Hello Fanfiction readers and Happy New Year! Let's give it up for the year 2020! I'm Ashbel Longhart here and I'm back to give you people a new chapter of Faiz: Second Verse! So sorry for the long wait people, but what can you do when you got other stories to work on? But don't you worry people for I've got some good news for you! But first, cue the disclaimer!

(Disclaimer: I do not own Senki Zesshou Symphogear G or Kamen Rider Faiz. I also don't own any songs that appear in this story either. They all belong to their respective owners. All I own is this story and my OC's. Please Enjoy.)

Now then, as you people know, the Symphogear series has officially ended what with its final season of XV. However, it seems the show has seen some growing popularity as Crunchyroll has been posting episodes of Symphogear on Youtube. This is also to promote the app game, Symphogear XD Unlimited, coming to the NA. I for one am still waiting for the game to come out. And because so much is happening with Symphogear right now, that and this story is still fairly new, I've decided to focus a bit more on this story so expect faster updates for this story. How far will I go is anyone's guess. But for now, let's get right into the story!

Open Your Eyes For The Next Faiz! Let's Ride!


Kamen Rider Faiz: Song of Paradise

Second Verse

Song 7: The Truth is Always Hard to Swallow


(Last Time)

"This is your last chance. If you three fail to bring me satisfactory results, I'm ending our contract and having the Lucky Clover take over."

"Mom, I...I will do this my way!"

"Is it...really you...Natsu?"

"Natsu is my brother's name! How do you know my brother's name!?"

"The former site of the Kadingir!?"

"Don't worry, Hibiki. I've got your back. No matter what happens, I'll always be there to protect you, just like I promised. Which is why...I need you to watch my back in return. Think you can do that?"

"We wish to save the countless lives that will be lost when the Moon falls down to Earth."

"What did you say!?"

"That is how we will unite the people of the world and form one country and government to protect them! The Nephilim is our means to that end!"

*STAB!*

"I'll be taking this."

"Though those hands of yours may be able to protect a few, think of how many lives they can take as well!"

*CHOMP!*

"TACHIBANA!"

"Ah...AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

*CRACK!*

"RRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGH!"


(Insert masterpiece by Mami Kawada)

(Instrumental) The song starts as blurry images play at high speed appear. While some images were hard to make out, the image of a fire and ruins, the Relics, the Rider Gears, the Wolf Orphnoch's hands covered in blood, and then the caged Nephilim could be made out before the title appears.

(To aru nichijou wa parallel world ikusen mono jikan ni) The scene shows Hibiki in class, staying after school, but to her surprise, she wasn't the only on there. The camera expands outward to show that with her in the class is Tsubasa sitting next to her right Chris sitting next to her left, and sitting in the back in the far corner is Haru looking out the window.

(Onaji mono nado nai masutaapiisu de orinasu jikuu e) We then see the hooded man leaning against a display window of a random store. He lifts his head up to reveal violet-colored eyes before the scene changes to the Crane Orphonch up on the roof a building, looking ready to jump and take flight before the scene changes again to Psyga in the air, flying around.

(Kakinagutte hakushi no shinario ni pensaki ga kooru) The scene then changes to the 2nd Division's new submarine base as everyone else worked on monitoring the data and info in front of them while Ogawa stands next to Genjuro who had the Delta Gear in a briefcase in hand.

(Originality mezase! douse kono michi o yukun dakara) The scene then changes to the hidden base of the organization, Finé. Professor Nastassja, in her wheelchair, is seen monitoring the Nephilim, Shirabe and Kirika are seen together as their Relic necklaces shine under the light. Maria is seen holding a damaged Relic piece in her hands as she thinks about her late sister and a certain boy that held a special place in a heart. Finally, Dr. Ver is seen grinning madly wielding Soloman's Cane as a shadow of the Nephilim is seen behind him.

[Shinjite] (Kakenukete) [Tooku made] Haru as Faiz and the girls in their armor are seen with their weapons drawn. Across from them is Maria and the others, donned in their armor with their weapons out and ready as behind them were the Kamen Riders Neo-Alpha, Pyron, and Seeda.

[Kanjiru] (Daichi o kette) [Daichi kette] Both groups stare off at one another before both groups move and attack.

(Nanika no tame ni kogare, ikiteru kanshoku wa kitto) Chris is seen facing off against Kirika who throws scythe blades at her while she counters with bullets from her gattling guns. Meanwhile, Hibiki is seen facing off against Shirabe who throws saw blade at her while she punches and kicks them away.

(Darenimo makenai chikara ni Naru) Tsubasa and Maria are seen clashing weapons until they are broken apart by the sudden appearance of Orga who pushes Tsubasa back before he turns to look at Maria before clashing weapons with her as the Crane Orphnoch and Psyga are seen facing off against Dr. Ver and the Nephilim.

(Shiawase tte tabun kono shunkan onore ga shiru) [When I believed it] Haru is seen facing the three enemy Riders by himself until Kanade and Genjuro as Kaixa and Delta appear to help him, each Rider taking on another Rider.

(Kono kandou o atarashii peeji ni kizamu) [I can go to the next stage] Explosions litter the entire area as Haru was pushed back only to bump into Orga and Pysga. The three Riders look at one another before they all jump up and kick forward towards their intended targets; Haru at the enemy Riders, Orga at the Nephilim, and Pysga at Maria and her girls.

[It's only my thing, 'highest masterpiece!' hoo] Everyone looked up at the three kicking Riders as their kicking feet glow brightly, blinding everyone until the camera moves to show off the moon surrounded by a ring of the rubble of its broken piece before the song ends.


(Now)

Falling to her knees while holding the stump that used to be her left arm, Hibiki tries to suppress the overwhelming pain flowing through her body as right in front of her, the Nephilim was chewing on her severed arm. Tsubasa, who was still supporting an unconscious out Chris, and Kanade both watched on in horror while Dr. Ver watched with the exact opposite expression.

"AMAZING~!" The mad scientist screamed out in pure glee, his expression matching his emotions. "It ate the very Symphogear itself! And now...!"

"That bastard!" Kanade cursed, glaring over towards the mad doctor. She had half a mind to just shoot the man and be done with it. And she wasn't the only one cursing the mad man.


(Meanwhile)

"That sicko!" Slamming her fist against the metal walls of the plane, Kirika exclaims in anger as she and the other girls watch on a holo-screen what was currently going on outside and suffice to say, they didn't like what they were seeing.

"How far off the deep end has that mad man gone!?" Kirika exclaims in anger.

"When he said to feed the fragments of Relics to the Nephilim...He meant this?" Shirabe asked, turning to Nastassja for answers.

Maria grits her teeth as she watches the scene before her on-screen. She already knew that Dr. Ver wasn't the sanest of men, what with him not even batting an eye when he attempted to kill those kids earlier today. But seeing it happen and not being able to stop it...

"Where do you think you're going?" Nastassja spoke up, stopping Maria who had turned around and tried to leave. "My orders are for the three of you to remain here on standby."

"He's just toying with the lives of others!" Maria said, turning to her mother-figure. "Is this really what we should be doing?"

Nastassja doesn't answer as she simply looks away from the woman.

"We're..." Kirika spoke up, her voice filled with uncertainty. "We're doing the right thing, aren't we?"

"If we are," Shirabe speaks up this time, looking uncertain herself. "...then why do I feel so uneasy?"

Nastassja knew exactly why the girls were uneasy about Dr. Ver's methods. Determined they all were, they were still too kind. Even still, such methods were necessary if they wished to save the world. Thus, she spoke.

"Let today be the last day you spend shackled to your compassion. We have no need for smiles and laughter."

"...Natsu would have said otherwise," Maria said before she excused herself from the room. Even as she left, the mention of the boy's name had shown its effects on both Kirika and Shirabe as they both looked down in shame.

Nastassja couldn't help but sigh. No doubt, the methods they were using right now would not have sat by with Natsu if he were still here.

If this goes on, those girls will break! And that's something I refuse to let happen!

'A brat he may have been, he left a lasting impression on the girls; on every Receptor Children,' Nastassja thought to herself.

"AWOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO~!"

Suddenly, a sound akin to a wolf cry came not only from the screen but from outside as well, shaking the entire plane as the pure volume and power of the cry shook everything.

"Wha!? What's going on!?" Kirika cried out in surprise, trying to regain her balance as were the others.

"Mom!" Shirabe, even while unbalanced, quickly acted and caught Nastassja before she fell off her wheelchair.

Thanking the girl, Nastassja and the others looked back to the screen to see what had caused that and gasped at what they saw.


(Back Outside)

"Tachibana!" Tsubasa, after laying Chris down, runs over to Hibiki's side, getting in front of the girls protectively as she faced the Nephilim which was now glowing sinister red after it finished snacking on Hibiki's arm.

"The hell is happening to that thing?" Kanade wonders out loud, a question Ver was happy to answer.

"Nephilim, in its complete form, is like a self-regulating breeder reactor!" Dr. Ver said as the orange 'veins' of the living Relic glow sinister red. "It voraciously devours other Relics, absorbing them to further increase its own output!"

"So it's getting stronger!?" Kanade said, basically summarizing what Ver had explained.

"That's right! Now, let's begin!" Dr. Ver said as the Nephilim's red 'veins' glow even brighter. "Can you hear the beat of awakening? This is the power that will lift the Frontier into the skies!"

"The Frontier?" Kanade said, picking up on what Ver had just mentioned. The man himself didn't look ready to explain, too caught up in his joy as he laughed and laughed to his heart's content. And as the man laughed, the Nephilim itself was beginning to grow in size as its grey skin was turning black. Like the doctor had said, the living relic was growing stronger.

"Geez, remind me again why Smart Brain decided to work with such a whack-job?" Neo-Alpa or Jack thinks out loud as he watches everything from where he was at. He then shrugs his shoulder. "Oh well, back to work." And by work, he meant finishing off Haru once and for all. Though the Smart Brain Rider couldn't help but notice that the man had been oddly silent ever since Hibiki's scream of pain.

"Rrrrrr...!"

"Hm?" It wasn't just him. Jack, as well as everybody else, noticed that the air seemed to grow hotter for some reason. Turning to the source, everyone nearly jumped in surprise when they found Haru on all fours growling as blue flames were sporting from random parts of his body.

"Kisama(You bastards)...!" The man's voice grows distorted as his teeth grow sharper and his eyes flash silver. And then, it happened.

With a roar, blue flames envelop Haru's entire body as he begins to change. His body turned completely grey as spikes sported from his shoulders. His hands turned into claws while his arms grew blades. His hair too turned grey and long, reaching down all the way to the end of his back as a tail of the same color sprouted from his behind. His legs turned animalistic, resembling wolf legs. And finally, with one last roar, Haru's head turned into that of a wolf.

"What the hell?" Jack said in alarm, not believing what he was seeing. And then...

"AWOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO~!"

Throwing his head back, Haru, having become the Wolf Orphnoch, howled towards the moon. The strength of his howl was so strong that a shockwave occurred, blowing everyone off their feet.

"Oi, oi! You gotta be shitting me!" Kanade, after skidding back, looks at Haru in shock and disbelief. "It's just like what happened three months ago!"

"Haru..." Tsubasa too shared Kanade's feelings. After the battle with Finé and after Haru had been found after being missing for weeks, Genjuro and the others at the 2nd Division showed them the video of Haru turning into an Orphnoch. Hibiki herself claimed the video to be real, having been there herself with Kanade backing her up since she was there to see it. Still, having seen a video and witnessing the very thing happen right in front of her was a different experience. But the truth was undeniable.

Haru was an Orphnoch.

"S-So, the 'Hero' of the Lunar Attack was actually an Orphnoch," Dr. Ver, while initially shaken up, calms down and adjusts his glasses. "That certainly explains how he's able to use the Faiz Gear. But that shouldn't make much of a difference." He then calls over to Jack, speaking perfect English. "You, from Smart Brain, hurry up and finish him off."

"R-Right..." Jack, while not liking the doctor's tone, does as told and points his gun over at Haru...only to find him nowhere in sight. "What the!?"

Alarmed, the red Smart Brain Rider looks around, trying to find the Wolf Orphnoch but spots no sign of him.

"That son of a—! Where'd he run off to—!"

*KICK!*

Faster than anyone could react, Jack was suddenly kicked from the side by Haru who just seemingly appeared from thin air. In reality, the Wolf Orphnoch had just sped on over to the Rider's side faster than anyone could follow.

Flying through the air, Jack manages to correct himself and flips over to his feet, skidding to a stop, switching his weapon to its blade mode. Once he does that, the Rider looks up only to find no sign of Haru again.

"Where the fuck—?"

*BAM!*

Faster than he could react, Jack's head was grabbed from behind before he is pushed down to the ground, hard, face first. Standing right over him was Haru as the wolf-like Orphnoch begins to move, dragging the Smart Brain Rider through the ground. Then, while making sure Jack scrapes the ground, Haru brings the Rider up, spins around, and proceeds to throw the Rider right at the remains of the Kadingir...face first.

"Guh!" Jack lets out a grunt as he pushes off the rubble on him, staggering back up to his feet. Looking around, he once again spots no sign of Haru anywhere. Meanwhile, everyone else watching the fight looks on in surprise.

"Oi oi was Haru-san always that fast?" Kanade asked, looking around to find no sign of the wolf Orphnoch.

"Dammit!" Jack cruses out loud, getting sick of being tossed around like a ragdoll. "Where the fuck are you? WHERE ARE YOU!?"

*STAB!*

Jack's words were caught in his throat as everyone around gave out a gasp. Pain erupts from the American's chest as he slowly turns his head and sees Haru right behind him and awfully close. Slowly looking back around, Jack looks down towards his chest...and sees Haru's clawed hands popping right out of his chest, covering in blood, his blood.

"Y-You...!" Jack couldn't believe it. Was he...was he about to die? He, one of the most infamous Orphnoch in America? No...no! There's no way he was gonna die in some backwater—!

"RRRRRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGH!"

*RIP!*

With an animal-like roar, Haru grabs Jack by his head and pulls it straight out of the Rider's body, spine included. The Orphnoch throws the man's body aside and roars again as he raises Jack's ripped off head to the air...before proceeding to throw the thing down to the ground...and stomp on it, squishing the whole thing flat under his wolf-like foot.

"Good god...!" Tsubasa breaths out an audible gasp, feeling sick at Haru's brutality.

"Holy Buddha...!" Kanade too lets out an audible gasp at Haru's brutality. She and the others had seen what the Wolf Orphnoch had done against Finé three months ago when shown the video, but to see this...

'Suddenly, I think it's a good thing Chris isn't awake to see this,' Kanade thought to herself.

"Wha...What power...!" Dr. Ver gasps, shocked by how fast and brutal Haru had been when dealing with Jack. Wasn't the Rider supposed to be a 'hero?' Someone who would normally just stop the villain, not outright kill them!?

"Rrrrrr...!" Removing his foot off what used to be Jack's head, Haru sets his sights on the Nephilim. Dr. Ver sees this and tries to put up a brave front.

"There's...There's no way he can overpower the Nephilim! Yes, that's right! The Nephilim just devoured that girl's Gear and grew stronger from it! There's no way someone brought back from the dead could possibly—!"

*KICK!*

Faster than anyone could blink, Haru makes it over to the Nephilim and proceeds to kick the thing so hard, it flew right past Dr. Ver and crashed into the remains of the Kadingir. It takes the mad scientist a moment to process what had just happened before he turns over to where the Nephilim had flown back...and saw the living Relic struggling to get back up as it coughed up blood.

"Im...Impossible!" Dr. Ver said, eyes wide with disbelief as he snaps his head over to Haru where the Orphnoch lowers his leg and kneels down, looking ready to pounce.

'This...this shouldn't be possible!' Dr. Ver thought to himself. 'The Nephilim is a living relic with enough power to lift the Frontier! Not only that, but it has just grown stronger after eating that girl's Gear! How is an Orphnoch this strong!? It doesn't make any sense!'

As Ver thinks to himself about Haru's unusual strength, the Nephilim seems to recover as it removes itself from the rubble and growls at Haru who growled in return. And then...

*SHINE!*

"What the!?" Tsubasa and Kanade gasp in surprise when suddenly, from Hibiki, the girl's forte-shaped scar, the one she received two years ago back when Kanade was still an Attuned, started glowing. And then...

"AaaaaaaAAAH~!" Suddenly, from under Hibiki's bodysuit, the forte-shaped scar glowed brightly, drawing everyone's attention. Then, the scar flashed briefly before the girl's body was slowly enveloped in black darkness.

"No way...it can't be!" Tsubasa gasps, recognizing this phenomenon from three months ago, back during the fight against Finé.

"You gotta be fucking kidding me...!" Kanade said, staring at her protege in disbelief. When she had been shown the video of Haru turning into an Orphnoch, the video had more to show than Haru's berserk rage. It also showed the events that happened after she had fallen unconscious during the battle against Finé. And that was Hibiki going berserk herself.

"Rrrrrrrr...!" After a minute, Hibiki's figure had completely turned black as the girl's dark figure was outlined in red. Then, raising her head, red eyes filled with hate and fangs glared right past Dr. Ver and over at the Nephilim, the one who had taken her arm!

As for Dr. Ver himself, the man gulped in fear as he now had two wild beasts glaring at him and the Nephilim.


(With Nastassja and the girls)

"What...what the heck is that?" Kirika asked, she and Shirabe staring wide-eyed at what was on the screen.

"This phenomenon...it matches the description in Finé's observational records," Nastassja said, recognizing somewhat as to what was happening to Hibiki right now. As for Haru...

"To think, he was an Orphnoch all along..." Shirabe said, having not expected the True Hero of the Lunar Attack to be an Orphnoch, the same species that was currently waging a secret war with humanity.


(Outside)

Back with the others, the now berserk Hibiki let out an animal-like growl as tendrils of blackness sprouted from her stump. After a while, the tendrils started shape-shifting until they took the form of a new arm.

"She was able to focus her Gear's energy into the shape of an arm?" Tsubasa said, surprised that such a thing was possible.

"It's like she's utilizing an Armed Gear!" Kanade said, also surprised with Hibiki's feat. Yet, the real question is, with both their members berserk, what happens now?

As if in response to Kanade's mental question, both Hibiki and Haru let out animal-like growls as the latter acted first.

Using his speed, Haru gets behind the Nephilim and kicks the living relic towards Hibiki where she proceeds to punch the thing straight in the gut before delivering a kick to its chin. The berserk Symphogear user then delivers another punch to the chin, sending the thing airborne where Haru comes flying in and intercepts the thing, tackling the kaiju reject to the ground.

"No! Stop!" Dr. Ver exclaims in a begging tone, but it falls to deaf ears.

Picking the Nephilim up while digging his claws into the living relic, Haru soon gives the thing a punch to the gut before using his claws to slash the beast across its chest. The wolf Orphnoch doesn't stop there as in a frenzy-like state, the berserk Haru proceeds to claw the Nephilim across the chest multiple times, spilling the thing's blood all over the place!

But then, as if rescuing the thing, Hibiki comes in and kicks the Nephilim away from Haru's clawing frenzy. As Haru's claws struck the spot where the Nephilim previously was, Hibiki leaps over to where she kicked the living relic...and proceeds to lay a beat down on the thing, throwing punches and kicks to its bloody chest, gut, jaw, etc.

"I said stop it!" Dr. Ver exclaims again, his earlier joy now replaced with panic. "We need the fully-grown Nephilim in order to realize our new world! And you...! You two...!"

In an attempt to fight back, the Nephilim finds an opening and swings its arms at Hibiki only to be intercepted by Haru who comes flying in, carrying a steel beam where the Orphnoch proceeds to smack the thing right on top of the head, striking with enough force to sending the kaiju-reject slamming into the ground while also bending the steel beam Haru was using. Throwing away the steel beam, Haru kicks the downed Nephilim up into the air where Hibiki proceeds to come in and throw in her own kick, sending the monster flying away. Getting on all forms, Hibiki and Haru chase after the flying Nephilim, not done with delivering more punishment to the thing.

"No! Get away from it!" Dr. Ver, in an attempt at stopping the two, uses Soloman's Cane to summon a group of Noise. The said Noises then start to group up until they form two large Noises the size of houses, also accompanied by a big mouth and giant rows of teeth.

*BAM!"

Being the faster of the two, Haru rams right into one of the Noises, spearing straight through its teeth and out the back. As the huge Noise was beginning to crumble, Haru grabs the thing by its tail, swings it around, and uses whatever remains of the thing to smack the other Noise towards Hibiki. Seeing the house-sized Noise coming, Hibiki jumps and kicks the thing upward. Then, jumping and spinning around, Hibiki delivers a roundhouse kick so hard and fast, it seemed as if she sliced the Noise in two as the Noises that had tried to stop the two berserk heroes were no more in two seconds flat.

As if now sensing the danger it was in, the Nephilim turns and tries to run, but our berserk heroes see this and immediately give chase.

Once again, Haru is the first to reach the Nephilim as the wolf Orphnoch, in a burst of speed and power, speeds past the living relic while using its claws to tear one of the monster's arms off. Now missing a limb, the Nephilim falls to the ground where Hibiki proceeds to crashes down on the thing, getting a pain-filled cry out from it as the damage that's been done to it has finally begun to affect it. Then, raising her right hand into a fist, Hibiki punches down on the living relic so hard, her fist stab right through the monster's flesh, digging straight into the muscles before it proceeds to pull out what could only be the Nephilim's heart. Tearing the thing right off from the organs attached to it, the heart beats for a moment before it slows down to a stop.

Seeing this, Dr. Ver lets out a cry of anguish, holding his head screaming as Hibiki throws the heart away. Hibiki then leaps into the air and holds out her right arm where it then morphs into a spear. Her intention of finishing off the Nephilim was as clear as day, but there was someone who was not yet done with punishing the living relic.

Coming in like a speeding car, Haru runs up and grabs the literal heartless Nephilim and drags it across the ground before slamming it against a nearby rockpile. Still gripping the kaiju reject in his clawed hands, Haru slams the beast down on the ground multiple times before he proceeds to throw the thing towards the still airborne Hibiki. Seeing the monster coming her way, Hibiki thrusts her spear-arm at it while at the same time, Haru jumps towards the flying Nephilim, pulling his left arm back before stabbing his clawed fingers forward as if it were a spear itself. The second both spears struck the Nephilim...

*BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!*

A huge explosion occurs in the sky, the shockwaves produced from it strong enough to destroy any remaining Noises Ver had summoned beforehand. Down below, both Tsubasa and Kanade stabbed their sword into the ground in an attempt to not be blown away.


(With Nastassja and the girls)

The explosion outside was strong enough that the group was able to feel it even from where they are. On the screen, a bright light was displayed, making it hard to see what was being shown as Nastassja and the girls stare right at it. Maria, having felt the explosion too, comes running back into the room.

"What the heck is that?" Maria asks, seeing the light on the screen.

"Tachibana Hibiki...Her near-death experience must have caused the Relic in her chest to go out of control," Nastassja explained.

"And the other?" Shirabe asked, referring to Haru.

"From what I could see, his transformation was nothing more than a fit of rage," Nastassja said. "But can rage alone really bring out that much power?"

Before she could ponder more on this, the purple-haired woman starts coughing uncontrollably.

"Mom!" Maria and the girls all cry out in alarm and worry.

Covering her mouth with her hands, Nastassja soon stops coughing and looks down in horror to see blood on her hands, her blood.

"No...Not now...!"


(Outside)

"Mmm..." Stirring in her sleep, Chris finally begins to regain consciousness as she slowly opens her eyes.

"Finally decided to wake up, Sleeping Beauty?" Standing over the girl, Kanade helps her trigger-happy teammate up to her feet.

"What's going on?" Chris asked, shaking her head to get rid of the dizziness.

"Well, you just missed what may have been the ultimate act of bullying," Kanade said in a joking tone. "That and..."

*BOOM!*

"Whoa!" Chris jumps in surprise, now fully awake as she turns and catches the sight of Hibiki and Haru punching each other in the face before separating and speeding off somewhere.

"That. You missed that," Kanade finishes, pointing over to the two fighting berserkers.

"What the hell!? How long was I unconscious!?"

"Oh, I'd say about...six minutes."

"That long!?" Chris exclaims in disbelief. Just how hard was she hit?

"Tachibana! Haru-san! Stop this!" Tsubasa cries out as she tries to intervene only to quickly raises her sword up in defense when she was almost hit by a stray attack from Haru.

After knocking Tsubasa back, Haru turns around to see Hibiki pouncing at him. Quickly moving out of the way, Haru dodges the pouncing Sympgogear user who lands on all four. Holding his clawed fingers together, Haru throws a stab at Hibiki who counters by getting up and throwing a punch at the wolf Orphnoch. Both attacks past by one another as Hibiki's punch lands right against Haru's cheek while Haru's claws stab right into Hibiki's shoulders. Both berserkers pull away from each other, taking a moment to themselves. While Haru shakes his head to get rid of the dizziness caused by Hibiki's punch, Hibiki herself was holding her bleeding shoulder only for the stab wound to close up right before everyone's eyes.

"Regeneration?" Tsubasa said in surprise.

"No time to be surprised, we gotta stop them!" Chris said, readying her guns. Something told her that this was going to get messy.

"Where's Ver?" Tsubasa asked. The one who answered was Kanade who readied her Blaygun.

"The son of a bitch ran off the minute Hibiki and Haru started fighting. Just forget about him for now. We've got bigger problems to deal with.

Nodding in agreement, the three girls turned their attention back to their berserk friends who were beginning round 2.

Running up to each other, Hibiki throws the first punch only for Haru to leap over the girl. Rolling to his feet, Haru turns and grabs one of Hibiki's scarves, pulling it back as well as the girl towards him. Using the scarf, Haru swings Hibiki over his shoulder, sending the berserk girl crashing to the ground. Not done yet, Haru pulls and swings the girl around and around. Not pleased with being swung around like a ragdoll, Hibiki flips in midair and plants her feet back on the ground, skidding to a stop. Then, grabbing the scarf Haru was grabbing, this time Hibiki pulls back, causing the wolf Orphnoch to be pulled towards the Gear user this time where she proceeds to tackle Haru to the ground. Now mounting the grey colored beast, Hibiki starts swinging her fists down at the Orphnoch with the clear intent of beating the man to death. Taking a few punches to the face, Haru quickly raises his guard up by covering his face, letting his arms take most of the brunt of Hibiki's punches.

"That's enough!" Suddenly, before Hibiki could throw more punches at Haru, she was kicked away by Kanade, having stepped in. Skidding across the ground, Hibiki quickly gets back up and attempts to attack the Chi-themed Rider only to be held back by Tsubasa and Chris who catch her by her arms. As for Haru, Kanade got in front of him before he could do anything.

"Whoa now, stop right there, Haru-san. You're dealing with me now," Kanade said, holding up her Blaygun at the ready. As for the others...

"Stop, Tachibana! That's enough!" Tsubasa said as she and Chris do their best to hold the girl back who roared in protest.

"Black doesn't suit you, you idiot!" Chris added in as she tries to hold back the girl.

Hibiki continues to fight and roar as she tries to pull away from the two Gear users' hold. Then, suddenly, with one last roar, bright light emerges from Hibiki, nearly blinding the two holdings her as they try to hold their ground. Soon, both the light and Hibiki's distorted screams begin to fade away. Recovering their vision, Both Tsubasa and Chris see that Hibiki was back to normal and out of her Gear.

"She's back to normal...?" Chris said, confused and surprised.

"Tachibana! Hey, Tachibana!" Tsubasa called out to the girl, but she was knocked out. The bluenette was about to try again when she finally noticed something. The arm she was holding onto was Hibiki's left arm, the same arm that was previously chomped off by the Nephilim.

'Her arm's intact?' Tsubasa thought in surprise. She knew that Hibiki's berserk state traded her sanity for more power, but could it be her healing abilities were also enhanced?

"Gah!" Tsubasa was brought out of her thoughts when Kanade suddenly comes flying in, rolling to a stop right in front of them.

"Kanade!"

"Oh, hey. You got Hibiki back to normal," Kanade said, noticing the girl was back to normal. Pushing herself back up, she looks ahead and winces under her helmet. "Can't say I had much luck on my end."

Just as Kanade had said, unlike where Hibiki had suddenly turned back to normal, Haru was still in his Orphnoch form, howling like a wolf as he glares at the girls in front of him.

"So, how'd you girls snap Hibiki out of it? Cause I could use a little help here," Kanade asked, raising her weapon up.

"I don't know, it just happened!" Chris said while keeping a wary eye on Haru. She didn't like the way he was looking at them.

As if tired of waiting, Haru finally sprung into action, leaping forward with his claws in front of him. In response, Kanade runs forward and blocks Haru's claws with her Blaygun as the two enter a power struggle.

"Dammit, Haru! Snap out of it!" Kanade pleaded with the Orphnoch only to receive a punch to the face from Haru's free hand. Staggering back, Kanade was unable to react in time as Haru throws out another claw strike. Luckily for the Rider, Tsubasa soon stepped in and blocked the attack with her sword, having left Hibiki in the care of Chris. The two enter a stalemate with one another before the bluenette quickly raises one of her legs and kicks the wolf Orphnoch back.

"Haru-san! That's enough! Come to your senses!" Tsubasa cried out to the berserk Orphnoch as she points her sword over at Hibiki. "Tachibana is fine now! There's more need for you to—!"

"RRRRAAAAAGH!" Haru's response was to simply roar like an animal as he leaps towards the Gear user before she could finish speaking. Tsubasa quickly puts up her guard for the incoming Orphnoch—

*BANG-BANG-BANG!*

Only for Photon laser shots to suddenly appear from up above, all striking Haru as the Orphnoch first flinches before being sent rolling on the ground.

"Nani(What)!?" Surprised and confused as to where the shots came from, Tsubasa and everyone else minus the unconscious Hibiki looks up to see a familiar white and blue Rider flying down towards them.

"Geez, what the heck did I walk into?" Psyga said as he controls his jetpack to gently lands on the ground.

"Psyga!" Tsubasa instantly recognizes the Rider, as do the others, all of them remembering the beating he gave them all.

"Yo! Good to see you guys again," Psyga casually greets them, giving them a two-finger salute.

*VROOM!*

Just then, the sound of a motorbike drew everyone's attention and they all turn to see none other than a familiar black and golden Rider arriving on the scene. Following him was the Crane Orphnoch, swooping down from above before landing down gracefully.

"Orga...and that Orphnoch..." Chris identifies the two, one arm around Hibiki while the other holds up her crossbow gun.

Orga gets off his bike before he analyzes the situation before him. All of the Symphogear users were here with one of them unconscious, a pile of ashes next to a broken Neo-Alpa Gear told him that Jack was dead, and Haru was currently berserk. But...

"Where are Maria and the others?" Orga asks the group.

"Sorry to break it to you, but they never showed up," Kanade informed the Rider. "All we got was a crazy scientist who ran away not too long ago."

"Damn...!" Orga cursed, clicking his tongue under his helmet.

"Hey, aibou(partner), I know you're upset, but we got other problems to deal with right now," Psyga said, pointing over at Haru who was watching everything cautiously. "The guy's gone berserk again. Shouldn't that be like impossible after a session with the little lady?"

"If he's gone berserk again, we just need to snap him out of it again," Orga said, getting the attention of the girls.

"You can turn Haru-san back to normal!?" Tsubasa asked.

"With her song, it's possible," Orga said, referring to the Crane Orphnoch.

"That's right, it was her..." Kanade said, remembering back then that it was the Crane Orphnoch who turned Haru back to normal the first time he went berserk as an Orphnoch.

"Can you do it?" Orga asked his comrade who nodded in response.

"I just need to get close," She said.

"In that case," Psyga began as he turns back to Haru and points over to him, switching to English as he said, "Let the Game Begin."

Sensing that he was in danger, Haru sprung into action and lept towards Psyga, thrusting his claws forward. The Rider's response was to grab the handles of his jetpack and fly up, dodging the wolf Orphnoch's attack as Orga came running in and slashing him across the chest with his Orga Stlanzer, sending the grey monster back. Rolling on the ground a little, Haru quickly gets back up and tries to attack Orga only for Psyga to quickly drop-in, landing right behind him as he moves his arms under Haru's armpits and held the Orphnoch back.

"Kyoko-chan, now!" Psyga called out to the Crane Orphnoch, using what was possibly her name.

Nodding her head, the Crane Orphnoch spreads her arms out, walks slowly towards Haru...and sings.

(Insert Mugen no Hana by Ai Kayano) (A/N: When I first used this song, I had no idea the women who sang this voiced Kirika. Small world.)

The voice of the now named Kyoko rings out for all to hear, entrancing everyone by how gentle and soothing the Orphnoch's voice was.

"This song...it's the one from last time," Kanade said, recognizing this song from three months ago. This gentle and soothing song was the same one used to bring Haru back to normal the first time he went berserk!

With slow steps, the Crane Orphnoch walks towards Haru who struggled against Psyga's hold on him, trying to break free as Kyoko's song seemed to have an effect on him as his Orphnoch form started to waver a little. As the crane-themed Orphnoch slowly walks towards the struggling Haru, Orga stands behind her, his Orga Stlanzer at the ready in its rifle mode in case something happened. And unfortunately, something did happen.

"Oi, calm down! This will all be over so—Gah!" Psyga, trying to hold down the struggling Haru, never got to finish as the wolf Orphnoch suddenly threw his head back, hitting the Rider's face. While his helmet blocked most of the damage, it surprised the Rider nonetheless as his hold on Haru slackened a little as a result. Using this chance, Haru manages to free one of his arms and elbows the white Rider across his chest, sending the Psi-themed Rider stumbling back which allowed Haru to free his other arm. Now with both his arms free, Haru turns around, kneels down...

*POW!*

And proceeds to punch Psyga right between his legs.

"Oooooooh~!" Psyga couldn't help but let out a squeal of pain as his legs buckle from the sudden dirty blow. This gave Haru the chance to grab the Psi-themed Rider, grabbing him by his head while wrapping one of his arms around his neck, before he throws the jetpacked Rider over his shoulder and towards the sing Orphnoch who lets out a cry of surprise when the Rider crashes into her, sending the both of them to the ground. This, of course, causes the Crane Orphnoch to stop singing.

(Song End)

"Oof! Dirty move from Haru-san," Kanade couldn't help, but comment, wincing at the nut shot Haru just did.

"Forget that! The song!" Chris exclaims, reminding everyone that Kyoko's song was just stopped which meant its effects were halted. Meaning...

"Rrrrraagh!" With an animalistic roar, Haru charges towards the group, his sights set on the ones closest to him which were the downed Psyga and Kyoko as the latter tried to help the former up. But before Haru could get close to the two, he was suddenly struck by Photon Shots, causing sparks to fly off his chest as he was sent rolling back.

"Onii-chan!" Kyoko cries out in surprise as Orga steps in front of the two, his weapon aimed at Haru who got back up and growled at him.

"You two alright?" Orga asked.

"I'm fine, but..." Kyoko said, assuring her big brother that she was okay. Psyga on the other hand...

"He punched me in the dick!" Psyga groaned out, hands over his family jewels. "Why! Why did he punch me in the dick!?"

"Well, it is Haru," Orga said, speaking as if he knew Haru personally, something the girls picked up on. But before anyone could question him, Haru comes charging in, attacking again and angrier than before.

Switching his Orga Stlanzer to sword mode, Orga swings his weapon forward, stopping a set of claws from reaching him. Using his superior strength provided to him by his Rider Gear, Orga pushes back Haru's claws, sending his arm upward as the omega-themed Rider used this opening chance to deliver a kick to the wolf Orphnoch's chest, sending Haru skidding back.

Recovering from the kick quickly, Haru charges at Orga again who swings his sword at him in response. However, this time, Haru leaps over the omega Rider, dodging Orga's sword. Rolling to his feet, Haru turns and runs up to Orga who turns around, swing his sword only for Haru to leap over him again. Turning around, Orga quickly raises his weapon to stop a set of claws from reaching him. Before Orga could push back the Wolf Orphnoch, Haru quickly jumps and dropkicks the Rider, sending him stumbling to the ground while Haru flips over and lands on his feet. Seeing the downed Rider, Haru jumps up into the air before coming down on the black and golden Rider, claws forward. Seeing the incoming Orphnoch, Orga raises his weapon in time to block Haru's claws as he comes crashing down on him. The two soon enter a power struggle as Haru tries to get his claws forward with Orga pushes them back. Growing impatient, Haru raises his other clawed hand to use, only to be intercepted by Kyoko who comes flying in, wings out.

Using her talon feet, she grabs Haru by his shoulders and pries him off of her brother, carrying the wolf Orphnoch into the air. With a flick of her feet, the Crane Orphnoch throws Haru into the air before spinning around and kicking him away, only to cry out in surprise when Haru grabs one of her legs as he was being kicked. With the pull of Haru's sudden weight, Kyoko gets pulled down as Haru grabs one of her wings and uses it to pull himself up to Kyoko's face, grabbing her shoulder with his other hand before he proceeds to give her a headbutt to the face, knocking her back and sending her flailing about.

"Get off of her!" Psyga, who comes flying in suddenly, shouts out before he kicked the wolf Orphnoch off of Kyoko, sending the wild beast falling and crashing to the ground while Psyga catches Kyoko, grabbing one of her arms.

"Arigato(Thanks)," Kyoko thanks the Psi Rider, spreading her wings out as she and Psyga flew back down to the ground, landing right next to Orga's side as the three looks towards where Haru crash-landed and sees the Wolf Orphnoch picking himself back up, glaring and growling right at them.

"Geez, I remember this being much easier the first time we did this," Psyga comments, grabbing the handles of his Flying Attacker in preparation for another fight.

"We just need to hold him down long enough for Kyoko to sing her song," Orga said, readying his Stlanzer. Haru was fast, he would admit, but with the exception of Kyoko, He and Psyga were stronger than the wolf Orphnoch. They just needed a chance to hold him down.

"Let us help," Suddenly, joining the trio were Tsubasa, Kanade, and Chris, all three readying their own weapons. Behind them was a still unconscious Hibiki, having been laid against a rock.

"Are you sure? He's your friend," Orga asked, seeing how reluctant they were in hurting one of their own.

"As if we can leave the idiot like this," Chris said, aiming her crossbows at Haru.

"Besides, we just need to hold him down, right?" Kanade said as she raised her Blaygun up. "That should be no problem for this baby right here."

"...okay," Nodding his head, Orga and the rest of the group all stand together with one goal in mind: Saving Haru.

Seeing as there were now six people against him, Haru even in the state he was in came to a decision. A decision no one expected from him at all.

He turned and ran.

...

...

...

"...AH!" The first one to recover was Chris. "The fuck, he's running!?"

Chris's scream snapped everyone out of their surprise as Kyoko pointed and shouted, "After him!"

*VROOM!*

Before anyone had a chance to move, the sound of a motorbike drew their attention and everyone turned to see the last Smart Brain Rider, Xiao Li aka Pyron, driving away on his Gyro Tourer while carrying away a set of Gear that everyone recognized.

"Haru's Rider Gear!" Tsubasa cried out, having completely forgotten, what with two members going berserk all of a sudden, that Haru was stripped of his Faiz Gear by Jack before the latter's untimely death.

"He's getting away!" Psyga cried out the obvious as he turns to Orga. "What should we do, aibou?"

Looking between the direction Haru ran off towards and where Pyron was escaping, the omega Rider made his decision.

"After him!" Orga said, pointing towards the escaping Pyron as he ran over to his Golden Stallion bike.

"Hold it!" Chris exclaims as she points towards where Haru ran off. "What about Haru?"

"I'm sorry, but we can't let Smart Brain get their hands on that Gear," Orga said, revving up his bike before driving off with Psyga and Kyoko following him from the skies.

"Matte(Wait)!" Tsubasa cried out, but the three were already gone.

"Argh! Forget about them!" Kanade exclaims in annoyance as she goes and gets on her Side Basshar. "We'll just go after Haru-san ourselves! Come on!"

"Right!" Nodding in understanding, Tsubasa turns to Chris and says, "Yukine! Take Tachibana back to base!"

"What!?" The white-haired girl exclaims as Tsubasa runs over to her own bike and gets on, revving the engines.

"Ikuzo(Let's go)!" Tsubasa said as she and Kanade drove their respective bikes away, chasing after Haru.

"Hey! Wait a minute!" Chris cries out to them, but both Symphogear user and Rider were already gone. Now all alone with an unconscious Hibiki, Chris grinds her teeth in frustration before shouting to the sky," AH MOU!"


(Highway)

Somehow, Haru had managed to run all the way to a highway bridge, jumping on and leaping off cars, causing them to swerve out of control. Following behind the Wolf Orphnoch were both Tsubasa and Kanade, the former having a much easier time closing the distance between them while the latter had a bit more difficult time due to having a sidecar attached to her bike. Nonetheless, both bikers were able to expertly maneuver their respective bikes around, dodging swerving cars while also closing the distance between them and the runaway Haru.

"I never thought I'd see the day Haru-san ran from a fight!" Kanade shouted over all the traffic and commotion right now.

"Now's not the time for jokes, Kanade!" Tsubasa shouted back to the Rider, quickly moving her bike to avoid another car swerving out of control. Were it not for the importance of catching Haru right now, she would have stopped to check if the driver was alright. As things stood, the sooner they caught Haru, the sooner they could stop this chaos.

As the two bikers got closer and closer to the running Orphnoch, the said Orphnoch took notice of their distance, jumped off the car he was currently on, and leaped off the highway bridge they were all on, disappearing over the edge.

"Not so fast!" Tsubasa said as she and Kanade both drove towards the side and jumped their bikes, land and skidding down to another highway road. Ignoring the honking coming from cars, the two girls looked around...and found no sign of Haru anywhere.

"What the!? Where'd he go!?" Kanade said, looking around frantically.

"Split up! He couldn't have gotten far!" Tsubasa said.

Kanade nodded her head and both bikers drove in different directions with the hope of finding Haru. But in the end, after hours of searching, they weren't able to find him. They had lost him.


(Back with Maria's Group)

"Mom! Hold on, Mom!" Maria cried out to Nastassja, trying to keep her mother-figure awake.

Nastassja herself was not looking so good right now. Once her coughing fit started, she soon started coughing up blood which was now all over her shirt. She had soon stopped coughing and was currently passed out, but the sight of blood was concerning.

"She's taken a turn for the worse!" Maria said, cursing under her breath.

"What do we do, Maria?" Kirika asked, both she and Shirabe standing to the side not knowing what to do.

"Get the doctor back here, now!" Maria's response was instant.

"You mean..." Shirabe said as they only knew one doctor at the moment; Dr. Ver.

"I can do emergency first aid, but we need him here to see her! Understand?" Maria said.

Looking at one another, the girls both nod in understanding.

"Understood!" Kirika said as both she and Shirabe left to go look for the doctor.

With both the girls gone, Maria looks back down at Nastassja in worry. Digging into her pocket, she grips the one thing she had left of her little sister, Serena's broken relic fragment.

'Is this all because I was too weak to bear Finé's legacy?' Maria wonders to herself as she thinks, 'Serena...Natsu...what should I do now?'

With the way things were going, everything was slowly falling apart.


(Meanwhile...)

"Ha...ha...ha..."

Tired and exhausted, his movements were sluggish and he felt like his entire body was on fire.

"Ha...ha...ha..."

Tired breaths escaped his mouth as he struggled to keep his body moving. He had to keep moving. He had to get away from...who was he trying to run from again? And why?

"Dammit, my head's all fuzzy..." He places a hand on his head, trying to shake away the dizziness clouding his head. He was seeing double of everything in his eyes. Where the heck was he? A neighborhood? How far had he run?

"Ah!" A noise of surprise escapes his mouth as he trips over his own legs and crashes into a pair of trashcans, falling down and knocking them over. He curses under his breath, throwing the trash on him off. And that's when he saw it.

Right there in front of him was a broken shard of glass which showed his reflection...except the thing staring back at him wasn't his reflection, but that of a wolf.

He lets out a cry of surprise, jumping back. And that's when finally takes notice of it; his body. His legs weren't human, his hands had claws, and his body was entirely colored in different shades of grey.

"This...This can't be real...!" He says to himself, picking up the glass shard on the ground to check his reflection again. But all he saw was the same wolf as before staring right back at him.

"No...NO! This can't be!" Haru cries out protest, crushing the glass shard in his hands and stood up. That's when he saw it again.

Right there, from the window of a house he was next to, reflected in them was a grey form he knew all too well. And much to his horror, the reflection was copying all his movements.

"No...No! NO!" Haru cried out, but as much as he wanted to deny it, the proof was right in front of him...and it was him.

He, Yamamoto Haru, was an Orphnoch.

"Who the heck is making all that racket?" Suddenly, the front door of the house opens as an elderly woman steps out with a flashlight in hand. Looking to her left, she gasps in surprise when there, on the ground was Haru, passed out and back in his human form. The woman blinks in surprise and then in recognition.

"Yamamoto-san?"


'Huh? Where's Haru-kun and everyone else?'

Deep within the mind of one Tachibana Hibiki, the floats within her unconscious mind, confused and wondering where her friends were at. Then, suddenly, images of an old and painful past begin to appear. She was having a dream, a dream she hasn't had in a long time.

'I see...this again...' Hibiki thinks bitterly as she's forced to relive these memories.

There she stood at her desk, a junior high student once again. Laying all over her desk were newspapers, all depicting the tragedy that was Zwei Wings's destroyed concert.

"I'm surprised she has the gall to still be alive."

"Yeah, after killing all those people."

No, that's not true. She didn't—!

"Haven't you heard? If you get attacked by the Noise, you get a big payout even if you're injured. They call it 'Special Disaster Compensation.'"

"Doesn't that come out of the taxes our moms and dads pay? No wonder she's doing so well after almost dying."

"What a waste of our tax money."

"I know, right?"

That's not true! She didn't know! Yes, she and her family received a lot of money from the government which helped pay for her hospital bills, but that doesn't mean—!

{MURDERER!}

{THIEF!}

{ONLY YOU SURVIVED!}

Such words and the like were taped and graffitied all over her house. As if the school wasn't bad enough, the entire neighborhood was cursing her and her family.

Tearing off most of the paper on the front gate, she soon entered her house and found her mom and grandmother both in the kitchen, the former doing the dishes while the latter sat at the table, greeting her once she entered.

"Okairi(Welcome back)."

Hibiki tried to put on her best smile as she greeted her grandmother back before doing the same with her mom. Things were...normal around the house, she wanted to say. But it was rarely peaceful.

*CRACK!*

She and the rest of her family cried out when rocks suddenly came crashing through their windows. Her grandmother held her close protectively while her mother went to check and see who had thrown rocks at their house. From outside the perpetrators, kids from the neighborhood laughed wickedly and mockingly out loud.

"Murderer! Murderer!" They cried out in mocking tones, laughing all the while.

"You kids—!" Her mother shouted angrily at them, causing them to quickly run.

"Run! She'll kill us too!" They said as they ran away. This wasn't the first time this has happened. Ever since she got out of the hospital, it's been nothing but curses thrown at her, either in the form of whispering words or hard rocks. She couldn't help but cry every time.

"Daijōbu(It's all right)," Her mom would say as she brought her into a hug. "Your grandmother and I are happy you're alive and here with us. Don't let what those people say get to you, okay?"

'I just wanted to get through rehab and go back to my old self so they'd be happy, but...' But they did get to her, it always did no matter how hard she tried. If it was her alone, she could have endured the constant curses and rocks thrown at her. But more times than not, her family got caught up and she hated it. She hated herself for getting her family involved.

'It grew to the point where my dad ran away due to all of the pressure,' It seemed as if her family was falling apart because of her. She cried and cried to herself, blaming herself, hating herself...

But she never expected for her cries to be heard.

*BAM-POW-POW!*

"Hey! The fuck is your prob—!?"

*POW!*

The guy speaking was silenced by a fist to the face, knocking the man out as well as breaking his nose. More guys cursed and attacked, but they were all ultimately knocked out like the first man.

There he stood, stand over a pile of men while guarding her house. Turning towards her, the man offered her a hand as he asked,

"Are you okay? You were crying and..."

'Yes, that's right. It was around that time that Haru-kun got involved.'

Yamamoto Haru. At the time, she only knew the man as someone who worked over at the okonomiyaki restaurant, the Flower. He suddenly appeared before her and her family right after her father ran out of the family. Without even being asked to, he acted as sort of a guard for Hibiki, driving her to school on his cool motorcycle and chasing away the people that tried to vandalize her house. Of course, by chase away, she really meant beat everyone to a pulp.

'For seemingly no reason at all, Haru-kun protected me from all of the harassment. It got to the point where people started calling him, "the Wolf of the Tachibanas."'

She honestly thought the nickname was a bit ridiculous if not a tad embarrassing. It was like people were saying Haru was her family's personal guard dog. However, she would admit that the name fitted the man to an extent. More times than not, the thought of Haru protecting her and her family was like a wolf protecting his pack from danger. It wouldn't be a stretch to say Haru was quite the "Papa Wolf."

To everyone outside of her family, Haru was seen as a dangerous individual. Instead of talking things out like she would, Haru tended to get into a lot of fights, though most of them were because the people he fought had malicious intentions towards her and her family. One time, when a group of kids all younger than her tried throwing rocks at her, Haru in response caught all the rocks and threw them back at them so hard they started bleeding. While she was thankful for Haru protecting her, she was a bit uncomfortable with how far he sometimes took it. The guy wasn't even afraid to punch a girl even!

'He would always say things like, "I am an advocate of gender equality!" as his excuse." Really, the man was a handful. If she hadn't been there to hold him back, she wondered if the cops would have gotten involved due to how bloody his fights would get sometimes.

Of course, while people saw Haru as nothing more than a violent man, that wasn't the case with her. She could still remember it to this day, the sight of Haru cleaning off all the graffiti staining her house, him helping around the house in order to lessen the burden plaguing her family, even going so far as to cook for them, and driving away people trying to harass her.

Miku and her friends eventually got involved, helping and protecting her from people cursing her like Haru. Eventually, the people trying to harass her and her family finally backed off and all the curses and rocks thrown at her died down. Peace had returned to her and her family.

'I'm grateful for everyone's help. Miku, Kuriyo, Shiori, Yumi...but the one who I'm most grateful to is...'

Yes, that's right. Miku and the others were great friends who she cherished deeply. But Haru, what made him stand out wasn't because of the way he stood up for her, fighting those that wanted to harm her. No, it wasn't just that, it was more than that. It's because...

'It's because he heard my cries...and reached out to me,' Hibiki thought, opening her eyes to find herself in the 2nd Division's Hospital room. A nearby monitor kept track of her pulse. Turning her head to the right, she saw sitting right next to her pillow was a card from Miku.

-Get better soon, okay?- It said. She could imagine her friend giving her a smile to try and cheer her up.

Instead of smiling at the latter, Hibiki frowns as she recalls the things Ver had said to her which made her think back to the things Shirabe said to her.

'Is what I'm doing just hypocrisy like Shirabe-chan said?' Hibiki couldn't help but think to herself. 'Though I try my hardest to bring happiness, will I just bring pain and sadness to others in turn?'

I told you already, didn't I? I promised to protect you no matter what.

Haru's words, the promise he made to her flashed in her mind. She couldn't help but wonder if the man she's had a crush on since middle school had an answer to her thoughts.

"Hm?" Hibiki was brought out of her thoughts when she felt something on her chest. Getting up, she loosens the hospital gown she was wearing and touches her chest only for something to fall from the place where her scar was at. Looking down, she blinks in confusion as she looks down at the black rock that fell from her.

"Huh? A scab?"


(Smart Brain Company Building)

In the office room made for the president of the company, Murakami himself smiles satisfactorily at Xiao Li as on his desk was the one and only Faiz Gear, currently being inspected/marveled by the company's 'mascot,' the Smart Lady.

"I brought you the Gear, just as promised," Xiao Li said.

"A job well done, Mr. Xiao Li," Murakami praised the man as he went and grabbed the Faiz Phone, flipping it open to inspect it.

"Yes! A truly great job well done!" The Smart Lady happily praises the Chinese as she skips over to the man. "You've done what no other Orphnoch has been able to do! You deserve a big reward: A kiss from yours truly! Chuu~!"

"No thank you," Xiao Li tries to not let his annoyance show as he blocks the woman's attempt at kissing him before pushing her back.

"Aw, you're just being shy."

"Enough, Lady. Stop teasing the young man," Murakami said, placing the Faiz Phone back down before addressing the Orphnoch from China. "But it's as she says, you've retrieved the Faiz Gear, something no other person from our company has managed to do. It's a shame we lost both Armel and Jack, but sacrifices were necessary in order to achieve our goal, especially against someone like Yamamoto Haru. He's been a constant thorn to this company for two years now."

"You may not have managed to kill him, but you did get the Gear back and that's all that matters!" Smart Lady said, standing on her tippy-toes in order to pat Xiao Li on the head.

Brushing the hand aside, the Chinese Orphnoch brings up another topic.

"That man, Yamamoto Haru, he is an Orphnoch."

"Yes, it greatly surprised us too," Murakami said as Lady nods her head cutely in agreement. "However, it does explain how he was able to utilize the Faiz Gear when it should be impossible for a human to use it. Now we know."

"What do we do about him?" Xiao Li asked. With the revelation of Haru's Orphnoch status, the company's treatment towards him would no doubt change. After all, it was Smart Brain's goal to have all Orphnoch populate the Earth which meant having every Orphnoch they could find to join their side.

"Now that we know that Yamamoto is actually an Orphnoch, the situation with him has changed," Murakami said while confirming Xiao Li's thoughts. "Mr. Xiao Li, I want you to capture Yamamoto Haru and bring him here to me."

"Understood," Xiao Li bows, understanding his new mission as he turns to leave.

"Wait a minute," Murakami speaks up, stopping the Chinese as he gets up and walks over to the man. "Since you've managed to bring us the Faiz Gear, it's only right to give you your reward. For retrieving the Gear, the prize money has already been sent to your bank account."

"Thank you," Xiao Li thanked the man. He needed that money.

"Of course, as for the promise of becoming one of our members of our Lucky Clover, I'm afraid we can't give you that yet," Murakami said as he walks back over to his desk and grabs the Faiz Gear. "Our condition was that whoever was the first to bring Yamamoto Haru in. So..."

Picking up the Rider Gear, Murakami walks back over to Xiao Li...and hands him the Gear.

"You know what to do, right?"

Looking at the offered Gear for a moment, Xiao Li then soon takes it from the company president and nods his head.

"It shall be done."


(The Next Day)

The ringing bell of Lydian Academy signals the end of classes for the day as Hibiki, discharged after another medical checkup, meets up with both Tsubasa and Chris.

"I'm so sorry!" Hibiki waves over to girls as she approaches them before bowing to them. "I must have made you worried."

"You're looking better than I expected," Chris said, happy to see the girl alright and healthy. She then added, "Well, you should use this opportunity to get some rest."

"Never fear! I'm Tachibana Hibiki!" Hibiki exclaims dramatically, trying to appear cheerful to the two. "Lazing around and spacing out are my specialties! Leave it to me!"

Chris smiles in amusement, but Tsubasa doesn't buy Hibiki's act.

"Are you really all right?" The bluenette asks. "You're not just putting on a brave face so we don't worry, right?"

Hibiki reacts to Tsubasa's question but tries to play it off.

"No, of course n—" Hibiki didn't get to finish as Tsubasa suddenly walks up to her and grabs her left arm, looking at it as she grips the arm tightly as if making sure it was real.

"Um, Tsubasa-san? You're hurting me," Hibiki said, wincing at the bluenette's grip.

Realizing what she was doing, Tsubasa releases Hibiki's arm and apologizes.

"I'm sorry."

"What's up with you?" Chris asks as Tsubasa looks away. "You've been acting strange lately. You're not trying to imitate this dummy here, are you?"

Tsubasa doesn't say anything until Hibiki suddenly apologizes.

"I'm sorry."

"...as long as you're all right, then it's fine," Tsubasa said as her mind drifts back to last night.


(Last Night)

It was after hours of searching Haru did Tsubasa and Kanade return to base. When they got there, the members of the 2nd Division were all in a state of rush. With the revelation that the moon was falling, the people were trying to formulate a plan to counter this new threat while Genjuro discussed the situation with members of the government. After being informed that Chris had delivered Hibiki to the medical room, the girl had been told to go home for the night, leaving just Tsubasa and Kanade as they waited for Genjuro to meet with them, having discovered something.

"So, I take it you lost Haru?" Genjuro asked, yet already knew the answer after seeing the downcast looks on them.

"No," Kanade answered, having canceled her transformation a while back as did Tsubasa. "We searched all over the place, but it's like he just disappeared."

"I see..."

"And? What about the ones who went after Pyron?" Tsubasa asked, talking about Orga and his group.

"Our surveillance cameras showed us that as they were chasing down Pyron, a squad of Riotroopers suddenly showed up and ambushed them," Orga informed the two. "While they were able to repel them, Pyron escaped."

"Which means Smart Brain now has Haru's Faiz Gear," Kanade said, cursing under her breath.

"That's not all, I'm afraid," Genjuro said as he handed something to Tsubasa.

Taking the item, what was given to the pop idol was what appears to be a piece of hardened scab. What was curious about it was that it had what appeared to be dark crystals sprouting from it.

"The heck is this?" Kanade asks, leaning over Tsubasa's shoulder to get a closer look at the scab contained in a small glass container.

"Part of Hibiki's bodily tissue that we collected during her medical checkup," Genjuro answered as he held up an x-ray scan of Hibiki's body.

"The fragments of Gungnir in her chest?" Tsubasa said, she and Kanade turning to the man in surprise before widening their eyes at the x-ray scan in Genjuro's hands.

Right at where Hibiki's scar was located, where the fragments of Kanade's former Gungnir were located, a complete black dot was shown as what appears to be tendrils sprouted from the dot, the relic fragments, and were spreading throughout her entire body.

"What the hell is that?" Kanade asked, not liking the looks of the image once bit.

"Her repeated use of the relic by breaking it into energy and reconstructing it as her Symphogear has caused it to further spread through her body," Genjuro answered.

"The fusion of a human body and a relic..." Tsubasa said, remembering that Hibiki wasn't just a normal Attuned like her and Chris. The difference between a normal Attuned and one who's fused with a relic is that the latter gained more unique abilities compared to the former. One such ability was rapid regeneration, an ability that was shown by another relic-fused human, the previous Finé, Sakurai Ryoko. It certainly made sense now how Hibiki regained her left arm after it was chomped off right before everyone's eyes.

"This is the source of the explosive power wielded by Hibiki-kun, surpassing that of any mere Attuned," Genjuro said, setting down the x-ray scan as times where Hibiki's powers were more explosive than normal, a prime example being the unique team attack, the S2CA Triburst.

"Oi, what kind of effects does this fusion have on her body?" Kanade asked, she and Tsubasa dreading the answer.

"It will kill her before too long." Was the answer Genjuro gave them.

"Tachibana's...going to die?" Tsubasa said in disbelief, the glass container in her hands shaking. "That's can't be!"

"Shit!" Kanade shouted in anger, kicking a random wall in frustration before turning back to Genjuro. "Isn't there anything we can do? We can't just let her die!

"Even if she lives, should the relic continue to fuse with her body, can we say she'll still live on as a human?" Genjuro said, looking down in shame. "How ironic. It was only because she went berserk that we found out her life was in danger."

"Tachibana is broken..." Tsubasa said, looking through the window and up to the moon. "Just like the moon."

"If Haru-san were here now..." Kanade wondered out loud, imagining the reaction the Rider would have if he heard this news. He would no doubt explode.

"FIS talks a good game about saving humanity when the Moon falls, but they're gleefully using Noise to endanger human lives. We can't just let them do as they please."

"And what about Hibiki?" Kanade asked as the man hadn't answered her previous question yet.

"As of right now, we have no idea what to do with Hibiki's condition. The best we can do is to keep her out of action," Genjuro said before he clenches his fist in frustration. "But...how much can we do without Hibiki-kun's help?" While the man had complete confidence in the others, the fact remains that Hibiki was a strong ally. Without her, their strength has dropped down drastically.

"Even so, we can't let Tachibana fight anymore," Tsubasa said, gripping the item in her hand tightly as she looks up to the moon, her eyes filled with determination. "Any threats that come our way will meet the point of my sentinel's sword."

"Oh don't be like that Tsubasa," Kanade said. "I know you're worried for her, but don't go about being an emotionless blade again. Haru-san went through a lot to punch that out of you. And speaking of Haru-san..."

"Where are you going?" Genjuro asks when Kanade turns and leaves.

"I'm going out for another round, see if I can find any clues on Haru-san's whereabouts," Kanade said, stopping to turn back over to Tsubasa. "You should get some rest, Tsubasa. You got classes and all tomorrow."

"So do you," Tsubasa shot back. While Kanade was no longer a student at Lydian, what with it primarily being a music school, that didn't mean Kanade's education was put on hold. After losing her singing voice, Kanade now took special classes so that she didn't fall behind on her academics.

"Don't worry, I won't be out long," Kanade said. "With Hibiki's condition and Haru-san missing, our forces have dropped dramatically. We have to be careful now more than never, especially since Smart Brain now has the Faiz Gear. Who knows what they're planning now."

"Still..."

"I said don't worry. I'll be careful," Kanade assures her friend before turning around and leaving. "I'll let you know if I find anything."


(Present)

"Hey, did that geezer tell you something?" Chris asked the bluenette, referring to Genjuro.

"Only that those who cannot maintain their self-control against their toughest foes are worthless as warriors," Tsubasa said, putting on an act as she directed her words at Hibiki.

"Eh?"

"He's telling you to never set foot on the battlefield again," Tsubasa said before she goes and shoves Hibiki back roughly. "Never use your Gear again. You'll just slow us down!"

"What the hell?" Chris exclaims, getting between the two as she goes against Tsubasa. "Are you serious?" Tsubasa merely turns her head away, not answered. "Hey! Say something dammit! Don't give me the silent treatment!"

"Chris-chan!" Hibiki suddenly speaks up, stopping the girl before things escalated as she holds her left arm and looks down in shame. "It's okay. It's true that I went out of control, and I really am useless. It's just...after what happened to Haru-kun..."

At the mention of Haru do the girls all look down, thinking of the Rider and the fact that he was actually an Orphnoch, a fact not even Haru knew about.

"Kanade is currently out looking for clues on Haru-san's whereabouts. He's out there, alive so don't worry," Tsubasa said. "She, Yukine, and I will handle FIS ourselves. The 2nd Division is launching an investigation on the whereabouts of Dr. Ver. We can get by without whatever little help Tachibana had to offer."

"Ah!" Tsubasa's words had a clear effect on Hibiki who looks up at the idol in surprise. Ignoring the face Hibiki was making, Tsubasa walks past her.

"Hey, wait dammit!" Chris cries out as she runs after the bluenette. "What the hell are you thinking? Hey! Listen when I'm talking to you!"

But the bluenette doesn't answer back to Chris' shouting as the two left Hibiki to her lonesome. Now all alone, Hibiki looks down and closes her eyes, trying to stop the tears from falling.


(Meanwhile)

At the site of the remains of the Kadingir, the tired and dirt-covered form of Dr. Ver is seen, using Soloman's cane as a...well, a cane as the doctor tries to move forward, having run all night long after the disaster that was the berserk Hibiki and Haru tearing apart the Nephilim. Tired, exhausted, and hungry, the doctor doesn't see the steep hill until it was too late, letting out a cry as the man misses a step and falls down, crashing with the grace of a starfish.

Somehow alright, the doctor reaches out for Soloman's Cane...

*THUMP-THUMP-THUMP!*

Ver's eyes widen in surprise before a smile soon appears on his face. Right there, laying in the shade as if to hide from the light as the heart of the Nephilim, the one Hibiki had torn out in her berserk state. With a demented laugh, Ver walks over to the stone-like heart and picks it up.

"So it was here all along!" Ver laughs to himself again, rejoicing at the fact that his plans were not ruined yet.

"As long as I have this, I'll be a hero!"

After a few minutes of laughing to himself, the mad doctor collects himself as he goes and grabs the fallen Soloman's Cane. People were looking for him, no doubt. He had to move quickly.


(With Maria)

Ringo wa ukanda osora ni…

Hearing an all too familiar song, Nastassja stirs before she finally opens her eyes. Blinking, she looks to her right to where the song was coming from.

Ringo wa okkochita jibeta ni…

Nastassja couldn't help but smile. Right there, leaning against the wall, was Maria, eye closed as she sang the song she and her little sister, Serena used to sing as kids.

'Such a gentle girl," Nastassja thinks as she looks back up. 'And it's not just Maria. I'm making these three gentle girls carry such a heavy cross.'

Hoshi ga umarete uta ga umarete RURUAMERU wa waratta Tokoshie to

As Maria's song echoes in the silent room they were in, Nastassja closes her eyes and thinks back to the not-so-simple times. The times when she was the 'caretaker' of the Receptor Children. Her methods back then could be seen as harsh and one brat in particular certainly voiced his opinion.

Stop it! I won't let you hurt these girls!

You're treating them as nothing more than science experiments. They're human beings like you and me!

'That boy, Natsu, he was cheeky yet mature for his age. A bit too mature if you ask me,' Nastassja thought, opening her eyes. 'However, the things he said do ring true.'

Hoshi ga KISU shite uta ga nemutte

'Perhaps...I may be wrong,' Nastassja thought as she finally sits up, contacting Kirika and Shirabe while also alerting Maria of her awakening.

"It's me."

{Is that...Is that you, Mom?} Kirika's voice came through the coms, sounding relieved as the message window only displayed sound and didn't bring up an image.

{How are you feeling?} Shirabe's voice came next, asking about her health.

"I was able to get through the worst of it thanks to Maria's care," Nastassja said.

{Thank goodness.}

{Yeah.} Both the girls sounded relieved before Kirika's voice grew nervous. {B-By the way, Mom...I know you said to stand by, but the reason we're out walking is—}

"I understand. Maria's orders, right?"

Kirika sighs on the other end as Shirabe speaks up.

{Mom, the only one who can help you get better is the doctor, but we haven't been able to get in touch with him.}

"I see. Thank you, you two," Nastassja said, getting a look of surprise from Maria due to how gentle she seemed now. "Let me know when you find him. I'll send you the rendezvous point."

{Roger that!} Kirika said before ending the call.

"Also..."

{Hm?}

"You's been up all day, correct? Go get something to eat before resuming your search." Nastassja said, getting another surprised look from Maria.

{O-Okay? Roger that.}


"O-Okay? Roger that!" Kirika said before she ended the transmission. After doing that did she slump down and sigh. "I never expected her to call like that."

"I'm glad she's all right, though," Shirabe said, smiling a little.

"Yeah," Kirika nodded in agreement with her friend.

*Grumble!*

Suddenly, a loud grumble came from Kirika's stomach, causing the girl to laugh and blush as she held her stomach.

"Whoops! The moment I calmed down, I realized how hungry I was."

"Well, we haven't had anything to eat since this morning," Shirabe said as she and Kirika had been searching for the doctor all day.

"What should we do? Find something to eat around here?" Kirika asked as they looked around. They had found themselves at a shopping center which was completely wrecked at the moment. Either a Noise had attacked here previously, or this place was just really old.

"Yeah..." Shirabe said. "But we need to find the doctor as soon as possible."

"True," Kirika said before her eyes began to wander. "But...Mom did give us the okay to go eat, so..."

Shirabe notices Kirika acting strangely and asks, "Do you have someplace in mind?"

"Well..." Kirika shyly pushes her fingers together as she looks away from her friend in the same manner.

Shirabe raises an eyebrow, confused by how Kirika was acting until her eyes widen in realization before they narrow at the blond.

"It's that guy, isn't it?"

"Hey, Yugo-san's food is really good. Sue me," Kirika said, holding her hands up in mock surrender.

"Yugo-san?" Shirabe repeats the man's name. She hadn't noticed it back during the festival since they were running, but when had her friend gotten on a first-name basis with a guy she barely even knew?

"Um..." As if sensing Shirabe's...animosity? Jealousy? Whatever it was, it was making Kirika nervous. Quickly, in an attempt to change topics, Kirika grabs Shirabe's hand and drags her away.

"Come on! At this time, Yugo-san's stand should be around here somewhere," Kirika said as she searched for the man's food stand.

"You know where he is?" Shirabe asked, picking up on the fact that Kirika knows where Yugo might be and exactly when he would be there.

"Gh!" Kirika flinches as if knowing she just dug her grave even deeper.

"You never answered my question on whether he's a better cook than me."

"Uh...I plead the Fifth?"


(With Hibiki)

"Oi, Hibiki. Hibiki!"

"Huh?" Snapping out of her stupor, Hibiki turns to her friend, Miku.

"I said, are you okay? You've been spacing out a lot today," Miku asked as the two were currently walking together. Classes have ended for today and Miku had invited Hibiki to go shopping which was why they were at the shopping district right now.

"Ehehe, gomen(sorry)," Hibiki apologizes, trying to laugh it off, but Miku was buying it.

"Hibiki, what's wrong, you can tell me."

"...nothing gets past you, huh?" Hibiki said, dropping her act and looking downcast as she tells her best friend what was on her mind.

"I...I had a dream last night."

"A dream?"

Hibiki nods. "It was when I got out of the hospital, back in middle school."

"Oh, that," Miku said, understanding what Hibiki was talking about.

"A lot's been happening. There's the FIS, me going berserk, and Haru-kun..." Hibiki trails off from there, her mind now thinking about the missing Rider.

"We never did tell him the truth," Miku brought up, she and everyone else in the 2nd Division knowing about Haru's status as an Orphnoch except the man himself. They had all kept it a secret from him in fear of what his reaction would be if he knew.

"Tsubasa-san said that Haru-kun's alive and should be alright, but..." Hibiki trails off again, her mind going back to what she saw before she went berserk. The sight of Haru getting stabbed in the back before turning into an Orphnoch and going berserk...she couldn't help but worry.

"Hey, don't worry, Hibiki. This is Haru-kun we're talking about," Miku said, trying to cheer her friend up.

Hibiki merely nods. Haru was one of the toughest people she knew and knows that he can be quite stubborn. But she also knew that stubbornness of his got him into trouble sometimes which caused her to worry more.

Seeing the look on her friend's face, Miku pondered on what to do until an idea popped into her head. Suddenly, Miku grabbed one of Hibiki's hands and dragged her away.

"Wha!? Miku, what are you—?"

"Let's get something to eat," Miku interrupted the girl as she dragged her along. "There's this place I've been visiting for a while now, they're food is great. Come on!"

"Eh?" Hibiki let out a confused cry as she was dragged along. "W-Wait a minute, Miku!"

But Miku did not stop. Having known Hibiki for as long as she has, she knew food was one of many things that could cheer up her friend, even if it was only for a little.

"Where is he?" Miku mutters as she turns a corner and soon smiles. "There! Yugo-san!"

"Yugo-san?" Hibiki repeats in confusion, confused as to who Miku was calling out to.

Looking over her friend's shoulder, Hibiki sees that Miku was bringing her over to a food stand run by none other than Yugo himself, dressed in a white apron that had a few grease stains on it and a piece of cloth wrapped around his head in order to pull his hair as said hair was tied into a short ponytail, probably to pull it back even further as the man was working over a grill. And Yugo wasn't alone as there were customers standing in front of said stand as the said customers were—

"Ah!"

"Ah!" Both Hibiki and Miku let out noises of surprise as they both stood in front of Kirika and Shirabe, both with their mouths full.

"Ish hyou!" Kirika exclaims, pointing at Hibiki. However, because her mouth was currently stuffed with food, no one could understand her.

"Kirika-chan, don't talk with your mouth full," Yugo said, getting the blond girl to blush and swallow her food as the man turned towards Miku and Hibiki, greeting the two. "Hey, Miku-chan, nice to see you again. Friend of yours?"

"Uh, yeah," Miku said awkwardly, having not expected to run into the two FIS members. Trying not to panic, she introduces Hibiki to Yugo. "This is my friend, Hibiki."

"Hibiki-chan then," Yugo said as he extended a hand to Hibiki. "Nice to meet you. Name's Kurenai Yugo, I run this stand."

"Uh, nice to meet you too," Hibiki awkwardly took Yugo's hand and shook it while her eyes never left Shirabe and Kirika who both stared back cautiously.

Seeing the tension between both sides, Yugo goes and asks, "Do you all know each other?"

"In a way," Shirabe said cryptically as she practically glares right at Hibiki who flinches under her gaze.

"Okay?" Confused by Shirabe's hostility towards Hibiki, Yugo nonetheless gets back to work as he places different ingredients over the grill in front of him, ingredients both Miku and Hibiki recognize.

"Is that...okonomiyaki?" Miku asked.

"Why yes, it is," Yugo said, pouring batter over a generous amount of chopped cabbages. Setting the batter aside, Yugo grabs four eggs and throws them up into the air, surprising the girls as Yugo meanwhile quickly grabs an iron spatula. As the eggs fall down with everyone watching, Yugo swings the iron spatula as if it was a knife and seemingly slices the eggs in two. The insides of the eggs all fall out and on top of the cabbages, while faster than the eye could track, Yugo grabs the eggshells before they fall on the unfinished dish and throws them away in a nearby trash bin.

"Oooooh~!" Everyone expresses their amazement at Yugo's skills, with Kirika and Shirabe even clapping.

Smiling in appreciation, Yugo bows to the girls before he grabs packs of bacon and pork belly and holds them up before the girls. "So, which do you girls want? Bacon or pork?"

"Bacon please!" Both Hibiki and Kirika shouted with big smiles.

"I'll have the pork, thank you," Miku said as Shirabe raised her hand in agreement.

"Coming right up!" Yugo said, getting right to work. And after a couple of minutes cooking, four perfectly cooked okonomiyaki's were presented before the girls.

"Wow!" Hibiki and Miku express their amazement while Kirika and Shirabe were already digging in, this being their second plate.

"Mmm~! Oishi(Delicious)!" Kirika squeals in delight as she happily ate her food. Dishes like these were the reason why she kept coming back to Yugo's food stand, plus they were always cheap which made them even better!

"I hate to admit it, but he is the better cook," Shirabe said, accepting her defeat as she ate.

Seeing how much the FIS girls were enjoying their food, Hibiki and Miku look at one another before they too decided to dig in.

"Whoa! This is really good!" Hibiki exclaims in surprise as the taste seemingly bursts in her mouth.

"Isn't it?" Kirika asked and Hibiki nodded before the two dug right back into their okonomiyaki.

"I'm glad to see you all like it," Yugo said, smiling at how much the girls were enjoying their food.

"It's been a while since I had okonomiyaki," Miku said as she ate hers. Yes, the last time she ate okonomiyaki was when...

'That's right, the boss...' Miku thought, thinking back to Haru's old work boss, the owner of the Flower. After the unfortunate death of the woman and other customers, the small restaurant had closed down. She wonders if the place was still there or if anyone had already bought the place?

"Is something wrong?" Yugo asks, noticing the forlorn look on Miku's face.

"Huh?" Snapping out of her stupor, Miku quickly shakes her head. "Oh no, everything's fine, really."

"If you say so," Yugo said, taking Miku for her word.

"Puwah!" Hibiki let out a breath of satisfaction after chugging down a cup of water Yugo had given to her while Miku was lost in thought, having finished her Okonomiyaki already. "That was great!"

"You've finished already?" Miku said in surprise.

"Ehehe, I guess I was hungrier than I thought," Hibiki laughed, scratching her cheek as she slightly blushed in embarrassment.

"Well, at least you look happier than earlier," Miku said, sighing to herself, but was happy nonetheless.

"Would you like seconds?" Yugo asks, already cooking up some more.

"Yes please!" Hibiki cheerfully said.

"Then coming right up!" Yugo said as he got back to cooking. Of course, now having to wait, this made Hibiki conscious of the two FIS members standing next to her and Miku.

"Um..." Slightly turning to Shirabe and Kirika, Hibiki nervous asks, "So, how's your day been?"

"Fine," Shirabe's answer was short and quick while Kirika was too busy eating her food.

"That's...good to hear," Hibiki said awkwardly, turning away and looking towards Miku for help who just shrugged her shoulders.

'Oh, and I thought we were starting to get along earlier,' Hibiki thought to herself as she tried to think of something else to talk about.

*BOOM!*

Unfortunately, it seems trouble was brewing as the sound of an explosion was heard nearby.

"What was that!?" Kirika shouted in surprise as everyone turns and sees a pillar of smoke in the distance.

"Oh no!" Fearing that someone may be trouble, Hibiki quickly runs off.

"Hibiki!" Miku cries out to her friend as she quickly follows after the girl.

"Hey! Wait for us!" Kirika said, quickly finishing what was on her plate before she and Shirabe ran after the pair.

"Hey, wait! You forgot to pay!" Yugo cried out, having realized that the girls ran off without paying for the food. Unfortunately for him, the girls were long gone.

After running for a few hours, the girls eventually reached the source of the explosion and gasp at what they saw.

Crashed cars littered the road as piles of carbon blew in the wind. And surrounding the cars were groups of Noise as the one leading them was none other than Dr. Ver, carrying Solomon's Cane in one hand while carrying the Nephilim's Heart in the other, the latter wrapped up in cloth to make it safer and easier to carry.

"I won't hand this over to anyone, no matter who it is!" Dr. Ver speaks to himself as he looks down at the wrapped-up Nephilim heart.

"Dr. Ver!" Hibiki growls, realizing that the mad man was responsible for all this destruction.

"Wh-What!? What are you doing here!?" Dr. Ver exclaims, panicking as he directs the Noise at her, still remembering clearing what she did last night.

Seeing the Noise coming towards her, Hibiki runs ahead as she starts to sing.

"Balwisyall nescell Gungnir tron..."

*POW!*

Right before everyone's eyes, Hibiki went and punched an incoming Noise...while still untransformed!

"Hibiki!" Miku cries out in worry only to see that Hibiki was fine. Kirika and Shirabe both expressed their surprise at this sight.

"No way!"

"She touched a Noise..."

"Without transforming!?" Ver finishes, he too in disbelief at this impossible sight. The only ones who were able to touch the Noise without turning into carbon were the Orphnoch!

Then, right in front of everyone, Hibiki slowly started to transform. Her gauntlets appeared first followed by her clothes being replaced by her bodysuit. Her headpiece appeared next as her skirt and greaves appeared soon after. Finally, to finish the transformation, her scarves appeared behind her as Hibiki pushed forward and destroyed the Noise in front of her, sending out a blast of wind that nearly blew Ver off his feet.

Now transformed, Hibiki stood before the mad doctor and his group of Noise, making a declaration to him and everyone around her.

"My fist...My life...They're both my Symphogear!"

Yes, even with Tsubasa telling her to stop fighting, even with what Shirabe said to her, even with Haru missing, as long as there was danger in front of her, she, Tachibana Hibiki, would always be there to stop it in the fastest and shortest possible way!

'That's right if it's to protect the lives of others, even if it's just one person, not even Haru-kun would hesitate to act!' Hibiki thought as she clenched her hands into fists and faces the enemy before her!


(Meanwhile...)

"Mmm..."

Stirring from his sleep, Haru slowly opens his eyes and wakes up to see an unfamiliar ceiling. Blinking, Haru slowly looks around and finds himself in an unfamiliar room, yet he felt like he knew where he was, wherever here was.

"Where...?" Confused at where he was, Haru slowly sits up and looks around again, wondering why he felt like he knew this place.

"Oh!" Suddenly, someone speaks up, alerting Haru who turns to the door to see someone familiar standing there, someone he hasn't seen in a long time.

"I see you're finally awake." Haru's eyes widen in surprise at who was standing before him.

"You're...Hibiki's mom..."

The woman before Haru, Tachibana Yuuki, smiles at the man, glad to see he remembered her.

"Long time no see, Yamamoto-san."


And...done! Well, that turned out better than I thought, and longer too. I think this the longest chapter to date for this story, though I'm sure that'll change sooner or later. It also didn't take that long to finish this which is another plus. Anyway, onto the chapter itself.

I'm pretty satisfied with this chapter actually so I hope you all feel the same after reading. Nothing feels too forced and there are some slight changes to the canon material such as Kirika and Shirabe being with Hibiki when she runs into Dr. Ver. That and the reveal of Hibiki's mother whose name was never revealed strangely so I decided to give her a name for convenience's sake. Fun fact: I was originally going to call Hibiki's mother Aoi as a reference to Hibiki's seiyuu, Aoi Yuki, but there was already a character with that name so I decided to use the last name instead.

Anyway, getting back on topic, things are certainly looking bad for the group. Hibiki is under threat of dying due to her fusion with the Gungnir fragments and Smart Brain has obtained Haru's Faiz Gear which means now other Orphnoch can become Faiz. Not only that, but Haru now knows he is an Orphnoch. What will happen to the group now? Well, you'll just have to tune in next time.

Until then, this has been Ashbel Longhart here, signing out. Till the next ride.