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 25: Too Much

The next day*

I rub my forehead, a dull headache lingering there—still trying to wrap my head around obtaining the Nation of Disorder yesterday. It's a lot to process, especially when I remember that I need to activate either the Card of Black Emperor or the Card of Justiciar to unlock the enhancements that the Nation of Disorder grants to these two Pathways. Something I discovered, however, is that the City of Calamity also works similarly, offering enhancements to the Demoness Pathway and Red Priest Pathway.

Actually, as I think about it more, the illusions I encountered within the City of Calamity provided me with a wealth of intriguing ideas for future traps. Beyond that, they gave me bizarre, near-realistic survival experiences, immersing me in the environments where I was at the time, all within the illusions. It's unsettling but useful.

I let out a long yawn as I headed out to check on everyone, especially curious about what went down last night. I can't help but wonder what happened to those two grim reapers after I left with Alucard to escort Angelina back to the Phantomhive Manor.

30 minutes later*

"Thank you for saving me!" Angelina exclaims, throwing her arms around me in a tight hug. Her grip is firm, almost desperate, and when she turns her gaze toward Ciel and Sebastian, her eyes seem distant, dulled by exhaustion or perhaps lingering trauma. "If it wasn't for you, I would have left my beloved's child alone in this cruel world without my help." Her words carry a mixture of gratitude and melancholy, as though the weight of her ordeal still clings to her.

"Madam Red, would you please not harass my servant?" Ciel interjects his tone calm but edged with a faint trace of annoyance.

Angelina, however, seems unfazed. "Call me Auntie, as you did before, my lovely nephew." Much to my relief, she releases me and strides over to Ciel with a buoyant energy that feels almost misplaced. Without hesitation, she wraps him in an affectionate embrace.

Ciel stiffens immediately, his left eyebrow twitching in irritation as he visibly resists the urge to push her away. "Life is so much brighter now." Angelina declares with a radiant smile, seemingly oblivious to the discomfort radiating from her nephew.

"Yes, I believe so." Sebastian agreed smoothly, his ever-present smile in place as he directed his gaze toward me.

"Now." Angelina began, her tone shifting into something more calculated but still warm, "I know you can't part ways with Sebastian. So, how about giving me Chikao here? I no longer have a butler, and at least I know Chikao won't outright try to kill me like a certain other redhead." Her voice sharpened momentarily, her frustration evident as she huffed and crossed her arms. "Ugh, just recalling that person makes me shake with rage. Wanting me to kill my beloved's child—unthinkable." She shot a glance at Ciel, her demeanor softening into a motherly smile. "As if Ciel would ever want to kill me. Isn't that right?"

"Yes, that's right." Ciel replied without hesitation, his tone devoid of emotion but precise, like a rehearsed response. However, the moment Angelina mentioned me working under Angelina, his calm mask flickered. "As for transferring Chikao to you..." He began, only to be interrupted by Angelina, who leaned closer and smiled brightly, a sharp edge hidden behind her cheerful expression.

"You wouldn't want anything bad to happen to your favorite Auntie, right?" Angelina asked sweetly, her tone light, but something in her eyes was impossible to miss that somehow shook Ciel.

"I would agree to transfer Chikao here over to Madam Red, young master." Sebastian said, his composed smile unwavering as he addressed Ciel. "After all, those two are still out there. Who knows if Madam Red's former butler ends up seeking her out again while she is defenseless, without anyone to protect her?" His words, calm and logical as always, carried a subtle weight that seemed to reinforce Angelina's point.

Ciel remained silent for a while. Finally, he let out a long sigh as if resigning himself to an unpleasant but necessary decision. "Chikao, I hate to do this." He began, his voice steady. "Even though I just tasked you with improving the mansion's security, I can't trust anyone else to protect my… Auntie." The word seemed to physically pain him as it left his mouth, his expression briefly tightening in discomfort. "But if you don't wish to go, then I won't force you."

I looked at the group, my expression deadpan.

Was this really happening? Not even two weeks into this world, and I'd already been passed between different employers. It made me wonder if this was going to become some kind of running gag in my life. If so, I wasn't sure whether to laugh or groan.

If I didn't count the time before I awakened my past life's memories, working under Angelina would officially make her my third employer. The thought was as amusing as it was exasperating.

"Sure, why not." I finally replied, suppressing the urge to rub my forehead as a dull headache began to return. "I'll go gather my stuff real quick, then." Without waiting for anyone to respond, I turned on my heel and left the room. But before I made it too far, something made me pause. I glanced back over my shoulder at Ciel. "If it's possible, could I take a few more firearms and ammunition from the armory?" I asked, my tone casual despite the odd phrasing.

Ciel didn't hesitate. "Go ahead. I can get more easily enough." He replied with a slight nod, his behavior as calm as ever.

I offered him a polite bow before heading off again. Returning to the bedroom I had barely used during my short stay, I quickly packed my belongings. From there, I made my way to the armory, selecting a few weapons that would be practical to carry without drawing too much attention in public. The goal was efficiency, not theatrics—though, given the nature of my new position, who knows by then?

As I stand inside the armory, a stray thought crosses my mind while I gaze at a crate brimming with all types of ammunition. The weight of the possibilities fills my head as an idea takes root.

Without much hesitation, I summon the Card of Demoness and the Card of Red Priest, both appearing between my fingers with a simple flick of intent. I examine them for a brief moment before tossing them toward the crate of ammo. The cards hover briefly in midair, and I focus my thoughts on the same process I used to conjure the orb that projected the City of Calamity.

An orb materializes between the two Cards of Blasphemy, glowing faintly with an ominous light. In an instant, the crate of ammo is absorbed into the orb, vanishing without a sound. A faint ripple pulses outward before everything settles back into stillness. The crate is gone, and its contents have been transported to the City of Calamity.

So, it works.

A satisfied grin crosses my face.

Great, it's time to stock up on more ammo and maybe a few extra firearms while I'm at it.

This just might make things far more convenient than lugging everything around by hand.

Of course, I wasn't foolish enough to take everything. I didn't want Ciel to come questioning me about where I managed to stash so much stuff in such a short time and, more importantly, why I would need so much. No, it was best to keep things simple.

I decided to leave most of the supplies behind, taking only what I might need. Two crates of revolver bullets, sure—enough to last for a while without attracting any undue attention. I also grab a few packs of kunai and shuriken, leaving just a handful behind. After all, it's not like anyone will be using them with the amount of dust gathered on them.

I take a couple more revolvers as backups. If the one I currently have gets destroyed or lost, this will save me the trouble of hunting down a gun store to replace it. It is better to be prepared than to regret it later.

With everything packed up, I make my way back to the room where I left Ciel, Sebastian, and Angelina. I find them talking, though not in whispers. It's just loud enough for me to catch the conversation, my enhanced hearing picking up every word, especially when I'm using the Card of Red Priest.

When I reenter, I make sure to be subtle. There's no need to draw extra attention to myself, especially when I'm already carrying a small arsenal.

Hours later*

I suppress the urge to yawn, the monotony of the conversation dragging me down as I stand there, pretending to listen. Ciel and Angelina talk about the past, and Angelina mostly recounts tales of Ciel's father. From how Ciel's gaze dulls, it's clear he's not invested in the conversation. Honestly, neither am I.

I can't blame him. Listening to Angelina talk about the past, especially something as personal as his father, seems more like a tedious obligation than a meaningful discussion. Still, I'm not about to nod off on my feet, especially with Sebastian's ever-watchful gaze trained on me. He's definitely curious about how I dealt with Grelle yesterday and about my relationship with Alucard. Or perhaps he's more interested in figuring out exactly what Alucard is.

"Right, it's getting late. We should take our leave." Angelina says as she stands up. She smiles at me, but her eyes flick over to my backpack with a small frown. "That's it?"

I try to keep my expression neutral as I suppress another wave of irritation. Of course, she'd notice that. But I wasn't about to take everything I had just packed out of fear of attracting too much attention. It's not like I'd planned to wear an entire armory on my back.

Before I can respond, Ciel adds, "I forgot to mention that if you plan to check later, Auntie, I should inform you… Chikao is a ninja here. Not a pretend one, but an actual trained ninja." He pauses; his tone is casual but carries a certain weight. "So what you see on him right now might not be what he wants you to see. I wouldn't be surprised if he's armed to the teeth, and anything placed on his body could be hiding some sort of weapon."

I nearly roll my eyes at Ciel's choice of words.

Armed to the teeth? Is that really the best description for someone who prefers a low-profile approach to carrying weaponry? Sorry, but I didn't hide anything up my ass.

I barely managed to keep my face blank in response. It's almost a struggle not to comment, though I know it's best to hold my tongue in front of everyone.

"Oh?!" Angelina exclaims, her eyes now alight with curiosity. "What's a ninja?" She looks at me more interested than ever; her tone is genuine intrigue.

I glance over at Ciel, wondering if it's too late to change my mind and stick with him, even if it means dealing with Sebastian's sharp, ever-watchful gaze.

"I honestly don't know much myself." Ciel replies, his voice calm but unbothered. "I just know from the reports I've gathered on Chikao that he's a ninja from Japan."

"Japan, you say?" Angelina repeats, her eyes growing wider, her mouth slightly open in surprise. It's clear she's been caught off guard by this piece of information.

At this point, maybe it's best to just give up on London altogether and return to the Order. At least working with Sakamoto and Akao won't cause me to be so confused most of the time, and I could always work as a Deadtuber as a side hustle.