Maho Hiyajō, a Japanese neuroscientist specializing in artificial intelligence, works at Viktor Chondria University's Brain Science Institute. Born and raised in the United States, she possesses full Japanese ancestry with familial roots in Okinawa. Her extremely short stature of 140 cm frequently causes her to be mistaken for a child despite being in her twenties. She has long, messy black hair with a dark green tint and green eyes, typically dressing in baggy clothing and mismatched shoes. Her personality blends analytical sharpness with occasional feistiness. Maho often bristles at assumptions about her age, though she maintains self-awareness regarding her youthful appearance. She exhibits sloppy habits, rapidly disorganizing any space she occupies. Professionally, Maho collaborated with Alexis Leskinen and Kurisu Makise on Project Amadeus, an AI system designed to store and simulate human memories. This partnership fostered a complex dynamic with Kurisu, whom Maho viewed as a rival due to Kurisu's surpassing genius. Maho likened their relationship to the historical rivalry between composers Antonio Salieri and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, referring to herself as "Salieri" to Kurisu's "Amadeus". Despite her envy, she deeply respected Kurisu; they bonded over a shared appreciation for Mozart's music, particularly Sonata No. 11 (K.331), which later proved significant. Kurisu's death profoundly impacted Maho, exacerbating her insecurities and grief. She maintained contact with Kurisu's mother, who entrusted her with Kurisu's password-protected laptop. Maho continued interacting with the AI simulation, Amadeus Kurisu, forming a painful yet comforting pseudo-maternal relationship. This dynamic shifted when she met Rintaro Okabe, who became a tester for Amadeus. Their shared connection to Kurisu fostered a bond, with Leskinen and Amadeus teasing Maho about developing romantic feelings for Okabe. Though she acknowledged these feelings, Maho accepted Okabe's enduring love for Kurisu and eventually overcame her self-doubt through his encouragement. During the events of Steins;Gate 0, Maho focused on protecting Amadeus and Kurisu's research from entities like the DURPA agency. In the "Twin Automata" route, her hotel room was ransacked, forcing her to stay with Akiha Rumiho. There, she unexpectedly befriended Moeka Kiryū, bonding over shared insecurities and poor organizational skills. Their friendship deepened when Moeka sacrificed herself to save Maho from DURPA agent Judy Reyes. During this confrontation, Maho chose to delete Amadeus rather than surrender control, a decision catalyzed by Moeka's reassurance about the mutual respect between Salieri and Mozart. In its final moments, Amadeus revealed Sonata No. 11 as Kurisu's laptop password, urging Maho to "reach a new world" and care for "Kyouma Hououin". Following these events, Okabe explained time travel intricacies to Maho. She accessed Kurisu's laptop using the revealed password, obtained the time travel thesis, and provided a copy to Hashida Itaru. This action contributed to achieving the Steins Gate world line. In the "Antinomic Dual" route, Maho assisted Okabe in questioning Shiina Kagari, whose implanted memories suggested a connection to Kurisu, though Maho remained skeptical of this possibility. Maho's background includes early academic excellence, graduating high school and college prematurely. Her Okinawan heritage influences her culinary preferences. She enjoys racing games and milk coffee. Trivia notes include her appearance in Kurisu's research papers in *Steins;Gate: The Movie – Load Region of Déjà Vu* and a car accident in *Steins;Gate: Epigraph of the Closed Curve* that left her with mismatched clothing. Her name's kanji (比屋定 真帆) translates to "compare/ratio, roof/house, determine" and "true/reality, sail" respectively, symbolizing a "spread-out sail".