Q-Taro sat against a coffin, looking at Mai's body beside him. Naomichi and Shin had been left behind to keep them safe- the former to defend them, and the latter to go get the others if there was trouble. Naomichi leaned against the wall, glancing impatiently at the door the others had gone through, while Shin stood next to Midori's coffin, staring into space.

Neither was paying attention to Q-Taro, and so he moved a bit closer to the girl laying on the ground. After Mai had stabbed him, he had pushed her away from him forcefully, causing her to fall on some debris and hit her head. His back still stung, causing tears to form in the corner of his eyes, but he was more worried about her injuries at the moment. Her hat had begun to fall off, but as he reached to grab it, he noticed a red liquid leaking from the rim of the hat.

"...Zat blood?" he muttered to himself as he took the hat off, leaning closer to see a bleeding cut on her head. The pain in his back slowed his thoughts, and he struggled to comprehend this. "Zat's not possible, 'cause she's…" His mind whirled. "No way… she…" It didn't make sense, but it was the only explanation. She's human? Then why…?

Naomichi looked over at him curiously. "What? You found something?"

Q-Taro's head pounded, but even in this state, he had the feeling it'd be bad to tell anyone. He grabbed the rim of his hat and looked up at the wrestler. "N-Nah… I thought she mighta woken up, but she hadn't."

Naomichi nodded and turned away again. Q-Taro put the hat back on Mai hurriedly. He stared at her face, noticing how peaceful she looked. Why had she lied about being a doll? Or was it possible she didn't know?

He wasn't sure how long he stayed like that, but he snapped out of it as she began to stir. Her eyes slowly opened, and she scanned the room, a look of confusion across her face. Q-Taro spoke quietly. "Mai? You awake?"

She looked over at him, her expression twisting into… guilt? Her voice had no trace of her normal chipperness as she spoke. "Q-Taro, you… didn't kill me…?" He stayed silent, his words refusing to leave his mouth, and in an instant her brief vulnerability was gone. She sat up, grabbing her head for a moment, before looking back at Q-Taro. "Ehehehe, Master? It's good to see you again…"

Before he could figure out a response, Naomichi had started walking over. "Eh, you're up? Took you awhile."

Mai giggled. "Ahh, what a nice nap… " She looked back at Q-Taro with a smile. "Did you touch me while I was asleep? My skin is so soft, you know."

He felt his face get hot as he objected. "Wha-?! No!"

His yell startled Shin, who had seemingly only just noticed something had happened. "Oh, Mai." He left Midori's coffin hesitantly and walked over, standing behind Naomichi. "More important than whatever your… disagreement was…" He looked at Q-Taro's flustered expression out of the corner of his eye. "Shouldn't we tell the others she's up? Then we can decide what to do with her…"

Obviously annoyed at being told what to do, Naomichi begrudgingly agreed. "You're right. These two should be okay for a few minutes while we bring everyone else. Keiji already took the knife, so they won't kill each other at least."

Mai waved cheerfully as Shin and Naomichi began to leave the room. "Don't worry, I'm sure Master'll protect me!"

"Don't call me zat! It's weird."

"Okaaayyy, I won't…" She promised without an ounce of seriousness. The two left the room, and she asked Q-Taro a question, still smiling. "So, are you mad at me for trying to kill you?"

He shook his head. "Ya didn' mean it. Midori's got you, all of us really, wrapped 'round his finger. You jus' didn't wanna die, I can't fault ya for that."

His answer seemed to take Mai by surprise, and she stared at him for a second before putting a smile back on. "Ehehe, really? You're so forgiving, Master… it'll come back to bite you some day."

He ignored her, instead looking down at the ground. "Mai…"

She giggled. "What iiiiis it?"

"You… when you were out, I looked at your head, and… I saw blood."

"Ahaha, what are you-" Her smile disappeared as she lifted her hand to her head, feeling the blood. She pulled her hand down and stared at it. "You… know then…"

"You're a human, aren't ya?" She nodded slightly. So she did lie… "Why didn' you tell us?"

Mai didn't meet his eyes. "I… can't explain… you don't understand…"

"You can tell me, I won't tell nobody."

Her head shot up. "You didn't tell them already?"

Q-Taro shook his head. "I thought I should ask you first. There's gotta be a reason, right?"

She shook her head helplessly. "I can't tell you, I just can't… I tried to kill you. Why would you agree not to tell when I betrayed you?"

Acting on instinct, he reached over and pulled her into a hug. "We gotta stop distrusting each other. I've betrayed an' been suspicious too, plenty a times, but I'm done with zat. We gotta work together now, as allies. So… I forgive ya."

He felt her shaking, but she stayed silent, and he held her for a minute until she pulled away. Mai stared down at the ground, a blush spreading across her face. He realized that he was blushing too, and he looked away nervously. "Sorry… I mighta gotten a bit carried away there."

After a long moment, she finally spoke. "...Thank you."

Q-Taro looked back at her. "Ya don't hafta tell me right now, but… maybe later, after we get this all sorted out?"

She hesitated for a second, and then nodded. "Yeah, I'd like that." They sat in silence for a few seconds, before she returned to normal. "Ehehehe… You can be really charming when you want to, Master."

"I told ya to stop calling me that!"

Before she had time to answer, Shin burst into the room, out of breath. "We found everyone, they're fighting S- Midori in the middle room on the 5th floor. They sent me to tell you, but I barely got past Naomichi, I'm sure he's almost here." He kept looking back at the entrance, the panic obvious in his eyes. "Reko kept him back long enough for me to leave."

Q-Taro stared at him in confusion. "What do ya mean, you barely got past him? The hell's goin' on?"

"The Dummies- they keep trying to stop Keiji from killing Midori, they won't let us do anything!"

His head spun- what was going on? "Wait, if you left the room, ain't he dead?"

Mai interjected. "The collars don't explode immediately, so if he makes it here in time he'll live."

There wasn't enough time to question why she knew that as Naomichi rushed into the room, holding something. His eyes locked on Shin. "Stop! I'm not letting any of you leave this room."

Shin backed away. "H-Hey, why do you have a knife?!"

The wrestler glanced down at his hand holding the knife, looking like he had just now noticed it. He chuckled and held his hands up defensively. "Relax. Keiji dropped it, so I picked it up, I just didn't want anyone using it."

Shin had backed up all the way to the wall now. "What, are you going to kill me with it?! Like she tried to do to Q-Taro?" He pointed accusingly at Mai.

"Woah, hey, hold on. I know how it looks, but I just want you guys to listen to me and stay put. I'm not gonna-"

"Then drop it! Give it to me!" There was a look of desperation in his eyes.

Q-Taro struggled to stand up, ignoring the pain in his back. "Both of ya, calm down!" He yelled.

Naomichi sighed. "Alright, fine." He threw the knife on the ground near Shin. "We good?"

He picked up the knife. "Okay, now back away from the exit."

Naomichi scowled. "What? No, I told you I won't let you leave."

"Who's the one with the knife?" Shin laughed, but Q-Taro could tell he was still shaking. "Move, now."

"Are you trying to threaten me?" He had an amused smile on his face. "I could still beat you in a fight. Stand down, dumbass."

Q-Taro approached the two cautiously, Mai following behind him. "Stop fighting, we need to work together! This aint helpin' anything."

Shin started to slowly move towards the exit that Naomichi was guarding, and gestured at him with the knife. "Tell that to him! He's trying to stop us from killing Midori, and I-" He cut off his sentence as the wrestler still didn't move. "Move away from there and let me go. I… I-I'll kill you if you get in my way!"

Naomichi laughed, but it was more forced than before, like even he was getting a bit nervous. "You? Kill me? I think you're overestimating how much of an advantage that knife gives you."

Q-Taro got closer to them, and Mai tried to pull him back. "What do you think you're doing? With the condition you're in, either one of them could kill you."

He ignored her and yelled out to them. "I told you, no more pinnin' death on each other. We hafta trust each other!"

Naomichi glared at Q-Taro. "What, you think I really care about your speech? If things were normal, then sure, but my life is on the line."

"You can't just work together when it's easy! You gotta stick together when it's tough, zat's when it really matters!"

Shin pointed the knife at Naomichi and continued to get closer. "Look, I don't want to kill you, but I'll do it if you don't move. I need Midori dead, so stop getting in my way!" Q-Taro, was steadily approaching the two and was only a couple feet away from them, despite Mai's complaints. Shin shot a glance at him. "That goes for you too, don't y-you dare try t-to stop me." His voice had started to shake, as he and the wrestler were close enough to reach out and touch each other, and Naomichi still hadn't moved.

Shin hesitated for a split-second, shaking as he held the knife. Naomichi raised his hands- to do what wasn't clear- and a look of fear crossed Shin's face. He raised his hand with the knife and started to bring it down onto the wrestler, when Q-Taro rushed over and knocked him down. Shin's arm momentum continued, and by the time he let go of the knife it was already planted in his own gut.

Q-Taro stared at the bloody mess uncomprehendingly. "I didn't… mean…"

Mai ran up to him. "Q-Taro! Are you-" She cut off as she saw the body. Naomichi stood there silently, seemingly not knowing what to say.

Shin stared at his stomach bleeding out, and began speaking weakly. "So that's… how I'm gonna go out…? ahaha… I guess I was never meant to live…" He smiled bitterly, and tears formed in the corner of his eyes. "At least… Sou didn't kill me… like he wanted… ahaha…"

Q-Taro's head swirled. "I-I didn't mean… I didn't mean to kill nobody! I…"

He pushed himself up, wobbling for a second before falling again, causing the blood to flow even faster. He tried a couple more times, but he couldn't even stand up again. "D-Dammit… can't even… do anything…"

Q-Taro looked around frantically for something to use as bandages. "My vest! I-I'll-"

"J-Just… give it up…" Shin's voice was getting even weaker, and it was clearly an effort to talk, as a pool of blood started to form. "C-Can't… you tell…? I'm already… a goner…"

This can't be right. I'm not a killer. There's no way there's no way there's-

A red trail came from his mouth as tears began to stream down his face. "I couldn't… get revenge on Sou… for what he did… and… I-I couldn't even… get revenge... for K-Kanna…" His eyes began to dull. "aha...ha… what a waste…" His jacket was stained a deep red as he lay there. "i-it's all… such a… waste…"

Q-Taro stared wordlessly as he spoke for the last time, and his life expired. Mai stood behind him, her hand on his shoulder.

There was a long moment of silence, until finally Naomichi spoke. "...Guess I won, huh?" He laughed, but it was completely hollow, devoid of humor or happiness. "You've gotta be strong to win, because... sometimes all it takes is someone else's weakness."

Q-Taro hadn't even liked the guy. And yet… a human life was still a human life. He hadn't meant it, but that didn't change the reality that he had taken a human life. "I…" He started to speak, but it quickly fizzled out. There was nothing to say.

Naomichi took the knife out of Shin's stomach, wiping the blood off. He looked at Q-Taro and Mai. "I'll take care of this, clean it up. You guys should… go find somewhere else to be. If you want, you can go to where Midori is." He gestured towards Sou's lifeless body. "Doesn't matter to me anymore."

Q-Taro nodded numbly and stood up, letting Mai lead him out of the room. They ended up in the room outside of the Discussion Room. He looked around, vaguely confused. "Why're we here? Shouldn't we go an' fight Midori or somethin'?"

Her voice had an uncharacteristic kindness to it. "I figured you needed a break first." She held his hand, causing the Discussion room to open, and she led him inside. The obstructor that resided here seemed to be missing, so she helped him to the couch and sat next to him. "Q-Taro, you didn't do anything wrong."

He stared at his hands. "I killed a man. How is that not wrong?"

Mai shook her head. "It's not that simple. You only wanted to help."

"Don't matter why, it's done. Murder is murder."

She grabbed his hand. "That's not what you told me before. You said that Midori was playing us all, that we need to stop blaming death on each other and remember he's the real cause. You were trying to stop someone else from killing, from a fight that was ultimately caused by Midori. He's the one at fault here. Unless what you told me was a lie."

He stayed silent for a moment. "...It ain't a lie. But zat's different, 'cause…"

"How? If anything, what you did was better- it was an accident, and you did it for a selfless reason."

"But I… I've done so many other bad things for selfish reasons. I almost let Gin die 'cause I wanted to live, and I've worked wit' shady people… including Shin... to save myself. I helped set up the Death Game, even if I didn' know it, and I… gave away somethin' important for some stupid tokens… so that I could escape. And now, I've killed a man…"

Mai moved closer, leaning her head on his shoulder. "If you forgave me for what I did, then… I forgive you for all that."

He looked over at her, not moving. "Even… hearing all zat? You still… Why?"

She smiled softly. "That might have been you in the past, but… the Q-Taro I know isn't like that. He's a good guy, forgiving, selfless, and… kinda cute."

"Wha- you can't just say that outa nowhere!" A blush spread across his face, but he smiled slightly.

"Ehehehe… that's the smile I like to see." She turned his head towards her, and his breath caught in his throat as she gave him a soft kiss.

Q-Taro stuttered nervously, his face burning up. Finally, he managed to get out "I-I think you're cute too."

She giggled and pulled him out of his seat. "Come on, let's go back to the others."

"Y-Yeah." He left the Discussion room with a smile on his face.

For the first time since he entered this Death Game, Q-Taro was certain everything was going to be okay.