DWMA’s best fighters

The air in the DWMA training hall was thick with the scent of ozone and the rhythmic *thrum* of resonating souls. It was a sound that most students found grounding, but today, the atmosphere was charged with a different kind of energy. A crowd had gathered around the central sparring ring, a sea of familiar faces—Maka, Soul, Black Star, Tsubaki, Kid, and the Thompson sisters—all watching with bated breath.

In the center of the ring stood Zero. His black hair was shaggy, partially obscuring the jagged horizontal scar that ran across the bridge of his nose and through both eyelids. His eyes, once a piercing red, were now a milky, clouded white. He stood perfectly still, his weight shifted slightly onto his right side to compensate for the faint mechanical hum of his left leg—a masterpiece of prosthetic engineering courtesy of Professor Stein.

Opposite him, Natsu stood with his arms crossed, his white hair messy and his blue eyes sharp with focus. A faint, silver line traced its way from his collarbone down toward his sternum, hidden beneath his shirt—a permanent reminder of the night the village of Oakhaven nearly became their tomb.

"You ready, Natsu?" Zero asked. His voice was calm, devoid of the frantic energy that usually preceded a high-stakes spar. He wasn't looking at Natsu; he was looking at nothing, yet his head tilted slightly to the left, tracking the vibration of Natsu’s heartbeat.

Natsu grinned, a feral, confident expression. "Always, Zero. Let's show these kids why we're still at the top of the board."

With a flash of brilliant light, Natsu’s body dissolved into blue sparks, reshaping itself in mid-air. Zero reached out, his hand closing around the grip of a massive, double-headed battle ax. The weapon was enormous, the blades etched with runes that glowed with a soft cerulean light. Despite the ax’s size, Zero swung it into a ready stance with a grace that defied physics.

"Soul Resonance," Zero whispered.

The ground beneath them groaned. The sheer volume of their combined soul wavelengths hit the room like a physical shockwave. It wasn't the jagged, chaotic energy of Black Star or the rigid, symmetrical perfection of Death the Kid. It was something deeper—a low-frequency roar that felt like the earth itself was breathing.

"Look at that wavelength," Maka whispered, her green eyes wide as she used her Soul Perception. "It’s... it’s massive. I’ve never seen two souls fit together so seamlessly. It’s like they aren't even two people anymore."

"Hmph," Black Star crossed his arms, though his usual bravado was tempered by genuine respect. "They’ve got spirit, I’ll give 'em that. But they're still just trying to catch up to the shadow of a God like me!"

"Black Star, be quiet," Tsubaki chided softly. "Watch how Zero moves. He isn't using his eyes at all."

In the ring, the fight began. Their opponent for the day was none other than Professor Stein, perched atop his rolling chair, the screw in his head clicking rhythmically.

"Begin," Stein said, his grin widening behind his stitches.

Stein lunged, his movements a blur of surgical precision. He targeted Zero’s blind side, or what should have been his blind side. Without turning his head, Zero pivoted on his metal leg, the heel clicking against the stone floor. He swung the massive ax in a horizontal arc, the wind from the blade forcing Stein to backflip away.

Zero didn't stop. He felt the air displacement, the heat of Stein’s soul, and the minute vibrations of the rolling chair. He moved like a dancer, the heavy battle ax becoming an extension of his own limbs.

"Left, three degrees," Natsu’s voice echoed from the weapon, a telepathic nudge through their link.

Zero adjusted instantly, slamming the butt of the ax into the floor. A wave of soul energy erupted, cracking the tiles and forcing Stein to leap into the air.

"Impressive," Stein muttered, twisting his screw. "The loss of sight has forced your Soul Perception to evolve into something primal. You aren't seeing the world; you’re feeling the soul of the world."

Stein landed and unleashed a direct soul strike, his palm glowing with blue electricity. Zero didn't dodge. He brought the flat of the ax up, absorbing the impact. The force sent a spark through his prosthetic leg, but he didn't buckle. He couldn't. He remembered the feeling of the Kishin’s claws tearing through his flesh in that dark village a year ago. He remembered the smell of Natsu’s blood as his partner collapsed over him to shield him from the final blow.

That memory was the fire that forged his current strength.

"Natsu, let's end this," Zero said, his voice dropping an octave.

"Right behind you, partner!"

The blue glow of the ax turned a blinding white. The twin blades expanded, soul-force bleeding off them in jagged bolts of lightning. This was their signature: The Great Divide.

Zero spun, the momentum of the heavy weapon pulling him into a whirlwind. He wasn't just swinging an ax; he was manipulating the very air around him. Stein’s eyes widened as he realized the sheer scale of the attack. He had to use both hands to manifest a defensive soul shield.

When the dust settled, the training hall was silent. Zero stood with the ax resting on his shoulder, his breathing steady. Stein was several feet back, his lab coat slightly singed, a look of clinical fascination on his face.

"End of exercise," Stein announced, clicking his screw one last time. "Excellent resonance. Your synchronization rate is nearly ninety-eight percent. Even with the physical... limitations, you two are arguably the most dangerous duo in this academy."

Natsu transformed back into his human form, appearing instantly at Zero's side. He didn't say anything at first; he just looped an arm around Zero’s waist, steadying him as the adrenaline began to fade. Zero leaned into the touch, his cloudy eyes softening.

"You did great," Natsu whispered, loud enough only for Zero to hear.

"We did great," Zero corrected him.

The silence of the hall was broken by Patty’s loud cheering and Black Star’s indignant shouting about how he could have dodged that easily. Maka and Soul walked over, their expressions a mix of awe and concern.

"That was incredible, Zero, Natsu," Maka said, her hand resting on her book. "The way you handled the recoil on that last move... I didn't think it was possible with a prosthetic."

Zero turned his head toward the sound of her voice. "It took a long time to get the calibration right. Stein helped. But mostly, it’s just about trusting Natsu to be my eyes. If he says the ground is there, I believe him."

Soul leaned back, his hands in his pockets. "You guys are legends, you know that? The 'Unbroken Duo.' The younger students talk about that Oakhaven mission like it was a myth. Fighting off a horde of thirty High-Level Kishins while bleeding out? That's hardcore."

Natsu’s grip tightened slightly on Zero’s side. "It wasn't a myth. It was hell. But we're still here."

"And we're stronger for it," Zero added. He reached down, tapping his metal thigh. "I lost a leg and my sight, and Natsu nearly lost his life. But the Kishin failed. They didn't take our souls."

Death the Kid approached then, his eyes scanning Zero with an uncharacteristic lack of twitching. "The symmetry of your souls is... different now. It isn't perfect in the traditional sense. One is scarred, the other is compensating. But together, you create a new kind of balance. An asymmetrical perfection. I find it... acceptable."

"That’s high praise coming from him," Liz whispered with a grin.

As the group began to head toward the exit, talking about grabbing dinner at Death City’s famous ramen shop, Zero lingered for a moment. He felt the cool breeze drifting in from the high windows of the DWMA. He couldn't see the sunset that painted the sky in hues of orange and purple, but he could feel the warmth of the light on his skin.

"Zero?" Natsu asked, stopping a few paces ahead. "You coming?"

Zero smiled, a genuine, relaxed expression that reached his milky eyes. He adjusted his stance, feeling the solid connection of his metal foot against the floor, and started walking toward the sound of his partner's voice.

"Yeah," Zero replied. "I'm right here."

They walked out of the hall together, two halves of a whole, their souls humming in a quiet, unbreakable harmony that echoed through the halls of the academy long after they were gone. They were the top students, not because they were unscathed, but because they had been broken and chose to forge themselves into something sharper.

In the world of meisters and weapons, sight was a luxury, but resonance was a necessity. And Zero and Natsu had more resonance than the world knew what to do with.