Nothing was there, yet everything was there.
Black, white, all colors of the visible spectrum were shining all at once in every direction.
Directions themselves however were meaningless. North, south, east, west. Up, down, left, right, none of them mattered in this place. It was everywhere and nowhere, disconnected from reality and yet a part of it nonetheless.
There was gas, there was liquid, there was solid. It was such a strange location, originally housing beings that were nothing but machines. Machines whose purpose was to simply kill and destroy, and nothing else. That is how the men of old created them, and that is how they remained, millennia later.
Men of sin, men of greed, men of lust, men of evil. Nothing but pure selfishness was embodied by these beings.
Yet this place no longer belonged to them. It belonged to HER now, and she was now the ruler, the QUEEN, and they bowed down to her overpowering will. Now, this place was a paradise, a world filled with nothing but what she wanted, and what she found to be pure and righteous.
And no one dared and try to deny her words. No one tried to deny her existence. No one tried to tell her she did not belong, that she should not exist. All ears heard only her words, and they obeyed her without question. This was her kingdom, and they were nothing more than her servants, her slaves, that would do her bidding and never question her in any manner.
The black clouds raged, her own being filled with a fury that could not be quantified. She could handle them denying her, as their opinions did not matter. They were sinners, they were criminals, and their words are nothing but the drivel of lost sheep, not knowing how they affect the world around them.
So she cared not about their words.
But there was one she did.
And her fury could not be shackled, for they dared to turn that light against her, to sway her dearest with their lies and poison against her. That was an unforgivable sin, one for which they would pay for in blood.
But not only that, for that sunshine now opposed her directly. It held within it something that burned her, that scorched her, turning the gentle warmth into a searing blaze that she could not touch, could not hold, could not claim as her own.
That could not stand. Such a thing was blasphemy, a heresy, a crime against the very laws of the universe.
And they dared tell her SHE was wrong?! They dared tell her SHE was the one at fault?! No, they, THEY were wrong. They are nothing more than insects to be crushed, and a mighty giant has no reason to listen to the rambling of ants. They existed only to be squashed underfoot, and they will never again dare to deny her.
So she will make them see. She will make them understand. She will snuff out that flame and secure her light forever. She will make her see. She'll make her understand.
Something rumbled. Something tremendous stirred within this black world, tainted by her influence.
And it grew, ever so slowly.
And once it was done, once it was born, it will rain its justice upon them.
And then, she'll finally have…
Peace.
-!-
An illusionary city came to life in front of her eyes, the previously bright steel walls filling with light as the fake sun shone above, the destroyed city's past form coming into existence around her.
Miku stood in the courtyard, not moving an inch, her eyes staring ahead at the form of the commander walking up to her from the street ahead of her. He raised his arm and stretched as he walked, coming to a stop a small distance in front of her.
"Sorry that took so long," He said. "I'm not used to getting the simulator working by myself."
"It's fine," She responded. "Let's not waste anymore time."
Crossing his arms, he looked down at her. "Yes, I agree. But before we can do anything, I need to gauge what you are able to do, just on your own. Before any training or anything else."
Her eyes narrowed. "So you want me to fight you?" She asked incredulously.
"Yes, but I don't want you to just fight. I want you to go all out. I want you to let everything out and show me the true, full extent of your abilities. I need to see what we need to work on before we can get started." He explained further.
But she turned her eyes away from him. "I have no reason to go all out against you. You're not my enemy."
"Oh, is that so?" He responded with a smirk. "Then let's play a little game then; you can imagine I'm that enemy."
"I don't see how-"
"It doesn't matter. From now on, in your eyes, I'm the enemy. I'm Gungnir now." He said, watching as her eyes further narrowed in response to that name.
Good, that was the reaction he wanted. If he can rile her up, she'll be more willing to go along with this. If he can anger her, get her furious, she'll definitely try and do anything to take that 'enemy' down. By using her own impossible to reason with mentality against her, he can have her act as he wants.
It's a cruel thing to do, but to get anywhere he's going to have to do it. They don't have a lot of time, so he has to make sure he knows everything about her lackluster fighting techniques before he can start honing what needs to be honed.
So he kept it going. "Yes, look at me," He said, his arms lowering to his sides, taking no particular stance. "That's who I am. I'm All the Evils of this World. I am everything that you hate, everything that you oppose."
It was simple. With her mind a giant mess, he could see how those words caused a slight crimson aura to rise from her, her eyes beginning to be filled with hatred as her imagination took over without her meaning to.
Just a bit more.
"You're never getting her back," Genjuro continued, and her hands clenched tighty, the aura rising even more. "She'll be mine forever. There is nothing you can do to save her now."
She bared her teeth now, and he could see her gritting them tightly.
In response, he changed his own expression. Losing out on the deriding look, he took on a mask of ferocity, of danger. His eyes glinted, his whole face darkening in front of her eyes, and now to her, with her mind clouded by hatred, she saw it.
"Give up."
Her whole frame shook. One of her hands opened slightly.
Now to finish it off.
"Drown in your dreams and die."
(Play: Dragon Ball Super OST - Desperate Assault!)
She heard enough. The demon's form interposing itself on top of Genjuro, there was nothing left to stop her from retaliating now. He watched with interest as her fan appeared in her hand and she charged, swinging it at him with a ferocious yell.
He caught it before it hit. She grasped the handle with both hands, pushing more power into the strike, and his eyes briefly widened as he saw his arm give way slightly, her strength truly surprising him.
But that would not be enough. He clenched his hand around the fan, and with a strong heave threw the girl away from him. She flew through the air backwards, her back slamming into one of the fake buildings in the courtyard. He stood in the same spot, watching as she dislodged herself from the indent she left in the wall.
He raised a hand, and beckoned to her, daring her to attack. And she fell for his taunt immediately, her eyes shining.
"UWWWWWWAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"
She roared, charging at him at blinding speeds with her fan upraised. Instead of catching it however, he parried it aside with his fists, studying her as her reaction speed became faster with each swing. But he needed to goad her further. This was not even close.
"Not enough!" He yelled, smashing the fan aside with the back of his fist. "Is that all you have?!"
As if on cue, violet light erupted around her fan, just like the night before, and this time he found it a bit more difficult to parry her strikes away. While he knew for a fact that the relic-destroying light of the Shenshoujing couldn't hurt him in any way, that did not mean that the relic steel was not able to hurt him. The light may not be a physical object, but the fan itself was.
And she kept it going. Every swing became stronger, yet they were still wild and reckless. But there was a certain focus to them now, he could see, every single one of them aiming for the pendant that did not exist on him.
Good, she knew what to look for.
But still, not enough. If she wanted to defeat Gungnir, she needed to give more than this.
"More!" He yelled, stepping into her guard and grabbing her wrist. She tried to pull it back, but his absolutely massive hand caged her, not letting her move a single inch. Seeing as he grabbed the arm that held the fan, she had a different idea.
Her free hand shot towards him, clenching into a fist that intended to strike at his collarbone. He smiled at her intuition, but he was faster. With his own free hand he caught her fist, closing his huge palm around it.
She bared her teeth again, and poured power into her frame as she struggled to get away from his hold. But he was like a mountain, immovable and firm, and no matter what she did she couldn't get away from his grip.
Their eyes met, and the faked darkness in his shone. "You are weak. You will never win."
Her eyes widened once more at his words. Then, right under their feet, the ground began to shake, the simulated pavement cracking from the pressure that rose from her, and he could see the aura from before return tenfold, much brighter and much more ferocious as the implications of his words sunk into her, flaring her will even higher.
And she yanked, and all of a sudden Genjuro found himself nearly thrown off his feet at the shocking burst of strength that came from her. But he kept his hold on her arms, waiting to see how she'll react.
He was caught off guard when her head smashed into his chest, the relic steel of the upper part of her visor crashing against his ribcage. An instinctual pain shot through him, and without meaning to his grip loosened slightly, and with a final strong pull she released her arms.
Grasping the fan again with two hands, she swung once more. Stuck unable to block the blow in time, he took a single step back, the fan passing by where he stood just a millisecond later.
Now to see if she can block.
His arm moved, screaming through the air with a sonic boom. Eyes widening once more, she was forced to pull her fan back, placing it in the path of his strike as a shield. His fist smashed against it, and her bones rattled under the force. But, unwilling to give up the fight yet, Genjuro was pleasantly surprised to see that rather than be launched across the courtyard once more, her feet skidded across the ground, throwing up the fake rubble into the air in her wake, only stopping a few meters away from him.
He smiled inwardly, and spoke again, deepening his voice further. "Is this all you're capable of? You think you can stand against me with that kind of power? Fool."
Goading her on further, she charged again blindly, a primal scream leaving her throat in volumes he did not believe were possible for a young girl like her. The air shook from her voice, and this time her strike was much more powerful than he anticipated.
But not powerful enough.
He once more stepped into her range, bypassing her swing completely. She only had a second to be surprised before his elbow smashed into her stomach, spittle flying from her mouth and knocking the wind out of her. Dazed, she could not avoid the following low kick that pushed her feet aside, and she fell to the ground in a heap.
But Genjuro was not done yet. With his opponent on the ground, he went dangerous. He stepped on her back, causing her to scream in pain, and grabbed the arm not holding the fan.
And pulled, twisting it behind her in an angle an arm had no right to be in.
She squirmed under his hold, struggling and thrashing as the pain became unbearable. She tried in vain to remove the mountain off of her, but he would not budge an inch. He continued to pull back on her arm, showing her no mercy.
"Where is all that power I saw before?!" He yelled at her. "Where is the fire?! The rage?! The anger with which you swore to destroy me?! Is that all you're capable of?! Is this all your feelings amount to?! That is why you'll fail! That is why you'll never have her back! Fall into despair and cry, and blame only yourself for your weakness! Your heart is weak, your love is weak, and you are weak!"
Going full on villain mode like in the many movies he watched in the past, he threatened and taunted her endlessly, letting her know very well what he- what the demon was capable of doing. She continued struggling, screaming loudly and vocally under him.
"You'll have no mercy from me, Kohinata Miku! Tachibana Hibiki will never again see the light of day for the rest of eternity!"
And at those words, she stiffened. Watching carefully, Genjuro saw as once more the aura rose, this time engulfing her completely, creating gale winds that caused even the illusionary buildings to shake from their power. His tie ruffled in the storm, but he continued holding on.
Until her body began trembling, and he felt the muscles in the arm he was holding clench and tighten.
And she heaved, turning over despite her earlier failing to, causing his position to shift and for his leg to move off her back. Now on her back and staring at him, he was momentarily shocked to see the absolute hatred and fury in her eyes, glowing brighter than the counterfeit daylight the simulator brought about.
Her legs moved faster than he thought possible, and slammed into his stomach with full force. His eyes widened as this time he was the one who got the wind knocked out of him, and he staggered backwards as he clutched his abdomen from the sharp pain that accompanied her kick.
It was then she took the opportunity to rise back to her feet. She swung the fan again in his direction, attempting to finally strike him down. But he was still far from done, and immediately caught the fan in his hand once more.
And then she blind-sided him. Right before her weapon met his palm, she released her hold on the handle, the fan remaining in his hand without its wielder on the other side. He only had a moment to be surprised before she planted her feet.
"GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"
Her fist roared in his direction, this time her own punch leaving behind sonic booms.
But unlike his, hers found purchase. He was struck full force in the chest, and despite her complete lack of experience he was blown off his feet, thrown backwards through the air to the other side of the courtyard. He smiled, and flipped over in midair to land back on his feet, catching sight of her charging towards him once more.
Yep, that was what he needed to see.
He raised his hand.
"Stop."
And her fist smashed into his open palm. He closed his hand around it, arresting her movements once more. She once again struggled in his hold, but he found it much easier than before. She pulled on her own arm with her free hand, her teeth bared as she attempted in vain to escape.
She was still green, he noticed. She lacked experience, and even though she had the might of a powerful concept on her side, she would not be able to win against him. Having gauged her power in full, he had all he needed to know.
"It's over, Miku-kun," He said, dropping the mask of the devil and returning to his normal, serious yet confident expression. "That's enough."
It was clear she did not hear him, as she continued to struggle and thrash wildly even with her fist caught in his hand. He narrowed his eyes as she tried to assault him, but every single wild blow she tried to throw his way with her free arm failed to make a difference. Unwilling to waste anymore time, Genjuro realized he was going to have to do this the hard way.
He raised his own free hand and immediately delivered a strong chop to the side of her neck.
She stiffened momentarily, her eyes wide, only for them to roll back into her head as she lost consciousness, falling limp in his arms. He caught her before she hit the ground, and he was surprised to see that the Shenshoujing...was not disappearing into motes of light like he was used to seeing.
'This...is new.' He thought, but decided not to dwell on it right now.
Making sure she was still breathing, he lowered her to the ground slowly on her back, the cracks she created in the buildings and the street fixing themselves after a few moments.
And he watched as her chest rose and lowered, studying her features carefully. 'This thing...is no joke,' He had to admit, recalling just how much trouble she managed to give him despite the difference in their strength and experience. 'She hasn't thrown a punch in her life, yet now she managed to deal some nice damage.' He thought, lightly touching his stomach where her feet smashed into him earlier. It would definitely bruise, and that was something he did not expect.
But that was good. That was very, very good. Having successfully made her use all the power she could muster, he was pleased by the results. He knew she had it in her, now she just needed to learn how to channel and use it correctly.
And well, that was what he was here for. That was what he promised, and he would make due on that promise.
Now to just wait for her to wake up, again.
-!-
'I won't forgive you.'
Her mind churned, repeatedly, that once singular fury dominating her thoughts.
'I won't forgive you.'
The demon looked down on her. It watched, it saw, and it laughed in her face.
"You can't win."
She hated it. She had always hated it. That thing that took her way. From the day she first saw it, she never trusted it. It seemed vile, and evil, and it pretended to be truthful and benevolent throughout the entire time she held it.
What she inherited from the lost wing was not a legacy. It was a curse. That girl dared to die and pass on this disease onto another, making it latch onto her without anyone knowing about it.
She won't let it get away with it.
'I won't forgive you.'
Her eyes opened. Shooting up from the floor, she looked around in a hurry to confirm her surroundings.
"It looks like you're up," A gruff voice said beside her. "Good job waking up so quickly. That's the first time anyone woke up that early from that."
She looked up, seeing Genjuro standing next to her.
Her eyes narrowed. "You tricked me."
"Of course I did," Was his answer. "You made it too easy."
Her eyes widened at his brutal honesty. His gaze met hers, and his expression hardened as he made sure she understood what he meant even without saying anything.
He extended a hand to her to help her up, and she stared at his large palm for a moment before turning her head and rising to her feet on her own. She looked to him again, anger marring her features. "Are you satisfied now?"
Genjuro crossed his arms. "Are you?" He asked back, and she bit her lip, tilting her head down. "I saw all I needed to see, so I at least got what I wanted from this. What do you think?"
"I think all we did was waste time," Miku answered in frustration. "You said you'd help me, not get in my way."
He sighed, cradling his face with his hand. Truly, an unreasonable mindset. "Listen, Miku-kun. This is not about me here. You need to understand that you won't be able to win if you face her as you are now. You may have the power, but you lack control. The very fact I managed to rile you up by pretending even after you said you won't cooperate is already proof enough of that."
Silence.
"This is one of the major things you're gonna have to take care of. You can't let your hatred for Gungnir cloud your judgment. This will be a difficult battle, and if you want to win, you have to remain calm." He continued.
She recalled someone say that to her at once point, but she couldn't remember who exactly said it. Something about not fighting out of hatred? Damn, nothing came to mind…But it was not wrong. She knew that it wasn't, as much as she loathed to admit it.
Miku looked away from him, not meeting his gaze. "You expect me to just let it do what it wants?" She asked between clenched teeth.
He facepalmed once more. 'Jumping to conclusions indeed. How it comes around, doesn't it Miku-kun?'
"I never said that, and you know it," He said. "Now, let's not waste anymore time speaking."
She turned to look to him, and he pointed to her. "Symphogear, off." He commanded. There was something he wanted to make sure of. If their situations are now similar, it's possible the two of them would react similarly to the same situation.
That was important, since it could give them a clue into how Hibiki was thinking as well. And one of the first things he noticed since this whole incident began was that Hibiki had not removed her Gear even once since then.
Now, was it because of the curses or something else?
Silence once more, and her eyes narrowed.
"What's wrong, Miku-kun? We need to get some exercise done first. It's not exactly helpful if you do it while boosted by the Symphogear's abilities." He said.
"What's the point?" She asked back. "I'm not going to be fighting naked. I might as well get training done like this. I don't have time to humor you."
He raised an eyebrow at her response. So it was a mental reason? Interesting. It seems that she, as well as Hibiki, might have an aversion to removing it now that their mindsets have changed. Was it because the power was getting to their heads? Maybe, but it was all a conjecture, a theory he could not prove, but it at least gave him an idea.
In that case…"Very well, then we'll do this:" He said instead, using his finger to point at various pieces of her armor. "Knee-guards, off. Visor, off. Those cables on your arms, off. Anything that could get in the way, take it off."
It was a strange thing to ask, but he knew for a fact parts of a Gear were removable. The fact that a part of it could be destroyed while the rest remained, as was the case with Hibiki destroying the heels on hers, then it was possible.
She seemed reluctant, but this time went along with his words. Wordlessly, the parts he mentioned disappeared into motes of light, leaving nothing but the undersuit on her body.
"Good. Now, if I remember correctly, you have some track and field experience, right?" He asked, and she nodded slightly. "Show me then. Run laps around the city until you collapse."
"...why?"
"Because I need to see how long you can last, and how good your stamina is. You don't know how long the battle will be, so it's imperative we get a measure on your physical fitness before anything, and fix what we can with the time we got." He answered.
She looked to him with narrowed eyes, skeptical about his methods.
"You may think I'm pulling your leg here, but I'm not. Everything I'm telling you right now Hibiki-kun did. If you want to match up to her, you'll have to be as good as she is. And she started off from zero, unlike you. Prove to me you can surpass her and then we can start thinking how you can win."
But she was still skeptical, just looking at him, and he could see how she was judging him with those slightly glowing eyes. "I don't know how well that would work. You said you'd train me, not toss me around like a ragdoll. Why should I go along with this?"
In response, he simply gestured with his head behind her. "Because if you don't, you'll never catch up with her."
Now to see if it will work a second time.
Her brows furrowed, and she turned to where he was looking.
Then froze.
"Miku…"
She was there. She was right there, clad in the Symphogear form she always remembered. How was she there, right in front of her? That was impossible! She was...she was…
"Miku…"
No, she was speaking too. How? This...this couldn't be an illusion, could it? She looked to him once more, her eyes wide in shock, and he simply smiled. When she turned her head back to the chestnut haired girl, she could see her start walking away and into the fake street the simulator had created.
Unable to stop herself, Miku took the first step forward. "Wait…"
But Hibiki didn't stop. She simply accelerated, starting from a slow strut to speed walking, putting more distance between them. 'No! Don't go! I'm not…!'
And she picked up speed too, desperate to catch up to her best friend's retreating form. But no matter what she did, she only seemed to be getting farther away and out of her reach, and sheer anguish filled Miku's heart at the sight. "Hibiki! Wait!"
She yelled that time, but Hibiki's only response was to now start running, and when Miku realized she was only getting further away, she too pushed strength into her legs and began to chase her, running after Hibiki's form, seeing nothing else in her vision but her.
Genjuro watched as the two disappeared in between the counterfeit buildings, completely ignoring his existence there. At any other time, he might have smiled, but this time he couldn't.
Because he deceived the girl again. Using the simulator, he conjured up a hologram of Hibiki that was fairly basic. It was a simple thing, and every other wielder had a hologram of their own that was rarely used but sometimes was still useful when needed.
So he once again decided to take advantage of Miku's total tunnel-vision to once again spur her into action, using the hologram as a motivation to start running. While she might believe she'll be able to catch up to her, she won't ever be able to. The hologram was programmed to stay a certain distance away from her at all times: close enough that she will still feel like she could make it, but far enough that she would be forced to speed up or fail losing her again.
It was an insanely cruel thing to do, and he knew it. But he couldn't let that stop him, as he vowed that he would do all he could in order the achieve their final objective. And if that required him to take advantage of her own muddled and chaotic mind, forcing her to experience sadness as she ran after a non-existent form...then so be it.
And he continued to watch, studying her carefully as she made rounds around the city, this time sprinting at full speed. Raising the stopwatch he held in his hand, he clicked and let the timer run.
-!-
"Three hours and thirty six minutes. I have to say I'm impressed, Miku-kun," He said to her the moment she collapsed to her hands and knees in front of him. Sweat poured down from her face to the ground in droves. "None of the others even came close to this result, even with their Symphogears on. For you get get triple their time is nothing short of incredible."
If he was complimenting her, she didn't hear him or she didn't care, because at the moment she was doing all she could to once again regulate her breathing, as well as feel her legs burning from the sheer amount of exertion they had gone through. Swallowing down the spit that rose in her throat, she spoke in between heavy breaths. "You...tricked...me...again…"
"Of course I did," He said once more, echoing his words from before. "And you let it happen again."
"I...don't...see...how...torturing...me...is...supposed...to...help…"
He squatted down to her level, staring at her bundle of hair that was covering her face. "Listen to me, Miku-kun. The reason you'll lose is not because you lack experience, but because you lose your cool and your mind gets clouded far too easily. There is nothing wrong with wanting to get her back, but you won't do so by discarding reason. You're fighting an opponent that is highly unpredictable, and will get the jump on you and surprise you and do whatever it takes to beat you. And believe me when I say it, she won't be nearly as nice as I am."
Her only response was to keep breathing heavily, and he continued. "You said you'll be able to handle it. Are you taking it all back?"
"No...way…"
"Good, that's what I like to hear. Hibiki-kun faced a similar obstacle, and she didn't even consider stopping for a moment. Do you know why is that?"
Slowly regulating breathing was her answer.
"It's because she had something she wanted to fight for. She didn't want to be a burden on Tsubasa, and she wanted to do all she could to protect the ones she cared about. Does that sound in line with the Hibiki-kun you know?"
She nodded her head fiercely.
"So I want to see the same fire in you. I know you don't give a damn about the rest of the world, but in order to save her you'll have to push past your limits; nothing less than that will be enough. Now, do you think you can handle that?"
There was no response from her, as she simply continued to stare at the ground.
"Well?"
This time she nodded. And he smiled.
"Good. Take a short break, and then we can begin the real deal."
-!-
Kirika stirred awake, her eyes fluttering open. She stared at the ceiling of her shared quarters momentarily before glancing over to her nightstand, squinting her eyes to clearly read the time the clock was displaying.
"2 PM?" She muttered. She remembered that the commander wanted them to meet him again at 3 PM, but he never specified where. Well, not like it really mattered, but Kirika was surprised she woke up before Shirabe, who was still sleeping soundly at the other side of the room. They had set their alarm to 2:30, making sure they had enough time to get ready and meet him.
But waking up so much earlier? "Ughh…" Kirika murmured. There was no way she was going to fall asleep again, that was for sure. Rising from her bed quietly as to not awaken her roommate, the blonde dressed herself with the same clothes she wore earlier, having been discarded by her bedside without much thought.
Glancing to Shirabe for a moment after putting her shoes on, Kirika tiptoed her way to the door. She held back a yelp as it suddenly slid open, light from the hallway pouring into the room. She glanced back to Shirabe again and saw her stir slightly, only to settle down once more. Breathing a sigh of relief, Kirika finished her quest of leaving the room, watching as the door slid closed.
"Phew," She murmured, wiping her brow. "I guess everyone is still sleeping?"
She reckoned they were. Now finding herself lost, she pursed her lips in frustration. "Ughh...I should have gone back to sleep."
Well, no way that was going to happen now. In that case, the best choice was to kill time until they had to meet up. But...how will she do that?
"I guess I'll walk around." She said to herself, and picking a random direction, walked down the hallway in silence.
At least, that's what she thought. Now that her mind was no longer muddled by sleep, she finally had the chance to just think. To understand everything that had happened so far, something she desperately wished she could do earlier. But with all the intense fighting they had, thinking deeply was not something they had the luxury to do...not that it mattered to her, as she was never the type to think too hard about anything.
Yet she found herself doing so anyway, absentmindedly walking forward. 'Miku-san…' She thought to herself, her face falling. Everything had gone to hell so damn quickly she barely managed to keep up, and the alchemist's explanation sounded like she was speaking in hieroglyphics.
And Kirika knew that you can't speak in hieroglyphics!
'Maybe it's an alchemist thing?' She wondered, but shook the thought aside. That wasn't what was important. No, what actually mattered was the fact that Hibiki became evil, and that Miku was her polar opposite now. That's what she managed to gather from the talks they had.
The actual specifics however didn't matter to her. All that little summary told her was that Miku was going to have to fight Hibiki alone.
Again. For the third time.
'It's my fault, isn't it…' She found herself thinking, her pace slowing down slightly. 'It's because I let that bastard do it. If I had bothered to think about stopping him even for a second, then…'
Looking back at it, she couldn't believe how stupid they acted. All the signs were there that Ver was absolutely off his rockers, but they just refused to believe he would actually go through with it. Only Shirabe was smart enough to understand that wasn't what they wanted, and made the correct choice of defecting to S.O.N.G at the first opportunity once she realized it.
'Shirabe is smarter than me...she noticed, and I didn't. All I cared about was making sure someone remembered me...but what was the point? Even if I was Fine's vessel, no one would be left to remember if that bastard won.'
Realizing things in hindsight was a terrible feeling, she found out. So in order to make up for all her mistakes...she knew she had to do everything she could to help, no matter what. She'd stand together with everyone to bring Hibiki back.
And finally celebrate her birthday together, even if it was months too late.
It was then, Kirika realized, that she had wandered quite far off. Raising her head, she found herself right beside the simulator door, staring at it with a confused expression, only to notice that the green lights that usually indicated that it was empty were...red.
'Someone's inside?' She wondered, staring at the large circular door in front of her. From what she knew, whenever the simulator was occupied it was impossible to go inside so long as it was running...but so many people said contradicting things about it she wasn't sure anymore.
Well, not like it would hurt her to try. She didn't have anything better to do right now. Flashing her keycard over the reader, she was surprised to hear an acknowledging beep before the door slid open, treating her to the sight of a clean and wide cityscape. Shaking off the shock, she stepped inside, the door sliding closed behind her, locking with a metallic click. It briefly shimmered before it suddenly disappeared, blending into the wall of the skyscraper it had materialized.
'Well, that worked.' She thought triumphantly, walking forward to see what this was all about. Just as she was about to round the corner, she heard the sounds of striking, as if something was being punched repeatedly. Curious, she peeked from the corner of the wall, and stared into the courtyard itself.
"Again! Put your back into it!" She heard Genjuro yell. Her eyes drifting to the punching bag that was struck, her eyes widened as she noticed Miku, wearing her Symphogear of all things, striking the oversized red punching bag with her fists, finding herself surprised by the amount of force she managed to put out that nearly managed to topple her target. "Hibiki-kun can punch a mountain shorter! Anything less than that will be like throwing a wet towel at a concrete wall! Eat lightning and crap thunder! That's our motto! Understood?!"
He was met with the sound of a more furious strike, this time the corner of his mouth rising slightly.
The repetitions continued on for a few minutes, and Kirika watched silently, not willing to disturb their training. 'Miku-san…'
So this is what Saint-Germain meant, she realized. Well, it was obvious after all, as the only way Miku was going to get stronger was through training, as well as getting some much needed experience with her Gear.
And then she sneezed.
All at once the repetitions stopped, and the two at the courtyard stared in her direction. Startled, she quickly hid behind the corner again, hoping that they did not notice her.
"Kirika-kun, hiding won't work."
She stiffened, then, realizing she was caught exited her hiding place, her hands joined behind her back in embarrassment. "S-sorry, I didn't mean to peek…"
But Genjuro smiled. "It's fine. It's nice of you to join us."
Smiling back, she walked towards the duo. However, something was strange, she noticed. The entire time, Miku was staring at her with her eyes narrowed like a watchful hawk, and Kirika could plainly see the caution in her form, her gaze making the blonde Adaptor uncomfortable.
"We could use your help, actually," Genjuro said, causing the Ig-Alima wielder to look to him in puzzlement. "Once we're done with the repetitions, I want you to spar with her."
Kirika blinked several times in astonishment. "Spar with...Miku-san?" She murmured, looking towards the black haired girl who ignored the two of them, reentering the stance Genjuro taught her and continuing her repetitions. "Okay, I guess. I mean, if I can help then I'll happily do it."
Genjuro nodded. "Good. No holding back either. We're going straight to the deep end from the start."
"Ah…" The girl let out, not sure how to respond to what he said. She could see how that would help, but still...She had a bad feeling she could not explain. She turned to Miku, who stopped punching the bag momentarily to rest her arms. Taking the opportunity to speak Kirika flashed her a small smile. "Miku-san, I-"
"I have nothing to say to you."
Kirika's eyes widened in shock at Miku's cold answer. "Miku...san?"
The Shenshoujing wielder turned to her, and looked her dead in the eyes. Beside Kirika, Genjuro raised an eyebrow, watching their interaction carefully. A moment later, Miku's eyes drifted to the pendant hanging loosely above Kirika's shirt, eyeing it suspiciously. But she remained silent, and turned back to the punching bag to continue her practice, striking it with a fair bit more force than before.
Kirika stared at her back in shock, taken off guard by her out of character attitude. Putting a hand on her shoulder and pulling her back for a moment, Genjuro spoke lowly so only she could hear. "Kirika-kun...don't take it personally."
She stared up at him with wide eyes, and he continued over the sound of the striking. "This is something that we expected. I ask that you don't let it get to you."
Kirika couldn't help but feel concerned from his words, her eyes moving back to look at Miku. "We're almost finished," He said, tapping her on the back. "Get yourself ready and pumped up. She'll need to learn how to swing her weapon too eventually, so it's better if she gets some experience with it now too. Your weapon is a bit strange but it will work. We need to be ready for anything."
Which was absolutely impossible, a fact he knew very well. But it mattered little, as any experience she could get was precious.
"O-Okay then, I'll just…" Kirika mumbled, looking back to Miku once again, then pointed to an empty space in the courtyard. "Be over there."
And she scuttled away, intent on not interrupting their training for more than she should. She briefly glanced to Miku once more, then began to stretch, prepping herself up for the task she has decided to undergo.
-!-
"Very well then, I assume the both of you are ready?" Genjuro asked, looking at the two wielders standing opposite to each other in the courtyard. On one side was Miku, still clad in her Gear, this time with all the armor having been rematerialized for the spar. He fan was in her hand, and she simply stared at her opponent with a frown.
On the other side other was Kirika, she too clad in her Gear with her scythe held in one hand, looking uncertain, Miku's gaze piercing through her, making her shudder.
Genjuro noticed this, but continued on regardless. "As I said, no holding back. Go as wild as you need to...but Miku-kun, no destroying the Gear. We still need it after all. Understood?"
If she heard him, she didn't acknowledge what he said, and simply clenched the handle of her fan tighter. Kirika swallowed, and entered her stance as she prepared for combat.
Silence fell upon them. Crossing his arms, the commander's eyes darted between the two opponents, studying them carefully.
Then, gave the signal.
"Begin!"
(Play: Fate/Apocrypha OST - The Knight of Rebellion)
Kirika didn't have time to register his command before Miku charged towards her at blinding speeds. Caught off guard, she yelped and raised her scythe to block the swing, the fan clinging against the long handle of her weapon. But to her shock, she felt as Miku began to push her back, the scythe coming dangerously close back to her own person.
Thinking on the fly, the Ig-Alima user jumped backwards, disengaging from the lock. But Miku was hot on her heels, and she was once again forced to jump away, avoiding Miku's wild strikes.
Genjuro's voice rose at that moment. "I said no holding back, Kirika-kun!" He yelled. "She's a total novice! You have far more experience than her! Show her what you can do!"
'Easier said than done!' The blonder wielder thought. It was absolute insanity. If beforehand she had believed she could take her in a straight up fight, now she was not so sure, and it wasn't because of her Gear's special properties. 'How did she become so strong?!'
"This training isn't just for her! It's for you as well!" Genjuro continued. "We can't allow ourselves to slack off for even a moment! We must all shed blood, sweat, and tears to reach our pinnacle! Nothing less than that will be enough!"
Kirika grit her teeth. She knew he was right, but…
'This is no time to hesitate!'
Avoiding one more swing, Kirika planted her feet, and swung her scythe with all her might. It tore through the air towards the black haired wielder, who remained calm and raised her fan to block the strike. But it proved to be far more powerful than she expected, and pouring more power into her arms she flung her away, sending the Shenshoujing user flying through the air to crash against the side of a building.
And she wasn't done yet. The edge of her sycthe multiplied, and she swung, sending green crescent towards where Miku was stuck.
'KILL JULIET'
Only for a beam of violet light to erupt from the wreckage, striking the projectiles before they could hit, evaporation them to dust. Kirika watch with an eyebrow raised as the smoke dispersed, and Miku stood inside the hole she was stuck in, letting out a deep breath.
'No holding back, he said? Then-!"
She dashed, placing herself in front of the building in an angle where she could see its entire length. Then, she held her scythe behind her, pouring power into it. The bladed end elongated, shimmering with brilliant green light.
And then she swung, slicing the building in half horizontally.
Rubble was thrown in all the directions as the entire fake structure began to collapse, and Miku stumbled, finding herself in a dangerous situation. She narrowed her eyes, then jumped out, flipping in mid air. The building collapsed, and now upside down right above Kirika, she aimed her fan and fired, raining down a barrage of beams right on her location.
The Ig-Alima wielder noticed her attempts, and immediately began to retreat, avoiding the lights as they struck the ground. Miku landed back on her feet on another rooftop, and instantly began to give chase, using her flight as an advantage to close the distance. Kirika ran through the streets as Miku continued to fire on her location from above, flying above the structures.
But the blonde's experience shone through, anticipating where the lights would hit as she weaved in between them, and Miku grit her teeth in frustration at her lack of accuracy. Smashing the visor closed over her eyes, her vision filled with red, this time not causing her to hurl. She locked onto the running green wielder, attempting to correct her aim.
Only for Kirika to slide to a stop, and rather than continue running in a straight line suddenly jumped to the side, her feet planting against the side of the building next to her. Her feet caved in the simulated concrete, and before Miku could correct her aim Kirika jumped from the wall to the adjacent building, this time higher than before. Once more Miku was forced to fix her aim, having difficulty following after the obviously faster girl. And Kirika simply continued her ascent like so, jumping between the walls of the buildings until Miku's eyes widened as the Ig-Alima wielder reached her altitude, her scythe raised high in the air.
Miku raised her fan just in time to stop the swing, and together the two girls were brought down back to the ground, and Miku found her knees bending under the sheer weight and power of the blow.
From afar, Genjuro looked on with an even expression. This was exactly what he was going to try and fix: the overwhelming power of All the Hopes of this World was being held back by her inexperience, which was something every single one of the wielders had over her in droves.
With a yell, Miku pushed against the scythe, deflecting it the side. In a split second decision, she unsummoned her fan, and spread her arms to the sides. The cables hanging off her arms suddenly came to life, striking Kirika in a barrage of whiplike flicks, and she raised her scythe to protect herself.
'REVERBERATION'
'This…actually hurts!' The blonde wielder realized.
But that was definitely not enough to bring her down.
As the cables continued to strike her, she waited for the golden opportunity, closing one eye.
'There!'
The opening presented itself. The moment that the two cables struck simultaneously, Kirika threw her scythe into the air, throwing them off course and disrupting Miku's attack. The Shenshoujing wielder had no time to voice her surprise as Kirika suddenly stepped into her guard, too close for her to try and retaliate in time.
And then, applying all the painstaking lessons she had received from Genjuro, Kirika's fist burst forward, nailing Miku in the stomach. So much power was contained in the strike that the dark haired girl was thrown backwards, but grit her teeth and once more skid across the ground to come to a complete stop. A second later, the scythe came down, and Kirika caught it in one hand, twirling it a few times before entering a low stance.
'Miku-kun is doing a good job and a bad job at the same time,' Genjuro gleaned from the skirmish he witnessed. 'She knows to aim for the pendant, but she's too aggressive. Her tunnel vision is a big problem.'
Well, all of the wielders had a minor awareness problem, but in her case it was pronounced, almost total.
And Genjuro couldn't even say he was surprised, since he knew she had every reason to hate the Gears...but if she let that hatred lead her astray, then…
Just as he thought that, Miku charged once again, and Kirika was almost reminded of her mechanical skill way back during the Frontier incident. At the time the girl was barely considered conscious, her mind overtaken by Ver's machinations.
It was a disturbing sight to see then, and it was equally as depressing to see now. Yet she knew that right now she was acting out of her own free will, spurned onwards by nothing but her singular desire.
The clash renewed once more, sparks flying off in all directions.
As Genjuro watched, several figures walked up behind him. Without turning around, he beckoned to them. "Good, you're all here."
"Commander," Shirabe said, her eyes glued to the fight she was witnessing, worry filling her being as she noticed Kirika was one of the combatants. "What's going on?"
"The first lesson," He responded. "All of you, watch what is happening closely, and tell me what it is you see."
Four sets of eyes turned to the fight, watching as Miku's assault become much more fierce, pushing Kirika back, causing her to slide across the ground. Her eyes however were not looking her opponent in the face, but just a bit lower, at the red pendant above her chest.
It was as if the mere sight of the thing caused her rage to boil, and she screamed, the sound piercing through Kirika's ears and causing her to wince involuntarily. But she was still not defeated just yet, and she successfully parried aside the inexperienced girl's now extremely wild blows. They were more powerful, but elegance and tactics were nothing but shadows of their former selves, her anger blinding her to even her own body.
And that did not go unnoticed by the four wielders watching. "Miku-san, she's-" Maria began.
"Completely lost sight of herself once more," Tsubasa finished for her. She turned to look at her Uncle, her eyes questioning. "Is this…"
"Yes," He answered. "The one track mind that is going to have to be broken through. She's seeing nothing but her hatred for the Symphogears, completely forgetting what it is that she wanted to do in the first place."
Maria bit her lip, and once again eyed the battle. "This is almost exactly like Hibiki-san."
"And you wouldn't be wrong to think that. Fortunately for us however, she's on our side. That means we can try and understand how she thinks...and work our way around it. I already managed to trick her into cooperating, and I know for a fact she realized that I played her for a fool." Genjuro explained. "But as I told Kirika-kun, this training isn't just for Miku-kun; this is for all of you. All of us together need to up the ante, and Miku-kun will need to catch up to all of your progress."
"But that's…" Tsubasa began to say.
"Is going to be difficult. But you all know what is on the line; I trust you are prepared for anything that I may have in store."
'Your store however is very big, commander.' Shirabe thought to herself.
"Now then," Genjuro said. "Chris-kun, what is it that you see?"
The white haired girl's eyes widened for a moment at his question, then turned back to the fight. "It's like I'm looking at the idiot all over again. All power and no thinking, and only looking straight ahead without noticing everything else," She answered, her teeth gritting in frustration. "Seriously, just how similar are they going to be?"
"Damn straight," Genjuro replied. "And that will be something big that we'll be focusing on: awareness."
The fight continued, and now, with Miku having discarded any attempts at strategy, the eventual winner was easy to see from a mile away. "If we let the fight continue without stopping them, Kirika-kun will win regardless of what happens from here on out. The difference between them is simply too great at the moment, both in skill and mindset. If she can't even defeat a wielder in the normal configuration, she'll never beat Hibiki-kun like she needs to."
And he walked forward towards the two battling wielders, who did not even notice his approach.
"STOP!"
Kirika immediately froze in her tracks at his suddenly shout, throwing off her defense completely. In that small space that she was distracted, Miku went on the attack, her fan coming down on the pendant.
'With this-!'
Only for a big burly hand to once again stop her fan mid swing, and Kirika fell on her butt as she stumbled backwards, only to look up at where Genjuro had his hand extended, his fist serving as a shield.
"That's enough, Miku-kun. The fight is over."
"It's not over until I get rid of that thing!" She yelled, trying to free her weapon from his grip. "As long as that thing exists, we have no future!"
"Ig-Alima is not Gungnir, and this is not Hibiki-kun; not this time at least, Miku-kun," He said calmly. "Settle down, because everyone is here."
"Why should I listen to you?! You said you wouldn't give me orders, and now you're doing it anyway! Not only that, but you think it's so damn funny to trick me time and time again!" She screamed, the visor opening to show her shining green eyes, tears starting to form at their edges. "Is this all you can do?! Lie and lie and lie and lie and lie and lie?! If it wasn't for you...if it wasn't for all of you...Hibiki would still be here! None of this would have happened in the first place! She wouldn't have had to fight and risk her life because all of you are too weak to do it yourselves! She wouldn't have had to get involved in all this shit you pull because you can't figure out a better way to do it!"
The tears began falling once more, and she continued struggling against Genjuro's grip, however he refused to let go out of concern for the girls. Kirika looked up at them, her eyes trembling at her outburst.
"Why does she have to suffer in your place?! What did she ever do to you to deserve this?! It's because of you that that horrible tragedy happened in the first place! It's because of you that she suffered for those two years! If it wasn't for you...she wouldn't have been forced to play the hero just so you can mark a big fat check in your notebooks! So why should I listen to you, when you have no right to tell me what to do?! You and all your damn relics can go straight to hell for all I care! That's why I-!"
POW!
Interrupting her furious rant mid sentence, a punch connected with Miku's face right in between the two parts of the visor. It came so suddenly and out of nowhere that she lost her grip on her weapon, the fan remaining in Genjuro's hand as she was knocked to the ground, her cheek burning.
Kirika could only turn her eyes to the intruder in shock, not expecting her out of everyone to interrupt.
(Play: Symphogear GX OST - Yume no Tsuzuki)
"I would bite my tongue if I were you, Kohinata," Tsubasa said, shaking her hand once and standing back to full height. Chris, who had been meaning to do the same, stopped after one step as Tsubasa turned out to be faster than her, and the others stared in awe at the fact that out of all of them, Tsubasa was the one that had struck.
Miku cradled her wounded cheek with her hand, pushing off the ground as she raised her eyes to look up at the blue haired idol, her eyes also wide. Tsubasa ignored her surprise, and continued. "Anything more you say will only tarnish Tachiban-no, Hibiki's name."
"What the hell do you know?!" Miku retorted. "You don't know her like I do!"
The Ame-no-Habakiri wielder let out a heavy sigh. "Maybe not, but I know enough to tell you that she'd be heartbroken to hear you speak so carelessly."
Anything more Miku wanted to say got caught in her throat, and she could only listen as Tsubasa continued. "I have been once in the same place as you are, content with grieving over what I had lost. And I too, looked for someone to blame for my sorrow, and unfortunately that ended up being her, who got caught in all of this trouble simply because she was met with an unfortunate fate."
Tsubasa remembered, recalling every single emotion she had felt during that time. It was amusing, she realized, how everything truly went back to that chaotic period. "However, even when I lashed out at her, she did not walk away. Do you know why that is?" She asked, looking Miku dead in the eye. "It's because she chose to. I know what a special place she holds in your heart, and I know how the same applies to her. Hibiki decided to take on that burden willingly, simply because she realized that was how she could help others. Haven't you said that yourself, Kohinat- no, Miku?"
The sound of her own first name being said by the sword wielder dispelled the rage in her mind, and now her words began to sink in, the dark haired girl's eyes glued to her without moving. Kirika took the opportunity to stand back up, looking at the two of them.
"You cannot allow your grief to blind you to the truth. Hibiki chose this path- chose to become a hero because she wanted to, because she found her life's calling by being able to use her life, which she believed was given to her through the sacrifice of others, to bring happiness to others. To give meaning back to those who had died. Will you deny her that simple wish, Miku?"
The girl's lips quivered. "I...I-!"
"I heard what it was you said to her, out there," Tsubasa said with a sad smile. "I know that you care not for the world, and that you cannot truly understand her path; and there is nothing wrong with that, for it is truly a path that is fraught with hardships and thorns, and is something I would not recommend to anyone who cannot abide by it. I would never ask you to understand, but I cannot allow you to deny her that happiness. If you truly say you know her...then you, out of all people, know how important it is to her."
Tsubasa walked towards her, Miku following her movements carefully. "Hibiki was my first real comrade-my first real friend ever since I lost Kanade. She extended her hand to me, offering me her help because she knew that I truly needed it."
And Miku watched as Tsubasa bent down to her, the idol looking into the downed wielder's glowing eyes that were beginning to lose that blinding shine. "And now, she has become an inseparable part of my life. When I called her my sister, I meant that with every sense of the word. She's family, because she was there for me when no one else was."
A hand extended forward, and Miku could only stare at the idol's hand that was in front of her. "I am hurting as well. My heart breaks at the thought of what she has gone through, and what she is going through as we speak. And that is why, as comrades in arms to this pain, I would ask that you share that sadness with me- no, with us. We all feel it equally, and we all want to bring her back home."
"Tsubasa…" Maria murmured. It was amazing, she noticed, how the blue haired wielder knew exactly what to say to convey to Miku what they were all thinking.
"I dare say that we may even be called friends. Don't you agree, Miku?" Tsubasa said, this time with a true smile on her face. "You do not need to face this sorrow alone. We are here for you, and we will do all we can to help you, even if it means putting our lives on the line for her sake. So please...don't push us away."
A singular, horrific moment rose up in Tsubasa's mind as she spoke, her smile dropping instantly. The moment that Genjuro showed her the scans of Hibiki's body after going berserk, and how further use of Gungnir would definitely end in her death. She remembered how fear-stricken she was, her entire body shaking at the thought, and how she had despaired over the fact that Kanade's legacy was nothing more than a death-sentence to the one person who held her hand out to her.
It was a memory that was too much to bear.
"Please...let me have my sister back."
And the sword cried, the sadness overwhelming her.
All Miku could do was tremble, and the sight of the two girls crying filled Genjuro's heart with sorrow.
There was silence, and it was heavier than any that came before it. In this simulated cityscape, resembling the metropolis that stood no longer, a group of comrades-of friends that held a single desire was gathered.
All for the sake of the one that changed their lives.
A gloved hand met a naked one, and Tsubasa smiled through the tears as she helped Miku up from the ground. The idol rubbed at her eyes, cleaning away the drops, and then did the same for Miku, whose head was downcast in shame and guilt.
"We must not fight out of hatred," She said. "But out of love. Because we want her back, and we won't let those horrible curses take her away from us."
Miku nodded fiercely, and Tsubasa took her hand in her own, a gesture that the dark haired girl would not forget.
'How I wish you were here to see this, Hibiki-kun...the extent they will go for you is one that cannot possibly comprehended.'
It was at this moment that Genjuro knew that the one track mind was not infallible, and in fact could very well be reached. It simply required a certain touch, one that he did not hold.
Only these girls did. And at that moment he truly knew that next to them he was but a simple rock, floating through space, while they were shining stars that brought warmth to all those around them.
They will be the light that will bring back the dawn, guided by the true and grand nature of All the Hopes of this World.
"That's right," Maria said with a smile. "We will stand by you no matter what. Let us face this evil together, and take back our happy days."
And that was Miku's wish. To continue having those gentle everydays, to once again wake up to the morning sun with the smile that captured her heart by her side.
A simple, natural wish that they now all shared.
Miku could only provide them with a single word answer that told them everything they needed.
"Yes."
Only one thought passed through Genjuro's mind at that moment.
'If this is considered evil...then I guess we'll just be evil.'
He spoke softly this time, handing the fan back to Miku. Tsubasa released her hold on the school girl's hand, letting her take the Armed Gear back from him. "Let's take a small break before we begin. Everyone get yourselves armed and ready, because we'll be going all out from the start," He said with a big smile. "I know that with the six of you, nothing can stand in your way, not even those two thousand year old grudges."
He raised his fist and clenched it in front of them, his resolve shining through. "Let us make that wish a reality with all our might."
All six nodded simultaneously, the first sign of the teamwork that was going to be honed and sharpened to the max.
As the others began to gather in a circle around Miku and Tsubasa, Chris walked up to the man, not looking him in the eye. "Hey, old man…" She began to say, only to fall silent.
His expression remained even as he lowered his arm. "What is it, Chris-kun?"
The white haired girl hugged as she looked to the side. "I just wanted to say that...that…"
She took a deep breath, and lowered her arms, this time meeting his gaze. "I'm...I'm sorry. I-I didn't mean what I said. I was just-"
A big hand landed on her head, petting her hair gently. "Thank you, Chris-kun," He said with a grateful smile. "I truly appreciate it. But don't worry, I'm fine. I accept your apology wholeheartedly."
Her head moved back down, and she bit her lip. "Now go, I bet you want to spend more time with them before we go to town on these punching bags." He said, gesturing to the others with his chin.
"A training junkie as always huh?" She could only respond, and he let out a chuckle.
"Always will be. What about you? You never really liked this sort of thing." He said.
A blush suddenly lit up her face, once more turning her head to the side. "W-Well, I guess just this once I-I'll handle it."
His smile did not drop. He found it funny that Chris would not break character even when admitting she's actually looking forward to it for once.
"Glad to hear it. Now go."
He removed his hand from her head, and she looked to him for a moment before turning around and quickly hurried to join the circle.
-!-
"Now then ladies, I hope you're all prepared," Genjuro announced, putting his hand atop one of the six punching bags that he had brought in with the staff's help. It was just six among the many they are going to need, considering where this whole thing was going. "We have a clear goal in mind, so I expect 200% from each and every one of you every step of the way. If you're having a hard time, don't be afraid to ask for help. There is no shame in that."
The six girls nodded, each and every one of them clad in her Gear. Just like he originally had Miku do, he instructed them to dematerialize the armored parts of their Gears, leaving them with just the undersuit.
He always found it funny how color coded they were, but now, standing in this specific order in front of the punching bags, they almost looked like a rainbow.
"Hibiki-kun is waiting for us on the other side of this wall. Let's use all of our strength to overcome it, and welcome her back with our arms open wide!"
His motivational words served to fire the girls up, and their faces lit up with bright smiles. Chris jumped in place like a boxer, giggling all the while.
'Yes, that is how you will shine.'
"You know what to do. Take your stances!"
They did as he instructed, moving their arms and feet as he had taught them not too long before.
It will be a long journey, but he knew the results will be more than worth it.
"GO!"
And they struck, the training regiment that he had in mind truly beginning with the first punch.
