What if it Repeated? (Oumasai/Saiouma)

Chapter 34- Dead End

"W-why did you come...?" There was an obvious tremor to Miu's voice but she didn't seem to care at this point. He heard Kokichi laugh slightly at her words, his eyes diverting to Shuuichi expectantly as though daring him to back down. He cleared his throat rather awkwardly and locked eyes with Miu.
"I'm going to save you." He said shortly and he heard a small exhale of air from Kokichi, but nothing else.

"What?" Miu gaped, her brows creasing to an extent Shuuichi hadn't thought humanly possible, "I-I'm not k-killing you..." she shook her head in a defeated sort of way. "I've accepted my fate, s-so don't do this." She finished stronger, her face contorted painfully as though this was taking all of her willpower.
"So have I." He responded strongly enough that it made Miu's eyebrows raise out of their furrowed state in surprise, "I've accepted mine aswell, I want you to live Miu, please." He said softly and Miu looked if possible even more distressed, "I believe that you can stop the killing game," he half glanced at Kokichi who was watching the proceedings with a coy smile.

"Y-you could do that too..." Miu murmured, "you ARE a detective, I don't s-see why..."
"Nishishi~ I don't see why either." Kokichi perked up, interrupting Miu mid sentence. "You know who the mastermind is yet you're going to kill your self, it doesn't add up honestly." He paused momentarily to look over Shuuichi a cloudy fog forming behind his eyes, "not to mention you're not in any danger at all." He scoffed, his eyes claiming back their focus which flicked over to Miu, "I wish the time was shorter, then we wouldn't have to be in this mess in the first place."

"T-the time limit...?" Miu stammered and for a second Shuuichi was second guessing Kokichi. Was stating that Miu's task had a time limit simply something he had made up to sound like the mastermind? He had done this the very first killing game and had even gotten ahold of the exisals. But then Miu went rigid and her body seemed to shake even more. "H-how did you know a-about that?!" She shook her head, eyes widened to their full extent. "You can't have... I didn't...!" Miu's eyes widened further as realisation seemed to dawn on her. "...you...?"

"So your brain does work!" Kokichi drawled, smiling up at Miu mercilessly. Despite being considerably shorter than her, it was obvious height made no difference in intimidation at this moment. "Yeah, it's true and it doesn't matter to me whether you know or not because you won't be around long enough to tell anybody~ not that anyone would believe a dirty slut like yourself anyway." Kokichi sneered horribly at her, his tone dripping with utter loathing.
"That won't be happening." Shuuichi said forcefully. He felt his skin bubbling and ready to burst at any moment. He was feeling so much anger it was starting to become difficult to contain.

This isn't Kokichi. Don't associate this person with Kokichi.
"Her task will be completed once I'm dead." He continued his jaw clenched. Kokichi simply tilted his head to the side, the disgust in his face subsiding when he caught sight of Shuuichi.
"You won't be dying. That's unless you want one of your innocent friends to also die with you." Shuuichi felt a cold rush crawl over him as though hundreds of cold clawing hands had grasped him from all sides.
"What do you mean by that...?"

"My task my dear detective, was to keep you alive." He vaguely remembered seeing the task in front of Kokichi himself during the trial. So it hadn't changed? Why had Kokichi given himself that task?
"Doesn't that mean you'll also die when I do?" Shuuichi questioned only to be met with a smug smile from Kokichi,
"No. I won't be dying anytime soon. You see many other people haven't shared their tasks to the collective yet," Shuuichi could see where this was going and he didn't like it. There was no way Kokichi would do that... but this one might... "I'll simply have someone else take my place! Easy as that."

"You're worse than I thought you were. You're sick." Miu sniffed and Kokichi's face hardened exponentially.
"Says the one who tried to kill the very person who is willing to give up their life for you." Kokichi snapped bitterly, "I gave you that task with the idea that you would simply die before ever trying to complete it. You're the sick one, not me." Miu didn't answer, but glared at Kokichi with glassy eyes.