Madness Unleashed - REWORK IN PROGRESS

by InuKagomeLuver4Eva

With the power of madness threatening the world once more, it's up to Maka and friends to vanquish it. But will the overwhelming power crush the meister mind, body, and soul? "Those who meddle outside the laws of God shall face the wrath of the Reaper; There is no redemption for those who break the sacred law." Soul X Maka *M for gore and language* REWORK IN PROGRESS!

4. Battle of the Ninja

Maka grimaced as she once again braved the harsh winter of Russia, the chill hitting her bones as soon as they had stepped off the charter plane. It'd only been just over a month since returning to Death City and the meister missed the warmth of the desert already. Tsubaki seemed fine with the cold but Black Star…

"It's so cold my nuts are practically in my throat!" The ninja screamed as they began the trek back to Innopolis, birds fleeing in surprise from the surrounding trees.

"Maybe it'll shut you up for once!" Maka hissed as she threw a snowball at him, just missing him. The ninja guffawed loudly until the second one struck directly in his mouth. "You don't know who or what is nearby, so I suggest you hurry up and choke already!"

Soul snickered as he shoved his hands deeper into his pockets, watching as Black Star opened his mouth to speak but changed his mind once getting a stern look from his partner. It still amazed the weapon how fast the obnoxious ninja could be shut up without any spoken words from his partner. I guess that's what happens when you fall in love.

"Maka's right, Black Star. There could be enemies around us so it would be better to remain silent. Dissolve in the darkness and erase your breath." How she put up with him was beyond the scythe meister, but there was no one better suited to shut him up.

"Yeah, yeah, I know." Black Star muttered back as he clasped his hands behind his head. "It's too quiet around here anyways, may as well let them know we're here."

They'd been dropped off within about a mile of the small town, due to the lack of drivers for the snowmobiles. Luckily it was a rare partially sunny day, the snow reflecting brightly as they crunched through it. Maka wondered if the nice Inn lady was still there or if she had left after the pre-Kishin had been defeated. It was warming to feel a mother's embrace after so many years of not having one. Her mother had sent a few more postcards over the years, but there usually wasn't anything written on them, just pictures of the places she was. Maybe she would just check using Soul Perception to see if she, or the others, were still inhabitants of the area. Taking a deep breath in, the meister slowed her steps to a halt, eyes closing as she sensed for the familiar soul. She could clearly see Soul, Tsubaki, and Black Star, so she pushed further out, spreading her scan far and wide.

"What's up, Maka?" Soul and Tsubaki stopped walking as Black Star addressed the stilled meister. "Sense something close?"

Maka's eyes shot open and she stared forward with wide eyes, her hands clenching into fists at her sides. Soul was at her side in an instant, trying to divert her attention to him, hands on either shoulder and shaking her lightly.

"Maka, what's wrong? Hey, look at me."

"They're gone…" She whispered, looking into Soul's worried eyes. "The souls, they're…there's a faint one left, we need to hurry!" The meister pushed past them and began to sprint, hair flying wildly behind her. Without a second thought the others followed.

Tsubaki transformed as did Soul, the weapons being caught with ease by their meisters. Soul shortened his blade and wings began to grow on either side of the scythe, Maka swinging her leg over without losing her pace. Black Star had activated Shadow Star form, easily keeping pace with the flying meister. Soon, Innopolis came into view on the horizon, the shambled buildings still standing.

"What are you sensing, Maka?" Soul asked as they slowed upon entering the town, coasting over the snow with ease.

"Nadia…"

"The woman from the Inn? Is she –"

Maka suddenly slid from the scythe and willed it to change its form, the wings dissolving away to reveal the death scythe blade. Something was very wrong here. The buildings mostly looked the same on the outside as a few weeks ago, but there was a strange heavy aura hanging over the town. The two meisters walked cautiously through the town, eyes peeled for danger. As they approached the Inn, it looked far worse in shape than before; practically the entire second floor had caved in on itself, roof shingles piled on either side of the dilapidated building. Windows were blown out, shredded curtains snagging on any remaining shards of glass as they billowed violently from the wind. Piles of snow had drifted in through the windows, covering anything in its path with fresh powder. A flash caught Maka's attention and she turned to stare at the Inn with narrowed eyes. A familiar soul, fading fast…

"Whatever you need to do, Maka, we'll cover it." Black Star landed next to his childhood friend, eyes scanning the area. "Even I can feel something isn't right here. Now get going,"

Maka nodded before sprinting towards the Inn, a sinking feeling in her gut.

With a heavy kick, the old wooden door caved in and landed softly in a pile of snow, sending a cloud of the substance floating into the air. It was weak, but she could feel the soul just ahead, back towards where the showers were. Part of the second floor had collapsed onto the first, making it more of an obstacle course than the meister expected. Luckily, she was still thin enough to squeeze between two fallen beams, though her hips seemed to snag for a few moments in the small space. The closer she got, the more her heart pounded heavily against her rib cage. Nothing was making sense; why had the town suddenly become even more worn down and decayed in a matter of weeks? What happened to the remaining villagers?

"Maka, something doesn't feel right here." Soul warned. "Be on your guard."

Glass crunched under her boots as she cautiously weaved and ducked around debris, jagged wooden beams snagging at her thick jacket as she passed. The doorway to the showers was still intact, albeit the frame was painfully bowed down by the weight of the second story. Movement caught her attention and she swiftly swung the scythe to her front, the blade gleaming dangerously.

"Show yourself."

"Deti? Is…is that you?" A weak voice spoke from beneath a pile of rubble in the corner. "Maka…and Soul?"

"Nadia! Are you alright? What happened here?" Maka rushed to the pile of rubble, falling to her knees as Soul transformed back to help shovel the debris away. "Where is the rest of the town?"

"Deti…there were more creatures…they were waiting for you to leave…please, leave me and go…it is a trap…" Nadia wheezed out, a wet cough following.

"More creatures? How many can there be?" Soul grunted as he tossed a larger chunk of wood behind him. "Nadia, what happened to the rest of the villagers?"

It became quiet and both meister and weapon shared a panicked look, tossing the debris as fast as they could. As her body became visible, Maka gasped in horror and Soul clenched his jaw tightly. A piece of rebar had pierced through her abdomen and was jutting out through her back at a weird angle, dried blood soaked into her clothing. Her head was resting on her left arm while her right arm had been crushed by the debris. Fresh blood was trickling from her lips, plopping softly onto her arm.

"Oh…oh no…Nadia, please, talk to me…" Maka whispered as she shakily brushed bloody clumped hair away from the woman's face. "Please, answer me…"

Slowly, Nadia's eyes opened. The light was fading fast from them, her soul flickering as its flame was extinguishing. She shifted her arm from under her head and awkwardly reached for the meister, her stiff fingers locked in place. Maka softly grabbed her hand, holding it firmly as tears spilled down her face, emerald eyes filled with despair.

"I am glad…to have met you…Maka, Soul…I wish to see my family now. Know that my…my love will follow and protect you…guard her with your life, Soul…and know your love makes each other stronger…I love you, moya doch', moy syn." With a final shaky breath, Nadia passed, a small smile on her face as unseeing eyes stared into space.

Maka let out a sob as the hand she was holding fell limp, the warmth quickly evaporating in the frigid air. With care, the meister gently laid her hand down on the rubble. Shaking fingers lightly closed her eyelids, giving her a more peaceful appearance. Strong arms wrapped around her and she crumbled into them, sobbing against Soul. The weapon held his meister as she cried silently, red eyes drifting to the peaceful expression on Nadia's face. His vision watered and a few tears slipped down his face. She was like the loving mother neither of them had; she fed them, groomed them, comforted them, showed them love and treated them like her own children. The grief was like a knife through the heart, but there was some comfort in knowing she was reunited with her real family.

The cold was soon biting at their faces, the tears nearly freezing to their skin. Maka was still clutched against his chest, fists knotted in his coat as she grieved, her chest shaking with hiccups. Soul knew they needed to move, to get out of the cold, but with her sitting against him heartbroken…

"Soul, Maka! Get the hell out here, we've got company!" Black Star yelled into the building ruins, his voice echoing loudly in the rooms. "Looks like those creatures are back for round two!"

"We need to go, Maka, can you stand?" Soul asked gently as he grabbed her arms and pushed her back, her eyes and face red from crying. "You can grieve later; now you've got the chance to make sure she rests in peace by killing those things. All those people were killed because of these creatures, we can't let them have died in vain."

It took her a moment, but the meister slowly looked up at her partner, green eyes shining with pain. He was right, like always; with a small nod, they stood close together, foreheads touching as their fingers intertwined. She could feel the grief shifting towards anger as Soul gave her strength, green locking with red. He gave her a crooked grin as his body began to dissolve, the smooth shaft of the scythe resting firmly in her hands.

"Let's go…Soul Resonance!"

They were fast, Black Star admitted, but not fast enough for the shadow ninja. With ease he sped past them, slicing them with Shadow Star Zeroth From: Masamune Infinity. By the time he had emerged at the back of the horde, the creatures gave out agonized screams as they were split in half, bodies exploding into thick black particles. More were crawling from out of houses, over roofs, and even digging themselves out from deep snow drifts. With a grin, the ninja launched himself forward, letting out a battle cry as he aimed for the center of the wave.

Maka stood on the remnants of the Inn roof, Demon Hunter humming silently in her hands as she watched the battle. The madness had been activated, and her thick winter attire faded away to reveal a tight strapless black dress, matching gloves adoring her arms. After Soul had ascended to Death Scythe status the black blood armor had changed, even years after the battle with Asura, and it had become almost like a second skin. Black heels covered her feet, ribbon straps intertwining themselves around her calf. Winged hair accessories fit perfectly on top of her pigtails, giving off an intimidating factor to her outfit. Green eyes followed the blue haired ninja as he bowled through the waves of creatures using Shadow Star techniques left and right. The burning rage inside cancelled out the harsh, winter air.

"Can't let him have all the fun, Maka," Soul casually mentioned. "These ones look smaller than the first one. Shall we?"

"I'll lead this time." Maka said as she placed her hands in the proper dancing position on Soul, more than ready to get started.

"Taking charge now, are we?" The weapon's grin grew as a light blush appeared on the meisters face. "Alright then, lead the dance."

The music was the same; a slow classical composition that had played hundreds of times over the years, almost becoming white noise to the pair as they swung. The little demon was nowhere to be seen, most likely hiding behind the closed door in the corner. He hadn't been seen or heard from in weeks, not since Maka was floating in the darkness. Usually the little bastard spent most of his time taunting Soul as it was his main source of entertainment.

"I haven't seen the little demon," Maka commented as she twirled away from Soul, his hand guiding her back to his chest. "For a few weeks at least."

"He's probably hiding behind that door. If this room still exists, he's still here somewhere." Soul's eyes shifted to rest on the door. It almost looked like the door was slightly cracked open…

"You remember everything from that night, don't you, Soul?" Maka suddenly stopped, watching the floor with high interest. "What he said about the black blood? And that creature…"

Soul looked down at his partner, watching as she nervously chewed on her lip. He remembered that night clearly, the memory burned into his mind. Just her mentioning it brought back a flash of the creature, holding her by the throat before plunging its claws into her stomach. It made his stomach churn at the memory, a heavy feeling gripping his chest tightly.

"We were resonating at the time…so yeah, I did see it."

"I don't think that was just a nightmare, Soul, I think it was a premonition of sorts. Maybe it's connected to everything that's been happening lately. There's no other explanation I can think of."

The weapon could feel the turmoil of emotions swirling around in his meister, his own soul mirroring them. When she was unconscious, she would have the same nightmare about the creature; each and every time it would torment her before killing her a different way each time. Claws through her chest, through her heart, slicing her throat, even going as far to decapitate her at one point. It made him sick; he couldn't even wake her up to stop the nightmare, instead grabbing her hands and holding them tight as she struggled. He wasn't sure how many hours of sleep he'd gotten while she was out, staying by her side until Blair kicked him out to eat or shower.

"Do you remember any of the nightmares you had when you were unconscious?" Soul asked suddenly, surprising his meister.

"I don't think so, why? Did something happen?"

Maka leapt from the rooftop, Demon Hunter spinning effortlessly in her hands as she dove for the horde of creatures. With a fire burning in her soul, the meister let out an angry scream as she swung the scythe, tearing through their bodies as if they were paper. Over and over she swung, her veins burning as she slayed everything in her path. A thick black ash began to blanket the area as the two meisters exterminated the pre-Kishins, slaying each and every vile monster that lunged for them.

"Is this what you and Maka fought last time, Soul?" Tsubaki called from her Shadow Star Second Form. "They're like nothing I've ever seen."

"Yeah, but these are smaller than the one we fought. Even with the Black Blood, we were struggling." Soul grimaced as Maka caught a claw across her arm, blood spraying into the air. The black blood sealed the wound but still; he couldn't bear it if she sustained worse injuries like last time.

"Oi, Maka!" Black Star called out as he easily dodged deadly claws before blasting his soul wavelength into the back of his attacker. "Wanna see who kills more of these things? I'll bet you a week's worth of ice cream!"

"You're seriously trying to make a bet right now? In the middle of all this?" Maka yelled over the horrendous death screams. "Make it two weeks and I'm already at thirty-seven kills!" With a quick swish of her blade, another three creatures exploded into oblivion. "Correction; forty!"

"HA! I'm at fifty-five! You'll never catch up to the great Black Star!" The ninja cackled before upping his slaying, eyes gleaming with joy as he took on the challenge.

"You realize he'll probably now destroy everything in his path, right? You'll be buying him sundaes every day. It's going to end up being more than our monthly grocery bill." Soul pointed out as they resumed their swaying across the red and black tiles.

"He's got the energy for it right now, so why not let him have his fun?" Maka shrugged as she rested her head against his chest.

She never told him, but her shoulder was still killing her from the previous battle. He wouldn't have let her jump in so recklessly had he known she was still recovering. It was probably just a pulled muscle or something. It'd heal within a few more days with a hot compress and rest, though swinging around the scythe as recklessly as she was right now was probably not the smartest idea.

"He's never going to live this down," Soul drawled on as he clasped his hands around her waist, resting his chin on sandy locks. "I can already hear him kicking the door down screaming for his reward. I'm telling you now that if he interrupts my sleep, both of you are getting kicked out of the apartment."

"I'll accept that risk. Guess we'll have to do more missions to keep up with his atrocious appetite." They swayed back and forth, embracing one another as the music became white noise in the background.

Soul was hesitating to bring up the nightmares Maka had no remembrance of, not wanting to think about them himself. The way her face was warped in agony and surprise, tears streaming down her face as she silently screamed. The creature standing in front of her with a mirror image of the meister, a sinister grin showing jagged teeth that oozed acidic slime. Even now he could barely get a full night's rest without seeing at least one of those images and he always shot straight up in bed, drenched in sweat.

Curiosity poked at his soul and he broke from his thoughts to see his partner staring up at him with a notched brow.

"You haven't been responding to my questions. Is everything alright?"

"Just thinkin', that's all." He gave her a toothy grin, but she looked right through it as she placed her hands on her hips and gave him a stern look. Guess they were talking about it now. He sighed. "I asked you earlier about those nightmares, right?"

"If I remembered them, yeah. I don't have any memory of them for some reason." Maka relaxed a little as she turned and slowly strolled towards the lone chair in the room, tucking her dress under her as she sat. "Everything is hazy when I try to recall what they were. Sometimes I get a sharp headache when I push it too hard."

Soul took a seat on the edge of the piano bench, sitting just a few feet from her as he studied her expression. Her brows were knitted together as she racked her memory. Maybe it was best she didn't remember…yet that unrelenting persistence would push him into saying it sooner rather than later.

"I think there's a reason why you can't remember them, Maka. Your mind doesn't want to relive the trauma." Maka gave him a strange look and Soul just laced his fingers together, looking everywhere but at her. "I…know what they were. I saw them when I touched you trying to wake you up. They're…not something you want to remember, trust me on that. I can't get the images out of my head, no matter what I've tried."

"Soul…"

"Every night it was something different, a different way you…you died. That creature was the one who did it, killing you while wearing your own face—"

"Soul…"

"I couldn't stop it, Maka, I couldn't save you no matter how hard I tried to wake you up. You were screaming…Shinigami, the screaming…"

Gloved hands suddenly pulled at his face and he jerked up in surprise, his vision watery as green eyes locked on his. When had he started crying?

"Soul, breathe. It's okay, I'm here, I'm alive. That thing won't get to me, I promise you." Maka carefully wiped away his tears with her thumbs, giving him all the time in the world to compose himself again. "As long as we're together, we can overcome anything. I'm with you, no matter where you go."

Soul snorted as he grabbed her hands, kissing each of her fingertips softly before bringing her closer and closing the distance between them. Maka became instantly flustered though quickly gave in, heart leading the decision. She thought it had been a dream, that day she kissed him as he, supposedly, dozed. But being with him now, feeling the love flow between their souls, she knew it hadn't been a dream. Even the memories of that night filtered through bringing a newfound sense of affection.

"Using my own words against me? Not cool, Maka, not cool." Soul whispered as they parted, faces flushed. One hand intertwined, the other grazing over her cheek before cupping it gently.

"I figured I would need them someday, so I kept them. Seems I was right."

"Such a bookworm,"

There was no end to the hordes of hybrids, overflowing from the trees and deep snowbanks surrounding the town. Black Star was still going full blast, darting through the sea of creatures faster than the blink of an eye. The area had become covered in the black powdered substance, turning the once pure white snow to an ugly decaying gray. Maka was struggling, surrounded on all sides by snarling jaws and sharp claws. All she could do was stay defensive, whirling her scythe around in an attempt to get some space between them. Her arms and legs were sliced up from fast attacks, drying trails of black blood coating her porcelain skin. A few lucky shots had even hit her face, a cut above her right eyebrow dripping blood into her eye.

"Maka, we have to get out of this, there's no way to fight against them." Soul called out; his voice strained. "You're going to get torn to pieces if this keeps going."

"I don't exactly have many options right now, Soul, so just keep up the defensive until there's an opening." Maka grit her teeth as one creature lunged, its claws mere centimeters from her eye as she bent over backwards to avoid it. "Where the hell is Black Star? Could use his help right about now!"

"Don't worry, Maks, the great Black Star is here to save the day!" A massive blast of soul wavelength slammed into the horde of creatures; their agonized screams cut short as they evaporated into thick black particles.

"Perfect timing as always,"

"Of course, Soul! To be honest though," The ninja's cocky grin slid from his face as he backed up against Maka, Tsubaki in chain mode. "This is getting old real fast. How many of these things are there?"

"I don't know, but I'm really sick of it. If there's this many in the area, that ninja clan probably has something to do with it. We need to break through and search for the main source or we're going to exhaust ourselves fighting minions."

"Maka, how are you holding up? You look out of breath," Tsubaki asked the meister, brows knitted in concern. "Have you fully recovered from the last fight?"

"I'll be fine, just getting started." Maka wiped her mouth with the back of her hand, anger still burning within as she panted. It didn't matter how many they sent; she would avenge Nadia and the others even if it took all night.

"Back again, are we? With backup this time, it seems."

It suddenly went silent as the creatures backed away a few feet, turning their gazes behind the duo. A familiar soul flashed in Maka's mind and she whirled around to see the mysterious ninja standing on a dilapidated roof, arms crossed over his chest. Piercing blue locked onto burning emerald, one gaze filled with amusement. The other filled with burning rage.

"You…"

"The one and only, Miss Albarn. Ah, and you must be infamous Black Star, correct?" The man stared at Black Star with interested eyes, studying every detail of the blue-haired teen faster than a blink. "I have heard stories of your abilities. I must say, very impressive that you can nearly match the power of a Shinigami. Though your recklessness seems to get the best of you at times."

"Who the fuck are you? Some sort of wannabe ninja or some bullshit?" The meister sneered at the new enemy; there was something about him that set the hairs on the back of his neck to attention. If he hailed from the hidden ninja village, then his skillset was unknown and unrecorded in history books. There was something off about this creep and he was going to find out.

"Black Star, he's part of the hidden ninja clan deep in the mountains." Tsubaki said quietly before transforming back, standing a few steps in front of her meister with hands clasped to her chest. "I'm well aware of your clan's history and background, including your connection with the Kishin Asura."

"Nakatsukasa Tsubaki. Daughter of Sanjuro Nakatsukasa, younger sister of Masamune Nakatsukasa. Member of the Nakatsukasa Clan. You are a Demon Shadow weapon…I know all about your history as well." The unnamed man studied her with an unknown emotion, tapping his fingers on his arm as he thought. "You killed your own brother as he was on the path to becoming a Kishin and absorbed his soul, gaining the Uncanny Sword abilities. My, my, what a special one you are."

"I suggest you keep your eyes to yourself before I rip them out of your skull," Black Star threatened as he pulled his weapon behind him, eyes murderous.

"Such a temper! You must truly love your partner. Miss Albarn, I assume you are here in order to search for the hidden ninja clan up in the mountains, correct? Well, unfortunately for you that will not be possible at this current time."

Maka released Soul as he reverted back, viridescent eyes staring into cerulean ones. Judging by how the creatures backed off, they either feared him or were awaiting his next order. Her heart was racing as the gravity of the situation hit her, mind quickly formulating a new plan of attack.

"And why would that be? Planning on stopping us or are you going to run away again like the coward you are." Venom dripped from each word, hatred brewing deep in her belly once more as she glared him down. "What's your connection with the witch Ametrine? Why are you creating armies of pre-Kishin creatures and using the local residents as their food?"

"Hmm, so you know about that witch. I should not be surprised, really, but this just makes the world seem a little smaller. And I am sure you would love to know what we are planning, but that is not up to me to give an answer." The master ninja shrugged as he vanished from the roof. "I am merely here for the entertainment; these mountains do get very boring in the wintertime, so I needed something to cheer me up. And what better way than to give a demonstration?"

Maka felt his soul spike behind her and she whirled around, fist ready to pummel his face in. Only as soon as she turned, she froze, fist still clenched mid-air. It wasn't him standing behind her…

"Nadia…" The frozen corpse of the woman was floating a few feet away from the meister, stray drops of blood staining the snow beneath her. Seeing the full extent of her gruesome injuries, Maka bit back the bile creeping up her throat.

"The poor woman, first she lost her husband and child to that pre-Kishin you so kindly killed, and then dies a horrible death of being crushed beneath the very Inn she thought of as a second home. Do you know why she was the only one left in the town when you entered? Why there were no other souls in the vicinity?" With a snap of his fingers, the bloodied and broken corpse of Nadia began to twitch violently.

Bones snapped into shards as flesh and muscle tore like paper, congealed blood plopping into the snow in grotesque chunks as her body expanded and twisted. The blackened ground around them seemed to throb as the pieces of body hit, translucent tendrils soon emerging, snatching any and every chunk of flesh they could. If she wasn't frozen in fear at the sight before her, Maka was sure her stomach would be emptying itself right now. The others were watching with wide eyes, Black Star even going as far as covering Tsubaki's eyes. Soul cursed under his breath, his jaw clenched as he slightly stood in front of his meister, arm transformed into a blade.

"Nadia here was being used as bait to lure you here, back to Innopolis, so you could witness for yourself what happens when you combine the power of Asura and his madness in addition to the ancient arts of the Hidden Shadow Ninja Clan. Behold; your 'pre-Kishin' has been born!"

A strong wind picked up as the black flakes shot from the ground and into the mangled corpse that now dangled high in the air, the wind soon becoming a strong tornado that nearly threw the students into the woods behind them. Maka felt paralyzing fear grip her heart as the flashes soon came back in a tidal wave. The creature, the one that had tormented her in the black haze; killing her in agonizing ways, visions flooded her mind and both legs gave out. A heavy ringing filled her ears as she remembered the way the creature spoke, its putrid breath hitting her in the face like a brick wall. She could almost feel the wounds throbbing all over her body, the blood pouring over her lips and down her chin as a mirrored face grinned manically down at her. The claws puncturing her organs, shredding bone and tissue and nerves like they were nothing, the pain incomparable to anything she'd ever felt before. All she could do was scream silently as her body was ripped into chunks of flesh and bone, blood spraying like a hose into the air. Someone was shouting her name, shaking her shoulders violently but all Maka could do was stare at the familiar creature standing in front of them, putrid saliva spewing from between its jagged teeth and onto the frozen tundra beneath.

"What…what the fuck is that…" Black Star sputtered as he took a step back, holding his arm over his mouth as the stench hit him. "Fucking hell, that thing is nasty. Maka, is this the…Maka?"

Maka was slouched over on the ground, hands digging into the snow as her frame shook violently, heavy uneven breaths forced from her lungs. Soul was shaking her, trying to get her to respond but to no avail. Her sobs hit the ninja's ear and he felt his lips curling into a snarl, holding his hand out towards his partner.

"So, that's what happened…Tsubaki." The weapon nodded while transforming back, taking on Shadow Star Zeroth form. The meister slid into an attack stance as his shadow morphed into a wispy scarf, twitching angrily in the winter wind.

"Oh, interesting! This must be a fairly strong attack." The white ninja watched in awe from his original resting spot, crouching down on the shambled roof with ease. An intense aura of murder triggered his senses and he tensed up, body telling him to escape. Black Star barely turned to look at him out of the corner of his eye, his pupils turning a dull yellow as they morphed into a star shape.

"You're the one who hurt my friend. After I kill this thing, your head is mine."

---

Being summoned by the Elders meant it wasn't for some friendly talk and tea. Those who were called upon rarely ever returned normal; some quickly packed up in the middle of the night and left without a trace, while others never spoke again, eyes always keeping to the ground. As Viktor Leonidovich made his way to the sanctum, he could feel the piercing stares of fellow ninjas locking on. Looks of pity and worry radiated from their white-clad bodies, rumors soon spreading behind clothed mouths. He ignored them. Let them talk; there was nothing better for them to do anyways and it kept them lively through the harsh winter.

The familiar weathered, red four-story temple came into view and the ninja swallowed hard as he began the climb up the ancient stone stairs to the entrance. Two guards on either side swapped glances before stepping aside, allowing him to pass through the ornate doorway. There, in the center of the temple, sat the Elders, a large fire reading ceremony in the process. Quietly removing his shoes in favor of slippers, Viktor made his way to the open cushion waiting for him, stopping just before the edge of the pit to bow before the Elders.

"Rise, rodnoy brat." Brother.

Viktor rose, bowed again, before moving to take the cushion closest to him. The Elders were comprised of the three most knowledgeable members of the clan. At the head of the table was Flyorova Aleksandra Vladislavovna, the current Clan Master's first-born daughter. Just below her was Dimitri Stanislavovich, who was the first-born son of the Clan Master's second in command, Yashin Rodion Stanislavovich. And last but not least, was the third in command Zefirov David Igorevich, who was the third-born son of the clan Treasurer, Nadezhda (Nadya) Igorevich. Due to the deaths of her first two born in a battle between two clans, Nadezhda only had her third-born to offer to the previous Elders.

The previous Elders would hold testing every year for potential candidates to take over their positions when they reached the age limitation. Those who passed the first round were given continuously hard testing, both mental and physical, until there were three left. If they continued to pass the Elders' exams, they would then spend the next ten years learning the clan ways and history in order to successfully take over. Normally the highest-ranking members of society, mainly those with connections to the Clan Master would start training their children from an early age to get an advantage over the rest of the villagers. Only a handful of Elders had been just normal villagers, much to the distaste of the higher-ups, but they had beyond proven they were born to lead.

Coming from a normal family, Viktor was never forced to learn day and night in hopes of becoming an Elder, though his father trained him rigorously in the ninja arts. As he grew older, he'd surpassed the other kids in his class with pure physical prowess and was taken under the wing of the dojo master. Training with the master was worse than any punishment he had been through with his father. Often, he was left bleeding and gasping for breath at the end of each day, his sensei showing no mercy to the young child. Years of the harsh physically and mentally tolling training had paid off, and Viktor received the honor of becoming the captain of the Elite team that provided security to the Mother of the Coven in the Witches Realm. Very few had been given the title and everywhere he went, he was treated like a hero by his fellow townspeople. After providing security for nearly fifteen years, he was called back by the Elders regarding a top-secret matter. Once he made it back safely and met with the Elders, his target was to observe a DWMA student named Maka Albarn, a 3-star Death Scythe meister who wielded the last Death Scythe created. She was believed to be in the area, looking into the pre-Kishin sightings and villager disappearances.

---

Watching the girl and her scythe enter the nearly barren town of Innopolis was interesting, to say the least. From the information he had been given this small girl wielded not only the Death Scythe, but the ability to use Soul Perception and carried an anti-demon wavelength. To say she was dangerous was an understatement. Opting for complete stealth, the ninja waited until she was lined up with the abandoned hut he was waiting in before releasing a shuriken through the window. With a slim margin of error, and some incredible luck, the meister barely dodged the full force of the weapon. Viktor readied another one as she zeroed in on the general direction, waiting a breath before releasing it. Again, a slim margin of error as she jerked her head back, avoiding the deadly points.

"DEMON HUNTER!"

The blade shifted at her will and the ninja felt his eyes widen in awe; until he realized the blade was about to come slicing through his hideout and hastily jumped through the crumbled walls. The snow exploded into the air, causing a thick whiteout. Using it to his advantage, the ninja unsheathed a kunai before flinging it towards the girl. Judging by the sound it made, it missed its target, though not by much. The snow crunched down and he prepared for a close-range attack, a kunai in either hand ready to block. Unfortunately for him, he miscalculated and swiftly received a powerful kick to his abdomen, sending him staggering backwards. His mask disguised all but his cerulean eyes, concealing the excited grin teasing his lips. It had been so long since someone had managed to land a hit on him, and it made his adrenaline pump faster. The air suddenly whooshed and the dangerously sharp blade of the scythe nearly sliced him open, its attacks relentless as it pushed him further back.

Swinging his blade down, a loud clang resounded as metal collided against metal. The meister grunted against the force, finding the strength to push him back with a yell. The loose snow caused the ninja to tumble backwards as his foot slipped, correcting his fall with back handspring. With a quick spin his foot collided against her stomach, his heel connecting painfully as he heard her gasp. The air shifted again and snow began to quickly blow away, the powerful scythe creating a strong wind by spinning at top speed. Quickly diverting from the direct blast zone, Viktor took the advantage of sneaking behind her, ready to strike with a short blade. Just before the blade could connect, she spun on her heel and deflected the attack with the spinning scythe, the force pushing him back through the snow a few feet. Keeping the blade close to his chest, he used his other hand to steady himself on the ground, eyes watching them with concealed excitement.

"You…students of DWMA…I am not your intended target, but this shall be an interesting fight!" Viktor mused as he flashed away, opting for rapid fire attacks, keeping her on the defensive. He wanted to push her to the limits, seeing the point where she would crack and give in. Maka Albarn was slowing down as his attacks seemed to be doing some damage, the frigid winter of Russia sapping the very life from her body. Being born and raised in the harsh conditions, the icy winds and thick snowbanks were almost a comfort to Viktor.

"You are a very skilled meister, Maka Albarn, wielder of Death Scythe Soul 'Eater' Evans; but you know nothing of this environment in which I was born, raised, and trained within. If you cannot even hold up against a master ninja, how do you expect to defeat a newly reborn Kishin?" Taunting the meister seemed to irritate her more as he landed softly on a broken roof, the girl hastily wiping the blood that had trickled into her eye.

"So, tell me; why would a ninja coincidentally be in the same area as a pre-Kishin sighting? Seems a little odd to me seeing as you were the one to attack first." With a deep breath in and out, Maka stood tall and planted her scythe into the thick snow. "Unless you're out here as a distraction so whoever you're working for can hunt down the suspect and unleash a full Kishin. Am I right?"

Viktor let out a low whistle, slowly clapping as he stared at her impressed.

"I read that you were a smart one; very perceptive of you. But unfortunately, not completely correct. My mission was not merely to distract you, but to test your skillset. I have heard of your battles against the Kishin Asura, but he was an ancient artifact compared to modern Kishin. Simply punching a Kishin in the face will not suffice in taking them down, no matter how well it worked last time. But if this is all you have to offer, I am afraid you'll have no hope in defeating the next Kishin about to be unleashed upon the world."

The anger radiating from the girl nearly had the ninja giddy with glee as she began stretching and cracking various parts of her body, emerald eyes never leaving his. The meister snapped something to her weapon as she crouched down, swinging the scythe back. Kunai slid from his sleeves into waiting palms, his breathing evening out as he waited for the attack. He didn't have to wait long before she made her move.

"Let's go!" The scythe shifted from Demon Hunter, transforming into a new blade. "GENIE HUNTER!"

She was fast; her attacks without fear as she swung over and over, even flipping the scythe to attack with the butt of the shaft. A varied combo kept the ninja on his toes and before he could blink she was in his face, scythe slicing through the air towards him at an alarming speed. Ducking back, he missed the deadly gleam of the red and black blade by centimeters, his eyes slightly widening with surprise. Even with his decades of training and dedication to the ninja arts, he was struggling to avoid being sliced in half. An opportunity opened and he flung his kunai as hard as he could towards the meister, hoping it would be enough of a distraction for him to get back on the offensive side. The kunai hit their target; one sunk into Maka's upper abdomen while the other punctured the center of her chest.

To his horror, she looked down at the blades embedded in her skin before locking eyes with him as the weapons were pushed out, black blood bubbling from the wound as it sealed. While there was some remaining research on black blood, most of it being destroyed years ago by the DWMA, seeing it up close was a completely different experience to the ninja. Something like that would be very useful to the clan…

"I must say, Miss Albarn, that is a very impressive skill to possess. But," Viktor straightened himself up, his hand reaching into a small pouch on his left hip. "There is a weakness to every secret weapon and unfortunately for you, I am well aware of what yours is."

His hand whipped out of the bag and 5 small metal balls hurtled towards Maka. With his other hand, he quickly muttered a small jutsu before launching at the meister, arm drawn back as lightning engulfed his fist. One thing he did learn, though, was that forcing a high shock or blast of soul wavelength into the black blood would cause it to momentarily become useless. The small metal balls exploded in her face, leaving a thick smoke clinging to her body.

"FIGURE SIX HUNTER!"

There was no stopping the monster of a woman trailing behind him as they leapt from building to building, her determination and drive wearing the man down. His shock attack had failed, the meister twisting her petite body out of the way in the blink of an eye, whacking him on the back of the head with the scythe's rod. Supplies were running out and the only thing he had left was a sacred katana he'd been given from the Elders specifically for this mission. It appeared to be a normal sword, but only those who were blessed to be able to use it knew what other-worldly power it held within it. It had been passed down from hundreds of years of master ninja's, the power growing with each generation. Using it meant there was a high chance it would be a critical, if not fatal blow depending on where it landed. It wasn't his intention to kill the meister, but desperate times called for desperate measures if he was going to make it out alive.

"I suggest you stop now if you wish to survive this battle! This could be a fatal blow if I am forced to use it!" The meister ignored his warning, screaming as she began to swing the scythe down. Gritting his teeth, Viktor began unsheathing the blade, the power sparking along the sharp edges.

A loud series of explosions suddenly interrupted the battle, the two stumbling as the ground shook. Maka suddenly slid to a stop and whipped her head towards the center of the explosions, eyes going wide as they grew closer. It was large…and headed right towards them.

"The Kishin…it's here."

---

"Viktor, we have called you here today to discuss the matter of the witch Ametrine." Flyorova cut straight to the chase, her nearly translucent eyes boring into his. "We have word that she attacked the DWMA, including the meister Maka Albarn, before being taken into custody of the Coven. Her deal was to provide us with a source of madness stemming from Asura and in return, for us to continue to unleash Kishins upon the world to spread the darkness. Now that she has been captured, she is awaiting trial; most likely she will be executed for her crimes."

"You want me to break her out so we can continue to receive his madness from her in order to fulfill the prophecy." Viktor finished, his hand twitching slightly against his lap. "It will be difficult to infiltrate the Coven while a trial is awaiting. I assume the plan is for me to take the place of someone on the Elite team."

"You always were a sharp one, Viktor, I enjoy that." Flyorova gave a brief smile. "That is the plan, but there has been…a setback." Uneasiness settled over the ninja at the word. "Our Elite team has not been in contact for nearly a week now since her capture and there is the worry that something has gone wrong. We have contacted the Coven and the Mother has not responded. I fear this is Ametrine's doing."

"Do you think she is getting revenge on the Coven? For the crimes committed against her and then exile?"

"That is a high possibility, one that I truly hope is not the case. The fact that neither our team nor the Mother are responding is unsettling, to say the least. I want you and a few other higher-level members to find out what is going on in the Witches Realm. You are dismissed."

Viktor bowed deeply, his forehead touching the floor, before slowly getting to his feet. He made it a few steps before the head Elder stopped him.

"Be careful, tovarishch*, and bring our family back home safely." Flyorova spoke softly, barely audible over the crackling flames.

"YA prinesu ikh domoy bezopasno." I will bring them home safely.

_B_

What awaited him in the Witches Realm was unlike anything he had ever seen; everywhere he looked was destructive chaos. A heavy aura of madness hung in the air, poisoning the skies with its putrid stench. Witches were screaming in agony as their minds became corrupted with each breath in, some even attacking others with the viciousness of a wild animal. Viktor and his team watched from above, taking in the battles with stunned silence. They had swapped their tradition white armor for a heavier black version, one more suitable for open fighting in other environments. Buildings were smoking or on fire, burning witches seemingly unaware of what was happening to them as they stumbled around aimlessly. The crescent shaped building that housed the Council seemed to be one of the few structures still remaining, a magical barrier sealing it off from the rest of the Coven.

"Viktor, where is Ametrine being held?" A fellow ninja asked, their voice tight as they watched with pained eyes. Their brothers and sisters were amongst the corrupted, most likely fighting for their lives.

"According to the last report, she is being held on the outskirts of the city, in a heavily sealed containment cell. We need to find the Mother as well, to ensure her safety. I will use the tunnel system in the Mother of the Coven office to find her. Those are your orders, now go." The rest of his team were gone before he even finished his order.

Back in his village, due to the history with Asura's madness, the villagers were somewhat adjusted to a certain amount of madness. This though…this was something that was much stronger than he ever anticipated. He could feel it tingling at the back of his mind, wanting to enter and corrupt another soul. Years of training made it easy to block the madness, sealing off his mind completely with ease. With a grimace he leapt from the tree he was scoping in and darted through the throng of screaming witches, dodging their jerky movements. The building was on fire as he entered, the thick smoke burning his eyes as he crouched low and navigated the way to the office. Having been there a few times, it didn't take long to reach the smoldering door. It seemed that's where the main fire had been started, somewhere just beyond the doors as he swiftly kicked it open. A massive plume of smoke blasted him in the face, and he coughed heavily. All he had to do was get to the trap door just beneath the desk and he would be able to reach the Council. As he crawled along, something grabbed at his foot weakly.

"Pomogi mne, pozhaluysta…" Help me, please.

"Vika…is that you?" Vika Yanovna was the current captain of the Elite team, having just been sent into the field a few months ago. They had grown up together, often practicing their fighting skills against one another. The two were as tight as could be and the best of sparring partners.

"Mat' v bezopasnosti, ona sbezhala." The Mother has escaped, she is safe.

"We have to get out of here, let us return home." Viktor reached down and grabbed her arm, pulling her effortlessly against him. Her body was nearly motionless apart from the occasional twitch of her limbs and low groan. With his free hand, he grabbed a kunai and hurled it towards the windows. Combined with the heat of the room, the windows smashed easily, allowing the heavy smoke to be released into the air.

They still weren't out of the woods and the ninja dragged her towards the desk, setting her down gently as he searched for the release button on floor. As a safety precaution the button was placed on the floor so if needed, the Mother could discretely open the escape hatch. After tracing the floor, he felt the button and slammed his fist down on it. With a silent pop it released. A blast of fresh air hit him in the face, and he took a deep breath before turning to grab Vika. As soon as he touched her arm, he knew it was too late. There was no telling how long she had been exposed to the smoke, or if she had other injuries…

"Pokoysya s mirom, moy drug." Rest in peace, my friend.

Not willing to leave her behind, Viktor carefully dragged her to the front of the desk and settled her in front of him. The hatch was designed like a slide, meant to quickly and efficiently get the Mother out of harm's way. So, with Vika secured in front of him, the ninja laid back and shot down the slide, the hatch sealing behind him silently.

"I'm telling you, that bitch had something to do with this!" Mabaa's assistant ranted angrily as she chain smoked her pipe, pacing around the council room. "Shortly after we capture her an enormous amount of madness goes insane! I know she's behind th—"

"Nyamuu." Mabaa snapped and her assistant stopped cold before muttering an apology, tapping her pipe out on a nearby potted plant.

"Mother, we cannot stay in here forever, there are only enough supplies to cover two weeks of shelter." Celestina Barclay wrung her hands anxiously as she eyed the heavy doors. "I'm afraid…I'm afraid the Coven has fallen. There is no telling how far the madness has already spread. It could be in other towns by now and they would have no warning."

"Mabaa-sama sent out letters ahead of time warning the other nearby towns that madness has erupted within the Coven," The feline witch let out a heavy sigh before continuing. "They should be able to defend themselves for a short while and escape afterwards. A letter was even sent to Lord Death, as much as I despise that reaper…"

"It could take days before Lord Death receives the notice of our emergency, I sent it the fastest way possible, but the madness may intercept the message…" Raine Moonfall chewed on her nails nervously. Things had gone horribly, horribly wrong! Oh, the anxiety and fear filling her soul…

"Nyamuu~" Mabaa chirped as she strode over to the door that lead to the emergency tunnel, raising a hand to grab the handle.

"Mabaa-sama, what are you…?" Her assistant strode over to the Mother, hand placed on her hip as she watched the witch open the magical locks, the door popping open with a pressurized hiss.

Just as she took a step back, two black clad figures tumbled through the door, collapsing on the floor in a heap.

"Are they…members of the Elite team? Oh, thank goodness…oh, oh no…" Marilla covered her mouth with her hands, staring at the lifeless eyes of the ninja, icy blue eyes staring blankly at the ceiling.

Viktor coughed violently as he pushed himself up to a sitting position, beating a fist against his chest to help clear it. He had inhaled a good amount himself crawling through the office and his lungs felt like they were on fire. Not the most pleasant of sensations.

"M-Mother of the Coven, are you alright?" The ninja wheezed out as he continued coughing, eyes watering. "We have not heard anything from our team and came to investigate. What happened? Why is the air filled with such thick madness?"

Celestina quickly grabbed some water and handed the glass to the ninja, offering him a cloth as well to cleanse the soot from his eyes. Ever since Cordelia passed away years ago, Celestina had quickly taken charge, keeping the Council strong for the past few hundred years. She wasn't as confident as her predecessor, but she certainly tried to keep the peace among the witches and other parties.

"Asura's madness was released nearly a week ago, shortly after we had brought Ametrine to her cell. Somehow it was released into the Coven and spread like wildfire." Raine quickly input, taking the empty glass and rag from the Elite member. "We've warned neighboring cities about the spread and have even sent Lord Death an urgent message asking for his help. They have a meister who can combat Asura's madness."

Viktor nodded slowly as he absorbed the information. So, they were looking for Maka Albarn's anti-demon wavelength abilities…. this was getting more interesting by the day. He shifted back and felt something behind him, reminding him of what needed to be done.

"Please, Mother, Council, I need to know where the rest of the previous team has gone. I have already lost Vika, I need to know."

Mabaa stared at him with her one eye, pity shining through as she placed a small hand on his clothed head. With a small incantation, magic began to swirl around him, ancient writing twisting into blurry images. As soon as they began to clear up, Viktor cringed as the images morphed into a film. The team was cut down one by one, succumbing to the overwhelming madness and the number of rogue witches attacking them. It showed Vika escorting Mabaa and her assistant to the office, slamming the door behind her as she ushered them to the hatch. Apparently, a rogue witch had wandered into the room and attacked the Elite captain from behind, trying to bite her and infect her with madness. The two slammed into a bookcase, a lit lantern swinging wildly above them before crashing to the ground. Vika yelled at them to get into the hatch before continuing her struggle. The last scene would haunt Viktor for the rest of his life; Vika grabbed something from the pouch on her hip and tossed it to Mabaa before the flames began to engulf the room, smoke concealing her struggling form.

The memory cut off and Viktor clenched a hand over his heart, feeling like had been ripped right out. Mabaa released her hand before procuring a folded piece of paper, holding it out to the man patiently. Shaking fingers slipped the letter from her fingers, opening it like it was the most delicate thing in the world. As his eyes scanned the lines, his vision became misty.

"To my dearest Viktor,

If you are receiving this letter, then my time has come. Do not worry, you are strong, and I know you will survive my death. Please, let my family know that I have gone on ahead of them and to remember the happier times of my life.

Before I end this, I wish to confess…I have always loved you, Viktor, ever since we were younger. I was going to confess but destiny has a cruel way of messing with life. You were taken into the dojo before I could tell you everything, of how I have loved you since we were young teens. I was unable to see you much afterwards, seeing how you were always training or on missions. I shall miss our long talks at night, our sparring matches, our weekly walk through the forest.

I hope you will be strong, Viktor. Revenge is not worth it; it will only cause your own self destruction. Please, for my sake, do not seek vengeance.

I will always look over you, until we meet again.

Love, Vika.

A strangled sob silently escaped his lips as he set the letter down, shifting to look at the woman behind him, his tough exterior shattering. He wanted to tell her, before he left for training, but never had the time. They rarely saw one another after he left, just brief sightings here and there over the years. The one time they finally had time…fate was a cruel mistress indeed.

"I'm sorry for your loss, Captain. She talked about you a lot, actually, usually where there was a meeting going on here and I waited with her." Raine Moonfall spoke softly as she crouched in front of the man, placing a gently hand on his shoulder. "She really did love you, always saying how you were the one she wanted to marry and start a life with. You have my deepest condolences."

"Thank you, Mother, for showing me those images. I will cherish them." Viktor quickly wiped away the nearly overflowing tears, pulling his mask further up the bridge of his nose. "We must leave now; the Coven is no longer safe for you. Your family…they are no longer themselves. If you will permit, I shall ease their pain quickly." The last part was barely above a whisper, the images causing the ninja to grimace.

"If it is what must be done, then do so, Captain. There is no way to remove the madness without the assistance of the DWMA and we have received no response from them." Celestina spoke gravely. "Those who were able to escape shall be the safest; there is a portal they can take to leave the Witches Realm in such a case. They will know where to gather, a place we must go to now. Please, do what you must Captain, but for now we shall teleport out of the city to the location. You remember where it is?" Viktor nodded tightly. "Good. We shall see you there. Mother bless you."

With a bright flash of Mabaa's eye, the witches vanished into thin air, leaving no trace of existence. Viktor shook his head to clear his thoughts, glancing back at the lifeless body just behind him. He would need to get her back to the clan, for a proper burial in her homeland. With a grunt he stood, swaying slightly on his feet. The barrier around the crescent building fell and he could feel the blast of madness trying to penetrate the doors. A blast of energy needed to be released into the air to alert his clansmen of the change in plan. With a deep breath, Viktor steeled himself as he faced the massive ornate doors, wakizashi at his side. Lifting his leg up, the ninja kicked the door as hard as he could, putting all of his anger and grief into the attack. The iron hinges gave way immediately, the doors flying from the frame and into a group of deranged witches. Some were crushed immediately while others were knocked back, oblivious to the injuries.

"You told me not to take vengeance, Vika, so I will not. But," Viktor spun the blade in his hand, bringing the edge close to his face as he pulled his mask down, rage contorting his expression. "You have said nothing of blowing off steam."

---

The mission was supposed to be fairly easy; enter the Witches Realm, verify the Mother was safe, acquire the current Elite team on duty. It should have been an in-and-out mission, something that could be done within an hour. But as Viktor struck down the rogue witches with such fury that it rivaled the God of the Underworld, it was far from it. There were dozens, if not hundreds, of the infected witches roaming the Coven, screaming in agony as their minds melted from the power of Asura's madness. They didn't seem to notice as they were slain, throats slashed wide open or hearts pierced with extreme precision. Over and over he struck, screaming in frustration as he killed them one after another. Of course, it wasn't their fault that they had been corrupted, but that witch. If she hadn't released the madness, hadn't started a war in the Coven…

"I shall seek my revenge, Ametrine, for you taking the life of the woman I loved!" Viktor screamed as he stabbed a witch directly in the forehead, killing her instantly. A line of blood trailed through the air as the blade sought its next target. "Even if I have to hunt you to the ends of this world or the next, I will kill you!"

Ametrine smiled as she felt the madness explode over the Coven, her plan working perfectly. After the guard had left, the madness had begun to spread like wildfire within twenty-fours, crippling the city and forcing it to its knees. Though she was still bound to her chains, she had the feeling the ninja clan would honor their contract and rescue her from the isolated prison. It had been nearly a week since her capture, and though she tired of the dark, damp constraints of her cell, the patience was worth it. Metal clanked loudly outside of the doors and she sat up, the metal collar against her neck beeping loudly in protest. As the doors began to screech open, the witch felt the smile on her face grow as her restraints were removed one by one. The skin beneath the metal shackles had been rubbed raw, some even bleeding though they could be healed later.

"Witch Ametrine, we are here to accompany you back to the clan. Can you stand?" An armor-clad ninja asked while offering a hand, piercing eyes void of any emotion.

"Perfectly, thank you. Would you mind taking off this collar? It's gotten a bit stuffy with it on," Ametrine pointed a delicate nail to the rapidly beeping collar, the lights flashing red. Any more sudden movements and it would pop her head from her neck in the same manner as a pressurized cork sealing a bottle of wine.

With a quick nod, the ninja struck the collar in its weak point, the contraption clicking open as it fell to the ground shorted out. Stretching her neck, the witch let out a satisfied sigh as she felt it pop. There wouldn't be much time before Lord Death got wind of the attack and swooped in to stop her, so Ametrine strolled right out of the cell with the ninjas falling in line around her. Though they didn't seem to show it, the madness was beginning to affect them. Faster eye movements, sudden little twitches in their limbs; they were trained well, but the power of Asura's madness always found a new way to infect hosts.

"Witch Ametrine, please follow us to the exit point. We shall take you directly back to the clan so you can report to the Elders." A ninja, a little taller than the rest, spoke emotionlessly as he led the group towards an abandoned well shed not too far from the cell. "They are eagerly awaiting your return."

"As you wish. My business within the Witches Realm is complete for the time being." Once every witch in the Coven was ravaged, the plan was to find Mabaa and eliminate her. Only then, would she become the true Mother of the Coven.

As they neared the well house, Ametrine noticed one of the team members had vanished without a trace. Considering their rigorous training in the ninja arts, it shouldn't have surprised her that they had slipped away without her noticing, but something felt off. The man she had met weeks ago, Viktor Leonidovich, was one of the few highly trained ninjas who'd been assigned to escort her throughout the Witches Realm and Russia, but he was nowhere to be seen. As soon as she noticed the other member gone, her suspicions were raised. Were they planning to go behind her word and eliminate her? Or was there something else that had taken his priority…

"What has happened to your captain, Viktor, was it? I suppose whatever he is currently attending to is more important than his high-priority mission?" Ametrine said coolly, examining her nails with bored interest. She didn't miss the way glances were briefly exchanged.

"Forgive me, witch Ametrine, but we are unable to give out that information. Please, head down the ladder and enter the portal, we shall follow shortly."

Sensing she wasn't going to get an answer, the witch merely followed one of the ninjas to the portal entrance, lips pursed together. There was something they weren't willing to tell her, something they didn't want her to know. She would have to get the information later, one way or another, but for now she climbed down the ladder and without a moment's hesitation, stepped through the glowing portal towards freedom.

Viktor had lost count of how many lives he had taken, the number too high to remember as he continued slashing and stabbing his way through the Coven. By now, his team had to have reached Ametrine and escorted her through the hidden portal outside of the city. He'd sent the flare up just before diving into the hoard, unleashing his fury upon them. A part of him felt bad for ending their lives, but without someone to remove the madness, they were nothing more than empty bodies filled with insanity. Sweat dripped down his face and he yanked his hood back, messy platinum blond locks springing free from the tight wrap. It was getting tiresome; more and more witches seemed to be drawn towards him as the bodies piled up.

"Captain, the witch is secured." It was Sidorov Yemelyanovich, one of his younger team members. He stuck close to the captain, dual katanas drawn and ready. "I will cover you, please grab Vika and we can depart at once."

"Sidorov…"

"Idi, ya pokroyu tebya." Go, I will cover you.

Viktor hastily turned on his heel, jumping over the grabbing hands of the witches, as he hurried towards the council room. There were very few witches hovering around the door, merely banging their heads against the walls or attacking each other. Taking the distraction, the ninja slipped past them and hurried to grab Vika's body from the stone floor. The warmth had long left her body as he gently lifted her, cradling her head against his shoulder, one arm around her back and the other supporting her knees. As he reached the doorway, a few witches shuffled their way through, anguished screeching echoing through the barren room. With a slight weight adjustment, Viktor swung his leg out and kicked them out of the way, the sickening crunch of bone hitting the stone causing him to cringe. Sidorov was still fighting off the witches, his blades glinting dangerously as he sliced through them with ease, blood running down the lengths of his weapons.

"YA yeye, poshli." I have her, let's go.

The two flickered from sight, leaving the maddened witches to resume their own self destruction.

Vika Yanovna had been given a warrior's memorial, the entire clan donning black in mourning as her body was burned and returned to ashes. Viktor had stood beside the Elder's as they chanted the ancient burial tomes, his normally messy locks slicked back with gel as stood with his hands clenched tightly behind his back. Her family was standing closest to the fire, heart-wrenching cries from her mother as she watched her only child turn to dust. Adeliya Yanovna fell to her knees, punching the ground as she screamed her child's name over and over, the grief too much for her to bear. Behind her stood Derzhavin Yanovna, her husband, who stood with his fists curled tightly at his side, silent tears streaming down his hardened face as the flames danced in his eyes.

It was almost too much for the ninja to handle and Viktor quickly stepped back, walking towards the stone wall that encompassed the burning grounds. As soon as his frame was away from the eyes of the villagers, he sank to his knees in the thick snow, hands gripping his head tightly. He couldn't stop the tears as they flowed, heart screaming in despair as his chest heaved. This nightmare wouldn't end, no matter how hard he pleaded and begged it to. The love of his life was now being returned to the Earth in ashes, to be reborn into new life. It shouldn't have happened…it wouldn't have happened if that damned witch hadn't released madness into the Coven. Whatever her goal was, it wasn't for the benefit of the clan; Ametrine was only using the clan as a means to get what she wanted, and it didn't matter how many bodies fell to create the stairway to that goal. Come Hell or highwater, he would put an end to it and slice the head from her body himself. A hand clasped over his shoulder and he stiffened.

"Relax, it's just me." Serova Leonidovich spoke softly as she crouched down next to her son, eyes brimming with tears. "I feel your pain, syn, as she was like my own flesh and blood. We shall mourn her loss, though we shall also remember the life she lived. Do not hold it in, let it all out." Viktor looked up at his mother, the master ninja suddenly feeling like a small child as he looked into his mother's eyes. Scooping him into her embrace, she rocked her child as he wept.

Vika's ashes were buried in the warrior's cemetery, an expansive section of the mountain that contained hundreds of years of warriors who had fallen in battle. A family plot had been started by previous generations and she was laid to rest beside her grandfather, Tsaritsyn Yanovna, a mighty master ninja who had led the battle between the Hidden Shadow Ninja clan and the Hidden Serpent clan decades ago. The two clans were at odds over territory and many lives were lost. The Hidden Shadow clan left the battle, bloody and beaten, but victorious and gained another section of the mountains as their own. Tsaritsyn returned to the Earth peacefully, in his sleep, many years later and stories of his triumph was told every generation.

Viktor stood solemnly over the gravesite, the dirt having settled over the past few weeks, with a bundle of flowers in his arms. He visited a few times a week, keeping the headstone cleared of snow and dirt as he sat down and remembered every memory they shared. From when they were just young kids, playing hide and seek in the woods to strolling along the sacred river that ran down the mountainside. There was even a time when they had encountered a massive bear in the forest, unknowingly getting too close to her cubs. It stood on its hind legs as it roared at them before charging. Pushing Vika out of the way, Viktor lured the bear away from her, barely dodging massive claws as it swung at him. A stumble caused him to faceplant into a snowdrift that had formed against the trunk of a tree. The bear closed in and raised its paw to deal the final blow and the tiny ninja threw his arm over his face, hoping it would be over quickly. But as he waited with bated breath, nothing ever came. Taking the risk, he lowered his arm to see the bear retreating quickly, rushing back to its cubs.

"I scared it off, Viktor! I forced a cub to call out for help to lure it back. Wasn't that so cool?!" Vika bounced excitedly as she pulled her stunned friend from the drift.

He gave a bitter smile at the memory; that girl was never afraid of anything, not even a dangerous mother bear. With his hand he brushed some freshly fallen snow from her headstone before placing the flowers. With a small prayer, he sat, reminiscing about the friendship they had forged over the years. Vika was an unusual ninja in regard to her appearance; instead of the clear blue eyes that all villagers had, hers had a whitish tint to them, reminding him of the tip of a deep glacier. Auburn hair accentuated her deep eyes, making her a rare beauty in the clan. Many suitors tried for her hand but were turned down instantly, the woman showing no interest in their attempts. She would always complain to Viktor, mocking the many suitors by making faces and imitating their voices. It always made him laugh as she re-enacted the moments, playing both parts. Little things like that had made them close, an unbreakable bond forming strong and true.

"It will not ever be the same without you. YA lyublyu tebya." I love you.

Brushing off the falling snow from his lap as he stood, Viktor slowly made his way back to the center of the village, hands stuffed into his pockets as he walked. He had been summoned to the temple once more, most likely for another mission. Since they had returned, the Elder's relieved him temporarily of his duties to mourn and heal the loss. It would take months, years, before the grief would lessen, but sitting around wallowing in self-pity wasn't going to accomplish anything, especially when he had a certain witch to take care of. She had holed up deep in the mountainside, in a cavern that expanded the entire length of the village, to continue releasing madness. Ametrine had tasked a few ninjas with spreading small vials of the stuff to nearby villages. While he had never seen the vials leaving the cave, he had witnessed people wandering sluggishly along the outside boundaries of the settlement. They never responded to anything and appeared to be under a trance as they trudged through the snow.

What unnerved him was that fact that months ago, he had encountered a man in the forest who had acted similarly to these people. The blackness of his eyes and decaying stench of his mouth still tore him from his slumber, sheer panic coursing through his veins as his eyes darted around his hut. The madness…was it sending him a message? A warning that the arrival of the Reaper was near?

Those who meddle outside the laws of God shall face the wrath of the Reaper. There is no redemption for those who break the sacred law. You have been warned.

A chill ran up his spine at the memory. He refused to tell the Elders about what he had seen, wary that panic would spread through the village, so he kept the haunting scene to himself. He wondered if Maka Albarn was the reaper the voice mentioned; she was a wielder of a Death Scythe who had supernatural powers that could defeat the madness. Perhaps he would ask her the next time they met.

As the temple came into view, Viktor shoved the thoughts to the back of his mind, preparing to receive his next orders. The same guards as last time shifted aside to allow him entrance, void eyes staring at nothingness. Warmth greeted him as he left his shoes just inside the doorway, sliding into the thin slippers before making his way to the reading fire once more. This time, it was only Flyorova seated a little way from the snapping flames, her eyes glassed over as she stared blankly at them. She had taken the death hard; it was unknown to most, mainly just the elderly villagers knew, but Vika was the niece of the highest ranking Elder. The two were very close, often spending a few hours a week talking over tea and catching up with one another.

As Viktor sat down, the Elder snapped from her trance and glanced over at him, waving off his attempt to bow. "Viktor…how are you holding up?"

"As well as I can, Elder, what of you?" She sadly shook her head, eyes watering.

"My heart aches for my flesh and blood, though I can take some comfort that she is no longer suffering. Tell me, was her passing swift?"

"By the time I had reached her, she had inhaled a lot of fumes. She passed shortly after I reached her. I was unaware she was in the office…if I had known…"

"Stop," Flyorova held a hand up, silencing him. "No one could have known. There was always the risk…a risk I wish would never exist, but destiny cannot be swayed from her path." "All we can do now is move forward in her honor. I know she would have wanted you to keep living your life…that is all we can do now. Move forward."

A few tears slipped from the corner of her eyes and she let them.

It was silent for a few minutes, the crackling of the fire filling the emptiness of the temple air. Once she had composed herself, the Elder shifted on her cushion to face him, tired eyes searching his own. Despite the enormous amount of grief hanging between them, business continued on as usual.

"Viktor, we have heard news that the meister Maka Albarn has returned to Innopolis in search of more clues to our whereabouts. The witch Ametrine has offered her assistance this time, sending ahead a few hundred smaller Kishins to ambush her. Your mission…your mission is to ensure she does not make it this far. There is one woman still alive in the town, Nadia, a former desk clerk at the Inn where they stayed weeks ago. We want you to turn her into a pre-Kishin in front of the meister to deter her from investigating further. I know with Vika's recent passing that this will be hard…it is not something I would wish upon anyone, DWMA student or enemy, but Ametrine has strongly suggested such a tactic." The Elder swallowed hard, her emotions surfacing once more as she reached out to grab his hands tightly. "Please, do not harm the girl. She has a strong spirit and I fear the witch is using us to get rid of her. From the stories I have heard, she is a fierce fighter just like our Vika. We may need her on our side if the fire reading was correct."

"I will do my best not to harm the girl, I swear on my life." Viktor grabbed her hands back tightly. "Against the last pre-Kishin…I believe she will suffer from the strong effects of the madness. Her ability to use black blood and control its madness is impressive, but the density that Ametrine is unleashing…it is unlike anything I have felt before. I have fears that she will toss our people aside as she reaches for her goal, no matter how many lives must be laid down for it. Do not trust her word."

"I will take your warning to heart; I trust your judgement." The middle-aged woman gave a small smile before releasing his grasp, twisting to reach something beside her. "Give this to the girl if the effects are too strong, they will hold off the symptoms for a few hours. There are only ten doses in here, warn her to use them wisely."

Viktor took the small wooden box from her, lightly tracing the ancient writing carved on top. With a bow, he stood and hesitated before walking away, a thought stopping him.

"What did the fire reading tell you, Elder? Does it have to do with that girl?" There was pregnant pause and he almost backtracked his questions, turning to speak when she cleared her throat.

"'Those who meddle outside the laws of God shall face the wrath of the Reaper. There is no redemption for those who break the sacred law. You have been warned.'"

"T-those words…" Viktor choked out, fully turning to face the woman with wide eyes. "They…I have heard those words before. A dying man in the forest, months ago. Madness spewed from his mouth as if he were possessed…those exact words…"

"Then what the fire speaks is true. We will require that girl's assistance; protect her with your life, Viktor." Viktor bowed before leaving and Flyorova gave a heavy sigh as it sunk in; the gods were punishing them for their sins.

For hundreds of years, the clan had been experimenting with Asura's madness as written in their ancient tomes. But at what cost? Countless lives had been sacrificed during the Kishins uprising in hopes of aiding his conquest to spread madness over the globe. They soon learned shortly afterwards that Lord Death had sealed the Kishin below the ground, putting an end to his reign of terror. Eight hundred years later, the seals were broken and the Kishin began to spread his madness throughout the lands once more. The DWMA fought bravely against him and managed to seal him once more on the moon.

Countless generations, small amounts of madness were kept beneath the village to keep the people adjusted to it in the slim chance that it would be needed once more. Ametrine arrived with her offer, displaying the raw power of the now sealed Kishin. A prophecy foretold of the revival, though it meant that more souls were needed to be collected, and how madness would seep to every corner of the Earth. Doubt began to creep into her mind the more she pondered it. What was the purpose of the ancient prophecy in this day and age? Was it really worth it? The Elder returned her gaze to the fires, the heat barely registering against her numb skin. She just hoped it wasn't all too late to stop it.

Viktor watched as the blue haired ninja moved faster than he could blink, vanishing into thin air. The pre-Kishin suddenly lurched backwards through the snow, losing its balance and crashing into the side of a building, debris exploding in every direction. Much like how he himself was trained, he was using his deeply rooted skills, eliminating his breath and becoming one with the shadows. If it were any other reason the two had met, surely their battle would have been one told for generations to come. The stories he had read were true then; Black Star, the last of the Star Clan, aiming to surpass God as a human. No, Viktor thought, as he watched the creature be beaten and pushed back with no visible attacker; he was sure the ninja had surpassed God. Glancing to his left, he noticed the meister was still on the ground, the contents of her stomach having been emptied in front of her. Flyorova's hunch seemed to be correct the more he studied her; though she was shaking violently in the snow, her chest heaving as she gasped for air, there was something about the girl that did remind him of Vika.

"Death Scythe Soul 'Eater' Evans," Viktor watched as the weapon's head shot up, blood red eyes glaring heavily at him. "Give her one of these to subside the effects of the madness controlling her. It will last a few hours, give or take." With a quick wrist flick, the box flung towards the weapon who caught it with ease. His glare softened as he sent a questioning look to the ninja, guard still raised.

"What exactly is this?"

"Medicine, from the Elder. Believe it or not, we do not wish harm upon you or your friends. We fear a war may be brought upon my people and only your meisters skill will be enough to defeat the witch Ametrine." Soul glanced down at the box, then Maka, before back at him, red staring into honest cerulean.

"Ametrine…so she's working for you then? Why should we trust you if you two are working together?" The hostility was back and then ninja wanted to release a heavy sigh. An expected response at the wrong timing.

"According to our ancient prophecy, our clan aided the Kishin Asura in his quest for world madness. For what reason, we do not know or understand. But after he was sealed, we hid away our research deep beneath the village. Though there was some madness left over, it was used mainly to adjust the people to the sensation. Now that the madness has returned, we question the methods being used by Ametrine. I fear she shall kill the villagers, much like she has killed my love, Vika." Viktor clenched his fist as he looked away from the weapon, eyes tracing Black Star's invisible attacks.

Soul could almost see the sadness and grief behind his hard eyes, the sensation all too close to home. With careful movements, he opened the lid of the decorative box. Ten small dark green orbs sat carefully aligned, nestled atop a cream silk-like material. They were about the size of small marbles as the weapon grabbed one between his fingers, examining it with caution. Taking one last glance at the motionless ninja, he held the orb in one hand while carefully lifting Maka's head up. Was there any other option at this point? Either let her continue to suffer or take a gamble the ninja before him was honestly trying to help.

"Maka, here, you need to eat this." The meister slightly shook her head, eyes wild and face flushed as she struggled for air. "This will stop everything, I promise. Please,"

Maka glanced at the orb briefly, rationality fighting with the demon inside of her, before shakily lifting a hand to grab it. Before she could, Soul held it up to her lips and popped it into her mouth, tilting her head back so she could swallow it. After some dry heaving, the meister scrunched her face as she forced it down, coughing as it went down. Viktor waited for the effects to kick in, curious to know if it would actually work. Minutes seemed to pass before it kicked in. The meister had evened her breathing and was even sitting up on her own, black dress reverting back to thick winter clothing.

"W-what the hell was that," Maka breathed as she felt her mind returning to normal, the fear suppressed. In shock, she turned to look at Soul, relief written all over his face. "Soul? What was that thing? How did it stop the effects so quickly?"

"You'll have to thank your ninja friend for that. Said it would combat the effects of the Kishins madness." He pressed his forehead against hers, letting out a held breath. "Scared the shit outta me, Maka, don't do that anymore or my hair will turn even whiter."

"I'd be impressed to see that," She gave a weak smile before pulling away, turning to look for the ninja. There was still distrust against the mysterious man; he did try to kill her with shuriken after all.

He was still stationary on the broken roof, his eyes unreadable, though it seemed his tense posture had loosed slightly.

"Yo, asshole," Black Star's shout diverted everyone's attention to him. He was standing in front of the defeated Kishin, its body turning into a thick cloud of particles. "We ain't done yet. You're the one who hurt Maka in the first place and I'm gonna kick yer ass!"

"B-Black Star, wait—!" Maka's protest went unheard as the two ninjas clashed violently.

"I don't think we should intervene in this fight," Soul muttered as the sound of metal scraping echoed loudly in the bare forest. "Can you stand?"

"Y-yeah, I think so." With a grunt and a helping arm, Maka stood. "Looks like they've taken their fight out of the city."

Soul groaned and slid a hand down his face, suddenly noticing the dozens of warped faces staring them down with hunger. "Uh…we've still got some company." Maka turned to face the hoard with a twitching eye, jaw tightening. He could've at least taken out the others in his rage. Why did he leave her so many pre-Kishins?!

"Motherfucking Black Star!"

Black Star hit him with everything he had and then some. The rage fueling him propelled him forward, locking blades with the mysterious ninja, eyes murderous. The look he received back was neutral, the crystal blue eyes portraying no emotion. They pushed apart before launching again, blades clanging and scraping together loudly.

"Tell me why you sent that thing after Maka!" Black Star yelled as he swung his foot out, the attack dodged easily. "Do you know badly that fucked her up? She had nightmares for a week about that creature killing her in different ways and you just let it attack her!" He sidestepped a katana aimed for his side, swinging Tsubaki down hard towards his head.

"It was not me who sent it, but the witch Ametrine. My mission was only to observe and not intervene. I will not disobey a direct order from the Elders."

Viktor twisted in the air, his foot catching the smaller ninjas side and sending him careening towards a tree. With a quick flip, Black Star pushed off from the tree, sword held low as he shot back. This tactic was nothing new for the frozen tundra ninja who had mastered counterattacking and with a split-second margin of error, ducked backwards and plunged his blade upwards. He knew something wasn't right when there was no resistance as the metal pierced skin, quickly rolling out of the way as another copy of the blue-haired ninja aimed for his neck.

"Ametrine? So, there is a connection between you and the witches like we thought." Tsubaki spoke firmly, the shadow twitching restlessly around her meisters neck. "Is she the one creating these creatures or has your clan resumed its ancient prophecy?"

"You have read of my clans past, a smart idea." Viktor widened his stance as the two stared each other down, blades drawn to their centers. "Although my clan has a history of experimenting with the madness, what that witch is doing now is nothing but for her own good." Venom oozed from every word and the meister loosened his grip ever so slightly.

"What, you're saying you don't like what's she doing even though you invited her in? What kinda bullshit is that?" Viktor narrowed his eyes, averting them somewhere behind his foe.

"I have never had a good feeling about her, and my hatred grows even more so since she killed Vika with the very madness she has unleashed. She should have been left to rot in that jail cell in the Witches Realm."

"You. Let. Her. OUT!" Black Star roared before launching into the air, Infinity Sword activating. "What the fuck is wrong with you damned ninjas?! You released probably the most powerful witch in existence!"

Calculating the blades' attack path, Viktor dodged them all, sprinting around their impact points with precise footwork. A shadow appeared overhead, and he jumped backwards just as the angry meister slammed the sword down where he stood a moment ago.

"I will not disobey the orders from my Elders, whether or not I believe it is wrong!" Viktor suddenly shouted back, his patience wearing thin. Between his grieving and heavy suspicions of the flaming haired witch, he was tired; beyond tired, to the point where he wanted to lay down his weapon and walk away. "I follow my orders as given; I do not question the wisdom of those above me. I do not approve of what has been decided, especially since it took the life of someone close to me. I wish to take the head of that serpent even if it costs me my last breath."

The two stood facing one another again, panting heavily. The meister stood tall, studying the formidable man before him with hidden feelings. With a quick release of his fingers, Tsubaki transformed back and looked between the two with her arms wrapped around her waist.

"You're…not working together? Wait, what the fu—" Black Star bit his tongue at the sharp look from his weapon, clenching his jaw as he scuffed some snow with his boot. "Don't trust what he says, Tsubaki. After what he did to Maka—"

"Please, can you tell us what's going on? We can possibly work together to take her down." Tsubaki moved to stand in the center of them both, pleading dark eyes searching hard icy ones. "She nearly killed Maka a few weeks ago, so we have our reason for going after her. And it sounds like you do too…it would be beneficial to join together instead of killing one another off, something Ametrine is probably anticipating."

"Not here. Not now. The forest has many eyes and ears. There is somewhere I must go tonight, to meet with someone important. Shinigami wa yokoku sa rete itanode, jōju shinakereba narimasen. Nantō ni mukai, kawa o saigomade susumi, sokode aimashou." Viktor popped from existence, leaving the meister weapon duo alone in the middle of the forest. Silence filled the air as the DWMA graduates tried to comprehend everything that just happened.

"Uhhhh, you wanna translate?" Black Star strolled up to his partner, scratching his head as he looked at her motionless form. After a few seconds he leaned towards her face, waving a hand in front of her eyes. "'baki?"

Tsubaki stared at the space where the ninja once stood, eyes widened. She didn't hear anything but the first sentence repeating over and over, the meaning sounding ominous, a chill running down her spine. It wasn't until blue hair crossed her vision that she snapped out of it, staring right into her meisters face so close that a sudden movement forward would close the gap between their lips. Blushing furiously, the weapon quickly took a step back, placing a hand over her racing heart.

"S-sorry! It's just…what he said, the first sentence. I wasn't aware he spoke Japanese, but I guess it makes sense in a way, being a ninja after all." Tsubaki blurted out nervously, twisting her hands tightly in front of her. It was a bad habit that had stuck with her all these years whenever she was nervous. Large, calloused hands suddenly covered her own, gently untangling them from one another and holding them gently. Looking up, she locked eyes with Black Star.

"Tsubaki, what did he say? Did he insult you in any way? If he did, I'll hunt him down and—"

"No, no, nothing like that! It's…what he said. It translates roughly to 'The Reaper has been foretold, so it shall be fulfilled.' And the other half was directions to the meeting point tonight. Is he talking about Kid? Seeing as he is the Reaper…or is he talking about someone else? I'm just puzzled by it all, that's all." She bit her lip to stop her blabbing, cheeks on fire as she tried to avoid his heavy gaze. Too close! Too close!

Black Star studied her face for a few moments, feeling the nervousness in her soul. With a forced sigh, the ninja leaned back with his hands on his hips.

"We can figure it all out later, for now let's get back to Maka. She's probably pissed I left her with all those creatures…" Tsubaki snapped her head up, eyes wide.

"Oh no, we didn't think to take them out! Hurry, Black Star—" A hand ruffled her hair and the weapon stopped to look at her meister, confusion filling her orbs as he smiled widely at her.

"She'll be fine; isn't she the toughest meister we know? Soul won't let anything happen to her, not when he's so helplessly in love with her." Black Star started walking away, stuffing his hands into his pockets. His weapon followed after a few steps, hurrying to keep pace.

"I'd never let anything happen to you either, Tsubaki. I swear." He whispered the last part, the howling winds swiftly carrying the words away.