Chapter 14: Talent Time

All around me, my classmates were paired off, stamping their feet and grunting as they swung their knives.

I couldn't spare a glance to look, however. I was too busy swinging my own knife at Maehara.

It was a nice day out, with enough sun to make the day warm and with enough breeze to keep the day from getting too hot. I had started to sweat a little, which was always a good sign. I liked it when I was exerting myself so much that my body was trying to cool itself down - that meant I was starting to reach my regular limits.

"Keep eyes on the target!" Karasuma barked. Nobody in the class responded verbally, but I saw Maehara's eyes sharpen just a little bit. This time, when I tensed to thrust, I saw him see it and react as I started to move.

Gym class outside was hard and demanding, and Karasuma even more of both, but when I looked in the mirror and saw abs it felt strangely satisfying. I never had abs at thirteen. Hells, I didn't have abs until eighteen, though granted that was mainly because I'd lost all of my body fat from being in Aincrad for two years.

"Right!" Karasuma shouted again as everyone continued the drills. "Don't let yourself be distracted! If you can't predict his moves," he continued, raising his voice, "you can't fully counter his evasive maneuvers! Nick, switch with Isogai!"

I jumped away from Maehara's last swing and raised my knife slightly, signaling that I'd heard and was disengaging. Maehara recovered from the swing and bounced on his feet slightly while Isogai swapped in past me. As I got into the steady rhythm of the knife drill Karasuma had shown the three of us, I sighed. Man, having an odd number of students sucks. Mainly because the options are either make a group of three, and the odd man out just does solo drills while the other two go at it, or to drill against Karasuma when he wasn't needed to bark orders.

For some completely unknown reason, most of us decided that a group of three was the way to go.

Still, doing the solo drills made it pretty easy to look around and study the assassins around me. For just four months of training, they'd taken to the job like ducks to water. Every day, I could see improvement - when I wasn't too exhausted from my own training, of course. The potential in the people around me was almost blinding in how many people had it.

"Alright, that's enough!" Karasuma shouted, and I wound down my drills slowly, knowing better than to just stop cold. There was no way we were done just yet, and as we gathered in a loose huddle Karasuma's next words confirmed my suspicions. "Don't go resting yet," he told us. "We still have one more drill before we're done." His rolled-up sleeves and loosened tie made me shiver in place. I knew what that meant.

Sure enough, Karasuma's last drill for the day was to have us try to tag him. Well, it was a good place for me to try to examine the fellow players in the game.

Isogai and Maehara...

They were both excellent knife fighters, attacking in tandem. I knew they were friends, but they must have been friends for a long time - they fought almost like me and Kazuto did, just knowing where the other would be. Still, I doubt they forged their bond in fire like we did, so it would be time and familiarity then. They rushed at the same time, and Isogai went first; he swung, grunting, and Karasuma ducked the knife before shoving him away with a palm to his ribs. Maehara's lunge was deflected by grabbing his arm and throwing him to the side.

By that point, Isogai had recovered, thrusting towards Karasuma's head. Karasuma avoided it with a simple dodge to the left, but that left him straight towards Maehara's slash. Karasuma wasn't fazed, though, and he swayed out of the way of both Maehara's slash and Isogai's follow-up stab. The same movement allowed for dodging both, so they weren't fully in sync yet, but it was only four months. I could cut them some slack.

However, Maehara's second stabbing thrust nicked Karasuma's shoulder, and the two backed off, panting heavily. "Good!" Karasuma told them. "You two each get one point. Next!"

The two boys grinned at each other as they marked their point on the scorecard.

Then there was Karma.

He grinned and shifted his knife, clearly intending to lure Karasuma's guard away as his second hand snuck behind his back and pulled a second knife. His lazy expression and easy-going grin belied the mindset of a real killer, but it was hard to see past the indifference. At least, until you got him in a fight. His left thrust was deflected to the side by Karasuma's open-handed parry, and his right slash was blocked by more of the same.

Karma jumped back before rushing in low again, and Karasuma dodged it. Karma looks like, on first glance, the type to just sit back and snark about anything and everything. But... He grinned tightly like he always did, keeping his knives up and moving while he didn't let up on the assault against Karasuma.

He didn't get a single hit, of course, but... it was the thought that counted? I don't think anyone could get a hit against Karasuma one-on-one. At least, I know I haven't, even despite all the extra training he's been giving me after classes. Karma panted a laugh as Karasuma backed off slightly, which was impressive. Mischievous. Both.

Still, he ended up on the ground after Karasuma knocked his legs out from under him. I saw Karasuma give him an approving nod, though, so it's not like he did poorly.

As for the ladies in the class, Okano's gymnastics were just as unpredictable as when I sparred against her last. She turned a missed lunged into a cartwheel, forcing Karasuma to avoid the kicks as well. She landed it, grinning widely - and then Kataoka slid from behind her, lunging and thrusting forward. Her reach and speed were a match for any of the guys in the class. Kataoka was very impressive indeed, thrusting and stabbing with speed and accuracy. Karasuma didn't block any of her strokes, instead just dodging out of the way.

I blinked in confusion as a crudely-drawn Korosensei image appeared beside Karasuma. "Don't forget Korosensei," Korosensei said, mimicking Karasuma's tone and inflection. "The ideal teacher. A man of grit and character, whom none have the heart to kill."

The background of the image was sparkling pink. What.

Karasuma gritted his teeth, a vein in his forehead twitching with anger, and said something. Korosensei just shifted the panel aside and giggled mischievously before going off to play in the sandbox.

There were others in the class - Terasaka and his gang of cronies, for example. They weren't taking the training seriously at all, but despite that they had some good strength to them. Terasaka rolled his eyes and whipped the knife at Karasuma, and Karasuma caught it with one hand. If they put forth the effort, they might be able to be good assassins. But, y'know, that'd require them to not be little shits about it.

Finally, it was my turn to go against Karasuma. I moved in, going for the low slash - he liked to keep his guard up, and the ribs were always a good opening move. He blocked it, as expected, and I exhaled a short breath as I spun and lashed out, aiming for his head. He dodged, swaying out of the way, and I ripped the knife to the side. He shifted, stepping to the left, and I –

bloodlust

I tensed, mind kicking into overdrive as the viper hissed in my ears. There was massive bloodlust coming from him, and it was aimed my direction. I don't know why, but my reflexes were honed from years of fighting monsters that wanted to kill me. I shifted my stance, narrowing my eyes, and lunged forward, the viper striking faster than the eye could see. I just needed to kill him first, that was the trick, to kill them before they could kill you.

Ideal targets were the eyes, throat, and stomach - a wound in the first would blind, the second would kill, and the third would debilitate. Attacking the eyes would require a precise thrust, and he was still moving. His guard was low, so the stomach would be blocked easily, leaving me open for his attack. So throat it was. Kill him.

Karasuma choked, his eyes widening. He turned and threw - Nagisa? - harshly, sending the kid flying, before lashing out with his leg and nailing me in the stomach.

I slid backwards, choking from the pain and clutching at my stomach. Still, I managed to stay upright and keep my knife up to defend. I had to kill my opponent, and I was about to lunge back in for another strike when -

The bloodlust was gone. Like it'd never existed.

Blinking, and swaying slightly, I sheathed my knife from long practice. I'd let it fall to the ground once. Once. Karasuma had taught me why that was a bad idea. After that, though, I was able to croak out, "...Ow..."

Off to the side, everyone had stopped what they were doing. "Ouch..." Nagisa muttered, sitting up and rubbing at his head. That's right... I think... Karasuma had thrown him, hadn't he? I don't really remember those last few seconds very well. Just that brief moment of intense bloodlust - I twitched, just thinking about it - and then I was in pain.

Karasuma was still frozen in the position he'd ended in - arms raised after throwing Nagisa, and his leg extended where he'd kicked me in the stomach. After a second, he breathed out and walked over to Nagisa. "Sorry," he said as a few students surrounded the downed kid. "That block was a little over the top."

"Ah... I'm good, no worries!" Nagisa said with a grin.

Sugino grinned at him. "Eyes on the target! You gotta see stuff like that comin'!"

"Yeah..." Nagisa sighed, looking a little embarrassed.

"Hey, you okay?" I shook my head and refocused. Yada was standing near me, looking on in concern. "That was a nasty kick."

"I'm good," I told her, raising my voice to make sure that Karasuma and the other students that had come over to check on me heard as well. "It was my own fault for leaving my stomach open." Seriously, a kick to the stomach after a lunge was like the first thing they taught you how to defend against. I can't believe I'd let myself get tagged by it. "I think I'm gonna walk it off, though."

As I walked in small circles, working off my pain and letting my body cool down, I kept a careful eye on Nagisa. He'd been behind Karasuma, hadn't he? This was the second time a sudden surge of bloodlust caught me off-guard, and the second time he'd been nearby. What was wrong...? I could usually sense the hidden bloodlust people held - after all, I could feel the bloodlust simmering underneath the surface of every student in this class. It'd been a vital skill in trying to survive in Aincrad, especially once Laughing Coffin had stepped up recruitment before we'd cut off most of the hydra's heads. But...

Nagisa was just a kid on the short side. He wasn't even outstanding academically or physically; he gets along with everyone, myself included, which I guess could be considered a talent of his. Still... That bloodlust... No. I couldn't sense a trace of it right now, and the total lack of bloodlust told me something was wrong.

I felt someone's eyes on me and I looked over to see Karasuma watching me. I tilted my head curiously, but he just looked back at Nagisa.

The bell rang, and Karasuma said, "That's all! Today's P.E. class is now over!"

"Thank you very much," we all chorused.

"Man!" Kimura said as we watched Karasuma walk away. "I'm having no luck hitting that guy! It's like there's no chinks in Mr. Karasuma's armor." It's true - I couldn't seem to find any holes in his defense, no matter how hard I looked.

Kurahashi ran up to Karasuma, smiling. "Excuse me, sir?" she asked, walking beside him. "We were wondering if you'd like to grab a bite to eat with us, and -"

"Sorry," he interrupted her, raising a hand. "No, I'd love to, but there's still a lot of work that needs to get done."

"Oh..." Kurahashi stopped.

"Zero chinks in his personal life, too," Mimura observed.

Okano sighed. "He's definitely a man who prefers to keep his distance." And what's wrong with that, huh? "It's like there's a wall of ice between him and us."

"Yeah," Kurahashi sighed, "don't get me wrong, he's super cool and everything, I mean... I just... I dunno. You think it's only 'cause he has to be?"

I was going to offer my own observations on the subject matter, but I was distracted by something a little more pressing. "Hello, hello," I said dryly. "Who do we have here?"

There was a man standing up by the entrance to the school, wearing a blue jacket with the sleeves rolled up and a white shirt underneath. More interestingly than his clothes, however, were the bags he was carrying on each arm and on one shoulder. "Hey, hey, Karasuma!" he cheered in a loud, carrying voice.

Karasuma stopped. "Takaoka?" he asked, sounding surprised.

"Huh?!" we all mumbled out loud.

"Another new teacher?" Kurahashi asked carefully.

The man walked around Karasuma and down to stand in front of us. "Yo!" he said. Up close, I could pick out a few more details about him - he looked... softer than Karasuma, with rounded features and an easy grin. Not to mention his rather ample stomach. "Name's Akira Takaoka. And I'm here to give your gym teacher a hand!" He was certainly boisterous. "Please to meet ya, gang! So whadda ya say?" he asked with a wide grin. "Ready to have some fun?"

Huh.

Hhhhhhuh.

This could be interesting.

Takaoka put down the bags carefully and opened them up to reveal a bunch of water bottles and - oh gods. They're shining. I think I'm drooling.

"Woah!" Kimura gasped, staring at the veritable feast of delicious baked goods spread out in front of us. "Is that..."

"It's cake!" Kayano exclaimed, her eyes wide and shimmering. I think hearts may have replaced her pupils, but I'm not sure. Too busy staring at the cake.

Fuwa looked at them and goggled. "Hand-made eclairs from 'La Hermes'!" Isn't that the really fancy sweet shop? Holy crap, fucking sold.

"These look sorta pricey, sir," Isogai exclaimed, looking frazzled. "Are you sure?"

"Yeah!" Takaoka spread his arms benevolently. "Chow down, kiddos! I didn't break the bank so we could stare at these babies all day! Oh, and don't think of it as some sort of trap," he added as he sat down on the picnic blanket he'd spread the sweets out on. "I don't wanna waste any time getting along with you guys! Plus..." He grabbed one of the chocolate eclairs and took a bite. "Food tastes best when you sit around and eat it with everyone!"

"You really know your sweets, don't'cha?" Yada teased him. "Nice."

Takaoka placed his hands on his stomach and nodded. "Trust me, when it comes to the good stuff, it's love." He stuck his tongue out.

"Built like a truck and adorable," Kimura murmured.

I didn't waste any more time grabbing some treats. Free food was the best food, after all, and free baked goods were the best free food. Besides, I hadn't had chocolate for, like, a month or two, now. I usually had a cookie or something with dinner, but since I'd been in here my money was better spent in other regards - so I was going through withdrawal. I took a bite of a donut, and sighed happily. Sweet, sweet chocolate.

"So, you're going to be taking over P.E. to help Mr. Karasuma get caught up?" Nagisa asked, cradling his own treat in his hands.

"Yep! Those're my marching orders from the brass at HQ," Takaoka said. "Poor guy needs some time to himself." Then he looked over, to where Korosensei was bright pink and drooling over Nakamura's shoulder, staring at her cake. I'd laugh, but I have food in my mouth and I'm not wasting any of this. "Ah, this fellow must be Korosensei! Please help yourself!"

The drool coming from Korosensei's mouth turned into a waterfall, and I snickered.

"Heh!" Takaoka grinned. "Don't wanna die on an empty stomach! Hahaha!" He laughed boisterously.

"You know, sir," Kimura said, "for being colleagues you and Mr. Karasuma are night and day!"

Hara smiled. "He's nice to us and all, but you're like the neighborhood dad!" I twitched slightly.

"Hahaha!" he laughed again. "Dad! I like the sound of that!" He reached out and grabbed me and Nakamura, wrapping his arms around us and pulling us close. Nakamura laughed uneasily, but I just ignored it and continued eating my food. Munch munch munch. "Life's too short not to spend it with people you think of as family, am I right, gang?"

I froze for a heartbeat, donut lifted halfway to my mouth, before I resumed eating again. It was only a brief pause, but it was enough to make the donut taste just that little less delicious. Carefully, I extricated myself - wouldn't do to waste food, now would it? - and stood up, nibbling at my treat. Off to the side, Korosensei was gobbling cake down as fast as he could manage it. "Nick, going somewhere?" Nagisa asked me.

"Just for some water," I said, grinning. "I left a water bottle back in the classroom. These things are delicious and I could eat them all day, but I think some of the chocolate got caught in my throat." It was the best way I could slip away without anyone noticing.

"Oh, okay."

As I trekked back up to the campus, listening absently to Takaoka's loud laughter and the chatter of excited kids on a sugar high behind me, I saw Karasuma watching us from the door. After a second he glanced at me, before turning and stepping inside.

Well, whatever. My goal wasn't to talk to Karasuma, it was to get away from the others so I could get control of myself without anyone witnessing my moment of weakness. The excuse of getting the water bottle would help with that, since I know I'll be the only one in the classroom.

Besides, I wanted to get away from Takaoka for a while. I think Karma might have noticed it too; it's difficult for me to tell what he's thinking, at times. But there was just something about Takaoka that just seemed forced.

The next day, Takaoka's word was good; he was the one waiting for us as we lined up in our ranks, already changed. "Where's Karma?" I whispered to Nagisa.

"Skipping, I think," he whispered back. Of course he is, I swear that kid's missed more days than he's attended.

"Alright, everybody here?" Takaoka asked, standing at the front of the ranks after he dropped off a heavy-looking camo bag at the edge of the track. Eh, close enough to everybody, really. "Now. Things are gonna be tougher than usual! But stick it out like the champs I know you are, and we're talking more sweets."

Sold.

What? I'm very easily bribed when it comes to food. Or, just in general, really, but food does it faster.

"For us?" Nakamura called out, teasingly. "Or are you really just saving them for yourself!"

"No, nope!" Takaoka grinned and patted his stomach. "Don't wanna ruin this girlish figure!" I chuckled, and the rest of the class started laughing. I mean, the joke wasn't really all that funny, but sometimes the delivery makes up for it. I wouldn't know. I'm not funny.

We took a seat, waiting for the drills of the day to start. "When I look at you, boys and girls, do you know what I see?" he asked us. "Assassins! And let's decide on a shout to get everyone fired up! When I say 'One, two, three...', you guys all make a peace sign and yell, 'Victory!'" He posed, eyes fiery and throwing his hand in the air, fingers making a V.

The class laughed again. "Woah," Isogai laughed, "that's pretty old-fashioned, and a rip-off, too!"

"Hey!" Takaoka complained. "You nitpicker! I'm not ripping anything off, it's an homage!" As he went back to the duffel bag and started rooting around, I glanced up at the sky and sighed. Clouds were starting to drift in, covering the sky in grey. Man... I like the sun. "Okay then!" Takaoka said suddenly, coming back with a sheaf of papers in his hands. "Along with your new training regimen, comes a new schedule!"

He passed them out, and I took a look at the new scheduled that had been drawn up for us. After a second, I blinked and looked up. This had to be a joke, right? "What?!" the entire class was muttering to themselves and each other.

"What?!" Maehara shouted. "No way!"

"We have ten periods now?" Fuwa exclaimed.

Beside me, Nagisa was still staring at the paper. "We train until nine PM?" he asked.

The schedule wasn't, er... It wasn't very flexible? Is that a good word for it? Basically, we had three actual classes a day, and then training from noon to nine. Except Saturdays. Saturdays was one class and training until 3:30.

Well. At least we get half of Saturdays off...?

"That's the idea, little grasshoppers," Takaoka said, raising a finger and smiling. "I got the principal's approval, too. He said, 'The Earth is in a time of crisis, so there's no helping it.'" Of course. Of course this was that slimy piece of trash's doing. I bet he's the one that hired Takaoka in the first place. "Don't be glum, think of the payoff! This curriculum will turn you into lean mean killing machines!" He clapped his hands together. "You're gonna love it!"

"Wait, wait, hold up," Maehara said, rising to his feet. "This is ridiculous!" Takaoka stopped, seemingly confused, and looked over at him. "First off, this is school! We gotta think about grades, too! If we don't get more time to study, our grades will drop. I bet the principal knew that when he approved it!" Takaoka looked to the side, grinning ruefully, and rubbed the back of his head. "I mean, c'mon! We can't go by this! When are we supposed to stu-"

Takaoka placed a hand on Maehara's head, and the boy stopped talking mid-word.

Then without warning he slammed his knee into Maehara's stomach.

Maehara choked out a gasp, spitting out saliva, and went limp. He didn't fall, though, because Takaoka had his fingers buried in Maehara's hair. "Rule number one," Takaoka said, his tone of voice no different than when he was talking about sweets, "we don't do 'can't'." He let Maehara drop, and the kid slumped to the ground in a groaning heap, curled up and clutching at his stomach. Okano and Isogai leaned over him, trying to make sure he was okay. "Rule number two, we're a family and I'm the dad." I exhaled slowly, watching Takaoka carefully. His eyes were wide and manic, but his voice was steady. "Show me a family where Dad ain't in charge, and I'll show you a family in crisis!"

He spread his arms wide as the kids recoiled in horror. "If this is too much for you, sit it out! I'll have my people in HQ send in replacements for the whole class." He smiled, leaning forward slightly. "That said, I'd much rather see you stick it out."

This is his modus operandi, isn't it? The carrot and the stick, only each is at its extreme. We do what he says, we get delicious treats from high-end bakeries. We complain or disobey, he beats us until we're unable to do either. "A father loves each and every one of his children unconditionally," Takaoka said, starting to walk around the class. "The thought of losing even one of them breaks his heart." He stopped just behind me and to my left, right next to Kanzaki. "We're gonna save the world, kids. And we're gonna do it as a family." I turned to watch him out of the corner of my eye as he knelt down and wrapped his arms around Kanzaki and Mimura, pulling them close. He had a smug smirk on his face.

I'm getting sick and tired of this jackass's 'family' bullshit.

"Well?" he asked, looking at Kanzaki. I could see her horrified face. "You're gonna do everything Father tells you to, eh?"

"Uh... I..." Kanzaki murmured before she stood up. "Actually, sir, to tell you the truth," she said, turning to face Takaoka. He stood up. "I'm not much for P.E." She smiled. "If I have to do it, I prefer Mr. Karasuma's class."

Takaoka licked his lips once. But he couldn't fool me, I saw the anger for a split second. That's why I wasn't terribly surprised when he backhanded Kanzaki with enough force to send her flying, bouncing across the ground.

"Gah! Kanzaki!" Sugino shouted as he and Nagisa rushed to go check on her. I remained seated. I realized after a second that my jaw hurt because I was clenching my teeth so tightly.

"Looks like we're having a little communications gap!" Takaoka said cheerfully as he rubbed his head. "The only answer here is yes." He got into a boxing stance, swinging his fist in a circle as he shifted his weight back and forth. "If anyone else needs a dose of good old-fashioned nonverbal reinforcement, Daddy Dearest will be happy to oblige!"

"Stop it!" I looked over at the sudden barked command to see Karasuma rushing down the steps and over to us. Instead of going over to Takaoka, he stopped by Kanzaki. "Hey, did he twist your neck?" he asked the girl. "Try moving your head side to side."

"I'll be okay," Kanzaki whispered.

"What about you?" Karasuma called over to Maehara.

The orange-haired boy raised a weak hand. He'd been able to sit up, at least. "Eh, I'll survive," he croaked out. Okano and Isogai were helping him sit up.

Takaoka clenched a massive fist. "See, we're fine," he told Karasuma easily. "Don't get your boxers in a wad, I'm not gonna go full throttle on my beloved fam!"

"Correct," Korosensei growled, placing a tentacle on Takaoka's shoulder. He was bright red and seething with anger, tentacles writhing. "Except they're not your 'fam', they're my students."

"Korosensei!" we all shouted. When the hells did he get here?

"Whatever you've been filling their heads with while my back was turned," he growled, veins twitching, "it stops now!"

"Hah!" Takaoka turned and brushed the tentacle on his shoulder away without a care in the world. "Sorry, big guy, this isn't your class! You teach your subjects, I'll teach mine! In Phys. Ed, I call the shots," he said. "Nothing I've done falls outside acceptable corporal punishment!" he continued, gesturing with his hands at the class. Y'know, when your best defense is 'It wasn't literally illegal', you have problems with your chosen path. "I gotta train these kids to kill you! That doesn't leave me a lot of time! I don't have the luxury of going easy on 'em!"

He leered at Korosensei, his face twisting in smug superiority. The face of someone who's above the law and knows it. "What, are you gonna attack me?" he demanded. "Over a dispute about educational philosophy? 'Cause if that's what this is, you just don't care for the way I teach!" Korosensei growled, veins bulging from his anger. He was probably half a second away from going pitch black.

But he couldn't do anything, despite the gasps of fear and shock from the rest of the class, and so he had to stand down. Takaoka nodded and turned to the rest of the class. "Alright, kids!" he said, clapping brightly. "First up is three sets of a hundred squats each!"

I gritted my teeth, but reluctantly stood up. Rebelling wouldn't do me any good while I had nothing to rebel with. Kanzaki and Maehara got back in place with their line, the poor girl shivering slightly and rubbing at her bruised cheek, and we got started. "One, two, three, four..." we started counting, doing the squats.

Somewhere around sixty or seventy I stopped paying actual attention to the numbers, and just listened to the sounds our words made and the motion of my body. It was less damaging that way; I didn't actually have to think. Which, in turn, freed up my attention for other, more important things, like watching Takaoka for any signs of weakness whatsoever.

Karasuma and Korosensei were sitting on the steps, talking quietly, but about what I had no real idea. Professor Bitch was standing at the top of the steps, watching us with her arms folded, but she wasn't going to be any help either. The groans of the students beside me were mixed with my own; my legs were on fire.

That was about when I noticed Takaoka grinning smugly, looking at Karasuma out of the corner of his eyes with dark satisfaction. Was that... I suppose it could be aimed toward Professor Bitch, or Korosensei, but I doubt he had any interaction with our teacher before that and if he were glaring at Professor Bitch she'd be looking a lot more than just irritated.

If I had to guess, Karasuma and Takaoka were from the same branch of the military - if only because they both referred to their bosses as HQ. I mean, they might not be from the same group, but they were both definitely military. Whatever his problem was, this was clearly his chance at getting even or whatever. His eyes widened and he leered, turning towards Karasuma more obviously, and I would have licked my lips if my tongue didn't feel like sandpaper. Seriously, all the moisture in my mouth was gone.

"Ugh..." Sugaya gasped. "This is seriously not funny..."

"Three hundred squats?" Okajima whined. "We're gonna freakin' die!" I couldn't see the two of them, since they were behind me, and I get the feeling Takaoka would take offense to me stopping to chat.

Kurahashi, though, was in front of me, and I could see her just fine. Which was why I had a front row seat to when she kneeled down and cried out, "Mr. Karasuma, please!"

A shadow fell over her. "Watch it," Takaoka told her, and she whimpered. Everyone stopped what they were doing and froze, staring at him. He cracked his knuckles. "Karasuma ain't part of our family, doll face. Someone needs a lesson." Kurahashi let out a terrified breath.

He was looming over Kurahashi, invading her personal space. I saw how frightened she was of him, how exhausted she had to be, and I saw red -

(Keiko!)

- and then just as he was preparing to strike her for her refusal to accept him, he stopped. He looked up.

I was standing just behind Kurahashi, the viper wrapped around me and pulsing with every heartbeat. "If you touch any of them again," I told him quietly, "I will kill you. I don't care what I will have to do, or what happens to me, you will be dead by my hands." They are mine to use and break as I see fit, not his.

"Nick..." Kurahashi gasped, scrambling out of the way.

"Let me repeat myself so that I can be sure I've gotten through that thick skull of yours," I said without any particular inflection to my voice. I didn't have the ability to let my voice deepen from the light tenor, but I still laced the words with the viper's hiss. "If you touch my classmates, you will die." My classmates. Mine.

It didn't really matter that the threat was bladeless. I couldn't actually follow through with my death threat – I was just a middle school kid, and he was a military-trained adult. The point was to challenge his authority and force him to respond.

Takaoka kept his smile plastered on his face as he licked his lips once. Then, without warning, one of his massive fists balled up and slammed into my stomach, lifting me off my feet and knocking me to the ground. "You kids just don't learn! When you stand up to Daddy, that makes him very angry!" That was fine... I could take the blows, Kurahashi couldn't.

I had expected some form of physical reprisal, and I'd managed to ride the blow enough to be able to stand back up. Still, my stomach muscles shrieked their protest. "I've always hated my father," I hissed, wincing slightly at the pain. "Why should this one be any different?" I spat at his feet.

Takaoka didn't reply, he just punched me again. This one took me in the chest, and I managed to turn slightly so that most of the force was translated to spinning rather than impact.

I struggled to my feet. "You hit like a girl!" I gasped out. I'm pretty sure it didn't matter what I said, so long as it was 'disrespectful', to use his terms. That time Takaoka's mask of geniality flickered and I'm pretty sure he aimed his next punch at my solar plexus. I tried to exhale, but my body couldn't take the punishment anymore and I collapsed to my knees, croaking with pain as I tried to get air through my battered diaphragm. I need to breathe, body, oxygen is necessary...

"I... was wrong..." I rasped between breaths, and Takaoka seemed inordinately pleased with himself. Well fuck him. "The girls... hit harder than you! No wonder... you couldn't... beat Mr. Karasuma!"

That wiped the smile off his face in a hurry.

It was a wild shot in the dark, but I'd seen how he looked so smugly at Karasuma - there was bad blood between them, and I'd placed my money on Karasuma. In retrospect, perhaps it hadn't been the best idea to break his self-control when he was in the middle of 'correcting his children'. In an instant, he was in a towering rage, and it was all directed straight at me.

Oh, fuck, this is gonna hurt...

I gritted my teeth as he balled his fist up and reared back. Still, I kept staring at him. I would not give him the pleasure of seeing me cower. I stared down the Gleam Eyes, you fucker. I won't turn away from you.

Which was why I was able to see Karasuma appear, catching Takaoka's fist in one hand. Takaoka's face, filled with rage and pleasure - what a creep - stayed the same, but I could see the way his eyes trembled.

"That's enough," Karasuma said simply, his hand tight around Takaoka's wrist. "If you hurt these kids, then you'll have to answer to me."

Okay, that was pretty cool.

I tried to get up, but I, well, couldn't. My body wouldn't let me sit up, let alone stand. Fortunately, Sugino and Nagisa were able to help me sit up and then help me limp away, despite the pain shooting through my stomach with every step. "Okay," I gasped in pain, "we're vertical. That's one step closer to mobile." My head swam for a moment and I exhaled to tighten my core as Nagisa supported me when my knees threatened to buckle. "I'm okay. I am okay."

"You're… really not…" he said.

"Bah..." I gasped out, before letting out a hacking cough. Ow...

"Ah, there it is," Takaoka said, grinning weakly. "I was wondering when you'd throw your chips in, old buddy! Heh!" He pulled away from Karasuma's grip and stood up. "What's the big deal?" he asked innocently, spreading his arms like he had no clue what was going on. "Who are you to criticize how I choose to teach? If this is somethin' you and me need to settle like men," he continued, turning to face Karasuma, "I'm up for the challenge. Just remember we're teachers, first," he said, grinning smugly at Karasuma. Karasuma just stared back impassively.

"Here's what I propose," Takaoka suggested. "Cherry-pick your star pupils out of the students you've trained by your methods." He walked past Karasuma, over towards his duffel bag. "Set 'em on me, and if their knife so much as grazes my aura, I'll concede that your way of training is superior to mine." He knelt down and unzipped the bag. "No fuss, no backpedaling, I'll pack it in and leave." My Bullshit Detectors are blaring right now.

The students, though, clearly needed to upgrade their own Bullshit Detectors, because they gasped with surprise and what sounded like faint hope.

"We won't be using these, though," Takaoka said suddenly, waving one of the floppy Anti-Korosensei knives in his hand. He tossed it behind him to a general gasp of shock from the watching students. "No, sir, we won't." He turned around suddenly, whipping something bright from the bag, and I frowned. He slammed the point of the knife down, piercing the Anti-Korosensei knife into the dirt. It was a shining piece, one clearly designed for cutting someone open. The edge was sharp, and the spine was serrated to assist in guarding against other knives - all in all, an excellent-looking blade. Takaoka's smile was wide and menacing, his eyes staring. "When the object is to kill a human being, you can't rely on toys!" His eyes were twitching. "So we'll be using the real McCoy!"

A real knife.

It's been a while since I've seen one. Huh... I wonder how Sugou's suffering these days? I haven't thought about that in forever. Though, right now I'm not sure if the warm feeling in my chest is from that or possibly internal bleeding.

Wait. He wants to use an actual knife? "This is ridiculous!" Karasuma shouted immediately. "These kids aren't prepared to take down a real human being and you know it!"

Takaoka rose to his full height, pulling the knife out of the ground and resting lightly on his shoulder. "Don't get all Concerned Citizen on me, they ain't gotta kill nothin'! Just come close. And I'll do ya a solid, by defending myself barehanded!"

As I saw Takaoka roll his eyes up and lick his lips, I recognized the trap for what it was. If Takaoka defeated the armed attacker with nothing but his bare hands, it would generate a sense of hopelessness in the watchers. 'Even with a blade, we can't beat him!' the subconscious thought would be whispering in our ears. If we lost, we'd lose permanently. I expected him to make an example out of the lucky student, pounding them into the ground brutally and without a hint of mercy. Instantly, he'd be on the top of the heap, even if we loathed him.

"What are you waiting for!" Takaoka called out mockingly. "Pick yourself a champion! Or save us both the headache and agree to let me run the show from now on!" He tossed the knife towards Karasuma, and it buried itself in the ground blade first. How do they always manage to do that?

As the class whispered to themselves, Karasuma just stared at the knife. After a brief moment of hesitation, he bent over and picked up the knife. Takaoka was just grinning easily, off to the side. I bet he was expecting this, and that was the reason he brought the knife with him. Karasuma looked over at the class, eyes scanning over everyone, and I swallowed. I couldn't read his face at all; it was like staring at a brick wall, for all the information he was giving me. Even as he walked forward, I couldn't tell if he was going to give the knife to me, to Isogai, to Okano or Kataoka... It was the crucial tipping point.

Karasuma stopped in front of his chosen student, and my eyes widened for an instant before they narrowed. "Nagisa," Karasuma said. "You're up."

...Why Nagisa? Why would he... Hm...

I think I might have an idea, though it's predicated on a heartless sacrifice of Nagisa - because even if Takaoka destroys Nagisa, the class won't be thoroughly broken. He's one of our weakest, after all…

As Nagisa jerked in surprise, the class muttered at Karasuma's bold and probably crazy decision. "Sir, are you kidding?" Sugino asked.

"In my eyes," Karasuma said, "we're all fellow soldiers on a mission to save Earth from destruction. Whatever our differences are, we share that goal." He didn't blink as he watched Nagisa. "The least you kids deserve for being put in this situation is my respect. I may not be much of a father figure, but I appreciate your dilemma. So if you don't feel comfortable," he said, "you don't have to take up the knife."

Silently and wide-eyed, Nagisa stared at the knife that Karasuma was holding out to him. "Our duty as teachers is to prepare you for life," Karasuma told him and the rest of us. "Not force you into it kicking and screaming."

I realized something, then. Karasuma always looked us in the eyes, no matter what. Granted, I never met his gaze - I didn't like meeting people's eyes, for whatever reason. Maybe it felt like they could read past my guard? - but he put forth the effort, regardless. It was the same with the other kids in the class; he always gave us the respect of fellow soldiers. Ah. That's why it felt so familiar. It was the same feeling as in Aincrad, whenever I stood up to give orders at a boss planning meeting. They weren't judging me or dismissing me based on my relative youth. I was being treated as an equal for my ability.

"Nagisa," I rasped suddenly as he stared at Karasuma. Both of them turned to look at me as I made my way to them; I was still a little light-headed, but I'd been able to rest for a few minutes. That would give me enough energy to handle fighting Takaoka. "If you don't want to do this, let me handle it, Mr. Karasuma. The trap won't work so well if he beats on someone already injured. Besides, real knife, Anti-Korosensei knife, it makes no difference to me. I... The choice is yours."

I'm pretty sure Karasuma knew exactly what that meant in terms of my life experience, judging by the brief flash in his eyes, but fuck it I don't even care at this point.

Nagisa looked at me, then at Karasuma. Then, silently, he reached out and grasped the handle of the knife. Kataoka and some of the other girls let out breaths of surprise as Nagisa lifted the blade, glancing in its shining reflection. "Thanks for offering, Nick," Nagisa told me. "But if Mr. Karasuma sees fit to hand me the knife, I'll trust his decision and take it."

I nodded slowly. "Alright, then." Without another word, I stepped back.

Nagisa glanced at the knife again, and his eyes narrowed. "I'm your guy," he said simply, biting the knife and stretching his arms out.

"Oh, come on, this twig?" Takaoka laughed. "Eyes must be going in your old age!"

Karasuma took Nagisa aside and started murmuring something to him. I wasn't sure what it was, but it had to be advice for the fight against Takaoka. "Do you think Nagisa will get anywhere near him?" Sugaya asked.

"I don't think so," Kimura said. "Guy's a pro! Hell, how would you do with a real knife?"

Beside me, Kayano let out a little sound of worry, and I nudged her with my elbow. "Kid'll be fine," I told her. "Worst comes to worst, Korosensei will stop Takaoka before he hurts Nagisa."

"You really think so?"

I just shrugged wordlessly, not replying. I save lies for when it's important.

Takaoka shrugged off his jacket and tossed it behind him. It was just him and his white polo shirt against Nagisa. "Ready when you are!" he called out, gesturing with one hand.

Nagisa dropped into a fighting stance with practice, and I could see the sick anticipation in Takaoka's wide manic smile. I mean, I knew exactly what he was expecting to happen; hells, I was expecting it myself. Any human, the first time they had to fight someone with a real weapon that could really kill, would freeze. Their reactions would slow down, they would tremble, and all that worry about what would happen if their target actually died would make them weaker by half. Against something like that, Takaoka would be able to easily defend the weak slashes and proceed to brutally beat Nagisa to the ground.

Takaoka was a sick bastard, that was for sure. I'm willing to bet that he's going to let Nagisa get a few swings in, just to show that even without countering he was untouchable. I would say he was like a cat playing with its meal, but I happen to like cats and don't want to associate them with him. So instead, I'll consider him a jackdaw, the asshole of the avian world. He'll play with Nagisa, give him false hope, and then grind it into the ground.

Nagisa tensed, and I saw him start to go pale. Is it dawning on him? Takaoka licked his lips.

What did Karasuma tell him? What was the secret that he told Nagisa? I had to know. "Sir," I whispered to Karasuma after I moved next to him. "What did you tell Nagisa?"

"I told him what he needed to do to win," he replied.

What he needed to do to win...? The win condition was, if I recall the braggart's words correctly, to just nick even his aura with the knife.

That's when it dawned on me. Takaoka was treating this like a battle. Like a fight. Hells, I'd been treating it the same. I'd been thinking Nagisa had to overcome the boss monster in front of him, fight it until its health reached zero.

But that wasn't the case. For Nagisa, this was an assassination. He didn't need to beat him.

He just needed to kill him.

Nagisa straightened up.

He smiled peacefully.

He walked towards Takaoka normally, the knife in his hands swinging by his side.

Takaoka just watched, confused by his actions.

Nagisa bumped into Takaoka's arm.

Silence.

...

…

And then Nagisa's bloodlust exploded as he tensed and swung the knife straight at Takaoka's neck without hesitating. That was the first time that Takaoka...

...seemed to realize...

...that he was about to be killed. He jerked his head back, eyes wide with panic as Nagisa's slash missed by maybe a hair. This was real. He was about to die. Nagisa's eyes were hard and remorseless. He was going to die. And nobody, not even me, can keep calm when they're forced to realize that. Takaoka stumbled slightly, off-balance from the last-second dodge he'd been forced to make, and Nagisa sprang forward. He tugged on Takaoka's shirt, gently helping Takaoka down; once the center of gravity had shifted backwards, he was felled by just a simple tug on his clothes.

He crashed to the ground, and I let out a sudden breath as the viper within me felt true kinship for the first time. My jaw dropped. But it made sense; Takaoka could block from the front no problem. That was why the python slithered behind him, attacking from the rear. Takaoka let out a shriek of fear as the python opened its jaws, ready to sink its teeth in -

- and I realized that Nagisa was sitting casually, legs clamped around Takaoka's waist. One hand was covering Takaoka's eyes, pulling his head back, and the other was holding the back of the knife to the exposed throat.

"Looks like I win," Nagisa said easily.

I stared. What...

We all stared. What the hell...

That wasn't... something you see every day. Son of a bitch... Nagisa has a talent for assassination. It was unreal. He strolled right up to the target with no care in the world; he hid his intent perfectly until the last second, springing the trap when he was barely centimeters away. That chill, earlier, when trying to tag Karasuma... That wasn't training for Nagisa. That was the bloodlust of a killer. He was genuinely assassinating Karasuma.

He's a natural-born assassin. What an amazing gift to have.

Nagisa jerked suddenly, eyes wide with uncertainty. "Oh, wait a second," he said. "Was I supposed to use the back of my knife?"

And just like that, the python was hidden again. I couldn't even...

"I'll take that, thank you." I looked over to see Korosensei pulling the knife away from Nagisa. Amusingly, that was about the time that Nagisa let Takaoka slump to the ground, the grown man frothing at the mouth and groaning. "Game, set, and match! Mr. Karasuma..." Karasuma jerked, torn from his thoughts. "Outrageous!" Korosensei declared, taking a literal bite out of the knife. "Giving one of my students a real knife?" He munched the rest of the blade away. "Have you lost your marbles!" Takaoka was still trembling in Nagisa's grip, his mind lost to terror. "He could have been hurt! Or worse!"

Nagisa chuckled sheepishly, and like a dam burst the rest of the class rushed towards him as he stood up and walked forward. As I joined them, I heard the entire class trying to say something at once, though Isogai saying, "Do you know what kind of a game-changer this is?!" was really the only thing I managed to parse out of the babbling.

"Easy, guys, let's not make a big deal out of it, okay?" Nagisa said. "I just did what Mr. Karasuma told me to, that's all."

Maehara approached the blue-haired kid silently. Then he slapped Nagisa for no reason, and I blinked, surprised. "Ow!" Nagisa complained, pressing a hand to his cheek. "What was that for?!"

"Sorry," Maehara apologized. "I, uh, needed to make sure that was you." The look of sheepish chagrin on Nagisa's face was priceless, and I let out a little chuckle. Maehara slung his arm around Nagisa after that, though, and said, "Sincerely, though, you're awesome! That whole ordeal was a total rush!"

Takaoka was sitting up now, breathing heavily.

"Well done, Nagisa," I told him. "Really."

A shadow loomed over me and Nagisa, and the look of sudden surprise and fear made me turn around. Takaoka was breathing heavily, like an enraged bull. I suddenly realized how tall the man was, especially when I was right in front of the guy like that. "You ungrateful punks!" he spat, his mask of geniality gone. "You think it's fun, shaming your father figure, huh?! Having the time of your lives pretending you've won?! Hope you had fun, because Daddy's about to rip you apart!" His eyes were bulging, and I'm pretty sure some of the veins had burst. "Mind! Body! And soul!"

Nagisa stepped up beside me, and I fell back, letting him have the floor. "Not gonna lie," he said. "If we went for a round two, I'd lose." There was something admirable in the way he admitted that. "But I'll tell you something. Whatever you do," he said, "you're not the boss of us. Mr. Karasuma is our P.E. teacher. That's all there is to it. When you try to be our dad, it just makes us feel like children. Mr. Karasuma may come off as all business, but he treats us as equals. He's approachable, he's cool... He's got nothing to prove. Thanks for trying," Nagisa bowed to Takaoka, "but he's the class dad."

Takaoka trembled with rage, eyes bulging from their sockets. His veins were visible, giving his eyes a pink tinge that made them look demented.

"Am I the class mom?" Professor Bitch asked us plaintively.

"You're the class bitch," Glasses... Shit, what's his name again? Oh yeah, Takebayashi... said, adjusting his glasses.

"You're dead, asshole," Professor Bitch growled.

Takaoka trembled, the whites of his eyes all but completely swallowed up by the blood. "I'm not going to just stand here and listen to some brat spoutin' off!" he roared. "Raaaaagh!" With an enraged shout, he lunged towards Nagisa, clearly intending on hurting my classmate. I tried to move, but I wasn't in time to do anything.

Mainly because Karasuma was already there, slamming his elbow into Takaoka's chin. It was insane, the speed with which he crossed the distance between where Korosensei was standing and Nagisa's side. What was more, the strength with which he'd slammed his elbow into Takaoka combined with Takaoka's own momentum was enough to flip Takaoka, all but making the larger man do a somersault and land flat on his back. I grinned, relieved. Karasuma had answered the faith Nagisa had placed in him.

Takaoka slammed into the ground with a groan, and Karasuma straightened up. "Sorry if my colleague's a bit too big for his britches," he said. "He's not in a position to threaten you. Don't give him another thought," he told us, turning to look at the class. "I'll negotiate with my superiors to put things back the way they were."

"Mr. Karasuma!" half the class chorused, grinning at him.

"Gah..." We all turned to look at Takaoka, who was trying to sit up. He was foaming at the mouth... "It's gonna take more than that to be done with me! You get this job over my dead bo-"

"That won't be necessary," a calm, crisp voice said.

We looked behind us to see Principal Asano calmly strolling down the steps. Unbidden, we split apart in order to let him through to Takaoka. "I trust you'll forgive the intrusion, everyone," he said as he kneeled by Takaoka. "I came to see our new hire in action." He reached and gripped Takaoka's jaw, prying it open with one hand while another dug in his jacket pocket. "And it must be said. Your methods are nothing short of a travesty."

I tensed up, sensing something coming from Principal Asano. It wasn't bloodlust, I knew that much - but it was strangely frightening. It was like... bugs, crawling over my skin. Centipedes. "Granted, fear is the engine of education." Skittering over every word. "But a teacher able to instill fear only through violence is nothing but a brute." A centipede skittered out of his words and into Takaoka's mouth, dangled there by the principal. "And I do not employ brutes."

"But-!" Takaoka tried to argue, but the centipedes were flowing into him. "I was only trying to-!"

"Your walking papers," Principal Asano told him, and I blinked. The papers were stuffed into his mouth, where I'd seen the centipedes. "The Ministry of Defense does not call the shots here," he continued as he walked away from Takaoka and from us, wiping at his hands with a handkerchief. "And I intend to keep it that way. This is my school and my school alone." He tossed the handkerchief to the side. "Remember that."

I smiled happily as I watched Takaoka shake and writhe on the ground. He seemed so terrified by the giant bug that President Asano had shoved into his mouth. Good, he deserved it for hurting my classmates.

...Hey, wait a minute! That diseased, self-important carbuncle of a Principal just stole our kill! He showed up and fired Takaoka to rob us of our victory and prove that he was the one in charge. What an asshole.

"Damn it... Damn it...!" Takaoka suddenly bolted upright and ran for the door, grabbing his bag as he went. "Damn it damn it damn it damn it!" The clouds finally passed, and the sun came out.

My eyes suddenly unfocused as a lance of pain spiked through my forehead, and I made a choked sound that might have been a stifled gasp had I been able to vocalize properly. My head felt like it was being split in two by an axe, with someone running a wood chipper in the background. Fuck fuck fuck this hurts it hurts it hurts it hurts... I whimpered, clutching at my head and trying to push it together. I was used to headaches - I had them all but literally constantly, to the point that I didn't even notice getting a headache most of the time - but this was beyond the boundaries of even my pain threshold.

Okay... My body is finally giving up and shutting down for now... Fucking Takaoka...

Ow, why is Kayano being so loud? She's asking me something, but I can't hear her over the ringing... I wish she'd speak quieter.

Oh. She's helping me stay upright. That's nice of her... I think I'm gonna... hng this hurts... let her help me.

I took a few deep breaths, trying to calm down. Headaches like this were likely caused by blood pressure being too high, so lowering my heart rate might help. After a few seconds, the ringing stopped and I let out a sigh of relief as the worst of the pain dulled to just every few seconds instead of constantly.

"The man got handed a pink slip?" Kimura asked, unbelievingly.

"Does that mean Mr. Karasuma is back to being our gym teacher again?" Okajima asked in the same tone of voice.

A beat of silence hovered over the class while we all parsed that. "Yeahhh!" the class celebrated, cheering loudly. I winced and tried to cover my ears without being too obvious about it. "Alright! Yeah!"

"Man, the principal can do something good every now and then," Sugino laughed.

"Y...yeah," Nagisa agreed carefully. "That's even scarier, though, if you think about it."

A few of the others drifted over to where Karasuma was standing next to Korosensei, and I followed. ...Was there a reason Korosensei had a blue flower in his teeth? "Mr. Karasuma, sir?" Nakamura asked. "We were wondering, since we kinda got your job back for you and all... Maybe we've got something in the way of a little thank you coming?"

"Yeah!" Kurahashi clapped her hands. "Mr. Takaoka would have given us a bunch of sweets for being so good!"

"Well now..." Karasuma grinned slightly. That's a rare sight. "I'm not much of a connoisseur," he said, brandishing his wallet. "I guess, you could buy yourse-"

"Yoink!" Professor Bitch snatched it from his grasp with an excellent grab.

"Yeah!" the class celebrated. I didn't, but only because sudden movements made my head pound.

"Sucker!" Professor Bitch laughed, pumping her fist in the air.

Korosensei wiggled his tentacles, blushing. "Surely I deserve some thanks too!"

"Oh yeah?" Yada asked. "For doing what?"

"You've pretty much been on the sidelines the whole time," Kimura told him.

Panicking, Korosensei started flailing his tentacles. "Au contraire, boys and girls! I was scrutinizing your plight in thoughtful silence in hopes of demonstrating to Mr. Karasuma the type of -"

"Whatever," Kurahashi said, wrapping her arms around one of Karasuma's. ...Is it mean to think that she probably needed both arms? "Let's go, class dad! We can show you all the places to buy sweet stuff!"

As Kurahashi chattered, I grinned, following the class as we all got ready to go get some sweets. I could get used to bribery like this. Yep. Karasuma for best gym teacher.

...Wait, what's that squishing, panting sound?

I looked back to see Korosensei low to the ground, almost horizontal really, creeping along on just two feet tentacles and the tips of his hand tentacles. "Gross!" Okano exclaimed. "Is that how he grovels?!"

"How badly does he want this stuff?!" Nakamura shouted.

Korosensei suddenly accelerated, dashing towards us as the girls screamed in surprise. "Please please please please please!" he babbled.

"You wanted to see me, sir?" I asked Karasuma. It was late the next day, after the others had gone home.

"How's your stomach?" he asked me.

I blinked and poked at my chest. It hurt where I'd been hit, but I was used to being in pain. "Fine. I guess I didn't really get hurt that bad, though it certainly felt like it at the time," I admitted.

"Hm..."

"So, what did you want?" I asked him. "Sorry if I'm rude, but I, uh, kinda need to get home and make my dinner."

Karasuma narrowed his eyes at that, but shook his head for some reason. "The reason I asked you out here was to have you try something," he told me. I raised an eyebrow. "I want you to try to kill me."

I blinked at him and then tilted my head. Then I blinked at him some more. "Come again?" I said finally.

"No fighting," he said. "Just one stroke."

"I..." I pulled out my knife from its sheathe and tilted it. "Is the Anti-Korosensei knife okay, then?"

"That's fine." Karasuma loosened his tie and got into a fighting stance. "Remember, don't try to fight me. Just kill me."

I nodded, and dropped into a fighting -

Wait. No. I don't want to do that. My bloodlust was blazing brightly, the viper wrapped around my body. It was hissing loud and clear, telling me how I should strike to move his guard, force him to block in certain ways. How to fight him.

But I didn't follow through with it. This wasn't a fight, it was an assassination. Instead, I carefully considered what Nagisa had felt like, when he was gliding up to Takaoka without a care in the world. He had been... entirely calm. Entirely natural - so much so, in fact, that he'd seemed to leave afterimages as he walked forward. Like my mind had been fooled into thinking that he had no intention of taking another step, and then he did anyway. He was calm.

I'd tried being calm before, but… There was something about the way Nagisa had acted, the way he felt like he couldn't possibly be a threat. When I tried to hide my bloodlust, it always surged and revealed itself, so how did Nagisa hide it?

…What if he didn't hide it? What if it was always there, just instead of hiding it, he owned it? It was him and he was the python and so I needed to be the viper-

Something clicked - snapped, almost - into place and between one heartbeat and the next the viper vanished.

It was a foreign feeling for me; the viper had been a constant companion ever since it'd been awoken in Aincrad. Always curled up deep within me when I wasn't using it - but this time was different. It was gone, not just locked up and hidden away under the surface. I knew I'd been leaking bloodlust, for want of a better description; I'd have been a fool to think otherwise. But now, it was... gone. Nothing was leaking.

So instead of lunging for the attack, I just walked forward, doing the same thing I'd seen Nagisa do. Walking towards Karasuma like I was just walking to school. Nothing was different. Nothing at all.

I took one step past Karasuma, and out of the corner of my eye I saw his eyes turn towards me, his head shifting just a bit.

The viper exploded out of me and I struck with a hiss, knife scything towards his stomach. From there, I just had to rip upwards until my knife pierced his heart.

Karasuma jerked in surprise as my knife tried to strike home, but unlike Takaoka he didn't panic and let his mind fall into confusion. Instead, he deflected the blade with a well-placed sweep of his hand, barely brushing my knife aside in time so that it scraped against his other arm instead of thrusting into his chest. He grabbed my arm and tugged, moving me off-balance, and when I stumbled, forced to move forward, his knee lifted upwards and pressed at my chest.

I'd lost.

"I see," Karasuma said quietly before he let me go, lowering his knee.

"Um... Did I pass?" I asked.

"It wasn't a test," he assured me. "Go on and go home."

"Yes sir," I said easily, sheathing my knife. As I walked away, I pondered the feeling I'd experienced for a few heartbeats. "Dear gods that felt strange," I murmured, staring speculatively at my hands. The viper was back in the pit of my stomach, where it always had been and where it always would be. "Hah... Guess I can't hide it for too long." It felt... like the viper had been there the entire time...? But how was that possible? It had been gone. It didn't have any hold on me. Still, the simple fact that I could eliminate my bloodlust, not just restrain it or distract it, even for only a few minutes?

That was a game changer. My plans would have to be modified to account for these new variables...

Oh, man, this chapter! I love this chapter! Nagisa versus Takaoka has to be one of my favorite moments in the manga/anime, and I hope I did it justice.

So yeah, anyway: Nagisa is a fucking badass, who would have thought, right? I was so excited when I saw that for the first time. I mean, here I was, writing this story where the main character's bloodlust was personified/described as a viper, and then all of the sudden this other character has the exact same thing only it's a python. That alone sold me on making the crossover happen eventually; I think I read this chapter of the manga right about the time I was working on the last chapter of the first Nightblade. Some of you might have recognized a throwaway description line as coming from/being inspired by this series. I think that Assassination Classroom is what gave me the idea for describing his bloodlust as a snake in the first place, so in a way we've come full circle. (Also I just realized that the way I write it, Nick's bloodlust is like his Stand. Ooh, what's a good name for the Stand? I don't know music… Snake Eater is a good option, as is Cat Scratch Fever.)

The reason for Karasuma's challenge at the end? Remember what Nick said to him and Nagisa at the crucial moment the day before. He basically admitted that he'd used a real knife before with intent to kill - and implied that it was successful. It should make sense from there… I don't want to just come right out and say it, because that defeats the purpose of not expositing it in the story, but there should be enough room to read between the lines.

Fun fact: the original draft had Nick finding a second knife in Takaoka's bag and then holding Takaoka at knifepoint right before Nagisa gave his speech about Karasuma being the dad, but I decided to scrap it. One, because I was already going to have Nick turn off his bloodlust when trying to assassinate Karasuma and could switch the discovery to there, and two, because it just struck me as 'Oh guys look at how amazing my OC is guys he's so cool and edgy right right right?' and I will avoid that like the plague if I ever realize it. So I just shifted the discovery to the Karasuma fight and scrapped anything involving Takaoka and Nick fighting beyond when Nick stood up to him.

(also like one or two line stealth-edit a few days after this was posted to make it clear why Nick thinks he's standing up to Takaoka (the (italics in parenthesis) are subconscious motivations))

Many thanks to everyone that favorited, followed, or reviewed.