an encouraging nod.

With newfound resolve, Yui spoke up, "And we... we can't forget that every victim will be... evaluating us. So we need to act professionally, even under pressure."

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