"The main campus sure is getting hyped about this year's festival," stated Isogai, half-amused. He was standing at the front of the classroom along with Takaoka—the two Class Representatives. "Probably figure we're up to something, even if we can't win."
"I heard that this Asano guy actually contracted with a restaurant, of all things," remarked Sugino, clicking his tongue.
"I wouldn't put it past him," snorted bitterly Rio.
"We'll just have to go for the win," announced simply Korosensei. "This match will likely hinge on a compilation of everything but assassination and studying."
"I really don't want to lose to the A-Class… but what can we do?" wondered Kimura.
"Asano-kun is right—you have to tap into that sense of getting a bargain. If you can use a tight budget to make something of greater value, the customers will come. Now, everyone, the answers are all around you!" exclaimed cheerfully their octopus teacher. "The value of the E-Class here lies in this, this, this, and this!" He alternatively showed them plants, weeds, fishes, and wild mushrooms. "These ingredients are like you: hidden in the mountains where no one notices their efforts!"
"So we attack our customers with hidden weapons!" understood Terasaka, grinning. "Makes for a pretty assassin-y restaurant!"
"Exactly," nodded Korosensei, his grin widening. "Now, to sell these blades like you're going in for the kill…"
.
.
Ame had never participated in a School Festival before. She had never been particularly interested to begin with, and she had better things to do. So, more often than not, she skipped the whole week altogether, to avoid both the preparations and the event. However, this year was different, seeing as she was now a member of the E-Class—and, most importantly, she had the opportunity to really use her skills in a fun and useful way!
"Over there!"
"Got it!"
"Be careful!"
After working their asses off for an entire week, they had finally managed to create an event worthy of the Kunugigaoka School Festival, which had gained renown nationwide. They had put in place the "Acorn Café", using the very resources of the mountain to create cheap, simple, and delicious meals. Sugaya had created posters and pamphlets, Okajima had taken pictures of the food for the menu, Hazama had written the description of each item, and Mimura had even created a special website.
Everyone worked in shifts in order to facilitate the work that had to be done, and Ame was a member of the team in charge of gathering the food. Running throughout the forest and scavenging the entire mountain was a new and surprisingly fun experience, and she was having a great time doing parkour competitions with the others while she was at it.
"Isogai-kun, Kurahashi and I are heading back to the café to bring in our haul!" she called out, lifting two bags filled to the brim with wild mushrooms. "We'll be back soon!"
"Understood!"
Exchanging a smile, the two girls then started climbing back the mountain, using the main trail. Thanks to their continued training, the students of the E-Class were no longer struggling when it came to going to class or returning home, thankfully enough. As they were making their way back to the café, though, a group of five love-struck teenagers appeared in the distance, running like wild beasts in heat. Ame and Kurahashi stepped aside in order to let them pass, but the group stopped abruptly before them, their apparent leader facing Ame.
Wait, that guy's familiar…
"Oi, you! You're the girl from Kyoto!" he exclaimed accusingly.
Kyoto? What does he—oh. OH!
"And you are the thugs I beat up for trying to violate my friends," she scowled, glaring. "Look, if you came here to cause more trouble—"
"PLEASE TEACH US, SEMPAI!"
At once, all five boys dropped to the ground and bowed their heads. Ame could only gawk, genuinely taken aback by the unexpected turn of situation, and it took her a few seconds to muster the strength to speak.
"Erm, what?"
"You're too strong!" exclaimed one of the guys, keeping his head down.
"You're awesome, sempai!" added another one.
"Please teach us to fight like you!" pleaded the leader.
She stared at them for a moment, unsure of what to do. She exchanged a glance with Kurahashi, who simply shrugged, not having an answer either. Heaving out a sigh, Ame nudged the leader with her foot.
"Get up, it's embarrassing," she grunted. "And I won't teach you—I have better things to do than teach some thugs how to beat up people weaker than them." Their shoulders instantly slumped in disappointment, and she smirked. "Tell you what, though. If you get us more customers, I might think about it."
They all instantly jumped to their feet and, offering her a military salute, they then took off, running down the mountain once again. Ame and Kurahashi watched them leave for a few seconds before Ame snorted.
"Talk about weird. Hopefully, we won't get more customers like those."
"Maa, maa. I'm sure it won't be too bad," chuckled Kurahashi.
Spoken too soon, thought the two girls once they reached the top.
There were already many more customers than they expected, and they were all close acquaintances or familiar faces. On one side, there were the kids from that poor school the E-Class had rebuilt, along with the kids from the orphanage and Ame's grandmother. On the other side, there were all fifteen members of the Zodiac (they were all wearing their masks, and were passing off as a group of cosplayers, of all things), along with Lovro, the three assassins they had fought in the Citadel, and—
Wait, aren't those guys assassins who came after my head!?
This was edging too close to insanity to be real. Giving her bag to Kurahashi so she'd deliver everything to the kitchens, she instantly marched over to the tables in the back, which were now occupied by none other than her former foes.
"What the fuck are you guys doing here?" she asked flatly, though there was a touch of hysteria in her tone.
"Well, we heard the food was delicious," shrugged James, slurping down his acorn noodles.
"And since we're short on money, we weren't about to deny a cheap meal," added Nighteye, glaring a bit at her.
"You finally got your name off the Dark List, uh?" mused the one-eyed woman who had attacked her at the summer festival a few weeks back. "Congratulations."
"You guys tried to kill me." The three assassins exchanged glances, and shrugged. Ame groaned, feeling a headache growing. "Ugh, whatever. Just don't cause any trouble."
The two men who had almost succeeded in killing her, back when a price had just been placed on her head, and the woman who had threatened an entire crowd of civilians in order to force Ame to stay still as she tried to assassinate her—what a lovely trio, really. And yet, now that everything had been said and done, they were no longer enemies and, to be frank, she didn't hold a grudge anyway—she was well-placed to know that a job was a job, after all, and she wasn't in any position to judge.
Though, no way am I getting friendly with these guys.
Deciding to leave them be, she found her way toward another interesting trio: Gastro, Grip, and Smog. Frankly, she hadn't expected to run into them so soon after parting ways, but it would seem that their class had a knack for attracting dangerous attention.
"Are you guys here to enjoy the food, or are you here to cause trouble?" she asked, straight to the point.
"We came for you, actually," replied Smog, clearly enjoying the dish before him.
"Sorry to disappoint, but I don't have a bounty anymore."
Gastro pointed his sauce-covered gun at her. "Nan, not for that. Heard all about the Zodiac's golden girl, and thought it'd be a good idea to secure an early partnership."
"… what?"
Grip handed her a small folded paper. "Our private numbers, hm. As future Leader, contacts and connections are important. Keep these close, hm."
"But how- how do you even know about that?" she protested, about to tear her hair out.
"Word is spreading fast in the Underworld," shrugged Smog. "With the Zodiac's direct interference in the affairs of Coup de Grâce, followed by the disbandment of the terrorist group, the anonymity you guys worked under was completely blown."
"If you speak to the right people, you can find out a lot of things, girlie," added Gastro, returning to his food. "It won't take long before the entire Underworld discovers the identity of the future Leader of the Zodiac—we just acted faster."
"Currying favor before the race even starts, uh?" she sweatdropped, tucking the paper away. "But thanks, I guess. Don't die."
"Same to you, hm."
Leaving this overly bizarre encounter behind, Ame made her way toward the Zodiac's table instead. She had expected Hana and Usagi to show up, maybe Isana and Uma if they were around, but certainly not the entire group.
"Do I even want to know?" she simply asked, coming to stand beside Saru.
"Well, we've concluded the collective business at last, so everyone is going back to their individual schedule," explained Isana, smiling a bit. "We just thought that one last dinner all together couldn't hurt."
"And we wanted to see you wearing a cute apron too—ack!"
Uma's face was shoved into his bowl of noodles by Karasu, who scowled. "Creep."
"Kara-chan!" whined the man, spluttering a bit.
"It's as Isana said," nodded Ryu, smiling a bit. "I'll be leaving early in the morning with Samon and Feitan, so we wanted to say goodbye before disappearing."
"Tche, speak for yourself," grunted Ondori, averting his eyes. "It's not as if I'll miss the brat."
Usagi coughed loudly. "Says the guy who freaked out the most upon learning she had been kidnapped."
"I did not—!"
"Children, enough, you're causing a scene," sighed Hana, shaking her head.
"Ame, you should charge more for the side dishes," pointed out Devit, clicking his tongue as he checked the menu. "The food's good—own it and make people pay more."
"Can you think about anything other than money?" sweatdropped Buta.
"Says the guy who just can't shut up about his wife," retorted snappily Devit.
"You're just jealous 'cause you don't have anyone, little brat!"
"It's a wonder that woman never left you, you're even uglier now that you're going bald!"
"Take that back you little—"
"Buta, Ratto, shut up," ordered flatly Same, his usually blank expression appearing a tad annoyed. "Your pointless argument is making the flavor go sour."
"Now, now, let's not add oil to the fire," suggested Buru, chuckling nervously.
"I wasn't worried!"
"—and my wife is the greatest—"
"You're lying, you damn—"
"—but I like my money!"
"Kara-chan!"
"Stop it, you dumb horse!"
The entire table was now causing quite a ruckus, arguments growing louder left and right as the more composed members of the group attempted to calm them down, in vain. As for Saru, well, he just started laughing, greatly entertained by his rowdy crew.
"Ah, we're the greatest," he sighed happily, then glance at their doctor. "Admit it, you love us."
"You're all annoying and I hate you," replied bluntly Yagi.
It was now Saru and Yagi's turn to start their own argument.
"Does this… happen often…?" asked hesitantly a purple-haired man, who wasn't used to being around such friendly people.
"You get used to it," shrugged Red Eye, offering him a glass. "More juice?"
"Oh, Keigo!" beamed Ame, coming to stand beside the two. "It's good to see you joining us. How's the new ring?"
"Painful," he admitted simply, making her chuckle. He then offered her a small smile. "But I think… I think I can get used to this—all of this."
"Good for you," replied Ame, honest. She patted his shoulder. "Anyway, I gotta go. Welcome to the Zodiac, Inu!"
The former member of Coup de Grâce, formerly known as Azrael, had been granted the empty seat of the Dog and, though there was now some serious paranoia hanging to the name, Ame wasn't all too worried.
After all, third time's the charm, right?
But as quickly as her mood had risen, it plummeted completely when another bunch of overly familiar faces showed itself. She quickly joined the rest of the students that had gathered near the entrance, unsure of what to do or say.
"You can't be serious," sweatdropped Sugino.
"Should we make them leave?" wondered Takaoka, worried.
"Would we even be able to?" replied Kayano, biting her lower lip.
"I'm sure I can figure something out," smirked Karma.
"Calm down, guys," called out Ame, shaking her head. "I've got this."
"Be careful!" warned Kanzaki, frowning.
Nodding, Ame then walked up to the group of colorfully-haired people. As soon as they noticed her, they stopped looking around like lost puppies and straightened up.
"Let me guess: you came for the cheap food?" she sighed, too overwhelmed to properly deal with the insanity of the situation.
"Got it in one," smirked Michael, hands shoved in his pockets. "Still have a table free?"
"Have enough money to pay for it? We don't tolerate dine'n'dashes here," she replied flatly.
"We emptied Tanaka Sho's account in order to facilitate our exile," stated simply Ariel.
"Fair enough. Follow me."
On which Ame found herself guiding the ex-members of Coup de Grâce toward a free table, conveniently just next to the Zodiac's. However, both groups completely ignored each other—right now, they were here to enjoy a nice afternoon with some cheap and delicious food, and yesterday's war was already a dead and buried matter for everyone.
"Nice place you got here," mused Jophiel, glancing around. "Both the café and the school—perfect place to train assassins, uh?"
"Please don't mention our extracurricular activities right out in the open with so many civilians nearby," groaned Ame, handing them a bunch of menus.
"You say that, but the amount of assassins in this café has long since surpassed that of civilians," snorted Gabrielle, shaking her head. "About ninety percent of your current clientele is from the Underworld."
"One more reason to try and not attract attention, then," deadpanned Ame, crossing her arms over her chest. "Even in the Underworld, terrorists aren't all that well-liked."
"Coup de Grâce is no more. Right now, we're merely unemployed citizens," stated plainly Raphael, though he was glancing around in a rather nervous manner.
"Right. Well, do whatever you want—so long as you don't get involved in our business again," she warned.
"Maa, maa, why not be friends?" grinned Chamuel. "We can—"
"My katana is in the classroom and I will not hesitate to use it again."
Chamuel made the wise decision to shut up and, unable to stand any more of this madness, Ame returned to her friends' side at once. After assuring them that they didn't have anything to worry and that their former foes were, in fact, merely here to enjoy the food, the other students settled down and returned to their business.
And to think this is only the first day… Though, if we want things to work out, we'll need some actual publicity in order to attract the general public's eye…
"Hey, guys!" she called out, quickly returning to Grip, Gastro, and Smog's table. "Would you happen to have any connections with the media?"
.
.
The next day, thanks to the connection to a national news program that Grip had given her, along with some media manipulation on the side that Usagi and Ritsu performed, an actual television crew showed up to the Acorn Café, and publicity about the E-Class's special event spread like wildfire. A crazy crowd quickly found its way up the mountain and, before they knew it, the students of the E-Class were running left and right in order to answer to the growing demand. They foraged, cooked, served, and sold an incredible amount of goods, and they were kept quite busy during the second day of the School Festival.
Unfortunately, good things weren't meant to last.
"Oh no! We're about to run out of acorn noodles!" exclaimed worriedly Okuda.
"We sold more than we thought we would, uh?" mused Isogai.
"But the A-Class will have made more money," frowned Fuwa, looking over the data Itona had gathered for them.
"The Tastes of the Mountain side menu is selling well, too," happily pointed out Hara. "Let's stick it out with those in the time we have left!"
"If- if we go a little further into the mountain, we can build up our reserves a bit," suggested Kimura, covered in mud and dirt from head to toe.
"Hmm… No, let's end it here," ordered Korosensei, earning everyone's attention.
"But then we won't win," protested Nagisa.
"That's all right. Any more foraging and we'll destroy the mountain's ecosystem," explained Korosensei, crossing his tentacles. "The actions of all creatures contribute to our deeper interconnection. Did you sense all of the connections fate has blessed you with?" Korosensei stood up, his smile widening slightly. "Those who've taught you, those you've helped, those you've caused trouble for, those who've caused trouble for you. Those you've fought as rivals, only to better one other—those are the connections I'm talking about!"
"Maa, today turned out to be another lesson after all," chuckled Fuwa, panting a little. She, too, was quite dirty because of her continuous runs into the forest. "That's Korosensei for you."
"Damn it. I really wanted to win, too," remarked Muramatsu, though he was smiling.
"Well, considering that we've managed to get this far without using any cheats like those sponsors Asano Junior enrolled, or his dirty tricks to make people pay more money for his event, I daresay that we're the actual winners of this little contest," shrugged Ame, pulling some twigs out of her hair. "Even if he's got a good flair for business, we didn't have to trick people into buying more of our stuff—they did it because they liked it."
"Yosh! Good job, everyone!" cheered Rio.
The other students could only cheer along, proud of their hard work and of the success of their last School Festival in Kunugigaoka.
.
.
A few days later, the results of the School Festival came in: while the A-Class had claimed the first place, the E-Class has somehow managed to land themselves the third spot, despite stopping their event in the middle of the second day. As for how the competition would have turned out had the E-Class not closed shop early, one can only speculate, but Ame was fairly convinced that they would have won, and her classmates were of the same mind.
However, the fight was for from over: the end-of-term was now upon them.
"All right, now for an overview of the past year," announced Korosensei, standing at the front of the class. "Next up is the classwork battle. Are you prepared to take the top spot, Karma-kun?"
"Gee, I dunno. Idiots like me don't understand that stuff," replied the red-haired boy, smirking.
"For your first-term midterms, I gave everyone the goal of making the top fifty, and I apologize for that," continued the octopus. "I was too impatient for results, and I didn't count on your opponents being so strong. But, things are different now. You've matured in brain and spirit. You should be able to meet your goals in the face of any plot or setback. With heads held high, you will all come in the top fifty, you will receive your tickets back to the main campus, and you will graduate as the E-Class."
"If only it were that easy," sighed Sugino, unconvinced.
"What do you mean, Sugino-kun?" asked Nagisa, confused.
"The A-Class has a new teacher—and you won't believe who it is."
"No, wait, let me guess: it's the Principal," deadpanned Ame, unimpressed. At Sugino's sheepish smile, she sighed and leaned back in her seat. "It was only to be expected. With the E-Class showing results beyond the norm and pulling ahead of the good crops, we're jeopardizing his entire schooling system. These exams are going to be the hardest of our lives, you can count on it."
"So that's what it's come to," mused Korosensei, apparently not all that surprised, either.
"Honestly, I want no part of his brainwashing education," grunted Mimura, crossing his arms behind his head. "His weird charisma, controlling people with a word or a glance… His teaching skills put him on par with our Mach-20 Korosensei."
"If he's their teacher… they've probably already lost the will to defy him," pointed out Isogai with a frown.
Ame couldn't help but shudder a bit at that, mostly in disgust. Now, she was used to teachers either hating her or not giving a damn about her, but Principal Asano was another thing entirely—he actively sought to crush her and her classmates. She knew he was a proud man dedicated to his techniques and values, but were those truly worth destroying the potential and the students under his wing?
Another type of assassination entirely, uh? What a pain.
.
.
"You know, they're kind of similar—the Principal and Korosensei, I mean," remarked Fuwa.
"How so?" wondered Maehara.
Classes were over for the day but, strangely enough, not a single student from the higher classes could be seen on the campus. Ame quirked an eyebrow at the strangely empty hallways and courtyards, but decided not to comment on it. If the Principal had decided to take matters into his own hands, then she wouldn't put it past him to keep the students after school hours in order to teach them even more material.
"They both have extraordinary powers, but are regular teachers. With the Principal's quick wits, he could have been Prime Minister, or a business big shot—but instead, he's devoted himself to education at just one academy. No wonder he's so unrelenting," explained the wannabe detective.
"You say that, but it's not as if his intentions were pure, of all things," snorted Ame, running a hand through her hair. "The man's obsessed and, while his teaching methods are nothing to scoff at, his teaching spirit is worth shit. He may have started off as a teacher with good intentions, but now? He's controlled by his own obsession for victory."
"She's right. He's long since lost control, even if he hasn't noticed it yet."
At the new voice, all of the students stopped walking, surprised. Ahead of them, leaning against a pillar, was the only student outside of the E-Class: Asano Gakushu.
"Gakushu," greeted simply Ame.
"Ame," he replied in an even tone.
"Since when are you guys on a first-name basis?" whispered Rio, winking.
Ame hit her over the head, but never averted her gaze from the A-Class leader. "Something we can help you with, Gakushu?"
"… it pains me to say this, but I have a request," he admitted. He wasn't holding his head as high as he used to, so she guessed that he was speaking genuinely. "I'll cut to the chase: that monster… I want you to kill him."
"I take cash," deadpanned Ame.
He half-glared. "Not physically, of course. I meant to kill his education policies."
"His education policies?" echoed Yada, unsure. "But how?"
"Easy. I want you, the E-Class, to dominate the top spots in the next end-of-term exams," explained the boy. "I'll be in first, of course, but excellent grades mean nothing coming from an excellent student. For detritus like you to show up the A-Class, though… that's how we can ruin his stance on education."
"Asano-kun, I've heard about the chilly relationship between you two. Are you saying you want us to defy your father's methods and turn away from him?" inquired Takaoka, uncertain.
"Don't misunderstand. Be strong enough to kick even your father down… or so I've been taught. And now, it's time to put it into practice," replied Asano, his voice rising a bit. "I don't know about anyone else, but that's our relationship. However, that's not the case for the other, lesser students. Right now, A-Class is Hell personified. With their hatred for the E-Class as their only support, he's making them study beyond their limits! If they win like that… it'll be the only method they'll trust from now on." His fists clenched. "You can only gain so much strength in hating, scorning, misleading your foes. Even opponents like you will still give them trouble. They'll still be my flunkies in high school, but if my flunkies' strength is lopsided, I can't rule the ruler. Sometimes, defeat can open some eyes." Then, much to everyone's surprise, he bowed his head. "So please: show my friends and my father a proper defeat."
There was a moment of intense silence, during which Asano kept on bowing, and during which the students of the E-Class could only stare, dumbstruck, and unsure of what to answer. While their opponent hadn't bothered to hide his arrogant nature, he had admitted to truly, genuinely care about people other than himself.
However…
"Eeh? Is this any time to be worried about someone else?" retorted Karma, grinning from ear to ear in a provocative manner. "You're not taking first place—I am. I told you: next time, the E-Class won't go easy on you. I'll be number one, with the rest of the E-Class right under me. I'd say tenth place would look good on you, Asano-kun."
"Aah, Karma said it! He's taking first place!" chuckled Muramatsu.
"Just don't let it turn out like it did last time," warned Takebayashi, pushing up his glasses.
Terasaka grabbed the red-haired boy's shoulders, grinning tauntingly. "At least try to do better than me, uh?"
Flushing in embarrassment, Karma proceeded to beat up Terasaka. While the two boys started roughhousing a bit, Isogai walked up to a speechless Asano with a smile.
"We've been trying our best to win all along, and we'll do it this time, too," he assured, determination evident in his tone. "That's how it's always been for us and the A-Class. We're happy if we win, frustrated if we lose. No need for ranks beyond that. Isn't that enough? We'll do our best so you can all be glad you had the chance to take us on."
"Don't think too much—just come at us like you want to kill us," called out Karma, now holding Terasaka in a chokehold. "That's what makes it fun."
After a second, Asano returned a matching grin. "How amusing. Then I'll fight with my gloves off, too."
Since the conversation appeared to be over, the E-Class students were soon on their way. However, Ame lingered behind for a bit, intending to offer some advice even if he hadn't asked for it. Easily guessing that she, too, had something to say, Asano also stayed behind. Once the E-Class was gone, she walked up to him.
"Ame, what—"
She slapped him.
Hard.
His head snapped to the side, pain burning in his left cheek, and his eyes wide with shock, surprise, and confusion. Ame's hand was stinging, but she ignored it and scowled at him.
"You're an absolute coward, Gakushu," she spat, genuinely angry. "You walk up to us and demand that we clean up this mess on behalf of your friends? Demand that we oppose your father because you can't do it? Fight your own damn battles, you dimwit! Because if you don't, then what kind of victory is it!?" Her fists clenched a bit, and she exhaled in frustration. "Don't try to use the E-Class as a tool to bring your father down. We fight because we have a greater goal than some petty familial conflict. Don't look down on us when you're even more pathetic than those you just called detritus!" She leaned forward, grabbing his collar and shaking him a little. "They're your friends? Then help them yourself. You wanna oppose your father? Then do it yourself. Stop expecting other people to clean up after your own mess, you arrogant twat!" At once, her anger deflated, and she released him with a sigh. "Even if they're a little messed up, you have the right priorities but, just like your father, you have the wrong methods. Learn from your mistakes and your failures, yes, but don't be afraid to learn from others, too—that's how we do it in the E-Class." Having said what needed to be said, she started walking away, offering a lazy wave as she walked past him. "Good luck with the exams—you'll need it."
Asano could only stare after her as she disappeared beyond the gates of the school, rubbing his hurting cheek as he thought back to what she had just told him. After a few seconds, a sharp laugh escaped him.
Akabane Karma, Isogai Yuuma, Naoki Ame…
They might not know it, but the E-Class really had some terrifying members too.
.
.
An entire week passed following the incident, during which the E-Class was plunged into a studying frenzy. Ame, in particular, became extremely dedicated to her studies. Having missed numerous lessons because of the last few incidents, she was working hard in order to catch up with everyone and ensure that she scored in the top fifty along with them.
"Good luck, Ame-chan, Itona-kun! Do your best!" encouraged her grandmother.
"Good luck, Ame-nee! Ito-nii!" cheered Jackie, bouncing in place.
"Here, Obaa-san and I made you lunch!" beamed Ash, handing over the two handmade bento.
"You two studied hard," stated plainly Rin, smiling a bit. "You'll be fine."
Kiba snorted, shoving his hands in his pockets. "Ito-nii, for sure. But Ame-nee? I dunno."
She instantly started pulling his cheeks. "Why you little brat…!"
"You- you should probably go if you don't want to be late," urged Amaya, gesturing to the clock on the wall. "Your exams start soon, right?"
"Ah, shoot! Come on, Itona, let's go!"
Nodding mutely, the boy lightly ruffled Jackie's hair before heading out after Ame, the door snapping shut behind them.
They joined their fellow E-Class students before entering the main building but, as soon as they started roaming the hallways, a sickening feeling crept up on all of them. Ame could only refrain a shudder as she noticed the empty, yet hungry looks that followed them.
"Hell of a look in their eyes," grunted Yoshida, visibly uncomfortable.
"I feel like I just ended up in a zombie movie," nodded Ame, scrunching up her nose.
"The A-Class is probably psyching themselves up," mused Rio, unperturbed. "Are you sure you can beat them, Karma-kun?"
"Who knows. If any of them really do plan to kill me, that might slow me down," mused the redhead.
They all settled down in the designated classroom and, a few minutes later, they were handed their first test. As soon as the bell rang, signaling the beginning of the exam, the distinct noise of flipping sheets echoed in the classroom… and tension instantly hit the roof. Ame's eyes widened slightly at the questions displayed on the paper, her heart picking up the pace.
This exam… They're really going in for the kill!
Thankfully enough, English was still her best subject and, no matter how the teacher had tried to complicate the questions using unfamiliar grammar rules and old English jargon, she wasn't about to be shaken off the top place of the podium so easily. However, the same couldn't be said for her classmates: as hard as they tried, the questions were too hard, and there were too many of them. As soon as the bell rang, signaling the end of the first exam, the students of the E-Class slumped in their seats, already mentally exhausted.
This isn't going to be easy, is it? Mused internally Ame, sparing a glance for the pale faces of her friends. Asano Gakuho… He's really a monster in his own rights, uh? However, he's forgotten that we, too, have a monster of a teacher. Now that we know what we're facing, we won't be going down so easily!
Social Studies, Science, Japanese, Mathematics; such were the following exams, and each was harder than the last. However, much like the rest of the E-Class, Ame quickly picked up the trick: pace yourself and, most importantly, don't hesitate. They didn't have the time to review, but they could still earn partial merit thanks to the approach, even if the ultimate answer was wrong. For Ame, Social Studies and Japanese went fairly well, so she had some breathing room for the other two. She didn't do half-bad in Science, thanks to some special lessons she had received from Hana and Buta, but Mathematics was still the worst.
And yet, thanks to Korosensei's tricks and Karma's advice, I'm still going strong!
She wasn't going as fast, and she knew for a fact that over half of her answers were wrong, but she wasn't worried: she had the right technique and the right approach, so she would still get the necessary points. However, once she reached the final question of the exam, she found herself completely stuck.
As in the figure to the right, the crystalline structure known as a body-centered cubic unit consists of multiple cubes A having sides arranged periodically, with an atom at each vertex and at each cube's center. Most alkaline metals, including Na and K, are body-centered cubic units. Focusing on atom A[0] in a body-centered cubic unit, of all the points within the space, the domain D[0] consists of the set of points closer to A[0] than to any other atom. Find the volume of D[0].
…
…
…
Yeah, no, fuck it.
Ame snorted lightly, quickly writing down the most basic calculations. At that point, she was just too tired to fight, and she knew she had done her best—that was enough. So, she wrote down a random answer before finally putting down her pen, thus concluding the last exam of the end-of-term.
"Ne, Ame," called out Karma, walking up to her as they left the classroom. "What answer did you get in the final problem?"
"Ugh, my head was aching so bad at that point, I just gave up," she admitted, rubbing her temples tiredly. "I just wrote down a random formula that looked like it could work and said that the domain could take up to half of the cube. Pretty dumb, I know, but I just don't care at that point."
"Ooh?" Karma's grin widened as he slung an arm around her shoulders, his eyes glinting with unrestrained amusement. "So you don't care that you got the correct answer?"
She stopped dead in her tracks, her eyes going wide. "That I what now!?"
.
.
A few days later
"Well then, class, I'll be returning your compiled exam papers," announced Korosensei, chuckling to himself. "Did your second blades manage to reach their targets? Also, no grumbling about a point here or there, now." He vanished, using his Mach-20 speed to distribute the papers at once. "Were your scores this time good enough to get you into the top fifty overall?" He reappeared at the front as suddenly as he had disappeared. "The main campus will be posting the overall ranks right about now, so let's start with ranks here in the E-Class, too."
Ame hadn't even spared a look for the pile of papers in her hands, practically jumping to her feet along with everyone else as Korosensei spread out the Top Fifty Ranks at the front. Time seemed to come to a halt as everyone held their breath, looking for their names—
I'm not there, realized Ame, paling a bit. But how? How could I not make it—!?
"Erm, Ame?" Rio patted her shoulder, gulping. "I- I think you're not looking at the right place."
"Uh?"
Ame had been looking over the left half of the paper, scanning over the higher half of the Top Fifty Ranks. A tad incredulous, she switched to the right side displaying the lower half (meaning the highest scores), starting at the bottom, and going up… and up… and up…
"Holy shit," she breathed out, her eyes going wide. "I'm… in third place…?"
Karma had claimed the first place, with Asano Junior following closely behind, with a three-point difference. And then, right there, in third place, was her name—Naoki Ame, with a score of 489 on 500.
"I did it," she gasped, relief and joy flooding her chest. "We- we all did it! Holy crap!"
Rio was right behind her, along with Isogai, Takebayashi, Kataoka, and Kanzaki—thus effectively knocking down the Big Five from the podium. After what, the rest of their classmates followed in various ranks, but still under fifty. Even Terasaka, who had become the dead last of their class after Ame started putting in some work and efforts, had landed in 46th place.
"Man, it sure was a slog getting to this point, though, uh?" sighed Maehara, relieved.
"Our most fervent wish—after a successful assassination, anyway!" beamed Yada.
"We really did beat the A-Class!" cheered Okano, wiping a tear away.
"We can go to our first-pick schools," remarked Mimura, smiling down at his grades.
"And girls will be throwing themselves at us!" exclaimed happily Okajima.
"Ah, feels like a final episode to me," chuckled Fuwa, shaking her head.
As the rest of the students laughed and kept on savoring their victory, Ame looked down at the papers in her hands. She felt honestly overwhelmed right at that moment, and winning had never tasted as sweet. She had worked hard, and it showed—and she couldn't be any prouder. She could now go home with her head held high and, even if school was now officially over for the day, she wanted to keep on sharing this special moment with her friends.
"Hey, everyone!" she called out, grinning from ear to ear. "How about we all go out for some celebratory dango? Korosensei's treat!"
"Yeah!"
"Let's go!"
"Great idea!"
"Yes, yes, superb idea!" beamed Korosensei. "Let's go—wait! My treat!?"
Ame's grin simply widened. "You said it!"
As their octopus teacher slumped in despair at the thought of the hole that was about to be burnt into his wallet, as half of her classmates lunged at him with their knives while the other half started laughing, as she watched her friends' smiles grow bigger and brighter… Ame could only feel happier, if possible.
She never thought she'd say this one day, but it really was great to be in the E-Class.
The news were received with joy, pride, and mild disbelief on Kiba's part, but the numbers wouldn't lie: not only had both Ame and Itona scored in the top fifty, but his big sister had somehow managed to claim the third rank despite being an absolute failure in school. Of course, such good news called for a celebration, and they all went out together for dinner. Then, later that night, Ame went over to the Zodiac's headquarters where news of her success had already gotten out, and many of the members still around were already halfway through the celebratory party that had started without her, for some reason.
It was a joyous day and a joyous night—truly, after everything she had gone through in the last few months, Ame deemed she deserved it. So, it was with a bounce in her step and a mild headache due to the late hour at which she had gone to sleep that she returned to school the next day. After all, now that exams were over with, the E-Class would have many more opportunities to focus on the assassination.
"All right, students—you've formally received your qualifications to move out of the E-Class. So, is anyone looking to leave this mountain?"
"Of course not!" grinned Maehara, rubber knife in hand.
"We found our second blades—this is when it gets serious!" added Mimura.
"What other environment is this suited to an assassination?" mused Kataoka.
At once, everyone started firing. Ame had long since stopped wearing the special earplugs Korosensei had given her at the beginning of the year and, while she still refused to hold a gun, she no longer reacted upon hearing them. Be it because she had finally gotten over her trauma, or simply because she had grown used to it, she couldn't tell—one way or another, though, she was glad she no longer had to deal with this wannabe PTSD.
"Niryufufufu! Gluttons for punishment, eh? Then, for your reward this time, I'll tell you my weakness—"
'CRASH!'
The entire building suddenly shook on its foundations as a crashing noise, a mix of creaking wood and breaking windows, echoed outside. Some debris even fell from the ceiling as the students let out started gasps and panicked shouts. Ame was up to her feet in a second, running over to the window.
Another assassin? No, they're not allowed to harm the students. Then who—
"What- what the hell!?" she exclaimed, her eyes going wide.
The rest of the students were quick to pop their heads out of the windows, shock taking over as they witnessed none other than a perfect stranger now busying himself with tearing down the E-Class building with a shredder.
"Prepare to vacate the premises."
"Principal Asano!" gasped Kayano.
"The Board made the decision this morning: we're tearing down this old campus building today," announced the Principal with a placid smile. "I'll have you move to the new campus of our affiliate school opening next school year. Until graduation, you will help us performance-test the building."
"A new campus? No way!" protested Muramatsu, as taken aback as the rest of the students.
"With a surveillance system and an anti-escape system drawn from correctional facilities, they can study in an environment akin to a more civilized prison. The new E-Class: the culmination of my educational theories."
"But- but moving us now…?" repeated Nagisa, troubled.
"No way! We wanna graduate from this campus!" exclaimed angrily Sugino.
"Theories, uh…? As far as I'm concerned, though, those theories are no longer viable since we've proven them wrong times and times again this year," retorted calmly Ame. Jumping through the window, she then walked up to the Principal, hands shoved in her pockets and her stare even. "You might be a good Principal, sir, but no one likes a sore loser. You know, as Korosensei taught us: teaching is learning. In that case, should you not seek to learn from your failure in order to establish a proper educational system for all of your students?" Her eyes narrowed a bit. "Or have you truly given up because of what happened to Ikeda Rikuto?"
Time stopped, every single student holding their breath as the Principal and Ame entered an intense stare-down. The Principal's eyes had widened ever-so-slightly, before he schooled his expression into a blank mask again, and he offered her a bland smile.
"How do you know that name, Naoki-san."
It wasn't a question, but an order—either she answered, either he used force to make her spill. However, even in this class of assassins, Ame was a peculiar case—she had faced numerous people who were a lot scarier than her Principal and, ultimately, he held no real power over her. Of course, he could always have her expelled, but that certainly wouldn't stop her from coming back to the E-Class to continue the assassination.
However, Ame knew better than to play her good cards right away.
"It's common knowledge, if you know where to look," she replied in a flat tone. "What happened to your student is unfortunate, but this incident led you to the wrong conclusion."
"And what would that conclusion be?" His voice had grown even colder, if possible.
"If my assumption is correct, then you came to the conclusion that you had failed Ikeda-kun by focusing on making him good rather than strong—a vision that you're today trying to apply using the E-Class system." She raised her head a little higher at that, looking at him right in the eyes. "The thing is, it's not a matter of being good or strong—it's a matter of finding a balance between the two. Being only good will lead to weakness, and being only strong will lead to loneliness—I'd know, I was there." She gestured to the students gathered at the windows behind her, her gaze never leaving the Principal's. "Before the E-Class, I was entirely focused on becoming stronger. But today? Today, I've come to learn and grow, and I didn't become stronger from it—I became better. Korosensei made me a better person than I could have ever hoped to become, and that's the kind of teacher that every student needs." Straightening her spine, she decided to land the final blow. "Your methods are wrong. Your focus is wrong. Your educational theories are wrong. And when you're wrong, you either learn to make it right, or you get left behind—and it's not by trying to erase your mistake by destroying our campus that you'll make the failure disappear."
More silence ensued, Ame having said her part. She never looked away from the Principal, stubborn and unafraid, and he kept his blank mask all along. If her words stirred anything in his heart, he didn't show it, simply staring at her. After a few seconds of heavy tension, he suddenly moved—reaching out to grab her shoulder. To anyone watching, it looked like a friendly gesture, but the mild excess of strength he put into his grip told Ame the contrary.
"Naoki-san…" He leaned down, smiling. "No one likes brats with big mouths. If you find yourself unable to learn your place, then I'll gladly teach you this important lesson."
"I thought you didn't believe in teaching through violence."
"Violence? Oh, don't misunderstand—teachers who can only instill fear through violence are not worth their salt." His grip tightened a bit more, but she didn't flinch—she refused to give up a single inch. "I prefer a more indirect approach. Tell me, how can a girl who came dead last in the first term snag the third rank in the last one?" His bland smile grew a little sharper. "I have connections and position, both of which allow me to do what must be done in order to get rid of the more untrustworthy students. If we were to, let's say, find evidence that you cheated… Well, our school simply wouldn't be able to accept that."
"Blackmail, uh?" Ame appeared unbothered, and unsurprised. Then, she pulled out her phone and started looking for something. "It's true that you could have me expelled in the blink of an eye if you wanted to—you're the Principal, after all. Thing is, though, I don't need fake evidence to bring you down with me." At once, she showed him a special video. "You ought to be more careful with the footage in your office, practically anyone can get their hands on it. You know, for someone who says that they don't believe in instilling fear through violence, I feel like you're a bit quick to throw a punch. Nice right hook, by the way. Karate, if I'm not mistaken?" The video of him beating up the exchange students kept going, and she offered a bland smile that matched his own. "Now, I suppose it's only a matter of who people will believe: an innocent junior high student who worked hard, or the mysterious Principal who beat to a pulp a bunch of exchange students because they lost in a friendly competition? You know, I'm sure this video would go viral on the net—and I'm ready to bet my life that, between the two of us, you'll fall first." She then proceeded to show him a few more pictures, which she had taken herself upon discovering the bodies. "Gakushu is determined to rule the ruler, so getting a witness account shouldn't be too hard. And those students you beat up? Not only do I have their full medical files to my disposal, but I already have signed confessions about the incident. The only reason they agreed not to press charges was because they didn't want your son to get in trouble." Her bland smile turned into a feral smirk. "Check, Principal Asano. What's your move now?"
After the exam, Ame had a feeling that the Principal wouldn't take well to yet another failure, so she had decided to prepare for the worst. Looking up his personal history wasn't all that complicated—finding a few articles about the suicide of his student, then others about the man's rising in different fields until he decided to become Principal, had been a piece of cake. Then, slipping into his office to retrieve the footage she wanted with Usagi's help had been even easier and, thanks to Karasu, she managed to get her hands on the medical records of the injured students. Then, just yesterday, she went to meet with the foreign students and, after a lengthy conversation in English, she managed to convince them to sign official confessions—she had promised she would only be using them in order to stop the Principal from making another rash decision, which was the only reason why they agreed to help.
All in all, Ame had spent the last few days preparing for such a confrontation and, while she hadn't expected the proud man to drop by and literally take down the E-Class, she was ready.
"So?" she urged, quirking an eyebrow. "What's going to happen now?"
"Naoki-san, that's quite enough." Korosensei suddenly appeared beside her, gingerly removing the Principal's hand from her shoulder. He then looked up at the Principal. "You'll carry out your educational vision to the very end, won't you."
"Indeed. But make no mistake: you are no longer useful to my education. And this…" The Principal suddenly pulled out a paper. "This is where I kill you."
"Ko- Korosensei's walking papers!?" gaped Isogai, horrified.
"He actually went there: he played his forbidden ace in the hole!" protested Maehara.
"That- that's wrongful dismissal!" exclaimed Korosensei, now shaking from head to toe.
"It works hilariously well on this octopus," sweatdropped Sugino, shaking his head.
"Can a super-creature even stage a protest?" wondered quietly Nagisa.
"And so you won't jump to any conclusions, this is nothing but a tool to control my target. I have come, Korosensei, to kill you once and for all. You are no longer necessary for my education, you see," continued the Principal, unperturbed by the protests.
"Is he serious?" wondered Isogai, gritting his teeth.
"I know you're superhuman and all, but our octopus won't go down quite as easily as you think," warned smugly Karma.
Not even acknowledging the students, Asano Sr. turned to the destruction crew. "Hold off the demolition for now. I have some work to do inside."
On which he made his way inside, though not without sparing a glance for Ame. However, despite her attempt at stopping him being foiled, the girl didn't appear to be bothered in the slightest—as if he was the one dancing to her tune, and not the other way around. For the first time in his life, Asano Gakuho felt disturbed by the eyes trailing after him as he entered the E-Class building. Though, he certainly wasn't about to give up his plan so easily, no matter how unnerving the stare of Naoki Ame was.
"Now, then, Korosensei… If you don't want to be fired, if you want to protect this classroom, I'll have you join me in a little gamble," announced Principal Asano.
All of the students had been ushered outside, and were now watching from the windows. In the classroom stood Korosensei, with five desks placed before him, while Irina and Karasuma stood on the sidelines. Ame was sitting on the windowsill, curious as to how things would turn out, but certainly not worried.
As said before, she had come prepared.
"I've prepared five subjects' worth of test questions and five hand grenades. Four of them are anti-Sensei grenades; one works on humans. They're the real deal," explained the Principal, picking up one of the grenades. "They are identical in appearance and in smell, and made such that, once their pins are pulled, they'll explode the moment their handles begin to rise." Without warning, he pulled out the pin, then placed it in one of the test books. "I've pulled their pins and placed them carefully between random pages in the test books, handles in place. You will open the book and solve the problem at the top right."
"Wait!" protested Hara. "As soon as he opens it, the handle will pop up and—"
"Yes—he'll almost certainly be hit with an explosion," confirmed Asano Sr., smiling pleasantly. "But he can't move an inch until he solves that problem. You'll handle the first four books, while I'll take the last one." He faced Korosensei again, his resolve unshakable. "If you manage to kill me or force me to withdraw, I will permit you and the E-Class to remain here. Let's see… Ah, Terasaka-kun!" The boy stiffened upon being called out. "Use a formula to find Korosensei's odds of winning."
"Hmm… An anti-Sensei grenade explosion won't kill you… To do that, we'd need to save the real grenade till the end. 4/5 times, ¾ times, 2/3 times, ½ equals 1/5—in other words, twenty percent," announced Terasaka, a bead of sweat forming on his forehead. "But the octopus has to take four deadly grenades in a row and you can just safely tap out as soon as it gets ugly." He pointed an accusing finger at the Principal. "This is ridiculously unfair!"
"Terasaka-kun, you'll find that the world is just one injustice after another," replied evenly Asano Sr. "Especially between the weak and the strong. That's why I've taught you to be the strong ones."
Ame snorted at that. "You didn't teach us shit—you're the adversity we've managed to overcome."
Rio slapped her over the head. "Stop trying to cause trouble already!"
But the Principal simply ignored them. "So, will you give it a try, Korosensei? It's also a test of how serious you are about your chosen profession. If I were you, I'd jump right in."
"Of- of course. Let's do it," agreed Korosensei, unable to refuse.
"Good." Satisfied, the Principal walked over to where the other two teachers were standing, crossing his arms over his chest. "Open and solve, then close—do it all at once and it won't explode. With your speed, it might even be easy."
"Y- yes, of c- course!"
Ame heaved out a small sigh. The trap that the Principal had laid out for their teacher was extremely well thought out, in more ways than one. After all, it would have been easy for an inhuman creature with Mach-20 speed… had that creature not been sensitive to pressure. As they had all come to learn, as soon as Korosensei became flustered, his reaction time dropped to in record time, and it was easy to surprise him and land a hit.
Under the current pressure, he was completely cornered.
Sneaky Principal… but such a cheap trick won't be enough to get the best of him.
At once, Korosensei opened the first test book and, a moment later, the hand grenade inside exploded, sending anti-Sensei ammo all over the classroom.
"First one is a hit," announced Asano Sr., almost cheerfully. "Make it through three more and you win. Now, solve the next, before you recover."
"You're kidding me! He can't take three more of those!" protested loudly Yoshida.
"Is he really gonna get taken down by such a simple setup?" added Muramatsu, nervous.
"The weak can only kill the strong through assassination, but the strong can kill the weak whenever and however they like," stated simply the Principal. "I will pepper the nation with mechanisms to teach this truth. With my money from the Ministry of Defense and the bounty for killing you, I can build my affiliate schools all over the country. Now, Korosensei—be the cornerstone of my philosophy."
Tension rose, the silence became suffocating, everyone watched with growing anticipation as Korosensei slowly reached out to the second notebook… and, before everyone knew it, he had solved the second problem.
"Okay: opened, solved, and closed!" he announced, before gesturing to the test books. "I more or less remember which questions are on which page in this particular series of test books. Math was the only challenge—I'd lent that one out to a student for so long that I'd forgotten."
"Oh!" gasped Yada, realizing that she was the one he was talking about.
"You just happened to have memorized the books I just happened to bring?" inquired Asano Sr., for once appearing dumbstruck.
"Heavens, no! I've memorized all of Japan's test books," corrected Korosensei, chuckling a bit. "No moving out of the blast radius until you've solved the problem, is what you said. A rule like that is no trouble for a passionate educator. Here I thought you understood me, but it seems your students' defeat has unnerved you." At once, Korosensei solved the next two problems without breaking a sweat. "You've dug your own grave with this simplistic assassination. Now, the last book—it's your turn." Korosensei's eternal grin widened ever-so-slightly, though the sight was somewhat disturbing since two portions of his head were melted and missing. "What's it feel like, having your own death before your eyes? That grand kaleidoscope glimpsed in the moments before death… What could be flashing through that perfect mind of yours?"
For Ame, who knew pretty much all there was to know about their Principal, it didn't take a genius to guess what exactly was going through his head. Twelve years ago, one of his first students committed suicide because of bullying, and that's when Asano Gakuho got into his head that he needed to produce "strong" students in order to have them survive. It didn't come from a wrong basis or a bad intent, but his methods to achieve such a goal had led him to create stronger students, but also weaker ones. In other words, he had become exactly what he had sought to destroy all along—someone who encouraged people to stay weak.
"Well, Principal Asano? Will you open the final book?" urged Korosensei, his head slowly reforming. "No matter how superb you may be, opening a grenade-filled test book will not end well."
"Oi, this was your wager!" called out Yoshida. "If you don't wanna die, just gracefully admit defeat!" The Principal glared his way. "Yikes!"
"And besides, we don't care if you fire Korosensei!" added firmly Kataoka.
"It'll be sad to leave this place behind, but we'll go where Korosensei goes," assured Kanzaki, smiling sweetly.
"Even if it means leaving home or holing up in some mountain, we'll keep the assassination classroom going till March," swore Isogai, standing his ground on behalf of the E-Class.
"Korosensei… Under my educational philosophy, you could very well destroy the Earth and it wouldn't matter."
At once, he opened the notebook. The real hand grenade that had been placed inside instantly exploded in his face, earning numerous worried exclamations and horrified shouts. However, as the dust settled down, all saw that the Principal was unarmed thanks to Korosensei's skin, which he had shed just in time to save the man.
"Niryufufufu. Have you forgotten my molt?"
"… Your once-monthly trick, eh? Why didn't you use it on yourself?" asked Asano Sr.
"I was saving it for you," admitted the octopus, folding up his molt. "If I'd won, there's no doubt you'd have opted to blow yourself up."
The man slowly rose back to his feet. "How can you be so sure of what I'd do?"
"Because we have so much in common," replied Korosensei, who had now fully recovered from the first explosion. "Both stubborn education fiends, aiming for perfection in teaching even if it means using your own life. I talked to your old cram-school students during the exams—about their impression of you as a teacher, about what happened… The educational ideals I pursue are identical to yours a dozen years back. Where I've been lucky, compared to you, is with the E-Class. Because there are a fair number of students and because they share the same circumstances, they came together to withstand training and can ask each other for advice without holding things in. And, Principal Asano, it's none other than you who made this E-Class. You've unconsciously been carrying on the ideal education you came up with long ago." Korosensei then lifted a rubber knife. "I'm the only one this knife can kill. We do not teach the theft of human life. You and I share the same ideals: not a killing education, but one that lets live. Let's keep on following through with our ideal education."
At last, Asano Gakuho lowered his head, deep in thoughts. "My philosophy is always correct. I've turned out a great number of strong students these past dozen years." Slowly, he reached out to take the rubber knife Korosensei was handing him. "But now you've acknowledged my system as well, so I will deign to permit this E-Class to remain."
"Niryufufufu. Still can't simply admit defeat, I see," mused Korosensei.
"Also… May I come and kill you now and then?"
"Of course. That knife suits a worthy rival well."
Understanding that this was the ending of their little confrontation, Ame heaved out a mildly disappointed sigh, stretching out her arms. She had been hoping for some more explosions, to spice up their day a little, but it would seem that everything had been handled at last.
And to think I went through all this trouble, too…
"Ame, why do you look so disappointed?" snorted Rio.
"My hard work went to waste," grunted the girl, lifting up a heavy-looking bag.
"Work? What for?"
"Well, I had a feeling that the Principal would pull a stunt like that—the dismissal notice, I mean—so I basically dug up whatever I could find to force his hand in abandoning that idea," explained the girl, sighing again.
"Are you serious!?"
Fuwa started looking through the numerous papers in the bag. "Old and New Laws, Protection of the Workers, Rules of Kunugigaoka, Syndicates Around the World, Unfair Dismissals, How To Protect Yourself From Sudden Dismissals, Laws of the Workers, School Board Influence and How To Legally Counter It…"
"Contracts, Employment Contract, Contracts In Schools, Teaching Contracts, Read Between the Lines, How To Find Loopholes In Legal Contracts, Personal—wait, why do you have the official contract Korosensei signed with Kunugigaoka upon his employment!?" exclaimed Maehara, looking through another stack of papers.
"It's just a copy—the original is still in Korosensei's safe."
"Wait, is that the contract the Principal signed with the government regarding the employment of Korosensei?" blinked Kataoka, unsure of what she was now holding.
"Also a copy—the government keeps those in a special database," shrugged Ame. "Anyway, with everything in there, Korosensei was assured to keep his job, whether the Principal liked it or not. It's just too bad I didn't get to use it."
"Ame… You're too much," sweatdropped Rio, shaking her head. "You—"
"Naoki-san?"
The girl stiffened slightly, looking over to the Principal, who looked like he was about to leave. She easily guessed that he had just heard everything she had just said, and she wondered for a moment if he was going to scold her for it… but he simply smiled—an actual, genuine smile—and waved her way.
"If I may, you might want to consider becoming a lawyer," he suggested simply. "With your skills, I'm sure you'd easily make a name for yourself."
"R- right. Thanks…?"
He nodded, and finally left. Rolling her eyes a bit, Ame then glanced back to her classmates, who were all passing each other the papers she had gathered and the notes she had taken. She hadn't really realized it before but, now that the Principal had mentioned it…
Without realizing, I did exactly as Isogai-kun said the other day…
Well, maybe this is worth looking into.
The commotion settling down, Ame gathered back her papers before Karasuma could get his hands on them, and the students finally returned inside to start cleaning up.
"By the way, sir… Where's our reward for the exams?" suddenly asked Kurahashi.
"Oh, right! I promised to tell you my crucial weakness, didn't I?" recalled the yellow octopus, chuckling. "In fact, I have surprisingly little power. I'm too specialized for speed. When I'm at a standstill, even a single human can hold back one of my tentacles."
Hara gasped. "So, if we all locked down all of your tentacles…"
"We could actually stop you from moving?" understood Rio, eyes wide.
…
…
…
"If we could do that, this would have been a cakewalk!"
"You only told us 'cause you knew it was impossible, octopus!"
Ame simply started laughing as, once again, the E-Class was plunged into a commotion, with everyone trying to hold on to the tentacles, in vain. It had been a somewhat eventful day—hell, an eventful few weeks—but, all in all, it had truly been worth it.