Chapter Forty-Six: Roulette:

Everyone waited for the end. Ju-Oh-Cho found themselves sorting the different souls the Eda-Kimoto clan killed and judging the descendants of the clan. They expected more to come.

“Have you ever seen these souls in such condition?” one shinigami asked.

“No,” his partner said. Most souls were chewed up, broken, and nearly destroyed. The shinigami had to do counts many times. The paperwork was a nightmare.

Ju-Oh-Cho wasn’t alone on this.

The hunters refused to rest. There were still more Eda-Kimoto children out in Japan. This would not do. The hunting doesn’t impress Ju-Oh-Cho, but say nothing. They benefit too. After all, justice was long overdue. But why did it take this?

Haruka and Yasuo won’t give up either. They only wanted to live. Murder became the only means to survive. If they stopped, they would die. But things have changed.

Despite this, they can’t quit. It won’t be long before the remaining clan formed plans of action. First, the children were slaughtered. The adults would be next.

Not without a fight.

Meanwhile, Nobu headed for Anna. Her blood on his hands would only satisfy him. The ghosts followed him again. Laughter and taunts rang in his head.

“Shut up!” Nobu shouted on the train. Everyone stared at him. The former professor glared at them.

“What?!” he hissed. No one said a word. Nobu bit on his hand.

“Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck,” he muttered under his breath.

“Excuse me,” a woman said in a small voice. Nobu whipped around, glaring.

“What?!” he barked. The poor woman backed away, trembling. Nobu’s nostrils flared as he turned away.

This would be over for him. He believed it would end with someone dead. But who?

Kato’s time was running out. The bounty hunters were getting closer. He knew this, though. Tonight, the old man wasn’t alone.

He froze in the park.

“I know you’re there,” Kato said. “Why don’t you come out? I’d like to talk to you.” He listened for the footsteps around him. He smirked as they got closer.

There!

The old man whipped around. A young lady stood inches away. Her hands trembled as she held her gun. Kato raised his eyebrow.

“Oh?” he asked. The little lady held out her gun.

“P-P-Please… come with me?” she asked.

“Why?” Kato asked.

“Why?”

“Yes.”

“Because… Because…”

“Because?”

She shut her eyes. “Because… Because you have to!”

The old man chuckled. “Do I?”

“Yes!” This poor soul, trying to be so intimidating.

“Let me guess,” he said. “This is your first hunt?”

“Yes!” the petite girl said. Koto walked over to the bounty hunter.

“Don’t come any closer!” she shouted. Kato froze.

“Fair enough,” he said.

“Look!” the bounty hunter said. “Please… Just come with me. Don’t make me shoot you!” The old man shook his head.

“You don’t have it in you,” he said.

“Yes, I do!”

“Prove it! Aim the gun at me and pull the trigger. Go on. Do it. Do it!”

The bounty hunter held up his gun with shaky hands. Kato smirked.

“That’s it,” he said. “Now pull the trigger. Come on. You can do it. Do it!” Kato knew that she won’t.

Anna and Tsuzuki knew what they needed to do. He didn’t want her hands to be stained in blood. But, that didn’t matter to Airi. All that matters was that it comes to a permanent end.

The roulette table is set. Who’s going to make the first move?