Of course, the place Osamu had in mind was the abandoned bowling alley. Somehow, the place became a hideout to Osamu and the girls, a place to gather in situations like these. He and Shinju stood in front of the dilapidated, decaying building, the blinding sun hanging over the western end of the sky.

"Wow! It looks like a crack house!" Shinju laughed.

"Of course it isn't! Come inside." Osamu sighed.

"Ooo! I get it. You wanna do some lewd, provocative, adult rated actions in there where nobody could see us, don't you?" Shinju tittered.

"Why don't you come in and find out?"

The two stepped over the shards of broken glass at the entrance and proceeded inside. The sun shining through the stained glass resulted in beautiful, multicolored light that illuminated most of the alley. Plenty of pins and bowling balls were scattered about on the ground. With everything being washed in a vibrant rainbow of light from the stained glass, the alley carried the same peaceful atmosphere of an empty cathedral.

Shinju immediately understood why Osamu chose this place to talk now, and why he kept using it for the past few years. It was quiet and tucked away, a beautiful world of their own, drowning in color.

"The first time I came here, I was actually kidnapped by Yoko. She brought me here, and that's how everything started. Or rather, started up again."

Shinju scanned the bowling alley from floor to ceiling. "This is actually a pretty good place..."

Shinju walked around, inspecting the bowling alley to the finest details. She picked up a bowling ball and rolled it down one of the lanes, getting a strike on the pins lined up.

"Osamu."

"Uhm...yeah?"

"This place...When Kagutsuchi is ready, we'll hold the ritual here."

"Really? I was just trying to show you something cool, but to think I actually ended up being useful..."

"Before we go back and I give you the gourd, I should talk to you more clearly about the risks of this ritual."

Shinju sat down on the bleacher, the colored sunlight kissing the left side of her face. "It would be much simpler if this curse was something that Kagutsuchi was afflicted with, rather than a part of her powers. Mizuhame herself had to be very careful when she dealt with Kagutsuchi, because the same waters that counteract her powers can also strip her of them, and in the worst case scenario, they can kill her."

"It's...it's that risky?"

Shinju nodded. "Unfortunately, that's the way it is. There's also some concerns I have regarding Kagutsuchi's feelings. Have you talked to her since Satori's passing? I mean, about Satori, and how she feels."

"N-no...I would think Izanami is better suited to handle that. She is her mother, after all."

"Kagu's powers are unpredictable." Shinju said. "If she holds a strong love for Satori, and even a trace of resentment for me or Lucrezia., it could render the entire ritual pointless. Such feelings might actually allow the cursed part of her to grow more powerful, and it might be easier to transfer curses. There are a lot of things that can go wrong."

"So, Kagu's life is still on the line, huh?" Osamu asked, hanging his head.

"Yeah. However, there's no reason to be pessimistic. Kagu seems like a bright spirit, and hopefully, she's had the appropriate time to mourn. It's important to mourn, Osamu. How can we grow if we don't learn to cry? But I worry, because that girl has to let go of the past, and the feelings for her first love. The very first one. That's always such a difficult thing to leave behind."

"You're right. But, maybe if we just help Kagu along the way, she can get through it and land on her own two feet. Let's keep hoping and wishing the best for her. I'll let you know when she's ready to undergo the ritual."

Shinju smiled. "No wonder those women gravitate around you. You're like glue, keeping everyone together and fixing all the broken pieces."

"Heh, someone I knew said the same thing a long time ago." Osamu chuckled, thinking Shinju sounded a bit too much like Isabella.

Another set of footsteps echoed from down the hall. Shinju and Osamu immediately stood onto their feet. Judging by the noise, whoever it was wasn't trying to sneak in. The two calmed down once they saw Lucrezia pass through the doors and enter the bowling alley, her walking cane tapping against the rotting, wooden floors.

"Oh, Lucrezia! You nearly gave me a heart attack." Shinju sighed.

Lucrezia snickered. "My apologies. I saw you two enter and I meant to catch up to you."

"No, this is good timing, actually." Osamu said. "Shinju just told me that she wants to have Kagu's cleansing ritual here."

"What do you think, boss?" Shinju asked.

Lucrezia leaned forward, resting both hands on the handle of her cane. "I was actually going to recommend it to you, Shinju. I've come here once with Osamu before. It's a quiet, peaceful location. With the neighborhood still empty, I doubt anyone will walk in on us cleansing a goddess of fire."

Shinju clapped her hands together. "Well then! It's official! We'll begin whenever Kagu is ready."

"Before that..." Lucrezia began. "I need to talk to the both of you. Firstly...you have my deepest apologies, Osamu. I'm truly sorry for what I put you and your family through. I trampled on your trust. I'm sorry."

Osamu rubbed the back of his head, feeling rather guilty. "I forgive you. I understand you had everyone's best interests in the mind from the very beginning. It's just that the way you went about it was manipulative and dishonest. I need to be able to trust you, Lucrezia. In order for that to happen, you have to be honest with me."

"I know. I'll extend my apologies to your family as well." Lucrezia lamented. "To be honest, this mission was very important to me. I couldn't refuse when Satori first came to me for help."

"Yoko said something about you explaining that you owed a great debt to Izanami." Osamu said. "Is that why you did this?"

"Partly." Lucrezia answered. "Of course, Izanami is very dear to me. I'd gladly lay my life down for her, if she asked. That wasn't the only reason. I needed to help Satori. I owed a great debt to him and his family as well. I helped Izanami out of my immense gratitude for her, and I helped Satori...as an atonement, I suppose."

"Atonement?" Osamu repeated.

"Let's just say this wasn't the first time I've killed a Sentani before. Ironically, I atoned to his family by killing yet another member. It's unbelievable how much history insists on repeating itself." Lucrezia explained.

(I'm not sure what she means...but I can tell the whole thing is weighing on her...)

"Well, since we're being honest with each other, there's something else I should tell you both." Lucrezia began. "I have reason to believe that we're not quite out of the woods yet. Satori's sister, Amatsuki, might be gunning for us now."

"His sister?" Osamu gasped. "He never mentioned a sister!"

"Are you sure, Lucrezia?" Shinju asked.

Lucrezia nodded. "The news came in from Cyanide. He's been keeping tabs on Amatsuki's organization ever since we started helping Satori out. Satori did warn me that if she found out about his demise, she might come and kill us all."

"What the hell? What kind of woman is she? What organization does she have?" Osamu questioned.

Shinju sighed. "Satori and Amatsuki were estranged for most of their lives. While Satori went on to become a businessman and exorcist, Amatsuki became the captain of her own yakuza family. She had at least a few hundred guys in her employ."

"Excuse me?! Are you telling me we've pissed off some yakuza captain?!" Osamu recoiled.

"Not to worry." Lucrezia said. "They don't know where we are yet. I'm simply warning you of what's to come. I'm already putting together a plan for this. We'll proceed with Kagutsuchi's ritual as planned, and I'll keep everyone updated about Amatsuki. I won't let you fall into harm's way this time, Osamu. I promise."

Osamu paced back and forth, his hands on his hips. "Now I've got the god damned yakuza after me..."

Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.

"I imagine they'll be more interested in me and Lucrezia. We were the ones who killed Satori." Shinju said, leaning back in her seat.

"Yes, that's most likely the case." Lucrezia added. "We're the ones who are really in danger. Like I said, though, I have a plan. All we have to do right now is handle Kagu."

“All right…all right." Osamu sighed. "I'll have to inform the girls about this, though."

Lucrezia nodded. "Yes, I encourage you to do so. Osamu, would you mind if I spoke to Shinju alone for a few minutes?"

"Oh, sure. I'll wait outside, then." Osamu said.

"Thank you." Lucrezia muttered, bowing her head.

Osamu whipped out his cell phone and called home as he marched outside, leaving Lucrezia and Shinju together.

"What's up?" Shinju asked.

"There's another pressing matter we have to handle." Lucrezia said. "And it's another reason why we have to be prepared for Amatsuki whenever she finds us."

Shinju stood up straight, sensing the matter was gravely serious.

"I don't know how, but...Himushi and Magatori...they've found out about me." Lucrezia said.

"What makes you say that?" Shinju gasped.

"A few months ago, I tasked Cyanide with finding the house in Kobe. It wasn't an easy mission, considering they were squatters. He zeroed in on an address and told me he'd go digging beneath the rubble, but two people beat him to it. Judging by his description of them, it was most certainly Himushi and Magatori."

"Did they find anything?"

Lucrezia nodded. "It was too dark for Cyanide to see and he couldn't engage those two. He pulled back and we lost track of them. There was no way to know for sure what the hell they were looking for in Kobe, until recently. It seems Himushi approached Amatsuki's organization about a week ago. According to Cyanide's source, Himushi paid the Sentani clan one-hundred thousand yen and handed them a duffle bag. The source was to take the duffle bag to a black market forensic anthropologist."

"But he peeked inside so he could tell Cyanide what was in it, didn't he? So? Was it what I think it was?" Shinju asked.

"Yeah. Skeletal remains."

Shinju dragged her hand down her face. "Shit...How much do they know?"

"They've already dated it back to 1995." Lucrezia growled.

"The Great Hanshin earthquake. So the skeleton might actually be the real deal. We won't have any choice but to kill Himushi if she goes through with this."

"No, not yet. We need to deal with Kagutsuchi first. If we do this too close to Kagu's ritual, it might put the poor girl in more danger." Lucrezia explained. "For now, we have to be patient. Himushi was one step ahead of me. I won't let it happen again."

Shinju and Lucrezia rejoined Osamu outside after their discussion. Their mood shifted from gravely serious to playful and jovial almost instantly.

"Well, Prince? Will you walk this princess home?" Shinju asked.

Osamu nodded. "Of course I will. Wanna come with us, Lucrezia?"

"Oh, that's okay." Lucrezia said, smiling. "I've got plans this evening. You two look like you've gotten along quite well, though. I'm glad."

"Well, if you ever have time to hang out, don't be afraid to give me a call. Well, after we deal with Kagu's business, of course." Osamu said.

"Thank you. See ya, guys." Lucrezia sang, waving goodbye.

"Talk to you later, boss!" Shinju said.

(Even though I swore to be optimistic, I still kept Murphy's Law close to me. Even if the risks can be devastating, I still promised Satori that I'd see this through and finish his work. I've got to give Kagutsuchi a shot at life, and in order to do that, I need to rid her of her curse. Now that things have calmed down since we left the mansion, I'm hoping that Kagu will make it easy for me. She's been smiling a lot lately...but that's exactly what's worrying me. How is she coping with losing her first love? Does she hate Shinju? Does she resent Heaven? I have to find out and navigate through Kagu's heart. I have to help another girl forget and move on.)

It was dusk when Osamu and Shinju made it back to the orange house on the outskirts of the neighborhood. The western horizon was aglow with the fading, orange light of the late afternoon. The sky was split in half, one side dark and glittering with stars, and the other a ghostly mix of fiery orange and soothing purple. Shinju quickly went inside her house and came back out with Mizuhame's gourd, now filled with blessed water.

"Here you go, it's all in there. Keep it shut until we decide to go through with the ritual." Shinju said. "Seriously, under absolutely no circumstances are you to open it."

"I'll keep it safe and shut." Osamu said.

"Guess I don't have to worry then." Shinju sighed.

(Don't tell me you think I'm some sort of idiot...)

"Well, Osamu, I humbly thank you for today. I had a lot of fun with you. Let's go out again sometime, yeah?"

"Absolutely! We live nearby, so come over whenever you feel like it."

"Thank you for the invitation. Now then, can I have my kiss?"

"Heh? No way! I mean, you're beautiful and lovely, but..."

"Oh! We're not married, right? That's fine, Osa. I can be your mistress when your days are tough."

"I don't need a mistress, Shinju!"

"Aww, you sure?" Shinju giggled. "I'd gladly offer up my body so you can escape the pressures of your daily life! Even if you could never love me like you love your wives!"

"Nope, not having it. Nuh-uh. Never. Not unless all of the girls agree to let you in the family."

"Such a bothersome gentleman. So, I can't even get a kiss? Not just a quick one? It'll be quick and friendly, more like a peck."

(Well...she did save my life, and today was really good.)

"All right, fine. Just one, and it has to be quick."

All of that went right out of the window when Shinju gave Osamu the deepest, sensual, and most erotic kiss she could. The clever girl stole a fortune in kisses.

"S-Shinju!" Osamu recoiled, his cheeks blood red. "I said quick! Not deep and intimate!"

"You taste like a good man, Osamu. Free of greed, pride, wrath, and hate. That's why I had to steal that kiss. I hope you'll forgive me!" Shinju said, clasping her hands and bowing apologetically.

"Yeah, fine. I forgive you, but that was totally a cheap shot just now."

Shinju winked. "Well, see ya, Osamu."

"See ya, Shinju. Have a good evening."

"I will! Oh, and look out for the nudes I'm going to send you tonight!"

"I don't want them!" Osamu shouted.

Shinju laughed as she closed the door, and even Osamu snickered to himself as he began his walk home.

(How familiar. Walking home like this in the sunset, in this peaceful, empty neighborhood, after a long day with an eccentric girl. Youth dies hard sometimes, huh?)

Osamu finally made it home. He locked the door behind him and kicked off his shoes as he yawned, the fatigue of the day hitting him all at once.

"I'm back." Osamu announced.

Tsukiakari greeted Osamu first, as the others were upstairs. She put away his shoes for him and gave him a welcome-home kiss. "How was your day? Have fun?"

"Since when are you ever concerned with the quality of my day?" Osamu chuckled.

"Uhm, since we got back from the mansion and you were totally lost in gloom for days, idiot!" Tsukiakari pouted. "It's just...hell, even if I'm rough with you, you're still my husband. I want your days to be good, and I want you to be happy."

"Gekko, that is probably the sweetest thing you've said to me all year. You just want sex, don't you?"

"Blow me."

Kagutsuchi and Izanami came downstairs, greeting Osamu as he joined Tsukiakari in the kitchen.

"Welcome home, my love!" Izanami sang, having spent the whole day in her pajamas.

"Thanks! How was your day?" Osamu asked.

"Eh, lazy. Nobody died today, so I didn't have any work to do. I just spent most of it sleeping, honestly." Izanami yawned.

"And you, Kagu?" Osamu questioned.

"I took a walk to get myself familiar with the neighborhood!" Kagutsuchi said.

"Oh, smart! Kagu, let's spend some time together soon, all right?" Osamu said.

"Really? With me? I'd love to!" Kagutsuchi smiled.

(I don't know...she seems a little too cheery. I wouldn't expect someone with her kind of background to cope with something in a healthy way...)

"Did the Shoku Twins go home?" Osamu asked.

Tsukiakari nodded. "Yeah, they went back to the shrine earlier."

"Damn! I wanted to pinch Akatsuki's cheeks and pat Omagatoki's head today! Ah well...next time, Osamu." Osamu cried. "Hey, where's Yoko?"

"Haha...ummm...she wore herself out crying today." Izanami muttered. "You ended up coming home late after all."

(I...I forgot about that...)

With the day over, Osamu slipped into his house clothes, a black thermal and black sweatpants, and left his things at the end table downstairs. He bumped into Kagutsuchi again in the kitchen while she washed off a plate full of crumbs from her late-night sandwich.

"Hey." Osamu said.

"What's up?" Kagutsuchi asked.

"Sorry, do you mind if we step outside for a bit? There's something I have to talk to you about."

"Oh, sure! I'll put some clothes on."

With the moon and plentiful stars in the sky, Osamu and Kagutsuchi took a walk through the woodland path together. Cricket symphonies filled the air and the wind was calm and cool, brushing by the trees and blowing through their hair.

"So? What was it you wanted to talk about?" Kagutsuchi asked, her purple eyes glowing in the darkness.

"Well...a few things. I suppose I should start with this. Mizuhame's gourd has been refilled. We can rid you of your curse." Osamu stated.

"Oh really?! I'm glad to hear that! Thank you for your hard work, Osamu!"

"No problem..."

Kagutsuchi and Osamu reached an open spot with no trees obstructing the star-filled, moonlit sky. They stood together, their eyes glued to the constellations hanging above them.

"So beautiful...right?" Kagutsuchi said in breathless wonder.

"Yeah, they sure are." Osamu responded. "Listen, Kagutsuchi. It's only been a week since Satori died. Are you...feeling well?"

"That's a good question, Osamu. That's a really good question. I ask myself that everyday when I wake up and he's not here."

"You don't have any ill feelings towards Shinju or Lucrezia, do you?"

"I can't say I like them, but they were just doing their job. I can't fault them for what they did to him. I'm...conflicted, I guess. I want to finally be rid of this curse. I hate it. I've hated it all my life. It hurt Satori, and it sounds like I once used it to hurt Gekko, too. But...if I move on..."

Kagutsuchi turned to Osamu with a mournful expression. "What will happen to Satori? Will I forget him? Will everything he did for me just vanish? I keep questioning myself about this until my head hurts and my heart races. I'm scared of forgetting him. With that, I almost don't want to move on."

(Scared to move on....)

"But that's exactly what Satori wanted, Kagu. He wanted you to have another shot, without the curse."

"I get that, but...I just wish my chance didn't cost so much. You know? It's great I can be free, but at what cost? What does it mean when the person I wanted to love is no longer here?"

Osamu turned his eyes to the moon, as if he were searching for the right words to say. "I think it would be a disgrace if you squandered the opportunity Satori gave his life for. I know, Kagu. It's tragic when love dies for the first time. I've been there. We all have. It's especially painful when that first person really did mean so much to us.

“But still, we carry on with life. We don't forget them. Hell, maybe some of us even frequently think about them. But we learn to live without them, and we wish them luck and success, whether they're here, on the other side of the earth, or in a world apart from the living.

“The days might seem slow, and our heartache might seem overwhelming, but the average human life is just a relative blip in time. It's fleeting, even as we grow. But as we mature, it seems like the time we've been here has been so long. The days of heartache will melt away, and time will heal your wounds".

"I hope I'm as strong as I seem to be in your head, Osa. I really do."

Osamu smiled. "Just take your time, Kagu. You have me, your mom, Yoko, and Tsukiakari to turn to. Whenever your ready, just let me know, and we'll have the ritual. Okay?"

"Yeah! Okay!" Kagutsuchi nodded.

Kagutsuchi gave Osamu a warm smile during that cool night. Osamu understood all too well the fear of moving on. He had once defined himself by someone else's existence, by Aika or Isabella. Losing them felt like a part of himself crumbled away. The truth was both relieving and heartbreaking to realize. Only you can define you.