Soul Eater: Resonance Regression — Heir to the Reaper - Baba Yaga's Castle — Trap of Memory Devouring

Something deep in his chest pulsed. Once. Hard. The black blood ached. Soul Eater walked the halls of Death Weapon Meister Academy, a toothpick-like stick between his lips. The silver of his hair caught the thin evening light from the windows. One month since Arachne fell. The message on his phone. "I'll be taking your memories — Anamnesis." Those words clung to the back of his eyelids and wouldn't let go. (The future's changed.) (The layout of that castle. The number of enemies.) (It's not the future I know.) Soul clenched his fist. His nails bit into his palm. "Soul!" He turned. Maka Albarn came trotting up, beige twin-tails swaying. Her green eyes locked straight onto him. "Ready to go?" "...Yeah." "Kinda nervous, huh?" Her lips curved, just slightly. "Though with you along, I figure we'll be fine." "...Yeah." (We won't be fine.) (This time, I don't know what's coming.) (What I know about the future might not hold.) The two headed for the main gate. The others were already gathered. "You're late, Soul Eater!" Black Star bellowed it. The star mark on his head glinted in the sunset. Beside him stood Tsubaki Nakatsukasa, quiet, her long black hair in a ponytail. "Sorry. We took a little too long getting ready." "Tsubaki, you got nothing to apologize for." "But you almost made us late, Black Star." "Shut it! I'm a big man! Time works around me!" Soul sighed quietly at Black Star's puffed-up chest. "Soul Eater. Maka Albarn. You're late." A quiet voice. Death the Kid stood there — three white lines on the right of his black hair, yellow eyes fixed on the two of them. "Are you prepared?" "...Yeah." "Then good." Beside him, blonde Liz and Patty, clutching a yellow crayon. "Hey, Kid. Are we really going?" "That castle looks like it's got ghosts. I hate it." "Scared of ghosts, Liz?" "Aren't you, Patty?" "Nope! 'Cause I'm stronger than any ghost!" "...I don't think that's the point." "Liz. Patty. Enough chatter." Kid gripped the handles of his twin pistols, checking them. "We're heading to Baba Yaga's castle. Don't let your guard down." "I know." "Okaaay!" Soul glanced at Kid's profile. (In the future, this mission got Kid swallowed by the Book of Eibon.) (But he escaped on his own.) (What happens this time?) Something stirred in his chest. "Let's go." "Yeah!" "Right." The seven of them set off through the twilight city. Past the main gate. The town lights fell away, one by one. The sky darkened. Stars began to blink. Baba Yaga's castle moves. No one knows exactly where. Lord Death's orders had narrowed it to an approximate location. "Past that forest, right?" Black Star pointed. "...Yeah." (In the future, the castle was beyond this forest.) (But this time — who knows.) They entered the woods. The trees swallowed the sky. Moonlight leaked through in thin slivers. "Dark, isn't it?" "It's fine. I'm here." "...Yeah." Maka smiled, small. "You say stuff like that sometimes, you know." "...Do I?" "You do. But I don't mind." Her voice lifted, just a little. "...I see." (I'll protect Maka.) (No matter what.) Maybe an hour passed. "There it is!" Through a gap in the trees — a massive shape. A sinister black castle loomed against the moon. "...Big." (Same as the future.) (But the inside might be different.) "We're going in." "Listen. No carelessness. This castle is crawling with traps and kin." "I know already! Let's move!" Black Star took the lead. "W-wait, Black Star!" Tsubaki scrambled after him. "...Still impatient as ever." Black Star laid a hand on the great iron door. With a heavy groan, it swung open. Inside was pitch black. "Maka, light." "Yeah." Maka pulled out a lantern. She murmured something about turning her soul wavelength into light, and a soft glow spread. A wide stone chamber. Sinister patterns on the walls. "...Creepy." "Definitely ghosts." "It's okay, Liz. I'll protect you!" Patty clung to Liz's arm. "Move." Kid raised his twin pistols. "The first floor is a nest of Madness-corrupted dead. There are many. Be careful." "Yeah!" The seven advanced slowly. —Then. "GYAAAAAAH!" A human-shaped monster burst from the shadows of the wall. A former human, stripped of reason. One of the corrupted dead. "Here they come! Leave it to me! I'm a big man!" Black Star lunged and swung at the dead. One blow sent it flying. "Hahaha! Small fry!" "GYAAAAAAH!" More and more poured out. "What—!? Hey, hey, there's way too many!" (In the future, there weren't this many.) (More than double.) (It's different from the future.) (So history really is changing.) "Maka, resonance!" "Yeah!" Maka took Soul's hand. In an instant, his body was wrapped in light and transformed into a great scythe. Maka gripped the handle. "Soul resonance...! Witch Hunter!" A blade of light cut through the dead. "GYAAAAAAH!" "But there's still more!" "Yeah, I know. I'll guide you. Match my wavelength." "...Yeah!" —Then. "Kyaa!" Liz's scream. A dead one had grabbed her leg. "Let go!" She fired her pistol. It didn't let go. "Liz!" Kid rushed over, and his pistols blazed. The dead one blew apart. "You okay, Liz!?" "...Yeah, somehow." Blood ran down the leg she stood on. "You're hurt." "This much is nothing." "But it'll slow you down." "...Sorry." "Don't apologize. It's not your fault." (In the future, Liz and Patty both came out unhurt.) (This time, they're both wounded.) (What's going on?) "Soul! More coming from over there!" "Witch Hunter!" The blade of light mowed the dead down. "We're opening a path!" Maka ran. Soul's wavelength supported her movement. "Haaaaaah! Witch Hunter — Six-Letter Reaper!" Six blades of light tore through the horde. The dead vanished all at once. "Now! Go!" "Yeah!" "Run!" The seven sprinted through and broke past the first floor. Up the stairs. Second floor. The corridor of traps. "Watch it. From here it's nothing but traps." "I know." Maka stepped carefully. —Click. "!?" "Get down!" Maka dropped flat. An arrow hissed past her hair. "Close one! ...Sorry." "Don't apologize. I'm glad you're okay." His voice shook, just slightly. (In the future, this trap wasn't here.) (So everything's changed after all.) (The enemy placements. The traps.) (My knowledge is useless now.) "...Soul." Maka peered at his face, worried. "You okay?" "...Yeah. Fine." "But you've looked pale this whole time." "Just your imagination." "...Really?" "Really." Soul looked away. (I can't tell Maka.) (That I have memories of the future.) (That history is changing.) The seven moved carefully through the second floor. They dodged trap after trap. But traps that weren't in the future kept appearing. "Damn it, there's no end to this!" "Just a little more. Hold out." Third floor. The memory-eating kin. Artificial monsters. "Here they come! Maka, raise the resonance!" "Witch Hunter!" The blade of light cut a kin apart. But it regenerated instantly. "It's not working!?" "These things are weak to light. Maka, focus your wavelength into light!" "Into light... focus...! Witch Hunter — U-Shape Reaper!" A U-shaped blade of light carved the kin apart. It dissolved. "Got it!" "Not yet! More coming!" "Kid, us too!" "Yeah! Execution Mode!" Bullets of light pierced the kin. "Black Star, you too!" "Yeah! I'm a big man! I surpass the gods! Shadow☆Star, First Form — 'Chain Black'!" Black chains lashed around the kin. "Not bad!" "Of course! I'm a big man!" —Then. "UWAAAAAAH!" Kid's scream. A black shadow had coiled around his leg. "What is this!? Let go!" He fired. The shadow held. "Damn it! I'm depressed! I'll die!" "Kid, I'm coming!" "Liz, stay back! This is... the Book of Eibon!" An ancient grimoire floated before Kid. The Book of Eibon. "The book... it's trying to swallow Kid!" "Kid!" Liz reached out. She couldn't reach. "Damn it...! Help me... Soul!" Kid's body was pulled into the book. He left a cry of anguish behind — and then he was gone. "Kid...!" "Kid got eaten by the book!" Patty burst into tears. "...Damn it!" He slammed his fist into the floor. (In the future, Kid escaped on his own.) (But this time it's different.) (Kid asked for help.) (Different from the future.) —A voice came from the book. "...At last we meet, son of the Reaper." A low, sinister voice. "Who's there!?" "I'll be taking your memories." The voice laughed. (An enemy that wasn't in the future.) (The founder of the Anamnesis cult.) "Maka! Raise our resonance to the max! We're jumping into the book!" "What—!? But how...?" "I'll make the path. You ride my wavelength in!" "...Got it! Soul resonance... maximum output!" Their souls resonated hard. Light burst — and Soul and Maka dove into the book. —Inside the book. A space where countless fragments of memory drifted. Blue light. White mist. An eerie place that went on forever. "Where is this...?" "Inside the Book of Eibon." "Where's Kid...?" "...There!" Far off — Kid. Tangled in black shadow, suffering. "UAAAAAAH!" (It overlaps with the future — Kid, drowning in madness.) (Back then too, Kid was suffering.) (And I couldn't do a thing.) "Soul! Let's go!" "...Yeah!" "Kid!" "...Soul. Sorry... I'm a burden to you again..." "What're you talking about! I'm getting you out now! Maka, find that shadow's weak point!" "...Yeah!" Maka closed her eyes. Soul perception — her power to sense wavelengths even inside a magic field. "...Found it! There's a core at the center of that shadow! Aim for it!" "Got it! Resonance to max! Turn my wavelength into light!" "Witch Hunter — Scythe-Fang Slash!" The blade of light carved through the shadow's core. With a snap, the shadow burst. "GYAAAAAAH!" "Kid! Grab on!" "...Yeah!" Kid seized Soul's hand. "We're getting out! Maka, the exit!" "Witch Hunter!" The blade of light split the space, and the three were wrapped in light. —The castle's fourth floor. "Whoa!" They tumbled onto the floor. "...We're back." "Soul! You okay?" "...Yeah. Where's Kid...?" "Here." Kid rose slowly. "...So I was saved. Sorry, Soul. Maka. Because I was so useless..." "Don't sweat it. I'm glad you're safe." "...Yeah." Kid smiled faintly. "Kid! You okay!?" Liz and Patty came running. "Yeah. I'm fine." "Thank goodness..." Tears welled in Liz's eyes. "Kid, welcome back!" Patty threw herself onto him. "...Yeah. I'm home." Kid stroked Patty's head. —Then. "...How dare you take my prey." Soul spun around. A black shadow stood there. A copy of the Memory Eater. "You're...!" "Soul Eater." The shadow looked at Soul. "I'll be taking your memories. Next time — all of them." The shadow laughed. In that instant, deep in Soul's chest, the black blood throbbed violently. "Gh...!" He clutched his chest. "Soul!?" "...I'm fine." He forced a smile. The shadow vanished. "...It's gone." "Soul." Maka peered into his face. "You're hiding something, aren't you." Her voice trembled. "...I'm not hiding anything." He looked away. "Liar. You've been off this whole time. That shadow said 'your memories.' What do you know?" Maka grabbed his arm. "...I don't know anything." Soul shook her hand off. "Soul! Don't carry it all alone!" Tears in Maka's eyes. "...Sorry, Maka." (Like I could tell you.) (That I came from the future.) (That I came back to protect you.) "...We're going back." He turned his back. "Soul..." Maka murmured, small. —The return from the castle. Lord Death's office. "...I see." Lord Death nodded quietly. "So the Memory Eater was lurking inside the Book of Eibon." "Yes. Kid was pulled into the book, and Soul and I rescued him." "...I see. The Memory Eater... the Anamnesis cult's existence is confirmed." Lord Death closed his eyes. "They target the me

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Episode 6

Name: Soul Eater: Resonance Regression — Heir to the Reaper
Author: Novelia

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