Unfortunately for the Symphogear world, now they have to deal with the Shadows too. Fortunately for them, anyone can fight back, unlike with the Noise. They won't be learning about the Shadows or the "fighting back" part until later though. Hint: a certain weeb will be responsible for the "fighting back" discovery.

Unfortunately, this chapter doesn't exactly have the most development. However, the next one should have more stuff going on.

Disclaimer: I don't own the Megami Tensei franchise or Symphogear

A few days later, Makoto sighed as his eyes skimmed the shelves, trying to find what he was looking for. "Ah, there it is." He reached out to grab the bag of chips when his hand bumped into another. He turned to look at the other person, instantly recognizing her. "Kanade-san? Are you shopping for groceries too?"

Blinking in surprise, Kanade responded, "Makoto? Is that you? I never thought you were the type to buy chips." She grabbed a few bags, tossing them into her shopping cart. "I figured that I'd buy some snacks, since we're running low. Plus, they don't have this stuff at Lydian's cafeteria or vending machines. What about you?"

Makoto said, "I was running out too, so I'm restocking after preparing tomorrow's food."

Checking out Makoto's basket, the soon-to-return idol asked, "So what are you making? Other than the snacks, I can see some beef, vegetables, and fruits."

Makoto answered, "I'm making ramen. I just needed to buy the vegetables, since I already prepared the noodles and broth at home. The meat and fruits are because I was running out."

Raising an eyebrow, Kanade prodded, "The knockoff fast ramen that takes probably an hour or two tops, or the real ramen where you have to make the broth way early?"

Raising an eyebrow, Makoto said, "The second one. I've been preparing the broth for the last couple days. Why?"

Whistling in amazement, Kanade could only be impressed. "Wow, that's ramen is so going to be good. Mind if I join you then?"

Concerned, Makoto asked, "Are you sure? You are an idol, after all. Won't your fans be upset?"

Scoffing, Kanade waved a hand and retorted, "Please, if people think idols shouldn't be allowed to have any interactions with boys outside of greeting fans or when they're guests on shows, then they should just make it a law that idols and girls who want to be idols are forbidden from interacting with guys outside of work, including family or male relatives of another group member." Saying the last part louder than necessary, she shot a mild glare at a few eavesdropping people she recognized as some of Zwei Wing's problematic fans.

Noticing where she was looking, Makoto sighed and relented. "Fine, you can come. I was thinking about inviting the others anyways, since I made too much. Could you let them know?" Finished with shopping for the remaining ingredients, he headed to the checkout line, preparing his wallet.

Getting in line behind him, Kanade replied, "Sure, we were planning a surprise party tomorrow to celebrate Tsubasa leaving the hospital anyways, and we were already going to invite you and Hibiki. Don't worry, we'll bring our own stuff too!"

A few minutes later, the two teens walked out of the supermarket, finalizing the plans for the surprise party. "Alright, so you're bringing ramen, the old man and I are bringing tonkatsu, Shinji's bringing hot pot, Aoi's bringing barley tea, Sakuya's bringing salad, and Hibiki's probably bringing white rice. Got that?"

Nodding, Makoto replied, "I understand. Make sure to bring extra side dishes to go with Hibiki's rice." As the two reached a crossroad, he turned left and headed down the street. "My house is this way, so I'll see you with the others," he said.

"Sure thing!" Kanade called back, waving a hand. They were about to part when her phone rang, drawing their attention. "Just a sec, it's the old man." Answering the call, Kanade was silent for a few seconds before her eyes widened. "Alright, we're on our way. Just need to drop off a few things first." Ending the call, she looked at Makoto and nodded. "Drop off the groceries as quick as you can then get ready." She ran off, turning around the corner.

Makoto ran back to his apartment, quickly unlocking the door and putting his groceries on the table. Just as quickly, he left and locked the door before retreating into a nearby alley. Grasping his pendant, he said to himself, "Let's go." Transforming, he tapped on the radio and reported, "I'm ready. What's going on?"

"Noise have been detected," answered Sakuya over the radio. "The commander is out handling another issue on his own, so you're stuck with us nerds. Tsubasa can't do anything since she still hasn't been cleared from the hospital yet, so we need you to join with the others and help clear them out."

Joining the conversation as she caught up to Makoto, Kanade snarked, "Looks like the old man's going to miss out on the action. Think he'll be fine with a recording?"

Aoi giggled and replied, "Knowing the commander, he'd be more upset if we didn't have shots from several camera angles. Now get to work, you two. There's some Noise just up ahead." As if on cue, the Noise alarm rang throughout the city, with the aforementioned monsters appearing out of thin air.

"Got it," grunted Makoto as he unsheathed his Silver Saber, winding his arm back for a quick slash. Cutting through the Noise, he glanced over at Kanade, twirling Laevateinn expertly as she made her way down the street. "So what's the plan?"

Smirking, Kanade replied, "We take out as many Noise as we can before they find people, and find the old man while we're at it! Think you can catch up?"

Huffing in amusement, Makoto shot back, "I should be asking you that!" He slashed through a group of Noise in front of him before switching to the Lightning Bow, firing at the aerial Noise with near-perfect efficiency. "Sakuya-san, Aoi-san, where did Commander Genjuro go?"

The blue-haired woman quickly responded, "He went after Chris. They should be near the market district by the river. We'll guide you. Head down the road and take a left at the third intersection. After that, take the first right and keep going. You should find them there."

"Got it, let's go!" Kanade dashed down the street, summoning Hell Biker to clear a path for the two Persona users. "Makoto, you've seen what the old man can do. Keep an eye out for flipped pavement. There's only so much ground he can punch at the Noise."

A few minutes later, Makoto called out, "I found them!" He dashed ahead, jumping over cracked pavement. Quickly pulling out his Evoker and pulling the trigger, he called out, "Horus!" Grabbing one leg, he gestured to Kanade to do the same. The two ascended to the sky and landed on the roof of a building just in time to run into Genjuro and Chris.

"Old man, we're here!" shouted Kanade. "Why'd you come out all the way here?" She ran over to Genjuro, ignoring Chris as the girl pulled herself out of Genjuro's protective grip.

"Watch out!" shouted Genjuro as aerial Noise approached the group. "You're at a disadvantage with the area we're in!"

Running forwards, Chris stood in front of the Noise and clutched a red pendant at her neck. Ignoring the look of shock Kanade sent her and Makoto's intrigued glance, she took a deep breath and sang.

Killter Ichaival tron

(Play Makyu Ichaival)

Pulling out two futuristic crossbows, Chris fired a volley of energy arrows at the Noise, creating massive explosions in the air that could be seen for miles around. Turning back to the trio, she snapped, "I can take care of this myself, so go help the others!" Before Genjuro could protest, she declared, "I'll take on all of them!" Flicking the crossbows upwards, she changed them into dual tri-barrel gatling guns and leapt into the air, already unleashing Billion Maiden upon the remaining Noise. "Bring it on, you pieces of filth!"

Makoto grunted as he held a hand to his head. Noticing this, Kanade asked, "Hey teach, what's wrong?"

Shaking his head, Makoto explained, "My Norse Personas were getting really noisy when they saw Chris's Symphogear. Something about how she changed the nature of the relic her Symphogear uses."

Within the Sea of Souls, Odin ranted, "What in the Nine Realms is that? Why would a bow made from a yew tree in Ýdalir become a modern weapon? I can forgive Gungnir gaining mechanical components since it stays a spear, but for a longbow to turn into advanced firearms is ridiculous! What would Ullr say if he saw a bow he crafted himself turned into such a thing?"

Kanade curiously asked, "What are they saying?"

Makoto replied, "They're freaking out over how a longbow crafted by the Norse god of archery was able to become guns." Watching Chris descend to the ground and land in the middle of a group of Noise, he continued, "Odin said that Gungnir becoming mechanical is forgivable but Ichaival going from bow to firearm makes no sense."

Humming in concentration, Genjuro slowly said, "Well, the Symphogear has over three million locks on it that adjust to the user's growth, fighting style, and mindset. This may be the reason why. Chris Yukine's upbringing caused her to be in active warzones, and is likely to be the cause for her Symphogear to take on the form of modern weaponry."

Perking up, the red-haired girl added, "Oh, so like how Gungnir was an actual spear when I used it, but it became gauntlets when Hibiki got it!"

Nodding, Makoto replied, "I guess that could explain it. But we can talk about this later. The Noise take priority." As if on cue, he stabbed at a Noise that crawled onto the roof, before summoning Forneus and leaping onto his back, switching to his own bow.

Kanade ran after him, only to stop at the ledge and look down. "Crap, I forgot to test if I could do long-fall landings with this new armor," she cursed. "How am I supposed to get down?"

Chuckling in amusement, Genjuro walked up to her and carried her in his arms. "Don't worry, Kanade. Did you forget that I can get down too?"

Snorting in amusement, Kanade jokingly retorted, "Stop trying to look cool, old man. It just looks wrong at your age."

…

Hours later at night after the Noise were defeated, everyone met up as soldiers provided food and medical attention to civilians. After putting away their weapons and returning their armor to pendant form, Makoto and Kanade headed over to Genjuro, who was talking to Hibiki and Miku. Popping open a can of soda and taking a sip, Kanade asked, "Think we should go see what they're talking about?"

Seeing the two girls happily exchange high fives, Makoto shrugged and replied, "Sure. Might as well see what's going on."

Turning around, Hibiki saw the two and excitedly waved to them. "Kanade-san! Makoto-san! Over here!"

Spinning around in surprise, Miku exclaimed, "Kanade-san and Makoto-san? What are they doing here?" As the two got closer, she shook her head and asked, "You're in the same group as Hibiki too?"

Chuckling, Kanade replied, "Sure thing! Why else would we be teaching her to properly manage her time? As her senior, it's the least I can do. I'm guessing that you're in the loop now?"

"She is," confirmed Genjuro. "However, I still need to pull a few strings to make sure no trouble comes of this. She's still an ordinary civilian, after all." Seeing a certain pink van arriving, he finished, "We can talk about this tomorrow, so go get some rest. You can leave the rest to us adults now that Ryoko's here."

"Got it, old man!" responded Kanade as she walked away, arm slung over Makoto's shoulders. "In that case, Makoto and I are going to go finish prepping for Tsubasa's surprise party tomorrow. Feel free to bring Miku, Hibiki!"

Unseen to everyone, Makoto cast a suspicious glance at Ryoko, his eyes narrowing as he pondered the timing of her arrival, recalling Loki's warning. Something was off, that much was clear, but he couldn't figure out what.

The next day, everyone met up in the Section Two base. "Wow!" exclaimed Miku, looking around in wonder. "Who would've thought that there was a secret base under our school?" Walking down the hall, she saw who was just ahead of her.

"Tsubasa-san! Kanade-san! Makoto-san!" called Hibiki, waving cheerfully. "We're all here now!" Running over to them she excitedly said, "Miku's finally an external collapse hater… clapper aider… crab rater?" She trailed off, eyebrows furrowing in confusion.

"External collaborator," corrected Makoto. "It means that she can do certain work for Section Two without actually being a member. She's also allowed to come here as long as she calls in advance, is invited or given permission, or comes here with a member of Section Two."

Kanade added, "She can also talk with Section Two members about things that she normally wouldn't be able to otherwise. There are still a few inconveniences she'll have to deal with, but hey, that's part of the job."

Nodding, Miku smiled and responded, "Don't worry, I'll be fine. The Commander explained my duties, and I understand the implications of working here."

Blinking in realization, Hibiki piped up. "That reminds me, where is Master? Did anyone see where he went?"

Tsubasa finally spoke up and said, "Actually, we were looking for him too."

"Oh my, isn't this lovely? I love having friendly chats!" announced Ryoko as she walked over to the group, ignoring Shinji and Sakuya as they stepped back to avoid being in her way. "Mind if I join?"

Sighing, Shinji finally spoke up. "While I don't particularly care much for conversations like these, I'd appreciate it if Sakuya and I weren't ignored like we aren't here." Much to his dismay, he was promptly ignored by Ryoko as she walked past him to approach the girls.

"Ryoko-san, do you have any stories?" Hibiki asked excitedly.

"Of course I do!" responded Ryoko. "Why, if you listen to my epic tale of love, you won't be able to sleep at night." She leaned in, a playfully seductive look twinkling in her eyes.

Kanade quipped, "Isn't not being able to sleep at night for horror stories?" Miku nodded in agreement, smiling awkwardly.

"An epic tale of love?" gasped Hibiki in wonder. Drifting off into the land of fantasies, she squealed, "I bet she met a handsome gentleman at some fancy expensive bar and-" Descending into incoherent giggles, she squirmed in place, imagining all sorts of things.

Ignoring Tsubasa's sigh of resignation, Ryoko began her story. "It was such a long time ago," she sighed. "If you knew how passionate I could be back then, you'd probably have a heart attack." She blushed and held a hand to her cheek in embarrassment.

Miku and Hibiki gasped in excitement, while the others looked at Ryoko in surprise. "Color me surprised," said Tsubasa. "I thought you were the type to always be too busy with your research to have any time to look for love."

"You know what they say," responded Ryoko, "Life is short, so make the most of it! Besides, the power of a young girl's romance knows no limits!"

Slightly chuckling to himself in amusement, Shinji muttered, "A young girl, huh?" Not even a moment later, Ryoko struck him in the face, knocking him to the ground.

As if nothing had happened, Ryoko continued, "Besides, the reason I started researching the relics was to-" She cut herself off, blushing. Noticing Miku's and Hibiki's eager looks, she tried to put an end to the conversation and hastily saidk "Oh, I nearly lost track of the time. I need to go back to work, and don't have any more time to talk for now."

Getting up, Shinji groaned, "But you were the one to join the conversa-" He was suddenly hit in the face again, this time getting knocked out.

"Anyways! In the end, it comes down to the purity of your heart!" declared Ryoko, walking away from the group. "Well then, see you later!"

As the group watched Ryoko walk away, ignoring Sakuya as he tried to shake Shinji awake, Kanade sighed and lamented, "And in the end, we never even found out where the old man went."

Fun fact: because of Fire Emblem, there's a misconception that Ichaival is the name of the bow that Odin used in Norse mythology. However, there are very few myths where Odin even used a bow in the first place, much less owned a named bow. "Ichaival" is actually a rough translation/modification of Ýdalir, which is the home of Ullr, Norse god of archery. Because of this, I decided to work that into the story of the Ichaival relic's origin.

Please tell me what you think, review, constructive criticism appreciated, and NO flames. Keep your insults to yourself. They contribute nothing to the story (unless you're insulting characters that honestly deserve the burns).