It's been three years since Asura's defeat, and Soul Evans has finally accomplished death scythe status. Considering Soul had, after all, reached the highest attainable weapon rank, Lord Death encouraged him to leave Death City and do a bit of traveling, but Soul was perfectly happy to stay put. He was a simple guy-never one for unnecessary adventures. Besides, all his friends were in Death City, and despite three years passing, not much had changed. Black Star's soul wave length had gotten a lot stronger, but he still had yet to surpass God; Kid's symmetry obsession was just as fanatic, but he learned to restrain it, especially in battle; Tsubaki, Liz, and Patty got real close, almost as if there were three Thompson sisters; and with Maka's guidance, Crona became more outgoing. Not by much, but just enough to handle basic social situations like making small talk without trembling.

Into their late teens, all the kids had just about finished puberty. Out of the whole bunch, however, Soul, 18, had hit the biggest growth spurt, but compared to the rest of the group, Maka, 17, hadn't grown much-an inch or two maybe-and Soul was at least a whole head taller than her now. He was wide in the shoulders with a shorter torso, and narrow in the hips, his legs making up more than half his body. He had a T shaped build and his muscular physique more resembled that of a swimmer. Maka on the other hand hadn't undergone such drastic changes. Of course she got a little taller, her hair a little longer, and her breasts and butt a little bigger, but other than that her frame was still quite rectangular-thin and athletic, narrow shoulders, slightly wider hips, and long slender legs. Yes, Maka had grown, but somehow, she still managed to look just as delicate as when she was 14. Only difference is when Spirit gushed over Maka's baby bloomers and how cute and child-like her pigtails made her look, Maka started wearing her hair down in response, often parting her bangs to one side.

After all this time, the only big change at the academy was Maka's discovered weapon abilities. This information came as a surprise to everyone, even to Maka herself, and according to Lord Death, something like this had never occurred before; because even he, the most powerful being on Earth, needs a weapon to fight. After she defeated the kishin, Asura, and discovering herself not only meister, but also a weapon, Lord Death scheduled for Maka daily training sessions with Spirit so that she could master her new found abilities, as well as weekly check ups with Nygus as to monitor and document this phenomenon.

Every week, Maka and Soul trained with Spirit together. As a fellow death scythe, Soul could learn new techniques from spirit, while Maka could practice being Soul's meister and a weapon herself. Soul spent the other days of the week taking on odd jobs with Black Star and Kid, and Maka spent a majority of her time studying in school, in her room, and with the other girls. But the group always made a point of getting together and hanging out over basketball games and Maka's amazing cooking, at least two or three times a month. But out of the whole group, it's clear Soul and Maka spent more time with each other than anyone else. They did live together after all, and in three years time, this roommate and weapon/miester training arrangement only made their relationship grow closer.