The Assassin Within

Part 52~Viper

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?"