Book 3: XDR Rising
Chapter 10: Preparations
Last time, our heroes successfully escaped the Astral Plane with Ciel in tow after defeating Cerberus, causing the Red Vortex to disappear. With their investigation completed, they left the secret Gjallarhorn facility, but not before destroying said facility completely along with the teleporter first to prevent anyone, especially the Neo Time Jackers, from locating it. Afterwards, Ciel reunited with her younger sister Prairie, Zwei Wing performed a special one night only concert for their friends, and more importantly, Zeo, Akira, and Gaius revealed the name of their multiversal team; Team XDR, or Xross Drive Rebellion. As they continue to enjoy Zwei Wing's concert, Zeo can't help but think that the Neo Time Jackers are also planning their next move. Little did he know however, his thoughts might eventually become true…
The Day of the Queens of Music Concert
Bavarian Illuminati Secret Hideout
London, England
Daytime
Inside the secret hideout of the Bavarian Illuminati remnants, the Neo Time Jacker general named Zwei has been reading the final results of all of the Bavarian alchemists using his tablet after the test was finished last night. And only the top three can be promoted to leading officers. A few moments later, he finished reading the results, put away the tablet and began to look for his suitcase containing the items Drei brought yesterday. However, a Bavarian alchemist suddenly arrived while carrying said case and stopped in front of Zwei. "Didn't I tell you to never touch my case?" Zwei reminded with a frown.
"Forgive me, Zwei. But something happened last night while all of us are busy sleeping. One of our own stole the items inside your case and disappeared." The alchemist reported.
"All of them?" Zwei raised an eyebrow.
"Well, I'm not really sure. We're not allowed to touch and open the case without your permission. We tried to stop him, but he used his alchemy on us before teleporting away."
"Hmm... at least you're being honest to your words." Zwei responded. "May I have the case please?"
"Yes sir." The alchemist bowed before giving the case to Zwei, who then opened it and saw what was missing. "So what did he steal?"
"Just the Another Ridewatch and the incomplete Red Evolve drug." Zwei answered. "I'm surprised that he didn't steal the Psi Emitter."
"Another Ridewatch? Red Evolve? Psi Emitter?" The alchemist repeated.
"Do you wish to know what those items can do?"
"I'm... not sure how to answer, sir."
"I understand. It's better if you don't know about these until further notice. I'll have to make sure that the devices I'm working on are functioning properly."
"Yes sir."
"But thanks to that thief, our involvement is about to be compromised, so we'll need to leave as soon as possible before our enemies could find us." Zwei frowned.
"Understood." The alchemist nodded. "But shouldn't we search for his location first?"
"No need. We'll only be wasting valuable time and resources if we did that." Zwei shook his head. "Gather the Bavarian remnants to meet me at the Main Hall immediately. It's time for me to reveal the final results to see who will be chosen as leading officers for the Neo Time Jackers. After that, we're leaving this world for the time being."
"Yes, Zwei! Moving out now!" The alchemist complied before running off to inform the other alchemists.
Zwei simply sighed and shook his head as he stared at his open case. "If only that thief waited for a little while longer till I finished tinkering the devices and revealing the results. Oh well, the Neo Time Jackers doesn't tolerate impatient imbeciles, but they do provide useful diversions." He then closed the case and walked away, heading for the Main Hall to meet up with the Bavarian alchemists.
Abandoned Train Station
Zi-O Liner, Dining Area
"Xross Drive Rebellion, huh? So that will be our new team name for the alliance." Genjuro commented on the holo-screen alongside Prairie on the other screen.
"That's right." Theresa confirmed with a nod as she stood beside Zeo, Akira and Gaius. "And these three thought of that name with the three ideal values."
"Actually it was my sister who thought about that idea first." Zeo pointed out. "And then me and Gaius followed through with her idea."
"So do you guys like it?" Akira asked the commanders.
"Personally, I think it's a good name for all of us." Prairie answered.
"I'll also approve of that name." Genjuro nodded. "Team XDR, huh? I guess that makes the three of you the founders of the team."
"Yep, pretty much." Gaius replied. "But we're still counting you, Prairie and Theresa to be our commanders."
"You got it, Gaius-kun." Genjuro nodded again.
"Of course." Prairie also nodded.
"Heh, obviously." Theresa replied with a smirk and her arms crossed. "Because you three are too early to become commanders. But after hearing about your leadership skills from Kiana and the others during the investigation mission yesterday, I'd say you're on the right track on becoming proper leaders."
"Thanks, Theresa." Zeo smiled with Akira and Gaius smiling.
"Speaking of which..." Akira turned to Prairie. "How's Ciel doing?"
"Oh, my older sister is doing just fine." Prairie replied. "In fact, she's willing to share her research with Elfnein and Einstein to prepare for our future battles with the Neo Time Jackers. And she might be planning to install the Ciel System into S.O.N.G HQ and the Zi-O Liner. It's a good thing we saved up plenty of Energy Crystals to create another Ciel System. Those crystals are needed as a catalyst for the system."
"Ciel-kun told me how her research could help with the energy shortage problem, so I decided to approve of using that system with Elfnein-kun's assistance." Genjuro added. "Not only that, Tesla-kun is also planning to install another system into our submarine base."
"A new system? What's it called?" Gaius asked.
"The Tesla Drive System."
"Tesla Drive?!" Zeo, Akira and Gaius exclaimed.
"Wait, you three knew about this system before?" Theresa questioned.
"Actually, yes. It's from a video game series." Zeo answered. "The Tesla Drive is a booster equipment that basically gives a ground vehicle or mech the ability to fly."
"That's correct, Zeo-kun." Genjuro confirmed.
"Then that means your submarine base will gain the ability to fly. Now that I think about it, that's really damn cool." Gaius commented.
"Heh, I know, right?" Genjuro grinned. "This will definitely catch our enemies by surprise. No one will ever suspect a flying submarine."
"By the way Theresa, how's Einstein's project with the warp drive coming along?" Prairie asked.
"According to Einstein, it's going quite smoothly with a little help from Copen and Lola." Theresa replied.
"Wait, we're about to install warp drives onto our mobile bases soon?" Zeo questioned.
"That's right." Theresa confirmed. "It'll save us plenty of time and resources traveling throughout the multiverse instead of just traveling through the Sands of Time in order to search for the next world to visit. Though that option is still available in some cases."
"Hm, fair enough." Gaius responded. "So how are we gonna do that?"
"We'll need three important components. The first one is Einstein's Chrono technology." Theresa began.
"The second is the Ciel System." Prairie added.
"And the third is a Gjallarhorn Ridewatch." Genjuro finished. "So far, we have five of those Ridewatches, with two of them being Gunvolt's world and Sequin Land."
"I've decided to pick the Zi-O Liner to test out the dimensional warp drive system first since it already has the Chrono tech installed." Theresa informed. "All it needs is the Ciel System and then we'll be ready to test out the warp drive."
"Wow, you guys know how to plan quickly." Akira commented.
"It's a very useful trait to have." Theresa winked.
"So how long will it take for the Ciel System to be ready?" Zeo asked.
"My sister said it'll take around 2 to 3 days." Prairie answered.
"Understood." Zeo nodded. "Just tell her to take her time preparing the system. There's no need to rush on it too much."
"I'll be sure to let her know."
"While you're waiting for the projects to be completed, maybe you could take the time to do some training with the others today, and then watch the Queens of Music concert later tonight." Genjuro suggested.
"I think we've got some spare training time to brush up on our skills." Akira replied.
"As for the concert, we really wanted to attend, but..." Gaius replied, but with a bit of uncertainty.
"But what?"
"I'm a little worried that the concert will be disrupted by an attack from the Alca-Noise, chimeras or something else considering this world's reputation of concert tragedies."
"Ah, that. I completely understand what you mean. Does this mean you three will be patrolling the areas in case of an enemy attack?"
"Yes." Gaius nodded. "But we're gonna need to bring along a few members to help out with the patrol."
"Very well, I'll grant you permission to patrol the areas." Genjuro approved. "And Prairie-kun?"
"Yes sir?"
"You should send the Grand Nuage along with the Guardians over to London to help with the patrol."
"Understood." Prairie nodded before turning to Zeo. "Hope you don't mind a little back-up."
"More help is appreciated, thanks." Zeo replied.
"Guess I'll be looking forward to meeting you in person, Prairie." Theresa smiled.
"Same to you too, Principal Theresa." Prairie smiled back. "Alright, we're ending the transmission now. I'll see you guys in London."
"Until next time." Genjuro finished before the holo-screens vanished.
"Right then, you three. Ready to get started on your training?" Theresa asked them.
"Yep, ready and willing." Zeo answered as he, Akira and Gaius nodded in confirmation.
"Great. Then let's head for the Training Area." Theresa declared as she escorted the three chosen heroes to the Training Area.
As time goes by, the training process is going quite smoothly for everyone as they take one step at a time while remembering the basics. Gun kata, martial arts, ki mastery, weapons and firearms mastery, survival training, obstacle courses and even sparring matches are just some of the training programs Team XDR have to partake in order to prepare themselves for the future battles against the Neo Time Jackers and their allies. Battle data are also recorded in order to find their mistakes and to improve upon them.
After a few hours of training later and taking a momentary break, Einstein called upon Zeo, Gaius and Akira to come by the R&D Lab for a quick moment before resuming their training. "Ah good, you're just in time." Einstein greeted the arrivals. "How was training?"
"It's going well." Zeo replied. "I had to take up martial arts training led by Fu Hua, then there's gun kata training led by Kallen, and lastly weapons and firearms mastery led by Theresa, Kallen and Sakura."
"I went the same route Zeo took." Gaius added.
"As for me, I went with ki mastery led by Fu Hua, after that I went with martial arts and then weapons mastery." Akira also added.
"Good to know." Einstein noted. "I've been getting plenty of battle data thanks to you and your teammates with a little help from Copen and Lola. I can't ask Tesla for help since she's busy building the Tesla Drive System."
"Ah, I see." Zeo noted with a nod. "So, what did you call us here for?"
"Akira, remember those magic capes made with magic silk?" Einstein mentioned.
"Yeah, what of it?" Akira responded.
"Well I decided to do a bit of modifications to that idea, but it won't be capes this time considering the problems those things are despite being useful."
"Oh yeah, I get what you're saying." Zeo realized. "Capes might accidentally get caught up with stuff such as a jet turbine or a rocket."
"Yeah, The Incredibles movie really taught us that lesson." Akira added.
"Unless there was an energy cape that can expand and shrink at will." Gaius also added.
"Energy capes, huh? Hmm... an idea for later." Einstein mused. "Anyway, Noelle earlier showed me another useful equipment used for gliding called a Wind Glider. It's like having a pair of wings on your backs and Noelle can summon her Wind Glider at will thanks to her Vision. Though Miriam can also summon hers using her magic after Noelle and I made one for her this morning."
"I see." Akira noted. "So I guess we'll be replacing the magic capes with the Wind Gliders from now on?"
"Yup." Einstein nodded. "Not only that, with Noelle and Miriam's help, I was able to augment those gliders with magic silk, giving them the ability to fly."
"Now that sounds like fun." Zeo grinned.
"I only have two of them ready at the moment, and more will come as time goes by." Einstein informed. "Zeo, Gaius, you get to use those two first since your Rider suits don't have any flight capabilities." She then pushed a few buttons on her Zikan Phone to transfer the gliders onto Zeo and Gaius' phones, prompting them to examine it when the transfer is complete.
When Zeo looked at his Wing Glider design on his phone, it had pink, black and silver colors, along with the Zi-O symbol on each side of the wing. As for Gaius and his Wing Glider design, it had red, yellow and black colors, along with the Geiz symbol on each side of the wing. Zeo can't help but whistle in amusement upon looking at his own glider. "Wow, that looks sweet. And it even got the right colors, too."
"Mine got the right colors, too. But honestly, my design looked a lot cooler thanks to those colors." Gaius commented while looking at his own glider design on his phone.
"And if you're wondering why Akira doesn't have her own Wind Glider... well..." Einstein began.
"Her Pretty Cure form already has wings for flight, right?" Zeo guessed, earning a nod from Einstein.
"Though you know, I kind of want to use the Wind Glider too without the need of my Pretty Cure form." Akira admitted.
"I'll be sure to add that to my catalog later on." Einstein noted. "Anyway, I'd better get back to work on the Ciel System. Prairie already sent me some Energy Crystals to get started, so I'm gonna be busy for a while. Oh, and if you're planning to test out the Wind Gliders, don't do it outside unless you want to attract plenty of onlookers."
"Don't worry, we won't do something that stupid." Gaius assured with Zeo and Akira nodding. "We'll just ask Theresa if we can use the Training Simulation to test out those gliders."
"You do that. Now leave me be, and good luck on your training."
"Thanks, Einstein! We'll be on our way." Zeo replied to the scientist as he, Gaius and Akira left the R&D Lab to resume their training.
"Right then..." Einstein adjusted her glasses and summoned her drones via her Zikan Phone. "...Time to get started."
Training Area
As the three chosen heroes returned to the training area, they saw the rest of their teammates that recently finished their breaks while in their battle attires. "Ah, welcome back, you three." Theresa greeted the arrivals. "So, what did Einstein talk to you about?"
"Well, she gave me and Gaius our very own Wind Gliders. We were hoping to test them out here." Zeo replied.
"Oh, you two have your own gliders now? That's great!" Noelle smiled.
"So Miriam, did you get to test out your glider yet?" Gaius asked.
"Not yet, but I was planning to try it out soon." Miriam replied.
"I see." Gaius noted. "Then you can join me, Zeo and Noelle to try them out in the Simulation Chamber."
"I'd be glad to join in." Miriam smiled.
"Wind Gilders, huh? I'm looking forward to see how they work." Regina commented. "Too bad I don't need them since I can fly without it."
"Wait..." Akira said as she noticed the Symphogear team, Gunvolt and Joule wearing their casual attires instead. "Why are you guys not wearing your battle attires? You're done training for today?"
"Ah, about that. We need to head for the stadium immediately to prepare for the concert tonight." Maria answered. "Don't worry though, we've done enough training for now."
"As much as I want to stay here and train more, I don't want to ignore my idol duties either." Tsubasa added.
"I understand." Akira noted.
"The rest of us are going with Tsubasa-san and Maria-san to help out with the concert preparations." Miku said with the rest of the Symphogear team nodding.
"Joule and I are also going with them for additional support." Gunvolt added with Joule nodding.
"Are you guys also attending the concert later tonight?" Serena asked the three chosen heroes.
"We would, but we're gonna patrol the area instead, considering this world's track record when it comes to concert incidents." Zeo replied. "No offence, girls."
"None taken." The Symphogear team replied back.
"Uhh... how bad?" Kiana asked with curiosity.
"You don't wanna know, Kiana-chan." Hibiki replied.
"...Oh, never mind. Your expression already showed me the answer." Kiana sweatdropped.
"Would be nice if Copen and Lola would join us too, dess." Kirika said.
"Kirika, they'll be really busy helping out Einstein and Tesla on their projects, remember? Which is why they're not coming." Chris reminded.
"Maybe next time, Kiri-chan." Shirabe added with Serena nodding.
"Dess." Kirika nodded back.
"Anyway, we need to get going now before we're late." Miku said before turning to the trainers and bowed. "Theresa-san, Kallen-san, Sakura-san, Fu Hua-san, thanks for the training sessions."
"No problem, always here to help." Theresa smiled at the Symphogear team before turning to Gunvolt. "Be sure to keep an eye on them in case of an unknown concert attack."
"Yes, ma'am." Gunvolt nodded.
"And I'll be right beside him to help." Joule added.
"Sakura, Raiden, let's spar again some other time." Tsubasa said with a bow. "I have to admit that the both are you are quite strong with your swordsmanship."
"Same to you too, Tsubasa-san." Mei smiled back. "And your skills with your Symphogear and your blade are quite amazing. I'll have to be careful next time if I ever fought an opponent as strong as you."
"And you're more than just a sentinel, Tsubasa. You're a sword who's willing to protect the ones you deeply care for, especially your friends." Sakura commented. "Heh, it's no wonder I had trouble facing you in battle earlier."
"Thank you for the compliments, both of you." Tsubasa smiled back.
"Hibiki, hope you remember the training that I've taught you, especially your ki. I'm sure they'll prove useful in a long run." Fu Hua said.
"I'll be sure to remember it, Fu Hua-san. Thank you so much!" Hibiki smiled and bowed in a martial artist's gesture, making Fu Hua return with the same gesture and a smile.
"You Kaslanas really are something with your gun-kata styles, huh? Still, thanks for the training." Chris said to Kiana and Kallen.
"Anytime, Chris." Kallen replied as she and Kiana nodded. "Hope it'll prove useful to you."
"I'm sure it will." Chris replied back with a smile before turning to Kiana. "And Kiana, I'm looking forward to sparring you again, but this time, I'll be the victor."
"I'll look forward to it, Chris-chan! And I'm not gonna hold back either!" Kiana replied with a competitive smile.
"Lumine, Miriam, I hope the both of you learned plenty of sword skills during our training." Maria said.
"I'll put them to good use, Maria. Thank you." Miriam replied as she and Lumine bowed.
"Hope this will help you become stronger while you're searching for your brother, Lumine." Serena said.
"Thanks, Serena." Lumine smiled. "Wish me luck."
"Well, time for us to go! Don't wanna keep Shinji waiting outside." Kanade said before waving goodbye. "See ya guys later!"
"And good luck with the rest of your training!" Hibiki added while also waving.
"Thanks, guys! Stay safe and have a great concert!" Zeo smiled as he and the others waved back to the Symphogear team, Gunvolt and Joule before they left the training area.
"I just hope I'm not too paranoid about a sudden concert attack later tonight." Gaius said.
"Yeah, me too." Akira agreed. "That's why we're patrolling the area to make sure it doesn't happen, or at least move the threat away from the stadium to prevent even more casualties."
"I wonder if we should ask Copen and Lola for a little help with the patrol?" Zeo pondered. "The three of us are not gonna be enough to patrol the area."
"My thoughts exactly, Zeo." Copen agreed as he and Lola just arrived at the Training Area and gained attention from the group. "I think I've got some spare time to help, not to mention also being a bit paranoid of a sudden attack. I also knew about the concert incidents from searching the net earlier."
"And we're not gonna let some unknown attacker ruin the Queens of Music concert!" Lola added.
"Thanks for the help, you two." Akira replied with a smile.
"Hmm... you're gonna need more than just Copen and Lola to assist you." Theresa stated with her hand on her chin. "Kiana, Mei, Bronya, Seele, the four of you will go along with the patrol team."
"Yes, ma'am!" The four in question responded with a nod.
"Kallen, I want you to go with them as their commanding officer." Theresa said. "I'll stay here with the others inside the Zi-O Liner to provide communications support."
"Understood, Theresa." Kallen complied with a nod.
"Not only that, the Grand Nuage is on its way here, so expect additional help from the Guardians and the Mega Men." Theresa added.
"Thanks for the heads up, Principal Theresa." Mei replied.
"The Queens of Music... I wonder what their songs would sound like?" Noelle pondered.
"I think there's a music catalog in the Library Area containing what you're looking for." Sakura answered. "I saw a list of Compact Discs or CDs when I was there yesterday."
"CDs?" Noelle repeated in confusion.
"Ah, right. Forgot that Teyvat never knew about Compact Discs before." Regina realized. "Basically, you can use the CDs to play music using a device called a CD Player."
"Using discs to play music..." Miriam repeated, until she remembered something. "Wait, I think there's another device called a Phonograph that also used discs to play music. I saw it before back in my world."
"Ah, I remember that thing." Zeo recalled. "Man, that invention was a classic. Without it, music or CD Players won't exist."
"I'll show you how it works later if you'd like to, Noelle." Seele said.
"Hmm... alright, I'll give it a try." Noelle accepted before turning to Zeo and Gaius. "But first, we need to test out how to use a Wind Glider."
"Ah, right. Forgot about that part." Gaius realized. "We'll let you teach us then."
"I'll do my best to teach you what I've learned from gliding." Noelle replied.
"Right then. Zeo, Gaius, Miriam, Noelle, head for the Simulation Chamber. The rest of us with watch from the Viewing Area." Theresa declared.
A few moments later, Zeo, Gaius, Miriam and Noelle are inside the Simulation Chamber, while everyone else is at the Viewing Area to observe with Theresa at the simulation console. "Well then, which area do you guys want to test out the Wind Gliders?" Theresa asked.
"Hmm... Maybe try a mountain area, that should work due to how high the mountains can be." Noelle suggested after a bit of pondering.
"Any objections?"
"Nope, mountain area it is then." Zeo answered with Gaius and Miriam agreeing with him with a nod.
"Okay then." Theresa nodded. "Stand by." She then pushed a few buttons on the console until the chamber changed into a mountain area, with the group on top of one of the mountains.
"Whoa..." Zeo and the others responded in awe at how exact the simulation can create. "Gotta hand it to the Zi-O Liner for having such a useful facility."
"So this is what a simulation feels like..." Miriam said as she looked at her surroundings.
"I've never seen anything like it..." Noelle added while doing the same thing. "It's like I'm in the mountains of Liyue back in Teyvat."
"Wait, mountains in Liyue?" Gaius repeated.
"Mhm." Noelle nodded. "I've heard from some people in Mondstadt that there's quite a lot of them in Liyue, though some mountains are so high that you could reach above the clouds."
"Wow... Mount Everest, eat your heart out."
"Anyway Noelle, you go first since you're used to using a Wind Glider." Zeo said.
"Of course." Noelle nodded as she summoned her Wind Glider on her back. It had a black, grey and sky blue color scheme.
"That's a very beautiful Wind Glider, Noelle." Miriam remarked.
"Thank you, Miriam." Noelle smiled. "The color of this glider is the pride of Mondstadt. Now then, everyone watch closely." She then took a deep breath, took a few steps back, and then sprinted forward before jumping off the mountain as she used the glider to soar through the air, with a bit of elevation thanks to the magic silk augmentation. Everyone, including the ones at the Viewing Area, watched in awe at how the improved Wind Glider is being used.
"Whoa... now that's flying with style." Gaius commented.
"Definitely better than using a magic cape, that's for sure." Kiana remarked.
"Akira, what's the difference between a normal glider and an enhanced one?" Copen asked.
"A normal gliders can only fly at a certain distance since it slowly descends, unless there's a wind current for elevation. As for the enhanced glider, thanks to the magic silk embedded into the gilder, it can fly even further than before and doesn't need a wind current to fly upward, meaning you can stay airborne for as much as you like." Akira explained.
"Interesting. No wonder it's an improvement compared to a normal glider." Copen mused.
"By the way, where did you get the magic silk?" Lola asked.
"Einstein was the one who found the material in Sequin Land. That material was used for magic carpets." Akira answered.
"Wait, magic carpets? Like those fictional tales Mytyl read before?"
"That's the one." Akira confirmed with a nod.
"Huh. Wait till Mytyl hears about this. No doubt she's gonna ask for a magic carpet to ride on." Lola said.
"Maybe some other time." Copen replied.
"I'll go next." Miriam declared as she summoned her Wind Glider on her back using her magic. It had a black, light blue and dark blue color scheme, with a blue rose pattern on each wing.
"Wow, now that looked amazing." Zeo remarked upon looking at Miriam's glider.
"Thanks, Zeo." Miriam smiled. "I thought of the design myself while I was making it alongside Einstein." She then took a deep breath as she looked forward. "Okay, here goes...!" She ran forward before jumping off the mountain as she used the glider to soar through the air. "Whoa...! It feels a lot different compared to using the magic cape!"
"Is that so?" Gaius responded before turning to Zeo. "Ready, partner?"
"Yeah, let's do this!" Zeo replied as he and Gaius materialized their Wind Gliders via their Zikan Phones, take a few steps back, and then sprinted forward before jumping off the mountain as they used their gliders to soar through the air. "Hahaha! Yeah! This is awesome!" Zeo grinned as he performed a few somersaults and air dashes. "Hey Gaius, do a barrel roll!"
"Don't you mean the Aileron Roll?" Gaius corrected with a smirk before performing a 360 spin while flying forward. "Heh, now I know why Peppy Hare loved this aerial technique so much!"
Noelle, Miriam, and the ones at the Viewing Area, watched the Riders performing a few aerial maneuvers with ease. "Wow, I never knew they could do aerial techniques like that while using the Wind Gliders." Noelle commented.
"Me neither." Miriam agreed with a nod.
"Well, good to know that they're having fun." Akira remarked.
"Heh, showoffs." Regina smirked. "I can do aerial maneuvers like that in my sleep, and I don't need a glider nor a cape to do that."
"Is it because of your ki, or your magic?" Fu Hua asked.
"My magic." Regina answered, before blinking at what Fu Hua mentioned. "Wait... you can use ki to fly too?!"
"Of course, if you can properly master it and have enough ki energy." Fu Hua answered back while adjusting her glasses.
"Huh, fancy that. If Hibiki's trying to master her ki, she might be able to fly without the need of her Armed Gear eventually."
"If she's willing to learn the technique, that is."
"Ki, huh?" Lumine pondered with her hand on her chin.
"Hmm... let's shake things up a bit." Theresa said as she pushed a few buttons on the console and materialized several small drones inside the simulation that began firing lasers at the flyers, prompting them to dodge upon noticing them.
"What the... drones?!" Zeo exclaimed before dodging another drone laser. "Theresa, what's going on?!"
"You're gonna need to learn how to fight enemies while flying, so I figured this would be the perfect time to do so." Theresa explained.
"At least let us know first!" Gaius responded while dodging more lasers. A stray drone is about to fire at Gaius from behind, only for it to be sliced in half by Noelle with her Whiteblind claymore.
"Are you alright, Gaius?" Noelle asked.
"Yeah, thanks." Gaius replied. "Sorry, was not expecting a sudden drone attack."
"A knight must always be prepared for the unexpected and to never let your guard down."
"Good point." Gaius agreed. "In that case..." He quickly materialized the Ziku Driver and Ridewatch and quickly began his transformation sequence.
"Henshin!"
=RIDER TIME!=
=KAMEN RIDER GEIZ!=
Once he transformed into Geiz, he quickly summoned his Zikan Zax Ono Mode onto his hand. "...Time for me to strike back!" He then flew forward, dodged the lasers, and sliced several drones with a few axe swings when he got close.
"Geiz, I'll go forth and guard your advance!" Noelle said as she flew beside him. "Once we get close, we'll strike them down with one blow!" Afterwards, she used her Geo Vision to summon a protective orange barrier around herself.
"So this the power of your Geo Vision, eh?" Geiz remarked. "Alright then, be my shield until we get close!"
"Yes, sir!" Noelle complied as she rushed towards the drones with Geiz close behind her.
Thanks to Noelle's barrier, the drone's lasers didn't leave a single scratch on her as they close in. And once they do, they delivered several slash strikes that destroyed another group of drones. However, more drones suddenly appeared and surrounded them in a circle. "Tch... persistent, aren't they?" Geiz muttered as he and Noelle stood back-to-back.
"Then I believe it's time to clean up!" Noelle replied before she raised her claymore upwards and generated Geo energy into a large blade of light.
"...Whoa." Geiz remarked upon seeing Noelle's blade of light.
"How did a maid knight summon a blade of light out of nowhere?!" Regina gawked.
"My guess, it's probably because of her Vision." Akira answered. "I saw her Vision crystal glow, which allows her to use her Geo powers."
"So that explains the protective barrier. Interesting..." Bronya mused.
"Geiz, let's finish them in one strike!" Noelle advised with her blade ready.
"Fine by me!" Geiz complied as he detached the Ridewatch out of his belt and attached it to his Zikan Zax.
=FINISH TIME!=
Geiz's weapon began to glow red and yellow as he and Noelle prepared to retaliate.
=ZAKKURI CUTTING!=
"GO!" Geiz and Noelle delivered a powerful spin slash that also unleashed a shockwave which obliterated the surrounding drones in one strike before their weapons stopped glowing.
"Now that's one heck of a clean up." Geiz remarked. "Good going there, Noelle."
"Fufu. All in a knight's work." Noelle bowed before noticing something on Geiz's suit. "Ah, you have a bit of dust on your suit. Let me get that for you." She dusted the dirt off his suit with her hand.
Meanwhile, Zeo quickly dodged the lasers from the drones before they were destroyed by a swing from Miriam's Titanium Flail. "Thanks for the save, Miriam!"
"My pleasure." Miriam nodded before more drones appeared. "But I believe you need to start defending yourself now!"
"Already on it!" Zeo replied as he materialized his Ziku Driver and Ridewatch and began his transformation sequence.
"Henshin!"
=RIDER TIME!=
=KAMEN RIDER! ZI-O!=
Once transformed into Zi-O, he summoned his Zikan Gilade Zyu Mode to his hand and shot down the drones, including the one that tried to shoot him in the back. Another group of drones began firing at Miriam, only for her to summon her Mirror Shield barrier and reflected the lasers back at them, destroying them upon impact. "I should be thankful for Scuttle Town's Item Shop for providing me with this useful ability." Miriam commented.
"So that's how you're able to summon a reflective barrier." Zi-O mused. "Anything else you bought at that shop?"
"This." Miriam answered as she raised her hand glowing fiery red and launched several fireballs onto more drones, followed by a flamethrower which completely incinerated them to dust. "I bought a shard that contains Fire magic, allowing me to manipulate fire."
"Ah, fire. A classic element." Zi-O commented. "Speaking of shards, did Elfnein find a solution to your crystalization curse?"
"Unfortunately, no." Miriam shook her head. "But if I can get back to my world and look for any books about curses, she might be able to find a solution."
"Ah, I see. At least she tried."
"But she did thought of a temporary solution; using my shards and turning them into magic rings. It should be able to reduce the crystalization process."
"Turning your shards into magic rings, huh?" Zi-O mused. "Worth a shot. Now that I think about it, using magic rings reminded me of Kamen Rider Wizard since he also uses magic rings as his power."
"Kamen Rider Wizard..." Miriam repeated. "It would be nice if you could show me that power."
"Hmm... actually, that might be a good idea to try that power out since I'm going on patrol later tonight." Zi-O agreed after a bit of pondering, until more drones arrive. "Let's wrap up our training, shall we? But first..." He raised his Zikan Gilade. "Light my weapon on fire. I wanted to try out a fire sword."
"Alright." Miriam complied as she sprayed fire onto Zi-O's sword, turning it into a fire sword.
"Now that's what I'm talking about." Zi-O grinned. "Word of advice; try enhancing your weapon of choice with elemental power for an advantage, such as using fire against ice enemies."
"Hmm... never thought of that idea before. Let me try." Miriam complied as she used her fire element to light her Titanium Flail on fire.
"Yep, just like that." Zi-O nodded. "Now let's finish off the last drones." He then detached the Ridewatch from the belt and slot it into his weapon.
=FINISH TIME!=
"Let's go!" Zi-O declared as he and Miriam flew side-by-side towards the drones with their flame weapons ready.
=GIRI GIRI SLASH!=
"Haaaaa!" Zi-O and Miriam yelled as they delivered a powerful double horizontal flame strike that incinerated the last remaining drones into dust. "Ok, I think that's all for now." Zi-O declared as they holstered their weapons.
"Hey, you two!" Geiz said as he and Noelle regrouped with their weapons dispersed. "Looks like you've taken care of the ones on your side."
"Yep." Zi-O confirmed. "And looks like you're done on your side too."
"Indeed." Noelle nodded in confirmation. "It was a rather thorough clean up."
"You guys should've seen Noelle's Geo Vision power earlier. First a barrier, and then a large blade of light. She was literally cleaning house." Gaius said.
"Interesting." Miriam responded. "Since Geo is the earth element, it can provide both a powerful offence and defence in the correct situations."
"Wanna try harnessing the power of earth, Miriam?" Zi-O offered.
"Maybe someday, if I could find an earth elemental shard first." Miriam answered.
"Fair enough." Zi-O nodded. "Okay, Theresa! That's enough flight training for now!"
"Understood! Ending the training simulation now!" Theresa replied as she pushed a few buttons on the console and disabled the simulation, prompting the ones inside the simulation to land safely before dispersing their Wind Gliders, while the Riders dispersed their armors. "Looks like Einstein's improved Wind Gliders proved to be a huge success."
"Yep, pretty much an improvement than the magic capes." Zeo confirmed. "And she's planning to make more eventually."
"Good to know, Zeo." Theresa replied. "Now come to the Viewing Area and rest, you guys deserve it."
"Yes, ma'am!" Miriam, Noelle and the Riders complied before leaving the Simulation Chamber.
"Now then, I can see a number of you wanted to have Wind Gliders of your own?" Theresa asked the others.
"Yep, pretty much." Kiana confirmed as she, Mei and Seele nodded.
"The Bronya doesn't need a Wind Glider to fly, Project Bunny will handle that part." Bronya said.
"I don't need one either since I can use my battlesuit's jet boosters to fly." Copen added.
"Very well." Theresa nodded. "What about you, Fu Hua?"
"I think I'll give the Wind Glider a try, and maybe use my ki to fly faster." Fu Hua replied.
"Seems interesting to try out. I'll have one too." Sakura added.
"I wanna have one too, if you don't mind." Kallen also added. "You want to have one too, Theresa?"
"Heh, obviously." Theresa smirked with her arms crossed. "No one will expect the World's No.1 Cutie to rain death from above with my spears."
"No.1 Cutie? You?" Regina questioned. "Yeah, right."
"Wanna repeat that to my face, Regina?" Theresa glared.
"If that's what you want." Regina glared back with sparks colliding, while everyone else sweatdropped.
"Okay, that's enough, both of you." Akira went in front of them to stop. "If you wanna settle your differences, do it in the training area or maybe play a video game."
"Fine by me!" Regina and Theresa accepted.
"Oh my..." Mei sweatdropped.
"(Is Principal Theresa always childish at times, Kiana?)" Seele whispered.
"(Most of the time.)" Kiana whispered back.
"(Fufu. Despite being a commander, she's still a child at heart.)" Kallen giggled.
"(Hehe, yeah. Pretty much.)" Kiana giggled back.
"(Especially when the Bronya beat her in video games.)" Bronya added.
"What are you girls talking about?" Theresa asked them.
"Ah, nothing! Nothing at all!" Kiana, Kallen and Seele waved their hands in defence, while Bronya shook her head.
"Hey, we're back!" Zeo greeted as he, Gaius, Miriam and Noelle arrived. "So, what are you ladies chatting about?"
"Nah, nothing much really. Just girl talk." Akira replied. "What are you guys gonna do next?"
"I think I'll help out Einstein to make more Wind Gliders for everyone." Zeo replied back.
"I'll go along with him to pass the time. I've done enough training for today." Gaius added.
"I think I'll go and prepare some meals for dinner before evening time." Miriam said.
"Oh, let me help you with that, Miriam." Noelle said.
"Thanks, more help is appreciated." Miriam replied with a smile before turning to Akira. "What about you, Akira?"
"You know what, I think I'll go with Gaius and my brother to make more Wind Gliders." Akira decided.
"You guys can go on ahead while I train the others... after I settle the score with Regina." Theresa said to Zeo's group, while briefly glaring at Regina.
"Just... try not to kill each other while we're gone." Zeo cautioned with a sweatdrop.
"We'll keep an eye on them, you have my word." Kallen assured with Kiana nodding.
"Thanks for that." Gaius replied. "Right then, see you ladies at dinner time!"
"Mm. See you then." Sakura replied back with a nod as Zeo, Gaius, Akira, Noelle and Miriam left the area to perform their tasks.
"Lola and I will go and help Tesla with the Tesla Drive System." Copen decided.
"You got it, Boss." Lola replied before turning to the others and waved goodbye. "Well then, see you girls at dinner time!"
"See you later, you two!" Kiana waved back as Copen and Lola left the area to look for Tesla.
"Now then..." Theresa turned to Regina and gestured to the Training Area. "...shall we?"
"Loser cleans the dishes tonight?" Regina wagered.
"Deal." Theresa accepted before she and Regina entered the Training Area, while everyone else sweatdropped.
"At this rate, I don't think Theresa and Regina will continue training after the battle." Sakura stated, earning a nod from the others.
"Guess it's up to me to keep an eye on the training regiment." Kallen said.
"Too bad Himeko's staying in Japan for today. Try not to work too hard, okay Kallen?" Kiana asked.
"Don't worry, Sakura will be with me. I'll be just fine, Kiana." Kallen assured with a smile.
"Alright then." Kiana smiled back before they watched Theresa and Regina preparing themselves for battle.
Bavarian Illuminati Secret Hideout, Main Hall
Meanwhile back with Zwei, he now stands before the 50 Bavarian alchemist remnants (minus the one who stole Zwei's devices and ran away) assembled in groups as they anxiously await the results of the test to see if their resolve to serve the Neo Time Jackers is strong and which of the three will be promoted to leading officer.
"Now then, is everyone here and accounted for?" Zwei asked the assembled alchemists with his hands on the back of his waist.
"Yes, sir!" The alchemists complied in attention.
"Good." Zwei nodded. "As I recalled, I requested all of you to take my test two days ago which involved defeating as many ice monsters as you could within in a time limit. And after taking a look at your results, I'm quite pleased at your resolve. And for those who have the lowest scores, that's fine. There's always room for improvement, which is why everyone is welcome to join the Neo Time Jackers. Congratulations, you've all passed." He applauded while the alchemists cheered at their accomplishment.
After a few moments, they stopped applauding and cheering so that Zwei could continue his speech. "However, there's three people who scored very well that they deserved to be promoted to leading officers for the Neo Time Jackers which showed endurance, talent and cunning. When I call your number, come up on stage immediately." Zwei then took out his tablet and began to read the three numbers out loud. "No. 7, No.14 and No.21. Come up on stage please." The three chosen alchemists went up on stage while everyone else clapped for them.
Once on stage, they lined up in a horizontal row with around a step separating them. "Now then, before I go any further, do you three have your own names?" Zwei asked, before the three alchemists shook their heads in response. "I see. I guess with so many alchemists, they never even bother to ask for their own names. Very well, I'll give you three your own names." He then walked in front of the one on the left. "Starting with you. Please reveal your face."
The alchemist then removed the hood, revealing to be a man with sky blue eyes and short hair, with a streak of light green hair on the front. "Ah, so you're No.7? That explains the extraordinary wind alchemy I saw two nights ago." Zwei mused.
"That's correct, Zwei." The alchemist nodded. "I've studied wind alchemy for quite some time, entrapping my enemies in one location before delivering the killing blow."
"Interesting." Zwei noted. "But did you also know that you can combine your wind magic with the other elements? Such as using a fire element onto a tornado."
"Yes, I've read about that too. I'd use them against your ice monsters, but they might be resistance to ice magic if my tornado combined into an ice tornado."
"So you're aware of their strengths, weaknesses and resistances. Most impressive." Zwei praised. "Henceforth, you shall be known as... Helios the Wind Alchemist. Do you accept this name and title?"
"As you wish, Zwei. Helios shall be my name from now on." The now named Helios accepted with a bow.
Next up, Zwei went to the next alchemist at the center and stood in front. "Now then, No. 14. Remove your hood please." He requested.
The alchemist then removed the hood, revealing to be a woman with light grey, and long white hair with light grey lopsided bangs. "Ah, I see. That explains your figure." Zwei commented. "Sorry for asking this curious question but, are there more female Bavarian alchemists besides you?"
"Around 16 of them, Zwei." The female alchemist answered. "Don't worry, I know you didn't mean any offence."
"Thank you. Now then, you specialize in light alchemy after observing you two nights ago, correct?"
"Mm." She nodded. "Light alchemy can be a bit tricky to master, but I've gotten used to it, especially when I blind your monsters with my light to escape and plan another strategy to combat them."
"In other words, watching their attack patterns before planning a counterattack. Nicely done." Zwei praised. "Speaking of light alchemy, have you ever thought of using that element to heal or enhance your allies?"
"Now that you mention it... not really. Should I learn those kinds of skills?"
"I'd suggest you learn those important skills. Offence is good, but you need to rely on support skills too. Those are what make or break a team."
"I understand, Zwei." She nodded.
"Don't worry, like I said before, there's always room for improvement." Zwei assured. "And I can see plenty of potential from you if you can master light alchemy. With that said, you shall forever be known as... Licht."
"Licht, huh? I like it. Licht it is, then." The now named Licht accepted with a smile, making Zwei smile back.
"And last but not least..." Zwei said as he went in front of the last alchemist on the right. "No. 21. Your hood please?"
The alchemist then removed the hood, revealing to be a man with purple hair that reached his neck and dark blue eyes. "So you're the one who specializes in thunder alchemy." Zwei spoke to him. "You know, my partner Eins met an adept that also specializes in the same element as you, except that it's blue instead of your purple."
"Is that so?" The alchemist raised an eyebrow. "How strong is that adept?"
"Well, Eins predicted that he's strong enough to defeat some really powerful foes, with a little help from his comrades. And he'll continue to do so since he knows we're a bigger threat than his main foe in his world."
"That adept is from another world?" The alchemist asked, earning a nod from Zwei. "I see. Then I'll have to be careful when facing him."
"Luckily, Eins was able to obtain a pendant containing a very special power. Once I finished tinkering with that pendant, I want you to be the first to try it out."
"A-Are you sure about this?"
"No need to be nervous. I can see potential within you ever since I saw you use your thunder alchemy against my ice monsters. Your lightning actually reduced their defences instead of increasing their resistances, allowing you to defeat them easily."
"I've studied my thunder alchemy quite well, even tried using my lightning on a flaming torch one time, which made it explode for some reason."
"Huh, interesting..." Zwei commented. "With that said, will you accept the pendant when the time comes?"
"Of course, Zwei. I'll follow your orders without question." The alchemist accepted with a bow.
"Good. Though don't be afraid to ask any questions to me or the other generals, we may take notes to make sure we don't make any mistakes."
"Understood."
"With all said and done, your name shall now be called... Blitz." Zwei declared.
"Blitz... that actually sounds like a very cool name. Alright, my name shall be Blitz, then." The now named Blitz accepted.
Afterwards, Zwei walked back to the center of the stage and faced to all of the alchemists, while the three named alchemists also faced them. "Ladies and gentlemen...!" Zwei announced. "May I present to you the three new leading officers for the Neo Time Jackers; Helios the wind alchemist, Licht the light alchemist, and Blitz the lightning alchemist!"
The alchemists applauded and cheered for the three named alchemists for their promotion. Under guidance from a new master, they might have a chance achieve their goals they sought out to seek ever since the death of Adam Weishaput. "Now then, would you all turn your attention to me for a moment." Zwei ordered, earning everyone's attention after the room became silent. "Usually this is where we plan for our next move, however due to one of your own stealing my devices and running off, we'll have to change our plans." The alchemists began murmuring silently in shock upon hearing the news. "Don't worry, I'm not blaming all of you for this incident to happen. There's bound to be a few 'loose screws' at some point. But at least some of you took action to stop the thief as best as you could, so I'm giving credit to those brave ones. With that said, we'll be leaving this world until further notice. Is that understood?"
"Yes, sir!" The alchemists complied.
"Good." Zwei nodded. "Helios, Licht, Blitz, come with me." He got off the stage with the three lead alchemists following behind until they reached the end of the Main Hall, prompting Zwei to turn around and face the alchemists. "Now then, it's time that I escort every single one of you to the Neo Time Jacker base of operations. Licht, you and I will go first. Helios, Blitz, properly escort all the alchemists inside the portal before going inside yourselves. Is that clear?"
"Yes, Zwei." The three lead alchemists nodded.
"Alright everyone, assemble in groups of eight!" Zwei ordered after clapping his hands twice, prompting the alchemists to assemble in groups. Next, Zwei summoned a large Time Veil behind him with a finger snap before facing the portal. "Stay close, Licht." He said, earning a nod from her before they entered the portal. Afterwards, Helios and Blitz properly lead the alchemists inside the portal one group at a time, and when the last group went inside, the two lead alchemists followed the group inside before the veil disappeared, leaving the hideout completely empty.
London Stadium
Nighttime
The London Stadium; the location of the Queens of Music concert. The venue was already packed with a massive crowd of people waiting to see their favourite idols perform for one night only. However, most of them are unaware that an unknown attack may occur on the stadium tonight. Fortunately, Team XDR are already patrolling the areas of the stadium on both the outside and the inside. If an attack were to occur suddenly, they'll immediately take action to face the threat directly and to protect the people from harm.
Meanwhile on the backstage area of the stadium, Tsubasa and Maria are having their last minute preparations before the concert begins. Tsubasa is wearing a small blue and light blue hat that looked like an airport attendant hat with a yellow, blue and light blue wing on it. She's wearing a blue, light blue, white and yellow sleeveless idol outfit with a petticoat, a short white scarf that's shaped like wings, and a feather sash on the back of her waist. She also has blue and yellow long gloves, a pair of silver short heels and long white leg sleeves that revealed her ankles along with a blue and dark blue wing on the upper part of the leg sleeves.
As for Maria, she's wearing a light green, pink and magenta wing-shaped hair clip on the right side of her hair, while the right side of her hair has a white and pink flower hair clip with a dark green leaf on it, plus her hair is tied to a single braid. She's wearing a magenta, pink, light pink, and light purple outfit with a feather sash on her left shoulder and the back of her waist, a magenta and single white stripe long glove on her right arm, and a pair of silver short heels.
"Well, this is it, Tsubasa." Maria spoke to her partner. "Are you ready for tonight?"
"I am, but..." Tsubasa replied with a bit of uncertainty.
"You're worried about something going wrong tonight?"
"Yeah..." Tsubasa nodded while looking at her own outfit. "Not only that, the outfits we're wearing are just like the ones we wore last December. And... we both knew what happened during that concert. Wearing these felt like a bad memory to me."
"I see." Maria noted. "We never expected an unknown attack like that and a lot of people were slaughtered. Maybe you're right about being cautious, though there's some things none of us could predict. The least we could do now is to keep moving forward and to make sure the same tragedy never happen again."
"Mm. I guess you're right."
"But this time however, we have a lot more help than before." Maria smiled as she turned around and noticed the rest of the Symphogear team arriving.
"Don't worry, you two. We'll make sure the people are safe from harm." Kanade assured before turning to her successor with a smile. "Right, little kouhai?"
"Mm! Heiki, hecchara!" Hibiki nodded and pumped her fists. "You and Maria-san will carry on with the concert while we take care of the rest."
"Thanks for the help, Kanade, Tachibana, everyone." Tsubasa smiled.
"You know Tsubasa, I was kinda wondering why you kept calling Hibiki-chan by her last name instead of her first. She's not older than you, you know." Kanade questioned with her hands on her hips.
"Uh... that's... well..." Tsubasa stuttered.
"Huh, I was wondering if someone would mention that little tidbit." Chris commented with her arms crossed. "What's wrong with calling us by our first names, Tsubasa? You're fine with calling Kanade and Maria by their first names, but not us?"
"Maybe add Serena to the list since hers and Maria's last name were quite long." Shirabe pointed out with Kirika nodding.
"Not only that, you can't call Zeo and Akira by their last names since they're related." Miku added with Serena nodding.
"With that said..." Kanade grinned and clasped her hands. "Starting today Tsubasa, you're gonna start calling us by our first names!"
"Eh?!" Tsubasa gawked.
"Great idea, Kanade." Maria agreed.
"M-Maria! You're agreeing with this?!" Tsubasa questioned.
"I don't see why not. And besides, we've been friends for quite a long time, so I think it's safe for you to not call us by our last names anymore."
"Give it a try, Tsubasa-san! It'll be fine!" Serena persuaded.
"I-I... well..." Tsubasa struggled to answer before looking at the assured smiling faces of her friends. Eventually, she began to think that she wouldn't be able to make it this far without the help of her friends, including her uncle and her late father. She'd still be an emotionless blade if they never stepped in to help with her problems. With that said, she made her decision with a smile. "Alright... I'll give it a try." She then turned to Hibiki. "Starting with you... Hibiki."
"Haha! There you go!" Hibiki cheerfully smiled.
Tsubasa then turned to the rest of her friends. "Miku. Chris. Kirika. Shirabe. Serena."
"Heh, well it's about damn time you called me by my first name." Chris smirked.
"It feels good for Tsubasa-san to call us by our first names, dess!" Kirika smiled.
"Hmm..." Maria hummed, earning Tsubasa's attention.
"Maria, what's wrong? I didn't say their names right?" Tsubasa asked.
"No no, you said their names right. But you forgot to say mine and Kanade's name." Maria replied with a teasing smirk.
"E-eh?!" Tsubasa gasped.
"She's right, you know. How could you leave us out of the loop?" Kanade agreed with Maria with a pout.
"W-wait, Kanade! Maria! I-I didn't mean to... L-let me start over again to-"
"Just kidding!" Kanade and Maria gave a teasing wink to Tsubasa.
"O-oi!" Tsubasa flustered while everyone else laughed at her response.
"Hahaha! Sorry, Tsubasa! Just trying to make you laugh to get rid of your worries and your nervousness." Kanade apologized.
"But you did feel a lot better than earlier, right?" Maria added.
"Hehe, yeah. Thanks, everyone." Tsubasa smiled.
"Hey, ladies." Gunvolt greeted as he and Joule just arrived. "Did I miss anything new?"
"Ah, Gunvolt. It's nothing really, just trying not to feel nervous for the performance tonight." Tsubasa replied. "Though I had a little help with Kanade and the others to make me feel better with some encouragement."
"Glad to hear it." Gunvolt replied back.
"Anyway, Shinji said that the concert will begin in about five minutes, so I hope you two are prepared." Joule informed Tsubasa and Maria.
"We're all set, Joule. Thanks for the heads-up." Maria replied.
"My pleasure." Joule smiled back.
"With that said..." Gunvolt pulled out his Zikan Phone and began contacting the others. "Time for a last minute roll call before we get started." After pushing a few buttons, several holo-screens appeared in front of him, allowing the others to see their teammates. "This is GV, status report."
"Zi-O here with Geiz and Cure Starlight. We're in position at the north area."
"Kiana here. I'm with Mei, keeping an eye out in the south area."
"The Bronya reporting with Seele. Now observing the east area."
"This is Kallen. Copen, Lola and I are watching over the west area."
"Thanks for keeping an eye out for us, everyone." Joule said to the ones on the holo-screens in their battlesuits.
"Anytime. Just making sure that the concert goes smoothly without any incidents." Zi-O replied, until he heard a beeping noise coming from Gunvolt's phone. "Ah, that must be Theresa calling. Better answer it, GV."
"Got it. Activating her holo-screen now." Gunvolt nodded as he pushed a button, revealing Theresa on a holo-screen and inside the Zi-O Liner. "Anything new to report, Principal?"
"Just one." Theresa replied. "But first, is the concert starting soon? And how long is the show's duration?"
"It's starting in five minutes." Tsubasa replied back. "As for the duration of the concert, it'll last for one hour."
"So we'll have to defend the stadium for an hour. Got it." Theresa noted. "Maybe add at least 15 minutes more to ensure the civilians left the stadium safely when the concert's over."
"You got it, Teri-Teri." Kanade replied.
"Ter- Kanade! Only I get to call Teri-Teri! Not you or anyone else, unless otherwise!" Theresa comically retorted.
"Why not? It's a really cute nickname, dess." Kirika questioned.
"Mmmph...!" Theresa huffed her cheeks.
"I didn't know you can be a tsundere too, just like Chris-sempai and Copen." Shirabe commented.
"I AM NOT A TSUNDERE!" Chris, Copen and Theresa snapped, making Kirika and Shirabe squeak while everyone else sweatdropped.
"You two really need to watch what you say." Gunvolt commented. "Unless you actually liked getting into trouble."
"Sorry./Sorry, dess." Shirabe and Kirika apologized with a bow.
"It's fine, don't worry about it."
"Maybe you two should follow Serena's example on being a good role model." Copen suggested. "And she's also younger."
"Oh? And I thought you were gonna mention me as a role model instead." Maria teased.
"Uh... well... you're good too, Maria." Copen stuttered while slightly looking away with a bit of red on his face.
"Wow, Boss. First Chris and now Maria? Since when did you become a chick magnet?" Lola teased.
"I heard that!" Chris retorted with her face red while Maria chuckled. "T-that's not funny!"
"Lola, don't make me shoot you." Copen glared at his partner.
"Ok ok, you really need to learn to take a joke at times." Lola replied with her hands raised.
"P-please don't fight, you two." Serena sweatdropped.
"Ahem!" Zi-O cleared his throat, earning everyone's attention. "Anyway Theresa, when is the Grand Nuage arriving? We need to make sure they're present for our patrol."
"Oh you mean the Guardians? They should be arriving pretty soon." Theresa answered, until she heard a beeping noise in the Zi-O Liner. "Actually, scratch that. They're here right now. I'll patch them through." She then pushed a button on the console, revealing another holo-screen and showed Prairie inside the airship.
"Sorry we're late, everyone. Travelling from Tokyo to London took some time." Prairie greeted.
"I was wondering where you and the others were. Auntie Theresa told us that you're coming to help." Kiana said.
"Mm." Prairie nodded. "The Guardians and the Chosen Mega Men are ready to help out. And if you're wondering where the airship is, we're above the stadium and the clouds. Plus, I'm grateful to Genjuro for allowing us to use their satellite for reconnaissance."
"That's good to know, Commander Prairie." Bronya replied.
"By the way, is Reiko on board the Grand Nuage right now? I was kinda hoping for her to meet Tsubasa if possible." Gunvolt asked.
"Sorry GV, but she, Kohaku and the three kids are staying in Japan to help out my sister and S.O.N.G." Prairie replied.
"I see, well that's a shame. Maybe some other time then."
"Gunvolt, who's Reiko?" Tsubasa asked.
"She's a skilled swordswoman with a powerful blade that can segregate. Plus, she and Kohaku are sisters." Gunvolt answered.
"She used to be human, until she has GV's DNA due to an experiment by Sumeragi, allowing her to use the same Septima as GV." Kanade added.
"Experimented?!" Tsubasa and Maria exclaimed.
"Yeah." Copen confirmed with a nod. "Kohaku, Lola and I saw the video footage, and it's not pretty to look at, especially the Berserk Trigger."
"Berserk Trigger?"
"Berserk Mode, obviously." Geiz clarified. "Don't worry though, me and Zi-O already destroyed that system since it's too dangerous to use."
"I see, that's good to know." Tsubasa replied.
"Prairie, is Himeko still in Japan right now?" Mei asked.
"Yes. She's busy helping out Genjuro at the moment. Do you miss her, Mei?" Prairie asked back.
"Yeah, me and the other valkyries feel the same way." Mei replied with Kiana and Bronya nodding. "She may not be a higher rank than Principal Theresa's, but she's like a mother to us, always watching over and taking care of us."
"I see... that's very sweet of her." Prairie smiled.
"I definitely agreed with you." Kallen agreed with a smile.
"I-I didn't get a chance to know her well since I've just reunited with Bronya days ago in Sequin Land." Seele admitted. "But I wanna take that chance when we head back to Japan."
"Hmm..." Theresa pondered with her hand on her chin, until she had an idea. "Hey, I know! How about we start a hangout in Japan for us valkyries! Maybe somewhere around this week sounds good."
"Good idea, Auntie Theresa! This'll be a good chance for all of us to have fun together!" Kiana agreed with Mei and Bronya nodding. "Seele, Kallen and Sakura can join us too!"
"Yup, I'm planning on inviting them too." Theresa confirmed. "You girls don't mind joining us?"
"Hehe, I'd love to. And I'm sure Sakura will also agree." Kallen smiled.
"I'll look forward to it, Theresa." Seele also smiled.
"Oh, can we come?" Hibiki requested.
"Hibiki, we already did that a few days ago." Miku reminded. "And besides, I think this hangout is strictly for the valkyries of St. Freya, including Seele."
"Sorry Hibiki, but Miku's right." Theresa agreed. "You're gonna have to give us some private time in our hangout."
"Ah, right. Sorry, Theresa-chan." Hibiki realized.
"If that's the case Hibiki, how about we do our own hangout next time, but only for us Attuned." Maria suggested.
"Oh, that sounds like a great idea, Maria-san!" Hibiki smiled. "Can we invite Elfnein-chan along too?"
"Of course. Even a young scientist like her needs to have some R&R." Maria approved.
"Just remember to contact us on the date of our hangout, okay?" Kanade reminded.
"I'll be sure to let everyone know by then." Maria replied.
"Alright! Now I'm really forward to our hangout someday, dess!" Kirika cheered.
"Just try not to cause too much trouble. I'm watching you, you know." Chris warned.
"Y-Yes, Chris-sempai."
"I'll also watch over Kiri-chan, just in case." Shirabe said.
"You do that." Chris replied.
"Fufu. Guess that's another thing I'm looking forward to." Serena smiled. "Wouldn't you agree, Tsubasa-san?"
"I agree." Tsubasa nodded and smiled. "Hanging out with friends is always nice."
"Well yeah. Don't want you to stay as a sentinel forever, not to mention being a crybaby and all." Kanade teased.
"K-Kanade, please!" Tsubasa blushed while everyone else laughed at her reaction.
"Hehe, it's good to see everyone getting along so well." Woz commented as he arrived and stood next to Theresa.
"Hey Woz! Good to see ya!" Starlight greeted. "Taking a break from reading for today?"
"Actually I've just finished reading another book from our library. It's quite an interesting title, if I do say so myself."
"Heh, always the bookworm, Woz." Kanade grinned.
"And proud of it, Kanade Amou." Woz replied with a smirk before turning to the Queens of Music. "By the way, you both look beautiful tonight. I'm sure the people will love to see your performance."
"Thanks for the compliment, Woz." Maria replied back.
"I was expecting you to join Zi-O and Geiz in their patrol since you're also a Kamen Rider." Tsubasa commented.
"Only when necessary, Tsubasa Kazanari. But I'm sure they'll do just fine without my help." Woz replied.
"Hey Woz? Since you're here, there's something I wanna talk to you about." Zi-O asked.
"And what would that be?"
"When we get back to Japan, we want you to tell all of us about the previous Zi-O's whole story, including the ending."
"...I see. I was wondering when you'd bring up that question."
"Wait, you mean you knew we're gonna ask that this entire time?!" Geiz questioned.
"I knew. I was just waiting for the time you told me that question." Woz replied. "Very well, I'll tell you about Sougo's story when we return to Japan."
"But only tell us the important parts, we don't want to get bored to death."
"I'll do what I can." Woz nodded. "And by the way, congratulations on creating your team name, you three. This is the moment that Xross Drive Rebellion will make their mark in legend."
"Thanks, Woz." Zi-O replied. "Though we've already made our mark in Gunvolt's world and Sequin Land."
"Ah, of course."
"Tsubasa-san! Maria-san!" Shinji called out as he arrived. "The concert's gonna start in one minute so you'd better get into positions."
"Thanks for the heads up, Ogawa-san. We'll be there soon." Tsubasa replied.
"Guess it's almost showtime. Zi-O, anything you'd like to say to us before we get started?" Prairie asked.
"Wait, why me?" Zi-O questioned.
"Seriously? Did you forget that you, Geiz and Starlight are the founders of our formed alliance?" Theresa reminded.
"Oh, right. Good point there, Theresa." Zi-O replied.
"Though to be honest, I'm pretty sure I know what you're gonna say since we've been a team for quite a long while." Kanade grinned.
"Yep, me too." Gunvolt smirked.
"Well then, Kamen Rider Zi-O. Go ahead and say it." Joule requested.
"Heh, very well." Zi-O replied. "Xross Drive Rebellion! Let's Ragna-Rock and Roll!"
"Yes, sir!" Everyone responded before the all of the holo-screens vanished, prompting Gunvolt to put away his Zikan Phone.
"Alright, everyone get into position. It's almost showtime." Gunvolt stated.
"Hope you girls remember what to do." Joule added.
"Sure did, Joule-san!" Hibiki nodded. "Myself, Miku and Chris-chan will be at the audience stand at the left side of the stadium, while Kirika-chan and Shirabe-chan will be at the right side of the audience stand."
"And that would leave me, Kanade-san, Ogawa-san, GV and Joule to guard the backstage area." Serena finished.
"Good." Gunvolt nodded. "Best of luck, girls."
"You too, GV!" Hibiki replied before she and her group left the area.
"Tsubasa, Maria, give them one hell of a performance." Kanade said with a thumbs up.
"We definitely will, Kanade." Tsubasa smiled as she and Maria gave her a thumbs up.
"Remember to be careful too." Maria said.
"We will, big sister." Serena replied before the Queens of Music head for the stage area.
"I just hope this concert goes well without any incidents." Shinji said.
"Me too. But considering the kinds of crazy adventures we've been through, we're gonna have to be prepared for it." Gunvolt replied.
"But still, I'm looking forward to hearing the songs of the Queens of Music." Joule commented.
"Speaking of which Joule, I was wondering if you're planning to return to your idol career?" Shinji asked.
"That's... still up for debate." Joule answered. "Although..."
"What?"
"After the Zwei Wing performance last night and seeing everyone's happy faces, it made me miss performing for the people of my world as they hear my songs, giving me support and enjoying my songs with smiles on their faces, even though I was used as Sumeragi's tool for their plan."
"Wait, what do you mean by 'tool'?" Shinji questioned.
"Ah right, you didn't know about Joule's story yet." Kanade realized. "Before she met GV, she was a pop idol by name of Lumen, and used by the Sumeragi Group. Her Muse Septima allows her song to detect other Adepts, who were then found and captured by those bastards."
"That's just wrong." Shinji frowned. "Using her song for their own devious schemes."
"But ever since I freed Joule and defeated the Sumeragi Group including their leader Nova, she's finally free to do as she wishes, but at a cost of losing a lot of her fans in the process." Gunvolt stated.
"Yeah... it hurts to see a lot of my fans feeling unhappy about my 'disappearance'." Joule said sadly.
"Joule-san..." Serena whispered.
"I see... Sorry to hear about that, Joule-san." Shinji said.
"However, GV's right about one thing. Now that Sumeragi is gone for good, I finally have my freedom and to sing for as much as I want." Joule smiled. "But I'll still use my song to support GV. And now, I'll also use my song to support Team XDR."
"That's the spirit, Joule." Kanade smiled. "Great power comes greater responsibility, remember?"
"Don't forget about Lola's song, too." Serena also smiled.
"Of course." Joule nodded before turning to Shinji. "By the way, Ogawa-san. About the offer to return to my idol career, when the time comes, could I ask for your assistance?"
"No problem, Joule-san. I'll help you out when the time comes." Shinji answered.
"Thank you very much." Joule smiled before turning to her partner. "And I'm gonna need your help too, GV."
"You sure? I'm... not much of a manager type, to be honest." Gunvolt replied.
"Don't worry, Shinji will show you the ropes, like how he taught me yesterday." Kanade assured.
Gunvolt pondered for a moment, until he made his choice. "Okay, I'll go for it. I'm counting on you, Shinji."
"You have my word, GV." Shinji nodded, until they heard the loud sounds of the crowds cheering and the stage lights starting to light up. "Looks like the show's about to begin. Shall we go and watch?"
"Yes, let's." Joule complied as they head for the backstage monitors that showed the stage area.
Big Ben, Top Floor
Meanwhile inside the famous clock tower, a lone Bavarian alchemist is watching through an open window at the front of the large clock, observing the London Stadium lights and hearing the crowds cheering, making him scowl before closing the window. He then took out a device from his cloak, an Another Ridewatch which he stole from Zwei, and stared at it. "Lord Adam..." He spoke. "You will have your vengeance, this I swear...!" He then turned the dial and pushed the button, activating the Ridewatch.
=SHINOBI...=
In a flash of dark purple light, he transformed into a being in a dark purple demonic skeletal ninja gear, skulls on his kneepads and belt, a sheathed ninja sword at the back of his waist, a pair of yellow optic visors with a cross in the middle of his helmet, a skull emblem on his metal headband and skeletal teeth. This is Another Shinobi, a corrupted version of Kamen Rider Shinobi.
"Those accursed Symphogears will fall... starting with the Queens of Music..." Another Shinobi declared before silently leaving the area to begin his assault on the stadium.
Chapter 10: Preparations
END
Author's Note: Well, this is it. The stage is set for the upcoming battle against the lone Bavarian alchemist who stole the devices from Zwei. And he used the Another Ridewatch to become Another Shinobi. And considering how shinobis use their ninpo techniques, this will be a tricky battle for Team XDR. Not only that, he also has the incomplete Red Evolve drug which I'm planning to reveal what it does in the next chapter. We're very close to ending this Book, so look forward to it when it's ready. Until then, stay safe!