Sympho-Saber: Song of Swords
RXU:EP14 – Experiment's End
World of Sympho-Saber:
SONG headquarters was busier than usual as everyone monitored the battles against the Ganmaizers thanks to Gjallarhorn's assistance. The assistance had gone as far as accessing the main Monolith and utilizing it as a viewpoint for everyone to witness the battle occurring on the rooftop of the defunct Deep Connect company.
It also hadn't taken long after the first group of Riders and Wielders left through Gjallarhorn for Elfnein to finish up repairs on the damaged Symphogears. A call for helicopter transport had been sent and one was rapidly arriving to take Kanade, Maria, and Hibiki to their destination. Meanwhile Tsubasa and Chris were sent out to assist the others while Blades was closing in fairly fast to assist as well.
"I suppose this is the hardest part," Sophia said with a sigh as she sat back in her chair to observe the fights going on, "We've basically done all we can, and now it's up to them."
"Thankfully they seem to be handling their battles well enough," Sakuya said as reassurance.
"Honestly the fact that Sabela and Durendal are also assisting is a surprise," Aoi said, having pulled up camera footage of the base of the Deep Connect building once the disturbance occurred, "This'll be good for us in a couple of ways."
"Yeah, we're able to let them take care of one of our enemies," Sakuya noted with a wry smile, "And we can analyze their fighting styles to help us out for later."
"For now I'm just grateful they're helping us," Sophia admitted, "And even with their help we're still spread pretty thin."
"They can do this," Miku said as she walked back onto the bridge with Elfnein to watch the fights alongside the others, "This may be a greater scope, but I know they can win."
Elfnein herself however went over to Aoi's station, having discovered a couple of details with Daishinji that she needed another opinion on.
Ghost grunted as he raised his Sunglasseslasher, bracing against several tendrils that Gazer had sent out. He let out a yell as his blade erupted in flames, forcing the wave of tendrils to stop before slashing and forcing them back.
"I shouldn't be surprise you're keeping up with me," Gazer said before quickly summoning out a Ganmaizer, it taking the form of a red bird-like arrow device. He drew back an energy string before unleashing arrow after arrow towards Ghost, "But…!"
Ghost took a deep breath, quickly unleashing several slashes, fire trailing behind as he deflected the arrows.
Saber meanwhile let out a gasp, Rekka being knocked out of his hand and sent tumbling against the rooftop thanks to a punch from Bahamut. He could only raise his arms and brace while backing away, Bahamut continually rushing forward with a flurry of punches. Saber just barely managed to force a punch down while dodging another, reeling his left arm back.
[SPICY!]
Bahamut barely managed to twist his body while his arms quickly managed to get into a blocking position, a burst of fire occurring as he was sent staggering back despite his brace.
"Not bad," he chuckled before yelling out as he leapt upwards, "But!"
[KOUGOUKEN SAIKOU!]
"…Touma!"
Saikou launched into view, spinning towards Bahamut who let out a punch of black fire at the same time. Both attacks clashed, the two combatants bouncing away from each other.
"Huh?" Bahamut gasped out as he was forced back.
[SAIKOU HAKKOU!]
The resulting bounce of energies had accidentally pressed down on Saikou enough to initiate his finisher suddenly. Saber however took advantage of this, quickly leaping up and grabbing Saikou with both hands before slashing downwards as he shouted out with Saikou.
"…Let There Be Light!"
Bahamut crossed his arms only for sparks to fly as his guard was broken by the attack. He stepped backwards only to feel sudden near sickening pulsations overtake his body. He gagged as he held his helmet's mouth alongside his stomach, seemingly wanting to hurl before shaking it off.
"What was that just now?" Saber questioned.
"I see…" Saikou remarked, already guessing what was going on based on what they knew about the Rider-like being, "Perhaps there is a way to help him, but we'll need Kaenken Rekka back."
"Easier said than done," Saber said as he saw his Seiken was to the side of Bahamut, "But…"
"What was that?" Bahamut questioned before shaking his head, "No, it doesn't matter…" he trailed off before rushing towards Saber, "Let's just keep up this fight!"
Durendal let out a yell, rushing forward and thrusting his trident towards Magnetic Blade. To his surprise Magnetic Blade managed to catch it with one of its blades, it managing to slowly force Kaiji away from it. Sabela quickly leapt up, hopping off of her brother to strike from above now that there was an opening.
"I've got you-!" Sabela suddenly gave a yelp in the middle of her declaration, Noroshi being pulled away as she was forced to land in a stumble. Her blade suddenly clashed with the free bladed hand of the Ganmaizer, and despite her intent to back away she couldn't.
"What's wrong?" Durendal questioned as he tried to pull away to assist only to gasp when he couldn't, "What?"
"Eliminate," Magnetic Blade declared as it began to spin around, utilizing its strength to drag the two Riders in a circle with it. In an instant the two's weapons were suddenly unstuck from the Ganmaizer's blades, both Riders gasping as they were sent rolling away.
Sabela and Durendal managed to get to their knees only to suddenly brace as Magnetic Blade unleashed numerous energy blasts towards them. Sparks and minor explosions kicked up around them as they were forced to brace further.
Magnetic Blade lowered its arms as it stared at the smoke, as if waiting to see if its attacks had landed.
"It appears to have magnetic abilities," Sabela noted.
"Straightforward and telegraphed attacks won't work then," Durendal replied, "You know what to do."
"Of course, brother," Sabela nodded.
The two Riders let out shouts as they stood up among the clearing smoke, both rushing forward as Magnetic Blade perked up.
"Eliminate," Magnetic Blade declared as it used its magnetism powers to bring a few trash cans in the area near it before launching it towards the two Riders.
"Don't mock us!" Durendal shouted as he took the lead, twirling his trident and easily batting away the metal trashcans before pulling his weapon apart, "Now!"
[KAIJI MASSHOU!]
Magnetic Blade had moved forward only to suddenly be surrounded by smoke, it being confused only to realize it had somehow suddenly been caught in a sneak attack. It went to turn only for its upper right half of the body to get pierced by Jikokuken Kaiji, its lower left getting stabbed as the smoke dispersed and Sabela reformed in a kneeling stance with Eneiken Noroshi's blade digging in deep.
[SAI KAIJI!]
World of Mushrooms:
Kenzan let out a shout, unleashing Hayate in its shuriken formation to force back the Commandos surrounding him before quickly dodging against several quick and spinning strikes from Ganmaizer Wind. Hayate quickly returned, the Rider splitting his shuriken into two blades as he slashed against the nearby Ganmaizer.
Wind was forced back by the attack, "Overwhelm."
More Commandos were formed and began to attempt to surround Kenzan only for a bright flash in the sky to occur.
{Ride Change}
Suddenly glowing hammers began to rain down, the hammers spinning and slamming into the Commandos alongside Wind with great force.
The Ganmaizer had perked up, turning and spinning to avoid a trailing slash of water, quickly backing away to avoid more sudden slashes. It went to grab only for a hammer to smack away its attack, water erupting from a stab that struck its chest and sent it staggering back.
Standing before it was Tsubasa in her Ride Gear form, both of her weapons at the ready.
{Habakiri Bushi!}
"Tsubasa," Kenzan said as he fully stood, "So then?"
"It is time for us to begin our counterattack," Tsubasa declared.
"Right," Kenzan said as he drew out a Ride Book while rushing forward, initiating his Wonder Rider form change.
[JACKUN TO DOMAMENOKI! SOU TOU BUNDAN!]
Wind was suddenly assaulted by energy bean projectiles, it unleashing a burst of wind to defend against them. It quickly went to maneuver and dodge once Kenzan started lashing out with his Ninja Jackun form's vine whip. It went to perform a cartwheel only for its legs to suddenly shift, its left leg having been struck by Tsubasa's hammer.
The Ganmaizer had managed to land but due to its leg being shifted it stumbled and fell to a knee as a result. That was all Tsubasa needed to close in, slashing downwards as water erupted from her blade.
World of Archipelagos:
Slash cut through several Commandos, quickly turning and blocking the blades of a few more. He tapped his blade with his free hand, a burst of sound forcing the Ganma back. He turned towards more approaching only to suddenly be submerged in a bubble of water.
"Eliminating," Water stated, the Ganmaizer shrinking the bubble further and further as the Commandos charged to surround and pile on Slash.
Slash simply gave a scoff, noticing how his movement was slower due to the pressure of the water but for him that wasn't an issue. He performed a palm strike against the blade of Suzune, a more colorful burst of sound erupting and bursting the water bubble. The water splashed violently outwards, Commandos being thrown back due to being too close.
Several Commandos that lagged behind went to leap and strike at Slash only for energy projections of dog heads to launch into view, snarling and biting down on the Ganma before exploding.
{Ride Change: Ichaival Sanjo!}
"I was wondering when backup would arrive," Slash said as he turned to see Chris in her Ride Gear form, her crossbows out and loaded, "Thanks for the save."
"No problem," Chris replied as she walked over to stand by Slash, "So this is our opponent, huh?"
"New threat detected," Water said as it began launching volleys of water balls towards the two.
Slash quickly switched his Seiken to its Gun Play formation, shooting at the water balls and bursting them apart in quick succession. Chris quickly took aim and launched several arrows out, the Ganmaizer waiting for them to grow into dog head projections to properly dodge only for them to simply curve and strike against it several times.
"Thought you had my gimmick figured out, huh?" Chris scoffed, "Fat chance."
"Shifting countermeasures," Water stated as three Commandos wandered over, it soon unleashing its own water and coating them in it. The water suddenly began to solidify and take familiar shape as each of the Commandos became a clone of Ganmaizer Water.
"Clones, really?" Chris raised a brow.
"Thankfully it seems I got lucky when it came to our quick swap plan," Slash chuckled as he brought out Kobuta 3Kyoudai and initiated his transformation while switching his Seiken back to its sword formation, "Let's go."
[KOBUTA 3KYOUDAI! JUUKEN GEKIDAN!]
A flash of green occurred as Slash gained the Kobuta 3Kyoudai armament on his left arm, starting with the straw shield.
"So how's this going to help?" Chris asked.
"We fight water, with water," Slash replied as he went to initiate his new form's finisher, "Or rather…"
[SUZUNE ONDOKU GEKI!]
Soon enough a pink flash and shimmering occurred as two copies of Slash formed in front of him. One held a wooden house shield with Suzune in Sword Board mode. The other however had the brick house shield alongside Suzune in its Gun Play mode.
"Wait, you mean it's not a weird ninja thing?" Chris looked over the three clones in surprise before shaking her head and quickly taking aim, "Whatever, as long as it helps!"
"Exactly," Slash said before he charged forward with his two clones.
"Eliminate," Water and its clones echoed before charging forward, crossing between each other to keep the Rider and Wielder from guessing on which was the real Ganmaizer.
World of Lunar Reckoning:
Ganmaizer Planet stomped its foot against the ground, rock bursting forth in a trail towards Buster and Serena.
Buster simply stabbed Gekido downwards, forming a quake that shattered the rock trail and stopped any further movements from the earth. Serena quickly hopped over Buster, using his shoulder to leap off before lashing out with her sword, a pink chain-like whip forming and wrapping around Planet.
"Restricted," Planet stated as it tried to break free of its bonds.
"Not for long!" Serena shouted as she broke the energy whip off from her sword while snapping her fingers, "Take this!"
In an instant the energy wrapped around the Ganmaizer shined brightly before exploding in a bright whirlwind of energy.
{PIXIE†WHIP}
"Strength unexpected," Planet said as it walked out of the smoke of the explosion.
"Just how sturdy is this thing?" Serena questioned, noticing some damage but not a lot just yet.
"Considering this was one of the last enemies a legendary Rider faced, I'm not surprised," Buster admitted as he rested his blade on his shoulder, "How's backup looking?"
Serena nodded before putting a hand to her headgear, "Mom?"
"Sorry Serena, everyone else is busy making sure we aren't overwhelmed by these strange creatures," Nastassja spoke up, "We'll try to clean up as quickly as possible but more just keep emerging."
"I understand," Serena nodded before she held her blade forward, "Buster and I will do what we can on our own then."
"If that's the case then we'll have to boost you up," Buster said as he quickly initiated a Wonder Rider change, "Luckily we decided to switch standard armaments!"
[BREMEN NO ROCK BAND! ITTOU RYODAN!]
A loud reverb and pink flash occurred on Buster's left arm, gaining his Wonder Rider form of Genbu Bremen.
"Ah, that's Daishinji's," Serena let out a light gasp before suddenly feeling an increase in strength, "This is…"
"When it comes to Symphogear Wielders," Buster said with a chuckle as he holstered Gekido for the time being, "This one's very complimentary."
Planet simply stood its ground, watching as Buster and Serena charged forward. It reeled its left arm back just as Buster did, the two slamming their fists against each other. A burst of musical energy occurred however, the Ganmaizer stepping back.
That was enough for Serena to slip in, her blade brushing past and absorbing the latent musical energy still in the air. She let out a yell as she spun, unleashing a powered up slash against Ganmaizer Planet.
World of Diamonds:
"Continuing Assault," Ganmaizer Climate stated as it brought out bird-like projectiles to launch forward, though it wasn't long until a rain of buzzsaws easily cut through and destroyed them.
Shirabe was mid-air, extending her gear outwards into a large circular saw around her into its mono-wheel form.
{Extreme Sigma Style: Forbidden Full Moon}
Climate sent out more projectiles only for them to easily be sliced through, Shirabe managing to clash and grind against the Ganmaizer's chest.
"Initiating countermeasure," Climate stated as it grabbed the saw to try and use its strength to slow it down.
"Hey," Kirika called out from behind, combining two of her scythes into a halberd, "How about you countermeasure this, dess?!"
{Opposite Scythe: Rapunzel}
She stabbed her halberd into the Ganmaizer's back, sparks flying.
Climate said nothing as suddenly Commandos began to form nearby, Shirabe and Kirika being forced to pull back as a result. It didn't take long for Climate to form more projectiles, launching them out to try and strike at the two Wielders to open them up for the Commandos.
"This is getting overwhelming," Shirabe admitted as she skated back to dodge.
"Looks like we'll need to start picking up our game, dess," Kirika realized as she ducked and sliced through a few Commandos, "Time for some Rider Power!"
"Right," Shirabe nodded, drawing out her personal Ride Book alongside Kirika, both initiating their Ride Gear transformations.
{Ride Change: Shul Shagana Kaguyan/Igalima Kani Wa!}
It didn't take long for the two to head back on the offensive, Kirika smashing through the Commandos with her giant claw while Shirabe sent out crescent energy to slice through the Commandos. An issue became apparent when Climate started targeting Kirika, forcing the Igalima user to block and use her agility to dodge.
"Oh jeez," Kirika called out.
"Don't worry Kiri, I have an idea," Shirabe called out as she leapt upwards, landing on a diamond pillar nearby, "Just keep light on your feet!"
"Huh? Sure but what does that…" Kirika's eyes widened as she began to hop backwards, "DESS!"
Shirabe had quickly summoned numerous full moon projectiles, them being the size of her usual saw projectiles. Soon enough she launched them all around, the projectiles of light embedding into the diamond arena they were in. Soon enough they began to erupt into beams of light that went in one direction. Thanks to the reflective surfaces that was the entire world, the lights began bouncing off and forming an almost grid-like laser field that pierced through Commandos and Climate's bird drones.
Kirika managed to avoid the lasers before noticing a clear path for her to take. She quickly hopped forward, managing to duck and weave between the lasers before yelling out as she went to stab her pointed pincer claw against Climate which turned to face her right as she got close.
World of KuroWing:
Calibur grunted as she was forced back by a powerful kick from Ganmaizer Fire, quickly raising her arms as she was assaulted by fireballs.
Fire stepped forward only to pause as the fire dispersed easily, Calibur swinging her blade and stepping out relatively unharmed.
"Unusual behavior detected," Fire stated as it tried to figure out how Calibur had mitigated the damage, "Continuing obser-"
[HISSATSU DOKUHA! NAGARE BATTOU!]
Suddenly Nagare stabbed down into the ground in front of the Ganmaizer, its shining blade erupting with a whirlpool of water. The whirlpool expanded upwards, becoming a tornado that surrounded Ganmaizer Fire.
Suddenly four water clones of Blades in his Wonder Combo erupted from the torrent around Fire, all slashing downwards and managing to deal heavy blows. Fire however noticed a shadow and looked up only to get its face kicked in by the real Blades' boot.
[PEGASUS! LION! PETER FAN! SANSATSU GIRI! W-W-W-WATER!]
The water tornado broke apart and splashed all over, Ganmaizer Fire staggering backwards while Blades quickly grabbed his blade. He formed water beneath his feet and used that to slide himself back towards Calibur.
"Nagamine… no wait…" Calibur questioned before shaking her head, realizing something was off, "Shindo, correct?"
"Yes, it's me, not my master," Blades nodded, "My world is aware of the attacks and sent me to help you."
"So more worlds are being plighted by these strange creatures," Calibur muttered before nodding, "I'd appreciate the help. It appears as though it's using whatever help it can spawn to distract Section 2."
"I am surprised to see you managed to hang on though," Blades admitted, "I was told these Ganmaizers were fearsome."
"Thankfully this one is fire based and luckily I kept hold of the right Seiken," Calibur said as she gestured towards her Hissatsuholder, Kaenken Rekka held in it, its emblem pulsating as fire danced around it.
"Ah, Rekka's innate fire protection," Blades let out a light gasp, "That is lucky."
"Allow me to lead the charge," Calibur said as she stepped forward in front of Blades, aiming Kurayami forward as she crouched into her ready stance, "You deal the damage since you're especially effective against this one."
"Understood," Blades nodded as he prepared his stance.
"Type disadvantage taken note of," Fire stated as it managed to stand up, gathering fire in its hands, "Recalculating strategy."
World of Sympho-Saber:
Saber yelped as he was currently running along the rooftop, dodging blast after blast of fireballs from Bahamut. The Rider-like entity had managed to get smart about Saikou and went to force the two back with long ranged attacks. Saber had attempted to play smart as well and lead the blasts towards the central Monolith. Unfortunately the Ganmaizer infused pillar had proven to be sturdier, forming a barrier that dispersed the attacks.
"I'm not about to give up!" Saber shouted as he held Saikou forward while running directly towards Bahamut, "Yuri!"
"On it," Saikou said as he cast a heavy light against Bahamut.
[WHO IS THIS?]
Erupting from Bahamut's own shadow was Saikou's own familiar, Shadow. Shadow quickly wrapping its arms around the Rider-like entity from behind to hold him in place.
[SHADOW!]
[SPICY!]
Saber followed up with a fire filled punch against Bahamut's face, Shadow becoming intangible in that exact moment, forcing the Rider-like entity into a heavy stagger.
"Perfect," Saber said as he rolled and grasped Kaenken Rekka, quickly bracing with it and Saikou to block a counter fireball from his opponent.
"Not bad," Bahamut admitted as he slid his thumb alongside his helmet's cheek.
"Try whatever clever tricks you think will work, they will not," Gazer stated as he had brought out the bat-like Ganmaizer Rifle, it taking to the air alongside Ganmaizer Arrow. The weapon Ganmaizers fired off blasts to force Ghost on the defensive while he closed in, forming the spider themed Ganmaizer Hammer.
Ghost let out a light yelp as he managed to back away while swinging his sword to disperse several blasts sent his way. He was lucky as the hammer had smashed and formed a small crater into the rooftop floor upon impact.
"Don't think we're done just yet," Ghost stated as he held his sword forward with both hands.
"By all means, exhaust your strength," Gazer said as he held out a hand, his body twitching slightly as a faint sound grew louder, "You've already split your group so far and wide by…" he trailed before looking around, "What is that noise?"
"Huh?" Bahamut looked up as he heard a whirring before letting out a gasp, "That's!"
"~Balwisyall nescell Gungnir tron~"
"~Seilien coffin Airgetlám tron~"
"Henshin!"
High above the building was a SONG Helicopter, three individuals leaping out as bright yellow, orange, and white lights shined respectively as they fell.
{SG-r03': Gungnir}
{SG-x00: Airgetlám}
[BATTOU! ETERNAL PHOENIX!]
The lights all broke apart, soon revealing Hibiki and Maria in their Symphogear armor, Falchion beside them as they dropped down towards the rooftop.
"Some of your allies actually chose to come here?" Gazer questioned before Arrow and Rifle launched towards the falling Wielders and Rider. Before he could do more he suddenly had to raise Hammer, blocking a strike from Ghost.
"You shouldn't underestimate them, or me," Ghost called out as he tried to keep Gazer in a lock.
{EMPRESS†REBELLION}
Maria took the lead drawing out her blade and extending it into a chain-whip, lashing out and blocking the blasts Arrow and Rifle sent her way. Flicking her wrist the whip lashed out further, striking and stunning both Ganmaizers.
"Hibiki Style: Star Stream Spear!"
[FUSHICHO MUSOU GEKI!]
In an instant Hibiki had gone for a kick, utilizing her boosters to launch downwards while Falchion initiated her finisher, energy wings forming as she hurtled downwards. The two struck through Arrow and Rifle respectively, Maria passing the Ganmaizers before they exploded.
It wasn't long before the three landed between the two ongoing fights, all of them back to back in a triangular formation.
"Kanade, Maria," Hibiki said as she stepped towards Bahamut and Saber's fight.
"No need to tell us twice," Falchion said as she turned her attention on Gazer alongside Maria, "We'll handle the mastermind."
"Do what you need to do," Maria nodded.
"With that said, Gungnir Girls…" Falchion trailed, "Let's kick some ass!"
"Hold on a moment," Maria called out as she looked over, "Gungnir Girls?"
"I mean, we all wield Gungnir," Falchion remarked, "So…"
"The semantics is not what I'm referring to!" Maria called out, "We're just going with Gungnir Girls?"
"I think it fits us perfectly," Hibiki said with a light giggle, her face growing with determination before she launched towards her desired fight, "Now, let's go!"
"Sorry but not sorry since you just got outvoted fair and square," Falchion patted Maria's shoulder before rushing towards her designated fight.
"I swear to…" Maria's eye twitched before sighing and giving a smile, simply raising her blade before rushing forward.
Gazer dismissed Hammer before summoning the last Ganmaizer he had on him, Spear. He wielded the green strangely shaped spear as he went to bat back Ghost's advances before thrusting towards the approaching Falchion.
Falchion parried the spear, forcing it down with her blade as Maria leapt up from behind, forming numerous blades before launching them down against Gazer.
{INFINITE†CRIME}
Gazer gasped as he quickly dismissed his spear while backing away, sparks flying as some of the blades managed to hit.
"Thanks for the assistance," Ghost said as he hurried over.
"The pleasure's all ours," Falchion chuckled.
"Now that we're here, it's time we end this invasion," Maria said as she held her fist forward, blade in hand.
"Sorry to say but I won't allow my path to enlightenment be derailed by you," Gazer called out as he unleashed a flurry of tendrils from his body to strike at the three.
Bahamut meanwhile closed in towards Saber, needing to end the fight quickly now that backup had arrived. He let out a yell, black fire gathering and swirling around his fist as he punched forward.
Hibiki however sped between the two, crossing her arms and blocking the punch.
Saber let out a gasp, "Hibiki!"
"This is nothing," Hibiki gritted before she yelled out, dispersing the fire and forcing Bahamut back as she threw her arms forward, "Bahamut, I'm finally here!"
Bahamut let out a light gasp as he took a few steps back, "You…"
"I'm sorry," Hibiki apologized, which surprised both her ally and opponent, "I couldn't be there to try and help you last time."
"I see," Bahamut said, recalling Ghost's words of him being there on behalf of a girl, now knowing that it was definitely Hibiki put him at ease, "Your feelings came across the same however, with that Rider."
"They did," Hibiki said as she gave a smile before it faded, "Have you found what you're looking for yet?"
"What do you mean?" Bahamut asked.
"You said you felt empty, right?" Hibiki reminded, "Have you found anything that fills that? Or have you recalled anything yet?"
"Maybe," Bahamut replied in a neutral manner, "What if I haven't?"
"That's fine," Hibiki said, the Rider-like entity's head jolting in her direction as she placed a hand on her chest, "Even if you haven't found it yet, or don't know everything yet, keep living the life you've been given until you do."
"Keep living the life I've been given?" Bahamut questioned before staring at his hand and gripping it tightly.
"All backup has arrived," Sakuya reported as they were watching the updated fights on the screen.
The battles against the Ganmaizers were still ongoing, but the additional support to those that only had a single Rider available had started showing signs of improvement. Those that were already had two combatants were still managing to break even, while the rooftop battle itself was slowly shifting towards their favor. Of course it seemed like the battles would keep raging on for a long while if something wasn't immediately done to push the fights in SONG's favor.
"We need a way to turn the tide," Sophia said as she crossed her arms, "That Monolith needs to be destroyed, it's likely the key."
"But we saw Touma trying to bait Bahamut into damaging it," Miku spoke up, "It didn't work."
"Yeah, good luck with that plan," Robosen scoffed.
"We may have a solution," Aoi said as Elfnein was still with her, the duo currently working on analyzing the Monolith's energy patterns and converting it into data, "Especially if what Elfnein said Daishinji found was true."
"Ah, there," Elfnein pointed out, "Bring up Specter Gekikou Senki's data now!"
"On it," Aoi said before letting out a light gasp, "The Ride Book gives off a similar energy pattern to the Ganmaizers we're analyzing…"
"Wait, didn't Ayumu's explanation mention that?" Miku recalled, "How Specter and the Ganmaizers were tied together thanks to certain forms?"
"That's right," Robosen nodded, "Which can mean only one thing…"
"That Ride Book is a direct counter to our Ganmaizer issue," Sophia said in realization, "But, how would the Great Book know about the Ganmaizers?"
"While it is said to have knowledge of the future of our world there is a simple explanation," Elfnein spoke up as she looked over, "Daishinji found both Ghost's and Specter's Ride Books are similar to the Symphogear Ride Books we've engineered ourselves."
"So Specter's was likely created as a backup in case the Ganmaizers reawakened," Sophia mused, "Given Blank Ride Books aren't easy to find, the Tenkuji family may well have had connections to the Sword of Logos and its families."
"Solid theory," Robosen admitted, "I don't have all the details for why his folks and their friends did what they did. But considering how persistent the Ganmaizers have been, having a backup to deal with them would be in their best interests."
"Then we'll need to use that book's power soon," Sophia said before realizing something, "What about Ghost's Ride Book then? Why was it created?"
"Actually, I have a theory as to why it was created and it ties into the Ganmaizers as well…" Robosen spoke up, catching everyone's attention, "Especially given the powers we saw it briefly wield when it summoned all those Damashii…"
Hibiki and Saber watched as Bahamut stayed almost frozen where he was, simply staring at his clenched fist long and hard. The two were ready to speak up again to see if they could get a reaction only to hear a sudden transmission on their radios.
"Saber, Hibiki," Sophia spoke through the communications line, "We have a plan to weaken the Ganmaizers and stop the invasion."
"What is it?" Saber asked.
"You'll need to utilize both Ghost's and Specter's Ride Books to strike the Monolith at the center," Sakuya explained, "I know baiting Bahamut's attacks haven't worked, but those Books used in tandem should do the trick."
"Then I'll leave it to Hibiki," Saber said as he let go of Saikou and drew out both Legend Ride Books before holding them towards his friend, "She'll take care of it."
"But wait Touma," Hibiki said as she looked back towards Bahamut who was still standing in place, "What about…?"
"He can handle it," Saikou said as he floated beside Saber, "I sensed it when I first hit Bahamut, there's something wrong worming around inside his body despite his creation. With my power alongside Kaenken Rekka's awakening power… we can likely help him."
"It's a promise," Saber nodded.
"Alright," Hibiki said as she took both Ride Books, "I'll leave it to you."
"There's one issue we should bring up," Aoi spoke up, "While it's not a lot, there's still plenty of Phonic Gain building within that Monolith. Once the Monolith is destroyed the Phonic Gain will be slowly unleashed before exploding outwards. Not enough to cause any major damage aside from blowing off the rooftop, but that alone could cause complications for your fights if left unchecked."
"How much Phonic Gain is it?" Saber asked, and despite it being a fairly general question, the entirety of SONG's bridge crew knew exactly what he was asking.
"Enough for at least one… maybe two chances at X-Drive," Aoi answered, "But even if it's only enough for two potentially, that much energy…"
"They can do this," Miku spoke up, "Just believe in them."
"Thank you Miku," Hibiki smiled as she gripped the Ghost and Specter Ride Books tightly in her hands before hurrying towards the Monolith, "I know what I need to do!"
Gazer growled out, bringing out both Spear and Hammer while lashing out with his arms, forming a cross slash with both polearms to force Maria, Falchion and Ghost back. He was ready to step forward when he heard Hibiki's yell, "Huh?"
Hibiki shouted as she continued to rush towards the Monolith, holding Ghost Ijinroku towards her Pendant before holding Specter Gekikou Senki towards it in tandem.
{Wonder Ride Sync}
Soon enough both of her gauntlets opened up to reveal slots for the Ride Books, both being loaded into each gauntlet respectively. Orange and purple flames erupted from each of her hands as she clenched them into fists, the armaments growing and forming their rocket booster states.
Hibiki had slid to where she was now directly facing the monolith, taking note that it had brought up the barrier as a result of her presence. She took a deep breath, knowing she only had one shot while gathering her focus and channeling the energies of both Ride Books.
"Impossible," Gazer let out a light gasp before looking around and seeing his frozen ally, "Bahamut! Just what are you doing?!"
"Huh?" Bahamut looked up before seeing Hibiki attack the monolith, despite an urging inside him to stop her, he didn't want to. He could only let out a gasp as he held his chest as the feeling grew stronger, "W-What… is…!"
"Don't worry!" Saber called out as he rushed towards Bahamut, wielding Rekka and Saikou as their blades shined a bright red and gold respectively, "Just stay still!"
Saikou began to shout, "This should help you despite the brief pain!"
[KAENKEN REKKA!]
[KOUGOUKEN SAIKOU!]
Bahamut tried to brace at the last second by crossing his arms only to yell out as he sliced by the cross slash. A gold and red X scarred his armored body only for it to widen further as he gagged, managing to just barely land in a stagger while stepping backwards to keep his balance.
Black fire erupted from the scar as a strange figure emerged, it was an inverted Shimi Megid with chest, forearm and shin armoring similar to a Ganma Ultima, it having a tattered brown cloak. The black fires ravaged its body as it launched out and shot towards Saber and Saikou like a speeding bullet.
"Not so fast!" Saikou called out as Saber swung Rekka and knocked the strange creature back.
Saber yelled out as he brought down Saikou, light engulfing the creature, "Luster Dragon Slash!"
The creature could only screech out, the bright light burning its body alongside the black flames. It didn't take long for both assaults against its body to completely burn it away.
"Just what was that?" Saber asked.
"Likely the remnants of whatever Phantom Megid and Ganma power were in Bahamut," Saikou guessed, noticing the combination of styles on the creature, "That should give him some clarity now."
"Hopefully," Saber said as he saw that Bahamut's scar had faded, the Rider-like entity hunched over. He then looked over towards the Monolith, "But this fight isn't over just yet."
"Hibiki Style…" Hibiki called out as the power jacks on her legs dug into the ground to keep her in place as her back boosters alongside the boosters on her gauntlets started powering up. The power jacks quickly launched back inwards as her boosters kicked up in power, "Dual Spiritual Violent Destruction!"
Hibiki launched forward at high speeds, the orange and purple flames spiraling around her as she became a human fireball. The twin colored fireball clashing against the barrier only for the fires to spread and shatter the barrier, the fireball striking the Monolith directly in only a few seconds.
{Hissatsu Dokuha: Ghost Ijinroku/Specter Gekikou Senki!}
The Monolith suddenly cracked, electricity lashing out only for the fireball to push further and further. It didn't take long fifteen orbs of light to erupt from the fire, floating upwards before striking at the same time. The Monolith cracked further before it began to fall apart, it shining brightly as a torrent of wind was unleashed and dispersed the fires while forcing Hibiki backwards.
The Wielder let out a light gasp as she managed to find her footing to brace against the winds. The two Legend Ride Books meanwhile dropped out of her gauntlets, losing their color and turning blank. Of course the orbs of light that had launched out from her attack still stayed in the air, floating high above the Monolith.
There wasn't any time to question that however as the winds grew stronger, Hibiki bracing herself further.
"Impossible," Gazer gasped as he and the others looked on in surprise, "The Monolith is losing stability, with it crumbling like that all the Phonic Gain stored up will…!"
Gatrandis babel ziggurat edenal~
"This haunting melody…" Ghost trailed with a shiver as he saw Hibiki now standing calmly against the torrent of winds while singing, the volatile winds slowly calming down as the energy spilling out from the Monolith began to disperse as it was drawn towards her, "What is this?"
"Her Superb Song," Maria's eyes widened in realization, "She plans on using S2CA?!"
"Utilizing that dangerous technique alone…" Gazer trailed as he recalled what he was able to find on the Symphogear Wielders prior to his interactions was some information on S2CA and its dangers. He quickly turned and unleashed his tendrils against his opponents, "In order to keep from this being a problem I'll keep you preoccupied!"
Emustolronzen Finé el balal zizzl~
"Damn it," Maria said, realizing that Airgetlam would be useful for Hibiki to utilize while she dodged against Gazer's assault, "If I could get closer…"
"Unfortunately we're pre-occupied," Falchion replied as she braced with Kyomu before letting out a gasp in realization, soon holding out her hand, "Maria, I need a blade!"
"Got it," Maria nodded while dodging as she drew out another blade of Airgetlam and tossed it towards Falchion who caught it. She watched as the Rider slid a hand across the blade, a black light enveloping the blade and turning it black with an orange glowing edge, "Just what are you…?"
"Catch, Hibiki!" Falchion shouted as she tossed the altered Airgetlam blade towards Hibiki who glanced back while singing.
Gatrandis babel ziggurat edenal~
"I won't let you do whatever you're planning to!" Gazer shouted as he unleashed his tendrils towards the blade only for Ghost to quickly slide into view, deflecting the tendrils via several fiery slashes. He then felt a chill as he looked up, seeing the glowing orbs still in the air, "Just what's going on?"
Hibiki meanwhile turned and caught the Kyomu enhanced Airgetlam sword as she finished her Superb Song.
Emustolronzen Finé el zizzl~
"Set Harmonics…!" Hibiki called out as she enlarged and extended her right gauntlet, loading the altered Airgetlam Blade in as her armor formed around and incorporated the blade into it. She raised her fist as she began gathering all of the Phonic Gain into her right arm, the piece of Airgetlam controlling the energy and redistributing it while Kyomu's power minimized any backlash by setting it to null, "Touma!"
"Right," Saber said as he let go of Saikou, hurrying over while swapping out Dragonic Knight for Emotional Dragon, slotting Rekka into his Swordriver as he reached out for Hibiki with his left hand, "Let's put this Phonic Gain to good use!"
"You bet!" Hibiki smirked as she clasped her right hand with Saber's outstretched hand.
"…S2CA Twin Break – Type Seiken!"
The two raised their clasped hands in tandem, a tornado of multicolored energy engulfing them before that tornado began to thin itself into a rainbow colored pillar.
"No way," Gazer let out a gasp, "All of that Phonic Gain I gathered…"
"Sorry to say buddy, but we use it a hell of a lot better than you do," Falchion remarked as she looked over.
"Indeed," Maria said with a smirk, "We've very much turned the tide in our favor."
[AIJOU NO DRAGON! YUUKI NO DRAGON! HOKORITAKAKI DRAGON! EMOTIONAL DRAGON!]
The pillar faded to reveal a bright light, Saber stepping out in Emotional Dragon as golden wings with yellow energy between the gaps formed from behind. The light faded further to reveal they were the wings of Hibiki in her X-Drive state, slowly floating upwards into view.
"They've done it!" Aoi called out as she saw the footage before quickly working on calculating the damage done to the Monolith as well as the Monoliths connected to it, "It appears as though the connections have been severed as well!"
"Looks like it," Sakuya said with a nod, "Though because of time discrepancies in the worlds themselves there may be a slight lag in seeing the results."
"Either way that's the end of those bozos," Robosen replied, "Without the network and energy being supplied consistently…"
"That should mean these fights will end sooner rather than later," Sophia continued as she guessed what was likely to happen, "To think they managed to pull off X-Drive and Emotional Dragon again though…"
"It appears as though there was just barely enough to get the transformation to work," Elfnein replied, "All that's left to do is for them to beat Gazer."
"Don't forget, there's still Bahamut," Miku spoke up, her eyes on one of the screens that had footage focused on Bahamut who was still hunched over.
"There's also another detail you all are overlooking," Robosen said as it was staring at one of the screens that had a shot of the fifteen orbs of light.
"Impossible…" Gazer trailed before shaking his head, summoning Spear and Hammer and launching them towards the two.
Saber immediately rushed forward, bashing them with his shield before spinning and slashing, deflecting the Ganmaizers away. He quickly leapt up only to gasp as a beam of energy was launched towards him via Gazer. Of course Hibiki had immediately flown forward, slipping around the Rider and extending her gauntlet to bring out her wrist mounted spear, easily deflecting the blast before dispersing it.
"Thanks for that," Saber said as he landed alongside Hibiki, the two ready to move forward until Bahamut suddenly ran and stepped between them and Gazer, "What?"
"Bahamut…" Hibiki muttered.
Bahamut said nothing as he simply looked down, clearly in the way of the two but not doing anything just yet.
"Good, good," Gazer said with some relief before turning towards the remaining combatants, "Deal with those two for me, Bahamut."
"Looks like we'll have to get serious then," Falchion said as she drew out Gekisō Gungnir.
"I suppose you're right," Maria said as she drew out Ressō Gungnir, it holding an orange cover with a black spine and pages, the imagery showing a silhouetted warrior wielding a spear while lightning littered the background and fires raged on the ground. Oddly enough, its classification was as a God Beast Ride Book, "We can't have our successor showing us up."
[RESSŌ GUNGNIR!]
[The burning spear that cuts through the darkness…!]
"That's the spirit," Falchion chuckled as she initiated her form change alongside Maria, "Let's go!"
[BATTOU! ETERNAL RELIC!]
{Ride Change: Junpaku Gungnir!}
The duo entered their Gungnir enhanced states, Falchion wielding her spear while Maria held her drill spear forward. The two immediately took off once their transformations completed, deflecting any attempts Gazer made at hurling Ganmaizer Spear and Hammer towards them.
"Alright," Ghost nodded as he looked around, taking note that the Monolith was completely eradicated. He felt some relief as he knew the only remnants left of the Ganmaizers were now Gazer and whatever opponents the others were facing. He was ready to take a step forward when the fifteen orbs of light began to surround him, "Huh?"
"Ayumu Tenkuji, let us lend you our power."
The lead red orb had spoken in a surprisingly familiar voice, Ghost recognizing it as the voice of Miyamoto Musashi, the same Musashi his father fought alongside.
"You…" Ghost trailed as he looked around, "You're all…"
"We were sealed in the Ride Book should our powers ever need to be used by another to deal with the potential return of the Ganmaizers," Musashi answered, "And while we have succeeded in halting their attempt to spread their influence, we still have one fight left."
"So you'll fight alongside me?" Ghost asked, recalling that when he became Ghost, the 15 Luminary Spirits hadn't been passed down to him. He had assumed it was so he could build his own legacy as Ghost, and it was likely that as well, but this gave him some clarity into the situation.
"We would be honored to fight alongside a fine hero like you," Musashi said as the other Luminary Spirits all gave words of affirmation. Soon enough the Luminary Spirits gathered into one multicolored orb, it bursting apart.
Ghost yelped as he caught the orb before letting out a gasp at what was in his hands. It was a giant sterling silver Eyecon with a pad and lever on each side, having red accents on it as a secondary color.
"The Eyecon Driver G…" Ghost said as he dismissed his Ghost Driver before placing the new Driver on his waist, a silver strap forming and locking it in place. He quickly pressed against the large pad before pressing it again, "Let's go, everyone!"
[ZENKAIGAN! KENGOU HAKKEN KYOSHOU NI OHSAMA SAMURAI BOUZU NI SNIPER! DAI~HEN~GE~!]
Ghost soon gained a further armored form, the patterns of his armor turning silver as he gained black with silver lined armor. Various plates were on the armor, all of them flashing into different colored symbols that resembled visors. The helmet was similar, gaining silver accents with a multitude of different armor pieces forming a decorative head piece, the eyes shining bright silver on a black mask. A black fitted hidden coat ran underneath the chest armor, running underneath the belt strap and forming a two-tailed coat that had silver edges. This was the current Ghost's own version of his father's Grateful Damashii.
"Alright…" Ghost gripped his hands tightly before rushing towards the main fight at hand.
"Once again you all just get in my way," Gazer called out a frustrated tone as his chance at answers had been taken away from him. All that was left was an anger that was not easily satiated. He grasped Spear and Hammer, clashing the Ganmaizer Weapons against the spears of Falchion and Maria, "I was going to understand it, all of it! Why we Phantom Megid were made… why I exist!"
"Yeah," Falchion said before pushing forward, "But you were about to tear apart multiple worlds for that kind of answer!"
"And we weren't about to just let that happen!" Maria called out as she pushed forward as well.
Gazer gasped as his weapons were launched out of his hands, Maria unleashing a spinning drill slash to damage the weapons. Falchion leapt up, stabbing forward and shattering them entirely. Gazer simply let out a grunt, unleashing more tendrils that managed to force the Rider and Wielder back.
[MUSASHI! RASSHAI!]
A blank Ghost-like Rider body suddenly dropped in front of the tendrils, it having a sleeveless red coat with blade-like tassels. It wielded the Gan Gun Saber in its split two-blade formation as it unleashed several quick and precise cuts that forced the tendrils away.
"What?" Gazer gasped as he took a step back, "Who are-?"
"Hah!" Ghost shouted as he leapt in from behind, Gazer turning and getting struck in the face as Ghost launched past and landed near the Rider-like entity he had summoned, "Thanks Musashi."
Musashi simply gave a nod before he vanished as Ghost turned to fully face Gazer.
"Whoa, someone got an upgrade," Falchion said with a whistle.
"I'm surprised you didn't pull this out earlier," Maria admitted.
"That's because I only just got this now," Ghost answered which surprised his allies. He then drew out his Gan Gun Saber and Sunglasseslasher and prepared his stance, "But that doesn't really matter, what matters is that we're finishing this."
"Like I'll let myself expire so easily," Gazer said with a light growl, "Normally I'd take off, but I'd much rather deal with you annoying thorns in my side before attempting my next experiment."
Bahamut meanwhile slowly raised his head to stare at the Rider and Wielder he had gotten in the way of. He took a step forward only to clutch his stomach, falling to one knee as he panted heavily.
"Ah, Bahamut," Hibiki let out a light gasp.
"Hey, are you okay?" Saber asked.
"I feel great, but I'm really tired…" Bahamut admitted with a chuckle as blue specks of energy began to flake off from his body, "I wasn't feeling like this earlier but…"
"It seems as though freeing you from Phantom Megid and Ganma portions has made your body unstable," Saikou said as he floated over, "You can't exist as you are at the moment."
"I see," Bahamut mused on this before giving a soft laugh at the situation, "So in the end, the pieces hindering me were the ones responsible for this existence… and yet I don't mind this…"
"Is there really nothing we can do?" Hibiki asked, stepping forward in concern, "It doesn't feel fair that you get a chance to be free from those things only to end up like this…"
"I have two requests," Bahamut said as he stayed where he was, "The first is that you listen to my story."
Saber looked over, "Your story?"
"Ever since my encounter with Ghost, he helped me clearly see something," Bahamut replied as he went to stare at his free hand, "Though I'm still confused at being reignited, one clear thing remains, a story etched into my very being that I thought was lost when I fully became aware."
"Wait, then does that mean…?" Hibiki trailed in realization.
"Yes, what was missing was a story that was precious to my existence," Bahamut nodded as he spoke in a softer tone, "Would you heed my request?"
"We will," Saber said as Saikou gave a grunt of acknowledgement.
"Yeah," Hibiki nodded, "If you want to share something that important to you, go ahead."
"Long ago there was a race of dragons led by a kind young king. We were a proud and friendly race that coexisted with humanity. Though admittedly I was the rowdiest of our kind, always itching for a fight, always enjoying the excitement it brought," Bahamut explained as he lowered his hand and looked up at the three before him, "Eventually our leader desired a long rest and I stepped up in his place. Everything went well… but time had passed and unfortunately humanity drifted from us, eventually not remembering our relationship at all… to the point where when we were discovered again, we were treated as monsters."
"Oh no…" Hibiki frowned.
"What happened after that?" Saber asked.
"While many of our brethren chose not to fight, I was one of the few who sought to at least defend our kind," Bahamut answered, "Even then, our race came to an end… and to this day I wonder whatever happened to the young king of dragons who went into a deep slumber. I wonder what he thought of everything…"
"That's so terrible," Hibiki spoke up as she held a hand near her mouth.
"Even if it is, knowing this story as clearly as I can puts my sense of self at ease…" Bahamut admitted before grunting as he managed to shakily stand up, "My time may be coming to a close, but I still want to feel fulfilled despite this new lease on life being short."
"If that's the case," Saikou spoke up, "What is your second request? I can only assume you're telling us because we can grant it."
"My second request only involves the girl, the one who always sought to reach out to me even via others," Bahamut answered as he held a hand towards Hibiki who locked eyes with him, "I want to fight against you."
"Eh?" Hibiki asked in surprise, "But why do we have to fight now?"
"We aren't fighting because we're enemies if that's what you're wondering," Bahamut replied as he went to place his hand against his chest, "I know now that fighting is what truly makes me feel alive, and I'd love it if you allowed me to feel my apex of life in my final moments."
Hibiki stared at Bahamut for a while in surprise before closing her eyes and nodding, "Alright, I'll do it."
"Then I'll get out of your way," Saber said as he slotted Rekka back into the Swordriver before holding out his hand, Saikou floating towards him before he grabbed the Seiken of Light. He said nothing as he dashed towards the side, planning on helping in the final push against Gazer.
Bahamut stepped forward, slowly raising his fists as he got into a fighting stance. Hibiki meanwhile retracted her wings, getting into a fighting stance as well. The two combatants took deep breaths before letting out their own shouts, rushing towards each other.
Eventually Bahamut let out a yell, slamming his foot into the ground and creating a deep enough crater in the roof. He had managed to destabilize Hibiki, moving in to punch at her only for her to just barely dodge, grabbing him by the arm and lifting him up with a yell. The Wielder then yelled out as she slammed him into the crater only to yelp as it began to collapse beneath them.
The two combatants fell through the rooftop and deeper into the abandoned Deep Connect building, going down a couple of floors. Eventually they landed on a fairly spacious and tall floor, the two getting up without hesitation as they went to approach each other again.
Numerous explosions occurred, Durendal and Sabela staggering back as while they had managed to strike against Magnetic Blade, it had countered in kind. Despite its counter, sparks flew from its body as electricity crackled.
"Error," it repeated, as it began to stagger back and forth, "Connection disabled… emergency countermeasures initiated…"
"What just happened?" Durendal questioned.
"I'm not sure, but we can't let this chance slip by us," Sabela said, "We need to finish this thing off, now."
"Right," Durendal nodded.
"Eliminate," Magnetic Blade declared as it suddenly split into numerous cleaver-like blades with a rusted look and a blue glow around them. The blades began to launch towards the two Riders, encircling them before moving to swing and strike at them.
While they had been split up at first, the two Riders used their strengths to their advantage. Sabela went for more acrobatic movements, even break dance kicking several blades away while pushing them further by unleashing smoke. Durendal meanwhile had used Kaiji's length to easily deal with any that got too close from all around.
Soon enough the two had gotten back to back, initiating their weapons special attacks as the blades tried to surround and close in. A grey tornado of smoke formed as Durendal lifted Sabela up in one arm, carrying her while spinning in place. Sabela unleashed several bright red slashes while stream-like slashes of water were unleashed from Durendal's trident.
The result damaged and forced the blades back before mechanical spider legs erupted from Sabela's back. The legs extending outwards and piercing through the damaged blades as explosions occurred all around the two Riders.
[ITTOKI ISSEN!]
[INSECT SHOT!]
The damaged blades all flew out of the explosion, quickly combining together to form a damaged Magnetic Blade. It began unleashing beams towards where the two sibling Riders were, explosions kicking up further however it wasn't long before Sabela and Durendal launched out of the explosions in defiance.
The two worked in tandem, easily batting away and further lasers while closing in. Durendal covered Sabela who easily moved around his trident when needed, striking up close while her brother dealt with dealing with Magnetic Blade from long range. Soon enough Sabela slashed only for Magnetic Blade to block with its arms, utilizing its magnetic abilities to keep her in place once it saw Durendal going for a swing that would also hit her.
Sabela however didn't show worry, taking a deep breath as her stomach and chest turned into smoke just as Kaiji's three points came close to her. This allowed her to remain unharmed as Durendal dealt a heavy slash against Magnetic Blade's stomach, sparks flying as it let go of Sabela's blade. Durendal went in for another slash as Sabela went in for another slash.
"Error," Magnetic Blade called out as it was sent staggering back, soon falling onto its back, "Error."
Durendal and Sabela looked towards each other, nodding before swapping their Rider Books by tossing them towards another. They loaded it onto their Seiken, powering their blades with their sibling's respective element.
[KAIJI GYAKKAI!]
[NOROSHI KAISEN!]
Water spiraled around Noroshi while smoke erupted from Kaiji, the two twirling their weapons around before stabbing forward. A stream of water surrounded by three smoking trails was launched towards the Ganmaizer, it contracting the further it got as it became a piercing shot.
[HISSATSU JIKOKU! KAIJI ISSATSU TSUKI!]
[CHOU NOROSHI MUCHUU! NOROSHI DOKUSATSU GEKI!]
The shot struck through the bottom of the fallen Ganmaizer, erupting from its head as the combined Ganmaizer fell limp. Sabela and Durendal turned away as Magnetic Blade exploded, both glancing back as they saw two stone tablets erupt out from the flames only for them to crack and shatter.
"Looks like we're done here," Durendal said before bringing out a teleportation crystal, "Let's go, Reika."
"Of course," Sabela nodded as her brother threw down the crystal, the familiar sight of an alchemical circle forming as they soon vanished.
World of Mushrooms:
The Commandos all groaned out as they began dispersing into black smoke one after another, Kenzan and Tsubasa looking around as this occurred.
"Error," Wind stated as it began to stagger back, electricity crackling all over its body as the monolith nearby shattered before crumbling into dust, "Disconnected…"
"Let's finish this," Tsubasa said as she dismissed her Ride Gear form while removing her pendant from her armor, "Ignite Module, Bakken!"
"Right," Kenzan nodded as he brought out Zettō Ame no Habakiri.
{Dáinsleif}
[ZETTŌ AME NO HABAKIRI! SOU TOU BUNDAN!]
Wind managed to steady itself, watching as bursts of black and blue energy formed in front of it. Launching out of the bursts were Tsubasa and Kenzan, now in their Ignite and Ninja Habakiri forms respectively. The Rider and Wielder managed to land a few quick hits in before Wind held its hands forward, unleashing a horizontal tornado construct to push them back and keep them away.
Tsubasa and Kenzan glanced at each other, exchanging a nod as Kenzan holstered Hayate while holding his replica Ame no Habakiri with both hands. He extended the Armed Gear into its cleaver state, energy gathering as he entered a swinging stance.
"Futile," Wind stated.
"We will see about that!" Tsubasa shouted as she launched forward, entering the tornado and using her boosters to keep from being blown away. She held her sword as if ready to stab before thrusting forward, her sword suddenly splitting down the middle. From the center of the blade, blue energy formed and extended outwards, suddenly piercing the Ganmaizer through the chest.
{Blue Flash}
Wind let out a gasp as it was staggered, its arms dropping as the wind began to fade. Kenzan quickly leapt up and slashed downwards, unleashing his own Blue Flash against the Ganmaizer. Sparks flew as an explosion kicked up, Wind staggering back further.
[ZETTŌ AME NO HABAKIRI! HAYATE SOKUDOKU GEKI! NINNIN!]
"Azure Blade Entrapment," Kenzan called out as he split his replica Armed Gear into two blades, throwing them up into the air before they rained down again.
Soon enough they split and formed into large blades that stabbed the ground around the Ganmaizer, trapping it in a ring of blades that pulsated with blue energy.
Tsubasa quickly leapt up when she figured what Kenzan was planning. She formed a second blade before tossing it at Kenzan who tossed her one of Hayate's after he initiated another finisher. The two dropped down at an angle, landing on a blade before spinning as energy surrounded them. The two became glowing blue and green saws of energy that bounced around and sliced into the Ganmaizer multiple times.
[SARUTOBI NINJADEN! HAYATE SOKUDOKU GEKI! NINNIN!]
The two soon broke through the blades, the rest shattering as an explosion occurred. The two looked back and began to relax when they saw that the Ganmaizer was no more.
World of Archipelagos:
The Wooden and Brick shield Slash clones gasped out as they were assaulted by sharp water slashes, sparks flying as they vanished. More Commandos had shown up and the Ganmaizer clones were forcing Slash and Chris back fast. That was until the Commandos suddenly groaned out before dispersing into black smoke.
It didn't take long for the Ganmaizer Water clones to burst apart, revealing the Commandos inside had also dispersed into smoke. The Monolith was also affected, it suddenly crackling before breaking apart and dispersing into dust.
"Error," Water gasped as it staggered back, electricity crackling over its body, "Disconnection proving troublesome…"
"Looks like our allies are making progress," Slash realized.
"Then let's go full force," Chris called out as she dismissed her Ride Gear form before initiating her transformation into Ignite, "Ignite Module, Bakken!"
"Of course," Slash said as he brought out Makyu Ichaival swapping out Ride Books, "Let's finish this!"
{Dáinsleif}
[MAKYŪ ICHAIVAL! JUUKEN GEKIDAN!]
Bursts of black and red energy occurred as Chris entered Ignite while Slash entered his Hansel Ichaival Wonder Rider form.
"Alright you freak…" Slash trailed as he formed the crossbow that was Ichaival's Armed Gear, "How about we make you dance!"
"Took the words right out of my mouth," Chris smirked as she launched forward, forming her crossbows before diminishing them into their handgun formation.
"Eliminating," Water called out as it launched water balls forward.
"Not so fast!" Slash shouted as he launched numerous homing arrows alongside his own bursts of energy from Suzune. The water spheres were destroyed in record time, water bursting out as the Ganmaizer was struck by the remaining arrows and bullets, sparks flying.
Chris quickly closed in thanks to the opening, going for close quarters shooting while dodging against the Ganmaizer's stilted movements. While it was acrobatic enough to keep up, it was still freezing up, which Chris used to her advantage.
Water quickly crossed its arms before chopping forward only for Chris to duck while expanding her weapons into their crossbow forms. In an instant she launched point blank energy bolts against the Ganmaizer's chest, sending it staggering back.
"Hell yeah," Chris said as she leapt back to join Slash, "You ready to end it?"
"Like you need to ask," Slash scoffed as he initiated his finisher, Suzune in its sword formation as his crossbow began to shift into a large bow, nocking Suzune as if it were an arrow as energy began to gather in the blade, "I'll go for the initial hit…"
[MAKYŪ ICHAIVAL!]
Chris nodded as she dashed backwards before launching up into the air, combining her crossbows into a singular rifle as she took aim.
Slash took a deep breath before letting out a quick shout, launching Suzune forward like an arrow. The Seiken sped forward, piercing and lodging itself into the Ganmaizer's chest, red pulsations occurring.
Chris managed to line up her shot, launching a beam of black and red energy straight towards the end of Suzune's hilt, "Then I'll use it to finish it off!"
{RED HOT BLAZE}
The beam struck against the end of Suzune's hilt, the Seiken resonating further with Ichaival's song as loud and large sound waves occurred. It didn't take long until the reverberations ripped apart Ganmaizer Water, it soon exploding.
[SUZUNE ONDOKU GEKI! YAY!]
Suzune flew upwards, spinning rapidly before dropping down as Slash caught it with ease. He looked over towards Chris who held her fist out, the Rider giving a chuckle as he used his free hand to fist bump the Wielder.
World of Diamonds:
"System Error," Climate stated as its Commandos suddenly vanished, the Monolith nearby crumbling into nothingness, "Unable to Connect."
"Looks like our friends managed to pull through," Shirabe realized.
"Yeah, go SONG!" Kirika cheered as she pumped her fist.
"Emergency countermeasures," Climate stated as it launched out more bird projectiles. The result was the projectiles forming pyramid formations around the two Wielders separately before unleashing connecting beams and forming pyramid-shaped barriers around the two.
Kirika and Shirabe tried to break free only to shriek when the barrier lashed back towards them, forcing them to stick to the center.
"Countermeasures effective," Climate stated.
Kirika and Shirabe both looked at each other before nodding, dismissing their Ride Gear transformations. The two's silent plan was enacted when they drew out their Pendants while clicking them three times.
{Dáin-Dáin-Dáinsleif}
"Bakken! All safeties, release (Dess)!"
Black energy coated their bodies before exploding outwards, thus shattering the barriers they were trapped within. Soon enough the smoke cleared to reveal that Kirika and Shirabe were in Phase Rubedo of their Ignite forms, a wild red aura with a black smoky outline forming around them.
The two leapt upwards in tandem near instantly, not wanting to waste any time by prolonging the fight. Kirika attached the blade of her scythe to the sole of her boot while Shirabe's leg armor extended outwards and formed a massive saw blade. The two soon grasped hands and kicked downwards as their auras spiraled into red and dark energy that coated their armed legs.
{Wicked Leg: Gulliver}
{Sigma Style: Giant Blade's Fall}
Climate sent numerous projectiles out towards the Ignite'd duo, all of them breaking upon impact. It could only cross its arms as it attempted to defend against the kick.
"Zababa Symphonic Kick!"
The dark spiraling energy suddenly manifested into multiple blades that suddenly pierced through the Ganmaizer. Both girls yelled out as they kicked further, soon piercing through Ganmaizer Climate themselves.
An explosion occurred as the two leapt out of it, landing in a kneeling position as their Gears reverted back to their base forms. The two looked back at the non-existent remains of the Ganmaizer before turning towards each other and smiling.
World of Lunar Reckoning:
Ganmaizer Planet slammed its fists into the ground, unleashing a wave of energy alongside the ground being picked upwards. Buster and Serena gasped out as they were sent to the ground as a result, Buster hitting it hard enough to where Gekido alongside Bremen no Rockband and Ginwan Airgetlám were thrown to the side. The Rider reverted back to his base form as Serena managed to roll before getting in a kneeling stance.
"Eliminate," Planet stated as it launched forward.
"Like I'll let you," Buster shouted out as he managed to pick himself up, raising his arms as the Ganmaizer did the same. The two soon grasped each other's hands getting into a lock as they tried to shove each other away.
"Elimi-Error…" Planet suddenly declared as its body began to crackle, its strength weakening heavily as the Monolith nearby crackled and crumbled before turning to dust, "Connection Lost."
"Serena, the opposing forces are vanishing," Nastassja suddenly called on the Airgetlam Wielder's headset, "We'll be able to send backup soon."
"Eh?" Serena asked in surprise before nodding, "Alright then, but I think we can manage!"
"They did it," Buster chuckled as he managed to slowly overpower Planet, twisting its arms downwards, "Use my Seiken and Ride Books to finish this fight"
"Got it," Serena said as she quickly went to pick up the Bremen and Airgetlám Ride Books while going to lift Gekido. She let out a yelp, quickly stabbing it into the ground when she realized how heavy it was. Shaking her head she quickly went to scan the Ride Books against the finisher slot.
[BREMEN NO ROCK BAND! GINWAN AIRGETLÁM!]
She then gripped Gekido with both hands, a bright white aura forming around her as she felt her Airgetlám heavily increase in strength. She quickly raised the weapon up high, a bright white and large projection of Gekido forming over.
[DOGODOGON!]
"Emergency countermeasures must be deployed," Planet stated before it was suddenly let go of before being kicked back, "Error."
"Your invasion ends here Ganmaizer," Buster stated as he crouched forward before launching towards Planet, "Buster Style… Shattering Sky Palm!"
Planet was suddenly struck by a powerful punch, taking a step back as Buster exploded in an aura of energy. The Rider soon performed an uppercut, the Ganmaizer's body cracking all over in response as it was launched up into the air.
Serena shouted out as she leapt upwards before slamming down the enlarged blade of light against Ganmaizer Planet.
[GEKIDO RANDOKU GEKI!]
Serena landed, lowering Gekido and hunching over before looking up into the sky alongside Buster who walked over.
Ganmaizer Planet had a bright white cut slicing through the center of its body, it simply letting out garbled mechanical noises before fully exploding mid-air.
"Well I suppose we won't need that backup anymore," Serena chuckled as she held Gekido and the Ride Books she used towards Buster, "Thanks for your help."
"I'd like to thank you for holding out and defending this world," Buster said as he took his equipment back, "Not all of them are as lucky as this one."
World of KuroWing:
[LION SENKI!]
Calibur quickly went to block a few quick jabs from Ganmaizer Fire, finally drawing out Rekka and parrying the attacks before crouching down. Blades leapt over her, slotting his blade into his Swordriver and swiping forward with both of his arms. Watery lion claws formed as he began to tear into the Ganmaizer before unleashing a blast of water from the Lion's head on his chest.
Fire skidded backwards, unleashing a powerful fireball against the ground to force the two Riders back. It was ready to move forward when electricity began to crackle, its body freezing up.
"Error, connection disabled, loss of additional functions…" it spoke up as it managed to get itself into a standing position, "Reconnection impossible, must conserve energy towards combat."
"What's going on?" Calibur asked.
"My friends have managed to disrupt their invasion," Blade said, taking note of the Monolith nearby and how it crumbled into nothingness. He drew out King Lion Dai Senki, initiating his form change, "Let's finish this!"
[NAGARE BATTOU! KING LION DAISENKI!]
A splash of water and blue energy occurred as Blades entered his strongest form, initiating several blasts from his cannons which managed to intercept a slew of fireballs from the Ganmaizer. He rushed forward, slashing only for Fire to grab his blade and force it downwards. Of course he wasn't about to respond with the obvious response of backing away.
[BURST!]
Instead he unleashed a spiraling water-filled punch against the Ganmaizer's face, water splashing as it was forced backwards. Before it could recover, Blades unleashed several more energy blasts from his cannon shoulders, staggering the Ganmaizer further.
It was Calibur's turn to take advantage, leaping over and spinning while slashing downwards. She performed a cross slash against the Ganmaizer before quickly letting go of Rekka, holding it in a reverse grip and blocking a fiery punch from the Ganmaizer.
Fire let out a gasp as it saw its fire absorbed into Rekka, now knowing what was off about its earlier attacks. It was ready to counter only to get struck in the gut by Kurayami, Calibur suddenly backing away before flipping back further and higher into the air.
[NAGARE HOKOU! KING LION DAI CHANGE!]
In an instant, Blades in his robotic Lion form charged through and slammed his head against Ganmaizer Fire. With a flick of his head he launched it up high into the air before charging up his cannons and aiming them forward.
Calibur had landed on the lion Rider's back and immediately went to use the Hissatsuholder to charge both Rekka's and Kurayami's finishers. She took her stance as purple and red fire began erupting from the blades.
[KURAYAMI IAI!]
[REKKA IAI!]
Calibur's visor flashed briefly as she watched Fire drop down after falling from its sudden launch. She quickly leapt off of Blades' back, moving her body forward and spinning it as she pointed her blades inwards and forward.
Blades let out a roar as he unleashed his charged energy, "GO!"
Calibur was launched forward while being engulfed in bright blue energy, the energy spiraling around as she spun. The result formed a spinning blue drill that erupted with red and purple fire that spiraled around.
Ganmaizer Fire could only watch as it was engulfed by the fiery energy drill closing in, its vision suddenly going white as it exploded from the energy piercing it.
Blades quickly shifted back into his form's humanoid state, quickly hurrying over towards the explosion as Calibur walked out of it.
"Thank you for your assistance," Calibur said as she went to holster Rekka while holding Kurayami forward, shifting the tip upwards.
"It's no issue, this was my world's problem after all," Blade said as he returned the gesture, crossing Kurayami with his Nagare.
World of Sympho-Saber:
Ghost shouted as he slashed in tandem with both of his swords, cutting through numerous blasts that Gazer was sending out. He managed to close in, slashing and forcing Gazer back.
"Enough!" Gazer shouted as he unleashed a blast, managing to force Ghost to leap away. He went to look around before noticing something in the sky.
Falchion was already in the air, forming energy constructs of her spear before launching them downwards as Gazer spun backwards. The result was the constructs stabbing down all around and trapping him as a result. He was ready to try and counter only to watch as Maria landed on one of the constructs before launching forward while thrusting with her drill spear.
The result was Maria striking through Gazer only to land on the construct behind him. She kicked off and stabbed again, striking through him. Maria continued to bounce between spear constructs while thrusting, forming numerous streaks of light as Gazer yelled out, a burst of energy occurring as he was sent rolling backwards.
{METEORIC∞REBOUNDING†}
"No… no, I will not lose to the likes of you…" Gazer gasped out as he managed to stagger into a standing position. He raised his arms as he took a deep breath, more tendrils forming as he leapt up before kicking out, the tendrils wrapping around his body and forming a twisting drill.
Saber flew in front of Gazer in an instant, raising his shield and blocking against the drill kick that Gazer attempted. He let out a yell as he unleashed a burst of energy to disrupt the tendrils and weaken the drill before slashing forward with Saikou.
[SAIKOU HAKKOU!]
A wave of light cut through the tendrils, striking against Gazer and sending him slamming against the ground, "You…!"
"Sorry to say Gaze," Saber said as he landed while Ghost, Falchion and Maria hurried over to his side, "But this is the end of the line."
Hibiki and Bahamut continued their match within the Deep Connect building, the duo managing to land hits on each other. When Hibiki went for a punch, Bahamut did the unexpected and shifted to the side before grabbing her arm while tossing her against the ground. He attempted to follow up only for Hibiki to kick him in the gut, forcing him back.
Hibiki immediately followed up, getting back on her feet before leaping and kicking against Bahamut with her right leg. Sparks flew as Bahamut was forced back, spinning only to spin forward to regain momentum, leaping up and performing a kick against Hibiki who just barely braced by crossing her arms.
The two backed away from each other, panting as they stared the other down.
"Girl," Bahamut asked, "What is your name?"
"What?" Hibiki asked before realizing she never did introduce herself, soon giving a smile, "It's Hibiki Tachibana!"
"Hibiki Tachibana…" Bahamut nodded before closing the Ride Book on his buckle and pressing down on the buckle to open it up again. He let out a yell as a black aura burst from his body, forming around it, "Let's go all out! I know you've still got a bit more left in you!"
"Alright Bahamut, if that's what you want," Hibiki said as she grasped her enhanced pendant, "Ignite Module, Bakken!"
{Dáinsleif}
A burst of dark energy occurred and engulfed Hibiki briefly before breaking apart. It wasn't long before she entered a state she had only briefly entered before, that being the combination X-Drive Ignite state she used to try and reach Carol at the end of the Magical Girl Incident.
"Alright," Bahamut let out an eager breath before rushing towards Hibiki.
"Here I go!" Hibiki shouted as she charged forward, her clawed boots scratching up the floor beneath her as she sent a punch Bahamut's way. The Rider-like entity had done the same, both striking each other in the chest.
Sparks flew as they were forced back from each other, Bahamut ducking underneath a high kick from Hibiki and countering with his own kick to her chest. She had been forced back and Bahamut punched only to get his arm grabbed, being kneed in the gut before being let go. As he regained his balance all he could do was watch Hibiki transition into a quick spin, striking him in the chest with her clawed boot.
"Not bad," Bahamut said with a light chuckle as he backed away from the hit before leaping upwards, unleashing fireball after fireball from his chest, "Not bad at all!"
Hibiki braced against the fireballs, skidding backwards as a result.
Bahamut landed before rushing in for a punch, his aura gathering around his right fist and spiraling into a burst of flames as he punched at Hibiki. The Wielder managed to regain her bearings, leaping over Bahamut's attack and behind him. She then performed an uppercut just as Bahamut turned to try and counter, sparks flying as she nailed him directly in the chest.
"This isn't the end, this isn't my end," Gazer called out in denial as he gathered energy before launching it outwards, "This is simply a setback!"
[HISSATSU MOKUDO!]
{Hissatsu Dokuha}
Falchion and Maria charged forward, using their spears to deflect the blasts of energy while charging forward. The Rider took the lead as the Wielder slowed down, Falchion unleashing a cross-slash of orange energy before spinning out of the way.
Maria threw her drill spear forward, it coating itself in bright white energy as it struck the cross-slash. The result allowed the energy Falchion sent out to spiral around the drill spear, a white and orange spiraling drill forming.
A burst of energy occurred once the energy drill had formed, launching it directly through Gazer despite his best efforts to try and blast it away with his own attacks.
[GEKISŌ HISSATSU MUSOU GEKI!]
{Junpaku Gungnir! Issatsu Geki!}
"I suppose… I was right… that this would be my final experiment…" Gazer gasped out in acceptance as he held his gut, a glowing hole of energy now shining through, "But…"
[HISSATSU DOKUHA!]
[ZENKAIDAIKAIGAN!]
Saber and Ghost prepared their finishers, the Emotional Dragon Ride Book forming behind and above them alongside a diamond sigil with fifteen distinct emblems within it forming in front of the projection.
The two leapt upwards, the Ride Book opening up and unleashing the dragons of Love, Pride, and Bravery through the sigil as projections of various black suited individuals with colorful and distinct parkas formed all around the duo of Riders, these being the Luminary Spirits in a more physical form.
The spirits followed the Riders movements, kicking outwards before merging with them right as the trio of dragons did, their bodies gaining a gold outline as red, black, and white fire erupted from their bodies.
Gazer stared up as the two Riders approached rapidly, managing to fight against the pain and spread his arms out.
'In my death… I shall deal with that cursed Relic that pierces through all so that someone may take up my work one day without worry…'
[DENSETSU NO SHINJUU! HISSATSU GEKI! FIRE!]
[GRATEFUL! OMEGA DRIVE!]
Gazer could only yell out as he was struck by both attacks, the fires engulfing him before he exploded. Saber and Ghost leapt out of the explosion, sliding against the ground before coming to a stop. The two stood up and turned, watching as the fires began to clear and reveal that Gazer was no more.
"We did it," Ghost said.
"Yeah," Saber nodded.
Bahamut and Hibiki continued their fight, their movements and attacks growing sloppier as they took more direct punches and kicks. They even went for dragging their opponent along in order to keep on their feet.
Hibiki threw a punch, it landing a direct hit. Bahamut did the same, landing a direct hit. This occurred in rhythm for a few punches only for them to kick outwards at the same time, striking each other and backing away as a result.
Hibiki breathed heavily while Bahamut let out a few stuttered breaths, having started to laugh a bit during his fight with the Wielder. Despite the laughing, Hibiki could tell it wasn't cruel, sadistic, or even egotistical. It was genuine laughter without malice as Bahamut was having fun fighting it out with her for no real stakes other than to go out on a high note. It was that laughter that caused Hibiki to relax slightly, taking a deep breath as she entered a leaping stance.
"That's it," Bahamut said as he closed and opened up his Ride Book again, his aura increasing and turning blue in coloration, "I haven't felt this alive in so long! Thank you!"
"You're welcome," Hibiki muttered as she closed her eyes, soon letting out a shout as she leapt upwards before kicking towards Bahamut.
Bahamut let out one final shout, leaping upwards and kicking out towards Hibiki.
Despite the two kicking towards each other at near equal height, Hibiki had rushed in to attack first and was just a bit higher. The result was that her kick managed to connect before Bahamut's, striking the Rider-like entity in the chest.
Hibiki let out a shout as her kick had unleashed a shockwave, her X-Drive Ignite transformation dispersing and reverting back to her regular Symphogear as she kicked further.
Bahamut could only yell out as he was thrown to the ground as a result of the shockwave, landing on his back against the floor.
Hibiki managed to just barely land, stumbling as she hunched over, placing her hands on her legs as she took deep breaths.
"You win…" Bahamut gasped out with a light laugh, his armor started to break apart into blue specks as his deterioration worsened.
"Are… are you happy?" Hibiki asked as she stared down at the ground, not wanting to look Bahamut in the face.
"I am," Bahamut said as he let out a grunt, slowly but surely picking himself up as he managed to shakily walk over. He managed to stagger over to Hibiki before standing in front of her, "Are you okay?"
"Eh?" Hibiki asked as she looked up in surprise.
"You asked me that when I was unsure of myself after being reignited," Bahamut replied, "So I wanted to ask the same since while I was enjoying myself, you don't seem as keen on fighting as I am."
"I'll fight to help others or to hone myself," Hibiki admitted, "And while there's fun in a good sparring match, I just wish I could have done more to help you than just fighting you."
"I see," Bahamut said as he squatted down so he and Hibiki would see each other at eye level, giving a chuckle as he placed a hand on her head, "You genuinely helped me though, so chin up a bit."
"I did?" Hibiki asked before her eyes widened slightly.
Despite Bahamut's head being a helmet with a mask on the front, there was something different about it at that moment. There was no indication of it, but Hibiki could tell that Bahamut had the biggest smile on right now, one that helped her relax just a bit.
"Sometimes, fighting is necessary depending on the person," Bahamut replied, "And you ended up helping me feel the most alive I've felt in a long time. I can vanish with ease now."
"No," Hibiki said as she shook her head, Bahamut withdrawing his hand as he stood. She looked up as a small smile formed, "Your Book, your Story… that is what, no, that is who you truly are no matter what form you take. So long as we hold onto that, then you'll always be with us."
"If that's the case, then I'm simply shedding this more capable body for a smaller one," Bahamut let out a chuckle as he removed Ultimate Bahamut before closing it up. He took Hibiki's hand and placed the Ride Book in her hand, clasping her fingers around it, "If you all hold onto it, this isn't goodbye."
"You're right," Hibiki said, staring at the Ride Book with a smile as she felt Bahamut withdraw his hands. She went to clasp her other hand around it, holding it close to her chest, "See you later, Bahamut."
"See you later," Bahamut answered back as his body completely faded away, "Hibiki Tachibana… my new friend…"
Hibiki looked down at the Ride Book in her hands, Ultimate Bahamut. It simply let out a soft blue glow around the edges before fading, it not trying to fly off like it had before. She allowed her transformation to dismiss itself, turning as she watched the others make their way down to check on her.
While most of SONG was exhausted after the harrowing battles across numerous worlds, with the Ganmaizers defeated it was Ayumu's time to depart. He was currently outside of SONG's submarine headquarters with Robosen, the duo being seen off by Genjuro, Sophia, Touma, and Hibiki.
"So what do you plan on doing now?" Touma asked.
"I'll continue living my life as brightly as I can," Ayumu answered, "Helping out those in need and standing ready in case something happens again."
"Well said," Genjuro replied with crossed arms, "On behalf of SONG, I'd like to thank you for your assistance in the battles today."
"Yes, we really appreciate it," Sophia said as she gave a slight bow.
"Have a safe trip, and thank you," Hibiki smiled.
"I don't think I did that much," Ayumu admitted with a sheepish chuckle only to wince as Robosen had smacked itself into the back of his head, "Ouch!"
"You're not giving yourself enough credit," Robosen remarked, "It was thanks to those Ride Books we won!"
"That being said," Ayumu said with a wince before looking over at Hibiki, "I'm just glad you were able to reach out to Bahamut in the end."
"Yeah," Hibiki let out a small smile as she drew out Ultimate Bahamut, "I'm glad I was able to offer him some peace."
"That's good to hear," Ayumu smiled.
"If you ever require our assistance again, don't hesitate to ask," Sophia replied.
"Likewise," Ayumu replied before turning and walking off as the sun began to set, Robosen following after him.
"To think it's finally over," Genjuro let out a sigh of relief, "While Phantom Megid are a naturally occurring phenomenon, hopefully without a ringleader they won't be as plentiful."
"Yeah," Hibiki agreed, "Between this and the new Megid, it sure has been busy."
"Thankfully things should be slowing down now," Sophia replied, "The new Megid type hasn't been happening as often lately. This alongside there now being no one to expedite the growth of Phantom Megid should mean a slight lull in activities."
"Yeah…" Touma muttered, still a bit bothered by how seemingly alright Gazer was at being defeated. He expected more defiance in that last stand, but the evolved being had simply taken their final hits as if accepting everything. It didn't sit right with him, though he hoped that it was just his own nerves and adrenaline messing with him.
"Well, all's well that ends well I suppose," Legeiel remarked as he was currently playing the piano in the Megid base.
Amanojaku was lounging around by sitting at the main table, leaning his chair back and stretching his legs onto the table, "By the way, where's Storious?"
"He left to confront that Ganma guy," Zooous replied as he did a flip in place before squatting, "But he hasn't come back since then."
"That's odd," Legeiel replied, "Wonder what happened."
"Knowing him he has a plan or something brewing," Zooous remarked.
Storious himself was watching over the city, simply gripping his hand tightly as Gazer's words were a consistent haunting voice in his head now.
"You're dead, and whatever grand plans you had were nothing more than secrets you took to the grave."
"I will not allow some fool to mock me like this," Storious hissed out, though deep down he was concerned that he wouldn't be able to achieve his grand machinations. He simply shook his head, taking a deep breath as he tried to calm himself, "No… no, I simply need to make sure I stay in control. So long as I'm ahead of the remaining players who have yet to truly enter this game, then I can ensure the ending I wish to see."
Despite his power, Master Logos was unable to witness the other battles across the different worlds. But he was able to see his subordinates fight Ganmaizer Magnetic Blade alongside the fights against Bahamut and Gazer. Of course there was great interest in one important aspect of those fights. Hibiki Tachibana was able to calm Ultimate Bahamut down, taming the Ride Book and keeping it from flying off or defending itself like it had previously.
"What an amusing set of battles," he remarked as he sat in his chair, staring at his various monitors that were repeating the battles all throughout the day before him, "Though not without substance. Hibiki Tachibana… could you hold the power to truly taming an immense sorrow that keeps most from accessing its power?"
Unknown World:
A Phantom Megid was currently running through the raining alleyways of a darkened city. Its head was a mess, as what looked like shattered metal and jewel-like pieces were embedded into its forehead. It quickly turned, its eyes shining a bright red as the flapping of a heavy scarf was heard from above.
A yell filled with pure rage and contempt was all it heard as a familiar white and orange blur slammed down on it. The familiar white armored gauntlet with boosters came crashing down into against the Phantom Megid's chest, piercing through and puncturing its body. Dull orange but intensely fierce eyes met the Phantom Megid's piercing red stare without any fear or hesitation whatsoever.
The Phantom Megid began to fall limp as darkness overtook it, the cream-brown haired armored girl before it pushing her fist in further. Its body began to slowly fade and burn away into black smoke, the smoke staining the white armor briefly before fading away, as if it hadn't touched it. This anomaly had succeeded in its mission once it had been activated after the death of its master.
It was time to begin the revenge it was created for…
To Be Continued…
Author's Note: And so Gaze takes his exit as we enter the final stretch of RXU with a bit of a more unique spin on things compared to the usual Symphogear or Rider endgame. That final scene right there is absolutely alluding to what you think it is. I mean this season is inspired by Symphogear XDU after all. Of course I'm going to take inspiration from one of its more popular bits. Also just a reminder that this story does have its own TV Tropes page, so feel free to visit and consider editing it if you so choose. Not much else to say but thanks for reading and I'll see you all next time.