Finals were approaching!
It was time for the first semester's final harvest.
At Kunugigaoka Junior High, grades were everything. For the ten-billion-yen creature who aspired to turn Class E into a class they could be proud of, this exam represented the final stand of the semester—a chance to prove themselves and settle old scores.
As expected, enthusiasm burned within the students of Class E.
Because of the stifling heat inside the classroom, we headed out to study by the stream on the mountain behind the school, seeking a cool breeze. There, Koro-sensei spoke with more vigor than ever before.
"Nurfufufu! You've built an excellent foundation during the first semester. Based on this, I expect a massive leap in your final exam scores!"
"Koro-sensei, are you aiming to get all of Class E into the top fifty again?"
"No. Last time, I only cared about the grades right in front of me. I should have set goals that suited each student individually. Therefore, I have prepared a goal this time that befits an assassination classroom!"
My classmates' pens stopped moving all at once at the phrase "befits an assassination classroom." Koro-sensei waited until every eye was fixed on him before continuing.
"As Shiro-san mentioned before, I lose speed and mobility whenever I lose a tentacle. Look; I can no longer maintain my after-image forms properly. Smaller, 'child' versions are starting to appear among them."
"Do the clones really shrink like that when you're weakened?"
"No, I don't think that's the logical explanation here."
Just as the teacher said, some of the clones explaining the lessons began to shrink to the size of children.
"And if I lose another tentacle—look; the number of child clones will increase, and the 'father' clone will begin to suffer financial distress trying to support his family."
"The story has turned into a tragedy."
"And if I lose a third tentacle, the father clone will disappear entirely, leaving the 'mother' clone to raise the children alone."
"That scenario is way too dark!"
"But wait... does this mean losing just three tentacles makes that much of a difference in your clone accuracy?"
"Exactly, as Nozaki-kun just noted. Losing only three tentacles affects me significantly. The mobility I lose with each tentacle—is estimated at about twenty percent!"
Twenty percent? Does his power drop that much? With a simple calculation, if we destroyed fifteen tentacles, Koro-sensei's mobility would drop to zero, wouldn't it?
Wasn't this a fatal and incredible weakness all at once?
While we processed this fact, Koro-sensei elaborated.
"Now we come to the heart of the matter regarding the exam. Last time, I evaluated you based on your total score only. This time, however, I will include an evaluation for the subject each of you excels in. Anyone who takes first place in any subject will earn the right to destroy one of my tentacles when the answer sheets are returned."
A heavy tension filled the air.
Koro-sensei let out his "Nurfufufu" laugh as if he had achieved his goal of creating this tension, then concluded.
"You realize the scale of this opportunity now, don't you? First place in the total score, and first place in every subject! If you all sweep the top spots, you could destroy six tentacles! This is the first semester's exam in the assassination classroom. Reaching those ten billion yen depends entirely on your efforts!"
Koro-sensei was truly a master of motivation. I couldn't help but admire his extraordinary teaching style, in which he wagered his own life to spark our enthusiasm.
While I reflected that honing my "second blade" in secret hadn't been in vain, a calico cat emerged from the grass and approached me. It was a cat I occasionally encountered on my way to school. It was the same one I had once petted with Kurahashi-san. It looked as energetic as ever. As I scratched beneath its chin, I noticed a sudden movement from Hayami-san, who had been studying seriously in front of me; she reacted to the cat's sound and turned toward us.
Good heavens, did this girl actually like cats? I continued petting the cat while Hayami-san didn't avert her gaze for a single second. At that moment, I became certain of one thing: this "tsundere" sniper was obsessed with cats, even though she had never shown me a soft side before.
I picked up the cat and pointed it toward Hayami-san. She reflexively looked away in a defensive reaction. However, she kept stealing glances at us with curiosity. Intrigued, I moved to sit beside her with the cat in my hands.
"Here, the cat."
"....."
"If you don't hurry, the cat might run away~"
"....."
She stared at the offered cat, then hesitantly reached out to touch it. When the cat made a sound of enjoyment, a sweet smile appeared on Hayami-san's face, causing her usual image as a "cool beauty" to collapse entirely.
".... Meow~"
"── What?"
"....!"
As soon as she saw me looking at her with a mischievous grin, she regained her senses and snapped her head away. I decided to retreat peacefully; it wasn't in my best interest to tease her further and risk making her harsh side even worse.
But I had seen a truly wonderful reaction: the strong Hayami-san saying "Meow." I went back to my studies while petting the cat, which sat politely beside me so as not to distract my focus.
●○●○●
"Ah, Kei-chan!"
"What is it, Isogai?"
"If you're free after school, how about going to the Main Building's library? I booked a spot there a long time ago in preparation for finals."
".... Does our school library work on a reservation system?"
I felt like I was hearing an incredible and absurd fact. A middle school library that required reservations? Was that even possible?
"I appreciate the invite, but I'll pass. If Class E students show up there, we'll just face petty harassment that would waste the value of that reservation."
"Ahaha.... true, I can't deny that. Well, I'll look for someone else."
"Sorry about that. I'll make it up to you later."
"I didn't expect to hear words like that from you. Well, I'll look forward to that day."
After that conversation with Isogai, I left the school. Going to a library with a reservation system meant enduring insults from students in other classes, which would make studying impossible.
On the other hand, I was starting to get bored of studying at home. Ever since I became capable of entering a state of absolute focus, my study efficiency had increased abnormally. I had just finished reviewing the entire curriculum from the first year up to the current exam's limits.
It might be early to reward myself, but a small luxury wouldn't hurt.
I headed to the cafe I had visited once when I threatened Isogai. My grandparents give me an allowance regularly, and since I have nowhere to spend it, the money had accumulated. I thought studying in a cafe with a drink would be a nice change of pace.
I ordered an iced coffee, opened my book, and began studying topics slightly beyond the exam limits. With a Principal like ours, it wasn't unlikely for him to change the curriculum scope at the last minute.
"Kei-chan, you missed a point there. Your answer is wrong."
"..... Why are you here?"
While I was comparing the book, the lessons, and the workbook, I heard that familiar, pretentious voice. I looked up to find Gakushu Asano, leader of the "Big Five" and the brilliant son of the Principal, standing there with his usual smile.
"Mind if I sit across from you?"
"Please leave."
"Waiter, an iced coffee for me as well, please."
"I told you to leave."
"That hurts. I just came here to study."
"And did you have to pick the seat directly in front of me?!"
"What are you talking about? We used to study in cafes together a lot in our first year. Did you forget?"
"That was only in the first year! We're in our third year now."
"It's fine. It won't cost you anything."
"It'll cost me my mental balance...."
"Am I some terrifying legendary creature or something?"
Asano sat in front of me, evasive as Karma and I often were. I surrendered to the reality of the situation and let him stay; his persistence hadn't changed since our first year.
── "It's okay, Kei-chan. Repeat after me: I am strong."
"I am strong...."
"I will defeat the rabble."
"I will defeat the rabble."
"I will crush them."
"I will crush them....!" ──
I recalled those nightmarish memories I never wanted to remember. That was the brainwashing education I underwent when my grades dropped for the second time. When I saw Asano brainwashing Shindo during the baseball match a while ago, I felt terrified because I remembered his state back then.
Truly, this duo—father and son—was terrifying.
While lost in my thoughts, I noticed a small error in Asano's work.
"Asano, the equation in the third question; aren't you missing a parenthesis in the intermediate calculations? Here, the parenthesis that closes the equation."
"Oh? Ah, you're right. Thank you. Your attention to detail is sharp."
"It's rare for you to make such a trivial mistake."
"I'm human too; I make mistakes."
"Ah, I see."
We returned to studying, and suddenly Asano began to laugh. His laugh seemed a bit suspicious, so I looked at him with surprise. He corrected himself with a sheepish smile.
"No, my apologies. I just felt nostalgic sitting like this and studying together. Truly, it's a nostalgic feeling."
"Well, it has been two years."
"Right. By the way, Kei-chan, why are you studying topics outside the exam limits?"
"I don't know. Ask your father."
".... There won't be any changes to the exam scope this time. None at all."
"Really?"
That was unexpected information. I thought he would hide such details, but he surprised me.
"But in return, I heard the questions will be on a completely different level from the midterms. They say they'll be real 'Mon-stars'."
"And who asked you for that wordplay?"
"I wasn't the one who said it. I overheard that conversation by chance when I was passing by the teachers' lounge."
"By chance, huh? Fine, let's go with that."
I decided to believe Asano and went back to reviewing the current exam limits. I closed my English book and opened my math book. Suddenly, Asano spoke in a serious tone.
"By the way, the Principal's behavior has been strange lately."
"He's been strange from the start, you family of villains."
"I don't mean that.... I feel his interference in Class E's affairs has become excessive recently."
".... Probably because Class E's grades started rising. From the Principal's perspective, who wants Class E to remain at the bottom, that's unacceptable."
I tried to dodge the subject with a general answer. It was likely that his pursuit of me today was aimed at uncovering "something" Class E was hiding.
"That might be one reason, but the Principal's interference has become extreme. Two inspection visits to Class E, a sudden change in exam limits, participating in an exhibition match against the baseball team, and now; designating a remedial period for Class A to crush your midterm goal of getting everyone into the top fifty. These are all things that didn't happen in past years."
".... As for that last point, this is the first I've heard of it."
"Nozaki, I hope you aren't doing anything dangerous in Class E."
".... Something dangerous? What do you mean?"
"I've been hearing strange rumors lately. About a mysterious, large man buying out all the store's sweets, about a giant shadow moving at high speeds, about sightings of a massive yellow octopus, and about a strange laugh saying 'Nurfufufu' heard behind a beautiful teacher's back."
I did my best not to bang my head against the table or hide my face in my hands. That octopus... couldn't he control himself even a little...!
"Furthermore, a massive tornado suddenly appeared on Class E's mountain, sightings of a mysterious pool on the mountain, and a female student claiming she had a dream about practicing swimming in that pool."
The last point related to what happened to Kataoka when those troublemakers harassed her. I wasn't there, so I didn't know the details.
"Do you know anything about this, Kei-chan?"
".... I don't know."
Yes, I don't know. I don't care what Koro-sensei does, so I wasn't lying. I don't know; yes, I don't know.
It wasn't a lie.
I confirmed my statement to block Asano's probing gaze. He seemed to give up, finally beginning to drink his coffee. The conversation calmed down, and I started drinking mine too. For some reason, the moment we put our cups on the table in strange synchronization, both our phones rang at the exact same time.
We answered our phones simultaneously as well.
"Hello?"
── "I'm sorry, Kei-chan. Something huge happened."
"Something huge?"
── "Yeah. We entered a wager with the 'Big Five' from Class A. The news spread so fast that the bet became: the winning side can order the losing side to do anything they want."
"What? A wager with Class E?"
Asano's shocked voice was enough for me to imagine the content of the call he received. Our eyes met at that moment. It seemed we had both received the same news. His gaze asked me: Did you get the same news?
I nodded in agreement. It looked like I would have to interrogate Isogai later to find out how things had escalated to this point.
".... Things just got interesting, Kei-chan."
"Only you and some of the teachers would think that."
I sighed, and our meeting ended there.
●○●○●
"I see. So it was a response to mutual provocation."
"I'm truly sorry."
"It's fine, no need to apologize."
I listened to the details of the situation while ignoring the reckless Karma and Koro-sensei's scolding of him. It was a case of one-sided harassment that ended in an all-out war after a minor reaction; in short, that was the problem. But to have the winning side order the losing side to do whatever they wanted... that was a truly exciting bet. Provided we won, of course.
"But what will we do? I feel like the conditions set by Class A are hiding some kind of trap."
Karma muttered that, and his fears were well-founded. From my conversation with Asano yesterday, I felt he had begun to realize something. Based on their conditions, if Class E were forced to pledge not to hide anything from Class A in the future, the secrecy of the assassination mission would be completely shattered. If asked about the priority between a promise between students and a national secret, the answer is obviously the latter, but Asano wouldn't let it go easily.... or so I thought.
"Don't worry, Karma. Class E has nothing more to lose."
I directed my words to Okajima, who was speaking dismissively.
"Okajima, think carefully. If the Principal is the 'Villain Boss,' then Asano is his 'General.' Do you think someone with the ability to conquer the world alone won't find something to blackmail Class E with?"
".... I don't think so."
"See? Asano is perfectly capable of presenting a document full of impossible and humiliating demands and saying coldly: 'Sign here. Didn't we agree on one request? This request is within the limits of the agreement.'"
"Your trust in the Asano family's dark side is very strong, Nozaki."
"Yeah...."
My classmates laughed bitterly at my negative words. But I saw that some had been seized by a sense of danger, and their grip on their pens tightened. Well, I'll give them a push of motivation.
"Everyone, I'm announcing this in advance."
"Oh, Nozaki's motivational push is starting."
".... I'm announcing it! I will take first place in the total score this time! And I will take the right to destroy Koro-sensei's tentacle for myself."
"Sure, sure. As for us, we'll focus on the subjects we excel in! And of course, whoever can compete for the total score, go ahead!"
"....."
Strange. Didn't my motivational words always lead to a charged atmosphere? What was this? Everyone was acting as if they were saying: "Say what you want, we'll manage."
Did I fail to motivate them? Or did they no longer need motivation? Has my prestige fallen, Nozaki?
"It's okay, Kei-chan."
"Ahaha.... everyone is very excited."
By the way, Kurahashi-san, why have you been calling me "Kei-chan" for a while now? I wanted to ask, but I feared appearing arrogant, so I let it go. But thinking about her intention remains a difficult matter for a young man my age.
"By the way, if we win and get one request... I hope to get the right to use the school cafeteria."
"Heh, your request is modest and sweet, Kurahashi-san."
"Really? Do you think so?"
"Yeah. If I were in your place, I'd ask to increase the number of wishes as I please, or maybe ask to transfer all of Class A's rights to Class E. But that would ruin the assassination mission, obviously."
"Hahaha, you're truly cold-hearted."
While I was joking with Kurahashi-san, Koro-sensei came and patted my head with his usual laugh.
"Nurfufufu. That's good, but how about this?"
Koro-sensei handed me the school booklet and opened it to a page dedicated to the top-performing class; they are granted a training trip to a resort on a southern island during summer vacation.
That's right, I had completely forgotten about such an offer. Since I was in Class E, I assumed it didn't involve me. But it existed—that trip existed.
"You've tasted the bottom once. So now, I want you to engage in a fierce struggle for the top. My tentacles and this trip; the rewards are enough, aren't they? As assassins, you must target the summit and kill it!"
My classmates' shouts rose in response to Koro-sensei's call.
●○●○●
The Dominator walked through his garden.
"I ask all third-year subject teachers to set questions far more difficult than the midterms. And of course, keep the grading standards fair and precise."
The Dominator's words instilled immediate terror and enthusiasm in the hearts of those present. Everyone was raising "beasts" inside their prisons called personal computers.
"Asano-kun is using Class E to ignite the competitive spirit. This is a golden opportunity to raise the academic level of our school."
"Don't worry, Principal. No student will be able to provide an answer that satisfies me with these questions.... These are no longer just questions; they should be called 'Mon-stars'."
"Excellent. I look forward to the results."
The Dominator smiled with satisfaction before those predatory beasts. In the kingdom he ruled, nothing could be heard except the sound of rapid keyboard clicks.
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