Soul Eater but it's Sonic

Chapter 43

Blaze's windpipe closed up involuntarily once fear took over. She was too afraid to move, so she looked on with her soul perception instead. Knowing it was only an after-image of Black Doom gave her little comfort. Silver found himself in a similar boat. The dark witch turned to meet Eggman's look-alike.

"We are," Black Doom's words manifest in the form of an unholy rasp. The words oozed creepily from the witches mouth, which was a stationary orifice that more closely resembled a wound than lips. Silver and Blaze were caught off guard by his voice. They shuddered. "But that's not to say I don't appreciate you agreeing to the ceasefire,"

"I'm expecting you to hold up your end," The human replied shortly.

"Of course,"

Black Doom began leading the way when everything flickered. Both figures vanished, leaving Silver and Blaze alone in the decaying pantheon.

"No!"

Blaze moved her head frantically, hoping to find where Black Doom might reappear. Time passed, but the world stayed desolate for longer than it had been before. Silver watched his meister's body flicker like it were a digital image. He saw the same thing happen when he examined his own hand. They stabilized shortly.

"Blaze, we're running out of time,"

Blaze took the timer from her pocket. "We have thirteen minutes left. Getting here took less than ten. If we take just a few more minutes we can easily make it out in time,"

The world brightened again. The buildings were repaired, but Black Doom and the other man weren't around.

Silver sighed. "We'll check if they're nearby. If we don't find them soon, we're leaving,"

"Okay. Let's split up!"

Blaze took off in a sprint. Several Black Arm weapons entered her path, but she didn't hesitate to run through them. Her heart pounded while her eyes cut across this place in search of Black Doom. Her fear had gone. She was now teeming with the desire for knowledge. It was as if she could sense the power of the secret lying within this cursed place.

Silver's distant voice came from above.

"Blaze, over here!"

The princess found him floating beside the main building. She darted over without hesitation. "Did you find them?"

Blaze let out an "Eep!" when she was lifted off the ground. She drifted up the side of the main tower along with Silver. Both landed on a sprawling balcony.

"Don't just pick me up so suddenly like that," Blaze muttered, fussing with her suit.

This floor of the tower was much more open than the rest of the building. Pillars stood in place of closed-off walls, allowing the sun's warm light to fill the room. The entirety of the city was clearly visible.

"That's them," Silver stated.

Black Doom and the human man were standing around a wide table in the center of the room. The human reached inside his cloak and released a soul into the air. Although Blaze couldn't sense the soul, its powerful purple glow suggested that it had come from a witch.

"I really crossed a line getting this. I'll have to appease the Grand Witch at some point,"

"Excellent," Black Doom plucked the magical soul out of the air and tucked it into the sleeve of his robe. The witch waved his hand through the air. A leather briefcase was coaxed off of a nearby shelf. It floated onto the table.

"Here you are, Gerald,"

Gerald brought up a device before opening the briefcase. Inside the case was a single glass cylinder with reinforced steel clamps on each end. At the center of the cylinder was a glowing red ball. It was solid, and appeared organic. A dark membrane resembling webbing wrapped around the orb. Gerald used his device to scan it.