| The Butler, Shaken | |
|---|---|
| |
| Japanese Title | その執事、動揺 Sono Shitsuji, Dōyō |
| Volume | 13 |
| Chapter | 60 |
| Anime Episodes | Book of the Atlantic |
| Arc | Luxury Liner Arc |
| Release Date | August 19, 2011 |
| Chronology | |
| Previous Chapter | The Butler, Compromising |
| Next Chapter | The Butler, Born |
The Butler, Shaken (その執事、動揺, Sono Shitsuji, Dōyō) is chapter 60 of the Kuroshitsuji manga.
Summary
The chapter begins with Ciel Phantomhive shocked when he hears from Sebastian Michaelis that the Undertaker has executed his incognito. But keeping his eyes hidden, he never notices Undertaker's true identity. Grell Sutcliff agrees that they didn't realize it either but there's no mistaking the yellowish-green glimmer in Undertaker's eyes and calls him a Grim Reaper. Undertaker casually notes that hearing himself being called that makes it nostalgic as it's been half a century since he was branded as a Grim Reaper.
Rian Stoker runs to Undertaker, demanding for an explanation, since Undertaker was the one who told him that he could control the corpses as long as he has the device. The latter takes it lightheartedly which exacerbates Rian further. He asks if it was all a deception, including going to America to spread the complete salvation. Undertaker remains indifferent, telling him that he thought it was amusing since Rian was seriously determined to try to revive the dead and was convinced that it was possible. Therefore, Rian was the ideal person for Undertaker's purpose.
Aleistor Chamber is shown collapsed on the floor as they continued their conversation. Rian states that however, it was both of their goal to make the entire world healthy, and Undertaker corrects him, saying that it was Rian's goal. In addition, Rian can't perform resurrection of human beings with the kind of medicine he currently possesses. In his book, from the moment Rian relied on his skills, that can't be called medicine anymore. The kind of a guy who would use a treatment he doesn't even apprehend the concepts of on his patients is no longer a doctor. Rian is crestfallen and sinks to his knees despondently. Undertaker pats Rian's head, telling him that he was a good boy who honestly believed in his story.
Ciel intervenes, saying that in other words, the mastermind behind the Aurora Society's human resurrection experiments is Undertaker. The latter remarks that he would have preferred to say it's a secret but since Ciel has already performed the phoenix pose, it compensated for a considerable amount of information, so he'll tell him. Undertaker then admits that it was he who has made the moving corpses.
Ciel interrogates his reason for doing so in which he replies that the preliminary reason was his curiosity towards humans. He describes humans as "a flesh body" and "a soul." If you combine these two together, one can exist amongst the living and keep on documenting their life memories in the Cinematic Record. And when the flesh body withers, and the Grim Reapers collect their souls, the record ends there and the living become the dead. Consequently, the Grim Reapers take the soul from the body according to the list, causing an end of the ever changing kaleidoscope, which is demonstrated by a pair of scissors snipping off the Cinematic Record where it should terminate. The same process would happen day by day, "peacefully" and "indifferently."
He had lived the life of a Grim Reaper for long times, until on one day, he was enlightened by the idea of what would happen if the end had a continuation, surprising Grell and Ronald. Undertaker says that he was intrigued by the concept of what would happen to the flesh body if you were to connect a continuation to the memories that had come to an end without the soul. After all, the Grim Reaper only hunts the souls when the body and the brain are what that retains the memories left in this world. Grell asks if he edited the Cinematic Records and Undertaker suggests that he inspect the moving corpses' records with his own abilities.
Grell does so, slicing one with their Death Scythe, to see two split Cinematic Records of when they were living and when they continued moving when they're dead. And right after the mark of the "end" at the end of the Cinematic Record, Undertaker appears in it with an apparent mustache and a cane. For the rest of the record, it is just Undertaker making random, goofy poses. Sebastian and Grell are appalled by the contents with the latter showing more exasperation. Ciel, who can't see the records, asks what's going on.
Undertaker informs that the end mark of the Cinematic Record arrives along with every death but by adding fake records to them, he made it so that the end would never come. Somehow, the body mistakenly believes that life is still continuing and starts moving again without a soul which interested Sebastian. All living beings instinctively try to fill up whatever they lack, for instance if your body gets wounded, it will eventually close and heal, and if the spirit feels forlorn and lonely, one will seek others in order to fill the emptiness.
That is why the Bizarre Dolls also instinctively seek what they lack. In order to find a "soul," they will try to open up the bodies of the living in order to settle the balance of the never-ending Cinematic Record. Ciel concludes that that's the reason as the Bizarre Dolls pursued after their souls even though they have no hearing or sight. Undertaker comments that it's impossible for them to claim another soul's as theirs though. He can tamper with the records, but it's beyond him to create a soul. He has done numerous experiments but most of them never ameliorated from flesh dolls without a self. That is why he calls them not living and not dead but rather "Bizarre Dolls."
Ciel grimaces, saying that Undertaker is perverse to willfully be determined to revive what belonged to the dead. Undertaker simply replies that if the Earl can't understand the beauty of it, then he's just too young. He holds one Bizarre Doll fondly, describing the adroitly knitted skin as white as wax commensurates to when they were alive and their mouths cannot clamor noisily nor tell anymore lies. Hence, they are far more beautiful in comparison to when they were still alive and Ciel mutters that it makes him sick. Undertaker says that that is just Ciel's opinion since there are humans who wish for these Bizarre Dolls as well, astounding Sebastian and Ciel. These dolls don't feel pain or fear and they eat the living, craving for their souls. Undertaker muses that it's practically the best animal weapon there is which shocked the rest of them.
The eccentric bunch of humans that wish for these Bizarre Dolls also wanted to see the extent of their abilities. As a result, they experimented by throwing the same amount of humans and Bizarre Dolls together on a luxury cruise ship in order to allow them to kill each other and to see how many survive on each end which Sebastian says is quite deranged. Undertaker admits that it was an unforeseen development to have crashed into an iceberg though since he has quit being a Grim Reaper so he no longer has the list in his custody. However, it did saved him the trouble of making it sink himself, it's similar to catching two birds with one stone. Sebastian concludes that if that's so, the ship was never meant to head to America then. Undertaker tells him that because of them, a lot more humans survived them anticipated so he ponders whether or not he should be angry.
Grell muses that the more Undertaker talks, the more they are ascertained that they cannot permit this to pass without interfering. Ronald agrees that a Grim Reaper distorting the way of "Death" is totally impossible. He envisages Undertaker and comments that he doesn't wear glasses so he maybe one of those "deserters" they occasionally see. The prior Grim Reaper says that he can be anything for all he cares but it's against the rules to come to human world and meddle with the life and death matters. The quickest way to force him to spill some information of how making the corpses move is to tie him up and hand him over to the bosses. Even more than against the rules is the crime of hurting Grell's face which is unforgivable.
Grell attacks Undertaker with Ronald doing the same from behind but he is kicked aside by Sebastian. Grell demands for the meaning of his action and the demon calmly replies that he'd be trouble if he allows them to haul Undertaker off. Ciel explains that they both also have a duty to present the truth before the Queen so they can't let him get away. Sebastian clarifies that he and Ciel would be the ones who take Undertaker into custody. Grell counters that this is a problem between Grim Reapers so the outsiders should stay away in which Sebastian retorts that this is his job as a butler so they are the outsiders whom should stay away.
Grell compliments that Sebastian is as "fascinatingly stoic" as always but if he's intransigent on that matter, then they won't hold back either. In response, Sebastian remarks that the fact that something like "hold back" exists in Grell's dictionary surprises him more than anything today. Ronald declares that they keep the contest simple and have the fastest be the winner and angrily claims that he doesn't intend to lose to some old geezer.
Undertaker giggles, saying that it's like a rabbit hunt but he wonders which rabbit is truly the one being hunted. Sebastian, Grell, and Ronald then lunge from their positions towards Undertaker.
Characters in Order of Appearance
- Undertaker
- Ciel Phantomhive
- Sebastian Michaelis
- Grell Sutcliff
- Ronald Knox
- Rian Stoker
- Aleistor Chamber
- Margaret Connor
- Francis Midford
- Alexis Leon Midford
- Sophie Smith