The students are assassins; the target is their teacher.
This twisted relationship began only a few days ago. Since then, several students had attempted direct strikes in the name of assassination, yet none had managed to inflict even the slightest scratch on this supernatural being.
I, too, had challenged him several times, only to find myself utterly powerless. Although he claimed a top speed of Mach 20, he had yet to display such overwhelming velocity.
Simply put, we lacked the necessary skill. I knew this, yet the realization left a bitter taste in my mouth.
Beyond that, was it even possible to kill this octopus? During morning roll call, the entire class had unleashed a relentless barrage of gunfire to create a wall of bullets, but he evaded them all with ease. In a more primitive attempt, the boys tried to swarm and restrain him, failing miserably.
My classmates had seemingly exhausted every trick and tactic, yet there were no signs of success.
Even in this very moment...
「Miss Nakamura. I believe I told you that assassinations must not interfere with your studies! As punishment, you will stand at the back of the room for the rest of the lesson!」
「Ahaha... my apologies. No need to get so red in the face.」
The teacher shouted in anger while Nakamura moved to the back of the class without a hint of remorse. The creature had stopped her bullet with a piece of chalk, showing not a flicker of agitation.
It was breathtaking mastery. Without exaggeration, I could not envision a single scenario where we succeeded in killing him.
Despite this, those intent on the kill did not surrender. They hid knives inside their desks, gripped the handles of their pistols ready to fire at a moment's notice, and propped rifles within reach, vigilantly watching for the slightest opening.
Honestly, I respected their enthusiasm.
While I was lost in thought, observing their struggles as if they were someone else's problem, the bell rang.
「Oh, it's lunchtime. I'm heading to China for some Mapo Tofu. If anyone wishes to attempt an assassination, feel free to call my mobile.」
With the same casualness one might use to visit a convenience store, the creature announced his trip to China. He gathered the short quizzes we had just finished and took flight through the window at a speed the eye could not track.
「Well, since he moves at Mach 20... how long does it take to reach Sichuan, the home of Mapo Tofu? About ten minutes?」
「Certainly. A missile couldn't even bring a thing like that down.」
「What's worse is that he corrects our tests while flying at supersonic speeds. Last time, he praised me by drawing a little octopus inside two circles for a perfect score.」
「Don't you find it baffling how good he is at teaching?」
「Oh, I completely agree. When I went to assassinate him after school, he explained a math problem to me, and my grades actually improved on the next test.」
Everyone seemed stunned by their teacher's extraordinary capabilities.
「But no matter what happens... even though we are government-sanctioned assassins... in the end, we are just the 'End Class' outcasts.」
「Effort is pointless for people like us.」
The cheerful expressions of my classmates turned dark. The phrase "Class E outcasts," spoken with such self-loathing, was the derogatory label everyone branded us with.
Class 3-E was the "Special Remedial Class" where Kunugigaoka Junior High sent its problem students. It was a class of isolation, designed to segregate those whose grades had slipped or whose behavior had soured.
Our school was a prestigious institution that funneled students into elite high schools. Class E was the dark underbelly of that prestige.
Have you heard of the "Worker Ant" law? It suggests that twenty percent work hard, sixty percent are average, and the remaining twenty percent are lazy. This school's hierarchy operated on that very principle; classes were divided from A to E based on academic rank. Class A were the hard workers, and Class E were the "sluggards."
The outcasts of Class E faced blatant, harsh discrimination. Our old school building sat on a mountaintop a full kilometer away from the main campus. During school-wide assemblies, we were forced to arrive before the other classes to line up or face punishment. We were denied the hand-outs and newsletters others received, and the teachers endorsed this treatment.
To avoid this fate, most students at the school studied desperately. They didn't want to become like us, and they didn't want to be treated this way. Because of that effort, those who fell to Class E were mocked by those who maintained their grades, under the pretext that they had simply been lazy.
Most who fell here lost their self-esteem, devastated because they had failed despite their attempts. The reality of being judged as inferior to their peers, coupled with the shame of being in Class E, made their spirits fragile. It forced them to accept the discrimination from the main building students.
The existence of "salvage measures" only sharpened this sense of inferiority. A system existed that allowed a student to leave Class E and return to the main building if they placed within the top fifty of their grade level—provided their original homeroom teacher approved the return.
To those suffering under discrimination, this system looked like a thin spider's silk lowered to save them. In reality, their inability to grasp that thread only made the bitterness of failure more acute.
While some were thrown here because their behavior had caused their grades to tank, staying in this class meant their rank remained insufficient, or their former teacher refused to take them back even if they hit the top fifty.
Once you fall here, your school life is effectively over. The facilities are terrible, and trekking to school in the heat of summer is torture. The school's treatment of us is the absolute lowest; we live in a constant hell of discrimination and mockery from teachers and students alike. This is Class 3-E of Kunugigaoka Junior High.
It was no wonder they spoke of themselves with such contempt.
By the way, I was a "defective product" in every sense of the word. I ended up in Class E due to a double blow of misconduct and failing grades.
「Come on, let's start planning the assassination, shall we? Nagisa-kun.」
I heard a sickeningly fawning voice and turned to see Nagisa Shiota, the class mascot and the boy ranked number one on the list of "boys it's okay to hug." He was being pestered by a large, hulking boy who resembled a giant.
Since they were talking about an assassination plan, it was obvious they were plotting something. Looking at Terasaka and his cronies, Yoshida and Muramatsu, and their wicked smiles, it was clear who the instigators were. Nagisa, with his quiet nature and easy-going personality, looked like he had been dragged into this against his will.
Good luck, Nagisa.
As I watched Nagisa being led out of the classroom, I pressed my palms together in a silent prayer for him, then began eating a sandwich I'd bought at the store.
「Let us try writing a Tanka poem based on a specific theme. The final seven syllables must end with the phrase: 'it is a wicked tentacle.'」
He had come to us with a bizarre and exhausting request. What did "it is a wicked tentacle" even mean? What exactly did this man want from us?
「Here is an example: 'The wind in the garden, scatters blossoms like snow, yet what grows strongly there, is but a wicked tentacle'... Anyone who finishes may bring it to me. I will check your grammar and the beauty of your tentacle imagery. Those who pass may go home for the day!」
「Life that stands out and grows strongly isn't just cherry blossom petals fluttering in a garden, but a tentacle... what kind of situation is that, for heaven's sake?」
I completely agreed with Isogai. What kind of setting was that? The idea of tentacles growing in a garden sounded like a horror movie. And really, who would find beauty in tentacles besides people with very strange tastes?
「A question, Teacher!」
「...Yes? Is something wrong, Miss Kayano?」
「I'm late in asking, but what is your name? It's hard to distinguish you from other teachers without knowing your name.」
「My name? I don't have a name worth introducing to you again. It's fine; you can all invent a name for me. But for now, focus on the task at hand.」
「Understood.」
Regardless of the fact that I had never written a Tanka or even a Haiku before, this strange request made the difficulty level skyrocket. Did this octopus really intend to let us go home?
I didn't even know the correct way to write this thing...!
Flowers bloom with pride, and flutter through the old school halls, but the one holding the chalk, is but a wicked tentacle.
—Nozaki Keiichi
I didn't know why, but despite working seriously, I started to feel embarrassed. ...Fine, at least it was finished. I'd go show it to this octopus quickly.
Maybe I could go home immediately.
Just as I finished the lines that came to mind and stood up, Nagisa stood up at the same time. When I looked at him to see if he had finished too, I saw a knife hidden in his hand.
Are you kidding me? Was he going to attack him from the front in broad daylight?
「...Oh, are you two finished already? Nagisa-kun, Nozaki-kun.」
「Well, imagining the beauty of tentacles is difficult, so the poem came out a bit lackluster. I just wanted to submit it to see if I captured the required meaning.」
「Yes, yes. Initiative and trying things out are very important. So, which of you will go first?」
「Nagisa, you're closer to him. Go ahead.」
「Okay, thank you.」
The teacher smiled, his face turning a light pink. I stepped aside to let Nagisa, who clearly intended to assassinate him, step forward. Just in case, I rested my hand on my weapon so I could back him up if an opening appeared.
Nagisa thanked me and walked toward the teacher, while I stood behind him, waiting my turn and watching for an opportunity.
「Now then, Nagisa-kun, show me what you wrote.」
「...!」
In response to the teacher's request, the knife flashed. The blade, lunged without hesitation, was caught by a tentacle, and Nagisa's entire arm was pinned.
「...Nagisa-kun. Didn't I tell you? Assassinations during a time that interferes with your studies────!?」
Since the outcome was expected, I drew my weapon to support him, but in that moment, my movements stopped completely because of Nagisa's unexpected action.
Nagisa, with a light, fluid movement that suggested no weight at all and without emitting any killing intent, wrapped his arms around the teacher's neck and hugged him quietly.
The movement was so natural it cast a spell on my eyes. My hand stopped mid-support, and my mind failed to process what was happening. My thoughts went completely blank.
「──!」
I heard a sharp intake of breath, as if someone had made a fateful decision.
I didn't know the source, and I didn't think to look. Immediately after that moment, an explosive crack, incomparable to human breath, shattered my eardrums, followed by a powerful flash that assaulted me from the front.
Had Nagisa done something? He certainly wouldn't have hugged that supernatural being without a plan. Was he conspiring with the person who held their breath?
I remembered those who had led Nagisa away during lunch, those who claimed to be planning an assassination.
So, it had to be Terasaka, Muramatsu, or Yoshida who orchestrated this.
As those thoughts crossed my mind, the flash and the explosion swallowed me; I was standing directly behind Nagisa.
「Nagisa! Keiichi!?」
The explosion sent a massive quantity of plastic pellets flying with terrifying force.
Where Nagisa and Keiichi had stood, the smell of burning lingered, and a thick white smoke from the gunpowder rose into the air.
「Yesssssssssss──!!!」
While everyone else was paralyzed by shock, one man who understood the situation perfectly let out a thunderous roar of victory, jumping for joy.
「Terasaka!」
「Wait! What did you give Nagisa to carry!!?」
Though they didn't fully grasp the details, everyone in the class realized this person was responsible for the situation.
He, however, ignored the accusatory glares and answered the girl's question without a shred of guilt:
「It was a grenade, just a toy. But I increased its power with gunpowder so the plastic pellets would fly with massive force. An explosion at that range makes evasion impossible.」
「You! Did you really use something like that?! Nagisa and Keiichi were caught in the blast! It won't end with just simple burns!!?」
「Shut up. I'll handle it. The bomb wasn't strong enough to kill humans anyway. And I'll pay for Nagisa and Keiichi's medical bills out of the ten billion yen I'm going to get.」
With a swaggering gait, Terasaka ignored the looks of disgust and protests, approaching the site of the explosion.
With every step, the smoke dissipated to reveal a charred mass. Terasaka couldn't suppress the victorious grin on his face. He pretended to be calm while internally boiling with the desire to inspect the monster's corpse.
「...What is this?」
However, that grin and overwhelming joy vanished the moment the smoke cleared completely.
At the site of the blast was a charred husk, and beside it, Nagisa and Keiichi were covered by a thin, transparent membrane. They were lying on the ground inside that membrane without a single injury.
「No wounds...?」
Terasaka lifted the charred remains of the creature in shock, wondering how this was possible. Even if the explosion wasn't lethal, the force of 300 plastic pellets propelled by gunpowder should have caused severe injuries to any human. The husk in his hand was completely scorched.
In that moment, Terasaka noticed the husk was connected to the membrane covering the two boys.
As questions raced through Terasaka's mind, he heard a voice from above. It was a calm voice, yet──.
「Actually, the teacher sheds his skin once a month.」
The voice carried an extraordinary tone of anger.
「The skin I shed possesses incredible shock resistance, and I used it to cover the bomb and absorb its force. It is my trump card, which I can only use once a month.」
「Ow... are you okay, Nagisa?」
「Yeah... what about you, Keiichi?」
「I'm fine... but things look bad for the others.」
Keiichi pushed the shed skin off them as if he were moving a heavy duvet. He stood up slowly and looked at the supernatural being clinging to the ceiling, a wry smile on his face.
Nagisa also looked up, seeing a face far removed from the usual yellow. It was stained a deep, pitch black, with bulging veins and sharp eyes staring at the instigators with terrifying intensity.
── He was furious.
Everyone realized it without even needing to see his face.
Terasaka, exposed to a rage that nearly warped the surrounding atmosphere, collapsed to the floor, his limbs trembling violently.
「Terasaka, Yoshida, Muramatsu. You three are the instigators, aren't you?」
「N-no... Nagisa did it on his own!」
「No, honestly, that excuse won't work now.」
The furious teacher, the three terrified boys, and Keiichi, who watched the scene with boredom. As soon as Keiichi finished speaking, the creature vanished. With a massive burst of air pressure, he flew out of the old building and immediately returned to the classroom, which was still ringing from the pressure he left behind. In his arms, he carried a large number of nameplates taken from the doors of houses.
Three of the plates fell to the floor. Whether by chance or design, the three plates bore the names of Terasaka, Yoshida, and Muramatsu.
「Since I have a promise with the government, the teacher will never harm you. However, if you attempt an assassination in the same manner again... I cannot say what I will do to those around you. Your families, your friends... I might even blow up the entire Earth and everyone on it, except for you.」
It was a clear and direct threat. Anyone who saw that wicked black face realized there was no escape, even if they fled to the other side of the world.
「W-what is wrong with you, you damn monster! You're just a nuisance...! You show up out of nowhere, threaten to blow up the Earth, and tell us to assassinate you! What's wrong with using an annoying method to kill an annoying person like you!?」
「What's wrong is forcing Nagisa into a suicide attack.」
「You too! Shut up, you've been blathering for a while! Don't you realize our families are being threatened!?」
「...No, but before that, don't you feel how hideous it is to strap a bomb to Nagisa and force him into a human suicide mission? Even if you say you'll pay medical bills from the ten billion, there's no guarantee of a full recovery; he could have permanent scars. This octopus is angry for that exact reason. Besides, he said 'if you try in the same manner again,' didn't he? That means he won't do anything if you don't repeat this idiocy.」
Keiichi looked down at the collapsed Terasaka as he finished speaking, then turned his gaze toward the creature as if seeking confirmation. The creature nodded firmly.
「What Nozaki-kun said is absolutely correct. You, Terasaka-kun, did not care about Nagisa-kun, and Nagisa-kun did not care about himself. A student like that is not fit to be an assassin.」
Nagisa bowed his head in sad agreement, but his face soon lit up with joy.
「However, the idea from Terasaka-kun and his friends was brilliant in its own right. The teacher does not see your assassination attempts as a nuisance. In fact, I welcome them at any time, as long as they do not harm you or those around you. If you think of a new plan, come and try it.」
The creature displayed a large red circle on his face, smiling gently, which drew all their eyes. They were captivated by those eyes that tried to face them with sincerity.
「And especially you, Nagisa-kun. Your fluid movement until you reached me was perfect and worth a hundred marks. You exploited my opening brilliantly.」
「...Perhaps if you had approached like that and used the knife directly without the bomb, killing him would have been much easier.」
「Nurufufufu, who knows? The teacher does not intend to be killed easily. Furthermore, Nozaki-kun, your Tanka poem is wonderful. Unlike Haiku, a seasonal word isn't mandatory in Tanka, but you placed 'cherry blossoms' with great skill. And I liked your use of 'bloom with pride' rather than just blooming. Even the extra syllables gave it a nice weight and weren't awkward. You did excellently in such a short time.」
「...Are you kidding me?」
Keiichi stood stunned before his paper, which had been taken, graded with an octopus-shaped "Excellent" stamp, and returned to him without him even noticing.
「Students, let us conduct an assassination you can be proud of, with a smile. Every one of you has the power to be a great assassin. This is advice from your teacher, who is the target you wish to kill.」
The teacher offered his advice while waving his tentacles. Everyone received it in different ways: Nagisa with shining eyes, Terasaka with a terrified face, and Keiichi with indifference.
As he watched them, the target asked his assassins:
「The teacher intends to enjoy life with you this year, then blow up the Earth and escape. And of course, I have no intention of ever being killed. Now, a question for you, Nagisa-kun: If you don't want that to happen, what will you do?」
「...Before that happens, I will kill you, Teacher.」
Nagisa smiled clearly and answered with total confidence, making the creature nod in satisfaction. Green stripes then appeared on his face as he smiled in turn.
「Then try to kill me. Today, whoever succeeds in killing me can go home!」
「If it were that easy, we wouldn't be struggling.」
All the students nodded in agreement with Keiichi's cynical comment, while Kayano raised her hand hesitantly as if she had remembered something.
「Excuse me, about the teacher's name... how about 'Koro-sensei'? Because he's the teacher who can't be killed (korosenai).」
「'Koro-sensei,' named after the unkillable teacher...? Yes, that's very nice; I like it. Thank you for this wonderful name, Miss Kayano. So, students, from today on, call me 'Koro-sensei'!」
「Right, Koro-sensei, I have a question.」
「Straight to it? Go ahead, what is your question?」
「I've finished my Tanka; can I go home? You said whoever finished could leave, right? Since I finished the required task before you added the assassination condition for leaving, there should be no problem, correct?」
「Nyuaaaa!? Don't be so cold! Let's spend some time together! This is an opportunity to deepen the bonds with your classmates!」
「Right, I'm leaving. See you tomorrow, Koro-sensei.」
Keiichi finished speaking, quickly gathered his things, and left the classroom.
「...... Students, does Nozaki-kun hate me?」
「Don't let it bother you, Koro-sensei. He's always been like that.」
Isogai answered with a strained smile to Koro-sensei's question. Koro-sensei was pointing at himself with a trembling tentacle, his face dripping with a cold sweat.
「Can that octopus really be killed?」
Keiichi muttered as he walked the path home, moving away from the school building.
In that classroom, bound by a strange atmosphere between killer and victim, the starting bell would surely ring again tomorrow. The boy exhaled a long, deep sigh.