Sympho-Saber: Song of Swords

S1:EP07 – Operation D: Rising Flames

Calibur was currently walking through the halls of his benefactor's estate, using his swords ability of darkness to hide in the shadows and remain undetected. He then stopped near the door of the main dining room. He had to admit that he enjoyed how casual the owner was, leaving the door slightly cracked open and not bothering to shut it fully. He could see his benefactor, who was a tall woman with long blond hair, wearing nothing but black stockings with heels.

"Solomon's Cane… What happened to the activation test for the holy relic we handed over?"

"As reported the test showed that Complete Relics need a considerable level of Phonic Gain. It can't be done so easily."

'English… so they're bothering her again.' Calibur thought as he heard the near broken speaking of the language from the woman.

"Black art… we need to show the world the technology of a lost civilization and make it our own by all means."

"It's all give and take. I appreciate the aid your country has lent us," The woman explained as she sat down, "I leave today's duck hunt and later developments to you."

"It seems you appreciate my services. I expect you to uphold your end of the bargain, then."

"Of course, I would do nothing less," The woman answered, "As they say: obedience is the key to longevity."

With a slam, the phone was hung up before the woman got up to deal with other matters, now speaking Japanese, "Vulgar and disgusting… Just like his homeland. No need to tell someone like him someone like that Solomon's Cane has already been activated., nor the fact that my partnership with the Megid has been more fruitful than they could ever hope to be, right?"

'So we are still useful,' Calibur turned away and began to walk from the room he was listening in on. After a while of walking he paused when he heard screaming began echoing throughout the estate. He ignored it as he continued to walk further and further away.

"Poor thing…"

Calibur turned to see Desast leaning against the wall, hands behind his head. The Dark Rider could only stare at his asset, "Sympathizing with her?"

"I know how it feels to be trapped," Desast answered simply before hunching over, "After all I'm bound into being your servant."

"Keep doing your job and maybe I'll give you freedom," Calibur answered simply.

Desast merely slammed his fist against the wall he had his back to, giving a hiss, "Don't you dare lie to my face."

Calibur merely scoffed before walking off, "Seems like she's content to live this way."

"You say that…" Desast trailed before turning back towards the main hall, "But sometimes we just put up with our tormenters because there is no better way."

"…" Daishinji stared forward with a serious expression, as he was currently in the training room of Section 2 with his arms crossed, "Again!"

Standing before him were both Touma and Rintaro, the two going through the various basic stances and motions that were fundamental in building a swordsman. However this time was different from the other times. Instead of just training with the standard wooden swords that Daishinji had procured, they were now training with their Seiken. The stances were to help the user focus, while the motions were to help provide a better base in swordplay. Using their Seiken's now was there to put better weight behind their movements. While this was to help Rintaro refine his style, Touma doing this was helping build up his skill set. Daishinji had also asked the two to time their stances with each other, wanting to build up coordination between the two.

Of course the further they got in, the more the swords began to react to their focus and usage. There were various sparks of fire and splashes of water briefly being unleashed from their strikes.

Daishinji was admittedly glad that Hibiki had taken initiative in wanting to make sure Touma's body was in better condition. While Touma wasn't unfit by any means, he didn't have a body fit for a swordsman nor for one who would be constantly on the field. Touma jumping in on the exercise portion of Genjuro's training alongside getting regimens to do on his own were good ways to help push him forward.

"You can stop after this set," Daishinji spoke suddenly.

Touma couldn't help but give a sigh of relief as he finished the last of his motions alongside Rintaro, soon dropping to the floor to sit down, "What a relief… these exercises definitely wear on you after a while."

"They'll become easier as time goes on," Rintaro gave a smile as he went to sit down next to Touma, "I'm just surprised you didn't think they were boring."

"They're the basics, they aren't exciting at all but they're worth it," Touma answered through a few heavy breaths. While he could tell they were repetitive he couldn't help but relent that he was getting better the more he practiced.

"While you were definitely able to draw out the power of your Wonder Ride Books," Daishinji answered as he looked off to the side, "Your skills as a Swordsman were certainly lacking."

"Were… that's past tense, so I've gotten better, right?" Touma asked as he nearly jumped onto his feet at the compliment.

"I believe you have," Rintaro answered. "Your endurance is also remarkable."

"You're free to relax now, I'll make sure your Seiken are properly maintained for the day," Daishinji chose not to press further on the 'compliment as held out his hands. Receiving both Rekka and Nagare from the Swordsmen he turned before taking his leave.

Touma gave a light stretch, "Want to check and see if Hibiki's here yet?"

"That sounds good to me," Rintaro said as he stood up before helping his ally stand, "Going by our routine and what I've noticed… she should be back with the Commander by now."

"Speaking of," Touma said as he straightened up a bit, "Why do we have two Commanders?"

"It was because of the Zwei Wing Concert tragedy," Rintaro replied, "As you know the Swordsmen Side of Section 2 was another group in its entirety named the Logos Sector. However we suffered heavy losses alongside our original founder stepping down. Then the backlash against Section 2's mismanagement of the situation was so large that both groups were forced to merge together."

"So there was someone before Sophia?" Touma asked to which he received a nod, "I see… so I take it that's why there are some people at odds with each other then on both sides."

"Daishinji isn't very trusting of Section 2 in general," Rintaro admitted, "I've tried being friendly though Tsubasa had shut down most attempts. At best I've gotten to know Sakuya and Aoi better."

"Oh right, the lead operators huh?" Touma remarked, "Yeah they're pretty casual, also helps that they seem to be high up enough they're willing to talk frequently and not just type away."

Hibiki couldn't help but crash on a couch in Section 2's main control room, "This morning was too hard." She sighed, since while she was improving she couldn't help but still feel tired after all the intense training.

"That's the sound of a champion in the making," Genjuro smiled as he sat down on the couch across.

"Well done," Aoi brought a drink for Hibiki to have so she'd stay hydrated.

"Ooh, thanks!" Hibiki immediately sat up to quench her thirst.

"Someone's a hard worker," Touma remarked as he walked in with Rintaro, "How'd training go?"

"It's been going well," Genjuro admitted, "Soon she'll be striking through Noise like hammers smashing thunder."

Touma could only stare, "…What does that even mean?"

Rintaro could only give a light laugh, "I do not understand, but I can only imagine that means she's improved quite a lot."

"How's your sword training been going?" Hibiki asked.

"Pretty good, Daishinji's acknowledging I've grown even if he didn't outright say it," Touma gave a smile as he went to sit down.

"That's Daishinji for you," Rintaro admitted with a light laugh as he went over and got some drinks for him and Touma. "Even I haven't gotten a full genuine compliment."

"The fact that he's even overseeing your training is a surprise," Sakuya spoke up, "Dude doesn't seem like the type given how he looks away all the time."

"He is surprisingly thorough," Touma admitted.

"So um, I've been curious…" Hibiki spoke up, "I know we signed up for this in the first place, but aren't there other ways to fight the Noise? Why do you have to rely on a high school girl and bookstore owner for help? Maybe other countries know something."

"I feel like we would have heard of a genuine solution by now," Touma admitted.

"Officially there's no solution," Genjuro shook his head, "Even in Japan anything related to Symphogears and Swordsmen are classified."

"And yet we fight in broad daylight…" Touma trailed. "Granted, that's where you all come in right?"

"Keeping word from spreading is part of our job," Aoi answered.

"But sometimes that involves stepping on a few toes," Sakuya added. "So by now most cabinet members and ministers dislike us. They don't even call use Section 2 of the Disaster Relief Squad anymore, just the Disaster Squad."

"The government's upper echelons swore us to secrecy, you know," Aoi admitted. "But we can't keep up."

"I'm pretty sure they want to use the Symphogears and Swordsmen as a diplomatic ace up their sleeves," Sakuya guessed.

"The EU and the US are just waiting for a good opportunity." Aoi continued to speculate, "The development of Symphogear is based on theory and technology that was born from a field that didn't even exist in science before."

"Not to mention the ancient power of the Seiken and their ability to access the Relic Fragments of the Great Book," Sophia answered as she stepped into central control room. "Neither can be replicated with ease but even then, we don't have access to every single Relic or Seiken available, so everyone is vying to take them."

"So basically everyone is having a lot of issues," Hibiki groaned out as she slumped back down to laying on the couch.

"It is certainly a lot to take in," Rintaro agreed, not blaming Hibiki for being burned out by all the speculation.

"It might be for the best if we leave the actual logistics to our support team," Touma admitted as he rubbed the back of his head. "We'll just keep doing what we do best."

"Speaking of team," Hibiki looked over towards Genjuro, "Commander, where's Ms. Ryoko?"

"She's away on official business," Genjuro explained.

Hibiki tilted her head, "Official?"

"A government big shot summoned her," Genjuro explained. "She is there to fulfill her duty to report to the minister in charge with regards to the security of HQ and the various defense mechanisms. It's part of her job."

"This is all so complicated," Hibiki said.

"The people who never want to take responsibility are the ones who make the rules complicated," Genjuro replied with crossed arms, "At least Defense Minister Hiroki is a better man than that." He then checked his watch, "Ryoko is late."

"Perhaps we should call her," Sophia suggested.

Tsubasa was in and out of awareness when it came to her dreams, most of the time it there was nothing. It was black, she couldn't see, hear or really think much and just stayed in silence, until now as she felt herself floating downwards, her body covered in the Symphogear armor of Ame no Habikiri, though damaged like it was at the end of her Swan Song.

'I'm… alive?' she thought before shaking her thoughts as she slowly opened her eyes, 'No, I just failed to die. Kanade… what did she live and die for?'

"You take this too seriously, Tsubasa," Kanade's voice spoke up as she embraced the blue haired girl, "A reed before the wind lives on, whereas oaks fall."

Tsubasa couldn't help but give a light gasp as she looked back, she wasn't sure why but this felt as real as could be, "I worked even harder since I was alone. I stared into the eyes of death as I annihilated countless Noise, and I never sought to find meaning in it, content simply to fight. I realized my life had no meaning or value."

"I think there is something waiting for us beyond all the fighting. I fought believing in that, and now I know for sure."

Those words rang through Tsubasa's mind as she was no longer falling in an endless void, but now at the destroyed concert hall. She was sitting back to back with Kanade, both of them clad in their Symphogear Armor.

"What is it?" Tsubasa turned.

"You have to find that out yourself," Kanade admitted.

"Don't tease me, Kanade." Tsubasa gave a pout before looking down, "Then again, you're not even really there to tease me anymore."

"That's a good thing, isn't it?" Kanade asked with a light laugh.

"Not at all!" Tsubasa argued as she stood up, soon finding herself in the void again but with a bright sun hovering above illuminating her. She winced as she thought she could see wings from inside the sun, "I want you by my side!"

"It's up to you to decide whether I'm close to you or not," Kanade answered.

"It's up to me?" Tsubasa asked as she hit a sudden realization, "Then I…"

The pace of beeping began to pick up as Tsubasa's vitals began to spike slightly, steadily becoming stronger and stronger as she awoke from her comatose state, her arm twitching. Currently she was less bandaged than before, the doctor and nurses having removed the bandages over time once it was appropriate to do so.

"Doctor, the patient's conscious!"

"Perform a full medical check, quick!"

"Yes, sir!"

Tsubasa could only lazily allow her vision to slowly refocus before she glanced towards the open window. Seeing one of the buildings of Lydian in the distance she tried to focus her eyes as best she could. It felt odd, seeing what appeared to be an orange blur near the bell tower, it didn't seem like it belonged. But by the time she refocused her eyes she couldn't see it anymore. After that, all she could do was ponder her current situation.

'This feels strange. It feels like I'm cut off from the world and time slowed just for me,' Tsubasa thought as she glanced around, 'I see. I only skipped school for work or business-related events before. There goes my perfect attendance record… Don't worry, Kanade. I'm not as serious or inflexible as you think I am. I won't fall. So here I live, with my disgrace in plain sight for all to laugh at."

Tsubasa's hunch of something not belonging was right on the money however as at the bell tower, hidden in the shadows was none other than Falchion. Kyomu's emblem had shined a soft orange, using its void element to hide the user from detection on any sensors. Peaking out Falchion glanced in the direction of the hospital that Tsubasa was housed in before turning and walking away.

"Sorry I took so long!" Ryoko greeted with a smile and a wave as she entered Section 2's command center with a silver briefcase. Genjuro was monitoring a sudden government report with Sophia, Hibiki and Touma, the four were worried about the sudden events when they all heard Ryoko's voice.

Genjuro turned in surprise, "Ryoko!"

"What is it? Did you miss me so badly?" Ryoko teased as she walked over.

"Defense Minister Hiroki has been assassinated," Sophia said.

Ryoko gave a shocked expression as she hurried over, "What?! Really?"

"Multiple 'revolutionary' groups have claimed responsibility, but we don't know anything with certainty yet," Genjuro explained. "We put every man on the investigation."

"We were so worried because we couldn't contact you either!" Hibiki explained.

Ryoko went to check her communicator only for it to not activate, soon giving a sheepish smile, "Looks like it's broken."

"Just broken huh," Touma gave an exasperated sigh, "You should be more careful, what if you needed help?"

"I think I'm a pretty good fighter," Ryoko punched the air playfully a bit with a wink, "But I appreciate the concern."

"Is that so…" Touma muttered in near deadpan as he saw this.

"The classified orders I received from the government are safe," Ryoko said as she walked over to one of the couches to set the briefcase down, opening it to reveal two SD Cards tucked In the center, She said as she walked over to one of the couches to set the briefcase down, opening it up to reveal two SD Cards tucked in the center, "Let's make sure the mission is a success. It's what he would have wanted."

"I suppose I should tell Slash that the equipment needs to be ready," Sophia said before looking over at her Co-Commander, "Think you can handle the main bulk of the preparations?"

"Leave it to me," Genjuro gave a thumbs-up.

Sophia gave a nod as she went to head out, but managed to glimpse an odd red spot on the corner of the briefcase. She narrowed her eyes slightly but kept her pace as she took her leave.

It wasn't long before a full meeting was called for the entirety of Section 2, eight rows with eight seats each. The mechanics and engineers were in the back while the main agents were in the middle with most of the communications officers sitting towards the front. At the front were Touma, Rintaro, Daishinji, Hibiki, Sakuya, Aoi and a couple of other communication officers.

Genjuro and Sophia were on the main stage of the meeting room that held a center screen, Ryoko being on the other side.

Ryoko cleared her throat as she went to get to the meat of the orders, "From the Noise appearing around Lydian Music Academy's High School, which is to say, Section 2 of the Disaster Relief Squad, the government has concluded that their goal is to seize Durandal, which lies inside Sacrist D, located on the lowest level of the facility: the Abyss."

"The appearance of the Megid recently and them going out of the way to attempt and capture our agents also suggests to the higher ups that leaving it here for much longer carries serious risk," Sophia explained as the image of the intact Durandal Relic appeared on screen. It was a decently intricate sword that looked to be made of stone, only a dull jewel at its cross guard.

"So that's what it looks like," Touma muttered as he stared at the image.

"It's one of the few complete relics. The EU handed it over to Japan for safekeeping and management on the condition that Japan write-off some of Europe's defaulted loans should the EU economy collapse," Ryoko explained.

"And where would they have us transfer it?" Sakuya questioned. "There's no place safer than here!"

"He's right," Rintaro agreed, "Despite the risks wouldn't it just be safer here?"

"There is the special vault for relics deep under Parliament," Genjuro answered, "Which is often simply called the Ruins of Memory. They feel it would be a safer there."

"Sounds like a waste of time," Daishinji remarked.

"Unfortunately since we're low on the food chain, we have no way of refusing this order," Genjuro replied.

"Durandal is scheduled for transport tomorrow at 0500," Ryoko continued before holding up the chip she had received, "The particulars are on the chip here. We're going to need everyone working at 100% if we're to succeed, so good luck everyone!"

That Evening

Calibur gave a hum as he walked into the room that the three Megid Leaders were holed up in, or at least two of them, "Where is Zooous?"

"He's been avoiding this room for a while," Storious answered before glancing at Calibur, "Why?"

"Let me guess," Legeiel grinned, "Our boss wants to punish him for his failure, right?"

"It is true that she is not happy he botched up Chris' attempt to claim the Gungnir Wielder," Calibur gave a nod, "However because of his failure, she wishes for him to make it up by providing a new Megid for tomorrow."

Legeiel pounded his fist against the table, "Are you serious?!"

"Someone struck a nerve…" Storious remarked in a hushed voice.

"If I wasn't then why would I start with asking for Zooous?" Calibur asked.

"Don't try and be funny!" Legeiel summoned his sword and aimed it at Calibur, "You know full well we're only allowing you to spearhead our activities because you wield the Ankokuken Kurayami. So don't think you can act casually around us."

"If he's not here I'll take my leave," Calibur said before walking over to the case that held the Alter Ride Books, grabbing one of the animal themed books before taking off.

Legeiel yelled out as he threw his sword, it embedding itself in the wall, "Why does someone who failed get a chance to shine?!"

"Now, now Legeiel, it's not like you to get emotional, are you getting bored?" Storious asked.

"I just find it stupid how we have to restrict ourselves," Legeiel hissed out before turning towards his ally, "We could easily tip the scales in our favor, why do we need to act like we're beneath her?"

"Unlike you or Zooous, I know what we need to do," Storious answered more seriously as he narrowed his eyes, "Boasting and Rushing are both options that won't work out for us in the end. We need to sit back and relax and allow every single side in this conflict to slowly but surely play into our hands."

Touma meanwhile had been making sure to keep spare clothes and essentials at Section 2 so he wouldn't have to go back and forth between the bookstore and Lydian. So spending the night in Section 2 wasn't as strenuous as it had been the first few times he attempted it. At the moment however he was joining Rintaro in Daishinji's workshop.

"There is no doubt the Megid will likely strike tomorrow," Daishinji explained as he handed the two swordsmen their Seiken's, "Only Hibiki alongside the two of you will be able to join in due to Tsubasa's injuries."

"Right," Touma gave a nod.

"Understood," Rintaro said before he was handed back Lion Senki and Peter Fantasista, he stared at the two a while before looking at Daishinji, "What about Tenkuu no Pegasus?"

"I'm restricting your access to only one extra Ride Book for now," Daishinji gave a stern stare, "I'll acknowledge that you've grown stronger, but you must continue your training before you can access your Wonder Combo."

"R-Right," Rintaro gave a nod.

"As for you Touma," Daishinji turned and handed him back Brave Dragon, Jackun-To-Domamenoki, and Kobuta 3 Kyodai.

"Wait, what about Needle Hedgehog?" Touma asked before realizing that Daishinji likely wanted to restrict him on his Wonder Rider usage, "Oh is it because…" He paused when he saw that he was given Storm Eagle as well, "Storm Eagle?"

"I believe you're ready to utilize your first Two Book Combo," Daishinji replied, "Storm Eagle will be more helpful to you in the future than Needle Hedgehog."

"So what specifically constitutes a Two Book Combo?" Touma asked.

"If the book is the same element as the sword that is using it," Rintaro explained, "Like Peter Fantasista and Tenkuu no Pegasus, using either one with Lion Senki allows me to use a different Two Book Combo. If I were to use all three then I'd access a Wonder Combo."

"But the strain of a Wonder Combo is intense," Daishinji spoke up, "Even worse than a 3 Book Wonder Rider transformation."

"O-Oh… I'll take your word for it," Touma gave a nervous chuckle as he remembered when he had first used three opposing elemental books, "I think I'll just work on a normal Two Book Combo and not try any Extra Volume stuff tomorrow."

"It's not like you'd be able to attempt it either way when it comes to the Wonder Combo," Daishinji admitted, "We had ended up losing all of Rekka's fire elemental Ride Books. It's only now that we've begun to recover them."

"Oh, I see," Touma said before holding up Storm Eagle, "I'll take good care of it."

"You better," Daishinji answered before turning away, "You two are free to turn in for the night."

"I suppose we're done here, let us go Touma," Rintaro said as he walked out.

"Right," Touma said before following.

Touma had decided wander around a bit more after Rintaro decided to head to his room to sleep. The bookstore owner had been aimlessly wandering before finally noticing Hibiki who was sitting on one of the couches with her knees held up to her chest.

"I'm sure Miku is mad at me now… no use brooding over it," Hibiki groaned.

"It sounds like someone is regretting the fact that they didn't take my idea," Touma sighed as he walked over and sat near Hibiki, "How hard was it to say you got a secret part time job?"

"Well you know, it's against school rules I think… but even then what if she asked me where?" Hibiki asked before starting to ramble again, "And t-then what if she actually tried to check up on me? And suddenly whenever she gets to whatever convenience store or food shop she goes to and asks where I am, they're all like "Hibiki who? We don't have an employee at all with that name?" and then she marches over to me and starts demanding answers?"

Touma remained silent for a bit before suddenly realizing that Miku would be the type of person to try and check up on Hibiki, "I uh… yeah you know you're totally right…" He then looked over at the table to try and change subjects, he then picked up a newspaper to start reading it, "Huh, you know I wonder who always just buys the newspapers here. Yeah up to date…"

"Huh?" Hibiki glanced at the back of the paper that Touma was reading, "Turn it over."

Touma turned it over to see a news report of Tsubasa being reported as hospitalized for overworking herself, "Huh, well I guess that's one way to say she won't be showing up for a while."

"Information control is my job as well," Ogawa explained as he walked over.

"Makes sense," Touma gave a nod as he set the newspaper down, "So what brings you here? I figured you'd be busy given you're also playing the part of her manager."

"I wanted to let you two know Tsubasa's life isn't in danger anymore," Ogawa said.

"Oh thank goodness," Hibiki gave a smile.

"That's good to hear," Touma sighed in relief.

"For the time being she has to stay at Section 2's medical facilities and get rest," Ogawa added before sitting down, "We had to cancel her show at the end of the month too."

"I'm not much of a concert guy, but that's a shame," Touma admitted.

"Yeah," Hibiki agreed.

"I was wondering if I could pick your brains a bit," Ogawa admitted. "What do you think should be done to appease her fans?"

"Hmm…" Touma thought for a bit before hanging his head, "Nope, got nothing, not good with this."

"I-I'm not sure either," Hibiki gave a bit of a nervous laugh.

"That's quite alright, I didn't mean to pressure you," Ogawa reassured, "I just wanted you both to understand that even the smallest of things are backed by the efforts of many people. I think it would take a load off your shoulders if you didn't try to bear all the responsibility alone."

Touma couldn't help but chuckle, "Are we that easy to read?"

"Just a bit," Ogawa admitted.

"That's very kind of you, Ogawa," Hibiki smiled.

"I'm too indecisive," Ogawa admitted as he glanced to the side, "The really kind people are out there."

"It gave me some peace of mind though, thank you!" Hibiki said before giving a bow, grabbing her bag and heading off, "I'll make sure I get some sleep!"

"Even though she says that she's still extremely full of pep," Touma soon gave a yawn.

"If only Tsubasa could be as honest with herself as Hibiki is…" Ogawa mentioned before looking over at Touma, "Admittedly she does seem to want to take things slow. One of her requests was for me to bring her the books she had bought recently from you."

"Ah, well I'm sure she at least won't be bored in that case," Touma replied, he then gave a stretch, "Tell her that she can just get you to tell me if she has any orders while she's there."

"Sounds good to me," Ogawa agreed.

The Next Morning

Sophia was currently in the central command room with Daishinji, the two taking the lead in looking over the situation on there with Aoi and Sakuya while everyone else was outside.

The sun was just starting to barely rise over the mountains as the operation was prepped to get underway. There were eight vehicles in total, four standard issue Section 2 cars, a helicopter, the Ride Gatriker and Diago Speedy, and finally Ryoko's personal pink squashed car.

Genjuro was currently beside Ryoko, debriefing the set of eight agents, Hibiki, alongside Touma and Rintaro who had already transformed into Kamen Rider Saber and Blades.

"You're being deployed under the pretext of investigating the assassination of the Defense Minister," Genjuro explained. "Make haste for the Ruins of Memory."

"Let's give it a good code name!" Ryoko said as she gave a peace sign, "How about the "Personal Highway Plan"?"

Saber and Blades could only slump over as they glanced at each other, wondering what kind of name for a plan that was even supposed to be. But they didn't have time to chat as they quickly worked on getting ready as the agents entered their cars, Ryoko entering her own with Hibiki, while Genjuro made his way for the helicopter.

Both Saber and Blades mounted their respective vehicles before readying themselves.

After enough set up the set of five cars took off from Section 2 with the Helicopter in pursuit from above. Saber and Blades meanwhile trailed somewhat behind the cars, their task being to keep an eye out for anyone trying to ambush them from their blind spots.

The group of vehicles was on a highway that was making its way towards a bridge area above the ocean.

Of course no one was currently aware of Zooous who was underneath the highway just as it led towards the ocean. He gave a grin as he flipped open the Alter Ride Book.

[PIRANHA NO LUNCH!]

"Let's show them I'm serious," Zooous gave a vicious grin as a grouping of four Pirahna Megid formed from the tomes that flew out of the Alter Ride Book, "Two of you come with me, the other two coordinate with the Noise."

The two at the back nodded before quickly leaping into the water while the other two walked towards Zooous before the Megid Leader warped them away.

It wasn't long before a chunk of the bridge suddenly cracked before collapsing.

Both Saber and Blades gave a gasp as they went to slow down once they saw the first of the black cars fall off from the ground collapsing before it exploded. They inwardly felt some relief when they saw that Ryoko's Car alongside the other three made it away without issue. The two began to carefully follow, attempting to catch up only for the ground in front of them to collapse.

"I don't think so Kamen Riders!" The first Piranha Megid yelled out as it jumped out from the hole.

Saber tilted the Diago Speedy to the side, skidding to a stop, "Megid!"

"Daishinji was right," Blades stopped so he wouldn't risk falling into the hole but kept the Ride Gattriker forward, taking aim and firing at the Megid.

The Piranha Megid gave a yell as several cartoonish 2D piranhas flew out from the hole it made, getting struck by the bullets and being destroyed to keep the Megid safe.

"We're under attack! No confirmation, but presumably Noise!" Genjuro called out on the comm systems.

"There is confirmed visual of one culprit, we've got Megid," Sophia announced. "The Riders have been separated from the main transport group."

"They got to us sooner than anticipated!" Ryoko remarked.

"They're in the sewers! The Noise are using the sewers to attack!" Genjuro called out.

"Not good," Saber hissed out.

"Just what are you after?" Blades asked.

"That Helicopter is annoying! Let's get rid of it!" The Piranha Megid called out before more piranha familiars began launching out of the water to give chase. "Now what will you do, Swordsmen?"

"Genjuro be careful, the Megid's after your transport!" Sophia warned.

"The Megid's after me?!" Genjuro asked.

"Genjuro, my boy, shouldn't we pull out?" Ryoko asked, "That chemicals factory is one huge pile of dynamite. Durandal will…"

"I know! But the Noise only attacked your escorts and not you, which means they're under sentient control!" Genjuro called out, "If they want to capture Durandal, then our best bet is to get it someplace really dangerous and settle it!"

"But what about you Commander, will you be alright?!" Hibiki asked.

"Don't worry about me!" Genjuro called out, "I'll figure something out as this keeps going!"

"Saber," Blades dismounted his bike and stepped forward, "Use Storm Eagle to help the Commander."

"Blades…" Saber trailed before giving a nod, "Take care of things here."

"By my pride as a Swordsman, I swear to it," Blades stepped forward carefully.

"You won't be getting away!" The Piranha Megid yelled out as it rushed forward.

"Now go, Saber!" Blades quickly rushed in, clashing his sword with the bladed arm of the Piranha Megid,

"Right," Saber brought out Storm Eagle and opened it.

[STORM EAGLE!]

[It is said that when this Steller's sea eagle appears, a ferocious tornado will occur…]

Saber sheathed his blade before closing Brave Dragon, slotting Storm Eagle next to it, he gave a yell and drew his blade out.

[REKKA BATTOU!]

An eagle made of flames flew upwards before diving down, spiraling around Saber before slamming onto his back and burning away to reveal the new armor.

[TATSUMAKI DRAGON EAGLE!]

A bright red eagles head with a silver beak was on his chest now, with a red back plate that held wings that pointed down and to the sides. He now had a front feather-like skirt flap that dropped down alongside red shin armor and boot armor that resembled an eagle's talons.

[REKKA NISATSU!]

[A raging winged dragon that burns everything with a hellish flame!]

Saber crouched down before a burst of red wind formed and launched him high into the air. A trail of flames spiraled out from his wings as he spun a few times before spreading his arms out and stopping, now floating high in the sky. Looking around he was soon able to see the piranha familiars chasing after the helicopter which attempted to perform evasive maneuvers.

Genjuro had also opened the side door at this point to confront the Megid's familiars. His reasoning was simple in that the piranha familiars were not Noise, so he didn't have to be careful about touching them. He had figured he'd have to fight them the old fashioned way, raising a fist as he watched them approach.

"You aren't getting any closer," Saber called out as he flew towards the piranha familiars, sheathing his sword before clicking the trigger and unsheathing it,"Flame Tornado Slash!"

[HISSATSU DOKUHA!]

Saber gave a yell as he aimed his sword upwards, using his wings to spin him around as he became a tornado spiral that suddenly caught on fire.

[DRAGON! EAGLE! NISATSU GIRI! F-F-FIRE!]

The flaming spiral curved through the sky, speeding towards the piranha familiars and striking through them all, it curved underneath before flying over the helicopter, Saber exiting the tornado with a spin as he floated in the air.

"Whoa, okay… dizzy," Saber got his bearings before he flew over to the helicopter, "Commander you alright?"

"I am," Genjuro replied before giving an impressed smirk, "Not bad Saber."

Before the two could continue they soon heard and saw two explosions that occurred not long after each other at the pharmaceutical factory.

"Not good," Saber looked over, "Commander…"

"Get down there and help Hibiki," Genjuro ordered.

"Yes sir!" Saber called out as he shot downwards towards the factory, eventually managing to land on one of the tanks just as the smoke started to clear.

He gave a grimace as he saw another Piranha Megid alongside Desast on high ground. He also noticed that leading the two was Chris who was wearing the Nehushtan Armor. While he hadn't personally met her he had been given the info about what she looked like.

"~Balwisyall nescell Gungnir tron~"

Saber perked up as he saw the rest of the smoke clear away to reveal Hibiki wearing her Gungnir Symphogear. Hibiki was currently confronting the horde of Noise that were ready to approach at any moment. Saber also noticed Ryoko had seemingly gotten roughed up as she lost her glasses and her hair was completely let down from her usual bun.

He was ready to leap down to join her when he saw a bright spot out of the corner of his eye. He quickly leapt upwards to avoid a purple slash that curved upwards into the sky, the Rider used Storm Eagles flight to keep himself in the air, "What the…?"

"Hey don't spoil the fun," Desast called out, his blade shining a bright purple, "That girl has a unique aura to her. I want to see what she can do."

"Don't make me laugh," Chris remarked as she glanced at Desast, "You're saying she's different from before?"

"She doesn't have the smell of someone inexperienced like I've heard," Desast said as he rested his blade on his shoulder, "Just watch, all of you."

Hibiki meanwhile was working on fighting the noise, or at least, attempting to. She had ended up tripping on a thin pipe that ran along the ground, "Ow…" She winced before she managed to avoid a few Noise that attacked her while she was distracted. She could tell what was wrong, it was her armor. "The heels are in the way…" She gritted her teeth before stomping her feet at an angle, the high heels of her boots snapping off and giving her more even footing with the ground.

Saber, Chris, and Desast could only stare at Hibiki as she took a ready stance, the girl getting in the zone. And then the battle started, and Desast's gut feeling was correct. From a punch, to a chop, switching to an elbow to strike to one Noise at her side before swinging her leg for a kick to deal with one approaching from the front. She was properly dodging, countering, blocking, grabbing, and even throwing the Noise around. Hibiki the girl who could barely hold her own previously, was currently tearing through the Noise in record time despite only having her fists.

"She learned how to fight?" Chris asked.

"Now that's so interesting!" Desast gave a laugh as he watched, "A spear wielder completely dominating the battlefield without her weapon?"

"It doesn't matter what she is!" The Piranha Megid that was with the two yelled out in a more high pitched voice than its partner. It leapt down from its spot and rushed towards the battle, "I'll chomp her to bits!"

"Oh no you don't," Saber used Storm Eagle to boost himself downwards, skidding and sliding to in front of the Megid before gaining his bearings and spinning, unleashing a burst of fiery wind against the Megid.

The Piranha Megid gasped out as it was forced back by the wind, "Fine, I'll just take your Seiken and Wonder Ride Books!" It lunged forward and jabbed, but to its surprise, Saber had blocked with the flat of his blade.

"One," Saber muttered with a hum before using both hands to press back, forcing the Megid into a stagger, "Two," He muttered again with a hum as he stepped forward and slashed past the Megid, "Three…" He trailed with another hum as he turned and blocked a counter slash from the Megid. He stepped forward before kicking the Piranha Megid in the gut, forcing it to stagger.

The Piranha Megid was ready to rush towards Saber when suddenly Desast leapt between the two, "What's the big idea?!"

"Swordsman of Flame…" Desast lowered his sword so it dragged against the ground, he tilted his head. "I see you've gotten better."

"Desast…" Saber stiffened up but went for a defensive stance, readying his blade. That was until he suddenly felt a surge, glancing at Rekka and noticing the emblem began to flash briefly, "What?"

"Oh the party's just getting started," Desast remarked as he could feel the growing presence of a certain object.

Hibiki was continuing to tear through the Noise, unaware of the fight Touma was having at the moment. Of course her focus on the enemies was so great she nearly got struck by one of Chris' whips. She went to dodge only to get blindsided by a kick, being sent hurtling against the ground.

While the fights were occurring, Ryoko was staring at the case that held Durandal, the case disengaging the locks, "This signal…" She trailed as she looked towards the fight with Hibiki, her eyes narrowed when she also saw Saber's Seiken flashing, "You've got to be kidding!" She called out before the Durandal itself broke through the case and launched into the air, the stone sword gaining a soft gold glow around it, "It activated?"

"There it is…" Desast pointed up into the air.

"Durandal?" Saber questioned as he stared at the sword, "What's going on?"

"Is that Durandal?" Chris asked before leaping towards it.

"You're not doing anything with that!" Saber called out as he ran forward.

"That's my line!" Desast called out as he rushed to slash at Saber.

Saber quickly leapt into the air, using Storm Eagle to launch him towards Durandal, he reached out to grab it only to slow and stare in shock.

"It's mine!" Hibiki had launched after Chris, elbowing her in the back to force her away before grabbing the hilt of the blade.

An invisible force suddenly rocked the area, everyone feeling chills as Hibiki landed. Saber quickly landed, turning towards his friend as he felt something off. Hibiki was hunched forward, both hands gripping Durandal.

"Hibiki…?" Saber asked as he held out a hand.

Hibiki's eyes began to shake as her teeth canines began to grow sharper, it wasn't long before a beam of light was unleashed from where she was standing.

Saber gave a wince as he was sent skidding backwards, stomping to regain his balance, "Hibiki!"

"There we go! There it is!" Desast laughed out as he jabbed his sword into the ground, he hunched over and gripped his sword tightly, "Show me what you've got…"

Durandal suddenly changed shape, gaining a more elegant appearance with a full gold design, various light blue lines running through the edges and flats of the blade. Of course Hibiki's upper body was coated in a black substance, the only thing being visible were two eerie red circular eyes.

"What the hell is she doing?!" Chris questioned, gritting her teeth when she saw Ryoko who was just as delighted as Desast was, "Don't flaunt your power!" She yelled out as she began summoning Noise, "Megid, get in there! Take Durandal!"

"As you command, I shall take Durandal!" The Piranha Megid leapt past Hibiki, wincing as it could feel the power that the Full Relic was radiating. It turned to strike at the Gungnir Wielders back only to notice that Hibiki was beginning to turn as well, "What?"

"H-Hibiki?!" Saber asked as he saw his friend wrapped in shadows, taking a step back.

"Swordsman of Flame," Desast called out as he leapt towards where Saber was, slamming his elbow into the Rider.

Saber gave a gasp as he was sent staggering to the side. He then gasped as he dodged back against several slashes of energy. He was ready to retaliate when he noticed that he was just out of the range of where the attack would directly hit.

"I can't have you go dying on me now!" Desast called out as he gathered purple energy into his sword.

Chris had decided to choose the smart tactic even if it was fueled by fear, and had quickly leapt into the sky to avoid the upcoming assault.

With a mighty roar HIbiki turned and swung downwards against the Noise, Piranha Megid and Desast.

Desast gave roar of his own as he slashed towards the giant beam of energy being brought down, "Calamity Strike!"

The beam of energy unleashed from Durandal was so long it began tearing into one of the towers in the factory, explosions occurring as the massive blade of energy crashed against the ground. The Piranha Megid gasped out as it was completely eradicated alongside the Noise. Desast meanwhile kept his blade clashing against the mass of energy only for even him to buckle underneath it. He could only grit his teeth as he was fully engulfed.

"This power is-!"

[HISSATSU DOKUHA!]

Blades ducked underneath a swing from the Piranha Megid he was fighting, spinning and kicking out to force it back as he readied his finisher. He gave a yell as he unleashed a stream of water from the lion's head on his chest, striking the Megid and capturing it in a water bubble.

[LION! ISSATSU GEKI! WATER!]

"Leo Cascade!" Blades yelled out as he rushed forward and kicked out, piercing the bubble and kicking against the Megid.

The Piranha Megid yelled out as it was struck by Blades boot, exploding in a burst of water.

Blades landed and picked himself up, "Now to-"

BOOM!

Blades suddenly turned in the direction of where the pharmaceutical factory was, his eyes widening beneath his helmet as he saw the destruction caused, "What even…"

"Blades please get there immediately," Sophia's voice spoke through the comm's.

"Yes Ma'am," Blades gave a nod before dismissing the Ride Gatriker and going over to the Diago Speedy which was still active. He mounted it before taking off towards where he figured Touma, Hibiki and Ryoko were.

Saber coughed out as he stumbled out of pieces of rubble, he had been out of the range of the attack but the force from it still managed to blow him away. His vision had also blacked out for a bit after that but he had come to once the explosion had mostly died down. His Two Book form had helped brace him somewhat, but as a result he had reverted back into his base form of Brave Dragon.

"Just what was that…?" Saber muttered as he began to step forward. He soon spotted Ryoko who was fixing her hair and an unconscious Hibiki who was back in her uniform but still holding the Durandal, "Hibiki!"

"Oh good, you weren't too badly hurt I hope," Ryoko gave a smile as she looked towards the Rider.

"I'm fine, but HIbiki…" Saber trailed as he dismissed his transformation.

"She'll be fine, there's no major injuries on her," Ryoko waved it off, "She'll just be super tired though, maybe super hungry too."

"T-That's all huh?" Touma nearly fell at how relaxed the researcher was at all this.

"What was… all that power? My body moved on its own and blew it all into oblivion," Hibiki managed to get out as her eyes slowly opened, once she was fully aware she quickly sat up and looked around, "Touma?"

"Hey there, you sure did a number on everything," Touma remarked as he walked over.

"That's Durandal," Ryoko told the Swordsman of Fire before looking over at Hibiki, "The completed Relic that was activated by your voice."

"U-Umm, I…" Hibiki stammered. "And you… what?"

"Does it really matter? The point is the three of us are all safe and sound, right?" Ryoko admitted as she put on her glasses which were now cracked. She then heard her communicator go off, so she began to walk off, "Understood. Transport operations temporarily called off, preparations for return are in progress. Yes, Durandal is undamaged, but…"

Hibiki stared at Ryoko for a bit before looking down, "I…"

"Hey," Touma knelt next to his friend and put a hand on her shoulder, "Are you alright?"

"I'm… scared," Hibiki admitted as she finally let her grip relax on Durandal before removing her hand, "Durandal I…"

"Well if what I'm hearing right now is true we'll probably be locking it up again," Touma explained as he caught bits of Ryoko's conversation, "You won't have to use it if it scares you."

"The scary thing is it isn't that I can't control it, it's just that I…" Hibiki trailed, "I swung it at that girl without any hesitation. And you were nearby…"

"Hibiki…" Touma gave a grimace, "If it makes you feel any better, I had ended up only getting blown back, and I think I saw that girl fly off too. The only ones caught in the blast were the Noise and the Megid."

"I see…" Hibiki muttered.

Unbeknownst to everyone, the operation had not gone unnoticed to those who were interested in the activities of the Seiken and Relics. From the distance Falchion stood on a building, staring out at the destruction as they kept silent. Their coattail flowed in the wind before they turned away and leapt off the building they were standing on.

To Be Continued…

Author's Note: I was admittedly curious about the reactions to the Buster and Kenzan I chose for the flashback last chapter. The wider purpose behind that was to show the Logos Sector as a fairly large team that took heavy losses due to the concert incident. Kamikawa himself has a specific purpose I can't say much on yet, while Ren's is very simple. He was meant as a cautionary tale, something that should be a warning to future swordsmen, lest they end up like him.

Partially, it was because of not wanting a bloated cast, especially with how many characters are added to the regular cast of both series. So I had to cut somewhere and it had to be a decent amount of the Saber cast. Like don't get me wrong, I really warmed up to Ren the further we went in Saber. In fact he had some of my favorite moments during the endgame. I just knew I didn't want to do a strict beat by beat retelling of Saber so that meant cutting some characters in favor of other ideas.

Regarding an inquiry about length, well I can at least confirm now that there'll be about 15 episodes in the S1 segment. The only real extra chapters within the season I felt like doing were Chapters 3 and 4. So if all goes well with scheduling and stuff, we'll be done with S1 in July I'd like to say? At least the main part anyway, there are a few extra's I have planned before we get into G but we will be getting into G this year, rest assured.

Otherwise, there's not much to say on the chapter itself really. But hey, Symphogear turned 10 between this and last chapter's release, so that's great! I may have only joined up with the series back in 2020 but it's still great to see it celebrate a great milestone.