Black Star rushes past Crona only for Maka to start beating on Crona. They launch Crona back, the pair stand face to face. Crona remains as shy as usual, Maka remains confident. They prepare for a second round as far behind them Tomoe has her sword drawn as she blocks an attack from Rats, otherwise known as an Ian Clone.

Tomoe smirks. "Who's nearby?" She mutters.

ratS takes a deep breath. "Several are. All watching. I won't hold back." He mutters.

Tomoe grins dodging a slash from a sword. "Wouldn't have it any other way."

Rats grins. "Pull me closer, you violent dancer."

"I'll show you how violent I can get." Tomoe clashes blades with ratS

The pair rush forward again fighting sword to sword. Meanwhile Stein and Spirit continue to speak with Medusa, as Stein notices Maka stop.

Spirit glances to his partner. "What's a matter Stein?"

"The plans working flawlessly. Maka is fighting the demon sword with Soul. The others are already past it. Kid leads them with Star and Matoi close behind, and Black Star coming up the rear after trying to fight the Demon Sword himself."

Medusa chuckles. "Hahaha. How sad. It looks like your precious daughter wants to get herself killed."

Spirit growls responding in weapon form. "I wouldn't underestimate my daughter, Medusa."

Medusa hums. "We shall see."

Meanwhile back with Maka, she stands in front of Crona, who I've now been informed is a Male in the anime so there's that, her scythe in front of her while Crona has Ragnarok behind himself.

Soul glances to Maka. "Hey, why are you giving him time to prepare himself."

"Well?"

Crona sighs. "Here we go." They cut their arm.

Soul readies himself. "Get ready!"

Crona throws some blood. "Bloody Slicer!" Crona attempts to use this to cut Maka who dodged then blocked a swing from Crona's blood now turned into a blade reminiscent of one Kars, that after being blocked falls apart into a liquid. That upon contact with the ground is used for a bloody needle that Maka expertly dodges. Which is quickly followed after by a Scream Resonance.

"Tell me! Why are you collecting innocent souls and reviving the Kishin, Crona?" Maka asks.

"Cuz I'm always scared. If I can get stronger and more powerful, I'll be able to deal with things better... And Lady Medusa will abandon me if I don't become a Kishin... if I don't get stronger... I'll always be  afraid... Screech Alpha!" A slash of energy erupts from the ground towards Maka who blocks it and is sent backwards.

"May I ask you something?" Stein says still in combat with Medusa. "Where did you abduct a child who became the Demon Sword meister? Your first plan was to use the demon sword to create a Kishin, wasn't it...? But now, you're more interested in reviving the Kishin sleeping under the academy. That's because your first idea isn't working out, right...? The demon sword is failing you. It shows no sign of becoming a Kishin anytime soon... So instead you risk using the black blood to wake Asura... and now you're left with a child you have no use for. It looks like your grand experiment has failed... and pretty soon everyone's going to know it. I wonder how Clarissa will react."

Medusa laughs as her only response.

"Why the laughter? Did I say something that amuses you, Medusa?"

"You really are a fool, aren't you? It may look like I've failed to you, Professor Stein... but all of my work has pertained to the black blood from the very beginning. Oh, and one other thing... another part of your theory that is completely wrong. I didn't abduct the Demon Sword meister from anywhere. You see, Crona is my own child. Born from me and one of the descendants of Alexa Star."

Crona looks towards Maka as the dust settles from his last attack. "Oh dear. You shouldn't've gotten back up." Maka runs forward attempting a slash with Soul which is blocked easily by Crona. "Why are you still so insistent on fighting me...? You're never going to win. I'm tired of trying to figure out how to deal with you." Crona attempts to stab a point of blood from his hand into Maka who avoids it just in time.

"He used his blood again." Maka mutters making distance between them.

"Cutting attacks like that are the wrong way to go... the more he bleeds, the worse off we're going to be."

"Yeah, I know. But there is one more thing we can try."

"You're right. There is that... let's go, Maka."

Maka & Soul both take deep breaths. "Soul Resonance!" The pair begin to power up as Crona attempts to use scream Resonance. The Black Blood flowing through them. Stein, Medusa, Ian, and Tomoe all notice it.

Ian tsks as he and Ryuko keep running. "Damn, I didn't think it could be transferred like that."

Crona begins to overpower Maka as their witch hunter technique fails. Crona thinks about all the times he was locked in a room while Ragnarok beats him and Medusa tries to turn him into a tool, he has one good memory, of his father trying to get him away from Medusa, taking him to see things in the world... but even that memory ends poorly, as his father is killed and from his pocket is a picture of two people, a boy and a girl with red eyes & black hair. He takes a glance at the image... one thought running through his head... he speaks two names...

"Daniel..." He sputters before coughing up blood. "L-Lucy..." He dies soon after from several vectors entering his throat and heart killing him almost immediately, however he says one last thing looking to his third, and last child. "Crona..." He dies seconds later and shortly after Crona would make his first kill. Meanwhile in the real world, Maka gains a similar sickly smile and the duo begin to fight, Maka gaining a large Cheshire grin, and laughing like crazy.

Tomoe looks towards the scene of the others. She quickly creates a barrier around her and Ian killing anything that makes contact with it from the outside. She then hurriedly bursts from the barrier at top speed flying towards the other fights. "I can't waste anymore time. Somethings wrong, Maka's descending into Madness, as Stein's stuck by Medusa. Damn it. I need to hurry!"

Death The Kid continues to ride on his skateboard until, before he can react one of Eruka's tadpole bombs launches at him, Exploding in front of him and knocking him back into the arms of Ian. "A bomb, huh..." He mutters.

"Over there! Looky!" Patty says.

The duo glance to the next room to see dozens of bombs.

Ian sighs. "Damn, and likely Eruka has full control over them..."

"They're arranged at random... without any symmetry. Absolutely disgusting." Kid says staring horrendously disgusted by the room.

Ryuko stands next to the two boys. "How long do you think it'll take us to catch up with all those bombs?"

Ian shrugs. "A few minutes if we're lucky."

Ahead of them Eruka & Free continue traveling towards the Kishin. Behind them however, Maka continues to laugh face to face with Crona. Both of them with mad looks across their faces.

"It's an abomination." Kid says slowly collapsing in on himself.

"It's not the only one I can sense." Ian says.

"Such an inconsistent arrangement is unconscionable... damn it."

Ryuko turns to Kid now in fetal position. "Hey, Kid. Forget about consistency for now. If we can pass right through then let's go."

"Wait. I have an idea. Give me the skateboard. You carry Kid. I'll carry the team."

Ryuko shrugs handing over the skateboard she caught when Ian caught Kid. As she places kid on her shoulders, Ian lifts her into sitting on his shoulder. "Hey, you better not look back damn it." She says sitting on his shoulders.

Ian chuckles. "Don't worry, I'm not Issei." Ian kicks the skateboard into the air and jumps onto it with the others before sending a bit of magic into a bomb behind them blasting them forward where they use the bombs to increase their momentum. Meanwhile Maka staggers for a moment chuckling...

"It's all just... so funny, you know?" Maka says, still smiling ear to ear, almost literally.

"Quit it..." Crona says as Maka laughs again. "Please stop... You're all wobbly and giggly. I don't like it... Stay away from me."

Maka slams Soul into Crona's shoulder.

Crona starts folding in on himself. "I hate wobbly giggles!" He stabs Maka in the shoulder but it does practically nothing.

"That's too bad, I like them." Maka grabs the blade and uses it to pull Crona in to kick him away.

Maka grabs the blood from her wound. "Hey it's black. It's so pretty." She slams Crona into a puller. "Come on hit me some more. You can do better than this, can't you?" She begins to laugh maniacally as she stomps on Crona several times. She smiles when Crona tries to slash through Maka she doesn't even react from it. She continues to mock Crona despite Soul's protest she even begins to try and eat Crona from the head full on vore. Internally, Maka is trying to connect Soul wavelengths with Crona... Outside the school, Blair fights the Mizune siblings. Herself beating the siblings in her cat form easily. The five siblings all begin to stack together before transforming into one tall Mizune. That is until Blair herself transforms herself. The pair approach each other and compare outfits.

Inside the fights, Tomoe continues to fly rapidly, that is until she gets caught inside a vector hex and is launched towards another, she recovers quickly landing on her feet launching herself at Medusa who blocks barely able to counter the speed in which Tomoe moves being a knight piece.

"Tell me. If you do complete your goal. What will happen to the demon sword child? I doubt Ian will continue to work with you once he figures out you raped and killed his father. So, what now...?" Stein asks.

"Oh please. What am I going to do it's it...? Let's see, I ordered it around all it's life, so now it's lacking in independence... one reason not to be an overbearing parent I suppose... it would explain why Ian is so rebellious, he didn't have his father to raise him."

Tomoe stops looking down like she's trying to solve a riddle, or a question no one asked. "He didn't have any parent to raise him. In his first life he was orphaned by his father. His second would still be considered as part of his first, and his third only came about because he and his brother were split from the same body. So technically, Ian doesn't have a father in this timeline. Mentally he's like... in his 40's? His soul is one of an adults. He just happens to inhabit the body of a teen."

Medusa deadpans. "The fuck?"

"That's the story he told Ryuko & I... whats this about her killing Daniel & Lucy's father?" Tomoe turns to Stein.

"They have a half sibling. The Demon Sword meister."

Tomoe sighs. "Oh, no..."

Medusa shakes her head. "Anyway. Crona didn't turn out well. It was a failure of mine."

"He's still your kid! What do you plan to do with him?" Tomoe asks. Medusa chuckles in response.

Spirit, who has remained quiet the whole time finally speaks, though, quietly. "Quit laughing."

"Whats got you three so irritated... you sound ridiculous. Do I really have to tell you what you already know? Think about it this way... why would I keep something I no longer need...? It makes much more sense to throw it away. But why do you ask? Do you want it."

Tomoe glances back. "Ian definitely will."

Suddenly, ratS appears overhead, hanging upside down, his mask still covering his face. "She's right ya know." ratS appears next to Tomoe removing the mask & cloak. "I don't take kindly to threats against anyone blood related to me. Even if they're a rape-baby. The original doesn't know of this conversation yet. But when he does learn about it... You'll be his number one target. Consider the alliance broken." ratS rushes forward he summons Excalibur easily cutting through the vectors. Medusa is forced to retreat a few steps. ratS forces her on the back foot. "We may not look it, but in our past life we had two kids. As a father who died before he got to see his kids grow up, the idea of a bitch who doesn't know how to value their own child disgusts me." He misses a slash, and readies to decapitate Medusa. "Die you worthless cunt." He continues to charge her. Medusa being forced to use everything to block him. His attention is pulled away by a scream on the distance. He growls and plants Excalibur in the ground making a glyph. He then opens his eyes as he & Tomoe are launched towards it, at a speed so rapid the vector hex's aren't able to keep up. They slow down as they approach with the pair tumbling over Rats being forced to watch as the black blood inside Crona erupts out of his body. Tomoe rolls through and looks up in horror just as Maka comes too. Maka approaches Crona reassuring him. Rats stands and walks closer the magic causing him to exist almost all used.

Maka takes off her glove. "What do ya say? Will you let me be your friend, Crona...?"

"You'd have to gain the trust of his big brother, Maka." ratS says entirely jokingly.

Maka turns to the Ian clone falling apart. "Big brother...?"

"I say go for it. You'll be great friends. I can already tell. As for you little brother... wait till Daniel & sis find out. I'm sure they'll be ecstatic." ratS vanishes into a glyph all the magic in him exhausted. Tomoe watches with a smile. She then turns back towards Medusa & Stein's fight. Her eyes remained focused on the dangerous situation behind them.

Stein stands against Medusa the pair alone again after Rats & Tomoe blasted off towards the others.

"Hmph. The black blood has been stopped somehow." Medusa says annoyed.

"The fight between Maka & the Demon Sword at the second barrier has ended... I can feel both of their souls beginning to relax now."

"And Maka...? Is my darling daughter alright?"

"She is... it looks like she was able to grasp on to the demon swords wavelength somehow... the sword meister's wavelength is stabilizing. Mrs. Meguri is actually healing the pair as we speak."

Tomoe smiles lightly her hands hovering over Maka & Crona who kneel in front of each other their wounds slowly closing up and Crona crying.

"I've never cried this much before in my life. How am I supposed to deal with my tears...? There's so many of them." Crona says through tears.

Soul taps his foot annoyed. "Maka, we're running out of time. We need to get moving."

Tomoe pulls her hand away from Maka and diverts full attention back to Crona. "You're healed enough that you can continue, but he's gonna take more time. "

Maka turns to Soul. "We can't just leave him like this."

Tomoe sighs. "I can stay and help. Either that or you two stay to help."

"Screw you guys!" A tiny Ragnarok shoots out from Crona's back and punches Tomoe in the face grabbing her before using its small hands to hit her on the top of the head. "Damn you, little girls!"

Soul chuckles. "You're tiny!"

"What the hell did you do? Why am I so little now?"

Crona tries to speak muffled by Meguri's chest. "Hey, get off me...!"

"How should I know!" Tomoe says trying to get Ragnarok to stop hitting her.

Soul pulls them back. "Let go of her!" He orders.

"You and Crona? Friends?! You gotta be kidding me!" Ragnarok shouts. He attempts to grab Maka who blocks along with Soul. "Who'd wanna be friends with a pathetic thing like him...? He isn't even any fun."

Crona struggles to regain control. "Quit it... get off!"

"Wait, I've got it! You wanna keep him around as a punching bag! Bullying him is an excellent way to reduce stress. That's what you want him for!"

"Get goin' ya little freak!"

"Well too bad! I'm the only one who gets to beat up Crona. He's mine you can't have him!"

"Hey, Quit it! Please get off of me... I said, get off now!" He punches Ragnarok under his jaw which is enough to stun him allowing the others to get out of his range. He then screams before he and Crona begin a brawl amongst themselves. Crona then tells them to go ahead without him and that he can handle Ragnarok. The trio do as told and begin running after the others. Black Star chases after the others. As Kid is returned to his skate board. The other two continue to run and fly next to him. The three all slowly begin to sense the kishin's wavelength. Feeling the madness coming from it. Ian takes a gulp dread filling his body when a beam of magic fires forward. He shoots a beam from himself. The three all prepare to fight Free.

"Kid, you and Ryuko need to get past Free." Ian says getting into a running position. Ian speeds forward as he seems to cut through Free. "Don't move! It's a fake! " Ian turns around blocking another blast he then jumps back and smirks at his former partner. "Hey, Free. I've got a puzzle for ya."

Free's eyes widen. "A puzzle?"

Black Star finally catches up, knocking over Kid. "Yahooooo!"

Tsubaki speaks to the others. "Sorry we didn't come over quicker."

Black Star grins. "We caught up to you! We, I mean I win! Too bad, so sad! No evil Kishin-"

"Shut up! We still don't have the Black Blood. He's a fake he can't touch us. Let's all move."

The group as a whole all rush forward. Ian leading the group with his wings of Icarus, followed by Kid, Black Star and Ryuko at the back. Back at the first barrier Medusa chuckles at Stein.

"These are good students you have... they did well, didn't they? They've completed almost every single assignment that you've given them today."

Stein shrugs. "Ian gave the order of combat. I just backed his words and research as my subordinate."

"That may be true, but you can sense it too, can't you...? It appears the kishin's madness has begun to overflow."

Stein takes a deep breath muttering. "Here we go Spirit. Are you ready?"

Spirit nods in his weapon form. "Yeah."

"It won't do you any good now. Say, tell me something... how do you raise a good child?"

Eruka & Free both finally arrive at the doors before the Kishin. Free opens the door to the room.  The duo standing at the entrance a wave of madness and hunger passing them. They slowly enter the room. Dark and covered exclusively in wood. Eruka jumps at every little thing. As she hears noises from behind her. Hazarding a look she spots nothing finally taking a breath of relaxation she turns back to see scarfs reaching for her and begin choking her. She sees the Kishin preparing to eat her. Tearing her skin off. She collapses with a scream. The pair awaken to see themselves trying to kill themselves from the madness.  Only slightly ahead of them is the Kishin itself.

Free takes a deep breath. "It's not far off. We're here."

'We're running out of time. We need to get Medusa out of the way and join with the others to stop the Kishin from reviving.' Stein thinks to himself. He rushes forward going for a strike Medusa dodges but her attack is blocked even if Stein falls backwards. The pair exchange a few chances for strikes. Stein closes his eyes for a moment. He smirks a look to Medusa. "What is it I want? To dissect." He slashes at her to which she dodges.

Medusa grins. "I'll say it again, Professor Stein. Join my experiment. This static, unchanging world doesn't suit you. You were made for better than this. You're a scientist after all. We can harness the power of the Kishin together. We'll change the world back to what it should be... a place where evolution and progress always reign."

"A long time ago... I was analyzed by a group of foolish doctors who feared my violent tendencies and what they considered my selfish attitude. (Charges Medusa) They seemed elevated while they were studying me. As if they were solving the crime in a mystery novel. They'd theorize for hours. Wondering if something had traumatized me in my past. Or if some terrible influence came into my life." She tries to strike him. He dodges and quickly counters. "That was all nonsense though... I've loved tearing things apart from the very beginning."

"What's your point, Stein? Are you trying to compare me to these doctors?l?

"When I was in kindergarten, it made me nauseous watching the other kids as they listened dutifully to the teacher and played games. I would almost puke... just from the sight of everyone focusing unquestioningly on the chalkboard while they took their notes... not an original thought in their heads."

"What kind of story is this anyway...? It's entirely pointless, not to mention boring... Makes me want to puke." The pair go another round doing a few attacks before being stuck in a scythe vs vector lock. "Are you mocking me? If you hate unoriginality so much, why are your attacks so tiresome.... really, I'm sleeping here."

"Now, now, be more patient... this is my answer to your invitation,so you should listen. My feelings didn't change. As I matured and grew stronger, the madness inside of me, the desire to dissect, did too. Do you know what it was that eventually stopped me?"

Medusa gleams her answer. "It was fear."

"Yes... I was terrified. Terrified of the person I might become. Even though all that mattered to me in the end was that I had fun and could do whatever I wanted. That's when I learned I needed someone in control. Not a greedy despot who would rule with tyrannical disregards for the wants and needs of others. But the rule of a god. One who reigned without ego."

"If you hate this world so much why not join me? We can change the world together."

"That's your ego talking now, isn't it?"

Medusa shakes her head. "No, but following one's own ego will become the standard before long... a standard you too will follow." She strikes out at him she makes a drill out of vectors and stabs it into Stein's chest leaving a gaping wound when she retracts her hand.

"If this new standard you talked about comes to pass, what will control my dark side then?  I can never join you in this."

Medusa sighs. "I suppose there's no getting through to you."

"I want to tear things apart without loosing my soul!"

"So that's how you choose to use your madness, huh?"

He rushes through dozens of Vectors impaling him. Hitting Medusa directly in her chest just over her heart with his most powerful Soul Force. She coughs blood from her mouth, Black Blood. He uses his soul thread to stop Medusa from moving, however it prevents them from moving as well. Down by the Kishin Eruka grabs the vile of black blood. However before she can inject the blood in the door bursts open. Kid, Ian, Black Star, and Ryuko...

Kid glances around the room recognizing the situation as he tries to think it through. 'The Black Blood is In the syringe.' They all shoot forward. Max speed. Free blocks Kid & Black Star, however Ian and Ryuko waited till the last second the pair using their swords to cut Free and launch him back Ian removes his arm from his body and Ryuko cuts his chest diagonally from his left hip to his right shoulder. The four step back and for a moment Ian see's Asura. He quickly shakes it off using a counter spell and runs back from Eruka but is blocked by Free yet again. Ryuko for her trouble sees Ragyo & Nui both try to attack her as she's forced to defend now that she no longer has Senketsu. Kid sees Asura and fires at him, though it has no effect. Ian and Black Star both try to stop the injection, Ian cuts the vile, however Black Star in helping did more damage than anyone would like...

A rumble runs throughout the school... madness overflows... he is awakening. Black Star cut the shrine... some of the blood entered the bag... not all but just enough. Ian growls using a counter spell and placing it on Ryuko and the others. Above them he senses Stein and smiles. Medusa is dead... cut into pieces... Ian smiles his left eye glowing with a red star. Kid fires bullet after bullet at the sack until he's out of ammo. Them doing nothing.

Ian takes a deep breath. "Kid, take Black Star. Free, Medusa's dead, get Eruka out of here. I'll do what I can."

The Kishin begins to take form the bag being used as Asura puts his skin back on. Ian walks up to it seeing a wicked smile.

Ian takes a deep breath. "I didn't think, it'd come to this. Excalibur..." He raises the holy sword up. And swings down on Asura everyone stops and looks back no movement from either Ian or Asura. A moment later Ian flies backward shattering several pillars holding the room up. Asura continues to move about. All the others look to Asura his naked form and incredibly flexible skin. It crouches before Eruka opening its eyes to see her as the first thing before yelling terrified of her.

Ian stands and dazed for a moment. "Did anyone get the number of that bitch?" He mutters shaking the cobwebs off before he rushes towards Asura.

Black Star rushes alone, trying to hit the Kishin with his wavelength, Asura simply moves his arm back and Black Star goes flying backwards. Ian swings Excalibur at Asura, but again a simple flick of the wrist launches Ian back who recovers much faster than Black Star landing feet first on a Pillar and opening several magic circles firing attack after attack at the newly revived Kishin. Asura flicks just a bit of skin that lightly taps Kid causing him to pass out and collapse. Asura uses his own flesh to make clothes for himself before he finally speaks. Ian having stopped attacking seeing the other two down and Ryuko still on her own nightmare.

"I'm naked this is so wrong. I need to cover up. I like the "macho look."" He looks to Free. Asura fires into the air crashing through the ceiling. Maka and Ian both give chase but when Ryuko screams again about Ragyo he fails to grab onto Asura, and falls down, he looks up towards them then Ryuko who screams again. He sends back Excalibur and runs to Ryuko catching her as she falls back and with a counter spell placed on her forehead breaks the nightmare. She bursts to awareness seeing the mission failed.

Ryuko glances around. "What happened?"

Ian kneels at her side. "We failed... Asura was revived..."

Ryuko lays back her head hitting against the wooden floor. "No."

Ian sits back. "I'm sorry..." The pair hug in the destroyed room with Ian holding Ryuko's head to his chest. He looks to his compainions on the ground as well as Eruka & Free the pair stare at him.

Ian shrugs and points away from himself. "Medusa's dead. You're free to go. And Free... Remember the deal. Two members of Elisa's group. That's your promise. I'll do my best to keep them from targeting you until then."

Above ground Asura rises having freed himself from Maka. Black Star saves her from slamming into the ground the pair both falling unconscious on the ground. From the ground several seals from death rise up and try to drag him down. Ian rises carrying Black Star & Tsubaki, Ryuko carries Kid. Ian tells Free and Eruka to leave. Ian and Ryuko lay Kid & Black Star on a nearby roof as they watch the same rooftop.

"Lord Death! He was revived with the black blood! He'll be stronger than he was before!" Ian makes a glyph. "To all the students of the DWMA evacuate the city. To all teachers provide back up to Lord Death, Kid & Black Star are wounded by me and Matoi."

He then glanced down the whole to find Tomoe rising out of it with Crona in hand. The energy from the fight between Death & Asura overpowering many in the city. He then manages to break past Death and and escape. Ian sighs... taking a seat next to Ryuko, the pair directly next to each other.

Ian takes a deep breath. "Damn it all."

Ryuko lays her head on his shoulder. "A damn shame."

The pair lean on each other their hands next to each other. Ian takes the initiative in this regard here, their fingers slowly intertwining.

Ian smiles slightly as Crona is seated next to him in fetal position. "Hey, little bro... we'll stand together... as family should."

Crona doesn't react that much, but as the teachers arrive at their location they take both Crona & Ian placing them in a cell together as reconstruction begins. However, in one of the drainage pipes a single snake falls out and escapes through the water.

Chapter End.

Hm... I genuinely don't know if you all will like this development. I like it, as it gives Ian & the others more of a reason to care about the events in this portion of the story, but at the same time, Crona kinda takes the backseat role for Ian, essentially becoming a member of the squad because he's family, not because he and Ian are actually friends... well, as the JoJo's fandom would assume Bucciarati would say, "this is a forced adoption." Ciao.