A/N: Before this chapter starts, I just want to say Happy 2021 Everyone! I hope the year is starting out on a good note for you all and I hope it stays on that good note for as long as it can! Other than that, I don't have much else to say. So, without further ado, here's the next chapter of the story you've all been waiting for! Enjoy!


Part 2:
From a broken past, a brighter future will emerge.
Chapter 8:
The Storm before The Storm


Kana's POV:
Section Two HQ


The day following the fight between Kana and Hibiki vs Kirika and Shirabe, the wielders gathered in Hibiki's room in the medical wing of the ship. "Here are the recent X-rays of your body, Hibiki-kun." Genjuro said. On the monitor in front of everyone was a scan in the outline of Hibiki, which showed gold-colored stones throughout Hibiki's heart and veins. "The Gungnir fragments in your body have worked their way deeper and have multiplied to the point where it's created an entirely new organ inside of you. While it is the source of your immense power, it is also the very thing that is slowly killing you from within."

Despite this horrifying news, Hibiki started to laugh, which unnerves everyone present. "So what you're saying is, every time I use my Gear, it is slowly fusing with my body. So you want me to use my Gear as little as I possibly can?" Hibiki asked, laughing some more.

"Enough, Tachibana." Tsubasa interjected, grabbing her wrist to make her cut out her optimistic façade, "'As little as possible'? Are you crazy?!" Tsubasa asked. "It means you are forbidden from fighting ever again!" Unlike the last time Tsubasa said something like this to her, she looked to her friend with concern as tears began to form on Tsubasa's face. "Tachibana, if you continue to fight, you're going to die!" While she just assumed that things would get better for her eventually, hearing Tsubasa, someone she knew to normally be calm and composed, say this in a way to where she was on the verge of breaking into tears, Hibiki finally understood the gravity of her situation.

"That's enough!" Chris shouted, pushing Tsubasa away from Hibiki, "I'm sure the idiot knows her situation well enough, no thanks to you!"

Tsubasa went silent after that comment, everyone could tell Chris blamed her for how things were with Hibiki and Kana currently. Immediately, Tsubasa walked quietly out of the room. "Chris... It's not her fault that things turned out the way they did." Kana says. "Even if Tsubasa told us all the truth, Hibiki included, about what was truly going on, I would've still done what I did to save her and the F.I.S. wielders."

Chris replied with a humph to Kana's reasoning. "Kana-chan's right, Chris-chan." Kanade added. "While I understand why you're upset with Tsubasa, what's done is done and nothing can change that. Just try to remember, while she may come off as heartless most of the time, at the end of the day, she's trying to do what's best for her allies." After saying this, Kanade started to head for the door. "I'm going to go find Tsubasa, her and I have some interviews later today. Later everyone!" Waving her hand, Kanade disappears as the door closes behind her.

"The doctors are doing what they can to help." Genjuro said, changing the topic. "They're using all the data that Ryoko-kun left to try and find a solution to your problem." Hibiki solemnly looks to her Sensei, as if to ask if everything will truly end up okay. "I'm sure they'll find a cure in no time. Until then, there's nothing wrong with taking a vacation. So for now, you just get some rest." Hibiki listens to Genjuro's advice, despite the fact it means she may never be able to help people again.

"By the way," Kana says, "I wanted to ask Serena something back on the night Hibiki went berserk, but because of everything, I never really had the chance to ask it."

"What is it Kana?" Serena asked.

"When Dr. Ver sent that Nephilim monster after us, you froze in place and started mumbling to yourself Serena." Kana says, surprising the elder sister that she remembered that. "I was just curious, what happened to you back then?"

Serena was silent for a bit, but eventually started to talk. "While I can't fully remember what happened initially or why, I remembered being locked in a room with that monster when I was younger." Hearing this surprised everyone in the room.

"What do you mean by that Serena-kun?" Genjuro asked.

"Well..." Serena continued. "When I saw the Nephilim on the battlefield, I saw a vision of a room that was falling apart and on fire. I also saw what looked like silhouettes of different people behind a giant glass window watching me as I stood in the room with that monster."

"So when you saw that monster, it caused some pieces of your memories to resurface." Genjuro said. "Were you able to see anything else in this vision?"

"Nothing else too clearly I'm afraid." Serena answered. "However, I did hear what sounded like another young girl crying out for me from a distance. As far as why I froze out there, I guess the memories just caused me to tense up."

"Strange..." Genjuro commented. "Perhaps you had some involvement with F.I.S. as a child? Either that or they got their hands on Nephilim from wherever you fought it the first time. For now, it may be best to leave it at that until we can get the answers we need from F.I.S. once we apprehend them." Everyone present agreed with Genjuro's suggestion.

Soon after this, everyone left Hibiki's room to let her rest peacefully, seeing she would be free to go home soon and would need the rest. "Serena." Kana says to her sister as they left for the Astral Plane. "I'm certain that we'll get the answers you need from F.I.S. We just have to do what we can to find out the truth."

"I couldn't agree more Kana." Serena said, chuckling at her younger sister's enthusiasm. "That reminds me, you and Miku-chan are planning to take Hibiki-chan to the Sky Tower tomorrow after she's free to return to her dorm, right?"

Kana gasps, "I almost forgot about that! Thank you for reminding me! I still need to prepare on my e-" Forgetting her body wasn't fully recovered yet, Kana's excitement got the better of her and caused her to stumble and fall down. "Ow..."

Serena chuckled again as she helped her sister to her feet. "No need to rush yourself Kana. Don't forget you're still recovering from using your Superb Song, let alone an S2CA." The two sisters laughed together as they continued back home for the day.


Dr. Ver's POV:
F.I.S. Helicopter


Following a check-up on Kirika and Shirabe's conditions post their LiNKER overdoses, F.I.S. flew to a specific spot in the ocean. "Maria, proceed." Dr. Nastassja said. With a nod, Maria press a button on the Helicopter's dashboard, releasing a shuttle marker into the air. "Cut our stealth and focus Shénshòujìng's power." On her command, Maria deactivated the cloaking device and started to charge power into the Shénshòujìng relic. "Shénshòujìng, excavated from Mt. Minakami in Nagano prefecture, is a mirror relic." Nastassja stated aloud. "If the tales of it are true, then not only does it have to power to bend light to create optical camouflage, but it also possesses the power to exorcise evil. With Shénshòujìng's ability to neutralize the power of other relics, we shall undo the seal placed on the Frontier."

"Hold on a second Nastassja." Dr. Ver says, grabbing Nastassja's hand to stop her from firing the laser. "By breaking Frontier's seal, that will reveal it to the world. Wouldn't it be wiser to wait and unseal it until after all of our other preparations are complete?"

"There's no need to worry about that, Doctor." Nastassja replied and, without hesitation, fired Shénshòujìng's beam at the shuttle marker which caused the laser to go straight into the ocean.

Dr. Ver was excited as the water started to react to the laser created by Shénshòujìng, excited that their plans were being realized. However, after a while, nothing emerged from the smoke above the water. "Wh-What? Why didn't it work? Why isn't it breaking the seal?" The doctor's excitement turned into confusion. From what he heard about Shénshòujìng's power, he was certain it would work, but this had him completely dumbfounded.

"There isn't enough power." Nastassja answered the doctor's rambling questions. "Not even Shénshòujìng has enough power to undo Frontier's seal if we only mechanically amplify it."

This turned the doctor's confusion into anger. "Were you aware of this?" Ver angrily asks. "You're a relic specialist. I have a lot of trouble believing that you never knew this would happen when you first investigated Frontier's whereabouts. Or was all of this just supposed to be your way of telling us that we're nowhere close to breaking Frontier's seal?!"

"I believe it's best that we discuss the important details of what we will do next." Dr. Nastassja answered, angering Dr. Ver even further. He was already over the lie of Maria not being Finé, but this was the final nail in the coffin for Ver to plan his takeover of F.I.S. He was done playing Nastassja's games.


Serena's POV:
Astral Plane


Thanks to her younger sister, Serena remembered what she saw at the fight against Dr. Ver and the Nephilim monster. Had things with Hibiki not have transpired the way they did, she would've tried to meet with Sera a lot sooner than she did. After helping Kana around the Astral Plane and getting her to bed later that night, Serena would head to her own room and go to sleep. Once she was asleep, Serena immediately looked for her imaginary friend. "Sera? Are you here?"

"Of course I am." Sera said, the room shifting from that of her bedroom in the Astral Plane to that of a room in a strange, yet familiar, facility. "I mean, I am you after all. Wherever you go, I'm there."

"Then I assume you know why I'm looking for you?" Serena asks.

"I do." Sera answered. "You need to talk about those memories that returned to you, yes?" Serena nods. "Personally, it made me nostalgic for other reasons, seeing those memories."

"What do you mean by that?" Serena asks.

"Don't you recognize this room?" Sera said, only for Serena to shake her head. "Other than being the place that those memories took place," Sera snapped her fingers and the room started to fall apart, fire blazed all around the room, which slightly surprised Serena, and Sera's face started dripping blood from her mouth and eyes, "but it's also where we first met all those months ago." Sera snapped her fingers again and the room, as well as herself, went back to normal. "Sorry if I scared you with that."

"It's okay Sera." Serena says. "Although, I don't remember ever seeing the room in this state, why are we able to see it this way now?"

"That's because, while you may not remember everything which also limits my memories, I am able to piece together some pieces through existing memories." Sera explained. "However, I can't bring back major pieces of memories such as how this room exactly looked, only minor things such as how a room you were in may have looked or how someone you remember could've looked."

"And the way you managed to make yourself change your appearance, is that the same thing or something different?" Serena asks.

Sera takes a deep breath and suddenly starts glowing. When the light around her dissipates, Sera is replaced by a woman who looked exactly like Serena did with her Section Two uniform. "That's limited to however you've looked or imagined how you've looked." The next moment, Sera reverts back to her younger form. "I just thought it'd be easier for you if I didn't look exactly the same as you."

"Fair enough." Serena says. "Back to the topic at hand, why was I in this room with the Nephilim?"

Sera thought for a second before answering, "While I may not know the exact answer, my guess is that you either came in here of your own will to stop that monster, or someone forced you to do it. Regardless, we both know the outcome: you sang your Superb Song and defeated the monster at what could've been the cost of your life."

"I'm still grateful to Kana for saving my life that day." Serena says, "But that leads me to my other question: the girl that screamed my name. Wa-" Just then, a younger voice screamed out her name, as if Serena mentioning it was a queue of sorts. "Was that Maria?"

"It would make the most sense for it to be her." Sera said.

"Is she really my sister?" Serena asks.

"Considering everything that's happened in the past month, I want to say yes." Sera answered. "Any other questions about the recent memories?"

"Not really." Serena says. "If anything, from what we've gone over, it's only made me more determined to try and prove myself to Maria so I can finally learn the truth." With her questions answered, Serena spent the rest of the night hanging out with Sera until the morning. Before she would wake up, Serena had one more thing on her mind. "Sera, when my memories fully return, will you cease to be?"

Sera chuckled at the question. "What brought this up?" Sera asked.

"I just thought, you practically came into existence because I forgot about who I was before meeting Kana and Lilith." Serena says, "But recently, I've been thinking about that and the idea of it kinda scared me. I mean, I know you're just a figment of my imagination and all, but the thought of having to say goodbye one day made me scared to truly search for the truth of my past."

Without saying a word, Sera went to Serena and gave her a hug. "Just because I was originally made from your mind to help you find out who you were doesn't mean I will disappear when I'm done. Besides, amnesia or not, everyone has memories that never return to them, so it would be impossible to truly remember everything. For example: I bet you can't remember what you ate ten months ago for breakfast." Serena thought about it for a second, but try as she might, she couldn't. "Secondly, just like you said, I'm a figment of your imagination. That means the only way to truly get rid of me, is if you do it yourself."

Serena wipes the tears from her eyes after Sera finished speaking. "T-Thank you Sera. Your like the sister I never had." Sera gives Serena a smug look as if to portray what she was going to say. "Right. 'That's because I am you'?"

"Exactly." Sera said. "But for now, I think it's about time you woke up. See you later Serena!"

"See you later Sera!" Serena replies, her vision fading before she would wake up back in her bed in the Astral Plane and prepared for another day of working and training as she had been doing for the past couple weeks.


Maria and Kana's POVs:
Tokyo Sky Tower


As previously planned by Miku and herself, Kana went with Hibiki and Miku to spend the day at the Tokyo Sky Tower to help take Hibiki's mind off of her, hopefully temporary, suspension from combat. Unknown to them, Maria and Dr. Nastassja were also there. Maria had gone with Nastassja to the Sky Tower for reasons the latter would not go into the details of. Despite that, Maria's mind was on Nastassja's strange change to their plan for Maria to no longer pretend to be Finé. "Mom... When you said I no longer need to be Finé, what exactly did you mean by that?" Maria asks.

"I meant exactly what I said." Nastassja answered. "This whole time, we've only been playing the part of terrorists. However, our true goal is to prevent the tragedy that is to come from the Moon's collision with the Earth. Am I wrong?"

Maria is able to understand what Nastassja is getting at. "So what you're saying is, as we are now, we won't be able to save anyone?" Nastassja nodded as they arrived at their destination, a business room where several men in suits awaited them. "Mom... Who are these people?"

"Agents from the US government." Nastassja answered. "I called them so we could negotiate a deal."

"You're going to negotiate with the US government?" Maria asks. "Are the others aware of this?"

"As of present, only you and Dr. Ver are aware of this deal." Nastassja said. "Now then, let us begin our negotiations."

Meanwhile, Kana and Hibiki were waiting for Miku near one of the fish tanks. While they were waiting, Kana noticed that Hibiki seemed to be lost in thought. "Is everything okay, Hibiki?"

Hibiki sighed. "Just been thinking about my situation lately. I know it's for the better that I leave fighting to everyone else for the moment and hope they find a way to cure me, but I can't help but think if I'll even be needed on the battlefield ever again if they do find a cure."

"Hibiki... That's not going to happen." Kana says, slightly confusing her friend. "While it's true that myself and the other wielders should be able to handle things for the moment, you still had a major role in keeping us all together. The fact that you always try to see the good in anyone you face has inspired me to do the same. For what it's worth, it always reminds me of how my Papa would tell me about how he fought for what he believed in and, despite people opposing his belief of peace, he never gave up on reaching out to them and eventually ended an era of what seemed like endless war between his two families because of that belief."

Hibiki smiled, slightly being cheered up by Kana's words. "Thanks Kana. If anything, all of you and Lilith-san's stories about your family makes me wish we could visit them someda-AIIIIEEE!" While they were distracted in a conversation, Miku had snuck up behind Hibiki and gently pressed a cold can of soda to her face, which caused the people nearby to turn to see what happened.

"Don't be so loud." Miku calmly said.

"B-B-B-But anyone would shout if you did that to them..." Hibiki retorted, still flustered from the surprise attack.

"It's your fault if anything." Miku replied, confusing Hibiki further. "We hardly have the chance to hang out like this, but you've acted like you're bored to death the whole time."

"Sorry about that..." Hibiki said sheepishly. "But don't worry, Miku! It's been a while since we've gone on a date, no offense Kana."

"None taken." Kana replies.

"So c'mon! It's not every day we get to come somewhere such as this, so let's enjoy it while we can!" Hibiki continued, taking Miku to explore around the Sky Tower some more as Kana followed behind.

"Despite how she truly feels, it amazes me how Hibiki is able to just always put others before herself, especially Miku." Kana says to herself. "I just wish there was something we could truly do to save Hibiki AND let her keep fighting for what she believes in."

Back with Maria and Nastassja, a deal had been made and the two handed over a data chip that contained all of the information they had on the relics in their possession. "Thank you for your cooperation." The lead US agent said. "We shall gladly take the data you've provided on the heretical technology."

"I'll be sure to tell you how to use it another time." Nastassja replied. "Until then-" Suddenly, the agent pulled out a gun and pointed it at Nastassja and Maria, the other agents doing the same soon after.

"Bullets are far more effective at taking lives than your songs." The agent said.

"So you had no intention on negotiations from the start?" Nastassja asked.

"We have what we came for." The agent answered. "All that's left is to get rid of what we don't n-" The agent stopped himself when he noticed something in the corner of his eye: Noise.

Almost instantly, all of the agents were reduced to ashes as the Noise entered the room, but Maria was quick to react to their sudden appearance as she began her transformation.


"Granzizel bilfen Gungnir zizzl"


(Ressō Gungnir begins to play)

Maria immediately went to work disposing of the Noise in the room before they could touch Dr. Nastassja. After they were disposed of, Maria made an opening for the two of them to escape through, but this alerted everyone else in the Sky Tower.

"What was that?" Miku asked, but her question was immediately answered by the arrival of Noise. Seeing them, the other civilians began to panic and run to safety, whereas Hibiki began to run towards the danger, only for Miku to stop her. "Hibiki no! Don't go!"

"But Miku, I have to help!" Hibiki tried to retort, but Miku wasn't going to let her leave.

"I don't want you to fight!" Miku pleaded, "I don't want you to leave me!"

Just then, the trio spotted a child crying over being separated from their mother. "Leave the Noise to me!" Kana says. "You two help get that child and any other civilians out of the Sky Tower and I'll try and keep the Noise busy while I also look for civilians. I'll meet up with you two when this is over."

Hibiki nodded. As much as she wanted to help fight the Noise, she knew the risks in doing so and decided to listen to her friend. "Be careful Kana."

"Same to you two." Kana replies as she leaves to find an area to transform unnoticed by civilians as Miku and Hibiki go to help the crying child.

Back with Maria, after making an escape route, she quickly destroys the chip that held all of the data they planned to give to the agents, angered by their betrayal, grabbed Nastassja from her wheelchair, and fled the room. As she fled, Maria took down any and all Noise in their way. However, she would soon run into another obstacle: US Soldiers. This surprise attack caused Maria to halt her advance and immediately go on the defensive, continuing her path after the soldiers were subdued.

"Maria. Try to find an escape route through the upper levels, that way we can avoid an ambush." Nastassja suggested, which Maria quickly found a stairwell and, with her temporarily enhanced agility, quickly climbed the stairs upward.

As for Kana, she began to descend the Sky Tower, helping anyone she could find along the way. Eventually, she began to hear gunfire. "What in the world?" Kana says, going to investigate. As she looked for where the gunfire came from, she began to hear screams of pain. When she found the source of the noise, she was greeted by the gruesome image of Maria standing over the corpses of several soldiers as some civilians watched in horror.

"Stay calm!" Maria shouts. "Stay calm and get out of here! Hurry!" Will this said, the civilians quickly fled the scene.

"What the hell are you doing here F.I.S.?!" Kana shouts, taking Maria by surprise. "Why did you kill these people?"

"They were killing innocent bystanders who got in their way as they attacked Mom and I." Maria replies, a hint of anger in her voice. "I had no choice, nor do I care how your view of me changes because of it. Now, if you'll excuse me, we need to escape before more US Soldiers come. We can settle matters another time." With that, Maria rose her lance skywards and drilled through the ceiling.

As much as she wanted to pursue her, Kana needed to evacuate the building, as far as she was aware, any and all civilians were on their way to safety and the last thing she wanted was to become wrapped up in whatever F.I.S. where doing. Finding a nearby opening where the Noise broke in through, Kana escaped and landed near an empty alleyway where she could safely pick up her communicator to warn the others. However, as she went to do that, she suddenly felt a prick in her neck. "OW! What in th-!" Kana was speechless when she saw who just attacked her: Dr. Ver.

"Good to see you, Kana-chan." The doctor greeted her with a smug grin on his face.

"Dr. Ver!" Kana shouts. "Why are you and F.I.S. here? What are you all planning."

"As much as I'd like to answer your questions Kana-chan, I'm afraid I don't have the time to explain them to you." Ver said, confusing Kana. But as she was about to ask what he meant, she began to feel dizzy and reverted from her transformation. "I will say one thing though before you pass out on me, Anti-LiNKER and tranquilizer are amazingly effective at stopping a wielder such as yourself. And here I thought it would only slightly hinder you!" He laughed as he said this.

"Gods... Damn you...!" Kana says as she began to charge a Dragon Shot, but was unable to fire it before her body began to shut down, causing the charged shot to fizzle out as she fell to the ground.

"Interesting." Dr. Ver commented. "So you're able to use some of your abilities without the need of a Gear. You truly are an interesting specimen, Kana-chan!" The doctor's mad laughter and an explosion that rang out from the top of the Sky Tower were the last things Kana heard before her consciousness fully faded, other than slightly hearing the doctor say something quietly, "Sweet dreams, Kana-chan..."

A/N: Remember in the last chapter when I said I had some interesting things planned for the second half of part 2? Well, I wasn't joking when I said that.

First off, I felt like I never really gave enough detail to Sera and what she was capable of in previous chapters she appeared in, so I wanted to use her appearance in this chapter to help flesh out her character so she would feel more like an original character than just someone who could be written off as "An excuse to add original Serena to the story." (I haven't been told that by anyone yet, but I'm saying it before anyone else could. So HA!)

As for the ending, I won't go too much into detail on what the "heroic" doctor has planned for Kana here, but I will say that it'll be worth waiting for.

Other than that, thank you all so much for reading this chapter. I shall see you in the next one!