There was a tense moment of silence between the two of them. It completely contrasted the surreal atmosphere, of the two of them both being bound to their hospital beds, staring at each other from different sides of the medical room. The full weight of Saint-Germain's question had hit full force, and now she was waiting for the S.O.N.G commander to provide an explanation.

Genjuro, on his part, remained quiet as he contemplated the best way to answer the alchemist. He was only mildly surprised that she had correctly guessed his intentions, seeing as she had managed to piece it together all on her own just from a short piece of his conversation with Elfnein.

But there was something more she said that caught his interest.

She said that she had discovered something, and that something helped her come to this conclusion. He was curious to know what it was, but any attempts to divert the conversation would be futile. He didn't have to know her for long to know that she was hard-headed and would not allow him to steer the conversation to a direction that would allow him to avoid answering her question.

After all, what he had talked about with Elfnein was top-secret, known only to the two of them.

And if this conversation went the way he was predicting, another person might join that circle soon.

Saint-Germain began growing slightly impatient, and spoke up. "Well? Will you answer?"

He blinked once, and gave her an even stare. "That depends. How did you come to this conclusion?"

"Easily enough," She responded quickly. "As I said, what you said and what I discovered helped me make an educated guess."

She was about to let him speak when she realized his intention. "Ah, I see. You are interested in this information I have."

Genjuro let out a small huff. Elfnein looked between the two of them worriedly. "Hmph, you can see right through me, can't you? Yes, I am indeed curious. I want to know what it is you have to offer."

"Then what are you going to do about it?"

He met her piercing gaze with a calm one of his own. "We exchange information, of course. An equivalent exchange, as you are familiar with. I do indeed extend the courtesies I have offered to Adam Weishaupt to you as well. Any information that can resolve this crisis is welcome and I will attempt to meet your demands to the best of my abilities."

Saint-Germain raised an eyebrow, surprised by his swift yielding. "Why are you so quick to comply to my demands?"

"Because what you have to offer will probably change the way we approach this incident, as well as bring us closer to bringing Hibiki-kun back. For that goal, I will do what I must, no matter what it entails." He answered.

The alchemist closed her eyes momentarily, a bit touched by his loyalty. "You care for your subordinates that much, I see."

"Of course I do. Without them I would not be half the man I am today. I owe them a lot, especially to the girls...and especially to Hibiki-kun. I will not allow my pride to cloud my judgement and prevent me from doing all I can to pay back my debts to her, and to them." He said.

She could see his answer was honest and resolute. She briefly found herself staring deep into his eyes, seeing herself in his position. She had indeed been in similar situations in the past, but not with nearly as much regard to others' well-being. She killed and deceived her way through life, and here he was, simply forcing his way through everything.

It became very clear to her now why Tachibana Hibiki turned out the way she did.

"Is that so…" She said. "Very well, I will accept your proposal. Besides, we are allies in this endeavor. It would be unbecoming of me to deny you important assets for our combined success. In that case, my only demand would be your explanation."

He let out a small laugh at her response. "And here I thought I succeeded in diverting your attention away. Too bad I guess."

And in an instant, his goofy expression changed, becoming far more serious and deep. "Then, I ask that you present your question again, Count Saint-Germain."

His usage of her age-old title caught her slightly off guard, and she raised an eyebrow, but let it slide. "Then, I shall repeat myself: Do explain just how long have you been planning to have Kohinata Miku use the Shenshoujing."

She did as he asked, and said nothing more. She instantly began to come to her own conclusions, trying to find the one that seemed to be more realistic in her eyes. There were many answers he could give, but only one was of them was the truth.

His voice was calm as he answered. "Since the day the Frontier was unearthed."

Saint-Germain narrowed her eyes at his response. Of course she remembered Frontier, seeing as she was one of the parties that invested in FIS, allowing them to begin their plans. As a member of the Illuminati, she was aware of many, many secret dealings that occurred in the underground part of the world, and what that entailed.

"I assume you have gone over Hibiki-kun's personal records, haven't you?" He asked, and she nodded quietly, letting him speak. "Then you probably know that during the incident, Miku-kun was persuaded by Dr. Ver to wield a Symphogear in order to save Hibiki-kun from her inevitable death. That Symphogear obviously being the Shenshoujing; legends said that it had the property of driving away curses and purifying bad luck, and as a Symphogear it can destroy relics. That power was only amplified by Miku-kun's desires, making it extremely powerful despite her lack of experience in combat. While Ver's mind control was potent, it did not however allow her to match up to the more experienced users in terms of skill."

She continued listening attentively. In the corner of her eye, she saw how Elfnein fidgeted nervously. "The rest is history, as they say. Hibiki-kun and Miku-kun fought, and as a result both the fragment of Gungnir, along with the Shenshoujing, were destroyed in the light that unearthed the Frontier."

The alchemist kept quiet in this part of his explanation. Amusingly enough, her own discovery was related to that incident as well.

"From then on, we thought that the Shenshoujing, as well as everything related to it, were no longer relevant. But that was not true. I, at the time, could not turn a blind eye to it. One cannot simply ignore the existence, or the possibility of existence, of another Symphogear. The one that Ver had used was originally excavated by Ryoko-kun, or as you probably know her, Fine. But that was not the only one we had in our possession, as the Shenshoujing is in fact a collection of identical relics rather than a unique one like the ones the girls have. We always had another one, but we never gave any real thought to its abilities."

She was seeing where he was going with this. "But that changed."

"Yes," He said while nodding. "That changed when it made its appearance as a Symphogear. Once the incident was resolved, you can bet we gave it far more attention than ever before. We had it transferred from Matsushiro, which turned out to be a very smart move considering Adam Weishaupt destroyed the entire facility not long ago. Then we began to finally understand its potential and how we could use it to defend mankind."

The last sentence he said was rife with disgust, she noticed. As if he didn't completely believe it himself. "As a Symphogear, it could be used to combat the Noise as well as swell our forces. Until Nastassja's girls joined us, we were operating with only three Adaptors. Before that, only with two, and before that, just one. It was increasingly difficult for the girls to protect the population with such limited numbers, so using Ryoko-kun's theory, we brought the Shenshoujing to headquarters and turned it into a Symphogear. Or at least, we tried. Unfortunately, not one of us had the skills to correctly make the conversion. Only Ryoko-kun and Dr. Ver had that ability, and at the time Ryoko-kun was dead and Ver was imprisoned, and we were not in a hurry to ask for his help. I indeed thought about approaching Miku-kun and asking her to join us as the seventh Adaptor, however several factors became known to me that threw that idea out of the window."

His expression changed into one of hidden fury. "The first was bad enough: Kazanari Fudou showed interest in the Shenshoujing and Miku-kun. I do not exactly know the reason as to why that is, but I can make a very good guess due to my familiarity with him; first was the objective point of just having more Symphogear wielders. That was a point I could get behind, as it never hurt to have more. It was the second however that called off the deal, and that was his desire to...have her as a spy."

Saint-Germain's eyes widened at the revelation, not expecting his explanation to go in this direction. She wanted to ask what he meant, but he beat her to the chase.

"He even ordered me to hand her over. Had I done as he asked and he managed to get his hands on her, he would have employed the same methods Ver used to control her or worse, and have her not only spy on us and the wielders, but also use her to...police them, so to say. That if any one of them turned rogue or went against his wishes, she could be sent to subdue them, to put it lightly. That is the reason why he was so angry when he bore witness to Hibiki-kun's...transformation. From his point of view, the entire incident could have been avoided had I just obeyed him from the start, as the Shenshoujing's power would have been able to remove Gungnir before everything deteriorated."

She put a hand on her chin in thought. "But wouldn't that have been counterproductive? What would be the point in increasing the amount of wielders if her primary usage was to decrease them if they went out of line?"

"It would be a means to bind me to his will further," He answered. "Which led me to the second factor why I overturned my decision to approach her: the simple reason that she is supposed to remain uninvolved and that she is a civilian, from a legal standpoint. Miku-kun was not even meant to know who the wielders were, but after Hibiki-kun had inadvertently revealed it to her, she had become a sort of honorary member in our Section in order to curb the spread of the information. And she held onto that secret very faithfully, nothing if for her loyalty to Hibiki-kun. That was the case I presented to him. Despite everything, it wasn't easy to convince him to relent. He just didn't care that she was just a civilian who was involved through extenuating circumstances. It didn't matter to him that she was essentially coerced into wielding it. In fact, he claimed that since she was already involved simply through her connection to Hibiki-kun."

He grabbed his head, thinking back to all those political conflicts in the past. "It was one hell of a tough period and one I'm glad ended in our favor. In order to call him off, we assembled a meeting with various ministers from all over the country, something I knew he wouldn't like. We discussed this matter, amongst other things, for over ten hours before finally reaching a decision, which as you can tell ended with him relenting. Since then, he hasn't held me in a very favorable light, although not without reason. I'm not exactly trying to get on his good side after all. I'm only trying to fulfill my duty so he would shut up and leave us alone."

Saint-Germain blinked a few times at the manner he delivered his story. "You seem to hold no love for your father." She said.

How oddly familiar.

"Of course I don't," He responded matter-of-factly. "I never loved him, even as a child. I respected him for his unwavering duty and loyalty to the country, but as a father and a person he is far too ambitious and manipulative for me to get along with, and not forgetting overly traditional. Any semblance of respect I had for him was summarily thrown out the window once I found out what he did to our family, and since then I've only worked with him because I know he can pull strings in our favor when it actually matters."

He shook his head. "Ah, it seems I'm getting off track. Back to Miku-kun. The reason that I wanted Miku-kun to remain a civilian was because I didn't want to involve her in more fighting, especially since the last time she did, she raised her weapon against the ones she loved. But...there was one other reason that was far more important than that."

He closed his eyes for a moment, recalling exactly the line of thought he had in the past that led to this decision. "In my opinion at least, it was far more important that Miku-kun serve as an anchor for Hibiki-kun to her normal life."

This was the part Saint-Germain realized he would be getting to the heart of his explanation, his reasons, and overall the true answer to her question.

Elfnein looked very uncomfortable. She was twitching nervously, and cowered under Saint-Germain's curious stare. The alchemist was not sure why was so fidgety, but she put it aside for now, more interested in what he had to say.

"You see, Saint-Germain...the girls were never meant to be Adaptors in the first place. With the exception of Tsubasa, who was raised from a very young age to be the wielder of the Ame-no-Habakiri, not a single one of the girls, including Kanade, were supposed to be wielding Symphogears. Chris-kun, Maria-kun, Kirika-kun, and Shirabe-kun in particular were forced into this world against their will, taken hostage and used to further their captors' ambitions. Chris-kun was kidnapped by human traffickers after the death of her parents, only to be saved and then kidnapped again by Fine. The others you already know that they were taken in by FIS after being orphaned and were experimented on to be her successors, with the result being the deaths of countless children. However, you could argue that since they had entered this world at a young age that they were already involved and thus their fate was sealed."

He took another breath and leaned back on the wall, looking down at his hands. He clenched them into tight fists. "But Hibiki-kun is the exception here. Her becoming an Adaptor not only happened when she was already a teenager, but it was also completely an accident. She was simply at the wrong place at the wrong time, and as a result inherited Kanade's position after her death. And she accepted that position with a smile on her face, vowing to uphold Kanade's heroic ideals and create a world of happiness, as you have noticed. She jumped at the call to save the world, knowing she was not going to be rewarded for it."

He released his fists and looked back up at the alchemist. "It was entirely a coincidence, but her particular coincidence left particularly deep scars. I originally thought it was part of her personality, but after a talk with Miku-kun I finally got the full picture: that Hibiki-kun is a distorted individual. Her entire way of thinking is flawed and she is aware of that. She is more often than not disturbingly cheery, but with her history I know that a lot more lies under the surface than she lets on. I assume that whatever is kept hidden in Lydian expands on that more. In essence, Hibiki-kun is a complicated person masquerading as a simple one. Under those circumstances, I could not just allow such an individual to serve as a protector of mankind without something that will keep her grounded. I believe that if Miku-kun did not exist, or for one reason or another did not serve as support for her, Hibiki-kun would be a very, very different person than what we know today."

It didn't take long for Saint-Germain to think up the scenario in her head. After reading Hibiki's records, she was more than aware of how vital Kohinata Miku was to her sanity during the most difficult part of her life. Without her influence, it was not hard for Saint-Germain to imagine that Hibiki would have become bitter, aggressive, and overall a loner who would have eventually destroyed herself.

"I could not allow her to suffer more than she already had. I could not suddenly take her one link to a normal life, the one thing more dear to her than anything else, and put that thing in danger. Hibiki-kun has achieved far too much for me allow such a thing to happen. She means far too much to all of us to just take advantage of. As a result, I didn't do anything, and well, here we are now. Before you say anything else, I do not regret making that decision, not even in hindsight. I made it fully aware of what it would mean. The fact that last night happened does not change that, as we had no possible way of knowing that would be the result. We had specific calculations, made carefully over those tense couple of days, yet in an instant everything we did turned out to be worthless."

And here it was, the change in circumstances.

"Just so you know, when Elfnein-kun originally came to join us and I saw that she had the ability to to not only make the conversion from relic to Symphogear, but also alter and modify existing ones, I made her aware of the fact that the Shenshoujing was a thing that exists and that we would do nothing with it. However, during the events of last night as we were trying desperately formulate some sort of plan of action was when the thought came to me. I confided in Elfnein-kun in secret during the two day wait, and when the worst case scenario came to pass, I realized I could not deny it any longer. Today just sealed the deal for my course of action, as much as I did not want to do it, so after our debriefing last night I instructed Elfnein-kun to start the conversion and have her install absolutely everything on it."

Saint-Germain kept her gaze even, but could sympathize with his plight. "I understand that decision did not come easily."

"Of course not. It meant going back on my promise to Hibiki-kun. Not many know this, but she did indeed approach me at one point and made me promise that I don't involve Miku-kun in what we do. But we just don't have a choice in the matter now. Not only is the Shenshoujing the only Symphogear, no, the only thing that we have that can remove the Gungnir...I also know that Hibiki-kun would hold back against her. Hibiki-kun could never bring herself to harm or endanger the one thing she cares about more than anything else. So what I am essentially planning to do is use her own weakness against her. I plan to have Miku-kun wield the Shenshoujing willingly and use it to bring Hibiki-kun back. That is the plan I've come up with. Elfnein-kun has only been following my orders in the matter." He answered.

"Genjuro-san…" Elfnein let out, saddened by the burden he was forcing himself to bear.

The alchemist however narrowed her eyes, a piece of the puzzle still missing in her mind. "But that does not explain how are you going to make her use it. It is very likely she holds the Symphogears themselves in disdain. It is doubtful she will agree to use it even if faced with such circumstances."

"That is correct, and that is something I have taken into consideration. However, today's events brought to light an interesting fact: that Miku-kun is on the verge of a breaking point. She is about to reach the threshold of her patience, and so I've used the day's events as a method to fester her feelings of helplessness, knowing that the eventual result would be her desire for power. That is when I will approach her and offer her the Shenshoujing. Even if she hates it, she knows it is the only thing that will give her the ability to confront Hibiki-kun directly." He said, looking to the side. "Of course, I never imagined she would go so far, and I must admit her threatening to take her own life made me nervous, but I am glad it did not come to that."

For the first time in a long while, Saint-Germain found herself absolutely perplexed. The fact that this commander, this man that had an air of honesty, an in-your-face attitude and a boisterous personality would use such underhanded and despicable tactics in order to ensure the world's survival.

He pretty much admitted it. He was using Kohinata Miku for his own ends.

"You would go that far to do so? You know what this means, I assume." She told him, blatant in her accusation.

"Of course. It means being no better than Dr. Ver or my father. It means taking advantage of her love for Hibiki-kun to bring about a result that I want under the veil of telling her it's what she wants. Of course, I don't know how much of a veil it can be if our goals pretty much exactly align unlike Ver and my father, but it's still deception and manipulation no matter what way you look at it." He answered firmly, and neither his voice or frame shook as he spoke.

He let out another breath. "You are probably wondering why I would go this far. Why, under these circumstances, I would induct Miku-kun into this world and go against a long-standing belief and a promise. The reason? Simply because I know Hibiki-kun can be saved. I know we can save her. Don't misunderstand, more than once last night I have considered that we might have to kill her, but after my fight against her and her subsequent sparing of my life, I know more than anyone that she is not gone yet, no matter how bleak it seems. I owe her...no, the world owes her far too much for me to forsake her to this torture. That is why I will go this far. I will do whatever it takes, even if it means she will hate me, to bring her back. After everything is finished, I don't mind being sentenced to Hell for my crimes. It is the only thing I have to offer the two of them in recompense."

In the end, that is what he was. A criminal who had forsaken good people time and time again, who had sacrificed others for the sake of a greater goal. A man who had lived in the shadows and paid evil unto evil...and then finally stepped into the light, having finally found something that he would not dare forsake, in the form of six valkyries who sing to the save the world.

And then he sighed, taking a deep breath. "I suppose that is everything from my end. I do believe that answered your question and more, and I even added a bit more in as a show of good faith. Will that be enough?"

She closed her eyes briefly and spoke softly. "Yes, that will be enough. I am satisfied."

She realized she would need to give this new information some time to sink in. It was indeed a lot to take in at once, and it was far more than she had expected when she originally asked him that question.

But then she wondered, why does she care? They are only her allies. They are not her friends or comrades like Cagliostro and Prelati were. They were just...accomplices to achieve a similar goal. Yet, she was becoming more involved with them every passing hour. She was finding herself caring about their circumstances, and about how they are responding to current events.

Maybe it was because the Ignite Module shed some light on their experiences. It is after all made of a cursed blade that draws out the evils in one's heart, feeding on primal instincts. Perhaps it is because she had gone through what they have, that she understood where they were coming from.

And that even if the amount of life experience they have is different...She found that they were far more similar than ever.

"I thank you for sharing this with me," She said humbly. "I understand it's not something that is easy to talk about."

Genjuro let out a huff. "And I thank you for your understanding. It is indeed difficult to talk about, but I know you more than anyone can relate to it."

She let out her own huff in response. "Indeed, I can relate. Far more than I would have liked."

Yes, living a life of deception and manipulation, all for the sake of the greater good. No, this man's goals were far purer than hers. To him, saving the world was a side effect of saving Tachibana Hibiki, and as a result it kept him focused, kept him from losing himself looking at the bigger picture.

But it was different for her. Throughout the centuries she had done so many despicable and savage acts that she knew Hell was the only place she would end up. Nobody could truly understand this burden of hers except her comrades, yet here she was, conversing with the one she once considered the enemy, and realizing that once again, they are far more similar than she ever knew.

Perhaps it would have been better to ally with them from the start than with a delusional doll like Adam Weishaupt.

"Then, I believe it is time I hold my end of the bargain." She said. "You have given me your piece, and now I will give you mine."

There was no reason for him to stop her, so he nodded and let her speak. She thought for a second, contemplating on how to present it.

"Very well then. Interestingly enough, my discovery also takes place during the Frontier incident, and even more coincidentally, focusing on the Shenshoujing. It is strange, how all the answers we seek somehow bring us back to it." She said.

He answered with a laugh. "Yes, that is indeed very strange. But do tell me, what is it that you have discovered?"

Her gaze became sharp and mysterious, and he arched his eyebrows.

"The reason why Tachibana Hibiki could harness the divine power, and…"

The heart monitor in the corner of the room beeped once again.

The encased figure one more stirred within its confinement.

"And how she is not the only one capable of doing so."

That announcement caused Elfnein to shoot up from her chair, and Genjuro to straighten himself on the bed.

"What?!"

Saint-Germain narrowed her eyes. "Since you gave me a long introduction to your answer, I believe it is my duty to do so as well. But first, let me explain something very simple that you must know about before anything else: The Original Sin."

The commander and homunculus listened attentively.

And Saint-Germain began recounting her story.

-!-

The cafeteria was as empty as usual when the girls entered it. It was around six in the evening, and it was the first time they realized they really haven't eaten anything in nearly a day. Not only that, they were all collectively exhausted, having gotten zero sleep the night before and having been fighting essentially non-stop since then.

This sudden peace was surreal, almost out of place in the current circumstances.

They were silent as they went through the usual procedure of taking cutlery and trays and filling their plates up with food. The three FIS girls never really admitted it, but this generic cafeteria food, which turned out to be far more nutritious and delicious than what they had back then, was some of their favorites.

It invoked a sense of belonging, of a fresh start.

And also because of the fact it was what they ate while jailed, and that left them with a deep impression.

Today's meal was a simple spaghetti with meatballs. As usual, the amount each put on their plate accentuated their personalities, with Chris and Kirika piling on the food without end while Maria, Shirabe, and Miku took a far more humble portion for themselves.

Thanking the kindly, elderly chef, the group went over to their usual table and sat down. Almost instantly, and without the usual ritual, the two ravenous pit known as Chris and Kirika began to chow down mercilessly. Shirabe sent her usual stare Kirika's way, but ignored it and began eating slowly, taking the time to enjoy every bite. Maria, who wanted to make sure everyone was getting their fill, began nibbling on the food as she watched them.

Which was then she noticed that Miku, who sat across from her, was not touching her food at all. Her gaze was downcast, and her knife and fork remained exactly where she had placed them earlier.

'Did...she fall asleep?' Maria wondered, but that thought proved false when she saw her stir slightly, although did not move an inch more than that.

That wouldn't do at all. "Miku-san, you need to eat." She said softly to her.

Initially, Miku made no motion to acknowledge the fact she was being spoken to. She remained silent for a moment, lost in her own thoughts. "I'm not hungry." She said.

Maria studied her for a moment. She figured that Miku wouldn't eat, considering the events of the day. Many times in the past she herself felt this way, the most egregious one was after she was forced to kill in order to rescue Mom from the Tokyo Tower, and her subsequent spiraling down to almost full blown villainy. She looked back at that moment with absolute disgust, as right now she couldn't understand how she could allow herself to fall so low.

Chris, who up until now had been eating quietly, looked to Miku in sympathy. Her kind stare was slightly ruined by the endless amount of bolognese stuck around her mouth, and she seemed to have no idea it was even there. Sticking her fork into a meatball from her own plate, she raised it and placed it before Miku's face. "Here."

"I just said that I'm not-"

"I heard what you said," Chris interrupted her. "But eat anyway. The last thing we need is for the idiot to come after us if she ever saw that you collapsed because of hunger and we did nothing about it."

"Chris!" Maria exclaimed, shocked at Chris' lack of tact.

"What? I'm only trying to take care of her. It won't do good for any of us to collapse because our bodies betrayed us first." She simply answered, still dangling the fork in front of Miku.

Maria narrowed her eyes at her. Then, taking a napkin, reached over the table to the Ichaival user. "Well, if you want to take care of anyone first take care of yourself." She said, and then wiped away the sauce on Chris' face. Chris flushed slightly at the unexpected contact, but kept her grip on the fork. Once finished, Maria sat back down in her seat and stared worriedly at Miku. "And she's right, Miku-san. It wouldn't do if you don't eat anything. You need some energy. You've been through a lot in the past few days."

"I can't focus on eating." The girl said shakily. "I just...can't…"

In response, Chris tapped the meatball against Miku's lips. "Open your mouth."

Realizing that they won't leave her alone until she complied, Miku reluctantly opened her mouth and allowed Chris to feed her the meatball. She chewed on it slowly, and Chris continued speaking. "If you can't feed yourself then I'll help you," She said, her face once again slightly flushing as she stabbed her fork into another meatball. "As thanks...for back then."

It took a moment for Miku to understand what she was talking about, but then remembered the incident. Way back then, when they first met, Miku found the injured Chris in an alleyway and nursed her back to health. The Ichaival user had never forgotten that kindness, so she would do all she can to help her in return.

Chris really wished that Hibiki was here to cheer the girl up...But that was kind of ironic seeing as Hibiki was the reason Miku was depressed in the first place.

Maria smiled, and went back to her own food. Chris continued feeding Miku, taking her own bites in between from her own plate and Miku's plate. They fell into a serene silence, simply enjoying each other's company and eating their meals.

About ten minutes later, the group of girls finished their food despite everything, and even Miku who had been constantly fed by Chris managed to finish her plate. Their plates now empty, the Symphogear users got up from the table, with Maria taking Miku's tray with her, seeing as upon finishing her meal she remained downcast.

The elder sighed. She didn't expect Miku to get over it quickly, and she knew it would take some time for her to go back to herself.

But she just wasn't sure if they had the luxury to wind down. Hibiki could reappear at ANY moment anywhere in the world, and once she did they would have to go face her again…

Or at least, that's what she thought. The battle today had turned out worse than the one before, and now all of them were injured in such a manner that even thinking of confronting her was suicidal. It took Miku threatening to kill herself to force her to back off, and Maria just wasn't sure such a tactic would work again.

And even if it did come to that...Maria wasn't sure Miku wouldn't pull the trigger anyway. Perhaps it was just her being overly concerned, but she could see that Miku's mental strength was sapping away with every second she had to dwell on the subject.

It wasn't like she couldn't understand her plight. Her best friend became their worst enemy, and one they couldn't just defeat with brute force. Smacking her upside the head won't bring her back, and now they regretfully realized that neither could they talk her out of it. The only way would be to overpower her, but good luck with that. If Genjuro and Saint-Germain failed, if Adam failed, and if they, the Symphogear wielders failed...then just who remained in the world that could possibly challenge her?

There was a point in the past, Maria remembered, that she had a strange thought. She wondered what would have happened if out of nowhere Serena would suddenly rise from the grave and declare her intention to destroy the world. It came to her after she watched a silly movie with Kirika and Shirabe, and that night she had sort of dwelled on it for a bit.

Never before had she shuddered so fearfully from just her imagination, but she figured that if that had happened...she would have reacted the same way Miku did. It just made her sympathize more with the gentle girl. Something that was supposed to be just a nightmare became reality, and they had absolutely no way to dispel it.

Just as Maria placed the tray back, she could hear the sounds of soft whimpering from behind her. She looked back, and the others turned around with her. She saw Miku still in her seat, and her frame slightly shuddering every so often. From her angle it was hard to catch, but the glistening shine of something falling from her eyes told Maria everything she needed.

'This is going to be a frequent occurrence.' She realized, and slowly made her way to the black haired girl. Miku once again made no motion to acknowledge her approach, or any of the others as they congregated around her silently.

Her breakdown intensified, and she raised her arms and buried her face in her hands. The tears continued to fall without end, and the whimpering became a sorrowful cry as the full brunt of everything that happened in the last few days crashed down on her all at once.

The girls just watched her sadly, having no words to offer her. Even the kindly elderly chef who had given them the food earlier stopped everything to just watch silently. She was not exactly aware of what had occurred, but she noticed the overly bubbly girl with the chestnut colored hair was nowhere to be found. And that...told her more than anything else.

There was only the sound of Miku's cries filling the cafeteria. Her grief was oh so great that Chris and Kirika's eyes started to shine as well, their emotions slowly overwhelming them.

As her cries continued to intensify, Maria came to a decision. Having served as Kirika and Shirabe's caretaker for many years and having comforted them whenever their spirits fell, she knew what she had to do.

So silently as to not disturb her, Maria walked behind Miku, and very gently hugged her from behind. She said nothing as her arms wrapped around her, and she could feel as Miku almost instinctively used her enveloping presence as a lifeline. Maria closed her eyes, simply listening to her moans and sniffles. She knew that if Hibiki saw them like this, she would have a much bigger incentive to kill her than ever before.

Well, she was already on her hit list, so what she does now won't change that. And besides, she vowed to take care of the girl in her stead, as penance for the crimes she committed against them both in the past.

No one was sure how much time had passed since Maria embraced the girl. Was it five minutes? Was it an hour? No one knew, and no one cared. A dear friend of theirs was grieving in a manner they have never seen her in before. Only Chris, who had been around her since the conflict with Fine, could compare it. After all, following the destruction of the moon fragment and their subsequent disappearance from the public, Miku came to believe that Hibiki was dead. She could not even fathom what sort of hardship and sorrow plagued her during that time, but if today was any indication...it probably looked something like this.

No, it was even worse than that. The present situation was akin to being a parent whose child had gone missing on the battlefield and their fate was uncertain. No one knew if they were alive or dead, and that uncertainty only made everything far more difficult.

At least previously, Miku would eventually heal in time had Hibiki actually been dead. Now, she was right in the middle of it all, and the object of her sorrow was not only very much alive, but also oh so very out of reach.

Finally, after what seemed like eternity, Miku began speaking. "I-I couldn't...I couldn't do anything." She wept. "She-she was right there...and I couldn't bring her back! She-she...my voice...my voice can't reach her anymore!"

Maria remained quiet. Sometimes, a person just needed a shoulder to lean on.

"Why...why did this have to happen? Why to her? What-what did she do wrong to deserve this?! We-we just wanted to live happily...and now I have to watch as she...as she-"

Her cry was interrupted by another bout of uncontrollable weeping, and Maria just hugged her tighter.

She knew Miku could not be comforted. Logic, sense, none of these could offer her what she needed, what she desired.

So Maria presented her one question.

"You love her a lot, don't you?"

It was a question Maria already knew the answer to. It was like asking the grass if it was green or the Sun if it was hot. The answer was obvious...but the depth of it was what truly mattered.

It seemed that just thinking about it gave Miku pause, and she began to breath in and out in an attempt to calm herself.

And gathering up the rest of her strength, she gave Maria her answer.

"With all of my heart."

As the words left her mouth, Miku's emotions once again swelled and the tears returned in full force. And Maria held her tighter, unwilling to leave her alone for even a moment. It was ironic, but despite the sadness, despite the overwhelming grief...Maria could find some beauty in it.

It was the beauty of a broken heart, and the desire to mend it and give it back its luster.

And Maria whispered softly in her ear. "Never let that feeling go," She said. "Keep it close and hold it tight. Make it your strength...because I know that eventually, no matter what happens...it is that feeling that will bring back the light."

It only served to make Miku's cries deeper and louder, her voice becoming coarse as time dragged on. It may have had an intense effect, but at least Maria knew she had heard her and took it to heart.

"Never lose hope, Miku-san. I know everything seems hopeless, but the moment you give up is the moment you'll truly lose her forever. So don't give up," She said, hugging her even tighter, so tight she would crush her if she kept it on. "Because we will get her back...no, it is you who will, I know it."

"B-but I can't do anything! I'm powerless! I-I can't save her!"

"You're not powerless," Maria responded. "You are not. Don't think you are for even a second. You can do a lot...much more than we can. Some problems can't be solved just by fighting...so I know that as long as you never lose hope...I know that eventually your feelings will reach her."

It was a lesson they had all learned the hard way, and one that Hibiki had the most difficult time accepting. As the one who used her fists to fight and was used to holding her hand out to others, she just never knew what to do when they refused to take her hand. It most prominently happened with Carol, who had preferred death and revenge over siding with them.

But one failure does not erase the records of countless successes. The very fact that the four Symphogear users currently trying to comfort Miku were here and now was proof of that. Proof of the infinite good that Hibiki did and could do, and was the one thing she excelled at more than anyone.

"So please, Miku-san, do not lose hope. We will save her, together. She is a very important friend to us, someone who we cannot turn our backs on. So, please, do not lose heart."

Miku's cries echoed in the cafeteria.

"Because we will bring her back," Maria said with a small smile.

"To the place she belongs, by your side."

-!-

By the time Saint-Germain finished her explanation, Elfnein was out of her seat, gaping at her with her eyes as wide as saucers. Genjuro too, had straightened out in the bed as much as he could, absolutely dumbfounded by what Saint-Germain had just told them.

"That's everything from my end," She said calmly. "I do hope that assists us in the troubled times to come."

It took a moment for any of them to respond to her. Elfnein crashed back into her seat, looking to the ground, her eyes still wide as she processed the information. "This...this changes everything! Genjuro-san, we-"

"I know, Elfnein-kun," He interrupted her. "It changes a lot, especially our approach to this incident, just like I thought. Unfortunately, it has the unintended side effect of just increasing her burden even more."

"I don't understand why you are so surprised," Saint-Germain commented. "You were prepared to have her shoulder it, so why does this suddenly change your intentions?"

"It doesn't, but it makes me feel all the more guilty. This is becoming less of her assisting us and more of us being reliant on her. Without her, there is absolutely nothing we can do. Your information just turned my lack of choice into an absolute requirement. Now it doesn't matter if she wants to or not...it's more like she has to, lest we lose absolutely everything." Genjuro answered. "And that doesn't make it any easier to bear."

The alchemist closed her eyes for a moment. "I understand that, so as thanks for the information and your assistance, I am willing to lend you my own."

She opened her eyes to meet his own narrowed ones. "What do you mean?" He asked.

"It means I will put all the resources I have to spare into helping you. I had a heavy hand in causing this incident so it is only right I help you fix it. You have so far given me care and support without asking for anything back, and I cannot stand for it. I will not abuse the hospitality I have been given, so I will do all in my power to pay that debt back." She said resolutely.

Genjuro let out an amused chuckle, and she raised an eyebrow. "You sure are an honorable one."

"Of course," She replied. "Anything less will tarnish my name and all the sacrifices I had to make to reach this point."

The commander crossed his arms over his chest. "So it's a matter of pride, then?"

"Only partially," She answered. "Pride, and the weight of the sins on my shoulders. If you say you deserve to be sent to Hell for your crimes, then I too deserve the very same fate. I have claimed 73,808 lives over the centuries, and I remember each and every one of them. I could not allow myself to forget. Each person that I killed is a person who would not live to see the perfect world I was trying to create."

She let out a heavy sigh, and her shoulders slumped forward. "And to think that at the end of the road, all of my efforts have been for naught. All of the lives I have taken...All of the crimes I have committed...Were all for nothing. I have lost my goal and my comrades. I have nothing left to lose now, so it's only fitting I fix a costly mistake that I made."

Genjuro studied her for a moment, his eyes still narrowed. Then suddenly he threw the blanket off of him, eliciting a yelp from Elfnein, and stood up to his feet. He walked towards the alchemist's bed, appearing as if he hadn't been injured at all. He stood by her side, and she opened her eyes and looked up at him.

"You seem to believe that we blame you for what has happened." He said.

"How could I not? Was it not my actions that spurred the descent of the divine power? Was it not through me that Adam Weishaupt nearly achieved his objective?" She asked honestly.

He crossed his arms over his chest again. "That may be, but that's different from what we are going through right now. There is a reason why I told you that we never saw this coming, simply because I did not want you to blame yourself. It could have ended any other way, and it could have not happened at all, but in the end you are not responsible for what happened to Hibiki-kun, not even a little bit. Do not dwell on it without due cause. We do not blame you, so I ask that you also do not blame yourself. That will be the first step in our true alliance, Ms. Saint-Germain."

And he extended his hand to her. She simply stared at the big, burly hand hanging in the air in front of her, contemplating on how she should respond.

She turned her gaze away, looking to the pod at the other end of the room. The pod in which Kazanari Tsubasa was still encased in. "You are far too kind for your own good." She said, turning back to look at him.

"I've been told that before. You have no idea how long it took for me to get to that point." He answered with a wide grin.

Her eyes widened at the casual response he gave her.

And then she sighed. "You really are a group of strange people."

Then, in a single motion, raised her hand and took his in her own, giving it a firm shake.

His grin only widened further. "Welcome aboard, Saint-Germain."

Their handshake lasted for a mere three seconds, but it was more than enough to get the point across. Both their hands lowered back to their original positions, and they continued staring at each other. "There are still some things I need to get from the villa we lived in, so for now I don't have much to offer except information," She said. "I will also require my own living quarters and somewhere I can quietly research and develop."

"Deal," He said quickly. "But for now, rest. You are still injured after all. Can't have my new ally expire on me just after I obtained her."

She let out a sarcastic huff. "As if I would die that quickly. I've had worse in the past."

"I don't doubt it."

He turned around and headed towards the door of the medical room, ready to leave. He stopped right in front of it, and it slid open to let him through. However, he did not exit just yet. "One more thing, Saint-Germain, in case you think I may be too kind." He said.

She looked to him, saying nothing. "We do not require your apologies. Do not act out of pity or remorse or anything like that. The only thing we need is your invaluable assistance. That is all. Please keep that in mind."

And with that said, he left the medical room, heading back to his quarters to change. Only Elfnein remained with her, and she watched quietly as the homunculus approached and bowed to her. "I look forward to working with you, St. Germain-san."

The alchemist's expression softened. "Likewise."

Elfnein gave her a big, sunny smile, then also headed towards the door. "Then, if you'll excuse me, I have to get back to work. I'll see you later then, St. Germain-san. Please sleep well."

Saint-Germain gave her an acknowledging nod, and then Elfnein left the medical room.

And the alchemist was left alone with her thoughts.