"Rinny!" I was just minding my own business, having decided to finally go back to the library to get something to read. However, once I had finally found a decent book ('So Lingers the Ocean' seemed like a decent pick), Kokichi burst into the library calling for me.

"Kokichi? What do you need?" I asked him as he skipped towards me.

"C'mon, Rinny! I wanna hang out with you!" Kokichi whined.

"With me?"

"It's so boooring waiting for something to happen, so I wanna do something! C'mon, Rinny! Let's go out and cause some more mayhem!"

"That isn't exactly what I've planned for myself today." I gave a dry chuckle. "Besides, I just found a book to read, so-"

"Books are boooring! We can do something way more fun instead!" At that, Kokichi latched onto my arm and started dragging me out of the library, causing me to drop my book as I'm pulled away from what I wanted to do.

"H-Hey! Kokichi! Let go!"

"Nope!" Kokichi chirped while popping the 'P'. He continued to drag me along until we reached the dining hall.

"Kokichi, why did you drag me here?" I asked once Kokichi finally let go of my arm.

"Isn't it obvious?" Kokichi smirked while placing his finger on his lips. "I'm here to kill you, silly!"

"And the real reason?" I asked while crossing my arms, unfazed by his casual threat on my life.

"Oh! You got me!" Kokichi laughed as he put his arms behind his head. "Well, the reason is because I really do want to hang out with you, Rinny. A good supreme leader gets to know his minions well, right?"

"Again, am I really just some minion?" I asked with a laugh. "Okay, but did you really have to drag me away?"

"Yep!" Kokichi nodded fervently. That's when his face became more serious as he looked at me. "And...I wanted to give you this." Kokichi said as he took something out of his pocket and tossed it to me. I caught it in my hand and gave Kokichi a confused expression after I examined what he had given me.

"What's this for?"

"Oh nothing important really. I just felt like I had to get you something after last night. It's a supreme leader's responsibility to reward his minion's diligence and actions when it benefits him, after all." Kokichi said as he put back on his childish expression. I gave him a raised eyebrow as I examined the 'reward' he had given me. It was a plastic bag full of chocolate, maple fudge cubes. I don't remember seeing anything to make this sort of treat in the kitchen, so it must be from that Monomono Machine. Hmm...now that I think about it, I still have a bunch of monocoins and casino coins, but I haven't actually used them to get more gifts. I still have the gifts I got before in my room, just sitting to the side. If this is from the Monomono Machine, then this is a pretty sweet gesture from Kokichi. Hehe… 'Sweet'. He also said he got me this for last night. Last night...could he be talking about when I pushed him out of Maki's way when she tried to choke him? If that's the case, he didn't have to get me anything because of that, but I'll take it. With a smile, I opened up the bag and popped one of the cubes into my mouth, immediately humming in delight as soon as the fudge started to melt on my tongue. It feels like I haven't had anything sweet in forever! Aah, I can feel the dopamine and euphoria the fudge is sending throughout my body.

"Thanks Kokichi! This was a really nice gift. I appreciate it." I told him as I popped another cube into my mouth.

"I'm glad you think that. I wasn't sure if you were a sweets person, but now that I can see your reactions to the fudge, I can tell that you are most certainly a sweets guy." Kokichi laughed playfully.

"I guess so. It's surprising to me too, but eating this stuff is like heaven!" I exclaimed while enjoying my treats. "So, what are we going to do?"

"Oh? You want to be with me now?" Kokichi said with a sly smile.

"I'd feel bad if I didn't after you gave me this stuff." I told him. "So, what's the plan?"

"Nee-heehee… It's quite simple really." Kokichi gave an evil smirk before it was swapped with a casual, friendly smile. "I want to have a tea party!"

"A tea party?" I repeated.

"Well, I say tea party, but we don't have to make any tea. I don't know how to make tea anyway. I just want to hang out and maybe play a game of wits while we talk." Kokichi told me. "We've both been working hard recently after all, and breaks are important. I always had the members of my secret evil organization take afternoon breaks. It increases productivity and morale."

"That's pretty considerate for an evil dictator." I jokingly said.

"I know right? But I'm a pretty dickish leader, so my members don't show their appreciation often." Kokichi commented. "Anyway, I'll get some drinks and snacks for us. You just wait here." I did as he said as he went into the kitchen. I sat down at the table and waited for a few minutes before Kokichi came back with two bottles and a bag of snacks for himself. "Here you go, Rinny!" He said as he handed me one of the bottles.

"Panta?" I read the label on the bottle.

"It's grape-flavored soda. I told you I can't make tea, remember." Kokichi said as he sat down drank some of his Panta. "Since I'm hosting this party I figured we would drink my favorite drink. I think it's really good, and that's not a lie!"

"Well that's fair, I suppose." I shrugged as I opened my own bottle and tasted the purple liquid. Painfully sweet. That was my first thought as the liquid hit my tastebuds. Sickeningly sweet with sugar and grape-flavors, yet I don't hate it. This sort of high sweetness is exactly what I like. I really am all about sweetness, I guess. "It's pretty good."

"Nee-heehee...I knew you would enjoy it." Kokichi beamed.

"So, what's this game of wits you were talking about?" I asked.

"Oh that? Well…" Kokichi began with an evil grin. "Have you ever heard of the game 'Two Truths and One Lie'?"

"Hmm…" I pondered on the phrase before something came to mind. "I believe so. It's a game where you say three statements, with one of them being a lie. The other person then has to guess which one is the lie, right?"

"Correctamundo!" Kokichi nodded. "However, that's too boring for me, so how about we switch it up? Let's change it to 'Two Lies and One Truth'."

"So we'll have to guess which of the statements is true then?"

"Yep. It sounds like a perfect game for someone like me, who's great at lying." Kokichi smirked. "Of course, I won't tell you which statement of mine was true if you get it wrong."

"Of course." I sighed. Of course he's still highly protective of his personal information, even in this game. But the purpose of this game… Does he want to find out something about me?

"Well then, I'll start." Kokichi said. "Hmm… Oh! I've got it." Kokichi snapped his fingers before he turned to face me with a serious expression. "I can control a country's economy with a single call if I wanted. My organization has fought off multiple criminal gangs." Kokichi then gave me a cheeky smile as he said the final statement. "Everything I just said before this was all a lie." I felt my head drop at that final statement. I pulled my head back up to look at the lying little imp with a deadpan expression, glaring at his innocent 'I didn't do anything wrong' look he was giving me.

"Really, Kokichi? Really?" I asked him in a tired voice.

"What? I haven't broken the rules. One of those statements is a truth, and two of them are lies." Kokichi smirked evilly. I sighed a heavy sigh.

"The final statement is the true one." I groaned.

"Wow! You got it right on your first try!" Kokichi grinned. "How'd you do that?" He asked me in an amazed voice, as if he didn't know.

"I watched your motive video with you Kokichi. I know more about your organization."

"Oh that's right." Kokichi nodded. "You, Rantaro, and Ryoma watched that video. You three know too much." Kokichi then gave me a sinister smile that probably could match the grinch's. "Guess that just means I have to kill you three eventually."

"H-Huh?" I gasped in surprise.

"Okay! It's your turn!" Kokichi cheered as he went back to his childish persona, patiently waiting for me to give him my statements. I sighed, knowing I wasn't going to get a straight answer from him about that comment he made. So I thought about what I should say before coming up with something.

"Well, I'm actually part of a large organization like you. I'm actually a married man who has a lot of kids to take care of back home." I then gave Kokichi a cheeky smile similar to the one he gave me before. "I'm an amnesiac so I don't know if anything I said before is even true." Kokichi immediately started pouting like I just took away a toy of his.

"Awww! No fair! Rinny, that's cheating!"

"Like you said, I haven't broken the rules. One statement is true, and the others are lies." I told him smugly. "And by the way, I hate cheaters. I would never cheat in a game. I'm just doing exactly what you did, so that must mean that's not cheating."

"..." Kokichi stared at me with a intrigued stare, as if he was trying to figure me out. I sat there patiently, eagerly awaiting his response. If he was going to try to cheat me out of information about himself while I gave him info in this game, he has another thing coming. He then sighed before looking at his hand with a bored look. "Fiiiine. I'll play the game correctly."

"Good." I smirked. I guess that's one point for me and zero points for Kokichi in this game of wits. "It's your turn." Kokichi nodded as he thought about what to say.

"Alright, how about this. My group and I set up a bunch of Las Vegas Slot Machines to start spilling all their coins for one of our pranks. We freed a bunch of animals from a zoo as a prank and let the animals run wild in the zoo. We set up a super huge prank where we made up a fake Russian presidential candidate and got the majority of the Russian people to vote for our fake candidate with our fake campaign." Kokichi then put his arms behind his head and gave me an innocent smile. "Which of those pranks is actually one me and my group did?" I blinked a few times at Kokichi as I tried to process the statements he just gave me. After repeating what he said in my mind a few times, a question finally left my mouth.

"Umm… There is one truth in what you said, right?" I had to ask to make sure.

"You wound me deeply with that question, Rinny." Kokichi replied with an offended tone. "I told you I would play this game correctly, so of course there has to be a truth in what I said." I was afraid of that. I was really hoping he would just laugh and say 'Yep! It's all a lie!' like he usually does, but I guess there really is a truthful statement in there. I really shouldn't be so surprised by anything he just said. He's the Ultimate Supreme Leader, the leader of the prank group DICE. Of course he's caused some real mayhem with his group while performing grand pranks that sound impossible for a group of only 10 people. The problem is figuring out which one actually happened. If I think carefully about the group itself though, then an answer does come to mind.

"It was the first one that was the truth, right?" I asked him.

"Oh? And what makes you say that?" He asked me with a curious expression.

"Your organization is against violence, so I can't imagine you would release animals that might hurt people at the zoo, and while I can see you doing the last prank, I don't believe you would do something to cause such massive problems for an entire nation just for kicks. So that must mean the casino one is the one you actually did. Am I right?" Kokichi stared at me for a while longer before his curious smile began to crack, a few small giggles escaping from the crack in his smile. Eventually, he broke into childish laughter.

"Hahaha! Incorrect!" Kokichi exclaimed like he had just won the lottery.

"Huh?"

"You got it wrong. Too bad~!" Kokichi chirped while showing me a wide smile.

"Wait, if I got it wrong, then which one was the truth?" I asked.

"I told you. I won't tell you which one was the truth if you got it wrong." Kokichi told me with a smug smile. "It's your turn!" With a sigh, I began thinking about what I could say, but I couldn't help but feel like the things he said for his statements were strange, as well as his reaction just now.

"Alright. How's this?" I said before I gave my three statements. "During my time here, Kaede taught me how to play the piano. Rantaro and I played a game of tennis and I lost. Tsumugi forced me to cosplay as a girl before she died. Which of these are true?"

"Oh, you're making it difficult for me, I see." Kokichi noted as he pressed his finger against his cheek as he thought about his answer. "The answer is the second statement, isn't it?"

"Woah. How did you figure it out?" I asked him.

"Liars like me can see the lies of others easily. Even if they're only slight lies." Kokichi claimed. "Kaeyayday and you are really close, despite her almost bashing your head in with a shot put ball. While it's possible that you could have learned piano skills from her, there's only one piano here, and I haven't seen you guys go up to Kaede's lab together at all, and since I get the feeling that statement was a lie anyway, that knocks that off the list. Same with the statement about Tsumugi. I don't think even she could pull something that incredible off in just the 4 days before she died, especially when you were so focused on the time limit. That means that little tennis game with Avataro has to be the truth. Still, he plays tennis? I would have thought Ryoma was the only one here who really does that."

"Yeah, he was really good." I nodded. "Well, guess I lost this round. Back to you then."

"Yep!" Kokichi cheered as he thought of his next statement. "Well, I've stolen a prized jewel from a museum before and replaced it with a big 'ol watermelon with makeup on it. I've flooded an entire school by breaking all the water pipes in the bathrooms. And…" Kokichi then smiled as he said the final statement. "I had Miu make me a large sword to destroy the Exisals. Which of these is true?"

"Oh this is much easier. The first one is true."

"Ooh, incorrect again!" Kokichi told me. "Why did you think that was true?"

"Well, the second statement wasn't really plausible, and I don't believe that you would do something that might seriously injure someone just for a prank. And Miu didn't make you a sword, she made you hammers."

"Oh? How do you know she made me hammers? And 'hammers' implies that she made more than one, but I only found one in her lab. How would you know there were multiple hammers?" I blinked a few times in confusion before I turned to Kokichi, who was somehow giving me an even more smug look.

"Oh...shit." I mumbled a response. This was all a ploy to see how much I knew about Kokichi's plan, and I walked right into it. I was oblivious to his real intentions due to the mask of the game.

"So, how much do you know?" Kokichi asked me. "You must have been the one who gave me that note last night, right? If there were multiple hammers, did you take the others? Was there anything else you took?"

"Umm…" I don't really have much of a choice now. Kokichi already knows, so there's no point in lying. "Alright, yes I gave you that note. And there were two hammers, and yes I took one. I didn't take anything else." Kokichi squinted his eyes at me before giving me another question.

"You didn't take anything else, did you? Then what's this about?" Kokichi asked as he took out a sheet of paper. A sheet of paper that made me pale when I saw what was on it. It was Miu's blueprints for the Electro Radar. "Miu made this radar thing. It was marked as almost finished on a list of inventions she had, but I couldn't find it anywhere in her lab. Well?" I gulped as I thought about how to approach this. Do I really want Kokichi to know that I have this device, and that I've finished making it? Even if I lie, will he fall for it? It's Kokichi, the master liar himself. The one who claims he can see through almost any lie.

"..." The two of us just stared at each other, both with serious expressions masking any other emotions either of us might be feeling at the moment. Eventually, I gave in with a sigh. "...Yes. I have the radar. I commissioned Miu to make it. But it wasn't finished when I got it. Miu died before she completed it." I told him. None of that was a lie, so he shouldn't suspect anything. I just won't tell him I managed to complete it. He doesn't need to know after all.

"I see. That's disappointing. It would have been nice if it was completed." Kokichi sighed as he looked at his hand with a bored look. "...Damn it. As if things weren't bad enough." His demeanor had completely changed since he revealed his true intentions with that game of wits. He looked annoyed, or perhaps tensed is a better word. The childlike act had been put away as Kokichi bit his thumb with thinking eyes, as if he was trying to crack something.

"Kokichi?" I asked in a worried voice, reaching out to him as I did. He noticed my hand and swatted it away, making a face as he did. In that split second, he looked at me with a dark expression that dripped with distrust, before quickly putting back on his cheerful facade.

"Oh well. Nothing we can do about that. So, why did you take one of those hammers?" Kokichi asked me in a playful voice. I made note of his slight change in demeanor before answering him.

"I took one just in case I needed it. Might come in handy. Not like you need two of them."

"I suppose that's true." Kokichi mumbled. "And what about the other stuff you saw? Why didn't you take any of that?"

"Well, Miu made that stuff for you, so it felt wrong to just take it all. It technically belongs to you." I responded. Kokichi nodded before he started thinking about something again. "Kokichi, I have a few ideas, but I'd rather hear it from you. What is it exactly you're planning to do with all of this?" I asked him.

"Oh, so you're curious about it? Well, since you're my loyal minion, I guess I can tell ya." Kokichi smirked before giving me his signature pose with his spread out arms and an evil smile. "I'm going to use these anti-electric weapons to kill Kee-boy, obviously! I'm going to scrap that stupid robot, and I'm going to coerce you into helping me now that you know!" I felt a sudden, quick chill crawl up my spine when I heard those words. I didn't even think of the possibility that he might use this stuff to kill. Keebo runs on electricity, just like the Exisals. Kokichi could actually be planning to use this stuff to kill him. The hammers wouldn't kill Keebo, but it would power him down temporarily, pretty much knocking him out. Kokichi could then do something to destroy Keebo completely. Why did I not even take that into account? This is a death game, so why wouldn't this stuff be used to kill? Now that the possibility had implanted itself in my mind, I couldn't help but think about it and it's validity. My eyes landed on the evil despot with a calculating glare, one that was desperate to figure him out. Of course, all I got in return was another stupid, innocent grin. One that if it were on any other child would dismiss them of any and all doubt, but on Kokichi, it only made me more suspicious.

That's when I took a deep breath and actually thought logically about it. No. Kokichi wouldn't do that. Despite how he is, he's not a killer. His motive video proves it. He's against violence. No matter what he says or how he acts, he wouldn't deliberately hurt someone, let alone kill them.

SLAM!

I jumped at the sudden loud noise that rang out in the dining hall. Kokichi had slammed his hand against the table as he got close to me with a deathly serious look. "I know that look, Rinny. You don't believe me. Do you think that I'm really so innocent? I could really be planning Kee-boy's death, you know? Well, death is what happens when you kill a person, not a robot."

"Don't joke about that, Kokichi. This is a killing game. You know the consequences of killing someone and of getting caught. You're not that stupid to kill someone right after telling me about it." I shot back at the little imp that was trying to intimidate me. "Besides, you and your group are against violence. You wouldn't kill someone unless you absolutely had to."

"And why do you think that?" Kokichi asked me with a smirk. "Is it because of my video? If that's the case, then let me tell you that you shouldn't believe it."

"Why not? You're the leader of that little group, aren't you? That means you made that rule. And I doubt Monokuma would lie in that video, since it was meant for you specifically." I countered.

"But that doesn't mean I made the rule. Ever hear of democracy? That's a rule my goons wanted. Since they're a bunch of cowards afraid of getting their hands dirty. As for me…" Kokichi then swiftly took out something from his pocket and held it against my throat. I felt my breathing hitch when I saw it, and felt it against my neck. A knife. A kitchen knife. He must have grabbed it when he was getting his snacks. I felt terror begin to run through me as I stared at the knife that could easily kill me. I barely noticed Kokichi's villainous grin that he had on as he casually threatened me. "I'm not afraid to kill someone just for kicks. If I really wanted to, I could kill you right here, and no one would know. How 'bout it? Want to know how dying feels?" I couldn't answer as I continued to stare at the blade threatening me. Kokichi then laughed as he took the knife away from my neck and placed it on the table. "Just kidding~! That was just a lie. You're far too interesting to kill at the moment. Remember that before you go dying on me, Rinny!" Kokichi told me while giving me a childish grin. Can't say that makes me feel at ease after what just happened. I felt my eyes move back onto Kokichi as I slowly put my hand on my throat.

"...What are you planning?" I asked him in a dark, serious voice. I could feel my eyes burning with a soft, blood-red anger as I asked the purple gremlin the question. He only returned my gaze with a dark expression of his own, his eyes also seeming to glow a faint, evil violet.

"What indeed? I could tell you, but would you really believe me if I did?" He laughed in a cruel tone.

"...I'm warning you right now, Kokichi. If you're planning something stupid, I will stop it. I'm not going to let anyone else get hurt if there's something I can do to stop it." I warned him.

"I know. You're ever so reliable, Rinny." Kokichi said in a mocking tone. "Well, I think that's enough for one day. Now that I've had my snack break, I should be able to work hard to make the killing game waaay more entertaining today!" He said as he moved away from me and stretched his arms. "Looks like I won today, Rinny. You couldn't figure out any of my truths." Kokichi then gave me a sly look and a giggle. "Nee-heehee...Or perhaps that's a lie? I told you I wouldn't tell you which thing I said was the truth if you got it wrong, but I also didn't say I would tell you if what you picked was the truth or not as well."

"Huh?"

"Hahaha, what do you think? Was I lying when I said you got it wrong, or was I telling you the truth? Were all my statements lies, or was there one or many truths? Who knows?" Kokichi continued laughing as he left the dining hall, leaving me alone with my thoughts and his words. Every time I think I finally have a grasp on Kokichi and why he does what he does, he does stuff like this. I can't even begin to figure out what's a lie or not. It's giving me a headache just thinking about it. Some of what he said feels like they were lies to me, but those are just gut feelings. Strong gut feelings, as if I can tell which of those statements really were lies, like I can easily point them out if I wanted to. But I don't want to trust my instincts. Trusting my instincts only hurts others. I need to think about it logically, yet whenever I do that, I just end up confusing myself more. A lie...or the truth? Is Kokichi really as dangerous as he made himself out to be, or is it just an act? The first question that brings up is if he isn't a threat to us, then why would he go to such lengths to make me believe he was a threat? Why? Why would he do that? Why would he make himself out to be the villain in this instance if it's just an act?

I just sighed as I picked up the knife and put it away. Perhaps I really have been trusting of Kokichi. This is a death game. I shouldn't be surprised. I might feel like I can trust everyone here, but the truth is that anyone could decide to kill at any time. Tsumugi and Kiyo are proof of that. Can I really trust anyone here? That's when I remembered something and looked back at the bag of fudge that Kokichi had given me. The gift that he had given me. I felt my resolve strengthen at the sight of it. No. I'm not wrong. My trust isn't misplaced. I can trust these people here, at least to an extent. That includes Kokichi. He's not pure evil. I don't even think he is evil. There's a reason he's doing whatever he's doing, and I'm going to figure it out eventually. He might have won this round in our game of wits, but this is far from over.

I finished cleaning up before leaving the dining hall to continue with my day. Maybe I can go back and actually read that book I found? "Rin." I stopped in my tracks and stopped myself from sighing. Of course not. Everytime, I swear. I turned around and saw Maki approaching me. How unusual.

"Afternoon, Maki. What's up?" I asked her.

"Here." She said as she put something in my hand. I looked down at my hand and saw that she gave me a pocket watch of some kind. "Open it up." I tilted my head at her words, but I still did as she said and opened up the watch. Upon opening it up, my mind proceeded to be blown.

"Is this a game console!?" I asked with an excited voice.

"Yeah. I got it from the school store." Maki said while averting her eyes in a neutral expression.

"Wow, this is so thoughtful!" I said happily. "But, why are you giving me this?" Maki just gave me the same serious look she usually gives everyone before she finally responded.

"I was going to give Miu her video as a thank you for her making the lock for my lab, but I also wanted to get you a thank you gift too, since you're the one who asked Miu to make the lock. I got this today, and figured you'd like it." Maki then lowered her head a bit. "It's also my apology for what happened last night." I gave her a soft smile in return.

"Thank you. Really. This means a lot to me." I told her. I don't really know what I did to get gifts today, but I'm happy with both Kokichi's and Maki's gifts. Maki didn't give a reaction in her expression as she turned around.

"Well, that's all I wanted to say, so…" Maki began as she started to leave.

"H-Hey, wait!" I called out. "W-Well, since you're here, do you want to talk for a bit?" Maki gave me a look with a raised eyebrow before she sighed.

"...Sure." She told me.

"Wait, really!?" I exclaimed in surprise and excitement.

"...What's with your reaction? You're the one who invited me." She mumbled.

"I-I was just shocked. I didn't actually think you would accept the offer." I replied nervously while scratching my cheek.

"Hmph. I suppose that's fair." Maki huffed a bit at my response. "I'll follow your lead. I don't really care what we do, but don't blame me if you start thinking you're wasting your time by hanging out with me." I only could manage a weak laugh at that as we walked around, talking about nothing in particular.

"Hey, do you mind if I ask you a bit about your time as an assassin?" I asked Maki after we had been walking around the courtyard for a while. Maki gave me a stern look when I asked my question.

"Why would you want to know something like that?"

"It's less so that I'm interested in your job or talent as an assassin, if that's what you're wondering. I'm more interested in how it affected you. Being an assassin while being so young must be hard." I told her. Maki gave me her usual glare for a bit before she swiftly averted her eyes.

"I don't mind talking about it, if that's what you really want to know." Maki said. "You watched my motive video, right? With Kaito?"

"Y-Yeah, that's right." I confirmed.

"Then you heard what it said about the Holy Salvation Society?"

"Yeah. That's the cult that recruits children from your orphanage to turn them into assassins."

"That's right. They use the guise of a religious group to take 'donation requests' from 'clients'. That's how they set it up. The founder is the boss of the organization and all the staff of the religious group are in on it."

"That's pretty shady alright. It's hard to believe an organization like this wouldn't be caught, but it's possible they have their ways to pull it off." I commented.

"You would know, right? You said you've dealt with cults before." Maki asked me.

"W-Well, even if that's true, I don't remember." I told her in a defensive tone. "But the word 'cult' is pretty concerning. Are they religious nutjobs? Is that why they train assassins?"

"Don't know. As a society, the cult is pretty normal. And it hasn't caused any trouble either. The boss and the staff don't actually believe in their god… But they haven't been punished for their sins... God really doesn't exist in this world…" Maki's words were harsh and cold, but they weren't out of hatred. They were more like acceptance. That tone...and that lack of faith or hope...it's familiar.

There is no God in this world. Not if all the tragedies I've faced in my life have anything to say about it. If there was a God, then why are they dead? Why am I alone now? Why do I lose everyone?

I shook off the bad thoughts as I turned back to Maki. "Then no one believes in this cult? It's all just part of the cover? That's...sort of sad."

"I suppose. I'm not a believer, that's for sure, and the other assassins the group hires aren't believers either. Not that I would know with certainty since none of us really get along. Assassins are the 'buddy-buddy' types." Maki spat out as she crossed her arms.

"I guess that makes sense." I sighed. "So you never had any friends before this?" Maki didn't look at me, but it looked like her eyes softened a bit before she spoke again.

"I suppose you could say that I had a few friends, I guess." Maki softly replied.

"Really?" I asked.

"Yeah. I guess I had a few close friends." Maki turned to me and gave me a raised eyebrow. "What's with that look? You look relieved, or even happy now that I've said that."

"Oh, that? Don't mind me." I said with a big grin. It was just relieving to hear that Maki had friends, even close friends before meeting us. If she had even a few friends, the burden she must be carrying must be lighter now because of them then it would be without them.

"Well stop it. It's gross." Maki told me with a stern expression.

"G-Gross, huh?" I nervously replied. "I'm just happy you had friends, that's all."

"Well, back then, when I was still in the orphanage, I was just a normal kid." She said while making a pouty face and clutching one of her hair tails.

"I suppose you're right. It wouldn't make sense for a little girl in an orphanage to not make friends with the other kids there." I noted.

"I guess. I also had a few friends at school too." Maki said before her expression became one of slight sorrow. "But...those days had to end."

"End?" I repeated. I don't like the implications of that.

"What do you think happened when I became an assassin?" Maki asked me. "Those childish days ended the day they took me away. Since then, I haven't had the luxury of connections with others. I've only lost them."

"L-Lost them?"

"I don't just kill bad guys, so I'm sorry to disappoint you if you thought otherwise. I've had to kill innocents before…" Maki said. "Like a friend I knew from school."

"Y-You had to kill one of your friends!?" I shouted in horror.

"A daughter of a yakuza leader. She was the child of a mistress with no ties to the gang. Her father loved her very much... Which is why she was seen as dangerous. The yakuza's elites decided to have her removed, in case rival groups used her."

"That's horrible!" I shouted with a pained expression. "To force you to do something so cruel...to someone innocent of it all…"

"Yeah. That's when I realized this would be my life now. I heard them calling it an act of God… I don't believe in that. I also don't intend to blame it on anyone else." Maki nodded softly. "...You may think it's unreasonable to kill someone on the account of other people. But… Everyone does what they can to live. You, me...and everyone I've murdered. I kill. But I can also be killed. That's all."

"...Yeah. You're right. That's what we were saying last night. All we can do is do our best to survive." I agreed, though I despised the cruelty I was condoning by agreeing with that. "Still...I'll never forgive that group. To force young children to kill...to murder...and to do it against innoncent people and other children… That's too rotten… I hate it. For a group of people to do something so awful, and to drag you into it and force that burden onto you… It's the most despicable thing this world has to offer!"

"You don't hate me for actually performing the killing?" Maki asked with a confused voice.

"Of course not! You were only a child, and one that was being threatened at that! You had no choice, otherwise the worst possible outcome would have happened, right?" I asked her, to which she only averted her eyes with a sad expression. "It's like this killing game. Someone else is forcing us to commit such heinous acts for no reason at all. They trick and manipulate people into killing one another like we're toys for them to play with. Kaede, Tsumugi, and Kiyo… They might have tried to kill or actually killed, and it's hard for any of us to move on from that or completely forgive them, but they were pushed into this situation by cruel, twisted people. Those kinds of people...the ones who brought us here and the people in charge of that fake cult...they're the ones to blame."

"..." Maki just stared at me before putting back an indifferent look. "Not like it matters right now. They're not even here."

"W-Well...I guess." I deflated in my anger. "But shouldn't you be more upset at them?"

"I told you already. I've accepted that this is my life now. That's all I can do." Maki mumbled. I felt my fists tightening when I heard that. It made me angry. Angier than ever before.

"No! I won't accept that!" I shouted. "I...reject that kind of life! I refuse to accept that this kind of life is acceptable for anyone!" Maki scoffed at my statement and gave me an annoyed look.

"The world isn't as simple as you think. It needs assassins to do the dirty work. Who the hell do you think you are? Do you honestly believe you can change that?"

"..." I thought carefully about her question before I found my answer with little hesitation. "I don't know, but I'm willing to try with all my might."

"Don't you think you're being presumptions?"

"I don't give a damn!" I told her. "I don't care if I'm being optimistic, and I don't care if what I'm saying is too idealistic! I refuse to accept that I live in a world where it's okay to force the burdens of death and murder on children! And if that's what the world wants or needs, then I reject the world itself! I'll work as hard as I can to change the world as many times as I need until it stops being a necessity. No, I'll work until it's not even an option for people anymore." Maki stared at me in confusion after I made my grand statement before she crossed her arms and huffed.

"And how exactly do you plan to 'change the world'? Are you really confident that you can do something so impossible by yourself?" She asked me.

"...Yes. I do." I answered her. "I don't know who I am, or what my talent is, but I don't care. I'll scream as loud as I can until people hear me. It doesn't matter if it's impossible. I'll make it possible."

"Heh… You sound like that idiot." Maki chuckled. "And here I thought you were smarter than him." I felt her words hit me like a punch to the gut.

"O-Okay...you got a point. I'm probably making it sound much easier than it actually is. It'll probably be way too hard for me to actually do it, realistically." I admitted before I gave her a determined look. "But I won't know that for certain until I try, right?" Maki gave a light chuckle at that as she hid a small, sly smile from me.

"I doubt you can do something so grand, even if it's you saying it." Maki told me. "But if you somehow manage to even change things slightly...if you manage to change the world enough so that people don't have to resort to assassins or murder to solve complicated problems in the world...then I suppose I would theoretically have to stop being an assassin." She then gave me a small smile as she started walking ahead of me. "Well, you are Kaito's sidekick, so I shouldn't expect much from you."

"Hey!" I shouted as I walked after her. "If that's the case, then that goes for you too! You're one of Kaito's 'sidekicks' as well."

"You just had to bring that up." Maki gave a slight chuckle as we continued talking, though about brighter topics. Maki might think I'm bluffing or trying to make her feel better, but I was serious. I won't allow anyone else to suffer like she has. The pain she must have gone through, the horrible emotions and physical abuse she must have undergone...I won't allow that to continue. It's not right. No one should ever have to feel like that or endure that pain. It's like this killing game. Such cruelty, such heartache, such pain...I won't allow them to continue if there's anything I can do about it, which realistically isn't much. Still, I won't know until I try, and I'm not usually this determined about something normally. If the world refuses to change for the better, then the world itself is my enemy, and there's no person on the planet that can change my mind about that.