Chapter Text
If an apple tree were to fall in a field and no one was around to hear it, would it make a sound?
"Excuse me, I believe this is yours."
"Oh! Yes, that's mine! Thank you so much, I thought I lost it!"
"Haha, of course. Someone stole it and I got it back for you."
"Really? I can't believe someone would try to rob me... even if it's just a bag."
"Unfortunately, they did. Here, let me escort you home so they don't try it again."
"I- uh- okay-!"
...
...
...
"...why is my bag empty?"
"Why are you asking me?"
"...did you rob me?"
"...perhaps I did."
"Why- why would you rob me? Who even are you?!"
"..."
"Give me my things back, or I'll get police involved-!"
"..."
"Wh- what is- is that a gun?!"
"...perhaps it is."
"P- put it down. Put the gun down."
"Hm... no."
"Wait- WAIT- WAIT PLEASE-!"
If someone were to be killed by another before fate wished them to die, would their soul be able to find peace?
Everything felt... cramped. Like you were stuffed into a tight and dark box. Your body was forcibly curled into a fetal position, and everything felt... fluid. Cold. Wet. Like you were submurged in water.
Pitch black, freezing water that felt like it was wriggling and squirming as if it were alive.
It ensnared your form, creeping inside you as you couldn't move. Couldn't uncurl from this position. Unable to be comfortable. Unable to resist whatever forced itself into you drop by agonizing drop.
Your skin burned. Tears dripped from your eyes as you could barely open your mouth. It felt like your nails were being torn off, like your hair was being ripped out, like millions of needles where stabbing into your skin over and over again. Most of all, your right eye stung and felt agonizing.
You had a mouth, but could not scream.
Your brain roared, thoughts bouncing off the bone of your skull as if a gun was being fired time and time again.
Gun... gun...
You were shot in your right eye with a gun by that... person.
The last thing you remembered is a pain in your eye as everything fizzled into nothing, and then this.
This pain. This horrible, miserable pain.
Was this hell? Did you die and go to hell?
You were not a bad person, though. You've done some things, but nothing that warranted this suffering, right?
You desperately wanted to scream, but it felt like your thought was being clawed at whenever you tried.
No sound ever came out of your throat, no matter how you desperately tried to force some out.
You felt like your were drowning. How you desperately tried to breathe and could not inhale any air.
You could not scream, you could not breathe, you could not think straight.
Pain. All you felt was pain.
You needed to get out. You needed to get out of this pain.
You desperately tried to squirm and force yourself out of this... hell. You pushed on the walls of the space. Scratching at what was entrapping you.
Out. You needed out. You needed air, you needed space, and you needed this physical agony to be gone.
It needed to be gone.
You shifted your body, feeling some sort of... floor, beneath you (or was it the ceiling?). Your pressed your feet to it, and pushed up (or down). Adrenaline and desperation were your fuel, allowing you to push through the pain of what felt like a branding iron being pressed to your upper back, as a silent scream escaped your mouth once more.
But your throat did not move. There was the pain of your vocal cords being corroded by whatever was trapping you. There was the thoughts of your screams. But your throat did not move, did not allow any sound to escape.
Just as your lungs did not move to let any air in. And just as no tears ever actually left your eyes.
Illusions. You were trapped in a pit of agony and lies.
You pushed. You forced your way up. Desperate for freedom, desperate for bliss, desperate for no pain.
You silently begged any god or gods out there to grand you freedom.
And with one more push, you broke free.
You choked on air as you felt yourself bursting out of your hell. You hacked and wheezed as your lungs desperately moved as if they had never experienced air before. Even if it was night, the dim light scorched your eyes compared to the darkness you were just within.
But there was no longer the feeling of pain.
You heaved, shaking violently as the cool air lapped at your wet skin, almost as if it was tasting you. Like the very world knew you were something else.
You pulled every last bit of you out of the ground, the wet earth clinging to clothes you don't recall owning. A puffy blue vest over a long sleeved dress shirt with a maroon tie and long sleeves, with a light purple vest between the outer vest and the shirt. Plus black shoes and gray pants.
And your skin was red.
...
Your skin was... red..?
You shrieked- the sound erupting out of your throat- as your skin was entirely red. Not a sunburned red, no, but a brilliant shade of crimson that was uncomfortably natural. And, emerging from your waist, was a large, alligator-like tail that ended in seven large black feathers. And you could move this tail.
You panicked, standing up as you felt wings (made of the same black feathers) attached to right above your tail, and your hair was long and black and almost moved like smoke- especially at the ends.
You panicked, groping your face with your hands as you felt four wings (two on each side of your head) just before your pointed ears that felt as if the tips were coated in metal. That, and your cheeks and the bridge of your nose felt like they had small metal plates embedded with in. But what made you panic the most were the giant, straight horns (that were as long as your head) jutting out of your forehead.
Whatever this body was, it wasn't yours.
Did you escape from one hell right into another? This time as a demon?!
You stumbled back, eyes darting around the forested area wildly. The shadows seemed to consume whatever they hid in the darkness, and you felt terrified.
A body that was not yours in a place unfamilar to you... was this some unfortunate isekai incident..?
You barely took in any other features of your body as you rose onto your quaking legs and immediately started running, desperately seeking any form of civilization. You'd take anything, from a town to a road. Even a single person.
Then you see three figures through the trees, vaguely illuminated by the moon as some lump was near them.
Though what catches your attention is the three, faintly glowing yellow strings that stretch into the sky from the figures.
Oh thank god- people. People who probably could help you. Ignoring the strings, you can question that later.
So you stumbled closer, your legs shaking as if unused to walking. You forced them to move, and their motions slowly grew more and more steady as you moved swifter and swifter.
"EXCUSE ME-!" You called out, desperate to seem polite and friendly. "PLEASE- I NEED HELP-!"
All the figures seemed to snap their attention to you, and as you got closer you saw...
Three... oddly familiar people. A woman with gray hair, a woman with blonde hair, and a man with black hair. All in outfits that looked oddly equipped for cold weather. Though you suppose the forest was cool enough for these outfits.
But what really got your attention was a person hunched over on the ground with an unsettling familiar clock for a head.
...
No...
"What the fuck is that?" Lion asks, looking at you like you were some sort of disfigured creature.
"Looks like a demon..." Panther murmured.
"It doesn't matter what it is." Wolf said bluntly, "It's going to be dead soon enough."
...oh no no no-
"I-" You choke out, as Dante ticks, confused.
"Who's that? I don't..."
NO NO NO ANYTHING BUT THIS-!
"Wait- I-"
NOT FUCKING LIMBUS COMPANY!!!
Then a rumbling echoes through the space. One that you already know what it belongs too...
"Did you let something else follow you, Panther?" Lion asks, looking annoyed.
"I didn't let anything follow me." Panther responds, "Not even the demon. Must've been some beast that followed it."
Harsh...
"This is not the sound a beast would make." Wolf suddenly says, "It’s…"
And then a bus pulls up, coming to a stop mere inches away as you hop back, panicking. More strings stretch into the sky from the bus, passing through the roof like it is not there.
Oh god, what if the Sinners assume you're with Wolf and co.? Oh god, you could be killed here just after being isekaid here-!
So you react accordingly and move yourself between Dante and the aggressors, mentally preparing what to say when Faust shows up.
The others are too focused on the bus (excluding Dante who seems to be staring at you).
So you look at them and prepare a lie in your head (if you need to lie the fuck out of EVERYTHING to survive here, so be it).
"Hello, summoner." You tell them as Lion, Panther, and Wolf talk about the bus, "I'm honored you summoned me, but there was a mistake..."
"Mis... take..?"
"I'll explain later." As you mentally make up a backstory, trying to desperately ready yourself to explain anything surrounding you being here. You cannot express you were a human who played this game. You cannot let them know that. "Preferably when we... uh... aren't about to die."
You have no good feelings if you told them anything regarding the truth about your situation.
And, only Dante has no string, you note. Strange...
First though, your lore (even if made up) and you surviving are your priorities.
"Hoo, the price they’ll pay for taking the wrong road will be heavier than they expect…" You hear Lion say, and you brace yourself for Faust.
The resounding clang that echoed through the space nearly made you fall on top of Dante, who reacted by sticking their arms out to catch you and help you stand back up, before they stood up and leaned on you for support.
It was... awkward. But you two just stared at the white-haired woman who easily deflected Lion's blow, with the Lion standing in stunned silence.
"…It bested Lion's strength?" Wolf asked, and you glanced over at the other Sinners who were showing up.
You pray that Dante leaning on you is a clear enough sign that you're on their side, but considering the general intelligence of the Sinners...
Yeah, you're generally screwed.
Faust's gaze turns to you. Analytical, cold, and even more unnerving in person. She's dissecting you with a glance, before curtly nodding at you, almost as if she needs to acknowledge your existence for you to even be there.
Then her attention goes to Dante.
"If my eyes are still right, then you will reach the harbor of glory."
"Who… are you? That nameplate… says… Faust?" The hands of Dante's head tick, almost like an indication of confusion.
Faust barely acknowledges their words outside of the slightest head tilt. "You’ve lost your way in a dark forest."
In game that was directed solely at Dante, but now it feels almost directed at you... both..?
"I’m… sorry, what?" Dante's head shifts towards you, as if you know what's happening.
"Summoner, I'm just as clueless as you..." You reply, and Faust raises an eyebrow.
You think you hear the other Sinners mumble in confusion about your choice of words, but you're gonna ignore it and hope you can leave soon.
Please let this be a weird fever dream as the doctors are fighting to keep you alive...
"Yet you were not overcome with fear." Faust says without missing a beat. "Why was that?"
"That's…"
Oh god, it's this scene.
"I could simply… lift my head to find the star."
"That's right." Faust says, her voice as emotionless as ever. "Now, repeat with the heart what I tell you aloud as you remind yourself of that image. Follow your star."
Whatever force brought you here, please do not make you a Sinner...
"Follow… your star."
You nearly shove Dante off of you as chains burst from the sides of their head and stab into the Sinners, though it leaves no wounds.
You have never been more thankful that not one chain stabbed you.
...
Wait, now you can't be revived-
"Relax. Though it may feel otherwise, your heart is still functional." Faust says as Dante doubled over in pain, forcing you to completely be the one keeping them upright as they clench their chest in pain. "With this, the pact has been sealed. Dante, from this day forth, we are bound to your time."
"What do you…?" Dante asks, still in pain.
You only get one life... oh fuck-
"The beating of our hearts now depends on where your hands fall." Faust says, "I hope you’ll make a fine leader. And your demon a being of use."
FUCK WHY DID YOU CALL DANTE "SUMMONER" NOW EVERYONE WILL THINK DANTE OWNS YOU OR SOMETHING- FUCK- FUCK-!!!
"'Our'…?" Dante asks, looking at you before noticing the other Sinners.
You think you look deranged because you absolutely have an 'I am fucked' expression.
"Is that really everything?" Ishmael asks, most of her attention on you because you are absolutely out of the norm in this world.
...you pray you never encounter Ahab-
"A single apple and it's worm have fallen." Yi Sang says in his usual poetic way.
...wait were you just called a worm-?
"…This guy’s still not making any sense." Ishmael says, looking annoyed.
She must never learn of how ferally you simp.
"Geeeez~ The wait was killing me! Finally some action now?" Rodion- or Rodya, as you know her best- says, before her gaze falls on you in an uncomfortable sparkle of curiosity and intrigue.
You adjust yourself to put more Dante between you and her.
"Well, I guess we could use a little warm-up." Gregor mumbles, and his bug arm looks even more off-putting in person. But, honestly? You like this man too much to care.
Shame none of his Identities were better in game...
"What is that wretch collapsed against that monsterous demon?" Outis asks, disdain evident. "Are they to be the newest addition to the team?"
"Uh… You might wanna watch your words… I heard that’s our soon-to-be boss…" Gregor tells her, "Not sure about the demon, though."
Never have you seen a woman so swiftly regret her words.
"I have a name-!" You tell (or borderline screech at) the two, looking a little hurt, "And I'm not a demon! Can everyone stop calling me one?!"
"No." Faust bluntly says (earning a quiet "Rude.." from you), focusing on Dante mostly. "The attack must’ve happened in an instant- I’m impressed you managed to hide your head. And summon a demon to do your bidding."
...what the fuck?
"Who are you people? And what’s up with this bus?" Dante asks, curious and confused as their chest heaves, looking weakened.
"We are bearers of justice who have come to aid you, and this is the magical bus that takes us wherever we wish to go." Faust answers calmly.
"Magic School Bus ahh..." You mumble under your breath, honestly not liking Faust much in person.
Dante has no clue what's happening. "Justice? Bus? I don’t…"
"Wasn’t that what you expected to hear?" Faust asks, "Either way, you’re better off believing us to be your saviors. We’re racing against time and the situation isn’t in our favor, so let me explain this once."
You drown out Faust's explanation, warily eying Lion, Panther, and Wolf as they seem to be analyzing and readying themselves to wreck the Sinner's shit.
...
You have no weapons and are supporting a weak Dante physically. You are fucked if they target you.
"So… If I’m not mistaken here and I do as you’ve said, those total strangers will fight for me?" Dante asks, glancing at you. "What about the demon?"
"Correct. So long as you give them the right orders." Faust hums at the second question, "As for the demon, Faust does not know. It belongs to you."
You blurt out your name suddenly. "[Name]! I have a name, and it's [Name]! Please refer to me as such, especially you, Summoner. First, you call the wrong type of Sectator for what you require and now this?!"
...you don't know Latin, how did you come up with the Latin word for 'follower' as your fake species name??
"Ah- yes- sorry." Dante stutters out, sheepish and confused as they change the topic. "Alright, so we’ll kill these arrogant vandals dead… Then I’ll go back to where I was… probably with [Name]... and..."
They trail off. "Where I was, and…"
Then they fall silent, thinking.
"...Summoner? Are you okay?" You ask, pretending with an uncomfortable ease that you know nothing outside of a fake background and things you made this character you now play know.
"What was I doing? Where was I when I did that?" Dante asks, "Something extremely important was upon me. Something I shouldn’t forget… Do you know, [Name]?"
"Well... I know you summoned me out of some form of urgency. One which resulted in you summoning a Sectator who focuses on household chores rather than guarding you, so..."
"...what?"
"You summoned a house servant instead of a bodyguard, Dante. You accidentally done fucked up."
"You should focus on the struggle at hand, Dante." Faust says calmly, looking unphased by all this new information, but you can sense her mind processing everything about you instantaneously.
"Clo… Pardon, I’m not sure how I should address you." Outis says, grimacing as you feel her trying to kiss up to Dante in waves. "Would Commander Clock suffice…? In any case, we await your orders!"
"...you can just... call them Dante..?" You tell her, earning a glower from the woman.
Yep, two Sinners you will not be friends with. At least, you'll be friendly. But not close friends.
Gregor shrugs, though he smiles slightly at what you told Outis (you're probably gonna become sort of friends with him, at least). "Eh, do we really need orders? Seems like going one-on-one is the only way."
"Huh?! H-Hey!" Ishmael says, as the three foes immediately act. Yep, conflict is happening now.
"Quit running off your mouths!" Healthcliff orders, grip on his bat tighter than usual. "We just need to crush them all!"
Faust hums. "…Please do your best, Dante. You as well, demon."
"...[Name]. Please just call me [Name], Miss Faust." You tell her, and she doesn't respond.
"…There's no two ways about it, I suppose." Dante murmurs, as the twelve Sinners fight against the foes.
"They're gonna lose." You tell them calmly, a little dismayed at your lack of ability to alter the story whatsoever.
Well, not that you want to. You fucked up the plot enough already, no more.
"What do you mean?" Dante asks you, curious.
"They have no cohesion or anything of the sort. It's like making a horde of toddlers face off against a bear. They're not winning."
If Dante had a face, they'd grimace. "Oh."
"...let's just stay out of the way, Summoner. I'd rather not you or I get hurt." You say, pulling Dante slightly away from the Lion, the Wolf, and the Panther.
...why is Wolf seeming to focus on... getting to you and Dante..?
...
Oh shit-
You shove Dante aside as Wolf lunges, desperately trying to spare the clock-headed being as you brace for death. Again.
Only for everything to invert color and freeze, and your eyes widen as all you can do is back away several steps before suddenly it returns to normal, with you further away from Wolf and narrowly able to dodge the attack.
Her expression is contorted into confusion, and your mouth is slightly agape as you feel... ill. Like you're close to vomitting from seemingly stopping time for a few seconds to avoid death.
...holy shit you have time powers.
Everything feels... way, way, WAY too much. Too much is happening, too much is on your head, it's all too quick.
You need to... cut this off, here and now.
Sever it.
Sever it all.
Sever it like slicing the string of fate.
And then there comes two blades that truly deflect Wolf's blow.
You squeak and nearly fall over, stumbling wildly over your tail, as two blades seem to fly out of hilts you didn't know you had. Silver blade, golden and ornate handles, and they each look like two halves of a pair of scissors.
But most of all, they're floating in the air.
"Magic... blades..?"
You glance at Dante, your expression one of horror. "Summoner, I don't know where these came from, I swear-"
They seem to believe you. You think...
The blades are moving as fluid as water, deflecting each of Wolf's blows while nary leaving a scratch on her.
You panic, wanting her away, and snatch the blades by the handles and kick Wolf in the face, causing her to stagger back and exchange her focus as Gregor comes in to try and slice her in two.
The moment you're safer, you drop the blades and move back towards Dante, feeling unsettled as the blades hover towards you, completely harmless and as if they are but two loyal dogs.
"I thought you weren't someone who guarded others?" Dante asks you.
"I'm not!" You squeak out, "I- I don't know where these blades came from! We're they part of the contract..?"
"Contract?"
"Look, I was so desperate to get here with how panicked you were when you were summoning me, I didn't read the full contract outside of why you summoned me and the time I'd spend here and I regret that-!!"
Dante looks at you like your spewing nonsense. Which, to them, you kinda are.
"Why did my Summoner have to be an amnesic who summoned me into a literal battlefield..?" You question aloud, desperately trying to make your lies seem more and more real.
"I don’t get it. This is what Lion struggled against?" Panther asks, and- with that- you know the Sinners are fucked.
"W- Whoa, hang on!" Gregor yelps out, panicked, "I know this is kinda weird coming from someone you were just fighting, but I’m pretty sure we can talk this o-"
And then he gasps as Panther's spear pierces through his chest. He chokes on blood, desperately fighting to breathe. He fails, and dies.
You avert your eyes, bile rising up in your throat.
Then Yi Sang dies next. "This… is unideal."
"Haa… I knew it was a ridiculous idea to put up a fight against them." Ishmael bitterly mutters, before she dies next.
Dante draws back slightly, clearly aghast.
Then Rodya goes down. "Are y’all kidding? I haven’t even…"
No one else, excluding Faust, really lasts after that.
"What the hell is going on?" Dante asks, sounding dismayed and horrified.
"Told ya..." You mumble, grimacing. The bloodstained and mutilated bodies of the Sinners nearly make you vomit.
"We never promised to win said fights." Faust calmly says, though with her wounds you know she's about to die too. Her composure is impressive, though.
"What..?"
"And, it seems that I’m the only survivor." Faust notes, "Myself, and the demon."
"Oookay... So you were waiting for this?" Dante asks, (presumably) glancing from you to Faust, "One of you has to have some hidden card up your sleeve, right?"
"Uh... not that I am clearly aware of." You admit, "I'll have to see if I can gain access to the contract and read it over again, but we have no time at the moment."
Faust shakes her head. "Not… necessarily a trump, no. Rather…"
She barely blinks as Panther stabs her through the stomach. "It’s about following the star."
You can't stop yourself from screeching as you and Dante are splattered in Faust's blood, and you move yourself and Dante back as the flying blades point at Panther, serving as a sort of wall between you and the foes.
"What is this, some kind of suicidal performance?" Panther mutters, looking annoyed. "Not the funnest lives to end."
"They jumped in triumphantly only to die like flies… Gah… I can’t remember a thing about the past since I repeated what she said." Dante looks to you, "Are you sure there's nothing you can do?"
"Um..." You shift slightly, still horrified. You taste Faust's blood in your mouth- ew-! "I... I don't know. I- I'll do what I can to protect you, but..."
Dante tenses. "Is this… how I die?"
"I'm going to die first, you dumbass." You tell them, a little annoyed.
WHERE THE FUCK IS VERGIL?!
"Tell the Serpent this, false lion."
Oh, there he is.
"This flow cannot be stopped." A familar man with glowing red eyes says as he steps out of the darkness.
You look away as he easily dismembers Wolf and Lion, as the two scream in pain.
Can't believe his gimmick is really just 'when my eyes turn red, run'. And it's somehow not that cringe..?
...
Okay, it's kinda cringe, but don't tell him that.
"Do you know why I only dismembered those two?" Virgilius asks Panther, glowering at the stunned man. "Because at least one of you needs to be able to carry the rest out of here. And you’re the only one left to offer them any help."
"…The Red Gaze." Panther bitterly mutters.
Don’t glare at me like that. This is nothing compared to what you did." Virgilius tells him, clearly detached and apathetic. "With wounds like those, I’m sure your boss will recognize that you did your part. Consider them a medal of honor. Unless..."
At this point, you look up again, feeling really... nervous.
"You want this to be the end of your life?"
If there is anyone you cannot let discover the truth of you, Virgilius is at the top of the list...
Panther stays silent.
"Who are… Are you one of them?" Dante asks, shaking their head. "You’re too late, they’re already…"
"No one is too late, Dante." Virgilius calmly says, glancing at you for a moment before looking at Dante once more. To him, you're seemingly insignificant in this moment. "There is only one thing we need… A little time to rewind."
Dante gasps, and they scream in pain and practically keel over.
You catch them, seeing the Sinner's bodies be reconstructed by Dante's ability as the being shakes in absolute agony. Their hands grip onto your sleeves as if you are their only lifeline in this moment, and you hold them as they fall unconsious.
"You'll suffer aplenty from now on, Dante." Virgilius tells them, and- for a moment- you think everything is at peace.
Though you were very, very wrong.
"Who are you?" Virgilius cooly asks you, but you are well aware that one little fuckup and you're as good as dead.
"I'm..." You hesitate for a second, mulling over your words. "...Dante's servant."
And with those three words, your role and fate were sealed.