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Synopsis 
With the Black Blood now in his veins, Asura has been resurrected. Despite efforts by Maka Albarn, Black Star, and Death the Kid, none of them can prevent Asura's escape from the Kishin Shrine, leaving it to Death himself to face his former peer, in a battle that risks the safety of Death City and its residents.

A Fight to the Death at the Big Bash(Part 7) is the twenty-second chapter of the manga Soul Eater. It is adapted in the anime Soul Eater as Episode 24.

Featured Appearances[]

Characters

DWMA

Medusa's Army

Other Characters

Locations

Techniques

Objects

Plot[]

Death City Underground[]

Maka Albarn is running to catch up to Black Star and Death the Kid, when she stops dead in her tracks. Soul Eater, still in his weapon form, asks what is wrong, as Maka explains that she can sense a madness wavelength that suggests the Kishin has been resurrected. This madness wavelength also makes it difficult to sense the status of Black Star and their peers, so she must hurry.

Kishin Shrine[]

Soul Eater Chapter 22 - Asura screams at Eruka

Asura screams in fear of Eruka

Asura, newly reborn, is crouched on the floor, his power sweeping up dust throughout the room, seeming to terrify Eruka Frog while Kid and Free stare with her. The Kishin comes to its feet, almost standing on tiptoes, as with his left hand he seizes skin on his right forearm, tugging at it until it gives much slack. He then lets go of this stretchy skin, snapping it back in place as his neck snaps back, trembling. Eruka is overwhelmed, collapsing to her knees. The Kishin approaches her, his toes scrapping the wooden floorboards, until it senses Eruka. The Kishin kneels before her, rubbing his eyes until he opens them, seeing the witch horrified. He leans closer, then his mouth practically unhinges as he screams at her, his cry somehow causing an electrical discharge. Free and Kid are confused, wondering how Eruka could surprise the Kishin.

Still floored, Black Star struggles to stand up, demanding the Kishin "shut up" even as the ninja struggles to catch his breath. Black Star orders Tsubaki to transform into her Uncanny Sword mode so they may kill Asura before he can fully awaken. Tsubaki refuses, claiming with his current exhaustion that any further efforts will cause her weapon form to "wear away" his soul. Black Star again demands, and Tsubaki again refuses. He slams her ninja sword form on the floor and rushes to attack alone. Witnessing Black Star's willingness to fight, Kid orders the Thompsons to join this battle, Patty sounding more enthusiastic than Liz.

Black Star leaps behind the "are-naked pervert asshole" Asura, attacking the Kishin with Black Star Big Wave. While the attack seems to have been completed, the Kishin seems unaffected, and Black Star himself senses that his body cannot handle his own wavelength's power. Undeterred, Black Star prepares another hand attack, but Asura merely swipes his right arm, knocking back Black Star only slightly. The attack seems inconsequential, until a bit of blood spurts out of the ninja's noseā€”then he is fully knocked across the floor by the delayed impact of the Kishin's attack, knocking out the ninja.

Kid, shocked at Asura's attack upon Black Star, aims and fires at Asura, but each shot seems to have no effect upon the Kishin's bare skin. Asura again wraps his fingers around the skin of his right forearm, tugging upon that skin and snapping at it, causing this skin to fire towards Kid, like a slingshot. As the skin crosses the distance between Asura and Kid, it shrinks in diameter until it is only a thin bit of skin, flicking Kid in the forehead. The attack seems to only daze Kidā€”and produces upon his forehead a symbol resembling Asura's third eyeā€”but as with Black Star, this attack was only delayed: blood escapes from Kid's eyes, nose, mouth, ears, really all parts of his head, as the shinigami falls unconscious to the floor.

Asura bares his teeth and tugs at the skin on the back of his neck and his chest, tugging at that skin until he loosens it, reforming it like scarves around his naked body. Still, Asura feels "so naked," determined to gain more layers. With these skin scarves, he thrusts his body towards the ceiling, saying, "Must be nice to have muscles!!" as he slams into the ceiling and into Death City itself. Based on this previous comment, Free is confused, wondering whether Asura was referring to him as muscular.

Soul Eater Chapter 22 - Maka pursues Asura

Maka tries to hold down Asura

Someone runs into the Kishin Shrine, catching the attention of Tsubaki, Liz, and Patty as she leaps atop the shrine to snatch one of Asura's lingering skin scarves: it is Maka, who is pulled up with Asura. "Oh no, you don't!!!" Maka calls, as she slices Soul's blade into the sides of the newly formed tunnel that Asura has carved as his escape aboveground. Even as debris falls upon Maka from Asura's escape, still the meister holds onto that scarve.

Death City, aboveground[]

"Wooow!" "Awesome!!" "Niiice!!" These are the cries of the Fish Dealer and other lustful residents as they watch the "catfight" between Blair and the merged Mizune Family. Having pinned Mizune to the street, Blair asks why the witch does not use her magic, prompting Mizune to ask the same of Blair. The Fish Dealer slams his fingers into his nostrils to curb his nosebleed, as Mizune demands Blair get off from her, while Blair tells Mizune to scurry into the sewers where she belongs.

One spectator then notices the street shaking, prompting mockery from a peer who thinks he is just overwhelmed by this spectacle. But Blair notices the shaking as well, mocking Mizune as simply quaking in fear. Mizune corrects Blair that what is happening is an earthquake, as this witch smirks, realizing Eruka and the others have succeeded in this mission.

Soul Eater Chapter 22 - Soul shields Maka

As Maka lost her grip on Asura, Soul shields them against the fall

Further down the street from this fight between Blair and Mizune, the cobblestones kick up, then explode as a flash of light breaks through the ground and into the sky. Asura ascends, his skin scarves unencumbered, as upon flying upon, Maka lost her grip and is falling. Soul calls to his unresponsive meister, transforming back into his human so he can get behind her, wrap his arms around her, and cushion their inevitable fall. The duo crash atop crates of produce at a market, yet Maka remains awake long enough to look up to the sky, determined still to stop the Kishin's escape. As Maka's hand falls back to the street, indicating she has finally lost all consciousness, Soul says, "You're incredible, you know that?"

In front of where Soul and Maka have landed, the street's cobblestones rumble and explode, as four black tendrils, with skulls at their end and scarves with pins wrapped around themselves, emerge. These are Death's seals, reawakened by Asura's escape, which wrap around each of the Kishin's limbs before shoving their pins directly into his body.

Meanwhile, in the tunnel created by the Kishin's escape, Free emerges, Eruka in her frog form riding atop his shoulder. As Eruka sees the seals wrapped around Asura's limbs, Free explains that those old seals likely will not last long, which is quickly proven true as Free sees Asura tear the seals away like paper. But Eruka and Death City bystanders then notice that someone else has arrived, which confirms that Free's Independent Cube spell did not last the full hour as he had promised. Admitting that he exaggerated how long his 40-minute spell would last, Free says, "I'm a guy after all."

Soul Eater Chapter 22 - Death faces Asura

Two Great Old Ones confront each other

Asura too senses the arrival of his next foe, as he removes the scarves from his face to look at Death, who flies across from him, hovering thanks to four skull-shaped lasers.

At the ground, DWMA students and teachers have escaped the Academy. Kilik Rung asks Sid Barrett how to proceed, who orders the students to prepare for a second attack and to conduct emergency rescue.

Death greets Asura, noting how "unsteady" the Kishin appears, likely because he is lacking the multiple layers of clothes that he usually wears. Asura notices Death's "silly mask," prompting the shinigami to explain that he had to don this more friendly mask so as not to be so frightening to the children he has recruited to the school for weapons and meisters that he founded after flaying Asura. Asura also notices how "silly" Death speaks, the shinigami responding that this speech is simply "part of me now." Death then forms one of his hands, saying he intends to kill Asura again. At that moment, the eyeholes on Death's mask transform to resemble angry eyes, as he swipes at Asura with a Shinigami Chop, which knocks Asura down to the street in a large explosion.

While Asura is flattened against a crater in the street, his Black Blood splashed on the cobblestones, still the Kishin cackles. "Do you know how painful it is to have your skin stripped from your entire body!?" Asura asks, claiming he has forgotten. "Help me remember!!" Asura asks, as he uses his skin scarves to attack at Death directly. But an explosion of energy fires from all three holes in Death's mask, as he cries "Katsu!!!!!" incinerating those scarves with his Shinigami Shock Wave. The shock wave evaporates the skin scarves all the way down to Asura's body, producing another explosion of Black Blood from his body. While the observing Soul is shocked at this power, Death worries he is not powerful enough without a Death Scythe to win this battle.

Soul Eater Chapter 22 - Asura escapes Death

Asura blasts through Death, escaping Death City

Asura uses his power to propel himself back into the sky, as he opens his mouth to produce his weapon, Vajra, which he uses to attack with a powerful burst of energy, knocking back into the crater he just left, the explosion destroying more cobblestone and knocking into bystanders, including Soul, who holds onto Maka against this new explosion. But Death is not knocked back, as he has formed Death Block, an energy barrier in the shape of his usual mask that prevents Asura from bypassing the shinigami. Although his mouth is full with Vajra's weapon, the Kishin says he will not be stopped. The tip of Vajra pokes into the Death Block, causing it to crack. Before Death can react, Asura has broken through the barrierā€”and through Death's own body, tearing away part of his mask and his left shoulder. While Soul is shocked, Death merely turns and announces his intention to flay the Kishin again. Death Claws, four black tendrils resembling Death's masks, spring from the shinigami's body. Asura evades themā€”then stops moving, waiting for their arrival to wrap around his body. But they do not: the Claws dissolve, as if they have hit a barrier. Indeed, they have: the Death Claws cannot exceed the extent of Death's very soul, and as long as that soul is tethered to Death City, the claws may not extend any further. Asura has successfully escaped Death's grasp.

The Kishin smiles. "I don't think we will ever meet again," he says. "Now then, if you will excuse me, Master." With that , Asura blasts through the clouds away from Death City. As he departs, the first thing visible as the clouds of madness dissipate is the Moon.

Death descends to the front entrance of the Academy, where Sid approaches. Death orders Sid to focus on "protecting the children who went underground" and to order all Death Scythes back to Death City. As Sid departs, Death reflects on the appropriateness, how Asura is resurrected on the anniversary of the founding the very academy intended to stop such an action. He realizes life is going to become busier.

Desert[]

Eruka, Tadpole Jackson, and her peers have escaped far enough away from Death City to turn back and observe the city from afar. While Free is initially confused at how the Mizune Family merged into one body, Eruka realizes that she can no longer sense Medusa's magic, suggesting the witch is dead. Although wishing she could have witnessed this death, Eruka admits that she respected Medusa for her powerā€”before adding, "Just kidding."

Death City Underground[]

Soul Eater Chapter 22 - Stein stabs Medusa

Stein slices into Medusa's forehead

The corpse of Medusa Gorgon, or at least the limbless top half of her, lies on the floor. A cigarette is dropped to the floor as Franken Stein realizes the madness is fading, suggesting Asura has escaped, a fight with Death that he wishes he could have seen. Spirit Albarn, still in his weapon form, considers that if he had stayed by Death's side, then the Kishin would not have been resurrected, a fact that will lead Spirit to being blamed by everyone else. Stein admonishes Spirit not to worry about such hypothetical scenarios, pointing out that they have to focus on the reality: the world is in trouble by Asura's resurrection, so they need a plan to protect this world.

Then Stein feels limbs wrap along his shoulders. He turns his head to see the still living Medusa, who has managed to somehow climb up his body. She then sinks her teeth into his shoulder. Stein quickly seizes Medusa by her hair, slamming her down to the floor again. "I love you!" Medusa says with a laugh, before Stein slams Spirit's blade through her head. Medusa cackles with delight as her body dissolves into Vector Arrows. As Spirit realizes how "scary" it is that Medusa has destroyed her own soul, Stein tells the dying Medusa that she cannot love him, because "you're just like me: there's no way you could understand such a thing as love."

Death City Underground[]

At the Kishin Shrine, Tsubaki and the Thompsons have reverted to their human forms, struggling to awaken their meisters and return them home. Elsewhere, Ragnarok persists in tormenting Crona, tugging their arms backward.

Death City[]

Soul Eater Chapter 22 - Medusa escapes death

The snake containing Medusa's soul escapes

Soul has the unconscious Maka on his back, her arms draped over his shoulders while he holds onto her legs to carry her home. Soul remembers Stein's warning before this failed mission, regarding how dangerous could be the Kishin's resurrection.

As Soul looks to the moonlight sky, narration explains that this night has been long, but at least morning will come eventually.

The next day, far from the Academy, there is a canal, with a drainage tunnel. From its shadows, two dots of light are visible, revealed to be the eyes of a snake. This snake, covered in arrows, slithers into the water below.

Manga and Anime Differences[]

  • In both Chapter 22 and Episode 24, Asura tells Death that he doubts the two of them will see each other again. While Asura's prediction is true in the manga, as Death dies in the midst of Asura's fight against the newly ascended Death the Kid on the Moon, in the anime, Asura will be captured by the Death City Robot and fight Death, who wields Spirit.
  • Soul Eater Chapter 22 - Blair vs Mizune copy

    More of Mizune's body is exposed in the manga

    Chapter 22 reveals more of Mizune's breasts as Blair's fight against her has tugged down the top of her outfit, whereas in this episode, Mizune is more covered.
  • In Episode 24's English-language dub by Funimation, Asura can speak clearly despite having Vajra resting in his mouth for some attacks. In the Yen Press English translation for Chapter 22, Asura's speech is garbled by having something on his tongue, necessitating a parenthetical translation of his garbled speech.
  • In Episode 24, when Death remembers meeting with children scared of his face, Death City is seen with forests and mountains, suggesting a less arid climate. But in Chapter 22, not only is this image of Death City in the past not shown, but neither is the scene of Death inadvertently scaring children.
  • During Asura and Death's fight in Episode 24, Death sounds horrified upon seeing Asura's attack destroy part of Death City. Death reveals little shock at this event in Chapter 22.
  • In Chapter 22, Sid orders Kilik and Ox to prepare for emergency response should the fight worsen, before Asura's attack seems to cause much more damaging explosions. In Episode 24, Sid is more adamant in ordering not only Kilik and Ox, but also Harvar D. Ɖclair and Fire and Thunder (who do not appear in Chapter 22), to rescue the injured and to evacuate the city. In Chapter 22, Sid never tells anyone to evacuate Death City.
  • In Episode 24, Eruka expresses honest admiration of the deceased Medusa, whereas in Chapter 22 Eruka follows up her praise with, "Just kidding," indicating she is disingenuous in her praise.
  • Soul Eater Chapter 22 - Medusa climbs up Stein

    More of Medusa's mutilation, without aid of Vector Arrows, is shown in the manga

    In Episode 24, Medusa needed to form Vector Arrows to assist her with crawling up Stein's body. In Chapter 22, Medusa does not use Vector Arrows, odd considering that she somehow managed to climb up Stein's body without her arms and without Stein noticing her presence by his very shoulder until it was too late.
  • In Episode 24, Stein seems to kill Medusa by slicing into her chest with Spirit's blade. In the manga, Stein instead slices into Medusa's head. As well, Medusa's wounds in this episode are covered in shadows, whereas in Chapter 22, the wounds are shown with more graphic detail.
  • In Episode 24, Ragnarok is shown being in his smaller form torturing Crona, whereas in Chapter 22 Ragnarok had not yet been decreased in size.
  • In Chapter 22, it is not clear whether someone, or something else like the Moon or the Sun, is narrating the final lines. In Episode 24, the narration regarding the long night and the upcoming morning is given by Death.
  • Episode 24 includes additional scenes at the end in which residents of Death City begin repairs, while the Fish Dealer continues to be in lustful awe of Blair and Mizune's fight. In Chapter 22, these scenes are not shown.
  • In Episode 24, the canal is shown near a grassy field with a barren tree. In Chapter 22, the field and tree are not seen, as the canal seems to be at a closer elevation with the city itself.
  • In Episode 24, the fight between Death and Asura is extended while much shorter in the manga, Death only succeeding in chopping the Kishin before attempting to escape.

Trivia[]

  • It's revealed that Death's iconic silly character - his iconic mask, playful voice and overall bizarre shape - was originally a persona he put on around the time he founded the DWMA. His reason for doing so was to make his first set of students feel more comfortable around him as they found his original appearance quite terrifying, and it even made younger children cry. Thus, he changed his appearance and voice in order to appear more friendly to them. Death admits that it has now completely become a part of him.
  • The scene in which Asura screams at Eruka closely resembles a scene from the music video to the 1997 drum and bass song "Come to Daddy" by the British electronic musician Aphex Twin.
  • Soul Eater chapter 22 - Asura flicks Kid

    Asura's forehead flick leaves a familiar mark on Kid's forehead

    Asura flicks Kid's forehead, leaving behind a third Kishin eye. As Kid already resembles Asura, the third eye makes the shinigami look more like the Kishin, perhaps inadvertently foreshadowing the reveal in the manga that Kid and Asura are siblings. As well, the flick to the forehead is similar to physical tormenting that older siblings are known to inflict upon younger siblings.
  • At the beginning of this story arc, when Sid used Forced Burial to allow Stein and the students to escape, the meisters landed on their feet while the weapons fell onto their backsides, a fact recognized by Soul. In this episode's last moments, it is the weapons who are left standing on their feet in most cases, tending to their unconscious meisters who cannot stand on their own feet.
  • Upon Asura's escape from Death City, the first object visible once the clouds dissipate is the Moon, perhaps foreshadowing that Asura will escape to the Moon for the manga's final chapters.

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