During your fight with Maka Albarn all the innocent souls you devoured -including your former partner- had been set free, leaving your body - as well as your mind- in a rather weak state, Asura. You're no longer worthy of being called the god of fear.
We could easily kill you right now -and I gladly will if you don't play along. But even though I'm going to give you a second chance, your insanity is still a threat for all of us. Therefore if you decide to prevent your own death, I am going to assign you to someone to keep you in check…

Asura gritted his teeth in disgust as he regarded the small apartment he got. The room was painted in a bright yellow colour, equipped with a rather poor number of furniture. There was a small yet comfortable looking bed on one of the walls, as well as a desk, a chair and a shelve with some books.

If he actually thought about it, it wasn't a bad place to stay - at least for someone whose responsible for the spreading madness in the world, causing countless people to die and suffer. They didn't seem to see him as a serious threat anymore.

Even though the tall mirror peacefully leaning on the opposite wall ruined this impression, Asura knew they could easily kill him -or seal him again. It was astonishing that he was still alive after the recent events.

If someone attacked him now they could easily take him down. Asura had nothing to protect him anymore, not even his several scarves or his former partner on his side.

What was Death having in mind when he gave him a second chance? That he would change, living a happy life and fighting on the side of Shibusen? He laughed bitterly.

Even with most of his madness gone he still felt the paranoia nagging at his weakened mind. They weren't giving him a chance, did they? They would kill him when he wasn't expecting it…

Shifting uncomfortably Marie stood in front of the wooden door leading to the Kishin's Room. The same person -if you could call him a person after all- who's the cause of Stein's suffering with madness in the past month. Clenching her fist in anger, she tried to knock at the door with her other hand without breaking it down.

She didn't understand how Shinigami was able to pardon such a guy. Or why he put her of all people in charge of this lunatic. Of course she had a healing wavelength and all but will this really work? Marie still had her doubts about this and she probably wasn't the only one.

Taking a deep breath to calm her anger she knocked a few times again. When no one responded she carefully creaked the door open and peeked inside.

On the edge of the bed she saw a tall man with black hair, sceptically eyeing the mirror across from him.

"Excuse me. Are you the Kishin?"

The figure's head swung around turning his blood-red eyes onto her brown one. She shivered at his gaze, swallowing hard.

"Yes I am. So you need to be the woman Shinigami had been talking about. The one to keep me in check. Am I right?"

"Yeah, I'm Marie Mjölnir."

"You're wasting your time then.", he stated bluntly.

"Huh?" She glanced at him in confusion.

"I've been the definition of madness for over 800 years now. Do you actually believe you are able to change this?"

Asura smirked. "And even if, how would you want to do it?"

Marie hesitated, balling her hand to a fist again. Looking at the floor when she responded, her voice was low and poisonous.

"I'm not quite sure if I am able to. But if it turns out I can't, I guess I'd be glad to kick your ass."

He let out a small chuckle at her statement. "Why so angry all of a sudden?"

Glaring daggers at him she forcefully brought her hand down on the small and only table of the room, smashing it in two.

"Do you even have the slightest idea what you've done to everyone?! Don't you care about what problems your madness caused?! My friends suffered because of you, you-!"

"Why don't you kill me now then and tell Shinigami that I tried to eat your soul or something? Would be much easier would it?"

A twisted grin spread across Asura's face at the thought of devouring her soul. He needed to gain power to protect himself anyway and a simple human soul wouldn't hurt, right? It wouldn't be easy to kill her in his current condition though, but in a moment of surprise-

Asura stopped in his mad thoughts when he suddenly felt a pair of hands on his shoulders.

His head snapped up in surprise, blinking at the blonde woman in front of him.

Marie's face didn't show any trace of anger anymore, wearing a determined somehow worried expression instead.

All of his paranoia and insanity had disappeared in an instant. Being able to feel her calming wavelength made him understand why Shinigami had sent her. Everything made sense now. And maybe - just maybe - he even had a chance to live a nearly normal live without fear now…

"I may not be able to prevent you from falling for the madness again but I can try at least.", she said smiling at him.