Chapter 24: Title

On Anita's ship

Lenalee is taking a shower before changing into her new Exorcist uniform. Lenalee gets out of the shower room and closes the door before she walks away.

In the Captain's (Anita's) room

Anita is looking at the map to look at the course that they are going.

"We've made it halfway there in good time." Anita says. "The weather isn't even that bad. If this keeps up, we'll reach Edo in two days. If we continue on this course..."

Anita then hears the door knocking.

"Yes? Who is it?" Anita asks.

The door opens and Lenalee goes walks into the room with Timcanpy flying next to her.

"I'm sorry for disturbing you so late at night." Lenalee apologizes. "But, umm..." Lenalee touches her hair. "Could I borrow... a hair-tie from you?"

Anita agrees and leads her to a chair and clips a pair of hair-tie onto Lenalee's hair and starts combing it.

"These are a memento of my mother. And they come in a pair. How do you like it?" Anita asks.

"Eh? Oh no, I just couldn't use such an important...!?" Lenalee refuses.

"It's all right. She promised me that I would inherit them once I turn 18… But before then, she was killed by an Akuma. I couldn't bring myself to wear them ever since."

"Anita-san, your mother was a supporter of the Order as well. wasn't she...?"

"Yes. She fell in love at first sight with General Cross and became a supporter. Pretty simple-minded isn't she?"

"I-is that so..."

"I shouldn't talk about others though. I'm the same helping the Order because I want to do something for that man."

Lenalee becomes silent and asks, "Do you believe that General Cross is still alive...?"

"...Yes, I do. Because that is... the only source of strength right now."


Meanwhile, Lavi is leaning on the rails of the deck looking up at the card that he picked up at the bamboo thicket. Lavi then remembers Bookman's words.

"Don't be taken in the war. You are the successor of 'Bookman', and nothing else. Haven't I taught you to be nothing more than an onlooker, regardless of the situation?"

"We're not their allies..." Lavi recites.

"We are only the Order's side 'by chance'."

"We're only involved… in order record history." Lavi then rests his head on his arms. "A Bookman... has no need for a heart."

Without him knowing, the Level 3 Akuma lands on the ship behind the teen.

In the cabin

Miranda suddenly stands up from the chair she was sitting getting Krory and Bookman's attention away from their chess game.

"W-what is wrong, Miranda?" Krory asks.

"Just now..." Miranda begins. "There are continuous rounds of Recovery occurring somewhere in this ship. It's on the deck...? WE'RE UNDER ATTACK!"

On the deck

An explosion occurs, causing one of the mast to break and smoke spreads all over the deck.

"WA―H!"

"WHAT THE–! The second mast is broken!"

"It's here!" Mahoja says.

"Enemy attack...! IT'S AN AKUMA!"

In the middle of the deck, the Akuma with spider webs as its wings looks at Lavi lying on the ground. It then put his fingers together to make a rectangle like a painter would do.

"Title: 'An Exorcist Corpse'." The Akuma says.

As the Akuma looks at Lavi's arm, he activates Iron Hammer and it has the fire seal on it.

"Gouka Kaijin..." Lavi says and the Akuma notices Iron Hammer behind it. "DIRECT FIRE SEAL!"

Once the smoke clears up, Lavi is standing with his legs open wide while his body is recovering from Miranda's Time Record and Lavi is holding the handle of Iron Hammer.

"Damn it. I got some pointless injuries." Lavi says.

"Title..."

Lavi widens his eyes as he sees his attack didn't work on it.

"'How Did You Recover'...?" It asks.

'He received a full-on attack of my fire seal without being destroyed...!?' Lavi thought.

The Akuma then hits Iron Hammer, forcing Lavi to fly back.

"UUH! WAH!" Lavi screams and then lands on the sail.

"Lavi!" Mahoja calls.

"Tch..." Lavi clicks his tongue and rubs his head before he opens his eyes. Once Lavi opens his eyes, he sees the Akuma is about to punch him.

"Title: 'Head Smash'."

'Oh shi—...!' Lavi thought.

"LAVI!" Mahoja calls.

The force of the punch is so strong that the sail rips off, causing the boat to break and sink. However, due to Miranda's Innocence, the boat is restored back to normal. Also black needles blocks the Akuma's attack and shield Lavi.

"Black needles?" The Akuma questions.

"Heaven Compass..." Bookman says as he brings his fingers forward toward him. "Compass of Spells: 'North Crime'!"

The needles starts to shoot and stabs the Akuma to the mast that is the opposite of Lavi and Bookman is standing on the rope, above the Akuma.

"Gramps!" Lavi calls as he tries to stand up, but he slips off the sail.

"Getting us worried for nothing." Bookman says.

"Title:" The Akuma announces and Bookman looks down at the Akuma, "'Why Won't You Finish Me Off?'"

"I will, but not before you answer two or three questions for me." Bookman says. "Where did you come from?"

"Title: Eshi was Created from the Soul of a Japanese Painter.'"

"There's no reason for you to hunt for humans on the middle of the ocean. Are you under the Earl's direct orders?"

"Fu..." The Akuma Eshi says and turns to see Bookman. "You want to hear the information on Cross Marian? Hmm?" The Akuma Eshi bites on Bookman's arm flies upward.

"Impossible...!" Bookman says in disbelief.

"I'll be generous and tell you..." It says and Bookman looks at the Akuma Eshi. "But only if you become the model for one of my paintings."

"GRAMPS!" Lavi calls and he gets on the handle. "Extend!"

Lavi quickly goes up to rescue Bookman, but as Lavi goes up he sees needles falling

"Title 'Old Man and The Moon.'"

Lavi sees Bookman falling down. "G-..." He starts and catches Bookman. "GRAMPS! GRAMPS!"

Then the Akuma Eshi notices something is climbing Iron Hammer. It is Lenalee climbing with her Dark Boots activated.

"Return to the ship, Lavi." Lenalee tells Lavi and he looks at her.

Lenalee then charges at the Akuma Eshi.

"LENALEE!" Lavi calls and suddenly he feels his injuries are returning. "Tch...!"

'All of my wounds have returned. Is it because I'm too far away from the boat? Damn it!' Lavi thought.

As Lenalee charges, the Akuma Eshi makes another finger rectangle.

"Lenalee, he's a Level 3, he's far too powerful!" Lavi tells Leenalee. "You can't fight him alone!"

"Title:" The Akuma Eshi says. "'Are You Next?'"

"I will destroy you." Lenalee finishes.

The Akuma Eshi is about to punch her, but Lenalee is too fast before it could see her. The Akuma Eshi looks up and sees her doing a drop kick on it and it guards the kick.

'Just grazed me.' The Akuma Eshi thought. "You're quite fast."

Lenalee stops going down and flies back up to the Akuma Eshi to kick it again. She then spins around to do another kick, but the Akuma Eshi blocks and punches her. Then Lenalee locks the Akuma's arm.

"YA―G―H!" Leenalee shouts and throws the Akuma to the ocean.

"NN!?"

Lenalee looks at the spot where the Akuma Eshi is. Lenalee suddenly drops down to follow the Akuma and Lavi watches her go down.

"Lenalee!" Lavi calls.

"I'm all right, Lavi." Lenalee reassures. "I'm all right now. Because I've made my a decision." Leenalee tells him. "Go ahead of me and protect the boat." Lenalee then speeds up the drop. "I'll be sure to catch up with you guys later..."

Lavi looks down.

"Re-" Bookman speaks. "Return to the... ship... It's not just him... Above... in the clouds."

Lavi widens his eyes.

"There are many more." Bookman adds.

Then the multiple of beams hit the boat and the crew. Some of the beams hit the clock, causing Miranda to get damage as well. Miranda looks up and sees the beams are coming toward her and the crew shield her.

"Are you all right, Miss Exorcist...?"

"You all...! Why...!?" Miranda asks. "When time returns to itself, your wounds...!"

"Oh this? Earlier, we took quite a few good hits."

"We already realize that our death are inevitable. Since we can't be saved, we might as well become your shield."

"OWA―H!" Krory shouts as he flies towards the beams and defects them from the clock. "Che, they're lurking in the clouds. Of all the impertinent...! I'm force to play defensive?" Krory then looks at the sky. "LET ME SUCK YOUR BLOOD!" He shouts and the beams continue to come.

'I can't ward them off!' Krory thought.

"Sorry to keep you waiting, Kuro-chan." Lavi apologizes. "Fire Seal!"

The fire snake coils around the clock acting as a shield and it disappears when the beams hit it. Both Lavi and Bookman are back on the ship and their injuries are gone.

"Stop calling me that, Eye-Patch." Krory tells Lavi.

"Sorry about that, Krory." Bookman apologizes.

As the beams continue to come, Anita grabs the helm.

"All hands on deck, listen up!" Anita orders. "Full throttle to the engines! Those still standing, head to the engine's hearth! Everyone else, stay on deck and protect the ship's course! I will take the helm!"

Mahoja then grabs the Anita's hands where Anita is grabbing the helm.

"The helm is too heavy for your slender arms, Mistress." Mahoja tells Anita.

"Mahoja." Anita calls and looks ahead with a smile. "Thank you."

'Let us all go...' Anita thought. 'To Japan.'

As Lenalee flies down, Akuma Eshi comes out of the water.

~Meanwhile~

Bookman is on the clock and he puts his hands together.

"Heaven Compass. Needle of Divine Protection: East Crime!" Bookman says.

The black needles cover the clock along with Bookman to protect them when the beams come.

"Leave the Record to me." Bookman says. "The rest of you attack the enemies in the sky!"

"Maruten!" Lavi says after he hits seal with Iron Hammer. "Raitei Kaiten! I'm counting on you Kuro-chan!"

"Got it! Bring it on!" Krory says and Lavi brings down Iron Hammer and Krory hits it.

The Heaven Seal surrounds area around them that has a large print of the seal (ten) with a circle around it.

"TENBAN!" Lavi shouts.

Lightning appears from the seal and starts shoot at the sky, making the clouds to light up.

"Did we get them...!?" Krory asks when suddenly the beams appear again and start to shoot at Lavi and Krory. "YOU MISSED THEM COMPLETELY, YOU DAMN IDIOT!" He yells at Lavi.

"Che... So aiming in the general direction won't work after all." Lavi says and he lands on the mast. "I can't even throw a proper shot in anyway, since they're moving about in the clouds." Lavi then feels the boat shaking and he looks around. "What's that!?"

"An earthquake?" Krory asks.

"But we're out in the middle of the ocean...!?" Miranda points out.

"What...?" Anita says. "The helm... I can't move it...!"

Suddenly, the ship starts to sink.

"WHA...!" Lavi says.

"The ship is...!?" Anita exclaims.

From far away, Akuma Eshi's body is surrounded in purple aura as he watches the boat to sink.

"Keirui Suijou no Tougi Mizukase!" Lenalee says and she stands on the water. "What have you done to our ship...!?"

The Akuma Eshi looks at her and smirks before it gets out of the water and charges towards her. Lenalee then inhales and charges towards the Akuma Eshi. The two starts to fight and when the girl kicks the Akuma Eshi's chin, it grabs her ankle and it hits her by his knee. After that, the Akuma Eshi punches her, causing her to go backwards. However she rotates herself and lands on the water.

"Guh..." Lenalee grunts when she suddenly starts to sink into the water. "What the-!?" She exclaims as she looks at her foot.

"Kukuku..." The Akuma Eshi laughs. "All of you... will not live to ever see the light of dawn again."