Chapter Forty-Nine: The End of a Monster:

Midnight.

Tsuzuki, Anna, and Hisoka made it to the Red Garden. Again, quiet surrounded them. Anna looked around with her eyes.

“Here?” she asked. Tsuzuki nodded. He took the first step forward. Anna and Hisoka followed behind. Not even their footsteps made a noise in the cold grass. Anna grabbed onto her arms. Tsuzuki gave her the blade before they went out.

“Why are you giving me this?” she asked.

“Oh, you’ll need it most,” he said. She could tell that he hoped that she wouldn’t use it. He had his doubts.

Suddenly, the air grew colder.

“He’s here,” Hisoka whispered. Tsuzuki shielded Anna with his arm. Stomp. Drag. Stomp. Drag. Stomp. Drag. Stomp. Drag.

Anna tightened the grip on her knife.

The dragging and footsteps stopped. A black mass stood before them. No facial features. No shape or form either. They would not back down. The mass opened up what looked like a giant mouth.

“Little lamb,” it seemed to say. The voice didn’t come out so clear. Tsuzuki had to hold Anna back. His voice gritted teeth. Was that creature… smiling?

“So here we are again,” it said. “Looks like I will make mother proud after all.”

“Who are you?” Tsuzuki asked. “Where did you come from?” The creature paused.

“You know,” it said. “I don’t remember anymore. I just appeared and I was hungry. Before I knew it, I couldn’t stop eating.” The creature laughed to itself.

“My, my, my,” it said. “I had no idea how good you humans tasted. I just had to have more.” Tsuzuki held Anna back by her arm as tightly as he could.

“What have you done to my friend?!” she hissed. “Give her back!” The creature pissed its “mouth” together as if trying not to laugh.

“Which one was she?” it asked.

“Kiko!” Anna shouted. “What did you do to her?!” The creature paused for a moment.

“Kiko, huh?” it asked. “So that’s her name. She’s right here.” It smacked a nub-like hand on its chest. A muzzled cry came out from the spot it hit.

“Kiko!” Anna screamed. She tried to pull out of her husband’s grasp. “Let me go! Damn it! Let me go!”

“Calm down,” Tsuzuki whispered in her ear.

“No!” she shouted. The creature broke down laughing.

“If you want her, come and get her!” it yelled. Anna broke from Tsuzuki’s grasp and ran towards the creature with the knife. She screamed with the blade above her head.

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Underground in Limbo, a group of young men dressed in black stood in a circle. They wore white and red kitsune masks with knives in their hands. No one spoke a word. They waited for the slaughter.

A low whistle filled the air.

Out came a large hairy black boar. It only took one word and the hunt began.

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The creature hadn’t expected Anna to move so fast. It went silent from the first stab. It could see the rage on her face. It couldn’t help but smile.

Yes! Stab me with all your rage! Do it for your daddy! We killed him after all!

Her stabs grew faster and harder. Anna couldn’t hear Tsuzuki yelling at her to stop. The creature’s face turned into Yasuo’s laughing at her.

“Shut up!” Anna yelled. “Shut up! Shut up! Shut up! Shut up! Shut up!” Her stabbing grew faster.

In Limbo, the men hacked and stabbed the wild boar. The beast snarled as he tried to flee. His wounds to slow him down. But he still wouldn’t die. The stabbing grew more aggressive. Who would deliver the final blow?

Anna was about to deliver the final blow to the creature. It waited for it, counted on it. Here it came.

But then, Tsuzuki grabbed Anna by the wrist. His wife stopped and turned around. The rage blurred her vision.

“Let me go!” she screamed. “Let me go! Let me go!”

“Let him go,” Tsuzuki said calmly. Anna glared at him.

“Why?!” she shouted.

“You’ve done enough,” he said. “Look at him.” Anna looked down at the creature. The beast lay on its back, panting. It coughed and laughed between wheezing.

“Heh,” was all it said. Then the body grew still and broke down into pieces.

“Tsuzuki, Anna look!” Hisoka shouted. The couple looked as the darkness rescinded. Pale bodies lay everywhere in the grass. Anna’s eyes widened when she looked towards the entrance.

“Kiko!” she shouted. Anna ran over to check on her friend.

Meanwhile, the boar lay rotting away as it died in Limbo.