It was a memory of many years ago.
She was alone for a long time, before that day. From a young age, the only words that have been spoken to her were: "This is your purpose."
And she accepted it. Having been born to a family as influential as hers, it was her duty to uphold that name to the best of her ability, or die trying. And so, she was granted a piece of a relic that went back generations, to the days of old.
And she accepted it, and lived by that code for years to come…
At least, until she came.
She wasn't sure where her Uncle found that girl. The only facts she had heard were that her family were massacred by the enemy, and that he brought her here as the only survivor.
At first, she was scared of her. The girl with the mane of red hair reminded her of a lion, of an uncaged beast that raged against its confines. And that's what she did, for she was inconsolable. So furious was she that she had to be put in a straitjacket in order to keep her in line, even with Uncle standing by her the entire time.
She swore vengeance, and so Uncle asked her a single question.
"Even if it drags you down to hell?"
Her answer was immediate.
"Even if it drags me to hell."
And that was how she met her. That was how she came face to face with a girl whose entire purpose was payback and anger. And there was no length she would not go for the sake of that one goal.
She remembered it like it was yesterday.
The tests were taking place that day, and the girl was anxious and excited to finally get them done. Having failed to activate the relic like they had wanted to for a long time, she finally heard the good news that the drug she needed was finally complete.
And even when the initial dose was not enough, and the girl was writhing in pain, she still would not give up that one overwhelming desire.
The memory was vivid in her mind.
The girl looked at Uncle was a crazed expression, refusing to surrender. Holding the syringe to her neck, she pressed the trigger without hesitation. And the effect was immediate, as the girl continued to writhe, puking and falling into a pool of her own blood. Uncle immediately ordered the doctors to get the drug out of her system, fearing for her life.
But she did not surrender.
It was engraved in her mind.
A bloodied hand struck the window separating the two, and she could recall exactly how much of it covered her open palm, dragging it against the glass and smearing it. The girl rose to her feet, a savage grin plastered on her face as she declared her victory.
And she sang a bloody song, the holy words coming to her mouth right there and then.
That was how she had obtained her power. Swearing vengeance, she threw up blood, pushing against her own limits to finally be able to enact on that feeling. The day she had waited for finally arrived, and she could not be anymore ecstatic. By her own hands she had reached her goal, with the help of no other.
Her way of fighting was savage and brutal. A complete contrast to her own reserved and efficient one, the girl struck with unshackled might, each enemy she cut down feeling the full force of her grudge and resentment.
That was the only reason for her to fight. There was nothing other than that which she desired.
And yet, something happened. As a result of her actions, people were saved. And those very same people thanked her, telling her that it was all thanks to her song that they managed to keep on going.
She didn't understand it, but she forged on regardless. And as she saved more people, and as she sang more, she began to feel it. The blooming of another purpose beyond just her own selfish one, a purpose that shone brightly in her heart.
And so, the girl wrought with nothing but anger smiled for the first time.
They truly became partners since then, fighting and singing together for the sake of the many. One out of duty, and one out of a selfless desire. Even though their reasons differed, they were joined together despite everything, and together they soared, lighting the path for all to follow.
She feared her no longer. No longer was the girl a beast, but a shining Sun. And she basked in that warmth, holding it as a lifeline to stave off the burden that lay on her shoulders, even for a little bit.
And so she found herself enthralled, the spirit of the once fearsome girl drawing her in despite everything.
Then came that day.
The enemies were without end, having appeared out of nowhere. They massacred and murdered, and the screams of the ones who had been slain echoed in her mind as she fought against them.
And the girl, fighting for a selfless desire, was crumbling. Putting herself between them and a single survivor, she told that person to never give up on life, begging them to survive.
Yet even though she said that, the girl gave up on her own life. Singing her final song, she blasted them away...and collapsed.
She ran to her, begging her to live.
"You know...dying leaves you empty and hungry."
And so, leaving her legacy behind for another, Kanade left the world.
Leaving Tsubasa alone.
-!-
It was like not a single day had passed since then. Kanade stood before her, her appearance exactly the same as three years ago. As her comrades simply stared at the red haired wielder in confusion, Tsubasa found herself drawn forward, her feet dragging behind her in a daze.
"Kanade…"
Her eyes were wide, her vision focusing only on the former Zwei Wing member. Yet Kanade stayed still, her spear in hand, watching her former partner approach with an even, unreadable expression.
"Kanade…"
She couldn't even say anything else. The sight of the red haired wielder was just so overwhelming, memories from the past rushed into the forefront of her mind in an instant. Moments of happiness and sadness, of anger and laughter, of sorrow and joy. So many memories from the days before she remembered even herself, as all of her most precious ones were filled with nothing more than the girl before her. And that's why she could only walk forward, her sword dropping from her hand and dissipating to nothingness.
Alarmed at Tsubasa's shift in demeanor, Maria called out to her in concern. "Tsubasa!"
The Ame-no-Habakiri wielder made no movement to acknowledge the fact that she had heard her. Worry filling her up completely, Maria took a step forward, and called out to her once more, this time far more loudly. "Tsubasa! You have to stop!"
Yet still, no response. The blue haired idol could only approach Kanade slowly, entranced by the sight of the returned Adaptor.
Until said Adaptor spoke up herself, her voice unshaken. "I'd listen to her if I were you, Tsubasa."
She stopped. Her feet coming to a sudden halt barely ten meters away from Kanade, Tsubasa stared at her in confusion and dejection, her blue eyes shaking. "Kanade…"
"If you don't...then I'll have to kill you." Kanade stated matter-of-factly.
The casual threat snapped Tsubasa out of her stupor, and she took a step back, trying to process exactly what Kanade was telling her.
"Kanad-"
"I already told you that I can't let you go any further," Kanade said. "That's my role. I have to stop you from helping the girlie over there. That's all I am here for."
Everything she was saying sounded alien to Tsubasa, who was desperate for an explanation. "K-Kanade, what are you saying?"
"You heard me, Tsubasa," Kanade answered, her voice containing an edge that unnerved the blue haired wielder. "I can't let you go any further. If you try to run, I'll cut you down before you can even clear the street."
Tsubasa's heart beat rapidly in her chest, and the others shifted their feet at the warning. They looked to her with caution, just waiting for the former Gungnir wielder to go on the offensive. Whatever her power was, she couldn't possibly take on all six of them on her own, that's for sure…
Or at least, that's what they reckoned. The casualness of Kanade's words lit up a red light in their minds, and they listened intently as the war continued around them. Tsubasa tried to speak up, but once more Kanade interrupted her.
"You're probably wondering if I'm even real, aren't you?" She suddenly asked, causing Tsubasa's eyes to widen even more. It was as if Kanade was reading her mind simply through staring at her. The once-idol continued. "It's written all over your face; the answer to that question though is...I'm not sure myself."
Tsubasa remained speechless as Kanade kept on talking, bringing up her free hand to scratch the back of her head, just like she always used to. "I'm definitely not alive, even if you think I am. I know I died back then, that's for sure. Let's see...I guess the best way to describe me...would be a ghost?" She said nonchalantly, as if the very fact of the matter was not important to her.
"Yeah...I guess a ghost is the right answer," She repeated, this time more sure of herself. "I'm just a ghost of the past that came back just for this one night, nothing more. I don't even know why I have to stop you, but...that's what I gotta do, and I'm gonna make sure to get it done alright."
"Kanade…"
"This whole business is one giant mess, that's for sure. Tonight is the biggest clusterfuck it's ever going to be, what with this nasty miasma filling the air like a goddamn shitty smog," Kanade continued. "Although I guess that's how I can be here at all. That giant hole in reality over there is releasing it without stopping, and it's making everything very crazy around here. It's like a strange magic mist that makes weird things possible, including something like me." She explained, pointing to the open void still hanging in the air.
She lowered her hand to her side, staring ahead. "But that doesn't matter, cos that doesn't change the fact I can't let you help the girlie. If you want to get by me, then you're going to have to fight, Tsubasa."
The sword wielder gasped, and responded in an aghast expression. "No! I can't fight you, Kanade!"
"Is that right? In that case…"
The red haired wielder raised her spear, and pointed it not at Tsubasa...but at the group behind her. "Then I guess you won't mind if I kill all your friends then."
Tsubasa's blood froze. The others, now hearing their own lives were directly threatened, took on their stances as they prepared for her assault. The blue haired idol however did not budge, still puzzled by Kanade's threats.
"Kanade...why?"
"I already told you, Tsubasa. That is my role here, nothing more," Kanade answered. "Let me tell you what is going to happen if you don't fight: first, I'll kill you where you stand. Then I'll kill the others behind you, so that once the army of yours falls we can all gang up on the girlie there. If that happens, she'll lose, period."
A tense silence fell between them. Kanade then continued.
"Once she loses, it's over, and you know it," She said. She then stared behind Tsubasa to the others, realizing their intentions. "And don't think you all can gang up on me and win. If you do that, the only one that will survive is Tsubasa. None of you are strong enough to beat me, even with that little nifty toy of yours. Right now, I have the home field advantage, even if the Noise don't dare get close to me. They just know that I'll crush them if they even think of that in that little brainless head of theirs, wherever it is."
She turned her gaze to Tsubasa, who was left paralyzed by her words. "If the girlie gets to fight her one on one, then her chances of winning are much better than at any other time. And that's what you're all here for, right? Since I'm here to stop you from doing that, then there's no other choice but to fight, Tsubasa," She said almost sadly, something that her once-partner noticed, breaking her heart even more. "What happened to that duty of a Sentinel you always went on about?"
A crushing and blunt blow to her ego right where it mattered, and Tsubasa began to bite her lip in frustration and indecisiveness. But then Kanade continued, and her expression suddenly softened, perplexing Tsubasa even more.
"But I guess that's not why you're here," She said, lowering her spear. "You're not here because of some duty...you're here because you made a promise, am I right?"
The sword wielder clenched her fist tight and nodded her head wordlessly.
And Kanade smiled, a sight that Tsubasa has not seen in years. "Yeah, you made a promise to make things right. That's the only reason why you'd be here now, and not brooding somewhere over your inability to act. You're here because there's something you want to accomplish even if it goes against that duty you were always proud of...as what lies at the end is far more worth it."
"Kanade, I-"
"But I'm standing in your way," Kanade reminded her, interrupting Tsubasa before she could try to get a word in, a word that Kanade knew will be nothing more than a self-deprecating comment. "So it's either you fight me here and now, or you will never be able to fulfill that promise. What will it be, Tsubasa? Are you gonna let the past drag you down like that missy up there, or are you going to keep your promise to her?"
'The promise I made…'
Of course, she could never bring herself to forget it. The promise to bring Hibiki back, and to let nothing stand in the way of that goal.
But…
To raise her sword against Kanade, of all people?
To her, such a thought was nothing short of impossible.
Yet...yet…
"You better make the choice, Tsubasa," Kanade interjected. "Because every second that you dwell on it more, is another second that your big army over there continues to get wrecked and your chances of victory get smaller and smaller."
Tsubasa's fist clenched even tighter, and she could feel her fingernails dig into her palm despite the fact that they were gloved. Her mind was in turmoil, unable to reach a decision.
As if sensing her distress, Maria wordlessly approached her comrade, and placed a hand on her shoulder softly. "Tsubasa…"
The sword wielder turned her head slowly to her partner idol, and the anguished expression on her face broke Maria's heart. However, she remained unperturbed, and smiled at the Ame-no-Habakiri wielder warmly. "Tsubasa...she's waiting for us," She said, causing the blue haired idol's eyes to widen. "You don't want to let her down, do you?"
Who was she referring to in that statement?
Was it Miku?
Was it Hibiki?
Or...was it Kanade?
In that simple sentence, Tsubasa found a dilemma-no, a paradox. A contradiction that put her own beliefs on the scales, and she could only watch in a daze as the two sides rocked back and forth, each one trying to be heavier than the other. But...it wasn't a matter of weight, or importance, she realized.
Because she, along with the others, had chosen to damn the scales. The very concept of justice became meaningless, as they pursued nothing but a selfish goal that cared little for true righteousness.
Those things could only truly be held by those that had a duty to uphold, and had to serve as guardians of the world and its saviors even if it came at the cost of their own happiness. But…
In the end, Kanade was right. She didn't come here out of a sense of duty to protect the world or deliver justice upon an evil doer. No, she came here because she made a promise to herself, and to the girl who had fallen to darkness.
She didn't come here as a Sentinel.
She didn't come here as the next head of her household.
She didn't come here as a world-famous idol.
No, she came here as one simple thing: Kazanari Tsubasa.
And in the end, that made all the difference. Even if those burdens are ones she'd always have on her shoulders...right now, she chose to cast them away for the sake of that one goal.
The tension in her hands dissipated, and Maria looked on with joy as the light returned to her eyes. She removed her hand from her shoulder, and Tsubasa looked back to her once partner before her.
"Thank you, Maria." She said softly, almost in a whisper. Maria only continued to smile, and the pink haired idol watched as her partner took several steps forward, placing herself before Kanade with a straight and confident stance.
Kanade seemed satisfied, as she too smiled at Tsubasa's change of heart. "Looks like you're ready now. I'm glad, Tsubasa," She said. Briefly looking behind the blue haired wielder, she turned her focus to the eldest Adaptor. "Your name was Maria, wasn't it? It takes someone special to be able to set her straight so quickly. She was always a crybaby, this one."
Tsubasa felt properly scandalized, her face briefly taking on a red shade. However, it quickly faded as Kanade continued, turning her gaze back to Tsubasa. "But sorry, I'm going to have to borrow her from you for a bit. I promise...this will be the only time."
It was as if the red haired former idol knew exactly what she was thinking. As she took steps back to join the others, Maria could not help but murmur her partner's name. "Tsubasa…"
"It's okay, Maria. All of you need to go take care of everything else. I...I will personally get rid of the obstacle that stands in our path." She said, not turning back. In a bright dark blue light, her sword reappeared in her armed, truly signifying her newfound resolve.
Maria's gaze lingered on her back for a moment, burning the image into her mind. She turned back to the rest, who looked to her for direction. "Let's go, everyone...we can leave this to her."
"Maria…" Kirika murmured, only for Saint-Germain to interrupt her.
"We have no more time to waste. We had a moment to regroup, and now we must reach some sort of decision as to what we'll do from now on. I do not believe that Kohinata Miku was defeated, but she won't be able to focus if she has to watch her back due to this giant. I propose we attempt to distract it to the best of our abilities, and give her the leeway she needs in order to achieve victory. We must also assist the Alca-Noise and take down their corrupted counterparts as well as the black beasts," She said, taking control of the impromptu strategy meeting. "I volunteer myself to be part of the distraction team. Its movements are slow and cumbersome, so I will not have much trouble avoiding it while directing our army."
"Saint-Germain...then I too, will-" Maria began to say, only to be interrupted.
"We'll also help," Shirabe suddenly said, turning all eyes to her. "Kiri-cha- I mean, Kirika and I will also be part of the distraction."
"That's right!" Kirika added to her words. "We'll help you out."
"It's too dangerous!" Maria argued. "You could get-"
"Maria, you're injured," Shirabe reminded her. "It will slow you down too much. If that thing gets even one good hit it's over, so we need to put speed as a priority first. I'm the fastest one here, and Kirika has a lot of ways to get away in time from its strikes. You and Chris should focus on taking down the Noise and the beasts. Now that we know how strong they are, it will be much easier for you two."
"Shirabe…" Maria uttered, left speechless at the younger girl's insistence. Meeting her gaze head on, she realized that she wouldn't budge, and so neither would Kirika. "Alright, but be careful okay? No risky moves. This is only a distraction until Miku can win, so don't go jumping in on any weird chances to attack."
"We won't, don't worry. We can take care of ourselves just fine. Worst case scenario Saint-Germain can direct us on what to do, but we'll be fine." Shirabe responded.
Suddenly finding herself thrust with responsibility, Saint-Germain said nothing in response. Chris glanced to her upperclassman in the middle of the street, she too watching her back for a moment. "Then let's get this show on the road," She said, turning back to her teammates and brandishing her crossbow. "It's time to make these bastards pay."
"Right."
Nothing more needed to be said. Nodding to each other, together the group jumped away from the ruins of the street and back into the chaos, their weapons already cutting down their targets. Tsubasa and Kanade remained alone despite the war happening around them, the street they are in completely empty of enemy and friendly units sans the two of them.
And it was strangely quiet too, a quiet that has not been seen for quite a long time. And as such, Kanade broke the silence, still smiling. "You've got good friends, Tsubasa. I'm glad."
Tsubasa gave her own small smile. "Yes, I do. I could have never imagined that I would make such close bonds with others, a feeling I held in my heart ever since you left."
"And yet here you are. I really am happy for you, Tsubasa, from the bottom of my heart," Kanade responded sincerely. However then her smile dropped as she continued. "So you know what you have to do. The only thing standing between them and me is you, and I'm willing to bet you're not going to let me get to them so easily now."
"No, I'm not," Tsubasa replied, her own smile dropping. "Kanade...thank you. For everything."
The former idol did not reply, and Tsubasa continued. "The times we've spent together...the memories we've shared...were like pure light. Warm and reassuring, and it is thanks to you I am able to stand on my own, here and now."
And she took her stance, holding her sword with both hands. "But...as you said, I cannot allow these memories to hold me back from fulfilling my promise," She said, as if to reassure herself. And then she said the following words that sealed the deal, finally marking the girl before her not as only as a dear friend...but as an enemy to be overcome. "That is why, Kanade; with this blade...I will cut you down."
They were silent for a moment.
And then Kanade let out a laugh. Tsubasa looked to her quizzically as the red haired wielder spoke up. "I just find it funny that Zwei Wing's big reunion ends up like this. But I guess that's just the way things are these days," She said with an honest tone.
The change was instantaneous. From the happy-go-lucky attitude she usually sported she suddenly gained a dangerous, bright glint in her eyes, one that sent shivers down Tsubasa's spine. "Very well then, I'll meet your challenge head on, Tsubasa. When everything ends...one of us won't be walking away from here."
"Indeed," Tsubasa agreed. "Let us do away with words now, Kanade, and let our blades speak for themselves."
Kanade smiled once more, and held her spear with both hands in front of her. "Yeah. Let's give it all we've got, Tsubasa."
Two wings that once soared together, now standing on opposite sides.
Only one will be able to once again fly towards the sky as the other will drop to the depths of the abyss.
No more words needed to be said, as the two have already said everything they needed, be it in the the past or present.
And so, in the chaotic battle that will determine the fate of the world, Zwei Wing began their last performance.
-!-
"Kanade-kun…"
There was no way to describe what Genjuro was feeling at that exact moment. Slumping into is chair at the sight of the returned former Gungnir wielder, the emotions that raged in his heart were almost overwhelming.
Elfnein looked to him in sympathy, having regained her bearings once Kanade truly made her appearance. While she didn't know an awful lot about the lost half of Zwei Wing, she had read enough about her in the reports to know that her death shook the entire foundation of the division that would eventually be known as S.O.N.G.
And her heart went out to him, as she saw that the heartbreak he was experiencing was unlike any that came before. And she learned enough to know that Genjuro had essentially treated Kanade like she was his own daughter, and that the devastation that he had suffered following her death was what caused him to decide to get stronger, wiser, and grander so he would not have to lose anyone else again.
So to see her now, after so long, would definitely leave him breathless. And yet...she was on the enemy side, the side that wishes to bring chaos to the world, and the reason for that was so unknown that even the girl herself didn't know why. Her appearance on the battlefield was nothing short of astonishing, as nobody truly believed that such a thing would ever be possible.
Except...something she said caused Elfnein to raise an eyebrow. Kanade had stated something about a miasma that covered the city from head to toe, and that was what was responsible for the strangeness, and perhaps was also the reason the Noise and the beasts were so overwhelmingly strong. They had, in her own words, the home field advantage. And according to her, all of that miasma was being let out of the hole, so in order to remove that advantage they would have to seal it back up.
But how will they do that? What do they have in store that will be able to achieve such a feat?
She would have to go through the archives in record time to find that answer.
However, it seems that the miasma also works in their own favor. Glancing once more in the direction of the Ignite Timers, she watched as the new numbers ticked down slowly, as if it was being actively denied from disappearing. Whatever that exists in the miasma apparently causes the Super Ignite Module to remain active for longer times, providing the wielders with the much needed power boost for a longer period.
But...is that actually a good thing? If the miasma can cause a dead wielder to reappear and strengthen the Noise, the beasts, and the Adaptors all at once...what does that even mean for them?
She's going to have to keep an eye on it. Pressing buttons rapidly on her console, she began to write the program on the fly, her eyes darting over the screen to and fro.
"Hmmm, this change is quite fascinating," Adam suddenly said to no one in particular as he studied the screen displaying the wielders' fight. As they cut through the Babylonian Noise, he noticed something very interesting that made intrigued him. "The Noise almost seem to be made of flesh and blood now. The way they seem to die indicate that perhaps the Phase Contrast Barrier has been...eliminated from them?"
It was a statement none on the bridge took lightly. Taking note of his discovery, Genjuro spoke up. "How can you tell?"
If he had hands Adam would have pointed to the example, but compromised with simply gesturing with his chin to the screen. "When was the last time you saw the Noise leave behind corpses?"
That was a point that left Genjuro speechless. He had to admit the former head of the Illuminati was right; as they watched the battle, the defeated Noise were...not disappearing as they had expected them to. The targets the wielders cut apart were bisected, and the two halves actually fell to the ground and remained there, not turning to dust like usual. Only the beasts still seemed to be akin to wraiths, while the Noise seemed to have actual life in them, in the vaguest sense of the word.
That fact was only emboldened by the reports he started to receive from his overseas operatives and Ogawa who was now protecting Hibiki's family.
Firearms were now effective against the Noise, a godsend in this battle for survival. However, that advantage was offset by the fact that they were now so brutal and aggressive they sometimes disregarded wounds entirely to just stampede across vast plains and cities in an instant. Fighter jets and tanks were already deployed all over the world, and Tokyo was exempted if only because the wielders were already there to deal with it.
The black beasts were an entirely different story, but they too seemed to be vulnerable to conventional weaponry. He just hoped none of the great superpowers resorted to WMDs, which would scar the landscape of the world in the attempt to save it.
They'll have to wait and see.
-!-
(Play: Symphogear G OST - the MOON is a Harsh Mistress)
"Remember the plan!" Saint-Germain screamed to the group. "Yukine Chris, Maria Cadenzavna Eve! You two take care of the small fry! Akatsuki Kirika, Tsukuyomi Shirabe! You two are with me!"
The girls grit their teeth as they crashed through the Noise and the beasts, their enemies proving to be far bigger obstacles than they imagined. But rather than let themselves be pushed back like before, they charged with unparalleled ferocity, the three close combat fighters slicing through their targets like a typhoon, sending pieces of both Noise and beasts into the air in their wake. Each blow was launched with their full might, from Kirika's scythe bisecting them through the torso in a vigorous slice that caused a delayed reaction in her targets, their two parts separating only a few seconds after she had already finished her strike.
There were so many of them that it was impossible to not catch at least a dozen with just a tiny swipe of her arm. While it was a damn good feeling, it also meant that a single moment of hesitation will cause her to be ganged upon from all sides. The black beasts darkened the night sky even further as their leaping forms crashed down on them, their claws extended outwards like wild animals.
Shirabe was a swirling maelstrom of death as she continuously spun, taking a chapter from Kirika's book as she used her wheeled feet to rotate at insanely high speeds, her enlarged buzzsaws likewise letting none of her targets survive. It was strange to be feeling actual resistance when she cut into the Noise, their suddenly fleshy bodies proving to be far more durable than she had expected. But it was useless either way, as her rotational speed was so high that even a human would find themselves in two pieces immediately, their guts flying in all directions. The beasts were no exception, even if their mass seemed to be more resilient as slightly reducing her speed as she spun.
Their numbers were so high that she came to believe they were deliberately throwing themselves into her just so the pile of Noise corpses on the ground were slow her down enough to gang up on her. It was a surprising strategy from something as mindless as the Noise, but...if what Kanade stated was true, then it was definitely because of the miasma the hole was leaking out.
They would have to solve that problem as soon as possible, or risk being surprised by something else that would perhaps work to overwhelm them. Every second they allow this to continue, the battle becomes more chaotic by the second, and the Noise and the beasts just become more and more problematic.
Reaching their intended split off point, Saint-Germain yelled once more. "Now! It's time to put our plan in action!"
With a rapid nod of their heads, the two group separated, jumping away in two different directions.
-!-
It wasn't very hard to miss the titan. After all, being as big as it was, it was hardly subtle in its appearance. Fortunately for them, it had remained fairly docile for now, only truly ambushing Miku when she least expected it. It did not go on a rampage like they had initially expected it to, perhaps owing to it being bound to Hibiki's will. She still floated in the air next to it, looking at the razed hill where Miku was last seen.
Well, now it was definitely going to join the fight. After all, the three of them were going to goad it into chasing them rather than remain by Hibiki's side after all.
Jumping above and slicing through enemies, Kirika led the charge, her scythe a blur in the night as it dismembered Noise and beasts alike in their path towards their giant target. Taking the opportunity, Shirabe raised her voice towards the alchemist. "How are we going to get it to focus on us?"
It took a moment for Saint-Germain to answer. "I say we first test the waters. Attack it directly and see how it responds. Considering its size, you might have to use your greatest assets in order to even get it to notice you. Work your way up and see what causes a reaction. We have to get it to turn on us as soon as possible."
And somehow close the hole, but that can only be done once they move the titan away from its vicinity.
"Got it." Shirabe replied. It was a very general plan, but in a situation like this it's the best they got. "You heard that, Kirika?"
"Loud and clear!" The Ig-Alima wielder shouted back, still keeping up her charge, letting her two teammates follow up behind her.
As they got closer and closer to the titan's feet, they noticed how the congestion of Noise was far greater than they imagined. They were so densely packed against each other that they were covering the ground completely, essentially having turned into an elevated floor themselves.
And that was good for the wielders. Heading first, Kirika jumped above, landing upon the first Noise. Its head was crushed under her heel as she landed upon it, and not losing momentum for a second she broke into a run, crushing heads beneath her heels with every step. The titan's still foot was right in front of her, and it was absolutely gigantic in size that it could be considered a skyscraper all on its own. It did not shift even a little bit as she approached, and she raised her scythe in preparation for her strike, aiming at the oversized black and red ankle.
Until she heard a sound akin to a jet plane, and looked up to see a battalion of flying Noise suddenly dive bomb her, aiming to intrude on her path. She narrowed her eyes, but rather than be stopped in her tracks she continued onwards, closing the distance even faster than before.
Because Shirabe and Saint-Germain had her back.
A barrage of small buzzsaws sliced through the Noise followed by gunshots as her backup fired repeatedly, shooting down the targets before they could finish their assault. Throughout her entire path the it continued, and she lowered her head slightly to avoid even the slightest chance of being hit even by accident.
After what felt like hours but was only truly less than ten seconds, Kirika reached her destination. Pouring power into her arms, she swung the scythe as hard as she could at the titan's ankle, aiming for where its Achilles tendon would be on a being of its size. The scythe screamed through the air, and with a loud impact struck her target at full force.
Only to bounce off, failing to pierce the skin as she had intended. Her eyes widened in shock as she was repulsed, losing her balance for a second.
Giving the Noise and beasts ample opportunity to ambush her right at that moment. She hurriedly turned around, raising her scythe and spinning it rapidly in front of her as the Noise crashed against it with reckless abandon. It was as if they were put through a meat grinder, as their now fleshy bodies were sliced into pieces, forcing Kirika to close one eye to avoid being blinded by the onslaught of Noise parts flying in her direction. The titan seemed to have not even noticed her attempt at an attack, causing her to click her tongue in frustration.
"Tsukuyomi, your turn!"
At Saint-Germain's instruction, Shirabe charged into the fray. Taking advantage of the fact that many of the Noise and beasts were focused on Kirika, she closed the distance to the ankle without much resistance. Summoning her giant buzzsaws and making them even bigger, nothing stood in her way as she struck, the two whirling disks of death crashing into the ankle from both sides. She groaned as she felt the saws attempt to grind away at the rockhard skin, bits and pieces of the relic metal flying off as their sharpened tips snapped in their ferocious spin.
'Not...enough...need to give more!'
Saint-Germain watched as the disks became even bigger, bulging in size as sparks flew off from the impact point. Taking aim, she fired at any Noise that attempted to ambush the Shul-Shagana wielder while she was occupied. With Kirika holding off the enemies in one end, and Saint-Germain from a distance, there was nothing in Shirabe's path trying to impede her progress.
The Noise turned their attention on the alchemist. The several Flying Noise hanging in the air above her changed targets and dive bombed her instead, forcing her to stop firing and jump away. The building she was standing on exploded as they plunged into it, sending rubble flying in all directions. She landed back on the ground, and instantly found herself surrounded on all sides by the encroaching enemy units that noticed her presence.
Fortunately for her, she was not alone. Like a tidal wave, the army of Alca-Noise crashed into their corrupted counterparts, smashing into them like a raging stampede. However, she did notice that the number of units she had under her command was decreasing more and more, raising alarms in her mind. While the Babylonian Noise were now more vulnerable, their increase in brutality meant that the Alca-Noise had a much harder time dealing with them. The advantage of the enemy units being totally mindless was gone, and were now retaliating against her own forces.
Well, that's what they were here for anyway; to serve as the disposable footsoldiers while the wielders dealt with the real threats. But her army was still having an extremely hard time, and quite frankly she was not sure how to assist them. Elaborate formations were useless since the enemy was just attacking nonstop, and there was no way to lure them into a trap or attempt a pincer on them. They were actively seeking targets, and thus leaving the only option to meet them head on.
Another Flying Noise charged at her, and once again she jumped into the air, missing it by a hair's breadth. But rather than fall back to the ground, she instead tried something a little bit different; she willed a Flying Alca-Noise to place itself right under her feet, and she landed atop its back, using it as a foothold in the air.
"I need to turn its attention to us…" She said to herself, rising to stand at full height on top of the Noise. With a mental command, it shot upwards, rising into the air and above the battling army of Noise and beasts on the ground.
Her hair fluttering about wildly in the wind, the Noise rose and rose, until she was on face level with the titan's head. Both it and Hibiki were with their backs to her, and wordlessly she raised her gun and fired, aiming for the corrupted Adaptor.
It had about as much effect as she expected. The bullet clanged against her armor without even a tiny dent on it, the alchemical shot dissipating to red dust upon crashing into it. However, it had the intended effect: making Hibiki turn to her.
The expression on the demonic wielder's face was a bored one as she only slightly turned her head, the corner of her eye meeting Saint-Germain's gaze. "What do you think you're doing?" She asked.
"I thought I'd get a good look at you," The alchemist said in an even tone. "See exactly what it is my ambitions have wrought."
"Is that right? Well then, I'm sure you're happy with the results," Hibiki answered her with a dismissive tone. "Go away, St. Germain-san. You're an eyesore."
It was then however that Hibiki noticed the trouble brewing right below her, all the way on the ground right underneath the titan. "Oh, so that's what you're trying to do?" She said, noticing Kirika and Shirabe's actions. Raising her head back up, she fully turned to the alchemist. "Sorry, but this child won't fall because of something as dumb as that."
She turned to look at the giant head next to her, and smiled. "Honey, why don't you get rid of these bugs? They must be so annoying aren't they?"
The titan growled lowly in response, a sound that shook the air from the vibrations. It lifted its giant foot, the movement slow and cumbersome and causing Shirabe and Kirika to stop their attempts at carving apart its ankle.
And then it smashed its foot on the ground, right on top of them. Reacting quickly however the two Symphogear users of Zababa dodged out of the way just as it slammed against the concrete below, crushing it to pieces and squashing any unfortunate Noise or beast that was caught beneath it. Shockwaves went sent through the earth, and Saint-Germain saw the streets beneath wobble like ocean waves.
"Hmmm, so annoying, like cockroaches," Hibiki said, pursing her lips. "Darling, do you want to take care of these? I'm sure it will make you feel a lot better."
Saint-Germain fought hard not to physically wince at the overly cutesy tone Hibiki took when referring to this horrid giant creation of hers. The titan once more grumbled, and once again tried to step on Kirika and Shirabe, who darted underneath it and struck against its feet with their Armed Gears. From its massive height, the two wielders looked even smaller than ants, their weapons nothing more than tiny bug bites than failed to even penetrate the outer layer of its skin.
If the titan had the capacity for thinking, it showed a tiny bit of it as it continuously attempted to crush the two of them to no success. Growling once more, it turned around slowly, its massive legs crashing through buildings without care.
Hibiki turned her head back to the alchemist, and narrowed her eyes at her. "I don't know what it is you're planning, St. Germain-san, but I can tell you right now it won't work. Didn't you learn the first time that you can't match me? Sheesh, you never learn do you-"
Her sixth sense flared.
The corrupted wielder turned around, having been interrupted mid sentence just in time to raise her spear in front of her as a beam of light washed over her, erupting from the razed hill. Her vision was filled with brightness as she attempted to keep herself in place, feeling her spear starting to melt from the properties lining the light.
A silhouette charged towards her from within it with a battle cry, and a second later the air rumbled as something impacted her spear head on, this time pushing her back with pure force. Sent careening through the air backwards, she stabilized herself, her face lighting up with a grin.
"I knew you'd make it, Miku," She said, staring ahead at the only slightly perturbed Shenshoujing wielder, her Gear and her exposed skin partially dirtied. "Let's continue our dance then!"
Completely ignoring the alchemist, Hibiki rushed towards Miku, who raised her fan to meet her charge.
And Saint-Germain watched as their battle resumed, the air screaming as they exchanged blows. Leaving the corrupted wielder to Miku, the one armed alchemist turned her head back to the titan, the giant being now separated from Hibiki as it began to chase after Shirabe and Kirika.
'I suppose that worked out for the better,' She thought to herself. 'Now, to capitalize on the opening.'
Willing the Flying Noise she was on to a dive, she too headed towards fulfilling her goal.
-!-
(Play: Sen no Kiseki II OST - Blue Destination)
It truly was like the old days.
The former Gungnir wielder's blows were brutal and powerful, and Tsubasa found herself forced to dodge out of the way as some of them she felt were just too strong to be simply blocked or parried, lest the spear she was familiar with would smash her sword to pieces.
A performance akin to one on the stage, just without the music. Their weapons, having worked in tandem for so long in the years gone by met each other perfectly in the clashes, their power even.
And so, Ame-no-Habakiri's blade once more cried from the joy of being united with its long lost partner...yet this time, they met each other head on as enemies on the battlefield, in a duel to the death that shall determine the fate of the world.
"You've grown strong, Tsubasa," Kanade let out, swinging her spear in a powerful horizontal swipe that forced the blue haired idol to jump back. The red haired ghost followed after her, bringing down the spear on her head from above. Once more Tsubasa dodged out of the way, the spear impacting the ground a moment later.
And she too struck, aiming for her opponent's neck in a lightning fast blow truly fitting for one of her bloodline. Her eyes shone slightly as she swung, intent on finishing this grueling emotional battle in one blow.
"But you've gotta do better than that!"
Kanade wasn't kidding when she said she was strong herself. In the blink of an eye, the spear was dislodged from the ground and swiftly smashed away Tsubasa's rapid strike. She then thrust forward, and Tsubasa was forced to pull her blade back to stop the pointed tip from piercing through her abdomen for a second time.
"Tch-!"
Clicking her tongue, Tsubasa jumped back, rising into the air and swiftly slashing in front of her, sending a blue shockwave forward.
'AZURE FLASH'
Kanade smirked as the projectile approach. Her spear shone for a moment, and holding the shaft with two hands, she too swung in front of her, sending a similar shockwave forward to meet Tsubasa's.
'POWER∞SHINE'
The two flashes met in midair, creating an explosion that caused the wind to tremble. Tsubasa landed on the ground, and Kanade was already upon her, her spear a blur in the night. The Kazanari heir found herself pushed back through the street as she parried and deflected the blows, careful to not get caught off guard. 'Even with Super Ignite, she's insanely strong!'
If she had Susano'o on her side in this battle, then it might have looked differently.
But...even if she did, she wasn't sure she'd be willing to rely on his strength. Even though with his assistance she would have been able to overwhelm Kanade easily, it just wouldn't be right to do so.
Susano'o wasn't the one with the connection to Kanade, Tsubasa was. Even if his presence was nothing more than an illusion born of pure power, to channel his will would have been an insult to the bond she shared with the girl in front of her.
It was like facing Hibiki all over again, with all the same insane power behind her blows that made her feet stagger and her breath to quicken as every swing was death incarnate. She had to meet the blows head on or dodge them so expertly that the spear should not even be able to graze her.
Because as she experienced last time, even a grazing blow can blow away her brains like tofu.
Kanade was always an overwhelming presence, something that could either serve as an indomitable foothold or blow you away with its sheer magnitude, and now Tsubasa could admit she had felt both sides of that precious coin.
And how she wished she wouldn't have had to feel this one.
Strikes that used to be used on her side were now aiming to kill her, and the mere thought of that siphoned her fighting spirit slightly. Even though she had resolved herself to fight her, it was still a very difficult endeavor for Tsubasa.
'Perhaps...I've never been able to truly let that feeling go.'
Whatever feeling that was she was referring to had to wait as Kanade struck at her with swift thrusts, each one tearing the wind apart at the seams. The sword wielder once again found herself pushed back, gritting her teeth as she struggled to keep up with the rapidfire lunges, each one carefully aimed at either her limbs or vital organs.
"What's wrong Tsubasa?! This can't be all you've got!" Kanade yelled in what seemed like real frustration, failing to understand why her opponent was barely counterattacking. Planting her feet, she spun, and swung her spear in a wide arc that crashed against Tsubasa's sword, causing her feet to skid across the street, throwing rubble into the air.
"G-guh-" Tsubasa let out, feeling the pain in her arms.
"This can't be all of it, Tsubasa," Kanade said with a dangerous tone. "Is this really all I am to you?"
The idol's eyes widened. "Kanade, that's not-"
"Then why aren't you fighting back? Are you going back on your word now? Will you continue being a crybaby forever?" She interrupted her bluntly, just like always. Tsubasa was left speechless, unable to give a sound argument to her criticism. "Killing you like this will be a goddamn shame, that's what it will be. I don't want my last memory of you being you dying so pathetically. You deserve a lot better than that, especially from me."
Her sword shook in her hand, and her arms trembled at her opponent's words. Clenching the handle of her sword tight, she raised it in a stance parallel to the ground. "I also…"
And she charged, the thrusters on her feet launching her forward at the speed of sounds towards Kanade.
"FEEL THE SAME WAY!"
The blade smashed against the spear's flat side, Kanade having raised it in time to block. She smirked as she felt the power behind the blow, forcing her spear back. "That's the way, Tsubasa."
Tsubasa pushed as hard as she could, her black and blue blade roaring to life as a cerulean flame enveloped it. Kanade's eyes widened slightly in surprise as a sudden heat flared from the sword, and the proximity of it causing her to feel it sear her skin. Gritting her teeth, the red head pushed the sword away and jumped back, putting distance between them. She let out a breath, wiping her forehead with her arm.
"Now that's new." She said.
Adjusting her grip, Tsubasa readied herself for the next clash. "Of course," She responded with a small smirk of her own. "I after all cannot have you come to believe I haven't grown at all. I'll show you my progress in the next exchange of blows, Kanade."
"Just what I wanted to hear!"
And the former idol once more went on the attack, speeding ahead towards Tsubasa. Taking a single heavy step forward, Tsubasa tried a different approach.
She threw her sword as hard as she could, the blade speeding towards Kanade in a straight line. Before it could pierce her however she deflected it to the side, her charge not stopping for an instance. Upon closing the distance, she swung her spear down on Tsubasa again, who quickly summoned a new sword to block the heavy blow. The ground beneath her cracked from the force, and she groaned as she felt her bones rattle.
With a yell, she forced Kanade away, and went on the offensive. She struck and struck repeatedly, and Kanade easily parried her strikes, leaving her confused.
"What's this?" She asked. But the sword wielder gave her no response as she continued to strike forcefully, keeping Kanade's attention on her at all times.
Which seemed to work as intended. She just needed to wait for the right moment to enact her trap.
Kanade parried another blow, putting herself in point-blank range of her opponent. Their eyes met for a moment before she struck forward with her free fist, the punch screaming through the air from the side, leaving shockwaves in its path. But the training Tsubasa had been through in the past five weeks had not been for nothing, and she quickly whipped up her own free hand to strike Kanade in the wrist with her palm. Following up her counter, Tsubasa struck with a quick low kick to Kanade's feet, forcing the former idol to jump back lest she get knocked to the ground.
Taking a moment to recompose herself, the once Gungnir wielder charged once more, her spear raised for a vicious strike. She closed the distance again, and swung vertically in a wide arc.
Tsubasa smirked.
There was absolutely no way for Kanade to know it was coming except for the sudden whooshing of the wind behind her. Her pupils dilated as her senses screamed, and she hurriedly ceased her attack mid swing as the sword she previously deflected made its way to her at light speed. Taking the opportunity while her opponent was distracted, Tsubasa swung as well, catching Kanade in a pincer maneuver between two of her swords.
It was perhaps due to her familiarity with Tsubasa that Kanade managed to escape with her life. The blue haired idol's eyes widened as Kanade twisted her body in such an amazing manner that both swords failed to hit her, missing her body by mere inches. The former idol rose back to her feet, grinning at her successful escape.
Only to be caught by surprise as Tsubasa caught the previously flying sword in her free hand and instantly struck at her.
And this time, Kanade did not get away scot free.
The blade cut into Kanade just above her belly button. It failed to be deep enough to be a decisive blow, but it was not so shallow to be completely ignored either. Kanade drew a sharp intake of breath as the pain rushed up her spine, and she once again jumped back in order to gain some distance.
The skirmish ended. Tsubasa, now standing with two swords in hand, looked to her opponent with an saddened expression. "Kanade…" She murmured, studying the wound she had inflicted upon her former partner.
She didn't want to believe it, but the proof was right there in front of her. No blood leaked from the injury, instead leaving a sort of empty line where it should have been, as if she had cut away a piece of paper rather than an actual body.
Kanade looked down at it with her own interested stare, and sighed. "Yeah, I guess that's a thing. I really am a ghost if I ain't bleeding," She said. She then raised her head up and a genuine smile lit up her face. "That was very nice, Tsubasa. Honestly didn't see that one coming. Only the you I'm facing right now can come up with it, not the old Tsubasa that went on and went about duty and swords and sentinels and bla bla bla."
"Kanade…"
"I like you better now, you know," She said, causing Tsubasa's eyes to widen. "You look much more free and expressive, as if you're really doing it out of an actual desire that is yours. I always hated that shitstain of a grandfather of yours, and I'm glad at least now you ain't giving a shit about what he thinks."
Ah, she remembered that moment. The day her grandfather made a...surprise visit, so to say, to the old headquarters as he surveyed his surroundings. She remembered how he walked the walls with his army of bodyguards following behind him, making him seem important as distressed employees walked out of the way in order to not get in his way.
Kanade never had any real interaction except one. That day was the first and only time she had ever seen him, and boy did she leave an impression. After hearing him say something that Kanade had considered at the time "talking shit", the then Gungnir wielder showed her disdain for him clearly, cursing him and swearing at him to no end. So brazen was she that she even stood right in the middle of his path, her arms crossed, and goaded him to fight her. Of course, the overly traditional elder did not even give her the time of day, simply looking down on her with his ever judgemental gaze before walking off regardless, leaving her speechless.
It took Kanade exactly one meeting with the man in order to paint him as a pest, and Tsubasa at the time tried in vain to get the girl to calm down and begged her not speak that way to him.
Looking back, she was glad she didn't listen to her.
"This is the power of your promise," Kanade continued, putting a hand against her so-called wound. "Carve that proof onto me with your blade, Tsubasa. I want every one of these injuries you give me to serve as a marker for your future. The more you inflict, the more you get closer to it. But don't expect me to make that easy for you, cos now that I know you've got some nasty tricks up your sleeves, I'm gonna stop trying to goad you, since you don't need that."
"Kanade…"
Holding her spear with two hands once more, Kanade beckoned her forth. "Let's keep this going, Tsubasa, until one of us breaks."
Tsubasa let out a breath. Holding her two swords tight in her hands, she prepared for the next exchange of blows. "It's strange, Kanade, how my heart weeps in both joy and sorrow, as if I waited for this day to come yet dreaded it all the same."
"Really? Well, that's flattering I guess. I guess that's one part of you that will never change...but I don't mind that. Now come on, No more talk. You drew first blood, not that there was any, but I still need to pay you the favor."
And she charged, and her shout accompanied her on her endeavor.
"THE PERFORMANCE ISN'T OVER YET!"
-!-
Out of everyone, Maria could say that so far she was the only one that actually got the role that was designed for her from the get go. She was after all supposed to be the bait for the Noise and beasts, what with her endurance being the highest of all the wielders. As such, she was prepared for this role, and knew exactly how to approach it even if the enemies weren't how they had initially expected them to be. In the end, it was nothing more than a diversion anyway, making sure that these pesky rank and file minions don't get in the way of the important objectives. Tsubasa was also supposed to have joined her in this endeavor as her back, thus making this a win-win situation for everyone.
However, a plan never survives contact with the enemy after all. With Tsubasa occupied with the now resurrected former Zwei Wing member, she could not assist her in her role.
She got Chris instead, and while she got along with her very well and could consider her a friend, the last thing she could use to describe her was diversionary.
Destructive seemed to be the most appropriate term here.
It wasn't so much that the enemies were being forced to focus on them and more like they were obliterated before they could even consider doing anything at all. With massive rockets launched in all the directions, Maria saw how both themselves and the enemies were engulfed in gigantic fireballs as the detonations of her missiles blew the Noise and beasts up to smithereens.
Usually though, the Noise would simply dissipate into dust and leave no reminder of their existence upon the Earth. However, the evidence supporting Adam's claims were irrefutable: the Noise really were leaving corpses behind, and the elder idol could arguably call the sight kind of grotesque.
She had never seen a dead Noise before, so something like that was a very interesting new experience.
The sound of Chris' machineguns tearing through the Noise ranks filled her ears, and the smell of gunpowder overwhelmed her senses. Now that they shook off the shock of the enemies' new strength, they could act a bit more safely in their presence. A beast lunged at her with its arm transformed into a spear, and it roared as it attacked. But Maria ducked underneath it, the strike ruffling her hair slightly. At that moment, as if sensing the attempt on her teammates' life, Chris turned around halfway with the machine gun raised and sprayed the offending beast with a barrage of bullets, causing it to recoil back from the hits.
Maria rose back to her full height and plunged the sword into its face, before promptly tearing it out violently, ripping the beast's face apart and causing it to fall to the ground in a heap. It will definitely rise up again in a moment, so in order to avoid that she placed herself above it and sweeped her blade back and forth, carving the fake Hibiki to pieces and making it dissolve into dust.
A tad bit more brutal than she wanted, but no point in holding back now, she figured. Crawler Noise tried to sneak up on her in large numbers, but their attempts yielded nothing but more failure as her sword elongated, becoming a whip-like chain as she swung it to and from, chopping the attacking Noise to pieces.
She was doing very well so far, but the injury on her back was definitely distracting. It numbed her senses somewhat, and a particularly sharp pain rose from it, throwing off her focus for just a moment. The enemies seemed to realize this, and doubled their efforts to gang up on her. Now faced with too many at once to respond in time, Maria was forced to jump back, separating her from Chris.
'Tch, these things are far more annoying that I would have liked!'
The Noise were being especially pesky with their invigorated aggressiveness. She found herself missing their mechanical movements, more content with having them be completely soulless instead of being akin a living beings with a very volatile temper.
After all, anger can lead to some very crazy results, and usually those results were disastrous. It seemed however that they did not have any new tricks up their sleeves, so their true nature wasn't different from what she knew.
'I have to get back to Chris though. I can't stay separated from her for too long.' She thought to herself.
Only for the enemies to place themselves in her path, as if they were actively trying to stop her from rendezvousing with her comrade. She didn't even have time to be surprised as she was instantly surrounded, and even a dozen Giant Noise joined into the mix to completely hide the night sky from her vision. Her eyes darted to and fro, trying to find some sort of method of escape, but saw none that immediately caught her attention.
Well, if she can't simply avoid them she'll have to crush them.
Maria raised her blade into the sky, and a second later a tornado enveloped her form, the powerful winds forcing the enemy force back. They could not approach lest they be decimated, and riding upon the winds Maria rose into the air. 'With this, I can at escape their encirclement!'
'TORNADO†IMPACT'
At least, that's what she thought.
There was absolutely no way she could have expected the Noise to do something so insane, yet they did so anyway. Just as she was making her way towards Chris' location, six of the Giant Noise placed themselves in her path. She did not have time to change her trajectory as she slammed into them, the ripping gale winds tearing into them from within. She pierced through one, and then another, and then another.
But the real surprise came from the fact that apparently, the Noise had planned far enough ahead to understand that by using their own bodies as a barrier; they successfully managed to reduce the speed of her winds, making it harder for her to pierce through the fourth. She grit her teeth as she applied more power, and the fourth wall was crushed as she made her way to the fifth.
But it was already far too late. Her wind lost far too much speed at this point after tearing through their now fleshy bodies, and as she smashed into the fifth Giant Noise, it only worked to push it back as she struggled against its massive frame.
And out of nowhere a Giant Noise hand came down on her, cutting through her wind in an instant and smashing into her with all the force of a speeding truck. She screamed as the injury on her back was struck head on, and immediately the tornado surrounding her was dispersed as she was violently forced to the ground.
The same Giant Noise used its massive claw-like appendage to lock her down, pinning her to the ground on her stomach as the rest of its comrades began to close in on her quickly.
'Since when have they been able to do something like this?!'
That shocking thought ran through her mind until the moment she had to swiftly move her head down, a massive barrage of bullets tearing through the Noise and beasts converging on her. The arm pinning her down was cut off by the wrist, and hurriedly Maria pushed it off and jumped back to her feet, slashing behind her at a beast that tried to ambush her.
"Chris!" She yelled, her eyes locked on the Ichaival user who had her machine gun aimed at her direction. "Thanks for the assist!"
"No problem!" The white haired wielder answered back. Quickly Maria went to join her, and the two stood back to back as the enemy units circled them. "These guys...are really pissing me off."
"You and me both," Maria answered, her eyes darting between the various encroaching Noise. "They're way smarter than they should be."
"That just makes it worse," Chris added in. "It's getting on my nerves."
"We can't lose focus here," Maria reprimanded her. "We need to stick together all the time."
Chris didn't say anything more, and proceeded to open fire on the enemies in front of her, mowing them down. Maria clenched her teeth as she swung her blade back and forth, slicing through the Noise with a great amount of effort. As she cut through one, a beast suddenly jumped towards her before the two halves could fall to the floor. It struck her hand and her sword was flung from her grip, landing a small distance away from her.
She had no time to try and go get it before the beast was upon her again with both hands raised up to swipe at her. In a daring move right before it could bring them down Maria grabbed it by the wrists, stopping it from completing its strike. Her feet dug into the ground as she grappled with it, the beast proving to be much stronger than she had anticipated. Its face came too close for her liking, letting her feel its nasty breath on her nose. Left with little choice and with its comrades coming in to assist, Maria smashed her head into its face, causing it to recoil backwards in pain.
And she immediately dove behind her, bypassing the enemies' attacks and coming to a roll, stopping right next to her sword. She drew it from the ground and slashed, killing the beast she had grappled with earlier. 'This is intense!'
She glanced to Chris, and she could see how the sheer recoil of her guns firing non stop caused her feet to dig into the ground, her teeth bared as she held back the tidal wave that was the Noise.
But even with her superior firepower some managed to make it inside her range. Realizing she won't be able to fire so freely anymore, she threw aside one of the machine guns into the fray, causing several of the enemy units to stagger and fall. Flipping the remaining one in her hand and holding it by the barrel, she smashed it into the face of a humanoid Noise, causing its upper body to explode in a shower of blackened mist. She quickly turned, and smashed another one away, making her look like she was playing a demented game of baseball with the enemies.
She managed to hold her own for a while despite being out of her element, a true show of the grueling training they had undergone.
But it was just only slightly lacking.
"CHRIS!"
She spun on her heel.
And she was struck across the face in a moment of a lack of concentration, a humanoid Noise's flat palm striking her cheek. Her head whipped aside from the blow, and Maria feared that the force behind it caused her neck to crack. The machine gun in her hand crumpled to the floor, laying unmoving next to her.
Silence.
As if the entire world became still, the pandemonium around them stopped for an illusionary second. Chris' head was to the side, her bangs hiding her eyes.
"I'm done."
Maria's eyes widened. "Wha-"
It happened so fast she barely managed to catch the sheer brutality of the next action Chris did.
If the Noise at the receiving end of her blow could feel surprise, this would be the moment it would look at its wound stupidly as it would try to exactly understand what had happened to it. But since it did not have the intelligence to do so, it merely stood in place, its comrades not moving in to help or take advantage of the opening.
For Chris had out of nowhere buried her hand in its face. Maria gasped as she saw the wretched expression her comrade wore worsen, an animalistic and crazed look sporting her features. Not content with just staggering it, Chris shoved her other hand right next to her other in its face…
And with a show of pure force, ripped the offending Noise in half with nothing but her bare hands, the two halves falling to the ground in a heap. Maria looked at her with a confounded expression, aghast at the brutality.
"Chris?"
The Ichaival wielder did not hear her. As if their survival instincts suddenly kicked in, the rest of the Noise and beasts dared not approach, feeling something coming off her frame in droves that their simple minds could not understand.
Except one. It ran to her despite itself, trying to fulfill its purpose.
Her foot moved, and in an instant its legs were swept out from under it. The Noise fell to the ground on its back, and immediately Chris stomped on its abdomen, pinning it in place.
And proceeded to viciously tear one of its legs off with her bare hands, the limb coming off with an all too nasty squelch.
Followed up with her smashing the leg into its face, and its head exploded in a shower of nasty gooey gore on the ground.
If the Noise had blood in them, Maria was sure she would have gagged at the spot from the ferocity Chris was displaying out of nowhere. Left speechless at her act, she could not respond in any articulate manner to what came next.
"YOU MOTHERFUCKEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEERS!"
Chris roared like a bloodthirsty animal, her rage having reached an all time high breaking point. Caught completely by surprise, Maria could only watch as Chris renewed her assault with inhumane ruthlessness, diving into the Noise ranks with nothing but her own two hands. She tore into them with unparalleled ferocity, a brutality Maria had seen and experienced enough times before to understand.
'B-Berserk? But how?! Why now?!"
It didn't make sense. There was a distinct appearance to a berserk Symphogear user, but for some reason Chris remained looking exactly the same, the only thing covering her form being the Super Ignited Ichaival.
Along with a black and red flame with an intensity that she did not expect, puzzling her even further. With the enemies she was fighting now recoiling backwards in what seemed like fear, Maria watched them in shock, before raising her hand to her ear piece.
"Command, this is Maria! I think...I think something's wrong with Chris!"
-!-
"Repeat that, Maria-kun!" Genjuro yelled. "What did you just say?!"
"I think something's wrong with Chris! She just...she just completely lost control out of nowhere!"
"What?!"
His eyes darted to Elfnein immediately, the homunculus already on it. "Elfnein-kun! Do you have anything?!"
"I think!" She answered hurriedly. "I think- I think it's the miasma Kanade-san was talking about! It must have done something strange to Chris-san!"
"Something strange?! Like what?!"
"A partially induced rage, it seems," Adam answered in her stead. "I figured that this what it was doing. With all of the Symphogear wielders directly clad in a layer of the curses, it only makes sense that this miasma, that is also composed of them, would start affecting them in some manner. From what I have seen, the girl is by far the most easily aggravated of all of you, so I assume it just pushed her over the edge and caused her to respond in such a brutal manner."
"But this is too sudden! Why is it happening now?!" Genjuro asked swiftly, trying to see if there was some sort of reasonable explanation.
"I do not know. I doubt the resurrected wielder lied to us on purpose, but my theory is that the influence of All the Evils of this World has become so profound that it began to break the laws of reality itself. Inducing a partial fury in one of the wielders, particularly the one with the shortest fuse, seems almost child's play for it at this point. We cannot forget that the vast majority of its power originates in the divine power, and that force breaks reality simply by existing."
"Breaking reality…" Genjuro murmured to himself. At this point, that statement was simultaneously figurative and literal, what with the black void still hanging in the air in the battlefield uninterrupted. That had to be the source of it, he was sure of it. "What could the consequences be in this case?"
"Who knows?" Adam responded. "At this point, I have as much knowledge as you do. I'm afraid I have no more enlightening knowledge that can turn the tides in our favor."
"Shit...we need to close that hole ASAP," Genjuro said. "If we allow anymore of this miasma to leak out it will do something that will crush our expectations and force us into a corner even more than we already are. Elfnein-kun, do you have anything in mind?"
The girl typed away rapidly at her console, her eyes moving back and forth on the screen. "I'm not sure, I need to look into it more...but I think...Kirika-san and Shirabe-san should be able to do it!"
"Kirika-kun and Shirabe-kun?" He repeated for clarification. "Why?"
"The nature of Ig-Alima and Shul-Shagana, perhaps?" Adam answered in her stead. "There aren't many twin relics left in the world after all. Their interaction with each other could cause some very interesting results."
"Their nature…"
Adam wasn't wrong. The two relics after all belonged to the same deity, in one form or another. The real history of Ig-Alima and Shul-Shagana was very contradictory at times according to their research, some sources claiming they were in fact a pair of brothers born to a different god altogether.
But their existence as relics pretty much confirmed their existence as the weapons the goddess Zababa wielded. The reason why they of all relics would be able to close the hole was beyond him, but if Elfnein believed so, then he would go along with her plan.
"Of course, they will not be able to get anything done with this giant chasing them now," Adam continued, gesturing to the screen displaying the duo wielders as they weaved in between the titan's blows. "If we are not careful, it will be impossible to achieve victory. Losing even one of our active members would cause everything to crumble to dust."
Genjuro bit his lip. He was damn right, as right now they didn't have even a single wielder in reserve to assist. Miku was far too busy combating Hibiki, Tsubasa was engaged in battle with Kanade, Chris was currently infuriated beyond belief, Maria was injured, Kirika and Shirabe were escaping the titan, and Saint-Germain was directing the Alca-Noise army.
If they manage to win, it will be by the skin of their teeth.
And when that thought ran through his mind, Genjuro immediately understood that things were going to get much worse.
