A manned, intercontinental missile was the last thing Lanfen expected to ride in for her deployment to Kazamino. Its insides could only be described as a claustrophobic, rumbling 'cage' with barely enough room to move in. Metallic segments which were weaved into the soles of Lanfen's boots mag-locked her to its 'base', keeping the Wielder in place while the missile raced towards her destination. Clutching the red pendant around her neck with a twitching hand, a transmission from one of the submarine's operators arose from Lanfen's wrist device with a report of the ongoing situation. It sounded like the woman who had been sitting on the Commander's right side at the bridge.
"Lanfen? This is Tomosato Aoi speaking. You'll be reaching the designated point in approximately three minutes. Evacuation of the city has just been completed, so there shouldn't be any concerns for civilian casualties." A holographic screen appeared up on the interior of the missile, shining a dim light amidst the darkness that made Lanfen squint her eyes. "Be careful out there, alright?"
Seeing the 3-minute countdown which appeared on the screen, Lanfen responded, "Affirmative. SG-r04, preparing for drop." The timer ticked down and Lanfen readied herself for combat by calling back on the knowledge that her Symphogear had implanted within her mind. Numerous sword techniques, fighting styles and built-in weaponry, all of which only required Lanfen's body to instinctively follow them to the letter. Lanfen had only scraped the surface of this knowledge in her first battle, so there was plenty more to unleash upon the Distortions in her second ever fight. "Mei," Lanfen whispered, hearing the timer tick down to its last ten seconds, "please watch over me."
A harsh metal groaning reverberated throughout the missile when the countdown hit zero. The holographic screen subsequently vanished and large gaps arose in the missile's dispersing casing, allowing Lanfen to feel the cold air that was now rushing inside the space. As the missile's casing fully broke apart to rain down on the tops of Kazamino's skyscrapers and its empty streets below, the thrusters of Lanfen's transportation system died out, causing the Adaptor's boots to automatically unlock themselves from the missile's base with a declaratory ring. Noticing her cue to depart, Lanfen descended onto the city, parted her lips, and released her holy chant in the mesmerizing form of a siren's song.
"Valtorah Damocles sen zizzl."
Shining, crimson lights engulfed Lanfen to the roars of saxophones and resonating pianos. While black-and-white fibers enveloped her body, a glimmering, three-point crown slammed onto her head and connected itself to her headphones. Thrusting her arms into a pair of dark gauntlets, Lanfen's Queen chess-piece pauldron materialized into existence on top of her right shoulder as armoured boots sealed themselves around the length of her legs. The electro-swing Jazz that flowed out from her armour declared the completed formation of Lanfen's Symphogear, all while her relic pendant magnetized itself to her chest to form its ruby-like converter unit.
The soles of Lanfen's armoured boots greeted Kazamino's empty streets with a thunderous landing, sending the snow around the Adaptor flying onto nearby vehicles and street signs as a larger crater blossomed beneath her feet. Heralded by the rhythmic tunes of her Symphogear, the crowned warrior rose up to her feet to shoot a scornful glare right at the giant 'crack' that was growing in Kazamino's skyline. As if reacting to the Adaptor's arrival, the crack 'expanded' into a shimmering, gigantic rift. Arcs of lightning crackled around it and an inhuman 'wailing' echoed throughout the city's evacuated roads. When armoured bodies began descending from the rift to make landfall, Lanfen drew the grip of her Armed Gear from her hip's black armour.
The Sword of Damocles' thick blade sprung forth from its golden cross-guard with a ringing schwing.
Category-1 Distortions. 'Blade' types. The distinction honestly didn't matter to Lanfen. It didn't matter to the Sword of Damocles either. The Distortions were nothing more than automata to sate her thirsting sword-hand with. Even as the emerald knights crashed onto the streets before her, numbering in the dozens, the size of the horde was the only quality these monsters had to their name. The knights wielded a diverse range of weapons from pairs of arming swords, to large two-handed weaponry that dwarfed the size of an average person. In exchange for their heavier weaponry, their armour was noticeably slimmer than the obsidian Distortions which Lanfen faced several nights ago in Yamaku.
Swiftly brandishing her one-handed sword, Lanfen narrowed her eyes at the gathering Distortions, her words dripping with vicious contempt. "Commencing with the elimination of the enemy."
Electro-swing jazz blared from her Symphogear's speakers in defiance of the rushing Distortions' clambering footsteps. Bolting past the abandoned vehicles on the road towards the incoming, incoherent mass of battle automata, Lanfen's body burned with a fire that could not be quelled by the winter winds. On the other end of the street, empty vehicles were shoved aside by the Distortions as every single one of the knights cared for nothing more than challenging the Symphogear-Wielder. Lanfen gladly met their mindless thirst head-on.
"My mind's begging for it all to stop, yet it still gets churned into slop." Lanfen faced the front row of the horde and cleaved open several abdomens in a single violent swing. The sensation of her blade tearing through metal with a shower of hot sparks felt utterly euphoric. "What can I do but sing the days away? When you've nowhere else to stay."
The crowned warrior withdrew from the reach of a dozen ebony blades as their clumsy attacks sliced against the concrete road. With a proverbial fire in her eyes, Lanfen zipped between the upturned vehicles, easily avoiding the strikes of her foes while the Sword of Damocles rampaged through the horde. For each blow which was swung at her after-images, severed heads and limbs would clatter to the snowy ground and explode into clouds of emerald sand. By the time she had reached the backline of the gathered Distortions, Lanfen counted the dying explosions of at least twenty-four armoured bodies. It wasn't enough.
"I'm not able to hear the girl I used to be. Will I ever touch those that I long for?" Dismembering the legs of two Distortions who had just made landfall, Lanfen jammed her sword into her hip armour before seizing the falling knights by their necks. She held them above the ground with her enhanced strength and spun around to hurl the pair into the thinned-down horde behind her. Several Distortions exploded from the crashing impact of metal upon metal. "I stare at those that I used to see. The monsters are begging for more."
Drawing her sword back out, Lanfen ducked beneath a desperate sword swing to the roars of excited trumpets. She repaid the rushing automata by cleaving off its arms and tackling it onto the snowy concrete. The glowing visor of the Distortion's faceplate emitted a defiant 'hissing' noise as Lanfen curled her other hand into a fist and caved-in its faceplate like a fragile tin can. The Distortion promptly exploded into sand underneath her while the crowned warrior glared at the remaining stragglers of the Distortion horde and flicked her sand-covered wrist. The rift in the sky was still open, but there were no signs of Distortion reinforcements.
"The cracking of my heart makes me scream. My tears have become an endless stream." Lanfen rushed towards the disoriented Distortions and sated the aching hunger within her sword-hand. Every crude swing against their armoured bodies. Every violent thrust into a chest-plate. Every bludgeoning strike against their faces with the pommel of her sword. None of it was enough. It was like trying to quell a fire with droplets of water. "When will I be allowed a break from this world? The feelings deep in my heart are whirled."
Grabbing a Distortion by its wrist, Lanfen severed the seized limb from its torso and bludgeoned the knight in its face with its own metal arm. She then caught the sword that fell from the disintegrating arm's grasp and plunged it into the knight's knee before completely decapitating it with the Sword of Damocles. Three blades subsequently struck into her back, creating a shower of sparks as the attacks harmlessly bounced off her Symphogear's protective barriers. After spinning around to face the remaining three Distortions, Lanfen struck two of them down in the span of a rapid heartbeat.
The armoured gauntlet on her left forearm quickly split open to reveal the wired harpoon within it. Saxophone howls resonated in the air, punctuating her clanking footsteps while Lanfen tightened her fist and launched the wired weapon like a striking snake. The harpoon impaled the final Distortion's thigh, allowing Lanfen to wretch the knight off its footing with a violent tug of her arm. Lanfen was on top of the Distortion the moment its back slammed against the concrete. When the knight's sword swung at Lanfen, Lanfen rewarded the desperate attack by grabbing the blade, shattering it in her grasp, and planting her own sword right into its face.
The Sword of Damocles tore through an emerald faceplate and stabbed into the concrete roads to the triumphant howls of saxophones.
It still wasn't enough to sate the proverbial fires within Lanfen's eyes.
One of the bridge operators immediately began shouting over the comm, "Incoming enemy reinforcements, Lanfen! Caster types!"
Golden lights flashed in the corner of her eye and Lanfen instinctively tumbled towards the sidewalk. The road she had been standing on erupted with violent detonations which left gaping, smoking holes within the thick concrete. Clicking her tongue in annoyance, Lanfen got back on her armoured feet and glared up at the rift to see seven Distortions slowly descending from the giant tear in reality. They donned a mixture of black, fluttering robes and shining, golden armour as broken vehicles crumpled beneath the feet of the arriving Distortions. Flickers of energy danced around their rune-marked forearms while the pointed tips of their fingers traced down glowing, eldritch glyphs in the air.
Tensing her body at the sight of these mysterious symbols, Lanfen's fingers instinctively tightened around the grip of her sword. Lances of eldritch energy subsequently catapulted towards the crowned warrior with a thunderous boom. The speeding projectiles grazed past her armoured body and blew burning, red-hot holes into the metal surfaces of the cars and trucks behind Lanfen. When the crowned warrior saw the Distortions preparing themselves for their next volley of eldritch lances, she knew that she had to end this fight here and now.
Black-and-white flashed before Lanfen's eyes. The steel letters in her vision slammed onto a cracking chessboard, spelling out the name, "Queen Quicksilver."
"Never knowing who is the true me inside. Allowing them to take me for a ride."
Armour slid forth from the casings of her headphones, forming a sleek, blank mask over her face with a large pair of circular, compound eyes. With a few audible clicks, the white mask connected to her three-point crown as the insect-like eyes of her faceplate flashed a deep crimson glow. The Queen chess-piece on her right shoulder followed up by emitting a deep, loud humming noise. The power generators deep within the pauldron kicked into life, creating an intense vibration that coursed throughout Lanfen's entire body. Glaring at the Distortions beneath the compound lenses of her mask, the glyphs they manifested in the air solidified for their second volley of eldritch energy.
"Am I meant to break free from it all? The voices are begging for me to fall."
The white snow from the skies halted mid-air. The howling of the winter winds froze in place. The speeding lances which shot out from the Distortions' hands slowed to a crawl. As Lanfen's Symphogear bestowed her with speed beyond her comprehension, a holographic timer appeared beneath the cover of Lanfen's white mask.
Ten seconds.
Lanfen closed the expansive gap between her and the seven Distortions. Approaching the nearest Caster first, she violently thrusted the Sword of Damocles into its chest five different times. Lanfen then withdrew her sword from its ruined chest-plate and leaped between two other Casters to hurl her armoured fist straight at their faceplates. The crowned warrior's knuckles tore gaping holes into their helmets, causing the emerald sand inside to spill out and freeze in the air. A spinning slash for good measure bisected the two Distortions by their waists.
Seven seconds.
Rushing behind the fourth Caster, Lanfen grabbed the Distortion by the hood of its robe and crashed her knee into its back. The blade-like kneepads punctured through the armour and erupted from its chest-plate with extreme prejudice. Shoving aside the Distortion in her grasp, Lanfen bolted towards the fifth and sixth Casters, sword stowed at her hip while the crowned warrior's gauntlets split open to unleash their resting harpoons. Before the two Distortions could even finish glancing at her direction, the tips of Lanfen's harpoons had punctured large, gaping holes in their abdomens.
Three seconds.
The remaining Caster turned towards Lanfen at the pace of a lethargic snail. Energy crackled around its rune-covered arms. It was a sight that encouraged Lanfen to draw out the Sword of Damocles and rush towards it with a thirsting sword-hand. Glaring straight into its faceplate with the compound eyes of her white mask, Lanfen raised her weapon and systematically cleaved off the Distortion's limbs one-by-one. She took off the arms first. Then the legs. Each severed limb froze mid-air while they slowly disintegrated into fine bits of sand. With a final flourish of Lanfen's thick blade, her sword skewered its faceplate, tearing the knight's head off its shoulders to claim it as a macabre trophy.
Zero seconds.
"I won't allow my mind to hold me captive long. Molding my darkest thoughts into this song."
A dozen severed limbs clattered to the concrete in a cacophony of falling metal. Battered automata bodies collapsed onto the streets and exploded into clouds of sand. The winter winds continued to blow through the roads, carrying bits of the Distortions' remains with it. As the loud humming from Lanfen's shoulder pauldron slowly died out, the crowned warrior collapsed onto one knee and retracted her faceplate back into her headphones' casings. Lanfen grasped her mouth with one hand and hurled a mouthful of blood into her palm. The red stains on the black-and-white fibers were a sight which Lanfen could only stare at with apathy.
Not even her Symphogear could fully protect Lanfen from the backlash of going at such speeds as it would seem.
Hearing a familiar, ear-piercing wail from the rift in Kazamino's skyline, Lanfen glared at the pulsing rift above her and retracted the blade of her weapon back into its golden cross-guard. Within seconds, the giant tear in space sealed itself shut, letting the skies above the city revert back into its untorn reality. Once the glowing rift had completely disappeared from Lanfen's sights, the Symphogear-Wielder looked up at the winter skies, and brought a hand to her headphones to tap into its comms. "SG-r04 here. The Distortions have been eliminated."
"Affirmative, Lanfen," Tomosato replied over the line. "We've sent a helicopter to your destination for pick-up. Good work out there."
With the end of the city incursion, Lanfen stowed the grip of her sword at her hip and slowly ran her gaze over the sand-filled streets of Kazamino. Despite the carnage she had gleefully wrought upon the enemy, the crowned warrior's sword-hand was not even halfway satisfied. Lanfen clicked her tongue in annoyance and looked back at the stain on her left hand. The uncontrollable twitching that plagued it bothered Lanfen more than the sight of her own blood. It shouldn't be difficult for S.O.N.G.'s equipment to heal up her internal injuries anyway.
A flash of azure in the corner of Lanfen's eye suddenly caught her attention. When she swung her gaze over to one of Kazamino's towering buildings, Lanfen spotted a humanoid figure who appeared to be observing her on the rooftops with the sun behind their back. Their hands moved in what looked like an exaggerated gesture of applause, but when Lanfen narrowed her eyes to try and focus on the figure, the mysterious shape immediately vanished from her sights. Lanfen quickly reached for her headphones and tapped into her comms again.
"Command?" She winced when static flooded her ears.
It was a harsh noise that only cleared up after several seconds had passed. "Is something wrong?" Tomosato finally replied.
"No. It's just... are you sure this place is clear of civilians?" Lanfen inquired, carefully examining her silent surroundings with a hand on the pommel of her sheathed sword.
It took a while for Tomosato to respond. "Scanners are picking up no other life-signs in the vicinity except for you, Lanfen. What's the matter?"
Furrowing her brow in confusion, Lanfen wondered if she was just imagining things again. Little of what had been happening over the past few days actually felt real to her to begin with. "I thought I saw her," Lanfen honestly answered, hoping that she wasn't sounding completely insane right now, "the person who gave me the Sword of Damocles."
The Commander suddenly chimed in on their conversation. Sounding concerned by the woman's words, his following order was issued with zero hesitation. "We'll conduct a sweep of the area for any suspicious individuals. For now, just relax and prepare yourself for pick-up, Lanfen. Our sensors are detecting no additional signs of Distortion activity around the globe, so we're in the clear for now."
"... Understood, Commander."
Withdrawing her bloodstained hand away from the casing of her headphones, Lanfen rested her aching body against a nearby truck with a small sigh slipping between her lips. The adrenaline in her blood was slowly dying down. Were it not for the powers that the Symphogear granted her, Lanfen most likely would be kneeling on the ground right now, desperately attempting to catch her breath. Focusing her senses of the cold winds which were carrying away the bits of golden sand at Lanfen's feet, the crowned warrior momentarily glanced over to her aching sword-hand, and scowled at its twitching fingers with frustration.
"Lanfen, can you please report to the bridge? There's an urgent matter that requires your attention."
Tomosato's message arrived on Lanfen's wrist device right as the helicopter's landings skids met the submarine's landing bay. Not wanting to keep anyone waiting, the Adaptor politely thanked the helicopter pilots for the ride before she sprinted through the long corridors of the S.O.N.G. submarine. Relying on her memory this time to navigate the underwater vessel, Lanfen eventually spotted the large doors to the command center when she noticed something else: It was quiet. The entire time Lanfen had made her way to the bridge, she had not heard nor seen any of the vessel's crew members. The only sounds Lanfen could actually make out were her own rushing footsteps while the bridge's double-doors slid open for her entry.
A symphony of loud popping noises suddenly filled the air.
The sight of colourful confetti raining down upon Lanfen made her skid to a halt.
As the large doors to the command center closed themselves shut, Lanfen's mouth was slightly agape when she tried to process the sight before her with a look of utter confusion.
The intense air Lanfen initially felt in the bridge earlier had completely disappeared. In its place was a spirit of festivity which was reinforced by an array of balloons, and a large 'Welcome, Cassandra Jiang Lanfen' banner that hung from the ceiling. Bridge operators gathered around two long tables they had stationed next to the Commander's post while plates of food took up every available space on the tables' surface. Leading the bridge crew in a welcoming applause for S.O.N.G.'s newest Symphogear-Wielder was a familiar woman with flowing, magenta hair, a pair of blue flower hairclips, and an Adaptor uniform of her own.
Maria. Formerly, Maria Cadenzavna Eve. Now, Kazanari Maria. Another world-renowned diva of the singing industry. Kazanari Tsubasa's status as an Adaptor had mostly deprived Lanfen of any shock she had left in her, but the confirmation of Maria's own Adaptor status was a surprise, nonetheless. "Welcome to S.O.N.G., Cassandra," Maria said, walking up to Lanfen. She stuck out a gloved hand and Lanfen hesitantly gripped it for a slow but polite handshake. The smile that Maria wore practically exuded confidence.
"I..." Lanfen blinked and gazed around at the party which the crew had set up for her. Closing up her gaping mouth, Lanfen reflexively stood to attention and saluted the older woman, much to the amusement of the senior Adaptor and the bridge crew. Lanfen honestly did not know how else to react to this sudden celebration. "Thanks, Kazanari. I'll do my best to live up to what is expected of me." The words streamed from Lanfen's mouth more as a formality rather than her actual thoughts.
Waving off her excessive politeness with a smile, the tall woman placed a hand on Lanfen's shoulder and escorted her to the party tables. Now that the intensity of work had momentarily disappeared, the bridge crew were now gladly helping themselves to plates of fried meat, bottles of soda and wine, and huge batches of finger food. "'Maria' is fine, Cassandra," the pink-haired woman assured Lanfen with a laugh. "It will only get confusing if you intend to call me that when I'm in the same room as Tsubasa, after all."
"R-Right," Lanfen nodded at her point, only now realizing the mistake that she had made. Stepping over to one of the dining tables, Maria pointed over to a bridge operator who was waving at Lanfen with an open bottle of sake in their hands. Lanfen recognized the operator from her dark-blue hair as the woman came up to the two Adaptors and cheerfully held up her bottle with cheeks which were subtly flushed. "You're 'Tomosato Aoi', correct?" Lanfen asked her, just to be sure. "It's been a pleasure work-"
"Oh, enough with the work stuff already!" Tomosato said in a laid-back voice that contrasted with her professionalism from earlier. Grabbing one of the stacked glasses near the table's bottled drinks, Tomosato poured some of her sake into it and cheerfully handed the glass over to Lanfen. The greenhorn Adaptor only took it once Lanfen received an exasperated nod from Maria at her side. "By the way, congratulations on completing your first mission! From here on out, you'll be working with me and this guy." Tomosato spun around and grabbed one of the other bridge operators near them by the shoulder. "Sakuya, get over here!"
When Tomosato pulled her fellow colleague over to introduce him to Lanfen, bits of the soda in the man's grasp almost spilled onto his navy-blue uniform. Lanfen remembered the man as the other operator that was stationed on the Commander's left side. "Ack, careful Aoi- I mean- Tomosato!" he cried, holding a glass of soda in one hand and a plate of fried meat in the other. Once he made sure that his food was safe, the brunette gave Lanfen a polite dip of the head. "Hey there! The name's 'Fujitaka Sakuya'. Aside from Tomosato here, you can expect to be hearing me over the comms whenever you're out in the field."
Returning the greeting in kind, Lanfen watched while the two operators suddenly eyed one another in a way which she couldn't really describe. The pair definitely seemed quite close with one another.
Maria loudly cleared her throat, commenting, "Please try and limit how much you're drinking today, Tomosato. It's too early to be going that far, don't you think?" Her responsible reminder got a playful shrug from the bridge operator as Fujitaka assured Maria that he'll be keeping his colleague in check. After the two had scurried off to enjoy some more of the food with their colleagues, Maria gestured for Lanfen to follow her over to the other table. "You've already met Tsubasa, Hibiki and Chris, haven't you? Other than myself, there's two other women whom you should meet."
Placed on the other party table were rows of opened pizza boxes that the crew eagerly sated their hunger with. When Lanfen spotted two other women who were helping themselves to plates of pizza, the Adaptors uniforms they wore quickly caught her attention. On Lanfen's left was a woman with an eager smirk on her face and boyish, blond hair which was decorated with a single x-shaped hairclip. Accompanying the blonde in her feeding frenzy was a woman with neat, black hair which had been tied into a pair of long twin-tails. Upon closer inspection of the pair, Lanfen soon recognized them as two of her juniors from her days in Lydian: Akatsuki Kirika and Tsukuyomi Shirabe.
She did not know them personally, but the class-wide food poisoning accident made them particularly infamous throughout Lydian.
"Oh hey! You're that newbie!" Akatsuki exclaimed, eagerly pointing a greasy finger at Lanfen. The blonde's eyes gave off the impression that a thousand things were simultaneously going off in her head to decide her next choice of words. "Since you look pretty skinny, be sure to eat lots! Because we sure as heck made enough to feed a whole army-death!"
Tsukuyomi silenced Akatsuki by shoving a spoonful of food into her mouth. It was a gesture that Akatsuki did not appear to mind at all as Tsukuyomi glanced over to Lanfen and formally greeted her. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Jiang. If I'm not mistaken, we've seen each other before, haven't we?" she asked, pulling her spoon out of the blonde's mouth to casually feed her another bite of takoyaki. "Your hair seems to have grown a lot longer since then. You look a bit different, too."
Lanfen subconsciously fiddled with the braid on her left shoulder at the woman's keen observation. She wondered if she should mention something about her transition, but Lanfen held back the comment. "You're not wrong about that," Lanfen mused, placing the glass of sake which Tomosato handed her on the table for now. Glancing at the food that her two juniors apparently prepared, there wasn't anything on the tables which Lanfen couldn't describe as 'high quality'. "I'd say that seeing you two is surprising, but it looks like Lydian has a knack for accepting Symphogear-Wielders."
Lanfen's dry remark got a small chuckle out of Maria. "Now that the pleasantries are over. You should try and enjoy yourself, Cassandra," Maria suggested, grabbing an empty plate and handing it over to Lanfen. "Unless we're on a mission, we've got plenty of time to relax. It's important to gather your strength, too." Tsukuyomi and Akatsuki loudly agreed with the older Adaptor's words while the pair started piling more hot slices of pizza onto their plates.
In an attempt to follow her advice, Lanfen grabbed as much food as her appetite would seemingly allow her and soon brought her first spoonful of food to her lips. Biting down on a piece of grilled beef, Lanfen furrowed her brow when she once again found it hard to really taste anything. Lanfen then saw the anticipating stares Tsukuyomi and Akatsuki were giving her. "It's good." Lying through her teeth was always easy, even if she wasn't fond of it. "Thanks, Tsukuyomi, Akatsuki."
Seeing the clear satisfaction on the pair's grinning faces, Lanfen couldn't bear to give a contrasting opinion on the food they had prepared. Perhaps it had something to do with Lanfen's own taste buds, but that was a thought for another time. For now, Lanfen simply dug into the food with her fellow Adaptors to regain the energy she had spent during the operation.
The double-doors to the command center opened up, and Lanfen looked over her shoulder to see Tachibana excitedly wheeling in a small cart of food with Kazanari and Yukine at her sides. Baskets of French fries, nuggets, and steaks filled the cart's lower racks while a small, colourful box sat on the cart's topmost rack. The sight of more food got a rousing cheer from the people on the bridge as the trio started distributing the new batches across the two party tables. It wasn't an exaggeration to say that all of this would be able to feed an army in one sitting. S.O.N.G. was proving to be as welcoming as Tachibana had claimed it to be.
Heading over to Lanfen with two plates of steaming-hot cheese fries, Yukine shoved one of the plates into Lanfen's free hand. "Eat up, Rookie," Yukine ordered her before satisfying herself with the other plate of fries she held. "Fighting in a 'Gear tends to take a lot out of you afterwards. If you get hurt in a fight 'cause you were too hungry, that's on you."
Staring at the fresh food that Yukine handed her with a raised brow, Lanfen slowly placed her plates on the table and picked up her glass of sake. Lanfen gazed at the clear liquid in her glass, and clicked her tongue when she felt one of her hands subtly twitching at her side. There was no doubt that Lanfen appreciated the celebration which the crew had readied for her. But a part of Lanfen would not settle down no matter how hard she tried to reign in herself. It was as if she was expecting the Distortions to come any moment now, all so she could continue taking out her frustrations on them. To try and calm herself down, Lanfen took a sip of her sake and felt the drink easily go down her throat.
Noting the lack of any taste from her drink, the Adaptor glanced around the party as a small observation came to her mind.
Commander Genjuuro and Professor Elfnein were nowhere to be seen.
An incoming transmission flashed across the bridge's central monitor screen, killing the celebratory mood in one fell swoop. The sight of the United Nations' symbol drew a blanket of silence across the bridge as the operators placed their items down and rushed towards their terminals. The Adaptors themselves could not do anything but also put down their meals, recognizing the ID code to be that of the world council's spokesperson. As if on cue, the bridge's large doors slid open for Commander Genjuuro to arrive with Professor Elfnein at his side. The stoic looks the two had on their faces noticeably worried Lanfen's fellow Adaptors.
Approaching his post, Commander Genjuuro crossed his arms over his chest and shared a sharp nod with the Professor. "Fujitaka, answer it," he ordered, turning back to the monitor screens. Six of the Adaptors stood to attention behind the Commander and Lanfen followed the actions of her more experienced colleagues while Fujitaka connected the lines.
"Greetings, Commander Kazanari." There was always something unnerving about the politeness of the Spokesperson's voice. "I have received the latest reports of your recent operations and must first thank you for your efforts in combating the Distortion threat with ease. The lack of any civilian casualties is especially pleasing to hear after the disaster of the global attack."
"We're just doing our job, Spokesperson," the Commander assured him. Judging by the grimace on his face, Lanfen dreaded where this conversation was going to head.
"Undoubtedly so," the Spokesperson continued. "But while celebrations for your newest Adaptor are certainly in order, the United Nations have prepared new directions for them in response to the Distortion threat. Directions which will be significantly changing how S.O.N.G. will expect to be operating from here on out, Commander Kazanari." Their ominous words sent clear unease amongst the bridge crew and the Adaptors. Lanfen could even see Professor Elfnein fidgeting at the Commander's side. But none of them could prepare for what the Spokesperson formally declared. "In order to assure the council of S.O.N.G.'s dedication to protecting our world, the Adaptors shall be permanently stationed across the globe as four separate teams until further notice."
The Commander slammed his hands onto his terminal. Professor Elfnein audibly gasped. Akatsuki and Tsukuyomi voiced a unified protest that was immediately hushed by Maria. Yukine, on the other hand, joined the two with a loud complaint as Tachibana and Kazanari tried to hold her back. The crimson Adaptor only fell back in line once Yukine saw the hardened gaze which her blue-haired teammate was giving her. Lanfen, on the other hand, pursed her lips and stayed her tongue. She did not wish to find out what would happen if a new Adaptor were to suddenly defy orders on the day of her recruitment.
Commander Genjuuro only spoke up after the Professor gave him a look that wordlessly communicated something which Lanfen could not guess. "Would it really be wise to spread out our forces like this, Spokesperson?" He glared at the monitor screen with crossed arms. "Our Adaptors have shown to operate at their best when they have others to rely on and assist them."
"That is a notion I admittedly cannot disagree with," the Spokesperson calmly spoke back. "But that specific concern is exactly why the council has also finalized the decision to initiate the proposed Kazanari Contingency Plan. In order to assuage this fear of overstretching our Adaptor forces and hamper their effectiveness, Task Force Harmony shall officially be formed to both assist your Adaptors in defending against the Distortion threat, and carry on the project proposed long ago by Yatsuhiro Kazanari." The Adaptors looked at Kazanari Tsubasa at the mention of her household. The woman showed no surprise to the notion of this so-called plan. "A unified military effort made up of the world's finest soldiers. It sounds promising, does it not?"
The Commander didn't look convinced, but he voiced no opposition. Instead, he only further inquired, "And will the council be assisting us in our transition into this new direction?"
"They will indeed be providing additional funding in order to make this change easier on the lives of your Adaptors, Commander Kazanari," the Spokesperson assured him. "In addition to that, they will be allowing you to decide which of your Adaptors shall head towards the countries which the council has ordered them to be stationed at. The world council will spare no expense in order to ensure the immediate protection of an Adaptor within their country's borders, you can be quite certain of that."
Kazanari Tsubasa stepped forward. The business-like aura she radiated was palpable. "Permission to speak, Spokesperson. Not as an Adaptor, but as Chairwoman of the Kazanari Household."
"Permission granted, Chairwoman Kazanari," the Spokesperson formally responded.
"May I request if the council can reconsider this decision?" Kazanari's words were diplomatic and straight-forward. "While I will not object to the formation of Task Force Harmony, I cannot believe that it would be a necessary move to separate my fellow Symphogear-Wielders and I in response to a foe such as the Distortions. We have accomplished countless missions across the years and have never faltered no matter where our battle takes us, whether it be on Earth or on the surface of the moon. An unpredictable threat such as the Distortions should not require such drastic changes after we have dealt with enigmatic menaces much like the Bavarian Illuminati."
There was silence before the Spokesperson responded to her. It was as if they were actually considering her words. "... While the efforts of your team are graciously appreciated, Chairwoman Kazanari, much of the goodwill which S.O.N.G. had left has sadly been eroded in the wake of the Distortion invasion. I can only extend my personal apologies as this deal is only as lenient as it is due to the successful creation - and deployment - of the SG-r04. A Symphogear made on special terms with your very own Professor Elfnein. Terms... that you Adaptors now deserve to be aware of."
Kazanari stepped back in line as the Adaptors all looked towards Professor Elfnein this time. Slowly, the Professor turned around and faced the seven women with her hands clutching onto her lab coat. "I shall explain the situation myself, Spokesperson," Professor Elfnein declared. Over at their terminals, Fujitaka and Tomosato were clearly listening in on the conversation. Neither of them seemed particularly pleased by the council's newest directives as well. "After the battle against Shem-Ha... I had struck an agreement with the United Nations. An agreement to create the SG-r04 in exchange for the resources that I required to rebuild your damaged Symphogears."
Hearing this, Lanfen remembered perusing S.O.N.G. files surrounding the battle against Shem-Ha Mephorash. The last document regarding it mentioned something about the Symphogears' converter units having been shattered to a severe degree. "Professor..." Lanfen could not stay quiet any longer. "Is there something about the Sword of Damocles which I am not even aware of?" Her words made the Professor flinch while the Commander's back continued to face the seven Adaptors. "... Professor?"
"The SG-r04..." Professor Elfnein lifted her head and gazed right at Lanfen. "The Sword of Damocles is a Symphogear that has been designed to eliminate other Symphogear-Wielders."
Lanfen's eyes widened as her blood turned cold beneath her brown skin. Yukine, Tsukuyomi and Akatsuki all let out an exclamation of shock. Tachibana gazed worryingly over to Lanfen while Maria and Kazanari turned dead silent at the Professor's words. Lanfen tried to push away the cloud which threatened to shroud her thoughts, and in the midst of recollecting herself, Lanfen slowly recalled her conversation with Professor Elfnein back in her laboratory. The words that the Professor gave Lanfen to be responsible with the power she now wielded in her hands.
Up ahead, Fujitaka and Tomosato were about to voice their own opinions until the Commander shook his head, wordlessly ordering them to stay silent. Finally moving from his post, Commander Genjuuro gave the Professor a pat on the shoulder, giving her the will to continue speaking. Regret was clear all over the teenager's face as she looked back at the Adaptors.
"Within the SG-r04 is a weapon known as the S.W.O.R.D." Dread coated her words when she even uttered the name of the device. "It was created by the order of the U.N., assuring them that if another group such as the F.I.S. were to ever appear - or if an Adaptor of S.O.N.G. itself were to stray from their path - the Sword of Damocles will alleviate the issues of an opposing Symphogear-Wielder with ease." Professor Elfnein gave a deep, pronounced bow, nearly throwing herself off her feet. "I'm sorry for the secrecy... But this was a decision which I had made in order to ensure that everyone could continue fighting-"
"No," the Commander cut-in, standing by her side. "It was my decision to finalize the project. The burdens are on me in the end." Commander Genjuuro joined the Professor with an apologetic bow towards the Adaptors and a clear grimace on his face. The nerves on his arms were practically threatening to burst open. "You all have my apologies for allowing this to happen."
Snapping herself out of the confused daze that Lanfen was in, the Adaptor hesitantly lifted a hand to grasp the pendant which hung around her neck. Lanfen gazed at the red crystal and tapped into the knowledge that her Symphogear had bestowed upon her. Browsing through a library's worth of information, Lanfen pushed aside every single irrelevant detail until she slowly arrived at one particular piece of knowledge that was buried deep within her mind. In that moment, Lanfen knew they were telling the truth. Hidden within the depths of her Symphogear was a weapon. A special weapon which made Lanfen's blood freeze the moment she even brushed against the knowledge of such a tool. Unable to comprehend even wielding such a thing, Lanfen pushed the thought aside and returned her focus to the people around her.
"S.W.O.R.D..." She whispered the name of the Symphogear-Destroyer with barely-restrained horror.
"Do spare any malice that you may have for Commander Kazanari, Professor Elfnein and Miss Cassandra," the Spokesperson requested, clearly uncomfortable with this conversation as well. "The S.W.O.R.D. is a weapon that was put in place purely to assuage the worries of fretting politicians within the world council. While I personally understand the need for contingencies against rogue Symphogears, I believe that much like myself, S.O.N.G. will never forget its duty to protect our world. Thus, I hope that even after receiving these new orders - and being made aware of the proverbial sword which now hangs above you - S.O.N.G. will remain stalwart in the face of the Distortion menace. May the winds blow in your favour, Commander Kazanari. We will directly contact you again next time."
The transmission ended and the symbol of the United Nations disappeared from the central monitor screen. Even with the celebratory decorations that covered the walls of the bridge, and the food on the party tables which were now growing cold, the atmosphere of the command center now felt like it dangled on a thin line. No one knew what to say to break the silence until Lanfen herself stepped forward and turned around to face her fellow Adaptors. Lanfen felt everyone's gazes land on her as the woman's hands trembled with lingering horror. Had Lanfen been made aware of this duty the moment they had recruited her, she most likely wouldn't have bothered even attempting to familiarize herself with her fellow Adaptor colleagues.
"I'm sorry," Lanfen whispered to the six other Adaptors, lowering her gaze to the tips of her shaking boots.
The Commander was quick to put down her words. "You have nothing to apologize for, Lanfen," he stated, turning around to step over to his post. "We're all operating at the whims of the council here." The Commander stood next to his terminal and typed onto its interface, displaying a map of the globe onto its screen. "... Separating you all won't be an easy decision. But if either of you have anything that you want to say, you can do so now before I start assigning your new stations."
Regaining the strength to look at her fellow Adaptors, all of them appeared to have their own opinions regarding their new orders, but none of them vocalized it. Akatsuki and Shirabe were more exasperated than anything. Maria and Kazanari looked like they had quietly accepted whatever was coming next. Yukine looked like she was withholding obvious rage at the council while Tachibana looked back at Lanfen with clear concern in her eyes. Now that they knew what the council expected of Lanfen and the SG-r04, Lanfen felt that Tachibana's concern was something which she did not deserve.
The Commander went over to the silent Professor's side and addressed Lanfen with a tired sigh. "Due to the lingering suspicions surrounding your acquisition of the SG-r04, an order has just been placed to monitor you for a period of time, Lanfen. Is that alright with you?" His words only received a slow nod in response. They might as well have spared her the illusion of choice. "Until we can figure out who it was that handed you that relic, S.O.N.G. is choosing to handle you with caution. Therefore, you will be stationed in Japan with a team which I'll be assigning to you. We'll be arriving at shore soon, so you can go ahead and prepare for arrival while I speak to the others."
"Affirmative, Commander."
Lanfen's words had not sounded as lifeless as they did since she had been dragged all the way here. In one swift motion, Lanfen dismissed herself with a sharp salute, and marched towards the doors to the bridge, all while avoiding the gazes of her fellow Adaptors, Professor Elfnein, and the crew of the bridge. When the automatic doors slammed themselves shut behind her, Lanfen stopped herself in the middle of an empty corridor, grasped her relic pendant between two fingers, and began processing the true responsibility she carried as the Wielder of the Sword of Damocles. She could feel her heart pounding within her ribcage as the seconds passed on, drowning out every bit of noise within her ears until all Lanfen could hear was its uncontrollable, rapid beating.
In a transparent attempt to allow the six Adaptors to process their new situation, Commander Genjuuro had granted them permission to relax in the submarine's commons lounge all by themselves. No one was to bother the Adaptor team unless the Commander allowed it. Not even Ogawa and Tsuchiya had permission despite their positions as the Commander's aides. It was a gesture that the women appreciated when they had much to say regarding the world council, their new directives to separate the team, and the creation of the SG-r04. Unless an order for a mission had come up, the Adaptors had all the time in the world to voice their complaints without any worry for anyone listening in on their conversation.
On the lounge's couches, Kirika and Shirabe eased their frustrations and confusion through a few games on their retro Nintendo Switches. Shirabe was focusing deeply as she played while Kirika had abandoned anything which resembled the concept of an indoor voice. Chris and Tsubasa occupied themselves with a game of pool at one of the lounge's pool tables. Chris was in the lead as her precise shots pocketed balls left and right to try and vent her anger. At the lounge's bar counter, Hibiki sat with a glass of juice in her hand while Maria took out a shot glass to pour herself some vodka. Maria had taken out some of the hardier drinks they had in stock, knowing that she very much needed it right now.
Scoring another ball, Chris's grip on her cue stick threatened to snap it in her hands. "It's fucked up how the council thinks they can just order us around like this. Right after pointing out the gun they're pressing up against our back, too," Chris spat, walking around the pool table to aim for another shot. "And what's worse, I'm stuck with the Dummy in America of all people!"
Standing next to Chris with her own cue stick in her hands, Tsubasa had not actually bothered to pocket any shots of her own in the past half-hour. Instead, the Chairwoman simply leaned against the pool table and rubbed her temples with two fingers to ease an obvious headache. "How is Jiang doing?" Tsubasa asked Tachibana as the chestnut-haired woman quietly sipped her juice at the bar counter.
"I... haven't seen her around for a while now," Hibiki answered in a low voice. The woman had initially tried to go and find Cassandra after the Commander had assigned them their stations, but Maria suggested to Hibiki that they give her some alone time as well.
Pouring herself a fourth glass of vodka, Maria gulped down the shot and rested an elbow on the counter. Vodka had this strange, ironic tendency to clear Maria's mind at times. "I'm sure she's trying to take in everything like we are, Hibiki," Maria said to the woman next to her while pouring her fifth shot. As the glass slowly filled up, the eldest of the Adaptors recalled her meeting with Cassandra to ponder about the look which the woman carried in her eyes. When Maria had shook her hand, she sensed something within Cassandra. A sort of lingering... rage.
A rage that had made the hairs on the back of Maria's neck stand upright the moment she had even noticed it.
"'Task Force Harmony'," Maria spoke up, holding up her glass in her gloved hand. Glancing over to her quiet wife, Maria asked her, "Tsubasa... what is this so-called 'Task Force' anyway?"
"... It was a plan originally intended to back up the Symphogears-Wielders in times of high urgency," Tsubasa answered, storing her cue stick on a nearby rack before walking over to a couch to sit next to Shirabe and Kirika. "Before the Shem-Ha Incident, a unified effort such as Task Force Harmony was impossible. The plan was soon shelved in the wake of Shem-Ha's defeat, but with the arrival of the Distortions, the project was quickly brought back into action." She lied back against the cushions and slowly sighed. "You have my apologies for not telling either of you about this until now. I had expected the plan to be utilized, but the separation of us Wielders-"
"Stop apologizing for shit that's out of your control, Chairwoman," Chris snapped back, driving the remaining ball on the pool table into its pockets with a loud clack. "I've already had enough of that from the Old Man, the Shrimp and the Rookie, so quit actin' all sorry when all of this is pretty much just the council's damn fault." Resting the length of her cue stick on her shoulder, Chris walked over to the bar counter and sat down next to Tachibana. "Hand me a beer if you don't mind, Maria," she asked the pink-haired woman with a groan. "I sure as hell fuckin' need it."
While Maria opened up the bar's drink cabinets behind her for something which would satisfy Chris, Hibiki placed her juice on the counter and tapped into her wrist device. Bringing up a holographic map of the globe, the designated locations that the women will be assigned to in a few days were visibly marked on it. Hibiki and Chris in America. Maria and Tsubasa in London. Kirika and Shirabe in Australia. Cassandra in Japan. "Is it a good idea for her to be all by herself?" Hibiki wondered out-loud, concern clear in her voice.
"It was the Commander's decision in the end," Shirabe commented, hands still tapping away on her Switch. "I think that was the best decision he could've made, knowing our situation."
Popping open the can of German beer which Maria handed her, Chris took a swig of her drink and slammed the end of her cue stick against the metal floors. Maria had plenty of vodka for one day, so the lady intended on making sure that the snow-white woman wouldn't be drinking any more than her. With Chris' beer can on the counter, the short woman wiped her mouth with the sleeve of her uniform, saying, "I'm sure that the Rookie can handle herself just fine. She seems pretty strong from what I can guess. But since it'd be better if the Rookie had someone reliable watching her, I gave the Old Man a few personal recommendations on who'd be best to assign to her team."
Despite the exhaustion that plagued Tsubasa, the Chairwoman was still able to give a faint chuckle at Chris' words as Kirika playfully leaned against Tsubasa. The monster-hunting game which Kirika and Shirabe were playing seemed to have piqued the blue-haired woman's interest. "Trying to be a reliable woman to your juniors again, are you?" Tsubasa asked Chris in an almost teasing way.
Chris gave the Chairwoman a loud scoff before taking another swig of her beer. "I just thought it'd be a good idea if someone that knew the Rookie ended up working with her, that's all. No doubt she's gettin' overwhelmed by everything that the council expects from her. Might as well throw her a bone to help her out a bit now that the Rookie probably feels a bit nervous about chattin' with us."
Finishing her in-game 'hunt' with a loud cheer, Kirika glanced over to Chris and tilted her head to one side. "So, what've you been doing behind the scenes while we weren't looking?" she curiously asked. With those words, the eyes of five Adaptors were immediately directed at the woman with snow-white hair. All of the attention which was suddenly on Chris made the short woman scratch the back of her head.
With a shrug of her shoulders, Chris' answer sounded almost off-handed. "I called up a few old friends of mine, that's all."
The observation deck of the S.O.N.G. submarine was the one place that Lanfen remotely felt comfortable even waiting in. Sitting down amongst the rows of metal chairs in the middle of a circular room, the holographic displays which covered the walls gave Lanfen a full view of the ocean that surrounded the vessel. Large schools of fish would occasionally swim by the cameras as Lanfen gazed off into the oceanic distance. Occupying her thoughts by enrapturing it with a seemingly-endless stretch of dark-blue, Lanfen could barely feel her legs while she closely held them to her chest. Lanfen was subsequently brought back into reality by a gentle buzzing from the room's intercom.
"The ship will be arriving at the harbor in one hour. All hands, be ready for arrival," one of the bridge personnel announced as per procedure.
Holding up a trembling hand with her relic pendant in her grasp, the dim-lights of the holographic displays reflected off the red crystal as Lanfen bit down on her cracking lips. In a heartbeat, Lanfen hopped off her chair, marched over to the terminal near the room's entrance, and slammed her fist against one of its buttons, causing the displays around the room to vanish one-by-one. When the last of the wall's built-in projectors shut itself off, Lanfen dropped down on one of the chairs again and grasped the sides of her aching head. Surrounded by the pitch-black darkness of the room, Lanfen could not help but wonder what Kai would think about her now if she were still around.
Despite the kindness that the Adaptors had shown Lanfen, and the celebration they had held for her formal recruitment into S.O.N.G., she felt almost foolish - if anything - for expecting to enter this organization with the idea that Lanfen would simply be fighting against Distortions. It was a fantasy which only someone like her little sister should have carried to begin with. In truth, Lanfen had joined the very group that had saved their world - not so she could fight alongside her fellow Adaptors - but so that the council could install a Symphogear-Wielder who would put down her fellow Wielders the moment any of them were seen as enemies of either S.O.N.G. or the council. Lanfen wasn't their companion, but their potential executioner.
Lanfen had personally told the Spokesperson that she would do anything if it meant taking out the Distortions. Yet, the reveal of her one true duty was all it took to shake Lanfen's resolve. Kai would probably be ashamed to have a sister like her right now.
The entrance to the observation deck opened up, allowing the light of the corridor outside to stretch into the room as Tsuchiya appeared at the doorway with a small suitcase in his hands. "May I come in?" Despite the downcast expression which Lanfen wore, she looked up at Tsuchiya and gave him a slow nod, allowing the blonde man to enter the deck with silent footsteps. "Here," he said, putting down the suitcase on the chair beside the Adaptor. "It's the clothing you wore from when we took you in. We had them cleaned up and repaired after noticing some of the damage."
Lanfen slowly looked over to the metal suitcase and drew in the cold air to speak. "... Thanks, Tsuchiya." Pocketing the red pendant in her uniform's jacket, Lanfen reached over to grab the suitcase by its handle when she suddenly turned to the blonde man. Lanfen had a question for him, and Tsuchiya seemed to have actually sensed it, judging by the way he patiently stood at her side. "Tsuchiya." Knowing that she had made his acquaintance by now, Lanfen felt that she could be a bit more forward with him. "What are your... thoughts... on the duty that I've been given by the council?"
Folding his hands behind his back, Tsuchiya stood on the stretch of light which came from the deck's open entrance while he took a moment to think about his answer. When Tsuchiya finally opened his mouth to voice it, there was a surprising hint of hesitation. "I... cannot give one, unfortunately. Following orders is something that I have simply been doing ever since I joined Clan Hida." Tsuchiya spoke like a man who had seen countless years of service, and yet, his face looked remarkably young. "While the Grandmaster is a kind man at heart, I have had to accomplish many a deed for the sake of completing our objectives. Even if my duties can be rather... distasteful."
Lanfen should have known better than to bother Tsuchiya of all people with her concerns. Despite their comparable ages, Tsuchiya gave off the impression that 'dirty work' was a task which his employers expected him to carry out as easy as breathing. "Sorry about that," Lanfen muttered with a quiet sigh.
"Still-" Tsuchiya slowly stepped towards the entrance and looked back at Lanfen with a small frown. "-I truly hope that you will never have to draw your blade on your fellow comrades, Jiang. To do such a thing towards people you're supposed to consider your companions... is a fate which few honestly deserve. Nothing hurts more than being cut by a sword that's wielded by a friend. That is... my view of it, at least."
Slowly nodding at his sentiment, Lanfen grabbed the suitcase from the chair next to her and stood up on her feet with her items in her grasp. Lanfen had initially wanted to stay in the S.O.N.G. submarine for as long as she could, but after the recent meeting with the Spokesperson, Lanfen could hardly walk around its halls without unease ringing within her head. "Thanks, Tsuchiya. I know that it sounds like that's all I can say to you, but I appreciate your input."
Tsuchiya turned around and shared a formal bow with Lanfen. "Like I said, I'm happy to help, Jiang," he assured her, walking over to the entrance to stand beneath the open doorway. "Aside from your belongings, I have actually brought something else actually. There are two people who have just arrived to meet you. I hope you don't mind making their acquaintance now." Tsuchiya looked out the doorway and quietly ushered in a pair of personnel that had apparently been standing outside. As footsteps echoed through the quiet air of the observation deck, Tsuchiya departed the room, allowing two women to step inside and finally meet with the Symphogear-Wielder.
Despite the darkness that shrouded the observation deck, Lanfen immediately recognized the pair who stood before her.
They both wore the familiar, navy-blue uniforms of S.O.N.G. with its distinct badges on their chest. One of them was brunette with long, flowing hair and green, inquisitive eyes that gazed at the Adaptor from head-to-toe. Beside the brunette was a tall woman with a friendly smile on her face, and dark-green hair which had been tied up into a long, bushy ponytail as she flashed Lanfen a quick wink. They promptly stood to attention in front of the Adaptor, giving her sharp salutes that Lanfen awkwardly returned in kind with her free hand. They were Ayano Komichi and Godai Yuki respectively. Two of Lanfen's old seniors from Lydian and classmates of Yukine Chris.
"Ayano," Lanfen whispered to the brunette with green eyes, slowly approaching her old senior schoolmate. It was an utter relief to see that she had survived the Distortion's global attack. "You two... were assigned to me?" Finding herself at a loss for words, Lanfen looked back and forth between the pair.
"AG-4-1, reporting for duty," Godai, the tall woman with the ponytail, casually said.
"AG-4-2, reporting for duty," Ayano cheerfully followed up her companion with a grin.
Recognizing the designated numbers of her fellow members in Team-04, Lanfen initially felt relief at being accompanied by familiar faces. But that thought was soon dampened when Lanfen remembered the fact that Godai and Ayano were also assigned to her just so S.O.N.G. could monitor their newest Adaptor. With a hand on her hip, Lanfen tried her best to maintain the formality in her speech. Realizing that these two women were also a part of S.O.N.G. hardly even fazed her. "Looking forward to keeping an eye on me, I take it?"
Ayano responded to her dry tone with somewhat of a worried glance before the brunette quietly shook her head. "While that is undeniably part of our job, we're also here to make sure that our junior has a couple of reliable seniors to work alongside with." Ayano suddenly walked up to Lanfen and slowly wrapped her arms around the Adaptor, pulling her into a comforting hug out of the blue. Lanfen was about to resist the sudden gesture when Ayano's voice took a somber turn. "We... heard about what's been going on. We're sorry about what happened to Kai."
Drawing in a sharp breath, Lanfen tightened her hands at her sides into shaking fists and squeezed her eyes shut to quell the proverbial fires which ignited within them. Lanfen could feel the trembling within Ayano's own arms while the brunette tried to comfort the Adaptor. Holding back a few stray tears of her own, Lanfen wordlessly permitted Ayano's sudden gesture. She honestly didn't even expect Ayano to remember her brief meeting with Lanfen and Kai. "I'm alright," she insisted, even if it was clear that neither of them believed her.
When Ayano pulled away from the embrace, Godai came over to them and clapped Lanfen on the shoulder with a firm but gentle hand. It had been years since Lanfen last saw Godai, but it was hard to forget the woman that Ayano could always be seen hanging around with during their time in Lydian. "We'll be movin' into the apartment next to yours in Yamaku," Godai informed Lanfen. Her words were easy-going and relaxed, even as she clearly sympathized with what Lanfen had been facing over the past few days. "We'll be going ahead of you to sign a few documents, so you might wanna go and wish the other Wielders goodbye. Wouldn't wanna leave without a few partin' words, if you catch my drift."
Mentioning the other Adaptors caused Lanfen's hands to tremble. But it did not stop her from slowly nodding at her senior's words. Tightly grasping the handle of her suitcase, Lanfen followed the two from behind while Godai and Ayano slowly headed out of the shadows of the vessel's observation deck. Intense trepidation rang within Lanfen's chest as she silently navigated through the corridors with the pair in front of her. Lanfen's tight grip on her suitcase was even causing the knuckles on her hand to turn into a pale white. It was only when the three of them arrived at a corridor junction did either of the women spoke up again.
"I'll see you later," Lanfen told them, looking down the corridor which led to the commons lounge with hesitation clearly written on her face.
Godai gave her an encouraging thumbs-up while Ayano flashed her a cheerful peace-sign. "You can do it, Jiang," Ayano told her. "Nothing has ever stopped a strong maiden like yourself, right?"
Nodding at Ayano's colourful words in an attempt to try and honestly agree with her, Lanfen separated from the two and marched in the direction of the commons lounge. The long walk across the halls felt like it went on for eternity. When Lanfen finally went through the lounge's sliding doors, she looked around the large room and spotted Kazanari, Yukine and Tachibana all gathered around the length of the lounge's bar counter. Lanfen's feet practically magnetized themselves to the floor the very moment she felt their gazes turn to her. Her voice disappeared from her throat. Her heart began pounding within her chest. Lanfen's instincts screamed at her to quickly turn-tail and exit the room.
Tachibana ran over to her and immediately grabbed Lanfen's free hand by the wrist. Wearing an unfaltering smile on her face, Tachibana's words were as genuine as she always sounded while she spoke, "Even if things may look bad right now, as long we're Wielders, then there will always be another time to shine alongside each other." Tachibana eagerly threw a fist high into the air above her. "Saying 'goodbye' is always sad, so instead, I'll say 'until next time'!"
Staring at the unflinching determination that Tachibana displayed, Lanfen was starting to understand how this woman was the person who had repeatedly seized countless victories with her bare hands. Tachibana's grip on her arm was tight, but it was a grip that only assured Lanfen of the feelings which Tachibana was trying to convey. The sentiment that she desired to communicate with zero misunderstandings between them. Feeling a slight twitch around the corners of her mouth, Lanfen could only give Tachibana a wordless nod in response.
"Lay off the Rookie, Dummy. You'll scare her off," Yukine chided the chestnut-haired woman, grabbing Tachibana by the collar to pry her off of Lanfen. It was like seeing a golden puppy being dragged away by the scruff of its neck. "Watch your back out there," Yukine advised Lanfen, dusting her gloved hands. There was a faint smell of alcohol in the short woman's breath. "Komichi and Yuki are good company, so even if they've been assigned to watch over you, you can definitely relax while they're around."
Kazanari was the next to come over. The lady gave Lanfen a formal, practiced bow before wisely speaking to the greenhorn Adaptor. "Despite the duty that the council has bestowed upon you, I look forward to cooperating with you someday, Jiang." Those were the last words which Lanfen had honestly expected to hear from her. "Regardless of the council's relentless politicking, I can assure you that you are no different than the rest of us. There will always be a next time to share a battlefield, much like Tachibana mentioned."
Slowly, Lanfen's grip on the handle of her suitcase eased up. Sensing her voice return to her, Lanfen parted her cracked lips and whispered, "The feeling is mutual, Kazanari. Yukine. Tachibana." Lanfen took a glance down at her own chest and stared at the red pendant that hung around her neck. The longer Lanfen stared at the crystal, the heavier it was beginning to feel. "The others," Lanfen said, tearing her gaze away from the glimmering pendant to look back at the trio. "Where are they?"
As though they had been summoned by Lanfen's words, Maria, Tsukuyomi and Akatsuki suddenly came out of the kitchen doorway next to the bar counter. While Maria and Tsukuyomi casually walked over towards the gathered group, Akatsuki had practically sped over to Lanfen. The blonde was carrying that colourful box which Lanfen had seen earlier during the party in the bridge, and Akatsuki was eager to hand it to her once she had skidded to a halt in front of the greenhorn Adaptor. The blonde had this proud grin on her face when Akatsuki presented the item to Lanfen.
"You better bring this with you!" Akatsuki exclaimed, panting in-between her words. "It's a cake that represents our skills as chefs, so it'd be bad if you didn't get to taste it-death!"
Taking the icy-cold box into her free hand, Lanfen noticed the black-and-white ribbon that had been used to neatly wrap it up, perfectly matching the motif of her own Symphogear. Lanfen would have smiled at the thoughtfulness behind it if she could.
"Hopefully you don't mind eating cheesecake," Tsukuyomi added, standing behind Akatsuki to casually wrap her arms around the blonde's waist. "We weren't sure what you would like, so we took a shot at guessing what you'd might enjoy instead."
Maria was the last one to approach the greenhorn Adaptor. Looking at the cake in her hand with amusement, the woman gave Lanfen the same confident smile which she had greeted Lanfen with at the party. "Take care of yourself, Cassandra." She almost sounded just like Lanfen whenever she would have to say goodbye to Kai back then. It was almost too similar for Lanfen's liking. "If you ever need tips on being a Wielder, our lines are always open for you to call us. Just do be mindful of time-zones," Maria added with a light chuckle.
"Affirmati- Sure." Lanfen cut herself off in an attempt to drop the formalities. Holding her suitcase in one hand and the cake box under her other arm, Lanfen gave them a bow that was as deep as her items would permit her. "In spite of everything that has happened today... Thank you all. I enjoyed the party, even if it was cut short. And I appreciate the cake. May we meet again on better terms next time." Lifting her head back up, Lanfen slowly turned on her heel, and walked out of the commons lounge with a heavy weight in her throat.
Lanfen did not feel like she deserved the pleasant goodbyes which her fellow Adaptors gave her as she made her exit through the sliding doors. Knowing the duty that she now had to carry from here on out, Lanfen desperately tried to block them out from her hearing. The fact that all of them could even talk to her like this after what the council had revealed was a complete mystery to her. While Lanfen stood right in the middle of a quiet, empty corridor, the Adaptor stared at the icy box she held under her arm, and wordlessly prayed that she would never have to draw her sword against another Adaptor. Because deep within her, Lanfen had a feeling that she would not stop herself from accomplishing whatever the council expected of her.
Yamaku City. Lanfen had not expected to return here as soon as she did. It had been precisely almost 2 days now since the very hour when the Distortions attacked, and it was evident from a mere glance at the city that everything was still in the midst of being repaired. Everywhere Lanfen looked, she would see maintenance crews fixing up shattered windows, broken walls and damaged concrete underneath the setting sun, all while families visibly continued to mourn those who had perished in the wake of the Distortions' assault on their city. It was a dour sight which made Lanfen turn away from the tinted windows of the S.O.N.G. escort vehicle. Meanwhile, the barrier between the passenger seats and the driver seats made it impossible to even see the personnel at the front.
When the vehicle came to a halt, a message in Lanfen's wrist device gave her the cue to finally exit the black vehicle with her belongings. She soon stepped onto the snowy sidewalk and shivered from the winter winds that greeted Lanfen back to the entrance of her apartment complex. Before the Adaptor could even say anything, the black escort vehicle drove off, leaving Lanfen all alone on the empty sidewalk. Nothing surprising from an organization such as S.O.N.G., Lanfen thought to herself with a low huff.
Carrying her items in her hands, the large apartment complex appeared as though it had been left untouched by the carnage of the Distortion attack. If Lanfen ignored the damaged buildings next to it, her surroundings would have given her the impression that Lanfen had returned to an unchanged home with only one stark difference: Kai. Lanfen subconsciously glanced at her side, as if expecting to see someone there, but her gaze only fell onto the sand-littered concrete. The jingling toy which stuck out of her pocket by a chain was the only semblance of Kai that Lanfen had returned with. No more. No less.
When Lanfen stepped inside the apartment complex's lobby to be rid of the winter winds, she went through the motions like she always did. 'Enter the elevator, head up to the eight floor, and stop in front of the fourth door you see'. The silence that accompanied Lanfen while she did so was almost deafening. When she approached the front door of her apartment, Lanfen blinked at the sight of a batch of flowers which had been left on the welcoming mat. It could have been left there by one of Kai's friends, but there wasn't any noticeable way to find out. After Lanfen grabbed the flowers with the same hand that held onto her suitcase, she unlocked her front door and stepped into the warmth of her humble abode.
She then took off her shoes and shut the door behind her, prompting the ceiling lights above Lanfen to flicker to life. "We're ba- I'm... back." Lanfen's initial words came out of her through pure force of habit. "Dammit..."
Storing the boots of her Adaptor uniform in the shoe closet, Lanfen left the flowers next to the door and headed down the hallway entrance with her belongings. She made a quick trip to the kitchen and stored the cake in the fridge before heading back out into the living room to leave her suitcase at the base of the counter. Letting out a hush sigh soon after, the wrist device on Lanfen's left arm rang with a message from Ayano: "Do you need any help cleaning up? Yuki and I are almost done unpacking our stuff, so if you need anything, you can just message us!"
She typed a reply into the device's holographic interface to politely decline her offer. And once the message was sent, the holo-projection withdrew back into her wrist device with a final tap of a translucent button. Lanfen had no intention of seeing anyone right now, even if she appreciated Ayano's offer. Slowly glancing over to the living room's dining table, Lanfen narrowed her eyes at the sight of the meal that had been left untouched since the Distortion attack had begun. Cold rice sat on top of two unfinished plates while the pork stew inside the bowls next to them gave off an unpleasant odor. Taking off the gloves of her uniform, Lanfen placed them on the counter and bitterly got to work cleaning up the dishes until they were completely spotless.
Half an hour had passed by the time Lanfen was done. After she exited the kitchen with a pair of dried hands, she took off her relic pendant and casually dropped it next to her gloves on the room's counter. Lanfen's chores were done. There was nothing else to clean or set up. And that meant the final step of Lanfen's home rituals: Visiting the family shrine. Within seconds, Lanfen knelt down on the cushion in front of the small, dusty shrine which was set up in her living room. Her eyes first went over to the chess set that sat on top of the shrine's glass table, its pieces still kept in place despite the chaos of the past few days. Lanfen's eyes then went to the framed picture which rested in the middle of the shrine.
'Keith Silverstein', 'Margaret Jiang Pao-Lin', 'Cassandra Jiang Lanfen', 'Cynthia Jiang Kai-Ming'.
Lanfen desired to say that she had returned, alive and well. But what came out instead were two trembling words.
"I'm sorry." To Lanfen, there was nothing else that she could say to the faces of her family. There was nothing that Lanfen could do other than hold up the oath which Lanfen had sworn to make up for her utter failure to protect her own little sister. Lanfen desired to cry, but her tears had already run dry a while ago. Thus, she instead took in the silence of her apartment, and pulled out two smartphones to place them on top of the glass table before her. The keychain that hung from her own smartphone jingled softly from the slow act while Kai's broken smartphone remained completely silent. "I'm sorry..."
Rising up from the floor with legs which shook beneath her own weight, Lanfen looked around the apartment's living room, and stared at the toys that were scattered around it. They were now belongings that no longer had an owner to return to them. When Lanfen undid the black-and-white tie around her neck, she left the piece of cloth on top of the room's kotatsu before heading over to the nearest item which had once belonged to Kai. Carefully, Lanfen took them off the shelves one-by-one, and piled them into her arms to store them in her little sister's now-vacant room. In her eyes, no one but herself deserved to go through the pain of isolating every reminder of Kai-Ming into a single room of her apartment. To Lanfen, it was just another punishment for a failure that she would never be able to undo.
