A/N: Yes finally an update! I am suffering stomach pain while finishing this but I don't want to rest until I'm done! I kept thinking that my readers are waiting for an update and I cannot disappoint them! I'm nervously waiting for my scholarship interview which will be in a few more days. Just waiting for the call... anyways I hope this chapter is exciting enough for you all!
IMPORTANT REMINDER! Be sure you've read my previous story "Birth of Scelus the Kishin" to know some of the OCs in this story.
Disclaimer: I don't own Soul Eater. It's the work of Okubo Atsushi. I only own the OC's and this story!
WARNING: Characters are OOC and the story is slightly AU from the original Soul Eater and Soul Eater NOT. So if you have complains about how I wrote the characters and other stuff just leave a review~
Chapter Nine: An Unexpected Enemy
Damont was pacing the room for the past ten minutes, fingers pinching the bridge of his nose as he muttered to himself. When he reached outside their apartment, he had felt an ominous presence and had rushed to get to their place but something had prevented him from opening or breaking down their front door. He had banged on the door but didn't get any reply until a few minutes later when he tried the knob again and the door swung open. His first priority was to check on his twin and Ryanne but he only found his twin on the floor, losing a fight to remain conscious. Ryanne was nowhere to be found and he feared the unknown enemy had her.
Belmont's fever had worsened and he had gone back and forth between the room and the bathroom to get cool water to wet a washcloth to drape on his brother's heated chest and forehead. The cool washcloth gets warmed far too quickly to his liking. Ryanne didn't have a bathtub at her place because of her previous worry of drowning when she couldn't see. He sighed; maybe he should try convincing her to install a bathtub because it comes in handy when taking care of a sick Belmont. His younger twin's fevers are always worrisome, his temperature always shooting over the roof beyond normal human fever. Doctors would say it is impossible how his brother is still alive with such temperature but he couldn't bother himself to explain how different he and his brother are from normal humans. There is definitely nothing normal about them.
'Damn it, what am I going to do now?!' he growled tugging on his hair. He jumped when his phone rang and he flipped it open to see Maka's name on the screen, 'H-hello? Maka-chan I'm-'
'I'm sorry Seiji-san but I don't think we could continue with the mission! Something bad is going on!' said Maka's frantic voice.
Damont's eyes flickered to his brother, 'What? What is it?'
He heard a few words spoken in the background before Maka's voice spoke to him again, 'Ragnarok went ballistic a few minutes ago. And Kim said Kid's unconscious!'
Damont sighed and sat on the bed by his twin's hip, 'I know… and my brother is unconscious too… I found him passed out.'
'What? What happened?' asked Maka concerned.
Damont chuckled mirthlessly, that seemed to be the question of the day today. He let his head fall on his right palm which was propped on his knee, 'I'm not sure… Ryanne's missing too.'
He heard Kim's voice in the background, 'Kim said she and Free had a theory. They think a Witch is involved.'
Damont froze, 'W-Witch you say?'
'Yeah, what is it? Do you know something?'
He stared at his twin's pale face, 'Maybe. Look, let's all meet up at Death Room.'
'Good idea, we need to discuss this before things get any worse!' said Maka.
'Okay, we'll be there shortly,' he clicked the end button and put his phone away. He turned to his twin and combed his fingers through his twin's hair. He noticed his hand was shaking, 'Belmont… is it… her?'
'Uh huh, okay. We'll be there as soon as possible,' said Liz as she ended the call.
Eruka raised a brow, 'Who was it?'
'Maka. She said we need to gather for an emergency meeting. Something is going on,' said Liz as her hand tightened on the phone.
Clay rubbed his chin, 'What about Akane?'
'You two can stay here. We're gonna go get Tsubaki and Patty. We'll update you later,' said Loup as he walked to the door with Liz close by.
Vanessa nodded, 'Okay. Take care oniichan.'
Loup smiled, 'You be good Vinny.'
His sister pouted, 'I'm not a kid anymore!'
'I know. Clay, watch out for her.'
Clay seemed uncertain, 'Uhh, sure thing boss.'
'C'mon ladies.'
Eruka and Liz followed Loup out. Vanessa stood fuming for a few more seconds before she let out a sigh and sat down on her seat again. An awkward silence fell between her and Clay. She noticed Clay struggling to stay awake, 'You… don't have a concussion do you?'
Clay straightened in his seat, 'Huh? Uhh… I don't think so.'
Vanessa jumped to her feet, worry etched on her face, 'Y-you mean you don't know?'
The young man raised his hands calmly, 'Chill Vee, I'm sure I don't have a concussion. I know the symptoms.'
The Fox Witch sighed and flopped down on her seat again. She perked up when Clay gestured her to come closer. She scooted to the seat separating her and the man. She squeaked in surprise when he lay his head down on her lap. He swung his left arm and let it rest over his face, hiding his blush, 'Let me borrow your lap for a few minutes, 'kay?'
'Huh? Uhh, err okay… I'll wake you up when someone comes by with news about Akane…' said Vanessa as she tried not to fidget, her face turning a deep shade of red. She jumped when Clay chuckled, 'Relax girl, you're too stiff!'
'W-well of course I'd be stiff! This is so awkward for me!'
'Hahaha, try and get used to it.'
'What is that supposed to mean?'
Clay grinned but didn't say anything. Vanessa narrowed her eyes and pursed her lips. She began bouncing her knees until Clay sat up and gave her a glare, 'Hey!'
'Oh sorry, my legs were going numb,' Vanessa sneered at him.
Clay rolled his eyes, 'Ughh, didn't know you're the moody type. Now… can I lie down?'
The girl pouted at him and he sighed, 'You know, there's no one else here. Just chill and let me enjoy the sparse moments I get to be your boyfriend. So get used to intimate contacts.'
He held back a chuckled when her face turned a deep shade of red, it was adorable. Vanessa's mouth opened and closed for a few moments before she found her voice, 'W-whaddya mean i-i-intimate contacts?!'
Clay took that moment to lie his head down on her lap again, 'This for example. I've wanted to do this for a long time. Oh man, Loup was right! It's kinda comfy you know. All warm and soft… oh, and squishy.'
'JERK!' cried Vanessa as she instinctively shoved him off her.
The man let out a startled yelp and he fell on the floor with a thud. Vanessa gasped, 'Oh dang it! Sorry! I'm sorry! Are you okay?'
Clay raised a finger, 'I think… I may have a concussion now.'
Vanessa gasped, 'Did you hit your head?! I'm soooo sorry!'
'Get down here.'
The girl complied and knelt down next to his head. Her eyes were glassy with unshed tears and she let out a keening sound like a sad puppy, 'I'm sorry…'
Clay sighed as he lifts his head and laid it on her lap, 'It's okay… I'm okay. I was just kidding.'
'Really?'
'Yeah… you're not gonna shove me again are you?'
He flinched when he saw her raised her right hand. She wiped the tears from her face and Clay yelped when her other hand had pinched his left cheek, 'Got'cha you big jerk!'
'Yeah… sowrie abowt tha'… now shtop crayin' you big bahby.'
That earned him a pinch and stretch of both cheeks.
Crona was awakened by someone shaking her shoulder. She cracked an eye open, 'Huh?'
Free peered at her, 'Crona, we need to go.'
'Go where? What's going on?' asked the young Witch as she sat up rubbing her eyes.
The immortal man rubbed his neck, 'We're going to Shibusen. We're gonna have a meeting. Go get dressed and I'll be here on guard.'
Crona slid off the bed, 'What's this about?'
'I'm not really sure either but Maka said to get there ASAP.'
'Oh, okay.'
Free watched the girl walked out of the room and he sighed as he sat on the edge of the bed. He glanced at Kid who remained prone for the past few hours. He doesn't have excellent Soul Perception skill but he considered himself good at it. He tilted his head slightly as he tried to get a glimpse of Kid's soul. He noticed, unlike human soul, Kid's soul was a bright white color with a yellow hue outlining it. He knew if at full strength, Kid's soul will be bigger and more powerful. Free shook his head when he didn't see anything strange, 'Damn it, what's wrong with you?'
'Free, I'm ready!' said Crona as she returned.
Free nodded and scooped Kid up into his arms. Crona looked at him in confusion, 'We're taking him too?'
'Yeah, it's probably safer.'
'Okay.'
'Can you uhh…'
Crona smiled at him, 'I'll do it.'
She raised her hands and snapped her fingers. A purple magic circle appeared under them and they disappeared in a flash. The three of them appeared on the platform in Death Room. Maka, Soul and Kim were there already waiting for them. The Scythe Meister gasped when she saw Kid, 'Crona what happened?!'
Soul frowned and looked at Crona questioningly, 'Crona?'
'Uhh…'
'We'll share the details after everyone is here,' said Free as he carefully laid the unconscious Shinigami on the floor. Crona took a seat above his head and laid his head on her lap. She absentmindedly began stroking his hair. She looked up at Kim, 'H-how is Ragnarok?'
Kim shook her head, 'Not good. Let's wait for the others okay?'
Crona frowned and nodded. Nearly half an hour later, Loup and the others came. Black*Star was standing next to Tsubaki with a crutch under his left armpit. Apparently he had knocked his left knee hard and it left quite a bruise. Kim gasped and quickly came forward to heal Tsubaki and Black*Star. She was exhausted after healing the duo and Loup said he'll be okay healing on his own. Eruka had walked to Free's side and he loosely wrapped an arm around her and the two talked in hushed tones. Kim joined them to update Free of Ragnarok's condition and he's non too happy to hear it. Patty took a seat beside Crona and peered at Kid's pale ace with concern, counting his breaths in her head to pass the time. Maka and Soul were talking with Tsubaki and Black*Star in a corner, wanting to know what happened to them.
Stein and the available senior Death Scythe came a few minutes later. Marie gasped at the sight of Kid unconscious. Stein quickly hushed her and whispered a promise to share the details later. His wife scowled at him and whispered back a threat for keeping it a secret from her. Azusa remained silent and assessed the situation with her eyes. Her boyfriend stood close by, being silent. Sid came a minute later then left with Tezca on Spirit's request to scout Shibusen for threats. Not long after they left the Beildschmidt twins arrived with Kilik and Ox.
Everyone was alarmed at the sight of Belmont who was unconscious. Damont remained silent as he laid his brother next to Kid. Crona caught his eyes and he lowered his gaze, gritting his teeth. Soul looked around at the people gathered, 'Is that all?'
Ox raised a hand, 'Ah, Harvar said he's-'
'Ow! Hey! Let go man! I can walk on my own!' said a familiar voice.
'Harvar-senpai, let him go! There's no need to be rough with him!' said Meme as she tried to pry Harvar's fingers off Scelus' coat.
Harvar released the struggling man who gave a huff of relief once released. He tensed when he noticed the group of people staring, 'Uhh… what's going on? Am I in trouble?'
'Maybe,' said Soul with a shrug.
Black*Star crossed his arms, 'Who is this?'
'Scelus,' spat Maka with venom.
The ninja and his partner tensed. Eruka squeaked and hid behind Free who stood in a defensive stance. Damont narrowed his eyes at Scelus and everyone else eyed him warily and shuffled their feet to move into a defensive stance. Scelus raised his hands placating, 'Whoa! Whoa! I didn't do anything that breaks the rules, okay? I was being good like I said I would!'
Meme stepped forward, 'He's not lying! I was with him all day!'
'Everyone calm down!' said Azusa.
Everyone except Damont, Maka, Harvar and Black*Star lowered their guard. Scelus sighed and stepped closer to stand next to Meme. Azusa eyed the girl, 'Tatane-san, you may leave the room.'
'No, I am staying here' said Meme stubbornly as she crossed her arms. Scelus was relieved when he heard her statement. He leaned closer toward her and whispered a 'Thanks.'
'So everyone we need is here?' asked Soul as he looked around.
Kim nodded, 'Yeah. Sorry it's a little crowded… We'll update Sid, Tezca and Don later.'
'So what's this about?' asked Harvar as he looked at every faces around him.
Kim shared a look with Free and Crona. Then she gazed at Stein and Soul. She let out a sigh, 'We suspect a Witch is involved with the uhh… recent events.'
'What are you talking about?' asked Ox.
Free stepped forward, 'Today, a lot of things happened. Loup's accident about three hours ago, Ragnarok and Kid losing consciousness which we suspect was cause either by poison or magic. Armageddon said to ask you, Stein, for the details.'
Stein rubbed his chin, 'Early this morning when the Black Blood brothers returned after a scouting mission, Armageddon said Ragnarok lost consciousness when they reached Shibusen. I've run some tests on him and there doesn't seem to be anything out of the ordinary other than the random burst of Madness Wavelength. I'm still waiting for the blood test to come out though. As for Kid, even though he seems to exhibit the same symptoms as Ragnarok, I'm still considering the two events are unrelated. Kid's condition might have been the effects of his ascension to a full-fledged Shinigami.'
'His ascension? Why now?' asked Maka.
'We're not sure,' said Spirit.
Stein turned to Damont, 'And Reiji too is showing similar symptoms to Ragnarok.'
Loup raised a hand, 'And what are these symptoms?'
Stein began making a list with his fingers, 'Loss of consciousness… a fever…erratic soul wavelength… oh, a headache and hearing voices before losing consciousness.'
The younger werewolf tensed, 'Wait, Black*Star and Akane had the same symptoms before losing consciousness!'
'What?' asked the professor as he turned to the ninja.
Tsubaki nodded, 'Black*Star was complaining about a headache and before losing consciousness he and Akane-san were saying something about hearing voices.'
Black*Star grimaced, 'Yeah… I remember, it was one wicked headache. Feels like my head was going to explode!'
Stein was interested and he also noticed Damont frowning and glanced at his brother, 'What else do you remember?'
'Uhh, there was the headache… ringing in my ears, the heat and a pain in my chest.'
'And that weird dream,' Loup added.
'Dream?'
'Yeah in the car, when he regained consciousness. He said he had a weird dream.'
'Yeah… I'm not sure if it's a dream,' said Black*Star as he frowned. 'It's more like… an illusion.'
Soul raised a brow, 'Illusion?'
'Because it feels too real and I believe I was lucid. No way that was a dream. I think it was Madness,' said the ninja as his eyes moved to Scelus who tensed.
Scelus shook his head, 'I didn't do anything! I swear!'
Stein raised his hands, 'Stand down. Okay, let's think. What could have caused this? When it happened and where?'
'K-Kid was acting strange ever since the party,' said Crona.
'Everyone was there except Black*Star and Tsubaki,' said Maka.
'Ah! What about this?' asked Tsubaki as she brought out her notebook and opened to the page where she drew the symbols she saw. 'Loup couldn't identify the symbols though…'
Stein took the book and frowned slightly, 'These are the same ones the brothers found.'
'Let me look at that,' said Free as he stepped forward with a hand outstretched.
When Stein was about to pass the book Scelus got a glimpse of the symbols on the pages. He gasped and images flashed in his mind, voices whispering in his ears. He stumbled back, clutching his chest and Meme caught him, 'Scelus!? What's wrong?!'
'T-those symbols… g-get rid of them!'
'What? Why?' asked Maka with a scowl.
Scelus flinched at the increasing pain in his chest; he choked out a pained cry. There were black sparks appearing around him and a strong burst of wind exploded from him. Everyone instantly fell into defensive stances. The weapons transformed at the command of their Meisters and the Meisters pointed their weapons at Scelus. Meme quickly stepped in front of him, spreading her arms beside her, 'Wait! Please! Do as he says!'
Crona acted quickly before everyone even noticed. She sent black thorny vines to snatch the notebook from Free's hand than shredded it. Tsubaki let out a small cry of 'my notebook!' The wind began to dwindle and Scelus let out a sigh as he fell on his knees. Everyone still had their weapons aimed at him and Meme stubbornly stood between them and the young man. Crona quickly joined her, 'Calm down! He's not a threat.'
'But Crona! That was Madness Wavelength!' said Maka alarmed. The others nodded their heads and murmur their agreement.
'I- I know but it wasn't… he didn't do it on purpose! It happened to him how it happened to Kid!' said Crona. She ran her fingers through her hair, 'He wasn't controlling it!'
'How can you be sure about that?' asked Harvar.
Crona sighed, 'Because I know how it feels. I am familiar with Madness remember?'
Damont released his protective stance over his twin, 'She's right… that was different. It wasn't in his control.'
Meme helped Scelus up and he swiped a hand over his forehead to wipe away the sweat, 'W-where'd you get those symbols?'
Tsubaki stammered, 'A-at the d-desert! They were carved on the rocks and the ground.'
'What are they?' asked Ox.
Scelus winced and rubbed his forehead, 'It's kinda like a booby trap. Those symbols are ancient magic, Dark Magic… the circle is like a key. It releases locked Madness Wavelength in a person's soul. Usually they're big, like three to five meters in diameter. But a small one drawn on paper like that could affect someone… it's worse for me…'
'Because you're the Vessel of Sins,' said Stein, remembering what little Kid had said about the previous Scelus.
Free frowned, 'Why does that sound familiar?' he asked in a whisper.
Eruka looked up at him, 'Free?'
'The released Madness Wavelength is raw and can become uncontrollable. Like a burst dam. It makes the person affected submit himself to Madness and eventually die,' said Scelus, rubbing his chest absentmindedly.
'Like those mutants,' aid Black*Star as he met Stein's eyes.
Scelus frowned, 'Mutants?'
'We've been investigating a number of cases where weapons transform to monsters and eventually die on their own. Usually their soul exploded after being consumed by this black aura,' Tsubaki explained.
'Did any of you stand in the circle?' asked Scelus.
Black*Star nodded, 'Yeah… I was there to check out the area. Tsubaki was at the edge, drawing in the notebook.'
'W-what about the other guy? Akane was it?'
Loup frowned when he tried to recall, 'I think we passed one when we were on our way to meet them. It was smaller, about a meter in diameter. I didn't bother to check it out…'
'Could it be someone was leaving those circles?' asked Stein.
'Possibly.'
Kim raised her hand, 'You didn't stand in the circle, how come it affects you?'
Scelus scratched his head, 'It doesn't need any fancy spell to activate. One look at it triggers the magic. You know how they say the eyes are the window to one's soul? It's kinda like that… but for someone who does not have a strong Madness Wavelength, he has to be cursed for the magic to work. A key can't unlock when it doesn't fit the keyhole. The curse acts like a lock that matches the key…'
Tsubaki frowned and looked at her partner, 'Cursed?'
'Yeah. Like drinking a cursed potion, possessing a cursed item, direct contact with the spell… those sorts I guess.'
Maka stepped forward and glanced at Scelus suspiciously, 'How do you know about the symbols? How can we be sure it wasn't you who left them there?'
The man raised his brows, 'Were you paying attention? The circle releases Madness Wavelength trapped in a person! Everyone have Madness Wavelength! I know because I am the Vessel of Sins, or to make it easy to understand, the Vessel of Madness. I'm Scelus! That's who I am! My purpose to exist is to seal away madness and neutralize the Madness Wavelength to help keep balance to the world!' Scelus froze at what he had said, and then realized that he had been talking about the circle so smoothly. He stared at his hands and blinked, 'I… I remembered! Wha- How did I do that?!'
'Perhaps seeing the symbol triggered your memories,' said Stein thoughtfully.
'So you're saying we're cursed?' asked Black*Star with a frown.
Scelus shrugged, 'That's the only reason for the circles to affect you.'
'How can we be sure? How can we identify who are affected?' asked Marie.
Scelus rubbed his forehead, 'Uh… let me think.'
'I can see it,' said Free as he stared at Black*Star, his right hand covering his right eye.
Everyone turned to him, watching his lips pulled to a small frown and his brows scrunched together. He moved his eyes to look at the others, 'Reiji, Kid and Crona has the same black mark on their soul.'
'Black mark?' asked Crona as she instinctively looked down at her chest.
Maka, Damont, Loup, Ox and Stein looked at Crona and Black*Star's souls. Maka shook her head, 'I didn't see anything.'
'It's concealed. With magic,' said Free as he walked toward Black*Star and pressed his palm against the ninja's chest. He sighed, 'I don't know how to remove it though…'
'Other than Black*Star the others were at the party right?' asked Stein.
Crona nodded, 'Y-yes.'
'This is going to be hard to identify the source,' said Kim.
'Not particularly. I believe none of you received anything that is of similar source but I am sure the source of the curse is something you ingested. Scelus said one of the ways to get cursed is through drinking a cursed potion yes?' Scelus nodded when Stein turned to him, 'Then it must be something you drank.'
'What about us?' asked Kilik nervously as he gestured to everyone else.
'We didn't take the potion. Whoever gave the potion was obviously targeting certain people: people who have history with Madness Wavelength.'
Marie gasped, 'You mean there was an enemy at the party? Giving the potions to certain people?'
Maka and Soul looked at each other. Soul shook his head, 'Well, I guess we weren't targeted. Nothing happened to us.'
'But what about Crona-chan? A-are you feeling alright?' asked Maka concerned.
Crona nodded, 'Y-yes. I'm alright…'
'I only drank water!' Scelus piped in.
'You said targeting people who have a history with Madness Wavelength? Then.. why is Akane affected?' asked Black*Star.
Stein tilted his head, 'Oh I thought you figured it out.'
'Figured what out?'
'Akane*Hoshi… he's also a survivor of the Star Clan.'
Black*Star's eyes widened in shock, 'W-what?!'
'A-Akane*Hoshi… that means... Red*Star,' said Tsubaki, 'W-why didn't we realize that?!'
Black*Star cursed as he ran toward the door, Tsubaki blinked her eyes before running after him. Maka called out to him, 'Wait! Where are you going?!'
'I have a bad feeling! I need to get back to the hospital!'
Black*Star was thrown back when the door burst inwards. He skidded on the floor and stopped near Tsubaki's feet. The kunoichi knelt down, 'Black*Star?!'
'What the- Ragnarok? Akane?' asked Black*Star when he saw who were at the door.
The two had black tribal like markings on their faces. Ragnarok grinned maliciously, 'We're here to pick up a couple of packages for our Master.'
Crona frowned, 'Ragnarok! What are you-'
'Everyone protect Kid and my brother!' said Damont as he manipulated the shadows to move toward Akane and Ragnarok.
Akane raised his right hand and his shadow shot out to block the shadow Damont manipulated. He twisted his hand fluidly, fingers outstretched. His shadow rose above him and then branched out into five and flew down toward the closest five people. Scelus pulled Meme aside and they landed on the floor with a thud. Harvar defended with his left arm which had transformed to a spear blade. Crona used Thorny Wall to defend herself and Spirit leaped back then deflected the advancing shadow with a swipe of his right arm which had turned to a scythe blade. He leaped back again and transformed to his scythe form which Stein caught. The silver haired man had an arm protectively in front of Marie, 'Marie! Stay back!'
'I can fight!' argued the woman.
Stein shook his head, 'You can't, not with the baby!'
Marie bit her bottom lip as her hands landed on her slightly swollen belly. She sighed and backed away. Azusa gave a subtle signal to Stein that she will protect Marie for him. The others had readied themselves and rushed forward to subdue their opponents. Liz and Patty were wielded by Loup and he quickly charged them with magic, 'They're affected by Madness! Don't hold back on your attacks!'
Maka hesitated, 'But-'
'Just do it!' roared the werewolf as he leaped in the air and released some shots.
Liz was worried, 'Don't push yourself Loup. You're still injured!'
Ragnarok transformed and Akane caught him. He blocked the bullets then vanished from sight. Free appeared in front of Crona and blocked an attack from Akane with ice gauntlets. He aimed a kick at the young man but he ducked and weaved to the left. He flicked his free hand and a shadow shot out as a large spike. Free stumbled back trying to avoid it. He hissed when the sharp tip grazed his cheek. Crona stepped beside him and she swept down, left leg stretching forward and right knee bent. She swung her left arm from her right to above her left knee and a black dragon materialized. It roared as it flew toward Akane, coiling its long body around him.
A mouth appeared on the Demon Sword and Ragnarok let out a piercing screech which made everyone cringe and the black dragon coiled around Akane falter then faded. The sword was still letting out the horrid high pitched screech and Akane moved to attack while everyone is immobilized. He swung the sword at Free, catching him on the chest and leaving a diagonal slash from his left hip up to his shoulder. The man cried out in pain and stumble back falling on the floor. With the big man down he shifted his attention to Crona who let out a cry of fear and shock to see Free fallen. She raised wide eyes at Akane and Ragnarok, she wasn't as affected by the others by the screech, after all she is Ragnarok's Meister.
Crona shot both arms in front of her, 'Vector Dragons!'
About a dozen vector arrows with dragon heads appeared above and beside her. They shot forward and Akane aimed to slice them. Half off the vector arrows were cut and the other half had dodged his attack and flew at different angles before redirecting to him. Akane again tried to cut them and the remaining half that he missed cut his shoulder, side and thigh. He managed to cut the last three arrows then returned his attention to Crona, 'The Master wants you alive.'
Crona gasped when he vanished and suddenly appeared in front of her. The air was knocked out of her when he drove his knee into her abdomen and black spots appeared in the corner of her vision. She then saw his hand aiming for her face and then there was an excruciating pain and she blacked out.
Maka grabbed Soul who she had dropped when she tried to cover her ears, 'Soul!'
Soul instantly connected with Maka and they resonate their soul wavelengths. Maka sighed when she stumbled into his Black Room. Soul was sitting at the piano, fingers hovering above the keys, 'Let's get rid of that horrible sound.'
Maka opened her eyes when the screeching sound had disappeared. She gasped when she saw Crona slung over Akane's shoulder, 'Crona-chan!'
She tightened her grip on the Death Scythe and with a roar rushed at Akane. He tapped his foot and his shadow rose as a wall and Maka skidded to halt her advance then twisted to go around the wall but when she got to the other side she had to quickly duck when blue flames whizzed toward her. Ragnarok had returned to human form and there were blue flames on his arms, similar to what she saw earlier. She noticed Akane was gone, 'Watch out for Akane!'
Kilik and Ox were thrown off the platform and they each hit one of the crosses found in the Death Room before sliding down. Loup soon followed them and he had trouble getting back up when he felt a sharp pain in his chest and breathing was excruciating. Blood gurgled up his throat and he collapsed on his side, vision swimming. Liz transformed to her human form and grabbed Patty as she took position to defend him, 'Loup?!'
Eruka hesitated in throwing her tadpole bombs; she doesn't want to risk hurting the others by accident. Her eyes landed on Free who was getting up then Marie and Azusa, 'W-what should I do?'
Kim and Black*Star had joined Maka to help her defend against Ragnarok's raging blue flames. Scelus stood at the exit after escorting Meme out. He stared at the battle before his eyes, unsure what to do and how to help. He watched Ragnarok easily threw Free back and the burly man didn't get up after being knocked back. Stein was having difficulty getting close as Akane kept pushing him back with his 'shadow snakes'. He was having problem concentrating on his opponent, is attention kept shifting at his wife in concern. Akane saw this and he grinned as he aimed his attack on Marie. Azusa clapped her hands together and her arms transformed to a bow like shape. She tried to shoot at the moving shadows but she couldn't keep up and she quickly stepped in front of her friend to protect her from the impending attacks while Eruka pulled Marie down and wrapped her arms around her. Stein hooked the Death Scythe on the shadow snakes and severed them but while trying to defend the three women, his back was exposed and one of the snakes sunk its teeth into him. he cried out in pain and quickly slammed a Soul Purge attack on the snake. He cursed when it gave no effect and felt a rush of air when the snake flung him away from the platform. He crashed against several crosses before rolling to a stop.
Damont stood over Kid and Belmont, trying to keep Akane at a distant. Damont cursed when he saw Stein unmoving. He had tried attacking with hi own shadow attack but it was useless. Wavelength attack doesn't work either and he couldn't land a hit on Akane. His eyes worriedly examined Crona's unconscious form. He noticed the black markings on Akane's face had extended down to his neck and exposed upper chest and shoulders. The marking also formed a shape of an eye on his forehead. Akane pointed a finger at Damont and he leaped away as a black circle appeared under him. The younger man clicked his tongue and then carelessly tossed Crona into the circle which swallowed her and then vanished.
Damont's eyes widened, 'NO!'
Marie and Eruka gasped, 'Crona-chan!'
Maka got distracted by their cries and Ragnarok landed a kick to her abdomen and sent her crashing against a cross. Kim was next and she was slammed onto the floor, hitting her head hard and knocking her out. Black*Star roared in anger but his foot was caught by a shadow snaking around his left ankle and pulled him down with a tug. Ragnarok quickly slammed a fist down onto his temple. The man chuckled and ran straight for Damont without bother to check on his fallen opponents, the flame on his right arm blazing bright as he took a swing. His fist connected Damont's face when he was too distracted dodging Akane and worrying about his brother and the others . Damont was sent flying and Akane snapped his finger and the shadow rose into a rectangular shape. Marie, Eruka and Scelus watched him went into the black void and the shadow swirled down and retreated back to Akane's feet. The young man grinned, 'We got them.'
Ragnarok nodded and the both of them turned around and ran for the exit. Scelus raised his arms in a stance and glared at them, 'Where do you think you're going?!'
Ragnarok growled and sent a burst of flame at him but Scelus stepped aside and swung a fist at him. Ragnarok caught his fist and twisted causing the shorter man to cry in agony and stumble . His eyes widened when he saw Ragnarok pulled back a fist, 'Oh, fu-'
'Leave him!' said Akane who ran pass by.
Ragnarok growled and grabbed Scelus by his shirt and threw him against Black*Star who was slowly getting up. Maka appeared and ready to attack but she was pushed back by a burst of flames and black shadow spikes. She didn't give up and intended to continue pursue them. She saw Ragnarok stopped at the end of the hallway, his body engulfing in flames and glowed bright. She felt the heat even at the distance and then there was an explosion and she was sent flying. Soul quickly transformed, grabbed his partner and landed painfully on his back. When they stopped skidding on the floor he painfully sat up, 'MAKA!'
Scelus groaned as he sat up, wincing at his sprained wrist. He watched Tsubaki transform to help her partner sit up. Kim came stumbling with Jacqueline's help after healing her own wounds to heal Maka. Marie had ran to check on her husband and Spirit tried to reassure her while Eruka and Azusa checked on both Kilik and Ox. Scelus gritted his teeth feeling despair for not being helpful, 'Damn it…'
Shaula chuckled as she watched the scene through her crystal ball. Giriko was pouting where she sat on her usual eat and Salem stood vigilantly behind Shaula. The redheaded witch waved her hand and the image vanished, 'Go invite our guests, Salem.'
The man bowed, 'As you wish Mistress.'
Giriko sighed, 'I should've been there…'
Shaula smiled amused, 'Oh, stop pouting! You didn't actually fail in your mission.'
The Demon Chainsaw's cheek turned pinkish as she turned her face away, 'I didn't get to have fun.
'Don't worry you'll get the chance. It's just the beginning.'
Yes, face paced action! It's a difficult plot to write because I have to make sure I didn't miss out anyone! So what gonna happen? I'm not sure yet... haven't gone far with the planning... lolz~ Anyways kindly leave a review if you can~ Cheerio!
