Koro-sensei let out a cackle as he was using his Mach 20 to make doubles of himself to help his students study, "The basics you got down that, no question there," He said, his figure flickering, "And if your performance first semester is anything to go on, I believe we can reasonably expect your scores to skyrocket!"
"So, what's the deal?" Nagisa asked, "Will it be like last time, either we place in the top 50 or you pack it up and go?"
"Nope!" Koro-sensei stated as he appeared on the other side of Nagisa with flashcards, "With midterms I've come to realize my focus on rank was too short-sighted. I was worrying about your composite scores. Each student should have a goal suited to themselves! Therefore, I've devised the perfect target, an objective customized to your needs as assassins!"
Koro-sensei let out a small giggle as he continued to bug some of his students every once in a while, while also helping them study. Nagisa couldn't help but sweatdrop at his teacher but gave a side smile knowing that this was an everyday thing from now on.
"Now then," Koro-sensei suddenly said as he stopped moving and everyone's eyes were on him, "you'll recall Shiro revealed to us that a loss of a tentacle results in diminished speed."
Koro-sensei raised an anti-sensei gun and shot himself in the arm. Everyone let out a soft gasp as Koro-sensei's severed arm fell onto the floor.
Koro-sensei continued, however, "One less appendage and already the integrity of my double ganger is compromised." A few less Koro-sensei were speeding around, "Not that several of them have now become childhood versions of yours truly!"
"'Kay... seems logical."
"Lose another and presto!" Koro-sensei shot himself in the 'leg', "Even more childhood thrown into the mix, along with fretful parent clones struggling to make ends meet!"
"Now it's getting a little sad..."
Koro-sensei only shot himself again, "Lose another, and the father clone has walked out leaving the poor beleaguered mother clone to fend for her latchkey brood, however she can."
"Brutal..."
"I think he's being a little bit overdramatic," Y/n muttered to himself as he was sitting away from the rest of the class, since the sight of too many Koro-sensei had freaked him out.
"Tell me about it," Karasuma sweatdropped, "Sometimes I wonder if he should be a homeroom teacher or a Drama teacher.
Y/n shrugged as he looked down at the papers he was studying, "He is good at acting."
Karasuma shook his head and looked back down at Y/n, "A little bit too good."
Y/n glanced at Karasuma before looking back at Koro-sensei through the side of his eyes. He couldn't help but think that there was something more to Koro-sensei than meets the eye. Shiro does know Koro-sensei to the biological level. Y/n can't help but want to pick at Shiro brain to find out what he knows.
"I've tested it a variety of ways," Koro-sensei stated, "Each tentacle loss reduces my movements about 10%! And that brings us back to your tests. Last time, you were assessed by your composite score, but, this time, you will all be evaluated by your strongest subject, as well.
"On the return of your exam papers, I will allow you... to destroy one tentacle for each subject where you score the top in your grade."
Everyone's eyes widened, even Y/n's and Karasuma's. They were shocked that Koro-sensei would put something like his own limb on the line. Now the class had a new finding determination.
Koro-sensei continued, "I'm sure you can see that this is a huge opportunity for you. If you take the top spots in composite score and all five subjects, you'll be able to destroy 6 tentacles. This is our assassination classroom's end-of-term exam. Whether this will bring you all closer to the reward of 10 billion... is dependent on your results."
Y/n let out a small hum as he leaned back on the tree he was sitting by. He looked up at the sky, not really caring about these tests. Honestly, all he cares about is passing the tests with at least a B so that Shiro doesn't berate him with low grades.
"So," Karasuma said as he shuffled through some papers, "What are you going to do, Y/n?"
Y/n thought for a bit, "I think..." He started, "I think I'll sit back on this one. I want to see my friends shine, just this once. Plus, I think it will help boast their mortality and determination to kill Koro-sensei."
Karasuma, being slightly shocked by the answer, could only nod, he smiled slightly, "Sure, whatever you say."
As the class was having a free period, Sugino, Nagisa, Y/n, Karma, Okuda, and Kaeda were all chatting with one another about the test. Apparently, in Y/n's eyes, everyone was excited to get a good score. Everyone but him and Karma, which confused him.
Bzzt. Bzzt.
Sugino's phone went off. He pulled his phone out of his pocket to check who was calling him. He slightly perked up and let a small smile take over his lips as he noticed that it was his old friend calling him.
"It's Shindo," Sugino stated as he answered the call, "Hey, what's up, how's it going man? Still licking his wounds?" He joked.
"Yeah," Shindo let out a soft chuckle from the other side of the phone, "Hell of a tournament, huh? Remember how I said payback's a bitch? Best make it to high school so we can actually go head-to-head."
Sugino let out a small laugh, "Doesn't sound like you hold out a lot of hope for me."
Shindo let out a sigh and anyone could hear the smile drop, even through the phone, "Listen, there's something you should know. Right now, as I'm talking to you, A class is holed up in one of the main campus conference rooms doing independent study hall."
Everyone around Sugino perked up what Shindo said. Y/n narrowed his eyes as he got closer to Sugino to hear what Shindo was saying. This was valuable info, they, E class, couldn't let it slip like soapy water.
"It's being led by a bunch of geniuses, the school's finest," Shindo said, "They're called 'The Big 5'..."
Y/n and Sugino glanced at each other for a moment. Y/n gave Sugino a slightly worried look making Sugino bite the inside of his cheeks out of nervousness. They both turned back to Sugino's phone to see what Shindo has to say about these 'Big 5'.
"Coming in at second place on the midterms, upwardly mobile, ruthless, multinational social, networking, conglomerate, CEO in training, media club president, and social engineer... Arakai Teppei!
"In third place, envy of the humanities department, inevitable wordsmith, student council secretary, and perspicacious poet... Sakakibara Ren!
"In fifth place, a true sorcerer of science, consumed by fantasies of retribution against Akabane, biology president... Koyama Natsuhiko!
"In sixth place, an infamous wet, who sharpened his tongue a west coast vernacular while kicking it in LA, student council meeting leader... Seo Tomoya!"
"Huh..." Y/n let out softly with dots for eyes because he wasn't expecting Shindo's voice to change.
"Um..." Sugino said in the middle of Shindo's announcing, "Quick question, dude, what are you doing with your voice?"
"Oh..." You can practically hear Shindo blushing out of embarrassment on the other side of the phone, "I've always wanted to be an announcer... just practicing."
Shindo continued, however, "Anyways, learning over all these guys is the grand overachiever...
"In first place, hoisting his flag on the top spot of the national mock exams with perfect scores in every subject, the man with a genetic disposition to lead, student council president... Asano Gakushu!"
Y/n slightly narrowed his eyes, more in a competitive way than in a disgusted way, "The principles only son, huh?"
"You know him, Y/n?" Kaeda questioned carelessly.
"You could say that."
"Scares are a given with this bunch," Shindo stated, "The head honchos have ambition, charisma, reputations to uphold, and above all, the desire to keep you down."
Y/n covered the bottom of his face with his teddy, pretending to be intimidated, when really, he was hiding his smile. He couldn't help it. When Shindo is talking about the 'Big 5' as some sort of super humans, Y/n know how they were behind the scenes. It was funny, to Y/n.
The class continued to listen to what Shindo has to say, "Asano has perfect scores in every subject, the other four are experts, man. You can't be messing around it's serious business. They're hardcore, they don't want you guys back on the main campus, it's a point of pride. Not to mention that there is a 'secret' competitor too."
The word secret caught E class's attention. "Secret?" Sugino questioned.
"Yeah," Shindo said, "There's someone in the school who always gets second place in every subject, only one point off from Asano's scores. They don't make themselves known, nor do the teachers say who it is. All that anyone knows is that they are in our grade level, has been getting second place every year since first year, and could be in anyone's classes.
"No one knows who they are. They could be a boy or a girl, someone from A class or someone from D class. The only thing that everyone can agree on is that they are definitely not in E class, no offense."
"None taken," Sugino said with a small smile.
Shindo sighed, "But yeah, there's no way to even get close to second place with that person still out there. So, for you guys, it's either first place or nothing at all. If any of your guys are trying to come back, I'm sorry but it's going to be a tough ride."
Sugino let out a small sigh as he kept his smile and looked around his classroom, "Thanks for the tip, Shindo. They don't have to worry, for now. We're not looking to go back. I'd explain but I really can't. Let's just say... uh, beating A class isn't out best interest. We're fighters you know this."
Shindo couldn't help but let out a small chuckle, "More power to you," He stated, "Just remember, this is your fight, so leave me out of it. I gotta go. See ya around."
"Yeah, see you, Shindo."
"Oh, and say hi to Y/n for me."
"Hi," Y/n answered.
"ASJDHF-" And the phone hung up.
Y/n and the rest of the of the class blanked after hearing Shindo randomly panic and hang up rather quickly. Y/n blinked in shock as he had dots for eyes after what had happened.
"I think you broke him..."
"I think I did..."