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Chapter Fifteen: Kill Parade:

Ju-Oh-Cho was busy today. Six enigmatic deaths have occurred in the course of three days. The people in question just disappeared. Their relations believed it to be suicide, but Ju-Oh-Cho didn't think so. Tsuzuki overheard the chatter in the hallway as he was heading home for the day.

"You think they were cursed to die?" one newbie shinigami asked two of her coworkers.

"Possibly," one of them answered, "They all saw this auburn-haired woman before they died." Tsuzuki froze at those words.

Auburn-haired? He listened in closer.

"Strange thing," the second coworker said. "All of their souls came here as planned."

"Is that right?" the newbie asked.

"Yeah," the first coworker said. "They were all abusive or criminals too." Tsuzuki had a rough idea of who they were talking about. The man quietly rushed home. He found his wife sitting on the living room couch as if waiting for him.

"Oh," she said. "You're home early." Tsuzuki closed the door behind him.

"I know it was you," he hissed. The Mother gave him a doe-eyed look.

"Asato-kun!" she cooed. "What ever do you mean? I don't know what you're talking about." Her husband glared at her.

"Spare me your crap!" Tsuzuki barked. "I know you killed them!" She gave him a sharp glance.

"Oh?" she asked, "What's your proof?"

"Your hair," he said.

"My hair?" the wife asked.

"Yes," Tsuzuki said with a nod.

"And?" the kitsune asked.

"Why?" the shinigami asked.

"And what will you do if I tell you?" she challenged. Tsuzuki bit his lower lip. The Mother smirked at him.

"Heh," she said. "Yeah, I did kill them."

"But why?" Tsuzuki asked.

"I wanted to test my powers," she explained.

"What?" Tsuzuki asked. The Mother stretched out Anna's right arm.

"I've been sealed away," she explained. "I needed to try out my powers after so long." Her eyes fixed back onto her husband. "Is that a problem?"

"Six people are dead!" Tsuzuki yelled.

"And all souls are accounted for, right?" she asked.

"Well… yeah…" her husband mumbled. He clenched his fists. "It's still wrong!"

"How?" the wife asked. "I didn't eat the souls. Their families and society are happier without them. There's no proof I killed them. So, what's the problem?" Tsuzuki gave her a cold look. Clearly, she felt no remorse for what she did. There was no way to spell it out to her either. His wife leaned forward.

"So," she spoke up. "What now? Are you going to judge me?" Tsuzuki growled at her. His wife smirked at him.

"I see," she said, "You can't bring yourself to harm Anna-chan!"

"Shut up!" Tsuzuki shouted. "She has nothing to do with you!" The Mother all but laughed at his argument. She stood up came within inches of him. Her right hand gently caressed his cheek.

"But she has everything to do with me," she said in a low voice. "Yes, I am part of the one you kiss and caress every night. She is of me and I am of her." The shinigami gritted his teeth. It hurt to admit it, but she was right. The kitsune has taken over Anna's body and was now running wild with murder.

"So what are you plotting now?" Tsuzuki asked. The Mother looked him in the eye.

"What am I plotting?" she asked.

"You aren't going to kill more people?" Tsuzuki snapped. She looked at him with angelic eyes and a devilish smirk.

"No, no," she said, "I'm done with killing for now." His wife gave him a little kiss on the lips. Tsuzuki pushed her off and stormed down the hall. The Mother watched as she smirked. She gave herself enough time to follow behind and begin her main plan.