AN: Welcome to the final chapter. It's been a long road and I can't thank all of you enough for joining me all the way to the end. Currently, it's morning for me. The epilogue will be posted this evening. 

50. Outsider [END]

"I'm sorry, Kunomasu-sensei, I broke my promise."

Nao awoke to Korosensei's dry, deeply seething apology— and he couldn't even be mad. He didn't get impaled— but getting flung across the air at the speed of Mach 40 could kill a normal human being,a nd Nao really wasn't a normal human being in terms of vitality.

He felt his bones get slowly pieced back together, set and conjoined, before the broken skin slowly mended bit by bit— and he felt easy breath come back into him.

Yeah, they promised a long time ago that Korosensei wouldn't try to extend his life, didn't they? Guess that promise's off the table in emergencies.

"That's fine," he said, looking around and sighing at the tearful faces around him. "Looks like I lose the bet, huh?"

Korosensei's face was pitch black.

"So... what's the verdict?" he wondered.

Could Korosensei heal him, after all?

"...you're not recovered," Korosensei said. "I can heal, as much as insane precision and speed may allow me— but unfortunately, even the greatest of fantastical beings cannot bring life back to a body that had been long dead."

Someone held back a whimper of despair.

But Nao simply smiled.

He knew from the start. This body was not a second life— it was simply god's joke, a little hallucination of some extended time. When his heart began rotting while inside of him, he knew it was only a matter of time before it stopped pretending to work.

Now, even if Korosensei healed his heart, the infection had spread into his blood, and will eventually fester once again, if not in his heart, it would be anywhere else his blood reached, akin to cancer.

His body is already giving in like an elderly man's, from the lack of energy to the loss of appetite, slowly shutting down and waiting for the day to slowly, gradually, use up the last of its battery.

"I can give you a last light to sprint to the end, but that's where my abilities end," Korosensei said. Then, surprisingly, "congratulations, Kunomasu-sensei. You've officially baffled me."

Nao burst out into a dry laugh.

He didn't regret anything. A last surge of energy to live another day or two— that was already much more than he expected to have. Hell, he even went through the effort of reassembling his body. That must have been one hell of a jigsaw puzzle.

Enough about me, he wanted to say, but didn't quite have the strength.

Instead, he lifted his head and glanced toward Yanagisawa, who had been smugly standing aside, granting them a very gratuitous moment of privacy.

Understanding the message, Korosensei gently set Nao back down, Karasuma coming by immediately to take him, laying him down on the ground. The students gathered immediately.

Nao pulled himself up, clinging onto Kimura's side, leaning against Karasuma's shoulder, reaching up to wipe away the tears already streaming down Kurahashi's face. He understood.

The final battle was hardly over yet.

"Ah..." he turned, looking over toward the rest of the students. "Is... the cake alright?"

Nakamura squawked, "is that seriously the first thing you say?!"

Yes. The cake was intact.

-

Ironically, Kayano was much cleaner and easier to heal.

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief, and Yada wasn't quite ready to let go of her just yet. That was way too close for comfort, and their only assurance was that Kayano was actually fully healed.

Korosensei wasn't failing another one of his students ever again.

("You know, Kunomasu-sensei. I am immensely grateful for you," Korosensei admitted, moments later, when the battle ended and Shiro was flung into the barrier, decimated beyond repair. "You gave him the closure I couldn't.")

(And Nao had to take a moment to remember what he was referencing.)

(Ran.)

("Until the end... I couldn't see him," Korosensei said, mournfully. "If there is anything I regret now, it would be him.")

(And Nao chuckled, resting a hand upon his side.)

("You're allowed to make mistakes," Nao assured. "What would I be as an assistant homeroom teacher, if it's not to cover for your mishaps?")

(The way Korosensei cradled him in a hug after that— it was comforting, cheesy, stupid— but Nao understood, and returned it.)

("I've done it for you, so you don't have to regret it anymore," Nao promised. Now, focus on the present. Your current students are still waiting on you.)

With Korosensei cradled between all of his students, Nagisa sitting upon his chest with a knife at his heart— it was complete silence around them.

"Now, let's take attendance," Korosensei said.

Nao rested against Karasuma's shoulder as Korosensei lifted his head to look at them. This moment was for the students, and the teachers had no right to interfere with this moment— and thus, they simply watched.

"Ah, but if I may, Kunomasu-sensei?" he said. "I don't think I'll have the chance to say this later, so I'll say it now."

Nao scoffed. What a cheesy dumbass.

"See you later, Kunomasu-sensei. I'll be going on ahead."

Nao smiled, though his eyes brimmed with traitorous tears. He managed to speak, though his voice croaked. He'll blame it on the pain that still lingered in his senses, throbbing through him like an extra vein. The burning in his eyes, and the ache in his head is definitely not because he's crying.

"That's fine... I'll catch up soon."

Korosensei chuckled back.

And then, everything ended.

-

Graduation had come and gone, but nothing was over yet.

The students brightened, after a night of mourning, lifting their heads high and trying their best to strive forward on the path laid out for them.

"How intriguing... it really is functioning like binding cells," Okuda lifted the MRI scans and X-rays to peruse. "Kayano's already started healing them over. Kuma-sensei's healing is going rather slowly, though."

The two of them, after the mountain quarantine ended, were cajoled right into the hospital for a proper checkup.

"I can't even begin to imagine the potential this has for the future of medication..." Okuda whispered. "If only we could continue to develop this..."

"We can," Nao said.

Korosensei wasn't here anymore— but they have the research, they have the beginnings, and they have the records of failures and successes. Korosensei had left them a guide, scribbled up in Mach 20 after he'd healed Nao. They just need to decipher it, along with all of the rest of the details in the yearbooks, guidebooks, and everything else Korosensei had left for them.

It didn't work on Nao because it was too late and his body was too weak. But as proven by Kayano— a healthy and able body can adapt to it like a glove and grow even stronger than before.

"It'll take a while from here... but I know you can do it one day," Nao said. "If you manage to bring it back up to the standards of Korosensei once more..."

Then maybe, one day, someone like Nao could live.

"I'll support you, Okuda!" Kayano says, enthusiastic. "Itona and I, we're prime test subjects for you, right? Then, feel free to use us all you want!"

"I'm rather interested as well," Takebayashi says, "you'll take the chemistry part of the problem. I'll be in the medical field to keep the road open for you."

Okuda's smile was bright.

They had their paths spread out for them, and Nao was almost saddened that he couldn't be here to see it all come to fruition. If only he had some way to support them onward, like Korosensei could...

(Ah, that's right.)

(In any field, it's important to have connections to rely on in the future.)

"GIve me a second..." Nao reached for his phone, "I'll give you an address. There's a kid around that's got the same illness as me, and it'll be to your benefit if you get in contact with him."

Nao didn't have their numbers, but if he dug around, perhaps he could find a return address.

-

"I don't get how you can act so weak and pathetic all the time," Terasaka muttered.

Karma laughed, "I'd ask the same, but it came in handy with Houjou Craig, didn't it?"

Nao wondered if he should be offended. "It's not that I'm acting like it," he insisted, "I am weak and pathetic. Physically, at least."

"That's exactly the thing, you aren't," Terasaka groaned, "we've seen you crush a steel bar with your bare hands, alright? You're not lying your way out of this one."

"Plus, didn't you end up here in the first place because you punched a teenager or something?" Karma snickered, "your innate ability for violence is definitely there. You're no pacifist like Nagisa."

Yeah, Nao should probably be offended.

"I am the most pacifistic pacifist you'll ever see," Nao said.

"Doubt," Karma called.

"Bullshit," Terasaka echoed.

"What is the point here?!" Nao threw his arms up, frustrated. "The point of the conversation, let's get to it, come on now!"

Terasaka relented at that.

"You're very careful about who you fight and who you don't. So, all the battles you've picked thus far," Terasaka said, "were they worth it?"

Terasaka and Karma had a penchant for violence that couldn't be suppressed. It goes against their very instincts to turn away from a fight. That's why a creature like Nao is intriguing to them, to the degree that they can't quite comprehend his existence.

And yet, Nao wasn't a pacifist.

He was just incredibly selective about his battles. He'd chosen to face Asano, head on. And when the Second Reaper and even Yangisawa came toward him, he didn't back down. And those, thus far, had been their most terrifying opponents to date.

"It's not me who decides if they were worth it," Nao said. "I don't think I'll ever know if they were. I don't have time for hindsight."

That's a lie. He's got plenty of time for hindsight— it's his day job, honestly. His hobby.

"Let's say I'm the main character of my little, insignificant story," Nao said. "The pen of god guides my every action, and thus I do not have the right to interpret my own decisions. My actions may not always be rational enough to warrant any deep insight to begin with—so it's not about the whim that compelled me to choose my fights— it's about what happened afterward."

He chose to fight that day against those insignificant children, and here he was. The man that existed then no longer felt like himself, and yet, it was the core sequence that made him who he is today.

"I can't give you the marking scheme,," Nao said. "But both of you are now more than capable of producing an answer sheet that'll earn you promising results, even without me helping you each step of the way. Right?"

(So one day, when you're done perusing the piece of literature known as Kunomasu Naomasa... your way forward will open naturally, just like it did for me.)

(You will be compelled, too, by the pen of god that is just as whimsical as a young child. Perhaps, it will make no sense. But it is the path you've been put on, and the world moves on regardless.)

It'll still be in the far future, though.

Because literature is always a study of written works with lasting artistic merit, and Nao tended to favour enduring pieces from eras gone by.

-

Nao didn't go home. He wondered, long and hard throughout the night, of all the places he wanted to go to in the world.

There weren't a lot of them. There were even less that were feasible. So he perused his older brother's address, considered the words Namimori that were so familiar yet so foreign— and decided to look it up.

It's just a couple stations away, so he makes the effort.

"[It's two stops away from a transfer, and then five stops to your destination! Estimated duration of journey... 45 minutes!]" Ritsu reported.

"Alright, thank you," Nao said.

His coat is warm, the blue scarf wrapped cozily around his neck. Ritsu chimes in with directions, eager to help him out as his personal GPS, and he finds himself enjoying the train ride out.

Namimori is a quaint little town, smaller and much more out of the way than Kunugigaoka.

Nao breathed in deeply, and the air was much fresher than before. It didn't hurt to strain himself a little more than usual, and no matter how much he walked, he didn't feel tired. This miraculous burst of vitality was Korosensei's last gift to him. He'll make sure to savour as much of it as he can before it runs out.

"Can you find a house for me, Ritsu?"

He hesitated. He hadn't spoken this name in a long, long time. But his brother doesn't live in Namimori. His sister's husband does. And he knows that name only once, so long ago, and he'd honestly thought he'd forgotten.

"Is there a house in the area called the 'Ninomiya'?"

-

The house is empty. He finds its occupants in the local park, after asking around.

Ninomiya Rei, his nephew, looks like him. Brown hair, green eyes— he looks like his mother, misfortunately enough. There are others in the park, two girls he's looking after, a friend he's chatting with—

—for a moment, Nao wondered if he was looking at a younger version of himself.

That child was probably a reincarnator too, and thus, he was a tragedy yet to happen. Rei's illness lay in his lungs. It hasn't really interfered with his life yet, but he's under supervision and regular checks, just in case.

It was a little unfair. He was born later, and thus, he had a better chance. He had an obligation to fight, and he had the opportunity to actually win.

Now, Rei sat on the bench to rest, while the others continued to play.

If Nao wanted to approach him, there was no better time than the present. But his feet were stapled to the ground, and even if he approached, he wouldn't know what to say. This child was not him, and thus, his adventure is not a story he should read.

Maybe he should just observe. And leave, before he starts looking too suspicious standing here. Or he could just walk over and pretend to pass by... but what was the point? There wouldn't be any, he just wanted some vague sense of accomplishment for making it all the way out here.

He didn't get to decide, though, because in the next moment a violent gust of wind took him by surprise, and he didn't get a hold onto his scarf before it unraveled and whipped high into the air, breezing down the hill toward the park.

Rei snatched it out of the air, and a few swirls of his head brought his eyes toward Nao, who stood at the entrance of the park.

Nao's features softened.

Surely, fate still had a few surprises in store for him.

"Uhm... is this yours?" Rei brought himself to his feet, and Nao endeavoured to meet him in the middle.

He sounded like his mother, too.

Nao was speaking before he could even remember to be nervous.

"Yes, thank you. It's very important to me."

Nao tossed the scarf loosely around his neck again. It was warm, even when the weather didn't quite require it any longer. Even as the assassination classroom ends, this will always feel like home.

Nao lifted his head toward the children in the park. A pair of little girl twins, and an older boy, chasing each other around in shadow tag. They giggled, free and without a single concern in their lives. That's good. Very good.

"Your friends?" he prompted.

Rei was staring at him, and when addressed, he jumped, caught. He jut out an affirmative.

"Yeah... and my sisters."

Sisters?

Kazu didn't mention any sisters. That asshole.

"Sisters, huh?" Nao could have laughed. Kazu must have really wanted Nao to come and see for himself, if he kept such a fun detail out. A curse under his breath, "oh, come on. What on earth is that witch of a sister doing?"

Kazane had three children with this man. She loved him, had three children with him, but then refused to raise them.

She's a piece of crap, through and through.

(But then again, maybe it was good enough that she left so much behind. Nao wasn't leaving anything physical in the end, and that made him sad. Maybe Kazane was trying her hardest, too, to leave something behind.)

(Maybe he's reading too much into blue curtains and she's just a terrible person, period.)

Nao set a hand on Rei's head, ruffling his hair gently. "If you're the big brother, you better take care of them, alright?"

Rei pouted, swiping away the offending hand. "Obviously, I will," his strong energy is adorable on a young child. "I'm the man of the family when dad isn't home, after all."

Nao chuckled. "Right, right. My bad."

Rei could definitely do it. This child was born in the cloud of so much terrible parentage— maybe that's how he'll come out stronger than the others, the only diamond in the heaps of coal.

"Protect your family, and you'll be able to live in peace and harmony forevermore, right?"

A fairy-tale ending like that... Rei can achieve it. Nao failed, so Rei may succeed.

"Not that dramatic, though," Rei sneered.

"You're one feisty kid," Nao sighed. Can't a kid be a little poetic and cheesy? He's no fun at all. "Don't you have something you'd consider your happiness?"

Rei scowled. "Of course I do," he says. "Everyone's got happiness! Haven't you found yours, old man?"

Old— Nao burst into laughter. He just got called old?

Nao's hardly old.

Nao's much too young to die.

But being referred to as old— he really does feel like it, at least. To a child, even his short life felt long.

Happiness— Happiness was such an easy thing to find.

Nao had no idea how to hold onto it, so he simply never felt like he'd had it.

"Sorry, buddy. It's a dumb question, isn't it?" Nao sighed. "About as dumb as 'what's the meaning of life' or something. I guess only old melancholic bastards like me really care about stuff like that."

"You just said a bad word."

"Shh, I'm an adult. I can say it."

Nao wondered what he had been so nervous about. Rei was a charming child, and he was just a passing uncle that wanted dry conversation. The chatter came easily, the laughter filled his heart with warmth— and now that the weight was off his chest, he felt the exhaustion, slowly creeping in with the relief and satisfaction in his heart.

He shouldn't overstay his welcome.

Nao gave the three playing children one last glance. They reminded him of his own kids, back at campus— and it made him really miss the scenery of Class E.

"You've got all this happiness in your hands-- so I'm sure you'll be fine," Nao said. "Don't become a deadbeat like me, alright?"

Nao turned away and left, feeling fulfilled.

-

TO: Asano-san

FROM: Me

I need a ride up the mountain
To get my stuff T^T

My coffee's probs moldy

TO: Me

FROM: Asano-san

For the sake of all that is holy
Do not attempt to drink it.

TO: Asano-san

FROM: Me

I WASN'T GOING TO
I'M NOT DUMB

TO: Me

FROM: Asano-san

Yes you are.

-

Nao's a little very offended, but Asano drove him up to the satellite campus, where everything was cleaned and tidied, as if a new school day was coming.

Everything except Nao's desk, which Korosensei hadn't had the opportunity to clean up. His coffee mug's full of mold, and Asano had insisted it be tossed rather than salvaged.

In the end, Nao had to wait for Asano to retrieve new mugs and make a fresh batch.

"I'm taking you to dinner," Asano declared, and Nao wondered if that was an order or a prediction. It certainly didn't sound like an invitation. "I do not trust you to go home and have a proper meal. And I am free."

Well, win-win.

Nao blew on his coffee, watching the heat waft out in billows.

"Where's Shuu-kun?" he wondered.

"He is at Sakakibara-kun's place," Asano said. "Apparently, the five of them are having a preemptive committee briefing for the year to come. I expect my son to take over Kunugigaoka High by June."

What.

"They're planning world domination?" Nao asked. "Even though graduation just happened?"

"Yes."

Nao sighed. Alright, let's go back to the start of the conversation and filter this into humanspeak. "I'm guessing they're actually having a celebratory party for graduating, and he's staying over tonight to avoid you," Nao interpreted. Gakushuu wasn't the type to do that, so it must be the Virtuosos dragging him into the world of being a teenager. "That's nice. He's made friends."

"I'm also grateful that he has made healthy connections," Asano said.

Let's not mention the irony in that sentence.

Things are going well, even after Korosensei's passing. 

Nao sat down by the couch with a sigh, taking a sip of the warm coffee. In a way, it was appropriate for his last stop today to be this building. It was just about time for school to be out on a normal day, and the sunset was always gorgeous from this very window.

"Sit with me?" he asked. "I'm exhausted," he admitted with a chuckle, slouching a little on the chair. "Spent the whole day running around. I'm spent."

"Sure."

They hadn't had a session in a while.

So they talk. About nothing, about the world, about the moon, about the future. Sitting in the staff office of the former Class 3-E, they sat with a cup of coffee between them, chatter and laughter passing through their lips.

Nao took a sip or two, but didn't come close to finishing his coffee.

Standing up, he reached for the curtains, pulling it apart to view the breathtaking sunset.

Just a few months ago, there would always be students outside, greeting him, hounding him-- and smiling at him. They've all grown up, and in a very teacher-like fashion, Nao is left behind, simply hoping for their best to come true for them.

He's not just hoping, though. He knows it will come true. It's just something that goes without saying in life-- something inevitable, like destiny.

"It's... a beautiful view," Asano said.

Nao hummed in response. He leaned back, admiring the spill of light orange on his fingers— burning, but gentle.

"It's such a warm day out," Nao chuckled. "Makes you wanna take a nap, huh?"

Asano took a moment to respond, which was strange. Eventually, he spoke, and his voice was softer than anything Nao had ever heard from him before.

"Go right ahead."

Nao didn't look up toward him-- so he wasn't sure what kind of face the former Board Chairman was making then.

"Alright then. Thanks. Asano-san," he smiled.

And Nao leaned into the backrest, looking silently at the window, hoping with just a little in his heart that one of his students would show up over the horizon, charge right into the staffroom, and drag him out into the sun again.

But alas, his children have all grown up now.

His eyes shut in a long, calming breath— and he reminded himself that the kids had graduated, and nothing was left in this satellite campus but sweet memories.

Nao set the mug of coffee down on the table.

"I already miss them all."

"Yeah."

Alas, that's the life of a teacher. The kids grow up and graduate, and you'll have to get ready for the next cohort immediately. Rinse and repeat.

"Wake me up later," Nao said, his voice just above a whisper. He managed to open his eyes just a little to catch the man looking at him. He chuckled at that. "You're bringing me out to dinner, right? It'd better be a fancy place. You're rich, after all."

Nao felt a warm hand in his, burning hot fingers wrapping around his icy ones. He didn't complain, though-- they were a little comforting, to be honest.

"Yeah," Asano repeated himself, like a broken record. "I've already made a reservation, and I'll try my best not to disappoint."

Nao let his eyes close fully, and breathed out, slowly.

"That's good, then. Good night."

The sun was warm, and he found himself leaning into a hand that came up to rest against his cheek. He sighed, finally allowing himself to succumb to the heavy, heavy exhaustion in his bones. Food sounds like a great idea. Maybe he'll call the class to a restaurant. Maybe a buffet, splurge a little. And they can have one last meal together to commemorate.

To say goodbye.

(He hates goodbyes. No one's ever ready for them, and he dreads that he'll have to face their tearful, miserable expressions all over again.)

But for now, all the worries of the future could wait.

Right now... he just wanted to sleep.

Something warm touched his forehead for just a brief second. It was gone as quickly as it came, the sensation so fleeting he wondered if it was ever there at all.

Nao didn't hear the words that followed.

"...Good night, Kunomasu-sensei."