Chapter 120: Jack the Ripper

Holy shit.

Because I'm now acting as a mob, I am unable to assume the mantle of Jack the Ripper and kill these guys as I planned to do. I entrusted my deck to Alpha, hoping she would temporarily take over so I won't have to break my mob act. But to think she gave it to that ikemen instead.

But I have to say, he's not bad with the cards. I bet he practiced it secretly when he heard of my exploits.

Oh look! He sliced the minion into two by throwing the card. The card even explodes when it hits the wall. Did he do that intentionally or is his magic control not good so he resorts to that? Either way, it worked and that's all that matters.

Oh. Another minion down. And another… and another. They didn't know what hit them until their body fell apart. That's so cool!

He sliced more of the minions with his card projectiles and in mere moments, they lay down on the floor as piles of cut flesh. The trio of nobles holding me hostage just stood there totally stunned with their jaws wide open. The sight is pretty funny. Even Alexia is stunned as if she just saw a ghost. She couldn't understand just how cool this is.

Then, after he got some breathing room after clearing the minions, he threw a card to the guy who held me hostage with his knife on my throat (I think his name was Oyano Bou or something) and sliced off the very hand that held the knife on my throat.

"Cid!" I heard Alexia shouted. Not to worry, princess. I'm unharmed.

"HIIIIAAAAGGHHHH!" He screamed… no, squealed like a pig. The other two immediately ran away after seeing their host held his bleeding hand while screaming. I also took this chance to leave the place after removing the binding on my chair.

"Cid!? Where is he!?" I heard my sister shouting my name but too late! I'm gone! I need to quickly get the clown costume and get some cards and—oh look. Alpha's here.

"Shadow. I see that Mr. Claude has served as a good distraction just as you planned." She greeted me in the hallways with a smile, no doubt already witnessed the whole thing. You know, when I gave the deck to you, I didn't mean for you to give them to the ikemen! Though he's still cool so I'll forgive you.

"You look dissatisfied. What's wrong?" Alpha asked with a concerned face.

"Nothing. It's just that…"

"Ah. The three nobles are escaping and you wanted to resume your work? Very well. Here." She handed over to me the familiar colourful and bloodstained clown costume and the deck of cards, which is only missing the joker card in addition to the three cards I used to kill the other nobles. It seems that she didn't give the deck to the ikemen but did she lost the joker card somewhere? Damn! I was planning on using that card for a grand reveal! No matter. I'll get another card later.

It's time for Jack the Ripper to return to action.

I can't believe my eyes. I mean, I already suspected him to be the clown but… to think it was true. Although he's not wearing any clown costume right now, the way he wields those cards so skilfully is proof enough!

Still, what an amazing control of magic, to be able to slice through people and even cause such explosions with mere paper cards…

The expression he's making… is scary. He's grinning like a villain whilst slicing Count Oyano's men to pieces with his cards. I could've sworn his eyes flashed red at some point. It's like he's no longer the Claude we know and is replaced by someone else… Even Claire is stunned by his skills and brutality.

After clearing up the men surrounding us and getting some breathing room, he then threw a card towards… No!

"Cid!" I shouted as I saw the card heading dangerously close to Pooch's neck… only for it to slice off Count Oyano's hand, the very hand that held the knife.

"HIIIIAAAAGGHHHH!" He squealed like a pig while holding his bleeding and mutilated hand. The other two bastards ran away like the cowards they are.

"Does that satisfy you, Claire?" I heard Claude address Claire. She turned to face him, still with a frustrated face.

"I don't like your method but… as long as it gets Cid to safety—wait… Cid!? Where is he!?" Claire shouted when she saw the chair where Pooch was sitting on just now. Impossible! We just turned away for a few seconds! How did he disappear that quickly!? Did those bastards take him with them!?

Claude gazed at Count Oyano with cold eyes and after retrieving his sword from the floor, he jumped to meet the Count on the raised platform. Me and Claire followed suit and saw Claude standing in front of the Count… who already stopped screaming… and moving. What's going on?

"So you've come at last." Claude said, but his words aren't directed towards the unmoving Count… but towards the figure standing behind him, a figure whose presence we didn't notice until Claude addressed him.

I was flabbergasted. There he stands… the bloodstained clown… with a smiling mask that makes him look creepier than funny. If he's here… then Claude-!?

The unmoving Count Oyano finally dropped to the floor face down with a card embedded on the back of his skull, a 6 of spades.

"Have you come for me too?" Claude addressed the clown while pointing his sword at him. The clown merely tilted his head as if confused instead of replying.

"Don't play dumb! What is the meaning of this card then!?" Claude said while throwing a card in the ground, a joker card with something written on it. Jack the Ripper?

"Hahahahahahahahaha!" The clown laughed creepily while comically holding his stomach with one hand and covering his mouth with the other.

Losing his patience, Claude charged at the clown with a sword in hand, raising it to strike the clown down, only for the clown to parry the strike… with a card.

"What!?" Claude exclaimed in surprise. Both me and Claire are also surprised at how someone was able to parry a sword (from Claude of all people) with a paper card, though I noticed that the card is slightly cut by the sword.

"Hahahahahahahahaha!" The clown laughed again before turning to retreat.

"Don't you walk away from me!" Claude shouted as he drew a card and threw it at the clown… who responded by throwing a card of his own. The two cards clashed mid air and… the clown's card won by slicing through Claude's card. The clown's card flew towards Claude, who had to block it with his sword, which pushed him a few steps backwards. How strong is the force of that clown's card if it made Claude of all people…

I saw the card embedded on Claude's sword, a King of Hearts.

When I turned towards the clown again, he's already gone.

"Tch…" Claude clicked his tongue when he too noticed that the clown is gone. He proceeded to charge forward to chase after the clown, both of us following suit.

On the way we discovered the corpses of Viscount Shinobi and Marquis Jet… with the cards 4 of spades and 5 of spades respectively embedded on their foreheads. Their expression is one of shock and terror. That clown is indeed terrifying.

Whilst I stopped to inspect the corpses, Claude kept going.

"Not gonna follow him, Claire?" I addressed Pooch's sister.

"I prefer your company over his right now." She's still mad.

"Thank you. I appreciate it. But you should-"

"Ehhh…. It's so scary! Oh! There you are, sis!" I was interrupted by a certain scared dog.

"Cid! Where were you!?" Claire grabbed… no, squeezed both his cheeks whilst shouting at his face.

"I-I ran away as soon as the bindings came off when that guy's hand was cut off!"

"How did the bindings came off?"

"I dunno! Maybe that ikemen's card cut the ropes off!"

"What's an ikemen?"

"Uhh…. It's uhhh…."

"No matter. There's another more important thing I need to ask you. Why didn't you run towards me so I can keep you safe, you idiot!?" Claire pinched both his cheeks and stretched them so widely. I didn't know you could stretch someone's cheek that widely! Maybe I ought to try it on him someti—No… I can't…

"Showwyy shiiisshhh!" Pooch squealed. As much as I wanted to join Claire in bullying him, I have other things to take care of.

"Now, let's go home! You're sleeping in my room and I will not take no for an answer!"

"Eeeehhh…?"

"Now come!" Claire said while pinching his ear and pulling him with her.

"Pwincess Alexia! Help meee!"

"I'm sorry, Poochie. You brought this upon yourself." I merely waved goodbye at him.

"Princess Alexia." Claire stopped for a second as she addressed me. She then took something out of her pocket and threw it at me. I caught the thing she threw. It's the joker card from earlier, with the name Jack the Ripper written on it.

"Thought that would aid you in your investigation. Now, let's go, Cid!" She said before pulling Pooch with her.

"Thank you, Claire." I froze and was only able to whisper my gratitude as I watched them both leave… This is probably the last time that I'll—

I distract myself from such depressing thoughts by focusing on Claude. He's chasing the clown to the deeper parts of this underground lair. Sir Willow warned us that Eliza now possessed an Artifact of mind control meant to be used for Claude and… Count Oyano said she's downstairs! Claude is walking straight into their trap!

I immediately rushed forward and after going down some stairs I found a room that I'm convinced belongs to that bitch Eliza. It's obvious that this room belongs to a girl like her judging from the luxurious carpets and furniture and the scented candles, the dresses, the expensive tea set, the Mitsugoshi make up products...

But neither Claude nor Eliza is around. I searched the other rooms and found no one around too. Eventually I found the backdoor which leads to the dreaded underground labyrinth. The door is not only unlocked but it is also not even closed. Both Claude and Eliza must've escaped through here and there's no way I could chase after them alone when this place is still swarming with undead horde. I struggled in this hellhole even with Claude around back during the Bushin Festival! I'm too late!

"DAMMIT!" I shouted while punching the wall, creating a crack on it.

"How am I supposed to explain this to Iris!?" I muttered while clutching my head as if having a headache… though I'm probably actually having a headache right now.

"It's all that stupid clown's fault!"

So that's what happened while I'm gone. I've finished viewing the memory crystal that my clone left before resuming his work of being my body double.

Fenrir is cooking some amusing scheme and I'll be there laughing when he fails.

Also, the strength of this Jack the Ripper fellow is not to be underestimated indeed. How interesting. I wonder if he could be a good match for my Phantom of the Opera… But it seems that he's more interested in Claude, if the King of Hearts is any indication.

Also, the clone definitely screwed up a little when he started using cards to kill those guys. If the real Jack the Ripper didn't appear right then and there, Alexia would've been absolutely convinced that Claude is the killer clown. My clone isn't very smart but he's surprisingly playful. To be fair, what he did sounds fun. I wanted to massacre people using cards too.

While I'd like to return as Claude and meet the killer clown once again, I just received a message from Mordred through my beloved Sherry (who's currently sleeping on my bed as per my orders) that he wants to start the war as soon as possible.

So here I am, back in Oriana even though it wasn't long since I left it. I teleported to the Phantom's lair under an Opera House to check things around and… found signs of disturbance. A bunch of stuff is not where I left them. Like this trumpet which is tilted slightly towards the right, or this bagpipe which is on the floor, or this flute, or… well, you get the idea. They found and took nothing because there are only musical instruments here.

Someone has been searching around this lair, most likely Shadow Garden because through Princess Rose they are the only ones who know about this lair. Were they expecting to contact me? Or capture me? No matter. I have no business with them. Only with Rose… and her kingdom as a whole.

Now then. I have to return to Oriana Castle and officially begin the war. Heh heh heh.

Author's Note:

And now the timeline has caught up with Chapter 111: Brothers and the war will soon begin. What roles will our serial killers play in this upcoming civil war? Find out on the next episode of the Killer in Shadows!

A-Yellow-Lizard: Oh my god I love this chapter so much Sure is a TEIS moment

Answer: Glad you love the misunderstandings. It is all cleared in this chapter but there is another mystery!

borregodillon9: Another cliffhanger bro really!

Answer: Can this chapter's ending be considered cliffhanger too?

Guest: Will you be adding some more ideas from warhammer 40k for Claude to use

Answer: I'm not a Warhammer 40k fan and thus I don't know the lore. If some of my writing sounds like Warhammer 40k stuff, it's all a coincidence.

Cj The Depressed One: ngl i want to see claude gating a wing one where he is him self will be white when he is the necromancer. It's black or red or something. Ngl, that would be cool

Answer: No plans for a wing. But I do have plans for another. You shall see.