Disclaimer: Do not own KHR; Inspired by Pandora Hearts and Psycho Pass.
THIS IS NOT CROSSOVER OF ANY SORTS. THIS IS PURELY KHR. Thank you.
Warning: Blood/Violence, swearing. Everything applies. OOC. OCs.
Rated T for Teen.
Edited on: December 7, 2012
A/N and Q&A will be on the bottom~! Enjoy reading- Orekirito
Chapter One
...
Location: Namimori, Japan
Time: Few hour earlier to Present Time
A fourteen-years-old boy walked up the stairs to the rooftop, where his brothers and friends ate. His hands tightened on his bento, afraid to go any further because he knew what will happen and what he will face- rejection. He was an outsider to them. His mouth curved downwards, but he did not stop. Then if Fate was pulling strings, a small breeze flew passed him, carrying a whispered message.
The boy suddenly smiled and turned on his heels to head to a different location.
...
Another boy, almost the same age as the first, was heading toward the roof of a nearby middle school. He quickly sat on his favorite spot, the shady area on the open garden roof. He smiled at the nice weather, since he learned to enjoy peace while it lasted. Of course, Peace only last for a short while. A normal-looking Pigeon dropped something that look very similar to their feces onto the boy's lunch. He twitched, but his smile is still there, plastered on his face.
"Alright." He mumbled into the air. The Pigeon had a smug look in its beady eyes.
...
A boy and girl about seventeen was resting in a park, ditching school like normal high school students. They were minding their own business before a stray dog appeared before them, holding a tattered tennis ball. The girl cooed, and ruffled its fur, while the brother complained about it having fleas.
She stood up, holding the tennis ball with a sentence carved into it. A satisfied smirk graced her lips.
"Looks like we're going hunting tonight~!"
In that single minute, a silent message, unknown to everyone, was passed to the four teenagers, and all of them gave their signal of acceptance.
...
...
Location: Outskirts of Namimori, Japan
Time: Present Time; Early Morning (Approx. 1:00– 3:00 AM)
...
It was well into the early morning hours, but the sky were still as dark as the shadows. The moon glowed and the stars sprinkled across the dark sky like glitter. The towering trees' shadows made the night feel much cooler than it really was. The human occupants, only four- three males and a female, were in the midst of the shadows. The figures were all wearing the practically the same thing- black wool military-style trench coat that came down to one's knees, black leather gloves with a playing card symbol engraved on the right one, and black leather combat boots.
Covering their faces were the full-faced plain white porcelain mask. Each mask was engraved with either a Blue Spade, a Red Heart, a Golden Diamond, or a Silver Club on the right cheek, and a Roman numeral number from 'I' to 'IV' on the left, used for identification purposes.
They quickly surrounded an abandoned log cabin, just a few miles from the main road that lead to Namimori. It was run-down to the point where there were holes in the roof, and windows that were fogged with dust. Moss was growing through the cracks and slits like bacteria. Overgrown terrain surrounded it like a protective barrier, separating the cabin from the reality. Terrified screaming was still heard by the four, but now it's coming from the inner part of the cabin.
They stood there, like marble statues, listening the sound of screaming and metal scraping metal. All of them tensed at the familiar sound of flesh being cut and ripped apart.
"This is 2 of Diamonds. We request to head in, it seems the Joker is getting very impatient." The shortest one, with a Gold Diamond and a Roman numeral 'II' mask, stated into an active wireless Bluetooth earpiece. He was the only one wearing a hooded cloak- full black with gold hems- successfully covering his soft, gravity-defying brown hair. His hazel-brown eyes shown from the eye sockets.
"This is Ace of Hearts and I agree with Diamonds. I do not think that the Player can hold on any longer." Another male voice spoke out, worry laced his voice. He was a head taller than 2 of Diamonds, yet shockingly, he's the youngest one. A good two months younger than Diamonds. His abnormally silver-white cropped hair practically glowed in the dark forest. He has the Red Heart and numeral 'I' mask. His weapon, a military sniper rifle with glowing blue outlines, was pressed between his thighs.
"We will move in on the count of cinque. The 4 of Clubs will be leading." 3 of Spades said, signaling to Clubs. He's the tallest out of all of them and the oldest by three whole years. He has a bobbed-cut navy blue hair –which was currently tied-, the fringe covered his right eye. He usually don't give out verbal commands, and relies more on hand signals. His grey eye glowed with delight behind the mask. An elegant silver saber gleamed in the moonlight, the hand guard was hand-carved swirl forming the shape of a Spade.
"Yes sir." 4 of Clubs replied. She was the only female in the group and Spades' twin sister. Her hair reached to the middle of her back, tied into a tight ponytail and donned the Silver Club with numeral 'IV' mask. She disappeared in a flash of glowing purple particles and appeared the front entrance, positioned to ram down the door. She laid her hand swiftly on the rusted bronze handle of the crooked wooden door. Her other hand raised in positioned for a silent countdown.
The countdown started as she lowered her finger.
Cinque…
Their grip on their respective weapons tightened, some could feel their 'power' leaking through their pores and their mouth twisted in a slightly deranged smile. But no one cared. No one saw because of the masks.
Quattro…
The forest became silent and still, there was no sound of owls or crickets. Like the entire forest was anticipating and watching the scene unfurled before them.
Tre…
The screaming got louder and louder. Muffled whimpers and screams joined in to the agonizing choir, but the group waited for the signal that has yet to be given. Inside the cabin, a little girl tried to make herself sink into the shadows of the corner.
Due…
Thrashing, then something fragile fell onto the ground and dispersed into millions of tiny shards. The victim let out a terrified whimper as the predator got closer and closer, his eyes were clouded with a haze of insanity. He breathed out, the smell of tobacco and alcohol mixed in with the musky air. The outline of a giant skeleton with a playing card body appeared behind the predator, growing out of his skin almost. It grinned a creepy one, and his eyes were mixed with madness and delight. Wires were attached from the skeleton's fingers to the human's joint, glowing a light indigo hue at each twitch of the finger. Its eyes- ones bigger than the other swirled like someone filled his eyes with a pen.
"One more and you will finally reach your goal…!" It screeched, its static voice rose an octave, emphasizing each word.
The man did not answer back. His face was devoid of any emotion and his eyes hollowed. All he was- was just another puppet to the puppeteer. A mere doll and sacrifice.
Uno
Everything happened in just mere seconds- the last finger finally dropped, the door slammed opened, and the group rushed in. That's when everything went right and wrong at the same time. They quickly headed toward the inner part of the cabin while slamming every door they found open; shouting 'clear' after each rushed room examination. As they reached the door at the end of the tight corridor, the screaming got clearer and clearer. Clubs positioned herself in front and kicked the door open, splintering the door into large and small chunks of wood. They quickly rushed in, weapons were unconsciously drawn in the midst of the chaos.
A sadistic laugh sounded in the front, by the dust-filled fireplace. The human male appeared from a thin film of mist. He was only wearing a white t-shirt with sweat stain and jeans, holding onto a machete with flesh blood dripping off of it. The still body of his captive laid behind the tattered red couch, her bare legs were peeking out. There were another captive- a little girl with black hair and clear blue eyes- terrified and shaking in the corner. Blood was splattered on her shirt and hair.
The man grinned and his voice- a normal human voice and a disembodied gruff one- spoke creepily, one eye going bigger than the other, "You are too late!" He clutched his hair with one hand, while lifting the bloodied machete with the other and threw it at the girl.
Diamond quickly intercepted the machete with his dagger, and quickly transported the bound girl to safety in a flash a dull orange and glowing particles. The man suddenly turned at them, rage and despair shown on his face, and charged at their direction. He was stopped by Hearts, who shot a well-aimed bullet through his heart. The man gurgled and choked out a few strangled half-sentences. After a few seconds, he stopped, along with his heart. The monster, who's living and growing inside of the man's body, pushed itself out with an enraged snarl.
"The sweet, delicious smell of Chains…!" It sneered, but nobody was affected by it. It let out a deranged giggle, "I wonder… that smell…" it sniffed the air, "…You all must be Contractors! And…to the Gate Keepers, no less! This must be my lucky day…!"
Diamond appeared back as it confronted them. The group slightly froze, and the monster smirked. "You might be Contractors but Humans… They are all the same! They are so~ vulnerable!"
It look straight at them, curiosity gleaming in its eyes,
"So what did you humans wanted to change in the past?"
...
...
Location: Namimori Middle | Namimori, Japan
Time: Two years before Present time
4:32 AM
A loud 'BANG' echoed in the early dawn of a Wednesday morning from the Sawada Resident. Birds, who were chirping happily, quickly squawked and flailed in fear before flying away from the said house. The neighbors, who are quite patient and understanding, ignored the ruckus as it's a normal, everyday scene.
Sawada Tsunayoshi, a twelve-years-old innocent child, groaned and quickly covered his head with an extra bed pillow. He groggily glanced at his alarm clock, which shined a beautiful '4:32 AM' to his face. Irritation began to seep on a usually patient, smiling face. It has been almost a full year since Giotto and Natsu came back from studying abroad in Italy. Each day after that was quite eventful, but welcomed with the open arms of Nana. A scream broke the silence, and he sighed.
'I'm already up. Might as well get there early than later.' Tsuna thought as he quickly changed into his school uniform, and walked out the door quietly. His footsteps barely made any sound, almost like a ghost gliding through, and quickly did his business in the bathroom.
Tsuna walked down the stairs and was greeted with the sight of Giotto's and Natsu's respective guardians. They glanced at him, and then ignored his presence- like always. Of course, the first few weeks they arrived, he tried to make small talk with each one of them, but it all ended with awkward silence or the 'don't-talk-to-me-anymore' look.
"Tsu-chan, you're awake already? Breakfast is almost ready!" Nana said from the kitchen. The awkward silence took over, with the sizzling of oil as background noise.
"Kaa-san, you don't have to make me food. I have to leave right now anyways." Tsuna replied, and added mentally, 'I can't stay here any longer or I might lose my mind and sanity.'
Alaude and G glanced at him in suspicion, but did not make any attempt to stop him.
During the entire two years they've been back, the brothers and Tsuna never really tried to get the brotherly bond back. They acted like strangers, inside and out, and both sides never tried or took the time to acknowledge the other. Even though there were 'family-bonding' time, it usually ended up with Iemitsu, Nana, Giotto, and Natsu having fun- and Tsuna would usually be on his own. Though, it was his own fault- he was scared of any type human contact, like giving and receiving physical affection, which resulted in panic attacks- ranging from mild-to-severe or affections in general. He also developed a mild form of Claustrophobia, he can't be in dark, cramp spaces for a long time. He was broken mentally- four years in somewhere worse than Hell could do that to a child; being a flame holder and have all the requirements to be a Contractor, makes one perfect guinea pig.
Of course, that leads to people avoiding him and ignoring his presence, which is working in his favor.
'After all… No one wants to acknowledge a monster to be their child.' Tsuna thought as he puts on his shoes. He could feel those unshed tears prickling the corners of his eyes. He could hear their accusations and hatred behind closed doors.
"Oh… but it's only four in the morning, where-," Nana began to ask, but he quickly injected, "I have to finish a project."
"Oh, okay! Have fun!" She commented.
'It's better to be despised and hated, than to be loved. Less heart breaks this way.' He thought as he headed toward school.
…
12:00 PM- Lunch
It was lunch, and it also the time to prove how social and popular someone is, or in Tsuna's case- how antisocial and rejected a person can get. He sighed as he got up with his school-bought lunch, heading up to the roof. No one really bullied or bothered him after Giotto and Natsu transferred to the school.
'Probably to get on their good side.' He thought.
He opened the metal roof-access door, which has rusty hinges that gave out a long creak as it moved. It was good and bad at the same time- good for signaling, and bad if one's trying to be stealthy.
He peered around, and quickly accessed that the regular roof occupants have yet to arrive on sight, he let out a relieved sigh. He went to a spot that was never occupied because some person spread this rumor of a ghost haunting the area. Even though he was scared of ghosts, this was the only area that made him feel safe- safer than anywhere else, even his own house. It was an abandoned roof-top garden, which Tsuna would tend to everyday after school. It used to just a patch of dirt, but it's now a beautiful garden of colorful array of flowers. It made him feel at peace, like he was not a monster or tainted with so much darkness.
The door was opened, and the familiar voices filled the peaceful air- with extremes, threats of bombing, and laughter- happy, joyful, and carefree laughter. The two groups took their spot- the one with the campus view, for surveillance and early detections. The garden and the hangout spot was on opposite sides, separated by the roof access stairway room. Tsuna perked up as he heard someone speaking-
On the other side was the two groups: Vongola Decimo and his Guardians, and Vongola CEDEF and his own Guardians. They sat in a large circle, each on their respective side.
"Hey Giotto, the brat wasn't in the classroom." G grumpily stated, as he lit a cigarette. Alaude's hand twitched to his handcuffs, and gave a death glare. G quickly snuffed the new cigarette out in fear.
Giotto looked surprised, "What do you mean he's not in the classroom? He's always there... maybe he went to the restroom… yeah that must be it." He convinced himself, and Hayato quickly scoffed.
"Why do you even care about that idiotic disgrace?" Hayato asked, malice laced his tone. Tsuna, who overheard the question, sighed and decided to stop eavesdropping from that point on.
"He's my twin, Hayato. Remember that." Natsu growled, and Hayato quickly stopped and mumbled an apology to Juudaime. Natsu turned to Giotto, "I'll go check on him when lunch is over." Giotto nodded.
Just like that, the conversation took a turn into happier subjects. Tsuna, who was there the entire time, hugged his knees.
The voice of conviction repeated a simple statement over and over in his head:
"You will taint them"
Tsuna slowly sank into unconsciousness, and to where his past repeats itself.
The lunch bell rung, and the promise was forgotten. No one noticed a missing brunet, not even the teachers.
…
2:00 PM
After a few hours, Tsuna regained consciousness. He looked at his phone, and debated if he should go to class or not.
'I doubt Nezu-sensei would let me in.' He thought, 'Might as well go home.' He grabbed his stuff and left the school undetected by the Disciplinary Committee and the two Head Prefects.
The road that used to be filled with boisterous students, was now empty and quiet. He quickly walked home, feeling uneasy like if someone was following him.
'I'm almost there, just a few more blocks…' He told himself, each steps got faster and wider than the last. As he passed through rows of houses, and some elders, who scolded him for being out of school, he quickly arrived to the Namimori Park. It was empty as expected.
"Why… am I here?" He asked himself and furrowed his brows to find a reason. There was no reason for him to be here, he never came here before or played here. He didn't have the perfect childhood that people would expect, being raised by Sawada Nana, a ditzy and gullible woman, and married to a Sawada Iemitsu, a blonde, Italian guy, who was suspected of adultery by the neighborhood wives. He sat on a swing, adjusting until he felt comfortable. Then he pushed off.
After a few minutes, the uneasy feeling came back, ten-fold. He jumped off in mid-swing and landed with a barrel roll. He stood up, getting ready to leave then-
"Oh already leaving? I thought you missed me, 27." A voice sneered from behind. Tsuna's eyes widen at the old and unwanted name. The name that marked him as a monster.
"Or should I call you Sawada Tsunayoshi? Because you seem so comfortable with that name." Tsuna turned around, and was face-to-face with someone that should be dead. He has black hair, slicked back with gel, and calculating, sharp gray eyes. He was wearing a normal white dress-shirt and black slacks. His mouth curved up into a satisfying and cruel smirk.
Tsuna took a step back, his eyes widen in horror as he thought 'I watched you die.' A paused. 'I was the one who killed you.'
The man continued to speak, "I didn't know monsters need to have names. Isn't that interesting, Sawada Tsunayoshi? We learned something new each day." Each step he took, Tsuna took a step back, trying to widen the gap between them.
"Don't worry Sawada Tsunayoshi, I will do the world a favor, and put your pitiful existence out." He was suddenly in front of me, holding a sharp blade,
"After all, 27, you are just an INVALID, along with those escapees that you called 'friends'." He said, "But don't worry, I already put out three of them."
Tsuna felt his knee buckled and he fell onto the ground. The man continued talking and bragged, "They were so adorable but they were monsters. Monsters do not deserve to be treated as humans. If they were humans, I would've spared them." He broke out laughing hysterically. Tsuna never felt so scared in his whole life, he could see his short life flashed before his eyes.
"You sure talk a lot for a dead man, don't you, Doctor Zweig?" A new voice broke the tension. They both looked at the newcomer, and Tsuna nearly cried in happiness. It was a pleasant surprise, but a very welcomed one.
"3! 4!" Tsuna screamed.
"Hold on 27. Let us take care of the rat first." 3 commented as he disappeared and reappeared with a giant rabbit behind him. Tsuna's eyes widen as he watched 3 swung a silver saber that manifest out of nowhere, cleanly through the doctor's neck, like a knife through warm butter. A few seconds later, the delayed scene happened- the head was disconnected from the body, blood skirt out violently, staining Tsuna's and 3's clothes.
"27!" He heard a gentle, feminine voice called and looked up. He smiled as he saw the worried look on her face, a look that he never received from anybody.
"4…" He could feel the darkness pulling him away, but 4 wouldn't let him succumbed into it- "Stay awake, 27!"
The effects went away after a few agonizing minutes, and they went to a secluded space in the park. There was no word exchange, but Tsuna felt mad... and betrayed, he looked up and asked,
"Why did you use the powers? Did you forget about the PACT, 3?!" Tsuna questioned him.
3 looked older, but it has been ten or so years, he should be seventeen or so. His hair was still the same, but he's fit than Tsuna remembered. He was wearing metal-wired glasses now, which made him more attractive to the ladies. He's wearing a plain Namimori high school uniform with a few personal touches here and there. His face has a permanent scowl about now.
4 did not change at all- her hair is still in a high ponytail, her full fringe is still there and she was also wearing a Namimori high school uniform. There were worry lines under her eyes, but it was barely noticeable.
"Stand down, 27." 3 commanded, "I- I'm going to start explaining everything, so sit down and get ready for a lecture, crybaby!"
Tsuna sat down on a small patch of fresh grass, his face still held clear resentment and annoyance.
"So- after we went our separate ways, we went to Europe- specifically Italy. We thought we could get a fresh start over and look for information about the… experiments…, but that didn't happen. On the first few months, 36 died of an infection from an experiment done on him before the escape."
Tsuna bit his lips, trying not to cry in front of them.
"After that, everything went downhill- I… I got addicted to morphine… and 4…-"
"I went into a major depression. S-Suicidal even. Tried to kill myself quite a few times." She stated bluntly, her eyes glazed over, "The nightmares… it got to both of us. We tried to fight it…but we lost in the end."
3 continued, "Of course it went on for a year or so, before he picked us up."
"He?" Tsuna asked.
"Liam Zweiling or Zweiling Liam in Japanese. He works for this organization called Karneval that hunts escaped Chains and arrest Contractors that uses its powers illegally." He explained, "First off- Chains are monsters that escaped from the Labyrinth, a place worse than Hell. Everybody in Karneval is a Contactor, because only Chains can attack other Chains." 3 explained.
"How… does this exactly play in with everything?"
"The power we were given… they are not powers...They're- They are Chains…Powerful ones..." Tsuna's eyes widen as he put the pieces together.
"All Seven of us are or were Contractors… with the Seven Gate Keepers."
"G- Gate Keepers? W- What does that mean?"
"There are Seven Gates to the Labyrinth, each named after the elements, and each Gate is assigned to a Guardian so not everyone can make contracts with Chains." 3 carefully explained, "But making a contract with a Gate Keeper is really difficult, and that's why there were no successful contracts with them in the past. Also, they're sought after not because they're rare, but they control the seven flames or you might know it as the Dying Will Flames."
"Huh? What do you mean by 'controlled'?"
"Where do you think Dying Will Flames come from? Not from one's body. Dying Will Flames is a form of a contract that does not limit user's life span, but they only get a small portion of power aka the Flames. The contract is called a 'Limited Time Contract'. The Gate Keeper would regulates how many people can have their flames, and they have the power to take back the flames. So for example: If I am the Sun Gate Keeper, and there is a Sun Flame user, I can stop his flames, lend him more flames, or destroy the flame- which turns him into a normal human. There are no exceptions. That is how powerful Gate Keepers are."
"What changed for them to finally have Contractors?" Curiosity got the better of Tsuna, and he couldn't back away. He has to know.
"Gate Keepers have three specific requirement: One: a child, two: must have undeveloped flame- meaning normal children with no flames would not work, and… the last: one must be desperate enough to give one's life away." 4 explained, taking over for his brother, "I have the Rain Flame, so I made a contract with The March Hare, a Chain that can put everyone at ease and the Keeper of the Rain Gate. My brother, who has the Mist flames, is contracted to Cheshire Cat- the Keeper of the Mist Gate and a Chain very well-known for its illusions."
Tsuna stayed quiet, it all made sense now. The power, the reason why he was chosen and kidnapped… everything…
"So what Chain do I have?" Tsuna asked them. They look at each other wearily and then looked back at him.
"Since you're a Sky, you made a contract with-,"
...
...
Location: Outskirts Namimori, Japan
Time: Present Time | Approx. 3:00-3:30 AM
The Chain laid on the ground, dissolving into a pile of ashes, then quickly evaporating into the air. Hearts quickly called someone and mumbled a 'mission complete'. The other line was completely silent for a few minute as he quickly gave his report to the Superiors.
Tsuna suddenly felt faint, his grip on his Chain's designated weapon loosen and it disappeared in ashes and smokes.
"Shit… I knew I shouldn't have use so much power…" He began to topple over as the rest of the team watched in horror. He closed his eyes and wait for the feeling of the hard floor connecting with his body.
But it never happened.
He fell onto something soft and hard at the same time. He open his eyes wearily, and met face to face with a uniform-covered chest. He looked up to thank the person,
"Thank you, Mad Hatter." Tsuna fell into unconsciousness from the use of his power.
"You're welcome, my contractor."
Author loves encouragements and reviews! :)
A/N: Author's notes will be here from now on so I won't be disturbing your precious reading time (unless it's important.)
Q and A-
Q - Anon 'Question' -Is the story a combination of Katekyo Hitman, Pandora Box and Karneval or something like that? Its just that I found very similar elements and all of that.
A – It is not a combination- at all. This story is INSPIRED by Pandora Hearts… and yes… this story is about Katekyo Hitman Reborn. I just took the name 'Karneval', and yes, it is a manga that I enjoyed reading.
But- Karneval is German for 'Carnival'
Yes there will be similar elements because it's inspired by them. It will not be like Karneval (the manga)… and Pandora Box…? I have read the myth once or twice, but I'm pretty sure this is quite different.
All in all- there are similar elements, but the Plot is purely mine. If I did use something from another source of media, I will give credits.
Q - Are all the other gatekeepers going to be enemies of Tsuna? Or perhaps an enemy?
A – We'll just wait and see~!
Timeline:
400 years ago || 1600's – Mysterious boy and destruction; age approx. 4
Time skip-
Eleven years ago || 2002 – Tsuna gets kidnapped; age 4
Eight years ago || 2005 – Tsuna escaped from captive; age 7
Five years ago || 2009 – The brothers' and company comes to Japan; age 11
Two Years ago || spring, 2011 – First attack and reunion.
Present Time || 2013
...
Vocabulary time:
Countdown; Italian for '5, 4, 3, 2, 1'
2 of Diamonds- Tsunayoshi
Ace of Hearts – Unknown (For right now)
3 of Spades- 3
4 of Clubs- 4
...
Chains- Monsters; they lure their victims into thinking they [chains] can change the past. Requirement: must be desperate enough.
Labyrinth- Prison for Chains, where Chains are born and made
Gate Keepers- They are like Gate Guards, or the Record Keepers, keeping everything in check and making sure no idiotic human goes and make a contract with a Chain.
*So if you guys still are confuse: A Gate Keeper is a Chain that is in charge of a 'Gate' and regulates the 'Flames'. They have full control of their Specific type of Flame. So if a Gate Keeper & Contractor goes against the same specific flame user, it's automatically a win for the contractor.
* So for example: If I am the Sun Gate Keeper, and there is a Sun Flame user: I, the Sun Gate Keeper, can stop his flames, lend him more flames, or destroy the flame- which turns him into a normal human.
*Requirements: *A child, *must have UNDEVELOPED flames (flames that have not yet shown itself) *must be desperate enough to make a contract that literally sign your life to the devil.
...
Dying Will Flames: is a form of a contract that does not limit user's life span, but they only get a small portion of power aka the Flames
** Certain type of Contractor that have the Limited Time Contract, meaning each descendent, who is similar to the original contractor, will receive the Dying Will Flame. BUT it's limited because, after the User use it all up, he turns back into a normal human being and the descendants will have no flames either, unless they renew the contract.
**Analogy wise- think of a giant pile of candy in a bowl. Each generation would take a handful of candy and then the next gen. and then the next, next gen. until finally the candy bowl goes empty (from all the generation before them), so it's time to refill (make a new contract).
CONTRACTOR- human beings that voluntarily or forcefully made a 'contract' [read: bond] with a Chain.
...
Karneval- Organization that deals with illegal activities involving Contractors, and to put escaped Chains back into the Labyrinth.
*** Karneval and Mafia- Not on good, speaking terms.