Book 1

Descendants of Darkness, Vol. 1

by Yoko Matsushita

Published 14 September 2004
The business of Death is never done. Asato Tsuzuki works as a Shinigami, or "Guardian o Death," in the Ministry of Hades. It's his duty to make sure that the souls of the dead reach the afterlife, but contrary ghosts and humanity's evils keep getting in the way of a job well done. With all these problem assignments, will he ever get a bonus...or will he be stuck paying back damages for all eternity?

As a Guardian of Death, Asato Tsuzuki has a lot to think about. First of all, there are all those dead people. Someone's got to escort them safely to the afterlife.

Then there's all that bureaucracy. The affairs of death come with a lot of paperwork, budgetary concerns and endless arcana.

Combining supernatural action with heavy dollops of romance, sex and humor, Descendants of Darkness proves one thing: Death is big business...and business is good!

Book 2

The business of Death is never done. Asato Tsuzuki works as a Shinigami, or "Guardian o Death," in the Ministry of Hades. It's his duty to make sure that the souls of the dead reach the afterlife, but contrary ghosts and humanity's evils keep getting in the way of a job well done. With all these problem assignments, will he ever get a bonus...or will he be stuck paying back damages for all eternity?

The business of death continues. Working at the Ministry of Hades, Asato Tsuzuki is responsible for escorting the dead to their final resting place...wherever that may be.

Hisae is a fatally ill dancer who is stubbornly clinging to life for the chance to compete in one final dance contest.

Tsuzuki arrives just in time to witness the aftermath of a horrific crime--Hisae's home is splattered with blood! Who is responsible for the gory graffiti?

Alas, it looks like there's going to be a little bit of overtime on Tsuzuki's timecard this week.

Book 3

The business of Death is never done. Asato Tsuzuki works as a Shinigami, or "Guardian o Death," in the Ministry of Hades. It's his duty to make sure that the souls of the dead reach the afterlife, but contrary ghosts and humanity's evils keep getting in the way of a job well done. With all these problem assignments, will he ever get a bonus...or will he be stuck paying back damages for all eternity?

The business of death is never simple. Booked on a cruise ship headed for Hong Kong, Asato Tsuzuki finds himself entangled in yet another one of Dr. Muraki's nefarious schemes.

There's a killer on the loose and corpses are piling up at an alarming rate. Tsuzuki immediately suspects his old nemesis is somehow involved. But his theory falls apart when Muraki unexpectedly becomes one of the murderer's victims.

Book 4

The business of Death is never done. Asato Tsuzuki works as a Shinigami, or "Guardian o Death," in the Ministry of Hades. It's his duty to make sure that the souls of the dead reach the afterlife, but contrary ghosts and humanity's evils keep getting in the way of a job well done. With all these problem assignments, will he ever get a bonus...or will he be stuck paying back damages for all eternity?

When you work for the Ministry of Hades you have to be ready for anything, even on vacation. While on their annual retreat to a Hokkaido hot springs resort, Asato Tsuzuki and company meet a pack of talking animals who serve the Queen of Snow. But now the Queen is missing and there's a vicious dragon prowling nearby. Can Tsuzuki and Hisoka find the Queen before she becomes lunch--or something worse?

In another case, Tsuzuki and Hisoka must investigate a 17-year-old who's been murdered and his body mutilated. The investigation takes the two Guardians of Death to a private boys' school where they discover that other boys have died. Soon, they're deep into the dark and bloody secret haunting the school.

Book 5

The business of Death is never done. Asato Tsuzuki works as a Shinigami, or "Guardian o Death," in the Ministry of Hades. It's his duty to make sure that the souls of the dead reach the afterlife, but contrary ghosts and humanity's evils keep getting in the way of a job well done. With all these problem assignments, will he ever get a bonus...or will he be stuck paying back damages for all eternity?

It's a grand ole time at the Count's annual tea party in the Hall of Candles, and it seems that the whole Ministry of Hades is there. Hisoka, Tsuzuki's partner, runs into Tatsumi, another Guardian of Death, and learns some startling secrets. Meanwhile, Tsuzuki finds a study containing a strange book. The kind that sucks you in--literally.

Tsuzuki finds himself in a bizarre world whose inhabitants are dark parodies of people he knows in the real world. Tsuzuki, always ready to plunge into a situation, puts on a magic show to help a poor girl buy medicine for her sick father. But when a plague hits the town, Tsuzuki is blamed for it. Can he escape the townspeople's wrath? And will he ever find his way out of the pages of the book and back to the Hall of Candles?

Book 6

The business of Death is never done. Asato Tsuzuki works as a Shinigami, or "Guardian o Death," in the Ministry of Hades. It's his duty to make sure that the souls of the dead reach the afterlife, but contrary ghosts and humanity's evils keep getting in the way of a job well done. With all these problem assignments, will he ever get a bonus...or will he be stuck paying back damages for all eternity?

The Business of Death has lots of opportunity for travel. Tsuzuki and Hisoka travel to Okinawa on assignment to help fellow Guardian of Death Chidsuru find out just what is behind the Miyagi Inn's recent troubles. Is the Miyagi Inn really haunted, or is it all a vicious rumor spread by the wicked president of the neighboring resort hotel?

Back in the Ministry of Hades, Watari convinces Tsuzuki to help test his new sex change potion. But something's wrong with the formula, and instead of turning into women, they turn into kids! The antidote calls for belladonna flower, but the Count's garden of poisonous plants has two varieties--red and black. Which is the right flower...and what will happen if they choose wrong?

Book 7

The business of Death is never done. Asato Tsuzuki works as a Shinigami, or "Guardian o Death," in the Ministry of Hades. It's his duty to make sure that the souls of the dead reach the afterlife, but contrary ghosts and humanity's evils keep getting in the way of a job well done. With all these problem assignments, will he ever get a bonus...or will he be stuck paying back damages for all eternity?

Young women are being murdered and hanks of their hair cut out at a Kyoto college. Tsuzuki and his fellow Shinigami, Hisoka and Watari, travel to the campus, where they find the evil Dr. Muraki at the heart of a hideous human cloning experiment. With the help of one of the professors, Muraki is trying to recreate his famous grandfather's success--a subject who lived for eight years without food or water! Tsuzuki and Hisoka pose as teachers to protect the students, but there is no protection from Muraki's terrible claims about Tsuzuki's shadowed past...

Book 8

The business of Death is never done. Asato Tsuzuki works as a Shinigami, or "Guardian o Death," in the Ministry of Hades. It's his duty to make sure that the souls of the dead reach the afterlife, but contrary ghosts and humanity's evils keep getting in the way of a job well done. With all these problem assignments, will he ever get a bonus...or will he be stuck paying back damages for all eternity?

Tsuzuki and Hisoka are still caught up in the horror at the university as the evil Dr. Muraki's diabolical cloning experiments continue. Muraki has joined forces with a modern-day Frankenstein in order to resurrect an old enemy and exact a vicious revenge. When Tsuzuki tries to interfere, Muraki takes his mind and body captive. Can Hisoka rescue him from the doctor's clutches before Tsuzuki's final act of desperation destroys them all?

Book 9

The business of Death is never done. Asato Tsuzuki works as a Shinigami, or "Guardian o Death," in the Ministry of Hades. It's his duty to make sure that the souls of the dead reach the afterlife, but contrary ghosts and humanity's evils keep getting in the way of a job well done. With all these problem assignments, will he ever get a bonus...or will he be stuck paying back damages for all eternity?

Hisoka is tired of playing sidekick to his ditzy partner Tsuzuki, and wants some power of his own. He decides to travel into the imaginary realm in search of magical shiki spirit allies. Tzusuki tags along as a guide, but gets called back on an assignment before Hisoka has made his selection. Alone at last, Hisoka finds himself in a world of trouble. Now it's up to Tsuzuki to rescue him...uh-oh!

Book 10

The business of Death is never done. Asato Tsuzuki works as a Shinigami, or "Guardian o Death," in the Ministry of Hades. It's his duty to make sure that the souls of the dead reach the afterlife, but contrary ghosts and humanity's evils keep getting in the way of a job well done. With all these problem assignments, will he ever get a bonus...or will he be stuck paying back damages for all eternity?

Hisoka won't leave the Imaginary World until he has some Shiki spirits of his own. But strange "wormholes" keep ripping open the sky, threatening the end of the Imaginary World--and one sucks Hisoka right into the realm of the fearsome dragon Kurikara! How can Tsuzuki save his partner from the powerful Shiki he once failed to tame? And why are the other Shinigami investigating Hisoka's family back on Earth?

Book 11

The business of Death is never done. Asato Tsuzuki works as a Shinigami, or "Guardian o Death," in the Ministry of Hades. It's his duty to make sure that the souls of the dead reach the afterlife, but contrary ghosts and humanity's evils keep getting in the way of a job well done. With all these problem assignments, will he ever get a bonus...or will he be stuck paying back damages for all eternity?

While Tatsumi is in the Imaginary World looking for Hisoka, Hisoka is in the Fuyuu Desert challenging Kurikara, the Dragon King, to obtain his Shiki power. However, Hisoka is no match for the master swordfighter, and the Tengu must rush in to save him. Kurikara is about to return from exile, bringing the Imaginary World to the brink of war, and Tsuzuki finds himself playing negotiator between the two sides!