A/N: Holy shit. I'm actually updating this. Huh. Must've been because I was bored or something. Either that, or it's because I finally got around to re-watching DGM.

Also, I'M BACK BITCHES! AND I'VE GOT FAVORS FOR EVERYBODY!

"Come to Me all of you
who are weary and carry heavy burdens
and I will give you rest"
-Matthew 11:28

Hallowed Ground

The Noah.

The chosen disciples of god, and descendants of the one who constructed the Ark.

For countless years, they've roamed this world, secretly waging war against the humans who fight against them, the so-called Black Order.

I, too, was among their number. My name is Neah D. Campbell.

Many years ago, I rebelled against the Noah Family and attempted to kill the Millennium Earl.

I was defeated and killed. It was only recently that I was reincarnated into the body of the boy that was my apparent nephew, Allen Walker.

Unfortunately, there was an unforeseen complication. Several, actually.

Having killed his father, revived as an Akuma by the Millennium Earl, Allen's mind has shut down. His consciousness has fled to someplace that I cannot reach.

The Noah are the enemies of the Black Order. I am both a traitor the the Noah Family, and an enemy to the Black Order. They will hunt me, so long as I inhabit Allen's body.

Hmph. They can try. Mark my words, Watcher...

...I WILL kill the Millennium Earl!

Chapter 2: The Fourteenth Noah

It had been a few weeks since the incident involving Moores Hase, the police woman Neah had met during his journey. The incident had left her visibly shaken and called for a sick leave. Despite this and the fact that Neah had revealed that he wasn't exactly human to her, she was still willing to offer him a place in her home, as demolished as it was. It was one of the few times Neah had been shown kindness by humans.

In his experiences, humans were generally people of spite and hatred. They cared only about themselves. Not that there was anything wrong with those desires. It was just part of their existence as descendants of Noah. Even so, in his lifetime, Neah had met only a meager handful of humans who were worth respect.

For future reference, Cross was not one of those people.

"Now that I think about it, it hasn't been long since the fool and I parted after I got used to Allen's body." Neah muttered as he rode in the carnival's caravan. He sat outside and was hanging at the very end while the circus performers were having a jolly time inside. "I should consider myself lucky that out of all the Exorcists I could have run into, it was Cross. His teaching methods leave much to be desired, but if it wasn't for him, Crowned Clown would have remained in its larvae stage."

That said, Neah did not have a very high opinion of Cross. He was the height of human stupidity, and he didn't understand what went through that man's head whatsoever. If he was being honest, he swore all Cross thought about was booze and women. How in the hell was a person like that chosen by Innocence?

Perhaps God was an idiot?

A golden ball fluttered a bit off away from him. When it flew too far, Neah quickly caught it. "Careful, Timcampy." he chided the golem with a smile. "We wouldn't want you to get eaten by a cat, now would we?"

After the circus caravan had arrived at its destination, Neah departed. He strolled through the streets of the city, his bandaged hand in his pocket. 'Not much has changed in the last 35 years. Humans are still as easily excited and boring as I remember.' Neah thought before he looked at his hand. The human hand of Allen Walker. Looking at his nephew's hand, his expression became torn. 'There's so many questions on my mind, Allen, but for now... All I want is for you to wake up. One day, I will find a way. I promise you that.'

It had been his vow since he learned of his fate. His nephew, whom he barely even knew, did not deserve to share his. Ever since he killed his own father, turned into an Akuma by the damned Earl, his mind had shut off completely. His soul had become unresponsive.

He needed to fix this. He had to-

"AKUMA! HELP! IT'S GONNA KILL ME!"

Neah paused in his stride, eyebrows raised in confusion. "What in the devil?" He walked around the corner to find a small group of people gathered around what looked to be a child and a homeless man. He walked up to the crowd and tapped one of the bystanders on the shoulder. "Beg your pardon, but what's going on here?"

"It's nothing. Just Jan causing trouble again." the man huffed before he turned his eyes to the child. A small kid wearing a leather hat with goggles and a striped shirt. Angrily, the man whacked the kid on the head. "There you go, causing trouble again! You think this crap is funny, Jan?!"

"I'm not lying!" Jan cried angrily, glaring at the adult. "I'm telling the truth here! My dad told me all about it!" He pointed to the homeless man, who shyly turned away from the attention. "I saw it happen! This big fat guy in a hat came and killed this guy and stuck an Akuma in his body! He even has a-"

He was suddenly silenced by the homeless man, who grabbed him and covered his mouth. "Really sorry about all this." he said apologetically. Neah's eyes narrowed suspiciously at the man. "I was just playing around with the kid, a-and I guess I took it a bit too far."

"Typical." another adult grimaced. "Seriously, Jan, just because you're lonely doesn't mean you can cause trouble!"

Slowly, the crowd dispersed. The boy struggled, but the man's grip on him was tight. The hand around his neck tightened, threatening to break it. With no one around, the Akuma was allowed to reveal its true face. A pentagram formed on its forehead, eyes blank and swallowed by malice. His mouth opened to reveal sharp rows of fangs. It opened even wider, impossibly wider than what a human was capable of. The boy's eyes widened and frantically tried to break free. The Akuma loomed over him, ready to swallow him whole.

"Now, that's a bit rude, don't you think?" a chilling whisper came to the Akuma's ear. His body froze and looked over his shoulder, just in time to see something black and sharp swing at him. Neah gave the monster a cold smile, eyes molten gold for a brief moment before returning to its original color and the Innocence deactivating. "Have some manners when you try to eat someone. And next time, pick a better host."

The top half of the Akuma's head fell to the ground. In a split second, the Akuma's body disintegrated into black dust and spilled across the pavement. The boy fell to the ground, coughing haphazardly and rubbing his throat. He looked up to find Neah looking down at him with a slight smile.

"You should be more careful, boyo." he advised as he walked away. "Next time you run into an Akuma, you might not be so lucky."

The boy blinked rapidly, his brain trying to catch up to understand what had just happened. After a moment, his eyes widened and suddenly leaped up, running after Neah. "H-hey! Wait! Hold on a second!" he cried. "You're an Exorcist, aren't you?!"

Neah stopped. His features darkened for a minute before he turned to face the boy coming up to him, his face turning back to normal. "Oh? And what makes you say that?"

"That was an Anti-Akuma Weapon just now, wasn't it?"! the boy asked excitedly. "Only an exorcist could have something like that!"

While Neah kept his expression neutral, his emotions flared angrily. He is not an exorcist and never will be. Instead, he gave the boy a small smile. "I'm sorry, but I'm not an Exorcist. I just happen to have the means to fight the Akuma. That is all. More importantly, how did you come to learn about the Akuma? You're a bit young to know about them, don't you think?"

The boy simply grinned as he flicked his nose. "My dad works in the Vatican! I mean, sure, he doesn't visit very often because he's so busy with work and all, but-but..."

The boy, Jan Neah recalled, was easily excitable. Ever since he saw the Crowned Clown in its partial released state, he had been bombarding him with questions non-stop. Mostly about how he came to acquire his Innocence and why he didn't work for the Vatican. Neah didn't say anything negative to arouse suspicion, simply stating that he didn't want to be tied down by regulations and work under someone else's orders. As for how he acquired it, well he doubted the boy would believe him so he simply gave the abridged version, calling it a gift from a friend.

It wasn't necessarily a lie. This innocence was, in a sense, a gift from Allen, albeit not one Neah wanted.

"You said your father worked for the Vatican." Neah remembered as they walked. "What sort of work does he do, exactly?"

"I don't really know, to be honest." Jan pouted. "I know it has SOMETHING to do with the Akuma. Only reason I found out about them was thanks to the notes he left behind in my house." The boy then developed a bright, wide-eyed smile on his face as he pumped his fist. "I plan on studying abroad so I can become a scientist too! One day, I'm gonna make a weapon that can wipe out the Akuma instantly!"

Neah smiled in amusement. A weapon that could kill an Akuma with ease? Ah, the dreams of children. It was quite amusing, but at the same time an interesting prospect. "A curious idea you have there, kiddo." he remarked. "However, you should know that the only weapon capable of destroying an Akuma is Innocence."

"Innocence?"

"Yes. Not the word, but actual material." Neah explained to him. "The Vatican's anti-Akuma squad, the Black Order, utilizes what's known as Accommodaters to utilize Innocence. Typically, Innocence comes in a variety of forms, ranging from simple weapons like guns and swords to something else entirely. For example, my Innocence is what's known as a Parasitic-type. It's Innocence that's infused with organic material. In this case, my arm."

"Whoa..." Jan was star-struck. "So cool... Wait, if only Innocence can destroy Akuma, how can humans stand up to them if they don't have it?"

Neah shrugged. "You can't. Either you have Innocence or your dead. I should mention that only one in a hundred have the aptitude to become an Accommodater. If your aptitude is below the required threshold, well...let's just say the results aren't pretty."

"What...what happens?" Jan asked curiously.

Neah looked him in the eye. "I said said it wasn't pretty. Let's leave it at that."

As he said the results were...gruesome to put it mildly. As they walked, the sound of a bell echoed loudly through the town. Jan paused and looked at the clock tower, sitting in the center of the street across from where they were. His eyes widened in panic. "Oh crap, I completely forgot!" he cried in dismay. "Leo's going to swing by soon! I need to get back home and get ready to show him my new project!" He turned to Neah and bowed deeply. "Thank you for telling me about Innocence, Mr. Neah! Let's meet up again sometime!" Before Neah could get a word in, he sped off and vanished around the corner.

The Noah sighed. "A hyper little brat." he muttered under his breath before the gears in his head started to turn. 'Although, this could be lucky for me... Cross' own distaste with his superiors meant I had little information about the Vatican or the Black Order. If Jan's father does work with the Vatican, maybe I can get some useful information. Especially if its about the "Cardinal."'

Upon mentally thinking about that monster, Neah's face contorted, his left hand visibly trembling in his pocket. Between the Exorcists and the Noah Family, he'd rather deal with both sides at once than have to deal with that monstrosity.

Meeting Jan was like a stroke of good luck. If he could befriend the little brat, he could get his hands on some useful intel. At least, that's what Neah thought. For all he knew, Jan's father might be some kind of bottom feeder. For now, though, it would be a good idea to hunt for any Akuma in the town. Since the Akuma hadn't evolved beyond its skeletal phase, that meant it was only recently created.

Meaning the Earl was still somewhere in the city.

A grin spread across his face. "I'm coming for you, Mana~"

Today had to be a really lucky day. First, Jan finally got a good look at the Vatican's sworn enemy, the Millennium Earl. The man responsible for the creation of the Akuma. He even got to see an Anti-Akuma Weapon - the Innocence in action! Admittedly, he was disappointed that Neah wasn't an exorcist but instead some kind of freelancer, but he was really knowledgeable about the Akuma and Innocence. He must have spent at least an hour discussing it with him!

Going off those discussions, Jan was holed up in his room deep in thought. He had finished up with his current project, which he wanted to show Leo, and was already writing up the designs for his next one. He was basing this new project off his discussions with Neah.

"Maybe when dad comes home, I can show this to him!" Jan said to himself, a stupid grin on his face. "Going by what Neah said, there aren't that many people who can use Innocence, so maybe we can find some kind of alternative! Man, I'm so excited!"

So invested was Jan in his work that he never noticed someone knocking on his duel. There were at least four knocks before he heard someone talking. "Master Jan? Master Jan, are you there?!"

Jan frowned and put down his pencil. "Ugh, what?!" he called back, recognizing the owner of the voice as his maid. "I'm busy right now!"

"Master Jan, you have a guest!"

"A guest?"

It took Jan a quick second to realize who she meant. Instantly, his irritation with her was gone and his face brightened. He leaped off his chair and rushed over to the door, opening it to find a gorilla of a woman standing behind a boy wearing a jacket. His face was a little pale, and his eyes glazed over, but Jan was honestly expecting worse. After all, it hadn't been very long since the funeral.

"Leo!" Jan exclaimed excitedly. "I'm so glad your here! Are you doing okay? I mean, if you're not doing too hot, we can always postpone this until later!"

Leo shook his head. "...it's fine." he said, sounding a little odd. Again, Jan didn't think it was too odd. "What did you want to show me?"

"Come on! I'll show you!" He dragged Leo up to his room. He went to his desk and showed him his secret project. "Here! It's not much, and it probably won't do much good except maybe buy some time, but I'm thinking that if we can refine the process and ingredients, this'll make even an Akuma whimper! I call it the anti-Akuma Onion Bomb!"

A silly name, sure, but it lived up to the name. The materials for the bomb weren't hard to come by. Rather, it was the process in which refining the materials was the problem. At this point, Jan had only made one or two of these Onion Bombs. By his own estimation, they'd be so powerful that the regular human would be crying their eyes out for days. And the reaction will probably be even worse if they have some sort of onion or garlic allergy. It was also pretty bad because the damn thing was very potent, hence why Jan was confident it could stop an Akuma in its tracks.

"Of course, like I said, this is pretty much just a prototype." Jan waved his hand. "I'm working on something else at the moment. I'll show it to you when I get some progress with it! Ooh, guess what?! I made someone who has an anti-Akuma weapon!" At this, Leo's eyes lit up with intrigue and curiosity. "He's not an exorcist, unfortunately. He said he works as a freelancer. I didn't get a very good look at it, but he killed this Akuma quick like it was nothing! He even told me about Innocence and how the Exorcists use it! Ooh! Ooh! And I even managed to get a good look at the Millennium Earl too!" He quickly snatched a piece of paper and his pencil, quickly sketching a rough picture of what the Earl looked like. "He's pretty toony looking, but it's definitely him! He stuffed an Akuma into this guy's body! And it wasn't too long ago, either! Meaning he's gotta be somewhere in the city still! I'm sure we can find him!"

"...I see." Leo nodded slowly, a small smile appearing on his face. Seeing it, Jan smiled wider. It looked like there was some life in his friend after all! "Hey, Jan? Can we go somewhere?"

"Sure, where do you wanna go?"

"...I want to see mother."

"This looks like the place." Neah noted to himself, looking at the small piece of paper in his hands. It had been surprisingly easy to find Jan's home. It seemed he was well known among the neighborhood for his antics, indulging in his so-called patrols for the Akuma. "He seems like a damned fool, but his dedication is worth admiring. For a child, at least." He rang the doorbell and waited for someone to answer. After a moment, a rather burly-looking woman wearing a maid uniform opened the door. "Beg your pardon, miss, but is Jan home?"

"Master Jan?" the maid tilted her head. "May I ask who's calling for him?"

"An acquaintance he met earlier today." Neah told her. "I'm-"

"Look out! Get out of the way, lady!"

Without warning, the burly maid fell forward. Neah, too stupefied by what just happened, immediately found himself being crushed beneath her weight. 'Neah D. Campbell, the Fourteenth Noah. Black sheep of the Noah Family, brought down by an oversized maid.' he thought sarcastically, trying to push the woman off of him. Somehow, she had fallen unconscious, having struck the ground with her forehead. 'I suppose I should be glad Road isn't here to see this. She'd be laughing her head off!'

"Neah?!" Jan exclaimed in surprise as he leaped over the oversized maid and the fallen Noah. "Whoops, sorry! Didn't see you there! Um, make yourself comfortable! I'll be hanging out with Leo for a bit, then I'll come right back!" Having finished saying that, Jan took off on his rollerblades. The boy behind him gave Neah a small little wave and quickly followed after him.

Almost immediately, Neah knew what the boy was.

"...well, shit." Neah cursed, finally pushing the maid off him and standing up, dusting off his clothes. "And here I thought the kid couldn't get himself into any more trouble. Still..." His eyes flickered as a dark smile appeared on his face. "...who would have thought he'd lead me to the Earl? Today really is my lucky day!"

The cemetery was every bit as depressing as Jan remembered it. Dreary atmosphere. Decrepit mausoleums. Worn tombstones. Dead grass.

For a place where the dead rested, it seemed to suck out the vitality and life of its surroundings. The two children walked through the array of graves until they stopped in front of one.

Jan never liked coming here. It always felt too creepy. Some days, he thought he heard the moans of the dead come from this place every time he passed by it. The atmosphere felt more depressing than usual, and he had an idea why. Not too long ago, a funeral was held here recently. Only a few days ago, in fact. As proof, the grave they were visiting had several flowers laid in front of it. Compared to the rest, the grave looked rather new. There were no chips in the stone and it did not look worn out from the weather.

It was Leo's mother's grave, having passed away due to illness.

Jan glanced at Leo, who stared at the grave with an empty expression. There was no warmth in his face at all. He looked like a corpse, staring on ahead. It was an alien look, but Jan didn't question him about it. 'I can't imagine what it must be like for him right now.' Jan thought. His mother had passed away shortly after he was born, so he didn't have very many memories of her. Only mere photographs and stories from his father. 'Losing his mom so recently... I wonder what he's thinking right now?'

Something wet fell on top of his nose. Jan blinked as he looked up at the sky. There were dark clouds gathering up above. "Oh boy, it looks like we're in for a wet one." he muttered. Rain soon began to cascade down on them. In a few minutes, Jan and Leo would be drenched, and soon they would be developing colds unless they returned home quickly. "Hey, Leo. Let's go home. If we stay, we'll catch a cold and-"

"Aw, leaving so soon~? But you just arrived in time for dinner~!"

Jan stopped dead. It was a man's voice, but it sounded wrong. It was jovial and cheery, but warped and cold at the same time. It came from behind him. Jan slowly turned his head. Behind him was a rotund man wearing a trench coat and multi-colored scarf, his face utterly cartoonish with large teeth eyes hidden behind oversized round glasses. Atop his head was a large black tophat.

"Hello, Little Jan~ It's a fine night to eat, wouldn't you say~?"

"AAAH!"

Jan cried and fell onto his rear, stumbling back. "Y-you! You're...the Millennium Earl!"

"The one and only~!" the Earl cheered as he performed a bow. "How do you do, Little Jan~?"

"Wh-what are you doing here?!"

"Why wouldn't I be~? There is no better place to reconnect departed relationships than a graveyard...~" he grinned. "Thaaat, and I couldn't help but hear you mention you ran into someone with Innocence~ Care to tell me more~?"

Jan stared at the Earl in horror. This, this was bad. Very bad. Of all the things that could have happened to him! This might be even worse than when the Akuma damn near ate him. And the worst part was that Neah wasn't here to save him this time. No, more than that, Leo was in danger too! What if the Earl made him an offer?! Fearful for his friend, Jan pushed his own fear aside and whipped out one of the prototype Onion Bombs. "Hya!" With as much strength as he could muster, he threw it at the Earl's face. It exploded as soon as it made contact, dark yellow smoke hiding it from view. Scrambling up to his feet, Jan grabbed Leo and attempted to run and nearly fell flat on his face.

'What the heck!' he thought wildly. 'Did Leo put on weight or something?!'

"Leo, what are you doing?!" he shouted at his friend. Leo's face remained glued to the tomb, still as a statue. "Come on! We have to go!"

"I'm afraid that's not possible~" the Earl said, coughing slightly as he waved a hand in front of his face. Goodness that stinked. "Because your friend Leo is an Akuma~"

"Liar!" Jan immediately cried. "You're wrong!"

"Oh, am I~?" The Earl grinned. "You already know he lost his mother, yes~? Well, I offered him the chance to reunite with her once again~" His grin then grew sinister. "And like the good little boy he is, he accepted~"

Jan glared at the Earl. Then he looked back at his friend and tried to talk to him again, only to stop in dread and horror when he saw the pentagram atop his forehead. His skin was slowly breaking off, turning to stone and metal right before his eyes.

"N-no way..."

Many years ago, there was once a boy who loved the thrill of adventure. He loved his mother more than anything, and desperately wanted for her to be happy. Every moment of his life was dedicated to bringing happiness to this woman. Even when she grew sickly and frail, he did his best to alleviate her pain.

But, like all things, death waited for no one. It came as quickly as it had appeared and took the woman away.

The boy's heart became torn with grief. His sadness swallowed him whole and he retreated from the world, hiding away in his room. The whispers of those who offered him condolensces were heard and ignored. For a short time, the boy stared at the noose that hanged from his ceiling until, one day, a stranger came and made him an offer:

"Do you want to see your dear mommy again~?"

The Earl of Mllennium gave this boy an offer. To reunite him with his beloved mother. He accepted without another thought.

And in death, mother and son were reunited.

"N-no way..." Jan recoiled from Leo, trembling as Leo's body twisted. It broke apart and swelled like a balloon, becoming something else. A mix of metal and flesh with a human face etched into its body. "Leo..."

"Now then~" The Earl leaned down, leering at the terrified little boy as he adjusted his glasses. "Let's hear more about that person you saw that destroyed my newborn Akuma before it had a chance to stretch its legs, hm~?" The Akuma behind him shook before the tubes that stretched out from its body twisted and aimed at Jan. It took him only a quick second to realize that the tubes were cannons. "Come now, don't be shy~"

Tears spilled from Jan's eyes. This was a nightmare. It had to be a nightmare. Terrified, he screamed and turned his back, trying to run away. The Earl clicked his tongue and shook his head before he waved a hand, gesturing for the Akuma to take its first kill. It let out a low groan as the cannons charged with power, taking aim. Jan only made it to the gates when it opened fire, sending a volley at the little scamp. Immediately on impact, smoke and dust were kicked up, preventing him from seeing the boy's corpse. Well, not that there'd be much left of one. If the poison didn't kill him first, then the oversized bullets would have ripped him to shreds. Such a shame, too. He was quite curious to know more about this mysterious freelancer. It was rare to hear about someone hunting Akuma who wasn't part of that damned Black Order.

"...goodness, look at the mess you've made, Millennium Earl. You've gotten trigger happy since I last saw you." a young man called out to the Earl, making him tilt his head to the side. His gaze turned to the far left. There, a boy in his teens with snow-white hair set an unconscious Jan down. His hair was spiked up, and his left arm was jet black, fingers elongated and sharp as blades. In contrast, his right arm was pure white with a golden band around the wrist. Flowing around his body, attached to this arm, was some kind of white spectre with a silver mask attached to it. A wistful smile appeared on the boy's face as he stood up, turning to face the Earl. "Did you get fatter?"

"Oho, the mystery boy with the Innocence~!" the Earl laughed boisterously. "So nice to finally meet you~!" He paused a bit when he stared at the boy a bit longer. Was it just his imagination, or did this kid feel familiar for some reason? "You... Hm, have we met somewhere before~?"

"I would certainly hope so." the boy replied. "Would it clear it up if I mentioned the name Allen Walker?"

"Allen, Allen... Oh, that's right~ The kid who begged me to bring his poor daddy back to life~!" The Earl slammed his fist into his palm, now recalling that particular event. "You've grown these last couple of years~ Heh, I should have killed you when I had the chance~"

"Indeed, you should have." the boy grinned. "Because now, Earl... I'm going to finish what I started 35 years ago."

"Eh~? 35 years~? But you don't look a day past 15~" The Earl fuddled his brow in confusion.

"Maybe not in this body but...the soul, my souls, will never forget what you and the others did..." Neah's smile turned malicious before he put a finger to his lips. "But I digress...no spoilers."

"Now, Crowned Clown!"

Neah thrusted his arm forward, yet did not move. Instead, his claws grew longer and aimed to skewer the Earl then and there. However, what took the hit instead was the Akuma, who moved in to defend its creator. The claw destroyed it in an instant. Though done unintentionally, Neah had saved the souls of both Leo and his deceased mother. However, even if he did learn of this fact, he did not care. All that mattered was that the Earl was finally in front of him, and he would do whatever it took to end him. Seeing that his first attack ended in failure, he leaped after the Earl, claw reared back.

His claws were impeded by an umbrella of all things, bearing a pumpkin head.

"Leeerooo~!" the pumpkin head screamed. "Earl-sama! Don't unfurl me so suddenly, Lero~!"

Neah clicked his tongue. "Annoying golem!" He shrugged the umbrella aside. His eyes widened and immediately ordered Allen's innocence to pull him aside, avoiding a giant broadsword from skewering him. "The Sword of Exorcism..."

"Hoo, you know your stuff for a country bumpkin~!" the Earl laughed. "If you know what it is, then you'll know what it can do~ Now, hold still will ya~?!"

The Earl swung the sword. Neah countered with his claws, not allowing the creator of the Akuma to strike him with that sword. If he did, he was as good as dead. Even one swing would prove fatal. Thus, Neah pushed the Earl back and countered with a kick, aimed for his head. Once more, however, he was barred by that annoying umbrella. The Earl spun around and aimed to bisect Neah, but was blocked by the Crowned Clown, its white body wrapping around the blade.

Seizing an opportunity, Neah poised for another strike. This time, the Earl cocked his head to the side to avoid the strike, the claws just barely grazing is cartoonish teeth. Cackling, the Earl delivered a headbutt to Neah that sent him flying, his body crashing into a tombstone. Grimacing and reeling from the shock, he was nearly left in a daze, though he quickly snapped out of it when the Earl came rushing at him with his sword. Acting quickly, he caught the blade with his claw, stopping it in its tracks. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the Earl brandish his umbrella as if meant to skewer Neah, thus the Crowned Clown halted its advance, stopping it mid-thrust.

"Huh, that form~" the Earl noted, looking at Neah's black-and-white colored arms. "It's just like the Clown I sent after the Fourteenth all those years ago~"

Neah smirked. "Unlike this time, however, you are playing the fool!"

"Kekeke~! Arrogant human!"

"Human? Please, Earl...you are sorely mistaken!"

Neah kicked him away with inhuman strength. The Earl bounced off the earth and landed back on his feet, adjusting his top hat before Neah reached him again. He planted a foot on the Earl's face and stunned him before he slammed his claw into the rotund man's belly. "Grand Cross!" A blast of energy, shaped like a cross, blew into the Earl's body and sent him flying into the air, though he quickly recovered and landed atop his sword, floating in mid-air. In retaliation, the Earl threw several dark balls of energy at Neah, who promptly leaped about the cemetery to avoid each blast.

Once he was far enough back, Neah stretched the Crowned Clown out in an attempt to snatch the Earl out from the air, only for the Earl to bat the white clown away and charge straight at the Noah in hiding. Holding his umbrella, he aimed to skewer Neah on the spot. Neah blocked the incoming thrust with his arm, but was caught in the charge and found himself being forced back. His back slammed up against the cemetery's stone wall, meaning they were now at the far edge. The Earl pushed the umbrella forward, aiming to pierce Neah's heart.

Gritting his teeth, Neah narrowed his eyes and pushed back. The clown returned to his side and attempted to strangle the Earl, its hand wrapped around his neck. Despite the impressive grip strength it demonstrated, the Earl remained unfazed. "Keheh~ Now I see~ It's not just a Parasitic-type Innocence you have~ It's also partially sentient, isn't it~?"

"What do you think?" Neah rammed his foot against the Earl and kicked him back. The Earl bounced on his feet and stopped his retreat, twirling the Sword of Exorcism and his umbrella in both hands. Flexing his left hand, Neah rolled his neck. "Hmph. Looks like your skills haven't dulled whatsoever."

"You're too kind~" the Earl laughed. "I must say, Allen Walker, you're stronger than a kid your age should be~ It almost makes me terrified to think how strong you might become if you sided with the Exorcists~!"

Neah scoffed. "If you think I'll side with those riffraff, you're solely mistaken." he said in distaste. "I don't particularly like their kind."

"Is that so~?" the Earl cocked his head. This kid was making him very curious. His skills were impressive, but there was something seriously strange about him. Was it even possible for a boy to possess this level of power? "Still, I can't take the chance...~" he muttered as he adjusted his tophat. "You know, there's a saying in the West I'm fond of. He who shoots first shall hit the mark." He tapped his umbrella's tip against the ground. Without warning, a tall shadow erupted behind him, reaching high into the air before dispersing, revealing countless Akuma. "And with guns like these, I can't possibly miss~!"

"That's true...under normal circumstances." Neah tipped his mask. "But with me here...it's anything but ordinary! Crown Clown!"

He swung his hand and blades of energy flew and tore through the swarm of Akuma. What few were left began to pellet him with their poison-laced bullets. The white clown, in response, defended Neah from them, wrapping around him like a blanket. Despite their reduced number, still they continued to rain down upon him until the Crowned Clown suddenly shot forward like a white spire, piercing one of the Akuma. Rather than the tip exiting out from the backside of its body, it was instead Neah, who had traveled along the shifting spire to get behind the Earl and strike from behind. He twirled his body and swung his claw, releasing another wave of blades of energy that wiped out the rest of the gnats in his way before he dived after the Earl, who seemed quite disappointed that the vast amount of firepower he called on turned out to be little more than cannon fodder.

Neah roared as he brought his claw down on the Earl, only to once again find his path blocked, this time by the broadsword in the Earl's hand. "Not too shabby~" he said, genuinely impressed by the boy's skills before he shrugged off the attack and knocked Neah away, the Noah landing on his feet and glaring at the Earl. Unconcerned, he whipped out something from his pocket and stared at it. "Ooh, would you look at the time~! Sorry, little Walker, but I have another appointment to attend to~ Maybe the next time around, we can continue to kill each other~!"

"Do you think I'll just let you get away after I've found you?!" Neah growled. In return, the Earl offered him a wide smile. Angry, Neah lunged at him and swung his claw, only for the Earl, caught in the strike, to disperse into smoke. Neah's eyes widened, stumbling following his advance and turned around, finding the smoky remains of the Earl to be quickly vanishing, almost mockingly.

"...damn it. He got away."

He quickly suppressed the build-up of anger in his body. Neah sucked in a deep breath and released a deep sigh, running a hand through his snow-white locks. Even if he got away this time, he was sure that he and the Earl will meet again.

It was their fate after all. They they are drawn to one another. He would have another chance.

'For now, though...'

Neah glanced at Jan. Somehow, during all of this chaos, the poor kid hadn't woken up at all. He was still alive, thankfully. "I suppose I better bring him back to his home. God, this is gonna suck..."

Elsewhere, inside a giant tower hidden from the eyes of the world, a man was currently being crushed underweight by the massive mountain of papers that was sitting on a desk. He fruitlessly attempted to pull himself out from the pile, but he was only able to get his arm out into open air. The rest of him was still trapped inside. It was so dark he couldn't see outside. He couldn't breathe. He felt his back creaking beneath the pressure.

'Could this be it? Is this where I am to die?' the man thought pitifully. 'Am I going to die...without seeing my sister one last time? I'm to die without Lenalee at my side to witness my proud, final moments?!'

While the man could feel the soul crushing existence that was paperwork, his dramatic musings were broken up when the door to his office creaked open. A man in a lab coat with a clip board in hand stepped in. "Chief? You in here? We just got a report and..." the man trailed off when he noticed the squirming arm that was flailing from the pile of paperwork. "...what the hell are you doing?"

"As you can see, I'm slowly suffocating beneath my own paperwork, as well as being crushed by it and am currently dying." Kamui Lee, the ever charismatic and slightly loony head of the R&D department of the Black Order claimed, voice muffled. "Now stop standing there and help me!"

Reever Wenham sighed and shook his head. It must have been karma or something that the director was being punished by the paperwork he had been neglecting for the past couple of weeks. One would think by now that he would have learned his lesson. He walked over to the desk and set his clipboard down before grabbing hold of Kamui's arm. With a grunt, he pulled the disheveled man out from the mountain.

"Puwah!" the director cried, taking in large gulps of air into his lungs as he straightened out his beret and glasses. "I thought that would have been the end of me! You truly are my savior, Ree-gah!" He let out a cry as a fist came crashing down on his skull, leaving behind an enormous welt on his head. "W-why would you hit your own boss?! This is tyranny I tell you!"

Reever's eyebrow twitched. "Because you act like a damned child! Act your age, dammit!"

"Lenalee-chaaaaaan~! Reever is being mean again!"

"She isn't here. She left on a mission with Kanda not too long ago."

At this, Kamui's demeanor shifted. "...she left on a mission with Kanda?" he questioned, sounding slightly stupefied. "Is she feeling alright?"

"The higher-ups thought he could use the back-up, and Lenalee was the only other exorcist we had on standby."

"Makes sense, I suppose..." In a complete 180, Kamui's demeanor changed. His comical antics vanished entirely as he stood up, dusting off his clothes. "Anyway, what was that report you wanted to give me?" Reever grabbed the clipboard and handed it over to Kamui. Taking the report, he looked at the paper and raised an eyebrow. "Is this accurate?"

"It was confirmed by at least two different Finders." Reever nodded. "As you can see, the first sighting was in the small town of Liverpool, where there were rumors of an Akuma hiding out there. According to some of the townsfolk, the local church was abandoned and became a squatting place for travelers who didn't have enough money to stay at hotels. Many of those people never returned. Around this same time, there was a report of a kid with snow-white hair and an oddly-shaped scar over his left eye. When our exorcists arrived at Liverpool to confirm the sightings, the Akuma was already destroyed. One of the survivors, a woman named Moors Hase, claimed that it was the white-haired kid who destroyed it. His arm apparently transformed into a black claw and was wearing a white cloak that could seemingly move on its own. The second report is more recent."

"And according to this, two of our Finders witnessed a boy with white hair bearing an odd scar battling the Millennium Earl himself..." Kamui noted. "The description is also the same. His left arm transformed and was defended by a sentient white cloak. There's no doubt that this is Innocence at work. And it's already found its Accomodater." The man frowned as he set the clipboard down, folding his arms. "Reever, out of curiosity, do we have any exorcists who match that description or wield such Innocence?"

Reever shook his head. "I already checked with Hevlaska. There's no one like that with the Order. And according to a boy named Jan, who our mystery kid interacted with and happens to be the son of a high-ranking member in the Vatican, they're quite knowledgeable about Innocence. He apparently described himself as a sort of freelancer..."

"Interesting." Kamui rubbed his chin. "A boy who can wield Innocence expertly, and was able to fight the Earl himself and survive the encounter..." He scrunched his eyebrows deep in thought. It sounded too good to be true. Was it possible that such a person truly existed? If they did, they would surely become a great boon to the Black Order. "Keep an eye out for any more reports about our mystery friend. In the event one of our exorcists makes contact with him, extend him an offer!"

"Yes, sir!"

"Road~ I'm home~!"

The Millennium Earl sang as he entered the Ark. The Ark was a unique phenomenon controlled by the Millennium Earl. It was essentially a separate dimension that allowed access to just about anywhere in the world.

It was quite convenient, and moreover very spacious since it had its own little town. This place was the home for the Noah Family, however small it was right now. Currently, the only active members were Skin, Road, Tyki, the twins that made up Jasdevi, Lulu and lastly Sheril. The others had yet to resurface, but the obese man was happily awaiting their return.

Especially his.

"Welcome home, Earl." The sole occupant of the waiting room that all Noah typically gathered was a girl with messy blue hair and gray eyes, wearing a button-up shirt with a tie and skirt with stockings. She was in the middle of reading a book that Tyki had loaned her when the Earl returned, dusting off his coat. "You're home late. Did you have a goo haul?" She then took notice of the burn marks on his coat. Immediately, she became concerned. "What happened? Did you encounter an exorcist?"

The Earl laughed. "No, but I ran into an old client~! A little orphan named Allen Walker~ He's grown into a fine young man~! Gave me a good run for my money~"

"He was a client?" Road asked, surprised. "And he's still alive?"

"Yessiree, he is~!" the Earl nodded, folding his arms before a confused expression appeared, cocking his head to the side. "You know, I don't really know why I spared the boy's life myself~ The weirdest little thing~"

"And this Allen person did this to you?"

All Noah's shared one thing in common: family. To attack a Noah was the same as declaring war on the Noah Family. For this reason, the Black Order, who made an enemy of the Millennium Earl, had made an enemy out of the Noah Family as well. To learn that someone had attempted to harm the Earl was enough to make Road's blood boil. Something the Earl noticed and laughed heartily as he patted her atop the head.

"Oh, it's fine~ Don't worry too much about it~!" he told her. "Truth be told, this boy interests me~!"

"Why would he be so interesting?" The Noah of Dreams questioned.

"It's partly about his abilities, and the rest about what he said during our little tussle~"

35 years ago, that boy mentioned. The Earl could only recall a few major events that happened within that timeframe. Was it possible? Was the boy perhaps a leftover from that time? If so, then it made the Earl positively giddy.

Perhaps it meant he was coming back sooner than expected.

"Earl?"

"It's nothing, Road darling~!" the Earl told her, feeling elated. "I'm just thinking about how we can throw a party for our brother's return~ Assuming my thoughts are correct~ Now, in the meantime, tell me how your day at school went~!"

-Chapter: END-

Neah: My my, it has been a while since we last saw each other. I actually missed you all~

Allen: I still can't believe you're writing me off! This is tyranny! I demand some screentime dammit!

Neah: Hush, little nephew. You'll get your time in the sun soon enough~

Levi: I hope we're introduced soon. I feel kind of left out...

Kanda: I'm hoping I don't have to see this bastard's ugly mug anytime soon.

Neah: Then you'll be hating life indeed, Yu boy~! Next time, on Hallowed Ground, Chapter 3: The Doll and the Musician, Part One! Stay tuned, dear readers~

Kanda: WHAT DID YOU JUST CALL ME YOU NOAH BASTARD?! GIVE ME YOUR HEAD!