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Kid had called all death scythes for an emergency meeting as soon as he had ended the call with Maka, ordering an immediate lockdown for the citizens of Death City as well. Marie was the first to respond, with Stein at her side. Azusa was second, already setting up monitors and communicating with the other scythes who were awaiting orders. Liz and Patty stood anxiously beside their meister, glancing nervously between each other.
The reaper was nearly shaking with rage as he paced back and forth, hands clenched tightly as he tried to process everything. With the time difference between the two countries, it would be an extremely unlikely to get there in time. It was nearly nine in the morning, meaning it was only a few hours from midnight in Russia. That damned witch…planning to release Asura from his prison.
"Lord Death, what's the status on Maka's party? Are they alright?" Marie asked worriedly, hands clenched against her chest.
"For now. They last reported they were headed to a meeting with one of the Elders of the ninja clan. Witch Ametrine is planning to release the Kishin within a few hours in order to spread madness across the globe. She has already taken out the Witches Realm a few weeks ago, of which we are just now learning about it. Their message was intercepted and thus never delivered to me."
"Chrona expelled the black blood from within Asura and sealed them all on the moon, so if Asura has no remaining black blood inside of him, how does Ametrine expect to gain power from it? She would have to break through the black blood barrier and access Brew in order to do so." Stein cranked the dial on his head a few clicks. "Unless she knows of another way to reach him, the probability to reach Asura seems pretty low to me."
"The witches information explained that there was an ancient ritual that would be powerful enough to release the Kishin from his prison and spread madness throughout the world. A ritual that requires someone of pure blood to be sacrificed in order to overpower the black blood." Kid stopped his pacing and faced Stein with a grave look. "The only one I can think of with pure blood is—"
"Maka."
Spirit wore a hard look on his face as he stopped next to Marie, hands shoved deep into his pockets. He had cleaned up before arriving, but his hair seemed permanently disheveled.
"Her anti-demon wavelength…in a way, it could be considered pure since it destroys any evil. The question is would the black blood within her react with Asura's or would the anti-demon wavelength cancel out the effects?"
"I don't know, Professor Stein, but what I do know is that this battle will most likely be up to those four. I won't make it in time to aid them," Kid clenched his jaw tightly as he ran a hand through his ragged locks. "All of the death scythes are too far to reach them within a few hours. I have asked Kim to be a communications line between us and the witches as they gather what remaining troops they can. If only I had known…"
"There was no way for you to have known, Kid, like they said, the message was intercepted somewhere along the line." Marie spoke softly, wanting to reach out to him with comfort. He was still just a child, getting ready to go to war once more…
"Lord Death, I have contacted all of the other death scythes. They are awaiting your orders," Azusa adjusted her glasses as she spoke. "The fastest any of them could reach the Northern part of Russia is at least six hours."
"There's no time! Asura could be released from the moon by then if something isn't done now."
"Lord Death, I have news from the witches!"
Kim Diehl sprinted into the Death Room, Jacqueline hot on her heels. She stopped a few steps from the reaper, doubling over as she tried to catch her breath. Her partner wrung her hands nervously, eyes darting to everyone in the room.
"Take a breath and tell me," Kid demanded.
"Mabaa-dono said she has amassed a small army of witches to help, but they may not be able to withstand the effects of the madness. Eruka and Free have been contacted, they never received word from her but they are on their way here. She thinks something is messing with her magic around Death City which is why the warning never arrived." Wiping the sweat from her brow, the witch stood up. "They are awaiting word from their connection inside of the clan, but so far nothing has happened. There are still a few hours before the full moon."
"Contact Eruka immediately and gather all the witches in the city, we need Mabaa to have clear access to the Death Room." Kid barked the order, voice booming. "I want a small team assembled in preparation to transport immediately once the path is clear between the witches and Death City. Stein, Marie, I know this is a hard thing to ask of you…"
"Hiroshi will be fine with Nygus, Kid; we are willing to do whatever you need us to do." Marie gave him a small smile.
"If it means getting away from a screaming toddler for a short while, count me in." Stein shot his hand up, swiftly dodging a kick from his wife a moment later.
"Lord Death," Spirit took a step forward towards Kid, face unusually serious. "As a death scythe, it is my duty and honor to serve alongside you in a time of crisis. As a father, it's my duty to ensure the safety of my child. I can't just sit here and watch as she becomes a sacrifice for a demented witch." Kid studied him for a few moments, searching his soul. His wavelength never wavered, flickering strongly within him.
"I will see what I can do, Spirit, we may need all the help we can get. Azusa," the death scythe nodded before pressing a key on the computer console. Kid cleared his throat and calmed his emotions before turning towards the monitors.
"Attention all death scythes…I have called you in preparation for a looming war. One that is happening within a few hours in the Northern part of Russia. The witch Ametrine is planning to release the Kishin Asura from his prison on the moon; her goal is to resume the spread of madness across the globe. I understand and appreciate your willingness to aid in this battle, but your mission is simple; secure your territories immediately, raise all threat levels to S and hold your ground until otherwise instructed. I, along with a small team, will be attempting to relocate to the area Ametrine is hiding out in order to aid the war efforts. Azusa will remain in the Death Room and monitor the situation from here.
"This will be a battle of joined forces; the DWMA, the witches, and The Hidden Shadow Ninja Clan. Together, we shall overcome Asura's madness once more and secure the world's safety for generations to come!"
With a resounding battle cry, the death scythes began to disconnect one by one, rushing to secure their territories. Kid let out a heavy breath, his demeanor falling back to tense and exhausted. If the witch Eruka could disband the barrier, then there was still hope that Mabaa could teleport them to the battle. The Reaper never doubted for a second that Black Star and Maka could handle themselves, but with the level of madness Ametrine was attempting to release…
"Has there been any word received from them?" Kid asked.
"No, and we've tried getting ahold of them, but no one is answering. You don't think the battle's already begun, do you…?" Liz asked nervously, glancing at Patty.
"If it has, then we need to quicken our efforts here in order to join them. Let's just hope we're not too late…"
Maka, Soul, Black Star, and Tsubaki waited silently at the end of the hidden tunnel as Viktor checked the surrounding area before knocking three times rapidly against the low ceiling. The tunnel had both narrowed and lowered as they entered the village outskirts, obviously an older system build hundreds of years ago, judging by the aged wood supporting it. After a few seconds, the door slowly opened, groaning as it slid along a rusted track.
"Come, we are running out of time. This will lead us to the rafters above the reading fire. We will access a hidden room on the other side where Flyorova will be waiting for us. Silence is key." Viktor whispered before motioning for them to move. With ease he jumped into the dark hole.
As they crawled through the shrines framing, the sounds of a fire crackling soon reached their ears. There was very little lighting and the scythe meister nearly slipped a few stories to her death if it weren't for Viktor snapping his hand out to catch her in time. Nearing the center, the ninja held up a hand and motioned for them to stay silent before pointing down to the fire. Flaming locks brightly stood out in the darkened shrine. She was sitting at the edge of the fire's pit, waiting quietly for someone. Maka felt her blood begin to boil the longer she stared at the woman, ready to launch herself down there and slice her in half. A strong hand gripped her arm and she turned to see Soul giving her a stern look, shaking his head no.
Something caught the witch's attention and she stood suddenly, palms resting against her hips. A figure emerged from the fire's shadow; Zefirov David Igorevich, the third Elder. He was carrying something in his hands, a box it seemed, his expression unreadable.
"I am assuming it is time to act, no?" He rumbled, holding the box out to the witch. "I have done what you have asked; the concentrated madness has been leaked into the water supplies and food storage sheds. It may only have a mild affect for those of higher skill, but the others should be able to succumb to it. I have already slipped very strong doses to Flyorova and Dimitri."
"Excellent, you've done well for me, Zefirov. Your service will be well rewarded." Ametrine grinned as she opened the box. Two small vials were nestled within, darkness swirling violently in the glass. "Once I have my pure sacrifice, all I need to do is slip this into their body and the rest is taken care of. They'll succumb to the madness and become the gateway to unleashing Asura from his imprisonment. Has everything been set up for when the witches arrive?"
"Yes, Mistress, the traps have been set. There is an ambush waiting for them on all sides of the village. Has there been any word on the DWMA students?"
"No, but I suspect they're close if not already here," Ametrine mused, shutting the box lid. "That barrier I set up around Death City should be in full effect as well, meaning the witches can't connect with Lord Death and communicate very well. Mabaa will be eliminated and I shall take over as true Mother of the Coven."
Maka felt the hair on the back of her neck stand when Ametrine suddenly glanced in their direction, lips twisted into a knowing smile. With a few final words, the two went their separate ways, leaving the shrine empty. The fire crackled loudly as timber shifted, flames licking greedily at the kinder. Viktor sent them a hard look before beginning to move, swiftly moving across the ancient beams.
"Ametrine knows. Our plan has been compromised; we must divert our course and meet with my team. Flyorova will most likely be aware of what has happened and will isolate herself." The ninja spoke as they lowered themselves into a small room on the other side of the shrine. "As for what happens from here, wait for my signal to move ahead. I will return shortly so be sure to say what you need to before this war starts. We will not all survive it."
The paper door opened and closed, leaving the four teens alone in silence.
"He acts like we're all going to die," Black Star mumbled through his collar. "Ametrine may be tough shit, but Asura was stronger. She'll be dead before she can take a breath."
"I have a feeling she's stronger than Asura, by a good measure." Maka said quietly, all eyes turning to her. "There's something I haven't told you, something that I didn't confirm until we returned from Russia the first time."
The meister turned and slowly walked towards the lone windowpane in the room, looking out over the dimly lit village with her arms wrapped around her waist as she leaned against the frame.
"What Ametrine was saying earlier, about there being a pure-blooded sacrifice? I know who it is, who is meant to be the gate to unleashing Asura."
"You don't mean…" Tsubaki covered her mouth with her hands, eyes wide as she caught on.
"You think you're the gate…" Black Star finished for her.
"I won't let her take you away from me, Maka, I'll rip out her heart before she gets close." Soul swore as he stepped towards her. "We'll end this war before she can get anywhere close to you, I promise."
"You've felt my shoulder pain, right? How it oddly hasn't healed in the weeks since the battle?" Maka suddenly stood upright, slipping her winter coat from her body and dropping it to the floor. With a delicate movement, she turned around and pulled her shirt down over her shoulder. There, glowing deep red, was a witch's symbol engraved into the back of her shoulder, resting just behind her heart. "That day, when I was hit with the creature's claws, it scratched me there and must have transferred the spell. It didn't become visible until we were getting closer to Ametrine. It's been burning since we returned to Innopolis; that's why I had that headache, why my shoulder failed during the fight. That's why she looked up at me a few minutes ago; she could feel the magic activating."
Nobody moved as they stared at the marking, at a loss for words. After a few heartbeats the meister pulled her shirt back up, bending down to grab her coat. She couldn't meet their eyes, not after what she just said, so she searched their souls. Soul was confused, hurt, and upset that she didn't tell him anything. Tsubaki was shocked and scared, her soul trembling as she fought back tears. Black Star…
"And you kept this from us until now?" His voice was dangerously low as he quickly closed the distance between them, roughly grabbing the front of her shirt and slamming her back against the wall. She winced at the pain but remained silent. "You couldn't bother telling your friends that you were the fucking gate to unleashing Asura?!"
"How did you expect me to tell you? 'Oh, hey, by the way I'm the fucking pure-blooded sacrifice to unleash Asura!' If I had told you, or anyone, then we wouldn't be here trying to stop her! I would have been chained in the basement of the DWMA far away from her while she corrupted the world! I'm the only one who can stop her, Black Star, and you would've done the same damn thing!"
His glare sent a chill down her spine; he was livid. Soul latched onto his forearm tightly, shooting his best friend a venomous look. With an angry huff, the ninja released Maka and silently launched himself back up through the ceiling door they had entered from. Tsubaki looked torn between her friends, eyes darting anxiously between the couple and where her meister had gone. With a brief nod from Maka, the weapon took off after Black Star, leaving the meister alone with her silent weapon.
Soul had walked away from her, running a hand angrily through his hair, looking ready to punch a hole in the wall. Maka slowly put her coat back on, eyes glued to the worn tatami mats lining the floor. She didn't want it to happen this way, not when they were about to go into the biggest war with three of the most powerful forces on Earth. There would be dozens, if not hundreds, of casualties during the battle. The witches wanted their revenge, the ninja clan would be torn apart by the level of madness about to be unleashed, and Maka may have just ruined her relationship with the man she loved.
"Soul –"
"Answer me this," His tone was sharp and the meister flinched. "How long have you known?"
"I-I noticed it shortly after the fight at the DWMA...right before I was unconscious for a week." The words were like tar in her throat. "It glowed only for a few seconds and I thought I was hallucinating. I looked into it at the library and didn't find much on it, so I…contacted Mabaa in the Witches Realm." Maka waited for his response, twisting her fingers nervously.
"What did they say?" Soul was quiet as he tried to absorb everything.
"They—she said it was a curse marking. A very ancient and powerful one; so powerful, it was locked away in a book of dark magic. Once it's on the intended target…" She didn't, couldn't, finish her sentence. It was too painful to think about.
"That bad, huh."
"Yeah…I'm sorry, Soul, for keeping it from you. I didn't want you to worry…" A hand caressed her face before lifting it up gently. Soul gave her a small smile before pulling her against his chest and wrapping his arms around her petite frame.
"I knew you'd tell me when you were ready, that part of you hasn't changed all these years. Whatever she's planning, we won't let her go through with it. I'll protect you with my life."
"If anything happens," Maka said suddenly as she pushed away from him, locking eyes. "Please, please, promise me you won't let the madness consume you. That you'll fight every day to survive and live on without me." Soul stared at her in shock, at a loss for words.
"Why are you acting like you aren't going to survive this?"
"Because, Soul, if what I was told about this marking is true," Maka said shakily, tears filling her eyes as she rested her hand against his face. "I'll be dead once the clock strikes twelve."
~*B*~
"You went overboard back there, Black Star! I can't believe you would attack her like that!" Tsubaki chewed her meister out as she stood toe to toe with him, standing just over a head shorter than him. "She's probably terrified about all of this and you just went and shoved her into a wall! Out of all the things you've done, this is by far the lowest—!"
"How else was I supposed to react, Tsubaki? Congratulate her for her place in history as the one to re-release Asura? No, I'm fucking pissed that she didn't tell anyone about this!" Black Star lashed out, forcing his weapon to take a few steps backwards. "We could have tried to find a way to erase the curse, but no; she kept it to herself until a few hours before a fucking war!"
"She didn't have much of a choice! Do you really think any of us would have let her come here knowing she would be potentially throwing her life away to unwillingly unleash the Kishin? There wasn't enough time to find a way to reverse it before Ametrine destroyed the world."
"It still doesn't make it right, damnit."
Black Star glared at the moon high above, arms crossed tightly over his chest. Tsubaki sighed heavily as she walked away from him, trying to cool off. Never had she been so angry with him and it made her feel sick to her stomach. They were about to go to war and fighting between themselves was the worst thing they could do. Not only did it cause lapses in judgement, but it could potentially weaken their resonance strength. What Viktor said earlier suddenly rang in her mind and she stopped dead in her tracks, near the edge of the roofs gable. If she didn't do it now, while she had the courage, then there wouldn't be the chance if something happened to either one of them. Glancing at him, he was still standing stationary, burning holes into the moon.
Turning on her heel, the weapon swiftly walked up to her meister, spun him around to face her, and with a quick pull of his collar, crushed her lips to his. The meister nearly stumbled backwards in shock as his weapon kissed him. Like, actually kissed him. It took him a minute to realize she had pulled back, face bright red as she glanced off to the side, biting her lip. His mouth opened and closed a few times, completely speechless for the first time in his life.
"Ts-Tsbuaki, what—"
"I-I wanted to do that for s-some time now, and with what Viktor said earlier…I wanted to make sure I did it while we still had the chance." Tsubaki stuttered as she covered her face with both hands, shaking her head in embarrassment. "If something happened to us—"
Calloused hands cradled her face and lowered her hands before lips encased her own. Indigo eyes widened as she watched her meister pull away, his cheeks tinted bright red. The two stared at each other for a moment, hearts pounding wildly against their chests.
"I love you, 'Baki, have for a few years now," Black Star said quietly. "Couldn't find the right time to say it."
"Black Star…" Tsubaki couldn't stop the tears as they fell, her heart overjoyed. Seeing the tears, her meister gently wiped them away before pulling her against him.
"Everything will be alright, I promise you. I'll protect you with my life."
"I know you will, Black Star."
~*B*~
By the time Black Star and Tsubaki returned to the room, Viktor had returned and was quietly talking with Soul and Maka. White eyes darted to his and without spoken words, a mutual understanding was shared.
"My team is outside of the caverns waiting for us and we must move swiftly. The entire village has been evacuated and there should be very few people left. We have less than an hour before midnight strikes; Ametrine must fall within the hour or else the madness' control will grow." Viktor received a small nod from everyone.
The team quickly weaved their way through the ancient building, not bothering to take secret passages anymore as their cover had been blown. Maka and Black Star held their weapons close to them, grips tight. In a matter of minutes, they were once again in the arctic air. The town seemed desolate without the villagers, though they all knew better than to relax. As they neared the cave entrance, Viktor held up his hand, signaling to stop. The meisters silenced their breathing, searching the area with caution.
"It is too quiet…brace yourselves." Viktor muttered under his breath as he slowly unsheathed his sword. The meisters steadied their stance and waited.
Within seconds, snow blasted into the air as dozens of pre-Kishins emerged from the ground. Their screeches deafening as they descended upon the group with ravenous appetites. The ninjas vanished into the darkness while Genie Hunter lit up the area, its light vibrant as it sliced through the creatures with ease. Maka felt the black blood pulsing in her veins as they resonated, fueling her movements as she slayed left and right.
She opened her eyes to find the familiar checkered piano room, Soul standing there waiting for her like always. As she walked towards his waiting hand, something nagged at the back of her mind, like a tiny prickling sensation. Looking around, nothing seemed out of the ordinary, so the meister ignored it as she melted against her partner. The record player kicked up once more, it's repetitive tune nothing more than background noise as they swayed.
One came at her from above, attempting to catch her off guard. As it reached elongated claws out to grab her, it suddenly felt searing heat as the scythe lifted up from beneath it, cleanly slicing it in half. It exploded into thick black particles, joining the dozens of others as they were slain one after another by the scythe meister. Black Star and Viktor were taking the creatures down swiftly and silently, giving the element of surprise. The two worked well together, moving in synchrony as they assassinated left and right. With a shared look, the meister swung Tsubaki's chain around Viktor's ankle before pulling hard and digging his heel into the ground. The ninja quickly cleared the radius surrounding them as he became a swinging guillotine, decapitating the demons with ease. With another tug, he was freed, landing next to his comrade and standing back-to-back.
There were no words exchanged as they moved, their feelings resonating between their souls. Another prickle in the back of her mind. Was there something she was forgetting? Something important? It soon died out and she rested her head against his chest, wrapping her slim arms around his neck while his wrapped around her waist. The music skipped slightly as the needle shifted, but neither paid attention to it.
Maka planted the scythe into the ground and swung at an incoming attack, her heel landing heavily into the creatures' face. With a high-pitched scream, it evaporated. They were endless, continuously emerging from the surrounding snowbanks. Ametrine was trying to buy time until the clock struck midnight. Glancing at the position of the moon, she knew they were running short on time; it was nearly centered in the starry sky above them. She could hear Black Star and Viktor fighting not too far from her. While the meister wasn't short of breath, the constant flow of demented hybrids was getting tiresome. The familiar sense of pure fear began to grip into her heart, and she whipped around to see one of the massive pre-Kishins bowling through the smaller ones, red eyes locked onto her. Snatching for the bag on her hip, Maka slipped it open and managed to grab one of the small orbs just as the creature reached for her.
"Maka, dodge!" Soul screamed as he watched its enormous paw swing for her head, razor sharp claws glistening in the bright moonlight.
A bright orb shot over her and collided with the beast, sending it backwards into the dense forest. Maka didn't need to turn around to see who it was that saved her. Witches began blasting attacks from above, laying down heavy firing coverage for the fighters. Swallowing the orb, the meister quickly flung herself towards the downed creature, Kishin Hunter crackling with dangerous power. It was over in a second as she landed in the snow behind it, crouched low. It had just turned to look at her when it exploded. A madness caked soul drifted slowly into the air, wiggling erratically in place. A small translucent box encased the soul before vanishing.
The record player suddenly screeched to a halt, the noise deafening in the small room. Looking around, the meister felt confused as the warm that had just enveloped her was gone, Soul nowhere to be seen. The frequency of the prickling increased dramatically and the meister looked around the room; only it was no longer the familiar piano room she saw as a second home. The surroundings began melting into darkness around her and she felt the floor suddenly drop from beneath her, plunging her into its depths as she released a silent scream. When she landed, it felt like she had hit water. It jarred her skeleton as she slowed to a float in the viscous liquid, black blood dress dissolving into nothingness, leaving her bare. Images began speeding past her at a high rate of speed and Maka realized they were her memories; of entering the DWMA, meeting Soul, her friends, fighting Medusa, becoming friends with Chrona, fighting Arachne, making her partner a Death Scythe, fighting Asura, the moon sealing with black blood, Kid becoming Lord Death, becoming a three-star meister, landing in Russia, fighting a pre-Kishin, fighting Ametrine at the DWMA, kissing Soul for the first time, returning to Russia. The pictures after that began to burn, dissolving into ashes before being swallowed into the darkness.
"Reaper, welcome to your final resting place," A deep raspy voice cooed all around Maka as she floated weightlessly. "Your physical body no longer belongs to you, but to the Kishin Asura. There is no pain, no fear, no emotions, no escape."
"You're—" Maka gagged as hot liquid spewed from her mouth, black blood drops floating through the air. Everything inside of her was on fire, destroying her body from the inside out as she began suffocating on the pain. Organs began shutting down and decaying at a rapid pace.
"You belong to Asura now, so embrace the madness he bestows upon you and serve the rightful ruler of the world." The horrendous creature that haunted her mind shifted in front of her, face mimicking the Kishin Asura. "Come, child, serve me and fulfill your greatest accomplishment the world has ever known."
It held out a hand, inviting her to a place with no pain, fear, or emotions. Maka felt the tears sting her face as she shakily reached out towards it, desperate for a release from the pain. She paused momentarily as something tugged at her heart, a warm feeling enveloping her body before vanishing. More blood poured from her lips and she curled up, body convulsing violently as it tore itself apart. The inviting hand reached out to her once more, offering a pain-free escape. As soon as they touched, her consciousness plummeted into the darkness as madness caressed her with a loving embrace.
"It's over…she actually fell for it…" The little red demon wheezed as he clutched his chest, blood trickling from the edges of his lips. "It's been fun…Evans…as much as it pains me to say…I'll miss our little banters…"
"Wh-what's going on…" One moment Soul was holding Maka, then next, she was gone, and the room had begun to dissolve away, absorbing into the darkness. "Oi, ogre, where's Maka? What happened to her?"
"She's been swallowed by Asura's…" He coughed violently, dark blood splattering through gnarled fingers. "Madness…since I'm dying…that means she is too." With one final gasp for air, the demon stilled before he too, was swallowed by the madness.
Overwhelming pain stabbed him in the chest and the weapon dropped to his knees, gasping for air. It felt like his heart was about to explode from strain. As he began reverting back to human form, there was only one thing on his mind.
"Maka…"
Maka stopped dead in her tracks with wide eyes, her hand grasping at her chest desperately as it began beating painfully in distress, a strangled groan slipping between her lips. Ringing in her ears drowned out the battlefield as she fell to her knees in the snow, body going numb. There was a low, muffled noise trying to reach through the vibration, growing increasingly softer. With a slow movement, she looked up towards the soft noise, vision beginning to blur. White hair…red eyes…they seemed so familiar…yet as her mind began to be sucked into the depths of abyss, the feeling quietly dissolved away, and she let herself fall into its embrace.
"Maka! Answer me, Maka, you need to stay awake!" Soul yelled as his meister suddenly slumped over into the snow, blank eyes unseeing towards the full moon. "MAKA, DON'T FUCKING DIE ON ME!" He could feel their resonance begin to crumble apart as her heartbeat grew weaker and weaker, her skin paling rapidly.
"Viktor, cover me!" Black Star yelled as he forced his way through the creatures, aiming for his friends. "She better not have, she couldn't have…"
"Black Star…I think she's…" Tsubaki sobbed quietly as it dawned on her.
"Don't say it! Maka isn't dead, she can't die!" He snarled as he punched a Pre-Kishin out of his way, sending it flying through the air. "She's stronger than this! She's the strongest person I know, damnit!"
As soon as he slid to a stop next to the hunched over body of Soul, he felt his heart drop into his stomach. Maka was stilled, green orbs dull with the lack of life as they stared straight above. She was pale, almost as pale as the snow beneath her as she laid motionless. Black Star released Tsubaki as he fell to his knees, crawling over to his childhood friend with shaking limbs.
"Oi, Maka…this isn't funny…hey, wake up. You've gotta save the world…" Black Star shook her lightly, his mind going numb as she failed to respond.
"Soul…" Tsubaki whispered as she reached out to touch the sobbing weapon, tears pouring down his cheeks. "Soul, please…we need to get her out of here…" The weapon didn't respond.
Soul let out a heart wrenching scream as he felt the final connection snap within him, their resonance becoming non-existent. Tsubaki grabbed him as he lost consciousness, a high fever raging throughout his body at the sudden loss of resonance. Black Star clenched his jaw as he thrust his hand over Maka's heart, his soul wavelength crackling down his arm and into his palm. Without a second thought, he blasted it into her chest. Her body jerked violently from the ground, arching before falling flat once more. With a frustrated scream, the ninja did it again with the same results.
"I won't let you die on me, Maka, I'll fucking kill you if you die!" Black Star screamed as tears slid down his face, landing softly against her DWMA jacket.
"Black Star…we have to go…" Tsubaki sobbed as she began dragging Soul away from Maka's body. "Soul will die if we don't do something!"
"You children have nothing to worry about, I'll take good care of her." A sweet voice froze them into place, their neck hairs standing straight up.
Ametrine strolled over to them with a maniacal grin on her face, hands smugly resting on her hips as she looked down at them. Massive Pre-Kishins flanked either side of her, their faces flickering rapidly. They were bigger than the ones encountered in Innopolis, at least twice their size. Tsubaki clutched Soul tightly to her chest as she tried to scoot away, the overwhelming madness radiating off her making her sick. Black Star's hand froze over the still meister, fingers slowly curling into a fist.
"You…"
Murderous intent rolled from the ninja as he swayed to his feet unsteadily, head down. A few of the smaller creatures scurried backwards at the explosive force of Black Star's soul wavelength expanding rapidly. The witch merely arched a brow in response as high winds whipped her hair violently behind her. His soul seemed different this time, more erratic and unstable.
"How sweet of you to remember me," Ametrine cooed. "But I'm afraid there isn't time to chat right now. Darling Maka and I—"
A fist slammed into her face and the witch went careening back into a tree, hitting it with a sickening crunch. Black Star stood upright, bringing his fist back to his center. Green eyes morphed into yellow as he glowered at the witch with palpable hatred and disgust. He rocked back on his heels before darting forward, fist drawn back and crackling with energy. Before she could so much as sit up, the ninja latched onto her throat and released the full blast of his wavelength. Ametrine screamed as her body was electrocuted, her skin beginning to peel off as it burned and died.
"Don't ever say her name! You vile fucking witch!" Black Star screamed.
While the witches swooped in to clear the creatures, Viktor took the opening and landed next to a fearful Tsubaki. Moving quickly, he grabbed Soul and tossed him over his shoulder, offering the weapon a hand. The two quickly backed away to a safe area as Black Star continued to electrocute and pummel the witch.
A ringing noise startled the teen and she looked around confused before realizing it was coming from her backpack. Scrambling to open the bag with shaky fingers, the weapon finally cut the bag with her blade before dumping its contents into the snow. A blue light was shining from her compact, the one she had brought along for this mission. She held it with wide eyes as Kid's face appeared in the mirror, golden eyes flickering slightly in the reflection.
"Tsubaki, what's goin—?"
"Kid…" Tsubaki choked as she stared at the Reaper. "Kid…please, help us…they're not…Maka and Soul…we can't…"
"Tell me what's going on!" Kid yelled as he grabbed the sides of the mirror, pushing his face further against it. "What happened? What about Maka and Soul!"
The mirror fell from the weapons grasp as a loud explosion sent the three of them flying. In the Death Room, the screen turned white, static flashing across the mirror. More explosions went off and the mirror lost contact.
"Where in the hell is Kim! We need those witches now!" Kid barked out as he turned wild eyes to Azusa. "Lock onto the transmission signal and get me coordinates to their exact location! We're out of time—!"
A bright flash filled the Death Room and the room filled with panicked cries, the sound of weapons transforming instantaneous. Blinking hard, Kid squinted at two forms emerging from a cloud of smoke.
"Is that who I think it is…?"
"Sis, look!"
"Thank Shinigami you're here!"
The smoke thinned and the Reaper nearly cried in joy at the sight. Mabaa and her assistant stood a few feet from him. Their clothes were dirty, and exhaustion dragged at their skin, but they were standing. Marie untransformed as did Spirit and Azusa, their tension easing off. Kim rushed back into the room, Eruka and Free following hot on her trail. Kilik, Fire and Thunder, Ox and Harvar followed close behind as well, having forced their way into the Death Room.
"Mabaa-dono…Kim, did you get the barrier to break?" Kid asked, astonished as the witches stood before him. "Forget I asked, we don't have time for this. I hate to ask this of you, Mabaa, not only as Lord Death, but as a friend and ally I beg of you; please send me to my friends."
"Nyamuu. Nyamuu, Nyamuu?" Mabaa chirped solemnly as she glanced up at Free, the werewolf looking confused before nodding in understanding.
"Screw the formalities; we need you to kill the with Ametrine for us. Our army isn't enough to hold the creatures off much longer and they can only do long distance attacks. Your side isn't faring too well at the moment either. She wants to know how many to transport and when as well." The tall witch coughed before scrounging for her pipe in her robe, hand trembling slightly.
"Spirit, Marie and Stein, Kilik and Ox, Liz and Patti, and myself. Any objections?" Kid counted off the teams on his fingers; they would have to do.
"Kid, take me and Jackie, we can provide aid." Kim blurted out as she jogged up to him. "If something's happened to them, then we'll give them the better chance of survival."
"I'll stay here and ready the coordinates for Mabaa. Free, you're going with?" Eruka croaked as she set about preparing the spell.
"Yeah. I'll be back soon enough," The werewolf gave her a toothy grin. "I am immortal after all."
"If this is everyone, let's head out. Azusa, I'll be in contact with you throughout the mission. Keep an eye on us." Kid ordered as he stood by Mabaa, Liz and Patty clasped tightly in his hands.
"Yes, Lord Death. Be careful and good luck." The demon weapon added the last part quietly before turning back to her monitors.
"Calculations ready, ribbit. Preparing memory transfer." Eruka croaked. "Transfer complete; you are good to go, Mabaa!"
Magic pulsed strongly throughout the room as Mabaa released her powers. Free stood behind her, transferring the power of her eye back into her body. With a loud pop, they were gone. Azusa sighed as she waited for his signal to appear on the screens. This would be the most difficult thing Kid would have to face in his short time as Lord Death. The Death Scythe still worried over him; he was still just a kid who deserved a normal life.
"I hope you can bring them all back safely, Kid."
This chapter was definitely more emotional than the others. I rewrote it a few times to make it flow better, so hopefully you guys enjoy it! Next chapter will be out within a week or two.