Volume 7 of Soul Eater ended with Black☆Star about to fight Mifune for the second time, and naturally, volume 8 begins with that battle. This volume contains a total of four chapters: twenty-eight to thirty-one.
Blurb:
While Black☆Star and Tsubaki keep Mifune and Mosquito distracted, Sid is able to locate Arachnophobia’s demon tool and put an abrupt end to their sinister plans. But though the evil organisation won’t be manipulating anyone’s morality anytime soon, the blueprints for the dangerous tool are sealed away in Shinigami-sama’s secret vault rather than destroyed. Surely Shinigami-sama would never think of constructing a demon tool himself?!
Chapter 28 is ‘The Bodyguard (Part 2)’, in which Black☆Star’s battle against Mifune is the main focus. We also learn a little more about Mifune during this chapter, and how he first met the witch Angela.
Whilst they fight, Sid destroys the morality manipulation machine, as stated in the blurb. After he’s done there, he provides some backup for Black☆Star, forcing Mifune and Mosquito to retreat. Mifune acknowledges Black☆Star’s strength, though Black☆Star would much prefer to settle their fight properly.
‘Snake’ is the title of chapter 29. It opens with a child called Rachel and her mother going for a walk, when they stumble upon a dog. Rachel follows the dog, and then has an encounter with a snake – a rather specific snake. Turns out a certain character from the earlier volumes is still around…
Back in the DWMA, we see a poster showing that Rachel is missing. We also learn that Black☆Star has been challenging people to fights, and winning them without the aid of his partner.
Lessons begin anew, and Stein teaches the students ‘duel arts’. He does this by challenging Maka, Soul, Black☆Star, Harvar and Ox to attack him. Their goal is to master ‘teamwise soul resonance’. Things don’t go terribly well, and Black☆Star ends up picking a fight with Ox.
There’s also a glimpse of a secret underground vault, and Sid mentions the ‘Book of Eibon’. That’s going to be important later on.
The scene switches to Arachnophobia, where Rachel (well, technically not Rachel, but rather the one who’s possessed her body) arrives to meet with Arachne.
Chapter 30 is called ‘The Reunion Express (Part 1)’, and it opens with the meeting between Arachne and her younger sister. Arachne’s younger sister makes it clear to the reader that she’s seeking a fragment of the Book of Eibon, which she suspects is located somewhere in Baba Yaga Castle. She tells Eruka to find it, whilst Free and the Mizune sisters infiltrate Arachnophobia.
At Gallows Mansion, home of Death the Kid and the Thompson sisters, a party’s in full swing. Crona attends together with the other students, and they say that they’re all friends.
Unfortunately, Kid receives orders from his father, which means that he, Liz adn Patty have to leave the party and travel to the Sahara. They have to find a train that runs across the desert without rails, because it might be powered by a demon tool. Arachnophobia have their sights on the tools as well.
They arrive in the desert at a station, where one other is also waiting for the train. It arrives shortly afterwards, and the other person is revealed to be the fifth Mizune sister, and on board the train is an agent of Arachnophobia, the Fisher King.
Chapter 31, ‘The Reunion Express (Part 2)’ opens with Kid pursuing the runaway train, and a three-way battle breaks out. After evading attacks from both Mizune and the Fisher King, Kid makes it into the train. The battle is to claim the demon tool called the Eternal Spring.
The Eternal Spring had been created by Eibon, and it also bears Death’s signature – Kid’s father. Sid appears and finishes off the Fisher King before he can explain anything else, however.
Back in Death City, the party at the Gallows Mansion comes to an end and everyone parts ways. Crona walks back alone, encountering a familiar person, in an unfamiliar body. She asks Crona to continue spying on the DWMA, though that wasn’t Crona’s original intent upon joining. It doesn’t take much to break Crona, though…
Volume 8 continues to push the plot along, mentioning some important things – demon tools and Eibon probably being the key ones. We also get to see how Black☆Star has grown compared to his introduction, though that thirst for power leads to interesting things in the future.
Oh, and can’t neglect to mention the return of a certain character, which makes Crona’s life a whole lot more complicated. Right at the end of the volume, that same character says that ‘something’s bound to happen very soon’. That’a s tease for the future, if ever I’ve read one.
Rory Muses 