Classroom of the Strongest Assassin

Apart from Kure Ragna himself, only Kushida Kikyo, Horikita Suzune, and Chabashira Sae—who was the one answering the call—knew about the question on the phone.

To be honest, Ragna felt like he was "dragging things out" at this point.

The term "dragging" originated from places where gambling was legal, such as Las Vegas, Macau, and Monte Carlo. In these high-stakes environments, the amount of money allowed per table was legally capped.

However, for the ultra-wealthy—especially Arab businessmen who found excitement only in betting tens of millions—casinos developed a method to bypass these restrictions.

They would spread the gambler's total wager across multiple tables, ensuring that no single table exceeded the legal limit while still allowing the bettor to play with their desired amount.

Right now, Kure Ragna was essentially doing the same thing—just not with money, but with influence.

He was officially seated at the rabbit group's table, but he had also extended his reach into the dragon group. If he wanted, he could manipulate all eleven tables at once. That, he thought, would be quite entertaining.

Unfortunately, not all twelve special exam agents would appear in Class B, and so far, only Kikyo Kushida had sought his help. Even if he approached other members of Class B from different groups, there was no guarantee they'd agree to work with him.

Time passed quickly, and before long, it was 1:00 PM.

As always, Kure Ragna arrived precisely five minutes early—no more, no less.

On the second floor of the cruise ship, he found all the room doors marked with signs representing the twelve zodiac animals, from rats to pigs. Without even glancing at the labels, he headed straight for the room marked "Rabbit."

Waiting outside the room were Yukimura, Sotomura, and Karuizawa Kei. They stood in the hallway, clearly waiting for him.

"Why are you all just standing around?" Ragna teased as he approached. "Not going in?"

Hideo Sotomura adjusted his glasses, his chubby face set with the seriousness of a samurai marching into battle. "Of course not! We're in the same class—we go through thick and thin together!"

"Alright, alright..." Ragna chuckled, dismissing the dramatics. As he passed Karuizawa Kei, he casually patted her on the shoulder before reaching for the doorknob.

Click. Squeak—

The door creaked open, and immediately, every eye in the room turned toward them.

Unlike yesterday, when only five chairs had been placed inside, today there were nine additional chairs. Of those, ten were already occupied, leaving only four empty seats—clearly reserved for them.

"Huh, looks like we're the last ones to arrive," Ragna remarked, stepping inside.

Ichinose Honami, who was seated among the Class C students, immediately stood up and waved at them with a warm smile. "No worries! There are still five minutes left before we start, so you're right on time. We just got here a little earlier."

"That's perfect, then. The protagonist is always the last to appear, after all," Ragna said shamelessly.

Honami chuckled, unfazed by his self-praise. Meanwhile, the students from Class A and D visibly tensed when their gazes met Ragna's—some shrinking back as if recalling unpleasant memories.

The four newcomers took their seats, and soon after, the room's built-in speakers crackled to life.

"Let's begin the first round of group discussions."

The announcement echoed through the ship, signaling that all teams had started the special exam at the same time.

Yet, as soon as the broadcast ended, silence fell over the room. The atmosphere grew tense, almost suffocating.

Ichinose Honami took a moment to glance around, confirming that no one was willing to speak first. With her characteristic optimism, she stood up and broke the ice.

"Well, I assume most of us already know each other's names," she said, "but since some of us might be meeting for the first time—and considering the school's instructions—I think we should introduce ourselves properly."

A murmur of surprise rippled through the room.

After all, this was Japan, where "reading the air" was practically a social survival skill. Normally, people would follow the unspoken rule and remain silent.

"Is there really a need for that?" a voice cut in.

The speaker was Machida Koji, a student from Class A. He sat back with his arms crossed, unimpressed. "Honestly, I doubt the school cares whether we introduce ourselves or not. Those who want to can do it. The rest of us don't have to."

His attitude was undeniably rude, but Ichinose remained unbothered. She simply smiled.

"That's fair, Machida-san, but consider this—there might be microphones hidden in the room. If the school's instructions are being monitored and someone blatantly ignores them, it could affect the entire team."

"I…" Machida hesitated, suddenly looking uncomfortable.

Realizing that non-compliance could cause problems for the group, he reluctantly sat back down, offering no further objections.

With no one else protesting, Ichinose confidently began the introductions.

Everyone kept things brief—just a name and class. The process moved quickly. After Yukimura's reserved introduction and Sotomura's over-the-top chuunibyou-style declaration, the introductions finally reached Kure Ragna.

"Looks like it's my turn," he mused, rising from his seat.

Scanning the room, he noticed how Class C students were mostly at ease. Meanwhile, the students from Class A and D flinched at his gaze, shrinking back as if they had just touched a scorpion.

"Honestly, I don't think I need an introduction," Ragna said smoothly. "Class A and C already know me well enough. As for Class D… Well, I imagine Ryuuen hasn't told you how his 'solo survival' on the island ended so tragically, has he?"

The three Class D girls—Manabe Shiho, Yabuna Nanami, and Yamashita Saki—immediately frowned, exchanging confused glances.

Aha. Looks like Ryuuen kept his mouth shut about that.

Ragna smirked internally, enjoying the thought. Then, his gaze landed on Ibuki Mio.

Huh?

He had expected her to glare at him with resentment, considering he had humiliated her twice already. But instead, her short-haired blue head was tilted slightly, her expression serious rather than hostile.

What's with that look? Ragna wondered. Planning a rematch, are we?

Strange.

"Class B, Kure Ragna. That's all."

With the briefest introduction, he sat back down.

Next in line was Karuizawa Kei, but before she could speak, Manabe Shiho abruptly turned to her.

"Hey," she said. "You're Karuizawa Kei, right? I have something to ask you."

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