So…I still don't own Harry Potter or Assassination Classroom.
…
After tying the assassin up (Karuma stuck wasabi and hot mustard up his nose), they continued on their way down the hall.
In order to get to the next level, they had to unlock the door in the VIP section. The girls went in to do this while the boys stayed behind and moved around to the door.
It was five minutes in when the door clicked open and they moved through to the next level.
The next set of stairs was a little more problematic. It was being guarded by a bunch of thugs.
Terasaka had come up with a plan this time. He'd brought a pair of stun guns with him. Kimura provided a distraction and upon Karuma's advice, taunted them into chasing him. When they reached the corner they were hiding behind, they were knocked out by the stun guns.
They had guns on them. Terasaka handed the two over to Hayami and Chiba, their class's best shooters. They looked nervous holding real guns in their hands.
They had to pass through a hall to get to the staircase. It was like an auditorium. When the sound of unknown footsteps came from the opposite direction, they all hid behind the folding concert chairs.
The guy who walked in…did he have a gun in his mouth?
Harry didn't know how he could do that. Maybe he was crazy. His eyes were staring off in two different directions. He had a sharp nose and thin eyebrows giving him a hawkish look.
He knew they were there.
The man shot his gun in the air,
"Just so you know, this hall is completely soundproof. I'll fill you with lead before anyone comes to save you." He twirled the gun around in his hand, "You know that none of you has the power to take a life. Now come out like good little children and bow before the boss –"
BANG!
Hayami had fired a bullet at him. She missed though. Obviously, she was too shaken to actually aim properly. Harry had seen her fire before, shooting this guy, or shooting the gun out of his hand should be easy.
It definitely gave the man pause though.
Suddenly, lights flickered on behind him.
It would be tough to aim through all that. Harry grimaced, trying to come up with a solution. He could think of one.
He tossed something carelessly onto the floor (the light switch maybe?).
"It seems like this is a job I can sink my teeth into."
Harry waved his wand. He would have to cast silently for the spell to work…It didn't the first time. He gritted his teeth and tried again and again.
Finally, the spell took. A snake came out of the wand.
Harry started to his as low as he could. The snake understood him and slithered off.
Snakes were hard to see and once they were on stage, they'd be even tougher to see in that light. He was going to use this man's camouflage to his advantage.
More…he needed more.
More snakes and then…
"Feeling fine today!" He shouted, then fired at one of the students.
He was skilled, Harry thought, noting how he fired between one of the far-off seats, right between the gap. He'd been aiming for that.
However, Harry thought, eyes narrowed. If he wanted to do this properly, like he was assassinating Koro-sensei, he needed to create a double threat.
He reached into his pocket, pulling out the anti-sensei gun.
He could modify the BB a bit. Just a bit with transfiguration and…Silent casting was giving him a headache. He managed it though. It took him only three attempts this time.
That man wasn't looking at him now. Hayami had provided him with a distraction of course, drawing attention to where she was.
Harry took aim…and then he shot!
The gunman shot towards him,
"Ha! Where do you think you're aim –" he was suddenly hit by the lights from the ceiling.
Harry smirked. He'd been aiming for the brackets.
The rest of the BBs weren't as hard…but they were good enough to pop out a few lights. He aimed for the stage, popping out the individual lights as fast as he could and then…
The man let out a scream.
The lights turned on. Harry had the switch in his hand. As their eyes adjusted, they could see the assassin on the floor. Snakes were coiled around his legs, one of them had bitten him.
"Harry!" They all rushed towards him.
"How did you…" Karasuma wondered.
Harry smiled,
"I shot with the BB-gun." Harry explained, "They aren't the strongest thing ever, but I noticed the brackets looked like they'd been weekend so…I guess I was just lucky."
"And…the snake?" Kaede asked him warily.
"I took a friend with me from home. Just in case." Harry lied, "This type of snake won't kill a person, but they can paralyze them for a while. I took out the lights because it would take his eyes longer to adjust and my friend could get onto the stage and bite him. Clever, huh?"
They all nodded, once again surprised by Harry's ability to strategize.
"You came up with all that on the spot?" Karasuma wondered.
"Yeah." Harry paused.
Thinking back a bit…when he had been at Hogwarts, hell before this whole thing had started, he probably wouldn't have been able to come up with something like that right away like that.
It used to take him much longer to come up with assassination strategies, but now…
Karasuma appeared behind a corner, wrapping the guard in a sleeper hold.
"It seems I'm back." He said, "However…I'm still only at about half-strength."
"Still better than any of us." Isogai murmured.
Very true, Harry thought. Even if they were stronger now, Harry knew he couldn't beat Karasuma in a fight.
"Everyone." Koro-sensei said, "I've come to realize something about our mastermind."
They all turned to him.
"He's using assassins all wrong. I mean, bodyguards? Waiting around like they've been doing? That's not how assassins work. If their potential had been used to the fullest, they would have been fearsome indeed."
"Yeah." Chiba looked down, "The gunman's technique wasn't even a centimetre off mark."
"And Karuma-kun," Koro-sensei continued, "Had that assassin snuck up behind you and attacked, you would be dead any other day."
Karuma gave a pensive look that looked out of place on his face,
"That's true." He agreed.
"So, our mastermind isn't an assassin after all." Karasuma said as though he'd suspected this all along, "Time to assign roles to all of you…"
….
0000000000000000
…..
They walked up the last flight of stairs and then…they began to move silently, not making a single sound.
Namba was a technique that ninjas were said to have used. It was a silent type of walking.
At the front of the room was a chair. A red switch was on the desk and a metal case hooked up with explosives was beside the chair.
Harry paused. This didn't feel right somehow.
Karasuma made hand signals, telling them where to move. He moved his gun to point near where the detonator was, ready to shoot if he reached over.
"Itchy." A male voice spoke, causing them all to freeze, "The very memory makes me itchy."
And indeed, the sound of scratching accompanied his words.
That voice was familiar, Harry thought.
"But maybe that's why my senses have grown keener. Because my scratches are always exposed to the air. A bunch of remotes were tossed up in the air. Hey looked identical to the switch on the desk.
Some of them gasped out in shock.
"Didn't I tell you? I've come to kill a Mach-twenty monster. I've brought spare detonators in case one was snatched away at high speed. I have more than enough to press any one of them if I should fall."
That was worrying…and a bit paranoid. But then again, one needed to be a bit paranoid to fight Koro-sensei.
"Of the people I couldn't reach there were three assassins and one other." Karasuma spoke up.
Ah, so he knew who this man was, Harry thought. Which meant…there was only one person the mastermind could be.
"An insider who vanished with Ministry of Defense, Secret Service funds and the assassination budget."
The mystery man stood up.
"Just what do you think you're doing, Takaoka!?" Karasuma demanded angrily.
He looked thinner than before. More muscled his face was covered in scratches and scars. He had a twisted smile on his face,
"Just what do you think you're doing, kids? That's not how your good old dad raised you."
He was insane, Harry thought. Well, he'd been insane before.
Now it all made sense. He wanted to get back at Harry, most likely, for defying him and getting him fired.
"Oh well." He scratched the side of his face, "I'll just have to give you some summertime torturing."
"Takaoka…sensei?" Nagisa whispered, disbelievingly.
Takaoka picked up the briefcase, the remote to detonate it was in his other hand.
"Shall we go up to the roof?" He said, and it was more a demand than a suggestion, "I've got something all prepared for my precious students. You'll follow me up there, right? After all, the rest of your class is alive only thanks to my benevolence."
With little other choice, they started to follow him up to the rooftop.
"Hiring assassins, poisoning the students, have you gone mad?" Karasuma spoke as they followed after him.
Well, of course, he had, Harry thought privately.
"Now, now." Takaoka spoke, turning to face them, "I am exceedingly sane. This plan of mine will save the world. If only you'd sent Potter-kun to bring me the one with the bounty, my assassination plan would have gone off without a hitch. See, I would have submerged Potter-kun in the bathtub full of anti-sensei BBs then buried them underground in cement. For him to get out of there without touching any of them…well, he'd have to blow the lot to smithereens, including his student. But he cares far too much for his students to do anything like that. So, I figured he'd just do me a favour and melt away without a fight."
Some of them gasped, horrified at what he'd planned.
Harry wasn't too surprised though. He'd heard of worse.
"It gave me a scare though when you all came here together, but it doesn't much change what I have to do. My mood will determine how many of you leave here alive."
Koro-sensei had turned bright red,
"Do you really think you can get away with that?"
"Oh, I'd say it's far more humane than how you've treated me." The man gritted his teeth and started scratching the side of his face again, "Those humiliating glances…and that trick you pulled on me with the knife. Whenever they cross my mind, my face gets so itchy I can't even sleep at night! I'll take back my humiliation I suffered and pay it back in spades! And you're first on my list!" He pointed to Harry, "Potter Harry! I'll never forgive you for spoiling my future!"
"Eh~" Karuma stepped forward, "So, you want Harry-kun so that you can settle the score? Would it make you happy? Beating someone smaller than you? I could show you a much better time."
Why did Karuma have to taunt everyone? Harry wondered.
"You're nuts." Terasaka stepped forward. Sweat was dripping down his forehead, "You lost to Harry according to your own damn rules. Listen! Whether you'd won or lost back then, we'd have still hated your guts!"
Takaoka exploded,
"I don't recall asking you little shits for your opinions!"
Harry took a step forward,
"You're a bully." Harry said firmly, "I told you before, all bullies are the same to me. They're cowardly and can only get ahead when they've beaten everyone else down."
They all looked over at him. Harry's eyes narrowed,
"I bruised your pride when I beat you. Fact is, there's always someone better out there. It depends on how you deal with your losses that matter. If you take it as a lesson to improve yourself, you'll grow stronger. If you decide to lash out and blame the world, you'll only find yourself stuck in one place, watching as everyone else moves on without you."
"Don't fucking forget that I could blow half of you up if it comes to it!" He yelled, finger on the red button.
"You! Potter! Come with me up to the heliport. Alone."
Shit, Harry thought. This was happening. And if he didn't go then…
"Harry-kun." Kaede said, distressed.
"It's fine." Harry said, walking towards the metal staircase, "He's so agitated right now that who knows what he'll do."
"Hurry up!" He barked from the staircase up.
Harry turned back to him and decided to step up,
"I'll just have to see if I can talk him down first."
He made his way up the staircase, the others followed after him. Harry walked on the helicopter pad alone thought. All the lights were on him.
It felt like everything he'd gone though until now, all the fights he'd had, all the training, it had all been leading up to this moment here.
There was a knife on the ground. It had obviously been left there for him.
Just like their last fight, Harry thought.
Takaoka reached into his blazer.
"Takaoka!" Karasuma had his gun on him automatically.
"Oops! Don't get the wrong idea. I don't want anyone interrupting my private time with Potter Harry-kun."
BOOM BOOM!
Two explosions detonated the staircase to the helicopter pad. Harry was all alone now with Takaoka.
"There." Takaoka tossed the detonator over his shoulder, "Now no one can interrupt us."
What was the plan here?" Harry looked around, trying to find something he could use to his advantage. He still had his wand tucked up his sleeve. He had the anti-sensei BB gun in his pocket…and then there was the knife, still laying on the ground.
There were lights surrounding him…if he blew those out then that might be able to confuse him for a moment, like before. How many BBs did he have left in his clip?
Not enough. He'd used up most of them before when he'd made that trap for Koro-sensei.
About three shots. Should he use them?
"Do you understand what I'm trying to do?" Takaoka grabbed Harry's attention, "This is a rematch of our previous fight."
"Yeah." Harry said, "I get it."
His eyes traveled over to the briefcase momentarily.
"You don't need the briefcase anymore." Harry said, "You've got me where you want me, right? I'll fight you, so."
"Ah, ah, ah." Takaoka wiggled his finger at him, "If you want the briefcase, I want to see you on your hands and knees. I want you to apologise for pulling such a dirty sneak attack, because you have no real skill."
Harry's eyes traveled to the briefcase, then back over at his classmates, over at Terasaka. He didn't look like he'd be able to hold on for much longer.
He didn't want to bow. It went against every fiber of his being, but…
Harry hid away his anger and got on his knees.
"Oy, oy, I don't see you on your hands, you dirty brat!"
Harry bit his lower lip, then leaned forward, hands touching the cold cement.
"I'm sorry, Takaoka-sensei." He said carefully, not allowing a single hint of emotion enter his voice, "I pulled a dirty trick to win our last match…because I have no talent or real skill to speak of."
"Finally, you're speaking from the heart." He put his boot on Harry's head, forcing it to touch the ground.
Harry gritted his teeth, glaring downwards. This way, he couldn't see just how scary his gaze had gotten.
He finally backed away,
"Now doesn't that feel better? Confessing everything to your dear ol' dad?"
Harry said nothing.
"Well, now that that's out of the way. He tossed the briefcase and then…
BOOM!
Harry's eyes widened as shrapnel fell around him.
No…His eyes traveled back over to the other members of the assassination classroom.
Shit.
And then…he started to laugh. He laughed and laughed…and laughed some more. In that moment, Harry had never hated anyone more in his life, not even the man who had murdered his own parents could compare.
Crack!
Harry's foot met Takaoka's face. The man was pushed back a bit, surprised by the attack.
"Potter Harry." Harry said, "Thirteen years old. No…I guess I'm fourteen now, actually." He'd forgotten his birthday… "I've been fighting assassins my whole life. Ever since I was little. At eleven…I killed my first assassin. I burned him alive."
Everyone had gone silent, all eyes were on Harry.
"Even though it might have been in self-defence, I'm still a killer. The year before this one, there were five attempts on my life and you know what?" Harry's eyes blazed, "You don't compare to any of those people that tried to kill me. Not even a little. In a fight, there are no rules. I wanted to end the last battle quickly…but you've just pissed me off."
Takaoka lunged for him. Harry was hit three times, but blocked some of them. He didn't even wince when the punches hit.
"Nani?" Takaoka wondered, then growled, "Why are you not going down, you fucking brat!?"
He hit Harry in the ribs, the stomach.
But Harry was used to punches. He was used to taking beatings. He punched him in turn. For every three punches he hit Harry with, Harry was getting in one.
The fight went on…and on.
"What…he's not going down." Kaede whispered.
"Even though he's been hit more times than I can count…" Yada whispered.
Karasuma's eyes widened and he thought back a moment to all the training Harry had had. He thought back to the time Harry had taken that punch that had been intended for another student.
"Could it be that Potter-kun…has a high tolerance for pain?" he whispered.
Koro-sensei's eyes narrowed,
"That boy has obviously been through a lot. We know he's been a target most of his life…but none of us ever asked him if he was ever caught by someone at some point."
"You mean…torture?" Karasuma whispered.
"He has an unusually high endurance too. I noticed it before." Koro-sensei watched the fight with narrowed eyes.
Harry didn't have a plan. He wondered if maybe this was what people meant when they said 'blind with rage.'
He just kept hitting and punching with all his strength. He felt his bones crack, but he ignored it. He'd gotten worse punches than these. He'd broken his bones a million times before. He'd received a billion punches before.
Every hit and punch Vernon and Dudley had dealt him. All the hits he'd received from Dudley's friends when he'd been unable to fight back…
More punches, but Harry managed to block more of them now. Either he was getting better or Takaoka was getting more tired.
Or maybe it was a combination of the two.
Harry brought his elbow down on his shoulder hard. He then pulled him down and kneed him in the stomach.
Harry was panting, he was catching up to Takaoka at a snail's pace.
"He's learning." Koro-sensei observed out loud.
"He's keeping up with his punches." Karasuma agreed, "But isn't that just because he's tiring out."
"No." Koro-sensei shook his head, "You should be able to see it, Karasuma, his eyes are moving faster. He's predicting what he's about to do. But this is surprising. A fight this long…and Potter-kun hasn't slowed down even slightly. His blocks are firmer. His stance is shifting more sharper that before. His hits are more efficient."
It was true. They could all see it now.
Harry spat out blood and continued fighting as though he couldn't feel any of his injuries at all. Nearly every inch of his skin was bruised.
This, Harry thought, dodging a far weaker punch and grabbing Takaoka's arm, isn't even close to the feeling I got from the basilisk venom coursing through my veigns.
He brought his elbow down on Takaoka's arm.
The man let out a scream when Harry heard a resounding Snap!
Harry's eyes zoned in on his next target. He grabbed his head and then cracked it against his own.
They both fell backwards.
Harry got up, wincing slightly at the reverberating pain in his head. Takaoka wasn't getting up though.
Harry stood once again.
"D-did it." He stuttered out, feeling his exhaustion getting to him.
The air was silent.
"Holy shit." Someone said with awe.
Harry turned to look at them and gave a smile. He knew he must look like shit, but…
It didn't take them too long to make their way onto the landing.
Karasuma started looking Harry over right away, trying to fix him up as best he can and noting the broken rib.
"Why did you fight him like that?" Karasuma asked Harry curiously, "You didn't fight him like you usually do…"
"No. I didn't." Harry agreed. He looked down at the knife. The knife he hadn't picked up, "To be honest…I didn't trust myself to come up with a plan."
Karasuma raised an eyebrow.
"Because, I knew that if I started planning, I'd start trying to find ways to kill him." Harry paused, "I have no qualms over killing people who want to hurt me or other people. I've done it before, after all, and I knew what I was doing when I did it. But…I couldn't kill him in front of my classmates. They haven't been…they haven't seen what I've seen or had to do what I've had to do. I didn't want them to see that world just yet…So I decided to embrace my anger entirely and not think at all. I figured…I could probably take him if I really wanted to."
Karasuma looked him over curiously. He hadn't been expecting that.
"Besides," Harry gave him a weak smile, "I still want to get stronger…so that, maybe one day, I can take down the people that are after me once and for all. I don't want anyone else to be orphaned like me. No one else should have to live like me…" His eyes closed and he fell forward.
"Potter-kun!" Karasuma caught him, eyes wide.