Synopsis |
---|
Medusa Gorgon observes two "experiments." First, Kim Diehl and Kilik Rung face off against Medusa's newest creation, the Black Clown. This battle allows the members of Spartoi to unleash the Earth Shaman powers of Pot of Fire and Pot of Thunder. Second, Black Star and Tsubaki Nakatsukasa face Crona, who seems to have been modified by Medusa's experiments with madness manipulation. |
The Witch's Research (Part 2) is the sixty-seventh serialized chapter of the manga Soul Eater. It was reprinted in tankōbon form in Volume 16.
Featured Appearances[]
Characters
- Kilik Rung
- Pot of Fire and Pot of Thunder
- Kim Diehl
- Jacqueline O'Lantern Dupré
- Liz Thompson
- Patty Thompson
- Black☆Star
- Tsubaki Nakatsukasa
Locations
- Central Africa
- Rendezvous Point
- Mobile Command Unit
- Medusa's Lair
Techniques
- Vector Arrow
- Bloody Needle
- Volantern
- Resonance Chain
- Magic
- Earth Shaman forms (first appearance)
- E3!!! (Extreme Element Effect) (first appearance)
- Evaporation
Objects
Plot[]
Continuing from the previous chapter, the Black Clown faces the members of Spartoi, asking whether they will join its madness. Kim Diehl attempts to call Azusa Yumi via Demon Tool incom, but the Clown's madness wavelength jams her signal. Kilik Rung orders Pot of Fire, Pot of Thunder, Liz Thompson, and Patty Thompson to transform, while Kim wields Jacqueline O'Lantern Dupre in weapon form.

The Black Clown attempts to infect Kilik
The Black Clown stares at the two meisters, as their own eyes widened in shock: across Kilik and Kim's skin, their flesh bubbles and falls off. As Kim recognizes this appearance as a weaker form of the madness hallucination that they experienced in Baba Yaga Castle, Kilik realizes that they must keep focused against the madness and proceeds to use the Thompson Sisters to shoot at the Clown. Knocking back the creature, Kilik holsters the Demon Pistols and uses the Pots to continue his attack against the Clown.
From Kilik's punches, Black Blood splashes off the Clown—which hangs in the air, forming into Bloody Needles that pierce the ground where Kilik stands. The meister dodges in time, but more Needles come at him. Before Kilik can escape, fire blazes past him, thanks to Kim wielding Jackie. Kim tells Kilik to continue his attack while she focuses on counter-measures. Kilik continues pummeling the Clown, while for each amount of Black Blood knocked out of its body, Kim burns the blood away. Kim also realizes that this Black Clown may be related to the Witch Text that she read in Medusa's notes regarding madness, Black Blood, the Kishin, and Crona.
Afar, Medusa observes the battle through her crystal ball. Although she admits the Black Clown has weaker madness infection than "a true Clown," she is pleased to see this experiment underway so to identify how to improve her creation. Medusa also realizes that Arachne's goal to possess the same madness as the Kishin is not impossible, so long as Medusa can then attune herself to that wavelength via Soul Resonance—then possess the Kishin herself. But she anticipates that Noah remains a threat. Therefore, Medusa calls behind her to inform Crona that she is waiting for "the other experiment now," at which point an unseen Crona confirms.
Kilik kicks back the Black Clown, but Kim is surprised that its Black Blood counter-measures have ceased. Kilik also realizes that the Clown's body is hardening. Regardless of Kilik's attacks and even Kim and Jackie's Volatern attack, the Clown remains whole. From her location, Medusa realizes that "other experiment," the "Black Blood hardening experiment," begins. As well, because Kilik fights with "high-level instantaneous firepower," Medusa realizes should the Clown survive these attacks, then her experiment will have succeeded against almost the most powerful of attacks.

Kilik calls to Kim that they have one option left, telling her to begin Resonance Chain. The Clown releases Vector Arrows that Kilik backflips through until he is closer to Kim. The two begin resonating along with their weapons. Kim directs her magic into Fire and Thunder, awakening their Earth Shaman abilities until the twins, now appearing so differently, emerge with increased fire and lightning powers. Fire and Thunder take one of the Demon Pistols each, ready to fire. Kilik tells Kim to anchor him against the upcoming recoil as they fire E3!!! (Extreme Element Effect).
The blast of E3 produces an explosion that engulfs the Black Clown in a firebomb. Medusa looks through her crystal ball in shock, waiting for the flames to dissipate to confirm that indeed her creation has been completely destroyed. But while Kilik and Kim cannot see through the flames, Medusa sees that the still living head of the Black Clown survives. Medusa orders the Clown to return to Crona before Spartoi discovers it, and the Clown follows through by performing Evaporation into the ground.
Now that the madness wavelength no longer blocks their incom, Kim and Kilik receive a call from Azusa Yumi at the mobile mission unit, asking what has occurred. The meisters describe the battle they faced against the Black Clown and the hope that the creature is defeated.
Medusa's Lair[]
Black☆Star complains to Tsubaki Nakatsukasa about this "lame assignment" looking for Medusa's Army. Tsubaki reminds him that, as Medusa will be using Soul Protection, they depend on someone with such highly attuned senses as Black☆Star for any chance of locating her.
Black☆Star claims Maka should have received the assignment, failing to comprehend that Tsubaki just told her that even that meister's strong Soul Perception abilities are unlikely to locate such a crafty witch. But Black☆Star explains that, as they are likely going to encounter Crona, he wishes Maka was handling this mission: "This drip's her pet project, not mine." Tsubaki, looking downcast, remains silent.
But Tsubaki notices Black☆Star has sensed something. Following him, the duo dash to the source of the sound of footsteps heard. Arriving inside the lair, they find in shadows a familiar person. Tsubaki transforms into her kunai form. As Crona descends the stairs, a mad smile comes to the meister's face, while from the back emerge what appears like Ragnarok's right arm and a set of dragon wings. With one eye half-opened, Crona lets out a sound of an extended, "Aaaaaaaaa." Black☆Star is confused by Crona's face as Crona's Ragnarok arm tightens a grip on a sword that also emerges. As both meister prepare to fight, Medusa waits for "the real experiment" to begin.
Trivia[]
- Kilik's fight against the Black Clown resembles Franken Stein's first battle against Crona, when the erupted of Black Blood off of the Clown and Crona's bodies from Kilik and Stein's attacks hangs momentarily before forming Bloody Needles to pierce at the meisters.
- Kim and Jacqueline's Volantern attack is a portmanteau of "vol" ("flight") and "lantern."[1]
References[]
- ↑ Soul Eater Volume 16: Yen Press Translation, Page 187