Chapter 13: Crossing Road and Strange Meeting

"...what?" said Tatsumi, standing up as he started to freak out, "What do you mean I have been possessed by wraith?"

While Esdeath felt surprised to hear what Van-Fem said, thinking he made it up, but she remembered Klein did tell her about 27 Dead Apostle Ancestors because they are more dangerous than Teigu.

"Then tell me everything...and how did, Shiki kill Calhin in this beginning?" said Esdeath, wanting to know how it started.

"Then I shall tell you everything you know of while Death will be back here soon," said Van-Fem, smiling at her as he starts to explain how it starts.

Shiki's POV

Shiki stood on the roof, observing at Castle where Emperor Tatsumi is. While the soldiers were taking their prisoners outside as they started to execute them in order to weaken Revolutionary Army. He notices Asara, sitting beside him, telling him, "So, you're not going in there, aren't you?"

"I'm thinking about different ways to sneak in. Or just go full blitz."

"Always on suicidal guy, aren't you? I remember, you always wiped out my clan alone without having your backup," said Asara, taking her seat on the roof next to Shiki.

"Ehh...Not much because I just...trust my instinct much more which allows me to survive often. In the end, I got used to it. "

"Haaa...sounds like you're crazier than Van-Fem was. So tell me, you got a plan to infiltrate there or what?'

While they both watch a carriage is stopped by guards at the entrance before checking in the back before letting them in. This gave an idea to Shiki before he turned back and responded to her, "I've got an idea. We are going back to Nightfall Grand. I'll explain to them."

Once they get back at Nightfall Grand while Shiki heads straight to a private room, leaving Asara to prepare a carriage for him and his friends to head straight to Emperor's lair. Shiki found a door before he heard Van-Fem's voice.

"...and he successfully, interrupted Dark Six rituals. And he made his mistake of letting him live while he met Crimson Moon in person."

"Did you say, Crimson Moon? Isn't he ranked 3rd as Dead Apostle Ancestor? And Shiki is the third of Second-in-Command, isn't he? Does this mean he works with him?" said Tatsumi, his voice feeling as if he was surprised to hear about Shiki's past.

"To be honest, I don't know what kind of deal did he made with. Maybe some kind of benefits for White Princess? Hell, I didn't want to find out for what he did."

Shiki opens the door as he gives his surprise to Tatsumi and Esdeath while Van-Fem greets him, "Hello, Death. How's your recon going?"

"Tell you what. I have a plan."

"Then I'm listening."

"I would like you to turn them over."

At nightfall...

Van-Fem is now driving on the cover-wagon, along with Asara while two of them were tied up inside of it. While Esdeath is now feeling a bit humiliated, but she has to endure it while Tatsumi does the same thing with her.

Shiki sat on the other side, reading Valesti's book when he noticed Esdeath, kept staring at him, "Something to say for me, Esdeath?"

"Yes and I can't really help but to ask you. Did you destroy my village? I know you and I never forget about your face."

He closed his book as he put it in his breast pocket, approaching her, "Want to know why?"

She nods her head with Shiki's response.

"Your village was infected by Valesti and they became Dead Apostles. That's why I prevent them from spreading. Normally, I leave no survivors alive, except you went out, hunting on your own."

Her eyes widen as she remembers she came back and was attacked by her neighbor before Shiki saved her from Dead Apostles. She remembers people eating each other before she barely recognized her father's face was a bit torn up, eating parts.

"Why didn't you kill me before then?"

"What if, I should have let you to become Dead Apostle Ancestor? What if Esdeath here, betrays Empire and joins the rebels?" said Shiki, turning his head at Tatsumi, "What if, this military would've let him join this army?"

He walks back to his original position, "There are so many what-ifs because I kept talking with my wife and she never likes to talk about it."

Once the wagon had stopped before Asara came over and informed Shiki, "Death, this is it."

"Thanks. I'll see you around," said Shiki, jumping off from wagon, and disappearing from their sight.

Asara went back to her usual seat with Van-Fem as they started to ride before he spoke to them, "Interesting, isn't he? He is nothing, but a Grim Reaper among low-life vampires and Dead Apostles."

"I remember Klein once told me he is a bodyguard of White Princess. So who is she?"

"Ah speak of devil. Do you want to know her name badly? Fine then her name is, Arcueid Brunestud. She is True Ancestor, a true vampire princess among bloodsuckers."

"I thought they were all vampires, weren't they?"

"I never say they were the same. Just a different species. Unlike me, I became Dead Apostle Ancestor by using magecraft." said Van-Fem, who started to laugh a bit while Asara laughed with him.

"What in the world were we thrown in this world?" said Tatsumi, feeling a bit sick and wanting to throw up for a bit. But he decides to stomach it without throwing up.

"Here we are," said Van-Fem, stopping his wagon before being asked by guards whom were guarding at the entrance.

"Evening, Van-Fem. What brings you here? Let me guess...more boozes?"

"Haha nope. You should be surprised that I got a present for your Emperor." said Van-Fem, happily making his announcement for his bounty.

The guard checks as his brows raise, "Seriously? You capture both rebels! Tell me how did you capture them?"

"Haha. It's a trade secret. I hope you don't delay for his presents."

"Ok then. Let them go." said the guard, who gave his signal to his associate before they both heard a shout from the officer.

"Hold it! I would like to see it with my own eyes."

"Lieutenant Lubbock! I didn't expect you were here!" said, the guard, who started easing up for him before saluting.

Esdeath and Tatsumi were both surprised to hear his name, seeing him wearing a black uniform and his dark personality which he hardly recognized.

He climbs up on the wagon before inspecting them, lifting Esdeath's chin up before making his comment, "No doubt it's her. I would like to know how he captured you so easily. Maybe to interrogate her in the torture room."

"And I would advise you not to damage my present because I didn't want to leave a mark on her."

"Is that so?" said Lubbock, looking at Tatsumi's face, giving him a sadistic smile, "And who do we have here? An imposter?"

"I'm sure Emperor will be surprised to hear when I tell him."

"Mmm..." said Lubbock, turning back as he exited from the wagon, and gave his signal to the guards to let them go.

Once they were let go as they were out of their sight from guards. Edeath and Tatsumi look at each other, filled with so many questions.

"Is that..."

"I...I don't know what am I seeing."

They felt the wagon being stopped before Van-Fem and his assistant came down as he opened the curtain, "It's time for you to mee your own face...Tatsumi."

They both jump out from the wagon before Tatsumi sees a huge castle in front of him and Esdeath. They were both escorted to Emperor's room where he once sat on his thrown. They both finally meet another Emperor Tatsumi or what he looks like, but a bit older. He had a fully grown beard, holding his staff with a blue jewel on top of it.

He came down from his seat before he dismissed his guards with his raspberry voice, "You may leave."

Once every guard now left the room, leaving Van-Fem, and Asara with the newly two captured rebels. The Emperor Tatsumi smiles at them with his sadistic face, lifting Esdeath's chin, "Can you imagine, being captured by rank 14th? Now I'm really happy to get it done!"

He looks at Tatsumi, as his face becomes disappointed, lifting his neck up, "And you dare you replace me? Think anyone wouldn't notice any change? And...I wonder how you got here."

He looks at Van-Fem and his partner before changing his face, "Well, then what kind of reward can I give you? I hope it's not about Aylesbury ritual again since you crashed last time."

"Oh, I'm not here about reward...I was given a message to you."

"Tell me and I need to know his name."

"Death will appear before thee...soon," said Van-Fem, smiling at him before Emperor Tatsumi's face widened up.

"YOU! BASTARD!" shouted Emperor Tatsumi before looking at the ceiling frantically before he felt both of his legs being cut like paper. He is unable to heal on his own before he sees the God of Death's face, appear in front of him.

"Haaa...this is the second time as you still did not notice my entrance," said Shiki, looking to the other side where he cut a wall like it was nothing. But a few pieces of bricks were lying on the ground.

"How?! Once you step on a magical trap and it should have been activated! BUT HOW DID YOU MANAGE TO AVOID IT?"

"I simply...killed it," said Shiki, looking at duo, surprised before he noticed a ghost coming out from Emperor's body as it was about to jump toward Tatsumi's body. Before it could, Shiki is able to grab a ghost as if it is simply nothing for him.

He managed to throw a ghost farther before being touched down on a man with a grey business suit, and two big red eyes, on his feet which you could not see his face because he was far from Esdeath's and Tatsumi's distance.

"Hello, Death...or should I say, Nanaya Shiki?" said the man with big red eyes, with his accent speaking as if his voice became deep.

"Stop calling my name. Just use my first name, would you? By the way, what are you doing here, Crimson Moon? I hope you're not going to pull your tricks again."

The duo were all surprised to see Crimson Moon in person as he is currently, ranked 3rd in DAA. Now it's their first time seeing him, but not in a full picture of his appearance. They were unable to see his face, except Shiki could see him in person.

"Haha. And would you look at Calhin? Because he is weak? No? Then he is no longer useful to me anymore."

"Wait! Give me a chance to kill him," said Calhin, starting to beg him before kneeling.

"Oh shut up," said CM, flicking his finger before Calhin's body started burning up, begging him until his body was reduced to ash.

"Wait, you're third of Dead Apostle Ancestor, aren't you?" said Esdeath, exclaiming before she witnessed his power.

"And, both of you, have gotten lost in this parallel world which it does not exist in your timeline. I wonder...who did throw you here?"

"Knock it off, Crimson. If you're here to take over Arcueid, then I'm seriously going to kill you," said Shiki, pointing his knife at him.

"Oh ho. It's not about her. It's about...apocalypse. I can feel it is coming in a few years to go." said Crimson Moon, clapping his hands.

"I thought, ORT is still sleeping?"

"More like, woken up. In this case, I'm going for now. And don't forget about 'it', Shiki." said Crimson Moon as his body slowly disappeared from their sight.

Shiki looks at Emperor Tatsumi is now dying on the floor, taking his last breath before asking him, "You're...you're Death that..."

He walks towards him before kneeling at him, "Don't speak. You don't have time anymore and you do realize it?"

He nods his head weakly before looking at Tatsumi and Esdeath, "And...you two...you're not from here, aren't you?"

They both walk toward to dying Emperor before Tatsumi speaks, "I...I don't know what to say, but you do look like me. But.."

"Ah, no need. I fear my time has come yet...Death, please..." said Emperor Tatsumi before Shiki obliged his wish.

"Do a favor for me, Van-Fem. Please take them and I'll meet you there."

He nods his head as he escorts them back to Nightfall Grand before Shiki grants his wish. He unwinds his right eye before opening it as he stares at Emperor's eyes.

"Ah...Didn't realize this moon is so beautiful than red...I..." said Emperor Tatsumi, his eyes slowly closing his eyes before letting his head fall back slowly.

Shiki watches him sleep peacefully as he gives him a real nice slow death for him. In the end, he slowly winds his right eye to cover it before he lets Emperor's body lie down on the floor peacefully. He sighs by himself since he never likes to use his eyes to kill someone else. Instead, he chose to respect their wishes and treat them as life and death respectively.

Now he gets his job done so that he can go back to the original world with Tatsumi and Esdeath. He picks a staff that was already created by Calhin. It's quite a shame to leave it behind and decide to take it with him.

At midnight

Shiki and the rest of the people were on their way to the hill which is far away from Capital, the next thing they noticed the castle was no longer there. They assumed Shiki had just a single hand destroyed a castle and he left them nothing.

"Wow...I didn't expect how you would be able to destroy a castle," said Esdeath, started being awe as she saw the castle was no longer there, but there was nothing left in there anymore.

"A full of surprise, you know?" said Shiki, patting Esdeath's shoulder before reminding her, "We are going back to your original world, but there are a few things that I want to stop by. And perhaps, to treat you at Brunested Castle."

"...what? What did you say?"

"Oh that's right, Klein did tell you, didn't he? I bet he wants to know where, unfortunately, for you and Tatsumi, you don't know where her castle is. I do know where."

"Include...Zelretch?"

He nodded his head without a word before they saw a red appear out of nowhere. There is no other side, nor on its back, just a simple door. Tatsumi went to check if there was something in the back and freaked out.

"Whoa! There's nothing in the back! Just a single door!"

Shiki starts to laugh before opening the door as it reveals multiple white doors with no names. They walk inside before Shiki asks Van-Fem, "So what will you do, afterward?"

"Mmm...Maybe I might move to another world to open up a new shop or elsewhere. I'm thinking about...tell you what and I'll send the letter to you. And be sure to sell it for me!"

"Got it. We will meet again, and I don't plan to sell it. Maybe in a few years to go." said Shiki, grinning at him before gesturing to his fellow companions as they went through the door.

Tatsumi and Esdeath were all amazed to find thousands of doors, if not, more than millions. Once the red door starts to close by itself before disappearing from their sight.

"Is this...how you break into the castle?" said Esdeath, mesmerized by every door and couldn't take her eyes off it.

"Ha ha ha. It's quite the opposite the way I break your little castle than what I did at Lourve's. You should have seen me sneaking inside Emperor Tatsumi's castle because it is easier for me to walk in while someone else forgets to lock their door behind." said Shiki, starting to chuckle a bit as he started to walk before the duo followed him.

"So what are you going to do with this staff?" said Tatsumi, curious to know what will Shiki do with the staff.

"Oh, this? I have to keep it in my castle and will sell it in a few years to go. If not, then I consider it as junk."

"He can seriously keep his staff as treasure?" said Esdeath, starting whispering at Tatsumi before asking Shiki, "Just...how many...junks did you collect them?"

"Around more than a hundred thousand? If you intend to buy them from me, then you have to pay more than 250 million gold altogether."

Both Esdeath and Tatsumi were shocked to hear his treasures cost more than what they owned. Compared with Emperor Honest and Shiki, he is nothing, but filthy rich while he easily hunts Dead Apostles down.

"...and here we are. Welcome to Ahnenerbe," said Shiki, opening the door as it revealed normal wooden chairs, tables and oddly quiet as if it becomes an empty place.

"Don't be shy, people. Come on in and take relax there. You can order whatever you like. Normally, ordinary people don't come here unless I knew the rest of the people here." said Shiki, gesturing to his fellows as they got in before checking the surroundings of this place.

Once the door starts to disappear again before Shiki takes his seat while the duo sits on opposite sides. They were both nervous while Shiki casually sat, playing with his staff before tinkering with it.

The door opens by itself and it reveals a round, short, blonde bob-cut with cat ears on top of her head and pink fluff in her cat ears, which they had never seen the species before. Except they know it is kind of like a cat.

"Well, well, if it isn't my dear customer here." said cat alike, looking at two new guests, "And these two people here. I had never seen them here before. Perhaps new routes?"

Shiki starts smacking her head behind before he answers, "Shut up, Neco-Arc. They are not your new playthings. Meet Esdeath and Tatsumi. Meet Neco-Arc. Just let me know if she plans to mess up again, I won't hesitate it ever."

"You start being mean to me! I swear, I will take over this world!" said Neco-Arc, looking at new guests before she coughed as per usual, "And what can I do for you? I bet you may be tired from your travel, I assume?"

"I...thanks? I don't know and I was wondering...what can you give us a recommended food?" said Tatsumi, feeling a bit nervous as if he was talking to a cat person or humanoid. Or even both.

"Don't worry! Our chef here never makes his mistake! And I'll make sure you will love this food here! And Shiki, your usual food will be ready soon! Nya." said Neco-Arc, being excited to give them what they wanted before she went back to the kitchen to give her order to the chef.

While Tatsumi and Esdeath were all wondering what was it about. They decide to look around again before Esdeath asks Shiki where they are.

"I told you, Ahnenerbe. This place is..." said Shiki, leaning forward to Esdeath and Tatsumi, "Where the parallel world can converge in this place. Let's just say...for example of Tatsumi where he becomes an emperor. This place is very special to me and my friends."

"Parallel world? You're joking, right?" said Esdeath, standing up as she felt a bit upset to hear from Shiki, "The red door appeared out of nowhere and now you are able to enter any doors freely. And now you're telling me we are in this...another world?"

"If you tried to leave this place, then it won't let you leave where you go as you like," said Shiki, standing up as he walked toward to dialing phone on the table before telling them, "Just take a relax and it won't be long."

He starts to dial on old phone as it starts to ring for a bit. He waited until someone answered the phone before Shiki spoke, "Hello. It's me. Ah yes, I have a favor to ask..."

While Tatsumi and Esdeath look at Shiki, talking to someone else before he looks around and stands up, walking toward the window as he sees outside is full of the city, unlike Capital City. Every place a filled with modern houses and some shops. People were walking inside the shops or bakery. He had never seen people the way they dress than what he remembered in Capital City. He wants to go out and see what it looks like.

He opens the door as he walks and finds himself in Ahnenerbe, noticing Esdeath sitting in the same position with her face being surprised before she makes her comment, "You just came back? How?"

Tatsumi looks again as he tries again to walk and finds himself back in Ahnenerbe again before realizing, "Shit! Shiki is right. This place won't let me leave."

"Let me try," said Esdeath, standing up as walks toward the door and came back again, finding Tatsumi standing in the same position. She is unable to speak her own words as if they are being stuck in this loop. It is pointless for them to try again as they were about to head back to their seat when they heard the door open. They turn back as they notice a woman wearing with kimono, laced-up boots, and a red leather jacket. Her face became cold toward to newly guests as she started to ignore them as she picked another seat before looking at the menu.

Once Shiki is done talking to the old phone as he walks toward her before speaking to her, "Oh hello. Didn't expect you were here."

"You got here earlier than I expected. And these two? I'm guessing...they are nothing but troubles?"

"Don't worry about them. I'm taking them back where they belong to. If you don't have a plan to chat with them, then you're welcome to ignore them anytime you want."

"You sure know me well and now I have to wait for Shirou to come here because he has something for me." said a woman with a red jacket, taking her eyes off from menu as she looked at Shiki's red blindfold.

"Since you have time to kill unless you're willing to join us for a small chit-chat while we wait for Shirou. Ok?"

"Fair enough." said a woman with a red jacket, standing up as they both came toward Esdeath and Tatsumi before they both sat down.

"And who are you?" said Esdeath, asking to an unknown woman with a red jacket.

She smiles as she responds to her question, "My name is...Shiki."

To be continued...