A/N: To those that may be familiar with the now-deleted 80k-word story, Steel Orchid, Flower of Damocles is rework that was created due to a personal dissatisfaction with certain aspects of the former work. Many of what was written as 'backstory' for the setting's 10-year time gap, for example, felt far too important in hindsight to be reduced into a footnote. As a result, Flower of Damocles seeks to change up planned events and shorten the time gap for a more focused story. Even if certain aspects had to be altered in the transition, Flower of Damocles still intends to maintain most of the ideas introduced in Steel Orchid, while also adding certain things and removing aspects that - in my opinion - did not work out as well as I thought they would.
All song lyrics are also provided by my friend, Rachel Rose, who has allowed me to use her song-writing in this story. Proofreading is credited to fellow user of AO3, AetherianSavior. Cover art is lastly provided by Kaiyamon on Twitter.
3/3/2024 Update - As of this date, Flower of Damocles' 26 chapters have been dispersed across 50 chapters for ease of reading after much deliberation. If you were surprised by the sudden jump in chapter count, your shock is understandable. This was not an easy decision to make nor was it simple to carry out and organize. But after much discussion with my fellow Symphogear fans (as well as several attempts to write with a serious job on my hands), I ended up making the decision to split all of FoD's published and planned chapters into two halves (with the exception of the Prologue and Epilogue). I was always worried about whether or not chapters would be too long or short, but after a looooooong time of thinking and introspection, I will now fully commit to having chapters be below 5 digits in word count with only 2-to-3 scenes per chapter. I hope this is a decision that will benefit everyone in the future.
"Do remind yourself that disappointing the council could lead towards your resignation, Commander Kazanari."
The firm warning from the world council's spokesperson silenced the entire bridge crew of the S.O.N.G. submarine. As Commander Genjuuro stood at his terminal with a pair of arms crossed over his chest, the man glared at the bridge's central monitor screen, a pair of yellow eyes fixated on the audio transmission they were receiving from none other than the United Nations itself. Although the Spokesperson's voice could not be described as anything less than 'polite', it was obvious to everyone on the bridge that they were none too pleased with S.O.N.G.'s latest report.
"I can assure you that we are already tracking down the culprits of the attacked convoy. It won't take long for us to apprehend them and retrieve the stolen Symphogear," Genjuuro sharply stated. The filter he needed to use whenever they were dealing with the United Nations directly was second-nature to the Commander at this point. "The assistance of Clan Hida will ensure the success of this mission without international issues, Spokesperson."
The symbol of the United Nations encompassed the entire central monitor screen while the Spokesperson responded, their tone still maintaining a sense of affability, "I sincerely hope so, Commander. The council has contributed immensely towards the development of the SG-r04, so they would be most displeased if such an item were to fall into the wrong hands. Your predecessor, Fudou, knew that well after the theft of the SG-r02 years ago." The mere mention of the Kazanari elder caused a nerve on the Commander's forehead to twitch with displeasure. "I shall do my best to ease the worries of the council in the meantime. That is all I can promise for now."
"You have our thanks, Spokesperson," Commander Genjuuro said diplomatically, lowering his gaze to see the unease which was present among the other members of the bridge crew. Fujitaka, Tomosato, and every other operator on the bridge visibly held back their tongues, for they were practically frozen at their posts. The Commander's next words were a combination of a promise and a statement. "We'll send a report as soon as we have the Sword of Damocles back in our possession."
"You have ten days to retrieve the stolen SG-r04." The Spokesperson's words resounded throughout the bridge like an ultimatum. "I suggest that you hurry for both our sakes, Commander Kazanari."
Concluding the sound-only transmission with one last, ominous warning, the symbol of the United Nations subsequently vanished from the central monitor screen, allowing the crew of the bridge to finally relax in unison. It was as though a thick fog had made its exit from the underwater vessel's command center, and while the situation itself had yet to be actually resolved, the S.O.N.G. personnel continued typing away on their terminals at their usual rapid pace. When Commander Genjuuro sat down at his post to process the current predicament, Tomosato went over to the man to hand him a much-needed cup of coffee. Genjuuro accepted the steaming drink with a grateful nod. The plastic cup itself appeared miniscule within his large hands.
"I'm starting to think that our goodwill from the Shem-Ha incident is running thin, Commander," Fujitaka commented, the brunette's hands expertly typing away on his terminal's interface to catch up on their latest reports. "I guess five years is all it'll take to forget what we've accomplished, huh?"
"The council is made up of politicians at the end of the day, Fujitaka," Commander Genjuuro quickly reminded him. "Regardless of what they may call themselves, it's going to be a given that they will only remember what inconveniences them." He then took a sip of the bitter drink in his grasp and grunted in approval at Tomosato's coffee mix. It was not a flavour everyone on the bridge could appreciate, but it never failed to satisfy the Commander himself. "Tomosato, give me a status report on the pursuit of the SG-r04."
Stepping back over to her terminal's seat, Tomosato's fingers inputted a dozen commands into the digital interface in the blink of an eye. "Ogawa, Tsuchiya, and Clan Hida forces have already begun their assault on the Illuminati Remnants, Commander," the bridge operator stated, her eyes instantly taking in a recent report from the frontlines. "They will be reporting back to us as soon as the hideout is under their control."
Operating on schedule, just like the Commander expected of Clan Hida and his two personal aides. "And what about Professor Elfnein's condition?" Genjuuro added with a mild hint of worry in his tone.
Fujitaka was the one to answer this time. Through a few inputted commands into his terminal, a medical analysis from the submarine's medical facilities made itself visible on the bridge's central monitor screen. "The med-bay reports that the Professor had suffered only minor injuries from the attack on the convoy, Commander. They're estimating a full recovery in less than twenty-four hours."
There was honestly nothing better they could have expected to hear from the med-bay's personnel. Especially when they considered the state of the convoy after it had been struck by the Illuminati Remnants. The concern Genjuuro had felt in response to the news of the attack was still fresh within his bones. But the Commander had been through far too much at this point to let his cool escape him so easily. Even though his instincts initially advised him to deploy the Adaptors in response to the stolen Symphogear prototype's theft, Genjuuro knew that this operation called for a far more surgical approach. After processing the operator's report, the Commander finished his coffee and placed the empty cup aside to rest his elbows atop his terminal.
"Let's hope we can finish this quietly," Commander Genjuuro remarked. It was a sentiment that was clearly shared amongst the other members of the vessel's bridge.
The command center's large, automatic doors subsequently slid open.
Commander Genjuuro looked over his shoulder to see a familiar man subsequently striding through the parting entrance.
Carrying a sheathed katana within a gloved hand, the approaching individual's footsteps were only made audible as a gesture of simple etiquette. Each step the man took in his boots caused the crimson long-coat he donned to flutter. Through a combination of his distinct uniform, the stern look on his face, and a head of tidy, brown hair, Genjuuro immediately recognized him to be Ogawa Souji, the eldest amongst the three Ogawa brothers. Even though the Commander dwarfed Souji in terms of physical height, the two stood as equals when Genjuuro rose up from his post for a shared bow of acknowledgement between them.
"Clan Hida has never once failed a mission, Commander Kazanari," Souji assured him with an unfaltering grace that was expected from an individual of his position. While his gloved hands rested themselves on the pommel of his katana, the Grandmaster formally announced his presence on the bridge by loudly clacking the tip of the weapon's scabbard against the metal floor. "You need not hope for what is already guaranteed."
The man's statement earned a steady nod of approval from Commander Genjuuro. He had not expected Ogawa Souji to arrive as soon as he did, but the Grandmaster was a welcomed sight on the bridge nonetheless. "You have our thanks for your clan's assistance, Grandmaster Ogawa. It's also an honour to have the head of Clan Hida himself as a guest on our vessel." Whilst the pair spoke, Genjuuro could hear faint murmuring among the bridge's crew regarding the shared preference for red clothing surrounding the two men. Whether or not Souji heard it as well, the Grandmaster's elegant expression remained unchanged.
Ever so slightly, Souji relaxed the formalities by lifting a gloved finger in a matter-of-fact way. "As our late grandmother used to say: 'If you receive a little kindness, give them a large serving'." The quoted phrase was accompanied by a small chuckle. "S.O.N.G. has done Clan Hida many a favour, Commander Kazanari. A simple mission to retrieve the stolen Symphogear shall be mere child's play for the warriors of Clan Hida. Especially when the hunt is being led by both Shinji and Kagero, two of our clan's finest students."
Souji was nothing if not confident in the way he always boasted about the mentees of his clan's teachings. And even though the Grandmaster carried himself with a particular sense of formality wherever he went, Genjuuro could not help but notice the transparent sentiment Souji possessed when it came to those two particular men. Still, that was a topic for another time and another place. Turning his attention back to the crew of the submarine's bridge, the Commander wasted no more time taking charge of their current situation.
"Tomosato, Fujitaka, give me a visual on the infiltration team's progress."
'They're coming out of the walls!' was a phrase that Ogawa Shinji often heard from his foes whenever he operated alongside Clan Hida. It certainly wasn't an inaccurate way to describe the methods they utilized when the infiltration team rose out from the shadows to bring their enemies to heel within the timespan of a single heartbeat. The Illuminati Remnants had been completely ready for an assault on their hideout. And yet, they had fallen just as easily as any other terror group the Clan held the task of removing like a cancer from a festering wound. Shinji would have sympathized with them if the Remnants did not attempt to unleash a swarm of Alca-Noise on the surrounding townsfolk as a distraction.
An empty magazine slid out of Shinji's pistol and cluttered onto the bloodstained floor. Taking little time to reload his weapon, Shinji then switched off its safety and holstered the firearm within his black suit. Pressing a finger against the communication device on his wrist, the S.O.N.G. agent calmly called for command. "Infiltration team, reporting in. We have successfully eliminated the opposition and will begin an immediate search for the stolen prototype." Once a confirmation from the command center came through, Shinji pulled his hand away from a holographic prompt to observe the aftermath of the raid around him.
Fresh blood dripped from the glamorous ceiling chandelier above Shinji's head. As robed bodies littered the floor of the hideout's candle-lit central room, a statue dedicated to a goat-headed deity sat on top of the large circular table in the center. The Illuminati acolytes who had been worshipping it mere moments ago all laid at Shinji's feet, thrown kunais embedded in their gaping throats while shurikens clung to the bloodstained walls. Several other acolytes still stood on their footing, their corpses frozen in the midst of death, and their shadows pierced by bullets utilizing the Clan's signature Shadow Weave technique. All but a few of the dozen wax candles placed around the room remained lit after the infiltration team's surgical strike.
Were it not for Shinji's sharpened senses, he wouldn't have noticed the sudden shift in the density of the room's warm air. Folding his hands behind his back, the agent turned around and acknowledged his oldest brother's closest companion - Tsuchiya Kagero - as the young man suddenly appeared among the bodies of the Illuminati Remnants. Kagero was already kneeling down on one leg with an arm held across his chest. He wore a black suit similar to Shinji, and his well-kept, blonde hair ironically did little to mask his presence despite Kagero's aptitude for stealth.
"Have you managed to apprehend their leader?" Shinji inquired, his eyes still observing the unmoving corpses around them.
Kagero answered with a subtle tone of frustration and rueful shake of the head, "Unfortunately, it would appear that the head of these remnants had perished several hours before we even arrived." The younger man rose up to his feet with a rare, perturbed expression, his tightened hands formally placing themselves behind Kagero's own back. "Morikawa and Kagami suspect it to have been self-inflicted."
This was not a report Shinji expected to receive. But the capture of the Illuminati Remnants' leader was never a priority of their mission to begin with. If anything, it was just another side-task that could have possibly secured further intel on any remaining Illuminati cells. The infiltration team was in Germany for the stolen Symphogear first and foremost. "Focus on the search for our objective. We can figure out the cause-of-death afterwards." Shinji's order was swift. "The perimeter is secured, so nothing should be able to escape our notice without us-"
The faint sound of a breath being drawn halted Shinji's tongue.
Two kunais darted across the air and impaled the ribcage of an Illuminati acolyte who was slouching against the wall beside the room's double-doors. The hooded acolyte managed to let out a garbled scream with a mouthful of blood before immediately collapsing onto one side to join the unmoving bodies around him. The collection of Alca-Noise shards the survivor had been grasping in his bloodied hands harmlessly spilled onto the carpeted floor, the room's faint candlelight softly bouncing off their glassy surface. It was only when both men were sure of the acolyte's final breath did Shinji and Kagero withdraw their hands from the hidden kunais within their suits.
"Your aim was a few centimeters off," Shinji politely pointed out in a teacher-like fashion.
"My apologies, Ogawa," Kagero replied, pulling out a second kunai so he could playfully twirl the weapon between his fingers, "it would appear that a broken rib is affecting my performance."
Clan Hida's nonchalant disregard towards pain was an unforgettable staple of their teachings. Shinji himself remembered unnerving several members of S.O.N.G. with his own attitude towards it back when the organization was still designated as 'Section Two'. Teaching Kagero to lose that part of him was undoubtedly on Shinji's to-do list now that they were both out of the clan's influence and structure. It was but one task among many, of course. With the central room now completely cleared of hostiles, Shinji looked over to the nearby double-doors, and saw them open up for another member of Clan Hida to step inside. Dressed also in a black suit, the woman knelt down on one knee and lowered her head in respect while she submitted a brief report.
"Ogawa, Tsuchiya, we've discovered a hatch leading to an underground bunker. You may leave securing the perimeter to Morikawa and I."
"My thanks, Kagami," Shinji gratefully acknowledged her report before gesturing to Kagero for them to investigate this so-called bunker.
Stepping over the countless bodies at their feet without another word, the pair headed out of the central room, and entered a long hallway with walls that were decorated by numerous works of priceless European art. Were the paintings not stained with the splattered ichor of the remnants, the two men would have gladly spared the artistry a few glances as they strode across the length of a long, windowless hallway. Not even the marble floors beneath their soles were spared from being tainted by the hideout's now-deceased owners.
"Still, I'm quite surprised that you were available for today's assignment," Kagero spoke up, still twirling a kunai in one hand. "Souji and I assumed you would be busy preparing for the Kazanari wedding next week."
"I'm quite capable of multi-tasking, Tsuchiya," Shinji calmly reminded his apprentice. "It's important to balance the many responsibilities that one carries in their hands. Do remember that there's more to your life than your dedication to your duties."
Swiftly sheathing his weapon back inside his suit, Kagero's next words were that of a well-behaved student. "Duly noted, Ogawa."
Upon reaching another opened pair of double-doors at the end of the long hallway, the pair entered a small, empty storage room where they were greeted by Morikawa Renge, the fourth member of the infiltration team. Morikawa gave the arriving duo a polite bow and pointed towards a discovered, secret stairway which appeared to have been hiding behind a moveable wall. "The hatch was locked, but Kagami and I managed to find a key," she explained, holding up a peculiar piece of metal Shinji assumed to have belonged to the remnants' leader. It hardly resembled anything Morikawa even described it to be as she handed it over to Kagero for further use.
Shinji made sure to give Morikawa their gratitude before redirecting their attention towards the nearby staircase. Standard procedures were followed and Shinji led the way down the steps with an unholstered firearm in his hands and Kagero right behind him. The cramped stairway was only illuminated by wax candles clinging on to the stone walls. And yet, both Shinji and Kagero expertly navigated through the darkness like they were in clear daylight. The further the pair descended into the depths of the hideout, the quicker they were beginning to notice a lingering stench of hot smoke in the air. Eventually, the stairway's dusty steps concluded at a large, metal door with a distinct keyhole in its center.
Both of them could tell that this thick slab of chrome could endure a few mundane explosives before it would even budge.
Retrieving the irregular key from one of his suit's pockets, Kagero held up the strange item between two fingers. "I'd offer to spend the whole night here trying to cut it open, but thankfully, we can just use this," he said, squeezing past his senior to insert the baroque utensil into the door's keyhole. While Shinji remained on-guard with his firearm in his hands, Kagero slowly turned the key-piece, causing the metal slab to emit an affirmatory ring before it slid open without issue. "You'd think they would design these with a far more complicated security measure."
The younger man's dry remark was only entertained by a small laugh from Shinji. Taking the lead once again with both eyes staring down the sights of his firearm, Shinji soundlessly stepped into an enormous, brightly-lit bunker with walls of shining steel, and a carpet-covered floor. He was unbothered by the smoke which choked the bunker's atmosphere, for his attention was too busy directing itself at the rows of sizzling server racks that crowded the area the same way bookshelves would fill out a library. Bullet holes riddled every single one of these server racks, leaving them as barely anything more than smoking piles of useless scrap metal.
A swift hand-signal from the eldest of the two ordered the pair to split up and make their way down different aisles of the bunker. Any signs of life that did not come from them were not going to go unnoticed by their sharpened senses.
Exiting one empty aisle of the destroyed server racks, Shinji swept an attentive gaze around before his eyes fell upon a stone pedestal in an unremarkable corner of the large bunker. A paper map of the entire globe was stretched across the surface of the wall behind it. Shinji tightly held on to his firearm when he approached the stone furniture. Crude, red markings were evident across the entire length of the faded map, messily encompassing areas such as Europe, Borneo, Japan, and America in deep, incandescent crimson. It was difficult to tell which part of the globe wasn't even marked at all, in fact. And the longer Shinji stared at the map, the more apparent was the unease within the field agent's thumping chest.
Sitting atop of the pedestal itself was a worn, leather-bound tome. Undoubtedly Illuminati in origin. Grasping the object's cover with one hand, Shinji kept his weapon ready in the other while he opened up the item, and stared down on pages upon pages of incoherent, maddened writings. No matter how many of its withered pages he flipped aside, the same ominous sentence could be seen occupying every inch of its available space.
"The day of judgement arrives."
Quaint. Unfortunately, this wasn't what the pair came all the way down here for.
Closing the perplexing tome back up without a second glance, Shinji investigated another one of the aisles to notice the incinerated body of an Illuminati acolyte lying against one of the sizzling server racks. A small switch was grasped within one of the burnt corpse's ashen hands. Shinji gingerly approached the body for a quick examination. A result of alchemical flames, he concluded to himself. No doubt the same conflagration that the remnants often inflicted upon themselves in order to prevent their capture. The odour of freshly-burned skin was most foul. But Shinji had grown used to the smell of death long ago.
The wrist device on Shinji's forearm subsequently lit up from an incoming transmission, prompting the agent to momentarily holster his firearm so he could connect a sound-only line with his apprentice. "Tsuchiya, have you discovered anything of note?" Shinji asked, bringing his attention towards the holographic projection coming out of his device's communicator.
"Not exactly, Ogawa," Kagero frustratingly declared from the other end of the line. "A terminal I've found states that the Illuminati had been storing the SG-r04 within a secured vault underneath this bunker." There was a brief pause in Kagero's hasty report. "Apparently, it had been set to self-destruct before our attack began. But it looks like we weren't the only guests the Illuminati expected to be on their doorstep, because something or someone had managed to halt the vault's detonation before it could actually go off."
Narrowing his eyes at the implication of a possible third-party, Shinji looked over to the ashen corpse before him. "And what of the SG-r04 itself?"
"Missing." Kagero got straight to the point. "All of the bunker's camera recordings have been deleted. And whoever arrived for the stolen prototype experienced little difficulty melting through several meters of secured vault metal. My only assumption is that the remnants on the surface weren't even aware of the SG-r04's disappearance until it was far too late. Regardless, I'll try and see what else I can uncover." The clacking of fingers upon keys could faintly be heard in the call's background. "What do you propose we do next, Ogawa?"
It only took a second for Shinji to come up with an order. "I'll inform command that we'll be conducting a search of the entire area," he stated, already preparing himself to send out further instructions to Morikawa and Kagami back up on the surface. "Whoever arrived for the SG-r04 can't be too far from our current location."
Clan Hida had never once failed a mission. That was what their records officially stated, at least. Despite his position, not even Souji himself could be completely certain when it came to the personal integrity of his numerous predecessors.
Holding up her smartphone in one hand, Ayano Komichi released an enchanted sigh while she gazed upon a recording of the marriage yesterday between Kazanari Tsubasa and Kazanari Maria. Having just received the video from Chris earlier on in the day, Komichi had spent the past hour rewatching the grandiose wedding from start to finish, keeping herself occupied outside the sliding entrance of a brand-new shopping mall. As Komichi leaned against the sidewalk's metal railing in a thick winter coat, December snow fell upon the city of Mitakihara, creating the atmosphere of a joyous, white wonderland. Christmas lights were practically everywhere in sight. And it was impossible for a second to pass by without hearing some sort of holiday tune in the winter air.
Komichi momentarily diverted her glimmering, green eyes away from her device to brush the accumulating snow off her long, flowing hair. Once the gesture was completed, the brunette continued fawning over the recording of the kiss between the Kazanari couple, earning the woman a few awkward stares from the passing-by pedestrians on the bustling sidewalk. It was easy to ignore them all, of course. But when Komichi felt a firm hand suddenly deliver a sharp, playful bonk onto the back of her head, she let out a dramatic yelp, and turned around to pout at the person who had snuck up on her without making even a single noise.
Godai Yuki. A fellow agent of S.O.N.G. and Komichi's companion since childhood.
Although they were of the same age, Yuki was noticeably the taller of the two while she kept her dark-green hair tied up in a long, sports-like ponytail. A style which easily matched Yuki's almost boyish way of speaking. "You know, Otome and I made a bet that you'd be watching that when I arrived," she said, casually putting her arms behind her head. The gesture was tagged along by an exasperated sigh and a raised brow. "Looks like Darlin' isn't going to be winning the bet this time," she added with a cheeky smirk.
Komichi playfully stuck out her tongue at the woman's remark, causing Yuki to stifle a chuckle behind a closed fist. "You shouldn't sneak up on a maiden like that, Yuki. Don't you know that stress can mess with your skin?" Komichi said, theatrically crossing a pair of arms over her chest with a chin raised high. "Speaking of Otome, where is your little fiance?" she then asked, pushing herself off the sidewalk's railing to glance around their crowded surroundings. Considering Otome's height, it wouldn't be surprising to Komichi if the spectacled florist was just hiding within the ocean of people who were filling out Mitakihara's busy streets.
"Darlin' is a bit busy visiting her relatives over in Kazamino, so she couldn't make it," Yuki explained with a small, defeated shrug of the shoulders. "I tried to get her to tag along, but her Ma and Pa weren't too keen on attendin' family stuff without her around." Raising her smartphone with its screen already switched on, Yuki quickly pointed to a long list of items, plushies, and clothing. "She did give me some cash so I could buy a couple things she wanted, though."
Although Komichi was slightly disappointed for this to be the case, she was a little bit relieved that their awaited reunion still wasn't completely off the table. Their initial plans accounted for more than just the three of them, after all.
Shifting a curious gaze behind her ponytailed friend, Komichi scanned the crowded sidewalk. Whatever disappointment she initially felt quickly disappeared when she spotted a head of snow-white hair heading over towards them. Dressed in the same winter coat she often wore back in their days at Lydian, Yukine Chris was carrying a sealed cup of bubble tea in one hand as she arrived on the scene, the long, white tails of hair trailing freely behind her in an admittedly adorable fashion. It had been a long time since Chris moved over to America for her teaching studies, so when the Adaptor greeted the pair with a wave, Komichi practically galloped towards the short woman with her arms wide-open.
"There's our little snowball!" Komichi exclaimed, capturing Chris in a big, tight hug that only made the Adaptor's cheeks light up like the many Christmas lights hanging over their heads.
But even with the embarrassment which was clear across Chris' crimson face, she made no attempt at all to actually pry Komichi's arms off her, and instead just barked at the woman who was trying to essentially smother her. "G-Get off me!" she exclaimed between gritted teeth, both hands holding on to her bubble tea so it wouldn't spill all over the sidewalk. "It's only been a couple years, dammit! No need to get all clingy like this!"
"This was probably the one thing you should've expected when you came here, ya know?" Yuki playfully remarked, arms still behind her head while she walked up to the struggling pair. In one practiced motion, she smoothly held up a hand to Komichi's face, and sharply flicked her fingers against the brunette's forehead, quickly making her release their snow-white friend. As Komichi dramatically rubbed the struck area with both hands, Yuki greeted Chris with a playful bump of her fist against the short Adaptor's shoulder. "So, how was the wedding yesterday? Tachibana and the others were there too, right?"
Audibly relieved to finally be free from Komichi's clutches, Chris eased herself through a sip of her bubble tea before answering, "The wedding was pretty swell. The Dummy kept crying the entire time, so her girlfriend had to hold on to her for almost the whole thing." Chris gave an amused scoff. "Scythe and Rabbit were in charge of the food, so I ate pretty damn well, that's for sure. If you're asking about Maria and her new wife, they looked pretty damn happy the entire time."
An impressed whistle slipped out of Yuki. "Sounded like a blast."
"It does, doesn't it?!" Komichi added, leaning forward again so she could give Chris a signature cat-like grin that spanned from ear-to-ear. It visibly made the Adaptor involuntarily shiver beneath her winter coat. "In fact, when I asked Kohinata the other day if she could send me a recording of the event, I heard that our little Chris was practically crying-"
"Finish that sentence, and only two living souls will be walking into that mall, Komichi." Chris' playful threat immediately zipped the woman's teasing lips, but the cat-like grin Komichi wore still remained on her face while Yuki simply shook her head with a small laugh. "Anyway! Enough standing around outside in the snow," Chris soon pointed out, jerking a thumb towards the entrance of the mall behind them. "Let's head inside for some fun already." With that said, the Adaptor soon took the lead, officially starting their reunion by bringing the gathered group into Mitakihara City's newest shopping mall.
Stepping through the crowded entrance of the giant complex, the warmer temperatures of the building felt like a shelter from the winter breeze outside and the promise of a shopper's heaven. Clothes stores, restaurants, arcades, and so much more were all they could practically see as they arrived at a main lobby filled with a sea of families, friends, and lovers. If one were to look upward, they would notice the 10-to-20 floors which made up the shopping complex, all of them connected by multiple escalators and elevators. Since it was their first time walking around the place, the trio approached one of the many holographic displays that were presenting a comprehensive map of the entire mall.
"Seriously?" Chris bit down on her straw and slurped up the last of her bubble tea before groaning at a particular outlet of superheroine merchandise on the holo-map. "They got a Valkyranger shop here, too?"
Zesshou Sentai Valkyranger. Just like the title itself would imply, the television series featured six women in colour-coded costumes, each of them marked with their own vibrant personalities, unique weapons, and tragic backstories. Together, they would join hands to battle against world-threatening gods, devious witches, and maniacal scientists. It had only been a few years ago when Chris informed the pair of how S.O.N.G. would be financially-supporting a television show based on the adventures of the Symphogear-Wielders. And even though the 50-episode series itself turned out to be an explosive success, its sheer popularity was nothing Chris had anticipated. Komichi, on the other hand, could not forget how the Adaptors were contractually-obligated to promote the show through a few costumed live shows.
"It was pretty cheesy, but Darlin' and I thought it was pretty good," Yuki commented, still eyeing the holographic map to construct a personal list of go-to shops. "Now then, which store will we blow our cash on first?"
Komichi's eyes practically glowed with excitement at the mere thought of shopping. "Oh, there's just so much to pick from! There's a nice clothing store here! A plushie store there! And-!" A loud, audible rumble quickly erupted from Chris' stomach, prompting both Komichi and Yuki to gaze at her while the snow-white woman quietly bit down her lips out of wordless embarrassment. "... Or maybe we could grab a bite first?" Komichi soon suggested with a bright smile.
With their first stop now decided, the trio stepped into one of the lobby's elevators, and ascended towards the highest floor of the giant shopping mall. The first thing which greeted them was the smell of sizzling, fried food. An alluring sensation they all needed to snap themselves out of before Chris and Yuki split off to go and find an empty table in the large food court. On her way to the nearby stalls, Komichi scoured between their diverse menus for something that would satisfy the three women, all as she kept herself mindful about how much she was going to eat herself. But before she could select an option to order from, the brunette's ears began picking up the sound of a low, husky voice Komichi had not heard since her graduation from Lydian Academy.
"Mei, where are you? Mei!"
Komichi turned her attention to the familiar tune and spun around on one heel, eventually spotting a woman with distinct brown skin, and long, black hair which had been tied into a simple braid on one shoulder. While the woman looked around the busy food court with a pair of sharp, purple eyes, she held a smartphone up to one ear, caring little for the other shoppers around her in the middle of an obvious search for someone. Komichi instantly recognized her as one of the second-year juniors back when Komichi herself was still in her third-year. But her hazy memory struggled to remember the woman's full name. Even so, Komichi approached her anyway with a friendly wave of the hand.
"Hello! Hello!" Komichi greeted the brown woman in fluent English, immediately causing her to abruptly halt right in front of the curious brunette. "Were you... looking for somebody, Jiang?" The surname came to Komichi's memory just by the skin of her teeth.
Jiang spent a moment regarding Komichi with a quiet, analytical look before recognition softened up the woman's expression. "Ayano?" she asked, earning Jiang a cheerful nod of the head. "Ah. It's been a while, hasn't it?" Jiang promptly cleared her throat and pocketed the smartphone in her hand to relax one palm on her hip. "Sorry. I was just in the middle of finding my little sister. I swear she was with me when we entered the food court, but..." She gave another worried look around the place, pensively twirling a strand of black hair around one of her fingers.
For a moment, Komichi couldn't help but feel like she was talking to a worried parent rather than a frustrated older sibling. When she opened her mouth again to suggest contacting security, Komichi's eyes looked past Jiang, spotting a teenage girl who was now slowly creeping up on the woman from behind. The girl could be seen carrying a few paper bags of Valkyranger toys in her hands. Her brown skin and messy, black hair obviously caused Komichi to modestly point at the approaching teen with an amused smile. "Would that be her?"
Jiang turned around in an instant and faced her younger sibling with both hands placed on her hips this time, making the teenager freeze where she stood with faux-shock and a cheeky grin on her face. "So, that's where you were." The older Jiang clicked her tongue in frustration. Shifting a soft glare over to the bags of merchandise in the teen's grasp, Jiang didn't seem surprised at all by what her little sister was holding on to. "You know, you could have at least sent me a text before running off like that, Mei."
The teenage girl barely looked any older than a high-schooler as she continued smiling sheepishly back at her older sibling. She had been caught red-handed. And yet, it appeared as though that was part of her plan to begin with. "Aw, come on!" she groaned. "It was just a quick trip. I was in-and-out before you could even say 'clock up'!" A combined sigh of relief and exasperation came out of Jiang, giving the younger of the two an opportunity to greet the chuckling Komichi with an eager, two-fingered salute. "Yo! Who's this lady, Jie? A friend of yours? A future roommate, maybe?"
The older of the two siblings then turned back to Komichi with a clearly-vexed gesture towards the teenager. "Ayano, this is my sister, Cynthia Jiang Kai-Ming." Kai made sure to strike a flamboyant pose for the introduction, intentionally oblivious to the paper bags which swung around haphazardly in her arms. "Mei, this is one of my seniors from when I was still in Lydian: Ayano Komichi." The older Jiang sibling gave a subsequent bow that Komichi formally returned in kind. "Cassandra Jiang Lanfen, in case you forgot," Lanfen added, adjusting the black-and-white scarf around her neck.
Eyeing her past junior with a hand held up to her chin in thought, Komichi clapped her hands together, remarking, "You sure have grown a lot since Lydian, huh? Have you been doing well?
There was a tinge of brief hesitation within the older sibling's eyes before the woman calmly answered her question. "You could say that. A lot's happened over the years, but I'm surviving regardless." While Kai-Ming kept her mouth sealed behind her sister, the younger Jiang sibling set her wandering attention on the food stalls around them. "Mei and I were just getting something to eat before heading back to Yamaku City," Lanfen explained, gesturing over to an empty table nearby. "Care to join us in the meantime?"
Komichi could spot the growing anticipation within Kai-Ming's body language in reaction to her sister's offer, so it ended up being agonizing for Komichi when she unfortunately needed to turn them down. "Sorry, sorry. I've already got some plans for today, so I'll have to pass. But!" She then directed a pair of finger-guns at the two sisters and gave them a wink. "You two go and have fun! It's the weekend, so that's what a maiden should be doing, after all!" Flashing them an encouraging smile, both siblings responded with an understanding nod.
"Alright then. It was nice seeing you, Ayano." Jiang Lanfen provided another formal bow before she simultaneously excused herself and her sister. "Take care of yourself."
"Ciao!" Jiang Kai-Ming shot Komichi an excited peace-sign and followed her older sibling towards one of the food court's countless stalls.
Even when they walked off, Komichi still couldn't help but notice how Lanfen seemed to treat her sibling more like a child than a younger sister. It was an observation she was going to elaborate on to herself when her train of thought was suddenly interrupted by a low rumbling from Komichi's own tummy. Thinking always made yourself hungrier, like some would say. Bringing her sights back over to the nearest stall, Komichi decided to just go with whatever they had on their menu, and hoped that Chris and Yuki were willing to chow down on anything she brought to the table.
As Komichi forked a fresh ball of takoyaki into her mouth, she looked beyond the large window beside their table, and observed the falling winter snow. Sitting next to her was Yuki, who eagerly dug into a modest plate of gyoza. By the time Komichi was even a quarter-way finished with her own serving of food, Chris had already devoured her first bowl of udon on the other side of the table. The three women caught up on everything that had occurred over the half-decade in-between bites. And even though a couple years had already flown by since graduation, Komichi still felt as if nothing could be considered different when it came to chatting with their snow-white friend. Knowing how Chris was an Adaptor simply couldn't affect the way neither Yuki nor Komichi perceived their old classmate.
Still, even if paranormal business was fully-open between them, the trio made sure to locate an area of the food court which was completely vacant of anyone who could eavesdrop on their conversation.
"-it's only been a couple months since they've started, but that Dummy and her girlfriend are pretty much swamped with work over at Lydian," Chris explained in the middle of shoving her noodles into her mouth. "Being a teacher ain't easy, but it's a lot smoother for the Dummy to give an excuse for why she ain't around when S.O.N.G. starts calling us up for work," she resumed with a wave of her chopsticks. "Meanwhile, Scythe and Rabbit are pretty much dying in some culinary uni' over in Australia. Can't say I'm jealous of 'em."
"Sounds like things have been pretty chill for you Wielders," Yuki pointed out, glancing over to a text message from Otome in her smartphone. "It's been - what - a year since y'all have fought some Noise? Rescue work sounds pretty mundane compared to all that."
Pushing aside her emptied plate, Komichi wiped her mouth with a tissue, saying, "I'm sure they're busy in other ways, Yuki. After all, aren't the Kazanaris planning on starting up that humanitarian front?" she asked Chris this time. "It can't be easy for Tsubasa now that she's also the head of the Kazanari household. Her schedule must be pretty tight if she insists on still taking to the stage and doing whatever S.O.N.G. rings you gals up for."
"She's got a lot of work on her shoulders, yeah." Chris gave a shrug, not caring for the bits of food that were sticking to the corners of her mouth. "But with Maria by her side, she's been staying pretty strong. Shouldn't be surprising considering how those two have been over the years." Now that the noodles in Chris' bowl had been fully decimated, Chris' hands grabbed on to it by its sides and lifted the whole thing up to her lips, leading to the Adaptor instantly downing an entire bowl's worth of broth in a single sitting. It would've been impressive if Komichi and Yuki weren't so used to seeing it by now.
Komichi found it almost adorable, even.
Returning a wistful gaze over to the expansive cityscape outside the court's window, Komichi could see countless people crowding out the streets of Mitakihara down below. And for a brief moment, she wondered what it was like to have a life that wasn't - in any way - associated with the paranormal. It's been almost 4 years now since her and Yuki had joined up with S.O.N.G. for some honest work. The fact that it's been this long by now only dragged out a dramatic sigh from Komichi. "If it's one thing I miss, it's having weekends where I don't have to expect S.O.N.G. to suddenly ring us up for a mission," she moaned to no one in particular. "Ever since the whole mess with that stolen relic-thingy, I was beginning to think we wouldn't be getting a day-off for at least a month."
"Really makes ya wonder why they're even bothering with that failed lab project," Chris dryly remarked before glancing over to Yuki. The ponytailed woman was still in the middle of replying to a couple text messages from Otome when Chris decided to chat her up. "What about you, Yuki? Got any good stories about your time in that Hida clan?"
Yuki delivered a teasing smirk and placed one finger over her own lips in a 'hush' motion. "Sorry, Red Hood, but that's confidential. What I can tell you is that it's already been a while since I've transferred back to S.O.N.G.'s agency. I was handling their teachings just fine, but ever since I got engaged to Otome, I decided that I didn't wanna do anythin' that could get her to worry too much about me." She then slid her smartphone into a winter coat's pockets and leaned back on the backrest of her chair with her arms behind her head. "Besides, the tasks S.O.N.G. gives us aren't exactly hard compared to what Clan Hida usually made me do."
"The skills Yuki's learned from them sure do come in handy in our line of work, though," Komichi commented with a pleased grin. "It's a lot easier doing spy stuff when your partner can just sneak around in broad daylight."
"And I will remind you to not rely too much on me, Komi'," Yuki playfully snapped back at her, prompting the brunette to stick out her tongue almost reflexively.
After Chris was done chugging down a glass of juice, the crimson Adaptor placed the tall beverage aside and rose up from her chair without bothering to clean her mouth. "Anyway! Let's start shopping," she told the pair with a fist raised high. "It's been a while since we've messed around, so let's have some fun!"
There were absolutely no disagreements whatsoever with Chris' proposition. None at all. With their ordered meals all chowed down, Komichi and Yuki eagerly followed the woman out of the bustling food court for an exciting afternoon of arcades and branded clothing. Komichi in particular decided to hum an excited tune while she joined her two companions from behind, shifting her gaze back to the nearby windows for one last look at the expansive cityscape beyond the frosted glass. As her green eyes drew in the breathtaking sight for just a moment longer, Komichi looked directly towards the skyline, and noticed flickers of red lights which were faintly dancing right above Mitakihara City.
By the time Shinji and Kagero had returned to the S.O.N.G. submarine by a requisitioned helicopter, the setting sun in the horizon was already casting its soft, yellow glow onto the cities of Japan. The two men immediately marched through the vessel's corridors to make their way to its bridge and return to the Commander's company without any further delay. Since their deployment to Germany yielded zero results regarding the missing SG-r04, the arriving pair had essentially returned empty-handed. Even so, their week-long operation was anything but a meaningless goose-hunt. After bypassing the command center's sliding entrance, Shinji and Kagero declared their returning presence, and audibly stood to attention behind Commander Genjuuro's personal post.
The Commander himself remained seated at his terminal as an incoming transmission showed itself on his holographic interface. Noticing its contact ID to be that of Ogawa Souji, Commander Genjuuro connected the lines with the press of a manifesting prompt, bringing up a video feed of the Grandmaster onto the bridge's large monitor screens while Souji stood before a concealed, pitch-black backdrop.
The scabbard of a ceremonial weapon subsequently clacked against a flooring of audible metal. Its mere sound made both Shinji and Kagero simultaneously tense up. "Clan Hida's watch over the European continent is proceeding as requested. Thus far, nothing has gone in nor out without our notice, Commander Kazanari," Souji stated, tightening his hands around the pommel of a katana with both eyes closed shut. "Have your research teams managed to uncover any information surrounding the object you've brought back from Germany?"
Commander Genjuuro answered the man's question with a firm nod before turning to Tomosato and Fujitaka. Both of them were rapidly typing away at their respective posts when the Commander voiced his orders.
"Fujitaka, bring up our findings on the screens. Tomosato, transmit the copies we've readied towards the Grandmaster." Within seconds, the command center's three monitor screens began generating images of a metallic box, its dark metal visibly shrouded in the distinct markings of the Bavarian Illuminati. "For reasons unknown to us, a secured data-codex had been stored several kilometers underneath the Illuminati hideout," Commander Genjuuro began, "Professor Elfnein has been investigating it ever since we had the item excavated. And after a bit of research, the Professor claims to have found encrypted information regarding beings the remnants have designated as... 'Distortions'."
Additional imagery flashed across the monitor screens beside the ongoing video feed of the Grandmaster as Commander Genjuuro conveyed what they knew. This time, the digital photographs showcased incomplete blueprints, proposals, and designs for a substantial variety of armoured, humanoid-shaped creatures. No two designs were exactly identical, for each of them held different sets of physical armaments while bearing a diverse range of armour shapes and sizes. Shinji quietly noted their fleeting resemblance to the fantastical depictions and stylized paintings of Europeans knights from earlier centuries. And as the gathered men observed the detailed diagrams on the monitors, they could all clearly see how each automata was given a designated 'Category' alongside a respective 'Type'.
Category-1. Category-2. Category-3.
Armour-Type. Blade-Type. Caster-Type.
Souji's stoic conduct remained unchanging upon his visible perusal of S.O.N.G.'s provided information. "I am assuming these are weapons of alchemical nature?"
"That's what we initially suspected, but the Professor does not believe it to be the case," Shinji answered with both hands folded behind his back similar to Kagero beside him. "Although the decrypted information thus far implies that the remnants may have lent some form of assistance in their tailoring, these plans do not detail any measure of alchemy in the creation of these armoured automata. They also seem to have been provided by a third-party who we have yet to identify, as there are no insignias pointing to a group both S.O.N.G. and Clan Hida have already encountered."
When the perplexing blueprints were finally dismissed from the large monitor displays, Commander Genjuuro stroked his chin and furrowed his brows with suspicion. "Which points to the possibility of an entirely new foe."
"Indeed," Souji agreed, raising his weapon-of-office in one hand to rest its grip atop his shoulder. "A deal with this mysterious third-party must have gone wrong if the SG-r04 needed to be stolen from the Illuminati Remnants. Not that they're deserving of any sympathy, of course." The Grandmaster promptly gave Commander Genjuuro a steadfast gaze which immediately informed Shinji of the unspoken frustration behind his eldest brother's formalities. "Whoever the culprits may be, Clan Hida will be at your disposal for the immediate elimination of their leaders, Commander Kazanari. You need only request our services."
In spite of Souji's veneer of unbreakable serenity, the mere notion of a threat against their lands never failed to agitate the oldest of the three Ogawa siblings.
Some things truly never changed.
"The trail for the stolen Symphogear may have gone cold, but Clan Hida has recovered many an item with even less to rely on," Souji stated with both of his hands back on top of a ceremonial weapon's shining pommel. "My warriors will not rest until it has been reacquired. I shall contact you directly again once we have attained further clues on the SG-r04's whereabouts." His declaration to Commander Genjuuro was accompanied by one last unspoken exchange of mutual respect. "Farewell, Commander Kazanari."
With the transmission itself finally coming to its own end, the video feed of the Grandmaster vanished from the bridge's central monitor, giving an indirect cue for both Shinji and Kagero to soften their postures to a slight degree. Even though the pair no longer operated directly under Clan Hida, neither men had ever failed once to maintain their conduct in Souji's known presence. The Commander himself evidently noticed this while he rose up from his post to ease their obvious tensions by means of a confident grin that was aimed at both aides.
"Excellent work on retrieving the data-codex. I'd recommend you two go and get some rest now that you've both returned." Commander Genjuuro crossed his arms over his chest and looked over to Kagero in particular. The younger agent's stance evidently still bore signs of lingering shame from their failure to retrieve the stolen SG-r04. "Don't beat yourself up too much, Tsuchiya. You may be a recent transfer, but your performance is hardly unacceptable. We can't expect a guaranteed success from every operation."
Kagero did not appear to fully internalize the Commander's advice. Even so, Shinji's mentee proceeded to lower himself into a grateful bow. "I understand, Commander. Thank you."
Commander Genjuuro wordlessly acknowledged the gesture with an approving nod right as a direct transmission suddenly appeared over the bridge's central monitor screen.
When the three men all turned their attention towards it, they could see that it was a sound-only call originating from the submarine's main laboratory and its head scientist, Professor Elfnein. Mild signs of exhaustion were apparent in her voice when the Professor addressed them. "Pardon my intrusion, Commander. But in my attempts to decrypt the Illuminati's data-codex, I have managed to extract an audio recording that had been stored alongside its information. I would suggest taking the time to listen to it."
There was a momentary halt in the transmission before its audio transitioned into the aforementioned recording.
The volume of its audio was faint until Commander Genjuuro ordered Fujitaka to increase it and rewind the transmitted file, allowing the whole bridge to perceive the gasping, panicked voice which made up its contents. "This is Acolyte Olivier Anderson. Our leader, Joseph Alexander, is dead. The enemy is approaching our walls. The relic pendant has been stolen and we have only hours until-" Harsh static plagued the recording, causing considerable segments to be little more than incomprehensible noise. "-they intend to destroy the information we've been documenting before S.O.N.G. arrives! B-But I've managed to salvage what I could. I've stored them within this codex and I can only hope that someone will be able to find it before-"
Olivier Anderson. Although it was just a personal assumption from Shinji himself, the agent bore the feeling that the incinerated acolyte he discovered within the underground bunker could have been this very individual. And the longer this distorted recording went on, the more Shinji began to believe that an outside force was somehow inflicting interference on the device being used to document it. Regardless, whatever was the true cause of this static could not conceal the fear which coated the acolyte's raspy voice like a blanket of existential terror.
"-despite the efforts we have undertaken to enact a new world order, I can only now regret the role we chose to play in the theft of the prototype Symphogear. It pains me to admit that we can now only rely on S.O.N.G. for the upcoming conflict. A-And while it may be ridiculous to insist that the slayers of Adam are all we have to rely upon, the power of the Symphogear truly is the only force left in this world capable of turning back the coming tide. P-Please, to whomever may find this, you must deliver this codex to S.O.N.G. as soon as possible. They need to be aware of what we are facing. If we cannot rely on them in the end... then I hope the afterlife is merciful on all of our damned souls."
An abrupt end marked the recording's conclusion.
Silence subsequently permeated the command center before the incoming audio switched itself back to Professor Elfnein's sound-only transmission. "I will require several additional days to complete the decryption of the codex's remaining information, Commander." Promises of ceaseless research were never hyperbolic when it came to the Professor. Much to the constant dismay of the whole crew, of course. "My assistants shall inform you of any significant discoveries. Until then, I-"
The audio transmission suddenly shut itself off.
Shinji felt his flaring instincts within the rear of his mind while Kagero drew transparent concern over the senior agent. Between the two silent aides, Commander Genjuuro furrowed his brows again and uniformly addressed his two main bridge operators. "Tomosato, Fujitaka, I want a status report on our communications network."
"W-We're trying, Commander," Fujitaka responded, his fingers already drumming away at his terminal, "but it looks like-!"
"We're losing contact all over the ship," Tomosato steadily declared from her post. "None of the vessel's modules are responding to our calls. The engines have gone quiet. Communications are down and we are unable to receive any feedback from our global sensors. Our primary and back-up generators appear to be operational. Life-support systems are still running. But everything else..."
Breaking away from his usual position next to the Commander, Shinji ran a focused observation around the bridge's upper and lower sections, fully taking in a visual of their current situation. No matter where his eyes went, Shinji would see unresponsive terminals repeatedly flickering in front of the operators who were desperate to regain a hold of their malfunctioning equipment. In the middle of the command center, the dome-shaped projection of the globe disappeared to be replaced with accumulating error signals. Shinji subsequently reached for his wrist device and saw that its connection to both S.O.N.G. and Clan Hida's respective networks were currently unavailable. Evidently, no amount of communications shielding could protect their hardware from their current predicament.
"Could this be related to whatever the Illuminati was trying to warn us about?" Kagero wondered outloud, approaching Shinji from behind with both hands at his sides.
The older of the two did not wish to discover the answer to his question. Not with the current state of their vessel, at least. Turning their focus over to the bridge's working crew, the pair could see operators on the lower sections all rushing to find any sort of solution to the ongoing interference. As Commander Genjuuro himself remained calm at his station, Shinji couldn't help but feel the same sense of dread he had encountered when Shinji laid his eyes on an enigmatic map of the world within an Illuminati bunker. It was a sense of danger which he only began fostering after the horrible concert attack that had been staged by Noble Red nearly half a decade ago. In the end, Shinji brushed it aside as nothing more than an instinctual reaction.
Shinji's sweating palms were insisting otherwise, nonetheless.
Judging by the digital clocks on their respective wrist devices, it took about ten full minutes for all of their equipment to simultaneously reconnect with their communications network. Computer terminals resumed operations without delay, the holographic image of a globe materialized once again in the middle of the bridge, and the command center's three main monitors lit up with the emblem of S.O.N.G. clearly emblazoned across its central screen. Fujitaka, Tomosato, and every working operator on the bridge's lower section reported a full restoration of their systems with zero noticeable damage to the vessel's software. Environmental equilibrium had finally been reacquired. But any ensuing celebrations ended up being terribly short-lived.
Alarm klaxons blared across the hull.
Sensors screamed from detected energy readings and a backlog of red alerts began flooding their now-awakened hardware.
The crew hurried to address the incoming reports, their coherency kept only in check by an unflinching Commander Genjuuro.
"Tomosato, give me a status report on the situation."
"C-Commander, we're detecting unidentified energy readings all over the globe!" she exclaimed, beads of sweat clearly trailing down the sides of her head. "Unknown energy signatures are appearing across America, Europe, Australia, Borneo, the Philippines, Japan-! The numbers are only increasing, sir!"
"Bringing up a visual of Tokyo now!" Fujitaka declared, inputting a command to display an image of the nearby Japanese city directly onto the central monitor screen.
The visuals swiftly came in.
And what the entire bridge crew witnessed could only be described as if reality itself was slowly being ripped apart before their very eyes.
Titanic 'cracks' emerged into existence across the expansive skylines of Tokyo. These glistening tears would then expand into gaping, pulsing rifts which numbered in what the operators shouted to be in the hundreds throughout the entire Earth sphere. And yet, the apparent sundering of their realm was not the only ongoing catastrophe. Dozens of dark, armoured silhouettes were descending from the rifts to make landfall wherever the cracks appeared. Utilizing the CCTV cameras that were stationed around Tokyo, clear images of these ironclad creatures digitized onto the command center's side-monitors, granting everyone on the bridge a clear confirmation regarding the foe they were now facing in the absolute dozens.
Distortions.
The battle automata appeared exactly as the Illuminati's records claimed them to be.
While operators from the command center's lower sections announced the ongoing mobilization of military forces across the globe, Commander Genjuuro stood up from his post and started giving out sharp instructions to get in contact with their six Adaptors. "Transmit an order for the Wielders to rendezvous with any nearby armed forces! Once we've confirmed their positions, initiate counterattack procedures with whoever we can get on the line!" Both Shinji and Kagero continued standing behind him, wordlessly comprehending the increasing visuals of the Distortion rifts on their monitor screens.
It was six Symphogear-Wielders against an uncountable horde of living metal.
"Aufwachen signatures confirmed!" Fujitaka exclaimed from his post. "Gungnir, Ame-no-Habakiri, Ichaival, Airgetlam, Igalima, and Shul Shagana detected! The Adaptors are regaining ground, but multiple rifts are appearing in zones outside of their reach!"
Based on the tidal waves of armoured automata the Wielders were cleaving apart with each passing second, Shinji's first observation was that the Adaptors were going to require a minimum of twenty minutes just to secure the designated zones they were already defending. In those twenty agonizing minutes, the regular military would need to hold out on their own until the Symphogears could lend their paranormal assistance against the rifts' descending automata. Such an idea initially seemed plausible until close-range camera footage of the rifts in Tokyo's skyline came onto their screens from a recently-destroyed S.O.N.G. observational helicopter.
The transmitted recordings were unsurprisingly grim. The moment any sort of supporting aircraft flew into the zones to assist their defensive forces on the ground, 'pulses' of deep, thrumming cacophonic energy would discharge themselves from the rifts in the form of violent, translucent waves, sending countless arriving fighter jets and helicopters to helplessly careen out of the skies before the malfunctioning coffins crashed down directly onto their grounded allies. Recorded footage from Sydney, London, Manila, and New York all demonstrated the exact same paranormal carnage. The only way the military could evidently engage this enemy were through bloody ground battles against the arriving automatons.
Communication channels were swarming with pleas for assistance.
Distortion forces made their presence known in essentially every populated metropolis.
Despite it all, Commander Genjuuro continued to distribute his orders to the Wielders with fiery precision as they assisted with the global defense. This was not the first time they were protecting the world and it clearly was not about to be their last. But while the entire bridge crew attempted to pull together a coherent battle-plan with their six Adaptors, a rare alert audibly arrived on Tomosato's terminal, prompting the woman to swing a widened gaze over to the Commander with an urgent report nobody expected to receive.
"Commander! We're detecting a seventh Aufwachen waveform located within Yamaku City!"
All activity on the command center ceased for exactly one second.
It was impossible, Shinji had thought, looking towards the bridge operator with the very same expression of disbelief Kagero wore beside him. Commander Genjuuro audibly swore he had somehow misheard the bewildered Tomosato. Her words were simply beyond plausibility. And yet, when Fujitaka began inputting a command to record this brand-new Aufwachen waveform, their database identified the incoming waveform patterns in an instant.
"Commander, I'm bringing it up on the monitors!" Fujitaka declared, drumming one final input into his terminal's interface.
Three words flashed across the central monitor screen. A single sentence which caused Commander Genjuuro to slam a pair of hands onto his post as the man's voice escaped him in a way it had not done so for the longest time now.
"The Sword of Damocles?!"