Go Out With A Smile

Ansatsu Kyoushitsu

Assassination Classroom

Original Character

Summary: Oichi Chika is a part of Class 3E, the so called End class. Isolated from the rest of the school, Class 3E spend their days learning both academic and assassination. The target of their assassination? Koro-sensei, an octopus like creature who will destroy the Earth in the period of 1 year. That is if they fail to kill him before then. Everyday Chika write the daily events of class 3E into her diary...

Warnings: Contain OCs, typos, grammar errors (English is not my first language, I'm so sorry)

Note: Title may change

Disclaimers: I do not own Ansatsu Kyoushitsu

Chapter 18

They easily clear the second floor. The third floor looks empty in first glance, but everyone know better. Their enemy is lurking around somewhere in this hotel. Possibly with underlings. Let's not forget about the mafias currently staying in this very building. It will be very bad if they got in trouble with one. Karasuma-sensei turn to face the students. "Now... There's a reason I had you guys come dressed as you are. As long as we could get past the strict check point, we could act as if we were regular guests." Posing as guests here...?

"Guests? Isn't this a hotel where bad guys stay? Would a bunch of middle school kids be here?" Sugaya-san nervously asks.

"Plenty, from what I've heard" Karasuma-sensei confirms. "The coddled children of performers and the wealthy. These kids who were raised as if they were kings. They stain their hands in immoral deeds while keeping an innocent face."

"Right! So walk around acting like those kids!" Koro-sensei snickers. Her classmates are more than willing to play the part. Terasaka and Yoshida put on a scary face. Kayano-san fold her arms and pretend to look angry. Yada-san and Fuwa-san sneers. Sugaya-san pretend to be drunk (or high. Chika can't tell). Even the normally calm Shiota-san joins in, grinning like a Chesire cat. Koro-sensei's green stripes appear again. Akabane-san can only laugh at their expressions, while Kataoka-san simply shake her head. Chika simply watches. She have no idea what kind of face she will make if she attempt to do the same. "However! We don't know our opponent's face! He might even attack us while posing as a regular guest. Proceed with plenty of caution."

"In the instance we come across an enemy, immediately close off their escape route and cut off their communication. I will deal with the enemy," Karasuma-sensei jab a thumb to his chest. So cool. Kurahashi-san would swoon if she's here right now.

"Yes!"

...

The infiltration team continue their way in. They walk past two scary looking men on the way but they refuse to look at them. It appears even the mafia doesn't want to get in trouble with other affiliations either. Chika wonder what kind of things have happened underneath these roofs... Secret meetings, betrayal, stealing, murder, fornication? Now they are adding ambush to the list... By middle schoolers even... Chika wonder how did her life turn like this. She have no time to ponder about that. Her classmates' lives are hanging by a thread here! In no time they reached the central hall. Terasaka and Yoshida got impatient and rush ahead. Chika notice that there's someone else walking from the other side of the hall... When Fuwa-san suddenly shouts.

"Terasaka-kun! Look out!"

Huh?

Karasuma-sensei yank the back of Terasaka's and Yoshida's shirts. A gas suddenly explodes in front of them. Chika instantly back away. First to make sure she's not inhaling that gas, second to cut off the exit path. To think they will encounter an enemy this soon. They split to two teams. Just like Karasuma-sensei ordered them.

The enemy look straight to Fuwa-san. "Without giving off any bloodlust, I kill as I pass by. This is supposed to be my specialty, Little Miss Kappa." Kappa? Oh. It must be because of Fuwa-san's bob hair cut.

Fuwa-san ignored the nickname as she stare at him seriously. "Mister, you were the one that gave us those complimentary drinks when we first got to the hotel."

Ah!

"That's not much to go on to make a decision. Even if it wasn't in the drinks... There were plenty other chances to serve the virus, right?" The enemy challenges her.

Fuwa-san put an arm behind her back and point to the air with her other arm. It's a pose straight out from detective comic. "Everyone was infected from food or drinks mixed with the virus. That's what Takebayashi-kun said. The only things the entire class consumed as a whole were... Those drinks and the dinner served on boat. But, Okajima-kun and Mimura-kun, who didn't eat that dinner because they were editing the movie, were infected too. That narrows down the cause of the infection to those drinks that afternoon. And so! The culprit was you, Mister Man!" Fuwa-san point an accusatory finger at the enemy. The man visibly recoiled, unable to refute. Wait... If those drinks were poisoned... How come she didn't get sick? Chika narrowed her eyes.

"Karasuma-sensei!" Someone yelled in horror when Karasuma-sensei suddenly dropped to the floor.

"You're a poison user... Aren't you? And you're extremely skilled at practical application." Koro-sensei observed.

"It's my own special anaesthesia for indoor use. Breathing it in a single moment could bring down even an elephant. As soon as it's exposed to the air, it breaks down and there's no sign of it." The enemy explained to them. This is bad... Their strongest personnel, Karasuma-sensei is down before they catch the boss. Not to mention... "So this negotiation was a failure. I will come back to tell the Boss now." The enemy turned, only to find the path blocked by the others. Kataoka-san, Isogai-san and Terasaka each hold a furniture. Yoshida and Chiba-san are holding... A poleaxe?! They displayed weapons in this hotel! Oh wait- This is a hotel for mafia. Chika mentally slapped herself for forgetting that for a moment. In similar fashion, she, Akabane-san, Shiota-san, Okano-san, Fuwa-san, Yada-san and Kimura-san too blocked the other path. Chika pull out her pen. If anything, she can still stab him with it.

Karasuma-sensei slowly get back on his feet. "You... The moment you saw us, you should've gone back to report it instead of attacking."

The enemy looked impressed. "I'm surprised you can still talk. But... It's just a bunch of brats..." He put on his scarf as a mask to protect him from the gas. "If you die, there won't be any orders to follow, and they'll probably just run away." No one said anything. Karasuma-sensei went to a fighting stance. However, you can see how badly the effect of the poison on his body. Karasuma-sensei is shaking. The enemy make the first move by rushing towards him. His poison gas ready. Undaunted, Karasuma-sensei leap to the air and... Deliver a flying knee attack! Chika actually thought she saw a tooth went flying. The enemy is defeated in one hit. But...

"KARASUMA-SENSEI!"

...

Chika is holding Terasaka's backpack as the boys put back the furniture to its original place. They watches as Karasuma-sensei struggles to stand up right, only to be caught by Isogai-san when his legs failed. He states that it will take 30 minutes to get himself back to a state where he can fight again. They have wasted at least 5 minutes here, and Bitchirina-sensei can only buy them 20 minutes. She might be able to prolong it for another 10- 15 minutes... But is it enough? They still have seven more floors to clear! And how in the world Karasuma-sensei is still able to move (albeit slightly) after being hit by a toxin that can knock out an elephant! The whole situation is leaning to fiction way too much for her liking. Their three teachers will not be able to help them now. It would be too late to ask Karasuma-sensei's subordinate for help.

"My~ It's finally beginning to feel like summer vacation~" Koroball said cheerfully, complete with a sun on his face.

Naturally, the others are less than impressed.

"What are you acting all happy-go-lucky for?!"

"Just because you're in a completely safe form all by yourself!"

"Nagisa! Spin him around until he gets sick!"

Shiota-san did as he told, spinning Koroball around like one would with a yoyo. Akabane-san joined in, telling Terasaka to drop his pants so he can shove Koroball inside his butt. Terasaka refused of course.

"Koro-sensei, how does this feel like summer vacation?" Shiota-san asked after he retrieve Koroball back from Akabane-san (much to Terasaka's relief).

"Teachers and students do not share a familiar relationship. And so, during summer vacation, there are times when students stray from the care of their teachers to a place where they must be independent and stand on their own two feet." Koroball explained. "It'll be okay. As long as you do what you've learned during your regular physical training sessions... There's no need to fear any enemy. If it's you guys, I know you all can clear this. This assassination summer vacation."

With encouragement like that, they have no choice but to move forward. Koro-sensei is too cunning for his own good. When this is all over, Chika will give Hara-san a big hug. And to Toshiko-nee when they return to Tokyo. Chika give back the backpack to Terasaka. They move on to the lookout hall. Since Terasaka have the biggest frame, he will replace Karasuma-sensei as their vanguard. They stay close to the walls in order to not be seen by any possible enemies-

A foreign man is waiting for them near the end off the hall. He casually leaning against the glass but one look at him, you can tell that he's dangerous. No one doubted in their mind that this man is also an assassin. Chika pressed herself flat to the wall. If they were seen... But how in the world will they get pass him without confrontation? Karasuma-sensei reach to his gun holster but Chika know that he is not recovered enough to make an accurate shot. If they have to shoot... Chiba-san and Hayami-san are their best bet. But can they shoot live rounds?

CRACK

What in the world was that sound?

"How boring, nu..." The foreign man speak up. "If I can hear your footsteps, I can't consider a single one of you as being formidable, nu. There was supposed to be a teacher from an elite force in command, nu. It seems you were done in by Smog's gas, nu. Did you fall short of defeating each other, nu?" Smog...? Oh, that must be the alias for the first enemy. "Come out." Since they got caught, what other options do they have? Terasaka warily step forward, followed by the rest. Chika's eyes fell upon a large crack on the glass surface. Did the enemy cause this? How? But more importantly... This man...

"You use 'nu' a lot don't you, old man?"

Akabane-san said it!

"I heard that if you add 'nu', it gives your speech a samurai's tone. I thought it would sound cool so I tried it, nu." The enemy told them. It does give off a certain... Impression. "If not, that's fine too, nu. If I kill everyone here and use the 'nu', it won't be embarrassing, nu." He flexes his fingers. There's an ominous sound from it.

"Bare hands... Is that your assassination tool?" Koroball questions him.

The enemy nodded. "There's actually a high demand for this, nu. It's a huge plus not being caught during a body search, nu." Assassination by bare hands...? Chika don't think she can do such a thing. Not to mention fingerprints. "Once I get close, I just readjust their cervical vertebrae. If I felt like it, I could crush their skull too, nu." Next to her, Okano-san grab her temple in fear. "But it's interesting, nu. The more I forge my powers for killing... The more I want to test it out on things other than assassinations." He trained his sights on Karasuma-sensei. "In other words, battle. A death match with a strong opponent, nu." He took out his phone. "But I'm disappointed, nu. With this sad view in front of me, I lost my will to test out anything, nu. It's a pain in the ass to kill even one runt. I'll call my boss and pal to kill you all, nu."

NO!

SMASH

Akabane-san smashed his phone by swinging a plotted plant at it (and at the same time make a worse crack on the window glass). Chika's eyes widened at such action. Really... Akabane-san is as prone to violence as the Delinquent Trio!

"Hey, old man nu." Akabane-san lower the potted plant. "For a pro, you seem like a pretty normal guy. If it's just glass or a skull, I could break it too. But wait, the way you're so quick to call your buddies, are you afraid to go one on one with a middle school kid?" Akabane-san... What is he doing? Riling up such a dangerous opponent like that? Granted, he is among the bests in Class E but-

"Stop right there, Karasuma-sensei" Koroball said, stopping Karasuma-sensei from voicing his disagreement. "His chin is down." ...What is chin have to do with this? Koroball explained some more. "Until now, he would always stick his chin out with an abundance sense of composure. His stance was that of one looking down on his opponent. But now, it's different. His foul mouth hasn't change but... His sight is set straight and lacks hesitation. He's observing his opponent heads on."

Chika blinked at the new found fact. You can always count on Koro-sensei to be this observant but... How much difference a chin can make? Their opponent is an adult. Looking at their options though, Chika decided that Akabane-san have the greatest chance of fighting their opponent. His academic strength is beyond doubt. The same goes with assassination. Chika saw how fluid and efficient his movements were when beating up Terasaka but...

"All right, nu" The enemy took off his jacket. "Let's see what you can do, nu."

Akabane-san swing the potted plant once more. The enemy easily caught it. He easily break it to half too. "Too soft, nu. You'll have to find a better weapon, nu."

"Don't need one." Chika feel like face palming at Akabane-san's reply. Is he boasting or is he that confident? The enemy move forward. Akabane-san is able to dodge his attacks as well as deflect them. Akabane-san truly is the best fighter in Class E. He made it look so easy. Must be because of how many fights he gotten himself into. Chika of course have heard of his reputation prior to joining Class E. When she learnt that he will be seated next to her, she is afraid... But now... She is rooting for him to win. Prejudice really is a funny thing. Chika have to reevaluate everything she knows. Or what she thinks she knows. She must drop the 'Delinquent' part off Terasaka's group too.

"Wow..." Kayano-san watched the fight breathlessly. "He's dodging or blocking every blow!"

"That's your defence techniques, right? Karasuma-sensei." Koroball asked. Karasuma-sensei nodded, confirming it. Chika's eyes widened. Karasuma-sensei never taught them any defensive moves. Only offence because, well, they are assassins. For Akabane-san to learn all these just by looking... Truly a genius. You really can't just a book by its cover. But... How long will he able to keep this up? He can't keep defending forever.

The enemy must have the same thought, because all of a sudden he stopped attacking. "What's wrong, nu? You'll never get past me if you don't attack, nu!" He is annoyed, judging from his tone.

"I wonder about that~ The more I keep you busy, the easier for everyone else to get past you." Akabane-san pointed his thumb to them. "Don't worry. I won't do anything sneaky like that. I'll go on offence this time." The redhead start to crack his knuckles. "I want to fight you fair and square. Let's do this hand to hand, man to man." He move to a fighting stance. It looks like he's seriously going to fight him but... Chika knows that it's a big fat lie. They are assassins. They don't do fair and square. The enemy maybe thirsting for a real fight. But he is on mission. Oh, and he's also an assassin to boot. The enemy is equally strong as Karasuma-sensei. Akabane-san couldn't possibly win by pure strength alone. So what kind of trick does he hide under his sleeve? This is Akabane-san we're talking about. The trickster of Class E.

The enemy looks pleased though. "I like that face of yours, young warrior, nu. With you, I've got a chance to have a fair fight you can't find in the assassination world, nu."

Akabane-san attacks first, delivering a kick. The enemy easily block it. Now their roles is reserved. Akabane-san on offence while the enemy defends. Chika hope Akabane-san don't let his guard down, because surely his opponent to have a trick or two- The enemy got hit on the thigh! Akabane-san's attack connected! The enemy jumped back, limping. He turn around- No! You can't show the enemy your back! Not even Karasuma-sensei does that! A pro like him wouldn't do that! Akabane-san dive to the opening-

WOOSH

A familiar purple glass cause Chika to step back. Akabane-san on the other hand, is not so lucky. He got hit by the gas. Point blank. In the assassin's hand is the exact same device Smog used in their earlier confrontation.

"One down," The enemy grab the fallen Akabane-san by the head. Chika feel the air gone cold. Don't kill him! "I'm not fond of drawn out fights, nu. So I tried out Smog's anaesthesia gas, nu."

"That's dirty!" Yoshida calls him out. "Ain't nothing fair about sneaking that into a fight!"

"I never said I would only use my hands, nu." The enemy lift Akabane-san's limp form. "One mustn't get too particular about one's hangups, nu. Just another key to sticking around in this business, nu. A spray of gas at point blank range, nu. You'll never defend against it if you don't see it coming-"

WOOSH

Everyone gasped. The same purple gas have been blown at point blank range to the enemy's face. When the gas clears up, they can see Akabane-san is fully conscious, and have a handkerchief covering his mouth. On his other hand... Is the same gas device! Akabane-san must have swiped it from Smog without their knowledge. If only he tell them earlier that he have a trump card... Fool your friends first to fool your enemy indeed.

"What a coincidence~ We were thinking of the same thing!"

The enemy staggers to his feet. He pull out a switchblade from his pocket. Angrily he charge toward Akabane-san. With the gas taking effect and his mind filled with rage, Akabane-san dealt with him rather easily. He pinned him to the ground. "Terasaka! Make it snappy! We'll need duct tape and sheer number to beat this monster!"

Terasaka sighed. "Yeah, I'm on it." He charges forward. "Your promise for a barehanded one on one fight is a lie too, huh?" He and all the boys except Shiota-san and Isogai-san jumped onto the enemy. Effectively pinning him down with their combined weight.

"Careful taping him up. You need to watch out for his super strength, even when he's paralysed. Pay attention especially to his palms because you can get caught in his grip." Karasuma-sensei warned them.

A few minutes later, the enemy is tied down with Terasaka's duck tape. It appears the gas device is a one time thing, so they can't use it anymore. Regardless, Chika put the one belonging to the enemy inside the backpack. Maybe Okuda-san can do research on it and make a variant. Something that only works for Koro-sensei. "How... did you see my gas attack coming, nu? Is that why you didn't breathe any in, nu?" The enemy asked Akabane-san. "But I only showed you my bare hands, nu... How, nu?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Akabane-san sit down in front of the man. "I was looking out for everything other than your bare hands. I'm sure you really did want to have a barehanded fight, but in this situation... A pro wouldn't continue to use their bare hands. In order to stop us here, you would need to use any means necessary. If I were in your shoes, that's what I would do. I believed in your consciousness as a pro. Because I believed that, I was on alert."

"Karma had never known true defeat," Koroball speak up. "but those midterm exams taught him all to well. Losers are people just like you who live their lives thinking about all sorts of things. Once you realised that, you inevitably find you can no longer make light of your opponent on the battlefield. You can see if your opponent is thinking like you, trying hard like you. You come to see their abilities, their circumstances. Someone who can be respectfully wary of their opponent... That person has no chinks on the battlefield."

The enemy suddenly smiled. "You're nothing to sneeze at, young warrior, nu. I may have lost, but I had a fun time-"

"Eh? What are you talking about? The fun is just about to start~"

What?

Akabane-san have pulled out two tubes from his pockets. "Wasabi and mustard. I'm going to stick them up your nose, Nu old man." Everyone, especially the enemy, cringed. "I've been on guard around you all this time, but now that you're tied up, what's the point?" Everyone can only watch in horror as Akabane-san shoved not only the condiments, but also other things. "After I put this in, I'll plug your nose with a special clip. Then... I'll shove these ghost peppers, which are 1000 times spicier than chilli peppers, into your mouth. And then finally, I'll gag your mouth, and the punishment will be complete. Now, old man Nu, this is when you show me the spirit of a pro." To think that her neighbour prepared a special pack for prank purposes...

Chika cringed some more at the pained groans. Her opinion of Akabane-san have changed... But only just for a bit.

They easily clear the 4th and 5th floor. The sixth and bar floor, is just right ahead. That is where the terrace is located. There's a pool too. According to Ritsu, there's a stairway to the VIP floor located inside the lounge. The back entrance is locked, they have to come in through the lounge to unlock it. Ritsu have provided a digital scheme to give them more understanding of the plan. Karasuma-sensei and the boys would be too eye-catching, so Kataoka-san suggests that the girls will be the one to do it. They will have a more lax security on females. Personally, Chika prefer to stay with the boys. Bar floor means... Alcohol and parties right? She never been in that kind of place before. She's underage! Age limit basically non existent in this hotel but still...

"No, it's girls going alone that makes it dangerous," Karasuma-sensei argued. Yes! Thank you for the input Karasuma-sensei!

"Oh! In that case!" Akabane-san look to Shiota-san's direction. All of them followed suit.

Shiota-san blinked back at them in confusion "Eh?"

A few minutes later, Chika and Hayami-san safely returned from the pool outside. Hayami-san is holding a few pieces of clothing while she is clutching a pair of boots. They were carelessly left behind at a random spot. Chika try not to think where and what the owner is doing. Despite Shiota-san's protest, the girls dragged him into the female restroom, where they will get him to change outfit. Kayano-san put ribbons on Shiota-san's pigtails to complete the look. The boys gasps in surprise when Shiota-san emerged from the restroom, looking like a real girl.

Per Akabane-san's suggestion, Shiota-san will be the girls' bodyguard by pretending to be one himself.

Crossdressing huh... Koro-sensei do that as well. Shiota-san obviously did a better job pulling it off. He already look androgynous from the beginning! Oh, and he's also clearly a human. Admittedly, Chika herself is surprised how good the outfit is on Shiota-san. Without him noticing, Akabane-san snapped a picture of Shiota-san with his phone. He grin devilishly while doing it. There is no doubt in her mind that he will save it for pranks later on.

Now that's settled, the girls and Shiota-san marched into the battlefield. Kataoka-san walk on the front, being the bravest, followed by Yada-san, Kayano-san, Hayami-san, Fuwa-san, Okano-san, Chika and Shiota-san on the rear. Chika wonder if everyone else can hear how loud her heart is beating. She's inside a club! Where they serve alcohol! Where people would make out! And God knows what other stuff people do while in a club!

'Forgive me, Nee-san... Chika is climbing the stairs to adulthood without your knowledge...' Chika look up to the ceiling, praying for the higher beings to give her strength to go through this. At least Shiota-san is as unwilling as her to be here...

"C'mon! Be a man! Now get in front and protect us, Nagisa-kun!" Fuwa-san beckoned to Shiota-san playfully.

Even under the dim lighting, they can tell that Shiota-san is blushing red. "I can't! I can't be out in the front!"

"Give it up," Hayami-san said. Fuwa-san pull Shiota-san's wrist, forcing him to get in front of her. Shiota-san bashfully put his hands in front of his skirt, looking down to his feet, unable to look at them in the eye. It just make him look more... Maidenly. Honestly? This is straight out of a cross dressing manga. If they follow the usual plot, some random guy or possible love interest will take notice of Shiota-san and mistake him for a girl... And that's when the entire hijinks began, thus kicking off the story.

"Ha-ah~ I can't take it anymore~ Let's get out of this filthy place ASAP!" Fuwa-san whined but she's smiling. For some reason it appears that she's enjoying herself. Even Yada-san and Kayano-san seems relaxed in this kind of place. Or girls their age supposed to feel that way? Chika wish the other boys are here. Or Bitchirina-sensei. Or Toshiko-nee.

"Hey!" A masculine voice call out for them. Chika jolt in surprise. Already a guy trying to pick them up! They all turn around to face this newcomer. A boy around their age wearing casual clothing and a baseball cap. He grinned at them. "Where do you guys come from? How about a drink? My treat~" Uh... Is this the scenario when the opposite sex try to get the girl drunk and drag her somewhere to have sex? Is he picking up ALL of them? Harem? Thankfully, everyone don't look too thrilled.

Kataoka-san push Shiota-san. "Go ahead, Nagisa! Keep him company!" She lean in to whisper to his ear when Shiota-san protests. "We have to act normal, remember? We'll come get you if anything happens." Defeated, Shiota-san leave the group to follow the boy. It appears he mistake him for a girl... Oh my God. This is going exactly like the cross dressing plot. Chika can only pray that the guy won't try to grope Shiota-san. They boy led him to the bar. They barely take a few steps forward when another guy pick them up again. No, scratch that. Make it two guys. This time, they are older. In their twenties perhaps. Wow, pedophiles. Or ephebophilias to be more precise. Regardless, they look scary. Kataoka-san about to yell at them when Yada-san stopped her. She intentionally get closer to the perverts.

"You guys look pretty cool, and we want to hang out but we're out with our daddies tonight." She pull out something small from her pocket and start to play with it. "My daddy's kinda scary, so you should forget about it." Yada-san show the small object to them. One look at it and the men cringed in fear. "I asked him real nice and he gave me this! Maybe I'll put it on my schoolbag!" Without listening some more, the two men runs away. "Wussies. Obviously it was on loan." Yada-san show it to them. Chika's eyes widened when she recognised that it's a button... With a yakuza symbol on it. "I borrowed it from Bitch-sensei." Yada-san explained to them as they resume walking. "She's something else. Yakuza, lawyers, racehorse owners... She's got every kind of pin you could think of, since she can use them for work." Pins huh... Chika remember that her parents own similar pins. College pins to be precise. Not that she want to use them.

"You're always so interested in hearing about Bitch-sensei's work, Yada-san." Kayano-san said. She's not wrong. Based on her own observation, Chika always found Yada-san listening raptly to Bitchirina-sensei's stories. She is most enthusiastic when it comes to English lessons. When Bitchirina-sensei teach that is. She too likes to seek out Bitchirina-sensei after school.

Yada-san look sheepish. "It's not like I want to seduce people. It's like Koro-sensei said, you got to wield a second blade." She put up two fingers. Skills for entertaining and negotiating... Don't you think these would be the ultimate blades when going out in society?"

"Whoa! Yada-san, you're going to be such a cool adult!" Fuwa-san said admiringly.

"Even with those big boobs, I can't help but falling for you," Kayano-san said grudgingly. Chika look at her in alarm. Will this the first gay shipping in Class E?!

"You guys!" Kataoka-san call them out, putting a halt on their conversation. "We made it all the way inside but... There's a lookout." She discreetly point to a staff standing by the exit. A few feet from the exit is a door, where the boys are waiting on the other side. They couldn't possibly pass the staff without being seen. This is the exact same situation as the lobby earlier. The only difference is there's only one obstacle. "Depending on the situation, we might really need a guy's help. Kayano-san, go get Nagisa." With that, Kayano-san left. Chika huddled together with the girls, eyeing the staff.

"Think we can lure him out and sneak past him?" Okano-san said softly.

"I want to avoid any kind of forced entry," Hayami-san said. "He's a hotel employee. So if we took him out, we'd be caught right away."

"How about we use one the guests here as a distraction?" Chika suggests. "From what Karasuma-sensei told us about this hotel, accidents must have happened. Like overdose or drunk guests deciding to get wild. I myself rather not get civilians get involved in this but the clock is ticking."

"There are plenty drunks around," Kataoka-san admitted. They all glance to a couple drunkenly making out. And a guy waving his arms wildly on the dance floor, holding a liquor bottle. Another guy is puking at a nearby potted plant. "All right, let's go with the puking guy and ask the staff to escort him out. How's that?" Everyone voice their agreement. "Ah, here comes Nagisa and Kayano-san."

Indeed, two pairs of familiar pigtails make their way towards them. In a glance, Kayano-san and Shiota-san look like twins, with their similar stature and hairstyle. Shiota-san look really embarrassed. Chika hope the guy didn't try to feel him up. "Don't leave me alone like that!" Shiota-san pleaded.

"Sorry! We hammered out a strategy." Kataoka-san said gently, hoping to placate him.

"Great. I can't wait to get out of these clothes-"

"Hey! Wait up, ladies!"

Now what?!

The same boy from earlier, the one who drag Shiota-san, came running towards them. This guy really don't give up... "As a special treat, check out my signature dance moves!" He starts to dance on the spot. He is pretty good but... Chika would rather that he leave them alone. A man walk pass them and... The boy accidentally bumped to him, causing the man's drink to spill on his outfit.

"Hey, brat! Come here for a sec!" The man grab the boy's collar. He looks like he's a part of the yakuza... This is another typical scene from manga yet realistic enough to happen in real life. Chika is witnessing one right now. Yada-san whispers something to Okano-san. Okano-san nodded and walk up to the scary looking man. Without warning, she deliver a roundhouse kick to the face. He is knocked out almost instantly. The boy fell to the floor, looking at them in confusion, but they don't have time for that. It's a bit different from what they've planned... But the result is good enough. Kataoka-san and Hayami-san drag the fallen man while Yada-san alert the hotel employee. They watch the employee drag the man out before making a run for it to the exit. Chika take one glance behind to see Shiota-san talking to the boy. Maybe saying goodbye? In any case, they have cleared the 6th floor.

Chika never look so relieved to see the boys after Kataoka-san unlock and open the door. They have a similar look of relieve at the sight of them. Not wasting any time, they run upstairs, to the seventh floor. Once they reach the seventh floor, they stopped to give the girls a breather and a moment for Shiota-san to get changed.

"We really sent you to some dicey territory," Koroball said with a hint of worry. "You weren't in any danger, were you?"

"Nu-uh~" Yada-san shook her head with a cheerful smile.

"Not even close!" Kataoka-san smiled. Everyone except Chika and Shiota-san smiled. Ah, Shiota-san have returned. He's back in his regular, male clothes.

"You girls did everything this time around... What was even the point of me being in this getup?" He look down to the clothes in his arms.

"For comic relief! Duh~" Akabane-san answered as if it's the most natural thing in the world. Shiota-san gasp in horror when the redhead show him a picture of him wearing the girl clothing. Kayano-san is positive that it helped someone. Is she talking about the troublesome boy? Chika sense a possible case of a Checkov's Gun here. This whole assassination thing get into her more that it should.

They are now on their final leg of infiltration. From here on out, it's the VIP floor. As expected, there are securities placed on this floor. Two hulking guys is standing guard on the staircase leading to the upper floor. It appears that the two are guards belonging to the hotel guests instead of working for the hotel. They look strong, and Karasuma-sensei haven't recovered enough to deal with them. Are they working for the bad guy? Or for someone completely unrelated? Either way, they must get past them. Chika peek from behind the wall. They don't have the assassin vibe... Then again, Smog look pretty normal. Terasaka is already cracking his knuckles, ready to take them on. Koro-sensei have another plan though. It involves something that Terasaka owned... He 'tched' and take off his backpack. Chika's eyes widened when he pull out a stun gun.

"Hey Kimura, see if you can lure them out this way for me." Terasaka said to a stunned Kimura-san.

"Me? How?"

"How should I know? Say something to piss them off."

This is Akabane-san's forte, and he readily appear next to Kimura-san. Complete with his trademark devilish grin. "Here, Kimura. Try saying this." He whispers to Kimura-san's ears. He do a double take and swallowed. Kimura-san hand over Koroball to Shiota-san before leave their hiding spot. A few moments later, Chika hear the words 'muscle heads', 'pig meats', and 'stop pretending'. Sure enough, the guards yell angrily, followed by heavy, rapid footsteps that can only means that they are chasing Kimura-san. With his speed that is number 1 in Class E, Kimura-san easily out run them. Terasaka and Yoshida sprang from their hiding spot, each holding a stun gun. The two tackled the enemy to the floor and... Jammed the stun gun right into their neck! The guards are knocked out cold. It appears Terasaka came to a lot of money and decide to buy them for assassination.

"Nice weapon, Terasaka-kun, but check their breast pockets." Koroball said. "Judging from the bulges, you should find even better weapons." Chika hold her breath when Terasaka pull out a gun. An actual gun! Yoshida pull out an exact same gun from the other guard. "Chiba-kun. Hayami-san" Koroball call out for them. "You two would hold onto those guns." Hayami-san's eyes widened and Chiba-san visibly recoils. "Karasuma-sensei has not recovered enough yet to fire accurate shots. Currently, the only ones capable of putting those to use are you two. However!" The kanji 'No Killing' appears on Koro-sensei's forehead, along with an 'X' shaped scar. "I will not permit you to kill anyone!" The two shooters hesitates before grabbing the guns handed to them. "With your skills, there should be any number of ways to defeat your enemies without harming them." Hayami-san and Chiba-san still look unsure, but Koro-sensei decide that it's time to move on. According to him, there's no sign that the enemy has set up camp in any great numbers. There should only be one or two hitmen remaining at most.

By now they should have noticed that Smog and the other assassin are basically beaten. If they will send their next assassin, it will be now. The emergency stairs leading to the 9th floor is located on the other end of the concert hall. They have no choice but to get inside first. There's a chance that the assassin is already waiting there, so Karasuma-sensei told them to get in one by one, then hide between the chair rows. The darkness helps in hiding them. Koro-sensei have Terasaka handed over his backpack to Sugaya-san, so should the need arrive, he can create something to distract the enemy. Chika is crawling behind Kimura-san when the door next to the stage opens.

It's an enemy!

The only sound Chika can hear is the sound of footsteps. The enemy's footsteps... Followed by a gunshot. Chika winced at the sound. It's so much different than their Anti-sensei gun. The bullet must have hit a stage light, judging from the sound of glass.

"Just so you know, this hall is completely soundproof. And this gun is real." The assassin told them. "I'll have you shot dead before anyone comes to save you. You know you're not prepared to kill anyone." He's right... But killing humans is not their true aim anyways. "Now come on out like good little children and bow before the boss-"

BANG

The sound is different from the gun belonged to the assassin... It must be Chiba-san or Hayami-san! The bullet must have hit something else, because there are no sound of distress from the enemy. Chika shut her eyes tight when the stage light suddenly turned on. Its light temporarily blind her.

"Finally! A job I can sink my teeth into!" The assassin shouts gleefully. "Feeling fine again today! My gun is delicious!" Gun? Delicious? Don't tell her that they have another weird assassin!

BANG

Another shot. Chika can't tell if it hit something or not. The most she can do is to hide behind the seat. Next to her, Kimura-san shot her a nervous look.

"I never forget the position of an enemy once they've fired. The two hit men guarding the lower areas are assassins, but I'm different. I used to be an army man, you see." The enemy told them. "All that experience taught me how to pinpoint my enemy's location and the sensation of checking my gun by taste. You won't be able to take a single step from where you are. Now then, there should be one more stolen gun out there."

This is bad... How will they defeat this man? Karasuma-sensei, fellow military man, is down...

"Hayami-san! Remain standing by!" Koro-sensei's voice make her jump in surprise. "You were wise not to shoot just now, Chiba-kun! The enemy still don't know where you are! I'll keep an eye on him and tell you when, so hang tight until it's go time! Nyurufufufu~" How can their teacher laugh in this kind of situation? That stupid takoyaki... Wait, where is he anyway...? There was a brief silence until the enemy fire multiple rounds. It appears Koro-sensei is on the foremost row, since he said he'll keep an eye on the assassin.

"Hey! Quit staring at me from the front row!" The enemy yelled, thus confirms her suspicion. Koroball simply cackles. Bullets have no effect on him.

"An expert gunman versus junior high students? This much of a sight advantage should be enough!" Koroball declares. "Okay, Kimura-kun! run five seats left!" Kimura-san blinked but did it anyway. He crawl past her. "Terasaka-kun and Yoshida-kun! Move three seats to either side! A blind spot! Kayano-san, use this opening and move two rows forward!" This is... A shuffle! "Oichi-san!" Chika perked up "Move 3 rows behind you!" There's no time to think about it. Chika got up from her spot to move as fast as she can. "Karma-kun! Fuwa-san! Move eight rows to the right simultaneously! Isogai-kun, five rows to the left!" Koroball continue to shout them instructions. Chika don't dare to try and peek at the assassin. Though she can imagine he start to feel overwhelmed by now. "Student number 12! Move right and continue preparations!" Number 12... Sugaya-san! It's time for him to prepare that thing! "Seat number 4 and 6! Record the target from between the seats! Relay the state of change to Chiba-kun through Ritsu-san! Ponytail, move to the front left! Motorcycle fan, you too!" Yada-san! Yoshida! "Seat number 29! Go to the second seat from your upper right!" That's her cue! Chika dashed to the spot. "Redhair, move 3 rows in front of you!" Akabane-san! "Hairbun! Go 5 seats to your left!" Her again!

"The person who out of curiosity went to Takebayashi-kun's top maid cafe, and was alarmed to find he liked it, make a big racket to confuse the enemy!" Huh? Maid cafe? Someone in their class other than Takebayashi-kun? Okajima likes the outfit and Ritsu like to cosplay, so who...?

"Shaddup! How the hell did you know I went!" Ah, it's Terasaka. By the sound of it, he's banging the seat in front of him-

"The student who went to the bookstore last week, then spend 10 minutes just standing there wondering if she should buy Fifty Shades of Grey! Help Maid Cafe newbie!"

Chika feel the heat creeping up her face. How the heck did Koro-sensei knows?! Last week was when Lovro-shi visited... And going out with Toshiko-nee... Chika went to the bookstore on those two separate days... She remember standing there, unable to decide if she should buy the BDSM or not... She did it twice... Is he stalking her or... Oh no! Is he stalking Toshiko-nee now?! In rage, Chika kicked the back of the seat in front of her. If that stupid takoyaki dare to lay a tentacle on her sister... She'll kill him! Drive a stake right through his heart! Feed him Toshiko-nee's cooking! She'll rip him to shreds! Feed him to his fellow octopus! She'll turn him to a takoyaki for real!

"...Now then, it's time, Chiba-kun. After I give this next command, fire at will. Hayami-san, you're on follow up as the situation requires. Your objective is to seal the enemy's movement. But before that, a word of advice for the two workaholics who don't let their feelings show." Eh? What is Koro-sensei doing? "When you failed at shooting me earlier today, you began to doubt your own skill. You don't whine or make excuses, and your classmates forced their confidence onto you, thinking 'Surely they can handle it'. No one would notice your anguish." No one noticed... Have she... Have Chika herself not noticing their true feelings? "But it's all right. You don't have to bear all that pressure alone. If you two miss, we'll switch over to a strategy of shuffling people and guns around so no one can tell who's pulling the trigger. We can use that strategy because everyone here has gone through training and tasted failure. You have allies at your side who share your experience. So with that peace of mind, go ahead and fire." Koro-sensei... He always come up with the most outrageous things. But at this rate, Chika can't help but be willing to go through that plan of his. Shooting real guns will be very scary, but with everyone's support... Heck, Shiota-san have no qualms of using a real knife against Takaoka. And Akabane-san daring to go into a one on one fight with the second assassin. This is not the time or place to hesitate.

"Let us begin. Student number 12! Stand and fire!"

Sugaya-san!

BANG

Chika looked up. The bullet find its mark. It pierced right through the dummy's forehead. On the other side of the hall, Chiba-san stood up and fire.

BANG

CRASH

The stage light fell down, crashing onto the enemy. Chiba-san must have shot the brackets. It should be more than enough to disorient him. Yet he still have the strength to remain standing. The enemy raise his gun once more-

BANG

This time, Hayami-san found her mark. Her bullet knocked the gun off the enemy's hand. With that, the enemy collapsed to the ground. Terasaka and Yoshida didn't waste any second. They both jumped in to tape him up. Sugaya-san tiredly drag the dummy with him, moaning how difficult it is to make it in complete silence. Chika get up from her hiding spot. Everyone else is rushing to Chiba-san's and Hayami-san's side. Kayano-san take out a water bottle from Terasaka's backpack and offer it to Hayami-san. The boys went to congratulate Chiba-san, the girls to Hayami-san.

"That was really cool of you, Hayami-san!" Okano-san gushes over.

"Yeah! You really are something else!" Kataoka-san agrees. Kayano-san is jumping up and down. She's so energetic.

"You make the protagonists of Gunslinger Girl run for their money!" Ah, Fuwa-san and her manga references.

When everyone else finally leave the two alone, Hayami-san's eyes meet with Chiba-san's. The two smile at each other. The biggest smile Chika have seen coming from those two. A smile of relief, embarrassment... And pure happiness. They bumped their arms together. Chika's eyes glint at the sight. Oh this ship is going strong. This is the closest canon ship in Class E. The top contender for KarasumaXIrina. Hayami-san and Chiba-san appear to realise what they had just done. Both of them turn around to look at her before turning away again. Embarrassed. Or maybe they don't want people to find out their relationship...? With a teacher like Koro-sensei, Chika can understand. Still, Chika unabashedly stare at them, inwardly enjoying the rush of knowing something no else does.

Chika will keep a very close eye on these two indeed.

...

She is still going to make Koroball to an actual takoyaki though.

This chapter takes place from Ch. 63 - 68 in the manga.

Okay, in later chapters, Smog explained that the poison he used is basically a food poison bacteria. Toshiko have poisoned Chika so many times with her food, over the years Chika's body built up immunity strictly for food poisoning. To put it another way, Toshiko's cooking is worse that Smog's food poison.

Chika call Koro-sensei takoyaki is because he is currently in his ball form. Octopus + ball = takoyaki

Next chapter! It's a fight between Nagisa and you-Know-Who! Okay, it's not Voldemort.

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