Chapter 1 (Case Files)

## Chapter Chronology

**Jack the Ripper** is the 1st chapter of the "*Record of Ragnarok - Jack the Ripper Case Files*" manga series.

## Summary

In Valhalla, Brunhilde of the Valkyries offers the opportunity to slay a god to her next champion, 'Jack the Ripper', as he enjoys tea time, and he accepts out of intrigue for what color this slain god might make. Brunhilde asks if he is aware that defeat means annihilation, but Jack quotes William Shakespeare's "Julius Caesar" play, that a coward dies 1000 times but the valiant die only once.

Staring into his tea, "Jack" recalls back to London 1888, the remains of Mary Ann Nichols and Annie Chapman were discovered murdered in horrific ways, while The Central News Agency received a letter from the supposed culprit, but a journalist ignored it as a prank. Days later, the bodies of Catherine Eddowes and Elizabeth Stride were discovered. At the Central News Agency, journalist Luke Evans found Jack's letter and presented it to his editor, Alfred Walcott, who turned white realizing the publisher overlooked the letter, assigning Evans to write the Jack The Ripper story, and the historic serial killer made headlines. As a crowd gathered around the London Police's cordoning of the body of Mary Jane Kelly, Luke Evans arrives to question Detective Inspector Johnny W. Schick for details, but Schick refuses knowing Evans's news print will simply make up a story for the presses. Evans admits such is the case, and drags along his apprentice, Jim Roberts, to see the body, swearing he'll find *Jack The Ripper*.

At a cafe for lunch, future-Einherjar "Jack" is having lunch and receives his order of an apple pie from cafe maid, Alice Becker. Happy to see him enjoy his pie, she sees the paper and is timid with Jack the Ripper still on the loose, and he quotes Macbeth "*Present fears are less than horrible things,*" explaining that monsters imagined are more frightful than the real ones, as learning the Ripper's true identity may turn out to not be a big deal.

Alice finds his logic reasonable and Jack is pleased, before the two look over to see Evans and Roberts speed eating their lunches to resume their work. However, Roberts asks why Evans hasn't returned home lately and asks if he's keeping his wife worried, but Evans retorts that his wife, Emma, is most supportive of him and Roberts wouldn't understand being single.

As the two then take their leave, Alice comments how journalists are a busy bunch, and Jack agrees while looking over at them, his right eye fixating on them. Across the street, Sophie Lock is attempting to sell newspapers, but a pedestrian bumps into her and she drops the paper in a puddle. Jack buys the drenched copy and earns her gratitude, and Alice then explains to Jack that Sophie is working to help her little brother after her mother died, especially since her father is a drunkard. Alice compliments Jack for buying the same newspaper, but recalling his own past, he simply answers he wanted to read the paper again.

That evening, Evans buys a bouquet of flowers for his wife and returns home to greet and romance her severed arm, asking she never cheat on him again. In the study, numerous photographs strewn the walls of Emma in various states of torture, as Evans soon begins to recalls his wife's infidelity as he scratches himself in a gleeful madness. Wearing his cap and coat, he goes out to free the world of women like Emma, for he is truly *Jack The Ripper*. In the red-light district, men are courting prostitutes for their nights as Sophie clutches tightly her family portrait in her locket. Desperate for money, Sophie turns to prostitution, asking two such women to allow her a chance and they reluctantly agree, letting her know she can come to them to talk whenever. Once they leave with clients, Evans arrives and offers **£5** for her service, they return to his place and he drugs her to sleep. In his study, Sophie is on a makeshift surgical table, as Evans wears surgeon's gear to cut her open, monologuing on his mission to cleanse the world on God's behalf.

However, Jack reveals himself with another Shakespeare quote, taking Evans's attention away from Sophie to try and kill him instead. Jack compliments Evans's use of a knife, but dodges and evades until he is against a wall, with Evans ready to finish him while Jack comments how the colors of emotions he can see with his eye are artworks only he can create. With Evans perplexed, Jack compliments the Ripper's magnificent malice and severs his left arm with a hidden piano wire. Stabbing his legs as he crawls away, Evans can't escape and turns to demand Jack explain himself, and Jack lets him know he is loved. Jack explains that the most beautiful thing in the world is the moment when all other emotions die out and are supplanted by fear. Jack explains that he was looking for someone filthy with negative emotions and fixated on Evans after seeing him leave that day at the cafe.

Jack pulls out a knife and demands ~~Evans~~ The Ripper show his fear, as Jack slowly pushes the knife into his forehead. Despite Evans's attempts to explain himself, Jack doesn't care and narrates to Evans the blade's motion, stoking his fear as he dies. Begging him to stop, Evans soils himself and wonders why did this happen to him, justifying that his victims were the ones at fault. With that, Jack plunges the blade to the hilt, killing Evans as his body is washed in final fear and dies, much to Jack's enjoyment. Come morning, Sophie awakens to find herself sleeping in a back alley with an envelope filled with plenty of coins, with a letter of gratitude by "Anonymous." In the street, Sophie turns to see pedestrians race to witness a flat set on fire, commenting how the residents inside must surely be dead by now. While the crowd races to the fire, Jack walks the opposite direction while humming "London Bridge" and pondering what to do now. Thus, Case File No.001 for "Jack The Ripper" began.

In the present, Brunhilde is grateful he has accepted her offer, as there has been no other human who has killed with his own hands as much as he has. Given he has gone by many names in his history, Brunhilde asks "Mr. Anonymous" what moniker he'd like to use during his battle, and he decides on Jack The Ripper. Brunhilde is surprised and asks why he'd take the name of the infamous prostitute killer, and Jack believes it suits him best given he killed his mother, herself a prostitute.

## Characters in Order of Appearance

* Brunhilde
* Jack the Ripper
* Luke Evans
* Alfred Walcott
* Jim Roberts
* Johnny W. Schick
* Alice Becker
* Sophie Lock