NOVEL NEXT Chapter 77: 77: Fourth game
The buzzer blared, and the students rushed into the maze. Almost immediately, chaos ensued.
Aiden sauntered in leisurely, letting the others dash ahead. "No need to rush," he said, his voice carrying an almost sing-song quality. With a snap of his fingers, he conjured a comically oversized magnifying glass, holding it up to inspect the maze walls.
"Hmm, shoddy craftsmanship," he joked, tapping the glass against a shifting brick that retracted into the wall with a clink.
The maze lived up to its name. Cementos and Power Loader had outdone themselves, creating a labyrinth that was as challenging as it was unpredictable.
Kaminari yelped as the floor beneath him suddenly tilted, sending him sliding into a pit filled with harmless but disorienting foam.
"Why does it always have to be me?" he groaned, flailing.
Mina sprinted down what she thought was a shortcut, only to slam into a wall that appeared out of nowhere.
"Not fair!" she shouted, shaking her fist at the laughing spectators.
Todoroki used his ice to freeze a corridor, only for the walls to sprout flame jets that melted his path. He adjusted quickly, switching to his fire side to counteract the heat.
Meanwhile, Bakugo blasted his way through several walls, only to find himself running in circles as the maze shifted to trap him in a loop.
"Stupid maze!" he roared, sending another explosion into the air.
While his classmates struggled, Aiden moved through the maze with an almost absurd level of ease. His quirk allowed him to bend the environment to his whims, and he did so in a way that left both spectators and opponents bewildered.
At one point, a giant mechanical arm swung out of a hidden wall, aiming to grab him. Instead of dodging, Aiden conjured a comically large eraser and "rubbed out" the arm, leaving only a faint pencil sketch outline behind.
When faced with a long, winding corridor, Aiden snapped his fingers and summoned a golden skateboard.
He hopped on, cruising past traps with the ease of a professional skater, occasionally doing flips and tricks for the crowd's amusement.
A particularly tricky section of the maze featured mirrored walls that disoriented most contestants. Aiden, however, conjured a funhouse mirror version of himself, complete with exaggerated proportions, and sent it running ahead to trigger traps.
"Good work, me," he said, giving his reflection a thumbs-up.
From the VIP booth, Maximilian watched with a raised eyebrow. "He's certainly... creative."
Hiroshi nodded. "Unorthodox, but effective."
Aiden's antics didn't go unnoticed by his peers.
"Do you ever take anything seriously?" Todoroki asked as Aiden skated past him, narrowly avoiding a collapsing ceiling.
"Life's too short for that, Shoto," Aiden replied, tossing him a golden umbrella. "Here, in case it rains."
"Rains?" Todoroki repeated, confused—until a hidden sprinkler system activated, drenching him. He sighed, muttering something about Aiden's sense of humor.
Later, Aiden encountered Jiro, who was trying to deactivate a sound-based trap. "Need a hand?" he offered, pulling a golden tuning fork out of thin air.
Jiro hesitated before taking it. "You're just messing with me, aren't you?"
"Maybe," Aiden said, winking. "But it might actually work."
To her surprise, it did.
As the students approached the center of the maze, the traps became more elaborate. Rotating walls, illusionary corridors, and even moving platforms tested their resolve.
Aiden, however, continued to breeze through. When faced with a particularly complex puzzle, he conjured a floating thought bubble filled with exaggerated question marks.
"Hmm," he said aloud, stroking his chin. "What would Scooby-Doo do?"
The crowd roared with laughter as he "solved" the puzzle by simply walking around it, humming a jaunty tune.
Bakugo, now thoroughly frustrated, caught up with him near the center. "Out of my way, Fritz!" he barked, launching an explosion.
Aiden sidestepped casually, conjuring a giant golden fly swatter to bat the blast away. "Temper, temper," he teased. "We're almost there."
The two raced neck-and-neck for the final stretch, with Todoroki not far behind. However, Aiden had one last trick up his sleeve.
As they reached the maze's heart, Aiden snapped his fingers, summoning a trampoline-like platform that launched him high into the air.
He landed gracefully in the center, striking a dramatic pose as confetti rained down.
"First place goes to Aiden Fritz!" Midnight announced, her voice filled with excitement.
Bakugo and Todoroki arrived moments later, both scowling. "Cheater," Bakugo muttered.
"Strategist," Aiden corrected, grinning.
The crowd erupted into applause, thoroughly entertained by the spectacle. Eleanor clapped enthusiastically, while Seraphina shook her head, smiling. "He's impossible."
Maximilian sighed but couldn't hide the faint smirk on his face.
As the other students trickled in, exhausted but exhilarated, Midnight congratulated everyone on their efforts. "What an incredible performance! You all did amazing!"
The Maze of Mayhem had proven to be a true test of creativity, resilience, and adaptability—and, in Aiden's case, a showcase of his unique flair for the dramatic.
-
-
As the arena floor cleared and the Maze of Mayhem's remnants were swiftly dismantled by Cementos, Midnight strutted back onto the platform with a devilish grin. Her voice echoed through the stadium.
"Ladies and gentlemen, students and esteemed guests, it's time for the next stage of the festival! You've proven your wits and agility, but now it's time to test your combat instincts and survival skills in an all-out Free-for-All Survival Battle!"
The crowd erupted into cheers, anticipation buzzing through the air. The jumbotron displayed an animated countdown, while the field below transformed.
Cementos raised jagged stone pillars to create a sprawling battleground, complete with trenches, scattered obstacles, and elevated platforms.
Power Loader added metallic structures that offered both cover and vantage points, while Mei Hatsume, ever eager to show off her tech, unleashed smoke bombs, turrets, and hidden traps.
Midnight explained the rules: "The objective is simple—stay in the game. You'll be eliminated if you're knocked out of bounds, incapacitated, or unable to defend yourself. You can form alliances, but remember: it's every student for themselves.
Only the top 40 will advance to the semi-finals!"
The students lined up at the starting platforms, each of them readying their quirks and strategies. Aiden stood at the center, his casual confidence as unwavering as ever.
"This should be interesting," he said with a smirk, rolling his shoulders.
"Try not to hog all the attention this time," Todoroki muttered, standing nearby.
Aiden winked. "No promises."
Bakugo cracked his knuckles, explosions sparking in his palms. "All I need to do is crush everyone in my way. Simple."
Midnight raised her whip and cracked it into the air. "Contestants ready?"
"Begin!"
=========================================================