I rubbed my forehead as it pounded against my skull like the beat of a drum
Facing this Count who owned this castle, I stared at the floating man and felt an extreme amount of dissonance now that I had a breath to breath.
Why was a man floating was one question, but it honestly wasn't that farfetched in comparison to everything that I had seen.
The other questions was one of common sense.
How did he get here, why wasn't he infected at all and finally, since when did a count own a castle fit for a king?
The first two questions could be answered if I referenced how others still somehow survive without getting infected, with the very first question being answered as a skill that he had learned over the course of the loops.
It may even be something that he had learned before the infection spread.
But then that still leaves a few questions such as why does someone like the Count learn skills usually reserved for assassination?
I don't completely recall the complete order of status in a Noble line, but I know that a Count couldn't possibly own a castle that should only be occupied by royals or close family of the royal family.
'God of Death my head hurts like hell.'
[You called?]
'What?'
Blinking, I felt lightheaded while the red stared into me.
[Hm? You didn't call me... ah...]
A skull wearing glasses had appeared at some point as the red stared into my eyes.
"What... are you... doing?"
Blinking in confusion, the skull seemingly spun around on the spot.
'Ah wait, that skull isn't moving, I am.'
Blinking again, I dully felt something collide against the ground as everything darkened at the edges... And is that blood?
'Oh I'm feeling lightheaded.'
Staring at the porcelain white face, I wondered when did he get so close.
'And why is his hand holding a heart?'
Saying something, the words that both the skull and the man were saying sounded as if they were underwater, coming out distorted.
Staring at the skull floating behind the man, I wondered what was happening before darkness consumed me.
That was my first official death in this world
---
*Gasp!
Shooting up from the ground, almost instantly and instinctively, I felt at my chest.
'HolyMotherOfGod.'
Rapidly thinking, my fingers brushed against my chest without any signs of a super large hole.
All bones were in place, all blood was still in my body and my heart was still peacefully beating in my chest.
"What the hell just happened?"
Speaking aloud without exactly expecting an answer, I nevertheless received one.
[You died.]
A blunt tone.
One I only heard thrice, the first time when I died, the second time after I came to this world, and the third time when I exited to the second run.
And thanks to the fact that they majored in the control of death, I didn't doubt for a second that what the skull wearing glasses said was false.
"Ah... Fuck."
Clenching my fist around the cloth on my chest, I cursed.
'Now I'm one step closer to inevitable destruction.'
Perhaps seeing through my thoughts, the God of Death also aptly named Death spoke calmly.
[Do not worry, the future of the world collapsing onto all its possible possibilities isn't as close as you think.]
"Really? Well I guess it really hasn't been that long."
Resting my hands against my knees, I stared at the floating skull.
"So... Can you by any chance tell me what the hell just happened? How did I die?"
[If it's just to tell you of how you died... then I guess this much should be fine...]
"What was that?" Raising an eyebrow, I felt as if the last piece of information he had just said was rather important.
But just like any seasoned politician, Death brushed it off with ease and changed the subject
And since it was something that I had asked for, I couldn't exactly go back and see what it was he had just said.
[The way you died... It was of blood loss.]
'I kinda got that.'
[But the way you died is because of a man... can I say this? I can say this, a man calls himself Count Dracula.]
"I'm sorry what." Blinking, I backtracked the conversation and repeated the words 'Count Dracula' in my mind, several times.
And no matter if I reversed it, heightened the pitch, elongated it or repeated it, the words Count Dracula stood proudly in the forefront of my brain.
It didn't help that the God of death repeated it for my sake.
[Count Dracula, if I were to reference your world, he could be likened to a progenitor of vampires, the origin of them in this world.]
"Did dying mess up my hearing? I feel like you just said something very important."
[Count Dracula is the progenitor of Vampires?]
"So I wasn't going insane."
Falling onto my back, my eyes were dragged to the numerous cages hanging by chains and containing skeletons within their metal prisons.
"Well this is insane."
[That is a given.]
"I have to cure a disease so magical and deadly that it not only raises the dead from their graves and causes madness to the point that its been sealed in an ever repeating timeloop-"
"-I also have to find a cure that no doubt thousands of others tried to but failed to find, all the while undead in the tens of thousands tried to stop me with supernatural strength."
My hands covered my face. "On top of that, I probably have to collect all the Boss cells and combine them into their true forms so that I could have an inkling of an idea of what to look for, making it all the more harder to find a cure while monsters weaker than their true forms tried to maul my face off."
"And now there's a goddamn progenitor of Vampires on top of all that?"
My hands dragged themselves off of my face.
"Now that I think about it, why did you send me to this world God?"
[Just a simple reminder that it wasn't me who sent you here.]
My mind flashed to the boy with chromatic eyes.
"Ah."
[Yes, the Boy wonder, the childish prankster and the one who enjoys even the most horrific of things, the God of Fun.]
"Well I suddenly hate him a lot more."
[I also hate him, but I shall be honest Slade.] The skull floated to where it was now staring directly into my eyes. [This world is one fated to disappear into the annals of time.]
"What?" My mouth twitched as the strength left my body all of a sudden. "Are you saying that no matter what I do it's useless since it's inevitable that this world disappears into the sea of time?"
"Fuck"
[Not exactly.] Shaking their head, the skull's jaw continued to move up and down [This is only the case for beings constrained by this worlds fate.]
"Explain in non god terms for my mortal brain."
[You are not from this world.]
"Ah." A flash of understanding passed through my mind
[Do you understand now?]
"Is it like a third party? If America didn't aid Europe and cooperate with the Soviet Union, Europe would've fallen into Nazi hands."
[Over turning an already set future with the interference of others, yes, that reference is a fine one.]
"Huh, so I'm America in this picture? Can't say I'm complaining but well... I'm complaining"
[You can complain all you want, but I can tell you this] The skull moved to look upwards. [No matter how unfair it may seem, Fun wouldn't have sent you here if it were far beyond your capabilities.]
"So you're saying that he might've sent me here even if there was a zero point zero zero one percent chance of my success?"
[I didn't-]
"Why the hell am I still doing this."
Getting up from the ground, the Skull wearing glasses stared into my eyes. [Your still doing this?]
"I mean, what choice do I have in the matter? If I relocated to the Soviet Union, I would still have to deal with the problems in the Soviet Union, I can't exactly shirk responsibility."
[An admirable mindset that not many would have.]
"Well..." I scratched the back of my head and dusted myself off. "My friends did call me an optimist."
Death nodded their skull and slowly disappeared into the tattoo over my chest.
[I'm rooting for you.]
"Well you aren't exactly helping me, but thank you I guess."
It's at least better than whatever Fun is doing, leaving that last part unsaid I stretched my stiff limbs.
Taking in several deep breaths while doing so, I calmed my beating heart to a more manageable level 2while staring at the doorway in front of me.
Cracking the many bones in my fingers, I pulled out my blade and began to walk.
"-And that's how I made my way across the entirety of the island to here."
*Clink
The figure in front of me set down their tea cup while two others watched on with interest.
"It seems to me Sir Slade that you are completely and unapologetically insane!"
Speaking bluntly, a man with a thick brown goatee, playfully spinning around a giant colored pin, one of the three stuck into a giant cushion hanging off of his waist.
Sitting besides the goatee man, a young girl stood with an uninterested look on her face, playing with a giant comb with metal blades for teeth, her hair defying gravity as it resembled a handlebar.
"I agree with him, but for the record, I still don't like you."
"Ohoho! Don't be such a spoilsport woman, I just want to see some fashion on this dreary island."
"And I've said it many times before Tailor, this is the honored garb of my order, and I shall not let you touch it with that unholy relic."
"How rough mouthed, oh well" Shrugging their shoulders, the one referred to the Tailor smiled before picking up a giant pair of scissors.
"Until we meet again Timekeeper! Come my daughter!"
Shouting jovially, the Tailor's daughter tilted her head before looking at me with brownish eyes.
"Tally ho!"
That is until her father shouted once more, causing her to pick up the giant comb with ease and follow her father.
Clasping the back of their neck, the Timekeeper let out a long sigh as an orange glow filtered itself through the four holes on their mask.
"Now where were we before we were interrupted... ah yes."
The Timekeeper rested their elbows on the table and clasped their hands together before pointing both of their fingers at me.
"To reiterate, you want to take half of the Boss cell from me because you can't find a cure for this disease otherwise? And the God of Death sent you to do this task?"
"Correct Madam."
"Hah, I can't tell if you are an idealist, a fool, or someone who belongs in a mental hospital."
Laughing to themself, the woman's laughter abruptly ceased as they suddenly moved at a speed imperceptible to the naked eye and stabbed a dagger into the table.
*THUD
With a small boom, the air whipped at the flames covering my head as the dagger stuck deep into the table.
"Are you sure you can back up your insane claims?"
I smiled a smile hidden by the flames.
"I wouldn't be here if I didn't want to try."
+++
Tree