The Lines Are Drawn


"This is Rebecca Young reporting live from Hedgeton, Oregon."

Death was rooted before his mirror, watching the news broadcast with rapt attention.

"We're here on the Hedgeton waterfront looking at what authorities are calling an Independent Cube, a sort of Spatial Magic employed by witches that seals whatever is inside the cube within a pocket dimension for a predetermined period of time."

A grim looking Spirit slouched next to his Meister, concern obvious on his face. "That's the same thing Medusa used to trap us at the anniversary party."

The Shinigami quickly shushed him as the reporter continued.

"The cube appeared earlier this morning and concealed an uninhabited island in the harbor known as Raven's Roost. The purpose of the barrier is, as of this broadcast, unknown."

Stein, who stood nearby, clicked his tongue disapprovingly, muttering something along the lines of 'idiots' under his breath.

"As a safety precaution the Oregon National Guard has begun an evacuation of the greater Hedgeton area. National Guard and Army Reserve units have been deployed to the city to oversee the proceedings, and the military has set up a Forward Operating Base, or FOC, at Hedgeton International Airport to coordinate the evacuation."

Quiet suffocated the Death Room's occupants as the screen shifted to a shot of a treaded fighting vehicle flanked by a soldiers advancing down an empty city street.

"Shibusen has yet to release a statement regarding these recent developments, but rumors abound. With the stunning revelation just yesterday that Shibusen launched an unsanctioned strike against terrorist organization Arachnophobia in Brazil, these next few days will prove critical to its standing in the international community. Experts suggest that-"

The image of the reporter blinked from sight, leaving Death's lonely reflection to contemplate the depths of the mirror in silence. Spirit gave him a sympathetic look, he knew better than anyone that the last few days had been taxing on the deity. Operation Capture Baba Yaga's Castle had been a smashing success; with Arachne dead Arachnophobia had been shattered. But victory had come at a terrible cost, Death the Kid had not returned. Instead, the young Shinigami's Twin Demon Pistols had related their Meister's kidnapping by Noah to his distraught father.

But the world didn't stop turning, even for the kidnapped sons of gods.

Death turned away from the mirror, facing the students arrayed at the foot of his platform. Roland, Isabelle, Kyla and their Weapon counterparts stood in a loose half circle before the somber Reaper as he addressed them in a subdued tone.

"I don't think that I need to belabor how important this upcoming mission will be. We stand to lose much if Raena succeeds."

His hidden eyes swept over the students.

"While the six of you have succeeded against Raena's forces in the past, you're all still only One-Star Meisters. I've assigned Sid, Stein, Nygus, Marie, Azusa, and a Three-Star Meister from West Europe Branch to lead the Spartoi against the enemy. Since Chris is a Two-Star Meister, he will be filling in for Kid."

Sonya cast a nervous glance to her peers, but they offered her no reassurance. "But if you already decided that we weren't going to Hedgeton to help fight Raena, why are you telling us all this?"

Eyes smiling Death held up his hands in mock defense, his cheery voice returning. "Whoa there speedracer, I never said you guys weren't going to help." He received their confused looks with a chuckle. "I just said that I didn't assign you to the mission."

"…what?" Jackson scratched his head in puzzlement.

Shinigami's arms fell to his sides with a sigh and he addressed the students in an even tone.

"It wouldn't have been prudent to force all of you into a situation you might not feel prepared for. But you were all there at the beginning, so I figured I'd leave the door open if you wanted to see it through to the end." He held out his hands, palms up. "The choice is yours. If you choose to stay, it will not be held against you. But if you decide to accompany the Spartoi to Hedgeton, I will allow it."

After a few moments of silence Jackson spoke, giving Isabelle a rueful smile. "Whaddya think Isabelle? How about we show Raena and her goons what we're made of?"

His Meister blinked, taken aback. Had her partner, the protective Demon Axe who always erred on the side of caution, just left the decision of whether or not to put themselves in danger in her hands?

Amber eyes hard set, she gave a curt nod. "Yeah, we'll take them down a notch."

"We're coming too." Sonya stated, arms crossed resolutely over her chest. Kyla chuckled at her display and clapped a hand over her Weapon's shoulder.

"I guess I've been spoken for."

All eyes turned to Roland and Alexa. The Demon Sword gave him a questioning look, awaiting his choice. With a dry laugh and a taught smile, he spoke.

"I've already got two scars from this mess. A few more won't kill me."

Alexa grinned fiercely. "Well, if that's how you feel," Electricity danced across her clenched fist.

"Let's do it."


All the pieces were falling into place.

Armored footsteps resounded in the stone hallway, the inky contents of the syringe clenched in Victor's hand throbbing with power. The door to the keep's inner sanctum loomed before him, much as the door to Shinigami's vault had not a day prior. A dozen men had met their ends at his hands that night, and he knew that in the coming days many more would join them.

Because Victor had had another objective when he broke into the DWMA's subbasement, one equal in importance to retrieving the two Magic Tools from the vault.

In a spartan dungeon cell he found what he sought. It had pooled in a crack in the stone floor, lost there during some scuffle between the room's past inhabitants. The Knight drew the substance up into a syringe without ceremony and went on his way.

He was careful to leave the former room of Chrona Gorgon exactly the way he'd found it.

The Knight wordlessly swept into the sanctum, locking the heavy door behind him and turning with syringe in hand.

Laid out on the central altar was DEADE, the turquoise plaque that was the Eye of Vengeance lodged into the Doom Engine's chest. Raena stood over the prostrate construct with her arms thrown wide, her incantations interrupted by her subordinate's sudden and unexpected entrance.

"Victor, what are you-" She noticed the syringe. "What's that you have there?" The gig was up; Victor made no effort to hide the syringe as Raena's eyes widened in realization. "That wavelength, is that-?"

He finished her sentence. "Black Blood."

There was nothing to be said. Victor's betrayal had been made plain. All that remained was DEADE. And the Raven Witch had no intention of giving it up.

Robe a blur, Raena screamed her mantra and sent a flurry of Feather Burst orbs howling across the chamber. Before the magical spheres could leave her hands the Knight was reaching for his Weapon, whipping the towering sword over his shoulder and sending it rocketing towards the witch with an inhuman throw before curling his armored body around the delicate syringe.

A series of explosions rocked the stone chamber, choking the air with hundreds of tiny dagger-like feathers. The ricocheting shrapnel tore at everything; the walls, the altar, the witch, DEADE. By sheer chance a few slipped through the seams of Victor's armor, biting at the flesh underneath like greedy little insects. With a crash the heavy door was shattered and thrown off its hinges.

As the dust settled, Victor pulled himself back to his full height, rivulets of blood trickling from between his ebon plates as he stood.

Raena had not been so lucky, her body covered in shallow cuts left behind by the hurricane of sharp feathers and stone chips that was the result of her initial attack. But these self-inflicted wounds were easily survivable. The one Victor had left her with however, was a far grimmer matter.

Gregory, the Knight's rectangular zweihander, had pierced Raena's middle and pinned her to the far wall. Her purple robes were dripping red from the waist down, thoroughly soaked in the witch's blood. She blinked disbelievingly at the hilt that protruded from her belly, trembling hands still raised as if to cast one final spell.

But she couldn't call forth any magic now; the immense blade had torn her diaphragm and split her spine. Speechless, paralyzed from the waist down, and slowly suffocating, she was helpless as the Knight approached. He paused before her, scrutinizing the skewered witch from behind his face plate.

"Isn't it ironic I survived that attack only because of the armor you gave me?"

The aforementioned irony wasn't lost on Raena. She gurgled furiously, reaching out to claw the Knight only to recoil with a pained yelp as Gregory cut deeper into her shredded insides. Victor held up the syringe of Black Blood for Raena to see, waving it in her face to make sure she got a good look.

"There isn't enough in here to turn DEADE into a Kishin outright. But it's enough to corrupt its programming with the seed of Madness. It will drive DEADE to consume human souls, and with the power of the Eye of Vengeance no one will be able to stop it from becoming a Kishin."

An armored hand wrapped around the sword hilt that protruded from Raena's stomach.

"With the power of a Kishin and the Eye of Vengeance, DEADE will be the most powerful being to ever walk the earth. It will become more than a god. Nothing will be able to stand against it, not Death, not Asura." He leaned in close, whispering in her ear.

"Not even the Trinity."

Raena's eyes widened with a desperate fearful gleam, the enormity of Victor's plans revealed at last. She'd been used; her own designs just a means to an end for the rogue Meister. Anger boiled up within the maimed woman. This affront would not go unpunished! Her sisters would avenge her! They'd-!

Victor freed his sword from her stomach, simultaneously kicking the witch back into the wall. She crumpled into a bloody heap as he turned away, preparing to mar her glorious creation with Madness. But the last chortled laugh was hers. Because much as she had unwittingly played into Victor's plans he had thoughtlessly fulfilled her own vengeance.

Cackling madly, Raena's body burst into a dozen inky black ravens, squawking indignantly as they wheeled out of the room. Victor ignored them, completely oblivious to the fact that he'd interrupted the witch in the middle of the ritual meant to bond the Eye of Vengeance to DEADE.

Defeat, snatched from the jaws of victory.


Two days was all it took for the appearance of the Independent Cube to turn Hedgeton from a bustling city to a ghost town. A mournful wind scattered newspapers through empty streets, shuttered storefronts making faceless palisades of once proud places of business. But Hedgeton was by no means abandoned.

Stinger missile teams were cloistered away in defensible niches along the waterfront. Intersections had been transformed from traffic junctions to forts, walls of sandbags three feet thick ringing fighting vehicles and rifle bearing soldiers in a protective embrace. It seemed that the whole city had been divided into scattered islands of security in preparation for the coming storm.

Private Martinez of the Oregon National Guard was leaning against a Bradley parked in the intersection of Second and Third Street when he saw movement in his vector. He adjusted his grip on his M4 carbine and approached the low sandbag wall that blocked the road, eyes fixed on a parked car about a block away. Another soldier noticed and walked to his side. Martinez spoke quietly.

"Just saw something move behind that car."

They watched the car for a few tense moments before a small animal darted from underneath it and into a nearby alley. Relaxing, the other soldier patted Martinez on the shoulder.

"Probably just a stray cat."

Shrugging, he walked back to the Bradley to resume his loitering.

The creature scampered down the alleyway, its small heart beating fast as it burst into an open space between the buildings that rose to its left and right. Nestled in between the two tall apartment buildings was a basketball court, connected to the streets beyond by an alleyway at each of its ends.

Jerking to a stop the slender animal rose to its hind legs and sniffed the air, casting a cautious glance back the way it had come. Satisfied that it had not been followed it dropped to all fours and scurried forward. Glowing purple the mongoose twisted into a human shape.

Lila gave the collar of her jacket an annoyed tug as she left her mongoose form, giving the long handled paintbrush in her other hand a little twirl. Tiny droplets of red scattered at the motion.

"Pfft, a stray cat? Assholes." She turned her nose up in indignation. "I'll show them."

Approaching the center of the court with a determined look, she set about her work. With all the finesse of a master cartographer she laid cryptic runes against the asphalt. Three concentric circles of bloody runes later the witch wove an intricate serpentine border round the perimeter of her ritual patterns. Careful not to tread in the wet paint she moved to draw a pentagram whose points stretched out to the very edge of the circle, finishing with a flourish and stepping back to admire her work.

"All done!" She chirped. The painted lines took an unearthly red glow. "Weasels, weasel, mongoose!" Whipping out an open palm, the surface of the runic circle rippled like disturbed water.

"Spatial Gate!" The inscriptions flashed electric green, and a three fingered arm erupted from their center. Before the first halfwarg could free itself another burst from the ground nearby, and then another, and another. Their disembodied howls began to fill the air as Lila retreated into mongoose form and darted into the alley that led back to the street, her laughter barely audible over the cries of the summoned monsters.

"Four more to go."


Chris had originally been skeptical that a group of their size would be very practical against an unknown number of enemies in the confines of a metropolitan city. Since Lord Death had insisted on allowing the other One-Stars decide whether or not they would tag along, the head count of their force had jumped to twenty-six people. It hadn't been since the battle on Lost Island that the Demon Gun slinger had seen so many Weapon/Meister teams mustered for a single conflict.

Needless to say, the posh private jet that ferried them to Oregon had been a little claustrophobic.

Upon disembarking the Shibusen force found that Hedgeton International Airport had become a mind-numbing hive of activity, three massive C-17 Hercules Globemasters resting heavily on the tarmac as their cargoes were hurriedly unloaded. But audible above the din was the distant clatter of gunfire and stomach churning yowls of Raena's monsters, periodic rumbling explosions filling all present with a sense of urgency as the battle raged bitterly not a dozen miles away.

Chris thrummed his fingers against Claire's ivory stock as the whole group followed Sid through the maze of supply crates and idling combat vehicles, the weight of the high caliber revolver against his thigh offering mute comfort as their colorful procession of students and faculty earned puzzled glances from bustling military personnel.

A nondescript tent of olive-green canvas came into view and Sid brought the group to a halt.

"Maka, Ox, Chris, with me. Stein, make sure the others don't wander off."

The patchwork professor grumbled an affirmative while Sid led his three chosen Meisters and their Weapons into the tent. It was actually much larger than it outwardly appeared, but cluttered with communications equipment and military personnel. The center of the room was dominated by a square table with a Hedgeton city map spread over it, surrounded by individuals clad in sandy brown army uniforms. A short, muscular man stood at the head of the table, and judging by his stripes and the way larger men shrunk under his fiery gaze Chris safely assumed he was the one in charge. Gray hair cropped close to his head, snarling mouth framed by an impossibly thick handlebar mustache, he seemed like someone you would be wise not to piss off.

And he was not a happy man.

"What the fuck do you mean; you don't know where they fucking came from?" A square-jawed officer who was a full foot taller than his burly superior seemed to whither under the verbal assault. "I want to know how the fuck those things got into the city, and I want to know now! Get me some goddamn satellite photos, as soon as fucking possible!"

The officer nodded quickly, face pale, before hurrying away. Bringing his brandished index finger to bear on another one of his staff members he continued.

"Tell the air force pricks down at hanger seven to get those UAVs airborne! I wanted a live feed five minutes ago!" The staffer nodded, rushing to his task as the general shifted his pointed finger to another subordinate.

"Tell the Abraham Lincoln and its escorts to hold position and await further orders once they're in range of the Independent Cube. I want to hit that rock with everything we've got as soon as the Cube comes down!"

The general turned his eyes to the far end of the table as his staff worked furiously to make his will reality.

"Your report Azusa?"

Across from him stood the Death Scythe in question, who cleared her throat to speak. "General, they've arrived."

The general looked over his shoulder, face reddening with anger when he spotted Sid and the teenagers who stood behind him.

"What the hell is this shit?"

Sid spoke. "We're your reinforcements."

The general spun to fully face the group.

"Is this some kind of joke? The reinforcements Shibusen promised amounts to some kind of zombie and a few goddamn kids?"

"Actually, there are more outside. We just didn't want to crowd your command center."

The general threw up his hands in exasperation.

"We finish evacuating the city, and now I have more civilians to get rid of. This is a military operation, not a goddamn field trip!" Dismissing them with an angry wave, he turned back to the table. "Send those kids back in whatever they flew in on. I have business to attend to."

Sid crossed his arms over his chest. "No offense general, but it doesn't seem like you're taking this very seriously."

"You listen to me! I've spent the last forty-eight hours coordinating the dual evacuation and fortification of the entire city!" Fuming, the pugnacious general turned, everyone in the tent save for Sid and Azusa flinching as his voice boomed. "Hedgeton is currently being occupied by the United States Army, which has been tasked with cleaning up your people's mess! If I had it my way Shinigami would be tried before a military tribunal for dereliction of duty; it's his job to make sure shit like this doesn't happen! And when he decides to lend a hand in picking up the pieces, it comes in the form of a group of fucking adolescents!"

He took a moment to compose himself before continuing.

"Perhaps you'd like to reevaluate who's taking the situation seriously."

Sid and the general stared each other down for a few tense moments before Maka spoke up.

"Come on you two, we'll never beat Raena if we don't work together."

Chris winced. That was probably a bad time to speak up. But the Scythe Tech's even tone had the desired effect and the general huffed, turning back to his map.

"Brief your people Azusa."

"Of course general." The Death Scythe faced the group, scrutinizing Sid and his chosen students through the rectangular lenses of her glasses. "Our prime objective is to neutralize D.E.A.D.E., which we believe to be in the final stages of construction on Raven's Roost in the bay. However with the Independent Cube keeping Raven's Roost safe in a pocket dimension there's little we can do to intervene until the Cube's time is up."

Tilting her head ever so slightly forward, she adjusted her spectacles and continued.

"Despite this security Raena isn't just sitting on her hands. National Guard and Army Reserve units have engaged Raena's forces within Hedgeton and we must help them hold the line until the enemy's staging areas inside the city have been located and destroyed."

Speaking tersely, the general glanced up from his tactical map. "We're assembling a convoy to bring reinforcements to the front; you'll be riding with them." He gave a reflexive growl as his eyes fell on the students, obviously unhappy with their involvement. "Just don't get in the way. These guns aren't toys."

Sid gave a grunt of approval when none of his students wavered at the general's words. "Anything else we should know Azusa?"

"Three-Star Meister Madeline Frey was in the city when Raena launched her preemptive strike, and we've lost contact with her. If you see anyone wielding a large, purple crystalline hammer then that's her, but keep an eye out." Azusa and Sid exchanged departing nods as the blue skinned Knife Meister led the students from the tent. "Good luck."


Martinez dropped to one knee, shouldering his M4 and squeezing the trigger, adding the bark of his rifle to the cacophony of gunfire and howls that muted the shouted orders of his superior officers. Nightmarish gray creatures surged down the street towards the barricade he knelt behind, the tide of clawed limbs unabated under the withering fire of a dozen assault rifles. It seemed that for every creature he cut down two more sprang forward to take its place.

The squad gunner swung his M240 onto the rim of the low sandbag wall, unleashing a flurry of bullets into the oncoming horde as the machine gun bucked in his hands. Their advance only slowed when the Bradley turned its autocannon on them, shells meant for punching fist sized holes in tank armor ripping through the emaciated Halfwargs with pitiful ease. But their numbers were too great, and the barricade's beleaguered defenders were unable to keep up their prodigious rate of fire.

His heartbeat thundering in his ears, Martinez dropped the spent magazine from his carbine and slammed a fresh clip into place as he heard two unmistakable words rise over the gunfire.

"Fall back!"

Martinez quickly complied, ducking his head as he ran past the Bradley, its coaxial machine gun joining the already blazing autocannon in covering the riflemen's retreat. He vaulted over the sandbag wall, hitting the street on the other side at a sprint, the Bradley's engine growling as it kept pace with the fleeing soldiers. They ran a full two blocks before Martinez heard the screams of men being overtaken.

Suddenly he saw someone step out from an apartment complex not far down the street, waving his arms towards the building he had emerged from. Martinez didn't need any more encouragement, charging past the man and through the door into the building. There was a flight of stairs in the middle of the room, and he sprinted up to the first landing before spinning to cover the door. Three more riflemen burst through, followed by the man who'd waved them down. The riflemen stomped up the stairs past Martinez and their rescuer stopped beside him, empty hands clenched into fists as he watched the entrance.

Another rifleman made it halfway through the doorway before a gray clawed arm grabbed his shoulder and pulled him back out. Their rescuer cursed, turning and running up the stairs with Martinez in tow. They barreled through the first door they came to, slamming the door leading to the stairs shut. The other three riflemen were waiting with a file cabinet, pushing it into position in front of the door before the whole company stopped to catch their breath.

Martinez eyed their savior warily. He was a teenager, with bleached blonde hair and piercing blue eyes, wearing what for all the world seemed to be a suit, the color of pristine ivory. The panting soldier spotted another teen, dressed so darkly that it was almost obnoxious, leaning nearby against the wall. Must've ignored the evacuation order.

A voice broke the ragged silence of their breathing.

"You guys had better come see this."

Still huffing from his earlier exertion, he turned to see one of the riflemen looking out of a nearby window. Regret and disgust struck him like twin hammers as he partook in the view.

The road was thick with halfwarg, surging around the floundering Bradley like a fierce river while its guns blazed, spitting fire into the mass of enemies who were so numerous as to violently jostle the armored vehicle as they rumbled past. One leapt onto its chassis only to be torn in half by a round from its autocannon but another sprung aboard as the other was destroyed, latching its claws onto the vehicle's access hatch, struggling for a few moments before prying it open. It reached an arm down through the hatch and ripped a crewman from the Bradley's armored womb, tossing him to the others that surged past.

Martinez turned away from the window, unwilling to watch the Bradley's crew be torn apart by the nightmares of flesh and bone. Anger welled inside of him at the thought that his fellow soldiers were being slaughtered like animals, by animals.

"We're supposed to be the most advanced fighting force on Earth for fuck's sake!" His exclamation, punctuated by slamming his gloved fist against the window frame, was aimed at no one in particular. Looking around at his compatriots he saw only similarly disheartened expressions. All save for their savior who was…smirking? His dark haired companion cackled, disappearing in a flash of bloody red.

The soldier's cries were muted by the furious roar of Marcus's engine, his insane laughter mingling with the yowls of the halfwarg in the street below.


Kyla moved through the crowded streets like an angry dust devil, leaving shredded enemies in her wake as Sonya's whistling blade carved a bloody path through the charging halfwarg, like some twisted sculptor taking monsters and whittling them down to dainty ribbons of gore. She'd left the others far behind, striking out on her own when an ambush had split their convoy into bite sized chunks halfway to downtown Hedgeton.

The ambush had been eerily reminiscent of the opening acts of the Battle for BREW, but even that conflict had done little to prepare Kyla for the orgy of violence she now found herself waist deep in.

War assaulted her senses. Gunfire thundered over the roars of the dying; a mixture of blood and smoke filled her nostrils with the unmistakable scent of death. Panting breaths left her mouth dry, but Sonya's blade was slick with crimson. Like a vengeful river her twirling form bounded over the slain, swelling their ranks with every step. At the heart of the chaos were the drives to survive and to kill; they turned her from a dancer to a death dealer.

And there was the omnipresent dank stench of fear. It rose in wafting sheets, clouding her spiritual sight with the amalgamated terrors and anxieties of the scattered combatants as they scrambled about the besieged city like ants whose mound had just been kicked in by a bored five year old.

But Kyla hadn't the time to wax poetic; the whine of a turboprop engine announced the Reaper Drone that was passing overhead, splitting the sky with the contrail of a Hellfire missile.

"Kyla! Look out!" Sonya cried, straining to be heard as the rocket screamed earthward with fiery intent. The Hoop Meister growled, whipping her blade around in a blur, felling one last monster in a cloud of arterial spray before hand-springing back to distance herself from the impending explosion when… none came. Kyla came screeching to a halt, braced for the blast with Sonya held defensively across her chest.

Cackling. The sound dripped with malice, effortlessly filling the stunned silence. Sonya whimpered. "Kyla…"

"I see her." The Hoop Meister responded, doing her best to keep her tone even.

Standing in the middle of the street was Lila, her arms and legs sheathed in pulsing violet energy. Her laughter had become hysterical. "I always loved fireworks!" The Hellfire missile sputtered angrily, firmly clenched in her glowing claws. "Here-" She cocked her arm back with a fierce grin. "Hot potato!" With a grunt she sent the missile hurtling towards them, tipping end over end like a fumbled football.

Sonya could only squeal in fear and surprise as her Meister surged forward, ducking around the missile as it careened past and sweeping her Weapon at the witch in a horizontal slash. Sonya's blade glanced off the back of her magic sheathed hand, forcing the Meister to dodge out of the way as she split the concrete at their feet with a shattering arm thrust.

The hellfire missile exploded nearly a block away, unnoticed by the two combatants as they blurred towards each other, their duel commencing in earnest.

Kyla leapt, twisting through the air like a serpent, every contortion of her body slashing Lila at a different angle. But her nimble opponent kept pace, dodging and deflecting Sonya's edge with room to spare. As soon as Kyla's feet touched ground the Mongoose Witch went on the offensive, screaming bloody murder as she tried to swat the teenager aside like a pesky fly.

"Come… back… here… you… little… twat!" She huffed, punctuating every word with a swipe of one of her glowing talons, but Kyla remained just out of reach. With a flick of her wrist she left a half dozen quills quivering in the asphalt at the Meister's feet, forcing her to spring out of the way again as each blossomed into a brilliant violet explosion.

She came to rest some distance away, recovering her stance while Lila cackled through the settling smoke. Sonya's anxious face was reflected in her blade as she spoke. "This is bad Kyla, she's too fast-"

"Quiet." Kyla interrupted, her voice cold. Lila took a threatening step forward, drawing an arm back to throw another volley of quills when the blur of a black trench coat and the glint of a twirling blade sent her staggering back in surprise.

Maka faced Lila down with a look of determination fierce enough to send chills up the witch's spine. The youngest Albarn's childish pigtails floated innocently on a smoky breeze, Soul's blade hanging like some nightmarish fang at the end of his plain gray haft. Hers was a stare that left no room for negotiation, one that ensured that only one of the two would come away from their contest alive.

Lila flexed her talons as Kyla took her place at Maka's side, grinning in anticipation.

"Now, this is gonna be fun."


When Free sealed the entire Shibusen student body and staff inside an Independent Cube at the hundredth anniversary party, he assured Medusa that once someone was trapped within the magic box there was no means of escape. This was, to an extent, correct. An Independent Cube, completely sealed, is impenetrable and inescapable by any means.

What Free neglected to mention, as it was irrelevant at the time, was that by intentionally compromising the arcane seal that separates the interior and exterior of the cube one could create a dimensional 'trapdoor' allowing those privy to its location a clandestine way in and out of the Cube.

And it was thanks to one such trapdoor that Victor now walked the streets of Hedgeton, proud and terrible in his enchanted ebon carapace, the razor edge of his zweihander catching the light as he waded through the rubble of a bombed out building.

"Freeze! Identify yourself!" The shouted warning was accompanied by the distinct rattle of weapons being brought to bear and Victor turned to face a squad of stony faced riflemen eying him through their iron sights. A Bradley rumbled into view and Victor clenched his free hand into a fist, the air throbbing with his power.

None of the soldiers had soul perception, but they picked up on the subtle change and took that as their queue to attack, opening up into a cacophony of automatic gunfire. The torrent of bullets slammed into the Knight's enchanted plates with enough force to stagger him. But he dug in his heel and held fast, sparks flying as the tiny missiles glanced of his armor and kicked up little geysers of stone chips all around him.

The soldiers could only give a collective gasp of surprise when he lunged forward, bisecting two of their number with one swing of his immense blade. With a smooth motion he swept another aside, splattering blood and lacerated intestines across the concrete while the others back pedaled desperately to distance themselves from his ravenous Weapon.

With a whir the Bradley brought its autocannon to bear on the obsidian swordsman, firing a single thunderous round at point blank range, catching him in the shoulder with an AP shell before he could react. It was a blow that not even enchanted steel could withstand; the shot tore one of his bulky pauldrons clean from his body and exposed the pale, muscled flesh beneath. With a metallic roar Victor lunged, but the Bradley's cannon barked twice more and halted his charge.

The first shell took his other pauldron before the second smashed into his cuirass, lifting the Knight off his feet and slamming him into a derelict building across the street, kicking up a cloud of dust that rose two-stories into the air.

A few moments of silence brought the surviving soldiers back to the side of their hefty fighting vehicle, straining to see through the airborne debris. One lowered his carbine from his shoulder, releasing long held breath in relief.

"I think we got him."

The Knight's blade burst from the settling dust, spinning parallel to the ground like no Weapon its size should've. The kneeling soldiers lost their heads, those still standing fell with bodies halved at the waist, the great sword coming to rest as it pierced the Bradley's tread. A blur of ebony steel and pale flesh, Victor surged forward and forced two open palms against the vehicle's armored side.

His soul crashed against the inanimate metal with like an enraged beast, reducing the asphalt at his feet to gravel and sending the Bradley tumbling sideways into a shuttered storefront. The building crumbled around the armored vehicle, choking the street with dust.

Victor coughed, struggling with his cuirass for a moment before peeling the crumpled armor plate away from his chest and letting it drop to the ground, discarded. His heavily bruised torso heaved with his breathing, free from the confines of enchanted metal for the first time in too long. Only his helmet, gauntlets, and leggings remained. Everything else had been stripped away by the heat of battle.

"Looks like even enchanted armor has its limits."

He didn't bother to face Sid as the Knife Meister separated himself from the shadow of a nearby building, still fully clad in his own black battle gear. "Nothing lasts forever. Not magic. Not even Death will stand the test of time."

"You're not gonna last much longer either." Sid slipped Nygus from her sheath, flipping her into a reverse grip. "Victor Richter, the Reaper has marked you for death. I've come for your soul."

"Then you'll be sorely disappointed." Victor took hold of his helmet with both hands. "It is not mine to give." Sid sunk into a low stance as he lifted the helmet from his head, tossing it aside. Wispy blonde hair, almost white, fell down to his waist before swaying on a gentle breeze. Milky blue eyes stared ice cold from sunken sockets, hollow cheeks giving an impression of an emaciation of the soul, though the rest of his body burst with vigor and power.

"I suppose I should congratulate you. You'll be the first man to die twice." With a grunt he freed his immense blade from its resting place, taking the sword with both hands and leveling its point at his foe. "And this time, you'll stay dead."


Private Martinez clutched his carbine to his chest, fighting to quiet his breathing, trying desperately to blend in with the silence that blanketed his hiding place. Smoke and ash drifted in through shattered windows, gunfire sounded in mute pops from somewhere distant, muddled by the murky air.

Martinez had never seen combat before. Not like this. This hadn't been in their training. Guns, that's what he knew. In the first moments of battle, when he'd seen that their enemy had only their bare claws, his first thought was that this whole thing had been blown out of proportion. They'd be done and home in time for dinner.

He pinched his dog tag between his teeth, a nervous habit, as someone rapped at the door to the vacated apartment he'd taken shelter in.

"Come now, don't make this difficult. I know you're in there." The soldier smirked halfheartedly at the hint of annoyance in the blonde butcher's tone. Maybe I'm getting to him. At the creak of the turning door knob he sprung into action, rushing the exit, M4 blazing at full auto, filling the door with holes and the room with thunder. His carbine clicked empty just as his shoulder met door, crashing through the weakened wood and into his assailant with little resistance.

Not waiting to examine the damage he'd done Martinez took off down the hallway at a dead run, high stepping over the mulched remains of his comrades, bursting into the stairwell, practically leaping to the ground floor. The whole way down he heard the rumble and cough of an engine, the rush of his pursuer's steps mingling with his own. Out through the front door he went, out into the street, boot treads struggling for traction on the bloody asphalt.

But his escape was a short one; the toe of his boot caught on a severed human arm and sent him sprawling amongst the gore.

"Friend of yours?" Rafael mused, grinning. Martinez ground his teeth as he rose, casting his spent carbine aside and drawing his knife. Compared to that rumbling monster in the dapper teen's hands his knife felt horribly inadequate, but he'd lost his sidearm when his barricade had been overrun by the wolf creatures. I'd give my left lung for a gun right now. The boy revved his chainsword's engine and lunged, Martinez bracing himself for the blow.

But it never came. A blur of olive green trench coat and the glint of a blade sent both combatants staggering back, and Martinez looked up to find that a tall boy now stood between him and the enemy. In his right hand he clutched the hilt of a steely gray claymore, the Weapon shifting slightly as the boy looked back over his shoulder.

"Run."

The soldier didn't hesitate to comply, leaving the two swordsmen to settle their differences the only way they knew how.


Castle Prometheus seemed and was jarringly out of place, its sandy towers rising in stark contrast against the lush evergreen forest that encircled it. In those woods around it life went about its daily routine as if the evil that besieged Hedgeton didn't exist. A woodpecker pulled a plump grub from the bowels of a fallen tree, oblivious to the squirrel that darted through the underbrush nearby. A pair of dear tiptoed up to a bubbling stream, dipping their heads to drink deeply in the clear water as the pine trees that lined the banks gently swayed in the wind.

But even if the creatures around it were oblivious to the encroaching evil, the castle was not.

A tremor rippled through the forest, shaking its trees and sending its inhabitants scurrying about in panic. The ground surrounding the castle bulged, nearby pines fell, and with a crash a huge stone arm erupted from the earth.

The forest heaved as the castle worked to pry itself from its resting place, showering the woods with boulder sized clods of dirt when it finally succeeded in freeing itself from its earthen cradle.

Now the castle was perched several hundred feet above the ground, rising proudly from the shoulders of an immense golem composed of the same sandy stone as the castle itself. The colossus vaguely resembled the much smaller mannequins that Abraham employed around the castle, but its faceless head jutted out of its chest to accommodate the castle that dominated its frame from the shoulders up.

Abraham stood on the central tower's balcony, arms crossed over his chest and his brown robe billowing behind him on the wind that accompanied the increase in altitude. Before him, beyond several miles of forest, lay Hedgeton, and beyond Hedgeton sprawled the Pacific Ocean. Abraham could just make out the neon green Independent Cube in the harbor, silhouetted by the columns of smoke that rose from the city's interior. The enchanter adjusted his stance slightly as the castle shifted beneath him, and the golem Prometheus took a single thunderous step forward, laying the forest low as it started out to meet its fate.


A/N: Writer's block overcome, and just in time for the New Year. Hopefully I still have some readers after a month long hiatus. Heh...

Any way, I hope all you readers are having a good holiday. I feel like the last two chapters have been a little slow, this one less so, but next chapter the fights that got set up this chapter get underway and concluded. It's going to be pretty glorious, not to toot my own horn or anything. Also, Abraham reappeared. Bet you weren't expecting to see him again. Wonder who he's gonna stomp on with his castle?

Review my pretties!

-TheManInTheHat