Chapter 115: Suspicion
"Ah. It seems that I've fallen to a trap. Heh heh heh." I remarked while grinning… doing my best to imitate the main body.
There I was, finishing my work and class at school and walking home with my two red cloaked bodyguards to return to the castle but there were blockades on both the street and train rails so I was forced to take the path that the enemy wanted. Now I am on an abandoned street (coincidentally in the slums where one of Don Jon's Soup Kitchens used to be) surrounded by a squad of around 50 First Children.
"L-Lord Claude! We're surrounded!" One of the knights exclaimed.
"Yes, I can see that." I replied without losing my grin.
"That's a good smile you have on you, Lord Claude!" One of the Children, who I noted have a good villainous grin himself, remarked.
"Coming from you, that's high praise, Viscount Jean… or should I say Dark Smile Jean." I replied, making him lose his grin for a second before regaining it again.
"You're well informed. Lord Fenrir was right. You ARE a huge threat! Lucky me that I've been sent to capture you! Ohh… Imagine what he would reward me!" Jean remarked as his grin widens as he unsheathes his longsword. Oh! He even did the psychotic sword licking! How cliché. I almost wish that blade is poisonous so he would collapse because of it. That would've been funny.
"Don't underestimate him, Jean! He defeated Iris in the Bushin Festival!" Remarked another member of the Children wearing black cloak made of rare Abyss Spider silk (which gave him his name) wielding a pair of scythes.
"I know, I know. I won't let my guard down in front of this prodigy, Mister Dark Spider. But we have over 50 First Children here! It's a bit of an overkill, don't you think?" Jean replied to his comrade.
"Lord Fenrir personally assigned this many people. Do you question his orders?" Dark Spider berated him.
"I wouldn't dare!"
"Then shut up and listen to my orders!"
"Tch." Jean clicked his tongue but unable to defy Dark Spider, who seems to be the leader of this squad.
To think two of Fenrir's top Named Children has been sent to get me. If I'm the main body, I'd be a bit flattered by this. Or maybe not.
I wordlessly unsheathe my blade, a Pseudo Artifact that the main body has wielded since joining the Crimson Order before the school incident, and pointed it at them.
"Oi oi! You seriously wanna challenge us with that toy!? That outdated piece of crap? If you wanna challenge us, you should've used a real Artifact! Made by your worst enemy, Lord Necromancer!" Jean pointed his sword at me, taunting me with the fact that the sword was made by the Necromancer… or more specifically, made by the enchanters employed by the main body. He would only personally create Artifacts if it's big or experimental and he's far too busy with other projects recently.
After carefully watching my movements and noticed no sign of me reacting to Jean's taunts, Dark Spider frowned. Ah! Am I supposed to react to that? Sorry, but I'm just a clone. I can't emote perfectly, especially when your taunts doesn't affect me in any way.
"Even mind games are useless. Kill the two knights and capture him!" He ordered his squad to attack and they obeyed. Only him and Jean stayed behind.
"L-Lord Claude! They're coming!"
"Stand your ground and fight!" I ordered as I charged forward to attack. The two bodyguards, seeing me charging fearlessly, regained their courage and charged as well.
"HAAAAAAAA!" They shouted as they charged towards their deaths.
"Ha ha ha! Look at that! How brave! Let's see how long can you last… huh?" Jean exclaimed before losing his dark smile.
"What… how could he….?" Dark Spider joined him in losing smiles and wearing horrified expressions as they saw me cutting though their squad like cutting butter with hot knives.
I may be a mere clone but I was given enough power to destroy these fools even without the aid of these two bodyguards. This is the start of a massacre and I shall take pleasure in slaughtering them… even if this pleasure I feel is as artificial as I am.
On the same night, far from the slums but in the richer district of the capital where many nobles of Midgar owned properties, two nobles are running away as the squad of knights they lead had been slaughtered by someone.
"B-Big bro! Who the fuck is that clown!?" The younger baron, whose name is Grehahn, shouted at his older comrade.
"I've no clue! Just run!" Count Kuzaya replied whilst running.
"Why is this happening!? First that bitch ordered us to kill the daughter of Duke Hope… and now this!" Baron Grehahn ranted while running.
"That's Lady Eliza to you! And I thought you were happy at this assignment!"
"I-I just thought I could get to violate the Duke's daughter before we kill her! Not this!"
"Dammit! That clown must be the one who killed Count Goethe!"
"What should we do, big bro!?"
"We need to get some help! And get the Knight Order to be our meat shield!"
"But we've been running for some time now and yet nobody's around!"
"Bah! It's because the Cult arranged it so we wouldn't be disturbed when we kill that girl! To think it would backfire on us like this!" Count Kuzaya ranted as the two of them kept running across the abandoned noble district.
"How could a mere cult do such a thing!?"
"Don't underestimate the Cult, Grehahn! They are an organization older than our Thirteen Night Blades!"
"Guaaah!" Baron Grehahn fell to the ground.
"Oi! Grehahn! Don't slack off or I'll leave you!" Count Kuzaya shouted as he stopped to glance at Baron Grehahn.
"I-I'm okay… big bro~…." Baron Grehahn said as he stood up. "Uwaaah!" The sight of his blood stained face surprised and horrified Count Kuzaya.
"What's… wrong… big brooo…?" Baron Grehahn asked. His words are slow as if his brain function is interrupted.
"O-On your head…." Count Kuzaya said in a panic while pointing at Grehahn's head… at the playing card that is embedded at the top of his head, which caused his blood to smear his face, making him look almost like a zombie. The card embedded on his head is the 2 of Spades.
"My…. Head….? What are… you… talking… about…. Brooo…?" Grehahn replied while shambling at Kuzaya like a zombie, which creeps him out.
"Tch! You're a lost cause already!" Exclaimed Kuzaya as he began running, leaving his comrade behind.
"Wait… for me… brooo…." Is the last thing Grehahn could say before collapsing.
Count Kuzaya kept running but soon he too collapsed to the ground, not because he tripped on something but because he lost his legs… literally.
"AAAAARGHHH!" He screamed in pain as he saw his legs cleanly sliced off without him noticing. In his perspective, it was as if his legs detached themselves.
He looked behind him and saw the figure of the bloodstained clown, the one who slaughtered his group of knights like nothing using nothing but playing cards as his blades.
"Who the fuck are you!? Who's paying you!? Duke Hope!? Or perhaps… Claude Normann!?" Count Kuzaya shouted and the clown merely responded with an ominous laughter.
"We are the Thirteen Night Blades! Behind us stood an even greater organization! If you kill us… you will incur their wrath!" Count Kuzaya tried to plead for his life with threats. But his words didn't affect the clown. The clown held a card, a 3 of Spades. Seeing the card, Count Kuzaya had a realization.
"So… Goethe… is the first… the Ace… Baron Grehahn… 2 of Spades… And I… So you intend to kill us Thirteen Night Blades from the beginning!?" He remarked. His words seem to make the clown happy as he laughed harder.
"No! Stay back! Don't kill me! Noooo!" Count Kuzaya can only scream as the clown placed the card on his throat gently. Even with the gentle gesture, the paper card entered his throat smoothly, causing blood to spill from his mouth.
"Cough cough cough!" Unable to breathe or speak with the card blocking his airway, Count Kuzaya can only cough out blood and watch as the clown slowly walked away happily before dying.
"How… How did you…!?" Dark Spider can only ask. His voice almost a whisper due to how injured his chest is. He clutched his bleeding chest and broken ribs as he glanced at Jean's corpse… and the corpses of his squad.
Claude approached him with a grin so evil that it puts Dark Smile Jean to shame if he were still alive. His bloodstained appearance also made him even more intimidating in the darkness.
"Heh heh heh. Did you know why none of your taunts work? Why your Artifacts are useless against me?" Claude asked. His words caused Dark Spider to glance at his and Jean's broken weapons, recalling how Claude was able to react to their powers as if he knew all along how the Artifacts work... as if he knew them already.
"Why…?" Dark Spider asked… The answer is something that shook his very soul.
"Because I am the Necromancer. Ruler of Death and Master of your fates. Ever since the beginning, I've toyed with your fates." Claude remarked with his eyes shining red... like how the Necromancer's eyes shines red behind his skull mask. His words unbelievable to the Dark Spider but he widens his eyes in realization.
That somewhat makes sense… That's why Jean's taunts didn't affect him… why would he feel threatened when we use his own name against him…? And that's also why he knew how our Artifacts work… and was able to react accordingly…
"And now… you will serve me… in death." Is the last words Dark Spider heard before he dies.
"Claude! What happened to you!?" Iris shouted with worry when she saw Claude returning to the castle without his two bodyguards and covered from head to toe in blood. Alexia is also there, watching his movements warily.
"I was… ambushed by a group of enemies. Don't worry. I'm fine." Claude answered with a gentle smile, though his bloodstained appearance didn't reassure Iris at all.
"A-Are you really okay?"
"Don't worry, Iris. These are not my blood. These are theirs."
"Who ambushed you?" Alexia asked.
"Assassins… Don't worry. I slaughtered them all, including two of their leaders."
"Was it the Cult? Or the Thirteen night Blades?" Alexia asked, carefully studying Claude's movements.
"Does it matter? Both of them are the same after all." Claude simply answered without a care.
"What matters is that you're alright. Next time we need to assign stronger knights as your bodyguard." Iris said.
"That won't be nece-"
"That's an order from your princess." Iris sternly insisted.
"Alright then." Claude conceded with a smile.
"Now then. I should go take a bath and get something to eat! I'm starving!" Claude remarked cheerfully as he walked to the direction of his room, with Iris following close behind.
It took Alexia a few seconds to follow them.
The next day the capital is in uproar again. Two more nobles are found murdered on the streets of the capital's noble district. Piles of corpses of knights are also found in the streets nearby. The two nobles are Baron Grehahn and Count Kuzaya. On their corpses, the killing weapons are found, namely playing cards, 2 of Spades and 3 of Spades, which confirms the fact that the killer is the same person who killed Goethe Moono.
Gray is once again hard at work, sealing the entire street and trying his best to cover up whatever he can on behalf of the Thirteen Night Blades, especially the fact that both nobles had been tasked by Eliza to kill Christina Hope and was murdered instead.
But despite being the head investigator of the Knight Order, his authority once again means nothing before Alexia and the Royal Decree approving her independent investigation. Gray held back his anger as he watched the princess inspect Count Kuzaya's corpse.
"The trail of corpses began from the street near Duke Hope's mansion… It can be assumed that they encountered the killer there and Baron Grehahn and Count Kuzaya ran away as their men were getting slaughtered… only to meet their demise eventually. Count Kuzaya seems to be the last one to die." Alexia remarked.
"But what were they doing in Duke Hope's mansion? With a squad of knights no less." Asked Marco, who is assigned to guard her this time.
"The answer lies in this letter I retrieved from Count Kuzaya's pocket." Alexia answered while handing a letter to Marco, who widens his eyes as he read the contents.
"Your highness! You shouldn't touch anything on the crime scene!" Gray scolded.
"Aha ha! Sorry! It's just that the letter jumped straight into my hands when I inspected this corpse! My bad! Tee hee!" Alexia playfully answered while sticking her tongue out, further infuriating Gray, though he cannot respond with anything other than a slight frown.
"Baron Grehahn and Count Kuzaya were ordered by… Eliza Dakuaikan… to kill Miss Christina Hope!?" Exclaimed Marco as he read the contents of the letter bearing the official seal of House Dakuaikan.
"I did hear they had a bit of an encounter at school which left Eliza totally humiliated. Is it merely a coincidence? What do you think, Pooch?" Alexia added before asking a boy who is out of place in this crime scene, an ordinary school boy who does not belong as he is not at all involved in this matter. Nope. Not at all.
"Isn't she overreacting though?" Cid answered with a question of his own.
"Eliza's father is Marquis Brad Dakuaikan, the leader of the Thirteen Night Blades, and thus she can order them around using her father's name. She's also a very arrogant and spoiled brat due to getting away with so many things for so long."
"Gee… How familiar." Cid remarked.
"Did you say something, Pooch?" Alexia said while pulling Cid's ear.
"Ow ow ow! I said nothing!"
"Good boy!" Alexia stopped pulling his ear and gave him a headpat instead with a smile.
Gray watched their interaction carefully, confirming the rumors about the boy's close relationship with the princess to be true.
"Still. 2 of Spades… and 3 of Spades this time. What do you think, Pooch?"
"Maybe it indicates their rank within the organization?"
"Good boy! You're spot on once again, Pooch! You are correct! Count Goethe Moono is the lowest ranked among the Thirteen Night Blades and these two guys are ranked above him. Which means we know who the clown's next target is!" Alexia remarked. Cid almost made a victory pose.
"But who is this clown guy? And why did he target the Thirteen Night Blades?" Marco asked.
"If I may, Princess. I'm still convinced that Lord Claude is the most plausible suspect." Gray gave his suggestion once again in an attempt to make the princess suspect her future brother in law… although he himself is pretty convinced that he is right.
"You dare accuse Lord Claude again!?" Marco exclaimed angrily.
"It is the most logical conclusion! Who else would benefit from these deaths? He's eliminating his political opponents through assassination!" Gray defended himself.
"The Thirteen Night Blades are a group of corrupt nobles!"
"And who told you that, Marco? Claude himself? He's trying to label his political opponents as villains in order to justify his assassination of them!"
"Both of you shut up." Alexia, tired of listening to their arguing, told them both to be silent. She wanted nothing but to deny the allegations against her future brother in law and ally but she cannot do that, not while suspecting him herself.
She walked away from both of them before sighing.
I want to believe that you're not the one who did it, Claude. But you've always been too secretive and often acted on your own. You didn't even trust your own family. At this rate, I'm inclined to believe that you're the clown who's been killing the members of the Thirteen Night Blades. You may think it's smart… but they're gonna use this against us, you know!? Future king rising to power by eliminating his political rivals… That's not a good look for us! I have to talk to him!
Author's Note:
More Jack the Ripper murders. I tried to make it different from the LN but Jack the Ripper's targets are decided by rank so I have to follow the order of target from the LN. The context and the scene are slightly different from the LN though!
Also, been a long time since Claude said his catchphrase.
HundredMasks: christina hope gets a sighting, plus, also, ah yes, the parasocialism villain, haven't seen this since the oshi no ko era, and now I'm just excited at how the very image of claude getting hurt will rile up her fan girls, whom are all some pretty influential people, they'll be out for blood, nice chapter, excited for more
Answer: I wonder how I will use the fangirls again in the future.
borregodillon9: Can't wait
Answer: Glad you're as excited for the updates as I am writing them.
TheVirtualPug: I just got a wild idea. What if Claude was instead reincarnated into Suzuki Hope instead of well Claude. How much would that have changed this fanfic's canon. Would be a crazy AU
Answer: If he was thrust into Suzuki Hope, he might play the mob strategy similar to Cid, but secretly a Villain in Shadow instead of Eminence in Shadow like Cid.
A-Yellow-Lizard: Welcome back and thank you so much for this chapter! I'm so excited I could keysmash rn ahhh loving the yandere
Answer: That one week certainly felt like a long tim, huh. Glad you liked the yandere Eliza. Hope to use her more in future chapters.
