An hour had passed since Lanfen woke up to the announcement of the submarine's imminent docking. As the December snow fell upon Yamaku's crowded ship harbour, Lanfen tightened the black-and-white scarf around her neck and observed the small waves which were loudly crashing against the inert S.O.N.G. submarine. While she stood in the large vessel's shadow, the Adaptor quietly waited beside a requested escort vehicle with a small bag slung over one shoulder. Since Ayano and Godai had gone ahead of her to procure clothes for their new teammate, the task of escorting said teammate was left all to Lanfen. It wasn't a bad idea, Lanfen thought. She admittedly wasn't much of a fashionista herself.
'Shinonome Aiko'. The name rolled off the tongue with ease. Although most people would consider the events of last night to be nothing more than a lucid dream, the paranormal aspect of S.O.N.G.'s line of work was beginning to settle itself within Lanfen's mind. The truth was clear as the mid-noon sun that hovered in Yamaku's cloudy skies: Symphogear Team-04 now contained a total of four members. Their fourth member in question was a woman with no memory of her own identity. The files in her pod marked her out to be 'discarded equipment'. A mysterious implant lied within her chest. And yet, the trio had accepted the duty of watching over Shinonome without question. It was a rather mundane task for a Symphogear-Wielder, if anything.
"My apologies for making you wait, Jiang."
Turning her head in the direction of the docked submarine, Lanfen felt her chest slightly tighten at the arrival of her new, soft-spoken teammate. While Shinonome now wore a proper pair of plain shoes which had been provided to her by Tomosato, the silver-haired woman was evidently still dressed in the same straight-jacket that Lanfen had found her in. The beige uniform's loosened restraints were a lingering reminder of Shinonome's circumstances as a passing-by breeze made her noticeably shiver on her approach.
"It's fine, Shinonome." Lanfen's hand slowly reached for the scarf around her own neck. "But are you fine with wearing just that?" she tentatively added, stepping away from their escort vehicle to head towards the silver-haired woman.
"I will admit, it's rather c-chilly," Shinonome remarked, holding on to a smile which she was clearly forcing herself to maintain. "I should be fine as long as-"
Shinonome's words trailed off when the Adaptor halted in front of her and pulled off the monochrome scarf that was shielding Lanfen from the icy weather. "Use this for now," she insisted, holding up the thick piece of cloth in both of her hands. "... While I'm not exactly a fan of the cold, I'd rather not let you get sick right after spending the entire night in med-bay."
A surprised gaze landed on the offered black-and-white scarf before Shinonome gingerly took it off her grasp with a small smile. "I suppose you have a point," she lightly admitted. "My thanks, Jiang. The gesture is... highly appreciated." Through a bit of assistance from the Adaptor's hands, Shinonome secured its monochrome cloth around herself, simultaneously feeling out the soft wool the scarf was made out of. Lanfen subsequently gestured the silver-haired woman over to the nearby car and wordlessly led them towards it.
But as soon as Shinonome began following Lanfen from behind, the woman abruptly halted in her tracks. Lanfen heard the sudden absence of footfalls behind her and turned around to see the silver-haired woman now fixating her attention on the cloudy skies above their heads. Following Shinonome's unbreaking gaze, the Adaptor noticed how her teammate's unconcealed eye was staring directly at the patch of winter clouds where the Sun currently hid behind. Lanfen initially assumed this was related to any concerns about the arrival of a Distortion rift. But the astonished look which Shinonome had on her face told a different story entirely. Lanfen had to wonder if the sight of the Sun was a rare privilege for a person like Shinonome up until now.
"Shinonome," Lanfen said with one palm placed on her hip, "are you alright?"
"Huh?" The silver-haired woman swung her attention back to Lanfen. "O-Oh." Shinonome then brushed off the question through a flustered wave of her hands. "My apologies. I just... that thing... the 'Sun'? It's quite beautiful, isn't it? Even though the weather makes it rather difficult to observe it at the moment, I can't help but appreciate-" When she finally noticed the peculiar look that Lanfen was giving her, Shinonome promptly coughed into her fist, and hastily caught up to the Adaptor with a hand on her borrowed scarf. "A-Anyway. Let's not keep our escort from waiting too long."
Strange. But Lanfen herself hardly carried any right to judge. It was almost endearing, if Lanfen was being honest with herself. Holding back whatever brief remark her mind intended to utter, Lanfen headed over to the S.O.N.G. escort vehicle and opened up one of its doors for Shinonome to climb inside. Once the silver-haired woman had secured her seatbelt, Lanfen inputted a signal into her wrist device's communicator before entering the black car herself. The transmitted signal soon gave the vehicle's assigned drivers their cue. The car rumbled to life within seconds and began driving out of the docked submarine's shadow to slowly exit a ship harbour's snow-covered premises.
The ensuing drive felt hardly any different from the one Lanfen had experienced yesterday. Just like the day before, a barrier was placed between the passenger seats and the driver's compartment, preventing the pair from even seeing their designated chauffeurs. While Lanfen and Shinonome sat beside each other, a large, metal suitcase rested next to the Adaptor's leg. All of the legal documents Shinonome required to pass herself off as a Japanese citizen safely rested inside it alongside a batch of specialized medicines crafted by Professor Elfnein. With her mind still fogged up by the morning haze, Lanfen reached for the bag which Godai had left with her, and pulled out an ice-cold can of coffee.
Relying on caffeine was going to be a necessary evil for Lanfen's line of work. And it sadly meant breaking a ten-year streak of refusing any sort of coffee into her systems.
A light pop pierced the air. Lanfen brought the opened can to her lips. Bitter, just like she should've expected. Pulling it away from her face with a light exhale of disgust, Lanfen glanced over to Shinonome and watched while her teammate quietly peered out of the vehicle's tinted windows. Shinonome's hands pressed themselves up against the glass as her face hovered just close enough for her breath to start fogging up the windows. Not that she really noticed it, of course. Shinonome was simply far too preoccupied with the flashing advertisements boards, car-filled roads, and towering skyscrapers of Yamaku City. The arrival of Christmas day was imminent by now, so it was impossible for them to turn in any direction without spotting some sort of festive decor.
"'Shinonome Aiko," Lanfen said, causing the aforementioned woman to look back at her with a curious smile and small tilt of the head. Placing her canned coffee within the cup-holder of the armrest between them, the Adaptor crossed her legs, and absent-mindedly fiddled with the tips of the black braid which rested on her shoulder. "Was it a name that the others provided? It noticeably didn't take long for them to send out an announcement with it."
Shinonome reoriented herself in her seat to face Lanfen and softly giggled. It was a sound that was admittedly pleasing to the ears. "Quite the opposite, in fact. Even before the Commander had arrived to inform me about the news, Professor Elfnein had already provided a list of names I could choose to go by." She reached a hand into one of her straight-jacket's pockets and drew out a small, pen-shaped device. The press of a built-in button projected a holographic ID card with her new name on it. "I chose it because I believe it sounded beautiful. Don't you think the same?"
An excited downpour of proverbial sparkles practically flashed around Shinonome. There was a clear sense of pride with the name she had chosen for herself and Lanfen could not help but be amused by it while the Adaptor responded with the faintest of smiles. "It definitely suits you; I won't deny that." Lanfen picked up her coffee and took a much-needed sip before placing it back down again. "And as long as you're happy with it, nothing else really matters. When it comes to who you are, the opinions of others are irrelevant, if I'm being honest."
"Quite true. But I will point out how your own name suits you quite well, too." As the right side of Shinonome's face remained hidden beneath her long fringes, the silver-haired woman pocketed her ID card projector and placed a hand on her pale cheek. Her left, unconcealed eye subsequently fixed itself on Lanfen with a sudden flash of curiosity. "Say, did you choose your own name as well? Because it certainly has a different 'feel' to it compared to all the others I've met thus far."
The longer the pair lingered on this topic, the harder it was becoming for the Adaptor to hold back an earnest chuckle. This was probably the first outright interaction in a while now where she didn't have to concern herself with the matters of S.O.N.G. nor her duties as its Symphogear-Wielder. And yet, it was with someone as strange and enigmatic like Shinonome. "The surname is something that was given to me. I only chose my first names: 'Cassandra' and 'Lanfen'." Hiding her twitching sword-hand inside her jacket, Lanfen pursed her lips when its fingertips started caressing the toy which hung from her smartphone. "I admittedly... needed some help when it came to picking them out."
Visibly entertained by their conversation, Shinonome nodded in agreement before suddenly leaning in closer to Lanfen without any evident regard for space. "It can be quite difficult, correct? Even when the Professor handed me that list, I was amazed by all the names she laid out before me. Thankfully, the Professor was able to help-" An abrupt yawn cut off her words. Shinonome cupped her mouth with both hands to shield it. She then released a small sigh and pulled herself away from the Adaptor with a flustered smile, oblivious to the growing tinges of red on Lanfen's bandaged cheek. "I suppose what happened last night is still taking its toll on me, isn't it?"
Anyone would say the same after what she's been through, Lanfen thought to herself. Releasing her smartphone's accessory from a tightened grip, Lanfen gestured to the can of coffee in the cup-holder between them. "I can't promise it'll taste good, but it should help you stay awake." When her suggestion was answered by a curious nod, Lanfen reached for Godai's borrowed snack bag and unzipped it to find another can for Shinonome. She needed to push aside a few energy bars before Lanfen finally pulled out a second ice-cold can of caffeine. "I'd recommend tea next time, but-"
The moment Lanfen's attention returned to her companion, she felt her voice trail off incoherently into nothingness. While she settled the bag in her grasp on top of the empty armrest between them, the Adaptor found herself to be suddenly incapable of doing anything else other than blinking when faced with the sight of Shinonome taking a few, meager sips from an already-opened can of coffee. The same tin can that Lanfen had been drinking from earlier. Hearing their escort vehicle halt itself a red light, Lanfen kept quiet as Shinonome drank up what remained inside the can with a satisfied smile. The silver-haired woman diligently placed the empty tin aside soon after and glanced back at Lanfen with a curious tilt of her head.
"Is something wrong, Jiang?"
There were only a few things which could surprise the Adaptor nowadays. A small thing like this should not have been one of them. "... It's nothing. Don't worry about it," she muttered, popping open the second can for herself. The growing warmth within Lanfen's cheeks was difficult to ignore. Placing her focus on the tinted windows to her right, Lanfen laid back in her seat, distracting herself with her bitter beverage. From just a quick glance at the busy streets around them, she could see how the repairs to Yamaku's damaged infrastructure were already nearing completion. "How's... the taste? It's not something that everyone can really stomach."
"A peculiar flavour. But I can see why some would find themselves relying on such a thing," Shinonome said, peering out of the nearest door window again to witness the colourful Christmas lights that shone above the roads. A flash of realization then proceeded to visibly hit the silver-haired woman while she diverted her gaze back to Lanfen and nervously pressed her fingertips against one another. "Oh, and on the topic of... reliance," Shinonome whispered, hiding the lower half of her face beneath a borrowed scarf. "... I wanted to thank you for being willing to watch over me. Like I mentioned before, if there is anything I can possibly do to help, I will try my best to... or maybe..."
Similar to when Lanfen had rushed out into the snow to rescue Shinonome, the Adaptor felt that there was nothing else they could have chosen to do aside from the path they were now on. If there actually was a second option, Lanfen still wouldn't have thought twice about their decision. Putting down her canned coffee in the armrest's other cup-holder, Lanfen held up her pendant between two fingers, showcasing the red crystal to Shinonome. "Don't worry too much about it. You already have your own issues to deal with, Shinonome," Lanfen reassured her with a sharp nod. "My job is to protect people, so you can just focus on your recovery while we handle the rest, alright?"
Shinonome's golden eyes flickered in astonishment as she rested her twiddling fingers at her side and slowly nodded in return. "That's certainly... true," she admitted with a soft giggle which was muffled by the black-and-white scarf around Shinonome's neck. "Then, I hope we can get along nicely from here on out, Jiang. I shall do my best to not trouble you all too much." Shinonome's statement was accepted by a small smile from the Adaptor, seemingly allowing her to finally relax while her golden eyes went back to the flashing city lights beyond the tinted windows.
As Shinonome continued taking in the marvelous sights of Yamaku City, Lanfen returned to her second can of coffee. Every now and then, Lanfen would curiously peek at her silver-haired companion, quietly monitoring Shinonome for any obvious signs of physical illnesses. Even though her medical reports noted that Shinonome was perfectly stable, brushing aside her confirmed reliance on the Professor's medicine to maintain her current health simply wasn't an option. To the Adaptor's slight relief, Shinonome's metallic implant didn't seem to be hindering the woman in any discernible way. If anything, Shinonome appeared outright accepting of her situation, essentially shrugging off the circumstances which plagued her.
Being able to converse with someone about mundane topics like their own names certainly felt nice to Lanfen, too. After everything she had recently faced, the Adaptor almost forgot what it was actually like to experience a moment of complete normality.
Click
The quick press of a button closed the apartment's elevator doors back up. With a suitcase full of documents and medicine capsules in the Adaptor's right hand, and a small snack bag slung over one shoulder, Lanfen and Shinonome wordlessly stood at each other's sides while the elevator ascended to the building's eighth floor. Since Ayano and Godai should have returned from their shopping trip by now, Lanfen steeled herself in preparation for whatever sort of clothes the dynamic duo had decided to buy for their new teammate. Ayano was nothing if not ecstatic when the pair had driven off ahead of her. Seeing the elevator slowly reach its destination, Lanfen felt a sudden tug on the sleeve of her winter jacket.
The Adaptor glanced aside and noticed the concern which was writ upon Shinonome's face. Lanfen herself quickly grew worried. "What's wrong?"
Shinonome placed a hand on her cheek and slowly looked back at Lanfen with a pair of pursed lips. "On the way here, I could not help but notice how sorrowful so many of the people in this metropolis appeared," the silver-haired woman whispered out of simultaneous curiosity and worry. "Did... something occur here recently? It's not often that one feels an atmosphere this... uneasy."
Her words caused no surprise within Lanfen. But it still prompted a small twitch of the Adaptor's aching sword-hand. It had barely been half a week since the global attack. Considering everything that had been happening lately, Lanfen instead felt as though several long weeks had passed since the Distortion rifts first tore into existence over Yamaku's skyline. "A couple days ago, something... terrible happened," Lanfen carefully muttered in response. "Not just here, but in most cities around the world. Everyone's understandably a little on edge because of it."
"... I see," Shinonome muttered, sighing into her borrowed scarf while she gripped it tightly with both hands. The visible comfort its black-and-white cloth provided seemingly helped put her at ease as Shinonome obviously held back whatever questions she held regarding the recent tragedy. "I just hope that anyone who was affected by it someday finds peace. It's rather unfortunate to see so many people suffering like this."
Lanfen parted her lips to speak. And yet, nothing came through them. Instead, the Adaptor wordlessly nodded in agreement and tightened her grasp around the handle of the suitcase in her hand. The elevator subsequently juddered to a halt and its doors finally slid open, letting Lanfen lead the way to Shinonome's new home. A quick rummage through her pockets brought out the keys to the front door, but when the pair found themselves actually standing in front of an apartment's entrance, they soon noticed a written note which had been taped onto the door. The words 'From Ayano Komichi' were clearly written on it using glitter ink. Lanfen momentarily wondered why her teammate couldn't have just delivered a text message through their communicators.
On the other hand, Shinonome was clearly amused by the old-fashioned gesture. "I'm assuming that this is from the others?" she inquired, peeling the note off the entrance before opening it up for both of them to read. Since Lanfen and Shinonome were of equal head-height, the former simply needed to lean in closer to observe what Ayano desired to urgently convey through basic pen-and-paper.
"Hello! Hello! This is Ayano Komichi (and Godai Yuki). While we would looooooooooove to talk more with our brand-new teammate today, it looks like the two of us are being called in by work to deal with some boring government stuff! Boo! Anyway, we managed to finish our shopping spree before we needed to head off, so we've left Shinonome's clothes inside your apartment! We'll probably be back by tomorrow, so please do your best in making her feel super at-home! Pow-pow! Swish-swosh! We picked out the best brands for her, so there will be nothing in those bags that will disappoint you even in the slightest! Bye byeeeee!"
"They certainly sound busy, don't they?" Shinonome remarked with a giggle, closing up the note in her hands once Lanfen completed her own examination of Ayano's prose.
The Adaptor gave a small shrug and a dry scoff before inserting her keys into the front door. "I can't really do much outside of fighting, so you could say I'm relying on those two to take care of the more complicated matters. Either way, we should head inside." A couple metallic clicks resounded in succession while Lanfen opened up the door and ushered Shinonome into the warmth of her apartment. After the Adaptor closed up the entrance behind them, she released a small sigh of relief, waiting for the ceiling lights above them to automatically switch on. Unfortunately, Lanfen's troubles had yet to truly abandon her.
Sliding her keys into one pocket once the front door was confirmed to be locked, Lanfen gazed down the brightly-lit hallway entrance of her apartment, and subsequently clicked her tongue at the numerous shopping bags that completely blocked their path. When Ayano promised her how she would be buying Shinonome 'some clothes', Lanfen chose to assume that she was going to be bringing in enough to last a whole week without washing anything. What the Adaptor witnessed before them instead was an avalanche of shopping bags which could most likely fill out an entire wardrobe. Even if their paychecks from S.O.N.G. were considerably high, Lanfen found this to be utterly excessive.
A glance to her right allowed Lanfen to see how Shinonome was just as speechless as she was.
It took the silver-haired woman a moment to even formulate a coherent reaction. "I... don't know how I'll be able to repay them for this."
"Knowing them, this was probably free-of-charge," Lanfen dryly commented, settling down the items she carried so she could pry off her boots and gesture towards the shoe closet on their right, indicating where to properly store their removed footwear. Lanfen grabbed the nearest pair of shopping bags afterwards and started trudging her way through the hallway entrance's barricade of expensive shopping brands. "If you still want to 'repay' them, a simple thanks in-person would be enough for those two."
With Shinonome's assistance, it didn't take long for them to bring all of the shopping bags into the apartment's living room. Despite the size of each individual bag, they were rather light, making it easy to gather them all underneath the dining table in one big pile. Lanfen counted between 10-to-12 bags of clothes. Their pristine designs made one thing obvious: Ayano had essentially gone through the most expensive outlets one could find around Yamaku's shopping malls. It was admittedly to be expected of her, Lanfen thought to herself. Confirming the last of the bags to be under the table, Lanfen dusted her palms and placed them on her hips while Shinonome rested on a dining chair to curiously examine her new environment.
The Adaptor's purple eyes subconsciously shifted over to her silent wrist device. Her narrowing gaze remained on it for several seconds until Lanfen clicked her tongue at her inability to simply relax. Since the Distortions had yet to reappear in Japan, the only thing that mattered right now was ensuring Shinonome's comfort in her new abode. One thing at a time, she mentally scolded herself.
Lanfen placed a metal suitcase on top of the counter near the dining table before gesturing to her apartment with one hand on her hip. "Well, this is it. The place you'll be staying in until further notice. It's not much, but it has everything you'll need," Lanfen stated, trying her best to sound like an accommodating host. As she began to give a verbal tour of the place, Shinonome listened on without question. "There's two bathrooms near the front door. Same place where the washing machine is located, too. That room there is the practice area where I tend to train, so you won't find much in it. I have a bedroom, but since you're here, you can have it. I'll be sleeping in the living room."
Shinonome buried half of her face beneath the borrowed scarf she wore, clearly feeling guilty after hearing Lanfen's concluding sentence. "Oh... My apologies if you have to do that. I-I'm intruding, aren't I?"
"It's fine. I'd rather not have a guest sleep on the floor," Lanfen insisted with a small shrug. And yet, when her eyes subconsciously glanced over to the door which led to Kai's bedroom, the Adaptor's fingernails dug themselves into the palms of her hands, prompting the woman to omit the room from her tour entirely. "You can go and get changed," Lanfen continued, hoisting up one of the shopping bags and opening it up to hand a batch of home clothing over to Shinonome. Her straight-jacket was becoming distracting to even look at for the Adaptor. "Use what you like for now. I'll get the rest of these washed by tomorrow."
Curiously taking her new clothes into her hands, Shinonome dismissed herself through a polite bow and walked into Lanfen's bedroom. While the door locked itself shut, the Adaptor let out another tired sigh and pulled off her winter jacket. She hung the black attire on a coat rack beside her kotatsu table, simultaneously fighting the urge to even look in the direction of her family shrine. Momentarily shutting her eyes tight, Lanfen examined the living room's shelves, desperate to try and distract herself with anything she could find. Rummaging through the racks that were now thoroughly cleaned of Kai's old belongings, her pupils eventually caught a faint glimmer in the corner of her eye, guiding Lanfen to the one item she turned out to have forgotten.
It was Kai's electronic tablet.
She did not know how she managed to miss something so inconspicuous. Clicking her tongue again, Lanfen reached towards the rack it sat on and held up the device in her hands. Through the click of a side-button, the tablet lit up, showcasing an opened picture gallery which Kai had apparently forgotten to close. The Adaptor's narrowed eyes soon ran their unblinking attention over the photos of Kai's birthday, her fingertips essentially moving on their own as they swiped from one image to the next. By the time Lanfen managed to snap herself out of her entranced state, the device's display was already sitting at the end of the image gallery. The last photograph Kai had taken was just before the day of the worldwide massacre.
A simple image of Kai and Lanfen gleefully enjoying themselves in a Valkyranger theme-park.
"I'm sorry." Those words felt almost meaningless from her at this point.
Even so, it was all Lanfen could utter while she took out a thumb-drive from the shelves and inserted it into the tablet. A few taps on the device's screen prompted it to begin transferring every bit of data it contained into the portable memory-drive. Over the course of the data transmission, Lanfen left the tablet on the dining table as she leaned her body against the living room counter and drew in a shaky breath. The Adaptor's intentions were simple. Handing the digital tablet over to Shinonome would allow her to easily navigate this world and read up on whatever she could find to hasten the recovery of her memories. There really wasn't anything else that Lanfen knew she could do to lighten Shinonome's transition into this new life of hers.
An eventual ringing confirmed the data transmission's completion. Lanfen detached the thumb-drive from the electronic device in an eyeblink. Now, the tablet was as empty as when she had first bought it last Christmas. It didn't matter, anyway. After all, there was no one else left to use it other than Shinonome. Concluding her business with the thumb-drive in her grasp, Lanfen went back over to the shelves and stowed it away on the upper areas where it would be the hardest to reach, let alone even notice.
When she heard a bedroom door open up again, the Adaptor wiped away the stray teardrops which were trailing down a bandaged cheek before she tentatively turned around to face the silver-haired woman. Lanfen's purple eyes couldn't help but subsequently widen at the stunning sight of the long, flowing skirt and green turtleneck sweater that Shinonome now donned. It fitted her perfectly. Standing underneath the door-frame, Shinonome herself could be seen admiring the civilian apparel she had chosen to replace her Illuminati-aligned straight-jacket. But while the woman stepped out of the bedroom and playfully spun around in astonishment at her new outfit, Shinonome's golden eyes noticeably directed their curious gaze onto the door to Kai's bedroom.
Seemingly enraptured by its glimmering doorknob the same way Shinonome had been with the lights of Yamaku City, the silver-haired woman started reaching out a hand towards the closed entrance.
"Never go in there." Those words came out of Lanfen's mouth like a verbal thrust. The Adaptor only realized their sharp intensity when she noticed the way Shinonome trembled from her firm and sudden warning. As Shinonome immediately withdrew herself from the bedroom door, Lanfen tightened her twitching hands into fists at her sides and frustratingly bit down on her lip. "S-Sorry, I..." Shinonome's ensuing fidgeting prompted Lanfen to avoid her nervous gaze. "No one is allowed in there," she desperately tried to explain, "not even myself. It's... personal."
Several uncomfortable seconds passed by. The apartment's following silence was agonizing to endure. By the time Lanfen was even able to look directly at Shinonome again, the silver-haired woman had clasped her hands together in an apologetic gesture, seemingly having calmed down already. "I shall keep that in mind. My apologies, Jiang," Shinonome politely stated with one hand now placed on her cheek. "Sometimes, my curiosity just gets the better of me." She then punctuated her words through a formal bow which Lanfen felt wasn't even necessary.
Unable to find the syllables to even respond with, Lanfen slowly approached Shinonome with an electronic tablet held under one arm and delicately handed it over to her. "You can use this if you want to look up anything you need," the Adaptor gently explained, getting straight-to-the-point. "Just... be sure to take care of it. If you need me, I'll be in my practice room. My job requires me to stay in shape, after all." Lanfen received a small, wordless nod. Shinonome gingerly took the device and held it close to her chest without comment. "I... Sorry."
Lanfen departed the living room faster than her senses could even process it. Locking the door to the practice room behind her, the Adaptor leaned on the cold, hard wood and slowly slumped against it. The sigh which silently seeped through her tightly-clenched teeth somehow felt deafening to her ears. Since the practice room's ceiling lights had yet to be switched on, Lanfen was left to sit down in the darkness, wordlessly chastising herself for an amount of time she did not care to measure. When the Adaptor finally picked herself up from the matted flooring, Lanfen positioned herself in front of the physical photograph that remained on the room's wall, and ritually knelt down before her parents with closed eyes.
If either of them were still around, Lanfen would expect nothing less than justified admonishment for losing control of her temper.
Genjuuro's private quarters in the S.O.N.G. submarine would be considered small by most for a man of his stature. Both physically and figuratively. Although his superiors had offered him a larger alternative during the successor vessel's design stages, the Commander chose to turn it down for a room which was no different from the ones his fellow crew members enjoyed. Even so, Genjuuro sat comfortably at his quarter's desk while a shelf of antique DVDs stood beside his bed, carrying classics ranging from The Thing (1982) to movies akin to Kill Bill and Pacific Rim. The situation at hand unfortunately provided the Commander little time to actually enjoy the luxury of a good movie.
Stationed on his table were multiple monitor screens, each of them showcasing the designated defensive zones that each Symphogear-Wielder was deployed at along with extensive technical details regarding the SG-r04 Sword of Damocles. Steam billowed from a giant mug of coffee the Commander held in one hand. After taking a gracious sip of the hot beverage, Genjuuro stroked his goatee in thought and resumed his wordless perusal of their newest Symphogear's analytical reports. The man's peaceful afternoon was sadly interrupted when an incoming audio transmission flashed across every single one of his terminal's monitor screens.
The forming symbol of the United Nations received a glare from the Commander as he inputted a command into his terminal's holographic keyboard and connected the lines.
The world council's spokesperson subsequently came through the speakers. "Greeting, Commander Kazanari," they politely began as per usual. "I am assuming that you have already sent out your personnel to deal with the matter at hand?"
Genjuuro docked his giant mug on a special, claw-shaped cup-holder which was attached to his table's edges before resting his elbows on the reinforced armrests of his chair. "Correct, Spokesperson. Two of my agents - Ayano Komichi and Godai Yuki - will be meeting with representatives of the Japanese government soon. There is currently hesitation among their numbers towards the establishment of Task Force Harmony's Japanese branch. But I can assure you that this matter will be smoothed out in less than twelve hours. You may rely on my agents to settle the problem without much issue."
"Splendid work. While the council understands the trepidation that the Japanese government may have with increasing their armed forces, the mere existence of the Distortions is a threat we cannot underestimate. On the matter of the Distortions themselves, the council once again extends their gratitude for the diligent efforts of your Adaptor Corps, Commander Kazanari. The collateral damage incurred by their counterattacks is rather unfortunate, but they have done an excellent job in maintaining a global defense against the Distortions incursions. I'm certain the aftermath of these attacks will be efficiently taken care of by the efforts of the Kazanari Humanitarian Front."
Polite words and gratitude. Neither of them felt like they were worth a damn when it came from the world council of all places. Holding back a tired grunt, Genjuuro leaned back in his chair and directly asked them, "When can the Adaptors be expected to receive direct assistance from Task Force Harmony, Spokesperson?"
"In no more than twenty-four hours, I can promise you that. The United Nations is currently sorting out the preparations of announcing their formation to the grieving world. Although the establishment of such a force is no small feat, the growing resentment towards the Distortions has made recruitment, funding, and political backing all the more easier. We intend to recruit the best of the best, as S.O.N.G. certainly deserves no less than such in the battles you will often be expected to handle. Their deployment should considerably lessen the burdens we are currently placing on your Adaptors for the time being."
The Commander tapped an index finger on the edge of his armrest. "And who exactly will Task Force Harmony be operating under the orders of?"
"Why, they will be answering to the beck-and-call of the world council directly, Commander Kazanari. While you may seldom expect to face situations where command of their squadrons will have to fall under S.O.N.G.'s authority instead, Task Force Harmony shall be a separate entity from your organization as far as I'm concerned. The world council does not desire to accumulate an excess of power beneath a single force, as I'm sure you would understand."
A 'Section Three' in a sense, the Commander thought to himself. "Understood, Spokesperson." Despite this transmission having been Genjuuro's only outright interaction with the Spokesperson in the past 24 hours, he was already growing tired of dealing with the council for the day. "We'll be continuing to maintain our guard against the presence of rifts until further notice. The enemy may be arriving in smaller numbers, but that isn't cause for us to ease up in the face of an unpredictable enemy. May the formation of Task Force Harmony be a successful one."
"And may the winds of fate blow in your favour, Commander Kazanari."
The transmission switched off from the Spokesperson's side of the line. The symbol of the United Nations vanished from the monitor screens. With the meeting accomplished, Genjuuro relaxed his aching bones on his reinforced chair's backrest and eased his temples with two fingers. The underwater vessel was only an hour away from reaching the shores of Europe. While combat was often expected when it came to S.O.N.G.'s line of work, the crew was undeniably growing exhausted from the recent assaults in Sydney, New York, and London. The Commander made a mental note to prepare some sort of party for the entire workforce once they achieved some semblance of reprieve from the constant fighting.
Returning his attention to the monitor screens, Genjuuro was about to continue reading up on Lanfen's combat reports when another incoming transmission popped up on a single monitor this time. A quick read of the contact ID showed it to be a video transmission from Maria. Answering the transmission with a single tap on his holographic keyboard, a video screen overtook one of his side-monitors, allowing the Commander to notice how his new niece-in-law was contacting him from her shared bedroom suite in London.
Despite having fought off a number of Category-1 Casters merely an hour ago, Maria looked no worse for wear as she sat at an exquisite tea table, donning a sweater that was visibly decorated with blue bird symbols. "It's not easy settling down for a honeymoon when the Distortions keep on showing up, isn't it?" Maria mused, holding up a hot cup of tea with her pinkie finger stuck out. Behind her, Genjuuro could see the exquisite decor which lined the glamorous walls of the Kazanaris' personnel suite.
Genjuuro smiled at her little jest. "You can expect S.O.N.G. to grant you the finest of honeymoons once we have the time, Maria." He typed onto his keyboard again, bringing up a list of paradise resorts on the monitor screen next to the one he conversed with. The Commander had been planning to book the married couple a relaxing trip for some time now, but the recent global attack obviously threw a wrench into the idea. "Was there something you wanted to talk about? I know you're capable, but I'd prefer it if you all rested as much as you can in these exhausting times."
Maria settled her teacup down on a pristine-looking saucer plate and neatly folded her hands on top of her lap. "It's about the S.W.O.R.D., Uncle," she stated, causing Genjuuro to furrow his brow at the name of the weapon. "While the Spokesperson gave us a clear idea of its purpose, I wanted to directly ask what it will exactly do to Cassandra once it's activated on the battlefield. It doesn't sound too different from, say, the Ignite Module or Amalgam."
S.W.O.R.D.
'Symphogear-Weapon-of-Relentless-Destruction'.
When Genjuuro submitted his signature to initiate the secret project, he wondered if he had unknowingly signed a deal with the devil to ensure S.O.N.G.'s continued backing from the world council. "If one were to put it bluntly, you could say that it's a weapon which turns its Wielder into nothing more than a machine of war," he slowly explained, sending a cursory glance at Lanfen's combat data on his other monitor screens. "Even though its primary ability is to neutralize the phonic gain of an opposing Symphogear, the raw power it administers into its Wielder alone makes it a frightening opponent. It's a weapon of last resort. And it's why I almost wished that the Sword of Damocles had been forever lost during its theft."
The Commander's statement made Maria shift uneasily in her chair. "Are you concerned that such a weapon will cause conflict within our ranks, Uncle?"
Genjuuro shook his head this time. While his eyes examined the lingering images of S.O.N.G.'s newest Adaptor, something about Lanfen ended up conjuring old memories that the Commander hadn't reminisced for the longest time now. "The S.W.O.R.D. is a fearsome weapon. No doubt about it. But what worries me isn't the weapon itself. It's the Wielder." An acquired profile of Cynthia Jiang Kai-Ming was digitized onto his central monitor through an inputted command. "After what she's recently experienced, I can only hope that our new Adaptor can accustom herself to her new life. While the decision to monitor Lanfen was placed because of her suspected theft of the SG-r04, the order I gave to assign Komichi and Yuki is one which is meant to help her first and foremost."
"To help her process the passing of her sister, you mean?" Maria's careful question was answered by a firm nod from Genjuuro.
The Commander had to consider themselves lucky that a pair of individuals like Ayano Komichi and Godai Yuki coincidentally happened to be a part of the organization. Their close relations with Chris in particular made the field agents easy to be recommended as assisting personnel for S.O.N.G.'s seventh Wielder. "The same reasoning can be applied to the woman who's recently joined them, really. I expect Lanfen to experience an easier time being around someone who isn't actually there to primarily monitor her movements. In a way, Lanfen reminded me a lot of Kanade. So, I intend to do what I can to help her navigate what she's going through. It's a long-shot, but low chances have never stopped me from trying."
Genjuuro's niece-in-law smiled in agreement before she returned to the steaming hot tea next to her hand. "If that's the case, I'll be sharing those exact sentiments, Uncle. With how far we're currently stationed from one other... I can only pray that Cassandra will be able to process her circumstances better than I did with Serena." The careful mention of her own younger sibling drew a wistful look across Maria's face. "I just hope that she'll eventually be willing to reach out her hand to the other Wielders and myself. The burden Cassandra holds on her shoulders is simply too much for a single person to carry all on her own."
The Sword of Damocles. Shinonome Aiko. The Distortions. A woman in an azure suit. The S.W.O.R.D.
Once again, Commander Genjuuro quietly contemplated on who exactly had stolen the SG-r04. The council was perfectly fine with placing the blame on Lanfen as a method of 'encouraging' her enlistment. But not a single member of S.O.N.G. found it plausible for the relic's theft to be connected to a random civilian of all people. Furthermore, the Commander had to wonder just why the SG-r04 was even given back to them, completely functional and without any noticeable deviations from its intended design. If their current resources weren't completely occupied with handling the Distortion threat at the moment, Genjuuro would not hesitate to launch a full investigation of the suited woman whom Lanfen had described during her interrogation.