Music I listened to while writing :Vampire Journals [movie soundtrack] Opening Credits Audio Version

Chapter 6 : The "En Passant Capture" of the Black Pawn

"So, Lord Siemens was on the Shinigamis' list?"

"I've never been invited to the Earl's place before," shuddered his guest, tugging at the long, puffy sleeves of his macabre costume. "It's so charming here, like a little cocoon for the young Earl..."

"Please, focus back on the discussion."

Undertaker squirmed in his chair, amused, and scratched the deep scar that slashed across his nose and cheek with his long black nails. A gaping smile cut across his face, his eyes obscured by white strands of hair.

The butler, standing in front of his desk, always impeccable in his black suit, waited patiently for his guest to decide to answer.

"He was on the list of those destined to die, it's true," the man chuckled, never losing his cynical smile. "Heart attack. And anyway, alcohol had eaten away at his liver and was rotting his organs." He ran his tongue over his lips before continuing. "It's a simple level 1 case, but it seems that the eccentric Sutcliff insisted on having it."

"Why would he request this mission if it wasn't suited to his level?" Sebastian asked.

Undertaker was about to respond, but the demon continued in a calm and distant voice,

"The reason that comes to mind is that he wanted to get closer to the Phantomhive manor, and to me, by extension. But I find this obsession with a demon very inappropriate for a Shinigami. In fact, I would find it inappropriate for anyone. What does he want from me?"

"Hi Hi, are you asking me that?" Undertaker cackled, observing the demon's perfect face intently. "I wasn't there when you met, but I would simply say you have a certain way of leaving a taste both bitter and exquisite in your wake. It's hard to forget you. You and your master are so... entertaining."

"Entertaining?" the butler repeated, seeming displeased with the word.

"Immortals enjoy breaking the monotony," the guest said, picking up the steaming cup of tea that had been served to him, and began stirring the spoon very slowly. "And you bring that turmoil — the thrill of an enEarler. You break the eternal monotony. You understand what I mean, Mr. Michaelis?"

Sebastian did not answer and simply stared at his interlocutor.

"What's more interesting is what he did with the body," the undertaker whispered lovingly as he sipped his drink. "After offering the Shinigami's kiss of the scythe, he drove a dagger into the dead man's chest, not very deeply..."

He raised his head toward the demon, his smile still immense and sinister.

"As if it had been driven by a boy with a weak arm."

Sebastian felt a shiver of anger slide down his spine, stiffening his limbs. That filthy Death God wasn't only after his life. He was also targeting his young master and his reputation. He was steering him away from his goal.

"Of course, I acted as you and the Earl had requested," said Undertaker cheerfully, cutting off the demon's thoughts. "I slipped into the morgue and offered my services to Dr. Baxter before he could run any further analyses. I tampered with Lord Siemens' body and deepened the wound to make it appear that only an adult man could have caused it."

As he spoke, he gestured with his arm as if he were gently plunging a knife into cold flesh.

"I notched the ribs to make it seem like the killer was middle-aged. It's a delicious crack, those pliable bones breaking! And a few poisons of my own making should discolor and blend the wound, so the coroner won't suspect my intervention. But it is quite strange for a heart attack to be disguised as murder. Especially by a Shinigami!"

"He wants my Young Master to lose face in front of the English Nobility and Her Majesty," the demon murmured thoughtfully. "That would make my master's task quite difficult, and the fulfillment of his vengeance more precarious. For my young master is waiting for the day when those who attacked his predecessor and his family will try to strike again, mostly due to their hatred of the Queen's Watchdog's actions. If my master is condemned, dishonored, or even loses his rank, they won't bother showing up."

"And you don't know where to find them?"

"No."

Sebastian seemed to be reflecting, as if mentally scrolling through an incredibly long list of potential suspects.

"No," he finally said again. "I don't know who's behind the Phantomhive attack. Nor who the men are that humiliated that boy. And even if I did, it wouldn't be enough for my master. It's not just the vengeance that matters to him; it's the way he achieves it. He wants to discover who betrayed the Phantomhives himself."

To carry out his revenge himself, that's what Ciel Phantomhive wanted, thought the butler, hiding a secret smile. That's what made him so special, so delectable. That's what would make his soul so delicious.

"I don't think the young Earl is important to Sutcliff," Undertaker interrupted the demon's thoughts. "The young man who accompanies him wants Ciel Phantomhive dead. That's understandable, since I was there when you burned down Kelvin's manor, and I know what that boy lost. But Grell Sutcliff couldn't care less about the Earl. What he truly wants is to hurt you. That's why he wants the Earl dead."

"Hurt me?" Sebastian asked, raising an eyebrow as if the idea seemed absurd to him.

"At your meeting, he realized that the Earl was more important than your own life," Undertaker grinned, dipping his finger into the bottom of the empty cup to catch the sugar, which he licked off the tip of his tongue. "You hold an uncommon interest in this boy, Sebastian. I find it remarkable."

Sebastian stared at the former Shinigami, having no desire to respond. His mind was blank, and Undertaker's words held no meaning for him.

He didn't understand how his interest in Ciel Phantomhive could be considered unusual. It was true, his soul was precious to him, and for the first time, he felt this hunger that possessed his body.

But before this contract, he had gluttonously devoured every soul that crossed his path without taking the trouble to form a contract to claim them. His life had been purely about feeding. He simply roamed the places where the dying were, taking them before the Shinigamis arrived. But boredom had overtaken him, and he had decided to feed only on the highest quality souls, the most delectable ones.

To make a soul more savory, to wait and wait, to feel the hunger growing, gnawing at every fiber of his being while waiting for the day of the feast… that's what he endured today for Ciel's soul. Wasn't it normal for a demon to take a particular interest in the soul he had desired so intensely for so long?

"I've met others like you during my missions," continued the undertaker, relishing in the demon's silence. "It's rather rare for demons to show any inclination whatsoever toward a human. And, in fact, I don't think I've ever seen it before."

"And I've never seen a Shinigami who chooses to live among humans," Sebastian retorted with disdain. "A God of Death living like a mortal…"

The undertaker pinched his long black nail between his teeth and suddenly seemed to be animated by a delightful spasm.

"If I've chosen to share in human life, to the point of living among their decaying corpses, it's because I have an unwavering passion for them. Humans are fascinating, more fascinating than us, because they're going to die. I've seen so many things in the cinematic records. Yes, so many things… I told myself that I no longer wanted to just take their souls. I didn't want to be the distant spectator of their existence anymore. I wanted to live with them, at the lowest level of their decadent humanity. You understand that feeling, don't you?"

"No."

Undertaker laughed harder, squirming and twisting, nearly falling off his chair in his euphoria. His body convulsed, laughter robbing him of breath. Next to him, the butler, still impassive, watched.

"You will always make me laugh, Sebastian,"Undertaker managed to say, his eyes brimming with tears. "You made me laugh when we were alone in my shop. I asked you to make me laugh so I would reveal information about Jack the Ripper to you. Do you remember? Oh, of course you remember, your kind has an incredible memory. That day, I asked you if you knew what that smooth, almost painful sensation was that you felt in the pit of your chest when you looked at Ciel Phantomhive. And you simply answered, 'No!'"

He started laughing again, holding his sides and gasping for breath.

"I found your ignorance and perplexity so hilarious! I laughed so hard that day."

The undertaker finally managed to pull himself together and rested his unseen eyes on the demon.

"Do you know now?" he asked, his smile still stretching wide across his face.

Sebastian didn't respond, but a sudden, shameful warmth colored his cheeks as an unpleasant feeling of confusion washed over him. His eyes drifted into the void.

"I must go, I'm expected," his guest suddenly said, standing up.

He grabbed his worn, black top hat, which had been resting on the small table next to his empty tea cup.

"I'm glad I could help you. You know, it's always a pleasure for me to be of service. But I have work to do. A child's corpse. I'm going to make it beautiful, oh so beautiful."

Still muttering, he moved toward the door of the study.

"Undertaker?"

"Yes?" asked the undertaker, one hand on the doorknob.

"What is it? This pain in my chest?"

"Ah..." Undertaker sighed, his wide, sinister grin softening into a melancholic curve. "When you figure it out, come see me, won't you? I'd so love to hear you say it."

And he left the manor as quietly as he'd come. Without a sound.

End of Chapter 6

Author's Notes :

Feel free to comment on the chapters during or after reading—it's always a great joy to read your reactions, and on this site, I have no other way of knowing if you enjoy the story or not!

For more chapters quickly (free!): 🔗 My : p.a.t.r.e.o.n.c.o.m /TiffanyBrd

I included Undertaker because Ciel says Sebastian must call him in chapter 38.

Undertaker is a former Shinigami in the anime, but… Toboso Yana said on her blog that it was her idea, and that Undertaker was indeed a former Shinigami in the manga.

I assume that Undertaker and Sebastian know each other's true nature because Grell (manga vol. 2) said he was surprised to see a demon in a butler's role. And Sebastian was also surprised to see a Shinigami acting like a mortal. So they recognize one another.

Undertaker is the Black Pawn who attacks the white pawns (Snake, Grell) after their initial strike, much like the en passant move in chess.

For those wondering about the significance of this chapter, I'll refer back to a review I gave (thanks again, Akarisnape!).

I would say this:

This chapter allows me to analyze Sebastian, not from a human's point of view (which is difficult since humans don't know demons), but from an immortal's perspective toward another immortal.

In fact, in the manga, Grell says, "I don't know what happened between you and that boy, but you seem to get along well," even though a Shinigami knows that demons make pacts with humans. Is he implying that the relationship between Sebastian and Ciel is not at all a typical Demon/Human one?

When William and Sebastian have their discussion in the circus, William implies that he doesn't understand Sebastian's attachment to Ciel, because contrary to what Sebastian says, his soul isn't all that exceptional. So, it's exceptional to Sebastian but not to immortals who specialize in souls in general.

And finally, in the anime (even though I don't like referencing it too much), Claude, another demon, thinks that Sebastian's attachment to Ciel's soul is abnormal, not the usual bond between a demon and a human. He even becomes jealous of it.

You don't see this dynamic in scenes where Sebastian is surrounded by humans. It takes the eyes of immortals to discern this uniqueness in Sebastian, because those same immortals find it exceptional and surprising.

I chose Undertaker to expose this because I think he must have experienced quite a shock to decide to live among humans and their corpses. As Sebastian says when talking about Grell, he's never seen a Shinigami lower themselves to live like some humans, beings who are practically gods themselves.

The en passant capture of the Black Pawn is a chess move where a pawn captures another pawn directly after its double-step move. This move can only be made as an immediate response to the opposing pawn's advance.