Underworld

"Can the Book of the Dead find your name?" Cassifa asked.

Shaya floated in the air, quietly gazing toward the place where he had just encountered the Grim Reaper, murmuring softly.

"He already checked."

"What?" Cassifa asked, somewhat puzzled.

Shaya smiled but did not answer. Instead, he said, "Today was quite fruitful. I learned a great deal about this world and even made a new friend."

"Are you coming back now?" Cassifa asked.

Shaya raised his head and looked at the sun hanging high in the sky. "There's still some time. Let's go see that kid one last time."

"Phew—"

Sebas let out a long breath. Returning to Tartarus, the Underworld, always made him feel at ease. This was his home ground; to him, there was nowhere safer.

He looked around. It was a small town very much like the human world, with rows of wooden houses, bluestone streets, and even streetlamps. Carriages traveled back and forth along the roads, though a hazy mist lingered everywhere.

The people on the streets did not look very well either, their faces pale as zombies. Some people dressed in black robes like his walked through the streets.

"Sebas, shouldn't you be on duty in the human world right now? Why have you returned to the Underworld?"

A voice came from behind him. Sebas turned around to find a man in a Rococo-style suit standing there, holding several documents. He looked to be around thirty, with meticulously groomed hair and clothes without the slightest wrinkle. He appeared exceptionally refined.

"Mr. Donka." Sebas respectfully bowed to him. Clearly, the man before him outranked him.

Then, he pointed at the nightmare slung over his shoulder. "I caught a nightmare in the human world and brought it back to receive Hell's judgment."

"A nightmare caught in the human world?" Donka's eyes widened slightly before he looked at the thing on Sebas's shoulder. "That's rare. Nothing has escaped from the Underworld in two hundred years."

"I was surprised too," Sebas said.

"It should have had someone receiving it in the human world," Donka said after thinking for a moment.

After a pause, he added, "But the world of the living is outside our jurisdiction. Have the Hall of Judgment interrogate it thoroughly, then keep it under surveillance."

"Yes, I understand." Sebas nodded.

Then, he looked curiously at the documents Donka held. "What are you going to do?"

"Don't even mention it." Donka sighed. "The Great Grim Reaper has awakened."

Sebas looked at Donka in astonishment. The Great Grim Reaper they spoke of was the true Grim Reaper.

"Hasn't the Great Grim Reaper been asleep for nearly three hundred years? How could He suddenly awaken today?"

"I don't know either." Donka shook his head, his expression solemn. "But according to the Great Grim Reaper, He seemed to have heard someone calling to Him."

Sebas suddenly recalled how Shaya had directly called the Great Grim Reaper by name earlier, and his expression turned somewhat strange.

It can't be that much of a coincidence, can it?

"Who was it?" Sebas asked.

But Donka shook his head. "The Great Grim Reaper said He doesn't know either. However, He felt a heavy sense of destiny that reminded Him of the feeling when the Three Fates had called Him in the past."

"Though He doesn't know who it is, it must be someone very important."

"The Great Grim Reaper is very anxious now. He believes that being called by that presence must mean something important has happened."

"So, He has asked me to bring Him the records of every major event that has occurred over the past three hundred years for His review."

"That's quite a lot," Sebas said.

Donka sighed again. After a pause, he noticed Sebas's hesitant expression and asked suspiciously.

"What is it?"

"Nothing." Sebas shook his head. "Then I'll take it to the Hall of Judgment."

After struggling at the bottom for so many years, Sebas deeply understood how a small fry survived: do not meddle in matters that do not concern you, and simply do your own job well.

He could not afford to offend the Great Grim Reaper, nor could he afford to offend that presence. The best choice was to pretend he knew nothing.

Donka nodded. "Then hurry along."

With that, Donka carried the documents toward the end of the street.

Watching Donka gradually disappear into the distance, Sebas, who had remained silent, let out a long breath. He walked into an empty corner of the town, threw the nightmare from his shoulder onto the ground, and controlled the chains as they slowly retreated, revealing the nightmare's head.

Once the restraints around its head were removed, the nightmare kept twisting its head and roaring angrily at Sebas.

"You idiot! Are all you grim reapers blind!?"

"That Sorcerer you met just now is raising a demon! A demon!"

"He broke the rules too. You should go arrest him as well!"

Sebas grabbed the chains in one hand and kicked it in the face with one foot, roaring furiously.

"Shut up! You ignorant worm."

"Who do you think that person you encountered was!?"

The nightmare froze. "Wasn't he a Sorcerer?"

"Heh." Sebas looked at the nightmare and sneered disdainfully. "His name isn't in the Book of the Dead. Do you still think he's a Sorcerer?"

The nightmare's pupils contracted slightly. It murmured distractedly, "N-No, that's impossible. If that were true, how could I possibly have escaped from the hands of such a being?"

"Unless..."

Suddenly, it seemed to realize something. Its expression changed, and it shut its mouth, saying nothing more.

Sebas keenly noticed the nightmare's silence and immediately pressed, "Unless what?"

The nightmare remained silent.

Sebas thought for a moment. Then, a fleeting glint flashed through his eyes. "Unless that person deliberately let you be captured by me and brought to the Underworld, right?"

The nightmare did not answer, but the more Sebas thought about it, the more reasonable it seemed. He carefully examined the nightmare and murmured softly.

"You carry a message he wants to convey to the Underworld. Or rather, there should be other secrets on you."

Sebas lowered his head and looked at the still-silent nightmare, sneering. "You can stay silent, but the Hall of Judgment has plenty of ways to make you talk."

As he spoke, he raised his hand. The chains wrapped around its head once more, and he hoisted the nightmare onto his shoulder again before heading toward a corner of the town.