Spoilers: after the Anime and sort of from Manga chapter 62/3. You have been warnied.
Warning(s): Possible swearing, mild/medium gore level potential, fluff.
Pairing(s): SoMa, possibly some TsuStar and/or KidxLizxPatty
Brief: With the Kishin defeated, what new threats will rise up to face the heroes from Shibusen? Will Kid's words of warning when the Kishin was killed come true sooner than they thought? And can the Madness be eliminated completely before it consumes the world?
Disclaimer: Atsushi Okubo owns Soul Eater, not me.
Chapter Nine: Root of Darkness; Kid's findings?
Japan, East of Mount Fuji
The building concealed within the mountains bustled with activity as materials and manpower were transported in and out of the compound. The cuboid of stone and steel housed a pillar jutting from the centre of the complex, a glass dome holding the lower portion as it reached all the way down the base of the building. Every now and then, a lick of flame or a burst of red magic illuminated the tip of the pillar. The watchful Meister and Weapon deduced that this was a chimney of sorts for the magic forge where the prototype magic tools were being made.
"Tsubaki," Black Star spoke in hushed tones to the Dark Arm. "What were the instructions we were given by Professor Stein?"
"We are to observe the facility," the young woman replied. "And then deduce whether there is any need to take direct action on it. We are not meant to attempt anything until Lord Death has been informed and decided what to do."
"Right," he nodded. "In that case, we had better get a closer look. I want you to go into Ninja Sword mode; the extra speed should help us view the compound using Speed Star."
"Alright," Tsubaki nodded, her body glowing yellow before changing into the short blade. Black Star gripped her form tightly and dashed off, extending his speed to allow him to clear the gap to the compounds main building. "Remember, Black Star, still your breath and suppress your presence."
"I got it," the assassin agreed, peering into the window he was crouched alongside.
Below, he could see a large furnace which had many different coloured materials and various souls being placed inside it. The attendant wore a white lab-coat with black boots, metal gauntlets and gas mask with a tinted visor over the eyes. The mask appeared to be melded to the flesh some how. From his vantage point, Black Star's keen sense of hearing could make out the words being spoken as a fairly short person in a black and green witches costume came over to the attendant. The hat was styled like a wolves head with green eyes, and an ebony and green wolf pelt hung over their shoulders.
"How is the progress on Project Omega?" she asked, her features hidden beneath her hat. The man's words were muffled, but echoed slightly over the walls, making it easier to hear him.
"Well, my lady," he responded. "The device has entered the final stage of production. The latest batch of souls for the fusion chamber have been added, and their supreme power will be enough to complete it."
"Excellent," the witch nodded. "See to it that the fusion finalises successfully; remember that Omega is highly sensitive, and a loss of temperature or soul power, or an increase of these, could cause it damage. If that happens, it will mean three years of painstaking work wasted. I will not be pleased if you fail me, Donavan."
"I understand, lady Archinine," he bowed. "I shall use all my power to protect it and ensure that it does not fall into the wrong hands."
The witch nodded once more and moved out of the room. Black Star backed away, considering what he had just heard.
"Did you hear that, Tsubaki?" he asked. Tsubaki nodded, her reflection evident in the blade of the weapon. "We can't let that device be finished; it could cause a great deal of damage in the witches hands."
"Black Star, we cannot act rashly," Tsubaki reminded him. "We don't even know what it does; acting now is reckless. We should gather more intel and report back to Lord Death and Professor Stein."
"That will take too long," he replied. "If we do that, they can finish the device and be off with it before we even mobilise. No, we have to strike now while we have the chance. Now, smoke bomb mode."
"Right," Tsubaki relented, changing into the large, spherical grenade.
Black Star kicked the window, smashing the pane before throwing Tsubaki into the room below. The attendant, Donavan, looked up as the bomb entered the room, producing a cloud of thick grey smoke throughout and blocking his vision. He quickly moved in the direction of the forge to defend the device enclosed within it. He did not hear Black Star land in the midst of the smoke, nor did he see him as he approached, ready to punch the man in the temple and knock him out.
"What do you think you're doing?" Donavan asked as Black Star's fist came racing towards him. Without fail, he raised his hand and pushed the strike aside, aiming one of his own at Black Star with blinding precision, almost hitting him in the face. "Why are you creeping around as if I cannot see you?"
"Damn," Black Star cursed. "He can see through the smoke. In that case, Tsubaki, Enchanted Sword mode!"
The smoke shifted, whirling around Black Star's waiting right hand, taking on the swords shape quickly. The assassin focussed his wavelength, resonating with Tsubaki in an instant and causing black shadows to coil around the Meister like flames.
"Shadow Star," he ordered. "First state; Bladed Night."
The shadows whipped around ferally as Black Star gave the command. He moved forward, swinging the blade in his hand slightly, making the shadows whip at the man before him. The shadows sharpened like knives as they swung at him, cutting his upper arms and bouncing off of the gauntlets around his hands and forearms. Multiple strikes whipped around him, drawing blood in many places and dying the coat crimson, and soon Black Star was on Donavan, swinging the Enchanted Sword viciously at him. The blade glanced off of the armoured hands, but the assassin landed a few good hits on the man's torso and abdomen. The damage was slight, but worked to reduce his ability to counter attack. Satisfied, Black Star backed off, allowing Donavan to advance in an attempt to attack. He raised his fist, trying to strike Black Star, but the blue-haired assassin quickly became aware of his intentions and changed tactic.
"Shadow Star," he ordered again as Donavan neared. "Second state; Bishop's Defence!"
The shadows responded quickly, twisting around Donavan's arm to find the trajectory, then forming two diagonal slashes just ahead of where the fist would connect. The shield looked simplistic, but upon contact, Donavan's hand split open, two diagonal cuts embedded in it and the armour ripped apart. Black Star grinned, seizing the opportunity to strike again, this time with his foot in Donavan's chest. As he backed away, winded, Black Star ran forward, his left hand pulsing with dark shadows like electricity.
"Final blow!" he shouted, reeling the punch back and releasing it. "Black Star's Dark Wave!"
The fist connected, unleashing a Soul Force amplified by the power of Shadow Star. The sheer impact gravely injured the man, and he collapsed, unable to withstand his injuries. Black Star panted a little, having only used some of the moves in battle for the first time. He turned his attention to the machine in the room, deciding how to stop it. Black Star was not known for his abilities with machinery, but he had an idea which would undoubtedly stop it.
"Tsubaki, Kusarigama mode," Black Star ordered. Obediently, Tsubaki changed state quickly. Black Star threw one of the chained scythes into the roof, through the opening in the glass dome above. Once the blade had the roof gripped, Black Star let go of the second and approached the magic forge. He clapped his hands together, a charge of blue energy pulsing over his hands and arms as he charged his attack. "Black Star's Twin-Palm Mega Wave!"
The charge built more and more, until he forced his palms into the black metal. It was very hot, but his bandaged hands barely reacted as his Wavelength pulsed into the core of the magic forge, destabilising the materials inside. Instantly, Black Star grabbed the second scythe which hung inside the building, being reeled up as Tsubaki transformed into her human form. Once they were on the roof, Tsubaki returned to Ninja Sword mode and they vanished into the night. No sooner had they cleared the roof did the magic forge explode, pouring molten soul fusion over the room and creating a pillar of energy which marred everything in sight. Black Star grinned over his shoulder as they left sharpish.
"Now we report to Lord Death," he grinned. Tsubaki simply rolled her eyes, silently agreeing with her Meister, and smiling at his reckless but selfless actions.
Niglesh, Sahara Desert
Once he had reached the ruin which protruded from the dusty streets and crumbling buildings, Kid could not help but marvel at the structure before them; it was like a pyramid and symmetrical as far as could be seen, but the erosion too was symmetrical, which made even the neurotic, OCD Meister uneasy and confused. Also, there was a strange emblem on the front of the building; a scarab with a red body, a dark blue head with two silver fangs protruding from the top of it, six gold legs ending in three dark claws each, and a black trio of equilateral triangles arranged into a larger one with the tip facing downwards within a circle of the body. Kid made a note of the bizarre emblem for later, then inspected the doorway and wall before him.
"This is no ruin," he noted. "The erosion would be more sporadic for something of this age. The stone even feels sharp; this long in the desert ground would have rubbed it smooth..." He turned around, gazing up the edge of the pit he was in; the 'ruin' lay at the bottom of a twelve foot deep hole, hence the confusion about the realism of the structure. "Liz, Patty, come down here! We are investigating further!"
The Weapons slid down the slope to their Meister obediently with Agni behind them. The man wielded a stick with a fuel attached to the end. He leant the fuel in a small, burning oil dish propped up near the building, igniting the torch and casting an eerie, flickering glow over the walls as the small group entered.
"What did you find out, Kid?" Patty asked as they walked. Liz appeared shaken on the other side of her Meister, but the conversation would help take her mind off of the situation they were in.
"This place is not what it appears to be," Kid replied plainly. "It is set up too well to be a real ruin."
"What do you mean?" Liz asked, confused.
"The erosion is completely symmetrical," Kid responded, still puzzled by it. "And the damages were too sharp; a ruin left as long as this supposedly is would not have symmetrical erosion, and the sand in the desert winds would have worked like sand paper and smoothed the stone over. Whatever the reason is, this so-called 'ruin' was put here by someone for a purpose. That is what we are here to find out."
"Why would anyone go through all this trouble?" Agni asked from ahead. They had been walking in almost a dead straight line, except for a couple of turns which had straightened out into the original course. It was then they had reached a spiral stairwell in the supposed centre of the pyramid. "What secrets are buried in here?"
Kid said nothing as they walked down the stairs. They must have gone around the central spiral eight times, much to Kid's delight, before they reached the base of the building. Before them, after a corridor only a few feet long, sat a huge pair of metal, blast-resistant, armoured bulkhead doors with the same emblem on them as the one on the pyramid. The Meister carefully reached into his pocket and pulled out a small effigy of his father's mask. He pulled back the middle tooth, causing the device to float up in front of him, the eyes lit up red.
"Recording findings of Niglesh unusual sightings, case 3883," he said as the device watched him. It turned to float at Kid's chest, facing outwards. "After investigating the disturbances in Niglesh, we have been led to a supposed ruin uncovered just before the incidents began. The visuals currently are from a protected bunker beneath this ruin. The emblem is of unknown origins, and will be documented for further research." Kid paused, sensing souls in the area. "Using Soul Perception, I can tell that no one is in the area other than myself, my Weapons, Elizabeth and Patricia Thompson," he ignored Liz's indignant protests of her full name being used in the video document, "and Agni Kadar, our guide who has led us to the site." Agni simply nodded and pushed the doors. To everyone's amazement, the heavy steel doors swung open a few metres before grinding to a halt half open. Kid blinked. "The doors are not locked; either this place has been abandoned long enough for the locks to perish, or they were never installed in the first place. This could be dangerous, but it appears that we must investigate within."
The four of them stepped cautiously into the room. The light was low level and cast an eerie orange glow over the room. Beyond the doors was a huge room, like that of a warehouse store room, the walls bare and as unwelcoming as the ruin above them and the scratched floors. The walls were lined with steel racks and strange diagrams pinned to the bare stone. A few large desks sat at the far end of the room, surrounded by an array of yellowed parchment with scratchy black writing and drawings scattered around them. The centre of the room held a large black steel column with a huge bulge of steel and varying components hanging to the back, and a plain steel door on the front. Kid went to inspect this while the others examined the items in the racks and the diagrams.
"Curious," he noted for the video. "It appears that there is a column of some sort in this bunker." He rapped his knuckle on the door and the side of the column curiously. "It is about four metres across, and I would estimate six to eight inches thick." His eye twitched at how unsymmetrical the numbers could be, but he remained composed for the documentation of the scene. "There is some sort of engine on the back," the Meister went on, moving around the pillar. "Chain driven, eight pistons in a straight formation, unknown fuel source, but it does not appear to be any form of standard combustible such as gasoline or petroleum." A purple deposit on the crank casing drew Kid in. He swept up a fingerful and rubbed it between his thumb and forefinger. "The discharge on the crank indicates a strong presence of souls, but the substance is cold and soul perception cannot pick this up; it would seem that this has not been used for some time." He pulled out a vial and labelled it 'Crank Discharge' before sealing it with a sample of the powder. "Professor Stein can study this later." He saw from his position a series of tubes going into the pillar. "What the-"
"Kid!" Patty's voice echoed over the room. The Meister jumped, then attempted to calm his heart rate while turning to his Weapon, glaring at her.
"Don't scare me like that, Patty!" he shouted, stomping his foot. "Are you trying to give me a heart attack?"
Contrary to her usual behaviour, Patty turned to her Meister, pointing a shaky finger towards the rack and diagrams beside her. Stunned by this strange behaviour, Kid approached, and was almost sick at what he saw. The diagrams showed bodies being taken apart and the souls broken down into a liquid of some sort. On top of this, the rack had body parts such as eyes, fingers, parts of bones and even a spine and skull, all of them looking repulsive and putrid, some even decaying in places. Kid clenched his teeth and looked away, moving Patty away from the area.
"Don't look at it, Patty," he said softly.
"What happened here, Kid?" she asked, clearly still worried about what she had seen. "What's going on?"
"I don't know," Kid replied honestly. "Go help Liz; I'll be there shortly." She nodded and hurried off. Kid took a breath to clear his mind, then reported this. "Patty discovered body parts of human origin in one of the racks; judging by the decomposition, they have been there some time. There are also diagrams implying that the people behind this have taken humans, killed them to use their body parts for unknown reasons, and taken the souls to make some sort of liquid. There is no trace of this substance, which implies that it has been taken elsewhere or used in another function." He paused and looked at the pillar from before. "The engine found before appears to be attached to a pumping apparatus running through the pillar; it would seem the pillar is for running a substance to the surface, but it is known whether this substance is safe to contact, therefore I am not going to open the column to investigate further. Recommend the deployment of a hazardous substance control unit upon assessment."
Kid headed towards Liz and Patty, who were looking at a computer system which had been turned on. They had opened a video of a masked person, the black visored eyes blocking out his, but the facial structure and tone of voice pointed towards a male.
"Log 317," he said as the video played. "Project Armoured Sword has been proven successful following the trials of Black Blood mark 7. I have been informed that a Witch under the name of Medusa has made a functional prototype of a Meister/Weapon hybrid using a liquidated Demon Sword to form Black Blood." Kid's eyes widened as he realised he had referred to Crona. "However, spies have deduced the power to be a dud, and that it is a mark 2 at best. With this in mind, the soul compression has been trebled to meet capacity. The next stage of Black Blood is being tested at this moment in time to match up to Vulcan specification. End log." Static filled the window briefly before it closed itself moments later.
"What the hell is Vulcan?" Liz asked aloud, studying the time stamp; it was made eleven years before.
"Liz, play the latest one," Kid said, his tone authoritative. She simply nodded and cursored over it; this one was only four years ago. The same man flashed up, though his white lab coat was singed and damaged.
"Log 2719," he announced tiredly. "The system has been compromised; the theory that Vulcan would revert after a few months has been proven wrong. In fact, Vulcan has aligned himself with Shibusen and found a Meister compatible with him, meaning the fusion capability for the Kishin has been permanently shut down. Black Blood mark 15 has failed to stand up to the ability of Project 709, codename Kishin Blood." Again, Kid was stunned by this. Could this mean- "To anyone who finds this, Vulcan has gone rogue; Kai Friel must not be allowed into any compounds. As a precaution, I will be putting the systems in Subterra onto automatic and stock up enough of the prototype Kishin Blood into the distributor to last for four years on a monthly burst; this will be enough to finalise the findings for it. Additionally, Project Armoured Sword is still progressing, despite the loss of our initial creation. Final log of Alfred Donavan, Subterra base." Again, static set in before the window closed. Silence, then Kid reported once more.
"Hard drive of the terminal here holds several video logs dating between thirteen and four years ago," he noted. "Latest entry indicates that the station was abandoned following the usurpation of the Kishin Weapon Kai Friel. It also indicates that, despite his claims, the Kishin Blood is being tested and distributed even now. If this is the case, the source of the strange incidents here may be this stockpile of blood." Kid turned to the Thompsons once more. "I want you two to retrieve the hard drive and memory drives from this computer and be ready to move out." They nodded and started their job. "Where's Agni?"
He soon found the man by the pump on the pillar. He was examining the engine and the actual apparatus with a look of intrigue and worry. Kid watched as he probed the crank and fingered the pipes around the pump.
"What on earth is this strange machine?" Agni asked. "And what is its purpose?" He looked up at Kid expectantly, but the Meister simply sighed before answering.
"We are not sure yet," he replied. "It seems that this place was once used for the purpose of making a specialist weapon but has been abandoned due to its failure." He looked up at the wall, noticing a flashing light which had not been there before. "What's that?"
The younger man went to investigate the light while Agni remained in place and his Weapons continued to dismantle the computer. A dusty sign sat beneath the flashing light, as well as a severed wire connected to a siren high in the room. The OCD Meister sighed at the asymmetry of the room, a tick mark appearing on his head while his eyes twitched, then began wiping away the dust. His eyes widened as he read the large black letters on the rusty and pitted metal plate;
'WARNING: Siren will sound if pump pressure levels exceed safe limits. Pumps must be shut off immediately and immediate vicinity cleared. Ignoring this warning may lead to fatalities.'
Kid reread it quickly to make certain that what he thought it said, then swore loudly under his breath.
"Liz! Patty! Agni!" he barked. "We're leaving this place!"
"What's wrong, Death the Kid?" Agni asked, not noticing the strain on the jubilee clip near his hand. "What did you find?"
"This is an accident waiting to happen, that's what!" Kid snapped, but his words came too late.
The black tubing bulged as the pressure in it mounted, the rusty jubilee clip groaning under strain, until it sheered and, in a spray of dark liquid and corroded metal, the tube pulled away from the pillar. Agni yelped and lurched backwards, but it was all too late as the thick blackness splattered over the floor around him and struck him in the chest.
"Agni!" Kid yelled as the man fell backwards and rolled over, clutching his face and writhing in agony.
"Kid!" Liz shouted, freaked out by the images before them. Even Patty seemed weirded out by it. "What's going on?" The shorter sister moved to help the man, but Kid cut her off.
"No, Patty! Stay where you are!" he ordered sharply. The girl seemed shocked by her Meister's words, but did not move any further, instead backing away towards her sister. "Don't let that stuff touch you; don't you remember that video?" Kid looked to Agni, sensing his soul had gone into disarray and was falling into chaos. "That substance is toxic to humans, we don't know what it will do to a Weapon or a Meister."
"Death the Kid," Agni's voice drew Kid's attention again. "What... is happening... to me?"
"I'm afraid you have been contaminated by the substance causing the incidents on the surface," Kid replied, his tone sympathetic as Agni looked up; his pupils were constricting as he spoke, and his face and chest was heavily burnt where the substance had burnt through his clothing and scarred his flesh. "Judging by what is happening to your soul, you are falling into madness, which is no doubt why the other victims suffered broken bones and strange injuries. Unfortunately, there is no cure for it; you will become insane in a matter of minutes. I'm sorry."
"Thank you," Agni managed. "for your honesty." He struggled to breath in again. "Please... kill me." Kid's eyes widened, but Agni went on. "Your school looks after... the lives and souls of humans... This is... no way to live... Let me die... as a man... not a beast."
Kid was touched by how the man was aware of his own limited time, and chose to do such a drastic measure, though he knew it was the lesser of two evils. He looked at the Thompsons with a pained look in his eyes, and they instantly knew what he wanted, transforming wordlessly. He took careful aim on the man, who had lowered his head and seemed to be whispering something in a dialect Kid was unfamiliar with.
"Agni Kadar," he said, the pain and sympathy evident in his tone. "May your soul reach its resting place safely. Let all here and those who watch this recording bear witness, for this brave-hearted man died as a man, and nothing less." Two gunshots sounded through the room, and the man fell still, his soul vanishing from existence. Kid's arms flopped to his sides and dropped the pistols, who changed back instantly. "The substance in this room is too toxic to safely collect a sample for now; the hazardous substances unit will have to collect one when they investigate this area. Recommend full purge of the ruin and facility once finished. This ends my report." Kid pulled the middle tooth forwards on the camera, the eyes dulled quickly, signalling the device was turned off. Liz rested her hand on Kid's shoulder.
"You ok, Kid?" she asked wearily. Kid nodded, his expression dark.
"Yeah," he replied. "But I have business to attend to with our latest ally. Let's go."
The girls exchanged worried looks before following their Meister, a couple of hard drives and memory boards in their pockets. As they left the dark, ominous place, they knew that their Meister's actions could prove dangerous to Spartoi, especially since he was refusing to speak to them as they made their way towards Shibusen once more.
Ok, another chapter done. I had planned to continue Maka and Soul's mission this time, but I decided against it for now to build suspense as to the Black Clown (though it probably didn't do that for you guys).
Yes, the Kishin Blood in Kai's veins is not the only one in existence. Was he lying, or did he honestly not know of this supply? And what was Project Armoured Sword?
All will reveal itself in time. For now let me know what you thought with a review :)
Bye for now!