Author's Notes: This took a long of time to write and edit. I think I rewrote parts like five times before I was satisfied with it. I hope you all will like it... Some pretty intense stuff is gonna happen in this chapter!
Warning: Violence,psychological abuse, extreme personality change
Soul Eater-verse term that may not be understood in context:
Magic Barrier: A very specialized spell that can trap a Witch's enemies until she can escape a safe distance away and mask her signature. Only the most powerful of Witches can use this spell.
Eibon: A mysterious, once powerful person who created many 'Magical' items through his short-lived alliance with the Witch Arachne a long time ago. At one time, he was great friends with Lord Death, but he turned to the dark side after his beloved passed away.
Magic Tool: A device that allows a non-magical user to use magic in a predetermined way. There was Magic Tool in the shape of a key that allowed a train to run automated for years without a driver and always run on time.
The Spatial Magic Tool - Barrier Shield: This is an amalgamation of Fuda Magic from Descendants of Darkness and Barrier Magic as seen in Soul Eater. In this case, Eibon created a Magic Tool that could create a separate pocket dimension for a specific length of time. In this fic, Eibon had devised it to test his Magic Tools. They are incredibly powerful and dangerous and if they didn't work as intended it could spell disaster for everyone. If the experimental Magic Tools exploded or warped space-time, then the ensuing destruction and chaos would happen safely in a collapsible dimension without harming the real world.
Soul Augmentation: Before Weapons had been created, Eibon had performed a series of experiments to augment a Normal's soul to imbue them with special abilities to fight Witches. These experiments were mostly unsuccessful with only a few survivors.
Werr: This one is my imagination getting carried away. We never meet Soul-Augmented Normals in Soul Eater canon even though they are mentioned. We get no other details, like if whether they have a normal lifespan or what kinds of abilities they're gifted with. I theorized on my own that these souls were not all immortal, and that they were kind of crazy powerful proto-Weapons.
Chapter 14 EDITED 7/20/2013A big thank-you to Oh Govna for pointing out some discrepancies with the descriptions and asking for some clarifying footnotes of the Soul Eater-verse.
When they arrived at Ibusuki that sat between the desert and shrubby plains, the Pair could tell that something was terribly wrong.
It was the middle of the day, too early for siesta, and everyone had shuttered themselves indoors in the side-by-side mud-and-straw adobe buildings along the sandy, packed dirt path.
Mindful of his hat, Secret slipped off the bike with a hand held out for his Weapon, who'd been hovering in the air patiently in his sword form. The electric touch hummed with Tsuzuki's anticipation for a fight.
Walking into the common space of the town, Secret felt the aftermath of fear and pain emanating from the patches of spilled blood, still fresh. Secret held his right hand over the blood, letting Tsuzuki sync with him.
Tsuzuki hissed as if the connection burnt. /A Dark Weapon's done this. We should head back to Death City and-/
"We need to report this to Lord Death," Secret said aloud to him and headed to the nearest window.
"Tsuzuki?" A drunken voice slurred out. "Tsuzuki, is that you?"
Secret spun around, holding Tsuzuki up defensively.
A male youth, roughly Secret's height and age, with dark green eyes and brown hair weaved in front of them. Meister, Secret ascertained as he stepped back uncertainly. The emotions coming from the youth were a swirl of confusion; disorientation being the most prominent.
Tsuzuki's eye opened on the hilt between Secret's fingers taking a peek at the Meister. /Hijiri?/
The teen's outfit was bloodstained and his tanned skin was likewise painted burnt red. There was a giant slash down the front of his shirt where a wound was still weeping crimson and in his right hand was a bloodied knife, a lifeless object without a hint of Weapon soul in it. "Help me. Help me please."
Tsuzuki's hand suddenly left Secret's after the Weapon transformed to his two-legged state. When Hijiri made a stumbling step, Tsuzuki caught him before he collapsed.
"Once you've told Lord Death of our discovery," Tsuzuki directed, "we'll take him back to the hospital."
Moving to the only plaster-and-wood house in the courtyard, Secret breathed moist air onto its reflective window in the shade of an eave and then very quickly dragged a finger through the resulting condensation. A ring tone vibrated in the air after he'd finished writing the specific sequence of numbers and they disappeared in the afternoon heat.
A caricature of a skull mask surrounded in black appeared with a cheerful 'Hellooo, Secret and Tsuzuki!'
"Sir, the missing Meister, Minase Hijiri, has been located in Ibusuki badly hurt," Secret said curtly, "Tsuzuki and I are bringing him in. Something's not right about the town though…"
Lord Death nodded sagely. "I was going to send an experienced team over to check it out. Thanks for your help, you two, and might I add that your hat looks fabulous, Secret! Ciao!" The faint reflection of Lord Death disappeared and was replaced by Secret's pale reflection.
It was always bizarre talking to the dissonantly cheerful, old entity that was Lord Death, especially considering the grisliness of the blood-covered courtyard behind Secret.
"Tsuzuki, whatever's—" Secret began, turning towards his partner.
Two weapons clattered to the ground. One was the sheathed sword of his Weapon, while the other was the bloodied dagger. The Meister that Tsuzuki had been attending looked around dazedly exactly as if he'd just woken up.
"Tsuzuki!" Secret's heart was in his throat now as he crouched to pick up Tsuzuki. Not sensing anything unusual, he stood, glaring at Hijiri in accusation. "Did you do something to him?"
Barely able to remain upright, Hijiri cradled his head, nursing a massive headache. "I don't know. I don't… Wake up, Tsuzuki! Please wake up!" Hijiri cried out and reached out towards the Dark Sword, sounding and feeling brokenhearted.
Secret took an ungenerous step back from those hands. "We need to get to Death City Hospital. Now." Secret jogged to the tandem bike with his arms wrapped protectively around his silent Weapon.
The other Meister followed him at a slower pace. Secret sensed how the heat and light were painful to him. "Wa-wait up!"
By the time Secret had set his Weapon into the holder that ran along the frame's length, Hijiri caught up to him out of breath. "Wait."
Secret mounted the first seat. "My name's Secret Blackriver. Kazusa asked us to look for you because her birthday's tomorrow," he answered, before Hijiri could let the unspoken questions burst from his panting lips. "You're coming along with me. They're expecting us in Death City."
Without another word, Hijiri took the second seat.
By the time they'd make it back to Death City, Secret was going to take advantage of Tsuzuki's friendship with Walter and demand that the bike be converted into a motorbike. When Tsuzuki was incapacitated again, Secret would probably not be so lucky as to have a second pedaling with him.
The other Meister was just as concerned about Tsuzuki as Secret was and tried to help, but he was obviously exhausted on top of feeling heat-sick. However, that made Hijiri practically deadweight because he couldn't carry his own.
Still, Secret could feel nothing from Tsuzuki.
Outside the hospital half an hour later, a sweaty Secret waited for Hijiri to disembark first before leaving the bike by the entryway and scooped the abnormally mute Tsuzuki into his arms. Hijiri stumbled through the entryway in front of him.
There weren't many in the Emergency Room, but when Secret followed after a staggering, blood-covered Meister the attention was wholly on him.
For once, he stood his ground mentally, dodging their thoughts and feelings like Dr. Stein had taught him weeks ago. "I need a Weapon Specialist," then Secret jerked his head towards Hijiri, "and a Meister Doctor for him."
"I'm fine! I'm worried about Tsuzuki." Hijiri looked like a breeze could knock him down.
"Please thoroughly have him checked. I think he might have passed on something to my Weapon. My Weapon sensed a Dark Weapon in the town we were in."
Doctors were paged, and the two Meisters were taken to separate rooms by the nurses.
The bald-headed nurse, Hernando, couldn't convince Secret to let him take Tsuzuki, even with the protection of a specially-made blanket to protect the Normal.
So, Secret sat in the only chair within the oddly stocked room, still cradling the Dark Sword.
No longer able to maintain the hollow silence in the thickly shielded room, Secret slowly ran his fingers over Tsuzuki's sheath. "Talk to me."
The absent reaction to his plea scared Secret more. "I can't do this without you. Please be okay." Secret hugged his Weapon tightly, leaning his cheek on the cool sheath.
/Secret…?/ Tsuzuki's worryingly drowsy voice sounded.
"Tsuzuki, change form!" Dropping his arms, Secret watched his Weapon transform into his human form. Tsuzuki looked extremely drained but none the worse for wear.
"What happened?" Secret demanded.
"I…" Tsuzuki blinked owlishly and then frowned when he noticed where he was. "I don't know. The last thing I remember was searching Hijiri's soul for signs of injury and then… I was in your arms." His Weapon cocked his head at him. "Are you alright? I didn't mean to scare you."
"I'm fine," Secret snapped, obliterating any trace of distress from his expression.
The heavy, very thick door opened, and the Weapon doctor looked at his clipboard. "I see your Weapon has come to, Meister Blackriver. That's relatively good news," the short, dark-skinned man commented as he shut the door.
"Hi, Dr. Lincoln," Tsuzuki yawned as he rubbed his eyes.
"You know the drill. On the table."
Pulling off his upper clothing, Tsuzuki dutifully laid out as the doctor pulled down an assortment of wicked-shaped devices, which hung off arms attached to the ceiling and walls. He pressed the blunt ends against Tsuzuki's bared chest.
The doctor hm-ed at the displays and made numerous notes before switching out the devices. "Have you recently been in a fight, Meister Blackriver?"
"This morning before school," Secret answered coolly.
"I meant more recently."
"No…" Secret said slowly, looking at Tsuzuki's prone form.
"Tsuzuki, I need to make a full body evaluation."
Tsuzuki stood up stripping off his pants and shoes so suddenly that Secret looked away turning bright scarlet. At the very least, the doctor felt nothing like the Earl.
"What're you doing, Dr. Lincoln?" Secret managed to ask politely.
"I'm going through all the possible causes for his symptoms." Flipping a few switches, the doctor peered at the displays. "All looks fine, Tsuzuki. You can re-dress." Straightening, the doctor looked at Secret, "If you would come with me, Meister Blackriver."
Once the door firmly shut behind them in the hallway, the doctor jutted a thumb towards the room they'd just vacated. "If he wasn't in a fight or counteracting a Witch's spell or curse, his diagnostics imply that he's been possessed. I was checking for any unusual markings for possible entry, since I have confirmation that Meister Minase's diagnostics reveal that he had recently experienced possession by another Enchanted Weapon, be it Dark or Magic. Keep a sharp lookout, Meister Blackriver. Any peculiarities in his personality, mood, or habits are warning signs."
"I'll keep that in mind. Thank you, Doctor," Secret replied shakily. Dr. Lincoln nodded and went down the hall, leaving Secret alone.
Secret knew all about Dark Weapon possession of Meisters or regular Demon Weapons, but there was absolutely nothing about Dark Weapon possession of other Dark Weapons. But he should be able to tell if Tsuzuki was possessed, right?
Fully clothed, Tsuzuki stepped out of the examination room, looking and feeling less exhausted. In fact, he seemed practically rejuvenated.
"You're looking better, Tsuzuki."
Tsuzuki smiled apologetically. "Yeah, I think I need to rest up. I have this pounding headache that won't go away."
"That's fine. It's not like we picked out a mission to do yet." Secret headed down the hall and out the main door. He was relieved that Tsuzuki felt alright while Tsuzuki followed him quietly. Secret glanced over his shoulder when they were climbing the stairs to their apartment, but Tsuzuki flashed a reassuring smile at him.
Secret figured the headache meant Tsuzuki's head hurt when he spoke, so he waited until they were back in their apartment to speak. Secret toed off his shoes
"I'll make you something for dinner."
"What would I do without you, Secret?" Tsuzuki grinned at him and hung his coat on the rack after taking off his shoes. "I think a bath's just what I needed after a day in the desert sun," he said nonchalantly loosening the tie.
After feeling practically nothing on their way over, there were butterflies in Secret's stomach at that blazing smile overflowing with motion. He could feel Tsuzuki's full-blown affection, when before he'd been hesitant after Secret's confession. Secret fought the blush threatening to erupt on his face as he watched Tsuzuki trudge down the hall.
Wait, why the sudden change of heart? Secret thought suspiciously.
"You think Kazusa would like some fishcakes for her birthday tomorrow?" Secret blurted out, hoping Dr. Lincoln and his gut instinct were completely wrong. "Because I was planning on making some for the Chief, since he likes them so much, and it wouldn't be a big deal to make a few more for her."
"We brought her friend back safe and sound. Does she really need something else?" Tsuzuki mused with an absence of affection towards the girl he'd earlier doted on.
Secret blinked, instantly on alert, but he made sure his body didn't show it. "Well, you know, since we're going to her party tomorrow, I thought it'd be weird if we didn't bring her a present."
"Sure, go ahead and make some. I'm sure anything you'd make would taste great," Tsuzuki called over his shoulder before entering the bathroom, a deep desire to have a lifetime companion coloring his words.
Shit, shit, shit, shit. Secret inwardly panicked while he pulled out some cookery in the guise of cooking.
Tsuzuki was possessed. Why didn't he think that Tsuzuki should be locked up? Wait, why didn't Dr. Lincoln order that Tsuzuki go into quarantine?
"Oh, can you make it spicy, Secret?" Tsuzuki had popped out from around the corner, revealing his creamy tan skin in full nudity.
Secret slammed the pot down. "Go get clean. You stink!"
"I was going to ask if you wanted to share a bath," Tsuzuki pouted and stepped back into the bathroom.
"SHUT THE DOOR!"
"Fine, but you're still welcome to join me," Tsuzuki's voice called out before he shut the door.
Secret's hands were shaking. He was flustered because Tsuzuki was revealing everything Secret ever wanted. He took a deep breath and forced his hands to steady by calming himself.
Secret needed to get out. While possessed, Tsuzuki could be very dangerous and the student dormitories would be the absolute last place Secret wanted a fight to break out.
Quickly Secret grabbed his coat and shoved his feet back into his shoes while his stomach churned. He unlocked the door and yanked it open, relieved he'd gotten away.
A body slammed behind him, shutting the door and pinning Secret to the wall.
"Where do you think you're going?" Tsuzuki pondered playfully. "You couldn't possibly be running away from me."
Secret's throat closed on itself.
Hands forced Secret to turn until he was facing the naked, wet-slicked Tsuzuki.
By the sadistic grin on his face, the Tsuzuki act was over. Secret saw a giant 'X' mark like a dark stain on Tsuzuki's chest. It was a Possession Mark that was still weeping what looked like black ink. A Dark Weapon had entered Tsuzuki's body and was wearing him like a suit.
"I just realized that your 'Chief' has never tasted your delightful fishcakes." A damp finger rubbed across Secret's tense jaw. Secret felt nothing but a thirst for power and a deep-seated hunger. Tsuzuki was far, far from him. Secret would know now what a Dark Weapon's possession felt like. He would never be fooled again… if there ever was an again.
"Why did you possess Tsuzuki?" Secret asked calmly, despite the fear screaming inside of him to get away. His logic ran that scenario through and found that simply wouldn't work. He had to wait for the right moment, if it came.
"Surely you've heard of his great exploits as the Sky Renderer?"
Secret stared at the cruel Weapon watching him with Tsuzuki's purple eyes. Secret hadn't, but he sure as hell would research it once they got out of this mess unscathed. "Do you plan on possessing me too?"
"Naturally."
"You'd have to be in constant contact with me."
"Yes, but since you two have started dating no one will think it's odd that you're holding hands."
Secret grimaced. "We haven't—"
"No, but it's your Weapon holding back, right? We'll tell everyone that we're madly in love, and no one would think twice." Neither the dark, greedy look in Tsuzuki's eyes nor the eager will to do foul things was Tsuzuki's. "Isn't this what you wanted, comrade?"
Secret froze, wanting to lash out as fury won out over the fear. He fisted his hands tightly, refusing to rise to the bait.
"I've seen his hopes and his dreams. Everything he's ever desired is laid open for my perusal. Mm, that's quite the endearing glare. You want to know about him, since he's seen you at your weakest."
Exaggerating the flinch, Secret focused on his goal and bared his teeth. "You won't get away with this."
"Did he tell you how hard it is to be near you?" Ignoring the vague threat from his Meister, Tsuzuki's mouth hovered closer to Secret's lips, whispering, "How often he dreams of eating your delicious soul?"
Feigning shock, Secret saw the Tsuzuki-wearing creep lean in for an obvious kiss and chose that moment to release the energy he'd built up inside his knee into Tsuzuki's groin.
The possessed Weapon dropped to the ground with a shrill scream, and Secret ripped open the door, wincing when it bounced off Tsuzuki's prone form, and ran like hell.
Reaching the stone bannister at the end of the hall, Secret didn't think twice about jumping onto it and dropping down from the third story. In a split second, he gathered power in his feet and sent it into the hard ground below. He landed ankle deep in fine particulate. He grimaced when his right ankle twinged, but he wouldn't let it slow him down.
The sound of Tsuzuki's pissed-off yell reached Secret. He threw himself into each successive kick of his legs, running faster and faster down the brick path. He heard his heavy breathing echo off the walls of the buildings in the empty streets and knew exactly how easy it was for the Dark Weapon to find him with everyone safe inside.
Secret knew he needed help, now, but he didn't have the means to contact a high-level Meister right away. He had succeeded in keeping such a dangerous predator away from the other students in the dormitory, since they wouldn't have lasted a second against Tsuzuki, but it was unlikely he'd reach help in time.
Taking the steps four at a time, Secret's chest and legs burned as the immense DMWA's building came into view from above.
Lord Death would know what to do, right? Secret had never prepared, mentally, to de-possess Tsuzuki. He was a little shocked at what he'd already done to his Weapon in an effort to get away.
Without warning, Secret was snatched off the ground by his biceps mid-leap and held tightly against Tsuzuki's chest.
"You should've screamed for help while you had the chance, my little Meister," the roughened, eager voice said.
Shoving and kicking, Secret sucked down air and struggled in the grip, feeling the snaky lines wriggling through his bare skin like worms. He was being pulled inward, but he didn't want to go there!
Secret needed to fight, to stop from becoming possessed.
"I won't let you!" He ground out.
/Come out, come out, wherever you are./ The possessing Weapon's true voice was nothing like Tsuzuki's, slimy and gurgled. /Ah, there it is./
Secret fell inward as his soul door was ripped opened and a black fluid splattered against him. Struggling in vain, he found himself trapped in a web of rubbery black. A disgustingly slimy bulbous creature snickered wetly as it slithered out. /Stay there like a good boy./
/NO!/
He fought against the bonds and noticed that he began to move more and more sluggishly until he could move no more. He turned his focus outwards, anxious to know what was going on outside.
"Put the boy down."
"It's too late!" Tsuzuki crowed gleefully. "He's mine, now!"
"Soul Resonance," the glaze-eyed Meister uttered, while Secret fought to resist the Dark Weapon with everything he had.
Just as he'd read, he had no control over himself. His soul door flung open. Tsuzuki's soul similarly ringed with black substance hung across from Secret.
/Tsuzuki! Don't resonate with me!/
The hooded figure didn't respond.
/TSUZUKI!/
/He's lost to you boy,/ the loud voice gurgled. /I reminded him of his past crimes, and he easily folded. All you can do now is sit back and enjoy the show./
/NO! I WON'T LET YOU!/ Secret screamed. He'd never been possessed before but he was definitely going to try using the techniques Dr. Stein had showed him, but now, now wasn't the time when he could be overcome so easily with the attention on him. Knowing this, he ground his jaw down and screamed again fighting at the bonds but not twitching one bit.
Laughing, the Dark Weapon resonated with both the Weapon he'd possessed and the Meister, amplifying the Sky Renderer's power streaming into him. With a deep bellow, he blew away a large part of the staircase where the annoying glasses-wearing Meister had been standing.
The dust cleared and the Dark Weapon cackled, thinking he was invulnerable with so much power running through his veins. "Come at me, if any dare!"
Dark wisps curled around the Weapon's limbs as the crazy Weapon's cackling gave way to full-blown mad-as-a-hatter laughter.
"You know, you're really stupid if you think that killed Tats," a tenor voice said lightly.
With a growl, Tsuzuki turned, holding the blond teen like a hostage before him.
A black scythe Weapon rested quietly in a Meister's hands. The glowing woman with light skin and dark brown hair gazed levelly at the possessed Tsuzuki.
"Why should I, Sagant, when I have taken possession of the Sky Renderer? I shall rend you limb from limb, foolish Meister!"
Dark wisps materialized into thick fibers around Secret's shoulders and waist, wrenching the blond Meister from Tsuzuki's grasp.
"NO, YOU DON'T!" howled the Dark Weapon, stomping on the petite form to keep those pesky wisps from taking his meal away from him, not caring about the mental yelp of pain from the Meister. "HE'S MINE!"
Concentrating in that moment of distraction, Secret aimed his soul wavelength at the webbing around him. /I AM NOT YOURS!/ When it dissolved, Secret lurched for Tsuzuki's trapped soul, but it suddenly flung away from him as if the process of breaking himself free had pushed their connection apart as well. /TSUZUKI!/
Feeling the loss of amplification as the little punk destroyed his carefully placed web, the Dark Weapon howled in frustration, and then the boy disappeared into dark shadow altogether. "Where is he? WHERE IS SECRET?!"
A different human with round glasses and golden hair stepped to the forefront. "Somewhere you can't hurt him, Sagant. Now, shall we?" Glowing yellow, he adjusted his footing and crouched low, one hand palm out.
"HA! I will crush you," The lanky figure of Tsuzuki promised. With a yell, he arched forward and his body quickly warped, skin melting to a mercury color and bones thickening with grotesque popping and cracking. His skeleton burst out and shaped into a terrifying form.
As Tsuzuki changed, barrier nodes crackled in place around them, shooting green beams up towards the sky. Then they connected with zigzagging power. A bright green light filled in the space and enclosed them in a hexagonal pyramid.
Huge and monstrous, a skeleton made of sharpened steel roared angrily He was caged with only the solitary figure of a puny scientist. A giant 'X' was displayed on the shiny ribcage as he sliced his sword-arms together with a deafening 'SHHNG'. "I'LL KILL YOU!"
"Let me properly introduce myself," Walter bowed in a courtly fashion. "My name is Werr."
"DIE!" Lunging, the blue sword-arms came at the scientist who smiled.
Colossal plumes of dust flung up as areas of the empty street were destroyed in great explosions when the Dark Weapon missed its nimble target.
Coughing, Secret rolled to his side. He was in a cot with his left arm splinted and wrapped. Anger ignited inside of Secret. He'd just finished healing! And then memories flew back and he freaked. "Tsuzuki," he groaned out, pushing himself up. He was in the middle of the street. He blinked in confusion at the sight of an immense green energy wall flickering ten paces away, nearly swallowing up the sky in that direction.
He looked behind him to see average houses lined up in a row behind him, but otherwise it was deathly quiet.
"Oh, good. You're awake."
Secret startled and jerked his head around to see Dr. Stein propped up in a wheelchair, leaning his chin on a hand with tapping fingers. "Who do you think would win in a fight between War and Destruction?"
Disoriented at the faint sunrise lighting the sky around the light green wall, Secret thought a moment. "What?…" Then he saw the tell-tale corner jutting out of the opaque green shielding, and it was cracked through. Alarmed, Secret pushed off the bed, standing. "What the hell. Isn't that a six-pointed Magic Barrier?"
It was impossible to break through a barrier like that!
Dr. Stein hmped in amusement. "Well, yes and no. Lord Death doesn't have a Witch of that caliber on hand. What you're seeing is the result of a Spatial Magic Tool."
"Eibon," Secret uttered. It was not in any of the reference materials, but he knew the name because of the Warlock Muraki's fascination with the Great Wizard's magical genius.
"Very good. I'm surprised you know that name." Stein's dull green eyes grinned with interest. Secret could sense that the doctor felt excited about what could be going on inside the disconnected dimension. "Unfortunately for you, Lord Death has decided to put down your rabid Weapon should the Barrier Shield fail."
Secret pushed off the bed. "I can help him. There's no need to kill him!"
"If that's how you feel, you should take this." A black key with green veining was held towards him.
Accepting it, Secret inspected the antique key, feeling a deep hum from it. It was energy that was kin to the Black Magic of Witches, yet was reminiscent of a Weapon's inherent gifts. "What is this?"
"Isn't it obvious?"
Secret stared at it, unsure. "Will this get me inside…?" His hand tightened on the key as he turned to the looming barrier before him.
"Use it to gain entrance, but don't unlock the barrier until you've got the situation under control. And if you don't get the situation under control, well… Lord Death will." Stein's glasses flashed over as his grin widened. "Your Soul Ability will reveal the keyhole's location so you can enter the Barrier Shield."
"Right."
"Oh, and Hisoka?"
Stiff, Secret halted his step forward.
"Try not to die. I'd miss studying you." The screw cranked behind him.
Turning his head over his shoulder, Secret glared with one eye. "Don't ever use that name again."
The snick-snick of the screw stopped with a click. A smooth chuckle met his ears. "I'll play along with your little game for now, Meister Secret, but I wouldn't wait too long to intervene."
Secret turned again towards the immense barrier. Despite not being able to sense him, Tsuzuki was in there, forced to fight his allies.
Along the cobblestone street as he jogged alongside the flat-walled barrier, Secret extended his senses. Standing so close to the Barrier Shield, the hairs of his arm stood up. Farther down, he felt a star-shaped hole in the barrier surrounded by sparks of energy.
With abated breath, Secret inserted the key.
"Blackriver! Don't go in there!" Tatsumi yelled from behind.
Ignoring his teacher's sharp warning, Secret concentrated. He knew he was successful as the barrier's energy reached out to encase him. Before long he was sucked to the other side of the wall.
There was a flash of light, and Secret's surroundings shuddered before blackness enveloped him suddenly.
Once the shaking subsided, his teacher's Shadow Weapon hovered and pushed away the rubble around Secret. Secret quickly shoved the key into his pocket. Another wave of choking dust blew over them, and Secret coughed, eyes tearing to clear them.
"ARGH! YOU THINK THIS WRECKED SOUL IS WORTH SAVING?! YOU WILL DIE TRYING!" A booming voice straight across from Secret screamed. Through the unsettled dust, a giant, metal monster towered far above Secret.
The Meister shivered at the cold desolation inherent in those words. Sagant bared Tsuzuki's loneliness so brazenly that Secret gritted his teeth in defiance. He didn't know about the colossal golden set of armor that fought opposite of Tsuzuki, but Secret would never give up.
There was another magenta flash of light, and Secret held a hand up to block the intense light, mesmerized by the dizzying sense of power around him. It was probably why neither combatant had noticed Secret. Next to their bonfire, he was only a burning match.
Loud thudding headed in Secret's direction, and he braced for impact against whatever debris was causing that noise.
The Shadow Weapon caught the bouncing boulder and deflected it from Secret.
It crashed into the barrier behind them. The room, for that was what it was, was pure white with a destroyed garden and the gutted remains of a wooden building in the center.
Deflecting several liquid gold energy attacks from different angles, the monster that was Tsuzuki let loose another howl of fury, and then shot more bright purple plasma from his mouth.
Dust filled the air again before it was blown away by more golden energy.
I sense… Secret frowned and then it hit him. Walter!
Tsuzuki's closest friend was neither Normal nor Meister, but he wasn't a Warlock or Weapon either. Secret had been uneasy around him precisely because he had not been able to determine what kind of soul wavelength he was sensing. He knew what he'd sensed hadn't been evil, but it was powerful and akin to Lord Death's otherness. When he picked up the repaired bicycle at Walter's all those months ago, he'd been quick to leave mostly out of his uneasiness and partly because he sensed the inventor didn't want to be disturbed.
"Tsuzuki. Fight back! Don't let that worm win!" The loud voice emanated from the golden armor. Secret could barely see through the miasma of energy clinging to Walter.
"THERE IS ONLY SAGANT! TSUZUKI IS DEAD!" The skeleton thundered, lashing out once more.
The armor's counter-attack had no impact on the skeleton's overall health, but then Secret felt Walter wasn't trying to beat Tsuzuki down.
Secret's mind raced as he tried to figure out how he would get close enough to use Stein's technique on Tsuzuki, while the two combatants were both throwing around enough energy to disintegrate Secret's soul.
With deep resolve, Secret decided on his course of action amidst the shaking ground and explosions bombarding him. He had only lasted this long with the Shadow Weapon by his side, but enough was enough.
He began to magnify the soul wavelength within himself, building it as quickly as he dared, higher and higher. He felt the Shadow Weapon shrink away from the red light.
"Tell Walter to stall for me without using energy attacks. I'm going to try something," Secret muttered to the Weapon. It fled from his form as the red light leaked back to his body, protectively encasing him.
Normally this much amplified power would have caught someone's attention, but this situation was far from normal. Secret hoped that Sagant would remain unaware of his plans until it was too late to counter-attack. Taking one last deep breath, Secret rushed over the pockmarked and pot-holed battlefield, coming upon the foot-shaped I-beam.
"HAH! YOU'VE REALIZED YOU CAN DO NOTHING!" Sagant bragged and then slammed more molten plasma against the shield that Walter used for defense.
Laughing, Walter tipped the shield back to let the attack skitter off into the barrier behind him to watch the gutsy kid's move. "No," the scientist's voice boomed, "I'm just tired of this game."
"SOUL FORCE!" Secret cried barely a second later, slamming his body against the top of the giant foot.
The energy crackled up Tsuzuki's reflective bone-leg, and Sagant screamed.
The dissonance swirled outwards, turning chunks of concrete to dust, clouds of sand to glass, and pieces of wood to splinters.
Taking a step back so as not to get caught up in the destructive force, Walter's voice echoing from the armor cried out, "Come back, Tsuzuki!"
Secret concentrated intensely, following Tsuzuki's chaotic energy and rendering it impotent. His life, Tsuzuki's life, depended on it.
"AAGGGHHGHHH!" The skeleton screeched, bowed back as rapidly alternating current disrupted the two Weapon souls' merge.
A sound, like a wet trumpet, bayed as Secret felt Tsuzuki pry the Kishin soul off of his own.
Sliding out of the metallic skeleton, a hideous, hunchbacked thing with oozing pores stretched out. Its multiple tiny black wings fluttered as its many pudgy fingers flagellated ineffectually towards the skeleton. Tsuzuki punched a sword-arm through the worm and flung it back. Sagant slid off the sharpened steel with a gurgled roar of fury.
Unable to maintain what was usually a short-lived technique any longer, Secret had no more built-up power to give as he panted and clutched the giant metal foot with his body. The Shadow Weapon had returned some time between delivering the message and Secret unleashing his attack and clung to his back tightly.
/I'LL KILL YOU ALL!/ Sagant bayed again, regenerating its wounds.
Tsuzuki answered with his own angry roar, swinging his sword-arms through parts of the caterpillar-like monster.
"ARES STRIKE!" The armor's blackened gold sword would have sliced Sagant in two if at the last instant the winged worm hadn't darted nearer towards Tsuzuki.
Instead only a hulking piece of putrid flesh and feathered wings slid to the ground in a sagging heap. Sagant snarled ferociously and bit into Tsuzuki's ribcage, which hissed from the sound of acid.
The metal feet shifted, and Secret clung with everything he had. Craning his head up, he shimmied backwards to avoid the acid slipping down Tsuzuki's leg. Tatsumi's Shadow Weapon hung over Secret preventing acid from splattering onto him.
As the two drained Dark Weapons fought physically, Secret frowned. What wasTsuzuki doing? He could finish this fight so much faster if he aimed his plasma attack at Sagant's weaknesses.
His eyes widened as he felt his Weapon's emotions. Tsuzuki's berserk! I have to do something!
Swearing, Secret slapped his hands to his Weapon's foot and yelled, "TSUZUKI!"
When there was no answer as Tsuzuki kept blindly attacking the gnawing, greasy pseudo-caterpillar, Secret reached for him.
Absolute darkness and desperation clouded this ephemeral place. The ceiling was arched with black tree limbs blocking out the sky, while the floor was covered with reflective obsidian tiles like the glossy scales of a snake. Sensing where Tsuzuki's soul room was, he turned sharply left.
Finally a heavily chained, red soul door appeared. In prominent purple, the emblem of no-entry was marked onto it.
Ignoring the warning, Secret grabbed the ornate door handle that looked out of place on the otherwise sleek door.
It rattled when he tried to open it. "TSUZUKI!" He screamed, pounding on the door. "OPEN UP!"
The sound of metal snapping was the only warning Secret had to jump backwards and dodge the black chains that whipped around at random like spitting snakes.
With several carefully placed Soul Forces, Secret countered the chains' attack, and they fell to the ground twitching and sparking red.
The door unlatched and hinged ominously out, opening on the side opposite of the handle. Secret backpedaled out of range as a musty, salt-smelling wind sucked at him.
Shrieking pleas emanated from the dark doorway begging to be killed, begging to be released.
Secret shivered. "Tsuzuki, come out of there! We have to resonate!"
Long, night-dark fingers grabbed at the door frame and the wind intensified, knocking Secret off his feet towards the door.
Lightning flashed in the room behind the giant cloaked creature, showing a glimpse of lashing rain and sweeping ocean-water for as far as Secret could see. The wind howled carrying whispered voices of malice. Kill him. Eat him!
The door swung shut with a resounding finality silencing the voices, and the hooded figure extended its bony, root-like fingers towards him. /Secret…?/
Relieved to hear Tsuzuki's voice, Secret grabbed those fingers, allowing himself to be pulled towards the gloomy folds of black cloth which housed Tsuzuki's flaring purple-blue soul. His soul was bright and revealed a fire-eaten collar and neck tie decorated with bones.
We'll defeat him together, Tsuzuki. Secret closed his eyes and reached out for the much-larger soul despite feeling his Weapon's reluctance.
/Alright./
"Soul Resonance!"
Their souls melded.
All that mattered was removing the Kishin soul from this world.
As one, the skeleton whipped around, swords pressed hard against the giant segmented monster. The burning corrosion from the spewed acid stung, but neither soul shirked from the fight.
/DRILLING ACID!/ hiss-snarled Sagant.
Everywhere the acid had touched opened great holes in the skeleton's frame. Pain lanced through them, threatening to break their resonance.
"ARES SWING!" Walter sliced another section off the worm, which screeched and turned.
/BIO-SHOCK!/ The worm howled, directing its next attack at the suit of armor, who prevented the foul, brown spew from touching him with his shield.
Silently thanking their friend for the diversion, Secret-Tsuzuki gathered what remained of their reserves and intensified it into one final attack. Fire roared within the metal skeleton's ribs, superheating it. Tatsumi's Shadow remained where it was, wrapping around Secret's frail body without breaking the important hand contact.
"ARES STRIKE!"
Sagant yowled and swayed backwards towards Secret-Tsuzuki. Its regeneration appeared to be slowing.
Past the Dark Weapon Sagant, Secret-Tsuzuki saw Walter kneel and hold the partially melted shield before him as if expecting a powerful display.
/Ready? This attack is—/ Tsuzuki started.
Just do it Tsuzuki, now that Sagant's weakened!
There was no more hesitation as their metal jaw opened ominously.
"Flame of the Serpent!"
A serpent made of gray and black fire slid out like an abnormally long tongue.
Biting down the scream, Secret gasped as Tsuzuki's Soul Wavelength bucked viciously and chaotically. His hands burned as their Resonance slipped out of place like an unmatched gear, yet Secret stubbornly forced himself to re-size his wavelength to match his Weapon's no matter how erratically it changed.
The fire serpent wrapped itself around the Dark Sword.
Trapped, Sagant wailed as the heat caused the multitude of pustules and sores to pop and hiss disgustingly.
"EXPLODE!" Half the power inside the fire serpent suddenly reversed and it ballooned spectacularly, while Secret could barely grasp Tsuzuki's wavelength as it careened even more out of control.
Sagant dissolved into nothing, leaving behind an ugly, violet-magenta soul.
Seeing that their battle done, Secret fell away from the Resonance hurting. Shoving the Shadow Weapon back with an elbow, Secret forced himself to roll off Tsuzuki's foot and catch himself on his feet, cradling his blistered hands with their blackened fingers against his chest. His arm would need to get re-splinted too, he thought faintly.
A famished Tsuzuki skewered the large soul and slurped it down hungrily.
It was little wonder why Tsuzuki was considered bad luck. If it wasn't for his natural ability, Secret would have been incinerated from the inside out when Tsuzuki's soul wavelength changed so drastically. To Tsuzuki's credit, he had tried to warn Secret, though in the middle of a fight was a bad time to do so.
Secret understood that he needed to practice wielding Tsuzuki to master all of his forms and attacks, especially if he wanted to be a Two-Star Meister.
The Shadow prodded him.
"The key to the barrier's in my pocket," Secret snapped at it, "Give it to Tsuzuki so we can go."
He felt the object lift from him, and then the Shadow disappeared.
"Kid, you okay?"
"Yeah," Secret responded tartly, keeping his hands tucked against him. "And you don't seem hurt. What are you?"
Walter flashed a victory sign. "One of the four successful experiments augmenting a Normal soul."
"Why would a Normal need to be augmented if there are Weapons?"
Chuckling, Walter looked up at the Barrier Shield. "That does seem strange, doesn't it?"
Secret stared at him, following his line of thought. "You were born before Weapons were created? But that would make you… old like Lord Death."
"A little over 900 to be more exact. Though…"
Watching the green fall away like the walls of a box falling outward, Secret nodded. They were at the bottom of a large crater as if the Spatial Magic Tool hadn't been used until someone could trap Sagant with a devastating attack. The street was far above their heads. "Don't worry. I won't tell anyone."
Walter grinned. "I like you, kid. What was your name again?"
"The name's Secret. And I'm not some kid."
A hand closed on his shoulder. "You are when you stubbornly insist on doing things your way and end up hurt."
"I'm fine," Secret retorted at his Weapon, noticing that there wasn't a stain on his clothes after that fight. "I wanted that creep gone before he could do anything else to you."
"You're not fine." Looking pointedly at Walter and then back at his Meister sternly, Tsuzuki lifted Secret into his arms easily.
"Put me down! I'm not an invalid!"
"He said he was fine. No need to baby your Meister," the scientist agreed.
Tsuzuki frowned at Walter. "That attack I just used doesn't allow me to buffer the Resonance before I'm charged."
"What?" Walter growled, looking as incensed as he felt. "Are you insane?"
"I didn't—" Tsuzuki protested.
"I told him to do it. We didn't have much time," Secret said defensively, not looking in Walter's direction.
"Sure you did! Sagant was trapped in the barrier, same as all of us! You had plenty of time!" Walter insisted. "Oh, Heavens. Do you realize how one small misstep could have incinerated your soul?"
Secret didn't answer, but at the depth of Walter's concern Secret felt a little guilty.
"Well, we're fine now," Tsuzuki stated easily though his arms tightened around Secret. He was angry more at himself than at Secret. The protectiveness had grown enormous. Secret stifled a groan at what that meant.
"Tsuzuki, Secret!" Wakaba yelled from the top of the crater, hand tightly gripped on a medicine bag. "Oh, hello, Mr. Walter… Secret, are you alright? Are you injured? The others are either getting treated or helping calm the residents." The wooden stock of her Weapon was stuck up over her shoulder from the strap across her back as she looked down at them.
"I'm taking Secret to the hospital, Wakaba," Tsuzuki said loudly.
Wincing, Secret turned his face into Tsuzuki's chest. "It's not that bad." Secret wanted to show off the blisters but found that his hands were stuck to his shirt. He knew better than to look down, but he did it anyway.
The sight of the oozing, popped blisters and reddened inflamed skin at his wrists gave Secret a moment of disconnect. His eyes had trouble processing the charred flaps of his fingertips. Those couldn't be his hands. He didn't feel anything.
The splint and wrapping were long gone, and it reminded Secret of his likely broken wrist. He felt the deep ache in his left joint. He quietly laid his head back against Tsuzuki's chest, feeling lightheaded.
Looking over Tsuzuki's shoulder at the petite Meister, Walter inhaled sharply at the curled, sticky wet fingers revealed when Secret had tried to pry them off his shirt. "Holy Mother and Death, don't wait for our permission Tsuzuki! Get going!"
Tsuzuki easily scaled the slope to the street level with a single bound. "Come visit Secret at the hospital later."
Wakaba could only half-smile and nod, when she saw the extent of Secret's burns.
Secret would have protested if his mouth wasn't so dry. He licked his lips and swallowed. He didn't miss the look from Tsuzuki, even if he didn't see it.
Tsuzuki jumped onto the nearest roof, revealing no outward harm from evicting the Dark Sword Sagant from his body. Secret tensed as he saw the edges of desert below them.
"It's a shortcut." Tsuzuki explained while he ran, holding Secret like he weighed nothing. Though his Weapon felt upset, he acted composed.
"Sorry," Secret grunted out. "I didn't think it was that bad."
Hopping off a section of round, tiled eaves, Tsuzuki landed gently, stepping through the Emergency Entrance. "I'm starting to think you have a history of overdoing things." Tsuzuki gave him a pointed look.
Secret refused to meet his Weapon's steady gaze. It was true, but he'd hoped that nobody would care enough to stop him at the Academy.
A loud tsk sounded. "Again, Secret?"
"Hi, Hernando," Tsuzuki turned towards the nurse, who after getting a good look at Secret grabbed the phone receiver off the wall and rattled off a code.
"This way."
Tsuzuki was quickly led past a busy room where the beds were separated with curtains to a private room. Tsuzuki set Secret carefully down on the single bed.
That seemed to be when the pain kicked in at Secret's wrists, pressing hard on his head. Secret also became hyper-aware of the other souls beyond the room. Nausea rose from the pit of his stomach.
The door opened.
"I think I'm going to pass out," Secret mumbled.
Two doctors with Meister souls came in already prepped in surgical suits. One had their mask down.
"May I?"
Tsuzuki nodded and moved back to allow the doctors space.
The doctor put his face mask back on, and both Meisters inspected Secret's hands carefully, noting that both hands were stuck to the shirt.
Secret looked down at his hands and the pain intensified, coloring his vision off-hues. He hated the hard mattress under him. "I don't feel good."
"The anesthesiologist will be with us shortly, Meister Blackriver," came the muffled, cool voice.
A bandaged Weapon with dreadlocks came in, pushing a machine in front of her.
"He'll require skin grafts for this amount of damage," the doctor said sternly to Tsuzuki, who winced.
"Hi Secret," the normally silent nurse said, "I'm Nygus. I'm going to give you some medicine to put you to sleep."
The pain had risen to the point where Secret's head felt like it was clamped by two large stones. "O… okay. It won't… It won't hurt, will it?"
"Just a needle prick and then you'll drift off while I countdown."
"Okay," Secret mumbled, aware that the doctors had finished talking to Tsuzuki and had left the room.
"Focus on me," Tsuzuki commanded, his hand lightly touching Secret's cheek.
Those purple eyes pulled him in, and then hospital setting disappeared around them.
"What're you doing?," Secret whispered as his pain steadily became a distant prospect, though he could hear Nygus counting down from fifty. Had she already inserted the IV?
Tsuzuki's smile tried to hide his guilt. "Helping you."
A breeze carrying the smells of early summer caught Secret by surprise. He looked around. He was home. The tiny bell rang melodiously in the peaceful courtyard.
He turned back to thank Tsuzuki, but his Weapon had gone. A bright blue door was all that remained.
Quite suddenly, Secret felt alone. He sat down gingerly on the polished wooden planks of the porch, recognizing his clothing as one of his favorite kimonos.
His hands were undamaged. He stared at them for a few moment before he laid back, taking a deep breath.
His eyes slid close, and he drifted off to sleep.
To Be Continued…
Next time: Happy birthday, Kazusa! What do you mean they're not dating?!