AN: I usually don't do this because I think it's obvious, but in light of some things I'll put a disclaimer here:

Symphogear and all its associated songs do not belong to me.

All music tracks suggested in this fic belong to their respective owners.

Anything else I did not mention belongs to its respective owner.

Now, with that out of the way here's the chapter:

-!-

(Play: Shadow of the Colossus OST - A Violent Encounter)

It was akin to a game of cat and mouse, only if the cat was the size of a mountain.

Kirika and Shirabe could say that they had successfully lured away the titan, stopping it from interfering with Hibiki and Miku's battle. With her command of "getting rid of the pests" still in full swing, that was how the titan was treating them: pests. Bugs to be squashed under its massive foot. Buildings were not exempt from its rampage, and with each step it took the ground shook more and more, rumbling the city's foundations. The empty shelters beneath had collapsed, but luckily enough not a single one of the civilians was anywhere near the city at the moment, each and every one having evacuated as far away as possible from the battleground.

And luckily enough, there wasn't anything to chase after them either. According to S.O.N.G's calculations, the enemy force that should have overrun Honshu by now had spawned directly in Tokyo, which is why they were so densely packed. The wielders were, in essence, holding back an army that should have completely consumed the Japanese mainland, letting the rest of the residents stay relatively safe in the shelters spread out across the country.

That was however just in theory. If they fail here, this entire force will be able to stampede unabated through the whole region, massacring the population in its wake. Even though Hokkaido and Kyushu were under attack themselves, not a single battle in Japan, or even in the entire world, could compare to the scale of what was happening in Tokyo. The world's armies actually had a chance at victory due to having an actual formation, but here it was total chaos.

And they all knew that in chaos, anything can happen. And with the miasma spreading out through the city's perimeter, it was only becoming worse by the second.

The titan seemed to have enough of just trying to squash the two wielders underfoot. The Zababa duo turned around for just a moment only to see its giant fist come down on them, and in a panicked move they moved out of the way in different directions just as the punch collided with the ground, destroying it on contact and sending gale winds and rubble in every direction.

Kirika held on for dear life as she landed a distance away, bringing up her hand to cover her eyes from being pelted by the debris. The winds died down after a moment, and she looked on with caution as the titan dislodged its hand from where it struck, huge amounts of dirt and earth falling from it, crashing down to the crater it left below.

With the two wielders on opposite sides, the titan moved its head to and fro between them slowly, as if deciding who to target first.

It completely ignored the shots Saint-Germain was firing at its head, the tiny alchemical bullets doing as much damage as would a paper cup tossed against a steel wall would. The alchemist grit her teeth as she fired, the Flying Alca-Noise she was standing upon struggling to balance itself in the air in the titan's presence. She must be imagining it, but she could swear that the thing was so densely packed that it might have formed its own gravitational field, but that was an extreme conjecture.

If it didn't have one now, it might later, and that will definitely change the very concept of 'colossal' in their minds. With the absolutely insanity that was the battle in Tokyo, they just couldn't plan ahead for anything. Every moment, from one to the next, was laced to the brim with uncertainty, and even a tiny misstep will result in a total and complete loss to their side.

To say Hibiki brought to bear absolutely everything was indeed an understatement. Giving her a month to gather strength with no interruption inside the Treasury was a costly mistake that they unfortunately couldn't do anything about.

The titan once more threw its head back and roared, shaking the air and chipping away at solid rock with just the soundwaves it produced. Feeling herself going deaf from the sheer volume, Shirabe went on the offensive in a desperate attempt to do something about the unbelievable monster they were facing. Kirika noticed her charge from the other side, and quickly reacted as she joined in the attack. She poured power into her scythe, enlarging it to almost ten times her own size as she once again aimed for the ankle to try and bring it down to its knees.

It noticed their actions, and once more reared its fist back to slam it on top of them. However, Saint-Germain had no intention of letting it do so. Raising her one hand up, a magic circle formed in front of her in record speeds. She quickly aimed and fired, a blast of pure force launching forward and exploding in the titan's face, throwing off its focus.

It couldn't ignore that, at least.

While there was no visible damage to its form, it bought enough time for the Zababa duo to act. Shirabe's giant buzzsaws roared to life once more, this time even bigger than they were before; and together with her partner the two reached their target, the left ankle, and struck with all their might.

If before their weapons simply bounced off, now they grinned at the fact that now they found purchase. They yelled loudly as they pushed more strength into their Armed Gears, desperate to overcome the steel-like skin of the titan. Sparks flew off from the impact point, their weapons struggling against it, threatening to snap off at any moment.

And then, Shirabe's buzzsaws made their way through. Black smoke flew out of the wound she successfully made in the ankle, and she jumped back to allow Kirika the follow ups blow. Pulling the scythe back, Kirika swiftly aimed for the now gaping injury, and her scythe crashed into it.

Then she cleaved in a wide slash, tearing open the ankle completely. The titan screeched above them, shaking the air once again as it roared in what they believed to be pain.

They only had a second to celebrate their success before the titan suddenly turned around, the movement again shaking the earth as it attack with a powerful left hook. The punch tore through buildings as if they were paper, and immediately Shirabe raised her saws to act as a shield from the insane amount of debris that was thrown about, the fist coming towards them with the intensity of the a meteor. Kirika barely made it in time behind the cover as the massive fist smashed into them, instantly breaking the barrier and swatting them both away.

"Tsukuyomi! Akatsuki!" Saint-Germain yelled to them in concern as they crashed into a building a distance away, Kirika having taken the brunt of the impact. Gritting her teeth, Saint-Germain flew downwards towards the open wound.

She'd have to take advantage of the opening they made, even if just by a little bit.

It took some time for the titan to right itself, the injury on its ankle taking a toll on its balance. Saint-Germain weaved between falling debris to reach her target, and the titan seemed intent on ignoring her, focusing on the two wielders instead. Its eyeless face turned to where they had fallen, and it started to shift on its still completely functional leg in order to follow up on its monstrous blow.

The alchemist took the opportunity to reach the injury, and she watched with wide eyes as it began to close itself. Time seemed to almost rewind as the black smoke that had leaked from the wound began to insert itself back into the cut, slowly closing the wound that both Kirika and Shirabe worked painstakingly hard to inflict. Not dwelling on it for another second, Saint-Germain aimed her gun and fired, and the bullet traveled through the smoke to lodge itself inside the gaping wound.

And she did so just in time, as the wound resealed itself a moment later. She clicked her tongue as she retreated, the Flying Noise soaring high in the sky.

"U-ugh…" Shirabe murmured as her eyes fluttered. She groaned at the sharp pain that accompanied her awakening, and immediately her eyes shot open as she remembered exactly where she was. Looking behind her, panic began to fill her as she took in Kirika's form, the Ig-Alima wielder having taken the brunt of the impact as a cushion for her partner. "Kiri-chan!"

Dropping any pretense at professionality for the moment, Shirabe's cry caused Kirika to stir awake, having been knocked unconscious. "Ah, Shirabe?"

"Kiri-chan! Are you okay?!" The Shul-Shagana wielder asked in concern.

Kirika groaned as well as she slowly dislodged herself from the wreckage she was stuck in. She clutched her head lightly as she was assaulted with slight pain. "Yeah, I'm fine," She said. Shirabe promptly offered a hand to her to help her up, and the blonde Symphogear wielder got up to her feet next to her partner. "What happened?"

Kirika's question was answered when they looked back, seeing the looming form of the titan right above them as its eyeless head stared down at them. With no time to recompose themselves, the titan shrieked once more, and threw down another punch in their direction. Covering their ears for just a moment, the two wielders jumped away together just in time as the fist crashed into where they stood just a moment before.

As the hung in the air, the duo looked to each other and nodded. Before the titan could pull its massive fist back, the two landed on top of the outstretched arm and promptly began to run up its length. Shirabe's wheels left dust in her wake as they closed the distance to its head, and the titan slowly retracted its arm back, looking to them with a furious expression.

"How the heck do we take down this thing?!" Kirika yelled to her teammate.

"I don't know," Shirabe said. "Do you have any ideas, Kirika?" She asked, putting back the airs of professionality.

"Nope!" Kirika answered. "No idea! Maybe if we take off the head? Or cut off the nape? I dunno! We need to try and see what we can do!"

Before they could converse on the matter further, the titan opened its mouth, light gathering in the open cavity. Stuck in a precarious position, Shirabe narrowed her eyes and quickly put her hand around Kirika's waist. Her yo-yo materialized in her free hand, and she hurriedly extended it to the side, the yo-yo completing a spin around the gigantic arm in less than a second, wrapping around the limb. Checking that it was secure, Shirabe took the initiative and jumped down just as the titan fired, the beam of light screaming through the air into the horizon.

Holding on to dear life, the tiny rope that was anchored to the titan's arm survived the passage of the light. With Kirika clutching her tightly, Shirabe held onto the rope with both hands, and directed their swing towards the titan's back. They arced through the air as they found themselves behind their massive opponent, and Shirabe quickly undid the rope and threw another yo-yo upwards, the small Armed Gear wrapping around on of the many horn jutting out from the titan's head. With the giant being too slow to react to their movements, Shirabe reeled herself in, the two of them rising higher and higher to reach their first intended target.

"Kirika, now's the chance!"

"Right!"

Releasing one hand from her hold on Shirabe, Kirika once more materialized her scythe in preparation for the blow. She poured power into it, more than she ever had before, and the scythe grew. It grew, and grew, and grew, until it reached a size so large it should have been impossible for the small blonde to carry with one hand, and much less possible for Shirabe to endure.

They rose and rose, and as they reached the upper back of the titan, Kirika held her scythe behind her, her eyes set on the goal.

And finally, they made it to their objective.

"NOW!"

"UWAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"

Kirika swung with all the power she could muster in her one hand, and the huge scythe sliced through the air as it made its way to the nape, intent on slicing the titan's head off in one blow.

But just before she hit her mark, it turned its head, finally realizing where the two of them were. The sudden movement caused Kirika's blow to miss its mark, and the scythe only managed to clip the side of its neck as they lost their upward momentum.

With their attack on the titan having failed, Shirabe unhooked her yo-yo and reeled it back in as they glided through the air, the giant once more turning its head to follow their movements. It roared loudly, the shockwaves again tearing through the air, forcing Kirika to drop her scythe to cover one ear due to the volume, further increased by their close proximity to it.

And the beam of light once more was fired from its mouth, with no indication that it was charging it up in the first place. Stuck in midair without the ability to change their direction, the two looked at the light with wide eyes as it approached.

Just before it could hit them, Saint-Germain slammed into them, pushing all three out of the way. The light passed by their previous location right afterwards, disappearing into the night sky.

"Saint-Germain!"

"You're pulling too many risky moves!" The alchemist screamed at them. "Our role is to distract it, not take it down!"

"But we have to at least try! How do you know it will go away even if we win?!" Shirabe screamed back.

"At this point nothing is certain!" Saint-Germain said loudly. Her words were interrupted mid speech as the winds whooshed again, and she was forced to pull up in a hurry as the massive arm nearly smashed into them again. She grit her teeth just as they barely made it to safety, and the humongous fist churned the aircurrents with such ferocity that the Flying Noise they were haphazardly using as a foothold nearly lost its balance in the ensuing raging winds.

Shirabe and Kirika held onto the alchemist for dear life, having no control of their own movements at the moment. "We can't depend on an uncertainty! We have a plan, so start following it!"

Her tone was harsh and criticising, but Shirabe did not back down. "We have to at least stop its movements somehow!"

"If you have any ideas then I'm all ears! Until then, act with due caution!"

Any further attempts at an argument were promptly shot down. Falling silent as they soared through the air, the titan pulled its fist back from the wreckage and locked onto them once again.

"It's only going to become harder from here on!"

-!-

(Play: Fate/Stay Night OST - Mighty Wind)

Kanade could say she was someone who was not easily surprised, as even when she was alive she had seen a lot of what the world had to offer.

But holy hell did she miss a lot since then. Having come back to the world of the living for just a single, crazy night, she could now experience everything new it had in store.

And oh boy was she taken for a ride.

Tsubasa's swords were pretty much invisible to her eyes. Caught completely off balance by her dual-wielding style, the former Zwei Wing member quickly found herself on the defensive as she struggled to keep up with Tsubasa's attacks.

Had she faced her like this three years ago, she would have lost, that she was sure of. Kanade always knew that Tsubasa was the stronger between the two of them, and if not, the one with the most potential to become incredibly powerful. Tsubasa always had perfect compatibility, while Kanade needed doses of LiNKER continuously just to keep the Gear active.

The amount of effort it took to become able to use it in the first place was meaningless in the face of someone who was essentially bound to her relic her whole life, and learned the way of the sword from the moment she could walk.

But Kanade had her own pride on the line. She spit blood, sweat, and tears in order to reach the level she had, and now she was even higher than that, going toe to toe with the Super Ignited Ame-no-Habakiri.

And now, she'll do all she can to surpass her.

Tsubasa kept up the pressure, pushing Kanade back with every exchange of blows. The red haired wielder dodged a strike from the right sword, only to come into the path of the left one. The spear came up in blinding speeds to push it aside, but before she could counterattack the right sword came again to slice into her, forcing her into the defensive again.

She never had many chances to practice this style, but the results spoke for themselves. Having studied Miyamoto Musashi's Book of Five Rings carefully, the sword wielder drank in all the knowledge and wisdom of a man of his era, and took in everything she could from his written down instruction.

For there was no one in Japanese history as well versed in the art of dual-wielding as him, and now she'll make full use of that history to carve a path towards the future.

Despite her curious state, Kanade could feel sweat pouring down her brows as she continuously managed to scrape by the strikes. To make matter worse for her, both blades were also covered with fire, making even a glancing blow dangerous as it burned her skin due to the proximity. Parts of her Symphogear were being chipped off due to said glancing blows, slowly whittling down her defense.

"Not bad at all, Tsubasa!" She yelled cheerfully. Tsubasa gave her no response as she kept on her assault, bringing down both blades on her from above.

It was the only opportunity Kanade had for a counterattack. She raised her spear to block the blades, and the sheer force behind the blow caused the ground beneath her to crack and shatter. With a massive grin plastered on her face, she answered back with a forceful push, causing Tsubasa to stumble back for less than a second.

It was all Kanade needed. In an insanely quick maneuver, she spun in place, her spear leaving behind a trail of light as it followed the movement. Realizing she won't escape it in time, Tsubasa moved her blades to meet the blow.

Only for her eyes to widen as the winds churned around the spear, bringing to life a tornado in its wake. Gritting her teeth, she braced herself for the coming hard blow she knew she couldn't avoid.

Kanade finished her spin, and with a yell struck with a mighty blow, and the tornado surrounding her spear exploded outwards with a roar. Tsubasa's swords successfully stopped the spear slash, but the winds however continued on towards her, and left helpless in their wake she was struck and engulfed. Instantly she was picked off the ground and launched backwards, tumbling through the air, feeling the air in her lungs being sucked away by the difference in pressure. She gasped for air, feeling akin to being hit by a speeding truck.

But such a thing won't be enough to defeat her. Tsubasa flipped in midair, planning to resume her attack upon landing back on the ground.

Only to find Kanade high above her, her spear reared back in preparation. The thrusters on back roared to life, and the former Zwei Wing member dove downwards in speeds surpassing sound before even Tsubasa could the ground. Her charge was so fast she was leaving multiple sonic booms, shaving away the rubble and wreckage around them.

Once more caught by surprise, Tsubasa raised her blades in an X in front of her to block the coming blow.

Kanade closed the distance, and thrust her spear forward with all her might. With the power she now possessed, and with the momentum she gained from her charge, the spear struck Tsubasa's blades with the force of a falling meteor.

'ULTIMATE∞COMET'

To say Tsubasa was blown back would be an understatement. As soon as the weapons impacted, the ground beneath them simply ceased to exist as it detonated, the pure energy behind Kanade's strike causing it to erupt mightily right under Tsubasa's feet. Rubble was flung in all directions, and mingled among it was Tsubasa. She let out a scream as she was blown away, the swords in her hands having shattered from the power behind Kanade's attack.

She rolled on the ground for dozens of meters until her back struck the remains of a crushed building. Pain raced up her spine at the impact, but she pushed through it with clenched teeth. Her eyes opened, and she rose back to her feet unsteadily, this time unarmed. In her original position, Kanade stood waiting inside of the new crater formed in the ground, joining the many others scattered across the city.

"Man, you're so full of surprises, Tsubasa." Kanade said, placing her spear over her shoulder.

Tsubasa flashed a grin in her direction. Blood leaked out of an open wound on her forehead, staining her face. "You too Kanade. I have to admit I didn't see that coming."

Kanade chuckled in response. "Heh, we're just complimenting each other here! But...I guess that ain't wrong. After all, we both know each other's tricks, so the winner is the one who gives the biggest surprise."

"Yes, that is true," Tsubasa said in agreement. Materializing a single sword in her hand this time, she re-entered her stance. "Luckily enough, I am proud to say that I have many surprises waiting for you. I want you to see everything I have to bare, Kanade. You of all people deserve the absolute best I have to give."

Kanade laughed again. "Thanks, Tsubasa," She said in a happy tone. She lowered her spear and crouched low, preparing to charge once again. "When you say words like that...I can't help but get excited!"

She rushed forward, and Tsubasa did so as well. The air screeched as they passed through it, closing the distance in record speeds to each other. With smiles on both of their faces, their weapons clashed with a loud and explosive spark that raged wildly, searing through solid rock and concrete without interference.

They disengaged, and struck once more in perfect harmony and synchronicity, as if they could plainly see what the other was planning ahead of time. Years of fighting, singing, dancing, and performing together brought them to an understanding beyond normal friendship, having been true partners in every sense of the word.

Only one thing was missing from that equation, and that thing became impossible the day Kanade lost her life.

Tsubasa's sword cleaved through the floor on its way to its target, the ground melting from the brief contact it had with her blade. She swung in an upwards motion, intent on slicing Kanade in two. In response, the former idol lowered her spear to block the blow head on.

Then her eyes widened as the blade cut through the spear like paper, its superheated edge searing it in half just like she had Hibiki's. The tip of the spear flew off into the distance, and Kanade had to tilt her head back to avoid having it be cut off. With the now nearly useless remainder in hand, she hurriedly blocked the follow up blow, but that remainder too was sliced in half, cutting the spear down to size completely.

Only a handle remained in her hand now, and so surprised was she by the sudden change that she couldn't react in time to Tsubasa's next strike. She could see the resolve in her former partner's eyes as she swung, as well as the sorrow that lay just beneath it.

Kanade knew Tsubasa didn't want to kill her, but had to. This was the reality they found themselves in, now on opposite sides of the battlefield.

But...that anguish would have to wait a little bit longer.

In what seemed like an unnatural movement in the eyes of the Ame-no-Habakiri wielder, Kanade somehow, somehow, once again managed to dodge a fatal blow.

And now unarmed, she had far more range in her movements.

How the hell Kanade managed to break through her guard Tsubasa didn't know, but all of a sudden rather than retreat to recompose herself, Kanade struck with a right hook, aimed right at her face. Surprised by the sudden close combat attack, she moved her blade to intercept the fist.

Only for a left hook to collide with her face instead. Her jaw remaining attached due to sheer luck, Tsubasa was once again blown back by the force, having not expected Kanade to use such a tactic out of nowhere. 'It was a feint, damn!'

She staggered backwards, finding herself off balance by the sudden blow. But Kanade was relentless, and once again approached her and struck, her fists a blur in the night, forcing Tsubasa on the defensive.

Kanade's punches were far more powerful than she had anticipated, and Tsubasa resolved to not get hit by another one of them again. But Kanade gave her a much harder time than she had expected, and her sword now became useless, not being even able to block the blows with perfect accuracy.

'What is this style?!' Tsubasa wondered to herself as she attempted to back off from Kanade's range. As if she was hopping on her toes, Kanade attacked relentlessly, her fists whipping forward straight into the blue-haired idol's face with pinpoint precision. There was no wasted movement in her stance, and Tsubasa found it very difficult to regain her bearings under her assault. 'This is...this is boxing?! When did she-'

She was torn from her thoughts by another hard blow, this time to her right cheek as Kanade successfully passed through her guard. Tsubasa briefly saw stars, her vision darkening for less than a second as she stumbled back. She spit out the blood that filled her mouth, and found that Kanade did not continue her assault, and merely hopped in place with a smile on her face.

"What's wrong, Tsubasa?" She asked. "Got you good there didn't I?"

The sword wielder let out a hackneyed breath, spitting out the remainder of the blood. She wiped her mouth with her forearm, and rose back to full height in facing her opponent. "Yes, you did." She answered.

So this is how Kanade wanted to play it, huh? Very well then.

Tsubasa tossed her weapon aside, and entered her own stance to meet Kanade's own. "Then it's my turn!"

Tsubasa charged, her fists ready to meet her opponent head on. Kanade smirked again as she dodged a forward punch and counterattacked, Tsubasa moving her head in time to avoid the uppercut she sent her way. The blue haired idol's left hand surged forward, only for Kanade to strike her wrist in time to send it off course.

The two's eyes met in the miniscule quiet that followed.

And then came the exchange of blow. Fists whirled around the two of them like a raging storm, and this time Tsubasa found more success in blocking Kanade's attacks. While her unusual style was shocking to say the least, Tsubasa had her own experience in hand to hand combat, having been trained personally in it by Genjuro. While she had mainly focused on her sword skills due to the nature of her Symphogear, she knew that it was important to know a variety of styles for every situation.

It showed its worth here, as now the two of them were on very equal footing. Without her sword to throw her off, the two pairs of fists met her each other blow for blow, blocking, parrying, throwing the other off balance.

Taking the opportunity after another one of her blows was evaded, Tsubasa ducked low and sweeped her leg, aiming for Kanade's lower body. The former idol jumped over the strike, rising above her former partner for just a second before coming down on her with a reared back fist. Tsubasa rose back to full height and jumped back, and Kanade's punch smashed against the concrete below. Not deterred, she immediately went on the attack again.

Tsubasa avoided the sonic boom leaving punches with watchful eyes, careful not to get caught in another feint that could come out of nowhere. Kanade's fists launched forward rapid-fire, having less power in each individual one but instead form a part of a greater whole. So many came towards her that Tsubasa found her own hands blurring wildly even in her own vision as she tried to keep up with everything Kanade was throwing at her.

'I can't let her continue as she wants!'

Deciding to break the stalemate as quick as possible, Tsubasa looked carefully for her own opportunity to go on the offensive. A fast forward punch to her face was all she needed, and rather than just move her head to avoid it, she instead moved towards it and…

Spun. Her head passed by the fist from the outside, and she twisted on her heels to seamlessly get behind her opponent. Planting her feet as she made her way around, she threw her own punch towards Kanade's back, trying to hit the back of her head.

Yet somehow Kanade still managed to avoid her, moving her head to the side just in time. Tsubasa launched another blow, and this time Kanade turned as well, swatting the strike away with the back of her right hand, causing Tsubasa to grit her teeth.

But Kanade had another surprise in store for her.

Tsubasa failed to notice Kanade's left hand from the angle she was in. The only warning she was given was the sudden shine that appeared out of nowhere, and as she pulled her hands back she finally saw what Kanade had in store.

"Wha-!"

The previously destroyed spear reappeared in Kanade's hand in a flash of light, and she thrust it towards the now off-guard Tsubasa. With less than a second to react in time, Tsubasa took a step back and hurriedly tried to materialize a sword in her hand to block the lunge, but was just a second too late.

She was saved by sheer luck again as the spear impacted the barely formed blade, shattering it and sparing the blue haired idol from a death by impalement.

"Heh."

The sound that left Kanade's mouth was the only indication that there was a followup. Left without anything to protect her, Tsubasa's eyes widened as a tornado once again erupted from the spear. 'She tricked me again!'

And this time, it engulfed her completely.

'STAB∞METEOR'

The storm ripped through the street with reckless abandon, growing larger with every centimeter it covered. Increasing in size bigger than the buildings around them, it raged onwards and without control, consuming absolutely everything in its path.

And Tsubasa was at the heart of it all. The winds surrounded her, cutting ribbons into her skin and her Gear. At the very last possible second she willed the blades on her ankles to bury themselves into the ground, serving as anchors so she would not be blown away completely. Her arms were raised in front of her face to protect her eyes, and she groaned in pain for every second she spent within the twister. The sudden explosion of wind sent her skidding back the entire length of the street, and she held on for dear life.

"K-Kuh-!"

It was fierce and sharp, as if it was made of steel. Wind that allowed no living thing to exist in its presence, every second she spent within it she could feel tearing away at her, both in flesh and in spirit, and she tried to keep a hold on her vision and consciousness.

She could not move an inch. She could not move a muscle. Holding on to herself on a tiny foothold, her sight was filled with nothing but light, and her ears filled with nothing but noise.

She needed to go forward.

But she couldn't.

She needed to stand against the wind.

But she couldn't.

She needed to reach what lies beyond.

But she couldn't.

"G….Guh-"

She was struggling to breathe. Spots began to fill her vision, the wind erasing more and more of her with each passing second.

But she was overwhelmed.

This was not a normal wind. This was a wind filled with a song, and with strength, and with steel. It was the wind that surged around the eye of a hurricane, a force that could capsize the greatest of ships and unmake all the mankind worked to achieve.

And the noise. The noise was so loud her ears and brain were drowning, and there was no relief or escape from it.

It screamed and it raged in her ears, and carried on it were the cries of mankind, the sadness and hatreds they bore making themselves known in full to the descendant of Susano'o.

Even though she holds the name of the wind, she could not stand against it. She could not go against the flow, and could not hold her own in its presence. As much as she wanted to oppose it, it would always find a way to drag her back. It would come out of nowhere, just like now, and invalidate both her actions and her very self.

She was bound by it, no matter how much she struggled against the shackles. Everything in front of her was an impossibility, for there was no forward. There was only backwards, and the wall that her back would meet should she lose her hold.

Tsubasa could not stand against it. She could not fly in this steel.

For this was the nature of the wind.

She blinked.

And suddenly, there was something beyond the wind. She could see her, standing there without a care in the world, the oppressive force originating from her. She was there, watching, waiting beyond the veil.

"Oi, Tsubasa," She said.

The noise disappeared. The cries vanished.

"Can you keep up with me?"

Ah.

So that was it.

She stood beyond the wind, because she had surpassed it. Yet, she was also the source of the wind, because that was her role. Her existence was contradictory, just like she had said, and now she was the obstacle that stood in the way.

So in order to surpass the wind herself...she'll have to cut off the source.

Along with the shackles that came with it.

'I came here not as a Sentinel.'

"That is your purpose."

'Yes, that was what I had heard.'

"You exist only for this reason."

'I...wanted to be free of it.'

"Your life has no meaning beyond it."

'That was all I knew, all that I believed. Yet…'

"You will carry on the name until the day you die."

'She showed me there was another way.'

Standing before the man, staring up at him in defiance despite the difference in stature, age, and position.

"This legacy is your responsibility."

'But even she left, and I…'

"Ah…"

A relieved sigh. Why did that sound escape her lips? Why, in this wind, could she find some sort of joy? It was blowing her away, yet…

Her eyes opened fully, and for some reason, a smile found its way to her face. 'I see now, Kanade. This...is what you're here for…'

The girl who had surpassed the winds, threw away the shackles, and now stood at the head of it, challenging all others who dared go against it.

Because she was the proof, the sign, and the hope. She had carved her own legacy, and passed it onto another once she not longer had any use for it.

Fire lit up in her core, and suddenly, the overwhelming might of the wind was no longer as oppressive. Slowly, she lowered her arms, the wind striking her face for the first time. Yet she was serene, calm in its presence, as if it was no more than a mere inconvenience now.

'You really are…'

The feeling she thought she had discarded long ago once again surfaced from the depths. A feeling she had never acted upon, for she had no courage, strength, or will to do so; and eventually no longer had a recipient.

But it was a beacon, a sign, and a hope that lit up the road.

"No, Kanade," She answered.

She took a step forward, her hair fluttering about in the storm. She raised her hands above her, and light began to gather between them.

For what lay at the end of that road...was a promise she swore to uphold.

"You keep up with me!"

And she sliced the wind apart.

The steel storm was eliminated in a flash, cut in two by the edge of her blade. The two halves of the raging tornado flew off in different directions, tearing through wreckage and remains of buildings, heading off into the distance.

Moments later, it died down, and quiet returned to the world. Tsubasa stood up to her full height, holding her sword in both hands, her gaze tranquil. In response, Kanade lowered her spear, and let out a chuckle at the spectacle that took place. "Tsubasa...you really are one of a kind."

The sword wielder smiled at her words. "I should say that about you as well, Kanade. You always knew...how to lift my spirits."

"If I didn't you'd just keep on crying all day," The redhead joked with a grin. "But I'm glad that you're able to do this much now. And since you asked me so nicely…"

She lowered her stance once more, holding the shaft of her weapon tightly. "Prove to me that it was not a fluke. I want to see your wings spread with nothing to hold them down, not even me."

Tsubasa once again let out a breath, appreciating the cool air that filled her lungs. Even though it was apparently filled with reality-bending miasma, she couldn't feel it, as if it had absolutely no influence on her.

She didn't care about it, because that was not her opponent. It was not the obstacle she needed to overcome.

For what she truly needed to surpass...

"Yes...let us dance until our last breath, Kanade!"

Was her own self.

-!-

"Tsubasa…"

Murmuring his niece's name softly, Genjuro let out a sigh as he witnessed her battle with Kanade. It was hard for him to watch as much as it was hard for her to go through, but he knew by this point that there would be no other way.

It was a damn ironic thing to experience, all things considered.

But he couldn't let that get to him. Clenching his fists, he looked towards the bridge at large. "Status report!"

"Things seem to have stabilized somewhat, sir." Aoi told him.

"As much as they can in these circumstances, at least." Elfnein added quickly. To say that there was some sort of order to the chaos would be an overstatement, as all hell still broke loose out there, but now at least the wielders weren't running around like headless chickens trying to find their footing. Every single one was doing something to contribute to the battle, which was in the end what's important.

"What's the status of the miasma?" He asked.

"So far, nothing seems to have changed," The homunculus answered him, clicking and typing away at her console. "It's still washing over the city, but it seems that some areas are less affected than others, as if there are some empty patches that it still hasn't affected."

"What about the wielders? What's their status?"

More typing and clicking on her part lit up a screen on top of the large display at the front of the bridge, showing new data about the state of the Adaptors. "From what I gathered, it's affecting each of them differently. Miku-san and Tsubasa-san don't seem to be affected at all for one."

"Any idea why?"

"In Miku-san's case, I'd say the Shenshoujing is neutralizing it automatically, while in Tsubasa-san's case it just doesn't seem to have any effect on her at all." She answered him.

"I see, and the others?"

"I'm detecting heightened aggression in Maria-san, Kirika-san, and Shirabe-san, but for now that's all that seems to be happening. I just hope it doesn't make them go berserk; in St. Germain-san's case, I think her Lapis is also neutralizing it to the best of its ability, but it's not perfect."

"Damn, so much for that stability we wanted," He said, clicking his tongue. "What about Chris-kun? What's her status?"

The homunculus took a minute to answer, not really sure what to tell him. "Well, um…"

The display showing the battlefield zoomed in on the Ichaival wielder.

And as one their eyes widened in shock and amazement.

-!-

(Play: DOOM 2016 OST - Rip & Tear)

Maria never believed she'd ever find herself feeling sorry for the Noise.

But what her eyes were showing her was just beyond insanity. The brutality was almost unfair to witness, and she could see as the previously mindless automatons were actively reeling away from the Ichaival wielder as she tore through their ranks with nothing but her bare hands.

Maria couldn't really say Chris had gone berserk, because that wasn't exactly the case. Her face was not darkened nor were her eyes shining a demonic red that signified the degradation into madness.

But if she hadn't already known what it looked like, then she'd be inclined to think otherwise.

Chris brought destruction upon the Noise and the beasts with reckless abandon. They surrounded her, but were almost hesitant to attack as every single target that entered her sight was irrevocably erased from the face of the earth with unparalleled barbarity.

Her heel smashed into the back of the knee of one humanoid Noise. It fell, but before it could strike the ground she grabbed its head with both hands and simply tore it out with a nasty sound that sent gooey ooze all over its comrades. Her teeth bared, she turned around and used the severed head to smash in another Noise's face in, causing it to fall over uselessly. Apparently gathering their courage, the enemies charged, but she was relentless in her assault.

She evaded them all by jumping above them, and landed on top of a beast, bringing it down to the ground on its stomach. Not giving it even a chance to try and get up, she crushed its head beneath her heel.

Another beast charged at her with both hands up and ready to claw at her, but the moment it tried to swipe she grabbed both of its wrists, stopping it in its tracks. Her purple eyes shone, and she raised her foot and planted it on the beast's chest.

And she pulled, the beast's arms groaning under the pressure. It shrieked in pain from the act, but she gave it no quarters. With one final burst of strength she tore both arms from their sockets simultaneously, and the beast staggered back with both limbs lost. Without pause, she used one arm to swat the injured beast away, and swiftly turned around to smash the other into another humanoid Noise that tried to ambush her.

A blob-like Crawler Noise leaped at her, but with no effort at all she moved out of its path, and before it could land back on the ground she grabbed it and easily ripped it in half as if it was made of tofu. Tossing aside the useless scraps, she moved her head to the side as another humanoid Noise tried to stab her with its claw like arm. She immediately wrapped her own arm around the limb, holding it in place and punched its head off with her free fist. Before it could dissipate, she tore off the claw that served as its hand and stabbed a beast in the chest with it, stopping it mid charge.

Still keeping her hold on the claw, with a vicious move she tore it out of the side of the beast, ripping it in half through its abdomen. Not stopping her spin, she plunged the very same claw into the face of another Noise that dared approach, killing it on the spot. Before it could disappear she kicked the useless corpse away, and it crashed through several of its comrades before finally coming to a stop on the ground.

Another beast tried to ambush her, not realizing the futility of the act. Seeing it coming from a mile away, she sweeped its leg right from under it, and before it could even hit the ground she smashed her fist into its face. The added force from her punch caused its head to explode violently upon impacting the ground, rendering it immobile for the time being. But she did not stop there, as immediately afterwards she grabbed the beast corpse with both hands by the legs, and proceeded to smash said corpse into another beast at full force, and both exploded in a shower of black dust that washed over the area.

Carnage incarnate, that's what Chris was at the moment. Maria might as well be a lifeless statue in the eyes of the Noise and the beasts, as simply everything that existed in the large courtyard was solely focused on the rampaging Ichaival wielder. The pink haired idol was completely forgotten, and her hair fluttered about in the wind as the enemy units she had previously been holding off completely ignored her in favor of her teammate.

It seemed the Noise did have some kind of survival instinct now if that's what they were doing. Their previous fear of Chris was now replaced by some maniacal attempt at taking her down by ganging up on her from all sides.

And somehow they were failing.

The savage cycle repeated endlessly. More and more of the Noise and the beasts charged at her, but they may as well be running into a meat grinder with how Chris was brutalizing them. Headless corpses and limbs were thrown in all directions, despite her only really killing them one by one. It was like they couldn't even try to get a good hit on her as everything they attempted resulted in them being gorely massacred and tossed about like trash.

So numerous were the fallen Noise that they began to pile up on top of each other. Standing atop the absurdly high mountain of bodies that formed in the courtyard, Chris held her ground as the enemies crawled up the sides in an attempt to rip her to shreds themselves. Perhaps they were getting this sudden courage from her remaining bare handed, counting on the fact that maybe they'll be able to pin her down and leave her helpless.

Unfortunately, that 'hope' was struck down instantly. Two beasts leaped up at her, one right behind the other. Eyeing them hatefully, Chris raised her hand up in their direction.

And the beast was impaled, stopped in midair by what appeared in Chris' hand. It was not a blade, or a spear, or any weapon akin to that.

No, it was a shotgun. Having materialized it as the beast dropped down on her, its forward momentum caused the barrel of the gun to gouge out its insides, piercing through its abdomen all the way through its back.

She pulled the trigger, and the second beast that had jumped her was mercilessly blown to pieces by the powerful concussive force. The impaled beast struggled, and in response she ripped her weapon out and blew its head off with a second shot, then kicked the corpse down the side of the mountain.

Another beast tried to reach her position by leaping all the way from the ground at her. With a savage snarl it tried to claw at her, and it was in turn grabbed by the throat before it could even get close enough to attempt to do so.

Chris' black clad hand locked around its neck, her hold rigid and unyielding. In an attempt to escape, the beast grabbed at her arm and tried to swipe at it with its fingers, but it simply clinged off the armor uselessly. She raised the beast higher in the air as her hold tightened, and it began to roar and shriek in pain.

In some weird undertaking to rescue its comrade, a different beast jumped her from behind. But without even turning her head or looking back, and with her gaze still on the beast she grasped by the throat, she aimed her shotgun at the approaching one and blew it to smithereens behind her back. Simultaneously, she poured more power into her hand, and the beast's neck cracked, and its head tilted to the side lifelessly. She proceeded to throw the corpse down onto its approaching brethren, throwing several of the mountain. Cocking her shotgun one more time with just one hand, she aimed down the slope and began to fire.

And so the courtyard was filled with the smell of gunpowder and whatever the hell the Noise were now made of as the flashes of the shotgun's barrel illuminated the night and eviscerated the enemy units without mercy. Maria could say however one thing with perfect certainty: she was glad they didn't have guts or bones or blood. If they did, she wasn't sure she'd be able to handle the violence. While she was no stranger to any of those things, to see them pile up into their own hellish mountain would be far too much to handle.

But the lack of gore didn't help her in any manner.

Giant Noise decided to join in on the madness, surrounding Chris on virtually every side. But she was quiet as she continued to gun down the ones rising up the mountain, and that was perhaps the most disturbing fact Maria noticed: her silence was scarier than everything else, which made her brutality all the more vicious.

As one they lunged their giant claws at her, attempting to pierce her from all sides. Their attempt immediately failed as she simply jumped above and beyond their range. Coming face to face with a Flying Noise that she caught by surprise, she planted her feet on it momentarily to change her angle and then shot off, blowing it to bits with the force of her momentum. She landed atop one of the Giant Noise, and the impact caused it to lurch forwards and fall to the ground right on top of its comrades. With it now helpless, Chris cocked the shotgun and fired, and the increased spread shredded the Noise's head to tiny ribbons.

She raised the gun and fired again, shooting off another Giant's head. A lunge from a different one was evaded easily, and she grabbed the giant claw and pulled, causing it to lose its balance and stumble forward, right towards her. With a quick spinning kick its head was destroyed and it was cast aside, dropping to the ground lifelessly.

Chris jumped away as more Noise and beasts tried to converge on her, landing back on top the mountain of corpses she had created. Immediately more enemies began to climb its side, but she would have none of it. The first beast that made it up she grabbed by the arm and pulled, bringing it face to face with her in the air before blowing it to bits with her shotgun. While she was distracted another beast tried to slash her from behind, but she merely twisted away from its path. She quickly kicked it in the knee, destroying the connected leg completely and causing it to fall to its remaining one.

The beast shrieked, its mouth open wide. Seeing the opportunity, Chris shoved the shotgun into the open cavity, causing the beast to gurgle and choke on the barrel now lodged in its throat. It did not even have time to try and escape as she pulled the trigger, and the beast was blown to smithereens from the inside, the black dust evaporating in the air in its wake.

The shine in her eyes grew tenfold, the familiar berserk red slowly making itself known from the outside of her sclera. It was a slow process, Maria noticed, but one that was disturbing all the same.

Whatever it was that was going on here because of the miasma, it was a mixed bag, that was for sure. In some corner of her mind she also felt the urge to just join in the fray and let loose, but unlike Chris Maria wasn't one to give in to extreme emotions like she was.

It seemed like Chris grew tired of the boring old shotgun she was using, and on the first opportunity crushed a Noise's head with the gun itself, then tossed it away to disappear in between the legions of enemies swarming her. It was starting to get boring to hunt them one by one, so it was time for a change of pace.

The first prey to fall victim to her new weapon was once again a beast. As it rose up the side of the mountain, she easily kicked it off just as it reached the peak. Aiming her new weapon at it while in mid air, she fired, and a small metallic orb was launched out at the falling beast.

Upon impact with the mindless creature, the orb exploded in an impressive fireball, vaporizing the beast instantly and blowing everything around it away from the blast radius. She jumped off the mountain in a single leap, avoiding the Flying Noise that tried to dive down on her from above. She stood in between the Noise and the beasts, and the blackened fake Hibikis growled at her loudly in an attempt at intimidation.

Only to be immediately silenced as Chris fired again and again, her grenade launcher roaring loudly. The explosions that followed ripped the enemies to shreds, both the Noise and the beasts completely unable to close the distance to their opponent. She essentially vanished inside the tremendous fireball that rose into the air, hiding her from the sight of the Noise and beasts.

Yet she still continued to fire. The flames might as well be nonexistent as she simply walked through them, slaying those that tried to close the distance to her. Nothing was safe from her, and every single one that tried to approach was vaporized under a rain of fire and death. Shrapnel that lined the inside of the grenades ripped the enemies to shreds, pelting them with high speed and blazing hot steel fragments that sliced into them at the speed of sound, faster than they could even conceptualize.

Flying Noise dove in through the fireball in a courageous effort, trying to impale the Ichaival wielder. Yet, within the fire something changed once again, and as one they were all gunned down by a rapid barrage of bullets that blew them away. And as the flames dissipated, Chris stood in place holding a massive chaingun in her hands that was easily three times her size.

And so, reminded of their folly, the Noise and the beasts once again began to back away slowly, once more fearing the fangs of the hunter before them.

Unbeknownst to anyone there, tiny patches of blackness began to cover her skin, and with the increased rage in her veins she made her declaration.

"Bring it."

And she opened fire, mowing them down.

-!-

"That's what's happening with her." Elfnein said out of nowhere as the bridge watched Chris' rampage.

"This...this is-"

"In Chris-san I'm detecting a very drastic increase over everyone else. I think Maria-san shouldn't stay there for very long." She added.

"Yeah...she might get caught in the crossfire at this rate. I never thought the berserker state could be a slow process instead of an instant one...and I'm not sure which one is better at this rate." Genjuro said with his eyes narrowed.

"It matters little," Adam interjected. "It is proving its worth, so make use of it while you can. There is little point in looking a gift horse in the mouth."

"A gift horse? That's what you're calling it?"

"Is it not? After all, she's slaying the Noise and the beasts without much trouble at all. In fact, I'd look into ways to make this a recurring event in the future as well...provided we live after tonight." Adam said.

"That is not going to happen, and you know it," Genjuro said sternly. "You don't make the decisions here, I do. Leave your poorly thought out ideas to yourself."

The former leader of the Pavarian Illuminati fell silent with a huff. Genjuro turned back to the display, and yelled out his orders. "We need to see what we can do about the titan. Put up the distraction team on screen!"

-!-

(Play: Attack on Titan Wings of Freedom OST - Blonde's Rage)

"I SAID NO RISKY MOVES!"

Saint-Germain's shout might as well have been screamed to empty space as she jumped over wreckage and ruins in their escape from the titan that was now blatantly chasing them through what remained of Tokyo. They had successfully lured it away to the other side of the city, but that came at a very big cost:

It was irritated now, and was more than definitely trying to get rid of them.

Its humongous feet crushed the bare earth beneath without any trouble. Even partially standing buildings were kicked out of the way in an explosion of dust when the feet passed through them, as if the titan was treading through water. Its head darted about to and fro, trying to keep its sight on the two wielders currently circling it.

And Saint-Germain couldn't be more annoyed with them. The Zababa duo, despite their earlier proclamation, began to ignore her orders on a regular basis, completely forgetting what it was they were supposed to be doing in the first place.

It threw the pace off completely, and now she had to make up for their recklessness.

The two were swinging around the titan's form, in the alchemist's own words, like a pair of monkeys. Shirabe's yo-yos serving as their anchors, the two constantly attempted to cut away parts of the titan's form in order to incapacitate it.

And it was proving to be a completely useless endeavor. Its skin was just too thick and it was in general just too big for their weapons to do any significant damage. Yet they were trying anyway, and for that she had to give them credit.

Unfortunately, it also placed them at a greater risk, as right now they were nothing more to that thing than a pair of mosquitos that eventually it will decide to squish unceremoniously.

"Shirabe! Let's target the fingers!"

"Right!"

Having decided on their next course of action, Shirabe unhooked her yo-yo and allowed herself to fall with Kirika holding on to her. They descended through the air quickly, avoiding the titan's gaze for a moment. It had its hands lowered by its side, giving them a clear view of their current objective; if they succeeded, they reckoned they'd be able to whittle that thing down slowly until it becomes unable to move.

Throwing her yo-yo forward again, it locked around the titan's index finger. Immediately she reeled in, pulling both her and Kirika towards the oversized digit. The Ig-Alima wielder prepared her scythe once more, and the titan seemed to not respond to their violent act against it as they got closer. Once they got within striking distance, Kirika swung, and this time found success as the finger was sliced off at the base, releasing black smoke and promptly falling to the ground, throwing up dust in its wake. With their anchor to the titan gone, they flew through the air behind it only for Shirabe to throw her yo-yo up again, hooking onto the next finger.

And so, they made their second pass, with the titan apparently only reacting to their provocation once they sliced off the middle finger, releasing their hold on it again. Before Shirabe could toss her yo-yo again to the next one, the titan kicked up, and the giant leg sweeped through the air towards them. Caught completely by surprise by the sudden move, the two were unable to respond or move out of the way in time to dodge it.

Only for Saint-Germain to tackle them again out of the way, barely avoiding the kick with their lives intact. Soaring through the air, she screamed loud enough for them to hear her. "I SAID NO RISKY MOVES GODDAMMIT! STOP TRYING TO TAKE IT DOWN!"

Her voice was barely audible over the sound of the crashing and exploding structures around them, but Shirabe caught her complaint and responded in kind. "THEN WHAT DO YOU THINK WE SHOULD DO?! WE CAN'T LET IT DO WHAT IT WANTS ALL THE TIME!"

"OUR JOB IS TO DISTRACT IT! IF YOU ARE TOO ARROGANT IT WILL KILL YOU EASILY! STICK TO THE PLAN!"

The Shul-Shagana wielder's response was to glare with her teeth clench, a sight Saint-Germain found far too strange to be believable, considering her now familiarity with the girl. 'What is going on here? They weren't like this before.'

The titan's head slowly turned to the trio as it lowered its legs, and immediately began to turn around to begin its chase. It trudged towards them once more with heavy steps, shaking the earth every time it placed its foot down.

They landed back on the ground only to be forced to evade the next gigantic step, separating the alchemist from the duo once again. 'Damn!'

No longer in hearing or speaking range with the two, she watched as once again Shirabe threw her yo-yo up with Kirika in tow, the blonde wielder having her scythe brandished and ready for the next pass. The hand they were targeting was still within range, and so the yo-yo hooked onto the ring finger, triggering their next pass.

"What a useless act," Saint-Germain said to herself as she watched them. Because the two wouldn't listen to her now, she was forced to go along with their insanity and began to open fire on the titan's head. While her bullets might as well be like tiny pricks at its skin, it did serve to make the titan try and reach a decision as to which annoyance it wanted to get rid of first. Having its fingers sliced off was apparently not important enough for it to remain focused on the duo, so once again it stood in place doing a whole lot of nothing but being attacked.

"If it didn't regenerate then maybe it would have given us results." She finished for herself. Sure enough, the process had already begun by the time the duo reached the thumb. Slowly, black smoke began to leak out of the bases of the sliced off fingers and started to coalesce into their previous shapes. The fifth pass by the duo cut off the thumb, but they apparently did not notice the other fingers reforming themselves. The giant hand moved, and suddenly the two found their vision darken as it began to close around them.

"Shirabe!" Kirika yelled to her partner, and hurriedly the Shul-Shagana wielder threw the yo-yo up to grab anything it could find, this time hooking around one of the horns dotting out of its head. Before it could squish them in its hold, the two were able to evade becoming human paste in the last second, the lack of a thumb to box them in allowing them to reel themselves up all the way to its head.

Their feet planted against the back of the head, right between all the horns. The two nodded to each other, and Kirika immediately enlarged her scythe once more and swung, the polearm crashing against the hardened carapace with no result. She swung again and again, trying to pierce through in order to strike the brain that they believed rested inside.

But their efforts were futile, and the titan raised its uninjured hand in order to scratch them away. The two noticed the approaching limb, and they clicked their tongue in unison before jumping off. Shirabe grabbed Kirika again and hooked her yo-yo around one of the fingers.

"Damn! We can't beat it like this!" Kirika yelled in frustration as they swung around. "There has to be a way to stop it!"

"Then let's arrest its movements!" Shirabe suggested. "Maybe if we can tie it up, we can make it immobile!"

"Sounds like a plan!"

With their course set, the two allowed themselves to fall to the ground, cratering the concrete beneath them. They looked to each other and nodded, and handing Kirika one of the yo-yos the two split up, each of them running to a different leg.

The titan seemed to ignore them again as the duo placed themselves on opposite sides, flanking the titan's feet from the outside. Wordlessly, the two fired their respective yo-yos to the other. A thin string extended from each, surrounding the titan's legs from the front and back. Shirabe nodded to herself, and from the thin string many, many more suddenly came to life, creating a gigantic web that rose all the way up to the titan's knees.

The duo pulled, tightening the web around the titan's biceps, trying to make it topple over. They pulled with all their might, and the strings groaned as they dug into the skin, their hold tightening all the more. Their only indication they were making any progress was the fact that the titan's legs looked to be getting closer together due to their application of force. They grinned, and pulled harder, Kirika digging her feet into the ground while Shirabe dashed backwards, the wheels on her feet groaning against the concrete.

"Come on! Fall over!" Kirika howled. The feet were getting even closer, dragging on the ground. They can do this, they can-!

The titan moved, and in an instant the web of strings was cut without any resistance. The sudden loss of tension caused the Zababa duo to yelp and fall to the ground, their plan having failed completely. "Tch-!"

The giant head turned to Kirika, and its entire body rotated to look down at her. She only had a moment to be surprised before it tried to step on her, but once again Saint-Germain tackled her out of the way in time to avoid being squished.

"What do I keep telling you about stop trying to beat it! It's far too big to topple over or defeat!"

"We have to try!" Kirika yelled defiantly. "If we can do this we can make it easier on Miku!"

"We are already doing just that! Trying to take this thing down is a wasted effort! I will not repeat myself again!" Saint-Germain bellowed to her, her tone no longer composed. "Listen to my orders or you will die!"

Kirika was left without any argument to give, but Saint-Germain's words fled her head entirely as the titan stepped forward again, and she immediately pushed away from the alchemist to go to Shirabe's side.

'Damn it! This has to be because of the miasma!' She realized. 'It's making them act rashly! If I don't stop them they'll definitely die and our fates will be sealed! The Symphogears cannot be allowed to fall here!

Gritting her teeth, she charged forward, ready for the next time she'll have to push them out of the way of certain death.

By the time the alchemist was on the move, Kirika had already reached Shirabe's side. "Shirabe! Let's try to take its vision away somehow!"

"But how? It doesn't have anything that looks like eyes!"

"I know, but we can at least try!" Kirika said with a raised fist. Shirabe's eyes widened for a moment, then she raised her own fist and bumped Kirika's, causing the two to grin. "Okay, then let's get up there!"

"Right!"

Grabbing onto her partner again, Shirabe threw a yo-yo up once again, the small circle wrapping around the titan's forearm. Immediately she reeled up, and the two rose swiftly to the limb. Noticing them again, the giant being turned, causing the two to swing all the way behind its back due to the momentum. Taking the chance they were given, Shirabe unhooked her yo-yo and threw it up, wrapping it around one of the horns on the head once again. Planting her feet against the titan's back, the wheels on her feet roared to life as she scaled its length at breaknecks speeds, with Kirika already having her scythe prepared for the coming strike.

Upon reaching the horn the yo-yo was wrapped around, Shirabe continued onwards past it, and the two shot off high and above the titan's head.

"Ready, Kirika?!"

"I was born ready!"

With her acknowledgment, Shirabe tugged on the string, locking it in place. The sudden arrest in momentum, together with the titan's forward movement caused the two to whoosh right above it, arcing through the air all the way to its front.

Their aiming was perfect. Holding onto Shirabe with one hand, and her scythe in her other, Kirika let out a loud yell as they closed the distance to where its eyes should be, confident they had caught the giant thing off guard. With the speed they had gathered together with their swinging force, they arrived at their target at speeds faster than sound, sonic booms screaming through the air in their wake.

And with all the force she could muster, Kirika struck.

The scythe shattered.

"Wha-!"

Having left not even a dent on the titan's face, all the recoil from the blow rattled her weapon so much it broke into pieces, with the rest of the momentum causing her arm to shake violently. Not having expected to fail so suddenly, Shirabe was not prepared for the titan to suddenly lurch forward, and due to her earlier action the string connected to her yo-yo snapped, leaving the two helpless in midair.

And right in front of its open mouth.

The light began to gather in the cavity, and there was nothing the duo could do to avoid it in time. The glowing ball grew by the moment, and the two knew there would be nothing in their arsenal that would be able to block the blast.

They stared death in the eye, their faces being lit up by the sheer radiance the light gave off.

And it fired.

At that moment, something crashed into the two of them. No, it was more like something pushed them out of the way, and the duo only had a second to stare in shock at what it was as they fell to the ground.

Saint-Germain immediately raised her one arm in front of her, a high speed chant escaping her lips. And just in time too, as just as the light was about to hit her a magic circle sprung to life between her and it.

The blast impacted her impromptu shield head on, causing the beam to fragment off into many different directions that struck the ground, and explosions roared in the distance as every location it landed on erupted like a volcano from the force.

"G-g-guuhh-!"

She struggled. Saint-Germain struggled to keep the shield active, pouring as much power as she could through her one arm. But it was painful as hell, as a shield of its magnitude was not meant to be channeled with just one hand. There was a reason why high tier alchemy was usually done with both hands, as a single limb could not possibly hold on long enough to make it truly effective.

Yet she banked on her power anyway. Fueled by the Super Ignite Module, the light roared against her magic circle with the scream of a beast.

But it was not enough.

Her arm shook violently, blood erupting from her capillaries due to the tension running through it. Soon enough, a single tiny crack appeared on the surface of the shield, an adequate indicator that it would not hold on for long.

She looked to where the two wielders had fallen, the two of them meeting her gaze despite the massive distance.

Her eyes told them everything before the shield shattered.

"I leave it to you."

And the alchemist was consumed.

The light continued onwards, striking the outskirts of the city before exploding in a massive fireball that sent gale winds in all directions, blowing apart what remained of the untouched part of Tokyo.

Kirika and Shirabe looked on in horror, and screamed.

"SAINT-GERMAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAIN!"