Domineering. That's the only way I could describe what was in front of me.
Currently shivering in cold sweat and reluctance to continue whatever I stumble upon. Well, not like I had any choice in the matter in the first place.
Everything in my opponent was exuding absurd amounts of powers, but again this much should be obvious when I think to how she basically landed heavily on the ground, albeit without destroying her landing point, when I stumbled into this world merely five minutes ago, in the middle of a forest.
But the main issue was who. Before being able to travel between worlds thank to the Elekleid, my first real experience with people from other worlds was encountering my childhood friend's counterpart; Kohinata Miku.
From there, as well as how she was boasting about my other self in her world and how similar we were despite me insisting that we are clearly different. With this very first experience, it was not hard to imagine meeting the aforementioned other 'Tachibana Hibiki'. And I did, I fought her, she was wearing the same Gungnir that I once wield with few differences, and still, our fighting style was nothing alike, hers was more refined, proof that she received the teaching of someone, unlike me. And it easily translated with her every move.
She was stronger than me, that much is to admit. If it was not for me wearing the Elekleid, I would have lost without doubt, only able to manage a draw before being able to flee the area and everything else.
But this time it was impossible. The me belonging to this world was nothing alike myself or the one I fought. Even appearance-wise she was really different; while the other one and I shared every bit of physical appearance… This one was taller by a few inches, bustier, black hair which seems a bit longer if the small strand of hair falling in front of her collarbone was any indication.
The clothes too, while I had never tried on those before, My counterpart was actually pulling off the tight jean really well, yellow tank top and black leather jacket too. Honestly, if it's how I would grow up physically in future years, I'm not ashamed to say that I'm drop-dead gorgeous.
Too bad the situation was not allowing me to ask about it, my grip of the twin swords in my hands remind me that I'm not in an advantageous situation at all, that despite my other self being unarmed and wearing clearly regular clothes, the tension I'm feeling is real.
I gulp involuntary, my last fight against Lala and Forte after learning of what I was basically helping them in as well as the extended period of time I had been wearing the Elekleid was affecting my body more than I would like. My throat is dry, I'm tired and honestly reeling with the emotional drain that makes me want to just lay on the ground and giving up.
'Better end this quick,' I thought against anything, I can't flee and even less win, but I still shouldn't just lay on the ground and die without a fight.
I let the power of the Elekleid flood my system, feeling the lightning courses through the purple armor and empowering me, making me faster to be able to ditch a fast, surprise attack that should buy me enough time to open another portal to another world afterward, or simply dealing a decent blow… Hopefully.
Feet firmly planted in the ground, I then shot myself forward to the taller girl, covering the distance in a flash, a purple electrified blade armed to swing at her.
Except, I didn't make it to her. Actually, I felt a gut-wrenching strike before being sent in the opposite direction, my back smashing through multiples trees, the breaking sound resonating both in my ears and body until bouncing on one, knocking the air out of my lung before falling flat on the ground.
'I didn't see her move!' I thought alarmingly, wheezing for air through the pain and unfocused vision, struggling to just pushing myself off the ground on all four, swords still clenched in my hands.
When managing to steady my breath a bit, I felt another shiver through my body, causing me to snap my head to look in front of me despite the blurriness. She was actually seated on the leftover trunk of a destroyed tree, seemingly not bothered by the shards that should be digging in her rear.
"Hmmm… Still conscious I see… This gear seems to exude the same propriety that the Symphogear, and yet it doesn't seem to rely on Phonic Gain. Could it be some kind of Faust Robe?" She comments in the same voice as mine, filled with curiosity and wonder.
I get back on my feet, losing my balance briefly and forcing me to lean on the tree I bounced against earlier, a hand against my throbbing stomach, my eyes still on this world resident.
"Do you plan to continue?" she raised an eyebrow while asking, standing up from her 'seat'.
I don't! I just got hit by something faster than my eyes could catch on despite supposed to be faster. My stomach and back are throbbing in pain despite the extra protection of the gear and would have inevitably died splattered on the first tree I broke through if it was not for it.
She didn't wait long for my response before following casually. "Actually, forget it. It would be better for you if I put you to sleep right away. I don't want to be around when S.O.N.G appears."
A shiver running down my spine was the sole warning at the seriousness of my predicament. My alarmed eyes fixed on the other, blades crossed in front of me while I try to catch her next movement and reacting accordingly to save my life.
It didn't matter. One moment she was standing still and the next, a dark black covering fist was zooming straight at me before everything goes black.
I wake up with a startle, sitting upright on what ended up be a surprising soft bed. The first thing my eyes land on was a giant shark plush on my lap. I look at it in confusion, it was big, really big, taking a good portion of the large bed. But it was kind of cute and really soft to the touch when I pat it.
I was still patting the soft material of the stuffed animal with a soft smile, not thinking about my current predicament when a voice reaches me.
"Glad to see you're awake."
I jerk my head toward the direction of the owner of the voice. 'I know her…somehow' I thought as I took in the girl at the door entrance of the bedroom. Long silver-white hair that is tied in the low ponytail trailing in front of her collarbone, amethyst eyes that I have seen only on one other person before and obviously the two large features attached to her chest, even bigger than the counterpart I encountered, taller as well.
"Yukine Chris?" I let out, not really sure despise the notable physical resemblance.
She corks an eyebrow a moment before smiling. "Yeah. Do you go with Tachibana Hibiki as well?"
"That would seem obvious, no?" I retort.
She snorts at my reply. "Not really, you may know me as Yukine Chris in your world and it may be my birth name, but the circumstance in our others self on other worlds aren't the same in each. The same way your appearance is unlikely to the Tachibana Hibiki I know for some reason, I could have been adopted or other stuff and you would be obliged to address me as Origami Chris or some other name.
'She is right' I thought after thinking about it, despite going through the same main event, the me from that other world had a different life than mine, filled with people supporting her.
"Anyway how are you feeling, physically?" she cuts my ongoing negative thought with her question.
"Fine, I guess," I shrugged instinctively, not being the one to complain about my condition.
A silence permeates the room after my response, looking back at the girl, I catch her staring at me, boring her eyes straight at me as if my body was under a scanner, looking for any issue.
The moment stretches to the point I was getting uncomfortable and begins fidgeting under her gaze until she shifts it away. "I guess you're doing far better than yesterday when you were brought in," she comments as her shoulders relax.
I was brushing off what she said until a word caught my attention. "Wait! Yesterday, What do you mean?" I inquire.
She looks at me oddly as she leans against the frame of the door. "You slept roughly 20 hours, but seeing the state your body was in, not really surprising. Hell, you would still be out if we didn't treat you," She informed me. "Though I'm impressed you were still able to move around in your condition, though she really made you a favor by knocking you out."
The image of a fist zooming at me came back to my mind, causing my body to shudder helplessly as I clench my upper arms in my hands to calm my shaking. "She just knock me out? It looks like she was actually going to kill me."
"Well, she could have," she affirms to my shock before following. "But it would have served no purpose, holding back and knocking you out before bringing you here was a far better outcome than letting you in the hands of S.O.N.G."
I jerk my head back to her in indignation "'Held back'!?"
She tilt her head sideway, seemingly in confusion to my outburst. "Is there a problem with it?"
I was looking at her, mouth gawking unable to retort with the same tone as earlier. "I was wearing the Elekleid…" I mumble.
"Oh right, here!"
She threw at me an item that I barely catch with both hands, noticing right away the silver bracelet with a ring and purple stone in it, the Elekleid that I didn't even realize wasn't with me upon waking up.
"So it's called 'Elekleid'. Hibiki told me that you were wearing something that could be akin to a Symphogear or Faust Robe. Nothing against you, but those things don't amount to much for us anymore." Chris informs while checking her nails.
"Not much?! The power that equal the Symphogear is that much worth in this parallel world!?' I was shell shocked by what she told me, rethinking all the moments of hardships I had gone through with my life on the line, and that all this would amount to nothing to them.
"Don't think too much on it, Hibiki and I no longer go by normal standards since the Frontier Incident, and even less following the Alchemist and Divine Power part."
"Divine Power?" I ask, causing Chris to look at me quizzically.
"Right… Not the same events I take it." She let outs, not explaining any further.
Before I could probe more, the rather loud noise of my growling stomach signals us of my current state; famished. I could cover meaninglessly with my arms while blushing.
Chris let out a chuckle. "I guess no matter the world, food would always take precedence over anything else to you and others self, well not like I'm any better. Good timing, I initially wanted to check on you to see if I should bring you lunch, or you could maybe eat with us, how about it?"
I was unsure of which choice to make, but if taking account of everything she said, I don't really know where I am and even if I tried anything they could probably react before I try. 'And I'm also curious about their world.'
Pulling the cover away, I move toward the edge of the bed before standing up. I took in the state of the attire I had been sleeping in; black shorts and sleeveless shirt, when pulling on the neckline I notice a lack of bra prompting me to check my bottom and sighing internally to see panties underneath the shorts.
When I look up from my check-up, I see that Chris-san was looking at me with a raised eyebrow, causing my cheeks to flush a bit.
She shakes her head as she walks out of the door with me in toes. "I was the one to change you, and I didn't see anything that I didn't seen already so don't worry about it." She tells me as we walk in what I assume is the living room before stopping, she then looks at me sideways as she scratches her cheek with a forefinger. "But I guess, that's not something you would want to hear…"
I was confused by what she meant initially, while the thought to have been stripped naked in my state of unconsciousness was embarrassing, I didn't understand the reason she would add the latter part.
"Arg, better tell you this straight! Basically, in this world, you and I are dating."
The sudden revelation was mind-blowing, everything piecing together all at once. That she didn't see anything she didn't saw already meant that she already saw me naked, repeatedly. And that it was not something I would want to hear was because it hints at their relationship and cherry on the top I'm basically an alike twin to her lover.
My face takes a newer shade of red as mental images of the two being intimate in more ways than I should allow to plague my mind, It was not helping it was not much difference of picturing myself with someone else than Miku.
"Anyway, don't think much about it, and let just go eat before it gets cold." She interrupts my flow of dirty thought as she resumes walking ahead.
I follow her silently, my face still flushed at the extra information I learned as well as fantasies that I would like to erase. It also didn't help that once in the living room, my other self seemed to have heard the conversation, but was kind enough to not point it.
But all this was swept away in front of numerous dishes sprawled in the middle of the table, a third plate present seemingly already for me.
My stomach was agreeing with what was displayed in front of me and waste little time taking a seat already struggling with what dishes I should begin with.
"Here, If you are really me, that's the safest choice before attacking the rest," my alter ego hands me a bowl filled with white rice which I took graciously.
After thanking her followed by an 'Itadakimasu', I quickly fill my mouth with white fluffy rice that I could already say that it's the best I ever had, I don't know if she did something to the water but my tastebud was dancing with each grain.
Swallowing the first mouthful, I took notice of something different about my counterpart contrary to our first meeting. "Your hair," I point with my chopstick.
The hair that I swore I saw black was no longer this color, instead back to the same ash brown as myself.
She took a few strands in her hands, looking at it confused, probably not understanding what I was hinting at until it seems to suddenly dawn on her. "Oh, this. Just a cool side effect when I used my power, it would linger for a while after I stop using them, then reverting back to my original color. Same with the eyes but instantly, though."
'The eyes too? I didn't notice' I thought after listening to the explanation.
"Well, this aside. Let's talk about you?" Chris-san interrupts before looking at me. "You seemed to be on the run, and I'm quite curious in what kind of trouble you involved yourself in."
"Come on, Chris. It can wait until the dessert. It's not like whichever trouble she is in could be a threat to us," My other self voices, with a grin.
Chris-san simply sigh before looking dagger at her, "While it's true, I would rather not having to explain what we allowed trouble to come to us because of our negligence when they return."
"They took the week, Chris. We have still 3 days before they came back."
I tune them out as I keep eating since everything was just so good, briefly wondering as to who 'those two' could be.
Taking a morsel of meat, I hum in delight, I thought I was a decent cook, but I'm truly lacking compared to them. The fact they were accommodating me without much question was kind of slowly making me feel guilty.
"That's quite a long story…" I utter after swallowing, cutting in their arguing, but still owning it to them to what I might have brought to them with me.
They look at each other before Chris talks. "We already sat through a summed up of a story covering decades and maybe even centuries, yours can be longer than that. And it's not like we have anything planned."
And just like that, I begin telling them my stories, pouring my heart out to essentially two strangers that only physical appearances with people I encountered.