Achieving Thermal Equilibrium | ac

19. EQUILIBRIUM

They were now trying to save Korosensei's life, and of-fucking-course Yanagisawa had to butt in.

Clad in her special gym uniform, Akari glared daggers at Yanagisawa. She was so tired of everything–so tired of the media villainizing Korosensei and treating them as helpless hostages, so tired of the government trying to ruin everything, so tired of Yanagisawa and his shitty plans. Korosensei couldn't even celebrate his birthday without being interrupted.

Akari paled when she saw a tentacled monstrosity emerge from behind Yanagisawa. There was no doubt about it–this person had also received the tentacle cells, but not in the way she and Itona had received theirs. This monster didn't even have a humanoid appearance. She and Itona exchanged terrified glances.

This one was on a whole other level.

Yanagisawa cackled as he took in their horrified looks. His one fake eye made him look even less human, if that was possible. "He is nothing like that failure Itona, or that little girl over there. He has fully harnessed the destructive power of the tentacles."

"Tch, that freak..." Itona scowled, but Akari had seen how his eyes had widened in fright. Kayano blinked, the earth rumbled and she was knocked to the ground. She gasped, head ringing from the impact. The monster was so quick she couldn't even see his attacks! Yanagisawa claimed the monster could reach a top speed of Mach 40. For the first time, Akari didn't doubt Yanagisawa.

"The remainder of his life of his life will last no longer than another three months," Yanagisawa stated nonchalantly as he watched the fight from above. He giggled uncontrollably, the noise sending chills down Akari's spine. "See? He's perfect! He's the ultimate weapon!"

Something snapped inside Akari.

"You're always like this!" Akari barked at Yanagisawa, fists clenched. "Hurting everyone around you... while watching safely from above! You're despicable!"

Yanagisawa looked at Kayano with contempt and mild amusement. Kayano hated that look–it felt like he had something up his sleeve.

"Kayano–" Itona said abruptly, as if he'd discovered something.

"Do you really think so?" Yanagisawa remarked idly.

Before anyone could stop him, he ripped off his hood and stabbed his neck with a syringe. Akari froze, dread filling her up. She knew what was happening–

"Do you honestly believe that I have not prepared myself for death?"

Impulsively, Akari leapt forward–

"No!"

To Akari's surprise, it was Itona who held her back. "He's dangerous!" he hissed. "I don't want you to get hurt."

Akari's eyes narrowed. "You think I'm gonna stand here and do nothing?! He just injected himself with the tentacle cells!" she spat out. Behind her, a tentacled Yanagisawa pounced at Korosensei and joined the fight, but they were moving so quickly Akari had no idea what was happening.

"Kayano... he's right," Nagisa tried to convince her. "We can barely understand the situation."

Akari hated it, but she was completely helpless. None of them, not even Karasuma and Bitch-sensei, could do anything to stop Yanagisawa as he ruthlessly ordered the monster to attack her class over and over again, which forced Korosensei to shield them. Fury bubbled in her veins and threatened to explode–

"Itona," Akari said. "I'm going to stop him."

Itona's eyes were also blazing, reminding her of when he still had tentacles. "I'm coming with you," he said coolly.