A manned, intercontinental missile was the last thing Lanfen expected to ride in for her deployment to Kazamino. Its insides could only be described as a claustrophobic, rumbling 'cage' with barely enough room to move in. Metallic segments which were weaved into the soles of Lanfen's boots mag-locked her to its 'base', keeping the Wielder in place while the missile raced towards her destination. Clutching the red pendant around her neck with a twitching hand, a transmission from one of the submarine's operators arose from Lanfen's wrist device with a report of the ongoing situation. It sounded like the woman who had been sitting on the Commander's right side at the bridge.
"Lanfen? This is Tomosato Aoi speaking. You'll be reaching the designated point in approximately three minutes. Evacuation of the city has just been completed, so there shouldn't be any concerns for civilian casualties." A holographic screen appeared up on the interior of the missile, shining a dim light amidst the darkness that made Lanfen squint her eyes. "Be careful out there, alright?"
Seeing the 3-minute countdown which appeared on the screen, Lanfen responded, "Affirmative. SG-r04, preparing for drop."
The timer ticked down and Lanfen readied herself for combat by calling back on the knowledge that her Symphogear had implanted within her mind. Numerous sword techniques, fighting styles, and built-in weaponry, all of which only required Lanfen's body to instinctively follow them to the letter. Lanfen had only scraped the surface of this knowledge in her first battle, so there was plenty more to unleash upon the Distortions in her second ever fight.
"Mei," Lanfen whispered, hearing the timer tick down to its last ten seconds, "please watch over me."
A harsh metal groaning reverberated throughout the missile when the countdown hit zero. The holographic screen subsequently vanished and large gaps arose in the missile's dispersing casing, allowing Lanfen to feel the cold air that was now rushing inside the space. As the missile's casing fully broke apart to rain down on the tops of Kazamino's skyscrapers and its empty streets below, the thrusters of Lanfen's transportation system died out, causing the Adaptor's boots to automatically unlock themselves from the missile's base with a declaratory ring. Noticing her cue to depart, Lanfen descended onto the city, parted her lips, and released her holy chant in the mesmerizing form of a siren's song.
"Valtorah Damocles sen zizzl."
Shining, crimson lights engulfed Lanfen to the roars of saxophones and resonating pianos. While black-and-white fibers enveloped her body, a glimmering, three-point crown slammed onto her head and connected itself to her headphones. Thrusting her arms into a pair of dark gauntlets, Lanfen's Queen chess-piece pauldron materialized into existence on top of her right shoulder as armoured boots sealed themselves around the length of her legs. The electro-swing jazz that flowed out from her armour declared the completed formation of Lanfen's Symphogear, all while her relic pendant magnetized itself to her chest to form its ruby-like converter unit.
The soles of Lanfen's armoured boots greeted Kazamino's empty streets with a thunderous landing, sending the snow around the Adaptor flying onto nearby vehicles and street signs as a larger crater blossomed beneath her feet. Heralded by the rhythmic tunes of her Symphogear, the crowned warrior rose up to her feet to shoot a scornful glare right at the giant 'crack' that was growing in Kazamino's skyline. As if reacting to the Adaptor's arrival, the crack 'expanded' into a shimmering, gigantic rift. Arcs of lightning crackled around it and an inhuman 'wailing' echoed throughout the city's evacuated roads. When armoured bodies began descending from the rift to make landfall, Lanfen drew the grip of her Armed Gear from her hip's black armour.
The Sword of Damocles' thick blade sprung forth from its golden cross-guard with a ringing schwing.
Category-1 Distortions. 'Blade' types. The distinction honestly didn't matter to Lanfen. It didn't matter to the Sword of Damocles either. The Distortions were nothing more than automata to sate her thirsting sword-hand with. Even as the emerald knights crashed onto the streets before her, numbering in the dozens, the size of the horde was the only quality these monsters had to their name. The knights wielded a diverse range of weapons from pairs of arming swords, to large two-handed weaponry that dwarfed the size of an average person. In exchange for their heavier weaponry, their armour was noticeably slimmer than the obsidian Distortions which Lanfen faced several nights ago in Yamaku.
Swiftly brandishing her one-handed sword, Lanfen narrowed her eyes at the gathering Distortions, her words dripping with vicious contempt. "Commencing with the elimination of the enemy."
Electro-swing jazz blared from her Symphogear's speakers in defiance of the rushing Distortions' clambering footsteps. Bolting past the abandoned vehicles on the road towards the incoming, incoherent mass of battle automata, Lanfen's body burned with a fire that could not be quelled by the winter winds. On the other end of the street, empty vehicles were shoved aside by the Distortions as every single one of the knights cared for nothing more than challenging the Symphogear-Wielder. Lanfen gladly met their mindless thirst head-on.
"My mind's begging for it all to stop, yet it still gets churned into slop." Lanfen faced the front row of the horde and cleaved open several abdomens in a single violent swing. The sensation of her blade tearing through metal with a shower of hot sparks felt utterly euphoric. "What can I do but sing the days away? When you've nowhere else to stay."
The crowned warrior withdrew from the reach of a dozen ebony blades as their clumsy attacks sliced against the concrete road. With a proverbial fire in her eyes, Lanfen zipped between the upturned vehicles, easily avoiding the strikes of her foes while the Sword of Damocles rampaged through the horde. For each blow which was swung at her after-images, severed heads and limbs would clatter to the snowy ground and explode into clouds of emerald sand. By the time she had reached the backline of the gathered Distortions, Lanfen counted the dying explosions of at least twenty-four armoured bodies. It wasn't enough.
"I'm not able to hear the girl I used to be. Will I ever touch those that I long for?" Dismembering the legs of two Distortions who had just made landfall, Lanfen jammed her sword into her hip armour before seizing the falling knights by their necks. She held them above the ground with her enhanced strength and spun around to hurl the pair into the thinned-down horde behind her. Several Distortions exploded from the crashing impact of metal upon metal. "I stare at those that I used to see. The monsters are begging for more."
Drawing her sword back out, Lanfen ducked beneath a desperate sword swing to the roars of excited trumpets. She repaid the rushing automata by cleaving off its arms and tackling it onto the snowy concrete. The glowing visor of the Distortion's faceplate emitted a defiant 'hissing' noise as Lanfen curled her other hand into a fist and caved-in its faceplate like a fragile tin can. The Distortion promptly exploded into sand underneath her while the crowned warrior glared at the remaining stragglers of the Distortion horde and flicked her sand-covered wrist. The rift in the sky was still open, but there were no signs of Distortion reinforcements.
"The cracking of my heart makes me scream. My tears have become an endless stream." Lanfen rushed towards the disoriented Distortions and sated the aching hunger within her sword-hand. Every crude swing against their armoured bodies. Every violent thrust into a chest-plate. Every bludgeoning strike against their faces with the pommel of her sword. None of it was enough. It was like trying to quell a fire with droplets of water. "When will I be allowed a break from this world? The feelings deep in my heart are whirled."
Grabbing a Distortion by its wrist, Lanfen severed the seized limb from its torso and bludgeoned the knight in its face with its own metal arm. She then caught the sword that fell from the disintegrating arm's grasp and plunged it into the knight's knee before completely decapitating it with the Sword of Damocles.
Three blades subsequently struck into her back, creating a shower of sparks as the attacks harmlessly bounced off her Symphogear's protective barriers. After spinning around to face the remaining three Distortions, Lanfen struck two of them down in the span of a rapid heartbeat.
The armoured gauntlet on her left forearm quickly split open to reveal the wired harpoon within it. Saxophone howls resonated in the air, punctuating her clanking footsteps while Lanfen tightened her fist, and launched the wired weapon like a striking snake. The harpoon impaled the final Distortion's thigh, allowing Lanfen to wretch the knight off its footing with a violent tug of her arm. Lanfen was on top of the Distortion the moment its back slammed against the concrete. When the knight's sword swung at Lanfen, Lanfen rewarded the desperate attack by grabbing the blade, shattering it in her grasp, and planting her own sword right into its face.
The Sword of Damocles tore through an emerald faceplate and stabbed into the concrete roads to the triumphant howls of saxophones.
It still wasn't enough to sate the proverbial fires within Lanfen's eyes.
One of the bridge operators immediately began shouting over the comm, "Incoming enemy reinforcements, Lanfen! Caster types!"
Golden lights flashed in the corner of her eye and Lanfen instinctively tumbled towards the sidewalk. The road she had been standing on erupted with violent detonations which left gaping, smoking holes within the thick concrete. Clicking her tongue in annoyance, Lanfen got back on her armoured feet and glared up at the rift to see seven Distortions slowly descending from the giant tear in reality. They donned a mixture of black, fluttering robes, and shining, golden armour as broken vehicles crumpled beneath the feet of the arriving Distortions. Flickers of energy danced around their rune-marked forearms while the pointed tips of their fingers traced down glowing, eldritch glyphs in the air.
Tensing her body at the sight of these mysterious symbols, Lanfen's fingers instinctively tightened around the grip of her sword. Lances of eldritch energy subsequently catapulted towards the crowned warrior with a thunderous boom. The speeding projectiles grazed past her armoured body and blew burning, red-hot holes into the metal surfaces of the cars and trucks behind Lanfen. When the crowned warrior saw the Distortions preparing themselves for their next volley of eldritch lances, she knew that she had to end this fight here and now.
Black-and-white flashed before Lanfen's eyes. The steel letters in her vision slammed onto a cracking chessboard, spelling out the name, "Queen Quicksilver."
"Never knowing who is the true me inside. Allowing them to take me for a ride."
Armour slid forth from the casings of her headphones, forming a sleek, blank mask over her face with a large pair of circular, compound eyes. With a few audible clicks, the white mask connected to her three-point crown as the insect-like eyes of her faceplate flashed a deep crimson glow. The Queen chess-piece on her right shoulder followed up by emitting a deep, loud humming noise. The power generators deep within the pauldron kicked into life, creating an intense vibration that coursed throughout Lanfen's entire body. Glaring at the Distortions beneath the compound lenses of her mask, the glyphs they manifested in the air solidified for their second volley of eldritch energy.
"Am I meant to break free from it all? The voices are begging for me to fall."
The white snow from the skies halted mid-air. The howling of the winter winds froze in place. The speeding lances which shot out from the Distortions' hands slowed to a crawl. As Lanfen's Symphogear bestowed her with speed beyond her comprehension, a holographic timer appeared beneath the cover of Lanfen's white mask.
Ten seconds.
Lanfen closed the expansive gap between her and the seven Distortions. Approaching the nearest Caster first, she violently thrusted the Sword of Damocles into its chest five different times. Lanfen then withdrew her sword from its ruined chest-plate and leaped between two other Casters to hurl her armoured fist straight at their faceplates. The crowned warrior's knuckles tore gaping holes into their helmets, causing the emerald sand inside to spill out and freeze in the air. A spinning slash for good measure bisected the two Distortions by their waists.
Seven seconds.
Rushing behind the fourth Caster, Lanfen grabbed the Distortion by the hood of its robe and crashed her knee into its back. The Adaptor's indestructible kneepads bulldozed through its armour and erupted from the knight's chest-plate with extreme prejudice. Shoving aside the Distortion in her grasp, Lanfen bolted towards the fifth and sixth Casters, sword still stowed at her hip while the crowned warrior's gauntlets split open to unleash their resting harpoons. Before the two Distortions could even finish glancing at her direction, the tips of Lanfen's harpoons had punctured large, gaping holes into their abdomens.
Three seconds.
The remaining Caster turned towards Lanfen at the pace of a lethargic snail. Energy crackled around its rune-covered arms. It was a sight that encouraged Lanfen to draw out the Sword of Damocles and rush towards it with a thirsting sword-hand. Glaring straight into its faceplate with the compound eyes of her white mask, Lanfen raised her weapon and systematically cleaved off the Distortion's limbs one-by-one. She took off the arms first. Then the legs. Each severed limb froze mid-air while they slowly disintegrated into fine bits of sand. With a final flourish of Lanfen's thick blade, her sword skewered its faceplate, tearing the knight's head off its shoulders to claim it as a macabre trophy.
Zero seconds.
"I won't allow my mind to hold me captive long. Molding my darkest thoughts into this song."
A dozen severed limbs clattered to the concrete in a cacophony of falling metal. Battered automata bodies collapsed onto the streets and exploded into clouds of sand. The winter winds continued to blow through the roads, carrying bits of the Distortions' remains with it. As the loud humming from Lanfen's shoulder pauldron slowly died out, the crowned warrior collapsed onto one knee and retracted her faceplate back into her headphones' casings. Lanfen then grasped her mouth with one hand and hurled a mouthful of blood into her palm. The red stains on the black-and-white fibers were a sight which Lanfen could only stare at with apathy.
Not even her Symphogear could fully protect Lanfen from the backlash of going at accelerated speeds as it would seem.
Hearing a familiar, ear-piercing wail from the rift in Kazamino's skyline, Lanfen glared at the pulsing rift above her and retracted the blade of her Armed Gear back into its golden cross-guard. Within seconds, the giant tear in real-space sealed itself shut, letting the skies above the city revert back into its untorn reality. Once the glowing rift had completely disappeared from Lanfen's sights, the Symphogear-Wielder looked up at the winter skies, and brought a hand to her headphones to tap into its comms. "SG-r04 here. The Distortions have been eliminated."
"Affirmative, Lanfen," Tomosato replied over the line. "We've sent a helicopter over to your destination for pick-up. Good work out there."
With the end of the city incursion, Lanfen stowed the grip of her sword at her hip and slowly ran her gaze over the sand-filled streets of Kazamino. Despite the carnage she had gleefully wrought upon the enemy, the crowned warrior's sword-hand was not even halfway satisfied. Lanfen clicked her tongue in annoyance and looked back at the stains on her left hand. The uncontrollable twitching that plagued it honestly bothered Lanfen more than the sight of her own blood. It should not be difficult for S.O.N.G.'s equipment to heal up her internal injuries anyway.
A flash of azure in the corner of Lanfen's vision suddenly caught her attention. When the Adaptor swung her gaze over to one of Kazamino's towering buildings, Lanfen spotted a lone humanoid silhouette situated on the rooftops with the sun glowing brightly behind their back. Their hands moved in what appeared to be an exaggerated gesture of applause. But when Lanfen narrowed her eyes to try and focus on this figure, the mysterious shape immediately vanished from her sights, leaving the Adaptor to confusingly scan her surroundings. Lanfen quickly reached for her headphones and tapped into her comms again.
"Command?" Lanfen winced when blaring static flooded her ears.
It was a harsh noise which only cleared up after several seconds had passed. "Is something wrong, Lanfen?" Tomosato finally replied.
"No- It's just... are you sure this place is clear of civilians?" Lanfen inquired, carefully examining her silent environment with a hand on the pommel of her sheathed sword.
It took a moment for Tomosato to respond. "Scanners are picking up no other life-signs in the vicinity except for you, Lanfen. What's the matter?"
Furrowing her brow in confusion, Lanfen wondered if she was just imagining things again. Little of what had been happening over the past few days actually felt real to her to begin with. "I thought I saw her," Lanfen honestly answered, partially hoping that she wasn't sounding completely insane right now, "the person who gave me the Sword of Damocles."
The Commander proceeded to chime in on their conversation. Obviously sounding concerned by the Adaptor's response, his following order was issued with zero hesitation. "We'll conduct a sweep of the area for any suspicious individuals. For now, just relax and prepare yourself for pick-up, Lanfen. Our sensors are detecting no additional signs of Distortion activity around the globe, so we're in the clear for now."
"... Understood, Commander."
Withdrawing her bloodstained hand away from the casing of her headphones, Lanfen rested her aching body against a nearby truck with a small exhale slipping between her lips. The adrenaline in her blood was slowly dying down. Were it not for the powers that the Symphogear granted her, the crowned warrior most likely would be kneeling on the ground right now, desperately attempting to catch her breath. Shifting her attention over to the cold winds which were carrying away the bits of golden sand at Lanfen's armoured feet, the Adaptor momentarily glanced over to her aching sword-hand and frustratingly scowled at its twitching, persistent fingertips.
"Lanfen, can you please report to the bridge? There's an urgent matter that requires your attention."
Tomosato's message arrived on Lanfen's wrist device right as the helicopter's landing skids met the submarine's landing bay. Not wanting to keep anyone waiting, the Adaptor politely thanked the helicopter pilots for the ride before she sprinted through the long corridors of the S.O.N.G. submarine. Relying on her memory this time to navigate the underwater vessel, Lanfen eventually spotted the large doors to the command center when she noticed something else: It was quiet. The entire time Lanfen had made her way to the bridge, she had not heard nor seen any of the vessel's crew members. The only sounds Lanfen could actually make out were her own rushing footsteps while the bridge's double-doors slid open for her entry.
A symphony of loud popping noises suddenly filled the air.
The sight of colourful confetti raining down upon Lanfen made her skid to a halt.
As the large doors to the command center closed themselves shut, Lanfen's mouth was slightly agape when she tried to process the sight before her with a look of utter confusion.
The intense air Lanfen initially felt in the bridge earlier had completely disappeared. In its place was a spirit of festivity which was reinforced by an array of balloons and a large 'Welcome, Cassandra Jiang Lanfen' banner that hung from the ceiling. Bridge operators gathered around two long tables they had stationed next to the Commander's post while plates of food took up every available space on the tables' surface. Leading the bridge crew in a welcoming applause for S.O.N.G.'s newest Symphogear-Wielder was a familiar woman with flowing, magenta hair, a pair of blue flower hairclips and an Adaptor uniform of her own.
Maria. Formerly, Maria Cadenzavna Eve. Now, Kazanari Maria. Another world-renowned diva of the singing industry. Kazanari Tsubasa's status as an Adaptor had mostly deprived Lanfen of any shock she had left in her, but the confirmation of Maria's own Adaptor status was a surprise, nonetheless. "Welcome to S.O.N.G., Cassandra," Maria said, walking up to Lanfen. She stuck out a gloved hand and Lanfen hesitantly gripped it for a slow but polite handshake. The smile which Maria wore practically exuded confidence.
"I..." Lanfen blinked and gazed around at the party which the crew had set up for her. Closing up her gaping mouth, Lanfen reflexively stood to attention and saluted the older woman, much to the amusement of the senior Adaptor and the bridge crew. Lanfen honestly did not know how else to react to this sudden celebration. "Thanks, Kazanari. I'll do my best to live up to what is expected of me." The words streamed out from Lanfen more as a formality rather than a representation of her actual thoughts.
Waving off her excessive politeness with a smile, the tall woman placed a hand on Lanfen's shoulder and escorted her over to the party tables. Now that the intensity of work had momentarily disappeared, the bridge crew were now gladly helping themselves to plates of fried meat, bottles of soda and wine, and huge batches of finger-food. "'Maria' is fine, Cassandra," the pink-haired woman assured Lanfen with a laugh. "It will only get confusing if you intend to call me that when I'm in the same room as Tsubasa, after all."
"R-Right." Lanfen nodded at her point, only now realizing the mistake she had made. Stepping over to one of the dining tables, Maria pointed over to a bridge operator who was waving at Lanfen with an open bottle of sake in their hands. Lanfen recognized the operator from her dark-blue hair while the woman came up to the two Adaptors and cheerfully held up her bottle with cheeks which were subtly flushed. "You're 'Tomosato Aoi', correct?" Lanfen asked her, just to be sure. "It's been a pleasure working-"
"Oh, enough with the work stuff already!" Tomosato exclaimed in a laid-back voice that contrasted with her earlier professionalism. Grabbing one of the stacked glasses near the table's bottled drinks, Tomosato poured some of her sake into it and cheerfully handed a glass over to Lanfen. The greenhorn Adaptor only took it once Lanfen received an exasperated nod from Maria at her side. "By the way, congratulations on completing your first mission! From here on out, you'll be working with me and this guy." Tomosato spun around and grabbed one of the nearby bridge operators by the shoulder. "Sakuya, get over here!"
When Tomosato pulled her fellow colleague over to introduce him to Lanfen, bits of the soda in the man's grasp almost spilled onto his navy-blue uniform. Lanfen remembered the man as the other operator who was stationed on the Commander's left side. "Ack, careful Aoi- I mean- Tomosato!" he cried, holding a glass of soda in one hand and a plate of fried meat in the other. Once he made sure that his food was safe, the brunette gave Lanfen a polite dip of the head. "Hey there! The name's 'Fujitaka Sakuya'. Aside from Tomosato here, you can expect to be hearing me over the comms whenever you're out in the field."
Returning the greeting in kind, Lanfen watched on while the two operators suddenly eyed one another in a way she couldn't really describe. The pair definitely appeared quite close with one another.
Maria loudly cleared her throat. "Please try and limit how much you'll be drinking today, Tomosato. It's rather early to be going that far, don't you think?" Her responsible reminder received a playful shrug from the bridge operator as Fujitaka assured the Adaptor that he will be keeping his colleague in check. After the two had scurried off to enjoy the party with their fellow operators, Maria gestured for Lanfen to follow her over to the other table. "You've already met Tsubasa, Hibiki and Chris, haven't you? Other than myself, there's two other women whom you should meet."
Placed on the other party table were rows of opened pizza boxes which the crew eagerly sated their hunger with. When Lanfen spotted two other women who were helping themselves to plates of pizza, the Adaptors uniforms they wore quickly caught her attention. On Lanfen's left was a woman with an eager smirk on her face and boyish, blonde hair that was decorated with a single x-shaped hairclip. Accompanying the blonde in a feeding frenzy was a woman with neat, black hair which had been tied into a pair of long twin-tails. Upon closer inspection of the duo, Lanfen soon recognized them to be two of her juniors from her days in Lydian Academy: Akatsuki Kirika and Tsukuyomi Shirabe.
She did not know them personally. But the class-wide food poisoning accident made them particularly infamous throughout Lydian.
"Oh hey! You're that newbie!" Akatsuki exclaimed, eagerly pointing a greasy finger at Lanfen. The blonde's bright eyes gave off the impression that a thousand calculations were simultaneously going off in her head to finalize her next choice of words. "Since you look pretty skinny, be sure to eat lots! Because we sure as heck made enough to feed a whole army-death!"
Tsukuyomi pacified the woman by shoving a spoonful of food into Akatsuki's mouth. It was a gesture which Akatsuki did not appear to mind at all while Tsukuyomi glanced over to Lanfen and formally greeted her. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Jiang. If I'm not mistaken, we've seen each other before, haven't we?" she asked, pulling her spoon out of the blonde's mouth to casually feed her another bite of takoyaki. "Your hair seems to have grown a lot longer since then. You look a bit different, too."
Lanfen subconsciously fiddled with the braid on her left shoulder at the woman's keen observation. She wondered if she should mention something about her transition, but Lanfen held back the comment. "You're not wrong about that," Lanfen mused, placing the glass of sake that Tomosato handed her onto the table for now. Glancing at the food her two juniors apparently prepared, there wasn't anything on the tables which Lanfen couldn't describe as 'high-quality'. "I'd say that seeing you two is surprising, but it looks like Lydian has a knack for accepting Symphogear-Wielders."
Lanfen's dry remark got a small chuckle out of Maria. "Now that the pleasantries are over, you should try and enjoy yourself, Cassandra," Maria suggested, grabbing an empty plate and handing it over to Lanfen. "Unless we're on a mission, we've got plenty of time to relax. It's important to gather your strength, too." Tsukuyomi and Akatsuki physically agreed with the older Adaptor's words by piling even more hot slices of pizza onto their overflowing plates.
In an attempt to follow her advice, Lanfen grabbed as much food as her appetite would seemingly allow, and soon brought her first spoonful of sustenance to her lips. Biting down on a piece of grilled beef, Lanfen furrowed her brow when she once again found it difficult to really taste anything. Lanfen then noticed the anticipating stares Tsukuyomi and Akatsuki were giving her. "It's good." Lying through her teeth was always easy, even if she wasn't fond of it. "Thanks, Tsukuyomi, Akatsuki."
Seeing the clear satisfaction and pride on the pair's grinning faces, Lanfen couldn't bear to give a contrasting opinion on the food they had prepared. Perhaps it had something to do with Lanfen's own taste buds. But that was a thought for another time. For now, Lanfen simply dug into her meal with her fellow Adaptors to regain the energy she had spent during the operation.
The double-doors to the command center opened up. Lanfen looked over her shoulder to see Tachibana excitedly wheeling in a small cart of food with Kazanari and Yukine at her sides. Baskets of French fries, nuggets, and steaks filled out the cart's lower racks while a small, colourful box sat on its topmost rack. The arrival of more cuisine got a rousing cheer from the people on the bridge as the trio started distributing the new batches across the two party tables. It wasn't an exaggeration to assume that all of this would be able to feed an army in one sitting. S.O.N.G. was proving to be as welcoming as Tachibana had claimed it to be.
Heading over to Lanfen with two plates of steaming-hot cheese fries, Yukine shoved one of the items into Lanfen's free hand. "Eat up, Rookie," Yukine ordered before satisfying herself with the other plate of fries she held. "Fighting in a 'Gear tends to take a lot out of you afterwards. If you get hurt in a fight 'cause you were too hungry, that's on you."
Raising a brow at the fresh snacks which Yukine had given her, Lanfen slowly placed her accumulating plates on the table and picked up her glass of sake. She gazed at the clear liquid in her glass and quietly clicked her tongue when Lanfen felt one of her hands subtly twitching at her side. There was no doubt that Lanfen appreciated the celebrations the crew had readied for her. But a part of Lanfen would not settle down no matter how hard she tried to reign in herself. It was as though she was expecting the Distortions to come any moment now, all so she could continue taking out her frustrations on them. To try and calm herself down, Lanfen took a swig of her sake and felt it easily go down her throat.
Noting the lack of any taste from her drink, the Adaptor glanced around the party while a small observation came to her mind.
Commander Genjuuro and Professor Elfnein were nowhere to be seen.
An incoming transmission flashed across the bridge's central monitor screen, killing the celebratory mood in one fell swoop. The sight of the United Nations' symbol drew a blanket of silence across the bridge as the operators placed their items down and rushed over to their respective terminals. The Adaptors themselves could not do anything but also put down their meals, recognizing the ID code to be of the world council's spokesperson. As if on cue, the bridge's large doors slid open for Commander Genjuuro to arrive with Professor Elfnein at his side. The stoic expressions the two wore on their faces noticeably worried Lanfen's fellow Adaptors.
Approaching his post, Commander Genjuuro crossed his arms over his chest and shared a sharp nod with the Professor. "Fujitaka, answer it," he ordered, turning back to the monitor screens. Six of the Adaptors stood to attention behind the Commander. Lanfen followed the actions of her more experienced colleagues while Fujitaka connected the lines.
"Greetings, Commander Kazanari." There was always something unnerving about the politeness of the Spokesperson's conduct. "I have received the latest reports of your recent operations and must first thank you for your efforts in combating the Distortion threat with ease. The lack of any civilian casualties is especially pleasing to hear after the disaster of the global attack."
"We're just doing our job, Spokesperson," the Commander assured him. Judging by the grimace on his face, Lanfen dreaded where this conversation was going to head.
"Undoubtedly so, Commander Kazanari," the Spokesperson continued. "But while celebrations for your newest Adaptor are certainly in order, the United Nations have prepared new directions for them in response to the Distortion threat. Directions which will be significantly changing how S.O.N.G. will expect to be operating from here on out." Their ominous words sent clear unease amongst the bridge crew and the Adaptors. Lanfen could even see Professor Elfnein fidgeting at the Commander's side. But none of them could prepare for what the Spokesperson formally declared. "In order to assure the council of S.O.N.G.'s dedication to protecting our world, the Adaptors shall be permanently stationed across the globe as four separate teams until further notice."
The Commander slammed his hands onto his terminal. Professor Elfnein audibly gasped. Akatsuki and Tsukuyomi voiced a unified protest which was immediately hushed by Maria. Yukine, on the other hand, joined the two with a loud complaint as Tachibana and Kazanari tried to hold her back. The crimson Adaptor only fell back in line once Yukine noticed the hardened gaze that her azure teammate was giving her. Lanfen, on the other hand, pursed her lips and obediently stayed her tongue. She did not wish to find out what would happen if a new Adaptor were to suddenly defy orders on the day of their recruitment.
Commander Genjuuro only spoke up after the Professor gave him a look which wordlessly communicated something that Lanfen could not guess. "Would it really be wise to spread out our forces like this, Spokesperson?" He glared at the monitor screen with crossed arms. "Our Adaptors have shown to operate at their best when they have others to rely on and assist them."
"That is a notion I admittedly cannot disagree with," the Spokesperson calmly spoke back. "But that specific concern is exactly why the council has also finalized the decision to initiate the proposed Kazanari Contingency Plan. In order to assuage this fear of overstretching our Adaptor forces and hamper their effectiveness, Task Force Harmony shall officially be formed to both assist your Adaptors in defending against the Distortion threat, and carry on the project proposed long ago by Yatsuhiro Kazanari." The Adaptors all looked at Kazanari Tsubasa at the mention of her household. The woman showed no surprise towards the notion of this so-called plan. "A unified military effort comprised of the world's finest soldiers. It sounds promising, does it not?"
The Commander didn't look convinced. But he voiced no opposition. Instead, he only further inquired, "And will the council be assisting us in our transition into this new direction?"
"They will indeed be providing additional funding in order to make this change easier on the lives of your Adaptors, Commander Kazanari," the Spokesperson reassured him. "In addition, they will be allowing you to decide which of your Adaptors shall head towards the countries that the council has ordered them to be stationed at. The world council will spare no expense in order to ensure the immediate protection of an Adaptor within their country's borders, you can be quite certain of that."
Kazanari Tsubasa stepped forward. The business-like aura she radiated was palpable. "Permission to speak, Spokesperson. Not as an Adaptor, but as Chairwoman of the Kazanari Household."
"Permission granted, Chairwoman Kazanari," the Spokesperson formally responded.
"May I request if the council can reconsider this decision?" Kazanari's words were diplomatic and straight-forward. "While I will not object to the formation of Task Force Harmony, I cannot believe that it would be a necessary move to separate my fellow Symphogear-Wielders and I in response to a foe such as the Distortions. We have accomplished countless missions across the years and have never faltered no matter where our battle takes us, whether it be on Earth or on the surface of the moon. An unpredictable threat such as the Distortions should not require such drastic changes after we have dealt with enigmatic menaces much like the Bavarian Illuminati."
There was silence before the Spokesperson responded. It was as though they were actually considering her statement. "... While the efforts of your team are graciously appreciated, Chairwoman Kazanari, much of the goodwill which S.O.N.G. had left has sadly been eroded in the wake of the Distortion invasion. I can only extend my personal apologies as this deal is only as lenient as it is due to the successful creation - and deployment - of the SG-r04. A Symphogear made on special terms with your very own Professor Elfnein. Terms... that you Adaptors now deserve to be aware of."
Kazanari stepped back in line while the entire Adaptor Corps all looked towards Professor Elfnein this time. Slowly, the Professor turned around and faced the seven women with her hands clutching on to her lab coat. "I shall explain the situation myself, Spokesperson," Professor Elfnein declared. Over at their terminals, Fujitaka and Tomosato were clearly listening in on the conversation. Neither of them seemed particularly pleased by the council's newest directives either. "After the battle against Shem-Ha... I had struck an agreement with the United Nations. An agreement to create the SG-r04 in exchange for the resources I required to rebuild your damaged Symphogears."
Hearing this, Lanfen remembered perusing S.O.N.G. files surrounding the battle against Shem-Ha Mephorash. The last document regarding it mentioned information about the Symphogears' converter units having been shattered to a severe degree. "Professor..." Lanfen could not stay quiet any longer. "Is there something about the Sword of Damocles... which even I am not aware of?" Her question made the Professor flinch as Commander Genjuuro's back continued to face the seven Adaptors. "... Professor?"
"The SG-r04..." Professor Elfnein lifted her head and gazed right at Lanfen. "The Sword of Damocles is a Symphogear that has been designed to eliminate other Symphogear-Wielders."
Lanfen's eyes widened while her blood turned cold beneath her brown skin. Yukine, Tsukuyomi and Akatsuki all let out an exclamation of shock. Tachibana gazed worryingly over to Lanfen as Maria and Kazanari turned dead silent at the Professor's words. Lanfen tried to push away the clouds which threatened to shroud her thoughts, and in the midst of recollecting herself, she slowly recalled her conversation with Professor Elfnein back in her laboratory. The words that the Professor provided Lanfen to be responsible with the paranormal powers she now wielded.
Up ahead, Fujitaka and Tomosato were visibly about to voice their own opinions until the Commander shook his head, wordlessly ordering them to stay silent. Finally moving from his post, Commander Genjuuro gave the Professor a pat on the shoulder, lending her the will to continue speaking. Transparent regret was clear all over the teenager's face while she looked back at the Adaptors.
"Within the SG-r04 is a weapon known as the S.W.O.R.D." Dread coated her words when she even uttered the name of the device. "It was created by an order from the U.N., assuring them that if another group such as the F.I.S. were to ever appear - or if an Adaptor of S.O.N.G. itself were to stray from their path - the Sword of Damocles will alleviate the issues of an opposing Symphogear-Wielder with ease." Professor Elfnein gave a deep, pronounced bow, nearly throwing herself off her feet. "I'm sorry for the secrecy... But this was a decision I had made in order to ensure that everyone could continue fighting-"
"No," the Commander cut-in, standing right by her side, "it was my decision to finalize the project. The burdens are on me in the end." Commander Genjuuro subsequently joined the Professor with an apologetic bow towards the Adaptors and a deep grimace on his face. The nerves on his arms were practically threatening to burst open. "You all have my apologies for allowing this to happen."
Snapping herself out of a spiraling daze, Lanfen hesitantly held up a hand to grasp the pendant which hung around her neck. She gazed at the red crystal and tapped into the knowledge that her Symphogear had bestowed upon her. Browsing through a library's worth of information, Lanfen pushed aside every single irrelevant detail until she slowly arrived at one particular piece of knowledge which was buried deep within her mind. In that moment, Lanfen knew they were telling the truth. Hidden within the depths of her Symphogear was a weapon. A special weapon which made Lanfen's blood turn into ice the moment she even brushed against the knowledge of such a tool. Unable to comprehend even wielding such an object, Lanfen pushed the thought aside and returned her focus to the people around her.
"S.W.O.R.D..." She whispered the name of the Symphogear-Destroyer with barely-restrained horror.
"Do spare any malice that you may have for Commander Kazanari, Professor Elfnein and Miss Cassandra," the Spokesperson requested, audibly uncomfortable with this conversation as well. "The S.W.O.R.D. is a weapon that was put in place purely to assuage the worries of fretting politicians within the world council. While I personally understand the need for contingencies against rogue Symphogears, I believe that much like myself, S.O.N.G. will never forget its duty to protect our world. Thus, I hope that even after receiving these new orders - and being made aware of the proverbial sword which now hangs above you - S.O.N.G. will remain stalwart in the face of the Distortion menace. May the winds blow in your favour, Commander Kazanari. We will contact you directly again next time."
The transmission shut itself off. The symbol of the United Nations disappeared from the central monitor screen. Even with the celebratory decorations that covered the bridge's walls, and the food on the party tables which were now growing cold, the atmosphere of the command center felt like it dangled on a thin line. No one knew what to say in order to break the silence until Lanfen herself stepped forward and turned around to face her fellow Wielders. Lanfen felt everyone's gazes fall upon her while the woman's hands trembled with lingering horror. Had Lanfen been made aware of this duty the moment they recruited her, she most likely would not have bothered even attempting to familiarize herself with her fellow colleagues at all.
"I'm sorry," Lanfen whispered to the six other Adaptors, lowering her gaze to the tips of her shaking boots.
The Commander was quick to discard her words. "You have nothing to apologize for, Lanfen," he stated, turning around to step over to his post. "We're all operating at the whims of the council here." The Commander stood next to his terminal and typed onto its interface, displaying a map of the globe onto its screen. "... Separating you all won't be an easy decision. But if either of you have anything that you want to say, you can do so now before I start assigning your new stations."
Regaining the strength to look at her fellow Adaptors, all of them appeared to have their own opinions regarding their new orders, but none of them vocalized it. Akatsuki and Shirabe were exasperated more than anything. Maria and Kazanari looked like they were quietly accepting whatever was coming next. Yukine appeared to be withholding obvious rage while Tachibana continued gazing at Lanfen with clear concern in her eyes. Now that they knew what the council expected of the SG-r04 and its Wielder, Lanfen felt that Tachibana's worries were something which she did not deserve.
The Commander went over to a silent Professor's side and addressed Lanfen with a tired grunt. "Due to the lingering suspicions surrounding your acquisition of the SG-r04, an order has just been placed to monitor you for a period of time, Lanfen. Is that alright with you?" He only received a slow nod in response. They might as well have spared her the illusion of choice. "Until we can figure out who it was that provided your relic, S.O.N.G. is choosing to handle you with caution. Therefore, you will be stationed in Japan with a team which I'll be assigning to you. We'll be arriving at shore soon, so you can go ahead and prepare for arrival while I speak to the others."
"Affirmative, Commander."
Lanfen's words had not sounded as lifeless as they did since she had been dragged all the way here. In one swift motion, Lanfen dismissed herself with a sharp salute and marched over to the doors to the bridge, all while avoiding the gazes of her fellow Adaptors, Professor Elfnein, and the bridge's crew. When the center's automatic doors slammed themselves shut behind her, Lanfen stopped herself in the middle of an empty corridor, grasped her relic pendant between two fingers, and began processing the true responsibility she carried as the Wielder of the Sword of Damocles. She could feel her heart pounding within her ribcage while the seconds passed on, drowning out every bit of noise within her ears until all Lanfen could hear was its uncontrollable, rapid beating.