Physical Education. Knife Training. Something that was so standard for Sora that it was basically effortless to do at this point. Sora and Sugino went at it, dodging each others strikes with ease.
Standing at a side was Mr Karasuma.
"Don't look away!"He said, his voice stern. "Predict your target's move! If you all do that," he went on, "You'll block off every last one of their escape routes." He said.
Suddenly Koro-sensei stood right behind Karasuma. "To kill such a man of character would be unthinkable!" Karasuma's vein popped.
"Don't make up my thoughts, get lost, target!"He said sternly. The drawing slid and Koro-sensei's sneering look peered over.
Sora was confused now.
And suddenly Nagisa was sent flying across the field.
"The hell!?" Sora yelped.
Karasuma blinked trying to grab on a loose string. Everyone stopped to look. "Sorry!" He said quickly."Put a little too much oomph into my block there."
"You okay Nagisa?" Sora asked.
"Oh, I-I'm fine," Nagisa said smiling.
"Dummy! You have to keep an eye on him!" Sugino said and Nagisa looked across with a sheepish smile.
Koro-sensei watched on and commented on nothing.
____________________
The bell rang dismissing the class. As someone approached the P.E grounds, Karasuma was walking back.
"He has, like, zero chinks." Okajima said.
"Sensei!" Kurahashi approached him. "Come out for snacks with us after class!" She invited.
The teacher waved a dismissive hand. "I appreciate the invite, but I still have work to do."
Some of E Class looked deflated.
"No chinks in his private life either," Mimura mumbled.
"It's more like there's a wall between him and us," Okano commented.
"Well he is a Special Forces Agent. He has other stuff that he needs to do you know?" Sora pointed out, walking with his hands in his pockets.
"I don't know though. I mean, takes good care of us and all, but is that only because he 'has' to?" Kurahashi said sadly.
"Yo! Karasuma!" The said man looked up to the source of the new voice.
"Takaoka!" He said surprised. Sora followed Karasuma's gaze, spotting the man.
"A new teacher?" Whispered a student.
The burly man had several paper bags with. "hey!"He said to the class."I'm Akira Takaoka and I'll be assisting Karasuma as of today." He announced cheerfully. "Nice to meet you, E-Class!" He passed them a bright smile.
"Well he seems friendly." Yuki chirped, seeming somewhat relieved at the thought. "I've had enough bad teachers for one life my first 2 years of Junior High."
The man laid down a blanket, and set things down onto it.
Tortes, cakes, ice cream and chocolate spread across a small sheet. The students gathered around. "W-What's all this?" One stuttered,
Sora raised an eyebrow at this. Was he trying to treat them to be nice? Or was he trying to buy their affection? Both were possible, but he didn't want to jump to any conclusions.
"What's all this about?" He asked.
"Just a way to say hi!" The man bellowed, earning a glance from Sora as he let out a quiet hum.
This guy was really friendly.
"Cake!" Another cheered.
"And eclair from Le Hermes." Kataoka said surprised.
"Are you sure? They look pricey." Isogai jittered about.
"Go on, eat up! I emptied up my wallet for this, so don't hold back!" Takaoka said proudly.
"You sure know your brand name sweets," Hinata commented.
"Honestly, when it comes to me and sugar..." Takaoka went on dramatically. "It's love!" He stuck his tongue out.
"So cute for such a big man."
"So, will you be taking over Phys Ed tomorrow?" Nagisa asked.
"Yep! Orders from headquarters. Gotta lessen Karasuma's load, so-"Takaoka's explanation was cut short by a pink, round, drooling formerly yellow-headed Koro-sensei.
"Cake..."He drooled. Nakamura looked at him, grossed out.
"Oh, you must me Koro-sensei. Eat, Eat!" Takaoka said generously. Koro-sensei's drooling only increased. "We'll still end up killing you." Takaoka winked and laughed.
"For colleagues, you and Karasuma sensei are like day and night." Said Kimura.
"You're like a neighbourhood dad!" Hara said.
"Dad!I like that!" He swung his arms around Nakamura and Mimura who smiled uncomfortably. "We're in the same classroom, so that makes us a family, right?"
Red flags were blaring in Sora's head. This guy definitely had a few screws loose. I mean what kind of man just declared himself the 'dad' of a bunch of kids he'd just met?
This felt so wrong.
____________________
And so the next day came.
"Great- the gang's all here! Now, things could start getting a little though, but I have more delicious treats for you when it's all over!" Takaoka instructed the students standing in line for Phys Ed.
"And you're sure you're not saying that because 'you' want to eat them?" Nakamura commented.
Rubbing his belly, "Gotta keep my figure." Takaoka said and the class, sans Sora, laughed.
This felt like bribery. What exactly was his goal here?
"Now along with your new training regimen comes a new schedule!" Takaoka said producing a stack of papers.
"No way!"
"Ten periods?!"
The students were baffled as they looked through.
"But of course, Following this curriculum will boost your abilities by leaps and bounds. Let's get to work!" Takaoka clapped his hands.
Sora stared at the sheet, and then looked to Takaoka again. Was this guy insane? How the hell did he except Junior High Students to do that kind of work out every single day?
"Hey, wait a minute, this is impossible!" Maehara announced. "With so little time for learning, our grades will plummet!" He complained flailing the paper in his hand.
Sora's eyes widened. Why couldn't he just keep quiet!?
Takaoka rubbed the back of his head. "And no free time either? We can't do this!" He declared. Still smiling, the instructor flung his knee into the boy's torso. Saliva spurted out before Maehara fell.
"Maehara!" Sora shouted in concern.
Clutching the boy's hair, still smiling, Takaoka said, "We 'can't' nothing. We 'will'." He let go and Maehara fell, gripping his stomach. The students were horrified.
"It's like I said; we're family. And I'm the dad. Show me a family that doesn't do as a dad says." He balled his fists and smiled at them, the more sinister smile. "And I'll show you a disgrace of a father!"
He smirked
"If you want to sit out, sit out." He spat."I'll use my authority to bring in new students to replace you."
He looked at them. "But I don't want to do that. After all, you're my precious family. A father doesn't want to lose a single of his children." He walked around the lanes. "Let's save the world together, kids-as a family!" He threw his arms around Kanzaki and Yuki who gasped.
Kanzaki stood up warily. "W-well... I... um... "
She turned to Takaoka who stood up. Gaining confidence through a moment of silence, she said, "I don't want to. I prefer Karasuma-sensei's class." She smiled at him politely.
Yuki nodded. "Y-Yeah. I feel the same."
Sora stared in horror. Those idiots!
The man licked his upper lip and slammed both if their heads together, throwing them to the ground.
Sora clicked his tongue. "Screw it."
Instantly he shot forward, aiming a punch at Takaoka's head. The larger man barely dodged, and sent a kick toward Sora, which was also dodged. Sora slid back and glared at the man.
"Seems like you still don't understand. The only answer here is 'yes'." Takaoka said innocently. "If that's a problem," he said exercising his arm. "we can talk it out with our fists. That's one of your old dad's specialities."
"I already had one piece of shit dad. I'm good without a second one." Sora glared, but before a real fight could break out Karasuma bursted onto the scene.
"Takaoka, stop!" Karasuma shouted running to Kanzaki.
"Are you alright?" He asked her. "Does your neck hurt?"
"I'm okay."She said softly.
"And you, Maehara?"
The boy was holding his stomach, still, pinching one eye shut. "Y-Yeah, fine." He waved.
Sora took the momentary calm to kneel down, checking on Yuki. "You alright?"
Yuki seemed dazed, but she was still conscious, as she slowly sat up. "A little dizzy, but I'll live.
"I'm going easy on them, Karasuma,"Takaoka said balling his fists. "After all, they're my family."
Sora glared at the man, but he was beat to the punch by someone else.
"No." Said a voice. A red, blazing tentacle took a firm hold of Takaoka's shoulder. Koro-sensei's tentacles flailed everywhere. His body was red, his eyes were glinting, his face had darkened. "They're not your family. They're my students."
"Koro-sensei!" The class murmured worriedly.
"Just what have you been up to while my back was turned?"He questioned.
The burly man brushed aside the tentacle and faced the red blob. "Got a problem, monster?" He said with a dark and crazed expression. "Phys Ed is my class to run and these fall well within the bounds of education. I don't have much time to train up assassins to kill you- of course, I need to be rough on them." His gaze darkened further.
"This isn't just rough training. You're basically just torturing us." Sora trailed off.
"And so what if I am?" He said nastily."Just because his views of education differ is that any reason to attack a man who never did him any harm."
Veins kept popping on their teacher's head. The tension in the air was thick.
"You tried to do me harm. Does that count? Because I'd be glad to kill you for him." Sora shot back, glaring up at the man as he stood in front of his classmates protectively.
"Sora. Back down." Koro-sensei ordered.
"Give me a good reason why I should." Sora demanded, not giving an inch. "If you think he's too strong then you're dead wrong-"
"Sora." Koro-sensei stated. "Stand down."
Sora stares at his teacher for a moment before he stepped back.
"Fine." He relented. But Takaoka wasn't as willing to move on, slamming his fist into Sora's cheek.
The young man was sent rolling across the field, slamming against a nearby tree.
"Sora-"
"I'm fine!" Sora replied, standing up. "I took a hit from Itona. I can take a hit from him."
Sora walked back toward his teachers.
"If you wanna replace me then go ahead but even if I can't fight you I'm not just gonna do what you want." Sora stated, going to sit down with Karasuma and Koro-sensei.
"You made the right choice." Koro-sensei said after a moment of silence.
"Doesn't feel that way to me." Sora replied.
"I feel like a coward."
____________________
The kids were exercising while Koro-sensei, Sora, and Karasuma watched. Sora, glaring at Takaoka the entire time. He wanted to kill him, but he would respect Koro-sensei's judgment. He trusted him after all.
"He'll wind up crushing those students." Karasuma worried.
"It looks all wrong to me but he has his own idea about education... That's why Karasuma-sensei, as a fellow Phys Ed teacher, I'd like you to shut him down." Koro-sensei said calmly.
The agent looked down, hands kneaded together while he was in deep in thoughts.
"This isn't funny," Sugaya mumbled. "Three hundred squats? We'll die!"
"Karasuma-sensei..." Kurahashi was at her limit.
"Hey now." Takaoka cracked his knuckles. He was in front of her in moments. "Karasuma is not part of our family. Punishment time."
The girl was fearful. "This is what happens to the kids who don't rely on their dad alone!" His eyes flashed madness but before he could land an attack he was stopped by Karasuma's strong grip.
"That's enough." He declared."If you want to get violent, get violent with me."
Sora stood up at this point as well.
Takaoka smiled. "I figured it was about time for you to stick your nose in, Karasuma," he said, straightening up. 'And about time for me to go 'there'.' He completed his sentence in his head. "Like I said; this isn't violence, this is education. I don't want to engage you through violence." He said. "And if we do so, it will be as teachers."
Karasuma groaned inwardly.
"Choose the best of your students you've trained, Karasuma." He said walking past him. "They can fight me and if their knife so much as touches me, I'll concede that your education is better than mine and take my leave." He explained. Some students sighed. "but."He said taking out an anti-sensei knife from his bag, "we won't be using these old things." He carried on, jingling it in the air before tossing it. In a swift motion, he pulled out something sharp from his bag and stabbed the rubber knife with a real one.
Sora's eyes widened at that.
His face darkened from his insanity. "No, you'll be killing me... and that means, you'll need the real thing." His round eyes moved madly.
"A real knife?" Karasuma mumbled, baffled. "Enough!"He said."They're neither trained nor prepared to kill a human!" He countered.
"Relax—stopping just before contact will count as a hit." The other man said swinging the blade and standing up. "And I'm barehanded! What more of a handicap do you want?" He looked down at him.
Sora raised an eyebrow at that. "Then why even bother using a real- whatever..."
"Well, Karasuma. Pick one up." He said aloud. "It's that or obey me unconditionally." He threw the knife which landed near the other's feet. Karasuma looked at it and then at Takaoka.
"I'll go." Sora stated. "I still wanna fight him anyway-"
"No." Karasuma stated.
"I beg your pardon?" Sora replied.
Karasuma sighed. "You can try to hide it all you want but you're still injured. Your rubs haven't fully recovered from fighting Itona."
Sora grimaced.
"And along with that, that blow to the head you took today wasn't minor. The fact that you're still conscious is a miracle." Karasuma added.
Sora knew he was right. But still, it pissed him off!
He bent to pick up the sharp object. He turned around to take a good look at his students. He spotted a blue-clad of hair. Nagisa was staring at the floor as if dazed. He stopped in front of him. Put forward the knife. "Nagisa-kun... will you do it?" The boy looked up, surprised.
"Huh!?" Sora stammered.
"Wait, why Nagisa?" And murmurs such as that were heard.
"As someone charged with an assassination mission to save the Earth, I consider you all fellow professionals." The adult said. "And as such, the very least compensation you deserve is the guarantee of a normal-junior high life. So there's no need to force yourself to take this knife."
Nagisa looked at the knife with an unreadable expression. Then he looked at Karasuma. He put forward his hand to accept the weapon.
He looked at his reflection in the shiny object. "I'll do it." He declared. Holding the back of the bade, Nagisa stretched his hand, preparing himself.
"Your eyes must be going bad, Karasuma." Takaoka mocked.
"What the hell does he think he's done, pitching Nagisa?" Bitch-sensei mumbled standing beside Koro-sensei.
Koro-sensei had a knowing look. "Just watch. You'll see."
"You think Nagisa's knife will hit?" Sugaya asked warily.
"No way. A real knife against a real pro?"
Sora racked his brain. Why Nagisa? Why Nagisa of all people? What did Karasuma know that he didn't?
Takaoka put away his jacket. "Bring it on!" He took his stance.
Nagisa tensed up.
Takaoka smiled outwardly.
In what looked like a trance, the boy smiled and began strolling forward. The boy neared slowly while Takaoka tracked him with his eyes, failing to react at the peculiar motion. Nagisa stopped when his chest hit Takaoka's unmoving arm.
He backed up slightly and swung the knife. Takaoka barely dodged.
Sora's eyes widened in shock.
Nagisa's eyes were the darkest shade of blue, focused, deathly.
A serpent swiftly circled his prey. Groping his neck. This was Nagisa's bloodlust. Takaoka screamed. Takaoka writhed as Nagisa placed the knife on the skin of his neck. Smiling, content with his play, "Gotcha." He said casually.
The students stared even the teachers.
Was that...really Nagisa?
Blanching suddenly, "Oops! Was I not supposed to use the back of the knife?" Nagisa asked aloud.
"That's enough!" Koro-sensei took away the weapon from Nagisa. "honestly," he continued, chewing the metal.
"What the hell does your digestive system look like?" Sora muttered.
"Are you out of your mind giving a real knife to a student? What if he'd hurt himself?" Nagisa laughed lightly, feeling slightly embarrassed. Karasuma smiled.
The students gathered around Nagisa.
"You did it Nagisa!"
"Thank goodness!"
"That's a big deal!"
Karasuma lingered in thoughts didn't pay much attention to the students' celebration.
"You sure know your way around a knife."
"Nah, I just did what Karasuma-sensei told me. Takaoka-sensei is tough." Nagisa replied smiling.
Maehara walked close, catching everyone's attention. "Ow!" Nagisa yelped rubbing his cheek when he felt the impact of the slap."What was that for!" He complained.
"Sorry, kinda didn't believe that was you," Maehara said. Then, grinning, he swung an arm around Nagisa's neck. "But thanks! That assassination was a total rush!"
Stabbing that knife with a smile and that 'gotcha'?" Nakamura was impressed.
Karasuma was watching from a distance. A yellow tentacle slid frown his shoulder, Koro-sensei leaned on him. "You were pretty lost out there today, weren't you, Karasuma-sensei?"
"What's wrong with that?" Karasuma replied in monotone.
"Oh, nothing."
Before either could say anything, a figure, as they watched, towered over their students. "You brats." Takaoka had gathered himself together again. "Turning on your father figure and rejoining in some fluke victory?!" He raged. "Again! I'll have you in two! Body and soul!"
The white in his eyes was turning red. Before Karasuma could move forward, a tentacle stopped him.
"If we fought again I'd lose for sure," Nagisa said. "But what's plain to see is that Koro-sensei is our teacher and Karasuma-sensei is our training instructor and that's final. You and your forced father figure role doesn't come across half as warm as Karasuma-sensei's professionalism."
Karasuma's eyes widened.
"We're grateful you really tried to make us stronger." Nagisa went on. "But I'm sorry." He bowed. "Please leave." The other students glared at the man.
Feeling lost, Irina asked Takebayashi, "Wait—what am I?"
Setting his spectacles the boy said, "You're our bitch."
Irina immediately snapped with a "You're dead!"
"A teacher's happiest moment." Koro-sensei began. "Is when a student gives a clear answer to your own lesson of which even you yourself are unsure. And, Karasuma-sensei, a teacher must have a clear response as well."
"I'm not gonna stand here listening to this brat sproutin' off!" Takaoka barked. He was about to attack Nagisa but before he could, Sora swung his foot into the man's chin, sending him falling back onto the ground.
"Go to hell." He muttered.
"I apologize for the trouble my colleague caused," Karasuma said to the students. "Don't worry about what comes next. I'll negotiate with my superiors to resume my teaching position."
The kids called his name, grateful.
"Karasuma!" Takaoka roared. All eyes fell on him. "You think I'll let you get one over me like that? I'll-" He was never able to finish his sentence.
"There is no need to negotiate." Said a new voice.
"Principal Asano!"
Sora groaned.
"I was curious as to how our new teacher was doing." He said walking closer. He bent down to meet Takaoka's level. "And saw the whole thing."
His eyes bore into Takaoka's. "Takaoka-sensei, your lesson was a joke." He said in his velvety voice. "Yes, fear is a must in education." Centipedes crawled at the lesser opacity of his face as he spoke.
Sora was sure hwme was just imagining them but- holy shit.
"But a teacher who can only instil fear only through violence is a teacher of the lowest order indeed." One of the bigger crawlers struck Takaoka's mouth, then it was accompanied by many.
Takaoka freaked out. He cried and screamed, sweating fearfully. "You're walking papers." The principal said having smashed them into his mouth.
Walking away as he cleaned his hands away with a napkin. "The ministry of defence has no hiring rights here. I call the shots around here and don't you forget that." He disposed of the tissue paper which fell on the fired instructor's bag.
"Takaoka's... fired?" Kimura mumbled not able to believe it.
"So, its back to Karasuma-sensei?" Okajima questioned.
The silence lasted for only a second before all the students jumped and cheered in glee.
"Karasuma-sensei." The class had gathered around him. "Since it was us, students who got your Phys Ed back, don't you think we should get some sort of award?" Nakamura winked.
"Yeah!" Kurahashi chirped. "That's one thing Takaoka-sensei was good at!"
"I don't know about sweets," Karasuma said fumbling his hand in his pocket. "Here, get something you-" His wallet was already snatched away by Irina who joined the students. They all cheered.
"Sweet!" Koro-sensei said. "Let me in on the award too!" He stammered.
"Huh? What for? You didn't even do much this time around."
"No, no, no! I watched in silent contemplation so Karasuma-sensei could learn the value of being a teacher!" He justified.
"Never mind him. Let's go!"
"Come on Karasuma-sensei!" Kurahashi pulled his hand and he smiled following.
"He's coming after us on his hands and knees!"
"Just how much does he want it?!" The girls shrieked. Increasing his speed while being on all fours Koro-sensei begged them to let him come too.
Sora turned toward Yuki and broke out into loud laughter.
This place was truly insane.
__________
You guys think there will be a ninth chapter today? Because there might.
Really everything up to Finals is prewritten. So I could just drop them all at once lol.