Maka POV
I twirl Soul around in his scythe form, beheading a Kishin. "Kidd, we still have another hall to evacuate!" I shout over the din made by him shooting Liz and Patty constantly.
Tears streak down his cheeks in grief as he kills several more Kishins. "I know! Lead the way, I'll bring up the rear!"
I nod and turn to Black Star and Tsubaki. "Black Star, I need a path forward!"
He laughs maniacally. "HAVE NO DOUBT, THIS GOD WILL ANSWER YOUR REQUEST!" he shouts, throwing one end of Tsubaki as a chain-scythe and pulling her back, giving me a narrow path down the center of the hall.
"Noisy, but effective, eh?" Soul asks, casting his image on his blade, glancing at me.
I nod in agreement as I charge down the center, swinging him from side to side and destroying the Kishins. "Is there no end to them?!" I shriek as one of them tries to rip off one of my arms.
I spot a portal forming at the end of the hall, and spot a clawed hand reach through, before I dodge the swing of another Kishin's arm, barely avoiding a decapitation. As I take that one down, the one that was coming from the portal approaches me, taking a lazy swing at me, which I easily dodge. It starts circling me, it's demonic eyes glowing in interest as it inspects me.
It starts laughing in hysteria. "Little girl, you and your precious Shinigamis stand no chance. We are free to reign over your world without the Guard at our gates!"
I look over my shoulder at Kidd, my breathing picking up in speed. "Kidd! Get to the hall, and get them out!" I look back at my opponent in time to raise Soul up to block the claws from gauging my face.
"Maka!" they all shout, and I grit my teeth, forcing the hand back before retaliating with my own swipe.
"GO!" I shout, charging up a Soul Resonance with Soul silently.
Lianne POV
I open my eyes to find myself back in my element, the world around me twisted by madness and the ancient sins of man. Trees stripped of bark and leaves, standing alone like toothpicks, bent at odd angles, as though clawing at the sky as it presses down on them. The red sky is filled with the three Eyes of Madness rather than clouds, the air cold as I breathe it in.
I turn around to find a portal back to the Dimension of Life opening, and step through without hesitation. "Father." I whisper, nodding to him in respect.
"Lianne?" Death Scythe's voice whispers in shock as I glance at him, and I see his interest in the ground increase.
I look down and find myself clothed in my old uniform, a short black plaid skirt, a black halter shirt cut off just under my ribs, and black knee high stiletto boots. "Spirit, tansform." I command him, holding out my hand.
"Y-yeah…" he mutters, taking my hand and transforming into the grey scythe I haven't used in months. "Lord Shinigami, are you sure about this?"
Father nods. "I am certain of this." He looks to his mirror as he conjures up a mask and cloak just like his own for me. "Wear these in combat, Lianne."
I raise my chin, making them vanish from his hands and materialize on me. "I will not let you down again, Father."
"I know you won't, my daughter." He waves his hand, and a portal to the parking lot of the school forms on the ground in front of me.
I step through, finding the screaming of the teens everywhere to be obnoxious as I appear, their fingers pointing at me. I spot the freshman girl I died protecting a while ago staring at my masked face in wonder, and approach her.
"Where is Kidd?" I ask her quietly, so only she can hear.
She points shakily at the building. "They're still evacuating the building."
I nod and run to the main entrance, finding the glowing lights of my territory taking over the hallway. I silence my footsteps as I eye the souls floating uselessly to be collected later. Shouting and screaming echoes from the farthest hall, and Maka goes flying into the wall, collapsing as Soul transforms back into his human form, his arm still a blade to protect his downed meister. The Kishin, the one I have always had to keep an eye on, slaps him aside with a laugh, and steps up to Maka, forcing her back to the ground as she tries to raise herself from the ground.
"Time to die, girlie!" he shouts as he raises his clawed hand.
"Yeah, it is Kishin!" I shout, throwing Death Scythe down the hall. The weapon hits its mark, Spirit's blade sinking into where its heart might have been for a human. It drops its hand to its side, going limp as the body vanishes, leaving behind the disgusting soul.
"Maka!" Spirit cries, transforming into a human and hugging her tightly.
"Papa?" she asks, shock in her voice. "What are you doing here?"
He looks back at me over his shoulder as I approach. "Doing my job."
She looks up at me, and frowns. "Lord Shinigami?"
I shake my head with a laugh. "Not exactly." I lift my mask to look at her more clearly. "It's good to see you're doing okay, Maka."
"Lianne?! But you died in Kidd's arms!" she shouts, eyes wide.
I sigh and wave my hand. "Details, details." I grab her hand, pulling her up to her feet. "I have bigger problems than explaining why I'm here right now."
"Right." Soul mutters as he and Spirit transform back into their weapon forms. "So, where are the others?"
"They are fighting their way to the exit with the last twenty students. We'll fight the horde from behind, while you and Maka go help Kidd." I mutter, already lowering my mask again as I send the Kishin soul back to its prison. "I'll see you again soon."
With that, I run off, leaving Soul and Maka to find and aid Kidd from the inside.
Maka POV
I find Kidd on the other side of the school, fighting a horde of powerful Kishin trying to get past him and to the students behind him with Black Star right at his side. "Maka, Soul Resonance?" Soul asks, his reflection showing his raised eyebrow.
I nod, and swing him around. "Soul Resonance!" As the power fills me up, I open my eyes, focusing my mind on the mass of Kishins. "Witch Hunter!" A beam of light tears through the Kishin closest to the group, killing several and leaving their souls to float uselessly in their defeat.
Kidd sighs in relief. "Thanks, Maka!" he and the girls shout as I join the fight on their side.
"Don't mention it!" I shout as I take down more of the monsters.
A soundless boom echoes as I feel my energy drop a little too much, my swings slowing down and the Resonance powering down. "I SENSE ANTOHER GOD'S PRESENCE!" Black Star shouts.
A swirling portal appears over the horde, and instead of releasing more enemies, it draws them in. They swing and kick as they try to fight back pointlessly at the force drawing them out of this world. "You will be judged when I return." an ethereal voice echoes through the building, shaking me to my core.
I spot Lianne in her mask and cloak holding Papa straight along her side, blade in the air as her head is turned to the side, both of them glowing with a red light as his reflection shows his face in deep concentration, but flinching in what must be extreme pain. "Damn it, there's too many of them!" he shouts.
"Hold the spell, Spirit! I'm almost done!" she shouts over the roaring filling the area, revealing her own struggle with the pain and power.
He nods and manages to hold on until the last of the Kishin is through the portal and sealed within. The light vanishes and she collapses, the mask and cape vanishing as she falls to the floor in a dead faint. Papa transforms into a human again as he hits the floor, barely conscious. "D-damn… too much power."
Kidd runs to Lianne and rolls her over, checking her pulse. "Lianne, you ass!" he shouts as he pulls her up into his arms, spilling her black hair over his shoulder.
I crouch next to Papa and roll him onto his back. "Are you alright?" I ask, worry for him trumping my anger at him for the time being.
"Yeah, I'll be alright." He mutters, though his face is pale and his body is shaking.
Soul crouches next to me and smirks. "That wasn't half bad, old man."
Papa groans and closes his eyes. "Let's just get out of here."
Don't complain about how short this chapter was, I am trying to finish up this story. It ought to be done fairly soon, then I'll get to work on the last part of the trilogy like I promised.