"Hmmmm…"
It was quiet in the room save for the occasional clicking and clacking of Saint-Germain's tools as the alchemist diligently worked on creating her Alca-Noise. Her work table, brought to her courtesy of some of the staff, was littered to the brim with various crystals, powders, liquids, and schematics that all proved essential to making the process much easier and faster.
She put down her tweezers to grab the tube of sodium metal that rested just a bit further on the table. Placing it on the cutting board, she once again picked up her knife, and with a small application of force sliced through it cleanly. However, it seemed to be enough to cause the part she had cut to roll off the cutting board, and the alchemist could only watch as it fell to the floor and then rolled until it bumped into the table's leg, coming to a stop.
Saint-Germain frowned. Putting down the knife again, she rose from her seat to pick up the runaway slab, staring at it in her hand for a moment before going back to her chair.
She sighed. Usually, she'd get this done much, much faster, and would already have dozens upon dozens of crystals ready for use. However, in the three weeks she had worked while the wielders trained, she found her own progress completely lackluster.
Well, that is what happens when you are left with only one functioning arm.
She had already gotten used to it by now, but she was frustrated by how much it was inconveniencing her where it mattered. She knew that she had no place in the training as she would only hold them back, and that her role was not to face any enemy more powerful than the black beasts. She didn't need two arms to direct her army and shoot a few of those berserk fake Hibikis down.
She wished she would have had time to reconstruct a new one, but not knowing how much time they have until the next battle put a stop to any thought of doing so. So much effort for something that would not be complete in time would only serve to severely incapacitate them. A huge army of loyal troops was far more valuable than a single arm, that was for sure, so she decided to go on without it.
Once everything was over she'll get to it, but for now she had her own goal that she needed to accomplish, and she would keep working until the moment the battle began.
She placed the sodium slab down, and then picked up her knife again. This time, the bothersome part did not roll away from her, swaying slightly on the cutting board before coming to a stop.
KNOCK KNOCK
The alchemist raised her head, surprised by the sudden knocking on the door to her room. She said nothing, and turned her head to stare at the source.
"Saint-Germain?" She heard a feminine voice say. "It's Aoi."
'Tomosato Aoi? What is she doing here?'
"What is it?" She asked.
"May I come in?" The crew member said, waiting a moment for a response. "I brought some food for you, since you missed lunch."
Saint-Germain narrowed her eyes, and turned to look at the clock that hung above the dresser. It read 4 PM, which surprised her. She didn't notice she had been here for so long.
"You may."
With a click, the door slid open. Aoi stood in the doorway with a smile, a tray of food in hand. "You shouldn't stay cramped up in here all day, Saint-Germain." She said to her.
The silver haired woman turned back to her work table, picking up the knife once more. "I don't have any time to waste on anything else. We need an army that numbers in the tens of thousands, and I barely passed the halfway mark in these three weeks."
"I see," Aoi responded, putting the tray down on the nightstand next to the alchemist's bed. "Is that good or bad?"
"It's horrendous," Saint-Germain said, furrowing her brows. "I should have been finished by now. At this point I could have gotten started on producing some of the subspace Noise as well, but unfortunately as I am I find it far more difficult to get the progress I want."
She cut into the clump again, and unfortunately once more the force caused the sliced part to roll off the table. Before Saint-Germain could rise up from her seat to pick it up, Aoi beat her to the punch, picking it from the floor and placing it on the cutting board in front of the alchemist. "You know, there's nothing wrong with asking for help."
The woman huffed. "No point in doing so. This is my role in the grand scheme of things. I cannot allow myself to become a burden."
Aoi puffed her cheeks. "We're all in this together you know," She said. She headed over to the nightstand where the food rested, and cut a chunk of the steak, stabbing it with the accompanied fork. She then went over to Saint-Germain, offering it to her. "Here, say 'ahh'"
The alchemist looked at her incredulously. "I'm not a child."
"I know, but you need to eat. And don't think I didn't see how much of a mess you made every time you went to the cafeteria. Seriously, you could at least put a napkin on your lap so your clothes don't get dirty." Aoi retorted, smiling as the woman's response was to grumble lowly, left without an argument to make.
The two women's eyes met. "Very well." Saint-Germain said, and wordlessly Aoi moved the fork closer to her, and the alchemist bit down on the offered portion. She chewed slowly, and the smile on Aoi's face did not leave even after she was finished.
"How was it?" Aoi asked her.
Saint-Germain did not look to her as she answered, her focus still on the crystals in front of her. Having successfully cut the bothersome slab of sodium, she put down her knife. "It was adequate."
Aoi chuckled. "Well, I guess I'll pass that off as a complement to the chef. She always wondered how you feel about the food, but you never really made any comments on it. She was quite curious you know."
"I tend to not form many bonds with others," The alchemist said, causing Aoi's smile to fall. "They have a bad tendency to die from being involved with me."
Aoi sat on the bed, looking to her sympathetically. "That's not a nice thing to say about yourself."
"I cannot allow myself to be blind to my own faults," The silver haired woman responded as she continued to work. "I worked tirelessly in order to bring about the world I dreamed of, discarding even my own humanity in the process. I have killed endlessly, time and time again, justifying my actions with the argument that all those lives I took will eventually bring about a shining future."
Aoi simply listened, saying nothing in response. "And it all amounted to absolutely nothing in the end. Hundreds of years of deception and murder, and I have absolutely nothing to show for it. What tragic irony." Saint-Germain continued, the last sentence said with a tinge of sad amusement.
"Saint-Germain…" Aoi murmured, speechless.
"As I told your commander, the least I can do is make up for my mistakes. I allowed the divine power to come down because I assisted Adam Weishaupt, so it is my responsibility to send it back or destroy it. If I cannot bring about the future I envisioned, then I could at least use all of my strength to make sure it isn't completely destroyed instead. What happened to Tachibana Hibiki was a travesty I will not stand for; therefore, I have no time to worry about meaningless and inane things, including my own self."
They fell silent once again, Aoi processing what the alchemist had said to her.
And frowned. "You're broody just like Sakuya."
The centuries old woman, raised an eyebrow, and stared at her in confusion. "Always going on with this depressing stuff," The crew member continued, cutting another portion of the steak. "I don't think you need to think about this too hard."
"And why not? You cannot possibly understand the hardships I've endured, Tomosato Aoi." The alchemist said back.
Only to have another piece of the steak offered to her. "You can call me just Aoi, you know. No need for formalities," The crew member said, moving the fork closer. " And maybe I really don't understand, and honestly I don't think I ever could. But you can't dwell on it forever, alright? It won't do you any good to always think about how bad it was. If you're so intent on making amends, then at least start focusing on what you can do now."
The alchemist once again huffed, and bit down on the offered meat. "Which is exactly what I'm doing." She said, her voice coming out muffled due to the food in her mouth.
Aoi giggled at the sound, and went back to sit on the bed, putting her hands behind her to lean slightly backwards. "In that case, I have an idea," She said, and the alchemist glanced to her. "When everything is over, let's go get a drink. I know a really good place around here-oh, wait, it's probably gone now."
She mumbled to herself, and Saint-Germain looked to her strangely. But she ignored her stare and continued. "Well, in any case, let's sit for a drink some time. I bet after everything is said and done you'll want to unwind, so come with me and I'll show you around. I think a change of pace will do good to us both."
The alchemist did not offer her a response, but she could see how the silver haired woman lowly mumbled to herself incoherently.
They remained in silence, and Aoi was simply content to watch the alchemist work, finding herself entranced by the delicate handiwork she was managing despite being handicapped.
Until the moment a slab of a different metal fell to the floor this time, rolling on the floor until it came to a stop by Aoi's foot. She smiled, and went to pick it up as the alchemist watched her with narrowed eyes. "Well, what do you say?" She asked, putting it back on the cutting table.
Saint-Germain looked back to her table, and this time she answered. "I'll think about it."
Aoi beamed. "Well, in that case, how about I help you out here? I may not know what is it you're doing, but I'm sure you could use a...well, you could use some help. I think it won't be fun stopping every time you drop something, would it?"
The alchemist sighed. "If you insist."
The crew member let out a laugh. 'Just as planned.'
Going over to the supply closet that every room had, she withdrew a spare foldable chair and placed it next to Saint-Germain by the table. Sitting down, she scooted over a bit closer. "Well then, tell me what to do."
"Start by bringing over the quartz extract. It's the violet-" Saint-Germain instructed, only for the designated vial to appear in front of her face before she could even finish.
"Don't worry," Aoi said. "I may not know all of my terms, but I can at least recognize what you need. And I can also catch any wayward slabs that try to escape from you."
A huff.
"Very well, then let us work quickly." The alchemist said.
Aoi smiled, and they got to work, the crew member assisting the alchemist in whatever manner she could.
Inwardly, despite herself, Saint-Germain found herself grateful for the woman's assistance. While she had her own pride to keep, her help was god-send for her, and now she had less to worry about in regards to her troubles with her missing arm.
'I truly wonder what you would say if you could see me now...Cagliostro, Prelati...would you laugh, or would you smile? I truly wish I could have known.'
It was a question she knew she would not receive an answer to.
Unbeknownst to her however, a single gem hidden among her alchemical bullets shone slightly for less than a second, then dimmed once more.
The two fell into a quiet process. And later, the alchemist would find that her efficiency had increased dramatically.
All because someone was there to offer a helping hand.
-!-
"Sun Tzu had said: Whoever is first in the field and awaits the coming of the enemy, will be fresh for the fight; whoever is second in the field and has to hasten to battle will arrive exhausted."
The only response to Genjuro's recounting was the sound of striking and some very ungirlish grunts. Holding a small, thin book in his hand, he paced around the circle that was the six Symphogear wielders with careful steps.
"Therefore the clever combatant imposes his will on the enemy, but does not allow the enemy's will to be imposed on him." He continued, reading aloud the passages from his book.
He glanced to the side, spying the spar between Maria and Kirika. Just as he stepped behind her, Kirika's fist was launched forward, aiming for Maria's chest. He planted his foot, and lowering the book he struck with his own arm, catching the idol in a pincer maneuver.
Yet she responded brilliantly. Rather than be struck by both fists simultaneously, she spun on her heel, and mid twist the two strikes barely glanced her from the sides. Her arms shot forward, striking them both in the wrists and throwing their aim off course. Kirika nearly lost her balance by the sudden deflect, while Genjuro simply pulled his arm back, and watched as Maria capitalized on the opportunity to strike against her opponent, who moved her head to the side just in time.
He smiled, raising his book again and continued pacing. "Water shapes its course according to the nature of the ground over which it flows; the soldier works out his victory in relation to the foe whom he is facing."
Genjuro had to admit this is the most fun he's had in a training regiment in a while, which was ironic considering their lives were on the line. Having decided to take a bit of a different approach with the training, he was ecstatic to see that it was paying off wonderfully.
Chris ducked under the sweep of Tsubasa's arm, and responded with an impressive uppercut of her own to her chin. The sword wielder's head moved back to avoid the blow, and using the momentum of her dodge she kicked up with her leg, forcing Chris to stop her assault or get struck in the chin in return.
He had never seen so much motivation in the wielders before, and it was definitely showing itself now. A mere three weeks had passed since they began, and their progress was so awe-striking he had to tip his hat to them.
The current exercise he had them practice was the one thing he'd always capitalized on: awareness. First, they were divided into pairs, and they would spar with each other using the techniques he had taught them over the past three weeks. They would dodge and strike as they wish, and meanwhile he would pace around them, and just like with Maria would occasionally join in with a blow of his own, intent on catching them unawares. Initially, each and every one of the girls failed to counter his strike, or would avoid his but still be hit by their opponent's. All in all, the first week after they began the girls were bruised in every location on their upper bodies, particularly the arms and the chest. But they eventually got the hang of it, and just like Maria successfully avoided both strikes while counterattacking immediately afterwards.
That was good, and that was the goal here: To know how to respond to changing situations, and to be completely aware of their surroundings. Too see beyond what their eyes saw, and feel the the space around them. To use their senses to their utmost, from hearing the whooshing of the air as a punch passes through it, to smelling the sweat of a reeking enemy.
He passed by Miku and Shirabe, and smiled as the younger twintailed girl weaved in between Miku's strikes, putting her small frame to extremely good use.
In the end, the goal of the training was not to increase their existing abilities, since that would not give as much of a result. There was absolutely nothing new he could teach them about the things they already excelled in: Tsubasa was already a masterful swordsman, Chris was an excellent marksman, Kirika was already known for having a whole bag of tricks, Shirabe was without a doubt the swiftest of them all, Maria the most durable, and Miku the strongest in terms of pure power.
Honing what they are already good at would be counterintuitive, so he decided to go for the lowest common denominator: their abilities in unarmed combat.
"SWITCH!"
On cue, the girls changed partners. Wordlessly, they resumed their spars with their new opponents, not stopping even for a moment to rest. Tsubasa's leg passed over Kirika's head as she ducked under it successfully, and counterattacked with her own sweep to the blue haired idol's center of mass.
Yes, that was the biggest problem they had. Their abilities in unarmed combat ranged from well rounded, which was Maria, to absolutely non existent, which was Miku. Such a big divergence had to be fixed, especially considering the dark haired school girl had never thrown a punch in her life beforehand.
And so far, the results were more than satisfactory. Just after three weeks, all six of the girls were reaching levels beyond what they were previously capable of, and even the usually reluctant Chris seemed to be doing much, much better than before. All six of them were still wearing their Symphogears, once again in just the undersuits, so they all had power behind their attacks that in a spar one would find prudent to dodge.
Especially Miku's. During the second week, she had managed to get a lucky hit on Chris and proceeded to send her flying into one of the buildings with just a simple punch. He credited that overwhelming strength to the concept she possesses, but that also worked in their favor. Since then, all of her sparring opponents worked diligently to avoid her strikes, while she worked harder to make sure they connected.
"He who can modify his tactics in relation to his opponent and thereby succeed in winning, may be called a heaven-born captain."
Flexibility, awareness, and thinking on the fly. These were the skills he wanted all six of them to sharpen alongside with their hand to hand combat. An opponent as daunting as All the Evils of this World, with Hibiki as its base, will be 100% unpredictable and must be therefore met with caution and swiftness. They must unite against that one enemy and overpower it, using their newly acquired skills to have their own element of surprise in their arsenal. With Miku the principal fighter against Hibiki herself, it was imperative she improved fast so she can match up to her.
Only that was impossible. No amount of motivation and training will be able to completely close the gap in their skills, but it would work to at least make Miku more aware of what she could do and how to use that power effectively. Only her lack of experience held back the full might of All the Hopes of this World, so once the lack of experience wa removed from the equation, their chances of victory increase tenfold.
But as he said, the enemy is an opponent using Hibiki as its base. Anything could happen on the battlefield, so they cannot just count on that inherent counter to win.
They will have to give it their all, from the start.
But it was still fun, directing this training. Smiling to himself, he yelled out a phrase.
"And Sun Tzu had said: You must be swift as a coursing river!"
He was met with a united battlecry.
"HA!"
"With all the force of a great typhoon!"
"HA!"
"With all the strength of a raging fire!"
"YAH!"
"And mysterious as the dark side of the moon!"
"YAHHHHHH!"
Brilliant, he thought to himself. Absolutely brilliant. Of course, Sun Tzu had never said any of those four phrases, but it served its purpose well; it wasn't the first time he did this with them, and even though it was silly, it still pumped them up.
Even when training to save the world, there was always a time and place for some fun.
"Remember! Your hearts are righteous! Stand together, united as a single great whole, and nothing will be able to stand in your way!"
"YAH!"
"The enemy is a tiny little gem, and your fists are as hard as diamonds! All the blood, sweat, and tears that you shed today are for one single goal!"
"YAHHHHHHHHHHH!"
"AND WHAT IS THAT GOAL?!"
This time, their battlecry shook the heavens.
"TAKE HIBIKI BACK!"
His bones rattled, and it sent shivers down his spine. 'That's the way.'
If trying to force his way through Miku's one track mind wasn't going to work...then spreading it to the others proved to be far more effective. It was better for her to know that she had allies that shared that desire with her, and that they were willing to give their all to make it a reality, just like her.
That's right, they all needed to be one united front, and then...and only then, will they be able to grasp victory. It didn't rely on just Miku being able to defeat Hibiki, but on all of them together joining forces to make the job much easier.
That was all that was needed. The training also worked to increase their confidence, making them understand that there was progress, and that that progress was going to be rewarded. That victory would not belong to just one, but to all.
'That's the power of love.'
He closed his book. "STOP!"
Almost immediately all sounds of striking stopped. Each pair took a few steps from each other, staring their partners in the eyes. "It's time for a break. Meet up back here in 30 minutes."
They nodded, and bowed to each other slightly.
And then all tension dropped, and Chris fell to the floor on her back, completely exhausted. "Oh man...that was a tough one."
Tsubasa laughed as she walked to her, offering her a hand up. "You've gotten much better, Chris, considering you also started from zero."
The white haired girl smiled, and took the offered hand, letting Tsubasa bring her to her feet. Both of their faces were flush with exhaustion and sweat, but they still managed to grin. "Yeah, I'm shocked I managed to do it. I never really liked all these training sessions."
"They're necessary, as you can see." Tsubasa added. Suddenly, two white towels were thrown in their direction, and the two girls caught them without any trouble.
"You should wipe yourselves off first before you pass out, you two," Maria said, using her own towel to clean off the sweat off her face. Putting the now wet towel on her shoulder, she took a sip of from her bottle of water, enjoying the refreshing liquid as it went down her throat. "It was extra intense this time. You did a good job keeping up, Chris."
Maria then tossed two waters bottles to them. Chris caught one, and immediately blushed at the compliment, the reddening of her cheeks masked by her effort.
Miku however found herself lost in thought. Having not moved a single step since the break started, she merely stared at her own hand, her fist opening and closing in regular intervals, feeling the tension in her muscles and her own exhaustion.
'Wait for me, Hibiki. I'm coming to save you.'
"Miku," A voice said to her. The dark haired girl lifted her head up, and saw Shirabe offering her a towel and a bottle of water. "Here."
She wordlessly received the two objects, saying nothing to Shirabe in response. She quickly wiped her face and immediately began to chug the water.
The twintailed girl smiled, and turned around to join Kirika by the table. The blonde was leaning on it, her back bending slightly as she stretched. "Kirika, don't do that near the table."
"Ah, sorry Shirabe," The Ig-Alima user said sheepishly, pushing off it. "I'm kinda tired is all."
"I know, I am too. But it's fun in its own way, isn't it?" Shirabe asked her.
"Yeah, it is."
As the girls talked amongst themselves, Genjuro watched silently. One of the first things he told the girls when they started was very simple: drop all pretenses of politeness and honorifics, and refer to each other by their actual names. The reason for that was because he wanted them all to see each other as equals, not as some that are older and some that are younger.
All six of them were of different ages, but in the end they were first and foremost teammates. Whoever was born first or last had nothing to do with it, and that was something that he emphasized greatly.
But of course, the one thing he couldn't change was their physical characteristics. Shirabe would probably remain short her entire life, and while that made her swift, it also made her very fragile. Chris likewise was short, but unfortunately her breasts threw off her balance several times during the early parts of the training. In that regard, he had to make sure to at least personalize the regiment so all of the girls would be at the same level, despite any differences they had in what they couldn't change.
Other than that, there wasn't much to say...except Miku was still an anomaly. Her power was nothing to scoff at and her motivation was sky high, but she was still a bit strange, from what he gathered from his staff members.
For one, ever since she put on her Gear three weeks ago, she hadn't taken it off for even a second. Several crew members reported seeing her walk around with it on, and some said they saw her walk into the showers still wearing it. Even if it was just the undersuit pretty much the entire time, walking around with a manifested Symphogear for three full weeks was not something that was normal.
But that's not all. According to the head chef, Miku had never gone to the cafeteria once, has not been seen in her room either, and if what the girls told him was correct, hadn't even gone to the restroom. All in all, what he gathered from these strange reports was that Miku wasn't sleeping either, meaning she had stayed awake for three whole weeks.
And all that was topped by the fact that the simulator had not been deactivated since it was turned on, and some night shift employees reported how they noticed that it was still active even in the dead of night. Several checks by Elfnein confirmed Miku had been inside, practicing on her own.
Everything about her right now was strange. No food, no sleep, no basic human needs. She trained and she bathed, that's all she did. Seeing her now drink water was a surprise in on itself, but he was sure nothing about it was healthy.
Confronting her about it gleaned him one simple response:
"I don't have time for this."
And that was it, no room for argument. Trying to convince her otherwise was like trying to speak to a brick wall.
Considering she was still alive even after so long was a blessing...but it was also dangerous. In the event she removes the Gear, who knows what sort of side effects she'll experience after weeks of barely being human.
But...if he took into account that she was similar to Hibiki at the moment, then that can give them a look into what her own state would be like. He hadn't had Elfnein check her over yet, but he figured it would be prudent to do so sooner than later. Maybe she'll make some sort of discovery...if he managed to make Miku cooperate.
It was then his phone began to ring. Taking it out of his pocket, he raised an eyebrow when he saw that it was Ogawa calling. The ninja was supposed to be still in Chiba, so it surprised him he would call him now.
He answered and put the phone to his ear. "Ogawa, what's the matter?"
"Ah, commander, it's a bit of a-"
"Let me talk to him!"
Genjuro raised an eyebrow, the muffled feminine voice on the other end catching him off guard.
"Wait, ma'am, this is not-"
"I want to talk to him, is that a problem?"
He could hear as the female on the other end was becoming restless. Curious, he spoke up. "Ogawa, it's fine."
"Commander...very well." Ogawa said in resignation, and Genjuro heard as the phone was passed over, and the woman on the other end spoke up once more, her voice clearer this time.
"Am I speaking with Kazanari Genjuro?" She asked.
"Yes, you are ma'am. To whom am I speaking to?" He asked back, taking on a more formal tone. He had a hunch of who it was, but he never heard her voice before so it was a bit of a wild guess.
And he was right on the money. "This is Tachibana Harumi speaking."
His eyes widened. 'Hibiki-kun's mother?'
He never spoke to the woman before, considering she wasn't in on the secret of what her daughter was doing...until three weeks ago, when Hibiki had quite violently burst into her own home and proceeded to let her anger known, nearly killing her father in the process. From what he heard from Ogawa, the woman was...not happy once she heard exactly what her daughter was doing, and what exactly happened to her that led to her acting like that.
He glanced over to the wielders, and seeing as they were busy chatting amongst themselves, he didn't want to disturb their bonding time. Turning around, he walked behind one of the buildings, making sure to distance himself enough so they couldn't hear him.
"How can I help you, ma'am?" He asked in a light tone, making sure to appear more welcoming and warm than usual.
The woman fell silent for a moment, then spoke up. "Your subordinate told me everything that's happened so far." She said, and he could clearly feel the displeasure in her voice.
The silence returned once more, this time longer than the one before it.
He had expected this at some point, he had to admit. With Hibiki being the only permanent wielder with still living parents, he knew it was a matter of time until they found out exactly what she was doing.
And unfortunately, they made their discovery in the worst possible manner, with her father nearly dying to Carol back then, and now her mother seeing her daughter essentially being insane.
Clearly, not the best of impressions. And now, having been filled in on everything as per the non-disclosure agreement stated, she had opinions she needed to have known. He prepared his ears in readiness for her screaming, only to be blindsided when she spoke calmly instead.
"I'm...very angry at you," She said. "So angry I want to go over there and punch you."
He didn't say anything in response. He actually wasn't very familiar with the process of talking to parents, considering none of the others had any. He could say that he was their parent, for all intents and purposes, so he never really had to explain himself to anyone besides his own superiors.
But now that he was face to face with the real deal...he realized it wasn't what he expected.
She seemed to be grumbling to herself on the other end, then spoke up. "I want to know why." She said.
"Ma'am, I-"
"Why do I only find out about this now. Why do I need to find this out when everything goes to hell, and there is nothing I can do to help," She continued. "Tell me why, Kazanari-san."
He sighed deeply, leaning against the wall of the building. "Ma'am, it's-"
"Why did no one tell me?" She interrupted him once more, having no intention of actually letting him speak. "My only daughter gets enlisted as a soldier, putting her life on the line, and no one tells me what she's doing?"
He opened his mouth to try and speak, but she was way ahead of him. "I already know that it's supposed to be top secret, but to keep me completely in the dark? I found it strange that she suddenly told me to stop paying her tuition since she found her own source of money, but maybe I should have dug further."
He threw in a few words before she interrupted him again. "Ma'am, the circumstances were-"
"I know what they were, your subordinate told me already. But that doesn't justify anything. How do you think it felt, seeing my daughter like that? Hibiki had always kept to herself, but...was I not even allowed to worry? Is my own daughter's safety so much less important than your secrecy?"
"That is definitely not the case Ma'am. It's because-"
"Because it would be dangerous if someone who shouldn't know about it heard the details? I know, I'm not stupid. I know that it's for the sake of public safety and everything...but I don't care about that. I don't care about myself, I just want to be sure Hibiki is always happy. After everything she's been through...she deserves it. And then you have the gall to tell me that even though you know that, you still make her fight? You're telling me because she was at the wrong place at the wrong time, that she needs to put her life on the line where you can't?"
He sighed once more. It seems everyone he's been talking to lately have only scathing remarks to say to him, and leave him speechless.
Because she wasn't wrong. The wielders fight because he can't, because for all of his power, he's just a human that will die the moment a Noise touches him. And he does not have the capability to wield a Symphogear, which is something only the girls have.
He's the adult, and they're the ones out there fighting. No matter what way he looked at it, it was absurd.
"I won't ask how any of this is legal, recruiting child soldiers for your campaigns, because I know for a fact that it's not that simple. That it's not other people you're fighting, but threats that humanity can't deal with on their own. That Hibiki and her teammates are the only ones that can save people from the Noise. I know all of that already; I know all the facts and details, so you don't need to repeat them to me." She said, confirming the commander's guess that Ogawa told her everything from an objective standpoint, and could not truly give her an opinion since it was not his place to do so.
But that was not her question.
"But...please...tell me why. Why Hibiki. Why does she have to carry that burden for everyone else?"
That was her question.
And one he had the answer for, an answer that truly came from his heart.
"Because your daughter is a miracle."
It was an answer that completely threw the woman off, and she found it impossible to answer back. Taking his chance, Genjuro continued. "Your daughter saved us, and the entire world, many many times. She worked hard, and created miracles with her own hands. She made the impossible possible, and brought light back to a darkened world. I would not be wrong to admit that your daughter is the messiah that we desperately needed, and words cannot possibly describe how much we value and appreciate her."
Yes, that's what the mother needed. She didn't need the cold hard facts.
She needed a simple answer to a simple question: why her?
And now, he was giving it to her, pouring from his heart everything that he needed to say. "She's a hero Ma'am, nothing less than that. She's a beacon that brought hope to the world, even if her name will not go down in history for it."
Harumi tried to get an argument in, finding herself nearly speechless. "But she-"
"Yet she chose to do so," He said, leaving her speechless. "Because she wanted to help others from the bottom of her heart. At the time, I did not know the extent of her sorrow, but the very first time I asked her to join us, she did not even hesitate. She wanted to create a world where no one would have to go through the same pain she had, and that everyone will be able to hold hands and understand each other."
He laughed, perplexing her even more. "It sounds silly, but it was with that thought in mind that she had achieved so much. We owe her a lot, ma'am, more than you could possibly believe." He said resolutely, and he could hear her choke back a sob.
"B-But then why...why did she-" She asked, putting her hand over her mouth, finding herself unable to even finish the question.
He sighed heavily once more, and answered. "Because we failed."
"Failed-?"
"Yes, we failed, and we are now paying the price," He continued. "I assume Ogawa told you, but something we had no idea existed changed the outcome of something we thought we had down to the most miniscule detail."
His eyes narrowed. "And it is that thing that what made all the difference...and that, Ma'am, is the enemy we are trying to defeat."
Her eyes widened, stupefied at his explanation. "I...I don't understand."
Genjuro thought for a moment before he answered, trying to find the best way to describe what exactly happened to Hibiki. To tell her mother all the details now would take too much time, so if there was one way he could say it in a single sentence…
"Ma'am...due to a severe oversight on our part, your daughter has been possessed by a demon."
As he said it, he could feel it even over the phone. Of how her spine shivered at his choice of words, and how she was left horrified at his declaration.
Or was it he himself that was feeling this way? He reckoned he was. Yet he continued on regardless. "I know what it sounds like, but the full details are just so complicated that I'm not sure myself I have them entirely correct. But no matter what they are, that is the best way I can summarize to you what happened; a demon was hiding inside the power she received and took advantage of an extreme circumstance to take her over. We've been trying to rescue her since it happened, but unfortunately we have met with no success so far."
He could tell she was sobbing now, unable to hold back her sorrow. He closed his eyes, steeling his heart as he kept on talking.
She was right. She deserved to know, and have some measure of hope that things will be okay. "But make no mistake Ma'am, we are doing everything we can, and by everything I mean everything we can to bring her back. We have disregarded collateral, and we are spilling blood, sweat, and tears in order to be able to be strong enough to do so," He said to her. "That's why I'll tell you a single, unchangeable fact:"
He took a deep breath, and spoke. "We will never, ever abandon her. She is someone that is irreplaceable, and no matter what it takes, even if we have to risk our lives to do so, we will bring Hibiki-kun back."
And he waited.
And waited.
And waited.
All he could hear on the other end was muffled sniffling, the sound of a heartbroken mother that simply wanted her child back.
It tore at him. It tore at him deeply, because even if he wasn't a parent himself, he knew what it's like to lose someone that was like his own child. And in that moment it dawned on him...that this was not the first time she'd been through this torment.
And it was unbearable.
After what seemed like an eternity, the woman finally spoke again. "K-Kazanari-san...can I trust you?" She asked.
He opened his eyes at her question. "I would like to say that you can, but if you don't, I understand. After all...the one that will bring her back is not me, but them."
"Them?"
"Yes, them. The ones whose hearts Hibiki-kun touched, and are now resolved to crawl through Hell for her sake," He said. "Do you want to tell them something?"
She was caught flat-footed by his question. "T-Tell them something?" She repeated to herself. "Yes...I do have something I'd like to ask."
"Then give me one moment, Ma'am, and I'll make sure they hear it loud and clear."
Pushing off the wall, he brought down the phone from his ear and walked back to the courtyard. There he spotted the wielders already waiting for him in a line, and he checked his watch to see that indeed the 30 minutes that he had given them had already passed. 'Looks like I'm the tardy one this time...but for a good reason. This will give them a much needed boost.'
He wasted no time as he arrived. "Ladies, I have a small update for you."
They all raised an eyebrow in question, looking between each other for a moment.
"I have Hibiki-kun's mother on the phone with me right now," He said, raising his cellphone to show them what he was referring to. Their eyes instantly widened, and he glanced to Miku, who seemed to be the most shocked out of all of them. "And there is something she'd like to ask all of you. Will you be willing to listen?"
Their response was a unanimous nod.
"Good," He said. Pressing the speaker button on his phone, he held it before him so they could hear. "Ma'am, they're listening. You can say it now."
There was a pregnant silence in the air as the six girls waited for the woman to speak.
Yet they could hear, as ever so slowly, the muffled sobbing became outright cries as Tachibana Harumi broke down from helplessness and sorrow, leaning back on the wall of the hospital in Chiba. Her tears dripping down without end, her heart shattered from the recent revelations.
She couldn't do anything. She was powerless, and could not be there to support her daughter in such a dark time.
Yet there were those who would, those who would stand by her side no matter what.
And the single, overwhelming desire rang out in their mind as the woman gathered the remains of her shattered heart, and called out to them in desperation.
"Please...I beg of you, please...save my baby girl."
It was akin to being struck by lightning.
Unimaginable shocks ran through the wielders' frames. A massive weight the size of the Earth fell onto their shoulders from the sky, nearly knocking their feet from under them. Their eyes widened and their pupils contracted, the sound of the woman's tearful plea embedding itself into their minds and souls.
And Miku was paralyzed, the voice of the woman who she considered a second mother ringing in her head again and again.
Watching as the wielders processed her request, Genjuro turned the phone around so she could hear him. "They heard your request, Ma'am," He said to her softly. "You can consider it as good as done."
She sniffled once more. "Thank you...thank you…" She said, her voice cracked. "Please...free her from her suffering…"
"We will, Ma'am, you can count on that," He told her. "If there's anything else you need, don't be afraid to ask. We will support you no matter what."
She nodded, but it was an act that he could not see. But that was fine, since he could tell as a tiny bit of relief washed over her. "Your daughter is in good hands, Ms. Tachibana. Please, all I ask is that you have faith, and never lose hope."
"Thank you, Kazanari-san. And please...tell them...that I believe in them."
"I will Ma'am," He said. "Have a good night's rest. The next time we speak...you'll hear that she's in our hands."
She smiled this time. "Yes...I hope so. Good luck...to all of you."
And the line was cut, the phone falling silent. He grasped the device tightly in his hand for a moment before pocketing it again, and looked back at the petrified Adaptors.
"Did you hear that?" He said, crossing his arms. The six girls looked to him, the shock still blatant on their faces. "That was the sound of a mother grieving for her suffering child. It's absolutely gut-wrenching, isn't it? This is something that will not stand with us. This woman's cries are a crime against humanity, and we must do all it takes to make her tears stop running. She is counting on us, she is depending on us, and she is begging us to make things right."
He could see as they tensed, shaking off their stupor. And their expressions changed, their eyes swiftly changing from wide to narrowed, and he could see as the burden that fell on their shoulders turned into a fire, into passion, into resolve.
They were raging, the inside of their minds blazing with an almighty force.
Now to add more fuel to it.
"The road to our happiness is clear; now, we must overcome the obstacle that lies within it. Make your shouts known, and with that desire filling your hearts...make All the Evils of this World regret ever placing themselves in our path! And for the sake of that path…"
His fist clenched, and he raised it to them one more.
"WE WILL STOP AT NOTHING!"
An unseen aura of pure might exploded from each and every one of them. Their eyes shone, and he could feel as their own brand of absurdity began to fill them to the brim.
Yeah, from this moment on, not even the fake buildings in the simulator will be able to remain standing for long. It was going to get insanely explosive, that was for sure.
And just how he wanted.
On cue, countless amounts of holographic Noise and black beasts began to fill the streets to full capacity. Pouring over the city like a tidal wave, it was as if the air itself was being replaced by these enemies, their programming marking the wielders as their targets.
They turned around, facing the wall of death head on.
Genjuro raised his stopwatch once more.
"GO!"
And clicked.
At that moment, light filled the world as the wielders united charged forward into the fray.
-!-
It was the wee hours of the night, the submarine that served as S.O.N.G's based having fallen quiet after the vast majority of its members filed back into their rooms to sleep.
But she couldn't. Sleep was something she had no time to do, especially in a situation as critical as this. Having foreaken every single human need, Miku trudged through the hallways of headquarters as she made her way back to her destination.
Training had intensified a hundred fold after Harumi's request, and that was something she could approve of. Genjuro's amazed expression after they had defeated the unlimited amount of Noise and beasts he summoned was unlike anything they'd ever seen, completely blowing him off his feet as their feat was accomplished in a record twenty minutes. Thousands upon thousands of Noise and beasts were obliterated, and all of that because of a few words he had spoken in order to further their resolve. Everyone had adjourned after that hellish exercise, leaving the simulator empty except for Miku until she decided to walk off the aches for a bit.
She knew that the fake ones were significantly weaker than the real ones, but it was still an otherworldly accomplishment no matter what way you look at it.
And she could feel it. She could feel it in her bones, her muscles, her bones, her nerves, her heart, her eyes, her brain, her mind. Everywhere she could feel the changes, the progress she wanted to see. All of those parts of her were hurting and numb, but even that was nothing but a minor inconvenience she shook of in the span of minutes.
There was no need for anything else. Just like he said, the road was clear, and now was the time to walk it.
There was no point in making stops or resting along the way.
There was only going forward, without stopping, no matter what lies in the way.
Because what awaited at the end of that road was worth every single painful moment along it.
She arrived at the door of the simulator room, the glowing red lights indicating it was still active greeting her once more. She had spent every night inside practicing, training, shooting, punching the air and the buildings, and overall doing everything she could do on her own without having any real or fake enemies to face while inside. She didn't know how to spawn the Noise or the beasts, so she had to make do with what she had.
But she didn't mind. Every single waking moment was dedicated to this one thing, and she'll keep doing it until Hibiki is back in their hands, no questions asked.
The door slid open, greeting her once more with the simulated cityscape. Her mind wandering, she entered, and the door slid closed behind her, shimmering away from view to meld once more with the wall behind it. She made her way into the courtyard proper, and froze.
"It's about time, Miku," Tsubasa said, laying her eyes upon the Shenshoujing wielder as she turned the corner. "We thought you wouldn't show, today of all days."
Miku's mouth gaped in surprise. "What…"
They were all there. Tsubasa, Chris, Maria, Shirabe, and Kirika. The five wielders were right there in the courtyard, clad in their Symphogears, standing idle as they looked to her with smiles on their faces.
"Come on, Miku," Kirika yelled to her enthusiastically. "Let's start!"
But she could only stand in place, her eyes widening, completely stupefied by their presence. "I...What are you doing here?"
"Isn't it obvious?" Maria asked nonchalantly. "We're here to train. Isn't that what you're here for?"
Miku's response however was to look away, biting her lip. "I don't need your help."
Chris put her hands on her hips, tilting her head to the side, a grin etched across her face. "Oh, is that right? I guess we were just imagining you having a blast during training today."
"I'm not doing it to have fun."
"We know," Tsubasa answered quickly. "We're not doing it to have fun either. However, I do believe that it will be far more effective to do this together rather than separately, do you not agree?"
She said nothing in response, choosing to remain silent and looking away from them all. Maria frowned, and walked up to her. "Miku, I don't know how many times we're going to have to repeat this, but you're not the only one who wants to save her. We all do, and that's why we should work together."
"I was fine on my own."
"Were you now?" Maria asked with an eyebrow raise, skeptical. "I bet punching buildings all night wasn't very fun or productive, was it?"
Once again, silence from the girl.
Chris sighed, sagging her shoulders. "You two really are alike," She said, causing heads to turn to her. Miku however still refused to raise her own head, still looking to the side to nothing in particular. "Not only do you never share what you're feeling, but you're so insistent on not making others worry about you that you make people worry anyway."
There was truth to her statement, the others realized. The white haired girl continued, walking up to stand by Maria's side. "It doesn't take a genius to see it: you take in everything about her, not complaining to anyone or even showing signs just how worried you are. And I know how much she made you worry all the time, believe me. But you don't need to do this alone Miku, that is exactly what we're here for. We're not here to get in your way, we're here to make sure nothing else does."
"Why should I believe you?" Miku suddenly said, clenching her fists.
Realizing they aren't going to get anywhere like this, Chris decided to be a bit bolder. She walked up to stand by the black haired girl, and promptly put her arm around her shoulder. Miku's head whipped instantly to stare at her with wide eyes, perplexed by the move.
"Because we're in this together." Chris said with a smile.
Kirika's face suddenly flashed a grin of her own, and she quickly went over to Miku's other side to imitate Chris. With two arms over her shoulders, Miku found herself sagging forward slightly from the weight. "Yes! We're in this together! So let's do our best in this training, okay? It's kind of exciting I think, doing it all in secret!"
"It's not that much of a secret, Kirika," Shirabe reminded her. "We had to borrow Elfnein's tablet so we could spawn enemies after all."
"Small details!" The blonde exclaimed.
Maria smiled, understanding their intention. It was better if the atmosphere was overall friendly so that Miku wouldn't feel hunkered down by their presence. They really were in this together, and it was important that she understood that.
Leading Maria to say something too. "Miku, I know that you hate the Symphogears," She said. Kirika looked to her elder with wide eyes, apparently having never heard that particular tidbit of information. Ignoring her stare, Maria continued. "And quite frankly, I don't care for them either, at least not as much as before. But they're necessary for what we want to accomplish...so for now, I would recommend to let go of that hate, or at least put it aside."
"Maria…" Tsubasa murmured.
"I know you're reluctant to share everything, and that's fine," The pink haired idol continued. "But you don't need to push us away. In fact, I think doing that will only make everything harder, for you and us."
"Yeah, I'm tired of all this secret keeping myself," Chris said. "Share with us what you have on your mind, alright? Then we can work it out together. The idiot and the old man already drove me nuts by not doing that."
Miku found herself speechless, and stared at the floor in contemplation. "I...I…"
What could she say to them?
Nothing came to mind, despite how much she wanted to refute them, and to tell them to stop pretending.
Because she knew they weren't. And it was maddening, as everything about them just screamed suspicious in her mind. But what Maria said felt somewhat familiar, ringing a certain tune in her mind that she swore she had heard before. Why was everyone telling her such things? Hating the Symphogears was something akin to a natural state by now, as it was one of two thoughts that occupied her mind.
Save Hibiki, and destroy Gungnir. That's all she wanted to do. And because of what Gungnir did, all the other Gears were suspicious by proxy, no matter what others try to say they are.
And that put everyone else in danger. She eyed the pendants with extreme caution, just waiting for the moment another one of them would turn on them in an instant.
But then she looked at her own. She knew what it was and what it could do, but that did not mean she trusted it in any regard. Her previous experience with it was more than enough to make it the most dangerous out of all of them, but she knew that no matter if something tried to take her over, she would not let it.
She couldn't let it. This power was necessary to save Hibiki, and if it tried to do otherwise she would bring it to heel under her will no matter what it is.
So if...just if...the others feel the same way…
"...Fine." She said.
The other five looked to her her with eyebrows raised. She took a step forward, freeing herself from Chris' and Kirika's grasp. "Fine, I'll tolerate it...just this once."
And they smiled, glad they were able to get through to her. "I'm glad," Tsubasa said. "Thank you for trusting us, Miku."
The Shenshoujing wielder said nothing in return.
Maria turned to Shirabe, who had remained relatively quiet throughout the whole talk. "Shirabe, you remember how to work the tablet?"
The twintailed girl flashed her a peace sign with a smile. "Yes, it's pretty simple. I got the hang of it really quickly."
Kirika chuckled, and quickly went over to hug the short wielder tightly. "As expected of Shirabe! So smart!"
The Shul-Shagana wielder blushed under Kirika's hold. "We just need to decide what we want to do." She said.
"In that case…" Maria began, trailing off as she described to Shirabe what she had in mind.
But Miku was not listening, and let her mind wander once more as she stared into her palm again. Chris approached her again, standing by her side. Her face suddenly flushed as she began speaking. "I-I know you love her and all, but you're not the only one," She suddenly admitted, causing Miku to look at her with a shocked expression. The short girl suddenly waved her hands in front of her face. "It's not what you think! I-I just meant that we all care for her a lot...and that we owe her a lot too. What kind of friends would we be if we let her down after she saved us? No way I'll let that happen. S-So I guess you can believe me at least, if you want."
Miku looked at her.
And looked.
And looked.
'This...is Chris. Yes, not something else. Yes...Chris wouldn't say anything any other way. This is her, not some outside influence. Are the others the same? I don't know. I don't want to know. But if it's Chris, so maybe...maybe I can…'
Miku looked to the side once more, and mumbled. "...Thanks."
Chris looked away too. "I-it's nothing." And went to join the others.
At this point finally the others' dialogue began to make sense to her as Maria continued speaking. "...is that possible, you think?"
Shirabe put a finger on her chin in thought. She then lowered it, tapping on the tablet. "I think so? Let me try it first."
And she continued tapping, doing something on the tablet that Miku did not understand. Tsubasa went over to stand by Maria's side and put a hand on her hip. "That's a nice idea, Maria."
The elder idol smiled. "Thanks, I think it will work wonders for tonight."
"What are we doing?" Kirika asked, having not been listening at all for the past few minutes.
"A nice little exercise I just came up with," Maria explained. "We'll do the same thing we did today, only this time...no Armed Gears and no armor, meaning we fight the Noise and beasts with just our fists."
"Eh?! But-"
"It could be interesting," Tsubasa said. "To put ourselves in Hibiki's shoes for once, as well as to get some much needed evaluation on what we learned so far. I dare say we have made astounding progress."
Kirika grinned once again, and raised her arm, flexing it proudly. "Oh yeah, I agree!"
"In that case…"
Upon saying that, the many armored parts of Maria's Symphogear disappeared into motes of light, leaving her once more in just the undersuit. "Might as well get ready to start."
Chris, Tsubasa, and Kirika nodded, and they too followed suit. "It's just you now, Shirabe."
"Yes, I know, one moment," She said, continuing to tap on the screen of the tablet. "I'm just about…"
All of a sudden, a whole army of Noise manifested in the city around them, filling the streets to the brim in numbers even bigger than in the exercise they did before with Genjuro. They were surrounded on all sides, the holographic Noise standing around them in a large circle, trapping them in.
"Uh, Shirabe...you spawned just a bit too many...maybe?" Kirika mumbled nervously, entering her combat stance.
The twintailed girl looked at the Noise, and then looked at her tablet with wide eyes. "...I may have made a mistake in the numbers."
"What does it matter?" Chris said, taking a step forward. She too entered her stance, facing their long time enemies head on. "Just more practice to get done! We don't leave till we take all of them down with nothing but our hands right? Let's go!"
Shirabe took the opportunity to unequip her armor as well, and went to stand next to Maria. "Yes, let's."
As the three former FIS wielders and Chris got ready to fight, Tsubasa looked to Miku again with a smile. "What do you say, Miku? Think you can keep up?" She asked with a tinge of sarcasm.
She did not know if the dark haired girl caught her meaning or not, but the way her expression suddenly turned serious she could assume that she did not. "Of course I can."
"I see...in that case," Tsubasa said, raising her voice so the rest could hear too. "I have a proposition! Whoever gets the most Noise kills is the winner!"
"Oh yeah! What's the prize?!"
"We'll figure that out later! Let's start!"
"Then I'll count us off!" Tsubasa yelled again. "You ready, Miku?"
The Shenshoujing wielder entered her own stance, and answered dismissively. "Let's just start."
Tsubasa huffed. "I'm starting!" She proclaimed, and entered her own stance.
"Five!"
The Noise shuffled about, staring ahead at their opponents.
"Four!"
Legs and feet moved accordingly, preparing to charge once more.
"Three!"
Miku lowered herself slightly as she too readied herself. 'No matter what...I'll bring you back, Hibiki.'
"Two!"
She could feel as her mouth moved, and she brought a hand up to her face to figure out what expression she was making. 'Am I...smiling?'
"One!"
'I see...I guess I can...trust my back to them. I don't need to worry...just this once. Wait for us, Hibiki.
The fact that in her own mind she referred to them all did not escape her notice. But right now was not the time to dwell on it.
Now was the time to fight.
And win.
"ZERO!"
And the six of them shot forward, throwing the Noise up into the air.
A single, united thought was shared between them in that moment.
'We'll make things right.'
