Despite deploying as fast as they could, the remaining Riders of Section 2 were unable to make it to Kento's and Hibiki's battles in time. Instead they ended up with the aftermath of two of their members critically injured, while the rest were all in varying states of distress. The best they could do was retrieve both of their defeated members alongside the inactive Kyomu and Eternal Phoenix. The other members that had witnessed said defeats had also managed to calm down for a short enough time to head back to base.
Speaking of SONG's submersible headquarters, it was a hectic mess at the moment and even that felt like an understatement. Staff members were running around like crazy, whether there were communications officers contacting the right channels, doctors and medics rushing all over to try and keep Kento and Hibiki stabilized, or both Sophia and Genjuro trying to sort out everything due to them being the heads of the organization.
Aside from Sophia, Genjuro, Ogawa and Daishinji, everyone else was currently gathered in the main lounge of the base as they all stayed quiet. It was a stark contrast given how Touma, Miku, Maria, Kirika, and Shirabe were when they had arrived. The five were practically yelling for their friends as the defeated Rider and Wielder were sent into the medical bay to be treated.
The only members of SONG that were even remotely composed at the moment were Rintaro, Tsubasa and Chris, the three steeling themselves as they knew what they had to do to stop this downwards spiral.
"There's no need to worry," Rintaro said as he tried to reassure everyone, "Hibiki is strong and has been through worse. She'll make it through this. Not only that but Kento is also strong, I'm sure-"
"Are you not aware of his condition?" Maria spoke up as she looked down at the floor, "That for some reason his medical checkup showed that his vitals had dropped and weakened in mere days?"
"I…" Rintaro slowed on his response, "I'm sure…"
"It was because of Calibur…" Maria said as she gripped her hands tightly, recalling how she had rushed over to a barely conscious Kento, how his body was constantly leaking a dark aura now, "He lost to Calibur again… his condition is only going to get worse…"
Kirika and Shirabe both stayed quiet, the two looking down as they thought on Maria's words.
"Kento…" Touma muttered.
"Why didn't you stay with him?" Maria asked as she looked over at Touma.
"Hey, hey hold up," Chris spoke up as she already knew what Maria was going to try, "I know you're upset but remember the dummy couldn't sing at that point and we weren't expecting her to regain her resolve. Are you trying to say that he shouldn't have gone to help her?"
"No, I just…" Maria looked away, realizing what was being implied.
"Its fine Chris," Touma shook his head before staring at his hand and gripping it tightly, "Given what happened to Kento she has a right to be mad."
"There wasn't any right decision that could have been made," Tsubasa shook her head, "At most we can only hope they have-"
"…EVERYONE!"
Everyone was startled and broken out of their low spirits when they heard Daishinji's voice. They watched as the Swordsmith approached in a hurry with Ogawa and both Commanders.
"Hey, what's the big idea with the yelling?" Chris asked before noticing their expressions, "Hey seriously… what's going on?"
Daishinji panted a bit, having gotten out of breath as Sophia stepped forward.
"It's Kento… his condition is…"
Everyone's eyes widened and stood up instantly as Sophia didn't even need to finish her sentence. Especially since she used Kento's name instead of title of Espada, that distinction being more than enough to pick up that something was wrong.
There was a near stampede as everyone quickly entered the spare medical room that Kento was in. The doctors had all moved aside and gone to go assist with the ones that were with Hibiki as everyone surrounded the main bed Kento was on.
The Swordsman of Thunder wasn't in the best shape at the moment as he was breathing heavily and sweating profusely. His body was deathly pale and he had a constant purple smoke exiting his body as patches of his skin became a discolored purple. Most had stayed back though Touma alongside Maria, Kirika and Shirabe quickly hurried over to his bedside.
"Kento…"
"Touma… Maria… Kirika… Shirabe…" Kento rasped out as he could see the four of him surrounding him, all of them having various looks of concern, "…it's okay."
"What's okay, dess?!" Kirika called out as she tried to hold back her tears.
"We were told your vitals dropped heavily again," Shirabe muttered as she looked away, "How is that okay?"
"I guess that means I didn't win…" Kento chuckled before coughing,
"Kento…" Touma muttered as his hat was tilted forward, it casting a shadow over his eyes.
"You damn idiot, that's what you're concerned with?!" Maria called out as she was on the verge of tears, "What were you thinking?!"
"My body was already failing me…" Kento said before coughing, he paused as he calmed himself before continuing, "I wouldn't have had much longer… even if it was a slim chance… I needed to stop Calibur…"
"Why would you even put that kind of burden on yourself?" Maria asked.
"My dad caused so much trouble back during the Zwei Wing Incident… had the Logos Sector not been compromised… things would have been different," Kento admitted, "Not only that but Kamijo took my father's sword as his own… and I was powerless to stop him…"
"You idiot," Chris looked away when she heard this, "Didn't you remember what we told you?"
"You never had to do this alone," Tsubasa called out, "And look at your state now and how that's affected everyone."
"I know… and… I'm sorry," Kento said before coughing again.
"Kento…" Touma repeated.
"Touma I'm honestly so happy… so happy that you've kept your love of books," Kento spoke up suddenly in a strained voice, "You've shown others the joy of reading… and even own a bookstore with dreams of becoming a novelist… I'm… I'm so happy that you've kept true to yourself."
"Kento…?" Touma asked in confusion before noticing his friends condition was getting worse as the various monitors he was hooked up to began to flash with warnings, "Kento, you'll make it out alright! We promised that we'd find Luna and introduce her to all our friends, right?!"
"We did…" Kento let out a light cough that nearly sounded like a laugh.
"Then stop talking like you won't be here anymore!" Touma yelled out as he hunched over, everyone staring at him, "I failed you, I failed Hibiki… I wasn't able to save either of you…"
"No… you did save me… and not just you… you all saved me," Kento replied as he began to breathe in a heavier fashion but kept talking as he knew he needed to let his words be heard, "And even Hibiki… I'm sure she's gone through so much. And yet, she had friends like you and Miku to support her… and then there's everyone else as well. Saving someone… doesn't always mean physically fighting to protect them…"
"Kento…" Maria muttered as Kirika and Shirabe began to tear up finally.
"I just wish…" Kento spoke up as he stared at the ceiling, "I just wish I could have kept fighting alongside you… I'm grateful for everything… for everything you've done for me…"
"You say that like you haven't done anything for us," Maria spoke up, "You've done more for me and the girls than you realize."
"Kento…" Daishinji muttered.
"Please…" Kento gasped out, "Protect this world… this world is our home, please protect it."
"I…" Touma immediately grabbed one of Kento's hands, "I promise!"
"No," Maria shook her head as she grabbed the same hand Touma did, while Kirika and Shirabe grabbed Kento's other hand wordlessly, "We promise."
"We won't let you down," Genjuro spoke up with Sophia only able to nod as she tried to wipe away her tears.
Rintaro nodded as he fought back tears, "Of course!"
"Like you need to tell us twice," Chris said as both Tsubasa and Daishinji gave nods.
"I promise too," Miku also spoke up as she gripped her shirt tightly while staring downwards, "I know I can't do much… but…"
"AGH!" Kento yelled out as he felt a sudden pulsation of pain the black smoke began to grow worse as Kento started to convulse, his eyes shining a bright red. Everyone began yelling out Kento's name as he continued to scream in pain. It was only a few short seconds but it felt like an eternity to everyone. With one final scream, Kento's body vanished into dark smoke that evaporated and left nothing behind.
The four that were beside him all fell to their knees as everyone turned silent. No one was sure what to do at the moment, or how to process what had just happened. The various members of SONG either stood there silent or cried their eyes out for what seemed like hours on end.
Sympho-Saber: Song of Swords
GX:EP05 – Carrying those Feelings Onwards
1 Week Later
It had been a week since Kento was consumed by darkness, and Hibiki was still unconscious. Needless to say, with Hibiki still out of commission and the loss of Kento, everyone was in a rut. Thankfully there had been no attacks since then, which left everyone the proper amount of time to grieve.
Miku herself was currently visiting Daishinji in his lab. She had no real reason to be there but she figured she'd check up on the mechanic of SONG before she went to check on Hibiki.
Elfnein was off to the side and currently had fallen asleep briefly. Her work area of the lab could be considered a slight mess, as she had various scribbles of alchemic formulas up as well as books just lying around. Near her on the desk was the equipment she was using to repair and fully perform maintenance of the Symphogear Pendants.
"So…" Miku glanced over to the main machine where the Seiken's would normally be repaired, Mumeiken Kyomu slotted inside of it. "She hasn't woken up yet?"
"Unfortunately not," Daishinji shook his head, "Mumeiken Kyomu was in near disrepair when I received it. Thankfully it wasn't broken, because then it would take longer, but in that state it's going to take a while and I'm not sure if Kanade Amou will wake up when it is fully repaired."
"I can only imagine how Tsubasa's feeling…" Miku mentioned as she continued to stare at the Seiken.
"She's been taking it rather well," Daishinji admitted, giving a smirk when he noticed Miku look over in surprise, "She's visited every day and feels relieved when I tell her I've been making progress with repairs."
"I see, so she believes that Kanade will come back then?" Miku asked.
"Yes," Daishinji nodded.
"Also…" Miku paused before speaking up, "How are you taking all of this?"
"As best as I can," Daishinji admitted as he sat down and put his hand on his forehead, "So far work has been helping with that process."
"Speaking of," Miku said before glancing over at the Raimeiken Ikazuchi, "What's going to happen to Kento's equipment?"
"Right now I'm planning on making sure they're well maintained," Daishinji said, "There's no current candidate unfortunately since we've already tapped on two of our stronger regular members for both Buster and Kenzan."
"I see…" Miku said as she absentmindedly wandered over to Ikazuchi. She gently took hold of the sword by its hilt and the flat of its blade. She lifted it up a bit as she stared at the weapon, 'It feels surprisingly heavy…' she thought as she held it for a bit longer before setting it down, 'As if it's more than just the materials used to make it…'
Daishinji's ear twitched, he glanced over as he could have sworn he heard a humming noise come from Ikazuchi only for it to stop. He narrowed his eyes slightly though since he was sure Ikazuchi had been silent and in mourning only for a brief spark to occur when Miku was seemingly near it.
"I'll be taking my leave," Miku gave a bow before heading out.
"Right," Daishinji said before turning and grabbing his swordsman coat, planning on putting it over Elfnein to cover her up. He paused however when he saw her stir.
"A dream…?" Elfnein muttered, "Carol's memories from centuries ago?"
"Looks like someone just woke up," Daishinji chuckled as he moved over to her side, "Are you sure you shouldn't take a longer break?"
"Huh?" Elfnein soon looked over at a monitor and gasped at the time, "Oh no, I dozed off for almost ten minutes."
"Maybe you should rest some more," Daishinji suggested.
"No, even the briefest rest will have sharpened my mind," Elfnein said, "We need to hurry and upgrade the Symphogear."
"Do you need me to step in again?" Daishinji asked.
"No, I'll be fine," Elfnein shook her head, "You've done more than enough and we've already implemented your portion into the design. This final step is up to me."
"Then I'll work on finishing up my project," Daishinji said as he went over to the maintenance station he had for the Wonder Ride Books.
Currently there were three blank books slotted in, above them was a glass tube that held the blank silver Ride Book from Avalon and a tan bulkier book similar in shape to it. On the screen at the station were statistics and data on Ame no Habakiri, Ichaival, and Gungnir alongside various statistics and parameters for the two large books.
The other members of SONG minus Kirika, Shirabe and Touma were all on the bridge as Aoi had some good news on the situation.
"Currently Projects Ignite/Ride Gear are at 91% completion," Aoi explained, "Thanks to the sheer amount of data on Relics Number One and Two, the longest under our oversight, and Daishinji's extensive knowledge on the Seiken and Wonder Ride Books, his and Elfnein's hard work has made the process much faster than we expected."
"As this all overlapped with the maintenance of the nuclear generators, I was a bit worried," Sakuya admitted, "Luckily, we were able to secure enough external power to keep HQ operational and continue the project."
"However, doesn't modifying the Symphogear mean treading on highly classified territory?" Ogawa asked.
"Normally yes, especially when it comes to mixing the Wonder Ride Books with the Symphogears," Sophia agreed, "But…"
"Desperate times call for desperate measures," Genjuro said, "It was easy to get the mixing of technologies out of the way due to one single factor, the Megid."
"We've had two confrontations in a row where we deal with the issue but the Megid escape," Sophia explained, "So Project Ride Gear was allowed with ease due to that situation. Adapting the Symphogears to Rider technology and vice-versa is felt necessary to stop the Megid."
"And Yatsuhiro was able to pull some strings for us on the Project Ignite side of things," Genjuro admitted.
"Yatsuhiro…?" Chris asked, "Who is that, even?"
"A high-ranking government official who maintains national security while skirting the very edge of the law," Tsubasa explained in a near instant fashion, "He's no stranger to acting outside of the realm of legality to get things done."
"Okay, but in short, who is he?" Chris asked.
Tsubasa looked away, clearly not wanting to answer that.
"Director of Cabinet Intelligence Kazanari Yatsuhiro," Ogawa spoke up, "The Commander's older brother and Tsubasa's father."
"Oh, her Father…?" Rintaro asked, a bit surprised by this since Tsubasa never really talked about her family much.
"Why didn't you say that from the start?" Chris asked curiously, "I felt like we were playing Twenty Questions."
"As I understand, my transfer to SONG was also facilitated by him," Maria said as she walked over, the thought on her head when it came to the specifics of her transfer now cleared up, "So you and he are related."
"Is something wrong?" Rintaro asked when he noticed how uncomfortable Tsubasa seemed to be at the moment.
"I just checked on Hibiki," Miku spoke up as she entered, interrupting the conversation unintentionally though Tsubasa didn't seem to mind that.
"She's still on life support, but she's stable, with no serious injuries," Ogawa said, "She'll be fine."
"Thank you," Miku said before sighing, "But I'm more worried about Touma at the moment."
"I just realized he hadn't come in yet," Rintaro said, "Where is he?"
"Probably still thinking over everything given we haven't seen him in a week aside from whenever we'd visit the storefront," Maria said, realizing all too well that Touma was likely still grieving in his own way.
"I just wish there was more I could do," Miku admitted with a frown.
"Your support is more than enough," Genjuro reassured, "You being there for both Touma and Hibiki however you can shouldn't be something that's underestimated."
"I suppose you're right," Miku gave a soft smile though even that was beginning to feel forced to her at this point.
Touma was sitting on a double sided bench that had a good view of the port where SONG's Submarine was suddenly set up. He was planning on showing up at SONG today after mostly sticking to his shop and only responding to calls like he had the entirety of the week. The sadness that came with Kento's sudden passing had mostly faded and for the most part he was stewing in regret. He hated how he was unable to truly match up to Calibur's new form, especially since he had a chance to deal with Calibur the day before both Kento and Hibiki lost their fights.
In his hands was the Lamp Do Alangina, it being decided that they'd split up Kento's Wonder Ride Books among the remaining Riders. Due to Touma's skill level and aptitude for Wonder Rider forms they figured he'd take the main book of the trio. Needle Hedgehog ended up with Genjuro and Ogawa was holding onto Tri-Cerberus.
He clutched it tightly and leaned back as he glanced up, "What am I going to do now?"
"Are you alright?" A voice from behind asked, it sounding like a young woman's.
"Just a bit troubled," Touma admitted.
"Mind if I sit on the bench behind you?" She asked.
"Sure," Touma said as he didn't turn to look at the woman, simply settling into his seat as he could feel the woman sit down behind him.
"So what's troubling you?" She asked.
"Oh I… I can't really say much…" Touma admitted, trying to pass it off as it being personal since he knew he couldn't just spill the details of SONG business to a random bystander. Despite it being a bystander though, her presence felt welcome, like he could finally talk about how he was feeling to someone, "It would be really vague and I don't think you'd be able to really understand."
"If you put meaning into your words then it doesn't matter how vague they are," The woman replied, "So try me."
"Alright then," Touma chuckled at the response before sighing and hunching over, "I've… I've lost a very important friend…"
"Oh," The woman said, "I'm sorry about that."
"There's no need to apologize," Touma said before gripping Lamp Do Alangina tightly, "It's just… I've felt so powerless for a while now… no matter how hard I've fought there are still issues, problems coming up. Sometimes I wonder if there's even a point to all of this…"
"You shouldn't give up," The woman said, "I know times are tough, but you don't sound like the kind of guy who gives up easily, who settles for a gloomy ending of a story."
"My tone and voice gives it away, huh?" Touma asked, not registering the specific phrases the woman was using as odd, "I suppose you're right… as a future novelist that wants to inspire others, I'd rather not write stories that end terribly…"
"You want to be a novelist?" The woman asked.
"I do," Touma gave a nod, "I've got so many wonderful ideas thanks to all the friends I've met… and I realize now… I can't let it all end anytime soon. If there's a terrible ending in store for me, then I'll change it!"
"That's the spirit," The woman gave a chuckle.
"He… he wouldn't want me or the others to sit around moping," Touma said as he gripped the Ride Book tightly in his hands, "He wouldn't want us to blame ourselves for a decision he chose to make… so that's why…"
BOOM!
Touma quickly looked up before standing in shock, watching as one of the generators near the docks exploded. His eyes widened as he remembered the maintenance occurring today as well as the danger posed if they lost the backup power. He didn't waste any time, quickly bringing out the Diago Speedy book and running off.
"W-Where are you going?!" The woman's voice called out to him.
"There's somewhere I need to be! A promise I need to keep!" Touma yelled out as he ran further and further, needing to get to a secure location in order to activate his bike, "Just get to safety!"
As Touma ran off he didn't think of looking back, all he knew was that he was grateful for having someone to talk to. That was all he needed in order to rush ahead full speed towards SONG HQ.
Had he turned around however he would have noticed that the woman who was talking to him was Luna.
"Touma, don't ever give up," Luna smiled before glancing back and noticing the man from Avalon in the shadows nearby. The two exchanged looks and each gave a nod towards each other before she looked back towards the site of the attack. She clasped her hands together, "When all is nearly lost… the spark of hope will give birth to a new power should the knight choose to push forward… you can do this Touma."
The SONG submarine shook as it was rocked by the nearby explosions, both Sakuya and Aoi pulling up the feeds to show that Alca-Noise were attacking the main generators. Of course those weren't the only ones around as the operators began pulling up images of Shimi Megid alongside a Goblin Megid amongst their ranks.
"Don't tell me… they're targeting the generators that power our base?" Ogawa asked.
"They've stopped playing around," Sophia realized.
"What's happening, dess?!" Kirika asked as she rushed in with Shirabe, the two had been on base but were elsewhere when the attacks had started happening.
"The Alca-Noise have gone straight for the generator at our dock," Aoi explained.
"And not just that one," Sakuya reported as he pulled up footage of various similar attacks throughout the city, "We've received reports of similar attacks throughout the city. The power output of the facilities is falling drastically!"
"If they manage to cut off our power, we can say goodbye to our plans to upgrade our Gear," Tsubasa said.
"Our internal generator won't last for long," Ogawa said.
"Then what about the medical room?" Miku asked, worried for Hibiki if the power fully went off.
"We won't let that happen!" Genjuro called out as he stood up and fully put on his swordsman coat, "Ogawa, Rintaro, you're with me!"
"Of course," Rintaro called out ready to rush out before realizing something, "Ah what about Touma?"
"We've just received a message from Touma," Aoi said, "He's nearby and on his way!"
"That's Kamiyama for you," Tsubasa smiled.
"Looks like he got out of his funk," Chris said.
"Good because we've got more issues!" Sakuya called out as he pulled up more footage of the attack occurring nearby. Not only were their Alca-Noise, Shimi and a Goblin Megid, but Calibur in Jaou Dragon was there accompanied by Legeiel, Zooous and Storious who were all in their fully transformed states.
Genjuro didn't even need to say a word as he, Rintaro and Ogawa immediately bolted out of the bridge. Miku could only clasp her hands together in prayer while both Shirabe and Kirika glanced towards each other.
Carol was currently by herself in her throne room, watching as the battle was starting to finally kick off. She knew that the Riders would try to interfere, which was why she insisted to Calibur that they bring out everything and everyone in order to force SONG's full hand to be played. Of course she cut off the feeds of the battle when she felt a presence approaching her.
She narrowed her eyes but kept a relaxed posture, "So you've come… Viktor."
Before her was Tassel who responded with a kind smile.
"I actually go by Tassel now," he said as he clasped his hands together, "So if you could call me that instead."
"Very well," Carol said, deciding to humor the man before her, "Tassel, why are you here?"
"You know very well why I'm here," Tassel said, still keeping his kind smile.
"I figured that my actions wouldn't go unnoticed by you," Carol said, "So shall we do the same song and dance yet again?"
Tassel frowned at these words, "You know I'm sure what you're doing now is not what you're father-"
"Like you have the right to speak about him," Carol interrupted with a cold glare, "The Sword of Logos while leagues better than it's iteration today was useless back then like it still is now. The fact that you left the Logos Sector after that incident two years back is telling enough."
"I simply realized that I was too hands on in my approach to wanting to protect this world," Tassel replied, "But I suppose I should get to the point."
"And that point is?" Carol asked.
"You're a smart girl and you've gotten this far on your cunning and intellect," Tassel spread his arms out, "So why can't you see that the Megid are simply using you to further their goals?"
"Oh I already know they are," Carol replied, "Which is why I plan on twisting their goals to suit my own should the need arise."
"Do you really believe you can do that?" Tassel asked.
"I do," Carol replied in confidence, "They are simply there to bolster my forces since I have to contend with the Kamen Riders as well. And they've been doing an excellent job."
On the front lines were several soldiers trying to hold the line till the Riders arrived. While they were successful against the Alca-Noise due to them not being intangible like the original Noise, the Shimi and Megid themselves were another story. Sparks flew from the Megid forces but that didn't deter them as they continued to approach. Especially with the Goblin Megid, it summoning chunks of rock and launching them out at the soldiers to scatter them and make them easy prey for the Alca-Noise.
It didn't take long for Rintaro, Genjuro and Ogawa to quickly run onto the scene, the three preparing their transformations as they saw their opponents before them.
"Commander…" Ogawa spoke up in a low voice, "For whatever reason it seems as though only the Rider of the corresponding element can defeat that Goblin Megid. Something happens afterwards as well, I'm unsure what but…"
"If it clears out one opponent then so be it," Genjuro said as he looked back and forth, "Let's do this!"
"I swear by Suiseiken Nagar and by Kento… we will protect the generators!" Rintaro called out as he readied his Wonder Combo.
"Henshin!"
[NAGARE BATTOU! AOKI YAJUU NO TATEGAMI GA SORA NI NABIKU! FANTASTIC LION~!]
[ITTOU RYODAN! BUTTA GIRE! DOGO! DOGO! DOGOUKEN GEKIDO!]
[SOU TOU BUNDAN! ICHI NO TE, SHURIKEN! NI NO TE, NITOURYUU! FUUSOUKEN HAYATE!]
The three Riders all yelled out as their transformations completed, rushing into the Alca-Noise and Megid hordes to fight them off.
Blades shouted as he slashed through several Alca-Noise and Shimi before stabbing his sword into the ground. Pillars of water erupted around him that tore through his opponents. He then used Peter Fantasista's hook chain, lashing out with it and striking through several more Alca-Noise before it got caught. He gasped as it was tugged on before he was lifted off his feet and pulled forward.
"There you are Swordsman of Water!" Zooous said with a laugh as he was the culprit, he watched as Blades was thrown towards him and soon brandished his twin blades, "You're mine!"
"We won't let you have your way!" Blades yelled out as he used his Books' gliding abilities to catch himself mid-air. He flew towards Zooous and sped up before slashing at the Megid leader.
"I'm not holding back today!" Buster roared out as he already activated his finisher, his blade glowing bright as he spun and cut through various Shimi and Megid, a large projection of Gekido forming which allowed him to cut through more. He raised his blade up, the projection following as he saw the Earth Goblin rush towards him, "And that means getting you out of the way!"
[GEKIDO RANDOKUGEKI! DOGON!]
The Earth Goblin could only look up in surprise as it watched the enlarged blade slam downwards. It could only laugh out as it was cut into, being slammed into the ground before exploding.
Buster watched as Gekido began to flash white several times before seeing something launch out of the smoke. He didn't have much time to think however, quickly raising Gekido up as Legeiel rushed in, clashing blades with him.
"Don't think your brute force can defeat me so easily!" Legeiel yelled as he kicked Buster in the gut, forcing the Rider back. He then raised his sword as it flashed a light blue coloration.
Spikes of ice began forming all around before raining down against Buster, freezing the Riders feet to the ground. It wasn't long before chunks of rock formed above and crashed down on the Rider.
[BREMEN NO ROCK BAND! ITTOU RYODAN!]
A loud reverb could be heard as waves of sound shattered the rocks, Buster suddenly rising out of it with Gekido on his back. On his forearm were the armaments for Bremen no Rock Band minus the speaker shoulder.
"What?" Legeiel questioned before giving a growl, gathering fire around his sword and sending a stream towards Buster.
"Not good enough!" Buster yelled out as he punched forward with his left fist, sound energy being unleashed as he struck the flames and dispersed them with waves of musical energy. He then shook his hand and looked over his armament, "Looks like Daishinji was right in giving me this book."
"I won't be made a mockery of!" Legeiel yelled out as he rushed forward while Buster entered a defensive stance.
Kenzan meanwhile was cutting through the Alca-Noise and Shimi with ease, using his skill and speed to make his way quickly around the area. Before he could go any further he ended up clashing with a blade, it being Storious'.
"Well now, I can't have you go running wild on me," Storious chuckled.
Kenzan immediately leapt backwards and got in a defensive stance, "To think you'd finally be on the frontlines."
"It's time for us to crush SONG," Storious said in a dramatic fashion as he gripped his free hand tightly, "Wouldn't you agree?"
"That's a bad joke," Kenzan remarked.
"Joke or not, your opponent is me," Storious said before his eyes flashed a bright green and enveloped the area in a brief bright flash. It wasn't long before there were two more copies of Storious who both chuckled.
"Which one is the real me little swordsman?" Storious asked as he and his copies began to approach Kenzan on all sides in a waltz-like manner, "Or maybe they're all my illusions… or perhaps not… go on, which will it be?"
"Trying to match me huh…" Kenzan chuckled as he readied Kobuta 3Kyodai and slotted it in, "Let's see if you can."
[KOBUTA 3KYODAI! SOU TOU BUNDAN!]
Kenzan immediately gained his form of Ninja Butasen, his form shimmering as he split into the full three copies the form allowed him to fight as. The three all yelled out as they wielded Hayate in their own style before charging towards the Storious' to slash at them.
Calibur watched all the fights around him before glancing around. He noticed Micha was on one of the damaged generators and she didn't seem to be amused. He knew that they're plan was to draw out the remaining two active Wielders but that would run into issues since they wouldn't send them out if the Riders could handle the situation. So they needed every Megid Leader and him on the battlefield for this to even work. Of course he had noticed that Touma wasn't in the initial batch of Riders and wondered if he had been scared away.
[DIAGO SPEEDY!]
That was until he heard the announcement and sudden revving of a motorcycle. He looked to the side as Touma suddenly leapt over a barricade on the Diago Speed, landing before skidding to a stop in front of Calibur.
"This ends now Calibur," Touma called out as he pulled his helmet off, dismounting his bike and revealing he already had his Swordriver on.
"Oh?" Calibur hummed.
"Kento, let's fight for everyone… together!" Touma held out both Brave Dragon and Lamp do Alangina, sliding both into their respective slots before gripping Rekka and drawing it out, "Henshin!"
[REKKA BATTOU!]
Both Wonder Ride Books were projected behind him before opening up. The Brave Dragon and Lamp do Alangina launched out from the pages and began encircling Touma as he performed a cross slash forward before holding Rekka up high with both hands.
[When the two books stack, the sacred sword gains power!]
[WONDER RIDER! DRAGON! ALANGINA!]
Flames spiraled around Touma as electricity crackled and sparked wildly before the fiery cross slash slid back and slammed into Touma to complete his transformation. Soon enough Saber stood before Calibur, but he was now holding the gold arm and shoulder of Lamp do Alangina.
He split his hands from his sword, revealing that he was actually holding two Seiken at once, the Kaenken Rekka and the Raimeiken Ikazuchi.
[With two elements, the blade is sharpened!]
"I will defeat you… and protect this world," Saber said as he pointed Ikazuchi forward while holding Rekka at his side. He then rushed forward and began slashing with both of his Seiken at Calibur who began backing up and blocking his strikes.
"You're a fool if you think you can protect anything!" Calibur called out as he clashed his blade against Saber's, "Only those with the knowledge of the truth can do anything in this world, and that universal truth will be mine!"
"You struck down both Kento and his father… caused so much pain by working with Finé and Ver and now Carol…" Saber listed off as he continued to clash with Calibur, "What truth is even worth all the suffering you've caused?!"
"The knowledge to truly bring salvation to this world," Calibur called out as darkness began to erupt from Kurayami, giving a yell as he forced Saber to step back from his swing, "Friendship, comradery, all of that means nothing if you're too weak to fight against unavoidable fate!"
"And you think that's a reason to make people suffer?" Saber asked, "Stop joking!"
"Enough of this," Calibur gathered dark energy before slashing and sending crescent bursts of darkness at Saber.
Saber leapt backwards, avoiding the bursts of dark energy, "I will carry on Kento's convictions!"
Calibur rushed forward, planning on keeping Saber at a close distance.
"Kaen Destroda!" Saber shouted as he tapped his Story Book with the butt of Ikazuchi's hilt. He then stabbed forward, touching the tips of both Seiken together as they combined their elemental energies together.
[KAENKEN REKKA! LAMP DO ALANGINA!]
A ball of electricity was launched outwards, flames spiraling around it strengthening it as it struck against Calibur who stopped mid-charge and blocked it. To Calibur's surprise he was unable to fully bat it away before it exploded, fire and electricity spreading outwards as he was forced to take a few steps back.
"Looks like we've gotta fight if we want some fun!"
Saber turned and quickly stepped out of the way as Micha crashed into the ground in front of him. He crossed both Seiken together, using both to block a strike from Micha's claws.
"You…" Saber hissed out as fire and electricity formed, soon lashing out and forcing Micha to draw her arm back as the Rider rushed forward to slash at her.
Everyone in SONG's bridge was currently watching the fight with baited breath, as they realized that despite having Riders on their side, it wasn't much of an improvement. While Blades, Buster and Kenzan had worked to clear some of the hordes of Alca-Noise and Shimi, they were soon forced into singular fights against the Megid Leaders.
Even the arrival of Saber was a bit dampened by the fact that Micha had also joined the fray and he was now fighting both her and Calibur.
"Can they do this?" Maria asked.
"Did you see that look in Kamiyama's eyes before he transformed?" Tsubasa asked as she gripped her fist tightly and raised it up, "If anyone can do this, it's him."
"He's definitely handling two Seiken better than I thought he would," Chris admitted.
"But even then…" Miku spoke up, reminding everyone that the Alca-Noise and Shimi causing collateral damage were the more concerning parts. While it wouldn't be wise to leave any of the higher ranking enemies on their own, the fact was they were still short on fighters to try and turn the tide.
"We just need to have faith," Sophia said, "We just need to hold out until Slash and Elfnein finish up the repairs and modifications."
"Unfortunately we're on a tight time limit since not all of our enemies are being confronted," Maria said before clenching her teeth, not liking that while the situation was good, it wasn't the best it could be.
Everyone was so focused on the battle however that they had failed to notice that both Kiirka and Shirabe were now absent from the bridge.
The Wielders of Igalima and Shul Shagana were currently running through the halls of SONG's submarine base. Both were also wearing the same set of glasses they had on when they had infiltrated Lydian back in their days of being FIS members.
"Okay but why the "femme fatale superspy glasses" look?" Kirika asked, "And where are we running to, dess?"
"We need to buy more time," Shirabe said.
"Say what?" Kirika asked.
"Our top priority is to secure enough time and power to complete the Symphogear upgrades," Shirabe explained, "Even if we have Riders, they can only do so much especially with how many high level enemies are around."
"That's definitely true, dess," Kirika agreed, "But shouldn't we come up with some kind of plan first?"
"I already have," Shirabe said as she stopped at a branching hallway, looking around the corner.
Kirika looked as well, "The medical room?"
Shirabe silently hurried in while Kirika was still confused but followed.
"How are we going to buy time here in the medical room, dess?" Kirika asked.
"Unless we do something, these facilities will lose power as well," Shirabe said before looking over at the unconscious Hibiki.
Kirika looked over and gave a smile, "You could've just said you wanted to save her, you know, dess."
"No, I couldn't," Shirabe said.
Kirika tilted her head, "Why not, dess?"
"It's embarrassing," Shirabe admitted as she faced away from Kirika, slightly blushing, "I don't want anyone but you to see me embarrassed."
"Oh, Shirabe!" Kirika called out to her friend before jumping towards her for a hug… only to fall flat on the floor due to Shirabe moving away, "Geez, what's wrong with you, dess?"
The reason Shirabe had moved away was simple, she had found what she was looking for. With a few button presses she opened up what seemed to be a safe, and inside of it were vials of green liquid.
"Found it," Shirabe smiled.
"Geez, you're the type who just can't stay out of trouble, huh, Shirabe?" Kirika asked as she moved over to see what it was.
"I figured the medical room was the most likely place to find something that'd help us with the Gear recoil," Shirabe admitted.
"We used to recover here after our training sessions too, dess," Kirika said.
Shirabe went to touch one when the alarm sounded off. Of course they went to ignore it and grab what they needed since they knew SONG had bigger issues to be keeping track of at the moment.
The Riders battle against the Megid continued to be a stalemate. Each Megid Leader alongside Calibur and Micha forced each Rider to focus solely on a single fight. As a result the Alca-Noise and Shimi were given free rein to continue their destruction.
Blades yelled out as he coated his sword in water, it spiraling around Nagare as he slashed against Zooous' chest several times. Sparks flew but to his surprise Zooous only took a step back.
"What?" Blades questioned before quickly raising his sword, blocking two slashes. The force from the attacks was so great that he ended up staggering back, "How?"
"You're an idiot you know that," Zooous scoffed as he began scraping his swords against each other, "You caught me off guard a couple of times… don't think I'm that easy to deal with!"
"I won't be deterred!" Blades yelled out as he leapt forward before slashing down at Zooous.
Kenzan and his clones all gasped as they were forced back to back, the three Storious' all closing in on him. He had to admit that Storious was deceptively powerful and he figured that the 'illusions' Storious boasted about were actual clones.
"Poor little Rider… you'll fall here and we'll put your Seiken to better use…" Storious taunted before all three Storious' charged forward and slashed.
[SARUTOBI NINJADEN! NINNIN!]
[KOBUTA 3KYODAI! NINNIN!]
The first Kenzan threw out the Fuusouken Hayate in its shuriken mode around him and the other Kenzan's, a tornado of wind forming and blocking the three Storious' strikes. The wind pushed outwards and forced the Megid Leader backwards while the second Kenzan stabbed into the ground with his blades split.
Straw, Wood, and Brick suddenly encroached upon all three Storious' legs, wrapping around them up to their knees and holding them in place.
[TRI CERBERUS! NINNIN!]
[HAYATE SOKUDOKU GEKI! NINNIN!]
The third and final Kenzan stabbed his combined blade into the ground, electricity arcing out from it and three streams launching towards each of the Storious'. Soon enough the electricity began to launch out and form three dog-like heads, all of them biting down on the three Storious' before exploding.
Storious gasped out, smoke coming from his monstrous form as his other two clones sparked violently before exploding.
"Not bad…" Storious said as he got on one knee, holding up his sword in defense.
"You're not dealing with an average Swordsman," Kenzan remarked as his clones vanished, though he was still in Ninja Butasen form with the brick shield attached to his arm.
Saber meanwhile gritted his teeth as he was now dealing with both Calibur and Micha attacking in tandem. He was forced to charge his blocks and parries with each of his Seiken's respective elements to keep from being overwhelmed. He quickly backed away and got in a defensive stance.
"Alright, here we go!" Micha quickly rushed towards Saber from the front while Calibur leapt into the air, planning on slashing down against him.
Micha quickly leapt forward only to yell out as Legeiel was suddenly slammed into her, the two flying for a bit before crashing into the ground. Calibur quickly slashed downwards, dark energy forming at his blade only for Buster to get between him and Saber.
"Commander," Saber gasped out.
Buster held up Gekido, blocking the slash before slamming his palm into it. The Bremen arm reacted and unleashed a shockwave of sound against Calibur that forced the Dark Rider backwards.
"If we're going to win this then it's time to go all out," Buster called out as he pressed Needle Hedgehog into the finisher slot before thrusting forward.
[NEEDLE HEDGEHOG! DOGON! GEKIDO RONDOKUGEKI! DOGON!]
Calibur quickly raised Kurayami as he watched electricity gather around the Dogouken Gekido. He braced with his hand and arm as he watched Buster thrust forward. The electricity all gathered into a giant electrical needle that struck against the flat of Kurayami.
The Dark Rider winced as sparks of electricity shot past his sword and struck against his arm. It was enough to get his guard to slip, the needle striking him in the chest as sparks flew slightly.
"Impossible…" Calibur gasped as he stomped on the ground to keep his footing, "He's still able to close the gap?"
"I was able to easily compete with Finé who was using a complete Relic," Buster reminded, "While getting used to this form has taken some time, it looks like I'm finally getting the hang of it."
"No matter," Calibur called out, "You seem to be forgetting an important factor of this battle."
More explosions began to occur around them as the damage the Alca-Noise and Shimi were causing continued thanks to the Riders being preoccupied.
"The easy way out of this is to simply give up," Calibur replied, "You will find no hope in this battle."
"~Various Shul Shagana tron~"
"~Zeios Igalima rizen tron~"
Flashes of pink and green occurred from the roof of a building nearby as Shirabe and Kirika suddenly leapt into battle, donning their armors of Shul Shagana and Igalima respectively.
Shirabe was high in the air, opening up her mechanical twin-tails and launching numerous buzzsaws at the Alca-Noise.
{Alpha Style: 100 Saṃsāra}
Kirika was quick to follow up, multiplying her scythe blades before launching them out to shred through the Alca-Noise.
{Kill Juliet}
Some Shimi were struck by the attacks as well, sparks flying out as they fell over and exploded. The result was them taking out a few more Alca-Noise with them.
The two continued their assault before quickly getting back to back.
Kirika gave a smirk, "Not half bad, dess!"
Buster looked over in surprise, "Do you have any idea what you're doing?!"
"Sir with all due respect given the situation right now…" Saber spoke up in a tense voice, "We need their help even if it is dangerous."
"We know how dire the situation is, dess!" Kirika called out both to Buster and on their communications line.
"Hurry up and finish the Symphogear upgrades while you can!" Shirabe called out, "We'll handle the small fries while the Riders deal with the heavy hitters!"
Buster gripped his fist tightly, not exactly liking that they had to resort to sending both Shirabe and Kirika out.
"Don't go spacing out old man!" Legeiel yelled out as red tinted whirlwinds were launched out, striking at Buster and Saber, the two being forced to separate from each other. The Megid Leader of Phantom Beasts soon leapt forward, coating his sword with ice, fire and electricity.
Buster gritted his teeth as he raised Gekido, blocking against the strikes while unleashing a sound pulse from his Bremen arm every now and again. Despite this Legeiel still stayed on the offensive, trying to force the Commander of SONG into a defensive state.
Saber meanwhile clashed blades with Calibur who had immediately rushed towards him. The two danced around each other, fire, electricity and darkness all spewing out of their strikes as they tried to land a hit on each other.
As Kirika and Shirabe fought, it was still apparent that their attacks were only going to be able to stall the Alca-Noise and Shimi and not fully deal with them. It was to the point where even Micha had noticed this as well.
"Even the dynamic duo can barely hold their own, huh?" Micha commented as she stayed where she was, "I almost feel sorry for them."
Despite Tassel being there, Carol had gone back to watching the battles taking place while also observing her Autoscorer's deal damage to several targeted areas.
"Energy supply to the target area is dropping," Phara reported in, "It will shortly reach our goal."
"The release of the ley lines is in your hands," Carol said before standing up, "I will focus on the final touches."
"So it's finally beginning?" Phara asked.
"It's finally ending," Carol corrected, "All of creation… will be a part of my apocalypse."
Tassel spoke up, "Is it really necessary to go this far?"
"Yes," Carol said, "Now stay silent and watch as I show to you the power capable through Alchemy. The god-like power I will use to send this world into its intended destruction."
"Please reconsider what you're doing before its too late old friend," Tassel said only to sigh at the silence he received as a reply. He turned away before vanishing from the throne room.
"It's nothing personal old friend," Carol admitted in a solemn tone as she stared forward, "I am simply bringing about my retribution while honoring Papa's last wish and I will use anyone, even the Megid, to achieve that goal."
"The users of both Shul Shagana and Igalima are showing normal vital signs," Aoi reported, "The recoil from the Gear is at nominal levels."
"What's going on?" Chris asked.
"I knew there was an alarm triggered earlier… but to think it was them," Sophia realized, recalling one of the communication officers mention it despite the urgent situation in front of them, "They must have taken the LiNKER from the medical room."
"You mean the prototype LiNKER that Kanade left behind?" Tsubasa asked.
"It seems like that's the case," Sophia sighed.
Shirabe soon spoke up, "We'll protect the generators…"
"…until the upgrades are complete, dess!" Kirika finished.
"You two…" Miku muttered, "You two are fighting so hard despite everything…"
"Keep monitor on the two's vitals," Sophia ordered Sakuya and Aoi, it was too much to hope for but the chance that they'd be able to use what little batches of LiNKER they had left to help their odds was a promising prospect, "I want precise data on their conditions at all times."
Of course everyone was a bit concerned when Micha joined in on the fight once again. But she didn't go for Touma but instead was aiming for Kirika. They watched as the Autoscorer brought out two crystals, forcing Kirika into a clash before batting her into Shirabe with the other and sending both Wielders into a wall.
"Shirabe! Kirika!" Maria shouted.
"I can't just stand by and watch!" Chris called out before turning and exiting the bridge. She had only just made it into the hall before her wrist was grabbed.
"Wait!" Tsubasa called out as she had followed and grabbed her friends wrist, "What do you think we can do as we are now?!"
"Are you telling me to shut up and stay put?!" Chris questioned before noticing the look her friend was giving her, and realizing that the Wielder of Ame no Habakiri was as frustrated as she was.
"Tsubasa, Chris…"
The two looked over to see Elfnein approaching with Daishinji who had his swordsman coat on as well as Suzune already holstered.
"Normally I'd tell you all to not rush in recklessly given the situation," Daishinji said, "But…"
"We have a request for the two of you," Elfnein replied.
Meanwhile back in the bridge, Sophia was currently horrified by what was happening on screen. Both Kirika and Shirabe had drawn out LiNKER injectors to inject themselves again.
"They're going to use more LiNKER?!" Miku gasped out.
"Recall them at once!" Sophia called out as she stood up, "If this goes any further-"
"Please let them fight."
Both Miku and Sophia were surprised that it was Maria who had spoken up.
"This is how they wish to atone for being aimless cowards that day," Maria said once everyone's attention was on her.
Sophia raised an eyebrow, "Aimless cowards?"
"Lacking the courage to trust anyone, we simply ran amok without any true aim," Maria gave a nod, raising up her hand and staring at it before clenching it, "So we'll place our trust in Elfnein and Daishinji, fighting while they revive the Symphogear. That's how we'll make things right!"
Maria had bit her lip so hard that it had started to bleed, something that Miku took notice of. She couldn't help but realize that this was something Maria definitely didn't want. But with their odds and how the Megid Leaders and Calibur kept pushing, this was a risk they needed to take.
"Very well," Sophia said with a nod.
Kirika and Shirabe held hands before putting their injectors at each other's necks.
Shirabe smiled, "As long as we're together…"
"…we'll never be afraid!" Kirika smiled back.
The two injected themselves and felt a pulse course through them as they dropped the injectors. The two turned to face Micha but Shirabe paused.
"Overdose…" She spoke up after holding a hand to her mouth and noticing that blood had fallen on her hand.
"Who cares about a nosebleed or two, dess?" Kirika asked confidently as she wiped her nose.
"Let's go, Kiri," Shirabe said, "Together!"
"It's time to cut them to pieces, dess!" Kirika called out as she pulled out two scythes, combining them together to create a halberd.
{Opposite Scythe: Rapunzel}
Shirabe's headpieces extended out, creating two large buzzsaws before skating forward alongside Kirika.
"Oh, you're gonna let me have some fun?" Micha asked as she began launching superheated crystal after superheated crystal towards the two.
Despite the projectiles Kirika was able to easily beat them away before using her boosters to close the gap while swinging at Micha. Despite being blocked by a crystal she was able to easily cut through it with her weapon with Micha dodging away to avoid getting cut.
{Gamma Style: Infinite Firewheels}
Shirabe had launched her two buzzsaws at Micha though the Autoscorer was able to bat them away. She then flipped backwards, creating a sawblade wheel around her before launching forward.
{Extreme Sigma Style: Fobridden Full Moon}
Going for a more straightforward approach ended up working, as despite getting in a clash with Micha she was able to break through and force the Autoscorer to dodge.
Saber and Calibur clashed with their Seiken, the two trying to overwhelm the other before backing away. The two rushed in before slashing and blocking their respective strikes, dancing around each other as they both took notice of the fight.
"Interesting, the resonance between the two are boosting their output significantly," Calibur remarked.
"When it comes to those two they work together pretty well," Saber said.
"It's unfortunate however with that kind of power boost," Calibur remarked before charging for his opponent, "After all a flame that burns twice as bright, burns half as long!"
"Even so… they're fighting their hardest…" Saber said as he got in a ready stance suddenly slotting in Rekka and initiating his finisher, deflecting Calibur's first slash with Ikazuchi, "So I'll fight with all of mine and Kento's convictions!"
[HISSATSU DOKUHA!]
"Huh?" Calibur gave a surprised gasp, taking a step back after his first attack was deflected.
[IKAZUCHI IAI!]
Saber had slotted Ikazuchi into his Hissatsu Holder, gripping it with his right hand while gripping Rekka with his left.
[REKKA BATTOU! DRAGON! ALANGINA! NISATSU GIRI! F-F-FIRE!]
[DOKUGO ISSEN!]
Saber stepped forward and drew out Ikazuchi first, electricity sparking wildly as he slashed at Calibur before drawing out Rekka in a reverse grip. He performed a combination of several slashes, fire and electricity lashing out and striking against Calibur.
Calibur gasped out as sparks began to fly, taking a few steps back as his head shot up at this. He knew that Saber was utilizing two Seiken, but he wasn't expecting the Rider before him to push those Seiken far enough to damage him.
KA-BOOM!
Suddenly the rest of the solar towers were taken out in a massive explosion.
Saber looked over in surprise, "Huh?!"
"What did I say?" Calibur asked, reminding the Rider of his prior words.
The members on SONG's bridge of operations could only watch as both Kirika and Shirabe channeled their weapons into their legs while performing a double Rider Kick against Micha. Of course they had struck an explosive crystal fireball which was the result of the explosion that took out the solar towers.
The power had immediately shut off though one of the operators was quick to switch to the internal power source. The power was back on and the camera feed returned but Kirika and Shirabe could be seen standing and worn out, their armor full of scuffs and burns.
"Don't lose…" Miku spoke in a soft voice.
"Please, Serena…" Maria held onto her broken Symphogear Pendant, "Grant them a miracle!"
The door opened and everyone was surprised to see that it was Hibiki who had walked in, still in her hospital gown as she had just woken up.
"Hibiki?" Sophia asked in surprise.
"Hibiki!" Miku called out as she hurried over and pulled her friend into a hug, relief filling her, "Thank you. You saved my-"
"No, I should be thanking you," Hibiki admitted before giving a big smile as she spoke, "It's because of you that I could sing again."
"But… are you okay?" Miku asked, considering Hibiki's current state.
"I'm fine! Right as rain!" Hibiki reassured as she looked around, "Tell me what's going on."
Sophia looked away at that, wondering how exactly they were going to tell Hibiki the news about Kento.
"We won't change anything like this," Shirabe said as she fell to her knees, her strength nearly spent by that attack.
"But we're trying as hard as we can!" Kirika called out as she stabbed the end of her scythe into the ground, holding onto it to keep her balance, "What else can we do?! It's not fair! We promised Kento we'd protect this world right?! So why can't we go further than this?!"
"That wasn't too bad," Micha admitted as she was currently on top of one of the destroyed pieces of the Solar Tower, "But playtimes over, time to get real!"
Despite readying themselves, the two weren't prepared for the sudden burst of speed Micha had gained. The Autoscorer had propelled herself by using her hair as makeshift turbines, launching straight towards Kirika and striking her Gear's Pendant.
"You're out of here!" Micha shouted.
Kirika yelled out as she was launched backwards, crashing into the ground and coming to a stop before her armor shattered instantly.
"Oh no," Saber called out as he saw this only to get forced into a clash by Calibur.
"Pay attention!" Calibur called out as darkness began erupting from Kurayami. He shouted before slashing downwards, dark energy erupting and forcing Saber backwards.
"This farce is over!" Legeiel yelled out as he stabbed his sword into the ground, unleashing a massive red tornado against Buster.
Buster yelled out as he swung Gekido, unleashing shockwaves of sound to try and disperse it. The best he was able to do was keep from getting damaged and instead was sent skidding back near Saber.
Blades yelled out as sparks flew, Zooous having managed to overwhelm him in his Wonder Combo as he was sent rolling near the two Riders.
"Rintaro," Saber looked behind in shock, "What happened?!"
"Z-Zooous…" Blades coughed out as he got to his knees.
It wasn't long before several explosions were heard as Kenzan quickly flipped backwards, landing near the group.
"The Megid Leaders are deceptively strong," Kenzan admitted as he raised his shield up in defense.
"It was a valiant effort…" Storious remarked in a mocking tone as he waltzed forward.
"But you brats are way too weak to even think of beating us!" Zooous yelled out.
"It's time we end this," Calibur said before glancing back at what was going on with the final remaining Symphogear Wielder.
Shirabe was forced into a confrontation with Micha despite wanting to help Kirika. But due to Carol's orders, Micha instead brought out dozens of Alca-Noise to overwhelm the Wielder of Shul Shagana. Despite Kirika's pleas to run, Shirabe was defiant till the end, fighting and killing Alca-Noise after Alca-Noise. It was clear though that she was running out of steam quickly, slowly but surely having her weapons broken down as she fought desperately.
Kirika meanwhile could only beg weakly for someone to help Shirabe before watching in horror as an Alca-Noise struck Shirabe's Pendant. Shirabe was sent to the ground, her armor breaking apart and leaving her defenseless as the Alca-Noise horde began to approach from all sides.
Watching from afar was Desast who was perched and hiding in the shadows of one of the destroyed generators.
"What a terrible festival…" Desast hissed out as he drew out his Alter Ride Book, instinctively gripping it tightly as he caught sight of the Megid Generals. The temptation was there to help for some unknown reason, but shook his head as he went back to watching. He didn't want to let his guard down, but needed to see if SONG could turn things around.
"Not good!" Buster called out.
"We don't have time for you all!" Saber yelled out as he began readying his finisher alongside the others.
[JAOU! HISSATSU DOKUHA!]
[JAOU HISSATSU GEKI!]
Calibur immediately went for his own finisher, spinning around and slashing forward. He unleashed a wave of darkness that hurtled towards the group before it split into five attacks that launched upwards. The five pieces of darkness transformed into the Jaou Dragon and its gold dragon companions. The five dragons dived down and struck against the four Riders, an explosion of darkness occurring as they were all sent tumbling backwards.
[YOU ARE OVER!]
The attack had forced all four of them back into their base forms, though Saber was still able to keep the Raimeiken Ikazuchi out. The four Riders could only gasp out as they tried to fight through the pain, slowly picking themselves up but all of them realizing they had no time to even think of helping Shirabe.
"Somebody help…" Kirika called out as she watched the Alca-Noise encroach further, tears falling as she screamed, "ANYBODY!"
[SUZUNE ONDOKU GEKI! YAY!]
The sudden sound of a Seiken announcement broke Kirika out of her despair. Kirika and Shirabe could only look in shock as the Alca-Noise had completely paused. They didn't stop because of any orders, but they had stopped because they had been attacked. Some were filled with bullet holes, others had parts and pieces sliced off, and others had chunks taken out of them as if they were pierced through.
"What's with this "Anybody" business," Chris's voice could be heard, "What are we, chopped liver?"
Shirabe could soon see something shining within the horde of Alca-Noise, "A sword?"
"Indeed," Tsubasa spoke up as she swung her katana, revealing she was clad in her Symphogear once more, "A sword that makes the wind howl!"
As she spoke the Alca-Noise all around them dissolved into red dust nearly instantly.
"It's time we change the tune of this battle," Daishinji's voice could now be heard.
Saber let out a soft laugh as he managed to fully get into a kneeling stance while looking over with the other Riders. The Megid Leaders and Calibur also turned towards the new combatants that had entered the arena.
Chris and Tsubasa stood back to back with each other and Kamen Rider Slash who held Suzune up in its sword form as he spoke. His body was partially covered, having what appeared to be a couple of coats layered over his shoulder. He held a Wonder Ride Book near the finisher slot of Suzune, a glimpse showed that the front and back covers were a bright white, with a bright orange spine and pages making up the center of it. The cover held a silhouetted person in armor holding their fist forward, a spear behind them, the title of the book read…
[GEKISŌ GUNGNIR!]
To Be Continued…
Author's Note: And that's all for this chapter folks, a bit of a tense one this time as all the Megid Leaders came out to fight alongside Calibur. It helped keep the sense of urgency despite there still being five active Riders, with Daishinji needing to sit out for obvious reasons. Thus Kirika and Shirabe still had to fight and subsequently get their Symphogears broken.
But hey, that's an interesting Wonder Ride Book that Slash had in his hand. That's not something that was in Saber. But I'll save the further teasing since I can't really get to talk about that yet until next chapter. But yeah, there are quite a few things happening out of order/differently than in Saber. Like Dragon Alangina debuting before/Kento fully passing on before Dragonic Knight. It ended up fitting better that way than drawing out Kento's situation like the show did.
Though speaking on Kento's demise, I can finally reveal something that may not have been too apparent. You see, one of the major reasons the Special Chapter and Movie for G existed was to give Kento more screen time working alongside Section 2/SONG before this chapter rolled along. So yeah, that was mainly why we had a heavy Kento focused Special Chapter after G wrapped up. With all that said, once again thanks for reading and I'll see you next time as things ramp up even further.