Thanks to the girls’ infiltration, we made it safely past the terrace bar floor and arrived at the VIP floor.

On the VIP floor, security isn’t left only to the hotel staff, it looks like guests can also hire their own guards and right in front of us stood two burly, tough-looking men.

“Whoa… they look insanely strong.”

“Are they part of the group threatening us, or are they just guards hired by some unrelated guest?”

“Either way, we can’t get through unless we take them down, so it’s the same thing!”

“Exactly, Terasaka-kun and the weapons you brought are perfect for taking them down.”

“Tch, what, do you have x-ray vision or something?”

While saying that, Terasaka rummaged through the bag he brought, digging around for something.

“We have to drop both of them instantly, or they’ll contact someone.”

“Leave it to me. Hey, Kimura. Lure those guys over here a bit.”

“Huh? How?”

“I don’t know. Figure it out yourself.”

While Kimura and the others were struggling, a devil’s whisper drifted in.

“Then say this, Kimura… whisper whisper”

After Karma fed him something, Kimura walked up in front of the two big men and shouted loudly.

“Heeey, looks like Brainy-kun isn’t here, hahaha. These guys are muscle all the way up into their heads, don’t even look human. You pork slabs.”

As expected, Kimura hit their nerve and got chased, but Terasaka and Yoshida jumped out from their blind spot and knocked them out with stun guns.

“Good weapons, Terasaka-kun, but search their chests. From those bulges, you should be able to get something even better.”

““Real guns.””

“And you two, Chiba-kun and Hayami-san, you carry these. Karasuma-sensei probably won’t be able to do precise shooting today. The best ones at using them right now are you two.”

“J-just because you say that all of a sudden…”

“However, sensei won’t allow killing. With your skill, there are plenty of ways to take them down without injuring them. Now, let’s go. From how the hotel looks, it doesn’t feel like the enemy is holding the place with a large group. The hired assassins left should be at most one or two.”

“Yeah! Let’s hurry up and go kill ‘em!”

* * *

“From here up, we’ll have to use the VIP-only emergency stairs. To do that, we need to pass through the concert hall on the 8th floor.”

As we moved based on Ritsu’s navigation, Hayami spoke to me.

“Hey… why did Koro-sensei pick us and not you?”

“Who knows. Koro-sensei hasn’t seen my skill directly, so maybe that’s why.”

“Hmph, whatever.”

Saying that, Hayami walked toward the front group.

But judging from that last sniping, he’s already figured out my gun skill even with bare hands, so the fact that he still didn’t pick me means…

While I was thinking that, we arrived at the concert hall.

We immediately erased our presence and hid and the assassin appeared right after.

Bang!

“I’ll say this, this hall is fully soundproof. Until I shoot every one of you dead, nobody’s coming to save you. You kids aren’t ready to kill people, so behave and surrender— Bang!”

Hayami aimed for the enemy’s handgun, but her shot missed and she exposed her position.

“Middle schoolers trained in assassination, huh, surprisingly decent work.”

Right after he said that, countless lights turned on in the fixtures behind him, carving out a fearless grin on his face.

“I’m feeling great today, I’m good with a gun!”

He fired with incredible precision at Hayami, who’d just given away her location, threading shots through the gaps between chairs.

“I don’t forget the position of anyone who fires even once. I’m ex-military. Through countless experiences, I learned how to lock onto an enemy’s position and I even picked up the sense to check a gun’s condition by taste. Now then, there should be one more gun you stole.”

“Hayami-san, stay on standby, not firing just now was the right call. Chiba-kun, he still doesn’t know your position. Sensei will give instructions while watching the enemy, so wait until the crucial moment.”

“H-how the hell are you talking from… What the hell, why are you watching from the best seat in the house?!”

“Nuru-fufufu, middle schoolers challenging a seasoned professional. This level of visual handicap is fine, isn’t it.”

“Tch… so you don’t even get a scratch, huh.”

“Now then, Kimura-kun! Dash five rows to the left! Terasaka-kun and Yoshida-kun, three rows to the left and right, respectively! In that opening, Kayano-san advance two rows! Karma-kun and Fuwa-san, together to the right eight, Isogai-kun five to the left!”

“Shuffling, huh, pulling some annoying crap. But every time you give an order, you’re telling me names and positions. I’ll memorize it in no time.”

“Seat number 12! Move one to the right and prepare! Numbers 4 and 6, film the target through the chairs and through Ritsu-san, transmit the stage footage to the two of them! Number 27 advances three forward! Number 19 moves right and links up with 27. Ponytail advances to the front-left row! Motorcycle fan advances two diagonally left. And you, the one who got curious and went to that maid café Takebayashi-kun’s been pushing lately and got scared you might actually get hooked, make a loud noise to cause a distraction!”

“Shut up! How do you know I went—”

“Now, it’s time to snipe. Chiba-kun, Hayami-san. After sensei’s next instruction, fire at your own timing. Hayami-san, depending on the situation, support him. Your purpose is to restrict the enemy’s actions.”

* * *

Ayanokōji POV

Under Koro-sensei’s instructions, Hayami and I regrouped and hid behind the chairs.

I see. So this is one of the reasons he didn’t give me a gun…

When I looked at Hayami, her expression was dark.

“You okay?”

“…I can’t. I can’t do it! I missed during the assassination and I missed just now too. When it matters most, I’m useless. Even for sniping, it should be you, not me…”

With a face like she was about to cry, she threw the handgun at me.

She’s shrinking from the assassin’s gunfire, but more than that, the pressure and responsibility must’ve piled up and now her mind has hit its limit…

“Hah… the Hayami Rinka I know isn’t the type to end it while still losing.”

“…What do you even know about me?!”

“Maybe I don’t… but I can say this. Showing your weakness to someone isn’t a bad thing. There are things you can’t do alone, that’s normal, you don’t have to carry everything by yourself. So don’t forget it, when it’s painful, when it’s hard, you have allies beside you.”

“Ayanokōji-kun is right. Chiba-kun, Hayami-san. If you two miss, we’ll switch to a tactic where we shuffle both guns and people and nobody knows who will shoot. It’s a tactic only possible because everyone here has experienced training and failure. So relax and pull the trigger.”

She looked like she’d made up her mind, but Hayami’s hands still wouldn’t stop shaking.

Can’t be helped…

“Hayami, right now, I’ll support you.”

Saying that, I placed my right hand over Hayami’s trembling right hand and together we set our fingers on the trigger.

“I’m beside you. Don’t worry, pull the trigger.”

“…Okay.”

“Then, here we go! Seat number 12! Stand and snipe!”

“Bingo!”

But what the man shot through was a dummy doll Sugaya made.

‘If you’re going to aim, it’s that instant!’

“OK!” “Now!” In sync with Ritsu’s call, Chiba and I showed ourselves at the same time and pulled the trigger.

In the next instant, my bullet shot out his gun and Chiba’s bullet shot out the hanging light fixture’s metal fitting, subduing him.

Chiba and Hayami headed toward everyone with bright expressions, like something had finally been lifted off them.

“Nuru-fufufu, well done, you two. No, I should say three of you. That was good support, Ayanokōji-kun.”

“Hah… I’d appreciate it if you didn’t work me so hard.”

As I said that, I walked up to Koro-sensei and Karasuma-sensei.

“There are several chances in life for anyone to break their shell and grow. But alone, you can’t fully seize those chances, unless you’re blessed with a strong enemy that draws out your focus and comrades who share your experiences. That’s why I want to be a teacher who can provide that. I want to catch the moments my students grow and prepare a high wall and good allies for them.”

“What education…”

“And that includes you too, Ayanokōji-kun.”

“…I see.”

Leaving those words behind, I walked away from the two of them.

Allies…

It’s true we’ve overcome things ordinary students never experience, together, sharing a lot of time.

In general society, that’s probably what they call allies.

But that’s nothing more than slapping a convenient name onto this relationship.

In me, there’s no trust or friendship there.

And with this assassination, I realized it.

There’s a high wall you can’t overcome, no matter how much you cooperate.

So from here on…

I won’t rely on anyone anymore

I’ll kill the target, him, by myself.