Tsunami of Dead Tears: Part 2

Chapter 33

She had locked herself in her room.

Muzan knocked on the door, but of course she didn't answer. With his demonic powers, he could have easily broken through, but he was sure that would only make her more scared. Sighing, Muzan stuck his demon claw through the door's gap, slicing off the lock.

He pulled the door open and peeked inside. Tsuka was curled up in the corner, her head buried in her knees, hiding it. Muzan felt a grueling wave of melancholy wash over him as he saw her. He knew that there was no coming back from this, and it was clear that the trust between them had been shattered.

But there's still a way... Muzan thought. I have no one else but you, Tsuka.

He walked over to her and knelt down, his movements slow and non-threatening. "Tsuka..."

"Just do it." Tsuka spouted out.

Muzan cocked his head in confusion. "What?"

"Just kill me already." she said. "That's what you want, right?"

Muzan shook his head, but Tsuka didn't believe him.

"Kill Haruka too. At least I won't be alone in the afterlife. Damn it, I'm not even sure if THAT is true..."

"I would never do that..." Muzan said. "I would never do any of the things you just said! Believe me, Tsuka."

"Believe you?" Tsuka whispered. "After all the lies you've told me... after how yo- you MANIPULATED me, you expect me to believe you?"

Muzan was going to respond, but knew that it wouldn't help. Instead, he shook his head once again.

She grit her teeth and looked away, tears drooping down her cheeks. "I used to think you were a good man."

"I still am." Muzan said. Tsuka didn't respond.

Feeling guilty, he attempted to comfort her by placing his hand on her shoulder, making her know that she could trust him. But as he motioned his hand closer, she slapped it away with her left hand, and in the process revealed something in her right hand.

A small knife.

Muzan flinched back, but quickly relaxed. Something that small wouldn't do anything to him. Besides, it wasn't Nichirin.

Tsuka held the knife protectively in front of her. "I'm not your puppet anymore."

Muzan smiled, painfully. "You didn't have to make that decision. I made it for you."

"What?" Tsuka said. She shook her head, trying to stay focused. "I don't care. Get out."

"I can't do that, Tsuka." Muzan said. "I don't have anywhere else to go."

"Bullshit!" Tsuka spouted, using profanity for the first and probably only time in her life. "Why don't you just go screw some other woman you tricked?!"

Muzan motioned back, visibly hurt by her words. "I'm not... I'm not that kind of person."

"Stop trying to manipulate me!" she yelled, suddenly springing to her feet. She held her little knife outward, it's metal blade only a finger's length. "You've already lost. If you don't want to kill me, then just go. Please."

Muzan didn't listen. Instead, he took a step forward. Incidentally, Tsuka stepped back. He stepped forward again, and she stepped back. They continued this cycle with excruciating sluggishness, Muzan not wanting to be too fast to scare her, Tsuka not wanting to be too slow that she would get caught. Step, back, step, back, step, ba-

Tsuka's back hit the wall. There was nowhere left to back away.

Muzan stopped advancing, giving Tsuka space. Tsuka contracted her arms, motioning the knife closer to her chest, almost like a rose thorn.