Bernkastel let her eyes roam the class. That's odd; she thought they'd be a bit more excited to have a witch in their class. Right now, everyone was staring ahead with shocked faces. A random student broke the silence.
"Um… Professor Stein? You know they're witches, right?"
"Yes, I am aware of that."
"And um… they're endless witches, right?"
"Yes, I'm aware of that as well."
"And… uh… he almost became a Kishin, right?"
"So it would seem," Professor Stein began twisting the screw in his head.
"And you're okay with that?!"
"Of course," Stein put his hand out to gesture to the witches. "Bernkastel, as meister and representative for this team, used the Red Truth to vow her loyalty to the academy. Her word is absolute."
Bernkastel's First Mission; The Secret To Magic?
Bernkastel and Kanon, as well as select three-star meisters, were put in charge of handling the missions considering witch Kishin. Bernkastel and Kanon both have fought witches in the past, mainly to acquire their power, but this would be their first mission. They were going to Italy, to a small island. It was cloudy, but if necessary, they would use their magic to withhold the storm until they left.
"It's kind of pretty here," Kanon noted as they landed their broomsticks on a cliff above a grand beach. It was empty, as if no one inhabited the island. "Should we go sight-seeing after killing the witch?"
"You know we can just come back any time we want," Bernkastel said. "Why living in the moment?"
"I don't know," Kanon shrugged. "I guess I kind of want to fit in with humans now that we're attending the academy. Just a little."
Bernkastel laughed once. "Do as you wish, Kanon, and I may follow if the idea pleases me."
Kanon nodded and they continued their search for the witch. After a while, Bernkastel sensed something. Although she lacked Maka's soul-perceiving abilities, she had a different sixth sense of her own.
"She's close," she said. "Kanon, transform."
"Got it," Kanon nodded and did as he was told, turning into a blue and black scythe.
"Show yourself, witch," Bernkastel taunted.
"My, if it isn't the Endless Bad Apple that doesn't fall far from the tree," a voice sneered. A witch with black hair and a purple dress floated above the trees on a broom. "Sent from the academy, no doubt."
"Time to monologue," Bernkastel thought.
"Witch Victoria," she began. "You've used magic selfishly; hence your soul has become a Kishin egg. You must be eliminated."
"What is she doing?" Kanon thought. "She's wasting valuable time that we could be attacking."
"You're the one who wanted to blend in," Bernkastel thought to him.
"Not like this!"
"Enough chatter," Bernkastel shouted, lunging at the figure.
Just one swing of her scythe, and this witch would be hers. Bernkastel felt victory near when a stabbing pain hit her chest. She looked down, falling to her feet on the ground, to realize that a purple dagger was lodged into her chest.
"What? How did that get there?" she gasped.
The stake quivered, quickly ripping its way through her chest. Another dagger flew towards her at alarming speed, shooting through her heart as if she was just a piece of paper. She was stabbed several more times before she finally had the chance to collapse.
Soul Eater
It was late, and Kid was in his room reading. He was almost to the climax, and he thought nothing could tear him away from that book. However, he proved himself wrong when a scream echoed throughout the mansion.
"Kid! Sis, come quick!"
Kid threw the book down and rushed out into the hallway when he heard Patti's scream. He found her across the hallway by a small table. A shattered vase was a few feet away from her. Kid stared at the vase in disbelief. There was no way that Patti could have done that; it was broken in the same way that Bernkastel broke it a few days ago. The witch fixed it, of course, but… her spells didn't wear off like that, did they?
"Patti, are you sure you didn't drop it?" Liz asked her trembling sister.
"No, it just broke! It was like someone hit it or something…."
"That's the same vase Bernkastel broke," Kid said. "Her spells don't wear off like that. If the vase is broken again, then that means—"
He didn't finish his sentence. He suddenly felt very dizzy and collapsed to his hands and knees. Liz rushed forward immediately, kneeling beside him.
"Kid, what's wrong?" she asked.
"I-I don't know," Kid whispered. "I don't feel so good."
He began coughing forcefully until a small clump of black, ink-like blood dislodged itself from his throat. Liz stared in horror at it as it began to writhe and twitch. She couldn't believe something so repulsive had come from her meister. She soon saw what it was as it took its form as a small, dying snake.
"Medusa's venom," she gasped. "It's reactivated somehow!"
"Something must have happened to Bernkastel," Kid thought. Small bite-marks began appearing on his arms and neck, and he fell to the floor. It hurt so much that he let out a scream.
"Bernkastel!" Kanon cried, kneeling beside his fallen meister. "Bernkastel!"
"Kanon, I'm alright," she mumbled, rising to her hands and knees.
"You're persistent," the witch said to Bernkastel. "Why aren't you dead yet? You act as if you have something to live for."
"You filthy monster," Bernkastel spat. "You have no idea what I live for, nor what true magic is. That is the only reason I joined forces with the academy!"
Kanon stared at his meister in amazement. This was the first monologue she's done tonight that actually made sense. It didn't waste time.
"I came here to prove that witches aren't as corrupted as Lord Death thinks," Bernkastel continued. "I didn't come here to trick him, or to be selfish. I came here to prove that magic exists to make people happy! If you don't follow this principle, then you don't deserve to be a witch."
"Ha! Aren't you old-fashioned?" Victoria laughed. She watched as Bernkastel tried to get to her feet. "Still trying? My daggers went through your heart multiple times; give it up."
"I won't!" Bernkastel yelled. Kanon was shocked to see glistening tears sliding down her face. "I can't die now. I refuse! I'm also here to prove that I don't need magic to make people happy. I'll do it on my own!"
"Huh?" Victoria stared at her with wide eyes. Never in her years had she ever heard such a statement from a witch.
"I know I seem fickle and selfish," Bernkastel whispered quietly, more tears rolling down her face. "And most of the time, I don't really know what I want. But hear this—" she looked up. "—I want to live now, because if I don't, someone very close to me is going to die."
"Kid," Kanon realized. "That's right, the venom in his system would have remained active for all eternity had it not been for Bernkastel. Small cuts would have healed by now anyway, so those won't be a problem, but still. Can his reaper powers overcome the venom?"
"Get ready!" Bernkastel shouted at her partner.
"Right."
"Let's go Soul Resonance!"
Their bodies, minds, and souls became one. Bernkastel acquired Kanon's strength, just as Kanon acquired Bernkastel's scars. They rose and four wings—their Infinite Seals—appeared in a collage of blue and teal flecks.
"Ah, the Bad Apple itself," Victoria sighed. "It's been a good life. See you in the next life, Bernkastel and Kanon."
The wings shot forward, slicing her into four perfect pieces. Kid would be proud. Victoria's soul was left floating in midair. Kanon took it uncertainly.
"I've never eaten a soul before," he thought. "Do you think they taste good?"
"Soul says it's how it feels when you eat it that's good," Bernkastel shrugged. Kanon turned back to the soul and took a bite out of it as if it was an apple.
"Of course, he'd never know what a witch's soul tastes like, right?"
"Kanon," Bernkastel reproached. The other laughed.
They hurried to the academy as fast as they could. Bernkastel had to see if Kid was okay. They rushed to the infirmary, where Stein was waiting for them.
"Bernkastel, Kanon," he looked up when he saw them coming. "You're back. Something went wrong on the mission, I take it?"
"Stabbed," Bernkastel nodded quickly. "Took care of it. Did something happen to Kid?"
"Yes, the venom in his body reactivated. He would have died had his weapons not been right there with him when it happened."
"I thought he was immune to poison?" Kanon said.
"Most poison," Stein nodded. "His special healing powers can dissolve any normal poison before it takes any effect on him. Medusa's snakes, however, use enchanted venom that is a challenge for his body."
"How is he now?" Bernkastel asked.
"He's alive, but it's a slim chance that he'll make it on his own," Stein replied in a serious tone. "I've given him all the anti-venom I can, but his body just isn't accepting it. He's trying to heal on his own. He's resting now; his body shut down to conserve energy, similar to a coma. I'm sure he'll wake up if you visit him."
"Can I?" Bernkastel asked. She was begging, similar to when she saved Kanon. Stein nodded, and Bernkastel didn't hesitate to run into the infirmary.
"I-it's amazing," Kanon said quietly. "I've never seen her value a human life so much before. We were always taught as kids that magic was created to make people happy, but she's strived to make him happy. Today on our mission, she said she wanted to prove Lord Death wrong about all witches being bad, but that's not all, is it? There's something between the witch and the reaper that could never exist before."
"Indeed," Stein agreed. "I think there's something between all of us that couldn't exist before."
Kid felt Bernkastel enter the room. At last, his savior was here to relieve him of all this pain. He was waiting for the warmth and comfort of her magic, but none came. She sat down next to the bed and wrapped his hand in hers. He opened his eyes warily.
"Bernkastel?" he asked quietly. "Are you okay?"
"I got hurt on the mission," Bernkastel explained. "I'm sorry to cause this much trouble for you. How do you feel?"
"It hurts," Kid whispered. "Can you help? Please?"
Bernkastel smiled sympathetically. "No."
"What do you mean?!" Kid gasped, sitting upright immediately. The sudden movement cause pain to flare within him, but he ignored it. "Why not? You're an endless witch—you have all the power imaginable!"
"It's not that I don't have the power, it's that I don't have the will," she explained quietly. "Witches are still out for me and Kanon—they want our power. If this ever happens again, or if the witches gain our power, the venom will reactivate stronger than before. However, if you can heal yourself without the assistance of magic, then the venom will truly disappear, not just go dormant. Please understand."
"But Bernkastel…." He felt sick. He realized he didn't have a valid argument. He was scared; he knew he was overestimating his powers. What if he couldn't heal himself? What if he didn't live?
"I think it's best for you to face your own demons on your own this time," Bernkastel said gravely. Her tone lightened. "But I will read to you, if that makes you feel better."
"What?" Kid stared at her in disbelief. Seriously?
"Oh, come on," Bernkastel said in a cheerful tone. "I got the coolest book ever from the witch library and I'm sure you'll love it."
"Witch library?! God, Bernkastel, how did you even get that in here? It's forbidden for students of the academy to read that stuff."
"Because you're human," Bernkastel said. "I'm a witch, so I can read it, right?"
"But you—I—just—" again, his argument was invalid. He sighed and lied back on the bed. "Fine. What is it?"
"It's called 'The Wolf that Fell in Love with Red Riding Hood.'"
"Really?" Kid asked. "Well, at least it sounds interesting."
"This was my favorite story as a kid," Bernkastel sighed, fond of the memories. "It was written by an old mage that felt the same way I do."
Kid's perspective shifted. That's why she wanted to read to him. He smiled at her.
"It's okay that you're a witch, Bernkastel," he said. "We've been through this before. You're a good witch with pure intentions."
Bernkastel smiled. That's all she wanted in return; for him to acknowledge her as a good witch, even if it was only one more time.