Even in a team of unlikely allies compiled to combat the Culling Game, Maki's leadership skills helped everyone keep in line with their roles for rescuing Tsumiki Fushiguro. She was the one who suggested that Yuji and Megumi recruit Hakari despite his bad attitude because their group is shorthanded and needs all the help they can get.When the opportunity presented itself for Maki to push for head of the clan, she couldn't bring herself to do so. With Naobito's death, Megumi became head of the Zenin clan due to a special clause. Megumi didn't want to accept the position, but Maki implored him to do it. She tried to convince him of all the luxuries that came with being clan head, but Megumi refused and asked her to do it instead. Irritated, Maki told him no one would accept her and started yelling, listing off all the reasons Megumi would make a decent head, though she added "barely" at the end. Megumi refused still and argued acceptance wouldn't matter, but Maki wasn't just good enough to them, but good enough for herself, either. Maki believed she still wasn't able to make the clan somewhere Mai could feel she belonged. Maki's complicated relationship with her family was on full display when she returned to the Zenin clan to collect cursed tools. Despite having the clan head's permission, Maki was still constantly harassed on her way there. She ignored both Naoya and her mother's harsh words and pressed on to the vault. Maki's own father conspired against her, attempting to execute Megumi along with his own twin daughters to become a candidate the head of the clan himself. Maki fought against him bravely and tried to save Mai, but was defeated and gravely injured, leaving Maki to be the one saved by Mai.Maki was forced to say goodbye to her sister too soon, marking a massive change in her personality. Inside a dream-like space, Mai explained that she was going to sacrifice herself while distancing herself from Maki. During that conversation, Maki listened to Mai's explanation, but she was constantly trying to close that distance. She didn't want to let go of Mai before they ever truly got a chance to reconcile, but was forced to accept this was the end. In exchange for Mai giving everything to ensure Maki reached her potential, Maki promised to destroy everything. Maki was devastated by her twin sister's death but had no time to mourn and had to carry out Mai's request immediately, killing their father in cold blood. Immediately after, Maki was ready to continue and looked to the last thing her sister left for her, a sword. With a cold and remorseless disposition, Maki looked to the sword and told Mai, "Let's get started."Maki ruthlessly annihilated the entire Zenin clan without any expression of emotion. She slaughtered every member of the Hei and the Kukuri unit present that day without a hint of remorse. The only words she exchanged with anyone were with Naoya when he asked if she had a human heart. This was after she decapitated Jinichi and tossed his severed head into a pond. Her reply was simply: "No... it was taken from me."[34] Naoya also tried to call Maki an imposter during their fight, but Maki interrupted him by smashing his face with a punch. Then she taunted him by asking him if he could repeat that statement. In the midst of her ruthless tirade, Maki still wanted to believe there was good left in her family. Before killing her own mother, Maki attempted to see if her mom was trying to warn her about Ogi's trap back when she harassed Maki upon her return. However, Maki was assuming the best of her mother and appeared disappointed when she didn't get a favorable answer. Maki's own mother fell victim to her vengeful wrath, and even after that,Maki left Mai's body with Momo Nishimiya while she killed off the rest of the clan members who weren't present that day. "If I had stayed there at the bottom I would've hated myself"