The next day during my rifle lessons, Miyuji seemed to be curious about something. I didn't think much of it until she turned to face me.
"Yo, this might be a tough topic for you but..." The vocalist hesitated for a bit before continuing. "What really happened during the Killing Titan War?"
My eyes widened in confusion. "When did this come up?"
"It's just that it seems like your fuzzy memories have to do with that war. If your motive video showed us the truth, then how exactly did the war begin?" She responded.
I looked down in regret as I answered. "I was the one who started it."
"What..?" The black-haired girl muttered in shock.
"I was searching one of the shops in my home Colony 6 when I came across a game system of some sort. I decided to get off the shopkeeper's hands and got it. When I got home, I saw that it had a game called 'Xenoblade Chronicles'. It looked Homs-made, but when I realized we haven't reached the advances of technology like the High Entia, I saw myself in the game. The game was actually the events of the future!" I explained. "I worked hard to keep track of what each playable character liked to receive as gifts, which materials lesser characters offered for trade, and enemy characteristics such as directional defenses. I'd even made preparations days before everything in the game was set to go down. However, Zanza and his group of Disciples and pawns became aware of my actions and how they awoken the Ultimate Calamity named Murasaki Kurayami from her crystal slumber."
"WHAT?!" Miyuji yelled. "You mean you ended up unknowingly awakening a god-like being from a slumber for who knows how long and attracted the attention of a god and their followers?!"
"Well, Murasaki slept for a month before her crystal was destroyed." I snarked before continuing. "Because of that, they referred to me as the 'Girl Who Defies Her Destiny'. A Scorbunny who I named Zellium came to me with my Battle Gem saying that it was special soon after. Then the future started to change in ways like different enemies, deaths that weren't supposed to happen, and new Arts."
It was nearly nighttime when I finished my explanation and decided to head to the fourth floor, but I wasn't alone. I saw Maki and Kiyo in the latter's lab near one of many bookshelves, though the assassin put the book she was reading aside when she heard the anthropologist come in.
What is Maki doing here anyway? I thought to myself.
I hid behind the glass case containing the golden katana to avoid being seen and listened to the conversation between the two.
"Good evening, my apologies if I interrupted you. This is quite the surprise, seeing you here." Kiyo began as he offer her a brief bow.
Maki wasn't the sort of person to be offended by mince words though. "You didn't. I was hoping to talk to you actually."
Really? She wanted to talk to him? I thought.
"Really? I'm sorry to have kept you waiting then." The anthropologist apologized before asking "How may I help you? But isn't it a bit late for this?"
"No, it's fine. And there's no point in acting like you actually care about any council's curfews either. But..." The assassin paused as if she was debating with herself for a moment, fiddling with her collar while in thought. Kiyo took a seat near her as he waited to see what was on her mind. "...The only reason I'm asking you of all people is because no one would believe you if you breathed a word about any of this. And Shuichi indicted you aren't as clueless about this sorta stuff as the rest of us mostly are. Got it?"
"Understood, but you do realize Angie's just down the hall and doesn't always stay in her lab, yes?" Kiyo pointed out. But given her glare, the reminder was less than appreciated. At least until it softened into a frustrated puffy faced pout as she nearly undid her bow with her fidgeting.
Realizing her mistake with a blush, she instead shoved an item in front of his face to try and force things along. A mummified monkey's paw no less. Awfully fitting considering what Monotaro indicated the results of a resurrection could turn out like. And as Kiyo gladly took her bribe, she found her voice.
"How... do you know when you like someone?" She asked in a hushed tone.
Maki has a crush on someone? Who? I thought.
Kiyo was silent for a bit before responding. "...If Shuichi gave you this impression then you know surely he'd be a better person for you to ask about this, yes? As far as I'm concerned matters of the heart are a strictly private issue, not one for discussing."
"Well I-I don't know how I feel." Maki stammered, torn between looking embarrassed and angered. "It could be something else. The closest I've come to feeling something like this was for a girl I knew back at the orphanage. Shuichi and Kaito tell each other everything so I can't just ask him about anything..."
Wait a minute, does she have a crush on Kaito? I thought.
"So you are conflicted on if this is a crush or more… friendly or familial affections? For our own Kaito?" The anthropologist asked, echoing my own thoughts.
The assassin had a deep red shade of the blush on her face as she looked down in embarrassment. For such a cold killer, her range of expressions never ceased to amaze.
"...Something like that." Maki mumbled, though it looked more like she was talking to her poorly re-tied and battered bow than to Kiyo with her face still aflame.
"So not quite? Are you also trying to sort out what you felt for your 'friend' back then was too?" The taller student asked.
"Maybe. So... how would I know?"
"I couldn't say. For some friends can be just as important as a lover, and to some others even more so. This is what part of what makes it so personal. How much do you think they mean to you?"
"...I'd be more upset if something happened to Kaito than the rest of you. No offense, but that's really not saying much in this situation. But I was willing to kill for her. So she wouldn't be forced to."
"To be fair willing to kill for his sake here would be suicide at best and detrimental to you both at worst. Is that why you're suspecting you may have felt more for her than just friendship or surrogate sibling?"
"A bit. I mean… it wouldn't be normal to develop feelings in a place like this in such a short amount of time, would it?"
"It's actually more common for strong bonds to develop quickly in times of great stress, so it's far from unusual. Which is why asking someone like Keebo, Kaede, Sharla, or even Tenko may be more useful to you here."
"I think you just mean Kaede and Sharla, the other two aren't exactly open-minded about me. And if I did Kaito might find out what I asked her about. Or worse Kokichi. He's been hanging around her a lot lately."
Why are they getting me involved in this all of a sudden?! I off-handily thought.
"Fair point. Would it be so bad to just try talking to Kaito about this? He's brash, but not inconsiderate."
Kiyo must've figured the gaze in Maki's eyes was an enough of an answer. "No need to give me that look, I am being serious. If he had any existing relationships I'm sure he'd say so by now and he's not the sort of person to play with a girl's honest emotions. Would it hurt to try?"
"Fine. I guess I'll think about it. And if any rumors start floating around before then, you're a dead man." The assassin obliged.
"That's a bit drastic wouldn't you say? It's not like you or he have been particularly subtle, as I'm sure you've noticed from the way Kokichi has tried teasing you both before. But rest assured, I won't talk."
"That would be a change." The shorter girl snarked, smirk naturally falling into place with it's signature quirk.
It's almost sad to consider an adorable if unusual physical feature like that might be part of why she hadn't been adopted by a normal family when she still had a chance.
"Alright, poor phrasing on my part. But it's not like I'm one to participate in gossip anyway." Kiyo admitted. "Honestly I'd have much preferred going into the story connected to the paw you have so graciously given me than something of this nature. Or even how your work has affected your own views on the concept of death."
"The one with the three wishes that keep going wrong? I think I've heard that one before. I think I'll stop taking up your time though, just in case Kirumi comes by to check on you again." Maki said. "And… Thank you. It was nice to see Shuichi was right. You aren't as much of a creepy weirdo as you could be. My words, not his."
The anthropologist couldn't help but laugh a little at the irony of it all while he gave her a partial bow as she departed without seeing me behind the katana's glass case. "Kehehe. I'm not sure your assessment, blunt as it was, is truly accurate. But I appreciate your praise, such as it is, all the same and do sincerely wish you the best. I'll be rooting for you, so take care, Maki."
I decided to leave before Kiyo saw me. I managed to get out of his lab and went back to my room. It was a little easier going to sleep this time. I wasn't sure how things will turn out with the new information I just found out.
The next day, I went for a morning walk until I saw Kaito and Kiyo running in my direction.
"What's going on?" I asked in confusion.
"It's hard to explain right now. It's in Kiyo's lab, come on." Kaito answered as he brought me with him and the anthropologist.
I saw Angie happily bobbing along as per the usual for her. At least Tenko hadn't lost another friend.
When we got into Kiyo's lab, we saw a rather surprising sight...
The body of Maki Harukawa was on the floor of the anthropologist's lab... lying there broken and bloody.
I could hardly even tell where the red of the blood ended and that of her clothing began anymore. I swore parts of the blood nearly looked pink against her crimson if I wasn't looking directly at it. Seeing the mask sloppily laid over her face didn't help either. Particularly given whose it really was.
I noticed Kiyo looking at where Miyuji, Kaede, and Kirumi were talking and I felt like I knew what he was going to do.
I'm not sure what you're up to Kiyo, but I will expose you as the traitor you are! I thought to myself.