Zetsubo no Senki: Symphogear if/Part 1

**Table of Contents**
1 · 2 · 3 · 4 · 5 · 6 · 7 · 8 · 9 · 10 · 11 · 12 · 13 · 14

#### Chapter 1

The bustling crowd flowed like a raging river around the giant silver arena in the middle of the city. People of all ages gathered like moths to a flame under the red and blue banners and signs decorating the plaza as they waited for their turn to enter the giant building beyond them. Every person here shared a single goal: they simply wanted to gaze upon the popular idol duo Zwei Wing, who are to hold a special concert for their fans later this evening. Within the crowd stands two young girls–one a devoted fan of the two singers they are going to see, while the other, her best friend, had never even heard of the duo only a week ago.

"This is so exciting! Getting to see Tsubasa and Kanade in person... I can't wait!" The girl with the black hair squealed as she hugged a Zwei Wing flier to her chest. Miku Kohinata had stars in her eyes as she excitedly waited for her turn to enter the stadium. Beside her, Hibiki had a goofy smile on her face as well. "I've never been to a concert like this before." Hibiki looked at her own copy of the flier. "Still, I don't know much about these two."

"You'll understand a lot once you hear their music, Hibiki, I guarantee it!" The two stepped forwards together as they were finally the next two in line to cash in their tickets.

Behind the desk, young men and women worked at computers, checking in every customer and handing out glow sticks to the excited audience members. Some, like the woman serving Hibiki, can see the slightly anxious looks on the faces of those who had never attended concerts before, and smile brighter with a ‘have fun' cheer as they see them off. Hibiki and Miku reunite a short distance away only moments later, happily holding up their glow sticks as they laugh in excitement. "This is going to be fun!" Hibiki says, finally succumbing to the energy around her and getting lost in the hype.

Hand in hand, the two girls happily walked out into the arena, joining the crowd in cheers as the sun began to set above them. As the sky turned a brilliant bronze, the two girls looked to the stage as lights turned on and the sounds of music began to blare. The blue idol, Tsubasa Kazanari, known for her quiet and withdrawn appearance off the stage and powerful voice while on it walked out alongside her partner, the red idol known for her wild optimism, Kanade Amou.

As the song began to start, Kanade opened her mouth as she began to sing:

*"Kikoemasu ka…?" Gekijō kanaderu mujīku*

As the instrumental for the first song, *Gyakkō no Flügel*, began to fade, Hibiki and Miku looked to each other with happy expressions as they waved around their glow sticks just as everyone around them did. They didn't have to say anything–they knew what the other was thinking just from the gleeful expressions plastered across their faces: *this is the best!*

That thought would not last for long. As the second instrumental slowly started up, the entire stadium stood still as a scream rung out. The song continued but neither idol sang. Instead, all eyes turned up to the sky as it was torn asunder. Everyone in the crowd was aware of this phenomenon; they may have been rare, but they were deadly.

The Noise. Extra-dimensional creatures of unknown origin. Any living creature they touched was turned into carbon dust within moments–even the slightest glance would be fatal. Noise was malevolent, though they seemed to be nothing else but mindless killers. Still, their very presence struck fear into the hearts of all present.

As the entire stadium looked to the sky to see the cracks of white where Noise were appearing, everyone began to panic all at once. Chaos broke out as people rushed for exits without care for anyone else in their way. Selfishness won out as those who were strong pushed aside anyone smaller than themselves in order to flee from the descending Noise. And once they landed, the mayhem only exploded in ferocity.

Hibiki and Miku clung to each other as they tried to push through the crowd to safety, though they were getting nowhere. "Hibiki look!" Miku shouted, pointing back the way they came. Though they hadn't moved far, the spot where they had only moments before been cheering happily was now filled with the carbon ash of several victims of the Noise. With no hope of escaping through the main entrance, Hibiki pulls Miku in a different direction–away from the crowds of people and the Noise.

As they fled up the stairs of the stadium, trying to get to higher ground, the two girls wanted to do nothing but gag. All around them were piles of carbon ash–piles of ash that had only moments ago been living people–and the bodies of even unluckier audience members who had been trampled to death by others trying to escape. Hibiki wanted to close her eyes and scream, but she held them back as she pulled Miku away.

*Maboroshi? Yume? Yasashī te ni tsutsumare*

Neither girl wanted to look back, but to their surprise they suddenly began to hear music. Even as they dodged around bloodied bodies all around their feet as they ran away from the impending doom that was the Noise, the two suddenly felt a strange calm wash over them. Courage welled up inside them as they climbed the stairs, getting as far away from the stage as possible–and as far away from the Noise. As they reached the top, they finally turned back to see a spectacular sight.

The two idols that stood brilliantly on the stage now stood in armour, battling the Noise head-on... and, to the surprise of both girls, damaging them. The Noise were infamously invulnerable to all attacks; they couldn't be shot at or beaten, so fleeing was the only option. Yet here, two girls barely older than Hibiki and Miku were now slashing their way through the technicolour crowds, a giant spear in the hands of Kanade and a sword in Tsubasa's grasp.

Kanade deftly stabbed her spear through groups of Noise as Tsubasa cleaved enemies both lanky and stubby in half with swift swipes. In the eyes of the two girls, the idol of Zwei Wing worked together as beautiful warriors, sparkling despite the circumstances around them. They were like beacons of hope in a world of despair; a thought only heightened as Hibiki and Miku heard the two girls singing as they fought for their lives.

The two girls were entranced by the chaos beneath them that it was pure luck that Hibiki, out of the corner of her eye, caught a glimpse of some Noise heading towards them. "Miku, we need to go." She told her friend, snapping her back to reality as the now-alert girls looked for a way out of their new predicament.

Below them, Tsubasa kept her eye on the two girls high in the stands. "What are they doing?" She muttered under her breath, somewhat annoyed that they hadn't just escaped with the others. Despite her complaining she did somewhat understand her thought process; their delay in acting did cost many people their lives, and there are corpses littering the exits. Tsubasa sighed, and in that brief moment gave the Noise an opening to attack. One tall figure whipped its arm out, hitting her directly in the chest. A normal person would have faded away in an instant, but Tsubasa wasn't like other humans at the moment. She was clad in her Symphogear armour–she was a sword to cut down the Noise.

Tsubasa flew through the air at a high speed, colliding into the far wall. She was vaguely aware of Kanade calling her name in shock in the distance, but Tsubasa couldn't tell which direction was which as she slumped against the wall.

...And then she heard a crack.

The ground quaked beneath Hibiki and Miku's feet. No, more accurately the stadium shook under their feet. Miku and Hibiki had been running hand in hand until now, trying to outpace the Noise chasing them, but they both stumbled as they momentarily lost balance and Hibiki collapsed to the floor. The colourful alien creatures came at them from all sides, taking advantage of the two showing a single moment of weakness. That was it, they couldn't run any longer; their time had come. Miku looked down at Hibiki beside her and knew that she couldn't do anything for her friend now, so she bent down as well. The two placed their foreheads together as they embraced, tears flowing from their eyes. Hibiki and Miku were terrified–they knew for sure they were going to die.

"Don't give up on living!"

Suddenly, an orange flash rushed past the two girls huddled together on the ground. They looked up towards the sound of the voice and saw the idol they had been looking up at not too long ago in front of them: Kanade Amou. With her spear in hand, she flashed a confident smile back at the two of them before rushing towards the group of Noise in front of them. "Now go! I'll cover you!" Kanade shouted, but both girls could tell that something wasn't right.

The brief moment they saw her eyes, and the way she spat out her words; Kanade Amou was in incredible pain. But they knew they were helpless right now–their only option was to do as ordered and escape.

Miku leapt up to her feet and pulled Hibiki up beside her, who winced as she did so. "My foot." Hibiki whined. "I think the fall..."

Hibiki was cut off by the sound of another thud, this time not too far from them. They watched in horror as Kanade was whipped, collapsed against the cold ground. Her entire body was coated in the blood of those who had fallen, and the carbon ash stuck to her as a grim reminder of all those who she failed to save. "Kanade!" The two girls shouted as one, and the idol merely glanced back in shock. Her eyes told them everything they needed to know.

She was worried about them. She was scared of dying. And, most importantly, she was afraid of showing her fans a weak side of herself. Kanade spat out blood as she climbed back to her feet and, on unsteady feet, gave the two girls behind her an order: "Stand back. I'll take them all out and keep you safe. I swear my life on it."

Noise rushed towards her, now running up the stairs and climbing over each other just to reach the orange Symphogear user. She spun her spear as she used it to cut her enemies down, but it was useless. Every time one Noise disappeared, another two took its place.

*Todokanu koe "nē hitori ni shinai de"*

Kanade took beatings every so often, but for the most part she stood her ground as she continued to sing. Hibiki and Miku started to have hope after a short time–she was doing it. The hoard was dispersing, starting to thin. Tsubasa, too, was now fighting again down below them.

Then the four girls all saw it at once: a giant Noise. Large and pink, it looked somewhat like an axolotl, albeit one with two long arms tipped with humanoid hands and a face that lacked any features besides a mouth filled with eerily white-green human teeth. The giant Noise had no eyes, but Kanade, Miku, and Hibiki could all feel its penetrating gaze bearing down upon them.

With its giant hands, the creature easily climbed up through the crowd of Noise, crushing some beneath it while others were knocked out of the way. What took Hibiki and Miku minutes to run up, the Noise crossed in seconds. Kanade's singing stopped for just a moment and, though quiet, Miku could hear a single word escape the idol's lips: "Shit."

Hibiki closed her hand around Miku's tighter than it already was; Miku could feel the blood starting to leave her fingers, but it didn't bother her right now. What they needed to do was get to safety. The two girls looked every which way, trying to find some way out of this mess, but they had no ideas. Instead their eyes drifted to Kanade, who stood steadfast in the face of this new threat.

Kanade waited for the beast to come closer before approaching it; she focused on just the smaller Noise in-between her and the giant newcomer. She waited, as if ignoring it, until the right moment came.

In her mind, Kanade counted: *three, two, one...*

But the signal to go never came. She miscalculated. As she turned to attack the beast it was much closer than she had anticipated. Its giant shadow loomed over her; even Kanade was intimidated by the monster. But she didn't–no, couldn't–back down. She stabbed towards the beast with her spear and it easily punctured the beast's body.

Or so she thought. The giant Noise was smart; it had let her attack it in order to weaken the Symphogear wielder. Indeed, as Kanade's spear plunged into the Noise, its body seemingly absorbed the spear, and she could not pull it back out.

The beast roared and Kanade leapt back, leaving her spear embedded in the creature. She had little time left–she had already strained her body well past the limits allowed to her by the LiNKER that helps her resonate with the Symphogear. She glanced over at the two girls cowering behind her. *If this keeps up...*

Kanade had an idea–a suicidal one, though it was the only idea she had right now. Steadying herself, Kanade stood up against the monster and, as it went to swipe at her with its giant hand, jumped high into the air. Her goal wasn't to dodge the attack, no: it was to launch a kick into the spear, pushing it further into the beast. It was incredibly dangerous–improper timing by even a second meant the Noise could readjust itself and make her miss her mark, which could also be fatal considering the spear was lodged just above the beast's mouth. She needed to perform flawlessly.

Flipping through the air, Kanade soared towards the beast and out-stretched her leg as she flew towards the spear. The gap closed quickly, and in seconds she felt the end of her spear against her foot. She pushed as hard as she could and the spear slowly sank deeper into the creature. It was working! The creature was weakening from her attacks, Kanade acknowledged, but a dark thought crept into her mind as well: *but can* I *survive this?*

Her body was dying. Every Symphogear user (all two of them, to her knowledge) had the power to make use of a Superb Song as a last resort; it was essentially a self-destructive power, meaning it should never be used unless need be. Kanade did not want to use it here–or ever–but she considered that she may need to. Especially as she coughed up blood from her body rejecting the Symphogear's power. *Just a little more.*

The beast roared and flailed as the spear sank fully into its body, and Kanade was flung away as it swatted at her. She flew and crashed against the wall, just as the spear began to eject itself from the beast's rubbery skin. *Oh no!!!*

The spear bounced back out of the Noise's body. It flew not inwards, but outwards through the sky. Kanade tried to move her body, to do anything, but her brain was the only thing working. She was stuck. And the beast, seemingly eyeing her, knew this, as it turned towards her and pulled back its fist.

Miku and Hibiki couldn't see Kanade after that. The beast encroached on the idol and covered her from their line of sight, and then they heard a crash. As the Noise pulled its arm back it was now covered in sticky red blood that had not been there before. Hibiki stifled a scream. *Noise don't bleed.*

"Look out!" Hibiki heard from beside her as she was knocked to the ground and suddenly covered by Miku. She didn't know what was happening, but then she felt a sharp pain stab her in the neck. Then the legs. Above her, Miku's face mere centimetres from her own, she saw pain and agony in her best friend's expression. She wanted to call out to her, ask if she was okay, but no words came. She couldn't speak.

No, she couldn't think either.

Hibiki felt herself fading. *Kanade, Tsubasa, Miku...*

The names of those around her flashed through her mind.

Tsubasa didn't know how much time had passed. After seeing the beast punch Kanade against a wall, she flew into a frenzy. The next thing she knew, she was standing amidst a sea of carbon ash and blood. The two girls were collapsed not too far away, but they were none of her concern right now. She looked instead at Kanade, who was still breathing–if only barely. Her Symphogear had been destroyed; she was back in the pink frilly dress she had been wearing during the concert, though it was now dirtied in ways that would be impossible to clean. "Kanade!" Tsubasa cried. Her partner as both an idol and a Symphogear candidate laid against the wall like a broken marionette. Her arms bent at strange and unnatural angles, Kanade was surely out of commission. But she was alive, and that's all that mattered to Tsubasa.

For a moment her eyes glanced over to the two girls not far away from her. They laid in a pile, but she could see the eyes of the one on the bottom looking in her direction. They looked hollow and lifeless, but she too was alive. *I couldn't even protect two girls.*

What should have been a cheerful memory for Hibiki and Miku was only the start of the end of their normal lives.

. . .

Hibiki stared at the television. She couldn't hear it over the screaming from outside, but she was drowning in the monotony of the news on the screen. Miku sat beside her as if a lifeless doll, though she was not much better.

It had been seven months since the concert. They had managed to survive, just barely, but every day since had been hell. The news on the screen was still reporting on the day that became known as the Zwei Wing Tragedy. A confirmed 12,874 casualties and rising and over 500 more missing persons–all believed dead as well, or injured beyond recognition. And the news was framing this as if it was the fault of the survivors.
Of the 12,800 confirmed deaths, less than one-third of them are being reported as having been caused by the Noise. Over 8,500 deaths were the result of other human beings trampling each other to death. The news loved this in a morbid way–the real enemy of the tragedy was not the Noise but other humans. They got the entire world to turn on the survivors.

Hibiki could hear shouting outside, but she didn't acknowledge it. People rioting because of her surviving was a daily occurrence now. She and Miku hadn't killed anyone, but no one else knew that. As far as they knew, the two of them had been as selfish as anyone else, pushing whoever was in their way to their doom.

It didn't help that several of their classmates, including an incredibly talented soccer player who was being scouted by high school teams, were among those confirmed deceased. Those with talent died yet Hibiki, who had achieved nothing thus far, survived? To outsiders, it was a cruel joke that only lit their hatred for her even brighter.

Miku had no one left. Her parents couldn't handle the riots and committed suicide, ending their own lives in an act just as selfish as those who were now being condemned. She was a hollow shell. Hibiki's father disappeared and her mother and grandmother lived in total fear with the two girls day in and day out; they had long stopped going to school.

*How much longer is this going to last?* Hibiki's lifeless eyes stared at the television, unflinching.

Suddenly, the crowd outside grew quiet. That was the first time in months that silence filled the house, if it were only a brief respite.

"Hibiki Tachibana." A voice called. "Miku Kohinata. I know that the two of you are in there. I wish to speak with you."

The voice was familiar, one that the two girls would never forget. They instantly snapped up as it entered into their ears, and Hibiki slowly stumbled towards the boarded-up window. Peaking between the wooden bars used to shield her from the world outside, she could sense a figure just beyond them. "I'll be at your front door in a moment."

Hibiki could hear murmurs on the other side of the window. People were talking, but not in an aggressive way as they usually were. There was something different about them. Hibiki turned to Miku, who stared back at her–though faint, life began to creep its way back into her eyes.

Miku, Hibiki, and the latter's two guardians slowly crept toward the front door. It had not been boarded up–they did need to stock up on provisions, albeit rarely–so opening it should have been easy. But the four women were all incredibly nervous, their bodies paralysed with fear.

To everyone's surprise, it was Miku who acted. Taking a deep breath, she slowly opened the front door.

"I would like to apologize to you, for failing to protect you back then."

The first apology Hibiki and Miku had heard in months was from the one person who needn't ever apologize to them. She looked much different now, but the burning look the girl gave was still recognizable.

Kanade Amou, now bound to a wheelchair and with an eyepatch over one eye, smiled faintly. Tsubasa Kazanari, wearing a stern and somewhat angry expression, stood behind her.

"We wish to offer you assistance." Kanade smiled. "Mind if we come in?"

#### Chapter 2

Hibiki looked up at the girls in front of her. Sitting across from her was the girl who allowed her and Miku to live on–even if the lives they've lived since have been torturous, Hibiki was still, deep down, grateful to be alive.

The two idols–*former* idols, now, considering the tragedy that occurred–had asked Hibiki's mother and grandmother to give them all some private time to speak, so now they all sat around a small wooden table where happy memories were once shared over meals.

"I wanted to apologize to you both, for failing to protect you at the concert. And from everything you've gone through since." Kanade awkwardly looked around as she spoke, as if fumbling for the words in her mind. "I would have come sooner, but I just got out of the hospital."

"Just now?" The surprise in Hibiki's voice was clear to all four girls, but none reacted to it. No, instead Kanade just nodded before she spoke.

"I had actually been in a coma for a while." She chuckled, despite the shocked and grievous faces on the two girls' faces across from her. "And, well, clearly I'm still not in the best shape. But at least I'm alive–" Kanade smiled, a deep, genuine smile, "–and I'm truly glad that the two of you are, too."

Hibiki and Miku couldn't contain themselves any longer. With that, the two broke down into tears; a long awkward pause sat in the air between the two members of Zwei Wing as they waited for a break in their streams. It took time, but they did manage to dam their tears for only a few moments, allowing Kanade to continue; Tsubasa still quietly watched Hibiki and Miku from beside her.

"Now, about what you saw–our Symphogears. Normally we–Sector Two of the Special Disaster Response Team–would have to step in and force you to sign some forms forcing you to be quiet about that little national secret. But in your cases, Sector Two's been doing some digging."

"Wait, what is a... Symphogear?" Hibiki recalled the tragic events that played out on that fateful day. Kanade carried a large spear as she fought against the monsters that had killed so many. "Was that your spear?"

Finally Tsubasa spoke up. "My unc.. ahem, the commander has asked us not to divulge anything unnecessary about the Symphogear system to you at this time." Her words were cold and robotic, as if reading off a script. The only sign of her humanity was the small mistake at the beginning of her sentence.

Kanade sighed, scratching the straps of the patch that now covered her eye. "Regardless, normally we'd have to force you to keep this a secret, but the commander actually wanted to meet the two of you."

"Why us?" Hibiki asked, tilting her head slowly.

"The commander liked your quick thinking, Tachibana. Trying to get away from the crowd might seem like a cowardly move, but you ran to the highest possible ground in order to get a better view of the situation. He thinks you might have some hidden talents."

Hibiki laughed dryly, her eyes losing their shine for just a moment as she muttered under her breath. "Talents? Me? As if."

Ignoring Hibiki–or perhaps not hearing her–Kanade turned her focus to Miku. Miku looked down at her lap, her gaze distant, as if she weren't even listening. But Kanade knew she was; it was just her instinct. "As for Kohinata, she selflessly threw herself in harm's way in order to protect her friend from falling debris. The commander really admired your courage in doing that. He thinks the two of you have what it takes."

"What it takes?' Hibiki asked. She had a feeling, deep down, that she wouldn't like the answer she would receive, but she knew she had to ask anyway.

"Kanade, remember what he said..." Tsubasa muttered, but Kanade just waved her off with a dismissive mumble.

"Considering my current condition, the commander has asked us to formally request that you join Sector Two of the Special Disaster Response Team as temporary Symphogear candidates. Or as support staff, should you be unable to wield relics on your own. As you might have guessed, it is our job as Symphogear candidates to fight the threat that is the Noise and protect humanity with our songs."

"I refuse." An immediate answer escaped from the lips of Miku Kohinata, who still stared downwards. Hibiki could see her fists were clenched so hard that blood was starting to drain from her fingers, and she quietly called her friend's name. Ignoring it, Miku stood up, knocking her chair over and causing it to crash loudly to the floor, and looked Kanade Amou straight in the eye: "I refuse. Ever since that concert, the two of us–no, everyone who survived–has faced constant abuse and suffered through every single day because of other human beings. Not Noise; humans. With my entire being, I can say that I truly hate humanity."

Miku was furious as she yelled, and everyone just quietly looked at her. Even as her words only echoed through the room as a memory, the three other girls kept quiet for a few moments, taking in the thoughts straight from the heart of the girl with the white ribbon in her hair.

But the one who was most surprised was Hibiki. The two had known each other... forever, and she had never once heard Miku shout like that. Ever since the suffering began, Miku had withdrawn into her mind and stayed mostly quiet; the sunlight that once radiated and pulled Hibiki to her had been snuffed out like a candle in a tornado. Hibiki understood her plight of course, she had similar thoughts. But to disregard humans entirely?

"So you've given up on humanity, then?" Tsubasa spoke, her words cutting through the stale air like a knife. "Then what does that make you? Do you count yourself–or Tachibana, for that matter–among the humans you despise, or are you monsters of your own kind."

"Hibiki isn't a monster!" Miku screamed, her face turning red.

"So you don't deny that you are a monster, then? Interesting." Tsubasa, for the first time since entering the Tachibana residence, smiled, then stood up and slowly circled the table.

Miku watched in shock as Tsubasa stopped right next to her and extended her hand.

"I, too, have disregarded my humanity. I do not count myself as a man, but instead as a sword. A tool to be used to cut down the Noise. It needn't matter who use me if it means I get to protect those close to me." As thsose final words left her lips, Tsubasa stole a quick glance at Kanade before quietly turning back to the girl beside her. "Join me. Together we can be weapons... no, monsters, fighting not to protect humanity as a whole but for the few we care for."

Miku's eyes were cold, but she stared deeply into Tsubasa's for just a moment. She grumbled then, taking the former-idol's hand in her own. "Very well. Even if it means casting aside my emotions, I will protect Hibiki with my entire being."

Tsubasa chuckled. "Very well. If I am the sword that will cut through hell..."

"I shall be the spear to pierce through the heavens." Miku's eyes suddenly flared to life in a way Hibiki hadn't seen in months. She was, quite frankly, a little scared of what Miku had become; though she'd never say that aloud. The sunshine in Miku had been cast aside, pushed out by a raging storm. Hibiki understood why, but she didn't want to accept that the girl who radiated hope had been transformed into one who embraced that despair she faced and wore it like a veil.

Hibiki turned to Kanade, who caught her gaze. "If I agree, can you do something to protect my mother and grandmother?"

"Sector Two has made arrangements already to move you and your family closer to our headquarters. Your family will be under watch and protected against any threats."

Even with that news, Hibiki had already made her decision. Like Miku, she had a distrust of humanity–though she didn't want to admit it to herself–but she wanted to help for different reasons. If it meant helping people, giving others the strength to live just as Kanade had given her, she wouldn't hesitate any longer.

Also, there was Miku: Hibiki wanted the cheerful girl she had loved for all those years to come back; the shadows clouding her soul could only be removed by her.

"I'll do whatever I can to help."

Kanade smiled at that. She would have stood up if she could, but instead she just gave a thumbs up. "Perfect. Welcome to the team."

Tsubasa didn't know why Kanade was so set on having the two of them join Sector Two, anyway. While Kanade had admitted to her that saving people and bringing hope through their songs did make her happy, Tsubasa had always felt like Kanade hated being a Symphogear candidate. She only became one in the first place to kill Noise and avenge her parents and sister, anyway.

Pushing aside any doubts, she knew that her uncle would be happy to hear the news. She knew that she would probably be getting a text soon regarding what to do next; after all, the infamous ninja of Sector Two, Shinji Ogawa, had secretly been listening in on their conversation and relaying it to the rest of the team... *That's something that would be best left secret.*

#### Chapter 3

A couple of days later Miku, Hibiki, and the latter's two family members had packed up most of their belongings into cardboard boxes. Not long after finishing, Hibiki and Miku were greeted at their door by a slim man in a black suit who introduced himself as Shinji Ogawa. Behind him were two black cars, and in one sat a man dressed in blue with tired eyes and spiky brown hair behind the wheel. "I'll be escorting the two of you to our headquarters." Ogawa explained to Miku and Hibiki. "Fujitaka, one of our men, will be taking your grandmother and mother to your new residence. I'll bring you there, too, when you're done."

"Are Kanade and Tsubasa not here?" Hibiki asked, peering over Ogawa's shoulder.

"Kanade's waiting at HQ for you, and Tsubasa's..." Ogawa paused. "Working, at the moment."

"Taking care of Noise?" Miku wondered under her breath, but neither Hibiki nor Ogawa responded; despite the fact Miku could see Ogawa's eyes turn towards her as she spoke.

. . .

The car ride had been fairly long, but soon Ogawa gestured with his chin to a building on a hill. "You two wouldn't happen to recognize that building, would you?"

Hibiki turned to Miku and noticed recognition in her eyes. She didn't know what the building was and responded as much, but Miku chimed in right afterwards.

"Lydian Private Music Academy. It's one of the country's most prestigious schools focused on grooming musical talent. I was actually thinking of applying there."

Ogawa laughed. "You needn't apply there. If you two are serious about joining up with us, you'll be enrolled there free of charge." He glanced up in the mirror above his head to see two confused looks on the faces of the girls behind him. "Some of the faculty of Lydian is actually aware of Sector Two–our headquarters are under it, as well."

"It's a fake school?" Hibiki asked.

"No, it's by all means a real school. We use it to look for potential Symphogear candidates, but we don't interfere with classes at all. It is also a convenient way to keep Tsubasa and Kanade safe, since we know where they are at all times." Ogawa kept his eyes on the road as he spoke, but Hibiki and Miku still felt as though he were observing them all the same. "Hibiki, your mother has a teaching licence, doesn't she? We can offer her a position at Lydian if she would like."

Hibiki wasn't exactly sure how to respond to that, especially on her mother's behalf, so she just nodded with an affirmative grunt.

That's when a siren broke out from the dashboard of the car. "Noise?" Ogawa shouted, and turned hard on the steering wheel. Miku and Hibiki, shocked by the sudden movement, gasped in surprise as they crashed into the side of the car. "Sorry about that. It seems we have some company."

Her face plastered against the cool window, Hibiki's eyes grew wide as she saw the familiar colourful figures plop down from the sky not too far from their car. The breath caught in her throat as she gasped in fear, her heart being strangled by anxiety. She had a hard time breathing–a panic attack. She had gone to therapy after the concert and was told she might experience PTSD should she see Noise again, but the thought had crossed her mind until now.

She turned to Miku, expecting to see her in a similar state, but was surprised to see her friend calm. Miku's expression was serious, her eyes cold; the Miku she saw when Tsubasa and Kanade had visited them before had returned. "Miku..." Hibiki gasped, sadness choking her from saying any more.

Ogawa cursed, and the two girls collided again as the car swerved to avoid more Noise. "This isn't good." Hibiki looked out the back window to see an army of Noise chasing after them–their car the only thing worth focusing on.

"We've got their attention, at least." Miku announced. "Do we know if Tsubasa is close?"

The driver clicked his tongue. "Seems like she's still across town. We're going to need to–"

"Look out!" Hibiki screamed, interrupting Ogawa. He swerved at the last second as a large Noise collided with the ground right beside them. The impact sent the car spiralling out of control, and even Ogawa's eyes were open wide in surprise.

A large crash could be heard from the now-evacuated halls of Lydian Private Music Academy.

. . .

"Noise?"

A siren blared in the headquarters of Sector Two at the same time Ogawa's phone started blasting a similar tone through his car. In response to this sound the large computer screen flared to life, showing a map of the area. A woman with blue hair typed away at a computer and gave her report. "A large amount of Noise has been detected not far from here." This woman–Aoi Tomosato–paused for a moment before loudly exclaiming. "They're targeting Ogawa!"

Kanade, in her wheelchair, looked up at the screen with her one uncovered eye. "They may be after the girls." Turning to the large imposing figure beside her, she addressed her superior. "Chief, you have to let me help them."

"No, you can't." The tall man with the red mane looked down at the girl beside him. His face was stoic yet angry, but his eyes were sad. "Even if the Symphogear grants a limited amount of increased recovery while active, it still wouldn't be safe to use in your state. You'd be killing yourself!"

Kanade knew he was right, but grunted in anger anyway. "We can't let them just die!"

"We'll have to trust Ogawa to handle this, at least until Tsubasa can return." Then, turning away from Kanade, the chief shouted. "Tsubasa's ETA?"

"Calculating..." Tomosato muttered, before giving her report. "She's about thirteen minutes away."

"Curses." The chief grunted. "If Ryoko were here, I'd go out myself to help. Of all times for her to take a day off."

"Bad news. Ogawa's stopped moving." Tomosato stated. "This could be bad."

. . .

The car crashed into a stone wall, sending debris scattered around the vehicle. Hibiki's head hurt and her vision was fuzzy as she slowly took in the world around her. She could see Noise encroaching on their position, but with the car beaten up the way it was, she knew they weren't going anywhere. Leaning forwards, she gasped in horror as she saw Ogawa slumped over the steering wheel, his eyes closed.

Beside herself, Miku was unbuckling her seatbelt. "Hibiki, you get Ogawa somewhere safe. I'll lure the Noise away."

Hibiki was shocked. "No! You can't!"

"I promised to protect you, didn't I? And I was on our school's track team. I could out-run these Noise, easily." Miku smiled. It was the first time in months that Hibiki had seen a smile on Miku's face, but it didn't feel genuine. No, she knew in her heart that Miku wasn't planning on returning alive–she just wanted to keep Hibiki safe, no matter what.

"No. I'm sure Tsubasa's on her way. We just need to keep them busy until then." Hibiki countered. "I'm not letting you sacrifice yourself just to keep me safe."

Hibiki and Miku, together, climbed out of the battered car, and Hibiki crossed to the front seat. Slowly, she managed to pull Ogawa out, and she could hear the man groaning as she pulled his arm up onto his shoulder. "Sorry." Ogawa muttered. "Even I was caught off-guard by that one."

"Are you okay?" Hibiki asked him in response, and he gave a light nod.

"Now what?" Miku turned away from Hibiki. "If you went let me draw them away, then I'm sure you have a plan."

Hibiki nodded. "We run. Together."

"Where?"

Hibiki pointed to a forest down a slight incline. "In there. We can lose them and hide among the trees."

Miku nodded and walked up to her friend. Pulling Ogawa's other arm onto her shoulder, the three slowly tried to make their way down the hill and away from the Noise that grew ever closer.

The hill was steep–walking down it normally would have been difficult enough, but two middle school girls having to carry a grown man while doing so was near impossible. Still, with shaky footing, they managed to. As they reached the ground, a Noise leapt from the cliff behind them. It looked like a cluster of grapes at first, though it soon shed this appearance as it launched its purple orbs–its grapes–up into the air. Miku and Hibiki shouted as the grapes landed around them, exploding on impact with the ground. But they couldn't give up. They slowly kept waddling towards the trees. "Come on..." Hibiki grunted under her breath.

Their hopes were then dashed completely. As they finally reached the treeline, they saw more Noise in the forest racing towards them. They were being sandwiched by the terrifying creatures–a classic pincer attack that someone who studied history probably would have recognized. Hibiki was not such a person, however.

Seeing the Noise running towards them, Hibiki finally collapsed. Despair had overtaken her. Her near-death experience at the concert, the torture she faced afterwards, and now reuniting with and being forced to run from the Noise. It was all too much for her.

"Don't give up on living!"

The words echoed through Hibiki's mind before, but now she could actually hear them. She looked up at the source–Miku.

Miku had let go of Ogawa and now stood firm, her face serious. "I will protect you, I swear."

Parting with those words, Miku took a step forwards. She could feel some deep desire to protect–to fight–burning within her heart. Hibiki was her best friend, no she loved her in a way that surpassed just friendship, and she wanted her to be happy. She had been carrying the guilt of being the cause of her parents' suicide and being the one who invited Hibiki to the concert all those months ago. She needed to fix this, to do whatever she could to make Hibiki laugh and smile like the two of them had before their world came crashing down.

Miku opened her mouth, and, without being conscious of it, sang four words.

*Scupeum Adsto Gungnir Zizzl*

. . .

In the brightly-lit base of Sector Two, the chief standing on the plateau at the centre of the room spit out his coffee as a design appeared on the computer screen. "An Aufwachen Waveform?"

Tomosato clicked away on her keyboard. "Cross-referencing data... What?"

A single name crossed the screen, covering the pattern that had appeared seconds earlier. "Gungnir!?" The chief–Genjuro Kazanari–shouted in surprise as he read the single word.

Beside him, Kanade clutched the red jewel that hung from her neck without saying a word. A slight smirk cracked on her face as she pictured those two girls in her mind.

#### Chapter 4

Hibiki and Ogawa could not believe their eyes. In seconds, Miku's clothing transformed through a white light. The clothing she had been wearing before was cast away as the light faded, replaced with a white and green jumpsuit. A red pendant on her chest, and a black and purple robe that extended up into a hood. In her hand, Miku clutched a long black spear which she held with pride.

"Miku?" Hibiki wondered aloud, saying her friend's name like this for the umpteenth time today.

"So Kohinata has access to a Symphogear? I'm truly surprised." Ogawa spoke calmly despite his injuries. He flinched when Hibiki shifted her weight slightly in order to keep them balanced better, so she knew that he was putting up a front for her.

Contrasting Hibiki's confusion and Ogawa's–apparent–surprise, Miku stood calmly. She did not question her situation, even though she had no idea where this power came from. Miku did not truly care; though she had no fighting experience, she knew she needed to do whatever she could to protect Hibiki. She steeled herself in the face of the growing army surrounding the three of them.

Then she rushed forwards as fast as she could. Miku swung her spear with ease, as if it were an extension of her own body that she had wielded since the day she was born. With a single attack she cut down countless Noise–one attack was all it took. Noise shattered as she cleaved them with strong, yet elegant strokes.

But she did it in silence; she did not sing.

Miku had a song in her heart, one that she wanted to express more than anything else, but even the Symphogear could not draw it out. Pushed deep into the depths of her soul and barricaded by locks not even she had keys for–Miku refused to sing, to make use of the Symphogear's power. With just the weapon she held, she fought to keep the Noise at bay.

. . .

Tsubasa raced through the streets on her motorcycle. She had a helmet covering her face, so no one could see the face she made as her uncle spoke to her over her headset. "We believe one of the girls somehow activated a Symphogear–we're detecting an Aufwachen Waveform from Gungnir in their vicinity."

Tsubasa ground her teeth. She knew the theory that Sector Two's resident scientist Ryoko Sakurai had put forth, but she never once believed it to actually be possible. As far as she was aware, Ryoko had not made that idea public to the rest of the staff–the real reason why she had suggested Genjuro test them. She clicked her tongue as she tried to push the thought from her mind, but memories bubbled up n their stead.

The power of a Symphogear. Theoretically speaking, any woman could wield one. The problem lies not with certain people needing to be ‘chosen ones', but rather with the fact that the Symphogear can be harmful to people who are not able to resonate their hearts with the device well enough. Kanade is one such person unable to–she relies on a special substance called LiNKER that forces her body to link with the Symphogear.

Tsubasa could still remember that cruel look on Kanade's face when she first took LiNKER. The scientists injected her with but a small amount, and her features twisted in pain as she violently coughed up blood. But she was determined to fight–to kill the Noise and avenge her parents. She stole the device and injected herself with the rest of the vial. Incredibly dangerous, a move like that could be; but Kanade's body withstood the pressure.

Through that pain, Kanade proved herself to be the only one in Tsubasa's mind who was worthy enough to wield the Symphogear relic known as Gungnir.

But now, one of those two girls who almost got themselves killed had stolen that power from her.

She wasn't mad at the girls per se–she saw the same determination in Miku's eyes when she visited the two girls that she saw in Kanade's eyes when they fought together. No, she was mad at Gungnir. At the entire situation unfolding around her. At Ryoko Sakurai.

Tsubasa angrily swerved her motorcycle, dodging past any cars in her way with no regard for traffic laws.

. . .

Hibiki picked herself up–both literally and figuratively. While Miku was fighting, she couldn't just sit in place and do nothing, especially with Ogawa's injured state. "Ogawa, do you think you can walk? We need to get somewhere safer." Getting a weak nod in response, Hibiki began to stumble away from where Miku was fighting, as she was drawing the Noise towards her.

Miku saw this out of the corner of her eye and smiled. She didn't care if she was injured, she just needed to keep Hibiki safe–that was the one thought that continued through her mind as she continued to slice and stab through the technicolour beasts surrounding her.

The purple Noise that resembled grapes waddled up to her, tossing its bombs into the air around her. Having seen the power of their explosions, Miku knew that she wouldn't be able to get out of their range in time. Looking at the Noise around her, she came up with an idea. She stabbed her spear into a smaller Noise right beside her and, before it evaporated, she flung it upwards, sending it crashing into the grapes and causing them to explode in the air while she ducked away from it.

The crowd of Noise was thinning, and quickly–at the pace she was moving, Miku wouldn't even need Tsubasa's backup. But still, she frowned. She knew she couldn't get confident now.

Casting aside her weariness, she ran towards the final few enemies that stood in front of her and leapt into the air, carving a Noise in half as she descended upon it.

. . .

When Tsubasa arrived, she was shocked to see a lack of Noise in the vicinity. She had found Ogawa's car, still wrecked and now on fire, and followed the path of destruction to where Hibiki and Miku now stood. Ogawa, a short distance away, leaned against a tree for support. Tsubasa could tell that his left leg was injured heavily–likely broken–from the way he favoured his right and the blood staining his pants.

"Are you two alright?" Tsubasa asked seriously.

Miku nodded sternly at that, but Hibiki just kept her eyes locked on the black-haired girl beside her. Miku pretended not to notice the stare that Hibiki was giving her instead turning to Tsubasa. "I... don't know what happened."

"I heard one of you activated a Symphogear without a relic. Can I assume it was you, Kohinata?" Miku nodded again. "Right. I guess Sakurai's suspicions were correct, then. Unfortunately."

"Who is Sakurai?"

"Ryoko Sakurai. She's a scientist who studies relics and Noise with us at Sector Two. She's the one who developed the Symphogears."

"Um... Tsubasa?" Hibiki finally spoke up, breaking free from her trance. "Can I speak with you... alone, later?" Her words were slow, timid. She seemed scared of something.

"Very well. I'm sure the two of you have many questions. I'll escort Ogawa to headquarters first to have his injuries treated, then have someone come pick you up." Tsubasa didn't wait for a response as she climbed back on her motorcycle. She had deftly avoided all the trees as she raced into the forest to find them; her motorcycle hadn't even suffered a single scratch and, to Hibiki, looked brand new. Unbeknownst to her, it actually was brand new.

Tsubasa started up her motorcycle and slowly pulled up to Ogawa. With unsteady movements, he climbed on behind her and the two sped off. It took only seconds for the two to disappear, leaving Hibiki and Miku alone for the first time.

Miku turned to Hibiki with a smile. "I'm so glad you're safe." She wrapped her arms around Hibiki, embracing her in a stifling hug. Hibiki was confused at first, but then she, too, put her arms around Miku. Her friend had actually smiled again, she realized, and moments later she could feel her cheeks beginning to wet.

"I was so worried for you, Miku. All of these months, I... I don't know how to make it right. I've always been so useless, haven't I?" Hibiki cried, and she could hear Miku doing the same.

"You're not useless, Hibiki. Don't ever say that. You're the brilliant sun that lights up my world. I..." Miku choked back those last words and fell silent.

"And you're the sunlight that warms mine..." She paused, before pushing out of Miku's weakened embrace. She felt it as she spoke–Miku's body had gone limp. Hibiki propped her friend up and realized that she had simply passed out from exhaustion. Her face lightened into a smile. Despite the events that had just transpired, something about this felt normal. Like their lives before they were consumed by darkness.

A short distance away on the road where Ogawa's car still sat in its ruined state, a woman with blonde hair smiled as she turned her back to the forest. In her hands she clutched a long white staff, which she spun before tucking under her arm. She wore jet black clothing–a short dress, a sun hat, high heels, and sunglasses–but around one arm hung a small pink purse. From within it a cell phone rang.

#### Chapter 5

It didn't take too much longer for Tsubasa to return in a car driven by Fujitaka. Miku was still asleep as they approached, so Hibiki had to carry her friend to the car and strap her in; Fujitaka had offered to carry her instead, but Tsubasa stopped him. Before Hibiki had even really been able to process all that she had seen earlier in the day, she found herself in a small elevator tucked away in a corner of Lydian Private Music Academy's clean halls.

"You're going to want to hold on to something." Fujitaka explained. He shuffled behind her as he grabbed hold of a pipe on the wall. "I'll make sure Kohinata doesn't fall off."

Hibiki had Miku slung over her back. Miku slept surprisingly peacefully, occasionally muttering Hibiki's name as she travelled through her dreams, though Hibiki was struggling to keep her balance due to both Miku's weight and the fatigue that began to encroach on her mind. Still, following Fujitaka's advice–and as she watched Tsubasa do the same across from her–Hibiki gripped the wall as well.

And a second later understood why.

With a shake, the elevator descended at an incredible speed. Had she not taken hold of the handle on the wall, Hibiki was sure that she would have become a splat of paint on the ceiling. She couldn't help herself–she screamed as loud as she could. This forced Miku awake with a start who immediately slammed her head into the wall as she jolted, unsure of where she was. It was a chaotic mess of errors, and Tsubasa couldn't help but plant her palm against her face in disgust.

The elevator began to slow after a while, and Hibiki looked out of the grated windows surrounding her. The scenery was amazing–the walls of the elevator shaft were painted and carved with brilliant designs. "Pretty cool, right?" Fujitaka, too, was looking at the walls. "Apparently they're remnants from an ancient civilization–one who created the relics that the Symphogears are made from. Or something like that, anyway. I'm not too sure of the details, that's Dr. Sakurai's area of expertise."

Miku, who took the time now that the elevator had slowed to climb off Hibiki's back, rubbed the part of her head that she had hit on the wall. "So this Dr. Sakurai person, they created the Symphogears right? They must be pretty amazing."

Fujitaka looked away with a wry look in his eye. "Amazing is definitely one way to describe her. She's..." Fumbling for the words, the elevator finally stopped. "She's something."

As Fujitaka's words exited his mouth, the door to the elevator slid open. Hibiki and Miku could see a number of people clad in blue suits–all identical to that worn by Fujitaka–tapping on computer keyboards, but it was the imposing man in the centre that drew her attention.

"I'm home." Fujitaka playfully said as he stepped out of the elevator. He chuckled under his breath as no one responded to him and slowly made his way over to an empty station. Tsubasa followed him out of the elevator, but Miku and Hibiki were hesitant. Or, rather, Hibiki was hesitant–Hibiki could sense in her posture that Miku was examining everything she could about the room.

"We brought Kohinata and Tachibana." Tsubasa announced, walking up to the giant man with the red mane of a lion. "How is Ogawa doing?"

The tall man did not turn away from the screen he was staring at. Hibiki could see footage–presumably live footage–of the area that they had just been in. Signs of battle were apparent, but a tow truck now had Ogawa's damaged car lifted out of its spot in the cement wall. "Ogawa's condition is fine. Kanade wanted to speak with him." He sighed, and finally turned around.

Hibiki could feel herself stiffen in the man's gaze. At first glance, the man she assumed to be Genjuro Kazanari appeared to be incredibly intimidating. His square jaw was clenched and his eyes narrowed, but there was something there beneath it that felt kind. Hibiki took a step forwards, finally exiting the elevator, and Miku followed suit. As they finally stepped into the light, the man smiled. As she thought, Hibiki noticed that his smile was warm, friendly even. He laughed. "What a way to be introduced to you two."

Hibiki and Miku were both confused, and Hibiki even tilted his head. Tsubasa, who had been on her way towards a door, turned her head over her shoulder and sighed before finally exiting. "Apologies." Then came another chuckle. "Allow me to introduce myself: I am Genjuro Kazanari, the current commander of Sector Two."

"I'm Hibiki Tachibana." The girl with light brown hair introduced herself first. "And this is Miku Kohinata."

"You two really are quite impressive, you know." Genjuro said, looking the girls up and down. "With some training, the two of you could be some great fighters. Ah, but I'm getting carried away now. I wanted to speak to you too–I've got some questions I'd like answered."

"I have questions of my own, as well." Miku finally spoke up.

"I'm sure the two of you have a lot you'd like to ask me." Genjuro glanced up at Fujitaka, who nodded as they made eye contact. "Very well. There are some couches over there, why don't you girls sit."

Hibiki was too confused to argue, and Miku followed behind her friend as her shadow. The two silently passed through the large room–Hibiki could swear that she was being watched by all of the workers as she did so–and sat down on one of the couches. Genjuro strolled up a moment later.

"Truthfully, I'd been hoping that Ryoko would be here for this, but she had some urgent family business to attend to. Not that I haven't tried calling her multiple times since your... impressive work, out there." Genjuro stood in front of the two girls and started rambling without even a proper start to the conversation.

"You know chief, I know talking seriously isn't your strong suit. Just say what you want to say already." From behind Genjuro came a voice, and Hibiki and Miku leaned slightly to get a glimpse of Kanade rolling up in her wheelchair, Tsubasa beside her. "It's great to see you two again, and you're already making waves too."

Genjuro cleared his throat. "Very well. Originally I wanted to call you here to see if you were compatible with the Symphogear relics, but... well, now we know that Kohinata is at least. Somehow." Genjuro turned to the two Zwei Wing members. "Did Ryoko give you any ideas as to why she was so insistent on us bringing them in?"

Tsubasa sighed. "She had a theory about the two of them." Looking at Hibiki and Miku, she addressed them directly. "You two were pretty out of it at the time, so I wouldn't suppose you remember being rained down upon by shrapnel?"

Miku nodded. "I saw Kanade's spear get knocked away and it broke part of the overhang above us."

Tsubasa continued. "Right. Kanade's Symphogear was forcibly deactivated at the same time. Whenever that happens, there tend to be some... issues. Sakurai believed that, mixed in with the shrapnel from the venue's wall, you were also buffetted by part of Gungnir itself."

"Wait, when did she tell you all this, Tsubasa?" Kanade leaned in, giving her an accusatory look with her one eye.

Tsubasa turned away quickly. "I just happened to overhear her muttering to herself."

"So she likely thought that, if their surgeries had neglected to remove any shards of Gungnir, they would likely be able to wield the Symphogear to some extent. Or at least have some sort of connection that could be boosted through LiNKER." Genjuro wondered aloud. He shook his head. "It's impossible to know what that woman's thinking. I wouldn't put it past her if she figured you'd be able to activate the Gungnir shards in your own body to create your own Symphogear as well." He sighed.

"Umm... Mr. Kazanari--" Hibiki started, but Genjuro stopped her with a flick of his wrist.

"Feel free to call me Genjuro."

"Alright then, Genjuro. Why did you offer to let us work with you?"

Genjuro looked down. "Truthfully, I feel guilty. The Zwei Wing concert that the two of you had attended, we... we were beneath it, conducting an experiment. We were hoping to use the symphonic gain from Tsubasa and Kanade's singing to activate a relic, but we didn't account for the possibility of Noise appearing. I can't shake the feeling that perhaps they had been drawn towards the relic as it resonated with them. And the two of you were the only ones to directly see the Symphogears in action so I did a bit of investigating and learned about your circumstances." Genjuro, the tall imposing man with the hair and beard of a lion, lowered his head in an apology. "From the bottom of my heart, I would like to apologize to the two of you for what we put you through. I take full responsibility for the aftermath of that event and–as unfounded as it may be–the appearance of the Noise at the concert."

The four girls were all dumbstruck; no, every worker in the room was completely silent. The air was still, cool. Everyone liked Genjuro, with his near-obsessive love for action movies and his near-infinite amount of passion for bringing peace to the world, but no one had expected him to not only say something so serious but to also take full responsibility for the tragedy that ruined the lives of the girls he had invited into a top secret facility deep underneath a high school.

"And to top it all off, the relic you were testing ended up going missing in the chaos." Tsubasa grumbled beneath her breath.

Genjuro ignored that comment, instead continuing his speech to Miku and Hibiki. "I know the two of you will probably never be able to forgive us for what we put you through but I thought one way to make it up to you would be to extend our hands to you in an alliance. Of course, I'd love to do the same to all victims of the tragedy, but that would be impossible for us at this time."

"Genjuro." Hibiki said, standing up. "Even knowing that you might have attracted the Noise to the concert, I'd never blame anyone for the tragedy that happened. The only ones at fault were the Noise–no one could know where they would appear or when."

Miku was silent, though. She stared straight at Hibiki standing in front of her, then turned to Genjuro as well. Her eyes were sad. After the tragedy that occurred at that concert, she had lost everything. At school she and Hibiki had become victims of bullying of the worst degree by both students and teachers, she had been cast aside from the track team that she had loved to compete on, and her parents had even fled out of her life in the worst way possible. The only light in her life was Hibiki Tachibana, the girl she loved.

"I will do anything for you, Hibiki." Those were the only words Miku said. Hibiki turned around with a shocked look on her face, but Genjuro and the two girls behind him just closed their eyes. They understood.

"Now, Kohinata, if you're serious about wielding the power within you, then I'm going to give you the appropriate training." Genjuro smiled, but Tsubasa just had an annoyed look on her face.

Kanade, in stark contrast, smiled. "You're going to love his training."

#### Chapter 6

For the next year, Genjuro Kazanari trained Miku Kohinata and Hibiki Tachibana in combat skills. Though they expected it to be an arduous ordeal, they were shocked to learn that a majority of their time would be spent watching action films. On occasion Genjuro would have Miku assist Tsubasa in combat whenever Noise would appear, though he stressed that he didn't want her to go into battle unprepared and was hesitant to send her in. For that same reason, he didn't even allow Hibiki to touch Kanade's Symphogear pendant; he worried that, should she be able to link with the relic, then he'd be unable to keep the two girls from running off on their own.

The two girls also met Ryoko Sakurai, much to their dismay. The excitable doctor was all smiles as she poked and prodded at Hibiki and Miku's bodies, wondering what secrets they may be holding within them thanks to the shards of Gungnir potentially lodged within. Though she had attempted time and time again to "experiment" on the girls, Genjuro–or either of the two Zwei Wing idols–would step in with a cough, though even Miku had begun to develop a cold gaze whenever Sakurai was in the vicinity.

In-between bouts of training, Sector Two had arranged for Hibiki and Miku to be privately tutored. They couldn't go to their old school–for obvious reasons–and enrolling them in a new academy was seen as inefficient, especially since they'd only be there for a handful of months before graduating. Once the time came, Miku and Hibiki were able to attend Lydian Private Music Academy, finally giving them a chance to once again act as normal girls their age. The two had even managed to make some friends within their class, despite their need to keep secrets.

For a while, Hibiki began to feel as though her world was slowly becoming normal. A new, strange kind of normal, but normal nonetheless. The walls that she and Miku had been forced to build within their hearts were being torn down–if only slightly. Even some of Kanade's injuries had begun to heal, so she and Tsubasa were also returning to their own kind of normal–her eye would forever be useless, but Kanade could now walk, though she lacked stamina after being forced into a wheelchair for so many months.

Whenever the Noise wasn't attacking–which was increasingly rarer, Hibiki found–the girls of Sector Two were finally beginning to find their own crazy senses of happiness.

. . .

"Well, you seem to be all good and healthy again, Hibiki. Your muscle mass is increasing, too." Sakurai stated while looking at a checklist. Beside her, Hibiki climbed off of the bed she was laying on–a bed that was encircled by a strange device that Hibiki initially (and according to Sakurai, erroneously) believed to be an x-ray machine. "Of course, you have yet to be able to use a Symphogear, so it's not all that surprising. Still, it's good to be cautious."

Hibiki nodded, clutching her hospital gown closed. "How is Miku doing, by the way?"

In the few times Miku was allowed to use her Symphogear, she'd always assured Hibiki that she was alright afterwards. But Hibiki could tell that something was wrong with her friend. Over the months since the Zwei Wing Tragedy, Hibiki noticed Miku's original, kind self be twisted by despair. She first became withdrawn and quiet, almost like a doll that had been abandoned, but now she sensed something else. She knew that Miku had developed a hatred for humanity as a whole–one Hibiki disapproved of silently–but there seemed to be something beyond that. An emptiness; not like before where she turned her sadness inwards. No, Hibiki could sense nothing.

"Miku's vitals all seem to be in order as well." Sakurai assured Hibiki as she flipped through her pages. "No injuries to speak of. She's all good as well."

Hibiki asked about Miku every time the two of them were looked over, and every time Sakurai would say the same thing: Miku was fine. Hibiki knew that, from the mouth of the doctor that Sector Two held in such high regard, then there couldn't be any error. She sighed. "I'm glad to hear that."

"Speaking of which, have you seen Miku around?" Hibiki asked, but Ryoko Sakurai didn't get a chance to answer that question. As the words were leaving Hibiki's mouth, the room was bathed in an eerie red light. A siren blared–they both knew what that meant.

Hibiki quickly changed into her school uniform and dashed into the main room of Sector Two. "What's going on?" Hibiki saw Genjuro and Kanade, looking at the large monitor, standing side-by-side. Kanade looked over her shoulder and, with a small jerk of her chin, pointed Hibiki towards the monitor.

"We're under attack!" Genjuro announced to the room–or, rather, to Hibiki and Sakurai, who had just entered.

Kanade could walk and run now, but she lacked balance and stamina; trying to walk without the added depth perception that two useful eyes grant also made her feet unsteady. Genjuro had been having her go through physical rehabilitation, but Kanade was certainly not ready for a fight. Genjuro and Kanade both knew this, and the latter could see the distress on Genjuro's face as he mulled over the situation.

On the screen Tsubasa was spinning around upside-down, cutting down an army of Noise that surrounded Lydian Academy. "What about the students?" Hibiki asked, thinking about her new classmates. She hadn't been able to get particularly close to anyone other than Miku, but she (and Miku) had managed to make three new friends since starting school: Shiroi Terashima, Yumi Itaba, and Kuriyo Ando. Hibiki pictured their faces as she frantically looked at the scene playing out on the screen.

"Unfortunately the Noise appeared without warning and some people had been outside..." Kanade said, her gaze turning downcast. As she said this, Hibiki saw Tsubasa blow some carbon dust up into the air with a leap; the sign that people had indeed been eviscerated by the Noise's fatal touch.

Genjuro elicited some hope in Hibiki, who had gasped in horror at Kanade's words. "It was a teacher and two third year students. The rest of Lydian has been safely evacuated to a bunker we had built for such an occasion."

"Thank goodness." Hibiki breathed a sigh of relief, before finally taking in the situation as a whole. Tsubasa was fighting on the screen, and she stood alongside Sakurai, Genjuro, and Kanade in the command centre. That meant.... "Where's Miku?"

Almost as if Fujitaka had been waiting for her to ask, he pointed at the screen as the view split in two. Though they weren't physically together, Hibiki saw Tsubasa and Miku standing as if they were side-by-side. They seemed to be fairly far apart–Tsubasa was out in front of the school, beneath the corridors that connected the two halves of the school together, while Miku was fighting Noise on the oddly-shaped running track tucked away behind the academy. As with every other time Hibiki had seen Miku make use of her Symphogear, her lips were pursed together seriously; she had never seen Miku sing once, whereas Tsubasa always did.

"I'm picking up something on our radar–it's not Noise." Tomosato announced, and a small window opened up between the two girls. It showed a map of the area around Lydian. Tsubasa and Miku were marked with white dots within circles of red–Hibiki knew the red symbolized the Noise–but there was a third marking not too far away from the school. "It doesn't appear to be Noise."

"Want me to go check it out, chief?" Kanade muttered. She knew the risks of asking, and she knew what his answer would be, but she hated being forced to the sidelines. *I can't avenge my family by doing nothing.* Kanade pushed her anger down as she waited for his answer.

"It's too dangerous for you to go, but Tsubasa and Kohinata shouldn't abandon each other, or the school, either." Genjuro mused. He closed his eyes as he thought, his large arms crossed against his chest.

Hibiki knew it was time for her to speak up. "What if I go?"

"We still don't know if you can use a Symphogear. If... whatever that is turns out to be dangerous, you won't be able to defend yourself." Genjuro shot her down immediately, without even looking at her. Hibiki had known that she was even less likely to get a go-ahead from Genjuro, but she felt like she needed to ask anyway.

"No that's not exactly true."

Hibiki's head tilted upwards as Kanade spoke up a few seconds later. "It'd be dangerous if that is Noise, but if it's another person–or something else entirely–she should be able to defend herself enough to not get killed." Kanade smiled as she turned towards Genjuro. "Or do you not have enough faith in your training."

"The possibility that it is a Noise is low, but not impossible." Genjuro countered with a shout, then sighed. "Kanade, Tachibana. You two, go check that out together. But remember: only engage in combat if absolutely necessary. You two are in no shape to be in a fight, so flee if you can. I'll have Tsubasa and Kohinata back you up once the Noise here settles down."

. . .

Hibiki looked around the area. Coincidentally, it was the exact same area where she had been forced to flee from Noise only a year prior. Since then, all damage that had been dealt to the area had been repaired and Ogawa had been given a replacement car, but Hibiki could still picture the fiery wreck parked inside of the concrete wall that she and Kanade now stood beside.

Genjuro's loud voice resonated through the earpiece she wore as he began to speak. "The two of you should be nearing the location now." This was followed by Tomosato confirming that the unknown signal was still active and in the same area. "Remember–"

"Yeah, we know. Don't fight unless absolutely necessary." Kanade said, brushing her boss off. Despite the fairly easygoing look on her face despite the circumstances, Kanade had stumbled six times and tripped once just on their way over here. Her lack of stamina was also apparent from the way Hibiki noticed that her forehead was sparkling from heavy sweat. They really couldn't afford to get into trouble.

"See anything?" Hibiki asked Kanade as she scoured the area. There was a blanket of trees in the area below them, so whatever they had found could hide easily.

An explosion echoed from behind them–back towards Lydian–and almost immediately Hibiki heard Fujitaka through her earpiece. "Don't worry, everything's fine."

"Tsubasa really can be reckless sometimes." Kanade scratched her head in response, apparently being able to picture whatever had transpired at the school nearby. Then, turning to Hibiki, she made a suggestion. "We're not getting anything from here. Let's go down into the forest."

Hibiki nodded–she had thought the same thing. While it increased the chances of the two of them getting into danger, standing around on the road was getting them nowhere.

Hibiki felt a strange sense of déjà vu as she carefully made her way down the steep hill. She held Kanade's hand as she did so, trying to keep the idol she had gone to see all that time ago steady as she clumsily fumbled her way down. With no errors–surprisingly–the two of them descended to the ground below and entered the forest.

"Tomosato." Kanade touched her earpiece. "What are the coordinates of the signal."

"They're... wait. The signal's moving, it's... look out!"

Kanade leapt into action at the last possible second. Pushing Hibiki aside, she dove in the opposite direction just as the spot they had been standing in exploded. Hibiki covered her face with her arm as dirt pelted her body, and she coughed as she inhaled a cloud of dust let up from the earth.

"An Aufwachen Waveform?" Genjuro screamed in confusion in Hibiki's ear. "The two of you need to escape, now."

Hibiki climbed to her feet and looked for Kanade, ignoring Genjuro's order. She saw Kanade on the ground not too far, clutching her foot, which was now painting the grass red with blood. Kanade chuckled as she saw Hibiki looking at her in worry. "I have really got to stop getting hurt around you." Shaking her foot, Kanade slowly stood up as well, wincing as she gained balance. Hibiki couldn't stand doing nothing for her though, and helped Kanade stand up straight. "At least you're safe."

"Tch." The third party finally revealed themselves, albeit only with a click of their tongue. They were shrouded in the cover of the trees, but Hibiki and Kanade could make out a shape of a girl. She lowered the crossbow she had pointed towards them. "You two aren't even the ones I'm supposed to be going after."

"You're the one that we're supposed to be going after, though." Kanade announced, pushing away from Hibiki. She clutched the pendant around her neck–the small red crystal that was the Symphogear known as Gungnir.

*Croitzal ronzell Gungnir zizzl*

Kanade sang four words and was engulfed with light for just a moment. Hibiki had a flashback as she saw the attire that Kanade's clothing transformed into. For just a moment she found herself back at the Zwei Wing concert, standing in horror beside Miku as Noise was about to attack them. She shook her head.

"My, my. The washed up idol still knows how to sing." The mysterious girl chuckled. "Maybe I'll be able to have some fun after all."

The girl finally stepped out into the sunlight, and Hibiki took in her appearance as best she could. She wore what looked like a crown of red and black rockets around her head of white hair, and this set the standard for the rest of her outfit. A dark red–almost black–leotard that exposed her cleavage with white plating around her hips and giant red gem-like protrusions extending from her back out past her legs. It was, without a doubt, a Symphogear.

Kanade stumbled a bit as she readied her spear, taking up a defensive position, but no attack came.

Instead, the girl just burst out into laughter. "You can't even hold your Armed Gear correctly! How do you expect to fight me?"

"I don't need to win." Kanade lowered her gaze, her eyes clouding over with a darkness. "I just need to buy time."

"Very well." The girl in the red Symphogear calmed herself and readied her crossbow, but Kanade was faster. The girl with the orange hair dashed forwards, her movements surprisingly steady. This threw the mysterious new Symphogear wielder off-guard as she struggled to properly aim her crossbow. Kanade, as she rushed towards the girl, began to sing.

*Kimi to iu oto tsumugu tame

Futari de ayunda tsugau ashiato wa

Bōgyaku kara umaredeta

Zankoku ga nomikomu*

Hibiki could only watch the sight in front of her. The clumsiness that Kanade had in her movements before had ceased entirely as she put the pressure on her enemy. With quick stabs and fierce slashes, Kanade clearly had power behind each of her attacks... but Hibiki felt that she was impatient. The white-haired girl seemed to sense this as well, as she just dodged each of Kanade's strikes with ease.

"Tachibana, get out of there!" Genjuro ordered Hibiki through her earpiece.

"No. Kanade's not acting right. This is bad." Hibiki muttered in response, unsure if Genjuro could hear her on the other side.

Indeed, it was bad. Kanade was only getting more and more frustrated as her spear cleaved through the air time and time again. Her enemy chuckled, taunting her. "You clearly don't have 20/20 vision... Oh wait, make that 20/0 vision."

Hibiki then understood why Kanade was frustrated. She wasn't mad at the girl, she was mad at herself. She couldn't protect Hibiki before and even now, when she could, she ended up getting wounded herself. Kanade must have felt as though she was getting weaker with each passing day. Not to mention, Hibiki remembered, Kanade was likely running on an empty battery; she had clearly been tired even before climbing down the hill. She was likely straining her body well past its abilities.

"Kanade, what are you doing?" Genjuro was frantic. Instead of yelling at Hibiki–who ignored him–to leave, he now yelled at Kanade–who also ignored him–for answers. But it was futile. Hibiki wasn't even sure if Kanade could hear him over the blood rushing to her head in anger.

This continued for a few more moments, and Hibiki clutched her chest tight. She wanted to help, but she knew that she'd only be getting in the way. She had no Symphogear, no weapon to fight. She had her fists, but against someone with a crossbow she would be no match.

Eventually Kanade succumbed to her fatigue, and stood limply as she breathed heavily. She couldn't catch her breath, and her spear hung lazily by her side. Needless to say, Kanade couldn't sing any longer. Her enemy just laughed. "Done already? That was pretty boring."

The girl with the white hair did something remarkably simple after that: she just walked straight up to Kanade and kicked her. With the power of the Symphogear on her side, the girl's kick had remarkable strength and Kanade went sailing through the air as it connected with her chest. Hibiki scrambled in an attempt to catch Kanade and ease her fall, wanting to be of some use, but did not anticipate Kanade's weight forcing her to the ground as they collided.

"Wow, this is pathetic. A useless former idol and a girl who can't even use a Symphogear. And here I thought you guys were supposed to be tough." The girl chuckled, looking down upon Hibiki and Kanade–literally and figuratively. She didn't even aim her crossbow at the two of them, despite Hibiki and Kanade being incredibly easy targets in their collapsed state. "I'm going to go see how the others are doing, now. I've had enough here."

"Wait!"

Hibiki and the white-haired girl were shocked as the word carried through the air. Kanade climbed to her feet, a trail of blood dripping from her mouth.

"No, Kanade, don't!" Genjuro shouted. Hibiki could hear him scrambling on the other end of the earpiece. "Get a medical team over there, stat. Kanade, you better not be thinking of doing what I think you are."

Kanade smiled. It was not cocky, nor happy–her smile was grim. "Sorry chief."

Hibiki didn't understand what was going to happen, but she knew that she needed to stop it. She climbed up to her feet and tried to grab Kanade's hand, but the idol pulled it away at the last second. "You might want to get back." Hibiki was told as Kanade slowly stumbled forwards. Even the white-haired girl just watched in surprise as the girl with no more strength in her body stumbled forwards like a zombie. It was a terrifying sight–one that Hibiki also found to be beautiful in its own way.

Kanade just kept walking forwards towards the girl, dropping her spear onto the ground. She was leaving herself open to attack, but her enemy didn't do anything. She just watched, seemingly aware of what she was about to do but unable to move on her own.

Then, once again, Kanade began to sing.

*Gatrandis babel ziggurat edenal

Emustolronzen Finé el balal zizzl

Gatrandis babel ziggurat edenal

Emustolronzen Finé el zizzl*

The world was still for what seemed to be an eternity. Silence enveloped Hibiki, Kanade, and the girl in red. Hibiki felt as though the world had died in the forever that followed–a forever that lasted a mere three seconds. She closed her eyes to blink...

...Then opened them again several hours later.

#### Chapter 7

At the time, the girl named Chris Yukine could only stare and watch the idol standing before her. Kanade Amou, the girl was strong–no, she had been strong. She was told that Kanade's strength rivalled even that of Tsubasa Kazanari despite not being someone who could naturally link with a Symphogear. She had underestimated her, and only watched as she sang her Superb Song.

Chris hadn't expected that from the idol. The Superb Song is the most powerful weapon of any Symphogear user, but it comes at a great cost. Without proper–and immediate–medical treatment, using the Superb Song would cause enough backlash to out-right kill or even wholly disintegrate the user. It was not something to be used lightly.

So, of course, Chris hadn't believed that Kanade would use it.

*Gatrandis babel ziggurat edenal

Emustolronzen Finé el balal zizzl

Gatrandis babel ziggurat edenal

Emustolronzen Finé el zizzl*

The words exited Kanade's mouth and Chris felt it immediately. Pain rocked her body from all angles; no, she felt pain resonate out from within her, as well. The power of the Superb Song was intense. Chris was strong, and she had suffered through more pain than most other humans, but even she was no match for the Symphogear's true power.

Kanade's song launched her away, sending her crashing through tree after tree. Splinters of wood pierced her skin, but they were nothing compared to the pain of the Superb Song. It overtook all of Chris's other senses.

She didn't know how long she had been laying there. At some point, Chris had landed in a clearing of the forest, staring up at the sky. Stars were beginning to pinprick the darkening view above, but Chris didn't want to move. To other people, the view above her might have been beautiful, but Chris couldn't do anything but remember the darkness that she had seen in adults for most of her life. The stars that lit the night sky should have been bits of hope piercing through the despair she had felt after her parents died, but she snuffed those out quickly. It was better to wallow silently in despair than be disappointed when the help you hoped would come didn't.

And it was because of that despair that she found herself lying on the ground now. She had drowned in hopelessness and been crushed by despair for years only to suddenly be offered salvation by her current master. No, not a master. To her, the woman who took Chris in was nothing short of a god. No longer would she be manhandled and used like a tool, passed around and tossed out when the time came. No, she was treated with care. Pain is the only way for humans to connect, Chris believed, and her new master cared for her deeper than anyone else in the world.

Her body ached, but she welcomed the pain as she gazed into the abyss above her, and she closed her eyes. Under the cover of night, Chris Yukine felt herself fall into a deep sleep.

She didn't even hear the voices of the Sector Two agents as they closed in on her location.

. . .

Hibiki laid on a bed. Her body, like Chris's, also ached profusely. Hibiki tried to move her hand but felt it clasped between something; carefully craning her neck in a way that didn't cause too much strife, she saw Miku sitting beside her, asleep, with her hand trapped beneath Miku's in her lap. She smiled.

"Good morning, Miku." She whispered softly. Hibiki wasn't even sure if it was morning. The room she was in had no windows and was aglow thanks to the white fluorescent lights hanging above. Hibiki knew she must have been in Sector Two's underground headquarters. She stared at Miku's sleeping face and just thought about how cute she looked.

"Oh good, you're awake." Hibiki tilted her head in the opposite direction as she heard the voice of Sakurai break apart her thoughts. The doctor, who just walked in through a nearby door, held yet another clipboard, no doubt with Hibiki's vitals plastered on it.

"What... what happened?" The scene that played before Hibiki blacked out replayed in her mind. The stillness, the silence, the pain... She sat up suddenly, recalling the catalyst for all of this. This sudden movement both sent pain shooting up through Hibiki's body and awoke Miku. "Where's Kanade?"

Sakurai looked to the side. "Well... Kanade's alive, is the good news. The bad news is that she's currently comatose and in surgery."

"What did she do? That... song she sang."

"What song?" Miku muttered, her mind groggy.

"Kanade sang the Superb Song. It's the ultimate power of the Symphogear. The song overloads the phonic gain from within the singer's body and creates an explosion through the air. It's extremely powerful, but also extremely dangerous. It can kill you if your compatibility with your Symphogear isn't high enough."

"I didn't understand any of that." Hibiki admitted after a few seconds of silence. Sakurai groaned as she pressed her clipboard against her head.

Miku, even in her sleepy state, rubbed her eyes with a yawn before hugging the girl laying next to her. "I'm so glad you're safe, Hibiki!"

Hibiki smiled as she breathed in the familiar scent of her best friend.

"Oh and about that other girl." Sakurai started speaking again, and both Hibiki and Miku looked up at her. "We found her in the forest and have taken her in. If you want, you can talk to her; she's in one of the dorms."

"You gave our enemy a room?" Miku asked, her voice metallic as she glared coolly at Sakurai.

"That was Genjuro's idea. I don't know for sure but I think there's a story between them." Sakurai smiled, backing out of the room. "Chris Yukine's her name, by the way. Feel free to say ‘hi' for me if you go see her."

. . .

Chris Yukine was confused. When she awoke, she found herself in a nice bedroom–one not her own. She hadn't had a room of her own like this since she was young, back when her parents were still alive. The only parts of her situation that she understood were the silver brick that encased her hands and the fact that her Symphogear pendant was missing.

"I'm coming in."

A voice from beyond the white door. Chris couldn't say no of course–she was a prisoner–but she could stay silent. She turned her back from the door, sulking as she looked at the handcuffs.

"Chris Yukine. I'm so glad you're safe!"

That voice. Chris realized that she'd heard that voice before. The brief feeling of familiarity forced her gaze to land on the man who just walked into the room: Genjuro Kazanari.

"Genjuro Kazanari?" Chris recalled his name as she took him in. It had been a long time since she had first met Genjuro, but he still looked almost the exact same.

"So you do remember me then? I'm very glad." He had a very kind, warm smile on his face despite the fact that he was talking to a prisoner.

About ten years ago, before Chris's parents were killed in an explosion, they had been working with Sector Two.

Masanori and Sonnet M. Yukine were famous musicians who donated a large sum of money to charities over the course of their lives. Wanting to do more for the world, the Yukine pair decided to use the power of music to bring peace, hoping that, through songs, they could bring together opponents and end wars. Around the same time they had decided to travel to the South American country of Val Verde to try and amend the civil disagreements that had spiralled into a war, Sector Two had contacted them. Their goals aligned, albeit in different ways–they wanted to bring peace to the world through songs.

Chris went with her parents to that one meeting with Genjuro. It was a short meeting, but Chris remembered it well. She remembered being scared of the large Genjuro Kazanari, seeing him as a fiery lion, but his smile warmed her heart. She could feel that warmth radiating from him, just as she could from her parents. He was kind. Chris was a young child at the time, around six years old, but he also treated her with the same respect he gave her parents.

Genjuro and Chris's parents had planned to speak more once they returned from Val Verde in three months' time–a meeting that would never come to pass–and even set up correspondence for them with the United Nations through their government connections.

Chris's heart felt warm at the sight of Genjuro as memories bubbled to the surface, but on the outside she scowled. "I don't want to see you." Chris growled as she turned her head away.

It wasn't entirely true, nor was it entirely false. His appearance brought to mind her parents, which were all memories she treasured, but her heart ached. She felt betrayed by him. He was supposed to meet with her parents again three months after they travelled to Val Verde, so why... "Why didn't you do anything to help me? Don't you know how much I suffered after my parents died? I hate adults."

Her thoughts leaked from her mouth as she angrily began to rant. Chris felt tears paint her cheeks as she shouted, but paid them no mind. "I was alone, the orphanage I got sent to was taken over by the rebels. I was sold into slavery... And you never did anything! Did you even care about meeting with my parents again? About me?"

Genjuro sat down on the ground next to her and placed his hand on her head. She glanced over at him and saw the gleam of tears welling in his eyes as well. "After I heard your parents had been killed in a bombing, I did everything in my power to find you. I travelled to Val Verde, I spent over a year there, looking for you. Even though I couldn't remain there, I kept doing everything in my power. Nobody even knew if you were alive, but I kept looking as much as I could."

Chris felt herself actually crying now, sobbing, but Genjuro kept talking. "I never once gave up hope that I'd find you. Your parents' goal in life was the same as our own, so I felt a kinship with you from the moment we met, Chris." Chris's eyes were full of tears now. She couldn't see anything, but she felt it as his giant arms embraced her in a way she hadn't felt in years. Every time someone touched her it was with force, with no disregard for how she felt. But Genjuro wasn't like anyone else. He hugged her like a parent would hug their child. She could picture her father in Genjuro's place, and this is what broke her.

She finally gave in to her emotions and sobbed, screaming out in sadness.

On the other side of the closed door, Ryoko Sakurai smiled as she leaned her back against the cool metal. "Sometimes things work out better than you hope." She whispered, bringing a pen to her lips.

. . .

Chris Yukine didn't know how long she had been crying, but her face hurt and her vision was fuzzy. Genjuro was still beside her, but no longer hugging her. Instead, he was fiddling with the handcuffs that he had removed from her hands.

"I don't think I'll ever be able to apologize to you enough for what you went through. And I can't force you to believe what I told you, but I want you to know that I honestly, truly, have never forgotten you." Genjuro's warm smile returned, and Chris wiped her eyes with her trembling fingers. "That said, I am curious. What were you doing out there? With a Symphogear, no less?"

Chris had completely forgotten about that. She had been in a fight with a Symphogear user–Kanade Amou–and she was likely working with Genjuro, if him being here meant anything. That meant that she was fighting against Genjuro. Chris felt guilty about that, knowing now that he had been trying his hardest to help her, but above all she felt conflicted. Her master had been the first person since her parents to show her kindness, but Genjuro had shown her kindness even before their death. She wanted to repay both of them for their impact on her life.

"My... current master," Chris started and immediately noticed a slight twitch in Genjuro's eye at that third word. "She taught me about the Symphogears, told me that with them we could build a world where no one would have to go through the horrors I did. I wanted to carry on my parents' mission with her."

"Who is this woman?"

"Her name was..." Chris hesitated. Revealing the woman's name could ruin their plans but... to repay Genjuro for his kindness, was it worth it? She thought for a moment, then opened her mouth. "I need to know, first: can I achieve my parents' mission with you? To bring peace to the world through music, and prevent people from going through what I did?"

Genjuro nodded. "Our goal, too, is to bring peace to the world, and, as you know, the Symphogears can assist in this. I will forever extend my hand to you, Chris. It's the least I could do for failing you."

Genjuro lowered his head in a bow. He was sincere in his apology. "I believe you." Chris answered. She steeled herself, aware that giving her master's name could be dangerous. Regardless, it was something she needed to do. "Her name is Finé."

"Finé." The large man repeated. "The end."

With that, he stood up. "Chris Yukine, please don't leave this room for a while. Not until I inform the others that you wish to join us. That said, if there's anything you need, feel free to call." He pointed to an intercom on the wall. "I'm sure you're hungry, too, so I'll have some food brought here in a bit."

Chris nodded silently, her eyes still glaringly red but a small smile on her face. "I will."

Genjuro smiled back. "Welcome to Sector Two, Chris Yukine."

#### Chapter 8

Chris Yukine clutched her head. She couldn't believe what had just happened. No, she couldn't accept it at all. Chris had gone through trauma after trauma, never once revealing a single weakness to anyone, but all it took was one familiar face for her to break? She shuddered at the power that Genjuro Kazanari held. "Is it really just because his smile reminds me of my father?" She wondered aloud as she wiped the remaining tears from her eyes.

As she was wallowing in her thoughts, Chris heard the door open again–and this time two sets of footsteps echoed around her. "Hello?" A voice called out behind her. She recognized it–it was one of the girls whom she met in the forest.

"What do you want?" Chris asked, her back to the two behind her.

"We just ran into Genjuro. He told us you're going to be working with us from now on, so we thought we'd come introduce ourselves to you."

Chris sighed. She didn't expect Genjuro to spread the news slowly–or rather, she hoped she'd be able to get all of this out of the way. She still couldn't believe that, in the heat of the moment, she'd agreed to betray her beloved master, the only one who'd shown her compassion. She spat her name out. "Chris Yukine."

"Oh! I'm Hibiki Tachibana." The familiar voice trailed off, clearly waiting for her friend to follow up. She didn't though, and Chris too remained silent.

Then, Chris heard a familiar sound. It was one she heard on occasion, though something very important was missing. At the same time, she heard the weird girl–Hibiki Tachibana–make a strange noise, as if confused, then shout. "Miku, what are you doing?"

Chris could sense it without even needing to look: the girl's Armed Gear was pointed directly at her. It wasn't making contact with Chris, but she felt the weapon–which she had seen herself while she watched the Symphogear candidates of Sector Two fight the Noise only a short while ago–piercing her heart. She could feel sweat run down her forehead and her heartbeat hasten, though, oddly enough, Chris's mind felt strangely calm.

"I will not forgive you for allowing Hibiki to get hurt." The girl who hadn't introduced herself to Chris announced. "Friend or foe–I am the shield that will protect the sun."

Chris stifled a chuckle. "Isn't that a bit dramatic?" She giggled. "I get wanting to protect what you're close to, but that line..."

Now she actually did feel the spear's tip prodding her back, just as Hibiki called out her friend's name again. "See to it that you never harm her again." Miku glared down towards the back of Chris's head, burning her cool gaze through the girl's skull.

And a couple seconds later, Chris heard a series of footsteps as Miku exited the room.

"You know," Chris mumbled. "I wasn't even the one who did anything to her."

. . .

Miku looked down at her shoes as she walked, drops of blood being left on the ground behind her like a trail of breadcrumbs. Her fingernails had long dug into her hand as she clenched her fist.

The power of the Symphogear. She wanted to use it to defend Hibiki Tachibana–and she failed. Hibiki had been hurt and ended up in the infirmary with a concussion. If she had been stronger, she could have defeated the Noise sooner and gone to investigate instead; that's what Miku thought.

But she was hesitant. As strong as her desire to protect her friend was, her fear of the Symphogear was perhaps even more apparent.

Every time she activated the power of Gungnir, darkness began to cloud Miku's mind. With each new use of the Symphogear, the shadows would encroach further and further upon her psyche, and she worried that soon the walls that she was forced to put up around her heart after the Zwei Wing tragedy would not be enough to stop it. And she feared that.

She didn't know if Tsubasa, Kanade, or that new girl–Chris–suffered from the same effects or if it was due to her unique circumstances, but it was because of this that Miku kept petitioning to Genjuro to keep Hibiki from trying to activate a Symphogear.

"You don't look so good."

Miku spun on her heel at the words and took in the figure behind her. The voice was familiar to her, yet at the same time the tone was different. Indeed, though the voice seemingly belonged to Ryoko Sakurai, a different woman–albeit one still wearing her clothing–now stood behind her. She had long, light blonde hair with similarly golden eyes that looked weathered. Miku knew this woman was dangerous, yet one thing stopped her from activating her Symphogear: curiosity.

The woman stepped towards Miku, closing the distance in only a few simple steps, but the few seconds it took felt like hours to Miku as she looked into her eyes. Only one word came to mind as she felt her gaze pulled towards the woman–end. "Who are you?" Miku asked, her voice small.

"I'm just someone who shares the same goal as you." The woman's slender finger caressed Miku's face as it made her way down towards her chin. Tilting Miku's face upwards, the woman leaned in to stare deep into the young woman's eyes. "You wish to protect the girl that you love, just as I wish to protect the species I love."

Miku didn't know how to respond to the woman. Instead of speaking, she just continued staring into the void that brought to mind the ‘end.' Sensing that Miku's silence was everlasting, the woman continued. "This world of ours has been cursed. Vexed by a god so cruel as to deny humanity an eternal peace." She lowered her face, as if ready to kiss Miku on the lips. "I wish to see this world free from the chains that bind it. To allow you to express the love you hold so dear to your heart."

For just one second, Miku's resolve faltered. The woman could see it in Miku's eyes as, for the briefest of moments, the storm that clouded her soul cleared to reveal the hope beneath it. The moment should have passed quickly, but it was then that the woman whispered into Miku's ear. "I just need your help, Miku Kohinata."

The lightning that had been striking Miku's heart since the Zwei Wing concert finally subsided temporarily, just enough for the light to return to Miku's cold eyes. She did not smile–no, she didn't even emote. Miku simply responded with a chill hiss. "Tell me how I can help Hibiki."

The woman with blonde hair smiled and spun around. As if her previous appearance had been a mirage, as the woman turned to face Miku again, her face and hair were back to the familiar goofy smile and brown up-do that she associated with Ryoko Sakurai. The doctor held out her hand. "Come with me, Miku."

With the hand that wasn't dripping with blood, Miku slowly reached out.

*I will do* anything *to protect you, Hibiki.*

#### Chapter 9

Hibiki burst into the main room of Sector Two's headquarters as a siren flared. "Has anyone seen Miku?" She yelled over the alarm, a fearful look in her eyes. Behind her, she clutched the hand of an angry–and somewhat flustered–Chris Yukine, who continually tried to pull her hand away from the apparently-stronger girl.

"You brought Chris?" Genjuro asked, but shook his head. "Yes. We know where Miku is. Unfortunately that's why we're now in a state of emergency. Fujitaka!"

As his name was called, Sakuya Fujitaka fumbled a pile of documents he had been holding and spilled them all over the ground around him. Sighing, knowing full well he would have to clean them up when time permitted him, he turned to his keyboard and brought up a video on the main feed. "Twenty-five minutes ago, our security cameras caught this."

The screen showed Ryoko Sakurai approach Miku before her appearance changed drastically. At the sight of the golden-haired woman on the screen, Chris gasped. "Finé!"

Genjuro's eyes narrowed as he stole a quick glance over at the girl in red beside him. Her hand was still trapped within Hibiki's grip, though Chris no longer showed any signs of wanting to escape. Instead, she just stared at the footage, watching as silent words floated from her master's lips. Her eyes, Genjuro could tell, were like those of a lost puppy–confused, scared, but above all reverent towards the woman before them.

Hibiki, too, watched the scene play out and gasped in horror as Finé violated Miku's personal space. The noisy siren was the only sound that filled the room until the moment when Ryoko returned to her normal self, her hand extended. All everyone could do was watch as Miku's hand slowly came to be ensnared within the doctor's own, though Hibiki, perhaps unconsciously, sadly whimpered a single name. "Miku."

And with that, the two in the security camera footage vanished. As their hands intertwined, a circular light enveloped Finé and Miku's feet before the two disappeared. "That light is likely alchemical in nature." Ogawa reported from beside Genjuro. "Just who is Ryoko Sakurai?"

Fujitaka looked up as he gathered the papers on the ground. "Ryoko Sakurai is a real person. A background check must have been conducted on her when she was first brought on as a member of Sector Two. Knowing the higher-ups, they would have sniffed out a false identity with ease." Neatly forming a new stack of papers, he finally climbed back into his chair. "Therefore we can assume that either this Finé woman merely took on Sakurai's appearance in order to infiltrate our command centre, or Sakurai has been masquerading as Finé and not the other way around."

Genjuro grunted in agreement. "Whatever the case may be, we know that Finé had managed to infiltrate our base without our knowledge and that Miku Kohinata is now not only MIA but also potentially working against us. Whether that is of her own free will or not is another story."

"Miku would never work want to fight against us!" Hibiki cried out. "I know Miku better than anyone. She'd never want to hurt anyone..."

Tsubasa, who had been standing silently next to Kanade in the back of the room, stepped forwards. Her gaze, one cold and illuminated by the red lights filling the room, looked deadly to Hibiki as she just watched the girl slowly march towards her. "Do you remember how Kohinata responded to our invitation to join Sector Two?" Tsubasa waited for a moment, only the sound of the alarm punctuating Hibiki's decision to remain silent. Then she repeated something, a short phrase that Hibiki could never forget as long as she lived. "'If I am the sword that will cut through hell...'"

Hibiki finished the line from her memories, one she had replayed in her mind ever since that day when their worlds changed for the second time. "'I shall be the spear to pierce through the heavens.'" Hibiki shook her head. "But that doesn't mean–!"

As the siren finally quieted, a different sound filled the room for just a short moment. A quick noise, one that leads to a sense of finality. The loud impact of skin against skin as Tsubasa smacked her open hand against Hibiki's cheek. The latter girl fell to the ground as she clutched her cheek, and Tsubasa just glared down upon her like a bug ready to be stepped upon. "Use your brain, Tachibana. It is the duty of a sentinel, of a sword, to protect those that they have sworn to regardless of the danger. No matter the cost, a sentinel will do what it must."

"But Miku's–" Hibiki swallowed the words that squeaked out of her mouth. No, she remembered clearly what Tsubasa and Miku had managed to bond over that day. The feeling of devoting their lives to others in a way that made them little more than a tool. Tsubasa swore to protect humanity from the Noise, but Miku's resolve was stronger. She didn't want to protect the worthless species that cast her aside, she wanted to protect the sun that lit a fire of hope inside her.

"Kohinata will be willing to put herself in danger or fight against the rest of us if it meant she could keep you safe."

Hibiki just stared at the ground, her eyes wide as she was overcome with a familiar sense of despair. She hadn't felt it in a year's time, but she remembered the sensation as the feeling of hopelessness strangled her and crushed her heart. The weight of the world crushed her. She knew Tsubasa was right, but above all she was scared. Hibiki cared about Miku above anyone else, so she didn't want her to be in danger.

She didn't want Miku to die for her.

. . .

Miku stood facing the strange woman who called herself Finé. Blood still dripped from one of her hands, but she still paid it no mind. Instead, she was focused entirely on the woman.

After all, she couldn't do anything else.

As the two teleported from the headquarters of Sector Two to a new environment, Miku found herself dizzy as she took in her new surroundings. Unfortunately, this gave Finé just enough of an opening to trap her on a device, one that now locked her hands and feet in place. "I need you, Miku. You are very special, you see." Finé, now wearing no clothing, was standing directly in front of Miku with a seductive smile on her face. "Ever since my first diagnosis, I'd assured you nothing was wrong with the shards of Gungnir within you. But oh how I lied. You, dear girl, are more valuable than any one relic."

Finé gestured at the wall, and Miku craned her neck to see what she was looking at. A small stone-like object was perched on a display against the wall. It looked strange, dangerous even with the spikes extending out from it, but Miku recognized what it must have been. It was undoubtedly a relic, and over the past year of being part of Sector Two she knew that relics housed incredible powers; they were what the Symphogears drew power from, as well. "The Nehushtan Armour: a powerful suit that is technically indestructible as it can regenerate itself endlessly."

Beneath the fossil was a silver case, so sleek and lacking in details that Miku at first thought it had merely been part of the Nehushtan Armour's pedestal. "Durandal: one of the few wholly complete relics still in existence. A sword that can release energy on par with, or greater than, a nuclear warhead."

Finé shifted now, revealing a staff from behind her. The staff was silver, with its head a strange face of outward protrusions surrounding a rectangular purple jewel. "Solomon's Cane: a staff capable of opening up gates that lead into the Treasury of Babylonia, summoning Noise into our world to wreak havoc."

Finally, the woman pressed herself against Miku's body, and the young Symphogear candidate could do nothing but grimace in disgust at the thought of this woman having her way with her. Finé, however, just danced her finger around the curves of Miku's face. "With these three relics, I possess power beyond no other. The power to end the curse that has been plaguing our world since the days of the Lulu Amel. The only thing standing in my way was you, Miku."

"I genuinely thought you wanted my help to save Hibiki from this curse you speak of." Miku spat, narrowing her eyes in disgust at Finé. "Humanity deserves as many curses as possible for all it's done to me."

Finé laughed as she stepped back from Miku. "The Curse of Babel isn't just any curse. It's one that prevents humanity from truly being able to understand one another. The god that created us, the one I fell in love with all those years ago, turned his back on us at the end and pushed us onto a path of self-destruction." Her face twisted into a heinous figure as her eyes narrowed and her face curled into a grotesque frown. "I want nothing more for humanity than our peace, and to do that I must destroy that which is keeping us from being free from his influence."

Miku's brow furrowed. "To go that far for a love not reciprocated..." She felt a pang of guilt in her heart as she muttered the words. Could I be the same?

Finé's pointed Solomon's Cane towards Miku. "A love not reciprocated?" She snarled. "The god reciprocated the love that I showed him, I know that to be true as I am his eternal priestess. Yet, still, he turned his back on us. He must have his reasons for doing so, but those reasons are ones I can never accept.

"To free us from the chains that bind us, I will destroy the satellite that has forever looked down on us; the eye whose gaze has paralysed our hearts just as the god intended."

Miku watched as Finé–whose face returned to its calm form–danced with light steps to the window. Then, with an elegant gesture, she pointed. The sun was starting to dip over the horizon, but there, in the sky, the moon could faintly be seen. Miku understood what she meant. "You wish to destroy the moon?"

"And you, with your unique Gungnir, are perhaps the only one strong enough to stop me. Your body has not only accepted Gungnir–and I know now that you seem capable of engaging the Symphogear with only a thought–but it has fused with it. You are becoming a living Symphogear, and not just with any relic. A relic capable of striking any target, one that brought about the end of the world once its master fell." Finé smiled. "And yet you, my dear Gungnir, are simply far too valuable to dispose of. No, in the world that follows I wish for us to connect on a spiritual level."

"You called yourself an eternal priestess." Miku began connecting the dots in her mind as fear began encroaching upon her soul. "Does that mean you survive by taking over other humans?"

Finé smiled, though in the light of the setting sun Miku could only see the face of the devil staring back at her. A face fitting of one known as the end. "Once my mortal body fails, my consciousness enters the mind of one of my many descendants and awakens to a song." Finé's shadow stretched out against the wall, painting the Nehushtan Armour and Durandal in an inky darkness. "Though dangerous for us both, I have forced my consciousness into those unrelated to me as well in times of extreme duress."

Miku's eyes widened. "You want me to be your next body?"

"Alas, this body lacks the strength to properly resonate with the Symphogear's power. Yet your body is evolving faster than any other. Yours is transforming into the very Symphogear system I created so many years ago. Truly this can be nothing other than fate."

Finé walked towards Miku, or so the latter thought. Instead, the priestess stopped as she reached a small grey podium at the bottom of the stairs in front of her. "Fortunately, I know of a way to ease the process."

Miku's senses erupted in that moment. It felt as though lightning had run through her; in fact, she was not all incorrect. The device she was strapped to was one designed for torture, and torture her it did. Sending just a few seconds' worth of electricity through her body, Miku could do nothing but scream as she embraced the pain.

Finé merely watched the girl struggle, her body unconsciously wiggling as the volts were shot through her. She would die if the device was left on for long enough, so Finé had devised a fail-safe: the device would only release electrical shocks for only a short moment. Not enough to kill, yet still enough to destroy the barriers to her heart.

"And now," Finé pressed a button on the podium, setting the mechanism to torture Miku at random intervals. Then, skipping towards her collection of relics, her hands took hold of the solid stone armour. "The world's final night is upon us."

. . .

As darkness enveloped Japan several hours later, the sky was alight with a red glow. People from all over looked into the sky at the being that resembled one of the Noise that they feared, though they knew it wasn't one of the deadly creatures. Or at least, the red unidentified flying object was not wholly a Noise.

Genjuro stood with Hibiki, Chris, Kanade, Tsubasa, and Ogawa outside of Lydian Private Music Academy, glancing up at the red beast that had appeared over the city. He was perplexed at the monster floating over the town, basking the world around it in its eerie light, yet that was not what he looked at. Instead, Genjuro's eyes found themselves locked on the girls around him–the children who were the only ones with the power to fight that beast. "I truly am sorry." He apologized to everyone, though the girls did not react to his words.

Hibiki, too, felt guilty. She was not sure if Miku was safe–or if she was involved with the red beast–but she knew in her heart that she needed to save her. Hibiki had not been allowed to try to sync up with a Symphogear yet, so she knew the task of saving Miku had to fall to her while those who could fight the monster did so.

The Red Dragon of Revelations looked down upon the girls from its perch in the sky, and in its centre was Bablon herself, Finé. None of the girls below could actually see Finé, but Chris could feel her master's presence. "Was this your goal this whole time? Did you ever care about me?" She sighed. Chris knew that Finé's goals were, to be blunt, 'evil,' but she had been in the dark as to what they actually were. All she knew that if Finé gave her a command, she'd follow it without question; and that's what Chris had done for the past few years. "Did you ever need me, or did you just need someone to work as a distraction so you could go about your own plans?"

"None of this is looking good." Kanade said grimly as she echoed everyone's thoughts. "But I think the four of us have a decent shot at taking it down."

Tsubasa caught the number that Kanade had spoke. "Four?"

"Hibiki was also pelted with the rubble at the concert, so there's a chance that she's had the ability to use the Symphogear all along. Maybe she just hasn't been able to call upon it yet because there aren't as many shards in her body as in Miku's. Maybe she'll surprise us at the best moment, and pull out all the stops."

"You really think Tachibana could do that?" Tsubasa asked quietly.

Chris, not even looking at the idol pair beside her, muttered a retort as well. "I've known her for only a few hours now and even I can tell your opinion of her is too high."

Kanade smiled. "Never know until she tries. Either way, we're going to need her help. And she should be the one to save Miku."

Hibiki's gaze was focused on the distance, just as her mind floated away from her body. She could hear the conversation happening around her, but none of it stuck in her brain. "Miku, I hope you're safe."

#### Chapter 10

Before Finé had exited the manor she used as her base, Miku watched the priestess ready herself. She gently donned the golden Nehushtan Armour, which snaked around her body and hugged her figure as it revealed her abdomen. The golden-eyed woman slowly took out the Durandal sword from its case and held it aloft with her left fist; in her right, she clutched Solomon's Cane tight.

All the while, Miku had been blasted with electrical currents at random intervals. She could feel her consciousness slipping even before Finé left.

To Miku, it had been an eternity as silence filled the air around her; in reality it had been about ninety minutes. The only sounds she had heard since she was left alone were the mechanical chants let out by the torture device she was strapped to and the screams she could no longer stifle.

Her body, her mind, they were breaking. The walls she had put up around her heart after the Zwei Wing tragedy were being barraged by attack after attack; she did not know how much longer she had until she fell completely. Her vision was starting to blur, shadows dancing in the edges her of eyes even as she stared into the dark room that was illuminated solely by the faint glow of the moon.

She wanted to call for help, to say anything, but she simply lacked the energy to. Another current of electricity ran through her body, but even the pain she felt from that was starting to be dulled.

Miku opened her mouth and whimpered as a lone tear danced down her cheek.

. . .

Hibiki was running, a young girl clutching her shoulders as she held tight to the teenager's back. Several people were around Hibiki, crowding through the streets. "Everyone, get to the shelters!" Hibiki was evacuating as many people as she could, just as most members of Sector Two were now. After all, the red beast floating through the sky above them was not here in peace.

The Red Dragon of Revelations was a creature that should not exist. It was a fusion, consisting of three relics–Nehushtan's Armour, Solomon's Cane, and Durandal–as well as countless Noise and Finé herself according to the scans Sector Two ran on the beast.

The team back beneath Lydian continued to analyse the beast, looking for any weaknesses, but so far had not come up with anything. Tsubasa, Chris, and Kanade were on standby; they were worried about what could happen should they provoke Finé while she flew high above a populated area. Thus, Hibiki was now working with the other Sector Two agents to move everyone to safety before war broke out...

...Though Finé was not about to let them go through with that plan.

As Hibiki carried a girl through the streets, bringing her to safety, she heard a sound. It was unlike anything she had ever heard before, and yet familiar to her as a student of a music academy. It was the roar of a trumpet, albeit one that felt as though it originated from another dimension entirely as, though distinctly musical, it was also truly a stranger to her in every sense of the word. The sound reverberated through the air and into Hibiki's body, she felt as though the trumpet's call was echoing out from her body as the source.

Everyone beneath the Red Dragon of Revelations froze. Even Hibiki could do nothing but crane her neck skywards at the beast's cry.

. . .

Tsubasa shuddered as she heard the cry that Finé released. Having trained to fight with a Symphogear for her entire life, she familiarized herself with as many legends that history birthed as she possibly could. Every culture had myths and fables, some more outlandish than others, but she knew that the relics that they spoke of had some basis in reality.

The Book of Revelation spoke of a red dragon and a woman of the apocalypse; Tsubasa now knew that they must have been based upon Finé and her heretical amalgamation of powers no human should have ever possessed on their own.

And that sound she released must have been one of the seven salpinges that the same legends described as apocalyptic signals.

Tsubasa narrowed her eyes as she looked to Kanade and Chris to her right. The former looked back at her after a second, a smirk crossing her face.

"Seems like it's do-or-die time, Tsubasa." Tsubasa nodded at Kanade's words. Kanade then turned to Chris. "And you. We didn't exactly meet on the best terms, but we're going to need to work together to beat... whatever that is." Chris didn't look at Kanade; the quiet girl's eyes were locked on the Red Dragon of Revelations. Kanade knew she heard her words, though, and turned her eyes to the sky. "The three of us. We've gotta give it our all, now."

With that, Kanade stabbed a device into her neck. Her eyes went wide as she felt the green juice enter her veins. A power welled up inside her, and she felt blood rushing to her brain. She could not naturally use a Symphogear in the same way as Tsubasa; she relied on LiNKER to allow her to synchronize her heart with the relic she wielded.

Together, with Tsubasa by her side, the idols of Zwei Wing began to sing.

*Croitzal ronzell Gungnir zizzl*

*Imyuteus Ame no Habakiri tron*

Now clad in their colourful sets of armour–their Symphogears, with Armed Gears in hand–the two idols turned to the third girl standing beside them. She was silent, but her eyes slowly turned to look into those of Kanade Amou. The red-haired girl reached out her hand. "The three of us are the only ones who can stop that thing. Are you with us?"

Chris finally spoke up, addressing the two other girls directly for the first time. "Finé was the first person to care about me after my parents died. But once I was captured by you, she didn't even come to see me; her attention turned to someone else immediately." Chris looked down, her vision blurry as tears began to well within her eyes. "I know... I can't let her go through with her plans, however dangerous they must be, but I don't know if I can fight Finé."

Kanade put her hand on Chris's shoulder. "I don't know what you've gone through, but all of us are fighting for different reasons. Tsubasa's fighting to protect humanity, I'm fighting to avenge my family. I can't tell you what to fight for but, if I were in your shoes, right now I'd want to face that woman and ask her directly what she thought of me." Kanade wiped away a tear as it rolled down Chris's face.

And with this, Chris finally smiled. "Ask her what she thinks of me, huh?" Now Chris wiped her own tears. "Yeah, maybe I'll do just that."

*Killter Ichaival tron*

. . .

Hibiki had dropped the girl off at the shelter and run back into the city to see if anyone else needed assistance. But now, as she ran down an empty street, she regretted that decision.

The Red Dragon of Revelations was active now, raining a great army of Noise down upon the city. If evacuations hadn't been mostly completed by now, Hibiki knew the casualties would have already surpassed that of the Zwei Wing Tragedy.

Now, several of those Noise were chasing after her. If Hibiki hadn't undergone Genjuro's training she was sure that she wouldn't have had the stamina or the strength to outrun them, but now she was outpacing them easily.

Hibiki didn't know where exactly she was running, but she knew she had to get somewhere where no one else would be yet not somewhere too out of the way where no one will be able to help her. She bit down on her bottom lip as she had an idea. She wasn't sure what the extent of the Noise's abilities were, but Hibiki was willing to gamble on her chance.

As Hibiki dashed past a store she had been taken to by some of her friends from school–a restaurant named Flower–she tried to make a map in her mind. She placed a pin where she was now, recreating the town to the best of her ability using only her memories.

With a destination in mind and now sure of her current location, Hibiki turned down a street as she made her way towards the river that ran around the hill on which Lydian sat.

#### Chapter 11

Before the girls went into battle, the Symphogear wielders had stood in the headquarters of Sector Two as they analysed the great red beast that had appeared without warning. Until Genjuro began talking the air had been still, only the sounds of keyboards clicking and the hum of electricity reverberating around everyone. "Fujitaka, Tomosato–what have we learned about this creature?"

Tomosato began talking without looking up from the monitor she looked at. "From our analyses, this creature appears to be an amalgamation of several Relics: namely Durandal, Solomon's Cane, and the Nehushtan Armour. All three of these relics had been in our possession at different points in time, and the Nehushtan Armour and Solomon's Cane disappeared under mysterious circumstances."

"And Durandal?" Tsubasa asked.

"We have no records of Durandal disappearing from the vault beneath us. Officially Durandal should still be locked away. That said..."

"If Finé had been masquerading as Sakurai, then she'd have access to the vault at any time." Genjuro closed his eyes, and Chris Yukine, who stood beside him, could see his fist clench around his arm as he crossed his shoulder.

"Right. From the security camera footage it's clear she has some sort of heretical technology or alchemical power that allows her to teleport, so it's likely she simply teleported Durandal out without us knowing."

Fujitaka looked up with a sigh. "Who knows how much that woman did without us knowing." Clicking a button on his keyboard, Fujitaka brought up a different angle of the red beast that flew across the night sky. "In addition to several relics, the beast is made up of countless Noise. It's impossible to calculate the exact amount but a preliminary scan gives us an estimated minimum of five thousand."

"Five thousand?" Hibiki cried out in surprise, her eyes wide. Everyone had been thinking the same thing at this point–Finé had planned so thoroughly that their chances of defeating her were minimal.

"Also," Fujitaka glanced at Chris quietly, a sad look in his eyes. "Saku... no, Finé appears to have included herself inside of this chimera."

Chris looked down. So she truly does not care about me.

"With Kanade out of commission from singing her Superb Song, will Tsubasa need to take all Finé on alone?" Tomosato spun around in her chair and looked straight at her boss.

"No." He answered immediately, though another voice echoed his. With surprise filling the room, everyone turned to the door to see a girl with bright red hair leaning against the wall. Bandages were wrapped around her forehead and her right arm, and there was crusted blood surrounding the eyepatch over her eye.

"Kanade?" Tsubasa cried out. "You can't be out of bed!"

"This is an emergency, Tsubasa, we both know this. Chief, I knew the risks of becoming a Symphogear candidate when I agreed to join you. You need as many fighters as you can right now, so I'm not staying back."

Genjuro sighed. "I know I can't talk you out of this. Even if I said no, you'd just sneak out anyway." Finally he turned to Chris. "As for you, I won't force you to fight that woman. All of us have connections to Sakurai or Finé, so it won't be easy for any of us, but I'd be forever grateful if you worked with us for now."

"She'll do it." Kanade said with a smile, limping over to Chris. She placed her hand on her shoulder. "We don't need to fight Finé directly, we just need to weaken her. Take down the Noise and separate her from the relics."

"Fine. I don't know if I'll help you fight m-" Chris caught herself from almost calling Finé her master once more. No, she swallowed those words, gripping her own palms tight. "Finé. I'll fight the Noise, but I'll leave her to you."

"I suppose a compromise would be in order." Genjuro nodded. "As for Kohinata. Have we located her yet?"

Fujitaka shook his head slowly. "Unfortunately we still have no leads on her whereabouts, but we have narrowed the search to thirteen possible locations within the city, six on the outskirts. It'd be impossible for all nineteen of these locations to be searched while we also attempt to evacuate the city, so we're still working to narrow it down further."

Chris looked up. "A lake." This got the attention of everyone in the room. "I don't know the exact location of the manor but... it was on a lake."

Turning back to the computer, Fujitaka brought up a map on the monitor over-top the image of the glowing beast that just remained oppressively calm in the sky. "If what you say is the truth, then that would narrow our possible locations down to four."

Hibiki stepped forwards. "I want to save Miku."

Genjuro shook his head in response and was planning to immediately shut her down, but Kanade spoke up beforehand. "Unless you want to check all four of those locations, alone, while also having to avoid the Noise. Chief, put her on one of the evac crews." Kanade smiled at Hibiki. "I know you want to save Miku, but I won't let you–or anyone–die. We'll all make it out of this together."

Kanade gestured with her chin to Tsubasa, who reacted in confusion at the notion. Seeing her partner lost, Kanade couldn't help but burst out in laughter. "Yes, just believe; we'll make history with a light even God doesn't know of." She sang after catching her breath.

. . .

Chris sighed, wiping sweat from her brow. They had been fighting for over an hour now, continually cutting down the Noise that the beast–the Red Dragon of Revelations–kept spawning. She was angry at Finé, frustrated with the Noise, heavily fatigued, and still sad that she had been left behind by Finé, but none of those emotions could break through her single-minded pursuit of destroying all the Noise. She had not kept count of how many creatures she'd blasted to bits with her many firearms, but she was positive that the estimate she had heard before had been way too low.

She saw Tsubasa cut through a wall of Noise on the street beneath where Chris stood on a building. Her sword was now much larger than it had been when they started fighting, Chris noticed, but there was something more pressing catching her eye. Despite the cold front Tsubasa emitted, her eyes and slower singing made it obvious that even she was starting to get tired as well. Chris bent over, placing her hands on her knees for just a moment. "Forget fighting that thing, we can't even handle all of the Noise down here."

"Everyone seems to have been evacuated." Kanade announced, landing on the building beside Chris. Though her body had been devastated by injury after injury, she now stood strong beside Chris with a smile on her face. The amount of strength the Zwei Wing idol radiated was clear to even her, and she couldn't help but be impressed.

"Guess this means I can go all out now, huh?" Chris clicked her tongue. All this time she had been fighting using only the simplest of Ichaival's weapons in order to not accidentally harm anyone who had not yet been evacuated. Small crossbows that fired magical bolts at a rapid fire pace were what she had been relying on most, using missiles only sparingly when she had no other options.

But now, if all bystanders were safe, she could finally reveal Ichaival's true strength. "Hey blue!" Chris called down. "Get back!"

Tsubasa heard Chris's shout and did as she was ordered, leaping high into the air; all the while she kept singing the song in her heart. As she gently landing on the tips of her toes beside Chris, who thought that the aerial flips she performed were unnecessary and just showing off, the girl in red opened up the missile launchers on her hips. All at once, twenty-four missiles fired out of Ichaival and into the air, spiralling through Noise as they rained down upon the technicolour sea below them.

"Holy shit." Kanade gasped in awe. "That was incredible."

Chris's missiles had taken out more Noise in a second than the three of them had managed to take out in a span of twenty minutes. Even Tsubasa, who stopped singing as she admired the strength of Ichaival, couldn't hide the look on her face; she, too, was clearly impressed with Chris.

"Can... uhh... Can you guys stop staring, please?" Chris blushed and spun around after a couple moments of being the centre of attention.

Tsubasa coughed in response. "Excellent work, Yukine. Now then, how do we plan to get up to Finé?"

Kanade leaned in front of Chris's tomato-coloured face, spooking the flustered girl. "What's the largest missile you've got?"

. . .

Hibiki continued to run. She was running out of stamina and gasping for air now.

It had been a much further distance than she expected. She remembered from the map Fujitaka brought up that the river that ran through town connected to one of the lakes near one of the spots they suspected Miku would be. She had planned to hide underwater and try to make her way downstream to the lake; Hibiki's whole plan hinged on her hopes that Noise couldn't swim, but she had not even thought that far ahead. Her mind was focused entirely on saving Miku and staying alive.

Suddenly the air around her pulsed. The Noise that had been chasing her were too surprised by this, something that confused even Hibiki. She looked up to see the dragon soaring through the heavens no longer–its nose now pointed downwards as the smoky remnants of a powerful explosion rocked it. She had wanted to continue watching the beast's descent, but the Noise turned their attention back to Hibiki after only one short moment and thus she was forced to continue fleeing for her life. But now she had a new destination, one much closer.

The Red Dragon of Revelations was beginning to fall, and she could tell where it was going to land.

Thus, she made her way towards Lydian Private Music Academy to confront Finé head-on.

#### Chapter 12

Kanade looked up at the figure waiting for them: Finé. The woman stood leering over the three Symphogear wielders, her golden-blonde hair now corrupted by shadows that danced out from the night sky and down her body. She wore a dark purple suit with a red dress; Kanade thought she resembled a spilling bottle of wine. Clutched in Finé's right hand was the golden sword Durandal, which contrasted the dark figure wielding it with its golden shine that glimmered in the light of the moon. The scene was positively eerie, and not one Kanade ever wanted to see again for as long she lived.

"I must say, I never expected the three of you to ride a missile up to me." Finé recounted the exciting arrival of Kanade Amou, Tsubasa Kazanari, and Chris Yukine from high on her perch above the three. Just as she said, they had ridden a missile in order to fly up to her position in the sky; a dangerous idea, but it worked both to bring them face-to-face with their foe and injure the Red Dragon of Revelations on which they stood. Indeed, even now, as the two parties simply glared at each other, the dragon was slowly falling ever closer to the earth waiting beneath them.

The eternal priestess eyed the girls, her gaze falling upon the one in the middle. "Chris, my dear dear little girl. To think you'd rather play with some strangers instead of me."

Chris wanted to shout. Be it excuses for why she decided to fight against Finé or pleas for her to stop, no words were able to escape her lips. She just stared at the woman whom she once referred to as her 'master,' one now with some unknown–but clearly malevolent–goal.

"Alright, look." Kanade shouted, stabbing through the mess of words gathering within Chris's mind. "I don't know what your deal is and frankly I don't care. But I do want to know one thing: do you even care about Chris?"

Finé chuckled. The gleam within the priestess's eyes was clearly missing, something that was noticeable even in the low light. Yet, despite that, her cruel lips cracked into a smile–a genuine smile. "Do I care about Chris Yukine? Of course I do. I took her in when the world cast her out, when she had nowhere else to go, and taught her the ways of the heart."

"Doesn't look like that to me." Kanade scoffed. The idol glared, this time at the white-haired girl standing beside her. "Seems like all you've done is traumatize everyone you've ever met."

"Oh? Everyone? I don't remember traumatizing my good friends at Sector Two."

Kanade shuddered. "Did you think I wouldn't have known? All these years of us working together, did you really think I wouldn't have put two and two together? You were supposed to be at the excavation at Mt. Minakami, but all of a sudden something 'comes up' and you can't make it? I've had a suspicion all of these years, I did my research. The records show that nothing 'came up' and, from what I found, it seemed like everyone was under the impression that you were at the dig." Tsubasa gasped as she looked into Kanade's eyes. The girl who usually looked so strong yet laid-back, who was always the first to make Tsubasa feel like a human rather than the sword that she projected herself as. She saw no trace of that Kanade within the eyes of the girl before her. Everything she recognized had been stripped away, replaced with a feral fire that kept burning through hated.

"Solomon's Cane just happens to disappear three months earlier, forcing the previous head to step down, and shows up now in your clutches?" Kanade chuckles, though the sound rings hollow. Even as the beast they ride atop nears the ground, no one is panicked; everyone's focus is on Kanade, and Kanade alone. "You were the one that killed my family that day. The one who stripped away everything from me. And I bet you did the same to Chris."

Despite the accusation, the face of the priestess before them did not change. She wore the same smile, one warm yet now unnerving, with soulless eyes that looked through the world around her. "'The ends justify the means,' isn't that what they say? I will do anything to achieve my goals of reuniting with my beloved."

Chris finally snapped as she took in the weight of the words Kanade and Finé both said. "Finé... did you kill my parents?"

"Masanori and Sonnet Yukine were just unintended casualties. I needed a distraction so that I could look for... an old friend, let's say, without being bothered. Unfortunate that I couldn't find that toy of his. It would have made for a great bartering chip."

The flippant way that Finé revealed the truth behind Chris's entire life, the way that she casually moved past the topic of Kanade's tragedy–that was enough for the Symphogear wielders. Chris screamed as she readied the full extent of her relic's arsenal, but she would not get a chance to use them. Almost as if the world reacted to her shout, it was then that the Red Dragon of Revelations finally crashed into the ground. All three of the Symphogear wielders stumbled as they tried to remain up-right, though Finé simply continued to elegantly look down upon them with her one haunting expression. "And everything I've done has been leading up to this one moment." Those words echoed out of Finé's mouth despite being but a whisper that should have been drowned out by the noise around them. The Red Dragon of Revelations slid across the ground, tearing up the earth as it dug out a new ravine, landing just feet from the giant building on the hill: Lydian Private Music Academy.

"The three of you are going to sing your songs for me, now." Finé readied the sword she held, now lifting it aloft. Tsubasa was the first to notice this, despite being in an unsteady position, and immediately assumed a defensive posture.

It was a fruitless endeavour.

With a swift motion of her one arm, Finé swung the relic Durandal downwards. The sword extended as its blade carved the air in two, reaching the distant Tsubasa in moments.

And the world promptly exploded.

. . .

Hibiki stumbled up the hill and towards the school gates just in time to see the massive explosion engulf the school. She had only been a student of Lydian for a short time, but it was a strange new home for her. As she slowly managed to find a new normalcy, Hibiki's life became revolved around the school. She made friends, allies... The memories she had of Lydian were all fairly positive; a stark contrast from the darkness that still crept at the edges of her past. It had only been one year and yet it felt as though a second life for Hibiki had opened up for her.

But this explosion changed that. In an instant the school was completely vaporized. She had no idea if the students had been evacuated just as the town was, and even if they had she didn't know if they were still safe, but more than anything she worried about the rest of her friends. Miku was missing and now, as she looked over the smoking debris of the school, Kanade, Tsubasa, the rest of Sector Two, and potentially even Chris could all be dead as well.

She sank to her knees as every emotion she had been bottling up finally overwhelmed her. Hibiki no longer cared about the Noise that had been following her, that she could be dead in the next few seconds. None of that mattered to her.

Hibiki Tachibana was tired.

"Well, that blade was even stronger than I had anticipated."

A voice cut through Hibiki's brain, pushing away the clouds that had gathered around her soul. It was a voice that was familiar, yet one that also sent a chill down her spine. Hibiki slowly looked up through the rapids clouding her vision, the tears still rushing down her cheeks from her reddened eyes. "Ryo...ko?"

Not Finé, but Ryoko Sakurai stood before her. The good doctor's lab coat was spotless and there wasn't a hair out of place. She looked deceptively normal, despite the situation around her. "I'd have preferred it if I didn't have to use up Durandal immediately, but sometimes it can't be helped."

Hibiki's mind was empty. She didn't know what was going on. No, even what she did know was not registering with her.

In Ryoko's hand, she clutched the three Symphogear pendants. Red jewels on strings that the Symphogear wielders would have never taken off from around their necks. Those were the weapons they wielded–Gungnir, Ame no Habakiri, and Ichaival. "You know, way back when, I was the one who actually created these Symphogears. Delicate little devices they are. They turn the power of song into one for combat. But that wasn't their entire purpose, you know."

Hibiki didn't even flinch. As she stared at the three crystals in the woman's hand only one thing came to mind: *they're dead. They're all dead. Tsubasa, Kanade, Chris...* She tried not to think about the possibility that even Miku was no longer among the living. But still, she didn't move; she was frozen in place, her eyes locked to the Symphogears.

*It's hopeless.*

The woman who was both Ryoko Sakurai and Finé leaned down, cupping Hibiki's chin with a delicate grasp. "I was once just like you, you know. Someone who was blind to themselves and their own feelings. It's unfortunate that the shards of Gungnir within you never did end up evolving as they did with Kohinata. Truth be told, I would have much preferred using you as a vessel."

That last bit caught Hibiki's attention. "As a vessel?" She snarled. "Is that all you see Miku as? A tool that you can use and dispose of?" The idea that this woman–this monster–would dare insinuate that the two were similar in any way only to then declare that she'd toss away a living being as if they were nothing more than a soda bottle ready to be recycled revitalized Hibiki. Her entire body started shaking.

"You just said the two of us are similar?" Hibiki couldn't control herself. Anger filled her mind, her body. Hatred for this monster who was ready to disrespect Miku was all that Hibiki could feel.

She reached out and gripped hold of all three Symphogear pendants, aiming to pull them away from the priestess in front of her. "I would never disrespect Miku like that!"

As she shouted, Hibiki felt a strange power well up inside of her. Her heart was pumping, though it was not blood that flowed through her veins. No, the anger burned her mind like lava and yet her body felt colder than ice. It was as if her body had been dead, her soul the only remnants of life, and yet the opposite also felt true.

The darkness overtook her mind at that moment as four words welled up from deep within the depths of her mind. She knew not the meaning of these words, nor how she learned them, and yet they felt familiar to her in an odd way.

*Balwisyall nescell Gungnir tron*

Ryoko tried to back away at that moment, but her body was frozen. She leered at the young girl in front of her, who now radiated with immense power. Hibiki had grabbed hold of all three Symphogear crystals and sung a Holy Chant, which means she resonated with at least one of them, and yet something incredible began to happen.

Hibiki convulsed on the ground, falling back away from Ryoko. Her body exploded in pain. Try as she might to breathe, no air entered her lungs. Likewise, all of her senses simultaneously erupted in sensation yet dulled completely. She had no idea what was going on. Hibiki could not see, could not see, could not hear. All she felt was the anger of Ryoko's words crushing down upon her like a weight.

But for the woman across from her, she had a much different experience. While Hibiki screamed in pain as her body adapted to the Symphogear, Ryoko watched in horror as the girl's body began to transform. From the tips of her toes, slowly a darkness began to overtake her body. It felt like it took an eternity for the shadows to creep up Hibiki's body and encase her entire being, and yet it took less than two seconds.

She dropped the disguise at that moment. With the power of alchemy, Finé realized that a true threat had emerged as her appearance reverted back to that of the eternal priestess. She frowned, trying to study the unique being in front of her, but knew she couldn't.

Hibiki had transformed completely. No longer was she a human, she was a beast of pure darkness. Hibiki crouched on all four of her limbs as she growled; all traces of humanity had exited the girl's face–in fact, her face was almost missing entirely as Finé could only make out the red glow of two eyes hidden within.

All three of the Symphogear pendants had disappeared and now Hibiki was a monster. Finé knew this was no coincidence, but she forced her analytical mind to shut off as she watched Hibiki. The monster shook her head and arms, as if testing to see if they were still attached to her body, before turning towards Finé. Her hands were no longer human but instead large black claws, and her feet too appeared bestial.

The creature formerly known as Hibiki Tachibana leapt forwards at Finé with no hesitation. Her movements were incredibly quick–almost too quick for Finé to see–but the priestess managed to create a pink barrier to block the beast's attack just in time. She watched on with a strange sense of awe and horror as Hibiki clawed at the pink barrier, though Finé knew that the alchemical powers fuelling it would keep her at bay.

She quickly realized, after only a couple attacks, that she was underestimating Hibiki's newfound strength. As Hibiki pounded on the pink wall of ethereal glass, Finé could sense that the strength that lingered within Hibiki would overtake that of the alchemy easily. Indeed, on the fourth hit the wall shattered and Hibiki immediately took advantage of her now-clear path.

Finé dodged Hibiki's first attack, a sideways swipe with her former left hand, but was unable to react fast enough as the powerful beast of darkness reached towards the sorceress with her other claw and gripped her throat tight.

"Miku." Hibiki hissed. The voice was not her own. It was a low, feral growl that was more akin to a monster's growl than an intelligent language, yet Finé could make out the meaning regardless even as the beast crushed her windpipe.

When Finé refused to answer–or rather, proved unable to–Hibiki slammed Finé hard into the ground, her face digging a pit into the ground. Earth exploded around the two of them and Finé felt pain erupt through her body.

Finé had been alive for thousands of years, but never once had she encountered an enemy like this beastly Hibiki. Every enemy she had ever fought, from those pesky alchemists of the past to the scientists of today, had all been nothing for Finé... and yet this girl now held more power than all of them.

She snarled. "Unbelievable!" Finé cried. With a wave of her hand the air opened up like a pocket for Finé to reach into, and that she did. Slowly she pulled from this impossible pocket a large golden sword–Durandal, the weapon that created the devastation in which they stood. Its blade was no longer a shiny gold; the relic had been damaged by its own explosion and the now-bronze weapon was slowly starting to crumble apart. "You leave me no choice, now."

Hibiki snarled in response as she rushed forwards.

The two clashed, claw against sword, at a speed faster than the human eye could detect. Finé was barely able to block each incoming attack; she only kept up with Hibiki's impossibly fast movements by watching the tracks her feet dug into the ground as she changed direction. She realized, as the sound of their conflict echoed across the empty night sky, that for the first time since the god she loved abandoned her, Finé felt fear.

But she wasn't angry at that revelation. In fact, she welcomed it.

"This power!" Her eyes widened as Hibiki's growling face closed in on hers. The girl's claws collided with the sword with immense strength, creating new cracks in the relic that was once said to be indestructible. Though terrified of the strength that Hibiki now wielded, Finé knew that the girl was the one that she had been waiting for. Kohinata may have been a suitable vessel, and one she still wished to make use of, but Hibiki might be the one she required to finally destroy the curse placed upon humanity.

"Hibiki Tachibana!" Finé jumped back as she called the beast's name, and for just a second the beast's eyes seemed to flicker with recognition. Its movements stopped as it growled again. That pause was all that Finé needed; just a few seconds was long enough for her to put her plan into motion.

Had Hibiki been in her right mind, she would have recognized the glowing circle that appeared beneath Finé's feet, but the beast that she now was just watched with curious eyes. Of course, there was a reason she did that.

Finé clutched the newcomer to her chest, her arm stiff around their neck.

"Do you wish to save the girl you love?"

Miku Kohinata was conscious, albeit barely. Even without Finé's arm pressed against her neck, the girl had barely been able to breathe after all of the shock that her body had been forced to endure. Even now, Finé felt that her prisoner's body was slick with cold sweat as she tried to grab onto life.

Her eyes slowly opened and looked sadly at the beast standing across from her. She whimpered, realizing the identity of the monster in her sight, but she lacked the energy to speak or even appear surprised. No, she even struggled to keep her eyes open.

"Grant me your power. Together we will end the curse placed upon humanity." Finé's cruel smile returned to her face. While not on the verge of death as Miku was, Finé, too, was heavily fatigued and knew that Hibiki would overpower her should the fighting keep up. Thus, she needed to negotiate if she wanted to use the chance that this life granted her. "Join me, Hibiki Tachibana!"

Despite her weak state, Miku managed to squeak out a single small word: "No."

The beast shed a single tear as she cried out in pain at seeing her beloved Miku in such a state. For a slight moment, Finé could swear she had seen Hibiki's face peak through the beast's dark body.

"What do you say, Hibiki? Care you save the human race?"

#### Chapter 13

Hibiki sat in complete darkness. The world beyond her poked through the shadows via a tiny window, no bigger than a pinprick, though that was the only light that could break through the darkness that surrounded her. She couldn't hear anything, she had no idea what was going on; all Hibiki Tachibana felt was a concoction of strong emotions beyond her control. Anger, sadness, confusion–these emotions swirled through her very soul as she stared into the abyss and out into world beyond.

Through that small little window into the outside, Hibiki saw Finé clutching Miku close to her body. Miku was clearly in pain, her face twisted as she gasped for air. Hibiki wanted to reach out for her friend, but her arms wouldn't move; nothing would, as she floated like a cadaver through a still lake.

"Have I ever been the one to help you?" Hibiki wondered. Her thoughts echoed through the chamber in which she was trapped as if she had spoke them aloud but, like the rest of her body, her lips couldn't move. Hibiki should have been surprised or confused at that, and yet she didn't focus on it at all. Even as the question bounced around throughout the hollow nothing around her, Hibiki just kept her eyes glued to Miku.

She knew the answer to the question she had asked, of course–no. Hibiki had never been able to save Miku, to offer her the help she needed. It was always the other way around. At the Zwei Wing concert Hibiki had tried her best to be the one to pull Miku's hand to safety, but it was she who ended up needing to be saved at the end. A tear rolled down her face. Hibiki felt–no, within her heart, she knew–that she was completely useless.

Finé could not believe her eyes. The beast formerly known as Hibiki Tachibana did not give her an answer to her question–though she doubted her ability to in that state, anyway. Instead, the girl who embraced darkness began to cry. Small tears ran down her face, each one appearing like blood as the light of her red eyes reflected within the small drops. The beast let out a growl, a low guttural sound that rolled over Finé's heart like a steamroller. But the sound was not one of anger; Finé, someone who had been feeling the same way for thousands, if not millions, of years, resonated with the emotion the beast unleashed.

"You're trying to escape the darkness, aren't you?" Finé clicked her tongue, her eyes narrowing into a snake-like expression as she assessed Hibiki. She had been stalling for time, and that time seemed to be about up. Finé needed to enact her plan to destroy the moon, though she couldn't do so from here. Yet, Finé was sure, if she tried to move, the beast would try to stop her.

She smiled.

Hibiki could only watch as the pinprick of light slowly expanded. Or rather, the small window she had been given to see the outside world slowly expanded as the vision she saw zoomed in on one particular feature.

Finé's smile was all she could see. That crooked grin, with confident eyes.

For the first time in her life, Hibiki stared at the very devil that many religions spoke of. Hades, Satan–their name didn't matter, but Hibiki was sure they all referred to the woman in front of her.

But still, she could not move her body. The tears that leaked from her eyes fell into the void below, but they were the only objects capable of moving in this dimension.

Hibiki was helpless to watch the scene as it began to play out.

. . .

Asgard, an alchemical power that Finé had created thousands of years ago. She had not been the one to create alchemy (though her name was written in records as if she were), but Finé had come to wrench it out of the hands of those who had and twisted its use to fit her goals. The power to turn lead into gold? Finé laughed at the very idea. She wanted to use alchemy for greater purposes: to ensure her plans came to fruition.

The power she devised was Asgard. It was her personal weapon, a type of pink shield that bent reality itself to block any attack–at least, that's how it looked on the surface. In truth Asgard did not merely act as a shield, rather it bent reality in such a way as to redirect any attack pointed at her towards an entirely different universe and injure the copies of Finé that exist throughout the ever-branching timelines. Impossible physics, according to all known laws that humanity established, yet for a Lulu Amel who had been directly touched by the god she adored, Finé had no trouble creating such a technique.

But the way Asgard bent reality could be used in other ways as well. Finé had lived many lives as countless women; no one, not even her, could keep track of how many consciousnesses she had invaded, infected, and destroyed throughout the annals of history. And it was all for this plan, the plan she knew she needed to see through to the end.

With one arm still holding the frail black-haired girl Miku Kohinata close to her chest, Finé placed her other hand on the girl's neck. "This may hurt a bit. But don't worry, you won't feel a thing." Those words were the final ones Miku heard as pain seared through her body.

Finé activated Asgard, a pink barrier surrounding Miku's neck as if to guard it, yet also penetrating through it like a knife. The look on the girl's face was clear: it was incredibly painful for Miku. She screamed, silently, as the pink beam cut through her body.

But it didn't leave a mark.

Slowly Finé began to move her hand upwards, slowly slicing the entirety of Miku's head open with her alchemical power. Any good alchemist would tell you that analysis was the backbone of every strong experiment, and this was no different. Finé's eyes were locked on Hibiki, who stood motionless as she continued to cry, but in her mind she could feel emotions and memories slowly bubble to the surface. Not her feelings, either–those of the girl she was slowly overwriting: Miku Kohinata.

"Miku." The beast finally growled, seeing her friend in pain. Hibiki's eyes flared up; no longer red, they burned as if they themselves were the hottest flames in the world. The beast howled up into the night, a growl that reverberated up even to the moon. "Miku!"

This caught the eternal priestess off guard. She continued to analyze Miku's emotions, slowly burning her own self over top the girl's, so she could not move as fast as she wished to.

And that proved to be her downfall.

Before Finé had even registered pain, she found herself flat on her back. Her head ached and brain was fuzzy. But she smiled all the same.

The procedure had not been entirely completed, and yet it had not failed either.

"Miku!" Hibiki–the real Hibiki, now clad in the uniform of Lydian Private Music Academy–shook her friend. Tears streamed down her face, dripping down onto Miku's, as she continued to cry her name.

And Finé couldn't help but laugh.

*Scupeum Adsto Gungnir Zizzl*

Finé sang the words with two voices: her own, and that of Miku Kohinata. Hibiki could just watch as her friend, her sunshine, stared with empty golden eyes at her friend as the green suit of Gungnir appeared on her body.

"Miku?" Hibiki was confused, her heart broken, and seeing that despair only made Finé–and by extension, Miku–laugh all the more maniacally.

"How does it feel, Hibiki?" Miku cried, just as Finé did. Their voices were filled with disgust as the two women glared down at the sobbing Hibiki. "To have your sunlight wrenched away from you as I did?"

Of course, Hibiki did not answer. Tears streamed down her face, but Hibiki was silent. She just stared at the ground.

"A fitting answer." The two voices sliced through Hibiki's heart once more. "I offered you a chance to save humanity with me; now you shall burn alongside the Curse of Balal!"

Finé, with Miku mimicking every movement, turned around and began walking away. "To think the creator of the Symphogear system would have to resort to such tactics just to use them herself." The eternal priestess scoffed.

The two women stopped, simultaneously of course, and spun to face Hibiki again. "It's time to die, little one." They spoke, their words echoing over each other. "Enjoy the feeling of being betrayed by the one you love!"

Together Finé and Miku rushed forwards, the priestess readying Asgard and Miku carrying the spear of Gungnir. The latter was ready to pierce the heart of her sun, even if it was against her will.

And yet, Miku was crying. Tears flooded down her face, even though her expression remained blank.

The tears only flowed faster as Miku's spear pierced through Hibiki's stomach. "I never could help you." Hibiki gasped for air as she vomited up a gross amount of blood. With a trembling hand, she reached up and touched Miku's face. As a kind smile crossed her face, Hibiki coughed up her final words: "I'm... really sorry... I wish I... could have been... more useful..."

With that, her hand fell.

And that is how Hibiki Tachibana died.

. . .

Finé kicked through the rubble, Miku by her side. Her new vessel, who now contain part of Finé's very soul, mimicked every movement. The process had been disrupted; if Finé hadn't been interrupted by Hibiki, her current body would have faded away as her entire being ingrained itself within that of Miku Kohinata. As it stood now, the girl was nothing but a lifeless puppet whose strings were clutched by the priestess.

"Tsubasa, Kanade, Chris. All of you proved to be completely worthless in the end." Finé spat as she finally found what she was looking for. Donning the Nehushtan Armour once more, she pressed her hand to the ground and said a phrase in an ancient tongue. Its meaning had been long lost to time, and yet the Earth reverberated as it heard the priestess's words.

Her original plan had been to use their songs to power her device, to supercharge it and ensure the moon's complete annihilation. Alas, as they were flung from the Red Dragon of Revelations as it collided with the planet, she lost sight of their bodies. She had no doubt that at least one of them must have survived, yet–as she had not been opposed by any of them nor Sector Two–Finé had begun to think otherwise. "A shame, really. Had you just listened to my story, perhaps we could have worked together to save this species."

Finé and Miku backed up a great distance, and the former drew a shape in the air with her finger. Leaving behind a trail of the pink interlocked walls of energy that was Asgard, Finé smiled as she then snapped her fingers. As if the planet had been waiting for eternity to hear that sound, the world split in two.

The ground quivered, trembling in fear at its own might. The power of the ancient relics were unparalleled; those that were still complete could be considered natural disasters of their own right. No, complete relics would likely be on their own tier above even the strongest hurricane or earthquake. Finé laughed as she took in the sight of one such complete relic.

Kadingir towered before her, reaching up to the heavens as the quakes began to subside.

A particle ion cannon Finé had created using ancient technology long ago, thought lost to history. Sector Two had originally been built in this location because of Kadingir, to study the strange device no mortal in this time could hope to comprehend; it was pure luck that Finé had been reborn into the body of a woman who happened to work at this site. A cruel twist of fate for others, she assumed, but for her it was nothing short of a miracle.

The gargantuan beast was like a single solitary finger poking up at the sky. A phrase came to Finé, one not from her own memories. She couldn't help but smile as she said it aloud. "I shall be the spear to pierce through the heavens."

A fitting idea, she knew. With the wave of her hand, everything that she had been planning for generations would finally come to fruition.

The eternal priestess smiled. "To hell with you, you damned curse!"

Something felt off as she shouted, and it took her but a single moment to figure out what it was. She turned to Miku, her golden eyes no longer lifeless. The girl, her doll, had not repeated her last few words; no, now she stood with an angry look on her face. "Oh? Have you managed to stave off part of my infection?"

Miku did not answer, and Finé wondered how deep her tendrils had truly dug into Miku's psyche. The girl with the white ribbon in her hair was clearly not herself, though she did not seem to be fully under Finé's command any more. "The shock of being the one to kill the one you love must have given you the strength to turn against me." Finé surmised, looking at Miku. Her lifeless, yet angry, eyes just stared back at her in silence.

That's when Finé realized something. "If my own consciousness is like a curse upon you..." She nodded in acknowledgement of the girl's strength. "Clearly the two of us truly are alike." The priestess smiled.

"That's bullshit, and you know it."

Finé looked through the darkness. She recognized one silhouette, as it was of a pawn she had played with and discarded so many times, now. The other, one much taller, was the one who shouted. In her arms she cradled the limp corpse of Hibiki Tachibana. "If you and Miku had been more similar, then you wouldn't have needed to resort to murder to get what you wanted. Nor would you have tossed away Chris like she was nothing!"

"Kanade, you always had a habit of being annoying." Finé whispered. She turned her eyes back to Kadingir. "The scene is set for my dream! Do the two of you not want to save humanity, as I do?"

"Save humanity? By blowing up the moon?" Kanade laughed. "Don't you know what would happen without the moon? Sure, this curse or whatever wouldn't exist any more but the world would be legitimately fucked. The climate would get out of control, the rotation of the Earth would change. Do you know how much the moon affects our planet?"

"All trivial matters in comparison." Finé soothed the two girls over. "Why, without the Curse of Balal plaguing humanity, our ability to communicate would finally be unlocked once more."

"You sound insane."

Those three words were spat out of Chris Yukine's mouth. She glared at her former master. "Do you really just believe that things would 'work out' like that?"

"Of course, for my beloved god would–"

"Your 'beloved god' who abandoned you without warning, who cursed humanity, who likely never even reciprocated your feelings?" Finé's eye twitched as Chris spoke. "You sound like a lunatic, Finé."

Kanade shook her head. "Chris is right. You're a lunatic acting on blind faith. I have no idea how long you've been planning this, but I do know that you're doing it for entirely selfish reasons."

"Nonsense. I'm trying to save humanity!"

"By destroying the moon." Chris added, deadpan. "You may be the dumbest person on the planet. I can't believe I ever thought highly of you."

The eternal priestess shook her head. She was clearly annoyed and frustrated with the two girls. With a huff, she turned towards the giant ion cannon before her. "Kadingir!" She ordered, raising her hand into the air. "Destroy the Curse of Balal!"

Kadingir, the giant cannon, flared to life. The runes enscribed both on the cannon's outer and inner layers began to glow, and soon the world had turned white beneath the giant relic. Kanade and Chris, both clad in their Symphogears, simply watched as the cannon began to charge; their silence was deafening to Finé, who laughed maniacally. The eternal priestess had assumed they'd given up, and allowed her the chance to release the curse plaguing them.

Then she felt pain. A sudden, sharp sensation filled her guts, and she looked down. "When...?" Finé couldn't believe her eyes, as she looked up into the eyes of the girl standing before her.

Miku, her golden eyes filled with tears, stared her hollow stare. She didn't speak, though she didn't need to. Finé had her memories now, and the two were connected telepathically. She could sense what Miku was thinking, and yet she'd still managed to sneak up on her.

But Finé still smiled. "You know, even when I die, I'll just be reborn again."

The golden-eyed Miku tilted her head. Though her face refused to emote, Finé could sense her soul burning with hatred beneath the surface. Though Kadingir rocked the heavens as it charged up, a cacophany of ethereal sounds filling the air, the space between Miku and Finé was silent and still. A strange calm washed over Miku as she stared Finé deep in the eyes and reminded her. "You'd be reborn within me, the one person who has managed to stave off your influence."

Finé touched the blood staining her skin. She may have been wearing the Nehushtan Armour, but the armour was only useful if it got hit; Miku aimed for an area that Finé had left uncovered. "I look forwards to seeing what my future looks like." Finé chuckled, resigning herself to her fate.

Without a sound or a transition, Finé evaporated. The eternal priestess seemingly turned to dust, her body blown away and scattered in the debris of Lydian.

"Now, we need to find a way to turn that off." Kanade declared. She shifted Hibiki's body in her arms, but it was clear that the girl would never move again. Blood stained her clothing and her eyes were empty and devoid of the life that once filled them. Despite that, Hibiki still smiled. Kanade looked down at that smiling face, one that will remain happy for all eternity. "I understand wanting to help humanity, but destroying the moon isn't the best way to go about it."

Chris clicked her tongue as she looked Kadingir up and down. "Even with all I've got, I doubt I'd be able to make a dent in that thing." Regardless of the results of her assessment, Chris readied all of her missile launchers and prepared to fire. "Where did Blue run off to, anyway?"

"Knowing Tsubasa..." Kanade trailed off, scanning the horizon. "She's probably hacking away at that thing with all she's got."

Kanade was correct, of course. Tsubasa had climbed up onto Kadingir as it began to sprout from the ground, and now stood on its barrel looking down into the depths. She recognized the patterns that now glowed as the elevator shaft that led down to Sector Two. "I hope everyone's okay." She muttered, sparing but a single thought for her silent comrades as she readied the blade of Ame no Habakiri.

Kadingir's roar was slowing now, which Tsubasa took to mean it was almost ready to fire. Assuming her blade would not cut the relic, she backflipped into the air. As she did, explosions rocked the place where she had just stood; as she had suspected, Chris had decided to test the weapon's durability. And, as she landed within a cloud of smoke, Tsubasa noted that not only had Kadingir not sustained a single scratch, but the area that had been damaged seemed to glow even brighter, as if it absorbed the power of Ichaival's attack.

"If attacking it is out of the question, then that leaves only one rational option." Tsubasa raised her sword skywards and swung it backwards over her head. As the blade cut through the air, it began to grow; slowly it extended to double, then triple, then quadruple its size. In seconds, it had turned from a simple katana into something more akin to a wall than a sword, a wall that Tsubasa swung to block the cannon's opening. She leapt off the device, sliding down the edge of Kadingir as if riding an invisible snowboard, and landed only metres away from where her comrades stood.

"Tachibana?" Tsubasa asked, only now learning about the fate of her friend despite her calm disposition. With a solemn shake of her head, Kanade told Tsubasa all she needed to know. "I see."

Miku stared up at the giant sword, her expression still blank. "Blocking the cannon won't work. If it has the strength to strike the moon, it'll pierce Ame no Habakiri without issue."

Tsubasa nodded. "Right. I only blocked the cannon in hopes that it will slow the shot somewhat."

The giant cannon finally quieted. "We'll need to think up something, quick." Chris announced, and the others agreed with stern nods. "I can try blasting the projectile out of the air." Even being the one to suggest it, Chris knew that it had no chance of working. She could not even damage Kadingir; assuming the projectile made use of the ancient, heretical technology that Finé had amassed throughout the generations, there was no way it'd fire something significantly weaker than its outer shell.

"Chris, can you launch us up there on one of your missiles?" Kanade asked.

"Yeah, but I don't know what good it'd do, other than get us all killed."

"Then just send me up." Miku announced, her golden eyes turning to stare blankly at Chris. "I need to..." Finally her expression started to waver, if just for a moment. As if in response to this, Miku closed her eyes. "Let me try."

"It's too dangerous!" Kanade shouted and Tsubasa curtly stated, their voices overlapping. "Do you want to die?" Kanade continued, glaring at Miku. Unfortunately, she thought she already knew the answer to that.

Miku's eyes glistened as they wet with tears, but her blank stare remained on her face. "I promised I'd protect Hibiki, no matter what."

Kanade could feel Miku's resolve. The girl knew she had already failed in her goal, it was clear from the tears that sparkled in her eyes, yet she held onto the faint hope that she could still protect her friend somehow. Kanade sighed. "I know I won't be able to change your mind."

Chris, on the other hand, did not sense the emotional weight of Miku's words, and turned to Kanade. "You're just going to let her do this? Are you stupid, too?"

A chuckle rumbled from Kanade's lips. "I think we're all a little bit stupid, for wanting to fight as we do." She shook her head. "Let's make this quick. Miku, are you sure you want to do this?"

Miku nodded.

Chris sighed.

Tsubasa closed her eyes, as if offering a prayer.

"Thank you for your hard work, Miku." Kanade smiled.

. . .

"You're all seriously nuts." Chris said, as she watched the missile fly up into the air. Miku stood atop it, her spear pointed upwards. None of the Symphogear candidates knew when Kadingir would fire, or how strong its blast would be. All they could do was hope that Miku would be able to stop it.

"It comes with the territory, I guess." Kanade chuckled. "And here we are, chatting as if the moon wasn't in danger."

"I have to wonder about this curse Finé spoke of." Tsubasa interjected quickly. "A curse to prevent humans from understanding each other? Is that not the point of music? A universal language that speaks to hearts, rather than through simple words?"

Chris shook her head. She knew Finé better than the two of them, but that didn't change the fact that Chris wasn't even sure she truly understood anything anyvmore. She barely had a grasp on her own heart, let alone what might be going through the minds of others. But she was confident in one thing. "Finé was blinded by love, right?" She'd suffered for years under Finé, all while being taught one simple thing. "Pain is the only way that humans can truly understand one another; that's what Finé taught me. Maybe she thought that bringing pain to others would help them understand her more... or something."

Tsubasa nodded. "If her plan succeeds, it'd bring the world together to face a tragedy. If her plan fails, she still managed to make us aware of that curse."

"Plus," Kanade added. "We all got a little bit closer because of it. Even if..."

The fact that Kanade's gaze dropped down to the girl in her arms spoke more words than Kanade ever could.

But even if she had said anything else, neither Tsubasa nor Chris would have been able to hear her, even though they stood so close to each other. As, in that moment, Kadingir finally activated.

. . .

The blast of Kadingir rocked the air around Miku as she flew on the missile. The missile and the projectile seemed to move at about the same speed, and she looked sideways to watch as it followed along beside her. She had been about to jump off onto Kadingir when the cannon fired; luckily, this just forced the two into a race.

Her stone-faced expression didn't waver; only the image of the missile reflected into Miku's cold, now-golden eyes.

And for the first time since she had donned her Symphogear over a year ago, Miku finally began to sing.

. . .

Tsubasa, Kanade, and Chris all looked up. "Is that...?" Kanade asked.

"What's the big deal? We all have to sing when using our Symphogears." Chris interjected, only to be cut off by Tsubasa.

"Miku has never once sung while donning her Gungnir. She has shards of the Symphogear within her body, so the theory is that those protect her just as our songs would us."

Chris looked aghast. "I feel like you glossed over a big detail, there."

"I'll explain later." Kanade looked away.

. . .

*Tsunagareru hō no te wo akete matsu yo*

*Kimi no daisuki na egao wo*

*Sasete hoshī kara*

As Miku sang, her eyes tracked the movements of the orb beside her. Contrary to what she initially thought, the orb was moving at a slightly faster speed than she was. Even though it theoretically should have moved at the speed of light, Miku wondered if perhaps the projectile defied the laws of physics just as Finé had done before.

She could feel the eternal priestess judging her from within her mind with a smile that said. "I can't wait to see you fail." But Miku shook her head, ignoring the interior gaze she felt.

Formulating several ideas in her mind as if a robot, Miku finally sprang into action. Lifting her spear, she thrust it into the missile's head at an angle, knocking it sideways through the air as if ready to collide with the ball of light she was racing. She looked up to see the ever-growing moon as they reached the upper-limits of what could be classified as the 'planet,' and she shook her head. The missile exploded then, launching Miku high into the air; though the ball of light was unfazed as well.

Resigned to her fate, Miku watched the ball of light spiral towards her. Ame no Habikiri had done nothing to stop it, and neither had Ichaival's missile. The chances of Gungnir having an effect on it were minimal, which left Miku only one option.

She closed her eyes.

*Gatrandis babel ziggurat edenal*

*Emustolronzen Finé el balal zizzl*

*Gatrandis babel ziggurat edenal*

*Emustolronzen Finé el zizzl*

. . .

From down on the ground, the three Symphogear wielders could hear Miku's Superb Song as it reverberated in the air, replacing all sound. Despite that, they were unable to see the aftermath of its effects. As they stared up at the sky, all they saw was a bright flash of light, and then Miku was gone.

Obliterated from the projectile, no doubt. Kanade and Tsubasa lowered their heads, and a tear fell from the former's one uncovered eye.

"Holy shit. I think she did it." Chris said in surprise, snapping the two other girls' gazes upwards.

. . .

A streak of blood dribbled out of Miku's mouth, and pain flared throughout her body, but she was alive–for now.

With the power of the Superb Song, Miku released just enough energy to propel herself downwards. Stabbing Gungnir into the projectile as her body slowly began to collapse, Miku used the entirety of her strength to push the ball downwards, slowing its ascent.

It should never have been possible, it denied the laws of physics.

"That's par for the course for us, I suppose." Finé's voice echoed through her mind, and Miku felt strangely calm at that.

The ball had disintegrated as it travelled up into the sky, breaking through the earth's many natural barriers. But now Miku floated, falling back down through it. Her body was warm; she was not going to survive, and even if she did she had no way of knowing where she was going to end up.

She knew this was how it would end for her, wanting to do everything in her power to save Hibiki. "But you failed. Hibiki is dead." Finé reminded her from within.

"Hibiki climbed up through hell to reach heaven." Miku said, and finally managed to break the stoic expression that Finé forced upon her face. Her lips cracked into a smile as her golden eyes closed. "I don't think Hibiki could die that easily."

Miku could feel Finé's confusion, but did not care. "I never planned on letting you use me for your plans." Miku addressed the ghost within her. She opened her eyes to get a view of the world. Now that the ground was slowly starting to fade into sight, Miku took in the world's beauty. "Really, if you had gone about it in a different way, I think we could have worked together."

The image of the eternal priestess smiled. "So you simply didn't care for my methods?"

"You said humanity is cursed? Any curse should be broken, I think." Miku could feel her body heat rising with every second that passed. Even with the increased vitality granted to her by the Symphogear she wore, Miku was still fighting hard just to stay conscious as the wind pounded at her skull. "Next time, please come up with a different strategy. One that Hibiki would want to help you with."

Finé was genuinely surprised. "Perhaps," She thought back. "I may have been blinded by my selfish desires. Claiming to be working towards the greater good of our species yet wanting to ravage the one planet we have. I can see now why you didn't care for my plan."

"You had thousands of years to come up with something else. Maybe, in your next life, try to figure out why your god cursed humanity in the first place."

Miku's head was pounding so hard that she was even having difficulty hearing Finé's next words, even though the ghost resided within her own mind. As she finally passed out, Miku replayed the final things both she and the priestess had said together. "Perhaps we truly are fairly similar."

#### Chapter 14

*Three months later...*

Tsubasa and Kanade stood at the ruined site of Lydian Private Music Academy. Despite the destruction of the school, all students had already been evacuated to underground shelters so casualties and heavy injuries were minimal. Sector Two suffered more losses than the school, if only because Kadingir rising out of the ground collapsed part of a tunnel. Even then, only a total of three people died at the Lydian site that day across both groups.

Miku's whereabouts are unknown. An Aufwachen Waveform was detected in the atmosphere, but disappeared south of Japan, near the Philippine Sea. She has been assumed dead, though members of Sector Two are still scouring the area where they last detected traces of her Symphogear hoping to find some answers.

Tsubasa looked up at Kadingir above them. The relic was still technically active, and Sector Two was researching how to deactivate it permanently. The device still couldn't be destroyed; Kanade and Tsubasa had both sung their Superb Songs together after everything had settled, and even then they'd only managed to break off only a small part of the outer shell before they had to be hospitalized for a month.

"I still think about what she wanted to accomplish. Even if her methods were insane, she did seem to have good, albeit twisted, intentions." Kanade said finally. The orange sky and setting sun disappeared behind Kadingir, and the two were left in the dark shadow it cast.

"I agree. If only she had spoken to us, instead of jumping to the most outlandish of ideas."

The two girls turned to walk down the hill. Lydian was in the process of relocating to a smaller school in the town itself. A European-styled school had bee closed a few years earlier, and Lydian was now planning to move into that after a couple of renovations had been completed. Unfortunately, with the battle against the Red Dragon of Revelations and subsequent destruction of the school, Sector Two's secret technology, the Symphogears, had accidentally been made public. Thus, they were no longer allowed to operate in secret from the school's grounds. That primarily inconvenienced Lydian's newest student, Christ Yukine, the most, since Kanade had already graduated and Tsubasa was set to in the spring.

The two girls walked in silence. Though they may have once been idols, Kanade's injuries transformed her enough to make her unrecognizable to many–she was even less recognizable now, as she had cut her once wild hair short–so few people approached them. Even fewer wanted to, as a rumour came about how the two had been 'cursed' before the Zwei Wing Tragedy. But they didn't mind the quiet life; in fact, both of them preferred it. Even if they loved to save others with their songs, all that they had been through had made them love the normalcy that others lived.

"Should you even be out and about?" A girl's voice cried out. Tsubasa and Kanade didn't need to check to know what was going on, this was becoming a regular occurrence for them.

As they always did after leaving the site of Kadingir, the two walked past the hospital in town. And, as always, a group of three girls were always yelling at their friend who tried to escape the hospital every day.

"I told you, I'm fine!"

"You almost died! No, you did die! It's a miracle you can even breathe right now! You shouldn't be up and about so soon, or do you think you're an anime character?"

A girl with brown hair tied into spiralling twintails with pink ribbons leaned over her friend in a wheelchair. Beside her, a tanned girl with short, lighter brown hair looked nervously between the two of them.

"I know you don't want to sit around, but do you really think she'd forgive you if she saw what you were doing?" A blonde haired girl wearing a white, ribbon-tied, headband had a sweet smile on her face as she spoke. But underneath it, her friends saw a silent darkness waiting to be unleashed; they both backed away as she neared the wheelchair.

"Eh? Shiori? What are you planning on doing?"

These three girls were Yumi Itaba, Kuriyo Ando, and Shiori Terashima–all first year students of Lydian and fans of Zwei Wing. Tsubasa couldn't help but sigh as she and Kanade neared the commotion they were making; she was tired, but this was part of the 'normalcy' that she had begun to like. Kanade just smiled.

"Come on, all of you. You're making too much noise. Remember that this is a hospital." Kanade called out to them, and the three girls who crowded around their friend jumped to attention in surprise. Kanade couldn't help but laugh; even though they had met a couple of months ago, the three still felt starstruck whenever it came to interacting with the idols they had been fans of.

"Really, can't you go one day without trying to escape, Hibiki?"

Hibiki laughed awkwardly as Tsubasa glared down at her.

Miku's consciousness may not have been in full control while under Finé's spell, but she still seemed to have some sway. When she stabbed Hibiki, she managed to avoid anything too important. That isn't to say Hibiki didn't suffer from lasting injuries, but she was for all intents and purposes alive.

Though you wouldn't think so with how she looked. She had bandages wrapped around her head, and her skin was pale and shrunken. Hibiki looked like a living corpse; she couldn't walk on her own, and she had trouble eating and, at times, breathing. Yet she miraculously survived–something that even Kanade had found incredulous as she had assumed that the girl she carried that night had been dead in her arms.

Yet despite the fact that Hibiki would never be the same physically, her old personality shone through. She smiled as Tsubasa and Kanade got close, followed by a couple of coughs echoing out from her throat. "Just you wait. Once I'm better, I'll go find Miku!"

Of course, Sector Two had told Hibiki about Miku's disappearance, but she didn't seem fazed one bit. In fact, she seemed to use it as a way to keep herself in high spirits: she needed to get better in order to reunite with her sunshine.

"You're really insane, Hibiki. But I guess that's why you're the one living an anime life, huh." Yumi sighed, hands on her hips. The three girls had been some of the only people Hibiki and Miku had managed to befriend at Lydian, and Hibiki accidentally let slip to the three of them about the Symphogears while in the hospital. Sector Two swore them to secrecy and the three have basically been appointed Hibiki's aides, to help her sane while living alone in the hospital.

Hibiki's mother and grandmother would come by too, as they were also aware of her situation, but they just felt ashamed that they were unable to help Hibiki–or Miku, for that matter–during the whole matter. Even though Hibiki kept reassuring the two of them, they still started to become distant.

And yet through it all, Hibiki still smiled.

Tsubasa looked at Hibiki's smile. "You know, Tachibana, you don't have to keep smiling all the time." Tsubasa could see better than anyone the sadness and pain that her smile was masking. "It's not healthy to keep everything bottled up inside."

"Says the sentinel herself." Kanade put her hand on Tsubasa's shoulder. "But she's right. It's clear to everyone that you're just smiling to keep us from worrying, but you don't need to worry about that."

"You almost died, you dummy!" Shiori cried out. "If anything, it's weird that you've been acting so normal."

Hibiki just looked around at all of the faces looking down on her. She could see concern upon all of them, and she finally sighed. "If I'm not smiling," Hibiki looked down. "Then, I'm thinking about Miku. About how useless I've been for her... And I worry that I'll never be able to apologize to her."

Silence hung over the group.

"I don't think you need to apologize for anything." Kuriyo said after a moment. "There's only one of you in the world, Bikki, and that's the you we all care about. It doesn't matter how much you do–you draw people to you, and that's why we're all friends."

Yumi tilted her head, repeating what her friend said word-for-word under her breath. After doing so, she furrowed her brow. "I don't think that made sense."

"What I think she's trying to say is that it doesn't matter how useful Hibiki thinks she is," Tsubasa starts. "All that matters is that she remains herself. She's managed to survive multiple tragedies, multiple fatal injuries, and yet she is still the same girl at heart."

Tsubasa said most of her speech with her eyes closed, and thus was surprised when she opened them to a series of nine eyes all looking at her, curiously. "What?" She asked after a moment, searching for an answer upon any of their faces.

"You called her Hibiki. I think that's the first time you used her given name." Kanade pointed out. "Actually, I don't think you've ever used anyone's given name but mine."

"Well..." Tsubasa fumbled for words, a blush creeping over her face. She turned away to hide her embarrassment, earning a chorus of laughs from the others. Even Hibiki, who needed to wheeze for air after ever few giggles, had her mouth wide open in a smile at the sight of a flustered Tsubasa.

~~

"Oh good, you're all here." Genjuro walked up from down the street, no doubt drawn to the laughs. Beside him stood Chris Yukine, who was–quite messily–eating an ice cream cone. Ogawa stood beside the two of them as well, and handed her a napkin as he pointed to a spot on his own cheek.

"Chief!" Kanade called out in welcome. "What's up?"

While Chris was obliviously munching away on her treat, and clumsily trying to clean up afterwards, Ogawa and Genjuro both had serious looks on their faces. "Something bad." Tsubasa narrowed her eyes.

"Tell me," Genjuro turned the tablet he held in his hands around. "Have any of you heard of the idol Maria Cadenzavna Eve?"

"Yeah, she's a pretty big deal over in Europe." Yumi explained quickly. "I think she's supposed to be doing the opening theme for an anime later this season, too."

Genjuro scratched his head. "You may want to watch this." He explained, tapping the video's thumbnail with, aptly, his own large thumb.