Sympho-Saber: Song of Swords

S1:EP02 – Of Swordsmen and Wielders

"Excuse me, current bearer of Saber…"

Touma could only turn before he yelped as a roar was heard, before him was Rintaro who was sitting on a mechanical blue colored lion.

"Would you mind accompanying me back to my headquarters?" Rintaro asked with a pleasant but slightly disturbing smile.

Touma could only stare in surprise, "A blue… lion?!"

"Oh yes," Rintaro gestured to his partner as he hopped off of it. "He is my partner, the Lion Senki, just like the Brave Dragon is yours. I was in such a rush that I used him to close the distance to ride in on battle to come assist you. But it seems you had it handled quite well."

"I uh… huh," Touma gave a nod as he was still a bit confused. "Wait, ride in on battle? Who are you even?"

"I am Rintaro Shindo," Rintaro introduced as he dismounted the Lion Senki, holding an open book to draw the lion back into it revealing it as a blue rimmed book of the same name. "As for my background, all will be explained. The more important question is who you are."

"O-Oh right," Touma realized before giving a bow. "I'm Touma Kamiyama… and you know what's going on?"

"Indeed, please do not worry about any issues," Rintaro held his arms out to feel less threatening, despite the gesture he still had a semi-creepy smile on his face, "You shouldn't feel suspicious of me whatsoever. I am only here to assist you."

An audible sigh was heard as a man with brown hair in a blue suited uniform began to approach, "Rintaro… you're being a little bit too friendly."

Rintaro caught himself as he turned in a nervous fashion, "Ah… am I overdoing it Fujitaka?"

"Yeah you are, and please just call me Sakuya, I'm not that high up there," Sakuya remarked as he went over to Touma. "Hey I know you're a bit confused by this whole situation, but just follow Rintaro and everything will be explained. But whether or not you'll understand it is up in the air."

Touma could only give a nod, "Right…"

While the three conversed a set of men in black suits alongside men in padded armor began coming in to clean up and close off the area.

"So… you guys are with the government?" Touma asked as he recognized the workers as the ones who would be around after a Noise attack.

"That would be correct," Sakuya gave a nod. "This night is especially troublesome since we have two separate sectors."

"I take it the others are already doing cleanup?" Rintaro asked.

"Yes, Aoi's helping out with the other side. I'm just about to report that this area is secure as well," Sakuya gave a nod. "You should probably take him to headquarters."

"Ah that's right!" Touma suddenly snapped his fingers as he held his head in panic, "I was trying to follow after my friend! She's a first year student, cream hair, orange eyes, you wouldn't happen to know anything about that would you?"

"You don't need to worry about her," Sakuya said, realizing that Touma was starting to panic. Thankfully he didn't need to lie since he already had an idea on who was being talked about, "She ended up being alright."

"She did, oh thank goodness," Touma sighed in relief, he then looked over at Rintaro, "So…"

[GATRING, GATRING! GATRING, GATRING!]

"Ah one second," Rintaro said as he pulled out a strange touch phone, Touma noticing the back of it looked to be two halves of a motorcycle of some sort. Rintaro held up a finger before answering it, "Yes… No I was not needed for the immediate battle… No, it's not him… His name is Touma Kamiyama… yes, understood." He soon hung up, "Let us make haste."

"Sure, no problem…" Touma said as he followed after Rintaro. "Where exactly are we going again?"

"We are heading to Section 2 of the Disaster Relief Squad," Rintaro explained as he led Touma into a black car, the two getting in the back before it took off.

It was a fairly uneventful ride for the two since Touma and Rintaro had no idea on what to exactly say to each other. But it wasn't long before a sudden topic of conversation came up thanks to Touma realizing where he was.

Touma stared at the approaching locale, "Wait… isn't this Lydian Academy?"

"Correct," Rintaro gave a nod before noticing their transport coming to a crawl. He then checked his phone and saw a message. "We'll need to meet with them inside. The others are waiting for us before they can proceed further."

Touma raised an eyebrow as he got out of the car with Rintaro, "The others?"

"The Wonder Ride Book and Kaenken Rekka were not the only objects that resurfaced today," Rintaro explained as he lead Touma through the area, various men in black suits keeping watch as the two entered into the central wing where the teachers would live. "Please keep your voice down until we are in the elevator."

Touma gave a nod as he was lead through the halls when suddenly he was faced to face with two very familiar people.

Waiting by the elevator were Tsubasa and Hibiki alongside a young man in a black suit with brown hair.

"Ah here we go, we've arrived," Rintaro called in a low voice.

Tsubasa turned before her eyes widened when she recognized Touma from the day before, "You…"

Touma recognized Tsubasa immediately, after all she was a regular, "Wait… you're the…"

"Touma?!"

Touma's words were interrupted before he realized who was standing next to Tsubasa, and right then he couldn't begin to keep his voice lowered, "Hibiki?!"

Normally Rintaro would reprimand Touma for not following his instructions but even he was confused, "Eh? You two know each other?"

"P-Please calm down and keep quiet for just a little bit longer," The brown haired male remarked as he ushered everyone into the elevator before the doors closed. He then scanned a pass on the main control unit, various panels shot from underneath to reveal handrails to hold onto while a new door slid up to replace the main elevator door.

"U-Um… this is very sudden and I'm so confused," Hibiki admitted. "What's going on?"

"Please hold onto something," Rintaro said as he ushered Touma over to a free spot where they could hold onto.

"Yes, it's quite surprising to newcomers," The brown haired man added as he assisted the confused Hibiki in holding onto a nearby one.

Touma didn't like that word, "…Surprising?"

Hibiki tilted her head, "Will it go that fast?"

Soon enough both the yells of Hibiki and Touma were all that could be heard as the elevator dropped at a rapid pace. After the initial shock the two had finally calmed down enough for someone to finally speak.

"And you are…" Touma trailed as he stared at the brown haired man.

"Shinji Ogawa, at your service," Ogawa gave a slight bow.

"Ah yes I suppose I should introduce myself as well," Rintaro said as he turned towards Hibiki with a softer smile, "Rintaro Shindo, but please call me Rintaro."

"O-Okay," Hibiki gave a nod, still nervous and shaken up from the sudden drop, "It's nice to meet you Rintaro."

"So… you two know each other?" Rintaro asked, wanting to break the tension.

"Y-Yeah, we're friends," Touma shakily answered before looking over at Hibiki, "So why are you…?"

"…I could ask the same thing," Hibiki admitted as she turned towards her friend, but completely got the wrong idea. "Why aren't you in handcuffs?!"

"Eh?" Touma tilted his head before realizing that Hibiki was cuffed by a pair of heavy duty restraints, "EH?!"

"Its standard procedure, calm down," Tsubasa spoke up before giving a stern look at Rintaro. "You were supposed to do the same Blades."

Touma raised an eyebrow, wondering if Blades was a term specific to Rintaro. It sounded like a title, but it held a bitter tone when Tsubasa spoke it.

"I-I was under the assumption that he was the prior Saber," Rintaro defended himself. "So I didn't feel the need to, plus he came willingly… and I also didn't have any on hand."

Hibiki stared at Touma, "…Saber?"

"It's an um… long story," Touma admitted.

"I can only assume this girl is the new Gungnir Wielder," Rintaro noted which earned a quick glare from Tsubasa who quickly turned. "Eh… erm…" He looked over to Ogawa who gave an apologetic glance before looking at their locale as they plummeted, "Ah… ah… please take a look at this!" He awkwardly gestured towards the window to try and keep the conversation from growing silent.

The elevator had soon entered a large tunnel-like shaft that held what looked like a colorful and ancient mural of sorts that seemed to span for miles upon miles.

Hibiki was taken aback by the new locale but could only laugh nervously after realizing she had accidentally stumbled onto something big.

"Incredible…" Touma's eyes widened.

"It is, is it not?" Rintaro gave a smile.

"That's enough friendliness Blades," Tsubasa spoke up. "Smiles have no place where we're going."

~Welcome to Section 2~

~Warm Welcome! Hibiki Tachibana & Touma Kamiyama!~

Tsubasa's words would end up contradicted the very second they entered the appropriate room. A bright colorful sign that held both Swordsman and Wielders names, streamers, balloons, poppers going off alongside an assortment of snacks and deserts.

At the front was Genjuro who was wearing a top hat, arms open and a big smile plastered on his face, "Section 2 of the Disaster Relief Squad, the guardians of mankind, greet you!"

"I know this is sudden, but welcome," Sophia was behind Genjuro and gave a warm and welcoming smile.

Hibiki was dumbfounded, Ogawa could only nervously chuckle given the prior mood, Tsubasa simply put her hand to her forehead, while Rintaro was excitedly eyeing the selection of snacks, specifically the desserts.

Touma couldn't help but remark on the situation, "Smiles have no place… huh?" He looked back towards Tsubasa who simply sent him a stern look. "Eh he…" He could only give a slight nervous laugh before he was brought out of his thoughts when he saw Ryoko suddenly swoop in towards Hibiki.

"Come on, put on a smile!" Ryoko called as she tried to take a selfie with Hibiki. "Let's take a photo to commemorate the first day of our friendship!"

"D-Don't!" Hibiki immediately pulled away, "How will it look in the photo album if I'm handcuffed?"

"This is what you're concerned over…" Touma trailed.

Hibiki gave a nervous laugh, "I mean there's that and also…" She raised her hands towards the banner in an attempt to point, "I've never seen any of these people before so why do they know our names?!"

"Section 2 here is kind of a secret service thing for wartime use," Genjuro answered simply as he took hold of a wand that suddenly popped into flowers. "Looking into your past was easy as pie." As if on cue Ryoko had withdrawn back to suddenly come back over to present Hibiki's school bag.

"Ah! My bag!" Hibiki called out, soon freaking out about the whole situation.

"Okay, wait…" Touma started with a thoughtful look. "So how is it that you knew my name to put on the sign?"

"Blades informed me when I called him earlier," Sophia answered as she walked over.

"Ah I see that makes sense," Touma gave a nod, Sophia confirming his suspicions with her mention of the title. He did note that she had a more respectful tone. He looked over towards Rintaro, "So that's who you were talk-" He cut himself off when he saw that Rintaro was no longer nearby. "Eh?"

Rintaro was already by the dessert table, scanning from side to side, "Where is it… ah there they are, éclairs!"

"Please excuse him, he's very fond of sweets," Sophia said.

Touma could only nod, "Right…"

Eventually Hibiki was able to be calmed down in a timely manner as everyone went about their business with the party. Ogawa undid the restraints and set them down on the table.

"Thank you…" Hibiki rubbed her wrists.

"We should apologize to you, actually," Ogawa admitted as he gave a warm smile.

"Well at least that's over with," Touma sighed in relief as he was currently snacking on a tray of french-fries.

"I believe introductions are in order," Genjuro spoke up. "I'm Genjuro Kazanari, the Commander here." He then gestured over to Sophia. "That would be Sophia, the Assistant Commander as well as the one in charge of the Sword Sector of our operation."

"And I'm Ryoko Sakurai, the brains of the operation," Ryoko introduced herself immediately afterwards, "Nice to meet you."

"You've already have the pleasure of meeting with Blades, Ogawa and Ms. Kazanari." Sophia answered.

Hibiki tilted her head, "Uh… Blades?"

"That's Rintaro… right?" Touma asked, trying to be somewhat fast on the uptake.

"Sophia likes to address the Swordsmen by their titles," Ogawa explained with a bit of a chuckle. "And yes, it's Rintaro she's referring to."

"It's a pleasure," Touma gave a bow alongside his friend.

"You came here at our invitation because we'd like you to work with us," Genjuro explained.

"Work with you….?" Hibiki asked.

Touma raised an eyebrow, "How exactly?"

Despite the relaxing atmosphere and detour in mood the two had finally remembered the circumstances that had brought them here.

"Please tell me… What happened to me?" Hibiki asked. "And what does Touma have to do with this?"

"I've honestly got the same question," Touma admitted as he set his nearly done tray of fries down.

"Before we can answer your questions," Ryoka stepped forward. "I have two requests. Firstly, don't tell anyone about what happened today. And secondly… specifically for young Hibiki's…" She soon became extremely forward as she reeled Hibiki in closer, "Could you please take off your clothes?"

"Eh?"

Both Hibiki and Touma who was able to hear Ryoko's last words reacted in pure shock at the sudden question.

"Ms. Sakurai can be… rather forward," Rintaro admitted as he walked over with a plate of éclairs, he then held the plate out, "Éclair?"

"Too forward if you ask me," Touma crossed his arms before looking over, "…Thank you." He said as he took the dessert while Hibiki simply shouted over their conversation via her questioning Ryoko.

The Next Day

Rintaro was currently wandering the halls of Section 2's base, planning on making his way out to fetch Touma who was planned to have a more detailed briefing alongside Hibiki. As he made his way down the halls he soon saw Tsubasa exiting a room.

"Ah Tsubasa," Rintaro hurried over to catch up. "I take it you're going to retrieve Hibiki while I do the same with Touma?"

"Yes, though whether they join or not after the explanation is anyone's guess," Tsubasa remarked as she turned to head off.

"I think it would be good if they joined," Rintaro chose to speak his mind. "As things stand… with only the two of us…"

"It's only one of us per assignment," Tsubasa corrected in a more tense tone, "One for the Noise and the other for the Megid. We as warriors have signed up for this, if we must battle alone then so be it."

"Tsubasa…" Rintaro trailed.

"Need I remind you that it has always been that way," Tsubasa stopped as she turned to glance at the swordsmen. "Even before our merger you Swordsmen didn't care to get involved in our matters, and even after you all have chosen to keep to yourselves aside from the bare minimum."

"Tsubasa you know that's not…" Rintaro trailed as he looked down, remembering two years ago and all the bloodshed that had occurred amongst their ranks. He looked up to see that Tsubasa had chosen to walk ahead. "We would have helped had we not been blindsided…" He muttered before shaking his head and taking off.

The Megid Trio were all currently lounging around the room they had taken up residence in, Storious gave a hum as he walked over to a nightstand. On it was the book that Golem had nearly finished.

"Despite taking the most opportune moment and collecting those who no longer matter… it was still not enough," Storious remarked as he picked it up.

"Golem did his job well," Legeiel declared as he leaned back in his chair. "Especially when it came to that Rider, thankfully neither he nor Section 2 had managed to get it."

"Because Calibur bailed you out," Zooous flashed an obnoxious grin. "You should be more careful."

"Either way that means we have to do our part," Storious walked over to the case of books that Calibur had brought in, soon taking out a new one. "With the Alter Ride Books reawakened we can all take to the field when we wish. So it will allow Zooous and I a chance to outdo you Legeiel."

"I'd like to see you try," Legeiel boasted.

"Oh I will try indeed…" Storious grinned as he opened up the book.

[ARI KA KIRIGIRISU!]

Soon enough two Megid with bodies similar to Golem's emerged, though their upper bodies were colored and shaped differently. One was grey and held an Ant motif while the other was green with orange accents, holding a grasshopper motif.

"Don't get too ahead," Calibur soon walked in before taking out two Wonder Ride Books and placing them near Storious. "If these are to push our goals further, we must strengthen them."

"How generous of you to offer these," Storious gave a sly smile.

"Playing favorites?" Legeiel questioned with a bored stare.

"Jealous?" Zooous asked. "Or are you that low in your opinion of your Megid that you don't think they're as good as ones soon to be enhanced…"

Legeiel stood with a glare, "Why you!"

"Now, now…" Storious spoke up. "Don't fight just yet… after all you have my wonderful story to be viewing."

"Tch, fine…" Zooous turned away before glancing at Calibur, "So why now?"

"Excuse me?" Calibur asked.

"We've been forced to sit on standby for a while now despite allying with her a while back," Zooous remarked, "Why's she deciding that now's the time aside from us being able to reawaken the others?"

"I am most curious," Storious admitted with a sly smile, "She does have multiple irons in the fire with her connections. Did things overseas not go well?"

"It seems to me she wanted to test her luck to see if something would happen on our end," Calibur replied, "After last night, she's agreed to continue pursuing the current situation here and she needs our help as a result."

"Allow me to put together a good narrative in that case," Storious said as he took hold of the Wonder Ride Books before holding them over to his pair of Megid.

Rintaro was currently looking over the map on his phone, having made sure to get the right directions as he walked over to Fantastic Bookstore Kamiyama. He gave a surprised yelp when he saw a ton of kids rushing out while laughing. Shaking his head he entered to soon see Touma plopping down onto one of the couches. The future novelist and bookstore owner was currently staring at a book that was thick in frame but had few pages, it being titled Wonder Story.

Touma himself had remembered what had happened when he arrived home late the previous night. He could have sworn he had shut off all the lights, but there was an odd glow coming from his desk. When he reached it, the glow was gone, the only thing of note on the desk being the Wonder Story book he normally kept on his desk. So now, after playing with the kids he went to mull over the book.

"It seems this place is quite popular," Rintaro mentioned to catch Touma's attention.

"Oh Rintaro," Touma snapped out of his thoughts, "Yeah, usually the lower grades get out early and there are few kids that like to come over to have fun."

"That sounds pleasant," Rintaro admitted as he went to sit down next to Touma. "I assumed that this was only a place to purchase books, but looking at it now it seems I was wrong."

"A normal bookstore would be fine, but my family also felt the need to have some fun with it," Touma admitted. "Plus ever since two years ago I've wanted to help people as much as I could. If that means making kids smile in these uncertain times, well, I'll absolutely do it."

"That is a rather nice way to look at things," Rintaro admitted. "Speaking of your family…"

"Out of country actually," Touma replied as he stood up to stretch a bit. "I basically live by myself, and am technically not the owner but still run the business."

"That might make things a lot easier actually," Rintaro admitted as he stood up and began looking around.

"Yeah, while this does put in money, I still end up getting some funds from overseas," Touma admitted. "So I've always had enough for what I've needed."

"Well funds may not be an issue," Rintaro admitted, "Though your time here may not be as plentiful as before."

"I had a feeling…" Touma sighed as he held his book rather close. "But at the very least I have this job as a cover for my friends so I don't have to really worry much."

"That is definitely good to hear," Rintaro admitted before he noticed the book, "That is certainly an interesting book, a favorite of yours?"

"Huh? Oh," Touma looked at his book before going to set it down on his desk, "It's a present that was given to me by a precious friend."

"Ah a memento," Rintaro smiled, assuming it was likely Hibiki that had given him it, "That sounds pleasant."

"I haven't seen her in a long while," Touma admitted as he began to reminisce, "Alongside another friend, but I hope I'll be able to see them both again someday."

"O-Oh I see," Rintaro said as he was caught a bit off guard by the mention of a friend that hadn't seen in a while. So much so that he wasn't sure how to proceed in his conversation.

"Oh that's right," Touma soon snapped out of his thoughts, "What brings you here?"

"I've been given orders to take you to Section 2," Rintaro answered, "It is time for a more detailed debriefing."

Touma gave a nod, "Sounds good to me, just let me close up."

"Handcuffs again…" Touma deadpanned as he saw that Hibiki while being taken down to Section 2 had been handcuffed again.

"It's not fair!" Hibiki whined.

Touma could only sigh as the cuffs were fully removed, rubbing his head slightly and wondering why the cuffing was necessary.

In the current medical room was a sizeable group, not only were Genjuro, Ryoko and Sophia there, the two lead operators, Sakuya and Aoi were there as well. Rintaro and Tsubasa were also in the room, Rintaro simply sighing at Tsubasa's very cold demeanor since he could only assume it was her that had cuffed Hibiki.

Aside from them there was another man with long hair tied into a ponytail. He was sitting on a chair wearing an orange t-shirt with grey overalls. His rough clothing seemed to indicate that he was mechanic though as to why he was there was a mystery, and of course the next mystery was why he was facing away from everyone.

"All right, here are the results of your medical examination yesterday," Ryoko called out as she held a pointer before gesturing towards a computer screen with medical information of Hibiki's body on display. "There are some signs that the shock of the first transformation affected you, but there are no notable abnormalities."

"So wait," Touma raised his hand. "Why did she get a sudden medical check and I didn't? We're both first time users of these new things right?"

"Young Hibiki's a bit of a special case," Ryoko admitted.

Hibiki stared at the screen, not really getting it, "Nothing… notable?"

"Oh, right. I guess this isn't what you came for," Ryoko admitted.

"Please explain that power to me!" Hibiki pleaded.

Upon Genjuro's request, Tsubasa pulled out a crystal pendant that was tucked underneath her uniform.

"Tsubasa is the bearer of the first Relic," Genjuro introduced, "Ame no Habakiri."

Hibiki was still confused, "Relic?"

"The Relics are powerful artifacts documented in legends from around the world," Ryoko explained. "They were created by heretics in ancient times, yet are beyond our current technology. They can be found chiefly in old ruins, but most have suffered through the ages, and thus the ones with any power left are real rarities."

"Ame no Habakiri is one such Relic, though it is a mere fragment of what was once a blade," Genjuro explained, "While Complete Relics are able to be found still, there is a secondary set that haven't seen any wear throughout the ages, we classify them as Splintered Relics due to their supposed origin."

"What do you mean by that?" Touma asked.

"The book that you hold," The mechanic finally spoke up as he kept facing away from them. "Rintaro…"

"Right," Rintaro soon held up his book, it holding a blue lined cover with a Lion roaring titled Lion Senki. "Long ago there was a Complete Relic that was thought to contain the knowledge of the entire world, the Almighty Book."

"Also known as the Great Book," Ryoko interjected. "It is an object that is said to have created our world, containing a multitude of stories and knowledge within it."

"Legend says there are those who tried to control its power, but in the end all they did was split it," The mechanic interrupted as he glanced over. He caught sight of Hibiki before quickly putting his hand over his face to block her from view. "The split turned it from a complete Relic into dozens of lesser Relics, the Wonder Ride Books. While they are technically fragmented like Ame no Habakiri, the fragments are larger and more complete. They have the distinction of not suffering from age as other Relics do, but as a result the method to activate them fully is different from what's been used on standard Relics. Thus the term, Splintered Relic."

"All that can amplify and free the sliver of power left in Relic Fragments are waves of a specific amplitude," Ryoko pointed towards the screen, showcasing the pendant shifting shape before zooming out to reveal a blank body.

"Waves of a specific amplitude…" Hibiki repeated, still not getting it.

"Basically, songs," Genjuro explained. "The Relics are activated by songs."

"Even the Ride Books react to some extent," The mechanic added, "Though we've yet to fully look into that."

"Well if someone would stop being so stubborn…" Ryoko pointed out.

"Not interested," The mechanic nearly spat back.

Touma glanced between the man and Ryoko, noticing the slight animosity that filled the air between the two. He wondered what the issue was specifically between the two.

Hibiki was mulling over what Genjuro had said, "Songs?" She soon perked up, "Oh, right! I remember the song I sang filled my entire mind!"

"Wait…" Touma muttered, recalling back to the factory and hearing the faint music and singing during his fight.

"You break down the power into raw energy and reconstruct it as the anti-Noise armor you and Tsubasa wear, the Symphogear," Ryoko explained and pointed towards the screen as the blank body was soon coated in armor at various points.

"Wait, wait," Touma spoke up as he tried to get his understanding of this concept as clear as possible. "Let me get this straight… it's pretty much karaoke armor, right?"

Silence was what had come next as everyone had just stared at Touma's sudden declaration given his blunt description.

"Oh my goodness he actually said it," Sakuya buried his face in his hands.

"He sure did…" Aoi muttered with a nervous look as she glanced over to Ryoko who was in shock.

No one else seemed to react aside from the mechanic, who could be heard snickering and trying to hold in his laughter as he was facing towards everyone for the first time during the meeting. Rintaro and Sophia could only give soft sighs as of course they figured he'd react like this.

Ryoko gave a light glare, "Is there something funny, Daishinji?"

Daishinji could only look away as he contained his laughter, "No, I simply believe that his rather simple and blunt take on the explanation is rather accurate to it."

"You would, wouldn't you?" Ryoko huffed before putting on a smile to compose herself, "Either way to put it in a still simple but eloquent fashion, the Relics allow you to don super powered armor and weapons for combat."

"But the Relics don't just activate as soon as someone hums a tune!" Tsubasa suddenly called out.

Hibiki could only stare in confusion at the outburst while the others in the room minus Daishinji looked on with concern. Touma wasn't sure where the outburst came from and wondered what exactly caused it.

Genjuro soon stood up to steer the conversation forward once more, "We call those few people who can activate the relics and sing the songs to construct Symphogear the 'Attuned'. That's those like Tsubasa and you."

"On the other side of the coin, you have the Swordsmen," Ryoko added. "However that isn't my particular area of expertise…"

"For good reason," Daishinji spoke up once more as he simply kept his gaze away from everyone. Even without looking however he knew that Ryoko was glaring at him.

"Blades," Sophia turned towards Rintaro and gave a nod.

"In a Swordsman's case, our options are a little more limited," Rintaro soon held up his own Swordriver with a water themed crest embedded in the swords guard. "For the Wonder Ride Books, a Sacred Sword is needed to activate their power."

"Are the Sacred Swords relics too?" Touma asked.

"Not exactly," Daishinji replied.

"As legends state, many years ago the Great Book was sought after for its power," Sophia explained. "In order to try and control the Great Book, various Sacred Swords of the elements were created. But in trying to do so they had ended up splitting the book as a result, scattering the Wonder Ride Books alongside the Sacred Swords. It's a miracle that the swords have remained as intact as they have."

"The swords are very likely the first attempt to try and access the power of Relics," Rintaro continued, "But they can only interact with a certain set."

"I noticed you all know these legends pretty well," Touma commented, "I'm admittedly surprised to hear people talking about them like facts."

"My family line has been heavily involved with the Sacred Swords and Wonder Ride Books," Sophia explained, "To the point where in order to make sure the power of those Relics didn't grow out of control, we formed a small government funded group known as the Logos Sector. Due to certain occurrences over the years we were recently merged into Section 2."

"I see," Touma said as he noticed that Rintaro and Daishinji both seemed to drop in their mood at Sophia's last set of words. But there was still something bugging him so he stood up and placed his Swordriver near his waist, the strap wrapping around, "Okay but the buckle on the waist, the full armored look…" He then glanced around the room, "I know you keep classifying this state as a Swordsman, but wouldn't it be more accurate to call us Kamen Riders?"

"…Kamen Rider?" Rintaro stared.

"That name sounds familiar," Aoi admitted.

"That's a name I haven't heard in ages…" Genjuro admitted fondly.

Sakuya put a hand to his chin, "I think I remember hearing stories about them when I was a kid."

"Ooh, ooh!" Hibiki called out with a raised hand. "I remember when hanging out we'd read about urban legends regarding Kamen Riders! I remember them being pretty cool. They were armored heroes who fought for everyone's sake."

"Exactly," Touma pointed towards Hibiki, "It's supposedly been around two decades or so since Kamen Riders have been a thing, so much so that some people don't like to believe they existed in the first place."

"Hmm, I honestly like the sound of it," Genjuro admitted.

"Warriors who once fought to protect others," Sophia gave a nod. "It sounds like a wonderful title."

"I understand where you're coming from, but I feel as though Swordsman is also an accurate title," Rintaro said.

"Well it can be both," Touma countered, since Rintaro did have a point. "We are Kamen Riders who are Swordsmen."

"A very apt way to look at things," Ryoko admitted before giving a smile and looking towards both Hibiki and Touma. "Now then, with all the base explanations out of the way, do you have a bit more of an understanding? If you have any questions, don't hesitate to ask."

"Well…" Hibiki was the first to voice a potential question.

"Shoot, Hibiki!" Ryoko pointed towards the young teen.

Hibiki could only give a nervous smile, "I honestly still don't understand much of what was said."

Aoi could only sigh, "Not surprised."

"Not at all," Sakuya admitted before glancing over at Touma. "You're taking this well."

"I read a lot, so you know," Touma shrugged a bit. "It's overwhelming but I'm pretty sure I get what's going on."

"I suppose we did end up rambling a bit too long in explanations," Ryoko admitted to Hibiki. "For now it will be enough to remember that I'm the scientist behind the Sakurai Theory, which describes the extraction of power from standard Relics."

"Sure…" Hibiki said until she realized something, "But I don't have a Relic…"

"Wait really?" Touma turned to see his friend nod. He then put a hand to his chin. "Wait, was that what was meant by special case?"

"Indeed Touma," Ryoko replied as the medical screen changed to an X-Ray, showing the ribcage of a chest with small white fragments inside.

"Do you know what that is?" Genjuro asked.

"Yes! I got that wound two years ago." Hibiki called out after realizing it. "I was there at the stadium!"

"That's right, your injury," Touma realized.

This caught both Tsubasa's and Rintaro's attention, the two staring intently at the current state of the conversation.

"There were multiple fragments so close to your heart it was impossible to remove them," Ryoko explained. "According to our research, they are the fragments of the third relic, Gungnir, which Kanade held."

"That was right… I saw the pieces of armor pierce Hibiki from where I was," Touma's eyes widened. "So then…"

Ryoko gave a nod, "Think of it as her farewell present."

Tsubasa hunched over as she put a hand to her face, trying to compose herself as she was consumed with grief. Without another word she stumbled out of the room.

Rintaro gave a concerned look before deciding to ask another question, "Touma, you said you saw it but…"

"I know, there was only one reported civilian who made it out of that concert," Touma replied. "I was in the hallways when it happened, when I saw those strange monsters that weren't Noise. I just ran as fast as I could to try and find Hibiki since I was there at the concert with her. But then I was cornered by this dark warrior before Saber arrived. Whatever Saber did, it sent me further away from the arena. So I wasn't counted among those that survived."

"Sent you further away?" Rintaro asked.

"Yes," Touma said before holding up Brave Dragon, "After I woke up I found this in my hand but it never did anything until yesterday."

"So that is how you obtained the Brave Dragon Wonder Ride book," Sophia finished, receiving a nod from the current flame swordsman.

"So then that likely means that…" Rintaro looked down.

"Sadly we'll have to put down the previous Saber as KIA," Daishinji spoke up in a more somber tone.

"I'm sorry if you all were expecting someone else when I activated the form," Touma apologized with a bow.

"What matters is the book is in the hands of someone who wishes to fight to protect," Sophia admitted, not wanting to bring the mood down further, "If you choose to accept, Blades and Slash will gladly assist you in fitting in."

"Thank you," Touma gave a bow though in the back of his mind he wondered who Slash was supposed to be.

"Um…" Hibiki finally managed to find her voice as one question plagued her mind, "Do we really have to keep this to ourselves?"

Touma went silent when he heard this, already knowing who Hibiki was thinking about. He tilted his hat forward.

'Well how about it then, let's make a promise to never keep secrets no matter what.'

Touma adjusted his hat a bit, biting his lip as he realized he'd have to do the one thing he hated, which was break a promise.

"If others found out you have the ability to summon a Symphogear, or that Touma is a Kamen Rider it would inevitably endanger your friends and family greatly," Genjuro explained, "Their lives would be at risk."

Hibiki could only think of one person when Genjuro explained this, "Their lives?"

Touma noticed Genjuro's immediate pickup of the term Kamen Rider but decided to voice his concerns, "I understand that certain things need to be handled delicately given well… the nature of everything. My family is overseas so it's no issue keeping this a secret, but I do run their shop which doubles as my place of living. Given I am living by myself I just want to be reassured that I'll be able to live properly since I'll likely have to shut the store early or not open in certain cases."

"You won't have to worry about that," Genjuro reassured. "Since you'll be employed with us as an agent you'll receive the appropriate funds for your work." He then looked back at Hibiki before addressing both Wielder and Rider. "Something you must understand is that we're trying to protect lives, not some secret. Can you keep them safe?"

"With great power comes great responsibility, and we hope you understand that," Ryoko added.

"Mankind stands no chance against the Noise," Sophia said as she looked over to the two, "A simple touch and we turn to dust and crumble. We can't hurt them either. The exceptions are those who can wield Relics, Symphogear Wielders and Swordsmen alike."

"And then there are the Megid," Daishinji spoke up, glancing back towards everyone only to turn away quickly before Touma could attempt to lock eyes with him. "While not as deadly as a single touch from a Noise, they are monsters that are still just as dangerous."

"On behalf of Section 2 of the Japanese government's Disaster Relief Squad, I would like to ask for your cooperation," Genjuro took over speaking once more. "Hibiki Tachibana, Touma Kamiyama, will you use the powers of the Symphogear and Rider systems to help fight the Noise and Megid?"

"I can… help people with this power, right?" Hibiki asked to which she was given confirmation by the various members in the room, "Okay!"

"Saber, what is your decision?" Sophia asked.

"It's obvious," Touma answered near immediately, his determination and promise to himself to help Hibiki clearing any doubts he had. "I'll use the power of a Kamen Rider to help Hibiki protect others."

"That's good to hear," Genjuro smiled. "If that's all then you're free to do as you please for the rest of the day."

"Sounds good," Touma admitted with a stretch as he saw the various adults leave to head back to their respective stations.

"I think we should let Tsubasa know," Hibiki looked over at her friend, "Rintaro here knows, so it's only fair she does too."

"Erm, uh… Hibiki," Rintaro spoke up. "Perhaps it may be best to give her some space."

"Eh?" Hibiki looked over. "Are you sure?"

Rintaro thought back to his conversation earlier and Tsubasa's reaction, "Yes… I think so."

Touma however decided to let Rintaro and Hibiki continue their talk about whether or not to tell Tsubasa. This worked out well since he wanted to have his own conversation with her. Heading out into the hallways he managed to spot Tsubasa fairly easily.

Tsubasa herself was currently in deep thought while staring at the ground near one of the walls, almost hunched over.

"So…" Touma said as he began to approach. "I admittedly wasn't expecting this."

"…"

Touma sweated slightly when he saw Tsubasa wasn't reacting and knew he had to choose his words carefully before snapping his fingers, "Ah, I was wondering, how were the books?"

"I haven't had time to start them yet," Tsubasa managed to speak out as she stood straighter but kept her back turned. "I wouldn't blame you if you decided to turn away."

"What makes you say that?" Touma asked.

"This is a dangerous job, there's a chance you could be risking your life for nothing," Tsubasa spoke up though she was monotonous in tone. "You are simply someone who wishes to give knowledge to others. Sticking to what you do best would be good."

"I see," Touma gave a nod, realizing there was something eating away at her. "This might come as a surprise, but I do want to help." He paused when he saw a slight jerk in Tsubasa's posture. "It's just… two years ago I made a promise to myself, and with the power of Saber I can fulfill that promise."

"A promise…?" Tsubasa trailed as she glanced back towards Touma.

"Oh there you are Touma," Hibiki hurried over with Rintaro chasing after her. "I was wondering where you ran off."

Touma looked back and was ready to speak when suddenly the room went darker with secondary low lights turning on as an alarm began to blare. "Huh?"

"An alert," Tsubasa spoke up before rushing for the central command room.

Tsubasa ended up leading them to the central control room where Aoi and Sakuya were already working on identifying the alert while Genjuro, Sophia and Ryoko surveyed the situation.

"Noise appearance confirmed!" Sakuya called out. "Another strange barely traceable signal is popping up near them as well just like the additional signal from last time. We can't get an exact lock but given what happened it's likely similar to what confronted Saber previously!"

"Another one like that golem…" Touma muttered as he remembered he saw the Golem taking advantage of the Noise attacks.

"Tell Section 1 to leave this to us," Genjuro ordered.

"We'll likely need both a Wielder and Swordsman this time," Sophia added.

"Appearance for the Noise located. I'm putting it on the screen," Aoi called out as she typed away before giving a light gasp, "They're within 200 units of the school!"

"So close," Genjuro's admitted.

"I'll stop them." Tsubasa called immediately before rushing out.

"Ah, w-wait Tsubasa, you'll need assistance with that!" Rintaro called out as he ran after her.

Hibiki stared as the two rushed out before turning to start following them.

Touma was surprised and turned to follow, "Hibiki!"

Genjuro's eyes widened as he turned, "Wait! You two still aren't-!"

"I can use my power to help people, right?" Hibiki turned and gave a determined stare. "You can't fight Noise or Megid without a Symphogear or Sacred Sword, right? So I'm going!" without waiting for another word she rushed out.

"Ah, wait Hibiki hold on!" Touma called out, silently cursing Hibiki's hobby of wanting to help others in need.

"She knows the danger and yet still wants to help. She's a kind girl at heart, isn't she?." Sakuya commented. "And her friend seems to be looking out for her too by joining her."

"I wonder," Genjuro admitted, "Tsubasa received combat training since she was a little girl, the same can be said for Rintaro. Both Hibiki and Touma were living completely normal lives before this. Risking her life in battle because she was told she could help someone, and risking his own well being to keep his friend safe… it's a bit twisted isn't it?"

"Wouldn't that make her similar to us?" Ryoko asked.

"And yet, they're just different enough that things might end up changing," Sophia admitted. "A new Saber and Gungnir Wielder, perhaps this is the start of something more."

After being dispatched, both Tsubasa and Rintaro were currently back to back atop a highway. On Rintaro's side was a horde of Noise while Tsubasa was staring down an Ari Megid alongside the Shimi Megid soldiers it had summoned. The Noise however had soon started melting and mixing, soon transforming into a large rounded Noise with visible teeth and feathers at the top of its body.

Rintaro drew his Swordriver and placed it over his stomach, the belt strap forming and locking it in place, "In the name of Suiseiken Nagare, I will fight to keep this world safe." He then drew out and flipped the cover open on Lion Senki.

[The history of the noble king's battle was recently recorded by this blue mane…]

Tsubasa said nothing as she readied herself, taking a deep breath and walking forward.

Between Rintaro and Tsubasa the Lion Senki book dropped down, Rintaro keeping a stiff stance as he drew out his sword. The book opened up and the Lion Senki leapt out of it while Rintaro did his own flourish, holding his blade upwards and close to him.

"Henshin!"

[NAGARE BATTOU! LION SENKI!]

Rintaro performed a horizontal slash forward, water shooting out as the Lion Senki swirled around Rintarou like a whirlpool to form his armor. It was primarily black armor with grey portions, white and blue accents decorating it. The center of his body held a blue lions head with a few flaps coming down behind his back alongside from underneath the front of his belt. Kamen Rider Blades stood tall as the horizontal slash came back to complete the visor.

[NAGARE ISSATSU!]

[When the King of Beasts and Suiseiken Nagare meet, the azure sword peels its fangs!]

"~Imyuteus Ame no Habakiri tron~"

Tsubasa's relic pendant shined brightly before her body exploded into a burst of light, two rings of light spun around her as she was encased in a bright blue orb. Soon enough the bodysuit and armor of Ame no Habakiri formed as the orb shattered.

"Now then," Blades was ready to turn and deal with the Megid when he saw Tsubasa simply rush towards them. "Tsuabasa wait! We should…!"

"Get her!" The Ari Megid pointed forward as the Shimi leapt towards Tsubasa.

Tsubasa seemed to be counting on the Shimi all leaping towards her as she had yet to truly draw her blade, simply performing a handstand before spinning and outstretching her legs. The blades on her ankles extending as she began tearing through the Shimi with ease.

{Reverse Rakshasa}

"…work together to deal with both in… tandem…" Blades trailed before hanging his head slightly. When he heard a growl he turned to see the large Noise launch half of its feathers out towards him. To retaliate he began twirling and flourishing his sword, streams and barriers of water forming to deflect and defend him from the feathers.

The feathers seemed to be deflected only to spin in the air and launch back towards him.

Blades then drew from his holster a dark blue book that held a Pegasus on it, the title being 'Tenkuu No Pegasus'. He held it up to the tip of his sword before holstering it.

[PEGASUS! MM-HM! SHUUTOKU ISSEN!]

Blades slid his hand across his sword before a dark blue glow enveloped it. He then slashed forward, his own flurry of energy feathers launching out and destroying the feathers the Noise had sent after him.

The Noise simply roared out as it launched the remaining feathers out, but this time had aimed them towards Tsubasa's battle.

Blades noticed this and turned, "Ah, Tsubasa watch out!"

"Why you… take this!" The Ari Megid called out as it began spitting acid from its mouth.

Tsubasa simply moved her body from side to side to avoid the spit, drawing out a small dagger before tossing it forward.

The Ari Megid ducked before rushing forward only to gasp out when it suddenly couldn't move. "What?"

{Shadow Weaving}

Tsubasa looked at the dagger she had thrown that embedded itself into the Ari's shadow. She then glanced back before jumping up high to avoid the feathers. She drew her sword, deflecting each as they came towards her before landing. Noticing the projectiles still following her she made the decision to dash towards the Ari Megid, running past it.

The Ari Megid could only yell out as it was struck by the projectiles, the road crumbling slightly as it was torn into. Sparks flew as the Ari Megid could only cough and gasp as it staggered out from the attack.

"Ah…" Blades trailed as he saw how Tsubasa handled it.

"Enough gawking," Tsubasa had leapt and landed near him, she then began making her way towards the large Noise, "Finish your foe and I'll finish mine."

"Y-Yes…" Blades managed speak out before rushing towards the Ari Megid, inserting his sword into his Driver before clicking the button on the hilt twice.

[HISSATSU DOKUHA!]

He spread his arms out as the lion's head on his chest spit out a stream of water that captured the Ari Megid in a water bubble.

[LION! ISSATSU GEKI! WATER!]

"Leo Cascade!" Blades yelled as he launched forward, streams of water gathering around his leg as he kicked against the Ari Megid. He soon kicked past as an explosion of water occurred, the Megid being completely destroyed. Blades gave a sigh before realizing something, "That felt too easy."

However looking around for any sign of another Megid didn't prove to help much as the only enemy that visibly remained was the large Noise.

Tsubasa meanwhile stared down the large Noise which merely roared at her, it no longer having it's projectiles due to them all being used up. Readying herself she began to change her sword, it growing into a larger buster-like katana. She was ready to strike when she suddenly heard a flurry of noises.

[DRAGON! ISSATSU GEKI! FIRE!]

"Flame Dragon Kicking Break!"

Saber's voice alongside Hibiki's yell had cut through the current battle, the two kicking side by side as flames enveloped Saber's right foot. The two had managed to strike the massive Noise right in the side, forcing it to stagger.

"Tsubasa!" Hibiki called out.

Saber and Hibiki soon began to fall, the former grabbing his friend and helping her land without much hassle.

Tsubasa merely jumped up higher, giving a yell before slashing downwards with her weapon, a flash of blue lightning launching downwards.

{Blue Flash}

The attack had sliced the Noise in two, cleaving against part of the highway. Both halves of the Noise exploded with a thick plume of smoke erupting from the remains.

Blades could only give a light yelp as the destructive power that Tsubasa had unleashed and began to make his way over.

"Okay, a bit late and not too great of a kick…" Saber admitted as he dusted himself off. "But I think we helped out enough."

"Yeah," Hibiki gave a nod before hurrying over to Tsubasa who was staring at the explosion, "Tsubasa! Sorry! I know I'm probably slowing you down right now, but I'll do my best! So… please let me fight with you!"

"You're right," Tsubasa answered simply.

"Huh," Saber began to walk over towards the two. He wasn't expecting that kind of response from her given her demeanor earlier.

Blades had meanwhile been walking over when he saw the expression on Tsubasa's face. Without another word he began to speed up his approach.

"You and I…" Tsubasa turned towards Hibiki, a more hardened look on her face as she was nearly glaring at the younger girl. Despite this she had a small smirk of sorts, "…should fight."

"Eh?"

Hibiki and Saber stared at Tsubasa who had simply pointed her blade directly at Hibiki.

Blades gave a sigh and walked over, wanting to defuse the situation, "Tsubasa, you know she meant she wanted to fight beside-"

"I know full well," Tsubasa interrupted.

"So what are you doing?" Blades asked.

Hibiki could only stare as she started to realize what Tsubasa meant, "But why?"

"I just want to fight you," Tsubasa kept her attention on Hibiki. "I cannot accept you. Join forces with you? Fight alongside you? Hell will freeze over before Tsubasa Kazanari can accept that."

"Whoa, whoa isn't that a bit harsh?" Saber asked as he began to approach.

"I have no qualms with you swordsmen just yet," Tsubasa spoke up. "You can just sit around and do nothing like you all did 2 years ago."

"E-Excuse me…?" Saber questioned.

"Tsubasa that's enough," Blades called out as he quickly got beside her and put a hand on her shoulder.

"So you finally decide to take action?" Tsubasa turned with a glare as she pushed his hand off her shoulder. "And it's to defend her?"

"We should not be fighting against each other," Blades reminded sternly before yelping, drawing out Nagare as quickly as he could. He had blocked a slash from Tsubasa which forced him to stagger back, "Tsubasa!"

"Come now Blades," Tsubasa started. "Wielding what we do is not a simple task… do you really expect me to accept her in her current state?"

"You keep saying her," Saber began to take a step forward. "What about me? I'm just as new as she is."

"This does not concern you bookstore keeper, my current qualm is with her," Tsubasa answered, she looked over at Hibiki. "You… prepare your Armed Gear. It embodies your will to fight on the battlefield. If you wish to claim Gungnir, the mighty spear that can pierce anything, as your Symphogear you should come to terms with whatever that may entail."

"What do you mean, 'come to terms'?" Hibiki looked down and clutched her chest. "I don't even know this 'Armed Gear' you're talking about. How can I come to terms with something I know nothing about?"

"Let's just all calm down please," Saber held his hands up. "This is literally our first day on the job. You can't exactly expect her to know everything do you?"

"He is right," Blades spoke up as he began to walk towards Hibiki and Saber. "It's our duty to help pass on our knowledge to prepare them so that they can be ready."

"They will never be ready, because they lack the determination to do so. All they are doing is playing out here on the battlefield, as if it's some big game," Tsubasa answered as she turned to walk away. "Kanade…" She trailed before directing her next words at Hibiki specifically, "How dare you try to take Kanade's place!"

In the next moment, Hibiki and Saber were dumbfounded as Tsubasa flew high into the air. Tsubasa had thrown her sword out and kicked against it, the sword expanding and growing into an enlarged blade the size of a truck.

{Heaven's Wrath}

Saber could only look on in shock, "EH!?"

Hibiki could only close her eyes and pull herself towards Touma as she tried to brace.

Blades quickly sheathed his blade and drew out Tenkuu No Pegasus again. He loaded it into his Swordriver's because he needed a stronger form here and now. As he readied himself to draw Nagare out to initiate his new transformation he suddenly gasped, "C-Commander?!"

Genjuro was suddenly in front of the three, punching the air as an invisible force rocketed and exploded through the area. It was enough to stop the large blade before it even touched his fist, it shattering as the entire highway's upper layer was blown away by the force behind his punch.

Tsubasa was also in shock, "Uncle?!" She gasped out as she was thrown against the ground, losing her transformation.

The resulting force had also caused both Riders and Hibiki to stumble backwards as well, the trio losing their transformations. Water had begun to rain down as a result of a broken water main.

Genjuro shook his fist a bit, seemingly not strained by deflecting Tsubasa's attack, "Look at this mess now." He sighed as he glanced down, his shoes being torn up from the explosive force he unleashed. "What were you thinking? I paid a lot for these shoes."

"Sorry…" Hibiki apologized as she looked down.

Touma was currently stammering as he tried to figure out what just happened, "I… but Tsubasa… and big sword… but he… and then punch… but then boom and… I…"

"I've only heard tales of his power…" Rintaro admitted as he stared in shock. "I was not expecting this…"

"How many movie stunts do you think you can borrow from? That wasn't like you, Tsubasa. Were you even going to hit her for real? Maybe…" Genjuro chastised as he walked over to Tsubasa before noticing her head was down. Normally he'd assume her face was wet from the downpour of water but he noticed something off. "…Are you crying?"

"I am not crying!" Tsubasa called out though the tears streaming down her face were evident. "I never shed tears. I am a warrior, and thus I am nothing but a sword."

Hibiki could only stand alongside the others as she saw Genjuro help Tsubasa out. "I know I'm useless right now, but I'll do my best!" She admitted. "I'll try to replace Kanade!"

"Oh no," Rintaro muttered as he heard those words, they were well meaning but he also knew they were likely the wrong thing to say. "Tsuba-"

SMACK

Touma saw that Tsubasa immediately bolted from where she was standing to slap Hibiki, he barely found his words due to the shock of the sudden slap, "H-Hey what was that about?!"

Rintaro quickly caught Hibiki who had fallen back in shock, "Was that really necessary?!"

Tsubasa said nothing as she held her head down, though Touma was able to notice the tears streaming down her cheeks.

"It… it's alright," Hibiki started, having seen the tears as well. She then managed to find her footing before giving a bow to Rintaro. "Thank you."

Genjuro gave a sigh as he rubbed the back of his head, "Perhaps it would be best to call it for today for real this time… dry up and get some rest. We'll keep sorting everything out as we move forward."

"Right…" Touma muttered as he silently glanced towards Tsubasa. Their first meeting as owner and customer was nothing special. But he still couldn't help but be surprised to see someone who was so unassuming at the time hold in all this pain.

To Be Continued…

Author's Note: And that's another chapter in the books, I figured I'd just let the full scene play out instead of relegating it to a flashback. Especially because I don't plan on immediately skipping forward one month like in the show. I figure I could use that month gap to explore one or two quick stories with some character interactions and such. Plus well, I've got a decent amount of Megid at the ready, might as well go for it.