Chapter Forty-Three: Rise and Rise Again:

Three hours left. The damage was getting worse. Tsuzuki looked at the big cracks in the sky. Where was that weapon? Anna and Airi were still a long way’s away. The shinigami tried to think.

“Where am I going?” he asked. He puffed up his cheeks. “Where’s Usagi-chan? How’s she doing?” Tsuzuki check the stones in his pocket. Still six left. He weighed his options in his head. No time to think.

Suddenly, his phone rang.

“Usagi-chan?” Tsuzuki asked.

“No,” a woman said. The shinigami froze.

“Haruka?” he asked.

“Hello, Tsuzuki-san,” the old lady croaked on the other line. Tsuzuki gritted his teeth.

“What did you do to Anna?” he asked.

“Nothing,” she said. “Not yer anyway. I just have her phone.”

“Where is my wife?”

“I don’t know.”

“I don’t believe you.”

“I’m not lying. She escaped. But that’s not why I called.”

Tsuzuki narrowed his eyes. “So why did you call?” There was a pause at first.

“Listen, we don’t have much time. Let’s end this.”

“Yes. That’s what we’re tying to do.”

“Come to the tower and we will end this.”

The shinigami gave off an odd look. “Why?”

“Look, do you want to end this or not?”

Tsuzuki rolled his eyes. “Yeah, yeah.”

“Then come down to the tower. I will be waiting.”

“Where is my wife? What did you do with her?” He didn’t get an answer. Haruka already hung up. Tsuzuki clicked his tongue. She better not have…

But then, Tsuzuki heard whistling noise overhead. A small smile spread across his face.

“Heh. It’s about time,” he said. Tsuzuki stuck his hand up in the air. The whistling grew louder. Heated metal touched his hand. The shinigami grinned.

“Perfect!” he said. The shinigami began to fly faster towards the tower. He had no sense of direction but that didn’t stop him. He had a mission to carry out. Plus, he had two hours and fifty minutes left.

“Thank you, Watari,” Tsuzuki said.

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Watari stood in his lab and smiled. He stuck up a V-sign.

“That’s done,” he said. The shinigami looked at his phone.

“Would you look at that?” he asked. “I still have time. Come along 003!” The owl flew over and landed on his shoulder. The blonde scientist smiled as he headed out the door. He turned out the light.

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“Hold on, Usagi-chan!” Tsuzuki shouted. “I’m on my way! I’ll take you to Tokyo Tower after this!” The shinigami picked up his pace with the ultimate weapon in hand.