Soulbound Heroes(rewrite completed)

by shados960

As the climatic battle continued to be waged on the moon to defeat Asura, Maka and Soul traveled inside the kishin’s very soul to try save Crona Gorgon while he planned to make the ultimate sacrifice to atone for all his sins. But due to the will of an unknown force; suddenly find themselves stranded in a strange world filled with heroes and villain’s.

2. Chapter 2:New problems

DISCLAIMER: I do not own soul eater nor do I own my hero academia, both are respective properties of studio bones.

---

CHAPTER 2: New problems

For 30 minutes the trio flew across the city, being careful enough to stay at a certain altitude to prevent anyone from noticing them and draw any unwanted attention. But thankfully they eventually they managed to find a place to hide for the time being within a secluded alleyway nearby. After checking that it was safe to enter, the teens softly flew down to the alley and landed on solid ground.

Soul and Ragnarök immediately dispelled from their flight forms and returned to normal. The three children afterwards simply stood in silence for a few minutes to try gathering their thoughts.

"So... any idea what the hell just happened, back there?" Soul bluntly asked the two before him, yet neither one of them could come up with anything to say.

"No...I have no idea what that was back there. I mean what did we even do wrong? All we did was stop a couple of criminals. Now we're suddenly, being hunted down by the police; and apparently real superheroes..." Maka frustratingly recounted, still so confused as to why or how that all happened.

"Jeez, that's probably the dumbest thing I ever heard you say." Soul remarked, only to recieve a glower from the ash blonde. "But its hard deny, since we're in a city full of people that look like they came straight out of a cartoon show." Soul admitted, wishing more than anything, that this wasn't the truth...yet here they are.

"But what was that guy saying about illegal quirk use or vigilantism? Maybe that's how they interpret demon weapons and meister's?" Maka theorized, placing her thumb underneath her chin. "But when I mentioned us being students of shibusen, that guy didn't seem know about a single thing I was talking about. Even after he understood my language." Maka said, still baffled by how that man didn't know something as important as the death weapon/meister academy.

"I still can't believe the dude in the leotard didn't know about Shibusen; That's like not knowing the sun laughs." Soul remarked in equal parts surprise and almost amusement for someone being ignorant of something so freaking basic. Seriously, what rock was he living under?

"But why do think he didn't know about meisters or who we are? You think we're in some isolated part of Japan or something?"

"I don't know."

"Or do you think we really are in some realm inside the book Eibon?"

"Soul, I don't know!" Maka snapped and rubbed her forehead, trying to drive off the accumulating headache coming her way brought by their senseless situation.

Maka closed her eyes and took a deep breath, calming herself down before looking up at the two boys and spoke. "Whatever the case may be, it doesn't change that were still wanted criminals in these peoples eyes. So we're probably going to be hunted by not just police, but probably by more...superheroes." Maka cringed at saying that ridiculous last part.

Maka shook her head. "We need to move fast, and once we're far away enough. It should be safe to fly our way back to the moon without anyone noticing us."

Soul nodded in response, agreeing completely with his meister's logical reasoning While Crona after a moment of hesitation, did the same.

"All right then, let's get out of here."

After peeking through the alley for any cops or those costumed people, the kids ran across the street into alleyway after alleyway. While they had considered taking flight again, the idea was quickly dropped after hearing the sounds of more choppers.

Forcing the kids to continue sneaking around the urban streets of this unfamiliar city.

---

Hawks continued flying around the city at fast speeds most wouldn't be able to see clearly. He'd been patrolling the areas of the city near the last known location of the vigilantes, but so far, the search had led to no avail. After he and a few other pro heroes responded to Death Arms' call, the pro hero immediately explained to them the abilities that at least two of the suspects displayed. Particularly how their quirks both could generate wings to fly at fast speeds. After hearing that bit of information, Hawks immediately decided to do aerial patrols around the area.

The pro heroes instantly agreed to his volunteered role due to his expertise in speed-based combat, and mastery of flight with his quirk "Fierce Wings". It would allow Hawks to catch them in the air, then send them crashing down with his sharp feathers; If they were either still flying in the air or were about to do so again.

However, it seemed to Hawks that the vigilantes were playing it safe by hiding within the city; most likely in alleyways or abandoned streets. Thus, a second search party formed, one led by the excited number 7 hero, Mirko. A wise decision considering with her quirk's enhanced rabbit hearing and powerful leg muscles that let run at near supersonic speed's, she was the perfect person to scout for the vigilantes within the city while he took to scanning the skies.

Hawks pressed a button on his earpiece, to get into contact with Mirko. "You see them any of them yet Mirko?" Hawks questioned, with the winged man instantly getting, a loud reply from the energetic heroine.

"Nah, not a damn thing! It's like those brats turned invisible or something! Shit, is that actually another ability from their quirks?" Mirko replied irritably, growing more impatient that she still hadn't found the vigilantes yet. She looked forward even less to the possibility of the punks being even bigger pains in the ass to find.

"Doesn't seem likely, but there's also the chance the girl accompanying them has an invisibility or cloaking quirk. Would make sense since she didn't really display the use of a quirk yet when death arms found them. but let's not jinx anything, okay?" Hawks advised his brash partner, who surprisingly agreed with him.

"Don't have to tell me twice. But still, you'd think a bunch of kids that practically have a fuckin arsenal of powers from their quirks would be easier to find. Instead, we're stuck having to do whole this hide and seek bullshit." Mirko complained, getting more frustrated with the lack of progress on finding the vigilantes.

"It sucks not denying that, but I don't think it would be a good idea for you to charge in either. Don't forget, one of the suspects supposedly has sonic abilities from his quirk. Something pretty bad for you considering your ears are sensitive to loud noises and all that." Hawks told her, knowing full well it would be disastrous if the rabbit heroine fought that boy.

Despite Mirko's rabbit ears giving her enhanced hearing, they also caused her ears to be very sensitive to loud sounds. Thus, making that particular part of her quirk a double-edged sword. A particular double-edged sword, that vigilante would be able to easily take advantage of.

"Pfft please, you don't think I know that? I'm not stupid hawks, but like hell I'm gonna hide like some cowering bitch all because some little kid in a robe can scream like a banshee." Mirko scoffed. "Besides I plan to leave him to you while taking care of the two other suspects." Mirko smugly explained to Hawks who was left stunned in shock by Mirko carelessly leaving him to deal with such an opponent.

"Huh!? Oh! So, your gonna leave me to fight the guy, who can create a sonic sword out of nowhere. Grow a pair of dragon wings, and spew out thorns, strong enough mind you, to throw people straight into cars! Gee, how nice of you!" Hawks sarcastically thanked, while Mirko just continued to laugh, much to the number 3 hero's ire.

"Aw what's wrong? Don't tell me your afraid of the big scary kid with bubblegum hair, hmmm?~" Mirko playfully mocked the winged pro hero. Already she'd imagined the look of annoyance on his face.

God, if only she could see it!

"Ha-ha real funny Rumi, but I don't see the fun in taking on a kid who can turn into a giant scythe. One that girl can use to fight you with, so don't think they're going to be any easier than the other one." Hawks retorted, genuinely curious of how she expects, the girl and albino boy to be any easier.

"And who said I wanted it to be easy? I'm honestly hoping these guys can put up a good fight." Mirko answered, much to hawk's surprise. ""All I've been forced to deal with are a bunch of thugs flailing their quirks around-no one with any clue how to throw a real punch for christ's sake! I've been dying for a decent challenge for a while now and these vigilantes look like the perfect chance to give me that!" Mirko replied excitingly. Hawks already imagining a wide smile on her face as she said that.

"Cause you're so simple that way." Hawks deadpanned. But before Mirko could reply back. A third channel opened up, on his comms unit, as hawks quickly answered the call.

"What's up Taurus?" Hawks casually asked, yet what came from the other end would soon enough wipe that attitude away.

"Yeah, it's me Hawks. I think me and two other pro heroes I tagged along with found the suspects." The pro hero answered back. And just like that, Hawks' carefree attitude immediately vanished, with a much more serious demeanor taking its place.

"Where are you now?" Hawks demanded with a narrowed gaze, not wanting to waste a single second of time.

"I'd say I'm about 20 minutes away from your position, they don't seem to notice us yet, should we engage?" The hero asked. Hawks paused for a minute, contemplating his words before giving his answer.

"Try and wait for me and Mirko to come assist you. But if you deem it necessary, then yes. You and whoever is with you can engage them. But don't be reckless, these vigilantes have powerful quirks that we've never seen before. So again, just try and wait for us to deal with them, got it?"

"Yes sir, me, Chomp Drop and Stinger Bringer will alert you if anything else comes up." Taurus answered before she hung up. With a flap of his wings, Hawks increased the speed of his flight even faster than before. Already he was headed straight towards the location that assembled hero team and those suspects we're in. Hawks activated his comm's earpiece to alert a certain rabbit hero of the news.

"Mirko get ready, a hero named Taurus and a few others found the suspect-" But before he could finish, Mirko cut him off with a loud response.

"OH, I HEARD! About goddamn time! I'm heading there now! Finally, I get to see for myself if these brats are worth all this trouble!" Mirko excitedly said before running off to the suspects' location.

"Mirko, wait! -" but before Hawks could finish, a beeping sound went through the earpiece. Apparently she had hung up on him since he could hear the beep of a dropped call.

Hawks groaned in exasperation at the rabbit heroine's "act first, think later" attitude. He was already expecting her to completely forget his advice, and just charge in like it's nothing.

"Why did these kids have to be in my city?" Hawks complained to himself, almost wishing these vigilantes were someone else's problem. The number 3 hero continued at his current flight speed to the last known location of the vigilantes. Steeling his nerves for the battle that would most likely take place in this city soon.

---

LOCATION: RANDOM ALLEYWAY

The three teenagers ran across another alleyway. Daylight had taken its leave and allowed the cloudy night to take over the skies above the city. The trio made sure to avoid another police car that almost spotted them before running again. Maka, Crona and Soul stopped midway inside of an alley. Taking a moment to catch their breaths while Soul looked back and forth around the wall to make sure they weren't being followed.

"Dammit...these guys don't know when to quit." Soul remarked while surveying the surrounding area. "You'd think they'd give up finding us already at this point." Soul commented on the growing number of police cars patrolling the streets.

"I know, it just never seems to end. But they have to give up soon, they can't keep this up all night." Maka optimistically told soul walking back to where she and Crona stood.

"I-I hope so, I don't think I can handle running around like this anymore." Crona said as he caught his breath. Already feeling his feet becoming sore from constantly running around the city without a minute of rest.

"For once I agree with the wimp here, I can't take any more of this running crap! I haven't eaten anything all day!" Ragnarök came out of Crona's back, and lazily Plopped onto crona's head like a cushion.

"Are you kidding me?" Maka questioned incredulously as she turned to face the little demon weapon. "We're being hunted down in a city we've never been in before, and you're thinking about food now?!"

"Damn straight! You aren't the one stuck with this pussy and eventually become a mindless slave. Only to wake up and find myself running with you losers in a city full of circus freaks. So, EXCUSE ME, if I want to have a bite to eat!" Ragnarök yelled obnoxiously while flailing his little arms around.

"Ragnarök, even if I wanted to, none of us have any money here to buy you any food. W-we don't even know how to speak Japanese, so how could we even order anything?" Crona tried reasoning with his merged weapon, but the creature simply wouldn't budge.

"Well steal some cash, and learn how to speak the language! I don't care! throughout this whole day, I've been forced to work my ass off since the minute I woke up. So, I demand-no, deserve a damn good meal!" Ragnarök screeched, before in a fit of childish anger pulled on his meister's face as if it was clay.

Maka felt peeved anger swelling up inside her, having enough of the demon weapons antics and stepped forth to reprimand him properly.

"Now listen here, you bratty-" But Maka paused before she could finish what she was about to say to the ranting demon weapon. Sensing that someone coming as she heard running footsteps coming towards them.

"Hey you three, stay right where you are!" A man's gruff voice shouted out in japanese.

They all spun around, to see towards the entrance of the alley a tall musclebound man walking towards them. The man wore a heavily armored dark blue bodysuit accompanied with bulky boots and knee guards of the same color. But the most shocking aspect of his appearance was the fact this man appeared as a bipedal cow. As the bovine man was covered in black and white spotted fur and two small bullhorns on his head, alongside a literal golden ring nose on his snout like face.

The teens only able to stare at the literal minotaur standing across from them in baffled astonishment at the ridiculous looking hero.

'Okay I get this place has an obsession with comics but this is just ridiculous!' Maka felt her eye twitch as she kept incredulously staring at the absurd looking bull man. Seriously this guy made the last superhero look relatively normal in comparison!

Nonetheless maka could already see this was not going to be pleasant experience to deal with another one of these "heroes" trying to arrest them.

"Look, I don't want hurt you kids, so I'm asking you to just surrender, and come with me peacefully." The pro hero sternly replied in his native language.

Before Maka could reply, Ragnarök suddenly erupted into hysterical laughter while Pounding on Crona's head. All attention falling to the laughing demon weapon as if he'd seen funniest thing in the world.

"Bwhahahahahahahahaha! H-Holy fucking shit! hahahahaha! this-this shit right here is officially, the highlight of my day!" Ragnarök spoke between wheezes of hysterical laughter, pointing to the bipedal bull. "Hey look; it's your long-lost Cousin cow! Surprised you don't recognized him, but i guess the bovine genes in her were more pronounced in that guy, than they are in your titless ass!" Ragnarök continued cackling cackle at both Maka and the cow themed hero. The latter, while not quite understanding what he said, still looked offended by the little creature on top of Crona.

Maka's eyes hid behind her wheat hair, a dark aura appearing around her but was unnoticed by sword; yet soul wisely started backing away knowing how this would turn out. Seething with boiling rage, Maka swiped a nearby trashcan lid and violently struck the little demon with a heavy Maka chop. Ragnarök's laughter instantly turned into howls of agony once punishing blow crashed into his little skull.

"Son of a bitch! You damn woman, don't you know when to take a damn joke!?" Ragnarök cried out as he frantically rubbed the big bump on his spherical head.

"You obnoxious idiot, don't you realize what's going on!?" Maka screeched, pointing to the very confused hero that stood in front of them.

"Oh c'mon, do really you expect me to take that seriously?" Ragnarök brashly retorted.

Crona only gave a harsh scolding glare to Ragnarök, completely unamused by his inappropriate behavior right now.

"Alright enough of this. I'm asking you one more time, to just make this easier on everyone, and turn yourselves in." The bull man answered back. Having grown fed up listening to this raucous creature attached to one of the vigilantes.

But at the same time, she kept his eyes on the two other pro heroes that had joined him. One was a man in green medieval knight's armor with two long wasp like stingers on each wrist. While the other looked like a red bipedal shark with sharp robotic teeth.

The hidden heroes waiting for the right moment to creep up behind the kids for a sneak attack as their comrade distracted them.

"I'm sorry if we interfered in your matters and broke the law, but we just want to leave here and get back home." Maka calmly tried to explain, yet as much she was hoping she could try to be diplomatic about this, she already could sense this wasn't going to be successful.

Maka had already picked up on two people sneaking behind them, and was simply pretending to play along. Giving both soul and Crona a hidden gesture with her hand, silently warning them of the sneaking assailants.

The two boys caught on quickly, after seeing the hidden gesture and prepared to attack. Crona silently ordered Ragnarök into his sword form and swiftly turned behind him, crying out his attack.

"Screech alpha!" Crona shouted, slashing downwards with his broadsword. robed swordsman slashing his sword downwards. The sword spewed from its mouth-a large blast of dark energy with a ghoulish face formed, directly towards the rabbit hero like a missile.

The incoming projectile as it plowed through the street-causing-heavy destruction in its wake as it rocketed towards the heroes. Both men jumped out of the attack's path just in time as it struck a nearby wall in its path. The collision created a violent explosion that reduced the wall into nothing more than a gaping crumbled hole.

The pro heroes looked momentarily stunned at the destructive display of power, before turning back to the three teens who now stood ready for battle.

"Taurus, Chomp Drop! Keep them subdued while I use my quirk to paralyze them!" The green clad hero shouted in hurry, activating his quirks retractable wrist sleep stingers and darted to the teens.

The cow themed hero nodded and ran at them, yet as she ran began to change. The man started bulking in size and musculature as fur grew more wild, his hands and feet turned into hard hooves, while the armor shifted to cover up his now quadrupedal body. And to top it off the man's face and horns elongated till he had that of a vicious looking snout and twin bulky horns as the hero now truly appeared as a monstrous bull.

The transformed hero, charged with his blunt yet strong horns directed at his foes faster than beforehand. And at the same time chomp drop lunged, opening his metallic shark jaw that expanded until it nealy touched the ground.

The armored bull blocked out the forward exit, with the shark man and knight now in the way they came in. Thus, becoming officially trapped on both sides.

"They got us blocked on both sides so we can't ruin." Soul grimaced at their tight situation. "Guess we have no choice to fight huh?"

"No, we don't." Maka replied in agreement, Soul without a second to waste morphed into his scythe form, allowing the young meister to wield her weapon partner.

Maka dashed to the metal-jawed shark man charging at her, bending her knees back, and jumped over the hero. Once she landed on the ground she swung the blunt side of scythe on the left temple of his head. The increasing momentum behind it, caused the shark to violently crash into the hard brick wall next to him, the impact being more than enough to send him into unconsciousness.

Crona meanwhile contended with both the knight and giant bull, warding them off with ragnarök with numerous fast yet controlled slashes and thrusts to prevent himself from killing them.

But despite his superior strength, these two were fighting against him better then expected. Thus he decided to prevent this battle from getting dragged out any longer, to stop holding back.

CLANG!

CLANG!

CLANG!

Suddenly, before the two pro heroes could try landing anymore strikes at the robed teen; two thin black arms with white gloved hands, and chained guards on their forearms shot out of Crona's shoulder blades. Both arms wielded two long katana black swords that locked with the heroes own blades with little effort. The first sword was known "the abyss of despair and uncleanliness". And Crona himself, now wielding a different third sword dubbed "the darkness", that like the other two, violently pushed back the heroes with their blades.

Stinger Bringer was flung into the gaping hole from earlier. While oni huntress simply fell to the ground in front of the alley's entrance. The shocked pro heroes took a moment to examine the boys sudden transformation more closely while they recovered.

The sword held a distinctive mouth protruding outwards from either side just above its chained hilt, creating a rudimentary guard. The second sword looked almost identical to the other one, except it possessed a jagged edge along the blade's front side, including a spiked protrusion above its mouth-formed guard.

The sword held by crona was the shortest in length, yet at same time, the broadest of all three swords. But it didn't have a mouthed guard, Instead, a jagged-toothed grin was embedded into the weapon itself. surrounded from both above and below by purple cloth wrappings, which encircled the sword numerous times.

"I'm sorry, I really don't want to hurt any of you." Crona somberly apologized to the heroes. "I can tell your all just doing your jobs...but the fact remains. I can't let you hunt me and my friends down any longer." Crona calmly proclaimed, the extra left arm then thrusted its narrow blade at a building near Taurus.

The sword quickly extended until it was a whiplike construct that struck the buildings corner. Small chunks of rubble fell near the downed bull man who was still frozen in shock, but was able to mostly snap out of it, to dodge most of the falling rocks. A few however, managed to land on his lower body, causing Taurus to tumble down onto floor and becoming halfway buried in rubble.

Taurus tried getting up, but due to the few yet heavy rocks on top of him, it wasn't going to happen anytime soon and woud most likely leave some cuts and bruises.

Crona held a sigh of relief at managing to control his strength, and turned to see maka and soul ran towards him, the pair looked at their friend's handiwork.

"Damn man, talking about doing a number on them. Just how much were you holding back anyway?" Soul asked in curiosity as he stared at the defeated forms of the heroes. Crona only looked away, glancing towards the ground in shyness of the praise given to him.

"A lot, it was actually re-really hard to hold back." The swordsman timidly admitted. "It didn't help that these people...w-weren't that strong." Crona muttered, but still immensely relieved that he didn't none the less. He didn't need any more blood on his hands than he already had.

"More like they were fucking weaklings!" Ragnarök boastfully laughed, his head popping out from his meister's chest. "Damn this feels awesome! Weird, but fucking awesome! And here I thought I got totally downgraded again!"

"I'm actually shocked you can still do that, considering your back to being that puny size again." Maka teasingly commented, as an angry vein soon popping on the swords sphered skull.

"You do realize, that I can slice you into little pieces right now, right!? So do you actually think it's a good idea to insult me!?" Ragnarök snarked, pointing the swords towards Maka but not before Crona tried calming him down.

"Stop it Ragnarök! S-she has a point you know. How can you make your arms big again considering your back to being so small?" Crona genuinely inquired still surprised that he could still have Ragnarök use their three-sword style with his weapon shrunken down.

"Huh, hang on...let me try something." As Ragnarök's arms and head retreated back into Crona, before fully emerging in his mini form, looking like he was trying to shoot lasers out of his ping pong eyes.

"grrrhhh...C'mon, C'mon!" The sword struggled until he began growing ever so slightly size for a few moments before shrinking back to his plushie form. "Fuck! I still can't get big again! I don't get it, why!?" Ragnarök cried out in frustration, only for Maka to work the gears in her brain and came up her own insight to the problem.

"Maybe when Crona consumed and later got absorbed by asura, any human souls you two consumed also got absorbed; and without those you lost a significant portion of your mass." Maka intelligently theorized, Ragnarök groaning in great irritation at the spartoi meister's theory most likely being true.

"Oh that's just fucking perfect, I really am back to square one!" Ragnarök then pulled on one of crona's locks. "You better fix this soon brat, or I swear to god there's gonna be some major payback!"

With that last threat the sword recoiled back into Crona's body to further mope his frustrations, leaving the teens utterly exasperated by the demon weapon.

Inside the alleyway end with a gaping hole, stinger bringer groaned in pain; as he stumbled out of the walls hole and back toward the middle of the alley.

"Shit...the hell was that? Death arms didn't say the third suspect could do that too! Just what kind of quirks do these vigilantes have in the first place?" Stinger bringer murmured and scanned the alley, grimacing to see his comrades defeated.

"Guess it's up to me now." The green armored hero then sprinted to the trio standing a couple feet away.

"Guys we've got to get going, now!" Soul pointing to the knight hero back on his feet.

"C'mon, let's get out of here while we have the chance." The three wanted teens quickly ran past the entrapped cow girl, and out of the alleyway onto the empty street.

"Dammit they got away!" Stinger bringer cursed once he reached the alley entrance, the suspects were already long gone.

Taurus simply punched the ground in anger. He did the exact thing Hawks warned him not to do. Being completely reckless, and in the process had allowed them to escape.

"Well There's nothing we can do now, let's just hope Hawks and Mirko, can make it here in time." The green armored hero said, and as if he summoned the man himself. Stinger bringers, built in communicator went off.

"Stinger bringer we're here, Did you manage to capture the vigilantes?" Hawks immediately asked the green clad hero as the communicator crackled in his ears, sighing in self-disappointment he gave his answer.

"No hawks...the suspects escaped, we...we completely underestimated them." Stinger bringer paused. Flinching from the loud swear he heard in his ear, that most likely came from a pissed off Mirko before he continued. "They ran off from the alleyway we're in and onto Shigyama street. Taurus is trapped in a small pile of rubble, and chomp drop is unconscious. Both mildly injured, but still fine and breathing nonetheless."

"What? How the hell did that happen?" Hawks asked in baffled surprise, Just what did they fight against?

Underneath his helmet, stinger bringer grimaced. "Let's just say your gonna need to update death arms report on the robed suspect."

---

LOCATION: SHIGYAMA STREET

Only one hour had passed since Maka, Soul, and Crona engaged the three pro heroes. But already the news of the heroes being swiftly taken out; by these vigilantes had inevitably leaked to the public. Starting, a wildfire of gossip ignited within Fukuoka city. Rumors of this mysterious trio such as them being a new villain or vigilante team ran amok on the internet.

The city itself with all this commotion went into high alert for any and all suspicious activity with more pro heroes coming by the tens each hour. All with the orders to apprehend the three teenagers that didn't know where or why they were here.

Another group of pro heroes ran around the city's more populated district to arrest the vigilantes. Unaware three teens, two in average clothing, and one in a long black robe ran past them into another empty street. Luckily this place was far from the loud traffic, and the crowds of people walking around the city's major areas made it easy to sneak past their costumed pursuers.

Maka peeked around a corner, just as another pair of police cars zoomed past them. Their wailing sirens echoing throughout the quiet street. 'Dammit, I think fighting those guys from before was a mistake. Now more of police and these superhero weirdos, are after us.'

Releasing a winded sigh, Maka walked towards where soul and Crona were waiting. Soul simply leaning on a building wall, while Crona sat on the floor hugging his knees.

"So how is it out there?" Soul immediately asked hoping for some good news for once, but judging by the worried expression on his meister's face, already he knew it was anything but good.

"It's getting pretty bad Soul; we have to get out of this city now." Maka emphasized through her voice's serious tone, which only added to the direness of the problem. "If we don't leave soon, it'll become next to impossible for us to get out of this place."

"So what should we do?" Crona quietly questioned knowing that at the very least, that Maka would come up with a decent plan to escape the manhunt for them.

"I think our best bet is to head for edge outside of the city. Once were too far for anyone to be after us, we'll fly out of here and get back to the moon." Maka planned out to the two boys before her.

Soul at first said nothing and thought his meister's plan over. He admit, while it sounded like a good idea-it still meant wasting a load of time while their friends were fighting for their lives. Something maka must've also knew and hated. But in comparison it sounded like a way better option, then just randomly running through alleyways till the law enforcement gave up. Which at this point didn't seem very likely to happen anytime soon.

"Sounds like a good plan." Soul agreed, with Crona also nodding in agreement to Maka's strategy.

Without further delay the trio began walking down the street. But as they did so, Crona noticed something in the distance. Four small red objects that looked almost like feathers seemed to be flying in the sky. Crona's eyes widened when he realized, that from their angle and direction; these objects were flying straight towards them.

"Look out!" Crona shouted as he dashed towards Maka and Soul; pushing them all out of the feathers' line of fire just in time. The feathers came just as Crona had predicted, but now miss their targets. Instead, they stabbed into the concrete, and soared back to their owner flying in the sky above.

"Impressive, not many people can actually dodge my feathers in time. Judging by your appearances, you and your friends must be the kids causing all this commotion in my city." A male voice casually spoke to the three kids below.

Maka, Soul, and Crona all stood up from the ground, adrenaline pumping through their veins, looking up to the source of the voice speaking in clear English.

What the teens saw was a young man with feathery blonde hair swept messily behind his head with some faint stubble on his chin. A round yellow visor, matched with a pair of yellow headphones on his head. He wore a black shirt with a wavy golden pattern, over which he had a tan jacket with a high collar. White fur lined the insides and cuffs of his jacket's sleeves, sporting black gloves on his hands.

But the most striking detail about their opponent, was the flapping pair of large bird-like wings with bright red feathers on his back.

The teens danger senses went into action, with adrenaline began pumping in their systems. Their combat experience, made it clear that man flying above them was completely different from the ones who tried to capture them before.

"Man, it took forever to find you guys. To be honest we were almost about gonna call it quits." The mysterious man had admitted. "That was, until I decided for us to check this block one last time. And I've got to say we got real damn lucky, can't say the same for you guys though." Hawks said in perfect English, but what really caught their attention was one word he said.

'We?' Maka, Crona and soul simultaneously thought. Wondering as they looked around, to find who else was with him.

Maka's instincts instantly sensed something fast coming behind her; leaping left at the last second; avoiding a fast-moving jump kick.

The figure responsible landing beside the flying man, revealed themselves to be a short yet very athletic young woman. She had tan colored skin, with long flowing white hair reaching down to her waist and red eyes that gave her the similar appearance of an albino like soul. She wore white gloves and a white leotard with a crescent moon symbol on the chest area, and had skin tight purple thigh-high stockings that were hugging her incredibly muscular legs as the foot area of her boots were encased with Metal plating shaped like the feet of a rabbit.

To take the rabbit theme of her costume a step further this robust woman had a literal pair of long white rabbit ears, in place of regular human ears. Heck they could have even spotted a fluffy tail on her behind to add to the costume. But what got the teens a little tense, was the excited grin on her face.

Maka could already tell this woman was craving for battle. She'd felt such presences before with previous opponents such as Free, Giriko and the many evil human's she's hunted over the years. But unlike those auras, this woman's was far less malicious. Feeling more akin to the prideful presence of Blackstar; a comparison that made maka both simultaneously eased yet still worried.

"Well, well, so you're the brats causing all the fuss around town!" The rabbit woman proclaimed. "Almost thought I wouldn't get to see what you were made of, but I guess my lucks turned up! Nice to finally meet ya, I'd tell you my name but I'm pretty sure you know who i and hawks are." Mirko proclaimed with a toothy grin, She was barely able to contain her excitement to finally kick some ass.

However instead of looking fearful, the kids just stared at her in utter confusion not having understood a single thing she just said.

"Um, Mirko...you do realize they couldn't understand a single thing you said right? ...They don't know Japanese." Hawks deadpanned, causing Mirko's eyes to widen and quickly turning her head to look at the flying top three hero.

"Wha-why the hell didn't you tell me!?"

"I did, and so did death arms when he gave the report. But you just ran out, before he or I could explain that these three are foreigners." Hawks blankly explained, causing Mirko to blush for a split second in embarrassment. The rabbit heroine shook her head, and like that, instantly returned to her previous demeanor.

"Whatever, just tell em to come with us quietly, before we do it by force." Mirko told the winged hero, despite how much she wanted to fight them, her instincts were already telling her that these kids just didn't deserve it.

Hawks nodded, turning his attention back to the three vigilantes before him. "Listen we don't want things to get ugly, so just come with us to the police station and we'll have this whole thing sorted out." Hawks calmly switched back to english and explained to the trio, who continued to glaring at him where they were, until Maka walked up and spoke.

"Well since you can understand us, you should know that we've already dealt with enough of people in costumes for one day. We just want to leave this city and go back home." Maka retorted to hawks, who simply shook his head in an almost scolding manner.

"Sorry kid, that's not how it works. You and your friends used your quirks in public to illegally fight a group of criminals, instead of letting the proper authorities handle it. Not only that but you attacked three pro heroes and resisted arrest; thus making you a group of dangerous vigilantes." Hawks further explained but all it did was send maka into further outrage.

"We were just trying to help! I'm sorry if we broke the law here, but we need to go back to death city! It's a matter of life and death, can't any of you understand that!?" Maka angrily shouted to hawks, who simply raising his eyebrow in confusion.

"Death city? Look I know your foreigners, and maybe in that town quirk usage laws are more lenient, but that's not case here in Japan. But whatever situation is right now, you can come with us and we'll figure what we'll do for you and work out any charges you face." Hawks tried negotiating to the three teens, but only anger and shock, came to Maka from what was being told to her.

"Wha-Charges!? There's no way we can stay in some jail while our friends are waiting for us!" Maka shouted in defiance, but at the same time was internally shocked by how this man didn't even know about Death City.

This place must've been even more isolated from the rest of the world than she feared if they didn't even know about Death City of all places.

But before she could think further on the matter, a chunk of the feathers from Hawks' wings flew out. Surrounding the three teenagers, each one aimed towards them like floating daggers in the air.

"That's not a request. I'm sorry for what's going on with you and your friends, but the law is still the law. Now this is your final warning, surrender and come with us peacefully, or we will use force." Hawks told them in a serious tone as Mirko positioned herself in a combat stance.

Normally Maka and her friends would have just gone to simply attack and overpower them with their abilities and run while recovering. But these two were clearly much stronger than those other super-powered people they just faced.

But at the same time, knew they couldn't just surrender themselves to jail for the 'laws' they supposedly broke, and be trapped here for God knows how long. Not while their friends were most likely fighting the madness god in a desperate battle.

It wouldn't be pretty, but they couldn't let these two get in their way of coming back to save their friends.

Maka looked back at the two pro heroes, now with a fierce glare on her face. "I've given you people our answer. We are leaving this city and going back home, no matter what."

Hawks sighed in disappointment. "Alright then, if you want to do this the hard way then fine. Just don't say we didn't give you a chance to come peacefully." Hawks deployed feathers at the teens and got ready to immobilize them to a wall.

But as they soared near, Soul dashed in front of maka and Sliced them into ribbons by the large sickles that came out of Soul's arms; all while smiling his iconic grin.

"And don't say we didn't ask you nicely first." Soul quipped as he transformed into his weapon form, for maka to wield, as Crona summoned Ragnarök's broadsword. Both sides positioned themselves in their fighting stances, while their eyes were focused on their foes.

"All right then, let's dance! Bird boy do you still remember the plan?" Mirko asked Hawks as she ran to her opponents, with the blonde man nodding in return.

"Yeah, I remember, just don't underestimate them." Hawks quickly replied before diving down, and fired off a dozen more of his hardened feathers directly at the duo.

The feathers volleyed towards the teens like arrows-forcing crona and maka to leap away to opposite sides of the street; as the feathers pierced into where they once stood.

Maka skidded a couple feet away from the cluster of feathers but was soon to feel her sharp instincts go off. Turning her head to find the grinning rabbit hero jumping towards her with both legs pulled close to her chest for a twin kick.

The ash blonde's eyes widened briefly in surprise but quickly narrowed. With acrobatic skill, she bent her knees back and using soul as launching support; vaulted over the brawny rabbit woman as she zoomed into the alley ahead.

Once maka landed she immediately turned her green orbs towards the left side of the street. Her eyes found the sight of crona was rapidly deflecting a hail of those living feathers with his sword while that winged man soared above him.

The scythe meister grimaced, immediately seeing the strategy these two were implementing. She should've guessed that they'd plan to split her apart from crona. And the fact that, he was subtly luring crona away from here with his barrage's of feathers only further confirming it.

A part of Maka immediately felt compelled to catch up to her friend and aid him. But before she could fully listen to her concerns-heard soul's voice.

"Maka relax, we both know crona ain't a pushover. He can easily beat that guy so quit worrying so much." Soul assured his concerned meister.

The ash blonde took her weapon partners advice into consideration over the matter. She knew soul wasn't wrong. Crona had become an extremely powerful meister-to the point he could overpower most death scythes. But that was only apart of the real reason why she was so worried for him.

Crona was only hours ago considered the second greatest threat to the world besides Asura. A person who possessed a madness wavelength so intense; it allowed him to temporarily absorb the demon god and become a pseudo-kishin. Thankfully by some miracle Crona had broken free of that insanity-but it didn't mean he was perfectly stable either.

If he lost control here…

Maka shook her head and stopped herself from falling any deeper into that darkening thought pattern. It was wrong to think that way of her friend like that, even with the fear of his madness running wild. She just had to trust her friend was going to be able to take care of himself until they beat these guys and reunited.

"Yeah your right Soul." Maka nodded in agreement with her weapon. Leaving one last glance at crona before turning her attention to the incoming figure ahead.

"Oi don't lose focus vigilante!" Mirko grinned, rushing out of the alleyway with her foot cocked back for another kick.

Maka said nothing and only glared back at the woman with emerald daggers. Raising up her scythe the teenage meister prepared for combat and charged ahead.

Mirko lunged forward, preparing to land a flying kick at Maka. But the green-eyed girl swiftly dodged it, twirling her scythe around and swung it like a baseball bat at mirko. The spiked end of souls scythe rammed into both sides of Mirko's stomach in quick, repeated succession.

With every fast swing thrown at her rabbit eared opponent, momentum rapidly stockpiled onto her weapon. Her increasingly fast attacks mercilessly struck into her opponent's torso without any sign of stopping. Mirko gasped as she felt the air leave her lungs with the girls rabid blunt strikes. But she quickly pushed through it and rose her feet up for a flurry of sidekicks to deflect each attach coming at her.

The bunny heroine then pushed her legs back and leaped backwards. Once enough distance was made she unleashed a storm of intense kicks from her powerful legs. Maka raised soul up to skillfully block every kick with her scythes staff, but it seemed each attack kept intensifying by the minute.

"Shit, these lady's kicks are like getting hit freakin BB bullets, you got any bright ideas to get this chick off our backs?" Soul asked while warding off the barrage of kicks.

"Yeah, I think I do." Maka effortlessly shuffled her body away from a few more kicks and once she found an opening, dashed towards Mirko and thrusted the heel of her scythe at her ribs.

An audible crack was heard as one of mirko's ribs snapped and before long, the sheer momentum of the attack caused mirko skidded a few feet away.

Not wasting the opportunity, Maka ran towards the vulnerable rabbit heroine and pulled back her left fist, firing up a fierce left hook that smashed into Mirko's cheek. The impact of the blow combined with it's momentum caused the rabbit heroine's body to skid even faster than before.

However, Mirko firmly planted her feet to the pavement and restored her balance before she could fall. But to Maka and Soul's confusion, the rabbit eared woman still had that big excited grin on her face. Their confusion only intensified from what came out of her mouth next, which left the duo stunned.

"Holy crap, that was a nice punch! Now that's been looking for! I gotta tell ya it's been a while since somebody socked me like that! It's no wonder why you kicked those villain's asses so easily! They didn't stand a chance." Mirko grinned excitedly, her enjoyment in this battle being quite clear for the scythe meister to see.

Maka raised a brow at their opponents praises. "Um thank you? But hang on, you speak english too?"

"Of course I do. Being bilingual becomes kinda mandatory for my position in case of international situations. Sorta like this one."

"I have to say, before you vigilantes started causing trouble I thought today was gonna be boring as hell. But boy did you prove me wrong!" Mirko cracked her neck. "What better way for me to vent off some steam then, than with a damn good fight like this."

Maka narrowed her eyes and glowered at the older woman. "Sorry but if you think I'm going let myself be your punching bag, you got another thing coming."

Mirko blinked before her grin grew larger with battle hungry excitement. "Oh I like your spirit vigilante brat!" The rabbit heroine lunged towards at the younger girl with a butterfly kick but leapt away in time. With another strong jump the robust heroine flew like a missile with both both her legs extended for a drop kick that was easily parried by maka with the pole of her scythe.

Mirko leapt backwards using the pole as support, pushing the teen a few inches back as the rabbit women pushed her plated feet into the ground-and with rising momentum-began a series of rapid jumps across the buildings till she was seen as a blur.

Maka kept up with the heroine's rapid movements, and tried to track her while she braced for whatever her opponent was planning. But the rabbit eared woman pulled a fast one, after landing on the street she launched herself like forward a missile. Seeing this wouldn't end well, Maka prepared to move to her right; only for Mirko to change direction at the last second and bounce skyward, catching the meister by surprise.

'What? the heck is she planning, now?' Maka thought suspiciously, in seconds her question was unfortunately answered. Mirko raised her right leg upwards and launched a powerful, frontal axe kick at Maka and soul. At the speed her attack was going, it'd be too fast to avoid in time.

"Luna arc!" Mirko shouted her special move as she soon was seconds away from bringing down her powerful leg attack onto the vigilante girl.

'Shit! She's coming straight towards me!' Maka momentarily panicked, but in that moment an idea came to the meister.

Not having the time to dodge, she prepared to block the blow with her scythe's blade. Quickly raising Soul's long scythe blade towards the axe kick just as it struck to absorb the force of the hit was her only choice. Thus, as Mirko's metal foot plates struck Soul's blade; the impact erupted numerous sparks flying off from the scraping metal. The sheer force of the struggle nearly making Maka to stagger and lose her footing as the two women vied to overcome each other.

Cracks soon began to form on Mirko's metal plated boot, the stalemate between the meister and hero lasting for only seconds before Maka finally saw her chance. Swiftly removing soul from their stalemate, Maka instantly thrusted the blunt top of her scythe like a javelin straight into the rabbit woman's abdomen. Mirko coughed from the gut-wrenching blow, before being flung straight into the hard ground.

The two foes being forced to take a moment to recover before the battle could continue. Maka only stood there and glared at her recovering opponent, while she herself briefly took the moment to ready herself. The scythe meister wondering what to do about this amazonian rabbit and her surprising level of physical ferocity.

'Dammit...not only is she strong, she's even faster. Almost as fast as I am. And to top it all off, she still has that stupid smile on her face.' Maka thought in annoyance, gritting her teeth in frustration at the carefree attitude the rabbit hero was displaying in their battle. Something that struck a nerve with the two-star meister. Feeling more than insulted by the fact she was being treated more like a punk than an actual opponent to take seriously.

The nerve of that bunny…

But that didn't mean she wasn't anything to scoff at either. This lady was relentless, and had zero intention of letting either them escape. If anything she was looking more and more thrilled by the continued struggle they threw against her.

If Maka could make the best comparison, this woman could be summed up as an older female version of that arrogant oaf Blackstar. Or More specifically, another gender bent version of the ninja prodigy. Maka internally cringed.

On a second thought, she took that back. As she had unfortunately recalled the scarring memory of already seeing what that ninja prodigy would have been like as a girl when the lust chapter switched their genders within the book of Eibon.

Shudders.

The sight of those boobs...

And that doesn't even begin to match the trauma, of her own gender flip within that accursed lust chapter.

But if she really was fighting somebody remotely similar to blackstar in terms of superior raw strength and tenacity; she needed to stop holding back.

Yet this wasn't the first time she had dealt with enemies that were far stronger than her. But even with those odds stacked against her, she always managed to overcome them and win. And compared to facing off against giriko or the kishin, this fight would be a good warm-up for her second round against the demon god.

"We're going to need to stop holding back if we want to beat her. Otherwise we'll end up eventually making a mistake and become vulnerable." Maka said to her weapon, keeping her green orbs locked on the recovering rabbit hero.

"My thoughts exactly. But with this bunny She-hulk over there, itching for a good fight, she's probably gonna make this fight go as long as possible." Soul noted, feeling this battle could easily drag out considering how skilled their opponent was.

He honestly underestimated this bunny chick a bit. When it came to fighting she was good. Really good. Her kicks being far stronger than he anticipated, since he was still feeling soreness from their previous struggle.

Hell, this lady might even give doctor stein a damn good challenge. But soul knew full well their bolt brained teacher would've been able to easily beat this bunny. Even without the use a demon weapon on him, no less.

And as intriguing as that scenario sounded, this wasn't the time nor place for dwelling in such scenario's. The scythe duo watched carefully as the rabbit heroine had finally recovered and stood back up.

Surprisingly despite the harsh blow landed to her stomach. Her leotard had torn up a bit, revealing behind the fresh holes a purple bruise forming on her toned stomach. But even with such nasty bruising on her abdomen, Mirko still still looked more than ready to fight like there was no tomorrow.

"Holy Shit *pant* you *pant* you actually managed to hold off my Luna arc. Now that...that's the first. So, congratulations kids, you two earned my respect." Mirko complimented between her panting from the intense moments of battle. Becoming even more impressed by these kids by the minute, as already they managed to last more than pretty well so far.

She had already stopped holding back a while ago, thinking she'd overwhelm them with her rapid kicks in order beat them to submission. But to her genuine surprise, these vigilantes not only overcame one of her special moves and kept pace with her-but fought her without any hint of reaching their limits. Mirko didn't know zip about these brats, but one thing was for sure, whoever these kids were, both of them were strong and skilled. Most likely they've had a few good years of fighting experience from what she gathered as they fought, that's for sure.

There were still many questions to how these two kids managed to have such skill with fighting and using their quirks so proficiently. Questions which she was curious to have answers to for herself. But hopefully she'd have the kids reveal all their tricks by the end of their fight, and maybe get the answers to her questions from them once she beat them.

Mirko shifted her body into a fighting position with that same eager grin etched on her lips. Eagerly waiting for her opponent to come at her first, with Maka simply standing in front of her more than ready. The scythe meister twirled her scythe in one gloved hand before getting into her own fighting stance. Both women simply waiting for either one to strike without moving a single muscle. Then without another second to delay, the rabbit heroine and teenage meister lunged at each other once more.

---

AT THE SAME TIME...

Crona continued to slashing at the onslaught of feather daggers that were fired at his front with Ragnarök. The sword meister having drawn away the winged hero away from maka to prevent him from aiding his partner. Right now they were probably a block or two away from Maka's location as he now focused on eradicating the swarm of feathers that fried at him. Each one that dared to met his blade were either easily parried or destroyed; as Hawks simply stood in front of him with a calculating look.

'This kid's more skilled than I thought, so far he's been able to deflect my feathers with his sword Like they're nothing. Well then again, him and me have yet to show our full strength yet, but that may be soon.' Hawks analyzed, watching Crona hacking away at the feathered swarm. But with them attacking on all sides at such fast speeds, it was becoming harder to keep up.

"Your right, goddammit! Focus on your right!" Ragnarök yelled through the broadswords mouth, as he slashed away another feathered projectile.

"I know! I'm trying! But they there all firing at my left now!" Crona yelled back, while trying to focus on the feathers attacking at both sides now.

"Dumbass, they're firing everywhere!" Ragnarök bluntly rebuked while the pair continued driving off the flurry assaulting them.

The demon weapon wasn't wrong however, as the feathers were now beginning to surround the duo while also firing from behind them, forcing Crona to deflect them at the last second.

With Crona distracted, Hawks took the advantage by commanding his feathers to attack the demon swordsman from behind. However, the incoming feathers were easily slashed to bits by Crona's attacks, yet some had managed to land a few cuts on him. Although the cuts weren't really hurting him as one would think, it did show that he was beginning to falter in his counter attacks against the growing number of projectiles. Thus, the swordsman had to concoct a new strategy to overcome his predicament.

'This isn't working, I don't think I can handle deflecting all these feathers for too long, not without tiring myself out. I-I need a new approach to this, but what?' Crona questioned nervously, until an idea finally came to him. It was dangerous, and maybe over exaggerative. But it might get rid of a majority of these swarms of flying feathers. Realizing what he needed to do, Crona raised his left arm and after taking a deep breath raised his voice.

"Rose thorn storm!" Crona shouted as his pure black robe began to slowly expand until a small number of massive black vines with purple rose blossoms at their ends ruptured from Crona's robe. The giant rose vines, flew into the air with a force so strong, they caused a small shockwave to occur.

The majority of the feather swarms that were previously near Crona, were instantly shredded by the sharp vines; with only a few lucky ones managing to escape the onslaught.

Hawks was forced to brace himself as he was flown a few feet back by the coming air blast. Thankfully Crona had been able to reduce the size of the attack considerably to only a couple of vines. Avoiding any major damage to the area or seriously hurting anyone nearby, had might've caused if used the attack to its full capacity.

"Thank goodness, I didn't cause too much destruction...I-l hope." Crona muttered to himself in relief. Surveying the area to find while the majority of street now sported a large crack in the center of where he stood. Along with a few shattered windows near him, everything else was none the less undamaged to some extent.

"Are you kidding me!? You just went poison ivy on this bird asshole like it was nothing! And that was you, STILL holding back!? Just what the hell happened to the wimpy, pussy I was attached to!?" Ragnarök brashly questioned in shock with hints of amazement hidden. Crona only looked down momentarily in response, blushing in embarrassment from his weapon's "praise" if you would call it. But knew the answer to Ragnarök's question. This new strength he possessed was because he simply changed...for the worst.

Even so, crona knew he had to move on as best he could. Not just for his sake, but more importantly, for the sake of Maka.

Hawks staggered back up to have a good look at the sight of 2-3 giant black rose vines that this mere boy had created, and had immediately begun to retract from his robe.

"Thorn defense." Crona uttered as his thorns starting to shrink and the pedals disintegrating, until the giant rose vines now became rows of smaller yet long arrow like thorned vines that shot up and were lined up like a fence. The boy crossing his arms in a X shape formation while forming this fence of thorny vines.

From what Hawks could gather, this new technique seemed to act as a protective barrier between him and his opponent. This newly made barrier was too thorn filled for his feathers to sneak into without getting torn apart; leaving Hawks to figure out what to do next.

'Holy shit...I heard his quirk allowed him create vines from the first report. But Death Arms didn't say they were anywhere near this powerful! Whoever this kid is...he's strong. Hawks concluded in shock, immediately making it his primary goal to finish this fight as soon as possible.

Hawks took a good look at the feathers he'd recovered, at least the ones that weren't destroyed by the onslaught of black rose vines. His red wings had been reduced to roughly half the size they were before, now slightly damaged in a few places.

'Fuck, that attack really did a number on my wings.' Hawks cursed while looking over the current state of his fierce wings. 'I barely have enough feathers to fly, let alone fire them without risking all my feathers getting destroyed in the process. It looks like I'm gonna have to do this old-fashioned way.' Hawks declared grabbing two feathers from his wings that grew until they were now two large feather like swords for the number 3 hero to wield.

Using the speed of his wings as launching support, Hawks rushed forward with his feather blades in hand. The winged hero reared back his left and right arms, then swung his weapons at the fence of thorns, causing it to lean back from the force of the slashes. Small cracks even began to form from the attack, with Crona now preparing to summon Ragnarök.

Before crona could move his right hand, he suddenly felt multiple sharp sensations of pain hit his back. The swordsman looked behind him to see four newly released blade feathers that had flown past him. The sharp feathers slashed his back, while Crona parried the rest using a newly summoned black vine. But in the process of his defense, he'd left himself open by not focusing on Hawks.

With the boy temporarily distracted, Hawks glided a short distance using his smaller wings, until he flew around the thorn defense, landing right next to the robed vigilante. Crona realized what the winged man had done and attempted to summon Ragnarök once again. Hawks however wouldn't dare give him the opportunity and closed in on him until he pointed both of his blades sharp edges near his neck.

Crona tried to silently summon Ragnarök one more time, only for the winged man to instantly catch on with the attempt.

"Don't even think about it." Hawks warned him with a calm yet serious tone. Jabbing his feather blades harder till blood began to spill from the cut made. Crona instantly felt minor pain hit his neck, but instead of getting scared had remained calm.

"you've lost kid, now put your hands up nice and easy. The last thing I want is to end up hurting you so do yourself a favor and surrender." Hawks sternly told the teen.

"A-alright." Crona said in a stuttered yet calm voice, seemingly going what was being told to him.

"Gotta admit, you're quite the powerhouse kid. It's shocking that Taurus and his group only came out injured pursuing you." Hawks admittedly complimented, while the teen dropped slowly to his knees, just like Hawks had ordered him to.

"I didn't want to hurt them." Crona said candidly.

"Yeah, but you didn't seem to have a problem brutalizing those villains, even if they sorta had it coming." Hawks said and took notice to the boy's face flinching, with guilt being obviously evident. "Either way you three will be answering a long line questions for us. Most likely you'll be facing some serious charges for your illegal actions tonight."

Crona frowned as rising sensation of anger began digging up from his heart and spread throughout his mind at the accusations thrown at him.

Illegal actions? How could helping be considered doing something wrong? Maka just wanted to stop a bunch of bad people from getting away. Wasn't that doing the right thing?

"We didn't want t-to even want to cause trouble to begin with. All we wanted to do was help stop a crisis and return to our friends."

"Well sorry to break it to you, but you won't be seeing them for a while." Hawks sighed and shook his head in disappointment. "Honestly, whichever one of you thought doing all this was a good idea, must've been some fool-it really shows how impulsive kids are nowadays.

At that moment crona felt all his blood-even the portion that was leaking from his cuts froze all at once. His thoughts also momentarily ceased to function as the man's words registered into his head. The small and dull anger that existed before had began to rapidly grow until it was all but flooding his heart and mind.

Did he just call maka a fool?

How could this man call someone so kind and courageous as maka something like that? The same woman who had put herself through so much just to help a lowly creature like himself?

The more this sparking anger began to settle in and expand, the more the threads connecting his mind to began to unravel. Their links being replaced by tendrils of dark emotions that rose up and pierced into his mind, injecting its influence like a virus; until it rapidly consumed his soul's very wavelength in its cold grasp.

Hawks the whole time had raised a bewildered eyebrow by this boys odd behavior-as he suddenly became still as a statue. But in the end, he just waved it off as the boy merely accepting his arrest. Yet just as he was preparing to take out his handcuffs from his coats pockets he noticed something was off.

Hawks turned his attention to the small cuts on the boys back. Thankfully the cuts weren't too deep, so he wouldn't need any stitches. But rather the wounds themselves, it was what came out that drew his attention. Coming out of the boy's cuts were gobs of blood that trickled along his skin. Only instead of the crimson red a normal person would have, this boy's blood was black as squid's ink, Needless to say, it was unnerving as hell to the winged hero.

Hawks eyes widened underneath his yellow visor. Thinking back hastily to what he saw from their battle, and in the reports from Taurus and Death Arms. Recalling how they couldn't identify the material produced that made the boy's constructs: but may have just found the answer to that question.

"Your blood..." Hawks quietly trailed off until suddenly a quiet yet, bone chilling giggle could be heard from the boy. Crona slowly turned his head to look at hawks, a small yet unsettling smile settled on his face, his eyes now light gray instead of the dark onyx they were before.

"Yeah, I know...my blood is black." Within seconds a barrage of needle thin spikes instantly emerged from his leaking blood. Hawks with his quick reflexes managed to jump back from the sharp objects, till he was three feet away from the pink haired teen. Hawks Looked up at the boy revealing the few cuts he now on his right cheek, shock quite visible on his face.

'So that's the source of his quirk, now it's all starting to make sense.' Hawks figured out, having finally putting the pieces together.

Every time he summoned either those black vines or particularly his sword; they would come out of him as a liquid, then solidify into a solid form.

All because they were all made out of his black colored blood.

'This fight just got helluva lot harder than I thought it be.' Hawks grimly accepted, as the face his opponent was now making wasn't helping either.

With a unnervingly wide grin, crona raised his right arm up and, in an instant, a rectangular short word came out. Two thin arms ripped out of crona's shoulder blades; and from their gloved hands summoned two different swords. Hawks narrowing his eyes when his sights set on this new ability.

'So that's what Stinger Bringer was talking about.' Hawks unfortunately confirmed, wishing that pro hero was just exaggerating what he'd seen.

The four-armed swordsman only continued to give hawks that cold unhinged glare, along with that creepy smile that was still present on his face.

"I'm sorry, but I can't handle getting arrested. But what I can't handle even more is the thought of you and that rabbit laying a hand on Maka and soul. So please go fly away bird; before I lose my patience and clip your wings for good." Crona coldly warned the pro hero with madness now dancing in his eyes.

"You and I know both know that ain't happening bud." Hawks answered back, narrowing his eyes at the sudden semi-unhinged behavior this teenager was displaying.

The number three hero readied his feather swords to clash with the boys own. He bent his knees back until he was positioned into a stance to launch himself forward, with Hawk's red wings opening up to aid in the speed of his offensive launch.

"Oh well," Crona sighed in disappointment. "I guess I have to end this now. I just hope for your sake, you make it easy for me to beat you." Crona said with his voice emitting regret, yet the madness still present in his voice didn't make it feel nearly as sincere as he made it to be.

Crona without any more delay readied his and Ragnarök's arms. All three limbs preparing to unleash the majority of their deadly strength, onto this man.

For but a few moments the two just stood in front of each other. Their blades waiting to clash with the ones of their enemy. In a split second, the two rushed towards each other with rising speed until their weapons met.

---

"Is that all you got!?" Maka shouted, going for a sharp vertical slash, only to be parried by a metal rabbit boot and was thrown her way another strong kick with mirko's other foot.

Maka dropped soul, and while her weapon was falling in the air, flipped down into a handstand and countered the kick with her own boot and struck Mirko's face with the other.

Mirko cursed and staggered for a few moments-allowing maka to flip away and grabbed soul before he fell to the ground. The ash blonde twirled her scythe and quickly rushed towards the bunny hero while she recovered.

The heroine in question, started to regain her footing and quickly bent her knees and flipped over the young girl. Once she landed behind the meister, she lunged at the girl with a butterfly kick awaiting her.

Maka however saw the kick coming and once she turned around to see the incoming rabbit hero, sidestepped from the swift kick with ease. Once the robust hero drew close-she pulled her weapon back and swung-hooking the bunny heroine with the curve of the scythe before hurling her away.

As she flew through the air, mirko managed to regain some control of her body in midair. The hero shifting herself till she was positioned into landing feet first onto the wall of a nearby building. the force of impact smashed into the wall, causing numerous spider cracks to form. she only grinned in fearless excitement as she bent her knees back and using the building as launching support-catapulted back down at the speed of a missile. The scythe meister frowned and sprinted a good meter away before mirko reached the space where she had been standing. Her descent pulverized the surrounding concrete-creating a small crater and immediately bolted towards the teen with a swift side kick waiting for her.

The momentum of her jump sped up her attack as she threw another metal plated foot at the teenage meister. The girl effortlessly countered with a barrage of well placed slashes. Mirko tried her best to avoid the fast moving blade coming towards her; but with the surprising speed maka swung her scythe-ended up with several small gashes on mirko's right arm and legs.

Mirko cursed, already feeling the sharp pain digging into her legs from her fresh cuts. But she couldn't afford to lose focus as maka pulled back her scythe and brought a fast vertical slash.

The rabbit hero at the last minute leaned her body backwards as the scythe sailed above her. Once the scythe passed mirko got into a hand stand and twisted her body around as her legs were aimed at maka.

"Shooting luna storm!" Mirko bent her knees and unleashed a barrage of powerful frontal kicks that appeared to multiply to a dozen to a outside observer. The sheer speed of each powerful kick creating strong gusts of wind in the air as both her feet thrusted at maka.

Maka gritted her teeth as she barely managed to lean and flip away from each kick trying to smash into her. But fortunately she had just the right technique to counter the intensity of these all kicks.

"Soul get ready to resonate!" Maka called out to her weapon.

"You got it." Soul replied, already beginning the process of synchronizing their souls into a synched wavelength until resonation between them was accomplished.

With soul resonance achieved maka pulled back her scythe as it channeled her and souls combined soul wavelengths-into a technique they hadn't used in quite some time.

"Scythe weasel!" Maka whipped her scythe out and released the stockpiled energy of their resonance into a whirling frenzy of indiscriminate slashes.

The young girls swings gained so much momentum both her arms and scythe immediately began to blur. The teens multifarious and speedy slashes met the thrusted kicks of the rabbit hero-causing showers of sparks to fly from each time either woman parried their strikes.

The energized scythe's furious slashes however seemed to be pushing past the vicious kicks. The blade made various gashes on mirko's legs-tearing apart chunks of her purple leggings.

Mirko grunted in pain from the cute made on her legs-but kept pushing past it and enforced even more strength into her relentless kicks than before. Causing the ash blonde to grit in pain by the physical strength Mirko was throwing, combined with the strain of her technique's wild and aggressive attacks.

After a couple seconds, a notable decrease in speed began to become apparent with mirko's kicks. The wounds sustained were starting to steadily dampen her kicks efficiency and with no choice-backflipped away from Maka.

Once Mirko retreated, Maka took a moment to recuperate as she felt her head spinning. Dammit she knew this was going to happen.

As much as that technique had helped her putting that rabbit girl down a notch, she should've remembered using scythe weasel would make her feel so dizzy afterwards. Already everything in her vision felt like it was spinning around to the point, her body felt ready to collapse.

Well, at least she had enough strength to keep herself from collapsing on the ground like last time.

"Okay that sucked , but it's still a major improvement compared to the last time we did this technique." Soul commented, noting how his meister hadn't collapsed like before.

"G-guess it shows how far we've come huh?" Maka smirked despite the nauseating dizziness she was feeling throughout her body.

Ugh, she seriously needed to remind herself to never use this technique again.

"Well your gonna need to snap out of it soon, cause you still got this chick to deal with." Soul reminded the dizzy meister, turning her attention back to the rabbit girl glaring at her a couple feet across from her.

But what immediately caught Maka's attention was the assortment of cuts on her legs exposed by her tattered purple stockings. The tanned skinned woman looking quite pissed off by the sharp pain felt on her legs thanks the fresh wounds sustained by this vigilante girl.

A part of maka felt guilty to cause all those injuries, knowing she wasn't a genuinely bad person. But as much as maka felt bad for hurting her like that, it's not like she wanted to start this whole mess in the first place.

"Looks like, brute force isn't going to be enough." Maka answered, noting the various gashes on the rabbit heroines legs. "But we are landing some serious damage on her. We just need to keep it up and we should he able to beat her soon."

"And are your sure you can do that?" Soul asked, noting the visible wobble in maka's leg's.

"T-Trust me, I am still capable of fighting, I just need a few more seconds." Maka assured her weapon, but the dizzy sensation filling her head was proving otherwise.

Mirko however asn't blind to maka's weakened stance and peeled her lips into a smug smirk. Looks like that wild technique was more or a strain on the girl than she thought.

Deciding to take advantage of this of this golden opportunity, the rabbit hero bent her knees back and dashed towards maka-pulling her leg back and threw a sharp roundhouse kick.

Maka even with her head feeling like it was spinning-leaned backwards from the oncoming kick. Once it zoomed past her the teen meister tried going for an upwards slash-but with her disorientation still at play was too slow as mirko easily dodged it.

Mirko reared her other foot back, looking ready to unleash another heavy kick that maka managed to block using her scythes pole. But at the very last millisecond, Mirko stopped her attack and dropped her body to the ground.

Landing with her hands and her left knee bent, Mirko swung her right foot forward; in a perfect perpendicular motion. Maka tried to jump away but with her disoriented senses, she was unable to react on time and was quickly swept off the ground.

"Shit!" Maka cursed, but wasn't going to go down so easily. Maka dropped Soul, placing both hands on the ground and flipped away and dashed towards soul.

Unfortunately she was forced to jump backwards as a flying knee nearly bashed into her face. With only seconds to properly act, she vaulted over mirko and kept running as fast as her legs could take her to her scythe.

The pigtailed teen saw Soul's scythe form just a moment away from her grasp as she reached out for her partner. Only for Mirko to launch another surprise jump from behind and kick the scythe a good five to ten feet distance away.

The sound of metal lightly scraped against the concrete floor for a few seconds until Soul came to a stop. Maka was momentarily stunned by the ambush, but regained focus and planned to jump out of the woman's path.

But before she sidestepped, the amazonian woman to tackled her to ground. She struggled to get up, only for a metallic plated foot to be firmly pinned on her stomach. She looked up to see the rabbit eared woman forcing her down, panting all while still having another stupid smile on her face.

"You know, you shouldn't really talk to your partner so much when fighting; makes it easy to strike a finishing blow." Mirko advised in hindsight, causing Maka's eyes to quickly narrow in understanding.

'I knew it. She must have not only speed of rabbit but also the hearing of one too.' Maka concluded in minor surprise, just what kind of powers did these quirks give?

"I'm not gonna lie kid, you're not half bad." Mirko admitted to the pinned down girl. "It's been a while, since someone got me, this worked up in a fight before. But as fun as this has been, we've gotta wrap this up. I'm Sorry I have to do this, but these hero laws are there for a reason; something that you three clearly didn't seem to give a damn about."

"So, it's wrong to do right thing?" Maka retorted with a heated glare to the bunny girl, who merely shook her head.

"Didn't say I liked it. If you ask me those jackasses in the hero public safety commission need to get those sticks out of their asses. You kids did stop those villains robbing that bank, so that should count for something." Mirko bluntly criticized without any indication of lying. Having always felt that vigilantes these days didn't deserve to be always treated like lesser villains.

Although she would NEVER admit it, rumi did hold a soft spot for kids like the girl she currently had restrained. Reminding the robust pro hero of herself back in middle school. Where she was just a kid who had the guts to break the law, and to do what they deem is right and not give a shit about the consequences.

It was almost nostalgic in a way.

However, Rumi was then quickly taken out of her thoughts, thanks to hearing what sounded like cheering thanks to her enhanced rabbit hearing.

She turned her head to see that a small yet growing group of bystanders had gathered from the commotion of the battle. And like vultures hungry for scraps, they had all flocked over to see its outcome; acting as if it was all a show.

"Look! it's the number seven pro hero mirko!"

"Well, it looks like she's already dealt with one of the vigilantes."

"God, she's so badass!"

"I just hope she goes easy on the kid."

"Oh c'mon, she's a vigilante, Mirko can't hold back with people like her!"

The spectators only continued applauding and speaking their positive opinions for the heroine. While Mirko didn't really mind the new audience, she did seem somewhat irritated at how these people treated her fight like it was a contest. Maka and soul were especially the same, the former of the pair unable keep her incredulous expression off her face.

'What is wrong with these people? It's like they think this fight is some kind of big show for everyone to watch. Don't they realize how dangerous this is?' Maka wondered in stunned concern, baffled as to why these bystanders were acting so carelessly, when should be trying to get to safety.

But while the girls were distracted from the unexpected crowd, soul silently transformed back into human form and dashed towards Mirko.

Mirko immediately sensed the sounds of running footsteps but before she could react in time-was met with the grinding sensation of soul's hard shoe smash into her backside.

The tanned woman felt the air leave her lungs as she was harshly kicked off Maka and sent skidding a short distance away.

"Soul!" Maka cried out in relief, glad her trusted demon weapon had come to her aid at the right time.

"You're alright?" Soul asked while he helped her stand back up.

"Yeah, I'm fine." Maka assured the young death scythe, turning her steeled gaze at the rabbit hero that looked ready to attack again.

This woman was absolutely relentless, even after getting those wounds on her leg-she was still so eager to fight them. But suddenly an idea struck maka's mind like lightning.

"Soul, I think I know of a way we can take her down." Maka whispered, making sure not to keep her eyes off the heroine.

"What do you have in mind?" Maka leaned closer and whispered into soul's ear. The albino's lips slowly curling into a sharp grin the more he heard his meister's idea.

"Oh yeah, that should do the trick." Soul promptly morphed back into his scythe form for Maka to wield once more.

With her weapon once again in her grip she took a battle stance and stood ready for their approaching foe.

Soon the rabbit hero approached her, now looking a little more pissed off than before.

"That was a dirty move, you pulled there. Then again, I kinda forgot about your friend over there, so I guess that's my fault." Mirko admitted irritably, pausing to take a breath before speaking again. "But that doesn't make me any less pissed off." Mirko said angrily, while clenching her gloved fists tightly.

Maka twirled her scythe and raised it towards the hero with a fierce fire formed within her emerald eyes.

Mirko frowned, now realizing this brat wasn't gonna give up or be intimidated by her either. Something that the herione couldn't help both respect and grow annoyed by. But hey, if this brat was acting this stubborn and wanted to get her ass kicked some more, then so be it.

With a single push from her knees, the rabbit hero leapt at the teen and delivered an axe kick that was parried by her scythes pole.

The two women were quickly engaged in a fierce clash that enveloped the surrounding street. Maka and mirko constantly darted, vaulted and dashed across the street. The older woman continuing to give out ferocious kicks that were parried with maka's scythe or dodged with her lithe footwork.

Mirko wasn't sure what this girl's strategy was this time. So far all she's done is dodge or block every one of her attacks. Did that mean she was beginning to push the kid into a corner?

---

"Alright then, I think its time to get ready." Soul smirked, as within his weapon form he began to walk into a particular part of his own soul to enact their plan.

"I gotta say kid I'm curious to see what little trick your brewing up in that head of yours." A scratchy voice spoke, soul looking behind him to see a small impish figure wearing a black tuxedo behind him.

Soul resisted the urge to sigh. Of course this guy would be here. Then again considering this little ogre was the manifestation of the black blood it's not surprising he'd always make an appearance whenever he used the black piano.

It was hard to believe how he eventually came to tolerate this guy-let alone cooperate with the creepy imp. His old self from all those months ago wouldn't have even dared to consider doing something like that. But after understanding he was in control of the black blood and its power; the impish freak wasn't really anything to despise anymore.

Guess it goes to show how much he's changed, and he had good old maka to thank for that. For giving him the courage to finally move past all those insecurities and fears and be the death scythe they both strived to create for so long. And hopefully now they could use that same power he and maka mastered through blood and sweat to put an end to this fight and get back to the mission at hand.

"But as much as I hate to say it but for once I don't think this is a good time to actually use the piano." The ogre countered, causing the albino weapon to turn with a bewildered brow.

"And why's that?" Soul questioned, more than surprised by how the gremlin was actually urging him not to use the black blood.

It was beyond out of character for this manifestation of the black blood.

"While I was admittedly in utter ecstasy from your last performance, I fear you and that girl diving into that weird gateway might've messed with the key's a bit." The ogre elaborated, but still kept smirking despite the serious tone in his voice.

"Messed with the keys? The hell are you talking about, wasn't working fine an hour ago?" Soul retorted.

"Yes and normally it wouldn't have effected the black blood for a period of time, but it's due to whatever in god's name happened with that book…its gotten a bit wild."

Soul's eyes widened for a moment before narrowing as he took in this unsettling new information. As much as he wanted to scoff off the ogre's it also be pretty stupid to not take it to value. Cause if the literal manifestation of the black blood was warning him not to use the piano then should he have to abort their plan?

But this also may be their best shot at beating this rabbit woman as soon as possible and get back to their friends who no doubt were fighting for their lives. As much as he knew maka would be yelling at him not to take the risk…both their options and time were very limited.

Feeling their was no other choice soul shoved away any lingering doubts and pressed on to his objective ahead.

"Hey are deaf or did you hear what I said? This ain't the time to be using it." The little ogre frowned, as he tried warning the teen but it was left on deaf ears. But soon the suited demon's frown had quickly flipped into a toothy grin that practically oozed with insanity. "Oh what the hell am I saying? Why would I ever want to stop myself from seeing another delightful show, hehehehe…"

The death scythe kept walking through his inner self until soon the void within his inner realm was no more. In an instant it was all replaced by a dimly lit room with a red and black color scheme. The floor was checkered with red and black and there are no walls, and ceilings, only thick crimson curtains.

Soul's attire had also changed, now sporting a pin-striped black suit with a red dress shirt, black tie, and matching black shoes; as he would always wind up wearing whenever he entered this part of his soul to use their trump card.

The teen walked over to the center of the room where awaiting him was a large jet black grand piano. It's white keys left unveiled before the boy, awaiting patiently for its music to be played by his hands once again.

Soul however before preparing to play took a second to scan the piano for any visible issues, ignoring the subtle urge of his fingers to play the spiritual instrument.

But so far nothing looked off with it, as it still looked exactly as it always did whenever he came to this part of his head to use it. A part of himself however still felt cautious with the warning the small devil had given him before.

'Dammit I can't keep wasting time doubting myself any longer. But if there really is something off I should just use it quickly before anything happens.' Soul resolved within himself as he sat down on the stool and placed his outstretched hands onto the pristine piano keys. His fingers had been delicately placed onto the necessary sequence of keys, ready to play the right song and release its symphonic power.

"Well if you aren't going to listen and gamble the odds, then at least do me a favor and don't disappoint my expectations." The red ogre chuckled as he stood right next to the pianist with warped eagerness in his lifeless yellow eyes.

"Trust me, it won't." Soul smirked confidently, completely assured in his own abilities without any doubt in his conscience.

Without any delay, the albino boy pressed his laid out fingers down on the keys. The black room was immediately filled with the beautiful melody of the piano.

---

The rabbit hero lunged at the pigtailed meister with a combination of flying and spinning kicks. Each kick generate sharp gusts of wind from the sheer force she was swinging her feet. The pigtailed teen continued to keep up her strong defense and vaulted around the myriad of ferocious kicks.

But with nimble grace she was able to dodge and flip around each attack, while occasionally parrying the metallic rabbit boots launched at her. Thankfully, while she kept her bunny eared opponent at bay, Maka soon felt her and souls wavelength begin to resonate with a very familiar power.

"Alright Maka I've got things on my end started, just keep her busy till I'm finished." Soul spoke up, as he kept playing his piano's song within his weapon form.

"Got it." Maka responded with a small confident smirk.

Lucky for her, she just spotted a decent opening in between the rabbit heroes racing kicks. With careful grace she leapt closer and cocking her scythe back-diagonally swung the butt of her scythe into her shoulder.

Mirko cursed as the blunt half of the weapon was smashed into her upper arm. But two can also play this game. She pushed past the pain and cocked back her left fist and thrusted a hard left hook straight at maka.

The scythe wielder leaned her head to her right side, barely dodging the passing punch. Maka decided to give this rabbit woman a taste of her own medicine and fired off a frontal kick straight into her stomach.

The number seven hero felt the air leave her lungs from the girls buckled boot. The surprising force behind it caused mirko to end up skidding a few feet away as she felt a few of her ribs, cracking a bit from the force.

"Not bad, but like hell that's gonna be enough to beat me!" Mirko declared, lunging towards maka with another piercing kick.

"Perfect, we got her right where we want her." Soul grinned, moving his danced all across the keys as he ramped up his performance. "Lets see if she enjoys hearing this!"

Soul kept playing and as he did, the resonance between him and maka became lined with the controlled power of the black blood.

The bunny hero kept running closer to the teen, suddenly webs of wisp like spiritual energy formed in front of her like a fence. Mirko however was unable to see this wisp fence as she ran. It's spiritual nature masking Its existence to anyone else as mirko unknowingly swung her foot into it.

The web shattered in an instant-but the second it did, the wavelength it was made up of; phased itself into the rabbit hero without her realizing it.

Mirko continued her relentless assault on maka, as the lithe teenager still managed to defend herself well. But it was growing apparent she was beginning to slightly falter as a few of the tanned woman's blows landed.

But as mirko fought more, she could've sworn she'd started faintly hearing what sounded like...a piano?

'What the hell?' At first she thought she was hearing things but the mysterious music she was hearing only started to slowly get louder.

It wasn't before long that she started to notice how her arms and legs were beginning to feel heavier and slower. The rabbit hero's once fast paced attacks and mad dashes devolving steadily into a sluggish crawl.

'What...what is this?' Mirko dully wondered, her mind and body feeling as if all the spirit and energy was being sucked right out her.

The crowd was just as confused while they watched the fight take place. The bystanders muttering to themselves to why mirko's was acting so lethargic all of a sudden.

But maka knew the source for the rabbit heroine's sudden lethargic pace. Even though she still felt the the stinging pain of mirko's kicks-she had the reassurance this fight was coming to an end soon; now that soul adagio was taking effect.

It had been a technique she and soul had created from his piano when they fought the psychotic enchanter giriko. The basis of it being how soul would create a anti-phase wavelength that meet the targets own and cancel it out. The end result being the drained heroine maka saw stumbling right before her.

The meister watched as the bunny hero who was previously rushing at her with furiously fast kicks; now was walking towards the teen with a dazed look in her eyes.

"Why am I...?" Mirko didn't why, but she just didn't even have the will to speak or move anymore. Every part of her felt so heavy. She was so...so exhausted for some reason. She didn't feel like running or even fighting anymore.

All she wanted-needed to do right now was sit and nothing.

Mirko soon stopped walking entirely-as the once energetic jackrabbit now stood dazedly in the middle of the street. The rabbit hero's expression blank-as if she was stuck in a trance and left unable to do anything.

"Now's our chance!" Soul called out to his meister, who was already on the move.

Maka rushed towards the dazed rabbit woman, twirling her scythe in one hand before pulling back her scythe for the finishing strike.

Pouring in all the strength she had within her arms, maka hooked the vulnerable hero with her scythe's blade by the waist. With a battle cry maka twisted her body around and with a powerful swing, hurdled the older woman into a nearby building.

The rabbit hero was sent flying into the air like a bullet. The rapidly piling momentum resulted in the rabbit hero explosively crashing into the building-as a cloud of dust and broken bricks immediately ruptured from the impact.

Maka stood across the street as the dust cloud started to dissipate. When it finally faded away she saw the defeat form of mirko lying within a small pile of rubble within the building's freshly made hole.

But even with whatever kind of spell this girl put on her and all the painful bruises she felt forming-a small ounce of her willpower refused to give in. She tried to push her body up and continue fighting, unwilling to accept defeat. Even with her vision and mind feeling so damn fuzzy she couldn't give in. But unfortunately her body and mind refused her wishes and in the end overwhelmed her fighting spirit.

"D-dammit..." Mirko whispered, finally succumbing to her strained condition and ultimately passed out.

"Holy shit!"

"No way...mirko's defeated?"

"How the heck could this happen?!"

The crowd watching the whole fight-gasped and muttered in horror as they saw one of the nation's top hero's lying in defeat. The bystanders left wondering in shock by how mirko got defeated by some vigilante.

"Thank goodness she's finally unconscious." Maka let herself sigh out in relief, lowering her weapon to her side.

"She was relentless I'll give her that. It almost felt like we were fighting blackstar a few times." Soul commented, surprised that there was someone even somewhat similar to that knucklehead when it came to fighting.

The scythe meister felt her spine shiver at that disturbing thought. The last thing she wanted on her conscience was knowing there was another blackstar in the world.

"Still, I'm just glad that soul adagio managed to work on her as well as it did."

"But I won't lie, the volume of her soul wavelength was no joke." Soul admitted. "I almost thought there was going to be some serious trouble using it."

Maka wasn't too surprised by soul's statement, having seen her soul herself. She easily knew her soul was as fierce as her will to fight. It had been a while since she fought someone with such battle lust. Fortunately she wasn't trying to kill her like that angry psycho giriko.

"Alright I think it's time we get going and get back to crona." Maka said and soon started walking away from the unconscious heroine. "I just hope crona's wrapped up his fight with that bird guy."

"Maka I've told you he'll be-" soul was about to say but before he could continue felt a heavy pressure rush throughout his very being. The scythe freezing within his mindscape as he felt the intense madness explode out from the piano.

"Ack!" Soul coughed out as the volatile insanity poured out from the piano and into his and maka's resonated souls. "D-dammit no! M-maka!"

But his warning wasn't reached in time as the black blood's rampant started flooding into his meister like a flooding dam. Her anti-demon wavelength however came into action and

Maka's gritted her teeth as she felt this intense pressure passing through her own wavelength via her resonance with soul. It's overwhelming weight simultaneously making her soul feel simultaneously being overwhelmed in its ferocious strength. Maka staggered but kept her footing in place even with this twisted sensation coursing through her as her anti-demon wavelength fought furiously against this attack on her soul.

'W-what is this? It's almost like soul is trying to devour my own soul, like that night we fought free! B-but why is something like this happening after so long?' Maka scrambled to figure out, as her wavelength continued repelling the overwhelming madness.

"No!" Soul shouted as he immediately shifted back into his human form in haste, to prevent the risk of the madness infecting maka. Resulting in them both tumbling straight to the ground.

Maka pulled herself up as she started recovering from the madness that had been moments ago overwhelming her wavelength. But the ash blonde was quick to brush aside herself, as she looked up and gasped at the terrible sight of her weapon. The young death scythe was seen kneeling on the ground, while clutching his head with one hand; as his face was written with pure agony on his features.

"Soul!" Maka shouted, immediately stood up and rushed to soul's aid as he continued to kneel in pain.

"N-no, just stay back maka!" Soul tried to warn his approaching meister, as he tried to fight off the black blood going utterly rampant within his body. Yet within his internal struggle, the albino scythe could begin making out a familiar voice in his head.

"*sigh* I tried to warn you fool, but you just couldn't bother to listen. Oh well, maybe this oughta teach you to start paying attention to other people's advice…" the little ogre's scratchy chuckles rang in soul's ears.

But the scythe couldn't even bother to pay attention to the mocking words of the demon in his head. In seconds a hot bubbling pain struck soul's left arm, as a thin black keyboard ruptured from his forearm in place of his death scythe's sickle blades.

Maka gasped in shock at the sight of the piano summoned in its keyboard form. But that didn't make any sense, Why would soul summon the piano now? Yet when she briefly activated her soul perception, her answer was unfortunately answered.

Within her soul perception, maka witnessed in horror as her weapon's soul was drowning in the madness of the black blood. The death scythe's soul looked like it was desperately fighting to escape from it's abyss. Yet the wild, black waves of insanity just continued to drag her weapon's soul deeper and deeper to it's madness.

It was clear soul was undergoing a losing battle, and if nothing was done would befall to the black blood's grasp on his mind. And there was absolutely no way in hell she was going to let that happen on her watch.

"Soul, don't worry just let me-" maka started as she ran closer, but halted as she stood frozen in horror.

Her weapon was still stood shakily as he tightly clutched his left arm, but no longer did his face express the pain his body felt. His crimson eyes no longer possessing the life they had before, and now looked more dull and crazed than before. His lips beginning to pull into the beginnings of a mad grin.

Maka instantly knew what was happening, the black blood was beginning to reign in control of Soul's body. The death scythe was losing himself to the madness and if nothing was done, would be fully corrupted by it. Just like in ukraine when he made contact with one of crona's mad blood sphere's.

If that were to happen again and soul went on another berserk rampage with all these people gathered here; the results would be catastrophic. And unlike before, Stein wasn't here to contend with a crazed death scythe. No, she was the only one who could beat the sense back into soul and pull him from the madness before it took foothold.

Thus maka continued running closer to soul, channeled the purification properties of her anti-demon wavelength; and with a deep breath called for her best friend.

"SOUL!" Maka shouted his name as loud as her throat would let her, as her anti-demon wavelength released itself to envelop her partner. Her soul's wavelength purifying properties touched her death's scythes wavelength and pushed back the black blood. It's deranging influence rapidly dying out as the, the halfway grin on the albino scythe had faltered away as he steadily began to regain himself.

"W-wait, what happened-" Soul muttered yet turned to see his panicked meister nearby. At first, he wondered why she looked so frantic, but instantly remembered what happened. Or more specifically what almost happened. Yet before soul could react the keyboard still protruding from his arm suddenly began acting erratically. Black blood began violently squirting out of the piano keys like tar like geysers, until a cluster of stray music note like constructs; emerged from the keyboard and fired themselves in a random direction.

Creating a recoil powerful enough to viciously push soul down to the ground with an audible "THUD!". The scythe falling on his back from the ungraceful landing as the black keyboard after its last moments of rampancy; dissolved itself back into the teens body.

"Soul are you okay!?" Maka shouted, as she ran to his side and started to help him back on his feet from the nasty fall. "What just happened? Why did the black blood go wild all of a sudden, I thought you had it under control?"

"Ugh..Maka I'm sorry. Shit I should've been more cautious. D-dammit why the heck can't anything go smoothly." Soul groaned under his breath, as the albino felt his head spinning, from the brutal recoil. With the previous madness attack also not helping to make his headache even worse.

"What are you talking about?" Maka raised a bewildered brow.

"Look it's hard to explain, I'll have to tell you later, but right now we need to get back to crona." Soul muttered as he still felt the stinging pain in his head. God he was probably gonna feel this in the morning.

But the nasty headache from his fall was the least of his concern. He couldn't believe something like this happen-or the black blood had become that unstable. He assumed it might be rough, but if it wasn't for maka…he would be fully consumed by the madness of the black blood.

Dammit all, this is exactly what he got being so overconfident, and because of his recklessness he almost went berserk and-

In that moment soul's thoughts came to a screeching halt, as soon realized one important detail that slipped past him…

"Wait a minute, what happened to that-" but before he could finish, soul would immediately get his answer. That being from his meister making a horrified gasp. Immediately getting his full attention by frantically shaking his shoulder.

"Soul look!" Maka interrupted hastily, looking at soul with wide fearful eyes, as she pointed to the direction of where the sonic attack had been accidentally launched.

The death scythe then turned to the direction Maka was pointing at.

And when he saw where it was heading, his heart nearly stopped.

Both of them looked on in horror to see the powerful sound wave note that was misfired heading straight towards an abandoned building. One building that was built directly next to the very crowd of bystanders watching the fight. The sonic note hit the building in mere seconds, as an explosion of shattered concrete and shockwaves erupted from the blast radius. Large chunks of rock and pieces of concrete began flying around, swiftly falling directly onto the crowd of civilians. The people tried to flee the site, but were too slow to properly escape, as crumbling debris would start to rapidly fall down on them.

'Goddamnit no...What the hell was I thinking!?' Soul thought in a mixture of horror and guilt, knowing full well that it was because of him that these crowds' men, woman and children may very well die because of him...Their blood would be on his hands.

Yet before he could be sunken anymore into his crippling guilt, Maka grabbed his shoulder, snapping him out of his funk. Soul turned to look at Maka, who was giving him a determined, yet warm and understanding look.

"Soul I understand what your feeling, I really do." Maka began, her voice soft yet firm as she continued speaking to her weapon. "But you can't let yourself be swallowed in guilt. You tried your best to control it. You didn't know this would happen, nor did you want it to happen to begin with."

"But we can still save them soul, but I can't do it alone, I need you right now. So, are you just gonna stand around and keep on moping, or are you gonna help me save these people?" Maka asked in calm yet comforting assurance, telling him all he needed to hear. Soul took a deep breath and calmed himself down, pushing down the strong feelings of guilt to focus on what was important right now.

Maka was right, he couldn't just stand around and do nothing as these innocent people were about to be buried in rubble. He may have been responsible for this; but he and Maka will fix it and save these people. Thus, after a soothing resonance between the weapon and scythe meister pushed back the guilt within himself he turned back to his meister with a now much calmer expression.

"How's that even a question? You'd better believe I'm coming with you." Soul answered back with a grin on his face. This smile was unlike the previous one briefly seen, looking as calm and cool as it always was. Maka smiled in relief at her death scythe's newfound optimism. She felt very glad to see Soul feeling ready to fix his mess and save these people from certain danger.

After all, that was the duty of a meister and a death scythe: to protect the innocent no matter what happens.

So, without any more delay, Maka and Soul ran towards the collapsing building. Either of them had prepared to give everything they've got to save the lives of all those people.

---

The pink haired swordsman unleashed a relentless series of furious slashes and thrusts at the winged hero. The blonde did his best to keep up, swinging both his long feather blades at the swords. The feathers hardened to be durable as steel itself. But that did little against the opposing blades smashing into the feathers.

Each powerful strike struck into the makeshift weapons surface resulted in them crumbling apart little by little.

'Dammit! This kid is relentless!' Hawks thought in frustration as he kept partying and weaving his way from the direction of the black swords thrown at him.

He was beginning to lose his ground in this ongoing battle. Forcing hawks to the constantly defend himself against the surprising strength and relentless ferocity, he didn't think this teen possibly had.

As he was caught in his thoughts, another of his feather swords shattered when parrying one of Crona's sharp thrusts. Forcing hawks to create another replacement in a split second.

Immediately he used the newly made weapon to deflect another horizontal slash from one of Crona's swords; and switched to the offensive and went for a diagonal slash.

But the blade was met with the Crona's rectangular short-sword, quickly striking the winged man's weaponized feather and halting his attack.

The two combatants tried to counteract each other's swords and overcome their physical strength. But before Hawks could react, Crona already took the initiative. Silently, Crona ordered Ragnarök to vertically slash Hawks with the uncleanliness. The thin sword then as it was being thrusted began to rapidly extend itself until the weapon resembled a tendril like whip than an actual sword.

Hawks saw the transforming attack, and launched three feathers from his wings towards the elongating sword. The feathers quickly grew mid-flight until they were now a trio of flying feather machetes. Each bladed feather tried to negate their opponent but the whip sword easily tore its way through two of the feathers in its path, leaving only a single feather left.

Seeing no other way, Hawks then commanded the last feather to slash the extra arm holding the katana. Crona, realizing his opponents next move, told Ragnarök's other arm that held the abyss of despair; to destroy the incoming feather. However he red projectile proved lucky, managing to avoid the katana and strike Ragnarök's gloved hand.

A gash was created on the extra arm's left wrist; and pierced the sword's tar-colored skin, with a splash of black blood spewing from the wound.

With Ragnarök's arm wounded, the uncleanliness began losing its shape and structure until it dissolved back inside Ragnarök. The feather that made the injury to its enemy, shattered to pieces instantly after landing the attack.

At first, he thought that would leave some kind damage or pain, even if the limb was a mere construct out of the boy's body. However, when he looked to the boy's face, he saw the same eerie smile, widen into a deranged grin.

"Bloody slicer." Crona almost robotically muttered, flicking Ragnarök's slit wrist. The splatter of black blood that spilled out of Ragnarök's "injury" came to life and morphed and solidified itself into as a curved blade shaped like a disc.

Crona grabbed the newly made weapon with his free left hand, then he flung it like a boomerang towards the pro hero as it spun towards hawks at fast speeds.

Hawks managed to react in time, leaping to his right to barely dodge the soaring disc, but not unscathed. The bloody slicer sped past him but was successful in carving up a small yet deep cut on the man's shoulder. Hawks quietly hissed in pain as he tried his best to ignore the bleeding fresh wound and continue this fight.

'God this really stings, I was barely able to dodge that last one just now.' Hawks winced, amazed by how the boy's attacks were managing to surpass even surpassing his own speed at times.

Not only that, but this child's overall effectiveness and skill in battle was downright insane. The boy managed to completely overwhelm him with a series of thrusts, slashes, and swings from all 3 swords that he wielded with his quirk. However, the manner he used the swords also added onto this pink haired nightmare of an opponent. Instead of a clean and precise fighting style known in sword fighting; this kid's swordsmanship felt deranged, quick, and chaotic.

His technique and rapid strikes seemed more like a deadly machine that had been set to overdrive. He had basic coordination, but with that being set into unbelievable levels of of speed and power. Only focusing on raw strength and speed with every swing.

How each strike from one of his swords seemed to have both the intent and goal of his opponent's complete destruction. All without giving a single damn for the consequences of himself or others in his way. It was honestly a fitting combat style for his opponent, who's current state of insanity seemed to match the way he fought.

Unfortunately for the pro hero, the extra arm that he'd slashed had summoned the narrow, jagged blade to its gloved grip once more. Crona giggled madly in delight at the evident frustration on Hawk's face and readied his three swords once more to attack.

Their duel had probably gone on for more than ten minutes now, and already Hawks had lost about 48 of his feathers so far. With each time he'd use one of his feathers as a sword to fight the suspect off; they would last around 3-4 slashes against the robed boy's own blades before breaking apart from the harsh blows. For every minute they fought he was forced to repeatedly create new feathers. Not only did this frustrate the number 3 hero to no end, making this more and more dire, but it caused Hawks to begin doubting if he'd be enough to take this vigilante down.

Hawks knew for a fact that there was no way his feathers could be destroyed so easily. Hardening them to slice through flesh and concrete took minor effort, yet the kid was cutting them up like paper. That meant the boy's quirk allowed him to not only control the shape and form of his black colored blood, but also augment its durability to powerful levels. It was yet another ability of the kid's highly versatile quirk.

'And he has yet to show me all of his tricks.' Hawks reminded himself. Remembering how the boy across from him STILL hasn't used some of the other abilities he heard of from the previous reports. The reason for that was most likely because, either he was spending up his strength from constantly using these numerous abilities and couldn't use them as much.

Or because, he was simply holding back.

He really hoped it wasn't the latter. But judging by how his opponent hasn't even broken a sweat yet, despite all the cuts from their duel this entire time they've fought, made him fear that this may very well be the case. But somehow that was least of Hawks concern right now. What was truly disturbing the winged hero was the unnerving face this kid had on since they've clashed with their blades. A face that wasn't of sadistic hunger or greedy arrogance like he'd seen in countless villains he'd fought. It was instead a face that was filled with pure madness.

Hawks had encountered similar expressions before, on the faces of villains he'd defeated in his career; even then none of them were crazy to this extent. This was a face that screamed insanity, his eyes shifting between cerulean and ebon, held a deranged look within their gaze.

'There's no doubt about it, this kid's possibly a psychopath.' Hawks grimly concluded, if the growing unhinged look in his eyes and that creepy smile wasn't proof enough, that he was fighting a possible young madman.

A person with an unstable mind, along with a powerful and versatile quirk like this was easily an extremely deadly combination. One that could not be allowed to run loose in Japan.

'This fight needs to end, NOW. I can't hold back any further, otherwise I'll risk having this guy going totally berserk, and destroy god only knows how much in his wake.' Hawks declared in fierce determination. The pro hero then turned his head to see that his wings had been reduced to the size of cupid wings that would barley allow him to fly. Throughout the battle he'd lost a large amount of his feathers, all of them ended up getting destroyed in combat.

Flight was already off the table since his wings had become so small, they wouldn't let him fly with much coordination or maneuverability. He'd be more of a flying target for his mad opponent to attack than anything else. With his feathers also taking far too long to properly regrow, there was only one option left.

Hawks commanded his remaining feathers to grow to their maximum size. At the same time, he did his best to keep the illusion of them not changing, to not risk the boy catching on. 'I may not be good with opponents that utilize raw power like him, especially if they have the speed to match. But he's not the only one with tricks of his own; I just need the right moment.' Hawks planned out, with everything hinging on having perfect timing.

Unfortunately time itself didn't seem to be on his side as crona began approaching towards the pro hero. The ominous smile on the boy was still more than present on his lips. Each few seconds a high pitched laughter would frequently spill out his mouth, like he was being continuously told some kind of joke. He momentarily stopped however as he looked, with his maddened ebon gaze to his opponent. His brow furrowing at the sight of his enemy's continued tenacity.

"What are you going to do now?" Crona drawled out, speaking with the same unsettling grin, and his voice sounding more unhinged than it did before. "Can't you just give up already? your little wings are starting to shrink away as your fight, so why bother with all this?" Crona pointed out in between giggles.

"Why won't you just see this is all pointless!? If you continue fighting me, you're going to die. But that can't happen-if it does, I'll make Maka so upset at me-and I can't handle that! I can't! I can't! I can't! So why!? Why the hell won't you just go away!?" Crona madly exclaimed, tightly clutching his head with his left hand. His eyes dancing further into the depths of insanity, but still faintly tried restraining the volatile madness.

Hawks narrowed his eyes and continued to watch his opponent's psychological meltdown. Analyzing every detail of his unstable behavior for any weaknesses he could use to buy time.

'Oh yeah, he's definitely got more than a few screws loose in there.' Hawks grimly concluded, At this point, it looked like he would fully snap at any given moment should he be provoked well enough. But what Hawks made sure to take note of was a name the boy had mentioned in his mad ranting.

Whoever this "Maka" is, she seems to be really important to him if he's doing all this just for her sake. Actually, that girl Mirko's fighting, the same one spoke too earlier. She's most likely this Maka person he keeps rambling on about, it has to be.

Unfortunately hawks had little time to dwell on this new information as crona now rushed towards him like a bullet fired off. As the sword meister ran he swung his swords, one by one into the air, spewing out from all the mouthed hilt guard's three blasts of dark energy.

The monstrous faces on each energy blast roared in mindless fury, crushing the pavement to dust, as they aimlessly pursued their the winged blonde with rampant speed.

Hawks cursed and promptly commanded his small wings to pull him into the air as the screech alphas grew ever closer. With hefty effort, the blonde managed to lift himself at least ten feet into the air.

When the attacks came, the number two hero skillfully glided his body away from the streams of dark energy like swerving winds. Each one passing by him by mere inches and violently crashed into nearby buildings or cars in their path.

The winged hero released a short breath at the close call, but his relief was snuffed out when crona's secondary arms retracted and were replaced by a pair of thin black wings.

With a maddened cackle the sword meister rocketed towards the hovering hawk until they were inches apart. The demon swordsman raised the rectangular short sword up and plunged his dark blade downwards onto the pro hero.

Hawks immediately pulled his arms into motion and and crossed his feather blades together to block the sword smashed into them. The feather blades were torn further apart by the impact of rectangular blade. Hawks grunting as he felt his arms strength being quickly overpowered by crona's own, despite his lanky frame.

Hawks knowing he was rapidly losing his footing in this struggle, jabbed his foot into the boys stomach. The swordsman however was unaffected by the strong kick; yet felt the man's boot dig further into his stomach and pushed himself away from the meister.

Controlling his momentum, the number two hero skidded back to the ground. He looked up to see crona descending to the ground as well. His black wings morphed themselves back into the pair of thin arms with their swords held in both hands.

Hawks frown deepened as he saw his opponents mad cerulean eyes bore into his own gaze, spilling out waves of killing intent that made hawks spine nearly shutter.

But the pro hero easily pushed down his unnerved emotions and press on with this battle. He just needed to keep dodging this boys attacks long enough for his super move to be complete.

The swordsman immediately lunged forward and ferociously swung all three swords at the older man. The chaotic fashion of his slashes threw hawks off as he scrambled to evade and deflect the three blades coming at him. But his own speed was inferior to the young swordsman as he managed to reach his blades into hawks and make several sharp cuts made into his arms and torso.

Hawks grunted and pulled his willpower into ignoring the pain coursing within him and- kept focusing on defending himself from crona's onslaught. His feathers were halfway finished growing to their maximum size, all he needed was a few more minutes before it was ready.

"Disappear!" Crona shouted, not daring to give such precious time and immediately thrusted both the abyss of despair and uncleanliness towards hawks stomach.

The hero cursed and with no other choice was forced to pull a small batch of hardened feathers from his wings and shield his stomach. The feathers hovered over his belly and halted the blades from piercing into their master-but not without beginning to crumble apart in seconds.

Hawks wasn't surprised and using the opening given to him-commanded four feathers in the makeshift shield to fly at crona while leaping backwards until he was a good meter or two away.

Crona's mad grin for the first time since it appeared, flipped into a frown. The sword meister starting to grow fed up with these tricks thrown at him-as he effortlessly destroyed more of the propelled feathers with a single slash of his third sword.

"You're annoying me so badly...I just can't handle dealing with someone like you anymore. I still need to atone for my sins." Crona then raised the darkness up into the air. "It's over, so stop trying to fight me. You'll just dissolve into blackness no matter what."

'Atone for your sins? Just what the hell was he talking about?' Was he referring to vigilante actions? No way. Yeah, it was vicious, but not enough to consider it as something as dramatic as literal sins. So what the hell were these sins he'd done?

Before he could question further on it, a sharp, hot jolt ran through his upper back, snapping him out of his bleak thoughts. Realizing his special attack was finally ready for action. Hawks could feel the last of his crimson feathers lengthening to join the rest of the sharpened clusters attached to him.

This was it; this could very well be his best chance now to beat this kid and finish the fight.

It was now or never.

"While your right about this fight being over, I think that only applies to you." Hawks retorted with a confident smirk.

"What?"

Suddenly all the feathers on Hawks' back suddenly exploded into long feathered blades that bursted apart like a bomb. The feathers flew into the air and as if they came to life flew from behind Hawk's back and soared like wasps towards Crona.

The pink haired boy narrowed his eyes, not at all amused by the same gimmick he'd seen. It was so tiring and boring to destroy with these feathers. Why did he have to hide behind his dull little wings? Couldn't he just die like anyone that else and make it simple for him?

Yet as Crona readied his three swords to slice up the the large blast of feathers- the flying red cluster at the last minute split itself apart and circled around him.

Crona darted his eyes around, watching as the swarms of feathers converged with each other and continued spinning around him.

More and more did the other feathers, add on the to the red mass until they completely blocked him off from the outside. The feathers picking up speed and elevating themselves closer to the air until they resembled a small red tornado composed of a hundred red feathers.

"What the hell is this nonsense?" Crona muttered coldly, flickering dark orbs watching the flocks of living feathers close him off from the outside world. The longer strands of his pink hair beginning to fly around as the wind currents were spiking up within the feather twister.

He didn't need to wait any further, a barrage of feathers removed themselves from the moving mass and rocketed towards crona. The propelled feathers sped to the teen, in random zig zag directions making it slightly difficult to keep track of.

Crona nonetheless parried, and slashed as many of the feather blades as could, each one being deflected away or slashed apart. Yet even with the usage of his three swords, it was steadily becoming difficult-to keep up with the quick and random attacks these rocketed feathers coming at him in all directions.

"Damn you, damn you, damn you!" Crona madly babbled, violently swinging away his swords without any sense direction at the volleys of feathers shot at him. "Why won't you let me go back to maka! Just fade away into black like everything else!"

Ragnarok's head popped out from his chest, the weapon now having a long, smooth, snout with a toothy mouth was exposed.

"Well, what the hell are we waiting for!?" Ragnarok inputted looking up at his meister. "Let's just kill this pigeon bastard already and eat his soul!"

Crona's dark orbs flickered to his weapon partner, wisps of clarity surfacing within as he began to remember what maka asked him to not do anything like that.

"W-Wouldn't it mean breaking my promise?" Crona asked numbly, his mind tearing itself between satisfying the hunger of his murderous insanity and his promise to maka.

Ragnarok snorted. "Well, aren't ya already starting to break it, by going apeshit on feather brain?"

Crona's eyes widened in further clarity from his partner's statement, and began to realize just how right his weapon was. The swordsman's madness had begun to erode bit by bit as his sanity began resurfacing. And the more it did, the more he was unable to deny what was structuring into undeniable fact.

He…he really was breaking his promise to maka didn't he? He was supposed help her yet he only caused more trouble. Again.

Guilt gripped crona's emotional battered heart, clenching with a strong, repetitive vigor that made his limbs lose their strength. He made a poor decision again. He hated being so disappointing.

Soon the mind of the sword meister started to clear itself, from the fog of madness clouding it, as more logical thinking and reason returned in its place.

'Of course, how could I forget that? Ragnarök's right, I can't let Maka down. Allowing myself to succumb to madness will do just that. I-I have to calm down, right now.' Crona thought in realization, with the remnants of his madness, starting to retreat back to the depths of his soul. Parts of his sanity soon began reappearing, helping to chain away the destructive madness within him for now. Yet Crona knew it wouldn't last long if this fight didn't end soon. He feared that he may very well lose control of himself again, and fall right back into the madness once more.

"No…w-what am I d-doing? I can't go back to those ways, I-I need to keep my promise." Crona said, his voice sounding much saner than it did before. Continuing to slowly breath in and out, repeatedly to try calm himself down as best as he could.

Once his mind had stabilized itself as much as it could, the swordsman after a final deep breath returned to reality.

"Alright I-I'm okay now," crona shakily confirmed as he placed a hand on his forehead to ease his mind. The pink haired teen then looked up and scanned his surroundings once more, and was met with swirling red from every angle. "And I think it's t-time to end this fight already."

Ragnarök blinked at crona's sudden return to sanity, before making a scoffing sound. "Well no shit captain obvious, so why don't you just use that thorny storm-or whatever it's called to blast away all this feather crap?"

"M-maybe, I think that could--agh!" Crona hissed as a sudden rush of aching pain rushed into his body out of nowhere.

"Hey, what the hell is going on with you?!" The demon sword exclaimed as the lanky swordsman's legs lost their strength, and tumbled to the ground.

The swordsman shakily stood back up while placing a hand on his head, filling up with the same aching sensation. "I-I'm sorry about that…its just that…my body starting to feeling exhausted."

"What, do you mean your getting exhausted?!" Ragnarok angrily inquired.

"E-Ever since we woke up here, my body has been feeling exhausted. My black blood isn't even at full power r-right now...it's really starting to run out of strength at this point." Crona confessed as he tried pushing out the dull headache rising up.

"Oh, you've gotta be shitting me, so you're telling me that your sorry ass has been running on fucking low power this whole damn time!?" Ragnarök yelled angrily, with Crona weakly nodding in response.

"I-I'm sorry…I didn't want to burden anyone." Crona muttered with faint tiredness in his voice, as his physical exhaustion began catching up to him.

With every sharp swing, his arm's thin muscles screamed in pain, that got worse with every minute. Even his vision started to become blurry for a few brief moments. His body demanding rest, but no matter how tempting it was he couldn't give into it.

Crona couldn't believe this, he was going to fail Maka again. He swore that he would be there to fight for her; and now he was going to end up breaking his promise. It wasn't fair, why couldn't he just do something right for once? Why couldn't he be able to make Maka happy and not let her down?

'I'm so useless.' Crona berated himself in pessimism. He was so unbelievably pathetic. Just how could he even vow to fight for the person he cared for the most, when he can't even fight properly.

However, just as things began to seem hopeless, a miracle had sprung up from within Crona's head. He might've just figured out how to get himself out of this pesky feather tornado. It would use up another chunk of his remaining strength, but at this point he needed to use everything he could right now. So, with his goal set in mind, he turned to Ragnarök with a serious face and spoke.

"Ragnarök...I know what we need to do."

---

At the same time, hawks stood near the tornado of feather blades he created in calculating patience. He was waiting to see if his opponent would finally fall to his super move. He had only recently been experimenting with the new technique. The super move he had named, falcon cyclone, was an attack that involved lengthening every one of his feathers into sword sized projectiles.

Once it was ready for use, he would then launch every single one of these sword feathers at the opponent; until they were completely trapped in a mini tornado of feathers. Then with complete control of the feathers, Hawks would have them target the enemy in swarms until they were overwhelmed by the feathers and eventually tire out. He had nearly perfected the technique, and despite it being rough around the edges it still worked perfectly.

The only reason why he never used it yet; was because he didn't consider there to be a villain, or vigilante strong enough, to use it against... until now that is.

"He should be starting to lose his strength by now." Hawks said to himself. "Question is, if he'll just fight my feathers until he exhausts himself and loses consciousness. Or if he'll become too injured to fight back any longer."

'I just hope the latter doesn't happen.' Hawks thought in concern. Even though the boy he was fighting was a dangerous vigilante, he was still just a kid in the end. He just hoped he and his friends, would be willing to accept responsibility for their actions. It would definitely help their case and prevent any truly serious punishments from occurring.

Hell, it might even get half the charges off them. Maybe then he could find their families, particularly this boy's family, and work out getting some psychological help for him.

However, before hawks could continue his thoughts, suddenly heard a loud shout coming from within his falcon cyclone.

"Screech Delta!" Crona shouted from within the circling swarm of feathers. Suddenly without warning, numerous waves of dark energy resembling screech alpha-ripped out from the swarms of feather blades in all directions. Each one of them marred with fiendish faces, as they rampantly swirled across the street-causing rampant destruction to the block around them.

The dark waves then merged until they were now a single rippling spiral of utter destruction. Any of the feather blades, that were caught in powerful the screech attack's path were instantly torn to pieces from its sheer destructive force.

Hawks' instincts instantly went into overdrive, he turned around and did his best to flee from the from the deadly radius of Crona's attack. But without his wings, it was very difficult even with his running speed to outpace no m this rampant torrent. Thankfully as the dark energy reached him, Hawks leapt forward; escaping the attack as he landed harshly on the street floor. It took a lot of effort but Hawks managed shake off the pain of his landing as he looked up to see in shock of what his opponent had done.

The screech delta kept violently expanding, and circled around the area the falcon cyclone once stood; with only the numerous pieces of his destroyed feathers being the only thing left of it. Now in its place was another large cyclone that swirled around with numerous screech alpha's making up its ghastly structure.

The murky cyclone erupted several shockwaves that shook the very street-several cars flew around and any nearby buildings began to crumple.

And in the center of this destructive whirlwind was the very boy who created it. Crona and Ragnarök's arms were extended, and positioned in an almost cross like stance the entire time.

Hawks stood with utter shock on his face as he gazed at the towering screech delt ten feet away from him. He couldn't believe what was happening. how on earth could this single vigilante be capable of such destruction?

'You've got to be kidding me, Is there just no end to this kid's arsenal? Just what the hell am I dealing with!?' Hawks questioned in shock at the sight.

But suddenly he noticed something was off. The twister seemed to be rippling and thrashing around in the air erratically.

"What the…?"

Before hawks could finish, the screech delta violently exploded into several large screech alpha's. Each monstrous stream chaotically drove into the city block until they all began to converge on where. The number three hero stood.

"Oh shit!" Hawks shouted in panicked alarm at the looming threat rapidly catapulting towards his direction.

Immediately the hero went into flight mode and tried to flee as far as he could from the blast radius of this explosive attack. But without his wings, it would be very difficult to outpace its rapid movements.

Thankfully as the roaring dark energy reached him, Hawks pulled his legs back and pulled off a wide leap to his left. Finding himself roll straight into a brick wall as the the screech alpha rushed past him.

The screech delta had rapidly expanded its mass, and circled around the area the falcon cyclone once stood; with only the numerous pieces of his destroyed feathers being the only thing left of it. Now in its place was another tornado, only this one was made of a couple solid black shockwaves, which had encircled the very boy who created it.

The dark cyclone slowly dispersed into nothingness after its explosive fission. The cloud of dust and smoke faded away; revealing the sword meister within the center of the fractured street. The meister having his left and Ragnarök's extra arms outstretched; positioning all three blades in an almost cross like stance.

Crona continued to stand there, panting from exhaustion, while still trying to stand for as long as possible. But the pain in his muscles was simply too strong, his legs finally gave out and fell to his hands and knees. With Ragnarök's arms, along with his three swords, retracting back into his body as he did so.

As Crona took the moment to recuperate himself, he looked around to see the amount damage his screech delta had done. The block wasn't entirely destroyed, yet it was far from unmarred either. The roads were carved with small fissures carved from the blasts into the crushed ground. Several wrecked cars were strewn across the ruined street. The buildings near crona were partially crumbled and marred with fractures; and what used to be stores were now reduced to piles of rubble.

"I... I can't believe that worked, I just wished I hadn't destroyed so much in the process." Crona quietly murmured to himself in between his panting, and started to try stand back on his two feet.

"Hold your damn horses you idiot! Like hell you can just go anywhere now!" Ragnarök rudely chastised as he materialized. "You can barely get your ass up as it is; so how the hell can you even try to walk!?" Ragnarök questioned incredulously at the exhausted state of his meister.

He knew the guy was running low on juice, but he didn't think it be this bad!

"I-l know, I know, but I need to at least see if he's beaten, the-then I'll get out of here and f-f-find Maka." Crona muttered as he finally was able to stand up again after brief struggle. Now beginning to wobbly walk towards where he last saw the winged man.

Crona didn't care if he'd end up hurting himself badly, if he was being honest; he'd deserve to feel much worse agony, than this for his actions. But what continued to drive him to keep on fighting, was that angelic girl Maka. That kind person who still saw him as her friend, even after all the unforgivable things he said and done to her. She still had the gentle heart to do so much just to save him. He could never repay her kindness, but he could start by helping her in any way possible.

'Don't worry Maka, I'm coming. I promised to fight for you, to protect you with all my life. I will keep my promise...no matter what happens to me.' Crona dedicatedly thought, his eyes burning with a sense of such fierce courage, and determination he never knew he could feel before. He would come back to her, and he would make sure nothing would get in his way of doing so.

---

Hawks couldn't believe this was happening.

How could a single teenage vigilante manage to cause all this devastation with just his quirk? True it had been proven to be extremely versatile, but he didn't think it could be this destructive.

You...you've got to be kidding me, Is there just no end to this kid's arsenal? How can this single vigilante have so many abilities n a single quirk? Just what the hell am I dealing with!?' Hawks questioned in shock. Still trying to figure out just how the heck, a mere teenager, managed to destroy his super move like it was nothing.

Even if it was only at 50% it should've still been enough to deal great damage to him; just like it would to any mid to high level villain or vigilante.

The only people who could've been able to destroy his falcon cyclone with ease like that, was either number 2 hero endeavor or...all might himself. A chill went down his spine at very thought of this young vigilante with an unstable mind; potentially being able to rival two of the strongest heroes in Japan.

But hawks was shaken out of his thoughts as he started seeing the same boy he'd been fighting this entire time, and worse yet it looked like he could still fight, unlike himself.

'Goddamnit...what the heck am I supposed to do now?' Hawks questioned in frustration 'I'm completely powerless right now, all my feathers are destroyed thanks to this guy and his tornado. So how in the hell am I supposed to fight him?'

However, as Hawks saw Crona come closer, he began to slowly realize that he may not need to fight him. The boy looked pale and exhausted, like a chunk of his energy just got sucked right out of him.

Not only that, but it seemed his falcon cyclone did manage to do some damage. His body now had a couple of bleeding cuts around his back and chest of small to medium sizes. His extra arms and swords were gone, and now only wielded that broadsword he used when they first started fighting.

'Holy shit, this kid has some serious endurance.' Hawks admitted in impressment for the teen. But despite the respect he had for the teenager, Hawks couldn't ignore the chance to finally take the kid down.

True hawks was pretty much powerless right now without his wings. But even with his quirk inactive, he still had plenty of combat skills. Plus, it helped that he was in slightly better shape to fight than his opponent was. 'I might just have what it takes to beat him. But I need to be careful, one wrong move and I'm done for.'

Soon the two stood facing each other, the scene was almost something out of a cowboy western film. All that was missing was a tumbleweed and it truly would have been like a movie brought to life.

Crona despite his bodily exhaustion, still managed to have a fierce look in his eyes. While Hawks gave off a calmer yet equally strong glare towards his foe; both waiting for any moment to strike from each other.

"I-it's over." Crona declared. "You don't have any more feathers to attack me with, so just give up and let me through." Crona then pointed Ragnarök towards Hawks, who took note of the slight tremble in his arm holding the sword.

"I really don't think you should be making demands like that yet kid, you ain't looking too good yourself." Hawks pointed out, but that didn't waver Crona's resolve one bit.

"It doesn't matter, I ca-can still fight you, now move aside." Crona demanded, his voice now much firmer than before, with any desire to entertain his opponent any longer being gone.

"And I'm telling you no." Hawks answered back. "True I don't have my feathers anymore to help me, but given your current shape I honestly don't think I'd need em." Crona simply growled quietly in response, his crystal blue eyes glaring much more intensely at Hawks, now getting fed up with this man's stubbornness.

"I'm done wasting my time with you. Now this is your last chance, get out of my way now." Crona coldly demanded once again. The swordsman's face becoming scrunched with growing annoyance and frustration. Getting angry at the fact this pestering bird was still getting in the way of going back to Maka and soul. Why won't he leave him alone!?

"I gave you my answer, like hell I'm gonna let a vigilante like you run loose in Japan; so, your just gonna have to break every bone in my body." Hawks challenged with a smirk.

"I SAID MOVE!" And with that, the last of crona's patience was crushed into nothingness, as with a furious battle cry he rushed for the cocky wingless hero. The teen thrusting Ragnarök's edge directly towards Hawks.

But before either of them could clash blows, a sudden explosion noise nearby caught their attention. The two turning their heads to where the loud sound came from in confusion.

'The hell was that?' Hawks wondered in both confusion and concern, as just like the boy was trying to find the source of the bomb like sound nearby.

Their question was answered, as the terrified screams of people started to be heard north of where they were.

"Wait, isn't that where..." Hawks trailed off, but before he could finish a certain pink haired boy interrupted him.

"MAKA!" Crona shouted in terrified horror, realizing that loud explosion came from where she, and soul were fighting that rabbit woman. Something must have gone terribly wrong.

Thus Crona, while taking advantage of Hawks moment of distraction, retracted Ragnarök into his body and ran past him before he could catch up. Yet with every step he took, he could feel spikes of painful soreness creep up. He needed to get there quickly, before his body gave out. He could already feel a sense of dizziness in his head, becoming more frequent.

"Ragnarök, l-listen to me." Crona tried getting his merged partners attention. "So-something bad is happening where Maka and soul are, but I don't have enough energy to run there. l-I need you to fly me there, ple-please."

Are you goddamn mind!? We barley have any juice left as it is, and you want me to push me even more? are you TRYING to kill us both!?' Ragnarök screeched in refusal from within Crona, not at all willing to risk hurting themselves any further than they already have.

"Please Ragnarök, I-I'm begging you." Crona said to his weapon partner, something that shocked the demon sword, as he'd NEVER heard his meister beg him for something before. "I can't let anything bad happen to Maka. S-she's the only reason why I want to continue living. If anything were to happen to her, then I would lose everything...along with my reason to keep on living." Crona said with a wobbly voice, with tears beginning to leak out from his eyes, waiting for his weapon's response.

Yet nothing came out.

Nothing but pure silence came from Ragnarök. something very uncharacteristic of the usually loud and obnoxious demon.

"R-Ragnarök...speak to me...please, don't do this." Crona begged tearfully but not a single response came.

So that was it then…his weapon had decided to ignore him.

He'd just lost the one chance he had to help save Maka, there was nothing else he could now. He was beginning to lose strength by the minute. And soon there wouldn't be much he could when exhaustion overtook him. Despair and helplessness constricting his very soul, Crona then just broke down into numb sorrow.

So this was his punishment, wasn't it?

To be left utterly useless as his only friends were in possible danger.

He had failed to do something right for once in his life...he truly failed Maka.

However, before he could sink himself deeper into his grief. Crona felt a stinging sensation rupture from his back. The teen turned his head up and gasped in shock to see ragnarok emerging into his black dragon form.

The sword Sprouting two draconic wings from Crona's back, though now smaller due to his meister's weakened state

Ragnarök began strongly flapping their wings, as Crona started to hover from the ground and soon began taking flight.

"R-R-Ragnarök?" Crona muttered at his weapon in utter shock. Not entirely sure what he was seeing was even real. That for once, Ragnarök was actually listening to him.

"One time, you fucking idiot. THIS IS THE ONE AND ONLY TIME I'M DOING SOMETHING LIKE THIS FOR YOU, ASSHOLE!" Ragnarök's scratchy voice yelled towards Crona, but he didn't care, he just kept staring in pure shock at what he thought was impossible.

Why on earth would Ragnarök help him do something that was completely against their own survival? After all, isn't that the only reason why Ragnarök helps him most of the time?

But as Crona tried coming up with an explanation, he then gasped in shock. Having thought back to what soul and Maka told him back inside the void of asura's soul. That even though he'd done so much wrong, committed so many terrible things; they still believed in him.

And right now, a small part of his weapon's heart, believed in him.

Ragnarök actually had faith in him for once, and that alone was enough to flood Crona's eyes with tears of pure happiness. 'This...this is what they meant, to have someone believe in you.' Crona realized, having now finally understood the concept of belief between friends and loved ones.

"T-Tha-Thank you...thank you so much." Crona chocked out, wiping away his remaining tears of joy from his face.

Ragnarök only grunted in response and kept flapping his wings, as they took to the sky.

Crona, after finally calming down, looked towards the direction where they were heading.

Determined courage poured into his heart, preparing to face whatever challenges came their way. Even with the continuing feeling of exhaustion throughout his body he promptly ignored it and pushed on. Crona could care less if he'd be suffering in total agony right now, his friends needed him, and nothing in this world would stop him from doing so.

Even if it meant enduring lifetimes of torment and endless despair; he'd do it all instantly if it meant he could see that angelic smile once more. Maka was more important to him. More important than anything else in this or any world. He left Maka once, he wouldn't do it again.

Not now, not ever.

'Don't worry Maka, I'm coming.' Crona declared in great determination. The former demon swordsman continuing to fly into the night sky and straight towards where he was needed the most.

---

"CMON EVERYONE, YOU NEED TO GET OUT OF HERE RIGHT NOW!" Maka shouted as she charged into the destructive scene, and Immediately sliced apart four pieces of debris about to fall on the fleeing civilians and took action.

The blonde rushed toward the falling rubble and once close enough; maka jumped into the air and sliced them to tiny chunks with a couple swift slashes.

Maka dashed across the left side of the street and began her own efforts to destroy the incoming debris. The pigtailed blonde swung a series of slashes at incredible speeds as the debris came down. The blade of her demon scythe easily reducing them to smaller chunks.

The two teens soared and sprinted around the building, pulverizing to dust any debris in their path, allowing for more of the citizens to get away safely.

Maka looked towards the collapsing building to see more chunks of brick crashing down towards a small group of fleeing civilians. The panicked citizens having ran in all directions in order to evade the chunks of wall and stone falling around them. But in the end, it did very little, as two girls scrambling away were about to be hit by a couple pieces of building above them.

Maka then without hesitation leaped into action, and using soul, she sliced apart the bigger chunks in one fell swoop reducing them to mere pebbles. Allowing the two women to escape while the can, briefly thanking her before running to safety.

However, maka's job was nowhere near done, she turned her head to see many larger boulders of debris beginning to drop towards some of the fleeing crowd.

Without hesitation Maka, with near superhuman speed, ran towards the area and one by one managed to grab each of the people to a safe distance away. Once done, she checked to see if anyone else needed help to escape this particular area. Seeing that no one else was thankfully around, she ran back to the other side of the street where the building was collapsing.

"Soul, how many was that?" Maka questioned soul while simultaneously scanned the area around her.

'I think that makes 20 people so far, Maka do you see anyone else?' Soul asked, while being used to slice apart another piece of the building falling near them. Maka then decided to use her soul perception as an extra set of vision for her mission.

Conveniently enough, she was able to see four human souls. Three of which had those core like objects in them-while the other one was normal.

Maka saw these four souls moving away, trying to flee from where a much larger piece of the buildings wall was about to fall down on them. Maka and soul then instantly ran to their aid without delay. But as they got closer, they knew that piece of the wall falling on top of those people was too big. It was coming in too fast; to either destroy with causal slashes, or push the civilians out of them way in time.

They were going to need something much stronger to save these people. And Maka knew exactly what could do the trick, getting herself ready to use a particular technique of theirs. One that would be more than enough to save these innocent people.

"Soul, you ready?" Maka asked, as she neared the large piece of debris.

'Yeah, let's do this.' Soul replied instantly. In that moment the two teens concentrated intently, focusing on the spiritual symbiosis between each other. The soul wavelengths between meister and death scythe began to sync up with each other. The unity between meister, and demon weapon growing stronger, and stronger until a chain reaction was achieved between the two souls.

"Let's go soul resonance!/let's go soul resonance!" Both Maka and soul shouted out in unison, their powerful souls moved closer towards each other while their energies linked up. Closing in until spiritual synchronization occurred between them, as their powerful resonance took shape.

With soul resonance being achieved, Soul's scythe form began to change. The blade became submerged in glowing light while it grew in size, the blade elongating in length until it became a long crescent saber. With her resonance charged scythe Maka once reaching close enough to the piece of debris, jumped high in the air until she was mere inches away from the boulder. She then reared back her scythe, until she rushed forward with a mighty swing.

"Witch hunter!" Maka shouted, her empowered scythe cleaving through the chunk of rock in a one strike, slicing it into two pieces. Not taking any chances however, Maka swung her scythe again and again. Continued her bladed assault, as she sliced the debris left and right with her scythe; until it had become nothing more than tiny harmless rocks that fell to the ground.

All the civilians who'd seen their apparent savior's display of strength, looked on in awe. They were unable to believe that one of the supposed vigilantes would go out of the way to save their lives. Neither could they believe that someone so young could be so powerful. After destroying the rock, Maka gracefully landed back on the ground. Turning around to see the stunned group of people she had just saved from certain death.

One of the rescued citizens, a spectacled man, who resembled a humanoid boar came forward.

"Thank you so much, miss! We'd be so dead if it weren't for you!" The boar man praised in Japanese, with the other three thanking her as well.

Their combined cheers resulting in Maka looking away, while blushing in embarrassment; at what she assumed was praise given to her.

'It's not that big of a deal...I just sliced a dumb rock to pieces with Soul, that's nothing compared to what I've done before." Maka thought, trying to push back her embarrassment, and act like the meister she's supposed to be, dammit!

But for soul his weapon's single eye looked away in subtle shame, from praise he did not deserve for causing this disaster. But at the very least he had maka to help him clean up this mess.

Not wanting to stand around any longer during this crisis, she nodded as a silent thank you while the four citizens quickly left the area.

Soul however, couldn't help but quietly snicker at the sight of his usually calm and cool meister; getting embarrassment at her new fans giving their gratitude for saving them.

If it wasn't for the fact that they were saving people's lives here, he'd probably be laughing his guts out right now. However, he finally noticed Maka's angry glare aimed towards him. And wanting to avoid getting a concussion, instantly stopped his chuckling.

But before Maka could respond, she and soul started to hear crying. Specifically, the cries of a child. Maka quickly looked around to see where it was coming from, and gasped in horror when she found the source.

A long distance away from them, there was a little girl crying in the middle of the debris filled street. The panicked citizens fleeing from the disaster, being too unaware in their terror to notice how a large piece of wall was about to fall right underneath her.

"Look out!" Maka screamed, moving her legs faster than humanely possible, dodging or slashing any obstacle of rubble; in her path to save the young girl's life.

But just as she was nearing close to the child, a couple large chunks of debris began falling above where she was running. Maka did her best as she darted and leapt away from the falling rocks. Yet it was starting to become progressively harder to pass through the debris; as the raining rubble kept sundering down to the ground.

But just as the young meister had her hand outstretched towards the child, heard soul shouting in her ears.

"Maka, behind you!" Before the blonde could respond to the scythe's warning; abruptly felt a heavy weight plummet onto her lower body. The young meister unable to move legs to leap away in time, as she felt herself quickly falling to the ground without any way to stop.

A small fog of dust erupted into the air as fallen chunks of rubble explosively sundered into the ground. The street now littered with various hunks of debris, with anyone left having long since ran away.

All except for three people.

Maka groaned in pain as she regathered herself from the hard fall she just took, and looked around but saw nothing but foggy dust in her vision.

'What just happened? Where's soul?' Maka looked around but her weapon partner was nowhere to be seen.

Before she could try looking for soul, her eyes caught the sight of the little girl still crouching where she stood. The girl desperately trying to hide from the disaster, yet was unaware of a slab of brick flying towards her.

The ash blonde rushed to stand up, but when she tried to pull her body up-she was immediately pinned back into the ground.

"Wait a minute, why does my leg feel so heavy?' Maka wondered in minor panic and frustration as she tried to stand up, and couldn't do it.

Maka turned her body around as much as possible, only for her eyes to find that her leg was crushed underneath a small yet heavy piece of rubble.

The ash blonde gasped at the sight of her entrapped lower limb, but didn't allow shock to overtake her for long. She shortly tried to pull herself up once more only to be greeted with agonizing pain rushing through her leg's nerves. Maka winced from the sheer pain coursing in her, but had managed to hold the rest in. She couldn't let something like this stop her, she needed to push through it and get out here.

A child's life was still on the line.

She hastily tried to pull her leg out multiple times, but it was to no avail. Her foot was too tightly caught underneath this rock to simply pull it out. Maka then tried the next best thing, and grabbed the piece of rubble that trapped her leg, trying to pulling it up, till there was enough space to free her foot.

Maka pulled the heavy object with all her strength and will, but this damn rock was too heavy for her to lift for more than a few seconds. Maka growled in frustration at her own lack of strength. For once wishing she had the kind of freakish strength Blackstar possessed and get herself out of this situation.

She continued to try and lift this accursed rock off her foot, but the position she was trapped in just didn't give her the flexibility to properly lift the piece of rubble up. Maka then after a few moments, was forced let go of the small Boulder, letting her arms rest for a few seconds before trying again.

'Dammit! Dammit! Why?! why of all things, did this have to happen!?' Maka internally cursed as she tried to once again to pull her leg out, this time even harder than she did before. Only to end up feeling even more intense pain from moving her entrapped limb underneath the piece of rubble. She screamed for a brief moment, but managed control herself, and took deep breaths to contain this torturous feeling.

'Shit, this hurts so much...wait a minute, where's Soul? Where is he?' Maka realized as she was struggling in pain. She quickly turned her head to where she last saw Soul's scythe form fly off her hand. The ash blonde meister looked to her right, to see Soul having transformed back to his human form and was sprinting right towards her. Soul sprinted to his fallen meister and soon examined the grisly sight before him.

"Maka you okay!?" Soul said before he got a closer look, and gasped in shock at seeing his meisters injured state. "Shit, your leg! Can you get this thing off?" Soul questioned only for Maka to shake her head in response.

Not wasting anymore time, Soul ran to the rock trapping Maka's foot and began trying to pull it up. Despite the arduous weight, Soul managed to lift it up a couple inches more than Maka did.

The pigtailed teen hastily removed her left leg from the rock and clutched her injured foot.

Maka looked closer at her injured limb, grimacing when she saw. Thankfully there wasn't much blood, yet already a murky, purple discoloration as beginning form around her ankle and down further.

Soul instantly dropped the rock once Maka was free of it, going over to his injured meister to check her injury, wincing once he saw the current state of Maka's injury.

"Shit, that's not good." Soul grimly observed before looking back at his partner in worry. "Maka, can you still walk?" Soul questioned his meister. Instead of answering him, Maka tried to stand up.

But the second her left foot touched the ground; a sharp spike of pain was felt. With a yelp of pain, she fell back, soul managing to catch her before she met the ground.

"N-no, I think it's broken. Soul listen to me you need to go save that girl." Maka carefully told soul. Her own condition was a secondary concern, compared to that of the child who now had a minute at most before the falling debris landed on her.

"But what about you?" Soul asked worryingly, not planning for a second to leave his partner in such a shitty state. But Maka grabbed soul by his shirt, making him look straight to her desperate green eyes.

"Soul, just forget about me! That girl is going to die if you don't reach her! Just go!" Maka told her weapon before letting go of him, her fierce yet pleading eyes telling him to just listen to her for once.

Soul scowled, feeling all kinds of wrong, about actually considering to leave his meister in such a condition. But he knew there was no way in hell, he was going to leave a kid to die.

So, with grunt of reluctance, he gently let go of his meister, and quickly ran to the child in mortal danger. But not before turning around to look at Maka, one last time before heading off.

"I'll be back Maka, I promise, just hang in there!" Soul shouted as he continued running forward, while Maka simply prayed to lord death (or kid technically) that her loyal weapon would manage to save the girls life in time.

A small optimistic smile grew on Maka's face. Her heart being filled with a strong level of hope, that Soul would succeed in saving this innocent child.

'You can do this soul; I just know it. I believe-'

But the second she looked up; her hopes were instantly shattered. Her smile disappeared and the feeling of great hope in her soul turned into pure despair at what she saw.

"No..." whispered in horror.

Soul wouldn't be able to reach fast enough in time to save her. The piece of the buildings wall was now at least ten seconds away; from falling under the crying child and turning her into red paste.

It was too late, she was going to die...

Time seemed to slow down for the meister, as soul yelled for the girl now screaming in fear, to get out of the way. He reached his arm out, to try and push her out while he ran, but she could tell he wouldn't make it in time.

Maka couldn't hear anything else, except for the ringing sound in her ears. Her horrified eyes flooded with tears stared at the nightmarish scene, unable to do anything in her current condition.

'No…NO! I won't sit here and do nothing!' Maka thought determinedly, eradicating these despairing thoughts and became alit with newfound willpower.

She wasn't going to let anyone die today.

Maka struggled to push herself up, ignoring the hellish pain she kept feeling in right foot until she managed to stand up. The former spartoi meister quickly limp straight towards the girl as fast as her good leg could allow.

Telling herself no matter how impossible it may really be, that she could still make it and reach for the endangered child. The scythe meister sent her arm out as far as possible, trying in desperation to try reaching out for the kid.

The teen's intense desire to save this innocent life from dying kept growing more and more like a wildfire. Her resolve hardening into ironclad willpower.

Yet as her intense willpower was ignited further, a small mysterious glow of green light started to emit itself from her right shoulder. The little light slowly but surely glowing brighter bit by bit-almost as if Maka's desire to save the child grew with it.

'Someone please, help me save her!' Maka pleaded one last time, before she tightly closed her eyes. Bracing for the gruesome end to come for the person they have failed to save.

Yet it never came.

"BLOODY LANCE!" Maka heard an unmistakable voice shout his attack. Quickly opening her eyes and gasped in shock as she saw a large hollow black cone was launched straight at the boulder.

The impact of the powerful projectile drilling into the rock, practically annihilated the piece of wall into nothing more; than cloudy dust particles within the air.

Once the cloud of murky dust dissipated, maka saw crona gorgon hovering in the air not too far from her. The boy still having his arm raised into the sky from summoning his bloody lance.

Soul taking advantage of the moment, swiftly took the girl into his arms and carried her to a safer part of the street where the rest of the crowd had dispersed to. Once he put the girl down, she quickly spotted where her mother had been standing, and instantly ran up to her parent.

"Mommy!" The young woman gasped and turned to see her child before rushing to her.

"Hina!" The mother immediately took her daughter into her arms as both embraced each other.

Both crying tears of warm joy as they found themselves reunited and safe from harm. It was truly a heartwarming moment for everyone around the pair to witness. A sight that especially brought many tears of relief to Maka's eyes, as her lips pulled into a warm smile of teary joy.

Maka couldn't believe it. They actually managed to save the kid. She honestly thought the girl was done for. Yet crona, like some guardian angel answering her prayers, came at the last second and saved the little one from certain death.

There weren't enough words to describe the amount of gratitude she had for her friend flying above her right now. If it wasn't for her injured foot, she'd try jumping all the way up in the air where he hovered; just to tackle Crona in the biggest bear hug ever known to man.

Maka looked up to where Crona was seen hovering, a wide happy and tearful smile was sported on her relieved face. But her happy expression slowly turned into a shocked and immensely worried one as she saw her friend more closely, and the current state he was in.

"C-Crona?" Maka muttered in fear, seeing from the distance she saw her friend that something was wrong with him. Crona looked completely exhausted. His onyx eyes looking lifeless and drained of energy as they barely stayed open. His wings were flapping awkwardly and Ragnarök himself was heavily panting; greatly struggling to keep themselves up in the air for a second longer.

Crona looked down with his heavily dazed, drooping eyes to where Maka was standing below him. Despite his vision being even more blurry than before, Crona could still make out his beloved friend, giving her a weak smile. Relieved to know he had managed to help Maka before it was too late.

'Mak-Maka...' Crona weakly thought, before his remaining strength was finally used up. Darkness clouding his vision before he lost all consciousness. His wings along with Ragnarök, instantly retracted back into his body, resulting in Crona to quickly fall from the sky, to the ground below.

"CRONA, NO!" Maka shouted, quickly running as best as she could to her good friend, before he made his brutal and fast descent towards the ground. Despite the fact that Maka was injured, she could still manage to limp at a decently fast pace to reach him. But even with her fast speed she was still struggling to handle the intense spike of pain she would feel; every time she would take a step with her badly injured foot.

Maka gritted her teeth and did everything she could to ignore this agonizing pain within her leg and keep on going. She could tell she was almost near him, she just needed to keep this up for a few more seconds.

The mysterious mark of light on her shoulder blade, continued to illuminate underneath her clothing. The speed of her running seemingly having gotten somehow faster. Small green sparks began to appear near her legs as the glowing light continued to emit itself. Maka didn't bother to notice this, as her absolute focus came to catching Crona, before he made his brutal landing.

'C'mon, c'mon, just a little longer...' Maka thought in hurry, trying to calculate where Crona would land. But at the fast rate he was descending, combined with the pain felt in her body made it difficult to precisely predict the area of impact.

Maka looked up to where Crona was falling, Squinted her eyes to see that Crona was heading almost right below where she was. She just needed to time this at the right moment. It wasn't long, until Crona was only ten seconds away from the ground did the moment finally come.

'Now!' Maka declared, lunging straight for Crona's falling body, both her arms extended as Crona harshly landed in them thus breaking his fall. Maka nearly lost her shaky footing, as she tried to hold onto her friend and not fall to the ground with him. But thanks to Crona's thin frame he was easier to carry than one would have expected. The ex-spartoi meister was then able to regain her balance, as with careful and gentle care laid her friend on the street floor.

The small green light on her shoulder had finally begun disappeared, its light dying down and faded away. Flickering embers of green glowed until it was as if it was never there to begin with.

After setting gently crona on the ground, decided to examine him more closely. Thankfully there was nothing that looked too serious. Only having several thin long cuts on his upper body, half a foot long at most. But thankfully the black blood seemed to be doing its work and heal the wounds-but not at rate it would've usually done.

Maka's brow furrowed in confusion at the blood's unusually sluggish regeneration process. Especially for such light injuries that should've been instantly healed by now.

But seeing how utterly drained crona looked, the answer must've been his body was so utterly depleted from everything that's happened today without a minute to rest.

The poor guy had simply worn himself out as a result. It was honestly incredible Crona had managed to come all the way here, despite his obvious physical exhaustion. That bloody lance he used to destroy that debris must have been the last straw before his body had finally given out.

But before Maka could think any further, Crona had begun to slowly open his eyes again. The swordsman slowly blinked, wearily looking up to see who he assumed was Maka; sitting right next to his side, tending to him.

"Crona! Are you alright?! Speak to me!" Maka said worryingly, lightly shaking him in an attempt to keep him conscious.

"M-Maka? Is that you?" Crona muttered, a small part of him still wanting to be sure if he was seeing correctly.

It was kinda hard to tell with how everything was so blurry-but he held a strong feeling that it was her. This was all but confirmed when she steadily brought him closer and stared at him with her warm and beyond concerned green eyes.

"Yeah, it's me silly." Maka tearfully smiled. "Who did you think it was?"

"S-Sorry, e-everything's a bit hard to see."

"It's okay Crona, just take it easy, you've done more than enough today." Maka told Crona who after hearing this, instantly remembered about the little girl he saw almost die when he came here.

"Maka, the girl...is she alright?" Crona asked in immediate concern, His tired eyes looking around to see if the child was safe.

"Yeah, she is, you saved her Crona." Maka answered in a slightly wobbly tone.

Not being able to restrain herself anymore, she instantly wrapped her arms around him, keeping him in a warm embrace. "Thank you Crona. She wouldn't have survived if you hadn't come when you did. I know you don't see yourself this way-especially after today but to me...You're a hero crona." Maka softly told the swordsman as tears continued to sliding down from her face. dripping down onto her friend's robe while she kept tightly hugging him close to her.

Crona didn't say anything nor did he move. He just continued to be frozen still in shock. D-did s-she just call him a-a... a hero? Th-that can't be right. How could anyone call a wretch like him a hero? He was anything but that. All the death and destruction, he's caused in the world and in this city was undeniable proof of such.

It was simply unthinkable to make such a comparison.

Yet somehow this angelic girl that was currently hugging him in gratitude still called him that, despite knowing all he's done before. Crona didn't think he would be able to handle anyone else saying those words, it simply be too much for him to comprehend.

But for some reason that he couldn't explain nor understand, when Maka actually said those very words, he felt happy...very, very happy.

Crona had never felt such an immense feeling like this before in his life, at least not at such intensity. The way she spoke those words was like a soothing river of bliss that made him feel like he achieved a sense of absolute peace. Peace that allowed him to actually understand such kind words to him. Allowed him to comprehend the very meaning behind it.

For once he could actually handle this affection.

This affectionate embrace, along with the gentle words of praise given, made him feel so jubilant, relieved and warmed, all at once.

This was so alien from when Medusa had been the one to hug him and tell him her sweet hollow apologies. It just felt so wrong, so incomprehensible. There was no way that could have been his mother. Heck even now he still partially felt like she was an imposter, or...if she had always been one to begin with.

It made him feel so insulted back then, and thinking about it now, it only made him feel even more enraged.

Medusa made him leave this. She made him forsake and forget maka. The one who had actually called him a "hero" even after all his irredeemable sins. The same sins he had been forced to commit because of her.

It was truly something Crona could never forgive Medusa for doing to him. Nor did he not regret killing. Not one bit. Out of all the atrocities he had committed in his life, his act of matricide was the one thing he enjoyed doing. The only time he had ever truly enjoyed spilling blood. For he ended the life of the manipulative hag who'd forced him to not have the affections of his best friend.

But he didn't want to dwell in the dark past any longer, all Crona wanted was to continue feeling this newfound level of happiness.

Crona not being able to hold it in anymore, instantly returned Maka's embrace and hugged her back with all his strength. Quiet sobs of joy that one would need to listen carefully in order to hear, were being coughed into Maka's back.

With every moment of Maka continuing to hug him, all the exhaustion and ache he felt previously in his body evaporated. Leaving only this immense happiness Crona was contently drowning his attention starved soul.

For a whole minute, the two just sat there while their souls resonated together. Basking in the harmonious wavelengths that were strongly linked each other in this very moment.

'How? ...H-how could I have even considered leaving you Maka? You and soul were the only few to have believed in me. You still considered me your friend, no matter how many horrible things I've done. Yet all I did in return was spat on your kindness, and try to hurt you all. I-I really am an idiot...' Crona berated himself for his foolishness. Was he that drunk on madness, that he couldn't see the sheer stupidity of leaving someone incredible and accepting as Maka?

'I wont make the same mistakes twice. I'm going set things right, and undo the damage I've done for you Maka.' Somehow, through a divine miracle, he had been given a second chance, and Crona was not going to waste it this time.

Crona, after releasing the last of his tears looked down, and widen his eye's in shock. Even with his somewhat blurry vision, the swordsman could see the battered state of Maka's foot as a purple discoloration peeked out from her sock.

"Maka, y-your leg! It's-!" Crona said in panic, and hastily got out her hug to address her injury, only for maka to place a finger to his lips and spoke.

"I-it's fine Crona. It's just a little bruise, really this is no big deal." Maka lied with a forced smile, knowing full well, her "little bruise" was hurting far more than she made it out to be.

Crona was skeptical however, and can tell she wasn't fully telling the truth to him. But at the same time, knew Maka had dealt with much worse; so, he simply heeded her word and let it go.

His tired muscles relaxed allowing his ache and exhaustion to return and began seeping back into him once again. Maka seeing he wasn't pushing himself anymore removed her finger from his lips.

"O-okay, I'm just happy that I helped. I can't handle seeing you hurt Maka. I don't know what I'd do if something were to happen to you." Crona confessed with barley any stutter to hinder his speech. "Maka, I...I don't want to be alone anymore. I just want to be with you guys, even if doesn't make up for all I've done; I only want to have the comfort of being by your side." Crona told to scythe meister in a wobbly voice.

Feeling that he was about to cry again, he deeply exhaled to calm himself down before speaking once more. "Besides, after all you've done for me, if anyone should be regarded as such a title it's you." Crona corrected as Maka lightly gasped from such a declaration. "I considered you to be a hero a long time ago maka albarn." Crona finished, staring warmly into Maka's stunned face as she tried to process what he told her.

She had no words. Maka couldn't believe that this considerate, caring boy she held, was the same person who had but a mere hour ago; swallowed the kishin and tried to destroy the world. How could someone with such an innocent soul have become so dark and twisted? But Maka knew very well, that demon Medusa was to blame.

That monster tormented her son his whole life in body, mind, and soul. All with the goal of her son becoming the kishin that would drown the world in perpetual madness.

And the worst part of it all was how her plans had almost succeeded.

But now that Medusa was dead, and crona separated from the kishin; but also was no longer corrupted with madness. She could finally give Crona the happy life he deserved to have for so long. She knew it was going to be very difficult to accomplish. And like soul warned her, there would be hatred for crona like soul warned her before. But today proved her friend was not some irredeemable monster everyone thought he was.

Yes he made mistakes, but he is just as willing to fix them. The fact he had poured all his efforts to save a child despite his depleted state of mind-spoke volumes in her mind of how good crona really was.

'C-Crona, I don't care what you say about yourself, or even all the things you've done. You're one of the most selfless, caring, considerate people I've ever met. I'm never abandoning you Crona, and if anyone thinks they can lay a hand on you, is going to have hell to pay.' Maka fiercely declared, while she wiped away the tear stains on her cheeks.

She had always made sure to protect her friends from anything that came their way, or be there when any of them needed help. Which meant anything that came to hurt or endanger Crona, would have to get through her first.

But maka snapped out of her thoughts when she felt a hand tug at her uniform. she looked down to see an exhausted Crona's tired eyes meet hers. The pink Haired boy motioned weakly for her to come closer, and maka obeyed, leaning down close enough to hear.

"Ma-Maka...I-I'm so tired. I...I think I'm going to go sleep for a bit, is that okay?" Crona sleepily asked, His voice being but a quiet whisper that only the scythe meister was to him could hear. Maka quietly chuckled from what she heard her tired companion just say.

She couldn't help herself, Crona was so adorable at that moment. He was like a little kid, who was asking their mom to be tucked into bed for the night. It really showed her just how innocent he truly was deep down.

Thus, Maka decided to give swordsman something to allow the exhausted sword meister to be able to rest himself more easily.

Maka then moved herself back up, and gently placed his head on her lap with both her hands on each side of Crona's temple, softly caressing his pink hair.

The demon swordsman's aching muscles began to slowly relax themselves from every second of Maka's gentle touch on him. All the remaining stress that was keeping him up, had melted away the longer Crona continued feeling; the heavenly sensation on his head. He honestly wondered in his dazed and tired mind, why he was being rewarded with such kindness. He had done so much wrong. But maybe for his desire to fix his mistakes, he was given the chance to be with Maka and experience her angelic presence.

But in all honesty, he didn't care for a reason right now. He just wanted to continue feeling Maka's relaxing touch in peace.

"Of course, just rest now Crona." Maka whispered sweetly to her friend. "you've more than earned it."

Crona responded with a barely audible "okay" before his heavy eyelids slid shut within seconds. Having finally allowed himself to fall into a much-needed slumber.

Maka let herself breath out a tired sigh as she watched crona sleep away. While she was glad to see her troubled friend had found some respite from today-she knew full well that may not last very long.

But soon the sound of running footsteps took her attention, as she swerved her eyes around to find soul approaching her.

"Hey Maka, you alright!?" Called out as he hastily jogged back to his meister.

"Thank goodness your back." Maka said quietly making sure to not speak too loudly else risk Crona waking up. "Is that girl and those other people safe?" Maka inquired to which Soul quickly nodded.

"Yeah, don't worry, I think that little girl was the last one needing to be rescued. Everyone else managed to evacuate in time, so we don't have to worry about anyone else in danger." Soul informed his meister who let out a breath of relief after hearing the good news.

"Also uh…" soul trailed off, not sure how to address what he was seeing. "What's going on with you and crona?"

The albino teen of course mentioning how the unconscious swordsman was currently positioned on top of maka's lap. The ash-blonde teen's cheeks exploded into a bright pink blush, beginning to realize how corny they must look like in front of the young death scythe.

"Soul if you tell anyone about this…" maka warned in a low tone of voice, still managing to present quite a threatening glare despite her blushing.

"Alright, alright just chill." The scythe raised both hands in surrendering fashion. As hilarious as they looked, he did not want to provoke a wrathful chop from maka. "But you gotta admit, I never thought I'd ever see you like this."

"I just wanted to help crona rest better. He's gone through so much today, that it's no wonder he burned out at some point."

"Yeah I think its safe to say, that we've all been through some crazy shit in one day." Soul remarked as his red orbs switched from the young swordsman peacefully asleep to his meister's injured foot.

"How's your foot doing Maka?" Soul calmly questioned, but his gaze towards her battered leg held evident worry.

Maka uneasily glanced at her injured lower limb, and tried once more to move it. Only to be met with another sharp pulse of pain. The ash blonde pushed back a hiss of pain and kept herself from making her pain visible to soul.

"I-It's fine, I've dealt with much worse than something like this." Maka tried brushing off her wound, in favor of focusing on their objective.

"Maka, are you sure-"

"I said I'm fine Soul." Maka stiffly cut him off, not at all the mood to be argued with right now. "There's no way I'm letting something like this get to me."

"We'll just use that black blood dress to heal my leg like when asura stabbed me." Maka's locked gazes with her weapon, her gaze soft yet cautious. "Do you think it's still possible to safely use the black blood to make that dress again?"

Soul's lips tugged down at the mention of using the black blood once again. The guilt of his previous mistake clutching onto his heart like a stubborn fungus. heart. If he'd just been more careful...none of this would have happened.

But even pushing aside his own mistake, he now had to contend with the unstable state of the black blood. Thank's to that book of eibon and whoever the hell was controlling it, it's magic had effected the substance in a negative manner.

But with the black blood in such a volatile state, there was no way they could use any of the piano's techniques. So it looks like there was a damn good chance the black grigori dress was gonna be a no show from here on out. At least until whatever magic messed with the black blood wears off.

And it sure as hell ain't going to be by the time they get back to the moon.

Yet as bleak as this all seemed to look, he couldn't just spew out a bunch of pessimistic crap to his meister. To extinguish that hope in her eyes was beyond uncool.

So at the very least he could consider there being a small chance to use the dress; even for a moment to fight the kishin.

"Yeah…I'll see what I can do." Soul answered with an uncertain frown.

Maka's expression became tinted with sadness, but accepted the answer with a silent nod. Understanding after what just happened; it be best not to prod that sore spot for her weapon.

"What about crona though?" Soul turned his gaze back to the pinkette, still fast asleep. "Cause it doesn't look like he'll be waking up any time soon."

"We'll have to drop him off wherever stein and the others are and explain what happened. "Maka turned her gaze to the night sky. "Hopefully while crona's getting patched up, it won't take too long to fly back to everyone."

Soul nodded in agreement. "Alright, though we start getting out of here before-"

"Trust me when I say, that's a pretty poor decision to make." A familiar voice casually advised. The two ex-spartoi members turned their heads, to see the winged blonde man from before.

The man somehow snuck past them; and now stood across from them. Somehow he managed to remove himself from the rubble and track them here. But judging from the subtle limp in his steps-he was far from fine.

Hawk's overall attire was left quite ruffed up from his previous battle. His coat was absent-exposing his dirtied black shirt that held an assortment of tears-exposing several thin gashes. The biggest one however lied in right shoulder-as a long red gash was seen through his damaged shirt. All while his red wings were reduced to tiny specks on his back.

The man looked like he fought an army by himself. Yet considering he fought someone like Crona gorgon alone, it was a miracle he was only this injured from their battle. Most people weren't nearly as lucky as this stranger had been.

But soon the teen's also took immediate notice of another familiar figure stomping towards them.

"If you damn punks think your walking away after all the shit you've pulled-you got another thing coming." Mirko growled, revealing the amazonian rabbit hero was now wide and awake.

She looked more injured than her ally currently was, as her leotard was torn up in a few places-exposing bruises on her arms and stomach; as dust dirtied her outfit. Various cut's and small gashes were coated around her legs as the holes in her leggings exposed them clearly.

Mirko noticed their astonished gazes, and smugly smirked at the sight. "What, shocked to see me? Did you really think that lullaby crap you pulled out of your asses was gonna be enough to take me down?"

To be honest soul was a little surprised, to see mirko had shaken off their soul adagio after only twenty minutes. But considering this woman had such a fiery soul wavelength to begin with; he should've known soul adagio's effects wouldn't have lasted too long.

Soul quickly walked a step forward and in a protective manner, got in front of Maka and Crona. Acting as barrier between these costumed people, and his friends. Ready to spring into action at any moment, if either of these two tried anything.

"Sorry bud, but we've already told you our answer earlier, it's not happening." Soul firmly repeated to the blonde man. Keeping his guard up, for any potential tricks he'd pull up.

"Well I'm afraid it is." Hawks sharply corrected. "Not just because me and mirko are ready to take you down if necessary. But your pals behind you, clearly aren't in any shape to fight or run anymore." Hawks pointed out, to the injured meister and the unconscious swordsman behind him.

"The girl has a nasty wound kid. We both know she needs medical attention right now and can't afford to wait any longer. Plus your pink haired friend doesn't look like he'll be waking up anytime soon." Hawks explained calmly, still looking at the two behind soul, Maka flinching from his gaze, knowing full well that he was right.

"Face it, you three have nowhere to go." Hawks crossed his arms and narrowed his eyes into a scolding glare. "You three ended up causing a lot of trouble, you know that? Someone could have easily gotten badly injured or died today because of you two if luck wasn't on your side."

"But at the same time…I saw entire time how all three of you selflessly charged straight into danger; to rescue these civilians who lived here." Maka and soul blinked in confused astonishment while mirko incredulously stared at the number two hero.

"You kids went out of your way, to save these people's lives, charging straight into danger, to rescue anyone caught in harm's way." Hawks spoke in full honesty. It was true that they caused a lot of damage, and risked the lives of all those people in the first place.

"That's something very rare to see in villains; which at this point I know you guys aren't." Hawks admitted, crossing his arms as his eyes softened a bit.

"So what are you trying to say?" Soul asked cautiously, still keeping his guard up in case things got ugly.

Hawks released a tired sigh. "Well other than all this property damage-nobody really was seriously injured. So I'm offering you kids one last chance to surrender peacefully and let us figure this all out." The blonde uncrossed his arms and pointed at maka. "Besides one of you has a pretty nasty wound here that requires medical attention. So let us take her and the boy to a hospital to be treated and in return answer all our questions"

Mirko impatiently stood there rolling her eyes at hawk's little offer, resisting the urge groan. Seriously the hell did he get that bullshit from? True they may have some serious guts for wanting to fix their fuck up, but it still didn't mean weren't getting off easy.

Like hell they weren't gonna receive consequences for their actions, not if she had anything to say about it. But at the same time, couldn't deny a part of her wanted to see the chumps actually be able to use their talents for good. But was still more than ready for round two with these punks, if they decided not to accept the offer.

Soul scowled, turning his frustrated gaze down to the ground, while he thought over their options. Trying to think of some way to get out of this, and prevent themselves from getting arrested by these guys.

But nothing came up.

Any plan soul simulated in his head, would just end with them all getting defeated and apprehended by the authorities. And to make matters worse, he was starting to make out the distant sound of police siren's coming closer every minute.

Dammit all, what the heck were they supposed to do now?

"Soul," maka muttered, grabbing the young death scythe's attention as he turned to face her.

"Soul I…I think we should just listen to him and turn ourselves in." The young death scythe eye's slightly widened in shock at maka's answer before in seconds pushed it away to regain his composure.

"Maka, are you sure about this?" Soul muttered with hints of incredulity, wondering if she was really serious about this. "What about everyone else on the moon? They don't exactly have the luxury of waiting for us." Soul quietly reminded his meister, who's grim expression exposed more frustration within her jade eyes.

"You don't think I know what's at stake? I want nothing more to return to the moon and save everyone, but we're in no shape to escape. Fighting out of this city again wouldn't help our situation. and most likely ruin our last chance to at least explain ourselves."

Maka's face soon cracked further saddened frustration. "And as much as I despise saying this, We both know I can't wield you like this. Even if we return to everyone in my current condition, I'd only be a hinderance to them."

Soul stared down at his meister no longer in surprise, his features calming down to a neutral expression; as his mind sought to see if there was any way around this. But there wasn't. Like maka said, with her foot in such crappy shape and crona passed out; trying to escape this city or returning to the moon would only end in disaster.

'Goddamnit…Why? Why the hell did that godforsaken book drag them out of the battle to stop the kishin-to this freaky, backwater city somewhere in japan?' soul mulled in silent frustration, not able to make any sense over the last few hours.

All getting kidnapped to this place did was become wanted criminals for trying to help out, causing the black blood to go on the fritz and worse yet cripple his meister.

So what purpose did this all serve?

The young death scythe after moving past that particular train of thought, released a long frustrated sigh. "Are you sure that there's nothing else we can do?"

Maka slowly shook her head. "I'm sorry soul. But I just don't see any other way out this."

"Yeah, it seems way." The young death scythe muttered, placing his hands in his pockets and decided to go do what needed to be done.

With their decision made, soul walked towards the two pro heroes who stood patiently waiting for an answer.

"Alright you win, we'll come along with you guys." The death scythe answered, much to hawk's relief and Mirko's minor disappointment. "But only if you promise my friends over there, get medical treatment, got it?"

"Trust me when I say, there's no way we'd take them to a police station when they're like this." Hawks assured the albino teen, before his voice turned serious. "But once your friends have recovered enough, you'll be answering our questions in the hospital; along with accepting, any and all punishment from your illegal actions." Hawks told the young death scythe, As the sound of police and ambulance siren's began to fill the air.

In less than five minutes squadrons of police cars finally made their way to the scene. The officers quickly providing aid to all the civilians that were relatively unharmed from the buildings collapse.

Once the civilians were evacuated from the ruined street, the ambulances that Hawks called earlier, had arrived in only few minutes later.

Meanwhile, as Hawks and Mirko explained to the officers what exactly happened before their arrival. Maka, crona and soul were currently being escorted by both officers and police to the ambulances parked nearby. Of course, before being taken inside, each one of them were handcuffed.

Maka leaned her head up from the stretcher's pillow she laid on. She could only watch as Soul, now in handcuffs, was escorted by two officers to the backseat of their car that would follow her and Crona to the hospital. But before Soul went inside the car, he gave Maka a quick nod. Silently telling her "It's alright, I'll be fine." before he was put into the car. The door slammed shut when he entered the vehicle as it waited for the other two vigilantes.

Paramedics continued to move the stretcher she was on, moving it straight into the parked ambulance. Its backdoors were opened by two paramedics inside, as she neared closer to its vicinity. Maka turned her head to see an unconscious Crona, sleeping on a stretcher like herself and hastily put inside the medical vehicle. His features even now still looking so blissfully unaware of the chaos around him as he just kept sleeping after all this insanity they all went through.

The scythe meister's gaze turned soft as he looked at crona. Never imagining her mission to rescue crona from himself and later from inside the kishin's soul could've led to such an even more unbelievable series of events.

Yet here they were.

Maka was then snapped out of her thoughts when she felt the stretcher, she had been on, starting to move. Signaling that she was now going inside the ambulance. The taupe haired girl deciding to look up at the night sky one last time before she went inside the ambulance.

Heck, she could almost manage to see a glimpse of the moon, but there were too many dark clouds for her to see the full view. Yet even so she could still see a bit of curved pale yellow in the sky.

Though she couldn't tell because the clouds blocking it, but did the moon seem...rounder?

Maka lightly shook her head.

No way. She must've not seen it well with the exhaustion messing up her vision.

After all, how could she mistake the object in the sky she's known her whole life?

Maka was taken away from her worried thoughts when she was taken inside the ambulance medical compartment. There she met two paramedics stationed inside the cabin that were quick to begin examining her injuries.

Once the ambulance doors were shut, the vehicle began driving away to the nearest hospital. The smooth ride allowed deep exhaustion to start to sink into the young meister. Her eyelids grew heavy as the dramatic events that occurred today- came at her all at once. The tired teen found her vision slowly fading into black, as deep sleep took its gentle hold.

Yet as she felt her consciousness place itself into a needed rest; couldn't stop herself from continuing to question what else awaited them in these strange lands they'd found themselves in.

---

UNKOWN LOCATION

Deep within the light of modern-day Japan, lies the shadows of society. A veil that only those with malicious hearts such as criminals and villains would inhabit. Infesting Japan while they plotted against the heroes to achieve their goals of greed and ambition.

But within this dark part of hero society, was a single, near pitch black room. This room had been built in secret, and almost no one knew of it... at least no one; who lived long enough, to tell the tale that is. Where the only sources of light were through countless machines, and computers; each with their interconnecting functions to serve its owner.

And within this room was a single figure sitting in the darkness. Hooked onto numerous IVs and machines, that are meant to stabilize his corpse of a body was a man who had, and still in some form, ruled the darkness of society.

He was a man who oozed with malice and power, having used the silence of his little domain to prepare and plan his next course of action. Scheming the first few phases of his master plan in the coming months, to unleash onto society its end. And it would all center around his apprentice who had been showing decent progress; and was extremely eager to destroy the heroes, especially the symbol of peace himself.

But as this figure was planning in silence, he sat up from the sudden jolt he felt course through his body. It would appear that one of, if not multiple, of his sensory quirks had somehow activated. He instantly recognized some of these quirks, while a few others he honestly forgot even existed within him. These sensory quirks were all biologically "programmed" to work in conjunction with each other to alert him of any anomalies. Particularly to detect the presence of any unusually powerful individuals that suddenly appeared within a 5-10 kilometer radius around him.

Its owner originally used this quirk-based radar to be immediately aware of any individuals with powerful quirks; that were just too enticing to pass up and planned to make his own. Or to be pre warned when the certain symbol of peace had decided to make his arrival back when that accursed man was at his prime. But right now, he was detecting something at least similar to the former. Located somewhere in Fukuoka city, was a brief yet VERY powerful surge of unknown power.

This surge lasted only for a few moments, only for it to disappear from his quirk augmented senses as soon as it appeared. But before the surge disappeared, he was able to feel it comprising of possibly multiple sources before they faded out with it.

'How peculiar...I've never felt anything like this before. I'll have to alert the doctor, and Kurogiri later; and see what they can find on whatever that burst of energy was.'

The weirdest part for the fallen shadow king however. Was that these presences along with that mysterious display of power just didn't feel...natural. Completely lacking a certain element that he would feel, from whoever caused his quirk detection system to go off like this. It felt so alien. As if the illusion of normalcy and limits of what was possible became nonexistent-leaving only a raw eldritch signal in its wake. It was almost maddening for the man, not having the answer for whatever or whoever this was.

But the shadow king wouldn't let that stop him. A sinister smirk made its way on the man's featureless mouth, already intrigued by this new occurrence; and what it would mean for the future. Until then, he would remain patient as he always was, and await whatever came next from this strange phenomenon.

"What a unique little surprise, today has gifted me." The faceless man pondered to himself, within the room's darkness. Continuing to plan in silence for the next phase of his grand plan.

---

AUTHORS NOTE*

HELLO EVERYONE! Shados960 here to gift you all with the second chapter of this story, new and improved as possible!

But seriously, you have no idea how happy I was to see such a positive response to my first chapter. As already it has become one of the highest reviewed stories on the soul eater x my hero academia page from the first chapter alone.

And considering I'm doing a crossover that has one fandom being extremely popular while the other is sorta on life support. I'm not gonna lie this was positive yet humble response has made me more than grateful. (SERIOUSLY, WE NEED A SOUL EATER REMAKE!) After seeing your reviews from the original story I've made sure to edit the HELL out of this chapter as i have the other.

If anything this chapter may have just been the hardest chapter to have reworked.

As the best way to summarize the quality of my chapter from one particular reviewer was, that it was good but rough around the edges. Not to mention the characters were acting OOC much to my embarrassment, which I made sure to rectify. So, I thank you all for criticism, and rest assured I plan on making sure that can never happen again.

I just hope this massive chapter I've made makes up for that. But due to my desire to improve the first chapter, it's going to be a while before the next update.

This chapter had gone through quite possibly the most work since this was one out of the three chapters I had the most problems with and lacked quality in some areas.

Such as maka being the badass she is and no longer feeling as if she was nerfed. The only reason she got her injury was due to being caught off guard when trying to save that child from the rubble. And before you panic, don't worry the injury Maka suffered in the chapter will NOWHERE NEAR affect her capabilities in the story.

Not to mention soul losing control of the black piano is now more reasonable since in the manga soul and maka had all but mastered the black blood. As due to what brought them here made the substance unstable.

The fight scenes were also improved and thanks to my evolution as a writer did my best to make them more fluid than before. I still had some trouble here and there, but despite being a little rough around the edges I put the effort to make them to the best quality possible. And hopefully as I continue writing, my skills will improve.

Also as for hawks's and some of Mirko's special moves I had made those myself. Not only to at least vary up the battle but to try and give the two heroes some edge against the powerhouse trio of soul eater.

And just to clarify this chapter was redone and edited by none other than my friend dmnadog056. He really helped make this chapter better than before and took the time to revamp this chapter so I recommend you should go check out his work it's pretty good!

And the next chapter will show the trio recovering from their wounds, yet as they do the heroes are quick to understand what happened and who maka, soul and crona are. Yet once the speak to them will lead to one helluva confrontation, that's for sure.

Please review, favorite and follow. And feel absolutely free to suggest or comment about this chapter. That is as long as there's no haters of course than it will be fine.

Anyway, I hope all of you enjoyed this chapter and would love to hear your feedback, and will see you all in chapter 3!

Shados960 out!