Chapter Forty-Five: Vow:

-March 26th, 2011-

“I’m home,” Tsuzuki said. He paused at the silence greeting him. Right away, Tsuzuki had a sinking feeling.

“Anna-chan?” he asked. The shinigami strained his ears as he wandered through the apartment.

“Hello?” he asked. Tsuzuki noticed a light on down the hall. He raised an eyebrow as he began walking. The shinigami found Anna sitting on their futon in the dark.

“Anna-chan?” Tsuzuki asked. He shook his head.

“Airi-chan?” the shinigami asked. The kitsune lifted her head.

“Yes?” she asked. Her husband closed the door behind him.

“What are you doing here?” he asked.

“I live here,” she said.

“I know that. You’re out here and Anna-chan isn’t. What’s going on?”

Airi crossed her exposed legs. “Ah, yes. I need to tell you something.”

“Okay… Is this a bad thing?”

“Yes.” Her tone gave the shinigami pause. He sat down next to her on the futon.

“What’s the matter?” he asked.

“Nobu is coming for us,” Airi said. “He is not of sound mind.” Tsuzuki gave her a strange look.

“How?” he asked.

“I do not know. I could hear his soul. He’s still connected with his kitsune, though.”

“What should we do?”

“Kill him.”

Tsuzuki went pale. “No…”

“We have no choice. He wants revenge for his family. Nobu’s out of control.” Airi took Tsuzuki by the hands.

“This is mercy.”

“But it’s murder.”

“Don’t you understand? De is suffering. I did that to him. I have do it.” Airi lowered her hands.

“But, I need one more thing from you,” she said.

“What?” Tsuzuki asked. His wife looked him in the eye.

“We have to put an end to the Eda-Kimoto clan for good,” she said. “The end is already at the front door.”

“So we have to let it in?” Tsuzuki asked.

“Yes.”

“Is Anna-chan okay with this?”

“Yes. She wants this to end this mess too.”

“But she’ll have blood on her hands.”

“It’ll be a price to pay to end this damn war.”

“But…”

“Think of all the lives they stole. Your offices will be flooded with those souls for months. They need justice.”

Her husband gave her a strange look. “Since when do you care about the well-being of others?”

Airi smiled. “I don’t.”

“What?!”

“I just want it to end. You can do all of your justice stuff too. Everyone wins.”

Tsuzuki pressed his lips together. The Mother didn’t hesitate to kill anyone. How could such a mother be so beautiful?

But, she still had a point.

Tsuzuki lowered his eyes. “I will help you.” Airi quickly kissed him.

“Wise decision,” she said.

“Now what?” Tsuzuki asked.

“We wait,” Anna said.

“But how will he get here?”

“I don’t know.”

Tsuzuki held Anna’s hand and she held it back, holding her breath.