"You already figured it out," accused Saeko as she rested against the door, lest she collapsed. She balled her hand into a fist, squeezing out the blood, and then regarded the halben with a self-deprecating smile. "...I'm not human."

"What!?" Taiga shouted in disbelief. "What does that even mean?" He paused, then added with a sardonic laugh, "What; are you saying you're some kind of mutant? Alien? Is that it?"

Saeko buried her head in her right hand, her voice cracked from subdued grief as she replied, "...I do not know."

Taiga scoffed and spread out his arms in disbelief. "What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

"It means I Don't Fucking Know Okay!?" Saeko screamed as she finally snapped. She shot to her feet and then shouted as she glared at Taiga through tear-filled eyes, "Do you think I asked to be born this way? A freak of nature!? Do You Have Any Idea What My Life's Been Like!?"

"No I Don't!" Taiga yelled back, his anger and frustration rising with each passing moment. "I don't know a damned thing about you!" The halben's eyes turned red, burning with equal parts rage and pain. "You know who I am; Where I'm from; What I've done! All I know about you is that you're some rich pampered girl who's used to getting what she wants. Oh. And apparently, you have admin privileges to this damned game. So, I know you work for Genaco." Taiga paused, his gaze turning hostile as he walked toward Saeko. "Is that it? Did they send you to watch me? Keep little, old, deranged Taiga in line. Make sure he doesn't do anything crazy?" Taiga pressed up against Saeko who instinctively shrunk back against the door. BAM! In his rage, he slammed his hand against the door and demanded, " I asked a Goddamned Question!"

BAM! Crash!

Taiga coughed as he was sent flying across the room. He crashed against the dresser, but then shot to his feet, the rage in his eyes turning even worse. However, perhaps, because of the time he'd spent with Saeko, he could not bring himself to attack.

Saeko glared at him, her expression a mixture of pain, remorse and rage. "I will answer your questions, but do not think for a second, I will let you intimidate me. I may have never taken a life, but I have been surrounded, and trained by the world's worst assassins, and drill sergeants since I was five. You do not scare me."

"HAHA! I don't fucking believe it!" Taiga could not help but let out a crazed laugh, as he looked around as if in hope someone else could confirm what he witnessed. "See!? This is what I'm talking about! Who the fuck trains a kid to kill from the age of five? Who, or What the Fuck Are You!?"

"I already answered you," Saeko replied in an even tone. Somehow, Taiga's combative tone and attitude helped her regain herself. "I do not know."

"Well, then. What do you know."

"I know that I had to kill my mother to be born."

"What?" Taiga froze. He searched Saeko's gaze, but could not find a trace of deceit. "What are you talking about?"

Saeko sarcastically chuckled as she shrugged her shoulders, and then said, "Apparently, I was a freak from the womb." She hugged her arms as if to protect herself from the memory as she confessed, "Turns out freaks need a lot more nutrients to survive than the average baby." Her eyes welled up once again as she looked at Taiga. "She tried her best, my mother did. She didn't give up until I was born. The nurses said she passed with a smile on her face, like she was relieved. Think about that. She was so relieved to finally be rid of the parasite sucking her dry, she happily passed away without ever laying eyes on me."

Taiga opened his mouth, but then shut it right after. His brows furrowed, pain and discomfort in his eyes as he muttered, "I... I'm—"

"Sorry?" Saeko laughed and shook her head. "Do not be. According to my father, mother died to save the world. A modern day Mary he called her."

"Mary?" repeated Taiga in confusion. "Sorry, I'm lost. Who's your father?"

"James. James Shouyou."

"Shouyou? Genaco's Shouyou? That guy?" Taiga eyes widened in shock, but he then realized the signs were all there. Saeko was a Blond, blue-eyed Japanese woman. How rare was that? How did he not suspect this before? "Wait. So, if he's your father, that means he isn't human either?"

"I honestly do not know," Saeko replied with a helpless smile. She sniffed and then said, "He always says the time is not yet right when I ask."

Taiga grabbed his head as he let out a loud, frustrated groan. "What the hell is even going on?" He took a deep breath to calm himself, and then turned to Saeko. "Okay, from the beginning... Explain Everything."

Saeko, likewise, composed herself with a deep breath, and then explained the truth in its entirety.

Apparently, Saeko achieved full cognitive and motor abilities just a few weeks after her birth. As a result, she remembered every moment from when she was just five weeks old. By the age of 1, she could solve complex mathematical equations, and by 3, began exhibiting strength on par with grown men.

James Shouyou, her father, seemed to expect this however, as he supervised every moment of her growth. When Saeko turned 5, she started training for something he called, 'The Final Test.' Along with getting flung around by killers from all around the world, he sanctioned a series of medical examinations to turn her blood into a serum that could enhance the physical and mental prowess of other humans.

Saeko had no clue at the time, but the serums were tested on numerous people. After numerous deaths and mistakes, the scientists realized the serum was more toxic to grown-ups than children. After a few more improvements, a final working version was finally concocted. That version was used on Taiga and his friends.

"These people they tested," questioned Taiga, "Were they kidnapped like us?"

"No," Saeko replied with a shake of her head. "The clinical testees signed an agreement which sent ridiculous amounts of money to their families in the event of death. They were mostly either death-row inmates or people with only a few months to live. You people were different. There was supposed to be no risk of death, and the company wanted a squad with no traces."

"No traces..." Taiga let out a sardonic chuckle. "Yeah, no one would mourn or look for us." He then looked at Saeko and then asked the most burning question on his mind, "So, what role did you play in making the A.I? Did you design them with your genius mind?"

Saeko frowned, confusion in her eyes. "What are you talking about?"

"The A.Is," asserted Taiga with a frown. "Did you have anything to do with their production?"

"No," Saeko denied with a firm shake of her head. "I had nothing to do with that. As far as I know, some programmer in Iruma developed them."

Taiga's frown deepened. "So, you had nothing to do with the A.Is?"

"No I did not," she firmly confirmed. "Why do you keep asking?"

Taiga sighed and then ran his hands through his hair. His eyes were suffused with guilt and pain and he said, "Because I can't blame you if you had nothing to do with the A.Is." The young man walked over and then stopped in front of Saeko. His chest burned as he looked into her tear-filled eyes, and he instinctively grabbed her hands.

Saeko panicked and made to pull her hands away, but Taiga firmly held on. "What are you doing?"

"Apologizing."

"What?" Saeko blurted out. She stared at the halben in disbelief. What the hell was he on about now?

Taiga sighed once more, and then looked into Saeko's eyes as he said, "Listen. All these stuff about who you are... where you're from... I never really cared about them. I got pissed because I thought you had something to do with Henri's death, but it turns out you didn't."

"Wanna know the fucked up part?" Taiga revealed a bitter smile as he admitted, "I'm actually thankful you're... well, whatever you are. If you were human, then I would probably be dead right now in some ditch back in Hadet." Taiga paused and then said, "I don't hate that we were experimented on to become stronger. We all made our peace with that. I hate the A.Is that killed my friends, and the idiot programmers who designed them that way in the first place."

Taiga brushed the tears from Saeko's eyes as he said, "I'm not the smartest guy out there, but I'm not stupid enough to blame you for something you didn't do. I'm sorry I took out my anger on you. Guess I'm not as over their deaths as I thought I was."

"No," refuted Saeko with a shake of her head. "I should have told you the truth from the beginning. My father has too many secrets. I don't know what he's planning, but I do know that Suzuki is somehow a part of it."

Taiga's brow shot up. "Sukki-chan? How is he a part of this?"

Saeko shook her head. "I do not believe he is aware of the situation. I was tasked with getting close to and then monitoring his every move." She then let out a wry smile as she looked at Taiga. "...but then you happened."

Taiga coughed, quickly let go of Saeko's hand, and then turned around to hide his embarrassment. Both parties quietly looked at the floor to avoid eye contact as the room's atmosphere turned awkward.

Pfff..

Eventually, Saeko squeaked as she rested her back against Taigais, "So, what does this mean for us?"

"What?"

"Us?" Saeko repeated, her eyes trembling as she stared at the ceiling. "Can we still be friends now that you know the truth about me?"

...

A long silence followed, with each second feeling more unbearable than the last for the poor girl. Her shivers traveled from her eyes down to the tips of her fingers. Eventually, just when Saeko wanted to retract her question, Taiga dropped a bombshell.

"No."

Saeko's heart sunk to the pit of her stomach. Bile rose up to her mouth, and in her fear, she could barely ask, "Wh-what did you say?"

"No." Taiga repeated. "We cannot be friends anymore."

Color drained from Saeko's face as she turned white as sheet. However, she fought to maintain her dignity and instead, shakily squeezed out, "I-I understand." She then began to walk away, but a firm hand grabbed her wrist and spun her around.

"What more do you want!?" Saeko screamed as she angrily glared at Taiga. "I got the message. We can't be friends, right? Don't worry. I'm used to being by myself. I don't need you."

"Well, congratufuckinglations then," Taiga sarcastically praised, and then said, "but I do need you."

Saeko froze, confusion in her eyes. "What?"

"Fuck." Taiga cursed, and then pulled Saeko into his embrace. Before the swordswoman could react, he raised her chin and planted a hot kiss that sucked out her living soul. Saeko's eyes went wide and her legs nearly gave out from the shock, but luckily, Taiga kept a firm grip around her waist.

Taiga eventually freed her lips and then looked into her eyes. "No. We cannot be friends, because I know the truth now. The past couple minutes, the one thought that kept popping through my mind, was 'Please let her not be responsible.' Over and over again I prayed. Because, I knew that even if you were responsible, I would inevitably justify it to myself that you couldn't possibly be at fault. Because at the end of the day, no matter what, I did not want to lose you. And now I know why..."

Taiga pulled Saeko close as he confessed, "I love you Saeko Minako. Not because you remind me of Henri, but because you are you. I love your smile, the way you insist on dressing like a prince in here; the way you willingly seek out fights; your love for fashion; your beautiful heart. I love all these things about you, and many more. I'm sorry it took me this long to figure it out, and I'm sorry to spring this on you out of the blue, but I don't want to waste any moment. I've learned to appreciate every second we have on this earth."

Taiga hesitated, then asked, "What do you think?"

Saeko wiped her eyes and then said with a teasing smirk, "What do I think?"

"Well... ye—"

A passionate kiss cut Taiga short. Saeko wrapped her hands around Taiga's neck and pulled him in, as if seeking to drown herself in the halben. Both Saeko and Taiga gave each other all of themselves, as they sunk deeper and deeper into the kiss, often forgetting to come up for air.

The couple's kiss grew hotter and more passionate by the second, eventually turning into restlessness as they grabbed each other and pushed themselves around the room. In a moment of heated passion. Taiga slammed Saeko against the wall.

BOOOOM!

The ground and walls trembled as the sound of a massive explosion reverberated throughout the manor.

Saeko and Taiga froze in disbelief as they stared at each other. 'What in the hells?' The duo sensed danger and immediately shot out of the room. Within seconds, they zoomed through the hallway and then arrived at a dance hall on the fourth floor. The duo's gazes traveled to the massive hole in the ceiling through which moonlight was currently shining.

But more importantly, their eyes narrowed at the familiar winged figures proudly hovering over the hall.

Taiga gritted his teeth as he glared at the smug Adjudicators, "Now, what do they want?"

A/N: These chapters and the next, sponsored by the 6ix9ine Foundation: Snitching and Spilling Truths on errybody since 1969...

I need sleep....Goodnight y'all