♊︎ 𝘔𝘺 𝘏𝘦𝘳𝘰 𝘈𝘤𝘢𝘥𝘦𝘮𝘪𝘢 - 𝘎𝘦𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘪'𝘴 𝘚𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘺 [𝘈𝘜] ♊︎

[Season 1] Ep. 9 - Trial's End

Next up was Team E facing off against Team C, with Ema and Mari pitted against Shiro and Ren. As the boys ascended to the upper floors to prepare with the bomb, Ema and her visibly stressed-out partner readied themselves for the impending challenge:

- "Hey, are you alright? You seem a bit on edge," Ema inquired, placing a comforting hand on Mari's shoulder and gazing at her with empathy.

- "Y-yeah, I'm... I'm fine," Mari stuttered, her anxiety palpable. Then, with a deep breath, she admitted, "Actually, no, I'm not fine at all. I'm super stressed out. Everyone else before us was so impressive, and here I am, not even sure how I passed the tests with my lame quirk and..." Before Mari could finish her rapid-fire speech, Ema gently shook her by the shoulders and offered her a reassuring smile, one that could melt the iciest heart.

- "Don't worry, we've got this. You're not alone; we're a team, remember?" Ema's words calmed Mari's nerves, and she managed a shy smile in response.

- "Y-Yes..."

- "Alright, let's not waste any time. I'll take point, and you back me up with your quirk, okay?" Ema proposed earnestly, her focus shifting entirely to the task at hand.

- "How do I do that?" Mari asked, still fraught with tension as the bell signaling the start of the exercise rang out and Ema began to advance.

- "Don't worry, I trust you. You'll figure it out," Ema reassured her, flashing a reassuring grin before plunging ahead.

Meanwhile, atop the building, the boys prepared to intercept their opponents.

- "I'm counting on you, Ren. Keep tabs on them," Shiro instructed, positioning himself in front of the sole entrance to the room.

- "No problem, man. I've got it covered," Ren replied, shooting his teammate a knowing wink, eliciting a chuckle from Shiro.

Ren then swung the door open, activating his quirk to summon two floating eyeballs, which he dispatched to patrol the building in search of their adversaries.

As Ema and Mari navigated the corridors cautiously, they took refuge against walls at every intersection. Despite Ema's fiery nature, she wasn't one to charge recklessly ahead.

- "Watch your step. I'm pretty sure Ren's got those floating eyes of his scouting the place. If you spot one, use your quirk straight away," Ema advised, scanning their surroundings vigilantly as they moved.

- "O-Okay..." Mari replied, her nerves still evident as she clutched her hands to her chest for comfort, her legs trembling slightly.

Turning a corner, one of Ren's eyeballs drifted into view, catching the girls' attention. Realizing they had been spotted, it fired off a few laser beams somewhat haphazardly before attempting to retreat.

- "Mari! You're up!" Ema's voice boomed with urgency.

Startled and trembling, Mari reacted instinctively, pointing her index finger and sending her eye-shaped projectile hurtling towards a nearby wall, all while shutting her eyes tightly, unaware of her own actions.

- "Ouch! That stings!" Ren yelped in pain from the adjacent room where he and Shiro were stationed, his eyes snapping open as he deactivated his quirk.

- "Ren?! Are you alright, man?" Shiro's concern was evident as he stood by the door, poised to intervene.

- "Y-yeah, but they're right beneath us. They'll be here any moment, and I can't reactivate my quirk yet. My eyes are killing me. Sorry, but I'll have to hold them off here for now," Ren reluctantly conceded.