Symphogear Trill
Grab tight on the Blade, and Reclaim your Future
A/N: So because I got some advice about this I'm putting a note right here up front to make it easier to see. This fic, in blunt terms, ain't following the canonical rules to the letter or what's at least assumed to be canon since some stuff isn't exactly clear. And in that regard, it also involves female AND male Adaptors. Why? Cause I wanted to and have a gimmick in mind. If you're looking for something mono-gendered, then apologies. The chapters also aren't self-contained, so take ideas as being sequences rather than contained happenings unless it's obviously not. For the ones who stick around because you don't mind that, I hope you enjoy reading!
Stanza I: And So, Voices Ring
The day was bright and full of excitement in the city. A massive crowd was gathered at the massive arena locale, it's white structure stretching up like a swirling mass with the full structure nestled in the "arms" of the building. As the crowd moved along in finding their time to enter, many of them were looking across the holographic signs detailing what this busy day was even all about to begin with.
Among the crowd, a teenager who was holding a spot for some friends who were taking a bit longer was passing the time with music of his own, scrolling over an article on his phone that random browsing had led him to. The page had caught his eye for whatever reason, and he figured that reading it would have some merits while he waited for his friends to show.
As for what he was even reading…
Stories sometimes do not always start the same way, nor do they always tell everything there is to be within it. Some stories become completely different over time as details are lost to the ages, or sometimes, two similar tales can be made completely different by only a minority of differences.
One such story is a simple one. A story of a tower, the one who climbed it, and the one who gave that tower it's power. A tower built to reach the Heavens as a challenge to God. A story many would know, but, this is one of the latter stories… one that becomes different once new details come to light.
Add more to this story, and you get a different tale. The builder of this tower had with them a follower, someone to give the tower the ability to reach Heaven itself. Though this individual was not a follower by complete choice, it was by their voice that this tower would call to Heaven itself. Remains say this person may have been called…
"Oiii! Kenzaki!"
"See? Told you he'd save the spots! Ritsudo!"
Ritsudo turned as he heard his name being called, pocketing his phone and lowering his blue headphones. His white hair shifted in response, parts of it falling back in front of the left of his sky blue eyes. His pale features were slender, telling he was at the least in his mid-teen years. And visible around the boy's neck was a peculiar, sword shaped pendant. He smiled as two more boys his age approached, managing to worm their way through the crowd and catch up to him, apologizing all the while.
"Tsukasa, Sho! About time you made it. I was thinking I'd have to be here myself… despite Sho being the one who suggested the idea." Ritsudo looked to one of the other boys as his tone became teasing, a smarmy grin on as the boy on the chopping block coughed.
"Well Tsukasa and I got caught up finding some things on the way." Sho stated, Ritsudo rolling his eyes. "It's true!"
"I'm not doubting you, I'm just saying. There is a stand for things inside the hall after all." Ritsudo pointed one of his slender fingers off, right up at the massive venue hall they were waiting in line for.
"You know how picky Kasuga is." Tsukasa said, folding his arms. "Always has to make it perfect!"
"Come ooonnn! It's not often Zwei Wing puts on a performance this big! You gotta come fully prepared for this kind of stuff! Plus, it's the show before their big nationwide tour! Like hell I was gonna miss this!"
"Sho you're way too into all of this idol stuff." Ritsudo replied, his friend acting out faux agony at the remark. Ritsudo's eyes though, turned to the electronic banners displaying the group, bringing his hand up to the pendant as he then shifted to look closely at the stadium.
Under most circumstances, Ritsudo was normally a lot more reluctant to head out to things like this. He often thought it better for him to just get things at school done with and head home. He wasn't even in any clubs to speak of. But, when Sho, a boy who was quite the persistent sort, had nettled him about going to this big concert, a part of him at the same time felt like he couldn't simply say no to that.
"This… may actually be a lot of fun." But he did at least feel optimistic about it. It wasn't like he didn't like things that were fun… it was just that at times, other things tended to make him think staying at home was his better option.
And within the building, amid the clamor of all the concert preparation and suit talk, laying on top of one of the many empty crates, least it was for now, was a teenager with headphones topping his head. The red item was stark against his dark blue hair, which framed his pale face and emerald eyes. The teen hummed along to the music playing through the headphones, his eyes scanning through the words of his book, completely engrossed in his reading and in no way noticing the individual creeping up on him from the side.
"Heeeyyy KYOMEI!"
"WAAAGH!" The blue haired teen yelped when he was grabbed from behind, fumbling to keep a proper hold on his book, his headphones nearly flying off as he was lifted up while the one who'd grabbed him laughed. "Koto put me down!"
"Ahh come on, how else was I gonna snap you out of it eh?"
Kyomei sighed as he was set down, adjusting his headphones and turning to look at his assaulter. An older looking teen sliding his hands into his white jacket, his bright blonde hair framing bright blue eyes and lightly tanned skin, his handsome features marked by a bright grin.
"Not like I need to do much else." Kyomei sighed, the much taller Koto throwing an arm around his junior's shoulder and leading him along while fiddling with the white, wireless earbuds he himself wore.
"Ah ah, that's being too solitary. Not gonna tell Tsubasa good luck before the concert?" Koto asked, Kyomei looking to the side.
"Not like I need to." Kyomei replied, getting a sigh from his senior, "What?"
"See, this little buddy, is the problem. Come on, I'm gonna go wish Kanade luck anyway, so you're coming with me and encouraging Tsubasa yourself, alright?" Koto chuckled, Kyomei flipping through his book and marking his previous spot.
"I don't see why it's necessary. She's always fine with Kanade helping her. They're the two parts of Zwei Wing. Not like I'm involved in that part of things." Kyomei's response was dull, and Koto sighed again.
That was the struggle with the boy. In some ways he maintained a distance with the individual they were addressing. He separated himself from the one who outside of this idol business, was meant to be his partner in their other line of work… but he kept it just at that. Oddly enough despite the fact he and Tsubasa were people who had known each other since they were young.
"She'll appreciate it, trust your ever reliable senior with these things, my socially awkward friend." Koto chuckled, ruffling Kyomei's hair.
"I'm not awkward… I just don't get stuff like that." Kyomei bluntly responded, Koto sighing and lightly tapping the younger teen on the back.
"You will someday, trust me on that." Koto hummed, scanning around as they proceeded along the walkway, a hand shading his eyes for no discernable purpose other than the effect of it, "Now, where are they... aha! Oiii! Kanade, Tsubasa!"
"So loud." Kyomei chuckled as Koto ran ahead to two girls both dressed in concealing white robes for the purpose of the concert, one who looked around Koto's age with fluffy red hair that looked like feathers and eyes to match, the other girl still wearing her hood, but easily discernible with pale blue hair and darker colored eyes, looking to be around Kyomei's age.
"Hey, Koto! You made it! I thought you'd be running around the concessions, you mischievous monkey." Kanade chuckled, Koto again throwing an arm over Kyomei's shoulders.
"What, and leave my adorable juniormoping around in a corner somewhere? Nah, I was looking for the kid the entire time." Koto chuckled, Kyomei rolling his eyes. But, his expression was of an amused smile as he brushed Koto's arm aside from ruffling his hair again.
"I wasn't moping. I was just reading the next Dazai Osamu book I got my hands on, No Longer Human." Kyomei stated, flashing the mentioned book, opening it once more. Koto peered over to look, and Kyomei turned sharply on his heel to prevent the peeping, to the amusement of the girls as Koto clicked his tongue.
"Ah, I wanted a glimpse. You never let me read your books." Koto sighed.
"Because the last time I did, you lost it and I had to buy a replacement." Kyomei replied.
"I found it eventually!"
"After I'd bought the replacement."
Koto hung his head in defeat as Kyomei sat down, turning his page as he did. Koto sighed, while Kanade chuckled. Both were amused but Koto couldn't help but feel exasperated at his junior's more antisocial tendencies at times like this.
"No getting him out of it, is there?" Kanade mused, placing her hands on her hips, Koto shaking his head.
"No, I guess there isn't. Shame, cause I was hoping he'd tell Tsubasa good luck." Koto murmured, keeping his voice down for the latter statement, Kanade letting out a hum.
"I see. Well, we can cover that easy." Kanade replied, Koto snickering, "So, Genjurro talk to you two as well?"
"Yeah, before I went looking for the reading little scamp." Koto mused, fiddling with his earbuds again, "Speaking of, good luck with the live… and I don't mean that in the sense the boss said. I'm looking forward to the concert!"
"Of course you are. Ah, if only we could perform on stage together at some point ourselves. Though I guess me being in an idol duo wouldn't allow that, huh?" Kanade winked to Tsubasa as she turned and walked off, Koto following as he shrugged. "Hey hey, maybe you should go ahead and become an idol yourself. Then we'd have an excuse for some collaboration. You're a good singer yourself y'know?"
"Well if I wasn't always so concerned with other things, I'd maybe consider it. But, I've got another job. That being keeping you in line." Koto deadpanned, Kanade feigning hurt to her bit getting sandbagged. Tsubasa turned from watching them leave and to Kyomei as he continued with his reading, almost looking downright oblivious to the clamor around him.
"Good luck." Kyomei spoke up, Tsubasa looking at him with a surprised gaze. The boy closed his book and turned with a small smile on. He could at least actually take Koto's advice and try to do something small like this. "With the concert. Good luck. I hope you do your best."
"I... I will. Thanks." Tsubasa started to give a slight smile in return, Kyomei going back to his book. And unbeknownst to the two, their two seniors had been watching, and excited chuckling immediately turned into quiet sighs.
"Those two are gonna take ages to go anywhere." Koto clicked his tongue, Kanade nodding and leaning on her knees.
"Yeup! Ah well, can't force anything along too much. Some are just slow burners." Kanade mused, spinning a finger, Koto chuckling.
"Yeah, and you burn as fast as a match." Koto chuckled, earning a light punch on his shoulder for the comment.
"Pff, yeah right!" Kanade scoffed in reply, proudly pumping a fist as she stood up, "I'm a fire that'll never go out!"
"Hahaha! Course not. Your passion hasn't faded since the day we met. If anything, it's only ever gotten brighter." Koto mused, adjusting and jackknifing to his feet, "So, again, good luck with the concert, be sure to blow them away!"
"What, no token for luck as well? We're not exactly under the scrutiny of a camera right now." Kanade chuckled, her hands on her hips as she playfully leaned forward into Koto's face, then looking downright disappointed when Koto simply pecked her on the forehead, "Heyyyy…"
"Later. You need to focus on your show anyway." Koto chuckled, putting a finger over his lips, Kanade sighing.
"Ya' darn tease. Alright then, watch as I blow the crowd away! I'll be expecting a reward afterwards!" Kanade chuckled, putting a finger right in Koto's face, the young man chuckling.
"Alright then. I'll be watching to judge appropriately."
"This is seriously all for a single duo? The place is completely packed!" Ritsudo kept glancing around at the crowd around him and his two friends in the arena, pulling back his bangs to see better as he did, the young teenager looking downright surprised at the clamor around them. Every inch of the stadium was packed full from the stands were they were to the floor below. Not a person wasn't filling in the area all over it. "Sho, this is normal right?"
"Heck yeah it is! Now c'mon, get those glowsticks lit, it'll be starting up soon!" The other boy, to Ritsudo's clear surprise, was already giddy and fidgeting about. Ritsudo looked at Tsukasa, who shrugged as he cracked the glowstick in his own hands, Ritsudo following suit after glancing at his all too giddy pal once more.
"You alright in this kind of crowd, Kenzaki?" Tsukasa asked, Ritsudo nodding, even as he drew the hood of his jacket up a ways. That motion alone made it clear that while he seemed fine, being packed in like they were wasn't really helping Ritsudo be all that relaxed.
"Yeah, I'll be fine. Just a little squeezed in is all." Ritsudo gave a small chuckle, his cool-headed friend nodding. Then the lights in the venue went dark, and Ritsudo glanced up from under the brim of his hood as spotlights turned on and the crowd roared…
And up in one of the private viewing booths, Koto and Kyomei were observing… well, rather Koto was observing and Kyomei was back to reading his book, which Koto promptly plucked away.
"Hey!" Kyomei yelped, Koto teasingly holding it away and leaning back, using his superior height against the younger boy.
"Upupup! Not until the show's over! Take a breather and watch." Koto chuckled, Kyomei sighing and sitting back down, turning his attention to things as the speakers crackled on while the spotlights flared around. "So, you remember the song they're starting with, right?"
"Of course. I do have the list. First up is… Gyakkou no Flugel." Kyomei looked to the screen projecting the live feed of the concert, and Koto couldn't help but chuckle at the small shift in the boy's look to a small smile as he watched Kanade and Tsubasa descend onto the outer stage as the music began, in time with the roars of the crowd getting loud enough they could faintly be heard even up all the way in the booth. Koto chuckled again as Kyomei began to hum along to the music, and the older teen had another idea as his mental countdown finished as the girls drew the microphones up, sucking in a breath himself.
~"Can you hear it...?" The dramatic music playing. Let it sound out toward the sky!~
Kyomei glanced at Koto the second he started singing along with it, and a gesturing wave from Koto got the boy to shake his head, but open his own mouth anyway. Koto's deep, smooth voice blending with the sound of Kanade's lighter tone, while Kyomei's own smooth way of singing mixed in with Tsubasa's. A duet turned into a double up only they would know about.
~Can you hear it...?" The pulsing heartbeat when a life starts. Thrust your love into the air. That day, in the distance, when the stars became music. The season when hair sways in the wind, let's you and I make our heartbeats into a song. With that, our dreams opened into a brand new world...~
Whereas down in the crowd, Ritsudo found himself looking around at the cheering people around him, yelping as Sho grabbed him by the arm and pulled it up.
"Come on man, cheer along with us!" Sho laughed, Ritsudo watching as Kanade and Tsubasa ran from the center of the area and to the main stage. And as their voices called at the end of the verse, the boys eyes went wide in awe as the roof of the arena proceeded to open up, letting the amber sunset shine into the arena.
Ritsudo felt himself starting to join in on the cheering of the crowd as well. The excitement in the air wasn't just palpable, it was downright infectious. And darn if Ritsudo wasn't feeling himself getting washed up in it as he joined Sho in giving a loud cheer.
~Yes, just believe. Let's make history with a light the likes even God hasn't seen. A future flooded with light. Won't you fly there with us?~
And with Kyomei and Koto, the former was simply bobbing along as he sang while Koto had leapt up into dancing himself, to the visible amusement of his junior, Kyomei laughing as Koto jumped onto his chair as he swung his arms out, Kyomei clapping as his senior spun and threw an arm up.
~Wings stained with tears of just feeling. When it feels like you can't flap those wings anymore, make a wish. I'll hold that hand and add my strength to yours. When we're together, our singing hearts become wings.~
"Haha, hell yeah!" Koto slapped a high five with Kyomei as the song finished, the blue haired boy laughing as Koto whooped and threw a fist in the air, then sighing with laughter in it, "Ah man, I'm gonna owe Kanade big time."
"Owe her what?" Kyomei asked, Koto chuckling again.
"Ehh, couple things." Koto said, getting a tilt of the head from Kyomei, the boy looking just a tad confused.
"See, what'd I tell ya', this is crazy kinds of fun!" Sho laughed as he threw an arm around Ritsudo's neck, the hood wearing boy chuckling as he pulled his friends arm off.
"Yeah, it is! I didn't think a big show like this would be this fun!" Ritsudo laughed, though as the crowd roared in cheers and his friends chattered, something made him tune it out… a subtle vibration at his chest. The pendant around his neck was vibrating, the feeling running up the chain enough that Ritsudo was able to feel it along his neck. "Why is it vibrating like that?"
He may not have gotten a direct answer, but what happened certainly answered something.
As the next song was just starting to begin, a rumbling came from under the arena, and suddenly a massive explosion blew from the center of the stage. Cheers of excitement quickly changed into screams of terror. And the explosion wasn't it. Ritsudo felt the vibrations of the pendant grow stronger, it was something else that was causing it. Rising up from the hole in the floor as people ran from it. A creature, massive and with an almost see through body, and even more creatures flying in the air.
"Noise!?" Ritsudo shouted, everyone in the crowd already starting to run as the large Noise began spewing out fluid that turned into even more. And in a disturbing sight, the ones that were able to catch people froze solid, as them and their victim turned to ash in mere moments, but, not quick enough that people weren't left screaming in terror before they crumbled. "What in… the hell?!"
Ritsudo felt a bit of a shudder shoot up him. Everyone knew what Noise were, they knew what the things did… but knowing something and seeing it right in front of your face was another thing. Of course it made him feel terrified. But of course, it also made him remember things he didn't like. Things he'd lost… more accurately, actually, people he'd lost because of those things.
"The hell?!" Koto jumped as the blast rocked the booth, Kyomei's eyes wide as he looked up. The ensuing chaos was almost immediate. The warnings going off inside of the building were likely not reaching the panicking crowd below either. It was nothing but total chaos from what they could see.
"The Noise…" Kyomei muttered, Koto clicking his tongue, taking a few steps back as a creature that seemed to flicker about, more creatures of a different type filling the sky. Kyomei's eyes were wide as he saw the people falling victim to them, his hand balling tightly. "Dammit, why now?!"
"Well, guess we can't sit around and let the girls deal with this themselves, that's a lot of Noise down there!" Koto said, pulling out a pendant from his pocket shaped like a staff. "Let's go!"
"But, the commander hasn't…" Kyomei said, sighing as Koto took a running start and leapt through the window. Koto's gaze steeled as he fell with his gaze on the crowd trying to escape from the veritable army beginning to invade… though the unlucky ones who got caught were silenced in their terror as the Noise turned them to ash with nothing more than a touch. Koto grimaced as he fell, his pendant starting to glow.
"Cantato Ruyi Jingu Bang zillz!" Koto's voice rang as light then gathered around him, and with a burst followed by the ball around him crashing into the ground, the young man came out garbed in a fitted black, gold accented suit under white armor fitted to various points across his body. Headphone like pieces on his head that also formed a headband. Koto reached up near his head, a small item flew from a portion of the headset, forming into a two meter long staff tipped in gold, which he promptly stuck into the ground, leaving a small crater in the floor. "Alright then partner… let's go!"
Koto leaped into the air and smashed down onto the first Noise below him, his staff becoming a whirlwind as he shot through the swarm, shooting high into the air and rearing it back, smirking as he threw the weapon, which then expandedinto a pillar as it crashed onto a crowd of Noise, Koto slamming down onto the top and causing cracks to shoot through the ground as more Noise were then blown away by a whirlwind from the other direction, Kanade coming to a stop, geared out in her own armor and wielding a rather large spear.
"Hey, don't hog them all Koto!" Kanade chuckled, stepping back when a few Noise lunged, only for them to be shot away in a flurry of arrows, the girl chuckling, "Hey! Nice save Kyomei!"
A glint in the air came before Kyomei landed in front of the other two, also in his own armor, the white accented by red and yellow, a visor over his eyes as he pulled up a red and white, bladed short-bow, pulling arrows from one of two quivers at the back of his waist before leaping and firing another volley off. A flash of blue revealed Tsubasa herself had joined in, garbed in blue and black and wielding a katana, and amid the flurry of the four fighters facing the monsters across the arena, the battleground hadn't exactly been abandoned from civilians.
"What the heck is going on?! That's something out of a Toku series!" Sho had a hand slapped over his mouth by Tsukasa as the other teen pulled him back behind the rubble they and Ritsudo had hidden behind, Sho's muffled calls sounding as he was held back.
"Shut up! Come on, we gotta stay quiet, if those Noise find us we're dead!" Tsukasa snapped, Ritsudo looking around for any kind of safe opening. "Ritsudo, see a way out?"
"There's too many, I can't find a-LOOK OUT!" Ritsudo saw it as a Noise shot down at the fighters from above. It impacted with some of the arena's structure, the rubble falling right above the boys. In a quick move, Ritsudo shoved his friends aside, the two yelling as it seemed like the rubble had come down right on top of the white-haired boy.
"RITSUDO!"
The other two boys were quick to run back. The coughing they heard barely alleviated their fears as the dust moved aside. Ritsudo was alive, but the rubble had him pinned to the floor, and he was bleeding from a gash over his left eye.
"Holy… Ritsudo, you okay?!" Sho shouted, Ritsudo coughing between slow nods. "Don't kid around!"
"I-I'm fine… just… just got hit in the head is all. But… there's too much over me for me to move, I'm stuck, I can't… just, go! Kagh! It'll just waste time if you try to get me out. I should be fine if I stay quiet." Ritsudo said, Sho shaking his head as he pried his fingers under the main piece of rubble.
"Don't talk like some self-sacrificing hero dammit! Like hell we'd leave you behind! Tsukasa, help me get him out!"
Ironically Sho wasn't really correct on that. Ritsudo hadn't suggested it out of some noble idea… he just didn't think he was worth the risk they were taking. But, a part of him felt lifted up by Sho's refusal to leave. It only reaffirmed it to Ritsudo the other boy really did consider him a friend.
"We're gonna have to hurry! Whatever's going on, there's still tons of Noise!" Tsukasa joined Sho in trying to lift the large piece of rubble keeping Ritsudo pinned. As his friends struggled to lift it, Ritsudo's vision, blurred as it was thanks to the blood in his eye, turned to where the combat was going on.
"There's way too many of these things!" Koto clicked his tongue as he swung his staff through a few Noise, Kanade landing near him, and the glow around her armor suddenly fell away. "Out of time already? Damn, we should've Synchronized!"
"Too late for that. I can manage for a bit longer. Is there anybody still left here?" Kanade said, scanning around. She shot off when she did see somebody, but, not the boys struggling to free their friend, somebody else clear on the other side of the arena.
"Kanade! Don't run-BACK OFF!" Koto yelled as he swiped at the Noise coming for him, jumping through the air and sweeping the extended staff around. When he landed, he looked around again, his eyes widening when he spotted Tsukasa and Sho just behind the rubble. "HEY! You guys over there, get out of there!"
But, Koto's voice was drowned out as the Noise struck at him again, the young man spinning his staff to block them. Whereas back at the rubble pile, Sho and Tsukasa managed to force the rubble up, Tsukasa forcing his shoulder under.
"I've got it! Quick, Sho pull him out!" Tsukasa shouted, gritting his teeth from the weight. Ritsudo started to crawl as Sho grabbed him by the arm and started pulling. Tsukasa forced the rubble up as much as he could, then letting go as Sho pulled as hard as he could to get Ritsudo free before moving himself. The other two boys collapsed as the rubble fell, all panting while Ritsudo hacked more, flecks of blood coming from his mouth.
"Haa… haa… SHIT that sucked!" Tsukasa panted, Sho nodding.
"Yeah. Come on, let's get out of here! With those people fighting these things, however they're doing it, we should be able to get out." Sho said, standing up.
"Yeah… kah… let's." Ritsudo muttered, managing to sit up, extending a hand to his friends as they reached to help him up… only for a sound from the side to herald something else. Something wrong. Within seconds just as their hands were about to brush, Noise shot over and struck Tsukasa and Sho. All Ritsudo's hand grabbed onto was ash, the last image he saw their only brief expressions of surprise.
"Eh?" Ritsudo looked at his clenched hand, opening the fingers as he turned it. Black ash drifted off of his palm and into the air. The boy's expression was blank. His fingers started to shake, and soon the feeling went all the way up his arm and across his entire body. As tears started to well at Ritsudo's eyes as his breathing quickened, it was like the sound around him died out into dull noise… and the only sound that came from the boy as his expression finally broke was a scream, one of pain and horror wrapped into a single primal noise.
A noise that carried out across the arena to where those fighting, even amid it, stopped dead for the moments it lasted, not thinking about what they were doing as they looked off towards the source of it. The Noise however, clearly had different ideas when the sound came to their attention. Some diverted off and started lumbering towards Ritsudo as his voice went hoarse and then silent, the boy collapsing onto the ground, his eyes lidded and blurry.
Arrows came sailing through the air and shot through the Noise. Kyomei skid to a stop, firing another volley before turning to the collapsed Ritsudo, putting a hand to the collapsed boy.
"Hey! Come on, you have to get up and go! Hey!" Kyomei shook Ritsudo, but he wasn't responding. His eyes just stared off at nothing. Kyomei grit his teeth, swiping his bow and jabbing it into a Noise that got close, ripping it through and turning to fire again. Tsubasa joined him as a Noise tried to get him from the side. "We need to get this guy out of here!"
"There's too many Noise! And the large ones just keep spawning more." Tsubasa said, Kyomei's teeth gritting as his eyes looked off to Koto and Kanade, who themselves were near another person left, a girl who was looking at things with shock. "Koto, Kanade, do something to help us thin this crowd out!"
"Trying!" Koto shouted, stepping back and giving a growl. "We need to break through to the big guys if we wanna end this. Kanade, it might be risky, but we should Synchronize!"
"I hear ya! Hey, kid, you need to run!" Kanade turned to the girl on the ground behind them, and she gave a nod before pulling herself up, limping along because of an obvious leg injury. But that cued the Noise to attack in force again. Kanade and Koto both struck back, Kanade moving between the Noise and the girl, spinning her spear to deflect them, but strain was showing as her armor started to crack in places.
"Kanade slow down! Don't push it further by yourself!" Koto shouted, producing a second staff from the other side of his headset and kicking both off at the Noise, the whirling staffs spinning back through the air, cutting through the swathe of Noise and back to his hands. And as if only to worsen the situation, both of the large Noise loosed streams at Kanade, the girl whirling her spear faster to block both… but as a result of it, her armor also burst apart, the shards flying back while Koto rushed over.
And he saw it from the back that some of the shards had hit more than rubble… the escaping girl was flying back, blood flying from her chest. Kanade's eyes went wide. The girl slammed into some of the rubble behind her, Kanade rushing over and she tossed her spear down.
"Hey, don't die!" Kanade shouted, rolling the girl over, her look not much better off than what the amount of blood would tell. "Come on, open your eyes! Don't give up on living!"
"Kanade, the others will get her out of here once we've cleared this! But if we're going to do that, we need to do something now." Koto put a hand to Kanade's shoulder as the girl grit her teeth, though Kanade's expression relaxed when the girl managed to weakly raise her head and open her eyes. "Damn, you've gotta be tough."
"You know… I wished for a day when I could sing my heart and soul out." Kanade stood up and picked up her spear, Koto turning his head as she turned to the Noise. "And look, we've got a pretty big audience with us today."
"Kanade, what're you… no, no no NO! You are not going to use that!" Koto stopped Kanade in place, a pained look on his face. "You're too wounded as it is! If you use that when you're like this… come on, we should at least try! If we Synchronize at least it'll take most of the burden off of you!"
"Sorry Koto, no can do." Kanade said, her free hand gently grabbing Koto's arm. "If we did, you'd just end up being hurt as well. Besides, look at me, I'm in no state to Synchronize." She drew attention to how even her spear was having parts flake off of it, Koto shaking his head as he grimaced, Kanade putting her hand to his face, a thumb wiping away the tears forming at his eye. "Hey, come on big guy, don't start crying on me. You're supposed to be the tough one here yeah?"
"Come on, there has to be another way to go about this!" Koto said, the grip on his staff tight.
"I don't see much else we can do here. I'm gonna shine again, so watch. I'm not gonna hold back… cause I've got a gift for these guys, the Swan Song." Kanade smiled at Koto before she turned and raised her spear up, more parts of it flaking off as she gripped it. "But don't worry about me alright? You know me Koto, I won't be put out that easily."
"Kanade, don't!" Koto shouted, stopping dead when he saw the light from the sunset glint off something. Tears of Kanade's own. "Please, stop!"
~Gatrandis babel ziggurat edenal. Emustolronzen fine el baral zizzl. Gatrandis babel ziggurat edenal. Emustolronzen fine el zizzl.~
Kanade's voice rang out across the arena in the words of the mysterious song. A dull violet glow began to surround her body and tint the air. Where he was laying, even with the blurred vision, Ritsudo shifted a bit.
"Who's singing?" The boy's voice was weak, and he saw the two in front of him start to move. A wave of light came from Kanade, blowing Koto, Tsubasa, and Kyomei back as they tried to get close and stop her. At the same time, all of the Noise in the arena were blown away by the blast. More of the arena broke around them, though Ritsudo's dulled senses didn't hear any of it. He saw Kanade collapse, his vision going dark for a moment, then the other three at the fallen girl, Koto holding her in his arms. They were saying something, but their voices sounded like dull buzzes.
As Ritsudo's vision started to go dark again, he caught a brief glimpse of it… Kanade's body fading away into the air in a drift of ash, and while dull, the agonized scream that came from Koto as his hands grasped at the fading girl pierced through into his mind as his consciousness slipped away into darkness…