21
New Combo!
Conan ran as quickly as he could. He'd figured the Vampire of Shigo pass was someone using the cover of the supernatural to hide their crimes. He was expecting someone calculating and cruel.
He was not expecting a crazy lady dressed as a tree yokai to be chasing him with a pair of oversized shears. And all he could do was run away and hope he lost her in the woods, rather than lead her to Ran.
He'd never forgive himself if she was hurt.
He stumbled and the scissors came too close, slicing open his arm.
Tree lady cackled and licked his blood hungrily from the shears. The she stopped.
She let out a scream as a familiar smoke rose up from her arms. Her body darkened and began to crack. Her arm fell off, a hunk of petrified wood.
It wasn't a costume
"Did father send you?" she asked, her voice cracking in pain. "A trap to get rid of the monster he created for fun, and then turned on once he found a better game?"
"No." Conan had no idea what was going on, but he could at least say that much. "I was brought here by the dead."
Her torso cracked open and rather than bones and blood it appeared to be a hollow cavity with a small heart in the center of a translucent membrane.
"So it's just coincidence you finished what that damned swordswoman began." He legs collapsed under her. "My name is Shiromori. Father wants me forgotten, so please little shinigami...remember me. So I have at least some measure of revenge."
"I will," Conan promised, knowing he couldn't forget it if he wanted to.
"Thank you." her body crumbled to nothing and all the was left was the pulsating heart which folded in on itself. Until it was nothing but a tiny glowing seed.
