It was far too quiet when the trio arrived with their passengers. Dispelling their Symphogears right outside the submarine, Maria, Chris, Shirabe and Miku all ran as fast as they could into the sub proper. It all began when during their retreat, the deafening amount of noise coming from their headset instantly vanished, leaving nothing but an eerie silence that did not bode well.
They made their first stop in the medical room. The door slid open and they barged inside, the doctors within already prepared to receive their patients. They set Kirika and Saint-Germain down on the medical beds, careful as to not aggravate their injuries. Shirabe looked over Kirika once, making sure she was comfortable, and ran after the trio that hurried to the bridge ahead of her, having turned down the doctors' offers for treatment.
They sprinted through HQ's halls, having memorized them by heart the way back to the bridge a long time ago. It took them less than a minute to arrive, and the door slid open before them. They scurried inside, and froze.
They immediately understood the cause of the silence. All members on the bridge, Elfnein included, had stopped any and all work they were doing to stare in horror at the gigantic display above them. Maria looked them over, not quite understanding what was happening.
That was until Tomosato let out an anguished gasp, and she looked up to the screen too.
It showed Genjuro, the same unbeatable mountain of man who could take out Symphogears with his bare hands, sprawled out on the ground, lying defeated inside of a crater. His shirt and pants were torn in various locations, and blood poured out from open wounds he sustained during the intense fight.
And standing above him was Hibiki, looking none the worse for wear, holding her spear above his head.
They could see their mouths move, but no words were coming out. When the sound suddenly gave out during the fight, one of the engineers hurriedly tried to fix it, only to realize that the fault came from the outside, meaning that all of the audio devices on the battlefield had malfunctioned, headsets included.
But the lack of sound did not stop them from despairing. Because no matter what words were spoken, it did not hide the fact that the scene before them looked like an execution. The rogue Symphogear user was standing above him with her spear raised, yet his face remained calm, and he was speaking to her. And whatever he was saying, it seemed to be slightly working. They could see the spear shake, meaning that Hibiki's grip on it was loosening. For a moment they believed that perhaps he was successfully talking her out of it. It would be a miracle if he was, for it would instantly solve all of their problems. Hope blossomed up in their chests as they watched the scene.
Only for that hope to be summarily crushed when the cursed spear came down anyway.
And in that crucial, heart wrenching moment in which the spear was about to pierce through his head…
That visual suddenly gave out and the screen filled with static.
It was the greatest jumpscare they had ever experienced in their lives. Several of the crew members yelped in surprise by the change. "Quickly! Someone get us back some visual!" Aoi ordered, having been given temporary command of HQ, and the appropriate subordinates immediately worked to fix the problem. Without sound and visual, S.O.N.G HQ was completely cut off from the battlefield, unaware of what was going on.
And completely unaware of the fate of their beloved commander, who had been defeated by his own pupil.
The engineers worked tirelessly, and all those gathered on the bridge were wracked with anxiety, just waiting for the screen to come back to show Genjuro's brain splattered on the ground. It was the natural conclusion to reach after seeing something so horrifying.
But no matter what they did, the visuals would not return. The engineers could only give the response they gave last time: the malfunction was on the outside.
It was beyond frustrating. They had absolutely no clue what was going on, and did not even notice the wielders as they came in.
Shirabe looked to and fro, studied the situation, and came to a decision. "I'm going back to see what happened." She suddenly declared.
Maria turned to her with her eyes wide. "No! Shirabe, that's too dangerous! You don't know if HIbiki-san is still there or not!"
"The only thing I have done until now was bring people to and away from the battlefield. I have no intention of fighting her. I know I would lose if I tried. But at least I have to give us some closure. We can't continue like this." She answered, meeting her elder's gaze.
Maria was slightly taken aback by Shirabe's stubbornness. She glanced back to the bridge, looking at the crew members. Some began to tap away at their consoles again, others were holding their heads in despair, leaning forward, and some slumped in their chairs backwards limply. If she listened closely, she could hear sorrowful sniffles coming from more than one of the stations.
It went to show how much the uncertain fate of their commander was getting to them. And as a result, relented to the younger wielder's demands. "Be careful out there. Your headset should still work so keep us updated on anything, alright?"
Shirabe nodded. She looked between her comrades, who nodded to her. She walked towards the door, and on the way stopped by the quiet Miku, and spoke softly. "Miku-san."
The black haired girl raised her head, having been lost in thought, and looked towards her underclassman. In response, Shirabe grasped her hand…
And gave it a tight squeeze.
The action baffled Miku, but Shirabe said nothing more, leaving the bridge in a hurry.
-!-
Around ten minutes later, Shirabe arrived back to the battlefield. The only thing that remained there that belonged to them were the trucks loaded with Anti-LiNKER, having been abandoned during the initial fight. Other than that, it stayed exactly as it was when she left: Nothing but a scarred war zone filled with rubble and wreckage.
She slid forward, looking around trying to locate the specific crater they had seen Genjuro lying inside if. It would have been quick work had there been only one crater, but their fight was so intense that there were virtually dozens of them scattered all over the place, a reminder of the huge power that was thrown around almost casually throughout the night.
It was the wee hours of the morning by now, around five a.m if she recalled, and the very first rays of the sun were peering out of the horizon. It would be less than an hour until they would be bathed in its light, the first light since the disastrous night they suffered.
She passed by each crater she saw, briefly looking within and seeing no sign of anything. She was almost hesitant to continue looking in fear of coming upon a gory scene.
Hibiki was also similarly gone, having left the battlefield at some unknown point in time. No one had a clue as to where she went, but frankly Shirabe couldn't care less at the moment. Right now the priority was to find Genjuro. Whether she brought him home alive or as a headless corpse, she would give closure to S.O.N.G.
It was the one thing she could do for them.
And just as she thought that, she finally found what she was looking for.
It was the deepest crater of the bunch, probably over ten meters deep. It was surprisingly clear of any rubble, which gave her a clear view of the inside.
And boy was she glad she had a clear view.
He just laid there, unmoving. However, the biggest surprise she had was the fact that despite all of their worries, his head was miraculously still in one piece. She slid down the side of the crater as fast as she could and kneeled by him. She looked to the spot next to his head and found a small part of the ground that had been pierced through in the shape of a diamond, indicating that something had been embedded there.
The only assumption she had was that somehow Hibiki had missed her target and left before help arrived. It was a strange train of thought, one she couldn't really rationalize.
But it didn't matter at all right now. Quickly she looked him over, utilizing the basic first aid knowledge she had learned in the past, and saw no other injuries on him that indicated something fatal. She put two fingers against his neck and checked his pulse.
She smiled brightly when she got her desired response. It was faint, but it was there.
Genjuro was alive, and he could still be saved.
She swiftly put her hand against her headset. "I found him," She said. "He's alive. His pulse is weak but he's alive!"
The relieved gasps she received warmed her heart. She turned back to him, and began to slide her arms under him in order to carry him away.
Only to yelp as he suddenly opened his eyes. "Shirabe...kun…"
Her eyes widened. "Commander! Don't worry, I'll get you back as fast as possible-"
"She...spared me…" He began to say quietly, causing her to freeze. "She...spared...me...We can...still...bring her...back…"
The young wielder had a very hard time understanding what he was talking about. Perhaps he was delirious from blood loss, or perhaps he interpreted her leaving as sparing him, but that did not matter at all at the moment. He was alive, and she was determined to bring him back with her.
"Don't worry, I'll take you back." She said in response.
She slid her arms under him, and with one strong heave lifted him off the ground in her arms. He was heavy, despite her wearing a Symphogear. But she had experienced heavy before, and in comparison this was nothing.
She made it back to base in record time.
And the entire way, Genjuro continued to murmur softly.
-!-
About three hours later, the main bridge crew of S.O.N.G along with the wielders gathered within the medical room. The sun had risen, and the light poured into the room, illuminating every corner of it.
"If there is a god up there, then he sure just blessed us." The doctor said upon giving them a rundown on Genjuro's condition. "He still has a few open wounds aside from the broken ribs, but he will most definitely make it. We gave him stitches where necessary and he should make a full recovery very soon. His constitution and vitality are simply through the roof. I knew commander Kazanari was a tough nut to crack, but this is just insane. As for the other piece of good news, Tsubasa-san will also make a full recovery. Her Symphogear kept her alive for the majority of the time, giving us plenty of time to get her out of the critical phase. All in all, I must say we are quite fortunate, all things considered." He adjusted his glasses. "I do wish however we had full access to some hospital equipment at a time like this, although I did understand the need to evacuate the immediate area. It's a shame, as we could have given them a better treatment overall."
Aoi gave out a relieved sigh. "Thank you doctor. Your work is always appreciated."
The man smiled. "Only doing my job ma'am. Other than that, Kirika-san woke up a bit woozy when she was brought in, and Ms. Saint-Germain had received a couple of cuts and scratches that we have taken care of. All in all, the patients' conditions are phenomenal considering our circumstances."
"I agree doctor, and it's all thanks to you." Aoi added gratefully.
His smile grew. "Don't mention it, Tomosato-san." He said. He threw a glance to the side, catching sight of Shirabe checking Kirika over, who simply laughed softly at her worry. "I'm going to go take care of a few things. I shall leave you to your devices."
"Very well. Thank you again doctor."
He nodded, and approached the door leading out of the medical room. Just as he was about to exit, it suddenly opened much earlier than expected, and he was greeted by the sight of Elfnein hurrying inside, carrying something in her hands and nearly bumping into him.
"Ah!" She let out. "I'm sorry!"
The doctor smiled again. "Don't worry about it." He said, and moved to the side to allow her to pass. He threw a brief glance towards her direction, then left the room.
Elfnein ran to the others crowded around Genjuro's bed. "Sorry I took so long," She said. "I was just making some final adjustments."
Chris turned to her. "Final adjustments to wha-" And froze.
"To him!" She chirped, and lifted Adam's head in her hands high for all to see. The surreal sight of seeing Elfnein holding a decapitated head was engraved in their minds.
"I have to admit I'm surprised by the talent of Carol's homunculus. Making adjustments so I can work cleanly without any problems in my condition is no easy task." Adam said.
Chris clicked her tongue. "Tch, you again."
"Yes, me again." He retorted. "We'll be working closely now, Symphogear. You should get used to it."
"I have a name you know," She said angrily. "Start using it."
His only response was to huff dismissively. Elfnein disconnected the lamp on the stand next to Genjuro's bed and replaced it with Adam's head, giving everyone a clear view of the former leader of the Pavarian Illuminati. She immediately took a seat to Aoi's right, closing the impromptu circle of chairs they made next to Genjuro's beside.
The happy mood that had taken the group slightly fell as they proceeded to focus on the important topics. "Now that everyone is here," Aoi began. "Let's talk about the elephant in the room: the events of last night."
"I don't think there is much to say that we don't already know," Maria responded quickly. "We were easily and summarily defeated. All of our efforts were worthless and we only have more questions than answers at this point."
The group fell quiet at her blunt, yet accurate description of the night. It was true what Maria was saying. They were caught completely by surprise, and the shock of Hibiki turning on them and turning out to be stronger than any of them could handle only made things worse.
It also didn't help that the one person who could have possibly defeated her was lying in bed next to them, having been defeated himself.
"Not only that," Fujikata added. "We don't even know we she is right now. She has completely vanished off the radar. Scans did not find even a speck of any sort of power or signal, whether divine or Aufwachen."
Kirika rubbed the back of her head sheepishly. "I guess I missed quite a lot last night huh? She really got me good."
"That she did," Saint-Germain said from the bed across from them, sitting up. "Her power was far beyond anything we could have imagined. I too believed that the calculations and predictions you have made were correct, within a tolerable margin of error. However, it seems that an unexpected element caught us off guard," Her eyes narrowed and she looked towards the stand next to the commander's bed. "And I believe that he has exactly the explanation as to what that is."
The members of S.O.N.G looked towards Adam, who remained calm under their gaze. "I indeed do. It is not something that is widely known after all. However, I am not willing to divulge that information freely."
Chris glared at him hatefully. "Do you really think you are in a position to bargain?!"
"Are you?" He asked back, silencing her. "As I see it, it is a matter of survival now. If we don't cooperate, then you'll never know how to eliminate the factor that made her turn out this way. With me the only one in the world with that piece of information, I must say that without me you are helpless. As a result, I am indeed in the position to bargain. I will not divulge the information you want until you give me what I want."
Chris jumped out of her chair, ready to pounce on him. "Why you little-" She began, only for Maria to shove her back down into her seat.
"In that case," The man on the bed suddenly said, shocking everyone around him. "What is it that you want?"
"Commander!" "Old man!" Everyone sans Adam exclaimed.
Genjuro sat up in his bed, his eyes locked onto Adam's. "Under my authority you'll be given whatever you desire for that information, I can assure you that."
"Ho, you would really give in so quickly to my demands? I did not expect you to be so faint-hearted after that display you showed out there." Adam responded to him.
"I will do what I must in order to bring Hibiki-kun back. As a result, I am open to negotiations." Genjuro simply answered.
Adam let out a chuckle.
"Commander," Aoi asked. "How are you feeling?"
He looked towards her with a soft expression. "I've been better, but at least I'm alive. How are all of you?" He asked instead.
She looked between those crowded around his bed. "For the most part fine, if a bit shaken up. Tsubasa is also recovering nicely from what the doctor said."
Genjuro grumbled. "I see," He said. However, there was one person on his mind that he did not see in the circle. "And how is Miku-kun?"
It was that question that caused them to fall silent. Aoi's expression fell, and she sent a brief glance to the far corner of the room. "She's...well…" She began to say, and Genjuro followed her gaze.
There, far away from the rest, Miku sat alone on a chair, slumped forward and her head downcast, her hands joined on her lap.
Her condition gave Genjuro all the answers he needed. The events of the night did not fully register in Miku's mind as they were happening, probably due to the shock. However, now that everything calmed down and she had the time to dwell on it, the brunt of the realization hit her full force. After the doctor checked her over, she had simply remained seated in the chair, looking almost catatonic.
"She hasn't moved from that spot for over two hours." Aoi said. "I wish I could do something for her to make it a bit easier to handle."
"I don't think there is anything that can help her at the moment except an explanation for what happened. In fact, it is the only thing that can help any of us right now. Hibiki-kun's sudden betrayal is not something you can easily cope with." Genjuro added. "And that is why I am willing to bargain. Anything that can ease this sorrow will be welcome, both for our morale and our spirits."
His point held merit. Not a single one of them, Chris included, had a sound argument to give to that.
He turned back to Adam. "State your terms."
Adam smirked, and opened his mouth to speak. However, just as he was about to make his demands, he was suddenly interrupted by a loud beeping coming from Fujikata's laptop. The man opened it up and pressed a few buttons...And spoke up hesitantly. "Commander...It's from Kamakura."
Several eyes widened at once at the timing. Adam, who was rudely interrupted, raised an eyebrow.
"Now of all times…" Genjuro said with a sigh. Bracing himself, he continued. "Put him through. Connect him to the medical room's projector."
Fujikata nodded, and tapped another few buttons on his laptop. Above them, the medical room projector lit up and displayed the face of the one man they did not want to talk to on the wall behind them.
Kazanari Fudou's face greeted them with his usual judgmental look. "Do you have an explanation for this humiliation?" He asked immediately.
Still in his bed, the only action physical action Genjuro could do was to lower his head slightly to the Kazanari patriarch. "Not at the moment," He answered. "We are still in the stage of organizing what we know and figuring out what we don't."
The Symphogears in the group glared at the man on the screen, who ignored them. "And how exactly do you intend to do that?"
In response, Genjuro pointed to Adam. "With him."
Fudou narrowed his eyes at the disembodied head, and their gazes locked momentarily. Adam's serious expression betrayed nothing. "So you have captured the enemy leader?"
"We have indeed. Under less than ideal circumstances, but we did. And he has agreed to provide us with the necessary information as that solve this crisis." Genjuro added.
"Make sure that he does," Fudou commanded. "I am expecting results, Genjuro. So far, you have done nothing but disappoint me. You have failed to protect the nation as your duty commands. Not only that, but your lack of foresight has allowed a monster to rampage freely as she wished. Do not make me regret granting you command of this division."
Chris had heard enough, her fuse already lit due to the situation. She shot up to her feet, her eyes still narrowed at the Kazanari head. "What the hell! We nearly died protecting the world far too many times until now, not to mention we beat the bad guys time and time again, and that's all you have to say?!"
"Chris!" Maria yelled, trying to calm her down in vain.
But Fudou kept his gaze levelled, barely regarding her. "Know your place, girl. You are nothing but a soldier under our command. You should not be commended for coming back defeated and empty-handed."
His dismissive tone pissed her off even more. "The fuck did you just say?!" She shouted. "I dare you to come here and say that to my face you son of a-"
"CHRIS!"
CRASH!
It was so sudden even Chris immediately shut her mouth. In the moment Maria was about to stand up as well to force the rowdy wielder back down into her seat, a glass beaker slammed against the wall displaying Fudou's face, exploding and shattering into a thousand pieces.
They looked towards the direction from which the beaker came, and froze.
Miku was standing, her stance betraying the fact that she had thrown it. Her eyes were glued to the man on the wall.
And an expression of fury was etched on her face. It was a look they had never seen on the girl before.
"HOW DARE YOU!" She screamed, grabbing another beaker from behind her. "HOW DARE YOU CALL HER A MONSTER!"
She chucked it at the wall and it exploded, causing Kirika to wince. "HIBIKI IS NOT A MONSTER!" She grabbed another object behind her, not caring for a moment what it was and threw it at him. "IT'S SO EASY FOR YOU TO JUST JUDGE FROM AFAR AS IF YOU UNDERSTAND ANYTHING! BUT YOU DON'T! YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND A SINGLE THING! YOU THINK YOU ARE SO ABOVE US WHEN ALL YOU DO IS COMPLAIN AND BERATE EVERYONE! DON'T YOU DARE SPEAK IF YOU AREN'T EVEN HERE TO WITNESS IT!"
Her explosive outburst caught everyone off guard, and even Fudou himself went quiet. Genjuro looked at her sadly, understanding where she was coming from. The Kazanari patriarch had called her best friend a monster, and that was something she would never stand for. It roused her from her trance, and her mind, already reeling from the events of the night could not hold together under the combined stress.
Had he been in her position, he doubted he wouldn't have reacted the same way.
"YOU HAVE ABSOLUTELY NO IDEA WHAT WE ARE GOING THROUGH!" She continued, thundering towards the display. Hurriedly, Maria left Chris' side and grabbed Miku's arms from behind, stopping her from assaulting the wall in her blind rage. Miku struggled against her hold, still glaring at him hatefully. "IF YOU HAVE NOTHING GOOD TO SAY, THEN DON'T SAY ANYTHING AT ALL!"
"Miku-san…" Kirika said softly, her heart going out to her.
Her throat was becoming sore, unused to the elevated volume of the usually gentle girl's voice. "I WON'T LET YOU LOOK DOWN ON THEM! EVERYONE WHO WAS FIGHTING SO HARD TO SAVE OTHERS, SACRIFICING EVERYTHING JUST SO YOU CAN SIT THERE AND SAY WHATEVER YOU WANT! WITHOUT THEM, YOU WOULD BE NOTHING! SO DON'T THINK YOU CAN START ACTING ALMIGHTY AND DEMANDING WHATEVER YOU WANT THINKING YOU UNDERSTAND ANYTHING!"
Tears of combined rage and sorrow poured down her cheeks, staining her clothes. "IT'S JUST SO EASY FOR YOU TO CONTINUE USING THE EXCUSE OF PROTECTING THE COUNTRY TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF OUR PAIN AND USE IT FOR YOUR OWN GAIN!"
She kept on trying to escape Maria's hold, but the elder girl was far stronger than she was. "IT'S PEOPLE LIKE YOU WHO CAUSE PROBLEMS FOR EVERYONE! IT'S PEOPLE LIKE YOU THAT...THAT MAKE HIBIKI'S INTENTIONS ALL THE MORE LEGITIMATE!"
She began panting heavily, her whole body burning from the inside. "THIS IS NOT WHAT EVERYONE FOUGHT FOR! THIS IS NOT WHAT THEY NEARLY DIED FOR!"
Her legs lost strength and began shaking. Seeing that she was no longer trying to attack the man behind the screen, Maria released her hold on the tearful girl, letting her drops to her knees. "This is not what...Hibiki...nearly died for…" She cried softly, her energy expended. "So don't you dare...call her a monster...when you don't understand...anything…"
There were no words that could comfort the girl now. They merely looked at her sadly, and Chris bit her lip, desperate to say something to help out the friend that had saved her that long time ago.
Miku could barely speak now, becoming more exhausted by the second. "If that is all you have to say...then you can just shut up...shut up and...and…"
Gathering what remained of her rage, she swallowed, and screamed as loud as she could. "JUST SHUT UP AND FUCK OFF!"
Her abrupt cursing shocked them, not expecting such words to come out of her mouth. Chris was surprised, but inwardly smiled. Miku had pretty much vocalized what they were all thinking.
There was a quiet moment between all of them. Aoi ran to the fallen girl and kneeled by her side. "Miku-chan," she said softly. "Come on, let's get you back to your seat."
The girl with tears still running down her face reluctantly complied, allowing Aoi to pick her up by her arm and lead her back to the chair she sat on. Miku crumpled on the chair, holding her face in her hands, moaning sorrowfully all the while. Aoi stayed by her side, trying to comfort her.
Genjuro, whose eyes were glued to the girl during her outburst, turned back to his superior. "As you can see, morale is at an all time low at the moment. Once we get a grasp of our condition and situation I'll inform you of what we found."
"See that you do," Fudou answered calmly. "Do not disappoint me again, Genjuro. Such a threat to our country and to mankind cannot go unanswered."
Genjuro nodded. "I wholeheartedly agree. We'll do our best to minimize the damage it will cause, even if it costs us our lives."
"Very well then." Fudou replied. He took one final look at the gathered group, and then the display cut out, indicating the end of the call.
They all immediately released relieved sighs, and Genjuro grabbed his head. "This will never get any easier."
Chris sat back down, crossing her arms angrily. "How the hell can you handle working with him non-stop, old man? How come he doesn't get on your nerves?"
"At this point I'm just telling him what he wants to hear," Genjuro replied. "Especially now. He was impatient and only caused us more problems. After what happened just now, I'd rather cut the conversation short so we can get back to the important matters."
"The nerve of that man!" Maria exclaimed. "Miku-san is completely right. He barges in on us, making demands when he does not even know the full story! And he doesn't even seem to give a single damn about our well-being! Does he think we're machines?! What impudence!"
"He's been this way his entire life, Maria-kun. There is no point in trying to change that now." Genjuro simply said. "As I said, we should get back to the important matters. Just leave dealing with him to me. Now, where were we?"
He turned back to Adam, who had watched the conversation with mild interest. "State your terms, Adam Weishaupt, in exchange for the information about what happened to Hibiki-kun."
Adam remained silent, merely looking over the gathered group. He stared at them, eyes narrowed, deliberately keeping his gaze leveled at each one momentarily, as if he was studying them. His silence caused Genjuro to raise an eyebrow.
Finally, his eyes settled on the commander. "I have changed my mind." He simply said.
"Excuse me?" Genjuro asked.
"I said," Adam repeated. "That I changed my mind."
Chris once again shot out of her chair, and Maria sighed at being forced to shove her back down again. "What the hell do you mean you changed your mind?! You were all going on about cooperating with us and now you're taking it all back?! Make up your damn mind!" She yelled.
"Chris, please calm down." Maria begged her. "We can't have you explode at every little thing that happens."
"Well excuse me for giving a damn!" She shouted. "Sorry for being hurt at the fact that one of my friends tried to kill me and everyone else! Sorry for being sad about that! That's just how I cope! Is there a problem with that?!"
"Nobody said there was a problem, Chris. We just want you to sit quietly for a bit. Every delay only takes away important time we could have used to try and find a solution. If you are unable to sit still for a few minutes, then please go take a walk outside and I'll tell you everything that we found out, I promise." Maria answered, not at all fazed by her outburst.
Chris bared her teeth at her, but eventually her logical side won out. She shut her mouth and sat back down, grumbling quietly to herself.
Adam let out a chuckle at the exchange. "They sure are a lively bunch. How utterly repulsive."
"Well, that's just how they are. Get used to that. Now, what did you mean about changing your mind?" Genjuro asked him, getting back to the point.
"Hmph. Well, before your rowdy subordinate jumped to conclusions, I have said I changed my mind. What did I mean you ask? Simply that for now I'll drop my demands." He answered.
Several pair of eyes narrowed at him at his change of heart. "There is absolutely no way you are simply going to give that information freely, Lodgemaster." Saint-Germain said.
"Be surprised, Saint-Germain, but I will. After hearing your conversation with that fool you call a superior, I have decided that for the sake of humiliating him further, I will assist you. After all, Saint-Germain, isn't he the sort of oppressor you desperately craved to overcome?" He asked her, raising an eyebrow.
The alchemist would have jumped her former leader had she been in any other situation, so instead she chose to bite her lip and keep quiet. She did not know what his true intentions were, but one thing was certain: He was bound to stab them in the back when the time came.
But for now, she'll let him talk, and keep a close eye on him.
"As much as I would like to believe you, Adam Weishaupt, I do have to agree with her on that point. What do you hope to gain from this?" Genjuro asked him.
"Such lack of trust wounds me, but I assure you, right now I have no demands. If you insist I could bring them up again, but then again that's not something you personally want, is it?" Adam asked him.
Genjuro fell quiet. He was trying to play them, that was for sure. However, even if he was there was no point in not going along with it. They needed the information badly after all. He just hoped nothing he said would turn out to be false.
"Very well, then I will choose to believe you." Genjuro said.
"Oi-" Chris began to say, but caught herself before she yelled again and kept quiet. Maria smiled at her self-control.
"Why thank you," Adam mockingly said. "Now, where were we? Ah yes, the reason the god-slayer became an unstoppable force of nature. Truly it is a peculiar event to take place. Now, you probably believe it was the divine power that made her turn out this way." He said. They all looked at him curiously, having hit the mark.
He chuckled. "See, that is where you are wrong. The source of her turning did not come from that. After all, the divine power is simply a tool. Its purpose only depends on its wielder. Had it been any of you that had been engulfed, you would simply become as strong as she was, but with no effect on your minds or sanity. No, the source of that came from something much more personal…"
His cryptic explanation passed over several heads, who failed to comprehend his meaning.
Several except Elfnein's, whose eyes widened in shock. "Don't tell me...it came from…"
"Yes, homunculus, you think correctly," He answered her. "It came from the Symphogear itself."
Shocked gasps were heard from all over the room, and even Miku, who up until this point has been wallowing in sorrow, began to listen in closely. "You must already know that the spear known as Gungnir is in fact two spears in one." He continued.
"Yes," Elfnein answered him, getting several curious looks from those not in the know. "It is the spear of the god Odin as well as the Lance of Longinus, that pierced the side of the Son of God."
"Very good. For one reason or another, the two turned out to be the exact same spear. Regardless of the reason as to why that is, the problem starts when its concept as a slayer of gods starts to come into play. After all, the ancient Romans did believe that Christ was divine in one way or another, and that scared them. That fear was imbued within the spear that had pierced him, which caused it to gain its god-slaying abilities." He explained.
His expression then became grim, showing his distaste for that particular ability. "However, that power came at a price. It was born of fear, after all. Fear, and most of all grudges. The grudges of the people against the divine only grew from then on, and as a result the spear's power grew as well. Soon enough, those grudges and curses they bore against the gods were also imprinted within the spear itself."
His audience were engrossed in his story, realizing that there was something much deeper there than they ever understood. "From that moment on, the piercing spear Gungnir held the power of god-slaying, fueled by the grudges and curses of mankind against the gods that built up over two thousand years."
"That is a very interesting fact to know," Maria said. "However, how does that relate at all to Hibiki-san?"
"So impatient. How does it relate to her you ask? Well, initially, it was not related to her at all. I assume that the majority of the opponents you have fought and defeated up until now were not of divine origin, correct?" He asked, getting his answer from the several nods that followed. "When you first came into contact with Saint-Germain and her comrades, they unleashed the divine beast known as Yohualtepuztli which was summarily slain by her. It was strong, but its divine presence was not, and as such the reaction of the god-slaying power to it was minimal, only enough to destroy it without affecting anything other than that."
He raised an eyebrow as he asked the question. "However, what do you think happens when that power is exposed to an overwhelming amount of divine presence?"
A dawning realization came over the faces of several of them sans Kirika, who looked between them in confusion. Shirabe nudged her side, silently telling her to keep listening. Adam smiled at their response. "Yes, you seem to get it. Tachibana Hibiki was engulfed by massive amounts of divine power, and the god-slaying power reacted in kind. You could compare it to an overactive immune system that has discovered a pathogen that it must destroy. The god-slaying power within the spear went completely out of control, working tirelessly to eliminate the threat to its own existence."
Elfnein could only cover her mouth in shock. "Then...that unknown signature that was imbued within the Aufwachen signal was…"
"The god-slaying power itself," Adam answered for her. "It went out of control, and just like that overzealous immune system, began to affect the body that it inhabits. Tachibana Hibiki accepted the divine power for one reason or another, and the curses and grudges within the spear fought to deny that. Usually, the god-slaying power would act like a shell around its host, preventing the divine power from truly taking root while working to destroy it. But that is not what happened in our scenario. No, the two conflicting powers seem to have entered into some sort of chaotic harmony, always trying to one up the other, with Tachibana Hibiki caught in the middle."
Miku gasped in horror in the corner. "The grudges and curses overflowed from the spear and began to affect her mind and body, creating the...how should I call it?" He glanced briefly to the black haired girl in the corner and smirked. "The result, that you saw last night. Tachibana Hibiki was corrupted by the very power she wielded because she was not aware of its true nature. And how was that expressed? In exactly the way you experienced. She became something akin to a vengeful demon, living only to satisfy the grudges she had kept deeply buried within her, amongst other things. She became a being that holds both overwhelming divine power and the destructive urge to use it against the world."
Elfnein looked down to the ground, going over what she had seen and heard the night before in her mind. "She...she seemed so unstable," She said hesitantly. "Bipolar even, jumping between extreme moods from one moment to another. And paranoid. Whenever someone came to confront her, she always asked if they were 'turning against her'."
"That is correct," Adam responded. "She was, or should I say she is influenced by the grudges within the spear, causing her to act upon her own buried hatreds, resentments, and fears. I dare say that right now she is remembering every single thing that anyone had ever done to slight her, however insignificant, and is taking it to the radical extreme. It won't be long before she starts going on a killing spree. Kind of like religious fanatics, who have abandoned all sense of rhyme or reason in order to act out what they believe is 'right' or 'just'."
Chris shot up from her seat, completely forgetting the promise she had made earlier. "But that makes no sense!" She exclaimed. "There is no way that idiot holds those type of grudges!"
"That's right!" Kirika cried out as well, standing up. "I mean, she's always so bubbly and happy and-"
"And always keeps her feelings hidden so no one would worry about her, hiding her own pain behind a forced smile." Maria interjected, causing the two uproarious girls to fall silent.
Adam smirked once again. "Well, if she is supposed to be 'bubbly and happy' as you say, then it sure did not show itself last night. She was vicious, that was for sure. Not quite someone who 'does not hold any type of grudge'."
Kirika clenched her fist, determined to deny him. "Then...then it must have been Gungnir as you said! It was probably affecting her ever since she got it!"
"Unfortunately, that cannot be true, Kirika-kun." Genjuro answered. "If that was the case, then that influence would have disappeared when the original Gungnir fragment was vaporised in the Shenshoujing's light. Besides that, he said that the god-slaying power only reacts to the presence of divine power. It would not have any reason to respond if there was nothing to respond to. No...these grudges that she holds...have been deeply ingrained within her for a long time."
A somber silence fell upon them from his words. It was a fact too terrible to believe. Kirika knew that people did hold grudges, it was a fact of life. However, it was hard to believe that Hibiki was the one to hold them. Because if those grudges caused Hibiki to turn against them all…
Then it means that she holds grudges against each and every one of them.
In the corner of the doctor's office, next to his desk, Miku sat in silence. She had heard every single bit of Adam's explanation. Every little piece of information entered her mind and burned itself into her brain, and that only caused her horror and sadness to grow even more.
Alongside a resentment that she too, kept buried far below the surface.
She had kept her gaze on the floor, muttering one single phrase to herself that closed the circle in her mind.
"Everything...was because...of the Symphogear…"
Aoi was too busy paying attention to Adam to notice what the girl had said, but she did turn to look at her sympathetically once his explanation was finished. There was no possible way to describe it.
Kirika wracked her mind for an answer, something, anything that could serve as a counterargument. "I...I need proof!" She declared, looking to Shirabe for acknowledgement. "I won't believe something like that unless there is physical proof!"
"Well, good luck finding that proof, little girl." Adam said to her mockingly, causing her to glare at him. "Tachibana Hibiki will not just hand it to you at this point. Unless of course...there is someone else who can provide it." He said cryptically, moving his eyes to stare at the black haired girl in the corner of the room. The rest followed his gaze, and their eyes fell upon her as well.
It didn't take long for Miku to realize they were referring to her. She raised her head, her eyes bloodshot and wide and met their gazes. She shrunk, desperate to hide away from their curious looks, unwilling to divulge the information that she had kept hidden all this time. It was something even she was not meant to know about, having come across it completely by accident a long time ago.
Yet it seemed that now she had no choice. If she wanted to save Hibiki, then she would have to reveal her deepest, darkest secret. She swallowed hard and lowered her head again. "There...there is proof." She said weakly. "In...In Lydian. We have to go back to Lydian for it. Back to my room. Back in my…" She choked weakly on her name. "My and Hibiki's...room."
The hesitation with which she admitted it was heartbreaking. They turned their gazes away from her, giving her some space. In response, Genjuro spoke up. "Then my question is this," He said. "What do we need to do in order to get Hibiki-kun back?"
"It's either one of two things," Adam answered. "Either you remove the divine power from her, which will probably cause the grudges to recede. However, that is not guaranteed, and I doubt you will find a way to remove that divine presence from her either way. Humanity has no piece of technology advanced enough to be able to do so, and the only relic that you have that can is in her hands. How ironic."
"And what is the other option?" Genjuro asked.
"Remove the Symphogear from her. I assume that once it's removed, its influence upon her will cease. But it will have to be total and complete. Destroy it so thoroughly until nothing is left. That is surely more certain, although equally as difficult." Adam answered.
"Then we have a plan of action," Genjuro announced. "Maria-kun, you and-"
"Hold on a moment." Saint-Germain said, interrupting the commander. "There is one question I would like an answer to."
Adam narrowed his eyes at her. "What is it?"
She met his gaze with her own. "How is it possible that Tachibana Hibiki was able to become the vessel for the divine power in the first place? A human harboring the Original Sin cannot possibly contain such a thing. Why is she the exception?"
It was a question that went over the heads of the members of S.O.N.G. who were not aware of what the Original Sin was.
But Adam, who was aware, was caught by surprise. "To tell you the truth, Saint-Germain, I do not know. Such a thing baffles even myself. Something must have happened to her that possibly removed that taint from her, but other than that I have no explanation."
Genjuro was surprised. It was a question that Adam, who so far had given them nothing but answers, was completely clueless to. And it was impossible that it had no significance. It was another factor that they had to investigate.
Saint-Germain said nothing more, allowing the commander to continue his previous announcement. "As I said, we now have a plan of action." He said again. "Maria-kun, you will go with Miku-kun to Lydian to find this proof."
Maria nodded in acknowledgment, and looked towards the girl in the corner of the room, her head still downcast.
"Tomosato, Fujikata," He continued, and the two bridge members rose in response. "The two of your will investigate the dilemma Ms. Saint-Germain was referring to."
They nodded in acknowledgement.
"The rest of you," He said, looking towards Chris, Shirabe, and Kirika. "Go over our files and try to find anything you can about methods to remove divine power or Symphogears forcefully. I am granting you full access to the decrypted Val Verde files. Does anyone have any questions?"
Nobody said anything in response. "Then, dismissed."
And the gathering was broken up. The three younger Symphogear wielders left first, heading to the archives to begin their search. Maria approached the downcast Miku and kneeled in front of her. Seeing that she was in good hands, Aoi left the girl's side and along with Fujikata went back to the bridge. "Let's go, Miku-san. Let's get you home."
Miku nodded weakly, and allowed Maria to bring her to her feet. Holding the grief stricken girl by the hand, Maria dragged her outside, starting the long trek to the school.
Only Genjuro, Elfnein, Adam, and Saint-Germain remained. They sat in silence until the alchemist threw the covers off of herself, getting up from the bed. "I'll also go and investigate. I cannot just lie here uselessly." She said. She approached the stand next to Genjuro's bed and grabbed Adam by his hair. "You are coming with me."
The puppet could only respond with a smirk. "Suit yourself."
With him in hand, they left the medical room and followed after the bridge members, leaving the commander and the young homunculus alone.
Just as Genjuro wanted.
"Elfnein-kun," He said. "It seems that we no longer have a choice in the matter."
The girl looked at him sadly. "Genjuro-san…"
"Elfnein-kun, my mission to you is this: please start preparing it." He simply said, and she instantly caught his meaning, which shocked her.
"But," She began to say. "We don't know if she'll even accept it!"
"You're right...but it's the only choice we have. We'll have to make her accept it even if she doesn't want to. If what Adam Weishaupt said is true...then it might be our only hope."
"You'll really...use her like this? Especially after last time?" She asked hesitantly, not sure what sort of answer to expect.
"Yes, I will. I will do what I must. It is my duty to protect both the world and Hibiki-kun, and that is the only method I know how." He said whole-heartedly, causing Elfnein to lower her head.
She clenched her fist to her chest, and raised her head back, looking him straight in the eyes. "Then...I'll share that burden along with you. I won't let you go into this alone."
Genjuro smiled warmly and placed a hand on her head. "Thank you, Elfnein-kun. I truly appreciate your kindness."
She also smiled, and he removed his hand. "Then, I'll go take care of it." She said, and left the room, heading straight to her lab to begin her work.
And Genjuro remained alone in the medical room, along with the still unconscious Tsubasa. He looked towards the pod within she was encased, and was reminded of the day she had used her Superb Song all that time ago.
Barely a year passed since then, yet it felt so long ago to him. The day she had sung the ultimate song out of suicidal despair.
Yet he could only think back to the end of the battle, with Hibiki standing above him with her spear raised. When she lowered it, it instead struck the ground next to him. It baffled him at that moment as to why she did not kill him, but he could not vocalize his shock. She stood there silently, leaning on the spear, and then suddenly retracted it and disappeared into thin air.
He was not sure what happened at that moment, but there was one thing he was certain of.
Hibiki had spared him, despite all of the grudges she bore. And that was proof enough for him that she could still be saved.
And he would be damned if they failed to do that.
He swore it in his heart.