A Liar's Truth [UNDER FINAL REVISION]

Ch 37: Drawing the line

Third-person's point of view

The battle was brutal. Itona darted between desks like a missile, slashing through defense after defense, while Shiro called out data like a sports announcer with a death wish. They came frighteningly close to cornering Korosensei. 

It was calculated. Precise. Like they'd studied him inside and out. His weaknesses. His limits. Everything.

For the first time, the class felt it in their chests—that cold, twisting fear. He might die.

And worse? Not by their hands.

They'd trained with him. Laughed with him. Grown because of him. If anyone was going to take that final shot... it should've been them.

"Shiro-san," Korosensei said, pointing a tentacle like a challenge, "you may have devised this assassination method, but there's one thing you forgot to factor into your calculations."

Shiro's eyes gleamed with confidence, unfazed. "Impossible. My calculations are perfect. Finish him, Itona."

He lunged again—relentless. But in a blink, his tentacles melted. He froze in confusion just as something clattered to the ground.

Korosensei held up a handkerchief and smiled. It was an anti-sensei knife. Swiped mid-battle. Now dropped on the floor.

Before Itona could react, Korosensei bundled him up in his discarded skin like a sack of laundry. A very angry, tentacled sack of laundry.

"If your tentacles are the same as mine.. Then anti-sensei knives would be just as effective against you. The unrest at losing a tentacle would be the same too." There was no gloating in Korosensei's voice now—just quiet understanding, the kind that came from having once been lost too.

With a powerful swing, he hurled Itona—with his molted skin and all. Right out the window, straight past the boundary of the makeshift arena. 

"Don't worry, the molted skin cushioned the blow. You won't have taken any real damage. But your feet left the ring. And by the rules..." His grin twisted, the trademark stripes flickering across his face. "It's my win. According to the rules, it's death penalty for you. You won't be able to try and kill me a second time."

Itona, however, wasn't taking the loss well. He was livid—eyes glowing, veins bulging.

"If you wish your life to be restored, then please come and study alongside everyone in class. There are some things that can't be so easily calculated. That's the difference in our levels of experience."  Korosensei said, voice softer now. "I have lived just a little longer than you.. and have just a little more knowledge. I became a teacher because I want to impart that experience to all of you." He raised a tentacle. "In this classroom, you need to take time to learn from sensei's experiences.. or you won't be able to win against me."

The class smiled. That was their teacher, alright. But Itona wasn't listening.