1. If I could do it all over again 1-5

Okay, brace yourself for an extremely long PSA:

For this fic, I will be pulling information from the wiki, the original text, and my own memory to write. If there's any logical errors/holes, I apologize beforehand and I would really appreciate it if you would let me know so I can fix it. Also, lines taken from the original text will not be indicated for readability, but don't worry, they won't be huge paragraphs at a time, just descriptions and the occasional sentence here and there.

Again, this is a very ambitious project (and I don't know if I'll finish before LOTM 2 releases) so it has the possibility of being dropped when I lose interest.

This is also a fic where I'm placing my enjoyment as a writer above the enjoyment of the readers, so it's VERY self-indulgent–characters and events will closely align with canon and there will be (mostly) no original characters, but in terms of the plot direction there will be quite a lot of change. For example, Amon (i love you but still) is not going to be a very prominent character, or even antagonist. (sorry for all the amon fans out there) This is subject to change if i change my mind later on.

Also, everyone interprets characters slightly differently, and since I'll be writing about practically every character that shows up, i'll apologize in advance for the OOC. I'm very open to constructive criticism though!!

And as mentioned in the tags, this is a slow burn fic with mlm romance between Leonard and Klein.

With that said, I'll stop blabbing and hope you enjoy the first chapter!

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

3 hours after the birth of a new Lord of the Mysteries.

Sitting in his seat above the gray fog, Leonard looked at the shrouded figure at the head of the table with trepidation.

A few minutes ago, every member of the Tarot Club had received a message from previously dormant Mr. Fool– 'He' had finally awoken from his slumber and would hold a Tarot Club meeting the following Monday. 

So why… Why was he the only one pulled into Sefirah Castle?

Sensing the scrutiny from the mysterious deity, Leonard hurriedly averted his gaze. "H-Honorable Mr. Fool, do you need me for something…?"

Klein glanced at the clearly fidgety poet and smiled slightly as he tapped the mottled bronze table. "Leonard, you don't need to be so formal with me." With that said, he waved his hand, dispersing the gray fog that covered them and revealing both the green-eyed red glove and...

...The true appearance of 'The Fool,' the face that contained a mix of both Gehrman and Klein's appearances!

Leonard's eyes widened, and even as his instincts screamed for him to look away, to not look directly at God, Leonard remained riveted in his seat with his gaze irresistibly stuck on the hooded figure. 

He was speechless for a few seconds and struggled to form words. "Y-you...No, it's impossible...K-Klein?!"

The Fool directly laughed at the stuttering Deacon. "Why are you pretending to be so shocked? Did you not already guess as much when you entered my dream?" 'He' smiled, almost playfully, at Leonard. "Would you like me to remind you of what you said?"

"No, no need...uh, for that." Leonard had half the mind to feel a bit embarrassed as he recalled his escapades in the God's dreams. However, he still looked at The Fool with flighty eyes, a bit disbelieving that his only friend had suddenly become a lofty Sequence 0. After all, there's a difference between having a poorly-backed suspicion and having direct proof!

Leonard nervously licked his lips and regained the courage to look directly at Klein. As he looked at the half-familiar face, Leonard managed to relax a bit and become more laid-back as his perception of his former colleague overlapped with that of the deity before him.

His next reaction was to immediately worry for his friend.

"Are you now… Above the Sequences? Is your condition alright? Do you have enough anchors, are you stable right now? What can I do to help? What about your humanity? "

Suddenly bombarded with questions, Klein slowly answered them one by one with patience. "Yes, it's good, yes and yes again, I don't require your help right now but that may change in the future, and I have a reliable solution for that." It mainly consists of using Bug to Graft a large portion of my divinity onto a poor marionette shoved into a corner of Sefirah Castle…It's a bit of a hassle to do, but it works.

Leonard's eyes were still as wide as saucers and he subconsciously leaned forward, more curious than afraid. "Well, uh… how did you become or rather, create the identity of the Fool? And how are you The Fool and The World at the same time? Was The World just a fake identity at the Tarot Club?"

Klein felt a bit of embarrassment and wanted to force another Avatar of his to answer the question in his stead. It's here! The question I didn't want to answer the most! Preparing a script full of half-truths, Klein spent the next few minutes summarizing his secret identity during those three years.

Unconsciously, the initial half-forced lighthearted tone devolved into a bleaker one as Klein recounted his experiences.

"...After my gamble against Amon, I immediately needed to sleep to resolve the issue, which brings us to now." He finished in a low tone.

After The Fool stopped speaking, Leonard was silent for a while. "You…" He eventually made out with difficulty. "You truly went through a lot."

Klein nodded in response, and they lapsed into another silence.

"Even all these years later, at a level completely separate from mortals, I still think about Tingen often." Klein continued, his eyes dark and unfathomable. "It is still one of my most treasured memories." 

"Likewise." Leonard smiled at The Fool, but it wasn't a happy expression. In fact, maybe it's only because of our attachment to those shared, happy times that we can even be friends and sit across from each other like this…After all, we are the only living witnesses of that incident. There is and will be no one else who experienced what we did.

"You know, sometimes," Leonard said, his gaze looking somewhere far off, "I wonder if I could have done something differently to prevent it all. I wish I could've had another chance, to do it all over again— and not be so useless." He didn't need to mention what he wanted to prevent; the dark memory already hung in the air around them.

I know.

Klein smiled ruefully, lost in thought. He could feel his emotions becoming turbulent, which didn't bode well for a recently advanced Lord of the Mysteries. Quietly reigning in his increasingly chaotic spirituality, Klein softly echoed Leonard.

"I, too, wish I could've had a second chance."

He didn't try to tell Leonard to keep the past behind him, or reassure him that it wasn't his fault-

Because for Klein, too, it was one of his biggest regrets.

A few minutes later, Klein peacefully sent Leonard away and recalled his Avatars around the world doing some basic information gathering. However, the instant he did so, he realized something was wrong– his spirituality was being depleted at an alarming rate, and even the marionettes and Worms of Spirit that he hadn't recalled were being integrated into his main body!

As even the locked up 'divinity storage' marionette was attracted to him, Klein's heart tightened and his eyes flashed. Not good! But before he could do anything, his vision and all other senses blacked out.

The year 1349.

Klein's vision blurred and gradually focused. Confused and remembering the chaotic scene a few seconds ago, he immediately wanted to run deep into the fog of history–

But nothing happened.

Furrowing his brow, Klein was about to try again when he froze, taking in his surroundings.

A familiar bed, a familiar desk, a familiar wallpaper. Klein stood in shock in the middle of the room, feeling as if a bucket of cold water just washed over him. 

What? 

Even though he knew it was impossible, Klein doubted whether he was in a dream or not right at that very moment. But the floor, the air, even the small dent in the lamp… it all feels so real…

He quickly pinched himself. I feel pain… As if freed from a spell, Klein sprung into action– he ran around the room, touching everything, confirming it was real.

Have I… really returned to when it all started? But how? Was it when I carelessly spoke and made a 'wish?' The Lord of the Mysteries was stunned. No, wait– right now, I can clearly sense I'm already Sequence 8. That means some time has already passed since I first transmigrated…Struck with urgency, Klein immediately whirled around and checked the calendar.

After looking at the date, Klein paused in his hurried actions. He grabbed the thin calendar with both hands, eyes boring into the paper–

The current date was only 3 days away from when the True Creator's spawn would be born in Tingen City!

2

Klein stared at the date on the calendar, completely frozen.

This…there's only 3 days left! But I'm still only Sequence 8! Without time to prepare, I'll be just as helpless as the first time, and…everything will repeat itself! He clenched the calendar tightly, eyes narrowed. No, even if I have less time than I thought, I can still do something!

Calming down, Klein took a deep breath. The most important thing is to improve my strength, and quickly. I need to warn the Nighthawks…but how? It's not like I can directly walk up and say, "I've come from the future" and expect them all to believe me!

He carefully pondered this issue for a moment before quickly thinking of a solution. Wait. I'm Sequence 8 and made contact with the Goddess' Sword, which means 'She' has already started watching me. Why agonize over what I can do? Just pray to the Goddess!

But midway through setting up the proper ritual items, Klein froze as he recalled something, a slightly awkward look appearing on his face.

…I forgot I have work today.

—

 Klein searched his memories for a while. Yesterday was when Qilangos died…and today is when the Blackthorn Security Company is commissioned with the Madame Sharon case. Getting ready to leave, Klein organized his thoughts, quickly creating a plan.

"Extra! Extra! Rear Admiral Hurricane Qilangos killed in Backlund!"

On his way to a trackless carriage, Klein paused in his steps and continued onto the vehicle. Mr. Azik strikes…I should also send the letter to him a bit earlier this time. In fact, I should be able to help him recover his memories now, and if I can promote quickly enough, maybe even change his fate… Even with the threat of the True Creator's descent looming over his head, Klein felt optimistic about the future.

Given a second chance, he would definitely take full advantage of it!

"Holy Lord of Storms, I want to know which of Duke Neagan's bodyguards killed Qilangos. His bounty was a full 10,000 pounds!"

10,000 pounds… Klein overheard the passenger's animated conversation. Uh, it was supposed to go to Mr. Azik, but I used it anyway… He inwardly apologized to the former history professor. But hunting pirates is really profitable. Maybe Gehrman Sparrow should appear at sea a bit earlier.

He suddenly recalled his pitiful amount of money right now and his lips twitched. …I'll be rich in the future. I'll be rich in the future. The Fool consoled himself.

Klein soon arrived in front of the Blackthorn Security Company. Staring at the familiar brick walls and sign, a strange mixture of feelings emerged in his chest.

…I'm back. A slightly sad smile appeared on his face, before he quickly controlled his expression and entered normally, greeting Rozanne along the way.

Klein immediately headed to Dunn's office. Opening the door, the prepared words choked in his throat as he stared at the man who had died all those years ago, the captain that smiled and said, "We saved Tingen." 

Fighting back the surge of emotions, Klein used his Clown abilities to appear normal. "Captain, the people connected to Lanevus that I'm in charge of investigating have no problems." He spoke according to his memories. "They were merely victims, not associated with–"

Bang! The door suddenly slammed open, startling both Klein and Dunn in the room. Huh? I don't remember Rozanne entering this early, and so rudely… Klein frowned as he turned around to view the sudden intruder.

Leonard, breathing heavily as he stood in the doorway, looked straight past Klein and at the sitting Dunn Smith, an unprecedented serious expression on his face.

"Leonard…?" Dunn started, confused. "What happened?"

With a pale face, Leonard suddenly smiled casually and waved a hand in the air. "Uh, it's nothing! Opened the wrong door." Just as quickly as he had arrived, the Nighthawk suddenly closed the door and left, as if being chased by a ghost.

???

Klein's head was full of question marks. What was that? Is the butterfly effect so powerful? But I didn't even do anything, at most I'm just a few minutes late!

Dunn stared at the now closed door in clear bewilderment. "Ahem, Klein, please continue."

"...They were merely victims, not associated with any Beyonder incidents." Klein finished his report.

"Good, then stop that for the time being. We will place our focus on the more likely suspects after everyone else has finished their investigations."

"Alright." Any time now…

The sound of knocking reverberated in the office.

"Come in." Dunn said.

Rozanne peeked inside. "Captain, someone is here with a mission."

It's here, the mission that claimed the life of Kenley. Klein's eyes darkened. If I traveled back a bit earlier, I could have saved Old Neil… He sighed inwardly and directed his attention towards the present.

"We can go hear the request out and reject it if it's too troublesome." Dunn spoke.

The three made their way to the receptionist area, and two women dressed in black, one plump and one skinnier, entered their view.

The wife and sister of the deceased Member of Parliament Maynard? Klein recalled their identities.

Just then, the widow spoke. "The mission we would like to entrust to you is for you to track and monitor Madam Sharon and find evidence of her crimes."

"Madam Sharon?" Dunn asked.

Maynard's wife turned to look at her sister-in-law, who paused a moment before speaking. 

"Yes, Madam Sharon, the wife of the deceased Baron Khoy. She, she…" The woman stammered and suddenly spat in anger, "She's a b*tch!"

…If you knew 'she' was originally a 'he,' I wonder what kind of expression you would have… Klein thought idly. 

Dunn Smith simply sat on the sofa opposite the two women. "But that doesn't make her a criminal. Madam Sharon is very influential in Tingen, if we were to follow and monitor her, there could be very serious consequences for us."

"She's a criminal!" The scrawny lady said angrily. "She caused my brother's death, but those lovers of hers pressured the police department and made them pronounce that my brother died of excessive drinking and indulgence in sexual pleasure. They're all criminals!"

Mrs. Maynard consoled the old baron's sister before adding, "She is a criminal. If you suffer any damages because of this, I will compensate you for your losses."

After talking for a few more minutes, the two women signed the contract that Rozanne wrote up and paid a deposit. And as expected, Dunn Smith handed the mission to Klein, instructing him to learn tailing and monitoring skills from Leonard and Fyre.

"Well, Leonard seems a bit off this morning, so you might want to go to Fyre instead." The Nighthawk captain added thoughtfully.

Keeping his expression normal, Klein replied seriously, "Alright." 

However, once Dunn had left the reception area, Klein didn't take his advice and directly went to find Leonard. It's better to follow the original timeline for now to minimize the chance of something going wrong later. Plus, I need to contact Leonard sooner or later…the 'grandpa' attached to him is crucial to my plan.

Klein searched all over the building but couldn't find Leonard, even though he clearly remembered being able to find him easily. Stumped, he simply followed his spiritual intuition, walking past the men's washroom, when he heard a faint noise from inside. 

Klein paused in his steps and slowly approached, furrowing his brow when he heard what seemed to be… faint talking inside. However, there was no second voice! …This… Klein felt awkward for a moment. That's Leonard, right? It's definitely him! He's talking to Pallez in the washroom?? He suddenly felt as if he had more in common with Leonard than before! Ha, bonding over the toilet… Klein joked to himself.

He decided to wait further down the hallway to make it seem as if he was coincidentally walking past. Soon after, Leonard exited and seemed surprised to see Klein 'passing by.'

"Leonard!" Klein called out to him as the Nighthawk made to escape in the other direction. Quickly catching up, Klein looked at him a bit suspiciously before saying, "Captain assigned an extra mission to me and let me learn monitoring skills from you and Fyre."

"Ah–huh? Oh, alright." The green-eyed man seemed confused for a brief second before becoming enlightened. "Then, follow me."

As Leonard walked off, Klein thoughtfully stared at his departing back before following him.

3

After his bathroom escapade, Leonard acted normally again and didn't deviate from Klein's memories at all, seriously teaching him how to discreetly investigate someone.

Since Klein had already 'tailed' Madam Sharon and uncovered her secrets, albeit in another timeline, he wasn't in a hurry to monitor her. He leisurely spent five pounds to get the underlings of a triad boss to create a report of her daily routine. 

He knew that the investigation report wouldn't be finished until Friday afternoon, and until then, he was relatively free– aside from the Madam Sharon case, at this time he was only occupied with investigating the red chimney houses, and Klein had already decided to stop his search.

After all, Ince Zangwill's hideout would be difficult to find with 0-08's interference, and even if he did find it, Klein didn't possess enough strength to do anything about it.

So instead, he visited Tingen's underground market and bought a few materials needed to perform a ritual, as well as a few supplementary ingredients for the Magician potion. 

Holding his much thinner wallet, Klein sighed to himself as he returned to the Moretti residence. That was half of my week's salary… He complained inwardly. But to be prepared for the events to come, I can only take this loss!

Entering his room, Klein quickly built a wall of spirituality and sealed his surroundings. Familiarly setting up an altar, he closed his eyes and prayed to the Evernight Goddess.

"You are the Lady of Crimson, the Empress of Disaster and Horror, the Mother of Concealment."

After he finished chanting 'Her' honorific name, Klein paused for a moment. "I thank you for your attention and care." I know you're watching me. "Aman–" Klein instantly broke out in cold sweat as he almost said the Goddess' true name, quickly correcting himself. "Evernight Goddess…"

"Do you believe in time travel?"

...

After Klein finished the lengthiest prayer of his life, he stood up and waited a few minutes for a response. When none was forthcoming, he sighed and prepared to relight the candles. Until I get a response, I'll keep pestering 'Her'... it's fine as long as She doesn't strike me down on the spot! 

But at that moment, a soft wave of darkness obscured his vision, and Klein found that his room, himself included, had entered a semi-concealed state. 

He was alarmed for a brief moment, before he realized what was happening and relaxed. His spirituality was triggered, and Klein quickly looked at the incense smoke on the altar.

If what you say is true, the smoke from the lit fragrances mysteriously formed words in the standard Loenese language. Then I will provide assistance earlier than intended, but it will not be free. 

The words dissipated in the air and, almost hesitantly, a new message appeared.

I am glad my judgment in the future was correct, and hope that this time it will remain so.

Once the last word dispersed, leaving a slight smell of vanilla behind, Klein's surroundings abruptly reverted to normal as if nothing had happened. Only the slowly dwindling smoke provided proof of what just occurred.

Even talking through such an indirect method, as a Sequence 8 Beyonder, Klein's back was soaked with sweat throughout the whole ordeal. However, his expression revealed none of this– instead, he smiled wryly and spoke to himself, "I won't let down your expectations." I'm glad Amanises chose to believe me…Well, it's hard to imagine how I know her identity and the truth about 'Earth' otherwise. I'll be sure to repay her help earlier this time.

Making sure the wall of spirituality was still intact, Klein looked at the objects that had magically appeared on the altar. This…! Klein was stunned by the Evernight Goddess' generosity. Even if these materials are nothing in the eyes of a deity and a large church…

Isn't this too generous?

A large heap of ingredients lay on the altar, almost spilling off the edge. Klein carefully looked through them one by one, his eyes widening as he took inventory.

The main ingredients of the Magician potion, and both the main and supplementary ingredients for the Faceless potion! 

With this, I can directly promote to Sequence 6! Having a backer is indeed convenient! Klein habitually tapped clockwise on his chest four times and murmured, "Praise the Goddess."

He froze unnaturally for a second before taking the ingredients and moving towards the Moretti family's kitchen.

It's a good thing Benson's at work and Melisssa is in school, Klein thought to himself as he set up another spiritual wall, grabbing a random pot as he did so. After traveling back in time, his Clown potion was almost instantly digested due to his past experiences. As for the remaining progress, he clearly felt that the potion had fully digested when he smiled at Dunn and everyone in the Blackthorn Security Company despite his true tumultuous feelings.

This will be my second time consuming this potion… Klein smiled drily at himself as he took out the patterned black panther spinal fluid and the spring of the elves' marrow crystals.

Klein couldn't be any more familiar with the process of concocting potions, handling the supplementary items before the main ingredients. 

After he added the main ingredients, a pale white fog rising and then being pulled back into the pot, Klein poured every drop of liquid into a transparent bottle.

He quickly flipped a coin to divine the success of the potion, confirming it a success.

Bracing himself, Klein stared at the potion, swirling it around slightly. It seemed to have fireworks constantly released within, bright colors appearing and scattering sporadically. Taking a deep breath, he closed his eyes and drank the mysterious mixture all at once

The ice-cold liquid poured down his throat and countless bubbles seemed to burst as he swallowed. He calmly started using Cogitation, ignoring the dim chanting of "Hornacis…Flegrea…" that repeated in his mind.

A few minutes later, Klein calmed down and opened his eyes. He had successfully promoted!

Having become a Sequence 7 Magician, Klein inspected his body for a moment before realizing his potion was already mostly digested. 

My initial promotion speed was already fast enough, but now with the help of my past experiences, I don't know what kind of potion-guzzling monster I'll become! A potion in the morning, a potion in the afternoon, and a potion in the evening… probably something like that? 

Klein laughed at his thoughts.

Plus, even the need for a ritual is practically gone! Because I've already done all of them! 

Shaking his head at his immense luck, Klein briefly cleaned up the kitchen and threw the rest of the ingredients above the gray fog. Tomorrow, during Madam Sharon's investigation, I'll put on a perfect performance and digest the rest of the Magician's potion. Then I'll promote to Sequence 6…

And after that, I can go harass Pallez.

Satisfied with his plan, Klein grabbed a box of matches, scissors, and a few blank sheets of paper. With an expressionless face, he sat down and began slowly cutting out paper figures.

...

Amanises: The kitten I wanted to raise suddenly became a full-grown cat, what to do?

 3

Friday afternoon.

Klein received the investigation report from the triad boss, grimacing as he glanced at the unintelligible script. Not one of the triad boss's underlings was literate. They relied on drawings and symbols, which were then interpreted and organized by their semi-literate boss.

It's a good thing I've read this before… Using his past memories, Klein was able to deduce the general meaning and was satisfied when the contents were the same as he remembered.

He knew that once he changed something, the future would also change correspondingly— thus, before he encountered an event he wanted to change, he would follow his previous actions as much as possible, in order to prevent unforeseen problems.

So, just like before, Klein chose to infiltrate Madam Sharon's house tonight to quickly search through it.

At night, gas street lamps illuminated Osna street as a crimson red moon hung in the sky. 

Klein mentally reviewed his plan as he quietly leaped over the outer wall of Madam Sharon's house, climbed up the water pipe, and successfully arrived on the second floor balcony.

Using a tarot card, he quickly unlocked the door and entered.

Already prepared for the faint smell of the aphrodisiac in the room, Klein was completely unfazed, using Cogitation to remain calm. 

As he stood in the middle of the room, Klein's eyes narrowed as he viewed his surroundings as well as the almost transparent and unnoticeable fine threads tied across the room, some already broken by his entrance.

All I need is for Madam Sharon to be alerted that someone has intruded in her house. After all, I already know what's in her safe plus her true identity! Klein started randomly walking around the room, making sure most of the thin lines had torn and fallen to the ground.

Satisfied, he quickly left the scene, locking the balcony door behind himself just as a carriage drove towards the front gate under the illumination of the street lamps.

36 Zouteland Street, the Blackthorn Security Company.

Dunn was reading the newspaper casually with his legs crossed. He looked at Klein who appeared before his office door with a strange expression. "Weren't you supposed to slip into Madam Sharon's house to do an initial search? … Did you encounter some sort of problem?"

Klein nodded seriously and repeated his words from his memories, "Yes, I suspect that Madam Sharon is a member of the Demoness Sect."

"A member of the Demoness Sect?" Dunn lowered the newspaper. "What did you discover?"

"First, I found a photo. There was a young man in the photo, but he looked very much like Madam Sharon."

"Similar to Instigator Trissy?" Dunn's eyes sparkled as he was enlightened.

"Yes." Klein nodded with mixed feelings as he recalled the deceased Lady of Despair. "I used divination to discover that Madam Sharon has a white bone statue in a hidden compartment in her safe. It's of an extremely beautiful woman, but her hair is very long, to her ankles. Every strand is as thick as a venomous snake, and on the tips, there were eyes. Captain, is that the image of the Primordial Demoness?" 

Of course, this was a lie– let alone divination, this time he hadn't even used his Spirit Body to break into the safe.

"That's the image of the Primordial Demoness," Dunn confirmed. "We have to take action immediately and seize control of Madam Sharon."

Klein immediately agreed. "If Madam Sharon is a Mid-Sequence Beyonder from the Demoness Sect, I have to assume that she'll be able to tell that someone had sneaked into her bedroom."

Dunn nodded and said, "Go upstairs to get Kenley. With the three of us taking action together, we can apply for one Sealed Artifact. Madam Sharon is very likely higher than a Sequence 7 Beyonder."

"Alright." Despite already knowing the answer, Klein asked, "Captain, which Sealed Artifact are you going to use?"

"3-0217."

The Spirit Medium's Mirror that ultimately took Kenley's life away. No abnormalities showed on his face as he ran to the Nighthawk's recreation room to get his colleague. This operation tonight is especially important– if Kenley dies, Captain will consume his Beyonder characteristic, making his mental state unstable! And that is exactly what Ince Zangwill has been waiting for!

Klein helplessly felt a bit nervous while waiting for Dunn to return from the basement. This is the first chance to drastically change the future…It all starts with this mission! He started using Cogitation to calm himself down.

Soon after, Dunn returned, holding a mirror tightly wrapped in thick black cloth.

"You're in charge of using Sealed Artifact 3-0217." Dunn passed the mirror to Kenley. The three were about to depart when Klein suddenly stepped forward.

"Captain, I think it would be better if I used the Sealed Artifact instead." Dunn paused and turned to look at Klein.

"Kenley has better physical strength than me, so it would be more convenient for him to act if he doesn't have to hold the Sealed Artifact. Plus, I've been to Madam Sharon's room before and know the layout well, so I can use the mirror more effectively."

Dunn thought for a second before decisively agreeing. "Alright." 

As they set off to Osna Street, Klein double-checked his preparations, including the Slumber Charms in his pockets.

Once they arrived, Klein took out the pendulum in his left sleeve and made a quick divination as he did in his memories.

"There's danger inside." He quietly recited the statement seven times and saw the topaz pendant spinning clockwise, at an amplitude and speed that indicated a danger level that wasn't too high, but not low either.

All is going well at the moment… Even so, Klein didn't dare let down his guard. I can't waste this opportunity! 

He conveyed the results to Dunn and Kenley.

"There's no need for us to rush in." Dunn pressed down on his hat as he looked towards the Demoness' apartment.

"Why?" Kenley instinctively asked.

"Do you still remember what happened when we tried to capture Instigator Trissy?" Dunn wore his black gloves, looking at Klein.

…Captain, you're expecting me to remember something that happened over 8 years ago! Speechless, Klein could only search his memories and say, "I remember. She seemed to be able to detect our presence and make the necessary responses, which led to her escaping." 

"Good, your answer is good. We cannot approach recklessly and end up alarming Madam Sharon. I'll try dragging her into a dream from a distance. If I'm successful, you and Kenley will go and capture her… Well, you can make the decision of whether you can kill or not. Kill her if you cannot control her. Your safety is of utmost importance."

Klein and Kenley nodded in response. 

Captain's plan was indeed very good, but it's a pity… we didn't know Madam Sharon had the Primordial Demoness statue next to her. 

Outside Madam Sharon's house, Klein looked at the worried Kenley pacing around as he waited for Dunn to drag them into a dream.

Sure enough, his mind turned into a blur as a giant crimson moon and Captain Dunn Smith appeared. 

"Captain?" He asked in a fake trance-like state.

"Madam Sharon has entered a dream. You can take action now," Dunn spoke. "Remember to be careful, and don't be too reckless… We would rather miss the opportunity than take unwarranted risks." The Nighthawk Captain emphasized.

The dream world quickly shattered, and Klein exchanged a look with Kenley.

"Let's go," Klein signaled for his colleague to follow.

The two quickly scaled the wall and landed on the second floor's balcony.

Holding the Spirit Medium Mirror, Klein made to pull open the doors.

It was locked.

He resisted the urge to facepalm as he naturally pulled out a Tarot Card and unlocked it as he did earlier that day. How could I have forgotten? Before I went back in time, I was in a hurry to leave after investigating Madam Sharon and didn't relock the balcony door. However, this time I leisurely locked the door behind me… 

Kenley took out his revolver and Klein unwrapped the Spirit Medium Mirror, making sure to angle it downwards, as they entered.

Warm light from the gas lamp immediately entered their vision, followed by Madam Sharon slumped over her chair.

However, she wasn't asleep. She reclined in her chair with a faint smile across her mouth, looking straight at her two visitors.

Kenley instinctively raised his gun and fired a shot, the bullet instantly going through the image of 'Madam Sharon' and shattering the mirror behind her.

"Huh?" Kenley didn't have the chance to be surprised when an elegant figure appeared beside the full-length mirror– the real Madam Sharon, wearing a nightgown.

But she didn't even have the opportunity to chuckle and monologue as Klein instantly directed the mirror in his hands towards her!

Kenley's shot just now should have alarmed Captain that something had happened! Klein narrowed his eyes as he carefully thought. With Kenley not affected by the Spirit Medium Mirror, I should be able to hold on and preserve Kenley's life before Captain arrives!

Madam Sharon vanished, effectively avoiding the bullets, but not before she glanced into the cracked mirror.

The surface of the mirror rippled, and a woman's figure appeared. Her hair was black and thick, hanging low and blocking her face.

As Klein threw himself to the left, dodging Madam Sharon's sudden attack when she reappeared, his left hand shook and the Sealed Artifact glided towards the Demoness, a pale hand extending out of the mirror.

A woman in a white, flowy dress emerged from the mirror and pounced at Madam Sharon.

Madam Sharon's expression quickly became gloomy, her surroundings igniting with seven black flames. One flew out and hit the woman, who caught on fire and wailed in pain. Very soon, she vanished into thin air.

Bang! 

Right at that moment, Kenley adjusted to the situation, raising his revolver and accurately aiming at Madam Sharon, forcing her to dodge.

She narrowed her eyes and shot the black flames surrounding her one after another at both Kenley and Klein. Luckily, since Kenley was standing further away from the Demoness, he was able to dodge in time.

Klein also ducked in order to avoid the flames. He felt fine threads suddenly entangle him, slowing down his motions.

He discreetly snapped his fingers, using a Magician's Flame Controlling to burn the threads away just as an icicle suddenly appeared like a spear, piercing from above!

Already prepared for the sudden attack, Klein jumped away just in time, the remainder of the threads falling to the floor.

The area the icy spear hit expanded with white frost. Klein agilely jumped away from the spot, narrowly avoiding the attack that would slow him down. That won't work on me this time!

Seeing this, Madam Sharon narrowed her eyes and charged at Klein.

Bang! Another shot by Kenley forced Madam Sharon back, and Klein quickly pulled out his own revolver, following with a bullet of his own. 

I can't use too many of the Magician's abilities without Kenley becoming suspicious… and 0-08 may pick up on something strange. After all, how can a recently promoted Sequence 8 mysteriously jump up to Sequence 7 without a potion formula? Klein narrowed his eyes as he planned accordingly.

Standing a few meters away, near the shattered mirror, Madam Sharon stood with a transparent ice spear condensed in her hands. Black flames had reappeared around her body, a menacing air surrounding them.

Klein frowned at the sight and decisively reached into his left pocket, suddenly shouting a phrase in ancient Hermes, "Crimson!" He flicked his fingers and sent out the silver Slumber charm, injecting his spirituality into the object and sending it towards Madam Sharon!

A crimson flame appeared in the air, and the sound of light, continuous explosions echoed in the room.

A serene and deep feeling instantly engulfed most of the bedroom, remnant shock waves affecting both Kenley and Klein.

Before I went back in time, I was entangled with Madam Sharon's threads and could only drop this Slumber charm, indiscriminately plunging everyone into a sleep. But I'm in a better situation now, so I can use this charm properly!

Shaking off the slight sense of drowsiness, Klein fired his last bullet towards Madam Sharon, knowing it would break her Mirror Substitute. And it did– the image of the Demoness seemed to shatter, disappearing on the spot!

Then, as if having eyes in the back of his head, Klein instantly whirled around and directed the Spirit Medium Mirror towards an empty spot— just as Madam Sharon reappeared right there, sending three black flames toward Klein as thin threads once again wrapped around him.

But it was too late. She had already looked into the mirror with three cracks.

Klein managed to awkwardly roll to the side as the flames brushed past him, while Kenley, pale faced, also expended his last bullet.

However, Madam Sharon didn't see the bullet approaching her— All she saw was a mirror reflecting her innocent, yet alluring beauty.

The beautiful face in the mirror suddenly became contorted, with wrinkles, gashes of blood, and rotting spots appearing on her face.

"No!" Madam Sharon let out a shrill cry as if she had just witnessed the death of a loved one.

Her skin quickly took on a green color while yellow pus flowed out the corner of her eyes.

A silent black flame burned outward from within Madam Sharon, as if she was trying to expel something.

The black flames then condensed into a thick frost, creating a sort of coffin as the invisible threads finally took on a color visible to the human eye. They enveloped the frost, forming a gigantic cocoon.

Thud. Sealed Artifact 3-0271 fell onto the ground and tumbled before stopping beside Madam Sharon's giant cocoon.

Klein took a deep breath as Kenley took a few steps backward, nearly tripping over himself. Captain should be arriving any second now… Klein glanced at Kenley next to him, a surge of relief rushing through his chest. It's a good thing I was able to prevent Kenley's death. The image of Kenley's falling figure after vomiting out his organs was still imprinted in Klein's memories, but his colleague was now living and well in front of him.

Just then, Dunn Smith broke through the window frame, somersaulting into the room.

He caught sight of Klein and Kenley, who were somewhat disheveled but uninjured, and pleasant relief flashed in his eyes.

It was at this moment that Madam Sharon's cocoon cracked open, the ice crumbling an inch at a time as the black flames dissipated into the air.

Madam Sharon's skin had regained its normal color. Her eyes showed fatigue, but she seemed normal.

She viewed the tied-up Klein, who was struggling to free himself, the shaken Kenley reloading his gun, and Dunn Smith, his finger pressed on his glabella with his eyes closed.

A formless ripple spread outward from Dunn as Madam Sharon's eyelids drooped uncontrollably.

Captain won't be able to restrain her for long. Having freed up a hand, Klein grabbed three demon hunting bullets and inserted them into his gun.

Closing the cylinder and standing up, Klein took aim at Madam Sharon with both hands on the gun.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Without hesitation, he aimed for the middle of her forehead and decisively fired three shots at Madam Sharon.

The first bullet seemed to tear through multiple layers of obstruction, causing it to lose the bulk of its power, rendering it unable to pierce through the target's skull.

But the next two bullets followed soon after, tearing through Madam Sharon and turning her from a stunning beauty to a mutilated corpse that would incite nightmares in every man.

She had long run out of substitutes to use.

Klein lowered his gun, breathing heavily. It wasn't from physical exhaustion so much as an intense feeling of relief. I've done it. Kenley is still alive, and Captain won't consume his Beyonder characteristic. Ince Zangwill might try to create other opportunities to harm Captain, so I need to stay alert, but the True Creator's spawn will be born soon and Ince Zangwill definitely won't miss that opportunity!

"Is anyone hurt?" Dunn asked concernedly, surveying the two Nighthawks.

They both shook their heads. However, Kenley seemed noticeably rattled at the whole affair, especially when recalling his close brushes with death. 

"That's good." Dunn directed his attention to the body of Madam Sharon. "If it wasn't for the fact that she wanted to kill a few people before she tried to escape and Sealed Artifact 3-0271, we probably would've only been able to injure her…"

"It was also my negligence that Madam Sharon escaped from the dream. Fortunately, you two are safe." Dunn continued.

Klein nodded. "Captain, should I channel her spirit now?"

"Yes. Don't attempt to ask about the Primordial Demoness. Kenley and I will guard you to prevent any accidents."

Having received approval, Klein quickly completed the mediumship ritual and divined both Madam Sharon's partners and the motive behind John Maynard's death. He followed his actions from before he time traveled, receiving the same revelations as he remembered.

Dunn Smith naturally took a black cloth and covered the Spirit Medium's Mirror.

"Good work today, the both of you," he spoke after Klein relayed the results of his divination. "Clean up the scene, then Klein, get someone from the nearest police station to come over. Kenley, return to Zouteland Street and get Fyre to come help out. We need him to deal with Madam Sharon's corpse."

"Okay."

Klein left for the police station, informing them of a brutal murder at Osna Street after showing them his documents.

The clean-up process was simpler than before Klein went back in time, especially since there was only one body this time. However, it was still well into the night by the time everything was sorted out.

Back at the Blackthorn Security Company, Madam Sharon's corpse was moved into the mortuary.

"Both of you have just experienced an intense battle, so go home first. You must be exhausted." Dunn turned to Klein and Kenley.

"Alright."

In the dead of night, just before dawn arrived, Klein took a carriage back to Daffodil Street. It was only once he was in his room, sealed with a wall of spirituality, that he allowed himself to relax.

Klein lightly laughed to himself and stared at the crimson red moon. He clearly felt the Magician potion dissolving inside him, blending together with his spirit.

He had fully digested the Magician potion.

5

Even though Klein was mentally and physically exhausted from the battle with Madam Sharon, he only allowed himself to rest for a few minutes before setting up a bestowment ritual and transporting the Faceless potion ingredients into the real world.

This is the second time I'll be using the kitchen in this house to brew a potion. Klein mentally apologized to Benson and Melissa, especially as he was using kitchenware that he and Melissa cooked with. But I really don't have any other options…

He once again set up a wall of spirituality in the kitchen and grabbed the same pot he used yesterday. Klein steadily measured the right amount of supplementary ingredients, before carefully adding the Thousand-faced Hunter's mutated pituitary gland and the characteristic of a Human-skinned Shadow. 

Praise the Goddess that I was able to get the ingredients so quickly. Otherwise, I would really be at a loss…

Musing to himself, Klein poured the finished concoction into a glass bottle and viewed it. The blackish-green liquid occasionally produced large bubbles and burping sounds, random faces faintly appearing within the potion.

Ding! Klein flipped a coin to confirm the potion was successful and received a positive result.

Klein took the glass bottle and calmed his mood with Cogitation. After a few seconds, he swiftly drank the entire potion, not leaving a single drop behind.

He immediately started using Cogitation again as he seemed to be 'separated' from his body, viewing his facial features as they started melting–in fact, his entire body turned into what seemed like scorched white wax. In a few seconds, his entire body seemed to become a transparent statue!

No, why does this reaction seem more severe than when I first promoted to Sequence 6? Alarmed, Klein instantly tried to pull himself back into his body, fighting against the mysterious force that pulled him away. After a short struggle that felt like a very long time, he barely managed to feel his body once again.

Once firmly rooted in himself, Klein familiarly utilized the Faceless powers to regain full control of himself, regaining a normal feeling.

Phew, that almost went wrong… Klein's back felt cold. Sure enough, even with my past experiences, promoting two sequences in such a short amount of time is too much for my body to handle.

However, I really don't have a choice. In order to use that, I need to become stronger as fast as possible. Klein closed his eyes in the dark kitchen, taking a few minutes to stabilize himself.

He opened his eyes after around five minutes had passed. Quickly cleaning up the kitchen, Klein removed the wall of spirituality and trudged upstairs to his room, mentally spent.

The moment he hit the bed, Klein fell asleep.

The next morning, Klein pulled himself out of bed with much difficulty. Sigh, I really want to sleep in… However, he was on duty at Chanis Gate that day, so he could only arrive early to the Blackthorn Security Company.

At that moment, the other clerks had yet to arrive for work. Klein walked through the partition and saw Dunn Smith, seated in his office with the door wide open. He was talking in a quiet voice to Leonard, who had his back towards the entrance.

Compared to the timeline where Kenley died during the mission yesterday, Dunn Smith was a lot more lively, without the obvious signs of dullness and weariness. 

Captain… Klein stared at the man with the twinge of an unknown feeling. Seeing the changes to the future with his own eyes, he became even more determined to prevent the tragedy that would take place a day later!

Huh, but why's Leonard here? Even though the future Red Glove hadn't visited Dunn at this time before, Klein didn't find it strange because he attributed it to the butterfly effect. 

Politely waiting a few seconds for a lull in the conversation, Klein stepped forward and knocked on the door frame. "Captain, Leonard."

Dunn looked up. "Klein, you're here. The aftermath of Madam Sharon's case has already been taken care of; you can head to the basement and take over Royale's shift."

Klein nodded at his words then peeked curiously into the room. "Isn't Leonard off-duty today? Is there an urgent matter?"

"No, he was concerned about the Madam Sharon case and came in on his day off. I was debriefing him on the operation last night." Dunn responded.

"Oh," Klein meaningfully glanced at Leonard, narrowing his eyes. Poet classmate, why are you acting so strange recently? Have you eaten the wrong medicine? 

Leonard simply smiled in response.

"Alright, I'll leave then." Klein left and changed shifts with Royale. 

Sitting in the duty room, Klein occasionally took out his silver pocket watch to look at the time when he suddenly had an idea. Since Leonard's already here, I can move forward to the next step of my plan! How convenient….

Uh, before that, I should divine the source of Leonard's abnormalities. The butterfly effect isn't this exaggerated, right? There's clearly something wrong with Leonard! Enlightened, Klein closed his eyes and did a dream divination. 

However, there was no result. Frowning, Klein backtracked and flipped a coin, divining whether or not Leonard's behavior was abnormal.

Yes.

??? Klein quickly became concerned. So, Leonard is behaving strangely, but I am unable to divine the reason…I probably need to be in Sefirah Castle to receive a clear answer. This means that whatever is entangling Leonard is at a higher level than Sequence 6!

Alarmed, Klein decided against seeking out Leonard beforehand. After I finish my shift, I'll return home and try again in Sefirah Castle. Only after confirming there is little danger will I 'talk' to Pallez.

Time passed quickly, and soon the next morning arrived and Klein left Chanis Gate.

Once Klein opened the door to the Moretti's house, he saw the maidservant Bella wiping the dining table while his dressed up siblings came downstairs.

"Eh, didn't you just go to Mass last week?" Klein asked curiously. Did preventing Kenley's death make my siblings forget the date? Klein somehow came up with an absurd explanation.

Benson smiled, "That sounds like the memory of a person who hasn't gotten any sleep the entire night."

Uh, I am a little tired, but…" Huh?" Klein looked even more confused.

"Today is the first day that 'The Return of the Count' will be releasing tickets for sale," Melissa explained.

Oh! Klein smacked his forehead, taking off his hat. I guess some things never change–I still forgot about the play this time. Well, before I went back, I never even got the chance to watch it… A bit of melancholy seeped into his emotions, but he didn't let it show outwardly.

"Sorry, I've been too busy recently. I totally forgot about it." Klein explained with a sigh. Facing Benson and Melissa who he hadn't seen in years, Klein felt a mixture of complicated feelings.

That raises the question–should I pretend to die, once again, during the Megose incident? Continuing to live will warp the future to a level beyond my control. I'll have no clue what might happen, and it may bring more danger to my family and the ones I care about.

Caught up in his thoughts, Klein missed Melissa's next words.

"Klein? Klein!"

"Huh? Sorry, I spaced out for a second." Klein apologized, quickly bringing his attention back to the present.

"I said, your breakfast is in the kitchen, eat it and get some sleep." Melissa looked at her older brother with concern. "Are you sure you're alright? Work is important, but your health is too."

Klein quickly reassured his sister. "I'm fine, just a bit tired." He waved and bade his siblings goodbye as they left, before having the simple breakfast and returning to his bedroom.

Familiarly setting up a wall of spirituality, Klein walked four steps counterclockwise and entered Sefirah Castle.

He first reviewed the prayers he had received during the day– Miss Justice's and the Hanged Man's request for leave during the next Tarot meeting. Since two out of three members were unable to make it, Klein directly notified The Sun Derrick that the next Monday's Tarot meeting would be canceled.

Finished with the Fool's official business, Klein then directed his attention to the matter with Leonard. Closing his eyes, he once again chanted, "The reason for Leonard Mitchell's abnormality."

Klein sank into a dream and saw a scene at Blackthorn Security Company. It didn't show anything in particular– just Nighthawks and civilian personnel passing by, with the door to Dunn's office occasionally opening as people went in and came out.

After a few more seconds, Klein opened his eyes, confused. …So, he's just acting out? The Fool came to this conclusion after thinking for a few seconds.

He then used his topaz pendulum to divine the danger level of what he was about to do. Extremely minimal danger, Klein analyzed, viewing the extremely slow turn of the pendulum. Probably walking into a bar would result in more danger than this.

He then quickly divined the current location of Leonard Mitchell. The Nighthawk was resting at home. Strange, shouldn't Leonard be investigating the Lanevus case…? Klein changed his plans slightly, having originally planned to "bump into" Leonard on the streets.

Satisfied with his results, Klein activated his spirituality and left Sefirah Castle.

Klein to Pallez: don't worry, I won't harm you [smile]