The door slowly creaked open.

I tried hard not to think of what was going on behind me... Izumi and Akira. I had never seen the great Izumi fight, I guess I wasn’t going to... then there was darkness.

The familiar aura of this room.

That day my father summoned me, after months without speaking to me...

That day I first looked into his eyes when I found out my mother’s assassin.

That day when I truly saw him for what he was... an Otono.

The smell, the darkness, every trickle of silence had a thousand whispers. The polished wooden door, the limestone floors that ended at a desk...

The man sat there... quiet... my father...

I took a deep breath.

Slowly I moved through the door... Akio followed with a quiet difference... I couldn’t even tell he was there.

My heart beat faster and faster... I tried to walk as gracefully and as confidently as I could...

But... I was no longer Suiren.

I was Yumi now... weak and helpless Yumi, the Yumi that only Mai knew.

I tried to tell myself everything that happened within this week was his fault... the person who sat there with his back turned to me.

I tried to tell myself that everything was right... I had to do this...

I tried to tell myself, that my duty was my weakness, and my love would conquer it all.

I tried to tell myself that Akio, Izumi, Hajime, and Ai were all behind me... all of the Ruzai... all of the Yakuza...

I tried to tell myself this was my destiny...

Something... stopped me though...

Time seemed to be eternal in this dark room.

I felt a cold object in my hand...

Akio’s gun... he had just handed to me...

Father... what a shameful way to die... but... I suppose... it was not anymore pleasant than the way you took mother’s life.

My breathing was deep.

I couldn’t think straight...

I had to make a decision... or else this may never happen...

“Think before you do this, Yumi.” The deep voice that I had come to hate came forth from behind the chair.

Akio’s presence disappeared... he was somewhere in the room... but he knew we needed privacy...

I thanked him internally for that... and his assassin’s stealth.

“You...” My voice quivered... no I couldn’t ... be strong I told myself, “you have no right to call me that.”

“Then what should I call you my daughter?”

My daughter... he was trying to use this... sympathy... no... I couldn’t give in...

“I’m not your daughter... not anymore.”

There was a laugh.

“How naive, Yumi...” He turned around... I hated seeing his face... it made this harder.

“Yumi, if you were not like me at all, then you wouldn’t have come here, you wouldn’t have figured out any of this... you would’ve died like your mother...”

I felt the images wash over me... the memories of my mother... then the memories of Mai.

“Why did you do it?”

“Do what?”

My grip on the gun ensued... it hardened... I could feel the nails digging into my palm.

“I don’t care if you want to kill me, father, I don’t even care if you want to take over the yakuza, but don’t tell me that’s why you killed mother.”

“Of course not, what kind of father do you take me as.”

I raised my gun.

“Answer.”

Another laugh.

“You’re not going to kill me...”

I gripped harder.

“Mai is died... father... and I hold you responsible.”

“You can hold me responsible for anything you want Yumi, I know you don’t have the heart to pull that trigger, you’re too much like your mother.”

He was right... no... but... I couldn’t give in.

“Why... why...”

I was breaking.

“Why did you do it?”

“Kill Ayane?”

My throat choked up.

I couldn’t answer... other than with a nod.

“It was her destiny...”

“What are you talking about?” I felt my tears...

“Yumi, that woman had a powerful dream... she saw the Ruzai and the entirety of the Yakuza as a whole, she wanted a single power... a supreme power.”

“Why did you kill her?” I raised my voice.

“Yumi, nothing in this world is absolute!”

There was silence after his yelling.

“Your mother... Ayane... she wanted an absolute power... an unparalleled orchestra of power, corruption, and crime. She wanted to unite all of the Yakuza under the Ruzai... and that could not happen... I couldn’t let it... It had nothing to do with being an Otono, it had nothing to do with love... the world cannot have ONE power. That’s why I ordered the extinguishment of my own... the Otono... that’s why everything happened the way it did... I will destroy this organization... and everything your mother built until it is reduced to rubble and chaos... that is how the world is... and that is how the world will remain.”

“You killed the one you love for an ideal?” My voice trembled...

Another snicker.

“Aren’t you about to do the same, my dear daughter?”

I froze.

“Nothing in this world is absolute Yumi, remember that... now clean up this mess, then leave me be you foolish little girl.”

I stood there not knowing what to do.

I stood there... frozen... in the realization... that something was horribly wrong...

I couldn’t hate him anymore... he was just like me...

Mai... Mother... I’m... I’m... I’m... sorry.

Silence.

I lowered my weapon...

Silence...

“You haven’t changed Ken.”

It was Izumi...

I looked up.

There was a flesh wound on her face a single scar... but other than that... nothing else seemed different...

It took me a second to realize that she had probably killed Akira.

It took me another second to realize that she had her gun pointed at my father’s head.

“Izumi.” He smirked, “I didn’t expect to see you today.”

“Don’t speak to me in terms of simple chatter, Ken. You disgust me.”

“Disgust? You should know better than barge into family matters.”

I wanted to say something... but nothing came out.

“Family matters? Ha. This stopped being a family matter the moment you took her life...”

“You’re here about Ayane too? My, my... you Ruzai just never seem to understand... the powers of this world were not given to you.”

“No they were, Ken, they are given to those who deserve it... we all know that.”

“Then you should know that nothing in this world is absolute.”

“That I do not know. Because there is something absolute in this world.”

“What is that?”

“Death.”

Time stopped.

The sound echoed.

The gun shot rang.

Silence.

Silence.

Silence...

I stared...

Izumi...

Izumi... Izumi... Izumi... you killed my father.

There were no more words. Nothing...

Blank...

I froze... nothing...

Everything...

Nothing...

It was all the same...

It was all the... same.

“NO!”

I turned around... It was almost instinct. The I pulled the trigger... and it... hit Izumi...

Somewhere I could sense... someone else’s pain...

Akio...

I stood there...

Not knowing what I just did.

“You... you... you killed my father...”

Akio appeared next to me...

Izumi stood straight again from the shot...

The wound was on her shoulder...

“Yes I did Yumi, and I killed Akira too.”

“Why?”

“That was my destiny... to become the monster for you... so that you may rule the Ruzai.”

I stood there silent.

Izumi... slowly raised her other hand... and dug deep into her wound...

The tissue seemed to give out a squeezing sensation.

The blood oozed out...

She found the bullet and dug it out with great force crashing it on the floor.

She let out a sigh...

“Yumi, don’t get me wrong... even though I don’t fear you... I respect you.”

I couldn’t reply I didn’t know what happened.

“You deserve to know the truth... at least enough of it. There are only a handful of people who knew Ken’s true intentions, and that was how we always wanted it to be. Nothing today was different than anyone expected. Yumi... I killed him for three reasons. The first. I had promised an old and dear friend... your mother. Two. I wanted to complete my duty being a Kumi... nothing more... I can now... be forever... gone... and Third... well... that’s personal... something along the lines of realizing that I was not crane... and that the girl who stood before me... was...”

I looked at her... in awe.

“Akio...” Her voice was getting softer... “be strong... for her... and for me, this goodbye for now...”

Silence...

Silence...

Like that Izumi walked out of the room.

No one followed. No one stopped her on the outside...

With that... Izumi disappeared as quickly as she came that day in the Tea House.

“Death... is absolute...” someone in me sighed... “that crane...”

I looked around me... and pictured in my head everything that had just happened.

“Akio?”

“Yumi...” He answered.

“What just happened...”

There was silence...

“I think... my sister has just shown you your destiny...”

I smiled...

“I thought so too...”

I looked at my father.

My destiny...

So this was Suiren... I looked at myself in my mind...

And this was Yumi... I opened my eyes.

One and the same...

The crane... of death.

Author's Note:

I'm ... not sure what to say... it's finished...

At least this chapter of the Adventus Thanatos Series.

I'm sure all authors understand this feeling... a mix of fulfillment and regret.

"Life is a lesson better not taught..." I suppose is how I'll leave.

I hope all have enjoyed... truly you are the greatest audience... the reader.

Special Thanks to JrT for helping me see this through.

Along with all those who have read this... everyone.

I owe everyone so much. Thank you. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.

Kakyou.

I take leave.