His
He let out a shaky breath as he stepped out of her door. The black blood in his veins went out of control. It seemed like he would go insane just by being close to her. The demon became on edge after a few minutes of close proximity. His hands still shook from the destructive wavelength in her soul. Even the soul tied to her couldn't stay near her most of the time. She didn't know she possessed such great strength for being the water's vessel. A normal person would turn berserk. Yet she always fail to see her value. He wanted to show how important she was to them but he didn't know how.
Walking to the living room, he sat in front of the long table before letting out a frustrated grunt. The documents of the missing victims and the children left in the orphanage reminded him how high the stakes they were fighting for in that moment.
Their victory depended on the meister since her unrivaled anti-demon wavelength would be able eradicate the effects of the water. She needed it to, or else, the children would live all of their life like zombies. They all knew it but she took it upon herself to save them as soon as possible. Maka knew the risks of being caught and turned into a mindless husk but she went anyway because she didn't want the children in the orphanage to suffer any longer. Because even though she's violent, she's kind. That reckless woman.
That's why it was both painful and frustrating to see her like that. In all the years they've been together, he hadn't seen her as lost as she did earlier. Not when her Mama divorced and left them. Not when they lost Crona on the battle. Not when she realized her Mama stopped sending letters. She always held her head up and had everything figured out.
"Darned it!" He punched the table in anger. The chain of her necklace rattled from the force, reminding him to give it back to her later.
It was dawn when he finished reading all of the files. He furrowed his brows in confusion while staring at the date the victims went missing. They're a recent case for a devastated mother wanting to revive their dead daughter. If Ren's claims was true, how come they were searching for a container just now? Was he missing something?
His hand hovered on the paper as he recalled Kidd's words. There were victims of kidnapping throughout Europe, meaning the five victims he read was just a part of a whole. He jogged to the mailbox outside. Just as he thought, the newspaper dedicated a whole page to the missing children. He skimmed the whole article and learned two things. First, some were already found, including the three girls on his files, and they had no memory left. And second, there were victims of different races and ages.
"Oi, oi. You got to be kidding me." He stared at it the children's names in disbelief. That Witch… She planned to mislead them by using Maka as a diversion while she collected an army.
"Kidd, can you check the lineages of these people?" He flashed him the newspaper. "I think, I know why they've gone missing. And if my hunch is right, Peisinoe's searching for people with weapon and meister blood to be her soldiers."
All trace of drowsiness disappeared from the Shinigami's face when he processed his words. "We'll look into it. Is there anything else I need to know that might help us?"
Soul nodded. They're a step closer to the truth. "Ren told me before that she took over Maka's body the day they escaped Peisinoe. If she was able to control her host, then she could check their abilities by forcing their bodies to transform or wield weapons."
"It's possible. I'll send Black Star and other members of Spartoi there as a precaution." His expression turned dark. "I'm such a fool to let myself be deceived by the informant."
"Informant?"
"Yeah. A woman approached our staff and begged them to find their missing child and several others who looked like her. She even gave us their names and pictures so that we could search them. I thought, it was odd that the news came just as got the report of missing children in Europe but I brushed it off."
"Don't blame yourself, Kidd. I would probably do the same if I was in your shoes." He was about to drop their call, the Shinigami stopped him.
"Soul, remember the question about having stitched souls? I found the answer to that. The Witches did an experiment about it before but immediately stopped because the people subjected to it went insane and had a horrible death."
His body turned numb. "All of them?"
"Yes. A body is incompatible with any soul other than it's own. If you were to force another soul into it, it will undergo sudden rejection. The two souls will fight to take over the body and the loser will be swallowed up." Kidd picked up a book from the floor and held it up to him, pointing at the illustrations. "At first, they tried to put a mediator between the two souls to prevent it from happening but even so, the recorded subject only lasted for two years."
"What would happen during the rejection process?"
"Their health would drop. They would fade in and out of consciousness before losing their sanity. Don't worry though. The researchers are doing their best to figure out a cure. I promise, I won't let anything happen to Maka."
"Thanks, Kidd."
He grabbed the basket of fruits along with the gift on the table. They would go to the hospital to visit Rose just as he promised the child. The old woman hadn't recovered for about a week and he already asked Kidd to tell Kim about it. "Hey, Maka. Is it okay if you look after Ivelle?"
"It's fine. No need to ask." The meister replied while braiding the girl's hair. She was surprisingly calm but maybe it was because she let out all of her pent-up emotions last night. Her lips curled up into a wide smile as she took Ivelle's hand. "Ready to go?"
"Yeah!"
They decided to walk the hospital because it wasn't that far. Also, because the two wanted to see the neighbor's garden. He watched them point at some of the flowers before letting out an excited giggle. Maka's hair was longer than he remembered and it fluttered in the gentle breeze when she moved. Ivelle whispered something to her. They looked back at him then bursted out laughing. His eyebrows raised in question but they continued to laugh harder.
"Alright. Is there something on my face?" He looked at them in amusement.
"Nope." Ivelle shook her head while grinning from ear to ear. "I just wonder what you'll look like when you're a girl and Maka said you'd look like me but more demanding."
"A prissy princess." She added with a playful smile. "Am I right?"
"I don't know what you're talking about." He smirked, realizing a little late that she used Liz' exact words at the Lust Chapter in the Book of Eibon.
Just when he thought about asking her, she stopped walking all of a sudden. Her expression turned dark while she stared at the horizon. She hid Ivelle in her back. "Something's coming."
He didn't dare question her. Standing beside her, he turned his arm into a blade, ignoring the child's surprised gasp. "Is it an enemy?"
"Probably. They had the same energy as Moth- Peisinoe and are heading our way in a medium speed."
No sooner than the words left her lips, a car came into view. It stopped a few meters in front of them as an old woman came of the car. Rose stared at them in confusion. "What's happening in here?"
"Nana!" Ivelle ran towards her but Maka seized her arm. "But that's Nana!"
"I may not seen the face of your grandma but I know for a fact that it isn't her." Her eyes held a dangerous glint. "What do you want, Peisinoe?"
Although the woman looked like Rose, he knew she was a different person. Their posture and the air surrounding her was different than the old woman he met on the apartment.
"What do you mean? I'm your servant-"
"Enough!" He pressed the keys on his blade, sending out a sound wave.
Rose glared at them and dodged his attack. Her appearance glimmered and she turned into a woman in her early thirties with long, ebony hair reaching to her thighs and deep purple eyes. She pointed a shaking finger at Maka. "And you! I order you to return that book this instant!"
"No! I know what you are and I won't fall for your tricks again." The meister curled her hands into a fist. "I've had enough of your mind games!"
Maka's indignation surprised her. She was taken aback for only a moment but it was enough for him. He leaped forward then slashed her in the stomach.
The witch shrieked in pain. Two large wings unfurled on her back, tearing up her cloak. It hit him square on the torso, sending him flying on one of the houses. All breath left his lungs when he collided on the concrete walls. He fell on the ground gasping as he recovered from the impact. Through the smoke, he could make out Maka evading a barrage of sharp feathers while carrying the terrified child in her arms.
With a grunt, he pulled away from the debris then sent a series of sound waves to the old hag standing between them but her wings stopped it from reaching her.
"Kuro, karasu, crow. Kuro, karasu, crow. Remex discord." More feathers materialized around Peisinoe. It aimed at the two girls. "I have no use of you now."
His eyes widened. The meister lost most of her memories, including her training and experience. She had nothing in hand to defend them. Even if she remembered how to fight and had a weapon, it would be impossible to stop the attack without taking any damage. He had to stop the Witch!
Soul pushed his legs to run, blades protruding on his wrist. Peisinoe was almost an arm away from him when the feathers sailed through the air. NO! His feet dug on the earth when he forced himself to run faster. He had to stop her darned it! Run faster! Reach her! In a desperate moment, he unleashed the power of Black blood. The darned imp had a face-splitting grin plastered on its face.
Everything blurred from then on. He saw his blade lengthen. Its keys dripping with suspicious liquid, pooling the ground where he and the witch stood. She turned back. Surprise and confusion written all over her face. Her wing expanded to hit him but he caught it in one hand. The sharp plumes cut through his palm though it didn't fazed him a bit. Black blood seeped to her wings and he smirked as it morphed into tiny needles, piercing her skin. Maybe he should thank the dead Medusa for her gift of curse.
Her attacks were redirected to him. How funny. He couldn't remember why he wanted to stop it in the first place. The feathers hit him before falling in the ground with a loud clang. It didn't even grazed him. Just when Peisinoe opened her mouth to chant a spell, he drove his blade through her wing.
"Remex-" her chant turned to screams but he paid no attention to her pain as utter disappointment filled him.
"Your blood is not black. Why?"
Someone tackled him and he couldn't remember anything except for one familiar scream that would sure to haunt him, knowing he could be the cause of her pain.
His surroundings disappeared and he found himself sinking in the dense water. Darned it all! How could he allow the Black blood to took over his body? He was loathing his recklessness when he heard it: Maka's voice calling out his name. The water around him boiled and he saw her above him. Her chest glowing with warm light. She forced her way through it.
"Stop! You'll sink into the madness!" His voice was muffled but he knew she heard him.
Still, she continued. The more she near him, the more the light shone and the moment she stopped in front of him, it already enclosed the two of them in a sphere. Her expression turned to annoyance but he could see the relief behind it. She flicked her finger on his forehead with a dazzling smile. "We're even now, your prissiness."
