Karasuma reached out, pulling the guard back and covering his mouth. "I seem to be mostly moving again. Figure I'm at about half strength." Karasuma peered around the corner as Kimura looked at him in admiration.
Nagisa peered around the corner, looking at the stairs that lead to the top floor.
"We're out of time," Isogai announced while looking at his watch.
"Students!" Nagisa looked down at the ball in his hand. Koro-sensei was talking. "I've come to realize something about our mastermind waiting above: He's using assassins all wrong. Lookouts and guards- those aren't jobs for assassins. If their potential had been used to the fullest, they'd have been fearsome indeed. It's true, he wasn't even a single centimetre off the mark. And Karma- if that fellow had sneaked up on you from behind on any other day, his grip strength would have killed you instantly."
Nagisa hummed slightly as he rubbed his chin. "If our mastermind isn't an assassin, then what does he want."
"That doesn't matter. Time to assign roles to each of you." Karasuma stood up as he pointed at each member.
Nagisa didn't listen as he looked at Terasaka, a worried expression on his face. "You're burning up, Terasaka. Are you...?" Nagisa didn't finish, sending a cautious glance to the others.
Terasaka hissed, covering Nagisa's mouth unnecessarily. "Keep it down! I got stamina to spare here this'll go away by itself in no time!"
Nagisa pushed away Terasaka's hand, placing a hand on his hip with an unimpressed expression. "You sound like Digit when we try to take her away from work when she's sick. You're talking crazy."
"That damn Karasuma only got gassed 'cause I had to go and run ahead when I did. And that's not the first time my actions almost got everyone killed. I ain't about to drop out now and drag everyone down even more!"
Nagisa sighed. He knew that feeling. He remembered how he felt after that mission that cost his father's eye. "I understand but there is a difference between giving up and knowing when to step back and let others finish the job. Every assassin has to learn that."
Terasaka didn't have the chance to respond as Koro-sensei announced the beginning of their operation.
Leaning into the room, Karasuma could see the shadow of a man covering the wall. Screens circled the chair that covered his figure. He motioned for the others to approach and sneak into the room.
Each step they took was silent as they walked like the ninjas of old. Nagisa eyed up the case that most likely held the cure. An annoying bomb was strapped to the front but it wouldn't take a lot of effort to remove it.
Motioning to continue with the plan, Karasuma brought up his gun. Zen snuck to the side, with his own gun in hand, a calm and calculating expression on his face. If the class can't grab the man in time, either Karasuma or Zen will pull the trigger and stop him from detonating the bomb. Or at least that's the plan.
Just as the class was about to run forward they heard something coming from the chair. "Itchy. The very memory makes me itch. But maybe that's why my senses have grown so much keener: because my wounds are always exposed to the air." The man reached out, throwing a series of detonators in the air. "I told you- I'd come prepared to kill a Mach-20 monster. I have spare detonator remotes in case one is snatched away at high speed. Enough to press any one of them if I happen to collapse."
Nagisa froze, gulping as the voice rang in his ears. He knew that voice but this time, it was different. It was darker. More sinister.
Karasuma narrowed his eyes. He already knew who this was. "Of the people I couldn't reach, there were three assassins and one other. An insider who vanished with Ministry of Defense secret-service funds and the assassination budget. What do you think you are doing, Takaoka?"
Takaoka stood up, swaying from side to side with a crazed look in his eyes. Claw marks went down both sides of his insane smile. "What naughty children. Coming in the back door to see your dear teacher? And Nagisa, what on Earth are you wearing? That's no how your good old dad raised you. Ah, well. I'll have to give you some summertime tutoring." Takaoka scratched his face even more as the class stared at him.
Zen and Karma locked eyes with equal confusion having no idea who this man was.
"Shall we go to the roof? I've got everything ready to welcome my beloved students." Takaoka picked up the briefcase as he walked away. "You'll follow me up there, right? After all, your class is only alive thanks to my benevolence."
Zen watched the man with dark eyes. He did not trust this guy and he still had no idea what this guy's deal was.
Karasuma stood in front of the class, gun still in hand. "Hiring assassins, threatening students with a virus, such atrocities, have you gone mad?"
"Now, now. I am exceedingly sane! This plan will save the world! If only you'd sent those two littl'uns along to bring me the one with the bounty, my assassination plan would've gone off without a hitch. See, my plan would've used whatsername, Kayano? The girl. The bathtub in my room here is filled with anti-sensei BB's. I'd have her go in there holding the target. Then I'd bury them alive in cement. For him to return to his usual form without touching those BB's, he would have to blow everything up- including his student. but he cares too much for his students to do anything so heartless! So I figured he'll just do me a favour and melt away."
He glass gasped in horror as they looked at the ex-teacher. He was completely insane now. Nagisa lowered his head as a dark aura surrounded him. "Like I would ever have let you do that."
Takaoka froze as he looked at Nagisa, a smirk coming to his face. "I wouldn't let you beat me this time. It gave me a fright when I learnt you all came here together, but it doesn't much change what I have to do. My mood will determine how many of you leave here alive."
"And my mood will determine what level of ward you'll have to go to after this." Nagisa pushed the girls behind him, his fingers twitching to attack.
Takaoka chuckled as glared into Nagisa's soul. "Is that so? Their humiliating glances and the knife you tricked me with... Whenever they cross my mind, my face gets so itchy I can't even sleep at night! I'll pay back my bad evaluations with results. I'll take the humiliation I suffered and give it back in spades!" Takaoka scratched his face, pulling apart his scars as he pointed at Nagisa. "I will never forgive you for spoiling my future!"
"So that's why you asked me here? You want a rematch. How pathetic!" Nagisa scoffed as he flicked his hair. "If you wanted a rematch, you didn't have to go through this much effort." The class gasped in shock. That kind of talk wasn't something they expected from Nagisa.
"Nagisa-kun, what are you doing?!"
Nagisa chuckled at Koro-sensei's worry, passing the orb off into Kayano's hand. "You knew this was going to happen, right Karasuma? I asked dad why we ever let you in that day. It was too much of a coincidence. It was too neat. I don't like things being neat... I wonder, Koro-sensei, do you see everything yet? Do you see the boy still racked with guilt and pushing himself past his limit? Do you see the girl who blames you for her sister's death? Do you see the boy learning to kill in the dead of night? Do you see it?"
"You shrimp, don't ignore me! Come upstairs alone. To the heliport." Takaoka walked away as Nagisa followed him.
"Hey, Zen, it's time."
Zen didn't answer as he lowered his head.
The class ran onto a viewing pad far enough away to not agitate Takaoka any more than he already was. Nagisa's hair swayed in the wind as he picked up the knife.
Karasuma pulled up his gun as Takaoka moved but Zen pushed him down. "Don't interfere. Vi won't like it if you interfere."
"Oh, don't take this the wrong way. I don't want you interrupting my precious time with Nagisa Shiota." Takaoka pressed a button as explosions came from behind them, blowing up the bridge. Nagisa didn't even flinch. "Now no one else can come up here. Do you understand what I'm trying to do? This is revenge for our earlier fight."
"If that is what you want."
Takaoka scoffed, looking away. "Those dirty tricks won't work anymore. I can see myself doing you in, just like that."
"I'm not going to trick you. I'm not that cheap."
Takaoka froze as he looked at Nagisa. For the first time since Nagisa had arrived, he truly looked. Nagisa's cold eyes pierced through his hair. They held no kindness or friendliness the class swore. Those were the eyes of a killer. Takaoka tried to ignore the voice whispering in the back of his head as he tried to continue his speech but with every second that passed, he was becoming more unsure with himself.
"But it'll be over too quickly to make me feel better... So before we fight, there's something I need you to do. Apologize. On your hands and knees." Takaoka pointed at the floor as Nagisa scoffed.
"Make me." Nagisa practically disappeared, jumping behind Takaoka as he sliced down. Takaoka dodged out the way as Nagisa's knife dug into the floor. Nagisa said nothing as he stood and dashed forward again.
Takaoka tried to hit Nagisa away but Nagisa wasn't even flinching. "Stop it! Or I'll blow up the cure!" Nagisa stopped making Takaoka smirk... that was until Nagisa started laughing.
"Go ahead! Why would I care?! If they do, they die. If they're true assassins, they'll understand the importance of sacrifice!" Nagisa charged again, slicing the detonator out of Takaoka's hand as he sliced up Takaoka's arm.
Nagisa swiped his foot across the floor, forcing Takaoka to lose his balance as he smashed Takaoka's head to the ground. He pushed the knife into the back of Takaoka's neck as he smirked.
"Apologize."
"W-what?"
"A-po-lo-gize. On your hands and knees." Nagisa stood up, a crazed smile on his face. "Or I'll cut each of your digits off one by one." Nagisa spun the knife in his hands as he chuckled.
"You wouldn't-" Terasaka froze, raising his hand in front of his face. He let out a blood-curdling scream as Nagisa giggled.
"What's wrong? I hope you didn't want that finger." Nagisa picked up the severed finger, holding it between his fingers. "Maybe I should cut the other off. Then your hands will match."
"Who-who are you? You're not a student. You're not Nagisa!"
Nagisa chuckled at that. "Oh? Is that so? Well, I guess you're right. I'm not Nagisa. I'm Viper."