Template:Infobox/SoulEater/Chapter
Salvage (Part 9) is the eightieth chapter of the manga Soul Eater. It is collected as part of Volume 19.
Featured Appearances
Characters
- Maka Albarn
- Soul Eater
- Black Star
- Tsubaki Nakatsukasa
- Death the Kid
- Liz Thompson
- Patty Thompson
- Blair
- Kilik Rung
- Pot of Fire and Pot of Thunder (weapon form only)
- Ox Ford
- Kim Diehl
Noah's Gang
- The Great Old One of Power (flashback)
- Magic Worm
- Select Gremlins (first appearance)
- Orthrus (first appearance)
- The Cyclops (first appearance)
- Horror Dragon (first appearance)
- Death (flashback)
- Marie Mjolnir
- Franken Stein
- Sid Barrett
- Mira Naigus
- Azusa Yumi (voice only)
Locations
- Death City
- Noah's Base
Techniques
- Madness wavelength
- Lines of Sanzu
- Resonance Chain
- The Siren (first appearance)
- ShadowāStar: Zeroth Form - Masamune Initiation Technique Infinity
Objects
- Book of Eibon
- Giant's Razor (first appearance)
- David (first appearance)
Plot
Noah's Headquarters
As Noah thinks to himself about his desires, Sid Barrett finally frees himself from the centipede monster by ripping one of its teeth loose to stab into the beast. As Sid lands alongside Franken Stein, both teachers instruct their students to retreat. But Black Star blocks their path: he instructs the instructors that this fight between Noah and Kid is for rulership of the world, and their success will depend on the teachers watching their back. The teachers smile and allow their students to proceed.
Tsubaki Nakatsukasa and the Thompsons transform, returning to their meisters, Liz and Patty joyful at their meisters' return. Soul Eater makes sure that Maka Albarn is ready for this battle.
But Noah looks mad as he screams of his desire to acquire the Kishin, seemingly surprising the otherwise unexpressive Justin Law. Noah continues to rant that his desire to possess all includes gaining the right to decide which souls live and die, beginning with unnecessary clutter such as Marie Mjolnir, flung loose from the centipede monster and towards a stone pillarābefore Stein catches her and blunts their collision.
Furious at Noah's speech and attack on their teachers, Kid explains he could make speeches about the goals he has, but to protect his friends, he and Black Star must embrace madness as "a cool and deliberate intent to kill." As the first and second Lines of Sanzu circle Kid's head and stars emerge in Black Star's eye, weapons and meisters are shocked at this madness wavelength emerging in the duo. Despite that wavelength, Kid, looking and sounding lucid, calls to his peers, asking whether Soul and Maka have the strength to join him in this battle, reminding the duo that they will provide support. Maka orders Soul to transform, as she initiates the Resonance Chain to empower their teammates.
But before Black Star and Kid can attack Noah, Gopher arrives to block with The Siren. Undeterred, Kid easily swipes Gopher away with a one-handed slap to the left side of Gopher's face as payback for the abuse committed on the right side of Kid's body. Black Star attempts to slice Siren away only to be blasted away. Nevertheless, Black Star and Kid tell themselves that Maka and Soul's courage will secure their victory. Distracted, however, they do not notice until Maka's warning that Noah has flown above on a centipede about to introduce some of his collection, first the Giant's Razor then flying Select Gremlins. Before the Select Gremlins reach Black Star, Kilik Rung and Blair leap through the air to knock the creatures down.
As Sid and Stein tend to their weapons, they confront Justin. As Stein threatens to attack, Justin is too busy to fight. Sid criticizes Justin for his treachery against his "friends," only for Justin to reply that all that matters to him is the Kishin. As the Moon shines from above him, he says his "religious fervor is itself a kind of madness," so he decided to take his fervor to its logical conclusion: worship that madness, the Kishin himself. But before his departure, Justin teases the teachers with some privileged information: Noah has informed Justin where the Kishin is hiding.
Death City
Azusa Yumi reports through her link to Ox Ford that Spartoi has escaped from the Book of Eibon to fight Noah, but Tezca Tlipoca was killed in the battle. Kim Diehl asks whether Kilik and their peers are okay, but Azusa has no additional information.
Noah's Headquarters
From the Book of Eibon, Noah unleashes Orthrus, a tentacle beast with canine heads, to snipe at Kid. Eibon then lectures Kid on a person who battled the giant Goliath, confusing Kidāuntil Michelangelo's own David erupts from the ground, knocking back the reaper.
Kid and Black Star are back on their feet, rushing at the Cyclops Noah releases. Before the giant can injure Kid, Black Star kicks the reaper out of the way as the Cyclops crashes atop him. But as the Cyclops lies on its stomach, it rises, held by one hand by an inured Black Star. With ShadowāStar: Zeroth Form, Masamune Initiation Technique Infinity, BlackāStar defeats the Cyclops. While Maka is impressed with this victory, Soul reminds all that their fight is against just Noah, not his entire collection.
Kid contemplates their options. He remembers the Black Mass planning to test Kid against Noahāthen Kid remembers some of the people who have faith in him: his father and his weapons.
Noah summons the Horror Dragon
Noah then unleashes his Horror Dragon with the intention of drawing Kid back into the Bookādead or alive.
Trivia
- The two-page splash page for this chapter features not only the customary number 42 but other numbers associated with unlucky omens such as 13 and 666. Writing includes "Devilish Girl."
- Maka's jacket in the two-page splash page resembles her weapon's own, as well as the jacket she wears during Eternal Feather's attack on the Death Bazaar in Soul Eater NOT!
- The Siren is spelled with the characters literally meaning "Reef of Temptation," referring to how Sirens in Greek mythology sing to passing ships to lure sailors to crash upon the reefs.[1]
- When Noah orders his Select Gremlins to attack, he says, "Fly! Fly, my Select Gremlins!!" This remark is similar to the shout, "Fly, my pretties, fly!" and "Fly, my monkeys, fly!" which are much quoted remarks in popular culture inspired by the 1939 film The Wizard of Oz but is actually a misquote of the original line, "Fly! Fly! Fly!"
- Justin's praise for Asura is framed with the Moon behind him, foreshadowing that satellite as the site of Asura's escape and the final battles of the manga.
- Sid's remark that Justin was their friend also foreshadows Tezca and Justin's confrontation in Chapter 86.
- The Orthrus is a Greek mythological creature that resembles a two-headed dog, similar to Cerberus. Orthrus guards the red cattle of Geryon, which Hercules needed for his tenth labor. Hence Hercules had to kill the Orthrus.[1]
- Before summoning the Horror Dragon, Noah reverses his cap. His cap reversal, and as Noah said in the previous chapter, "Manticore! I choose you!" his behavior imitates that of the protagonist from the anime Pokemon.[2]
- The Horror Dragon is named for the resemblance of its faces to famous horror film villains, including Freddy Krueger from A Nightmare on Elm Street, Leatherface from The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, and Jason Vorhees from Friday the 13th.[1]