1. Chapter 1

The life of a reaper can get a little boring, so why not spice it up with a little game? Rules are not a problem for a reaper of such power who can even reap unmarked humans. The next target is the newly revived Chika Akatsuki.

Angel of Death

Chapter 1

The sound of shattered screams will echo through the night. To take such a desolated road was their biggest mistake and they would pay for it with their lives. The car stops, under the eerie dim light of the moon. The angel of death, in the guise of a young girl stands on the road, accepting guilt of having thrown that rock at the car. A man angrily comes out of the car, blood dripping from a cut on the side of his face where the rock hit him and several other smaller cuts on his face from the pieces of shattered glass. It was a pity; he was handsome, but not anymore, not with his face covered in blood.

In one swift motion, the girl calls forth a scythe and while the young man is in shock from the weapon's appearance out of thin air, she decapitates him, with such force that the head goes flying to the car hitting the wind shield. The woman who accompanied him in the passenger seat lets out a horror filled scream when she sees the man's head impact the glass, cracking it slightly before rolling down and falling in front of the car, with a trail of blood in its path.

The man's lifeless body stands on its feet, being showered by blood gushing out from the neck and staining his clothing red. A few seconds pass, the scent of blood is in the air and also the scent of death, her scent. The man's body falls to the road, the pool of blood continues to grow around it making it hard to believe humans truly have that much red liquid in their bodies.

In the car, the woman finally reacts and hurries to the driver's seat. She screams again, in an ear splitting shriek, when the girl moves forward and pounds the car with her scythe, blade down. The engine must have sustained too much damage, because the car isn't starting.

The woman exits the car and runs, and the angel of death is left behind to laugh insanely in blissful victory. The hunt wouldn't be the same if all her victims gave up easily, and she fades away.

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The girl of death reappears in another world. Her scythe is no where to be seen but can be easily called if needed. The dark world is full of corpses, the in between where the dead can become trapped until it is decided where they belong. Those zombies are quite different from the ones under contract, legal or not. They're rotted, nearly to the bones, and yet they move.

The corpses grab on to the girl's pale flesh scratching, though no cuts appear, rotten blood and flesh mix together, until she's nearly covered in corpses, but there's the door, there is no need to stay in that alternate dimension with the door right in front of her.

When she crosses that door she's back in the place called Earth. Passing through that dimension allows her to move with amazing speed to where she needs to be. From the human point of view it looks like teleportation, but there is a short distance she must walk before reappearing through the in between.

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"Help! Help!" The woman who ran away screams in a panic.

The officer stops his patrol car abruptly when he sees the panicked woman running on the road. "Miss, what happened?"

"Dead! He's dead! She's death, she killed him!" The woman screams and clings to the officer. The look in her face is of insane terror, she's sweating cold, trembling, crying, screaming, eyes wide open, teeth chattering, nails digging into his blue uniform, her gaze is lost, insane, in terror. She pales further and freezes, incoherent sounds, coming from her throat.

The officer feels a strong presence from behind. He turns and stares into the face of death, ghostly pale skin, glowing blood red eyes, long uneven black hair, blood red long nails, black ragged cloak, silver scythe in hand.

The assassin girl steps forward, holding out her scythe with the blade to the back. The officer reacts, reaches for his weapon and shoots. The bullets collide with the girl and fall to the paved road at her feet slightly dented. He panics and shoots until he has no bullets left.

The assassin, the angel of death, hits the officer with the blunt end of the scythe's handle. He is knocked unconscious and hits his head hard as he falls, blood coming out of his forehead.

The woman makes a run for it and the assassin gives chase. She uses her scythe to cut through the woman's back, around her spine and through her stomach. The assassin laughs, as the agonizing woman goes limp, life quickly slipping away from her. The only thing holding her on her feet is the scythe.

The angel of death twists the scythe and the victim screams, she could only scream louder if she had more air in her thirsty lungs. The assassin pulls the scythe up, easily cutting the rib cage and lungs, and the victim's life is gone.

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A young girl, human in appearance buys the newspaper from a street vendor. She flips around the pages until she finds what she's looking for and grins, almost insanely at the article.

Her blue eyes scan the page, blond hair blowing in the light breeze; and her world is silent among the busy streets. She turns a corner and walks into an alley with the newspaper in her hands. She fades into the shadows and nobody sees her disappear.

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As she crosses the in between, the corpses once again cling to her. They're weak crawling on the ground; they can hardly reach above her waist. She holds the newspaper above their reach and reads. "Allen Robinson and his wife Brittany Robinson were found dead..." She skips a few lines scanning over the contents of the news article then laughs insanely and victoriously when she finds what she was looking for.

"The police officer Howard Mallard who was found unconscious at the scene was concluded to be the killer, after suffering from a previously undiagnosed mental illness." Sudden insanity out of fear was a more accurate thing to say than a previously undiagnosed mental illness. "A... B... C... Who shall I kill whose name begins with C?"

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Chapter 2

Their father, Yuuri, is out of town because of his work, and the two siblings are alone in the house. Chika Akatsuki has recently been revived from his zombie state and now he is a living human. He also finished high school recently and is taking some time off before deciding what he will do with his life from there, after all high school, a part time job, and zombie hunting all at once can leave anyone in need of taking a break.

Chika's sister Momoka wakes up and yawns. She reaches for her ringing cell phone and answers it "hello?"

"Who are you and why are you answering my boyfriend's phone?" A hysterical woman speaks through the cell phone. Apparently she needed comforting in the middle of the night and dialed the wrong number.

Momoka did not have the patience to deal with the idiot who woke her in the middle of the night because she was always using her cell phone and forgot to turn it off. Instead of explaining what was going on, Momoka makes suspicious noises that would surely cause the jealous woman stress. "Sorry sweetie but he doesn't want you anymore, we're quite happy at his place making sweet hot love," and she hangs up.

No doubt about it, the woman must be getting ready to storm her boyfriend's place and search for the one he was cheating with.

Momoka turns off her cell phone and lays down, but sleep does not come to her. Instead she gets up and goes to the kitchen for a glass of water.

Momoka makes her way down the stairs and into the kitchen. She takes a glass from the cupboard and decides on pouring herself some milk instead. She sets the clear glass down on the counter and searches the refrigerator for a milk carton. After finding it she pours herself a cool glass of milk and returns the carton to the refrigerator.

Picking up the glass full of milk, Momoka starts heading back to her room, bringing the white liquid to her lips, and suddenly she drops it.

Standing before Momoka there is a strange girl that the human swore wasn't there before. The girl is wearing a ragged black cloak, her eyes are blood red to match her long nails. Her skin is unnaturally pale and her hair messy, uneven and black. The reaper laughs and changes her appearance. Her hair becomes white, her skin gains a little color, her eyes are the most angelic pools of crystal blue and her ragged black cloak become silk white robes lined with gold. The only thing she doesn't have is a halo. "Am I still scary now?" She mocks.

Momoka struggles to push her voice out of her throat, but by the time it responds, her will to scream has melted away, instead she asks. "Who are you?"

"It's a sad story," the reaper answers, "you see I have no name, I am one of those reapers who has no use for an identity, such a trivial thing is a thing of the mortals. But if you must call me something, then call me your brother's killer." The reaper, in her angelic form flies up the stairs towards the boy's room.

"Chika!" Momoka screams at the top of her lungs and rushes after the angel of death. "Chika!"

Immediately after hearing his sister's voice, Chika wakes up and jumps out of bed. "Momoka!" He rushes out of the room and bumps into an angelical being, but he senses something dark about her. The boy, the young man, was wearing only pajama pants. The angelic assassin runs a hand from the side of his face, down his chest, he slaps it away. "Who the hell are you?"

The reaper's appearance changes slightly, her white hair and robes become stained with blood and her eyes become completely black with three glowing red pupils in each one. "I am death..."

The crash of porcelain is heard. Momoka had smashed Yuuri's favorite base over the reaper's head. "Stay away from my brother!"

The reaper laughs. "Foolish girl!"

"Momoka, run away!" Chika urges her to escape.

But Momoka remains rooted to the spot. "I'm not leaving you." Somehow she has become quite attached to her brother, not that he was complaining since his adorable little sister had finally stopped ignoring him.

"It's fine Momoka, I can handle this," for once Chika really wishes he was still a zombie, but it would have been no good without Shito if he was. Shito... he too was revived and had disappeared soon after, Chika wanted to go look for him but he didn't know where to start, the searches around the city had been proven fruitless but he wasn't giving up.

"Can you really?" The reaper mocks. She eyes the girl who dares tried to defend her dear brother. Mortals were to cower in fear, not fight back. She could hurt them both, she would choose one as her toy to torture and the other as her next target. Chika started with a C, if he was the target the game would end too soon, besides, the reaper very much preferred male toys. "Momoka Akatsuki," the human names are no mystery to the reaper, somehow she simply knows.

Chika looks at the reaper with wide eyes. He understands what she is saying. "No!" He cannot let his sister become the killer's target.

"My game wouldn't be fun if I broke my own rules, I have A and I have B, after the others it will be M's turn, Momoka's time approaches. Have fun in your last few days together," the echo of a sadistic laughter is left in the empty air, as the reaper fades leaving the siblings in their home alone.

"Chika..." Momoka's eyes are teary, she does not fully understand the situation but she knows it's bad. "That was a real reaper, they really exist."

Chika had never told anyone about his involvement in zombie hunting; he didn't want to worry them. "It'll work out Momoka, I'll keep you safe, I promise" and he would do anything to keep that promise.

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Chapter 3

Koyomi arrives on time for her hair appointment and she greets the stylist with a smile. "Good morning!"

The stylist smiles back, "good morning Koyomi!" Koyomi is seated and a peach colored salon cloak is placed over her. The stylist runs her hands through the girl's long green hair. "What would you like?"

"A trim, not too short and make it layered and cute!" Koyomi is very cheerful today.

The stylist smiles, "Sotetsu is coming to the city soon isn't he?" It is not hard to guess judging by Koyomi's mood.

"How did you know?" The color pink faintly appears on Koyomi's cheeks.

"I have my ways," the stylist laughs, and though is day time, and the morning no less, she sees a ghost reflected in the mirror and screams dropping the comb and scissors she had just picked up.

Koyomi had picked up a magazine and was flipping through it. She looks up but the unnatural reflection is gone. She looks at the stylist. "Chihiro, what's wrong?" She leaves the chair and tries to comfort her friend. "Chihiro..."

Chihiro shakes her head. "It's nothing, just a trick of the light." The same ghostly figure now stands behind Koyomi and Chihiro holds her head, eyes closed tightly. "Behind you." She did not know if it was only her imagination, if she was going insane.

Koyomi looks over her shoulder but there is nothing unusual there. "I don't see anything, but you look like you saw a ghost. Are you feeling sick?"

"I did see a ghost," Chihiro mutters in fear. "First in the mirror and then right behind you..."

A silent pause occurs and Koyomi can think of nothing more to do than place a hand on the other woman's shoulder and try to be supportive. "You should take the day off."

Chihiro takes a breath. "Alright..." She tries to tell herself that it's only her imagination and nothing more.

Koyomi removes the peach salon cloak; she is wearing her usual red track suit. She helps Chihiro close the shop and accompanies her upstairs to the living area. "Is there anything I can do?"

"Don't worry Koyomi; you've already done a lot. I'm sorry I couldn't work on your hair today. I don't know what came over me," Chihiro starts to feel silly for thinking she saw a ghost, but once again the white transparent figure appears, the ghost stands right behind Koyomi and Chihiro stares unable to speak of it anymore.

Koyomi looks back but the ghost is already gone. "Maybe you should go lie down, can I bring you anything?"

Chihiro doesn't want to trouble Koyomi but her own delusions are scaring her, little does she know they're real. "If it's not too much trouble, tea please." She's on the verge of tears.

Koyomi nods and gives a thumbs up trying to lighten the mood and cheer up her friend. "No problem!"

Chihiro heads towards her bed room and Koyomi goes to the kitchen. Chihiro lays down on her bed and the ghost appears again floating above her. "Don't scream."

Chihiro is terrified beyond words but she obeys, managing only to nod her head. She wants to ask the being what it wants, what she wants, since the voice sounded female, but Chihiro's voice does not respond.

"Do as I say..." the ghost orders. "Say: I took Chika's place."

Chihiro is too frightened to speak. She opens her mouth, soft sounds escaping but no words, not even a whisper.

"Say it! Say: I took Chika's place." The ghost insists, coming closer. The white spectrum takes the shape of a blurry female face making her even creepier than before. The face does not move when words are spoken, expressionless like a porcelain doll that carries a curse.

"I... I-I took, Chi," all her oxygen escapes her and Chihiro takes a deep breath, "Chika's p-place."

"Say it clearly, that is all that I want from you," the ghosts commands, voice softening a little.

Chihiro swallows the lump in her throat and breathes deeply. She does not understand why the being wishes for her to say such a thing but she starts to mistakenly believe that the ghost will go away and spare her life if she obeys. "I took Chika's place."

"Yes that's it; say it again, just one more time." The ghostly face becomes more human looking though still made of pale transparent white, and the voice becomes gentle, almost soothing.

"I took Chika's place," the words ring out clear as crystal in Chihiro's voice. She hopes that with that said it will all be over and the nightmare ends. In a sense, it will.

"Good girl Chihiro, you've done will to deliver my message. Unfortunately your name has doomed you," before Chihiro can say anything, a scythe appears in the ghost's hand and stabbed into her heart. While most reapers leave few traces of their work, this one is quite bloody and she did not give Chihiro time to scream.

The reapers searches the drawers in the room for an extra pair of scissors then carefully places them in Chihiro's hand, not how one would normally hold them, but with her fist closed around them. The reaper moves the victim's hand and stabs the scissors into her heart in a picture that simply screams suicide. She could not have Koyomi as a suspect; the girl with the dead man's tongue had a message to deliver. With her work done, the reaper disappears.

Koyomi makes her way up the stairs with a tray of warm tea. She also found a muffin in the kitchen and decided to bring it. Chihiro might need more than just warm tea in her stomach to start feeling better. "Chihiro, I brought the..." Koyomi stops at the door, eyes wide in surprise and shock. She drops the tray of food and rushes to her friend's side, "Chihiro!" She desperately searches for a pulse on the dead girl's neck and finds none. "Chihiro! Chihiro!"

Trembling and panicking, Koyomi searches her pockets for her cell phone, dropping the device several times before finally being able to dial. There's a notice of a received text message from Sotetsu, but Koyomi doesn't even see it as she dials nine, one, one.

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Chapter 4

"Why can't you bring her back?" Koyomi slams her fist against the ferryman's desk.

Bekko sighs and pushes up his glasses. "Because her death has already been known. You shouldn't have called nine, one, one. Think about Shito and Chika, A-san and B-san, everyone believed them to have miraculously survived."

"Shito was different, he was born from a zombie, born dead and yet he was revived," Koyomi argues. It is not like her to get so upset, but she cannot help it this time.

"Shito didn't have an identity, if anything covering up for him was easier," Bekko tries to explain.

"Then it's my fault because I automatically called nine, one, one and revealed her death to the outside world? Are you saying I'm responsible?" Koyomi yells loud enough for the people at the neighboring offices to hear, which is not good.

Ohtsu, the only other person in the office besides the ferryman tries to calm Koyomi to no avail. Angry and frustrated, she pushes Ohtsu away with a right hook, knocking off his glasses. "Bring her back!"

That is when Bekko realizes that he is talking to Yomi, not Koyomi. Maybe Yomi had a thing for that Chihiro girl. "I can't bring back ghosts, there has to be an explanation or she will be thought of as a ghost," Bekko explains in a matter of fact tone.

The word 'ghost' pushes Yomi back into the depths of Koyomi's soul and once again Koyomi is in control. "Chihiro saw a ghost, was it a reaper?"

"Could be..." Bekko replies.

Ohtsu picks up his glasses, Koyomi has no idea Yomi broke them. He throws the broken pair away and takes out another pair from his jacket then puts them on. "I will investigate."

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Not Chika, nor Momoka, got any sleep the previous night. When morning came they were off to Michiru's house.

Chika and Momoka arrive in front of the house. Thanks to the inheritance Michiru had finally claimed, she was able to live comfortably. Michiru was expecting her guest and opens the gates for them.

A large saint bernard dog comes to greet them with a slow lazy walk, and softly wagging his tail. Following the fat dog is his owner, Michiru Kita, who leads her guests inside.

"Chika told me what happened on the phone..." Michiru isn't sure how to start the conversation. She makes her way to the living room where snacks had already been served for the expected guests.

Momoka nods her head and sits down on the couch. Normally, the cookies and Pepsi on the coffee table would be very appetizing, but she is not in the mood right now.

Michiru takes off her glasses and pretends to clean them with a napkin. She is actually looking for a black ring on Momoka or Chika's necks. She finds none and puts her glasses back on, shaking her head so lightly that only Chika, who was searching for a signal, notices the gesture. "Sometimes talking about it helps."

"It sounds crazy, but I saw a reaper try to kill my brother..." Momoka went right to the point.

Michiru bites her lip and her thoughts speed up. She has not seen Zarame ever since he recovered his core, he no longer spends time at the news paper stand near the subway that he used to frequent. Michiru concludes that her only choice is to wait for Zarame to show himself and ask him then. "The reaper might not return..." Michiru ends the silence that was becoming quite uncomfortable.

"She'll be back," Momoka speaks quietly. "She'll be back for me."

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Ohtsu leaves the office just as Chika enters. "Ferryman! I have a reaper problem."

Bekko sighs, ever since Yuuta recovered his life, work had been piling up at the office and everyone had some kind of problem. "What is it now?"

"A reaper has threatened to kill Momoka..." Chika explains. "I went to Michiru's place, Momoka is there now. Michiru didn't find a ring around her neck or mine. The reaper was targeting me, but now she wants to go after Momoka. What's going on?"

Bekko answers honestly, "I don't know... If a reaper is powerful enough, they can break the rules. I don't know why you or your sister were targeted, as much as I don't know about Chihiro."

"Chihiro?" Chika asks, he was unaware that there was more happening than what took place at the Akatsuki house.

"My friend Chihiro committed suicide, her family arrived after the doctors were done with the examination and practically kicked me out. I was there but I couldn't stop her... I only left her alone for a few minutes and I don't believe it was a suicide." Koyomi had been sitting in a corner of the office so quietly that her presence did not become known until now. She gets up from her corner and sits at the couch sighing sadly. "She was murdered by the ghost she said she saw."

"Chihiro..." Chika repeats the name, a memory surfacing. "The reaper can change her appearance, Momoka saw that. The reaper said she had A and B, she's after the others before M. I'm C, or I was going to be..."

Something clicks in Yomi's subconscious and she surfaces activating the dead man's tongue. At first the words are fearful, whispered and hard to understand until finally they come out clearly "I took Chika's place."

After the message is delivered, as the reaper expected it to be, Koyomi returns to consciousness and holds her head. "Did I say something just now? Was it Yomi?"

Chika nods slowly. "It was the same reaper... She's going to continue following the alphabet until she reaches the M for Momoka..."

"More innocent lives..." Koyomi looks angry. "Bekko, what can we do to stop her? We can't let this go on!"

"There is truly not much that can be done." Bekko truthfully speaks. He looks up some files on a computer, as if searching for something. "I can offer Momoka a zombie loan if you keep her death a secret. Other than that, you should try to talk to Zarame, he might know something. Ohtsu is already investigating; I will inform you both of any discoveries."

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Chapter 5

Sotetsu goes to the Z-Loan office, he is still a zombie. It is the afternoon now, Momoka is still at Michiru's place, Koyomi tries helplessly to get information out of Yomi, which she does not have beyond that one quote, and Chika searches for the reaper girl around the city regardless of the risk.

Sotetsu is surprised to see that he did not arrive at a cheerful environment. "Why is everyone so gloomy?"

"A rule breaker reaper is stalking Chika and has killed Koyomi's friend," Bekko looks up from the computer for just a moment to say this, then continues his work.

Koyomi nods. "Whatever her reasons are, she's trouble." It made her sick to think there was no reason beyond cruel amusement.

"Man... and I thought I was having a bad day. I'm sorry about your friend Koyomi," Sotetsu takes a seat next to her on the couch and offers her some comfort.

Koyomi returns the warm embrace and whispers, "what happened? You're late..." She feels guilty to have forgotten Sotetsu's arrival after visiting the United States.

"When we were getting off the plane, some guy in a suit fell off the ladder. I felt a strange presence but didn't see anything." Sotetsu explains. "It was a nasty fall but not bad enough to kill someone... he still died. They were making a big fuss because he was an executive from the US in an important business trip to Japan."

Koyomi looks at Sotetsu, expression pained. "What was his name."

The silence of the Z-Loan office becomes all the more apparent for Sotetsu doesn't have the answer. "I don't know..."

Bekko turns the flat computer monitor over so that Koyomi and Sotetsu can see it. "His name was Daniel Johnson," news travels fast along the internet. "Another unmarked human..."

Koyomi realizes that it must have been the reaper girl again. "It was her..."

Bekko only nods.

"What exactly is going on?" Sotetsu isn't informed yet, but he can tell it's serious.

"A rule breaker reaper is taking lives in alphabetical order, possibly for her own amusement," Bekko explains. "When Chika met her she mentioned having A and B."

"My friend Chihiro was C, she took Chika's place in the reapers sick little game. The reaper must have forced her to say 'I took Chika's place' before dying so Yomi would repeat it for Chika. She threatened to kill Momoka when she reaches the M," Koyomi sadly explains, a few more tears escaping. "It's my fault she can't come back. I was stupid and called a doctor, Bekko can't bring her back after her death was confirmed..."

Sotetsu hugs Koyomi tightly and looks at Bekko.

The ferryman shakes his head. "I really can't." Others could, but Bekko wasn't, isn't and will not be associated with them.

"It's not your fault," Sotetsu tries to console Koyomi, but her guilt haunts her.

The door to the office is opened and Chika enters, he greets his friends, though not cheerfully. Not a lot of progress has been made.

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It is the evening and Chika, Momoka, Koyomi, Sotetsu and Yuuta have gathered at Michiru's house as planned. The occasion was supposed to be cheerful but it isn't. Shito is missing from the group, he has gone to China, claiming there were things he needed to do, and has not yet returned.

The group gathers in the living room, the big screen TV plays softly. A variety of junk food can be found around them, the volume is turned up, soft chatter continues.

A girl with blue hair goes on stage on TV. She is dressed in black leather and carries a pink and blue electric guitar. She greets her audience, they want her to sing. The concert starts and then it ends all too soon. The singer falls, mysteriously fainted, in reality dead. The heavy headlight from the center of the stage gives out and crushes her, the frame of the round light breaks, becoming similar to a deadly sword and stabs her heart.

The camera is still on her, the fans scream and the security team rushes on stage. In front of the TV at Michiru's house, a deadly silence falls in and they all watch.

The security team and doctors free the blue haired girl, they helplessly try to revive her and it doesn't work. The fans are at an uproar, they did not stand in line for hours and pay hundreds for their tickets just to see the singer die. They invade the stage thinking they can somehow do better than the doctors, it all spirals into chaos.

A camera is dropped and broken, the view on the TV switches to a helicopter flying over the chaos. They can't stop watching, then Chika takes note of something, something that both angers and worries him. "Ember..."

To anyone who did not know his situation, the name was a mere expression at his surprise at the singer's sudden death, but to those who knew, everyone there save for Momoka who was not informed of the death of C and D; to the others Ember was not just Ember, she was E.

A and B, Allen and Brittany had been killed before the reaper went in search of C, Chika, who was spared and instead Chihiro was killed. Daniel was the next victim and now Ember.

Chika slips away and Sotetsu follows, the first signals for Michiru and Koyomi to keep Momoka busy. The younger girl refuses to stop watching the report. With all that's been happening the last thing she needs is to see one of her favorite artists die, but she can't look away.

Yuuta is open mouthed, eyes wide, chocolate chip cookie held between his thumb and index, untouched. He looks at the empty space where Sotetsu and Chika used to be and quickly follows them, laptop in hand.

The three boys plot and plan and realize it's useless so instead they vent. Then Yuuta types, "I'll see if I can find anything..." but he doesn't know what exactly he's searching for.

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Chapter 6

"She wants me to know how far she's gone," Chika punches a wall in frustration, knuckles stained red. "How many people have a name that starts with C? She chose Chihiro because she wanted Koyomi to tell me. She wanted to make sure I didn't think it was a coincidence so she made Chihiro say she took my place so Yomi would repeat it. She chose Daniel because Sotetsu was there and could tell me about it. She must have known we were watching Ember's live concert. It's been three people already and the day isn't even over. She'll be at the M in no time."

"Let's go to Z-Loan," Yutta stopped typing, his hands forming Kenken and Konkon. "Bekko always knows more than he lets on. Kenken and Konkon agreed. Distract him while I hack his computer."

Chika and Sotetsu agree, they give out a few excuses meant mostly for Momoka, because Chika wants to protect her but deep down he knows he'll have to clarify things soon. For now he leaves her with Michiru and Koyomi and the three boys go to the Z-loan office.

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Chika, Sotetsu and Yuuta arrive at the Z-Loan office on Sotetsu's motorcycle. All the other offices are close and only the light of Z-Loan shines in the building and one small light on the first floor.

They enter and hear a voice, "the building is closed you can't... oh it's you guys." The janitor had become familiar with the Z-Loan employees during the time they still worked there, though he did not know and still doesn't know what the office's secret is.

"We're working late," Chika did not completely lie, they were working and it was a job with lives on the line.

"Go right up then," the janitor continues cleaning and the three boys head for the elevator.

They arrive at the floor occupied by Z-Loan and go in, as expected, they find Bekko there. The ferryman looks up from his work, "what is it?"

The three boys, two humans and one zombie look at each other realizing they had not formulated a plan. Instead they talk and think at the same time. "Did you see Ember's concert?" Yuuta, or rather Kenken asks.

"I believe it was cancelled thanks to Chika's new stalker. I'm afraid I still can't help you, there is truly nothing I can do, I am only a ferryman after all." He still pretends he knows not much beyond what the others do.

Chika is impatient, he decides to be direct. "You're coming with us," and he takes Bekko's arm pulling him to his feet, Sotetsu taking the other.

"No need to get carried away," Bekko speaks calmly, not noticing the irony of his words. He does not struggle as they drag him out of the office.

Yuuta closes the door and gets to work. The fact that Bekko went along so easily makes him suspicious, but maybe there was something that he could not tell that he would let them find out instead.

Yuuta examines the database, marked as restricted to ferrymen only. Maybe Bekko was letting him see something he couldn't tell, or letting him see something he wouldn't otherwise believe. Yuuta starts to search, he does not know anything about the reaper so instead he searches by the name of the latest victim.

A list appears on the screen, white letters in a black background, a list of files and Yuuta chooses the right one. He scan's Ember's profile searching for the cause of her death, two are listed, the real one and what was thought.

It either was or would be determined that Ember fainted due to exhaustion; she had been working hard on that tour. There was a mistake setting up the lights and one of them fell. Due to assembly problems it came apart and killed her.

In reality, Ember fell not because she fainted, but because she died. The light was just a cover up, because humans need explanations. If mortals cannot explain something, they either try to destroy it or follow it obsessively and take it apart until they understand it.

The reaper cannot be destroyed by a mere mortal, or a mere ferryman, or zombie, or golem or most creatures. Not that one, she is far more powerful then Zarame, and many other reapers as well. But she does not want to be followed; she is the stalker not the other way around.

Yuuta looks up the profile for the reaper girl, it is not very informative. Her name is unknown, her age is unknown but thought to be over a thousand, her picture was actually a group of pictures. Yuuta reads, "a dangerous reaper with the ability to shape shift and one of the most powerful known cores, possibly second only to Grim himself. A known rule breaker who kills and even guides unmarked humans. She often kills following a pattern such as a certain eye color during one week, ages to match the days of the calendar and alphabetic order. There is no known purpose to any of this and it is concluded she does it for her amusement." The information Yuuta was looking at made the situation even more hopeless. He scrolls down and reads a little note at the end. "Suspected to have killed three ferrymen..." So that was what kept Bekko trying to avoid her. The reaper was dangerous, even to those who were supposed to be in a way her allies. But who was she really and why was she so powerful? If only they knew, if only they could find out and then find a way to stop her.

Humans really are curious creatures, they would stalk death itself for the sake of knowing how to stop it, even if it means dying and taking the secret with them; they wish to know. Yuuta pokes around the database a little longer but finds nothing useful and leaves.

Bekko pretends to struggle and easily breaks free just as Yuuta exists the office. "You did not touch anything, I assume?"

"You assume correctly," Yuuta, Kenken and Konkon reply.

xoxox xox xoxox

Chapter 7

He thought he saw someone, and the elderly man goes to take a closer look. Maybe the boys from Z-Loan finished their work quickly and came down to the first floor again, they had stopped going to work so he thought they had moved on from their jobs there after they were done with high school, but today they returned. He turns a corner following a shadow, an unknown figure. He feels a little frightened, but pushes the thoughts away to the back of his head where they stay. Humans have a sixth sense sometimes that against their better judgment they often ignore.

He continues down the deserted hall, plastic plants forming odd shadows, the silence heavy and the light very dim. The figure stands in front of the elevator pressing the button for it to come down and the man breathes in relief. "Ah, it's you Miss Kita," the janitor finds what he had gone to investigate. The night shift could be eerie but the building was busy and crowded during the day and that left no room for cleaning.

The lavender haired girl turns around, and looks at the man standing there looking relieved, as he should not be. "Only the Z-Loan people and the cleaning crew would come here this late."

The janitor laughs in agreement. "That's true. I'm glad it was you, for a minute I thought I was imagining things." Or worse yet, he had thought for a moment that he might not be imagining things, and that those things were real.

"Oh no, you're not imagining anything, I am indeed here... death is very real," a scythe appears in her hand and her appearance changes, this time she looks like one of the corpses from the in between. Her lavender hair is much longer, split and greasy. Her flesh is rotting, green eyes glowing unnaturally. "Time to say goodbye, Fuji."

Fuji yells and runs for dear life. He heads for the stairs and dashes up with speed beyond what one would think he can achieve. He stops for a moment and looks back. He then looks towards the elevators and sees the lights on. He rushes down the stairs again, assuming she has gone up the elevator.

He stops at the end of the stairs, seeing the zombie reaper standing before him. "Came back to face your destiny?"

Fuji realizes that the elevator's light must have been on because Chika, Sotetsu or Yuuta are coming down, maybe even Bekko himself. He runs up the stairs again. "Chika! Sotetsu! Yuuta! Bekko!" He yells as loud as he can. "There's a..." what is she really? "a monster!"

The elevator doors open on the first floor, Chika, Sotetsu and Yuuta rushing out. "Damn it, Fuji!" Chika rushes towards the back exit were he was sure Fuji's voice was coming from. He should have known Fuji would be next, but somehow he didn't.

"Chika!" Yuuta yells for him to stop, they can't beat a reaper like her, the one without a name, not unless they find a weakness and she might not even have one.

Sotetsu rushes after Chika, Yuuta following as well. Sotetsu calls out his axe, as the only zombie of the group he is the only one capable of materializing a weapon in such a way. "Chika, out of the way!" Sotetsu spots the reaper, in the shape of rotting Michiru. He brings the axe down on her and nothing happens. He had hit something so solid, so invulnerable that even the sharp axe of plasma had no effect.

"Stop this!" Chika stands between the reaper and Fuji, "why keep killing people simply because of their names? They're not even marked!"

"Chika!" Yuuta warms him. If the reaper is angered she could easily kill them all.

"Because it's so fun to play with you. I have your full attention now, don't I Chika?" The reaper laughs evilly and her appearance changes again. Her flesh is pale but healthy, her clothing made of black leather similar to what Ember was wearing when she died, her hair a fiery red in a high ponytail and on her back a pair of black bat wings.

Chika attacks while Sotetsu continues to hit her with his axe to no effect and Yuuta yells and screams and nearly begs for them to leave the deadly creature they can't hope to beat.

The reaper stretches her wings, one wraps around Chika and the other around Sotetsu trapping them both. Yuuta stands before her and a terrified Fuji lays on the floor trembling. "Please don't... You have no reason to, what would you gain?"

"What would you know little mortal," the reaper lifts her scythe but Yuuta doesn't move, he will not abandon everyone.

"Even if I break the rules of my own little game, it doesn't matter, I'll kill you too Yuuta." The reaper lowers the scythe and at the last moment Yuuta is pushed out of the way.

Fuji receives the impact but this time the scythe does not leave the scars it left on A, B and C. It is similar to the death of D and E, a death without scars, simply reaped. "Killed and guided, you can't make this one a zombie even if you try."

In shock and desperation, Yuuta jumps to his feet and attacks, Kenken and Konkon in tightly close fists. He is easily pushed aside and along with Chika and Sotetsu, Yuuta is left there, at the back exit of the Z-Loan building, next to Fuji's dead body; and the next day the story would be that old Fuji died of heart failure.

The reaper fades away, casting one last look at Chika and speaking as she disappears. "Try to stop me, Chika..." because she likes his attention on her and she likes his strong emotions, even if they are made of hatred and anger, she fades away to nothingness.

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Chapter 8

"Chika, stop pacing, it won't help anyone if you just keep doing that," Chika stops, looks at Sotetsu then continues walking all over the small space of the crowded Z-Loan office.

Chika, Sotetsu, Yuuta, Michiru, Koyomi and Momoka are all there, along with Bekko and Ohtsu. Bekko has remained neutral, insisting that "the impossible cannot be challenged," perhaps hiding something, it was hard to know. Ohtsu's investigation had been independent from Z-loan, not that he discovered much more than what the reaper wanted them to know.

Momoka has been told the truth.

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The two siblings are sitting in the guest room of Michiru's house alone, where Chika was planning to somehow explain things. "I don't even know where to start..." he had admitted that time, though it was not like him.

"From the beginning," Momoka suggested.

"It all started with the bus accident... everyone thought I miraculously survived but I didn't. I was turned into a zombie and my right hand was switched with Shito's." Chika had decided not to go too deep into Shito's past, that was his secret to keep or reveal and Momoka would understand without that information anyway.

"But you're here..." Momoka was confused to hear Chika say he was a zombie, he looked normal.

"I'm not a zombie anymore, and I didn't look different when I was. The only difference was a black ring around my neck that reapers can see... Michiru could see it too, it's a special ability of hers. Because of the hand switch, Shito and I couldn't go too far away from each other or our hands would rot and fall off, and we also needed to switch hands back to summon our weapons but we couldn't keep them switched for a long time. Sotetsu is still a zombie and can still summon his weapon formed by plasma," Chika paused.

Momoka tried to take in all the information. If it was being said at any other time, she would tell her brother to get some rest and stop imagining things, but she had seen a reaper and she knew that something was going on. Momoka wasn't stupid, she could easily tell when something was being hidden from her and was waiting to be informed, on the verge of running out of patience and asking for, or demanding, answers. "I believe you," was all she could say to make her brother continue his narration. A moment of silence passed and Momoka urged Chika to continue, "about the reaper..."

"She's coming back, but I won't let her hurt you. I'll protect you with my life and soul, Momoka," such was the endless brotherly love of Chika and need to protect his little sister.

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"Three days," the white and black haired boy announces. "It's been three days and she has killed how many?"

Yuuta looks over his notes repeating the names; only the first names since that was what the reaper based her killing on. "Geraldo, drowned in the coast of Brazil." After the reaper knew that the Z-loan group was keeping track of her killings she stopped making them obvious to them. Yuuta kept some information from Bekko's database and was able to access it, though Bekko never asked how Yuuta obtained the names of the victims. Yuuta reads the next name of the list, "Hayden, killed in a car accident due to icy roads in the north of Canada. Isis, death by dehydration and heat stroke in the desert of Egypt. Jem, died during child birth in the United States, her twin babies who did not have names yet, did not make it alive either."

Chika clenches his fists tightly, glaring at a wall angrily. The reaper was killing innocent unmarked humans and not only that, but children as well. Usually she did not kill anyone but her chosen victim, such was the falsely accused officer Howard from the case of her first two victims Allen and Brittany, but apparently newborn children did not count because they had no names yet.

Koyomi feels her stomach turn, and her head becoming light. She remembers the alphabet all too well and K is the next letter. She notices Sotetsu glance at her as if not wanting to even consider the thought.

Finally Bekko speaks up, "because she was killing unmarked humans I thought she was only killing them not guiding them as well. A misinformation on my part, but like I said, it is best to avoid this one."

"That basically means zombie loans are useless," Chika speaks bitterly.

It had been tested with Fuji and confirmed by Yomi when she randomly started yelling 'try to revive me' in Portuguese, no doubt something that the reaper made her Brazilian victim say.

xoxox xox xoxox

Koyomi returns home to her apartment, she has not checked her mail today on the first floor mail boxes and did not care to do so. Right now finding a job in something other than repeating quotes of the dead is not one of her top priorities. The possibility of being the victim of K haunts her. It is likely, she thinks, after killing people from far away lands, that she would kill someone closer to Chika and then maybe take a small break and let him suffer with the wait of knowing there was only one person whose name starts with an L between Momoka and death.

Her heart pounds and every sound she hears is louder and much scarier than ever before. She tries to push the thoughts away and steps into the bathroom for a much needed warm shower, in hopes of not losing what is left of her sanity.

She opens the warm water, letting the tub fill up and goes to retrieve some fresh clothes to wear after her shower, which she decides might be a bath instead. She takes some pajamas from her closet and returns to the bathroom in time to turn the water off, preventing the tub from overflowing. The entire time, she can't shake the feeling that she's not alone.

To be Continued

Disclaimer, I don't own Zombie Loan. Written for Snow's challange at Plot Whole, later revised. Did you catch the references to Danny Phantom and Disgaea?

xoxox xox xoxox

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	2. Chapter 2

Angel of Death

Chapter 9

Koyomi can't focus in the task of hand; wish is simply taking a bath. She is certain there is someone there, another presence. She wraps a towel around herself and peeks out the bathroom door, there is no one there. She considers locking the door which she usually leaves open since she is the only one at the apartment, but decides against it, reapers don't use doors anyway.

Koyomi quickly dries herself and dresses. She still feels the presence and as she passes by the bathroom mirror she recognizes a look in the eyes that should be hers, that is not hers, in the image looking back at her from the reflective surface.

She breathes deeply, recognizing the presence. "Yomi, don't scare me like that," Koyomi rarely speaks to her other self, for when one is awake the other sleeps. But today she draws comfort from the other self she has feared before. "Are you worried too?"

Koyomi realizes that the comfort she felt is nothing but a trick of her need to stay relatively calm and relatively sane. But nothing has changed, because when Koyomi is awake, Yomi is sleeping.

"You are not Yomi," Koyomi steps back.

The image in the mirror gains motion, stepping out of the reflective surface and passing through the wall. Her appearance changes from Yomi to Michiru. "Yomi hurt me, didn't you know that? It's your fault for not controlling her."

Koyomi wants to run but is unable to move. "No! That's not true! Yomi didn't hurt Michiru, she didn't! Michiru would have told me!" Koyomi feels angry at her other self and thinks that maybe if she was gone, then Yomi would be gone and Michiru would be safe.

The reaper changes her appearance again, now gaining the form of Chihiro. "It's your fault I'm dead Koyomi, because you're stupid and ditzy like everyone says."

"It wasn't my fault," Koyomi pleads. "I made a mistake, I was trying to help, I didn't mean to!" She continues to retreat step by step, her back against the cold wall. "You guided her, even if her death was a secret, even if I made up a story for her to have miraculously survived, it wouldn't have worked. You killed her and left us no chance of bringing her back!"

"How do you know, Koyomi? Not even Bekko can say for sure. Oh yes, I know he's been giving you hints, but I don't care. Keep your pitiful ferryman," the reaper in the guise of Chihiro continues to approach Koyomi slowly.

"Leave me alone!" Koyomi runs, rushing out of the bathroom, slamming the door uselessly closed, she heads for the front door, and opens it. She sees the reaper there, still in the shape of Chihiro, a stab wound is on her heart, blood dripping down her chest, down her body, all the way to the floor, forming a pool at her feet. Koyomi slams the door close and instinctively locks it, then she runs.

"You can't get away, Koyomi, you can't escape your name!" The reaper follows slowly, savoring the futile chase.

Koyomi's mind races, her tears flow, her heart threatens to break out of her rib case. She knows there's no escape as she sees the reaper appear before her.

"When Chika finds out a dear friend of his was killed, he'll be so sad, I'll watch him break apart knowing that Momoka is about to die. But don't worry, I'll put him out of his misery eventually, He will be the last. I'll continue my game of death all the way to Z, then start over again, it's so much fun!" The reaper laughs insanely. "One by one, they all die... Sotetsu will die too or rather I will guide him, then Yuuta when the time is right. I'll restart again and watch Chika struggle with life and death. Then Shito, the one who was born dead, he will return to death. I'll keep going until it's Chika's turn, the game wont end until he dies. Then I'll think of a different game, but what do you care? You won't be here anymore, oh no, you'll be long gone!" The reaper's look is insane, cruel, evil, desperate. Her appearance changes to Momoka, "to be killed by someone with such a sweet face, isn't it unexpected?" A scythe appears in her hand and she holds it above Koyomi.

"I can't outrun you..." Koyomi cries, her life flashes before her eyes, the happy moments and the sad ones, and the blanks caused by her eternal companion of the dead man's tongue still remain mostly blank, with only bits and pieces surfacing at last, but not enough to understand exactly what was going on with Yomi when Koyomi slept.

A loud crash is heard, Koyomi's door is broken apart and Sotetsu stands there, axe in hand. Chika is next to him with a sword, one not made by his plasma, but a sharp katana nonetheless. "I knew you would come," Chika was ready to fight, because Koyomi would not die simply because she knew the boy whom the reaper decided to stalk. Because of that, she had already suffered; no more could happen, no more, he would not allow it.

Sotetsu stands firm, protective of Koyomi, "you want to lay a finger on her; you have to get through me first."

"Have I not already beaten you before?" The reaper laughs evilly. "I spared the lives of Chika and Yuuta last time, and the soul of Sotetsu," she grins madly. "They are all such ingrates; they really must want to die."

"Whatever happens, we have to win, and we will win," Chika is determined, casting away all doubts. "I will not forgive you for all you've done and for copying Momoka!"

"Come then foolish mortals, come have a taste of defeat, but I won't kill you yet," the reaper stands ready to attack, scythe held with both hands, pointed at Chika. "I'll just have to hurt you, with the face of your dear little sister."

xoxox xox xoxox

Chapter 10

The efforts of Chika and Sotetsu prove useless against the seemingly invincible reaper. "Don't hold back Chika, just because she looks like that, don't..." Sotetsu reminds him.

"I know," Chika attacks, feeling as if a part of him died all over again when his sword cuts through the image of Momoka. But the blood is not of her, but a show from the reaper who is not truly wounded.

The axe and the sword continue to collide against the reaper until laughing like a maniac she catches both weapons simultaneously, blades against her hand sinking to the bones of her fingers, and she pulls them hard, and she tries to throw them away. Both of the weapon owners hold on and it only amuses the reaper more. She finally lets go. "Stubborn, so stubborn, passionate maybe?" Her ramblings sound incoherent and with a hint of lust. She takes the appearance that is classic to a reaper once more, black ragged cloak, ghostly pale skin, black long uneven hair, blood red eyes, matching sharp long nails, scythe in hand, she approaches Koyomi who had not fled, not daring to leave Sotetsu and Chika to deal with this alone, and knowing the reaper can never be outrun by her in such a way.

Chika and Sotetsu attack from left and right at once, going right through the reaper as if she were nothing but a ghost, a terrible ghost of death. Sotetsu's axe lands on Chika's shoulder, the blade of Chika's katana piercing Sotetsu's stomach, they fall with the momentum and it looks like all is over for Koyomi.

"Say goodbye..." the reaper prepares for the kill.

"Goodbye," a slightly different voice replies, confident, seductive, determined to live, she refuses to disappear.

The reaper lowers her weapon and looks at the young woman standing before her. "Yomi..."

"My name is Yomi, second to last in the alphabet. Will you break your own game?" Yomi asks. "Will you admit that even if it is small, in some way you lost, in some way you were mocked?"

"You dare stand up to me?" The reaper curiously looks at Yomi, the woman who speaks the words of the dead. "Momoka meddled when I was about to kill Chika and I will kill her."

"I have nothing to lose save for my life, if it is the worse you can do," Yomi lowers her voice to her trademark seductive tone, "then do your worse my angel of death and lose your game."

Without another single word spoken, the reaper disappears and Yomi retreats into the depths of her host, a confused Koyomi falls to her knees. "Sotetsu, Chika, the reaper..."

"She's gone," Sotetsu is more concerned about Chika's wound than his own. Though Chika's wound would not be as life threatening as Sotetsu's, Sotetsu is still a zombie and Chika is a human again. "Yomi drove her away,"

A woman in her forties, a man in his late twenties, and another man in his early thirties, the last clad in a blue uniform that distinguished him as the security guard of the apartment building, all three stood at the shattered door to Koyomi's apartment, faces pale, expressions frozen in fear. They saw too much. They are Koyomi's neighbors from above and below, and the guard who usually stays in the first floor, all unable to react.

Ohtsu arrives on the scene, realizing he is in fact too late. He knocks down each of the three with swift jabs to the back of the head. "I will have their memories be modified; it's for their own good." No protests are heard as Ohtsu examines the state Chika's in. "Don't waste your new life." Ohtsu is clearly sleep deprived, stressed and plainly frustrated.

"Yuuta is here, Kenken and Konkon too!" With a pace much faster than usual, Yuuta gets to work in giving Chika first aid. Chika is no longer a zombie and his human life is as fragile and easily lost as any other.

"Chika!" A split second passes and Momoka is there, followed by Michiru. They had their silent doubts about Koyomi being the target. They did not want to say it, but they kept those thoughts, all of them.

"Momoka, don't cry, I'm alright, it's just a scratch, I've had much worse and recovered." Chika forces a smile, and stops himself from wincing at the pain that feels so much more real now that life flows along with the blood of his body.

"As a zombie," Momoka reminds him, she had heard the entire story after all.

"No need to worry," Yuuta assures, "He will heal, no problem. Just because I revived, doesn't mean I lost my abilities, if anything Kenken and Konkon are more powerful now." Yuuta is rare; someone of his kind was called a white mage in ancient times, a healer.

Those who need not be involved are taken away by Ohtsu, and those who know of the secrets stay. Bekko stands at the door, quiet as can be, unnoticed by those who bask in a small moment of rest. One could say, a battle had been won, but they were very far from winning the war.

xoxox xox xoxox

Carmella watches the destinies unfold reflected on a crystal ball. The keeper of the key is away, as is the one who was born dead and now lives. They shall return, Carmella predicts, and for that she does not need the round glass device that cannot see into the future but the present and present alone. "The wheels of fate are turning, another player is about to join the game of destiny..."

xoxox xox xoxox

"What did you do, Toho?" Shito angrily asks. The man at the other side of the rectangular table collapsed with no signs of injuries.

"I assure you it was not I," Toho replies, he sounds somewhat concerned, "I sense the presence of another, a powerful being who can make itself invisible even to me..." Toho has not thought something like this would happen. The man called Kintaro had no signs of a black ring around his neck. The wheels of fate had turned indeed.

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Chapter 11

The death of Kintaro is blamed on Shito, a war is expected but none occurs. The wheel of fate takes an unexpected turn and instead of applying some form of revenge, it brings a positive consequence for Shito. The mafia does not go to war, it fears after the death of their supposedly invincible leader, Kintaro, not fully human, not exactly a zombie, but an advanced golem beyond anything made by Yoshizumi. The necessity to use Shito as a negotiator is lost, Toho's side of the mafia gains territory and Shito takes the opportunity to leave, his destination is to return to Japan.

xoxox xox xoxox

Yuuta, Koyomi, Chika, Momoka and Sotetsu are in Michiru's house. "It doesn't look like she's done anything yet," Yuuta kept the log in information from the ferrymen database and is able to access it through the common internet, quite convenient. But of course, the database is full of beings who were born and named, none that were created.

"If she comes back for me, I'll call Yomi out," Koyomi voiced.

There was not much else they could do, and being unable to deal with the situation and get it over with was frustrating. They decide not to let the reaper girl get to them and try to move on with their lives the best that they can.

xoxox xox xoxox

Later that day, Yuuta, Koyomi and Sotetsu go home. Momoka and Michiru have become friends and Yuuri is on yet another trip, such is the life of Mr. pretty boy model; but at least he's happy and he makes the best of his time with his "little squirrels" also known as Chika and Momoka.

Michiru invites them to stay over and Chika doesn't want Momoka to remember the first meeting with the reaper during that time they were alone at the Akatsuki house. They stay over.

It is the evening and Momoka is watching a movie in the living room. Chika is laying on the couch half watching, slowly drifting off to sleep.

Michiru announces that she is going out. "This dog is a bottomless pit," she whispers to Momoka while putting a leach on the fat saint bernard's collar. Chika is too sleepy to hear her. "I'm just going out to get some dog food and I'll take him for a walk, he needs the exercise."

"Chika and I can come," Momoka offers.

"No, it's fine. Chika is tired and if he wakes up and you're not here he'll worry. Besides, we decided we would live our lives without worrying right?" Michiru, like the others, ids determined not to become a slave to the fear of death.

"Are you sure?" Momoka asks for the last time, keeping her voice quiet so as to not wake her brother. Chika has stopped watching the TV and is now fast asleep.

"Yeah," Michiru replies with a smile. "I'll be back soon," and the girl with the reaper eyes leaves along with her pet dog, Leon.

xoxox xox xoxox

Michiru arrives at a local pet shop where they sell not only animals but other pet related products including food. Pets are allowed inside as long as they are on a leach. Michiru goes in along with Leon. "Be good Leon, behave well and I'll get you some treats." Michiru doesn't want to admit it but she does spoil that dog and that is probably the reason why he is so fat.

At the store, there are several kinds of dog foods on the shelves. Michiru sorts through them looking for the flavor Leon likes best. She picks up a large bag, wrapping her arms around it, she can hardly lift it and she is not looking forward to carrying the bag back to her house, but Leon has a big appetite.

With some effort, Michiru takes the large bag to the end of the aisle, Leon following close behind wagging his tail. The dog stops and whimpers, reminding Michiru that she had forgotten something. "Right, treats," Leon wags his tail and watches as Michiru picks up a smaller bag, this one containing dog treats.

The lavender haired girl pushes the large bag up with her knee to try to get a better grip around it. She walks towards the front counter with her arms wrapped around the large dog food bag and the end of her fingers clinging to Leon's leach on one hand and to the bag of treats on the other.

The boy who works at the store finally notices her predicament and gives Michiru a hand, placing the items on the counter. The two items are totaled and placed in a large bag that Michiru has no idea how she'll haul home. The boy gives her the bag. "Sorry, I can't leave the shop," he apologizes for not being able to help the girl carry a bag half her size.

"Don't worry about it, I'll be fine," half dragging and half carrying the large bag, Michiru goes on her way back home. She wishes Chika and Momoka had come along, she wishes she had woken up Chika, then they would make him carry the oversize bag.

Michiru laughs at her own predicament and takes a shortcut through the park. "Don't get any ideas Leon," she warns the dog. "We're not here to play, we're just taking a shortcut home." Not that Leon is the kind of dog who likes to play and run. Leon is a lazy spoiled mutt whose idea of going to the park is sitting under the shade of a tree and occasionally barking at random passer bys.

Michiru takes note of the sun sinking in the horizon and tries to pick up the pace, but it is hard with the large bag she has to carry. To make matters worse, the bag rips and the two bags inside fall out. She sighs, she really wishes she had brought Chika along, he owed her for all the time she spent playing gopher.

She takes the large bag in her arms and grabs the smaller one losing her grip on the big one. She drops it and it rips, she wishes she hasn't bought such a large bag even if it meant another trip to the store soon. Michiru turns the large bag over, with the ripped side on top and waits for Leon to finish eating the food that fell on the ground. "Grab that, will you Leon?"

Leon obediently picks up the bag of treats with his mouth. "Don't eat them on the way; they're for later, okay?" Michiru reminds him, and once again they are on their way.

xoxox xox xoxox

Chapter 12

Michiru continues her arduous journey and notices that the park is quite empty. Children are usually playing during the afternoon and people bring their pets to play. At this time of the evening, when the sun is setting, people are usually leaving the park, but it is not usually this deserted.

She makes sure she has a good grip on the bag of food and glances at Leon who is still strolling beside her with the bag of treats in his mouth. Then she quickens her pace, she does not feel good about being in the park alone. The silence becomes eerie and Michiru starts to hum. Her humming evolves into singing to comfort herself until suddenly Leon stops, drops the bag of treats he was carrying and whimpers.

"Leon, what's wrong?" Michiru gives the leach a small tug but Leon doesn't move. She sets the large open bag of food down and goes to check on the dog. "What is it Leon? Do you feel sick? Does something hurt?" She feels guilty for letting the dog get so fat in the first place. She pets him and tries to determine what the problem is, but he looks alright. She goes down on her knees next to him, searching for any injuries, thinking that maybe his stepped on a thorn or something and hurt his paw.

"Chiru chiru..."

Michiru bolts to her feet looking around her, searching for the voice.

"Chiru chiru..."

Michiru cannot locate the voice that sounds like Yomi, and deep down she knows it isn't Yomi.

"Chiru chiru..."

The echo comes from everywhere and no where and the sun continues to sink in the horizon dimming what little light is left.

"Chiru chiru..."

Michiru's heart is pounding. She grabs Leon's collar and pulls on it hard. She leaves the bags behind and continues trying to make the dog move. "Run Leon, we're going home, now, move it!"

"Chiru chiru..."

Leon whimpers in fear and tries to keep up with his owner, but the fat and lazy saint bernard is very slow.

"Chiru chiru..."

Michuru stops, coming face to face with someone who looks like Yomi, who appeared out of nowhere. "You... you're not Yomi."

"You're a smart one chiru chiru Michiru," the reaper laughs, she keeps her appearance as Yomi this time.

Michiru steps back. Leon growls and barks at the reaper. He's afraid but he tries to defend Michiru.

"You need not worry too much; I don't really like girls the way Yomi does. I like your little friend, Chika Akatsuki," it was odd seeing the image of Yomi licking her lips and expressing interest in a man, but that wasn't Yomi, it was the reaper in disguise.

"Chika doesn't like you," Michiru feels as if her words are completely unimportant to the reaper. "But you don't care do you? Even if he hates you?"

The reaper shakes her head. "Not really, it doesn't matter to me what he wants or doesn't want. But I won't force him into anything, even if I easily can. I'll wait for him to come to me." She grins evilly.

Michiru glares, her anger and frustration are evident. She doesn't like it when her friends are threatened. "That's not going to happen."

"What would you know chiru chiru Michiru?" The reaper mocks her. "Don't you know that humans are weak? Oh you should know, you've seen their black rings, humans are ever so fragile. Once I break his will, he'll come to me seeking mercy. I'll savor that moment than put him out of his misery."

"Chika would never do that... you don't care about him at all, all you want is to torture him..." a part of Michiru screams for her to run away, but she knows it's useless.

"Reapers know no love, only lust my dear," the look in the reaper's eyes scares Michiru more than Yomi ever scared her, it's the fear of death, what people talk about... Needless to say, looking at death in the eyes is not as easy as they make it seem in the movies. "Or do you think he cares for you?"

"Chika and I are friends," Michiru clarifies and for a moment she wonders if the reaper is acting jealously towards every girl who is around Chika, Koyomi included, even if her crush on Sotetsu is common knowledge.

"When I ask you if you think he cares about you, I speak of an entire different he," she gives Michiru a pitiful look, as if the mortal girl is nothing but trash.

Michiru doesn't know what the reaper is talking about. She is not talking about Chika, it couldn't be Sotetsu, she didn't think it was Yuuta, Shito wasn't even in Japan to the best of Michiru's knowledge; then who? "Who do you mean?" She feels compelled to ask.

"I had already given you the answer to that, just think of my words and it will come to you. Either way it doesn't matter, you know I'm not here to talk," the reaper's appearance changes, she now has grayish skin, feathery black wings and ragged black revealing clothing. Her hair is a deep crimson and her eyes are golden, standing out against the other colors of her being. She wields her scythe, pointing it at Michiru.

Leon barks loudly, standing between Michiru and the reaper. Michiru holds the dog back; it would be useless if he attacked. "You're obviously not here to tell me this."

"Oh no, I do have a good reason to be here chiru chiru Michiru," the reaper's insane sadistic laughter echoes.

The sun has gone down completely, the park is dark, a cold wind blows. The leaves dance on the trees, Leon's barking is drowned out by the sound of the reaper's voice, and no one approaches the park that will in the near future gain the reputation of being haunted. No one goes to Michiru's aid, no one knows she is in danger. "My name start with an M, if you're not here for me then..." she makes a pause eyes wide. "Leon?"

"What I am here for, Chiru chiru, is to break the pattern," the killing intent is strong in the reapers eyes and Michiru can't help it but to feel as if her life is about to end.

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Chapter 13

"To break the pattern..." Michiru repeats, eyes filled with terror. This time she does not quietly accept death, instead she runs. "Leon, get away from here, go home!" maybe if the dog goes home on his own her friends will know that something happened. Michiru herself does not run home. She knows that it would be useless to ask her friends to fight the reaper once more when they are still recovering, especially Chika who was injured and must take better care of his recovery now that he is alive again.

Michiru runs away, she doesn't want to get her friends uselessly involved. She doesn't have another self with a different name, not that it would matter anyway. The reaper said she was here to break the pattern, she must have been angered by Yomi's move and now she is after Michiru. Michiru continues to desperately run, even if she knows it's useless, she is not the same as before. Now Michiru clings to life with all her strength, she wants to live, she does not quietly accept death.

Michiru saw no black ring around her neck this time, though she once thought of accepting her fate when she saw it in the past, this time is different. Even if she had a ring, even if it were her time, Michiru knows it is too early, she is too young to leave this world, and she refuses to fall. Instead she runs, she runs for dear life and when she is about to reach the exit of the park she comes face to face with the reaper.

Out of breath, but with a strong will to live, Michiru turns away and continues to run. If her fate is to die, she'll die of exhaustion fighting for her life, but she will not die because she gave up.

Michiru continues to run desperately in the park. She sees a branch on the ground in the faint light of the full moon and picks it up. She knows it might not be much, but if her life is to end today, then she will go down fighting. Gripping the branch in her hands she looks at her surroundings and listens for any suspicious sounds. She hears some one approaching and swings the branch high. The branch flies over Leon without hitting him.

"Leon!" Michiru drops the branch and hugs her pet. "I'm sorry, I didn't hurt you, right? You scared me. I told you to go home Leon, get out of here."

The reaper appears before Michiru, golden eyes glowing, crimson hair flowing in the breeze, the moon's light reflecting off her grayish skin. "You can't run away."

Michiru jumps to her feet and picks up the branch again, she tries to hit the reaper with it, but the dark being cuts it with her scythe. "Poor helpless Chiru chiru," the reaper laughs, her voice echoing as if the world was empty with only them in it.

The human girl clenches her fists, she will not give up, she is not the same scared girl she was when this all began. Working for Z-Loan, being with her friends, the countless zombie hunts, it all made her stronger, it made her hold on to life. Michiru tries to fight, but it does not work. She is knocked back, thrown against a tree.

The reaper swings her scythe at Michiru. "Didn't I tell you Chiru chiru, I'm here to break the pattern."

Michiru's life flashes before her eyes and a sharp pain strikes her. Michiru holds her cut shoulder, the cut reaching down to her elbow, blood dripping through her fingers and she squeezes the wound trying to hold it closed.

"I said I was here to break the pattern Chiru chiru," the reaper cruelly glares, looking down on her.

Leon jumps on the reaper, biting into her arm and the reaper easily tares him away. Leon attacks once more and the reaper swings her scythe reaching one of the dog's front legs and cutting it off. Leon falls crying in pain. He struggles to get up.

"Leon!" Michiru screams, horrified, in pain, tears flowing.

"I suppose I already broke the pattern with Kintaro the golem, you did hear did you? I was hoping a war would break out in the mafia, a war that would destroy Chika's friend Shito," the reaper sounded annoyed that instead of war, the death of Kintaro though it was somehow blamed on Shito, was the winning card for Toho's side of the mafia, with his clan taking control of a large amount of territory. Because of that, Shito was able to slip away and would soon arrive in Japan.

"Shito... Stay away from my friends!" Michiru yells while she desperately tries to stop Leon's bleeding.

"Beg for mercy, cry, be angry, hate me, do all you want. It's not going to work, isn't that frustrating?" The reaper grabs Michiru by the throat.

Michiru tries to break free, the air in her lungs becoming scarce. She scratches at the reaper's arm to no avail. Leon bites the reaper again despite his wound and continuous bleeding. While still holding Michiru, with her other hand the reaper cuts one of Leon's back legs, the dog releases her in pain, and she throws Michiru on the ground.

Michiru has several small cuts on her neck from the reaper's long sharp nails. She coughs and tries to breathe some air into her thirsty lungs. "Leon!" The loyal dog has suffered too much. "Stop this! Why are you torturing him? What are you getting from all of this?" Leon can no longer get up; missing his right front leg and left back leg, the blood he's losing is abundant.

"Amusement my dear Chiru chiru!" The sadistic reaper laughs insanely, she truly enjoys the suffering of all living creatures. "The reaper pulls Michiru away from Leon by her hair, cutting a few strands in the process. "You should thank me chiru chiru Michiru I'm about to put this pitiful creature out of its misery, and then I'll bring more misery to you."

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Chapter 14

The reaper sings in a creepy cruel voice. "A is for Allen too bossy for his own good. B is for Brittany and now I ask you. Who is the idiot? The one who starts it or the one who doesn't make it end too? C is for Chihiro the frind of Koyomi. The girl of the dead man's tongue who delivered a message for me. D is for Daniel, they thought he was smart and astute, but I don't think humans are like that, do you? E is for Ember who thinks she's so cool and F is for Fuji that old fool. G is for Geraldo who drowned at sea and H is for Hayden, another death for the list. I is for Isis from the land of heat and J is for Jem they all fall at my feet." She lifts her scythe and brings it down on Leon. "Time to break the human pattern... K is for Kintaro the mafia golem, L is for Leon a dog loyal to humans, he shall die for it."

Leon's head is cut off and thrown a Michiru with the impulse. Michiru screams until her dry throat hurts and there is no air in her lungs. The reaper and the pieces of Leon's body disappear and Michiru is left alone in the park, the wound in her arm and shoulder still open, bruises all over her body from when she was thrown, clothes soaked in her dog's blood.

xoxox xox xoxox

Momoka wakes up after having drifted off to sleep in the living room. She turns the TV off and glances at Chika, who is still sleeping on the couch. Momoka wonders were Michiru is, she must be home by now. She searches for Michiru around the house and goes upstairs to Michiru's room. She peeks in and sees that there is someone on the bed under the covers.

An odd smell lingers in the room and Momoka notices the open window. She tip toes across the room, assuming the unpleasant scent is coming from outside, and closes the window before the smell wakes Michiru.

Momoka leaves Michiru's room quietly and considers waking Chika and sending him to bed, but he looks comfortable as he is, so she decides to let him rest. Momoka heads for the guest room and goes to bed.

Time passes and Chika wakes up. He realizes that he is on the couch and gets up to go to bed. He first goes to the guest room where Momoka is staying to make sure she is alright. He sees Momoka sleeping soundly, the night light still on. She did not used to leave any light on while she slept, but after the reaper attacked she started to dislike total darkness.

Chika visits Michiru's room next. The room is dark and it's hard to see. He notices something under the covers, he assumes Michiru is sleeping and is about to leave. An unpleasant smell is noticeable in the room and Chika sees the open window. He goes over to the window and closes it. He doesn't know what the smell is, but it is similar to the scent of death, of rotting corpses and it bothers him. He thinks that Michiru and Momoka are safe because Yuuta has not found any deaths by the nameless reaper girl on the ferryman database starting with a K. He does not know that golem deaths are not counted on the database. Koyomi has Yomi to protect her so for now Chika thinks they are all safe.

He goes to bed and lays down sleepily. He can't help it but to worry in the back of his mind, but he pushes the thoughts away. They had all decided together that they would not worry. Chika moves a little, half asleep. He rolls over, his face buried in the soft pillow, one arm hanging over the side of the bed. He hears a soft whimper and identifies the sound as originating from a dog. "Is that you, Leon?"

Chika feels a canine lick the hand he has over the side of the bed. He pet's the dog's head, unaware of the two other heads the canine has. "Go to sleep, Leon."

Chika is not sleeping well this night. He silently thanks the one he thinks is Leon for being there, though he would never admit he draws security from the company of Michiru's dog. Whenever Chika half wakes in the middle of the night, the remnants of a nightmare blurry in his mind, he listens to the soft sounds Leon makes and reaches to pet him again. The dog Chika thinks is a normal, although big and fat, saint bernard, stays next to Chika's bed for the entire night.

The three headed canine is anything but a normal dog, a creature of darkness brought from the depths of the underworld. The being is only a puppy, a newborn child of Cerberus, but it is as large as the biggest adult saint bernard. Chika sleeps next to the dark being. He has no idea that Michiru is not safely sleeping in her room, and that creature on the floor next to him is not her dog. Until the morning comes and Chika wakes up, a terrible feeling present in the atmosphere.

xoxox xox xoxox

Chapter 15

Chika wakes up with a bad feeling. He hears the sound of a dog under the bed but doesn't stop to look. He assumes Leon is fine and needs to know his sister and Michiru are okay.

A scream pierces the morning air. Chika runs towards Michiru's room where Momoka stands with a horrified expression, a few tears escaping in fright. There is a foul scent coming from the room, Momoka came to see if Michiru was okay, she lifted the covers and found the bloody pieces of Leon.

Chika stares at the mess with wide eyes. It is a disgusting pile of severed body parts with the inner workings piling out in plain view, but he cannot look away. Everything falls into place like the pieces of a puzzle, the scent from the night before, the fact that he only saw something on the bed under the covers and assumed Michiru was sleeping, but he didn't actually see Michiru. "Momoka, did you see Michiru yesterday before going to bed?"

"No... She left to buy dog food, she insisted she would be fine," Momoka wishes she had gone with Michiru; she wishes she had woken Chika so the three could go together. Seeing Leon so brutally murdered and left on Michiru's bed makes them think Michiru must have been killed too, her body left in a similar state, and this is the reaper's way of letting them know.

"Last night, before I went to bed I came. There was a bad smell, I thought it came from outside and I close the window..." The events replay in Chika's mind, if only he had paid more attention, if only he had not assumed anything.

"That's what I did too!" Then the reaper must have been there, she must have opened the window Momoka closed.

"Since last night..." Chika feels a cold chill. "Leon slept in the guest room with me." He pales and rushes out of the room followed by Momoka.

A black dog head with red eyes peeks out from under the bed in the room Chika had slept in. Then two more left and right from it. They are not three dogs, but a single dog with three heads, long white fangs stained with dry blood from its latest victim. Chika can't believe he was petting that thing the previous night thinking it was Michiru's large but harmless dog. The three headed dog growls and Chika shuts the door, the dark canine slams against it scratching at it wanting to go through but there is no time to deal with that.

"We have to find Michiru," Chika and Momoka rush down the stairs and notice letters written in blood on the front door that were not there the previous night. "Feed him human flesh every day, and on your side he shall stay. When the sun the spotlight steals, it is time for his next meal," Chika read it.

The dog must have already been fed the previous day and did not try to feed on Chika that night, but now that it's morning; it's time for his next meal. Chika reaches for the blood soaked door knob, but feels it twist from the other side and lets it go. He steps back and signals for Momoka to stay behind him.

The door opens and Michiru stands there, bloody and beaten but alive. "She killed Leon..." Michiru speaks softly... "She killed K and we didn't know, Leon was the L."

A million thoughts run through the Akatsuki siblings heads, but right now getting Michiru healed is the first thing they must do. "Momoka, call Yuuta." Chika goes after Michiru when she starts climbing up the stairs in a tired pace. The noise coming from the guest room catches her attention, then the foul scent reaches her nose. "Don't go up there."

Michiru looks down at her bloody clothing. The abundant red liquid soaking through the fabric and sticking to her skin, all she wants is to scrub her body clean. "What is up there?"

"A three headed dog, like a miniature Cerberus is locked in the room I stayed in. Leon's body is on your bed." Chika decides it's better to just say it like it is.

Michiru gasps, hands covering her mouth, green eyes wide. She rushes up the stairs and Chika follows, their steps echoing in the empty house, with Momoka's voice speaking to Yuuta on the phone heard in the background.

"Michiru!" Chika rushes after her.

Michiru stops at the door to her room; she glances at Leon then looks away. She knows Momoka is next and just thinking about it brings her to a whole new level of sadness, frustration and anger.

Chika goes inside the room and throws the covers back over Leon's body, hiding the mess. He goes to the closet and opens it, making sure there's nothing strange in there, "Michiru."

Michiru silently nods and goes to the closet to get some clothes.

Chika checks the bathroom, nothing out of the ordinary. Momoka had finished her call and joins them upstairs. Yuuta is coming; we should all meet up at Koyomi's apartment."

Chika nods. "Hurry up and change gopher, you'll have to wait until we're at Koyomi's place to take a bath, we'll guard the door."

"Alright..." but it's not alright really. Michiru goes inside the bathroom, closing the door behind her. She tries to hurry cleaning herself a little and changing. She wants to cover herself with a thick layer of soap until the smell of blood is gone, but there's no time for that. She changes quickly then opens the door, feeling relieved to see Chika and Momoka waiting. With all the surprises and uncertainties, Michiru had started to fear that her friends would be killed the second she took her eyes off them, and they thought the same of her.

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Chapter 16

Michiru, Chika and Momoka head out of the house. Just as they reach the front door, the three headed dog breaks the guestroom door. Chika opens the front door and nearly runs into the reaper.

This time the reaper looks like something right out of a classic anime, but she is much more evil than she looks. She's making fun of them no doubt. She is wearing a rather short sailor uniform, her pink hair in pigtails and for the most part she looks human, save for the cat ears and fluffy tail. "My Ceviru puppy will chase you all like a cat chases a mouse..." She wields her scythe, creating an unnatural gust of wind that throws Michiru, Chika and Momoka back inside the house.

The door closes and the three humans quickly try to open them, but it's not use. They tried the windows but they are sealed as if by magic. Ceviru, still quite young and relatively small in comparison to Cerberus, growls at his prey.

xoxox xox xoxox

Kuze goes up a tall spiraling stair case made of glass. Her trip had taken much longer than she expected, but now she is heading back. A bad feeling looms in the air, as if the world threatens to fall. The keeper of the key quickens her pace. Something was happening, something bad...

"Keeper of the key..." A voice echoes, piercing the darkness, soft clear light reflects off the stairs, its origin impossible to determine, the steps are illuminated, rapid steps are heard.

"Carmella from the Wheel of Fate..." Kuze recognized the woman coming up the stairs after her.

The blonde woman is wearing a business suit as usual, carrying a briefcase in one hand and a sheet of paper in the other with printed words in a language humans do not know. She hands the paper to the chairperson when she catches up.

The chairperson and keeper of the key looks at the paper, quickly reading over it. She skips a few lines, focusing on the most important parts and finally she speaks. "So she has returned... In the past, the Wheel of Fate did nothing to stop the illegal reaper."

"Indeed, she comes and goes, and never disappears. A punishment for mankind perhaps, something ancient." Carmella's expression can be read as curiosity. She wishes to know what will happen, but for once, she might not participate in pushing things along.

"Research..." Kuze continues her path up the stairs, the tight feeling in her chest becoming stronger.

"Research is very important and for many centuries she has provided us with that. No one knows what she is, but every few centuries she appears. She kills for pleasure, not to guide the souls that have exhausted their time." Carmella speaks as if the situation does not concern her, as if a wall stands between her and the reaper.

Normally this would also be truth for the keeper of the key, but the current keeper, Kuze, prefers to take action. "There is a reason why you are telling me this. I know that something will be set in motion, even if you don't do it directly, you always do..."

"This time the wheel is spinning by itself. There is no need for me to push it along as it was done in the past. But you're right, I do have a duty with the Wheel of Fate, but I have already accomplished that duty. I wish you luck..." Carmella turns away and goes back down the stairs.

The alliance between the Wheel of Fate and the Other World was still shaky, but moving towards becoming solid. The Other World, a place where ferrymen go, guiding souls along with them... or more often, the subordinates of the ferrymen send the souls away. Bekko and Kuze had frequented that world because of their duties, and Kuze was held back in a meeting representing the Other World.

It is ironic, some would say, that the Other World, once thought of as absolute, would side with the growing power of the Wheel of Fate. One seeks to protect the cycle and the other to break it, both existing outside of it and perhaps because of that, unable to control or even understand it. The cycle... humans, their lives, could anyone truly guide them?

The feeling that hung in the air around Kuze falls. The sheet of paper slips from her hand; she knows why Carmella mentioned this. Kuze was unaware that it was her friends who were involved, but no doubt that was it, she knows it now, she runs up the stairs.

Carmella looks up from the bottom of the stairs. "That spirit has echoed for too long. For at least this piece of the cycle to be broken, I wish you success."

xoxox xox xoxox

Yuuta runs to meet up with the group. He tries to catch up with Chika, Michiru and Momoka on the way to Koyomi's apartment. Shito walks by, heading towards the Z-Loan office, the first place he could think of where he can establish contact with everyone.

Yuuta turns a corner and bumps into Shito. "Shito!" He greets in surprised, hands shaped into his loyal companions Kenken and Konkon. Then he remembers why he was running in the first place. "Emergency! I'll explain on the way!" Yuuta continues running, looking back only once, "hurry!"

Shito has just arrived and he does not know about what's been happening. Somehow he tells himself he shouldn't be surprised if Chika got into a mess, and he runs after Yuuta. "What is happening?"

To be Continued

Disclaimer, I don't own Zombie Loan. Written for Snow's challenge at Plot Whole.

	3. Chapter 3

Angel of Death

Chapter 17

"You've missed a lot!" Yuuta starts to tell Shito the story of what's been going on, as summarized as possible since they don't have much time. "A crazy reaper girl is stalking Chika. She's been killing people who don't even have black rings and Bekko can't do anything about it. Ohtsu investigated by himself, but Bekko has mostly been avoiding her. She nearly killed Koyomi but Yomi saved her. I just got a call that Michiru was hurt so I'm on my way to heal her." Yuuta runs into an invisible wall. He is thrown back with the impact and rubs his nose. "Ow!"

Shito reaches for the apparently empty space and his hand comes into contact with a solid wall he cannot see. "This is the work of the reaper you mentioned?"

"Most likely..." Yuuta listens for any signs of their friends. He doesn't like what he's hearing. "It sounds like Chika, Michiru and Momoka are still there!"

Shito pulls out his gun, though one not made of plasma. "Stand back Yuuta."

Yuuta jumped out of the way and Shito shoots. The bullet bounces off the invisible wall and flies off in the opposite direction between Shito and Yuuta. "That's a bit dangerous..." Yuuta looks at the damage done by the bullet to a car that was parked on the other side of the street. Fortunately, no one was hurt and there are no people around to see them.

Shito hits the invisible wall with the gun's handle but it doesn't work. It feels as if he's hitting a solid wall but he can't see anything there.

Inside the house, Chika has gotten his katana and is fighting against Ceviru but it is not working. When ever he makes a cut it is not as deep as it should be and it instantly heals itself. Michiru and Momoka throw random items at the three headed canine, but nothing does any damage.

The dog catches Chika's sword in his mouth and breaks it, leaving Chika with only the handle. "Run!" Chika calls out to Michiru and Momoka.

"Chika, why aren't you running?" Michiru stops after running only a few steps away.

"Brother! You can't be thinking about fighting that thing?" Momoka hates the way things are going. She knows that Chika is doing this for her. He has always been the brother she ignored for so long, but was always there. Now he is the brother who gives her hope and protects her, and is still always there. "Chika!"

Ceviru jumps on Chika knocking him against a wall. Chika wraps his hands around the neck of the middle head, holding it at a distance and pulling the other three along. "Find a way out, quick! I'll go too as soon as you find the exit!" Ceviru, growls, barks and howls. He scratches at Chika with his claws but can't bite him with his hands firmly around the middle head's neck.

"Michiru, split up and search for a way out fast, my brother can get really stubborn sometimes," though Momoka knows splitting up is not the best idea, even in the relatively short distance on the inside of the house, if they split up they might find a way out faster and Chika would stop stubbornly playing the hero. Momoka and Michiru dash in opposite directions, trying to open or break the windows and back door.

Outside Yuuta and Shito are trying to make their way in, this time without the use of bullets but they can't break through the invisible wall and they can't find a way around it. It surrounds Michiru's house preventing them from going in to help their friends.

A dark shadowy figure floats above them, watching with interest. Shito looks up and spots the reaper floating above. Her appearance is of a seemingly empty black ragged cloak with bloody stains and glowing yellow eyes. "The reaper?"

"It's her! She can change the way she looks!" No matter what she looks like, they somehow recognize her, they feel her evil presence when ever she appears.

Shito shoots and the bullets pierce the black cloak as if it were really empty and have no effect on the reaper. She is definitely no ordinary reaper.

Yuuta shakes his head, "that won't work, she's pretty much invincible." That makes it sound as if it were all hopeless, yet there they are, willing to keep fighting and not give up.

Soft footsteps are heard as if they were the only sound, drowning out the noises from the house even if they are much louder. A young girl arrives out of breath from all the running. She looks up at the reaper.

"The keeper of the key." The reaper watchs Kuze, chairperson and keeper of the key. "Do what you will, but in the end it will all be hopeless. Little by little, I'll drain your hopes away, until you're all broken!" The reaper laughs evilly and disappears.

The keeper of the key approaches. "I am only the keeper of the key, this is a problem of humanity I cannot solve, but I can't stand by and do nothing." It becomes obvious that Kuze knows more about the reaper than they thought. "I will open this," she reveals a hidden necklace with a key. The key glows and the sound of shattering glass is loudly herd, but nothing appears to look different.

Shito reaches for the invisible wall but it is gone. "Yuuta, Chairperson, stay here," he doesn't know the details but that can be explained later. Shito rushes into the house. He shoots the door's lock off and kicks it open.

xoxox xox xoxox

Chapter 18

Chika is fighting with Ceviru inside the house. "Akatsuki!" The door is kicked open and Shito arrives. "Don't move!"

Chika holds Ceviru as still as possible and Shito shoots. The bullet goes through all three heads and Chika kicks the dog away. Momoka and Michiru return hearing the noise. "Shito!"

Ceviru gets up, the bullet holes in his three heads healing as if it were nothing. "Hold him back while I seal him," Kuze's key glows brightly. Shito shoots continuously until Ceviru is envelop in a bright azure light, becoming ghostly until he disappears. "He has returned home," Kuze is out of breath. This is a much more challenging task than opening a door, as she did with Pochi. Her heart pounds, her breathing takes more effort and the world around her fades.

Koyomi and Sotetsu arrive, but it had all ended by now. Ohtsu also gets there and takes them to the Z-Loan office at Bekko's request.

xoxox xox xoxox

Pochi stays by Kuze's side while she remains unconscious; her energy is exhausted.

"What I don't get," Sotetsu, the one who ended up with the task of carrying the other boy asks, "is why Chika is asleep." Chika had been fine, scratched and bloody, but well enough after his battle with Ceviru, then suddenly a dark presence was felt and he was in a deep sleep.

"It's not poison," Yuuta confirms. It had been their initial worry, that the scratches Chika got from Ceviru had somehow poisoned him.

"A small portion of the reaper's spirit is in Chika's mind. When the keeper of the key collapsed of exhaustion, that is what happened," all eyes gaze towards Bekko. "I tried to tell you that nothing can be done. This is something the keeper of the key knows."

"And you won't tell us so we need to ask her?" Shito had been put up to date in the situation, but with the recent events the group realized that they knew so much less than they thought.

"I don't know all the details," Bekko admits, though it sounds more as if he isn't supposed to know the details but does.

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"Chika... Chika..." A ghostly voice distantly echoes. The atmosphere is dark and carries the foul scent of death.

"Where are you?" Chika yells. Something tries to pull him down; he tries to step away and realizes he is surrounded by rotting corpses. The corpses are not strong enough to stand upright but they won't let go of his feet and legs. Chika struggles to get away from them until he reaches a small hill that somehow they can't climb.

"Welcome to the empty space between death and the afterlife, the place where people end up if not heaven or hell welcomes them." An eerie voice pierces the dark atmosphere, the murmurs and laments of the corpses still lingering in the background.

"Reaper!" Chika searches for the source of the voice and finds the reaper in the shape of an angel, something she was not.

The reaper's hair is long and golden, her eyes a pale blue. She wears white robes with an overload of golden jewelery, bracelets, ankles, necklaces, earrings, belts and chains that encircle her body from her golden hair to her bare feet. "Dear Chika, I came to watch you bid farewell to all your hopes."

"I'm not giving up, no matter what, I'll live." Chika speaks with such certainty that it bothers the reaper.

"Foolish mortal!" She screams, her white robes gain blood stains, her golden hair becomes uneven, poorly groomed and looses it's shine, her eyes become bloodshot and yellow. "Why do you insist on holding on to your hopes when I can take your sister's life and yours. M is for Momoka!"

"No!" Chika realizes just how hopeless everything has been from the start. When Yomi was able to save Koyomi they thought there might be a way, but the process of a legal name change is slow and would not be done in time to throw off the reaper's game. There is also the possibility that the reaper becomes tired of such games and stops killing by the letters of the alphabet.

The reaper laughs evilly, she disappears for some time and leaves Chika alone in that place. The Chika in the in between is merely a projection of his soul, his body still sleeping at Z-Loan. A live human cannot survive the toxic air of that place, the foul scent, the heavy sense of despair and suffering, and even for a mere projection it is overwhelming.

The reaper returns, still in her evil looking form. She drops a scythe in front of Chika. "Pick it up and you will accept my terms."

"I'm not going to make a deal with you!" Chika yells in anger.

"You have little choice in the matter. If you wish for me to spare Momoka, then you'll have to amuse me... Give me all your hate, Chika Akatsuki, I love your feelings of hopelessness, focus them on me. Take the scythe and kill who ever I order you to kill. They will most likely be strangers to you. Will you trade their lives for Momoka?"

"I..." he would, Chika was not going to deny that the life of his dear sister was more precious to him than all the strangers in the world. To be protected in such a way was morbid to say the least, not the kind of heroics one would want to do to preserve their life. But the fact still stands, Momoka is more important. For a human, partial and biased, not all lives have the same value, loved ones are always the priority, even if strangers have friends who would miss them too.

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Chapter 19

Chika wakes up and everyone immediately gathers around him. The questions swirl around, he doesn't quite catch all of them and feels light headed. "It's nothing, I'm fine." He sits up on one of the couches at the Z-Loan office and notices that the chairperson occupies the other. "What happened to her?"

"She exhausted her energy," Bekko replies. "You'd best ask her about this later if you still wish to know, but it's best not to know."

"Why did you call us here then?" Sotetsu asks, his patience starting to run dry.

"She should be here soon..." The ferryman is purposely ambiguous, which aggravates everyone else there.

The door to the office is opened and Ohtsu steps in. Following him, a woman dressed in a business suit comes in. Her hair is pulled back in a bun save for a strand that falls on the side of her face. "Greetings, I am Carmella." The woman introduces herself.

"Our special guest is here," Bekko announces.

They all gather around Carmella, anxious to hear some much needed explanations. "The Wheel of Fate has been investigating the incidents caused by the mysterious reaper... So far we have found that the item needed to stop her was indeed stolen. That is all for now."

The group stares, Chika, Shito, Sotetsu, Koyomi, Yuuta, Michiru and Momoka all sharing the same surprised expression. Ohtsu looks annoyed and Bekko looks indifferent.

Reading their expressions easily, Carmella decides to elaborate. "There is a certain item related to the reaper who is no ordinary reaper. We in the Wheel of Fate thought the item was being kept hidden and unreasonably protected, but it was in fact missing as the leader of the ferrymen had said. The Wheel of Fate can now continue investigations towards finding it. You see, because we thought it was hidden in the underworld, we had not started looking for it anywhere else until now. As requested by the ferryman Bekko, I am giving you this update. Please pass this message to the keeper of the key, the Wheel of Fate has decided to take action, we will find the item and bring the chance the world has been waiting for." Carmella starts to leave.

"Wait!" Chika stops her. "That's all you're going to say? What's the item you're looking for? If it can stop the reaper, I'll search for it too."

The others join in with a chorus of "me too."

"Quite frankly," Carmella speaks in a calm tone, "there is nothing you could do. But if you must, ask the keeper of the key and she will tell you." Carmella leaves, her visit has brought more questions than answers.

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Time passes and the lives of the Z-loan team become quiet. Kuze had admitted she was not sure what exactly she was searching for, and only the keeper of the key would know when she saw it. Until then it was a search in total darkness. She departed for an unknown location with Pochi, and things got quiet after that.

Chika and Momoka are at their house with Yuuri. "It sure is storming out there," Yuuri looks out the window. Heavy rain falls and the wind howls. A strange fog covers the near by area and lightning crashes on a tree near by causing Yuuri to jump and quickly close the window. "Maybe we should all just get some sleep."

The lights flash, they go off for a few seconds then the electricity returns. Chika isn't sure who was more frightened, if his father or sister. "Go to sleep Momoka, the bad whether will be gone in the morning."

"Yes..." Momoka has a bad feeling about the gloomy atmosphere, she wonders if the reaper will return.

"Good night my little squirrels!" Yuuri tries to sound cheerful as if he wants to cancel out the gloomy mood from the bad whether.

Chika and Momoka go to their respective rooms and try to sleep. The past few days have been very quiet, probably the reaper trying to stress them out. They didn't know when she was coming back, but she would return eventually, that they knew for sure.

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"This house still bothers Michiru after all that's happened here." Sotetsu flips channels on the TV. "But it's not the house, it's the reaper."

"Don't you think it's really creepy seeing your dog's body in pieces, and being chased around by a hell dog all in the same house?" Yuuta asks; Kenken and Konkon make nod-like motions in agreement.

"She shouldn't let the reaper make her give up this house," Shito finally speaks up after remaining quiet for most of the night.

Michiru has gone to live with Koyomi at her apartment. She is frightened by Yomi, but even more afraid of the reaper and she knows Yomi would protect them if needed, even if it didn't make a huge difference in the end... She has offered her house to Shito so he may stay there since he has recently arrived in Japan and is not yet settled in. Sotetsu and Yuuta are staying there as well, which sometimes is a little aggravating for Shito, but he prefers to be around them than in the mafia hideout in Japan.

"We're not going to let her make anyone give anything up!" The past few quiet days were not only bringing tension for most of them, but for Sotetsu they brought expectations for the situation to take a turn in their favor. "Tomorrow we'll start the search for Zarame, Michiru doesn't know where he went, but he couldn't have just disappeared."

"I agree," Shito voices. "Zarame might know more about the item the chairperson is searching for." They are all up to date in the situation and starting tomorrow they would no longer wait for the reaper to make her move. They would start the search, even if they still have no idea where to start.

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Chapter 20

"Chiru chiru... Chiru chiru..."

Michiru wakes up suddenly. She sits up and frantically reaches for the lamp, seeking the comfort of the light. Her heart pounds with fear and worry, but when the room comes into focus she finds herself alone. Michiru takes a deep breath, tries to tell herself it was only her imagination or a dream and turns the light back off. Thunder crashes in the distance, the wind howls lightly and the room momentarily lights up, revealing the silhouette of a woman in the shadows.

"Chiru chiru..."

Michiru turns the lamp on the nightstand next to the bed back on, nearly knocking it down in the process. This time the familiar light does not fill the room and Michiru feels around the nightstand searching for the flashlight she left there in case there was a blackout. She feels the plug of the lamp that should have been on the wall but the flashlight is gone.

"Chiru chiru..."

Though the voice is gentle, Michiru feels a certain evil and cruel undertone. She freezes up for a few seconds, eyes tightly closed, wishing that it was all just a nightmare, but it's real. Michiru tries to make her body respond, slowly, trembling, mind filled with the images of Leon's cruel torture and death, Michiru nearly falls off her bed trying to find the electric outlet to plug the lamp back in, and for a split second the room is filled with a dim light, but before Michiru can look away from the lamp, lightning crashes and her shaking hand pulls the plug out.

Michiru moves to a corner of the room, the corner she thinks is opposite to where the reaper is. Though back in the park she faced the reaper, the pain is strong tonight and the feeling of being helpless makes her fear. She takes slow deep breaths and makes her way back towards the lamp. She plugs it in but nothing happens.

"Chiru chiru..."

Michiru wonders if the electricity has gone out, she wonders if Koyomi is alright, she wonders how long she has to live. She reaches around the nightstand once again searching for the flashlight, but it's not there. Instead her hand comes into contact with the area where the lamp's cover should be, but instead she touches the broken light bulb and cuts her finger.

"Ouch!" Instinctively Michiru puts her injured finger in her mouth, the taste of her own blood immediately making her sick. She has seen too much blood and does not want to taste it. She removes her finger from her mouth and clutches it in her other hand. "I know you're there." She has had enough of the reaper's game and does not wish to entertain the evil creature more.

"Of course I'm here," Michiru feels someone hug her, she struggles but it's of no use. "Don't cry Michiru."

A flashlight is placed in Michiru's hands and she debates turning it on or not. Just because she is hidden by the darkness doesn't mean she's not there. Michiru turns the flashlight on, the sight before her shocking her beyond words as more tears escape.

"Don't cry my little girl, mother is here." The reaper speaks softly yet cruelly. Her form is similar to Michiru's mother, with a black ring around her neck as well.

Michiru breaks away from the embrace and finally finds her voice. "How dare you copy her form?"

In her room, Koyomi hears Michiru yelling and wakes up. "Michiru?" Yomi takes over and rushes to find Michiru, but the door to the guest room is locked.

Michiru hears the knocking on the door and knows it's Koyomi, or most likely Yomi. "Run away, she's here!"

"I'm not leaving you behind!" Yomi yells back from the other side of the door.

"My baby girl, don't worry," the reaper speaks in a mocking voice. "Dear daughter, you will soon be reunited with me, so that his hope may be taken away little by little and death may enjoy it."

Michiru stares at the reaper, the flashlight slipping out of her hand. "I'm her replacement... I'm Momoka's replacement, you're saving his sister for the final blow, you want to torture Chika longer so this time it's me who will die."

"Michiru! Open the door!" Yomi continues to pound on the door.

"Come with me, dear daughter..." the reaper's tone is now completely evil, eyes glowing red.

"I see, so this really is my destiny, I won't give you the pleasure of begging or screaming." Michiru tries to hold back her tears, staring at the flashlight on the floor. "I can never forgive you for all that you've done, and coming to me in this form." She slowly looks up, face filled with anger and frustration. "You will be stopped, even if I die my friends will stop you, they'll avenge me and destroy you." She has become stronger over the years; she won't go down in fear, if she must go. "Fine then, I'll take Momoka's place..." She says the last part louder, enough fort Yomi to hear. "M is for Michiru."

Yomi's punches and kicks to the door become stronger and more panicked. "No! You can't kill her! Stay away from Michiru you damn reaper!"

With the reaper's evil sadistic laugh echoing, Michiru and her captor disappear. Michiru is held above the space in between life and death. Corpses reach up to her, despair fills the air, the scent is foul and toxic but it only lasts a split second. Michiru survives, gasping for breath, skin turning an unnatural purple. She has been tossed on the floor of a different room.

Hearing the sounds, Chika wakes up and turns the lights on. Thunder crashes and the electricity flashes at its rhythm, then stabilizes once again. "Michiru!"

"It is time to keep your end of the deal, Chika Akatsuki." The reaper changes her appearance to look like Chika's mother this time seeing as the form of Michiru's mother upset her so much. "I came to give you a choice my little one."

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Chapter 21

Chika knows that when the reaper says there is a choice, the only choice is bad or worse. The reaper drops a scythe, Chika takes it and attacks her, angry for all she has done for trying to impersonate his mother. The reaper makes Michiru float in front of her and Chika stops with the scythe inches away from her.

"Don't stop, Chika," The reaper looks amused. "I am giving you a choice. Kill Michiru or I will kill Momoka."

"Damn reaper, I'll kill you!" Chika pushes Michiru out of the way and decapitates the reaper. Her head falls off, but he knows she's not dead, she can't die, she's only doing this in the shape of his mother to bother him.

"Chika?" Yuuri wakes up and goes over to see what Chika is doing. "You're still awake, playing videogames?" He opens the door to find the decapitated image of his dead wife. He stands at the door staring at the scene.

"Dad..." Chika doesn't want his father involved in this; he doesn't want anyone else to be in danger.

The headless body of the reaper picks up the bloodied head while blood continues to flow out from the neck. "Good to see you again, dear."

"Michiru, let's go!" Chika calls to Michiru and drags his father along. "Momoka!"

Chika's younger sister wakes up. Her brother sounds alarmed. "Chika? What's wrong?" She notices he is holding a scythe in one hand, pulling their shocked father by the arm with another. Michiru is there as well. "She's back."

"We're going to Z-Loan," maybe if they make it there, they will have a better chance.

"Z-Loan..." Yuuri finally manages to find his voice. "Chika, what's happening, who was that, it wasn't her, it couldn't have been..."

"There's no time to explain," Chika tries to calm his father. "Of course that wasn't mom, just an evil sadistic reaper who's been stalking me. I'll explain later, let's get out of here. The ferryman will just have to get involved like it or not."

Yuuri isn't sure what this is about, but he knows there's danger. Millions of questions float in his head, but he knows now isn't the time to ask and simply trusts his son to explain it later.

"I'll drive, okay?" Chika grabs the car keys as they hurry out. Yuuri only nods in response and the Akatsukis rush to Yuuri's car.

Michiru stays behind and almost starts running back to the house, but Chika stops her and pushes her into the back seat with Momoka. "You're not going back there. I'm not going to choose, you're both going to live." Chika drives off faster than any sane person would in that weather, but an evil sadistic reaper could do a lot more damage than reckless driving.

"Chika, isn't that Z-Loan place the office where you worked? Why are we going there?" To Yuuri, Z-Loan is just a normal loan office and he doesn't know what they could find there that would save them. "Who is the ferryman?"

"Ever heard of the ferrymen in mythology? He's something like that but it's all real. It's supposed to be a secret, but I was a zombie for a year, that's why I didn't come home. You already saw a reaper so I'll tell you later." Chika turns a corner, the tires screeching and the car sliding in the wet road.

"Why did you hide a thing like that? What do you mean you were a zombie, you didn't smell weird to me." This is a lot for Yuuri to take in all of a sudden.

"Not all zombies are rotten," the blurry image of someone crossing the road is barely seen. "Shit!" Chika stomps on the breaks, but the car won't stop. He looks out the door, rain soaking him, thunder clashes and lights up the road, the wind blows playing with the long hair of the girl on the road. Pigtails, she has long lavender pigtails like Michiru used to have, cracked glassed lay beside her. "Michiru..." Chika continues speeding dangerously down the road.

"Chika!" Yuuri looks back at the girl on the road. "Didn't you hit someone back there?"

"No, that was the reaper trying to trick us." It is true that the reaper could simply stop them but that isn't her style, she likes tricks, deception and cruel torture.

"She's telling you to kill me," Michiru chokes out, glancing at the scythe that Yuuri is awkwardly holding while Chika drives.

"But that's not going to happen," Chika assures her. The car comes to a stop in front of the Z-Loan office building.

Momoka's voice talking on the cellphone with the rest of the group is lost with the heavy sounds of falling rain, crashing thunder and howling wind. It is convenient she never lets go of her cellphone. "Everyone is on their way."

"Then let's go, the ferryman practically never leaves the office." Chika had a feeling that Bekko might have left this time, but he could only know for sure if he went up and checked.

"Is this ferryman some kind of mythological creature with super powers?" Yuuri asks.

"No, he's a bored looking man who loves money," Chika replies. They exit the car in the storm, Chika once again receiving the scythe. They rush towards the elevators but the lights in the buttons go out as does the electricity in the building. The only light left is the faint glow of Momoka's cellphone. "We'll have to take the stairs."

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Chapter 22

Chika tries to open the door leading to the stairs. The rain subsides, the wind stops howling and the skies light up in lightning one last time, then everything becomes silent. It is so quiet that footsteps can be clearly heard even if they would have been lost in the noises of the building's daily business. Someone is coming down the stairs, but the door leading to them is locked.

The reaper enters the building and finds the group. She slowly approaches and Chika readies his scythe. He swings it as if it were a sword, the weapon he is used to, and the blade clashes with the reaper making a sounds akin to metal crashing on metal. The human-like flesh is pealed away leaving a bloody mess that drips continuously to the floor at her feet, and a metal silhouette emerges from under the cut skin. The silver being, hardly in the shape of a disproportioned human, continues to advance as Chika hits her over and over to no avail.

A rain of bullets collides against the silver being, denting her then falling on the floor as if they were thrown instead of shot. Shito has just arrived; he continues to shoot until his gun requires to be recharged, but there has been no effect.

The person who had been going down the stairs reaches the bottom and twists the doorknob but it is somehow locked from both sides.

Sotetsu, who has chosen to remain a zombie for some time is there and attacks the metallic reaper with his axe but the weapon breaks up causing him pain.

"Sotetsu! Michiru!" Koyomi calls out to them.

Yomi takes over and rushes towards Michiru. "Chiru chiru." She hugs the other girl.

"Yomi, please stop, I have to end this, for now at least." Michiru slips away.

"Chika, it's alright, I was able to live longer even after I saw a black ring around my neck. I was even able to avoid becoming a zombie. Zarame isn't here, but where ever he is, maybe I'll find him after she guides me." Michiru steps forward. "Live on, find a way to defeat her; a reaper like her can't keep getting away with this forever."

Chika looks at Yomi and nods. Yomi understands, tackles Michiru and covers her mouth with her hand. "Be quiet Chiru chiru, there will be no sacrifices tonight, understand?" Michiru tries to say something but she could not speak. "Good girl, Chiru chiru."

Sotetsu forms another axe with plasma, Chika gets ready for battle again and Shito reloads his gun. Sotetsu and Chika attack at the same time. They hit the reaper many times, but other than making noise, nothing happens. They both step back and Shito sends another round of bullets her way, but the effect is the same as before.

The reaper turns her fingers into knives, extending them several feet as the cheesy plastic plant that was left forgotten in the first floor of the building collides with her newly formed giant sword-like needles. All eyes look towards Yuuri who threw the oversized plant. "Does anyone have a cross? You use to have one to go with your uniform, do you have it?" He asks Chika.

"Even if I did it won't work." Chika explains. "Real reapers can't be defeated with a cross, or holy water or a stake through the heart-"

"Or any of the things we haven't even tried?" Yuuta asks. "Why not?"

"Fine then, let's try all of that when we get out of here alive." Chika attacks once again, joined by Sotetsu and Shito shoots. The reaper is simply amusing herself watching their futile efforts.

The door that leads to the stairs is finally broken down by blue flames and Ohtsu joins the battle. "Yuuta, Momoka, Koyomi and Michiru, go up to Z-Loan. Bekko has something for you from the Wheel of Fate." He looks at the new member of the group, a man with blonde hair and green eyes, "go with them."

"Blue fire?" Yuuri stares at the blue flames, so many secrets are being revealed all at once.

"Dad, let's go, he's on our side," Momoka starts up the stairs, "be careful Chika!" she calls back to her brother.

"Don't worry Momoka, your big brother won't lose," Chika assures her and the glimmer of hope that suddenly appears bothers the reaper.

While Momoka, Yuuri, Michiru, Yomi and Yuuta go up the stairs, the reaper literally roots herself to the floor, her legs melting together. The building emits extreme heat and metallic tentacles with unnatural flexibility that solid metal should not have, break through the floor rapidly and try to grab Shito, Chika, Sotetsu and Ohtsu.

They continue up the stairs until they reach the Z-Loan office. Bekko doesn't look surprised to see them, as if someone has already told him this would happen. "You've all made it, the best possibility out of all the futures I saw."

"This is the ferryman?" Yuuri asks, Bekko matches the description, but doesn't look like a special being right now. Even so Yuuri knows there must be something about him, something hidden.

"Yes, I am the ferryman, Bekko, nice to meet you. If you happen to die and your soul is not guided, if it is possible to somewhat logically explain your survival, consider signing up for a zombie loan." Not surprisingly, Bekko finds the time to offer his services.

"Never mind that, aren't you supposed to have something that can help us?" Yomi asks.

"I do indeed. This is something the Wheel of Fate has sent for those who cannot use plasma. They are enlisting your help for the mutual benefit. Now that the negotiations between the Underworld that maintains the ancient cycle and the Wheel of Fate that tries to break it, have come to an agreement, the Keeper of the Key was finally heard and both sides are being mobilized to release and to entrap, if possible." Bekko's explanation leaves them all confused, and somehow they know he isn't planning to clarify.

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Chapter 23

The building shakes bringing an even bigger sense of urgency. "Bekko!" Yuuta, Kenken and Konkon half scold and half complain in unison.

"Right, the items Carmella delivered from the Wheel of Fate." Bekko pulls a large box from under his desk. He opens it and starts pulling out several items. "Michiru take this," Bekko gives her a bow, but no arrows. "If you pull the string back, an arrow will form. This weapon works with your energy so do not overuse it or you might exhaust yourself or even kill yourself."

"I finally have my own weapon..." Michiru accepts the bow. During her time with Z-Loan, she was always the gopher, the one to find the zombies and an important part of the team, but when ever she had fought it had been with a borrowed weapon or a regular one.

"Koyomi and Yomi, this is yours," Bekko retrieves a whip from the box and hands it to Yomi. "You may use your energy to control the whip's movements and wrap it tightly against a foe. The more it squeezes the target and the stronger the target struggles the more energy it will take. I give you the same warning I gave Michiru."

"It's about time we got to join the battle." Yomi takes the whip and heads towards the door. "I guess you have something for everyone don't you? We'll go on ahead, let's go Chiru chiru."

"Right," Michiru nods and starts down the stairs along with Yomi.

"Yuuta, this is..." Bekko pulls out a sling shot and looks at it. "If you pull it back stones will form by themselves and similar to Michiru's bow it requires energy. But this is..."

"I love it, Kenken and Konkon will work hard," Yuuta takes the sling shot. "Kenken and Konkon will take care of the weapon and ammunition and I'll aim," Yuuta pulls the slingshot back, a pebble forming in it. He shoot, the pebble hits the wall and explodes leaving a big hole in its place.

"I thought there was something odd about that sling shot. It seems that its ammunition are tiny explosives," Bekko speaks naturally as if it was not surprising at all. His tone is still the same bored indifferent tone he always carries.

"I'll go help them!" Yuuta rushes down the stairs.

"Momoka, you're a bit new at this but the Wheel of Fortune delivered a weapon for you too." Bekko pulls out a fan made of long daggers. "This works as both a weapon and a shield. You can extend them to sword length with your energy, good for taking an opponent by surprise if they don't know this."

Momoka takes the dagger fan and waves it around slashing the air. "I'm ready," she's not experienced at this but she has gained a fighting spirit watching her brother.

"Both my little squirrels are going to battle? I can't stand by just like that," Yuuri looks into the box realizing it's dark and bottomless, which would explain how everything fit in it despite the space all the weapons would normally take. He jumps back. "What kind of box is that?"

"Not the most special box," Bekko replies with a tone that hints there's more to it than what he is saying. "I do have something for you as well." Bekko takes out a pair of golden wristbands from the box, that match Yuuri's hair.

"This is very nice but how do I defend my little squirrels with this?" A golden ninja star apparels in Yuuri's hand and is rocketed past Bekko, cutting off a few hairs.

Bekko raises an eyebrow, looking at the hairs that fell on his desk. "It seems you have your targets mixed up. You should throw those at the enemy."

"Sorry about that!" Yuuri apologizes and rushes down the stairs with Momoka.

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The first floor is dark and intensely hot. There are metal thorns and needles all over the place, Sotetsu, Chika and Shito have many wounds, though none are too deep. The reaper does not intend to kill them yet. Her target will be either Michiru or Momoka because she is too stubborn to lose her little game, even if she could just as easily kill them all.

Sotetsu is exhausted, when ever his axe is broken it takes a toll, having to use so much plasma to form it again. Chika is alive now and stress, loss of blood and lack of sleep affect him more than before. Shito's bullets have ran out, he too lives and is affected as a living being. He uses his gun to hit the reaper even if he is more used to the distance attacks.

"Forget what I said, I haven't lived enough yet after all," Michiru shots arrow after arrow at the reaper. Though the arrows themselves do no damage, something bothers her.

"Shouldn't you know it by now? Not even death can stop us." Yomi throws her whip, guiding its path and wrapping it around the reaper. She tightens the whip around the reaper, closing her eyes tightly and when she opens them one is red and one is violet. The weapon becomes twice as strong with Yomi and Koyomi coexisting with two minds in one body, both awake at the same time. The metal around the reaper appears to melt away, leaving her as a skeleton with traces of rotting flesh.

Yuuta comes running down the stairs, he shoots the sling shot, the continuous explosions creating a flashing light. "Kenken and Konkon work together and so do we. There's no way you can win!"

Momoka and Yuuri also arrive at the first floor. "I'll fight too, and I'll win," for her first active battle Momoka is very energetic.

"And I will help my little squirrels and their friends!" Yuuri shoots ninja stars at the reaper.

Ohtsu's blue flames surround the evil creature but Koyomi and Yomi's whip is not affected by them. "She's not invincible," Ohtsu realizes. "Just now, I felt her energy weaken."

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Chapter 24

The reaper screams in anger. She hates it when mortals don't cower in fear; she hates it when they don't understand that resistance won't work. But she is also stubborn and wishes to win by her own twisted rules. Thousands of needles fly in every direction, injuring everyone. Out of patience, and no longer enjoying this as much as before, the reaper flies towards Michiru who shoots many arrows but it doesn't work fast enough.

A pair of skeletal hands wrap themselves around Michiru's throat, several arrows stuck between the arm bones. All those present rush to get the reaper away from Michiru as her oxygen begins to run out.

Many sword-like giant needles emerge from the reaper's skeleton body, piercing her already tattered cloak. They reach Chika, Shito and Sotetsu who were closest. Though Sotetsu is a zombie by choice and a hole through the heart cannot kill him, it still causes immense pain. The wounds Chika and Shito receive through arms, shoulders and legs, are not mortal but painful.

"Don't hurt my little squirrels!" Yuuri tosses a rain of ninja stars at the reaper; they get stuck on the remains of her cloak but make no damage. He tries to pull Chika out while Momoka slashes away at the reaper, only damaging the fabric of the cloak until it fall in ribbons.

Ohtsu has to make his blue flames disappear to avoid burning his allies and Yuuta can't risk them being caught in the explosions. Yomi and Koyomi try to pull the reaper off Michiru but it doesn't work, nothing's enough, and the familiar feeling of frustration, anger and hopelessness returns.

Black feathers mysteriously rain inside the building. The light is gone, leaving everyone in a darkness where they cannot see, but they feel. They feel the soft feathers as they fall, brushing against their bloodstained skin, the gentleness contrasting greatly with the intensity of their pain.

Everything happens in a split second, the glimmer of a scythe is seen though there is no light, as if that shine came from the weapon itself as it irradiates darkness in a strange contradiction. The being carrying the scythe flies down as Michiru's neck snaps, and her would be savior cuts the evil reaper's skeleton hand with his scythe.

"Zarame..." They are sure they heard Michiru's voice, but she should not have been able to speak with her supply of oxygen cut off.

The evil reaper fades away and the building's electricity returns, light drowning the first floor and making them realize how serious their wounds are, though not deadly, quite painful. The floor is a pool of blood, with the same red substance dripping off everyone from their numerous cuts.

Michiru's head is hanging off her neck at an impossible angle. Her green eyes are still open but look completely lifeless and her body is limp. "Michiru!" They all call to her, they all wish for her to return, but she is apparently dead.

Bekko stands to the side watching the events unfold. "If she can be beaten after all, if the Underworld has sided with the Wheel of Fate..." Bekko mutters to himself.

All the attention in the room is focused on the lifeless body Zarame holds. With his core restored he is back to his normal shape, though he disappeared for some time and no one knows his reasons.

"Bekko..." Zarame looks towards the ferryman and that is when everyone notices that Bekko is there.

"She was not guided?" Shito asks, he has been told about the evil reaper guiding the soul of their victims soon after the killings to avoid having them return as zombies.

"Since her soul wasn't in her body when the body was killed, I don't even think she died at all. Yuuta, repair her, I will re-attach the soul Zarame removed," Bekko explains, and a collective sigh of relief fills the room.

"Right away!" Yuuta starts working on healing Michiru's body so that her soul may be reattached.

"They can't see me, right?" The ghost of Michiru is invisible for all but the ferryman and reapers.

"I was late, but you will be saved," Zarame replies, holding her hand so that her soul will not wander off. Souls that are detached from their body lack of sense of time space and direction in the physical world and can easily wander off, even unintentionally.

"Why did you leave in the first place?" Michiru searches for any form of expression on Zarame's face but finds nothing.

"I had my reasons," is Zarame's only reply.

They stand in silence after that, as Yuuta finishes the healing and falls in exhaustion. "I think I'll need to take a break before healing everyone else," the young healer speaks between cut off breaths.

"This will be enough," Beokko gets ready to reattach Michiru's soul. "Not much time has passed so it should be easy." He retrieves a piece of thread from his pocket and ties it around Michiru's neck were a black ring would have been if it had been her time.

Michiru's soul feels her body pulling her back in and goes along with the strange magnetism until her soul is once again restored to her body.

"She'll be sleeping for some time," Bekko checks Michiru's vital signs and finds that her heart is beating and she is breathing. "But she is alive, not a zombie but alive... It's a pity I couldn't sell a zombie loan, but soul reattachments are not cheap." The group is not surprised by Bekko's comment, it is to be expected from the money loving ferryman.

At least this time they got through the battle with no casualties and their group has become stronger. They wonder what will happen next, if the reaper will return after Michiru or even Momoka as a result of Michiru's life being saved. Or if she'll finally throw her game away and look at them as a thread to be eliminated. Either way, it was time to take action; their next objective was to heal and recover as fast as possible and find Kuze. The keeper of the key most likely held the answer and they would let her know she does not need to face it alone.

To be Continued

Disclaimer, I don't own Zombie Loan. Written for Snow's challenge at Plot Whole.

	4. Chapter 4

Angel of Death

Chapter 25

The space between life and death is not a pleasant one but the reaper doesn't care. She lies there muttering to her self in a strange song-like voice. Corpses pile up around her, the scent is foul and toxic, but she ignores it, completely unaffected by it, and enjoying the desperation in the atmosphere. She sings each letter of the alphabet and the name of the one killed for it. She stops when she reaches the M. "M is for Michiru, or was it Momoka? M is for..."

The reaper returns to Earth floating above a beach city. There is some kind of bonfire going on and people look like they are enjoying it. "Marco..." The reaper finally decides, she knows that Michiru survived and doesn't count her death.

With a strange, inexplicable power, the reaper affects the bonfire. The flames grow out of control and people start running away. No matter how much water is thrown at the flames, the fire continues to grow.

"Marco, death by burning!" The reaper flies down and appears visible to her prey. She cuts off his legs at the knees.

Marco screams in pain and falls. He desperately clutches what's left of his legs, unable to comprehend what just happened. The fire grows and he tries to crawl away but is too slow. Sparks fly and land on his right arm, setting him on fire. He rolls on the ground desperately, but the fire only grows and spreads.

With a sadistic look on her face, the reaper laughs evilly and enjoys the sounds of his screams of pain. "N is for Nick." She chooses her next victim and spots him in the panicking crowds. "Death, being crushed by a stampede of panicked mortals." The reaper swings her scythe connecting with the victim's spine.

Nick screams in pain, becoming paralyzed when his spinal cord is suddenly cut. He falls on the ground and in their panic to get away from the fire, people kick him, step on him and finish him off after causing him much pain. No one stops to help either victim as they are too worried about their own lives.

This time the reaper is not directly killing the humans but causing their death by leaving them in a hopeless situation. "O is for Oscar."

Oscar is a fire fighter, who has arrived to try to put out the growing flames. The fire fighters back away and continue to spray water on the flames, but they continue to grow.

"Death by suffocation..." By an unknown force, the mask Oscar wears to protect himself from the smoke, is knocked off. Abruptly, a large amount of smoke is thrown at him by a sudden wind. He is effulged in the black smoke and cannot be seen by the other fire fighters.

The leader screams for them back away, but Oscar is confused and disoriented, he doesn't known which way to go because the heat feels like it's all around him. He continues to breathe too much smoke, the hose suddenly going dead, not a drop of water coming from it, it wraps itself around his feet and causes him to trip and fall.

With an echoing eerie laugh, and a sadistic look in her eyes, the reaper disappears. She leaves Spain and reapers in Mexico after going through the space between life and death where the desperate corpses wait. "Pedro, murdered by his jealous lover."

A scandalously clad woman appears at Pedro's house, the reaper's new chosen form. Though he is loyal to his girlfriend, she is quite jealous and possessive. The human woman arrives and finds the woman in the revealing red dress sitting on her bed, while her lover is asleep. "Who are you?" The scream wakes Pedro who is shocked to see a strange woman in his house.

"I don't know her, I swear!" Pedro tries to explain. He is telling the truth but the situation is too suspicious.

The reaper chuckles, redish-brown curls pouring over her shoulders to her chest, down to the low cut red dress, reaching just bellow her slim waist. She crosses her legs, the slit of her tight dress revealing her soft, slender legs. Her red lips form a cruel smile and the human woman runs away.

"Maria!" Pedro runs after her following her to the kitchen. She holds a knife to her chest as if she were to commit suicide, but when he tries to take it away she takes him by surprise and stabs him through the heart.

Maria watches as her lover collapses, she grabs another knife and goes in search of the woman in the red dress, but she is no where to be found, she had traveled to England.

"Queen is a lucky girl, rich and pretty, but because of that she is envied. Her parents are, to be honest, the biggest snobs this side of the planet. They went as far as to give their little girl the name Queen. How unfortunate, not many names start with a Q and I am in a hurry."

Queen screams in fear because no only is there a tiger in her room, but a talking tiger with sharp claws and fangs about to pounce on her. The reaper in her tiger form chases after Queen. The girl calls for her home's security team, for a maid, a butler, her parents whom she knows are on a cruise and can't possibly answer. She is desperate and screams for anyone to help her, but the sound is somehow lost. It's as if only she can hear herself scream; only she can see the tiger chasing her.

In her desperation to get away, queen runs into the banister, the wood comes lose somehow and she falls. Three floors bellow the majestic inner staircase, lined with gold, there is a fountain, with a marble statue in the center. Queen falls, harshly pulled by gravity, her head collides with the sword the marble statue holds on her way and knocks her unconscious as she lands in the fountain.

By the power of the reaper no one hears her screams, no one hears the hit, no one hears the splash. "Later they will argue, did she die of the blunt hit, or was she simply knocked out then drowned because she was unconscious and unable to get out of the water? They will blame so many, but no one will blame me, they'll steal my credit but I don't care!" The reaper fades away once again, taking the shortcut through the space of darkness, corpses and death, and reappearing in a new location, America.

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Chapter 26

"M is for Marco, N is for Nick, O is for Oscar, P is for Pedro, Q is for Queen. The game isn't over yet, but when it ends I'll start a new one and Chika will be the first to play. Chika Akatsuki, your time is about to end. I can win my own game and kill you; there is nothing you can do. Make it challenging, I'll still win, I'll make it a challenge too and I'll still win!" She intends to mend her broken pride, to make up for the incident of Michiru's revival, she wants to end this but at the same time, the reaper wants to take her time. "The last few were fast, the next one slow..."

It's night, the reaper watches as a young man gets in his car. She passes through the car and sits at the back sit. She becomes visible in the shape of a rotting zombie, impossible to identify. "R is for Ricky."

Ricky looks through the rearview mirror and slams on the breaks. His car goes out of control and he hits a tree in the lonely dark road. He looks back at the creature but it is gone. He feels like an idiot imagining things and crashing his car. "Damn it!" He faces forward and there is the creature again, the rotting zombie, hardly resembling a human at all. Discolored flesh clings to the bones, bathed in dry blood, a strange mold found all over the creature. Grotesque insects crawl on the zombie, eating the leftover skin.

Ricky backs away against his car seat. "What the hell is this?" He does not want to stay and find out. He tries to back away from the tree but his car won't start. He doesn't want to exit the car either, and fishes for his cell phone. For an unknown reason, the cell phone cannot catch a signal. The screen suddenly goes blank, even if Ricky is sure the battery is charged. "Don't die out now!" He yells at the cell phone.

The cell phone's screen lights up again, emitting a strong red light that it should not have. Ricky presses random buttons trying to get the device to respond. Suddenly he drops it, a sharp pain coming from his knees. The rotted zombie is emitting some kind of glowing green goo that melts through the car and falls on his legs, burning like acid.

Ricky moved to the passenger seat, enduring the pain on his legs. He then climbs over the back seats and finds an umbrella. The zombie breaks through the glass window and reaches for him, insects and acid covering her bony hand. "Get away from me!" Ricky hits the rotted zombie, the reaper's current form, with the umbrella.

The umbrella breaks, half of it stuck in the reaper's rib case. Ricky gets out of the car, the sharp pain on his knees causing him to fall. He looks at his legs; the knees have been consumed to the bones, leaving two bloody craters. The acid crawls up and down his legs. He yells in pain and tries to brush it off but his fingers mysteriously catch aflame and his hand burns.

The reaper, approaches, her chosen form this time one of the most unpleasant possibilities. In an act of desperation, Ricky punches the rotted zombie reaper, hoping to burn it. The rotting corpse catches on fire but is not consumed by the flames. The agonizing human tries to crawl away, unable to stand while the reaper summons her scythe and slashes his chest repeatedly, blood flowing out abundantly.

The reaper picks him up with the blade of the scythe, making a deep cut on his back, the pain too intense for him to even move. She tosses Ricky towards his car and the vehicles catches fire. "Ricky, suspected to be drunk, lost control of his car and impacted a tree. The hit cause a chain reaction in the engine which made the vehicle come ablaze. In reality he was very much sober and wide awake during his death..."

The reaper fades away; she changes her appearance to an innocent little girl, and passes through the place where the corpses remain trapped. They tug at her long platinum pigtails, and her navy blue sailor skirt to match her white and navy sailor shirt with a big red bow on it the same, color as the bows on her hair. "Aren't you lucky, I'll let you out to play."

Each corpse trapped in the space in-between life and death, falls through the dark ground as if it was not even there. They come raining down into a secret location underground and a howl is heard. "Pochi, no! Let's leave this place, we will return when we're ready.

"Too close, keeper of the key, too close..." The reaper mutters to herself, she disappears again returning to Earth to seek out her next victim.

"It seems that you could use some assistance. If it will break the cycle established long ago then I can provide it." Carmella arrives in the secret location, of the door Kuze had been searching for. A door that the reaper did not want found, but is confident that it can't be opened.

"Carmella, they must be guided but they have been in such painful forms for so long that they resist it even if what they truly want is rest." Kuze holds Pochi back and tries to calm him.

"Of course, I know of someone who can solve this... Zarame has been spending a lot of time in the Wheel of Fate headquarters lately, even if he is a being of the underworld." As Carmella speaks, Zarame comes into view stepping out of the shadows.

The only light in the room comes from the pale blue carvings on the black door behind Kuze. The rest of the room drowned in darkness and sorrow. Zarame holds his scythe ready and summons the power of his core to finally guide those who were lost for so long.

xoxox xox xoxox

Chapter 27

One by one, Zarame guides each zombie, until they are all gone and Zarame is exhausted.

"We must find the keepers of hope and bring them here. I think it's finally time, this time the door will open, I know it." Kuze places her hand on the door with the glowing blue carvings.

"It has been tried before and it didn't work. If it fails you will be defenseless, your keepers of hope as well" Carmella warns.

"I will protect them," Zarame offers.

Carmella shakes her head. "Why do you think the reaper retreated? She's just playing, she's confident this won't work, as it had also failed to work in the past. Zarame, even if you try to protect them, when the keepers of hope fail to help the keeper of the key open the door, they will inevitably be filled with hopelessness and she will kill them all. She's not an ordinary reaper." She reminds them.

"She's not a reaper at all," Zarame clarifies. "She goes under the guise of a reaper but she isn't."

Kuze nods, "Yes... and I know that many brave keepers of hope had failed to open this door in the past. This time it will be different. This time I'm sure we'll win and rid the world of her for some time."

"She never dies," Carmella speaks the truth.

"Neither does hope," Kuze voices.

Carmella sighs. "The Wheel of Fate will try to minimize the casualties should this plan fail." She fears it will though she wishes for it to succeed.

"I thank you, but I'm sure we'll make it this time," Kuze looks towards Zarame. "You care for her don't you? For Michiru..."

"It is forbidden for reapers to care about humans." Zarame does not answer the question.

A reply is not needed, Kuze already knows. "That's why you hid yourself at the Wheel of Fate headquarters and cut off all contact with Michiru."

"Because of that she was in danger," Zarame admits. Regret is not something that a reaper should feel. Zarame knows this, it goes against his nature.

"Michiru herself is a forbidden being, descendant of both humans and reapers, though mostly of human blood. She still has the eyes of a reaper and is able to understand the ancient language of the reapers." Kuze shakes her head. "No, she's not a forbidden being at all. All those who are alive have the right to continue living, and all those who might not be alive but exist, have the right to continue existing. Just as our enemy will continue to exist no matter what we do, our hero will also continue to exist no matter what our enemy does. It's up to us to choose which side will win."

Zarame remains quiet as Kuze and Carmella watch. Pochi looks a bit confused; he doesn't fully understand what is going on. Zarame closes his eyes and reflects for a moment. "I will keep Michiru safe," he finally decides.

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A little girl shows up at the door to a major mafia hide out. Toho gives the child an odd look as he opens the door. "I assume you are no child if you came this far."

The little girl giggles. "T is for Toho!" A scythe appears in her hands.

Toho quickly recites an incantation, his fingers moving rapidly with a bright glow. The seal he drew reaches the reaper who is not a reaper at all, but has no effect. "You're an evil creature," Toho speaks in surprise. "How can it be that this doesn't work?"

"Try it again," the evil being playfully says. "Try it over and over, throw everything you have at me and show me how hopeless you are." She looks amused, laughing and giggling insanely.

A few members of the mafia approach to see what's going on at their hideout's door. "Toho," one of them inquires, "what is happening?"

"Don't get in my way," Toho half growls, the others back away. Using a white spell paper with complex symbols hand drawn on it with black ink, Toho starts to chant. The paper glows iridescent and he throws it at the creature.

The piece of paper sticks to her forehead and smoke starts coming out as if it were acid. Her skin burns and melts until the paper slowly dissolves into dust and the center of her face from the forehead to the nose is left at the skull, both sides around it left with burns. "It didn't work," she laughs. "It didn't work! It didn't work!" She keeps repeating it mockingly.

Toho looks back at the men behind him. "She is who we thought," they look surprised; as if they cannot believe such a creature exists in such an apparently harmless form. "Get everything ready, quickly!" They run, Toho knows he's being followed, he knows the true identity of that little monster, he knows of her power, and he's leading her to a trap.

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Chapter 28

The reaper lets Toho run and follows him confidently. In the basement of the mafia hide out, there is a circle carved on the stone floor. Water flows through the carvings, and Toho stands in the center. From the outside it has a ring, a circle within a circle, with many Chinese symbols representing incantations and spells. After that, another ring within it, the symbols are names of creatures, guardians that can be controlled. Finally, there is a star at the very center, the shape carved deeper than any other.

"T is for Toho..." the reaper giggles in a voice that does fit in with the image of a little girl, but her expression is that of a cold blooded killer, one with no soul.

"Then come, false reaper, your other gave her power to me," what Toho truly means is that her other, the opposite of the being who calls herself a reaper, but truly isn't, has entrusted her power to humans and continues to live within them.

"My other?" The reaper's appearance changes with her raising anger, though she does not turn into a grotesque creature this time, but instead takes the form of a scandalously dressed young woman with seductive curves, icy eyes, dark hair and red lips. "My other is dead, dear Toho," her tone is sly and seductive. "I killed her, shattered her very soul. She did not pass on, she simply ceased to exist."

"You're wrong," confidently, Toho reaches for a rustic looking pendant in his shirt. He takes it off its chain and holds it above the star shape on the floor. "Your other self is more powerful than you'll ever be."

The evil one laughs, mocking the stubbornness of the man before her. "She was so easily trapped; she stayed behind when all of us ran rampant. She escaped somehow, to fight me, and I destroyed her."

Toho knows the creature is paying little mind to the piece of wood he holds. She most likely thinks of it as a rustic pendant, maybe a piece of enchanted wood, but it is so much more. It is a shard of the imprisonment that held her and her opposite, as well as many others, captive long ago. He did not break off the piece and does not know who did, but it is most likely through that hole that her opposite escaped that day long ago to fight the evil one.

Be it by chance or destiny, the piece ended up in his hands. "Farewell," Toho drops the small piece of wood into the star shape. When it comes in contact with the water, the room is filled with a bright light. Toho steps into the star; the power the good creature had given all humans becomes vastly amplified with the enchanted chard of prison.

The radiant waves hit the evil one; she shields herself with her arms, but the memories of the battle return either way. That day, during that fight, she was being true to her real name, and she was losing. But it was humans who kept her alive, and as much as she loathed the beings because they favored her opposite; they also kept her alive that time, or rather than alive, they kept her in existence.

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"As long as they exist, so will I," the good being spoke.

"I will always exist in them, you can be broken, shattered, abandoned, but not I. When you are gone only I shall remain, unbreakable, invincible!" The evil one growled. She held her black scythe ready, silver blade stained with blood.

Her opposite held her white weapon, an elegant scythe with a golden blade; silvery strings reaching from the blade to the handle forming a strange combination between harp and scythe. If those strings broke, the weapon would be unleashed, a symbolic meaning to her next words. "If you strike me down, I shall become more powerful than you could ever imagine."

The evil one griped a skeletal hand around her weapon, black ragged cloak blowing in the wind. "Do you not see what surrounds you?" The background was dark and gloomy. The world was surrounded in that darkness as humanity lost hope. "I do, I am all over this world, I invaded their hearts and I am choking the life out of then with each passing second."

"It will only make them stronger, because as they had dictated, I will always win," the good one stood fearless, majestic golden hair and white robes blowing softly as if the harsh winds were a soft breeze, silver eyes full of calmness and peace, but also a strong fighting spirit.

xoxox xox xoxox

The evil one screams, she backs away from the circle. How could a single human carry such power? No, it's not just that, the other weaken her. She can feel them scorching her very soul with their lives. Those others must not live; those others had dared to challenge her and would not be permitted to continue to exist. "Game over!" She disappears.

A storm brews in the sky, black clouds spinning like a cyclone and acid rain falls, burning those unfortunate enough to be outside. Humans run for cover, they are perplexed and frightened by the sudden change in weather and they hope it will end soon, they still dare to hope. Lightning crashes, unnatural sparks extending around the radius. The evil one feels the keepers of hope heading towards the door; she feels them planning to approach the incomplete prison. She intends to kill them, no games, no torture, no delays; she wants to kill them now. "Chika Akatsuki..." he is the worse one by far, "Die!"

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Chapter 29

Chika, Shito, Michiru, Yuuri, Momoka, Sotetsu, Koyomi, Yuuta, Ohtsu and Zarame are gathered at the office trying to figure out Bekko's riddles. "I can't say it any more clear than that," the ferryman insists. "Beyond the hopeless door, lies hope." He pauses noting that no one understands. "That is how I was told it went."

The office door opens and Kuze, Pochi and Carmella arrive. "We must go to the door," the chairperson sounds like it is urgent.

Bekko pushes up his glasses; he looks more interested than usual and far less bored, "indeed, one more time."

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"Kill! Kill! Kill!" People drop dead without explanation. Some see the skeleton with snake hair like a medusa swing a scythe; other see a blur and others are just confused. That confusion doesn't last long, for soon after they realize that their friends are not fainted but dead, their lives are taken as well. The evil being is furious.

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The Z-Loan group stands in front of the closed door to their office. The chair person chants an incantation and holds up a glowing key. She uses it to open the door, but instead of it leading to the office as logic would dictate, the place beyond the door is different. Kuze crosses the door, followed by everyone else. She takes note of everyone being ready for a battle, many with new weapons; some had recovered the weapons they had lost, Chika and Shito. They will go back to zombie hunting after this is over, to protect the world. "You had fought for long enough. You survived this long and held on to your hopes. If you hope, you will achieve."

The dark room is filled with questions; the glowing blue carvings of a locked door at the opposite end of the room are the only source of light. "Will it really work this time?" Bekko wonders, more as if he's talking to himself then anyone else.

"Many times before, the evil being's opposite was gathered, but it was never enough. However, all of that was not in vain," Carmella explained, "she was weakened, with what they have now, and if we give them a little of our own, this can be won."

"But the missing piece is..." Bekko does not finish.

Carmella nods acknowledging his point, but the confidence doesn't leave her eyes. "It is no longer needed."

"In deed, it is not," Kuze agrees.

Chika is becoming impatient. "What's everyone talking about?" He didn't like not understanding, and he wasn't the only one bothered by it.

"Shito, have you heard about Pandora's shard?" Kuze asks.

Shito thinks about it for a moment, the name sounds familiar. "Yes, a piece of wood Toho carries with him everywhere. I know not of its use."

"It is a piece of the box that imprisoned many beings, representing many things," Kuze explains. "Long ago Hope and Hopeless fought to the end. Hopeless thought the battle had been one, that Hope was destroyed. But when Hopeless is at its strongest, Hope will shine the brightest." Kuze looks towards Bekko and Carmella.

Carmella continues, "eventually the box was lost, we knew of the location of the missing piece but that was no where near enough. The Wheel of Fate had thought the Underworld held the box hidden to preserve order, that is, to preserve the manifestation of Hopeless as a part of the natural order. They denied it but we did not believe them."

"After the negotiations were finally over, the Wheel of Fate stopped insisting that the Underworld had the box and just in time for a new search to start without being clouded by the doubt of thinking the box was not lost but hidden, Hopeless manifested again," Kuze looked towards Bekko. "I'm sure you must have heard this part before.

"Then you want me to tell the story? Very well," Bekko continues, "Hopeless comes when a certain amount of hopelessness is accumulated. That wasn't hard with all the illegal zombie attacks recently and the rivalry between the Underworld and the Wheel of Fate. The negotiations are still being implemented. Right now it's time to face Hopeless with Hope."

"Where is the being of Hope?" Michiru asks.

"Humans..." Ohtsu finally speaks, "zombies who are human at heart as well." He heard the story of how Hopeless thought Hope was destroyed, but the being of light was in fact divided into many small pieces that reside in the hearts of people so that Hope may always stay within them.

"Yes, and now..." Kuze stops, a dark presence is felt.

"Game over, you all die. I'll rip your souls away. There's no escape, it's no use," Hopeless, the true identity of the being who had masked itself as a reaper has finally been revealed.

"Do not fear," Kuze calmly approaches the door. "I apologize for not telling you this right away, but if you hope, if you don't doubt that you will survive, then she cannot kill you. I had to allow you to discover that hope on your own for the purpose of opening this door." Kuze holds up her key, collecting energy from everyone.

Hopeless goes on a rampage, but is much weaker now. "There's no way to escape me, I am death, I am a reaper, humans will end up dying, they can't hope for anything else!" The words of Hopeless have no effect; if anything they show the being's desperation and create more hope.

The door opens and Kuze retrieves the box with the missing peace. She opens it and Hopeless is drawn towards it, then she closes it and puts it back. I will close this door of hopelessness. It will be hard for Hopeless to escape again..."

"Isn't there a hole in that box?" Sotetsu asks.

"Yes, if too much pressure is kept inside it will break again. It is best this way. Hope and Hopeless cannot be destroyed, they depend on the living beings of this world." Kuze closes the door and pets Pochi on the head. "It is up to us for how long the peace will last; it is up to us when things will reach a point where the manifestation of Hopeless escapes again, and it is up to us when and if Hopeless will once again be sealed."

They return to the Z-Loan office, with many hopes and no fears. Kuze asks Michiru and Koyomi to stay back for a moment. Chihiro and Leon return from the next world for just a few minutes, for one last goodbye, or rather one last 'see you later.'

xoxox xox xoxox

At the Z-loan office everyone is thinking about celebrating. Sotetsu even got a nice bonus, and is actually going to try to revive.

Everyone is very cheerful, and Chika has returned to being himself, aggravating Shito more and more, for all the time he couldn't bother him while he was in China.

"Shito, what are you doing?" Chika sees his friend bent over, hands around his ankle.

"With all of this... my socks bunched up..." Shito pulls his socks up and everyone just stares at him. "It's annoying!" He insists, "it's very annoying when socks bunch up..." and they all laugh.

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Chapter 30

Yuuta, is quite cheerful, running around talking to everyone and spreading a rain of confetti all over the place. Ohtsu is half listening to Yuuri's chatter about his little squirrels and how happy he is they're safe.

While half listening to Yuuri, Ohtsu catches a glance at the look Bekko is giving him as if saying that as his only current full time employee, Ohtsu will inevitably receive the task of cleaning the confetti off the mansion floor. Bekko thinks he has done his share of work allowing for his house to be used for the party.

Michiru, Momoka and Kuze are playing a cellphone RPG, a new game that all three of them like. Kuze and Michiru had played similar games before but not on a cell phone and Momoka has the fastest fingers. Pochi is very much enjoying the party food.

"Is this truly needed?" Shito looks at the festive atmosphere. He can appreciate some of the decorations consisting of multiple figures and signs, things that one would not normally use to decorate a party.

"Lighten up, Shito!" For the first time in a long time Chika is in a good mood. He is filled with hope.

Shito glances at the ferryman who is idly standing around drinking fantan, at least Koyomi isn't the one drinking it, as she is too busy happily preparing more food to satisfy Sotetsu's insatiable appetite.

This is a celebration of their victory, of their survival and a late welcoming party for Sotetsu and Shito. Sotetsu is quite happy eating every dish Koyomi cooks and she is happy that Sotetsu is eating her cooking and likes it. She blushes every time he compliments her cooking skills and even overcomes her shyness and offers small responses in their own special way of flirting.

Though Yomi isn't too fond of men, she had learned to tolerate Sotetsu, however she will not come out when Koyomi is with him, which Koyomi prefers that way anyway. They still need a little practice to control being awake at the same time and it has not happened again since that time.

"Sit down Shito, and enjoy the party!" Shito isn't sure if he should sit down or not, but he knows Chika won't leave him alone. Chika is quite stubborn or it can be seen as being determined.

"Fine," Shito sits down, in a similar way to Chika. He feels a bit silly sitting in a toy horse like the kind that move and play a cowboy song when someone inserts a coin. He likes to collect such things, not sit on them, but Chika is sitting around, slice of cake in hand, eating as if he's sitting on a normal chair.

"That wasn't so hard," Chika grins amused.

Shito decides to turn his attention towards his slice of cake and takes a bite. The cake is sweet; Sotetsu is enjoying a rather large slice of the same cake at the table, Koyomi's smile becoming happier as he watches him enjoy the cake she baked.

"Now call me Chika," Cheerful golden eyes meet with glaring red ones.

Shito is tempted to push Chika off the horse, or smash the cake on his face, but that would be a waste. He would shoot if it didn't actually kill Chika who is alive now. "Akatsuki..." Shito warns him.

"Chika, Chi-ka, is that really so hard?" Chika voices his own name slowly as if trying to get a child who is learning to speak to repeat it, or maybe more in the way one would say a name when trying to teach it to a parrot.

"Don't push your luck, I'm still armed," Shito warns him.

Chika doesn't take the warning, as Shito should have guessed. "Don't kill me Mr. Yakuza," Chika sticks out his tongue if names are all the same then let them be the same.

Then Shito proceeds to waste a perfectly good slice of cake by using it to attack Chika. Chika opens his mouth as if to speak and Shito warns him, "don't say it."

Chika does not listen, "food fight!"

Koyomi tosses her cookies into the air at the sudden announcement of a food fight. Sotetsu catches most of them and mourns the loss of the cookies that were sacrificed so early in battle. Sotetsu is known for his ability to end food fights by eating all the available ammunition.

Michiru, Momoka and Kuze run for cover and hide under a table; they reach out for the food on top of it and launch a counter attack. Pochi is quite happy jumping around and catching thrown food in his mouth. He looks like he's having lots of fun. Yuuta is quite fast in throwing food.

Yuuri cheers and blissfully joins the food fight. Ohtsu glances at Bekko who sips his fantan as if nothing at all is happening, calm expression still present. Then a flying cupcake hits the ferryman on the forehead leaving an imprint of frosting and bouncing off to be caught by Pochi.

"Must we make a mess?" Bekko removes the frosting from his forehead with his finger and eats it, still looking pretty calm in the middle of the chaos. If anyone knows him well enough then it would be possible to notice that the ferryman is actually amused, even if he doesn't make it obvious.

Sotetsu hugs and untouched cake, trying to save it from becoming a powerful missile, as a result he gets the cake all over himself.

'Too bad it's not Chiru chiru...' Koyomi hears Yomi's voice in her head.

'Get your mind out of the gutter Yomi!' Koyomi mentally replies.

'You're telling me? I got the idea from your thoughts of that man...' Yomi argues.

Koyomi blushes while Sotetsu eats the cake. 'He has a name you know, he's not just that man, his name is Sotetsu."

'Fine, avoid the subject.' Koyomi feels Yomi going back to sleep.

Sotetsu notices her bright red face and asks, "are you alright, Koyomi?"

Koyomi nods energetically, "I'm fine!" When she cheers, arms raised into the air, a cup cake lands on her hand. She looks at it and blinks. "Would you like to have a cupcake?" She finally asks, offering the flying cupcake to Sotetsu, it still looks edible enough, and he would eat it anyway.

"Love to," Sotetsu accepts the cupcake his hand brushing Koyomi's, while Yomi sleeps and Koyomi blushes some more.

"Akatsuki..." Shito wonders how he gets himself into these things, but he is still happy to be with his friends and does not intend to leave again. "Look what you caused."

"And for all of that you still haven't learned my name," Chika laughs, he's having fun in the food fight.

The door bell rings and only Bekko appears to notice. He opens it and Carmella enters. She is about to say something about fireworks and the reason for her lateness but first she has to duck as a slice of pizza flies over her head, followed by a lower flying donut that hits Bekko on the back of the head.

Carmella hands the box full of fireworks to Bekko to be kept safe until later, when it's time to light them. She rolls up her sleeves and looks back once at the ferryman who raises his eyebrow in curiosity. "Life is unpredictable, that's what keeps the Wheel of Fate spinning," and with that said, Carmella also joins the fun.

xoxox xox xoxox

Chapter 31

After such an adventure, Shito stayed in Japan. Toho survived, but had his own things to do and unexpectedly let Shito go, he was no longer a zombie after all. Kuze was still the same Kuze and Pochi was as energetic as ever.

The Z-office was not the same... "Zombie hunting!" Yuuri could often be seen bouncing around energetically.

Chika would follow him telling him to stop being loud. He didn't realize he was being much louder.

Momoka returned to her cell phone addiction, but also joined in the zombie hunts occasionally, with Chika always keeping an eye on her and fussing over her safety, only to cheer about how fast she learned to be an illegal zombie hunter a second later.

Shito thought Chika was too moody, he thought Yuuri was too energetic, and he thought Michiru and Zarame talked too much. He also thought it was incredibly obvious that Zarame liked Michiru, even if she didn't seem to notice.

Yomi was temperamental, and Sotetsu was about to be revived, he would have to watch out for her when he did or she might just turn him into a zombie again. Koyomi was quite happy; those two looked very cute together.

Those are the things I saw, and as I recall them, I know I still live in them. I know I'll never disappear, Hope never dies. I watch the world from my own point of view.

I see how Ohtsu is still the same Ohtsu, some never change. I see how Carmella and Bekko often bicker about business, though they tolerate each other much better now, with Kuze acting as the referee.

Nothing is Hopeless, and all can be turned into Hope. It's the way things are, the way they should be. Yuuta, Kenken and Konkon have been in a great mood, though not by debt, the group has returned to Z-loan.

I like watching them, I like it when they call upon me to give them strength, I am Hope, and I will always be with them, this I know for sure. If you hold on to me, I will not let you go, no matter what. If anything happens, I'll be stronger for you, I'll try my best and you need to try your best too. We're a team after all, it's not all me and not all you, Hope and act, Hope and live, Hope and continue. Then I will stay with you. Even if you push me away, I'll try to come back, for I am Hope.

Seeing people such as them, the keepers of Hope, my beloved friends, makes me happy and I reward them with the promise of another great day, the day they Hope for, and as long as they do, that day shall come. Always with you, in the name of Hope, now and forever.

End

Disclaimer, I don't own Zombie Loan. Written for Snow's challenge at Plot Whole.

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Angel of Death by MikariStar