"Jie, watch out!"
Lanfen's eyes shot open to take in a shroud of pitch-back darkness. Her beating heart pounded against her ribcage, acting as a reminder that Lanfen herself still remained in the realm of the living. The Adaptor drew in the cold air to confirm it, filling her lungs completely before letting out a slow, careful exhale. Lanfen repeated this several times, eventually calming down her racing heart with each practiced breath. Once the beating in her chest slowed down to a steady pace, Lanfen gripped the futon she slept on, and pulled herself up into a sitting position. A small groan of annoyance escaped her, aimed at the sweat which drenched the oversized hoodie Lanfen wore.
Combing her long, messy hair with one hand, Lanfen turned her head to the living room's windows before narrowing her sights on the shattered moon which hovered in the winter skies. A digital clock on the shelves showed that it was only several minutes away from 3 AM. The gentle lo-fi music which flowed out of the room's holo-player did little to ease the tension in her shoulders. Shoving aside her blanket, Lanfen approached a nearby wall, and flicked on a single switch, causing a small, yellow lamp on the shelves to light up. The dim illumination it provided was all she needed to step over to the kotatsu table where her smartphone rested next to her laptop, pendant, and wrist device.
As the Adaptor picked up her smartphone, a light jingle rang from the toy which hung from it by a silver chain. Lanfen switched it on, and sat back down on her futon to distract herself by swiping through news reports of recent Distortions attacks. Her fingertip mindlessly swiped from one report to another, but no matter how many of them she read, Lanfen could not wipe away the image her eyes had witnessed beneath the bloodstained rubble of a burning building.
One single word slipped through her lips. "Mei..."
The smartphone in Lanfen's hands slipped from her loosened grip. The light clatter it let out when it hit the wooden floor felt deafening in the relative quiet of the living room. Squeezing her eyes shut, Lanfen grasped the sides of her head as the Adaptor attempted to focus on nothing more than the soft music which streamed out of the room's holo-player. This was not the first time Lanfen had woken up in the middle of the night. And she knew it wasn't going to be her last. Might as well get used to it, she thought to herself. It was just how things were nowadays.
A brief rattling came from Shinonome's bedroom door.
Lanfen slowly lifted her head and looked over her shoulder to spare the doorknob a tired glance. After a few more seconds of waiting, what was once the door to Lanfen's bedroom gingerly opened up. "Jiang?" Shinonome muttered, poking her head through the growing gap in the doorway as she rubbed an eye that was hidden behind her silver fringes.
"Sorry," Lanfen muttered, picking up her smartphone so she could settle it next to her curled-up legs. "Did I... wake you up?"
Shinonome eased the obvious worry in Lanfen's voice with a quiet shake of a head and a soft smile. "Truth be told, I had my own issues with staying asleep," she explained, stepping out of her new bedroom in a long skirt and a turtleneck sweater. "It's admittedly relieving to see that I'm not the only one that's awake at such a time." Shielding a yawn behind her hands, Shinonome made her way over to Lanfen's futon, and gestured if she could sit down next to her. A small nod was all the silver-haired woman needed to make herself comfortable on the soft futon as a minute of silence went on uninterrupted between them.
Uninterrupted, just like the entire day itself. While Distortions attacks were undoubtedly occurring in other places of the world, it was strange to realize that nothing had even occurred in Japan today. Lanfen could feel echoes of the proverbial flames flicker within her eyes, and yet, she could not do anything other than remain on standby. Ayano and Godai had yet to return, so the Adaptor had essentially spent a whole day in the presence of no one but the newest member of Symphogear Team-04. Looking at the way Shinonome stared in astonishment at the shattered moon outside their windows, Lanfen wondered if an uneventful day every now and then wasn't so undesirable.
Especially now that Lanfen wasn't living in her apartment all by herself.
"Jiang," Shinonome began, lifting the veil of quiet between them. She pressed the tips of her fingers against one another before shifting a pair of worried eyes over to Lanfen, clearly hesitating to utter her next few words. "Pardon me for asking this. But... are you alright?"
Shinonome's sudden question made Lanfen's shoulders tense up. "What do you mean?" Lanfen replied, showcasing her poorest attempt at feigning ignorance thus far.
The silver-haired woman twiddled her fingers once again, evidently mustering up the courage to ask whatever she had on her mind. "I... couldn't help but notice that... you were talking in your sleep earlier. Some of the things you said worried me. So..." The further Shinonome explained, the deeper Lanfen subconsciously dug her fingernails into the palms of her hands. "... I may not remember my own past. But I don't mind lending an ear if you're comfortable with it, Jiang. Especially now that we're... well..." She slowly gestured to the dimly-lit room around them. "... Sharing a living space."
Lanfen's throat felt tight, even after she drew in a practiced breath to relax the tension in her body. But a look into Shinonome's golden eyes allowed Lanfen to slowly ease up her hands before folding them over her lap. For once, Lanfen felt nothing emanating from her sword-hand other than the stinging sensation that her own fingernails had left on her palms. Now that she mentioned it, Lanfen had learned everything she could about Shinonome's circumstances. But the same could not be said for the other way around. "Do you really want to know?" she whispered, just in case.
"I do," Shinonome calmly answered. "You all have gone through extensive lengths to help me, haven't you? I feel that it's only right if I could do the same."
She was far too kind for her own good, Lanfen mused to herself. Then again, maybe that wasn't such a bad thing. Taking in another practiced breath, Lanfen picked up the smartphone that was laying next to her feet. The Adaptor then huddled her legs close to her chest and held up her phone in the palm of a stinging hand. The accessory that was hanging from it by a silver chain swung back and forth as Lanfen aimed a pensive gaze at it. Might as well, Lanfen thought to herself. It would be only fair if neither of them were hiding anything from each other.
"... Six years ago... I lost my parents," Lanfen started, her hush voice clear as day in the relative quiet of the living room. Just like she expected, Shinonome casted a knowing glance over to the room's family shrine while her hands subtly gripped onto the futon beneath them. "After they were gone, it was just my little sister and I," Lanfen continued, fixating her eyes back on her phone's hanging accessory. "We still had relatives. If you can even call them that," she bitterly remarked with a scoff. "But let's just say that they didn't think twice about abandoning us. Nobody wanted to associate with a 'girl' like me." The apathetic stares Lanfen witnessed at the memorial service were practically marked into her memory. "It's just how things were back then."
If S.O.N.G. hadn't financially supported them after what happened, there was little doubt that the two sisters would've ended up in the streets, or worse.
No words came from Shinonome, prompting Lanfen to carry on. "I... tried my best to take care of my sister. Being a parent wasn't something I knew well, but she grew up to be an amazing gal anyway. Better than I ever could." Smart. Sociable. Courageous. There were so many words she could use to describe Kai. "But when the Distortions first arrived... we got separated. Just when it looked like it was all over for me, a stranger saved my life, and gave me the very powers I wield right now. I honestly still wonder... if that person was even real."
Finally, Shinonome spoke up. She struggled to even voice the question that was escaping her lips. "... And what about your sister?" she asked, finally looking away from the shrine to set her golden eyes back on Lanfen.
All it required was one simple sentence. And yet, outright answering Shinonome's inquiry felt akin to swallowing a bag of rusty nails. Lanfen assumed that her wounds had all closed up by now, but it turned out that they were still fresh as ever. Drawing in a slow, practiced breath, Lanfen settled her smartphone back down on the futon, relaxed her bare legs on the floor, and met Shinonome's gaze with purple eyes that barely possessed any light in them. "I couldn't save her."
There was no point in beating around the bush. It was a failure that Lanfen could never undo no matter how many Distortions she slew on the battlefield.
Shinonome drew in a shaky breath as Lanfen's eyes remained locked with hers. "The bedroom next to yours," Lanfen whispered. "It was hers. Everything that belonged to her... is stored in there." Everything except for the tablet that Shinonome now utilized, Lanfen thought to herself, feeling something gather in the corners of her tired eyes. Before the Adaptor could even wonder it was, Lanfen felt the familiar sensation of tears slowly trailing down her cheeks. She guessed that she hadn't truly run out of them like she initially thought.
While Lanfen lifted a hand to wipe away her stray tears, Shinonome directed a heartbroken gaze over to the bedroom door in question. Merely taking in the sight of its dusty doorknob caused her to tremble as Shinonome clearly thought back on what her own actions earlier could have led to. Another question stuttered through her quivering lips, her hands now gripping onto the ends of her skirt. "... What was her name?" Shinonome's voice was hard to hear, even if the music from the room's holo-player barely obfuscated it.
"Kai-Ming." Lanfen wondered if anyone else had even uttered that name in the past few days aside from her. "Cynthia Jiang Kai-Ming. She was only 17." With those hush words finally uttered, Lanfen wiped away the last of her tears, and rested a tired gaze on the living room's windows. A small trembling coursed through Lanfen's hands, all while her ears picked up the soft pitter-patter of Shinonome's teardrops falling onto the futon. The Adaptor couldn't help but despise herself for making Shinonome cry like this. It was her job to make her comfortable in her new home after everything she's been through, after all.
Another veil of quiet draped itself between Lanfen and Shinonome. But it was one that did not feel uncomfortable for even the slightest. Instead, the pair remained at each other's sides, ignoring anything and everything but each other's presence. A memory of the final dinner that Lanfen shared with her sister inadvertedly replayed before her eyes. A moment that Lanfen wished she could stretch out for just a while longer. A moment that happened in this very room before everything was changed by the arrival of the Distortions. Lanfen stifled a cry at the cessation of that memory, and slowly parted her lips to finally lift the silence between them.
Before the Adaptor could even utter a single word, Lanfen felt Shinonome's arms carefully wrap themselves around her waist, slowly bringing her into a gentle embrace that Lanfen could not pull away from. Even while the silver-haired woman buried her face in Lanfen's shoulder, the Adaptor could still pick up the sound of Shinonome's soft crying. It was a painful sound to hear as warm teardrops stained her hoodie. Lanfen initially wondered why Shinonome's tears were far stronger than her own. It was her who had lost a sister. And it was only tonight did Shinonome even learn of Kai's existence. Then again, Lanfen knew full well by now that Shinonome possessed a heart that was as tender as it was kind.
The silver-haired woman's ability to wear her emotions on her proverbial sleeves was almost admirable, if anything.
Unable to voice a single word, Lanfen lifted her own shaking arms, and carefully wrapped them around Shinonome's shaking body. She then shifted in her seat, allowing Shinonome to instead cry into the Adaptor's twisting chest. "Thanks..." There were no other words Lanfen could find in her vocabulary to express her feelings. But it was one that perfectly voiced them without misunderstanding. "I guess... we've both been through a lot, haven't we?"
The two kept their arms around each other for a length of time that Lanfen did not care to measure. Her focus was kept solely on Shinonome and her alone. There was nothing else right now that was worth the Adaptor's attention. Not even while Lanfen's heart pounded against her ribcage. Once Shinonome had seemingly shed the last of her own tender tears, the silver-haired woman pulled her tearstained face away from Lanfen, and slowly retracted her arms to wipe her own wet cheeks with the back of her hands.
"And yet... here we are," Shinonome whispered in the middle of a shaky breath. "... Alive and well. Despite everything that's happened. I'm... grateful to be here, Jiang." Her words sounded as genuine as they could have possibly been as Shinonome's teardrops finally dried. A soft smile subsequently returned to her face, shattering the heartbroken expression that Shinonome once wore. The sight of that alone eased the tension within Lanfen's shoulders.
Returning the woman's smile with a small, brief one of her own, Lanfen hesitantly pulled her own arms away from Shinonome, eyes locked with hers the entire time. "So am I," Lanfen admitted with a weak chuckle, resting her still hands back at her sides. "Life is just... unpredictable, isn't it?"
Shinonome responded with a slow, wordless nod before a subtle shade of red crossed her pale face, causing a light flutter within Lanfen's chest. It took some mental effort, but the Adaptor managed to pull her widened gaze away from the Shinonome's golden eyes, letting Lanfen glance at the digital clock which sat on the shelves. To the woman's disbelief, it was now only a few minutes from 4 AM. Lanfen almost wished that this peaceful moment could go on for just a little longer, but it was obvious to the both of them that sleep was eventually going to overtake them. Shinonome needed to recover, and few things made it harder for Lanfen to rest than having an unwell person in her care.
"You should head back to bed," Lanfen gently stated, glancing back at her companion while scratching a bandaged cheek. "Staying up late doesn't exactly do one any favours."
Shinonome pressed the tips of her fingers against one another before giving another slow nod. Lanfen had a feeling that she also wanted to sit down with her for a while longer, but the slow yawn that escaped Shinonome only proved the Adaptor's point. "... Alright," Shinonome quietly whispered, slowly standing up from the futon. After patting down the lengths of her long skirt, the woman lowered her head in a brief but formal bow. "Good night, Jiang," she gently told her. "I hope the both of us can sleep better tonight."
Responding to the formal gesture with a curt nod, Lanfen tried to utter the same thing in response, only for her words to awkwardly lodge themselves in her throat. Were it not for the small giggle that Lanfen's slip-up earned her, the Adaptor would have damned herself for looking silly as she did. "Good night," Lanfen finally said, gripping the futon beneath her with one hand. As she turned away from the Shinonome, the woman's light footfalls sounded clear to her ears. Once the light clicking of room lock rang in the air, a small, tired sigh slipped through Lanfen's tightened lips.
Whether or not Lanfen would be able to converse like this with the others remained to be seen. Regardless of the task that S.O.N.G. had assigned to Ayano and Godai, Lanfen's two seniors were her teammates as much as Shinonome was. Their duty to monitor her was clearly a formality, and the pair had proven themselves to be as unconditionally kind as every person Lanfen had met in S.O.N.G. thus far. That was something which she could not deny, no matter how strongly Lanfen's instincts advised her to keep up her mental barriers. Gazing at the shattered moon outside the windows, Lanfen simply wished that the circumstances between her and the other Wielders wasn't what it was.
By the time Lanfen finished drying all of Shinonome's newly-bought clothes, the living room's digital clock had reached 8:30 AM. Getting them all done by today initially felt impossible, but the absence of any operations thus far gave Lanfen plenty of time to deal with her errands. After folding up all of Shinonome's clothing inside a plastic trunk outside her bedroom, Lanfen proceeded to take a much-needed bath, her daily pills, and later tied her unkempt hair back into its usual black braid. It was 9 AM when Lanfen stepped out of the bathroom in her Adaptor uniform's shirt and pants. Which meant that it was now the perfect time to get breakfast ready before Shinonome could wake up.
Rice. Grilled fish. Miso soup. An average Japanese breakfast, by all means. But Lanfen spared no effort cooking it all to the best of her abilities. Breakfast was the most important part of a person's day, no matter how insistent Lanfen used to be about skipping it in her youth. Once the finishing touches had been carried out, Lanfen stepped out into the living room kitchen to settle a tray's worth of of plates, bowls and, utensils on top of the dining table. Right as Lanfen finished scooping out two bowls worth of rice from the cooker, the door to Shinonome's bedroom opened up, letting the silver-haired woman step outside with a small yawn behind her hand.
"Good morning, Jiang," Shinonome politely said, sleepily cupping a pale cheek in one hand.
The messy state of Shinonome's silver hair reminded Lanfen to get her a hairbrush next time. "Slept well, I take it?" Lanfen remarked, prompting the woman to respond with a bright nod. "That makes the both of us then," the Adaptor pleasantly added with a hand on her hip. With no further comment to give, the two women sat down on opposing lengths of the dining table, and clasped their hands together in appreciation for the morning meal. But right as Lanfen's hand reached out for her chopsticks, a prominent twitch coursed through her limb, causing the Adaptor to inadvertedly click her tongue in frustration.
The way Lanfen's twitching hand hovered over her utensils did not go unnoticed by the person right in front of her. "Is something the matter?" Shinonome gently asked, pausing her own breakfast to cast a worried glance over to Lanfen.
It was nothing unusual. Nothing unusual to Lanfen herself, at least. But this was probably the first time anyone had seen her recent tics up close and personal. "I'm fine," Lanfen insisted, tightening her hand into a clenched fist. Slowly settling it on the wooden table, Lanfen took in a practiced breath to ground herself in reality. "It's just hard to relax sometimes," she explained with a glance over to a nearby window. "The Distortions can come anywhere and anytime. Can't exactly let my guard down too often because of that."
The Adaptor's melancholic words shifted Shinonome's concerned look into that of sympathy. "It's the burden that you have to bear wielding such a power, isn't it?" Shinonome's question only received a mild shrug and a tired sigh in response. "Then-" Shinonome muttered, looking around the living room. "Why don't we try a distraction?" she suggested with a single clap of her hands. Setting aside her utensils for now, Shinonome got off her dining chair, and picked up the remote to the room's television set. "This should help take your mind off things."
If only it were that easy, Lanfen thought to herself. Shoveling her tasteless meal into her mouth just so she can get her own breakfast over with, Lanfen watched as the home appliance flickered to life from a tap of a single holographic button. Lanfen expected a rerun of Valkyranger to be airing at this time, but what appeared on the screen instead was none other than a worldwide, public broadcast. "Wait." Lanfen held up a hand, stopping Shinonome before she could change the channel. "Leave it on for now."
The firmness of Lanfen's request made the silver-haired woman quizzically tilt her head before Shinonome placed down the remote, and returned to both her seat and meal.
There was little doubt about it. The worldwide broadcast was coming from the General Assembly of the United Nations itself. The very organization that funded S.O.N.G.'s efforts as a paranormal task force. While Shinonome quietly dug into her breakfast with the same gusto she had displayed during last night's dinner, Lanfen focused her attention on the television with her elbows on the table. Lanfen could hardly even blink as the live footage showcased a well-dressed United Nations speaker confidently making his way through the hall before standing up on the Assembly's rostrum. Lanfen guessed that they had tuned into the broadcast right as they were planning to start.
"Honourable chairs and fellow delegates," the Speaker began, hands firmly placed on the rostrum's edges. "It is with great pleasure that I stand before you today to herald the arrival of a 'shield'. An unbreakable 'shield' that shall officially be known throughout the world as 'Task Force Harmony'. In combination with the efforts of S.O.N.G., Task Force Harmony promises a world that shall remain impenetrable against even the most horrid of threats to the cradle of Mankind. While we can only mourn for those that were lost in the recent global disaster, the United Nations assures you that no more lives shall be lost to this 'Distortion' menace. Through a unified effort between all hands of Humanity, Mankind's finest soldiers have been summoned to-"
That was all Lanfen could stomach for one morning. Without hesitation, the Adaptor got up from her chair and swiped the remote from the kotatsu table. Once the home appliance had been silenced, Lanfen placed the remote back where it was before, and dropped herself onto her chair with an exasperated sigh. It had barely been 2 days since the Spokesperson first declared the creation of 'Task Force Harmony' to the Symphogear-Wielders. While the deployment of additional arms against the Distortion threat was an understandable one, the idea that Lanfen would operating alongside armed forces only proved that she was more of a soldier than the Spokesperson initially tried to claim.
"Jiang?" Shinonome spoke up. Lanfen lifted her head and noticed the curious gaze which Shinonome had fixated on her from across the dining table. Shinonome fiddled with a strand of her messy, silver hair, a pair of chopsticks still held in her other hand. "That was... related to your work, wasn't it?" she asked, once again walking on proverbial eggshells when it came to matters like this.
"... You could say that," Lanfen muttered with a glance at her own half-eaten meal. A part of her was honestly starting to miss being able to taste her own food. "A lot's changed ever since the Distortions showed up," Lanfen added, resting a chin in the palm of a bare hand. "Whether I like or not, all I can do is just follow orders. Doesn't really matter what we think about the directions we're told to move in."
"But it's rather unfortunate that you have to resort to such methods, isn't it?" Shinonome's question earned her a curt, wordless nod of agreement. Letting go of the silver strands between her fingers, Shinonome placed her utensils down again before clasping her hands in a prayer. The Adaptor could only blink at the sudden gesture of faith. "Regardless of what happens, I'll be hoping for your continued success, Jiang," Shinonome stated. "You saved my life, after all. I'm sure you'll be able to do the same for others, no matter how difficult your battles may be." Punctuating her words with a kind smile, Lanfen responded to her encouragement with a brief one of her own.
"Thanks, Shinonome," Lanfen whispered, taking her chin off her hand. Even if Lanfen was by no means a fan of the military, their help was undeniably going to be needed if the Distortions ever launched a global-wide assault again. Their goals were presumably one and the same. The separation of the Symphogear-Wielders simply felt like an unnecessary move in light of Harmony's formation. "With the situation as it is, I'll probably be-"
A distinctive ring pierced the living room's air, hushing the pair's conversation in an instant. Lanfen quickly went over to the kotatsu table, and noticed the incoming audio transmission that her wrist device had just received. The contact ID belonged to Tomosato. After letting the device's automatic strap tighten itself around her wrist, a quick tap of a holographic prompt answered the emergency transmission. The bridge operator's voice emitted from the device's speakers before Lanfen could even declare her call-sign.
"Lanfen, our scanners are pinpointing a single rift formation over the city of Mitakihara." The announcement of her report made Lanfen's eyes widen slightly. Mitakihara was the closest city to Yamaku compared to Kazamino and Tokyo. "We're currently unable to estimate when the rift will open, but we've already sent a helicopter over to your current location for retrieval. Both Komichi and Yuki will be heading towards the area in a different transport later on. Yamaku City has yet to declare any evacuation procedures, so Aiko may stay in your location for the time being."
After a day of inactivity, it was time to fend off the Distortions. The mere thought of it made Lanfen's sword-hand ache at her side. "Understood. SG-r04, heading out." Confirming her orders with just those words, Lanfen switched off the transmission before spinning on her heel to face Shinonome. "Sorry, but I'll have to-" Her words halted before Lanfen even finished. Silence was all the Adaptor could give in response to Shinonome having stood up from her chair just so she could place a single, warm finger on Lanfen's parted lips.
"I'll put your breakfast in the fridge for now," Shinonome assured her, slowly pulling the tip of her index finger away from Lanfen's hushed face. "Your role as a protector takes priority over everything else. So, I will only ask that you return safely, Jiang."
Lanfen wondered how Shinonome felt about being unable to do more than stay here while she went out to face the Distortions. It was a thought Lanfen briefly lingered on while the sounds of an approaching helicopter slowly grew outside the apartment's walls. Subconsciously bringing a hand to her own lips, Lanfen blinked before a reply finally came to her. "Alright. I'll be back, Shinonome." The gentle smile that Shinonome responded with gave Lanfen all the energy she needed in place of a full morning meal. Grabbing her black-and-white scarf instead of her Adaptor uniform's tie, Lanfen quickly donned her blue jacket, slid on her gloves, and rushed out of the apartment door in her boots.
There were many ways for Lanfen to realize that she had forgotten to wash her scarf this morning. Finding out that was the case because it still carried Shinonome's scent wasn't a particularly terrible one in her eyes.
A helicopter ride was hardly the most frightening of experiences, even if one possessed a fear of heights. But when the Distortion rifts were capable of emitting 'pulses' that would send aircrafts careening back down into the earth, being escorted to a combat zone by one suddenly became far tenser than it should be. Written reports based on the Distortions attacks declared that the 'pulses' were only possible once a rift was fully formed, but such trivia did little to settle Lanfen as she stood by herself in the middle of the helicopter's cabin. Keeping a tight grip on the cabin's handles with an armoured hand, Lanfen hovered her other gloved hand over her Symphogear's silent headphones.
A Symphogear's ability to regulate her body heat far better than her Adaptor uniform never failed to confuse Lanfen. The black-and-white fibers were practically skin-tight, but not to point that it hindered Lanfen's movements nor caused any physical discomfort. While she had little issue standing inside the cabin with her armoured boots, the three-point crown which sat on Lanfen's head had a bothersome tendency to scrape the cabin's ceiling. Stationed in a piece of armour on her hip was the bladeless hilt of her Armed Gear, ready to be drawn the moment danger showed itself. If the helicopter had a chance of crashing, it wasn't going to happen while Lanfen was untransformed.
Her headphones' built-in communicators finally switched on. "SG-r04, we have arrived at zone M12-C. Prepare for landing," one of the helicopter's pilots announced as per procedure.
"Affirmative. Moving into position," Lanfen responded, letting go of the safety handles so she could position herself the one side of the cabin where the sliding doors were. With a single glance outside the window, Lanfen could see that they were mere minutes from touching down on the perfectly-evacuated streets of Mitakihara. A quick tap of her headphones switched the communications line back to the S.O.N.G. submarine's command center. "This is SG-r04, I've arrived at the designated area."
To the crowned warrior's surprise, it was Commander Genjuuro himself that responded to her in place of either Fujitaka or Tomosato. "Lanfen, we've already finished evacuating all non-combatants from the area. While the rift has yet to open, I want you to meet up with the armed forces that have established a defensive perimeter around the rift. As sudden as it may be, this will be S.O.N.G.'s first official joint operation. I'm counting on you to be on your best behaviour once you're on the ground."
The Commander's words prompted the raise a brow from Lanfen. "A 'joint operation'?"
The subsequent juddering of the helicopter's cabin cut off her question. Hearing an audio signal to depart from the craft, Lanfen carefully unlocked the cabin's sliding door before pulling it aside with a gauntlet-covered hand. The armoured boots she wore loudly clanked upon making contact with the concrete streets, audibly announcing the Adaptor's presence while white snow from the skies blanketed the roads around her with white. The growing rift in the sky would have been the first thing that caught Lanfen's attention, were it not for the fact that the crowned warrior wasn't all by herself in these evacuated streets.
APCs. 'Armoured-Personnel-Carriers'. True to their name, Lanfen spotted at least three of the large vehicles down the road, forming a makeshift barrier with the sheer size of each eight-wheeled, black-painted vehicle. All three carriers had the emblem of 'Harmony' emblazoned on their armour, instantly indicating who they were while the machine guns which were built into their copulas all swiveled in the direction of the newborn rift. As Lanfen approached the road blockade, squads of well-armed soldiers filed out of the carriers to take positions in the empty buildings around them. The one Lanfen assumed to be in charge marched towards the Adaptor as soon as they had finished giving out their orders with precise hand-signals.
Advanced body armour. Holstered ballistic rifles. Sleek, full-face helmets. Similar to the heavy vehicles they utilized, the combat uniforms Harmony's forces wore were done in a dark black while their right arms were fashioned with 'Harmony' armbands. The U.N. weren't sparing any expenses, Lanfen thought to herself while she strode over to the soldier. With utmost formality, the helmeted person before her stood to attention before greeting Lanfen with a sharp salute. "Good morning. I'm assuming that you are SG-r04?"
"Affirmative." Lanfen returned the formal salute, noting that the soldier stood a few centimeters taller than herself despite the height Lanfen's armoured boots provided. "I take it that you're in command here?" she asked, glancing at the other soldiers which were taking firing positions inside the evacuated buildings around them.
Since the rift above them had yet to open, the helmeted soldier calmly continued on. "Correct, SG-r04. I am Field Captain Yaiba Isamu," they said, gesturing to several badges on their body armour. "While I'm sure that this may be sudden for you, my forces and I look forward to seeing a Symphogear-Wielder fight up close and personal." They politely extended a hand for Lanfen to shake with. "Especially since this is the first official joint operation between S.O.N.G. and Task Force Harmony respectively."
If Lanfen was sure of one thing, it was that she wasn't going to be seeing herself as a soldier anytime soon, nor in the far future. A Symphogear-Wielder was so much more than that in her eyes. "Of course," Lanfen said, grabbing their outstretched hand to give a firm handshake. First impressions mattered if she was going to represent S.O.N.G.'s Symphogear-Wielders. "I'll make sure to keep an eye out if you need any assistance, Captain."
"Rest assured that we'll do whatever it takes to pull our own weight, SG-r04," Captain Yaiba said, pulling their hand away at the end of the gesture. "As long as we work well together, those damn monsters won't even know what hit them." As formal as the Captain sounded, Lanfen could sense that they were eager for a fight against the Distortions as much as Lanfen was herself. Before the crowned warrior could comment upon it, the communicators in both of their headgears rang with an audio transmission, prompting the duo to tap into their communicators in unison.
Operator Tomosato came up on her Symphogear's headphones. "Lanfen, scanners are estimating less than 5 minutes until the rift opens up," Tomosato declared, making Lanfen's sword-hand ache with anticipation. "Energy signatures designate them to be Category-1s. Armour-Types. We're counting at least fifty- Wait-" There was a brief pause. "Additional energy signatures detected! Category-2s are coming through the rift. Blade-Types. There's only two of them, but take caution confronting them, Lanfen! This is the first time we've detected Distortions of a higher Category."
"Understood," Lanfen calmly responded, retracting her hand from her headgear. If the Distortions were playing their stronger cards now, then the crowned warrior was more enticed than worried. Cutting through cannon fodder like Category-1s hardly sated the proverbial fires within her.
"We'll deal with the Category-1s," Captain Yaiba stated, tapping commands into their arm-bracer's digital pad to communicate with their squadrons. "We've already secured a defensive perimeter around the rift and all my troops have established firing positions. The moment the Distortions come in, we're going to light them up from every direction. I'd suggest that you remain on standby until the Category-2s arrive." A ring of confirmation resounded from the Captain's arm-bracer as they gave another salute which Lanfen returned in kind. "Are you fine with his plan, SG-r04?"
The plan they offered wasn't one which Lanfen could sensibly disagree with. "Affirmative," Lanfen said, already anticipating what the Category-2s were capable of. "Let's take care of this quick."
As if on cue, an earth-shattering thunderclap roared in the skies above their heads, encouraging the Captain to sprint back to the APCs while Lanfen shot a scornful glare at the giant 'crack' that expanded in Mitakihara's skyline. The Adaptor memorized the process at this point. In the span of few heartbeats, the giant crack in reality violently grew into a shimmering, pulsing rift that was heralded by an ear-piercing, inhuman wail. The unholy noise only made the proverbial fires in Lanfen's eyes reawaken with an incessant desire. With Task Force Harmony ready to assist her, Lanfen simply remained where she stood, and watched on as armoured bodies started descending from the rift.
A cacophony of gunfire erupted the very moment the first of the Category-1s showed themselves. As a dozen gun barrels simultaneously roared to life, countless armoured bodies of ebony were chewed to pieces by the ensuing hail of lead. Lanfen's headphones tuned out the deafening noise with ease, allowing her to quietly observe the machine guns that were relentlessly barking from the copulas of Harmony's APCs around the city. Each heavy weapon contributed a seemingly unending stream of 50. caliber rounds from their barrels, backing up the pinpoint rifle fire which were coming from a multitude of different buildings, ensure that not a single Distortion could make landfall in one unharmed piece. A quick tap of Lanfen's headphones allowed her to listen in on the precise orders that Captain Yaiba was calmly distributing to their soldiers.
Lanfen's aching sword-hand rested on the pommel of her stowed weapon the entire time she watched on. The proverbial fires within her eyes flickered, silently demanding the Category-2s to arrive just so Lanfen could test her mettle against sterner opponents. By the time Fujitaka's voice spoke up over the comms, Lanfen's fingers had already curled themselves around the hilt of her bladeless sword.
"Category-2s detected! They're about to make their way through the rift!"
Focusing her vision on the armoured bodies that were descending from the tear in reality, Lanfen spotted two distinct emerald bodies amidst the army of ebony knights. Unlike the Category-1s which were persistently flowing from the rift, Harmony's hail of gunfire could do nothing but harmlessly bounce off their metallic forms, allowing the Category-2s to descend into the streets unharmed while sunlight reflected off the silver armour trims that distinguished them from their lesser warriors. Taking this to be her cue, Lanfen bolted into a running start, and leaped over the makeshift roadblock established by the three APCs ahead of her. Their predicted zone of descent wasn't far from her current location.
"This is SG-r04, I'm moving in to engage the enemy." Those were the only words Lanfen needed to announce as she raced down the evacuated, snow-covered roads in the direction of her descending enemies.
Two. Only two human-sized bodies had managed to slip through the gunfire that was tearing into rift's descending forces. Their bodies were noticeably slimmer compared to the Category-1s, but that didn't stop the Category-2s from crashing into Mitakihara's concrete roads with the force of falling meteorite, conjuring a thundering rumble which echoed throughout the streets. Lanfen skidded to a halt several meters away from the crater their landing had created, her bladeless hilt already in her hand as she watched the two emerald knights slowly clamber out of the crater to glare at the black-and-white Symphogear-Wielder. A distinct, metallic hissing could be heard slithering out from the crimson visors of their sharp helmets.
A thick blade sprung forth from the golden cross-guard of the Sword of Damocles. In response to the crowned warrior's attempt at intimidation, the two Distortions eagerly unsheathed the two-handed, pitch-black swords which were strapped onto their backs.
Lanfen could only scoff at the sheer length of their two-handed blades. Swiftly brandishing her own one-handed sword, the proverbial fires within the crowned warrior's eyes sparked into a whirling inferno. The unending cacophony of Harmony's gunfire could not drown out the electro-swing jazz that loudly blared from her Symphogear's built-in speakers. "Commencing with the elimination of the enemy."
A blade swung at Lanfen's face before her lyrics could even begin. She gritted her teeth and smacked away the strike with a resounding clang. Tightening her gloved fingers around the hilt of her sword, Lanfen's eyes darted left and right as the blinding speed of the Distortion's attacks defied the imposing size of its two-handed weapon. Piano keys resonated in the winter air alongside the screeching of metal grinding against metal, punctuated by the armoured feet that stomped into the concrete while the two blitzed at each other in a duel of finesse, predictions, and control. A ballet of violence where both participants parried and slashed with extreme prejudice.
"I don't know who I am and that's okay, but what's going to happen today?" A black blade sliced into Lanfen's waist, effortlessly cutting through her Symphogear's protective barrier with a flurry of sparks and blood. "M-My brain burns like it'll explode, begging for it to not implode." Ignoring the spillage of her own ichor, the crowned warrior fought through the pain, and went straight for the Distortion's head. The subsequent screech of her blade being parried with utmost ease provoked a frustrated click of Lanfen's tongue.
She knew they weren't taking her seriously. The non-fatal nature of their strikes made it obvious. While the Sword of Damocles continued its dance of death with an almost rhythmic clashing of metal, the other Category-2 silently stood by the crater, observing their duel with its own two-handed weapon in its hands. The gall of such a gesture from a battle automata only stoked the proverbial fires within Lanfen's eyes.
"Can I fly before rolling out the die? Am I allowed to cry before I finally try-?" A sundering, upward blow smacked the Sword of Damocles out of Lanfen's grip and into the air. Saxophones roared in defiance, seemingly cheering Lanfen on as the black blade descended to split her down the middle. The crowned warrior gritted her teeth, narrowed her purple eyes, and clenched her hands into fists. "My brain is on fire, I'll never understand. I'm going to tire, blazed from every demand."
Lanfen crashed her knuckles into the flat sides of the Distortion's blade, catching it right in front of her face as the blade shattered into a hundred broken, black shards. The closest thing to 'surprise' that a Distortion could show occupied her opponent while Lanfen sent it reeling back with a sharp kick into its abdomen. Lanfen then swung her gaze upwards, spotted her falling sword, and caught it by the hilt to brandish the Sword of Damocles in a show of defiance. The disarmed Distortion promptly stared at its broken weapon, and signaled its waiting companion to take over while it held an open, glowing palm over its shattered blade.
"I want to be under the tree in my dreams." A different pitch-black blade crashed against the Sword of Damocles. "T-To breathe clean air above the depths." Blood oozed from six different wounds across Lanfen's body. "All I have to do is c-climb the steps!" The second Category-2's relentless barrage of swings pushed the crowned warrior back with each mighty blow. Its two-handed sword struck with the speed of a dagger and the force of sledgehammer. Ducking underneath a decapitating strike, Lanfen lunged for a decisive blow, only to falter when the pain of her accumulating injuries wracked throughout her body.
The split-second window of vulnerability was all the Distortion needed to slice into Lanfen's abdomen with an accompanying shower of sparks and blood.
Holding back a cry of pain, the crowned warrior leaped backwards, a hand tightly gripping onto her blood-soaked abdomen. The Symphogear's internal systems did its work to suppress the pain, giving Lanfen the ability to remain standing while the Distortion glanced at the fresh blood which stained its pitch-black blade. Patches of crimson grew on Lanfen's black-and-white fibers, but she had no time to worry about that, for the other Category-2 was suddenly missing. Scanning the streets around her with heavy eyes, Lanfen spotted the other Category-2 waiting several meters behind her with a now-repaired blade. Adrenaline pumped through her veins as the two Distortions glared at Lanfen from two different directions, stoking the proverbial fires within her eyes.
Black-and-white flashed in Lanfen's vision. The steel letters before her eyes slammed onto a cracking chessboard, spelling out the name, "Rook Reflector."
"Can I light my flame without burning my eyes?"
The Distortions raised their swords in unison and blitzed at Lanfen for a simultaneous killing blow.
"Will I be able to see past all the filthy lies?"
Metallic stakes erupted from the back of her armoured boots to stab into the snowy, blood-stained concrete. Glowing panels sprung open on the sides of Lanfen's thigh armour. Crossing her arms over her pounding chest, Lanfen narrowed her eyes as a translucent, dome-shaped barrier flashed into existence around her wounded body. The Distortions' black blades crashed into her force-field with an ear-piercing screech, causing arcs of electricity to vomit into the air.
"No idea where to look without being blinded." The absorbed kinetic force of their attacks circulated around Lanfen's translucent barrier. "From the burns you all have provided." A single mental command shattered the dome-shaped force-field, transforming it into an outwards wave of paralyzing energy that sent the two Distortions reeling backwards in silent agony. Their black swords clattered to the snowy ground as the Category-2s fell onto their knees, unable to do more than spasm uncontrollably from the energies that coursed through their emerald forms.
Another flash of black-and-white. The steel letters slammed onto the chessboard to now declare, "Queen Quicksilver."
"I'll breathe with no ashes in my lungs. Not knowing what I have begun." Her armoured boots retracted their hydraulic stakes. The panels on her thighs slammed themselves shut. Armour slid forth from her headphones, forming a sleek, white mask over her face with a large pair of circular, compound eyes. As the mask connected to her three-point crown, the Queen chess-piece on her right shoulder emitted a deep humming noise. The roar of the pauldron's awakening power generators sent a revitalizing vibration throughout Lanfen's entire body. "I'll ignite the fire that burns so loudly. My torch won't stop shining brightly."
Falling snow halted mid-air. The speeding bullets which tore into the falling Category-1s above her slowed into a crawl. As speed beyond Lanfen's comprehension channeled through her Symphogear, a holographic timer appeared on the insides of her armoured mask.
Ten seconds.
The crowned warrior sped towards the Distortion that was the first to draw her blood. Slamming her sword into her hip armour, Lanfen picked up the knight's newly-repaired, two-handed blade from the ground, and lifted it over her head. All form of martial grace had been thrown out the proverbial window. With the Distortion's own sword in her hand, Lanfen bludgeoned the emerald knight's body with nothing more than the intent to kill. Each savage strike tore into its chest-plate little by little, all while emerald sand spilled from its cracking form in slow-motion. A thirteenth, final blow sent the suit of armour slowly flying backwards, breaking apart the bits of snow which had gone inert from Lanfen's point-of-view.
Six seconds.
Tossing the two-handed weapon back into the ground, Lanfen drew out the Sword of Damocles, and leaped over to the remaining Category-2. The crowned warrior's armoured knee rammed into its faceplate with a slow, resounding clang as the knight was forced onto its back. With the emerald Distortion lying helplessly beneath her, Lanfen stomped her boot onto its chest, pinning it to the concrete while she gripped the hilt of her sword in an aching sword-hand. Lanfen granted the Distortion four seconds to comprehend its situation before thrusting her thick blade straight into the glowing visor of its helmet. The Distortion's desperate death throes still couldn't sate the fires within her eyes.
Not even while the crowned warrior's blade remained firmly planted within a knight's ruptured helmet.
Zero seconds.
The white snow around her resumed in their gentle descent. The bodies of two Category-2s exploded into heaps of emerald sand. The roar of one final gunshot echoed throughout the city, and Lanfen's whirring shoulder pauldron slowly died out along with her jazz music. Retracting her faceplate back into her headphones, Lanfen collapsed onto one knee before hurling a mouthful of blood into the palm of her left hand. With the Sword of Damocles still held in her sword hand, Lanfen heaved for air as a distinctive wailing came from above, telling her all she needed to know that the rift in Mitakihara's skyline had already vanished. Subsequent reports over the comms confirmed the successful elimination of the Distortion forces.
Blood trailed down from both her wounds and the corner of Lanfen's mouth. Strangely thankful that she could not taste the ichor on her tongue, Lanfen brought a blood-stained hand to her headphones, and tapped into its comms with a pained wince. "Sg-r04 here. The D-Distortions have been eliminated." It was hard to focus on Tomosato's procedural response. Simply retracting the blade of her sword just so she could stow it away on her hip armour provoked surges of pain from five different points of her body. With the battle now over, Lanfen took in a deep breath, and rose up to her feet. Her armoured legs proceeded to instantly give out underneath her. The crowned warrior wasn't even surprised.
Firm hands caught Lanfen by her gauntlet-covered arms before she could fall face-first onto the hard concrete.
Holding back another wince of pain, Lanfen slowly glanced around her to see Godai and Ayano standing at her sides with their arms on her wounded body. Visibly dressed in their navy blue S.O.N.G. uniforms, the two women carefully placed the Adaptor's arms around their necks in a combined effort to carry the injured Lanfen. The Symphogear-Wielder would insist that she was fine, were it not for the fact that Lanfen could barely feel her legs. While Godai greeted Lanfen with a proud thumbs-up, Ayano lifted the tension in the air through a simple, cheerful smile.
"Just leave to rest to us, okay?" Ayano said, her tight grip on the wounded Lanfen betraying the concern behind the smile she wore.
Responding with a slow nod, Lanfen wordlessly commanded her Symphogear to disperse into a rising batch of black-and-white particles. The matching scarf around Lanfen's neck provided her some level of comfort in spite of the injuries underneath her Adaptor uniform. Pulling her tired gaze away from her two teammates, Lanfen spotted Captain Yaiba jogging over to them with a medical team at their side. Lanfen could barely hear what the Captain was saying at this point. The annoyed groan that came out of Godai implied that it was nothing convenient. Whatever it was, the soft embrace of an emergency stretcher was all it took for Lanfen's conscious to finally drift away into darkness.
Lo-fi. The ambient, soft rhythmic tunes of lo-fi music was the only way Lanfen could bring herself to sleep. And it was the only way Lanfen could wake up without feeling the urge to strangle her alarm. Her consciousness slowly came to with each gentle beat that entered the ears like drops of water from a drizzle of rain. When Lanfen managed to lift her heavy eyelids, the plain ceiling of her apartment was the first thing that greeted her. It was a sight Lanfen gratefully welcomed alongside the warm comfort of her futon. As her blurry version began to clear up, Lanfen initially assumed that she had been dreaming. The sharp stinging sensations she subsequently felt across her body dispelled any possibility of something as silly as that.
Stifling a pained wince, the Adaptor gently pulled herself up into a sitting position. Just slow enough that her bandaged wounds wouldn't reopen from mere overexertion.
A quick peek underneath her blanket showed Lanfen that she was still in her Adaptor uniform, with the obvious exception of her scarf, boots, and everything she had worn on the top half of her body. Medical-wraps covered up most of her torso, preserving some level of modesty while her injuries healed up underneath them. Shifting her gaze over to the living room's shelves, it was apparent that three hours had passed since Lanfen went out. The sounds of clanging pots and pans could also be heard from the kitchen. Bringing her attention back to her injuries, Lanfen had a feeling that she wouldn't be able to train in a state like this. It was frustrating, but it was still impressive that she was able to move as well as could right now. The medical technology of both S.O.N.G. and Task Force Harmony were not to be underestimated.
"Jiang," a familiar voice exclaimed, prompting Lanfen to swing her gaze over to the kitchen doorway. Concern was clear all over Shinonome's half-concealed face as she stood there with a hand over her mouth. Before Lanfen could even say anything, Shinonome rushed over to her side, and placed her hands on Lanfen to make the injured woman lie back down. "While the others assured me that you will be alright, please refrain from moving too much!" Shinonome fretted, tucking Lanfen back into her futon.
Was this the first time Shinonome ever raised her voice, Lanfen wondered, her head now resting on top of her pillow. While her injuries weren't as painful as they were before, Shinonome had a point, so Lanfen didn't resist when she was forced to relax in the comfort of her warm futon. Once the Adaptor had settled down, Shinonome let out a huff, and took a seat at Lanfen's side. "Godai and Ayano," Lanfen muttered, unable to remember anything that happened after the battle. "... Where are they?"
"They were with you the entire time your injuries were treated," Shinonome explained, placing a hand on her pale cheek. "They came by earlier to drop you off before mentioning something about 'needing to stay back and investigate the site with the Task Force', or so they said. They'll be coming back later, so they asked me to watch over you until then." The concern in her voice was obvious, even if Lanfen found it difficult to focus with the headache that wracked her skull. "My apologies. I simply... didn't expect to see you come back like this."
From where Lanfen lied down, she could see her wrist device, pendant, and smartphone all sitting on the kotatsu table behind Shinonome. Mid-noon sunlight from the room's windows shone a soft glow on her belongings as Lanfen gave a dry chuckle, and a small shake of her head. "I'm fine," Lanfen hoarsely insisted. It probably made her sound silly considering the state of her body underneath her blanket. "Just ran into some tougher enemies, that's all."
Lanfen did her best to let her injured body melt away into the warmth of the futon while Shinonome quietly remained at her side. The Adaptor was in no state to fight, but with Task Force Harmony out there, Lanfen was admittedly relieved that she now wasn't the only one that Japan was counting on to protect it from the Distortions. It was certainly easier to rest up in the presence of someone like Shinonome. Not that Lanfen would admit it, of course. As the lo-fi music from the room's holo-player chased away the silence, Lanfen glanced back at the quiet woman, Shinonome's fingers noticeably twiddling on top of her lap. Strangely enough, there was no flicker of curiosity in Shinonome's golden eyes.
Lanfen's gut feeling told her that it was something else entirely this time. "Something on your mind?" she asked. The silver-haired woman visibly flinched in her seat.
Pulling her twiddling hands away from one another, Shinonome rested them at her sides while she avoided Lanfen's tired gaze. "I suppose so," she admitted, staring out the nearest window to observe the falling snow with pursed lips. "But it simply doesn't feel right to mention it when you're all hurt like this."
A light scoff escaped Lanfen. Questions during inopportune moments were something that Lanfen had become used to ever since she first came out of the proverbial closet. "There's nothing for me to hide, Shinonome," Lanfen told her, resting her bandaged hands on top of her aching, blanket-covered chest. "Especially after last night. I'm not going anywhere soon like this, so there's no better time than now, in my opinion." Despite Lanfen's attempted casualness, the unease on Shinonome's face did not leave her.
About a minute had passed before Shinonome finally spoke up again. The trepidation in her tone was clear.
"Ever since last night, I was wondering about something," Shinonome began, twirling a strand of her silver hair between two fingers. "... Something which I couldn't ask without worry of potentially upsetting you." While Lanfen remained silent on her futon, Shinonome looked over to the kotatsu table, and set her sights on Lanfen's wrist device. "But I wanted to know," she admitted, releasing her hair from her fingers. "So, after you came back, I picked up that item of yours, and went through some of S.O.N.G.'s records. I found yours because..." The Adaptor steeled herself for Shinonome's next words. "... I wanted to know who was it that was responsible for your sister's passing."
In spite of Lanfen's efforts, she could not stop the proverbial fires from flickering within her purple eyes. For once, Lanfen found their mere presence to be nothing more than intrusion on her mind. Squeezing her eyes shut, the Adaptor drew in a slow, practiced breath before fixating a tired gaze on the ceiling above her. Nobody could be certain whether or not her sister's killer was even related to the Distortions, but Lanfen still maintained her desperate belief that fighting them would one day lead her to that mysterious cloaked being.
"My apologies if I-"
"Don't," Lanfen whispered, swiftly cutting off Shinonome's unnecessary apology. "Like I said... I have nothing to hide. Anyone who's a part of S.O.N.G. has the right to know what happened, Shinonome."
While the silver-haired woman was hardly reassured by the Adaptor's calm words, Lanfen truly held nothing against her for diving into S.O.N.G.'s records. It was Shinonome, after all. They were teammates now. And Shinonome's curiosity was to be expected of her at this point. To Lanfen, it was all an open secret. There was no point in hiding how she had ended up as S.O.N.G.'s seventh Adaptor. How Lanfen froze in the face of an enemy despite the power she held. How her own little sister paid the price for a moment's hesitation. Lanfen could not change what happened that night. All she could do now was determine her current path with the Sword of Damocles in hand.
Pulling her gaze away from the plain ceiling, the guilt which Lanfen witnessed on Shinonome's face made her wounded chest twist ever so slightly. "I guess... you know why I fight now," she muttered, partially wondering if Shinonome's image of a singing warrior in black-and-white had now changed into something else. "It's not surprising that it's for something as simple as revenge... isn't it?"
Shinonome gave no verbal response to Lanfen's hush, self-deprecating words. Instead, the silver-haired woman lifted one of her arms, and gently placed a warm palm on top of the Adaptor's bandaged, folded hands. Shinonome's fingertips felt cold. Just like when Lanfen had first saved in her in that snowy glade. But Shinonome's gentle touch somehow extinguished the proverbial fires within Lanfen's eyes over the span of five, steady heartbeats. As their hands sank and rose with the rhythmic movements of Lanfen's breathing, the Adaptor could see Shinonome's gaze pan over to her red pendant on the table this time.
"Can I say something?" Shinonome carefully asked. A curt nod was all Lanfen believed she needed. "... While I understand your desire for retribution, would it truly be wise for you to shoulder the blame for what had happened?" Her soft words inadvertedly provoked a mild shiver in Lanfen's folded hands, even as Shinonome gently tightened her grip over them. "You were a normal person before you achieved your power, weren't you? If Kai-Ming was as wonderful as you make her out to be, wouldn't she want her sibling to do more than just burden herself with such a desire-?" Shinonome halted her own words before she could continue, allowing the music to flow between them again.
Shinonome's palm remained on top of Lanfen's inert hands. Her gaze remained on a glimmering, red pendant. While regret clearly crept into Shinonome's face, Lanfen remained quiet, and looked behind the silver-haired woman to gaze at the living room's family shrine. Would her parents consent to the oath which Lanfen made upon becoming an Adaptor, she wondered? Or would they be saying the same things as Shinonome right now? Regardless of the answer that Lanfen knew would never come, it's not like fate had even given her the opportunity to act out on her desperate wishes. The cloaked being was still nowhere to be found. And her simple desire for revenge had not inconvenienced her nor anyone else, as far as Lanfen could see.
There was a hint of hesitation when Shinonome pulled her palm away from Lanfen's hands. Returning it back to her side, the conversation between them continued when Shinonome parted her laps once again. "I'm sorry for intruding in your business, Jiang," she said, finally looking back at Lanfen. "I just can't help but worry for others sometimes."
Lanfen retorted with a slow shake of her head, "Never apologize for showing concern for others, Shinonome." The Adaptor's words were emphasized with the smallest smile she could muster. "... It's only human to do such a thing. I'm sure anyone would appreciate that level of kindness." Whatever effect Lanfen's improvised words had on Shinonome, she could at least see most of the unease on the silver-haired woman's face slowly wash away.
"I suppose so..." Shinonome cupped her cheek with one hand before slowly glancing over to the kitchen doorway. "I'll... go and reheat your breakfast." As Shinonome motioned to stand back up, Lanfen's bandaged hand suddenly grabbed her by the wrist, keeping the silver-haired woman at her side just for a little longer.
The Adaptor herself didn't know why she did it. The sudden action itself provoked a few surges of pain on at least three points of her body. The surprise that was writ upon Shinonome's face silenced Lanfen for a few seconds as they gazed into one another's eyes. It took a slow, practiced breath for Lanfen to retrieve her voice. "... Thanks, Shinonome. For being here," Lanfen whispered. "I... hope you can get back your memories soon."
There was that flicker in Shinonome's golden eyes again. A bright shine which was followed up by an earnest smile. "... And I hope that you will find closure one day, Jiang," Shinonome responded, taking one last look at the red pendant which sat on the kotatsu table. "One doesn't deserve to bear such a weight. Especially when you have the safety of so many others already on your shoulders."
Lanfen couldn't find the words to respond to such a melancholic statement. So, she just remained quiet, and slowly loosened her grip around Shinonome's thin wrist. Once both of Lanfen's hands had returned to her blanket-covered chest, Shinonome took a small, polite bow, and stepped through the kitchen doorway.
The Adaptor stared at the ceiling again while the silence was kept away by the holo-player's gentle beats. Resting up was all she could do for now, as much as Lanfen hated to admit it. While the softness of her futon wasn't something she could complain about, the pain Lanfen felt this morning was a sensation she would never forget. It was the first battle where the Distortions had managed to spill her blood. And it was reminder that Lanfen still had much to do before she was on the same level of expertise as Tachibana, Kazanari, and all the other Symphogear-Wielders. Lanfen needed to remain strong in the face of these growing threats, even if it was becoming clear to her that the fire in her eyes would only be extinguished by the death of no one else but her sister's killer.
A Distortion attack was the last thing that Morikawa Renge needed right after waking up to prepare brunch. In accordance with Mitakihara's disaster procedures, the ex-operative of Clan Hida had evacuated to the city's underground bunkers until the fighting on the surface subsided. Due to the usual efforts of S.O.N.G. and the newly-sortied squadrons of Task Force Harmony, only about an hour had passed when the citizens were told that they could return to their usual affairs. Now that the city had gone back to its usual atmosphere, Renge was free to continue packing up all of her belongings inside the cardboard boxes that crowded out her small apartment.
The woman quietly sang to herself as she cleared the shelves of her bedroom. While an apartment in Tokyo wasn't exactly the cheapest of places, the fact that it was going to be covered by her new workplace relieved any stress Renge would have received. Ogawa Suteinu himself had personally given the clearance for her new apartment, so Renge was completely prepared to work herself to the bone to fully express her thanks to the man. She was no longer a part of Clan Hida, and yet, it seemed like a twist of fate that Renge still found herself indebted to another member of the Ogawa family. Suteinu at least felt far more easier to approach than his older brother, Souji.
After sealing up the fifth cardboard box in her room with a roll of duct tape, Renge turned around to a pile of belongings that she had left on her bed. The woman scrounged through a mess of nail polish, DVDs, and game cartridges before grabbing a brush to tidy up her short, boyish hair. The howling of the klaxons had erupted in the middle of her morning rituals earlier this morning, so Renge could hardly describe herself as anything more than a visual mess right now. As Renge tossed her hairbrush aside, the smartphone that sat in the pockets of the old, high-school tracksuit she wore began to ring.
"Oh?" Renge slid her phone into her palm and tapped on the screen to see that it was Tsuchiya Kagero contacting her. Knowing how serious the right-hand man of Ogawa Souji often was, Renge expected nothing casual to come out of this conversation. "What's up?" she said, bringing the smartphone to her ear. "It's not often that I get a phone call from you, Tsuchiya."
"Morikawa," Tsuchiya began, sounding as formal as always. "I apologize for the sudden contact, but I wanted to confirm if you-" A wave of static suddenly spilled out of her phone's speakers, drowning out Tsuchiya's words while Renge winced from the harsh, garbled noise. Pulling the smartphone away from her ear, incomprehensible fragments of Tsuchiya's voice could be heard amidst the static for a few seconds before the line completely cut off by itself.
"What the...?" Renge shot an annoyed look at her smartphone and saw that it had completely lost connection. Odd, she thought to herself. The network in Mitakihara never really got as bad as this. "Ah, whatever," she groaned, glancing back at the boxes which crowded her tiny bedroom. "I'll just call him back later on." Leaving her smartphone on her bed with a messy pile of belongings, Renge stretched her arms before heading out of her room for a nice bottle of soda. Packing up her belongings was hard work, even if Clan Hida had trained her through far more stressful circumstances.
Stepping out of the apartment's only bedroom, the living room appeared like one would expect of someone that was about to move out to greener pastures. Stacked cardboard boxes took up whatever space Renge could sacrifice without hampering her ability to navigate her apartment. While the woman could simply rely on her training to slip through tight spaces with ease, Renge would prefer to not resort to skills that she intended to leave behind. Her life in Clan Hida was in the past. Her life as a host-club's songstress was her future. Letting out a yawn that she didn't bother to hide, Renge strolled over to the kitchen doorway when the hairs on the back of her neck slowly stood upright.
Dark blue flashed in the corner of her eye, prompting Renge to instinctually halt in her footsteps.
"You certainly have quite the voice, Lady Morikawa," a sultry voice suddenly addressed Renge as though she were but a child.
Careful as not make any alarming movements, Renge turned her head in the direction of the living room's couch. Sweat dotted her tanned skin. Her hands were ready to defend herself at moment's notice. When Renge finally laid her eyes on the figure that had made their presence known in the privacy of her apartment, the woman could not stop herself from drawing in a sharp breath. Years of operating in Clan Hida had honed her senses to the peak of human potential, and yet, Renge had not heard even a single footstep from anyone other than herself in the past hour.
Sitting on the living room's couch with their back turned to Renge was a lone, adult woman. Her voice clearly made her out to be a foreigner, and from what Renge was able to see, the woman possessed pale skin that could almost be perceived as a 'ghostly-white'. Her medium-length hair was neat and trim, and it was coloured in a dark blue that matched the azure, diamond-patterned suit she wore. Seemingly unaware of the fear that her mere presence was instilling within Renge, the pale woman lifted a hot cup of tea between her gloved fingers before taking a slow, gentle sip that maintained the silence between them.
Renge attempted to sound as calm as possible despite the jitters that were coursing through her. "... Can I help you?" she asked, carefully stepping towards the room's dining table in an attempt to not provoke her intruder. Renge's eyes did not leave the stranger's back for even one second. Not even as Renge slowly sat down on one of the dining chairs, and slowly brought her hands underneath the table. Not even as her fingers drew closer to the suppressed pistol that was attached to the table's underside by a magnetic lock.
The pale stranger's gloved hand placed her teacup back on a saucer with a soft clink that felt deafening in the silence of the living room. "I have been listening to your voice for quite some time now," the intruder stated, her voice practically dripping with honey. "After last night's performance, I think I have become quite a fan of your singing, Lady Morikawa."
"Is that so?" Renge casually remarked, brushing her fingertips against the confirmed presence of her emergency weapon. With her eyes still trained on the stranger's back, Renge's nerves slowly steeled themselves for the bloodiest outcome of this conversation. She felt out the physical keypad which kept her weapon restrained before slowly inputting the 4-digit keycode purely through muscle memory. "Sorry, but I don't exactly deal with fans," she said, covered up the light tapping noise of the keypad with her voice. "Especially when they come barging into my place. It's pretty damn rude, in my opinion."
The pale woman's back continued to face Renge while they spoke to one another. Placing a chin the palm of a black glove, the stranger in the azure suit let out a small chuckle which made Renge shiver. "My apologies if I have committed any offence, Dear." The woman brushed the fingertips of her other hand against the glass table she was sitting in front of. "But due to the difficult circumstances that plague me, I have a need for that beautiful voice of yours. The soul it's attached to can only be described as one-of-a- kind."
A soft 'chak' figuratively announced the deactivation of the firearm's magnetic lock. Renge focused her eyes on the intruder, and looked out for any signs indicating that they were onto her. After monitoring the pale woman for four agonizingly-long seconds, Renge gripped her pistol in both of her hands before carefully switching off the weapon's safety. "If you think that I'll gladly walk out of here with you..." She heard the soft 'click' of the safety being fully undone. "... You're sadly mistaken."
An honest, hearty laugh erupted from the pale woman. The sheer suddenness of it made Renge unintentionally gulp. The sweat that was dripping from her tanned skin was almost unbelievable. Renge had faced forces far more deadlier than some intruder in her apartment, and yet, she could feel her heart racing as though she were an average civilian. In an attempt to clear the fog which shrouded her mind, the ex-operative desperately fell back on the grueling, mental training which Ogawa Souji had put her through over the past few years. A second was all Renge needed to prepare to herself. A second was all she needed for a flash of realization to appear in her unclouded mind.
A realization that was only confirmed the longer Renge's sharp eyes stared at the back of the pale stranger before her.
This wasn't just some regular home intruder. Their description perfectly matched that of the very individual that was suspected of stealing the SG-r04. There was little doubt about it. Ogawa Shinji had distributed copies of Cassandra Jiang Lanfen's interrogation to all members of Clan Hida, and Renge had made sure to remember every single detail it carried before she stepped out of the Clan.
Placing her gloved hands on her lap, the pale woman casually lifted herself off the living room's couch with an exaggerated groan. The laughter which was streaming out of her had completely ceased, allowing silence to return to the room around them. "Unfortunately, you are in no position to decline, Lady Morikawa." Despite the threat her words clearly carried, the stranger's voice remained as sultry as when she first addressed Renge. "My goals requires something far more special than your physical presence."
Renge brushed her finger against the trigger of her suppressed firearm. "Is that so?" A drop of sweat fell from her face and crashed onto the table before her with a soft tap. "That makes this a lot more easier for me then."
No more words were exchanged between the two. It was clear by this point that all of it was nothing more than a formality. The only sounds Renge could hear was the soft ticking noise of the living room's analog clock, and the beating heart within her chest. As Renge held her breath, the pale intruder let out a small, disappointed sigh before resting her gloved hands on her hips. The stiffness in the intruder's shoulders betrayed whatever intention the pale woman truly harbored within her.
The pale woman spun around. Renge trained her firearm straight at the woman's center. A soft 'thwack' pierced the silence, and her target fell backwards like a puppet with its strings cut off. A spent bullet casing clattered to the floor, shattering the silence right as the room's glass table broke apart beneath the weight of a collapsing body. The cacophony of shattered glass which followed suit went for about a second before a tense silence returned to Renge's living room. Drawing in a breath to calm her nerves, Renge slowly got off her dining chair, and gingerly approached the stranger's body.
Renge could not hear any sounds of breathing as she rounded the living room's couch. There was only the gentle tick-tock of her analog clock. With her firearm still held in both hands, Renge halted before her bare feet would start treading on broken shards. It was close enough, in her opinion. From where she stood, Renge could see the intruder's unmoving body lying in a bloody pile of bloodstained glass, eyes wide open while her mouth remained slightly agape. Blood poured forth from a hole which perfectly sat where their heart would be, giving Renge the assurance she needed to switch on her weapon's safety.
"Goddamn," Renge muttered underneath her breath, carefully placing her firearm on the couch for now. Taking lives was the duty she hated most during her time in Clan Hida. It never got easier, despite how many tried to insist. While Renge had definitely avoided whatever fate the pale woman had in store for her, there was an undeniable frustration that Renge felt now that they weren't going to be getting any answers about the SG-r04. "Huh?" Renge blinked.
Focusing her vision on the corpse's still face, Renge remembered the reports having described the woman as someone that possessed a pair of golden eyes. The body before her instead carried those of silver instead. It was a 'small' detail, but there was no way that Renge ended up misremembering even something as insignificant as that. Slowly getting onto one knee, the ex-operative carefully extended a hand towards the glass-covered corpse. As soon as her fingertips brushed against the body's diamond-pattern suit, Renge heard the familiar clicking of a gun's safety being switched off right behind her.
"A convincing doppelganger, isn't she?" asked a voice that was coated in sweet honey.
Her own pistol was still sitting on the couch. Hidden kunais slid out from Renge's sleeves. The deafening roar of a gunshot blared in her ears faster than Renge could even swing them.