Fictions Mentioned:

Episode 42

OP Song:

Nishiwaki Yui-君がいるから...(Because you...)(FULL)(Kindaichi Case Files OP 3)

Insert Song: Start

Corpse Party: Book of Shadows ~ Witch Hunt (Extended)

Between the Lines

Flashback

Somewhere in Beika Ward, sometime during the night, there was a young man wearing casual clothing waiting on the rooftops, pacing back and forth in worry. Why? He was worried about a few people that have gone missing for the past few days. And one of those people was a young girl named Sayaka Ooue. He already sent the distress signal, a function on his phone that was given to him by someone some time ago in case of emergencies, and it was this someone that he was calling right now.

"You wanted to see me, Inumaru-kun?

Haruyuki Inumaru, a young man who attends the same high school as Sayaka Ooue, would turn around to find the man he was looking for. Well, I supposed boy would be more accurate in a sense too because it was a young man shrunk to the size of an elementary school student. He was wearing his iconic dark blue magician suit and top hat. Night Baron had come to pay a visit due to Inumaru calling him on the phone.

"Yes," the young man nodded in worry. "Although I think you may have heard about this by now but..."

"At least three people that we know have been declared missing for the past few days, five if you count Kibiki Kou and Taguchi Shougo. The troubling part is that they have somehow been forgotten by most of the people that we know," Night Baron explained in a grim manner.

Yes, for the past few days, Night Baron had been thoroughly searching for at least five individuals that had gone missing for the past few days. Sayaka Ooue, Naho Saenoki, Aiko Niwa, Kou Kibiki, and Shougo Taguchi. But even before these five went missing, the more he had gotten to look at the situation, the more bizarre things crept up, and an Inspector of the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department, Inspector Juzo Megure, had notified him immediately of a few missing people that had just...disappeared off the face of the earth, as if they were never there, nor was there any existence of any kind of record: birth certificates, students IDs, etc. The strangest part was that these same victims were also just...forgotten, forgotten by most people, which Megure found it to be a bit too strange as he and his right hand man, Detective Wataru Takagi, were the only few that didn't become affected by this phenomenon.

And then, in the case of Aiko Niwa, her older sister, Kuon Niwa, had personally requested Night Baron to investigate upon the matter regarding her younger sister, being absolutely worried for her every day as she hasn't seen her since the same past few days. Similar to Megure and Takagi, it is clear that Kuon remembers her sister, but she noted that almost everyone that she knew had forgotten that Kuon even had a sister. No memories, no experiences, nothing. It terrified her for a bit which is the main reason why she was asking for his help personally. In the case of Naho Saenoki, the only information that people only seem to generally recall would be that website that she had created a long time ago back in middle school, but not the person herself in particular. And then, there was Sayaka Ooue, who by occupation is a famous radio personality and model, one whose disappearance that should have hit the news reports and channels...somehow wasn't reported?

Something doesn't add up.

And then there were the rumors of some kind of charm that had been in use on the site for people to use. A kind of friendship charm that has a few specific conditions in order for the friends to be "best friends forever" to give a brief summary.

Was...it...?

S███ Ev███ ████er.

Ksssssssssssssssssssssssssshhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

"("...The heck?")" Night Baron thought out of concern.

No matter how much he tries to recall something about that, it seems like something was blocking him from remembering. Some kind of perception filter perhaps? If it was, then this is one of the most advanced, elusive, and dangerous forms of perception filters that he had ever encountered. He had no clue on how to retrieve the information without seemingly leaving his mind blank and not able to recall that one tiny detail that could help him solve this case.

He tried calling for help from other sources, even on the supernatural side. But everywhere he looks appeared to be a dead end. Someone really doesn't want the missing victims to be found. It concerned him. It hadn't bothered him this much since the Hell Correspondence Incidents, a series of cases that speak of an internet phenomenon, and even before that, had adapted and changed in the past centuries to accommodate for the times, such as when back in the days before the internet and newspapers, there was the usage of small wooden plaques, and they all commonly revolved around one thing.

Someone has a grudge. Writes the name of his/her enemy. Sends said enemy to Hell. And the person who did this would be doomed to Hell as well.

Of course, he managed to put those specific cases under wraps with the help of many people, so it wasn't like he can take the credit alone. He was just glad that this twisted link that has tormented innocent people throughout the centuries for so long was finally over and done with. It was a long time coming, and Night Baron in some part of his being, felt guilt-driven and wished that he had found out about it sooner in order to prevent any more deaths and unjust punishments in the afterlife. But then, he of course knew that some enemies can just be that elusive. That doesn't mean however that he can like it.

Now a similar thing was happening right now. People were just disappearing. How long had this been starting? He couldn't tell, not with the lack of further available information that he has. He needed to find out more.

"...Yeah," Inumaru slowly nodded, biting his lip. He was concerned for everybody, especially for his childhood friend, Sayaka Ooue. "I'm worried, Night Baron. People have been somehow forgetting that Sayaka and Naho-chan are even in our class. Every time I tried to ask around, it seems that they don't even know what I'm talking about either. The only thing they seem to recall is-"

"Naho-chan's website," Night Baron spoke grimly. "And there's one other thing that bothered me."

"What is it?" Inumaru asked.

"I think...I think that Naho-chan once said something about her, Sayaka-chan, Kibiki-san, and Taguchi-san were heading off too-"

Ksssssssssssssssssssssssssshhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

There it was again. It ached his head. Night Baron didn't know what was happening. Something was definitely blocking his memory of whatever he managed to find out. A memetic of unknown origin. This troubled him.

"Heading off too?" Inumaru asked.

"...And that's the problem," Night Baron explained in a grimaced tone. He looked towards the moon that was shining in the sky with a subtle, haunted expression. His cape was waving by the wind. "I can't seem to recall anything after that."

But of course, Night Baron wouldn't recall anything until the time was right. When he and his four companions, and the Doctor, would eventually visit a certain realm that hosted an abandoned elementary school. A haunted one.

"Inumaru-kun," Night Baron spoke up in a grim tone, bringing the young man's attention. "Have you noticed anything off about the dates lately?"

"Hm? What about them?" Inumaru asked.

"What date do you think it is?" Night Baron asked.

He told him the date. A Wednesday night on a certain date. Now, that pretty much confirmed Night Baron's suspicions. Something was very wrong with time. It's like someone was moving the dates. Because until this point, Wednesday is the consistently agreed day when anyone who at least notices something off would know and respond when asked the question, and would be confused if some were to correct them by saying that it's another day of the week such as Tuesday or Friday. One day, a Monday would be a Wednesday and most people would have just shrugged it off as them forgetting about it. At that large of a scale, Night Baron wasn't just buying it. It wasn't just that. Night Baron had made contact with a few friends and acquaintances, and they pretty much confirmed his suspicions since they too noticed the days being out of order.

Time in general was becoming off and inconsistent.

His father and the first Night Baron, Yusaku Kudo, also immediately noticed the discrepancies. Like him, Yusaku did his own personal investigations, both as himself and as Night Baron, as well as made contact with a few friends and acquaintances too.

Nobody can trace where and when the origins of these inconsistencies were taking place. The only thing that can be generally agreed on was that it was coming directly from a future, but which future, no one can tell. Perhaps he should try asking for the Doctor's help at this point since this seems way too close to the latter's purview.

PART 1

Present Time

The mysterious lullaby that had been playing for at least an hour or so was over.

But to Night Baron, it was a very familiar tune. He can tell immediately from the sound and tone that it was the voice of his wife's best friend, Rika Kamijou. The lullaby was haunting and sober; vague and mysterious. It related to a particular, sore topic that was an unspoken agreement to never be brought up except in specific cases and circumstances.

As he and his company of girls were crossing through the abandoned roads, they ended up finding themselves in another school hallway, having crossed from one dimension to the next. His thought-map was very helpful, assisting him and his girls to prevent themselves from getting entangled in any traps.

"...?"

Another piece of paper would pass by as it blows towards his general direction. Sachiko Shinozaki (White) is trying to warn him again, it seems. He catches the paper and opens it.

"You may have been wondering about the sound from earlier, detective. If you couldn't tell by now, it was not I that caused that nor was it my red counterpart's doing. It was simply the nature of this place, being a nexus plane that can access different time zones in the Multiverse. What I find concerning however was the era the tune lead to as that specific point in time should be barred access normally, and the same can be said for the dead Dalek war drone that you've encountered earlier..."

"("So Sachiko does know about the Daleks then.")" Night Baron noted with a thoughtful expression.

"...Be on the lookout for anything. There are other slashers just nearby in your relative location. Due to lack of time and other factors, I will deliver all of the necessary information via the mental link. Everything that I deliver, I hope can be useful for your own discretion. Also, you should know that onii-chan is currently preoccupied at the moment, fighting against an old enemy of his. I believe you also know of him. The murderer behind the Whitechapel murders, now an armour bearer of an ancient devil-god..."

And as he read this, multiple thoughts would come to his mind. Information on the various slashers, who they are, what they are, what they can do, what weapons they have, and other points of trivia. Yes, Night Baron thought, it is quite useful. But then, his thoughts were unsettled due to the last part. The murderer behind the Whitechapel murders would have to be none other than...

"("Jack the Ripper...So he's here too...And from the way this letter said, Touma-san appears to be currently engaged with him. But...")" Night Baron thought.

If Jack the Ripper, a Squire of the Children of the Scarlet King, was here, then the danger just rose considerably. Now Night Baron would grimace. First a dead Time War Dalek war drone, now Jack the Ripper? He wondered what other old enemies are hiding out and doing their own thing in this particular place. Considering that this place is considered a nexus point that could potentially access any timeline, and judging from the Time War Dalek that he and the girls saw earlier as well as the lullaby, then...he shuddered to think of what Jack the Ripper could do with such a place.

If Jack the Ripper wanted to, he could probably bring an entire horde of Angel Rank Elemental Parademons from different points in the timeline and rain down upon their heads. A horde's numbers would depend. It could be one hundred which is already bad enough as these monsters were capable of calling forth the elements of water, earth (incl: metal, wood), fire, and air (incl: wind) for them to manipulate. Legends tell of them as capable of besting modern-day armies, and known for being the destroyers of countless worlds, all with the battle cry of "HAIL TO THE SCARLET KING!".

Time was becoming unreliable now if Jack the Ripper was here. Now, there are too many variables at this point for Night Baron to make a precise conjecture of where and when events could unfold, and taking into account as well of the horrors and power of this twisted place.

"...Concentrate on what you must currently do for the time being, detective. Do not worry as onii-chan isn't alone. He is with his wife, and also, I have taken the liberty of providing him with additional help, and I believe that the Doctor has the same idea as I have. Continue collecting the remaining tongues. They are vital to appeasing the three vengeful spirits under my red counterpart's thumb. I wish you glad tidings even in this nightmarish domain. - Shinozaki Sachiko."

She was right, Night Baron thought. He needed to focus on trying to get all three tongues together in order to appease the three children. Time was of the essence, no matter how short it may seem.

"Girls," Night Baron called the girls' attention. "There may be more slashers for us to encounter."

"Oh? Well that's quite interesting," Magari smiled a bit, showing the side of a battle maniac as she readied her scythe. "You know, if it weren't for the fucked up shit that this place was, I might have loved to party here."

"Considering that this is technically a party hosted by a ghost, you're not that far off," Night Baron muttered seriously.

And so, they kept moving. At some point pass a few corridors, Magari Mizuki and Riko Mine taking care of a few stragglers, in this case, Magari sliced up a few undead creatures that were moving in a slow walk, while Riko placed her bullets on a pair of large cockroaches which disgusted all of the girls. And then...

"RAAAAAA-AH!"

As some of the girls such as Aiko Niwa and Haruno Yukinoshita were surprised to see an incoming assailant that exited the classroom door to their right, Night Baron would dodge an incoming knife attack and managed to backflip the assailant by grabbing his arm and sending him down the floor with a flip before punching him in the face, knocking him out. It was just an ordinary high school student that was being affected by the Darkening...

"Wait, everyone, he's a civilian!" Night Baron exclaimed as he noticed Riko and Magari preparing their weapons just in case.

After managing to knock the boy out, Night Baron used his sonic screwdriver to send him into the Twelfth Doctor's TARDIS, to a specific room where Darkening victims go to for them to be treated. Yes, in places like this, Night Baron knew to check his targets for any civilian, especially those affected by the corrupt nature of this place. Discernment is the key to victory in this situation. Then his thoughts turn to the door. From his glasses, he noticed a static distortion that lead to a different dimension before closing. Night Baron would take note that the dimensional barriers can open and close, leading from one dimension to the next. He and the girls would best be careful then.

Now, they keep moving, crossing through the abandoned dilapidated hallways with care. Then as they walked through the place, Night Baron and the girls found something odd. Haruno picked up what appeared to be a silver video camera.

"A camera...?" Haruno narrowed her eyes. She gave it to Night Baron for the latter to examine it. He grabs the camera while Aiko looked at the camera with a concerned expression.

"Wait, I recognized this camera," Aiko said as she draw near to Night Baron, bending her knees a bit. "It...It belonged to Taguchi-san...at least, from the memories of the alternate timelines that I can remember."

"...And from what I can see and detect," Night Baron muttered grimly. He would try to check the data of the camera. "This isn't a Camera Obscura, which is what Taguchi uses daily, but an ordinary video camera. There are also a few temporal, spiritual, and electromagnetic signals that I found via handprints that do not conform to our normal reality. Based on this, I can confirm Aiko-chan's account that this camera comes from an alternative timeline. And then comes the interesting part, there's only one file recorded in this camera."

"Only one? In a place like this, I find that very doubtful," Haruno casually stated while bending her knees a bit with both hands placed to her face, drawing near Night Baron.

"You're right, it is very suspicious," Night Baron glanced at Aiko, noticing her grimaced expression. "Aiko-chan, what else can you remember about this camera?"

"I remember having found it along with Inumaru-san. We recognize it as Taguchi-san's camera but we noticed that there was only one recorded footage," Aiko explained.

"And what did you two find out?" Night Baron asked.

At that moment, Aiko would grimace, almost looking teary-eyed as she remembers clearly of that specific time. She hesitated to answer for a bit, which was noticed by Night Baron and the others, before saying.

"We saw..." Aiko grimaced as she spoke. "We saw...Naho-chan and Kibiki-san's..." She dares not say further, but Night Baron can take a hint.

At that moment, Night Baron would start the playback of the footage from the camera, with every one of the girls watching. It began immediately with a door creaking open, leading into a small room with a distinctly Japanese flair to its décor.

"Is this...the janitor's room?"

There was a familiar voice, one that came from a man in his late twenties. There was no mistaking that tone, Night Baron thought. The voice came from none other than Shougo Taguchi.

"AAAAAAAAAAHHH!"

"...?!"

A scream of a female was heard. They saw that Taguchi had jumped back out of shock and fear, falling with a painful-sounding thump. They can hear his whimpering, gasping sound from the camera. Night Baron would narrow his eyes at the camera's footage.

"Aaaah! ...Wh-What the hell...is that?" Taguchi spoke out of fear.

The camera was now slowly and cautiously being moved closer and closer to a sliding door in the back half of the room.

"...D-Did it come from in here...? I-Is someone there?!" Taguchi said.

The camera caught a little bit of Taguchi bracing himself as he hesitantly slid the door open. He then stuck the camera inside as he himself began to survey the contents of this closet, quickly discovering...

"...!" Night Baron's eyes continue to narrow, showing no change of expression. The rest of the girls however were showing signs of shock from what they were currently seeing. Magari was simply narrowing her eyes while Aiko was raising her hands to her mouth in horror.

"AAGH!" Taguchi exclaimed in shock and horror. "Naho-chan! Sensei! AAAAH!"

...There were two bodies, stacked on top of one another. One was Kou Kibiki and the other was Naho Saenoki. They were full-on skeletons at this point, only identifiable by their clothes.

"Aaaah! Aaaaaah! AAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!" Taguchi screamed in horror.

...And that's where the footage stopped, leaving Night Baron and the girls to think of what had just occurred. There was nothing except a very long silence, with the common disturbed thoughts of most of the girls. And then, right before Night Baron would simply tuck the camera into his pocket before holding Aiko's hand gently, surprising the latter from her grief.

"Let's keep moving," Night Baron's tone was firm and his expression was gentle, having taken off his glasses for Aiko to see his blue, piercingly gentle eyes. Then his eyes turn to every single one of the girls who were reassu4ed in their own way, and yes, that would include Magari Mizuki who simply gave a voice of exasperation, making a sideways expression, with arms crossed.

It managed to reassure Aiko and she smiled thankfully. "...Hai."

Yes, they needed to keep moving. Like what Night Baron said, the camera came from another dead-end timeline. Shougo Taguchi's camera was less of an ordinary camera and more of a special one designed for multiple purposes besides recording things. It was called the Camera Obscura, a camera invented and developed by the late Dr. Kunihiko Asou. To put things simply without any unneeded exposition, it's a camera that is generally used essentially in defense against the dead, capable of exorcising them.

But then...

They heard the sound of footsteps that were coming close to them a few meters away. Night Baron and the girls look straight to find someone walking towards them.

"Eh?!" all of the girls, one way or another, recognized the person.

"Tck...Oh hell no...Not him..." Magari clicked her tongue and cursed her luck since she immediately recognized this person.

Night Baron was narrowing his eyes, not surprised at the familiar face that was now showing himself.

On the surface, he doesn't look that different from a regular second-year high school student of Teitan High School due to the winter uniform that he wears which was a white shirt, green tie, navy blue blazer, and either a pair of navy blue pants. But there were also a pair of sealed katanas that were strapped close to his back. He had black hair, brown eyes, and a handsome face. His expression was solemn and serious.

Night Baron knew this man. He was a prominent member and designated heir of the elusive Ashikage Clan, an ancient international organization that has members all over the world, protecting it from the shadows. Naturally, the Ashikage Clan was an enemy of Martuba's Tomb due to the latter's goals and ambitions, along with other conspiracy organizations with their own plans for the world and beyond. That would explain Magari's hesitant reaction to seeing the young man.

His name was Kenji Ashikage, also known as Shadow Phase.

The young man was simply looking around a bit, mentally noting immediately Magari Mizuki's presence but didn't show it by his cool expression, before his eyes focused on Night Baron specifically.

"I am not surprised that you are here, kyoudai," the young man spoke seriously. "I only wondered when the fates would allow us to meet again in these circumstances, knowing of the events that you usually stumble upon."

But why call Night Baron "kyoudai"?

Because the young man and Night Baron had been old friends and fellow warriors, having met and trained together when they were eleven years old, at a time before Conan Edogawa, or rather Shinichi Kudo, became Night Baron. They also fought alongside each other in many battles which are stories of their own to be told for another time.

"And I am not surprised either that you ended up here as well, Shadow Phase," Night Baron muttered in respectful acknowledgment, putting his glasses back on before speaking again. "How did you end up here, if I may ask?"

"Simple. I merely stumbled upon a rift that lead to this particular dimension," Shadow Phase explained. "Since then, I have managed to encounter the horrors of this place and discern for myself on how to proceed accordingly on uncharted territory, thus it was manageable, I can assure you. I did however take great care to avoid my blade on any civilian I may have come across in my time here and simply hid myself from their presence, noticing how the effects of this place seem to have a hand in it."

"And your sharp foresight does not deceive you one bit since I can confirm it for myself and for the others who are with me," Night Baron explained.

"Yes, and I am also curious that you would have a known elite member of a dangerous cult following you around, kyoudai," Shadow Phase simply looked at Magari with a cool expression. It didn't mean much, but Magari was subtly intimidated, feeling the urge to sweat.

"We currently have a temporary truce that was agreed upon by all parties," Night Baron simply answered.

"And do you trust her?" Shadow Phase asked, concerned.

"No," Night Baron answered swiftly without any hesitation, which made Magari let out an annoyed 'Oi!' while the rest of the girls simply giggled in amusement. "Which is why I allow Riko-chan to do what is necessary to keep her on a tight leash." He referred to Riko Mine Lupin IV who was waving at Shadow Phase with a cheerful, friendly smile.

"Hi~ Ken-kun~! Fancy seeing you here," Riko said.

Shadow Phase simply bowed his head politely before continuing his conversation with Night Baron. "Since we have all reunited, it would appear that the sharing of vital information is in order."

"Yes," Night Baron nodded. "I will tell you of what I know so far as we walk on the way."

Night Baron begins to explain to Shadow Phase of what he knew of the current situation. The latter understood well as his expression turned grim and thoughtful after being informed of how dire this situation they now find themselves in. Especially noteworthy was the mere mention of the Doctor and the other fellow companions. The girls were at the back, following them, with Magari being at the farthest.

"("...Ugh, of course this guy would know who the Doctor is.")" Magari thought to herself when she noticed his expression.

"...Then all the more reason then for us to make haste and find what we are looking for," Shadow Phase nodded solemnly. "You have found at least one of the tongues, yes."

"Yes, on an abandoned clinic," Night Baron answered. "Only two more to find. Then we can use these tongues to appease these spirits under Sachiko's thumb and at least permanently seal the dimensional gateway located in Kisaragi Academy, taking care of one potential problem. We don't want anything from this dimension coming through, major or otherwise."

"I agree," Shadow Phase nodded.

The rest of the trip was quiet, at least when you do not count a few takedowns from Night Baron and Shadow Phase, using their martial arts prowess against the Darkening infected civilians, many of whom are just middle school and high school students. Afterward, Night Baron used his sonic screwdriver to send these people to the TARDIS once again. In all that time, it made the pair of them think with perturbation.

How long were these people trapped here before they managed to knock them out and take them back into the TARDIS?

They cannot say.

Time works differently in this cluster of dimensions. One day from the normal side of reality could be a few days to a few months, maybe even a year if one is fortunate enough to evade Red Sachiko's and other horrors' notice. The last part is doubtful for the more normal average civilian who wouldn't have the first clue how to survive in this hellhole.

"Hm?" Night Baron noticed something from his thought-map. Two blue color signals appeared to be surrounded by multiple red colors, meaning that someone was under attack as he can tell from the mixed signals that this blue color is fighting back with a yellow object of interest, identified as a Camera Obscura.

"What is it?" Shadow Phase asked.

"We should hurry, two people are in danger!" Night Baron exclaimed as he was the first to make a run for it. Shadow Phase followed close behind, along with the rest of the girls.

They run through a few corridors until they turned right. When Night Baron and Shadow Phase begin to check, it appeared that the doors were tight shut.

"It's locked! Shadow Phase, let's kick the door, on my signal!" Night Baron exclaimed.

"Ah," Shadow Phase nodded seriously.

And so, both of them would begin to focus the momentum of their bodies, placing their footing in the correct position. Then, they made a strong kick that managed to forcefully open, revealing what appeared to be an abandoned gymnasium. As they walk through, from his eyes, Night Baron can see two girls side by side, with one of them holding a Camera Obscura to defend themselves against the growing number of translucent orange-tinged restless spirits that were now gathering towards them. The vengeful spirits wailed and hissed as they turn towards them, noticing their arrival.

"Ah, Shinichi-sama!" one of the girls exclaimed with a reassuring smile.

She was a young woman with fair skin. From what Night Baron recalls, she was considered to be one of the most beautiful girls in Teitan High School. Accounts speak of people being awed by her beauty and they wonder whether if she was a model or not. Her hip-length orange hair is carefully divided into two strands of marigold - marigold cufflinks that she received long ago. She also had bright orange eyes that would make people mesmerized. Her clothing consisted of a white dress, a red corset tied to her waist, and black shoes.

She looked just as fancy and normal as ever, Night Baron thought, even with all of the nightmares happening. She was even carrying an iron crowbar, probably used to defend herself from the spirits. Then again, it wasn't like she was the type of girl to get scared so easily. As expected for being the daughter of the most powerful man in the Japanese Police Force, being its Commissioner General.

Her name was Marika Tachibana, daughter of Commissioner General Gen Tachibana.

"Eh?! Marika-chan?!" Shoko Makinohara exclaims.

"("Oho? So the Commissioner General's daughter is here as well?")" Magari raised an eyebrow of interest.

Aside from her, there was another young woman that Night Baron was familiar with.

"Shinichi!" the girl exclaimed with a smile of joy and reassurance.

She was a few years older than him, about nineteen. She had auburn brown hair and brown eyes. She was wearing a white-orange shirt, with holes showing her bare shoulders, and a center button attached holding them together. There was also a white undershirt, short black pants, long socks below the knees, and black shoes. She was carrying a special type of camera, the Camera Obscura.

Her name was Yuri Kozukata.

"Yuri-san?" Aiko was surprised, recognizing the young woman.

"Kyoudai," Shadow Phase uttered with narrowed eyes, drawing out one of his katana. "I will handle the right, you can handle the left."

"Got it," Night Baron agreed.

And so, both heroes scatter as the spirits would all charge at them, whether slow or fast. Those spirits with faster-tackling reflexes however were unfortunate as they were sliced in half by Shadow Phase and punched and kicked by Night Baron by hitting multiple weak spots with his gloves that have anti-supernatural properties. There was only the skill of acrobatic martial arts as the two performed their respective movements.

Shadow Phase would simply sidestep and perform upper and lower movements of attack, using his katana to slice through the spirits with ease. With every spirit trying to tackle him, he would dodge with grace before slicing them with ease as he handled his sword with care. Night Baron would simply dodge and perform punches and kicks that would evaporate the spirits with the sound of broken glass. Night Baron makes a jump for a few meters, unleashing a wave of boomerangs etched with Eastern Orthodox prayers against evil, exorcising the spirits, both left and right.

Then Night Baron would land gracefully. Two spirits were coming next to him, wanting to tackle him. Only, Night Baron was prepared as he raised both of his gauntlets which immediately sparked with the presence of two holy symbols, the Star of David, whose presence burned the spirits and exorcised them. Then he turned the symbols off. A few spirits on the right were at the same time dealt by Shadow Phase as he jumps in front of them and slices them in half.

All spirits have been neutralized. Shadow Phase would return his weapon back to his back, sealing it. As for Night Baron...

"Shinichi-sama!"

"Shinichi!"

Both girls would suddenly hug Night Baron without hesitation, making Night Baron glance at them with concern.

"Are you girls alright?" Night Baron asked.

"Yes," Yuri responded with a smile. "We're all alright."

"Shinichi-sama, I knew you would not be so far behind. Something like this is bound to get your attention eventually," Marika smiled cheerfully.

"You thought correctly," Night Baron nodded, putting his right hand on the center tip of his hat.

"And I see that you have brought familiar company too," Marika glances down the stage to find a couple of girls who were looking at them.

"Who would have thought that you would be here as well, Marika-chan," Riko smiled a bit.

"The same can be said of you, Riko-chan, although," Marika glances a bit at Magari, recognizing the latter but making sure not to show it with her smiling face.

"Don't worry," Night Baron anticipated with a grim tone. "It's a long story. Suffice it to say that we have a temporary truce until the main threats have been dealt with."

"Heeh, is that so?" Marika casually said.

"Yuri-chan, it's been a while," Aiko spoke with a smile.

"Eh? Aiko-san, you're here too?" Yuri spoke with a concerned tone.

"Kyoudai," Shadow Phase spoke with a simple, cool tone. "Perhaps it would be most wise if we keep moving to our intended destinations if we are going to provide further explanations."

"Ah," Night Baron nodded. "I agree."

Night Baron, Shadow Phase, the company of girls that have increased were now walking from the exit and crossing through several dilapidated corridors. Some of the floorboards were avoided due to the beating pumps of flesh that were scattered in the area like live minds in a dangerous trench.

Night Baron briefly explained the situation for the two newcomers to understand the situation, the latter two being very surprised of one particular thing.

"Ha! I suppose that you two are in the same boat as some of us," Magari said with a smirk.

Yes, like some of the girls, both Yuri Kozukata and Marika Tachibana didn't know of one particular backstory in Night Baron's life which was about the Doctor. It warranted Night Baron to provide an explanation as well of his relationship with the Doctor and all of the adventures that he had with him and four specific companions that he considered to be the best of friends. While doing so, Night Baron had a few thoughts that were in his mind. The question that would be asked would be why would Night Baron keep around most of these young women when he could simply send them to the TARDIS where it would be safe.

Because Night Baron isn't that stupid.

If he tried that kind of tactic, he will eventually be ganged up on by a bunch of angry women who would want to fight by his side but instead were sent somewhere against their will without them generally having a say. Some part of him would admittedly think that it would be the best course of action due to the hidden dangers, but he knew that these women that were with him weren't ordinary women. They are far more than just that. They were some of the smartest, sharpest, and most dangerous of women that Night Baron had the pleasure of knowing. They act independently of their own free will and want to take action instead of simply behaving like good damsel in distresses.

Well, from the perspective of others, they formed a part of what is termed as the Second Generation of Kudo Girls. And yes, that is a term used by others to describe the unwanted haremettes of Shinichi Kudo, or Conan Edogawa, specifically. It meant of course that these girls that were with him weren't the only girls in that large line up that have their own quirks and personalities.

What was it that his best friend, Touma Kamijou, used to say at specific moments of realization like this?

Such misfortune.

As the explanations came, in Yuri Kozukata and Marika Tachibana's cases, they were simply out taking a walk, not doing anything much. Then suddenly, some kind of rift managed to make them fall down to this dimension, landing on an abandoned classroom.

"And you have been here for a while, I take it," Night Baron said.

"...Yes," Yuri nodded. "I can't really tell how much time seems to have passed. It felt like Tachibana-san and myself were trapped here for an entire day."

"At least you have the Camera Obscura that I gave you to use in cases like this," Night Baron said, noting the vintage camera that Yuri was holding.

"Yes, it actually helped me and Tachibana-san to avoid any of the traps and spirits that were around here," Yuri smiled, if only a bit sadly. "We managed to encounter one or two of the friendlier ghosts around here. They keep saying that they couldn't move on to the next life due to being trapped here for eternity and can still feel the final moments of their death along with it."

"Sounds slightly familiar, like the Maidens of Black Water Case that we dealt with a while back," Night Baron mentioned the case in passing.

"Yes, something like that," Yuri nodded with a grimaced expression, remembering the case all too well.

"How is Kurosawa-san by the way?" Night Baron asked about Yuri's guardian, Hisoka Kurosawa, a woman in her early twenties who owns an antiques shop and café called Kurosawa's Antiques.

"She's doing well, although she may probably be worried about me by now considering..." Yuri simply left it at that.

"I see," Night Baron said, understanding.

As the conversation continues, Night Baron stops walking, which was noticed by Shadow Phase and the rest of the girls. Night Baron's expression turn grim when he spotted something from his thought-map. It was slowly walking from the back of their position. He glances a bit as his eyes narrowed. There was no one there except for Magari and Riko being the furthest in the back. It appeared that this slasher was capable of maintaining stealth. He noticed Magari staring at the back, probably having sensed something as well due to the smirking expression, playfully touching the handle of her scythe as if by instinct.

He would launch a boomerang by surprise, which made most of the girls pay immediate attention as they sidestep to see the boomerang head towards a few ten to fifteen meters from their direction. Then, a flashbang effect was seen, revealing a disoriented cloaked figure carrying a dangerous weapon whose tip resembled a skull and spine of a dead person, modified with a wooden handle and sharp blades protruding the skull.

Everyone would begin to take a good look at this person. He was tall, towering figure. He is barefoot, as evidenced by a lack of footwear, walking in a way that would suggest his feet are in pain with every step. He has bandages wrapped around his waist, and wears a shawl and scarf on his upper body. His head is covered in mud with sticks protruding from the top. Three white tally marks are drawn on his face and his skin seems to have a tree bark-like texture, indicating that he had been nearly burned alive at some point in the past.

At that point, Night Baron could only close his eyes in empathy, which were unseen by everyone due to his glasses being non-reflective. He knew what would happen next as he turned around, and noticed and understood as well by Shadow Phase, with the sound of a slash being heard. Magari Mizuki, despite her size, managed to cut off the head of the slasher with a graceful movement of a ballerina that sent the head of the slasher sprawling to the floor.

Most of the girls simply carried serious and grimaced expressions at the sound of a head rolling. Shadow Phase only remained silent, looking undisturbed. Night Baron breathes a sigh of empathy, knowing that "it needed to be done", and simply prayed silently for the soul of this slasher who only became the way he is due to an unfortunate set of circumstances.

It was quick, then Night Baron turned around and walk fast to the slasher's corpse and head, beginning to make use of a permanent white chalk marker in order to use the Binding Slash spell to bind the slasher's body and soul in order for it to not cause any more problems.

Afterwards, Night Baron and the rest of the girls kept moving.

Night Baron's Rogues Gallery File

File# [REDACTED]

Alias: The Wraith

Real Name: Philip Ojomo

Nationality: Nigerian

Date of Birth: [REDACTED]

Biography:

Philip Ojomo came to this country without anything than hope for a new beginning. He was happy as he got offered a job at Autohaven Wreckers. A small scrap yard where bribed cops turned a blind eye for the somewhat shady business that took place. Ojomo didn't care. He had seen criminal activity up close in his homeland and as long as he didn't get involved, he let things be. He just fixed cars and handled the crusher. Something he did really well. A car went in and a small, metallic cube came out. It was not until one gloomy day that he, just by accident, saw some blood coming from one of the un-crushed cars. As he opened the trunk he found a young man, gagged and with tied hands with panic filled eyes. Ojomo freed the man who managed to run ten feet before Ojomo's boss stopped him and slit his throat. As Ojomo demanded answers he got explained to him that he'd been nothing more than a simple executioner as more or less every car had a soul in them as this was a "service" the scrap yard provided to certain "clients". Ojomo snapped and went ballistic. He threw his boss in the crusher and let it slowly compress, as the head stuck out, Ojomo grabbed it and pulled head and spine out of the body. Then he left and was never seen again.

Description:

Using his Wailing Bell to render himself invisible, The Wraith tracks his prey and strikes with little warning. Upon hearing the Bell's fateful chime, Survivors must think fast or suffer the consequences. A hit-and-run specialist, The Wraith is adept at keeping everybody injured.

Lore:

"There's another apparition, more terrifying than anything I've ever seen, hunting amongst the shadows here. It moves like a silhouette, appearing and disappearing at the sound of a dreaded bell. It's impossible to track it. Several times it has caught me without me even seeing it closing in. Often convinced I have my back covered, it has promptly materialized right behind me to strike from close range. Stay still and watch the fog. Don't move, don't blink and for god's sake don't breathe. If you can control your fear long enough and can show self-control, sometimes it is possible to see its shimmer as it glides forward if caught at just the right light. I pray for your safety."

~ Benedict Baker's Journal, Nov. 1896 on The Wraith

PART 2

Night Baron, Shadow Phase, and company kept walking. They eventually find themselves on a circular staircase that was at least a hundred or so meters high. They would begin to walk their way through it without hesitation.

Night Baron, checking the signals of his thought-map, suggested that they were still far from the location of the second tongue. This may be a long trek through the dark, he thought.

After walking the steps and finally reaching the top, they begin to walk through a broken door that leads to yet another dimension. It lead to a couple of pathways whose edges were showing a vast and rocky chasm. A very long way down.

They kept walking. It was rather quiet, with only the sound of the ominous winds blowing through the area.

Then, after a few walks later, they would spot something just to their right, at least somewhere far away which would surprise most of them. Decomposed zombified creatures, a horde of them, were heading towards them from afar. And they were...running fast! They spotted them immediately as the sounds of growling and roaring was heard.

"Everyone run, now!" Night Baron exclaimed.

They all begin to make a run for it. Night Baron would throw a pair of boomerangs and Shadow Phase would throw a pair of shurikens which were aimed at the hordes from afar, exploding upon impact, and decimating the frontline numbers. Then they turn straight north and then came another band of decomposed corpses with baseball gear. Rinse and repeat.

Run. Run. Run. Run. Run.

That was all they were commonly thinking at this point as they cross the pathways. They turn hard right and from the corner of their eyes, they would still see the incoming horde that was still coming for them.

As they ran, they would spot obstacles in their path turning up from the ground. A couple of deceased-looking corpses wielding baseball outfits and wielding baseball bats with nails were trying to block their escape routes. Night Baron and Shadow Phase simply raised an unimpressed eyebrow as they throw their own projectiles at them, exploding and sending them down the ravine, clearing the path for them and the girls to keep running. They turn left and ran. Then the same deceased-looking corpses would try to block their path. Then another set of projectiles was hurled at the walking corpses, decimating them and sending many of them down the ravine.

Adrenaline coursed through the veins of the girls. A thin layer of sweat covered the nape of some of them. Keeping their breathing steady, they pushed harder and went faster. The ground blurred below the girls. They continued running for what seemed like longer than they should have, but they figured it was because the fast-walking zombies were still after them. Nothing seems to limit them when it comes to trying to survive. Every single one of the girls, one way or another due to personal experiences and due to their association with the Dark Knight of the World, had surpassed the limits of fear a long time ago.

Then, they would all see another doorway that would lead to another dimension. They turn hard right and begin to dash straight toward the exit. Shadow Phase, Magari Mizuki, and Riko Mine would cover the back position as everyone makes it for the doorway. After the last person, Shoko Makinohara, entered, now it was time to make themselves scarce. After shooting multiple zombies with her pistols via headshots, Riko would enter, followed by Shadow Phase and Magari.

They still kept running. They didn't stop for one single moment even as they arrived in another dimension. They would bet that the zombies would still follow them even in spite of that. Their status of being safe was still ambiguous, so they wouldn't like to take any chances of simply staying around.

They managed to run far through the woods where they currently ended up. Two moons were seen shining from the heavens, already speaking of the total eeriness and alienness of the surrounding area. Night Baron would drop a few baseballs along the pathways as they ran. At a certain point, there were multiple explosions that were heard from a distance, indicating that the zombies did indeed follow them through.

At some point, they stopped running, hiding somewhere in the field of haystacks that they stumbled upon in their running. They all decided to take deep breaths. Night Baron, with his glasses, and Shadow Phase, with a pair of binoculars, were on watchpoint when they see the zombies, hundreds of them, that were chasing them right now. Fortunately for them, the zombies turn in another direction and were still running fast toward the southeast.

They both sighed a bit. It was over for now.

"The horde has turned towards the other direction, heading southeast, the coast is clear for now," Shadow Phase reassured.

The girls who were all with them sighed.

"Thank god for that," Haruno sighed. "It was starting to get a bit bothersome with all that running."

Insert Song: End

Insert Song: Start

E.S. Posthumus - Harappa

And so, they kept walking.

They didn't know how long they had been walking. There were a few stops here and there where the girls would take some form of rest before they eventually kept moving. Since that time, they were walking through various landscapes such as abandoned roads and highways, abandoned ruins of buildings and other forms of infrastructure, and other places of interest.

At some point, they all noticed that there were entire abandoned cities in these messed-up clusters of dimensions. And with that came plenty of dead bodies that remained in the various spots where they all lay quietly. Most of the girls couldn't help how things have been eerily silent lately. Nothing was attacking them for the time being which should have been a comfort...but because of the nature of this place, one that has unburied dead corpses laying to and fro, along with abandoned surroundings that reminded them of things back home, it made them think of how many people had ended up in this hellish nightmare before they came along.

An urban metropolis's population houses about 50,000 at a minimum. Now, considering their surroundings, where did one think that all of the population go and went off to?

Based on the corpses that lay on the streets, the girls were looking at them. The once lively population of these abandoned cities. The fog from up above that covered the heavens and the fog covering the streets wasn't helping. Without Night Baron's thought-map, they would pretty much be running blind without anything to go on.

"There's a lot of corpses here," Haruno Yukinoshita's expression turned serious as she glances around to find multiple corpses, some of which were mutilated and torn apart by unknown monsters. She was walking right beside Night Baron, whispering in a hushed tone so as not to draw too much attention. The rest of the girls were listening as well. "What are the odds that these were once the inhabitants of this abandoned city?"

"The odds are greater I am afraid," Shadow Phase simply handed to Haruno an old newspaper that he found somewhere at a diner's table. The newspaper's headlines read something like: "OUTBREAK IMMINENT! CDC ADVISES QUARANTINE PROTOCOLS!" "CANNIBALS ROAMING STREETS!" "THUNDER IN THE SKIES?! - END OF THE WORLD?!" "INCREASE OF GHOST SIGHTINGS? - FACT OR MYTH?!". There were images, some of which were just disturbing for some of the girls. One example was an image of a couple of people currently devouring someone.

"From what kyoudai told me and from simply observing the surroundings, I believe that Heavenly Host had been dragging down entire worlds and patching them all together unnaturally," Shadow Phase explained. "Meaning that with these worlds, there may come different flavors of nightmarish thought that would plague both the human and non-human spheres."

"Like potential and alternate post-apocalyptic worlds," Shoko Makinohara explained grimly.

"Exactly," Night Baron nodded. "Things like the Green Flu virus are already present in this place, meaning that Heavenly Host isn't just dragging in elements from different worlds, it's dragging the worlds themselves, entire planets, and adding it to this place. The way I see it, this has become Red Sachiko's personal Battleworld where she is this place's God and what she says in this place with regards to the status quo goes. Although, for someone who has absolute control of this place, from what White Sachiko had told me from the notes, it appears that there seems to be a bit of trouble in this infernal paradise that may challenge her rule."

"Oh really? How so?" Yuri Kozukata asked.

"There...is something that Sachiko told me, something that has to do with an old enemy that has continued to haunt me and four of my best friends, especially one of them, Kamijou Touma. Shadow Phase would know of this threat as well," Night Baron explained.

Magari Mizuki paid attention immediately at the mere mention of the name of the Imagine Breaker. The other girls paid attention as well. Shoko Makinohara paid attention due to intimately knowing of the topic that would be discussed.

"Tell me, everyone," Night Baron spoke with a grim expression. "What do you know about...the Children of the Scarlet King?"

"...?" most of the girls hummed with interest while those attuned to the more supernatural side of things like Shoko Makinohara, Riko Mine Lupin IV, Aiko Niwa, and Magari Mizuki were greatly disturbed at the mere mention of the equivalent of the supernatural, extraterrestrial, and extradimensional boogeymen.

The Children of the Scarlet King.

Such a name is filled with a lot of rumors, myths, and urban legends. Almost no one important or minor knew of in DCMK Universe-Prime and the rest of the 24 Core Worlds of who or what these people truly were. In fact, they were even more of an elusive conspiracy than even Martuba's Tomb and other organizations. From what was basically known about them however, they are a series of independent churches, organizations, or movements founded in many corners of the Multiverse all associated with a Pluripotent Entity called the Scarlet King. Some such organizations in DCMK Universe-Prime can be considered and classified to be a part of this series. Although each of these groups has variable practices that include doctrines, morals, and worship, they all include fundamental key themes that connect all of them together. Most of them have developed independently while barely having contact with each other, and some even started out without the inclusion of the Scarlet King, but became acquainted with him later on. It is widely believed that these groups are founded by an individual or subculture that has come into contact with the King and as long as the Scarlet King exists, new incarnations of the Children would always emerge. The Children are not the only ones to worship the King as there had been numerous other groups, both anomalous and non-anomalous, which has made it difficult to differentiate them. One of the main criteria that unify them is the veneration and worship of the Scarlet King and his teachings. They believe in a philosophy of "enlightenment through violation", meaning vile acts such as rape, pedophilia, human sacrifice, and cannibalism could be part of the dogma, as is thaumaturgy. The group often revolves themselves around the number "7" and wishes to bring the Scarlet King and his Spawn to the world.

But, as Night Baron explained further, this was merely the tip of the iceberg.

What they were all clearly thinking was merely the Second Degree of the Children of the Scarlet King. They are the lowest degree after the Third Degree, widely accepted by many, and are the scapegoats to the true Children, the First Degree.

And what was the First Degree?

This is where Jack the Ripper, a Squire of the Children, belonged too.

It is a satanic thaumaturgical death cult composed of infinite numbers of damned souls that were turned into mere wraiths who are neither living nor dead that worships and serves the Scarlet King. Every evil person you could think of throughout history is here in this death cult. Tyrants. Rapists. Murderers. Traitors. The Worst of the Worst of Humanity in the Multiverse. Their entire order and societal structure are basically that of monarchy and knighthood. All of them are under the command of the Pale King, the leader of this group.

In accordance with the ranking, it follows:

Pale King - Leader, High King, and High Priest. He has unlimited power and authority. A skilled statesperson, military leader, philosopher, and ingenious scientist with multi-millenniums worth of knowledge and experience in all fields. A skilled manipulator and strategist, having orchestrated countless events in the Multiverse either to his Crimson Master's favor or to his own agenda, with the sole aim of increasing his own power.

Black Lords - they are the ones who act as the superior commanding officers upon the lower ranks and act as the heads of state in terms of micro and macromanaging infernal politics.

Red Knights - those who have been granted the honorary title of knighthood by a head of state (Black Lord). They are the representatives of the Children in accordance with their service to the Scarlet King, and act as the ambassadors of the infernal realm of the Darkness Above and Beneath, especially in a military capacity.

White Squires - the rank-and-file armies of the Children. They are the magistrate, lawyer, or judge, commanding entire legions upon legions of Elemental Parademon hordes found on the Third Sphere which is composed of the Principalities/Rulers, Archangels, and Angels. They are beings of high social standing who are their given assigned territory to rule over, likened to that of the chief landowner in such a designated area. They are attendants to a Red Knight, their superior officer, before eventually becoming a knight if they ever prove themselves worthy of the cause.

And it is in the rank of the White Squires where Jack the Ripper belonged too.

By the time Night Baron finished explaining briefly of the interior workings of this dangerous cult, the girls they were with were understandably horrified. Some like Haruno and Marika weren't showing it, but they too were horrified in their own way, they were just better at handling sensitive topics like this. They had just crossed a couple of street corners.

...And then, they heard an ominous sound of drums and terrible voices.

"...What...What is that?" Aiko asked, concerned.

Night Baron would slowly widens his eyes as he looks back at everyone. He whispered in worry. "Everyone, keep quiet, follow me, and stay down."

And so, they kept quiet and stuck to the shadows of the street corners nearby. Rain would suddenly begin to pour down softly and rumbling thunder was heard. A flash of lightning was seen to occur from the east. As they continue to venture forward, they would notice the sound of drums that would become even more noticeable. And they would silently make crouching positions, hiding from the abandoned vehicles and other debris as they heard the sound of drums from down below.

...And as they looked down.

"...!"

They would see...a vast army of thousands upon thousands that march on the dead end streets, creatures that had yellow eyes, terrible faces and gnashing teeth, pointed ears, and darker skin tones all covered in dark-silver armor. They have swords, shields, and spears that they carry firmly in their hands along with red tainted torches. They were all in tight, disciplined formation. Their shields were carrying a symbol of a terrible crimson eye along with two withering trees. From the looks of things, they look like they are prepared to march for war with proper solemnity. And they were chanting with a language very unfamiliar. It wasn't English nor Japanese nor any other human language, yet it was understandable for those who heard.

"Hail to the Dark Days of Victory! Hail to the Seventh Rule! Hail to the Random! Hail to the Scarlet King!"

"...Oh no," Night Baron muttered softly, widening his eyes in horror as his glasses zoomed in to see the creatures down below who were marching in tight, disciplined formation. Every one of the girls noticed his reaction.

"...This is not good," Shadow Phase grimly noted.

"Good doesn't even begin to describe what we are seeing right now," Night Baron explained.

"Why? You know these freaks, Baron?" Magari asked.

"...Goblin Orcs," Night Baron explained. "Terrible creatures who serve the Scarlet King. If they are here, then one of my worst fears has been realized. We are literally running out of borrowed time."

Night Baron now realized why things have been so quiet up until now. The spirits, monsters, and demons that should have been here are being driven out. Goblin-Orcs, terrible warlike creatures that have weapons that can cleave open the thickest of walls and modern-day tanks, have now made their appearance in this twisted realm. Red Sachiko wasn't the only thing left to worry about. Other players are now making their move, taking advantage of this nexus plane of realities and timelines. The more Night Baron thought about it, the more he realize the horrific implications. If the Red King's Army would conquer this nexus that can lead to anywhere and anywhen, it can serve as a backdoor for them to invade.

Night Baron looks at Shadow Phase and at the rest of the girls. "We need to keep moving. Try to avoid being detected. The street corners here would provide an adequate cover. We cannot fight all of them, not like this."

Insert Song: End

ED Song:

【ARTERY VEIN】Confutatis no Inori (Full Version)【CP Blood Covered】【Eng Lyrics】

New Characters:

Haruyuki Inumaru - VA: Tomohiro Yamaguchi

Kenji Ashikage/Shadow Phase

Marika Tachibana - VA: Kana Asumi

Yuri Kozukata - VA: Risa Taneda

Philip Ojomo/The Wraith