Chapter 27: Letters and… a package.

Fine had always trusted her data. It was the only thing that gave her the confidence to face Section 2 in her world when the time finally came. Leaving Chris behind and beginning her plan to bring down the moon… defeating the Symphogears wouldn't be hard—or so she thought at first.

To perform a miracle was something Fine had long given up hope on—until they proved it possible, defeating her. And now, once again, her data confirmed what she was seeing: a completely one-sided battle, with the fallen angel holding every advantage. She didn't believe the boy had any chance; in fact, she expected him to die here for her recklessness in not realizing that fallen angels would come out where they were too fast.

It came as a great surprise when the boy stepped forward and boldly declared he would defeat the angel in under ten seconds. What kind of arrogance could make someone say that?

While holding Asia, Fine noted that the angel had probably spoken far more than necessary—mocking the boy, yes, but worse than that… he issued a threat to a "her," saying he would bring his head to her. Perhaps he meant Chris Yukine?

But that threat changed the air around the boy. Fine couldn't see his face clearly, but something told her that now the boy was pissed off. His stance shifted into a sprinting position, like a runner. The fallen angel, still on the ground, began forming a light spear, moving forward as if he wasn't concerned.

Her data showed that whenever the boy used that aura, his physical stats increased slightly, just like in the experiment. But the angel's strength and speed were comparable to that of a mid-level demon she found. Even if the boy managed to match a low-class demon, her data said he didn't stand a chance in a straight-up fight. But there was one variable.

And then—his white aura flared out again, and a powerful voice echoed:

#BOOST!#

At that moment, the boy launched forward at a speed Fine could barely track, just like at the beginning of the fight with Chris his abilities double of what he could have done. With his left hand, he deflected the blue light spear the angel had thrown in confusion. The angel tried to take flight, likely expecting a tackle from him, but instead, the boy grabbed his legs catching him mid-air.

The angel smirked arrogantly as his wings expanded, creating bursts of wind to carry both himself and the boy upward—perhaps hoping to take him into the sky, where the boy would surely lose in every turn.

Both the angel and Fine were stunned when the boy didn't budge. His feet were planted firmly on the ground, resisting the wind. That kind of resistance didn't make any sense—his body shouldn't have been able to hold out.

Then his muscles coiled like a spring, and with a powerful motion of his arms alone, he slammed the angel into the ground, cracking the pavement with the impact. The man in the crater spat saliva, dazed.

Issei slipped out of his shoes and immediately grabbed the angel's legs again, this time from the knees and started spinning on his axis at high speed. The fallen angel barely had time to realize what was happening before he was hurled into the wall of a nearby public restroom, forming a small crater in the structure.

Then Issei removed his jacket and wrapped it around his right hand like a makeshift reinforcement. He ran straight toward the fallen angel, who was just beginning to recover.

When the boy faced him closer, the angel tried to conjure another light spear—but Issei's left hand, armed with the sacred gear, held his arm in place. Then came the punches—delivered with the jacket-wrapped right hand.

Fine couldn't understand how a simple jacket could deal real damage—until she heard it. It wasn't the soft brush of fabric against skin. It was the impact of metal against bone—of a jaw being shattered by it. Was Issei's jacket… made of steel?

"It can't be… Alchemy…" she muttered, finally understanding what had once seemed nonsensical—until an idea struck her, from her world.

The boy had just used the principle of alchemical transmutation, changing parts of his clothing into pure steel—or something similar—to alter the outcome of the fight. Now it all made sense: how he resisted being lifted. His shoes must've been transmuted into something incredibly heavy, maybe marble anvils, anchoring him to the ground. Even with all the angel's force, taking off into the sky wouldn't have given him enough momentum to carry a body so heavily grounded—or perhaps even fused to the earth through absorption.

The punishment of steel-laced punches continued until the final second of that energy boost of ten seconds—or so Ryoko understood from the Sacred Gear. He will lose that boost… in 10 seconds… "That boy just…" Issei grabbed the man by the shoulder, positioned his left hand into a fist against the man's stomach, and spoke a new word:

#RELEASE!#

An invisible force burst from the boy's gauntlet like a canon, expanding the crater to its full size—miraculously, without destroying the restroom building. The fallen angel, however, collapsed unconscious before the boy. He just performed a miracle using only his clothes, the principles of alchemy and all his resources efficiently, adapting rapidly as soon as he recovered from that injury.

"Issei Hyoudou… who really are you?"

As Issei approached the two girls, Fine could just barely make out a ghostly figure beside him… golden hair and the old outfit she used to wear during her time as a priestess.

'He said the spirit of the former Boosted Gear wielder knows me, but I still don't fully understand it. I was confused when he followed me without resisting, even more so because he expected me to fight against the fallen angel… I'm no longer able to fight the way I used to when I had warrior skills… Could this former wielder be me? Is there another Fine here… no… I'm supposed to be unique… there's something off here, but it's clear she must have taught him how to use alchemy.'

Asia found her voice again and asked, "Issei-san?"

"Don't worry, Asia. He's just unconscious. As for this—" he showed his Sacred Gear, "Well, the cat's out of the bag. I'm like you, Asia—I'm a Sacred Gear wielder too. Thanks to you I am ready for action again."

"Someone like me…"

"But, I think we should get out of here. If he recovers or has back up, I don't think I'll be able to do that again. Ryoko-san?"

Fine took a moment to collect herself, then nodded—somewhat satisfied.

"All right, Asia-chan. It's best we go." Asia hesitated a little before nodding, Fine turned to the boy. "And I think I owe you a few answers as well for the save, Issei Hyoudou. Please you two follow me."

With that, Issei nodded before following them. He stopped for a moment, gazing at the fallen angel, and tried to calm his trembling left hand. Raynare was close… maybe tonight, maybe tomorrow, or the night after. Sooner or later, they would meet again. He needed to be ready when that happened. He had to be stronger—only then could he protect Chris this time.

—-

Chris lay on her bed. She felt better after a cold shower, since her face just wouldn't stop burning from the embarrassment she'd endured nearly all afternoon at the Hyoudou household. Despite the nice snack, Miki had shared many details—stories about her childhood with "her friends" and about her family.

Now Chris could understand what that photo on the shelf meant to the "Chris" of this world. They were her first real friends after a long time of people only approaching her because of her parents fame, not because of who she is. Chris knew she was, essentially, the daughter of two famous people, but probably that was the reason her counterpart had grown shy because of it—preferring to avoid most people.

Busy parents, constantly changing schools whenever they had to travel, paparazzi and news crews waiting outside their homes... Growing up in fame could also be considered a curse.

"So that is what it must feel like to be a celebrity, but honestly… It sounds exhausting just hearing about it. Senpai… how did you deal with something like this back home?..."

Her parents just wanted to enjoy some time away from concerts—there had been too many—and it kept them from spending time with her. What better place to escape than somewhere far from people? A campsite in the forest park. There were only a few families there and that place was where the famous Yukines met for the first time the humble Hyoudous and Shidous.

Miki had recounted how she teased Issei a bit when he called Chris by name to come meet Irina, how the little girl stayed close to her mother while blushing, and how, when they met, her parents decided to introduce themselves using a different surname to avoid revealing their identity. That kicked off a fun vacation full of nothing but joy between the three families—especially for Chris, who, with Issei and Irina, often found herself in trouble or in fun situations in the camping. Playing in the forest, swimming in the river, roasting marshmallows by the fire at night, singing songs and stargazing at night.

Just imagining it made Chris smile a little. The two friends she met during those days… saying goodbye must have been the hardest thing for that little girl. Now she knew why, after retiring early, her parents didn't stay in Europe and came to Japan—specifically to Kuoh. She could hardly believe how whimsical it sounded: that her parents bought the house next to her friends'—just so she could meet them again.

"Your parents really did a lot for you here to make sure you always smiled… and your friends… my friends…" Chris whispered as a pang of sadness struck her. It had been almost a month, and she still struggled not to think about her friends from the other world. What was happening there? Even with the mage's assurance that they would be fine… she couldn't help it. Was it really okay for her to stay…? She was replacing someone else. "This wasn't right."

"I guess this moment had to come eventually…" Chris was startled with the voice, she noticed two teacups and an elegant, steaming teapot sitting beside her desk. Next to them sat a middle-aged man in a black robe—the same red-eyed man who had brought her from the other world.

"Cold tea might've been better for you after the embarrassing tales of Miki Hyoudou, but I think you'll like this chamomile blend if it's cold, dear." he said.

"WHA…WHAT ARE YOU DOING IN MY ROOM, OLD MAN?!" she shouted, then quickly hid behind her bed. Instinctively, she covered her mouth and rushed to barricade the door with her body. "Damn… they definitely heard that. Zelretch, what are you doing here?!"

"Hehehe. My dear, I came because I figured there were questions you needed answered for you to be at ease. And stop blocking the door… no one's getting in."

"How…?" Chris barely believed him, so she continued listening to what was happening outside. The worst thing would be explaining to her parents how a strange old man had entered her room.

"Magic. Well, technically magecraft if we're being precise, but that's another story. You could say it's a magical barrier—just not actual magic. Don't overthink it."

"Eh?" Chris sighed. "As always, I don't understand half of what you say, but I guess by now trying to make logical sense of any of this would just cost me my sanity."

The old man burst into laughter before regaining his composure, snapping his fingers, and pulling her desk chair toward her with "magic", she thinks.

"Excellent deduction, dear. You're one of the few who chooses to speak to me with what she does understand instead of asking more than she should. Just go with the flow—it'll give you a break from those troubling thoughts. Come now, sit. The tea's almost ready."

Chris obeyed and approached her desk. She noticed her unfinished homework still sitting there and glanced sideways at the mage.

"Go ahead, you can ask me."

"Zelretch, this past month I've been thinking a lot about what I've been doing here. I'm clearly replacing this world's Chris, and that's not right, not right for her parents, not for her friends and especially for Issei. I'm happy to get to see my parents—yes—but they're not "my" parents as you said to me. Tell me… why did you make me replace her?"

Zelretch stood there with his hand on his chin, thinking for a moment before answering.

"Well, the question truly is—why do you think you're not you?"

"Because I'm not her. I have my own memories, my own past. Her life is so different from mine, from everything she went through that it makes me feel like a parasite when it comes to playing her part, even if her personality before was like mine. I know who I am, and I'm just starting to learn about all this that made her happy. Even if it's just to keep people from calling me crazy or for not locking me in a mental hospital… This is wrong. You… brought me here for your entertainment… But what about her? That would make us evil for doing this to her."

"Then you should ask yourself—what were those dreams you had then?"

Chris thought for a moment, but it only came the first thing she was surprised to learn.

"Wait...You can see into my dreams?"

"Heh. No. I've respected your privacy in mind at all times."

"Yeah, right…Like now…" Chris rolled her eyes, making the old man chuckle a little.

"I'm serious. But that scream you let out today? I doubt it was from your own experiences—when you were taken when you were a child in Valverde. You haven't had that kind of trauma since you started "living" with the girls and with your memories with the team at SONG. This was something new, wasn't it?"

"...So what am I supposed to think about this? That her mind and mine are merging? That doesn't sound good if I start remembering something I never lived, that would be like I am stealing her identity."

"Yes Dear, in this case that seems to be the reasoning. But You just arrived and thought that. Why do you think you are replacing her? That's something we'll have to figure out later."

"But you brought me here. Didn't you?"

"Yes. I gave you the ticket. You wanted it, in a way…"

Chris was taken aback with that accusation.

"...But I didn't…"

"You didn't say anything? True. But if the ticket hadn't detected even a sliver of honest desire from you, you never would've grabbed it. As for how you got here—yes, I brought you, but I didn't determine how you showed up like this. We can only discover that as we move forward, but it is not that simple Chris. Don't you agree that all pieces haven't been discovered to make the jigsaw yet? The mystery is very intriguing, but not to the worst possibility. You clearly think the worst of you sometimes."

"..." Chris stayed quiet for a moment, lost in thought, while Zelretch began pouring the tea. "Then what am I, if not a thief of her body?"

"My dear, you shouldn't keep circling around with that guilt, thinking you're at fault for being in that body. Neither you nor I did this with that intention or purpose. It just happened to be this way here. We will get there to know why. Until then… You have other questions, don't you?"

"... Yes…. I'm not the only one here. There shouldn't be noises. That definitely isn't from this world. In the hunt thursday….It was a trap set up by someone. Who else besides me is in this place, Old man?"

"...More than you think, dear. But don't count me as the author of any of it. I just gave you the ticket that brought you here and your gear when I had the time. Though I do believe it's something that goes beyond my own knowledge, something to do with the multiverse theory, "If one thing comes from there then there is no doubt more of it can come", but you are not that root we need to cut to stabilize. A problem which, as I mentioned before, the horn will help us with, to fix it and to control it if you can."

"What horn and what angel from the letter? To control it… Why do you always speak so strangely?"

"I like being dramatic. But returning to that. I don't mind telling you that truth—by horn, I mean an old relic from your world that has the ability to exist in more worlds than the original, including this. Gjallarhorn might ring the bell in their heads. Though only science nerds and discovery-lovers would recognize what it is. A researcher for example would do."

"...A researcher angel…" Chris trying to figure something out from the mage.

"There you go…You can use that when you find someone who matches that."

"Can you at least tell me who attacked us with those noises? That would help more and I don't want it to happen again."

"That won't be possible. That would be helping too much—it would ruin the mystery. But you should be okay with it. I doubt it will happen."

Chris groaned in frustration.

"What's the point of that then? It put my… I mean 'her' classmates in danger… and I…"

"You're almost starting to understand that part of it." Murmur the wizard.

"I ended up making it worse. Nearly put them in danger because of it."

"Yes. Your Ignite reacted negatively—not because of your memories, but hers. Until you're ready to understand those feelings of hers, I suggest you don't try to use it again. Unlike the other world, here the energy source for that power is nearly infinite when used. If it weren't for Issei, you wouldn't have stopped."

"Issei… I heard singing there, was he the one…." Chris pulled out her phone, looking at the number of missed calls from the boy's contact. "He clearly does a lot for her. Even though they're not together anymore for a long time and now I'm that obstacle."

"Before you think too much about which to tell you the truth is much more complicated than what you think, you should really just go with the flow. Drink the tea now—it's cold, but it'll still help you feel better."

Chris did as she was told. And he was right, the tea immediately relaxed her body.

"Thanks."

"As for the help I can't give you… You see, Chris, if I helped too much, you'd start relying on me for everything. That would take all the fun out of my visits. And as an old man who hops through universes, watching mysteries and new worlds unfold is what keeps my imagination fresh and enjoyable. Being almost omnipotent can get quite boring sometimes, you might know what it is as an example. Like going to school everyday, doing the same thing, it can drive you mad without something new. But that doesn't mean I want harm or destruction for this world."

"Well… As long as you don't really play that role I accuse you for."

"Never my dear. Now. In return for your understanding, though—how about I become your messenger for now?"

"My messenger?"

"Yes. Remember, for someone like me, traveling to another world costs nothing. And I'm sure you'd like a way to communicate with your friends too. Just write your letters, and in three days of this world's time, they'll be delivered there. They'll be glad to know where you've been this past week."

"Week? Zelretch, it's been over a month already here."

"Here, yes. But over there, you've only been gone for about a week."

Chris was shocked by the news.

"How is that even possible?"

"Time is out of sync between both worlds. Only the horn could reconfigure it to be stable."

"So that horn is the solution to almost everything."

"I'd say so, yes. Anyway, just write to them—I'll make sure the letters reach their destination."

"Alright… Thanks, Zelretch…" Chris said, finishing her tea.

"You're welcome, Chris." The mage stood from his chair and began walking around the room. He turned back to her. "Ah! One more thing. Tomorrow, maybe after all that homework in the morning, you might want to take a break and go outside. Specifically, quite late in the afternoon, around the shopping district. A quiet dinner while strolling around might help you relax. I'm sure you'll manage to align your thoughts with your counterpart. After all, the two of you aren't so different. With an exception you may soon find."

"Cryptic as always… Never with a straight answer. Aren't you?" She said with a sigh.

With that, the world traveling mage vanished, taking everything he had brought with him. Chris blinked in confusion. How strange the old man's magic was—very different from the demons. Strangely, it felt like she'd been speaking with a grandfather of hers, even though she never really interacted with her own.

After a moment of thought, Chris realized she really had a mountain of homework—way too much to finish today. She glanced sideways at loose papers and envelopes scattered across the table. Another gift of the old man.

Chris sighed and muttered to herself.

"Well, this'll be useful to talk to them, again. That idiot better not have messed with my stuff while I was gone. Oh and better tell the old man if he can find Kouh, if it exists of course, maybe a clue."

She began writing everything she wanted to say to her friends. A month-long adventure to explain to friends who had probably been looking for her for nearly a week. She owed all of them an explanation of her otherworld travel. Maybe some photos will help.

—-

After Akeno and Koneko received a call from their president, both returned from their failed search for their human friend. The ORC group and the student council were gathered for an important meeting. The news of a secret human organization operating within their territory left everyone conflicted—these humans had taken them by surprise using forces from another world and simple technology, and now they wanted to help deal with the fallen angel problem legally.

Following Rias's summary of everything Agent James had revealed, the room fell into silence. Sona stared at the white card with the number on it for a while before speaking.

"This is troublesome. It goes against most of our written agreements. But then again, no one ever even considered the possibility that the ceasefire treaty could be exploited in this way."

"Kaichou, I'm still not too familiar with the rules of the treaty. What exactly is the problem with this SONG?" Saji asked.

"The problem isn't a specific problem, Saji. It's more about what could come next—questioning the rule that humans must not be involved in the supernatural world. Controlled involvement, yes, but this implies humans might not be as ignorant about the supernatural as we believed. That's dangerous thinking."

"It's not that we can't go against their proposal—it's up to us to allow or deny it. They're asking for a deal. Still, they provided us with information and are managing their own movements without breaking a single rule. Having an organization like this could be more than beneficial for future incidents, like those Noise attacks. Does Leviathan-sama know anything about it?" Rias added.

"No, she might not. Or perhaps, at Lucifer-sama's request, it's been kept secret. It's possible that with this deal, we can uncover more information and understand things better. Still…"

"SONG, huh? It has no relation to Yukine-san?"

"We just got this information, so we can't say for sure. She doesn't like to talk about the other world, so I barely ask for it. It would be best to prepare a report for the Demon Lords first. I'll make sure to visit her tomorrow afternoon if she's available. There might be a connection."

"I really hope so. For now as much as it troubles me, we can only hope that Ise is being treated well like Agent James promised." Rias said, receiving nervous nods from her club members.

"It is probably also the first time we have to trust the word of a human. How the tables have turned for us. Now demons are nervous for a human's word."

The conversation was interrupted by Tsubasa, who had just arrived.

"Kaichou, a package just arrived at the gate. It's from a recent order."

"A package?"

"At night. You don't mean they already are…?" Sona was taken back while Rias was surprised as well.

"They are really fast with those copies."

"Actually, it is another thing." Tsubasa clarified, a little relieved, leaving almost everyone confused.

"If it is food delivery. That's mine. I forgot to eat dinner and the meeting took longer than what I expected. Sorry guys." Said Saji casually, making everyone let out a sweatdrop while Sona pinched the bridge of her nose. Too much stress of how much they were expecting those photos and documents.

"Hehehe. Then probably we shouldn't expect them to be that professionalist to deliver today. Since I didn't actually set it for today. Maybe tomorrow they will."

"Agh! I should have called and insisted. But they were so mysterious I had my doubts about it."

"Well, we should also call it for today. We are tired of flying in circles."

"Alright. We will end with this. I will call and ask if we can get them tomorrow morning. We prepare all we can get for an approval of our involvement. Stop those fallen angels in our territory and make a negotiation with the organization SONG." Declared Sona with everyone nodding before stepping out. Only Sona and Rias stayed.

"Our siblings are not gonna be easy to break. We need to give them proof we can deal with this."

"Yeah…. The report of the extermination was almost cut entirely as a lie. Now I have to take back everything we said in that report to justify it."

"They are not gonna be happy."

"Nop. But just not gonna reveal Chris's accident. Perfect. I can wait to know more about SONG."

"Probably because you read too much manga. We have overprotective siblings, so let's hope they don't think what we thought Issei Hyoudou may have gone through if they were evil."

Both heiresses let out a sigh. They need it to convince their elder sibling to go and work with an organization of capable human agents. Where Issei Hyoudou and Asia Argento were now being welcomed by their leader.

—-

Dohnaseek woke up in a hospital with a jolt. Luckily, he didn't release his wings right there—probably because his entire body was wrapped in bandages. He looked like a mummy lying in bed. He glanced around before noticing a female figure sitting beside him.

"Good morning, sleepyhead. Well… good evening, to be precise."

"W-Where am I?"

"The hospital. You have no idea how many times I had to wipe memories on the spot because your wings kept bursting out. Thankfully, it was enough to get by, and I had some cash to bribe a few people. As far as anyone knows, you're my uncle who got into a bar fight. Only way I was allowed to stay with you."

"You are?" The fallen angel's blurry vision took a moment to clear, revealing a red-haired girl with her arms crossed.

"Hi. We don't know each other. I'm only saying that because we needed a cover story. Kanade."

"Ka… Wait, aren't you the human that was around Grigori? With Azazel-sama?"

"Yep, that's me. Good thing you're not one of the angels who threatened me, or I wouldn't be so happy you woke up. By the way—what happened to you?"

"Grrr... It was an embarrassing setback. I was caught off guard. I won't say more." Dohnaseek didn't seem eager to talk, so Kanade let it slide.

"Alright, you fallen angels and your pride. Back to what we need to talk about. I have to say, you all got yourselves into some serious trouble, and that's why I'm here."

"What?"

"The mission. You disobeyed Azazel's direct orders. This is a blatant violation of the pact with the other two factions. We're dangerously close to being seen as the ones who broke the agreement."

"T-That's impossible. We were ordered to attack the Sacred Gear users because they were a threat, regardless of the demons' involvement. They weren't involved."

"No. It was the opposite. Nothing changed. We were only supposed to watch them and avoid detection if possible. Who gave you those orders?"

"We got them from Raynare… She… started acting on her own."

"I know how annoying she can be, but I also know she deeply respects Azazel. She'd never disobey him unless someone else told her to. Someone important enough to influence her decisions. If it wasn't Azazel… then it was someone else."

"…Are you saying we were tricked?"

"That's what I believe. At least, I hope so."

Dohnaseek let out a sigh.

"Damn it, then this whole thing was a waste of time… and worse, all we'll get is punishment. I don't want to end up frozen."

"I don't wish that on you, but for now, be glad you're the first to admit it. That might lessen your punishment. I'll make sure Grigori doesn't enter a war. Get some rest. If I can get our girl back from Raynare, maybe I can speed things up with you. Assuming nothing's happened to her. Asia Argento, right?"

"You're gonna make her listen. heh."

"I have my ways. So why didn't you bring her up with us?"

"…They were preparing her for a ritual. Raynare's orders, she was the only one who knows what it's for that cross, but we lost her today to a group of humans."

"A group… of humans."

"Men in suits. Like spies or something. It was clearly planned—they vanished with the girl, and the next time I saw her… I ran into the one who took me down."

"…If you don't want to—" While Kanade was being considerate to Dohnaseek, he preferred to eat his pride now.

"It was a boy with a Sacred Gear. He was Raynare's target—she intended to kill him. But she was stopped by someone else. Someone with one she couldn't figure out."

"A Sacred Gear that Raynare couldn't identify? Wow. Now that's a surprise."

"She was… strange. Not only for the description of her armor. Also that the girl was singing to use it."

Kanade was taken back by the last part. She immediately got close to the angel. "C-Can you tell me more about the girl that sings. Everything you can…. please Dohnaseek?"

"Why?"

"Is important to me. It may be related to me, so I have to know. Also part of my mission. Just tell me everything and I will make a deal to you to get Azazel to not even punish you if I can. I swear. Please?"

"..." Dohnaseek hesitated. "Alright…"

"Thanks."

Dohnaseek explained everything they knew—from the encounter with the singing girl to the events at the abandoned house. Kanade was intrigued, though a bit disappointed that it wasn't Tsubasa. Still, there was no doubt the girl was a Symphogear like her. What struck her as odd was hearing that a boy had sung too. She'd have to look into that. In the end, she said goodbye to her "uncle" with one final piece of advice before leaving: not to be so arrogant with the people coming in to take care of him.