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Chapter Fifty: Knives Out:

"Kimoto-san!" Tatsumi yelled. "Kimoto-san, what happened here?" The woman stared at him, silent. The color drained from Hisoka's face.

"Tsuzuki!" he gasped. The shinigami crowded around the unconscious man.

"Tsuzuki!" the young shinigami yelled. "Tsuzuki! Tsuzuki!"

"It's okay," Watari said. "He's just passed out." Tatsumi turned back to Anna.

"Tell me exactly what happened here," he said. "How did he end up like this? Talk to me. Tell me!" Even shaking her didn't yield much response. Watari touched him on the shoulder. Tatsumi turned his head and Watari shook his head.

"We need to get them back first," he said. The kagetsukai drew back.

"Alright," he said.

Back at Ju-Oh-Cho, Anna finally told them everything once she regained her senses. Tatsumi and Watari stared at her, aghast.

"What did you say happened to your aunt?" Tatsumi asked.

"I set her on fire and burned her to death," Anna repeated calmly.

"Why?" the secretary asked. The woman shrugged her shoulders.

"I don't know," she said. "She just made me so angry. I just wanted to see her burn, I guess." Anna looked up at the men. "Did I do something wrong?" Watari took her by the arm and led her back to the lab. It took thirty minutes to run the latest scan. His jaw dropped at what he found.

"Tatsumi!" Watari said. "Come look at this!" The kagetsukai looked at the screen with him. Shock washed over his face.

"The shield! It's… It's…" he said. The scientist nodded.

"Just as I feared," he said. Anna looked at them, puzzled.

"Well?" she asked. Watari pressed his hands together.

"Kimoto-san," he said. "Stay calm for this, okay?"

"Okay," she said. Watari took in a breath, but Tatsumi took over.

"Your father's shield has been broken," he said.

"You mean…" Anna began with a puzzled look on her face. Watari nodded.

"Yes," he replied. "The mother has been freed." Anna lowered her gaze.

"What happens now?" she asked.

"I'm still looking into that," the scientist replied.

"In the meantime," Tatsumi said. "You are now under watch." Watari turned to him.

"Tatsumi…" he mumbled.

"There is no other choice," the kagetsukai said. "The mother is our enemy. Kimoto-san is unfortunate to house her."

"But…" Anna spoke up. Tatsumi held up his hand and she drew her mouth closed.

"However," the man continued. "Due to lack of information at this time, you will be placed under watch, effective immediately." Anna looked down at her hands. So that's it then? The mother's free and now this? Damn…

"Do you think that was the best option?" Watari asked in the hallway.

"Those were the orders," Tatsumi replied.

"From who?"

"Hakushaku."

"That bad?"

"Even the people above don't know what to do with her. Some want her judged while others want to let her go."

"And still haven't reached a decision?" Watari asked. Tatsumi shook his head.

"Oh," his friend said. "Oh dear! This just keeps getting more complicated with each turn."

"I told you I can't let you see him right now!" they heard a woman yell. The shinigami looked up to see Anna arguing with a nurse just ahead of them. The nurse pushed the woman from the infirmary.

"But I have to see Asato!" Anna yelled.

"Not until morning!" the nurse shouted back.

"Why not?" the other woman asked. Hisoka tugged on her arm.

"Let's just go," he said. "He'll be fine in the morning."

"No!" Anna yelled. Tatsumi and Watari walked over to the group.

"What's going on here?" Watari asked. The women looked up.

"Kimoto-san doesn't seem to understand that visiting hours are over for the general public!" the nurse yelled.

"But this is important!" Anna barked.

"Can't it wait until morning?" Tatsumi asked.

"No!" she yelled.

"Only family can stay after around this time!" the nurse yelled back.

"But I am family."

"Girlfriends don't count."

"I'm not his girlfriend," Anna said. The nurse raised an eyebrow.

"You're not?" she asked. "Then… what are you to Tsuzuki-san?"

"I am his wife!" Anna declared.

Owari