#and Sugaya hahaha

[dreaming-of-assclass]

AssClass Christmas Fics: Part 2

Group 2 + Snowball Fight ☃️

This is so long overdue... *sobs*

So my original plan was to do all 5 fics during Christmas...and that failed lmao. This will be the last one since I had already started it and might as well post. It’s way too late to finish three other Christmas fics now haha. Don’t worry, the other groups will get time to shine in other fics I’m already planning UwU

_____

“Avengers, assemble!” Okajima shouted, before getting pelted in the mouth by a flimsy snowball. “Ow!”

“I already said, three times, that’s not our team name!” Nakamura yelled back, adjusting the baby blue beanie that sat atop her head. 

“Then what do you propose instead?” He challenged, wiping off the remaining bits of ice off his face. 

“I wanted to be the Heathers,” she replied coolly.

Okajima groaned. “No! That sounds lame!” 

“And you’re such a fake theater kid already,” Chiba chimed in with a snicker, easily dodging the snowball she tossed in his direction.

“Oh shut up, punk.” Nakamura stuck her tongue out at him, but her lips were curved up into an amused smirk.

“Can we just start already?” Sugaya sighed, stuffing his hands into his coat pockets. “My joints are starting to freeze, being out here.”

“Here” was referring to the empty park field that was a block away from Fuwa’s house. Of course, given that it was late December, the field was a wasteland of pure white. Snow rested heavily on the ground, reaching past their ankles as they tried to move around. The forest of barren trees that surrounded them carried the same pearly frost on their branches. 

The snow seemed to sparkle, just simply laying over the ground, or over the bare branches. A sheet of ice fully covered the pond that was across the long white field, closer to the playground. And the sky above them was an eerie yet dazzling shade of blue-ish gray.

Part of Sugaya wanted to grab his sketchbook and paints, and create a portrait of the natural beauty around him, ingrain it in both his mind and across his papers. But a larger part of him was freezing and tired and frankly not in the mood for a snowball fight at 8am. Why did he agree to this again? Whose idea even was this?!

“Aww, Sugaya is cold,” Nakamura mocked playfully. He fought against the urge to roll his eyes.

“Maybe you should’ve worn something other than just that thin jacket,” Hayami pointed out, rubbing her mitten-clad hands together. “No wonder you keep complaining like a little kid.”

“It’s for the aesthetic,” Sugaya mumbled, patting down the front of his jacket defensively. “Why is everyone attacking me?”

“Because you’re immature and unprepared?” Mimura offered with a smile, showing he wasn’t being serious. He laughed at the tired expression Sugaya offered. “Relax, we can get hot chocolate after this at my house.”

The artist relaxed a bit at that. “Sounds great,” he smiled. “Which of us geniuses came up with this, anyhow-?”

“Get into your teams now!” A loud voice entered the fray, and Sugaya glanced up only to smack himself in the forehead. Of course, it would be none other than Fuwa to instigate a war of some kind between her friends. A snow war, sure, but a war nonetheless. 

The violet-haired manga fanatic stood mighty, one foot propped up on a frost-covered large rock by the edge of the field. Her beloved sword was nowhere in sight, but no one would be surprised if she’d just hidden it for the time being.

The teams, chosen by Fuwa herself, were:

1. Nakamura, Okajima, and Fuwa

2. Chiba and Sugaya

3. Mimura and Hayami

She likely intended for there to be a balance, so a team could have one person with awful aim paired up with a Sniper. Or to have the team of 3, where they all had about average throwing skills. 

And then the snowball war was set to begin.

“This is gonna end badly,” Sugaya mumbled to himself five minutes later, as he crouched behind a makeshift snow fort that Chiba easily assembled.

“This is gonna be amazing,” Nakamura whispered in glee as she hid by a tree, a snowball already formed in her hands. 

And then it descended into chaos.

Snowballs flew across the park as the assassins-in-training attacked one another, dashing across the field with howls of laughter. 

Already eight minutes in, they were all covered with broken pieces of snow that had collided with their jackets. 

“Surrender now!” Fuwa shouted, a grin on her face as she raised her snowball threateningly in the air. 

“Never!” Mimura screamed from his position on the freezing ground, completely at her mercy. “I am the Fae Lord! I will go down in honor!” 

“I gave you a warning, and you refused it. Tsk tsk.” Fuwa shook her head in mock disappointment, ready to pelt him with the snowball. All of a sudden, a flurry of snow collapsed against the side of her coat. 

“Huh?! Who hit me?!” She demanded, dropping her icy weapon in surprise. 

A head peeked out from behind the snow fort. “Mimura!” Hayami called, already gathering another lethal snowball. “Run!”

He obeyed and made a run for it, nearly slipping on the snowy ground, all while dodging a flurry of snow aimed at him. Wow, must be from our training, he thought with a smile.

“Aw shit!” Mimura glanced up at the sound of Okajima’s voice and nearly fell over at the sight of the pervert completely covered in a giant pile of snow, that fell from the tree above him. 

Okajima had an expression of resignation while his partner, Nakamura, looked like she was busting a lung from her laughter. 

“Don’t just laugh! Help me!” Okajima pleaded.

Nakamura wiped a tear from her eye, her body still shaking with laughter. “Sorry kid, but I have to go win this thing.” She straightened up and flashed him a wink. “I’ll win for you though!”

“Nakamura, wait-!” But she’d already dashed away, back into the field, cackling maniacally in anticipation of attacking her friends.

Another half hour of fighting and fun passed by. There wasn’t a clear winner in the end, and it ended in a tie between Fuwa and Nakamura. But needless to say, all of the enjoyed themselves immensely.

“Ah, that was so much fun,” Nakamura sighed, gazing up at the wintery blue sky. 

All seven of them were laying on the snow-covered field besides each other, catching their breath and waiting for the adrenaline rush to wear off. 

“I’m glad we did this,” Hayami agreed quietly, smiling at her.

“See? I told you guys it’d be awesome,” Fuwa sighed, making a snow angel as she waved her arms and legs against the snow.

“Yeah, you were right.” Mimura laughed, copying her movements.

“Well, my ass is still freezing,” Sugaya chimed in, earning laughter from all of them. “But I will admit, I had fun.” He smiled.

Chiba smirked. “Oh, I especially enjoyed getting a free excuse to beat Okajima.”

“Oh, seconded.”

“Definitely.”

“It goes without saying.”

“WHAT DID I DO TO DESERVE THIS TREATMENT?” Okajima sobbed.

“We’re just kidding, you oaf,” Nakamura snickered, punching him lightly in the shoulder. “We actually kinda love you.”

“I mean, seeing that tree dump all of the snow onto you was the highlight of my year, but yeah,” Mimura added.

“You guys are the worst,” Okajima groaned. “I almost died!”

“You loveeeee us~!” They all teased him.

“Sure.” He rolled his eyes fondly. “But speaking of die, I think I will if we stay out here any longer. It’s so damn cold!” He shivered.

“Alright.” Mimura stood and stretched his arms out. “Time to get to my house for some hot chocolate and a Christmas movie. Which move do you guys want?”

“Home Alone!” Nakamura shouted.

“No, we’ve already watched that,” Chiba complained.

“Then...Home Alone 2!”

“No!” He yelled.

Fuwa chimed in. “I want to watch The Polar Express!”

“That one is boring.” Sugaya scrunched his nose. “How about Gremlins instead?”

“If I wanted to watch something about Gremlins, I’d just look at Kimura’s behavior for a whole day,” Hayami snarked.

Mimura chuckled and waved his arms. “Ok ok, guys calm down! These are all great suggestions, but let’s decide on one.”

“How?” Okajima questioned.

“Another snowball fight?” Fuwa suggested, a glint to her eyes as she grinned.

“FUWA NO-”

[fumiko-matsubara]

THE CLIMB - Storyline (Assassination Classroom x Tower of God AU)

Status: to be continuously edited and added until I'm out of ideas

Here it is, the finalized storyline. Just like the actual Tower of God series, this AU also has 3 parts. But I've only managed to roughly write out 3/4 of Act 1 (and I still have yet to add details). With Act 2, certain arcs have already been planned through but others have yet to be finalised (ToG Season 2 was mad as hell, I just CAN'T help but to pick out arcs I liked from the original and translate them to an AU with assclass characters). And finally, I'm still trying to figure out what I want to do with Act 3 (but one thing's for sure was that Team DREAM as a whole gets their deserved spotlight - I grew a soft spot for them, you see hahaha).

Semi-annually, 1200 people are selected by Headon, the Caretaker of the Tower and the Guardian of the 1st Floor, to climb the Tower as Regulars.

Those Regulars will then be transported to 3 different testing grounds at the 2nd Floor.

So the 1st test at the 2nd Floor will begin with 400 Regulars present at each different testing ground.

The first 3 tests will all be elimination-types. The first elimination test will be: Narrow the number down from 400 to 200 by using any means.

Nagisa and Karma formed a truce then found Sugino while trying to stray away from the bloodied battlefield.

Chiba managed to prevent Nakamura and Maehara from killing each other when the test was about to be done.

The second elimination test will be: the remaining 200 Regulars must form a team of 3. Those who fail to be in a team will be eliminated.

Known teams in testing ground 1: 

Karma, Nagisa, and Sugino

Chiba, Nakamura, and Maehara

Terasaka, Kurahashi, and Mr. Talking Ostrich

Megu, Okajima, and Kazuma

Known teams in testing ground 2:

Isogai, Kanzaki, and Hayami

Yada, Hazama, and Okano

Yoshida, Muramatsu, and Hara

Known teams in testing ground 3:

Mimura, Kimura, and Takebayashi

Sugaya, Fuwa, and Sachiko

Shindou, Satomi, and Kokona

All the formed teams were transported to a new testing area – inside the gigantic mothership that was flying above the field they were all at before.

Chiba then gave a whole detailed rundown about the ruling class of the Tower to Nakamura, who lived somewhere in the Outer Tower (Residential Area) where many cultures normally have little to no awareness about the Royal Empire.

The Tower is currently ruled by King Daigou, who was the first to climb the Tower along with his 10 companions, who then became the Leaders/Heads of the Ten Great Families. They were Irregulars, meaning they were not chosen by Headon but instead had opened the gates to the Tower on their own. Irregulars are basically the Tower's rule-breakers, as they are unimaginably strong since they weren't restricted by the contract of a Guardian of each Floor, which is what Regulars form with them in order to be able to use the shinsu in the Floor they are in. Irregulars come in once every millennium. 

It had been several ten thousands of years since King Daigou and the Ten Family Leaders had ruled over the Tower.

The Ten Families are so powerful that they rule over multiple Floors and are either affiliated or founders of certain well-known organizations. Every single descendant of these Family Leaders is blessed with strength, no matter how weak some of them are by their family's standards. Direct Descendants are especially gifted.

Though there are exceptions, the talents of these children usually depend on what their great family is known for - Akatsuki Family for their swordsmanship, Asano Family for their Light Bearers, Seo Family for their Scouts, Shimada Family for their incredible physical strength, Chiba Family for their Wave Controllers, Terushima Family for their mastery of manipulating Shinsu, Tsuchiya Family for having the strongest defensive power, Harukawa Family for their Spear Bearers and Lightning Users, Park Family for their great intellectuality with all researches about the Tower, and Yamazaki Family for their Flame Users. 

Regulated by Test Administrator: Takokoro Takoro (Ranker – someone who had climbed the Tower and reached the top. They’re incredibly powerful). He brought his palm out and suddenly everyone was being pushed away by a strong current. Many have already flown towards the very back. While some managed to hold their ground for a couple seconds before the current became even stronger, thus ultimately pushing the rest of them back.

Now there's a thick water-like barrier before all of them, waiting to be crossed.

As the Tower is filled with concentrated shinsu since it's basically its source of life, Regulars should be able to withstand at least a certain amount of concentration in order to ascend the floors. And so, the third elimination test will be: All members in a team must be able to pass through a barrier of high concentrated shinsu made by Takoro. If a member fails, the whole team fails.

The fourth test will be a psychological type, regulated by Test Administrator Irina Jelavic (Ranker): There are 10 identical doors in a room. Open the correct one in under 10 minutes.

Karma: "All of them looked the same to me. There’s no way to tell them apart and figure out which is the right one. So might as well ignore the first rule and just open a door in less than 10 minutes!" (Irina: “I guess that works too…)

Nakamura: "There are no ‘more’ hints..? But you haven’t given us any though."

Maehara: "Wasn’t what she just said a hint..?"

Chiba: "Uhh, those are instructions."

Nakamura: "That would only mean that the hints were already given before we even entered this place… like those unnaturally loud screams after a long time of dead silence from the inside. It was as if you were purposely letting us hear those screams and deduct something from them."

Team Chiba, Nakamura, and Maehara passed the door test after figuring out the whole point of the entire test.

A short break between the continuous tests. Chiba and Kurahashi instantly clicked while getting drinks from the vending machine.

Kurahashi Hinano is a feline person – a humanoid species with feline features and abilities. They tend to be Animas. They populate all the floors that the Chiba Family rules over.

Chiba Ryuunosuke is from the family of Chiba, one of the Ten Great Families that ruled over the Tower. This great family produces the strongest Wave Controllers. They also have the highest number of members.

Because there were too many teams remaining that monitoring their abilities at the same time was becoming too difficult, a bonus test was announced to be taken before the Position Test will begin.

Bonus Test: The Crown Game. Regulated by Test Administrator Karasuma Tadaomi (Ranker). Participation is optional and losing this game doesn’t mean failing the whole floor test. However, whichever team wins are automatically cleared from the entire floor and wouldn’t have to take the remaining tests.

Every Regular from all three different testing grounds will be present in the same testing ground.

Fast forward. Chiba, Nakamura, and Maehara were the team that won the bonus test. It was pure gamble in Nakamura’s part that Chiba has enough tricks up in his sleeve to prevent anyone from taking the crown from him, even if it’s Karma. 

Chiba, Nakamura, and Maehara were all guaranteed automatic pass from all the remaining tests and leave the 2nd floor whenever they want.

However, Chiba insisted they stay for a bit to participate in the Position Test even if they won’t actually take the test. 

He predicted that Nakamura would either be sorted to the Light Bearer or Scout position and will likely received the basic lighthouse or observer for free if she at least participates in the classes. 

The same case for Maehara in the Fisherman position and thus might receive a basic needle for free if he joins the classes. 

There are five basic Positions in a battle: Fisherman (Frontline Combat), Light Bearer (Support and Strategy), Scout (Intel and Combat Assist), Spear Bearer (Long Range), and Wave Controller (changing tides of the battle).

Karasuma Tadaomi handles the Fisherman classes

Hanamura Hanayo handles the Light Bearer classes

Irina Jelavic handles the Scout classes

Red Eye handles the Spear Bearer classes

Tadokoro Takoro handles the Wave Controller classes

That friend list assignment that the Scouts would have to fill up in a week, which was what brought a lot of the Regulars to become friends.

Fast forward. About 20 Regulars were guaranteed to pass the Position Test with how high their results are.

Hide and Seek Test. A Ranker (but with high restrictions) will be participating along with the Regulars.

Chiba, Nakamura, and Maehara, who already cleared the entire floor, can only spectate through the screen along with the Test Admins.

Luckily the team that failed was the one where most of the members have high scores in the Position Test, so not too many actually failed the floor.

Final Results were out and plenty have actually failed because some were too injured and some just weren’t competent enough overall.

The Final 2nd Floor Test was a team test, where the remaining Regulars must form a team of their own and take a certain test. It’s either that team passes or not.

4 teams were formed and thus, there will be 4 different tests: a Scavenger Hunt Test, a Lost and Found Test, a Zombie Test, and a Heaven and Hell Test.

3 out of 4 formed teams cleared their respective tests.

An official registration of teams was announced. Line-up changes in teams were made. There is also the option of not choosing a team to join in yet, of course.

Chiba, Nakamura, and Maehara were now included. Team END was formed and registered.

2nd Floor cleared.

They met Okuda Manami on the 3rd Floor.

Yukimura Akari joined Team END at the 5th Floor.

Chiba Ryuunosuke failed to clear the 8th Floor and would have to retake it after 6 months. He insisted Team END not to waste time waiting for him when they could just continue climbing, since he can surely form his own team and easily catch up to them.

Team END arrived at the 10th Floor.

Karma heard about an informant who is supposedly very strong but for some reason chooses to stay at the 10th floor for centuries.

He had plans to recruit said informant into joining Team END but was also curious about why they chose to stay at the 10th floor for so long.

Being a Princess of Daigou is a very big deal, as they are granted a portion of the King’s power, making them even more powerful, and a great amount of authority in the Tower – be it a high position in the empire, access to even the most powerful weapons, or even granted the opportunity to rule a whole Floor to themselves.

Princesses are already extremely strong when in battle that even a single Regular Princess can possibly take down all the other 400 Regulars by herself in a death match. Meanwhile, Princess Candidates, especially the ones who had nearly won their title, are not that much weaker compared to the already selected Princesses.

Ranker and High Ranker Princesses would be unimaginably strong. Two High Ranker Princesses from the Terushima and Yamazaki Families were so strong that they even outranked the majority of the Ten Great Family Leaders in the Tower Rankings (tied at Rank 7th), even if the Princess from the Yamazaki Family had been missing for millennia.

A Princess is selected and born every 300-500 years. They usually come from the Ten Families, but in a rare case would a strong woman from a less noble family would overpower her competitors and win her place.

Tsuchiya Kaho (Position: Light Bearer-Defender hybrid) was the strongest candidate of the previous Princess Selection over 300 years ago, after Chiba Rena Daigou who then became the selected Princess of that time.

Karma attempted to recruit Kaho but was solidly declined.

Kaho remarked that she would’ve considered joining them if the rumoured remarkable Spear Bearer from the Chiba Family was still travelling with them.

Karma instead just requested information about the 10th floor test’s details, which Kaho happily scheduled a meeting with Team END in a couple of days.

Kaho came by the dorm that Team END was staying at. Nagisa opened the door and was about to greet her but remained frozen due to how incredibly powerful the shinsu Kaho was casually exerting.

Maehara stiffened at the sight of Kaho, or specifically, the emerald jewel that was on her hairband. Kaho of course noticed him, even if Maehara didn’t realize it.

Barely minutes after Kaho walked inside their shared apartment, she was already giving pointers to some of the Team END members: like how Hayami would need to have observers instead of a Defender, how the Light Bearers in their team would need to do more snooping to get all the information they need, or the fact that a Light Bearer’s lighthouse can actually amplify a Wave Controller’s baang to make them more powerful and lethal, and etc.

Kaho then specifically called out to Maehara, who flinched.

Kaho: “Even if you have shit control over your lightning shinsu, you can still be flexible enough with how you infuse it onto the weapons you use. Heck, you just have to be flexible with the very weapons that you use and then infuse your lightning onto them. The results may vary but it’ll be fruitful at least.”

Hara served her tea and brought her some sweets, which Kaho highly appreciated.

Kaho then got a sudden call and took it. Team END could only watch nervously as she blows into anger at the caller.

Kaho: “You failed to use your observer to collect such vital information mid battle, even though you claimed to be really good at multi-tasking..? Gosh you’re the most useless Scout I have ever encountered in the near 400 years of my life!” 

Kaho: “I’ve had high expectations of you since the Seo Family were known for their talented Scouts and yet you’ve only shown incompetence… I’m starting to believe that the unremarkable male descendants’ syndrome isn’t just limited to the Chiba Family…”

Kaho: “Since you’ve failed from giving me actual data in exchange for floor test Intel, your team is not allowed to leave this floor until I get my 20,000 points payment. Got it?”

After the phone call ended, Okajima asked Kaho about the data gathering assignment she gives to Scouts.

Kaho then explained that there’s a way to receive floor test info from her without having to pay her points for it, and it’s to take the 10th Floor test and retrieve important battle data that Kaho can use as more floor test intel.

Kaho: “You know? Info for info? But naturally, a mere floor test info isn’t just gonna pay up all the Intel you’re gonna get from me. This is just in case you don’t have enough points to pay.”

Not long after, Kaho began relaying information about the 10th Floor test to Team END, sending data to everyone’s pockets, lighthouses, and observers. The more detailed info they want, the higher Kaho will raise the price.

Team END wanted to know the vital weakness of the divine sea creature that they will deal with at the final 10th floor test, but Kaho said the price for that info is very expensive since it would guarantee a floor test clearing.

Naturally, the prize was really expensive that Team END was reconsidering.

But Kaho suggested that they won’t have to pay her points for that vital information if they instead give her as much information they can give about a certain remarkable Spear Bearer from the Chiba Family. Information such as his skills, abilities, background, and… personality.

And so they did, and they got the floor test info they need.

Okajima still insisted that he’ll attempt to look for more useful info about the 10th floor test to give to her. Kaho promised that she’ll return the appropriate amount of points to Team END if he managed to retrieve that data.

He got that data and Team END cleared the 10th Floor with flying colours. Soon after, they went to the 11th Floor, leaving Kaho behind.

The Tower’s Administration Office announced the names of the Regulars who had died while taking floor tests.

One of those names includes Harukawa Kiriya, one of the direct sons of the Harukawa Family Leader, who had died while taking the 10th Floor Test.

Kaho smirks while reading the announcement from her lighthouse.

Kaho: “I told him not to do it since it can get him killed but that arrogance never fails to leave their systems, huh? Now look where that got him. Such a distasteful family indeed.”

She then made a call to Tsuchiya Hibiki, a relative of hers, while going through the opened files on her lighthouse.

Kaho: “One of the few teams that recently cleared this floor just now is called Team END. They have a member named Maehara Hiroto and he’s clearly an illegitimate descendant from the Harukawa Family.”

She quickly sent a file to Hibiki, which is likely accessible information about Maehara, including his photo.

Kaho: “His lightning shinsu may be as strong as a direct Harukawa descendant’s but he lacks control over it and he’s not a Spear Bearer, so he likely isn’t affiliated with that family.”

Kaho: “But just in case, I want you to keep an eye on him until he’s out of our family’s territories. If he shows any suspicions that suggests his affiliation towards that family, let me know about it immediately. I’ll hunt him down myself.”

Surprised, Hibiki asked if Kaho is finally going to start climbing the Tower again.

Kaho: “The current missing princess’s remarkable younger brother is said to be finally arriving. I will be accompanying him from then on.”

Meanwhile, being a member of Julia’s team, Ryuunosuke had just arrived at the 10th Floor.

Chiba: “Ahh I hope I didn’t make her wait for too long…”

Kaho and Chiba had reunited ever since Kaho had been selected as a Regular over 300 years ago.

Kaho then officially joined Julia’s team. But since she had already climbed until the 20th Floor, she wasn’t allowed to take all the upcoming floor tests with the team until they’ve arrived at the 20th floor.

Privately, Kaho advised Chiba to tell Maehara to stop flinching or even just freeze at the sight of any Tsuchiya, since it’ll likely just get him in trouble more than anything. It’s already bad that he looks so much like a Harukawa, illegitimate descendant or not, so it’s advisable to stop flinching whenever he sees a Tsuchiya since it’ll make him look suspicious. Most especially since the Tsuchiya Family rules all over the 16th-29th Floors and thus, those floors are heavily populated by Tsuchiya descendants.

Kaho: “You said that his mother was a Regular who had stopped climbing, right? And that he lived at both the Inner Tower (Regular’s Area) and Middle Area (gate between the Inner and Outer Tower) of the 67th Floor? That suggests that he had nothing to do with the Harukawa Family so he should be safe enough… unless he actually met his father, that is.

Chiba: “He said he never met him. He wasn’t told of what exactly happened but from what he told me, his father supposedly left right before he was born.”

Kaho: “I don’t know what his mother warned him about us for him to freeze at the sight of me, but he’s completely safe if he’s got nothing to do with his father then. While we would still keep watch just in case, the Tsuchiya family don’t really bother with illegitimate Harukawa descendants, let alone kill them.”

Kaho: “Our goal was to not reduce the ever-growing Harukawa population, but rather strip them off their power. Specifically, those who become Rankers with the intention of sharing that power and influence to the Harukawa family as they bear their name.”

Kaho: “Ryuunosuke, your goal was to become a High Ranker, no?”

Chiba: “Yeah, and I feel like that’s also what my family expects from me.”

Kaho: “Naturally, because that would make you the first ever male descendant in your family to become a High Ranker. Since it’s such a big deal, everyone’s eyes are going to be on you if you were to achieve that and I wouldn’t be surprised if your family’s going to milk the hell out of the attention you’d be getting and benefit from it… just like what they did when Rena first became a Princess of Daigou.”

Chiba: “Ugh… that one lasted for years. It doesn’t help that both of our parents are Rankers, heck my mom’s a High Ranker, so even that was bragged about and made it into the headlines!”

Kaho: “Tell me about it… The Harukawa family’s no different for that matter. Shit, I think they’re even worse.”

Chiba: “Oh they’re definitely worse.”

Kaho: “With that thought in mind, if an illegitimate descendant has plans to join the Harukawa family when they’re becoming a Ranker or close to becoming one, that’s when we get rid of them. If your dear friend shows no such interest even after he had climbed so far high up, our family will definitely leave him alone. So don’t worry too much.”

The hatred between the Tsuchiya and Harukawa Families was so strong that killing and assassinating is even involved. Tsuchiya Kaho was promised to be fully forgiven by the entire Tsuchiya Family for failing to become a Daigou Princess if she managed to kill at least one member of the Harukawa Family on her own throughout her climb at the Tower. 

The Harukawa Family was infamous for the womanizing tendencies of their male descendants, a reminiscent of their Family Head, Harukawa Izaki, who had many wives. Thus, it’s no surprise that not only does the Harukawa Family has the highest number of existing Family Branches, they’ve also produced the highest number of illegitimate children.

The main reason why the Tsuchiya Family made it their life mission to kill any Harukawa who shows potential or even interest to climb the top of the Tower was to forcibly make the Harukawa Family lose their power and influence by reducing the number of Rankers they will have despite their large number of descendants.

The Harukawa Family also has the same goal but are less successful at achieving it. This is because although they have high attacking power and lethality rate, every single Tsuchiya descendant, direct or not, were all born with incredibly high defensive power that only the most talented Great Family children can break through.

The only reason why the Harukawa Family had never surpassed the Chiba Family in terms of having the greatest number of children was because descendants of their family were actively being killed by certain members of the Tsuchiya Family, which also regulates their population.

Bearing the Tsuchiya Family crest meant being strong and brave enough to carry the burden of the family’s both good and wrongdoings. The crest is immediately obtained when a Tsuchiya successfully killed at least one Harukawa descendant. The crest is an emerald jewel that was attached on any accessory according to the bearer’s personal choice (e.g. Kaho’s hairband). Very few people outside the Tsuchiya Family are aware that a crest-bearing Tsuchiya meant that they have killed a Harukawa.

Maehara was one of those very few people who knew, hence why he froze at the sight of Kaho and her hairband.

Sometime later, Chiba called Team END to give each other updates about their respective progresses. 

A little after that, Chiba privately called Maehara and told him what Kaho had warned and reassured him about.

Maehara: “Fuck, so she does know!”

Chiba: “Dude, you look like the typical Harukawa offspring. That yellow lightning isn’t helping either. So is being a playboy.”

The climb resumes.

Julia’s Team:

Nagasawa Julia

Okamoto Akeboshi

Kazukata Shindou

Akatsuki Seria Daigou

Ookuwa Sachiko

Tanaka Kazuma

Mori Mitsuki

Seo Hinagiku

Chiba Ryuunosuke

Tsuchiya Kaho

Kitazawa Ayaka

Park Jungyoon “Masato”

Fukiyose Eiji

Kanemoto Shiori

Tersuhima Daisuke

Shimada Miho

Julia’s team made it to the 20th floor. But because of how the 20th floor tests work, they have to be separated into much smaller teams.

Team DREAM was then formed.

Ryuunosuke, Kaho, Ayaka, Masato, Eiji, Shiori, Daisuke, and Miho

Realizing that a large-member team was just going to hinder them in the future with the way how some floor tests are done, it was decided that the split teams will begin travelling separately. 

There were no complaints that Team DREAM consists of 5 different descendants from the great families since Julia’s Team is travelling with a Daigou Princess.

There's the Regulars Ranking which is dependent on what Floor one is on.

F-Rank Regular – those who come into the Tower on the 2nd Floor

E-Rank Regular – those who cleared the 20th Floor

D-Rank Regular – those who cleared the 30th Floor

C-Rank Regular – those who cleared the 50th Floor

B-Rank Regular – those who cleared the 75th Floor

A-Rank Regular – those who cleared the 100th Floor

After clearing the 20th Floor, both Julia’s Team and Team DREAM have become E-Rank Regulars.

Yamazaki Miki officially joined Team DREAM after the 21st Floor Test.

Team END encountered Team ACE at the 16th Floor and was furious that they failed to clear the floor because of them.

Chiba: “O-oh... the 16th Floor you say?”

Nakamura: “What floor are you on now?”

Chiba: “…the 25th Floor.”

Nakamura: “…Ryuunosuke.”

Chiba: “Yeah?”

Nakamura: “The plan was for you to catch up to us… not the other way around.”

Chiba: “...So I’m figuring out a way to persuade my family into getting us a large enough place to house us all at the 30th Floor when we arrive there. If everything worked out, you know where to look for me ahaha…

Team DREAM rushed to the 30th Floor in order to compete at the 30F Workshop Battle, which is an item tournament held for E-Rank Regulars at the Middle Area in every 5 years, with exclusive items made by the Workshop as prizes.

Almost all items and weapons of the Tower are made in the Workshop. Although there's a location on the Middle Area of each Floor, there are only 7 main headquarters and one of them is on the 30th Floor.

The Chiba Family rules all over the floors with the 7 main Workshops, including the 30th Floor.

Chiba Ryuunosuke plans to win the quinquennial Workshop Battle as a way to convince his family into doing a favour for him rightfully.

Chiba: “I may be one of the rarest sons that the Chiba Family have ever produced, having similar privileges as all of my sisters and all, but that doesn’t mean I’d just get everything that I want on a silver platter. And so I thought… If I did something favourable for my family, they might abide by my requests no matter how absurd they can be.”

Kaho: “A favour for a favour..?”

Chiba: “Yep! A favour for a favour.”

Kaho: “Huh. Knowing more and more about your family is starting to make me think that we’re not all that different in the long run.”

Chiba: “Hah. All the Ten Great Families are all just the same from the very beginning… though ours are particularly messed up. Perhaps that’s why there’s a growing alliance going on between them.”

-- (To be added) --

[takemebacktowheniwassane]

So this has been drifting about in my head since i got home today

[Mimura, not wanting to be dragged to another art museum]: Come on man, can't we just, like, stay home?

[Sugaya, staring him dead in the eyes]: I would drag you there but they said not to touch the masterpieces.

. . .

Mimura: FINE I'LL GO.

i've been thinking about this all day and this is what my brain comes up with :)

hahaha :'))