Chapter 2: Relics and Riders
Disclaimer: The Kamen Rider Franchise and Symphogear belong to their respective owners. OCs belong to their creators.
(Sanctuary- Tamaki Nami)
Bokutachi wa mina kitto Te wo nobashiterun da
From a cloud of black ash a young man with red hair walked out. Then his face is shown to be Akakishi as both of his eyes glowed. He placed the Reverse IXA Knuckle on his left hand. Then he punches the screen with the knuckle, causing a crack. When the crack shatters the glass, Ixa R stands in place of Akakishi.
Tooku tooi basho e to
The scene shifts to Hibiki who stood on top of a tower of rock looking toward the sky. Then the scene turns to her back as wings sprout out of it. She flies off the pillar of rock and into the sky.
Ixa R jumps and punches forward to the sky while Hibiki flies toward him in the opposite direction. Then the title appears with the two turning into silhouettes.
Kaze ni fukare aruite yuku
Akakishi is shown on his motorcycle looking toward the sky as the wind blew. Then a silhouette of a man with red compound eyes came to his mind.
Umare kita imi wo shiritakute
The scene changes to a silhouette of a person who held the white crystal memory stick labelled with an E. And behind the person was a hand that held a red crystal memory labelled with an A.
Tatoeba ushinau toki ga kitemo
The scene changes to Miku who watches a meteor shower then reaching out to the same shower. A shift to Kanade and Eiji where they are shown watching a concert performed by Tsubasa. Then a male with raven haired styled in a pompadour is shown walking the streets with his friends while passing by silver haired girl.
Dakishimeru koto ima, erabou
Several colored chains of orange, blue, and purple wrap around Akakishi's body as he falls into an unconscious state. As ash gathered and dissipated, Hibiki is shown sitting in a fetal position with a sad look until she looked up and smiled at a hand offered to her.
Instrumental
The scene shifts back to an awakened Akakishi as he tears off the chains with each colored chain breaking in succession with the music and in the order of orange, blue, and purple.
Then the scene transitions to the armored form of Ixa R with several shadowed Kamen Riders at his side.
Bokutachi wa mina kitto
Hibiki charges into the fray of battle swinging her fists and Ixa R kicks down a large Noise before punching a Noise in sync with Hibiki
Te wo nobashiterun da
Tsubasa jumps in by cutting down several Noise with the blades on her legs. Kamen Rider OOO lands and supports the singer by cutting down foes with his sword.
Nakusenai mono ni mukatte
The scene shows off Kamen Rider Kabuto in his unmasked form with a female figure behind him.
Then a dark silhouette of a Kamen Rider with orange compound eyes is shown.
Next came a shadowed figure with white LED lens with a feminine figure behind him wielding what appeared to be a hammer.
Kagayaita yume dake wo
Ixa R takes out a fuestle and equips his Reverse Knuckle while Hibiki pulls out the piston on her gauntlet
Taguriyosenagara
The two run through the long range attacks of the Noise and punch forward, ending the scene with a view of their knuckles.
Tooku tooi basho e to
The camera shows the armored hand of Ixa R reaching out and the armored hand of Hibiki grabbing it. The hands lace their fingers as the armors transition off.
Inside the Lydian Academy, Hibiki and Akakishi were escorted by Tsubasa, Ogawa, Tendou, and Eiji.
"Hey Hibiki, do you know where we are?" asked Akakishi to understand where they were.
"This is the central wing where the teachers live, I think…" Hibiki said as she looked around the section they were in.
"You think?" Akakishi rhetorically asked his friend out of discomfort and worry.
Upon arriving what appeared to be an elevator, Ogawa opened the entrance with his hand. Then the group entered the elevator as Ogawa took out his phone to activate the elevator through a scanner. As the elevator closed, a second door of steel closed over it. Everyone except Hibiki and Akakishi walked toward railings that folded out inside the elevator.
"Um, what's that?" asked Hibiki as she look at Tsubasa then Akakishi for answers.
"My guess is that this is a railing meant for express elevators." Akakishi deducted.
"Please find a railing to hold on to prevent any injuries." Ogawa instructed to the younger members of the group.
"Will it go that fast?" asked the girl as she grabbed a railing with Akakishi.
With a sudden jolt and fast descent of the elevator, caused Hibiki to shriek a bit.
"You had to ask…" sighed Akakishi with a bothered look since he was a victim of being right next to the screamer.
Hibiki looked at him with a nervous smile after her surprised shout.
"Smiles have no meaning where we're going." Tsubasa said seriously after seeing her smile.
"And I disagree. As one of my sempai said, smiles are what drive our world, protecting those smiles is of utmost importance." Akakishi gave off a similar serious aura as the elevator continued its descent. "But business is still business since you are all tied to the government." Akakishi relented since he was still in the presence of his senior Heisei Kamen Riders.
After saying his piece, Akakishi and Hibiki were treated to the sight of several murals on the walls. As the elevator stopped at the destined floor, Akakishi and Hibiki mentally prepared for whoever was in charge on the other side of the door. When the doors opened, party poppers exploded with confetti sprayed as a sign with the names of Hibiki and IXA R was in view of the two recruits.
"The second division of the Disaster Relief Squad, the guardians of mankind, welcomes you two!" The redhead commander with a goatee said with a smile.
Akakishi and Hibiki gave dumbfounded looks while Tsubasa sighed at the antics of her uncle. Tendou was not bothered in the slightest. Ogawa and Eiji made nervous chuckles at how the serious atmosphere was broken.
"You made us look seriously uncool, boss." Kanade palmed her face at the commander's decision to throw a party.
"*Nervous Chuckle* So much for business." Hibiki made a sweat drop at the scene in front of her.
"I rest my case on smiles. Though we seem to attract a lot of strange characters, Master and sempai." Akakishi commented with a sweat drop and a deadpan look.
"All Kamen Rider seem to have this trait, Akakishi." Tendou agreed while still keeping his stoic mask.
"I agree with Sempai." Eiji said remembering his meetings with several eccentric people before wondering how they were doing.
"All right, put on a smile. Let's take a photo to commemorate the first day of our friendship~!" said a brown haired female as she approached Akakishi and Hibiki with a smartphone that had its camera app on.
"W-Wait…! Just what is this place and how do you know my name even though we never met!?" Hibiki frantically yelled while moving away from the woman.
"She does have a point on the name part." Akakishi commented when he looked at the sign that had Hibiki and IXA R's name.
"The second division is kind of a wartime secret service, so looking into your past is as easy as pie!" Genjuro smiled and waved his staff which changed into flowers.
"We checked you bag." Kanade deadpanned as she brought out Hibiki's school bag.
"Waaa?! What do you mean, looking into my past? You just went through my bag!" shouted Hibiki.
"Now it makes sense." Akakishi said as he crossed his arms and nodded in understanding.
"Were you still focused on the sign?" Eiji asked with a sweat drop on his head.
The two turned to notice the commander approach them with a friendly smile and look.
"So you must be IXA R. I'm actually glad that R&D finally finished the system." Genjuro said with a relieved smile.
"Yes, I assume you are the commander of the second division?" asked Akakishi with as he gave respectful nod.
"Yep! Let me introduce the gang to you two." The well-built commander pointed his thumb toward his chest to signal he was introducing himself. "I'm Genjuro Kazanari, the boss here."
"And I'm Ryoko Sakurai, the brains of the operation here. And head of the Research and Development team. Nice to meet you." The brunette female smiled.
"Nice to meet you too." Hibiki said with a bow.
"And it's good to see you again, Aka-chan~." Ryoko walked toward Akakishi and patted his head despite the male being taller than her.
"It's good to see you again Miss Sakurai." Akakishi said formally, ignoring the patting he was receiving.
"Aw~ didn't I tell you to just call me mother?" pouted the adult brunette as she stopped patting the redhead.
"Mother?! Aka, she's your mother?!" Hibiki pointed at the brunette.
"No, I was abandoned after birth, remember? Miss Sakurai simply acts motherly to me." Akakishi stated nonchalantly.
"But on paper, he is my son~!" Ryoko said with a mischievous smile.
"I guess it's my turn. My name is Eiji Hino. I am pleased to make your acquaintance Hibiki-san."
"Oh, hello. Are you a friend of Aka's?" Hibiki asked with a curious gaze.
"More like his senior in what we do here." Eiji laughed lightly with a smile.
"Yo." Kanade approached the two teens with a friendly smirk.
"You-You're Kanade Amou! Thank you for saving me at the Zwei Concert!" Hibiki bowed toward the female.
"Nice to meet you too, kid. I'm glad you're doing well." Kanade respected the amber head's greeting before turning toward Akakishi. "You too, now that we finally meet, Akakishi."
"It's a pleasure to meet you too, Kanade-san. And call me Aka, like Hibiki here." Akakishi made another respectful bow to the retired singer.
"You came here on our invitation because we would like you two to work with us." Genjuro said.
"Work with you… How?" Hibiki asked with a clueless expression.
"They meant what happened earlier, Hibiki." Akakishi reminded. "Though I am surprised you are one."
Hibiki thought for a moment before realizing what Akakishi was talking about. A flashback in her mind turned to her first transformation before shifting to Akakishi's transformation. "Ah! Please tell me… What happened to me and Aka?"
Genjuro and Akakishi looked at Ryoko with knowing looks before the researcher nodded in understanding. She approached Hibiki with a plan in mind.
"Before I can answer your question, I need you to do two things for me." The brunette female brought up her index and middle fingers to point out her requests. "Firstly, don't tell anyone what happened today. And secondly…" Ryoko snaked her left hand before embracing Hibiki. "Could you please take off your clothes?" asked the researcher in a low tone.
"Eh? *Groan* Why?!" Hibiki shouted in confusion before Akakishi broke the embracement.
"You're giving her the wrong idea, Miss Sakurai." Akakishi reprimanded.
"But she looks so fun to tease~!" Ryoko smiled.
"*Sigh* Just simply tell her that you will examine her." The redhead said in exasperation as he scratched his head. Later, the two left to the medical bay and Akakishi went to talk to Genjuro and the older Kamen Riders.
"Akakishi, how have you been after these last few months?" Eiji asked.
"Fine, I met a lot of people during my travels with Inui-sempai." Akakishi said with a smile.
"It's good to know that Inui is doing well. On another note, has the synchronization with the Aufwachen waveform worked?" asked Tendou for a clarification.
"Yes, this is the result." Akakishi took out the orange crystal plate he used to synchronize with Hibiki's armored form.
"So a Relic Score has been created. That means the Interlock X Aufwachen Reverse system is successful." Genjuro said with a tone of relief.
"Yes, but we aren't out of the woods just yet. The IXA R system now has to be tested on its true function." Eiji said.
"True function?" muttered Tsubasa when she overheard the conversation between the Kamen Riders and Genjuro.
"Before we can plan for the testing, there's another thing I need to clarify, Master. I heard from Master Tsugami that Kanzaki-sempai and several others have gone off the grid. Is it true?" Akakishi asked with a worried tone.
"Yes it's true, none of our contacts have found anything about their whereabouts." Tendou confirmed.
"That is concerning, a couple of missing Kamen Riders can put our efforts against the Noise in jeopardy. Not only that, we may have lost several comrades." Genjuro mused.
"We can only hope that they are safe, Commander." Eiji assured.
"I hope so… Kanzaki-sempai was the first Rider I synchronized with to obtain my first Rider Score." Akakishi took out a navy blue metal plate marked with a Spade and looked at it with a sad expression.
Then a ringtone broke the mold and Genjuro took out his phone to respond.
"Yes? …Are you sure? …We'll be right there."
"Was that Ryoko-san?" asked Eiji.
"Yes, she's finished examining Hibiki."
"What's the news?" asked Akakishi in a worried tone for his friend.
"All she told me is that we'll have to see for ourselves, tomorrow." Genjuro answered. "But she requested that Akakishi must go to the medical bay to be examined."
"I see. Amou, escort Akakishi toward the medical bay for his examination." Tendou ordered.
"Got it, vice-boss. C'mon Aka." Kanade led Akakishi to their destination.
The two redheads walked toward the medical bay of the base where it was blocked by a massive pair of white steel doors. After the doors opened, they saw Hibiki in a chair next to Ryoko, who was examining something on her computer screen.
"Yo Ryoko! Got Aka here for his check-up." Kanade announced.
"Good! Okay Aka-chan, you may take off your shirt!" Ryoko requested with a smile.
"Okay." Akakishi began to take off his shirt suddenly in front of the present females.
"Eh?! A-A-Aka! Stop! Stop!" exclaimed Hibiki who covered her eyes to from looking at his bare chest. Though her fingers made a small crack to allow her some visibility.
"Hm? What's wrong?" Akakishi asked cluelessly.
"Hibiki-chan is just embarrassed to see your muscular chest, Aka-chan~." Ryoko walked toward the flushed girl with an ominous glint. "But something like that would make you look at him more, right~?"
Hibiki sputtered in response and could not make any definite words.
"Oh, so that's what's wrong. Sorry Hibiki, I guess I was so used to undressing in front of Miss Sakurai, that I could not be bothered undressing in front of girls." Akakishi rubbed his head in shame. "Though it would be more on the lines that I used to hang out with you and Miku for so long that I forgot about that..."
"I'll get her out, kid. Don't worry." Kanade helped the eye-covered Hibiki up and out of the medical bay. When the door slowly closed, Akakishi took off his shirt to show his bare chest. Hibiki looked back to see Akakishi's back which was covered in scars and the right side was covered in the flowing blue circuit lines. The scars ranged from burns, stitches from operations, and wounds from battle.
"Aka… What have you been doing all this time?" Hibiki looked worried at the state of her returned friend.
Kanade looked at the girl with a concerned look. "Hey Hibiki, is it all right if I call you that?"
"It's fine Kanade-san, what do you need?" Hibiki stopped to respond to the redhead.
"Can you tell me some things about Aka? You know, the basic stuff." Kanade made a shrug to make the conversation informal.
"Well, Aka is a kind person who does his best at anything he wants. He also looks up to some people who helped him, and he is very loyal to his friends. He's very honest and never breaks a promise."
"Really? He doesn't seem to be the completely honest type." Kanade said with a calculating look.
"What do you mean?" Hibiki asked with a confused look.
"Well, there's something off with how he acts. It looks almost... forced. I mean, when I look at him, it's as if he has something to hide even with the Vice Boss. Do you have a clue what he could be hiding?"
"….I'm sorry, Kanade-san. I don't really know." Hibiki said with a down look.
"It's fine, I'm sorry to bother you with that, kid." Kanade said. "I got to look out for my kouhai, especially my successor." The redhead smiled with a reassuring tone.
"Successor? What do you mean, Kanade-san?" Hibiki asked with a confused look.
"You'll figure it out soon kid, just get some rest." Kanade gestured for the amber head to follow her.
Kanade brought the girl to the express elevator in order for them to return to ground level. Upon returning to the surface, she gave back Hibiki's school bag and uniform jacket. Hibiki proceeded to return to her dorm room.
"I'm back…" Hibiki tiredly said upon arriving at her and Miku's dorm room.
"Hibiki! Where were you hanging around until now?"
"Sorry…"
"They said on the news earlier that the Noise showed up close by again." Miku reported about what she heard.
"Yeah, but they're gone now." Hibiki groaned while she lied on the ground.
"… and ostensibly, Tsubasa Kazanari could be switching to a new label." The reporter said.
"Huh?"
"Tsubasa Kazanari, who released her new single today, also stunned the public with a surprise announcement. She was approached by Metro Music, based in England, who are looking to introduce her to foreign markets. Since the incident two years ago and Kanade's retirement, she has pursued a solo career, and…" The reporter stated about the news of Tsubasa.
Now in bed, Hibiki was attempting to sleep, but she couldn't get over the events that happened over the night. Especially with the return of her long lost friend, Akakishi.
"Aka's actually alive all this time… maybe I should…"
"Hey Miku…" Hibiki was about to start her sentence.
Then a flashback to Ryoko's first condition with Hibiki.
"Don't tell anyone what happened today."
Returning to reality, Hibiki remembered her promise and decided to keep her word.
"Never mind." Hibiki waved off.
"I do, I do mind it. I was really worried because you were so late. I thought… I thought you were… Like Aka…" Miku made a worried look about her best friend's status.
"I'm sorry… and thanks. You're the only one who'd miss me and Aka." Hibiki made a small smile in comfort.
"…Yeah…" Miku also made a small smile in relief.
Back in the medical bay of the Second Division, Akakishi was redressing himself as Ryoko looked at the records of his recent checkup on her monitor.
"Honestly, this is why I hate nosy reporters." Akakishi sighed since he was watching the same news during his checkup.
"They're just doing their job, Aka-chan. Your body seems to be adapting to the cybernetic implants, but I recommend checkups weekly as a precaution."
"How long?" asked the redhead as he finished putting on his shirt.
"Hm? What do you mean?" Ryoko asked the male with a mock confused tone.
"I just want to know how long I have, and don't lie Miss Ryoko. I rather take reality than a fantasy." Akakishi said with a serious tone with his back still facing her.
"…If I had to estimate… one year." Ryoko said with her glasses covered in the light glare. "Aka-chan…"
"No excuses can change my fate, Miss Sakurai. I can't deny that I'm afraid, but I am more afraid of losing those close to me. When that one year is over, I will provide the Second Division a fighting chance. That's a promise worth saying." Akakishi put on his finger-less glove and walked out of the room without turning back. "Thank you for the checkup." The door closed behind him as he walked away.
"This world truly is unfair, Akakishi… I wish I can do more for you." Ryoko said mournfully but she made a small smile afterwards.
In another part of the base, Tsubasa was walking in a hallway after taking a shower. Then Eiji was seen walking in the opposite direction and noticed the blue haired female.
"Tsubasa-san!" noticed the Rider who smiled in a friendly way.
"Hm? Hino… What do you want?" Tsubasa did not meet the male's eyes and gave off an aura of hostility.
"I just want to make sure you're all right. The discovery of Gungnir must be affecting you the most."
"Hmph, I don't need your concern, Kamen Rider." Tsubasa waved off his concern and continued her walk. "I'm fine."
Eiji looked concerned as Tsubasa walked away from him. "No you're not, Tsubasa. Nobody can be after that." Eiji balled his hand into a fist in frustration at the girl's unwillingness to answer him truly.
On the next day, Hibiki was sitting at her desk and putting away her school books.
"Bikkie!"
"Huh?" Hibiki looked up to see her friends near the desk she sat in.
"Wanna go to the Bistro La Salle with us?" A girl with ash hair and wore the school uniform talked to her.
"Bistro La Salle?"
"It's a restaurant that opened two years ago near the station. We heard it has a lot of delicious dishes!" A girl with blond hair added in the conversation.
"Sorry, I've got no time today…"
"What have you gotten yourself into now? Seriously, it's like your life is like an anime character." The girl with magenta haired pig tails sighed at Hibiki's several incidents. "What next? A long lost friend saved you from a Noise attack like last night's?"
"Yumi, you know what today is." The blond haired girl reprimanded the pig tail girl.
"Oh, sorry about that." The girl apologized for mentioning the delicate topic.
"I-It's fine, there's no way that could happen." Hibiki chuckled nervously at how accurate Yumi's description was.
"…" Miku noticed Hibiki's nervousness and gave a sad look.
"Too bad, then… Standing offer, you know!"
"See you later!"
Hibiki sighed that she had to lie to her friends. Then she heard a door open then turned to see Tsubasa accompanied by Eiji.
"We're supposed to escort you to the headquarters as a material witness." Tsubasa stated coldly. Eiji gestured the girl to come with them and she complied.
At the base's meeting lounge, Ryoko was present with a pointer in hand to show what information she found on a glass monitor. Genjuro sat on a couch behind the researcher with two familiar members of the base staff standing behind him. Tsubasa stood near the commander. Eiji sat in a chair located near Hibiki with Tendou leaning against the wall. Akakishi sat next to Hibiki on a couch in front of Ryoko.
"All right, here are the results of your medical examination yesterday. There are signs that the shock of the first transformation affected you, but there are no notable abnormalities~." Ryoko reported.
"Nothing… Abnormal…" Hibiki mindlessly repeated.
"Oh, right. I guess this isn't what you came for."
Hibiki gave a straight forward answer despite her nervousness. "Please explain those powers to me!"
The base staff looked at each other before turning toward Tsubasa. The female in question took out a magenta gem hanging from her necklace.
"Tsubasa is the bearer of the first Relic, Ame no Habakiri."
"Relic?" Hibiki asked while staring at the gem.
"Relics are powerful artifacts documented in legends around the world. They were created by heretics in ancient times, yet are beyond our current technology." Ryoko explained. "They can be found chiefly found in old ruins, but most have suffered through the ages, and thus the ones with any power left are real rarities. Eiji-chan here has made considerable progress in finding some."
"Yes, but they were in such poor condition that I could only gather some usable fragments." Eiji modestly replied.
"But you and Yusuke did good work in retrieving them, allowing Ryoko here to make a considerable amount than what we had to start with. We currently have only 10 identified relics, but there are several more we still need to find." Genjuro stated. "Ame no Habakiri is the first discovered relic, though it is a mere fragment of what was once a blade."
"The key that can amplify and free the sliver of power left in the fragments are waves of specific amplitude." Ryoko said to show the gem transform into its activated state.
"Waves of specific amplitude…" Hibiki repeated.
"Basically songs. The relics are activated by songs." Genjuro said.
"Songs? Oh right, I remember the song I sang filled my entire mind!" Hibiki pointed out how she sang despite never remembering the lyrics.
"Upon activation, you break down the power into raw energy and reconstruct it into the anti-Noise armor, you and Tsubasa wear: Symphogear." Ryoko continued to explain as the monitor changed to show how the armor process worked.
"But the Relics don't just activate as soon as someone hums a tune!" Tsubasa rudely stated. Members of the base staff looked worried at her reaction, Tendou looked indifferent at her statement, Eiji looked worried about what she said, Kanade also had a look of worry, and Akakishi narrowed his eyes with hostility.
"We call those few people who can activate the Relics and sing the songs to construct the Symphogear, the 'Attuned.' That's those like Tsubasa and you." Genjuro returned to the topic in order to wave off the statement Tsubasa made.
"So? Do you think you got the basics of the power that awakened in you now? If you have any questions, don't hesitate to ask." Ryoko bended forward to look at Hibiki in the eye. "You can ask too, Aka-chan."
"Well…"
"Shoot, Hibiki!" Ryoko gave permission for the girl to speak.
"I have no idea what you just said." Hibiki bashfully answered. Everyone present made a sweat drop at her answer. Akakishi looked dumbfounded at how she did not understand the basic explanation.
"Not surprised." A ravened haired female worker commented at the answer the girl gave.
"Not at all." A male worker with brown hair agreed with his colleague's comment.
"Hibiki… Have you become dumber than I last saw you?" Akakishi asked with a sweat drop on his head.
"T-T-That's not it! There were big words in the explanation!" Hibiki defended with a blush and pout.
"Big words that you should have understood! You're in high school!" Akakishi retorted with a mock angered look.
"But I'm in a high school academy specialized in music!" Hibiki responded.
"Whoa, I never seen Akakishi so lively, sempai." Eiji commented on the argument the two friends had over the girl's intellect.
"As Grandmother once said: Each meal only happens once in your life, so make each one the most important." Tendou replied with one of his grandmother's sayings.
"A 3th grader could understand this better than you!" Akakishi stated with his arms cross.
"But even a 3th grader would have trouble understanding!" Hibiki countered.
"That's enough you two!" Genjuro shouted to gain the attention. His raised voice worked and the two childhood friends stopped fighting. "You can have your lovers' quarrel later!"
"W-We're not like that!" shouted Hibiki who flushed from the statement.
Akakishi made a mock angry look before crossing his arms. "You shouldn't go making assumptions, Commander."
"I suppose there were some big words there. For now it will be enough to remember that I'm the scientist behind the Sakurai Theory, which describes the power extracted from Relics." Ryoko smiled with pride as she turned her back before whirling back to look at the two younger members in the room.
"Whatever you say, Miss Sakurai." Akakishi said with an awkward sweat drop.
"But… that doesn't explain why I could transform without a relic. So why…?" Hibiki asked before turning to presentation screen that revealed an image of an X-Ray.
"Do you know what that is?" Genjuro asked Hibiki.
"Yeah! I got that wound two years ago! I was there at the stadium!" Hibiki responded.
Tsubasa, Eiji, and Tendou took notice at her words.
"I was right, she was talking about the Zwei concert!" Eiji thought, remembering what the girl said last night.
"At the Zwei Concert, several pieces of shrapnel pierced your chest, but did not kill you. But the shrapnel could not be removed since they were so close to your heart." Ryoko explained with an X-ray of Hibiki's chest which showed the shrapnel.
"That's what the surgeon told my parents back at the hospital. But what does that have anything to do with my transformation?" Hibiki asked with a confused expression while Akakishi was thinking about why Hibiki's injury was worth mentioning.
"Could it be… that the shrapnel were… no… are pieces of Gungnir?" Akakishi said with a sense of realization. He looked to the older members who understood what his assumption meant, and Ryoko smiled with praise. Kanade gave a surprised look before giving a look of relief, Tsubasa gave a shocked look at what he meant.
"That is correct, Aka-chan." Ryoko said with praise and she pointed to the monitor that changed to another X-ray similar to the previous one. But the pieces in Hibiki's chest appeared to give off a wavelength signature. "According to our analysis, they are fragments of the third relic, Gungnir, which Kanade held."
Tsubasa evidently did not take the news well and felt light-headed.
"Tsubasa-san, are you all right?" Eiji asked the seemingly sick female.
"I'm fine… I just need to take a walk." Tsubasa waved off his concern and walked out of the room. Kanade knew that her friend was not all right as she said she was.
"We thought it was destroyed when she attempted to use a suicide attack could have cost her life." Ryoko explained further.
"Cost her life… Is that why you were in a coma after Zwei?" Hibiki looked a bit worried at the redhead female.
"Yeah, but don't worry. I'm fit as a fiddle! I won't be dying anytime!" Kanade gave a reassuring smile with a thumbs up to brush off any worries.
Akakishi looked at Kanade with respect at how she protected him and Hibiki from the Noise. He remembered falling down from the sudden impact of projectiles that damaged the wall behind him and Hibiki. When he got up, Akakishi saw Hibiki's limp form with her chest bleeding. Returning to reality, Akakishi stood up and approached Kanade with a determined look.
"Kanade-san. I remembered that I never gave a formal thanks for protecting me and Hibiki. So let me say thank you for saving us on that day! If it weren't for you we wouldn't be here, sempai!" Akakishi bowed to the female with respect.
"Um… you're welcome, I guess? But why would you call me sempai?"
"Because you were protecting people and risking yourself longer than I! You deserve to be my sempai!" Akakishi stated loudly with his eyes showing his fired up spirit.
"You may as well give up, Amou. Once Akakishi recognizes someone as his sempai, he won't take it back." Tendou said.
"Is that one of the things you taught him, vice-boss?" Kanade asked hopefully that the man can tell his disciple to stop calling her sempai.
"Actually Kanade-san, Akakishi has been doing that for quite a while." Hibiki noted much to the female's amazement.
"Oh, well I'm not used to the praise. But fine, you can call me sempai, Aka." Kanade relented with a defeated smile.
"Understood!" shouted Akakishi.
"Um…" Hibiki stood up with a troubled look. "Do I really have to keep this to myself?"
"If others found out you have the ability to summon Symphogear, it would inevitably endanger your friends and family greatly." Genjuro reasoned. "Their lives would be in danger."
"Their lives?" Hibiki questioned.
"You may not like it Hibiki, but there is a reason ignorance is a bliss. Not everyone are truly trustworthy, especially when they see people with powers they cannot comprehend. Some will try to spite those with power because of their envy of it." Akakishi said as he crossed his arms. "Trust me, you would want Miku out of the line of fire. That's why I never contacted you or Miku when I had the chance. My first master told me that keeping you two out of the loop was protecting your lives." Akakishi gripped his arm out of frustration.
"Aka… that's right! I never got a chance to understand why you and Eiji-san can transform. It looked completely different from my armor." Hibiki pointed out how they never explained it.
"Let me explain, Akakishi, Tendou, and Hino here wield powers associated with warriors known as Kamen Riders." Genjuro said.
"Kamen Riders?" repeated Hibiki in confusion
Tendou pressed a button and the computer screen changed to reveal a photo of a man with a cricket-themed mask wearing an armored bodysuit. "Kamen Riders are warriors who protect the freedom of humanity from forces that seek to take that same freedom away. The first was Kamen Rider Ichigo, a man who was modified against his will. He fought against the very organization who turned him into a cyborg and won. The same goes for all of us present. Our battles with our major foes are over but with the emergence of Noise Kaijin, we had to step up and protect Humanity once more." The vice commander explained to the teen.
"But our strength is not enough even with the help of the Relic users." Eiji said with a sad tone.
"What do you mean, Eiji-san? When I saw you and Tsubasa fight, you managed to destroy all those Noise in seconds!" Hibiki said with her memory still clear of the Kamen Rider's strength.
"They may have been easy to beat, but the Noises can take on the forms of powerful Kaijin and their numbers could easily overwhelm us. And our options are limited with certain Rider being very ineffective in fending them off." Eiji explained. "So the Second Division began research and development on a new Rider system that could synchronize and enhance our powers and the power of the Relics. Kamen Rider Ixa R is the fruit of that project."
"Kamen Rider Ixa R…" Hibiki turned to her friend.
In response, he nodded before explaining himself. "That's right, I took up the duty as the Kamen Rider who will act as the connection between Relic and Rider. What happened yesterday was the result we all hoped for." Akakishi showed the Relic Score he currently possessed. "The birth of the first Relic Score, the Score of Gungnir."
"The Relic Score?" Hibiki asked in confusion at the term.
Ryoko took the time to begin another explanation. "IXA R is the abbreviation for the Interlock X(Cross) Aufwachen Reverse system. This system isolates the Aufwachen waveform of the Symphogear and absorbs the power of the relic. When the relic signature is fully isolated, the Relic Score can be created and grant IXA R a form known as Sync Burst. Sync Burst allows the Relic User to gain a substantial amount of power than normal with IXA R obtaining enough power to strike down the Noise with ease." The monitor brought up a system schematic with a recording of IXA R glowing before creating the Gungnir Score. "Originally this was all in theory because the rarity of Symphogears. But last night proved that all of our hard work was not all for naught."
The the screen changes to show Ixa R standing side by side with Kamen Rider OOO with the younger rider absorbing what appeared to be energy generated by the Medal Rider.
"But since there is only one IXA R system in existence, he can't amplify the power of all Relic Users. By the suggestion of Tendou-chan, Ixa R has the ability of isolating a Kamen Rider's power and creating what we identify as the Rider Score." On a silent cue, Akakishi took out several metallic colored scores with symbols that represent the several different Riders he synchronized with. "With these Rider Scores, we can analyze which Kamen Rider is compatible for which Relic."
"But our options for compatibility are limited since some of the relics in our possession do not have any Attuned. Some of our fellow Kamen Riders have volunteered to search around the world for any possible users. No news as of yet, unfortunately." Tendou explained.
"So it's just me and Tsubasa?" Hibiki asked.
"That's right. We're not protecting some shady secret, we're protecting lives. Can you keep them safe?" Genjuro asked as a request rather than an order.
"With great power comes great responsibility, and we hope you would understand that." Ryoko reasoned.
"Mankind does not stand a chance against the Noise. A single touch and we are reduced to dust." Tendou stated. "Humans do not have the means to defeat these foes. The only exceptions are the warriors known as Kamen Riders and the Valkyries clad in Symphogear."
"On behalf of the Second Division of the Japanese government's disaster relief squad, I would like to ask for your cooperation. Tachibana Hibiki. Will you use the power of your Symphogear in the great war against the Noise?"
"I can… help people with this power, right?" Hibiki asked as she looked towards the adults before turning to Akakishi.
The redhead made a reassuring smile before he and the adults nodded in response.
"Okay! I'll do it!" Hibiki stated unflinching. "I'll go tell Tsubasa!" Hibiki walked out of the room to tell the blue haired female.
"Hibiki, don't go running off!" Akakishi reprimanded before following his best friend.
Upon find the idol in front of a couple of vending machines, Hibiki made a smile to the girl.
"I'll fight!" stated the amber head girl.
Tsubasa looked at the girl in confusion at her statement.
"I'm still new at this, but I'll do my best! I'd be happy to fight by your side!" Hibiki offered her hand for a handshake.
"You're being a bit rude, Hibiki." Akakishi said as he approached the two. "I understand you want to be friendly, but at least be a formal. She is your senior in the Noise fighting business."
"Oh, excuse me for my rudeness. But I'd be really…" Hibiki was about to finish her sentence until the alarms sounded.
"An alarm?"
"Noise! We do not have time to dilly-dally!" Tsubasa ran to the control center, prompting Akakishi and Hibiki to follow.
"Noise appearance confirmed!" said the male base staff as he analyzed the wavelength on a monitor.
"Tell the first branch to leave this to us." Genjuurou ordered. The door to the room opened to reveal the arrival of Tsubasa, Hibiki, and Akakishi.
"Appearance located. I'm putting it on screen. *Gasp* They're within 200 units of the school!" announced the female staff worker.
"So close." Genjuurou said with a concerned look.
"The patterns are becoming more frequent." Tendou noted with a calculating gaze.
"I'll stop them." Tsubasa said before running out of the room, prompting Hibiki to follow after her.
"Hibiki, wait!" Akakishi shouted at the notice of her action.
"Don't be reckless! You're not ready!" Genjuro shouted, causing Hibiki to stop and turn around.
"I can use my power to help people, right? Only the power of the Symphogear and Kamen Rider can fight the Noise, right? I'm going!" Hibiki stated with determination before charging out.
"Hibiki! That idiot… Eiji-sempai, we need to help them!" Akakishi turned to the medal Kamen Rider who nodded in response. They charged off to follow the females in order to support them.
"She knows the danger and yet still wants to help. She's a kind girl at heart, isn't she?" The male operator observed.
"I wonder. Tsubasa received training when she was a little girl, whereas Hibiki was a normal girl before this. I think that a girl who volunteers for the front lines just to help someone is… twisted." Genjuro expressed his concern. "Same goes for Akakishi, we placed the burden of the new Kamen Rider System onto a young boy. Yet he accepted the role without hesitation."
"Wouldn't that make them just like us?" Ryoko said.
"Sakurai is right, we weren't any different. I wouldn't worry too much about them. Leave her protection to Akakishi. After all, He is capable enough to protect her." Tendou stated.
"This is an announcement from the JSDF Disaster Relief Squad. The area is ordered to evacuate immediately. Please proceed to the nearest shelter." A speaker announced in an area of a district with ash in the air.
Moving at a high speed, Akakishi on his black-silver and red trimmed motorcycle and Eiji following behind him on his Ridevendor were driving through the empty streets with piles of ash littered about the area. They neared the bridge connecting to the highway when several massive Noise landed near the bikers and the bridge collapsed. Due to the collapse, Akakishi and Eiji were separated on different sides, with Eiji stuck in the district and Akakishi on the highway. The redhead stopped his motorcycle to check on his fellow Rider.
"Hino-sempai!" shouted Akakishi as he looked toward the stranded rider.
"Go ahead! I'll find a way around, just go and help them, Akakishi!" shouted the Kamen Rider as he equipped his belt and slotted in the medals he was equipped with. He tilted the buckle and scanned the medals with three corresponding rings to signify the activation.
"Henshin!"
=TAKA=
=TORA=
=BATTA=
=TA-TO-BA! TATO-BATTA-TOBA!=
Three plates that represented a hawk, a tiger, and a grasshopper formed in front of the biker and combined into a single plate with a gold rim. The plate slammed into the rider to form Kamen Rider OOO, TaToBa form. The man looked at the younger rider and he nodded in confirmation before driving off.
"All right, who's up first?" OOO asked as he wielded his Medajalibur before charging in.
Further along the highway, Tsubasa was facing off a multiple number of Noise. Suddenly, the multiple Noise melted and fused into a massive Noise with a massive mouth and thin arms with leaf like feathers. The massive Noise roared loudly to intimidate its target. Tsubasa did not flinch as she prepared transform.
Imyuteus Ame no Habakiri Tron
She sung the activation hymm of her Relic, creating a flash of light that dim to reveal rings of light spinning around her body. Another flash of light engulfed her then dimmed to reveal she had her Symphogear, Habakiri, ready for battle.
(Insert Ost: Zetto- Ame No Habakiri)
The massive Noise launched its feathers at the armored singer after her transformation. In response, Tsubasa jumped out of the way of the attack before noticing the flying feathers were coming back. The blades on her greaves extended to allow her to counterattack and destroy the feathers. Upon landing behind the Noise, her sword transformed once more into a massive blade to prepare for one of her attacks.
The Noise turned around to attack the blue haired female, but it was interrupted by a flying kick from an already armored Hibiki. Taking the opening, Tsubasa jumped high and swung her sword.
AZURE FLASH
The blue wave of energy shot forward and cleaved the massive Noise in two with the highway, followed by an explosion engulfing the defeated Noise.
"Hibiki!" Akakishi rode his motorcycle through the smoke and flames before landing near Hibiki and Tsubasa.
(End Ost)
"Aka!" Hibiki smiled before waving toward the approaching redhead. "You're late!"
Akakishi got off his motorcycle and took off his helmet with an angry look. "You idiot! You shouldn't go rushing out like that, Hibiki. I understand you want to help people, but you are still new at fighting Noise." Akakishi admonished his friend with a sharp tone.
Surprised, Hibiki gave a distressed look. "Aka… I know that I might slow you, Eiji-san, and Tsubasa down. But I can't do nothing and watch you guys fight! I want to be at your sides fighting together!"
"…*Sigh* It's not that simple Hibiki! You may have the power, but you don't have the right skills. As I said before, you are still new to the fights we would be getting into. You'll become more of a burden rather than a benefit!" Akakishi argued back with a reprimanding tone.
"But I can learn as we fight! You, Tsubasa-san, or Eiji-san can teach me how!" Hibiki shouted back with a determined look.
Akakishi saw that spirit in her with a surprised look before giving a respectful nod. "Hibiki… I'll think about it. Come on, let's return to base as soon as possible." The redhead turned around to get on his motorcycle once more.
"Okay. Tsubasa-san, I know I slowed you down back there, but I'll do my best! So… let me fight with you and Eiji-san! Then, I'll see you back at base!" Hibiki turned toward Akakishi to follow him to his bike.
"You're right. You and I… should fight…" Tsubasa muttered ominously.
"Hm? What did you say, Tsuba…" Hibiki turned around to see Tsubasa lift her blade high before swinging down.
Then a cut of surface could be heard with blood splattering from the attack. Tsubasa's sword did cut flesh, but also metal. In front of Hibiki who was sitting from a rough push, Akakishi took the hit for her by blocking the blade with his right arm. The sword dug into his left shoulder, but failed to cut though his right arm which bled a scarlet fluid.
"So you blocked my attack… No matter, you and the Kamen Rider were on my list anyway." Tsubasa smiled ominously as she placed pressure in Akakishi's injury.
"Aka!" Hibiki shouted worried as Akakishi held his ground.
"You…" Akakishi muttered as he glared at the armored singer while struggling against the pressure. The flames from the explosion continued to burn as the situation became serious.
(God Eater Ost: God and Man)
Instrumental
Akakishi was seen laying on a tree in a ruined field covered in flames as his eyes reflected the night sky. He held his Reverse Knuckle but he appeared to be on his last legs since the light in his left eye was dimming.
Memories keep flooding in showing the paths I should've taken, but
now that time has run away from me I cannot change a thing.
The scene shifts to Eiji who lied on the ground of a hill staring at the same starry sky while gripping two halves of a Red Medal.
I remember how you'd counsel me with wisdom of the ages true:
"Live your best life" you told me and "You walk the earth but once"
Tsubasa sat on her motorcycle and looked up to the night sky while holding her relic necklace.
and now you've come, to see me once again,
I feel safe at last; Although I feel the end is coming closer unto me.
Tendou was seen looking at the sky on a cliff while the Kabuto Zecter sat on his shoulder.
If I could only travel back in time, to peaceful days gone by.
A female with silver hair gazed at the sky from a mansion window with a look of melancholy.
But this is my price to pay: to not survive beyond this very day.
A male with a pompadour haircut was looking the starry sky with a smile.
Oh, the pain is lessened when you're near, there is no fear.
I'm whole again as in days gone by, if only for a while.
Kanade was seen standing on top of a roof while looking at the sky with longing eyes
But it hurts to have to leave you so, I don't want to go.
Could this sacrifice cost me my life?
A man in a trench coat stood in an open field to watch the stars as he held a white tablet with an E.
Oh, just to live my life again, to treasure every little moment then,
satisfied, I'd leave you all behind, accepting of my fate.
Akakishi smiled a bit before slowly closing his eyes in peace as the light of his cybernetics slowly dim to black.
But I am full of grief, to leave this life so incomplete.
My dream is coming to the end.
Then a hand held his hand and he opened his eyes while feeling the energy it granted. He looked to see Hibiki with a relieved look before pulling him to his feet. Akakishi was taken by surprise, but stood up with a smile. They turn to see their friends and allies approach with smiles on their faces as the dawn of morning came. Then the scene fades to a white.
One verse ends and the Chained Symphony sings to the next:
(Insert Ost: Swan song- Symphogear)
An early dissonance turns two allies into mutual enemies.
"You've gone mad, soloist." Akakishi says as he prepared to transform despite his injury.
A clash between wills.
"You have no right to judge me!" Tsubasa shouts as she clashes with Ixa R with her blade against his fists.
A question of resolution.
"What is your reason for singing?" Eiji asked Tsubasa as he walked passed her.
As the conflict continues, choices have to be made.
"You will have to choose, Tachibana." Tendou stated over a mic.
Despite his wounds, the young Rider continues the battle.
"Time to gamble..." Ixa R took out two scores which were a red metal color.
Next Time on Kamen Rider IXA R: The Resolute Knuckle and the Peerless Blade
"Aka… What happened to you over these two years?" Hibiki's voice was heard as Akakishi charged against a group of Noise.
Author's note: Sorry for the wait, I needed to get some things settled before finishing this chapter. As stated in the story, Ixa R's power will create partnerships between a Rider and Symphogear, but I will accept any Symphogear OCs through PM. I will be glad to get some help in developing this story.
Here's how the profile should look:
Name:
Age:
Gender: Female (All symphogears are females, so don't forget it.)
Heisei Rider Partner: (Note: They can be secondary Riders. The Riders excluded from this are Blade, Wizard, Gaim, and Ghost, because I already have plans for them in future chapters.)
Appearance: (Be creative with your OC's appearance.)
Background: (Note: Don't go full-on tragedy for the character. Keep it simple.)
Symphogear Name: (Note: It has to be a known weapon in legend, but I won't accept any Excalibur submissions. I have plans for that sword.)
On another note, I need some reviews but keep it professional. Words are there to be honest, not to talk like a sarcastic jackass.