The station was bustling with travelers as Class 3-E prepared to board the Shinkansen bound for Kyoto.
Near one of the Ekiben shops, Akira and Erika stood in a long line while already holding an impressive mountain of specialized railway bento boxes.
Erika looked at the growing stack with concern.
"Akira, are you sure about buying this much? The train is going to leave soon."
Akira's eyes sparkled with unusual intensity.
"I can't help it. These are limited edition."
He held up another box dramatically.
"Today is the last day they'll be on sale. I need them."
Erika sighed.
"But what about the train? We're running out of time."
Akira casually pointed toward another line nearby.
"Don't worry. Look, even Koro-sensei is here."
Sure enough, Koro-sensei was enthusiastically lining up at a sweets shop, his tentacles waving excitedly while surrounded by bags of snacks.
"Time is important, yes~!"
He held up a colorful package dramatically.
"But these limited edition sweets disappear forever after today, so they're even more important! Nuuhuhuhu~!"
Erika buried her face in one hand.
"Seriously…"
Then she looked back at Akira.
"I still don't understand. Don't you make better food than this? Why buy so much?"
Akira answered earnestly,
"Eating food outside is an experience."
He pointed proudly at one of the bentos.
"Look at this one. It has a heating patch so you can eat hot food on the train."
Erika looked skeptical.
"I don't think it'll actually taste that good."
Akira shrugged with a small smile.
"Probably not. But trying new things is fun."
Erika let out another helpless sigh.
"Well… if you enjoy it, I guess."
Eventually, the two of them finished buying everything.
But the moment they rushed toward the platform—
the Shinkansen started moving.
Akira and Koro-sensei both froze in horror.
"…What?!"
Koro-sensei stared in shock.
"We're late?!"
Akira looked genuinely offended by reality itself.
"That's impossible."
He frowned deeply.
"I calculated the timing perfectly. We should still have had thirty-seven seconds remaining."
Erika looked at the departing train, then at the two idiots beside her.
"Don't worry about the calculations right now. How are we getting there?"
Akira immediately suggested,
"Maybe we can catch a plane?"
Erika instantly shook her head.
"Even if we somehow get tickets, we probably won't make it in time."
Akira turned toward Koro-sensei.
"Then what do we do?"
Koro-sensei suddenly sparkled.
"Do not fear!"
He dramatically pointed at himself.
"Sensei is here~!"
Before either of them could react—
Koro-sensei suddenly scooped both Akira and Erika onto his back and blasted off at Mach 20 speed.
Both of them screamed simultaneously.
"AT LEAST WARN US FIRST!!!"
The world blurred around them as they rocketed through the air at absurd speed.
Erika clung tightly while yelling over the wind.
"Wait— why can we still talk normally?! The wind pressure isn't even hitting us properly!"
Akira, somehow remaining relatively calm despite hanging onto a yellow superorganism moving at Mach 20, answered casually,
"Koro-sensei's round head is acting like a windbreaker and redirecting most of the airflow around us."
Then he added,
"Though there are unfortunately no seatbelts."
Koro-sensei laughed cheerfully.
"Don't worry! Sensei absolutely will not let either of you fall~!"
Akira grinned.
"This is actually pretty fun."
Erika tightened her grip around him immediately.
"What part of this is fun?!"
In the end, she could only hold onto Akira tightly as Koro-sensei blasted past the train itself—
and somehow managed to get all three of them aboard at the next station.
---
The moment they entered the train car, every passenger — most of them Class 3-E students — turned to stare at them.
Akira calmly adjusted his slightly messy hair.
"See? We made it on time."
Erika immediately grabbed him by the shoulders and shook him violently.
"WE ALMOST DIED!"
Meanwhile, Koro-sensei proudly posed in the aisle with his tentacles spread wide.
"And Sensei achieved a perfect arrival time~!"
The rest of Class 3-E stared at the three of them in complete disbelief.
Karma smirked from his seat.
"The Kyoto trip hasn't even properly started yet, and you three already went on an adventure?"
Akira casually sat down beside Erika.
"Well, as far as I'm concerned…"
He leaned back comfortably.
"Life itself is one giant adventure."
Karma chuckled.
"Oh? That's actually an interesting way to look at it."
Kayano leaned over curiously with sparkling eyes.
"Is it true, Erika-san? Have you really gone on lots of adventures with him?"
Erika finally sat down beside Akira and let out a tired sigh.
"Well… yeah."
She glanced sideways at Akira.
"If I had to describe it, our life really has been one long adventure."
Then she added quietly,
"Though I wish he could act peacefully for at least a few hours per day."
Koro-sensei nodded sagely.
"Life is made of many kinds of adventures~!"
He dramatically raised a tentacle.
"The exciting kind and the peaceful kind alike!"
Then he smiled warmly.
"It is up to each person to decide which kind suits them best~!"
For one brief moment, he genuinely looked like a wise teacher.
Then—
plop.
His fake nose suddenly fell off.
Koro-sensei froze in horror.
After Akira, Erika, and Koro-sensei finally settled into their seats, Sugaya let out a sigh and tossed something toward Koro-sensei.
"Koro-sensei… here."
Koro-sensei immediately caught it.
A brand-new fake nose.
Koro-sensei carefully pressed it onto his face.
The fit was perfect.
"Amazing!"
His eyes sparkled.
"Sugaya-kun! Thank you very much~!"
Sugaya scratched his cheek awkwardly.
"I shaped it based on your face structure and overall vibe."
He shrugged lightly.
"I'm pretty good at this kind of stuff."
Nagisa smiled softly while watching everyone interact.
"School trips really bring out unexpected sides of people, huh?"
Kayano nodded enthusiastically.
"Yeah! I bet we'll discover even more weird sides of everyone before the trip ends."
Okuda looked thoughtful for a moment.
"…You think so?"
Her gaze drifted toward Akira, who was for some reason already showing Koro-sensei a new prototype nose that could shoot taser prongs from its nostrils, enthusiastically trying to sell it as if it was the greatest invention ever.
"I am telling you, this is actually a great product! Right now I only have materials to make the taser form. When we get back, I will make a flamethrower version for the nose!"
Koro-sensei gasped in genuine admiration.
"Amazing! Functional and fashionable~!"
Before the conversation could become even more cursed, Erika immediately snatched the weaponized nose away.
"Why would a fake nose need self-defense functions?!"
Akira looked genuinely confused by the question.
"What if someone tries to punch you in the face?"
Erika pinched the bridge of her nose.
"…No, you are absolutely not allowed to make weaponized noses."
At that point, the entire class collectively decided it was healthier not to question Akira's logic anymore.
Meanwhile, Nagisa quietly wrote in his notebook:
"He makes weird but efficient weapons…"
—
After getting off the train, Class 3-E was separated from the other classes as usual.
Normally, Classes A through D stayed in luxurious high-end hotels while Class 3-E got dumped somewhere cheap and miserable.
But this time, thanks to Principal Asano's increased budget, they had managed to secure a noticeably better place to stay.
Though naturally—
the boys and girls were still separated into a room each.
Right now, Koro-sensei was slumped across a sofa in the common area like a completely deflated yellow balloon.
A few students were still halfheartedly attempting assassination attempts on him, but he lazily dodged their knives without even getting up from his flattened state.
Isogai stared at him in disbelief.
"So bullet trains and buses actually make him motion sick?"
Fuwa tilted her head worriedly.
"Are you okay, Sensei? Shouldn't you go lie down in your room?"
Koro-sensei weakly waved one tentacle.
"Do not worry…"
His voice sounded utterly drained.
"Sensei simply needs to return to Tokyo for a moment. I forgot my favorite pillow."
Maehara immediately screamed.
"With all that luggage, how did you still forget something?!"
Nearby, Kanzaki was digging through her bag while Kayano leaned over curiously.
"Did you find the itinerary yet?"
Kanzaki shook her head helplessly.
"…No."
Koro-sensei immediately perked up slightly.
"It is fine, Kanzaki-san! As long as you follow the guidebooks Sensei made, everything will proceed perfectly~!"
The entire class collectively thought:
We made our own itinerary specifically so we wouldn't have to carry those giant books around…
Meanwhile—
Akira had already fallen asleep while leaning comfortably against Erika's shoulder.
Nakamura Rio grinned the moment she noticed.
"Oh my~ He's already asleep?"
Erika let out a soft sigh.
"He's always like this."
Then, without hesitation, she lifted Akira into a princess carry.
The entire room froze.
"I'll put him to bed first."
And just like that, she casually carried him toward their assigned room.
The rest of the class stared in awe.
"…Erika-san is seriously cool…"
Thankfully, Erika had already drunk Akira's blood earlier that morning, so she was still fine for now.
Though—
she silently hoped tomorrow would go smoothly.
---
The next day, all the groups headed out to explore Kyoto according to their plans.
The narrow streets and traditional alleyways of Kyoto stretched around them beneath the warm afternoon sunlight, making the city feel almost like a living history book.
Akira's group walked together casually while chatting.
"Matcha warabi-mochi sounds amazing…"
Kayano practically drooled.
"If we're going to poison Koro-sensei, that'd make perfect bait."
Akira answered casually,
"I already tried it before. It didn't work."
Nagisa let out a small helpless smile.
"I was kind of hoping we could forget about assassination for a little while during the trip…"
He looked around at the scenery.
"Kyoto's really beautiful."
Okuda quietly admired the old wooden buildings and stone pathways.
"It feels like a place completely disconnected from killing…"
Karma chuckled beside her.
"That's not exactly true."
He casually pointed down one of the nearby streets.
"Over there is where Oda Nobunaga got betrayed and killed during the Honnō-ji Incident in 1582."
Then he pointed elsewhere.
"And nearby are several other famous assassination sites too."
Okuda blinked in surprise.
"So even a peaceful city like this…"
"Exactly."
Karma's eyes gleamed with interest.
"For a long time, Kyoto was basically the center of Japan. In other words…"
He smirked.
"This place is practically sacred ground for assassinations. Some of the most important political killings in Japanese history happened only a few kilometers apart from each other."
Nagisa slowly nodded.
"When you put it that way…"
He looked ahead thoughtfully.
"This really is an assassination trip. And now our target is a creature capable of destroying the Earth— Koro-sensei."
Kayano stretched lazily.
"So where are we heading next again?"
Akira glanced toward Erika walking beside him.
She looked a little distracted.
But Akira immediately understood why.
Her bloodlust was starting to act up again.
So he straightened confidently and declared,
"It is time. For the place I mentioned before."
He pointed forward dramatically.
"The Traditional Kyoto Haunted Labyrinth."
---
Akira's group stood in front of a large old-fashioned building hidden deep within one of Kyoto's narrow back alleys.
Karma looked up at the sign with a smirk.
"So this is the Traditional Kyoto Haunted Labyrinth?"
Akira nodded.
"Yeah. It's basically a haunted-house escape room with a youkai theme."
He looked oddly excited.
"I heard the puzzles here are really good."
Nagisa glanced around the alley curiously.
"But why are there barely any people here? And why is it hidden so deep in the back streets?"
Akira shrugged casually.
"Most tourists in Kyoto probably aren't interested in this kind of thing."
Then he smiled slightly.
"Anyway, should we go in?"
Everyone nodded and entered the building together.
After checking in with the receptionist, the group eventually split into teams.
Akira and Erika together.
Karma and Nagisa together.
And Kayano, Okuda, and Kanzaki as the last group.
Kayano immediately protested.
"Wait, that's unfair! Why does only your team get to be a boy-girl pair?!"
Akira answered instantly,
"Well, if you want to pair up with someone else too, go ahead."
Before anyone could continue arguing, he immediately grabbed Erika's hand and pulled her deeper into the labyrinth.
Erika stayed unusually quiet the entire time.
Her grip on his hand tightened slightly more than usual.
Akira glanced sideways at her.
"Are you okay?"
She didn't answer.
Instead—
she simply held onto him tighter.
Akira quietly nodded.
"Don't worry. We'll get there soon."
The two of them moved quickly through the dim corridors, solving puzzles one after another.
Somewhere behind them, the distant screams of other visitors echoed alongside the sounds of actors dressed as ghosts chasing people through the maze.
Meanwhile, Akira smoothly maneuvered through the labyrinth, solving mechanisms rapidly, locking doors behind them, and guiding Erika deeper inside.
Eventually, they reached a small secluded room with an old locker sitting in the corner.
Akira's eyes immediately lit up.
"Perfect."
He quickly pulled out his phone, hacked into the nearby security system, and disabled the room's camera feed.
Then he gently pulled Erika into the locker with him.
Click.
The locker door shut.
Click.
Locked from the inside.
The cramped space instantly forced them close together.
Almost immediately, Akira wrapped his arms around her.
"Here."
Erika finally gave in.
Unable to hold herself back anymore, she buried her face against his neck and bit down gently.
Then she began drinking his blood while tightly hugging him in return.
Outside the locker, several staff members dressed as ghosts briefly entered the room while searching for guests.
But after finding nobody there—
and noticing the locker was locked—
they eventually left again.
Inside the cramped darkness, Akira quietly held Erika close.
He could feel her warmth.
Her breathing.
The steady rhythm of her drinking.
And for a brief moment—
he honestly thought it might be nice if they could stay like this just a little longer... Maybe a lot longer.
But those dreams are cut short because he ran out of blood soon.
---
Later, near the exit area of the attraction, the rest of the group had already gathered.
Kayano tilted her head curiously.
"So you guys finished first?"
Nagisa nodded.
"Yeah. We got out before everyone else."
Kayano blinked.
"That's surprising. I thought Akira-kun and Erika-san would definitely finish first."
Karma smirked knowingly.
"Well, they probably would have… if finishing quickly had actually been their goal."
Kayano looked confused.
"What's that supposed to mean?"
Right then—
Akira and Erika finally emerged from the exit.
Everyone immediately stared at them.
Akira looked pale.
Tired.
Completely drained of life.
Meanwhile, Erika looked noticeably flushed and refreshed, her eyes brighter than before.
The entire group silently wondered what in the world had happened inside that labyrinth.
Erika immediately spoke without looking at anyone.
"I need to do something."
Then she quickly headed straight toward the restroom.
Akira slowly collapsed into a nearby chair.
Nagisa looked worried.
"Akira-kun… are you okay?"
Akira weakly waved one hand.
"Don't ask."
Then he muttered tiredly,
"Is there somewhere nearby that sells something sweet?"
Kanzaki pointed farther down the alley.
"There's a shop over there that sells good milkshakes. Would that work?"
Akira slowly stood up like a man whose soul had partially left his body.
"…That's fine. As long as I obtain some kind of sustenance."
Then he slowly walked away.
Kayano looked toward Erika's direction.
"What about Erika-san?"
Akira answered without even turning around.
"She'll be fine. Besides, it's not far away."
Nagisa nodded.
"We'll keep an eye on him then. Someone should probably stay behind for Erika-san."
Okuda quietly raised her hand.
"I'll stay."
The others followed after Akira.
A little while later, after finally calming herself down, Erika stepped out with Okuda and looked around for the group.
But instead—
she only found Karma and Nagisa sitting injured on the ground nearby.
Erika immediately ran toward them.
"What happened?! Where's everyone else?!"
Karma winced while holding his side.
"…They got kidnapped."
Erika's eyes widened.
"…What?!"