Chapter Twenty-Nine: Q&A:

Yasuo smirked at them with his kitsune, Aki, sitting beside him.

“Well, well,” he said with his hands up, “You’re both here; good for me.” Tsuzuki prepared to attack with his fuda in hand. Anna felt her wrists burning with the cold again, but tried not to show her pain. Her eyes were filled with hate for her uncle. Yasuo snickered to himself as he took in the scene.

“I love how you’re both wanting some blood right now!” his voice boomed through the night air, “You know, I’m in a good mood; so I purpose a little game before I kill you tonight.” Tsuzuki kept up his guard.

“A game?” he asked. The uncle nodded.

“Yes,” he said, “She asks me three questions, you ask me three questions, and I’ll answer them.” Yasuo reached down and patted his kitsune on the head. “In exchange, I ask you both six questions and you answer me,” he summed up, “Got me?” Tsuzuki eyed him sharply.

“Six questions, huh?” he asked.

“Yes,” Yasuo replied. Tsuzuki slowly took it all in.

“Alright,” he said, “We’ll play your king.”

“How did my aunts die?” Anna dove in through her pain. Yasuo grinned at his niece.

“Eager one, aren’t you?” he asked back, “Well, okay; I kidnapped them both. My brothers and I kept them in a shield near the dock and tortured them day and night. Momma put the burns on their bodies and killed them.” Yasuo laughed and patted his kitsune on the head again. “I poured the gasoline all over that little bitch Yumiko,” he bragged, “She begged me not to kill her. It’s so good to hear lambs begging for mercy! Boy, did she beg! Guess that little bitch wasn’t as tough as she made herself to be!” Anna gritted her teeth at him.

“You monster!” she screamed. Tsuzuki had to hold her back when she tried to leap at her uncle. Yasuo stepped closer.

“Why does your pretty little soul keep resisting me?” he asked. Anna glared at him and clenched her fists.

“I’d rather be white ash than feed a bastard like you my soul!” she barked. Her uncle sneered at her.

“You!” he hissed.

“Why kill Yumiko and Kirika?” Tsuzuki asked. Yasuo smirked at him as he regained his composure.

“Momma hated them,” he said so coolly. Both targets’ jaws dropped when they heard that sentence.

“Oh yes,” he said, “She hated them; Momma hated us all. However, she hated the lambs the worst. Daisuke was so close to them and she hated him as well. Momma thought he was weak and a crybaby. Yumiko and Kirika spoiled him that way. So, momma decided to punish him by taking the lambs away from your loser of a father! She slaughtered the little lambs!” The last two lines were directed at his niece. Anna glared at him like she wanted to kill him.

“Don’t let him get to you,” Tsuzuki whispered. She tried to calm down with hard breaths.

“Now, why did you have to make me have to kill my niece again?” Yasuo asked Tsuzuki. Anna looked at the Shinigami as he stood up straight.

“Because we need her to stop you guys,” he said boldly. The old man’s face didn’t change.

“Right…” he muttered as if to himself. A sweat drop formed on Tsuzuki’s head.

Even he doesn’t buy it?, he thought in distress. Both men turned to Anna when she cleared her throat. The woman rubbed her wrists again.

“How can you follow such a horrible woman?” she asked. Her uncle shrugged.

“She’s our mother,” he said simply, “We have to do as she tells us. I am sworn to keep her happy.” Anna looked at him in disgust.

“How could you…” she began to ask, but Yasuo held up his hand.

“Aint!” he said, “I get to ask the question time, not you.” Anna shut her mouth in anger. Yasuo smirked at her.

“Now, it the shield broken yet?” he asked. Anna glared at him.

“No! It’s just cracked,” she hissed.

“That’s a shame,” he said, shaking his head.

“Why kill Endo Aya, Jimbo Hoshi, and Joshuya Rika?” Tsuzuki asked, “They don’t fit your type of victim.” Yasuo smiled at him.

“Two reasons,” he told him, “Because, I could and Endo and Jimbo looked like my sisters while Joshuya was only a warning.” Tsuzuki glared at him.

“Bastard…” he hissed. Yasuo shrugged.

“Hey! I do what I do to live,” he reasoned. Aki snuffled around, but his master patted him to keep still.

“Now, you alone tonight, right?” the old living man asked.

“No, we have four demons and my partner with us,” Tsuzuki replied. Yasuo thought about that and nodded.

“Ah, I see,” he said at last. Anna stepped forward.

“Can’t you see that you and your brothers are nothing but pawns to grandma?” she asked as she tried to break away from Tsuzuki’s grasp. Yasuo grinned at her.

“You just don’t understand,” he said, “Sure we are pawns, but I would even take my life just to keep Momma happy!” His niece shook her head at him.

“That’s sad,” she said. Yasuo glared at her.

“What do you know anyway?” he asked.

“She’s just a cold, heartless bitch with no soul!” she shouted. Both the kitsune and owner became pissed.

“How do we free the souls from your family’s curse?” Tsuzuki cut in just in time. Yasuo grinned at that question.

“The only way to save those poor souls is to kill us,” he said overconfidently. Tsuzuki took that in for later. Aki stood up and prepared to attack. Yasuo patted him on the head as he gave them a twisted grin.

“One more question, how shall I kill you both—quickly or slowly?” he asked like a hungry demon.

“Like hell you will!” Tsuzuki snapped. Yasuo grinned at him like a madman.

“Not an option!” he howled, “Aki, kill the bitch!”

“Yes master!” the kitsune replied. The beast sailed forward and pinned Anna to the ground before she and Tsuzuki could grasp what just happened.