A/N: Hey y'all! Long time no see!

So, just for a quick explanation as to where I've been, if you don't follow me on other social media platforms, I took October off from Fanfic work to work on a shitpost compilation that had been on the backburner for longer than I would've liked... And then most of November was polishing that and working on a new AU fic's conceptualization (That will be in production starting sometime in 2024, so stay tuned!)

But that aside, I'm back to my usual fic work schedule! So, without further ado, here's more Superb Song of the Fate-Defying Valkyrie!


Part 5:
Together, we shall create a future the gods could never foresee!
Chapter 2:
An Unideal Reunion


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


It had been an interesting couple of days since Ashe joined S.O.N.G., but right now, Chris and Kana could only watch as the Alchemist Dragon sat at the table in dismay, something that had been happening for days at this point. "What do you think I should do, Chris?" Kana asks.

"Why are you asking me?" Chris replied as she got up from her daily morning prayer at the altar for her parents before school.

"It's just... I don't know... I want to cheer him up somehow, but I haven't gotten the slightest clue as to how I could go about doing that now that the one promise I made to him is seemingly impossible..." Kana says. "I mean, you SAW how he reacted during Kirika and Shirabe's mission, right?"


Flashback:
Kana and Ashe's POVs:
S.O.N.G. HQ


On their way to the command center, Ashe, and Kana walk through the halls of S.O.N.G., with the former seeming a little more quiet than usual. "Ashe, is everything alright?" Kana asks.

Hearing this, Ashe snaps out of his thoughts. "What? Oh, yeah, I'm fine." He says. "I was just lost in thought is all."

"Was it about Chris' party?" Kana asks. "I know the timing wasn't the best to introduce you to everyone since the major focus was on her that day, but I assure you, Chris was actually glad to have some of the attention focused on you, too. If anything, she'd say that taking Hibiki's focus off of her for most of that party was a gift in and of itself. Well, aside from the amazing food you made that day too. Hehe."

"While it's great to have that second opinion that everyone likes me here, my thoughts were on my friends, really." Ashe replies. "I know if I said anything along the lines of feeling like an outcast in this group, I'd be met with only kind words. But, even with the welcome reception I've received, I can't help but miss them more... Wishing they were here with all of us, I mean."

Hearing Ashe's woes, Kana couldn't help but sympathize with him. "I know the feeling, honestly." She says. "When I first came here, when it was just Lilith, Serena, and I, all I could think about was my friends back in Valla... Selkie, Velouria, Midori, Sophie, my cousins, my brother, Shigure, and especially my parents... I felt so alone without them here... But, once I became friends with Hibiki and her friends, that loneliness started to fade away. Of course, every now and then I still have those nights where I wish I could see them again, but I know that they're still wishing me the best, even if we're worlds apart. I know my situation is a lot different compared to yours, but what I'm trying to say is, I understand what you're going through, and we're all here for you if you need our help."

Ashe let out a chuckle hearing this. "Thanks, Kana. I really appreciate you doing all of this for me. You, and all of the others, of course."

"Don't mention it!" Kana says, giving Ashe a thumbs up. "And we're going to find your friends, Ashe. You have my word that we'll find them faster than you can say- What the heck?"


Before Kana could say what she actually was going to say, the alarms went off in HQ, forcing them to hurry to the command center to figure out what was going on.

"What's the situation?" Tsubasa asked.

"Alca-Noise have been detected over the Pacific Ocean!" Sakuya reported.

"Aircraft carrier USS Thomas Whitmore is under attack." Aoi added.

"Wait, isn't the holy corpse from that coffin you guys fought aboard that ship?" Kana asked.

"It sure is..." Chris said in an irritated tone. "If those Yankees had just swallowed their damn pride and accepted our offer, this wouldn't have happened."

"Kirika and Shirabe were on standby. Where are they now?" Maria asked, ignoring Chris' comment on how the corpse's transport was being handled.

"They're already en route and should be arriving shortly." Aoi reported.

"Permission to warp over there and assist, Commander?" Kana asks Genjuro.

"For now, let's wait and see if they'll need it." Genjuro said. "Either way, I'll send you in to retrieve them once the fight is over, so be ready to head out once I give the word."

"Understood Commander." Kana replies.

"You sure it's wise to only send two Wielders to deal with all of that?" Ashe asks. "I mean, If Kana can send more in with her, why not take advantage of that?"

"In any other situation, it would be, Ashe." Tsubasa answered. "However, it would be better to send as few as possible so that we can avoid as many human casualties as possible. In that regard, Akatsuki and Tsukuyomi's Symphogears are some of the best in terms of fighting without having to worry about accidental casualties, alongside mine and Tachibana's."

"I see..." Ashe replies, intrigued by Tsubasa's tactical process.

"So how much of that did you pull out of nowhere on the spot to impress the kid?" Kanade teased. "Because those two were only sent in because of the fact they were on standby. Are you saying that if it were, for example, Chris and Maria, they would accidentally kill someone?"

"I'm not saying that it would happen, I'm just saying that weapons like Igalima and Shul Shagana are more ideal for the situation they're in." Tsubasa said.

"I mean, even if it was meant to impress me, I probably would've worked around that same tactic if I were in Commander Genjuro's shoes." Ashe adds.

(Mikansei Ai Mapputatsu! starts to faintly play over the monitor)

"Shul Shagana and Igalima have entered combat aboard the USS Thomas Whitmore!" Sakuya reported.

"And as expected, the Alca-Noise are no match for either of them." Elfnein said gladly.

"Right..." Nastassja replied, which caught the attention of the Commander.

"Is there something on your mind, Dr. Nastassja?" Genjuro asked.

"In any other circumstance, Kirika and Shirabe excelling here would be the desirable outcome. But, at the same time, I can't shake the feeling that, if there is someone behind this attack, they only sent the Alca-Noise out to lure us in." Nastassja stated.

"Come to think of it... Mom's right." Serena said. "And this isn't the first time we've seen this strategy. Dr. Ver did the same thing when he sabotaged the duel Kirika and Shirabe arranged over a year ago."

"Don't remind me of that night, Serena-san..." Hibiki groaned, holding her left arm anxiously.

Suddenly, right as everyone present the night of the Nephilim eating Hibiki's arm remembered that gruesome image, they heard Kirika shout as she was struck from behind and sent flying by a mysterious black figure.

"Kiri-chan!" Shirabe gasped, first looking at her attacked friend, then following where the black figure went.

Catching the tail-end of the figure retreating into a black and red carry-on luggage case, the duo, as well as the rest of S.O.N.G. saw a woman who physically looked to be around the same age as Kirika and Shirabe, wearing a black and white dress with a purple undershirt, red leggings, red gloves, a pair of black headphones, and black boots with white balls of fluff on the ankles. Aside from her attire, this woman had a notable pair of wolf ears that matched her pink and white hair.

"An Alchemist?!" All of the Wielders gasped.

"ELSA?!" Ashe gasps louder, taking everyone off guard, including the agents who already suspected there was an Alchemist in play.

"Wait, you know this lady, Ashe?" Kana asks.

"Of course I know her! She's my friend!" Ashe answers. "But if she's here, then where are the others?"


"I shall serve to be your opponent this time." Elsa said to Kirika and Shirabe, before jumping inside of the ship the three were standing on.

"So you wanna fight indoors, eh? Dess!" Kirika replied, chasing after Elsa into the ship.

"Kiri-chan, wait! This is no time to be acting reckless!" Shirabe shouted, having no choice but to follow the two of them in.


"Commander, I need you to let me go in with them! Please!" Ashe begs. "Surely if I can talk with Elsa, I can get her to at least explain herself. She wouldn't hurt me."

Genjuro hesitated, but someone else added to Ashe's suggestion. "He'll need me in order to get there, so I can easily make sure he's safe, should things go south." Kana says. "And I mean, even if things go south, it's not like he'd be helpless."

Hearing Kana add to Ashe's request, Genjuro let out a sigh of defeat. "...The second things go south, you both are to report back here immediately. Understood?"

"Yes, Commander!" Ashe and Kana reply in unison.

"...Thank you, sir." Ashe adds.

With that, the dragon duo left the room in order to transform and warp into the ship.


"You are the ocean's grey waves"


USS Thomas Whitmore: Internal


Having entered the ship a little after Kirika, Shirabe found herself separated from the Igalima Wielder, left to either find her partner or their enemy. Unfortunately, with a shadowy figure dashing off behind her, Shirabe ended up finding the latter first, who used the confined space to set up an Alca-Noise ambush on her.

However, before the Alca-Noise could get the jump on her, they were both struck down by a combination of masked swordsmen, which took Elsa and Shirabe by surprise, for very different reasons.

(Dusk Falls (Fire) begins to play)

"Thanks for the save, Kana-san, Ashe-san." Shirabe said, thanking the duo.

"'Ashe'?" Elsa asked. "It can't possibly be..."

In response, Ashe dematerialized his mask for Elsa to look him in the eyes, which left her speechless. "It's me, Elsa. I was able to escape from the agents that I led away from you and the others, although I also owe them for saving me from myself."

"Saving you from yourself?" Elsa asked.

"It's... A long story." Ashe chuckles. "I'd be happy to share it with you, Millaarc, and Vanessa, but you'll need to come with us for me to tell it."

"I... I can't." Elsa replied hesitantly.

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

"I would love nothing more than to be able to catch up with you again, Ashe. But in doing so, I would be going against our plans." Elsa stated.

"What plans would require you to go after something like a holy corpse?" Ashe asks. "If you're willing to talk with us, then I'm sure we can come up with a better solution for whatever it is you're after."

"There's nothing you or the people you're siding with can do to help us!" Elsa said. "Besides, even if I told you, it's not like you'd be able to understand..."

"What was that?" Ashe asks.

"If all you're going to do is try and talk me into betraying my friends, then that is the end of our discussion!" Elsa said, pulling out a giant claw that attached to her tailbone before taking up a fighting stance.

"Elsa, please! I don't want to fight you!" Ashe says.

"You already picked your side when you chose them over us!" Elsa retorted, before pointing her hand out towards Ashe. "Claws! Make him cease to be!"

As the claw launched towards Ashe, the Alchemist Dragon's world slowed to a crawl as he could only stare in shock as someone he trusted dearly would willingly try to kill him. Kana tried to snap Ashe out of it, but her words fell on deaf ears, leaving her with the only other option of tackling him to the ground as Shirabe charged forward to block the claw with her sawblade. Once Kana was sure Shirabe had it under control, the Wielder Dragon teleported back to S.O.N.G. HQ with Ashe, allowing Shirabe to fight Elsa without any distractions.


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


"I mean, how important could their end goal be if Elsa was willing to kill him where he was not willing to fight her at all?" Kana asks Chris, but before she could open her mouth, Kana quickly added. "And don't try to compare you shooting Tsubasa during the Frontier incident to this. At least you didn't actually try to kill or critically injure her."

"Then again I ask: What was the point of asking me for advice?" Chris says irritably.

"I figured you'd at least have a suggestion on what I should do." Kana states.

"I've already got enough on my plate between these new Alchemists, getting ready for college, the Zwei Wing concert and having to be around a ton of people tonight, and life in general. You're better off getting good suggestions from literally anyone else." Chris says.

"The Zwei Wing concert! That's it!" Kana shouts excitedly, before hugging Chris. "And this is why I ask you for advice."

"But I didn't even-"

Before Chris could finish her sentence, Kana shut her up with a kiss on the cheek, which took Chris off guard. "Just be an awesome girlfriend and take the compliment."


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


Later that day


After getting home from school, Kana walked over to Ashe with a wide smile on her face, which was a little unsettling to the latter. "There you are, Ashe!" Kana says. "How are you doing?"

Ashe wasn't sure how to respond, but he nervously smiled back. "Fine, I suppose? Is... Is everything alright?" He asks.

"Oh, I'm doing alright." Kana replies. "Heck, I'm doing even better after getting off the phone with Serena."

"Why were you calling Serena-san?" Ashe asks.

"You know how we were all planning to go see Tsubasa-san and Kanade-san's concert tonight?" Kana asks, getting a nod from Ashe. "Well, I asked Serena for a teeny tiny favor and she was able to get the two of us backstage passes!"

Ashe was surprised by this announcement. "Wow! That was so kind of her." He says, before he went back to his serious composure. "But... I don't know if I'm the best person to take anywhere right now... Ever since my talk with Elsa, I... Haven't really been in the right headspace for much... Chris-san would be a much better person for you to give that second pass to."

"And that's exactly why I only asked for two passes: to help you out of your funk." Kana states, which surprises Ashe again. "I mean, sure, your reunion with your old friend didn't go as expected, but that doesn't mean you won't get the chance to make them change their mind next time. But while you wait for that next time, sitting here and fearing the worst, you're wasting time that could be used to try so many things that you weren't able to do before. And who knows? Whenever the time comes that your old friends will change their ways, you'll be able to show them all of the cool things you've found, all of the cool friends you've made, and even get to share all of the cool memories you were able to make. So quit moping around and come have some fun!"

Ashe chuckles at Kana's speech. "I still think you should've at least gotten a pass for Chris-san. I can only imagine how upset she'll be, that is, if you haven't told her already."

"Oh, I fully expect there will be consequences to my actions. However, if it means helping a friend who is going through a rough time, I'm more than willing to suffer for it." Kana jokes. "Now c'mon! We've got a concert to go to!"

Saying this, Kana held out one hand towards Ashe while holding her pendant in the other. With a smirk on his face, Ashe stood up and took the inviting hand into his, and thus, both dragons were transported away.

However, to neither dragon's knowledge, Chris had been outside the apartment, listening to the conversation. Once they left, she finally entered, and rolled her eyes. "I would've been chill with it if she told me, but I'm still gonna get her back for this." Chris said to her parents' altar. "But for now, I gotta meet up with everyone else. Hopefully traffic doesn't get too long..."


Nouvelle Calédonie


Arriving at the concert hall, Kana and Ashe quickly hurried to where the former promised to meet up with Serena to receive their passes, which was done with no issues, and the two dragons were then given a tour of the backstage area by the assistant manager of Zwei Wing. "I seriously can't thank you enough for this, sis."

"Please, it's the least I could do, Kana." Serena replied. "If anything, you should be thanking Tsubasa and Kanade. They were the most adamant on making sure you two got those passes after I told them your idea."

"I'll be sure to thank them for going out of their way for me when I see them again." Ashe says.

"Well, then you're quite welcome, buddy!" Kanade shouted, turning the corner with Tsubasa and Ogawa, meeting the trio. While Ogawa was in his normal suit, Kanade and Tsubasa were wearing robes to cover up their outfits. "Like Serena said, once we heard about Kana's idea to help cheer you up, I wanted to help out in any way I could. Same goes for Tsubasa and Maria, too!"

"Maria-san got involved, too? I mean, I figured she would, too, but it's nice to hear that she did all the same." Kana says.

"Speaking of, where is Maria-san?" Ashe asks.

"That's a fantastic question, Ashe." Kanade said playfully as she looked down the corridor. "Say, random pink-haired lady shyly sitting in the hallway? Have you seen Maria anywhere?"

"Yeah, yeah. Joke all you want, Kanade." Maria said with a scoff as she walked out of the corridor and became visible to the others. Once they saw her, Kana and Ashe were confused by the fact that Maria was also wearing a robe like the Zwei Wing duo. "I thought the plan was to keep this a secret until the concert started, but so much for that, I guess..."

"Don't be like that, Maria." Kanade chuckled. "Besides, it's just Kana and Ashe here. It's not like they're gonna tell anyone in the next couple of hours."

"That being said, when you go back out into the lobby before the show starts, try not to say anything to anyone about Maria-san's involvement." Ogawa quickly interjected.

"I mean, I hardly know what I'm looking at, unless you're planning to do the same thing you guys did back in London last may." Kana says. "Is that what you're doing?"

"'Fraid we're under NDA as far as that goes, Kana." Kanade said. "But trust me, you're not gonna forget what happens tonight for quite some time!"

"Well, then I look forward to it!" Kana says excitedly.

"We should head back for one final rehearsal before tonight's performance." Maria said. "If you're planning to live up to that statement, Kanade, then we should make sure there's no room for mistakes."

"Maria's right. We can't afford to mess anything up." Tsubasa added, before turning over to the dragons. "Sorry we can't stay and chat longer, Kamui, but I'm sure you understand."

"No worries, Tsubasa-san." Kana replies with a thumbs up. "I look forward to seeing you three perform again!"

"Break a leg!" Ashe adds.


With that, the robed performer trio left with Ogawa as Serena escorted the dragons back to the lobby with the other concert-goers. "Well, if I don't see you again before the concert, I hope you two enjoy it!" Serena said.

"Same to you, sis!" Kana replies, giving her sister a hug before waving each other goodbye.

"So, what should we do now?" Ashe asks.

"I mean, the concert doesn't start for a couple hours, so we might as well take the time to walk around, maybe buy some merchandise, and chat with people." Kana answers.

"Chat with people? But I don't know anyone here." Ashe replies. "What would I even talk about?"

"I mean, considering everyone's here for Zwei Wing, two great starting points would be talking about Tsubasa or Kanade." Kana states. "And I mean, it's not like I'm asking you to become best friends with everyone here. Just try and make someone's night with a compliment or two."

"I'm not sure if I'll do a good job with that, considering how little I've interacted with people outside of Saint-Germain, my old friends, and you all at S.O.N.G., but I'll try!" Ashe says.

"Good to hear!" Kana says with a smile. "Well, guess I'll see you back at the seats!"

"See you there, Kana!" Ashe replies, before a pit formed in his stomach after she left. "This is going to be hard..."


And so, Ashe walked around the lobby, first using some of the money S.O.N.G. gave him to buy a blue hoodie, because he forgot his at Kana and Chris' apartment, then some glow sticks, since he saw so many people getting some. However, when he finally tried to talk to people, Ashe got really nervous. Like he told Kana, he didn't know any of these people, let alone people outside of select groups, so he had no idea how to start any form of conversation. Luckily, he wouldn't need to since, while he was in his own head about talking to people, Ashe would accidentally bump into a brown-haired girl, making her drop her glow sticks.

"Oh my gosh, I'm terribly sorry about that!" Ashe apologizes. "Here, let me get those for you."

Quickly, Ashe grabbed the glow sticks and handed them back to the girl, apologizing profusely the whole way. "Thank you for that. And there's no need to apologize, just be more careful next time." The girl said. "I like your jacket by the way."

Hearing the compliment, Ashe looked closely at his jacket and saw that it had Tsubasa's name on it. "Hehe. Thanks." He replies. "Are you a fan of Tsubasa-san's, too?"

"A fan? Tsubasa-san's practically my role model!" The girl answered excitedly. "And don't get me wrong, Kanade-san's amazing too, and so was Maria when they collabed with her in the Queens of Music, but Tsubasa's the kind of woman that I wanna be when I grow up."

"Tsubasa-san really is a great person to have as a role model. Her ability to stay calm and stoic even in the most stressful of environments is honestly something I wish I had, among the many things that she has that I don't..." Ashe rambles, before seeing the girl staring at him in confusion. "I-I mean, she's my role model, too!"

"Cool! It's always nice to meet a fellow Tsubasa fan!" The girl said, before holding out her hand for a handshake. "I'm Ayaha, by the way."

Returning the handshake, Ashe smiled. "My name's Ashe. It's nice to meet you, Ayaha-chan."

"Ayaha, it's time to head to our seats!" Another girl shouted.

"Coming!" Ayaha replied to the girl. "I gotta get going now. Bye, Ashe-san!"

"Have a good one!" Ashe said, waving the girl goodbye. "Well, I guess it's not too hard to chat with people I don't know after all. For now though, I'd rather hang out with the people I do know... Time to find my seat."


After finishing up his business in the lobby, Ashe went up to the concert hall and looked for his seat, and with it, Kana. At first, he looked for it aimlessly like a headless chicken, but then he finally saw Kana waving at him and hurried to his seat. "Took ya long enough." Kana teases. "So, how did chatting with people go?"

"At first? Not that great..." Ashe admits. "But, I did eventually manage to chat with someone... After accidentally bumping into them..."

"Oh... Well, the important thing is that you tried." Kana says, reassuring Ashe. "If anything, you did better than Chris when she first came to Lydian."

"Really? I never took Chris to be the shy type of person." Ashe says.

"Oh trust me, if you ask anyone at our school, outside of us at S.O.N.G., of course, they'd probably tell you they had no idea who Chris was that first semester she joined the school." Kana states, before letting out a chuckle. "It was funny how hard she tried to be invisible at Lydian."


"ACHOOO!"

"Are you okay, Chris-Senpai?" Shirabe asked as Chris wiped her nose.

"I'm fine. It was just a sneeze." Chris said. "Don't remember hearing it was supposed to be that cold out today, though..."


Ashe chuckles at Kana's story about Chris, but not to much longer after that, the lights around the stage start to dim with holographic words appearing above the stage that read "ZWEI WING", but shortly after appearing, the words started to glitch out, before disappearing altogether. However, shortly after the words disappeared, a song started to fade in...

(Sōyoku no Wing Beat starts to play)

Hearing the music, everyone in the audience was confused, but curious to see what the idol duo were doing. However, in that same moment, it dawned on Kana what was going on, and her thoughts were confirmed when more words started to appear as the song started.


INTRODUCING:

KANADE AMOU


"Dokomade mo tondeyukeru"

"Ryōyoku ga soroeba"


TSUBASA KAZANARI


"Yatto tsunaida kono te wa"

"Zettai hanasanai"


AND...

MARIA CADENZAVNA EVE


"Hanasanai!"


DREI ENGEL


With the final message, the crowd went wild seeing the trio of idols performing together in a newly formed trio group. Meanwhile, Serena and Ogawa watched from backstage with smiles on their faces. "I still can't believe they managed to convince Maria-san to join them." Ogawa said.

"All things considered, Onee-san always seemed to enjoy singing, so it was more a matter of if Kanade and Tsubasa ever decided to add her in." Serena stated. "If anything, I'm more concerned with all of the work that's going to pile up for us having to deal with their rebranding and the Alchemists."

"Thankfully, I've managed to get a good start on that behind the scenes after they finally decided on a name." Ogawa replied. "For now though, let's try not to worry about tomorrow's problems."

"Works for me." Serena said with a smile, watching her sister enjoy herself in her singing with Tsubasa and Kanade.


"So that's why Maria was hiding when we saw them earlier!" Ashe says, trying to speak to Kana over the cheering of the crowd.

"I guess so!" Kana replies. "If anything, I'm surprised this didn't happen sooner!"


The newly formed idol trio all looked to be enjoying themselves as they sang not just for the crowd, but for themselves. For once, ever since meeting Maria, the three of them were able to sing with no strings or ulterior motives attached. They were free to be themselves without any threats, and it was a welcome freedom, knowing what was waiting for them in the near future with Ashe's old friends.

However, shortly after the song ended and they paused to listen to the crowd cheer them on, the joyful mood was quickly changed into one of fear and dread as the chill night sky became illuminated by red hexagons, a sight that all five Wielders present at the concert were all too familiar with, doubly so for four of the five who went through this before three years ago.

"Ashe, we need to find cover and get ready to fight." Kana says worriedly as she grabs Ashe by the arm and pulls him away from everyone else.

"Please tell me this isn't who I think is doing this..." Ashe says to himself, fearing the worst, as this kind of attack could easily fit one of his friends.


"No!" Tsubasa shouted as the Alca-Noise started to rain from the sky and attack the concert guests.

"We need to get in there. Now!" Kanade shouted, running down the staircase as the others followed her to engage in combat with the Noise.


"Croitzal ronzell Gungnir zizzl"


Without hesitation, the trio leapt into battle, trying their hardest to save as many lives as they could, but the Alca-Noise would beat them to the civilians more often than they could reach them. However, that began to change once Kana entered the fray, her first stop being the crowd next to Ogawa at the main exit.

"This is a massive uphill battle, Ogawa-san. Should I grab the others and hurry back?" Kana asks.

"A helicopter has already been dispatched to pick them up. Even if you're only gone for a couple seconds, we risk far more lives being lost." Ogawa stated. "For now, take as many of the civilians as you can at a time, and get them out of here!"

"Understood." Kana replies, before holding onto her activated pendant.


"Radiance Module! Awaken!"


(Dusk Falls (Vallite Fire) begins to play)

"Ashe, go help Tsubasa and the others with the Alca-Noise. The fewer civilians that are in immediate danger, the faster I can get them out of here." Kana says to the Dragon Alchemist before vanishing with a large group of civilians.

"I'll do my best!" Ashe replies aloud before charging into the battlefield and saving as many people as he could. In the midst of the first, however, one of the monitors flashed on to a figure flying above the concert hall with their bat-like wings, and it was a sight that filled Ashe with equal amounts of frustration and sorrow.

"AHAHA! Tremble in fear! Cower in your boots! For the main event has arrived! And now that I am here, it's time to make this a night that will go down in history!"

"Why am I not surprised that you're the one doing this, Millaarc..." Ashe sighs aloud.

Looking around the battlefield, Millaarc tried to find one specific person. Fortunately for her, said person found her first as she attempted to cut her out of the sky with a Blue Flash. "Tsubasa Kazanari. Just the person I was looking for!" Millaarc said in an unsettlingly happy tone.

"Remnant of the Bavarian Illuminati..." Tsubasa growled under her breath. "I will not allow you to stain my songs in blood!"

Tsubasa charged at Millaarc with her blade, but the bat woman calmly held out her arm, augmenting her left wing into a special form of armor over said arm that easily blocked the blade. "As fun as it'd be to see you try and stop me, I think it'd just be easier for you if you just let them all die."

"I'll make you eat those words!" Tsubasa retorted, pushing Millaarc away before quickly chasing after her.

"Tsubasa! Don't let her get in your head!" Maria shouted to Tsubasa, but her words fell on deaf ears.

"I'll try and distract Millaarc." Ashe says to Maria. "I'm not sure how successful I'll be, but-"

"Just keep Tsubasa from doing anything Kanade would do!" Maria interjected.

"Hey!"

"Got it." Ashe nods, rushing over to Tsubasa just as she sent Millaarc flying into some debris. However, as the dust settled, both Ashe and Tsubasa were greeted by a horrifying sight: Millaarc had taken a hostage, and it was someone the former knew. "Ayaha?! What is Millaarc planning to do?!"


"Well fought, Tsubasa Kazanari." Millaarc said proudly. "After all, compared to you, we're all weak and imperfect beings who stand no chance of taking you down."

"Weak?" Tsubasa asked.


"I don't like where she's going with this!" Ashe says to himself, thinking on the spot of a plan to save Ayaha before his fears became reality, however, the only plan he could come up with in time was not a favorable one. "Even if it's far from the best idea I can come up with, I have to hope it works!" Wasting no time, Ashe prayed that Millaarc hadn't noticed him as he uses his draconic wings to speed over to her.


"Yep. I'm weak." Millaarc continued as she arched her hand backwards and straightened out her fingers. "Which is why I have no shame when I do THIS!"

"SHUNK!"
"THUD"

Time practically crawled to a standstill for everyone once those sounds echoed throughout the concert hall, but the Wielders weren't the only ones who were left in shock by what was done to cause those sounds... Millaarc was just as surprised by what she had done. She had planned to kill the girl that she had taken hostage and break Tsubasa as a result, but instead of finding her arm through her hostage's chest, she instead found it impaled through the arm and stomach of someone that used to be her friend. Ashe had managed to get between Millaarc and Ayaha, forcing the former to drop the latter, who was now on the ground coughing as she gasped for air.

"Feel... Any shame... Now?" Ashe asks.

Millaarc was speechless, but she couldn't afford to let her feelings get in the way of her mission. Quickly, she pulled her arm out of Ashe's and let him fall to the ground, where his transformation would revert and he would feel the full extent of his injuries, letting out a devastating scream as his blood stained his jacket at an alarming rate.

"You... You stabbed your own friend just to prove your point..." Tsubasa mumbled, before looking at Millaarc with eyes filled with nothing but rage.

"There's still an opening. I have to take it!" Millaarc said to herself, closing her eyes and focusing her gaze onto Tsubasa's.

"Seal. Invasion!"

"I'll send you straight to hell myself!"

Once she was finished casting her spell, Millaarc flew into the sky to avoid Tsubasa's attacks, which concluded once Kanade and Maria ran in to stop her. "Dammit, Tsubasa! Pull yourself together!" Kanade shouted. "As much as I wanna make her suffer for what she's done, we have to focus on keeping Ashe alive!"

"Well, looks like that's all I can do for now... Time for me to turn tail and run!" With a snap of her fingers, all of the airborne Alca-Noise dive bombed the concert hall, destroying everything in their wake.

"She's taking the whole stadium down! We need to get out of here!" Serena shouted as she arrived over with the others. "Where's Kana?!"

"ASHE!" Kana screams, arriving just as Serena asked where she was. "What happened to him?!"

"His so-called friend stabbed him!" Kanade stated, which made Kana go pale.

"We need to get out of here before the stadium crashes into the water!" Maria said.

Hearing Maria say this, Kana snaps out of her shock and quickly grabs the other Wielders, Ogawa, Ashe, and the girl he saved, and teleports them all away before the concert hall would collapse into the water below.


Away from Nouvelle Calédonie


Escaping just before the concert hall fell, Kana reverts her transformation and falls onto her knees, completely exhausted by all of the teleporting she had done over the past several minutes. However, her exhaustion meant nothing in comparison to her worries for her friend's safety, as she quickly picks herself up and rushes over to Ashe, who was trying his hardest to cover his wounds with his jacket.

"What were you thinking?!" Kana shouts at Ashe. "I don't care if she was your friend at one point or not. She was going to kill you!"

"It was either me or her, Kana." Ashe retorts, gesturing over to the girl on the floor next to him. "I had no other choice..."

With this, Ashe passes out, which made Kana panic even more as she tried to stop the bleeding to the best of her ability. If she wasn't already exhausted to the point of passing out herself, she would've warped Ashe to a hospital to help him recover, but thankfully, she wouldn't need to.

"Everyone!"

Arriving in the helicopter, the rest of the Wielders managed to find Kana and the others. Seeing as most of them were in less than ideal mental or physical states, Kanade quickly stood up and shouted to the helicopter. "GET LILITH OVER HERE! NOW! ASHE IS SERIOUSLY INJURED!"

Hearing this over comms, Lilith arrived where Kana and the others were and assessed Ashe's wounds. With S.O.N.G.'s combat medic now on the scene, Kana let herself succumb to her exhaustion, passing out next to Ashe.


Meanwhile


After fleeing the scene, Millaarc flew back to her hideout with Elsa. Once she was back and inside, Millaarc let out a frustrated yell as she punched the floor hard. "Dammit! He just HAD to get in my way, didn't he?" Millaarc shouted in frustration.

"I take it the plan didn't go the way it was meant to be?" Elsa asked.

"Oh no, I was successful with the plan." Millaarc said, shaking her hand to ease the pain from her punch. "However, there was an... Accident."

"What did you do?" Elsa asked in a slightly concerned tone, which made Millaarc look away nervously. "Millaarc. What. Did. You. Do?"

"I stabbed Ashe, okay?!" Millaarc shouted in panic, which made Elsa's eyes go wide. "I didn't mean to! He got in my way and took the attack for some random kid!"

"Calm down, Millaarc! This is no time to panic!" Elsa said, trying to calm her friend down. "Surely the damage was minimal and he's going to be fi-"

"Does this look like a 'minimal' amount of damage to you?!" Millaarc asked, showing Elsa her right arm, which was soaked in blood.

Elsa turned pale. "Oh my god... Millaarc, did you kill-"

"If it wasn't for his arm and that Faust robe he's got, I most certainly would have!" Millaarc stated. "If Vanessa hears about this, she's going to kill me..."

"Why would you hide this from her?!" Elsa gasped. "You're asking to be killed at that point!"

Hearing Elsa say this, Millaarc sarcastically smiled at her before saying. "Tell me, how does this sound: 'Hey Vanessa! Oh, everything's going according to plan... Except for the fact that I CRITICALLY INJURED OUR FRIEND WHO WAS MISSING FOR MONTHS!'"


"You did WHAT?!"


Hearing that voice, Millaarc and Elsa both recoiled in fear. "H-Hey Vanessa! I didn't hear you call..." Millaarc said with a nervous chuckle. "How are things going on your end?"

"I was calling to see how progress was going on your end, given you were supposed to attack Zwei Wing's concert tonight, and the first thing I hear as I'm chiming in is, and I quote 'I critically injured our friend who was missing for months'." Vanessa stated in a calm voice that sent chills down the other two's spines. "Now, Elsa's encounter with Ashe days ago did tell us that he was siding with S.O.N.G. and its Wielders, but what I'm failing to understand, Millaarc, is why you felt compelled to injure him!"

"Like I told Elsa, I didn't mean to stab him!" Millaarc stated. "Everything was going according to plan, but then he decided to play the hero and got in my way, taking a hit for some kid he didn't even know."

Vanessa was silent for a moment, thinking about Ashe's actions at the concert. "Well... It's going to be a lot harder to convince Ashe to join us now, if it wasn't already difficult based on how he acted when Elsa ran into him..."

"What should we do, Vanessa?" Elsa asked.

"Is there anything we can still do to convince him?" Millaarc asked. "Or is he just one of our enemies now, too?"

"Let's not lose hope on him just yet." Vanessa answered. "For now, stick to the plan until I come back with the holy corpse..."


"I'll think of a plan for getting Ashe back soon enough."


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

So, outside of the obvious Noble Red vs S.O.N.G. plot for this arc, we now have the subplot of Ashe vs Noble Red, in terms of trying to get his old friends back whereas they want him to join their plans.

But now that Millaarc has drawn first blood with that rather brutal stab, it's going to be pretty hard to convince Ashe to join Noble Red. Despite this, Vanessa seems to have a plan. What is that plan, you might ask? Well, you're gonna have to wait and see as the arc progresses.

Subplot aside, time to move on to the major change in this fic from canon: The infamous murder of the XV Audience Girl, known by a good amount of the Symphogear community as Winglet, has been avoided!

Full disclosure, avoiding the XV Audience Girl's murder was in the cards for this fic practically since the beginning. The only problem I faced when fleshing out how I was going to change this moment was more or less how much it affected the rest of the arc, considering the original plan was to have Kana rescue the girl before Millaarc could kill her, meaning the stained glance would never happen, which causes a big issue.

However, I believe having Ashe save the girl but still take a devastating blow as a result was the best way to still mentally break Tsubasa, while also devastating Millaarc as an added bonus. (Remember, Noble Red's plans and Ashe's stance on them may be opposites, but that doesn't mean Millaarc and the others want to kill Ashe. He is still their friend, after all.).

As for why the Audience Girl is named "Ayaha" in this fic? That is because, while writing this chapter, I directly asked Winglet ( Winglet_chan on Twitter) what name they would give Winglet other than the nickname, because I felt that they deserved to name them, considering everything they've done for the character, and they said "Ayaha."

Do I have any plans for Ayaha within this story? Not specifically for this part, but I have considered some ideas for future projects involving Fate-Defying Valkyrie's world. (That being said, if/when I do get around to working on Fate-Defying Valkyrie's Ayaha, please do not compare whatever I plan to do with her in this AU to the version of the Audience Girl done by Winglet.)

Lastly, the decision to have Maria join Zwei Wing and rebrand them into "Drei Engel" was planned from the start. I considered not doing it and just having Maria serve as a second body guard to Zwei Wing, but it felt wrong to snuff Maria out of the spotlight she deserved to have. As for the name? German for Three Angels (Since Zwei is German for two, why not just alter two wings into three angels, right?)

But with all of that out of the way, I want to thank you all again for reading this chapter. I shall see you all in the next one!