The next day, preparations for the midterms were already in full swing.
As soon as class began, Koro-sensei clapped his tentacles together cheerfully.
"Now then, shall we begin~?"
The next instant, he exploded into motion at Mach 20 speed, filling the classroom with countless afterimages.
The students blinked in confusion.
"Begin what?"
Still zipping around the room and leaving clones everywhere, Koro-sensei answered proudly,
"Midterm season has arrived! Yes, indeed! Which means this period shall now become a high-speed study session~!"
One of the clones appeared in front of every student simultaneously, each carrying different textbooks and materials.
"My clones will personally assist each of you one-on-one in your weakest subjects!"
Terasaka stared blankly at the clone standing in front of him.
"…Ridiculous."
Then he pointed accusingly.
"He even changes headbands depending on the subject?!"
He looked up and shouted,
"Hey! Why do I get the Naruto headband?!"
Before Koro-sensei could answer—
one of the nearby clones suddenly dented inward as Karma stabbed at it with a knife.
"No sneak assassination attempts during study time, Karma-kun~! Dodging disrupts my persistence of vision!"
Karma simply grinned while pulling his knife back.
Nagisa watched the countless clones in fascination.
"These clones are incredibly detailed…"
Then he tilted his head slightly.
"But Sensei… do you actually have enough stamina left after making all of them?"
"Not to worry~!"
One of the clones proudly pointed outside.
"I have one clone resting peacefully outdoors!"
Nagisa blinked.
"…How exactly is that helping?"
And so, the intense study session began.
Koro-sensei's clones spread throughout the classroom, personally helping each student tackle their weakest subjects.
Eventually, one of the clones arrived at Akira's desk.
"What would you say is your weakest subject, Akira-kun?"
Akira answered immediately.
"I don't think I have one."
He casually flipped a page in his book.
"I already finished reading the entire curriculum for this year."
Koro-sensei froze mid-motion.
"…What? But surely you still need practice for the exams, right?"
Akira shrugged casually.
"Not really. I have perfect memory. Once I read something, I can store it permanently."
Koro-sensei's eyes widened.
"Like a computer?!"
Beside him, Erika sighed faintly.
"Yeah, he can do that."
Then she added flatly,
"Even though he somehow still forgets normal things."
Akira immediately protested.
"I don't forget them. I just can't actively recall everything at once, okay? I have to search for it."
Erika looked entirely unconvinced.
Koro-sensei slowly turned toward her.
"Then what about you, Erika-san? Which subject would you consider your weakest?"
Before Erika could answer—
Akira answered for her.
"She's weak at math."
Erika immediately turned toward him.
"I am NOT weak at math!"
She crossed her arms defensively.
"I'm just… not as good at it compared to my other subjects."
Akira nodded matter-of-factly.
"Yeah. You usually score above ninety-five in everything else. In math, you only score above eighty-five."
He tilted his head thoughtfully.
"Your highest was ninety-two."
The entire class collectively thought the exact same thing.
That counts as weak?!
Akira then turned toward Koro-sensei.
"How about this? Since you're busy, I can teach her instead."
The entire class immediately realized the truth.
He just wants an excuse to sit closer to her.
Erika instantly shook her head.
"No."
She pointed at him accusingly.
"The last time you tried teaching me algebra, you somehow started explaining quantum mechanics."
Akira looked genuinely confused.
"But quantum mechanics helps you understand algebra better."
The entire class thought in unison:
HOW DOES THAT MAKE ANY SENSE?!
Koro-sensei suddenly smiled warmly before placing a thick book in front of Akira.
"Don't worry about Erika-san, Akira-kun. Sensei will personally handle teaching her math~"
Then he tapped the massive book.
"But for you… I have something even more important."
Akira looked down at the title.
How to Be a Great Teacher for Dummies
He stared at it silently.
"…What is this?"
Koro-sensei wiggled his tentacles proudly.
"It's a book Sensei originally wrote for himself~!"
Then he leaned closer dramatically.
"But now, I believe it will help you more."
Akira blinked.
"…But why this?"
Koro-sensei smiled knowingly.
"Don't you want to teach Erika-san properly? This is the way."
Akira paused.
Then he slowly looked toward Erika.
After a moment, he sighed.
"…Fine."
He picked up the giant book seriously.
"This is the way."
By the time school ended, Akira had somehow finished reading the entire three-thousand-page book.
After school ended, Akira and Erika walked home together.
As they passed near the teachers' lounge, voices drifted from inside.
Karasuma.
Irina.
And someone unfamiliar.
Erika slowed slightly.
"Is that…?"
Akira nodded casually.
"Probably the principal."
His eyes narrowed slightly.
"He's most likely here to put Class 3-E back in their place."
Erika stayed quiet for a moment before asking softly,
"Hey, Akira… aren't we going to tell everyone about the test scope change?"
Before Akira could answer, Selena's voice echoed telepathically in both of their heads.
"It's better not to."
Erika blinked slightly.
Selena continued calmly.
"The exams are the day after tomorrow. Even if you tell them now, there's very little they can realistically do about it. Instead of giving them additional pressure, it's better to help them improve with what they already learned."
Erika sighed quietly.
"This entire system is awful…"
Akira shrugged.
"Don't worry."
His tone remained oddly cheerful.
"We can destroy the principal after the exams."
Erika immediately looked at him sharply.
Akira continued casually,
"This sabotage alone gives us enough ammunition to completely finish him."
Erika pinched the bridge of her nose.
"Don't do anything stupid."
Then she added firmly,
"I'll talk to him first."
Akira smiled lightly.
"Fine."
Then his eyes sharpened slightly.
"But if he refuses to listen…"
He cracked his knuckles.
"…then it'll be my turn."
And so, the two continued walking home together.
The moment they entered the house, Akira suddenly lit up with excitement.
"Oh right!"
He snapped his fingers dramatically.
"The anti-sensei secondary weapons I left printing should be finished by now."
He looked at Erika expectantly.
"Want to test them?"
Erika, who was already mentally exhausted from studying all day, let out a tired sigh.
But eventually, she nodded.
"…Okay."
Akira immediately rushed downstairs into the basement.
A few moments later, he returned carrying several large boxes stacked in his arms.
They moved into the spacious backyard.
"Well, the whole property is isolated anyway," Akira said cheerfully. "We can test basically anything here."
Erika stared at the suspicious mountain of boxes.
"…How many weapons did you make?"
Akira looked thoughtful.
"Not that many."
Then he admitted honestly,
"I just couldn't decide which one suited you best."
He dramatically opened the first box.
"Tada~!"
Erika looked inside.
Then froze.
"…A chainsaw?"
Akira's eyes sparkled brightly.
"An Anti-Tentacle Chainsaw!"
He proudly lifted the weapon.
"It's coated with anti-sensei material! With its shredding speed and cutting power, I think it suits you perfectly!"
Erika immediately shut him down.
"No."
Akira blinked.
"…Why not?"
Erika crossed her arms flatly.
"No means no."
Then she pointed at the giant weapon.
"Koro-sensei is a high-speed target. How exactly am I supposed to hit him with that heavy thing?"
Akira looked genuinely disappointed.
"…If you say so."
He opened the next box.
"Then what about this?"
Erika stared.
"…What the hell is THAT?!"
Akira proudly held up an enormous minigun nearly the size of his body.
"Anti-Sensei Massive Minigun!"
His eyes sparkled with dangerous enthusiasm.
"It's modeled after the GAU-8 Avenger and fires armor-piercing anti-sensei BB rounds!"
He grinned proudly.
"You could absolutely destroy Koro-sensei with this."
Erika slowly pinched the bridge of her nose.
"What the hell are armor-piercing BBs?"
Then she pointed at the absurd weapon.
"And how am I even supposed to HOLD that thing?!"
Akira shrugged casually.
"I figured your dhampir strength could handle it."
Erika stared at him in disbelief.
"How am I supposed to bring this into school?!"
Akira paused.
Then scratched his head awkwardly.
"Oh… Didn't think of that."
Erika sighed deeply.
This is going to be harder than I thought…
Unfortunately—
Akira wasn't finished.
One by one, he proudly revealed more creations.
A rocket hammer.
A pile driver.
Rocket-powered gauntlets.
And finally—
a gigantic drill.
Erika stared at it silently.
"…Why is there a giant drill?"
Akira grinned proudly.
"My drill is the drill that will pierce the heavens."
Then he added casually,
"…and probably Koro-sensei too."
Erika finally snapped.
"CAN'T YOU MAKE SOMETHING NORMAL?!"
She pointed furiously at the pile of insanity.
"Like a katana! Or a naginata! Or literally anything I actually know how to use?!"
Akira pouted slightly.
"But where's the fun in that?"
Erika responded with a terrifying death glare.
"Stop joking around."
Then she pointed at him like a strict teacher disciplining a child.
"Make. A normal. Weapon. That I can actually use against Koro-sensei. Understood?"
Akira visibly winced.
"Fiiine…"
Reluctantly, he reached into another box and handed her a sleek silver rapier.
Its elegant hilt contained a small revolving chamber like a revolver.
Erika examined it carefully.
"…What is this?"
Akira brightened again.
"A rapier that can also fire anti-sensei BB rounds."
He nodded proudly.
"Normal enough, right?"
Erika sighed.
"…It's better than the others."
Then she looked at the blade again.
"But I don't actually know how to use a rapier."
Akira smiled brightly.
"Then maybe we can learn together?"
Erika immediately grabbed both his cheeks and pinched hard.
"Make. A. Normal. Weapon. That. I. Can. Use. To. Fight. Koro-sensei. Understand?"
Akira winced in pain.
"Fiiiiine…"
And so—
today's anti-sensei weapon testing session ended with absolutely no successful results.
---
The next day, Koro-sensei was completely amped up.
"Good morning, everyone! Today I tried to make even more of me!"
He moved at blinding Mach 20 speed, creating dozens of afterimage clones that filled the classroom. Some clones were even wearing different cosplays — one as Goku, another as Toriko.
Kayano stared in disbelief.
"What's wrong, Koro-sensei? Isn't this a little too gung-ho?"
Koro-sensei's clones kept moving rapidly.
"Not at all!"
Akira and Erika exchanged a quiet glance. They both knew exactly why he was pushing so hard — it was because of Principal Asano from yesterday.
Suddenly, one of the clones appeared right between them.
"Akira-kun, Erika-san! No flirting in class!"
Both of them jumped.
"We're not flirting!"
They quickly buried their faces back in their books.
By the end of the intense study session, Koro-sensei was completely exhausted. He sat heavily at his desk, breathing hard and fanning himself with a paper fan.
Maehara whistled.
"You know… he does look pretty beat."
Nakamura smirked.
"Maybe now's our chance?"
Okajima tilted his head.
"Why is he teaching this hard anyway?"
Koro-sensei let out a tired laugh, his face turning pink as he daydreamed.
"All to get your test scores up! If that happens… my students will love me… and beautiful girls will love me too~"
One student muttered,
"The whole studying part is fine and all…"
Another girl added,
"Yeah, but if we assassinate him, we get ten billion yen."
Nakamura grinned.
"And with ten billion, you don't need good grades to live the good life."
Koro-sensei shot upright, shocked.
"Is that what you think?!"
Okajima shrugged.
"We're the End Class, Koro-sensei. Assassination is way more accessible to us than any exam."
Akira muttered under his breath,
"How is killing a super creature easier than a junior high test…? And I already made that much money here."
Erika elbowed him.
"Don't start it."
Koro-sensei's expression grew serious. His face turned purple with a big X mark.
"I see… I understand. You still don't have what it takes to be true assassins."
He pointed toward the courtyard.
"Everyone, out into the courtyard! Now!"
The students filed out, whispering among themselves.
"What's the big idea, sending us all out here like this…?"
"Who knows, maybe a bad mood suddenly came over him."
Koro-sensei stood in the center of the empty courtyard.
"The one good thing about the E-Class system is its built-in remedial process. The school offers a narrow escape route. If you rank in the top fifty out of one hundred and eighty-six students in the periodic tests, and your former homeroom teacher approves, you can leave this class behind. But given your starting grades and this terrible learning environment… that path is nearly impossible. Most of you have already accepted that cruel reality."
Irina walked in, dragged by Kataoka.
"What is all this? Hurry up!"
Koro-sensei turned to her.
"Irina-sensei, let me ask you something as a professional assassin. When you're on a job, do you ever prepare only one plan?"
Irina smirked.
"Of course not. The main plan rarely goes perfectly. You prepare detailed backup plans for every contingency. That's basic."
"Exactly." Koro-sensei's voice grew intense. "When teaching assassination techniques, is only the first strike important?"
"The first strike is crucial," Irina replied. "But against a strong opponent, it's often dodged. Victory depends on how precisely and fluidly you can unleash the second strike… and the third."
Koro-sensei suddenly began spinning rapidly in place, gathering a powerful whirlwind.
"Precisely! Confidence in your next move — that is what allows you to become a true assassin."
He looked at his students, face solemn.
"You have all been thinking: 'We have assassination, so studying doesn't matter.' But that is merely averting your eyes from the real problem. You're just trying not to face the reason for your inferiority complex. What if I got away from this classroom? If another killer managed to do me in? Without the assassination you rely on, all you're left with is E-Class inferiority."
A massive hurricane formed in the courtyard as Koro-sensei declared,
"Those who cannot wield a second blade aren't qualified to be assassins!"
The tornado roared, completely covering the yard. When it finally disappeared, the previously uneven, weed-filled courtyard had been perfectly tidied — looking like a normal, pristine school yard.
Koro-sensei hovered calmly before them.
"Erasing an entire school building is easy for me. I am a creature capable of destroying the Earth itself. Leveling one structure is nothing."
The students stared, wide-eyed.
"If you cannot show me a second blade you can truly rely on," Koro-sensei declared, his voice ringing with finality, "then I will conclude there are no worthy assassins in this classroom. I will flatten the entire building and depart."
A heavy silence fell.
Nagisa asked tightly,
"When do we need this second blade by?"
"Tomorrow's midterm exam," Koro-sensei answered. "Every single one of you must place within the top fifty."
He smiled again — warm, encouraging, yet utterly uncompromising.
"Your second blade is already being forged by me. I have not been teaching any less effectively than the other teachers at this school. Have confidence. Wield that blade proudly. Complete the mission with smiles on your faces and pride in your hearts as members of Class 3-E."
His grin broadened, tentacles waving cheerfully.
"And… good luck on your midterms!"
Everyone stood in awe.
Akira broke the silence.
"See? That's why I told you a secondary weapon is important."
Erika immediately shot back,
"For the last time, I am not using a chainsaw to fight him!"
Koro-sensei's head snapped toward them.
"Nani?! A chainsaw?!"
And just like that, the entire solemn atmosphere was completely destroyed.
---
The day of the midterms finally arrived.
The classroom was dead silent except for the sound of pens scratching against paper. Every student in Class 3-E was focused intensely on their test sheets.
Akira finished his answers in less than thirty minutes.
And that was while deliberately writing slowly.
After placing his pen down quietly, he leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes as if preparing to take a short nap.
Meanwhile, the rest of the class was clearly struggling. Whispers of frustration and the occasional groan could be heard as they faced questions clearly outside the normal scope they had prepared for.
Erika gripped her pen tightly, her expression visibly pissed off. Her brows were furrowed, and she kept rereading certain questions with clear irritation.
Akira opened one eye and glanced at her angry face.
A cold, calculating look settled over his features as he leaned back further, staring at the ceiling.
Asano… Let's hope you accept negotiations.
He began mentally listing out multiple ways to dismantle the principal's carefully built system — each one more ruthless and efficient than the last.
The quiet tension in the classroom hung heavy as the midterms continued.