Episode 13

Talent Time (才能の時間) is the thirteenth episode of the Assassination Classroom anime series. The episode first aired on April 17, 2015.

Overview
A new instructor by the name of Akira Takaoka comes to Class E, and the students take an instant liking to him. He presents himself as a father figure. However, his true nature steadily begins to reveal itself as he increases the severity of the assassin training.

Summary
Three months into the assassination training, Karasuma takes notice how everyone overall has improved in their knifing skills. He takes particular attention to Isogai and Maehara for their quick reflexes especially when paired together, Karma for his secretive but mischievous nature and Okano and Kataoka for their unpredictable athletic abilities.

For a moment, he senses a snake rearing behind him and parries the attack, only for the snake to be Nagisa. Karasuma cannot help but feel an ominous presence despite Nagisa's weak profile. Korosensei too observes this. After training ends, Karasuma declines Kurahashi's offer to join them for a social time but meets up with an old acquaintance outside the classroom. He introduces himself to be Akira Takaoka to the entire class. He will be taking over PE class, starting from the next day while Karasuma focuses on office work. The students take an instant liking to him due to his light-hearted personality and his bringing a sackful of sweets.

The next day, Karasuma briefs Irina and Korosensei about Takaoka. Both were in the same elite corps of the Ministry of Defense and has been a military instructor to new recruits. While Karasuma considers whether his teaching methods were wrong, he takes a look at photos of Takaoka posing with his recruits. But he notices something odd in one of the images that reveal the recruits having their hands tied and bruises on their backs, leaving Karasuma horrified.

Outside, Takaoka announces a new schedule to the class. Revealing a rigorous regimen of assassin training from noon to 9pm every weekday, leaving very little time for schooling and no time for socialising. Maehara protests at this which earns him a knee to the chest from Takaoka. Instantly the class is horrified at this when Takaoka demands absolute cooperation while still forcing himself on them as a father figure. When he turns to ask Kanzaki for agreement, she instead smiles and does not, stating she prefers Karasuma's teachings. Licking his lips, Takaoka slaps Kanzaki in the face with enough force to make her fall down to the ground.

At this moment, Karasuma and Korosensei step in, concerned for Kanzaki and Maehara's well-being and angry at their new colleague's methods but otherwise unable to overrule Takaoka. Instead, they are forced to watch the lesson continue. Korosensei tells Karasuma that he's counting on him to take Takaoka down since they go back. Meanwhile, Takaoka thinks about how much he hated Karasuma for always being the top dog and this will be his way of getting back at him.

The class proceeds to do 300 squats though they soon begin to feel exhausted if this continues. Kurahashi pleads for Karasuma which Takaoka hears. Stating that Karasuma is not their teacher anymore, he starts to punish her until Karasuma blocks his punch. Takaoka uses this interference as a challenge to determine who will be Class E's PE teacher. He proposes that Karasuma choose a student to fight Takaoka with a real knife while he is unarmed.

If that student wins by at least stopping short of making a hit Takaoka will leave. Otherwise, his authority will not be rechallenged. Takaoka thinks about how this trick works in the big league as when he pummels a fresh faced recruit wielding a knife within an inch of his life, all while unarmed, he gains alpha dog status. Despite his misgivings, Karasuma chooses Nagisa due to the earlier presence he felt last time and advises him on how best to defeat Takaoka. Both Takaoka and Irina question this choice though Korosensei assures Irina to just watch. Nagisa accepts, partly because he trusts Karasuma and also to pay Takaoka back for injuring Kanzaki and Maehara.

Taking their stances, Takaoka believes that anyone holding a real knife will turn the user to be unable to follow through their strike in fear of killing him so that he will win. However, Nagisa reasons that killing Takaoka is enough to win. He smiles and calmly walks up to Takaoka "as though he was walking to school". Stopping in front of his outstretched left arm, he quickly moves behind him and aims a slash to the neck.

Realizing that he is about to be killed, Takaoka moves back but is still in shock from the surprise move, allowing Nagisa to grab the back of his shirt and pin him to the ground, then holding the knife to his throat. Everyone, including Karasuma, is surprised by this. Karasuma notes that Nagisa is a natural born assassin and wonders if he should nurture his talent ot shut it down. Nagisa sheepishly questions whether he should've used the back of the knife. Korosensei calls the match over but admonishes Karasuma that someone could have gotten hurt with the real knife. Karasuma knows that Korosensei would be fast enough to prevent that from happening. Nagisa's classmates congratulate him. Maehara slaps Nagisa, making sure it is truly him, then congratulates him.

As the class congratulates Nagisa, Takaoka rises in pure anger, wanting a rematch. Nagisa calmly states that although the class is grateful for what Takaoka is trying to teach them, they still prefer Karasuma's professionalism and Korosensei's teachings over Takaoka's forceful approach. Takaoka attempts to strike Nagisa down only for Karasuma to block the punch once again. He vows to the class to petition to the Ministry of Defense for Takaoka's sacking. However Chairman Asano announces that it will not be necessary.

Having watched the whole spectacle behind the scenes, Asano approaches Takaoka and berates him for using violence to instill fear in the students. Asano puts a letter of dismissal to Takaoka's mouth and walks away, telling him that the Ministry of Defense does not call the shots as it is his school, with the latter quickly packing his bags as he runs from the scene. Happy that Karasuma is now their PE teacher once again, the class asks for a reward since they got him his job back. Karasuma relents and pulls out his wallet, which is swiped by Irena who joins the class. Korosensei asks to join in on the sweets, but is admonished by the class for simply standing in the sidelines. As Karasuma is led by the class, he admits to himself that he has grown attached to them. The episode ends with Korosensei begging to join them for a sweets trip, even crawling on his tentacles while bowing to them.

Episode Notes

 * In the original, as Takaoka was leaving, he screamed the last “Kuso”, out of anger. But, in the dub, as he was leaving, he was heard crying.

Differences between the Manga

 * The manga depicted Takaoka's vision of a muscled version of Nagisa and Kayano as a result of his training and Korosensei and Irina's comical ulterior motives for objecting to Takaoka's rigorous schedule. These have been cut from the episode.
 * Irina's reaction to Kotaro Takebayashi's answer "You're our bitch" is added, which is not present in the manga.