[He's

calm.

There's no Loki. No Robin Hood. No gun or knife.

It's only Akechi that stands there in view and immobile. Still as one of the many trees surrounding them.

He's calm because he's a murderer. He's relaxed because nothing about this is new. A mind clearer than it's ever been in the middle of this field because he can visualize a splatter of gore at Maruki's feet, knows it's only a matter of time before he wins this tit for tat. Maruki's strong. Akechi's strong. Maruki's stronger. Akechi's going to win anyway.

He's calm.

So he laughs when Maruki appears in the field, steady as ever. Confident as ever. Determined as ever.

Akechi will ruin it. He wants to ruin it. He wants to ruin him.]

Do you think you would survive in that prison cell? I wonder - it would be so easy to tell Shido who you are, put you in the same position Akira was. Tied up, beaten, drugged relentlessly until any confession came out. We could frame you, frankly, for any number of things. Another corrupt adult hiding at Shujin Academy - it would make the evening news and then you would be as forgotten as a dead couple in a rural town.