Author's Note: Many apologies for the very late update! This chapter was a million times harder to put together than I thought it would be, but I think I managed in the end. Hopefully the rest of the arcs will be easier to work with :'D


Upon giving the signal for them to approach, the three of us closed in on the mansion and slipped in. How convenient it was that they were so familiar with the building we were trying to break into, but it also helped that I could use my powers to help us get in.

With the timing we were moving at, we would be replacing Ciel, first. It would be quite a hassle, but it was doable, and I recalled the order of events perfectly that would give us the opening to do so.

"We must act quickly." I murmured in a hushed tone as we slipped through the window of Ciel's study. "Thankfully, this is the easy part."

In order for this to work, I told Ciel to enter through another part of the mansion. He would have to arrive after we dealt with something in his study, first, and by my calculations, the path I told him to take would give us just enough time.

Cloth in hand, I pressed myself against the wall next to the door and waited. Sebastian was hidden out of sight and soon enough, the door opened. In walked Phantomhive – we agreed that we would refer to any other Ciels and Sebastians by their surnames – with papers in hand.

The young earl sighed, and I timed my breathing with it so that he would not hear me as I waited for my cue. "How can his house's servants always be so peaceful?"

Just like that, I covered Phantomhive's mouth and nose with the cloth. At the same time, I wrapped my other arm around my chest and with a slow exhale, my hand sunk into it. It looked like he was being knocked out by chloroform, but in reality, I was simply removing his core. He pulled at my arms, but I held on tightly as his body became limp. Finally, when his arms fell down his sides, and it was safe for me to act separate to what the panels depicted.

"We have very little time. Take Phantomhive and hide. I will do the same." I ordered Sebastian while handing the more-or-less-lifeless Earl into his arms. Phantomhive was hardly anything but a shell now that I had removed his core, but unfortunately there was a still little more that had to be done. That would have to wait until later.

"What did you—" Sebastian started, but I shoved him off-screen while I quickly followed after him. In my hand was the glowing core, which I promptly clasped between my hands, causing it to fade. I assure you that it is stored quite safely.

Shortly afterwards, the door opened again, but this time it was a man who had no business in the young Earl's study; Azzurro Vener. He soaked some cloth with chloroform and waited. It wasn't long before the door opened again, and a scene very similar to the one I just took part in played through. The only difference was that this is what readers would have interpreted, whereas what they really saw was my capture of Phantomhive. Funny how perspective can trick the mind so easily.

The unconscious Ciel was taken away by Azzurro Vener, destined to be tied and beaten elsewhere. Of course, we all know he survives that, so there is no need to worry. What mattered next was timing ourselves properly so that we could deal with Michaelis. This is when it would become a bit of a pain.

With a sharp nod towards the window, I gestured for Sebastian to follow. "Quickly now, before Michaelis enters the study." In no more than a second, the two of us disappeared out the window just as there was knocking on the entrance.

"Ciel is currently tied up and is being held hostage by Vener. We have about five minutes until assassins sent to the mansion fail to kill you and Michaelis goes after them. We have until roughly five twenty-one to get to Vener's hideout." Although I would rather get the fun out of having the demon carry me, we were rather pressed for time, so I used my own powers to help me keep up with his speed as we raced through the forest. "Our actions will have to be very precise upon our arrival. Be sure to follow my directions so that the panels remain consistent."

"This task is rather irritatingly specific," he commented, though his expression seemed rather amused, as if it were some sort of challenge.

I chuckled and shrugged. "I can't deny that. I will also be using my powers to guide you, so there is nothing to worry about. Our biggest concern is finding the Patch, but I'm already sensing that it is in the hideout. It should not bring us much trouble."

The hideout soon came into view and I gestured for Sebastian to follow me. "Leave Phantomhive's body here." I told the demon while heading towards a dense area in the forest. "I will take care of it at a later time."

He did as he was told, and shortly afterwards we closed in on the hideout.

"We must wait for a specific moment until you make your appearance. That will be when you sneak past, and introduce yourself as Phantomhive's butler." I instructed while nodding towards the guarded entrance.

"How distastefully nostalgic." He answered flatly while following after me. "What are the consequences of not following the sequence to the word?"

"Grave," was my only reply, and I left it at that. There was not enough time to explain how repairing the sequence in the wrong order would put the story in disarray, causing events to fall out of their chronological order and essentially causing the world to collapse all over again.

In the shadows we waited, and soon, Vener's voice echoed down the main hall. "The brat's watchdog is on his way over! Lock down the door and have the men on their guard! Have every entry point secured. He must be caught! Don't let him set a single foot in here!"

"This way," I murmured while guiding him down the hall and pasted the ruckus. It took hardly any effort, and while we were exiting the room, Michaelis could be heard introducing himself as Phantomhive's butler. "Enter through there," I urged once we approached a door. "Continue as you will to the dining hall, but at five thirty-eight, expect a surprise."

With a slight shove, I pushed him through and shut the door behind him as the men in the room shouted, "Over there! Fire!"

I moved away from the door so that I myself would avoid getting shot, and waited as the panels followed Sebastian defeating the second round of henchmen with a coat hanger. As expected, only a couple of minutes passed until Michaelis showed up, and he stopped in his tracks once he saw me by the tattered doorway.

At first he spared me only a glance, but as I did not try to attack him, he must have decided that I was not worth his time. Understandable, as he was in a rush to rescue his master and make it back on time for dinner, but I could not simply let him continue on before I have a brief chat with him.

"Sebastian," I called nonchalantly without looking at him. He stopped in his tracks, this time letting his gaze settle on me. "Much like yourself, I am in quite the rush, so I will have to skip the details and formalities and get straight to the point."

"I think this would save us both a great deal of time." Just as he said that, he was just inches away from me within a moment's notice, but just as quickly he had closed the distance, I regained it by disappearing and reappearing behind him.

Eyes widened in surprise, he turned around and eyed me warily. I sighed, blowing a loose strand of hair out of my face. "Rude," was all I said before getting on with the matter I had to address. "If you are done interrupting me, I shall now speak."

He was hesitant, which was much to be expected, but he stood in his spot. I smiled, silently thanking him for his cooperation.

"What you will see beyond that door is something quite peculiar, even more so than my own presence." I started while starting to pace. He kept a trained eye on me, so I kept my hands by my sides to show that I meant no harm. "There is another you, you see. He came here along with me, and to keep it simple, the two of you must fight."

"Your words are certainly intriguing, but I hardly see why I should believe you." He answered skeptically.

"Take me for what you will, but would it not be interesting to fight yourself? An exact double, he is, right down to your strengths and intellect." I mused while gesturing towards the door. "Of course, Vener's men might be in the way, but surely they would be no more than a nuisance to just one of you, let alone two."

Naturally, Michaelis was not having an easy time believing me. I sighed and stopped in my tracts. "You'd best be moving along now. Time is running out for both you and I." Before he could question me any further or attack me again, I used my powers to materialize within the dining hall, in one of the corners beneath the balconies so that I remained out of sight.

Just as the door opened, Sebastian revealed the silverware he had taken with him to use as weapons. As expected, he lodged them into several of the henchmen's heads, but what was not shown were the knives thrown at Michaelis, who had just entered the dining hall.

The other demon, of course, easily caught the knives flying his way and prepared to get on the offense himself. While it seemed like there was one Sebastian depicted in the panels, the truth of the matter was that there were two, both killing the henchmen while simultaneously trying to get at each other.

The henchmen's shock was not lessened in the least now that there were two of their worst nightmares, but it appears that as the stunned humans they were, it was just another obscure trick of the mind to them.

"Just what the hell is he?!" One of them shouted just as Michaelis threw the knives he caught previously. Next as Sebastian's turn, and he jumped into the air at an impressive height that surpassed even the balcony.

"He's only Phantomhive's butler, why is he this strong?!" Another henchmen exclaimed in shock, but they were quickly killed with the silverware.

The sound of metal and glass clinking rang across the dining hall as Sebastian hung on it by his knees. With the henchmen finally eradicated, there were no more interruptions or nuisances.

I looked up at the demon, who in turn glanced at me just long enough to see me nod. "Ok," I called with a flat smile, "that should be about it."

That being said, he released himself from the chandelier and landed with hardly a sound and swiftly pulled out his pocket watch. "Five forty three." He noted before looking up at Michaelis. "Let's not waste any more time."

"So it was no lie," the other demon answered while glancing towards me. "How interesting indeed."

"Hurry along now, or you'll be late for dinner." I mused while leaning against the wall at the opposite end of the dining hall, next to the door would take them closer to where their young master was being held.

Without another word, the two demons launched themselves at each other. If it were not for these eyes, I imagine they would have been nothing but blurs. Thankfully, having dimensional powers was rather useful.

The sound of strikes being blocked echoed across the dining hall, but there was no evidence of there being a clear winner. I watched as Michaelis used the tableware as weapons. In order to defend, Sebastian grabbed the tablecloth and threw it into the air, simultaneously catching all the tableware and temporarily blinding Michaelis.

Using that change, Sebastian appeared at Michaelis' side and successfully landed a kick to the other demon's side.

"Hurry now," I called from the side as the second strike was block like all the previous ones were, "I'm sure the poor little Earl is quite uncomfortable."

"I'm better than I thought, so say the least." Sebastian answered while blocking several kicks and punched of his own. He swung a chair up in the process, though Michaelis easily broke through that as well.

"I could say the same." The other demon noted with the flat smile they both so commonly used. "As expected of one who bears the same face as me."

"You are mistaken." I said while stepped forward. "The two of you are one and the same, but with different memories. The different lies in who I must protect, and unfortunately," I addressed Michaelis as they continued to fight, "it is not you."

With a flick of my wrist, I put a stop to the other demon's movements just long enough for Sebastian to start landing several blows that pushed Michaelis back. "I did not originally plan to interfere," I started while waving my other hand, guiding Michaelis' fist away from Sebastian's face, "but we must really get going."

"It would have been more efficient if you did this to begin with, Alaine." Sebastian noted as he pinned Michaelis to the ground.

"Well, I had no intention of hindering your pride as a demon." I answered while standing over the other demon's head. He struggled and raised his knee to shove Sebastian off.

"I had no idea I would need the assistance of a little girl, and a human, no less." Michaelis taunted while trying to pull Sebastian's wrist off his neck.

Without a word, I knelt by the other demon's head and rested my hand on his chest. "Some humans hold great power, enough to even defeat a demon." I let out a slow breath and as I did so, let my hand sink into Michaelis' chest. "I am one of them."

It did not take long for any struggle against Sebastian to cease and soon, I had the core I was looking for. "Please carry out the rest of the chapter. I will retrieve Phantomhive's body and return when the time is right."

"As for him?" Sebastian asked while looking down at his other self.

"There is no need to worry about him. I have removed his core, so he is nothing but a shell now." I answered while getting back on my feet. Just like how I stored Phantomhive's core, Michaelis' core disappear with a slight wave of my hand. I gave the demon a nod towards the door before turning around. "I wish you luck, Sebastian."

I heard the door open and close as I disappeared from the hall, reappearing outside the hideout in the forest surrounding it. Finding it did not take long, and I had Phantomhive's petite body over my shoulders in no time. I was never one for lifting things, however, but I wanted to save my powers. So, I trudged back to the room where Vener was holding Ciel.

By the time I arrived, Ciel was safely seated in the armchair and Vener was on the ground, horrified and just moments away from death. "It is regrettable, but…this game is about to end." I heard Ciel say as I entered the room.

"Please wait for a moment." I interrupted while setting Phantomhive's body by the doorway. "I will return shortly." I informed before slipping away and returning, this time with Michaelis' body in tow.

With a heavy sigh, I set his body down as well and closed the door. "Whew, I certainly am not as fit as I should be." I muttered while rolling my shoulders. Finally, I approached the Earl and his butler.

"What are you doing, Alaine?" Ciel asked through cut lips.

"Before you put that man out of his pathetic misery, I must first locate the patch. If not, we would have to start all over again, and that's only if we are lucky." I explained while standing in the center of the room and closing my eyes.

There was a strong pulse within the room, but it was rather difficult to pinpoint it, what with the two cores in my possession and the fact that everything was so unstable.

"W-W-Who are you?!" The scarred man asked shakily as he pressed himself up against the wall.

"Ah." I opened my eyes to face the pitiful man on the ground. With soundless steps, I approached him and, as if I were speaking to a child, leaned over so that I was closer to his eye level. "There's the patch I was looking for."

Vener's breath quickened as I crouched and lifted my hand. All I did was reach for the single bullet he shot earlier at Ciel's head, but his reaction was quite amusing, so I failed to bit back a smile.

"Like a rabbit in a hunting game," I murmured while holding the bullet between my fingers. "Now then, let us begin. Ciel, Sebastian; please lay yourselves down next to your respective counterparts. This will only take a moment. Vener will have to wait, for if he were to die before hand, it may disrupt the sequence."

"What's going on here?!" The terrified man dared to ask.

I answered by swinging my foot into his head. "Do not speak. I need to focus." I ordered in a low voice before turning back to the two protagonists of the series. "If you two would be so kind," I spoke while gesturing towards their doubles' bodies, "I will begin the Synchronization once you are ready."

Once everything was in place, I held the bullet in my left hand while swinging out my right. The two cores appeared and floated above my hand side by side, the left being Ciel's and the right one belonging to Sebastian. It required some careful maneuvering, but I guided the cores to their respective owners and with a faint glow, they sunk into their torsos.

Just as this happened, the bodies of the other Earl and butler began to fade and disperse. The particles surrounded and disappeared into the bodies of the protagonists, just as expected. As this started, I flicked the bullet into the air. I then swung my arm across my body, which called forth the broken sequence.

Similarly to what I have done before, I picked out the panels and rearranged them so that they fell in place to recreate the first arc. Once they were reordered and layered correctly, I held out my right hand and pointed towards the bullet with my index finger. Then, as if firing a gun, I jerked my hand upwards, launching the bullet right into the arc.

The bullet disappeared into ripples on the panels and shortly afterwards, they were locked into place. "Perfect." I said with a smile before swiping my hand across the sequence, causing it to disappear. "I thank you for your time. You are now free to do whatever you wish to that man."

"W-Wait!" Vener shouted while trying to distance himself away from the three of us. "I don't want to die here!"

"Well," I started while looking back at the pathetic man, "I'm afraid there is no other fate for you."

Before Vener could even begin to plead for mercy, Sebastian killed him in a blink of an eye. What is written into the sequence is final, after all, and not even I have the power to change it.


Author's Note: Thank you for reading [: