The Away Mission Test: Part 5

Summary
The examinees are introduced to their teams and the sealed phase of the exam begins.

Long Summary
Osamu arrives at the testing center, where the rest of his provisional team awaits him. All members but Katori are pleased to see him, the latter complaining about his lack of punctuality. An engineer arrives and asks the team to change clothes. They are to keep triggers and communication devices in lockers, but they may bring belongings that can fit within a certain container. Each team member receives personalized triggers created specifically for the test. After that, they enter the cabin, which they find to be in darkness. They quickly find a hand-activated panel which controls the power. Sawamura's voice comes on a PA system. She explains that the panel controls the utilities with trion. A gauge on the panel indicates the trion that the panel has. Once the trion runs out, all utilities, including water, would be fully depleted. The gauge can be recharged with the members' trion. Next, she asks all examinees to switch into their trion bodies and remain in the trion bodies throughout the exam. Each room has a trion-powered laptop for each member. Each member also has a battery-operated communication device, but the devices can only be charged with adapters on the desk. The rules and assignments of the test can be found on the laptop. Sawamura also asks the team captains to explain the "core concept" of the squad she has chosen. With that, the test begins.


 * Unit 1: Utagawa explains that his unit was focused on mobility in long-term combat. He asks Yūma and Tomoe to be patient with Shiki due to the latter's awkwardness around boys.
 * Unit 2: Ōji wanted sword fighters and those who can limit trion consumption. Tsuji is flustered around the two girls on the team. Ikoma is upset by the lack of attention on him.
 * Unit 3: Kageura complains about being on the same team as Inukai. Kakizaki responds that he was aware of the incompatibilities between the two, but nevertheless wanted two former A-rank fighters on his team.
 * Unit 4: Kitazoe explains that because of he did not get first pick during the lottery, he aimed for a team of 16-year-olds, as well as a balanced team.
 * Unit 5: Kuruma wants Yuba's assistance in leadership. He also explains that his team has good stamina for a drawn-out battle.
 * Unit 6: Kodera wanted a team oriented towards mobility. Though they have less stamina, they use less trion as they are attackers.
 * Unit 8: Ninomiya wanted a team of three snipers (especially powerhouses like Chika and Azuma) so that Kagami could handle them more easily.
 * Unit 9: Mizukami wanted a group of intelligent members. Though they may be less capable in battle, they would do well in the non-combat phases.
 * Unit 10: Murakami simply chose his members based on whom he thought was the best of the options he had available.
 * Unit 11: Wakamura chose whom he thought was best at the time. He also explains that he was not sure why he was made a captain, so he is simply aiming to get by.

Suwa explains that he chose his group based on instinct. Though Katori is insulted by this justification, Suwa explains that the lottery was not random, but in fact rigged. The numbered straws actually responded to the trion of the drawer and gave a specific number that was prepared by Sawamura in advance. He speculates that the teams were designed so that incompatible examinees were placed on the same team. Suwa suggests that the team explore the cabin's facilities first.

In the monitoring room, Karasuma observes that Kakizaki, Kitaoe, Suwa, and Murakami Units are exploring the accommodations initially. On the other hand, Utagawa, Ōji, and Kodera Units are examining the data. Wakamura Unit is reading through the files.

Wakamura asks Hosoi to translate the rules for Hyuse since the latter is illiterate in Japanese. He can understand spoken Japanese only by interpreting the trion transmitted by communication, which can also happen non-verbally. Wakamura explains that Osamu had informed him of Hyuse's illiteracy.

Mizukami reads through the rules and deletes some related to the battle simulation phase before sharing them with the rest of his team. Maki condemns the move, though she notes that it will allow Mizukami more control over his team. Usami observes that the teams have yet to do much, though Jin asserts that their teamwork skills will be tested when one team takes the lead.

Characters in Order of Appearance
Characters in italics are only seen briefly and have yet to make a proper appearance.


 * Yūma Kuga
 * Chika Amatori
 * Osamu Mikumo
 * Hyuse
 * Kōji Oki
 * Madoka Ui
 * Kōtarō Suwa
 * Yōko Katori
 * Kyōko Sawamura
 * Ryō Utagawa
 * Kotarō Tomoe
 * Yūma Kuga
 * Sayoko Shiki
 * Wataru Urushima
 * Kazuaki Ōji
 * Tatsuhito Ikoma
 * Yukari Obishima
 * Hikari Nire
 * Shinnosuke Tsuji
 * Masato Kageura
 * Sumiharu Inukai
 * Kuniharu Kakizaki
 * Taichi Betsuyaku
 * Nono Fujimaru
 * Hiro Kitazoe
 * Hana Somei
 * Kazuto Tonooka
 * Kai Minamisawa
 * Shirō Kikuchihara
 * Tatsuya Kuruma
 * Takuma Yuba
 * Atsushi Hokari
 * Rui Osano
 * Noboru Koarai
 * Shōhei Kodera
 * Tsuneyuki Okudera
 * Yūta Miura
 * Ai Kitora
 * Rika Rokuta
 * Masataka Ninomiya
 * Haruaki Azuma
 * Yuzuru Ema
 * Rin Kagami
 * Satoshi Mizukami
 * Yuka Kon
 * Tetsuji Arafune
 * Yutaka Kashio
 * Fumika Teruya
 * Kō Murakami
 * Aki Hiyami
 * Daichi Tsutsumi
 * Yūko Kumagai
 * Kazuki Kurauchi
 * Rokurō Wakamura
 * Maori Hosoi
 * Yoshito Hanzaki
 * Hisato Sasamori
 * Ken Satori
 * Shiori Usami
 * Kirie Konami
 * Jun Arashiyama
 * Kyōsuke Karasuma
 * Reiji Kizaki
 * Mitsuru Tokieda
 * Shinji Fuyushima
 * Isami Tōma
 * Risa Maki
 * Yuri Rindō
 * Yūichi Jin

Triggers in Order of Appearance
None appear over the course of this chapter.