Hibiki's punch connected with the silver shield created by Leia, a shockwave bringing up the ground below them, despite being so high up in the air. The Godslayer's fist was strong, but with the amount of precautions Leia took, the attack was not hitting her anytime soon. With a tilt of her index finger, she created a spiral of fire from a red alchemy circle above her that tumbled down upon the yellow Gear user.

Once Hibiki reached the ground, Leia diverted her barrier downward, transmuting the energy into a wave of brown crystals that fired at the one who was regaining her composure. Before they could reach her, Hibiki was dragged away by a set of wires, the outside intervention saving her from a face full of alchemy. Leia's wings opened more, but more wires sprouted from the ground, binding her wings in place as Miku and Chris took aim. The alchemist's eyes narrowed at the culprit of this trap, the small blonde girl keeping a tight hold on the wires that came from her hands.

Leia's face reeked of disappointment with this move, wondering if this was the best they could do with the tools at hand.

"I wish you'd stop this pointless struggle."

The wings on her back whirred, a bright flame igniting as they seared and snapped the wires that held her. Those same alchemic circles that made the fire on her wings spun, a whirlwind of flame engulfing her as the shots from the Ichaival and Shénshòujìng were burned away. As Hibiki reached the other Adapters, the tornado ceased and dispersed, revealing Leia's unfazed expression. She hadn't moved at all from her post in the air, her wings continuing to gather energy from the air as if nothing happened.

"She's still toying with us," Chris growled, her anger boiling as she witnessed the display of power. While she would be upset with how lax Leia was being, what was more upsetting was the demoralization of the new member of the group.

While the Gear users were used to dealing with difficult opponents, Elfnein wasn't used to fighting outside of their recent sparring. She still wasn't used to how weighty Daur da Bláo felt, so it made her feel like she was holding everyone back.

"Sorry, guys..."

Out of all the people to comfort the girl, Miku was the one to take that role, knowing exactly how she felt. "It's not your fault, Elfnein," Miku assured her. Miku knew firsthand how it felt to not be adapted to using a Gear compared to the rest of her friends, only using the Shénshòujìng in two different scenarios before she officially joined the attack forces of S.O.N.G. and their Adapters. Even then, those times were very limited in how much she was in control. However, even with the comfort of the Shénshòujìng's wielder, she still wasn't happy with the results.

"But if I could use Daur da Bláo like Carol..."

She flashed back to the original owner of the Faust Robe she wore. The body she received from Carol was able to use the armament, but she wasn't acclimated to maneuvering with it. No matter how many memories she input into her psyche about its abilities from the recreation of Carol's soul, muscle memory was a different thing entirely. She thought about trying to gather those memories again like she did before, but if she did, what lesson would she have learned about her sacrifice?

She'd just go back to relying on Carol, and that wasn't what Carol wanted.

Instead, she chose to suck it up and fight, though just like Leia, she'd always have a backup plan in case anything went south. She assumed that some type of failure was bound to happen with her lack of fighting expertise.

"Hey, no need to worry about it, shrimp. We're doing the heavy lifting. You know what your job is."

Chris also did her best to comfort her, knowing that she was always analyzing everything in the background. She tried to make this sound less bad than it really was. She was always in their ear spouting off statistics and what to do, but now, she was able to do it right beside them.

It wasn't an automatic cure to her dismay, but after Hibiki gave Elfnein a thumbs-up, she gained back just a little bit of that fighting spirit. She devised the plan to catch Leia in the forest, she should be able to hold up her end of their current strategy, at the very least. "Right!" Elfnein gave an affirmative nod, all the while, Leia looked down on them from the air.

"So that's the girl that nearly destroyed the world..."

Leia's perception of the situation was a bit warped, the sight of the girl she researched multiple times making her consider her options.

She had heard about a girl so powerful that it had other alchemists shaking in fear at her very name, the rumors stating that her alchemy shattered the very skies themselves. Since she wasn't a part of the Bavarian Illuminati, there was always the chance that she could have sent the entire organization under with her song. They didn't want to risk getting on her bad side upon her awakening, which was why they were elated upon hearing her defeat, even if it meant that there were others even stronger than her out there.

"It is, but..."

Nidhogg confirmed her statement, feeling how similar the vibes between Elfnein and Carol were. Even if she wore the same Relic and had the same face, she didn't carry the same intimidation compared to the one in the dragon's mind. "Something's different about her."

Leia took note of the way that statement was worded, the dragon sounding like it had known the girl before. Granted, the girl had apparently lived for much longer than most, but to think that the dragon that was originally sealed away knew about her, even if only for a moment...

With that, Leia called out to her, though this wasn't a tone that immediately sounded condescending.

"Carol, why are you fighting with them?"

The sound of Carol's name caused the entire group of Adapters to look up, with Elfnein wondering why her creator's name was being brought into question. Like their adversaries, she was mixed up with her identical double, the only difference being that her double was no longer of this world. The other S.O.N.G. Adapters had the same wave of confusion until they came to that realization, but Leia continued, nonetheless.

"You have the ability to crush the hopes of anyone who stands in your way. So why?"

Chris was ready to go off on Leia, even though she knew that she wasn't aware of Elfnein and her circumstances. All of S.O.N.G. knew she was a homunculus, but to any other passerby, she was just an ordinary girl. However, it didn't stop Chris from being defensive in Elfnein's stead. "Hey, she's-"

Before she could continue, Elfnein put her hand out, stopping her from saying anything further. With this mischaracterization, the Gear users turned to Elfnein, wondering if she'd really respond to something like that. Despite this misnaming, Elfnein responded, even if she wasn't the one that Leia thought she was. With the way she was speaking, Leia appeared to think highly of Carol, so if she could use this as a way of manipulation out of the fighting, it was a win-win. They could just go on with their lives, even if it meant obscuring Carol's temperaments and attitudes a little.

"Because I believe in them."

That answer annoyed Leia to no end. Everyone had such blind faith in S.O.N.G. and their Adapters, but she didn't know why. Especially when it came to Carol, someone she knew was able to overpower all the Symphogears at once by herself. Why would someone like her decide to side with a group that completely went against everything she stood for? Where exactly did this faith come from?

"Even if you could make sure that things happen your way?"

Elfnein reaffirmed her position, trying not to show her fear as she stood her ground. Even when Leia's glare felt like it was burning into the back of her skull, she wouldn't falter. "Yes. Because they've shown that there are miracles that can't be crushed."

Hibiki looked on at Elfnein, being reminded of how many times she wished upon them for a miracle. Carol would never have said that, but after knowing Elfnein for as long as she had, she found it endearing and empowering. Hibiki brought her fist to her chest as she muttered, "Elfnein..."

Once her response was completed, Leia's decision was completely made up. The blonde alchemist gave her case, but the reasoning wasn't lining up with the ideas within Leia's mindset. Believing in miracles was always so far-fetched to her, the concept being completely outlandish in the face of what alchemy was.

Everything in the world ran on the concept of probability, no matter what it was. Whether it was fifty percent, a hundred percent or a flat zero percent, every action ran on a single number. However, those odds can be skewed in one's favor with the power of deconstruction and reconstruction. That was the reason she not only applied her alchemy in a specific way, but also made sure to be prepared for every encounter for those probability margins. To reconstruct the situation from the ground up hundred of thousands of times so not a single interaction had not been planned for, that was her way of fighting.

So, to hear about a concept that goes beyond what she accounted for, it was impossible. From what she knew, the probability rate was set in stone. No unexplained event would change it because everything was accounted for.

Her wings extended; the clicks being heard as the metal rods were set in place. The transparent projections began to draw in more energy from the surroundings, a whirlwind kicking up and causing the Adapters to bring their arms up in defense.

Now, Leia was ready for a full-frontal assault.

"I see. In that case, I want you to show me one of those miracles."

The group watched as the alchemy within her wings charged up, Chris clicking her tongue as two alchemic circles lit up, one on each of Leia's wings. "Tch..." The symbols for water and wind made themselves known, Leia's eyes showing much more enmity than right before they began to fight.

"If a miracle like that even exists."

[Insert: Alive – TRiDENT]

The winds became much more violent, the users being forced to dodge the multiple tornados that were launched at them. Hibiki grabbed Chris, the boosters on her back helping them fly away as Miku and Elfnein split into different directions. Elfnein launched the wires from her fingertips, but the alchemy circle on Leia's other wing shot water bullets at her, prompting her to use the wires for defense rather than offense. Behind her, the holsters on Chris' sides opened up while she was in Hibiki's grip, launching several missiles at Leia up in the air.

(MEGA DETH PARTY)

Rolling her eyes, Leia created a whirlwind below her, engulfing herself in a typhoon that slashed through the missiles as they came close. However, Chris' attack was simply a diversion. Once the winds scattered, Miku had gotten within range, the mirrors behind her firing several beams of light at Leia's blind spots. "She won't be able to block this," she thought as the Relic-erasing light of the Shénshòujìng homed in on the alchemist. If she used Nidhogg to block it, those wings of hers would be shattered...

However, that was if she used Nidhogg in the first place.

The light connected, though it was with the multitude of silver shields that encompassed Leia. The group thought they had her, but she still hadn't uncrossed her arms. "The Shénshòujìng has the ability to erase Relics. It's a formidable ability, however..."

With a snap of her fingers, multiple alchemy circles appeared, each with an earth symbol plastered onto them. Without a second to spare, several crystals were fired at Miku, Leia making sure that there were more than enough for her to not block them on her own. She knew that if she did this...

"Miku!"

Hibiki let Chris down, her boosters on her back now going full throttle as she intercepted the attack. She parried multiple crystals, shattering them before they had a chance to hit her, all while Miku's Faust Robe blasted and destroyed the remaining ones. Their teamwork was flawless, a result of the training that the two had for their Unison. Regardless, another snap echoed in the air, the shattered pieces of crystal now flaring up before combusting all around the duo.

Leia's plan all went swimmingly, the blasts of fire alchemy engulfing the battlefield. She anticipated that Hibiki would run headfirst into danger for her partner, regardless of Leia's rapid transmutation. If she ever made an attack, it was always much more deadly due to that factor. However, the part that mattered the most was the fact that she was strictly using alchemy.

Despite the Shénshòujìng being able to destroy Relics, Leia's use of Nidhogg's wings only held onto energy before she transmuted it, the Faust Robe itself rarely making its own independent attacks that weren't just elemental transmutation. She truly calculated for every edge she had in this fight.

"It doesn't mean a thing if the only thing I use is alchemy."

Chris gritted her teeth, the gatling gun on her left arm firing away, only to be blocked by another shield while Elfnein analyzed the situation. She had assumed that the Shénshòujìng was pretty much an "end-all, be-all" solution to the fight, seeing as how even though its strength was weaker than the other Gears, its innate ability made up for it a hundredfold.

"I thought the Shénshòujìng treated alchemy as a curse..."

She mumbled under her breath as Miku fired another streak of light. However, just like the last time, the Shénshòujìng's power bounced off the silver barrier. It caused Elfnein to come to a realization, one that she hadn't considered. "But it wasn't alchemy itself, it was just Carol's Alcahest..."

The power of the Shénshòujìng blocked off Carol's alchemy, which brought her to believe that it was impossible for Leia's alchemy to even affect Miku. But when she looked back, Carol was able to affect Shem-ha in those prior fights with alchemy. Not just with Golden Transmutation, but even with the destruction of the Faust Robe's horns. It was that realization that made her carefully reconsider her options.

"And just as I thought we had an auto-win button."

Despite Chris' laments of not having an easy way out, Hibiki was always one to "make" an easy way out, even if they didn't have one.

"Even if that's true...!"

Hibiki charged forward, slamming into the barrier with her fist. This time, rather than being completely stopped, the shield began to give, cracking at the point of contact. The alchemist only saw this as a minor setback, hitting Hibiki with wind alchemy from her wing before she would completely break through. Once Hibiki reached Miku after being propelled back, Leia used her other wing to fire a spiral of fire alchemy, but as she did, Chris gave Elfnein the all-clear.

"Shrimp, you're up!"

"Right!"

Elfnein brought her fingers up, the spiral of flames now being taken in by a silver barrier created in front of Hibiki and Miku. "If she can perform rapid transmutation like that, then..." With an electric charge, the transmuted alchemy was sent back at Leia in a wave of water. As it launched at the airborne threat, Leia didn't think about what her next attack would be, her body instinctively dodging the attack and causing everyone on the battlefield to be frozen in shock.

Leia had dodged for the first time in the fight, her eyes now on Elfnein while the others realized that the plan had worked.

"So... she can do it too."

Nidhogg made a comment, but Leia couldn't help but be surprised. The entire fight, she didn't see Elfnein use rapid transmutation, but to see that not only was she able to convert energy as fast as she could, but also convert energy that wasn't even under her control... it was something Leia only theorized of doing. "I expected that, but still..."

Elfnein's counterattack continued, all four Octaves activating and firing at Leia from where she stood. "Here goes nothing!" As the elements of fire, water, earth and wind all came after Leia, she was stunned after trying to wrap her head around that "counter transmutation" that Elfnein performed. When she recognized the incoming threat, she swung her arm forward, bringing Nidhogg up to defend herself while she dodged some of the Octaves.

"Nidhogg."

Nidhogg's head appeared from the sleeve, devouring the attacks of wind and fire while Leia dodged the water and earth attacks. She figured to leave the attacks that were less easy to dodge up to Nidhogg, using that free space to evade the others that were much less hassle. The attacks ceased, Elfnein falling to her knees as she held her head.

She was ready for the backlash of attacking with Daur da Bláo, but she didn't expect it to be this bad. It could have been because this was her first time attacking in the same manner as Carol, but the loss of memories was still taxing. Noticing this, Hibiki rushed to the girl's aid, down on her knee as she helped Elfnein up.

"Elfnein!"

While Elfnein was recovering, Leia recalled Nidhogg, the attack of four Octaves bringing up several different variations of the situation in her mind. She tried to figure out what made Elfnein's alchemy so much stronger compared to hers, especially since she only was able to use two Octaves at once. Granted, she trained an extraordinary amount of time and had to give up a lot for that at first, but with Elfnein being able to use double that amount, it made sense why "Carol" was the girl whose power threatened the entire world.

"Where did that power come from?"

As if like clockwork, Nidhogg began to feed the information into her mind after returning back into the Faust Robe. The information filled Leia's mind, but when she finally figured out the source of her alchemy, her surprise grew. "Wait, she's..." She assumed she was just strong naturally, but here, it wasn't simply having a vast amount of energy. Judging from the analysis, it was no wonder why she was having such an adverse reaction to the alchemy she attacked with. However, even if she did, Leia, at this point, had nothing left to lose.

"I never thought about that."

Hibiki held Elfnein's arms up worriedly, despite knowing exactly how the plan was formatted. It was still Elfnein's first time in a real fight, but using the incineration of memories was dangerous regardless. They wanted to use that as a last resort, which led to Elfnein strictly using the wires on her Faust Robe and one Octave at a time, but the plan required that she transmuted memories, just as a way of matching Leia's firepower. Of course, this worked out, but it was still troubling.

"It's fine, we still have Beatrice..."

With the way she burned her memories, Elfnein figured that there would be a need to use Beatrice to input additional memories, just in case. Worse came to worst, she had already taken the time to upload her memories into Beatrice before they fought, so she'd lose a week of information, at most. She was prepared to fight this way, but as long as she didn't burn everything away, there was nothing here that Beatrice wasn't able to give back to her. She just needed to get back in one piece without wasting her life away.

"Wait..."

However, it seemed like that process was easier said than done.

While Leia had that opportunity, she put her hand up, a spark in her eye as two alchemic circles appeared behind her. The earth and fire symbols were displayed, but before they could fire, her wings extended as well, revealing a symbol of water and wind as well.

Snapping her fingers, all four Octaves attacked at once, forcing the entire group to evade as the culmination of elements tumbled down at them. Miku grabbed Hibiki by her scarf, pulling her away in an opposite direction from Elfnein, who wrapped wires around Chris' holsters to drag her away. Within this chaos, Hibiki's heart dropped.

"She's...?"

Leia continued to look down on the group, this power now making her feel at the top of the world. "So... this is how you surpassed even the Gods themselves," she uttered, the release of energy feeling exhilarating. Using Nidhogg's ability of recollection, she was able to analyze the composition of Elfnein's attack, down to the very construction of the attack. This ability always gave her an advantage as an alchemist, which allowed her to even recreate the Lapis Philosophorum just from the construction of the arrow from Chris' Amalgam. With something as fine-tuned as that, it was no wonder she could replicate the process of burning memories, but...

"I will say, it's-"

Before she could say more, while admiring the absolute destruction that attack wreaked upon the battlefield, she felt a wave of nausea wash over her, her vision immediately going blurry as she held her head. She felt exhausted, all the energy in her body drained at once as she struggled to stay upright. She wondered why she felt that way, blood falling from her lip as she forced her eyes to focus. If it weren't for Nidhogg and its flight, she would have fallen to the ground already.

"Did she just...?"

Chris and Elfnein recognized what the girl did, though it wasn't like her actions didn't make it obvious. Even if Leia wasn't a part of the Dienheim family, she had instantly learned to transmute memories after Nidhogg absorbed Elfnein's attack. Now, there was a sense of urgency, not just for the S.O.N.G. Adapters, but also with Leia. Seeing Leia struggling, Hibiki responded accordingly, "She did!"

Her hand raised up into the air, her Gear glowing before flashing into a bright gold. Her attire now revealed that golden barrier, the form of Amalgam being active before she activated Imago. The golden flower petals on her hand sprouted before detaching, several golden sections forming and connecting in the form of giant golden fists that dwarfed the girl in size.

The boosters on Hibiki's back burst to life, roaring as it launched her towards Leia. With the strength she had, Leia put her free arm up, ready to block the charge, but before she could, Hibiki already had those giant metal arms on her. Leia's anger only rose when that distance was closed without issue, especially by Hibiki.

"Back away."

Hibiki revealed her concern, even though Leia looked like she was trying to kill them. Her compassion for her enemy was one thing that never changed, no matter what the situation, and after seeing what happened to Carol, she couldn't help but worry. Even with Elfnein, someone who had set up precautions for a situation like this, she still felt uneasy at the process of getting rid of those precious things that she couldn't get back.

"Stop burning away your memories!"

Leia wondered if that was what she was feeling, her mind feeling hazy. It seemed too specific, like Hibiki had already dealt with this before. If that was the answer as to why she was feeling this way, Leia would have acknowledged that, at the very least.

With another spark in her eyes through gritted teeth, this time, with a hint of black lightning, all four Octaves activated again. The torrents of energy connected, Hibiki bringing up her fists and blocking as she reached the ground.

"Who are you to tell me what to-"

Leia was ready to respond, but before she could, there was a splitting pain, one that lingered in her mind as she kept hold of her head. She let out a strained groan, her mind becoming hazier as the attacks lessened in strength. Hibiki went to call out again, noticing how much pain Leia was in. In the case of Carol, her strength came from the thousands of years she had been alive, but if it was someone who had barely lived two decades...

"If you don't stop, you'll-"

"Quiet!"

Leia's outburst shook Hibiki, the girl's eyes now looking like she was much more stressed out compared to previously. She already felt like throwing up, but that last attack made things that much worse. However, even with the loss of a few memories, that animosity for the Godslayer did not waver. Perhaps it was that she hadn't gotten to burn those memories yet. "I'm not taking orders from you, Gungnir."

Elfnein commented on the direness of the situation, now recovered from her own bout. Seeing how much strain this put on a normal person was brutal, even for her.

"This is bad... Even if she only does it a couple of more times, it could be dangerous."

Chris and Miku both realized this, but with Hibiki's determination, they had no choice but to be involved. With the activation of Amalgam, Chris aimed her arrow at Leia, while Miku called forth her mirrors. "But how did she do it in the first place? I thought it was something that only ran in the family," Chris questioned, that same question also on the mind of Elfnein.

There shouldn't have been a reason just anyone would be able to do something like this. Otherwise, even the Controlling Director, the perfect being, would have been able to squash the Gears easily in their encounter, even with the power of X-Drive. Leia being able to reveal this power meant that the entire time she was holding back, but judging from her reaction, it seemed more like she just picked it up on the fly. But how could she do that after just one interaction with Elfnein? Unless...

"Maybe... it was that dragon."

The duo swiveled their heads towards her, prompting Chris to raise her voice questioningly. "What?" The more Elfnein thought about it, the more the concept made sense to herself. It was the only way that she was able to make such monumental progress in such a little time. The times that the black void appeared in the form of that dragon head, it always took in an attack and once it did, something massive occurred within that same fight.

"Think about it. When she fought you last time, she didn't have a Philosopher's Stone. Now, she does. Now, after the dragon came into contact with my alchemy, all of a sudden, she can burn memories..."

With Elfnein's hypothesis, Chris started to put two-and-two together, the grip on her bow tightening as she started to realize the opponent they were up against. "So what? She's copying our stuff," she asked. Hibiki jumped back, overhearing the conversation that the trio was having. While she was ready to charge in again, a simple fist towards Leia would only lead her to using more memories. It was a wonder if even in this state, she would be hesitant on burning up any more than she already was, assuming she cared for her own wellbeing.

"But is that even possible," Hibiki chimed in, trying to think back to if there ever was a Relic that even remotely resembled what they dealt with. If anything, it seemed like a gift from the Gods themselves, such a convenient device that solved all of Leia's problems with fighting against the wielders, but something like this couldn't exist... right?

"Wait, the Nephilim..."

She was surprised that Chris didn't realize it, considering how she fought against something similar at the Frontier Incident and back at the Kadinger Ruins. Hibiki and Chris learned firsthand about a Relic that had a mind of its own, one that evolved by eating other Relics. In the few times they had encountered it, it seemed to grow to no end, the energy from Relics it ate being absorbed and causing it to evolve into that gigantic form.

"A sentient Relic like that... if she has a Faust Robe with something like that, it's plausible."

Those thoughts continued to run through their minds as Elfnein spoke, reminding themselves of Dr. Ver, a man who injected himself with Nephilim cells. Even with that modification, even a regular human like him could absorb attacks and control Relics without issue. Elfnein asked one final question, one that posed further thought into the wielders. "If it could evolve by eating a Relic, what's stopping it from gaining its abilities?"

Hibiki tightened her fist, bringing it up as she steeled herself. "In that case, we have to stop her before she burns away any more!" She already failed once with stopping Carol from burning away everything, she wouldn't let it happen again.

Nidhogg's voice entered Leia's mind, seeing exactly what was going on with its user. With as much strain as she put on herself now, she was lucky she was able to continue moving. "Leia."

Once she heard its voice, she clutched her fist, the energy absorption in the wings now collecting more energy than ever. Despite the massive amount of pain she was in, she continued to power through, no matter what impeded her. Was it calculated for her after the first attack? Was it sheer willpower that allowed her to move? Nidhogg couldn't place exactly what it was, despite being attached to her mind.

"I don't want to hear anything from you."

Nidhogg's concern began to reveal itself, though it wasn't going to stop her. It abided by its own philosophy, allowing Leia to do whatever she wanted, regardless of the consequences. However, if she kept on to the point where she wasn't able to move a single muscle, would it have even been worth it? "Are you sure you want to be using that power," the dragon questioned, Leia's brow furrowing as Nidhogg's consternation made itself known.

"What did I just say?"

Her combative behavior remained, no matter how much she lost. Apparently, she hadn't lost anything that made her hostile, so it was good enough to see that she didn't lose anything of importance. Nidhogg sighed, going out of its way to explain it to her, "I understand, but what happens if you forget your goal for all of this in the first place?"

Leia knew this was a possibility, the incineration of memories always containing an outcome that she could forget her very reason for fighting in the first place. While she could lose her memory on how to fight or use alchemy, if she lost that memory of her mother, there was no point. She knew this deep down, giving her slight regret in using that power.

There was always sacrifice in this world, alchemy being the prime example. To reach one outcome, she needed to give up something for it. She thought she'd give up anything for Stella, but after using those powers, it was clear that there was one thing she wouldn't give up. That was why she held a regret for those last two impulsive attacks so much. She couldn't tell what she had forgotten, those gaps filled in by a haze that she couldn't connect with any two events. As much as she wanted to remember what they were, there was nothing she could do to get them back. If Stella was within them...

Who knows what she could have forgotten about?

She continued to hold onto her head, the consequences of her actions coming back to bite her as she moved her other arm. It felt like it weighed tons, but she had a job to do. There was no backing out now.

"That won't happen, I'll make sure of it."

With a wave of her arm, two Octaves displayed, the attacks of earth and wind being coiled together with a surge of phonic gain. With those amplified attacks, Miku's mirrors intercepted alongside Elfnein's barriers, deflecting the attack as Chris aimed her bow and arrow at Leia, ready to strike.

When the dust settled, Elfnein stood in front of everyone, seemingly leading the charge. The two Gears and the Faust Robe behind her were originally trying to protect her, but with Elfnein as their all-knowing guide, they had complete faith in her that the plan she concocted would work. With a serious look, she called out to everyone behind her, "You ready, everyone?"

With a fist clenched, Hibiki's resolve shone through, her voice determined as she responded, "Ready!"


God, I love foreshadowing. This was a long time coming, seeing as how it was hinted at all the way back in the first two chapters with the all-knowing tome, but it's finally nice to feed everything into a chapter where it actually makes sense to have this explanation, especially on the final fight of the arc where everything's coming to a head! Part of the conception of Nidhogg's design was based on the Nephilim, which ended up making it really easy to give Leia hax while also letting me put everything I want into her fights! Anyways, keep your guesses up for how these will go down and I'll see you next week!