Undead's Home Planet
Babel Tower
Mori Calliope
Calli jumping on top of the tower and looking at the white butterfly shaped magic area that being drawn all over the roof and Artia who is standing in silence,
watching the darkness that spreading from the tower and slowly consuming the city as the time goes by.
" So, the old man has gone for good." Artia sighed, turning back toward Calli who staring at her in silence.
" You murdered him!" Pink hair reaper snapped.
" Nonsense. It is his choice to gave up and die on his own. Our weapon couldn't kill us and you knows that." Artia said solemnly.
" You destroyed his body! He is too old to healing from such injuries!" Calliope snarled.
" I am going to asked how he died. But it's seem obvious now that I have seen your face." Artia giggled.
" Must be tough isn't it? Killing your own teacher."
" Shut your hole or I will-" " You will what? Killing me with that scythe that couldn't even kill any reaper in the first place? You must be joking!" Calliope's
words has been cut by Artia sneering.
" It's true that my weapon may unable kills you… But at least I can hag you into million pieces!" Calliope jumping at Artia and then hiding inside the shadow
of the decorated rod that stands on top of the building, before she will teleporting at the left side of Artia by her 'shadow travel' ability.
Artia laughed as she is letting herself falling from the Babel tower, let the gravity escorting her to dodged Calli's attack without much effort.
Calliope following Artia down from the top of Babel tower. Running on the walls and using her reaper's power to stuck her feet with its shadow instead of
falling uncontrollably like other objects.
She looking around for her nemesis, but Artia is already jumping from the right side of her body and crashing into the pink hair reaper while swinging her
staff, creating an icy blade that is similar to Japanese naginata and knocking Calli off balance and falling downward even after she has blocked the blade with
her scythe, breaking parts of the tower as both of them are crashing into the marble walls by accident.
Calliope pushing her scythe with both arms and crashes Artia back, trying to smashed her into the building's wall too as they are spinning in the air and falling
from the Babel tower.
Both Calliope and Artia then kicking each other stomachs at the same time and creating a force that sends two of them bouncing in the opposite direction
and breaking into the tower, Calliope sinking her scythe's blade deep into the limestone floor in order to stopped her moving body from sliding any further.
Artia is going to teleport back inside the building, but she suddenly stopped and looking at her own legs, which is now being tied with invisible chain from
Calli's scythe handle.
" Do you think I will come unprepared?" Calliope sneered, using her shadow travel movement and teleport at behind Artia, kicking her head and pushing the
ice mage into the shadow realm with her.
In side the total darkness, Calliope slamming her scythe's handle into Artia's neck and then sliding it again toward the left side, trying to cut her nemesis
head off while she is still off balance.
Artia quickly raised her knee to stopping the scythe blade, flipping 360 degrees and releasing a frozen smoke out of her mouth, breaking Calliope's right hand
fingers into pieces before she could using her weapon any further.
Calliope reaching her left hand toward the falling scythe, but Artia is already swinging her own blade at Calli's waist, creating a severed wounds on pink hair
reaper's stomach area and knocking her out of the shadow realm too.
Calliope's body flying back toward Babel tower, breaking through its transparent crystal walls and sliding on the living area inside the tower for almost 30
meters before she will finally managed to stopping herself from going any further.
Calli groaned as she is touching her open stomach. The orange flames suddenly appeared and burning her flesh, but Calliope has been injured multiple times
enough to realized that it is actually healing her body, not ruining her any further.
For all she knows, this flame wasn't part of reaper healing factor. And nobody has any idea how the hell can she do it.
Death sensei simply sighed and said that ' For a newbie reaper. You sure having an interesting friend aren't you?' and refused to elaborate any further.
He did tell her not to bragging about it with anyone else, though.
However, this magic healing took times and Calliope knows she doesn't have any left. Pink hair reaper quickly turning her face into a skull and scanning the
area with her reaper's eyes. Searching for Artia or her belongings.
Calliope seeing her scythe releasing a black smoke from its blade through her reaper eyes. She using both arms to crawling toward the direction while her
stomach is still busily closing itself, trying to regain her own weapon before the returning of the enemy.
Above her head. Artia suddenly hovering from the ceiling's shadow and striking her icy staff, aiming to cut Calliope head off.
Calliope using both arms to pushing herself from the attack range, but Artia swinging her leg and kicks Calli's crawling body, sends her flying toward the
decorated titanium pillar at the corner of the room and crashing into it, hard enough to bending the pole while she is groaning by the pain from her spinal
cord.
" Is that all you got? I expected much more from the avenging Death sensei's student!" Artia chuckled as she is teleported beside Calli's twitching body, lifting
wounded reaper up by her long hair before dragging Calliope towards the building's walls.
" Death sensei talking so highly about you. I guess that he is too old to see the different between pretentious weakling and the real talented then !" Artia
swinging Calliope's body by her hair and then throwing the pink hair reaper through the Babel walls, sends her body flying away towards another tower that
stands almost hundreds of meters away, crashing into its diamonds wall, hard enough to shattered parts of it while Calliope limping body is falling from the
sky for almost kilometers of height.
Calliope's vision is blurred as she is looking at the distance sky.
So, this is it? The end of Death sensei carrier. Being killed by his own student who also failed to finish the last task he has given to her.
The winds didn't given any answer as it is blowing into her ears. Almost deafening Calli while she is still falling toward the street area.
Calliope then decided that flying must be fun too. Too bad that reaper couldn't do it because after all, nobody can doing everything and her race aren't
evolved to do that.
The plate of walls that falling after Calliope being shot to it flipped and revealing Artia who is standing behind its shadow.
The ice mage smiled as she is pointing her staff at Calliope, shooting multiple frozen spears at Calli's body at point blank range, impaling her with eight of
sharp ice blades.
Calliope spun around uncontrollably by the multiple hits, but Artia has not done yet and using her 'shadow travel' movement to teleport in different directions,
slashes Calli again and again with her frozen blade and then finished by summoning a big iceberg on top of Calliope's body, knocking torn up pink hair reaper
towards the surface area at last and crashing through the metallic road, bursting through multiple layers of underground passage and tunnel that being built
since the era when undead are still living underneath this planet surface.
Calliope finally stopped her falls when she is hitting some water pipes that being made for more than thousands of years ago, impaling her body on their steel
bodies like she was an animal falling on the spiky trapping pit.
In the absolute darkness except from some long distance star lights.
Under Calli's limping body, Artia is standing on the small streams of water that being occupied by some eyeless fishes and albino reptiles which scurrying
away as soon as they have noticed the presence of two reapers. These creatures are blind, but not a fools.
" So, struggling only brought you so far." Artia grinned, seeing that there's no response from damaged Calliope.
The ritual has goes well and there will be no one to stopping her in time.
She wondered for a moment why Calliope's body has not been turned into ashes like other reapers she has been sending to the cycle of life and death but
decided that it isn't matter.
Maybe there are still some sort of clinging and stubbornness left inside that poor girl. But it will not last long, not with this much of damage happened on her
body.
Artia raising her head up and looking at the night sky, snorting in triumph as she has seen many souls are still flying toward her magic ritual area.
At this rate, it will be done in-
The dim orange light that shone above her head make Artia frowned, ice mage turning her head back towards Calliope's body and gasped when seeing that
the pink hair reaper is now erupting with fire.
And it is not a normal fire, either. Artia has to make sure by using her 'reaper eyes' and scanning Calli's body and realize what she is witnessing right now.
It is eternal fire. The source of life, straight up from the Phoenix's heart itself.
" How?" Artia winced, wasn't every tries to bring Phoenix's eternal fire out of its body has failed? Reaper has been hunting this entity for millions of years and
yet unsuccessful every time.
How can this girl success in what any other reapers have failed!
…
"I return it to you, Calli. So that one day we will meet again even if you can't remember me." ***** said, gently wrapping the blue triangle crystal around
Calliope's neck. Her tears slowly falling on Calliope's body. It feels so warm.
Calliope open her eyes and looks at the shining 'cover' crystal she always wore as a necklace. Death sensei said that it has come with her before she will even
met him, meaning that the crystal is belong to her since the time before she become a reaper.
A sign of hero. But who has given it to me?
The item is warm, but the fire is even warmer. Mori watching her wounds slowly disappeared inside the fire in astonishment.
It is always feel weird when your body can quickly healing on its own without real explanation.
But this time, it is reassuring Calliope somehow, as if she is being protected by invisible guardian.
But there is no time for that! Calliope start touching the rods that impales her body, finding the way to being free from it.
…
While both women are still stunning inside their own thoughts, the eternal fire starts taking an effects too. The flame of life are too irresistible for every souls
in the area. They start breaking away from Artia's ritual area and flying towards this direction instead, circling around Mori's body like a moth following a lamp
during the moonless night.
" No No No!" Artia stomping the ground as the light starting to shine even brighter, lighting the whole cave as if the sun finally decided to returning to this
planet through Calliope's body.
The souls are being more excited, most of them start circling around Calli's very tightly, a few daring one even going until it is almost touching her body and
then flying back, desperate for the warmness of life that it has wistfully searching for.
Calliope opening her eyes and slowly reaches her hand out to touched the soul(that are actually a floating white object with a little trait of its owner.) that
keep circling around her, watched in astonishment as it is slowly turning into a green butterfly a few seconds after she has touched it.
And then, like a nuclear reaction, every souls around her suddenly morphed into green glowing butterflies too, filling the whole cave with sickening lime
lights.
" Nooo!" Artia shouted, swinging her staff to created an enormous frozen blades that cutting through the swarm of green butterflies, aiming to destroyed
Calliope's body in one strike.
The blade cutting through multiple pipes and make it falling down towards the cave floors at last, but she missed Calliope's body position because of so many
butterflies that keep swirling around making it become impossible for Artia to aiming properly.
Meaning to cut Calliope's body in half, Artia attacks actually freeing her from the pipes instead.
" Who the hell are you!" Artia snarled, staring in disbelief as Calliope is slowly getting up despite the eight metal pipes that still impaling her body.
" I don't know. A greenhorn reaper, perhaps?" Calli chuckled, pulling the pipe out one by one and watching with interest as many butterflies start crawling on
them as if they were being covered by honey.
She shrugged and dropping the last piece of pipe down when groups of butterflies finally brought her black scythe, let it falling on Calliope hand as she is
slowly approaching Artia.
" Good boys!"
Artia swinging her staff around to get rid off many butterflies that flying at her direction, she has a glanced through the thick cloud of green insects and
seeing that Calliope is not alone.
Behinds her, there is a green hair girl in blue uniform standing on the small rock near the underground pool. Her red eyes glow as she is smile menacingly
towards Artia direction.
One butterfly suddenly beating Artia with its wings and forcing her to shut it. And of course, when she is opening her eyes again, there is only Calliope and
butterflies left in the cave.
One person who have both 'Death' and 'Life' key figures? It isn't supposed to be possible!
Artia thought, but has no time to said it out loud since her survival is now the first priority.
" Permafrost!" Artia shouts, reducing the temperature in the area until it is below -500 Celsius, freezing everything inside the cave within a seconds after
the spells has been casts.
Even Calliope has turned into an ice statue after the frozen winds has blowing through her.
Artia sighed and resting both hands on her knees. The butterflies aren't being affected by low temperatures and still spun around madly, but since their
controller has turned into ice. So, Artia is relatively safe for now. She picked her staff up and pointing at Calli's body, trying to think of the spells that could
sends her to the cycle of life and death in one attacking.
After some futile attacking, some butterflies start sinking itself deep into the ground. But Artia is charging her 'absolute zero' spells so she doesn't have time
to care for their disturbance, it is the fastest and most severed damage spells she could come up in a short time.
So she will have to go with this.
Artia spinning her staff as its ice crystal blade starting to shine the bright blue light. She pointing it at the Calliope's body, ready to blast…
The ground break as the fossilized skeleton of the prehistoric reptiles that is bigger than ten meters bursting out of the floor under her and biting Artia's body,
spinning her around and make the staff falling from her hands.
Other skeleton monster like two legs amphibian, massive cave fish and underground bug with the size of a puddle also charging at her, knocking Artia down
as they are biting and crawling on her body with everything they have.
Some mummified bodies of the tunnel workers or poor people that being dropped in the caves system for thousands years ago are also running at her,
burying Artia under their masses.
Looks like those butterflies finally changing their tactics and animated bodies of these long gone creatures in order to help their master.
Multiple ice spears flying out of Artia's body, knocking undead monsters away as she is crawling toward her charging staff.
" Learning art of necromancy too? What the hell are you exactly!" Ice mage roared.
The ice statue breaks as Calliope is walking out of it, resting the black scythe in her left hand.
" My name is Mori Calliope. Death sensei's last student. As an only available reaper in the area. I shall revoked reaper status from the criminal like you.
Be prepared!"
As she spoke, thousands of green butterflies are swirling around her body. Calliope rising her scythe, trying to think of how she could perform the 'last reap'
act. ' Every reaper must learned it themselves.' Her Death sensei once said. And he is always right in everything.
So, Calliope will trust him one more time.
The black scythe start shining the unusual black light as she is aiming it towards ice mage direction. As if the weapon is about to burst by the amount of
energy it has consumed.
Artia is not stupid, she knows that it is now or never. So, the ice mage pointing her staff at Mori's body and shooting the absolute zero ray out of it.
The blue beam swallowing the area in front of Artia's body with Calli at the center of it. The ice mage smirked, there's no way somebody could survive from
that!
But something could survived from that kind of attack easily, the green butterflies are being made from souls and could not care less about stupid thing like
temperature.
A swarm of them flying straight towards Artia's body and then piercing inside her, leaving a strange feeling of warmness behinds after more and more of them
are sinking deep inside Artia's chest.
While she is still focusing on the bizarre phenomenon of her body, the absolute zero beam is starting to break as Mori Calliope is swinging her scythe,
creating a curved, slashing wave that running straight through Artia's attacks. This is the 'last reap' attack that Calliope finally learned how to used by herself
and making it in her style. Which is just swinging scythe and releasing the waves of energy to cutting her target. Simple but practical.
White hair ice mage trying to dodge the attack by traveling through the shadow realm, but she is too slow by the disturbance and being cut her right arm and
shoulder off by the slashing wave, making the staff falling aimlessly on the cave floor while Artia is screaming in pain and lying helplessly on the running
streams.
Before she could doing anything else, Calliope suddenly appeared and stomping on Artia's chest before she will pointing the black scythe at her face.
" Artia, former ice mage from the red planet of Milky Ways Galaxy.
And the criminal of reaper society who breaking the code of life and death. Do you have any last word? So that I can sends it to the management and
improve our service system."
" You forget one thing, Ms. grim reaper!" Artia laughed hysterically.
" Reaper like us has no soul. You couldn't kill me with that scythe!"
" What do you think those green butterflies are made of? Love and passion?" Calli grinned.
Artia just realized that her body is now warm like never before of million years as a reaper and the burning wounds on her shoulder aren't being healed back
by reaper's natural healing power yet.
As if she has turned back into a living being after consumed so many soul butterflies earlier.
" Welp, sh*t!" Artia cursed at the same time as Calliope is rising her scythe.
" If there is a God, or whoever the hell at the other side. I hope he forgiven you for what you have done here. Because I am sure as hell won't!" Mori
swinging her scythe, sinking its long blade deep into Artia's heart and impaling her body on the ground.
Calliope turning her face into a skull as she is shoving her hands inside Artia's mouth, tearing the ice mage's jaws open and start sucking het soul.
The progress start attracting every lost souls inside the city, making all of them flying toward Calliope and being consumed too as she is still eating Artia's
soul nonstop.
When it is finally over, Calliope in her massive skeleton form that is wearing a black robe dropping Artia's empty body on the ground, breaking her into a
million pieces since the former reaper has turned into ashes and being sent to the cycle of life and death at last.
Grim reaper then looks up to the sky and open her mouths, releasing the massive light pillar that is actually souls of those who being killed by Artia
out of her body, sending those who should have died back to the cycle of life and death while reviving those who shouldn't by sending the lost souls back to
their bodies.
The light coming back to the undead city as the electricity start working again and people start getting back to their normal routines.
Grim reaper's body is slowly become smaller and smaller as the progress goes by. And when everything has turned back to normal state.
Mori Calliope who can barely stands on her legs finally standing at the middle of the massive holes that being created during the fight.
She using the black scythe like a cane. And limping her ways out of the crater by using Death's sensei invisible chain as a rope.
Calliope walking back into the undead city at last. People around her are either talking with each other panicky at the bizarre event that just happened or
simply goes on with their life.
But they probably couldn't ignore the damage she and Artia has caused. Calliope wonders for a moment at what will be in their news tomorrow before
deciding that she doesn't want to know.
Their record equipment probably unable to detect Calli and Artia's body.
So, this incident might become a new urban legend for their society. Making these people keep questioning about what has happened in the middle of their
capital.
But that wasn't Calliope problem, so she just continuing to walks back home, wondering of what to do next.
…
Her train of thought is being interrupted by someone who suddenly handing a cup of cold energy drinks that is popular lately, making from animal's sh*t or
something. Not worth tasting at all.
" Here." " …Thanks." But Calliope took the cup anyway, because she can remember the red eyes woman who wearing a glass and dressing in white office
uniform with black pant that is giving the drink to her right now.
And the fact that, as a reaper Calliope couldn't refused offer from Enma, the manager of life and death cycle anyways.
" So, the situation is under controlled?" Enma asked, putting the red katana back inside her gym bag.
"It is." Calliope sipping the liquid, winces a little at its bitter taste.
" Then you must have some time to spare. Walks with me." Enma said, and start walking deeper into the city without hearing Calliope's answers.
Calli sighed, but defining the boss aren't something underlings always do. So, she decided to followed Enma as they start talking about what the hell is
actually happening here.
…
"… So, Death finally died after all. He will be missed as a longtime hardworking staff. I am sure of that." Enma nodded with herself
As she is eating the squishy snack they just bought from the nearby store.
" I supposed so." Calliope sighed, touched her shrinking wallet and wonders how many more food her boss will ordered tonight.
" And what about you, Mori Calliope. Has you decided your own future yet?" Enma asked, still chewing the gummy caecilians she just bought from the parking
cart.
" I don't know. Guess I will have to continues working as a reaper for a while. Maybe I will goes to the different branches in the future.
I wonder what 'red' and 'blue' planet Artia keeps ranting about looks like. Maybe I can understand her action a little if I can see an actual place.
What it be like to remember your past life."
" I don't recommended that." Enma said sharply. " Death sensei always talking about you with passion. I don't want to cutting your head off.
But I will do it if you have breaks the rules between life and death. Who knows how learning about your past will affect your own decision.
Both as a reaper and living being.
Not everyone has a beautiful life back there. Some having a lot of bitterness. And unfinished debt that will never be paid."
" I know. I know." Calliope swallowing her toffee and sighed.
" Maybe I will stick here for a while. Death sensei loved this place and there are no other reapers on this planet yet.
I suggested that you should send some more here. I probably couldn't working here alone. Not with this much of people who keep dying."
" I will sends some new recruits here as soon as possible." Enma lightly clapped Calliope's shoulder.
" Every branch of reaper always being named by its own leader. What do you want to name yours?"
" Wait, do you want me as a leader of this branch!" Calli gasped.
Enma sighed. " You are the most senior reaper in the area. And that's automatically make you become a branch leader.
At least until someone with more experience will come here and take the position.
So, you will have to go with leader position for a while."
" What does Death sensei name is branch?" Calli asked.
" That old man is a lazy bastard. He just named it after his name. The current name of this planet branch is ' Death'." Enma snorted.
" It is not exactly a bad name. I think I will go with it." Calliope concluded.
" Very well." Enma said and opened her palm, creating a small purple flame which slowly dies down as Calliope is looking at it.
" What is that?" Reaper asked.
" Your emblem. Every leader of the branches needs it in order to report to the guild. I changed its shape a little, hope you won't minds."
Calliope looks at the object in her hand, it is a decorated piece of metal that being covered by pink gemstone.
The item itself is being shaped into 'M' characters.
" It's look cool. So, I don't minds at all."
" Good, don't just sit there and start working soon. There are multiple soul who unable to find their ways to the other side.
It is your job to guide them now.
It's not like that there are any free reaper in the area anyway. All of us are still working to fixed the army of zombies Artia release on the nearby planet!"
" Geez! You sound like a bad boss sometimes." Calliope turning back toward Enma, but there is nothing waiting for her there except from the empty streets.
" Man, this is the worst day in my life!" Calliope scratches her head and. Just like that, starting her first duty as the reaper for a second time.
…
Palmer looking at his own body on the white bed and wonders what it feels like to actually dies. Is this is it? After being coma for Six months,
his body finally allowing itself to stop working altogether.
Leaving his consciousness in this white-lifeless room of the hospital.
Palmer knows that he may be considered as a 'died young' person by other standard, barely twelve when it's actually happened.
But he think he has old enough to.
being knocked out by leukemia at the age of eleven and has to lay helplessly while your body start eating itself to death for months make you feel old after
all.
So, enjoying freedom of being able to moved around for the first time after a long sleep. Palmer reaching for his glass of water and trying to lift it,
but his hand merely moving passed the object as if it were a mirage.
" What the f**k!" Palmer cursed, mimicking his father's words when he is getting angry or surprised. Not surely what the words mean.
But it must be right to use in the situation like this.
" You shouldn't cursed like that, kid. People will say that you have no manners at all.
A sound of somebody talking make Palmer winced and looking at the direction. Seeing that there is a pink hair woman in black dress who smiled at him from
the corner of the room.
She is wearing some sort of thorny crown that being attached with transparent fabric that covered her long hair.
Increasing the mysterious aura that coming out of the woman's body.
" Who are you?" The boy asked, looking at the stranger in his room with astonishment.
The woman chuckled. " I am reaper. Someone that will bring you to the other side of the realm. To join the cycle of life and death."
" What if I don't wanted to?" Palmer asked, staring at this weirdo skeptically.
" Then I will have to convince you to go there. So, kiddo. What is your story?" Calliope asked, sitting on the chair next to the patient bed and looking into his
eyes, resting both hands under her chin.
" What's story?" The boy frowned.
Calliope sighed. " Everyone has their own story. Palmer Lorelei.
There must be a reason why you are so clinging with life so much even after you have sleeping for six months by the chronic disease."
" I mean… I feel like my life has been wasted. I just barely lived and then. It just being snatched away under my feet. Just like that." The boy complained.
" I know the feeling, Palmer. But you shouldn't worried too much.
It is the cycle, after all. Everything running away and returning to each other before you know it. You might die young in this life, but having long live in the
future. Long enough for you to beg for the death to finally coming for you."
" You are bad at convincing people, you knows?" Palmer asked, making Calliope laughing loudly.
" Yes, I know. But it's not like we have much choice here. Will you rather stuck in here forever, unable to affect anything or becoming the vengeful spirit after
a lot of time has passed, or starting another life with infinity possibilities? I knows what I will choose!"
" My parent, they must be real sad after I have died." Palmer whispered.
Calliope shrugged. " They will. But it's not like there's alternative way around or anything. You have died and they are still live.
Your soul will going to another realm while they are here waiting for their time. Who knows? One day, you guys might seeing each other again in the different
life and memories."
" …Can you unwrapped the gift box over there? My mother has brought me a toy Scarab I keep begging before the disease come and mom always saying that
she want to see me playing it at least once before I will goes to the other side." The boy begged.
" Of course, why not!" Calliope unwrapped the box and picking a small vehicle toward Palmer's face. " See? Looking from every angle you want.
I will be your hands."
" My goodness! Look at the fuel tank and four engine! This thing is a beast. No wonders while everyone want to ride one of it." Palmer start blabbering after
Calliope lifting it in different ways and let him inspecting the toy as much as he want.
" Wanna see it moves?" " I am starving for that!"
Calliope then controlling the toy vehicle to running around the room while Palmer quickly followed it, absorbing as much detail as he could before there will be
no chances of seeing it anymore.
After ten minutes has passed, Calliope finally placing the car under Palmer's hand on his deathbed. Gently brushing the hair that covered the boy's face
before she will finally turned back to his soul.
" It's time to go, Palmer Lorelei." The reaper said solemnly.
" I know, but… In my new life will there be anything for me to ride?
Animals or vehicles are fine." Palmer asked.
Calliope gently touching the back of the boy's head with her palm.
" I don't know, kid. How about we go and find that out?"
At the corner of the room Palmer think he saw light, brighter than everything he ever saw. But the reaper who stands beside him seems to not afraid by it
at all.
So, the boy steel himself before walking toward the direction, touching the woman's hand to make sure that he will not get lost in the light.
" Come to think about it. What's your name. Ms. Reaper?" Palmer asked, trying to looks up at the woman's face in front of the bright light.
Mori Calliope smiled at the boy and Death sensei's memories.
" Just call me death, Palmer."
…
" Dad?"
" F**k you, kiddo!"
…