Chapter Fifteen: Boss Game End:

Yasuo screamed when he saw Aki’s body. The kitsune laid huddled in a ball as it dissolved away.

“Aki!” he cried. The old man broke from Tsuzuki’s grasp and ran over to the poor creature. He barely touched the last o the particles. Yasuo turned to the shinigami with angry tears.

“You… kill him!” he said.

“Yes,” Tsuzuki said. The old man gritted his teeth.

“This was your plan all along, wasn’t it?!” he asked. “Wasn’t it?!” The shinigami nodded.

“Did she put you up to this?!” Yasuo asked.

“No,” Tsuzuki said.

“What?” the old man asked. The older shinigami stepped forward.

“It was all me,” he said. Yasuo stared in shock.

“You’re lying,” he said.

“No,” Tsuzuki said. “I love my wife so much. She’s suffered enough. Same with her family.” Yasuo glared at him.

“You bastard!” His face turned bright red. “You murderers! You killed my partner!”

“And you kill my wife her family,” Tsuzuki said. “I call it even.” Aki’s body completely disappeared. Yasuo’s fists trembled.

“Kill me,” he murmured.

“Hm?” Tsuzuki asked.

“Kill me,” Yasuo said. “Kill me, damn it! Kill me!” The older shinigami shook his head.

“No,” he said. Yasuo’s eyes widened.

“Why?” he asked. “I have nothing now! My wife left me! My son hates me! My kitsune is dead! I have nothing now!” Tsuzuki didn’t have any sympathy.

“Death is too good for you,” he said.

“So what becomes of me now?” Yasuo asked. The darkness vanished around them. The men appeared back in the park. Yasuo fell to his knees. Hisoka turned to his partner. Tsuzuki sneered.

“That is not our problem,” he said. He turned to Hisoka.

“Let’s go,” he said. Even the younger shinigami looked stunned. Tsuzuki put up his hand as he started to speak.

“We’re done here,” the older shinigami said. Hisoka reluctantly closed his mouth as he and his partner vanished into thin air. Yasuo fell onto his side in the grass, crying.

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Hours later, Yasuo awoke to a shadow looming over him. He looked up to see Haruka standing over him, frowning. Her son’s heart raced.

“Mama?” he asked. “Mama, is that you?” The old man crawled over to the older woman. Haruka snorted and kicked him away.

“Get off,” she growled. Her son looked so confused.

“Mama… why?” he asked.

“Pathetic,” Haruka muttered. “You are not my son anymore!” It felt like a knife to his chest.

“Mama, please!” Yasuo pleaded as he crawled all over his mother. Haruka pushed him off.

“You are nothing to me,” she said. “Goodbye!” The old woman turned and walked away. Yasuo reached out as he ran to catch up. But then, the old woman vanished before his eyes. Yasuo froze, lowering his hand. That last loss really sank in.

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Back at home, Anna was washing the dishes when she felt burning on her wrists. She drew back wincing.

“What… is this?” she asked. Anna could feel it burning to the bones. But then, it stopped. The woman looked at her wrists. The burns were gone. Anna blinked with big eyes.

“What the…?” she asked. It took minutes for the joy to sink in.

“It’s over,” she said. “It’s finally over.” Anna leaned back against the stove, smiling.