A/N: Hey everyone guess what?! This story is finally being updated! Thank god! It was about damn time this had to be updated and frankly, I am glad to finally update this story. I apologize for not updating this sooner. With things going on in real life as I have stated before several times already, I now have a chance to update this story. So! With it out of the way let's get started with this chapter!
DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN KAMEN RIDER W OR SENKI ZESSHO SYMPHOGEAR
'Thought'
Dopant
It had been a day since the incident with Chris becoming a Dopant. She never thought something that small could cause such a change to one person. She didn't act like herself - she acted more like her mind had the need to release her fury to the world for her pain in the past. It wasn't easy to cope with the fact she practically became a monster.
A real monster, created from the same device Eternal used and for his transformation.
It frustrated her yet it also made her upset upon learning people had been distributing similar items. Especially after her conversation with one of Fine's targets of interest.
Enrique was using a device as well but the belt was allowing him to have an armored form instead of a monster form. While it granted him power, it was still affecting him due to his vengeance to the Noise. Chris saw his rage. She had seen it. His visor may have hid it but when he fights a Noise, he was ruthless, merciless, and focused to the point he was harsh to others to not interfere with the hunt.
However what brought her attention was this…organization called Museum.
Who were they exactly? And what was their aim within the city? Why go after Eternal for one mere device that gave him his powers? So many questions that annoyed her the more she thought about it.
Now, after being under the influence of the Memory, Chris is now doubting her results of her actions all those years helping Fine.
'Am I...doing the right thing?' She questioned herself.
Kamen Rider Eternal: Song of Eternity
Chapter 9: Investigating a Reason
After a night of excessive thinking with many questions left unanswered, Chris decided to take a walk around the city to organize her thoughts. It was fortunate that Fine allowed her, as she still needed time to prepare for the next stage of her plan.
Ever since Eternal saved her from the Gaia Memory's effects, she didn't know what the right thing to do was to fulfill her own goal. Hearing that an organization was behind the creation of those Memories and currently distributing them troubled her even more. She recalled Eternal asking her if she was with "Museum."
What was Museum's purpose for giving away the Memories? Seeing what the Gaia Memory can do to her, it's more than just simple profit from the weapons trade. Whatever they're planning is something big and it bothered her.
What should she be doing now? Should she be following further orders from Fine or go after the group by herself? It was too conflicting for her.
Just what is the right thing to do? What is the actual justice accepted by others?
Chris's mind was filled with conflict, confusion, stress, and distrust. The young girl didn't know who to trust or what to expect from Fine now that the situation was forced onto her.
...Especially the damn voices in her head won't disappear! Was she hallucinating?! An after effect of the usage?!
Great, now she's regretting using that goddamn Memory even more!
Chris sighed, feeling her nerves spike uncontrollably. A sense of frustration brewed within her, compelling her to seek solace. "I need something to calm my nerves," she grunted, her voice filled with exasperation. With determined steps, she made her way to the nearby vending machine, intent on finding respite. She fished out a few yen coins and fed them into the machine, eagerly anticipating the relief that awaited her in a bottle of milk. As the gears whirred into action, she watched the intricate dance of the vending process, mesmerized by its movements.
The machine finally released her beloved beverage, and Chris snatched it up, desperate to drown out her anxiety. As the cool liquid cascaded down her throat, momentarily soothing her troubled mind, she couldn't help but feel a tinge of bitterness. She was well aware that ever since she had used the HEAT, something within her had changed, leaving her feeling adrift and disconnected.
Lost in her thoughts, Chris absentmindedly gazed at her reflection on the glass of the vending machine. Suddenly, her attention snapped upward, her instincts alerting her to an impending danger. In a split second, she dodged to the side, narrowly avoiding the club swinging down from behind her. The impact shattered the glass, sending fragments flying. She turned to face her assailant, only to be confronted by a humanoid figure clad in a suit. Its appearance was far from human, with a head adorned in shades of gray and black.
Her heart raced as she came face to face with the unmistakable presence of a Dopant.
"This would've ended quicker if you just stayed still, little lady…" The Dopant said to her before they snapped their fingers as soon several more of them rushed into the room, weapons in hand.
"Museum, sends their regards for your nuisances…" The Masquerade Dopants droned, before they began to approach her.
The Dopants stepped closer and closer, sending Chris into a state of wariness. They were hostile and needed a weapon.
'I have to stop these Dopants quickly!' Chris thought to herself upon seeing the Masquerade Dopants getting closer. She sang and summoned the Nehushtan armor, flinging her whip against the monsters the moment she was donned in the Symphogear.
The Masquerade Dopants were taken by surprise as Chris charged towards them, her whip lashing out with incredible force. The monsters stumbled back, but quickly regained their footing and retaliated with their own attacks. Chris dodged and weaved, using her agility and speed to avoid their strikes.
As the battle continued, Chris began to feel the strain of wearing the Nehushtan armor. The Symphogear was a powerful weapon, but it took a toll on her body, draining her energy with each passing moment. She gritted her teeth and pushed on, determined to stop the Dopants no matter the cost.
'These Dopants aren't like the ones before. They're more like common street thugs.' She sliced another Masquerade with her whip, falling into ashes. Unlike the one she previously used, the opposing Memory's power seems to be weaker than the HEAT Memory.
She brought her knee up against a grunt, making it fall to its knees and clutching its lower region. Seeing it down, she swiped her leg across its temple, knocking it aside and constrict her next attacker. With a heft, she hurled the Dopant to its comrades, sending him crashing onto the ground with them.
"It's just one stupid girl! What are you idiots doing?!" The head Masquerade Dopant spat out with annoyance.
Chris dashed forward, lashing a whip on the lightpost above the gang of Masquerades. They looked up and the girl swung forward, landing her feet against its torso. Upon landing on her feet, another Dopant grabbed her.
"Hands off you prick!" She slammed her heel against its foot, making it release her. Chris spun around and swiftly brought her knee up to its lower region. The Dopant wheezed before Chris spun on her heel, allowing her weapons to knock the Dopants off their feet. With it she swiftly spun in the opposite direction, allowing the whips to destroy the group of monsters. Each one exploded into ashes much to her relief as they weren't a problem anymore. Alas it had exhausted some of her stamina no thanks to fighting the small mob of monsters.
The sound of clapping reached her ears, diverting her attention to the source. Standing across the street was a blue Dopant. She never noticed him until now!
"A Relic user who summons Noise. Who would have thought they actually exist." Nazca hummed in amusement.
The Symphogear user stumbled slightly to the Dopant who appeared. However she noticed unlike the ones she just defeated, it wore a belt. It confused her. Unlike Eternal with his buckle, the individual before her retained a monster form with its belt. "You're...a Dopant?"
"You must have noticed it by now." He laughed. "In fact, you used to be one yourself correct? I can see you are suffering a withdrawal from such an experience."
Her hands clenched upon the memory of becoming the HEAT Dopant. The moment where she became a monster. The Memory chose her because it knew she wanted to help Fine but this? It was starting to become frightening to know that even people like herself can become real monsters to society.
"Why are you selling those Gaia Memories?" Chris questioned with a frown.
"It's all but business for the people." Nazca replied. "Some use it for obvious reasons. Tell me, what is the one thing people don't have? Fame? Money? It is none of that. It is about having the power to make changes to themselves or to others. To prove a point to their source." The Dopant continued. "Is that not what you tried to do?"
"That's-!"
"Your tone says otherwise." He replied. "Tell me, why do you do all this? Killing people for no reason at all beyond orders?"
"I…"
"Or is it just to please someone you cling to? You are just dangling on loose strings, nothing but a marionette. Or, in other words… a puppet."
"I'm not like that!" Chris shouted in anger.
"Then why do you use the Noise to kill as you please? You're just a killer who enjoys death." Nazca mocked.
"SHUT UP!!!" She flicked the whip at the Dopant, who dodged it effortlessly.
"You're in denial about who you truly are. I do kill of course, but I pick my targets." The Dopant mused as he evaded her attacks. "Prove me wrong if you must."
The Dopant kept evading easily due to the girl's anger. Each whiplash was casually evaded, each attack parried by a block.
"Is that all?" Nazca taunted. "I thought you were better than this as the killer you have become."
The petite growled angrily, her teeth gritting together in fury and throwing both whips at him. However the Dopant didn't budge and grabbed them before it could land on his skin. "Nice try." He pulled her towards him as his foot landed on Chris's face, the impact sending her to the ground. "I prefer fighting Eternal than a spoiled girl like yourself."
"I'm not gonna lose to you…" She growled in anger.
Chris channeled an energy orb on one of the ships and hurled at Nazca. Alas the Dopant brought out his sword to cut it in half much to Chris' shock as her eyes widened.
With the opening, Nazca used his blade to strike her harshly before it glowed and delivered a horizontal attack. Once he left a cut, Chris was blasted away in an explosion while leaving her armor out due to the damage she suffered.
"Hmph, so that's all you got? Typical of a broken puppet."
The Half-American struggled to stand on her feet, her lavender eyes looking up at the monster.
Nazca sheathed his black blade. "Normally I would have you disposed of, but you're not even worth it. You are just a speck of dust in my beloved city. I am saving my true battle with Eternal. Consider yourself lucky, little girl."
Chris watched as the Dopant left her where she was, his taunting words echoing in her mind.
Slamming the doors of the mansion open, Chris entered the building after her defeat against Nazca. Her feet stomped on the floor with each step she took in anger.
How dare he say such insults to her!! She's not a monster like him!
'I'm not a killer...I'm not!' She thought repeatedly in her mind, denying Nazca's words. She is not a killer! She wanted to please Fine as she is doing what is the right thing to do!
… Come to think of it...did Fine ever tell her what her actual goals were? She only told her that it will help her towards her own wish.
Just what is she planning for the world? Is it for good or bad? Fine never told her what she wanted for the world.
Was she just her puppet to use? A tool to kill anyone that defies her plans?
No! She's not like that! Fine saved her from that hellhole!
'You think she saved you out of free will…? Everyone's got a secret to hide.'
The girl lifted her head, looking left and right and saw no one. The Symphogear user grasped her head in frustration. This was starting to bother her to no end! "GRAAAH!" Chris yelled in irritation. "Just what's going on with me?!"
Just why does it have to be so difficult for her?! She wanted to help Fine! She saved her!
'If she's your saviour, why did she torture you over the years? Just like your former captors did.'
Those voices kept infuriating her! She wanted to refute and deny the claims but she couldn't. It was ultimately the bitter truth.
She gnashed her teeth together, almost grinding them before the Symphogear user made her way to the chambers that was Fine's. Unlike with the extravagance of the manor, the room held research that is connected to her mistress' goal. One she didn't bother to look at, her sole focus being on her savior.
The older woman was in her bathrobe, most likely just gotten out of the bathroom from a nice hot bath as she took a puff of her fancy smoking pipe before exhaling and letting out a cloud of smoke into the room before she took notice of Chris.
"Ah, Chris. What brings you here?" Fine questioned her little servant.
The young Symphogear user swallowed what little saliva she had in her throat to muster up the words of her request.
"Fine… may I… head out?" Chris requested to her mistress.
"Of course, but what brought this occasion?"
"I… I just need some air to myself…" The Half-American muttered silently. "To clear my head away from distractions for the coming mission."
"Alright, but don't go out for too long." Fine allowed. "We're going to proceed with the plan for Durandal pretty soon. It's almost complete."
"I understand…" the petite nodded, her voice remaining low as she walked away from the mansion. "I'll be back soon…"
She needed to clear some stress now or she'll never be able to focus on what she should do.
'I need to find that Kamen Rider. He...may help me out…on finding what is right.'
Meanwhile...
After a long day at school, the young man had to return home, only to be told of another Dopant through the phone. Hence the current investigation was to track down the user and retrieve the Gaia Memory. Right now he was speaking to his mother given she had called him again.
"Which Gaia Memory was it, mom?" He inquired.
"Based on the readings and energy signature, it is ICEAGE."
Enrique blinked. Now that his mother said the next name of the Gaia Memory, he finally began to notice most of the Memories he gathered are going in order of the alphabet. Weird.
"The Iceage Dopant should be in the nearby area. Look for nearby ice formations as its name implies usage of cold abilities. Make sure it does not escape your clutches."
"Got it." Enrique nodded, accepting his mother's orders. "I may find some clues here...that Dopant could have caused enough damage for me to pick up his trail."
"Good. Once you retrieve the T2 ICEAGE Memory, come back home at once."
"Yes ma'am." The rider obeyed before lowering the Beetle phone. He had a task to uphold for her. Thus he continued his search for the Iceage Dopant.
Given its ICEAGE, it meant the cold abilities and ice his mother mentioned will no doubt be extremely cold. Thus the moment the air turns cold, the Dopant will no doubt be near.
Double checking his current Gaia Memories, he had to make sure to counter its cold effects. Aside from ETERNAL, HEAT will be a likely candidate to provide the finishing blow to the cold kaijin.
A-H… he still needed the rest but the question is, what happens when A-Z are gathered if his mother mentioned ETERNAL has the capability of power he wouldn't imagine?
"Enrique?"
Enrique halted his steps, startled by the presence of the petite Symphogear user. "Chris?" he exclaimed, a note of surprise coloring his voice. "What brings you here?"
"I need to talk to you," Chris replied, her tone filled with urgency.
"Wait, seriously?" Enrique blinked, taken aback by her sudden request. The recent events between them had left their relationship strained, making her desire to talk to him unexpected. "Why do you want to talk to me?"
A blush tinged Chris's cheeks as she struggled to find the right words. "Just listen for a moment, alright!?" she demanded, her voice carrying a mix of frustration and vulnerability.
"Okay, okay," Enrique raised his hands in a defensive gesture. "What's wrong? I'm in the middle of-"
"The 'Nazca' Dopant attacked me earlier," Chris interjected, her words cutting through his sentence.
Enrique was immediately silenced by her statement. He hadn't anticipated that the Dopant would resurface and confront Chris. Carefully choosing his words, he asked, "Did you fight him?"
Chris crossed her arms, a subtle sign of defensiveness, and averted her gaze, hiding the fact that she had been defeated. "So what if I did?" she retorted.
"Nothing... I'm just glad you're okay," Enrique responded, a genuine smile lighting up his face. "I fought him once before... he was incredibly tough." The memory of his encounter with the Dopant general stirred bitter recollections, prompting him to absentmindedly rub his chest, as if feeling the impact of the heavy blows once again.
"Can I ask you something?" the petite Symphogear user requested, her voice carrying a solemn tone.
"Ask away," Enrique replied, his curiosity piqued.
Taking a moment to gather herself, Chris took a deep breath before posing her question earnestly, "Am I... doing the right thing?"
Confusion flickered across Enrique's face as he tried to comprehend her meaning. "What do you mean by that?"
"I summoned the Noise under Fine's orders... was it a good thing or a bad thing?" she continued, her voice tinged with uncertainty. "After hearing what happened to you and Nazca's words... I'm starting to regret it..."
"You are?" Enrique never expected to hear such words from the usually prideful lavender-haired girl. Their earlier conversations had revealed a strong-willed and determined side to her, but now he witnessed her inner conflicts.
Perhaps this could be an opportunity for him to gain her trust and uncover the identity of the mastermind behind the Noise. Fine was the name she had mentioned, but who exactly was 'Fine'? The fact that Chris possessed an item capable of summoning Noise hinted at Fine's knowledge about the creatures, something that eluded everyone else.
"... the summoning of Noise, was it related to the cane you used last time?" he inquired, hoping to extract more information.
"What do you think? If you've already seen it in the cane, were you blind?" Chris retorted, a hint of frustration evident in her voice.
"I'm just trying to find answers, Chris," Enrique placated. "You mentioned regretting it, and I want to make sure."
"I do... because I'm also remembering why I hate war in the first place," Chris grimaced, as if recalling painful memories she wished to forget. "Because you can't save people..."
Her fingers curled into her palms, her nails digging into her skin, leaving faint marks that threatened to break the surface.
"You still save people despite the risks to yourself... that Dopant even considered you more worthy than me," Chris confessed, her voice laden with a mixture of vulnerability and self-doubt. Her head hung low as she continued, "Tell me... am I just a doll being manipulated?"
Enrique paused, grappling with his own uncertainties. He couldn't offer a definitive answer to his friend because he questioned the same thing about himself. Was he merely a puppet for Shroud? A pawn in her grand scheme?
"No... I don't think you're a puppet," Enrique shook his head, his voice filled with conviction. "If you were just a puppet, you would blindly follow your boss's orders without a second thought. Tell me, why do you follow your boss?"
Chris struggled to find the right words, torn between wanting to refuse to answer and recognizing the genuine kindness Enrique had shown her. "I..." she began, her voice wavering. "I..."
"You don't have to tell me if you don't want to," Enrique reassured her. "But understanding your problems is the first step towards resolving them."
"Do I deserve to be redeemed?" Chris grumbled, her voice laced with self-doubt. "After everything I've done so far..."
"How about this? Why don't you help me find the Dopant together?" Enrique proposed, offering her an unexpected opportunity. "It could lead us to Nazca if we can track down that Iceage Dopant."
"What?! What makes you think I would help you?" Chris retorted, her voice laced with indignant annoyance.
"I can tell that you need to clear your head, especially since you were questioning whether you're doing the right thing," Enrique pointed out. "Come on, you can walk with me if you want. Besides... it's nice to talk to you on more equal terms."
Without warning, Chris stomped her foot onto Enrique's, causing him to yelp in pain and hop around while clutching his injured foot. The force of her stomp made him wonder if she had almost crushed his bones.
"Do you honestly think I'm going to be your friend?" she challenged, her tone defiant.
In response, Enrique's face contorted into a wry yet pained smile. "One can hope, right?"
"…Baka."
With the search for the Dopant still underway, Enrique was glad to at least have assistance. Though assistance isn't quite the right word to say. More like enemies working on a common goal.
"Don't you have some special radar or device to find this thing faster?" Chris complained as she followed him.
"I do as a matter of fact." He presented his phone.
"How the hell is that clunky phone supposed to work?!" She earned a flick to her forehead.
"You can't judge a book by its cover. Ever heard of that?" He procured one of the Memories his mother gave him and inserted it into the device.
BEETLE!
"You had another one of those things?" Chris exclaimed, her eyes wide with astonishment, mistakenly perceiving the Beetle Phone as a regular device.
"Watch," Enrique replied calmly. With a shudder, the device transformed into a metallic rhinoceros beetle.
"It's a bug!?" Chris shrieked in a mix of fear and repulsion. "Get that thing away from me!"
"It's still a phone, Chris. How can you be creeped out by it?" Enrique questioned, a hint of amusement in his voice.
"Because it's still a bug! They're disgusting!" Chris pointed at the animated beetle phone in disgust.
Enrique and the Beetle Phone exchanged glances before turning their attention back to her. "Even if--"
"Even if it's a freaking phone!" Chris interjected vehemently.
"Sheesh..." The American sighed, looking at the phone. "Can you locate the Dopant?" The Beetle Phone clicked in acknowledgement and flew off. With the unsettling device gone, Enrique turned to Chris. "Better?"
"As long as it stays away from me!" Chris shivered, her childhood fears of insects resurfacing.
Enrique nodded, and the duo resumed their search. Chris cast a quick glare at him before her gaze shifted, recalling his transformation into Eternal and her own time as a Dopant. Questions arose regarding the power of the Memories he possessed. As he had used them, she needed to understand more about their nature and influence.
"These Memories... how are they so powerful? The Dopants, as you call them, don't have a Driver like you do," the half-American inquired, her curiosity piqued.
"The Memory Drivers filter out the poison within the Memories, allowing users to use them for longer periods without gradually losing their sanity. Think of it like a drug," Enrique explained.
"I see... no wonder that Memory sent me on a rampage. But who the hell built those flash drives?" Chris wondered aloud.
"That's a question I'm trying to find the answer to," he admitted. "From what I know, an organization called Museum produced and sold them to people for some unknown reason."
"So basically, a super drug that creates super monsters," Chris summarized.
"Of sorts..." Chris paused, her steps coming to a halt as she turned to face Enrique. "What do you mean?"
"The T2 Memories aren't like the T1 Memories my mother told me about. They don't possess complete toxicity to the human brain," Enrique revealed.
"What, like they're actually sentient or something?" Chris asked, her surprise evident.
Enrique's silence served as confirmation to her assumption—a realization she hadn't anticipated. "You gotta be shitting me," she exclaimed. "So that's why I keep hearing those voices after I found HEAT!"
"It's not just sentience," Enrique added. "My mom explained that the T2 Memories can bring repressed aspects of your personality to the surface and remove inhibitions. Based on what I can tell, your hesitance indicates that you're starting to doubt your boss."
Chris locked eyes with Enrique. "I don't doubt her!" she retorted, but the frown on his face, his seemingly lifeless expression, made her pause.
"Then tell me this, why do you summon the Noise and unleash indiscriminate attacks on innocent people?" he pressed. "It doesn't make sense, and it doesn't align with any discernible goal. What is her true objective?"
Anger surged within Chris, and she pushed him abruptly. "Just shut up! You don't know what I've been through! It was Fine who saved me! If it wasn't for her, I would have preferred death over being here!"
"The fact that you pushed me indicates that you don't even understand what your boss is truly after," Enrique replied calmly. "Blind loyalty won't end well for you. You don't even know your boss on a personal level."
"I-I thought... I was..." Chris's voice trailed off as realization washed over her. "She saved me when I was at my lowest point... and I owe her my life because..."
"Because you saw her as your hope as if she was all you have left in your life." Chris looked up in surprise by his sentence. Those were the words that she wanted to say. He said them from his own personal experience. Could that mean…?
The sound of chittering disrupted their conversation, allowing Chris and Enrique to notice the Beetle Phone land on the former's head, chittering its message to Enrique.
"GetitoffGetitoffGetitoffGetitoff!!!!" She screamed, trying to swat it off of her head.
"Wait, Chris!" Enrique tried to stop her flailing but ended up being slapped across the face in the midst of it. "Ow!"
"S-Sorry!"
Enrique held his cheek, reeling the stinging sensation on his cheek. "Just calm down! Let me get-"
Mist seeped across the streets, but it wasn't steam nor fog but the cold air heavily compressed. The temperature in the air around them dropped drastically.
"Why is it getting so cold?" She felt the surrounding felt colder than usual.
"My phone was trying to tell me of the… Dopant. Crap." Ice crawled across the road, a few cars slipping across the sudden ice. People began to run, allowing Enrique to jog in which Chris followed him. The duo stopped and spotted the kaijin Enrique was searching for.
Its legs and arms were gunmetal black, white vein-like patterns circling across the limbs. Its torso was covered in white ice-like armor. Stark white icicles protrude around its collar area like hair whereas its dark head was adorned with a flat-white mask made of ice.
With the Dopant located, Chris couldn't help but shiver at the ice cold temperature that was released across the premises. Her maroon dress didn't provide any help to heat herself. Her breath was seen through the freezing air.
"S-S-So th-that's the D-D-Dopant?" She shivered. Goddamn it, she never expected the Dopant to have ice powers.
"Yes…and it's ICEAGE." Enrique reached into his jacket and procured the Lost Driver to set it. The belt formed around the waist, allowing him to present the ETERNAL Memory.
ETERNAL!
With the key pressed, he pressed it down into the red buckle while placing one hand over half of his face. Energy rippled across his body. "Henshin."
With the hand that rested on the buckle, he pushed the buckle's mechanism while swiftly bringing the hand over his face in a diagonal downward motion.
ETERNAL!
Digital energy hardened across his body before forming the armor of Eternal Red Flare. Eternal raised his arm, "Now," he rotated his hand to extend his thumb out. "Enjoy your hell."
Looking at Chris, he nodded to her. "Just stay in cover while I deal with the Dopant."
He swiftly charged towards the creature, which snapped out of its stupor and growled menacingly. The Dopant unleashed a blizzard, encasing the area in ice and releasing a freezing onslaught towards the Rider.
Eternal raised his arms, enveloping them in crimson flames to counter the icy assault. The clash of opposing elements created a burst of steam, momentarily obscuring his vision. As the steam cleared, Eternal strained to survey his surroundings through the yellow lenses of his helmet, but the advanced functions couldn't penetrate the lingering smoke.
A yell alerted Eternal, and he swiftly turned to his right, only to be met with a powerful punch from the Dopant. The impact reverberated across his armor, momentarily staggering him. The Ice Age Dopant pounded its dark hands onto the street, causing icy ruptures and freezing the area around the intersection. Eternal slipped and landed on his back with a grunt. Determined, he activated the flames on his wrists and feet, melting the ice away, but the Dopant retaliated with a blast of ice, causing sparks to erupt from Eternal's armor.
The Dopant seized Eternal's head and slammed him into the ground, unleashing a frigid blast of air and freezing pressure in an attempt to suffocate him. However, the Rider's fiery arms erupted, forcing the monster to recoil and flail its limbs to cool off the burns. The Dopant conjured two ice blades and struck Eternal again, sending him sprawling.
Struggling to rise, Eternal found himself on his stomach, coughing within his helmet. His mind fought to maintain composure, grappling with the strain of using the incomplete Memory. The Dopant advanced, eerie and menacing. Unexpectedly, Eternal spun onto his back and unleashed several rounds from his Magnum, causing the creature to stagger back, step by step.
Gritting his teeth, Eternal summoned his remaining energy and managed to stand once more. Chris observed the immense effort he exerted in his battle—the relentless determination to overcome the odds, to push himself beyond his limits. Memories flooded Chris's mind, recollections of Enrique playing music in the park, his hidden suffering as he fought against the Noise.
She couldn't allow him to continue sacrificing himself like this. Not when a greater threat loomed ahead. Chris closed her eyes, mustering the strength to sing the song she had despised for so long. The moment had arrived, now or never.
"Killiter Ichaival tron."
She was shrouded with light, adorning her with a brand new armor. Unlike the pearl white armor he had seen her wore before, she was garbed in crimson armor instead. The headpiece was akin to a headband while harboring four vent-like pieces dipped in red and black.
(Cue Makyū Ichaival)
Her torso was wrapped in a dark brown suit but it had exposed the upper half of her bust. The cloth itself was kept together by the collar piece around her neck as it also exposed her delicate shoulders. Red segments rest on the side of her hips while hardened white armor. To complete the battlesuit were the extra armor behind her.
"Huh…?" The Dopant tilted its head through its cold twitching.
With a fierce glare, the holder of Ichaival panted, her anger directed towards the Ice Age Dopant. Despite her disdain for the song she was about to sing, she despised monsters who used their power to harm innocent people even more. Determined to stop creatures like the Dopant, she proclaimed, "If using the song I hate means putting an end to people like you, then so be it!"
"Chris…" Eternal was left speechless, realizing that Chris had found her resolve in her confrontation with the Dopant.
"We'll take this bastard down. Right now, I just want to let off some steam I'm holding up."
Eternal nodded in agreement, appreciating the extra help. "Sure thing. Let's give it a double beating. I'll use my Edge, and you can use your crossbow guns."
"… Okay." Chris somewhat complied, her determination wavering slightly. Eternal twirled his battle knife and charged towards the Dopant, catching it off guard. The Dopant retaliated by conjuring spikes of ice that erupted from the ground.
"Shit!" Reacting quickly, Eternal raised his arms to defend himself. At that moment, Chris shouted, "Jump!" Curious and trusting, Eternal complied, leaping into the air. As he soared midair, he was astounded to witness Chris summoning two gatling guns beneath her arms.
The sight of the formidable weapons left the Dopant momentarily stunned, eliciting only a feeble "Meep" from the creature.
Billion Maiden
Despite the ice wall it quickly brought up, the projectiles shredded through it and the rows of sharp ice while hitting the Dopant in the process pushing itself back.
"This time I'll break your ice you jackass!"
Eternal landed in front of the Dopant before he used the Eternal Edge to strike its chest several times. Sparks bled off before the Rider rolled aside, allowing Chris to fire her two crossbows after dismissing her gatling guns.
"You… lousy… brats…" The Dopant groaned from the damage, "I'll freeze you slowly before tearing off your limbs!"
"Freeze this asshole!" She connected her two crossbows, the weapons shifting and combining into one large crossbow-like sniper rifle.
Red Hot Blaze
"Enrique, use that HEAT Memory thing!"
"Back at ya!" Eternal flicked his wrist and brought out the HEAT Gaia Memory. With the device in hand, he slammed it into the knife.
HEAT: MAXIMUM DRIVE!
Fire ignited from his knife, shaped as a fiery sword and the Rider twisted his grip with his back rotated.
The Dopant dropped its arms upon seeing the two finishers the duo activated and now set to defeat it. "Th-That's not cool…" it squeaked in terror.
The two executions were unleashed. The powerful shot from Chris' large crossbow gun and Eternal's fiery strike coiled together and pierced through the kaijin. The Dopant collapsed to its knees before it exploded in a burst of flames. The person who was possessed by the Gaia Memory laid unconscious whereas the ICEAGE Gaia Memory flew straight to Eternal's hand.
"Got it." With ICEAGE added to his collection, he now had A-I. He was getting close to the halfway point. Alas that didn't stop him from witnessing what Chris had done to the Dopant. Turning his head to the girl, he took sight of her second Symphogear armor. He really didn't expect her to harbor a second one.
"Wow…" Eternal blinked in surprise, now seeing the new suit that Chris is wearing more directly. "I thought you only have one magic armor from earlier."
Chris shoved his hand away. "B-Baka! Why are you saying that?! It's your fault I had to sing my song!"
"Didn't you say you will sing if it will stop the Dopants?" He countered teasingly. "And I have to be honest...that armor looks better on you than the other one."
The Symphogear's face became an intense red as her armor before pointing her crossbow at him. The older teen raised his hands with a yelp to the close proximity of the weapon aimed at his face.
"Don't push it." Chris seethed viciously in embarrassment.
"G-Got it." He would rather not get shot this close nor suffer the wrath of Chris' temper. The Half-American stared at him before lowering her weapon and kicked his shin instead making Eternal hold the shin in pain.
"Just to be clear, I won't go after you anymore." She admitted, looking away from him. "I… I am just not sure what I am truly doing now."
Eternal noticed her downcast look. He was hesitant at first but he carefully placed a comforting hand on her shoulder, earning her attention.
"Don't worry. You'll find the reason soon." He assured me. "I don't know what your boss plans to do with the Gaia Memories or even the Noise, but I know you'll find the right path that is by your own choice."
"Are you sure...?"
"I know you will." Enrique nodded with a thin smile. "The fact that you had doubts tells me that you're not evil, just trying to do what you think is best for the world."
The girl remained silent to his encouragement. Was he right? Can she do what he does? Protecting people in the shadows and not being the one to hurt them?
The petite chewed her lip before she replied, "I'll...think about it. Just…stay alive fighting them and the group who made those Gaia Memories."
"I won't die. You can count on that." He nodded in understanding. "I'll see you soon, Chris."
The girl turned her head away in embarrassment. "Baka… and thanks…for the scolding. I needed that."
"So, what are you going to do now?"
"I'll play along with her plans…until I can confront her with what Fine is planning. I'll be okay."
Enrique watched as Chris walked away, her footsteps echoing into the empty alley. He knew that she was still struggling with her own identity and the path she wanted to take. But he had faith that she would find her way eventually.
Turning his attention back to the ICEAGE Gaia Memory in his hand, he couldn't help but feel a sense of unease. He had come so far in his quest to collect all of the Gaia Memories, but he still didn't know what Fine's ultimate goal was. He needed to find out before it was too late.
With a determined look on his face, Eternal made his way back home.
The Sonozaki Estate was all but quiet but occupied by its residential owners. The family was gathered in the dining room, watching the recording that one of their hired underlings kept when Kirihiko had confronted a young girl. While the transformation of using the ancient Relics wasn't new to them, it was what the girl did that caught their attention.
"So a Relic user is summoning the Noise under someone's orders?"
"Indeed, despite her strength she was no match for me." Kirihiko stated. "She has a much more fragile state of mind unlike Eternal."
The old man thought deeply as he stroked his precious cat. To hear that someone is capable of using the Noise as weapons surprised him and the other members of Museum. He knew in the past, there were experiments in an attempt to communicate or even manipulate them but it all ended in failure. The only weapons to destroy them are the Relics and the use of Gaia Memories to become Dopants through the Memory Drivers.
"I see they have finally completed the special Symphonic weapon." The man mused. "Powered by the very Relics hidden by the ancient civilization ages ago."
Like the other organization, he was aware of such artifacts that were powered by song. It was not so different from the memories of the planet they had harnessed.
"What should we do about them, Sonozaki-san?"
"I believe we need to show them the power of Museum." He stated firmly with a chuckle. "And what it means to defy us."
They will show those people what it means to interfere with the ways of the Sonozaki Family.
A/N: Another Memory added to his arsenal, another development between characters. Doubts are now rising and questions being brought into light. What will the results be, hm? You all will have to see in the next chapters that are to come. I hope you guys are glad this story is back into motion.
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Until then, see you all later!