I don't own Soul Eater. This is it guys, the beginning of the final battles. Who will come out on top? Will Pantheon succeed or will DWMA prevail?
The forces of DWMA traipsed their way through the jungles of Xanadu. There were led by the enigmatic Gaia, followed shortly by Kid and the rest of Spartoi. Their destination was the portal leading to the Land of Gods, where the Soul Forge and the rest of Pantheon would be located. Gaia led them effortlessly throught the forest. Although their path was not a straight one, she used her natural shaman abilities to clear a path to their destination. With a wave of her staff, branches, vines and leaves shifted out of her way, allowing safe passage deeper into the island. She took a meandering path that avoided cliffs and ravines. The trip was taking longer than most of them imagined and certain members of their group, namely Blackstar, were beginning to complain.
"Y'know, if we just cut through all these trees we'd probably get there faster." Blackstar spoke aloud from beside Kid.
However, Gaia quickly turned around and smacked Blackstar over the head with her staff.
"Ow what the hell!" Blackstar exclaimed angrily. Gaia spoke with a disdainful tone at Blackstar, gesturing around wildly to the forest around them. She turned around with a huff and continued trailblazing their path. Blackstar was left to rub his sore head. Killik came up behind him.
"She said the forest plays tricks on you. She knows the only safe way to get to the portal. And she said if you try to mess with the trees she'll crush you with a boulder." Killik smiled and patted his friend on the shoulder. Blackstar huffed and crossed his arms but continued after them.
Gaia led the Shibusen forces further and deeper into the jungle. They crept through dangerous trails as Gaia effortlessly pushed past vines, trees, and downed logs. Eventually they reached their destination. A large clearing opened up in the dense jungle. In front of them stood an enormous tree, its roots large and tangled in the ground. It's bark looked ancient and rugged, with wood as hard as iron. It's branches towered high above the ground full of verdant leaves. The bark of the tree was gnarled into strange shapes, almost resembling the faces of animals. In between two massive roots at the base of the tree there was a shimmering irridescent portal that shined with rainbow colors. The ground in front of the tree was littered with ritualistic objects, no doubt set up by Gaia herself.
As the forces gathered into the clearing, Kid pulled out his communicator.
"Azusa, we've reached the portal, over." Kid reported. A brief flash of static was heard before Azusa's voice could be heard.
"Roger that. Pantheon's island defenses have now been almost entirely subdued. However, we have had no confirmation of the remaining members of Pantheon on the battlefield. My only assumption is that they are waiting for you on the other side of the portal, over." Yumi replied. Kid regarded her words carefully and narrowed his eyes.
"So in other words, it's a trap." Kid replied absently.
"More than likely, over." Azusa confirmed. Kid put his communicator away and turned to address the gathered forces.
"Listen up." Kid called their attention. "Beyond that portal, the rest of Pantheon is likely waiting to spring a trap on us. But we'll be playing a trick of our own. They most likely don't know that one of their members have defected. We'll use that to our advantage by sending Gaia in first. Once she's through, myself, Blackstar, Maka, and Stein will quickly storm through the portal. The rest of our forces will follow suit soon after. With this, hopefully we can take Pantheon by surprise." Kid explained their plan.
Around him, the gathered members of Spartoi and meisters nodded their assent. The assorted weapons transformed and were held at the ready by the meisters. They each nodded their readiness to Kid who finally turned to look at Gaia. The elderly shaman had a resolute expression set on her face.
"Are you ready?" Kid asked her. Gaia nodded and turned to make her way slowly through the portal. Kid, Stein, Blackstar, and Maka surrounded behind her, ready to rush through after Gaia. The shaman reached out to touch the shimmering surface of the portal. A ripple spread out from where her hand made contact, as if she were touching the surface of a lake. She reached through and her hand disappeared beyond the surface of the portal. She slowly stepped through the portal. The meisters waited a beat after she had disappeared, their grip on their weapons tightented. On Kid's signal they each stepped up and passed through themselves.
It was a strange sensation. It felt almost like dipping beneath a pool of water, however the liquid clinged to their bodies. As they finally passed throught the strange portal they came out to a bizarre landscape. The land of the gods was unlike anything any of them had ever seen before. The sky above was a bright red like blood. The landscape was made of white clay that rose in random ridges and sank into ditches and valleys. Large candles emerged from the ground at random intervals, their wicks alight with dancing flames. The group surveyed their surroundings with a cautious eye. Despite the strange and exotic landscape they found themselves in, they were focused on their enemies. Except there didn't seem to be any trace of Pantheon beyond the portal. The group looked around in confusion, but their opponents were nowhere to be found. Kid turned to Gaia who looked equally as confused.
Suddenly a loud crack was heard behind them. The group spun around just in time to see the portal they had just come through swirl down into nothingness. The group stood dumbfounded as they watched their only exit vanish.
"Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha!" The sudden sound of Deva's laughter turned their attention forwards. The landscape had shifted. What once had showed a barren wasteland now showed a large looming plateau. Atop the plateau stood the members of Pantheon, glaring down at them. Black feathers swirled around the palm of Lady Tengu, no doubt the remnants of one of her illusions. But behind them stood a tall well filled with multi-colored energy. Pantheon had successfully found the Soul Forge and their Medallions were hung proudly around their necks.
"Welcome to the Land of Gods, Shinigami!" Deva yelled aloud. The meisters glared up at him. "Oh, please tell me you thought we would be shocked by the betrayal of one of our own. I saw Gaia's distrust a mile away." Deva taunted. "And now, you've brought us all of the 8 medallions we need to reshape the world." The god-king continued.
"You won't get away with this!" Maka yelled defiantly, clutching her scythe.
"On the contrary, the portal has closed which means you've all been trapped. Now all we have to do is defeat you and take your medallions!" Deva gloated.
"That's where your wrong Deva!" Kid said pointing up at him. "We're not trapped in here with you. You're trapped here with us!" Kid shouted. He launched himself into the air. He brought his twin pistols to bear and fired a volley at Pantheon. It was as if he shot the starting pistol at a race. At his signal the groups squared off to face each other, leaping into the fray.
Blackstar was the first to reach his opponent. He collided with Red Fist in mid-air. His katana impacting against Red Fist's soul barrier. They flew apart and landed several meters away from each other, each of them holding a battle ready stance. Their eyes narrowed as they stared each other down. The medallion of power hung around Red Fist's neck, glinting in the light. Red Fist smirked cockily, his hands outstretched towards his opponent.
"Do you truly believe you can defeat me? Especially after I bested you so easily before?" Fang taunted. Blackstar's eyes narrowed.
"Last time you used a dirty trick. This time I'm going to beat you into the ground." Blackstar said leveling his blade against his opponent.
"Ah but now I have the ultimate power in my grasp." Fang said gesturing towards his medallion. "How can you hope to defeat me now that I wield this much power?" He taunted with a laugh.
"Easy, I just need to become more powerful than you." Blackstar said sidestepping. The duo began to circle around them, sizing each other up.
"Hah, you say it as if it will be so easy." Red Fist said, his feet fluidly taking him through various stances.
"Of course, after all, I'm the man who will surpass god!" Blackstar yelled before launching himself at Red Fist.
Blackstar swung his Katana down at blinding speed, crossing the distance to Red Fist in a mere blink of an eye. But Red Fist easily caught the blade between his open palms. The pair stood locked in a stale mate as the air electrified around them. Red Fist twisted to the side, throwing Blackstar's blade off balance and side stepping the strike entirely. Blackstar narrowly dodged out of the way of Fang's open palm strikes. He flipped backwards before jumping back into the fray. Blackstar swung his sword wildly at Red Fist who nimbly dodged every strike. The martial artist retaliated with a vicious punch to Blackstar's abdomen. A sphere of red energy erupted from his strike and sent Blackstar flying backwards.
The assassin skidded to a stop several feet away. He lifted his head just in time to see Red Fist about to deliver a powerful axe kick onto his head. The kick connected with a sickening thud and Blackstar's head was driven straight into the ground. But Red Fist was surprised as his opponent's body exploded into a cloud of smoke. He had no time to think as a chain wrapped itself around his arm. His body was yanked around just in time to see Blackstar deliver his own straight flying kick into his face. The kick sent Red Fist tumbling into the ground. He recovered and somersaulted to his feet, barely avoiding the swing of Blackstar's sickles. The assassin continued a vicious assault, driving Red Fist backwards to avoid each and every attack.
With a growl of frustration, Red Fist closed into his attacker's guard. He delivered a series of quick blows to Blackstar's chest and neck. The attacks were light and designed to drive him back. They achieved their aim and Blackstar staggered backwards. Red Fist grinned viciously and shot a powerful uppercut into Blackstar's chin. His medallion glowed with unspoken power and a powerful shockwave launched Blackstar up and into the air. His body arced backwards several dozen feet before landing in a crater of dust.
Blackstar opened his eyes to a sky full of red. He sat up groaning and rubbed his sore chin. He looked to see Red Fist stalking towards him with a cocky grin on his face. Blackstar grabbed Tsubaki from the ground and stood up. He dusted himself of the strange white dust that covered him and readied himself as Red Fist continued to walk slowly towards him.
"Face it Blackstar! You are too weak to beat me!" Xiao Fang cackled. Blackstar responded with a grin and held his two fingers in front of him.
"We'll see about that." He replied. Tsubaki could feel Blackstar's pull on her wavelength. She acquiesced and allowed their resonance to reach new heights. They could each feel the familiar presence of the enchanted sword mode pull them into it's grasp. Only this time there was a third wavelength that powered them. Tsubaki's medallion of Sorrow pulsed with slow waves of energy. Red Fist must have sensed the new wavelength because he quickly brought up his guard. The shadows wrapped around Blackstar who shot forward towards Red Fist. But the after images he left in his wake each spread out to circle the both of them.
Soon Red Fist found himself surrounded by clones of the assassin, each with their own blade in hand. Before he could react, Red Fist was beset upon by the clones. They eached jumped forward and swung their blades at him. Black shadows trailed the arcs of their swings. Red Fist avoided the strikes and counterattacked each clone in turn. But the more he struck back, the more clones would seemingly appear. Eventually he was unable to keep up with them. Their blades sliced at his sides, just narrowly avoiding bisecting him. Soon it was not just the enchanted sword that was attacking him. He felt an oversized ninja star lodge in his back, as well as the chains of the Kusarigama wrap around his arms.
Red Fist's eyes flared with an intense red light as he called upon the madness of his medallion. His soul expanded around him explosively, driving away all of the shadow clones from his vicinity. He stood up and dropped his robe from his shoulders, his skin and wounds exposed to the open air. He clenched his fists as he turned to find Blackstar standing on a rise of earth in the distance. Xiao Fang laughed maniacally.
"Did you really think that would be enough?" He asked with his arms spread wide.
Blackstar held his fingers in front of him, focusing on his opponent. His shadow shot out at Red Fist. The thick black tendrils spread out, eventually morphing into a collosal black tidal wave. The wave of shadows crashed on top of Red Fist. But he struck at the oncoming tide with his fist. A thundercrack was heard as a blast of red energy erupted through the shadows. The black tendrils circled around him, recovering from the attack. They lashed out at Red Fist, wrapping around his limbs. But Fang continued to stride forward, ripping his limbs free effortlessly from the squirming tendrils. He looked back up to his opponent but was surprised to find him disappeared from his perch. His eyes glanced sideways and he held up a hand to catch Blackstar's fist before it collided with his skull. He grinned menacingly and twisted around, grasping Blackstar's wrist and tossing him through the air.
Blackstar adjusted himself midair, but he couldn't predict Red Fist catching up to him and kicking out at his back. Blackstar was sent rocketing into the ground. When he recovered he spat out a bit of blood and turned to regard Red Fist. The martial artist had an aura of red surrounding his body. His muscles rippled powerfully and his veins throbbed against his taut skin. Blackstar's eyes narrowed as he saw Red Fist take a held his hands together, focusing his soul wavelength into a compressed ball of energy. With a scream of triumph Red Fist launched the energy forward. It screeched forward leaving a trail of light in it's wake. Blackstar somersaulted over the ball of energy and heard it crash and explode behind him. However he was soon on the defensive as Red Fist began shooting off more of the soul projectiles.
Blackstar jumped around, narrowly dodging each shot of condensed wavelength that Red Fist fired at him. He gradually worked his way up closer to Red Fist, intent on bringing their fight to close quarters. Sensing Blackstar's plan Xiao Fang rushed forward and closed the distance between them. They met in a resounding clash, their fists sending out an echo loud enough to flicker the mountainous candles surrounding them. They began swiftly trading blows, each more powerful than the last. Tsubaki shifted into her ninjato form. Blackstar expertly and viciously swung his blade at Red Fist, aiming for every vital point he could find. Except the red aura that enveloped his body made him somehow impervious to the weapon strikes. No matter where Blackstar aimed, the blade would simply bounce off.
Red Fist sent a kick into Blackstar's mid section. The kick sent the assassin skidding backwards. But before he could get out of reach, Red Fist grabbed him by the arm and swung him around again until he planted on the ground. Blackstar rolled out of the way just in time to avoid vicious punch that left a crater where his head once laid. He flipped to his feet and launched into a brutal assault on Red Fist. His attacks would normally have left holes in concrete walls with the force of their impact. Yet Red Fist seemed mostly unfazed by them. He eventually found the rhythm of Blackstar's punches and strikes. He began deftly deflecting the attacks with rotations of his arms. All the while Red Fist had a manic smile on his face. His eyes glowed with raw power and his fingers crackled with energy. He caught Blackstar's fist as it aimed for his face. He smiled down at him and clenched his fingers around his fist.
"My turn." He said menacingly.
Xiao Fang then struck a knee into Blackstar's abdomen. The young warrior doubled over in pain. He landed a veritable barrage of attacks on him, Blackstar's body being propelled with each strike. Red Fist landed a double handed open palm strike on Blackstar's chest. The assassin flew backwards tumbling over and over and eventually skidding to a stop on the white clay ground. As Blackstar struggled back to his feet he looked up to see where his opponent was.
He found the martial artist with his hands on his hips triumphantly.
"Hahaha! So this is what true, ultimate, unstoppable power feels like!" He shouted with his hands raised to the sky. "Do you see now how utterly outmatched you are?" Fang asked Blackstar. The young warrior stood and clenched his fists, his face overshadowed. Red Fist continued to gloat at him, but Blackstar ignored his words. "How could you ever hope to defeat this madness?" Fang asked him. Blackstar remained silent for a moment. The air between them stilled.
Then he started to chuckle. Blackstar's chest shook with with unrestrained giggles. He suddently threw his head back in full blown laughter. Red Fist stared at him, utterly confused. The vestiges of power that flew through him just a minute ago died down as he regarded Blackstar with confusion. Blackstar doubled over in laughter, slapping his hands on his thighs. It got to the point that even Tsubaki became concerned for him. He straightened up and began wiping tears of laughter from his eyes, all the while his antics infuriated Red Fist.
"What could you possibly find funny in this situation you fool?" He asked. His question sent Blackstar into another fit of uproarious laughter. Red Fist scowled. "Have you finally lost your sanity?" He asked furious. Blackstar waved his hand dismissively.
"Sorry, it's just… it's funny that this is what you think is real power." Blackstar told him. All traces of mirth had dropped from his face and he stared darkly at Red Fist. His eyes began glowing with the trademark glare of the Star Clan. Red Fist was taken aback by the sudden change in his demeanor. He instinctively took a step backwards. But then he frowned and clenched his fist in defiance. He stomped forward, his determination written across his face.
"You truly must have lost it. I wield the medallion of Power! There is no strength greater than mine. No power equal to mine!" Red Fist shouted. Suddenly he darted forward, his visage disappearing in a blur. He reappeared right in front of Blackstar. A red aura blasted off of him as his fist swung to make contact with Blackstar's skull. But just before he could land the blow, Blackstar caught his fist in his palm. The motion was stopped short and the unreleased energy blasted the air and dirt backwards behind Blackstar. Red Fist stared into Blackstar's eyes bewildered. He could feel Blackstar's own wavelength swelling and growing. Blackstar stared back into his eyes, the stars shining with raw intensity. Red Fist disengaged, jumping back several meters and adopting a defensive stance.
It didn't make sense. He had been absolutely pummeling the young meister not minutes before. Now there was an aura of strength surrounding him that Red Fist had never seen before. Blackstar stalked forward, blade in hand and soul wavelength flaring. Red Fist grimaced and steeled his resolve. He leaped forward and threw a devastating series of punches and kicks at Blackstar. But the warrior didn't even bother parrying any of them. The attacks landed with nary a bruise. Around them the dust and dried wax of the ground flew up and spun around with the force of Red Fist's blows. At last Blackstar moved to block Red Fist's punch. He counter attacked with an open palm strike of his own.
Red Fist felt the wind escape from his lungs with the force of the impact. He was sent flying backwards, tumbling head over heels. He impacted the ground, gouging the soil as he skidded to a stop. Red Fist coughed away the clouds of dust surrounding him. He looked upward to find Blackstar standing over him, his hair flowing in time with the pulses of his soul wavelength. Red Fist tried to scrabble to his feet but Blackstar was quicker. He lashed out with a vicious kick to Red Fist's middle. The martial artist was once again sent flying through the air. But in the blink of an eye, Blackstar reappeared in front of him. He caught him and tossed him up into the air. Red Fist had no time to react as Blackstar sent an elbow strike into his skull. Xiao Fang was once again sent tumbling down to the ground. He skidded to a stop and flipped back up to his feet. Red Fist panted heavily as he watched Blackstar approach.
"AAAAAAHHHHH!" Red Fist shouted out. He called upon the power laying dormant in the medallion. The madness swelled and enveloped him completely. A red aura covered him as his soul expanded further and further. His braided ponytail waved freely in the wind from the enormous pressure. Even the very dirt around him began to circle and swirl around him. He launched forward, flinging himself at Blackstar. His opponent leaped forward as well, an opposing blue aura engulfing him. They met in a massive shockwave, the magnitude of their soul wavelengths erupting around them. Their skin glowed with the heat and intensity of battle. They traded tremendous blows, each blocking and countering. Each time their limbs met a thunderclap sounded out as they fought fiercely with each other.
They flew around the air, Red Fist propelled by his sheer force of will, and Blackstar held aloft by his shadowy scarf. Red Fist floated midair and threw a vicious right hook. An orb of destructive energy launched from his fist. It burned through the crimson sky like a missile, it's already red shade even brighter and more hued than the sky above. It soared towards Blackstar at a speed faster than sound. But just when it was inches away from the warrior god, Blackstar slapped the projectile out of the air. It careened off to the side and landed in an earth shattering explosion. Red Fist scowled angrily and flew faster towards Blackstar.
They continued to dance around each other, landing blows and then jumping back again. But as they continued to fight it became clear that Blackstar was beginning to gain the upper hand. For every strike that Red Fist delivered, he would block it. For every pulse of soul wavelength he shot out, Blackstar would deflect it. Every move that he made was perfectly countered. Even the blows that he did land seemed to do no damage. Blackstar disappeared in a flash. Red Fist's eyes widened as he saw his opponent reappear in midair just in front of him. A flying kick sent Red Fist soaring up into the air. Like a crimson rocket he burned through the sky. As he righted himself he had barely enough time to block the axe kick from Blackstar who had suddenly appeared above him. The kick connected and Red Fist was sent speeding back to earth.
He landed with an earth shaking crash, his body lying in the center of a large crater.
Xiao Fang, blearily blinked his eyes open to find Blackstar standing above him at the edge of the crater. He scrambled to his feet in a half attempted defensive stance. He panted tiredly while Blackstar stared down at him.
"I don't understand…. How could you possibly be beating me? I wield the ultimate power!" Red Fist shouted incensed. Blackstar's eyes narrowed. He slid down into the crater and Fang backed up a step, hands flying up to prepare for a strike.
"Just having that crummy medallion doesn't make you the most powerful." Blackstar said stalking forward. "Real power is being able to bend the world to your will." He explained. "I've already had a taste of the power you're experiencing, and let me tell you, it isn't nearly enough." He continued. Red Fist's eyes widened in surprise.
"What are you talking about? How are you doing this?" Red Fist asked frantically as he tripped and fell backwards. Blackstar gripped Red Fist's neck and lifted him up.
"You don't have to get it. All you need to know is I'm a Bushin, a warrior god! And I'm the most powerful there is!" Blackstar yelled. He grabbed the medallion of power from around Fang's neck. There was a sparking of electrical and magnetic force as the madness came into contact with Blackstar's soul wavelength. But the warrior god pushed past it and yanked the medallion free from Red fist's neck. In that instant Red Fist felt like all the strength was leaving his body. The powerful red aura that surrounded him just moments before was being sucked back into the Medallion and seemingly transferred to Blackstar. The young assassin's muscles swelled with the drained strength and his blue soul grew in size. At last Red Fist fell to his knees as he felt the last of his strength fade from him.
Blackstar stared down at him neutrally. Red Fist had his hands on his knees, panting heavily. Without a word he turned and climbed out of the crater, Medallion gripped tightly in his hands. He made it only a few feet out when he sensed Red Fist behind him. He had scrambled out of the crater and faced Blackstar with a violent twisted expression on his face. Blackstar half turned back to see what he would do.
"No! I refuse! I will not allow myself to be beaten by the likes of you! I am the strongest! I am the most powerful! I will put you and all the others in their place. I will make a world free of the disgusting hybrids! And you will be the first one to die!" Red Fist screamed maniacally.
He rushed towards Blackstar, his speed significantly slower. He sent a right hook but Blackstar dodged the attack easily. Undeterred, Red Fist continued to swing his fists wildly at Blackstar. But the warrior god easily deflected or evaded the incoming strikes as though they were a child's. At last Blackstar grabbed Red Fist's arm and held it in a vice like grip. With his other hand he delivered a series of rapid blows to the older man's chest. He let go of the martial artist who stumbled back a step, coughing up blood.
"No, I will not… allow this… to happen. I will reclaim the power that is rightfully mine!" Red Fist shouted.
"You are not worthy of this power!" Blackstar yelled back. A look of confusion came upon Xiao Fang's face as he tried to wrap his head around those words.
"You do not know of what you speak. The ultimate power should be reserved for the most powerful! I am the strongest! It should be mine!" He shouted, unhinged.
"You do not deserve this power. You seek power to oppress others and put them down. You walk the path of the Demon. That is what makes you unworthy." Blackstar explained. Red Fist scowled.
"Then what of you? What is that makes you so worthy?" Red Fist demanded angrily.
"Me? I walk my own path. I seek power for the sole sake of improving myself and surpassing God. I seek Power for Power's sake, not to put down those around me. Whenever I'm around, I lift others up, that's just the kind of star I am!" Blackstar finished borrowing a turn of phrase from his father figure. Red Fist looked dumbfounded before his anger seethed to the surface once more.
"Raahhh!" He screamed as he charged at Blackstar once more. But Blackstar was prepared. He held Tsubaki's sword blade at the ready. As Red Fist drew nearer it was as if time began to slow. The medallion around Blackstar's neck glowed with energy. He waited for the perfect moment to strike. Red Fist slowly grew closer and closer with each step. Blackstar's eyes glinted as he spotted his opening. In one fluid movement he swung his blade and strode forward. He reappeared behind Red Fist in a flash of light. Red Fist barely had time to comprehend. One minute he was running towards Blackstar, fists poised to strike. He looked down to his arms and stifled a yell.
His hands had been severed, and lied limp on the ground before him.
Red Fist trembled with shock. His eyes grew wide as he watched the blood spurt uselessly from his stumps. "What have you done?!" He yelled, outraged.
"I've made it so that you can no longer hurt anyone. From now on, you must rely on the kindness of others rather than your own so-called strength." Blackstar explained. "I know it's the thing you hate most so I think it'll be a good lesson for you." He added as an after thought.
Red Fist glowered at Blackstar with hatred in his eyes. "I swear, one day I will kill you." He announced. But the Bushin waved him off dismissively.
Blackstar walked away, leaving the disgraced and hateful martial artist to reflect on his life.
Bet you guys didn't see that coming. I wanted to make this final confrontation between Blackstar and Redfist meaningful. As such, Blackstar might be a little out of character here but I wanted to show the differences between them. Blackstar never denied help from his friends and always sought to become more powerful for his own sake. It's even canon in the manga that Blackstar seeks power for power's sake. As for Red Fist, he only sought power so he could use it to lord over others and discriminate against certain people. I would say that out of all the real world examples, power is really something that should be used to benefit others, not ones' self. Hopefully you guys enjoy this chapter.