[Insert: CRY OUT - TRiDENT]
"Wait, that's..."
The blustering winds kicked up the ground below them, the earth shattering as the pillar of light pierced the clouds above. The girl's tune that had been strained out ceased once the light hit the ground, though the more worrying thing was the energy that was on display. Despite the pillar being a blinding white, what followed was a scene of the white being overtaken to a deep black that could only be described as a void, any shape or form unable to be deciphered from within. It was mesmerizing, the darkness drawing their eyes in from all angles, until a set of black wings emerged from the expansive darkness.
The wings flapped twice, the dark void now dispersing as Laya floated above the quartet, only unlike before, her form looked a bit more extravagant. Those metal diamonds of black and red no longer existed, but in their place, held a different set of black wings, more akin to a butterfly. Unlike the previous four wings that adorned her suit, not only did the two from her hips move to her back, but the appearance they wore wasn't just of an inky black.
Their bodies of phonic gain glimmered, within them containing a void littered with sparkles, as if they had glitter dumped all over them. The only thing they would even compare it to was the vast expanse of space, the immeasurable amount of stars held within that void having the exact same look as those wings she bore.
The tail on her back was also another thing that drew their eyes, the silver shimmering as if it had just gotten a restoration. If they got close, they could guarantee that they'd see their own reflections within it. However, the tip of the tail was another thing, showing an intricate and segmented design as if to signify something. It wouldn't be a surprise if it did, seeing how the final additions to her transformation were a jet-black sleeve on her left arm and what could only be seen as a halo above her head.
Shirabe looked up at the form adopted by their opponent, the form very reminiscent of their current transformations. However, unlike theirs, her transformation's malleability was much more restricted. Her hair and Gear didn't flow like theirs did, even if she did unlock that state. "She can use the X-Drive too," Kirika questioned, her eyes on the brunette above.
Sure enough, that transformation couldn't be mistaken as anything else, but it didn't seem possible. The group needed to maximize their power output and use a convoluted plan that primarily relied on assumptions, unlocking X-Drive simply because their theory proved accurate. However, to think that she could do the same thing, that wasn't on their radar, especially after the blow she took. Maria was the next to say something.
"But it looks different..."
"Because it isn't Burning," Tsubasa replied, giving her own input. The X-Drive that they used came from the song in their hearts, a way of removing their limiters through their belief in themselves and their companions. It wasn't something anyone could replicate, something that held true for the flying girl. Instead, her transformation, while similar to their forms right now, was more akin to their previous X-Drives that they used to rely on. Even if she activated it through a Superb Song, it was most definitely not the same, assuming she used a Superb Song for it in the first place.
The rest of the group looked at each other, their questioning gazes making them wonder how they were to proceed. Not just with their fighting, but with their attempts at conversion. The fact that their fighting led to this point meant that they were still far off from getting the girl to back down, but when faced with someone who looked to be constantly evolving at an exponential rate...
Kirika's words cut through the tension, asking the rest of the group, "So, we should still have the upper hand, right?"
She asked this question not just as confirmation, but also as an attempt at reassurance. Not just to herself, but to everyone else.
Laya's body waded in the air, bobbing up and down as the energy wings on her back kept her afloat. Nidhogg told her exactly what to do with every action she took, all aside from that sequence with Maria. That move was risky, but it got her to what she needed to do, as Nidhogg told her that all she needed was to retrieve the high-level phonic gain the wielders wore in any way she could. Because of that task, the usage of Nidhogg had to be stretched to its limit, even if it meant using her Superb Song at the last possible moment. Even with all of that, something felt off about this.
She looked down at her body and her hands, trying to figure out what happened to her. One moment, she was about to pass out and everything was fading to black, the next, she was rejuvenated and ready to fight once again. Even those life-threatening wounds of hers seemingly disappeared without a trace, not a twinge of pain lingering.
"E-Eh!? Nids, what-"
She had several questions, not just involving her new attire. However, before she could say more, Nidhogg cut her off. "I would suggest not to ask questions while you're in the middle of combat." Its response made it look like Nidhogg was just dismissing her thoughts, Laya's brow creasing as a result. She knew that they were in the middle of a fight, but to just send her off like that, it was just like the way Leia shrugged off any of her concerns. It caused her to fall back on her response a bit, but she still wanted answers.
"But-"
"You're open, dess!"
Just as she was about to ask another question, the Blades of Zababa fell from above her, weapons above their heads. She was so busy with her own thoughts that she never even realized that they had closed the distance in record time. Shul Shagana and Igalima both closed in on her, so Laya wanted to intercept with one of her wings, but once she put up one of her hands, she realized an issue, one that she planned on asking Nidhogg about.
The wings on her hips were no longer there, so they couldn't intercept any attacks the way she was used to. Even when she thought about sending the wings above, they didn't budge at all.
"Wait, my wings-"
Not only did she not have access to barriers through the wings, but she had also lost her scythe, so the only other way to defend was through her tail. But if she did use that tail, the idol duo could swoop in and hit her at any moment, so she wanted to use it carefully. It was her only means of offense and defense in this case.
Before the attacks could land, though, the green scythe and pink saw were both intercepted, each by a familiar weapon. Not just the Blades of Zababa, but Laya was also shocked when the attacks were stopped by unlikely forces. Maria let out a gasp, while Tsubasa tightened the grip on her blade, ready to spring into action as they saw two more figures appear. However, they weren't unfamiliar with them, or, at least, what they resembled.
Kirika's scythe pushed down, but the Armed Gear grinded against the transparent reflection of rosé. Meanwhile, Shirabe's saws were held in place by a viridescent pole, the carrier of said weapon letting out an echoing roar as they blocked it.
"Uah, wait! Kiri-chan?"
"Shirabe?"
When the two realized what had happened, it was all too late, the sparks already flying as they were intercepted by copies of themselves, see-through puppets that took their forms prior to their X-Drive and Amalgam transformations. The reflections repelled the attacks, bouncing them off their weapons as the copies did their counterattacks.
(Sealed Strike: Pinocchio)
(Beta Style: Giant Saw Judgement)
The two were sent to the ground fast, their copies landing their attacks at a speed that was too fast for their eyes to track, causing Maria to flare up. They didn't see where these two projections came from, but knowing how this fight was turning out, it was very likely that it was Laya's doing, even if she also looked as clueless as the others.
"You two! Come on, Tsubasa!"
Heeding her call, Tsubasa nodded, having the excuse she needed to charge straight into Laya's space. The two managed to zip past the copies of Kirika and Shirabe, though they didn't seem to care about the idol duo. Instead, they dove down to where the dust was kicked up by their opponents, on their way to attack again.
Laya's eyes widened in surprise as she looked on at the new group that defended her against Zababa.
"Woah, what was that...?"
It was weird, since they came out of nowhere to block their attacks. She was ready to use her tail, but now that these two were here, it only raised more questions. She didn't know how to do that, but that was assuming she could even do that in the first place. The only thing she could do was swing her tail and wings around, as well as use a scythe of energy, but all those instances were things she either knew or were told about prior. Before she could make another thought, Nidhogg went to explain it to her.
"Just a record of the past."
Maria's blade on her arm was thrust forward, the translucent energy of Airgetlám searing away the remnants of smeared blood from moments prior to connect an attack. She was a bit fearful of another incident like what had happened before Laya transformed, so her attack was aimed at the wings of her Gear rather than Laya herself. However, the moment the blade got close, the energy of one of the four wings on Laya's back manifested, a hand reaching out to catch the gauntlet as the bundle of energy was ejected.
Maria couldn't even push back on it, the hand acting like an invincible wall that stopped her dead in her tracks before the rest of the energy began to take form. Sure enough, these projections came from Laya, but she wasn't doing it intentionally. As the energy shaped itself, Maria could only look on in horror as the body of her younger sister held the blade of Airgetlám, all with one hand.
"How did she...?"
Just like Zababa, Maria was flung back, the clone of her late sister, Serena, rearing its arm back slightly to flick the Gear user into the complete opposite direction. It followed accordingly, allowing Tsubasa to swerve around the copy and go straight after the wielder of the new Symphogear. With the way the girl was keeping track of everyone around her, her mind was seemingly more occupied keeping the other three on the back foot.
"If she's preoccupied by all three of them, then-"
Tsubasa brought her sword above her head, roaring as her sword attempted to slash down their adversary whose attention was completely on everyone else. If she could cut her down, this would all be over, but it wasn't long before the Ame no Habakiri was blocked by a white spear.
Held in place, the katana struggled to push forward, another translucent figure coming out from the fourth wing of Laya. With a smirk, the clear body of the manifestation broke the deadlock, using the white spear in its hand to slash at one of Tsubasa's blind spots. Normally, she would have been more attentive, but the silhouette before her made her freeze for a moment, and that moment was all that it needed.
The attack connected, the spear cutting down her chest before she was pushed down from the air. All that was left from Tsubasa was a pained groan, standing up from her descent into the ground with a new wound unlike any of the ones before this. She stabbed Ame no Habakiri into the ground, leaning on it as the dust and debris cleared from her vision in the crater. She struggled to catch her breath, not just from the attack, but her new opponent was also a factor as they floated to the ground.
"K-Kanade...?"
The S.O.N.G. Adapters were stuck in their own fights, all while Laya looked down from above. Her eyes were wide open, watching the events of the four individual fights unfold. Kirika and Shirabe clashed with their counterparts, the metal of the X-Drive's scythe and saw bringing sparks in the air with their copies. With each attack Kirika blocked, the Shirabe copy launched another, the projection's "armor" extending the arm of the saw to land another hit. Meanwhile, Shirabe's energy rings continued to be deflected by the Kirika copy, who was spinning her scythe without breaking a sweat, if a projection could even do that.
Maria was not faring any better, the replication of her sister spinning two swords around her that replicated Airgetlám's Armed Gear. The two swords flew at Maria, who used the blade on her wrist to deflect the blades at every chance she got.
(FAIRIAL†TRICK)
With each blade she parried, a streak of light followed, another sword coming in to pick up where the last one left off. Even if the attacks were getting easier to block once she was in the momentum of the fight, there was still a part of her that was apprehensive about fighting what appeared to be her sister. It was like at the Château de Tiffauges, the only difference being that this reflection looked rudimentary and incomplete. Even if it had a similar shape to Serena, the Château de Tiffauges put a whole lot more time and effort into its appearance.
However, the difference depended on its fighting ability, as the illusion from the giant megastructure only fought as Maria, only switching to Serena to stop her from attacking. This time, the replica attacked with the moves that only Serena's Airgetlám could perform. Where it lacked in appearance, this copy made up for in combat potential.
When Maria parried another sword, she could hear the Serena copy speak, albeit very softly. At least this part remained consistent between the two comparisons of illusions, both sounding like the person they were mimicking. However, Maria couldn't help but wince as the copy repeated a set of words in a pleading voice.
"Onee-san..."
Maria was left in shock as she was forced to defend against another attack, the copy shoving a sword into the earth below as a trail of light weaved its way along the ground.
(SILKY†RAY)
The attack lit up from below, the light being seen under her feet as energy engulfed her. Within this wave of light, Maria struggled to keep her eyes open. "Serena...?" The same went for the copies of the Blades of Zababa, hearing their copies repeat the same words as their attacks pushed the duo back. The two copies echoed out their own phrases, though they were together in unison.
"I have to protect her..."
As the duo crashed into each other, Kirika planted her scythe's handle into the ground, using it to prop herself up while Shirabe got up to her knees. The two were reminded of the same situation Maria was thinking of, being forced to fight more illusions. However, no matter how many times they did it, it was still unnerving, to say the least. Witnessing their speech, Kirika choked out, "Those are..." As if on cue, Shirabe finished up her partner's thoughts, "Copies of us..."
Tsubasa charged forward, her attacks being much more furious while the Kanade copy shrugged off her attacks with ease. Despite Tsubasa being a prodigy in her own right, Kanade always somehow made it possible to be her equal, even if she needed to rely on LiNKER to wield Gungnir. However, to see that this was translated to this copy as well...
"Didn't know you were lacking so much on training, Tsubasa," the Kanade copy gloated, hoisting her copy of Gungnir over her shoulder as she put a hand on her hip. Even though she was a copy, she still wore the exact same mannerisms as her original, even that prideful smile. It was almost like the copy saw this as regular sparring, which only made Tsubasa angrier. Tsubasa growled, but from above, Laya threw an apology down to her. Throughout the radio chatter in her ear from the control room and sounds of combat from the other angles around her, Laya's words came to her as clear as day.
"Sorry that this happened."
Tsubasa's glare at the replica in front of her moved up to Laya, whose stance was much more confident compared to before. Just a moment ago, her eyes were wide in shock, her emotions in disarray as she flipped every other sentence. Now, she had collected herself, not wanting to show an ounce of weakness, even if it could be flipped at a moment's notice. However, the emotion she was feeling right now was guilt, especially after the situation that had just unfolded.
She didn't know what Nidhogg had meant when it said that it would "replay the past", so she apologized on her Relic's behalf. She had gotten an explanation of the powers at play, but no matter how logical the explanation was, it didn't stop her from feeling bad about any of the trauma that was brought up as well. "Nidhogg said that this would be reaching out to your souls directly, though I didn't think it'd do this."
From what she was told, Nidhogg's ultimate ability was to access "records of the past", leading to the creation of these projections. Rather than copying from Laya's "record of existence", as the dragon put it, it tapped into the records of the ones that it took the power from earlier, leading it all the way back to the Gear users. Laya's own records didn't suffice, as her fighting experience was only so high, her battling coming from constant adaptation and resilience.
However, with only having seven opponents, if one could even consider the other three Adapters in S.O.N.G.'s arsenals "opponents" to her, she didn't have enough of a "record" of them to build a proper fighter... but the ones in front of her did.
"Nidhogg?"
Maria questioned Laya's words, the attack from "Serena" dispersing as she stumbled, which Laya responded consequently, "Yeah! The dragon you saw earlier? That's Nids!" The girl's words had a certain attitude to them, even though she knew that none of them would have known this. The thought of a living Relic wouldn't have crossed their minds unless someone brought it up.
The Blades of Zababa jumped forward, using their Armed Gears to create distance between their copies through launching energy rings and scythe blades. Each of them proved effective, making the copies leap back a few meters to avoid being hit.
"That thing's got a name," Shirabe asked, keeping her eyes on her opponent in front of her. For some reason, the copy didn't even so much as move, as if it were waiting for a chance to strike an opening. As much as it was a copy of Kirika, its moves were calculated enough to see that it knew blindly running in wasn't an option.
"It doesn't matter if it's got a name! How're we supposed to deal with that," Kirika responded, pointing her scythe at the Shirabe clone. Just like the Kirika copy, the other clone was just standing on its own, the saws on its head whirring as it prepared itself. "It was easier when it was four-on-one, dess..."
Hearing that, Laya's guilt took a back seat, the competitive spirit that sat before it now coming out as she clapped back with her own statement, "You gang up on me, then complain when I even the odds!?" While the Gear users were correct, Laya's new transformation ended up switching the advantage over to her. Against two different groups with added levels of upgrades in Amalgam, Unison and a stronger X-Drive than hers, the powers that be ended up giving Laya something that allowed her to make it all even. At least, as even as it could be.
Of course, Kirika would be the one to respond to her, holding her fist up in the air in a childish retort. "Hey, it's alright when we do it, dess!"
Maria and Tsubasa looked over at Kirika with a disgruntled face, while Shirabe could only respond to her sentence with her usual response of judgment.
"Jiiiiiiii..."
The silence was deafening, even the clones themselves were completely silent and unmoving as Kirika felt the eyes on her. It was as if her response put the entire world on a stop, where even the fight on the other side of the battlefield with the other wielders also sounded like it paused for this moment, despite it being nearly impossible to them to stop their own fight for this exact same reason.
All that remorse in Laya's tone had vanished, though it wasn't in her nature to destroy her opponents. Still, that mood swing back to a competitive spirit ended up influencing her decision-making over her want to stop the fighting. Plus, she had a job to do. Leia wanted to make sure that S.O.N.G. didn't interrupt her plans, so the sooner she was able to do that, the sooner Leia could stop overworking herself. "Oh, whatever!"
Waving her hand forward, the copies followed her orders, each of them going back to their respective fights.
"Khh-!"
Maria tried to strike the wings of the Serena clone, hoping to immobilize her, but the clone was just a bit faster than her, giving her a swift kick on her chin that launched her upwards. The copy made a leap to follow up the attack, but Maria pulled her sword around her waist, the white flames burning hot as it spiraled around her. The Serena clone was pushed back, allowing Maria to change the sword's direction, the blade flying upward before splitting apart into various smaller sections. They all began to glow as they disconnected, all falling upon the replica in a downpour of white and blue.
(WHITE†GLOW)
Despite not being able to provide a full facial expression due to the lack of eyes, "Serena" seemed surprised at this, but it didn't stop her from using Airgetlám to create a shield that blocked all the blades that had gotten into her area.
Meanwhile, Kirika and Shirabe both blocked their doubles, the Unison of the Blades of Zababa now giving them a slight edge in their combat. However, this would also apply to the doubles, seeing this and following suit in their clash. The copies broke their lock, the two of them now flipping up into the air as they revealed a familiar move, one that their originals knew all too well.
"Shirabe" tossed her yo-yos off to the sides, while "Kirika" held out her scythe in front of them. The yo-yos and scythe connected at the end of the pole, creating a bladed contraption of spinning scythe blades at the end of an extended handle.
(Prohibited Fitting Beta Style: ZABABA Sun and Moon)
The copies charged forward, "Kirika's" transparent boosters on her shoulders propelling her forward as they roared. Seeing this attack, Shirabe waved her handheld saws, the flaming energy creating multiple rings of pink energy that words to stop the attack right in its tracks. Sparks flew as the energy smashed against each other, Kirika standing behind Shirabe as they were being pushed back slightly, the ground below them cracking and shattering. All-the-while, Kirika once again complained, "We have the X-Drive, so why is it so hard to take these guys down!?"
Tsubasa also noted this power increase all around her, the comrades she found beside now being forced back from a barrage of attacks. Reassuring them, she yelled back, "They're just copies, nothing more! Don't get distracted!"
However, the worries weren't unwarranted. The forms that they stood against, while they were them, were only displays of what looked like weaker versions of themselves. The bodies of Kirika and Shirabe were formed in their base suits, not transforming into X-Drive, or even Amalgam. Likewise, the fallen fighters of Serena and Kanade were both the same from memory, making it much more surprising that Serena, such a frail girl, was blocking attacks from Maria, even if she was holding back.
Tsubasa made this order, but at the same time, she couldn't help but lose herself a bit at what was going on. "I say that, but..."
"You of all people should know not to take your eyes off your opponent, Tsubasa!"
"Kanade" ripped her spear up from the ground it was planted in, an eruption of flames beelining straight towards the azure girl as the ground was torn up from below. Tsubasa recognized this move, seeing it multiple times when the real Kanade needed to clear out waves of Noise at once while minimizing damage with her spear.
(SATURN∞BREAK)
Tsubasa, realizing how much stronger this attack was compared to the last time she saw this, leaped back, being spared from the flames that threatened to burn her to a crisp. As Tsubasa jumped back, she realized that "Kanade" had disappeared, her eyes darting all around to find her opponent. She couldn't have gotten to sneak around her, her eyes were covering all angles in case she did try something sneaky like that. She always got the jump on her this way during sparring while they were getting used to the Symphogears, but she didn't expect this copy to continue with this tactic.
Of course, she'd be right to think that, as a faint gleam in the sky caught Tsubasa's attention. She tilted her head up, seeing the imposter's spear, only this time, it was vastly larger than before. Without haste, "Kanade" put her foot to the building-sized spear, pushing it down as a spiral of flame engulfed the end of it.
(SPEAR∞ORBIT)
Seeing this oncoming attack, Tsubasa flew backwards once again, narrowly avoiding the spear coming towards her. However, this didn't stop her from feeling the flames that emanated from the impact point.
"If this keeps up..."
The idol couldn't help but think something to herself, her body feeling heavy as she continued this dodging spree. She wondered why she felt so weak, but she could ascertain as to why, seeing an opponent who is apparently as strong as she was making her put in more effort in combat. But she still didn't know why that was the case, since if these were duplicates of these memories, surely, they'd be weaker...
...Right?
Before "Kanade" could jump down from the towering lance to make another attack, the wings on Tsubasa's back gave flight, the girl flashing forward, then up the spear through the flames that licked at her feet. She wasn't going to entertain this charade anymore, not after this. She learned from last time that her emotions getting the better of her only led to downfall, she would not let this happen again. The distance closed almost instantly, Tsubasa's foot on the projection's shoulder before leaping off it like a dive board.
"Sorry, Kanade, but I'm going past!"
"Kanade" would respond, though Tsubasa forced herself to not listen to it, "W-Wait!" Even if the copy yelled, there wasn't anything it could do about it now that Tsubasa had her eyes on the target. Her spear shrank, allowing her to hold it and swing it in Tsubasa's direction as she fell, more spears coming into creation in front of "Kanade".
(STARDUST∞FOTON)
She launched the spears, but Tsubasa evaded effortlessly, not even looking at where they were coming from. She had a clear objective, coming to a conclusion in her mind based on the way their opponent stood in the air. Laya hadn't been doing anything this entire time aside from watching them, so her assumption was that should she deal with Laya, the replicas would also be dealt with. Funnily enough, the girl behind this power could only assume the same thing, so once Tsubasa brought her sword up to attack Laya, her tail immediately intercepted the slash.
"Sorry about that, Tsu-senpai, but..."
Flicking the tail to deflect the sword, she made another attack, the tail's sharp end hitting Tsubasa head-on and knocking her away.
"Sis' orders."
While Tsubasa did take the attack, she recognized that the attack was not lethal. In fact, seeing her attack patterns throughout the entire fight, none of them had any intent, like she was holding herself back despite getting riled up.
"You insist on fighting a battle that isn't yours?"
Leia bit her bottom lip, then Tsubasa charged at her again. As much as she didn't want to admit it, Tsubasa was right, but Laya couldn't tell herself this. Those same five words were stuck on replay in her head, reminding her that she only had one person left in her life beside her. She couldn't risk losing her, no matter how cruel she was.
"I told you, I have no choice," Laya exclaimed, parrying another attack from Tsubasa with her tail.
"You do! You'll always have a choice!"
She blocked Tsubasa's strike, countering with her own as multiple different attacks caused sparks in the air. Each clash of their blades kept them engaged, even if neither of them wanted to clash blades in the first place.
"And what are those choices!?"
Laya spouted off those words, as if to not only assure herself, but also assure Tsubasa. Unlike the Receptor Children, Tsubasa didn't have a sister-like figure to hold onto. Even if she had a "found family" now, it wouldn't be the same as her own flesh and blood. "To either fight or lose her!?" She made sure to reveal that she truly had no other choice in this fight. She could give up, but where would that lead to? Her sister was depending on her, so...
"I can't lose the only person I have left!"
After wrapping her tail around Ame no Habakiri, the brunette swung Tsubasa to the ground again, another large crash echoing as the earth cracked apart. The Kanade clone wasn't even trying to attack her anymore, motionless as Tsubasa struggled to get up. She was already feeling weak before, but now, it felt like all the energy she had before was being siphoned off. Through labored breath, she leaned on her katana, trying to sympathize with this girl, this poor girl...
"You..."
Laya looked down at her, those grey skies showing exactly how her heart was. "I don't want to fight... but this way, Sis will still..."
Laya finally shows off her X-Drive! Laya was originally meant to do more, but I told myself once I got to this point in her moveset that she had enough for right now. Turns out that having a creation tailormade by the Custodians might give you a few neat tricks! She continues to show regrets, but the question is... will S.O.N.G. be able to get through to her? Guess you'll have to tune in next week to find out!