Blossom or Wilt? ~ A Soul Eater Fanfiction

56. An Ultimate Sacrifice?

Devy leaned against the doorframe, almost casually, and twirled a curling lock of dark hair around her finger. Her eyes were the same indigo Mifune remembered, but they seemed tired, worn out. She cackled, walking to where the pair of teachers stood, a necklace glinting at her throat.

Stein kept a hand on the samurai’s shoulder, holding him back as he began to lunge at her.

“Wait,” the doctor commanded.

The witch seemed shorter, but her sinister smile was still plastered on her face. She shot Mifune a grin and flipped her silky hair behind her.

“Hello, dear samurai,” she turned to Stein, “doctor.”

Stein glowered at her. “Devy. What brings you to the DWMA?”

She raised her hands over her head, as if in surrender. “I’ve come to strike a deal.”

“We don’t make bargains with the wicked,” Mifune said, making an odd noise in the back of his throat.

“What ever happened to that little treaty with Medusa?” she sing-songed.

“Never again,” Stein stated tersely.

Devy shrugged. “Alright. Well, I suppose I’ll just have to kill you then.”

Stein smirked. “How intimidating. Listen here, Devy, I won’t let you hurt me again, and I know Mifune feels the same. We both have families to get back to, after,” he paused, “we kill you.”

Devy tapped her chin, turning to Mifune. “You better cross two people off your list of family members,” she murmured. “Mariko already killed your unborn son, and then Logan stabbed your wife. Actually,” she fiddled idly with her necklace, “I have her soul right here.”

On closer inspection, Mifune realized it wasn’t a necklace she was wearing, but a small vial on a chain. A vial that held a shrunken, pulsing soul. It was a bright, blinding blue, with a few chips on the edges, as if it had been worn down just the slightest bit. It took him some time to register what the witch had said. It was the soul of… Saki?

“What did you do to my wife? My child?” he asked, his voice cracking. Mifune felt multiple emotions at once, the most prominent one pain, but he shoved all of them down, facing the woman he loathed. 

“Well, your child is dead. As I said, Mariko killed him. Don’t you listen? Saki is dead as well.”

“I don’t believe you,” he snarled, gripping his katana with shaking hands. “I don’t believe you!”

Mifune ran at her, Stein immediately following. The samurai’s yellow tape flew around them, boxing them off, and his swords scattered themselves with a flick of his wrist. He held up a hand, signaling for Stein to wait. The doctor did, skidding to a halt.

Mifune then began the attack he had used on BlackStar not so long ago, counting off the swords that landed in her one at a time. She merely cackled, and let him continue. He didn’t bother figuring out why. He was on a roll. “Stein! Use the last sword to hit her with your wavelength, and the others will all react, alright?”

“Alright.” The professor did as told, and a bright silver aura bounced from Devy. She was still laughing, an evil, malicious sound. “You can’t kill me with that!” she shouted from the inside of he sword-like prison. “Especially not when the precious life of your love rests with me.”

Mifune’s eyes widened, and with a sweeping move of his hand, the attack ceased. “What?”

Devy soothed down her rumbled dress, and cleared her throat. Blood ran freely down her body, but she ignored it. “Well, I still have her soul, you see. I can still revive her, but for the ultimate price.”

“A life for a life,” Stein muttered. “That has been done in the past, someone dying for another. I have preformed the surgery once, in fact..." he trailed off. "Are you asking him to die for her? Because you know he will.”

Mifune shot him a look, but didn’t deny his words. He would die for her. In a heartbeat. “Is that what you’re asking?”

“Yes.”

“Then I’ll do it,” he said.

“Well, I never said I’d let you,” she clicked her tongue. “Because, see, then you’d win.”

“What?”

“If you kill me, her soul is destroyed. If I kill you for her life, she’ll still be here to defeat me. I don’t have to do anything, and you can’t hurt me.”

“How can I believe you?” Mifune interjected. “How can I be sure that is her soul?”

Devy sighed. “I knew you’d say that." She pulled herself up a bit straighter. “Well, here’s your proof.” An orb flew to her hand, and it played back footage like a movie. Saki was slumped against the wall of their kitchen, her lips parted, as if in shock, as blood trickled down her neck. Her stomach was completely flat as well, and Mifune knew what that meant. Devy was telling the truth--they were both dead.

But it was Mariko had lied.

They weren’t truly immortal.

And she had killed his son.

“What do you want?” Mifune whispered, defeated.

“Mifune!” Stein exclaimed, shocked. “Don’t let her get to you!”

“I can’t,” he said, turning to the professor. “Don’t you see? I can’t lose her.”

Devy laughed again. She seemed to be finding this quite amusing. “I want my daughter.”

It was tempting. The offer was so tempting, that Mifune could see him handing the girl over, and having his love back. Mariko had betrayed them, after all. How hard could it be?

Only, what would Saki say?

She would say to never give into evil; that she had died for a good cause.

That he should get off his ass and beat the damn witch.

So, he did.

He charged at her, the older witch caught off guard, thinking he was about to surrender. Stein caught on, punching her square in the gut and using the technique he had used on Medusa, freezing her with his wavelength. Devy’s lips parted in surprise, and her mouth barely moved when she spoke. “You’d be willing to give up your wife’s life for the cause? How sweet.”

Mifune grinned. He faced the back of Devy, and his sword was raised, ready to strike. “I told you I’d die for her, remember that? But, I’d also kill for her.”

The katana he had been holding sliced the woman in two, and Stein unlatched his grip, the witch plummeting to the floor. Her blood began seeping onto the ground in a glorious puddle, and even though Mifune should’ve been happy--he wasn’t. He couldn’t be.

“Mifune…” Stein began, laying a hand on his shoulder.

“Don’t,” Mifune snapped. “Go. Go home to your wife, and celebrate.”

“Mifune…” he tried again.

“Don’t," the samurai all but pleaded, the tears welling in his eyes. “I need to be alone.”

“Mifune,” he finally got the words in, “her soul. It’s still here.”

And it was. It floated in the center of the room, amidst the blood of the enemy. Mifune sloshed through the dark substance, a determined look on his face. When he reached where Saki’s soul lie, he clutched the beating orb to his chest, letting out an open sob.

“It’s not over,” Stein assured him. “We could save her.”

“We can?” the samurai turned to him, in utter disbelief.

“For the ultimate sacrifice. A life for a life,” the doctor explained. "I know how to do the surgery, remember?"

“Well, then it’s a no-brainer. Take my life.”

But it wasn’t Mifune who spoke.

It was Kota.