Sympho-Saber: Song of Swords
GX: EP03 – A Brief Respite
"Take this!" Kenzan called out as he threw the dual blades of Hayate forward, the blades spinning and using the wind to strike against the Goblin Megid before being called back to him. He combined them into their single blade mode before he pressed Sarutobi Ninjaden into the finisher reader.
[SARUTOBI NINJADEN! NINNIN!]
The Goblin Megid growled out as it recovered from the previous strikes before pounding its chest.
[HAYATE SOKUDOKU GEKI! NINNIN!]
Kenzan slid his hand across the blade of his Seiken, it shining a bright green as he sped forward and slashed horizontally, aiming to split the Goblin Megd in half.
CLANG
To his surprise his slash was stopped mid-swing as the Goblin Megid's book began to shine a bright yellow. An electrical barrier was keeping the finisher from fully reaching the Goblin Megid. The barrier soon unleashed a burst of electricity, forcing Kenzan to leap backwards as a result.
"What?" Kenzan asked in surprise.
"You're not the one I want…" Goblin Megid chuckled before running in the opposite direction of where Maria had driven off and leaping away.
"Just what's going on?" Kenzan questioned before realizing he'd need to get going. He brought out a Gattrike Phone before transforming it into its vehicle state, hopping on and driving off in the direction Maria and the others had gone in.
"Kanade…?" Tsubasa asked before giving a wince, the feedback from her Gear being damaged occurring as it completely broke apart, leaving her completely bare as she fell face first onto the ground.
"Tsubasa, Kento!" Maria called out as she rushed over to the fallen Rider and Wielder. She looked around to see that the Alca-Noise were still in the area, not to mention there was now Calibur who was still in his upgraded armor of Jaou Dragon.
Kanade meanwhile winced and grasped her head, several more flashes of scattered memories occurring. She could only grit her teeth in frustration at the fact that she had been defeated by Calibur, gripping Kyomu tightly as she stabbed it into the ground to brace herself.
"Wait a minute…" Kento trailed as he coughed, managing to get himself in a decent position to see Kanade, suddenly recognizing her from the Zwei Wing Concert, or rather the fight that broke out, "Isn't she…?"
"A ghost from the past," Calibur spoke up, "Or rather… a phoenix that rose from her ashes."
"System destruction confirmed," Phara said as she stayed where she was, "That should settle this for now."
With a few quick clicks of her heels, the magic circles the Alca-Noise came from appeared underneath the remaining ones. The Alca-Noise then began to sink into the ground as Calibur walked over to Phara.
"Just what do you think you're doing?" Kento asked with a gasp as he managed to get into a kneeling position.
"I told you before," Calibur spoke up, "It was simply time to give you the ultimate despair."
Back with Chris and Saber, the Rider could only watch as Chris yelled out, feedback from her Symphogear being taken apart occurring as she collapsed onto the ground.
"Chris!" Saber yelled out as he rushed forward only for the Goblin Megid to swing its kanabo staff at him. He blocked the attack before kicking the Megid in the gut, "Move!"
"No… hehehe…" The Goblin Megid chuckled as it began to spin its staff around.
"Chris, Chris!" Elfnein called out as she hurried over and began shaking Chris.
"We're no longer detecting Ichaival!" Aoi reported over communications.
"The Noise did this…? No way," Sakuya's voice could be heard next, "The Symphogear are Noise-proof!"
"So it wasn't the normal carbonization?" Genjuro asked.
"Touma, be careful out there! We don't know what it'll do to your equipment!" Daishinji's voice warned.
"On it," Saber called out as he kept his blade at the ready, he figured in the panic that they hadn't noticed his Seiken and Ride Books defending against the Alca-Noise's strikes.
"The Alca-Noise were created to dissect the world," Elfnein spoke up, "If they're used as weapons…"
"Penetrating a simple defense field like that of the Symphogear is child's play," Leiur finished for her, she then glanced towards Saber, "Of course, certain Relics and Objects relating to them like the Wonder Ride Books and Seiken are more well defended… but the output of the Alca-Noise will do nicely for what we seek."
"Huh?" Saber wondered what Leiur meant by that before ducking underneath a swing from the Goblin Megid, utilizing the pole on his Saiyuu Arm, extending it out to strike the Megid and force it back.
"It is time for a new cast to take the stage," Leiur said as she kept herself at the ready.
Elfnein wordlessly got in front of Chris, holding an arm out as she clutched the box she was holding, willing to keep Chris from harm despite having no real way to defend either herself or the fallen Wielder.
"Not if we can help it, dess!"
Leiur looked up alongside Saber, the latter of which giving a small gasp at what he saw. Kirika was currently standing on a bridge overlooking the area, arms crossed as she was wearing a banner that fluttered in the night breeze like a cape. Kirika threw her makeshift cape off before bringing out her pendant.
"Zeios Igalima raizen tron~"
In a flash of green Kirika had donned her Symphogear Armor, bringing out her scythe and twirling it around. While the original three Symphogear Wielders would usually have a few notable changes to their armor over time, Igalima was one of the two that had a significant change, being lighter in color with more white and green added into the mix.
"Dess, dess, dess!" Kirika called out before she began singing, leaping up into the air and raising her scythe. She created two extra blades on it before swinging downwards, unleashing the blades against the Alca-Noise to cut through them.
{Kill Julliet}
Kirika landed with a wince, green energy crackling on her armor but she pushed through it. She held her scythe out and began spinning around, using her boosters to increase her speed and becoming a spinning green top that sliced through the Alca-Noise horde even faster.
{Calamity Ring: Tinkerbell}
"You're certainly not holding back," Leiur remarked.
"Alright," Saber pumped his fist in relief, glad that there was some backup.
"Kirika has intervened!" Aoi's voice was heard.
Genjuro could be heard next, "Without using LiNKER?!"
"But if she can pull it off…" Sakuya spoke up.
"That's still too dangerous," Sophia chided.
"Don't worry, I'll help wrap things up quickly and form a retreat," Saber answered through before bringing out Storm Eagle and initiating his form change with it and his other two Wonder Combo books.
[KATARITSUGA RESHI SHINJUU NO SONO NA WA! CRIMSON DRAGON!]
The Goblin Megid had attempted to leap at Saber only for a fiery tornado to form around the Rider as he transformed into his strongest form. The tornado lashed out and sent the Goblin Megid flying backwards.
[HISSATSU DOKUHA!]
Saber didn't even wait for it to land as he slotted Rekka into his Swordriver, readying its finisher.
[REKKA BATTOU! DRAGON! EAGLE! SAIYUU JA! SANSATSU GIRI!]
Saber shouted as fire began exploding out of the Kaenken Rekka while he drew it out, "Explosive Crimson Slash!"
With a mighty swing a slash of fire alongside a heavy volley of fireballs all struck the Goblin Megid just as it fell against the ground. The attacks created a massive fireball that engulfed the Goblin Megid, an explosion occurring as the it was fully defeated.
[F-F-F-FIRE!]
Saber gave a brief sigh as he let his arm drop, a slight wave of relief filling him now that he defeated the Megid. Unbeknownst to Saber and most of the combatants, the Kaenken Rekka began flashing a bright white constantly before fading. And out of the massive explosion through the cover of smoke, a red orb containing Kaenken Rekka's symbol launched out and shot into the night sky.
"Alright," Saber then turned back towards the others, giving a gasp when he saw Elfnein and the unconscious Chris being surrounded by the Alca-Noise. He was ready to launch forward when he saw a pink blur zip into view. He could only give a soft chuckle, realizing that of course if Kirika was in the area…
...then Shirabe wouldn't be that far behind. The wielder of Shul Shagana sped through, using her saws to slice through the Alca-Noise that surrounded Chris and Elfnein. And of course just like Kirika's, her Gear had adopted a lighter color scheme as well.
Shirabe twirled before stopping, leaping into the air and opening up her armored twin tails, unleashing hundreds of small circular saws at the Alca-Noise.
{Alpha Style: 100 Saṃsāra}
"A goddess…" Elfnein muttered before passing out due to how close the call was. Of course before she could hit the ground, Shirabe had already sped by and grabbed her.
Kirika meanwhile used her shoulder boosters to launch towards Chris, grasping at the banner she had discarded before wrapping Chris up in the banner and leaping off with her.
"You put on quite the show," Leiur said as she saw Shirabe join the battle alongside the two choosing to tactically retreat, "But diversions don't work on me."
"Really now…?"
Leiur's head shot up as she wasn't expecting a sudden voice near her, especially from behind. She turned to see her shadow warping as a black blur launched out of it.
"Calamity Strike!"
Saber looked up in surprise to see Desast high up in the night sky, the Megid Hybrid slashing downwards and unleashing numerous slashes down. Saber braced only to realize that the slashes were only striking the excess Alca-Noise's.
"What?" Saber asked.
"The Rogue Megid," Leiur said as she narrowed her eyes, watching Desast land in front of her, "Desast."
"Oh so I'm no longer considered a part of them?" Desast asked as he looked over at Leiur before giving a chuckle, "Good."
"Just why are you here?!" Saber called out.
"Hey Saber, shut up," Desast pointed towards the Swordsman of Flame, "I'm here to make sure my best buddy makes it out alright."
"Your best buddy?" Saber muttered in confusion, "Eh?"
"Just so we're clear it's not you, so just get going," Desast called out as he aimed his sword at Leiur, "We can fight later…"
"Alright," Saber said, choosing not to look a gift horse in the mouth, launching into the air with Storm Eagle's flight and taking off after Kirika and Shirabe.
Shirabe was currently clearing their exit path, using her mono-wheel saw formation to slice Alca-Noise in her path while carrying Elfnein. The Wielder of Shul Shagana could only wince however as she was feeling the feedback from her low sync rate, being forced to dismiss the wheel she was using.
'They were right. We can't use our Gears effectively with sync rates this low,' She thought.
"Shirabe!" Kirika called out as she landed nearby, a wrapped up Chris in her arms.
"I'm fine!" Shirabe called out.
"Wait up," Saber called out as he landed in front of the two before looking at them. The two Symphogear Wielders could only stare at him like deer caught in headlights, wondering if he was going to scold them. The Swordsman of Flames however only gave a thumbs-up.
The two could only stare at the gesture as a result.
"Eh?"
"Thanks for the assistance," Saber said, "It was dangerous but that Megid I was fighting was taking up too much time."
The two were surprised, letting out a breath of relief when they realized Touma wasn't going to be that harsh on their actions.
"Now come on, I can only imagine it really isn't comfortable using those Gears right now," Saber said, "We need to get somewhere safe."
They watched as Saber took the lead, gliding forward with Storm Eagle's help. The two looked at each other and nodded before taking off after him.
Leiur was currently staring down Desast, the Autoscorer simply backing away and putting a hand on her hip.
"We encountered unexpected interference," Leiur said to no one in particular, "Your orders?"
"No need to pursue them," Carol answered though only Leiur could hear her, "My orders are to retreat. And Phara, make sure Calibur goes with you."
Leiur brought a crystal and smashed into the ground beneath her, forming the teleportation circle that Carol and Micha had used before vanishing in front of Desast.
"Damn doll," Desast clicked his tongue before turning around to see the damage the fighting had caused, "Now this is a party that seems like it's going to go sour."
"Very well, I shall obey" Phara said in response to Carol's orders before taking out her teleportation crystal, "Any objections to retreating?"
"None," Calibur shook his head, "We've done enough."
And so Phara dropped the crystal, it shattering like glass and forming a circle beneath the two, warping them away.
"Damn it," Kento muttered as he got up, wincing as he felt a stinging sensation in his arm. Despite this he still managed to sit up for the most part.
"What did she mean she wouldn't let us off with a simple defeat?" Maria muttered.
Kanade meanwhile let out a grunt and managed to fully stand up, taking in her surroundings.
"As for you," Maria spoke up as she looked over at Kanade, "We have a lot of-"
"Not now," Kanade shook her head as she ruffled her hair a bit.
"What do you mean, "not now", I'm pretty sure this is something that needs to be addressed right now," Maria narrowed her eyes.
"Maybe later," Kanade gave a noticeable wince before taking off her black coat, bundling it up and tossing it over to Maria, "Have her cover up with this."
"Hey wait," Kento managed to speak up, "You're just going to leave?"
"I have no real reason to stay here," Kanade admitted as she held up Eternal Phoenix, "But if it's not obvious I'll say it now, I'm not your enemy."
"Wait a minute," Maria said as she stared directly at Kanade, she needed to be sure of this, "At least give us your name."
"Kanade Amou," The phoenix Rider answered as she opened up her Wonder Ride Book.
[ETERNAL PHOENIX!]
A burst of fire occurred, Kanade being engulfed in the flames as they took the shape of a phoenix, it launching up high into the air before vanishing into the night sky.
Tsubasa meanwhile had just barely managed to regain consciousness, managing to catch sight of Kanade right before she left, "K-Kanade…"
"At the very least Touma was able to defeat the Megid," Daishinji sighed in relief.
"Shirabe and Kirika have escaped, and Touma has joined up with them," Aoi reported, "Chris and her charge are both safe too."
"Our top priority is to retrieve the Riders and Wielders," Sakuya said, trying to get some kind of semblance of workflow going as he swiped through several screens on his station.
Genjuro though couldn't help but put his attention on Elfnein in the camera feed, "She looks just like that alchemist, Carol…"
"I wonder what the connection is," Sophia mused.
Saber, Kirika and Shirabe had managed to make it a decent distance away, stopping at a road that overlooked the ocean, the sun slowly rising over the horizon.
"How are you two holding up?" Saber asked.
"LiNKER or not, we'll never lose to the likes of them," Kirika said.
"Kiri…" Shirabe trailed.
"We should be safe for now," Saber said as he noticed their armor forming small electrical sparks, realizing they were straining themselves, "If you want to-"
"We can't, dess!" Kirika protested, "We'll keep covering less distance if it's just you that's transformed, just a little longer, dess."
"That's pretty reckless," Saber said with a sigh before chuckling and keeping in the lead, "Though I suppose that's everyone in our group."
"How far are we supposed to go?" Shirabe asked.
"As far as we can, dess," Kirika replied.
Saber stayed silent as he kept ahead of the two, deciding not to butt in when it came to the two trying to talk about their personal feelings.
"But then nothing will have changed from back then," Shirabe added, "None of us, gathered in that world of white walls and ceilings had any relatives. The Symphogear we got there blew our troubled pasts away. We thought of it as a special power. To protect the world from a catastrophe caused by Relics, we needed Relics of our own."
"We wanted to help Mom, dess," Kirika said, "We learned the hard way that just using our power to overcome what was in front of us didn't just get us anywhere. It was never about what Mom or Maria wanted to do. The problem was we couldn't find what we were supposed to do, dess."
"Even if we go as far as we can, if we don't have a goal, there's no guarantee things will end favorably for us," Shirabe admitted, "We can't just jump in head-first."
"Is that why they wouldn't let us mobilize?" Kirika asked.
Saber noticed the two had stopped and turned, soon realizing that Kirika had lowered into a kneeling stance as Shirabe looked over towards Chris in relief.
"Thank goodness," Shirabe said, noticing Chris had started to wake up.
"Oh good, she's awake," Saber sighed in relief.
"Are you okay, dess?" Kirika asked.
"Do I look okay to you?!" Chris called out in frustration.
"Chris…" Saber muttered when he saw this before noticing that Kirika and Shirabe looked over to him. He shook his head to silently tell them to not dwell on Chris' words too much before speaking up, "We should keep going."
Chris couldn't help but stew in her own thoughts, 'I left my ally alone and the girls I was supposed to protect ended up protecting me… how could anyone consider that "okay"?!'
In London, the local police had secured the area, Ogawa had arrived not long after and began to coordinate with them while checking in with SONG HQ. Meanwhile Kento, Maria and Tsubasa were now meeting together to discuss the current situation. Thanks to Kanade, Tsubasa now had a long black coat to wrap herself in for the time being. She had her palm out, the cracked Ame no Habakiri in her hand as she was talking to SONG HQ after connecting a communications earpiece to the main network.
"This isn't good," Kento sighed as he crossed his arms.
"I was utterly defeated…" Tsubasa admitted, "No, even worse than that. My Gear broke down, but the clothes I was previously wearing were not reconstituted. There's no doubt that the converter has been damaged too heavily to function."
Maria soon realized what this meant, "Does that mean your Symphogear…"
"The absolute sword Ame no Habakiri, has itself been rend," Tsubasa finished.
"And that's not taking into consideration the fact that we have two new things popping up with both Calibur and Falchion," Kento sighed as he ran his hand alongside the side of his hair.
"Are you going to be alright?" Maria asked.
"Aside from bruises and cuts, I'll manage," Kento said as he rubbed his wrist a bit, "I was lucky to be in my Wonder Combo form. Thankfully that helped act as a cushion for most of the damage."
"If you say so," Maria said, figuring that her friend wouldn't budge about how he was actually feeling.
"Chris' Ichaival and Tsubasa's Ame no Habakiri have been damaged," Aoi said.
"How can we repair them now that Ryoko is no longer with us?" Sakuya asked.
"What about Daishinji?" Aoi asked in a hopeful manner.
"I can try," Daishinji admitted but gave a frustrated grunt as he turned away from everyone, now facing the door as he gripped the back of his neck, "But even I was barely able to maintain them at the point we were at. Full on repairs… that might take more time."
"Time that we likely don't have," Genjuro deduced before deciding to switch subjects, "How goes Hibiki and Rintaro's recovery?"
"I'm fine," Hibiki said through the communications channel, "But Rintaro ended up getting the worst of it…"
"As long as you're both safe, that's all that matters," Sophia admitted.
"I'm sorry," Hibiki suddenly apologized, "If only I could've talked things out with Carol…"
Genjuro raised an eyebrow, "Talk?"
Kento, Maria and Tsubasa wouldn't have much time to dwell on their current situation as a slew of black cars drove up to surround the trio. Men in black suits all got out while pulling out their guns and aiming them at Maria.
"We've been briefed on the situation," The lead agent spoke up, "However, Maria Cadenzavna Eve, the restrictions on your activity are still in place."
Kento could only sigh, "You guys are really frustrating to deal with you know?"
Maria wordlessly walked over to Tsubasa, taking Tsubasa's earpiece and getting on the communications line, "Commander Kazanari, I'd like to formally request my transfer to SONG."
"Maria…" Tsubasa muttered in surprise.
"I may not possess a gear of my own, but given the crisis, I cannot remain a false idol any longer," Maria spoke firmly.
"You always have to do it in the most dramatic fashion, don't you?" Kento said with a smirk once he saw the surprised looks on the Agents' faces.
"You really should know who you're talking to at this point," Maria answered with her own smirk.
Tsubasa meanwhile looked down at the coat she was wearing, clutching it tightly as she was sure what she had seen. The fact that even Kento and Maria weren't trying to pass it off either as a heat of a moment issue meant one thing, that Kanade was still alive…
A Few Days Later…
A good couple of days had ended up passing when it came to the current incident. Thankfully Alca-Noise seemed to be a controlled threat from what SONG was figuring out. With the less random nature of needing to be on standby 24/7, it meant several details could be taken care of.
Maria's transfer to SONG alongside her, Kento and Tsubasa returning to Japan were on of said details. There was also Kirika and Shirabe getting a checkup given their usage of their Gears without LiNKER. Not to mention SONG needed to deal with their new guest in the form of Elfnein, and more importantly, making sure they got their information from the night of the attacks in order while also processing said information.
Of course for Touma, aside from worrying like usual, did have one of the more mundane things he needed to get done before the big meeting scheduled for the day. Specifically, that was a stock and inventory check to make sure orders he had were coming in correctly and that he was selling enough.
Thankfully it was after class and Miku had volunteered to help him given he would be needed at the airport fairly soon. The two were surprisingly fast when it came to this, wordlessly working together, to the point where they were able to strike casual conversation with ease without slowing down in the slightest.
"So how was school?" Touma asked.
"Pretty normal," Miku said before thinking on it, "Though cooking class was interesting…"
"Interesting how?" Touma asked.
"Well we were supposed to make the European Version of Beef Stroganoff," Miku replied.
"Oh that sounds pretty good," Touma admitted, "How'd that turn out?"
"Well Yumi and the others sort of started a revolution…" Miku chuckled nervously.
"…" Touma stayed silent as he paused, "They did the local version didn't they?"
"Yep… kind of," Miku said.
"Oh dear," Touma sighed, realizing that they likely modified that version on top of it all.
"It didn't uh end up going too well, but it wasn't extremely bad…" Miku admitted, "Even then it was still a lot of fun."
"…they sung didn't they?" Touma finally asked.
"I mean, it's Lydian, are you really surprised?" Miku asked back.
"Touché," Touma nodded.
"Hey Touma," Miku said as she slowed down a bit, "What exactly happened on that last mission?"
"We were blindsided," Touma said, figuring that Miku had asked Hibiki who had done her patented Hibiki nervous ramble to get out of actually talking about it. Given she was asking him, he knew he couldn't just lie, "The Megid likely have a new ally, not to mention both Chris and Tsubasa likely can't transform for a while. Plus Kirika and Shirabe took a big risk without using LiNKER and Rintaro ended up getting hurt the most."
"That's not good," Miku frowned before mulling on the subject a bit longer, "So long as Calibur and the Megid remain, you and Hibiki will have to keep fighting, huh?"
"Unfortunately," Touma gave a nod as he began to sort a few books, "But if it means protecting people from them I'll gladly keep on fighting."
"I'm glad you sound so sure of yourself," Miku said, even if she was worried, it seemed like Touma had the resolve to keep fighting. But it made her think back to the expressions of doubt she had seen on Hibiki. Even then the current situation still made her wish she could be more than what she was right now.
"Alright, looks like we're done," Touma said as he looked around the backroom and saw that everything was correctly sorted, "Thanks again Miku."
"It's no problem," Miku managed a smile despite her thoughts, "That's what friends are for, right?"
The plane ride back to Japan was silent, and it honestly frustrated Maria to some extent. While she understood exactly why Tsubasa would stay quiet, she wasn't sure why her other friend was. Though of course that was whenever he was around since he seemed to spend most of his time in the restroom.
Tsubasa meanwhile simply stared out the window, the failure from her last battle on her mind. There was also conversation she had with her sponsor, Tony Glazer, who had setup her worldwide touring to begin with.
"You're going back to Japan?"
"It's always been my dream to sing around the world. But…"
"If this is what you really want, I'll respect that. But would you promise me that one day you'll follow your dreams once again?"
"I…"
Tsubasa was wondering when it would all end, especially given the Megid were clearly still targeting her in everything despite the distance. That wasn't adding into the fact that her head was a mess because of Kanade's sudden return. Or rather the sudden reveal that the mysterious Rider that's been around since before the Lunar Attack was Kanade. She had a million questions buzzing around in her head thanks to that, and so it was hard to not get distracted and simply stare out the window in silence.
Kento meanwhile was in the restroom, trying to take in everything as well. But not in the same way as Tsubasa, but more specifically what had happened thanks to Calibur. His sleeves were rolled up as he was hunched over the sink as he tried to control his breathing. He had been getting consistent pains in his right forearm ever since the night that he and Tsubasa were defeated. And it didn't take until the slow ride back to Japan to make him finally check on what was going on. He was surprised to see that while mostly normal, part of the skin on his inner forearm would turn a sickly purple with dark wisps of energy coming out for brief moments.
"They don't need to know," Kento muttered as he went to pull his sleeves back down and took a deep breath, he needed to act like everything was alright, "I just need to keep pushing forward and deal with Kamijo myself."
"We will soon begin our descent for landing."
"Please fasten your seatbelts."
"Kento, hurry up, I doubt it'll be a comfortable landing for you if you're holed up in there."
Kento couldn't help but chuckle at Maria's remark before fixing himself up, "Right, I'll be there shortly!"
Maria and Tsubasa took the lead when walking through the airport, Ogawa carrying all of the bags while Kento just stared at him in surprise.
"You know I am Maria's manager," Kento reminded, "I can help out."
"But you're still recovering," Ogawa also reminded before giving a smile, "So let me help you out this once. Besides, it's not that bad."
"If you say so," Kento shrugged.
"Tsubasa! Maria! Kento!"
The three heard a familiar voice and turned to see that it was Hibiki who had called out, waving them over. With her was Touma, Rintaro, Chris, Shirabe and Kirika, the six of them happy to see their friends again.
Despite the current situation and her feelings, Tsubasa couldn't help but smile when she saw everyone.
"I hope you all had a good trip here," Touma said as he walked over with the others.
"It was fine, but a bit boring," Maria admitted, trying to keep the light mood, "You would not believe how boring these two are when it comes to passing time."
Tsubasa stammered a bit, "E-Excuse me?"
"Hey now, it wasn't that bad," Kento called out.
"Says the person who was in the restroom nearly the entire time," Maria said nonchalantly.
"Oh," Kirika said, "Did you make a bad food decision again before your flight, dess?"
"I… no, absolutely not," Kento turned away with a small blush of embarrassment, putting a hand near his face, "And are we really bringing that up now?!"
"Eh, Kento's not good with food?" Hibiki asked.
"We have a few horror stories," Shirabe admitted in a low voice as she stared at Kento who was trying to keep his face away from everyone due to how embarrassed he was.
Touma couldn't help but snicker a bit at how Kento was being backed into a figurative corner. Despite the situation, the fact that everyone was still able to joke and laugh around was good to see.
It didn't take long for everyone to assemble at SONG mobile submarine headquarters. Everyone was ready to be briefed on the situation as all six Symphogear Wielders and every available Rider were gathered onto the bridge.
"I've called all you Kamen Riders and Symphogear Wielders together," Genjuro said as he stood with Sophia, Daishinji standing next to them alongside Ogawa, "Though that may not be the most accurate statement to say currently."
It didn't take long for two cracked Symphogear Pendants to appear on screen.
"What is that?" Ogawa asked.
"This is the state of Ame no Habakiri and Ichaival after they were seriously damaged by the new type of Noise," Sakuya explained from his station, "The Relics that serve as their core are intact, but…"
"The protector elements that serve to stabilize the energy have been lost," Aoi spoke up from her station to finish off the explanation.
"Just like Serena's Gear," Maria realized as she pulled out a broken Pendant, the one belonging to Airgetlam.
"But we can fix them, right?" Chris asked.
"We do have a new lead mechanic," Tsubasa agreed.
"That's the issue…" Daishinji sighed before covering his face and looking at a wall off to the side, "The best I could do was refurbish them and keep them maintained decently enough. We've never had to deal with full on repairs."
"Since the Sakurai Theory was made public, research into heretical technology has made rapid progress worldwide," Aoi explained.
"As loathe I am to admit this," Daishinji gave a sigh, "Even with her notes I wouldn't be able to repair them easily without Ryoko's direct help."
"Which means the only Gear user we have left is Hibiki," Genjuro added.
Hibiki held a lightly concerned look, "Just me?"
"That's not true, dess!" Kirika called out.
"You have us too!" Shirabe gave a nod.
"No," Genjuro refused.
Kirika looked over in surprise, "Why?!"
"Do you have any idea how much it damages your bodies to use your Symphogear without supplementing your sync rates with LiNKER?" Aoi asked as she pulled up Kirika and Shirabe's hospital records.
"We can't send you out there without preparing LiNKER tailored specifically for you," Sakuya added.
"So in the end, we're just useless children," Shirabe muttered as she looked off to the side.
"I knew our medical results were worse than expected, dess," Kirika muttered, "But still…"
"I'd rather you not take any risks, especially when it comes to that," Tsubasa admitted before glancing to the side at the thought of Kanade, her voice lowered, "You won't be as lucky as her…"
Maria looked over at Tsubasa, realizing that the Wielder of Ame no Habakiri's thoughts were still on Kanade.
"For now, your support is enough," Chris reassured.
"Besides, Hibiki has us Riders to help her out in battle," Rintaro reassured as he held up a fist before giving a wince.
"Just take it easy Rintaro," Daishinji spoke up as he glanced back, "You may be able to be out and about but you're still recovering."
"Just make sure you guys are careful," Chris spoke up, "It'd suck to lose our Riders to the new Noise too."
"That may not actually be a problem," Daishinji admitted, "I was reading Touma's reports and given what happened when his Seiken and Ride Book were attacked, alongside our enemy's words… the Riders are likely safe from the same kind of tactic."
"Okay now that just sounds completely unfair," Chris called out with raised arms before crossing them with a huff.
"So we just have to worry about standard injuries then," Kento spoke up, to which Sophia and Genjuro nodded.
"Thankfully there does seem to be a solution present," Daishinji added, wanting to instill some hope in the group, "So we may be able to get our lost Wielders back on their feet sooner than anticipated."
"We still have more we need to cover," Sophia said, "But first you all need to meet with someone else."
"Just come and follow me while we get the rest prepped," Genjuro replied as he stepped forward.
Carol was on her throne, staring at the scene before her, four podiums stood in the center, three holding Autoscorers. Leiur and Phara were currently on their podiums in poses while Garie was off of hers and over at the red headed Autoscorer's podium. Kamijo was currently nearby, holding Kurayami in his gloved hand, the five remaining Goblin Megid were all around the area, the group giggling and moving their bodies slightly but staying in place.
"Here I go~" Garie called out in a sing-song voice before kissing the immobile red Autoscorer on the lips, "Chu!"
A pink flash occurred upon contact before fading as pink energy began to surround the Red Autoscorer. The Red Autoscorer began to move albeit stiffly before falling to her knees and giving a whine.
"It took longer than expected to gather all the memories required to activate Micha, our strongest fighter," Carol noted.
"Oh, come on," Garie waved it off, "I did my very best, you know? It was really hard to get enough together without catching too much unwanted attention."
"Luckily the Megid were there for cleanup," Kamijo remarked, the bodies drained of memories were still of use to the Megid as the corpses were used as fuel for more Blackened Books.
"It matters not," Carol replied, "With this, all the Autoscorers are now active, and our plan can progress to the next phase."
"Do you think you'll make it in time?" Kamijo asked, "We do have a leg up on you for the backup."
"And remember that last word you said, backup," Carol answered, "Thus it will only be put into play if necessary."
"Understood," Kamijo said.
Micha meanwhile tried to raise an arm but was unable to, keeping herself slumped and whining out further.
"What is it, Micha?" Carol asked.
"I'm so hungry I can't move," Micha admitted in a lazy tone.
"Garie," Carol said.
"Right, right, it's my job, huh?" Garie said.
"I have one other job you can take care of while you're at it," Carol added.
"By the way, Master, they've taken in Elfnein," Garie said suddenly.
"I am aware," Carol said with one eye closed, she then glanced over towards Kamijo, "Calibur, make sure you keep the Riders away from the Wielders as much as possible."
"Of course," Kamijo replied, "The Goblin Megid are also at your service should you need them."
Elfnein was currently staying in a small room in SONG's HQ. Upon Daishinji's request they had gotten her dressed up in one of the old youth uniforms they had lying around from the Logos Sector days as a temporary solution in comparison to her just wearing a cloak for clothing. The six Gear Wielders were currently huddled in the small room, and right outside were Genjuro, Touma, Rintaro and Kento, the four either leaning on the doorway or peaking through as they heard the current explanation.
"I helped construct a giant apparatus under Carol's orders," Elfnein explained, "But one day, when I accessed her database, I happened to find out that this apparatus was designed to dismantle the world. So I escaped to try and put an end to her plan."
"Dismantle the world? That doesn't sound good," Chris remarked.
"The power of alchemy makes it possible," Elfnein said, "Consider the Alca-Noise, originally based on a recipe for creating Noise. Through them, she already has the power to break down just about anything, Symphogear included. Her next step is to construct a giant apparatus designed to turn that power on the whole world: the Château de Tiffauges."
"Château de Tiffauges…" Touma let out a light hum at the name, "She's basing the name off that kind of castle huh?"
A few of the others looked back and over at Touma, wondering what he meant by that.
"You said you were involved in its construction," Tsubasa unintentionally interrupted, "Are you also an alchemist?"
"Yes," Elfnein answered, "But I don't have all the knowledge and power that Carol does. I was created for a specific purpose."
"Created?" Hibiki repeated.
"She only installed the minimum required knowledge for me to assist with the construction," Elfnein explained.
"Installed, you say?" Maria asked.
"Eh, like a computer…?" Rintaro asked but was elbowed by Kento who shook his head.
"She copied specific information directly into my brain," Elfnein further explained, "Unfortunately the data she installed did not contain the specifics of her plan. However… one thing I know for sure is that the Château de Tiffauges is very nearly complete. Please, help me! That is why I have come to you bearing Dvergr Dáinn legacy!"
"Eh?" Touma let out a light gasp as everyone glanced towards him, "You mean the dwarf from Norse mythology? Who's very name is found on King Hogni's sword, Dáinsleif?!"
"The very same," Elfnein said with a nod.
Chris looked over in shock, "Okay seriously, how much stuff do you know?!"
"Oh you have no idea," Hibiki let out a sheepish chuckle.
"Wait hold up," Touma trailed as he was still stuck on what Elfnein had alluded to, "Don't tell me…"
"It is indeed a Relic, or rather what I hold is a relic fragment of said enchanted blade," Elfnein said as she opened up the box she had with her, holding out a blackened shard with runic writing, "It's capable of thwarting the Alca-Noise and Carol's alchemic power."
"Oh this is so good!" Legeiel laughed out as he slammed his hands onto the piano in the Megid Base, the start of a tune beginning to be played as he continued without needing sheet music or looking down, "Those damn Wielders finally got what was coming to them!"
"Not to mention Calibur put a couple Riders in place," Zooous gave a grin.
"But of course our plan is working nicely," Storious said as he looked at the six Rider Story Books they had managed to collect. The Story of Kaenken Rekka book was pulsating in a soft red coloration.
[STORY OF KAENKEN REKKA!]
"That's one down," Zooous said, "Just five more to go… to think we're already ahead of the little brat."
"Indeed," Storious replied as he gently began to tap at the Wonder Ride Books, "Though of course we should do well to make it that the backup plan becomes the only plan."
"That sounds easy enough," Legeiel admitted as he continued to play the piano, "After all we just use Calibur to rile everyone up alongside the Autoscorers attacks."
"But we'll get to play soon, right?" Zooous asked as he looked over at their leader.
"Of course," Storious smiled, "If we're to achieve our goal then we must take part sooner rather than later."
After meeting with Elfnein, everyone had gathered back on the bridge of Song HQ to receive the remainder of the reports.
"These are Elfnein's medical results," Aoi said as she pulled said results on the main screen.
"We ran some tests on… her," Sakuya had trailed a bit due to the slightly awkward subject, "Yeah, let's say "her"."
Touma raised an eyebrow at this, as well as some of the other things he was seeing on screen.
"We found no irregularities in her bodily functions or health," Aoi reported, "Nor any implants or post-hypnotic suggestions. However…"
Everyone was silent when they heard her trail off.
Hibiki finally decided to speak up, "However?"
"She, Elfnein, has no apparent Gender," Aoi explained. "According to her, that is nothing unusual for a homunculus such as herself."
'She's unusual enough already!' was the thought mostly everyone gathered there had.
"So she's not a Homo-Sapiens then?" Rintaro asked.
"I mean given she just said stuff about installation with memories, was that really not your first guess?" Chris asked.
"I mean, it did seem plausible but I didn't want to seem rude by committing to the thought," Rintaro admitted.
"Of course, there's another reason we all called you up here," Daishinji said, "Our members that were attacked in London discovered the identity of Kamen Rider Falchion."
"Wait," Chris' eyes widened at this news, "We know their identity now?!"
"You mean the chicken Rider, dess?" Kirika asked.
"It's a phoenix, Kiri," Shirabe corrected.
"So who exactly is it?" Touma asked before noticing that Tsubasa had turned away from everyone, "Tsubasa?"
"As unbelievable as it might seen, we have three eye-witnesses as well as Calibur confirming this through what little he spoke," Genjuro said as he crossed his arms, images of Falchion appearing on the main screen before more images popped up.
Those who were unaware of Falchion's identity could only widen their eyes at this.
"No way…" Rintaro muttered.
"K-Kanade…?" Hibiki managed to speak out, "Falchion was Kanade the entire time?"
While not recent by any means, the images were indeed of Kanade Amou.
Kirika's eyes went wide, "Talk about a twist, dess!"
"Indeed," Shirabe admitted with a nod.
"Is this some kind of joke?" Chris asked, "Wasn't she supposed to be…"
"Despite what it may seem like, all three of our members that were in London can confirm that Kamen Rider Falchion is Kanade Amou," Sophia replied, "How exactly? That we're still unsure of."
"But given Falchion's ability to revive, I can only imagine there's another layer to that tragic day that we've yet to discover," Daishinji continued.
"More than likely," Touma nodded, surprised but managing to hold his composure at the revelation.
"From what she said, she's not our enemy," Kento replied.
"Yes she said a similar thing to me when I confronted her during the prelude of the Frontier Incident," Daishinji gave a nod, "Given she was only ever against us once, I'd say we can trust her words."
"Is… is that all?" Rintaro asked.
"Yes, you all are free to do whatever you need to now," Genjuro replied, "I'm sure it's a lot of information to take in."
"Right…" Touma muttered as his thoughts ran back to Dáinsleif.
As the day grew later, Touma alongside Kirika and Shirabe had decided to head home for the day. That left Hibiki, Tsubasa, Chris, Maria, Rintaro and Kento in the main lounge room discussing the current situation. Part of which was the Alca-Noise that nearly caught Tsubasa off guard at first if Kanade hadn't intervened.
"Is this the Alca-Noise that nearly did you in?" Chris asked as she was holding a sketchbook.
"Yes," Tsubasa said with a hint of pride in her voice, "I think I drew a pretty good likeness."
Kento and Rintaro were behind Chris, the two giving various looks of dread as they tried to figure out the best way to tell Tsubasa about her drawing. The fact was the three were staring at a Samurai that was very poorly drawn.
"There's avant garde and then there's this!" Chris called out rather bluntly, "Are you trying to change your career from "pop star" into "pop artist"?!"
"I wonder how she'd draw a gorilla," Rintaro admitted once he got past his questioning of Tsubasa's drawing.
"Wait," Kento paused before looking at his friend, "Why a gorilla?"
"I can draw one right now if you'd like," Tsubasa said, clearly undeterred by Chris' comment.
"I believe the real issue here is that the Alca-Noise is at that alchemist's beck and call," Maria said as she wanted to get the conversation back on track, "And we only have one Symphogear user left to fight them."
"And there's also Calibur…" Kento spoke in a lower voice.
"That Jaou Dragon definitely feels like a most fearsome form," Rintaro nodded, recalling the footage they were able to recover from Espada's internal camera.
"I don't suppose we can come to an understanding without having to fight Carol… can we?" Hibiki asked as while she had accepted clashing against Calibur would be inevitable due to his allegiance to the Megid, Carol was a different story to her right now.
"Are you running away, then?" Maria asked.
"I am not!" Hibiki argued as she stood from where she was sitting, though Rintaro and Kento noticed there was doubt in her eyes, "But ever since I synced with the Gungnir and felt its power as my own, it really troubles me to use a power meant for helping people to fight them instead."
"And that… is the arrogance of those privileged with power!" Maria called out.
"I… I don't think she's trying to be arrogant though…" Rintaro said in a low but nervous voice.
"Sometimes all we can do is fight," Kento replied, trying to give his own words of wisdom to offset Maria's remarks. Despite this he did seem to have his own doubts, "Though it is a bit unnerving that a child is our opponent this time."
"Yet from the way she spoke, it seems like she's much more," Rintaro admitted.
The Next Day
A day had passed, and while mostly everyone was at school or doing their own routines, a fair few of the Riders and Wielders were at SONG HQ given the current situation.
Tsubasa in particular was in the training room but wasn't exactly in the mood to train. Instead it seemed like she wanted to be alone for the moment, currently holding onto the black coat that Kanade had given her in her arms.
"Kanade…" Tsubasa muttered as she stared down at the ground.
"I'm surprised… when I came in here I wasn't expecting this."
"Huh?" Tsubasa turned, soon seeing Daishinji at the doorway with a long black carrying case slung over his shoulder, "Daishinji… why are you here?"
"I'm one for listening to the tune of a sword," Daishinji cracked a small smile, "And it seems like one's troubled at the moment."
Tsubasa couldn't help but smirk at that, "Since when did you become so relaxed?"
"It's taken a while for me to get back into my usual groove," Daishinji admitted, "But I'd like to think it's thanks to Hibiki and Touma."
"I suppose you're right about that," Tsubasa agreed with a nod, "I just… why didn't she stay?"
"I think she's confused and frustrated as a result of said confusion," Daishinji admitted as he went to stand next to Tsubasa, "I'm not sure if you remember it, but during the incident in which Miku was captured by the FIS at the Tokyo Skytower, Falchion showed herself on our radar."
"I do seem to recall that," Tsubasa said as she looked over, "Why bring that up?"
"Because I personally went to meet with her," Daishinji said as he set the carrying case down, "It was a suggestion from Chris at the time to see if we could find a way to use Mumeiken Kyomu to reverse Hibiki's condition at the time."
"Did you find anything out?" Tsubasa asked as an obvious sparkle of hope appeared in her eyes.
Daishinji took notice and gave a nod, "She revealed herself because she wanted answers."
"Answers…" Tsubasa repeated.
"I think she has amnesia," Daishinji said as he looked forward, "Her Seiken was crying out in confusion, likely over its owner's confused state. She mentioned something about lingering pieces of memory, and something tells me whatever brought her back suppressed her memory."
"I see…" Tsubasa looked down at this, hating the fact that her old partner and friend was now an amnesiac swordsman, until it hit her, "Wait… I remember she had an odd reaction when confronting Tachibana during our mission to claim the Book of Ruin."
"An odd reaction," Daishinji said before looking over, "What do you mean?"
"When they clashed there were these odd pulsations," Tsubasa said, "Then Kanade started acting wilder in her attacks."
"Resonance…" Daishinji trailed in near shock, "The Gungnir inside Hibiki at the time was reacting to its former Wielder… thus a resonance was formed between both Hibiki and Kanade. It was likely the first step of reawakening who she truly was and conflicting with whatever happened to her after being revived."
"But if Tachibana was the one who resonated with her, why clearly follow me?" Tsubasa asked, "Why clearly be around in London?"
"Perhaps she finally realized that you two have a connection," Daishinji said.
"Do you really think that's the case?" Tsubasa asked.
"It might be, and if that's the case you should keep in shape," Daishinji said as he began unzipping the bag before drawing out two wooden training swords. He then held one out to Tsubasa, "If you are to reach out to her heart then you need to be ready."
"I suppose I do," Tsubasa closed her eyes and chuckled before dropping the coat and kicking it behind her. She then grabbed the wooden sword before walking further into the training room, preparing her stance.
"Good," Daishinji smirked as he raised his wooden sword and stood across from Tsubasa, his expression turning more serious, "Show me what you've got."
"Of course," Tsubasa said meeting the Swordsman of Sound's gaze with no hesitation.
Kento didn't exactly like this situation one bit as he was currently in the bathrooms in SONG's base. He was hunched over the sink and sweating a bit as he had hidden himself away from everyone to make sure nothing seemed off. He took a couple of paper towels and wiped away his sweat as he took a few deep breaths. He had hoped it was just lingering pain that would fade alongside his wounds now that he was essentially fully healed but the dark sickly patches on his skin were getting worse while still fading in and out.
"Oh," Rintaro soon walked in and saw Kento near the sink, "I was curious as to where you were."
Kento stood up as he quickly and subtly composed himself, "Rintaro?"
"I was just coming to wash up a bit to wake myself up," Rintaro admitted as he began to run the water so he could wash his face, "What are you doing here?"
"Pretty much what you're her for," Kento lied, "I just got done right before you showed up."
"Ah I see," Rintaro said, believing the lie, "I can understand though, from what you said about London I can only imagine how much that weighs on you."
"It was almost humiliating in a sense…" Kento admitted with a sigh, "I thought we had managed to get the upper hand on Calibur, but now we're back to where we were even with our Wonder Combos."
"It'll be a challenge but with the three of us we can do it," Rintaro reassured.
"Can we though?" Kento asked, though it didn't sound like he doubted their power.
"What do you mean?" Rintaro asked before splashing his face with some water.
"Nothing," Kento shook his head, he realized that it was too risky for them to face Calibur all together. If they fought together and still weren't enough then there was no telling what Calibur would do. He didn't exactly like the thought of what Calibur would do when the Swordsmen were no longer needed.
"Are you certain?" Rintaro asked, "If there's anything you want to talk about…"
"Just…" Kento turned away from the sink before walking past Rintaro and keeping his back towards his friend, "Just promise me one thing."
"What would that be?" Rintaro asked.
"I know they can take care of themselves just fine. But if something… happens to me for whatever reason," Kento said slowly as he tried to find his way, "Look after Touma and Maria for me, alright?"
"Kento, what are you even saying?" Rintaro asked as he looked over in concern, "We'll get through this together."
"I suppose I'm just worried," Kento glanced back and let out a small smile as he walked off, "But it's reassuring to hear you say that."
Touma meanwhile was walking along the street, realizing it was that time of the month to start restocking his fridge. So he figured he'd take some time out of the day to shop for groceries. Of course as he made his way to his usual shop he was still in thought over Elfnein and in particular the Relic she had brought.
'Thou hast made this offer over-late, if thou wouldst make peace: for now I have drawn Dáinsleif, which the dwarves made, and which must cause a man's death every time it is bared, nor ever fails in its stroke; moreover, the wound heals not if one be scratched with it.'
"Dáinsleif…" Touma muttered, "Is something potentially that dangerous really going to be used to help us turn the tide…?"
"KYAA!"
"Huh?" Touma immediately perked up before hearing screams of terror at a nearby plaza. He quickly rushed over as fast as he could, soon stopping when he saw Shimi Megid all over the place, scaring away anyone that was nearby while also attacking them. Of course he froze when he saw the one at the center of it all.
[JAOU DRAGON!]
Calibur stood out amongst the Shimi, now garbed in the armor of Jaou Dragon instead of his base form.
"So you've arrived," Calibur raised his head to stare at the Swordsman of Flames across from him, "Touma Kamiyama…"
"Daichi Kamijo…" Touma trailed, "Just why are you here?"
"Bring out King of Arthur," Calibur called out, "So that I may plunge you into despair alongside the rest of your comrades."
Touma gritted his teeth as he gave a glare, realizing that Calibur was trying to toy with him. Despite this he knew that he couldn't just let the Dark Rider run amok with the Shimi either, so he had to fight. He heard ringing in his pocket but chose to ignore it, drawing out his Swordriver as he realized he wasn't going to be able to answer the call.
Of course he had no idea what the call entailed, and if he did he would have tried to break off immediately.
As at the same time, further away from the fight, Hibiki, Miku and their friends had encountered Garie. Despite being surrounded by Alca-Noise, this wouldn't exactly be a problem if it wasn't for one pressing issue.
Hibiki was unable to sing the holy chant to activate Gungnir…
At the secluded forest that held Tassel's house, the colorful storyteller and his friend were currently discussing something important.
"I could feel it," the hooded man from Avalon said as he placed his hands together, "The Ankokuken Kurayami has changed."
"Yes, I did feel that as well," Tassel agreed.
"I must go and see what is going on," the hooded man said before standing up, "Something is very wrong."
"Something is very wrong indeed," Tassel replied before standing up, "I'll go with you."
"Are you sure?" the hooded man asked.
"Yes, something tells me this new battle also involves an old acquaintance," Tassel said with a frown, "So I wish to confirm it for myself."
"Very well then," the hooded man said before heading for the door with Tassel.
To Be Continued…
Author's Note: We've finally got a small breather after the hectic wrap-up of everything going on. There are a lot of key moments in this chapter, the most important of which is Kento's current condition. Given how his body is reacting, and this didn't start up until a later defeat in the show… yeah, things aren't looking good for him at all. Of course I did say small breather as Calibur's continuing his campaign, and given what next chapter entails… yeah things aren't likely to get any better.
To distract from the doom and gloom however, fun fact time! So Rintaro's line about a gorilla is a reference to Fuwa's poor art skills from the Zero-One Clipshow Episodes, in which Fuwa is tasked with drawing a gorilla… and does it poorly.
With all that said, thanks for reading and I'll see you all next time.