Hibiki and Rui landed, as the ice around the rest of the girls shattered, freeing them. SONG's trucks were retreating, while Miku watched in awe at the dispersing divine power. Ogawa, Jeanne, Lala and Forte were escorting Saint-Germain back to the main base of operations.
Saint-Germain's song reached my heart… Hibiki thought, on one knee. But I couldn't do anything!
"Hibiki?" Rui said, concerned.
"Once again!" She raised her fists and slammed them on the ground, cracking it. "The only thing I could use was my fists!"
Rui grabbed Hibiki by the shoulder, lifting her up. "No more of that, Hibiki."
"Oneesan…"
"You've come a long way from the girl you used to be." Rui reassured her. "Your fists aren't the tools of destruction you think they are."
She smiled.
"If anything, you've become more of a hero than I have."
"I… Oneesan…"
"We're detecting no fallout or EMP effects." Fujitaka said.
"Is this the lapis philosophorum's power of perfect purification?" Aoi asked.
"They used not only their Faust Robes but even their lives to represent the Stone, nullifying the nuclear weapon." Elfnein said, amazed. "But in exchange… not even the reality changing abilities of the Symphonic Drive was able to save them all…"
"Yeah…" Genjuro nodded. "Those alchemists, seeking their ideals, were the ones to protect the country in the end. Giving up their lives to allow one of their own to survive."
Rui looked skyward at where she had just returned from. "Prelati. Cagliostro. Guess I was wrong about you two."
"Thank you…" Hibiki looked up. "Both of you. But this isn't how I wanted it to end. I wanted to talk to you more… I wanted us to understand each other!"
"Well, I think if the two of them gave it their all to have Saint-Germain to survive, there was a reason." Rui said. "She'll be up to finally talk with you, for sure."
"Understand each other?" Adam asked, stepping forward. Rui quickly got into a protective stance in front of her sister, though she looked down to see Tiki still clinging to Adam's leg.
"I'd… rather… us embrace each other!" Tiki said. "I… love you, Adam!"
With a crunch, Adam stepped on her back, breaking her further.
"You can't possibly understand each other!" Adam shouted. "Not as long as the Curse of Balal exists. Not while you are unable to surpass those who put it in place: the Custodians!"
"Even so…" Hibiki muttered.
"However it's a different story if you all combine as one…" Adam said, raising a finger. "Under my command, I could unite this disorganized colony into a perfect unit!"
"Even so!" Hibiki shouted.
(Insert Axia no Kaze, by Aoi Yūki, Nana Mizuki, Ayahi Takagaki, Yōko Hikasa, Yoshino Nanjō and Ai Kayano)
Adam looked at the Tachibana twins, as Hibiki stepped up next to her sister.
"Reaching out and trying to understand others has never been meaningless!" Hibiki declared.
"Yeah!" Chris landed with Tsubasa. "This dummy's got it right!"
"Just as you said, we're not perfect at what we do." Maria said, stepping forward with Kirika and Shirabe.
"So we learn from our mistakes and get back on our feet every time we fail!" Kirika added.
"No matter how many times, we never give up!" Shirabe said. "That way, we're always moving forward step-by-step!"
"You might claim to be perfect, but don't think we'll let you oppress us imperfects from up on high!" Tsubasa pointed her blade at him.
"There's no way a soulless puppet like you can even dream of leading people." Maia smirked. "So I hope you don't mind if we put your sorry ass in the ground."
"I once lost my soul…" Rui looked at her fist before clenching it. "But even without one I had more of a will than a failure like you!"
"We'll show you our bonds!" Shuri shouted, stepping to the front, having transformed into her Proto-Gear mode. "And that you have no understanding of humanity!"
"Such confidence to say that!" Adam said, growing irritated. "Big words from big mouths!
He threw out several crystals, summoning Alca-Noise to fight alongside him.
"You need some humanity to understand!" Hibiki shouted.
"Everyone!" Rui rallied, punching a fist into her hand. "Let's go!"
"Right!"
Everyone charged at the small army of Alca-Noise. Hibiki was the first to make an attack, smashing her fist into the ground and creating a huge shockwave that knocked the Noise back, right into several of Rui's kicks. Tsubasa and Maia spun her blades, igniting them and slashing through a row of foes.
Twin Moonlit Wind Ring's Fiery Blades
Chris and Shuri fired shot after shot at the Alca-Noise with a pair of handguns and Okami, while Maria swung her whipsword, separating it into multiple smaller blades and whipping up a hurricane. Shirabe formed a bladed wheel, before Kirika hopped in and formed two scythe blades, becoming a whirling cyclone of sharp blades.
"Why does the fighting never end, dess?" Kirika wondered.
"Every battle is a clash of beliefs." Shirabe said.
"Are you saying that the moral choices people make are what leads them to fight?" Chris asked, shooting through several Alca-Noise.
"Such a simplistic answer shouldn't hold us back now!" Tsubasa cut another three down.
"That's right!" Maia stabbed through an entire row. "You girls have all come this far; what's the point in second-guessing now?"
"We're all together now!" Shuri said, aiming her feet and firing from the guns on her ankles. "We can keep moving forward together!"
In synchronized unison, the girls cut down more and more of the Alca-Noise down. None of them stood a chance against the will of the Wielders.
"Their phonic gain is rising fast with this nine-way unison!" Aoi said.
"But it's still nowhere near enough to activate X-Drive!" Fujitaka said.
"If Rui-san was struggling to change reality in her current state, even she might not be able to help achieve their strongest forms." Lala said.
Genjuro frowned in concern.
Maria shouted, slashing through another Alca-Noise. "It's all thanks to the Curse of Balal blocking mutual understanding!"
She jumped skyward, avoiding another Alca-Noise that drilled from below. She whipped and enwrapped it with her blade, shredding it into pieces.
"Even so!" Hibiki punched through another.
She rushed at Adam for a punch, as he swiftly dodged out of the way.
"Not using it? Your X-Drive?" He taunted, dodging several more punches before blasting Hibiki. "No, you can't. There isn't enough phonic gain here to allow you to wear a miracle!"
"OREYAAAAAAH!"
Adam quickly moved away, firing more shots as Rui smashed down where he stood seconds before.
"And Tesla's Instrument of Change arrives…" He sneered, catching both of their punches before throwing them upwards. "Don't get carried away!"
Hibiki and Rui continued to dodge Adam's shots even in the sky, further irritating him.
"He's weakened! Now is our chance!" Tsubasa shouted.
Tsubasa and Maia swung their blades, shooting two converging beams of energy. He quickly formed a shield to block it, but that gave Hibiki and Rui the opening that they needed. Purple lightning was sparking all over Rui, as she shared some of her energy with Hibiki.
"We'll fight for a world of love and peace!" Rui declared, aiming her fist forward, as Starlit's spirit manifested behind her.
"We wield our determination!" Hibiki shouted, gauntlets growing in size. "And declare that our song will never die!"
Hibiki and Rui's fists clashed against Adam's barrier, causing a massive explosion.
Drei Gemut
The explosion spread out, forcing the others to hold up their hands to shield themselves from the brightness.
"It hit!" Aoi shouted. "But…"
"Right. This is no ordinary enemy we're facing." Genjuro crossed his arms. "This is Lodgemaster Adam Weishaupt!"
The smoke faded away, as Hibiki and Rui's attacks were stopped. They widened their eyes, realizing that Adam had two arms again.
"A left arm?!" Hibiki said, stunned.
"What-?!" Rui shouted.
The Tachibana twins were knocked away by the hit, though they landed on their feet by the others. Adam's eyes were glowing red, his severed arm now made out of a dark substance in the shape of a muscular hand.
"Indeed, I am weakened." Adam said in a low voice. "So I can't maintain my perfect, beautiful body anymore!"
His body started glowing with energy as his clothes burned off, the aura expanding around him.
"Mass is increasing at an alarming rate!" Fujitaka announced.
"Aiba… what the hell is this…?" Jeanne asked, watching the footage as Adam grew and mutated.
"I… I do not know, Jeanne." Aiba said, a bit of uncertainty in her voice.
"That form…" Aoi widened her eyes. "It's almost like…"
The door behind them opened, as Saint-Germain stumbled into the room. Forte was supporting her, holding her arm over her shoulders.
"What are you doing here?" Genjuro asked, seeing Saint-Germain pushing herself to stand.
"Sorry, I kept telling her that she shouldn't strain herself-" Forte started, before seeing Adam's new appearance. "What the fuck is that thing?!"
"I didn't want you to know that I was a puppet." Adam said, as his transformation slowed. "I didn't want you to see this form. But now I have no choice but to don the devil's horns!"
Adam's new form was much more bestial, with ripping dark muscles and a tail, covered with black plates of armor. His face was bull-like in shape, with massive golden horns and his hair flowing down behind him. He had several smaller eyes on his face, giving him a horrific and maniacal appearance.
"Just like you, I can't afford to lose here!" He roared, as red lightning tore through the battlefield. The wielders struggled to withstand it, as it disintegrated all of the previously summoned Alca-Noise. Rui tried generating her own electricity to try and neutralize the damage, but she had already used a lot of her energy in the previous attack, forcing her to try and push through.
"Is that his true form?" Genjuro grit his teeth.
"So this… this is the Lodgemaster's ugliness finally shown…" Saint-Germain said, sweat running down her brow.
The electricity stopped, as Adam faced down the nine wielders.
"He abandoned his human form…" Hibiki said.
"What exactly are you planning, dess?" Kirika asked.
"As if your primitive monkey brains could ever comprehend." Adam scoffed. "I'll show you that only I, the perfect being, can be your ruler. That is why I sought the divine power. To stand on their level."
"Well, I don't give a damn about your reasons." Maia smirked. "But I can say that look suits you be-"
With surprising speed, Adam had rushed forward in an instant, slugging both Maia and Hibiki, sending the two into the dirt. Tsubasa and Rui drew their blades and tried to slash at him, but he proved too quick. They tried jumping for an aerial attack, but he rammed the two with his horns, knocking them away.
"He's way faster than anyone that size should be!" Shirabe shouted.
A ringing interrupted the air, as Kirika and Shirabe turned to see an old-fashioned telephone on the debris. "Where'd that phone come from, dess?!"
The two didn't get a chance to process further, before Adam smashed his fists into them, sending them rolling on the ground. Adam let out an animalistic roar of rage at how he was forced to fight in this form.
"And he has the guile to match, dess…" Kirika groaned.
"Eat this!" Chris shouted, as she fired her gatling guns while Shuri fired precise shots with Okami.
Adam blocked all the bullets with his wrist armor, as Maria jumped behind him. "I'll make you pay!"
Without looking, Adam wrapped his tail around Maria, before whipping her straight at Chris. With a burst of speed, he punched both of them, knocking them to the ground like he did with nearly everyone else.
"Oneesama! Maria!" Shuri shouted.
She quickly aimed Okami at Adam, who slowly turned to face her.
"Only one left?" Adam laughed.
"We're being overwhelmed…" Hibiki muttered.
"It's not over yet, Hibiki Tachibana!" Saint-Germain's voice called through the communications. "Look to your right!"
Hibiki turned her head to see Saint-Germain's broken Spellcaster, which she had dropped after Rui saved her. She was about to run over to grab it, but Adam picked it up first.
"Just what did you intend to do…" He crushed it in his hand, as the energy spread out. "With Saint-Germain's Spellcaster?!"
"Hibiki-san!" Shuri shouted, running towards her.
Adam threw his hand forward, firing a blast of red energy at Hibiki. Shuri quickly ran to her side, as the two were hit by the blast.
"He's using the Faust Robe's manifestation energy?" Aoi said.
"They can't continue to fight without X-Drive!" Fujitaka shouted.
"Gatrandis babel ziggurat edenal~"
Elfnein widened her eyes. "This song!"
Saint-Germain smiled.
Hibiki and Shuri were holding out their hands, blocking the blast of energy as Hibiki sang her Superb Song. Maria and Rui went behind the two, reinforcing them further with their own gauntlets as Maria started to sing as well.
"S2CA Hexa-Conversion…" Tsubasa said, as she and Chris joined them.
"If you want to give that a try…" Chris said.
"Then it's worth…!" Shirabe ran in.
"Taking that bet, dess!" Kirika joined her.
Maia was at the rear, placing her hands on Kirika and Shirabe's backs. "Alright! Let's do this!"
"Don't be crazy!" Fujitaka shouted. "That isn't phonic gain you're using!"
"Their Gears can't take this!" Aoi said in alarm. "They're going to explode!"
"I'll divert some of the strain to the Dainsleif and incinerate it as a catalyst!" Elfnein said, rapidly typing.
"Is that even possible?" Fujitaka asked.
"If we tap into the Elekleid's abilities to change reality, it just might work!" Lala said. "We just need to have it disperse once to mitigate the new surge!"
"And with Maia-san's Gungnir traces within the artificial Ame-no-Habakiri, she just needs to reset to her base stage to give the last boost we need." Elfnein realized. "It's going to be tight timing!"
"We'll make it possible! That's our job!" Aoi declared.
"Wait, won't that kill Shuri?" Forte asked. "The Ignite's integrated with her body!"
"If we do this right, we can remove it without any adverse effects…" Elfnein said. "Ah! I know what to do! I'll filter any of the run-off through the artificial Ichaival!"
"That should work, focusing it on a single point without causing too much of a change!" Lala agreed. "Hurry!"
"I'd love to complain, but there's no time!" Fujitaka said, as he started typing as well.
Saint-Germain watched in silence as they kept working. So these are the miracles that Hibiki Tachibana's allies can create.
"I've stabilized the conversion systems through the home backup, and created a backdoor focus through the artificial Ichaival!" Elfnein announced. "Hibiki-san!"
"Barrier coating, release!" Hibiki shouted.
(Insert TESTAMENT -Aufwachen Form- by Nana Mizuki)
The Ignite energy started to cover all of the girls, as they all started shouting in pain.
So this is the Ignite, huh? Rui thought. It's worse than I thought!
Shuri screamed louder than all of them, feeling the Ignite being ripped from her body.
"What do you think you're doing?" Adam demanded.
"Unsheathe!" Hibiki screamed.
"Elekleid! Cast off!" Rui shouted, as her form shifted back to her Gungnir Mode, while Maia shouted and allowed herself to transform back into her Ame-no-Habakiri mode, a brief flash of vermillion leaving her red eyes.
"Last Ignition!" They all shouted.
Cracks formed through the Ignite energy, covering all of their bodies.
"I'm growing tired of your pointless struggle!" Adam roared, raising a hand and creating the huge golden orb of transmutation energy. He threw it straight at the girls creating a massive explosion that could be seen from miles away. "I augmented myself using alchemy so that one day I would reach perfection. No, transcend perfection!"
"EVEN SO!"
Flying out of the explosions were nine missiles with each of the girls riding atop one, their armor having changed in appearance. Shuri put a hand to her face.
My mind… It feels so clear…! She smiled. "Everyone, go!"
Tsubasa, Maia and Maria were the first to strike, creating large blades as they dived towards Adam.
"Know your place, pitiful humans!" Adam roared, extending his arms towards the three. But instead of knocking them away, they deflected his attacks without much issue, before Tsubasa and Maria each sliced his arms off.
"The Gear's creaking." Maria observed their new strength. "It's almost like it's screaming out!"
"We can't maintain this absurd power for long." Tsubasa said in a strained voice.
"So let's give all we got on this loser!" Maia stomped her foot on Adam's head, before throwing several knives in his back.
Adam roared in pain, before regrowing his arms and forcing the knives out. "You boosted your power output?"
Shirabe enwrapped him in a thread from her yo-yo, still riding Chris' rocket. "In other words…"
"You rebuilt your Symphogear at the eleventh hour?!"
"If we take him out with one shot then there's no problem, dess!" Kirika swung a shuriken on a chain, slicing into Adam's front while Shirabe's yo-yo shredded his back.
Adam's eyes spotted a massive missile approaching him, with Chris standing atop it. "Who needs X-Drive?!"
The missile slammed into Adam, causing him to scream as he was driven straight into a stadium. The rocket exploded, causing much of it to cave in. He stood up, only to hear three shouts from above. Hibiki was diving with a drill on her hand, while Rui had a foot outstretched for a kick. Shuri was firing shot after shot with Okami, each aimed at Adam's limbs. But while Rui successfully landed her kick and sent Adam back several feet, Hibiki winced, before dropping into the ground. The two SOUL members landed, looking back towards her. "Hibiki!"
"Oh no! The contamination!" Aoi recognized, seeing the errors on the screen.
"Now of all times?!" Fujitaka shouted.
"That's right!" Elfnein remembered. "Hibiki-san's Gear still hasn't been decontaminated!"
"Putain!" Jeanne cursed.
"Hibiki!" Miku shouted.
Adam laughed, seeing that Hibiki had crashed into the ground, her Symphogear having lost its color. Both Rui and Shuri protectively stood in front of her.
"Looks like you're out of steam, God-slayer." Adam said, energy glowing on his body. "This is the end for you, along with your ego."
"Hibiki-san, run!" Shuri ran forward.
Adam laughed, seeing the girl run at her. "You cannot stop me!"
"You're getting ahead of yourself!" Shuri's eyes briefly flashed red, before her relic pendant glew. "Ignite Module! Bakken!"
The crystal on her chest extended, stabbing through her, before she was engulfed in dark energy.
"DIE!" Adam roared, blasting her with a stream of energy.
Six black wings sprouted from Shuri's back, blocking and dispersing the attack. Taking off skyward, Shuri spread her arms, before her wings turned into six different colors; orange, blue, red, silver, green and pink.
"Shuri…!" Rui said, amazed.
"You…!" Adam's many eyes widened, sensing the energy in her. "You reshaped part of the divine power for your own?! I will not accept this!"
"With the Fallen Wings of the Custodians…" Shuri's voice was almost trance-like, as she swung her arm forward. "I will protect all!"
She dove at Adam with incredible speed, forming a pair of gauntlets and slugging him in the face.
"My gauntlets…!" Hibiki recognized.
Shuri created a large sword and a scythe, slashing rapidly at Adam and tearing into him. While her attacks didn't deal significant damage as he healed rapidly, it was enough to stagger him and keep him busy.
The others arrived, seeing Shuri's new transformation.
"Okay, that's new!" Maia widened her eyes.
"Hell yeah, kick his ass, Shuri!" Chris cheered.
"That's my blade…" Tsubasa recognized.
"And my scythe, dess!" Kirika pointed.
"Guys! You're at your limit!" Rui shouted. "Throw your power to me! I got an idea!"
"You heard her!" Maria shouted. "Reach out!"
Rui raised her wrist, her gauntlet shedding to reveal her Transformer Coil. The others all held out their hands, sharing their power with her as their armor disappeared, leaving only the undersuits. Hibiki and Shuri did the same, though they gave a bit less. Rui winced, feeling their energy enter her as she struggled to contain it.
"Sorry, about this… I'm putting you through the wringer today, aren't I?" Rui apologized, lowering her wrist and looking at her Elekleid bracelet. "But one last push is all we need!"
She punched skyward, creating a shockwave of energy, before multi-colored electricity shot out towards all the wielders.
"This is the end!" Adam shouted, charging a blast. Shuri tried to stop him, but he beat her away with his wrist. He fired it straight at the wielders.
"HIBIKI! RUI!" Miku shouted.
Though her surprise changed, when the others realized she was glowing silver.
The blast hit seemed to make contact, and Adam chuckled at his seeming victory… only to see that Hibiki had managed to form a familiar triangular barrier.
"Isn't that my…?" Maria recognized the technique.
Hibiki slowly stood up. "This power… is from everyone else?"
"It is." Rui nodded, raising Elekleid to show that the center gem had turned red. "But with Elekleid, I was able to make a few extra boosts for all of us."
"Hibiki!" Miku called, having suddenly appeared next to the others.
"Miku?" Hibiki turned. "What are you doing here?!"
Before they could understand further, lights flashed in front of them all except Hibiki, before odd weapons dropped into their hands.
"What…?" Tsubasa held up a sword that had cards inside it.
"What are these?" Shirabe was holding a sword that had a steering wheel for a handle.
"Oh my God…" Maia smiled, holding a blaster that resembled a book.
"Are you serious?" Chris asked, also chuckling and holding a white and red blaster. "You really know how to turn something serious into a joke, Rui."
Hibiki looked at all their weapons, recognizing them before grinning. "Well, what do you expect from Oneesan?"
(Insert THE SKY'S THE LIMIT by BACK-ON and Beverly)
"What can I say?" Rui chuckled, before grabbing a gold shin guard appeared around her leg. "Besides, I felt like showing this lunatic what humanity can do."
"Don't go thinking this nonsense will save you from defeat!" Adam shouted, growing in size. "Who do you think you insects are?!"
"I'm just a passing-through Kamen- no." Rui shook her head. "We're just some passing-through Symphogears. Remember that!"
Adam roared and threw a punch as the two Tachibana twins jumped out of the way. "We'll see about that!"
Hibiki threw a kick, launching several green blades and slicing through Adam's body. Kirika jumped upwards and smashed a huge purple fist-shaped hammer on his skull, stunning him. "Wake up, dess!"
"I'll borrow this too!" Hibiki swung her hand down with a chop, launching a blue slash of energy. Tsubasa pulled out two cards and ran them across the reader of her sword.
[Slash! Thunder!]
"I'm not usually one to do this, but…! UWAAAAAAEEEEEEYYY!" Tsubasa shouted, running forward and slashing at Adam's extending limbs, her blade sparking with electricity.
[Lightning Slash!]
"Heh, I got the gist of it!" Maia fired several shots at Adam, before extending her blaster into a sword.
[Attack Ride: Slash!]
Maia slashed at Adam's legs several times before jumping back to avoid getting stomped on. Hibiki formed several white blades and fired them at Adam.
[Hissatsu Dokuha!]
"We'll be the ones to decide how this story ends!" Maria raised a red and silver sword wreathed in flames, as she slashed out a blast of flames that lit Hibiki's blades aflame, burning and cutting into Adam's grotesque body.
[Issatsu Geki! Fire!]
"I will not be denied! Not by anyone!" Adam roared, as the fires died out.
He slammed his hand into the ground, creating several mud constructs in his image, but Hibiki shredded through them with Shirabe's Lunar Eclipse, with Shirabe herself speeding by and slashing with her new sword. "You're coming along for a spin!"
[Turn! Turn! U-turn! Drift Kaiten!]
"Everyone's Armed Gears!" Hibiki shouted, as the two slashed through the last ones.
"That's right!" Shirabe nodded. "This is your power to connect people! Your Armed Gear!"
"And not just me! Oneesan's own desire to protect!" Hibiki took to the skies, taking aim with her finger and shooting several ice bullets, freezing parts of Adam's body.
[Gashat! Kimewaza! Mighty Critical Finish!]
"I'll clear this with no continues!" With a colorful sword resembling a game controller, Shuri used her wings to fly and smash the ice with her weapon, damaging Adam further.
"I don't have time to waste on you. Not now!" Adam shouted, grabbing Hibiki out of the air and slowly crushing her. "It won't be long before the advent of the Custodians. Before that happens I have to gain a power greater than the Anunnaki, in order to resist them! So why must you keep getting in my way?!"
[Tactical Shoot]
A huge bullet shot into Adam's eye, exploding with tremendous force. Chris was the one that fired the shot, rifle barrel smoking.
"It's time for the highlight!" Chris shouted at Hibiki and raising her fist. "Use my Armor Purge!"
"I don't want to see people crying, I want to see them smile!" Rui had jumped upwards, foot outstretched and covered in flames. "OREYAAAAAAH!"
RIDER KICK
She kicked through Adam's wrist, as Hibiki purged her armor to shred through his hand and went back into her civilian clothes. She held up her pendant as she ran across Adam's arm. "I'm sorry for asking the impossible, Gungnir. Just give me one more! One last punch from everyone!"
Adam saw Hibiki running and raised his hand towards her to try and swat her.
[Finish Time! Zi-O! Sure Sure Shooting!]
Several energy bullets shot into Adam's hand, forcing him to recoil in pain. Miku was the one that had fired the shots. "Go, Hibiki! I got a feeling it'll work out!"
Hibiki smiled and nodded, continuing to run. She felt two more spirits assist her, as well as the voice of one survivor with SONG.
"Basically, this is our chance to repay you in kind!" Prelati declared.
"With interest and some more!" Cagliostro added.
"Rebel against oppression and shout your revolution!" Saint-Germain shouted, loud enough that Hibiki could hear it.
"Balwisyall nescell Gungnir TROOON!" Hibiki chanted, before Adam grasped her. She tore out of his hand in a burst of gold energy, Gungnir having completely turned gold.
"Chrysopoeia?!" Adam realized. "You're not even an alchemist!"
He threw out his tendrils at her, as Hibiki jumped and kicked off of them holding out her hand as a light glew. A rocket-like weapon landed in her hands, before she slowly unfolded it to reveal a sword within. She grabbed the switch on the handle. "Out and in!"
[Limit Break!]
"Our bonds will take on the universe!" Hibiki shouted, charging energy in her slash. "Rider…! Great Galaxy Finish!"
She swung the sword, shooting an energy slash of cosmic energy at Adam and slashing through the tendrils, stunning him. But the second he recovered, he was winded by Hibiki smashing her fist into his chest. He didn't get a chance to fight back as Hibiki threw punch after punch.
"Ora ora ora ora ora ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA!" Hibiki shouted, punches growing faster as she lifted Adam skyward several hundred feet. Her fists became a total blur, punching at an insane rushing speed. With one final shout, Hibiki dug her fists into Adam's chest tearing straight through him in a golden burst of power.
TESTAMENT
Adam did not scream in pain, despite the gaping hole in his chest. "Hope was crushed today. In your tomorrow, in your future, lies only despair!"
Laughing maniacally, his body started to glow with red cracks tearing through, before going up in an explosion. Hibiki was knocked away by the blast, but Shuri swooped in and caught her, using her wings to cover them as Hibiki's transformation disappeared.
SONG were watching the battle, seeing the explosion.
"Is that it for Adam… and the whole Bavarian Illuminati?" Fujitaka asked.
A few of them turned to Saint-Germain, who's arms were crossed. "I'd imagine there might be a few remnants left. But with the Lodgemaster dead, there isn't anyone near his level of alchemical power to take the lead."
"What about you?" Forte half-joked, half-serious.
"If I am considered the head of the Illuminati, my first, last and only command is that the organization is considered dismantled." Saint-Germain said.
"Then this is it." Genjuro smiled. "This is our victory."
Saint-Germain looked at the screen once more, seeing the girls gather. Cagliostro… Prelati… This is the first true step to a world without oppression.
Three days had passed since the battle with Adam reached its conclusion. Elfnein was typing away at her station, her screen showing her scans of Hibiki and Shuri' bodies, both transformed and normal.
"Here." She looked up to see Fujitaka put a cup of cocoa on her desk. "It's been three days since the incident was resolved. You're pushing yourself too hard again."
"You've already decontaminated Hibiki-chan's Gear and analyzed the new changes in Shuri-chan's artificial Relic." Aoi said, as she sat down. "You should really take a rest."
"Honestly, considering Elfnein, I'd be more concerned if she was resting." Forte chuckled, sitting nearby.
"Thank you." Elfnein nodded. "But I want to investigate this chain of events. There's something that bothers me."
"This can't be possible. Only an immaculate soul can serve as a vessel for the divine power!"
"How could a human, born shouldering the original sin, harbor it?"
So how could Hibiki-san do that? Elfnein wondered, recalling those words. What is this "original sin," anyway? Perhaps I can ask Saint-Germain-san later…
"Can I help?" Lala asked.
"Of course!" Elfnein nodded.
There was an alert on Aoi's monitor. "Commander! Word from Ogawa and Jeanne in London."
"Put them on." Genjuro said, as the two SONG agents appeared on screen. "How are things over there?"
"We've been working together with intelligence agencies to hunt down the remaining cells of the Bavarian Illuminati, so far with success." Ogawa said.
"Saint-Germain's information was a huge help." Jeanne said. "The job's going a lot faster than we thought. Aiba predicts we'll be done before a month passes."
"But now that their organization is no more, we risk having the remnants go to ground, making them even harder to track." Genjuro said.
"We will continue investigating." Ogawa said.
"Not to mention the Custodians- The thread of the "Anunnaki."" Genjuro added.
"Shuri-san said something about them when she first used her new transformation, but she said she doesn't remember actually saying it." Elfnein said.
"Man, Saint-Germain would be a huge help here." Forte yawned, leaning back in her chair. "Sucks that we're not gonna be able to get her help for like, what, two months? Man, SONG's ability to just flip off jailtime years is nutty."
"Do you want to go back behind bars?" Lala deadpanned.
"Nah." Forte stood up and stretched. "I got somewhere to be tonight!"
Saint-Germain herself was in a maximum security solitary confinement cell, located not too far from the Kazanari estate. There were several security measures put into place for her, though she could easily break out if she chose to.
But she didn't. Instead she sat silently, deep in thought and reflecting on the actions that led up to today.
"73,811." She said to herself, looking at her hand. "No, 73,810 because I survived, while you both sacrificed yourselves…"
Standing up, she looked up at the colorless ceiling.
"73,810 is how many I have sacrificed. 73,810 will be the number of lives I will save." She said to herself, almost as if addressing her deceased comrades.
This wasn't her redemption, far from it. This was what she knew had to be done.
Yet still… something feels off. She thought. Something tells me that the worst has yet to come… but I will believe in Hibiki Tachibana and Rui Tachibana, that they will push through.
At the Kazanari estate several blocks away, Yatsuhiro was meeting with Fudou.
"America claims the launch was permissible due to the need to preserve global security." Fudou said.
"Various nations have issued statements condemning them on the issue, but we can't really take any strong countermeasures of our own." Yatsuhiro said.
"Hmm." Fudou looked out at the setting sun, the direction of Saint-Germain's prison, remembering the fight between the Divine Weapon and the Ignite Avatar. "We have witnessed a power that only gods could bring to bear. Yatsuhiro, do you not think it would benefit our nation to have such a power? We would no longer fear invasion of our lands or the loss of our own to further supernatural disasters."
Yatsuhiro was taken aback at the suggestion. His father's eyes seemed much darker than usual.
"Okay, properly this time…" Miku said.
"Happy birthday!"
"Dess!"
Everyone set off several celebratory poppers, the streamers landing on Hibiki and Rui.
"Happy seventeenth, Hibiki, Rui." Miku smiled. Yusuke mewed too, as if also congratulating the day.
"Thanks! This birthday has been absolutely crazy!" Hibiki laughed. "But it's thanks to you guys we can celebrate together. We really appreciate it!"
"Yeah." Rui nodded. "It's great that we can finally relax now."
Miku was secretly glad the birthday was delayed for a while, since Rui wouldn't have to mention Kaixa Day. Though she did have to accompany her to go grab a few pieces of Kaixa merch to take her mind off of the time Hibiki was in the cocoon.
"Seventeen, huh?" Maia smiled. "Tsubasa and I were that old when we first met you guys. How time flies, right?"
"Indeed." Tsubasa nodded.
"Now, now, enough with the formalities, dess!" Kirika said, as she pushed Hibiki from behind.
"This way, our heroes!" Forte chuckled, doing the same to Rui.
The two were pushed towards the table, which had food plated all over it.
"Whoa, amazing! Where'd this all come from?!" Hibiki said, eyes sparkling. "Oneesan, did you cook this?"
"Who cooks for their own birthday, even if they share it with someone?" Rui asked.
Maria gently pushed Shirabe forward. "Right here. Shirabe worked really hard."
"You made all this?" Hibiki asked, face shining.
"No, no!" Shirabe waved her hands in embarrassment. "We all did our part…"
"Shirabe…" Maria said, patting her on the back.
"Like the old lady from the farm in Matsushiro, who gave us all the summer vegetables." Shirabe said.
"She did, huh?" Rui smiled, looking at the spread. "I see a few of my own cooking techniques here. Guess you took some of my advice to heart, huh?"
Shirabe rubbed the back of her head, but didn't deny it.
"Tsukuyomi made it." Tsubasa said. "If you can eat it all, Tachibanas, I'll be sure to clean up."
"No." Maia flatly said. "Absolutely not."
"I think they appreciate the offer, Tsubasa-san, but for their sake you probably shouldn't." Shuri said.
"You really shouldn't make promises you can't keep. It'll all end in tears." Chris said with a teasing smirk.
"Huh?!" Tsubasa looked offended. "You underestimate me!"
"No fighting!" Maria walked over to Tsubasa with a plate of food. "Here."
She stuck one of the tomatoes in Tsubasa's mouth. She chewed for a moment, before stars were in her eyes. "What is this? Is it really a tomato?! I've never had one this sweet!"
"The fuck…?" Rui said, dumbfounded like everyone else.
"It's so good the surprise broke her character." Shirabe said.
"Man, I haven't seen Tsubasa make a face like that since we were kids." Maia smiled. "Now I wanna see how my partner would react."
"Oh I wanna see that too!" Forte grinned.
"H-Hey, I already had some back when we were in Matsushiro…" Rui took a few steps back as the others approached her with plates of food. "You don't have to-"
"Oh, I also made a special plate for Rui-san. Here." Shirabe held up some tomatoes that were cut into the helmets of various Kamen Riders.
There was a blur as Rui grabbed the dish and started eating right away.
"She's like a child." Maia laughed. "Anything Kamen Rider related and she's like white on rice."
Yusuke meowed as if laughing at his owner.
"Man, if only we were there at the final battle too though!" Yumi said. "It would've been so cool to see Kuriyo with Suiseiken Nagare, Shiori with the Bana Spear, and I would've been awesome with the Chalice Rouzer! Just like a tokusatsu!"
"I'd rather not be involved in fighting, thank you." Shiori chuckled.
"Less talking, more birthday fun!" Kuriyo said, joining the others.
The birthday celebration continued as the group of friends enjoyed the food. After eating, they switched to video games. Rui managed to get everyone to try playing some of her Kamen Rider fighting games, and they obliged (it was her birthday, after all). Chris got to show off a letter from Stephan and Sonya, showing that he was recovering well. Tsubasa had taken up the offer to wash the dishes… though with how she stacked them with the utensils, it was a miracle that nothing had broken.
Hibiki had stepped out onto the deck to take a bit of a breather, looking up at the night sky.
"Here." Miku held up a drink for Hibiki.
"That's my Miku." Hibiki smiled. "You always know just what I need."
"I just wish Elfnein-chan and Lala-chan could've come too." Miku said, leaning against the deck's railing.
"Yeah, but Forte-chan said they still have a bunch of research to do." Hibiki said.
"That's a shame." Miku said, as they looked up at the moon together.
"Yep."
The two quietly stood together, enjoying the other's presence.
"You know…" Hibiki spoke, breaking the silence.
Miku turned to Hibiki.
"If some bad guy somewhere is causing people trouble, I'm sure I'd be able to stop them with my fists." Hibiki raised her clenched hand.
Miku watched as Hibiki lowered her hand.
"But when my opponent is fighting for their own sense of justice, with clenched fists, then it's not so easy to resolve." Hibiki said.
"Hibiki…"
She raised her hand again, looking at her palm. "I've managed so far, but will I always get by on simply believing in my own justice, and holding it tight?"
"I have no idea about any of that." Miku said.
"Miku?" Hibiki said, confused.
"But you know what?" Miku grasped Hibiki's hand with both of her own. "Even if you can no longer believe in yourself, I will never let go of your hand."
Hibiki widened her eyes, touched by the gesture.
"Whatever may come, I'll always be here to hold it." Miku promised.
The two stared into one another's eyes, before Hibiki smiled. "Well, if you say so!"
With a nod, Miku turned to go back in, before looking back at Hibiki. "Welcome home, Hibiki."
"Glad to be back, Miku!" Hibiki smiled.
"We're playing cards!" Kirika poked her head out. "Losers have to buy more drinks, dess!"
"Coming!" Hibiki said, running back in to join her friends.
Elfnein and Lala were scrolling through the data that they had on hand, going through all the archives SONG had. There were pictures of Hibiki and Shuri, as well as all of their various transformations. She stopped at a picture of Shénshòujìng's beam hitting Hibiki, purging her from the harmful shards of Gungnir.
"I see!" Elfnein realized. "That explains how Hibiki-san was able to…"
"Did you figure something out?" Genjuro walked up to the two.
"I have a hypothesis as to why Hibiki-san was able to serve as a vessel for the divine power, and why Shuri-san was able to retain the Ignite Module's power." Elfnein said.
"What is it?" Lala asked, looking up from her station.
"It is said that as humans are born with the original sin, they are unable to acquire divine power." Elfnein said. "This "original sin" is likely the Curse of Balal itself. Back when Hibiki-san was bathed in the exorcizing light of the Shénshòujìng, she was probably purged of the Curse itself. Shuri-san had thrown herself in the path of the beam as well, which might actually be the reason for her extreme reaction to the energy of the Dáinsleif, and how it had integrated with her body previously."
"This might be why Tesla had to utilize other methods to achieve his goals." Lala realized. "He told us that he had learned of the potential power from who he believed were the gods of the world, but perhaps he wasn't able to fully harness it himself, which is why he needed three Elekleid users. He never told us why he tried recruiting Hibiki, but this seems to be the reason why."
"So basically, they were cleansed of sin?" Genjuro asked.
"This might also explain why Hibiki-san was able to progress so quickly from a human-relic fusion specimen to a fully-fledged adaptor in her own right, as well as how Shuri-san managed to survive and control the Ignite's power, with it integrating with her body." Elfnein added. "Her exposure to the Divine Power was the last bit she needed to properly stabilize it, removing the remains of Dáinsleif from her body to create her new transformation, the Ignite Angel."
"Hold on a moment." Genjuro recalled. "Hibiki-kun and Shuri-kun weren't the only ones struck by the Shénshòujìng's light. The entire reason Shuri herself was struck in the first place… there was one other!"
"And don't come back until you get more drinks!" Miku smiled, closing the door in Rui and Chris' faces.
"I think it should be illegal to punish the birthday girl for losing a card game." Rui muttered, as the two were left standing outside.
"Now, now, we were the last ones with any cards remaining." Chris patted her on the back. "Besides, it's the convenience store on the corner. Let's go get the drinks and mess with them a bit by getting what they all hate."
"Ah, you're using the birthday girl's importance to your advantage." Rui chuckled, as they continued to walk. Though they didn't get far before Chris stopped. Rui turned around, seeing her girlfriend looked a bit fidgety. "What's up?"
Chris reached into her bag, pulling out something. "I… I wanted to give you this in private. Happy birthday, Rui."
It was a small present covered with wrapping paper. Rui gently pulled back the wrapping to see that it was a pair of black gloves. The backs of them had red pieces of fabric resembling armor plating. A small packet on top held a pair of orange clips. "This is…?"
"They're gloves based on Kamen Rider Kuuga. " Chris rubbed the back of her head. "Figured you'd like something like this with winter coming up. And I saw the two hair clips in the same store and they reminded me of you…"
Rui smiled, pulling Chris into a gentle hug. The silver-haired girl blushed a bit, but enjoyed the embrace of her girlfriend. It felt safe, like a place of belonging.
"Chris… I'm really glad I met you." Rui smiled. "It feels so long ago that we first ran into each other at the park, helping those lost kids."
"Yeah… we didn't get along at first, huh?" Chris chuckled.
"And here we are now… girlfriends." Rui said, amazed.
"...hey, back up for a bit." Chris said suddenly.
"Yeah?" Rui let Chris move back a bit. "What-"
She was cut off as Chris stood up on her toes, letting her lips press against hers for a kiss. Rui widened her eyes at the sudden motion, as Chris pulled away.
"How's that for another birthday present?" Chris, looking rather proud for making the next step.
"Oh, man… What is this feeling?" Rui couldn't help but smile from ear-to-ear. "I feel so warm and fluffy inside."
Chris was amazed at Rui's smile. It was almost the same face Hibiki herself would have made, except this one was all Rui. A completely natural smile, free from all of the pain she shouldered. "You have to smile like that more often."
"Around you?" Rui smiled. "I think I can promise that."
The two interlocked fingers, closing their eyes and kissing once more. Another new enemy could show up to threaten the world and they wouldn't care. All they were focusing on was the other.
Which is why they didn't notice all of their friends were watching from the apartment deck.
"You know what, good for them." Forte said, arms crossed.
"The way they're kissing… it's just like a yuri anime!" Yumi said, eyes sparkling.
"Kissing isn't exclusive to anime, Yumi…" Kuriyo sighed.
"But what they're doing is quite romantic." Shiori said.
"It was only a matter of time, dess." Kirika said.
"Mm." Shirabe nodded in agreement. "It's only natural."
"Though I honestly imagined the two would've chosen a more private spot for a first kiss instead of the middle of the sidewalk." Maria said.
"I'm gonna go up and say something." Maia grinned.
"No, you will not." Tsubasa pulled her sister by the ear.
"Well, Chris can no longer use the "do that sort of thing at home" saying to any of us." Miku noted.
"I'm happy for them though." Hibiki smiled, carrying Yusuke in her arms. "Oneesan is much happier now."
The cat gently bat at her face, as if encouraging her to do the same.
"Oneesama too." Shuri agreed. "I'm really glad they found one another."
"I guess we're going to be sisters-in-law soon?" Hibiki asked Shuri. "I'll get two more big sisters then! Can I call you "Neechan" now?"
""Neechan"… I like the sound of it!" Shuri smiled. "So this is what it's like to be a big sister!"
"Jeez, those two are already on the whole sister business…" Maia sighed.
"I don't see the issue, considering Shuri will eventually be my sister-in-law as well, will she not?" Tsubasa smirked.
"Oh boy, little sister of mine has gotten a mouth on her." Maia smirked with a blush.
"So does this make Tsubasa-san and Maia-san my sisters-in-law too?" Hibiki realized.
"I'd be honored to be your sister, Tachibana." Tsubasa said.
"So Rui-san is dating Chris-san, and Shuri-san is dating Maia-san…" Shirabe said. "So that makes all of the non-dating relationships for the twins somewhat sisters-in-law to different extents?"
"I'm getting dizzy, dess…" Kirika said, trying to wrap her head around it.
"None of them have even considered marriage yet and several of you are too young to. Why are you all jumping ahead…?" Maria asked.
As the conversations continued, they didn't realize that Rui and Chris had finished up and already slipped back into the house, having bought the drinks during their entire conversation. The two were able to have several peaceful minutes before the others realized that they were back, and the festivities continued well into the night.
Rui looked out the window at the broken moon, Chris having fallen asleep on her shoulder.
I don't know what that guy meant when he said something about those Custodians or Anunnaki or whatever he considered a God, but if they're coming to face us next… we'll take them on. We're not going to let them mess with our world. We'll protect it… together.
A/N: And with that, AXZ is finally wrapped up. We have the Supplementary Plan and the Interlude to go, and then we'll hop straight into XV.
I still can't believe we've really reached this point of the story. It's crazy to me.
I had the finale for the AXZ chapter planned for quite a bit. I was very excited to reach this one, with what I had here.
Shuri's final form has been something built-up for quite a while, with both a kaiju fight as a leadup and a connection later down the line.
The last few threads to wrap-up will be covered in the Interlude, and I can't wait to get to that.
Feel free to leave a review. See you all next time.