A/N: To those that may be familiar with the now-deleted 80k-word story, Steel Orchid, Flower of Damocles is rework that was created due to a personal dissatisfaction with certain aspects of the former work. Many of what was written as 'backstory' for the setting's 10-year time gap, for example, felt far too important in hindsight to be reduced into a footnote. As a result, Flower of Damocles seeks to change up planned events and shorten the time gap for a more focused story. Even if certain aspects had to be altered in the transition, Flower of Damocles still intends to maintain most of the ideas introduced in Steel Orchid, while also adding certain things and removing aspects that - in my opinion - did not work out as well as I thought they would.
All song lyrics are also provided by my friend, Rachel Rose, who has allowed me to use her song-writing in this story. Proofreading is credited to fellow user of AO3, AetherianSavior. Cover art is lastly provided by Kaiyamon on Twitter.
"Do remind yourself that disappointing the council could lead towards your resignation, Commander Kazanari."
The firm warning from the world council's spokesperson silenced the entire bridge crew of the S.O.N.G. submarine. As Commander Genjuuro stood at his terminal with a pair of arms crossed over his chest, the man glared at the bridge's central monitor screen, a pair of yellow eyes fixated on the audio transmission they were receiving from none other than the United Nations itself. Although the Spokesperson's voice could not be described as anything less than 'polite', it was obvious to everyone on the bridge that they were none too pleased with S.O.N.G.'s latest report.
"I can assure you that we are already tracking down the culprits of the attacked convoy. It won't take long for us to apprehend them and retrieve the stolen Symphogear," Genjuuro sharply stated. The filter he needed to use whenever they were dealing with the United Nations directly was second-nature to the Commander at this point. "The assistance of Clan Hida will ensure the success of this mission without international issues, Spokesperson."
The symbol of the United Nations encompassed the entire central monitor screen while the Spokesperson responded, their tone still maintaining a sense of affability, "I sincerely hope so, Commander. The council has contributed immensely towards the development of the SG-r04, so they would be most displeased if such an item were to fall into the wrong hands. Your predecessor, Fudou, knew that well after the theft of the SG-r02 years ago." The mere mention of the Kazanari elder caused a nerve on the Commander's forehead to twitch with displeasure. "I shall do my best to ease the worries of the council in the meantime. That is all I can promise for now."
"You have our thanks, Spokesperson," Commander Genjuuro said diplomatically, lowering his gaze to see the unease which was present among the other members of the bridge crew. Fujitaka, Tomosato, and every other operator on the bridge visibly held back their tongues, for they were practically frozen at their posts. The Commander's next words were a combination of a promise and a statement. "We'll send a report as soon as we have the Sword of Damocles back in our possession."
"You have 10 days to retrieve the stolen SG-r04." The Spokesperson's words resounded throughout the bridge like an ultimatum. "I suggest that you hurry for both our sakes, Commander Kazanari."
Concluding the sound-only transmission with one last, ominous warning, the symbol of the United Nations subsequently vanished from the central monitor screen, allowing the crew of the bridge to finally relax in unison. It was as though a thick fog had made its exit from the underwater vessel's command center, and while the situation itself had yet to be actually resolved, the S.O.N.G. personnel continued typing away on their terminals at their usual rapid pace. When Commander Genjuuro sat down at his post to process the current predicament, Tomosato went over to the man to hand him a much-needed cup of coffee. Genjuuro accepted the steaming drink with a grateful nod.
The plastic cup itself appeared miniscule within his large hands.
"I'm starting to think that our goodwill from the Shem-Ha incident is running low, Commander," Fujitaka commented, the brunette's hands expertly typing away on his terminal's interface to catch up on their latest reports. "I guess five years is all it'll take to forget what we've accomplished, huh?"
"The council is made up of politicians at the end of the day, Fujitaka," Commander Genjuuro quickly reminded him. "Regardless of what they may call themselves, it's going to be a given that they will only remember what inconveniences them." He then took a sip of the bitter drink in his grasp and grunted in approval at Tomosato's coffee mix. It was not a flavour everyone on the bridge could appreciate, but it never failed to satisfy the Commander himself. "Tomosato, give me a status report on the pursuit of the SG-r04."
Stepping back over to her terminal's seat, Tomosato's fingers inputted a dozen commands into the digital interface in the blink of an eye. "Ogawa, Tsuchiya, and Clan Hida have already begun their assault on the Illuminati Remnants' hideout, Commander," the bridge operator stated, her eyes instantly taking in a recent report from the frontlines. "They will be reporting back to us as soon as the hideout is under their control."
Operating on schedule, just like the Commander expected of Clan Hida and his two personal aides. "And what about Professor Elfnein's condition?" Genjuuro added with a mild hint of worry in his tone.
Fujitaka was the one to answer this time. Through a few inputted commands on his terminal, a medical analysis from the submarine's medical facilities made themselves visible on the bridge's central monitor screen. "The med-bay reports that the Professor had suffered only minor injuries from the attack on the convoy, Commander. They're estimating a full recovery in less than 24 hours."
There was honestly nothing better they could have expected to hear from the med-bay's personnel. Especially when they considered the state of the convoy after it had been struck by the Illuminati Remnants. The concern Genjuuro had felt in response to news of the attack was still fresh within his bones, but the Commander had been through far too much at this point to let his cool escape him so easily. Even though his instincts initially told him to deploy the Adaptors in response to the theft of the stolen Symphogear prototype, Genjuuro knew that this operation called for a far more surgical approach. After processing the operator's report, the Commander finished his coffee, and placed the empty cup aside to rest his elbows on his terminal.
"Let's hope we can finish this quietly," Commander Genjuuro remarked. It was a sentiment that was clearly shared amongst the other members of the vessel's bridge.
The command center's large, automatic doors subsequently slid open, and Commander Genjuuro looked over his shoulder to see a familiar man striding through the bridge's parting entrance.
Carrying a sheathed katana within a gloved hand, the approaching individual's footsteps were made only audible as a gesture of simple etiquette. Each step the man took in his boots caused the crimson long-coat he donned to flutter. Through a combination of his distinct uniform, the stern look on his face, and a head of tidy brown hair, Genjuuro immediately recognized him to be Ogawa Souji, the eldest amongst the three Ogawa brothers. Even if the Commander dwarfed Souji in terms of physical height, the two stood as equals when Genjuuro rose up from his post for a shared bow of acknowledgement between them.
"Clan Hida has never once failed a mission, Commander Kazanari," Souji assured him with an unfaltering grace that was expected from a man of his position. While his glove hands rested themselves on the pommel of his katana, the Grandmaster formally announced his presence on the bridge by loudly clacking the tip of the weapon's scabbard against the metal floor. "You need not hope for what is already assured."
The man's statement earned a steady nod of approval from Commander Genjuuro. He had not expected Ogawa Souji to arrive as soon as he did, but the man was a welcome sight on the bridge regardless. "You have our thanks for your clan's assistance, Grandmaster Ogawa. It's also an honour to have the head of Clan Hida himself as a guest on our vessel." Whilst the pair spoke, Genjuuro could hear faint murmuring among the bridge's crew regarding the shared preference for red clothing from both of the two men. Whether or not Souji heard it as well, the Grandmaster's elegant expression remained unchanged.
Ever so slightly, Souji relaxed the formalities, and lifted up a gloved finger in a matter-of-fact way. "As our late grandmother used to say: 'If you receive a little kindness, give them a large serving'." The quoted phrase was accompanied by a small chuckle. "S.O.N.G. has done Clan Hida many a favour, Commander Kazanari. A simple mission to retrieve the stolen Symphogear shall be mere child's play for the warriors of Clan Hida. Especially since I have sent both Shinji and Kagero to lead the hunt."
Grandmaster Souji was nothing if not confident in the way he spoke about the students of his clan's teachings. Even though the Grandmaster carried himself with a particular sense of formality wherever he went, Genjuuro could not help but notice the soft spot Souji possessed when it came to those two men in particular. But that was a topic for another time and another place. Turning his attention back to the crew of the submarine's bridge, the Commander wasted no more time taking charge of their current situation.
"Tomosato, Fujitaka, give me a visual on the infiltration team's progress."
'They're coming out of the walls!' was a phrase that Ogawa Shinji often heard from his foes whenever he operated alongside Clan Hida. It certainly wasn't an inaccurate way to describe the methods they utilised when the infiltration team rose out from the shadows, and brought their enemies to heel within the timespan of a heartbeat. The Illuminati Remnants had been completely ready for an assault on their hideout, and yet, they had fallen just as easily as any other terror group the Clan had the task of removing like a cancer from a festering wound. Shinji would have sympathised with them if the Remnants did not attempt to unleash a horde of Alca-Noise on the surrounding townsfolk as a distraction.
An empty magazine slid out of Shinji's pistol and cluttered onto the bloodstained floor. Taking little time to reload his weapon, Shinji then switched off its safety and holstered the firearm within his black suit. Pressing a finger against the communication device on his wrist, the S.O.N.G. agent calmly called for command. "Infiltration team, reporting in. We have successfully eliminated the opposition and will begin an immediate search for the stolen prototype." Once a confirmation from the command center came through, Shinji pulled his hand away from a holographic prompt to observe the aftermath of the raid around him.
Fresh blood dripped from the glamorous ceiling chandelier above Shinji's head. As robed bodies littered the floor of the hideout's candle-lit central room, a statue dedicated to a goat-headed deity sat on top of the large circular table in the room's center. The Illuminati acolytes who had been worshipping it mere moments ago all laid at Shinji's feet, thrown kunais embedded in their gaping throats while shurikens clung to the bloodstained walls. Several other acolytes still stood on their feet, their corpses frozen in the midst of death, and their shadows pierced by bullets utilising the Clan's signature Shadow Weave technique. All but a few of the dozen wax candles placed around the central room remained lit after the infiltration team's surgical strike.
Were it not for Shinji's sharpened senses, he wouldn't have noticed the sudden shift in the density of the room's warm air. Folding his hands behind his back, the agent turned around, and acknowledged his oldest brother's closest-aid - Tsuchiya Kagero - as the young man suddenly appeared among the bodies of the Illuminati Remnants. Kagero was kneeling down on one leg with an arm held across his chest. He wore a black suit similar to Shinji and his well-kept, blonde hair ironically did little to mask his presence despite Kagero's aptitude for stealth.
"Have you managed to apprehend their leader?" Shinji inquired, his eyes still observing the unmoving corpses around them.
Kagero answered with a subtle tone of frustration and rueful shake of the head, "Unfortunately, it would appear that the head of these remnants had perished several hours before we even arrived." The younger man rose up to his feet with a rare, perturbed expression, his tightened hands formally placing themselves behind Kagero's own back. "Morikawa and Kagami suspect it to have been self-inflicted."
This was not a report Shinji expected to receive, but the capture of the Illuminati Remnants' leader was never a priority of their mission to begin with. If anything, it was just another side-task that could have possibly secured further intel on any remaining Illuminati cells. The infiltration team was in Germany for the stolen Symphogear first and foremost. "Focus on the search for our objective. We can figure out the cause-of-death afterwards." Shinji's order was swift. "The perimeter is secured, so nothing should be able to escape our notice without us-"
The faint sound of a breath being drawn halted Shinji's tongue.
Two kunais darted across the air and impaled the ribcage of an Illuminati acolyte who was slouched against the wall beside the room's double-doors. The hooded acolyte could only let out a garbled scream with a mouthful of blood before immediately collapsing onto one side to join the unmoving bodies around him. The collection of Alca-Noise shards the survivor had been grasping in his bloodied hands harmlessly spilled onto the carpeted floor, the room's faint candlelight softly bouncing off their glassy surface. It was only when both men were sure of the acolyte's final breath did Shinji and Kagero withdraw their hands from the kunais hidden within their suits.
"Your aim was a few centimetres off," Shinji politely pointed out in a teacher-like fashion.
"My apologies, Ogawa," Kagero replied, pulling out a second kunai so he could playfully twirl the weapon between his fingers. "It would appear that a broken rib is affecting my performance."
Clan Hida's nonchalant disregard for pain was an unforgettable staple of their teachings. Shinji himself remembered unnerving several members of S.O.N.G. with his own attitude towards it back when the organisation was still designated as 'Section Two'. Teaching Kagero to lose that part of him was undoubtedly on Shinji's to-do list now that they were both out of the Clan's influence and structure. Among many other things, of course. With the central room now completely cleared of hostiles, Shinji looked over to the nearby double-doors, and saw them open up for another member of Clan Hida to step inside. Dressed also in a black suit, the woman knelt down on one knee and lowered her head in respect while she gave out a brief report.
"Ogawa, Tsuchiya, we've discovered a hatch leading to an underground bunker. You may leave securing the perimeter to Morikawa and I."
"My thanks, Kagami," Shinji gratefully acknowledged her report before gesturing to Kagero for them to investigate this so-called bunker.
Stepping over the countless bodies at their feet without another word, the pair headed out of the central room, and entered a long hallway with walls that were decorated by numerous works of priceless European art. Were the paintings not stained with the splattered ichor of the Remnants, the two men would have gladly spared the artistry a few glances as they strode across the length of a long, windowless hallway. Not even the marble floors beneath their feet were spared from being tainted by the hideout's now-deceased owners.
"Still, I'm quite surprised that you were available for today's assignment," Kagero spoke up, still twirling a kunai in one hand. "Souji and I assumed you would be busy preparing for the Kazanari wedding next week."
"I'm quite capable of multi-tasking, Tsuchiya," Shinji calmly reminded his apprentice. "It's important to balance the many responsibilities that one carries in their hands. Do remember that there's more to your life than your dedication to the Clan."
Casually sheathing his weapon back inside his suit, Kagero's next words were that of a well-behaved student. "Duly noted, Ogawa."
Upon reaching another opened pair of double-doors at the end of the long hallway, the pair entered a small, empty storage room where they were greeted by Morikawa Renge, the fourth member of the infiltration team. Morikawa gave the arriving duo a polite bow, and pointed towards a discovered, secret stairway which appeared to have been hiding behind a moveable wall. "The hatch was locked, but Kagami and I managed to find a key," she explained, holding up a strange piece of metal Ogawa assumed to have belonged to the Remnants' leader. It hardly resembled anything Morikawa even described it to be as she handed it over to Kagero for further use.
Shinji made sure to give Morikawa their gratitude before redirecting their attention towards the nearby staircase. Standard procedures were followed and Shinji led the way down the steps with an unholstered firearm in his hands, and Kagero right behind him. The cramped stairway was only illuminated by wax candles clinging onto the stone walls, and yet, both Shinji and Kagero expertly navigated through the darkness like they were in clear daylight. And the further the pair descended into the depths of the hideout, the quicker they were beginning to notice this lingering stench of hot smoke in the air. Eventually, the stairway's dusty steps ended at a large, metal door with a distinct keyhole in its center.
Both of them could tell that this thick slab of metal could endure a few mundane explosives before it would even budge.
Retrieving the metal key from one of his suit's pockets, Kagero held the strange item between two fingers. "Our weapons could most likely cut it open, but we thankfully can just use this," he said, squeezing past his senior to insert the baroque metal into the door's keyhole. While Shinji remained on-guard with his firearm in his hands, Kagero slowly turned the key-piece, causing the metal slab to emit an affirmatory ring before it slid open without issue. "You'd think they would design these with a far more complicated security measure."
The younger man's dry remark was only entertained by a small scoff from Shinji. Taking the lead once again with his eyes staring down the sights of his firearm, Shinji soundlessly stepped into an enormous, brightly-lit bunker with walls of steel and a carpet-covered floor. He was unbothered by the smoke that choked the bunker's atmosphere, for his attention was too busy directing itself at the rows of sizzling server racks which crowded the area the same way bookshelves would fill out a library. Bullet holes riddled every single one of these server racks, leaving them as barely anything more than smoking piles of useless scrap metal.
A swift hand-signal from the eldest of the two ordered the pair to split up and make their way down different aisles of the bunker. Any signs of life that did not come from them was not going to go unnoticed by their sharpened senses.
Exiting one empty aisle of the destroyed server racks, Shinji swept an attentive gaze around before his eyes fell upon a stone pedestal sitting in an unremarkable corner of the large bunker. A paper map of the entire globe was stretched across the surface of the wall behind it, and Shinji tightly held onto this firearm when he approached the stone furniture. Crude, red markings were evident across the entire length of the faded map, messily encompassing areas such as Europe, Borneo, Japan and the United States in deep, messy crimson. It was difficult to tell which part of the globe wasn't even marked at all, in fact. And the longer Shinji stared at the map, the more apparent was the unease within Shinji's thumping chest.
Sitting on top of the pedestal itself was a worn, leather-bound tome. Undoubtedly Illuminati in origin. Grasping the object's cover with one hand, Shinji kept his weapon ready in the other while he opened up the tome, and found himself staring at pages upon pages of incoherent, maddened writings. No matter how many of the withered pages he turned, the same ominous sentence was scrawled upon every single one of them, "The day of judgement arrives."
Quaint. Unfortunately, this wasn't what the pair came all the way down here for.
Closing the strange tome back up without another glance, Shinji investigated another one of the aisles to notice the incinerated body of an Illuminati acolyte lying against one of the sizzling server racks. A small switch was grasped within one of the burnt corpse's ashen hands and Shinji gingerly approached the body for a quick examination. A result of alchemical flames, he concluded to himself. No doubt the same flames that the Remnants often inflicted upon themselves in order to prevent their capture. The odour of freshly-burned skin was most foul, but Shinji had grown used to the smell of death long ago.
The wrist device on Shinji's forearm subsequently lit up from an incoming transmission, prompting the agent to momentarily holster his firearm so he could connect a sound-only line with his apprentice. "Tsuchiya, have you discovered anything of note?" Shinji asked, bringing his attention towards the holographic projection coming out of his wrist device.
"Not exactly, Ogawa," Kagero frustratingly declared from the other end of the line. "A terminal I've found states that a vault located within the lower levels of this bunker is where the Illuminati had been storing the SG-r04." There was a brief pause in Kagero's hasty report. "Apparently, it had been set to self-destruct before our attack started. But it looks like we weren't the only guests the Illuminati were expecting on their doorstep, because something or someone had halted the vault's detonation mere seconds before it could go off."
Narrowing his eyes at the implication of a possible third-party, Shinji looked over to the ashen corpse before him, inquiring, "And what of the SG-r04 itself?"
"Missing." Kagero got straight to the point. "All of the bunker's camera recordings have been deleted. And whoever arrived for the stolen prototype experienced little difficulty melting through several metres of secured vault metal. I don't even believe the Remnants on the surface were even aware of the SG-r04's disappearance until it was far too late. Regardless, I'll try and see what else I can uncover." The clacking of fingers upon keys could faintly be heard in the call's background. "What do you propose we do next, Ogawa?"
It only took a second for Shinji to come up with an order. "I'll alert command that we'll be conducting a search of the entire area," he stated, already preparing himself to send out further instructions to Morikawa and Kagami back up on the surface. "Whoever arrived for the SG-r04 can't be too far from our current location."
Clan Hida has never once failed a mission. That was what their records officially stated, at least. Despite his position, not even Souji himself could be completely certain when it came to the personal integrity of his numerous predecessors.
Holding up her smartphone in one hand, Ayano Komichi released an enchanted sigh while she gazed upon a recording of the marriage yesterday between Kazanari Tsubasa and Kazanari Maria. Having just received the video from Chris earlier on in the day, Komichi had spent the past hour rewatching the grandiose wedding from start to finish, keeping herself occupied outside the sliding entrance of a brand-new shopping mall. As Komichi leaned against the sidewalk's metal railing in a thick winter coat, December snow fell upon the city of Mitakihara, creating the atmosphere of a joyous, white wonderland. Christmas lights were practically everywhere in sight. And it was impossible for a second to pass by without hearing some sort of holiday tune in the winter air.
Komichi momentarily diverted her glimmering, green eyes away from her device to brush the accumulating snow off her long, flowing hair. Once the gesture was completed, the brunette continued fawning over the recording of the kiss between the Kazanari couple, gaining the woman a few awkward stares from the passing-by pedestrians on the bustling sidewalk. It was easy to ignore them all, of course. But when Komichi felt a firm hand suddenly deliver a sharp, playful bonk to the back of her hand, she let out a dramatic yelp, and turned around to pout at the person who had snuck up on her without making even a single sound.
Godai Yuki. A fellow agent of S.O.N.G. and Komichi's companion since childhood.
Although they both were of the same age, Yuki was noticeably the taller of the two while she kept her dark green hair tied up in a long, sports-like ponytail. A style which easily matched Yuki's almost boyish way of speaking. "You know, Otome and I made a bet that you'd be watching that when I arrived," she said, casually putting her arms behind her head. The gesture was tagged along by an exasperated sigh and a raised brow. "Looks like Darlin' isn't going to be winning the bet this time," she added with a cheeky smirk.
Komichi playfully stuck out her tongue at the woman's remark, causing Yuki to stifle a chuckle behind a closed fist. "You shouldn't sneak up on a maiden like that, Yuki. Don't you know that stress can mess with your skin?" Komichi said, theatrically crossing a pair of arms over her chest with a chin raised high. "Speaking of Otome, where is your little fiance?" she then asked, pushing herself off the sidewalk's railing to glance around their crowded surroundings. Considering Otome's height, it wouldn't be surprising if the spectacled florist was just hiding among the ocean of people that were filling out Mitakihara's busy streets.
"Darlin' is a bit busy visiting her relatives over at Kazamino, so she couldn't make it," Yuki explained with a small, defeated shrug of the shoulders. "I tried to get her to tag along, but her Ma and Pa weren't too keen on attendin' family stuff without her around." Holding up her smartphone with its screen already switched on, Yuki quickly pointed to a long list of items, plushies, and clothing. "She did give me some cash so I could buy a couple things she wanted, though."
Although Komichi was slightly disappointed for that to be the case, the brunette was a little bit relieved that their little reunion wasn't completely off the table. Their initial plans accounted for more than just the three of them, after all.
Shifting her curious gaze behind her ponytailed friend, Komichi scanned the crowded sidewalk, and whatever disappointment she initially felt quickly disappeared when she spotted a head of snow-white hair heading over towards them. Dressed in the same winter coat she often wore back in their days at Lydian, Yukine Chris was carrying a sealed cup of bubble tea in one hand as she arrived on the scene, the long, white tails of hair trailing freely behind her in an admittedly adorably fashion. It had been a long time since Chris moved over to America for her studies, so when the Adaptor greeted the pair with a wave, Komichi practically galloped towards the short woman with her arms wide-open.
"There's our little snowball!" Komichi exclaimed, capturing Chris in a big, tight hug that only made the Adaptor's face light up like the many Christmas lights hanging over their heads.
But even with the embarrassment which was clear across Chris' crimson face, she made no attempt at all to actually pry Komichi's arms off her, and instead just barked at the woman who was trying to essentially smother her. "G-Get off me!" she exclaimed between gritted teeth, both hands holding onto her bubble tea so it wouldn't spill all over the side-walk. "It's only been a couple years, dammit! No need to get all clingy like this!"
"This was probably the one thing you should've expected when you came here, ya know?" Yuki playfully remarked, arms still behind her head while she walked up to the struggling pair. In one practised motion, she smoothly held up a hand to Komichi's face, and sharply flicked her fingers against the brunette's forehead, quickly making her release their snow-white friend. As Komichi dramatically rubbed the struck area with both hands, Yuki greeted Chris with a playful bump of her fist against the short Adaptor's shoulder. "So, how was the wedding yesterday? Tachibana and the others were there too, right?"
Audibly relieved to finally be free from Komichi's clutches, Chris eased herself through a sip of her bubble tea before answering, "The wedding was pretty swell. The Dummy kept crying the entire time, so her girlfriend had to hold onto her for almost the whole thing." Chris gave an amused scoff. "Scythe and Rabbit were in charge of the food, so I ate pretty damn well, that's for sure. If you're asking about Maria and her new wife, they looked pretty damn happy the entire time."
An impressed whistle slipped out of Yuki. "Sounded like a blast."
"It does, doesn't it?" Komichi added, leaning forward again so she could give Chris a signature cat-like grin that spanned from ear-to-ear. It visibly made the Adaptor involuntarily shiver beneath her winter coat. "In fact, when I asked Kohinata the other day if she could send me a recording of the event, I heard that our little Chris was practically crying-"
"Finish that sentence, and only two living souls will be walking into that mall, Komichi." Chris' playful threat immediately zipped the woman's teasing lips, but the cat-like grin Komichi wore still remained on her face while Yuki simply shook her head with a small laugh. "Anyway! Enough standing around outside in the snow," Chris soon pointed out, jerking a thumb towards the entrance of the mall behind them. "Let's head inside for some fun already." With that said, the Adaptor soon took the lead, officially starting their reunion by bringing the gathered group into Mitakihara City's newest shopping mall.
Stepping through the crowded entrance of the giant complex, the warmer temperatures of the building felt like a shelter from the winter breeze outside and the promise of a shopper's heaven. Clothes stores, restaurants, arcades and so much more were all they could practically see as they arrived at a main lobby filled with a sea of families, friends and lovers. If one were to look upward, they would notice the ten-to-twenty floors which made up the shopping complex, all of them connected by multiple escalators and elevators. Since it was their first time walking around this place, the trio approached one of the many holographic displays that were providing a comprehensive map of the entire mall.
"Seriously?" Chris bit down on her straw and slurped up the last of her bubble tea before groaning at a particular store of superheroine merchandise on the map. "They got a Valkyranger shop here, too?"
Zesshou Sentai Valkyranger. Just like the name itself would imply, the show featured six women in colour-coded costumes, each of them marked with their own vibrant personalities, unique weapons, and tragic backstories. Together, they would join hands to battle against world-threatening gods, devious witches and maniacal scientists. It had only been a few years ago when Chris informed the pair that S.O.N.G. would be financially-supporting a television show based on the adventures of the Symphogear-Wielders. And even though the 50-episode show itself turned out to be a huge success, the sheer popularity of the series was nothing Chris had even anticipated. Komichi, on the other hand, could not forget how the Adaptors had to promote the series through a few choreographed and costumed live shows.
"It was pretty cheesy, but Darlin' and I thought it was pretty good," Yuki commented, still eyeing the holographic map to make a list of eye-catching shops. "Now then, which store will we blow our cash on first?"
Komichi's eyes practically glowed with excitement at the mere thought of shopping. "Oh, there's just so much to pick from! There's a nice clothing store here! A plushie store there! And-!" A loud, audible rumble quickly erupted from Chris' stomach, prompting both Komichi and Yuki to gaze at her while the snow-white woman quietly bit down her lips out of wordless embarrassment. "... Or maybe we could grab a bite first?" Komichi soon suggested with a bright smile.
With their first stop now decided, the trio stepped into one of the lobby's elevators, and ascended towards the highest floor of the giant shopping mall. The first thing which greeted them was the smell of hot, fried food, an alluring sensation they all had to snap themselves out of before Chris and Yuki split off to go and find an empty table in the large food court. On her way to the nearby stalls, Komichi scoured between them for something that would satisfy all three of the women, all as she kept herself mindful about how much she herself was going to eat. But before Komichi could pick a stall to order from, the brunette's ears suddenly picked up the sound of a deep, feminine voice Komichi had not heard since her days in Lydian.
"Mei, where are you? Mei!"
Komichi turned her attention to the familiar tune and spun around on one heel, eventually spotting a woman with distinct brown skin and long, black hair which had been tied into a simple braid on one shoulder. While the woman looked around the busy food court with a pair of sharp, purple eyes, she held a smartphone up to one ear, caring little for the other shoppers around her in the middle of an obvious search. Komichi instantly recognized her as one of the second-year juniors back when Komichi herself was still in her third-year. But her hazy memory struggled to remember the woman's full name. Even so, Komichi approached her anyway with a friendly wave of the hand.
"Hello! Hello!" Komichi greeted the brown woman in fluent English, immediately causing her to abruptly halt right in front of the curious brunette. "Were you... looking for someone, Jiang?" The surname came to Komichi's memory just by the skin of her teeth.
Jiang spent a moment regarding Komichi with a sharp, analytical look before recognition softened up the woman's expression. "Ayano?" she asked, earning Jiang a cheerful nod of the head. "Ah. It's been a while, hasn't it?" Jiang promptly cleared her throat, and pocketed the smartphone in her hand to relax one hand on her hip. "Sorry. I was just in the middle of finding my little sister. I swore she was with me when we entered the food court, but..." She gave another worried look around the place and pensively twirled a strand of black hair around one of her fingers.
For a moment, Komichi couldn't help but feel like she was talking to a worried parent rather than a frustrated older sibling. When she opened her mouth so she could suggest something, Komichi's eyes looked past Jiang, and spotted a teenage girl who was slowly creeping up on the woman from behind. The girl was carrying a few plastic bags of Valkyranger toys in her hands. The brown skin and messy black hair of hers quickly caused Komichi to modestly point at the approaching teen with an amused smile. "Would that be her?"
Jiang turned around in an instant and faced her younger sibling with both hands placed on her hips this time, making the teen freeze where she stood with faux-shock and a cheeky smile on her face. "So, that's where you were." the older Jiang clicked her tongue in frustration. Shifting a soft glare over to the bags of merchandise in the teen's hands, Jiang didn't seem surprised at all by what her little sister was carrying. "You know, you could have at least sent me a text before running off like that, Mei."
The teenage girl barely looked any older than eighteen years-old as she continued smiling sheepishly back at her older sibling. The girl was caught red-handed, and yet, it was as though that was part of her plan to begin with. "Aw, come on!" she groaned. "It was just a quick trip. I was in-and-out before you could even say 'clock up'!" A combined sigh of relief and exasperation came out of Jiang, giving the young girl the opportunity to greet a chuckling Komichi with an eager, two-fingered salute. "Yo! Who's this lady, Jie? Someone you know?"
The older of the two siblings then turned back to Komichi with a clearly-vexed gesture towards the teenager. "Ayano, this is my sister, Cynthia Jiang Kai-Ming." Kai made sure to strike a flamboyant pose for the introduction, intentionally oblivious to the plastic bags swinging haphazardly in her grasp. "Mei, this is one of my seniors from when I was still in Lydian: Ayano Komichi." The older Jiang gave a formal bow which Komichi returned in kind. "Cassandra Jiang Lanfen, in case you forgot," Lanfen added while she adjusted the black-and-white scarf wrapped around her neck.
Eyeing her past junior with a hand held up to her chin in thought, Komichi clapped her hands together, remarking, "You sure have grown a lot since Lydian, huh? Have you been doing well?
There was a faint hint of hesitation within the older sibling's purple eyes before the woman calmly answered, "You could say that. A lot's happened over the years, but I'm surviving regardless." As Kai-Ming kept her mouth sealed behind her sibling, the younger Jiang set her eyes on the food stalls around them. "Mei and I were just getting something to eat before heading back to Yamaku City," Lanfen explained, gesturing over to an empty table nearby. "Care to join us in the meantime?"
Komichi could see the growing excitement within Kai-Ming's eyes in reaction to the sister's offer, so it was pretty difficult when Komichi unfortunately had to turn them down. "Sorry, sorry. I've already got some plans for today, so I'll have to pass. But!" She directed a pair of finger-guns at the two sisters and gave them a wink. "You two go and have fun! It's the weekend, so that's what a maiden should be doing, after all!" Flashing them an encouraging smile, both siblings gave her an understanding glance in response.
"Sure. It was nice seeing you, Ayano." Lanfen gave another formal bow before she simultaneously excused herself and her sibling. "Take care of yourself."
"Ciao!" Kai-Ming shot Komichi an excited peace-sign and followed her older sister towards one of the food court's countless stalls.
Even when they were off, Komichi still couldn't help but notice how Lanfen seemed to treat her sibling more like a child than a younger sister. It was an observation she was going to elaborate on when her train of thought was suddenly interrupted by a low rumbling from Komichi's own stomach. Thinking always made you hungrier, like some would say. Bringing her eyes over to the nearest food stall, Komichi decided to just go with what they had, and hoped that Chris and Yuki were going to chow down on whatever she brought to the table.
As Komichi forked a fresh ball of takoyaki into her mouth, she looked out of the large window beside their table, and observed the falling winter snow with an entranced gaze. Sitting beside her was Yuki, who eagerly dug into a modest plate of gyoza. On the other side of the table, Chris was halfway done with her second bowl of udon by the time Komichi was even a quarter-way finished with her own bowl of food. In-between bites, the three women caught up on everything that had occurred over the past half-decade, and even if a couple years had passed since their graduation from Lydian, Komichi felt as if little had actually changed when it came to chatting with their snow-white friend. Knowing that Chris was an Adaptor couldn't affect the way both Yuki or Komichi saw her.
Still, even if things were open between them, the trio made sure to find an area of the food court which was completely vacant of anyone who could eavesdrop on their conversation.
"-it's only been a couple months since they've started, but that Dummy and her girlfriend are pretty much swamped with work over at Lydian," Chris explained in the middle of shoving her noodles into her mouth. "Being a teacher ain't easy, but it's a lot easier for the Dummy to give an excuse for why she ain't around when S.O.N.G. starts calling us up for work," she continued with a wave of her chopsticks. "Meanwhile, Scythe and Rabbit are pretty much dying in some culinary uni' over in Australia. Can't say I'm jealous of 'em."
"Sounds like things have been pretty chill for you Wielders," Yuki pointed out, her eyes glancing over to a text message from Otome in her smartphone. "It's been - what - a year since y'all have fought some Noise? Rescue work sounds pretty mundane compared to all that."
Pushing aside her emptied bowl of food, Komichi wiped her mouth with a tissue, saying, "I'm sure they're busy in other ways, Yuki. After all, aren't the Kazanaris planning on starting up that humanitarian front?" she asked Chris this time. "It can't be easy for Tsubasa now that she's also the head of the Kazanari household. Her schedule must be pretty tight if she insists on still taking the stage and doing whatever S.O.N.G. rings you gals up for."
"She's got a lot of work on her shoulders, yeah." Chris gave a shrug, not caring for the bits of food that were sticking to the corners of her mouth. "But with Maria by her side, she's been staying pretty strong. Shouldn't be surprising considering how those two have been over the years." Now that the noodles in Chris bowl had been disposed of, Chris' hands grabbed onto it by its sides, and lifted the whole thing up to her lips, leading to the Adaptor instantly downing an entire bowl's worth of broth in a single sitting. It would've been impressive if Komichi and Yuki weren't so used to seeing it by now.
Komichi found it almost adorable, even.
Returning a wistful gaze over to the expansive cityscape outside the court's window, Komichi could see countless people crowding out the streets of Mitakihara down below, and for a brief moment, she wondered what it was like to have a life that wasn't - in any way - associated with the paranormal. It's been almost 4 years now since Yuki and her had joined up with S.O.N.G. for some honest work. The fact that it's been that long by this point only brought out a dramatic sigh from Komichi. "If it's one thing I miss, it's having a weekend where I don't have to expect S.O.N.G. to suddenly ring us up for a mission," she moaned to no one in particular. "Ever since the whole mess with that stolen relic thing, I was beginning to think we wouldn't be getting a day-off for at least a month."
"Really makes ya wonder why they're even bothering with that failed lab experiment," Chris dryly remarked before glancing over to Yuki. The ponytailed woman was still in the middle of replying to a few text messages from Otome when Chris decided to chat her up. "What about you, Yuki? Got any good stories about your time in that Hida Clan?"
Yuki delivered a teasing smirk and placed a finger over her own lips in a 'hush' motion. "Sorry, Red Hood, but that's confidential. What I can tell you though is that it's already been a while since I've transferred back to S.O.N.G.'s agency. I was handling their teachings just fine, but ever since I got engaged to Otome, I decided that I didn't wanna do anythin' that could get her to worry too much about me." Yuki slid her smartphone into her winter coat's pockets and leaned back on the backrest of her chair with her arms behind her head. "Besides, the tasks S.O.N.G. gives us aren't exactly hard compared to what Clan Hida usually made me do."
"The skills Yuki's learned from them sure do come in handy in our line of work, though," Komichi commented with a pleased grin. "It's a lot easier doing spy stuff when your partner can just sneak around in broad daylight."
"And I will remind you to not rely too much on me, Komi'," Yuki playfully snapped back at her, prompting the brunette to stick out her tongue almost reflexively.
After Chris was done finishing up her glass of juice, the crimson Adaptor placed the tall glass aside, and rose up from her chair without bothering to clean her mouth. "Anyway! Let's start shopping," she told the pair with a fist raised high. "It's been a while since we've messed around, so let's have some fun."
There were absolutely no disagreements whatsoever with Chris' suggestion. None at all. And with their food all chowed down, Komichi and Yuki eagerly followed the short woman out of the bustling food court for an exciting afternoon. Komichi in particular decided to hum an excited tune while she joined her two companions from behind, her wandering gaze shifting itself back to the nearby windows for one last look at the expansive cityscape before them. And as her green eyes took in the breath-taking sight for just a moment, Komichi couldn't help but notice these odd flickers of red lights faintly dancing among the skyline of Mitakihara City.
By the time Shinji and Kagero had returned to the S.O.N.G. submarine by helicopter, the setting sun in the horizon was already casting a soft, yellow glow onto the cities of Japan. When the two men walked through the sliding doors of the vessel's command center, they immediately spotted Commander Genjuuro and Grandmaster Souji up ahead. Both leaders were evidently still in the middle of an ongoing conversation, so Shinji and Kagero quietly got down on their knees, and lowered their heads in shame while they waited for their superiors to conclude their formal talk. Shinji decided to announce their presence only after a full minute had passed in complete silence.
"We must apologise for our failure to retrieve the missing SG-r04," the eldest of the arrived pair stated as Kagero kept quiet at Shinji's side. "In hindsight, we may have overestimated our capabilities-".
The scabbard of Souji's ceremonial weapon loudly clacked against the bridge's metal floor. The mere sound of it made both Shinji and Kagero instantly tense up in silence. "You will apologise for nothing, Shinji," Souji stated, tightening his hands around the pommel of his katana with his eyes closed shut. "Whatever happened to the SG-r04, it appears to have disappeared from the Illuminati's hands before they had even acknowledged it. Clan Hida has been monitoring the European continent for the past week, and thus far, nothing has gone in nor out without our notice."
"The time that the council has provided us is running short, but it's time better spent focusing on our objective rather than apologising," the Commander calmly added with a gesture for the pair to get up from their knees. Commander Genjuuro then eased the obvious unease on the two younger men's faces by means of a reassuring smile. "Besides, it's not like you two came back from Germany empty-handed."
Standing back on their two feet once again, Shinji attempted to calm the brewing sensation within his chest while Kagero spoke up with a direct question for the Commander, "Have our researchers managed to figure out anything about the object we discovered?"
Commander Genjuuro answered the young man's question with a firm nod before turning to Tomosato and Fujitaka, both of them still rapidly typing away at their bridge terminals. "Tomosato, bring up an image of the time." The order was instantaneously followed up and the bridge's three large monitor screens subsequently generated images of a pitch-black box covered in the distinct markings of the Illuminati. "Apparently, the Remnants had stored a secured data-codex several kilometres beneath their hideout. Professor Elfnein has been investigating it ever since we got the item excavated. And after a bit of research, the Professor says it contains encrypted information regarding beings the Remnants have designated as 'Distortions'."
Additional images flashed across the bridge's three monitor screens. This time, the digitised imagery showcased incomplete blueprints, proposals and designs for a substantial variety of armoured, humanoid-shaped creatures. No two designs were exactly identical, for each of them possessed different sets of armaments while also bearing a diverse range of armour shapes and sizes. Shinji couldn't help but note their fleeting resemblance to the fantastical depictions and stylized paintings of European knights from the earlier centuries. And as the men observed the detailed blueprints on the screens, they could all see that each automata was given a designated 'Category' along with a respective 'Type'.
Category-1. Category-2. Category-3.
Armour-Type. Blade-Type. Caster-Type.
Shinji took his usual position right next to Commander Genjuuro, inquiring, "Is this some sort of alchemical creation?"
"That's what we initially assumed at first, but it does not appear to be the case," Souji answered with a pair of stern eyes on the strange designs before them. "Although the decrypted information thus far implies that the Remnants lent some form of assistance in their tailoring, these plans do not detail any form of alchemy in the creation of these armoured automata. They also seem to have been provided by a third-party which we have yet to identify, as there are no markings pointing to a group both Clan Hida and S.O.N.G. have already encountered."
When the blueprints were finally dismissed from the large monitor screens, Commander Genjuuro sat down at his post and furrowed his brows with suspicion. "Which points to the possibility of a new foe entirely."
"Indeed," Souji said, lifting the ceremonial weapon in one hand to rest its grip on top of his shoulder. "A deal with this mysterious third-party must have gone wrong if the SG-r04 was stolen without the Remnants' notice. Not that it's deserving of any sympathy, of course." The Grandmaster then gave the Commander a sharp look which immediately informed both Shinji and Kagero of the frustration Souji undoubtedly felt within himself. "Whoever they may be, Clan Hida will be at your disposal for the immediate elimination of their leaders, Commander Kazanari. You need only request our services."
In spite of all the grace the Grandmaster typically carried himself with, the mere notion of a threat against their lands never failed to agitate the eldest of the Ogawa brothers.
Some things simply never changed.
A direct transmission suddenly appeared over the bridge's central monitor screens. When the four men turned their attention towards it, they could see that it was a sound-only call originating from the submarine's laboratories. It was Professor Elfnein. Mild signs of exhaustion were apparent in her voice when the Professor addressed them, "Commander, pardon my intrusion, but in my attempts to decrypt the Illuminati's data-codex, I have managed to uncover an audio recording that was stored alongside the encrypted information. I would suggest listening to it."
There was a brief halt in the transmission before the audio transitioned into the very recording she spoke of.
The volume of the audio itself was faint until Commander Genjuuro ordered Fujitaka to increase it and rewind the whole recording, allowing the bridge to clearly hear the panicked, gasping voice of a woman. "This is Acolyte Olivier Anderson. Our leader, Joseph Alexander, is dead. The enemy is approaching our walls. The relic pendant has been stolen and we have only hours before-" Harsh static plagued the recording, causing considerable chunks of it to be nothing but incomprehensible. "-they intend to destroy the information we've been documenting before S.O.N.G. arrives. But I've managed to salvage whatever I could. I've stored them within this codex to hide within the Earth and I can only hope that someone will be able to find this before-"
Olivier Anderson. Although it was just a personal guess from Shinji, the agent had a feeling that the incinerated acolyte he discovered within the underground bunker was this very individual. And the longer the recording went on, the more Shinji began to think that the device being used to record it was somehow being interrupted by an outside force. Whatever was the cause of the static couldn't hide the fear that coated the acolyte's raspy voice like a blanket of existential dread.
"-despite the efforts we have undertaken in order to enact a new world order, I can only now regret the role we have played in the theft of the prototype Symphogear. It pains me to say that we can now only rely on S.O.N.G. for the upcoming conflict. And while it is ridiculous to insist that the slayers of Adam are all we have to rely upon, the power of the Symphogears truly are the only things capable of turning back the coming tide. Please - to whomever may find this - you must deliver this codex to S.O.N.G. as soon as possible. They have to be aware of what we are facing. If we cannot rely on them... then I hope the afterlife is merciful on all our souls."
An abrupt end marked the recording's conclusion. A long, uncomfortable silence subsequently permeated the atmosphere of the entire bridge before the transmission switched back to Professor Elfnein.
"It shall take a few more days for me to finish decrypting the rest of the codex's information, Commander. I shall do it as fast as I can." Promises of ceaseless research were never hyperbolic when it came to the Professor. Much to the dismay of the whole crew, of course.
"Understood. But don't overwork yourself, Professor," Commander Genjuuro gently reminded her. "If anything comes up, be sure to notify us."
With the transmission itself finally coming to its own end, Souji turned back to Shinji and Kagero with both of his hands back on top of the Grandmaster's weapon-of-office. Even if the pair were no longer working directly underneath Clan Hida, the two never failed to maintain their formalities in Souji's presence. "Excellent work on discovering the data-codex. I'd recommend that you two go and get some rest afterwards." Souji looked over to Kagero in particular and gave the blonde agent a brief smile when he too noticed the lingering hints of shame on Kagero's face. "Don't beat yourself up too much. You may be a recent transfer of S.O.N.G., but your performance is anything other than lacking thus far, Kagero."
Kagero did not seem to fully believe the Grandmaster's attempts at reassurance. Even so, it didn't hold him back from giving a thankful bow in response. "I understand, Grandmaster."
Souji wordlessly acknowledged the gesture as the smile on his face quickly vanished. "The trail for the stolen Symphogear may have gone cold, but Clan Hida has recovered many an item with even less to rely on. My warriors will not rest until it has been discovered," he promised Commander Genjuuro before exchanging one last look of mutual respect with the larger man. "I will be returning to Clan Hida first thing in the morning." Souji gave a one-handed gesture for Shinji and Kagero to follow him out of the bridge. "Hopefully, we will be able to identify this new foe as soon as possible."
After the pair had excused themselves from the bridge through a respectful bow to the Commander, Shinji and Kagero turned towards the bridge's automatic entrance, and soundlessly made their way out of the command center with Souji in-between them. Shinji could sense the obvious frustration which was surging within his apprentice's heart, and even though this was a 'problem' Clan Hida often expected their warriors to handle all by themselves, the fact they were both underneath S.O.N.G. nowadays was a clear opportunity for Shinji himself to calm the younger man's unvoiced issues. A few words with Souji in particular would give clear insight on how best to deal with his older brother's previous right-hand man.
The departing trio were only a couple steps away from the bridge's automatic doors when sharpened instincts suddenly caused the two Ogawa brothers to halt in their tracks.
Obviously unsure as to why the pair had abruptly stopped, Kagero himself halted and glanced at the two silent siblings with clear concern. But before either of them could even say anything, a powerful, violent vibration rocked the entire submarine, causing Shinji and Kagero to swiftly stab their kunais into the walls while Souji himself planted an unsheathed katana into the floor as a make-shift brace. The power to the lights soon went out, leaving the command center in complete darkness as Commander Genjuuro held onto his terminal and demanded to know what had just hit them. The few operators who weren't as fast in their reactions to the sudden shock were effortlessly thrown off their posts and onto the hard floors of a quaking bridge.
"What's going on?!" Fujitaka shrieked from his terminal, desperately clinging onto his chair for dear life.
Tomosato slammed a couple desperate inputs into her own terminal, her other hand barely maintaining its grip onto the corner of her post. "We've been hit by an unidentified wave of energy, Commander! Our main generator has been shut off! Our back-up generator is-" Her terminal's interface - along with every other computer terminal in the bridge - then went dark as the holographic projection of the globe in the command center's middle instantly shut off. All monitor screens died out, denying the crew simple visuals of the quaking submarine's other sections.
"We're working on getting our generators up and running, Commander!" an operator from the lower sections of the bridge shouted amidst the pitch-black darkness.
Within a few chaotic minutes, the underwater vessel slowly regained its equilibrium, letting Shinji and Kagero release their grips on their wall-planted weapons before they navigated through the blinding darkness around them with ease. While Kagero ran up to Souji to ensure the Grandmaster's safety, Shinji rushed over to the bridge's lower sections, helping up any fallen operators to their feet and checking if anyone was wounded by the sudden shock to the vessel. To the agent's relief, nobody had sustained anything serious outside of a few sore bumps. Shinji's next move was to then reach into his pockets so he could ignite an emergency flare he always had on his person for situations just like this.
It was a move Kagero hurried to mimic after he noticed the actions of the far more experienced man.
Once the bridge was partially illuminated by a pair of crimson lights, Commander Genjuuro looked across the flare-lit bridge to check up on his haggard crew. "Is everyone alright?" the large man groaned from his designated post.
No injuries, so far. But the situation obviously wasn't over. After Shinji had made his way back onto the upper section of the bridge where Kagero and Souji were, they all reached for the devices on their wrists, and saw that their connection to both S.O.N.G. and Clan Hida's communications network were currently unavailable. Souji wasted little time in attempting to gain a connection before the Grandmaster calmly returned his ceremonial weapon back into its sheath. No amount of shielding would keep their communications perfectly protected from whatever they faced.
"Could this be related to whatever the Illuminati was trying to warn us about?" Kagero said to the two brothers, placing his kunai back in his suit's hidden sheathes.
Both Ogawa brothers clearly did not wish to find out the answer to his question. Not with the current state of the vessel, at least. Turning their attention over to the bridge's working crew, they could see operators rushing to get the power back on, and while Souji himself remained completely calm, Shinji couldn't help but feel the same sense of dread that he had felt within the bunker when he laid his eyes on the marked map of the globe. It was a sense of danger Shinji only began fostering after the horrible attack Noble Red staged on that concert nearly half a decade ago. But it was all instinct and nothing more in the end as Shinji waited for the power to return with his eldest brother and Kagero at his sides.
Shinji's sweating palms insisted otherwise, regardless.
It took about ten minutes for the vessel's generators to come back online. Computer terminals rang with life again, the holographic image of the globe materialised in the center of the bridge, and the bridge's three monitor screens lit up with the emblem of S.O.N.G. emblazoned across the central screen. But before any of the relieved operators could even celebrate their success, the bridge's alarm klaxons began blaring in their ears, all while a backlog of red alerts flooded their now-awakened computer terminals. Tomosato, Fujitaka and all the other bridge's operators hurried to address the incoming alerts, their stability kept only in check by the calm and rational Commander Genjuuro.
"Tomosato, give me a status report on the situation."
"Sir, we're detecting unidentified energy readings all over the globe!" she exclaimed, beads of sweat clearly trailing down the sides of her head. "Unknown energy signatures are appearing across the United States, Europe, Australia, Borneo, the Philippines, Japan and more, Commander!"
"Bringing up a visual of Tokyo now!" Fujitaka declared, inputting a command to display a clear image of the nearby Japanese city on the central monitor screen.
The visuals came in and what the entire bridge crew witnessed could only be described as 'cracks' in reality hovering over the busy streets of Tokyo.
These giant cracks would then expand into gaping, pulsing rifts numbering in what their terminals counted to be in the hundreds all across the entire world. Operators from the lower sections of the bridge reported that military forces across the globe were already in the middle of mobilising in response to the event, and as Commander Genjuuro swiftly gave out the order to get in contact with their six Adaptors, Shinji, Souji and Kagero stood behind him, wordlessly comprehending the increasing visuals of the rifts on the monitor screens. It was as if reality itself was slowly 'ripping' apart before their very eyes.
And yet, the apparent sundering of their world was not the only occurring catastrophe. Dozens of these dark, armoured bodies were descending from the gaping rifts to make landfall wherever they were. Once the bridge had received clear images of these armoured creatures through the CCTV cameras stationed around Tokyo, everyone present knew exactly what they were facing: Distortions. The armoured automata appeared exactly as to how the Illuminati's records detailed them to be. While Shinji and Kagero could only stand by and watch as the six Adaptors battled the paranormal horrors from the skies, Souji brought up his wrist device to address every single member of Clan Hida with a single urgent message.
"All members of Clan Hida, assist with the defense of our lands immediately!" His demand came out with a rare grimace. "I repeat, abandon all current tasks and assist with the counter-attack now!"
"Hibiki, Tsubasa, Chris, Maria, Kirika and Shirabe have all been deployed, Commander!" Fujitaka declared from his post. "The Adaptors are holding their ground, but the rifts are appearing in multiple zones outside of their reach!"
Judging by the number of armoured bodies the Adaptors were cleaving through with each passing second, Shinji's first observation was that it was going to take each Adaptor at least ten minutes to secure the zones they were already attempting to defend. In those ten agonising minutes, the regular military would have to hold out until S.O.N.G.'s Symphogear-Wielders could come and assist them. The thought initially seemed optimistic until the rifts in the skies began emitting these deep, thrumming 'pulses' of cacophonic energy, sending countless arriving fighter jets and helicopters to helplessly careen out of the sky before crashing down into the cities below. The only way the military could evidently fight was through a bloody ground battle against the armoured creatures.
The enemy was everywhere.
Communications channels were swarming with pleas for assistance.
Despite their odds, Commander Genjuuro still gave out his orders to the Wielders with fiery precision while they were deployed across the world to assist with the global defence. This was not the first time they were defending the world and it clearly was not going to be their last. But as the entire bridge crew attempted to pull together a coherent battle plan with their six Adaptors, a rare alert arrived on Tomosato's terminal, prompting the woman to swing a shocked gaze over to the Commander with an urgent report.
"Commander! We've detected a seventh Aufwachen waveform in Yamaku, Japan!"
All activity on the command center ceased for exactly one second the moment Tomosato had even uttered those words.
It was impossible, Shinji had thought, looking over the bridge operator with the very same look of disbelief Kagero and Souji themselves expressed. Commander Genjuuro audibly swore he had somehow misheard the bewildered Tomosato. It was just utterly unbelievable. And yet, when Fujitaka inputted a command to record this brand-new Aufwachen waveform, S.O.N.G.'s records identified the incoming waveform pattern in an instant.
"Commander, I'm bringing it up on the monitors!" Fujitaka announced, slamming one more input into his interface.
Three words flashed across the central monitor screen. A single sentence that caused Genjuuro to slam his hands onto his terminal while his voice escaped him in a way it had not done so for the longest time now.
"The Sword of Damocles?!"