Chapter 8: Family & Rivals Time

"Hina, wait!" San had run after Hinano after she had called him out for spending too much time with Rio, Ritsu, and myself.

"Ame-Aneki are San and Hina-nee gonna be okay?" Ritsu asked as I looked down on her on my phone screen.

"Eh no need to worry Ritsu… Hina's just feeling a bit bent out of shape because he spent the last week working on your upgrades and was getting home too late to spend time with her… She'll get over it," Rio answered for me as we began our walk down the mountain.

"I don't know Rio… We have been spending more time with him than Hina has… and she is supposed to be his girlfriend… AND you keep making the 'Harem' joke, when we both know that San isn't like that…" I gave her a concerned look.

"Geez… I know… It stopped being funny a while ago, but I'm just so fixated on it y'know! I can't help but tease him with it…" She sighed. "The truth is… I do kinda wish I'd stop making the joke, but it's because I'm not sure about my own feelings and want everything to work out."

"What's on your mind Rio?" Ritsu asked with concern.

She sighed, "Look… At first I was just teasing him because I saw him as-" She paused with a look of heavy discomfort on her face. "When I was younger I was seen as a child prodigy… I just couldn't keep taking the pressure, so I just sorta stopped, y'know… The San you saw and the San I saw when he first came to E-Class… He saw himself as superior, or at least that's what I thought… Then he started getting along with Hina, and I felt like he was interfering with my friendship… Ame help, I'm spiraling…!" She dropped to her knees, gripping the sides of her head. I put my arms around her in an around-the-neck hug. After holding her like this for several minutes she had finally calmed down and continued her story. "You showed up next… saying you were his sister… and I took advantage of it… Y'see… my brother- my brother confessed to me a few weeks ago right around the time you showed up."

"Confessed? Confessed… how?" I asked her…

"How do you think…?" She looked up at me, tears in the corner of her eyes. "To pull Hina away from San, because I was jealous, I attempted to use you… Sorry… Use you as a scapegoat… Use you as a proxy for my own feelings towards my brother… I feel so creeped out that I don't even wanna go home Ams!" I hugged her tighter. "The crazy thing is San actually cares… About Hina, about you, about me…" Rio pulled out her phone, "He even cares about Ritsu… I was wrong about him, but the damage is done, so I just gotta keep digging my hole."

I gave her a touch of reassuring silence, and with a nod, helped her back to her feet. "Let's continue this at home… Our home… kay?" I said with a concerned smile.

"It's just…" Rio burst out as we stood atop the hill that overlooked the playground by San's apartment complex. "Can ya lay with me on the hill, here for a second Ams…? I'm okay now, but I just wanna tell ya what's going on in my head before some place that reminds me-"

"San and I sat out here the night before Bakabane broke San's arm…" Rio became immediately flushed as I mentioned the night two weeks prior.

"Nope! Never mind we will discuss it inside!" She hopped back to her feet and pulled me inside. "Hey Ams… Did San pay the electric bill?" Rio was flicking the light switch on and off, but the lights refused to come on…

"Yeah, he asks Ritsu to check on payment status every morning… Stay here, I'll check the breaker." I told her. I stepped back outside, to be greeted by San and Hina. "Hey you two!" Hina was smiling and clinging onto San's arm. "So deal is power is out… And before you go running off and fixing it San-Nii…" I waggles my finger in front of him before he could even reply. "Uh-uh… You take that cute little lady inside and make out while Rio can't see anything…" I winked at them and stuck out my tongue playfully. "I'm sure with Ritsu's help I can manage the breaker well enough…"

"Hehe!" Hina was extremely giddy. "Thanks Ame, we'll see you inside. Let's go San!" San smiled at me and nodded his 'thanks' as Hina pulled him in.

"Ritsu pull up a video on how to fix a breaker, would ya?" I asked her as I walked into the maintenance room, sitting at the desk San had put in there.

"Ma'am! Yes Ma'am, Ame-Aneki!" She saluted gleefully on my phone. "I've analyzed several videos on the subject. Displaying useful portions now."

"Ohhhh! I can't make heads or tails of this… How does San make it all look so easy…?" I sighed. "Plus I have Rio sitting in there all on her lonesome… When I said I wouldn't be- Hmph…" I stood up and walked towards the fuse box. "Enough videos Ame! It's time for action."

"Yeah! Get it done Aneki!" Ritsu cheered me on with stars in her eyes. "You got this!"

I opened the fusebox. "The POWER is in my hands! Mwahahahahah! Ritsu~! Flashlight!"

Right!" The scene became brighter as the flashlight on my phone came on.

"Well this is odd… I said as I looked the box up and down… it's all on… all except… ah there's the central power bu-" I went to press the button and that was when a trap was sprung.

"Ri-Ritsu!" I struggled to get out as a wire wrapped around my throat. "G-get Koro-Sensei! Hurr-Hurry…"

"Sending you and Irina on this project was a mistake Hannya…" If it wasn't for the wire that I was struggling to keep from strangling me I would have froze as the tall, imposing visage of my handler stepped into view.

"L-Lovro, sir!"

"It appears you two have picked up some similar mannerisms… I suggest you not make it a habit Hannya…"

"Her name is Ame…" I felt a growing pit in my stomach well as I heard another male voice come from out of sight.

"You've become too friendly with these children Hannya…"

"Ame!" San growled.

"Sa- Sh-Shuri, please let me handle this."

"Ah so you're the owner of this property… The one I sent Han- this young lady to use as her cover…"

"L-Let her down!" I heard Hina exclaim with worry.

"San I know you're pissed right now, but no irrational movements…" Rio warned. "Ame's life is on the line and this guy is her handler…"

"Which puts him at the same level as Karasuma-Sensei…" Hina shuddered.

"We can't just… Wait, that's it!" I could hear an inflection in San's voice. "Let her go, sir…"

"Oh? Feeling confident are we? Your entire tone has shifted," Lovro stepped towards the others.

"Hold it! I know about your deal with Koro-Sensei and Jelavic-Sensei!"

"Y'see, my girlfriend and I-"

"Girlfriend?!" Rio exclaimed, cutting San off.

San you idiot, you just gave Lovro some leverage over you! I thought, I mean I'm happy for Hina, jealous, but at least their official enough that San tells world-renown assassins about them.

"-And I had just finished talking in the classroom when we heard our teachers and an unfamiliar voice… which I now recognize as you…" San spoke with confidence as he paused.

"San, you idiot, Ame's in trouble and you're-" Rio said, but was shushed silent mid sentence.

"I'm getting there, Rio, calm down. Here's the deal Mr. Lovro… Am- Sasu deserves to stay… She needs to stay."

"Preposterous… She hasn't a future here, her gifts are squandered here," Lovro responded. "This conversation is pointless, young man, the Hannya is a creature-"

"Ame Sasu is a person… and she needs to be treated as such."

"Reckless idealism!" Lovro clenched his hand.

"Rio, Hina, help Sasu!"

"I suggest you stay put…"

"A proposal Mr. Lovro…"

"And why should I listen to your frivolous claims…"

"A new base of operations… I'll relinquish my rights to this property…"

"What?!" I shouted.

"Interesting, this property is rather inconspicuous… You have my attention… What are your terms?"

"Koro-Sensei set some ground work… but first let these two young ladies help Sasu down." Lovro waved his hand as Hina and Rio made it over to me and helped me down. "Good! Now we can discuss without me worrying for her safety…" San took a sigh of relief. "To put it bluntly, I wish to be Sasu's handler from this point forward…"

"Out of the-"

"I wasn't finished."

"You're playing a dangerous game, young man."

"Oh, I understand that quite well…"

"Get to your point… My patience is running thin."

"You see… I know about your bet with Koro-Sensei, you against Jelavic-Sensei, first to 'assassinate' Karasuma-Sensei, wins… Your terms will not change there, I just wish to add a bit more business between us."

"I see…"

"Now if it was two against one I'd find that to be a bit unfair… Besides Sasu and Jelavic-Sensei don't really get along well, but they'd make it work to get the better of you, I have no doubt."

"You are rather shrewd…" Lovro put a hand to his chin.

"Sasu and Jelavic-Sensei need a chance to escape your shadow and become their own people… whoever that may be."

"Very well San Shuri, I admire your courage and belief in your allies… Hannya, your fate as well as that of your senior and your colleague are in Irina's hand…"

"One last thing…" The girls and I froze as we looked up into the icy glare of my handler as San egged him on one final time. "If Jelavic-Sensei succeeds I'd like you to train me in the ways of a handler, I will live up to my promise and look after Sasu as you do all your wards."

"Very well… These conditions are acceptable… I must commend you… Not everyone in your condition would look me in the eye… Especially with knowing what I am and my capabilities…"

You're kidding right?! We had finished our morning reps run by Kurasama, and with it came an explanation of the wager between Koro-Sensei and Lovro… and then my 'work associate' pulled two of the lamest attempts on our other teacher's 'life'. San was rubbing the bridge of his nose as Hina and Rio had faces red with fury.

"I can't work with these conditions… I'm trying my best, but I can't seduce someone if they already know my M.O. It's like a paid escort trying to put the move on her old man." Gee thanks for that visual… and I don't even have a father that I'm aware of… but I honestly think she has MORE daddy issues…

"That's it…!" I stood up and grabbed Professor Bitch by the arm. "You're with me, now!"

"Hey brat, get your hands off me!" She protested hitting my wrist to very little effect.

"San, girls, walk with us!" I instructed.

"Right!" Both Hina and Rio answered in unison, as San simply nodded quietly. I pulled my senior behind the equipment shed, she continued to beat on my hand all the way back.

"So…" I hopped up on a pile of boards so I could look our English Teacher in the eye…

"Lost all your confidence, shrimp?" She glared at me.

"In you?! I don't think I've ever had any!" I growled.

"Oh no! An insignificant grade schooler says I don't meet her standards… what ever shall I-"

"Hey! Ame is just trying to help!" Hina cut her off.

"Help? Our world isn't like that honey! In my eyes she's just my competition… or worse, my replacement…"

"I mean… I know we call you a bitch, and all, but that seems cynical even for you, teach…" Rio scowled.

"Yeah! Haven't you learned anything from Koro-Sensei or your time here?" Hina agreed.

"Tch, you kids know nothing…" My blonde senior scoffed. "If the world isn't screwing ya one way, it's screwing ya another… and not in the way you prefer." She looked over to San, who had remained uncharacteristically quiet throughout all of this. "What about you, tall, dark, and dense?"

"You can't win your usual way, so you just give up? I mean… does Mr. Lovro not teach you to diversify? You tend to go for the seedy approach… which only works until your cover is blown, as Karasuma-Sensei just pointed out."

"Worked well on you and the little blue hair…" she gave him side-eye.

"Yeah… and then you stole my first kiss… thanks for that by the way… Oh and choose your next words carefully, because that's very much a taboo topic given present company." Hina, Rio, and I were all giving her death glares.

"You two are just jealous that I'm a woman of action, and you…" She looked at me… "You weren't even here. That goes for you too, Bits and Bytes," She shouted to Ritsu, "Don't think I don't know you brats' little friend groups.

A smirk appeared on San's face. "And therein lies your means to victory, Jelavic-Sensei."

"What are you smiling about, brat?"

"You have skills that you are not seeing to their full potential. Professor Jelavic… Have you ever heard of Occam's Razor?"

Despite her many protests, we finally got Professor Bitch to take a more simple approach. This was further made possible when Lovro decided to drop from the competition. Having grown up under his care I could figure out a good deal of his hiding places throughout the building. As I caught a glimpse of him, I managed to see that one of his wrists was newly bandaged as if it were broken or at the very least bruised.

"Well, have a look at this man… It's Karasuma…" We were all having our lunch. The red-haired rebel called Nagisa's attention to the outside as we all peeked outside to see our militant instructor at a point of leisure. Karasuma-Sensei had opted to take his lunch outside as he had grown fed up with my blonde senior's persistent yet narrow-minded attempts. Speaking of… yet again we found her casually walking up to Karasuma-Sensei as if we weren't privy to her intent.

I could hear San sigh as he rubbed the bridge of his nose… Professor Bitch had just removed her jacket as she temptingly walked towards her wary target, knife in hand. We couldn't hear what they were discussing, but it was obvious that she had just offered our other teacher something that made him pensive as she tossed her hair.

Lovro and Koro-Sensei had just stepped into the room and they were anxiously watching with the rest of us. "Mr. Lovro you've been Irina-Sensei and Ms. Sasu's teacher for a while now, correct? Each of them has a wide variety of skills, Irina is confident, verbose, and well spoken and she's been passing a great deal of what she's learned to her students, including Sasu. Sasu is far and away more versatile and more combat-oriented than Irina-Sensei, imagine the assassin you could have if both were to work together and learn from one another. After all… It isn't just the student that should be learning within that group… but the teacher as well."

Professor Bitch made her move, and I saw San's frustrated grimace quickly turn to a cocky smirk as he turned his head in Lovro's direction. The look on San's face along with Koro-Sensei's speech worked in tandem as the femme fatale strung her target by the ankle, pulled him to the ground and straddled him, knife in hand. Both Rio and I were looking at each other with flushed faces at the aggressively lewd positioning of our entangled teachers. Hina was nervously trying to look away, but I'd occasionally catch her taking glimpses at the scene. San confidently stood up from his desk and began to walk towards Lovro… "Game…" He took a few steps… "Set…" He chuckled. "Match…" He gave a slight bow to Lovro. "Just call me the Black King… I may move second… but that just gives me ample time to plan a strategy."

"Hold on, Mr. Black King…" Lovro said through gritted teeth. "Irina hasn't won yet." San turned to see his teachers locked in combat Professor Bitch trying to force her knife down into Karasuma-sensei's chest.

"She's got this…" I smiled as Karasuma-Sensei loosened his grip and let the knife hit him reluctantly. The room was alive with uproarious cheers. Hina was awestruck, Rio and I were holding each others' hands and jumping up and down excitedly, a number of our female classmates were clapping for Professor Bitch's success. San's face returned to stoicism, as he let the cocky facade drop.

"Lovro, sir…" San addressed him. "I mean you no ill will, I hope you can understand that." He lowered his head into a bow. "Sasu… no Ame is like a little sister to me. My arrogant disposition was merely an act to… in a manner of speaking, throw you off my scent."

"Young Shuri…" San flinched as my mentor gave him a looking over, "Perhaps I misjudged you and your classmates. Upon my arrival I saw that Irina and the Hannya had softened, and I took that as a sign of their weakness." He looked specifically at San's slinged up arm. " I saw your arm's condition as a warning. Perhaps things aren't as simple as I once thought… In my advancing age maybe I could even learn a thing or two from your teacher."

"This is where Jelavic-Sensei and Ame belong Mr. Lovro…" San winked at me, as Rio gave me a hug.

A few days had passed since Lovro's 'visit'... He warned his new protege and the our teacher and me that he'd periodically be stopping in to check on our progress as well as one other that has recently caught his attention… I hadn't the slightest clue as to who that was…

Meanwhile, through all of this, Koro-Sensei was working with Karasuma-Sensei in preparation for what was supposed to be the last exchange student… we sat in class as it was pouring rain outside.

Ritsu gave us what little info she had on our final transfer… How she was gonna focus on ranged attacks and her partner on close range… Hearing that had me discouraged as I felt like I was being told that I wasn't able to pull my weight enough to assist Ritsu… "Please no girl… Please no girl!" I pleaded to myself.

"Not to worry Ame-Aneki… From what I have on file the new student is most definitely male!" Ritsu reassured me, yet somehow for some reason I felt unsettled…

"Alright Sis… I know that look… What's gotcha worried? Ritsu-chan said it wasn't a girl… So this whole-"

"Lovro…" I muttered. "I feel like all the work he did getting Professor Bitch and I in here means nothing… I'm jealous of Ritsu… and now this new guy is gonna be repl-"

"Stop right there!" A giant red 'x' showed up on Ritsu's screen. "Nobody is gonna replace you Ame-Aneki! I won't allow it!" Then she gave a darker look to the rest of the class… "As to what he's capable of… Let's just say, even I don't measure up…" Once again the wind was lost in my sails…

I wasn't even given a moment to relax as a mysterious man in white entered the classroom. "Okay somebody likes to wear white…" Kataoka said.

"Kinda tall for a kid…" Okano said as the white-draped man extended his hand. Both San and I were watching him like a hawk… San with even more of a grimace than I had.

Smoke puffed out from his wrist as a dove appeared and the masked man let out a childish chuckle. "Sorry everyone, didn't mean to startle you… I can see that you're confused, I'm not your new classmate, just his guardian. Let's not stand on ceremony, call me Shiro, please." he politely introduced himself. Koro-Sensei, on high alert as he was at Ritsu's warning, had clung himself to the ceiling.

"Sis… keep your ears open… Something about this whole situation is giving me troubling vibes…" San whispered to me… And as he was saying that my ears had picked up a change in the rain pattern outside behind us.

"Something wrong?" I turned to see the white-covered man locking eyes with me as Koro-Sensei asked if he was facing an issue.

"Not at all… This seems an interesting group… I'm confident he'll fit in, perfectly. Allow me to introduce him."

The rest of the class turned to face the doorway, but from the way my ears were tuned in- "SAN MOVE!" I grabbed him and with my Ogre strength pushed him and his desk to the other side of Ritsu.

"Now Itona! Come!" A loud crash came from behind San and Bakabane's desks as a giant hole was made. A white haired boy walked in, as if totally unphased and grabbed a seat between Terasaka and Bakabane.

"Victory is mine! I've proven myself stronger than the classroom wall…"

"Tch! Big deal…" I grumbled.

"What was that?" The new guy glared at me as he poked his head around the corner. "If you wish to say something, prove yourself. Only strength matters… Everything else is crap. If you can not prove your strength then shut up and buckle before my will as the school wall just did."

"Strength isn't everything…" San said as he stood up and looked at the guy.

"Oh really and this injury that you have, was it self-inflicted? Were you not strong enough to handle the situation that gave you the injury?"

"No, I was too arrogant…" San countered.

"Arrogance is for the weak… The strong need not prove themselves, so they cannot be arrogant."

"Tell that to Bakabane!" I muttered again as I glared at the red-headed menace.

"Again you speak without wanting to show your strength. Those who are a coward should remain quiet."

"I give you Itona Horibe." Shiro introduced the young man. "Or if you prefer, just Itona."

"Hey new kid… Mind if I ask you a question?" Bakabane spoke up. "You came in from the rain, without an umbrella, it's coming down in buckets out there. Yet somehow there's not a drop on you. What's the story with this?"

"He got the right questions…" San said putting his good hand to his chin, as we both returned to our desks.

"You're the strongest one in this class, aren't you…" He stood up and put a hand on Bakabane's head. "You don't have to worry, you're still weaker than me, that means you get to live." I grit my teeth in anger. "You're beneath my skill…"

"Ame… don't lose your temper…" San put his hand on my shoulder.

"And I only kill things that are stronger than me…" The boy said as he walked towards the front of the room towards Koro-Sensei.

"HOLD IT!" I screamed at him.

"It speaks again…"

"IT!"

"Sis!"

"Oh, is this one your brother… Perhaps I can grant you a matching pair of injuries." He turned to face Koro-Sensei again, once again disregarding me. "Once again Koro-Sensei, I only kill things that are stronger than me… And in this class, Koro-Sensei, that means you."

"Ah… While the way you're disrespecting your classmates is quite rude, for now I'll give you a pass… for you got one thing, right… I certainly am stronger than you, by a whole order of magnitude," The tentacled teacher said with his taunting grin.

"Yeah sure…" The brat said without a sense of worry or urgency. "Not so much, truth is you, me, and the loud mouth back there are actually siblings… My eyes went wide as the rest of the room let out bewildered gasps, Bakabane and Rio both fell out of their chairs in disbelief. San was giving me a concerned look. "Winner takes all, loser dies."

"Hold it!" I shouted.

"And once again the inferior prototype speaks… Do you also wish to be put out of your misery? I am more than willing to oblige."

"Sasu!" Our teacher glared at me, before softening his gaze. "I ask, for your safety, for you to remain quiet for now, please." His face then went from yellow to black as he returned his fierce gaze to Horibe.

"But sir!" I protested, but San wrapped his arm around me and looked down at me, settling my nerves as I snuggled carefully into his chest.

"As for you, young Itona, threatening your classmates in the way you just did will not be tolerated… And as far as I'm aware…" His face quickly returned to yellow. "I'm sorry to tell you this, but there is absolutely no way you and I are related, let alone Sasu."

"Winner takes all, loser dies, bro," The white haired instigator challenged, completely ignoring Koro-Sensei words… Meanwhile I was questioning my entire reality… As far as I knew I didn't have a dad… and my mom only ever had me… and having me cost her the chance to have any further kids… so…

"Hey… Family is what you make of it…" San kissed my forehead as he whispered to me. "Don't risk your happiness here, just because some monotonous ego-maniac says you're his family and has threatened to kill our teacher… Better people have tried."

"Thanks San-Nii…"

Speaking of the white-haired monotone, he prattled on for a little while most of it I had blocked out, however, "After school, we face off in this classroom." Then he walked out as if he didn't even want to participate in class.

"Out of the question!" Of all people to be the first to protest, Hina was not the one I was expecting. "No! Ame I forbid it!" We were all sitting around having lunch. "San, you can't let her go through with this!"

"Darn it, got me again, Onii-sama!" San had finished his lunch and had continued his daily ritual of beating Ritsu at chess, no easy feat.

"If the idiot wants to get herself killed, by all means, less competition and a bigger payout for me." The Devil's incarnate added his two cents.

"No one asked you Bakabane!" I growled.

"As much as I normally disagree with the guy, he's not off base this time Ams…" Rio spoke up.

"I wish I could weigh in more, but there isn't enough data on Horibe-San for me to confidently say if you could combat him… and I don't want to lose you Ame-Aneki."

"San say something…" Hina pleaded.

He sighed heavily, I could tell he was running it through that supercomputer brain of his the entire time we were discussing the matter. "The last time somebody tried to boast about how they could handle someone outside of their weight class the idiot involved ended up with a broken arm and three broken ribs. The guy that did it to him was just effortlessly intimidated by this new party…"

"Keep talking Shuri, and I'll make sure to finish the job." Bakabane grumbled.

"Case and point… Aren't you the one that told me that family is what I make of it? Do you see this new guy… or even Koro-Sensei as your family?" I could always count on San to relay things from other perspectives.

"The only family I have is right here…"

"Awwww, gee thanks doll… but at this point I ain't interested." Once again the red-headed troublemaker chimed in.

"Not… You…" I glared at him, my eyes beginning to glow green, before quickly returning to their normal red state. "But I gots me a brother," I nodded to San, "a sister," I smiled at Hina, "and a Rio."

"Wow I really feel the love with that description Ams…" Rio scoffed.

"Well, you're my best friend, maybe something more, we haven't really taken the time to define our relationship…" I frown and bobbed my head playfully to show that I wasn't truly upset.

"What about me Ame-Aneki…?" Ritsu chirped in from my phone.

"Ooops, how could I forget my awesome robo-assassin little sister! Sorry Ritsu!" I pulled out my phone from my pocket and laid it out on the table so I could see all of my family and remind myself of why I was given the chance to stay. "If this guy does attempt to hurt any of you though… Don't think I won't put my life on the line to protect you all!"

***

Classes had ended for the day… The time for Horibe to display his skills had arrived. We worked together to move Ritsu and the desks into a fighting ring for the both of them. Horibe grabbed his uniform jacket and scarf and threw them off. Horibe's Guardian, Shiro, set some ground rules, if Koro-Sensei or Horibe were to step outside the ring, their life would be forfeit. Akabane was quick to point out to Sugino that Koro-Sensei would follow this rule down to the letter as it showed Koro-Sensei's code to his students. Koro-Sensei tossed in a counterrule of his own, if any of the rest of us were to be injured in any way then that would also situate a loss.

With the ground rules set it was time to see what Horibe was capable of doing, Shiro motioned his hand and Horibe began his assassination attempt. I barely caught it with my eye as a flash of gray tendril cut into our teacher's left main appendage, completely amputating it.

"Impossible!" Nagisa gasped.

"Tentacles!" San looked over to Shiro…

"Itona's hair is made of… Tentacles…" Nagisa further confirmed.

"That's how he stayed dry without an umbrella… He simply just batted the water away from him…" Bakabane analyzed.

For the third time today we saw our teacher shift from his normal yellow to the deathly black that would show his true colors if he was ever mad enough. "How is this possible? TELL ME WHERE THOSE TENTACLES CAME FROM!" Our teacher demanded. "Why does someone like you have them?"

"We're neither at liberty or obligated to say," Shiro said, unintimidated, "but I hope this serves to convince you… You may have come from different parents, different upbringings, but nevertheless you are indeed brothers." Shiro chuckled, "What a face you're making, does this encounter stir up unpleasant memories, perhaps?"

"Clearly…" Koro-Sensei growled as he grew back his own tentacle. San and I were both grimacing at Shiro now, seeing him as more the perpetrator, than his ward… "You and I need to have a little talk!" Something had snapped in Koro-Sensei, and for some reason I felt a pounding in my head as well when I stared at the white-clad monster.

"Not possible…" Shiro raised his wrist as a piercing pinkish purple ray lit from his baggy sleeves, this causing Koro-Sensei to suddenly feel an enormous amount of pressure pushing down on him and making him feel sluggish… At least that's how I could assume that's how he felt because I started to take on those symptoms as well as I dropped to my knees. Rio and Hina rushed over to help me up, but I was completely winded. The next words shook the class to its core, "You'll be dead." He then went on to describe the device in his wrist as a 'pressure ray' and how it would stiffen Koro-Sensei's cells… apparently it had a similar effect on me and since I was caught in the crossfire I could barely find the strength to look up at the battle at hand even while being supported by two of my closest friends.

"Sasu…! Is she gonna be alright?!" Nagisa asked with concern.

"The match is forfeit Shiro!" San spoke up. "No harm was to come to the students…"

"I'm sorry child, but I believe that stipulation was for the combatants… as I am not one to take direct part in the brawl, I am not at fault for breaking rules that do not apply to me."

"Save the rhetoric!" San growled.

"You're quite injured… I suggest you not do anything that would cause that injury to become greater," San was livid as Shiro tore into his ego.

The fight was still at hand Koro-Sensei had to resort to shedding his skin and hanging himself from the light fixtures. The face to Horibe's muscle was prattling off about all of Koro-Sensei's expended energy, molting, regrowing limbs, the whole Nagisa notebook. Another Pressure Ray shot and Koro-Sensei had lost several of his limbs in four quick slashes… I barely caught it as the ray had caused my lungs to seize, and I couldn't even gasp for air.

"Ame! AME!" Rio was panicking, noticing I wasn't breathing, my face pale as I looked up at her. "San she's not breathing!"

Hina put her head to my chest. "No heartbeat! San this is really bad…"

"Get her away from that light!" I heard San shout before I lost consciousness.

***

I came to, not even five minutes later with Rio's lips on mine and Hina's hands pressing into my bare chest. I was in the infirmary laying on the bed, I saw San facing away, rather red faced, and Professor Bitch with a rather impressed smirk on her face as she glanced over at me with a thumbs up.

"R-Rather b-bold of you two to kiss and un-undress me…" I said shakily, still struggling to catch my breath.

"C-CPR!" Hina immediately removed her hands from my chest as she came back in for a hug. "Professor Bitch saw you collapse and told Rio and I to bring you into the infirmary. She told San to tag along too, since he's versed in first aid and your well being."

"Yeah, and per the rules of CPR… and if it wasn't for the dire circumstance… I'd be making the 'he just wanted to see you naked' joke… but…"

"Bras can get in the way of proper airway opening via chest compressions!" Ritsu said as if reading from an article.

"See you guys had Ritsu, did you really need me?" San protested, still refusing to face me as Hina handed me my bra and Rio snapped it back on for me.

"Always big bro!" I said, hopping up from the bed and giving him a hug from behind, still only in a bra…

"Sis! Uniform! Please! The metal lining is not doing my back any favors with my injuries…" He said through gritted teeth.

"So… Ritsu update! Who won!"

"Right Ame-Aneki! The winner was of course Koro-Sensei… It's only logical. His quick reaction time and clever trap setting allowed him to cut Horibe's tentacles with some of the anti-sensei knives from around the classroom and dropping his molted skin as a net trap then proceeded to throw Horibe outside of the ring, through the window for the win."

"Ritsu-chan…" San spoke darkly as he gently broke my hug. "Shiro… Is that… scum still here…"

"Y-yes Onii-Sama… but he's in the process of leaving… Horibe went wild and nearly attacked several of our classmates then Shiro shot him with something that knocked Horibe back out."

"San don't do anything rash!" Rio tried to persuade him.

"Kid you're just gonna get yourself more hurt." Professor Bitch offered protest.

"Onii-Sama, the guy is smart, his clothing is completely made out of anti-sensei material.

"SHIRO!" San stormed out, and a few seconds later a crunch was heard as the sound of a fist hitting some stiff fabric was heard. We all peeked our heads out the infirmary door to see that San had delivered a punch to Shiro. Several of our classmates had also poked their heads out from the main classroom.

"Do you feel satisfied yet, you brute? I will let you get away with that for now in consideration to the specimen you look after. Next time I will not be as amenable. Farewell child…" He promptly left. San had a dark smirk on his face as I noticed some white cloth poking out from his fingertips.

***

"San… It's bedtime!" Hina tugged on his good arm.

"Yeah, you need to sleep man! That tentacle goo you picked up from the floor will be here in the morning." Rio told him as he waved her off.

"Fine… we'll remember this when you're feeling better!" Hina grumbled. San sighed remorsefully, but he continued to work as Rio, Hina, and I returned to my room to get some shut-eye.

***