Soul Eater, part 3

If you have not read part 1 yet, click here.  If you have not read part 2 yet, click here.

image from: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soul_Eater_(manga)

I do not own this manga, so I will be reading fan translations online.

Every post past this point will be a spoiler, so please read ahead with caution!

Chapter nine starts us at the witch’s council meeting.  We meet Mabaa-sama, the head witch, as well as Erika the frog witch and Mizune the mouse witch. *Fun fact: nezumi means “mouse” in Japanese; this witch has helped me remember that*  The witches discussed Medusa being undercover at Shibusen, and though Mabaa-sama approved it, Erika and Mizune do not like it.  They try to corner and threaten Medusa, but she gets the upper hand and leaves.  Then we’re taken back to Shibusen where Medusa checks in on Soul Eater as the school nurse.  He keeps having this dream about a black room and a little jazz loving demon.  When he has to leave the room, he inevitably tears through Maka’s stomach, killing her.  Medusa tells him not to worry about the dream, but she makes a note that the black blood is working in his system.
While that happens, Dr. Stein gives a weird looking, normal jug to Black Star.  The jug holds kyukon water (also called soul absorption water) which can be used to train his soul in order to handle Tsubaki’s new Yohtoh mode (I think it was called Demon Blade mode before, but I’m reading fan translations, so the words change between editors).
In celebration of Black Star and Tsubaki’s first soul collection and Soul’s recovery, the teens decide to have a party at Maka and Soul’s apartment.  For whatever reason, Medusa decides to walk through the alley nearby, but she’s jumped by Erika and Mizune.  Before they can attack, however, Medusa explodes Mizune with a snake that was hidden inside of her.  Medusa planted snakes in both of them when she gained the upper hand on them at the witch’s meeting.  She can’t control the snakes necessarily, so she can stay within her soul protection, but Mizune and Erika have already removed theirs in order to attack.  With her cover blown and her best friend dead, Erika turns into a frog and escapes before Maka and Dr. Stein can show up (Soul shows up soon afterward).  Medusa keeps her cover by saying she also sensed the witches and came to the area.  I don’t think Stein believes her, however; he makes a comment that lets her know that he’s paying attention to the witch situation and to her.  Maka doesn’t notice, but she tells Stein that she’s figured out what she needs to do in order to make her soul stronger.  She’s seen how Black Star is working to train his soul, and she’s realized that she needs to do the same.
Later and elsewhere, Medusa finds Erika thanks to the snake inside of her.  She gives Erika a key and tells her to go free the 13th prisoner from the witch’s jail, the one who stole Mabaa-sama’s eye.

Chapter ten starts us in the witch’s prison where we meet the 13th prisoner known as Devil’s Eye.  Erika manages to break him out, but they quickly get found by the guards.  Now, that he’s free, Devil’s Eye kills all the guards, revealing in the process that he can use magic by chanting “wolves”.  He’s not the brightest, but he is very strong.
Back at Shibusen, Maka and Soul begin their soul training with Stein.  They’re told to sit and describe each other’s flaws.  This will either strengthen their souls or destroy their wavelength.  By the end of the session, Dr. Stein can sense that their wavelengths are weakening…
Erika brings Devil’s Eye to Medusa.  He reveals that the prison took his name -after all, he was locked up for 200 years-, so he re-names himself as Free.  Medusa asks him to take out a technician and a weapon, and he agrees to it gladly.  He dislikes Shibusen’s rules.  Medusa wants to test Soul’s new black blood, and she figures that this is the perfect way.
Soul, Maka, Black Star, and Tsubaki are in London to see if there’s anyone on Shinigami’s list.  Free appears to them almost immediately.  Black Star teams up with Tsubaki for Shadow Star mode (also known as Yohtoh, also known as Demon Blade), saying he can defeat Free in thirty seconds.  Unfortunately, he passes out in ten seconds because of the soul draining effects.  Tsubaki tried to warn him, but Black Star didn’t listen.  As Soul attacks Free, it’s revealed that Free is part of the Immortal Clan; he cannot be killed.  Maka realizes that her soul resonance attack, Witch Hunter, should be able to purify him, though!  She can’t use it, however, because she can’t even hold Soul as a scythe.  Their wavelengths are too out of sync.

Chapter eleven: Since Maka can’t carry Soul and Black Star is still out of commission, Maka teams up with Tsubaki and lets Soul act independently as support.  Even though they can work together, though, they still cannot defeat Free.  This starts an argument between Soul and Maka, but Tsubaki quickly puts them both in their places, reminding them about teamwork instead of throwing tantrums over a disagreement.  This lets them work together, but Maka’s still being hurt by Soul.  They try to resonate souls, but Soul almost loses himself to the power of the black blood; his soul tries to swallow Maka’s.  He manages to pull it together enough to get a good attack in, and they manage to hurt Free.  As the finishing blow, Maka drops Soul and tackles Free off the bridge.  Before she can fall completely, Soul manages to grab her, but Free cuts into her side.  Black Star saves the day by cutting off Free’s hand.  With a mis-cast spell, Free freezes himself and sinks into the river.  After Maka’s pulled back onto the bridge, she coughs up black blood.
Elsewhere, Chrona kills more humans.  He’s more comfortable killing people than facing or dealing with them.

Chapter twelve: There’s a test at Shibusen!  Supposedly, whoever places first can make their weapon into a death scythe.  Last year, Ox beat Maka, but this year, she’s been studying for a month.  She continues to study properly for the exam.  Soul’s busy doing something in his room to prepare for the test.  Black Star tries to study, but he keeps giving himself punishments for if he doesn’t know the material.  Since he doesn’t know the material, he just keeps working out instead of learning anything.  Kidd has decided that he doesn’t need to study because as a shinigami, he already knows everything about souls.  Liz and Patty plan to study, but Patty falls alseep, and Liz keeps getting distracted with beauty regiments.  Black Star eventually decides that he should just steal the test instead of studying.  Of course, he’s caught and punished instead.  He’s not allowed to take the test.
Just after the test starts, Soul reveals that he’s laced cheat sheets everywhere in his clothes!  He’s, of course, immediately discovered and stripped.  He’s allowed to keep taking the test, though, so he tries to cheat off Kidd who’s trying to write his name perfectly.  He keeps messing up, though, and eventually rips his paper by erasing too much.  Soul tries to cheat off of Patty, too, but she makes a giraffe out of her test papers, then proceeds to wrestle with it.
During the test preparations, Spirit sends good vibes to Maka to help her with her studying, but he keeps his distance.  He really wants his daughter to do well.  So, when it’s revealed that Maka scored the best, he asks Blair to buy her a book as a congratulations present.  He’d do it himself, but he thinks Maka wouldn’t accept it from him.  Unfortunately, Blair spends the money on herself.  Feeling bad, she shrinks the purchases to Maka’s size, adds Spirit’s note, then gives it to Maka, but it’s lingerie!  It looks like Spirit bought his daughter lingerie as a congratulation gift for doing well on the test! Dx This honestly makes me so sad for Spirit; he just wants a good relationship with his daughter again…
On a side note, we learn a few things this chapter.  Maka’s mother’s name is Kami.  Our main characters scored as follows on the test: Maka was 1st, Ox was 2nd, Tsubaki was 27th, Soul is 108th, and everyone below Soul has to take a supplementary exam.

Chapter thirteen: The town on the Baruto Sea Coast is eaten by a kokuryuu (black dragon).  Kidd, Liz, and Patty are sent to investigate this.  For some reason, they’re rowing there -and by they, I mean, Liz and Patty-, and Kidd has a costume that makes him look like a mini Shinigami-sama (so adorable!).  They quickly find that the kokuryuu is actually the ghost ship, Nizuheg.  Liz, of course, doesn’t want to get on the ship, but in her excitement, Patty crashes their row boat against the side.  Kidd admonishes her, telling her to try again and this time aim for the center.  So, she crashes their row boat in the center this time!  Liz is so distracted by their shenanigans that she gets on the ship by accident.
On the ship, they get attacked by the Wandering Dutchman who is also the Nizuheg; he and the ship are one.  He separates Liz from the group while attacking Kidd.  Patty laughs, and Kidd gets onto her.  He then realizes that he can’t use his weapons… because he won’t be symmetrical with just one of them! (Oh my God, Kidd! xD )
While Liz is slowly led back to the deck by the human souls, screaming all the way, the Wandering Dutchman tries to get Kidd to fight him.  Kidd, of course, can’t fight without Liz AND Patty.  The Dutchman mentions that the human souls are in offering to the Kishin closest to Kidd, not Chrona the upstart.  Kidd is confused (as am I), but then they start talking about their ideals for the world.  Kidd wants a world of perfect balance (I can’t say I’m surprised by this).
Now that everyone is on the deck, Chrona appears and decapitates the Wandering Dutchman.  He then has Ragnarok scream and collect all of the human souls.  Liz watches as the souls that helped her are all eaten.  With Liz back with the group, Kidd declares judgment on Chrona and prepares to fight.

That’s all I could read this time!

To read part 4, please click here.