A Promise Between Worlds

Intermission Arc

Chapter 23: Stealth Work

"Koro-sensei!" Nagisa rounded the silent assassin and ran up to the yellow octopus. Risotto kept his intense focus on Koro-sensei, not even allowing himself to blink.

"Good to see you, young Shiota. And congratulations on your passing the Preliminary," Koro-sensei said, patting Nagisa's head with one of his tentacles. The student was delighted and proud to receive such a praise.

It was a bizarre scene for a would-be assassin to express such familiarity and comfort around his target. But as of this moment, there were other pressing matters for Risotto. And most of them include the creature standing before the competitor, his summoner.

I can't sense any iron in him... Risotto noted. There was iron all around them. Iron itself was always found within living beings. To be without them would be to be without breath. But for this creature, there was none. Yet he was alive and capable of blowing up the moon, and soon, the earth as well. Killing this creature really won't be so easy, as Nagisa himself stated. Risotto could already comprehend that the moment Nagisa told him his situation at his world, but Risotto didn't think he would have to be faced with this ordeal so soon, let alone aware of the fact that Koro-sensei would be in this competition.

There were several different ways Risotto could do to kill this creature, but he held himself back for multiple reasons. One, he wasn't sure just how long this yellow octopus had been observing them. Two, he wasn't sure if he could use Metallica before this creature could kill him. Three, judging by Nagisa's proficient use in weaponry that involves ammunition that were also without iron, they have to be specifically designed to deal with the likes of Koro-sensei, meaning no other weaponry could be suited to kill this creature. Which means using metal against this monster may not be so affective.

And then there's four, in which Nagisa himself was standing so close to the target. At that distance, Nagisa could-

"Were you watching us this whole time?" Nagisa asked.

"Unfortunately no," Koro-sensei answered. "I was only aware of your entry in this competition last night. Not only you, but I've also read that Karma Akabane is here as well."

Nagisa nodded, "Yeah. We plan on meeting up today."

"Excellent! So long as the two of you stay close, and work together, you'll make it far in this competition," Koro-sensei said with his permanent grin. "There are a few things I'm against, but let's not worry about that right now. Tell me, do you still have your patch?"

Nagisa nodded and pulled out the patch from his pants. "Here. All five stars."

Koro-sensei took hold of the card, his two suction-like fingers taking hold of the patch's corner edges. "I see. You must have worked hard to get these-"

His yellow tentacle quickly grabbed the wrist of Nagisa, stopping his quick and immediate thrust of his green knife that aimed for Koro-sensei's heart.

"-and with these honed skills of yours, it's no surprise! Nehehehehuhuhuhu!" Koro-sensei chuckled. "Of course, it'll take more than that to kill me."

"Darn..." Nagisa said, retreating his dagger-held hand. Risotto eyed at the boy's back.

Despite his clear affection, that boy will not hesitate to try and kill his teacher. Risotto was impressed.

"It was a good effort nonetheless," Koro-sensei said, "Although, I would have preferred it if I had been your only target. But there's nothing we can do about that now. However..."

Koro-sensei's tone lowered slightly, a neutral tone to display his seriousness despite keeping hold of his smiling expression. "There's more to this competition than relying on your assassination skills. But this is no place to discuss all that. Come! Let us settle in a more familiar setting! With you and your new friend over there!"

Risotto suddenly felt tense in a way he couldn't explain, and before he knew it, he felt himself grabbed, a burst of wind through his figure, and the scenery around him changed.

"-?!" He was taken aback when he find himself suddenly in something that looked like a classroom. His arms spread out slightly by his hips, looking over his shoulders as he assessed his surroundings. He kept a cool head, but the fact that he'd been transported like this did leave him unsettled for a moment.

"Now then class! Go ahead and take your seats," Koro-sensei announced at the front of the classroom, standing in front of a chalkboard. "I'll be bringing in Karma later. For now, I'll be giving you two a tutoring session!"

Nagisa looked around the classroom. "This is... our classroom!"

"A perfect replica. But we are still in the Wired, a little far in the outskirts of the city," Koro-sensei informed. "I made everything myself! Down to the littlest details."

He remembered that much? Nagisa thought to himself, really impressed. I guess it's not that surprising. This is Koro-sensei after all.

"Your friend is also free to take any seat, since it's just the two of you here. I even gave him a little gift!"

Nagisa turned to Risotto. He sees the man on the defense, and it made Nagisa feel bad, forgetting to mention about Koro-sensei's eccentricity. He was surprised to see, however, Risotto wearing a shirt underneath his black coat. Risotto caught Nagisa's gaze and he looked down to his own torso.

"We don't offer school uniforms to adults like yourself, but it's against school regulations to come to class without a shirt," Koro-sensei said, his grin looking rather cheeky. "I hope you like it. I knitted that together while I brought you and Nagisa here."

The knitted sweater vest completely coated Risotto's front body - which explained the slight itchiness he had felt. At the chest was a picture of a cat with their tongue sticking out.

"Now that I think about it. You could use a haircut also!"

Koro-sensei suddenly disappeared from the front of the classroom and reappeared behind the speechless Risotto. The man felt his hat briskly removed, and he heard snipping from a pair of scissors by his head. Seeing his bangs be slightly trimmed.

"It's always important to take care of yourself. By the way, have you seen an Optometrist lately? You might want to consider having someone check those eyes of yours."

Risotto kept an impassive expression, despite himself being completely at the mercy of this 'teacher', who was grooming him without a care in the world.

Is he trying to taunt me? Risotto questioned. I don't feel any malice. Is he just showing off his speed? Or...

"Oh, and we can't forget to trim those nails! I could see you building up some grim there. You could also use a massage to get rid of all that tension in your face!"

...Is he just a moron?

Maybe some form of mental impediment, or just a general idiot personality. But whatever the reason, there's one thing Risotto was certain of. This creature's speed was incalculable to the human eye. If this 'teacher' wanted to, he really could just kill Risotto and the user of Metallica wouldn't even know what hit him.

I have to be careful around him.

This creature has no intention of harming Risotto, he'd best not to tempt that. For now.

"There's no need to be so suspicious," Koro-sensei said. Despite seeing nothing but a stoic face, the octopus could still read the man. "I'm just your run-of-the-mill teacher who only wants the best for his students. Why don't we take this opportunity to get to know a little more about each other."

At his words, Risotto understood. He's assessing me. He more than likely suspects or already knows that I'm not a competitor. Is he just looking out for the kid? Odd that a target would care so much about his potential killer.

"Oh! Where are my manners? We haven't even introduced ourselves properly. I'm Nagisa's homeroom teacher of Class E. My students happily call me Koro-sensei! And who might you be?"

"...Risotto Nero." There's probably no point in lying, seeing how observant this creature is.

"Risotto Nero... Like the Italian dish? How interesting! I've been to Italy several times. Such a lovely place." With that, Koro-sensei lets go of Risotto and backs away. "I must say, you have an impressive build. No doubt, you must be very efficient in your line of work. Seeing as how it's against code for an assassin to reveal every information about themselves, I won't pry too much. And seeing as how you have done well to look after my student, I'd say I can perhaps trust you to be his guardian, if only temporarily."

"My guardian?" Nagisa asked, stepping closer to his teacher.

"Yes. While I would want nothing more than to personally supervise you and Akabane, I unfortunately have another duty I must adhere to. I'm not only here to be your guidance and teacher, Shiota, but I'm a Guardian of the Wired."

Koro-sensei lifted his tentacles slightly. "I've been summoned here to act as an enforcer of peace and stability within the Wired. Myself and many others who are as powerful as I am, we help keep order within the city. Truth be told, I'm actually not the real Koro-sensei, Shiota."

"H-huh?" Nagisa was startled to hear that.

Koro-sensei began to explain, "I'm an NPC. A Non-Participating Competitor. Or Combatant. Or Citizen. Whichever works best. I was, let's say, 'computerized' as a perfect replica of the original Koro-sensei to act as an NPC fulfilling a role. Whether it's to guide Competitors. Restrain unruly rule-breakers. And etc. Right now, it's more than likely that the real Koro-sensei is back at your world and hasn't the slightest clue that you and Akabane are here."

"I see..." Nagisa said as he did his best to comprehend.

"But even though I may not be the real Koro-sensei, I'm still him in every other way. I am still your teacher, Nagisa, and I intend to help you not only succeed the next round, but to win this competition. Consider this as the exam of a lifetime! A one and a million shot! Where not only your minds are pushed to the limits, but your body and spirit as well. There are many competitors who surpassed both you and Karma in terms of experience, skills, weapons, and more. But don't let that deter you from trying your best! And so long as I'm around, I will do my duty as your teacher to help you win this competition."

Hearing Koro-sensei proclaim that, Nagisa honestly felt relieved, and he let out a breath. "That's good to hear. I was honestly worried what mine and Karma's game plan is to get through the next round."

"Indeed. Things are only going to get more challenging from this point on. You're going to need every advantage you can get. Starting with me!"

Koro-sensei suddenly vanished, and reappeared at the chalkboard, having used a chalk to instantly write something on the board. "Now, take your seats. For this period, I'll be informing everything there is to know about this Competition and the Wired. I hope you have your notebooks ready, there'll be a pop quiz by the end! Nehuhuhuhuhu~"

Nagisa looked up to Risotto. "It's alright. He's a bit strange, but he really does want to help us."

Risotto stared at the creature for a moment longer before answering. "...Perhaps. Even so, I will be keeping an eye on him."

With that, both Nagisa and Risotto took to their seats. Nagisa did his best to not notice Risotto's overly tall size barely fitting into the desk, and Risotto silently preferred not to have this pointed out as well.

"Let's start with where we are currently," Koro-sensei began, and instantly delivered a thick textbook at Nagisa's desk. "Seeing as how you'll be venturing across the Wired for the time being, you'll be needing a guidebook. Written by yours truly! This should help you learn and understand everything there is to know about this city and all its features."

"I-it's really big," Nagisa said, opening the book.

"There, you'll find every map, listed location, and all the rules applied to this city, and so on and so on," Koro-sensei informed. "Out of all the rules, however, only one stands above the rest. Rule number one: Killing other competitors is strictly forbidden. So long as you're in the Wired during its Intermission Period, you must not harm another competitor. This implies that, as soon as you enter the next round, this rule is no longer valid. However, I like to press that, while everything may seem like a simulation, you and Karma are not to kill another human being."

"Yes Koro-sensei," Nagisa nodded.

Risotto, on the other hand, frowned. Isn't this boy training to be an assassin? Or is it only attributed to this creature? He did mention that he preferred to be the only target his students must kill.

Still, something immediately felt odd to Risotto, and he wondered if this preference applied to Risotto as well. He resumed paying close attention as Koro-sensei continued. "There are exceptions amongst fighting other competitors within the Wired, such as sparring, or competing through minigames. However, by all means, killing is still prohibited, and doing so, I'm sure you have heard by now, will result in disqualification. However, you are free to plead your case and request a trial, and should the evidence lean to your favor, you may avoid getting kicked out of the competition even after killing a competitor, NPC, or even a Guardian."

Koro-sensei sighed. "Unfortunately, last night, someone has already broken this rule. A competitor was inside his house when he was suddenly ambushed and was sliced into several pieces."

"Y-Yikes..." Nagisa said, but that wasn't even the creepy part.

"You might be familiar with this competitor, Nagisa," Koro-sensei said. "He was someone who you had a brief chat with."

"Huh? He was?" Nagisa blinked.

"A young man with pink hair. Noticeable scars under his eyes. A black uniform with a red hood."

Nagisa took in the description, and he lurched back. "Ah-! That's-!"

The guy he snatched the pamphlet from - er, borrow. He was dead? That's... horrible. He seemed like a really nice guy...

"Thankfully he's doing fine now, so no need to feel sad."

"H-huh?!" Nagisa sputtered, even Risotto sat up straight in his seat. "Wait... he is? But... didn't you say he was sliced into several pieces?"

"That I did! I'll say this much, it was tough to deal with his other soul as soon as he was put back together. But let's not worry about that now."

"Eh?" Nagisa had so many questions, but Koro-sensei brought something more vital to his attention.

"The truth is, Shiota, what I've just told you is classified information. No one knows he's alive while the police and investigators are trying to locate his 'killer'. They're cutting down all potential suspects, including those he had a brief run-in with, however friendly or aggressive."

"Huh... Hold on!" Nagisa pointed to me. "Does that mean... Am I a suspect?!"

"Precisely. That's the reason why I've decided to tell you this. You might be expecting a couple of investigators to approach you. However, I'm confident that you'll be alright. I know for a fact that you did not kill this competitor, you or Karma. However, this alone is enough to see just how dangerous and serious other competitors can be. Which is why I'm concerned about leaving you to live by yourself. Even as a competitor, you will still need adult supervision."

"Then, what about Karma?" Nagisa asked, suddenly worried about the classmate. Karma is tough, so there might not be a lot to worry about, but Karma wasn't invincible. Nagisa would feel better if Karma had someone there to look out for him.

"Not to worry! Karasuma should have already found Karma by now. He's in good care."

"I see. That's good," Nagisa said, calming down before suddenly perking up. "Wait. Mr. Karasuma is here too?!"

"That's right! Karasuma's role is similar to mine, although in his line of work, we actually call him something a little different, but that's for another time..."

Throughout the class hour, Koro-sensei explained everything there is to know about the Wired. Of nearby weapon shops, training grounds, food courts, medical bays, and etc. "However...! None of this applies to you!"

"HUH?!" Nagisa couldn't hold back his shout of disbelief.

"Or at the very least, they're more or less optional, but you won't be needing those. You have one specific advantage that not every competitor has, and that is... ME!"

Koro-sensei suddenly vanished, and a set of medical and food essentials was presented all around Nagisa and Risotto.

"While my duty as a Guardian requires me to be as unbiased as possible and assert peace throughout the Wired, competitors who have a connection to any of the guardians are given special privileges. In this case, since I'm your teacher, I'm able to resume my role as one to you and Karma all while helping you prepare for your next event. Naturally, Karasuma will be doing the same. While I provide the knowledge, he'll provide you all the equipment and training. I'm sure you'll see him sometime today."

"Oh. I see now..." Nagisa said as he wrote down in his notebook. "Won't this give us an unfair advantage though?"

"Some might argue that, but there are restrictions. First and foremost, once the next event begins, I cannot follow you. You'll have to make a Special Summons for me to do so, such as the use of a Support Card, and other methods. Until then, you and Karma will have to endure the next challenge on your owns. I don't intend to leave it as that, but I have confidence that you and Karma will pass the next event. Secondly, I am still your teacher, and thus, my integrity as one remains unchanged. I will not approve of any cheating or underhanded methods unbefitting for assassins."

Risotto remained silent as Koro-sensei said this.

"It's a free-for-all once the next challenge begins, but even outside the Wired, there are rules established. It is up to you if you wish to follow them. I know, however, that you and Karma will do the right thing. Finally, although I am a Guardian of the Wired, I am and always will be your teacher first and foremost. That will never change."

"Yes, Koro-sensei," Nagisa said, grateful and put at ease to hear that.

"Now then! Time for the biggest reveal of them all!"

Koro-sensei suddenly leaned forward, being intentionally dramatic. "I'm going to let you in on a secret that every Guardian is aware of. At the end of the Intermission, every competitor will be informed of this as well. Once that happens, you'll need to put in your all to defend yourself."

Nagisa perked with interest. Risotto's eyes narrowed with captured intrigue.

"Will you show me your star badges again, Nagisa?" Koro-sensei asked.

"Oh. Sure," Nagisa pulled out the patch. It's five stars glittering under the sunlight through the windows.

"Right there, in your hand, is the key to winning this competition."

Nagisa was surprised when he heard this, and he looked back down at his badges, feeling Risotto's hard stare also.

"No matter what, Nagisa..." Koro-sensei said, his cheerful tone now deep with heavy importance. "You must not lose those stars..."

Nagisa and Risotto left the run-down school building and walked down the dirt path through the forest. Koro-sensei waves off the pair with his ever-wearing grin and then retreated back into the school.

Nagisa looked at the patch in his hands for a little longer before putting it away securely in his pants' pocket.

Risotto regarded Nagisa for a moment, assessing the boy's feeling through his contemplative expression, as he thought back his interaction with the yellow octopus; Koro-sensei...

"Now it's about time I get into a main concern of mine," Koro-sensei said after delivering the most crucial information regarding Nagisa's stars. "That being your housing situation. Since you and Karma are living separately, you'll need adult supervision. As much as I like to proclaim myself as a perfect father-figure candidate, unfortunately, my job will prevent me from truly looking after your well-being outside of school hours. Karasuma will take care to look after Karma, and the plan was to have him visit you as well..."

It was then that Koro-sensei finally addressed the uncomfortably seated tall man in the room. "However, it seems you already have someone chaperoning you. I may not know you or your history, Mr. Risotto, but if I'm to take anything from what I overheard in that alleyway, I'd say you've already become interested in looking after my student here. Normally, it's preferable to have you answer some questions, but I think I'll ask Nagisa himself first."

With that, Koro-sensei returns his focus to his student. "Nagisa. How do you feel about living in the same house with this man?"

Nagisa considered for a moment. "Well... I did ask if me and him could work together..."

The boy of blue pigtails then looked up to the tall man. "If it's okay with him, I don't mind being roommates."

"I see. It seems you trust him quite a bit," Koro-sensei noted. "Very well, and what do you say to that, Mr. Risotto?"

Risotto said nothing for a moment, only holding his gaze with Nagisa's. "...I don't mind it either. It's something we're already adjusted to anyhow. At least, in this manner, we made that clear."

He spotted that hint of joy and appreciation in Nagisa's eyes, and Risotto wondered what could be going through the boy's mind? Was it really that interesting to live with a killer? Did the kid despise being alone? Or was it something else?

Nagisa Shiota. Truly, he is a curious enigma to Risotto.

Risotto broke out of his memory when he could hear the sudden burst of speed flying overhead. It seems Koro-sensei decided to leave school at the moment, perhaps to go see the red-haired boy Karma next.

"...Nagisa."

Nagisa looked up to Risotto. "Yes?"

"Follow me. I wish to see something from you." With just that simple statement, Risotto changed direction, breaking away from the dirt path and headed into the forest.

"O-oh. Okay," Nagisa complied and followed after the dark figure, entering the woods.

They walked for a bit without any talk until they reached a clearing. A green, grassy field surrounded by trees. Nagisa found this place familiar, exactly the one from his world where there were several clearings like this Karasuma made use as a trainings ground for him and his class.

"Right here should be good," Risotto said, stopping at the near center of the field and then looked back at Nagisa. "Now then, there's a few questions I have for you, but before we get to that, consider this your initiation."

"Erm, my initiation?" Nagisa asked.

"Normally, there's another procedure that would have officially accepted you into my group - if you passed that is, but it doesn't seem like that's an option at the moment." It's unknown whether Polpo would be here, but considering that he last heard the man to be dead before Risotto's group sets off to find the Boss's daughter and eliminate Bucciarati's team, it's highly unlikely anyway.

"Oh. Oh! You mean like your assassin group," Nagisa understood and scratched the back of his head. "I'm not sure if that's for me, really. I mean, I'm not sure at all what I want to be after school, but I doubt it's something like that..."

"Don't worry," Risotto stated as he looked at the ground, examining the the field to see how even or uneven it was. "There's another mammoni in our group whose never killed a person, but we took him in because we saw his potential, and his skills - when he put his mind to it - made him a dangerous foe and a better ally. Well, even if you never kill anyone, I'm sure you'll be just as beneficial to the group."

"Huh. I see... what's a mammoni?"

"Never mind that. I want you to come after me."

"W-what?"

"I want to see your skills as an assassin up close and personal. I've been watching you from afar, but now I want to know what it's like to be at the end of your blade. It'll help me better assess you so that we can see what you need to work with before the next event begins."

Nagisa blinked widely. He... wants us to fight?

Himself against a professional assassin? That's honestly so nerve racking. Granted, he did fought against a soldier, a crazy one at that, but this was a professional assassin who might know all of Nagisa's tricks before Nagisa would even use them. Risotto had especially been watching over Nagisa throughout the preliminary. There's no way he could win.

"What's wrong? You still have your dagger, don't you?"

"U-um. Yes, but..."

Risotto ushered the boy with a wave of his hand. "Pull it out, then come at me with it."

"Um. I don't know if... I'm not sure if I can-"

"PULL IT OUT!"

"Y-YES SIR!" Nagisa scrambled for his green knife and held it out for the assassin in front of him. Geez, this guy's seriously intense!

Nagisa is really hoping this isn't another Takaoka incident.

"You need to work on your confidence kid," Risotto said, deflating Nagisa's confidence even more so by this astute observation. "You don't need to win against me. Just show me what you can do."

Risotto's eyes glowed. "Face me like you want to kill me."

Nagisa's eyes widened. Ah... right. I almost forgot.

I don't have to win.

I just... have to kill him.

In an instant, Nagisa's heartbeat went calm. His eyes went void of all emotions. His breathing was steady. Just like that, he entered his assassination mode.

Risotto's eyes widened. An instant gut feeling of something afoot and he stepped back, three times. That's it... that's exactly it...!

To him, Nagisa became a completely different person. The serpent was unveiled. There was focus. There was resolve. There was death in those blue eyes.

No... I shouldn't think of him as a different person... Risotto slowly raised his hand readily. Rather... this is who he really is.

Underneath all that uncertainty and meekness, was a talented killer just waiting to come out.

Nagisa suddenly lowered his weapon, and he made his first approach.

Risotto frowned. He lowered his weapon? Did he lose his nerve again?

No. That's not right. Risotto was certain of that vacant look in Nagisa's eyes. That separation, or suppression, of all emotions to restrain any hesitation or doubt. To deliver a precise killing blow. There was no blood lust. Absolutely no animosity or threat. Risotto's body felt no danger whatsoever as Nagisa grew closer and closer and-

-?!

With a wave of his hand, Risotto summoned several scissor blade in front of Nagisa's shoes.

"Whoa-!" Nagisa jumped back, avoiding stepping over the blades that appeared from the grass. He was forced away from Risotto, creating distance between them.

"That was very impressive..." Risotto declared, staring at Nagisa carefully. "I couldn't sense your intention at all. No. You were perfectly calm. As if you were just on a stroll across the park, or walking your way to school. No one would have batted an eye."

Risotto then pointed at Nagisa. "That's how you do it. You approach your target completely harmless, then strike when they least expected it. No one would have seen it coming. You've perfectly suppressed your presence, even I was nearly fooled."

Risotto glared. "However, I've never let anyone get too close to me. Unless they're my own comrades, when it comes to my own powers, I can keep myself at a safe distance, and take out my targets that way. It seems you're only effective when your target allows you to get close to them, but if they were cautious from the beginning, or even expecting an attack whether they felt bloodlust from you or not, then they would have gotten the drop on you. You rely on getting close, meaning that: once you're caught, that's the end for you. A one-chance, one-hit, sure-kill."

Nagisa was amazed by Risotto's long winded analyzation. He's completely figured out Nagisa.

"It's an effective approach, but at the same time, it's a one-trick pony technique," Risotto critiqued. "Now that I know what you planned to do, I won't let you get close to me again. I'm perfectly satisfied standing here, and while I'm here, I can summon more iron your way. Even at this distance, I can summon razor blades from your throat, your ankles, your own heart, even your brain. As long as I'm standing here, you're as good as dead."

Risotto straightened his back. "Now what are you going to do? I've exposed your move, now that leaves you with no other option but to come at me from another angle. Or was that your only method of assassination?"

Nagisa's mouth thinned as he tried to consider his options, surveying his surrounding briefly but never looking away from Risotto.

"If that's all you can do, then it looks like this is checkmate. No assassin is limited to only one method of attack. Once your caught, you might as well be dead, and if not, then consider your payment docked for blotching an assassination. Once the world sees your face, there's no escaping it. You'll be recognized by every part of the globe. Nowhere you can call home, be safe, or even families and friends to rely on, all because you had no other ways to kill your target."

Wow. He's really intense... Nagisa had to mentally point out again, kind of feeling bad about his one hit sure kill approach. Karasuma seemed at least a little impressed by it.

"That's not to say that it's a bad move overall," Risotto suddenly said, surprising Nagisa. "With some work, you definitely could make better use of it, but as it is now, it's a risky tactic that leaves you open for anything, even the rain."

Risotto's eyes narrowed, "Or were you hoping I knock you down, and you take me by surprise by feigning defeat?"

Ah... He saw through that too... Nagisa huffed out. He really is good...

"You're a lot bolder than I took you for," Risotto said. "But bravery can only get you so far. If you don't take your own life into account, when you keep making that gamble..."

Risotto's figure sudden started to disappear. "Eventually... you'll go bust."

Nagisa's eyes widened in realization. From underneath his shirt, he pulled out his pistol and immediately started firing.

Risotto jumped to the side as his entire body soon became invisible. So he had a firearm hidden. At least he has other forms of attack to rely on.

Risotto kept running and avoided all the bullets, until he was completely out of the line of firing. Nagisa ceased at once and resumed his retreat, barely ducking in time when a small barrage of needles shit through his hair, and stuck themselves into the trees. Yikes! He's definitely being serious!

Although he's not sure if he'd rather get razors or be pricked by needles. Either way, he definitely didn't want to get hit.

Risotto watched as Nagisa quickly hid himself in the woods. He's leveled the field. If he can't see me, he won't let me see him either.

Unfortunately for Nagisa, the boy hadn't noticed one of Risotto's needles being stuck within the hair band of Nagisa's right pigtail. Now, it's all a matter of finding him.

With that, Risotto began his approach into the forest.

*CLICK*

-!

Risotto immediately jumped to the side as a faster barrage of green bullets shot past him. He had a rifle?! Where was he hiding that?!

In reality, Nagisa had been carrying it all along, but in pieces. Hidden in his pockets and underneath his shirt, and his backpack, he was able to pull out from their respective holsters and put them together. Hiding himself between the trees and some bushes, Nagisa proceeded firing after Risotto. And that wasn't the only sneaky thing Nagisa has done.

He can track me-?! Risotto sprinted towards a tree and hid behind there, defended by the rubber bullets. How is he able to track me? Even back then, he noticed I was standing there despite myself being hidden. How is he-?

It was then that Risotto looked down at his feet, and noticed the purple specks of powder, and a set of foot trails leading from the field he was just on. -?! This is-?!

He lifted his foot and spotted a single, small green ball, easily blending in with the color of the grass. He picked the tiny ball and popped it between his fingers. Purple dust cluttered between his fingers, revealing their shapes and existence despite himself being invisible.

-! I see now. He must have dropped these when he pulled out his gun. It's possible he spread them everywhere in the field. He'll be able to track my movements even while I'm using Metallica to conceal myself.

What a quick-thinking boy. Risotto will commend him for his clever recovery. He dusted away the purple flecks and looked over his shoulder, keeping himself behind the tree. He stopped firing. He might be coming up with a new plan right now...

It won't be too much trouble to get rid of this purple dust. He'll just have to avoid going through the field, and instead move around it. Through the trees and go for Nagisa from the side.

He might have another trap waiting for me. With that in mind, Risotto summoned an iron needle from the ground. In that case, I'll have one ready for him as well...

Nagisa waited between the trees, seeing no sign of movement or purple footsteps, which means Risotto must have noticed the dusts that exposed his position. That didn't go as I thought it would though. Those were supposed to be glue strong enough to hold down someone like Koro-sensei. I guess I need to keep working on my chemistry...

He made a mental note of it for later, and started putting in new ammo in his riffle when he felt his pigtail tickle. "Huh?"

He reached up and pulled out a tickling thread needle from his hair. "Ah. It's still moving?"

He relaxed his fingers and allowed the needle to move on its own, circling around his fingertip before suddenly pointing at a certain direction.

"-! Is it...?"

Was it pointing at Risotto's location? Was this magnetic? Is Risotto power not only based on metal but magnet also?

Nagisa stared at the moving needle thoughtfully, and an idea came to his head.

Risotto began his plan by finding the right tree, and then stabbing his needle into it. The needle he used was coated in his blood. Metallica cells squirmed with magnetic pulses, no doubt the needle caught in Nagisa's hair would be compelled to point at this direction.

Now to see if the kid will- Risotto stopped his train of thought when he heard a snap of a twig, and he instantly went away. He hid behind another tree at a considerable distance. His cloak still activated but now less purple residue to expose his position. He had planned to go to Nagisa and draw the boy in, but it seemed that Nagisa came himself.

He must have found the needle in his hair and decided to follow its magnetic pull.

That was exactly what Risotto wanted to happen. He waited behind the tree in hiding. He waited. And waited...

A barrage of rubber bullets was fired into the tree his bleeding needle was stuck on, no doubt seemingly attempting to hit the invisible Risotto, when in fact, Risotto was nowhere near that spot.

Now to take him... Risotto followed where the barrage of bullets was firing from. Nagisa's position had been exposed, and Risotto made quick work to corner him.

He went behind a bush where he was certain Nagisa was hiding, and-

?!

He found nothing but the rifle. A rock was jammed inside its trigger as the rifle was held up by a metal stand, and thus it kept firing with no one there behind it.

What?!

*Ba-Dum* *Ba-Dum* *Ba-Dum* *Ba-Dum*

Nagisa wasn't here. Instead, it was only Risotto. Could Nagisa have-?

*Ba-Dum*Ba-Dum*Ba-Dum*Ba-Dum*

Risotto was quick to realize what was happening. He turned around to retreat or assess his surroundings.

And he was met face to face with the smiling Nagisa. His pale arms outstretched for Risotto. It was the closest Nagisa has ever been, the closest anyone has ever been to Risotto. Only second place to the one man who killed Risotto in his world.

The friendly face of Nagisa was like the welcome embrace of the afterlife, but behind that smile was a serpent that slithered out of hiding. It ceased all beatings in Risotto's heart, and the man shouted. "METALLICA!"

Scalpels shot out from the ground and were fired by the dozens.

Risotto backed away at once, his back hitting against a tree. He was breathing heavily as he raised his hand, ready to retaliate again if he must. It was like he barely escaped out of death's door this time.

"...U-um..." Nagisa began with a nervous smile, his dumbfounded face that held both concern and a little bit of fright. "Are you okay?"

Nagisa stood on one foot. His other foot and arms were raised above his head as several scalpels narrowly avoided stabbing into the boy, and instead stabbed into the tree behind him, outlining Nagisa's figure like they were playing darts, or one of those knives tricks magicians often do to avoid hitting their living obstacle in front of them.

Risotto managed to gather himself, still breathing heavily as he moved himself away from the tree at his back. "...Sorry...I might have overreacted..."

"I-it's alright. I didn't mean to scare you that badly..." Nagisa carefully removed himself from the tree.

Risotto held his own face, feeling the instant sweat building. I panicked? Why did I react that way? He didn't have any weapons on him. I just felt that... if I let him reach me...

Risotto no doubt would have lost. He had no idea how. But he would have most certainly lost.

After calming himself down, he looked back at Nagisa, "Are you alright?"

"Oh. Yeah. I don't think any of those scalpels hit me," Nagisa checked himself. "Although, I think you might have cut my hair a bit. Ha. Ha..."

His attempt at a joke did not go unnoticed, but Risotto was clearly not a man of jest despite his attire. Risotto soon walked up to the boy. "Let me see you. If there's any cuts, I can close them with Metallica."

"You can?" Nagisa asked, his blue eyes lit with intrigue as Risotto started checking the boy's face. His long fingers pulling aside the blue strands of Nagisa's bangs.

"Unofficially, I am my group's only medic," Risotto answered. "We can hardly afford to go to a real doctor anyhow, not that it would have been easy for us assassins to begin with."

Even amongst the underground world, finding a doctor was like coming across an oasis in the middle of the desert. Which is why it's only reserved for certain groups of Passione. Risotto's team, La Squadra, on the other hand, it didn't seem like their wellbeing was that much of a priority. And ever since Sorbet's and Gelato's 'betrayal' of Passione in their efforts to uncover the boss's identity, La Squadra had been rescinded access of even the most questionable of doctors, and Risotto's team were already pinching for pennies as is.

"That sounds pretty rough..." Nagisa said. "Don't assassins usually get paid a lot?"

"It depends on the job, and who gives it," Risotto answered. "I'm sure if any of my teammates hears about the reward for your teacher's life, they wouldn't hesitate to jump tanks in order to get him." Well, Ghiaccio in particular would be pissed at how some inexperienced children were getting a bigger reward than any of La Squadra ever recieved.

"What are they like?" Nagisa asked curiously.

Risotto held Nagisa's slightly 'trimmed' pigtail as he regarded the boy for a moment, and then he lets go. "You'll see for yourself, once we find them."

"Find them? How do we do that?"

"The same way you found me," Risotto said, looking aside to see the rifle that had completely emptied of all its cartridge. "I don't know if any of them are competitors, but it is possible that they could be NPCs, hidden as Support Cards somewhere in the city, or in the next event."

"Well... We did hear about there being a Card Shop, where we last were. We could start there. Or at least, any other place like that."

"I agree," Risotto then looked away from the rifle. "Seeing that you're alright, we should go start looking for them now. But first, allow me to say this..."

Nagisa paid close attention as Risotto spoke. "You are the second person who has ever come so close to me, and to have taken me by surprise. Tell me, how did you know I had planted a trap? And how did you know where I was? I was fairly certain that I cleared away all the dust you planted on me, so you couldn't have seen me."

"Well, when I found your needle in my hair and saw it moving towards you, or at least, where you must have been, I did think I could use it to track you," Nagisa began to explain. "But then I started wondering if you already knew that? It is your power, so you must have known a weakness like that. I then started wondering if you could have done the same thing for me. It's something that I learned in school, and after I considered it, I realized that that must be how you control all the iron in your surroundings. Your body has iron in it, and you use that iron to pull out other irons around you, like magnet, right?"

"...Something like that."

Nagisa nodded, "So that's how I figured you must have been trying to lure me in. Well, I wasn't sure completely, so I decided to take a chance, and planted this rifle here so that you could come out. I got to say, I'm a little surprised it ended up working, well, almost working..."

He looked back at the poor tree that was stabbed with multiple scalpels.

"And how were you able to find me?" Risotto then asked.

Nagisa looked back at Risotto. "Oh. Well... I heard your heartbeat."

"My heartbeat?"

"Yeah. It's something I can pick up whenever I wanted to gauge someone's mood."

That sort of thing could only be learned if he wanted to avoid angering someone, Risotto analyzed. "I see, so that's how you're able to take others by surprise. You strike at them when they're at their calmest, unsuspecting."

"I don't usually do it for that though..." Nagisa said with an embarrassed look, and then he felt Risotto's hand rest on top of his head.

"Regardless, it is an extraordinary ability," with an impassive expression, Risotto patted Nagisa's head. "I usually examine my opponents on a surface level, but with your precise hearing, you could pinpoint something that's not easily seen to the naked eye. Without a doubt, you have great potential."

He lowered his head a bit and added, "You've more than exceeded my expectations. Well done."

A swell of pride filled Nagisa's chest, and he looked down to his feet. His cheeks slightly pink, a little embarrassed by the compliment. "Thank you..."

"...Are you not used to compliments?" Risotto inquired, peering at Nagisa curiously.

"Ah, well... Koro-sensei would complement us whenever we did a good job on an assignment or tests. It's something we rarely hear from all our other teachers before we were moved to E Class. He's honestly one of the few teachers who ever sees something in us, something that's worth telling we did good."

There was one other person, but no matter how hard that teacher tried, she couldn't really reach her students on the same wavelength as Koro-sensei was able to do.

"...You've been looked down upon," Risotto said.

"...Yeah. Our class isn't just called E Class for no reason." Nagisa's eyes turned sullen, "It's the "End Class". Meaning that, you never want to end up like us. Bad grades. Delinquents. Outcasts of our pristine school, where there's no hope of ever getting back to the surface. We're supposed to be an "example", so that everyone else could study hard and get good grades, and that meant keeping us where we are - at the bottom. The place we were just at right now, that whole building is reserved only for students like "us", away from the main school, where all the smartest, and the most promising kids go to."

Risotto observed the boy quietly, his hand still placed on Nagisa's head.

"Honestly, I didn't think we were ever going to amount much, but ever since Koro-sensei showed up, things started looking up for us," Nagisa soon smiled. "It made me want to prove to everyone who ever looked down on us wrong."

"...If people are willing to do anything to keep you where you are, having good grades won't be enough, especially if they see you threatening to break the chamber of commands." Risotto removed his hand from Nagisa's head. The teen looked up at the man in surprise. "It's the same in the real world. When that happens, do not let them win, or else you may end up trembling in the dark forever."

Risotto then pointed at Nagisa's chest, "When you have your heart set on something, do not hesitate to go after it. Never hold back to pull the trigger or thrust your blade. There's much for you to learn still, and I won't just teach you how to be an assassin, I'll teach you how to be a gangster."

"Ah... wait, a gangster?!" Nagisa was at first moved by Risotto's declaration up until he heard that last sentence. "Are you in the mafia? Like the Yakuza?"

"I'll explain it on the way down," Risotto said, beginning his walk through the parted trees. Nagisa quickly followed him from behind. "Just know that I won't be the only one who will be teaching you."

Hearing Nagisa's explanation of the purpose for his classroom, to be treated like lowly animals with no respect or equal standing... Risotto can certainly sympathize with Nagisa, although Risotto never really attended school, not since his cousin's death.

"Huh... Well, I really appreciate you doing all that for me, even though my wish is kind of lame..." Nagisa said sheepishly, and then perked with remembrance. "Oh, that's right. You mentioned before that you have a wish also."

"...I do."

Nagisa looked up at Risotto curiously. "Is it okay for me to know?"

"...I have several wishes, but there's only one I want more out of anything and everything else." Risotto stared ahead with that immensely stoic figure, as if seeing only the path leading directly towards his goal. "I simply want for myself and the rest of my squad... to have a second chance in life."

Flying overhead the city, Koro-sensei began writing up homework to deliver to Karma, who he intended to visit next. "Risotto... An NPC Support Card summoned by Nagisa. He's certainly an interesting and highly cautious character. I'll have to look into his background when I have the chance-"

Koro-sensei paused when he immediately took notice of a disturbance from below. "Uh oh. Looks like we have another brawl on our hands."

But before he should make himself known; he needs his human disguise on so not to frighten the locals! - even though there's plenty of nonhumans around anyway. He likes the get up also. Koro-sensei immediately got on his disguise and sped onto the streets.

"-give it back! Please give it back right now!"

Koro-sensei in his rather odd-looking human disguise approached the two squabbling competitors who appeared to be fighting over a wooden box. "Now now! What appears to be the trouble-?"

"You don't need to be so stubborn! I promise you I was going to return it!" A golden boy with three donut-shape strands above his forehead stated.

"Who would believe that?! You even stole my cards too!" A boy with a flaming-like mark on his forehead retorted.

The two competitors were in a tug of war with a wooden box they were both fighting to take, completely ignoring the odd-looking guardian beside them.

"I did no such thing."

"Liar! I can smell it from you!"

"Are you a dog? I don't see how that's any evidence."

"My nose is never wrong! And you're still trying to take this! Who are you fooling?!"

"I just want to borrow your suitcase for one moment!"

"I keep telling you it's not a suitcase!"

"U-um. Excuse me?" Koro-sensei once more tried to bring attention to himself. Maybe my disguise is not as imposing as it should be.

"-I said...!" The flaming-marked boy, Tanjiro Kamado, heaved the box with all his strength. "Let go!"

"-?!" The blonde boy was shocked by the boy's strength, actually being lifted from the ground. Shit-!

"Golden Experience!"

Tanjiro's eyes widened at the sudden smell of an apparition he cannot. He lets go of the box at once and he instantly reached for his sword. This smell-! It's... familiar?

He could sense something was coming, and the ground beside them suddenly grew vines.

"W-wait wait wait!" Koro-sensei was startled as the scene was suddenly shrouded by a large garden of fast-growing vines.

There-! Tanjiro followed the scent and swung his sword. He instantly clashed his blade with something, his nose catching whiff of some kind of existence right in front of him as the golden haired boy was trying to escape via carried by vines.

"-?! You can see Golden Experience?" The blonde boy, Giorno Giovanna, questioned in astound. "No... that's not it-"

"Giorno?!"

Giorno stiffened at the familiar voice, and he looked at the crowd.

An incredibly buff figure rushed through. His blue shirt and hair his most distinguishing features, and the man, Johnathon, called out. "Giorno! What's going on?!"

Giorno momentarily forgot himself as he shouted back on instinct, "Padre-!"

He was suddenly grabbed by the open, heart-shaped flaps of his purple coat.

"That's enough!"

With every intention to stop this would be thief, Tanjiro slammed his forehead directly onto Giorno's, and all the golden haired Gangstar could see was stars...

Garou stepped out of the bathhouse feeling refreshed and satisfied, rubbing his head with a free towel as he walked down the sidewalk. Apparently, being a competitor really does mean you get a lot of free stuff. It looks like he didn't have to make a run for it last night after "stealing" that soccer ball from a convenience store.

"-Look! Look! There's an armory shop in that direction! And a potion shop next to it too!"

Garou walked by the railing where some NPCs and Competitors were just idly walking about. Two competitors in particular were looking at a map. An elegantly - if a little skimpy - white dress blonde beauty stood next to a stoically faced man with dark hair.

"We should go-"

"We won't go."

"Why not?! Just how long are you going to keep avoiding the city?!"

"The city is bound to be packed with bloodthirsty, reckless players who intends to cause trouble and get ahead of this competition. That's why I won't go."

"Come oooonnn Seiya!" The blonde, Ristarte, pleaded. "We were stuck indoors all night and all morning - *whisper* and nothing remotely romantic or spicy happened *whisper* - I really want to see what the city looks like!"

Garou peeked over his shoulder at what looked to be a couple down below. Seiya huh? That reminds me, I need to find that kid with the pegasus armor. He's pretty tough, so I should-

"-Look here buddy!" The blonde beauty started fiercely, her goddess-like aesthetic cracking in pure frustration over her company. "It took a lot of effort to get you outside! A hero shouldn't be this cautious when he's on a stroll! And you're already taking it to the millionth level!"

Garou ceased his walking immediately. Hero?

Garou turned around, assessing the appearance of the dark-haired warrior. A hero huh? I made an embarrassment of myself running from that archer. This time though...

He swiftly turned his heel and approached the railing. His golden eyes set on his target like a wolf finding new prey.

"-Sorry, can you speak up? Where are you again?"

His view was blocked by a pompadour. He instantly locked up at the sight of it that reminded him of another hero, but upon stepping back, he realized it was just some other guy.

"I'm looking over the park, but I still don't see you guys," a tall, delinquently dressed young man spoke into an old-fashioned cell phone. "Ahh, maybe this phone's antenna is busted or something?"

Garou moved aside to go around the guy, but the pompadour wearer moved as well.

"I've told you like ten times already! Are you mistaking me for the old geezer?" A voice broke through the speaker of the phone. "Only he's old enough that he can't tell from his left to his right. How'd you think he lost his hand?!"

"Stop telling him lies, and Oh My God, are you still giving him directions? Are you just trying to punk him, you little punk?" Another voice was heard through the receiver.

"Who are you calling punk?! I'm you!"

Over and over, Garou tried to move and look around the pompadour wearer to see the hero below. His frustration building until it reached its boiling point when the hero Seiya began to walk away with the goddess chasing after him.

"Get your stupid hair out of my face!" It honestly annoyed Garou seeing that hairstyle, reminding him that he didn't get to defeat Metal Bat. Garou shoved the tall figure aside and looked over the railing. Crap! He's getting away! But I can still catch him if I-!

"Hey..."

Garou had just hopped on top of the railing when he heard the low tone of the person he just shoved.

"The hell did you say about my hair...?"

Garou turned his head and was met with the face of pure fury. The pompadour wearer glared with his light blue gaze, as an aura of power and rage radiated from him.

"Huh? What was that? Josuke? Hey, Josuke. You alright?" The phone uttered, but the young man named Josuke no longer hears it.

Garou stiffened when his instincts shouted at him, and there was a surge of energy suddenly in front of his face. He brought up his hands in defense, but what came was so sudden and so fast, it punched him straight into the concrete.

-?! Hold on! I wasn't ready-!

"DORARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARA!"

A series of punches pummeled Garou into the ground. An unseen existence of something hitting the Hero Hunter that only those like Josuke could see, or at the very least, those who knew how to channel their energy could tell.

"-Hey! Josuke!"

Josuke suddenly ceased his attacks and turned around abruptly.

"There you are!" The girl with a double-bun hair and a single thick braid called out. "What the hell have you been doing? Did you beat up another guy again?"

"Ah-! Jolyne-chan!" Josuke was suddenly calmed and hurried towards the girl in a webbed-pattern outfit. "Sorry! I think I got turned around."

"Forget about that. Let's go before the cops shows up. I think my old man has an idea where we can find grand ole' grandad and great uncle whatever-he-is."

"Holy shit! Did you beat up somebody again?!" Another voice broke out from the street, and Jolyne and Josuke turned towards it.

"Da-! I mean, Joseph-san," Josuke greeted the young man wearing a purple striped scarf. Joseph had his hand over his face, laughing openly as the older man beside him looked clearly unamused by his antics.

"HAHAHAHA! Did the poor guy made fun of your hair? You really got to lighten up about that- ow!" Joseph was quickly silenced by a slap at the back of the head, delivered by the hat-wearing older man. "What the hell?! Did you have to use your metal arm?! That seriously hurt!"

"Don't be a baby. That's nothing compared to what happens in the future," the older man said.

"I wouldn't know! You never tell me!"

"And I already explained why I can't-!"

Another voice broke through, a deep and husky voice that sounded absolutely done with everyone's shit. "Yare yare daze... Would you all pipe down? I'm getting a headache hearing the Past and the Present constantly arguing with each other."

"Hey old man!" Jolyne piped up regardless, waving nonchalantly at the young man.

"Stop calling me that, I ain't old dammit."

Josuke suddenly clicked his shoes together out of immediate respect. "Jotaro-san!"

The young man named Jotaro adjusted his stylish black hat, looking at his noisy and energetic bloodline. "Let's go. I think I know where great great granddad and that Giorno kid went."

"Who made you leader?" the young Joseph asked and was promptly slapped by his older self again.

"Just shut up and follow," Old Joseph stated as he walked after his leaving grandson, Jotaro.

"Sheesh! I sure as hell hope I don't end up like you. You got so boring!" Young Joseph taunted.

"We all have to grow up eventually," Old Joseph answered. "It's all a part of life, you'll see it one day."

"Didn't you cheat on your wife and left this precious baby behind?" Jolyne bluntly asked as she pinched Josuke's cheeks teasingly. Josuke held back his laugh at her slight tickle.

"Y-You don't have to keep bringing that up! I feel bad enough as it is!"

"No! You know what?! I want to know too! No way was I that much of a scumbag to cheat on Suzie-Q of all people!" Young Joseph shouted. "Like seriously! How hot was this woman?!"

"Dude, that's my mom..." Josuke said. He didn't appreciate Jolyne outright laughing at the scene in front of her.

"I'll explain it later!" Old Joseph stated and just kept walking, more or less determined to avoid the conversation altogether, and in public especially. "Now keep it down already! We need to find Grandpa Johnathon and... I still can't figure out what that other kid is, but he's family."

The well-built old man adjusted his hat, "And while we're in this situation... we don't leave any of our family behind."

"You totally got that from Lilo and Stich - wait, crap, you're from like the 1990s. That movie hasn't even come out yet," Jolyne said, stretching her arms back. Her butterfly tattoo glittering under the sunlight. "I wonder if there's a Hawaiian Jojo we don't know about?"

"With this geezer, I wouldn't be surprised!" Young Joseph said and met Jolyne's side. "And if he's rich, I call dibs on the penthouse. You can have the pool."

"Deal," Jolyne said and slapped hands with Young Joseph.

"Oh my God..." Old Joseph's hand dragged his face. "I've just about had enough of hearing from my younger self for one day..."

"That's too bad, because I'm just getting started old man!" Young Joseph prattled. Jolyne kept laughing at the scene while Josuke did his best to catch up with his 'family'.

Behind them, completely motionless, Garou's head was embedded within the stone, as if having been sealed there with no crack in the ground. There was a breathing hole though, since even in his anger, Josuke did at least want for him to live afterwards, especially in regret for insulting his hair.

Competitor's Introduced:

Tanjiro Kamado (Demon Slayer)

Johnathon Joestar (Jojo's Bizarre Adventure: Phantom Blood/Part 1)

Young Joseph Joestar (Jojo's Bizarre Adventure: Battle Tendency/Part 2)

Jotaro Kujo and Old Joseph Joestar (Jojo's Bizarre Adventure: Stardust Crusaders/Part 3)

Josuke Higashikata (Jojo's Bizarre Adventure: Diamond is Unbreakable/Part 4)

Giorno Giovanna (Jojo's Bizarre Adventure: Golden Wind/Part 5)

Jolyne Cujoh (Jojo's Bizarre Adventure: Stone Ocean/Part 6)

Seiya and Ristarte (Cautious Hero: The Hero Is Overpowered but Overly Cautious)

/.\

Author's Note: I'm having fun writing this story again. I know it's alot, but I'm going to show MORE! Lol. Guess who's our next focal protagonist? Look forward to this character's point of view in the next chapter!

I definitely have an idea of making Risotto an antagonist, but considering how in Assassination Classroom, seeing how a lot of the characters are willing to forgive those who have done pretty bad things (Apart from Takaoka and a few or so other characters), I like to write a storyline of Nagisa being a new stepping point for Risotto and eventually the rest of La Squadra. On the other hand, La Squadra wouldn't be as willing to forgive those very same people.

It's not gonna be an easy path though, and we'll eventually see for ourselves how.

Anyway, thank you for reading! Please let me know what you thought about this chapter!

Update: Forgot to answer some reviews! I haven't watched Akame Ga Kill, once I do, I'll hopefully add her to the story!

I'll try to focus on one character at a time but it's also just a lot of fun going through everyone's perspective. For sure though, we've got at least up to five (maybe six) Protagonists to focus on... maybe.

Garou technically had a brief companion in Tenma last chapter, who knows? He might be another unofficial/official companion, even if Tenma is an NPC, Garou will be needing a lot of patching up for all the fights he'll be getting himself into - willingly or unwillingly, although in this case, Garou technically doesn't need healing at the moment, lol.