Sympho-Saber: Song of Swords
G: EP05 – Bloodstained Challenges
Calibur was currently away from the FIS Airship, figuring Nastassja and Maria would be fine for a bit while Kirika, Shirabe and Kento worked on their mission. This was mostly to meet with Storious now that they had crippled Saber.
"Was it really necessary to send Legeiel and Desast in my stead?" Calibur asked.
"They are simply to make sure that our allies don't get completely torn apart," Storious answered, "After all they are being hunted and have lost their best base. They're on limited time."
"I suppose," Calibur said, "What about Zooous?"
"Preparing our hunting grounds of course," Storious replied, "While Frontier is a priority, should this plan fail we need to figure out our next move."
"Very well," Calibur said, "So is it done?"
"The bait has been set," Storious gave a smile, "Now then…"
"There's only one location as to where it could even be. I've done the research," Calibur replied, "However the issue is accessing Avalon itself from that location. The first door-"
"It lies in the gaps of time, correct?" Storious replied, familiar with the legends surrounding Avalon, "I have a hunch."
"You do?" Calibur asked.
Storious gave a smile before walking over to a bookshelf against the wall, waving his hand as it slid to the side. Soon enough a doorway to dark room was revealed with a bookshelf at the very end of it, chains wrapping around a large black book. He waved his hand to dismiss the chains before gripping it, soon turning and walking out of the room.
"Oh?" Calibur stepped forward.
"That should help open the door to the gap in time," Storious said as he handed the book to Calibur, "I ask one question in return. What will you do with the power you'll obtain?"
Calibur stared directly at his ally, "That is a simple answer… continue to seek the truth to eventually take control of the path we're on."
"How interesting," Storious smiled before turning away and frowning, "However it is very difficult to make changes to a story that is meant to end no matter what."
In an abandoned warehouse, the FIS's air carrier was currently parked inside in order to keep from drawing suspicion. Of course even with their ability to hide their vehicle thanks to the Shénshòujìng, they still had openings that those searching for them would exploit. Several armed soldiers began to slowly but surely began to make their approach towards the warehouse.
Maria and Nastassja were both sitting in one of the rooms of the air carrier, the former dwelling on Shirabe and Kirika's desire to keep her from becoming Finé.
"Are you having regrets?" Nastassja asked.
"I'm fine, Mom," Maria shook her head, "I will accomplish the mission that has been given to me."
The two were soon given an alert, Nastassja looking over at the table nearby. The flat surface lifted up and revealed it to also be a monitor with various security footage displayed.
"Looks like our countrymen have caught up with us," Nastassja noted.
"They've found us already?" Maria asked.
"Though we may make use of heretical technology, in the end, we are still just amateurs," Nastassja admitted, "It'd be overly optimistic to think we could go toe-to-toe with trained professionals."
"What should we do?" Maria asked.
"We need to take the initiative by confronting them before they enter the building," Nastassja answered, "Maria, it's up to you to fight them off."
"Fight them?" Maria asked in disbelief, "They're just normal humans! They wouldn't survive one blow from the Gungnir!"
"Nonetheless, that is what you must do," Nastassja said before frowning when she saw the Gungnir Wielder's hesitation, "You were like this at the concert site, too. Maria, are you so afraid to stain your hands with blood?"
"Mom… I…" Maria trailed.
"It's a path you can't easily walk back from," Desast spoke up as he entered the room from the shadows in the corner, soon leaning against the wall, "If you don't have the resolve to do it, and you end up doing it… well it'll be hard to recover from that."
"You…" Maria trailed as she looked over at Desast.
"Regardless it would be a waste to send you out," Desast admitted as he laughed slightly, "These guys aren't worth staining that spear."
"Then what do you propose we do?" Nastassja asked.
"You'll see soon enough," Desast gave a chuckle.
BOOM
The air carrier was rocked as explosions went off on both sides, flames surrounding it as armed soldiers began to slowly approach.
"It's begun," Nastassja said before looking over at Desast, "What exactly are you all planning?"
"Wait, isn't that…?" Maria's eyes widened, as despite there being smoke covering some of the cameras, it was blown away to reveal Legeiel in his transformed state.
Legeiel let out a small laugh as he began to walk into view, brandishing his sword as he waited for the reactions from his opponents.
The Soldiers all gave gasps and began firing at him with their guns. Despite landing hits, only minor sparks could be seen as Legeiel stayed where he was. The bullets were having no effect on the Megid, no matter the angle or how many hit him. Legeiel looked around the warehouse chuckling as held up an Alter Ride Book, flipping it open.
[MEDUSA JADEN!]
Soon enough three sets of tomes began flying out, landing on the ground and forming into fully formed Megid. Gold snake themed armoring covered their chest, shoulders and forearms as these were based on the mythical creature known as Medusa.
The three Medusas could only laugh out as they swiped their hands over their faces, a red pulse being emitted as their eyes shined a bright red. The soldiers could only gasp out before they were near instantly turned to stone.
"Good, good!" Legeiel yelled out, "Keep trying to fight us!"
The Soldiers could only yell out as they kept shuffling in, trying to avenge their fallen comrades only to fall for the same fate of looking directly at the Medua Megid. Slowly but surely, all the soldiers inside were turned to stone by the gorgons gaze.
Dr. Ver was currently watching with a light frown, he had wanted to be the one to deliver retribution to these soldiers after Maria had yet to come out. Legeiel however had beaten him to the punch. Even then he couldn't help but feel begrudgingly fine at that since he got to see how a Megid hunt worked.
"Legeiel…?" Maria asked on the communications.
"Yes it would appear so," Dr. Ver chimed in as he was hiding to keep out of the Medusa's attacks, holding Solomon's Cane close to him, "While I personally would have handled this, I do believe this is a good chance for us to see our allies' capabilities."
"This is…" Maria trailed.
"So will we finally see a successful capturing of essences like Calibur mentioned?" Nastassja asked.
"Just watch," Dr. Ver answered.
"Now then… reap our rewards!" Legeiel yelled out.
"Of course," The Medusa Megid all dropped their weapons before pulling out three blank books each. It wasn't long before the stone soldiers all turned a bright white before becoming energy and entering the books. In a flash all nine books had turned into fully blackened books.
"While collecting what little essence remains from Noise attacks are nice, a fresh soul filled with despair can easily triple that," Legeiel gave a laugh as he walked over to his Megid followers who presented them with the books, "That's nine complete books, a new record! I'm sure even Zooous will feel jealous at that!"
"Oh? Master Legeiel…" One of the Medusa spoke out before pointing towards a lone soldier that was running away.
Legeiel hissed at seeing this, "Well if you don't want to be sacrificed…"
"T-That was…" Maria stepped backwards before falling and sitting on the seats nearby.
"The power of an uninterrupted Megid hunt," Desast replied, "It would be a waste to kill those idiots with Noise, so Legeiel thought they'd serve a better purpose."
"What exactly do they plan on doing with those blackened books?" Nastassja asked.
"Hell if I know," Desast shrugged, "All I know is that they need them for the next part of their plan. And once they gather enough they can commence it."
"Do they plan on using the Frontier?" Nastassja questioned.
"From what I've heard they're waiting to see what it can truly do," Desast said, "Then they'll make their move."
"I see," Nastassja said as she narrowed her eye.
Meanwhile a few young boys on bikes had heard the explosions while nearby and were starting to head towards the warehouse where the battle had taken place in. The most that could be seen was black smoke exiting the windows from the flames.
Before they could get any closer to the warehouse a dark portal appeared in front of them, Calibur stepping out from it.
"I wouldn't go there if I were you," Calibur said as the boys became frightened by his dark and sudden appearance. He then pointed his sword at them, "I'm a merciful man, leave now."
The boys could only shout out in fright before turning around and biking off.
"There we go," Calibur sighed in relief before heading back to the warehouse in order to assess the situation. He was lucky that Storious was alerted to the Medusa Megid being used, and that allowed him to arrive fairly quickly, "Their blood didn't need to be shed…"
A soldier managed to run out in the open with a yell before a blast of ice was suddenly shot at him, freezing him over. Legeiel soon walked over and slammed his sword forward, shattering the frozen soldier.
"Oh?" Legeiel turned to see Calibur, "You missed a good time."
"Say's you," Calibur scoffed as he walked over, "Was that the last one?"
"He was," Legeiel said as he shifted back to his human form before giving a grin, "Thanks to those foolish soldiers I was able to complete nine books."
"Nine you say?" Calibur asked, "Then you've sped up the collection process by quite a bit."
"So where have you been?" Legeiel asked.
"Making some final preparations on my end," Calibur said.
Back at Lydian's Amphitheater, the Riders and Wielders of Section 2 were all shocked by the sudden appearance and challenge of Kirika and Shirabe. Of course for the two to enter from the audience the lights had to be turned on, revealing Kento as well. Needless to say, Hibiki and Touma had to keep Rintaro from immediately getting up and trying to head over to Kento. Thankfully it wouldn't be long before the contest continued as the lights began to dim. The two members of FIS selected their song and prepped themselves, choosing to sing a song from Zwei Wing of all things, Orbital Beat.
Needless to say, if there was any doubt before during their battles, that faded as both Kirika and Shirabe showed that they were incredible singers. It was to the point that they managed to end up getting the crowd to explode with cheers and applause.
"Tsubasa…" Hibiki trailed as she looked over at her friend.
"Why must we, the singers of songs, fight each other?" Tsubasa asked, at first she had been put off by them using a song of hers and Kanade's. But when the song started and they sung, she could feel something resonate with her about them.
"That is a question I truly want answered… for all sides," Rintaro admitted as he looked over towards Kento who had simply enjoyed the performance, "Kento…"
"With those amazing voices, even the champion has to sit up and take notice!" The MC called out after Kirika and Shirabe's performance, the lights turning on again. "I can't wait to see how they scored!"
"You had to gang up on me to stand a chance, huh?" Chris gave a light glare, not amused by the two enemy Wielders' stunt.
BZZT
"Our hideout has been discovered. We were able to fend off the attackers but since they've identified our location, we can't stay here any longer," Nastassja spoke through Kirika's, Shirabe's, and Kento's radios, "We will be relocating shortly, regroup at the designated location."
"Hold on," Kirika lowered her voice while speaking into the comm's, "We're this close to getting our hands on the Pendants."
"This is an emergency. Regroup, that's an order."
"Understood," Kento spoke in a low voice as he went to stand before he and Shirabe exchanged a glance, the two of them nodding.
Before the MC could announce the two as their new winners, Shirabe immediately grabbed Kirika before dragging her off much to Chris' surprise.
"Shirabe!" Kirika called out in protest.
"I'm sure they'll be fine with Maria there, but I'm worried about her," Shirabe admitted as she dragged Kirika off.
"Shindo, Tachibana," Tsubasa addressed as she stood up, "We need to go after them."
"Hey wait," Touma said as he stood up, "What about me?"
"Stay here with Miku," Hibiki said as she stood up, giving a more concerned look, "We may have to fight them."
"And you currently can't," Rintaro reminded.
"If need be I'll reign in Shindo from doing anything rash," Tsubasa added as she walked off, Rintaro and Hibiki following after him.
"I can only hope she will," Touma sighed as he went to sit back down, "Kento… he doesn't seem like he's that bad of a guy."
Miku looked over at her friend, "Really?"
"I… I talked with him earlier today," Touma admitted, "He may be against us but I don't think he's an enemy if that makes any sense."
"I think so," Miku nodded.
"Admittedly I wish he was more clear on some things," Touma admitted as he pulled out the paper he was given and opened it up, "Like, what is this supposed to mean?"
"He gave that to you?" Miku asked as Touma gave a nod. Staring at it for an extended period of time however she narrowed her eyes at how specific the numbers seemed, "Touma… I think these are geographical coordinates."
"Wait," Touma looked at what was written and then back at his friend, "Really?"
Kirika and Shirabe meanwhile tried to make their way out of the school grounds when they were forced to slow down after several whale floats began to pass by.
"Dammit," Kirika cursed as she stared at their getaway path being blocked, "What should we do?!"
Both Tsubasa and Rintaro soon stepped forward into view once the whale floats passed, already waiting for them. As if that wasn't enough, both Hibiki and Chris came from the initial path the two FIS members had run down.
"Kirika and Shirabe, right?" Hibiki asked.
"Four on two… you have the advantage in numbers," Shirabe looked around, "But think about what you stand to lose by fighting us here."
"How can you make such dirty threats?" Chris called out, "You were singing so cheerfully only a moment ago!"
"Indeed, you looked like you were having so much fun," Rintaro admitted.
"Shirabe, there's no need to resort to anything that drastic," Kento spoke up as he walked over from one of the side paths, "Even if we're surrounded."
"You…" Tsubasa looked over at Kento, "You had the advantage in not being here initially, why are-"
"There's no need for a pointless fight here," Kento said as he went to stand near Kirika and Shirabe before looking over at them, "Right?"
"That's right, dess! I don't want to fight you here," Kirika gave a nod before gaining a sudden look of realization before pointing at Chris, "I know! A duel! I will challenge you to a fair duel!"
"Kirika…?" Kento turned in surprise.
"A duel…?" Rintaro asked.
"Why?" Hibiki asked, "It's not like we have to fight every time we meet… or do we?"
"Make up your mind! (Dess!)" Both Chris and Kirika called out before realizing what they had done, looking away in embarrassment by their syncing up.
"We will notify you of when the duel is to take place," Shirabe said, figuring it was their chance to run, "Goodbye."
The three Wielders and Rider could only watch as Shirabe took Kirika's hand before leading her towards the school gates.
"Until next time," Kento gave a bow before following after the two.
Before anyone could air their thoughts out, their comm links began to beep.
"Are the four of you gathered?" Sophia asked, "We've detected a possible Megid signal. It seems to have faded since then, but please investigate the general vicinity just in case."
"Roger," Tsubasa, Chris and Rintaro responded.
"…Roger," Hibiki trailed off a bit later than the others.
After the investigation, the three Wielders, Rintaro and even Touma were called to Section 2 HQ. While Genjuro was preparing the report, he had asked them all to stop by Daishinji's workshop.
"We heard you have news for us," Tsubasa said, "Or more specifically, for Kamiyama."
"Indeed," Daishinji said as he slammed a book on the table near two others, opening up to specific pages, "I've searched as hard as I could in the texts my family has gathered."
"I thought you said Avalon was unreachable," Chris said, "So I assumed there'd be no easy way to research it."
"That doesn't mean there's no text regarding it," Daishinji said as he gestured for Touma to come over pointing at specific portions. These portions had pieces of paper underneath what Daishinji considered the more important text, "These are the key ones I figured might point towards some kind of clue."
"When the two worlds begin to unravel, a shining light shall fuse with two dragons, revealing a path along the breach between worlds," Touma recited one of the highlighted portions before moving onto the next, "The king slumbers within a crevice in time."
"Breach between worlds… crevice in time…?" Tsubasa muttered.
"I'm not sure I understand," Hibiki admitted with a nervous chuckle.
"When 13 Seeker Tales clash against the 13 Guardian Tales via a curious blade, a rift between worlds shall reveal itself," Touma read off before noticing something, "Wait a minute…"
"There's a reason I highlighted those three in particular," Daishinji gave a nod, "I have my suspicions but…"
"These are all different unrelated books, correct?" Touma asked as he watched the Swordsman of Sound give a nod, "Then that clinches it."
"What exactly did you figure out?" Rintaro asked.
"The breach between worlds, a crevice in time and a rift between the worlds," Touma repeated select portions as he had also noticed something off, "They're all from different books, but they all point to the same location. In short, I think Avalon is in an alternate dimension."
"Another Dimension…" Daishinji trailed.
"Is… is that even possible?" Chris asked.
"There is the Treasury of Babylonia," Tsubasa reminded, "If the Noise can exist there before being summoned via Solomon's Cane, then there's a chance that the power of Avalon can exist in its own dimension as well."
"But how exactly do we find these Guardian and Seeker Tales?" Rintaro asked.
"Are they referring to the books we have?" Hibiki asked.
"We'd come up short at about 11," Daishinji replied, "And even with the Wonder Ride Books that Calibur holds, those aren't enough."
"Guardian means protector," Touma said before giving a nod as he paced around, soon gaining a look of realization as everything began to add up, "There's this verse: The king slumbers within a crevice in time. When King Arthur was dying, he was taken to an island named Avalon. That would mean that Avalon exists in that alternate dimension but should potentially be accessible through an island in our own world."
"Okay smart guy," Chris crossed her arms, "If you're so sure on that, how do we find it?"
"Calibur," Touma said, "He's surely figured out this information too, and wants to claim the power sealed away at Avalon for himself."
"It would explain why you've been put in this position by the Megid," Tsubasa said.
"That would also explain why our Dragon Books resonated with each other when we've fought recently," Touma said, recalling the mission to protect the Book of Ruin alongside the concert attack, "Two dragons…"
"It would explain his attempt during the Hanzaki Megid case too," Daishinji said, "Try and claim your book to do it himself."
"But then I grew stronger shortly after," Touma added before recalling more of Calibur's words, "That's why he mentioned that about my strength when we clashed previously…"
"But if he needs your help, wouldn't he have given you the location?" Chris asked.
"Yeah," Hibiki agreed, "How do we figure out where this place is?"
"We haven't been able to track him," Rintaro replied, "So we can't use him to find it."
"Given the current situation, he'd be foolish to not reveal his location," Tsubasa admitted, "He needs Kamiyama to truly access Avalon's treasure."
"There's this," Touma said as he held up a piece of paper, "Kento confronted me earlier in the day and gave me this. I was confused at first but Miku said they seemed like geographical coordinates when she saw them."
"Hold up, we're seriously considering this?" Chris finally asked as she looked around, "That's exactly what the Megid want us to do, all so they can swoop in and claim Avalon's power before using it against us."
"Be that as it may, I need the power of a Kamen Rider to keep protecting people," Touma held a more serious look, "Even if it carries the risk of that great power falling into the Megid's hands I need a way to unseal Kaenken Rekka."
"Besides he wouldn't be going alone," Daishinji replied, "This is the perfect chance to strike against our enemies."
"What do you mean?" Hibiki asked.
"I get it now," Tsubasa nodded and crossed her arms, "We deploy every Rider and Wielder to Avalon in order to overwhelm our opposition, gain that power, and reclaim Kamiyama's ability to transform."
"Exactly," Daishinji nodded.
"With our combined forces we can do this," Rintaro agreed.
"Yeah, let's get Touma's power back!" Hibiki pumped both of her fists.
"Seriously, you guys…" Chris gave a groan before sighing, "I guess we're really doing this…"
"Everyone," Touma smiled as he looked around.
"It will take some time to pinpoint the coordinates," Daishinji said as he took the paper, "In the meantime the Commanders also want to brief you on their ongoing investigation."
"Roger," The two Riders and three Wielders called out.
…
…
"Someone, please help my sister!"
…
…
"Thank goodness…"
Reika's eyes opened wide as she gave a gasp, quickly sitting up on her bed as she began to breathe heavily. She stared forward for a bit before bringing her right hand forward, watching it shake before gripping it tightly as she began to take deep breaths to calm herself.
"Again…?" She muttered as she went to get dressed, and after getting dressed she went to roam the halls outside of her room. After walking for enough time she made it to a balcony, revealing that she was currently in an old medieval styled castle that was overlooking a vast countryside.
"I didn't think I'd see you out here again."
Reika perked up before turning in surprise to see Ryoga approaching, "Brother…"
"Is something bothering you Reika?" Ryoga asked as he went to stand beside her.
"Uh… it's nothing…" Reika turned to stare out at the countryside, "Yeah, nothing…"
"You had that nightmare again, huh?" Ryoga asked before continuing without an answer, "You usually make a habit to come out here if it happens."
"I…" Reika trailed a bit before sighing as she rested her hands on the balcony, "Yes, I did. The monstrous figure that towered above me… the fire… destruction… then the screaming not long after that…"
"It's a memory that you don't need to think too hard on," Ryoga said as he placed his hand over her own, "It was a traumatic accident that occurred while we were readying ourselves to serve Master Logos. But that's all in the past now, what matters is that your safe and healthy now."
"It must have been terrible for you," Reika admitted with a sigh as she looked down, "I was in a coma for three years and then when I came to… I…"
"…You couldn't remember anything likely due to the trauma and damage done," Ryoga finished for her before looking over, "I know you must think you've hurt me for not remembering who I am or our past but it is alright. What matters is that you're here safe and sound."
"Right," Reika said with a smile before turning and going to head back inside, "I should see if there's anything that needs to be done, thank you, brother."
"Of course," Ryoga gave a nod as he watched Reika walk off. Once she had fully left he pulled out a pocket watch, opening it up and viewing a picture he had placed inside. He closed it and gripped it tightly before staring up at the sky, "What brother would I be if I wasn't there for my sister in her times of need?"
The FIS Air Carrier was currently flying through the daytime skies while having its cloaking up thanks to the Shénshòujìng. Nastassja and Calibur were both at the front piloting it while Dr. Ver was currently overlooking the Nephilim in a darkened room while it was resting and caged. Maria meanwhile was in one of the other rooms of the aircraft, staring at a cracked Symphogear pendant.
'Serena…' Maria thought as she clasped the pendant tightly and held it close while closing her eyes, 'Unlike you, I may not be able to protect anyone with my song.'
"Why hold onto that broken Relic?" Desast asked as he was currently sitting across from her on the table, "We don't have the means to fix it, so why not just feed it to Nephilim?"
Maria's grip on the pendant tightened, opening her eyes with a glare, "Don't you dare speak so frivolously."
"What a fierce look in your eyes," Desast chuckled as he leaned forward, "But you don't scare me."
"What?" Maria asked.
"You're all bark and no bite," Desast remarked, "If you truly had the resolve to see this through you would have marched out there and stopped Legeiel before taking care of business yourself."
"That's not…" Maria trailed before looking to the side, wanting to move the conversation to its end, "Just never speak of that beast again. It's bad enough I have to be near it."
"Given you all were in possession of its inactive state…" Desast trailed, "And you're reaction… I take it the last time that thing was active things didn't go so well."
Maria turned in surprise, "How did you…?"
"I've got a good sense of smell," Desast admitted, "That beast has a scent of pure destruction… but it's also got a more recent scent. One that smells similar to the pendant you're holding. Judging by your reaction to it, I can only assume that whoever-"
"Desast," Calibur interrupted as he walked into the room, "I didn't think you'd be one for conversation."
"I'm not just a mindless weapon," Desast spoke bitterly, "Why are you here?"
"To inform Maria that we're arriving at the rendezvous point," Calibur said, "Kento and the others will be arriving soon."
Maria couldn't help but silently sigh in relief before pocketing the pendant, "Understood."
"Whatever," Desast said with a click of his tongue.
After dismissing themselves from Daishinji's lab, the Riders and Wielders were all in Section 2's main bridge. As they entered and waited, Sophia greeted them while Genjuro was deep in thought after what he discovered.
'An abandoned hideout and no trace of anyone aside from signs of a clear fight,' He thought as he mulled over the situation, 'No doubt it was a Megid, but what exactly happened in there?'
"Commanders," Sakuya called out, "The government's data processing center just finished the analysis, displaying on main monitor."
The main screen in the command center displayed two waveform patterns for Gungnir that overlapped and showed no signs of being different from each other.
"Comparing Aufwachen waveforms," Aoi said as she typed away, "Scanning for differences. None found, even at one-trillionth precision."
"That means the black Gungnir used by Maria Cadenzavna Eve is exactly the same as Hibiki's," Genjuro said.
"Incredible…" Rintaro managed to speak up, "To think that Daishinji was able to correctly guess that it was a real Gungnir…"
"The same as mine…" Hibiki said as she put a hand to her chest.
"But how exactly is that possible?" Touma asked.
"It's likely that Ryoko stole a part of Gungnir and provided it to the American government," Sakuya speculated, "They used that to create their Gungnir Pendant."
"Another Gungnir Symphogear, created in accordance with the Sakurai Theory…" Aoi trailed.
"But that doesn't make sense," Chris spoke up, "The American government was after Finé's research. If they had an institute like the FIS and the ability to manufacture their own Symphogear, why would they need to go after Finé?"
"Considering that they decided to renounce their own government's authority and go rogue," Tsubasa decided to speculate as well, "The FIS must have intended to monopolize all technology and information regarding the relics while establishing their own command authority."
"It's also possible they knew about the Wonder Ride Books and knew Finé was connected," Touma also theorized, "No doubt they'd want to capitalize on that as well."
"Why would the FIS go as far as to make enemies of their own home country?" Genjuro questioned.
"Regardless," Sophia spoke up, "The most we can do is prepare for their next move and try and reclaim Saber's power."
"We've made some progress," Touma spoke up, "At this rate I will make it to Avalon and undo the seal on my sword."
"I presume you've obtained a lead on accessing Avalon?" Sophia asked.
"Daishinji's finalizing the details," Rintaro said, "But yes, we have."
"Let's hear it then," Genjuro turned towards the Riders and Wielders.
"Of course," Touma gave a nod.
The air carrier slowly landed right outside the remains of the large ruined tower of Kadingir. There was construction equipment surrounding the entirety of it as it was in the process of being dismantled. It was slow but sure work in trying taking apart the tower piece by piece while trying to see if anything could be salvaged to not waste the materials used.
Hiding nearby in a cluster of rocks were Kento, Kirika, and Shirabe, the three emerging from the hiding spot and going over to meet Maria who walked out.
"Maria! Are you alright, dess?" Kirika asked.
"Yes," Maria said.
"Thank goodness," Shirabe hurried over and hugged her, "If Finé ever awakens inside you then we'd never be able to see you again."
"Even if I become Finé's vessel, I'll still be me," Maria reassured as Kirika joined in on the hug, "Don't worry."
While Shirabe and Kirika seemed to buy it, Kento wasn't as he could see the more distant look on her face when she answered. Despite that he couldn't help but smile a bit at the small warm moment. His eyes however caught Nastassja, Ver and Calibur walking out of the air carrier to meet with them.
"I'm glad you three are safe," Nastassja said as she wheeled herself over, "Now, let's be off before they catch up to us."
"Please wait, Mom!" Kirika quickly hurried over to her, "We were unable to secure any of their pendants, dess! We can't retreat now!"
Shirabe walked over now, "We promised to duel with them, so-"
Shirabe was cut off as two slaps rang in the air, Nastassja having struck both of them across the face.
"Hey, what's the big idea?!" Kento asked as he took a step forward only for Maria to grab him by the shoulder and keep him back.
"That's enough!" Nastassja scolded the two younger Wielders.
"That's kind of cold, don't you think?" Calibur asked.
"Those two and Maria need to realize that battle is not a game," Nastassja replied.
"Let's stop there," Dr. Ver suggested, "We can still turn things around at this point, can't we? Personally, I'd like to make use of that duel they promised."
"I agree," Calibur gave a nod before looking over at Kento, "Did you do it?"
"He received the coordinates, yes," Kento said as he relaxed slightly.
"Then our two Wielders ended up giving us a perfect way to divide their forces," Calibur admitted with a light chuckle.
Unbeknownst to them all, someone was watching from the ruins of Kadingir. That someone was Kanade who had decided to keep an eye on the FIS and Megid for now. She simply stared at the group from her hiding place as she gripped Kyomu in one hand, figuring they'd make the first move.
"I see," Genjuro said as he took in the information with Sophia, "So we know their goal plus the likely location and you wish to simply deploy all our forces in order to keep them from gaining that power, correct?"
"That would be our plan," Tsubasa gave a nod.
"The only issue would be leaving ourselves defenseless if they think ahead," Sophia reminded, "For all we know they could be counting on us to do just that."
"Oh right, what about Kirika and Shirabe?" Hibiki asked in realization, "Didn't they say they'd let us know about the duel?"
"You really think they'll keep their word?" Chris asked.
"They seemed pretty sincere about it," Rintaro admitted.
"I've got it," Daishinji entered with a tablet, having geographic information on it as he walked over to Sakuya "I've put in the coordinates and they indeed do lead somewhere."
"Let's see," Sakuya said as he looked over the coordinates and data before typing it into the console, soon bringing up a map that began to zoom in on what seemed to be a random island in the middle of the ocean, "It seems to be a random isolated island of sorts."
"Seems like the perfect place to hide a power that can unseal a Seiken," Daishinji said with a small grin, "And the perfect fit for the story it's utilizing."
"Looks like we've got it," Touma pumped his fist.
Their discovery would not last long however as alarms began to sound off, the entire room dimming and as the operators began to type rapidly to figure out what was going on.
"We've detected the emergence of more Noise!" Aoi called out.
"Just like old times," Tsubasa said, "A warning shot to announce their duel!"
"Looks like they want to divide our attention," Touma mused, it couldn't be a coincidence that they chose now of all times to announce their presence.
"Location identified!" Sakuya said as he typed away before giving a pause, "It can't be!"
"What's the matter?" Genjuro asked.
"It's an unlisted address in Tokyo, Specially Designated Blockade Area!" Sakuya exclaimed, everyone's eyes widening as they knew what that meant.
Genjuro immediately stood up, "The former site of Kadingir?!"
"We can't just ignore that," Chris said, "But we also need to get our bookworm's sword unlocked."
"As unfortunate as it is, we'll need to split up," Daishinji replied, "Kadingir is closer to the city than Avalon is. Meaning you'll need as many hands on deck as possible should the Noise start to wander off."
"But we should send someone with Touma," Hibiki said, "He can't go alone out there."
"Then I'll go," Daishinji replied, "If Calibur is there then perhaps I can finally trade blows with him."
"Can you handle him on your own?" Genjuro asked.
Daishinji paused at that before speaking up in an almost uncertain tone, "Maybe…"
"Then have Ogawa accompany you," Genjuro said, "The two of you are to escort Touma to Avalon so he can unseal his blade."
"Are you sure they'll be able to handle it?" Rintaro asked.
"Ogawa's skill is nothing to scoff at, especially now that he's a Rider," Tsubasa reassured, "Regardless we should get going before they get antsy."
"You all have your missions," Genjuro then began to slip his swordsman coat on, "Let's deal with this here and now!"
Night had eventually fallen as both groups were already in place to start their respective missions. Touma, Daishinji and Ogawa were taking a Section 2 helicopter to the remote island that supposedly housed the location of Avalon.
Of course Calibur was already at the destination which was a remote island that was rather small in size, it barely being as big as a football field. The most distinct point it held was a jagged stone arch that had a doorframe-like shape.
"There it is… the gateway," Calibur said as he approached the arch with the book he received from Storious.
It wasn't long before he felt a pulse towards his waist, the Jaaku Dragon Wonder Ride Book reacting as the arch began to react to his presence. The arch began to shake before the jagged portions of it began to shatter, various Wonder Ride Books floating outwards and into a sigil, one in the center surrounded by six books. Six more books completed the outer ring, two on each side and one at the top and bottom. By the time all the books had broken out to complete the sigil, the arch was now cleaned of its jagged state and resembled an actual gateway.
Most of these were normal Wonder Ride Books though they didn't seem to have a real place among the elements like the others did. Of note were three of them, the center vertical three that held different colored spines than their normal counterparts. The one on the top had a gold spine with a black cover, holding a dangerous looking black dragon. The one at the bottom of the three had a silver spine with a white cover, holding a pale white woman on it. The one in the center held a brown spine with a dull grey cover. This one held the image of what looked like a brilliant golden warrior housed within a sword. These three seemed to resonate brightly the most, with the center one shining even brighter than all the rest.
Soon enough above the arch a black ghostly almost draconic-like figure loomed over, giving a roar. A ghostly pale female alongside a shining ghostly warrior in star-shaped armor formed at the sides of the gateway.
"I suppose you all are to protect this place, however…" Calibur said as he opened up the book while raising his sword. Soon enough 13 Alter Ride Books began to be drawn out from his possession before encircling him. He soon began to chant the words in the book in a backwards tongue, his blade glowing with energy as he began to slash forward with one hand, mimicking precise movements as the Alter Ride Books began to form the same Sigil that the Wonder Ride Books did.
The Dark Sigil and combination of books began to slowly move towards the arch before Calibur stabbed forward, launching it outwards and sending it crashing into the Main Sigil. The spirits all gave groans before collapsing and dispersing into sparks.
Both Sigils began to clash against each other in a bright display of purple and white. That was until the center grey book began to flash rapidly, light enveloping it and the other books before a small explosive burst occurred. The 13 Wonder Ride Books that were guarding the arch were launched upwards into the night sky before splitting and launching downwards towards the Earth. The Alter Ride Books meanwhile were spat backwards as a glowing white void formed within the arch itself.
"There we go," Calibur closed the book before collecting the Alter Ride Books, some of which were prior ones that had been used before or were in use technically. Though there were a fair few like Getting Spider and Usotsuki Wolf that had yet to see use. Once they were collected he went to sheath his sword in his holster before walking through the open gateway.
Of course the brief light show of the Wonder Ride Books launching up into the air had also been seen by the Section 2 Helicopter which was on route.
"Whoa, what was that?" The pilot asked.
"That would be our cue to hurry over to the coordinates," Daishinji said as he leaned into the front cockpit, "No doubt the one who invited us here has already gone ahead."
"So then their plan was to split us up," Ogawa said as he was sitting on one of the seats in the back.
"I just hope the other will be okay," Touma admitted, having a bad feeling in the pit of his stomach.
"They'll make it out alright," Ogawa reassured, "After all, the Commander is with them."
"That is true," Touma gave a bit of a chuckle, still impressed by Genjuro's insane levels of power. His thoughts however began to linger, "It's just something about this isn't sitting right with me."
"Well there's not much that you can do until you regain the ability to draw your sword," Daishinji said as he walked over, "We're almost there, so just allow us active Swordsman to do the heavy lifting while you claim the prize."
"Landing zone clear," The pilot said as they began to slowly descend, "Beginning descent."
"Keep to the skies once we get off," Ogawa told the pilot as the helicopter began to hover just above the island, opening up the door so that they could dismount.
"We'll radio you once we're done," Daishinji said as he hopped out alongside Touma and Ogawa.
The pilot gave a nod before the helicopter began to take off in order to start circling around the island.
"Looks like Calibur's already here," Ogawa said as they approached the gateway that had been created.
"Looks like it," Touma said, taking a deep breath readying his Seiken Swordriver, slotting Brave Dragon in. However no standby sound played due to it being sealed.
"Then let's get going," Daishinji said before he and the others entered the gateway that would lead them closer to Avalon.
At the ruins of Kadingir, the three Symphogear Wielders alongside Genjuro and Rintaro walked along the pathway that led to the entrance of the broken tower.
"The perfect place to settle a score, huh," Tsubasa mused as she walked alongside the others.
Of course, to their surprise, Kirika and Shirabe were nowhere in sight. Not even Maria was anywhere to be seen. The only ones that could be seen on higher ground were Dr. Ver alongside, Legeiel, one of the Medusa Megid, and a disgruntled Kento.
"You bastards," Chris raised her fist.
"I suppose it's time to get started," Ver said as he began to use Solomon's Cane to summon a few Noise to back them up.
Legeiel gave a laugh as he brought out his sword, transforming into his Phantom Beast Megid form as he adopted a fighting stance alongside the Medusa Megid.
"Very well," Kento muttered, shaking off his distaste for the situation before bringing out his Wonder Ride Book.
[LAMP DO ALANGINA!]
[There was a lamp in a foreign land with a mysterious power that had been handed down since ancient times…]
Kento placed it into the Story Slot of his Driver before drawing out his sword, a giant version of his Wonder Ride Book appearing behind him as the Lamp Do Alangina erupted from it and began to circle around him. Twirling around his sword he held the flat of it forward and horizontally as he placed a hand against it, "Henshin!"
[IKAZUCHI BATTOU! LAMP DO ALANGINA!]
Kento drew his sword to the ground before slashing upwards, creating a upwards vertical slash that flew out before slamming back into him as the Lamp Do Alangina encircled him, full transforming him into Kamen Rider Espada.
[IKAZUCHI ISSATSU!]
[When the spirit of the lamp and the Raimeiken Ikazuchi intersect, the lightning sword's light will shine!]
Wasting no time, the Riders and Wielders responded in kind.
"~Balwisyall nescell Gungnir tron~"
"~Imyuteus Ame no Habakiri tron~"
"~Killter Ichaival tron~"
"Henshin!"
[NAGARE BATTOU! LION SENKI!]
[ITTOU RYODAN! BUTTA GIRE! DOGO! DOGO! DOGOUKEN GEKIDO!]
The three Wielders stood in their Symphogears alongside Blades and Buster, the two Riders raising their Seiken.
Hibiki gave a yell as she took the lead, slamming her fist into a Noise and slamming it into the others as she punched through them all. Rushing forward she batted away the Noise before using the power jacks in her grieves to launch herself forward, soon reaching Espada who had charged forward.
She gave a yell and punched at Espada but instead hit the ground as he leapt up into the air. Espada then shot downwards at lightning speeds to slash at HIbiki.
"Good!" Hibiki called out as she raised her arms up, blocking a slash with her gauntlets, "I wanted to face you!"
"Face me?" Espada asked before giving a gasp as Hibiki pushed back and forced him to stumble a bit.
"That's right Kento!" Hibiki called out as she raised her fist forward, "Touma isn't here so I'll face you in his place!"
Espada stared at Hibiki before laughing a bit, "Very well then."
"Here I come!" Hibiki called out as she launched forward before sending a punch at Kento who blocked against it with the flat of his blade, "I want to understand why you're on the path you're on now."
"It's not that simple of an answer," Espada gritted his teeth as he managed to keep Hibiki's fist back.
"Then I'll just keep doing what I can until you make it simple," Hibiki said before gritting her teeth and pushing forward, forcing Espada to stumble before chasing after him.
"H-Hibiki…?!" Blades asked in surprised as he charged forward, clashing blades with the Medusa Megid which had gone straight for him.
"Don't go forward so brashly!" Buster called out as he charged forward, giving a yell to slash down against a set of Noise when Legeiel blocked the attack with his sword, the clash creating a shockwave that tore apart any nearby Noise.
"So you're the new Swordsman of Earth," Legeiel chuckled, "The Commander of Section 2… let's see if that great strength of yours can handle mine!"
Tsubasa and Chris meanwhile were using both of their arsenals to either cut through or blast apart the small Noise army that Dr. Ver had summoned. Despite their best efforts however, the good Doctor could simply just summon more Noise to make up for any losses. The two however were at least thankful that there didn't seem to be any traps like at the hospital.
Hibiki and Espada were in a bit of a stalemate, the two maneuvering around each other while quickly unleashing their attacks against each other. It wasn't long before the two backed away from each other.
"Where are Shirabe and Kirika?!" Hibiki asked.
Espada gave a sigh, "They're-"
"They're currently under detention," Dr. Ver interrupted, "That's why we're here to greet you instead. I'd hate for them to be swayed by your youthful naïveté."
"What are you plotting, FIS?" Tsubasa questioned as she cut through the remaining Noise near her before charging for a new batch.
"Plotting?!" Dr. Ver asked, "That doesn't sound very respectable. What we seek is the salvation of humankind!"
"You say such things yet work with beings like the Megid?!" Blades questioned as he tried to break past the Medusa Megid only for it to kick him back.
"Eyes on me," Medusa taunted as it moved forward, unleashing a snake-like whip to lash out at Blades, slowly but surely managing to force the Rider of Water back.
"We simply wish to save the countless lives that will be lost when the Moon falls down to Earth!" Dr. Ver declared as he pointed upwards.
"THE MOON?!"
This came as a shock to all the Riders and Wielders in battle, especially given the current news on the subject.
"Research organizations all across the world have been measuring the Moon's trajectory for three months!" Tsubasa called out, "Why wouldn't they announce a possible collision-"
"Why would they announce it?" Dr. Ver asked back, "News of a cataclysmic disaster that we are powerless to prevent would only throw the world into disarray. There are many reasons they would wish to conceal such an inconvenient truth."
"Could it be the ones who know about it are secretly devising a way to save themselves and no one else?" Chris asked as she pierced several Noise with her arrows.
"What would you do if that was so?" Dr. Ver asked.
"Enough with the pointless questions Doctor, some of us want to have fun and you're being distracting!" Legeiel called out as he stabbed his sword into the ground, red cracks forming as he unleashed a red whirlwind against Buster to launch him upwards into the air.
"Unfortunately I'll have to finish you fast!" Buster gave a roar as he flipped several times in the air before managing to right himself. He gripped Gekido with both hands before slamming it down against Legeiel who coated his sword with rocks.
Legeiel yelled out as he blocked the attack with both hands, a crater forming beneath him from the force of Buster's swing. The leader of Phantom Beasts then gave a yell as he unleashed another red whirlwind from his sword while swinging to force Buster back.
Buster landed and readied Gekido, "You'll find me tough to crack."
"That's good, but you better pay attention to me!" Legeiel called out with a laugh, "You need to be better than that old man who hit me with a cheap shot and then got himself killed because he was concerned with some stupid girl!"
Tsubasa's eyes widened when she heard those words, completely losing track of the situation at hand and focusing entirely on Legeiel and his boast.
"What?" Buster asked.
"Let this be a lesson because it was stupidly pitiful," Legeiel replied, "He was so distracted that he barely made a good fight for me. He was old so he should have focused all his attention into killing me instead of trying to help some gi-"
{Blue Flash!}
Legeiel yelled out as he was struck by one of Tsubasa's signature attacks, an explosion occurring as he staggered back.
Buster turned in surprise, "Tsubasa!"
"Sorry Uncle…" Tsubasa said as she began to walk towards the fight, "But I'm not going to allow another person I care about be slain by that monster."
"You know I can handle it," Buster said before seeing Tsubasa's look, relating it to a time when he saw her after Kanade's passing, "You…"
"Allow me to finish things off with you," Tsubasa said, trying to be reasonable despite her clear grief, "We can finish this together."
"Fine," Buster relented before drawing out Genbu Shinwa and raising Gekido for his finisher.
"Good," Tsubasa raised her enlarged blade, gathering energy in it as she planned on striking Legeiel again.
"I won't allow it!"
The Medusa Megid had seen what was going on and had managed to trip Blades up. It rushed towards the backs of the Rider and Wielder before flipping over them, soon giving a yell as it dropped its weapons and swiped its hands over its eyes.
A flash and pulse of red suddenly occurred as both Buster and Tsubasa gave a gasp as they tried to cover their eyes. The two however too slow, their movements pausing as they were near instantly turned to stone.
"It turned them to stone?!" Blades gasped out.
"The hell kind of Megid is that?!" Chris called out.
"Tsubasa, Commander!" Hibiki called out in shock.
"Oh no," Espada muttered as he saw this.
"Medusa…" Legeiel hissed out as he walked out of the smoke from the attack he had been hit by, "Why did you do that?"
"I was only protecting you my lord…" Medusa gave a bow.
"Don't do that again!" Legeiel yelled out as he smacked Medusa in the face, sending it stumbling back, "I wanted to tear them apart myself!"
"My, my," Dr. Ver shrugged, "I was hoping to trap a few of them myself but I suppose that will work. Plus there are two different Relics nice and ready as well."
"What?" Blade turned, "Ready for what?"
"Ready for our answer to the Moon's descent," Dr. Ver declared loudly as he gripped his free hand tightly, "The Nephilim!"
Hibiki and Espada both felt a rumbling underneath them, and before Espada knew it he was pushed away by Hibiki while the girl herself leapt away. It wasn't long before the beast of a Relic itself emerged from the ground where they once stood, giving a roar as it stood on its hind legs.
"Did… did it grow?" Blades asked as he was sure it wasn't bigger than them when they first confronted it.
"That is how we will unite the people of the world and form one country and government to protect them!" Dr. Ver declared, "The Nephilim is our means to that end!"
The Nephilim gave a roar as it began to move towards the turned to stone Rider and Wielder. That was until Hibiki slammed her grieves into its elongated face, forcing it to stagger. Hibiki then went full force, ignoring Kento in order to work on beating back the Relic Beast. She dodged and blocked against its retaliations while punching as hard as she could to disable it.
"Hero of the Lunar Attack," Dr. Ver called out, "What do you seek to protect with those fists of yours?!"
"Hey, what are you trying to do?" Espada turned towards Ver who merely ignored him, "Hey!"
Hibiki seemed to ignore that as she pulled the backs of her gauntlets outwards before delivering a punch with her right fist, the piston pushing inwards and releasing enough force to send the Nephilim flying back. Hibiki then used the thrusters on her back to launch herself towards the Relic Beast.
"Though your fists may be able to protect a few, think of how many more lives they will take!" Dr. Ver called out yet again as he summoned some Noise to get in Hibiki's way.
Hibiki easily maneuvered through the Noise, striking them with all but her left arm and destroying them. Despite that, the last set of words managed to force her to pause as she recalled Shirabe's words.
'That's why you're a hypocrite!'
Hibiki shook off the thought and aimed a punch with her left fist against the Nephilim to strike at it.
…but that pause was more than enough of a distraction.
The Nephilim had used Hibiki's pause in her rush to move forward, clamping its jaws down on her arm.
Blades, Chris, and Espada could only stare in silence when they saw this happen.
"Huh?"
A sickening crunch could be heard as the Nephilim tore Hibiki's arm off. Blood spewed out of the wound and splattered against the ground.
"HIBIKI!" Blades shouted in horror while Chris couldn't find her words at all.
Espada nearly dropped Ikazuchi as he saw this happen. He just barely realized this and quickly kept a firm grip on the sword of thunder. All he could do was glance over to Ver, the mad scientist having a twisted delighted grin at the events occurring.
Hibiki was clutching her bleeding stump of an arm, the shock still preventing her from realizing what had actually happened. That was until the Nephilim's crunches snapped her back into reality as she realized just what it was chewing on. Pain and terror was the only thing she could feel now as she let out a bloodcurdling scream.
Blades jerked his head slightly when the scream was let out. The only thing he could do to attempt to reassure himself right now was being glad that both Miku and Touma were not here to witness this horrifying event.
To Be Continued…
Author's Note: Interesting to see a lot of Reviews bring up singing in regards to Touma specifically, I will say I do have potential plans involving that but we'll see. That being said uh… not everything is fun and games given the situation currently happening at the ruined Kadingir. Meanwhile we've got a confrontation waiting to happen once all parties in Avalon meet up next time.
Speaking of Avalon, I will confirm that 10 of the 13 books are indeed the Gashapon/Candy Toy exclusive toys that were released during Saber. And funnily enough they were also cameos when it came to getting to Avalon in the first place. That being said, I had to replace three books in particular since they are books that both parties hold, those being Storm Eagle, Needle Hedgehog and Kobuta 3Kyoudai. Of course I'm not going to reveal which three books replaced them, though given how many official Ride Books are left, I'd say it's fairly easy to guess with what little description I gave them.