Welcome back!
Alrighty guys, don't hate me for this chapter. Uhhhh, no further comment.
This is the ending of the arc though. (big sad)
Enjoy!
Previously:
"Snake!" I shout back, happy to know he is fine. "Where's Ryan?" Ciel asks afterward.
Snake stops in front of us, huffing slightly from the run. "I'm sorry, he managed to get away. Says Emily." Snake apologizes.
"I see," Ciel sighs. "In any case, let's meet up with the Marquis for the time being." Ciel decides.
"Yes." Sebastian agrees and begins to lead the way to the Midford family. We all follow along, but my steps are slow. I'm fucking exhausted, man. But I know one thing keeps repeating in my mind, this ship hit something. What is it?
0o0o0o0
Everyone on the top of the ship is going crazy. Many people bump into us in a panic-filled rush. I can hear yelling and screaming from all over the ship. The sound of sobs from almost every direction makes my heartache. Women and children are crying, even men as they separate from the arms of those they love. Getting on one of the life rafts, they soon become overfilled. The scenes hurt a lot more in reality than compared to the movie where a similar situation happened.
"Brother!" I hear Elizabeth cry and I search around for Edward. I spot him easily enough by one of the life rafts. He turns toward us, and he grins when he finds Elizabeth running towards him. "Lizzy!" he shouts back. He wraps her in a hug when she is close enough and she giggles in return. "I'm glad you're okay." he sighs in relief.
We calmly walk up to the siblings and Ciel stops when we are close enough. "I'm sorry I've been completely useless," Ciel admits. I scowl at what he says, completely disagreeing.
"I'll say." Edward agrees and glances at Ciel, "Well whatever, we'll save the lecture for later. You three, hurry up into the boats—"
Ciel shakes his head, "Edward, I have a favor to ask." he interrupts. He gestures to Snake who stands beside me, "Instead of me, let this guy on."
I watch as Snake's eyes widen, and I smile subtly. How nice of my brother, more like we aren't ready to go either though. Not sure how we are going to get off this sinking ship though. If I die, then I die, I have no problems with that. But I'll be damned if I die before Ciel does. I sigh silently at the thought. "I can't get on the boat just yet." Ciel continues seriously.
Edward seems to understand, "...I see. I'll take him."
Elizabeth dashes out from behind her brother, ready to protest. "If Ciel's staying I'm also—" Elizabeth argues but I watch as Sebastian swiftly knocks her out from behind with his hand. A light gasp comes out of my mouth as he catches her the minute, she goes unconscious, "Pardon me." Sebastian utters.
"Butler?!" Edward cries in disbelief.
"It would take too much time to make Lady Elizabeth understand, so I had to be a little rough." Sebastian reasons. He passes Elizabeth over to Edward who takes her happily. "I'll take any punishment afterward."
"No, I should be thankful. I can't pull that kind of move with her." Edward sweat drops with a concerned look tossed at Elizabeth.
The ship begins to shake even more, and I feel the shift of gravity change. I falter in my steps for a moment, realizing it's beginning to tip even more. "The ship has already tilted heavily...it's just a matter of time before it sinks. Please escape quickly and get far away as possible." Sebastian advises at the end.
He scopes Ciel up in his arms afterward, since Ciel's leg isn't doing the best. He can walk on it alright enough though. However, running is out of the question. "I'll leave Snake, Elizabeth, and Rina in your hands!" Ciel tells Edward.
I point at myself in confusion, "What do you mean 'and Rina'?" I quote.
Ciel looks at me, "You should go with them. I can tell you're exhausted as it is."
I raise a hand to my chest, not ready to leave him behind. Is he insane? "I can still fight!" I defend.
"I don't want you to anymore." he states.
What I said before, is complete bullshit. I know it would be better to leave with the Midford siblings. However, I'm not okay with leaving my brother behind. "I'm coming with, I won't fight unless our lives depend on it. I swear." I try to persuade him.
He sighs, "I knew you'd fight me on this."
"Please, Ciel." I beg something is telling me to go with them. I don't feel good about separating from Ciel right now.
He simply stares at me; I can tell he is calculating the risks of having me tag along. "As long as you promise to stay out of our way."
I nod repeatedly, "I'm completely fine with that. I know what kind of risks I'm taking."
"Sebastian," Ciel calls out. "Yes?" Sebastian answers.
"Let her on your back."
Sebastian nods and turns around, kneeling onto the floor. I climb onto his back, his scent hitting me like a tidal wave. I resist the strong urge to hide my face in his neck. I sound so creepy, ahh! "Let's go, Sebastian!" Ciel shouts. "As you wish!" Sebastian accepts.
"You don't have to come back!" Edward shouts behind us before Sebastian even takes two steps away. He stops and we all glance at Edward. "I'll be fine not having to give you my cute little sister as a bride."
I cringe at his statement, but I notice Ciel's light smirk, "I'll be sure to make it back then."
After Ciel says that, Sebastian takes off as fast as a bullet. I clutch onto him tightly as I have no support from underneath. My hair whips past me, making a snapping sound. I'm not sure where we are going but it has something to do with Ryan.
o0o0o0o
My legs swing lazily as Sebastian paces down one of the numerous hallways we've turned to. We are looking for Ryan's room. The minute we get our hands on this so-called 'device', I plan to put an end to this ridiculous experimentation. Seriously, how did Ryan not know the effects of his salvation he likes to boast about. I release a small yawn abruptly and rub my eye. The moment of rest is starting to creep up on me. I'm fighting every ounce of exhaustion from slipping over.
I do not need the embarrassment of falling asleep on Sebastian's back and snoring like an old man. The image of the scene pops up in my thoughts and I sweatdrop. Yeah, no I'm good. Sebastian stops in his steps suddenly and I blink back into reality. The form of a man enters the hallway before us as we come to a crossroads. I feel my eyes widen when I find the Viscount of Druitt leisurely passing by.
"That man...!" Ciel exclaims in shock as well. "...you are!"
Viscount Druitt peers over our way when he hears Ciel speak. "The Viscount of Druitt..." Ciel utters, appearing a startled by the man's random appearance. Viscount Druitt stops for a second and I notice some wine in his hand. He tilts his head and examines us curiously, "Hm? Who are you? How do you know my name?"
I feel Sebastian stiffen slightly and I did not notice I had the same reaction. I think of all the encounters we've had with the blond idiot before us. None of them being pleasant times. Viscount smiles suddenly and combs his hair back, "Oh well, considering I'm a well-known figure in society as of beauty, I suppose it's rare for someone not to know me. ~"
I almost gag at his idea of him. I will not deny his handsomeness but the minute he opens his mouth; all I hear is garbage. "Please allow me to ask, why is someone like you in such a place?" Sebastian asks plainly, not seeming very curious as to why honestly. "This ship is full of living corpses prowling around."
Viscount Druitt smirks and I feel a shiver run down my arms. He lifts his glass of wine to the gesture behind him. I watch as four men carry a large machine. How are they carrying that?! I ponder in awe. It looks weird, maybe a bit out of place. Something you would see in the 1980s for sure. "You know, there is something I absolutely want to protect, even it means risking my life on this sinking ship." Viscount Druitt admits. "Actually, those corpses are just like puppets to me—Opps." he voices afterward. He starts to follow the men carrying the machine and glances back at us once more. "I guess I spoke too much...well then...excuse me."
"The complete flame in our chests!" Sebastian yells abruptly. I jump in shock on his back, not expecting him to say that. I feel dread fill my heart at the thought of doing this ridiculous pose again.
"Shall not be extinguished by anyone. We are..." Viscount continues and turns to face us fully. "The Phoenix!" we all shout, and I try my best to do the fucking pose. This is the stupidest thing, I swear! We stop the pose when Viscount does. "So, you were comrades. I do remember seeing your faces before."
"That device!" Ciel shouts. "Could it be something to stop those corpses?"
Viscount gives us a dark look, "Where did you get that information?"
"As I thought, is it you then?" Ciel asks, leaning forward curiously. Viscount simply stares at us before turning around again with his wine glass raised high in the air.
"If you want to know, just follow me." Viscount states. "I will show you too...the coming of a new Aurora thanks to medicine...fine?"
I watch as he saunters down the hallway with the men carrying the machine. "Should I try to steal it from him by force?" Sebastian offers, also watching them.
I shake my head tiredly and set my chin on his shoulder, "No, we don't know how to use it." I input as I analyze it. It's so unique looking, very futuristic in my opinion. I wonder if it's as simple as pushing a button. I notice something odd though, one of the men carrying it; he looks familiar. I narrow my eyes on his back, his long grey hair swinging carelessly. He begins to chuckle and that catches all our attention.
I let go of Sebastian's neck and slide down his back until I back on my feet. I march on over to the man and walk with him. "Undertaker!? What are you doing here?!" I ask him in bewilderment. He flashes me his Cheshire grin, "Hiya, little lost lady. ~"
"How many times will I have to stop you from referring to me with that name?" I mutter under my breath in irritation. It's only recently he hasn't been calling me as so. But now, out of nowhere, he does? He confuses me to no end, not really a surprise.
"While I was escaping, I was asked to help carry this. And then, you all did that 'Phoenix' thing again." Undertaker continues which manages to pull me out of my thoughts.
Sebastian and Ciel come closer as we all follow the Viscount. "Forge that right away!" Ciel shouts him in embarrassment. Sebastian creeps closer to Undertaker's side and Ciel leans over to whisper something to Undertaker, "By the way, do you happen to know how to activate this?"
"Who knows. ~ How this thing will be any help, I wonder. ~" Undertaker sing songs back with a wry grin.
I sweatdrop, like I said it always sounds like a double meaning! Like what do mean 'I wonder', that just means you know it won't work, right?! Am I just that doubtful of him? Ah, he's so confusing. I stare at him quietly in question. He feigns innocence in not knowing though. When Ciel and Sebastian lag a little, I get closer to his side again.
"What are you up to, old man?" I murmur with a narrowed gaze at him. The corner of his lips rises slightly but walks forward without looking at me.
"I do not know what you mean. ~" he hums. For some reason, that response ticks me off. As I'm about to berate him, we stop at a pair of double doors. Viscount Druitt opens them, and I realize this is the First-Class passenger lounge. We step inside one by one, but the Viscount and group of men go further. They walk down the stairs and we stop at the top of them. I peer around and notice another staircase across from us and one leading down to the main floor of the room.
There's blood going down the stairs and a couple of dead bodies lounging around. "Please be careful, that's worth more than your lives." Viscount Druitt says down below as the men set the machine down.
"Are you doing to activate it?" I ask curiously.
"Not yet." Viscount answers. "The cast is still incomplete."
I tilt my head in confusion and look around again, not finding anyone. "The cast...?" I repeat lowly. I find Ryan all of a sudden, near the railings across from us. He spots all of us as well, "Ah! Bastard, why did you take the device from us?!" he yells at Viscount Druitt.
I notice Ronald behind Ryan and I narrow my eyes at the grim reaper. This is going to be interesting; I am sure of it. "Welcome, Ryan. I was waiting for you. Tonight, the empire you built will collapse like Pompeii, and in its place, a new realm will be born!" Viscount Druitt announces with a devious smile and his arms spread wide.
"Eh?" I hear Ryan's voice in confusion, appearing as lost as the half of us.
"With the power of this device, I will create a new empire!" Viscount Druitt boosts while gesturing at the machine.
"Huh?" I hear Sebastian say. I start to shake with laughter and have a hard time keeping them internal. "Did you hear this freak? Who does he think he is?" I snicker quietly. All hail the stupid doctor I guess, oh my god, the country would be done for immediately if he thought he could rule something.
"The one who conquered eternity shall rule over everyone else with corruption and decadence! It will be called...the Aurora Empire!" he shouts and does some weird pose as the wine in his hand sloshes over the brim at the movement.
I cannot stop my chuckles and I smother them with my hand. This is not the time to be laughing. This is serious...hahaha! He sounds so absurd. "Sounds kinda complex." I hear Ronald say from afar. I snort at that, making it all even better. Ciel turns to look at me briefly and he shakes his head at me before looking back at the Viscount Druitt. I watch as Grell pops up and puts his foot on the railing with his chainsaw raised above him.
"I'll paint him red right away." Grell informs with an exciting look. Viscount stares at them with a mocking grin and moves the wine in his hand over the machine. "Oops!" he voices in a fake a way. "Don't you care about this device?" he asks Grell smugly. Ronald grabs Grell by the waist, trying to pull him back, "Wait a sec, Senior!"
Viscount Druitt laughs after watching their interaction, "This is real 'power'. I can win against you all with one glass of wine."
I stare dead straight at Druitt, not believing a word that man just said. I can feel Sebastian's irritation grow beside me. For some reason, my ire also rises. "I am getting quite irate; can I kill him?" Sebastian asks with a dark tone. I notice how his eyes lighten to their demonic hue. I feel the urge to calm him down, but I know he would not like it. Due to my liking him in that way now...I pout at the thought.
"I think it would be best to as well, but we should wait," I state and my eyes flicker back down to Druitt. All of a sudden glass shatters behind us and I squeal in shock. I spin around as a hoard of walking corpses is trying to climb through the glass windows. I glance across the stairwell to find a flock of them trying to get in from that side too. It's times like these I wish I weren't human. I gulp nervously and take a step back.
"What?!" I hear Ciel scream beside me. I keep my eyes trained on the ones trying to get to us. They start to climb out of the windows slowly. I feel my face pale and I tighten the sword in my hand. "Please activate it, Viscount!" Ciel shouts at him.
"I'm not a Viscount anymore!" Viscount Druitt denies. We glance at him in wonder, not too sure what he means by that. He peers up at us with a sly grin and a wink, "'Caesar'...I will activate it if you call me that way. With that lovely little mouth of yours, cock robin."
I almost throw up at Ciel's nickname. I look at my brother with a sweatdrop. "Yeah, let's kill him right now." Ciel states with a murderous look.
"Please wait, as I also understand your feelings." Sebastian insists. A corpse gets close to us and before I can attack, Sebastian already kicks it's face inward. I whistle lowly, impressed as I watch the corpse fall to the ground. "Nice hit." I comment.
"Rina, I told you to stay out of the fight." Ciel scolds me with a glare. I smile sheepishly and rub the back of my head with my free hand, "Oopsie. ~"
I stand behind Sebastian as he fits the majority of any that came too close. They were slowly trickling in after all. I try to keep my eyes off his legs with seem pretty strong. Why am I so attracted to him?! I shriek in my head. I grab a fistful of my hair and tug on it, hoping the brief pain will help me. Sad to discover, it does absolutely nothing. It's because he is a demon, right? He said humans either find him attractive or repulsing. Ack! Why me too?!
In the midst of chaos, I hear Viscount Druitt practically moan from below. I feel my face pale slightly at the sound and I dare turn around to look at him. "How many paladins putting their fleeting lives at stake? This place is like a colosseum of corruption. And I'm watching from them from above, slowly enjoying my wine...just like the emperor Nero!"
I feel my eyebrow twitch at his last sentence. I raise my sword with a handful of bloodlust. "I'll dye his hair red." I murmur and I hear Ronald complain about Druitt from afar too. I point my sword at Druitt, "Hey, you, activate the device already." I order.
Druitt peers down as a smirk spreads across his lips. "Heh...fine." he accepts. "It's time to found my new empire!" he boasts afterward with a wide smile. "Come on, everybody. Show me the dance of the Phoenix to pledge your loyalty to the emperor!"
I stare with hate at Druitt, literally. I'm seething with the intent to end his puny life. Sebastian's irritation increasing only adds on to my want to kill Druitt. "Let's kill him." I and everyone else say in sync.
Undertaker's snicker takes me out of my thoughts, "Oh no. Are you sure you don't want to know how that device works?"
I pause and glare at Undertaker, "Well when you put it that way..." I murmur.
"What are you doing? Come on!" Viscount Druitt persists gleefully.
"The...the complete flame in our chests." Ciel, Sebastian, and I utter monotonously. "Shall not be extinguished by anyone." Ronald and Grell say together.
"We are the new incarnation of..." Viscount Druitt drifts off. I exchange looks of dread with Sebastian and Ciel. "THE PHONEIX!" everyone cries in sync along with the poses. Again, the feeling of my soul flying away out of my body is present.
"Well done, everyone. Now I show you...how the dead army prostrates itself before me!" Viscount announces with a grin. He kneels quickly and pushes a button on the machine. We all wait for something to happen expectedly. The sound of the corpses is the only thing I can hear still. They continue to move and groan, inching closer and closer. "Uh?" Viscount Druitt utters in confusion. "What?!" he screams not long after.
I stare at the machine and march down the stairs. I walk on over to it and push him aside, "Move it, blondie!" I shout rudely and squat to examine what there is to offer. I can hear Undertaker's insane laughter; I smack the machine until I feel so dumb afterward. How did I not think about this? I look for any wires or cables to attach it to a wall. But there's absolutely nothing! There's no way there is a battery strong enough invented yet to deactivate a mob of zombies. Nor is there any way we could power a device so supposedly strong on a boat during this time period!
I strike my sword into the ground in fury, "This damn thing wasn't even built to work!" I inform everyone. Ciel stares at Viscount Druitt in horror, "So it wasn't you who built it?!"
"Nor was it Ryan." I quickly deduce. Ryan leans forward on the railing, clutching it with an expression of anger. "Bastard! So, you fooled me?!" he screams.
I look around in question, not sure who on earth he was referring to. "This machine is a total fake. What a load of bullshit." I mutter darkly. I kick it across the room, it flies and shatters on the ground below. Nothing mechanical even falls out of it, just a bunch of hollow parts. "Whoever built this planned on this happening. No doubt about it."
I watch as Grell jumps over the railing, "What a useless farce." he comments and lands next to the destroyed device. He dashes up to us while slaughtering some corpses on the way with his chainsaw.
"Wait! Senior! We mustn't kill people!" I hear Ronald shout as Grell charges for Druitt. I yank my sword out of the ground and back away quickly toward Sebastian and Ciel. Before I know it, the sound of the chainsaw grinding against something greets my ears. I feel my eyes widen when I find Undertaker blocking Grell's attack with something that looks liked carved wood. Undertaker pulls Druitt back in the process. I continue to stare at the chainsaw, not being to cut whatever the hell Undertaker is even holding.
"What?!" the majority of everyone shouts beside me. I am too stunned to even say a single word. I hear Undertaker's signature laugh, "It's been a while since I've laughed so much. To lose such an amazing man would be like losing the whole world to me. Don't you agree, grim reaper?" he grins.
"The death scythes blade can't cut it?!" Grell shouts in disbelief before being forced up into the air when Undertaker pushes back against it. I watch as Undertaker's hat flies off and I feel my knees give away. I sink onto the floor and stare helplessly. Undertaker's cloak whips back to reveal more of those wood carvings which contain some type of Asian language. I feel my heart drop and it pulses harshly against my neck. Why does this look familiar?
Undertaker makes the wood carvings lurch upward toward Grell with an insane grin. They all miss him but Grell's back and the wood carvings break the glass ceiling above us. A bunch of glass shards rains down on us and I feel them smack against my exposed skin but nothing much of a tiny cut here and there. I hear Sebastian call out Ciel's title but I'm not looking at them right now. More like I can't find myself willing to. "Ah, how sad," Undertaker utters and brushes his hair back with his fingers. They comb through his grey locks and he reveals his whole face. "How sad it would be, should laughter disappear."
My body stiffens and I remember something, the face I've long forgotten. I can feel the tears brim in my eyes as his face becomes clear as day. It's him, the one who brought me to this time. The one who brought me this world. I can feel the phantom pain of the skin along my torso being torn apart. I can't move, I can't do anything as I stare at him with fright. He's been by my side all along. Resurfacing memories of him flash in the forefront of my mind.
I hear Grell fall back onto the ground along with the wood carvings striking the ground. But I barely register it. "You've been hiding yourself well. Since you kept your eyes hidden, I never noticed it either." Sebastian's voice rings out and I twitch at it. I continue to stare up at Undertaker and his grin eyes glint deviously.
"Me too, I've been had," Grell admits defeat. "Senior...those eyes!" Ronald exclaims also. "Yes, there's no mistaking that yellowish-green glimmer...a grim reaper!" Grell says seriously.
Undertaker snickers, "How nostalgic, it's been half a century since someone last called me that."
"You..." I mutter and stand on shaking legs. "This whole time..." I whimper almost.
"This whole time you were a grim reaper." Ciel finishes for me.
Ryan's voice comes closer, "What is the meaning of this, Undertaker?!" he shouts and dashes down the stairs, past me. "Didn't you tell me that we could control the corpses as long as we have this device?!"
"Is that so? ~" Undertaker hums and taps his chin with his long fingernail.
"Did you fool me?!" Ryan shouts loudly in disbelief. "Was it all a lie?! All that about going to America to spread complete salvation?!"
"I thought it was funny since you were trying to bring the dead back to life in all seriousness," Undertaker explains nonchalantly. "You were the perfect person for my purpose."
"So, our goal of making the entire world healthy was—?!" Ryan starts but Undertaker interrupts him. "That's your goal, isn't it? Also, you couldn't perform the resurrection of human beings with that kind of medicine that you possess. In my book, from the moment you relied on my skills, that can't be called medicine anymore. The kind of guy who would use a treatment he doesn't even understand his patients is no longer a doctor, you see."
"N-No way," Ryan sinks onto his knees and grasps his head in horror. Undertaker pats Ryan's head next, "You were a good boy who believed in my story."
"So, in other words, you're the mastermind behind the Aurora society's human resurrection secrets...Undertaker!" Ciel concludes with an intense look.
Undertaker glances at him with a smirk, "That's a secret. ~" he sing songs. "...is what I'd like to say, but by doing that Phoenix pose you've paid me for an awful amount of information. So, I'll tell you." he snickers. "It's true that I was the one who made these moving corpses."
"Why?!" Ciel asks.
Undertaker sets one of the wood carvings on the ground. He rocks on his feet slightly as he stares off into a daze. "Ah yes, at first, it was probably...just my curiosity towards humans. Humans are 'a flesh body' and, 'a soul'. If you bring these two together, one can exist amongst the living and keep on documenting their life's memories in the 'cinematic record'. And when the flesh body withers and the grim reaper collect their souls, the record ends there and the living becomes dead. Grim reapers take the soul from the body according to a list, causing an end to the kaleidoscope. Day in day out, peacefully, indifferently. I have lived that grim reaper life for a long time when one day I thought...what would happen if that end had a continuation?"
I feel my eyes widen in shock, not expecting Undertaker's reasoning. "What would happen to the flesh body if you were to connect a continuation to the memories that had come to an end without a soul?" Undertaker questions. "Grim reapers only hunt souls, after all. The body and the brain that holds the memories are left in this world."
"No way...you edited the records?" Grell asks in disbelief. Undertaker chuckles and points at a mob of corpses not so far away. "Well then, how about you look at their records with your own abilities?"
Grell does not hesitate to jump up and slash at a bunch of corpses. Their records spill out of them as result. I watch as two humans' lives pass by in the records and I feel some sadness when it comes to an end. However, what all of us did not expect next was Undertaker to pop up at the end and starts to dance around in them.
"Wha-What is this?!" Grell shrieks in confusion and dismay. "This is!" Sebastian gasps in shock. "W-What's happening?" Ciel asks.
I stare at the records in confusion, "I don't know why, but Undertaker is in them somehow."
"My lady...how can you see that?" I hear Sebastian utter at my side. I blink up at him in confusion, "I've always been able to." I reply. His eyes narrow at me as his eyebrows dip in thought. I tilt my head curiously, not sure why it's such a big deal.
He takes his eyes off me momentarily when Undertaker chuckles again. "The end mark of the cinematic record that arrives along with every death. By connecting the fake records to them, I made it so the end would never come. And if you do that, somehow the body mistakenly thinks that life is continuing and starts moving again without a soul! All living beings instinctively try to fill up whatever they lack. If your body gets wounded, it will close it up. If the spirit feels lonely, one will seek others in order to fill this emptiness. That's why they instinctively seek what they lack...in order to find a 'soul' they will try and open up the bodies of the living." Undertaker explains. "To settle the balance of the never-ending cinematic record, you see."
"Is that why they came after our souls even though they no hearing or sight?!" Ciel asks in horror.
Undertaker peers off to look at one of the corpses, "It's impossible for them to make another's soul theirs though...I can temper with their records, but I can't create a soul. I experimented a lot, but most of them never became anything more than flesh dolls without a self. That's why I call them, not living, not dead, The Bizarre dolls." Undertaker informs.
I do wonder the sanity of the grim reaper in front of me. I mean, how desperate are you to have your curiosity fulfilled? To even take dead bodies and do something so horrid, it's a disturbing thought.
"How perverse can you be...?" Ciel questions, not looking so well himself after what we all just heard. Undertaker simply snickers and walks up some stairs, "That you can't understand this beauty just means you're still too young, earl." He grabs one of the moving corpses and holds it in his arms with a sly grin, "This beautifully stitched skin as white as wax, just like when they were alive. Their mouths cannot clamor noisily or tell lies any longer. Aren't they more beautiful than when they were alive?"
Ciel raises a fist to his mouth, looking perturbed. "It makes me sick."
I stare at the corpse in his arms, also feeling sick to my stomach. "There's nothing beautiful about something that smells like rot." I comment with a sneer. How dare he treat my species like so? Their bodies should be put to rest or freed. Whatever you want to call it, it's wrong.
Undertaker smiles almost gently, "That's what you say, but...there're humans who want these bizarre dolls too, you know?"
Ciel gasps and I frown is displeasure with such information. I'm not surprised honestly; human greed surpasses those with a normal mindset. I mean, why not buy an undead army that kills only those who live. It makes sense for war and such.
"These dolls don't feel pain or fear. They eat the living, craving their souls." Undertaker continues and an insane grin spreads across his lips abruptly, "What do you think? It's the best animal weapon there is, right?"
I take a step forward, despite how scared of this man I am right now. My fear is making my limbs quake. "That's practically genocide though!" I shout, not liking what I am hearing.
"Wha-?!" I hear Ciel exclaim alarm.
Undertaker ignores us, "That eccentric bunch said they wanted to see to what extent they could use them. So, we decided on experimenting by throwing the same number of humans and bizarre dolls together on a luxury cruise ship. Let them kill each other and see how many survive on each end."
"Quite deranged." Sebastian comments.
Undertaker chuckles, "But I never thought we'd crash into an iceberg. Having quit being a grim reaper, I don't own the list anymore. Considering that it saved me the trouble of making it sink, it's like catching two birds with one stone."
I feel my eyebrow twitch, "Hold up, hold up, we crashed into an iceberg?!"
"Is that the most surprising thing to you right now?!" Ciel hisses right next to me.
I grab my hair and tug on it. "Considering this sounds like a terrible movie, yes, yes it is!" I cry out in confusion.
"What are you going on about?" Ciel drawls, looking concerned in the 'are-you-okay-in-the-head' kind of way. My shoulders hunch forward and my face feels heavier, "Do I look alright to you?" I ask sarcastically. He simply sweat drops, turning back to the matter at hand right after.
"I see...you mean, the ship was never headed to America." Sebastian deduces while ignoring my random outburst.
"But because of you guys, it seems a lot more humans survived than anticipated...I wonder if I should be angry." Undertaker replies and taps his chin.
"Hmph. The more he says the more I know I can't let this pass." Grell decides. "I know right. A grim reaper distorting the way of 'death' is totally impossible." Ronald chimes in. "Though he doesn't have glasses. Is he one of those 'deserters' you see sometimes?"
"He can be anything for all I care." Grell huffs. "It's against the rules for grim reapers to come to the human world and meddle with life and death matters. The quickest way to get him to cough up how the moving corpses work is probably to just tie him up and hand him over to the bosses. Also...even more than this being against the rules, the crime of hurting a maiden's face! No matter how hot you might be, I can't forgive you for that!"
Grell abruptly charges at Undertaker head-on with his chainsaw in tow. Undertaker smirks and raises his wood carving to block the attack. Ronald follows behind Grell and dashes for Undertaker's back with his lawnmower. "I'll take your ba—Argh?!" Ronald cries in pain as Sebastian's black-clothed form kicks his head. Ronald skids across the floor and the lawnmower tumbles out his hand in the process. His back hits the wall nearby and he sags onto the floor. I wince at the kick, knowing that had to hurt.
"What the hell, Sebas-chan?!" Grell shrieks. I watch as Sebastian merely spares Grell a glance and tightens his gloves, "I'd be in trouble if I let you guys haul him off."
I glance at my side Ciel standing next to me. I was so focused on the fight and I barely saw Sebastian even rush forward. "Huh?!" Grell shouts, not expecting that obviously.
"We also have a duty to present the truth before the queen. We can't let him get away." Ciel informs.
"So, you see. We'll be the ones to take him into custody." Sebastian finalizes.
"This is a problem between grim reapers! Stay away, outsiders!" Grell glares at Sebastian. "I also have my job as a butler. So, stay away, outsiders." Sebastian contradicts with a threatening look. I find the way Sebastian appears is one hundred percent sexy, but I'll die before I ever say that.
"As fascinatingly stoic as always, Sebas-chan." Grell smirks. "Fine. If you're going to be like that, we won't hold back either."
I watch the exchange, feeling a tad bit excited. It's not often I get to see Sebastian go full out pro fighter. I can literally feel him everywhere as his hackles rise. I take a deep breath, feeling a little better now. I'm not as tired or exhausted, I wonder why? I scratch my head at the thought, as I start to gain energy back.
"The fact that something like 'hold back' exists in your dictionary surprises me more than anything else today." Sebastian rebukes sarcastically with a dead ass stare. I snort softly at his jab.
"Okay, we'll keep it simple and have the fastest be the winner." Ronald chimes in out of nowhere as he slowly rises from the ground. "But I don't intend to lose to some old geezer." he states with a bunch of tick marks decorating his irritated face and shaking fist.
Undertaker snickers at their words as all of them corner him in, "It's almost like a rabbit hunt. Well then, I wonder which rabbit is being hunted?"
All of them take a step at the same time, Grell jumps into the air so he is above Undertaker. Sebastian and Ronald charge in on both of his sides. I notice Sebastian take out some silver knives from inside his jacket and place them in between his fingers. Before he can even think of tossing them, Ronald uses his lawnmower to attack Sebastian. He has no choice, but duck, and I refrain from jumping in to help.
"Oops. I slipped." Ronald mentions with a smirk. I can feel Sebastian's ire grow and I sweatdrop. "Your eyesight is pretty bad, isn't it!" Sebastian remarks and throws the knives at him. Ronald dodges by dunking and the knives fly at Undertaker. I feel my eyes widen when he takes one of his wood carvings and blocks the attack on time.
"Grim reapers are all heavily near-sighted you know? ~" Undertaker sing songs. I notice Grell perk up behind Undertaker with a grin and his chainsaw raised above him, "You're at a disadvantage then, aren't you?"
Undertaker takes another of his wood carvings and blocks the attack. But for some reason, the wood splits in half this time. I gawk in shock since I was expecting it to not exactly break. Grell seems surprised as well, "Huh?"
Undertaker grins and kicks Grell in the back when he was turned around. Ronald thought this was the perfect opportunity to dash at him with his lawnmower. But Undertaker proves us all wrong by jumping onto Ronald's back and knocking his glasses off him with a wood carving.
"Ugh! My glasses!" Ronald cries as they fly off his face. When Ronald dives to grab them, Undertaker simply sidekicks him in the face harshly. Ronald falls to the ground on his side with a pain-filled groan. Grell rushes over and picks up Ronald's glasses in the process, "Wha-What're you doing?!" he shouts. He tosses the glass at Ronald and he reaches out to take them. "Thanks, Sen—" Ronalds starts but stops when his glasses are taken away by a knife. "-ior."
Sebastian takes this time to attack Undertaker once more, throwing out numerous knives toward him again. Undertaker blocks them with his wood carving by placing it in the direction of the oncoming knives. They all stab the wood in a perfect line. Why didn't that one break!? "My, my. Are you sure you'll be able to take me down with that small tableware?" Undertaker taunts.
Sebastian smirks in response and dodges one of the wood carvings Undertaker thrusts his way by his head, "It's not as good as a death scythe but...our silverware has top-grade sharpness!"
Sebastian grabs the wood carving and takes one of the knives and slashes at it. He breaks the other part of it with his hand. It crumbles into pieces and Undertaker jumps up to avoid any of the hits. "I see. ~" Undertaker hums and flips onto the floor below us. He takes three of his wood carvings and throws them at Sebastian. I can't believe how much strength everyone here has. The speed Undertaker can throw those is faster than a baseball player can toss a ball. Sebastian easily avoids the wood carvings but jumping upward. He lands on the railing in a crouch, it reminds me of a cat.
"Hey, hey, what's up? You really can't do any better than this with the three of you?" Undertaker snickers. "Weren't you doing to hunt me down?"
"This is totally annoying." Ronald complains and adjusts his glasses. "Let's hurry. The ships tilting badly. We're out of time." Grell mentions.
"That's right," Ronald confirms and looks at his watch briefly. Both jump high and side by side they go after Undertaker. Their weapons are raised as they charge him head-on. "We can only go for a head-on the fight!" Ronald shouts. "I don't care how he looks!" Grell chimes in.
They take a swing at Undertaker, but he simply blocks it again with the wood carving. I narrow my eyes at him, wondering why some work and some don't. The weapons grind against the wood carving loudly. "Again?!" Grell cries in shock. "It can't be! There's nothing a death scythe can't cut! How can it take on a death scythe?!"
I hold my chin in thought, wondering why also. Undertaker's wicked grin only makes me think he's fooling them somehow. I wish I knew more about the supernatural's more than ever.
"The death scythe that can cut everything...huh. Don't you think that catchphrase is a little strange?" Undertaker ruminates.
Grell's eyes widen and he clenches his teeth, "Well, it's not like I care either way..."
"There is one thing though, isn't there?" Undertaker questions with an eerie dark grin. "That it can't cut."
Ronald gasps and his eyes widen as well, "No way!" he shouts. All of a sudden, a bright light emits from the wood carving. Ronald and Grell are pushed back by such a force. I squint my eyes at such a sight of blood splattering in the air. They land on the floor with pain-filled groans. I hear Undertaker's laugh and I freeze in my spot. A death scythe is in Undertaker's hand, a skeleton design near the blade. I feel my knees give away again as I remember it all now:
The Spring weather was unusually warm during that day. I am skipping down the sidewalk towards my house. School just ended but my home is not far away from it. I jump the lines on the sidewalk but suddenly I collide with something strong. But I do not fall over, but I do take some steps back. I peer up to find a tall man in front of me. He is dressed in all black but his long silver hair shines in the sunlight. I thought he looked ethereal. He smiles down at me which appears twisted in some way. I take a few more steps back and bow my head.
"I'm sorry for bumping into you..." I trail off shyly. He snickers a little, but I am too focused on my shoes to notice.
"You look so different at this age...so small." I hear him say. Next thing, I know his hand pats the top of my frazzled hair. I jump and smack his hand away, "Don't do that! Who are you?!"
His smile stretches and something in my mind tells me this man isn't normal. "I see your attitude has not changed much."
I scowl at him and grab my backpack straps, "You're weird. I'm leaving." I tell him. I walk around him, but I keep my pace brisk. My mother said if strange men approach you, to run away and find someone to tell. So, I do just that, I run as fast my little legs can carry me. I don't look back in fear he might be chasing me. When I turn the corner of a block, I finally do look behind me. I don't find him anywhere in sight. I sigh in relief and take a deep breath of air. He was a creepy old man.
I turn back around only to find black in front of me again. "That was a bit rude, no? ~" I hear the same person say again. I freeze in my spot, as I feel fear grab my heart. He grabs my wrists tightly, "It seems I have no choice to force you to follow me."
"Let go of me, old man!" I screech at him and wiggle, but his grip is so tight. He laughs again and starts to drag me somewhere. "I'm gonna scream for help if you don't let go!" I shout at him.
He takes me to someone's backyard, forcing the gate open with a kick. This obviously isn't his home. "Someone help me!" I scream as loud as I can.
"No one's home. ~" he hums before letting me go. I almost trip on my own feet. "Now, stay still."
I feel my face pale and tears make enter my eyes. "What are you going to do to me?" I whimper pathetically. He smirks and takes out a large weapon. My heart drops at the sight of it. It's so big and looks terrifying. Its shadow hovers over my form. I fall to my knees as I start to cry. "A-Are you doing to kill me?" I ask.
He raises the weapon, and it makes a horrid sound, "Not quite, but this will hurt for you."
I crab walk backward as he inches closer, "P-Please don't!" I cry out.
He swings it in my direction and the feeling of a searing pain splits on my torso. I scream in pain but suddenly a bright white light flashes in my eyes. It blinds me temporarily, so I slam my eyes closed. I continue to scream and cry until everything turns black and cold.
I claw at my torso when I feel the phantom pains of such an attack. I can feel the sweat on my neck run down to the middle of my back. I start to cry as if I am a child again. "Rina!" Ciel calls out my name. He bends down and grabs my shoulder with a concern filled eye. "What's wrong?"
"Everything!" I shout back. "Why did he bring me here?!"
"Who?!"
I shake my head and stand again, wanting my questions answered. I didn't even remember that happening since it's been blocked. I just remembered snippets but nothing about having something slice my skin open. I thought he just teleported me somehow. Why was it him? Why?! I didn't remember what he looked like those whole time. Just his hands and being dragged somewhere. I scramble back up, clinging to Ciel who helps me do so. I grit my teeth as he stands there smugly. "A...death scythe!" I hear Grell cry in shock.
"I see...the 'it can cut anything' catchphrase is false in multiple death scythes are involved." Sebastian observes thoughtfully.
"They should have collected it when you retired..." Ronald groans out.
"It was with me for such a long time that it became hard to part with. I went through quite some trouble to take it with me, you know. ~" Undertaker replies and touches the weapon fondly. Not long after, he brings the weapon behind him, holding it over his head. "Well then, how about I hunt you guys now? Like the pitiful rabbit in a hunting game."
He swings his weapon like a baseball bat toward Ronald and Grell who still lie on the floor. Sebastian disappears from the railing only to appear back on the floor next to them. He easily avoids Undertaker's attack. The floor shakes and I almost fall over, but Ciel steadies me. I watch Undertaker the whole time, feeling the fear inside of me slowly increase. This is the man who kidnapped me and brought me here. How could I not notice before? The force of his weapon causes the balcony across from us to collapse from above and it crumbles. The pieces, chairs, and tables from above come falling as well. Sebastian grabs a table mid-fall and hurls it at the Undertaker.
Undertaker simply slashes at it with this weapon, "It's no use." he comments. "Cutting a table with this takes no effort than breaking a cookie."
The debris from the table being broken is gone, he realizes Sebastian is no longer where he was before. I notice Sebastian before Undertaker does, my eyes trained on the demon now. He slides behind Undertaker with a smirk, "I just wanted to get within the wide reach of this scythe."
Sebastian does a flip backward on his hands when Undertaker jumps in the air to also do a flip but in the opposite direction. "You think of some interesting stuff, butler." Undertaker says and his body comes closer to Ciel and me. I begin to panic and grab Ciel, shoving him away from the approaching enemy. However, when Undertaker is close enough to me, he simply grabs the front of my dress roughly. I struggle in his grasp but it's too strong. He sets his weapon against the railing temporarily before taking my brother too in his other hand. We both struggle helplessly, but I really can't get out of his grip.
"Undertaker, let go of Ciel right now!" I scream at him.
His smirk grows as he lifts Ciel higher, toward his face, "I can finally put one of you in one of my specially made coffins, earl, little lady. ~" Undertaker teases lightly. I grab Undertaker's arm with a wave of fury, "Let him go!" I yell again, pissed off by his remarks.
I can feel Sebastian's anger come closer indicating he is about to be here soon. I notice a flash of black in the corner of my eye. However, Undertaker thinks it's a great idea to throw Ciel into the air, but I stay on the ground, trapped against him.
"No!" I scream as soon as Ciel's foot glides by Sebastian's face. "I knew'd come after me." Undertaker smirks at Sebastian. Sebastian slowly turns around and reaches his hand out toward Ciel. But he only flies further away and Sebastian leaps off the railing. I notice Undertaker grab his death scythe and I feel my eyes widen in terror. He's going to hurt Sebastian! I fight in his grip as much as possible, but the old man doesn't budge. Why am I so weak?!
"Undertaker! Let me go!" I snarl at him. He grins slyly down at me as he raises the weapon. "Why would I do that? ~" he asks.
I stare at it, looming above me once more. Sweat trickles down my neck at the thought of being hurt again from it. He must know about my origins then. He knows because he sent me here. But the question is: Why? I bite my lip until it draws blood. I have nothing to offer him. "If you have any respect for Vincent left...you will let go of me." I snarl after a few seconds. All I can do is threaten him.
His grip slackens if anything, slightly. Good to know that got through to him. I grab his wrist aggressively and unclamp it from my arm. I hop up onto the railing, standing tall. He watches me with a dull look in his eyes. I notice Sebastian was able to catch Ciel in time. The ship suddenly tremors more, and I lose my footing. I feel my eyes widen as I begin to fall. I hear Ciel gasp, "Rina!"
"Shit!" I shout, but before I can even approach the ground. Sebastian catches me mid-air all too quickly. I stare at him in surprise, but he refuses to make eye contact with me. Instead, he holds me closer to him as he glides back toward my brother. However, Sebastian and I are both idiots for not expecting Undertaker to take this as an advantage. A blade pierces through Sebastian's chest and it goes even further into my side. Pain explodes inside me as I let out a yelp. Cinematic records begin to pour out of Sebastian and he stares down at me with horror. The blade digs out of us quickly enough and we both fall to the floor. I should have known he wouldn't have taken my words seriously.
"Sebastian!" I cry out. I tumble out of his hands as he lies flat on the ground. I hold my side, "Rina! Sebastian!" Ciel shouts nearby and I can hear his hurried steps. Sebastian does not respond but his eyes are glazed over as his records show everything that's happened since he met Ciel. I glance down at my own wound, but there is no blood on me. My side shines white and I start to feel strange. "Rina, are you okay?!" Ciel asks as he shoves my hands away from where I got stabbed.
His eye widens as he sees the abnormal light and it starts to spread. My skin is being consumed by it rapidly. I can feel my hackles rise, finding this somewhat familiar. I think back to my newly resurfaced memories, remembering a bright hot light shining before my eyes; then I was teleported here. "No..." I whimper as I feel a tear slide down my cheek. "No, no, no." I repeat.
"What's happening?!" Ciel questions in panic and confusion. I spare him a tear-filled look, "I-I don't wanna go." I sob.
He places his hands on the growing light encompassing my whole torso. As if that would stop it, "I...I don't understand, but you're not going to die on me!" Ciel promises. "Sebastian! Snap out of it this instant and come save her!"
Just as Ciel said, Sebastian somehow manages to come over to my side when he gains a sense of reality back. His wound is much larger than mine since the blade was to a hilt in him. I reach out toward him and touch his chest lightly, "Idiot...I would've been fine if you didn't catch me."
He bows his head but not long after, he examines the light coming out from me. "What is happening?" he questions, his voice a bit raggedy from pain. He grabs my hanging hand and sets it down gently on the floor.
"I don't know!" Ciel cries as he pulls me into his arms. I look down and find my legs gone now. I can't move anymore, only my eyes. I look over to see the Undertaker peering down at me with that freakish grin of his. It infuriates me more than anything. "That bastard." I grind out. "I'll kill him one day."
Sebastian's cough brings my attention back to him and I feel the worry build up in me. "Will you be okay?" I ask.
He manages a smile, "For my lady to worry about a being such as me in this situation...I am touched."
I frown at that, "I can't tell if you are being sarcastic or not."
"Rina...this is no time for jokes! Why are you glowing light?!" Ciel cries and I can feel his body tremble underneath me. I look up at him, "Don't worry, I'll be okay..." I mutter.
"Bullshit. Your body is disappearing, how are you okay?!"
I chuckle as stare past him, up at the ceiling. "Promise me you'll take care of yourself from now on." I mumble.
"Huh?" Ciel questions. "Stop...acting your about to die! Sebastian fix her!"
Sebastian stares down at me, I can feel his worry from here. Ah, so he does care. What a dumb demon I love. I smirk slightly at that; the pain is growing and it's starting to get too bright for my liking. "Young master, I do not know what is wrong with her. Her soul isn't even dying, it's fading!"
I open my mouth to speak, but I find no words coming out. I glance down to find the light has spread to my throat. It looks like this is my final goodbye. I'm not sure if I'll ever have the chance to go back. Ciel begins to panic, his eye full of fright. I smile at him lovingly, hoping he knows I love him. I am sad to see this world go. I never thought this day would come. But I don't feel thankful, I feel regretful. I look at Sebastian once more, his expression dark and his hand comes out toward me. I can feel his concern so strongly, it makes me ache. He leans over me; I wish he wasn't so bloody. My heart aches at the thought of separating from him.
He takes his glove off with his teeth. "Sebastian, what are you doing?" I hear Ciel ask, but his voice sounds like an echo. I watch as Sebastian bites into his hand, his fangs glinting from the light I produce. Blood drops off it and he cups his wounded hand over my mouth. I squeeze my eyes shut at the taste of his blood. I thought it would taste bad, but it's incredibly sweet and irony. I can feel it pour down the remainder of my throat, but I'm not sure if it goes anywhere. Sebastian says something but I can't hear as I fall into a weird deep sleep.
