Never has S.O.N.G HQ been in an uproar so many times in a single week.

The moment that Hibiki reappeared at Lydian, evacuation plans have already been established and were about to be deployed right up until Maria took the initiative and forced an evacuation of the school anyway. Aoi was relieved by her foresight, but it still did not fix the underlying problem: the rogue wielder herself.

Thankfully enough, visual and audio were working perfectly when they began their surveillance.

However, in hindsight, Aoi wished they hadn't.

There was just no way to describe the pure evil that was radiating off of Hibiki at that moment. It was such a sudden change from before that it was almost unbelievable, and it was so pronounced that they could feel it all the way from the safety of the headquarters. The night before, she seemed to be more unhinged than anything else, and according to Adam that's all that should have been; just a teenage girl venting out her feelings explosively. Aoi really thought that would be the full extent of it.

Never could she have imagined that it would evolve, and become this...abomination that shook her to the core. To see Hibiki, standing in the middle of the crater that used to be Lydian's courtyard was beyond mind boggling. To see her looking like a fallen angel, like a divine being that lost its place in Heaven.

And when she spoke, chills went down her spine at the absolute animosity she showed towards Maria. She knew that at that moment, a fight was inevitable. There was nothing they could do from their end, so Aoi simply said to her a few simple words.

"God-speed."

It was such a useless gesture, she knew that. They weren't even all that encouraging, and their meaning was simply was "do your best", since other than investigate the cause of this change, there was absolutely nothing they could do to help her.

"Sorry I'm late!" Elfnein exclaimed as she ran into the bridge, panting. "I just finished up some final adjustments! Sorry it took so long!"

She quickly ran to her console, sitting down and hurriedly being updated about recent events.

At that moment, the fight erupted with a bright flash of light, and the indicator for Maria's Ignite Module time showed up on the big screen before them.

They were already on a time limit from the get go, and that increased the pressure all the more.

Adam looked up from where he was left at the screen displaying a visual of the fight. 'What a useless effort,' He thought to himself. 'Just once wasn't enough for them to understand that they are outmatched by the divine power? What absolute arrogance. But still…'

Despite being what he was, Adam still managed to find himself surprised quite a few times over the last few hours. The fact that the god-slayer had apparently seamlessly taken in the divine power was one thing.

The fact that Gungnir's curses corrupted her did not.

Her having incredible power was definitely not a surprise.

The fact that it could change further was.

The former head of the Illuminati narrowed his eyes at the figure on screen. There was no use trying to follow the fight, since it was a foregone conclusion as to how it would end. No, it was more use studying the problematic person herself, and trying to understand exactly what it is that happened to her.

Not a single bit of his knowledge about the divine power had indicated that it could change. It was suppose to be absolute and unyielding, and the way she had appeared the previous night should have been her at her strongest. Defeating it would be simply a matter of either overcoming her with sheer force or cleverly attempting to remove it from her.

So why was she even stronger now? No, it wasn't the divine power itself that evolved.

It was the curses, the very thing that corrupted her mind was what had evolved. She seemed to also spontaneously develop abilities as well, if the teleportation was any indication. That made absolutely no sense to him. Absolutely none. He was the one who was most knowledgeable about the subject, and he had no idea what was happening.

It was frustrating, confusing, and more than anything infuriating. To think it would go so out of control without any method of restoring it. How could he allow himself to fall so low? How could he allow himself to become so careless and lose everything he had worked so hard to achieve? To have his ambitions stolen from him right under his nose?

Not a single one of them knew what was the true purpose behind his grand design. They would rather waste their time on this petty squabbling rather than confront the actual problem. The Custodians will be becoming, and they will be ruthless.

But to dwell on this frustration was an exercise in futility. First, he has to reach an understanding. He has to figure out exactly what are the changing variables here in this formula, and looking at the visuals would not help him in any significant way. Unfortunately, he did not have the capability to actually move.

So in that case...

"You," He said, calling toward the nearest employee who had been absorbed in his work. The man raised his head and looked toward Adam, his eyes wide. He looked around him, and pointed to himself, silently asking if he was the one being called. "Yes, you." Adam continued. "Bring me over to the homunculus. She seems to be the only one with a brain amongst all of you."

The employee narrowed his eyes at the blatant insult, but said nothing. He got up from his seat and went over to Adam, picking him up carefully with both hands. Making his way around the various protruding consoles, he eventually arrived at the one Elfnein worked at, finding her engrossed in her work.

"Um, Ms. Elfnein?" The employee quietly said, catching her attention. She lifted her head up and her eyes widened. "He...wanted me to bring him to you so...I'll just put him right here." He said, and gently placed Adam's head on the free space on the console.

"Ah, thank you." Elfnein answered. The employee nodded in response and went back to his seat. The homunculus looked at the disembodied head curiously. "Um...is there anything I can help you with?"

He stared at her with narrowed eyes. "You seem to be the only one doing any actual work. Only through you will I be able to solve this mystery."

She tilted her head in question. "What do you mean?"

"I mean the strange change that has come over Tachibana Hibiki," He responded, and he could see the exact moment her expression fell. "Something does not sit right with me in this scenario. There is an element at work here that I could not foresee."

"Something you could...not foresee…"

"Yes. And you will help me find out what that is. Only then will everything will become clear. Do not worry, I will not disturb you during your work, I will only-"

"HOLY SHIT!"

The sudden shout from one of the employees at the lower part of the bridge tore everyone's attention away from their consoles, promptly bringing their attention to the large screen displaying the fight.

It was at that moment they realized that his cursing was not that out of place.

Elfnein cupped her hands over her mouth in horror as they stared at the black mass that had grown from Hibiki's spilled blood, and reeled back from the sheer insanity of the act. The fact that it took on her own shape, that one that had she had fallen to many times in the past only worked to increase their absolute shock.

Adam narrowed his eyes at the screen. She had developed another ability? Preposterous. Absolutely preposterous.

He will not allow this to stand.

"It seems we have much work ahead of us, homunculus," He said. "And we do not have the luxury of time. Let us make haste in this investigation."

His words worked to bring Elfnein back to focus. He was right, she could not allow herself to stay horrified by what she was seeing. That wouldn't help them at all. She worked quickly as she went over the information that was being rapidly provided, and Adam studied it as well from his place on the console.

There was much to go through, and very little time to do so. They could only work as hard as they could, and pray that the wielders will be able to survive.

-!-

There was something that Saint-Germain was familiar with that she could use to summarize their situation.

It was a law that she, as an alchemist, was intimately aware of: the law of equivalent exchange.

This law, among many others, is the most basic law that governs the art of alchemy to its core. It simply states that in order to obtain something, something of equal value must be lost; It stands in parallel to Newton's third law of motion.

Something cannot be gained without sacrificing something else. For every action that occurs, an equal and opposite reaction occurs from the other side.

And for every good deed done, an equally evil deed is also done, and vice versa. The real fear is not knowing when that deed will finally take place.

And after going through countless documents that vividly detailed Tachibana Hibiki's heroic exploits, Saint-Germain realized that the evil that stands in opposite to all the good that she had done…

Was right in front of them.

The beast's roar was unlike anything she had ever heard. It was primal, and it was wild, but most of all was also terribly human. It boggled her mind that Tachibana Hibiki, who was more often than not described as not being the brightest person of the bunch, could come up something like this.

No, this was not a display of intelligence, she corrected herself. This was a display of cleverness, and due to her current state, also a show of dominance.

Tachibana Hibiki had just created life from completely out of nowhere, ultimately defying the very laws that governed the universe.

It just went to show just how otherworldly the divine power was, and just how scary she could be.

The beast hunched over, steam escaping its gaping maw of a mouth. "How do you like it?" Hibiki asked deviously. "Came up with it just now, and I gotta say I'm surprised by how good it came out." She placed a hand on the beast's shoulder, and it growled at the Symphogear users. "How about you try to take it on? I think it will be a real challenge!"

"You…" Chris began to say, Her teeth grinding. "Do you think this is funny?!"

"Of course it is, Chris-chan. It's just so funny how you always try to beat me, and you just fail every single time! I kind of feel bad for you now. You throw everything you have at me and in the end nothing works. You just keep on trying again and again, and in the end you get nothing. So I made this thing just for you," Hibiki responded, chuckling. She tapped the beast's shoulder. "To give you a bit of hope, so to say. A gift from me to you, for everything you've done for me."

'Never thought her to be the sadistic type,' Saint-Germain wondered. 'I guess it is just another buried aspect that is being violently expressed.'

It also confirmed the homunculus' observation: she was prone to jumping between moods almost spontaneously. If before she presented herself as a calm yet vengeful being, now she was almost comical, almost wallowing in the misery she was inflicting upon them.

"Hibiki-san…" Kirika let out sadly. "Why...why are you doing this?"

"Why, Kirika-chan? I already told you. I'm simply giving back to you for everything you've done." Hibiki answered simply.

"But...But I thought we were friends! I thought that you cared about us!"

HIbiki narrowed her eyes at her. "That's not enough to make me forget or forgive, Kirika-chan. You turned my help away. You involved innocents in your plans. You involved Miku in your plans and used her against me. I can never, ever forgive you for that. No matter how much time passes, and no matter how much we get along; you should know something very simply: I am done forgiving. I am done turning a blind eye. I am done sweeping everything under the rug. I will make sure that all of you will pay for what you've done to me. Everyone who turned against me will know exactly what I truly feel about it."

The cold response nearly drove Kirika to tears. She could feel the lump in her throat, struggling to hold back the tears from falling. She choked back a sob, and quickly Shirabe rolled over to her, holding her by the shoulders and trying to comfort her.

"Nobody is safe from me," She continued. "All those who looked down on me, all those who took advantage of me, and all those who denied me will understand what I went through!"

The beast shuffled in place, and growled once again. It was chained only by its mistress' will, and those chains were slowly loosening as her temper rose.

But Chris held no fear in her, standing to her full height. "Get real, dumbass!" She yelled at her. "You think all of us didn't go through hell as well? What makes you think you are so goddamn special?! I know it was hard for you and all, but just because of that does not give you the right to fuck everyone over!"

Chris could feel her own face burn up from anger, but she held her tongue from saying anything more. Hibiki went deathly quiet, and merely stared at the Ichaival user with her narrowed emerald eyes. "Because, Chris-chan. I have divine power,"

She gave the beast a gentle tap on the back.

"And you don't."

And the black mass charged, moving faster than the eye could see. Crossing the distance between them in a mere second, Chris barely had time to gasp as it brought down its claw on her. She hurriedly raised her crossbows barely in time for the beast to smash through them in a single strike and for its claws to cut deep into her arm.

"G-gah!" Chris let out as pain shot up into her brain in an instant. Seeing its surprise attack failed, the beast jumped back just in time to avoid a retaliatory strike from Kirika. Landing back onto the ground, the fake Hibiki laid on all fours like an animal, predatory growls escaping its mouth once again.

"Chris-senpai!" The Ig-Alima user exclaimed. "Are you alright?!"

"Y-yeah," The senior replied, her arms hanging loose by her sides. "That piece of shit got me good. It...will take awhile to get back into fighting shape."

Shirabe took position next to Kirika as they faced the beast. "Fall back then until you can. We'll handle this."

Chris grit her teeth. "Yeah...thanks guys." And took a few cautious steps backwards.

Kirika raised her scythe as she entered her battle stance. "Hibiki-san...this is just too much. Way, way too much. We can't let you go on like this. This isn't right, and this isn't you."

"Now now Kirika-chan, we just talked about this. You can't match me, so you girls play nice with this child. I'm sure she'll prove her worth in just a moment." Hibiki responded. "If you can beat her then maybe...I dunno, we'll see then."

Such a casual remark thrown without thinking of the circumstance. If there was anything that made them understand that it was Hibiki speaking, then it was the completely lack of regard and responsibility.

It just made the hole in their hearts that much bigger.

"It seems we have no choice then," Maria announced. "Everyone...let's cut down this beast."

There was no need to even acknowledge her.

Responding to their fighting spirit, the beast reared its head back and roared. It once again charged, stampeding towards Maria at incredible speeds like a sprinting cheetah. The silver Symphogear user raised her sword just as the beast leaped at her, blocking its powerful strike with her sword. The mere force pushed her back, and she felt her heels dig into the pavement beneath her. She grit her teeth, and with a yell pushed the beast back. It leapt away from her, spinning in the air.

But just as it was about to land, Shirabe was ready for it. Materializing her two giant buzzsaws, she positioned right where the beast was about to land, completely ready to slice it to pieces. However, it proved to be far more agile and flexible than they imagined, and just as it fell it twisted its body to barely avoid the spinning disks, landing right in front of Shirabe. As soon as its feeth touched the ground it lunged at her with its claws, and Shirabe quickly pulled back her saws to block the strike. Its claw clanged off the metal, and forcing herself away from it, Shirabe slid backwards, launching a barrage of saws at the fake Hibiki.

It seemed to however not be fast enough to avoid them as they cut into its mass, and the blood that made up its form splashed onto the ground behind it. It snarled at the small Symphogear user and, ignoring its own injuries, charged through the rain of saws towards her. Taken completely by surprise by the blatant disregard to its own well-being, Shirabe could barely avoid the sure-kill strike from it and jumped away in time for it to graze the side of her hip. She reeled momentarily from the pain, and spun just in time to avoid the second, more savage strike.

It was fast and dangerous, that was an unmistakable fact. It was also durable, seeing that her attack had done little to arrest its movements. She glanced briefly to its mistress, seeing Hibiki simply standing in the same place, her arms crossed and with a smile on her face.

'She's looking down on us.' Shirabe commented to herself. 'She thinks that this thing can defeat us. In that case-!'

Kirika came in just in time to deflect the third strike. The claws clanged against her scythe, and the beast instantly switched its focus to her. It attempted to slash at her again, but she nimbly avoided the simple strike and entered its range. With a shout, she swung towards the beast, and the very inside of her scythe struck it in the stomach. She was momentarily surprised when it wasn't sliced in half by her blow, but that was not the first time she had seen something like that happen. Planting another foot forward, she swung with all her might and swatted the beast away, causing it to fly through the air once again.

It would definitely charge at her again once it landed, she realized. In that case, she will meet it with all her power!

Holding her free hand to the side, Kirika summoned another copy of her scythe, dual wielding them. The beast then landed back to the ground and indeed rushed at her with a burst of speed. It roared again, raising both hands and struck against the scythe she raised to defend herself. Immediately she raised the other one to slice at the beast, but it used its arm to smash it away. Claws met scythes in a wild exchange of slashing blows, tearing up the ground beneath them and cutting huge gushes into the pavement.

Maria came up behind it while it was occupied and brought down her sword on its back. The beast was far too busy with the enemy in front of its face that it could not possibly dodge her strike in time, and the ignited sword sliced deeply into its back. It let out a pained growl as it faltered, it strikes against Kirika stopping momentarily.

But that was just the opening she needed.

She quickly combined the two scythes into one, turning them into a double headed halberd, and brought it down on the defenseless beast.

'REVERSE RAPUNZEL'

The black mass that had taken on Hibiki's form realized its impending demise and dodged to the side. It barely escaped with its life, however not without injury. Having attacked with all her might, Kirika's halberd sliced through the beast's right arm, and the severed black appendage flew through the air to land at the other side of the field.

A smirk lit up Kirika's face. "Alright, we got it-!"

"NO! IT'S NOT ENOUGH!"

Kirika was taken completely by surprise by Chris' sudden shout, turning around instinctively. "Wha-!"

It was something that she couldn't have possibly known about. All of the FIS Symphogear wielders were sorely lacking in information regarding everything that occurred before their first confrontation with S.O.N.G. Not a single one of them had any experience dealing with Hibiki's fusion with Gungnir, and as a result did not know exactly what had been happening to her during that time.

There was a flash of movement in the corner of her eye that she barely managed to catch. She turned back just in time to see the beast lunge at her, its arm having morphed into a huge spear head. Kirika's eyes widened in shock and she could only brace herself as it pierced into her shoulder.

"Ah-AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

She screamed at the excruciating pain that accompanied the blow. It happened so fast not a single one of them could even process it in time to react to its assault.

Its arm, the very same one that she had sliced off a mere moment before had instantly regenerated, and promptly used its restored limb to attack her while she was unaware.

The beast raised the arm and flung Kirika away. She streaked through the air and smashed into the track field's toolshed. It's arm then promptly morphed back into its regular shape.

"Kirika!" Maria yelled in her direction, but was forced to turn back to the beast as it turned its attention back to her and clawed at her face. She deflected the attack away with her sword, but its assault was relentless. It kept on attacking her with a wild flurry of primal slashes, each accompanied by a savage growl, and Maria groaned at the intensity. The beast slashed downwards, and Maria jumped back to gain some distance. She brandished her sword, and the once smooth blade fragmented and elongated, its entire length connected by a series of metal interlocking links. Locking her eyes onto the beast, she rushed towards it and struck with the full might of her whip-sword.

'EMPRESS†REBELLION'

The sword's entire length trapped the beast, and the serrated links sliced into its mass from all directions. The beast roared in pain as its blood was shed once more in large amounts. However, it was not down yet. Throwing its arms forward, the beast caught the sword in its hands, the links still grinding into its frame. Ignoring the pain, it pulled. Maria yelped as she was suddenly thrown forward, her feet leaving the ground.

The beast threw the sword aside and charged towards the airborne Maria. The elder idol narrowed her eyes, and in a split second decision pulled a handful of knives from her gauntlet and threw them in the beast's direction. The small blades pierced into it, throwing off its momentum, allowing Maria to use its head as a springboard and leap off in the other direction.

Just in time for Saint-Germain to shoot a barrage of bullets at its back. The bullets' impact blew holes into the beast's frame, and more blood erupted from the fresh wounds on its body. It hung in the air momentarily and then crashed into the ground face first with a loud thud, throwing up dirt into the air.

Maria landed back on her feet and turned to face the downed beast. The alchemist reloaded her gun and raised it in its direction as well, staring at it in deep concentration.

There was a tense moment on the battlefield. Miku could only look on in shock and worry at the battle, desperate to do something to help the Symphogear users. She furrowed her brows and took a step forward, but Maria already caught her intention and shouted to her. "Stay back, Miku-san!"

"But-"

"No buts! There is nothing you can do here! Words are completely lost on her! It's meaningless to try and talk her out of a fight! Get out of here as fast as you can!"

Miku's eyes widened. Why was she- She just wanted to help! She couldn't just stay back and let them fight alone!

"She's right, Miku." Hibiki said calmly, looking up at her over her shoulder. "There is nothing for you to do here. Sit quietly and wait for me to pick you up. I'll make sure you don't have to wait too long."

Complete and utter denial. Her lips quivered at their words, and her head hung low, her resolve depleted in a mere instant.

She was useless here. She couldn't fight like they could, so she had no way to assist them in the battle. Her words also had lost their effectiveness, seeing as Hibiki simply refused to listen to her pleas.

There was absolutely nothing she could do except stare and watch, and hope that they come out okay.

But that did not stave off the frustration. The sheer agony of not being able to do anything. The hopelessness of the situation, and the despair that accompanied it. Miku never felt like this before in her life...and it tore deeply into her heart, wishing...hoping...that there will be a ray of light in this all consuming darkness.

Kirika in the meantime picked herself up from the wreckage of the tool shed, untangling herself from the ropes of the tennis net that had been stored there. She groaned at the sharp pain from her shoulder, but brushed it off as much as she could and made her way towards the others.

Shirabe went over to her while the two older women kept their eyes on the currently unmoving beast, waiting for it to make any sort of move. This was their opportunity to regroup.

"Are you okay, Kiri-chan?" Shirabe asked her significant other.

Kirika flashed a weak smile, holding down a hand on the wound in her shoulder. "I'm okay Shirabe, it…" She winced. "Doesn't hurt too much."

Shirabe looked at her with worry, checking out her injury. How could a mindless beast give them so much trouble? It was incredibly disheartening, to think that this was their best. In the end, it only proved Hibiki's point: if they could barely beat this monster she created, then how the hell could they surpass her? What could possibly beat her at this point?

Chris, who had been hanging in the back due to her injuries, kept her gaze locked onto the real Hibiki. She could see Miku standing further away from her on the incline, her arms by her sides and her fists clenched. She wanted to go and comfort her, but if what Aoi told them was true, it was a bad idea to show any sort of closeness to Miku while Hibiki was around.

And besides that, to ignore Hibiki while they were fighting was tantamount to suicide. Her arms still hurt from the beast's initial strike, and it was difficult to raise them. Thankfully, the Symphogear stopped the beast from doing too much damage to her arms, and she was sure that in a few minutes she would be able to fight again, albeit a bit weakened.

But minutes in a fight were eternal. A single second could decide the outcome of a battle, which could decide the conclusion of a war...and decide the fate of the world.

To that end, Chris knew that despite his insufferable attitude, Kazanari Fudou was not wrong in his assessment. They are soldiers, in the end. They trained, they fought, and they put their lives on the lines for the many. They were the frontline and the backline in a war against beings that humanity could not handle by themselves, and they carried the fate of the entire world on their shoulders thrice already.

And as she painstakingly learned, there is no battle that cannot be won. There is only a missing element that needed to be used at the appropriate time.

But when that element was completely unknown...it was hard to develop any sort of hope.

The beast stayed down on the ground. Maria raised an eyebrow at its inactivity. "Do you think it's dead?" She asked the alchemist.

The response came from the beast itself as it raised itself off the ground. It turned on all fours towards them again, extending its limbs behind itself and growling all the while.

"Does that answer your question?" Saint-Germain retorted back.

It roared once more and stampeded towards them, tearing up the ground with its clawed hands and feet. It leaped towards Saint-Germain first, and the alchemist materialized a blade at the end of her gun, using it to shield herself from the incoming strike. The beast crashed into her, and with a strong heave she lifted the fake Hibiki above her head and threw it into the air. She aimed her gun at the airborne beast and fired multiple rounds, each one hitting its mark and splashing more blood onto the ground beneath it.

Taking the opportunity while it's defenseless, Maria took out a handful of knives from her gauntlet and raised them above her head. They spun rapidly, creating a whirlwind around the Airgetlam user, which she proceeded to throw right at the black beast.

'TORNADO†IMPACT'

The storm engulfed the beast and slammed it into the ground, pinning it to the pavement under the force of the mighty wind. Maria kept on the effort, not letting the snarling beast move even an inch.

"Now! Finish it off!" She yelled.

Before Saint-Germain could respond however, she heard the strong shuffling of metal as Chris materialized her two giant rockets behind her.

"No problem!"

'MEGADETH FUGA'

And they fired. They flew through the air, the backdraft creating a dust storm in their vicinity due their proximity. Just before they struck, Maria cancelled the storm, allowing the rockets to reach their destination unabated.

A huge explosion occurred in the wake of their impact, and the girls had to raise their arms to protect their eyes from the wind that followed.

"Now it should be dead." Chris commented with a smirk. Even without her crossbows she could help after all, and took the opportunity to blast the beast into pieces. If its regeneration did not allow them to chip at it slowly, then the obvious solution was to destroy it so thoroughly it had nothing to regenerate from.

And true to her thought, when the fireball had dissipated and they looked into the small crater that formed from the impact, there was indeed nothing inside of it.

It had taken much effort, but they were in the end successful. They had successfully taken down the beast.

A small smile began to form on the edges of Maria's mouth, but was promptly dropped when Hibiki started clapping. "Wow! Good job everyone! That sure was a great show!"

Saint-Germain raised her gun at the rogue wielder, frowning all the while. "You really have lost your mind."

Hibiki tilted her head sheepishly to the side. "Lost my mind? Now that's just rude Saint-Germain-san! I'm very much sane I'll have you know."

She clapped one more time, and then a savage smile lit up her face. "As a reward for your success...How about I increase the difficulty?"

"Wha-"

And they looked over the battlefield, looking at two of the puddles that had formed after they spilled the beast's blood. They too, like their predecessor, began to bubble and grow and morph. Following the same trend, the two puddles quickly grew as well.

And at the end of the nasty process, two black beasts remained in their wake.

They stood at opposite ends of the area, boxing the Symphogear wielders and Saint-Germain between them. They two beasts growled loudly at them, and Maria looked between them hurriedly, trying to formulate some sort of plan of action. They essentially had three fighters at relatively top form, while Chris couldn't use her arms at the moment, limiting her to just her strong blasts. Kirika on the other hand was probably still able to fight, but at a much lower efficiency.

This is all without taking into consideration their Ignite limit. Maria at some point lost track of the timer and now was absolutely clueless as to much of it remained.

"Everyone, stick together. Huddle as close as possible!" She commanded, and they proceeded to obey her orders. The four wielders as well as Saint-Germain stood in a circle, their backs towards each other. Kirika painfully materialized a scythe again and held it aloft in her uninjured hand. It was much more difficult to lift now, but they had to make due with what they had.

Saint-Germain contemplated on their next move. 'Just one gave us an endless source of trouble. It was strong, fast, but essentially just a wild animal. We were able to outsmart it and overwhelm it, but...how much longer can the Symphogears hold? And how much longer can I hold?'

-!-

Elfnein bit her lip, looking at the disadvantageous position the girls found themselves in. The Ignite timers kept on ticking down on the big screen in front of her, and they indeed did not have much time left on it. Just the fight against the one beast significantly reduced it, and now two of them at the same time looked to be bleak.

She was still completely perplexed at how Hibiki could create them out of nowhere. It was an act that defied various rules she was aware of intimately as both a scientist and an alchemist. Creating life was a goal many alchemists in the past fought and died to accomplish, and not even one of them managed to do so as successfully as she had. Not even Carol, with all of her knowledge had been able to do so. The Autoscorers were in the end simply pre-programmed dolls, and her spare bodies were degraded versions of her own.

But what could they do now?

"You worry about your own comrades, homunculus," Adam suddenly said, catching her attention. "In the end, even the divine power has its limits in what it could do. To spawn a being like that was nothing short of a violation of the natural law. Leave discovering the reason for that to me. It's your job to keep them alive, is it not?"

Elfnein blinked a few times, surprised at his out-place-generosity. "I see. Thank you."

Adam smirked. "There is no need to thank me, homunculus. Just make sure that our goals are attained at the end of this road, no matter what you have to do."

She looked at him, taking in the meaning of his words. This was indeed an exceptional situation that called for creative solutions.

Well, it was a good thing she did indeed do something creative. It was a surprise it worked at all, but even though it was a shadow of the real thing, it could still be useful and help them turn the tide.

Now to just inform her that she could use it.

Elfnein pressed the comm button. "Saint-Germain-san!"

-!-

The last person the alchemist expected to specifically open a channel to her was Elfnein. It took a while for the homunculus to convince her to take the earpiece from her, but in the end the tactical needs outweighed her own reluctance.

And it seemed now it would prove useful. "Saint-Germain-san!"

"What is it?" She responded back evenly.

"Listen, I'm sorry for not telling you about this earlier, but there is something you can do to help you in the battle." Elfnein told her. Saint-Germain furrowed her brows skeptically while still having her gun raised at the beast in front of her.

"What are you talking about?"

"I installed the Ignite Module on your Faust Robe."

It was such a bombshell announcement that the alchemist almost dropped her gun in response. The Symphogear wielders turned around to stare at her in shock, not believing that such a thing was even possible.

"That's impossible," The alchemist responded. "The Faust Robe is not a true relic. It does not have the same abilities as the Symphogear does, regardless of their similarity."

It was an undeniable fact. The entire reason the Ignite Module worked at all was because the Symphogears innately had the 'Berserk' mechanic built into them. It was only through overcoming the pain that it invokes in one's mind that it could be subdued and used as a power source rather than becoming a raging beast like the black mass before them. From her research, Saint-Germain realized that the Ignite Module could only be conceived because of Tachibana Hibiki's experience as a relic-human fusion. Faust Robes were the alchemical equivalent of the Symphogear, requiring no song to activate and were in the end not true relics.

And due to that fact, they did not have the berserk mechanic to abuse, so why…?

"I know it sounds unbelievable, but I made it work. It's not exactly the same as the one the Symphogears have, so its power is degraded, but I managed to install it all the same. I used the last piece of the Fool's Stone that I had as a conductor. Even if the Philosopher's Stone is not a true relic like the Symphogears, it was enough for it to interface successfully with the Ignite Module. I do not know what to tell you in terms of what your real output would be, but it will have the same advantages and disadvantages just like the real one." Elfnein explained.

So that was why she succeeded. She had in fact abused the status of the Philosopher's Stone as a pseudo relic to force the Module to work with it. Since her Robe was derived from it, it could still somehow work.

It was a still however a long shot, she understood that much. The Philosopher's Stone was not a historical relic that contained massive amounts of power due to its relation to legends. It was more akin to an ideal taking form, passing on through the generations of alchemists as they strived to obtain it. It was considered the ultimate form of alchemy, the final form of the perfection they sought. In the end, the stone itself did not actually exist, up until Saint-Germain managed to synthesize one alongside Prelati and Cagliostro. It was not a 'true' Philosopher's Stone like the one sought, but it still glowed with an almost divine radiance. It was due to this aspect that it was the natural enemy of the Ignite Module, as its purity washed away the curse that it embodied.

As a result, something like the Ignite Module will never work with a Faust Robe derived from the Philosopher's Stone, so how did she do it?

No, even if it was unlikely, the confidence in her voice convinced the alchemist that it would work. She had to trust her, even if they were temporary allies. They had no reason to deceive her on the battlefield, and in the end they had the exact same goals.

So the only thing she had remaining...was to put her trust into this reckless plan.

It was completely out of character for her, she knew that much. But as they say, war makes for strange bedfellows.

"Very well." She responded, and with a finger and a thumb grabbed the sides of the Faust Robe's unit at the very middle of her collarbone. She could feel the two very distinct additions to it that were not part of the original model, confirming that indeed, the homunculus had added a component to it.

Activating it was almost instinctual for her at this point, having witnessed the Symphogear users do it so many times in their battles against her.

So she will make it theatrical, just like they did.

She gave it two clicks.

"IGNITE MODULE,"

Tearing away the unit, she held it aloft with one hand in the air before her.

"UNSHEATHE!"

The red crystal glowed, and a mechanical voice rang out from within it.

'DAINSLEIF'

And she released it, letting it float on its own. The unit spun, turning over as it faced her directly. Then, the butterfly-like wings that were part of its design elongated, and right in the middle of it all, where the unit itself rested, a glowing crimson blade erupted. It sparked with an intense amount of electricity, and Saint-Germain braced herself.

There was a sharp pain in her chest as the crimson blade pierced her, and instantly she was engulfed in the black smoke that came with the first use of the Module.

She groaned painfully as the curse of Dainsleif washed over her and the light of the Philosopher's Stone was violently repressed by its sheer intensity. "G-gahh!"

The Symphogear wielders, who up until now were stupefied by what had just occurred were torn from their daze at the sight of the alchemist's form being surrounded by the curse. "Fight it, Saint-Germain!" Maria yelled to her.

Her words did not reach the struggling alchemist, as she was lost amongst the shadows as she fought against the blade. Dainsleif was after all, a legendary sword of bloodshed and murder, said to never to return to its sheath until its wielder had taken a life. It is a sword that amplifies the darkness within the user's heart and could cause an artificially induced rampage. It is only through overcoming that darkness that the curse could be subdued and mastered, which required a great deal of strength of will.

It was like in a single, eternal moment, Saint-Germain could see all of the sins she had committed side by side. She could hear the screams of pain and rage echoing within her mind, and all the failures and frustrations that have built up over the years bubbling up within her, tearing apart her body from the inside. It was an intense mental pain accompanied by an excruciating physical one, and she lurched forward as she attempted to hold onto her reason through the thick clouds forming in her consciousness.

'I know this already," She told herself in the chaos. 'I know that eventually I will face retribution for everything I've done. I know that time will come to me. I deserve every single bit of it; every curse, every sorrow, every unimaginable and abominable death that can be brought upon another. That is the only end awaiting someone like me.'

The painful memories of her childhood, of trying to survive in a broken society and trying in vain to save her dying mother came up to the surface. 'I know that my efforts in the end yielded absolutely nothing, that my path of bloodshed was for naught. That the perfect world I envisioned was nothing but an illusion.'

The centuries that passed, the sacrifices she had to make, and the eventual hardening of her own heart. 'But even so, I wanted to believe in it. I wanted to believe in this ideal to the very end. I lived for far too long to throw it aside on a mere whim.' The faces of her comrades, her friends, flashed before her eyes. Their smiling faces and their loyalty had filled her with joy. 'I did it for them, for Mother, and for the world in which I lived. And yet, I lost them all in a single, fleeting moment. And at the end of it all, I became lost as well. I followed a man who betrayed me and my dream, and I was left clawing desperately for some sort of salvation.'

And among all of that, a single, extended hand had washed the sorrow away. 'Yet I was offered a chance that I was not given for hundreds of years. I was offered a solution, and I grabbed the hand that beheld it. I lost my own dream, so I could do nothing but try and help her achieve her own. Yet, now she stands against that dream as well. Will I once again stand aside and do nothing? Will I once again let a dream be destroyed, for countless efforts to be cast aside like I was?!'

She grit her teeth as her anger rose. 'No! I refuse to submit! I will not stand for this blasphemy! I will rise above any curse, against any god, and I will end the cause of humanity's sorrow! I will stand against the oppression that you now embody, Tachibana Hibiki! I will remind you of your own dream, and I will extend my hand to you…'

She threw her head back and screamed towards the sky. "JUST AS YOU HAVE DONE FOR ME!"

And the darkness that engulfed her, now fully tamed, coalesced in its entirety into the unit that had spread it.

A rush of energy erupted from Saint-Germain's form as the wielders looked on in awe and wonder. Hibiki, who had been standing to the side with her arms crossed narrowed her eyes at the interesting development.

And right before their eyes, Saint-Germain's Faust Robe transformed, the sleek silver shine that had been signature to its having become a deep black. Her entire frame glowed with the aura the Module provided, and as the light faded, the Ignited Faust Robe of the Philosopher's Stone stood before them.

Saint-Germain opened her eyes, her mind finally clear of the raging black storm that it drowned in a moment before. She raised her arm and studied the changes to her appearance, feeling the power welling up within her. There was a feeling of something grinding against something else, like two cogs in a machine trying to spin in alternate directions. She figured it was the two natures conflicting with one another, the Philosopher's Stone struggling against the Dainsleif's curse. How ironic that she should be subjugated to the same contradiction as Tachibana Hibiki was.

But there was no point wasting time on it. She had to make use of it to its fullest. She had to make this apparent miracle worthwhile.

"So this is what it's like," She said. "This is what you have all gone through, isn't it?"

Maria looked at her with wide eyes, and her expression relaxed somewhat. "Yes...that's how it was for us as well."

"I see."

She looked up at the snarling beast that had remained stationary the entire time and narrowed her eyes at it. Her Faust Robe, she noticed, had evolved to become something more like a Symphogear than a Faust Robe in its current state. 'To think the homunculus would be able to do something like this in such a short period of time, and almost completely negate the contradiction from the two existing at the same time...she truly is talented.'

It was fitting to someone like her, whose entire life was nothing but a contradiction in on itself. "Then let us purge those regrets we harbor...upon these vile abominations of life!"

The beast in response to her declaration charged at her in a single bound. Before Maria could act to stop it, Saint-Germain walked forward and stepped into the beast's path. "Hey, what are you-"

Before she could even finish her sentence, Maria's eyes widened when the alchemist avoided the blow at the very last possible moment. Her body moved so quickly the beast could not adjust in time, and the two came extremely close face to face. Saint-Germain stared into the pure crimson eyes of the beast.

'Did my eyes glow like that?' She thought to herself. It was a fleeting thought, one she used as a way to entertain herself momentarily, and then she stabbed the blade protruding from her gun into the beast's stomach. The beast growled in pain and attempted to dislodged itself from the impaling blade, but it was far too late.

Saint-Germain pressed the trigger, and the entire middle of the beast's body exploded outwards in a shower of blood. Its face contorted into an expression of primal shock, thrown backwards by the blast.

But it was not done yet. The bullet that had broken the speed of sound and continued onwards in its path suddenly changed direction in midair. Arcing widely, it turned all the way around back to the battlefield and blew through the defenseless beast again from behind, its entire lower body being erased in a shower of blood as well. And before it could even hit the ground, the bullet curved back once again and destroyed what remained of the beast's upper body, culminating in lodging itself into the pavement.

And all that remained of the beast was a puddle of blood on the ground, having been defeated in a mere instant.

"Holy shit." Chris exclaimed at the sight of the brutal yet swift destruction of the second beast.

Hibiki's face contorted in fury as she witnessed another of her creations be destroyed. "So even Elfnein-chan is turning on me," She growled out. "But good job, Saint-Germain-san."

"I don't want to hear that from you, Tachibana Hibiki," The alchemist responded, turning her weapon on the rogue wielder. "This may not be as powerful as your own, but I am not afraid to take a life if necessary. That is the core difference between you Symphogears and I. The battlefield is no place for hesitations or holding back. If you truly wish to erase me...Then come face me head on!"

Hibiki let her arms fall to her sides. "So that's how you want it then," She said angrily. "Fine with me. But before that…"

She swept her arm forward before anyone could ask what she meant. Then, all at once, all the puddles of blood that had formed due to the destruction of the beasts bubbled and transformed.

And, instead of one, single beast...there were now a dozen, all looking towards the wielders and snarling savagely.

"That will keep everyone occupied. Now, let's get this show on the road, Saint-Germain-san. You wanted a fight...then you got one!"