Kibishi's POV

  "Now then, answer me this, Kibi, Tao. What did this mission mean to you?"

  "Huh?" I blinked.

  "I'm not sure if I understand," Tao whispered while raising her brows.

  "Let me ask you about something else. What have you always wanted to do in life?" Kuma folded her arms.

  "Oh. Hmm..." I scratched my head.

  Well, that wasn't a massive problem to answer. If anything, I had always wanted to help out any way I could. Meaning that I had always wanted to be a hero of some kind. Someone to help people out.

  "Well, if I had to guess, it was to help out in any way I could..." I answered with uncertainty.

  Wong!

  The first cube that had a symbol of a pointed object lit up.

  "What was that?" I questioned.

  "How about you, Tao?" Kuma asked my orange-haired friend.

  "Uh... I always wanted to discover new things, explore, and even help out the people I know and love. In a nutshell, I was fixed on either being a scientist or maybe a doctor," Tao answered.

  Wong!

  The other cube that had a symbol of a flower hummed and glowed.

  "That's that." Kuma gave each of us a glowing cube. I took the one with the pointed object while Tao took the one with the flower.

  "Now the cube has installed your goals and analyzed them. Okay, next!" Kuma tilted her head. "What was the most important thing you wanted to do right now?"

  "Are these questions necessary? And what's with these glowing cubes?" Tao scratched her orange hair.

  "Come on, just answer my question!" Kuma made a puffy face. I looked at Yosei and then at Kujira.

  "Just do what Kuma said. Trust me, we all had to do the same," Yosei reassured us.

  While that in itself wasn't really helping as to why she was doing this, I assumed we would have to go along with it since no one else was questioning this.

  "Well..." I tapped the edge of my chin.

  I honestly had nothing in mind at the moment that was righteous or even heroic. If anything, besides the basic needs in life, I only had Tao in my mind.

  The way she moved, the way she talked, the way she smiled. All of that I wanted to protect.

  It was really the main reason why I had lived my life the way I did all of those years.

  Overall? It had just been about protecting Tao and those close to me. I know I said that I wanted to save people, but that came second when it came to things in my mind.

  Of course, I still did my best to help people as I could.

  That said, I did have fws and had tunnel vision when it came to those I held dear to me.

  So as for my answer....

  "If anything..." I began saying.

  "I wanted to protect." Tao and I said in unison. We then both looked at each other in shock, followed by a hint of blushes and then a couple of giggles.

  "I guessed our answer would be the same as well. It's to protect."

  Wong!

  The cube glowed brighter.

  "Final question. What type of person would you describe yourself as?" Kuma giggled at the end of her sentence.

  "..."

  Tao and I became silent.

  What type of person was I?

  To be frank, I didn't think I was really the heroic type per se. I always tried my best to be the most positive person I could be, but I always failed in the end.

  I self-doubted, I didn't think I deserved anyone around me, and I frankly might have had a few more screws loose than your typical teenage boy.

  I mean, my mind went bnk whenever I saw Tao in danger.

  No normal teenager would leap into danger just to get themselves killed. They would run away to safety. But not me.

  I wasn't normal, that was for sure.

  I wasn't well in the head to think that way. I would rather be burned alive trying to get Tao out of a pit of hellfire than turn my back away from her.

  Whether it was from trauma or PTSD, I had no idea.

  But like my scar, I knew those things wouldn't go away.

  "I'm not a good person. Worst of all, I'm insane just because I almost killed a guy for my friends. While I don't regret that, it wasn't very cool of me to do."

  That was right, I would've been a murderer if Kuma hadn't stopped me.

  "In fact, I'm not sure why I'm still moving about freely." I continued with my eyes closed, almost as if I was turning away from reality.

  I opened my eyes, though, since I wanted to be honest with myself.

  "I don't deserve it, but I at least want to make that up by helping you guys out. And going along with that, I want to protect my friends and the people whom I care deeply for."

  I smiled.

  "I want to make my past self proud and protect like he always wanted to do. I want to be a responsible person and take responsibility for my actions. I want to be someone who can be a protector. Someone who... can say that he survived in order to keep his promise...."

  That was right...

  I wanted to avoid any more problems for everyone around me.

  I looked at the window, reflecting on my actions, even though that wasn't the point of all of this.

  "...In the end, like a knife, I stab without thinking. But it has motion to it. If anything... It's like a protection and safety switch that flicks whenever there's danger in my vision. So in short," I gripped my chest.

  "I'm the type of person who has sinned, but is still alive so that I can atone for it. Mom. Dad. Sister. Tao. David. Riley. And now, you guys. I'm the type that will be crazy and reckless if it benefits me in the end. Yet, at the same time, a kind soul who's trying to mend his broken mind and scars."

  I deeply exhaled while closing my eyes once more.

  "Basically, Kibishi is the type that wanted to do good, but strayed away since he's a human being."

  I scratched my head and ughed.

  "I know that's not the answer you were expecting, but this was an excuse to reflect on my actions so far, heh. Anyways, that's how I feel about who I am as a person." I said as a final note to my answer.

  "..." Kuma was speechless.

  I bet she had never thought that I would think so deeply about this. Kujira seemed shocked as well. The way she raised her brows, her mouth hanging slightly open—Kujira had never thought that I would go into this with so much passion about myself.

  As for Yosei, she seemed more conflicted than ever. While Yosei didn't show disgust, I could tell that she was thinking about what I had done so far, almost like a caring parent trying to find an excuse for their child because they love them.

  Finally, Tao seemed to be in awe.

  And to be honest, I thought it was because she didn't seem to want to accept that I wasn't a good person.

  A good person would think before they speak or act. I, on the other hand, took actions before thinking for the most part.

  I was fwed.

  I was imperfect.

  No sane person would be friends with me after hearing that. If they wanted to stay away, I would totally understand.

  What kind of guy would do those crazy things and say he's sane?

  No one, that's who.

  But even still...

  "Yeah... even still, the actions I did managed to show that I still have a soul. Even if my actions are wrong..." I said out loud with a satisfied smile.

  "..." Kuma was now blushing madly.

  "Not a good person, he says..." Kuma whispered in disbelief.

  "Of course. Someone who tried to commit murder should be thrown in jail. No human with a sane mind should let someone like me be free. So, in a way, this is my atonement for my sins," I replied.

  And it was true. That was how I felt about myself right then. The only things that were keeping me going were my friends... and Tao.

  Wong!

  Then, as if the cube was satisfied with my answer, it took the form of my new weapon.

  Ah, I see.

  This was a way to determine my weapon choice, huh?

  The cube first glowed a yellow light, almost like a firefly hovering on my palm. The light felt gentle, like a leaf sitting on my bare skin, tickling my nerves to say that it would be all right.

  Soon, it started to take form. The glow started to turn into particles, leaving only the weapon behind. Once the st bits had been shaved off the weapon, I could see what type of weapon it was.

  Huh.

  How ironic.

  I held the small sheath of the weapon, admiring the small bde that was pointed sideways. The metal looked cold yet warm. The handle was warm thanks to the heat of my body temperature.

  The weapon that was chosen for me was no other than a knife.

  Ah.

  This might be perfect for me.

  That being said—

  "Why a knife...?" I whispered, feeling a bit disappointed in my weapon choice.

  I mean—I GUESSED it did represent me in a way, but still. I had been thinking about a cool sword with a handle design that looked like in those manga I used to read as a child.

  While a knife is a cool weapon as well, the range would be very short, and I wasn't the fastest man alive either.

  "Don't compin! After that heartwarming speech you did there, you should be thankful that a weapon chose you in the first pce!" Kuma made a puffy face while pointing at me.

  "It chose me?" I tilted my head.

  "We'll get to that ter." Kuma closed her eyes with a huff at the end.

  I looked around and saw the other two girls look surprised yet satisfied with the weapon choice.

  "It suits you, if you ask me," Yosei smiled brightly at me.

  "And it's short, just like his height!" Kujira jabbed at me and then ughed.

  I didn't want to hear that from a girl who was shorter than me...

  Of course, I kept that thought to myself.

  Anyway, Kuma looked at Tao, who still looked in awe from my answer.

  "So, Tao. What type of person are you?" Kuma asked.

  "What type of person am I?" Tao repeated softly.

  Huh. Now, I was curious about that answer as well. I was sure her opinion of me was different than what I thought about myself.

  I wondered what her answer was going to be?