Kristen and Katsumi run to the place preparing their relics
"Chandrama Bhaala Trishula Tron"
"Ruyi Jingu Bang wukong a tron"
Both arrive there, getting the attention of the Noise and the person controlling them.
The slim-looking woman with long dark hair turns her face slowly looking at the wielders, when they saw those eyes, they felt an absolute terror.
"Did you feel it too?" – Katsumi asked
"Yes, luckily my bladder is really strong…"
"… I will pretend I didn't hear that"
"Mrs. Anath has ordered me to end the lives of these inferior beings and yours too" – the woman said
Hibiki raised her left eyebrow when she heard that name, then she looked at Elfnein who simply nodded implying that she has also heard it.
"Uh? Why would you want to do that?" – Kristen asked
"I don't have to give you any explanations, right now your souls will be mine thanks to this powerful sword" – the woman unsheathed a long sword that reassembled a katana.
{Opening: "Sea of Fire" by SawanoHiroyuki[nZk]:mizuki}
EP08: "Requiem of Fallen Angel"
The woman looked at Katsumi, fixing her as the target of her attack, then launched herself towards her.
"Here it comes!" – Katsumi said when the woman was close to her, bit suddenly she disappeared
Katsumi could predict her next movement and with her staff she stopped the attack which came from the back.
"You read my movement… You are the first person who's done it" – said the woman
"I just guessed it… It's not as I could hear your muscles tense" – Katsumi replied, still holding the attack
"Ha… Beginner's luck" – the woman jumps back
Kristen launches herself to attack her with Trishula but the woman dodges the attack by spinning on her own axis, then she approached Kristen and put her sword close to her neck.
A spectral-like light begins to emerge from the sword, alerting Katsumi.
"Watch out!" – Katsumi shouted while expanding her staff, hitting the woman in the face, thus saving Kristen.
"Wow, that was a close one" – Kristen said somewhat impressed
"I think it's time for me to go with everything I have…" – the woman said as her body began to emanate a blue aura.
The woman launches towards Kristen and both begin to fight with their respective weapons.
Katsumi tries to hit her with her staff but this time, the woman is much faster than before.
"You weren't kidding, huh?" – Katsumi said – "Quantum Gear Lv 2" – her staff splits in two forming a pair of gauntlets.
"Quantum Gear Lv 2!" – Kristen also increases her power, being able to access the HIGH-SPD mode where her eyes turn green and a stream of greenish energy appears on the back of her gear, allowing her to move faster.
Both wielders rush to attack the woman who dodges each blow starting a high-speed battle.
Meanwhile at Section 2…
"Commander Tachibana, I think you should see this" – Elfnein said showing some information on the screen
"Anath…" – Hibiki said while reading the information
"In Egypt she was known as the goddess of war, linked to Astarte. Looks like she belongs to the group of Custodians Adam mentioned before he died, and I think she is much more powerful than Shem-Ha" – Elfnein said reviewing her research
"The Custodians again…" – Hibiki said – "Now that I think about it, since Carol first appeared, we have been getting ourselves into lands still unknown and incomprehensible to humans"
"But we have also evolved and improved ourselves as humanity" – Maria mentioned entering the headquarters
"Maria!" – Hibiki said, startled a bit by her sudden appearance – "Were you able to take care of the civilians?"
"The survivors of the black snow were transferred to one of the bunkers of the headquarters, I only hope that Kristen and Katsumi manage to save the others" – Maria informed while watching the fight through the monitor.
The three women were still fighting and chasing each other.
"I'm tired of playing with you!" – the woman gained more speed and prepared her sword to attack
"By the power of the God of the Underground Nirgal, I Azkel order you Seelenfresser to take the soul of my enemy in the name of the will of my master Anath!" – the woman makes a long cut with her sword pointing directly towards Katsumi – "Seele Slash!"
Katsumi was immobile as she saw the trail of light rapidly approaching her.
"Kat watch out!" – Kristen launcher herself pushing Katsumi and subsequently receiving the attack. Her soul could be seen getting out of her.
Kristen body falls limp to the ground, eyes wide open.
"Kristen!" – Katsumi screamed
At Section 2 everyone was appalled at what had just happened.
"Kristen…" – said her sister feeling like she's just lost a part of herself
"Hey, Kristen! Wake up!" – Katsumi runs towards Kristen's motionless body. Her skin was pallid and her body temperature had drastically decreased but she was still wielding Trishula.
"Now it's just the two of us" – Azkel said pointing her sword towards Katsumi
Katsumi lifts Kristen's body and takes it to a safe place where she covers it with the red cloth of her gear.
"Are you ready?" – Azkel asked
"Yes… I am…" – Katsumi clenches her fists – "… I am ready to end you" – her eyes turned golden and her voice became more imposing.
Katsumi jumps towards Azkel and disappears just before hitting her.
"Are you using my strategies against me?" – Azkel thought Katsumi was going to appear behind her but to her surprise, what she did was create an illusion to make her think that she was indeed going to appear there. Katsumi hits her in the chest revealing that she had never moved.
"GGhhh… She's been able to outsmart my speed!" – Azkel said, still being in shock
Katsumi quickly runs around Azkel creating several replicas of herself.
"Tch! Those tricks won't fool me! Seele Slasher!" – Azkel swung her sword several times trying to hit the real Katsumi but all she did was destroy the nearby buildings
Meanwhile in Section 2…
"Incredible, I never thought Katsumi was that strong…" – Maria said watching the combat
** Retrospective **
12 years ago, after the battle against Shem-Ha, the wielders were resting in a house in one of the forests of Japan.
On the night of the party for the victory of humanity, Maria went outside to relax a little when suddenly a little 5-year-old girl appeared from the bushes. Her face was covered in blood and everything she could say was 'Dad' and 'Mama'. When Maria saw her, she did not hesitate to help her.
That same night she was sent to a hospital where they were able to stabilize her. When she searched about her in the Japanese government databases, she found her name (Katsumi Hayashi) and her parents' (Yuichi and Yuki Hayashi), with those data, Maria went to investigate what happened to her.
Maria ended up finding that her parents were murdered in an 'unclear event'.
After several talks with Genjuro and Tsubasa, Maria decided to adopt Katsumi and become her legal guardian.
During her childhood, Katsumi is trained in mixed martial arts and Genjuro teaches her some things about his fighting style, helping her create her own style. At the same time, influenced by Maria's career as an idol, she decides to dedicate herself to the world of music, her first job as a singer would be at the age of 15 being a great success.
** End of retrospective **
"It feels like it happened yesterday…" – Maria said
Hibiki just looked at her wondering what was going through her head at the moment.
Meanwhile in the battle…
Katsumi and Azkel continue to fight at high speed.
"Quantum Gear LV 3!" – her staff splits in two becoming a pair of gauntlets.
"I'm not going to miss this time; Seele Slash!" – Azkel launched her attack against Katsumi's replicas which vanished leaving the true one ready to attack.
"Now it's my turn!" – Katsumi shouted from behind preparing her blow while her fist began to spin like a drill, red and yellow energy formed a whirlwind.
"Tokubudou Dai 3 Kai Undou: 100K Tamashii Gekimetsu"
Azkel receives the first blow right into her stomach and while being launched into the air, she receives 100 additional hits, sending her directly against a building dropping her sword.
"I can't… I'm going to be defeated by a human…" – Azkel managed to say
"You made a very… No, two BIG mistakes" – Katsumi said as she arrived to the place where she was – "First one: You messed with a great friend and stole her soul… And second one: You neglected your defense by focusing on eliminating all my replicas. You trust your weapon to much, you are nothing without it, right?" – Katsumi said while pointing right into her face with her staff.
A huge gust of wind is blown out of Azkel's eyes, knocking Katsumi a few meters away.
"You say that I am nothing without Seelenfresser?" – Azkel said as her body changed shape into a more demonic one – "I'm not the most feared being in the legion of Mrs. Anath for nothing"
"This can't be true…" – Katsumi gasped when she saw her enemy's new form
Azkel extends her right arm, black ribbons appear and wrap around Katsumi, spinning her and throwing her into the ground several times.
"Was that everything you could do?" – Azkel said as she brought a badly injured Katsumi to her face
Katsumi tries to open her eyes but the were covered in blood.
{BGM: "Kuchizuke ni Nemuru Hoshi no Uta (Apple)"}
"If master Maria saw me right now… She would worry a lot…" – Katsumi thought feeling how she was about to lose consciousness – "She would scold me a lot… And…"
"It's time to fulfill my task" – said Azkel preparing the final blow
One of the black ribbons takes the shape of a giant fist which was about to hit her when suddenly Katsumi grabs one of the ribbons while emitting a yellow glow.
"What is happening?!" – Azkel asked as her ribbon began to emit smoke.
"It's been enough…" – Katsumi said with a powerful voice
"Excuse me?!"
"I said… ENOUGH!" – Katsumi shouted freeing herself from Azkel's grasp and breaking parts of her body in the process.
Katsumi uses her speed to repeatedly hit Azkel, from afar her attacks and movements looked like the orbit of electrons in atoms.
Azkel managed to escape that frenzy.
"Where did she get so much power from?! Are humans as dangerous as Mrs. Anath used to say…?"
Katsumi draws her staff with a movement of her right hand, then she sticks it right into the ground and masterfully stands on one end. The staff lengthens making her reach the sky, just ahead of the sun.
After receiving enough energy, Katsumi jumps from her staff which becomes a golden gauntlet and starts spinning like a drill emanating a lot of golden energy. She goes right towards Azkel, who tries to counterattack by launching an incessant blast of energy from her mouth, with an angry but determined look on her face.
"Tokubudou Dai 3.5 Kai Undou: 100K Tamashii Gekimetsu – Kyuukyoku (EXTREME)"
Azkel receives the blow followed by another 100 additional blows, destroying her demonic shape leaving only her naked body.
Azkel falls abruptly and says nothing because of the shock caused by the attack, Katsumi also falls but her expression is similar to the one you'd have if you participated in a high-performance competition.
"Yes, it's true… Humans are dangerous… Forgive me ma'am" – and after that her body transforms into energy which flies to an unknown place.
The Seelenfresser is smashed into pieces releasing the souls it had inside it, including Kristen's.
The Noise fix their eyes on Azkel's light an disappear.
Katsumi manages to control her breathing and with what little strength she had left she goes to check on Kristen, luckily, she was where she left her. Her skin color was back and her body temperature returning to its normal levels. It looked like she was sleeping peacefully.
Seeing her expression, Katsumi couldn't help but smile, the she fixed her gaze towards the sky as she sat on the ground.
"Hey Katsumi, are you okay?" – Hibiki asked through the communicator
"Yes, I'm done and Kristen is feeling better" – Katsumi replied with a calm voice, she sounded almost like master Maria.
"… I'm glad to hear that. A medical team is on its way"
"This must be a sign… It took me a lot to finish her. I have to improve my abilities" – Katsumi looks at Kristen who is still sleeping – "I think I may have an idea…"
"Hmmm… I don't want to go to school… Give me back my cloud, where's my cloud…?" – Kristen said groggily making Katsumi laugh slightly
A few seconds later Kristen wakes up abruptly and confused, she looks everywhere.
"EH, KAT…?!" – said the confused Trishula user – "What happened to you and… Where's the girl that attacked me?"
"Hehehe, everything is fine, I took care of her personally"
"Oh Kat… I wish I could have helped you defeat her"
"Don't worry, we are a team, right? We protect each other no matter what happens"
"Yeah you are right…" – Kristen said – "Look, they are here!"
The medical and security team made it to the place.
{Ending: "Signs ~ Sakutsuki Hitoyo ~" by Minami Kuribayashi}
Kristen helps Katsumi walk towards the staff who are ready to give her first aid.
Maria comes out of the headquarters' room and takes out her mobile to see some pictures of her and Katsumi when she was still a child.
Kristen's sister meets with Elfnein and Lucy.
"The project is already finished, I'm sure that it'll help us a lot in this mission" – said Lucy, handing over a suitcase to the young woman.
"Thanks Lucy, leave the rest to us" – Elfnein replied taking off her characteristic lab coat – "Shall we go, Yuna?"
"Yes!" – Yuna replied, firmly holding the silver-colored suitcase.
Azkel's energy goes directly into a glass container guarded by a little girl.
That girl looks at Anath who is Jean with golden glitter in her eyes and a look of hatred.
"Mrs. Anath, Azkel is back" – said the girl with a soft voice.
Anath in Jean's body looks at the container and the watches the sunset.
"It was them, I'm sure of that" – Anath said now looking up to the sky – "But we are almost there, let's be patient"
Meanwhile in a room of S.O.N.G's headquarters
"And that is what I want to do, Commander, do you think this is the right time?" – Katsumi asked who was now fully covered by bandages.
"Well… Yes, I guess it's about time" – Hibiki answered feeling a little bit unsure about everything.
"Fantastic" – Katsumi said with a smile
"Although I wonder what is he doing…" – Hibiki thought as she raised her face up
In a waterfall located in a distant mountain a muscular man with reddish hair is meditating, after a while he finishes and turns his head just to reveal his identity.
Next episode: "[Part A]: The story of a Hero / [Part B]: Unti-L"
In memory of Tatsufumi Itō, director of Senki Zesshou Symphogear (S1)
1965(?) – 2020
R.I.P