Great Grim Reaper

Shaya raised an eyebrow. At some point, a stranger had taken a seat across from him.

Black hair, black eyes, a Greek nose—his looks and bearing were anything but ordinary.

Honestly, if this had been another world, Shaya would have assumed this stranger's sudden approach and familiar tone were some new kind of scam.

But clearly, the mysterious language he had just spoken was enough to prove that he was no ordinary person.

Shaya knew very few people in this world.

He knew even fewer people who truly possessed special powers.

That old man counted as one, Sebas as another, and the Wilderness Witch barely counted as one as well.

With such a simple web of connections, sorting things out was easy.

There was only one reason why this man with special powers had mistaken him for someone else.

No matter how he thought about it, it seemed to lead back only to the old man.

Shaya had taken over the old man's position, so it was perfectly reasonable for someone to mistake him for the old man.

Besides, he had said Shaya looked younger than when he had seen him before, which further confirmed the guess.

The person before him should have been an old acquaintance of the old man, though probably not a close one, or he would not have made such a mistake.

In this age of declining magic, there should not have been many people like mages without official affiliations, setting aside Fate's influence.

Shaya was more inclined to believe the man before him came from an official organization. The Underworld was a likely possibility.

And anyone who could speak to "Fate" in that tone ought to be some sort of god.

So, the man before him was either the true Grim Reaper, or the Sleep God.

And that was indeed the case. If Sebas had been here, he might have recognized this man as the Great Grim Reaper he had encountered before: Thanatos.

Shaya silently picked up the tea before him, took a light sip, and smiled.

"Sir, have you mistaken me for someone else?"

He stared at Shaya and raised a hand.

Hart slowly appeared beside them. But his eyes were vacant, and he looked as though he had lost all awareness of his own will.

"He's fine. Once I leave, he'll regain consciousness."

Seeing Shaya inspect Hart, Thanatos spoke.

"I searched his memories and found your appearance and name.

Yet the Book of the Dead contains no record of you. If you are not him, then who are you?"

So it was because of Hart, Shaya thought.

The mention of the Book of the Dead also confirmed his identity.

Hart's Fate had likely altered his predetermined death, and as the god of death, the Grim Reaper had naturally noticed.

Though this stemmed from his lack of information about the Book of the Dead, it was still his own miscalculation. He had not intended to expose himself to certain eyes so soon.

"If you wanted to hide, no one could find you."

Thanatos continued, "You were waiting here for me on purpose, weren't you?"

No, I just wanted to have lunch here, Shaya thought.

But Shaya obviously could not say that.

Though this god had been trying to speak to him as an equal, Shaya could still hear a measure of wariness—even fear—in his tone.

That wariness clearly came from the old man.

If he said he was not who Thanatos thought he was, that wariness might turn into something far less friendly.

After all, Shaya was not actually strong right now. At least, before a god, he was weak.

"I never deliberately wait for anyone." Shaya smiled. "It was Fate that brought you and me together here."

Ambiguous words gave Shaya a great deal of initiative.

Thanatos said nothing. He raised a hand, and a key shaped like a scythe appeared in his palm. He tossed it to Shaya.

"I have already issued the order. There is no need to concern yourselves with any alterations made to the Book of the Dead.

From now on, no Grim Reaper will disturb you.

This key will allow you to enter and leave the Underworld freely. If you wish to find me, use it to summon me."

After a pause, he added, "Do not call my true name again."

Though both methods could summon him, they felt completely different to Thanatos.

Suppose he was sleeping in a room with the door shut. This key was like knocking on that door to wake him; all he had to do was respond and step outside.

But Shaya calling his true name was more like barging through the door and kicking him awake.

Most importantly, he had no way of knowing where Shaya, the one calling his true name, actually was.

It was like being kicked awake, only for the person who had done it to vanish, leaving him to guess why they had kicked him awake in the first place.

Shaya accepted the small scythe-shaped key and examined it carefully. He nodded in appraisal.

"It's exquisitely made."

Thanatos watched Shaya. "You have not appeared for several thousand years. I do not know what you intend to do now that you have returned, nor do I wish to know.

But I want you to understand that whatever you intend to do, the Underworld can cooperate."

Shaya took another sip of tea.

This Great Grim Reaper seemed not to know his—or rather, "their"—true identity.

Otherwise, he would not have said such a thing.

Because no one could easily resist Fate.

Even that variable was, in a sense, part of Fate as well.

There was no such thing as "cooperation" or "refusal," because from the moment Fate's gears began to turn, no one had any choice.

"You seem to be overthinking this." Shaya smiled. "I merely came here for lunch. That is all.

As for what the future holds, I think Fate will provide the answer, won't it?"

After a pause, Shaya lifted his eyes to look at him. "Would you like to stay for a meal? I can order another serving for you."

Thanatos gazed silently at him without speaking. He slowly rose to his feet, then turned into a wisp of black smoke and vanished from where he stood.

Watching the place where the Great Grim Reaper had disappeared, Shaya raised an eyebrow and set his teacup down on the table.

At first, he had thought this Grim Reaper had come to question why he had interfered with death.

But later, he realized it was less an interrogation than a declaration of loyalty.

In his bones, Thanatos possessed the pride of a god, of one of the Sons of Nyx, as well as the untamed defiance of a wolf.

Yet before Shaya, he had acted like a wolf that had already been tamed.

Of course, Shaya knew he was not the one who had tamed him. It had been his predecessor.

He could not help wondering what that old man had done to this Grim Reaper to make him revere him so deeply.

But clearly, he had no way of knowing that yet.

He held the little scythe in his hand and quietly toyed with it.

He had not expected a simple lunch outing to earn him a summon.

Of course, he could not summon this summon casually. The more often he summoned him, the easier it would be for him to discover Shaya's true circumstances.

But before he fully mastered the power the old man had given him, it would be a fine trump card if used properly.

As the Great Grim Reaper departed, Hart, who had lost consciousness beside him, slowly regained the light in his eyes.

While he was still wondering why he was here, he saw Shaya.