A Close Encounter

Alleyway, City, Night

A hand reaches out from the darkness. It grabs Akane’s shoulder, and she screams.

Akane glances around, terrified. She sees an older man, perhaps in his fifties. He has a scraggly beard and a mouth with many teeth missing. His hair and clothes are dirty. He is the very caricature of an unsavoury and lowly criminal.

Criminal: “Hey, c’mon, don’t scream. You never know what dangerous people might be around.”

Akane is very terrified as the criminal presses against her from behind.

Criminal: “You know, missy, pretty girls like you shouldn’t be wandering around alone at night. What if you meet someone bad?”

Akane presses a hand to her heart.

The criminal laughs.

Criminal: “Good thing I’m here, though.”

Akane tries to calm herself down.

Akane: “Please. If it’s money you want, I can give you my wallet.”

Akane tries to get a better look at the criminal. Her eyes drift towards. She realises that he is holding something in his hand. She realises that it is something metal.

Akane’s eyes widen.

Akane (Narration): “Is that…a wrench?!”

Akane looks back at the criminal.

Akane (Narration): “Could he be…the wrench killer?!”

Title card: My New Boss is the Grim Reaper?! Episode 7.

Alleyway, City, Night

The criminal has wrapped a hand tight around Akane’s shoulder in an almost intimate half-hug.

Criminal: “C’mon missy, what kind of knight in shining armour would I be if I asked for money? I’m just here to protect you. But, I wouldn’t want you to feel guilty for accepting my help, so…ah, how about this.”

The criminal drags Akane further back into the shadows of the alley.

Akane tries to scream again, but the criminal quickly covers her mouth with one hand. His grip is incredibly strong. He easily overpowers her.

Criminal: “How about a little reward? Maybe a small kiss?”

Akane tries to fight back. She tries to wrestle against him. He is too strong.

The criminal pins her against the wall. He uses the arm that carries the metal item to cover Akane’s mouth, while his free hand begins to reach lower.

Criminal: “Maybe something more…”

Akane’s eyes widen even further with terror.

Akane (Narration): “No!”

Before the criminal could touch Akane, a hand reaches in to grab his. With ease, this person lifts the criminal’s hand up.

Akane looks over. It is Death. He stands heroically by the criminal. He is much taller than the criminal, who looks so much more cowardly in comparison. Death has a furious expression. How dare he try to violate someone he cares for?

The criminal panics.

Criminal: “W-Who the hell are you?!”

Death’s eyes glow red. They are beast-like. Inhuman. Terrifying. They almost glow in the darkness.

Death: “Get away from her.”

Death lets go of the criminal’s hand, and the criminal quickly backs away in fear. He is completely terrified.

Criminal: “Y-You’re the devil…the devil!”

The criminal raises the metal item in his hand in self-defence. In what little light penetrates the alley, Akane sees that it is a pipe, not a wrench. He grips it tightly.

Death doesn’t look concerned or scared at all. His expression is still filled with rage.

The criminal screams and charges at Death with the pipe. Death looks menacingly at the criminal.

Akane is worried, not for Death, but for the poor mortal criminal.

Akane: “Death, no!”

The criminal swings his pipe recklessly. Death easily steps out of the way. The criminal stumbles, then readies a second swing. He swings again at Death, who steps out of the way a second time. This time, however, the pipe strikes the wall. It immediately bounces back, smacking the criminal cleanly on the head.

Blood drips down the criminal’s head. He falls to the floor.

Death turns to Akane.

Death: “Are you okay?”

Death is surprised to see Akane worried and concerned, not for him, but for the criminal.

Akane: “Oh, god.”

Akane rushes past Death and gets down beside the criminal, who’s now bleeding more profusely.

Akane: “Are you okay?! Can you hear me?!”

Akane scrambles to take out her phone. She is desperate.

Akane: “Hello, I need an ambulance here immediately! A man was hit in the head, and he’s bleeding really badly!”

Death watches on. He appears apathetic. Even a little annoyed.

Death: “He tried to rape you, you know.”

Akane puts the phone away. She looks down at the criminal. She doesn’t seem to have heard Death.

Akane grips the criminal’s hand tightly.

Akane: “Can you hear me? You’re going to be okay. The ambulance will be here soon.”

Death continues to speak. He has no intention of helping.

Death: “His name is Taisho Okubo. His entire life was nothing but sin. Alcoholic. Gambler. Drug addict. Cheater. Abuser. Thief. Robber. He was given every chance to redeem himself, and he denied every single one. The moment he arrives at the company, his soul will be punished.”

Akane keeps trying to walk to the criminal. She is genuinely concerned for his life.

Akane: "Hey! Hey, you have to stay alive! Look at me!”

The criminal doesn’t respond. His eyes are half open. He is clearly dying.

Akane: “Shit!”

Akane takes off her coat and folds her sleeves. She begins to perform CPR.

Death: “Even if he lives, he’ll continue to sin. Left alone, he’ll become a murderer too.”

Akane shouts back passionately while continuing to do CPR.

Akane: “You don’t know that!”

Death: “I know everything. I am Death.”

Akane raises the criminal’s chin and presses her lips to his. She breathes into his mouth, before returning to doing chest compressions. There are tears in her eyes.

Death continues to look on without helping.

For a brief moment, the criminal seems to look over to Death. He realises who Death truly is. His expression turns to one of hatred and disgust.

Death has a hurt expression. He can’t stand to look at the criminal anymore, so he glances away.

Akane keeps doing chest compressions.

Death: “Hayakawa-san.”

Akane doesn’t stop. Tears flow freely down her cheeks.

Death: “Hayakawa-san, stop.”

Death approaches Akane and puts a hand gently on her shoulder.

Death: “He’s dead.”

Finally, Akane stops. She looks so pained and so sad. Even though this man was despicable and tried to hurt her, she cannot help but feel so bad for him. She glances up at Death with a tearful expression.

Death kneels down and hugs Akane. Akane hugs him back tightly. She pressed her face into his chest and cries loudly and freely.

Death: “I’m sorry.”