In this world, there are many different types of people. We've already seen Demon Weapons and Meisters, but there's a rare type of Human with neither's abilities. The Strong Soul, is a Human Soul with the estimated power of 99 people, making those who're born with one a dangerous opponent. But, it does have a certain upside to attempt collecting, as a certain egotistical Tech has decided to go after one to make his partner a Death Weapon faster.
And just who is their target? A man named Baku, as some of you may remember. Despite his appearance, he does infact possess a Strong Soul. Recently, DWMA have been receiving numerous reports of disappearances around the state, mostly within small towns and isolated communities, and they have reasons to suspect that the strange dark being is affiliated with Fen due to this after his introduction a week ago.
The duo had located Baku in a massive, dense forest somewhere in Europe, but the main issue of finding his isn't the numerous plant life blocking one's view, it's that Black★Star cannot sense souls like other Techs just yet. So when he did find the Demon, his natural senses will have to do.
Black★Star: *Standing atop a tree* Oh yeah! I can see the whole forest from here! There ain't no place for him to hide now!
Tsubaki: *In the form of the dual-linked scythes* Um, you say that, but we've been out here for three hours and still haven't found anything. He might've already left...
Black★Star: That just proves he's scared of me, can't say I blame him! I'd run away if I had to fight me too, hehe!
Tsubaki: You never change, do you?
???: My god, you're the loudest person I've had the displeasure of knowing.
Tsubaki: Huh??
Black★Star: Ha! I knew it, nobody can hide from Black★Star!! Go on, show yourself!
A tree in front of the duo distorted and morphed into a humanoid shape before gaining a darker hue, and gaining a single red eye.
Baku: Greetings children, I am Baku, but I already know that you've heard of me.
Black★Star: Then you know I'm the guy who's gonna take your soul!
Baku: Oh, I know all about you, that star on your shoulder gives it away.
Tsubaki: What's he talking about.
Baku: I know that you come from an old clan of assasins, the kind who'd butcher an innocent family for a nickel, and think nothing of it. I believe they called themselves the Star Clan, yes?
Black★Star: Sounds about right.
Baku: But then your clan had caught the gaze of Death himself, and he sent some assassins of his own to wipe them off the face of the world, all but one however. And that just so happened to be you.
Black★Star: Yeah, that's me.
Tsubaki: DWMA ordered the deaths of Black★Star's family??
Baku: Hm, you're not reacting the way I thought you would. Many people would be angered to hear such words, but you seem rather indifferent, a stark contrast to the loud kid from before.
Black★Star: What's there to be mad at? My mom and dad were bad people, so they had to die. That have anything to do with me? Nah, all that happened before I as big a star I am now, heh! Besides, that means that I get the spotlight, as it should be, hahaha!
The Demon Weapon in Black★Star's hands thought about this revelation for a moment, thinking about how this boy, even knowing what fate became of his parents, he would choose to act like it doesn't affect him in the slightest. Even now, Tsubaki could tell that her partner still has mixed feelings about it.
Baku: I see. Then I suppose we've talked long enough, time to see what the last Star Clan member is capable of...
Baku then separated his lower half from the tree, forming a pair of plain brown trousers, then a black blade emerged from his left palm.
Baku: Are you prepared to meet your maker?
Black★Star: You got it backwards, I'm the one who's gonna take you out!!
And now the duel began. Jumping off the trees, Black★Star and Baku clashed blades before descending into the forest.
Baku: Take this, Massive Fireball Technique!!
The Demon took a deep breath and sent a ball of flames out from where his mouth would be.
Black★Star avoided this attack by wrapping one end of his twin scythes around a nearby branch and pulling himself out of harms way, followed by him swinging himself back and slashing Baku's right shoulder.
Baku: Not bad, not bad at all. I can see that your weapon moves swift, but cuts deep. However, this isn't enough to hinder me in the slightest!
Baku's wound began to mend itself shut using small tendrils that grew from the edges and latched onto the other side.
Baku: Now that the warmup is over, time to fight seriously, Hidden Blade Technique!
He plunged his sword, along with his hand, into the ground and a portion of his arm took on its color. A moment later the same blade erupted just inches away from Black★Star's face. As the boy stepped back, an identical arm emerged from behind, slashing the Meister's back diagonally.
Black★Star: Shit! Gotta get off the ground!
He returned to the trees, jumping from branche to branch around the Demon, but to his surprise the same hands began appearing on the trees and began swiping through the air, cutting up his arms and legs every few jumps.
Black★Star: He can travel through the trees too?? But it doesn't look like he can move that much... Tsubaki, Shuriken Mode!
Tsubaki: Right!
In a puff of smoke, the chained scythe became a large shuriken with rectangular notches.
Black★Star then threw his partner right at Baku, who was so preoccupied trying to find them that he only had a split second to react, jumping over the Demon Weapon at the cost of his arm. Once it was disconnected, all the other arms fizzled into dust.
Black★Star: Oh yeah! That one got him!!
Baku held onto the now bleeding stump of what was remaining of his left arm, as the veins in his eye were becoming visible from the pain.
Baku: I-Impressive! So there are Demon Weapons capable of becoming more than one tool, I had no idea...
Black★Star: That's what happens when you underestimate me, Haha!!
Baku: Even so...I still have the upper hand! I've been studying the nature of you special Humans and found out your weaknesses! Haven't you noticed that someone's missing?
Black★Star: Huh? Wait a second, Tsubaki?!
Tsubaki: G-Get off me!!
Behind Baku was the Tech's partner, now restrained to the ground by roots.
Tsubaki: I can't transform! It's suppressing my soul somehow!
Black★Star: What did you do?!
Baku pointed at his foot, which had transformed into wood. And when Black★Star looked back up, his left arm had somehow grew back, much like a salamander.
Baku: That's my Wood Style Technique, it can suppress and absorb Soul Power with contact. Now that your weapon is out of the way, your Soul Wavelength isn't as powerful anymore, I won't even need a weapon to kill you now! Clone Technique!
A puff of smoke appeared next to Baku, and an exact replica of himself emerged from within, engaging with Black★Star almost immediately. His style of hand-to-hand combat was nothing to sneeze at, his punches and kicks were so fast that it appeared he was growing more limbs. This was too much for Black★Star, as he could feel the bones in his forearms and legs get pushed to their absolute limits and was sent flying into a boulder, embedding himself into it.
Black★Star: You're kidding...is this really the power of a Strong Soul?
With blurry vision, the Meister saw a blue orb around the two Bakus, massive ones, at least the size of an elephant. "That's his soul?!", he thought to himself, baffled that he was suddenly able to see its true form, before they vanished once more. Baku's copy grabbed him by the hair and slammed his face into the dirt, breaking his nose in the process.
Baku: That expression you had just a moment ago, you saw it didn't you? It should be crystal clear now how wide the power gap between us is, even with your weapon you had no chance from the start! I'm quite disappointed to be honest, I expected more from your clan, but it's apparent that you weren't cut from the same cloth, hmph.
Black★Star: Wh-What did you...just say?
Baku: Have you gone deaf? I said you're weak, all bark and no bite! I've fought countless warriors with ten times more skill than you, you could never hold a candle to even a single one of them! Now, I'm going to do you a favor and end the laughable thing you call a life.
He created a new sword, and raised it above the boy's neck, bringing it down with the same emotionless look in his eye he's worn from the beginning. Tsubaki could do nothing but shut her eyes and wait for the inevitable...but then, she heard the sound of metal snapping.
Tsubaki: Huh? B-Black★Star?!
Despite his injuries, Black★Star had not only stopped the attack, but caught and broke the Demon's sword with his bare hands, ignoring the deep cut on his palm.
Black★Star: You think you talk down to me, and I'll just sit there and take it?
Baku: What the?! But, you shouldn't be able to move!! I broke your arms, your legs, and I surely damaged your spine! How're you still standing?! Y-
Black★Star gripped his throat, crushing it and causing the clone to disappear into dust. The original was so shocked by this he unknowingly released Tsubaki from his Wood Technique.
Black★Star: I told you before, I don't give a damn about how strong my clan was compared to me... The only thing I'm worried about is what I can do, and there's a whole lot you haven't seen yet!
Baku: Y-You're bluffing! I can sense it, you don't have enough energy to kill me, none!
Tsubaki: I've never seen him like this before, where's all this newfound strength coming from??
Black★Star: Wanna test that theory?
Baku, for the first time, truly lost his composure. He tried rushing him like before, but Black★Star was able to dodge each strike this time, interrupting the rush with a strong punch to the gut, lifting his opponent in the air with his Soul Wavelength.
Black★Star: I don't know what kind of people you fought in the past, but I do know why they lost!
Before Baku could land, he kicked Baku in the head, sending him through the sky. Black★Star then launched himself up as well using a branch, electricity crackling around him.
Black★Star: They weren't me! Because I'm Black★Star! And I'm always-
This energy transfered into both of his hands as he brought them together, creating a near blinding light.
Black★Star: On-
Baku saw the incoming attack being prepared, and his entire body altered again, this time growing a shiny, metallic armor.
Black★Star: Stage!!!
He knocked Baku down like a volleyball, destroying his shell like it was glass, and sending him to the ground like a meteor.
Black★Star: I did it, I beat him, finally...
Before he hit the ground, his partner was able to catch up at the last moment.
Tsubaki: Black★Star, are you alright?!
Black★Star: Eh? What kind of question is that... Of course I am! That Baku freak never stood a chance, should've kept hiding to avoid the beating I gave him, hahaha!!
Tsubaki: Yep, he's definitely fine. But, I don't see his soul anywhere, he got away...
Black★Star: Huh, well it doesn't matter, making him run away is just as good as taking his soul. We can get him next time, together as a team!
Tsubaki: Uh, y-yeah a team...
The duo brushed themselves off before leaving the forest, completely unaware of what hid beneath them. Within a small camber within the earth, Baku was mending his wounds, looking as though a bomb went off at point blank range. In his eye, one could only see hatred, pure and simple hatred.
Baku: Damn it all...damn it all!! To think that boy could actually use that much power by himself. And to think, if I didn't meld into the ground in time...he would've killed me. Enjoy your victory now, Black★Star. Because the next time we meet, the outcome will be much different, just you wait...!