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Nozel Silva/Reader; Yami Sukehiro/Reader; Leopold Vermillion/Reader; Jack the Ripper/Reader; Grey (Black Clover)/Reader; Noelle Silva/Reader; Jack the Ripper (Black Clover)/Reader; Characters: Asta (Black Clover) Yuno (Black Clover) Luck Voltia; Magna Swing; Nozel Silva; Noelle Silva; Yami Sukehiro; Leopold Vermillion; Jack the Ripper; Jack the. Jack-the-ripper Stories Refine by tag: jack-the-ripper jacktheripper murder identityv naibsubedar horror london victorian historical eliclark mystery ripper aesopcarl wuchang jack emmawoods thriller serialkiller mercenaries idv jackxnaib.

'Big brother! Did you see that? I dismantled the traps in that dungeon room alone! All by myself!'

Sedangkan kau terkoneksi oleh salah satunya yang jelas membuat Jack The Ripper menaruh 'hati' kepadamu. Tetapi, ketahuilah, kisah antara manusia normal dan juga makhluk gila tidaklah manis. Maka saat kau tertidur lelap sebagai cara pelarian, Jack mengantarkan sebuah permainan untukmu. Read Story 19: Jack x Reader from the story Black Clover One-Shots by WolfGirl1776 with 2,498 reads. Fanfiction, blackcloverfanfiction, aus. There was silence. Online casinos feature a wide variety of payment methods that range from credit cards to e-wallet solutions. All of the above ranked sites have an excellent variety of safe and fast banking options Black Clover Jack The Ripper X Reader that will let Black Clover Jack The Ripper X Reader you get your money into and cashout of the sites smoothly and securely, straight from your web browser.

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'Yes, I saw. Good job, Noelle. You had really improved.'

Noelle beamed in pride as her older brother ruffled her hair like he always does while praising her. The both of them slowly made their way towards the exit of the dungeon. Her brother is carrying a large cloth sack over his shoulder that holds all the treasures that they had found in this dungeon. They had already been here for close to three days and it is time they head back up.

It had also almost been a year since they both discarded the Silva name and were exiled from the royal houses.

She will admit that she was afraid after the fact that they are no longer royalty finally sank in. However, her big brother was there. With him around, things will always be alright. He had accumulated a small fortune with his own strength in the years before the falling out they had with their father. Even before he relinquished the Silva name, he is a skilled treasure hunter and sometimes their father will send him out on solo missions to conquer newly discovered dungeons despite their previously rocky relationship. Usually, such missions are to find and bring back anything of worth to be added into the treasure vault of the Silva house before the Magic Knights got wind of the dungeon's existence. Since these are missions for the Silva house and they are not technically breaking the law, her big brother had undertaken it without complaints. After all, the unofficial rule regarding dungeons is that the early bird catches the worm. The fastest to conquer the dungeon will have first dibs on the treasures within it no matter who accomplished the act.

Till date, there is no dungeon that Nozel cannot conquer. With his skills, he had secretly amassed a sizable wealth for themselves even before that incident, so that they need not worry for their immediate future. That wealth had only grown since then.

Noelle can see why her brother enjoys conquering dungeons despite the danger it holds. It is so much fun! The rewards are just as great and satisfying too!

Nozel had always brought her along in their treasure hunting quests although it is a dangerous thing to do. Even Magic Knights have to explore dungeons in groups to ensure their survival and yet her brother can simply waltz in and out of the dungeon by himself with ease. On top of that, he has to spare some of his attention to keep an eye on her energetic self when he brings her along. He doesn't trust anyone else to take care of her in his absence.

Going treasure hunting had allowed her to learn many things, things that she can never learn by getting herself cooped up in the Silva house. She learnt how to survive in the wild. She learnt how to spot traps and how to navigate in unknown terrains. She learnt the different cultures of the different places in the Clover Kingdom. She learnt how to apply the theory about magic and mana she was taught, which showed her the difference between theories and what actually happens when you put those theories into practice. Some things do go the way she expected it to be. Others, not so much.

All of these were taught to her by her big brother. In less than twelve months, he taught her more than what she had learnt when she lived in the Silva mansion. He had said that for her case where she is currently unable to tame her immense power, experience is the best teacher.

Her big brother is a good teacher.

Noelle didn't particularly miss anyone or anything from the Silva house. After all, she was only five when they both got disowned by that man she used to call 'father'. They had never heard about him since then and they never bothered to. Why will they do so when they are so much happier now?

Noelle also knows that she is a lot smarter and mature than other kids her age. And while she doesn't have a photographic memory, her brain is able to retain a lot more knowledge than her peers. Her brother had also never restricted her to learning advanced knowledge as long as she can keep up with it. He will patiently sit her down and explain advanced theories and concepts to her in the best way he knows how, until he is sure that she has a good grasp on it.

Her brother is like a hero. Her hero. He is her father, mother, brother, teacher, and friend all in one.

He would have made such a good Magic Knight, something that she wants to be one day after she heard stories from Nozel just how strong their mother was.

Their feats (or more like her brother's feats since he was the one doing the bulk of all the work) had caught the attention of their Kingdom's Magic Knights and there were several offers from the various high-ranking Knights they met for Nozel to join them. Nozel had declined them all in a heartbeat. That still didn't deter some very stubborn and bull-headed Knights for trying though.

'Noooozzeeeeeeeeelll!'

Noelle burst out laughing when her brother gave a frustrated sigh but resigned himself to his fate. They had only just left the lowest chamber of the underground dungeon they are in before they heard the voice that they both know all too well. The owner of the voice had been stalking them for months ever since they first met. No matter how her brother tried to shake that person off their tail, he never did succeed.

'Julius, I told you to stop following me.'

'Ah, Nozel! How could you hurt me with such cold words?!' The man known as Julius Novachrono, currently the Captain of the Grey Deer squad, put his hands over his chest where his heart is located with a look of mock hurt. His exaggerated actions got Noelle to laugh louder. Uncle Julius is just so funny!

'Uncle Julius!'

'Noelle!' Julius gave her a cheerful greeting in return together with a bag of her favourite sweets. She knows that it is his bribe to her to hopefully pull her to his side in convincing her awesome big brother to join the Magic Knights. Unfortunately for her big brother, it is working. Should she help Uncle Julius out? Decisions, decisions….

'Stop following us everywhere, Julius.' Nozel said as he continues to walk along as if Julius wasn't there. Noelle hurried to keep in step with her brother as she popped a sweet into her mouth. Mmmm, delicious.

'Join the Magic Knights!' Julius wasted no time in making his intentions known. 'The country needs people like you!'

'I prefer my current freedom as it is, thank you very much.'

'We can change the world for the better!'

'You have enough strength to do it without my help. You are strong enough to be the next Magic Emperor.'

'But I also need equally capable Knights!' Julius exclaimed comically as he quickly stood in front of her brother, blocking his way while flailing his hands animatedly. Nozel simply walked around the flustered Captain without a second thought with his usual poker face.

'There are already capable Knights that will follow you anywhere as long as you give the order. Fu, Yami, William, and Jack all respect you. It's like they will never say no to any orders you give them. They are all at least my equal, or my betters when it comes to combat. You don't need me.'

'The current generation of Captains are growing old.' Julius said in a more serious manner as he caught up with the siblings. 'Your generation will be the ones who will eventually fill their shoes and among your generation, people like you are the cream of the crop. When I become the Magic Emperor, I plan to create more squads. I want to at least have nine squads in total. I need at least nine capable Magic Knights from your generation to help me.'

'There are many other stronger mages out there other than me.'

'But many of them are either royals or nobles with the same prejudice against commoners. You are different.'

Noelle observed in silence as Julius continues with his practiced recruitment speech. However, his words entered Nozel's right ear and exited through his left.

Jack The Ripper (Black Clover) - Works Archive Of Our Own

'Give me one good reason why I should risk my life to defend those stuck-up nobles and royals.'

'Being a Magic Knight is to protect everyone in the country, Nozel, not just the ruling class. You know that.'

'Wrong.' Nozel disagreed as the three of them had now finished walking through the long and dark corridor that was full of traps when they first entered the dungeon. Nozel had taught her how to set all of them off prematurely by letting her flood the corridor with her Water Magic before they moved ahead, saving them a lot of time. It was a good learning experience in learning how to flush hazardous things out of her way. Letting her immense magic run wild was a therapeutic experience too. It feels great to be able to let it all out.

'Why do you think that way?'

'In the end, the Magic Knights are always used for protecting the royal family and the nobles. I had saw it many times during my time as a Silva. The commoners have little to no protection from the Magic Knights.' Nozel scoffed as he defended them from a stray trap that had somehow not got itself set off when they passed it earlier. His shield of liquid mercury blocked off a hail of arrows as the three of them continued walking without slowing down nor did they hasten their pace. Nozel's defence is just that strong. They will be safe if they stick close to him.

Black Clover Scenarios - Chapter 8 - Precumming - Black ...

'And that's why we are changing things! Starting from us, Nozel! One step at a time! Please! Lend me your strength!'

'And it will be a futile effort since Clover is rotten at its core. Just look at our King. I don't want to waste my time and energy on something that cannot be saved.'

Just at that moment, the wall at their far-right burst and exploded into dust.

'Fucking finally!'

'Damn you, you lanky bastard! Look at where you are slicing! You nearly chopped my head off!'

'Oh, you are still alive?'

'What the hell?! You were trying to kill me?! That's it! You and I, right now!'

'Jack, Yami, stop your bickering. We are here to find and regroup with the Captain.'

'William's right.' The familiar voice of Fuegoleon Vermillion got Noelle to perk up. 'We are here to find Captain Julius. Who knows where he is running off to again.'

'Big brother Fu!' Noelle waved excitedly at her big brother's best friend. Fuegoleon is one of the two royals that did not shun her and her brother when they both got themselves exiled from their house. Fuegoleon's older sister, Mereoleona, is the other one, but she is a little too… intense for Noelle's taste.

'Noelle?' Fuegoleon looked surprised upon spotting her and the surprise grew when he saw Nozel together with the wayward Captain that they are all searching for. 'Nozel? Captain? You guys too?'

'It's been some time since we last met face-to-face, Fu.' Nozel greeted as the two friends bumped fists with each other. 'Although I have to ask, since when did the Crimson Lion joined up with the Grey Deer and Green Mantis?'

'It is a joint mission with Captain Julius leading it, although he ran off at the first opportunity into the dungeon. I see you are the reason.'

'Hey, silver guy! We meet again! Fight me!'

Noelle hid herself behind her brother when the tall lanky guy with blades on his arms challenged her older brother again. This is not the first time that they had met, but the guy's face still gives her the creeps.

'Another day, Jack. And Yami, stop smoking. Noelle doesn't like the smell.'

'Ah, my bad, my bad.' The foreigner stamped out his lighted cigarette before giving Noelle a sheepish look while rubbing the back of his head. 'Sorry girl, bad habits die hard.'

Noelle gave the man a forced smile as she tried her best to not wrinkle her nose at the offending smell. Her brother had raised her to be a polite girl and that is how she will carry herself.

'William! Help me convince the silver guy to fight me!'

'I'm afraid this place is unsuited for a battle between mages as strong as you and Nozel. And we are here to find the Captain and to conquer the dungeon, although the last point is moot since I see that Nozel had already cleaned this place of any treasures.'

'I can give you guys a few trinkets if you want.' Nozel replied with a shrug. 'I have no need for so many items and you guys can have something to prove that you completed your mission.'

'Who even cares about the mission?!' The tall lanky guy exclaimed as his brandished blades unknowingly got a little too close for Noelle's comfort. Her brother had instinctively shifted himself to shield her better from the battle hungry man. 'Fight me!'

'Jack.' Julius, who had been silent the entire time, called out to the only member from Green Mantis. 'You can have your fight later, now is not the right place and time to do so. You are scaring Noelle.'

'Tch.' Jack grumbled and to Noelle's relief, willed away the menacing looking blades on his arms.

'Can we get going now?' Nozel said in his usual monotone. 'I'm dying to see some sunlight after spending so much time in the dungeon.'

'The Magic Knights only found out about this dungeon three days ago. How did you managed to find and conquer it so quickly? This is also one of the most dangerous ones we found to date!'

'I am a treasure hunter, Fu. I have to be good in my job.'

'Join me, Nozel! Be a Magic Knight! The country needs you!'

'No thanks, Julius.'

'Hey, Captain Julius is right.' Jack said in that creepy smile of his as it got impossibly wider. It is like he had hit upon some bright idea. 'If you join, then we can finally have our battle for real. Not like the little warmup we had the other time.'

Oh, she guess that is also one way to go about recruiting people. Too bad for Jack though, that reason wouldn't be enough to convince her brother.

'All the more reason for me to stay away from you creeps.'

See?

'Will you be heading for the Royal Capital too?' Fuegoleon inquired his friend with a curious look on his face.

'I don't think so. Noelle and I have no wish to step into the Capital since we don't want to bump into anyone from the Silva house.'

'But the Star Awards Festival is coming up soon!' Julius exclaimed with an excited gleam in his eyes as he clasped his hands together. 'It will be the biggest celebration in the country's history! It will be so fun!'

Noelle let her imaginations run wild at the thought. She had never attended a festival before due to her previous oppressive upbringing, let alone attending such a huge festival. How does a festival even look like?

'Noelle, you had never been to a festival before, am I right?' As if reading her thoughts, Julius eagerly grabbed onto her small hands in a childish manner. 'You should totally go and experience it for yourself!'

'B-But…'

'Nozel, you agree with me, right?' Julius redirected his attention back to her big brother, who remained silent as he pondered about the issue.

'Hey, a child should act like a child and go have fun at festivals.' Yami said nonchalantly as he slung an arm around Nozel. 'I know you don't like your family all that much but surely you won't be so unlucky to bump into them during the festival? The Royal Capital is a big place. I know your little sister is mature for her age, but she should have her own fun like the kid she is.'

'Yeah, go for it so we can have our fight over at the Royal Capital! I will slice you into pieces!'

'Jack, calm down.' William said with a sigh. Fuegoleon just seemed unaffected by whatever is going on as he looked towards Nozel for his response.

'…Fine. Just this once.'

Noelle cannot help when the smile that formed on her face nearly split it into two. A festival! And the biggest Star Awards Festival too! She will be going for her first festival!

'Thank you, big brother!' Noelle thanked her brother happily as she ran up to him and gave him a big hug. She knows how much he detests that place and yet he willingly went back for her sake.

He is really the best brother ever.

'Woohoo! Home sweet home!'

Jack's excited whoop got Yami to nod in agreement the moment the entire group stepped beyond the gates of the Royal Capital to enter the city. Noelle looked up and observed her surroundings, taking in the sights of the place that she once lived in.

From the way her brother stiffened a little when he observed the Capital like she did, he must have remembered certain memories as well. She just doesn't know if he recalled the good or the bad ones.

'You and Noelle can stay at my place, Nozel.'

'Thanks, Fu, but I think it is better if we stay at an inn instead. I don't want to bring any trouble to your family simply by housing us.'

'Nonsense.' Fuegoleon snorted in an uncharacteristic manner. 'You are my friend, royalty or not. Tongues can wag for all I care.'

'But others won't see it that way.' Nozel is equally firm in his stand as he politely rejected Fuegoleon's offer. 'It's fine, Fu. Thanks for the offer though.'

Fuegoleon doesn't seem convinced, but he knows better than anyone that it is a lost cause trying to persuade Nozel to change his mind as it is. He can be frustratingly stubborn.

'I will go ahead and report the mission completion.' William spoke up from behind. 'See you at the festival, Nozel, Noelle.'

'Make sure to come find me at the Green Mantis HQ for a fight or I will go find you myself, silver guy.' Jack added his own words before he parted from the group.

'And I guess this is my cue to disappear and finally take my nap.' Yami yawned before his stomach growled audibly. 'Ok, maybe a nice meal before my nap, my treat. Cap't, Fu, you two joining?'

'I'm afraid I have to head back home immediately for some family matters.' Fuegoleon replied. 'But the next time, it will be my treat.'

'Sure, sure, I will be waiting. Cap't? Wait. Where is he?'

True to Yami's words, Julius had already disappeared.

'Probably sneaked off to have some fun of his own.' Nozel said matter-of-factly. 'Although I still have no idea how he did that without any of us catching him in the act.'

And so, after waving goodbye to Fuegoleon, the two men and one excited girl slowly made their way into the heart of the Royal Capital. Noelle bounced excitedly on her feet as she ran from stall to stall trying to see what merchandises they are selling. These stalls all belong to merchants or traders who had moved here to set up their business for the upcoming festival, trying to use this chance to rake in some big cash. Even in her fun, Noelle still made sure to stay within her brother's line of sight at all times. That is one thing that he had drilled into her head ever since they left their past behind. It is for her own safety.

She and her brother are both wearing a hooded cloak that hide their distinctive silver hair. Yami walked with her brother side-by-side as they made idle conversations with each other and kept an eye on her.

In the end, Yami insist on eating at a stall that in his own words, 'sells the best pasta in the whole goddamn Clover'. Noelle and her brother have no objections. They are not picky in their food.

And boy, was Yami right. The pasta is delicious.

'Ah, that hit the right spot.' Yami said in contentment upon taking the first bite of the food he was served. Noelle nodded her head in excitement, not being able to comment since her mouth is stuffed with the delicious pasta.

'Slow down, Noelle. The pasta is not going anywhere.'

Noelle gave her brother a pout. However, it seems that he had grown some resistance to her cute looks. She will need to work on her pout in secret later at night.

'I think I can use another bowl. Hey, waiter!' Yami hollered out to one of the waiters scurrying around in the wooden street stall that they are at, trying their best to serve the huge number of customers that patronised their stall. 'One more-'

It was at that moment that the ground trembled violently and shook. To Noelle's horror, a garden of thorns emerged as huge thorny vines sprouted from the ground all around them. It is not just their area that is affected. Several places near them are experiencing the same phenomenon as well.

'What the-'

'Silver Blade'

With a simple command, solid swords made of mercury sliced the approaching vines like they are made of paper. Nozel grabbed her and hauled her out of harm's way, easily carrying her with just a single arm.

'Big brother! What's happening?!'

'No idea, although this magic does seem familiar.'

Yami joined in as a slash coated with Dark Magic destroyed another group of vines, giving Nozel enough time to raise all the nearby bystanders into the air with floating platforms made of mercury. With that, they are safe.

They are safe for now. Things will go south quickly if they don't nip this problem in the bud right away.

'Nozel! Can you go find the source of this crap?! I need to stay here to ensure no one gets hurt!' Yami shouted out as he slashed at another group of vines, freeing some of the nearby bystanders who were caught up in this mess. Noelle can't help but admire the sense of duty Yami has as a Magic Knight. Even in times of crisis, the first thought he had was the safety and well-being of the innocents, not his own. Despite his laid-back behaviour, Yami is a true Magic Knight in her eyes.

'Go fulfil your duties as a Knight. Leave this to me.'

Quickly depositing the people they had just saved on a relatively safe spot, Nozel flew into the air with a platform of mercury and brought her along with him towards the direction where the biggest mass of vines are spotted. People might call him crazy for bringing a young girl into a warzone, but Noelle knows better. Being by her brother's side is the safest place for her to be.

'W-What is this magic?!'

'Briars, I think. This looks like Briar Magic.' Her brother said with a frown as he looked deep in thought. 'This magic is really familiar for some reason, even if I'm sure this is the first time I am seeing it with my eyes.'

'Is Briar Magic that uncommon?'

'I… don't think so.' Her brother replied with a degree of uncertainty in his voice as his frown deepened. 'But we will find out soon enough. Hold on tight, we are going in.'

Countless globules of mercury hovered around them before Nozel shot them at the growing mass of vines with great force, opening up a path for them to fly through.

'W-Wow.'

'You will catch flies in your mouth if you leave it hanging open like that.' Her brother said in amusement as his magic handled both offense and defence in tandem, enabling them to pass through the massive vines unharmed. This is not the first time she had witnessed it, but Noelle cannot help but gape at the skill her brother displayed. When will she be able to achieve this level of control for her magic?

The briars had already enveloped an entire building and show no signs of stopping. If anything, they are growing at an even quicker rate.

'Big brother, isn't this place the mansion of House Roselei?' Noelle asked the moment she spotted the symbol of said house painted on a huge wall of the massive building. 'Are they under attack?'

She saw her brother's eyes widening in realisation, although Noelle has a gut feeling that there seems to be another unknown reason for his reaction.

'Of course, House Roselei.' Her brother mumbled to himself. 'How could I forget? I have been very forgetful as of late. My memories are failing me.'

'Brother?'

'This is no attack, Noelle. In fact, someone's magic had just lost control.'

'Lost control?' Noelle questioned in puzzlement. And how would her brother know?

'Mother had told me once before when I was young, that there is a girl about my age in House Roselei that is cursed so that on her eighteenth birthday, she and her family will be trapped in a cage of time. Or at least that was how the story goes. Come to think about it, that supposed time should be around this period. I do remember Mother saying that the girl is about two years younger than me and I am turning twenty this year. The timeline matches.'

'So these briars…'

'Probably the visible result of the initial stage of her curse getting invoked. We need to hurry if we don't want to see the entire Royal Capital turning into a vineyard. Who knows what the true form of the curse really is? I don't think a 'cage of time' is the only thing it can do.'

They eventually reached the building where the vines had originated, which had now curled and grow to envelope the centre of the building protectively. A massive magical signature shone as bright as the sun against their magical senses at the top of a lone tower of the building. It is obvious that this is where everything first started.

Her brother didn't slow down in their flight as he forcefully destroyed the vines and subsequently the wall of the tower, creating an entrance for the both of them. The briars did not take kindly to their presence, however, and began to lash out at them like furious serpents.

'Silver Rain'

Endless droplets of mercury rained down from the sky as it decimated any briars that got too close. Nozel walked forward as Noelle carefully kept in step with him. It wasn't long before they saw a woman partially covered by the briars lying helplessly on the floor in pain, her magic flaring so bright that it hurts Noelle's head just by being so close to her.

'Your magic will destroy the entire Capital at this rate.' Her brother stated as he went through his pockets, presumably to search for one of those nifty magical tools they found in the numerous dungeons they had explored together. There are several tools they found that possess peculiar functions. Maybe one of them can help the woman lying on the floor there.

Like she had expected, her brother took out a necklace-shaped magic tool. She recognised it straightaway. It is a tool that she had once used to help her in learning how to control her untamed powers by restraining it, only allowing a small portion to leak through so she can gradually grow used to controlling her powers a little at a time. However, she now has an even better one that they found later on which is more suited to her current needs. Originally, they were planning to sell that necklace-like magic tool away since they have no use for it anymore. They might as well use it now to help this lady since it is obvious that she is suffering from the uncontrollable outburst of her own magic.

Nozel tossed the tool towards the lady and the moment it landed on her, the lady's magic stopped leaking out uncontrollably.

'W-What?'

'Wear it on your person. This magic tool has the ability to help its wearer keep their magic in check. I don't think you will still need it after this since the curse on you should disappear the moment it was invoked no matter if it was a successful or failed invocation. Your curse should be gone for good. Nevertheless, it never hurts to be careful until we know for sure.'

'Take care, pretty lady!' Noelle waved the beautiful woman goodbye when her brother wordlessly turned around to take his leave. The woman's magic had stopped running rampant and there is nothing else for them to do here. 'Bye!'

'Noelle, we need to go before anyone else shows up.'

'Ok!' Noelle replied as she readjusted the hood over her head, making sure that none of her distinctive silver locks were exposed. The last thing they need is for their family members finding out that they are currently here in the Royal Capital. They still have no clue how their family will react to their sudden reappearance, but the both of them can certainly agree that they both have no wish to see anyone from the Silva house. Glancing back at her brother, she found that the top half of his face is covered with the hood of his cloak. Noelle personally thinks that he pulled off the mysterious look pretty well.

Why is her brother so handsome and suave no matter what he does? Oh right, it is because he is the most awesomest brother ever! Her knight in silver armour! Of course he is handsome and suave!

A platform of mercury formed below their feet as Nozel gave a mental command for it to bring them out of here. The crisis has been averted and they can all finally go back to eating their unfinished meal.

'Say, big brother, was that lady pretty?'

Nozel simply gave her a silent questioning look, prompting her to explain the question behind that question.

'Did you see how she looked at you? I think she just fell in love with you!'

It is her honest opinion. The look on that lady's face looked as if she had found true love at first sight. Noelle may be young, but she had seen enough on her short travels the kinds of expressions people in love will put on their faces! The lady's facial expression just now was certainly one of those!

Hmm, her brother will be turning twenty this year. Most nobles would have at least gotten themselves engaged by now, no matter if it is an arranged marriage for political purposes or one that is borne out of true love. Their mother herself already had Nozel when she just turned eighteen.

Maybe she should help her socially inept brother find himself a wife? God knows how long he will take if she left him to do things at his own pace! A talented fighter and dungeon conqueror he may be, but a social person he is not!

'Don't over exaggerate things.' Nozel chided half-heartedly as he surveyed the damage to the city from the air. Thankfully, there didn't seem to be any casualties although the Magic Knights around the area also have their hands full with this sudden emergency. Yami probably won't be free for quite a while since he is busy saving the citizens like the responsible Magic Knight he is.

'Want to explore the other side of the Capital? We have some time until the sun sets anyway.'

'I want the cream puffs at the edge of the Capital! The ones that you used to buy for me!'

'Sure.' Her brother patted her on the head dotingly, indulging her whims as he flew them towards their new destination. 'I am craving some myself.'

Yay! Cream puffs! Her big brother is definitely the mostawesomest brother ever!

AN: I guess it is obvious from the tag that this is going to be a Nozel x Charlotte pairing all along. I'm unsure how many of you knows this, but before Julius became the Magic Emperor, he was the Captain of the Grey Deer. The Grey Deer was later renamed to Azure Deer when Rill took over as Captain after Julius became the Magic Emperor. William and Yami were also members of the Grey Deer under Julius's leadership before they became Captains themselves. Since William was the first Captain of Golden Dawn and I remembered Yami searching for a place to build the HQ of the Black Bull in the manga (the scene when he first met Henry), suggesting that he is also the first Captain of the Black Bull, I surmised that the original number of squads in the Magic Knights was lesser than nine before Julius came to power. In canon, Fuegoleon and Nozel were also friends/rivals and I don't see a reason why that shouldn't be the same for this case since Fuegoleon isn't like the typical stuck-up royal in the series. I personally like Jack the Ripper as a character, so I added him in as well. The Captains are all about the same age according to the BC wiki, so I suspect that it is highly likely that they all became Captains at about the same time. There was probably a huge change in leadership among the Magic Knights at one point.

In this story of mine, Nozel's presence had changed canon such that Nozel is now the one who had knowingly or unknowingly saved Charlotte from her curse, not Yami. I think you guys can see the direction this story is heading to by now.

As for future updates for this story, I do have a few more chapters on hand, but I intend to take it slow. One reason is because I want to double check for any possible errors or plotholes that I might unknowingly drop myself into because I do not know this fandom as well as the others that I had written my stories about. The second reason is well, you guys might try to murder me for this, but as a reader, I find it more fun to have something to look forward to every week. I still have about four more chapters on hand for this story. So for now, I decide that I will most likely post a new chapter a week for this story until my stash has emptied. That means that you guys have something to look forward to every week for the next coming month. I might change my mind, but for now this will be the current arrangement.

In any case, I hope you enjoy the story thus far.

“A fictional super-detective and a notorious real-life serial killer walk into a bar together…”

I don’t know if crime buffs have yet thought up a joke that begins with that line, but this gin joint would likely be in London’s poverty-drenched East End in the 1880s: the sort of place where shady characters might drop in for a peg or pint at any time, even 7 AM, to ward off the cold and other miseries. And the carousing sleuth and murderer would be Sherlock Holmes and Jack the Ripper, respectively.

These two men have often faced off in the pages of novels and short stories – and, apparently, in video games too. It’s a fascinating pairing for obvious reasons. They operated on opposite sides of the law in the same metropolis at the same time: Arthur Conan Doyle’s first Holmes story appeared in 1887, while the canonical Ripper murders took place in the summer and autumn of 1888.

An entire sub-genre

And if you think the gap between fiction and fact creates a credibility problem, consider this paradox: Holmes, the imagined character, has been such a recognisable, well-loved and widely portrayed figure over the past century that many people think he was an actual person. While the Ripper, who really did exist, has become shadowy, mythical – and sometimes even romanticised – because he was never caught. (A dozen or more authors have written books naming their candidate and pompously declaring “case closed” – the trouble is that they have confidently identified a dozen different people.) So much so that the story has been mined even in science-fiction and fantasy, like in the Star Trek episode “Wolf in the Fold”, which identifies Red Jack as an evil energy force that shifts form over the centuries.

There is no point trying to list all the Sherlock Holmes-vs-Jack the Ripper fiction out there, but the more readable efforts include the novella A Study in Terror, notable for its narrative within a narrative: in the 1960s, ace detective Ellery Queen comes across an old document detailing Holmes’s efforts to solve the London murders. While he reads, Queen conducts a parallel investigation of his own, eventually figuring that Holmes may have been deliberately elusive about the killer’s identity. In other words, here are two celebrated fictional sleuths tangling with a real-life mystery, and with each other, across time and space.

There is also the very enjoyable 1979 film Murder by Decree, notable less for its plot (which draws on a much-rehashed conspiracy theory involving a Royal Family scandal) and more for its atmospheric set design and its cast – Christopher Plummer and James Mason had a grand time playing Holmes and Watson respectively, and the supporting players included such heavyweights as John Gielgud, Genevieve Bujold and Donald Sutherland.

For me, though, Lyndsay Faye’s 2009 novel Dust and Shadow: An Account of the Ripper Killings by Dr John H Watson has a very special place in this sub-sub-category of crime writing. This skilled debut manages to be that rare thing, a book that should please both Sherlock Holmes buffs (including the ones who have mixed feelings about other authors stomping on Conan Doyle’s terrain) and Jack the Ripper scholars who like their Ripper-based fiction to be rooted in the facts of the case (even if the “solution” offered is far-fetched).

Joined at the hip?

Dust and Shadow is, of course, told in Dr Watson’s voice, deliberately prim by modern standards – Faye does a fine job of imitating the style of the original stories – but also warm and admiring when he speaks of his brilliant friend, and appropriately repulsed when he sees the bodies left by the unknown killer. The narrative begins with a short prelude set in Herefordshire in 1887 – this makes for a nice Sherlock Holmes mini-adventure in itself, but also serves a purpose that the reader will only learn near the end of the book – and then moves to the summer of the next year. A series of murders and mutilations terrifies Whitechapel. Holmes, naturally, becomes involved.

Perhaps more involved than even he would like to be.

One of the recurring themes in modern serial-killer fiction – such as Thomas Harris’s Red Dragon – is the idea that a psychopath and the detective who pursues him are two sides of the same coin: both geniuses, both deeply disturbed people, one of whom has transformed his darkest impulses from thought into action, while the other is always walking a fine line. “The reason you caught me,” Hannibal Lecter tells Will Graham in Red Dragon, “is because we are just alike.” Three decades later, the creepy TV show Hannibal explored this thought over three seasons.

Faye subtly uses the idea in her novel, without underlining it or indulging in any anachronisms that would take us out of the world of 1880s England (a time when little if anything was known about serial killers and their psychological makeup). Reading Dust and Shadow, it made complete sense to me that if Sherlock Holmes had existed and become involved with the Ripper investigation – prowling Whitechapel’s alleys in disguise at odd hours, frequenting opium dens, employing esoteric methods to conduct an unofficial investigation – someone or the other might suspect HIM of being the murderer.

This is what happens here. Shortly after an encounter with the Ripper that leaves him injured, Holmes finds that an unscrupulous journalist is writing articles damning him. And that the killer might be setting out to implicate him too. This puts our super-sleuth in a race to not just solve the case, and heal his hurt ego, but also to clear his name – and what we see in the process is a vulnerable Holmes and a paternal, protective Watson who takes it upon himself to be more than just a silent admirer and chronicler.

Conan Doyle’s other fictional characters – including Inspector Lestrade and Mrs Hudson – are part of this story, as are the comforting bachelor’s quarters in 221B Baker Street, but so are real-life people from the period, such as George Lusk, head of a Vigilance Committee during the killings, and the much-disliked police commissioner Sir Charles Warren. The book’s third “hero” – a young woman named Mary Ann Monk, who collects valuable information for Holmes in the East End – was an actual (if very peripheral) figure in the Ripper investigation, but is fleshed out into a spirited and resourceful character here.

Crime Classics

How crime fiction works

A study of the methods and devices used

History, his story

Apart from its storytelling merits, this book can serve as a lesson to many historical-fiction authors in how background detail and attention to language can bring internal logic and credibility even to a fantasy narrative. When Holmes goes undercover in Whitechapel, we have no trouble believing that someone with his powers of observation would soon be able to acquaint himself with every foul nook and dark cranny of the impossibly maze-like East End of the 1880s – a place that in real life confounded the efforts of a large police force and helped the anonymous murderer get away with his crimes.

A tour de force passage in this respect occurs near the end when Holmes interrogates a disoriented and scared witness who followed the Ripper to his house but has no idea exactly which labyrinthine part of Whitechapel he was stumbling through. By asking a series of questions, asking the witness to remember landmarks, the width of this or that lane, the nature of the traffic on it, and so on, Holmes unerringly arrives at almost the exact address. Riveting though this passage is on its own terms for a lover of detective stories (or Sherlock Holmes’s methods), it becomes even more so when you study the actual geography of the period (Faye provides a map too) and realise that there is nothing fictional about the details of the route being discussed.

Dust and Shadow did two things for me. First, speaking as a longtime amateur Ripperologist who has been fascinated not only by the case but also by the huge range of reactions it has spawned over the decades, it works as a good Jack the Ripper story, shorn of the sensationalism and the factual errors that have littered even many non-fiction books. I think authors like Philip Sugden and Donald Rumbelow – among the most scrupulous Ripper scholars – would have approved of it.

(Incidentally I first came across Faye’s writing via her plaintive and unsettling short story “The Sparrow and the Lark”, told in the voice of Mary Jane Kelly, the last of Jack the Ripper’s victims. You’ll find that story – along with “A Study in Terror” and many other worthies – in Otto Penzler’s anthology Jack the Ripper: Fact, Fiction, Legend.)

Second, as someone whose reading of Conan Doyle’s original Holmes tales has been less than comprehensive (I devoured many of them at one go as a young teen, and somehow never revisited them), this book stoked a desire to rediscover some of those stories, particularly the longer ones. Not just to return to the world of Dr Watson and his moody flat-mate, but also to see – and this will sound blasphemous to Holmes purists – how the originals compare with Faye’s terrific reimagining.