A/N: Happy Halloween! Welcome to a side-project that I have been brainstorming since Symphogear PC Port, my most gruesome Symphogear One-Shot to date: SONGbird!

Much like the One-Shot, this is going to be my attempt at a Creepypasta-esque Symphogear story, but without crossing it over with another Creepypasta entity.

This is going to be very different from the other stories I am working on, so I hope it's still enjoyable in its own special way.

But without further ado, enjoy!


DISCLAIMER


The story you're about to read contains the following that might be uncomfortable for certain audiences:

Strong Language, Blood, Gore, Mutilation, and Body horror.

Viewer's discretion is advised.


Midday:
S.O.N.G. HQ


It was a quiet day at S.O.N.G. Headquarters. There were no alerts for any Alca-Noise within their world, nor were there any alerts from the Gjallarhorn for Karma Noise or other multi-universal threats. Thanks to this, the Wielders and staff were able to enjoy a peaceful morning.

"I sure do love days like these." Kanade said as she, Tsubasa, and Maria all took showers after getting some training in earlier. "We may still be technically on the clock, but it's more or less like a vacation on this sub when there's no Noise of any kind to deal with."

"While I may prefer having an actual vacation, I can understand what you mean, Kanade." Maria replied.

"I agree." Tsubasa added. "It's good to have days like these so that we can prepare ourselves for whatever awaits us on the other side of the Gjallarhorn, as well as having time to pursue our own hobbies."

"Oh! On a slightly unrelated note, isn't Serena supposed to be stoppin' by today?" Kanade asked.

"If I recall correctly, she said she should be able to spend this weekend here with myself, Kirika, and Shirabe." Maria answered. "If I had to guess, she should be here sometime tomorrow."

"Neat!" Kanade replied.

"Why do you ask?" Maria asked.

"Just curious was all." Kanade replied. "That, and I figured the four of us could go see a horror movie this weekend or something."

"A horror movie?" Tsubasa asked.

"Yeah!" Kanade exclaimed. "I mean, it is October, so what better activity than to go see a horror flick?"

"I don't see why not." Maria shrugged. "As long as it's not too scary."

Kanade smirked when Maria said this. "Why? You too chicken to watch a real horror film?"

"N-No!" Maria shouted, her face turning red with embarrassment. "I... I just don't want the film to be so scary that Serena has nightmares the whole time she's here. That's all."

"Uh-huh..." Kanade replied skeptically.

"That aside, is there any movie in particular that you want to see?" Tsubasa asked.

"Actually, yes!" Kanade exclaimed. "I heard about this movie coming out last time I was here that was based on those Noble Red chicks, so needless to say, I was intrigued."

"Oh... Is that so..." Tsubasa said, which made Kanade realize how bad of a suggestion that was.

"Oh shit! I completely forgot about what happened between you and those chicks here!" Kanade gasped. "U-Umm... I mean... I'm pretty sure Boss' got some old horror flicks he'd let us borrow instead. How about we just do that?"

"It's fine, Kanade." Tsubasa reassured the panicked Gungnir Wielder. "I've seen the trailer for that movie already. It seems like they're just using them as a way to reimagine those classic monsters from over a century ago. I personally wouldn't mind seeing it."

"Oh. R-Really?" Kanade asked, getting a nod from Tsubasa. "Well, okay then!"

Suddenly, an alarm goes off all throughout headquarters. One that the Wielders were very used to after dealing with it for a couple years now. "So much for a day off from universal travel..." Maria sighed. "Let's get going."


After they dried off and got dressed, the trio hurried to the command center. "We're here, Uncle!" Tsubasa said as they entered the room.

"Good." Genjuro replied as he turned to face them. "I know this is out of the blue, but thank you for being available today, you three. Especially you, Kanade."

"No sweat, Boss!" Kanade said with a thumbs up. "Besides, your guys' problem is my problem too."

"I'm happy to hear it." Genjuro replied.

"What's the issue this time, Commander?" Maria asked.

"That's just it, we're not sure why Gjallarhorn went off this time." Genjuro answered, surprising the trio. "The only thing we have to go off of with this alert is that there was footage of an almost eerie aura that emerged moments before the alarm."

Saying this, Genjuro played the footage from their cameras. Sure enough, the Gjallarhorn was engulfed in a reddish-black smoke before it turned into its normal, activated self. "Well that's not ominous at all..." Kanade said sarcastically.

Genjuro nodded. "I also have a bad feeling about this mysterious aura. Nevertheless, I need you three to go investigate what is on the other side. Kirika-kun and Shirabe-kun will be here shortly to take over as active wielders should any Noise appear while you're away."

"Understood, Commander." Maria replied. "We'll report back what we manage to find as soon as possible."

Genjuro smirked. "I know you will. Good luck out there." With their orders given, the trio leave the command center and head off towards the Gjallarhorn. "I just hope that this feeling I'm having is just mere superstition and nothing more..."


Tokyo:
Two Days Later...


Two days later, while S.O.N.G. waited to hear back from the scouting party of Tsubasa, Maria, and Kanade, Chris, Miku, and Hibiki took the day to hang out in the city of Tokyo. "Ahh... I almost forgot how nice it was to just have time to ourselves!" Hibiki said with a big stretch. "Between training and going to different universes, there's hardly enough time for us to spend together outside of work."

"Seems like it." Miku agreed. "But I don't really mind it too much."

"Really?" Hibiki asked in a surprised tone.

"Yep." Miku replied. "Because, whether we're at work or not, I'm still able to be around you, Hibiki."

"Miku..." Hibiki said, blushing from Miku's words.

"Geez... Get a room, you two." Chris groaned.

"Sorry about that, Chris-chan..." Hibiki chuckled nervously.

"Seriously, I'm choosing to spend my time off to hang out with you two, not to follow you around while you do what you've been doing for who knows how long." Chris said. "Speaking of, why did you invite me to hang out?"

"We just thought it'd be nice to spend some time with you outside of work." Miku answered. "And since Halloween is coming up, we figured we'd invite you to come with us to a festival that was going on today."

"I see..." Chris said. "Are you only now telling me this because I'm out of my apartment?"

Hibiki and Miku nodded. "We thought you'd turn down our invite if we asked over the phone." Miku said.

This confused Chris. "I mean, if it's a festival, I would have agreed to go-" As she was saying this, it dawned on her what they meant. "...It's one of those festivals where people dress up and scare you, isn't it?"

"Yeah..." Miku and Hibiki answered.

"Grand..." Chris said to herself. "Fine... I'll go with you two... But you owe me."

"Yay!" Hibiki and Miku cheered.

"Why did it have to be in October that these two decided they wanna hang out on our days off? Why not December? Hell, I'd take hanging out on the hottest day of July over going to a horror festival..." Chris mumbled to herself.

"Thank you, Chris-chan!" Hibiki said, giving the Ichaival Wielder a big hug, which the latter struggled to break free of. "I promise I'll pay you back for this!"

"Yeah, yeah..." Chris sighed as she broke free of Hibiki's grasp. "Let's just get going before I change my mi-"

Suddenly, the trio's communicators go off, which surprises Hibiki and Miku, but Chris sighed in relief. "Thank you, Geezer!" She said to herself before answering the call. "Chris here! The Idiot and Miku are with me."

The trio waited for a reply, but all they got was static. "Shisho?"


"...-kun... Hib... We're... Reinfor..."


"Our signal's cutting out, Geezer. Is everything alright?" Chris asked, slightly worried.

Once she said this, the trio heard a loud bang on the other end and suddenly the static faded out.


"I said we're under attack! You three need to get here ASAP before it's too late!"


"S.O.N.G.'s under attack?!" The trio gasped.

"What the hell is happening over there?" Chris asked, now very concerned.


"We're not entirely sure ourselves. All we know is that Tsubasa arrived with some serious injuries less than an hour ago, and now something is ravaging our ship from within! I haven't been able to get in contact with Kirika-kun or Shirabe-kun, but I'm hoping they're holding off whatever is attacking."


"Hang in there, Shisho! We're on our way!" Hibiki said as the trio hung up their communicators. "We'll have to wait to go to the festival after we deal with this threat!"

"I could care less about a damn festival right now!" Chris retorted. "Let's get moving!"


S.O.N.G. HQ


Balwisyall nescell Gungnir tron

Rei Shénshòujìng rei zizzl

Killter Ichaival tron

Arriving at the harbor, the trio transformed into their Symphogears and headed straight for the S.O.N.G. Submarine Headquarters. "The base looks unharmed from the outside." Chris stated. "The way the Geezer sounded made it seem like this was up in flames by now."

"Maybe Kirika-chan and Shirabe-chan are doing a good job of keeping the base from being too heavily damaged?" Miku thought aloud.

"Maybe... But I can't help but feel uneasy with how quiet it is out here..." Chris added.

"On top of that, why hasn't anyone evacuated from the ship?" Hibiki asked.

"That's exactly why I feel uneasy." Chris said.


The trio headed for the entrance of the submarine to look for whatever it was that was causing havoc within the base. And after dealing with a very unresponsive door, the three Wielders were met with a horrific sight: There was bloodshed all along the walls, floor, and ceiling, the interior was torn to shreds by giant slashes, and across the floor laid the corpses of countless mutilated S.O.N.G. personnel, one of which they could recognize being the now deceased Sakuya Fujitaka.

"Oh my God..." Miku gasped, covering her mouth with one of her hands as the urge to vomit from the horror on display rose.

"This... This isn't real..." Hibiki said in disbelief. "This has to be some kind of joke, right?"

"If this is a joke, it's by far the most fucked up one I've ever seen." Chris added. Taking a deep breath, Chris recomposed herself. "We need to find whoever is responsible for all of this and kill them before they get off the ship."

"'Kill them'?" Hibiki asked, still in shock from the display of death in front of her.

"Yes, you idiot!" Chris shouted. "Even if we were to subdue whatever monster is loose in here, it would only stop them from destroying the world as we know it for a moment at best."

"But Chris-chan..."

"READ MY LIPS, YOU DUMBASS: They will die or else we will!" Chris roared. "Do I make myself clear?"

Now terrified of the enraged Chris, Hibiki rapidly nodded her head. "Good." Chris said. "Now let's find the Geezer and the others before they end up among the dead."


Running through the dimly-lit halls of their damaged headquarters, the three wielders hurry to the command center, hoping to find Genjuro before it's too late. On their way, however, they overhear the sounds of a blade clashing against metal and punches and kicks colliding with what they can only assume is the intruder that caused all this mayhem.

"That sounds like Shisho!" Hibiki shouted.

"They must be fighting whoever caused all of this destruction!" Miku added.

"Then how about we give the Geezer a helping hand, huh?" Chris said.

The trio ran even faster to catch up with the Commander, but before they could reach him...


SLASH SLASH


The sound of two meaty slashes rang out in the hall, followed by a loud thud. As this thud rang out, the trio arrived at where the fighting had taken place, only to see Tsubasa facing away from the group as a headless corpse laid at her feet. "Tsubasa-san?" Hibiki asked. "Shisho told us you were seriously injured. Are you okay?"

Tsubasa stayed silent, confusing the trio. "Tsubasa-sa-"

Chris cut off Miku. "That's not Senpai." Chris said.

"What do you mean, Chris-chan?" Hibiki asked. "That's clearly Tsubasa-san in her Ame no Habakiri Symphogear."

"If there's one thing I know about the Geezer, he wouldn't lie about Senpai. This person may look like her, but this isn't Tsubasa Kazanari." Chris stated as she transformed one of her pistols into a Gatling gun. "This imposter is the bitch that killed everyone in here!"

Suddenly, Tsubasa(?) startled to chuckle, gradually turning into a maniacal laugh that made Hibiki and Miku very concerned whereas Chris kept her composure. Once the laughter stopped, Tsubasa(?) turned around, revealing her blood-stained torso, and the severed head of Genjuro Kazanari in her hand, holding it by his hair. After this, Tsubasa(?) opened her eyes, revealing that her eyes were not her normal indigo color, but instead an infamous purple with red rings inside of them.

"The Godkiller and my former vessel..." Tsubasa(?) said as she dropped Genjuro's head, referring specifically to Hibiki and Miku. "I've been waiting for you two to show up."

"'Godkiller'?" Hibiki asked.

"'Former vessel'?" Miku added, before realizing exactly who was responsible for all of this. "Don't tell me... Shem-Ha?!"

"The very same." Shem-Ha said.

"But... Why?" Hibiki asked. "You said the future was ours to control, so why are you doing this?"

Shem-Ha scoffed. "That may be how things turned out in this universe, but the same cannot be said for mine own."

Hibiki gasped. "You're from another universe?"

"I get it now." Chris said. "You took advantage of the fact you possessed your universe's version of Senpai to get into our base."

"You are correct... Partially." Shem-Ha said, confusing Chris.

"What do you mean by 'partially'?" Chris asked.

Shem-Ha laughed. "Unfortunately, you will never know..." She said as she pointed her katana out towards the trio. "I have allowed you all to live long enough. Now, you shall join your friends in death!"

Hibiki and Miku were unsure what to do. They were hesitant to fight that which bore the striking resemblance of one of the closest allies and friends. However, Chris was not as hesitant, and she knew exactly what to do. "Miku, Hibiki, go find Elfnein and the others." Chris said in a low but serious tone. "I'll hold her off until you get back."

"Chris-chan?" Hibiki asked.

"Are you insane, Chris?!" Miku added. "She'll kill you if we leave you."

"She'll kill us all if you don't do what the hell I'm telling you to do!" Chris retorted.

"But..."

"How about this: If you go find them, then, once this is over, I'll go with you two to that damn horror festival, no strings attached. Deal?" Chris asked.

Hibiki and Miku were hesitant to leave their friend, but they knew she wouldn't let them stay no matter how hard they tried. "You better not die, Chris!" Miku replied. "Let's go, Hibiki."

"Okay..." Hibiki said, still very hesitant on the idea of leaving their friend. Before she left, however, Hibiki looked Chris in the eyes one last time as the two shared a nod of understanding, before a strand of tears formed in the Gungnir Wielder's eyes.


"How foolish..." Shem-Ha said. "You're aware that you stand no chance against me by yourself, and yet, you choose to face me alone."

"Call it whatever the hell you want, you bitch." Chris said, aiming her guns at the goddess-possessed swordswoman. "Whether I die or not, I'll still have bought those two some time to get the others and put you six feet under."

Shem-Ha smirked at this remark. "Bold to assume they'll have a chance of stopping me. All things considered, this submarine is nothing more than a floating graveyard..." She said. "...And all that remains is three empty coffins."

Chris smirked back. "Well, then I guess two of them will remain empty!"

There was a long silence between the Ichaival Wielder and the Goddess wielding Ame no Habakiri. But before long, they charged at one another. While Chris was otherwise at a disadvantage when it came to close quarters combat, she was able to easily keep up with Shem-Ha in this fight, more so she was forcing her on the defensive a lot more than the goddess could've expected, pretty much being tossed around the halls of S.O.N.G. like a paperweight.

"How is this possible?" Shem-Ha said aloud. "I've easily dealt with the strongest mortals aboard this ship, and yet, you're making them look like children!"

"Simple: Your first and last mistake was underestimating me with that body of yours!" Chris answered.

"Explain."

"Out of all of the Wielders at S.O.N.G., I've trained the most with Senpai." Chris continued. "So, unfortunately for you, I know all of her tricks. I may not even need the idiot and Miku to get backup at this rate!"

"Don't get cocky." Shem-Ha retorted. "While I may not have anticipated your combat history with my vessel, I still have a trick up my sleeve."

"Oh yeah?" Chris said with an arrogantly raised brow. "And what might that b-"


SLICE


Before Chris could finish, Shem-Ha quickly warped right in front of her and sliced her right arm clean off. Chris barely even felt it when it happened, but after a few seconds, she was met with a rush of immense pain that sent her crumbling to the floor. "GAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!" Chris screamed as blood rushed from the stump of what remained of her arm.

"You may know everything about Tsubasa Kazanari's style of combat, but you know nothing of mine." Shem-Ha said, answering what would've been Chris' question. "You see, Chris Yukine, I wanted you to feel like you had the upper hand against me, just so I could make your inevitable death more painful than you could've ever imagined."

"Ahh... GaaaAaaah!" Chris was in far too much pain to say anything other than pained gibberish.

"Hmm... Perhaps, just as I did letting you believe you had a chance, I underestimated how tolerant to this kind of pain you were." Shem-Ha taunted.

"F-Fu... c-c-ck... You..." Chris uttered between pained breaths.

Shem-Ha laughed at the gravely injured Chris as she said this. "Well, it's been fun. But I'm afraid this is where I must bid you adieu, Chris Yukine." Shem-Ha said, raising her sword to finish off the Ichaival Wielder. "Goodbye."


SLASH SLASH


Meanwhile, Hibiki and Miku ran to Elfnein's lab in the hopes of finding the Alchemist still alive and kicking. "I still think we should've stayed back and helped Chris-chan..." Hibiki lamented.

"I do too." Miku agreed. "But you heard how serious she was."

"Yeah..." Hibiki said. "And here I thought I'd never hear her call me by my actual name..."


"GAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!"


Hibiki and Miku stopped in their tracks as they heard an ungodly scream echo throughout the submarine's halls. "Was that... Chris-chan?" Hibiki asked.

"I think it was..." Miku answered. "We need to hurry and find Elfnein-chan and the others before it's too late!"

"R-Right!"


Picking up their pace, the duo arrived at Elfnein's lab, but unfortunately for them, the door was wide open and there was nothing but pitch-black darkness on the other side. "Oh no..." Miku gasped. "Does this mean... Elfnein-chan's..."

"He-Hey now! Let's not jump to conclusions, Miku! Maybe Elfnein-chan's turned off the lights to hide herself in darkness." Hibiki said, trying her best to be optimistic, but it was clear to the Shénshòujìng Wielder that Hibiki had the same fears about this as she did. "I-I'm sure she's alright."


"Elfnein-chan? Are you in here?" Miku called out into the darkness as herself and Hibiki entered the lab. Once they entered, they could feel water raining from the ceiling, which took them by surprise for a second. "Did the sprinkler system go off in here?"

"I guess so." Hibiki said as she tried to turn on the lights, but when she flicked the light switch, the room remained as dark as it had been. "...And the lights aren't working." She said.

"Maybe Elfnein-chan has a lamp somewhere?" Miku suggested. "If I recall correctly, she usually has a desk lamp for when she's working overtime."

"She does!" Hibiki exclaimed with a finger snap. "I just hope it hasn't suffered any water dam-AH!"

"Hibiki!" Miku gasped. "Are you okay?"

"Y-Yeah, I'm fine..." Hibiki groaned as she stood up. "I just tripped on a puddle of water."

"Thank goodness..." Miku said, letting out a sigh of relief. As she did, she noticed something glimmer out of the corner of her eye. "Hibiki! I found Elfnein-chan's lamp."

"Awesome!" Hibiki replied. "Let's turn it on so we can find Elfnein-chan."

And so, the Shénshòujìng Wielder hovers over to the lamp and presses the button on its base to activate it. Once she did, she was quick to notice something very concerning about Elfnein's lab: it was covered in similar slashes as the ones in the halls, but it was also coated in several pink sawblades and green scythe blades. "These are... Kirika-chan and Shirabe-chan's..." Miku stated. "But... Where are?"

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

Without warning, Hibiki let out the loudest scream that Miku has ever heard the Gungnir Wielder scream in her life.

"Hibiki?!" Miku asked, dashing over to her beloved sun. "What's wrong?!"

"Sh-Shi-Shirabe-chan and Ki-Kirika-chan..." Hibiki shuddered, pointing over to where she had tripped moments ago. "Th-They're... DEAD!"

Miku shined the desk lamp over where Hibiki was pointing, and sure enough, it was just as Hibiki had said: Shirabe Tsukuyomi and Kirika Akatsuki were dead. Shirabe's legs from the knees down and her arms from around the elbows were severed clean off, leaving a massive pool of blood beneath her, which is what Hibiki had mistaken for water from the activated sprinkler system when she tripped. As for Kirika, her left arm and right leg were missing and she had a stab wound straight through her chest. On top of all that, there was a trail of blood leading away from where the Zababa duo were laying that could've only been where Kirika's dismemberment occurred.

The sight was far too much for Hibiki to handle. As a response, Hibiki ran to the nearest trash can in Elfnein's lab and started throwing up. "Holy shit..." Miku said, saying the only words that could come to her mind looking at her fellow Wielders in the state they were left in.

Miku knew she would probably throw up as well if she kept looking at the Zababa duo's final moments, so she shone the light to another part of the room, but she would soon find that it would only make matters worse...

Thanks to diverting the light away from the fallen Zababa duo, she found the reason why the sprinklers were set off: The portable generator that was given to Elfnein was destroyed, and right on top of it was the one thing Miku and Hibiki were hoping to find, or rather, the one person they were looking for: Elfnein, who had suffered fatal injuries both from the generator exploding and catching fire, as well as stab wounds from what could only be a certain swordswoman's katana.

Terrified by what she saw, Miku dropped the desk lamp, dropping it right into a puddle of water close by that caused it to short circuit. "No..." She gasped, tears forming in her throat. "Nononononono NO!"

"RAAAAAGH!" Hibiki shouted as she punched the floor in anger. "So that's just it then? Everyone we know and love is dead?"

Miku and Hibiki stood in the dark lab in silence, grieving their fallen allies. But in this moment of grief, Miku got an idea. "...Not everyone."

"Who else is there, Miku?" Hibiki asked in a dull tone.

"Everyone in our universe might be gone, but there's still people in other universes that we can rely on." Miku said. "If we can just make it to the Gjallarhorn, we can gather them up and avenge everyone!"

Hibiki's eyes went wide open when Miku said this. "You're right!"

"Come on!" Miku said, grabbing Hibiki and taking her out of the dark laboratory and into the hallways of S.O.N.G. "We need to get to hurry befor-"

"Found you!"

Stopping in their tracks, Miku and Hibiki were once again face to face with the Shem-Ha-possessed Tsubasa, who now had several splashes of blood and gunpowder on her armor. "Judging by the stains on the Godkiller's armor, you've come across the other victims of my wrath, sealing your living friend to her fate as well." Shem-Ha said, before pulling out a red shoe from behind her back and tossing it towards the duo. "Truly a shame that she will never be able to fulfill her promise." Shem-Ha let out an evil cackle after saying this.

"Chris!/Chris-chan!" Miku and Hibiki gasped.

"Don't worry, you will see her again... In just a few seconds." Shem-Ha continued. "It's time to end this little game of ours. Once and for a- GAH!"

Suddenly, a barrage of daggers came from one of the connecting hallways and sent Shem-Ha flying. Not even a second later, their savior came running down the hall. "Tachibana-san! Kohinata-san! This way!" Serena shouted as she waved for the duo to follow her, which they did without any delay.


Meanwhile, at the end of the hallway, Shem-Ha coughed up blood as she got up from being sent flying. "So... There was another that uses that left arm..." Shem-Ha said to herself, before her divine power recovered all of her body's damage. "It would seem that I have underestimated what that relic is capable of..."


As for the Wielder trio, Serena led Hibiki and Miku back to the Gjallarhorn. "Your timing could not have been better, Serena-chan!" Miku said, thanking the younger Airgetlám Wielder for her rescue.

"How did you know where to find us?" Hibiki asked.

"Yukine-san told me... Before she died..." Serena said, saying the second part in a much more somber tone.


Moments before Hibiki and Miku walked into Elfnein's lab...


Serena arrived in Primeverse while Chris and Shem-Ha were fighting. Of course, she was none the wiser about what had been going down, so she was completely unaware of the chaos unfolding in the submarine until she heard...


"GAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!"


"What was that?!" Serena gasped aloud. "Was that Yukine-san? I should go make sure she's okay!"


Stepping out of the room where S.O.N.G. keeps the Gjallarhorn, Serena was quickly met by the sight of blood and broken lights all throughout the halls of S.O.N.G. HQ. "What's going on?" Serena asked aloud. "Did they decide to decorate their base for Halloween or something?"

Serena walked through the halls, seeing much the same everywhere she went. "Yukine-san? Are you okay?" Serena called out into the dimly lit halls, receiving nothing in response. That is until...


SLASH SLASH


Serena jumped from the noise. "Yukine-san!" She shouted, running off towards where she could hear the noise.


Serena searched around where she heard the mysterious slashes, before she eventually turned the corner and saw a horrifying sight: Tsubasa covered in blood standing over a dismembered corpse. "Why is Kazanari-san covered in blood?! Did she kill someone?!" Serena asked herself, choosing the hide around the corner so she wouldn't be seen. After a moment, she heard footsteps getting further and further away from her, which made her turn the corner again to investigate what Tsubasa was standing in front of, and being absolutely terrified by what she saw. "Yukine-san!"

Following the loss of her arm, Shem-Ha proceeded to slice off Chris' other arm and then quickly sliced what remained of the Wielder in two by the waist, leaving her to bleed to death.

Chris weakly groaned as she lifted her head up to see who was shouting her name. "Se... Serena?" She asked. "Y... You're still alive."

Serena ran over and helped prop up Chris so she could get the dying Ichaival Wielder to see her better. "What happened?" Serena asked. "Did Kazanari-san do this to you?"

"Tha... That bitch... Wasn't Senpai..." Chris said. "She's been possessed... By an old enemy of ours-" Chris was cut off by a massive coughing fit.

"Hey! Take it easy, Yukine-san!" Serena said. "I'll take you to my universe. We can save you."

"Don't... Bother..." Chris replied, refusing Serena's aid. "Save... Miku and Hibiki... Before it's too late..."

"Tachibana-san and Kohinata-san are here too?!" Serena gasped. "Where are they?"

Chris was fading fast, but before she would bleed out, she was able to get two final words out. "Elf... Elfnein's... Lab..." Chris' head went limp as she closed her eyes for the final time.

"Yukine-san?" Serena said, shaking the fallen Ichaival Wielder, but receiving no response from her. "Yukine-san!"


"Would either of you care to explain why Kazanari-san is killing everyone?" Serena asked.

"It's not Tsubasa-san." Hibiki answered. "Well, it's Tsubasa-san's body, but it's not her."

"What do you mean by that?" Serena asked.

"She's possessed by Shem-Ha, a goddess that Hibiki and the others defeated years ago." Miku explained. "We're not sure why, but she came to our universe and just killed everyone in S.O.N.G. and that's all we know."

"Everyone?!" Serena gasped. "Does that mean... Oneesan..."

"Maria-san and Kanade-san were sent on a mission yesterday, so we're not sure if they're alive or not." Miku said. "For what it's worth, I'm hoping they're still alive, because we're going to need all the help we can get."

"You two have a plan to stop this Shem-Ha?" Serena asked.

"Yes." Hibiki said. "We need to get to the Gjallarhorn so we can gather up people from alternate universes to take her down!"

"I see. Well, count me in." Serena said. "If this goddess is going around killing people, then I'm not going to sit around and wait for them to kill Mom and everyone else!"


With Serena enlisted into their cause, the Wielder trio hurry to the Gjallarhorn room and run for the relic. However, as they were about to enter the relic, Hibiki and Serena were suddenly stopped in their tracks, which could only be the work of one technique.

Shadow Weaving

"She's back already?!" Serena gasped.

"You really thought I would allow you to leave?" Shem-Ha said.

"Hibiki! Serena-chan!" Miku gasped.

"Don't worry about us, Miku. Just go!" Hibiki shouted. "We'll be right behind you!"

While she was hesitant to leave Hibiki and Serena, she knew what needed to be done. With a single nod, she entered the Gjallarhorn and disappeared. "Oh no you don't!" Shem-Ha shouted as she threw her katana at the Gjallarhorn, shattering it into pieces.

"MIKU!" Hibiki screamed.

"What have you done?!" Serena shouted at Shem-Ha. "Was killing the entirety of S.O.N.G. not enough for you?! What's next? The rest of this world?"

"I have no intentions on killing this world. They are not my version of humanity, so they mean nothing to me." Shem-Ha said. "Your friends, however, deciding to come to the aid of what remained of my universe's humanity, was what brought about your downfall."

"What are you talking about?" Serena asked.

"I intended to leave what remained of my universe's humans and exact my revenge on those who wronged me eons ago." Shem-Ha explained. "But then, three people arrived in my universe: A girl with bright red hair, the descendant of Enki, and the woman you see before you."

"Hold on... That body belongs to our Kazanari-san?!" Serena gasped. "What happened to Amou-san and my sister, then?"

"While I could tell you their fate, it won't matter in the end since you'll never see them again." Shem-Ha said. "Thus is the price of your interference in my universe's affairs!"

Suddenly, Hibiki and Serena break free from the Shadow Weaving and charge at Shem-Ha, initiating one final fight with the goddess-possessed swordswoman that could only end with one side still standing. At first, the fight was pretty even with both sides trading blows easily, but as it continued, unlike with Chris' fight, Shem-Ha was quickly losing ground, which frustrated her greatly.

"Frustrating. Even with this power, I still stand no chance against the Godkiller." Shem-Ha said aloud, before turning to face Serena. "And then there's you..."

"What about me?" Serena asked.

"You wield the same left arm as the descendant of Enki, and yet, you do not share her techniques." Shem-Ha stated.

"If you assumed that I would fight the same as my sister does, then you're sorely mistaken." Serena said.

Shem-Ha scoffed at Serena's reply, but while she was distracted with her, Hibiki comes in for another strike that sends Shem-Ha flying. "I'm surprised, Godkiller." Shem-Ha said once she regained her footing. "Back in our first fight, you were hesitant to fight me at your fullest, but now, you use your full strength unabridged."

Hibiki gave Shem-Ha a cold stare before responding. "Back then, all I cared about was saving Miku and the world from your control. Even then, I had no intention of killing you, but this time, you have gone too far for mercy to even be suggested despite who you control." Hibiki said.

"So you plan to kill me despite the fact I bare the vessel of your friend?" Shem-Ha asked.

"I may not know what you've done in your universe, but here, you've murdered everyone that I considered a second family and you destroyed the Gjallarhorn, making it so I can no longer see the few that remain in other universes, including my sunshine." Hibiki replied. "So yeah, I couldn't care less at the moment that you have Tsubasa-san's body."

Shem-Ha scoffed. "You allow yourself to be angry with me for punishing your universe for interfering in the affairs of other universes?"

"You still really believe that what you've done was the right choice?!" Serena asked, before she was caught off guard by a malicious chuckle from someone she didn't expect. "Tachibana-san?"

"Angry? Angry doesn't even begin to describe how I feel about you right now. Even after everything I've been through thanks to what happened at the Zwei Wing concert years ago, I've never truly hated anyone. But hatred, much like anger, doesn't even begin to describe how I feel. " Hibiki said, clenching her fist so tight that it bled. "Shem-Ha... For the first time in my life... All I want..."


"...IS TO SEE YOU FUCKING DEAD!"


Furious, Hibiki charges blindly at Shem-Ha and goes on a rampage that the goddess has no answer to, each punch she lands either making the goddess bleed or breaking a bone in her body. All the while, Serena just stood and watched the rampage unfold. "Tachibana-san's rage is insane... And unlike the other times where she's gone berserk, she seems fully in control this time." Serena said to herself. "Shem-Ha doesn't stand a chance."

"Damn it... If this keeps up... The Godkiller will kill me again..." Shem-Ha said to herself as she began to think of a plan to turn the tides of battle in her favor, before getting an idea from something she saw out of the corner of her eye. "This may not work... But if I can reach the Gjallarhorn... I may have a chance to win..."

With this in mind, Shem-Ha tries to find an opening to escape the enraged Gungnir Wielder and bolt for the destroyed relic. "YOU'RE NOT GETTING AWAY THAT EASILY, YOU BITCH!" Hibiki screamed as she chased after Shem-Ha, transforming the gauntlet on her right arm in the process.

"Almost... There..." Shem-Ha said, reaching out to the Gjallarhorn relic.

"DIIIIEEEEE!" Hibiki roared, throwing a punch that pierced through the goddess midsection like her body was nothing more than a wet piece of paper, leaving a massive hole in her chest.

Hibiki Style: Spear's Violent Destruction

Shem-Ha fell to the ground, inches away from her target. She tried desperately to activate her ability to regenerate, but just as she feared, Hibiki's Gungnir's ability to nullify divine energy lived up to its purpose. "D... Damn... It..."

Hibiki looked down at the body that Shem-Ha controlled. She was still furious, but at the same time, she could only feel sorrow towards what she was forced to do. "How does it feel?" Hibiki asked.

"W... What?" Shem-Ha weakly asked.

"You went through all of the trouble to kill all of my universe's S.O.N.G. for some petty revenge, and in the end, you're going to die before you can see your goal completed, suffering the same as they all had to at your hands." Hibiki stated. "And while I would never wish this on anyone, Shem-Ha, I hope you burn in hell for what you've done!"

Suddenly, Shem-Ha started to weakly laugh. "What's so funny?" Hibiki asked.

"You think that you've won." Shem-Ha said. "Unfortunately for you, I share Tsubasa Kazanari's memories. And thanks to that, I have one final trick up my sleeve."

"And what is that?" Hibiki asked, which made Shem-Ha smirk.


"Relic Fusion."


Before Hibiki or Serena could react, Shem-Ha pulled herself towards the broken Gjallarhorn and made herself and the relic glow brightly, blinding the Wielders in their light. "What's happening?!" Serena asked aloud.

Suddenly, from the flash of light, an ominous laugh could be heard. Seconds later, the duo saw a tall silhouette emerge. "I thank you, Godkiller." Shem-Ha said. "For if you had not been the inspiration for that priestess to pursue relic fusion herself, I would've never considered going for this. So, thanks to you, I am stronger than I ever was before!" As she said this, the light dissipated, revealing the new and improved Shem-Ha.

While she shared the same face as the original body, everything else about her had been altered beyond recognition. Her skin was now a mix of white and pink, her hair was no longer in a side ponytail and was now a snow white color instead of it's original blue, and her body had gained size in several places compared to what the swordswoman's form lacked before, aside from her very visible height difference. On top of all of these changes, Shem-Ha's midsection hole was replaced with flesh that was colored just like the Gjallarhorn's once glowing cyan-colored center, the sclera of her eyes sharing this coloration. As for Ame no Habakiri, the Gear's blue tones had been altered to match the color scheme of Gjallarhorn's red, gold, purple, and green shell.

These changes disturbed Hibiki, but she did the best she could to allow her anger towards Shem-Ha to cover that unease. "It doesn't matter that you feel stronger." Hibiki said. "Either way, I'm still going to make you pay for what you've done!"

"Then come and face me, Godkiller." Shem-Ha taunted. "Come, to your final resting place!"

While fear makes the Gungnir Wielder hesitate, she still charges at Shem-Ha, but Hibiki would soon find that doing so would be a very fatal mistake. Just as she was about to strike Shem-Ha, the altered goddess vanished, which shook Hibiki. "Where did she go?"

"Behind you."

Before Hibiki could react, Shem-Ha reappeared behind her and grabbed her by the neck. Hibiki was left with no choice but to struggle in the Gjallarhorn-fused Shem-Ha's grasp, but thankfully, Serena came to her aid. "Let Tachibana-san go!" Serena shouted, throwing a dagger into Shem-Ha's back.

Unlike the last time she did this, the daggers simply phased through her, which meant the dagger instead found itself plunged into Hibiki's back, making the Gungnir Wielder let out a choked scream of pain. "Don't think I forgot about you, Enki's other descendant." Shem-Ha said, before throwing Hibiki right towards her, forcing the duo to collide with the wall and completely winding Serena due to being squished between the metal wall and the projectile that was Hibiki Tachibana. "I simply chose to ignore your presence, give you a chance to leave so that you could live to tell the tale, and yet, you chose to stay and die."

"You already... Separated me... From my world... What reason... Did I have... To run?" Serena asked between breaths.

"You, much like any other human in your position, had every reason to run. For you stand no chance against a custodian fused with the power of a relic such as Gjallarhorn." Shem-Ha said. "But if you wish for death alongside your allies, I'm more than happy to oblige."

Hibiki coughed as she got up from Serena's lap, allowing the latter to get up as well. "We're not going to be the ones dying today." Hibiki said. "It's time to finish this with everything I've got!" Closing her eyes, Hibiki poured her heart and soul into an attack that she was certain could bring about Shem-Ha's end, and the only way to do that was through the use of a certain song...


"Gatrandis babel ziggurat edenal"


"Tachibana-san?! What are you doing?!" Serena gasped. "It's too risky to sing your superb song here!"


"Emustolronzen Finé el balal zizzl"


"You honestly believe I'm going to allow you to perform that?" Shem-Ha asked as she raised her sword skyward. "Die!" Saying this, she swung her sword down, creating a beam of light that tore through the room as it went straight for Hibiki.

Divine Blue Flash


"Gatrandis babel ziggurat edenal"


Hibiki ignored the beam of light heading towards her, but this only served to worry Serena more. "I have to stop her before it's too late!" She said as she ran straight towards Hibiki, hoping to make it before the beam could reach her.


"Emustolronzen Finé el zi-"


"Tachibana-san!"

The sound of flesh being ripped apart could be heard by the Gungnir Wielder, who braced herself for the pain that would follow, but to her surprise, she felt nothing. Did the attack kill her on hit? She opened her eyes to see what happened, but she wished she kept them shut. "Serena-chan!"

Serena managed to shove Hibiki out of the way of the attack, but Serena herself could not avoid the divine slash entirely. Serena was left with no choice but to take the attack head on, only barely being able to defend herself from the explosion it made on contact. As a result, Serena was knocked out of her transformation and sent flying, hitting her head against the wall. Hibiki could see that she suffered serious cuts and burns on her arms from her attempt to defend against the attack and she was out cold.

Panicking, Hibiki ran over to the injured Serena and shook her. "Serena-chan! Please, wake up!" She pleaded with the unconscious Airgetlám Wielder, but she received no response. Hibiki quickly checked for a pulse from Serena, thankfully finding one. "I'll make sure we both get out of here alive, Serena-chan. Please hang in there."

"A shame... She knew her worth and still chose to sacrifice herself for you of all people." Shem-Ha said. "Well, now there's no one left to save you, Godkiller. Are you prepared to die?"

Letting go of Serena, Hibiki stood back up and faced Shem-Ha. She was still very angry, but heavily exhausted from her outburst earlier. Either way, she knew that her chances of surviving would dwindle the longer the fight got drawn out. "Let's end this!" Hibiki shouted, charging at Shem-Ha for one final do-or-die battle.


Meanwhile, when Shem-Ha broke the Gjallarhorn


When Miku stepped through the Gjallarhorn, she couldn't help but worry about Serena and Hibiki, but she would soon find that their survival would quickly become the least of her worries. Suddenly, the world around her began to shake violently. Miku became very concerned for her safety the more violent the shaking became, until everything finally ended with a massive flash of white...


Miku didn't know how long it had been since the flash, but when she woke up, she faintly heard the sounds of footsteps beneath her as the ringing in her ears started to fade away. Slowly opening her eyes, she found herself being carried through a ruined version of Japan with a red-tinted sky. While she was confused by the scenery, she soon heard a voice call out to her.

"Miku...wake...appe...uarters?"

The voice asked, but she couldn't quite make out everything just yet, much less so who the voice belonged to. "Wh-What?" Miku asked before shaking her head to clear up her vision as her hearing returned. Once she could see again, she was able to quickly recognize her red-haired savior. "Kanade-san?!"

"Seems like you're fully awake now." Kanade said. "I said, what's happening back at our headquarters?"

When Kanade asked this, she remembered what had happened when herself, Hibiki, and Chris had entered the headquarters. "I don't know how it happened, but Shem-Ha came back in another Tsubasa-san's body and... She killed everyone."

Kanade stopped in her tracks upon hearing this. "That bitch did what?!" She gasped. "Is there anyone left alive back there?"

"As far as I'm aware, Hibiki and Serena-chan are still fighting her." Miku answered.

"Well, then the others better get to them before it's too late." Kanade said. "But right now, we better get back to this universe's HQ."

Miku raised her brow at this statement. "'The others'?"


Back in the destroyed S.O.N.G.


The fight between the goddess and the Godkiller was quickly going south for the latter thanks to a mix of exhaustion and wounds catching up with her. At this point, Hibiki's confidence was all but gone. All that was driving her now was trying anything, hoping to find a way to make an escape plan for herself and Serena, but even that hope would fade when the tired Wielder's punch with her left hand was grabbed and she couldn't muster the strength to free herself from Shem-Ha's grasp. "Tired already?" Shem-Ha taunted.

"Sh... Shut up!" Hibiki retorted, punching the goddess with her free hand, but Shem-Ha didn't as much as flinch from the strikes. "I... Can still... Fight!"

"Is that so?" Shem-Ha asked as she tightened her grip on Hibiki's hand before using her free hand to grab her sword. "Then allow me to bring you back to reality."

The next series of events happened so fast for the Wielder that she could only process being sent flying towards the wall Serena unconsciously laid against. However, when her mind caught up with her body, she felt a massive sting of pain in her left bicep. Confused, she looked down to see what was wrong... and then a massive wave of fear came over her.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

Hibiki's left arm had been sliced off, and along with it, the Wielder's chances of surviving the goddess' onslaught had vanished. "And thus, the inevitable has finally caught up with you, Godkiller." Shem-Ha said. "Although, given your current state, I doubt that you're even worth being called that anymore."

Hibiki looked at Shem-Ha as she approached, before then turning her gaze over to the unconscious Serena. "Serena-chan... Everyone... I'm sorry..." Hibiki said to herself as tears ran down her face and mixed on the floor with her blood. "I failed you all..."

Shem-Ha stood over Hibiki, who lowered her head, accepting her fate. Seeing this made Shem-Ha smile. "That's right. Accept the end." She said, raising her blade once again into the air. "Farewell, Hibiki Tachibana."

Shem-Ha started to swing her blade, but just as she was able to finish off the ex-Godkiller, a laser tore through the wall in the Gjallarhorn room and knocked the goddess away from her prey. "You..." Shem-Ha growled.

When the smoke from the laser's trail cleared, Hibiki looked up to see what had happened, and much to her surprise, she was greeted by a face she never thought she'd see again. "M... Miku?"

Unlike the Gear she was wearing when she left into the Gjallarhorn, this Miku was wearing the faust robe that she wore when they destroyed the Yggdrasil tree, but aside from that, this Miku's hair was a lot longer than the one she had seen just moments ago. "Thank goodness! We made it just in time." Miku said. "Hang in there, Hibiki. We're getting you two out of here!"

"W... 'We'?" Hibiki asked.

"SERENA!" Maria suddenly screamed as she ran in and grabbed her sister, holding the unconscious Serena in her arms. Once she confirmed that she was still alive, Maria let out a sigh of relief, before turning to where Miku's laser shot Shem-Ha, seeing the augmented body of Tsubasa in full. "What did she do to Tsubasa's body?"

"She-" Hibiki coughed before finishing her sentence. "She fused Tsubasa-san's body... with the Gjallarhorn... after she destroyed it..."

Miku and Maria looked at Hibiki in shock. "She did what?!"

"Get Tachibana and Serena out of here." A third voice said to Maria and Miku, their voice sounding like a jumble of voices all speaking at once, but Hibiki could've sworn she could recognize some if not all of the different voices speaking together. "I'll keep Shem-Ha busy."

Hibiki couldn't get a good look at the owner of the third voice, but she could see that the stranger was draped in a hooded cape so that her identity was hidden, but even with this cape, Shem-Ha could tell who it was almost instantly. "How..." Shem-Ha growled. "How did you come back from the dead? In my old vessel, no less!"

The stranger chuckled. "Fate had other plans for me besides letting you use my body to kill my comrades!" They said. "And now, it's time for me to avenge them!"

Shem-Ha laughed at the stranger's proclamation, but at the same time, unbeknownst to the goddess, a green light began to emanate from their midsection. "You honestly think you stand a chance against me in my old vessel?" Shem-Ha asked. "Very well, then allow me to show you how inferior that body is to this new and improved one!"

Silent, the stranger brought out a sword from underneath their cape and charged at Shem-Ha as the goddess did the same to her, but just before they would clash, Shem-Ha was engulfed in a bright green light and vanished from sight. "She's gone!" Miku gasped.

"But, where did she go?" Maria asked.

Disappointed that the fight ended just as it was beginning, the stranger sheathed their sword within their cloak and began to walk over to the group. "That doesn't matter right now." They said. "Let's use this opportunity to get Tachibana and Serena to safety, especially before Tachibana succumbs to her wounds."

"Right." Miku said, picking up Hibiki as Maria stood up with Serena in her arms. Miku held Hibiki in a way so that her stump where her arm used to be was pressed against her gear, slowing the bleeding as much as possible. "Hang in there, Hibiki. We'll get you help in no time."

"Miku..." Hibiki faintly replied, before she fell unconscious, leaving everything up to Miku, Maria, and the mysterious stranger...


A/N: And with that, we end the main story of SONGbird...

What? You think I'm just gonna leave the story like this without answering the questions that might come with it? Of course not!

While I cannot say when the follow-up parts will come out, I promise that they will be out sometime in the near future. But until then, please feel free to leave a review (or a comment if you're reading this on AO3) and follow me on twitter for more updates on this story as well as any of my other fanfics.

Anyways, thank you for reading the main story of Songbird, I shall see you all in the next Part!