| Synopsis |
|---|
| Maka and Soul determine to learn why Spirit Albarn has brought Blair and other employees from Chupa Cabra's, while Death struggles to move forward with a meeting planning how to rescue his son. |
The Business Lunch is the seventieth serialized chapter of the manga Soul Eater. It was reprinted in tankōbon form in Volume 17.
Featured Appearances[]
Characters[]
- Sid Barrett
- Spirit Albarn
- Death
- Franken Stein
- Maka Albarn
- Soul Eater
- Marie Mjolnir
- Mira Naigus
- Black Star
- Tsubaki Nakatsukasa
- Soul's admirer
The Chupa Girls
Noah's Gang
- Death the Kid (imprisoned)
- Gopher
Locations[]
Techniques[]
- Magic
- Pumpkin (Flying Pumpkins)
- Butterfly magic
- Firefly light magic
Objects[]
Plot[]
Death Weapon Meister Academy[]
In the Death Room, Spirit Albarn is impatient, waiting with Sid Barrett, Franken Stein, and Death for their visitors to arrive.
At the front entrance to the Academy, Maka Albarn is surprised to hear Blair, Risa, and Arisa advertising Chupa Cabra's to DWMA students. When an annoyed Marie Mjolnir arrives to escort the three women, Blair says goodbye to a confused Maka, explaining she will be home late.
As Marie leads the women away, she criticizes Risa and Arisa for trying to solicit students. Marie's complain prompts Risa to complain that "human chicks" who fail to marry when younger are frightening, taking solace that at least witches live so long that she and Arisa are not dried up yet.
Soul Eater is surprised the DWMA is allowing these witches to be free, while Maka notes that at least they are being watched by Marie—who then smacks Arisa upside her head. Suspicious, Maka wants to know why the DWMA has brought these witches, and what event is about to commence.
Outside the Death Room, an impatient Spirit speaks seriously to Risa and Arisa, informing them that with preparations complete, Death expects to meet with them. The Chupa Cabra witches look nervous, as Marie leads them and Blair into the Death Room.
Emerging behind the corner of the hallway, Soul and Maka arrive at the Death Room entrance to see the room has been closed. As Soul stands above and behind a crouching Maka, his hand resting on her shoulder, her suspicions increase.
The Chupa Girls host a reception in the Death Room
Inside the Death Room, Spirit announces they are ready—but Death is surprised, as Blair, Risa, and Arisa initiate on-site catering, with food, streamers, confetti, and magic lights. While Marie is impressed by how pretty the decorations are, Mira Naigus and the male occupants are rather stiff. An excited Spirit guides Death to a seat, while Blair encourages Stein and Sid to sit.
Frustrated, Marie asks why they are treating the important meeting to discuss rescuing Death the Kid like a party at a strip club. Death claims the DWMA is hardly serious about their meetings anyway, so it does not hurt to have a little fun once in a while. Further incensed, Marie shouts that Death cannot defend having a little fun when he just said that they hardly take circumstances seriously.
Spirit grows more serious, yelling at Spirit that if Marie will not take this meeting seriously, then she should leave. Marie is immediately next to Spirit, slamming her fist first into his chest, then his chin, knocking him upward into the air. Spirit lands on his side, blood sliding from his nose and mouth. Seeing this so-called meeting underway, however, Spirit refuses to lie down when he should engage in the discussion.
For example, Arisa already has struck up a conversation with Sid about his age and occupation. She then asks whether Sid is okay, given that his face is all blue. Learning Sid works in intelligence, an impressed Arisa realizes that Sid must have been the one to determine she was a witch, which she finds "witchin'." This word choice confuses Spirit, until Risa explains that young witches frequently use "witchin'" to substitute for "cool" and similar words. Sid interrupts, urging Death to discuss how they are going to rescue Kid, but Arisa presses, asking again why Sid is blue. Sid explains that he "took a goddess right between the eyes," killing him.
On another couch, Blair uses a Jack O'Lantern-shaped lighter to ignite Stein's cigarette. Spirit is confused, assuming Stein had quit tobacco smoking so not to fall deeper into madness through his vices. But Stein explains he was becoming so irritated that the withdrawal actually increased his desire "to rip things apart," prompting Blair to say, "Self-restraint is terrible, huh?" Realizing he is surrounded by witches, Stein grows more sinister, inviting Risa and Arisa to his lab, shocking Arisa with his forwardness—and terrifying Spirit at the risk of mutilation these women will face. Despite Spirit's warning, Arisa thinks a visit to Patchwork Laboratory would not be so bad if she lost only a kidney.
Risa then speaks with Death, saying he seems to enjoy "these kinds of places, despite your funny-face mask." Before Death can explain the mission to rescue Kid, Risa asks what is behind Death's mask, who assures he is not hiding and actually has "a regular face." This news excites Risa, who wants to see.
From afar, Marie and Naigus are still standing away from the couches. As Arisa sits next to Stein, Naigus notices Marie is quiet, until the Death Scythe curtly says she is leaving for home.
Outside the Death Room, Maka and Soul see Marie leave. Maka notices how angry Marie looks, anticipating this meeting must be very important. Maka ponders whether this meeting would allow her "to see a side of Papa he doesn't usually show me," before assuring herself that it is unlikely. Maka is correct: Spirit behaves rather typical given the circumstances, bouncing around the Death Room, clutching a bottle of alcohol in each hand.
Tsubaki is shocked as Black Star kicks down the Death Room door
Soul urges Maka for them to go home rather than "skulk around out here like a couple of losers." Maka refuses, thinking it is "fun," "like we're characters in a detective novel." Before Soul can explain how nerdy Maka is, she lifts her head sharply, slamming her head, painfully (for Soul) into his face. Maka is surprised to see Black Star and Tsubaki Nakatsukasa returned, but she does not emerge to say hello. Instead, she watches as Tsubaki finds the Death Room closed—before Black Star simply kicks down the door, refusing to let a simple obstacle like a "stupid-ass 'CLOSED' sign" stop him.
Soul asks whether to follow Black Star, but Maka refuses to enter uninvited when sneaking around is so much more fun. Soul is simply exasperated with his meister and how "lame" this behavior is, but as he and Maka are looking around the corner at the Death Room, he seems to not notice one of his admirers is spying on him around the corner of the hallway as well. But Maka, annoyed, can sense that student's presence with Soul Perception.
Inside the Death Room, Spirit claps, with a silly grin across his face, in appreciation of the Jack O'Lanterns, butterflies, and lights Blair, Risa, and Arisa conjure for the meeting. As Sid meekly asks about rescuing Kid, Death appears nervous, thinking about his lost son.
Noah's Lair[]
Gopher is pleased: after witnessing Death the Kid's earlier fear of asymmetry, he realizes how to torture the shinigami. Gopher has ripped one of Kid's sleeves, leaving his shirt uneven. But worse, Gopher also has taken a marker to half of Kid's face, exaggerating his eyelashes and nosehair with additional lines drawn across half of his face. Kid meekly begs for someone to save him.
Trivia[]
- This issue includes a color page featuring Sid, Spirit, Death, and Stein in the Death Room.
- Sid says he is 25 years old.
- Death claims he has a "regular face" underneath his mask.
- This chapter makes reference to the way Sid originally died, which would not be detailed further until Soul Eater NOT!'s Death Fest Arc.
References[]