Bass strode through the deserted halls of Hameln, marveling at how everything had been left untouched. It would appear that the fear of mazoku was so keen in humans that it would deter even the most brash of thieves and fortune seekers from exploring Hameln and its shadowy secrets.

Yet after contemplating this for a few moments, the Hell King turned his mind onto more important matters. There were primarily three phases of his plan that would allow him to release Kestra-sama from the box. The first would be to obtain some allies. The second would be to get Prince Lute out of the way. No doubt after sixteen years of being under his control, the prince had learned some of Bass's weaknesses. He was, therefore, a liability. The third was to obtain the box and key.

At last, Bass came upon a certain door, one that always remained locked. It had several enchantments upon it that would keep the locked from ever being picked or the door from being broken open.

From force of habit, Bass glanced around cautiously before dispelling the enchantment and opening the door. It revealed his study, a room in which held some of the most powerful magical artifacts in the world. The room remained unchanged, except for sixteen years worth of dust that had accumulated. It was a windowless room, lit with crystals that would glow with undying light. Bookshelves lined three of the four walls, cluttered with magical artifacts, various scrolls and spell books, magic crystals and talismans of every kind, and a myriad of herbs and potions. A table was set in one of the corners, and on it sat several more scrolls, and a collection of skulls in almost every shape and size. There was also a scrying stone, several clay bowls and some glass jars.

In the opposite corner sat a trunk which seemed to radiate evil magic. Bass strode over to it, and brushed off the dust, before opening the lid. Inside were several objects, but what interested him were the two flat objects of different sizes, both of which were wrapped in black cloth.

Bass retrieved these two objects, and weighed them in his hands. Obviously, he could not carry out his plans alone, yet it was against his better judgment to bring forth the two that he had in mind. At last, the idea of strength in numbers won out, and Bass closed the lid of the trunk.

Carrying these two objects, Bass strode out of his study. By force of habit, he replaced the magical locks on the door, before proceeding to the room that once held Pandora's prison. For the spell that he had in mind, he would require more space to create a larger and more powerful rune wheel.

Even in the darkness that blanketed the hallway, Bass was able to find his way easily. He soon reached the heavy double doors that lead to the crystal room, and pulled them open. He did not bother to light any torches, preferring to work in the darkness. He paused only long enough to glance up at the boy who had released him. The boy hung limply from the cross that he was fixed to, and gazed back at Bass through glassy eyes. Yet his occasional movements betrayed the fact that he was still alive. Bass smirked, reminding himself that he was going to have to do something about him, before turning his thoughts back onto the ritual at hand. Whether the boy lived or died was of no concern at the moment.

Carefully, he unwrapped the two objects. The smaller object was a very colorful clown mask. The larger object was a black leather bound book, the word Death written in gold script on the cover. It was these objects that he placed upon the floor in the center of the room.

With the book and the mask in place, Bass retreated to the northern corner of the room and made a single gesture. With a loud snap, the rune wheel was reactivated. Its runes glowed a soft blue color, and rotated lazily in a circle. In the center of the wheel, the book and the mask levitated off of the ground, glowing in scarlet light.

"From the darkest reaches of the Netherworld, I summon you. Come forward from the world of eternal darkness, from the realm of Death. Come forward, ye minions of darkness, return to the realm of blood and flesh." As Bass began the incantation, a fog rose up from the center of the circle, hiding the mask and the book from view.

"The hour of your revival has arrived. Remain not as shades, but in the forms that you once possessed in life. Come forward, I command you!"

As these final words were spoken, two figures appeared in the mist. One was short, and wore the clothing of a jester. However, while most jesters wore colorful clothing, this clown's clothing was dark, colored with navy blue, scarlet and black. Two balls hung from his hat, one bearing a heart, the other a skull. It's face was covered by the mask. The ensemble was accented with a gold harp in the form of a scythe.

The other one was a bit taller, although a set of horns that crowned his head made his height hard to judge. He was pale, with dusty blue hair and a crystal located in the center of his forehead. His lips were set in their usual smirk. He wore the clothes of nobility, a black coat trimmed with scarlet and gold cloth, a scarlet shirt and tan pants. A pair of tall black boots completed the outfit. In his right hand, the held the book.

The ritual had been successful. With this knowledge, Bass dispelled the rune wheel. The mist from the spell disappeared with it.

"Good morning!" The clown said at last, grinning as he usually did. "We're not in the Nether World anymore, are we?"

Pikku smirked and shook his head, and Bass sighed. Rolling his eyes, the Hell King wondering why he had been so compelled to revive, of all people, Orgel.