Beyond the Old Ones

Disclaimer: I own nothing, this is purely a fanfic for enjoyment.

Cross-over from various games, books, anime, manga, and movies.

The familiar characters you see here belong to their respected authors and owners.

"Speech"

Time*

Chapter 22: Tasks for the Day

The next day*

Under the excuse of seeking rare materials, I slip away from Phantomhive Manor to handle a few personal tasks while the events of Kuroshitsuji unfold around me. In my absence, the household will be none the wiser, and I can finally take a moment to myself.

I settle into a seat at a local pub, the dimly lit interior bustling with conversations and clinking glasses. Savoring the calm, I take a sip, allowing the drink's warmth to ease my mind, if only for a short while.

"I must say, you're slipping up if you're not in disguise out here, Nagumo."

A familiar voice pulls me from my thoughts. I glance up to see a tall, lean figure with slicked-back gray hair tied into a ponytail. He's dressed sharply in a black trench coat layered over a green dress shirt, matched with black trousers and dress shoes. Round glasses frame his calm, calculated gaze.

I chuckle slightly, setting my glass down as I regard him. "Well, Sakamoto, it seems I didn't have to wait long. What brings you all the way to London?"

Sakamoto's expression barely shifts, his voice as even as ever. "I wanted to confirm whether it was true that you left after completing an important mission… and all for a woman." He pauses, almost emphasizing the word. "Tell me, Yoichi Nagumo. When do you plan on returning? Word has spread about the fallout between you and the woman you pursued."

Ah, right… I almost forgot about the false name I took on, Yoichi Nagumo. It served as motivation—a reminder to sharpen my skills, enhance my disguise, and rise to something more to be worthy of Integra. Boy, did that become a wasted motivation?

"No idea at the moment. Right now, I'm just working for some kid." I smirk, swirling my drink idly. "But why do you ask? Is there suddenly an urgent demand for someone with my particular skill set?" I add, half-joking. "You do remember I've never been able to beat you in a single spar since we met."

Sakamoto gives a casual shrug, his expression unamused. "I wouldn't know, but people have been talking ever since you disappeared out of the blue. Those who know you, though, figure you'll come back once you're done here." He pauses, adjusting his glasses. "And as for not beating me—that's only in a head-on fight. Don't think I'm unaware of your talents in stealth. In the beginning, you claimed to be the best ninja there is, didn't you?" He rolls his eyes, his tone carrying a hint of dry amusement. "Frankly, you're not much of a ninja if you openly declare it in the first place. And with your skill in disguises, you'd be nearly impossible to track… if it weren't for a certain giveaway."

I sweatdrop slightly, resisting the urge to mention a certain loud, orange-clad ninja from another world who had a penchant for announcing his identity to anyone who'd listen.

At the end, I raise an eyebrow, intrigued. "Oh? Do tell."

Sakamoto leans forward slightly, a faint smirk forming on his lips. "You're too confident in those black contacts, Nagumo. Not many know your natural eye color is red." He gestures toward me. "It's how I knew it was you. I don't know how people could confuse you for someone else just by your eye color alone when you just look the same as you appear outside of disguises. Even if you change your hairstyle a bit."

"I see." I nod, though inwardly; I can't help but shake my head at myself.

Honestly, I might have been influenced by my past life even before the awakening. A certain superhero got away with nothing more than a simple pair of glasses as a disguise, which inspired me to change only my eye color and hairstyle as my own minimalist approach to blending in.

"By the way, how's Akao doing?" I ask, raising an eyebrow and glancing around cautiously. "She's not here, right?"

Sakamoto smirks, crossing his arms. "If she were, you'd have already heard her yelling at you before I even got a word in."

I can't help but chuckle at the thought, well aware that Akao's fiery temper would indeed make her presence immediately known.

"That's true." I nod in agreement. "Anyway, I won't be returning anytime soon. Unless, of course, there's a mission I absolutely need to take on?"

I silently hope there isn't a mission. Sure, the money from these missions is decent, but oddly enough, the Deadtube videos are easier to produce and earn me even more. Then again, some of these missions offer rare resources—ones that money alone could never buy.

I really need to organize my memories better. Relying on the sudden flashes of insight through Computational Divination in the Sefirah Castle is risky. I could be using the Card of Paragon to systematically search my memories and call up specific past events without the chaos of last-minute improvisation.

"For now, no." Sakamoto shakes his head. "I was just nearby and thought I'd check in to see what you're up to. That being said, Akao plans to track you down once she's free. She wants to pitch a new mission for the three of us to tackle together. I know we have been handling these on our own for a while now, but teaming up would cut the mission time significantly."

I switch to the Card of Paragon, instantly sifting through a few hazy memories, and I gulp slightly as the events with Akao playback. "Does she… know I'm here?" I ask, hoping she doesn't.

"Your exact location? No. The general area? Yes." Sakamoto replies calmly. "By now, she probably knows you're somewhere in London. If I were you, I'd wrap things up here before she arrives." With that, he rises from his seat, but something odd flickers across his face—a brief, almost dreamy smile—before he quickly coughs into his hand, noticing my stare. "Sorry, just remembered something funny." He turns on his heel. "See you later, Nagumo." He quickly exited the pub as if escaping before I could press him with questions.

Little does he know that I already have a suspicion, thanks to my past life memories. If I'm right, he's probably met his soulmate—the one destined to become his wife, then the mother of his daughter. The very reason he'll one day walk away from this life and run a convenience store with them, leaving the world of assassins behind.

With Sakamoto gone and that little surprise encounter out of the way, it's time to move on to my next task before heading back to Phantomhive Manor.

I rise from my seat, leaving a few bills on the table to cover my tab. After a quick glance around to ensure I'm not being followed, I make my way to the exit, stepping into the bustling London streets.

A few hours later*

My backpack is packed to the brim with freshly bought ingredients—herbs, minerals, enchanted tools—everything I need for upcoming rituals. The expectation of diving into more mysticism puts a thrill in my step. But before any of that, there's one more matter I need to attend to.

Back in my room, I shut the door quietly behind me, letting my gaze sweep across every inch of the space. Switching to the Card of Red Priest, I double-check my precautions. Every trap and ward I laid down to detect intruders remains untouched, each one a small but layered block. I can't be entirely sure it'd be enough to outmaneuver Sebastian, but these safeguards aren't entirely useless. I even set up a few preparatory rituals that should demand a price if he tries to bypass them.

Though, knowing Sebastian, his focus is likely too fixed on his own ends to bother with my humble quarters. Hungry for Ciel's soul, he might not waste the time meddling with anyone else's affairs… yet.

I set my backpack down on the desk, carefully pulling out a few choice items and laying them before me. With a swift, practiced motion, I erect a wall of Spirituality around myself, sealing off any stray energies that could interfere.

With that secure, I turn my attention to the tools at hand: a few rectangular pieces of silver, a silver ritual carving knife, my notebook, and a pen. Switching to the Card of Paragon, I activate perfect memory recall, letting every rune, symbol, and line needed flow to the forefront of my mind as I begin to sketch them in the notebook.

Satisfied, I switch to the Card of Fool to check if any details need refinement. I won't be replicating the methods of the Beyonders from Lord of the Mysteries, so everything here must be tested and customized. Noting some areas for improvement, I make adjustments, occasionally shifting to the Card of White Tower, which amplifies my analytical skills under Sequence 9: Reader. Under this heightened reasoning, I noticed a few more details I'd missed and refined them further.

After double-checking everything once more under the Card of Fool, I grab a piece of silver and the ritual knife, feeling the Card of Darkness intensify my Spirituality. With this surge in energy, I'm ready to begin the engravings in earnest.

A few hours later*

Finally, with the last symbol etched into place, I exhale, wiping the sweat from my brow. Six Slumber Charms lie before me in a neat pile, each I've crafted into the silver's surface with Spirituality. I would've liked to make more, but the shop only had six pieces of silver in stock. Still, these six should be more than enough for the time being.

I slip one of the Slumber Charms into my right pocket, feeling its cool surface through the fabric, while stowing the remaining five carefully in a small compartment on the right side of my backpack. Once secured, I bring out a selection of herbs and a few other materials, each carefully chosen for their unique properties.

Now for the next step. With the Cards of Blasphemy in hand, I switch through them as needed, imbuing each ingredient with Spirituality to transform them into spiritual ingredients through a ritual and into a Healing Agent. This concoction, when properly prepared, should mend most external wounds, alleviate severe injuries, and clear away minor ailments.

I can't help but marvel at the sheer versatility of Lord of the Mysteries' Ritualistic Magic. Once you grasp the mechanics, it opens up nearly limitless possibilities. Even the strangest of rituals can yield incredible results. Take, for example, the legendary case of a certain character who settled an IOU of thirty pounds through a well-constructed ritual. The audacity of using magic to pay off debt—it's brilliant, really.

If such resourceful uses of Ritualistic Magic are possible, then creating my own ritual to create spiritual ingredients is hardly a stretch. I'm fortunate to have the insights from my Computational Divinations back in the Sefirah Castle, which provided me with the necessary formulas and protection.

Naturally, there's always a price with Ritualistic Magic. It may seem boundless in potential, but if I want to achieve anything beyond the basics, I have to be prepared to pay—usually in time and, more heavily, in resources. The more ambitious the result, the steeper the cost.

In my case, resources tend to be the bigger drain. I'm burning through herbs, metals, and even rare elements. These materials aren't exactly lying around for the taken for free, either. Not to mention, each ritual has to be carefully constructed and balanced to channel energy without triggering unintended consequences. This detailed effort is what allows me to sidestep the larger drawbacks most of the time, but the preparation alone is almost a ritual in itself.