Synopsis |
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As DWMA forces on the Moon are ineffective against Asura's infinitely regenerating clowns, Death recalls Death the Kid to negotiate a tenuous alliance with one of his worst enemies: the witches. Meanwhile, as Spartoi separates for different missions, Maka Albarn's team gets back to basics to recover Crona. |
The War on the Moon (Part 7) is the ninety-seventh serialized chapter of the manga Soul Eater. It was reprinted in tankōbon form in Volume 22.
Featured Appearances[]
Characters
- Maka Albarn
- Soul Eater
- Black☆Star
- Tsubaki Nakatsukasa
- Ox Ford
- Harvar D. Éclair
- Kim Diehl
- Jacqueline O'Lantern Dupré
- Kilik Rung
- Death
- Tezca Tlipoca (mirror form)
- Enrique
- Prison Guards
DWMA Moon Forces
- Death the Kid
- Liz Thompson
- Patty Thompson
- Spirit Albarn
- Franken Stein
- Marie Mjolnir
- Azusa Yumi
- Alexandre
- Zubaidah
- Soldiers and Demon Airship crew
Asura's Army
- White Rabbit
- Elephantine Clown (first appearance)
- Three-Faced Clown (first appearance)
- Colossus Clown (first appearance)
- Jester Clown (first appearance)
Witches and Other Magic Users
- Maba
- Witch Assistant (first appearance)
- Eruka Frog
- Free
- Taruho Firefly
- Tabasa Butterfly
Italy
- Roadside stand vendor (first appearance)
Locations
Techniques
Objects
- Demon Airship
- Lines of Sanzu
- Death Room Mirror
- Headbands and armbands
Plot[]
The Moon[]
Having killed the defected Death Scythe Justin Law, Franken Stein is left with Justin's recent last words on his mind: "Order will crumble to dust." As the Madness leaves Stein so that his eyeglasses are no longer vertically elongated, he seems to pity Justin: "You were so solitary that the order crushed you and drove you into madness, because you could never imagine what lay beyond and beneath the structure of order."[1] Stein concludes that even if Order fell apart, the world still would not be what Justin wanted.
Death the Kid, with two Lines of Sanzu connected, is shocked to have witnessed from afar Stein's killing of Justin. He is interrupted by a DWMA soldier who passes along an order from Death: Kid is to return to Demon Airship for return to Death City. Kid refuses this order, even from his own father, as he fires upon the Elephantine Clown.
Kid then sees Stein appear behind him to disable White Rabbit, who upon learning of Death's order tells Kid to leave for Death City immediately. Realizing that Death must be making progress on his negotiations with the Fifth Power, and as this war is dragging on too long for their soldiers to stand, Stein tells Kid to also take the wounded soldiers with him back home. Stein promises that he and the Death Scythes will cover Kid's exit. As the Jester Clown, the Colossus Clown, and the Three-Face Clown rush to attack Stein and Kid, Kid still refuses: as a shinigami, he must make this battle a victory against Asura. Stein shields Kid, and with Marie Mjölnir destroys the three clowns with one attack. Stein then tells Kid that he is asking him to return home for the very reason that he is a shinigami—but his place right now is not on the battlefield but to do what a normal human cannot.

Stein releases his grip on his weapon, allowing Marie to transform. He claims Marie's "Izuna has finally run its course," so he asks her to accompany Kid and the wounded back to Death City before the Clowns regenerate. Marie refuses, but Stein puts a hand near her abdomen and assures her he will be fine. Marie says nothing to Stein, turning her back on him and telling Kid to follow her to the airship. Kid promises to return to Stein, but Stein does not look back at Marie.
Death Room[]
Death stands before his mirror, which projects an image of Azusa Yumi on the bridge of the Demon Airship, where a mirror is available for her to speak with Death. Azusa confirms Kid's return, leading Death to express happiness to see his son is okay. Kid no longer has the two Lines of Sanzu connected and asks that his father stop with "the pleasantries" and get to the point, causing some gloom for his father.
Death then cautions his son to remain calm regarding what he is about to explain: before initiating this war on the Moon, Death approached "an outside party," the witches. As so much of DWMA's power is now on the Moon, the organization on Earth is therefore susceptible to attack, so Death initiated talks with the witches to negotiate a treaty to prevent any attacks during the war on the Moon. Death adds that it is not like the witches can be held responsible for DWMA's current problems: while witches have been enemies to the organization for so long, it was an errant witch such as Medusa who resurrected Asura, and she was not acting on behalf of witches at large. As well, the Kishin is a threat to witches as well, which makes a temporary truce advantageous to them as well as DWMA.
Kid asks why Death wants his assistance with negotiations, assuming that the talks have stalled. But Death says Azusa informed him about the failure of their forces on the Moon to stop the infinite number of Clowns—but the witches could stop the Clowns with Soul Protect. If the Clowns are produced by the Kishin's madness waves, then Soul Protect can cut off that cycle of madness and hence their regeneration.
Death then explains that, while the witches are willing to talk, they will do so with only a shinigami. As Death's soul is bound to Death City and hence prevents him from entering the Realm of Witches, Kid is the only shinigami that he can send to negotiate, even as the witches know that Kid is already on the Moon fighting this war and are likely making this request in order to humble DWMA. Death reiterates: Kid must return now.
Demon Airship[]
Azusa turns to the bridge, confirming the wounded and the dead are now aboard, as the crew is ready to fly the Airship back to Death City. Kid warns that the large number of Clowns will shoot down the Airship, but Marie asks that Kid have some faith in the Death Scythes they are leaving behind.
The Moon[]

On the surface, Stein smokes a cigarette. He stands beside Spirit Albarn, Alexandre wielding Dengu Dinga, and Zubaidah wielding Jinn Galland. They are the only members of DWMA left to fight this battle, as they wait for a field of Clowns to finish regenerating.
Spirit admits to Stein that, so far in this battle against Asura's army, he was afraid the scientist was going to fall into madness. But Stein claims he will not, because he has Marie, his students, and everyone at DWMA, including Spirit. Stein will simply have to accept that he is troubled by ambiguity despite his madness and his desire for a black-and-white approach to life.
Despite Stein crediting Spirit as being one of his anchors for sanity, the Death Scythe complains that he deserves a bit more credit, as he spends more time tending to Stein than to his own daughter—which gives Spirit the idea that Stein should have a family so as to get through this madness. Stein thinks Spirit, who is divorced, is hardly one to suggest a family. As Spirit sheepishly admits that he is not the most "orderly" person, Stein says it is that fact which makes Spirit a Death Scythe.
Realm of Witches[]
A witch approaches Maba to announce that DWMA has sent an update regarding the proposed summit.
Death Weapon Meister Academy prison cells[]
Eruka Frog reviews the information that she provided to the DWMA members: Soul Protect will prevent the Clowns from regenerating, but there would need to be multiple witches to have this practice be successful.
A knock comes from Eruka's cell door: it is Free, claiming he is here to rescue his "savior" as she did rescuing him from the Witch Prison long ago. Eruka is surprised Free, who is wanted by DWMA, could get through the entire Academy and arrive at her cell, but he claims his Soul Protect was all he needed to get through.
Joyful at this idea, Eruka opens the door to her cell—then frowns, seeing that Free is in handcuffs, led by DWMA guards who captured him during his failed attempt to break her out. The DWMA guards surrounding Free claim that, really, given how large Free was, even with Soul Protect he hardly stood a chance at entering the Academy undetected. While he seems cheerful, Free then admits that he is worried that DWMA is not going to let him or Eruka go.
Behind Free and Eruka, Enrique arrives, holding up a mirror showing his Death Scythe, Tezca Tlipoca. Tezca has gathered Free and Eruka, along with the witches Risa and Arisa, for a meeting with Death. Looking at Enrique, Free complains that this meeting will be a problem, as dogs like him don't get along with monkeys, but an annoyed Eruka could not care less about Free's problem.
Italy[]
Ox Ford announces that he, Kilik Rung, and their partners are returning to Death City to get a flight to the Moon, as they cannot fly from here like flying meisters such as Maka Albarn and Black☆Star. Kim Diehl mentions she has been called back personally to the Academy. Black☆Star promises Kilik that their team will be waiting for them to join the battle.
Before their Spartoi teammates leave, however, Soul Eater and Tsubaki Nakatsukasa have rushed back with brown paper bags in their hands, as Soul passes out headbands. Tsubaki explains that, while Maka sent her report to Death, Soul realized how annoying it was that his hair was getting into his face again so Tsubaki purchased numerous headbands for him and their friends from a nearby roadside stand. A blushing Tsubaki explains that, if all the members of Spartoi wear these headbands, then no matter where they are, their souls will be united.
But Black☆Star is more surprised that Soul drew a logo on his own headband. Kilik suggests that they all draw something onto their headbands, which all come to have the same logo: a soul with a toothy grin. As Maka attempts to draw onto her own headband, Soul mocks her "unartistic skills." Embarrassed, Maka shoves the headband to him and asks that he draw for her—and, surprised, Soul agrees. Black☆Star then asks Soul whether he may draw a star on his headband, Soul answering that he doesn't care. Pleased, Black☆Star shoves his headband to Tsubaki, asking her to draw for him. Their friends draw, someone criticizing Jacqueline O'Lantern Dupré's illustration, and Harvar D. Éclair explaining his illustration looks, as someone says, "terrible" because "I'm not good with curves."

The original quartet suit up
With their teammates now gone to Death City, Soul and Black☆Star prepare to leave. But they are interrupted by Tsubaki, who holds a suitcase—with a musical note, a plaid design, and distinctively glaring eyes and a toothy mouth. Black☆Star is annoyed at this interruption as Maka explains that she brought this suitcase with her because she knew before this mission that it was likely she would not be able to kill Crona—which meant she was not fit to wear the Spartoi symbol. Soul then recognizes what Maka is removing from the suitcase: Tsubaki brought their previous outfits!
Now changed into their previous attire, but with the addition of Soul's headbands worn along their biceps, wrists, thighs, and, unsurprisingly, heads, Maka points to the sky and directs her teammates to head to the Moon.
Manga and Anime Differences[]
- While clowns in the anime were able to withstand Death the Kid's attacks, they were not defeated, as the manga suggests they can be, by Soul Protect.
Trivia[]
- This chapter foreshadows that Marie Mjolnir is pregnant.
- In the final chapter, Stein admits he knew Marie was pregnant before they left to go to the Moon. In this chapter, he claims the Death Scythes are more than capable of covering Kid's escape from the Moon, yet he also orders Marie to return to Death City. These potentially conflicting remarks, as well as Stein putting his hand to her abdomen, may indicate that Stein does not want to risk losing her and their child.
- Spirit then suggests Stein could curb his madness if he started a family. Stein does not admit he and Marie are already expecting a child, instead deflecting by reminding Spirit that he is hardly someone to discuss family as a way to becoming more orderly, seeing as he is divorced (to say nothing of his strained relationship with his daughter).
- As Death complains elsewhere, Kid is rather formal, even rude, to his father. As Death realizes his demise will come soon once Kid connects all three Lines of Sanzu to defeat Asura, he will never see Kid smile again, this occurrence being one of those instances.
- This chapter reveals that Eruka told DWMA her theory that, with enough magic users initiating Soul Protect, the Clown's infinite regeneration could be halted. As well, this chapter hints that Free can perform Soul Protect, whether due to his magic abilities or his Demon Eye.
- In the Yen Press English translation, Free tells Eruka that escaping the Death Weapon Meister Academy will be "a snap crackle pop." Eruka corrects him that the proper term is "snap." Free's remark is an allusion to the slogan for the United States breakfast cereal Rice Krispies.
- Free refers to the presence of Enrique as "like dogs and monkeys," a well-known Japanese phrase that refers to two people or sides who are constantly at odds with each other. The United States equivalent is "like cats and dogs."[2]
- As in an earlier chapter, the images of Italy are drawn in a way that looks so realistic as to resemble tracing.
- The symbol Soul draws onto his headband closely resembles his own soul, and is in fact the logo for Soul Eater.

Tsubaki's suitcase
- One of the members of Spartoi mocks a teammate's drawing as looking terrible, and that teammate responds that they can only draw straight lines. This poor illustration is shown in Chapter 100 to belong to Harvar, as his headband is revealed to consist of only straight lines.
- Tsubaki's suitcase has elements similar to both Maka and Soul. While most of the suitcase alludes to Soul—the musical note on its lower portion, the toothy mouth, and the glaring eyes—the plaid design resembles Maka's skirt.
- Black☆Star and Tsubaki's headbands have two stars drawn onto them.
- Maka wears her band on her bicep, Black☆Star on his wrist, and Tsubaki on her thigh.