Flower of Damocles

by VoyeurTheNinja

Nearly 5 years have passed since the defeat of Shem-Ha Mephorash. In the wake of the battle against the Great Surgeon, S.O.N.G. has maintained its vigil against paranormal threats, culminating in the development of a next-generation Symphogear. But when the prototype SG-r04 is stolen, the Adaptors soon find themselves facing a threat from beyond their dimension.

10. A Demonstration of Destruction

Tokyo tower. Standing at roughly around a total height of 300 meters, the observation tower was known to be the second-tallest structure in all of Japan. The towering construct had been featured in a variety of media, and could even be seen in the background within several episodes of Zesshou Sentai Valkyranger. Whenever the last bits of sunlight disappeared into Japan's horizons, the tower's built-in LED lighting equipment would intensify to near-maximum brightness, shrouding its entirety with white and red lights. Even when it stood amongst the snow-covered city of Tokyo, and a concrete jungle of Christmas lights, Tokyo Tower sparkled like an unwavering beacon in the land of the rising sun.

But not even the shining incandescence of Tokyo Tower could overpower the presence of a tear in reality.

Fastening her grip around the Sword of Damocles' golden hilt, Lanfen gritted her teeth as the blade of her Armed Gear cleaved off a pair of rune-marked forearms with one precise strike. Her Symphogear's speakers blared its unchallenged electro-swing Jazz, drowning out the metallic clanking of two severed arms falling onto the concrete roads. Now deprived of its main source of power, the Category-2 Distortion spun around in a desperate retreat down the evacuated streets, but Lanfen was quick to deprive it of its legs through another swing of her thick blade. The fires in her eyes could not be sated by these blows, and yet, the brutality she inflicted felt warranted all the same.

The Caster-Type Distortion hit the ground face-first with a loud clang. Lanfen withdrew the blade of her Armed Gear into its cross-guard and slammed the bladeless weapon into her hip armour. With a gauntleted hand on her hip, the crowned warrior strolled over to the knight's limbless, robe-covered body, and smashed her armoured boot right into its back. Lanfen made sure to inflict just enough force so that it was trapped underneath her foot, but not too much that the Distortion's back crumpled beneath her soles like aluminum foil beneath a hydraulic press.

Black-and-white flashed before the crowned warrior's narrowed eyes. The steel letters in her sights descended onto a cracking chessboard, declaring the name, "Pawn Punisher."

As trumpet roars filled in the silence of the evacuated streets, additional exhaust vents exposed themselves along the length of Lanfen's lower leg. A single explosive situated itself over the back of her leg while kinetic-absorbing armour encased the palm-sized grenade in a specialized shell. When the limbless Distortion tried to let out one last howl of defiance, Lanfen clicked her tongue, and mentally commanded the explosive to detonate within its shell with a muffled rumble. The concentrated force of the explosive propelled a metallic spike out from the back of her boot, sending it through the knight's torso and into the concrete beneath it in an eyeblink. With its death wail cut short, smoke spewed from the deployed vents on Lanfen's leg, blowing away the golden sand which the Distortion immediately withered into beneath her armoured boot.

The distinctive wailing of a rift closure subsequently blared across the skyline, announcing the end of the Distortion incursion within the city.

A second mental command transformed Lanfen's Symphogear into a rising batch of black-and-white particles beneath the light of a shattered moon.

Dressed once again in the winter uniform of S.O.N.G.'s Adaptor Corp, Lanfen shivered from the December winds as the sound of heavy, metallic footfalls pulled her gaze over to the roads up ahead. It was Task Force Harmony. In accordance with their newest procedures against Distortion incursions, Harmony's forces were combing the incursion zone with their latest armaments of bipedal combat walkers. Standing at about three times the height of an average person, their fully-enclosed, armoured cabins scanned the snowy streets on articulated, reverse-jointed legs. The searchlights and rotary weapons which were mounted on the chin of their cabins looked ready to find and eliminate any surviving Category-1 Distortions.

Heavy machines straight out of a sci-fi movie, Lanfen dryly mused to herself within her mind. An audio transmission then arose from her wrist device, prompting the Adaptor to bring up her forearm and answer a call from Godai. "This is SG-r04, reporting in," Lanfen declared, having forgotten to call-in after the situation diffused itself. "All three Category-2s have been eliminated. Damage to infrastructure is minimal. No injuries sustained. Zero casualties so far within the incursion zone."

"I hear ya, Jiang," Godai casually replied over the comms. "I have to settle a couple documents with Captain Yaiba first, so we'll be sticking around for a bit. Till then, you can rest up in the van with Komi. Nice job out there as always."

"Understood," Lanfen habitually responded before the transmission switched off from Godai's end of the line.

Now that the Symphogear Team had nothing else to deal with aside from the usual logistics that came after an incursion, Lanfen fasted the black-and-white tie around her neck, and turned on her heel to head in the direction of the team's parked van. Golden sand left behind by the destroyed Category-2 and Category-1 Distortions crunched beneath her boots alongside white snow as the Adaptor turned her head in the direction of Tokyo Tower, wondering if Shinonome would like to head up there in their spare time. As far as she knew, Lanfen herself hadn't visited the tower in the past decade or so.

The further the Adaptor headed down the empty sidewalk, the sooner she noticed the metal footsteps of Harmony's combat walkers disappear out of earshot, letting Lanfen take in the silence of a city area which was going to be teeming with life again in about an hour or so. Christmas decorations shined wherever Lanfen turned her head, pushing away the shadows in every possible direction while the woman held back a tired yawn, and navigated her way back to the van through a holographic map on her wrist device. After a couple minutes of mundane walking, Lanfen spotted the vehicle sitting unharmed in a parking spot far from where the Distortions had predicted to drop down earlier.

When Lanfen pulled open one of its backdoors, Ayano - who was sitting on the designated chair for the van's computer terminal - lifted her hands from its keyboard so she could greet the spent Adaptor with a cheerful wave. "Great work taking out those Category-2s, Jiang," Ayano told her with a proud grin as she gestured over to the van's frontal seats. "Yuki left some snacks for you, so you can help yourself to some Christmas chocolate while we wait for her to come back."

"Don't mind if I do," Lanfen dryly replied, climbing into the back of the vehicle and closing the doors behind her. "It's a miracle that the only thing this Symphogear needs to function is a bit of sugar and protein." Squeezing herself past Ayano's terminal chair, Lanfen fetched a small basket of candy bars that was sitting in-between the seats upfront before dropping herself onto one of the van's empty backseats. While Ayano continued typing out a report to S.O.N.G. at speeds which Lanfen could never hope to mimic, the Adaptor peeled open her first bar of chocolate, and regained the energy her armour often expended to generate all of its paranormal abilities.

Over half a week had gone by since the team's shopping trip in Mitakihara. The word 'uneventful' wasn't a word that most would use to describe their recent activities, and yet there was no better descriptor to the members of Symphogear Team-04. Every day was essentially comprised of the same thing for Lanfen: Wake up, cook, rush out at the first sign of a Distortion incursion, return home afterwards, and then sort out the usual house chores. Category-2s would consistently arrive in pairs, trios or even quartets alongside groups of Category-1s, and they would all fall prey to either Harmony's guns or the Sword of Damocles. For every battle Lanfen fought, the less wounds she would sustain in the next incursion after that.

Such was the Adaptor's determination to hone her abilities from every fight against the Distortions.

Aside from her Symphogear-Wielder duties, the inevitable arrival of Christmas was undeniably prevalent in Lanfen's everyday thoughts. The winter holiday was coming in fast, and since this was going to be Shinonome's first ever time celebrating it, Godai, Ayano, and Lanfen all intended to make it a memorable one in spite of the constant incursions across Japan.

After finishing up her fourth chocolate bar, Lanfen abstained herself from any more snacks now that it was already a quarter to midnight. She properly disposed of the empty wrappers inside a small bin next to her leg, and rubbed her bare hands together before attempting to relax in her seat. Ayano's own hands were practically a blur as the brunette's fingers audibly clacked away on the terminal's keyboard, her green eyes firmly focused on multiple monitors to read a dozen incoming messages from the S.O.N.G. submarine. While the Adaptor tapped her boot on the van's floor, a few words slipped into the back of her mind. Words originating from her conversation with Godai days ago.

"You don't have to carry your weights all by yourself, you know?"

Putting aside the basket of chocolates, Lanfen crossed her legs and loudly cleared her throat. "Ayano?" she slowly said, earning her a quizzical glance from her busy teammate. "You mind if I asked a question?"

Three inputs into the terminal's keyboard halted whatever work Ayano was occupied with. "Sure thing," Ayano replied, spinning her terminal chair around so she could face Lanfen with her body. Placing her gloved hands on top of her lap, the cheerful smile she wore wordlessly informed Lanfen that she was eager to hear whatever the Adaptor had on her mind. It honestly gave off the impression that Lanfen was instead about to ask her for some advice on their schoolwork rather than what she actually intended to inquire about.

Turning her gaze in the direction of the computer terminal's monitor screens, Lanfen could see images of recent Distortion incursions taking place in other parts of the globe: America. Australia. Europe. The other Symphogear Teams no doubt had their hands full with their own battles, even if they operated in pairs of Symphogears unlike Lanfen herself. "Do you-" A brief, proverbial fire sparked in Lanfen's eyes, causing her to quietly click her tongue. "... Do you... know anything about the cloaked being?" Lanfen carefully inquired, digging her fingernails into the palm of her hands. "The one who appeared during the global attack."

Ayano's smile did not falter, but the woman noticeably shifted in her chair at the mention of her sister's missing killer. "Oh," Ayano quietly let out. "That... Yeah. Hold on." Spinning her chair around again, Ayano faced the terminal which took up half of the van's backside, and tapped away on its keyboard, bringing up the same grainy images that Lanfen had been eyeing ever since her first day as a Symphogear-Wielder. "'Unknown Enemy-02'. S.O.N.G. and Harmony have been keeping an eye out for both it - and the one who had sent out the worldwide message - but nobody has managed to uncover anything so far," Ayano explained, looking back at Lanfen. "It's frustrating... isn't it?"

The Adaptor could only nod while the proverbial fires within her eyes danced like a dormant flame. "It is," Lanfen murmured, drawing in a practiced breath.

Unlike before, the concern on Ayano's face was clear this time. Possibly due to the fact that it was currently just the two of them inside the team's designated vehicle. "Do you intend to wait for it to show itself?" Ayano tentatively asked her, and Lanfen simply nodded again as the Symphogear-Wielder squeezed her eyes shut, momentarily extinguishing the persistent flames within them.

Almost two weeks have now passed since the Distortions launched their worldwide assault. And there was still nothing that Lanfen could do in order to gain a lead on the creature who had taken Kai away from her. Venting her frustrations on the Distortions initially gave her some level of satisfaction, but there was only so much that fighting could do to sate her desires. "Avenging my sister... isn't the only thing I want, Ayano," Lanfen stated through a whisper, reopening her purple eyes. "I also want it to arrive so I can justify holding onto this sword. This sword which hangs over the heads of others, whether I like it or not." A pestered sigh slipped out from her. "... I just sound ridiculous, don't I?"

Ayano gave no reply outside of a slow shake of her head. Typing a couple inputs into the van's terminal again, Ayano dismissed the grainy images she had brought up on the monitors before she picked herself up from the terminal's designated seat. She then went over to the van's front and keyed in a few commands, bringing out a calming Jazz tune from the vehicle's audio-player. As the rhythmic keys of a piano bounced off the van's cold walls, Ayano returned to Lanfen so she could sit down next to the Adaptor with her hands on her lap again.

The brunette brought a fingertip to her lip. "Can I be the one to ask a question this time?" Ayano carefully inquired again. A wordless nod from the Adaptor gave her the permission to go ahead. "Just what exactly... is the S.W.O.R.D.?" Her tentative question made Lanfen visibly flinch at the weapon's mere name. "I- Sorry. The thing is that few people within S.O.N.G. actually have the permission to look into its documents, so..." She crossed her arms over her chest with a huff. "Neither Yuki nor myself can really learn anything about it unless we asked you directly, Jiang."

Ayano's words made sense. Unless you were Professor Elfnein, Commander Genjuuro, or the SG-r04's very own Wielder, nobody needed to know just what exactly awaited them if they ever decided to turn traitor. There was always a lingering fear in the unknown, and the world council clearly knew that when the Spokesperson first declared the presence of the S.W.O.R.D. to the organization. Furrowing her brow at the memory of that cursed briefing, Lanfen slipped a hand beneath the black-and-white tie she wore, retrieving the red pendant which rested beneath it. Dim light originating from the monitor screens in front of them reflected off the crystal as Lanfen held it above her face between two cold fingers.

Tightening her fingertips around the relic pendant, Lanfen closed her eyes again, and tapped into the knowledge that was imprinted upon her mind the very moment she had first donned her Symphogear. An ocean of information surrounded her, and the Adaptor swam through its proverbial waves, turning aside irrelevant chunks of knowledge over and over until Lanfen finally arrived at the one piece of information she had mentally blocked out. The information which detailed the power of the S.W.O.R.D. within her.

Lanfen parted her lips, allowing words to slip between them while she delved into what she was allowed to share regarding the dreaded armament. "The S.W.O.R.D. is a weapon that pushes the SG-r04 to the height of its power." Her words were calm and straight-to-the-point. "With the strength provided by this weapon, nothing can survive a confrontation with the Sword of Damocles. Its sheer might is enough to overpower any threat, no matter how wide the skill gap may be between myself and my opponent. That is the S.W.O.R.D." Her fingertips released the red crystal between them, allowing it to fall back onto her chest with a light jingle. "... I take it that's enough to satisfy you, Ayano?" Lanfen dryly muttered, eyes still shut.

Nothing came from her teammate beside her. Not even the faint sound of a breath. The only thing Lanfen's senses could pick up was the warmth of Ayano's comforting palm as she slowly placed it on top of Lanfen's right hand. Its tight but careful grip conveyed everything Ayano desired to communicate without misunderstanding nor uttered words. There was no sense of fear within Ayano's hand. Only concern for someone whom she had known ever since their brief meetings back in Lydian Academy half a decade ago. It was that very same unconditional kindness which made Ayano popular among Lydian's junior students.

"... How are the others even able to accept a person like me, I wonder?" What was supposed to be Lanfen's thoughts instead came out of her in the form of an unintentional whisper. A whisper that she only realized when Ayano looked up the van's ceiling, clearly conjuring an answer to reply with. Lanfen had to wonder if this was a 'mistake' she intentionally made in the end.

Ayano's hand was still placed on top of Lanfen's by the time she looked back at the Adaptor with words on her tongue.

"They've been through a lot. All of them," Ayano gently began. "They've fought alongside all sorts of people, fought against all sorts of monsters, and even worked beside those who once tried to hurt them. If it's one thing I can't doubt about those six maidens, it's that they're willing to reach out a hand to anyone who's willing to grab onto it." A smile of cheerful reassurance grew on Ayano's face. One which was reinforced through years of interactions with S.O.N.G.'s original Wielders. "And you're no different, Jiang. No matter what you think of yourself. Even if you're holding onto that scary weapon, I'm sure that Tachibana and the others will always be happy to have someone like you as a Symphogear-Wielder."

Lanfen pursed her lips and avoided the woman's gaze as her eyes swung back over to her shaking legs. It felt honestly impossible to believe either one of Ayano's claims when something like the S.W.O.R.D. rested within her relic. But since her senior knew the six Wielders better than she ever could, Lanfen could not find the words to form any sort of retort. And so the Adaptor simply remained silent, her gaze now fixated on her pendant while lights from the monitors reflected off its crimson surface. Ayano was about to speak up again when a message notification abruptly rang from the van's terminal.

Gently lifting her palm off Lanfen's inert sword-hand, Ayano returned to the terminal's designated chair before looking back at the Adaptor with an unfaltering smile. Lanfen honestly envied the confidence her teammate easily channeled, even if Ayano had no powers of her own. She would consider Ayano to be the team's unofficial leader if doing so didn't feel embarrassing. "We're always here if you need us, Jiang," Ayano stated. "That's what being your senior is about, after all. Right?"

Her sword-hand twitched at her side. "... Yeah," Lanfen muttered with a hesitant nod. "Thanks, Ayano." Once the brunette's attention returned to her work, Lanfen leaned against the cold walls of the van before releasing a silent sigh.

The Adaptor turned her head over to the front of the van and looked out the windshields where she could see snow descending from the skies above. It always felt especially peaceful right after the closure of a Distortion rift, but no matter how hard Lanfen attempted to appreciate this strange tranquility, the lingering, proverbial fires within her eyes would always prevent from her truly settling down. As Lanfen's hand took out her smartphone from her uniform's pocket, Lanfen gazed at the memento of her sister which hung from the device by a silver chain, and reminded herself of her oath. The oath of revenge which Lanfen had declared the very moment she was recruited into S.O.N.G.

---

The calming lo-fi tune that floated throughout Lanfen's living room accompanied her like a welcomed companion while she went about her daily chores. Cooking. Laundry. Dishwashing. All of them were little more than mundane tasks which Lanfen would go through time and time again through pure muscle memory. The ringing of an incoming transmission could come at any moment now, but that didn't stop her from carrying out her usual tasks as if today were like any other day. Having just finished a thorough sweep of the place with a broom and dustpan, the Adaptor stored the items inside a small closet before glancing around the living room for any spot she had left unclean.

Rays of afternoon light shined through the windows, illuminating the jacket of Lanfen's Adaptor uniform as it hung on the room's coat rack with her relic pendant and black-and-white tie. Placing a hand on her hip, Lanfen momentarily glanced at the silent wrist device on her arm before taking a couple hush steps around the bubbly living room. The dishes from lunchtime were all cleaned. Nothing in the laundry currently required her attention. And it was too early to be cooking dinner right now. Unaware of what her next chore should be, Lanfen absent-mindedly stepped over to the door of her training room when a glint of light flashed in the corner of her vision.

The Adaptor halted in her steps and reflexively turned around to the source, bringing her attention to none other than the doorknob of Kai's bedroom door.

A thin layer of dust had already accumulated on the metal knob. The same could most likely be said regarding the room behind the door itself. Although Lanfen could hardly go through a day without ensuring the cleanliness of her surroundings, the woman still could not bring herself to step into the vacant bedroom ever since she had stored all of Kai's belongings within it. Not for now at, at least. Not while Kai's killer was still out there somewhere. The elimination of her little sister's murderer was the only proverbial key which could unlock the door standing before her.

"Jie?"

Lanfen drew in a sharp breath and shivered when she realized that her gloved hand was suddenly centimeters away from grasping the dusty doorknob.

In less than a second, the Adaptor withdrew her halted hand, placing it back at her side as the tips of her fingers twitched ever so slightly. Unsure of what prompted her to reach out for the unoccupied room, Lanfen marched over to the kotatsu table, and dropped down on one of its sides in a hasty attempt to pull her thoughts somewhere else. She placed her elbows on the wooden furniture, squeezed her eyes shut, and tried to focus on the rhythmic music which was pouring out of the room's holo-player like water from a gentle stream. Whether or not it was actually doing anything, Lanfen could not tell. But this was the only thing that she could distract herself with right on the spot.

A metallic click arose from Shinonome's bedroom door. It was soon followed up by the woman's soft-spoken voice. "Jiang?"

Calming herself down with a practiced breath, Lanfen slowly reopened her eyes, and peeked over a stiff shoulder to see Shinonome standing underneath the doorway of her room with both of her hands hidden behind her back. The Adaptor brushed tucked strand of black hair behind her ear before attempting to return the silver-haired woman's pleasant smile with a small one of her own. "Was there... something you wanted?" Lanfen said, taking her heavy elbows off the table.

Replying to her question through a quick nod, Shinonome stepped out of the open doorway, hands still placed behind her back even while she made herself comfortable on an opposing side of the kotatsu table. The pleated sweater and long skirt she wore contrasted greatly with Lanfen's black-and-white undershirt and tactical pants. "There is... something I've been meaning to give you," Shinonome explained, sliding her legs beneath the table's heated blanket. "It admittedly took me quite a bit of time to prepare, so I can only hope that it's to your liking."

The Adaptor lifted a brow and rested her chin in the palm of a gloved hand as curiosity arose within her mind. It was far too early to be exchanging Christmas gifts, but Lanfen couldn't help but wonder what Shinonome had in store for her all of a sudden. If it was an item from her, Lanfen found it hard to believe that she would disappointed by whatever the silver-haired woman intended on giving. Once Shinonome took in a quick breath to steady herself, her hands moved away from her back, and settled themselves on the table between them, finally revealing the small item she had been hiding up until now.

It was a Valkyranger plushie - or to be specific - it was a hand-made plush representing Cassandra Jiang Lanfen herself in the distinct garb of a Valkyranger uniform.

Made in the same black-and-white colours of her Symphogear, Lanfen wordlessly blinked at the sight of the item while Shinonome fidgeted with the plush her hands. "I-I've been learning quite a lot of things lately. Cooking. Sewing. And even more. So, when we visited that store several days ago, Ayano and I assumed that it would be a good idea to get one of the toys to use as a basis for this." If Shinonome had instead explained to her that they were already making Valkyranger products based on Lanfen, the Adaptor would have believed her. Because the 'moe-fied' plush she held in her hands appeared no different from what they were already selling on the shelves. "Do you... like it?"

Snapping herself out of the bewildered daze she was in, Lanfen cleared her throat before carefully taking the soft plushie into her own palms. "I... I do," Lanfen quietly admitted, bringing the plush over to her side of the table as Shinonome twiddled her fingers. The Adaptor stroked her thumb against the toy's soft texture and held back a smile which was threatening to grow on her face. "Thanks, Shinonome," Lanfen muttered, gazing at the toy's monochrome helmet with an almost wistful stare. "It feels like an honour to be wearing this outfit of all things."

All the pent-up worry on Shinonome's face visibly disappeared in a heartbeat upon hearing those gentle words, now replaced by a slight, momentary shade of red that made Lanfen inadvertedly tighten her throat. "I'm pleased to hear that, Jiang," Shinonome said, cupping one of her pale cheeks with a hand. "You could say that it felt... 'necessary'. All your comrades have such colourful characters to represent them as valiant protectors of the world. It would only be right to make something which could represent how you're just as brave and gallant as the rest of them."

The Adaptor pursed her lips at the woman's flowery sentiment, hands firmly gripped onto the handmade plush in her possession. 'Brave'. 'Gallant'. Lanfen silently questioned if either of those terms could realistically be applied to her of all people. Curious as to what sort of image Shinonome had of her, Lanfen placed the expertly-crafted toy in a sitting position on the table before staring at her sword-hand with narrowed eyes. Ever since Shinonome began living with her, the silver-haired woman had been occupying herself with all sorts of books, hobbies, and documentaries just to get herself acquainted with this world. Shinonome's curiosity was a water-well with no bottom and an unending eagerness to learn whatever she could.

"Shinonome," Lanfen began, getting a curious tilt of the head from her roommate. "Have... Have any of your memories managed to come back?" she hesitantly asked, knowing how rarely either of them - or their teammates - actually went out to inquire about the woman's past. While it was sensible to not prod the circumstances of a person who could not remember anything about herself, the fact that she was an Illuminati experiment just like previous threats to S.O.N.G. would undoubtedly be a proverbial elephant in the room to some of those outside the paranormal taskforce.

To the surprise of neither of them, Shinonome slowly shook her head with one hand still placed on her cheek. "I have been attempting all sorts of recommended methods to try and jog my memories. But sadly, nothing has managed to succeed in reminding me of whom I once was," Shinonome politely explained, sounding more curious than frustrated with her own lack of success thus far. "I suppose it's not unusual for someone like me to require more time in order to retain what was suddenly lost?"

"Point... taken," Lanfen murmured, glancing out of a nearby window with her chin back in the palm of her hand again. "Still..." She slowly pressed a fingertip into the soft plushie in front of her. "Is there anything that you would like to do, Shinonome?" Looking back at her roommate, Lanfen's vague question drew clear confusion over the woman's pale-white face, prompting her to explain further. "I mean- I always thought you looked uneasy whenever I would come back from a mission. You haven't been allowed to leave this place unless someone is with you as well, so I was just..." Lanfen paused. "... Worried if that's been affecting you."

Pulling a hand away from her cheek, Shinonome hid an amused giggle behind her palm before glancing around the living room with a face half-hidden by silver hair. "You overstate my circumstances, Jiang," Shinonome playfully teased her, rousing a slight stutter out of the Adaptor. "While my options may admittedly be limited, I certainly don't mind the company that you, Godai, and Ayano are able to provide me. Regardless of my situation, I'm quite grateful to be in the care of Team-04." Her golden eyes then went over to the suitcase which was resting next to the shelves. The metal suitcase containing all of Shinonome's daily medicine. "But if there's one thing I would like to do... it's that I simply wish that I could be more useful."

"Useful?" Lanfen crossed her arms over her chest in confusion. "We share all our housework, don't we?"

"I'm aware we do. But when I mean 'useful', I mean that-" Shinonome pressed the tips of her index fingers against one another, suddenly unsure of the words she was initially attempting to utilize. "I'm referring to doing more than just sitting here, Jiang," she slowly explained, tearing a thoughtful gaze away from the suitcase. "Every time you and the others are called to head out and protect the innocent, I... can't do anything else but wait for you all to come back. I'm aware that there's little I can realistically do to help - and that it's nothing more than a silly wish - but even I have my own moments where I desire to help others, just like yourself."

'Protect the innocent'.

Lanfen wondered if Shinonome was ever the sort of person who could run out into danger, all for the sake of others. She possessed a heart that was far kinder than almost anyone Lanfen had ever met, and it was the one reason why the Adaptor found it difficult to imagine Shinonome willingly stepping onto a battlefield. Even if their enemies were nothing more than battle automata. Bringing this up with Godai and Ayano could maybe give her some helpful insight, but until then, it was just the two of them in this small apartment. Looking down at the black-and-white plushie on the table before her, Lanfen brushed a fingertip against the soft toy, and questioned if the gentle hands which created it could ever cause harm to another.

Lanfen's purple eyes met with Shinonome's pensive gaze. "Maybe I could-?"

An all-too-familiar thunderclap roared throughout the skies of Yamaku City, causing the pair's attention to swing over to the shaking windows as Lanfen's sword-hand twitched at her side.

The device on her wrist immediately rang with an incoming audio transmission from the S.O.N.G. submarine. Lanfen answered the call with a tap of a holographic prompt and rose up from the table. "This is SG-r04, reporting in," Lanfen declared, her heart racing within her chest. "What's the situation?"

The urgency in the bridge operator's voice was unlike anything Lanfen had heard over the past few incursions. "Lanfen, our scanners are detecting a powerful rift that's estimated to open in less than 10 minutes!" Tomosato warned over the speakers, allowing both Shinonome and Lanfen to hear her within the walls of the small living room. "We've pinpointed its location and have just confirmed its presence within the outskirts of Yamaku City!"

"Here?!" Lanfen exclaimed as Shinonome worriedly clasped her hands together. Clicking her tongue at the twitching which was growing within her sword-hand, Lanfen drew in a practiced breath to calm the proverbial fires that were suddenly brewing within her eyes. If the Distortions had returned to Yamaku, then she was going to fight them off just like she did everywhere else across Japan. "Understood," Lanfen firmly stated. "SG-r04, heading out." Closing the communications line with another click of a holo-button, Lanfen retrieved her jacket, tie, and relic pendant from the room's coat rack before donning them in one quick sequence. "Shinonome-"

"I know," the woman calmly told her, blocking Lanfen's panicked words with a hushing finger which was held to the Adaptor's lips. "'Remain calm and follow any evacuation order you see'," Shinonome said, repeating the guidelines that Lanfen had taught her over the past few days verbatim. "Don't worry too much about me, Jiang," she insisted, appearing none too worried by the presence of a Distortion incursion. "Just come back safely, like you always do."

As Shinonome's index finger retracted itself from Lanfen's hushed mouth, the Adaptor held back the words she initially intended to speak, and replaced them with a sharp nod. "Of course," Lanfen said, fastening a black-and-white tie around her neck. If there was a time to bring up her roommate's wishes to Godai and Ayano, now wasn't the case. The encouraging smile Shinonome gave her wordlessly told Lanfen just as much. Now was the time to live up to the woman's image of her, and if it meant grinding the Distortion into grains of sand beneath her feet, then Lanfen was happy to oblige.

---

An ear-piercing screech from the van's halting wheels declared the team's arrival within Yamaku's outskirts. It took 20 minutes for Team-04 to race out of the city's vicinity, and just like their sensors predicted, a Distortion rift had erupted into existence high above the forest tree-line. Volleys of disciplined gunfire echoed from deep within the woods as Lanfen swung open the van's backdoors, and met the snow-covered road with her Symphogear's armoured boots. A quick glance at the tear in reality allowed her to spot the legion of battle automata which were raining upon the forest, provoking a deep scowl across the Adaptor's face. It was almost fortunate that there was little-to-no civilian presence in these parts of the outskirts.

"Keep your guard up out there, Jiang," Ayano advised while she sat down on the chair of the van's terminal. "We're only detecting Category-1s so far, but that could always change in an instant." Settling her hands on the terminal's keyboard, the brunette wasted no time linking up their communications with the command center of the S.O.N.G. submarine. "We've just received additional orders from command! Yuki, Jiang, we're all clear to proceed."

With one hand still holding onto the steering wheel in case they needed an 'emergency relocation', Godai shifted the vehicle's gear-lever into a parked state before flashing Lanfen a thumbs-up over her shoulder. "Show 'em what you can do like always, Jiang!"

Acknowledging her senior's encouragement with a curt nod, Lanfen patiently tapped her boot on the concrete road while Ayano inputted a specific command into the terminal. An electronic chirp of confirmation subsequently rang from the metallic crate that they had recently strapped to the van's top, heralding the deployment of a palm-sized camera drone as the crate shifted open to reveal their latest piece of equipment. Propelled by experimental hover-tech recently developed by Professor Elfnein, the drone was designed to accompany Wielders into combat zones in order to maintain a consistent visual feed of their situations.

"This is SG-r04. I'm heading towards the incursion zone." Now that the deployed drone was in the air, Lanfen sped into the tree-line, kicking up heaps of white snow with each heavy footfall.

The crowned warrior batted away the tree branches which blocked her path with her gauntleted hands. From the short glimpses she was able to make through the forest canopy's gaps, Lanfen could spot the rift glowing high in the skies, further agitating the insistent twitching within her thirsting sword-hand. The distinct barking of gunfire was growing louder the further Lanfen sped into the woods, and while ongoing comm chatter indicated nothing other than a steady counterattack, the proverbial fires within the Adaptor's eyes could never calm down in the proximity of a Distortion rift. By the time Lanfen had reached the defensive line set up by Task Force Harmony, her body was aching to throw itself into the fray just so she could handle the situation all by herself.

But the standards which were imposed upon Lanfen by her very position dissuaded the Adaptor from acting out of line. Upon reminding herself of the image that Shinonome held of her, Lanfen reigned in her burning desires, and narrowed her eyes in focus while the bellows of heavy weaponry echoed throughout the forest. Owing to the command of Captain Yaiba, orders were calmly and swiftly delivered over the comms line, expertly orchestrating the armoured soldiers who were taking cover behind the thick trunks of the forest's countless trees. The descending Category-1 Distortions were landing right in the middle of an expansive forest clearing, giving the troops a clear line of sight for their weapons to open fire unobstructed.

And yet, for every Distortion which was gunned down in a hail of lead upon making landfall, two more would easily take its place.

Contributing to the counterattack's firepower were four of Harmony's bipedal combat walkers. Having physically bulldozed their way through the forest in order to even reach this far into the woods, few could actually complain about the trail of deforestation they left behind when their rotary guns scythed through the endless horde of armoured knights like mechanical harvesters set upon a field of crops. The proverbial weight their heavy weapons added to the barrage turned Distortion after Distortion into clouds of ebony sand, all while spent bullet casings spewed forth from ejectors to melt the snow beneath the machines with fresh, hot metal.

Rushing over to the Captain with a hand on the pommel of her sheathed sword, Lanfen greeted them with a formal salute that Captain Yaiba returned in kind, even if they were busy taking cover behind the trunk of a tree. Since the Adaptor could risk taking a blow unlike Harmony's soldiers, Lanfen waived off any attempt to hide as the team's camera drone hovered right next to her. "How's the situation, Captain?" If it weren't for their specialized headgear, neither of them would be able to even hear one another amidst the deafening symphony of gunfire.

"The Category-1s are arriving one after the other, but the line is holding," the Captain stated, tapping several inputs into their arm-bracer to bring up a holographic map of the incursion zone. Going by the distinct blips on the holographic projection, Harmony's forces had managed to position their forces along the edges of the forest glade, maintaining an effective barrier between the descending automata, and the direction which led right towards Yamaku City. "Our forces have intercepted at least 14 Category-1 Distortions that were making their way to the city's borders. No Category-2s have arrived just yet, but my gut feeling tells me that this is just an appetizer for what's coming next."

"You and me both," Lanfen quietly remarked, shifting her focus back over to the raging battle before her. "Ayano." She tapped into her headphones with a free hand and faced the floating drone beside her. "Are the scanners picking up anything aside from the Category-1s? Tomosato implied something about this rift being far different than usual."

"Whatever Tomosato told you about this rift, she was most likely right, Jiang," Ayano responded over the comms. "The whole thing is pulsing with a wavelength we've never detected up until now and command hasn't relayed anything back to us about what it could mean. Tachibana and the others are also encountering this same type of rift in their zones, so-" There was a sudden pause in her words. And when the field operator spoke up again, the unease in Ayano's voice had transitioned into that of outright concern. "Wait... We're detecting an additional energy signature? Matching it with the database and... Jiang!" she exclaimed. "Scanners are picking up a single Caster-type that's on its way! It's a Category-3 Distortion!"

Curling her fingers around the grip of her Armed Gear, Lanfen felt the proverbial fires flicker within her eyes while Captain Yaiba tapped into their headgear's own built-in communicators. "Affirmative," Lanfen said, bringing her free hand away from her headphones. It was only a matter of time before the enemy finally employed their next tier of Distortions, and unlike the crowned warrior's first encounter with the Category-2s, Lanfen was more wary than eager about facing the highest of the Distortions' documented categories. "Captain Yaiba," Lanfen addressed the Field Captain once they were seemingly done with their transmission. "I take it that you've received the good news, too?"

"Just another day on the job, isn't it?" Captain Yaiba responded to the woman's sarcasm with their own dry wit. "Normally, we'd leave the higher-level creatures to you Symphogear-Wielders, but with our new walkers on the field, I'd suggest you that hang back and let their guns soften up the damn thing before you go rushing in with that sword of yours." Tapping into their arm-bracer's digital pad again, the Captain swiftly relayed the incoming arrival of a Category-3 to the rest of their forces. "Are you fine with this plan, SG-r04?"

Lanfen answered with a sharp nod before drawing her stowed weapon from her hip armour. Unsure of what she should expect from a Distortion of the highest Category, the Sword of Damocles released its blade from its golden cross-guard, letting the Adaptor rest the thick length of metal on a pauldron-covered shoulder. "I've no complaints," Lanfen told them, having wizened up by now after one too many frustrating battles against the Category-2s.

While Lanfen and Captain Yaiba awaited the arrival of the Category-3, the barrage of precise rifle fire and unrelenting hails of lead from Harmony's combat walkers refused to falter in the face of the descending Category-1s. Whenever the walking tanks' rotary guns ran dry of ammunition, the walkers would immediately lower their armoured cabins to the ground with their articulated legs, signaling a combat engineer to sprint over with a fresh crate of ammunition in their arms. Considering the fact that they were no more than just regular people beneath their advanced body armour, the unbreakable calm in which these soldiers carried out their duty was admittedly admirable. It made Lanfen wonder if her parents once carried out their own duties to S.O.N.G. with the same level of tranquility.

As pinpoint gunfire reduced a charging knight to nothing more than a cloud of black sand, what appeared to be the last of the arriving Category-1 Distortions joined its fellow automata on the forest glade, adding to the immense heaps of ebony grains that had accumulated on top of the white, casing-ridden snow. At least four Distortions had managed to brave the incoming barrage and breach the tree-line, but none of them were even able to lift their weapons before they too were torn apart by disciplined volleys of rifle fire. Lanfen gladly would have taken out the few who had managed to threaten Harmony's soldiers, but Captain Yaiba insisted with a wordless gesture that she best save her energy for the Category-3.

The communicator within Lanfen's headphones reactivated. "Category-3 detected." It was Ayano again. "It's making its way through the rift." The dread in her declaration was almost palpable.

Violent streaks of lightning crackled around the immense tear in reality. Accompanied by the deep thrumming of booming thunderclaps, Lanfen could see the awaiting soldiers around the forest discarding spent magazines, readying their ballistic armaments with fresh ones for their first ever encounter with a Category-3. Whether or not their weapons would even pose a threat to the Distortion, the crowned warrior could not say, but their commitment to the defense was never unappreciated. Maintaining a steady grip around the Sword of Damocles' golden handle, Lanfen peered through the gaps of the forest canopy, and spotted a single, armoured figure that was slowly descending from the rift in the winter skies.

"Fire on my command," Captain Yaiba ordered into their helmet's communicators. "We can't afford to let this thing reach the city."

The camera drone next to Lanfen floated through the branches above them and focused its high-powered lenses on the arriving Distortion. To an uninformed perspective, one could initially mistake the Category-3's shining, golden armour for an angel who had fallen from the heavens. Especially upon seeing the extravagant, glowing runes which marked its entire frame from head-to-toe. Unlike the lower Categories of its Type, the Distortion visibly renounced the distinctive robes that were often donned by the other Caster-Types, replaced by an extravagant, crimson cape which trailed down from its back to flutter in the winter winds. When the Distortion gracefully - and soundlessly - greeted the forest floor with its metallic heels, its glowing helmet's visor scanned its surroundings, seemingly acknowledging the mustered forces surrounding its presence.

Lanfen's twitching sword-hand desired nothing more than to cut down the creature where it stood.

"Open fire!"

A dozen muzzle flashes blossomed across the snowy forest before Lanfen even heard the ensuing barks of blazing gunfire. Rotary guns built-into the armoured cabins of Harmony's combat walkers whirred nonstop while bullet-after-bullet vomited from their spinning barrels, hosing the arriving Category-3 in a combined hail of lead which Lanfen could only watch on with her sword's blade on her shoulder. Bullet casings spat repeatedly from the clacking ejectors of countless weapons - but as impressive as it looked - the Adaptor knew deep within her that it wasn't going to even register on what vaguely passed for a Distortion's consciousness.

"Jiang, look!" Godai suddenly exclaimed over the comms.

Narrowing her vision on the unmoving Category-3, Lanfen gritted her teeth upon noticing the abysmal results of Harmony's attempted barrage. Surrounding the Distortion was something which the Adaptor could only describe as a fog-like 'barrier'. While gun barrels across the forest relented in their futile attacks, the Category-3 remained where it stood, its golden form wreathed in smoking tendrils that effortlessly reduced a million incoming projectiles into bits of harmless carbon upon impact. The Distortion gave the soldiers the privilege of resuming their ineffective attack for several seconds before it inevitably lifted its rune-marked arms from its sides, and weaved a series of summoning gestures through the air.

"Captain Yaiba," Lanfen warned them, taking a single step forward with the Sword of Damocles in her right hand. "Please, pull back your forces."

The Captain was obviously all too aware by now of where the situation was leading. As Captain Yaiba motioned for the digital pad on their arm-bracer, flashes of emerald light burst into view one-by-one around the lone Category-3, causing the hairs on the back of Lanfen's neck to stand upright.

Conjured through the Distortion's illusive hand movements, funnel-shaped objects materialized into existence out of emerald particles before solidifying into metallic objects which possessed the same glimmering colour of their conjurer. These small, unusual manifestations would then zip through the air, flying at speeds that allowed them to dodge the incoming hail of bullets with ease. By the time Captain Yaiba managed to send out the signal to fall back, ominous lights could be seen growing within the pointed tips of the Distortion's flying funnels.

If it wasn't for the enhanced reflexes provided by Lanfen's Symphogear, the Adaptor wouldn't have been able to even process the next few seconds.

Bright, narrow particle beams spewed forth from the Distortion's floating conjurations and began melting apart Captain Yaiba's forces with the emotionless precision of a surgical knife. Like flocks of sparrows, the funnels would soar between the tree branches before suddenly halting to project super-heated beams from their glowing tips. The advanced body armour worn by the Captain's soldiers did nothing to prevent the incoming blasts from reducing bewildered troops left and right into bits of black ash. In response to the evisceration of their foot soldiers, Harmony's bipedal walkers desperately attempted to ground the flying conjurations with their rotary guns, but the floating weapons were quick to aim their barrels at the legged machines.

Their hissing beams sliced right through their armoured cabins, disintegrating the combat walkers - and the screaming pilots within them - as though they were nothing more than burning tissue paper. The forest floor practically shook beneath their metal feet when the glowing-hot machines subsequently collapsed beneath the weight of their own flaming cockpits.

"Pull your forces back immediately!" Lanfen demanded, deflecting the incoming beams away from both her and the Captain with the thick blade of her Armed Gear. The unbearable stench of vaporized flesh was starting to clog her nostrils.

Needing no words to justify a tactical retreat, Captain Yaiba stayed behind the Adaptor, hailed for the carriers waiting outside the forest, and begun withdrawing what few remained of their decimated forces in the direction of Yamaku City. Lanfen covered their retreat with gritted teeth, swatting aside countless beams of super-heated particles with the Sword of Damocles as battered soldiers navigated their way through the smoldering wreckages of the fallen combat walkers. Another swift order from the Captain commanded the troops to throw down canisters of blinding smoke behind them, granting the troops additional cover from the funnels which were swooping between the branches.

"Godai, Ayano, follow the Captain back to the city's borders!" A jade beam darted past Lanfen's head, transforming the camera drone behind her into a black stain on the snowy ground. "And look up anything we know that could help me get pass the Distortion's barrier!"

In contrast to the Adaptor's desperate measures to defend her retreating comrades, the Category-3 remained where it stood, as if it were taking in the destruction its conjurations were weaving across the woods. Clicking her tongue at the sheer audacity of the battle automata, Lanfen took in a full 360 degrees view of her smoke-covered surroundings, realized that the last of Harmony's forces had finally pulled away, and immediately commanded her Symphogear to finally blare its electro-swing Jazz tune. The song in Lanfen's beating heart refused to let the Distortion resume its carnage.

"I don't know who I am and that's okay, but what's going to happen today?" Lanfen raced out of the blinding smoke-screen around her and stared down the glowing tips of a dozen floating funnels. "My brain burns like it'll explode, begging for it to not implode."

Black-and-white flashed before the Adaptor's eyes. The steel letters in her vision slammed onto a cracking chessboard, declaring, "Rook Reflector."

Metallic spikes erupted from the back of Lanfen's armoured boots to stab into the forest floor. Jade particle beams bolted towards the Adaptor from every possible direction. Glowing panels sprung open on the sides of Lanfen's thigh armour. Crossing her gauntleted arms over her chest, Lanfen narrowed her eyes as a translucent, dome-shaped force-field solidified around her form, causing the searing beams to crash into it before harmlessly dispersing themselves with a skin-crawling screech that was blocked out by her protective headphones.

"Jiang!" Ayano hailed her over the comms. "Records on the Category-3 Caster state that its barrier only activates against high-velocity objects! If you want to get pass that shield, you're going to have to hit it at just the right speed!"

Godai quickly followed the field operator up with her own comment. "It ain't going to be easy, but it's the only way you're gettin' pass that damn barrier!"

The funnel swarm relented in their barrage of super-heated particle beams, fueling the crowned warrior's absorbing barrier with each jade projectile which crashed against it. "Can I fly before rolling out the die?" With a single mental command, Lanfen shattered the dome-shaped force-field, turning it into an outwards wave of stunning energy that sent the funnels around her spiraling out of the air before they were pulled to the earth by the simple rule of gravity. "Am I allowed to cry before I finally try?" The hydraulic stakes within her boots retracted into their sheathes. The panels on her thighs snapped closed.

Rhythmic pianos tunes rang in the air and black-and-white flashed before her eyes. Another name appeared before her, spelled out by steel letters which now declared the name, "Bishop Barrage."

The rushing beats of stick slamming onto drums mimicked the Adaptor's pounding heart. "My brain is on fire, I'll never understand." With the funnels lying paralyzed in the snow, Lanfen brandished the Sword of Damocles, its thick blade now glowing with crimson markings that flashed across its metallic length. "I'm going to tire, blazed from every demand." The Category-3 still refused to even move a finger. And that was fine by Lanfen. Swinging her Armed Gear in a wide arc, the Adaptor manifested a dozen floating, glowing replicas of her sword at her sides. A subsequent flick of her wrist sent the energy blades soaring towards the unmoving Distortion, its cape fluttering weakly behind it.

The golden knight sliced a rune-marked forearm through the cold air, summoning another swarm of funnels around it before its new conjurations began zapping away at the incoming swords.

"To breathe clean air above the depths." Lanfen's armoured boots stomped across the forest glade to meet with the Distortion head-on. "All I have to do is climb the steps!" Jade beams lanced towards the crowned warrior and harmlessly bounced off the soaring swords around her. Protected by her dwindling number of translucent, sentient blades, Lanfen fastened her grip around the Sword of Damocles, launched herself into the air with the sun facing her back, and thrusted straight towards the Distortion's fog-covered chest-plate.

The Adaptor's thick blade struck nothing more than an after-image of a combatant who had disappeared faster than she could even process it.

Drawing in a sharp breath, Lanfen's instincts sensed the presence of her opponent behind her, telling her just where the Category-3 was right as two jade beams directly crashed into her exposed back. The subsequent cry of pain which escaped Lanfen was drowned out by the glass-like cracking of her Symphogear's protective barriers. Warning systems within her paranormal blared in reaction to the particle beams' searing heat. Pain suppression systems kicked, minimizing a blinding pain that would have knocked a regular person unconscious in an instant. All of which were immediately transmitted back to the operators who were monitoring her now-muted Symphogear's vitality monitors.

---

"We've lost visual of incursion zone 02 and zone 04."

"Harmony Squadrons J-15A and J-15B are withdrawing into Yamaku City!"

"Symphogear Team-03 have just engaged with the Armour-Type Category-3."

Bridge operators declared their endless reports within the command center of the S.O.N.G. submarine as Commander Genjuuro stood at his post with arms crossed over his chest, calmly taking in every single bit of information they were receiving. The Distortions have finally deployed their line of Category-3s, and just like their decrypted information predicted, these specialized battle automata were formidable opponents for even the Symphogear-Wielders. Displayed on the bridge's three large monitors screens were numerous visual-feeds originating from both local CCTV and deployed camera drones, granting the bridge a clear on-the-ground look of the situations in Japan, Sydney, New York, and London.

"Tomosato," Commander Genjuuro firmly addressed one of his most trusted operators. "Give me a status report on our Wielders."

Sitting down at her shared station next to Professor Elfnein, Tomosato's hands inputted multiple commands into her terminal before she fulfilled the Commander's orders. "Chris and Hibiki have just eliminated the Armour-Type Category-3. Damage to local infrastructure is severe, but casualties are low. Maria and Tsubasa are currently pursuing a retreating Blade-Type Category-3 into the Buckingham Palace, while Kirika and Shirabe are luring an Armour-Type Category-3 away from civilian sectors." The bridge operator drew in an uneasy breath. "Lanfen is currently engaging the Caster-Type Category-3, but our sensors report cumulating damage to her systems, Commander. At this rate, she'll..."

None of the feeds they were getting from Yamaku City gave them a direct visual of the attacking Distortion nor Lanfen, only images of Harmony squadrons who were currently attempting to regroup their battered forces into a coherent defense line on the borders of the city. The only thing that granted them insights on the ongoing battle were the monitoring systems which kept an eye on the Wielders' Aufwachen waveforms, the physical status of their Symphogears, and their Phonic Gain emission levels. With each tense second that zipped by, multiple reports of barrier failures and internal damage arose from the SG-r04's data-feed, painting a dire picture of Lanfen's lone battle against the Caster-Type Distortion.

"Things aren't looking good out there for Lanfen, Commander," Fujitaka grimly remarked, fingers still swiftly typing away on his computer terminal. "We're going to have to redeploy either Hibiki or Chris to her location if we want to take out that Distortion. There's no way she'll be able to eliminate by herself in her current state."

Commander Genjuuro furrowed his red brows with a grimace. "We can't displace our Adaptor teams without the council's input, Fujitaka," he reminded the operator, right as another damage indicator arose within the SG-r04's monitoring systems. A harsh curse subsequently escaped the Commander as the large man panned his gaze across the upper bridge, and noticed the obvious concerns on Fujitaka, Tomosato, and Professor Elfnein's faces. It was enough for him to consider going against standard procedures. But as soon as the Commander began analyzing his next course of action, an incoming transmission flashed over the central monitor screen, blocking out one-third of their visual feeds.

It was the spokesperson of the United Nations.

A swift hand signal from the Commander gave Tomosato the clearance to connect the lines. Despite the current situation, the Spokesperson addressed the bridge with their usual polite tone. "The council has a request, Commander Kazanari. One which they've been meaning to inquire for some time now."

The Commander didn't care to put on the filter that he often utilized whenever he had to deal with the council directly. "We can address that request when we're not in the middle of an operation, Spokesperson!" Genjuuro exclaimed, his hands tightening into fists at his sides. The nerves on their backs were practically about to burst. "The Adaptor Corp is currently facing the toughest Distortions we've seen so far, so now is not the time to be dealing with their concerns!"

"As unusual as it may sound, there is no better opportunity than this, Commander Kazanari," the Spokesperson elegantly argued. "The council has just received reports from Harmony's forces in Japan, and in response to the arrival of the Category-3s, they would like to request a demonstration of the SG-r04's true power. Not only as proof of its capabilities, but to also act as a reminder to all of S.O.N.G. of the circumstances in which you operate under." The implication of their statement drew a single bead of sweat on Genjuuro's face. Professor Elfnein and the two main bridge operators also visibly froze in their seats. "They are requesting that Cassandra Jiang Lanfen utilize the S.W.O.R.D. against the Category-3 Distortion."

Commander Genjuuro slammed his large hands onto the surface of his personal terminal. Fujitaka and Tomosato both went deathly silent. But Professor Elfnein wasn't afraid to voice her own opinion on the matter.

Rising from her shared station, the Professor visibly gulped before addressing their superior. "Spokesperson, the S.W.O.R.D. is an armament I've designed to only be used in the most dire of situations," she retorted, hands gripping onto the length of her white lab-coat. "While I understand the council's intentions, we cannot justify simply utilizing the S.W.O.R.D. against the Distortions without even addressing the Wielder who possesses it! If you wish to stabilize the situation in Japan before any lives are lost, then we only need to redeploy Symphogear Team-01 to Miss Cassandra's location as soon as possible."

"Your opinion is noted, Professor Elfnein," the Spokesperson politely replied. "But while I personally share your hesitations, this request from the council is made in the best interest of our world's safety first and foremost. Just like every other decision that they have made in order to counter the Distortions and their endless waves of battle automata." Genjuuro could actually tell that they were speaking the truth when it came to their skepticisms with the order, but absolutely nobody on the bridge crew were convinced that this was their best course of action anyway. "We will be compensating for any damages that come as a result of this decision, Commander Kazanari. I will make sure of that."

With that statement declared, the transmission line closed up from the Spokesperson's end, prompting the symbol of the United Nations to finally vanish from the central monitor screen.

The Professor and two of Genjuuro's most reliable operators all turned to him while the large man stood at his terminal with an expression that did not hide any of the resentment he held towards the council. Fujitaka was about to remark on the situation, but a discouraging shake of the head from Tomosato held back her colleague's words. Professor Elfnein did not choose to speak, but the wordless look she gave to the Commander assured him that whatever order he was about to give next, it was one which all of them were going to go with, regardless of the consequences awaiting them on the other side.

---

What was supposedly a 'fight' had now become a struggle to simply survive. Ignoring the insistent blaring of her Symphogear's internal alarms, Lanfen placed all her bets on the pain-suppression systems to block out the undeniable agony which arose from the giant burn mark on her back. A reasonable person would have chosen to retreat in the direction of Task Force Harmony's newest defense line, but Lanfen never considered herself as such to begin with as the crowned warrior dashed across the forest floor in an adrenaline-fueled sprint. Jade beams persistently harried the Adaptor, turning the snow beneath her armoured boots into clouds of hot steam with each shot that grazed past Lanfen's body.

Luring the Category-3 away from the city was her lone objective.

Everything which came after it was essentially made up on the spot.

"Can I light my flame without burning my eyes?" Particle beams lanced past her head and melted into the thick tree trunks ahead of her. "Will I be able to see past all the filthy lies?" Skidding into a screeching halt, Lanfen swung the Sword of Damocles behind her, deflecting the super-heated beams back into the very funnels that launched them. As the flying conjurations disintegrated into bits of emerald light, the crowned warrior spotted the Distortion slowly following her in an uncaring advance, its rune-marked forearms gently weaving through the air to bring forth more of its arcane objects.

Black-and-white flashed in her burning eyes. The steel letters slammed onto the cracking chessboard. "Queen Quicksilver."

"No idea where to look without being blinded." Armour slid forth from her headphones' casings, forming a sleek mask over her face with a large pair of circular, compound eyes. "From the burns you all have provided." Her face-shield docked itself with her three-point crown and the Queen chess-piece pauldron on her right shoulder thrummed with life, sending a wave of revitalizing energy throughout Lanfen's aching body.

Mists of hot steam froze in place. The swooping funnels decelerated into a sluggish pace. As the monochrome Wielder transformed into a proverbial lord of speed, Lanfen's white mask projected a holographic timer in the corner of her narrowed eyes.

Ten seconds.

The soles of her armoured boots pounded the snow beneath them, kicking up flying chunks of white while her fingers tightened their grip around the Sword of Damocles. Lanfen had played her trump card and it was time to make it count in the pan of ten expansive seconds. Focusing her vision on the Distortion's slowed-down conjurations, Lanfen blitzed between the burning trees, splitting apart the obstinate funnels around her into floating halves with each precise swing of her Armed Gear. It didn't matter that the Distortion could summon more of them. Only that its magical offenses remained eliminated.

Eight seconds.

The black-and-white Wielder made a bee-line for the frozen Category-3. It had barely lifted its right foot from the forest floor when Lanfen achieved super-human speeds, and by the time she was right in front of its golden form, the Distortion's moving boot was just about to plant itself on the snowy ground again. The compound lenses of Lanfen's mask flashed a deep crimson as the crowned warrior brandished her Armed Gear and began battering its thick blade against the Distortion's fog-like barrier. Inert, smoking tendrils deflected blow after blow. Strike after strike. Thrust after thrust.

Four seconds.

Unfazed by the Adaptor's attempts to shatter the mystic shield through sheer brute force, the Distortion's rune-marked forearms slowly sliced through the air undisturbed, bringing forth emerald lights around it to conjure another swarm of its funnels. But Lanfen refused to falter. Desperate to find a way through its seemingly unbreakable defenses, Lanfen thrashed against the Category-3's barrier, even while the golden knight's newest conjurations slowly solidified into a dozen funnels around them. The fastest, shortest route was always a straight line. Such were the words often boasted by Lanfen's fellow Symphogear-Wielders.

Zero seconds.

Wisps of evaporated snow continued to dance in the winter air. Golden funnels flew amongst the branches at blinding speeds. The loud humming from Lanfen's shoulder pauldron turned silent and her armoured faceplate slid back into her headphones. Tightening her lips to hold back the tide of blood which threatened to spill out from her mouth, the crowned warrior retreated with a backwards leap, only for the Distortion's hand to suddenly thrust towards her, and imprison her throat within its rune-marked fingertips. Lanfen's choked on her own tasteless ichor as the Category-3 effortlessly lifted her agony-ridden body above the ground, its metal fingers tightening around her throat, completely sealing away her power-infused lyrics.

Whatever strength Lanfen had left in her could only be spent to keep the Sword of Damocles within her weakening grasp. Blood was trailing down the corners of her mouth and the Wielder could feel the waves of pain around her body rising into a morbid crescendo. With her Phonic Gain emission cut off, the Distortion's funnels took positions at the Category-3's sides before reorienting their glowing tips right at the hissing crowned warrior. Lanfen could only scowl at the sight of its newest conjurations. Even though the Distortion had her contained within the literal palm of its hand, it didn't stop Lanfen from hurling a glob of blood and saliva at its faceplate, staining its glowing visor with harmless but spiteful projectile.

Jade beams launched from the tips of its funnels.

The Distortion's fingers released the Adaptor's imprisoned neck, allowing the super-heated projectiles to send Lanfen flying across the forest floor while a dozen particle beams collided with her abdomen as a concentrated barrage of blinding light. She didn't have the energy to even cry out in pain as alarms blared in her ears, pointlessly alerting her to a severe breach within her protective barriers. The next thing Lanfen felt was the sensation of her back crashing back into the snowy earth, creating a small crater beneath her lying body. The Sword of Damocles had slipped from her grasp and the barriers of her armour howled relentlessly to regain their integrity. For just a single second, she felt as though all control of her limbs had been disconnected from her mind.

Trails of smoke billowed from the bruised micro-fibers of Lanfen's Symphogear. Sparks erupted from her cracked gauntlets and armoured boots. Drawing the cold air into her broken lungs, Lanfen wordlessly screamed at her aching limbs to move while the Distortion's funnels soared above her, and took aim for one last volley. The Distortion didn't even bother to stay for what was about to happen next. Having seemingly lost interest in the battered crowned warrior, the Category-3 turned on its golden heel, ran a rune-marked forearm through its lavish cape, and began marching in the direction of Harmony's defensive line, leaving its conjurations to finish the job while it resumed on its original path.

"Jiang!" Ayano screamed at the Adaptor over the comms. "I'm sending Yuki over to help! She'll be there in-!"

"S-Stay with the C-Captain," Lanfen practically pleaded, lifting a heavy forearm off the snow-covered earth. The Sword of Damocles laid next to her, mere centimeters away from her aching sword-hand. Desperate to even brush against its handle with her weakened fingertips, Lanfen glared at the floating funnels above her, and drew in a sharp breath at the sight of their glowing tips.

A burst of static poured forth from her communicators.

Bolts of azure, eldritch flames sung through the winter air and vaporized every single one of the glowing conjurations in a precise, soundless volley.

Unable to comprehend what had just even happened, the Lanfen's purple eyes watched as what remained of the disintegrated funnels were scattered across the winter winds in the form of emerald particles. The Distortion's weapons were gone, but her heart continued pounding against her ribcage, still waiting for the grip of death to finally wrap itself around it. With her limbs still refusing to do more than simply twitch in pain, Lanfen turned her head towards the source of the mysterious projectiles, and subsequently widened her eyes when the crowned warrior's gaze fell upon a familiar figure.

Dressed in an azure, diamond-patterned suit which matched the colour of her neat and trim hair, the Adaptor's sudden saviour strolled across the forest floor with gloved hands on her hips, and an amused smile on her pale-white face. Golden eyes gazed at Lanfen's pain-ridden body as though the figure had just encountered an injured animal deep within Yamaku's forests. The loud crunching of her pronounced footfalls were the only thing entering Lanfen's ears outside of her headphones' static-riddled communicators. It was her. The very woman who had bestowed Lanfen with the Sword of Damocles. She was real.

Lanfen forced herself to speak, but she couldn't utter anything outside of an incoherent string of pained grunts.

"You poor thing," the pale woman cooed, brushing a gloved finger against her blue lips. "It's been a while, hasn't it, my little Valkyrie?" Letting loose a light chuckle at the sight of the severe burn marks which dotted the Adaptor's battered armour, the nameless woman proceeded to kneel down next to Lanfen before producing a familiar, glass vial from the inner pockets of her suit. She smiled at the gaze of recognition that drew itself across Lanfen's face and opened the item with a soft pop. "You can't let your performance end here now, can you?" she inquired with a honeyed voice, carefully holding the vial of blue liquid to the injured woman's mouth.

Remembering the favorable results of her first experience with this strange liquid, Lanfen hesitantly permitted the entrance of the vial's contents into her throat, letting it smoothly wash down her numb windpipe.

The icy-blue liquid was cold. Colder than anything Lanfen had poured into her system. Within seconds, a sharp stinging sensation arose within several points of her body, causing Lanfen to rake the snow beneath her fingers. The pale woman wordlessly watched on while the Wielder's limbs slowly regained their vitality. Once the emptied vial had been placed back inside her pockets, Lanfen drew in another pained breath before blinking at the sudden vanishing of the agony within her body. Slowly, she pulled herself back up into a sitting position, and stared into her shaking palms. The internal systems of her Symphogear dutifully notified her that all of her internal injuries and third-degree burns were now completely healed.

"... Why?" Lanfen whispered, swinging a pair of narrowed eyes over to the smiling stranger. "Why... are you helping me?" The ghostly woman responded with a light, honest chuckle. "Just who are you...?!"

Getting up from her knees, the pale woman looked around their silent surroundings, taking in the sight of the burning trees around them. "I can't let you - of all people - die so soon," she simply answered, stroking her chin with a gloved hand. When Lanfen rose up from the snow to throw her another firm question, the nameless stranger placed a fingertip in front of her own blue lips and shot Lanfen a dramatic hush. "Who I am is not important," she insisted with a voice dripping with honey. "What matters right now is your battle against that awful monster. After all, if you cannot strike down such an opponent..." Her fingers motioned over to the Adaptor, pointing right at her Symphogear's crimson converter unit. "... You wouldn't be able to avenge your dear sister now, would you?"

Lanfen flinched at the sudden mention of her sibling, causing the pale woman to smile almost sympathetically at the sight of the Wielder's shivering shoulders.

"Hold nothing back if you truly wish to avenge her, my little Valkyrie," the nameless woman whispered, stroking Lanfen's bloodstained cheeks with the back of a gloved hand. "There is absolutely no room for hesitation on the battlefield." Withdrawing her arm without another word, the pale lady shot the speechless Adaptor another playful smile before taking a pronounced step behind Lanfen. And right as the crowned warrior spun around to desperately seize her by the shoulder, she was gone.

No trace of the woman's existence remained where Lanfen stood. Not even simple footprints in the snow-covered ground. Lanfen was completely and absolutely all by herself.

Echoes of disciplined gunfire arose within the distance, reminding Lanfen of a situation which had yet to be concluded. Wiping away the dried blood that stained the corners of her mouth, the crowned warrior looked over to the Sword of Damocles, and pursed her cracked lips as December snow buried the Armed Gear in apathetic white. She could feel the proverbial fires flickering within her eyes. Fires which had been reignited by the words of the ghostly woman who had saved her life for the second time ever. Lanfen could not deny the advice she had gifted her. Attempting to do so only wracked her brain with a persistent cloud of frustration.

The communicators within her headphones subsequently cleared up, relieved of the distorted static that had been plaguing them for several minutes now.

Lifting a hand to her reawakened communicators, Lanfen noticed an incoming transmission directly from the S.O.N.G. submarine and quickly answered it. She did not know where to even begin with what had just occurred. "This is... SG-r04," Lanfen murmured. "Reporting in."

"Lanfen!" The loud voice which addressed her wasn't Fujitaka's nor Tomosato's. It was Commander Genjuuro himself who had contacted her. "Are you alright?! Our monitoring systems report that your vitals are now in the green. What's the status of your situation?!"

Parting her lips to answer the Commander's request, the image of the pale woman momentarily flashed before Lanfen's eyes, sending a cold shiver down her recovered spine. As the echoes of distant rifle fire slowly waned, Lanfen took a few steps towards her Armed Gear, and knelt down next to the buried weapon. "I'm currently in... Zone Y3A," she declared, following standard procedures. If there was a time to give an update on the person who had stolen the SG-r04, it was going to have to happen after the Category-3 was eliminated. "I'm fine... I've sustained a bit of damage, but I should be able to re-engage the Distortion, Commander. What are my orders?"

While the Commander sounded utterly relieved by Lanfen's status, the tone of his voice betrayed the concerns still lingering within him. "The Category-3 is approaching the city. Harmony's defense lines are barely holding it back and we need you to reinforce them as soon as you can. But-" Silence. Such a thing was rare from Commander Genjuuro. The abrupt moment of hesitation made Lanfen inadvertedly gulp while she motioned to pick up her Armed Gear. "... Due to the severity of the situation, the council has requested the utilization of the S.W.O.R.D."

The woman's fingertips froze right as they were about to grasp the handle of the Sword of Damocles.

The shaky breath which escaped Lanfen was visible in the cold, winter air. As the Commander's grim words settled themselves within the shifting gears of her mind, Lanfen's eyes gazed down at her chest, focusing themselves on the glimmering converter unit beneath her collarbone. There were so many words that Lanfen wished to utter in response to Commander Genjuuro's statement, but the crowned warrior couldn't bear to let out even a single, pathetic syllable. Her throat may have healed to a perfect condition, but that didn't prevent her voice from lodging itself within her windpipe.

"I'm only giving this order for the sake of your survival, Lanfen," the Commander ruefully assured her. "The Category-3 must be stopped. But I can't risk letting you face such an opponent without even the smallest chance of victory." The tone in his voice. It sounded so much like Lanfen's father all those years ago. She was honestly surprised to even remember such a small, insignificant thing. "Lanfen," Commander Genjuuro repeated, lowering his voice ever so slightly. "Do you understand me?"

The pale woman's words echoed within Lanfen's mind, untangling her thoughts with one swift sentence.

"There is absolutely no room for hesitation on the battlefield."

Lanfen bit down on her cracking lips until she drew fresh blood. Curling her fingers around the golden handle of her half-buried weapon, the black-and-white Wielder patted the snow off its thick blade, rose up from the forest floor, and turned in the direction of Harmony's defensive line. If the defeat of the Distortions required her to draw the S.W.O.R.D., then so be it, Lanfen thought to herself. It was against an enemy, and not the allies it had been originally designed to put down. Lanfen had played all of her available cards against the Category-3, and all it lead to was her lying in front of death's door as a result of her attempted bravado. She would be dead by now if it wasn't for the pale woman's miraculous intervention.

"Affirmative." Whether those words were directed at the Commander's orders - or the ghostly lady's advice - she also could not tell. But her answer was heard regardless as the audio transmission switched off from the Commander's side of the line.

Moving in accordance to the knowledge that her Symphogear bestowed upon her mind, Lanfen's sword-hand ached while it hovered towards the converter unit situated on her chest. With a soft click, the Adaptor removed the ruby-like device, causing her Armed Gear to automatically reveal a glowing, crimson slot right in the middle of its golden cross-guard. Her sword was reacting to her will and it awaited the next final steps with silent diligence. Inserting the detached unit into the empty slot, Lanfen clicked the unit into place before staring apathetically at the curved, silver trigger which then slid out of the weapon's handle, ready to be activated by the crowned warrior's very own hand.

The proverbial fires within Lanfen's eyes burned brighter than ever before.

A command word situated itself on the tip of her tongue, ready to awaken the slumbering Sword of Damocles.

"Fall."