DTB Gen New Season Two: The Ideal Contractor

Chapter Two: The Same Downward Path…

One Month Later:

Cloaked in black, Megumi leaned on a cane before Katashi's grave. The dozen roses she held in her left hand ruffled from gusty winds under a cloudy sky, along with her clothing and a few strands of bandages wrapped around her head. Her flat shoes were covered in mud from a previous storm.

Her hair had grown a couple of inches, except where she had had surgery. Due to Hachi's brutal attack, it had left Megumi handicapped for the rest of her life and unable to bear children. If it were not for modern day medicine, and hours of therapy, she would have been paralyzed from the waist down. Because of it, the Yokohama police department had given her an early retirement package.

Slowly squatting, Megumi placed the roses before his grave and stood. She placed her free hand on her stomach, as though believing she still was pregnant, and let a tear escape her right eye to have it land on the roses.

"I'm sorry, Katashi," she said, her brown eyes watering. "I'm so sorry. I feared my curse was still upon me. I shouldn't have gotten involved with you. I thought everything was fine being in Yokohama. I was wrong. It cost you your life." She dropped to her knees, spattering mud about, as her tears streamed down her cheeks. "It… it… It cost an innocent being's life.

"Katashi. I… I… I was… pregnant. I failed us. I failed… I failed to protect our child… Gomenasai… I didn't know… I pray that you will forgive me… Katashi-kun…."

Megumi continued pouring out her sorrow, feeling as though it would not end. She had not felt this much pain since her parents' death. It was as though someone had reached into her chest, squeezed her heart to where it was going to burst, and then clamped down on her lungs to the point where it was impossible to breathe.

Once she was able to regain her composure and strength, she slowly stood; balancing her weight on the cane while ignoring the mud stains on her pants, and headed for the exit. However, a huge bald black man built like a brick stood nearby.

He wore a tight black suit that looked as though the seams would split from his muscular form, sunglasses that looked to snap in half from his tight jaw line, and a well-folded red tie lying over a white button up shirt.

"Lieutenant Itashi Megumi," he said in English, his bass-like voice rattling her nerves.

"Yes?" she questioned, noticing his statement was not a question. "And it's just Itashi Megumi."

"So I have heard. That is why I am here."

Megumi's eyes twitched, and said, "And you are?"

"The name is Denard Gardner. I work for the CIA."

Megumi's redden eyes widened, piecing together why he was present, and began departing the graveyard.

"I'm sorry… but as you can see… I'm in no condition to join you guys," she stated, cringing in pain from each step. "And if I could… I still wouldn't."

"Hachi Suzuki knows you're still alive. He will come after you to finish the job."

"Let him come… and try… He's tried to kill me… three times already… and failed… No doubt… he'll fail again… thanks to my so-called luck."

Megumi walked past him, as he said, "Help us find him first and bring him in. He stole an important top-secret project of ours from one of our facilities."

"Sorry but… you're on your own… And don't be tailing me either… I may not be permitted to carry a gun… but I won't hesitate to hurt someone."

"Your mother is still alive!"

Megumi's body froze, her heart once again doused in pain she thought she had put at bay, and turned to face Gardner.

"How dare you!" she growled. "How dare you even say that? My mother is dead! She died protecting me because you guys couldn't see Richard Chaplin was pulling a fast one under your guys' noses."

"You really think so? You'd think Madam Oreille would ask the President for a pardon for her if she was dead?"

"She did that so my mother could have a proper burial."

"Some burial. What did you bury? A locket, was it?"

Megumi's jaw line tightened. If she were not handicap, she would have gone up and kicked him in the family jewels.

"Who do you think saved you from that Contractor in the stairwells at b Akasaka?" continued Gardner. "Who do you think left you with her blue Porsche so you could chase after the New Kuro no Shinigami?"

Pushing his glasses with his index finger, he smirked, and finished with, "Come now, you had to have had thought about it too."

Megumi glared at him, displeased at the position she was in. After thinking about it, she turned away, and said, "If she still is alive, there is a reason why she never contacted me, and so I am going to leave it at that."

"If you change your mind," spoke up Gardner, halting Megumi for a second time, "you know where to find us."

Snorting under her breath, she headed for her maize-colored car. Once she had finished struggling to sit in it, Megumi called Sakura on speakerphone.

"This crap again!" yelled the Intel woman. "Get with the ages, people! Section Four department."

"Sakura, it's Megumi."

"Megumi? Oh, God! How are you?"

"I'm fine. Can you tell me the Messier code of the Contractor who had attack me?"

"No, I can't."

"Come on, Sakura. I won't tell anybody you told me."

"Megumi! I would, but there wasn't a Contractor who was active at the exact time you were attacked."

Megumi's eyes narrowed, as her mouth dropped slightly.

"That can't be?' she disagreed with. "Emiko must have screwed things up at Astronomic . Kanami-san should have had taken over."

"She didn't do anything wrong, nor Chou," assured Sakura. "They called the Astronomy lab in the United States and they themselves saw no Contractor activity."

"That's not possible!"

"Sorry, Megumi. Are we done? This primitive talk is starting to give me a headache!"

Since Sakura was unable to see her expression, Megumi frowned.

"Yeah, thanks," she said, and hung up.

Xxx

On a sunny and breezy day in San Francisco, Hizumi took a load off of a bench before a circular water fountain with two mermaids sitting back to back. A two-story building was presented behind him with a balcony on the top floor and a metal structure sign on the roof that read Ghirardelli Square.

To look more like a Californian, Hizumi wore a red abbreviated Hollister shirt, tan shorts, crooked retro baseball cap and strapped-on sandals. He had been waiting an hour for a Phoenix member to arrive. From the intel he had gathered, it seemed that his target usually picked up lunch here.

Like clockwork, his prey exited a restaurant with a bag full of food. He was pale in skin and looked to be fresh out of high school. The boy was muscularly toned, showing it off by wearing a tight white tank top with matching brown shorts. Due to walking like a tough guy, his sandals clanked to a one-two beat, and since his sunglasses were the size of softballs, he had to flip his flat brim hat backwards. On his neck was a tattoo that read life in Chinese.

He headed to the western portion of the square, having Hizumi stand and follow while keeping a safe distance. Once they departed Ghirardelli Square, the boy descended a Z-shaped staircase and headed towards the ocean. He then turned right to have Hizumi mimic his motion.

Unexpectedly, the young man ran across the road. Cursing, Hizumi chased after him, forcing cars to halt while he slid over the hood of one that had cut him off.

The young man slipped between cars parked along the sidewalk, ran up a picnic table, frightening the individuals around it while spattering their meals about, and then hopped off. Making it look like child's play, Hizumi hurdled the table and gained some distance before they entered a one-acre park.

A group of people that were walking their dogs, and others who were out enjoying the weather looked on dumbfounded. The boy collided and pushed several people out of his path, knocking a girl in a polka dot bikini on her bottom, and having an old man fall flat on his face. With a swift and casual motion, Hizumi zigzagged between the sightseers as though they were traffic cones.

They hurried by a cable car, through a few trees nearby, and then exited the park to run across a street, forcing other cars to stop. Approaching a clutter of pedestrians, the young man ran and bulldozed his way through a few people to have Hizumi hop over a guy who had fallen on his bum and sidestepped a woman.

Once they reached the shopping centers, the young man demolished fruit stands and knocked shoppers' bags out of their hands in order to slow down Hizumi. To the boy's dismay, the young reaper vaulted the stand and squashed a few grapes, pears and apples under his black shoes.

The two men crossed a third street and stormed into a blue rental-parking garage. They ran up a staircase with Hizumi a few strides behind. On the second floor, a couple, laughing and oblivious of what was happening, was descending from the top floor. The young man plowed into them, knocking the man over the railing and on top of Hizumi.

Irritated, he pushed the man off him and continued his pursuit.

"Crazy fools!" shouted the man.

However, once he reached the top floor, the young man had disappeared. Grinding his teeth, Hizumi looked around the rooftop for his opponent. Suddenly, a red boxy car pulled out of a lot, and headed towards Hizumi. Inside was the young man who was smiling.

In a split second, Hizumi leaped out of its path and rolled to a kneeling position. Believing he had eluded his tail, the teenage boy chuckled and blazed down the ramp. Once he reached the first floor, a split blade pierced the roof, scaring the young man who steered his vehicle into a parked car.

Hizumi hopped off the roof, opened the door, and yanked the young man out to throw him up against the car.

"Where's the rest of your crew?" demanded Hizumi.

"Dunno, manno!" babbled the ghetto wannabe boy. His heart was pounding as loud as a drum. "We get these text messages. They tell us where to go. What Contractor manno to join. What manno or womanno to kill."

"Give me your phone!"

"What? Manno no! If they find out I gave it away. I'm dead, manno!"

"I'll kill you if you don't!" Hizumi growled, lifting him an inch off his feet.

The young man's eyes widened and then he peed his pants.

"Alright, manno, alright!" The young man reached into his pocket, pulled out an old flip phone, and handed it over. "We good, manno?"

Hizumi released his hostage so that the manno man could run off. Opening the phone, Hizumi looked at the recent message. As the young man had stated, there was only hit jobs. The latest one was to meet up with a Contractor in four hours.

It also had written out, Contact words: On a boat.

Xxx

Out on a two-lane road surrounded by trees late at night, Kanami headed home after a twelve-hour shift. She leaned back in her seat while lacing a strand of her brownish-blond hair over her ear and let out a sigh.

The cougar woman was concerned about Megumi's future. One instant, things were going well for her, and then it all had fallen apart. That was why she couldn't bring herself to tell Megumi that Hizumi had been at the harbor. She had no idea what her goddaughter would have done or had said. It was best to keep it from her.

Unbuttoning the top portion of her black blouse, Kanami wondered what life was going to throw at Megumi next.

A police vehicle came up behind her and turned on its lights. Baffled at why she was being pulled over as the car moved to the side, she pulled out her insurance and registration.

Moments later, the officer reached the driver side, having her lower the window, and said, "Yes, officer?"

"Step out of the vehicle," the officer informed.

He stood taller than a westerner, had a dark complexion and a sharp face. His eyes lay hidden from the dark sky.

"May I ask why?" Kanami asked.

"Do as I say!"

"Excuse me, but I know my rights!"

"You have no rights!" He began glowing blue, as two red beams shined where his eyes lay. Kanami's eyes widened. "Out or…" The fraud officer pointed his left index finger at Kanami's dashboard and shot out a red laser, melting a pinky size hole in it. The former lab woman gasped. "You die!"

"If this is about trying to set up a trap for Megumi," began Kanami, glaring at the Contractor, "then you might as well kill me."

"My employers figured you'd say that."

Opening the door, he grabbed Kanami by her arm and yanked her from the car. Not willing to go down without a fight, she struggled with her captive, stomping on his foot and digging her black high heel into it, and then elbowing him in the chest.

She began to run, but because of her heels and red mini skirt, Kanami was as fast as a tortoise.

The Contractor called on his power and shot a laser into her right heel, having her cry out in pain and stumble forward. He walked up to his victim, grabbed her by the collar, and dragged Kanami to his car, throwing her into the back. The Contractor entered and sat in the driver's seat, started up the car while shutting down the TCS function and headed off.

Xxx

Megumi entered her rundown apartment while turning on the lights. It was the size of an American minivan that barely had room to house a futon, microwave, small refrigerator and an old holo television. Not to mention, her clothes were disorderly scattered about. At times, she had to sniff a pair of socks to see if they were clean.

The walls were worn beyond washability and the tatami mats had stains that were impossible for a dry cleaner to clean.

It was the only place she could find after being released from the police force and getting evicted from hers and Katashi's place. Kanami was helping pay the rent until Megumi could find a job.

The young and worn out woman placed her cane against the wall and, in anguish, slowly slipped off her mud stained black flat shoes. She sat on her futon, cringing from the pain, picked up her tablet to turn it on and began looking for a job.

There was an opening for a sushi chef a few yards from her, a convenient store hiring part-timers, McDoness looking for managers full-time, and someone wanted a nanny.

Megumi discarded the nanny ad; due to the fact she didn't want to deal with whiny kids. The McGrease burger job was out of the question. Foremost, forget about the chef position since her cooking skills equaled her mother's.

There were others but they wanted a minimum of four years of Todai college experience, which left the convenient store.

She filled out the résumé; cringing that they would deny her due to the time and years she had spent in the police force, and sent it.

As on cue, they sent back a rejection message.

Sighing, she turned off her tablet. Perhaps returning to the police force wasn't a bad idea. Getting killed by a criminal or Contractor was better than starving. Even still, Megumi had another two months before she was work ready and that would be limited. The money she was collecting from her injury wasn't helping and it expired at the end of the month.

No, that was no longer her life. She would finish her last eleven cursed years of her life as a civilian and nothing more. Thinking about it, McDoness wasn't a bad idea. Perhaps the company would allow her to wear nose plugs.

Her phone began playing Ghost by Gackt.

Megumi looked at it to see Kanami's cheeky hologram smile and answered it. To her surprise, a vexed looking plump-faced woman appeared on it.

"So you're the lucky Itashi woman I've been hired to kill," she smiled.

"Who are you?" questioned Megumi. "What have you done with Kanami-san?"

The plump woman motioned the phone to her left, showing a taped up Kanami in a chair next to a man that stood as tall as the length of her room. He was messing around with a small tablet, as though playing a video game. The image rotated back to the woman.

"Come to your fiancé's last stand, alone. If you don't, she dies."

The plump woman ended the link.

Megumi cursed, knowing she was at a disadvantage. Since Tokyo was under American law, anybody could conceal a gun, but anywhere else in Japan was illegal. No doubt the plump woman and her companion took that into account.

In spite of that, she still had an ace up her sleeve. The problem was Kanami getting caught in the crossfire.

Xxx

Megumi pulled up to the abandoned warehouse and struggled to exit her car. The wind howled, whipping at her collared shirt and kaki black pants, and forming vast waves that crashed against the docks. Her green and white sneakers cushioned her aching feet and ankles. After closing the door, she wobbled over to the deteriorating building.

The young woman entered it to see Kanami facing her in the spot where Katashi had lost his life. The gore was still present, along with Megumi's blood nearby. To the left of her stood the plump woman with the colossal man behind them.

Shaking her head, Kanami pleaded for Megumi to leave, but her goddaughter ignored it and approached them.

Once she was within twenty yards, the plump woman swished her long black hair out of her dark eyes and pointed a gun at Megumi. She gave off a spine-chilling feeling from her ivory button up trench coat, jet-black nylons and bleached-looking high heel boots. Her comrade was the opposite in a police outfit, as he fiddled with a holo game of Angry Birds and the Twenty-First and a Half Century.

"That's far enough, sister," said the plump woman, halting Megumi next to an I-beam. The woman gazed over at her partner. "You can put that away now."

"I still have another hour until I fulfill my obeisance," he said.

"Finish it later."

The Contractor turned off his game and pocketed his device.

"Let Kanami-san go," demanded Megumi.

"Oh, no, no," the plump woman said, shaking her head. "It doesn't work that way."

"Why not? I'm here and you want me dead, not her. She doesn't need to be tied up in this mess anymore."

The plump woman pointed the gun at Kanami's leg and fired. The bullet shot out the other side, spraying blood from it, as the middle-aged woman screamed, having Megumi look on startled.

"Now that I have your attention, and full cooperation, you will do as I say," threatened the plump woman. "You will get on your knees and put your hands behind your head."

Jaw line tightened, Megumi was furious her plea had no persuasion and followed the orders. Unexpectedly, at the corner of her right eye, she saw a familiar double end split knife enclosed in the I-beam. She was sure it had to be the Black Reaper or Hizumi's blade. What was it doing here?

"Much better," spoke up the plump woman, distracting Megumi's thoughts.

"No doubt you work for the same non-contract agency that sprung out Hachi," said Megumi.

"Still the detective, I see," she nodded. "Yes, you would be right."

"Who are they?" The plump woman tightened her grip, showing she wasn't pleased with Megumi poking for information. "What's the harm? I'm going to die, and then you're going to kill Kanami-san since she can I.D. you in a line up."

The plump woman smiled.

"I like you. Too bad I have to kill you. All right. I'll tell you. That Contractor and I work for an agency that call themselves, 'The Phoenix.'"

"The Phoenix?" questioned Megumi, her hazel eyes glaring devilishly. "That sounds like a stupid name."

"Hn!" snared the plump woman.

"Why'd you break Hachi out of prison? Why steal the U.S.'s big project?"

"Enough of the chit-chat!" The plump woman walked up and placed her gun to Megumi's bandaged forehead. "Suzuki Hachi sends his regards."

Megumi prayed her curse was still intact and hoped Kanami wasn't going to be caught in the crossfire.

The plump woman began to pull the trigger.

In a split second, Megumi reached and snatched up the blade, and stuck it into the plump woman's left foot. As she howled in pain, Megumi yanked out the bloody knife and shoved it into her opponent's stomach.

Looking dumbfounded, the vexed woman gazed down at the knife, dropped to her knees while letting go of the gun, and fell sideways dead, her dark eyes staring at nothing in particular.

The hazel-eyed damsel reached for the gun, but had to pull back her arm, as the Contractor fired a beam and sizzled the concrete floor.

Megumi yanked out the blade and threw it at the Contractor. Unfortunately, he shot it out of the air, and then shot another, having the crippled woman roll out of its path, as it struck the deceased woman's forehead.

After settling into a kneeling position, Megumi realized the Contractor had her locked in his sights. He began highlighting blue, but as he shot, Kanami mustered all her strength and shoved into him, sending the beam wide right. Taking the opportunity, the brunette woman snatched up the gun and fired a shot into her opponent's head. Not knowing what had hit him, he fell backwards dead.

Feeling as though she had fought against a professional wrestler, Megumi dropped the gun and tenderly stood to limp over towards a demolished blade shard. She painfully bent over on her good leg, picked it up and continued over to the brownish-blonde haired woman to cut the duct tape.

Once Kanami's hands were freed, she ripped the tape from her mouth, and stood to embrace Megumi.

"You shouldn't have come," said Kanami. "Your life is more important than mine."

"I… I know, but…" mumbled Megumi, blinking her eyelids as they began watering. "You're all I have left."

Kanami pushed her at arm's length, looked into her brown eyes, and said, "I'm glad you came to rescue me, but… Megumi, you're lucky there was a knife."

"It wasn't luck. My curse is still in effect."

The brownish-blonde haired woman's eyes widened, and then threw her arms around Megumi again.

"Even if you're right about your curse, you shouldn't have come. Like Misaki, I would willingly give my life up for you."

"I… I know," wept Megumi, her tears streaming down her cheeks.

Xxx

Denard Gardner sat in his office at the CIA embassy in Yokohama, sorting through things on his computer. Word had gotten to him of Megumi and Kanami's narrow escape from a woman who was known as Beatrix, and a Contractor with the Messier code VC657. In his opinion, the method was brash and ludicrous.

At the moment, Gardner was reading reports about locating and apprehending Suzuki Hachi and the CIA's stolen billion-dollar investment. Unfortunately, it wasn't going so well. They had lost over one-dozen men and women, Contractors, Dolls, and other resources. They had made their perfect weapon too perfect.

Throwing his glasses on to his desk, he leaned back in his chair and rubbed the bridge of his nose. If he were to bet, Denard believed even BK201 wouldn't be able to take down the ghastly boy.

How was he supposed to stop the menace and capture the boy without killing him?

There was a knock at his door and then it opened to reveal a dark-skinned woman in her late twenties. Her blouse was bleach white, making it seem as though her navy blue skirt was darker in color, and had on black nylons that were tightly bound to her legs. Her high heels clanked on the floor, as she stepped into the office.

Her dark hair was done up in a bun, except a few purple-colored strands that hung before her light brown eyes, which were hidden behind small-rectangular glasses.

"Sorry, Mr. Gardner, but there is an Itashi Megumi here to see you," she said.

Megumi entered and leaned on her cane before Denard.

"Thank you, Aaliyah," he said. "That will be all."

"Yes, sir."

Aaliyah turned on her heels and exited the office while closing the door.

"Have a seat." He gestured to a chair before him.

"Thank you, but I'll stand," informed Megumi. Denard nodded. "I decided to join you. If I don't, then the group that had attacked me twice will continue to hound me and continue to use Kanami as bait. I think it's best that I leave, to join a group of people I don't know, and, at the moment, don't care about.

"On a few conditions. The first is, don't assign me to Contractors. They think rational, and I can't have that. Secondly, don't go sending me on wild goose chases concerning Madam O, my mom if she really is alive, and the Black Reapers. I… want… Suzuki… Hachi… And last!" The hazel-eyed woman's jaw line tightened. "When I find him, I get to kill him."

"Done!"

Megumi looked at him baffled, speculating there would be an issue concerning her last request.

"Really?" she questioned.

"As long as you don't kill the Contractor, we don't care. I can put it in writing if you'd like?"

Xxx

Wearing similar clothes as the young man, Hizumi stood in front of the old brown Saint Mary's Cathedral late at night. The upside down V-shape roof and bell tower was barely visible in the late hours.

A few minutes after arriving, a woman with a tan complexion, wearing brown clothes, approached. Her long curly black hair fluttered as she walked, and her dark pupils were noticeable from the whites of her eyes.

Spotting Hizumi, she walked over to him, her brown flat shoes as quiet as a whistle.

"I like to look up at the night sky…" said the woman.

"On a boat," replied Hizumi.

"Not what I expected," she stated.

"I get that all the time," he said, narrowing his eyes. "Who's our target?"

"A young college student at California University. This is she." The woman showed a hologram picture of an Asian woman with silky long hair. "Her name is Suzy Lu. Her father has a contract to sell us weapons, but he's cut us off. We are to kidnap her, call her father and demand him to continue selling us weapons."

"Sounds easy enough."

"Yo, womanno, he the wrong manno!" shouted the young man, as he hurried over to them. "I'm the real manno. He's a fake."

The woman gazed at the young man, and said, "What I had expected."

She highlighted in blue, her eyes burning red, and sent out a blast of air from her right hand. The hurricane-like wind tore through the air, having Hizumi hop out of its path and throw a blade to have it cast aside. Another blast was sent, forcing him to dodge to his right and then somersaulted to his left.

Hizumi rolled to his feet and glared at the Contractor while thinking of how to kill her.

The female Contractor shot out a fourth blast, but it was directed over his head and made him wonder where she was aiming. However, he received his answer as the church's bell tower was destroyed and mangled bricks fell on him. Surprisingly, the bell had been unharmed.

"That's what you get for messing with the Phoenix, manno!" the teenager laughed. "You should have left things alone, manno!"

The female Contractor walked up and looked down at him. She pulled out a piece of glass, placed it in her mouth, and chewed before swallowing it.

"You are cute," she said. "If it weren't so irrational, I'd ask you out. But instead," the woman raised her hand at him, "I have to kill you. What a waste."

"Yeah! Bye, bye, manno!" chuckled the young man.

Unexpectedly, a wire was flung from above, wrapping around the teenager's neck, and then yanking him ten feet off the ground. A man in black wearing a white mask dropped from above and embedded the wire into the ground.

The woman Contractor gazed at it baffled and used her power to snap the line to have the boy flop next to the man in black. The masked man was about to attack, but stopped as the female aimed her hand at Hizumi.

"You move, he dies," she warned.

"Man…no…! Not… cool…!" he coughed, pulling out a nine-millimeter to aim it at his predator. "And… stupid. No body messes… with the Phoenix… manno." The man in black raised his hands and slowly stood. Clearing his throat the young man continued saying, "What should we do with him, womanno?"

"He looks to be a problem. Kill him! This other one we'll leave alive for a while and question who he works for."

"Yeah! You hear that, manno? You're a dead manno! And what's with the outfit? You supposed to be somebody?"

"Kuro no Shinigami," said the man in black.

"What was that? I'm sorry, manno, but I don't speak Chinese."

"It's Japanese. And it means, the Black Reaper!"

With quick reflex, the man in black grabbed the kid's hand, twisted it, and shot a round into his heart.

Looking dumfounded at it, the teenage boy said, "Yo… manno… That… fu… fu…"

He fell backwards and died. Hei glared at the Contractor who still held her palm towards Hizumi.

"Don't move, or he's dead," she demanded. "I mean it."

"Go ahead. After he's dead, what then?"

Knowing she had no other choice, she pointed her hand at Hei and fired. Like old times, he whipped out his wire to hook it on a light pole and flew off. The Contractor shot the pole to shatter it. Hei tumbled for a second before regaining his bearings and hooked onto another pole. Changing his path, he aimed towards the female and plowed into her.

Disconnecting his wire and performing a somersault landing, Hei pulled out his knife to swing it, but his opponent blasted him in the chest and threw him backwards. During his duration in air, the Contractor shot another blast of air to have Hei bust through a building's window across the street.

The female Contractor walked up to the building, picked up a piece of glass and began chewing it. As she swallowed the glass, she noticed Hei wasn't present.

"He's still alive?" she questioned.

Turning around, the Contractor was faced with ice blue eyes, and was struck in the throat. The glass she had swallowed ended up piercing her esophagus, causing her to choke and drop to her knees.

Drowning in her own blood, she realized his coat had been shredded and somehow took the blunt force of her attack, and then fell forward dead. Her star mimicked her actions seconds later.

Hei walked over to his son and dug him out of his momentary grave.

"You're getting soft," said Hei.

"Tsk, I had it under control!" yelled Hizumi, standing and brushing the dust off.

"Think faster next time. And also, you shouldn't have let the boy live."

"You've been following me since then?" Hizumi frowned.

"I've been keeping an eye on you for the past week."

The Reaper boy glared at his father, disbelieving he had had a tail for so long. He then grinded his teeth, and said, "Why are you here anyways."

"Madam Oreille hired me."

"Oh, so you just reenlisted. What's the real reason? Money? Stay out of my way, old man!"

Hizumi walked over to the corpse to search it, found another flip phone, and opened it to search through the primitive device. As like the last one, there was nothing. He wanted to find this group since they had the galls to try and kill Megumi.