"well, isn't she a pest." Oiwa muttered, relaxing on the living room sofa at Hiroshi's home. Watching through the scythe's edge, the silver shine revealed an window to the living world, where she had noticed a while ago Julia's digging on Hiroshi's past and call to Kat, but by now she had gone asleep, fully guarded even in bed.

  "Just don't ruin things for me, you undead cheat." she muttered, as she turned the vision towards the Olivia and Nata, both sleeping much more calmly.

  "But I do wonder... Will you be the ones to break him..." She wondered, before getting disturbed by a knock on the door.

  With a disgruntled groan, she pulled her hood up, and put the scythe away into her cloak, before approaching and answering the door.

  Upon opening it, she could notice a group of local death angels having come as usual.

  "I told you hundred times already. I don't know how long I will be here, and you cannot force me out." she said, with clear anger in her voice.

  "Shouldn't one know that, if they disturb the order?" came voice from the group gathered, who split apart to show a shorter person, near three feet tall, and cloak emanating black smoke, moving forwards almost like gliding across the ground.

  Oiwa quickly gave look of surprise and worry. "The V-voice? What are you doing here? I promise this is not something I personally planned." She quickly crumbled, as she gave room for them to enter, and as she could notice the group trying to follow, she was quick to shut the door behind them.

  "Thanks. They don't know when one should have privacy." the voice said, as they calmly inspected the place. "And I didn't think you planned this. I have heard what you have told others. However, the Order doesn't like disturbances, even if it's from our own kind."

  "I reassure you, my conviction is strong in the Order. However, I know whatever has entrapped me to the blood of Yasuda is from his hometown. I am sure those vixens are behind this." she made clear, following the Voice, but keeping good distance just in case, as the black smoke slowly covered the walls and ceiling, removing any attempts of outside spying.

  "Ah, kitsune sure are troublesome kind, especially from your home. However, that doesn't explain why you let that man live. Many of the death angels said you promised to kill him when opportunity came, yet you fought against your own kind for him." the Voice spoke, before taking seat on the sofa, leaving Oiwa standing in front of them.

  "That's... true." Oiwa spoke, feeling shame on admitting on the fact. "But I have my reasons. This incantation is not something normal, you see, the one who cast it on me. They did a bonding technique."

  The voice slowly nodded to hearing the words spoke. "Now that is rare. So, you are forced to be his companion until..."

  "I cannot say, I let my guard down when they did it. I am not even fully sure who exactly is behind it."

  "That doesn't matter now. But what does, is what you will do." the Voice spoke, focusing on her, as she could sense the smoke gathering around her, warning her of the danger in each word she will state onward.

  "I was able to keep on his good side and convince him and couple others near him to return to ōnosai. I will try to figure out how to break this bind, and I will reap hi-"

  Her words were cut short, as she felt the black smoke enter her mouth and nose, starting to choke her. "That's expected of you. And if you fail, this punishment for your current digression will be a blessing in comparison." the Voice spoke.

  Oiwa slowly collapsed onto her knees, as she couldn't help but gurgle and groan in attempts to breath, but her lungs couldn't get anything but emptyness.

  However, the lecture was cut short as knock by the door was heard in living world, to which the Voice reacted to swiftly. The black smoke quickly returning under the cloak, giving Oiwa the chance to finally get air back in her lungs.

  "You got lucky today. I will command rest to ease on their hunt, but remember, Order doesn't take failure kindly." The Voice spoke, as in the spirit world, the door could be seen being opened, with the other death angels staring inside, not overly surprised to see Oiwa on the floor.

  With no other words, the Voice headed out of the house, joining rest of the death angels, leaving Oiwa at last catch her breath in full, and curl on the living room floor, shaking in consideration if she failed.

  Hiroshi, noticing the lights were off and there wasn't much noise, could presume everyone had gone asleep, silently entered.

  This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

  Before he could get his shoes properly off, he could feel a ominous wind and chilly goosebump run across his whole body.

  "What... was that?" Hiroshi whispered, wondering out loud as he took a look at the outdoors, before carefully closing the door.

  'Anyways, need to head to bed quick. Would hate to be late on the date tomorrow.' He thought to himself, as he settled in for the night.

  Saturday has arrived, and the usual weekly shopping were being made, with Julia carrying most bags, with hiroshi carrying as much as he can.

  As they were boarding the train to head back home, Julia spoke up. "I have some business to do. I am sure you can get home without me."

  Before Hiroshi could question what she meant, she dropped bags onboard while stepping off, right as the doors closed.

  The group was left flabbergasted for a moment, before realizing what went down.

  "Oh, you got to be kidding with me." Hiroshi muttered, as Olivia calmly picked one of the bags, taking good amount of effort to be lifted, while Nata took other with growl.

  "Why do we even have her around? You should kick her out." Nata complained, as they sat down on open seats.

  "I know." Hiroshi muttered, as he was contemplating what Julia was thinking. "She is troublesome, but... she did help rescuing you, and wanting to help us."

  Nata gave a grumpy look at Hiroshi, but didn't argue further, as they continued their way home, meanwhile Julia headed towards nearby apartment buildings and using signs to navigate her way to the right place.

  After couple blocks, and making sure she was at the right door, she gave a knock.

  Couple seconds later, she heard knock back.

  "It's Julia. Just open up already, you paranoid owl." she complained out loud, to which Kat opened with slight annoyance. "How about you stop complaining and lets get down to business."

  As Kat let Julia in, she could note the apartment was well taken care of.

  Little dust anywhere, furniture organized well, even a gun cabinet has everything organized, down to each bullet.

  "Interesting display." Julia muttered, as she relaxed on the sofa, as Kat brought in an small business laptop and wheeled in a whiteboard.

  "Alright. Let's start at what we know of this Hiroshi." Kat spoke, as she started to scribble on the whiteboard and hanging up pictures.

  "Hiroshi has connections to an death angel, but the relationship is undetermined." Kat started, to which Julia responded. "Most likely frenemies. Death angels aren't the kind to just make friends with people, there must be something forcing them into this."

  "The family relationship wasn't the best by his own words from what Sophia heard, aside from his big sister, Haruka Yasuda."

  "Relation is very good, in fact. He informed about the vacation coming to her personally."

  "That's expected, and on my personal research, she moved from, but still lives near ōnosai, in a recently established city-state Harumitsu. Doesn't have much presence outside work."

  Julia calmly nodded, as she worked on the laptop to get the stuff she found out about, as Kat got whiteboard prepared.

  "With news from Wednesday, that not only did he leave for education... but possible prospect of murder..."

  "It's isn't just possible, but quaranteed. I wanted you to see this." Julia said, as she turned the laptop over, giving Kat full view of the pictures and auto-translated article she got her hands on. "A friend of mine dug into some stuff, and these news make this pretty clear."

  "We have a new person to investigate, Aki and Miyajima family. And if the translation is right, and article is to be believed... we are dealing with yakuza being involved as well. This would also complicate his statement on returning to japan, only to come back to live here."

  Kat took the laptop to get a closer look, and started to read through the article. "Your friend sure is handy... No words, huh? I wonder if it was because they didn't want to, or they couldn't."

  "I suspect they couldn't. If yakuza is involved, there is good chance they went to hiding from them, or if they didn't, yakuza wouldn't want them to speak out to make themselves the victims."

  "And how sure you are that they are victims?" Kat asked, having her doubts on Hiroshi's innocence.

  "He isn't a man that enjoys bloodshed. When I explained the plan of us dealing with the mafia members for good, he didn't want to go with it. So he left me as one to deal with the wagon all alone."

  "So, you wanted him to be part of your massacre?"

  "Not exactly, but technically yes. And I tried hand to hand fight with him. He is not a fighter with his senses in order."

  "hmm..." Kat hummed, as she proceeded to draw the whiteboard the new connections.

  "But I do wonder... Could this 'Aki' person be behind all of this trouble with him?"

  "It's your only lead, unless you want trouble with yakuza."

  "Rather not, but do you know anything about them?"

  Julia groaned at the question, clearly having expected it, but displeased to hear it anyways.

  "Not really. Only heard bits and pieces. I'd presume they are only transactional friends with the mafia. But if this new city-state is recent, I wouldn't be surprised if there were some underground dealings."

  "Of course." Kat muttered, as she started to bite at her feathers, getting annoyed by the complications.

  As Julia relaxed, Kat was racing through her mind on what to do next.

  "Alright, I will research on these foxes, meanwhile you... you will train Hiroshi."

  "Train? what do I look like? His personal trainer?" Julia quickly objected.

  "We are heading to japan for vacation, you want it or not. We must be prepared for worst, and seeing Hiroshi is to blame for most of this, might as well have him ready to help us."

  Julia gritted her teeth, not at all happy of the prospect, but knew Kat's idea was best they had.

  "Fine, but that will cost you extra, got that?!"

  "No need to shout. You can have hundo for now." Kat commented, as she dug up her wallet, and gave a hundred euro bill to Julia. "Just don't injure him too much."

  "I got that already." Julia noted, as she snatched the bill, slipped it into her pocket, before leaving the apartment.

  "What horrendous negotiations." Julia groaned on, as she returned to train station, and with it, to home.

  "Took you a long time." Hiroshi commented, as she kicked her shoes off and entered, smelling cooked food, with trio by dinner table already. "Your portion is still on heat."

  "Thanks." Julia responded, as she joined on dinner, not speaking of what went down for now, knowing full well tomorrow, she has to start preparing Hiroshi for a hell that even he doesn't seem to be realizing he would be returning to.