A/N: Now, for the final time, I welcome you all to the fifth and final part of Superb Song of the Fate-Defying Valkyrie! Honestly still very surprised I've managed to make it this far considering how I've also put more work on my plate with my other main fics. Regardless of that, as previously mentioned, this part is by far my favorite in terms of the content I have in store for it, so I hope you all enjoy!

And of course, for the last time, A disclaimer: It is strongly recommended that you watch all of Symphogear and either play or watch a playthrough of Fire Emblem: Fates: Revelations due to this story's events tying directly to their events with several changes. Lastly, I do not own Symphogear or Fire Emblem Fates. Those belong to Akifumi Kaneko and Intelligent Systems respectively.


Part 5:
Together, we shall create a future the gods could never foresee!
Chapter 1:
The Alchemist Dragon


Kana, Serena, and Kanade's POVs:
The Black Forest, Germany


In the skies about Southwest Germany, a U.N. helicopter flies over the Black Forest. In this helicopter, Kanade, Serena, and Kana all look over the tree line in search of their target, while also taking in the view.

"Gotta admit, even as an Idol, I never thought I'd get the chance to visit this part of Germany." Kanade says. "Say, you think they'd let us stop by BaWü before we head back to Japan? I'd love to look around for a bit!"

"Considering our objective, I don't really see it happening this time, Kanade." Serena answers. "Besides, wouldn't it be better to look around when Tsubasa and Onee-san are with us?"

"Guess you got a point there..." Kanade replies, slightly disappointed. However, mid-pout, she looks over at Kana, noticing that she seemed... Distracted. "You doin' okay, Kana?"

Hearing this, Kana snaps out of her trance and hastily looks over at Kanade. "Huh? Oh, yeah... I'm alright." She says. "Just taking in the view is all. Val Verde was the only time I've really been out of Japan, so it's nice to see what other countries look like."

"And you're not just saying this to make sure we don't worry about you in terms of the mission's objective, right?" Serena asks, which makes Kana blush nervously. "While I can't speak for Kanade, I've been your sister long enough to know when something's on your mind. No offense, Kanade."

"None taken." Kanade says, waving off Serena's remark. "Besides, I know that, if I were in your shoes, that bombshell of news would really mess me up, too."

Kana lightly chuckles at Kanade's statement. "Well, you're not too far off the mark in that regard, Kanade-san..."


Flashback:
S.O.N.G. HQ


Once they were through the portal from the Astral Plane to HQ, Chris and Kana hurried to the command center where the other Wielders and S.O.N.G. personnel were all waiting for them, as they all looked at a cruise ship that had caught on fire on the main screen. "Good, now everyone's here." Genjuro stated.

"What happened, Commander?" Kana asks.

"There was an accident at a S.O.N.G. research facility that's disguised as a common cruise ship." Genjuro answered.

"So it's a floating lab dess?" Kirika asked.

"Was it researching something that was too dangerous to handle in the city?" Shirabe asked.

"Yes. We were investigating the remains of the Autoscorer that we had recovered." Genjuro answered, as the screen changed from the cruise ship lab fire to a picture of the remains of Tiki's upper body.

"Ain't that the chick that was simping for Adam?" Kanade asked.

"We were attempting to examine the remains of the Antikythera Gear within her remains, in order to hopefully shed some light on Adam Weishaupt and the Bavarian Illuminati's goals." Aoi stated.

"The explosion that we saw was possibly set off when researchers triggered a safety mechanism when they were close to finding their secrets." Ogawa added.

"The Autoscorer they called Tiki was capable of recording the movements of the stars and using that recorded date to calculate various phenomena." Elfnein stated, as the screen changed once more to reveal a globe that rotated down to the center of the southern hemisphere, stopping at a spot on the Earth's southernmost continent.

"Is that... Antarctica?" Tsubasa asked.

"The last data we were able to salvage before the explosion was the coordinates to this point at the South Pole." Sakuya stated.

"It's Lake Vostok. One of the largest lakes in Antarctica." Aoi added. "There's a Russian observation post nearby."

"That's a lake?" Hibiki asked, squinting her eyes to see the screen better. "All I'm seeing is snow."

"That's because most of that snow is Lake Vostok." Sakuya said. "The lake itself is just covered underneath many layers of ice."

"The Earth's environment isn't static however. It has undergone several changes in comparison to what it was like thousands of years ago." Elfnein stated. "These changes have been especially stark in recent years, as much of the polar ice has melted."

"Let me guess, something came out of the ice, right?" Chris asked sarcastically.

"Actually, yes." Aoi answered, which made Chris raise an eyebrow in curiosity as a new image appeared on the screen. "This frozen scorpion was found near the Vostok observation post the other day."

"Investigations revealed that this species of scorpion lived in the Middle East thousands of years ago." Sakuya stated. "As of now, the species is currently extinct."

"How did it manage to get to Antarctica of all places?" Maria asked.

"We're not sure just yet." Aoi answered. "However, at face value, its presence in Antarctica implies that it was somehow brought there from the Middle East by a precursor civilization."

"That's rather concerning..." Serena said.

"It's unfortunately not the only concerning thing on our plate, I'm afraid." Ogawa replied. "In the meantime, our agents have been hunting down the remnant cells of the Bavarian Illuminati that went underground after its collapse."

"The intel they've found indicates that Adam was attempting to use the divine power to accomplish some goal." Genjuro added.

"What was his goal?" Tsubasa asked.

"In order to rule over humanity, he would destroy something referred to as 'The coffin that will resurface from beyond the abyss of time.'" Genjuro stated, which made all of the Wielders gasp.

"'Resurface from beyond the abyss of time'? That sounds a little too close to the frozen scorpion to mean anything good." Kanade stated.

"Which is why six of you will be dispatched for recon in Antarctica." Genjuro said. "Considering our intel comes from Illuminati remnants, it could be a trap. The operation will begin in one week. Hibiki-kun, Tsubasa, Chris-kun, Maria-kun, Kirika-kun, and Shirabe-kun, make all of the preparations you can! Understood?"

"Roger!" They all replied, minus Hibiki who was distracted by the image on the monitor of Adam's true form.

"Wait a second, what about Serena, Kana, and I, commander?" Kanade asked. "Shouldn't we go with them as well?"

"Originally, that was the plan, but there is something else that the three of you will need to handle while they're away on this mission." Genjuro answered. "Ogawa?"

With a nod, Ogawa stood next to Genjuro as a new series of images appeared on the monitor, some of which stood out immediately to Kana. "That's...!"

"Months ago, during our raid of the Illuminati's bases after Adam's defeat, we came across a few individuals who stood out from the ranks of the Illuminati. While we have next to no information on most of these individuals aside from descriptions given to us by the agents who encountered them, we had more clear footage from our encounter with one of them, who gave our agents a lot of difficulty." Ogawa stated. "While we do not have a name, we know that he appears to be a teenage male of unknown origin who is proficient in alchemy, and much like Kana-san, has the ability to transform into a draconic-being, but they did not seem to have control over it like Kana-san does."

"They're... Just like me?" Kana says aloud in shock.

"A male teenager who can transform into a dragon..." Hibiki thought aloud. "Could that be your brother, Kana?"

"I most certainly hope it's not him!" Kana replies. "He looks nothing like Shigure, and as far as I'm aware, my brother can't transform like me or Papa can."

"Regardless of his origins, we've been managing to track his location through Europe with a dart that we were lucky enough to place on him when he appeared outside of a city in France." Ogawa continued. "As of now, we've tracked his location to Baden-Württemberg, Germany, but our tracking dart stopped moving since his arrival in the Black Forest just recently, and the search part sent to retrieve him came back worse for wear than they left."

"Why did this never get brought up to us until just today?" Chris asked. "I mean, if they're like Kana, then she's literally the best person in terms of dealing with them!"

"While I would agree with you on that, Chris-san, the UN and EU wished to try and contain this Dragon Alchemist hybrid discreetly before reaching out to S.O.N.G. for assistance." Ogawa answered. "Granted, we only got approval to assist after the search party failed, which can only mean one of two things: Either he reverted back to his normal state, meaning we're dealing with an powerful alchemist, or he is a lot smarter in his draconic state despite his seeming lack of control than anticipated."

"That being said, with our involvement in this matter, S.O.N.G. now has full control over this situation, meaning it's our choice what happens to them after they've been contained." Genjuro stated. "Kana-kun, Kanade-kun, and Serena-kun, your operation will start in five days. Like I said before, make all of the preparations you can. All nine of you may be in for some difficult battles."

"Yes, sir!" Kanade and Serena said.

"Yes, sir..." Kana said, conflicted by the information given to her.


"Honestly, I don't know how to feel right now." Kana admits. "On one hand, I'm angry that we were left in the dark that someone like me was out there by both the UN and the Illuminati, moreso the latter. But at the same time, ever since we were told about him, I can only think about what I promised Saint-Germain-san..."


"I want you to find the experiment the Controlling Director deemed a failure and tell them that I'm... I'm sorry for what happened to them."

"They deserved a better fate than what was given to them... So, if you can give them a better life than the Illuminati has, as well as my apologies, I would be sincerely grateful."


"What if I can't keep my promise? How can I even hope to do him any good as things are now? What if I-"

Kana's rambling was stopped by a hand calmly being placed on her shoulder. "Take it from the girl who literally had to fight her family in order to reconnect with them last year, I'm sure you'll find a way to keep your promise." Serena says.

"Besides, it's not like you've experienced similar situations to this before." Kanade adds. "I mean, you got Kirika to praise you like a god, you got Saint-Germain's trust to carry this out, hell, you managed to make someone like Chris Yukine to have the hots for you, and all you had to do was be yourself."

Kana chuckled at Kanade's speech. "I feel like you may be exaggerating the Kirika and Chris parts, but I see your point, Kanade."

"Maybe for Kirika, but not for Chris." Kanade replies. "Seriously, despite how Kirika and Shirabe, and Hibiki and Miku act around one another, you're the only people at S.O.N.G. to openly be in a relationship. Not to mention how you two took far less time than either of them to do it."

"Are Kirika-chan and Shirabe-chan not in a relationship?" Serena asks. "Could've sworn I've heard them say 'I love you' openly before."

Kanade shrugs. "Not entirely sure to be honest, but my statement still stands." Just before the discussion could devolve into Shirabe and Kirika's relationship status, the Wielder trio suddenly felt the helicopter shake violently. "Hey, what's going on up there?!" Kanade asks the pilot.

"We've been hit by some sort of projectile EMP!" The pilot reported. "We've lost full control of the helicopter!"

"A projectile EMP?" Serena asks.

"I don't even know how to describe what I saw! It was just some ball of electrified water or something!" The pilot said. "Whatever it was, it put us in a free fall! Evacuate while you still can!"

Saying this, the pilot jumped out of the helicopter with a parachute, leaving the Wielder trio to escape. "Looks like we've gotta continue the search on foot, but we won't need to look too far!" Kanade says. "Let's go find ourselves a dragon!"

"Right!" Kana and Serena reply in unison, pulling out their gears as they prepare to barge through the closed helicopter door.


"You are the ocean's grey waves"


(Dusk Falls (Fire) begins to play)

With their Gears activated, the Wielder trio burst through the helicopter door, watching as it descended through the tree line and exploded. "I hope the pilot was able to get somewhere safe..." Serena says.

"Rest assured, Serena-kun. We picked up his S.O.S. signal a moment ago. A search and rescue squad should be dispatched once the coast is clear." Genjuro stated.

"Then I guess we shouldn't keep his help waiting!" Kanade replies. "You guys can surely help us with the search, yeah?"

"Thankfully, due to this dragon having similar abilities to Kana, we're able to pinpoint the general area where their attack came from!" Elfnein reported.

"How did you pull that off, Elfnein-chan?" Kana asks.

"A minor upgrade I made to the Symphogears that allows us to track frequencies and energies like phonic gain remotely." Elfnein answered. "Think of it as a portable radar that allows us to serve as an extra set of eyes and ears when and where they're needed."

"Considering the circumstances, that'll definitely come in handy here." Kanade says. "So, where is this general are-"

"RRRAAAAWWRRGGRR!"

"...Disregard that request, we found our dragon..." Kanade reports as she readies her spear.

Not long after the dragon's roar, the trio heard loud stomping heading straight for them, and as expected, it was the dragon that they were searching for. When the dragon was fully in view, they were able to see that its horns were pointed straight at them, which caused the trio to quickly dodge out of the way. However, as they were dodging, the dragon quickly turned around and charged a green ball of energy in its mouth, summoning a massive gale that blew all of them away.

"What the hell?!" Kanade gasps. "Since when could you summon wind like that?"

"I can't!" Kana replies. "Papa and I are only able to conjure water-based attacks with our draconic abilities. What they're doing is out of my capabilities."

"The Commander and Ogawa-san did mention that they were also an alchemist. Maybe that's how they're able to do more than just water-based attacks?" Serena suggests.

"Considering what that puts in their arsenal, that is going to make it hard for us to approach him..." Kanade adds.

Just as Kanade said, the dragon's abilities to call upon alchemy in their current form made things very difficult for the trio, giving them no room to work with and forcing them completely on the defensive. Eventually, this disadvantage started to become annoying to the trio, especially the dragon Wielder, who reverted their transformation.

"Kana? What are you doing?!" Serena asks.

"We're getting nowhere with this! So it's time to pull out plan B!" Kana answers, holding her pendant in her hand and walking towards the dragon.

"You may have the advantage with your alchemy, but I'll show you how a REAL dragon fights!"

Saying this, Kana's pendant lights up once more, but unlike with her Symphogear transformation, when the light dissipated, Kana transformed into her own draconic form, letting out a loud roar as she charged at the alchemist dragon. In response, the alchemist dragon readies a counterattack, but Kana was already too close to them in order for their attack to work, letting the Wielder dragon effortlessly slam them into a nearby tree.

The alchemist dragon tried to get back up, but Kanade and Serena quickly followed up Kana's assault to keep the dragon down, with the Airgetlám Wielder throwing an extra dagger into the dragon's shadow to hold them in place for a moment.

Shadow Weaving

"That dagger's not going to hold for long." Serena states. "Now we just need to find a way to weaken them enough to try and undo their transformation."

"We should be more than capable of weakening them more than enough with Kana in her dragon form and the two of us, right?" Kanade asks.

"If we were fighting a dragon that was exactly like me, yes." Kana says. "But with their ability to use alchemy as well, we'll need something a lot faster before we end up getting overwhelmed again."

"Then what about that one combo we tried out in training?" Kanade suggests. "Sure, we never tried it with you as you are now, but I think it should still work the same way!"

"Wouldn't hurt to try, right Kana?" Serena asks the Wielder dragon.

"I don't see why not!" Kana agrees. "Alright, I'll try and buy you two some time to charge up phonic gain, but don't take too long!"

"Come now, Kana. Do you forget who you're talkin' to?" Kanade teases.

"You might want to hurry before they break free of their bind." Serena says.

"Right!" Kana gasps as she quickly turns around to see the dragon slowly starting to move again. "Round two, copycat!"

(Heroic Warriors begins to play)

And thus, the dragons returned to their duel while Kanade and Serena began to channel phonic gain into their weapons. Thanks to her experience with her dragon form, Kana was able to keep the alchemist dragon on the defensive, aside from moments when she was forced to adapt to his unique alchemy-infused attacks.

This cycle of fighting and evading each other went on for several minutes, until the alchemist dragon got the jump on Kana with a surprise wind attack that knocked her away from them. However, at the same time this happened, Kana looked over and saw that Kanade and Serena's attacks were just about done charging, which made her chuckle audibly. "I will admit, you fight well for someone who barely has control of their actions. But, this is where it ends!" Saying this Kana began to conjure her water breath, forming a large ball of electrified water in her mouth. "Let's see if you can handle this one!"

"That's our cue!" Kanade shouts. "You ready, Serena?"

"I was just about to ask you the same thing!" Serena answers. "Let's do this!"

"TRIANGLE ATTACK!"

Shouting in unison, the trio of Wielders fire off beams of fire, light, and water at the alchemist dragon, who was distracted by the shout, leaving them no room to counter or evade the oncoming attacks, engulfing them in a pillar of all three elements.

Tri-beam Pincer

Once the smoke began to settle from the trio's attack, they saw the alchemist dragon struggling to get back up on their feet. With that, Serena threw another dagger to put them back in the Shadow Weaving stun as Kana reverted her transformation and reactivated her Symphogear. "That worked a lot better than I thought it would." Kana chuckles.

"Now how exactly are we gonna go about getting them out of this?" Kanade asks.

"I have a plan for that." Kana answers. "Serena, remember when you snapped me out of my funk when I was furious thinking Finé killed Chris?"

"Yeah. I sang you a song and it calmed you down." Serena states. "But I don't know if that will work on them since it only worked on you thanks to the attachment you had to my song."

"No worries about that, Serena. We won't be needing that song in this scenario anyways." Kana says. "Instead, I'm going to try a song my mother taught me, after my first time transforming." With that, Kana cleared her throat and began to sing...


"You are the ocean's gray waves, destined to seek life beyond the shore just out of reach"

"Yet the waters ever change, flowing like time the path is yours to climb"


As Kana sang, rings of water began to circle the four of them, slowly engulfing the alchemist dragon in a white light that began to shift their shape from their draconic form to a humanoid form. Once the song finished, the transformation back into a human finished on the alchemist as well, revealing a boy with long dark gray hair and ragged clothing save for a golden wristband on his right arm once the light dissipated.

"Woah..." Kanade says. "I mean, I know we saw what he looked like and all, but still, part of me wanted to believe that the images weren't that accurate!"

"Were you expecting them to look exactly like Kana?" Serena asks.

"Kinda!" Kanade answers. "If you put 'Bavarian Illuminati' and 'Draconic being like Kana' in the same sentence, your mind will more than likely assume they're some sort of clone or doppelganger of Kana!"

"Regardless of what he is, they're no longer a threat to us or themselves, for now." Kana interjects. "We should call Genjuro-san and get ourselves out of here before any other trouble shows up."

"No need to worry about that, Kana-kun." Genjuro says over comms while a new helicopter shows up over the clearing. "We had another helicopter on standby for when you finished up. They'll take you back to the airport so you three and your guest can hop on a plane and get back to Japan as soon as possible."

"Leave it to Boss to think three steps ahead where it matters!" Kanade chuckles as the three Wielders get on the helicopter with the unconscious alchemist.

"By the way, Commander, have the others left for their operation yet?" Serena asks.

"They'll be heading out while you're on your way back." Genjuro stated. "I'll be sure to let them know your mission was a success and that you wish them luck if that's why you're asking."

"It was, sir. Thank you." Serena replies.

"We'll be back with our plus one before you know it, Boss!" Kanade says.

"I look forward to it, Kanade-kun." Genjuro said, before closing comms.

With their conversation finished, the trio strap themselves in, with Kana placing the alchemist in the seat next to her. On their way to the airport, the Wielders talk amongst themselves about the alchemist dragon. "So, what do you think set him off in the first place?" Kanade asks.

"It's hard to say for certain what was the exact cause, but if I had to guess, probably stress from all of the agents surrounding him." Serena states. "I mean, it remains to be seen whose side they're on, but considering that they were all running on the assumption that they're with the Illuminati, I'd probably react the same way if I had a lot of guns pointed at me like that."

"Can't argue with that line of thought, really." Kanade agrees. "But now onto the other big question, how could they transform like Kana could, but not be related to her?"

"For that, I don't really have a clue outside of possibly the Illuminati getting their hands on a sample of Kana's blood and giving it to this kid and, dare I say, others who were not as fortunate..." Serena says.

"Damn, Serena..." Kanade winces. "I was gonna say something like maybe they're from an alternate timeline and they got sent here just like Kana, but they got captured and became the Illuminati's prisoner."

"How is that any better than my theory?!" Serena gasps.

"It doesn't matter right now what their origins are." Kana interjects. "What matters is that we were able to calm them down and make them come back to their senses before they lost themselves to that form."

"You're not even slightly curious as to where he came from?" Kanade asks.

"I mean, of course I am, but I'd rather make sure he's okay first before we find out from him." Kana answers. "Origins aside though, there's something about them that puts me at ease. I don't know what it is, but it's like I've known them my whole life, despite never meeting them before."

"Like a distant relative?" Serena asks.

"Actually, yeah! Just like a distant relative!" Kana replies. "One that you're really close friends with despite barely getting to see each other. Is that weird for me to think that about someone we just fought against, even if it was against their will?"

"Considering how many of our close friends started off as our enemies, including your girlfriend, I wouldn't say it's weird." Kanade answers.

"You've got a point there." Kana chuckles, before looking back at the sleeping alchemist dragon. "But still, the fact that I feel this way about the only other person on this Earth that has my ability to transform is very strange. It makes me feel less homesick than when I'm with Lilith or in the Astral Plane. Why do you make me feel this way?"


Meanwhile


In a secret location on the other side of Lake Vostok away from the observation post, two women hid away in an abandoned building, huddling over a makeshift fire to keep themselves warm. The taller of the two women had dark teal hair with a large red streak while the shorter one had light pink hair with white tips on the ends, as well as matching light pink wolf ears with white fluff on the inside.

While they sat by the fire, they killed the time by talking amongst themselves. "Hey, Millaarc?" The pink-haired woman asks.

"What's up, Elsa?" Millaarc replies.

"I know I should be focusing on our mission first and foremost, but... I can't help but worry about Ashe..." Elsa says. "I know he split off from us back then to let us escape, but it's been months since he said he'd try and find us. You don't think he... You know?"

"Please, like Ashe would get captured by those losers in suits." Millaarc scoffs. "But, admittedly, I do kinda worry about where he's at sometimes, too. Granted, we haven't exactly made it the easiest to meet up with him, especially in our current arrangement, but I'm sure he's out there somewhere."

"That's what Vanessa says too." Elsa states. "She also mentions how both our arrangement and him trying to evade capture to find us makes things really hard. She always tries to ease my worries by saying we'll find him, but we haven't heard anything about where he could be, and it makes me fear the worst..."

Millaarc is hesitant to comment on Elsa's worries, mostly out of fearing the worst herself, but before she can at least try and fake confidence in their missing friend's whereabouts, a new voice chimes in.


"Bing Bum Bam Bum"


"I just made it to where I need to be for my part of the plan." The voice said. "Have you two made it to Antarctica safely?"

"Yes we have, Vanessa!" Elsa replies. "We managed to find an outpost to stay in while we wait for the Symphogears to come and do their thing."

"Would've been nice if we had something better to work with, though..." Millaarc mumbles. "Why did you get to go to a place that isn't constantly in the negative degrees?"

"We've been over this already, Millaarc: You two are down there because I draw less attention in a crowd." Vanessa stated. "Not to mention, my arsenal makes it so my actions are more difficult to trace back to me."

"Sure, let's go with that since we can't argue about it now..." Millaarc mumbles. "Did you just call to check in on us?"

"That, and I figured I'd check in to see if you were thinking about our missing fourth." Vanessa replies, which made Millaarc stammer in surprise.

"Have you heard anything about him?" Elsa asks.

"Sadly, I have not." Vanessa sighed. "But, I have heard rumors about some monster spotted in Europe, so there's a chance that he's still out there, at least."

"If he's still there, maybe we can go look for him after the mission?" Elsa asks. "I'm sure tha-"

"It's too risky." Vanessa interjected. "If that is indeed our dear sweet Ashe, then there's a chance that they will send the Symphogears after him, too. We can't afford to risk fighting them on their terms, not as we are."

"So, what? You expect us to leave him to deal with the Symphogears alone?!" Millaarc asks.

"For now, it's all we can do to ensure our plan works." Vanessa said. "When the time is right, we can rescue him from their clutches. It's the only way we can ensure our plan works and get Ashe back."

"I really don't like this part of our plan, you know..." Millaarc replies. "But if you're so confident that it will work, you better be ready to reimburse me if it doesn't."

"Gladly." Vanessa chuckled. "Well, I better make preparations before it's my time to shine. Best of luck to you both!"

With that, Vanessa's voice disappears from the duo, leaving them alone with the fire. "I think Vanessa's plan will work." Elsa states. "I'm not the biggest fan of its logic, but I'm willing to believe it will work if she does, too!"

Hearing Elsa become confident at the hopes of seeing their friend again, Millaarc couldn't help but smirk. "Well, whenever we get to see Ashe again, one thing is certain: I'm gonna give him hell for making us wait so long!"


Ashe's POV:
S.O.N.G. HQ


"Oh... My head..."

Ashe mumbles to himself as he slowly starts to wake up from what felt like being asleep for decades. His vision was blurry at first, but when he was finally able to see things a bit better, he was greeted by the sight of eight figures standing before him in a special room. At first, he didn't recognize any of them, until he laid eyes on the brown haired man in a black suit. Seeing him again made his heartbeat skyrocket as he tried to stand up, only to find out that he was cuffed to the chair he was sitting in.

"Woah! Woah! Easy now!" A man in a red shirt and beige pants said to Ashe, who still struggled to try and break free. "No one here is trying to hurt you."

"If that's so, then why am I constrained to this chair?" Ashe asks.

"We only did that in case you reacted like you are now." The brown haired man said. "The last thing we wanted was for you to freak out like this and accidentally hurt yourself."

"'Hurt myself'? The last time I was in any danger of getting hurt was when you and your buddies had like twenty guns aimed at me!" Ashe retorts.

"And for that, I sincerely apologize." The man said. "At the time, we had not come across any captives in the Illuminati, so you and your friends were considered in the same boat as the other members we had apprehended."

"My friends!" Ashe gasps, remembering the last thing he said to them before they split up...


"Keep going! I'll find you once I make it out!"


"What did you do with my friends?!" Ashe asks.

"If you're referring to the other three captives that were with you before your transformation, then we're not sure where they are." The man in the red shirt replied. "As far as we know, they escaped before we could apprehend them."

Ashe began to calm down hearing this, but at the same time, all his panic and anger turned into confusion. "What transformation?" He asks.

"Do you not have any memory of what happened to you after you escaped the Illuminati's base?" The red shirted man asked.

"No..." Ashe replies. "All I remember is telling him that I wasn't going to become someone else's Guinea Pig, then I heard a loud roar before a bright flash of light came over me, and then everything went black and now I'm here."

"He was unconscious for two months..." The brown haired man quietly gasped.

"Did... Did I miss something?" Ashe asks.

As Ashe asked this, the red shirted man walked over to Ashe and gave him a hug. "I'm so sorry we couldn't help you sooner..."

"What are you talking about?" Ashe asks.

"Ogawa, uncuff him." The red shirted man ordered the brown haired man, who nodded as he undid Ashe's cuffs, allowing him to rub his wrists and get up from the chair he was bound to. "Kana-kun, would you care to explain what happened?"

"Yes, sir." Kana replied, stepping forward to allow Ashe to see the woman with long silver hair. He also noticed how she was around the same height as him, if not slightly shorter. Appearance aside, there was something about this woman that made him feel safe, just like when he was around his friends. "Can I ask for your name?"

"The Illuminati always referred to me as just 'A', but my friends gave me the name 'Ashe', which I prefer to go by." Ashe answers. "I take it that your name is Kana, then?"

"It is." Kana answers. "Names aside, Ashe-san, are you sure there's nothing that you can remember between the encounter with Ogawa-san and the other agents and waking up just now?"

"I mean... Not really..." Ashe says. "I mean, I do faintly recall hearing a draconic roar after the light engulfed me. After that, it was dark for a very long time, but then I heard some music, which was followed by the darkness being filled with light, and then I woke up here."

"That's horrible..." A woman with long brown hair said.

"I guess it makes sense, but still, the thought of having no clue what your body is doin' for that long..." A woman with long fluffy red hair added.

"Seriously, what are you all talking about?" Ashe asks. "What happened to me when I was in that darkness?"

Kana was hesitant to answer, but after a deep breath, she turned to face Ashe again and answered. "There's no easy way of saying this, Ashe, but you spent the last two months as a wild rampaging dragon."

Ashe sat back down upon hearing this. "I was in that darkness for two months?" He says, before he processed the word 'Rampaging' and felt a cold sweat overtake him. "Did... Did I kill people?!"

"According to reports we've received on you over the past two months, there were no casualties, only minor to moderate property damage." A woman with short blue hair stated.

"The various armed forces of Europe were able to evacuate any cities in your path before you could potentially kill anyone." A man with short green hair added.

"Thank goodness..." Ashe says, letting out a sigh of relief. "The thought of me taking someone's life without knowing... I don't know if I would be able to live with that guilt..."

"And thank the Gods you don't have to." Kana replied. "And in time, you'll hopefully never have to worry about becoming that rampaging dragon ever again, at least, not without being in control of it, that is."

"Controlling that dragon?" Ashe asks. "If what you just told me is true and I spent two months unconscious, I'd much rather avoid transforming into that thing altogether!"

"And we can easily make that happen as well!" Kana said.

"'We'?" Ashe asks.

"I'm not sure how or why you ended up with this power, Ashe, but it's the exact same type of power of transformation as mine." Kana said. "As a matter of fact, I used that power to help save you. And from how well you fought, even if it wasn't fully you, I think you should try and master it. You never know how useful it could be."

Ashe thought about Kana's suggestion, still hesitant to touch it, but with some thought, and Kana's trusting smile, he came around to the idea of using it. "If you think I can do it, then I'll try it!" Ashe says. "Although, I don't know if I'll really need it when I have thi-" Ashe felt around his neck for something, but what he was searching for wasn't there, which made him worry. "My Faust Robe!"

"So that's what it was..." A woman with braided blue and red hair said. "No need to worry, Ashe-chan, we gave your Faust Robe to our wonderful Alchemist, Elfnein, for her to analyze. We can give it back to you if you like?"

"Actually, hold that thought." Kana said, worrying Ashe. However, after saying this, Kana took out her own necklace and handed it to the woman with braided hair. "Lilith, can you give my Symphogear to Elfnein and see if she can't give Ashe's Faust Robe similar properties to the Dragonstone part of my Gear?"

Immediately catching on, Lilith smiled. "I'm sure she'd be more than willing to do that." Lilith said. "Is it okay if we hold on to your Faust Robe for just a little longer, Ashe-chan?"

Nervous, he looked over at Kana, who simply gave him a trusting smile, which told him everything he needed. "Y-Yeah, it's fine." He answers.

"Alright. Then I'll go ahead and hand her Kana's Symphogear so she can get started on that as soon as the mission in Antarctica is over!" Lilith replied, taking her leave from the room to do as she said she would.

"We should probably head back to the command center ourselves." The red shirted man said. "Hibiki-kun and the others should be over Lake Vostok soon, so we'll need to be ready for them as soon as possible. Tomosato. Fujitaka."

"Yes, sir!" The blue haired woman and green haired man replied as they left the room with Ogawa in tow.

"Kanade-kun, you, Serena-kun, and Kana-kun are more than welcome to come with us to spectate the mission, but I understand if you don't want to." The man said.

"You kiddin'? Like hell am I gonna miss out on watching our friends kick some ancient ass!" Kanade replied.

"It's the least I can do since I can't fly over there to fight alongside them." Serena added.

"Figured I'd make sure, at least." The red shirted man chuckled. "And you Kana-kun?"

"I would, Genjuro-san... But I don't want to leave Ashe here by himself..." Kana replied.

"He's free to come watch too, if he'd like." Genjuro said. "After all, it wouldn't hurt for him to get some knowledge on how his future teammates fight, right?"

"Teammates?" Ashe asks.

"Hold up, Boss." Kanade said. "Are you suggesting what I think you're suggesting?"

"Granted, we won't throw him to the wolves right away, but considering that he came to us with a Faust Robe, it's only fair I make the offer." Genjuro answered, before turning to Ashe. "So, what do you say, Ashe? Would you like to join Kana-kun and the others here at S.O.N.G.?"

"Are you offering me a job?" Ashe asks. "But I was just in chains, are you sure it's a good idea to hire me on to help if we only just met?"

"Take it from me, kid, you wouldn't be the first person he's hired off of the first meeting." Kanade chuckled. "Hell, you'd be joining us the same way I joined S.O.N.G. years ago!"

"Tsubasa told me that you were practically a wild animal when you joined Section Two." Serena stated.

"In my defense, I had my reasons for being a rage-fueled preteen, but the statement still stands on how similar it is." Kanade retorted.

"That aside, it's all up to you if you want to join us or not." Kana said. "And no pressure if you don't want to. Everyone will understand."

"I'll do it." Ashe says without hesitation, taking the women in the room off guard, but making Genjuro smile. "But on one condition."

"Name it." Genjuro replied.

"I'll join S.O.N.G., but only if you'll all help me find my friends." Ashe says. "I promised them that I would find them after I escaped the Illuminati compound, so I need to make sure they're okay."

"Lucky for you, Ashe-kun, finding missing people is one of the things we specialize in!" Genjuro said proudly as he stuck out his hand for a handshake. "You've got yourself a deal!"

At first, Ashe was taken aback at how hospitable Genjuro was, but he warmly smiles shortly before he shook the man's hand. "Then I'll try my best to be useful for you all!"

"All I ask is that you don't push yourself too much, Ashe-kun." Genjuro replied. "Now let's hurry on over to the command center. It's time to see how things are going over in Antarctica!"

"Yes, sir!" Ashe and the three women shout in unison as they follow the commander out of the room.


Kana and Chris' POVs:
Chris and Kana's Apartment


The next day, following Hibiki and co's return from Antarctica, Kana went to S.O.N.G. to meet up with Chris to walk with her back to their apartment, where they discussed how their missions went with one another, despite the fact the former spectated the latter's mission. "Still, in terms of how weird things got in our missions, I think fighting a coffin automaton takes the cake." Kana says.

"I mean, I'd argue fighting a being very similar to yourself is on par, if not weirder, than that coffin, but considering the stunts we had to pull to make it work, not to mention the idiot almost drowning, I'm not gonna try and downplay it." Chris replies as they enter the portal from the Astral Plane to their apartment. "So, what ended up happening to the Alchemist that was that dragon?"

"Did Genjuro-san not tell you guys?" Kana asks.

"He wanted to wait for us to meet him after we all got the chance to rest up from, well, everything." Chris answers. "But I was curious about where the geezer ended up having him sta-"

Chris stopped mid-sentence as she laid eyes on a man with short dark gray hair wearing a blue hoodie and light gray pants cooking in their kitchen. Not much later, the man turns around and sees the duo staring at them. "Hey Kana! Perfect timing!" The man said. "I just finished up with the food. It needs to cool for a bit, but it should be ready for eating soon."

"Can't wait to try it, Ashe! But before that, I'd like to properly introduce you two." Kana says. "Ashe, this is my girlfriend, Chris Yukine. Chris, this is Ashe. He's the alchemist that was the dragon in Germany. I'm going to be helping him get a better handle on his dragon abilities, so I offered him a place to stay with the two of us!"

"And you're only telling me that he's living with us NOW?!" Chris shouts.

"I know I should've let you know sooner, but I assure you that Ashe is a great roommate." Kana replies. "And to prove it, we went shopping for ingredients and, with some help from Yumi and the others, he cooked one of your favorite dishes from that Italian restaurant you like to go to!"

"He can cook?" Chris asks.

"Well, my teacher at the Illuminati compound did teach me enough to make meals for myself." Ashe stated. "But I was only really taught the basics, so Kana's friends helped me learn more complex dishes. I hope it's to your liking!"

Still skeptical of Ashe, Chris sat down at the table and hesitantly picked up the fork and took a bite of the spaghetti he had made. At first, her reaction was normal, but when she kept chewing, her eyes started to light up with joy. Before either of the dragons could ask if she liked it, Chris was already done with half of her plate. "...I've never seen her have a reaction like this to anyone's cooking!" Kana says in absolute shock. "She's scarfing that plate down like Hibiki with a bowl of rice!"

Hearing this, Chris stops eating, finishing the last of the noodles currently in her mouth before grabbing the nearby napkin to wipe her face and clearing her throat. "A-A mission like the one we just got back from works up a serious appetite, okay? Sue me for being hungry!" Chris retorts, trying to save face, only to be met with Kana's sassy smirk and Ashe's confused but worried smile. "But I will admit, this is some of the best spaghetti that I've had in my life. I'm fine with him staying with us now, but he sleeps on the couch!"

"Considering where I had been sleeping for the past couple months, I'll gladly take it!" Ashe replied. "Thank you, Chris-san!"

"Don't mention it." Chris replies. "That aside, you said that you were only taught the basics and a little bit by that trio that Kana hangs out with sometimes, right?"

"That's right." Ashe answered. "Why?"

"If that's the case, how in the hell did you manage to make a dish that's better than the one served at a well-known restaurant?" Chris asks. "With the same amount of 'basics' and tips, I'd be happy just making something edible!"

"I was gonna ask the same thing, honestly." Kana adds. "They didn't even go over spaghetti with you, it was beef stroganoff."

"I mean, at the end of the day, cooking isn't too dissimilar to alchemy, so I just adapted what I knew about alchemy into cooking and it simply got me this result." Ashe answered. "And, admittedly, Saint-Germain-san did ask her friends to give me a dish to try and cook to test me, and it just so happened to be spaghetti... Hehe."

"Saint-Germain trained you?!" Chris and Kana collectively gasp.

"She taught me everything I know. And I mean literally everything." Ashe said. "She was kind of like both my teacher and my mother in a way."

"Interesting analogy, but I can kinda see it." Kana says, earning her a weird look from Chris. "You really gonna look at me and say that Saint-Germain couldn't raise a kid?"

"I never really look for those qualities in my enemies, so no." Chris replies. "But I guess you and the idiot did get to know her a bit better than the rest of us before she died, so you would be a better judge for that than I would."

"Chris!" Kana shouts, making the Ichaival Wielder realize what she said.

"It's fine, Kana." Ashe replied. "Before I got thrown in with my friends as a guinea pig for the Illuminati, Saint-Germain-san prepared me for the possibility that I wouldn't get to see her again."


Flashback:
Bavarian Illuminati Base, Europe


In Ashe's bedroom, Saint-Germain and two hooded members of the Illuminati entered, the latter two holding Ashe by his arms while Saint-Germain looked at him sorrowfully. "You don't have to do this, Saint-Germain-san!" Ashe pleads. "Surely I can meet the Controlling Director's expectations if we had a little more time, right?"

"I'm afraid we're out of time, Ashe..." Saint-Germain replied. "As much as I would like to convince the Controlling Director to change his mind, he is unfortunately impossible to sway when he makes a decision like this."

"So that's it then?" Ashe asks. "All of our training, all of the skills you taught me, they're all going to end up being useless?"

Saint-Germain was hesitant to reply, but she eventually looked over at the two members when she did. "Leave us alone for a moment. I wish to speak with Ashe alone." Saint-Germain said. "I'll call you back in when we're done."

"Understood." One of the two members replied as they let Ashe go and left the room.

When they were gone, Saint-Germain put a hand on Ashe's shoulder. "I won't lie, but for the moment, they will be, yes." She said. "However, should our mission succeed, you have my word that I will do everything I can to change the Controlling Director's mind on this decision. Your talents are too good to put to waste."

"And what if you can't?" Ashe asks. "Or worse, what if this plan of his doesn't work? Will I never get to see you again?"

Saint-Germain sighed at these questions. "If the plan doesn't work, it is very likely that this will be the last time we will ever see each other." She said. "While I would like to take a page out of Cagliostro's book and say that I highly doubt we'll fail, I don't want to give you false confidence should things go wrong."

"Great, just what I needed to hear from the only person I know..." Ashe sighs.

"However, while I can't guarantee our reunion, I can at least give you one final parting gift." Saint-Germain continued, pulling out a golden wristband and putting it on Ashe's right arm. "Only you will be able to remove this, but I ask that you do not try to remove it until after either we reunite or you get out of this compound."

"What is it?" Ashe asks.

"This was originally going to serve as the casing for your Faust Robe before the necklace that it is now." Saint-Germain answered. "I repurposed it recently to serve a different purpose."

"What does it do?" Ashe asks.

"When the time comes, you will find out." Saint-Germain said cryptically. "I want to tell you, but I fear that doing so would only put you in more danger than I'm unfortunately putting you in."

"I understand..." Ashe says, before running over and giving Saint-Germain a tear-filled hug. "I don't want this to be the last time I see you! Please do everything you can to make the Controlling Director reconsider me!"

"I promise that I will, but remember, I cannot guarantee that it will happen." Saint-Germain said, returning Ashe's hug. "Either way, know that you were the best student that I could've asked for, even if you were the only student that I've ever had."


Remembering his final moment with his teacher, Ashe looked at the golden wristband and reminisced on the good memories they shared together. "I'm so sorry, Ashe..." Kana says. "If there was any way that I could've stopped her from sacrificing herself, know that I would've done it."

"I appreciate it, Kana, but I couldn't expect you to go that far for someone who was once your enemy." Ashe replied, which made Chris laugh.

"Please... Going 'that far' is practically Kana and the idiot's sole purpose in life." Chris says.

"Don't forget: That 'sole purpose in life' is how we ended up together." Kana retorts.

"I never said it was a bad thing, just that it's how you two work." Chris replies.

"You keep mentioning someone named 'The idiot'. Who is that?" Ashe asked.

"Oh, that's just what Chris likes to call our friend, Hibiki Tachibana." Kana says. "We'll introduce you to her and the others tomorrow. I'm sure they'd love to get to know you better, as well as your friends when we find them, too."

"You really think so?" Ashe asked.

"Think so? I know so!" Kana states enthusiastically. "Trust me, if you'll fit right in with us, your friends will too!"

"Well, if you're that confident about it, then I guess it must be true!" Ashe said. "I know I've said it plenty of times already, but I cannot thank you and the others enough for being willing to help me out."

"Please, I know you would do the same if the roles were reversed, so there's no need to thank us!" Kana replies. "Now then, I'm not so sure about Chris, but I'm starving! How about we get ourselves some food as well before we call it a night?"

Once Kana asked this, Ashe's stomach started to rumble, which made him blush from embarrassment. "That sounds like a good idea. I got so caught up in the conversation that I forgot how hungry I was. Hehe..."

And so, the two dragons joined Chris at the table and helped themselves to some of the spaghetti the alchemist dragon had made. Once they had finished and cleaned up their plates, the trio went to their respective beds and went to sleep, preparing themselves for how much busier their lives were about to become...


A/N: And with that, we end the chapter!

A lot of cool stuff got shown off for Ashe in this chapter: His capabilities with his draconic form, his master and student bond with Saint-Germain, and even the fact that he's a natural at cooking! (Admittedly, his cooking talent is something I thought about for him fairly recently, but I really liked the idea, so I let it stick.)

Of course, as he is one of the major plot points of this part, I plan to show off more and more of him as the part continues, as well as what the golden wristband of his is capable of. (And before anyone asks, no, the wristband is not for some crazy transformation. It will have significance, but not in the same way that X-Drive or Ignite/Radiance are.)

With that being said, I don't want to spoil what I have in store for the alchemist dragon, so I'll leave the notes off here. Thank you all so much for reading this chapter. I shall see you in the next one!