NAGASAKI, PART THREE

When GuShoShin was looking through files, he stumbled across information on Hisoka's death, which stated that it was suspected that Hisoka was killed of a curse.

Tsuzuki paid a visit to Maria Wong's stepmother, demanding information. She refused to tell him anything out of fear for her life, but he mentioned Muraki's name and she broke down sobbing.

In an abandoned building somewhere, Hisoka came to to find himself face to face with Muraki. Muraki had tied Hisoka up with wire made from a the hair of women, a barrier suitable of containing a Shinigami. Muraki told Hisoka he was bait to lure Tsuzuki, and Hisoka's empathy allowed him to sense a deep sorrow within Muraki but he didn't know why Muraki felt that way. Hisoka had no memory of the previous time they had met, so Muraki decided to return his memories to him.

Tsuzuki was standing at the spot where Hisoka had vanished, obviously distraught over Hisoka's kidnapping; GuShoShin hovered nearby worried out of his mind. Maria Wong's stepmother's phone Tsuzuki was carrying rang; it was Muraki, and he told Tsuzuki to meet up with him where they had first met. Tsuzuki agreed, and after hanging up he sent a small bird made out of magic to track Hisoka down, and GuShoShin went off to follow it.

Going to the church where they had first met, Tsuzuki found Muraki just as before. But instead of taking him directly to Hisoka, Muraki led him all over Nagasaki, treating it as if they were on a date. They visited a church, a doll shop, and finally a coffee shop. Tsuzuki constantly demanded to know where Hisoka was, but Muraki ignored him (but was obviously furious that Tsuzuki wouldn't stop thinking of him).

At the coffee place Tsuzuki snapped, yelling at Muraki to stop fooling around. He asked what Muraki wanted, and Muraki plainly told him that he had done it all so he could meet Tsuzuki. Tsuzuki said that he had him now and should release Hisoka, but Muraki refused, saying he had an interest in him; since it was he himself who killed Hisoka.

Back at the abandoned building Hisoka was remembering the fateful he encountered Muraki. Hisoka had been restless and left the hospital he was in to walk outside in the night air, and had stumbled upon Muraki murdering a woman. Muraki saw him, and decided that he was to special for a merciless death, so he stripped Hisoka of his clothes and wrote a curse upon his body that would slowly kill him, and then removed his memories of their encounter.

In the coffee shop Muraki calmly told Tsuzuki all this, and Tsuzuki snapped. He demanded to be taken to Hisoka, but Muraki refused because Tsuzuki had thought of nothing but him the whole time. Muraki then ended their "date" abruptly when outside the window he saw the bird, come to inform Tsuzuki of Hisoka's whereabouts.

Half-conscious, Hisoka wondered why all he could think about this close to death was Tsuzuki. It was at that moment Tsuzuki and GuShoShin appeared and ran to untie him. Hisoka told Tsuzuki he was stupid for coming when it was obviously a trap, but Tsuzuki didn't care.

Muraki then entered, and was furious at Hisoka for ruining his plans. Muraki sent a swarm of bats after them, the same ones he had used to knock that little girl unconscious when he had encountered Tsuzuki earlier, but Tsuzuki quickly dispatched them. The building started to collapse from the battle, but a barrier Tsuzuki had given GuShoShin protected him and Hisoka.

Pleased that Tsuzuki was strong enough to easily defeat the bats, Muraki summoned a three-headed, fire-breathing monster to fight him. Tsuzuki held his own, but then the monster started attacking Hisoka and the barrier protecting him was giving way. Before a killing blow could be struck, Tsuzuki flung himself in front of GuShoShin and took the full force of the attack, which left him with a gaping wound in his back.

Not being able to regenerate fast enough to fight the monster, Tsuzuki spoke to Hisoka through his mind and asked to channel his power through Hisoka. Their magics joined, Tsuzuki used Hisoka to summon Suzaku and destroy the monster. Muraki was impressed, and told Tsuzuki he wanted him even more before disappearing into the flames that engulfed the building.

Later on, Hisoka was standing in the rain in the spot he had been kidnapped. Tsuzuki came and stood beside him, and Hisoka asked if Tsuzuki still wanted to be his partner. Tsuzuki said he did, and he wanted to be there to protect him from Muraki if he ever returned. Hisoka became angry at Tsuzuki for caring so much that he had acted like it was himself who was being killed when Hisoka had been in danger. Tsuzuki said it was because Hisoka was his partner, and then decided they needed to go out and celebrate their new partnership over food.


Comments: Words cannot express my love for this episode. There's blood, angst, and Tsuzuki and Muraki on a date! Plus the song that plays when Hisoka has his flashback is one of my favorite from the whole series. It's so pretty.. ;_;


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