Training the Newbies

by Kartoffelkamm

Summary:

After reforming Shem-Ha, the girls have to deal with a new challenge: Getting their three newest Wielders up to speed.

Chapter 1

It was a day like any other in Lydian, except that several students were sound asleep. Tachibana Hibiki’s teacher walked up to the girl resting on her desk, and waited a few moments for her to raise her head and pay attention to class. When she didn’t, the teacher swung her ruler.

“Tachibana,” the teacher scolded, intending to hit the desk. Hibiki, acting on trained instinct, raised her arm to block the blow. The wood hit her arm, and for a moment, the teacher froze. Hibiki slowly woke up as the sensation traveled up her arm, and raised her head. She blinked a few times, then woke the entire school with an ear-piercing scream.

 

During lunch break, Hibiki met with her friends on the rooftop. Kohinata Miku sat to her left, with Yukine Chris on her right. Akatsuki Kirika and Tsukuyomi Shirabe sat on a different bench. Ando Kuriyo, Terashima Shiori, and Itaba Yumi sat on another bench, and all three groups opened their lunch boxes.

“Weird,” Hibiki mumbled to herself when she saw the selection of food she had prepared half-asleep. She began eating, and slowly woke up.

“Anyone else got some weird lunch boxes today?” Shiori asked, and everyone looked up and mumbled in confirmation, then went back to eating.

“What did I even make?” Shirabe asked as she picked up some food, but ate it despite it looking weird.

“Yeah, the taste is off, dess,” Kirika said and stuffed something resembling steak in her mouth.

“Anyway, do you think we can go on missions?” Kuriyo looked up at Hibiki, and everyone stopped eating for a moment. Hibiki swallowed quickly, then let out a sigh.

“I think so,” Hibiki answered, “But it’d be bad if you don’t get training first.” Hearing that, Yumi got excited.

“I can’t wait,” Yumi said, “Tibetan monastery, here I come. Or does S.O.N.G. have a beach house?”

“I don’t think we have either,” Hibiki answered, and continued eating in smaller bites, “But we can still help you.”

“If you want, that is,” Chris added, “After all, with Shem-Ha pacified, I doubt there’s much need for the Symphogear.”

“And that’s where you’re wrong,” Yumi said, “I mean, everyone thought the same after the Noise were eradicated, and yet, you had three more major disasters to avert.”

“Okay,” Hibiki said, “I’ll talk to the commander, and see if we can get help you three get up to speed. After school, of course.” The groups continued to eat, and when lunch break was over, the felt unusually refreshed, as if they had taken some medication, or gotten more than 4 hours of sleep that night.

 

After school, Hibiki and Miku returned to their dorm room, to find the kitchen in shambles. Ingredients and packaging were strewn all over the area, and dirty cutlery laid in the sink. While they rushed to clean up, Hibiki got a call from Chris and picked up.

“Hey, I think someone broke into my place while I was gone,” Chris said in a mild panic, “It looks like I fought Noise in here.”

“Well, same here,” Hibiki said and walked away a bit, while Miku began cleaning up, “I guess we just made breakfast while asleep.” She chuckled a little.

“Okay,” Chris said, “But if anything turns up missing, I’m calling the cops.”

“Got it,” Hibiki said and hung up. Just when she was about to put her phone away, it rang again, and Kirika called.

“Problem, dess,” Kirika said, alarmed, “Our kitchen is a mess! We can get messy, but we stay in our bedroom. Or the bathroom. Or the living room. Actually, a lot of rooms. But never the kitchen, dess.”

“It’s fine,” Hibiki said, “Chris also called, and we probably just made breakfast half asleep.” She chuckled and blushed a little, and hung up again. When her phone rang again, she set up a group chat.

“Great idea, Bikki,” Kuriyo wrote, and added a sticker of a hamster with a light bulb above its head, “Anyway, our kitchen is trashed.”

“Thanks,” Hibiki wrote, and the others all chimed in to report that their kitchens have also been messed up. Miku looked at her phone, which buzzed with notifications, and sighed.

“Shem-Ha helped us prepare lunch boxes,” Miku explained via text, “Since we were half asleep, it was easy for her to influence us, but our motor functions suffered.”

“I see,” Yumi wrote, “So, a case of divine intervention? Nice. But how do you know that?”

“She can use my heightened intuition,” Miku explained, “When I look in a mirror, she can communicate to my directly.”

“Spooky,” Kuriyo wrote.

“A little,” Miku replied. “Anyway, back to cleaning.” She put her phone on silent, and grabbed Hibiki by the arm. Hibiki set her phone to silent as well, and both resumed cleaning their kitchen. The others wrote a bit more, but then realized that Hibiki and Miku weren’t responding, and continued cleaning up as well.

 

A board the S.O.N.G. mobile base, Tomosato Aoi went to grab some coffee, and immediately noticed a strange smell when she poured the liquid into her mug, despite being very tired. However, as none of the sensors for hazardous materials went off, she cautiously took a sip, and while it tasted different, it wasn’t bad. She waited for five minutes, to see if there would be any ill effects, then returned to her post.

“Everything alright?” Fujitaka Sakuya asked when he noticed his coworker return with a weird look on her face.

“Yeah,” Aoi answered, “Just… who made this coffee?”

“Why, is something wrong?” Sakuya asked, and Aoi took another sip.

“No, I don’t think so,” Aoi answered, “It’s just… different than usual. Like there are some things in it you wouldn’t normally put in coffee.”

“Did you ask the lab to analyze it?” Sakuya asked, and Aoi blinked.

“N- no,” Aoi answered, “None of the alarms went off, so I figured it was fine.” She took another sip, and noticed how her energy returned faster.

“Alright,” Sakuya said, “But be sure to let the medical staff know you notice anything weird.”

“Of course,” Aoi said.

“Anyway, do you think Elfnein could help us figure out what’s in it?” Sakuya asked.

“I’m… not sure we should ask her,” Aoi answered, “She is asleep in her lab, and to be honest, I feel bad for making her work so hard. She’s a child, and should be out there making friends, instead of helping us.” Sakuya paused for a moment, then sighed.

“I guess you’re right,” Sakuya said, “But who would help us with alchemy stuff if she wasn’t there?” Aoi looked down at her mug, then back up at her coworker.

“Well, things are looking peaceful right now,” Aoi said, “Maybe we won’t need her help as much now.”

“Maybe,” Sakuya said, and had an idea. “Or maybe we can learn from her.”

“What do you mean?” Aoi asked, and tilted her head a little.

“If we can learn alchemy from her, we can do her work while she’s gone,” Sakuya answered, “Even if we can’t catch up with her, we can still learn some of it, and handle the easier tasks for her.” Aoi looked at him, and blinked in confusion.

“And you’re sure you didn’t sneak in some sleep when you were supposed to be working last night?” Aoi asked. “Because that idea seemed too good for someone running on 3 hours of sleep.”

“I’m so tired that I looped back around to being awake,” Sakuya answered, “Once I lay down, there isn’t a force in the world that can wake me. Look.” He slumped off his chair, and as soon as he hit the ground, he was sound asleep. Aoi sighed and looked over at two men who had watched from their seats, and they got up to carry him to the men’s sleeping quarters.

 

A fter school, Hibiki and the others walked through the city, and met up with Tsubasa and Maria, who had slept in after last night’s special mission. They were still a bit drowsy, but mostly awake now, thanks to a lot of coffee, and the lunch boxes Shem-Ha had packed for the younger girls.

“Hey, Basa, can we come along on a mission?” Kuriyo asked after a while, catching Tsubasa by surprise. She paused for a moment, her mind racing to process the question, as well as the apparent nickname.

“I… suppose,” Tsubasa answered, and looked away from the group to hide her blushing. “Why do you ask?”

“Because now that we have Symphogear, we should do stuff,” Kuriyo answered, “Also, Bikki said we need training, so I figured we could come along on some easier missions, to get a feel for what it’s like.”

“Well, that’s not exactly what I had in mind,” Hibiki said, and chuckled nervously, “But you do make a good point. Maybe there are some UN jobs we can help with.”

“They can always use help distributing resources,” Chris piped up, “You know, food and clothes and such. Not to mention that bandits are a problem in a lot of places, so we could run security.”

“Sounds good,” Kuriyo said, and pumped her fists in excitement, “Tell them I’m ready to help.”

“Just because you want to doesn’t mean you’re ready,” Maria said, “You’ve only used your Symphogear once so far, so you can’t expect everything to go well. You haven’t even manifested an Armed Gear yet.” Kuriyo paused for a moment, then let her head hang in disappointment.

“I guess you’re right,” Kuriyo said, “I’ll work on that first, and see what Armed Gear I can manifest.” Suddenly, Miku dashed ahead and took a plastic broom that leaned against a store window. Ahead of them, a man on a bicycle snatched an old woman’s purse as he passed.

“Thief!” The people turned around and looked at the man when they heard the woman’s scream. Miku swung the broom and hit the man in the face, knocking him off his bicycle. Hibiki immediately flipped him around and pinned him to the ground, and Miku returned the purse. While everyone else was too stunned to respond, Yumi called the police.

 

A few days later, Kuriyo walked through the city, thinking about her Armed Gear. She sat down on a bench, and a stray cat jumped onto her lap. She petted it for a moment, until the cat jumped down and walked away. Kuriyo shrugged, got up, and just followed the cat, since she had nothing better to do. She was so fixated on the cat that she didn’t realize she walked past a construction site, and got startled by a loud sound.

“Oh, sorry,” one of the construction workers said, and Kuriyo looked at him. He was tall, muscular, and held a large sledgehammer in his hands, resting on his left shoulder between swings. He had short black hair, a stubble beard, and green eyes.

“It’s fine,” Kuriyo said, “I just… didn’t notice I was here already.” The cat jumped at her, and she caught it. Once it settled into her arms, the cat played with her Symphogear.

“Alright then,” the man said, and continued driving a steel spike into the ground. Kuriyo walked away, but thought about the man, and his hammer. She turned a corner into an old street lined with abandoned houses, set the cat down, then took a deep breath.

“Sulen Járngreipr Tron,” Kuriyo sang, and her Symphogear activated. Her song began to play, and she began to rap about breaking down evil, and building a better future in its place. The cat tilted its head, and Kuriyo focused on her hands, envisioning a hammer.

“Járngreipr has activated,” Aoi said over the communication system, “Kuriyo is near the old department store.” Kuriyo was too focused to pay attention, and swung her hands as if she swung a sledgehammer. After a few tries, the armor plates on her forearms separated from her suit and combined into a hammer head, before a handle extended from the middle.

“I’m on my way,” Hibiki said. Kuriyo grabbed her Armed Gear and smiled, still rapping, and decided to try swinging it a little. She left a small hole in the road, then took down a chimney, and tried swinging faster. Suddenly, thrusters activated on the back of the hammer.

“Oh, crap,” Kuriyo said, and begun to spin around out of control. She stopped singing, and tried to dig her feet into the ground to put up more resistance. She saw the cat sitting nearby, and time slowed down as her Armed Gear rushed toward the feline.

“Stop!” Hibiki called out and grabbed the hammer head, just before something horrible happened. The shockwave knocked down a nearby house, and the cat jumped into a bush and disappeared. Kuriyo felt the impact shoot through her arms, and her knees turned to jelly.

“Thank you,” Kuriyo said, let go of her Armed Gear, and fell to the ground.

“Are you okay?” Hibiki asked, let go of the hammer, and sat down beside her.

“Y- yeah,” Kuriyo answered, still just sitting on her knees, with her arms beside her, “My arms are rubber, and my knees are jelly, and everything spins, but I’m fine.”

“Good,” Hibiki said with a smile, then turned more serious, “What were you thinking?”

“I… wasn’t,” Kuriyo answered, “I saw the construction worker, and he had a hammer, and I… it seemed perfect for me. I don’t know.” Hibiki looked around, then hugged Kuriyo.

“It is perfect,” Hibiki said, more gentle now, “You just need to let us know before you do something like this.”

“Okay,” Kuriyo said, and slowly returned the hug when the feeling returned to her arms. After a while, they deactivated their Symphogear returned to the base. The next day, the Japanese government cleared the area for demolition, allowing the Symphogear to use it as a training ground. A local wildlife preservation group raised concerns for the animals living there, but S.O.N.G. assured them they had been relocated.

 

Several snipers from different UN countries took up position in the abandoned city portion, ready for training – their body armor had been reinforced with alchemy, preventing their allies from accidentally harming them. Once they were in position, they signaled the mobile base, and Kuriyo, Shiori and Yumi appeared at a crossing, their Symphogear already active.

“Okay, let’s do-” Kuriyo began, but a bullet hit the ground near her, and the trio rushed into a nearby building. Folk rock started playing, and Shiori began to sing about protecting the innocent like an impenetrable wall.

“I’ll see if I can find them,” Yumi said, unfolded her metallic wings and activated the thruster on her lower back. She broke through the ceiling and rose upward, bullets whizzing past her. She manifested several throwing knives and flung them all over the area.

“How about aiming?” Kuriyo asked. Yumi flung more knives into the area, completing a circle. Suddenly, the handles opened up and turned into satellite dishes, and the support team got a clearer view of the city.

“Support team, can you track the bullets’ trajectory?” Yumi asked. Aoi and Sakuya began processing the data, and Yumi dropped again, hiding in another house.

“Good idea,” Aoi answered, “I have one in the old community college.” Hearing that, the trio exchanged a knowing look across the road and got moving.

“My turn,” Kuriyo said and rushed the building. Shiori ran ahead, deploying a tower shield to protect herself and her friends. Kuriyo swung her hammer and sent a car’s engine flying toward their target.

“I’ll place more knives,” Yumi said and took flight again. She manifested knives in both hands and flung them around the area, adding more points of reference for the support staff. When they stormed the building, they were hit by a claymore anti-personnel mine, and Shiori shook her head to make her ears stop ringing. Yumi spotted the man trying to escape, and swooped down to tag him. Before long, the trio took out the snipers, completing their first training exercise.

Chapter 2

S.O.N.G. received a call from the UN council, who requested a Symphogear to be deployed in Somalia – pirates barricaded themselves in a small port city, using AA guns, sea- and land mines, and tanks to prevent authorities from entering the city and bringing supplies to the people without paying tariffs . Kenya had allowed the UN to set up a base near the border, so now they just needed to wait. A few days later, a van arrived on base, and Chris stepped out, with her Symphogear already active .

“Hey, I know you,” one of the men said in English, with a subtle German accent, and hurried over to her, “You’re the one who blew up that mountain.” The UN soldiers looked at her, and while some were relieved, others were concerned.

“Yeah, that’s me,” Chris said, also in English, “But those are people, so I’m not gonna do that. Who’re you, anyway?”

“Wilhelm, leader of this base,” Wilhelm answered, “And we already tried talking, so I’m afraid you have no choice.” The man easily towered over Chris. His dark brown hair was kept short, and he had light blue eyes, as well as a thick beard.

“Maybe you just didn’t give them a good-enough reason to talk,” Chris said with a smirk, then got more serious, “One bullet. If that doesn’t work, I’ll blow ‘em to hell. Deal?” Wilhelm blinked a few times, not sure if he really should sign off these people’s lives like that.

“Okay,” Wilhelm said. The two shook hands, and he led Chris to his tent, where he showed her everything they knew about the pirates. Chris read through the dossier, and inspected the ships through drone footage. Luckily the pirates were arrogant enough to let the UN spy on them, to show they had nothing to fear.

 

Aboard a captured US vessel, Abshir looked at the navigation systems, and went over the inventory one more time. Their location was safe, and they had enough ammunition and rations to blow everything out of the water. The man had his hair shaved off, and wore a mockery of the US Navy uniform, patched together from various parts of the former crew members’ uniforms, with no regard for rank. Suddenly, a voice came over the speakers.

“Captain Abshir, hello,” Chris said, “This is the wielder of the Ichaival Symphogear speaking. You have one last chance to surrender, before I start shooting. What do you say?” Abshir grabbed the mic and laughed.

“In your wildest dreams, Symphogear,” Abshir responded, “I know you girls do not kill people. And from your location, our defense systems can intercept anything you try.” Suddenly a bullet punched through the reinforced glass, flew between the man’s index- and middle finger, and cut through the microphone in his hand. Abshir looked at the glass, then at his fingers, and then the wall behind him. All the color drained from his face as the realization set in.

“That was a warning shot, Captain,” Chris said, “And yes, we do not kill people. Usually. By choice. However, this situation is becoming a trolley problem, and I am not afraid to pull the lever. And while your defense systems may be able to intercept my rockets, I can just manifest new ones as long as I keep singing. How long can you keep defending?” Abshir rushed to one of the control panels, and immediately ordered his men to surrender. All his ships lowered their Somalian flags and raised a white one, and the UN forces boarded to arrest the pirates. At the same time, the tanks were confiscated, and their crews arrested as well. Chris stayed behind to help hand out supplies to the people, only returning home once the supplies were gone.

 

B ack home, Chris fell into her bed and let out an exhausted sigh, and quickly fell asleep. The next morning, she realized she overslept, quickly made breakfast and went to school, despite looking a bit disheveled. During lunch break, the Symphogear wielders met on the rooftop again, to talk in private.

“Yuki, you were amazing,” Kuriyo said, and her friends nodded enthusiastically, “There are already people talking about how you took down the whole fleet with one bullet.” Chris blushed a little and hid her face, unsure how to react to having a nickname, and the praise.

“W- well, it’s true,” Chris said, before stuffing her face to try and get out of this conversation.

“Wait, really?” Kuriyo asked, eyes wide in awe.

“That must’ve looked so cool,” Yumi said.

“That’s our Chris,” Hibiki said and put her arm around Chris’ shoulders, causing her to choke on her food. Hibiki hit her on the back, and Chris coughed up the food.

“Dummy!” Chris scolded, “Don’t just surprise someone like that when they’re eating!”

“Sorry,” Hibiki said, and laughed nervously while rubbing the back of her head.

“Anyway, what happened?” Shiori asked, “How did you take down that whole fleet with one shot?” Chris paused for a moment, realizing she was technically the trio’s senior in terms of wielding a Symphogear.

“Well, the head honcho wouldn’t talk,” Chris said, and assumed a more mentor-like posture, “So, I put a hole in his communicator, and told him to rethink that stance.” Miku watched Chris, and saw her true emotions.

“Awesome,” Hibiki said, “I knew you could do it.”

“O- of course,” Chris said. Miku knew she was happy about the praise, but didn’t know how to express it.

“She’s actually really happy to hear that,” Miku chimed in, and Chris froze for a second.

“Hey, who told you that?” Chris asked, and turned around to Miku.

“Heightened intuition, remember?” Miku answered, “And I know you’re glad someone can tell what you’re thinking. You’re welcome.” The group kept talking and eating, with Miku occasionally voicing the others’ hidden feelings, much to everyone else’s delight.

 

In the afternoon, Kuriyo, Shiori and Yumi approached the training area, with their Symphogear active. They approached a bridge spanning across a large canal, which had been flooded to simulate a river. Several boats with machine gun turrets floated on the river. Country rock started playing from Yumi’s Symphogear, and Yumi began to sing about lifting up her allies and soaring to victory. She took flight, but came under fire from several Gatling guns and was forced to land behind some bushes.

“Not good,” Shiori said and manifested a tower shield to protect her friends, “We need to get past that bridge.”

“Let’s make a break for it,” Kuriyo said, “Just you and me. Yumi will come in after us, and take out the guns once we have their attention.”

“Sounds good,” Shiori said, and Yumi nodded. Shiori stood up and ran toward the bridge, with Kuriyo following close behind, while she took the brunt of the attack.

“Now!” Kuriyo called back, stopped, and swung her hammer down on the bridge. The structure collapsed, and the water splash distracted the soldiers firing at the trio. Yumi rose above the buildings and struck the Gatling guns with throwing knives. Once the main threat was dealt with, the trio quickly moved to an old retirement home, where the leader of the soldiers waited for them, and completed the exercise.

 

A few hours later, all nine Symphogear wielders stood in the mobile base, with recordings from the newbies’ exercise playing on a big screen. The newbies wore their school uniform, and didn’t quite know what to expect, as Genjuro waited for the footage to end. Afterwards, he turned around and faced the girls.

“Okay, who can tell me what they did wrong?” Genjuro asked. The newbies shrunk a little, not knowing what they did wrong. Hibiki wanted to say something, but didn’t quite know how.

“They destroyed the bridge,” Tsubasa explained, “Under the parameters of this exercise, the city was isolated from the outside, so while restraining the terrorists was the primary goal, the purpose of that goal was to allow humanitarian relief efforts to reach the city. Without a bridge, that can no longer happen.”

“Oh, right,” Kuriyo said, “I… got carried away.”

“It’s fine, stuff happens,” Hibiki said and offered a smile, “Worst case, you had to carry some trucks and hop the gap.”

“Yeah, sometimes you gotta make some tough decisions,” Chris said, and her expression turned more somber, “What’s important is that you make the best of whatever situation you’re in.”

“So, we’re not in trouble?” Shiori asked.

“No,” Genjuro answered, “I just needed you to know that you cannot win every battle without taking a few hits, and to be ready for when you have to make tough decisions.”

“I see,” Kuriyo said, then remembered something, turned to Hibiki and asked, “Wait, why did you talk about carrying trucks like it’d be easy?”

“Because it is,” Hibiki explained, equal parts excited and proud, “With the Symphogear, you’re all a lot stronger, so even military trucks will feel like toys to you. Commander, show them.”

“Alright,” Genjuro said, and pressed a few buttons on his remote. The screen showed footage from when Hibiki, Chris and Tsubasa liberated Val Verde. The newbies watched in awe as Hibiki sent a truck flying, or used a tank turret like a baseball bat.

“Wow,” Kuriyo said after the footage ended.

“Yep,” Hibiki said and smiled proudly.

“So, how long until we can go on missions?” Kuriyo asked.

“The UN council is still reviewing your progress,” Genjuro answered, “These training missions serve not only to train you, but also to showcase your abilities, and your behavior in combat, so that our superiors can get a better idea of when they can send you somewhere.”

“I figured,” Yumi said, surprising almost everyone, except for Chris.

“Of course you did,” Chris said, “Let me guess, that’s how they do it in anime?”

“Yeah, but it’s not a very common story line,” Yumi answered, “Also, after two or three training sessions, something usually comes up that forces the newbies to act before they’re officially ready, in which case they prove they’re ready by completing the mission better than expected and are cleared to work with the experts.”

“Then let’s get the next training session underway, dess,” Kirika said and stood up from her chair, raising one fist triumphantly.

“Well, the more experienced ones usually die at some point shortly after,” Yumi said in an apologetic tone, and Kirika sat back down.

“Then we can subvert that trope,” Genjuro said, “But for now, I want you all to go back home and get some rest, while the council prepares the next training unit.” The girls left the room and headed back to their homes, or the dorms. On the way, the newbies thought about their training, and discussed how they could’ve done a better job, but realized that they had no real choice.

 

After school, Kuriyo caught up with Kirika and Shirabe, and walked beside the former. The duo was surprised she wanted to talk to them, but Kirika was visibly happy, whereas Shirabe maintained her mostly neutral expression.

“Hey, Kiki, Shishi,” Kuriyo said, “Want to hang out?” The duo exchanged some looks, then nodded to each other before turning back to Kuriyo. Kirika seemed happier than before, while Shirabe looked a bit puzzled.

“Sure, dess,” Kirika answered, “Where did you want to go?”

“I thought I’d just follow you two around,” Kuriyo answered.

“Okay,” Shirabe said. They walked through the city, headed to a park, and sat down on a bench.

“Shirabe, look, dess,” Kirika said, pointing at a couple birds. Shirabe and Kuriyo followed her finger and spotted the birds.

“Looks like a Japanese tit,” Kuriyo said, “There are some others, but the one that’s currently looking at us is definitely one.”

“You really know a lot, dess,” Kirika said. The mixed flock turned to the trio, and the Japanese tits came over to them.

“Well, I know a little,” Kuriyo said, “I also sometimes feed them, so they know me.” She pulled a small bag of nuts from her skirt pocket, and started feeding the birds. As she kept tossing them food, more birds came over to get some, and Kirika and Shirabe looked in awe when a pigeon landed next to Kuriyo on the bench.

 

G oing over the annual reports, the head of the Swedish municipality Gävle sighed when he saw the defense spending, and that the goat was still burned down. He stood up and paced through his office, when his gaze fell onto a framed news article covering the fallout of Carol Malus Dienheim trying to dissect the world. He narrowed his eyes, then sat back down in front of his computer and began typing.

Chapter 3

After watching the latest episode of her favorite magical girl anime, Yumi left her dorm room to go and test out a new technique. She knew Chris would groan if she mentioned where she learned it, but she wanted to try it anyway. After going somewhere private, she activated her Symphogear, and began to sing. Once she had enough Phonic Gain, she spread her wings and activated the thrusters on her lower back.

“Yumi, is everything alright?” Aoi asked over the communication system, surprising Yumi a little. She stopped singing, turned off her thrusters, and began gliding.

“I just wanted to test out something,” Yumi answered, “Don’t worry, I’ll be quick.”

“Well, alright,” Aoi said, “But next time, contact us first so we can arrange everything. I’ll send someone over to monitor the situation up close, and keep an eye on things from here.”

“Sorry,” Yumi said, “And thanks.” She resumed singing and flew to the training area, then waited for a while, until a rocket flew overhead and Chris jumped off of it.

“So, what’s this about?” Chris asked after landing next to Yumi.

“I wanted to try out a new technique,” Yumi answered, “The idea is to safely catch people, for example restraining criminals, or extracting allies from dangerous situations.”

“Okay, show me,” Chris said, looked around a bit, and then pointed at a potted plant. “There.” Yumi focused, and her arm armor shot out a small dagger. Its blade was twice as long as the handle, and it had a bright red pommel.

“Alright, here goes,” Yumi said and threw the dagger. It unfolded mid-flight, and the blade split into four segments. However, the pot shattered on impact, and the dagger clattered to the ground.

“We’ll practice a bit more,” Chris said, and Yumi let her head hang.

“It looked so easy when she did it,” Yumi said to herself, but then regained her spirits.

“I knew this was from some anime,” Chris said, and let out a sigh.

“Hate to interrupt you, but we got an emergency,” Aoi said, “Bulgaria reported a relic activating, and asked for three Symphogear to help get the situation under control. Chris, we’re sending you, Hibiki and Tsubasa.”

“Okay,” Chris said, then turned to Yumi, “Sorry, we’ll do this another time.” She manifested a rocket and flew away on it, leaving Yumi to practice by herself.

“Yumi, you can go home,” Aoi said, “We won’t have the capacity to monitor your vital signs, so practicing a new technique could get dangerous.” Yumi paused for a moment.

“Okay,” Yumi said, took a running start and flew back to the dorms. She closed her eyes mid-flight, just enjoying the wind in her hair, and thought about the anime. Suddenly, the city sounds disappeared, and when she opened her eyes, she saw a large open meadow, with people having picnics or playing games. Then, she crashed near what looked like a family of three.

“Oh my,” a woman said, “Are you okay?” Yumi looked up and saw two adults looking down to her, with worry in their eyes. The woman had white hair and purple eyes, and the man had black hair and brown eyes. The girl who was with them had brown hair and teal eyes.

“Y- yes, I’m fine,” Yumi answered, and got back up. She noticed the girl stare at her in disbelief, and hid behind the two adults. “But what about you three? I’d imagine a Symphogear falling out of the sky must be quite the shock.”

“We’re fine,” the woman answered with a soft smile, which was then replaced by curiosity, “But… what is a Symphogear?” Yumi looked at the trio, and blinked in confusion.

“You… don’t know what the Symphogear are?” Yumi asked, and the two adults shook their heads, while the girl just stared at her.

“No,” the woman answered, looked at the girl, and gasped. “Serena, what’s wrong?” The adults knelt down and put their hands on the girl’s shoulders, to let her know they were there.

“How did it follow you here?” Serena asked, staring directly at Yumi, “The Symphogear don’t come here.”

“I… think I should leave,” Yumi said, “Do you know where I am?” The adults exchanged some confused looks, and stood back up. The woman gently guided Serena somewhere else.

“This is the afterlife,” the man answered, much to Yumi’s shock.

“That explains… a few things,” Yumi said, “So… is that your daughter?”

“No,” the man answered with a slight chuckle, “She just showed up here, and hasn’t been able to find her parents yet, so my wife and I keep her company.”

“I see,” Yumi said, “You are very kind.”

“Thanks,” the man said, and looked away, “I just hope our daughter is doing fine.”

“Your daughter?” Yumi asked, and the man looked back at her.

“Y- yes, our daughter,” the man answered, “We… left her behind in a bad place, and don’t know what became of her.”

“Maybe I could help,” Yumi said, “My Symphogear is made from a relic called Talaria, which is most famous for its use by a supposed messenger god. If you want, I can try to find your daughter, and relay a message, once I figure out how to get back.” The man chuckled a little.

“Thank you, but I doubt you would find her,” the man said, “It’s a big world, after all.”

“I also work with the UN,” Yumi said, and the man perked up, “So, I can ask them for help.”

“That makes things a lot easier,” the man said, “We worked with them too, so they should know where she is.”

“See?” Yumi asked, “Just give me her name, and I’ll have the higher-ups handle the rest.”

“Of course,” the man said, “Her name is Yukine Chris. She looks a lot like her mother, actually. Tell her we’re doing okay for ourselves, and we just want her to be happy, whether she carries on our legacy or not.”

“Got it,” Yumi said, took a running start, and activated her thrusters again. She took off and flew away, focusing on home. However, just when she felt the air getting heavier and heard the city sounds returning, her eyes snapped open and she realized what the man had said. She turned around and landed next to the trio.

“You’re back,” the man said, “Is something wrong?”

“Your daughter,” Yumi asked, “Yukine Chris, right? Silver hair, purple eyes, a bit of an attitude?” Chris’ parents exchanged some concerned looks then they heard the last part.

“I… yes,” the man answered, “Why?”

“We’re in the same class,” Yumi said, and Chris’ parents blinked in surprise.

“That’s wonderful,” Chris’ mother said, getting a bit teary-eyed, “I’m so happy to hear she finally gets to go to a normal school. Being home-schooled must have been so hard for her.”

“What happened to the Nephilim?” Serena asked suddenly, drawing the attention to herself.

“It blew up,” Yumi answered, “I wasn’t involved, but it exploded in the Treasury of Babylonia, destroying all the Noise.” Chris’ parents stared in disbelief.

“And the Airgetlám Symphogear?” Serena asked, seemingly unaffected.

“A friend of mine has it,” Yumi answered.

“Who?” Serena asked.

“Maria Cadenzavna Eve,” Yumi answered, and Chris’ parents got concerned.

“My… sister,” Serena said, surprising Yumi.

“Wait, you’re that Serena?” Yumi asked, and said, “Maria talks about you sometimes. She misses you a lot.”

“Thank you,” Serena said, and her expression finally softened, “I… burned my life away to save everyone. Even the adults. I’m happy to know it worked.”

“Want me to relay a message to her?” Yumi asked.

“No,” Serena answered, “I can wait.”

“Okay,” Yumi said, “Well then, I’m off, for real this time. Bye.” She turned around and flew away again, but spotted someone she always wanted to meet, and decided to make one more stop. After talking with her favorite manga artist for what felt like hours, she headed back home, excited to see how differently time flowed between worlds.

 

Late in the afternoon, Maria, Kirika, Shirabe, Kuriyo and Shiori looked around the edge of the training area, trying to find any clues as to why they lost contact with Yumi all of a sudden. Shirabe sang and used her Symphogear to fly at the height where Yumi disappeared, but found nothing. Suddenly, Yumi faded into existence in front of her eyes.

“Got her,” Shirabe said and followed Yumi, who glided toward an apartment building and landed on the roof, then rested her hands on her knees. She stopped singing, and landed next to Yumi.

“Oh, hello,” Yumi said, and caught her breath. “What are you doing here?” The others all came running out the door leading to the rooftop, and gathered around Yumi.

“What was that?” Kuriyo asked, “Where did you go?”

“I- Talaria took me,” Yumi answered, “It can travel to other places, so I kind of slipped into the afterlife. It felt like I’ve been gone for hours.”

“You were, dess,” Kirika said, and Yumi blinked in surprise. However, while most of the others were concerned or upset, Maria just stood there, thinking.

“I… wow,” Yumi said, “Sorry, I guess I got hung up on this trope that time flows faster there.”

“Guess it doesn’t,” Shiori said.

“Look, I said I’m sorry,” Yumi said, “I suppose I won’t do that again, then.”

“We… never said that,” Maria said and asked, “Can you go and… look for someone?”

“You mean your sister?” Yumi asked, and Maria paused for a moment.

“I… never told you-” Maria began, but stopped mid-sentence.

“I found her,” Yumi explained, “She’s fine, and while she hasn’t found your parents yet, she’s not alone. Seeing a Symphogear was definitely a shock, but she was happy to hear that Airgetlám is in good hands.”

“I- I see,” Maria said, and teared up a little, “Thank you.” The others waited a little, until she regained her composure.

“Not to kill the mood or anything, but I’m starving,” Shiori said. The girls jumped over the fence surrounding the rooftop, and deactivated their Symphogear after reaching the ground. They decided to head to Flower, and get something to eat there.

 

T hree Symphogear users fell toward Bulgaria’s mountains, and prepared for whatever may come their way. Hibiki sang to generate Phonic Gain, and the trio hit the ground. Once they had enough Phonic Gain built up, and Tsubasa and Chris had their Armed Gear ready, Hibiki stopped singing, and the trio made their way along a mountain road.

“You’re getting close,” Sakuya said over the communication channel, “We don’t know what you’ll find, so be careful.”

“Alright,” Hibiki said, and slowly approached a bend in the road. The trio prepared for just about anything, not sure which relic had activated, or what effects it had on its surroundings.

“I… don’t see a relic,” Chris said after taking a peek around the corner, and her friends exchanged puzzled looks.

“That can’t be right,” Tsubasa said, “There has to be one here.” She looked around the bend as well, but only saw a sheep grazing in a circle around a bush that stood on a lush meadow.

“What is it?” Hibiki asked when she saw Tsubasa’s confused face. She looked around the corner, and squealed.

“Dummy, focus,” Chris scolded, but Hibiki ran up to the fluffy creature.

“Hibiki, careful,” Sakuya said, and Hibiki stopped in her tracks, “Our sensors indicate that the relic is close.” The sheep paused and looked up at Hibiki. Chris and Tsubasa came around the corner as well, and inspected the situation.

“Let’s split up,” Tsubasa said, “Fujitaka can use our Symphogear as reference points to triangulate the relic’s exact location.”

“Great idea, Tsubasa,” Sakuya said, and the trio split up, while the sheep returned to its previous commitments. “Okay, I think I have it.”

“Really?” Hibiki asked, “That was fast. Where is it?”

“Somewhere close to that sheep,” Sakuya answered, and the trio looked at the creature.

“Is it me, or does that sheep look… weird?” Hibiki asked, and explained, “I mean, it’s tied to something in that bush, and there’s only one of it.”

“Who cares,” Chris said, “Let’s get this over with.” She hung her guns from her skirt and approached the sheep. It stopped grazing, and looked at her. Chris lowered her head to look less intimidating, and slowly approached the creature.

“You’re doing great,” Hibiki said and gave a thumbs-up, much to Chris’ embarrassment. She shook her head, confusing the sheep a little, and kept approaching.

“Wait, did you say it was tied to something?” Sakuya asked, “That may make things more difficult; prey animals that can’t run away are more prone to-” Chris got close enough to the sheep to headbutt her, sending her to the ground.

“Yukine!” Tsubasa called out and rushed over, only for the sheep to kick her in the stomach when she tried to cross through the area it could reach.

“Tsubasa,” Hibiki called out, less panicked than Tsubasa, and slowly approached the sheep, “Hey there, Mr. Sheep. I’m not here to hurt you, so please just let me check on my friends.” The sheep glared at her and stomped its right front hoof, and Hibiki stopped.

“Damn, that thing can hit hard,” Chris said and sat back up, rubbing her head.

“Actually, I have an idea,” Hibiki said and dashed away to a large bushel of tall grass at the edge of the meadow. She pulled out a small bale worth, and dumped it where the sheep could reach it. While the sheep was busy, she went to get her friends.

“Thanks,” Chris said.

“Yes, thank you,” Tsubasa said, “Now we need to hurry and find the relic.” The trio went over to where the sheep had been grazing, and looked around for anything relic-like.

“Hold on, the signal is weird,” Sakuya said, “It looks like… the relic moved. It’s about two meters behind Hibiki now.” The trio looked in the direction, and saw the sheep.

“Wait, don’t tell me the sheep ate the relic,” Hibiki said, then asked, “Whose sheep is that anyway?”

“I’ll ask the authorities,” Aoi said, and quickly sent a request to the Bulgarian officials. “That’s weird.”

“What now?” Chris asked.

“There aren’t supposed to be any sheep here,” Aoi answered, and the group looked at each other in confusion.

“So, what? Is this some kind of ghost sheep?” Chris asked, and said, “I swear, if any of you tell Yumi about this.”

“No, that doesn’t seem to be the case,” Sakuya said, “Actually, get me better visuals on the sheep.”

“Hey, dummy,” Chris said, “Seduce that one.” Hibiki froze and blushed.

“Wha- what the? Me? Why? How?” Hibiki asked.

“Remember a few weeks ago, in the petting zoo?” Chris answered, “Go for it.”

“O- okay,” Hibiki said, still unsure of the plan. She ruffled her hair, trying to make it more fluffy, and lowered her head. As she approached the sheep, it turned around, but then turned back to its food.

“It hasn’t gotten aggressive yet,” Tsubasa said. Hibiki approached the sheep, but then stopped.

“Wait… what is that?” Hibiki asked and looked at what the sheep was tied up with. A dark red, moist, pulsating tube lay on the ground, connecting the sheep to the bush.

“Hibiki, don’t move,” Sakuya said, and Hibiki froze in place. “You’re standing on the relic. Or… in it. The signal is really weird.”

“I have an idea,” Hibiki said and reached for the bush. She felt around inside it, until the sheep suddenly turned around and looked at her as if she touched it.

“Tachibana,” Tsubasa was slightly alarmed by the sheep’s sudden movement, and prepared to engage, when Hibiki started humming an unknown melody. The sheep calmed down, and continued eating.

“It’s… calmed down?” Chris asked, completely dumbfounded, “I know I said to seduce it, but… I was just joking. How the hell did you do that?” Hibiki stopped humming, and walked over to the sheep normally. She started petting it, while it continued eating.

“It’s not a sheep,” Hibiki explained, “It’s the relic we’re looking for; the rope here is part of its body, and connects the sheep and plant parts.”

“Wait, really?” Chris asked and walked over to the sheep. It froze a for a moment, without turning its had, although Chris still felt that it looked at her. Hibiki scratched its head, and it relaxed.

“I found it,” Sakuya said and explained, “This lines up with the description of the Barometz, a highly unusual plant-type relic with a sheep-like fruiting body.”

“So, what do we do about it?” Tsubasa asked. Hibiki waved her over, and she slowly approached the sheep.

“I’m sending a research team over, to see how it behaves,” Sakuya answered, “You stay and monitor the situation.”

“Okay,” Hibiki said, and Chris and Tsubasa began petting the sheep as well. Its wool was softer than other sheep, and once it got used to their presence, it continued eating without a care. After about an hour, researchers arrived and set up a tent camp around the Barometz, and the Bulgarian government decided to monitor the relic’s behavior. Hibiki, Chris and Tsubasa returned to Japan once the situation was under control, and went home to relax.

 

     Barometz Research Log: The relic was discovered in the Bulgarian mountains, and initially misidentified as a sheep until one Symphogear wielder discerned its true nature. It takes the form of a small plant that is connected to a sheep-like creature – from here on simply referred to as ‘the sheep’ – through something resembling an umbilical chord. While the sheep exhibits a diet normal for its appearance, its nutritional intake seems to primarily sustain the plant portion.

     The amount of bodily waste has been observed to not match the food intake.

     Scans show additional seed-like formations within the relic, which researchers theorized would be passed with waste; this theory seemed to hold the first time, but subsequent bowel movements produced no such results.

     Researchers contacted the Symphogear wielder who uncovered the relic’s nature, who kindly provided the song contained within the relic. It was discovered that simply humming this melody pacifies the relic, and results in release of additional seeds.

     Seeds were taken to a nearby research facility for testing, and areas with high amounts of vegetation were selected to try and cultivate the relic.

Chapter 4

After school, Hibiki, Miku, Kuriyo, Shiori and Yumi walked through the city, and headed to the arcade. Some guys got the girls’ attention, and one flexed his muscles before hitting a punching machine, proudly pointing at the score, 253 points. The machine reset, and Hibiki walked up to it. Miku knew what she was doing. Hibiki focused, and for a brief second, both her converter module and right fist glowed golden. She punched the machine, and it tilted backwards a little, showing a score of 999.

“Awesome,” Kuriyo said, and she and her friends walked over to Hibiki. The girls walked past the boys, who just stared at the machine in disbelief. Miku could see that Hibiki tried to maintain a cool appearance. Once the boys were out of sight, she hissed a little.

“Ow, that kinda hurt,” Hibiki said and massaged her fingers. Miku gently took her hand and began kissing the bruised spots, and Hibiki giggled.

“Why did you do that, anyway?” Shiori asked.

“They’re annoying,” Hibiki answered. The girls reached a whack-a-mole game, and took turns just playing. Kuriyo eventually got the hang of it, and overtook everyone else. After a few hours, they went to exchange their coupons for prizes, and headed back to the dorms. However, Miku noticed that Shem-Ha had made more and more people check their phones, and told Hibiki to do the same.

 

Aboard the mobile base, Aoi and Sakuya went through some decoded files from the Bavarian Illuminati, when they got notified of a spike in Phonic Gain in Japan. They quickly isolated the signal and traced it back to its source, and saw that it had Gungnir’s Aufwachen waveform. They tried to contact Hibiki, but she didn’t respond. After a few hours, she finally called.

“Hey guys,” Hibiki said, “Sorry, I was kinda caught up in… other things. Did you need something?”

“Yes, we do,” Aoi answered, “We noticed a spike in Phonic Gain in the arcade a few hours ago. Did you notice anything strange happening with Gungnir?” Hibiki paused for a moment, and asked her friends.

“Well, Yumi said she saw my fist glow golden for a moment,” Hibiki answered, “Why?”

“Because we have reason to believe you’re connected to that spike,” Aoi answered, “We’ll need you to come over and get checked, to make sure it’s nothing serious.”

“Okay,” Hibiki said, “Where are you?”

“Off the coast of Bulgaria,” Aoi answered, “They asked us to help analyze the Barometz, since this is the first time they had an actual relic.”

“Alright,” Hibiki said, then paused, and asked, “Wait, how do I even get there?”

“That… is a good question,” Aoi answered.

“I’ll ask Elfnein if she can make these teleportation capsules,” Sakuya chimed in.

“Sounds good,” Hibiki said, “I’ll wait in the dorms.” She hung up, and Aoi looked over at Sakuya. He got up and left the control room. When he reached Elfnein’s laboratory, he knocked on the door, and it slid open. Elfnein wore her lab coat, and looked at him, but was clearly working on something.

“Hello,” Sakuya said, “I hope I’m not interrupting anything important.”

“Hello, come in,” Elfnein said, and Sakuya came in, “And no, you’re not interrupting anything important. I was just studying some of the arcane formulas contained within the Book of Thoth.”

“I see,” Sakuya said and sat down on an unoccupied chair, “Anyway, there’s something I’d like you to do, or maybe I can help with it.”

“Sure, what is it?” Elfnein asked.

“Can you make these teleportation capsules?” Sakuya asked, and Elfnein tilted her head a little.

“If I had a power source, sure,” Elfnein answered, “But why?”

“Something may have happened with Hibiki and Gungnir, so we need to get her here for a check-up,” Sakuya answered, “And the faster, the better.” Elfnein thought for a moment, then turned to her book.

“I think I can do that, actually,” Elfnein explained, “This book contains several formulas for constructing various… well, I think you could call them magic spells. Anyway, there’s a portal.”

“That’s great,” Sakuya said, “Hibiki said she’s waiting by the Lydian dorms, so if you could pick her up, it would help us a lot.”

“The dorms?” Elfnein asked, flipped to a different page in the book, skimmed it again, and frowned a little, “Sorry, but I can only create portals to places I’ve been to before.”

“So, teleport capsules?” Sakuya asked, and Elfnein nodded.

“This book has some formulas to store the arcane energy it generates, so I do have a pool to draw from,” Elfnein said, “But it’s not a lot, so I need to be careful.” She closed the book and put it in a special pedestal to draw energy from it.

“Can I help?” Sakuya asked, and Elfnein paused for a moment.

“Sure,” Elfnein answered, and smiled slightly as she finished setting up the energy drain machine. She then instructed Sakuya on what she needed, and he helped gather all the resources. While he found everything very intuitive, Elfnein assumed he just hid his confusion, and explained everything in layman’s terms.

 

An hour after calling the mobile base, Hibiki, Miku, and the rookies waited outside the dorms. Elfnein appeared out of thin air, standing on a purple hexagonal pattern. She wore her usual attire, but also a brown leather bag with a shoulder strap, which held her Book of Thoth. The girls looked in awe, and Kuriyo was the first to speak up.

“That’s so cool,” Kuriyo said, rushing over to Elfnein, “Can you teach me how to do that?”

“Err, sure,” Elfnein said, a bit overwhelmed by the enthusiasm, “It’s really just a simple space-time distortion with fixed start- and end points. You should be able to learn it in 2-3 years.” Hearing that, Kuriyo’s enthusiasm disappeared.

“Oh,” Kuriyo said, and stepped back again. Miku could see Elfnein’s disappointment, and that she felt a little more isolated than before.

“Anyway, let’s get the check-up over with,” Hibiki said, and walked up to Elfnein.

“Okay,” Elfnein said, and put her left hand on her bag, “I’ll use the Book of Thoth to get us back, since it takes less energy.” She turned to the side and extended her right hand forward. Golden, sand-like particles emanated from her hand, and gathered about a meter away from her. They swirled around, and turned into a large disk, 2 meters across.

“Cool, desert magic,” Yumi said as the portal formed. The center began to glow, and eventually showed a mirage of the mobile base’s medical bay. Hibiki excitedly bounced in place, then looked at Elfnein.

“Go ahead,” Elfnein said, and Hibiki dashed through the portal. The mirage wobbled a little, and when it stabilized again, Hibiki stood there. Elfnein followed, and the portal closed behind the two. After a few minutes, Miku, Kuriyo, Shiori and Yumi went back inside, since it was getting late, and cold.

 

A few days later, citizens were informed that the UN would hold a more intense training operation in the abandoned parts of town. The people were mostly fine with it, except for those living closer to that part, and many booked hotels further away. Hibiki, Miku, Chris and Tsubasa walked through the city, and it was clear the people were a bit uneasy.

“So, what happened, anyway?” Chris asked, and turned to Hibiki.

“Well, apparently I can draw Phonic Gain into my fists now,” Hibiki answered, “I don’t really understand it myself, but that’s what the doctors said happened.”

“You wanted to protect us from those creeps,” Miku explained, “And from the looks of it, Gungnir helped you do that.” Hibiki looked at Miku, then down at her converter module.

“Is that true?” Hibiki asked her Symphogear. Chris groaned and softly hit her in the shoulder.

“Hey, stop that,” Chris said, “This is serious.” Hibiki looked ahead, chuckled a little and rubbed the back of her head.

“I know, I know,” Hibiki said, “But imagine what that means for the rest of you.” Chris blinked in surprise, and took a moment to process this response. Miku looked at her, and smiled.

“See, you got it,” Miku said, and Chris blushed.

“Sh- shut up,” Chris said and turned away. Tsubasa blinked in confusion, and looked at Miku as if asking for an explanation.

“Sorry, I’m already pushing my luck,” Miku said, “I’ll let her decide when to tell you.”

“I see,” Tsubasa said, then looked ahead again, and took in the scenery. Miku looked at Chris, who didn’t want to show how grateful she was.

“Hey, look,” Hibiki said and pointed at a public sports field, where the rookies played badminton against three guys. Hibiki and her friends walked over and sat down on the benches, and just watched.

“They are pretty good,” Tsubasa said. Shiori stopped the shuttlecock from hitting the ground and hit it back up, and Yumi sent it flying over the net. One of the boys hit it back, but Yumi redirected it, allowing Kuriyo to shoot it across the net and score another point.

“I didn’t know you knew badminton,” Hibiki said, and Tsubasa blushed a little.

“I… don’t,” Tsubasa answered, “It’s just… the rules are pretty simple, and their coordination is better than the boys’.”

“Ah, okay,” Hibiki said, “Yeah, the rules are simple.”

“Actually, the boys’ coordination is just as good,” Miku explained, “It’s just that they have different goals. The boys each try to score points, but respect the others’ space. However, Kuriyo, Shiori and Yumi work together to let Kuriyo score points.”

“Interesting,” Tsubasa said, and watched the boys a little more. “Yes, that seems to be their plan. However, I can tell they are going to lose, since they all have to do everything, rather than divide the labor.” The crowd applauded when one of the boys stopped Kuriyo from scoring a point, and the game continued. In the end, the girls won, and both sides shook hands.

 

O ne cold Saturday morning, Shiori w alked along a road, her Symphogear active. Folk rock play ed , and she sang about protecting her friends like an impenetrable wall. She had her Armed Gear as a massive tower shield, which covered her and Kuriyo entirely, safe for small slits that allowed her to see what was in front of her. A tank in front of the duo lined up its cannon, and Shiori braced for impact. The tank fired a canister, and dozens of steel pellets tore through the area.

“Now!” Kuriyo called out and jumped back. Yumi threw a dagger at her, and its blade unfolded into four prongs. The dagger latched on to her, beeped, and pulled her upwards. Yumi flew around a taller building, and Kuriyo followed her. Shiori kept her position and prepared to take another hit.

“Special delivery,” Yumi said and detached the dagger. Kuriyo fell down and prepared to smash the tank’s treads. The turret spun around and knocked her aside, and the tank reversed onto her.

“Kuriyo!” Shiori called out, and her song stopped as she ran over to help her friend. Yumi threw several daggers at the tank to try and move it, but didn’t have the Phonic Gain. Suddenly, a new song started the play, and the trio began to sing together.

“Looks good,” Hibiki said. She stood in a research facility, from where S.O.N.G. observed the training while the mobile base was in the Aegean Sea. Kuriyo started to lift the tank, and Yumi flew lower, and the tank began to move. Shiori manifested a buckler and jammed it into the tank’s cannon.

“You okay?” Yumi asked, and helped Kuriyo back to her feet. Kuriyo nodded, and the trio turned to two tanks that stood down the road. The crew of the tank behind them fled the scene. Kuriyo manifested a sledgehammer and broke off a cog from the treads, and Yumi threw one of her homing daggers into it.

“Smart move,” Chris said. Shiori manifested a tower shield, and the tanks fired their machine guns to try and stop the trio. Kuriyo broke more chunks off the tank, and Yumi prepared them with daggers. One of the tanks fired a canister of pellets again, and the trio hid behind Shiori’s shield.

“Now!” Kuriyo called out and swung her hammer. She sent a wave of metallic blue energy through the ground, creating a dust cloud. Yumi activated the thrusters on her lower back and shot into the sky, and her daggers began to beep. The cogs followed her into the air, and she dove down and disabled the daggers before she pulled back up. The cogs slammed into the ground all around the tanks.

“What the-” one of the UN soldiers said, before the ground collapsed under the massive tanks. The trio’s song ended, and Kuriyo and Shiori walked over to Yumi, who landed on one of the tanks. The trio was called in to the research facility, for a performance review.

 

In the research facility, several researchers went about their day, when the three rookies entered. One woman led them to an observation room, where Hibiki, Chris, and Tsubasa waited for them in their S.O.N.G. uniforms. A big screen showed what the trio had done, and after the footage ended, Hibiki turned to the trio.

“So, what did we learn?” Hibiki asked. Kuriyo hesitated a little, but Yumi spoke up.

“Don’t be so cocky?” Yumi asked, and Hibiki shook her head.

“No, you handled that part pretty well,” Hibiki answered, “You exposed Kuriyo to the other tanks; they had a clear line of fire the entire time.”

“Also, you caused collateral damages,” Chris said, and asked, “What would you do if this was a real fight, in a real occupied city?”

“Help with cleanup,” Kuriyo answered, “We can lift the tanks out of the pit, replace the broken pipes, and fill the hole back up with rubble.” Chris paused for a moment, then sighed.

“Okay, but try not to rely on that,” Chris said.

“Okay,” Shiori said, then turned to Tsubasa and asked, “By the way, did you have anything to add?” Tsubasa jumped a little, but quickly recomposed herself.

“I- no, not really,” Tsubasa answered, “Your teamwork was pretty good. And… Ando, that attack. It… seems familiar.” She looked away, not sure how she should handle the response.

“Yeah, I took the liberty to review some combat footage,” Kuriyo answered, “It’s a good ranged option, but I decided that it’d be more useful as a quake thing, to knock opponents off their feet.” The others looked at Tsubasa, and the realization set in that she was embarrassed to have Kuriyo use an attack inspired by one of hers.

“By the way, where as Maria and the others?” Shiori asked, trying to break the awkwardness.

“Are they on a difficult mission that forces you to move out if anything else happens, thus only leaving the three of us to handle the next thing, even though we might not be ready for it?” Yumi asked, and the others turned to her.

“No,” Chris answered, “Maria’s on vacation, and Kirika and Shirabe are in school.”

“Oh, right,” Shiori said, then asked, “Wait, what about us? Do the teachers know about the Symphogear?” The group looked to Tsubasa, who had the most experience with this out of all of them.

“Yes,” Tsubasa answered, “Lydian faculty was always aware of Section Two’s operations, and now with S.O.N.G., they are still kept in the loop, since you need to be able to leave school for missions.”

“I see,” Shiori said, then asked, “And… what about Bulgaria? I mean, what happened there? What relic activated?”

“The Barometz,” Hibiki answered, and Yumi gasped.

“Wait, really?” Yumi asked, “Is it really a sheep plant thing?”

“Yeah,” Hibiki answered, “How did you know?”

“It appears in this old anime,” Yumi answered, “I can show you later. It’s great.”

“Pass,” Chris said, and Hibiki pouted.

“Come on, don’t be like that,” Hibiki said, and Chris groaned.

“Fine,” Chris said, “Three episodes, then we’ll see.” Hibiki cheered, and Yumi already began to plan the whole thing.

“Wait, a sheep that’s a relic?” Kuriyo asked, “But… I thought relics were only, like, weapons and armor and stuff.” Hibiki laughed a little.

“Nah, there’s tons of kinds of relics,” Hibiki said, “In another timeline, we even had to deal with a giant tree.”

“Another… timeline?” Shiori asked, and the rookies looked at them in shock.

“Yeah,” Hibiki explained, “The Gjallarhorn aboard the mobile base sometimes alerts us to danger in other timelines, and then we have to go and help our other selves.”

“Can we use th Gjallarhorn to visit anime worlds?” Yumi asked, her eyes shining bright.

“It doesn’t work like that,” Chris answered, a bit annoyed, and Yumi deflated again.

“Dang,” Yumi said.

“What other worlds are there, though?” Kuriyo asked. Hibiki, Chris and Tsubasa exchanged some looks, which the rookies didn’t know how to interpret.

“A lot,” Hibiki answered, “It’s… complicated. But I think I can pull up some files.” She pulled out her phone and connected it to the research facility. Thanks to her authorization as a Symphogear wielder, she was granted full access, and the group discussed various alternate timelines. The rookies asked a few questions about each timeline, though S.O.N.G. didn’t always have the information to answer them. In the end, they decided to go around and gather that information.

Chapter 5

After school, the Symphogear wielders went to meet up with Tsubasa and Maria in the abandoned city district. A swirling mass of golden sand manifested nearby, and a portal appeared. Elfnein stepped through, holding several small crystals. The girls activated their Symphogear, and the more experienced members stepped back.

“So, we’re really doing this,” Kuriyo said, holding a large sledgehammer with three thrusters on either side.

“Yes,” Elfnein said, “Hibiki said that you can use your Symphogear well enough to use them in an actual fight, and I wanted to see if I can improve control over the Alca-Noise somehow.”

“Okay, then let’s go,” Shiori said. Her Armed Gear took the form of a round shield with jagged edges and a spike in the center. Elfnein scattered the crystals across the road, and the rookies were surrounded by Alca-Noise.

“Let’s go,” Yumi said, and country rock started playing. She began singing, took off and manifested throwing stars in her hands. A high-speed Alca-Noise spun and jumped at Shiori. Shiori raised her shield, and the enemy burst into red mist as it hit the spike.

“Awesome,” Shiori said and turned around, using her shield like a saw to cut through another enemy. Kuriyo swung her hammer in a circle before bringing it down. The thrusters added more speed, and a metallic blue shockwave crashed into a group of party-horn type enemies.

“I could get used to this,” Kuriyo said as the Alca-Noise disappeared. Yumi took out several Alca-Noise with throwing stars. The projectiles embedded themselves in the ground, and began to beep when more Alca-Noise approached. After a few seconds, they detonated and took out more enemies.

“Come on,” Elfnein said to herself as she stared at an artillery-battery Alca-Noise. It fired a salvo at Yumi, and caught her by surprise. She stumbled, and lost control over her Gear.

“Yumi!” Kuriyo and Shiori called out simultaneously as their friend tumbled to the ground, and the Alca-Noise landed several hits on them. Tsubasa raised her Armed Gear and took out the Alca-Noise with a rain of daggers. Kuriyo and Shiori ran over to Yumi, and helped her back to her feet.

“Are you okay?” Kuriyo asked, “What happened?” Yumi stood up, and the senior Wielders and Elfnein walked over to the trio. Hibiki handed the rookies something to drink.

“Yeah, I’m fine,” Yumi answered, “Just surprised, that’s all.”

“That’s good,” Shiori said, and the trio turned to the others, “But, what happened?”

“You didn’t protect her,” Hibiki explained, “You are a team, yet you and Kuriyo only focused on yourselves, leaving Yumi to fend for herself. She took out several enemies that would’ve hit you, and you didn’t even notice.” The rookies shrunk a little, mostly because Hibiki sounded more upset than ever before. Hibiki realized she had come off too strong, and backed away a little.

“Oh,” Shiori said, then turned to Yumi, “Sorry.”

“Yeah, sorry,” Kuriyo said.

“It’s fine,” Yumi said, “Next time, you know better.” The trio turned back to Hibiki.

“So, what do we do?” Kuriyo asked, “How do we handle things like this?”

“You can start by not getting surrounded,” Tsubasa answered, “Ideally, you would also have some way of hitting all enemies around you, just in case. Like my Rakshasa, or Akatsuki’s Tinkerbell.”

“Makes sense,” Kuriyo said, “Thanks, Basa.” Tsubasa blushed a little, and froze for a moment, until Maria put her arm around her shoulders.

“Cute,” Shiori said to herself, and chuckled a little.

“So, anyway,” Kuriyo asked, “Can we try again?” The group turned to Elfnein, who looked through her book, but closed it and looked up when she noticed everyone looking at her.

“What? Oh, sorry,” Elfnein answered, “Those were the only ones I could make on such short notice. It also takes a considerable amount of energy to make them, and I need to fill out a bit of paperwork every time.”

“Oh, okay,” Kuriyo said, “Then I guess we’ll work on our teamwork until then.” The girls deactivated their Symphogear again, and went their separate ways. Elfnein returned to the mobile base to analyze the data she gathered, and the others went through the city in smaller groups.

 

A few days later, Shiori walked through the city on her own, and looked at movie posters. She rolled her eyes at the new tie-in movie for some pirate anime that Yumi had been going on about for weeks, when she heard footsteps approaching from behind. She turned around, and saw Kirika and Shirabe walk up to her.

“Hey you two,” Shiori said as the duo walked up to her, “What’s up?”

“Nothing much, dess,” Kirika answered, “Shirabe just wanted to talk to you.”

“Really?” Shiori asked, and looked at Shirabe. The girl was quiet for a moment, and the two just looked into each other’s eyes.

“Did you like cutting your enemies to shreds?” Shirabe asked with little to no warning, and Shiori struggled to process the question.

“She means your shield, dess,” Kirika explained, and Shirabe nodded somewhat enthusiastically.

“Oh, that,” Shiori said, and thought for a moment, “Well… it’s certainly effective. But I wouldn’t say I really enjoy the idea.”

“Okay,” Shirabe said and turned to leave again. Kirika followed her, but Shiori walked after them and caught up in a few steps.

“Hey, why don’t we hang out a little?” Shiori asked, and the two girls looked at her, then at each other, and nodded.

“Okay, dess,” Kirika said, “This way.” She walked ahead, and Shirabe and Shiori followed her. They wandered aimlessly through the city, with Kirika talking most of the time, and Shirabe just nodding along or offering brief responses. After about an hour, Shiori made up an excuse to split off from them.

 

D espite the UN’s best efforts, there were still remnants of Val Verde’s oppressive regime, which tried to regain control over the area. Luckily, the groups were splintered, less organized, and no longer had support from the Bavarian Illuminati. A dozen armed men closed in on a UN outpost, ready to open fire, when they heard rock music playing and froze up when Chris started singing.

“W- wait, maybe it’s a trick,” one of the men said, “Maybe they just recorded it, and now they’re playing it over the speakers to scare us!” He fired his rocket launcher at a large tower with speakers on all corners, and the projectile hit a wall of reflectors. The man dropped the rocket launcher, and the singing stopped. His allies all slumped a little, and struggled to keep their weapons.

“Good guess, but no,” Chris said as she walked up to the men, two revolvers in her hands. “Here’s how this’ll go: You surrender, and I won’t blow your heads off.” Most men dropped their weapons.

“Cowards,” the man in the front said, “Cowards, all of you!” He picked up one of the assault rifles and opened fire. Chris continued to walk towards him as the bullets bounced off of her chest. The man hurried to reload, and wanted to keep shooting, when he felt a pressure against his gun.

“Last chance,” Chris said, her sternum pressed against the muzzle. The man watched in horror as the hot metal deformed under the pressure.

“H- how?” The man slowly looked up to meet her eyes, and stared down the barrel of the revolver in her right hand. He froze, and Chris smirked.

“Bang,” Chris said, and the man went limp. UN forces came out of the outpost and arrested the men, who complied with all orders after witnessing that display of power.

“Thanks again,” one of the S.O.N.G. agents said, while his friends brought the terrorists to their holding cells for processing.

“Don’t mention it,” Chris said, “Just let me know if they tell you where the others are.” She turned away a little and rubbed her sternum, since her defense field didn’t block all the heat.

“Will do,” the man said, and went back to the outpost. Chris stayed at the outpost for a little longer, and even helped distribute some resources, but had to return to Japan eventually, so she didn’t miss too much school. However, she kept in touch, and was always on call in case anything happened.

 

After school, Yumi decided to visit the afterlife again. After she activated her Symphogear, the support staff asked what she was doing, and she explained her plans. Aoi submitted the plans to the UN, and they allowed her to proceed. Yumi took off, and closed her eyes. When she opened her eyes again, she found herself soaring high above rolling green hills.

“Okay, now- wait, what’s that?” Yumi said to herself, and angled towards something in the distance. Her Symphogear lost energy, and she quickly touched the ground. She walked along a winding gravel path, and towards a large mead hall. In front of it, there was a training field. She saw a man wielding an arming sword with a curved cross guard that resembled devil horns.

“Come on, show me what you can do,” the man taunted, and his opponent charged. Yumi gasped a little when she recognized the red-haired Symphogear wielder. Kanade thrust at the man, but he deflected the blow and cut off her head in one swift motion. Kanade fell to her knees, and tipped over sideways. Yumi stared in shock. Kanade’s head rolled over to her body and attached itself, and Kanade stood up again.

“Dang,” Kanade said with a slight chuckle, “Tomorrow again?” She deactivated her Symphogear, and wore the same outfit she wore during her final concert.

“Sure,” the man answered, and sheathed his sword. Yumi walked over to the field, and everyone turned to her.

“Oh, hello,” Kanade said, and waved the man to leave. Yumi blinked in confusion.

“What… happened there?” Yumi asked, “And… are you… Amou Kanade?”

“Yep, that’s me,” Kanade answered, “And, well, this is Valhalla; if you die in battle, you get here. Of course, you can leave, and anyone who wants can come and watch, or participate.”

“I… see,” Yumi said, and looked around. The fact that people could leave explained why there were so few soldiers, despite the number of wars throughout human history.

“So, how’d you die?” Kanade asked, and Yumi jumped a little at how casual she was about it.

“I… I’m not dead,” Yumi explained, “My Talaria Gear allows me to travel between the world of the living and this one, and I wanted to see what else there is.” Hearing that, Kanade got a bit curious.

“Wait, really?” Kanade asked, and Yumi nodded, “Then, can you find someone for me? She has blonde hair and orange eyes, and likely some kind of scar on her chest. She was at the concert where I died.” The two left the training field, and two others took their places.

“That must be my friend, Tachibana Hibiki,” Yumi explained, and Kanade gasped silently, “She’s doing fine. She’s actually our new leader, sort of. Well, Tsubasa is technically our leader, but Hibiki is the heart of our group. She wields the Gungnir Gear now.”

“I see,” Kanade said, and a single tear rolled down her cheek.

“Do you know her?” Yumi asked, and Kanade shook her head.

“No, I don’t,” Kanade answered, “I just saw her at the concert. She got hit by my armor, and I knew I had to do something. So, I sang my Superb Song, and burned my life away to take out the Noise.”

“I see,” Yumi said, not entirely sure what else she should say. Then, Kanade chuckled.

“You know, it’s wild,” Kanade said, “I spent years training here, not sure if my sacrifice paid off. Tsubasa never showed up, so I figured she was either still alive, or went somewhere else. And she never talked much about herself, so I wouldn’t even know where to begin looking for her.”

“Y- yeah, that sounds rough,” Yumi said, “But don’t worry, you did well.” They walked through a large double door, and the scent of mead and roasted boar hit Yumi like a truck. Yumi looked around the room and saw a large fire pit in the middle, lined by two long tables. At one end, a large throne with a humanoid figure.

“Come, I’ll introduce you,” Kanade said and walked up to the throne. It was made from solid wood, with a golden sheen. The figure sitting in it had pale red skin with white markings, a single eye with black iris and a golden pupil. Two horns protruded from his forehead and curved backwards, and he had golden hair.

“Kanade, I see you brought a guest,” the Custodian said, then turned to Yumi, “But… you are not dead yet, correct?”

“Hello,” Kanade answered, “And no, she isn’t.”

“H- hello,” Yumi said, unsure of how to properly address a deity, “I am Itaba Yumi, wielder of the Talaria Symphogear.”

“Welcome,” the Custodian said, “I am Odin, and this is my hall. Here, the dead can fight, kill, and feast to their heart’s content.”

“I… noticed,” Yumi said, “It is a very impressive hall. Though, respectfully, I would prefer not dying in battle anytime soon.” Odin laughed, and Yumi felt she may have offended him a little.

“You have humor,” Odin said, “Of course, I do not wish for any to fall in battle. But, as it is inevitable, the least I can do is offer them this place to stay.”

“Th- thank you,” Yumi said, and Odin stood up. The entire hall went silent, and turned to look at them.

“Would you still like to fight?” Odin asked, and explained, “Rest assured, no one can die here, which includes the living.” Yumi considered her options, then made her choice.

“I’d like to, yes,” Yumi answered, and followed Kanade and Odin out of the hall. Everyone else followed them, and Yumi walked out to one of the training fields. However, when she turned around, rather than Kanade, she saw Odin himself as her opponent.

“Surprised?” Kanade asked, “The first fight is always Odin’s. That’s the rule.” Suddenly, country rock began playing from Yumi’s Symphogear, and she started to sing. Odin snapped his fingers, and three wolf-like beings with black fur and four glowing eyes appeared in front of him.

“How do I even fight a Custodian?” Yumi thought as the creatures charged her. She flew upwards to stay out of their reach, but they suddenly sprouted wings and followed her. “I’ve never fought something this powerful before. Wait. I know how to deal with powerful opponents.” She manifested three throwing knives and threw them at the monsters. As expected, they dodged, meaning they would strike Odin himself.

“Clever,” Odin said, and swatted the projectiles away with an energy barrier, “But cocky.” The monsters caught up to Yumi and pinned her to the ground. Odin walked over to her and was about to finish her, when something started to beep.

“What is that?” Kanade asked and looked around. The knives had attached to boulders, and were suddenly pulled towards Yumi. One of Odin’s minions crushed Yumi’s head in its fangs before the boulders hit Odin. A sharp pain exploded in Yumi’s head for a split second, then she laid on the ground and gasped.

“Wha-” Yumi sat up and touched her head, and Kanade walked over and chuckled.

“Yeah, that’s always a shock at first,” Kanade explained, “You’ll get used to it eventually.” She helped Yumi to her feet, and Yumi looked at Odin.

“You have skill,” Odin said, “However, you cannot expect that your opponent lets you carry out whatever plan you may have; you must always keep up the pressure, or else a capable opponent will just end the fight.”

“Thank you,” Yumi said, and bowed a little, “I will… go back to the world of the living now.”

“Very well,” Odin said, “Feel free to come and visit whenever you seek more training.” Yumi started to walk away from the training field, then took flight, and closed her eyes, still thinking about her defeat, and the reason for it. As she returned to Japan, she thought about who to challenge next. But first, she decided to ask about the relic she saw the other guy use.

 

After submitting an emergency request for Yumi to traverse realms, Aoi had to fill out a bunch of paperwork to make the process easier in the future, since she knew Yumi would keep doing it. Naturally, the UN was concerned about criminals, as well as Yumi’s credibility should she relay messages of deceased individuals to their living relatives. Aoi sighed, and leaned back in her chair.

“That sounds serious,” Sakuya said, “What’s wrong?”

“I… the UN council doesn’t exactly make this easy,” Aoi answered, “I mean, I get it. How do you even regulate people traveling between life and death? But… this still seems excessive. I mean, how do we convince them that Yumi won’t lie for political reasons?”

“Fragarach,” Sakuya answered, and Aoi paused.

“That… that’s actually genius,” Aoi said, “Thanks.” She typed a new message, explaining the use of the sword relic to prevent Yumi from lying, and sent it. He received a new message, and opened it.

“Uh oh,” Sakuya said after reading the message, and Aoi turned to him.

“What is it?” Aoi asked.

“A new mission,” Sakuya explained, “Some gang leader in Spain stole a relic, and they want us to stop him. However, Spain isn’t exactly cooperative, so we don’t know what the relic does.”

“Great,” Aoi said and rolled her eyes, “Then let’s just send everyone, so they realize why it’s better if they tell us enough.” Sakuya chuckled a little.

“Sounds devious,” Sakuya said, “And, officially, I cannot condone this.” Once Yumi returned, he contacted all 9 Symphogear wielders, and told them to prepare for a large-scale operation. The newbies were thrilled, and a bit anxious. Once Elfnein gathered them all, they activated their Symphogear and went to the rocket bay.

Chapter 6

High above three Spanish cities, three rockets released three teams of Symphogear wielders. The support staff followed the newbies, since the other two teams could handle this more easily. They began to sing, and Yumi unfolded her wings, while Shiori manifested her Armed Gear as a kite shield and extended energy fields from the edges to glide down.

“Got you,” Yumi said and caught Kuriyo. The trio landed outside Palma, stopped singing, and looked around. The people were a bit concerned to see three Symphogear drop out of the sky like that, and left the area.

“Okay, the research facility is just down that road,” Aoi said over radio, “Go and meet up with the researchers, and ask what they know.” Yumi started to sing and threw two catcher daggers at her friends, then flew along the road. The daggers beeped and pulled the girls towards Yumi.

“Yumi, I can walk!” Shiori shouted, but Yumi didn’t hear her. The girls arrived at the research facility, which was located on a small island just off Sant Elm. Yumi landed, and the daggers disappeared. Her friends fell to the ground, and she helped them back to their feet. They looked at the large cube structure, and walked up the road to the front door.

“What do you think happened?” Kuriyo asked. Just as the girls exchanged some looks, the front of the building exploded, and the girls began to sing as they ran towards it. Kuriyo manifested a sledgehammer with thrusters, Shiori a spiked round shield, and Yumi took to the sky and prepared shuriken.

“Aufwachen Waveform detected,” Aoi said, “Unknown relic, be careful.” Scientists came running from the facility, followed by Alca-Noise. Yumi threw her shuriken at the enemies, and made the projectiles detonate. Kuriyo ran past the researchers and brought her hammer down. A blue shockwave rolled through the ground and destroyed several Alca-Noise.

“Kuriyo!” Shiori called out and threw her shield through several party-horn type Alca-Noise and into an assault-battery type. The shield returned to her, and Kuriyo jumped at the three ranged enemies. Yumi used her catcher daggers to get the researchers to safety, but the assault-battery Alca-Noise aimed at her.

“Got you,” Kuriyo said and slammed her hammer down, destroying the ranged enemies. Yumi got the researchers out of reach, then went back to help her friends.

“Incoming,” Aoi said, just as a large flame erupted from the facility and destroyed the Alca-Noise. The trio prepared to fight whoever came out of the smoke. The smoke cleared, and they saw a woman in a lab coat.

“Don’t hurt me!” The woman called out in English and held up her hands. She dropped the relic she was holding, a shield bearing the image of a shining dragon, and the newbies approached, but remained cautious. Shiori approached the woman, her shield raised, and grabbed the relic. When the woman made no attempts to stop her, the trio stopped singing, and relaxed again.

“Who are you?” Yumi asked in fluent English. Shiori looked a bit confused, so Aoi translated for her.

“I am Clara, a researcher currently stationed at this facility,” Clara explained, “I was present when the relics activated, and just narrowly escaped with this one.” Yumi looked at the shield, then gasped.

“What is it?” Kuriyo asked.

“I’ve seen this before,” Yumi answered, then turned back to Clara, “You said there were two relics. What is the other one?”

“A sword,” Clara answered, “These two belonged together, apparently. When the shield was brought here, they both activated. But they have been dormant for ages, how can you have seen them?”Yumi smiled confidently.

“My Symphogear was made from a relic that belonged to a famous messenger, ” Yumi answered, “ I’ll go and ask.” She flew away and disappeared into thin air, and the researchers stared in awe. Shiori gave Clara the shield back, and she and Kuriyo began to help clean up a little, while Sakuya contacted a local construction company to fix the facility properly.

 

After landing at a Spanish exclave, just behind the border to France and east of Andorra, Maria, Kirika and Shirabe went to meet with the staff at a research facility the two nations agreed to share. A single road left the exclave to the south, connecting it to Spain and Andorra. The people driving past the trio sped up a little, and before long, the road was empty.

“What’s going on, dess?” Kirika asked and looked around.

“They’re worried about why we were called here,” Maria answered, “It’s probably better, since this means we won’t have to worry about them getting caught up in our operations.”

“I see, dess,” Kirika said. They approached the city, and saw the research facility at its edge.

“Alca-Noise signal detected,” Sakuya said, “Prepare to engage.” The trio turned around and saw a massive whale-like Alca-Noise fly towards the city.

“Enemy spotted, attack!” Maria said and ran ahead. Kirika and Shirabe followed her, and all three began to sing. The Alca-Noise released white spheres that spawned smaller enemies as it flew, which charged the trio. Maria extended her dagger into a bladed whip and hurled small balls of silver fire into the enemy horde.

“Kiri-chan,” Shirabe said and picked Kirika up before turning her buzz saws into helicopter rotors. The duo flew up to the boss, and Kirika turned her scythe into a chain guillotine. Maria whipped the Alca-Noise and destroyed them in large numbers, while the boss kept producing more, and approaching the city.

“Warn the researchers,” Maria said, “I may not be able to stop all of them.” She took out several assault-battery type enemies that aimed at Kirika and Shirabe. The duo reached the boss, and Kirika threw her weapon into it. The blades began to turn, and she cut through its head.

“The French military is already on the way,” Sakuya said, “So don’t worry.” Shirabe landed and turned her buzz saws into a large mono-wheel, and the two of them chased after the Alca-Noise.

“Maria,” Shirabe said and held out her left hand. Maria took the hand, and Shirabe sped up to try and catch the enemies.

“If only we were allowed to use the Amalgam, dess,” Kirika said. Before the trio reached the Alca-Noise, a squadron of drones flew overhead and dropped bombs on the monsters, turning them into red mist. Shirabe slowed down until she stopped, and the trio walked around the cratered landscape to make sure there were no Alca-Noise left.

 

Inside an old castle ruin in southern Spain, Hibiki, Chris and Tsubasa faced off against a man wearing padded brown leather clothing, and wielding a sword with a curved cross guard. Hibiki and Chris felt a shiver run down their spines when the man raised his sword, and their legs started shaking.

“Looks like someone’s scared, ” the man said in English, “ Don’t worry, that’s normal. Isn’t this sword great?”

“If it is a sword fight you want, fine,” Tsubasa said, and pointed her Armed Gear at him. The man hesitated a little, and Tsubasa rushed forward. She knocked his sword out of his hand in one move, and pointed the tip of her blade at his throat. Hibiki and Chris relaxed again, and Hibiki picked up the sword.

“Alright, I surrender,” the man said. Tsubasa lowered her sword and pulled him to his feet, and the trio handed him and his men over to the local authorities.

“You know, I kinda want to try this,” Hibiki said, and raised the sword. However, nothing seemed to happen.

“Tachibana, ” Tsubasa scolded, and grabbed the sword, “ We don’t know what this relic does. How are you this careless?” Everyone around her froze in fear, and she paused for a moment. When she lowered the relic again, everyone relaxed, and she handed it to Chris.

“Be careful, everyone,” Aoi said, “Yumi just came back from Valhalla, and said she asked the sword’s previous user about it.”

“We’re already done,” Chris said.

“I see,” Aoi said, “Then we’ll just give you the details later.”

“Sounds good,” Chris said, and the trio headed to the pickup point. Elfnein appeared on a light purple alchemical pattern, and used her book to open a portal back to the mobile base. She then went and picked up the other teams, and the sword was secured within the base. Once everything was over, the girls returned to Japan.

 

The next day, after school, Hibiki received a text from an unknown number. Her friends looked at her when her phone rang, and Hibiki checked the message. The text asked her for help, by name, but otherwise only included a set of coordinates. The girls exchanged some looks, and Yumi looked more excited than anything, while everyone else was either confused or concerned.

“So, what do we do?” Chris asked.

“I’m going,” Hibiki answered, “Whoever that is, they know me, and they need my help. That alone is enough for me to try my best.” She forwarded the message to Elfnein, and asked for a teleport capsule.

“And what if it’s a trap?” Yumi asked, “In anime, this is usually the point where the older characters get picked off, and the younger ones have to step in.”

“For the last time, this isn’t anime,” Chris said.

“That’s the fifth ‘last time’ this month,” Yumi said, and walked up to Chris, “And I know it isn’t, but art imitates life, so the idea has to come from somewhere.”

“Okay, now let’s calm down again,” Kuriyo said, but couldn’t get between the two.

“Or maybe that’s just a convenient way for bad writers to explain why the more experienced characters can’t solve the plot,” Chris said, “Instead of, I don’t know, just letting the weaker characters handle things that fits their level of expertise.”

“Chris, please,” Shiori said, more pleading than anything.

“You’d be surprised how often real-life events happen in anime,” Yumi fired back.

“Let’s just let them finish,” Miku said, and pulled Kuriyo and Shiori away from the duo.

“Oh yeah?” Chris asked and leaned back, her arms crossed. “Try me.”

“Okay, here,” Yumi said, pulled out her phone and sent Chris a list of ten anime. “Initial antagonist loses her parents to terrorism, goes through hell for a decade, and joins the good guys halfway through season 1. Remind you of anyone?” She stepped back with a smug look as Chris read the anime titles, in utter disbelief at how common this type of thing was. After she collected herself, she sighed, and turned to Hibiki.

“Okay, you can go,” Chris said, “Just be safe.” Hibiki tilted her head a little.

“I’m already back,” Hibiki said, “It was just some guy with anger issues.” Chris and Yumi stared at her in disbelief.

“What?” Chris asked.

“I… may have misjudged the situation,” Yumi said, and turned to Chris. “Sorry.”

“Nah, I’m sorry,” Chris said, “I don’t know what you like about anime and manga, so I shouldn’t get so mad at you for liking it. Plus, you do have some good ideas sometimes.”

“Yay,” Hibiki said and hugged both of them. Chris struggled to get free, while Yumi just enjoyed the hug. After a moment, Hibiki let go of them again, and the group headed into the city, to unwind from the previous day’s mission.

 

On a cold Saturday morning, the newbies gathered in the abandoned city district, and activated their Symphogear. Like the previous week, the more experienced members stood on the sidelines, ready to intervene if things go wrong. Once everyone was in position, Elfnein went ahead and summoned several Alca-Noise. The trio began to sing, Yumi took to the sky and began throwing shuriken, Kuriyo swung her rocket-propelled hammer, and Shiori attacked with her shield.

“They’re doing better than before,” Tsubasa said. Kuriyo smashed an artillery-battery type with her hammer before it could attack Yumi. Shiori threw her shield through several party-horn type enemies, and Yumi threw shuriken at various enemies.

“Yeah, but they’re still surrounded,” Chris said, “Let’s see how they handle that.” Yumi made some of her shuriken explode, and destroyed several Alca-Noise. Suddenly, every high-speed Alca-Noise jumped at Shiori, leaving neither room to dodge, nor time for the girls to destroy them all.

“Shiori!” Kuriyo called out and jumped at her, much to everyone’s surprise. Shiori raised her shield and retracted the spike in the center. The hammer glowed blue, and the shield yellow. Hibiki extended the power jacks from her boots and anchored herself to the ground, then took Tsubasa’s and Chris’ wrists. Kuriyo hit Shiori, and the shockwave destroyed all nearby Alca-Noise and hurled all bystanders aside, except for Hibiki, Chris and Tsubasa.

“What… was that?” Maria asked, and stood back up before helping Elfnein, who had landed on her. The newbies stopped singing, and looked around. Kirika and Shirabe also stood back up, and Chris and Tsubasa looked at Hibiki, who let go of their wrists.

“Sorry,” Shiori said, and looked up from under her shield, “I guess it really does hit as hard as that old movie made it look.” Yumi landed, and when Kuriyo stood up and looked around, her eyes widened.

“Man, we rock !” Kuriyo said excitedly as the surrounding buildings collapsed.

“Everyone okay?” Tsubasa asked and looked around.

“Yeah, dess,” Kirika answered, and shook her head to stop her ears from ringing.

“Yes,” Elfnein answered, “I… think so, at least. But maybe I shouldn’t be this close to future training sessions.”

“That was amazing,” Hibiki said and rushed over to Kuriyo and Shiori, “You two just cleared this entire area in one move.”

“Thanks,” Kuriyo said, “It was her idea.” She looked at Shiori, and Hibiki did the same.

“I just… saw it in a movie once,” Shiori said, “I brought it up with Kuriyo after what Tsubasa said, and we decided to try it.”

“Well, it does work,” Tsubasa said, “However, you should be careful not to use it carelessly.”

“Of course,” Kuriyo said. Elfnein flipped through her Book of Thoth, and drew everyone’s attention.

“It looks like this doesn’t even drain your Phonic Gain as much as comparable moves from the others,” Elfnein explained, “However, it does leave you open to attacks from any opponent that survives the initial shockwave.”

“So next time, I’ll get them both out of there,” Yumi said.

“Or you could get them out before they have to do this,” Elfnein said, “Given the collateral damages, I doubt any country would want this to happen in their territories, so it’s best left as a last resort.”

“Okay,” Kuriyo said, then turned to Shiori and asked, “By the way, how’s your arm?” Shiori collapsed her shield, and squeezed her arm a little.

“It’s fine,” Shiori answered, “I barely felt anything, thanks to Aegis.”

“That’s good,” Kuriyo said. The group cleaned up, and then headed back to their homes, the dorm rooms, or the mobile base. Elfnein planned out which Alca-Noise to send against the newbies next, but got distracted when researchers in Cambodia figured out the formula for the prototype Alca-Noise Saint-Germain and the others used.

 

     Tizona Research Log: The relic was originally kept in Spain’s Palma Research Facility, where attempts to activate it had failed. Only when a shield-type relic was brought to the facility did both activate. However, neither could be identified at that time.

     Tizona was eventually transported to a facility Spain shares with France for further study. During an attack by armed criminals, the relic was lost, and the UN were asked for help in recovering it.

     Three teams of Symphogear wielders were dispatched. The trio investigating the Palma Research Facility managed to identify the sword as Tizona, and provided detailed explanations as to its function.

     Tizona possesses the power to frighten opponents whose sword-fighting skill is below that of the wielder, with the degree of fear being proportional to the difference in skill level.

     Due to this fact, and the Spanish government’s mishandling of the situation, the relic was confiscated by the UN and is currently kept aboard S.O.N.G.’s mobile base.

 

     Shield of El Cid Research Log: A shield-type relic originally studied in the Livia Research Facility, a joint location used by both France and Spain. After the relic failed to activate, it was moved to the Palma Research Facility in Spain, where it and Tizona activated simultaneously.

     The shield bears the image of a fierce dragon, and possesses the ability to project fire from the center. After a researcher by the name of Clara has shown proficiency at utilizing that power, she was entrusted with further study.

     Following an attack of Alca-Noise, the shield was seen to have a small chunk missing from its edge, likely resulting from being dropped so as to not antagonize the Symphogear.

     The damage is minimal, and does not appear to affect the relic’s integrity. It appears as though two small splinters were carved out of it, but researchers decided not to worry about it.

     One of the Symphogear Wielders assigned to investigate the Palma Research Facility, upon seeing the shield, traveled to Valhalla to ask its previous owner, Rodrigo Díaz de Vivar, returning with most of the information we have on these two relics.

     Due to the shield’s significantly lower threat level, the UN allowed it to remain under Spanish control. However, the UN’s head alchemist denied any request to turn it into a Faust Robe.

Chapter 7

A rocket split apart over the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and a single golden light descended toward the ground. Once her Symphogear activated, Hibiki spun around, flew in a circle, and made a couple flips. She landed in a lake and used her thrusters to get back out, then shook off the water.

“And touchdown,” Hibiki said, “Where to now?” She walked along the shore of the lake, while the support staff looked up the fastest route to the target.

“A little further east,” Sakuya said, and Hibiki turned around again. She activated her Amalgam and entered the Imago stage, then used her massive metal arms to run like a gorilla. The undergrowth bent before her, and she made her way to a tent camp hidden by camouflage nets.

“Bingo,” Hibiki said, and began to sing. The poachers panicked, and one shot at her with a big game rifle. The bullet hit her directly on the forehead, and flattened against her skin. She picked up a large metal crate and threw it in front of two poachers who tried to run away.

“Good, don’t let them escape,” Sakuya said. The poachers froze, raised their hands, and knelt down. Hibiki motioned for them to huddle together, then stopped singing and reverted back to her normal form. The men and women did as instructed, and she tied them up with some rope.

“Okay, now we just need to figure out how they got away all the time,” Hibiki said, and began to wander around. She looked through the tents, but only found hunting trophies, weapons, maps, computers, and a generator.

“Hold on, I think I’m picking something up,” Sakuya said, and Hibiki paused. “It’s a relic, and it’s nearby.” Hibiki closed her eyes, and tried to hear the relic’s song. She heard a faint humming, like a sea shanty, opened her eyes and approached the source of the sound.

“Okay, where is it?” Hibiki asked in English, and looked at the poachers. She held out her right hand, and the poachers turned to the one in the center, who had shot Hibiki earlier.

“Careful, we don’t know what it is,” Sakuya said, and tried to find the signature in the database, “And if it allowed them to evade capture, it could be dangerous.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Hibiki said and went up to the man. She pulled him to his feet and untied him, then held out her hand. The man begrudgingly rummaged through his pant pocket, and handed over a small item.

“Here,” the man said in English, “Can we go now?” Hibiki looked it over, and saw that it was a small slip of paper, folded neatly to fit into even a woman’s pockets.

“What is this?” Hibiki asked, then said, “And no, you’ll still have to answer for your crimes.” The man sat back down and crossed his arms.

“Well, then you can figure that out yourself,” the man said and spat in front of her feet. However, instead of getting upset, Hibiki just rolled her eyes. Park rangers arrived and took the men away, and Hibiki helped look for any poachers that might have gotten away. A family of gorillas helped them avoid treacherous terrain, and showed them where one man had hidden.

 

T he TV showed a report on octopi, while Miku cleaned up the dorm room and only half-listened. Hibiki sent her a message that she was on the way back, and Miku began to make dinner. When Hibiki returned, the two hugged, and sat down to eat. Hibiki paused mid-bite and turned up the volume.

“- which could mean a drastic shift in the ocean’s ecosystem,” a marine biologist said, “Normally, female octopuses starve while tending to their eggs, since they cannot afford to hunt. But with others feeding her, the young may have better chances at survival.”

“Miku, look,” Hibiki said excitedly, “They’re working together.”

“Yeah,” Miku said, but chose not to tell her that Shem-Ha had ordered them to do that.

“We still don’t know what brought this on,” the woman continued, “However, it couldn’t have come at a better time, as the global octopus population had seen a stark drop in numbers, and the entire family is at risk of being endangered.”

“I love octopuses,” Hibiki said, talking over the interviewer, “They’re so soft, and funny.”

“Yes, this could be a result of their intelligence,” the woman said, “Cephalopods are incredibly smart, so it is possible that they noticed their own situation, and came up with a solution.” Miku turned the volume down again.

“Hibiki, your food,” Miku said, and Hibiki remembered the food in front of her.

“Oh, right,” Hibiki said and finished her meal. After she cleaned her plate, she turned the volume up again, but Miku made her help clean up first. Once they were done, Hibiki went back to the TV and followed the rest of the report. Miku sat next to her, and just enjoyed her presence and warmth.

 

I n the abandoned city, t he newbies surrounded Genjuro, their Symphogear active. While they didn’t know if this was a good idea, the footage of him defeating the others gave them a bit of confidence. He invited them to attack, and the girls decided to take the chance.

“Let’s go,” Kuriyo said and attacked. Genjuro caught her hammer mid-swing and used her own momentum to send her flying into a nearby tree.

“My turn,” Yumi said and threw several shuriken at him, but he stomped his foot and sent out a shockwave. The shuriken were blown away and Yumi got knocked back as the wind caught in her wings.

“Okay,” Shiori said and changed her Armed Gear to two small kite shields with spikes at the front. She jumped at Genjuro, and he jumped back. Her right shield got stuck in the ground, and Genjuro kicked her in the face. Shiori flew backwards, and her shield took a part of the pavement with it.

“So, what did we learn?” Genjuro asked. The newbies stood up again and looked at each other, then back at Genjuro.

“That none of this would’ve happened if men could use Symphogear,” Yumi said.

“Also that we shouldn’t underestimate our opponents,” Shiori said.

“Exactly,” Genjuro said, “Alright, you’re dismissed.” He walked away, and the girls went back to the dorms. After a few meters, Yumi started to sing and used her catcher daggers to pull her friends along as she flew back to the school.

 

An autonomous submarine moved along the ocean floor, and used a large vacuum to suck up debris from the floor. The debris was pumped onto an observation platform where S.O.N.G. agents sifted through it all, to try and recover any relics that had been overlooked so far. Maria stood guard, with her Symphogear active, in case any relics acted up. Suddenly, a woman screamed. Maria drew her dagger and jumped over to her.

“What happened?” Maria asked. She stepped between the woman and whatever she looked at, and looked for anything suspicious.

“That… flint,” the woman answered, and pointed at what looked like a primitive arrow head, “I picked it up, and it shocked me.”

“Okay, let’s see,” Maria said and picked it up. A slight electric sensation pulsed through her body, and the support team called in.

“We’re picking up an energy signature,” Sakuya said, “Hold on, I’m analyzing your Gear’s defense field and isolating the interference.”

“Can’t you call Elfnein?” Maria asked, “This feels the kind of thing she normally does.”

“I’ve learned a bit from her,” Sakuya answered, “Anyway, running the interference through this program, it looks like the object in your hand produces a weak electric charge. It’s not enough to cause harm, but it has no useful application, so the item was locked away.”

“Alright,” Maria said, “Then I’ll hold on to this until it can be stored again.”

“Sounds good,” Sakuya said. Maria went back to a platform above the search area, and continued to look for trouble. Every once in a while, one of the workers found a relic, and Maria had to step in and help them handle it, although most of the time she was just there as moral support.

 

T hree boys walked home from their part time jobs, when they heard screams in the distance, and people came running toward them. When they saw the distinct red mist, they knew exactly what was coming for them, and their legs felt heavier than lead. After people ran past them, the boys saw the monsters. Suddenly, they heard a song, and Hibiki landed between them and the Alca-Noise.

“Ta- Tachibana…,” one of the boys said under his breath as Hibiki charged the Alca-Noise. She destroyed them all with a shockwave, stopped singing, and turned around.

“Are you guy alright?” Hibiki asked, and the boys snapped out of their shock.

“Y- yeah,” one of the boys answered, and Hibiki let out a sigh of relief.

“Thank goodness,” Hibiki said, “Anyway, I got to go, you be safe now.” She jumped onto a nearby building, and the three boys looked at the rooftop for a little longer, before they continued their way home.

“I… can’t believe it,” one of the boys, Akeuchi Takeshi, said, “Tachibana is one of the Symphogear. I feel kinda terrible now.” He wore simple black sneakers, blue jeans, and a white shirt under a black hoodie. His black hair was short and combed back, and his eyes shimmered in a faint green.

“You know, most people feel bad for doing bad things,” Tetsuo Nagato said, “But yeah, we’re lucky she either didn’t recognize us, or got over what happened.” He wore a similar outfit to his friend, but had his medium-long brown hair tied into a ponytail, and blue eyes hidden under a pair of sunglasses.

“I mean, I do feel bad for what I did,” Takeshi said.

“No, you don’t,” Mori Nobuo said, “You feel bad that there could be consequences.” He wore black hiking boots, blue jeans, and an orange jacket. His black hair was kept short, and his brown eyes scanned his surroundings.

“Same difference,” Takeshi said, and waved him off. “By the way, how was work?”

“Except it isn’t,” Nobuo said, and rolled his eyes. “Work was fine, as usual. Just some dumb tourists again.”

“Are there smart tourists?” Nagato asked.

“Yes,” Nobuo answered, “The ones who know they have plenty of wildlife at home they can get mauled by. At least that way, their families won’t have to spend as much money on their funeral.”

“Sounds tough,” Takeshi said, although he chuckled a little.

“I wish we could have people sign a waiver that they don’t want to be rescued,” Nobuo said, “Because a lot of people act like that, until they can see their bones. And at that point, it’s really difficult to get all of their parts to safety.”

“At least you don’t have to talk to them about their pets,” Takeshi said, “Because no one hates animals more than someone who claims to love their pet.” The boys continued to talk for the rest of their short walk, and reached a run-down apartment building near the edge of the abandoned district.

 

O ne cold Saturday morning, the newbies gathered in a warehouse in the abandoned city district. Tsubasa was with them, and sat in a jeep, and had her Symphogear activ e. However, her ankle blades were much shorter than usual . As soon as Genjuro gave the signal, Tsubasa drove ahead, and the newbies began to sing. Kuriyo and Shiori jumped into the back of the jeep, and Yumi took to the sky to get a better view of their surroundings.

“And remember, in a real situation, the driver won’t be immune to firearms,” Tsubasa said. Yumi threw a shuriken at a building up ahead, and the shuriken exploded. The building collapsed, and the minigun inside was unable to do anything.

“Incoming!” Shiori called out and jumped in front of a rocket launcher. The explosion sent her backwards, and she landed on the road. Tsubasa kept driving, trying to reach the target on the other side of the district. Shiori ran up to the jeep and jumped back inside.

“Kuriyo!” Yumi called out from above, and threw a catcher dagger at her. Kuriyo held up her right arm, and the dagger latched onto it like a bracelet. Yumi flew ahead and pulled her friend along. Kuriyo landed in front of a barricade made from wooden planks, barbed wire, and metal parts, and the UN soldiers fled once they saw her.

“Smart,” Kuriyo said before she brought the hammer down in front of the barricade. A steel blue energy wave destroyed the barricade, and Yumi flew ahead again. Tsubasa drove past Kuriyo, and she jumped back in.

“They’re doing pretty well,” Hibiki said, watching the training exercise from aboard the mobile base, “To be honest, I’d like to do one of those myself.” Kuriyo smashed another barricade, and Yumi took out machine gun nests and other positions before those even saw Tsubasa. Suddenly, the jeep drove over an anti-tank mine and was reduced to scraps.

 

After the exercise, the newbies changed back into their S.O.N.G. uniforms and met in the mobile base, and all three let their heads hang in shame. The footage of their actions played on the various screens, and the more experienced Wielders stood in front of the trio.

“We’re sorry,” the girls said in unison.

“It’s fine,” Hibiki said, much to the girls’ surprise, “After all, this is why we do these training exercises; to let you learn how to do this, without actually putting lives in danger.”

“I can’t believe I forgot about landmines of all things,” Yumi hissed, “Next time, I’ll use my sonar daggers.”

“Sounds good,” Hibiki said, and Tsubasa cleared her throat.

“In any case, you three had a good strategy,” Tsubasa said, “Surveillance, protection, and heavy-duty were on point, and your communication was impressive. So… don’t be too hard on yourselves.”

“Thanks, Basa,” Kuriyo said, and her friends nodded.

“I’m just honest,” Tsubasa said, and turned away to hide her reaction.

“Anyway, what about the Tizona?” Yumi asked, and everyone turned to her.

“What about it?” Chris asked.

“Can we train with that next?” Yumi asked.

“Why?” Maria asked.

“Well, for one, in case it gets stolen,” Yumi answered, “And also, I feel like it would be good to learn to fight even if we’re scared.”

“So, overcoming fear?” Maria asked.

“Not quite,” Yumi answered, “If the sword induces fear, then we need to learn to work in that state; our bodies will respond differently, but we can learn to work around that.” The more experienced Wielders exchanged some looks, and also looked at the support staff.

“Okay, I’ll contact the council,” Aoi said, turned back around and began to type on her keyboard. Shortly after she sent the message, she received one, and opened it.

“That was fast,” Hibiki said.

“It’s not a response,” Aoi said, and turned around, “Hibiki, have you been in Spain lately? Aside from the Tizona mission, that is.” Hibiki thought for a moment, then gasped.

“Oh, right, that guy,” Hibiki answered, “Why?”

“Because the Spanish government is pissed,” Aoi answered, “Unauthorized use of Symphogear within their borders, and apparently you did a real number on that guy’s mental state. We also tracked the phone that sent you the message, and it turns out it had been stolen a few hours prior.” Hibiki paused for a moment.

“But… he hit his wife,” Hibiki said, and Aoi sighed.

“Yes, and I’m not upset with you,” Aoi said, “However, you need to stick to protocols. They’re demanding that we turn the shield into a Faust Robe, and we can’t exactly deny that anymore.”

“Sorry,” Hibiki said, and shrunk a little, “Am I under house arrest again?”

“Not really,” Aoi answered, “But you probably shouldn’t go on missions for a while, just to be safe.” Yumi looked at the clock, then gasped when she saw that a new anime was about to air.

“Okay, how about we end this on a more positive note?” Yumi asked, “Anyone got and good news?”

“Actually, I do,” Sakuya said, “We managed to identify and analyze the relic Hibiki recovered.” The group cheered up a little, and listened to the report with growing awe. However, Yumi slipped away early and went to one of the break rooms, to watch her anime there. During the ad breaks, she played around with the settings, and somehow managed to get Polish subtitles.

 

     Skidbladnir Research Log: The ship-type relic was recovered by a Symphogear user during a mission to hunt down poachers suspected of using heretical technology to evade authorities. At the time of their capture, the poachers were located in the Congo, Central Africa, and threatened gorillas in Virunga National Park.

     The relic can be folded into a smaller form, which also seems to reduce its weight accordingly. Experiments confirm that this effect extends to any objects stored aboard the relic. Experiments with live subjects have yet to be conducted.

     At full size, the Skidbladnir is larger than the mobile base used by S.O.N.G..

     Despite not possessing any visible means of propulsion, the Skidbladnir is capable of near-instant acceleration to full travel speed. While not exceptional for its size, it is still fast, and unbothered by environmental factors.

     Additionally, the Skidbladnir is capable of generating portals, allowing it to reach any body of water with ease, including lakes.

     After extensive study, a small booklet was discovered by a researcher, and is currently being translated. S.O.N.G. researchers hope this provides insight into the relic’s workings.

     Due to its reliance on Phonic Gain to remain operational, the UN council overseeing S.O.N.G. hinted at the Skidbladnir potentially becoming the new mobile base, should it prove to be viable for this task.

Chapter 8

Somewhere in New York City, a rat ran out of a jewelry store with a diamond necklace in its mouth. Its eyes were purple and had glowing red rings in them. The rat placed the necklace around a lightning rod, and began to chew on it to remove the gemstones. It placed the stones and metal chips around the rod, where it had already placed other items. The store’s security system alerted the owner to a break-in, but the cameras showed no one, so the police was unable to do anything.

 

After school, the Symphogear wielders and Miku walked through town to pass the time. Elfnein walked out of a nearby alleyway, and joined the group. The sun was high in the sky, and not a cloud was in sight. The air was still cold, and snow covered the ground, and the girls sometimes had to cover their eyes when the sun reflected off the snow.

“By the way,” Elfnein said after a while, “I have been working on a new feature for the Symphogear. If I can make this work, I can remotely create a spacial distortion field with customized end point around you whenever I want.”

“Say what now?” Hibiki asked.

“I can teleport you wherever you need to be,” Elfnein answered, “But it could be dangerous, and since it needs the Symphogear to be active, I can only test it on you guys.”

“I’ll do it,” Tsubasa said, and everyone looked at her in surprise. “If it can help the team, I am willing to take that risk.”

“Well, I’m still in the theoretical stages of it all,” Elfnein said, although Miku knew she was just trying to protect Tsubasa. “Besides, I may be able to modify the process, and bind it to something else.”

“Alright,” Tsubasa said. Miku knew she wanted to help the team in any way possible, but tried to be happy she wouldn’t have to risk her life.

“Anyway, how’s the Faust Robe coming along?” Hibiki asked, and Elfnein looked a bit nervous.

“Well, it takes a lot of energy to make one,” Elfnein answered, “So right now, we’re just gathering that energy. Luckily my Book of Thoth includes instructions on how to store energy in another dimension, so at least that’s not an issue.” Maria got a message on her phone, and read it.

“What’s wrong?” Yumi asked.

“New York’s government keeps hounding us over some issues,” Maria explained, “Apparently some stores had their alarms go off, but nothing appeared on the surveillance cameras.”

“Wait, an invisible burglar?” Hibiki asked in shock, and the others were ready to move out, “Why didn’t you tell us sooner?” Maria sighed, and shook her head.

“No, nothing of that sort,” Maria answered, “Thanks to our research of the Shénshòujìng, our scanners can bypass cloaking technology, but we can’t find any heretical technology, meaning those are false alarms.”

“So, what?” Hibiki asked.

“So we just keep telling them that this isn’t our job,” Maria answered.

“I still think we should go, just in case,” Hibiki said, “I can take our newest members, and we can treat it as a training mission.”

“Wait, what kind of stores are important enough for the government to get involved?” Elfnein asked.

“Mostly jewelry stores,” Maria answered, and Elfnein tensed up, “The owners claim some jewelry was stolen, but given the lack of evidence, it looks like a simple case of insurance fraud.”

“I need a list of absolutely everything that was stolen,” Elfnein said, an unprecedented sense of urgency in her voice, and the entire group stopped. Maria struggled to process the sudden change in behavior, and sent a message to New York’s government. She quickly received a reply, and showed it to Elfnein, who opened a portal to the mobile base after reading it. Before anyone knew what was happening, the Symphogear left for New York City, with Elfnein taking command.

 

Two S.O.N.G. agents helped the New York police evacuate the most at-risk people to a UN shelter, while the Symphogear wielders investigated the stores that had been robbed, as well as potential suspects. Despite there being no protocol or anything for alchemical emergencies, seeing Elfnein so fixated immediately made most people fall in line. And as if to provide an adequate atmosphere, a storm rolled into the city.

“Everything clear on my end,” Hibiki said over radio, and Elfnein marked one of the stores on her computer. Out of a dozen stores that were robbed, none showed signs of forced entry.

“Okay, move on to the next place,” Elfnein said. Hibiki, Kuriyo, Shiori and Yumi left the store, and Yumi took flight. She picked her friends up with her catcher daggers, and began to sing.

“Suspect 3, check,” Yumi said and tossed out several sonar daggers as she flew over a building. Sakuya immediately checked the interference pattern to try and find the stolen goods.

“Are we sure we’re covering everything?” Tsubasa asked, speeding along the roads on her motorcycle.

“Of course,” Elfnein answered, “Someone, somehow, is stealing these materials, and if they’re an alchemist, there’s no telling what they plan with them.”

“Hypothetically, what’s the worst they could do?” Chris asked. She jumped from one rooftop to the next, then took aim with her massive sniper rifle and looked for anything suspicious.

“Carbon and gold are key ingredients in just about any alchemical process,” Elfnein said, “So let’s just treat this as if they plan to create Alca-Noise.”

“Okay,” Hibiki said. Yumi dropped her friends in front of another store, and landed on the building. Hibiki was the first to enter, and looked around the empty store. Glass cases held smaller jewelry, and as usual, some cases were broken open.

“Hey, guys,” Chris said, “I think I see something. But it’s south-east of my position.” Thunder rumbled through the air, and Chris felt a tingling sensation coursing through her armor.

“But that’s nowhere near where the suspects would be,” Elfnein said, then turned from thoughtful to panicked, “Unless… I’ve made a mistake. Everyone, move!” All nine Symphogear wielders abandoned their task and headed to the location.

“Need a lift?” Yumi asked and picked up Chris as she passed over her. She stopped singing, and started to sing together with Kuriyo and Shiori. When the girls approached a back alley, they saw something twinkle and shimmer on the ground. However, before they could investigate, a lightning struck the lightning rod, and the entire back alley erupted in purple light.

“Everyone alright?” Aoi asked after the light faded, and the Wielders looked around. Chris had her reflectors deployed, Maria her triangle shield, and Shiori had her Armed Gear in the shape of a large tower shield. Yumi landed, and the newbies stopped singing.

“Yeah,” Hibiki answered, “But… what was that?” The storm clouds cleared up, and the sun shined on the back alley.

“Alchemy,” Elfnein answered, “I’m sending the energy spike through a spectrogram to try and figure out exactly what happened here, but… it took a lot of energy, and some valuable materials, so it could take a while.”

“Okay, let us know if you find anything,” Hibiki said and approached the back alley. The others followed her, though more cautious than she was. The group found the lightning rod, and at its base, there were several scorch marks arranged in a pattern.

“Hibiki, wait,” Maria said when Hibiki reached out to touch them. “Elfnein, we have something you might want to see.”

“Alright, wha- oh no,” Elfnein said, “With that arrangement, and the energy supplied by the lightning… this is bad.”

“How bad?” Chris asked.

“This structure is time-sensitive,” Elfnein answered, “Some use alchemy to pursue perfection. As such, placing restrictions on oneself is an easy way to make these processes more potent, in a way exchanging freedom for power. Carol only timed her attacks by the day, and you all know what she could do. This is timed to the second.”

“Wait, what?” Hibiki asked, “How?”

“I don’t know,” Elfnein answered, “But either someone controls storms, or they know the future. And since we didn’t detect any relics that control storms, we might be in trouble.”

“Just perfect,” Chris groaned. “What now?”

“We’ll let the US government know,” Genjuro interjected, “If someone really can predict the future to this extent, they may pose a threat to the world, which makes them our problem.”

“But what if that’s part of their plan?” Tsubasa asked.

“There is no plan,” Yumi said coldly, and everyone turned to her, “Precognition is different from just being a good strategist, and if this person can predict lightning strikes to the second, there is no way any of us can do anything.”

“Okay, how do people in anime fight someone who can see the future?” Chris asked with a smug grin, hoping to either get an answer, or shut her up.

“They keep trying,” Yumi answered, “They push through to the end of what their opponent can see, and then fight them when the opponent can no longer see the future.”

“Why would someone lose that ability?” Chris asked.

“It depends on how they gained it in the first place,” Yumi explained, “Sometimes, a person actually comes from the future, meaning they just remembered what happened in their past, and work off of that. Other times, they make a deal with some entity, which can revoke that power if they’re no longer useful. And, of course, a relic.”

“Well, we can rule out relics,” Genjuro said, “In any case, we will quarantine the immediate area, and send a team to investigate further. Elfnein, I would like you to lead that team, since you are the most knowledgeable about alchemy.”

“Of course,” Elfnein said, “But I think the exclusion zone should be bigger, just in case. And I would like Sakuya to be on the team, since he helped me with the teleportation crystals the other day.”

“Alright,” Genjuro said. The Symphogear spread out and helped keep things under control during the evacuation, and kept an eye on the back alley. Less than an hour later, the emergency team arrived, led by Elfnein, and began their investigation. Once their job was done, the Symphogear returned to Japan.

 

Late in the evening, Miku sat on the couch and watched the news, waiting for Hibiki’s return. A lightning struck, and purple lights flashed on the screen. Suddenly, the entire room shifted in color and gained a purple hue, and the screen seemingly froze. Miku closed her eyes, sighed, opened her eyes again, and turned around.

“Why?” Miku asked.

“Can I not visit my friends once in a while?” Shem-Ha asked. The Goddess hovered behind the couch, in her original form, but without her vambrace.

“That’s not the point,” Miku said, “Now everyone will panic, thinking that someone can predict the future. Hundreds of people will have to leave their houses while the UN investigates this situation, just so you don’t have to make monkey text me.”

“Well, whose fault is it that I do not have a physical body?” Shem-Ha asked.

“Yours,” Miku answered, “You could have used me to make one from a potted plant or something, and then done your thing.”

“I appreciate your honesty,” Shem-Ha said with a smile.

“Thanks,” Miku said. “Now, what was the actual point of that stunt?”

“A test run,” Shem-Ha answered, “I was curious how far a restriction of that degree would amplify the power of one measly lightning strike.”

“And?” Miku asked.

“I am quite pleased,” Shem-Ha answered.

“What did you do, aside from this?” Miku asked, and motioned around her mental space.

“I provided Elfnein with some arcane energy,” Shem-Ha answered.

“Well, alright,” Miku said. “But since when can you control lightnings?”

“I cannot,” Shem-Ha answered, “Not directly, at least. I can, however, order plants to adjust their photosynthesis, to control evaporation in a given area. And by accessing the sensory information of various creatures, I can get a rather accurate model of the world.”

“Well, that’s scary,” Miku said, more annoyed than actually scared, since she knew that Shem-Ha was on her side.

“Barely,” Shem-Ha said, “I can hardly get accurate predictions in this fashion, so it is of less use to me than you would think. At most, I can predict events to the tenth of a second, and only one year in advance before quantum mechanics cause too many variables.”

“Okay, I’ll pretend I didn’t hear that,” Miku said, “Anything else you would like to tell me?”

“I owe all of you,” Shem-Ha answered, “I owe you and Hibiki for helping me see the error of my ways, Elfnein for helping me to take my place as guide of humanity, and everyone else, for helping you in your endeavor. So, if there is any way I can repay my debt, let me know.”

“Well, if you asked her, Hibiki would just tell you that it’s enough if you’re happy,” Miku said and patted the couch beside her, and Shem-Ha sat down, “But I know she’d be most happy to have the Skidbladnir.”

“So my guess was correct,” Shem-Ha said, much to Miku’s surprise, “If only the council members were to play along. Though, perhaps I can take more drastic measures.”

“Like what?” Miku asked, and eyed the Goddess suspiciously.

“Should the mobile base become unsafe, they would need a replacement, no?” Shem-Ha asked, “And Fujitaka Sakuya is naturally gifted at understanding heretical technology, so he would be able to uncover the relic’s inner workings. From there, the translators could use his experience to better translate the instructions, and thus develop a key, to help translate the rest.”

“So, I just have to microwave some fish in there?” Miku asked.

“That would be one way to accomplish this, yes,” Shem-Ha answered, “However, I could also send sea creatures to damage it.”

“Microwaved fish it is, then,” Miku said, “Hibiki would be upset if the base was destroyed.”

“Very well,” Shem-Ha said, and the room returned to normal. The light show on the screen continued, and then the camera footage cut off due to the electromagnetic interference. Miku sighed and processed the conversation, and eventually drifted off to sleep while waiting for Hibiki to return.

 

On a cold Saturday afternoon, the newbies approached the abandoned city district, and Shiori sang to provide the team with Phonic Gain. Their mission was to rescue a hostage, played by Hibiki, who was held in one of the buildings. Yumi pulled her friends along with her, and tossed sonar daggers to try and locate Hibiki. Suddenly, she was hit in the head by an anti-material rifle.

“Hey,” Yumi said and looked at where the shot came from, then pulled Shiori in front of her. Shiori manifested a round shield, and Yumi held her in front of herself. The trio flew towards an apartment building, where they spotted several soldiers.

“Drop me,” Kuriyo said, and the metal wrapped around her right wrist disappeared. She fell into a house, and began to make her way to the building on foot. The soldiers opened fire, and Shiori blocked the bullets with her shield.

“Go!” Yumi said, dropped Shiori, and flew in a circle to slingshot her toward the apartment building before she made her dagger disappear. Shiori manifested a kite shield, and used it to glide the rest of the way.

“Good move,” Aoi said over the communicator. Shiori landed on a balcony and blocked the soldiers’ gunfire, then threw some of Yumi’s sonar daggers around the area. Kuriyo brought her hammer down and leveled a nearby building, which set off several landmines placed throughout the area.

“And?” Kuriyo asked when she approached the apartment building. One man threw a grenade at her, and she hit it with her hammer. The impact shattered the grenade, and the soldiers scrambled to get away as the detonator fizzled out in mid-air.

“Second floor, third room from your position,” Aoi answered. Shiori went around and punched the soldiers, who tried to shoot her. While she made sure not to hit them too hard, they slumped over as if she knocked them out. Yumi threw several catcher daggers at the soldiers, and pulled them toward herself.

“I’m going in,” Kuriyo said and jumped up through the ceiling. She landed in an empty room, and broke down the wall in front of her. Hibiki sat on a chair, her arms and legs tied with ropes, although she had her Symphogear active for security reasons.

“Target secured, begin extraction,” Aoi said. Kuriyo broke down the front wall and turned the chair around, and Yumi threw a catcher dagger at Hibiki. The dagger unfolded into four claws and latched on to the rope and backrest, then began to beep rapidly. Before Hibiki knew what was going on, she began to accelerate backwards, and Yumi activated the thrusters on her lower back to get out of the city.

“Thanks for the energy,” Yumi said and she flew away, using the Phonic Gain she had built up from Shiori singing. Her friends cleared out the remaining soldiers, then followed Yumi to the edge of the city, where the UN had set up a practice camp that had requested the trio’s support. Yumi landed and freed Hibiki, and the training was deemed a success.

 

Aboard the mobile base, the Symphogear wielders met with the support staff and Genjuro, to discuss their training mission. However, unlike the serious atmosphere they were used to, the newbies found themselves in one of the break rooms, which had been decorated to celebrate their victory. The Wielders all wore their S.O.N.G. uniforms, somewhat undermining the celebratory atmosphere.

“Good work out there,” Hibiki said, while the others began to enjoy the cake and other pastries.

“Thanks,” Yumi said and went to grab some cake herself, “And you’re sure you’re fine? I mean, with that speed, there’s always… a risk.” She shrunk a little, thinking back to an infamous moment from American comics that was referenced in many anime.

“No worries,” Elfnein said, “I analyzed the forces applied to her defense field, and those forces would be relatively harmless to a normal person.”

“Relatively?” Yumi asked, and turned a bit somber.

“There’s a good chance to survive, about 70%, but it could be higher,” Elfnein explained.

“Got it,” Yumi said, and relaxed again.

“Enough with the gloomy faces, dess,” Kirika said and jumped at Yumi from the back, putting her left arm around her and handing her a drink, “This is a party.” Yumi went to chat with some of the other Wielders, mostly to exchange ideas, and everyone had a good time for the rest of the day.

Chapter 9

After passing their final test, the newbies were granted full access to the S.O.N.G. database, the mobile base, and various research centers around the world. Yumi sat in class and scrolled through some files she accessed through her phone, impressed at how much more information she had access to now. She paused, then opened a file that piqued her interest.

“What is it?” Kuriyo asked and looked over her shoulder, “Hey, isn’t that one of the things you mentioned when we went to see which relics we’re compatible with?” Yumi hid her phone, and blushed a little.

“What? No, not really,” Yumi answered, trying to distract her friend, “I’m impressed you still remember those, though.”

“So is it, or isn’t it?” Kuriyo asked, “And why did you get so nervous because of Carnwennan?” Yumi thought for a moment, then sighed, and pulled up something on her phone.

“An anime from the early 20s,” Yumi answered, “One of the characters uses daggers and has shadow powers, so if that was the relic I got, my Symphogear would’ve emulated her outfit.” She showed Kuriyo the character in question.

“Oh, yeah,” Kuriyo said, “That… would make things difficult.”

“Tachibana!” Their teacher’s voice pulled them back to class, and they looked at Hibiki to see what she was doing.

“What?” Hibiki asked. The teacher cleared her throat.

“Apologies, force of habit,” the teacher said, and turned back to Yumi and Kuriyo, “Ando, Itaba, do you two have something to share with the class?”

“Not really,” Yumi answered, expecting a lecture. Instead, the teacher relaxed.

“Alright,” the teacher said, “But please, do try to pay attention.” She went back to the front of class, and resumed the lesson. Yumi put her phone away, but wondered why it wasn’t confiscated, or why the teacher didn’t force her to tell what she and Kuriyo had talked about.

 

After class, they went to the rooftop to have lunch with the others. The sun shined, and there were hardly any clouds in the sky. The weather was warmer than the past few days, and birds started to return from their winter vacation, to prepare for nesting, and to raise their young.

“That was weird,” Shiori said, and Kuriyo and Yumi nodded.

“Your phones have access to classified information,” Miku explained, “She’s not authorized to access that information, and if she took your phones, it could cause an international incident; she’s a Japanese citizen, and that information belongs to all kinds of nations.”

“That’s actually impressive,” Yumi said, “So, we basically have a lot more freedom now?”

“Well, not exactly,” Miku explained, “It’s more that the threat of war makes people hesitant to enforce certain rules, but if you push your luck too far, there would still be consequences.”

“Yeah, so you better not abuse this,” Chris said, pointing with her chopsticks. “Anyway, Miku, did Shem-Ha say anything else to you, aside from the whole transmutation thing?”

“Sort of,” Miku answered, “She said she owed us all a favor, and wanted to repay us for helping her find her place in this world.”

“Cool,” Chris said, “If she can help us provide food and shelter to people in poorer regions, that’d be great.”

“Come on, Chris,” Hibiki said, “She’s a busy deity; let’s just hope she’s happy in her new life, and let her be.”

“Really?” Chris asked, “I know I call you dummy a lot, but think about it; she’s got who knows how much influence, and you can’t think of anything you’d want?”

“I didn’t help her to get something in return,” Hibiki said, and ate more rice.

“Anyway, what do you want, dess?” Kirika asked, and looked at Shirabe with wide eyes. Shirabe thought for a moment.

“I want… people to stop being hypocrites,” Shirabe answered. “You?”

“I want to throw parties, dess,” Kirika answered, “No matter what kind.”

“I’d like to get to see more animals,” Kuriyo said, “Especially endangered ones. And of course that they recover.”

“That could be difficult,” Hibiki said, “But I recently saved a group of gorillas, so you can definitely do something to help them.”

“I know,” Kuriyo said, “I’ll try to stop poachers, and see what comes of that.”

“You could ask the council,” Hibiki said, “I’m sure they know of some poachers that still need to be taken down.” Miku saw her reflection in a window, and saw that Shem-Ha listened to the conversation, and everyone’s wishes. However, they both knew that those weren’t really their honest wishes. They were close, but not exactly what they wanted.

 

Somewhere in Croatia, a woman sang in the shower, when she heard a melody, and decided to just sing along. Maybe it was the hot water, or the exhaustion from the past couple days, but strange words rolled off her tongue as if someone else was speaking through her. When she was done, her doorbell rang, and her neighbor informed her of strange lights coming from her attic. She contacted the authorities, and less than an hour later, the entire neighborhood was evacuated.

 

A speed boat approached a small harbor, and after it stopped, Maria and Sakuya got off and looked around. The area was quiet, and Sakuya checked his tablet to see where they needed to go. Maria had her Symphogear active, and her Armed Gear in the form of a dagger.

“So, what are we dealing with?” Maria asked, and walked ahead.

“A woman reported strange lights coming from her neighbor’s house,” Sakuya answered, “Our scanners picked up an unknown Aufwachen Waveform. The neighbor said she sang something in the shower, but didn’t know what language, as if something had compelled her to sing. When she recreated the song, our experts identified the language as Welsh. Translation of the lyrics is still underway.”

“Alright,” Maria said, and the duo walked through the city until they reached an older-looking two-story building. “Is this the place?”

“Yes,” Sakuya answered. Maria opened the door, and went inside. A narrow hallway led past several rooms, and to a staircase. Maria tensed up with every step, as the floor boards creaked under her feet, and prepared to fight off anything that might jump out of the shadows.

“Where is it?” Maria asked.

“In the attic,” Sakuya answered, and Maria headed upstairs, while Sakuya went to wait outside, and contacted her through his phone. Maria looked around, and saw a few rooms that were somewhere between children’s rooms and storage rooms. She found a hatch in the ceiling and pulled on a chord, and a panel opened up to reveal a folding ladder. However, a faded sticker showed that her Symphogear was too heavy.

“Found the attic,” Maria said, and jumped up the ladder. The floor boards creaked when she landed, and dust fell from the ceiling. She sneezed, and looked around.

“Maria, are you okay?” Sakuya asked.

“Yes,” Maria answered, “It’s just a bit dusty up here.” She looked around, and the pink crystal on her chest began to glow and shed some light on her surroundings. She turned her upper torso a bit to illuminate the attic, until she spotted something interesting.

“Did you find anything?” Sakuya asked. Maria walked over to a large woven basket made of golden hay, with light brown shoulder straps with ornate golden buckles, and a circular lid.

“I think so,” Maria answered, and put her hand on the basket, “Is this it?”

“Let me see,” Sakuya said and analyzed the interference with her Symphogear’s defense field. “Yes, looks like it.”

“Alright, then I’m heading back,” Maria said, and put the basket on her back. She went back downstairs, closed the attic again, and left the building. Sakuya took a few pictures and uploaded them to the database for review by others. Maria and Sakuya went back to the harbor, and took the boat back to the mobile base, from where a Croatian operative took it back to the harbor.

 

A rocket flew over Zimbabwe and broke apart, releasing the three newbies. Yumi began to sing and circled her friends, who shared in her Phonic Gain and prepared to land. Shiori panicked and manifested a kite shield, and slowed down significantly. Kuriyo hit the ground and landed in a rather heroic pose, while Yumi gently lowered herself to the ground, then stopped singing.

“Okay, now we wait,” Kuriyo said and looked up. Shiori angled her kite shield a little and sped up her descent. Shiori let go of her shield a few meters above the ground, and fell the rest of the way.

“Sorry,” Shiori said, and her shield fell to the ground. She picked it up, and the trio got going.

“It’s okay,” Kuriyo said, “I would’ve done the same, if I could. But to be honest, it didn’t hurt.”

“Alright you three,” Aoi said over the radio, “Go and find the relic. And remember, non-government groups from both Zimbabwe and Zambia are arguing over its ownership, so you might have to deescalate.”

“Alright,” Kuriyo said. The trio walked up the mountainous northern part of the country, and looked around for the target of their mission. In the distance, they could already hear yelling in some local tongues, and prepared for the worst.

“Yumi,” Shiori said, and Yumi flew above the sparse trees and scouted ahead, with several sonar daggers in hand. She threw some of them around the area, just outside where the group of people would notice, then returned to her friends.

“Alright, I’ve got it,” Aoi said, “The relic is definitely there, and thanks to Yumi’s help, I have its exact location.”

“Go, me,” Yumi said, and Kuriyo took the lead.

“Okay, now we can go in and see what this is about.” Kuriyo manifested a war hammer in her hands and pushed through the sparse foliage. Numerous men and women turned to the trio in confusion, and one approached them with a horn in his right hand. He had dark skin, short black hair, and orange eyes, and wore simple loose-fitting clothes that worked well in the heat.

“Hello,” the man said in English, “Are you looking for this?” He held up the horn, which seemed to be from some creature unknown to science, and had a golden band near the top, with emerald green studs in the corners of an intricate pattern that was carved into the band.

“Hello,” Kuriyo answered, also in English, “And yes, we are looking for this. Do you know what it can do?” She lowered her hammer, and Shiori lowered her shield as well.

“Yes, watch,” the man said, and the horn filled itself with water.

“Impressive,” Kuriyo said, while her friends looked in awe. The man walked over to a table and poured the water into a jug, then walked back over to them.

“It very much is,” the man said, “Whatever drink one wishes for, this horn provides.”

“And what was that shouting we heard earlier?” Kuriyo asked, and the man tilted his head in confusion, before realization hit him.

“Oh, that must have been our party,” the man explained, “We were excited to have this horn, and people brought their friends, so we were just enjoying the free drinks.”

“I see,” Kuriyo said, “Well, your governments called us to investigate, since they detected the relic, as well as people, and couldn’t make contact with anyone here.” The group got a bit concerned, and mumbled something among themselves.

“I’m sorry we caused any trouble,” the man said, and handed Kuriyo the horn, “Here, I think we’re done with it now.” Kuriyo took it, and looked it over. Suddenly, it filled with a strange green soda, much to her friends’ confusion.

“Kuriyo, please focus on the mission,” Aoi said, “You got the relic, now get back to base so we can identify it.”

“It’s the Horn of Brân Galed,” Yumi said in English, “Seen it in some anime.”

“So that’s what it’s called,” the man said, “We also discovered that it remains safe to drink from, even after someone else has drank from it.”

“Thank you,” Kuriyo said, “We will take our leave now; you enjoy the rest of your party.” The trio left, and the people resumed their earlier conversation. Kuriyo drank the soda from the horn. As soon as the drink hit her mouth, she froze for a moment as memories of her childhood flooded back to the top of her mind, from before her favorite drink was discontinued.

 

A group of scientists, led by Elfnein, gathered behind a glass screen. On the other side was a machine, which held the Shield of El Cid. The chamber was connected to a pedestal in front of Elfnein, where she put her Book of Thoth. She checked the energy levels again, and when everything was in order, she motioned for everyone to gather behind the protective glass.

“And this will work?” Clara asked in English. The woman stood next to Elfnein, and oversaw the operation, since the Spanish government had chosen her to wield the Faust Robe.

“Yes, it will,” Elfnein answered in English, and pressed a button. The machine sprung to life, and the container holding the shield was filled with golden fire. The scientists shielded their eyes from the blinding light, and when the spectacle was over, Elfnein walked through a door leading to the room on the other side of the glass window.

“Is… that it?” Clara asked when Elfnein returned with the shield in her hands. It still looked the same, so the scientists were a bit skeptical.

“Yes,” Elfnein answered and handed the shield to Clara, “Let’s give it a try.” Clara took the shield, and the scientists headed to another room, where Hibiki was already waiting, with her Symphogear active.

“How do I… activate this?” Clara asked, and looked the shield over. The rest of the group went in an observation room, and looked through a reinforced glass panel.

“I modified it so it responds to your desire to protect people,” Elfnein explained, “So as long as you want to do that, the shield will help you.” Clara looked at her, then assumed a defensive stance and raised her shield. The dragon’s eyes shined, and the relic burst into beams of light that enveloped Clara. The scientists looked in awe, and some took notes.

“Looking good,” Hibiki said in English, after the Faust Robe had fully manifested. It consisted of a dark brown bodysuit resembling leather wrappings, with scale-like golden armor plates – two pushing up her bust, and two more covering her lower torso. Her upper arms and legs were also covered by a plate each, and boots and gauntlets revealed her toes and fingers, while a headband extended forward into a snout with fangs.

“Th- thanks,” Clara said and inspected herself a little, then turned to the glass panel. “What can this do?”

“It comes with increased strength and durability,” Elfnein explained, “And since it was created from a fire-breathing shield, it can breathe fire.” She pressed a button on the console in front of her, and a door opened. A self-driving car drove into the test chamber, and Clara walked over to it.

“Try lifting it,” Hibiki said, and Clara crouched down. She grabbed the fender with both hands and tried to lift the car. Due to her increased strength, she flung it into the wall above the door. She stepped back and looked at the car, then at her hands.

“I… didn’t think I was this strong,” Clara said. “Can I try fire-breathing now?” The scientists took notes, and Clara looked at the car. It was solidly embedded in the concrete, and a complete wreck.

“Sure,” Elfnein answered and pressed another button. A couple dolls resembling Alca-Noise fell from the ceiling, and hung from strings right in front of Clara.

“Alright, here goes,” Clara said, and pulled her head back as she took a deep breath. She put her head forward again, as if she breathed fire, and a flame manifested between the fangs.

“So cool,” Hibiki said as the flame rushed forward and turned the dummies to ash. Thermal sensors in the dolls measured the fire breath’s heat, and the scientists took notes.

“Last is the durability test,” Elfnein said, and Clara jumped a bit.

“W- wait, do we really need to test this?” Clara asked, “Can I at least take it off first?”

“We can’t test it if you’re not wearing it,” Elfnein explained, “And you need to develop a feeling for how durable you are now, so you won’t run from things you could handle.”

“Can’t she wear it for this part?” Clara asked, and looked at Hibiki.

“Sorry, Spain’s government only authorized you to wear this,” Elfnein answered, “And besides, I don’t feel safe giving Hibiki a fire-breathing Faust Robe.”

“I see,” Clara said, “Well, okay then. But please start small.”

“Of course,” Elfnein said, and pressed a button. A wall opened up and revealed a mounted rocket launcher.

“Smaller!” Clara called out and jumped aside as the projectile rushed past her and hit Hibiki. Clara got up and looked back at Hibiki, worried that she might have gotten hurt, but Hibiki just coughed and fanned the smoke out of her face with her right hand.

“Okay,” Elfnein said, “Sorry.” She pressed another button, and a door to the room opened. A security staff member walked in and drew his gun. Clara froze, and the man shot at her. The bullet flattened against her chest, and fell to the ground.

“W- wow,” Clara said and picked up the bullet, “I didn’t even feel anything.” The security staff member gave a quick nod, holstered his gun again, and walked back to his post.

“Of course not,” Elfnein said, “The defense field generated by shield-type relics is always particularly strong. Hibiki.”

“Okay,” Hibiki said with a smile, and pulled the car out of the wall. Clara looked at her, and Hibiki threw the car at her at 50 km/h. Clara was sandwiched between the vehicle and the wall.

“And?” Elfnein asked. Clara pushed the car off herself, stood up, and dusted herself off.

“I’m… invincible!” Clara cheered with her fists in the air, and turned to Hibiki, “You, fight me! And don’t hold back!” Hibiki hesitated for a moment, but Elfnein gave her a nod to go ahead. Hibiki started to sing, and quickly pinned Clara to the ground under herself. Clara surrendered, and the demonstration was declared a success, since Clara now had a better idea of the Faust Robe’s abilities and limitations.

 

     Hamper of Gwyddno Garanhir Research Log: This relic was recovered by one of the Symphogear users after it was activated by a woman in Croatia, who unknowingly kept it in her attic. The woman describes singing a strange song, as if someone else had taken control over her.

     The relic was identified with the help of several linguists in Wales and Argentina, who managed to translate the lyrics to the song.

     This relic is able to multiply any food placed within it hundredfold, making it one of the most valuable relics to provide humanitarian aid.

 

     Horn of Brân Galed Research Log: This relic appeared in northern Zambia, where a group of individuals used it for personal reasons until three Symphogear wielders arrived to confiscate it.

     The individuals complied, and showed no signs of hostility, so no further action was taken.

     Its abilities allow the Horn to conjure any drink its user wishes for, including ones that had been discontinued for some time. It can even create ones that can no longer be made, due to various factors, such as the recipe being forgotten, or crucial ingredients going extinct.

     Curiously, the relic cannot conjure liquids that would be unsafe for their user to consume.

     This ability makes it one of the most valuable relics in terms of providing humanitarian aid.

Chapter 10

The Skidbladnir relic was docked in the Tokyo Bay harbor, and S.O.N.G. had set up barriers to keep people away. After much deliberation, the UN council had decided to let them study it, since they were the most familiar with relics. The relic had a round body that tapered off sharply towards the end, and a disk-like observation deck overseeing the main body. Sakuya looked through the booklet and saw some schematics for various things.

“What does this do, dess?” Kirika asked, but Shirabe stopped her from touching a strange wall panel. The inside of the relic was made from an unknown material, with a matte gray color that was only interrupted by white lines running through it like circuitry.

“Let’s see,” Sakuya answered and flipped to the page of the booklet showing the panel. It had some patterns on it that vaguely resembled Norse runes. He put his hand on it, and the whole relic shook a little.

“Wh- what was that, dess?” Kirika asked, and Shirabe let go of her wrist.

“It’s waiting for instructions,” Sakuya answered, closed his eyes, and hummed a melody. He motioned for the two girls to join him, and they hummed the melody as well. The wall panel began to glow faintly for a moment, but the glow faded again. Sakuya stopped humming, opened his eyes, and sighed. Kirika and Shirabe also stopped humming.

“What is it?” Shirabe asked.

“Not enough people,” Sakuya answered, and flipped through the booklet a little. When he found the page he was looking for, he contacted Genjuro. “Can we get more Wielders? We need Phonic Gain.”

“We can hold a concert,” Genjuro said, “We just need the melody.”

“Maybe,” Sakuya said, “But we don’t need that much power.”

“Alright, then I’ll just send Maria over,” Genjuro said and hung up. Sakuya, Kirika and Shirabe went to the entrance room, and waited. The room had no doors, but could teleport people into the relic on demand. After Maria arrived, they went to the engine room, and the three Wielders activated their Symphogear and began to sing.

 

S.O.N.G. scientists had blocked access to a large portion of New York City. Elfnein and several others analyzed the scorch marks where the transmutation circle had been, and the newest Wielders ran security, just in case anything happened.

“Can you tell what it did?” Yumi asked over radio. She circled above the site, and kept an eye on everything. Several daggers placed around the area scanned for all sorts of things, and kept the support staff updated on everything.

“Maybe,” Elfnein answered, “The remains of the circle are hard to identify with enough efficiency, so I don’t know what exactly the gems were that were used. But we can exclude quite a few things.”

“What kind of things?” Yumi asked. She stopped by a pigeon nest, and saw that it was just two twigs that made sure the egg didn’t roll off the ledge.

“Earth transmutation, mostly,” Elfnein answered, “If this was arranged just a little differently, the city would be flooded with toxic sludge.”

“Well, good thing that didn’t happen,” Yumi said.

“Hey Yumi, where are you?” Kuriyo asked.

“Sorry, got distracted,” Yumi answered and resumed her route. “Pigeon nests are weird.”

“Hey, as long as the eggs don’t roll off the ledge, they’re fine,” Kuriyo explained, “That’s how they do it in their native range.”

“Anyway, I think I’m done,” Elfnein said, “I cross-referenced the stolen items with the positions of gems and precious metals, and eliminated all results that didn’t occur. It’s a bit embarrassing to do it that way, but I’m confident I know what the circle did.”

“Wait, really?” Yumi asked, “What was it?”

“Yes,” Elfnein answered, “It transmuted the lightning’s energy into something else, and stored it in a pocket dimension. However, since the circle was constructed using sub-par materials, the entire thing was destroyed in the process.”

“The store owners are not gonna like that you called their stuff sub-par,” Shiori said.

“Then they can sell better products,” Elfnein said. “But in any case, we are done here. It’s safe for the people to return, since there are no lingering effects from this type of transmutation.” The scientists cleaned up the area and informed the authorities, and the Wielders and Elfnein returned to the mobile base docked in the nearby harbor. Over the next couple days, the people returned to their homes.

 

After talking to Sakuya, Genjuro went to get something to eat from the mobile base’s kitchen. He saw Miku about to put a salmon fillet in the microwave, and just barely managed to stop her. The fillet clattered to the ground, and Miku looked at him in shock.

“What’s wrong?” Miku asked.

“Don’t microwave fish,” Genjuro answered, and Miku looked at the fillet.

“Why not?” Miku asked, and Genjuro blinked in surprise.

“Because it stinks,” Genjuro answered, “I thought that was common knowledge.”

“I thought that was just made up for movies,” Miku said and bent down to pick up the fillet.

“It isn’t,” Genjuro answered. Miku tossed the fillet in the trash, and wanted to say something else, when Aoi barged into the room.

“Commander, we received a transmission from Sudan’s leader,” Aoi said, and Genjuro gasped in shock. Miku could tell this was a big deal, but in one of the worst ways possible, and he was about to call in all nine Wielders, as well as her. However, Aoi’s posture said that it was nowhere near as bad as Genjuro feared.

“Okay, call all Wielders,” Genjuro said and turned to Miku to ask her if she wanted to help, but Miku raised her hand and interrupted him.

“It’s not that bad,” Miku said, and looked at Aoi. “Right?”

“R- right,” Aoi said, a bit perplexed that Miku could read her so easily, and regained her composure. “In short, he wants to surrender, and establish a democracy.”

“What?” Genjuro asked, “Why?”

“He said that the Symphogear motivated him,” Aoi answered, “He promised to release political prisoners, if we can guarantee that they will return to their allies safely. He also sent us the location of rebel groups, who will vie for power once he is gone, and asked us to ensure a smooth transition for his country and its people.”

“Okay,” Genjuro said, “Tell him we will help as soon as possible. Does the UN council know?”

“Yes,” Aoi answered, “And yes, they do. They already began gathering resources, mostly food, water, and medicine, to help the people. His forces will help protect the resource deliveries until we can take over.”

“Alright then,” Genjuro said, “Send in the Wielders, and have Hibiki use Fragarach to confirm he is telling the truth. If he is, then we will proceed with the transition. If not, we will arrest him.”

“Of course,” Aoi said and left the kitchen again to send the reply, and contact the Wielders. Miku let out a sigh of relief, happy that she managed to stop Genjuro from ordering an all-out assault on this man without having the full picture.

“Is it that big of a deal?” Miku asked, and Genjuro looked at her. He remembered her grades, and that politics and history were never her strongest suit. Not to mention that Sudan was rarely talked about in general.

“Yes, it is,” Genjuro answered, “In the early 20s, a civil war broke out. The current leader’s father took control sometime in the late 20s, and installed himself as dictator. His son later took over and stabilized the country, but it’s still bad for the people, and the UN has been trying to get him to cooperate for over a decade.”

“I see,” Miku said, “Sounds like Hibiki would like that he decided to surrender.” She smiled, genuinely happy that the Symphogear could help people in such a way, without ever having to fight. She was also glad that the excitement made Genjuro forget about the microwaved fish. However, now she needed a new approach. She saw her reflection in the metal cabinets, and Shem-Ha looked at her as if to say she had nothing to do with the dictator’s decision.

 

After the Wielders received their new orders, they began to read up on the dictator, especially how he and his father always seemed to be one step ahead of their enemies, allowing them to consolidate their power over the warring factions, despite inferior resources. Kirika groaned and flopped onto the table in front of her.

“This is impossible, dess,” Kirika whined, “Why can’t we just go in and fight whoever attacks us?”

“Because it could be a trap,” Maria answered, “While he is an awful human, we can’t deny his strategic genius, and his latest move goes completely against how he usually acts.”

“Maybe he had a change of heart?” Hibiki suggested.

“I doubt it,” Tsubasa said without looking up from the book she was reading, “The Symphogear are a prominent threat to people like him, so he likely has some ulterior motives.”

“Why can’t we just take him at his word?” Hibiki asked, and the others looked at her.

“Because people tend to lie,” Chris said, “They tell you what you want to hear, and then turn around and hurt you.”

“Some don’t,” Hibiki said, “And I’d rather be hurt by someone who lied, than hurt someone who was honest.” Suddenly, Yumi gasped and opened one of the books she had already finished, much to everyone’s surprise.

“What’s wrong?” Kuriyo asked.

“He has a history of saying weird stuff,” Yumi answered and opened the book, “And back in ‘31, he said something about the Gungnir wielder, even though at the time, the relic was dormant.” She showed the book to Hibiki, who read the text and gasped.

“Well, he said I’m right,” Hibiki said, looking at Chris, “He also feels sorry for what you went through.”

“As if,” Chris said and looked away, “That could mean anything.”

“Let’s just go and get this over with,” Hibiki said, and Chris groaned.

“And if it’s a trap?” Chris asked, “What if he has anti-LiNKER or something, and disables our Gear? For all we know, he could have a dangerous relic.” Suddenly, Yumi got a notification on her phone.

“You guys will never believe that,” Yumi said after reading the message, and everyone turned to her. “Someone just replied to a comment I made 10 years ago. It just says Argo.”

“You mean the ship?” Maria asked.

“Seems like it,” Yumi answered. “I have to report that, don’t I?”

“Yeah,” Hibiki answered. Yumi went through the account to gather information first.

“Let’s see who you are,” Yumi said to herself, “No post history or comments, account created earlier today, and the location is set as Sudan.” She sent a message to the UN council, and they tracked the IP address attached to the account, confirming that it came from the dictator, or someone close to him.

 

Three rockets flew above Sudan and broke apart, releasing all nine Symphogear wielders. The people below cheered as the girls rushed to the ground, and Hibiki began to sing and provide everyone with Phonic Gain. Tsubasa manifested her Armed Gear and launched her Thousand Falling Tears at the armed guards below to immobilize them, then the girls landed in front of the large castle-like mansion. Hibiki stopped singing, and the girls prepared for everything.

“So, what now?” Chris asked, her revolvers in her hands. Large flood lights turned on and removed the guards’ shadows, but they didn’t move. A big man with broad shoulders, who wore a military-style uniform with numerous awards and medals, came out of the main gate, followed by an entourage of men.

“Hello, and welcome,” the man said in surprisingly fluent Japanese, and bowed before the Symphogear.

“H- hello,” Hibiki said. “You… speak Japanese?”

“Yes,” the man answered, “My father made it the official government language, since no one else here speaks it. Makes it easier to encrypt communications.”

“Wait… I know you,” Kuriyo said and looked at one of the men accompanying the dictator. “You’re the one who handed me the Horn of Brân Galed.” The man now wore official clothing, and had a different hairstyle, but she recognized his face.

“Guilty as charged,” the man said and bowed.

“Perhaps we should get out of the sun,” the dictator said, “Fragarach is going to arrive a little late, as endangered animals block the road to the facility it is kept in.”

“How do you know that?” Chris asked, and tightened her grip on her revolvers.

“I already told Itaba-san,” the dictator answered, “Argo can speak and render prophecies, which is how my father and I were able to rule the country so easily.”

“So it really was you,” Yumi said.

“Yes,” the dictator said, “And no, I had nothing to do with what happened in New York; the Argo’s prophecies are not nearly precise enough for that.”

“Then, why surrender now?” Hibiki asked, “Wouldn’t these prophecies help you defeat us?” The dictator smiled, and shook his head.

“No,” the dictator answered, “In about two years, the world will become so peaceful that you are sent to topple me. I cannot beat you, and am either killed in combat, or arrested. In prison, my enemies always sneak past security and poison my food. I die within three weeks of starvation, if not sooner from poison. My surrender has nothing to do with a change of heart; I simply wish to live a little longer.”

“Well, alright,” Hibiki said, “But we’ll still have to confirm that you’re telling the truth.”

“Of course,” the dictator said, “But I must urge that we go back inside; my men and I have no defense field, and the sun is especially deadly today.” The Wielders exchanged some looks, then Tsubasa motioned for the dictator to lead the way, and the group disappeared into his mansion. Inside, they saw expensive-looking furniture, as well as hunting trophies sourced from endangered animals, and mannequins wearing military uniforms of the former government, which stood in glass display cases.

 

An hour after their arrival in Sudan, the dictator showed the Wielders to his personal harbor, which was inaccessible to even his most trusted allies. The harbor was built to resemble a cave, and a single boat was docked in it. The vessel’s figurehead resembled a beautiful woman, and its two sails were rolled up.

“This is the Argo,” the dictator said and led the group past the ship to look at it from the front. “She wants to talk to you.” Just when the Wielders took a closer look, the figurehead opened her eyes, which glowed with a lush green shimmer.

“One sword breaks in service of another,” the figurehead said, “One orphan hunts her second mother. One seeking friendship brings a new age. One messenger breaks that which cannot be broken in her rage.” After the figurehead closed her eyes again, the Wielders looked at it in confusion. A distant thud got their attention.

“Don’t worry, we recorded it,” Sakuya said, “Also, Fragarach arrived. Sorry, it got held up because of some endangered animals.”

“O- okay,” Hibiki said, and the group went to where the sword had landed. The container was embedded in the dry soil, and opened when Hibiki approached.

“So this is Fragarach,” the dictator said, “I heard many things about it.” Hibiki pointed the blade at his throat, and he found himself immobilized.

“Alright, question time,” Hibiki said, and asked, “Where did you find the Argo?” The dictator was quiet for a moment, and the other Wielders were a bit shocked that Hibiki didn’t just confirm his intentions.

“I didn’t,” the dictator answered, “My father did.”

“Where?” Hibiki asked.

“Aegean sea,” the dictator answered.

“How does it work?” Hibiki asked.

“She issues prophecies at random, but only when the people most affected by them can hear her,” the dictator answered.

“What does the prophecy we received mean?” Hibiki asked.

“Hard to tell,” the dictator answered, “But maybe nothing good.”

“Hey, dummy,” Chris said, “Ask about his surrender.”

“Okay,” Hibiki said, then turned back to the dictator, “Are you serious about stepping down?”

“Yes,” the dictator answered. Hibiki lowered Fragarach again, and the dictator let out a breath he didn’t know he held.

“So, how do we do this?” Chris asked.

“Once I step down, there will be a power vacuum,” the dictator answered, “So, you must move quickly, to take down anyone who would want to fill that vacuum before they can restart the civil war my father ended. Come, I will show you what I know.” He turned around and walked back into his mansion, and the Wielders followed him. He went to his study, a large room lined with book shelves that held all kinds of files, and showed them a collection of dossiers regarding all of his enemies.

 

     Argo Research Log: The ship was recovered in the Aegean Sea in the mid-20s by a father and son duo, and subsequently used to quell the civil war in Sudan.

     The relic’s figurehead can render prophecies, and according to Sudan’s former leader, they always come true, although not always the way one would expect.

     Sudan’s former leader has proven quite proficient at deciphering the prophecies. UN officials debate whether he can be utilized to wield the relic.

     The figurehead was identified as the origin of the name Argo, and has shown to respond to questions addressed to her, albeit in her usual cryptic manner.

     During initial inspection, the Argo rendered a prophecy that one agent would burn himself. The next day, he stole an Indian coworker’s food and was hospitalized due to spicy food.

     Due to being sentient, the Argo has her own personality. So far, it has been discovered that she finds humor in people trying to avoid her prophecies, although she can tell when a researcher is just pretending.

Chapter 11

Several men scrambled to get to their weapons when their scanners detected movement, and they looked out to the south-east. They had built their base of operations into a cliff that ran through Sudan, and felt very confident in the terrain’s ability to stop whatever the current leader could throw at them. One man looked out of a window with binoculars, but dropped them as soon as he saw what approached. Just as the automated turrets opened fire, the men heard a song.

“S- Symphogear!” The outlook alerted his allies, before he went and manned one of the cannons. Tsubasa rode her bike, while Hibiki and Chris stood on modified ankle blades. Chris had her arms crossed, while Hibiki was ready to jump forward.

“Yukine,” Tsubasa said, and Chris nodded while singing. She manifested two crossbows, and took out the turrets. All three jumped, just before a massive cannonball shattered the motorcycle. A second cannonball came for the trio, but Hibiki dashed forward and shattered it with a right uppercut.

“Y’all better surrender now,” Chris said in English after she landed, and extended two rails full of grenades from her skirt. “Or else.” Hibiki and Tsubasa ran ahead and took on the gunfire, and Chris rolled her eyes. Steel spikes shot up from the ground in front of Tsubasa, but she cut them down.

“Out of the way!” Hibiki shouted in English, and tackled a tank that just locked on to her. The impact deformed the barrel, and the crew fled. Chris unleashed a small barrage and cracked open a massive door built into the cliffside, but the men ran inside and shut a blast door a little into the corridor. All three stopped singing, and walked up to the door.

“Senpai,” Chris said, and motioned at the door. Tsubasa stepped forward and drove her katana through the metal, and cut a circle out of the door. As soon as the door opened, the men inside opened fire, but Tsubasa swatted the bullets aside with ease. The trio made their way to the group’s leader, and convinced him to not try anything stupid during the upcoming election.

 

A group of resistance fighters sat in their fortress on a mountain in southern Sudan, when their scanners detected something approaching, and fast. Shirabe’s Beta Style: Massive Tri-Circle cut through the forest, and Kirika and Maria stood on platforms that extended from the inner spikes on the front wheels. All three sang together, and the targets opened fire.

“Hey, we just want to talk!” Maria shouted over the gunfire in English, “Stop shooting!” She extended her sword into a bladed whip, and effortlessly swatted the bullets out of the air. The trio reached the stone fortress, and Shirabe made her tricycle disappear again. The men stopped shooting at the trio, but then brought out anti-material rifles.

“Oh come on, dess,” Kirika groaned, and brought out her Fatal Chains: Star Money, while Shirabe manifested a spiked yo-yo. The trio used their weapons as grappling hooks to reach the top of the nearest tower, and the men stumbled backwards.

“Bring us to your leader,” Maria said in English, and the men nodded. The Wielders stopped singing, and Kirika turned her weapon back into a scythe, and the trio followed the men to their leader.

“S- Symphogear, welcome,” the leader said in English when he saw the trio walk in, “We were trying to reach you and ask for help.” He sat in a dusty old room, with bad furniture, and had short, black hair and brown eyes. Like the rest of his men, he wore blue jeans and a black-and-white striped shirt. Aoi had to translate for Kirika.

“Sorry, but we were quite busy,” Maria said, also in English, “In any case, we are not here to help you topple the dictator.” At that, the rebel leader’s face dropped.

“Wha- but… we need your help,” the rebel leader said, “Please, do something.”

“We are. He contacted us, and agreed to surrender,” Maria said, and the rebel leader got confused, “He will hold an election in a few months, and let his people decide his successor. However, he knows that there will be those who try to fill that power vacuum themselves, and he gave us their names and locations, as well as detailed information about their military capabilities.”

“Bu- but, we just want what’s best for the country,” the rebel leader said, and sat up in his chair as he got irritated.

“So did he and his father,” Maria said, “People disagree on what’s good and what’s bad, or how to reach specific goals. We just came to make sure your men do not try to interfere with the elections.”

“I… I guess that is true,” the rebel leader said, and thought for a moment. “In that case, yes, I will tell my men to accept the election results.”

“Thank you,” Maria said with a smile, and the rebel leader blushed a little, “That will be all.” The trio turned to leave, when the rebel leader stood up.

“A- also,” the rebel leader said, and the Wielders stopped and turned around, “We have a lot of resources stocked up, since we planned to launch an attack with other groups. Food, water, medicine, clothes, everything. Even infrastructure to distribute it in secret. You can have them, if you want.”

“Thanks, ” Maria said, “ And yes, those will come in handy.” She opted not to tell the rebel leader that they already knew about the resources from the dictator, and the trio left. Later that day, UN forces arrived at the fortress to take inventory, and map out the best routes to distribute everything.

 

In northern Sudan, near the border to Egypt, rebels worked together with Egyptian forces to maintain control over a walled-off city, and funnel resources into the country. Most people in the city had received some form of military training, to prepare for a large-scale assault on nearby cities and slowly take back the country.

“Let’s go!” Kuriyo shouted, and Yumi made the claw clutching her chest disappear. The trio sang about following in the footsteps of giants, and proving themselves to the world. Kuriyo fell to the ground and brought her war hammer down and released a wave of blue energy. Her Wild Rhino Charge punched clean through the heavy steel gate, and the city guards opened fire. Shiori landed in front of her with a kite shield, and Yumi threw shuriken at the guards’ feet.

“Not so fast,” Shiori said, and converted her kite shield into a heater shield, with a single yellow gem in the center. The bullets hit her shield, but didn’t do anything. She smirked, and when the guards stopped shooting, she released a concussive blast that cracked the wall and destroyed the hidden speakers that would’ve canceled out their Phonic Gain with white noise.

“My turn,” Yumi said and threw several shuriken near the guards on the wall. The men dropped their weapons and ran away, and the trio rushed into the city. People ran inside, and hid from the trio.

“Still no response from Egypt,” Aoi said over radio, “I’ll keep trying, you go on with the plan.” Yumi threw two new catcher daggers at her friends and flew towards a large building in the center of the city.

“Open fire!” At the Egyptian man’s command, several men and women, armed with assault rifles, opened fire. Kuriyo and Shiori just stood there, singing, and waited for them to stop, while Yumi hovered above them. Yumi hovered towards several men and women standing on a balcony.

“Take us to your leader,” Yumi said in English, and the soldiers lowered their weapons. They looked at each other, then back at her, and nodded. Yumi waved her friends to follow her, and the trio stopped singing after Kuriyo and Shiori jumped up onto the balcony. The trio met with a representative of the Egyptian military, and convinced him to make his superiors respond to the UN request for negotiation. Once they delivered the message, and ensured compliance, they withdrew.

 

A fair bit to the east of where the newbies had been deployed, a small mining operation broke into an underground chamber, and a wave of stale air washed over the miners. They looked around with their headband lamps, and saw paintings on the walls, as well as hieroglyphics. At the end of the chamber, they saw a pedestal holding a staff, easily two meters tall, made from a weird glass-like material. It looked old and worn, and as if it was about to break. The staff had a peculiar top, which resembled a long head of some animal, or hybrid of several. Two prongs protruded backwards from the top. At the end, the staff split into two prongs, which it seemed to somehow balance on.

“Incredible,” the leader of the operation said in Japanese, and slowly approached the pedestal. He was a tall and muscular man with tanned skin, short blond hair, and green eyes. Just as he turned around to tell his men to contact the UN, a magenta platform appeared at the center of the room. The miners reached for their pistols, but the leader held up his hand. A few seconds later, Elfnein appeared in front of them.

“Thanks for finding this,” Elfnein said, “The chamber blocked our scanners, but with the hole you made, we were able to pinpoint it, and I could get here.”

“You’re… welcome,” the leader of the mining operation said. Elfnein approached the pedestal, and reached for the staff. Several alchemical iron symbols appeared around the staff, and made it more durable.

“I’ll take it from here,” Elfnein said, “And I’ll let the UN know, so please return to your camp and prepare to guide the researchers.” She held out her left hand, and a cloud of sand emanated from it. The sand formed into a portal, and Elfnein walked through, leaving the men a little perplexed. They knew their boss told them to dig in this direction, and they would get rich, but they expected gold, not a relic. Over the next few days, UN researchers came to the camp, and took pictures of the camber. And every time, they paid the miners handsomely for their help.

 

Back in Japan, the nine Wielders and Miku relaxed at Flower, and ordered some food. The owner seemed pleased to have that many guests, and offered them a little discount for large groups, but they insisted to pay the full price. Or rather, Tsubasa and Maria split the bill between the two of them.

“That was surprisingly easy,” Kuriyo said, “I mean, it looks easy on TV, but I always figured you guys just make it look easy because of your experience.”

“Well, the Argo’s prophecies helped,” Hibiki said, “And that guy’s information on the other groups.”

“True,” Maria said, “Without those, who knows what we would’ve done.”

“We would’ve definitely run straight into that trap,” Yumi said, than asked, “Actually, what would white noise do to the Symphogear?” Everyone looked at Tsubasa, who turned thoughtful.

“I’m not sure,” Tsubasa answered, “We never tested it before, since there was no reason to worry about it.”

“Then let’s try it now, dess,” Kirika said excitedly, and the others gave her weird looks.

“Why?” Chris asked, and Kirika thought for a moment.

“In case someone uses it against us,” Shirabe said, and Kirika nodded. “Right now, white noise canceling out Phonic Gain is just a theory, but there have been instances in the past where the Symphogear have been compromised by opponents who knew how they work. We need to be ready in case it happens again.”

“Yes, that is true,” Tsubasa said, but Maria cut in before she could volunteer to test the theory.

“I’ll bring it up with our support staff,” Maria said, and put her right hand on Tsubasa’s shoulder. “You focus on Elfnein’s new teleportation feature.”

“Alright,” Tsubasa said. The group finished their food and paid, then left. After a while, Tsubasa, Chris, and Maria went their separate ways, while the rest of the group returned to their dorms. On the way, Miku brought up how Tsubasa feels like she doesn’t do enough, and Yumi resolved to look for previous Ame no Habakiri wielders in the afterlife, and ask them for advice.

 

Aboard the Skidbladnir, Sakuya went over the translated instruction manual, and checked the battery. He took a few attempts to find the right buttons, amended the manual with some corrections, and then saw that the relic’s fuel reserves were a bit low. He flipped through the manual and found the page on how to change the layout of different rooms. Hibiki wore her S.O.N.G. uniform and hovered around him, and just looked at what he was doing.

“Okay, how about this?” Sakuya said to himself, and changed the layout of one of the rooms to resemble a karaoke booth. He went and selected the relic’s song, then the two of them spent a good five minutes recharging the vessel’s batteries.

“That was fun,” Hibiki said, and both sat down on the couch.

“It was,” Sakuya said, “But it felt… weird. Is that what it’s like when you use your Symphogear?” Hibiki pondered the question for a moment.

“You mean when we sing?” Hibiki asked, and Sakuya nodded. “Yeah, sort of. I guess I got used to it.”

“I see,” Sakuya said, “Well, in any case, we have enough energy now.” He looked at a wall panel, which showed a modern battery icon, rather than old Nordic numbers.

“Can we go on a little cruise, then?” Hibiki asked excitedly. “I want to go see Hawaii.”

“Sorry, but that won’t be possible,” Sakuya answered, “The UN, and specifically S.O.N.G., was entrusted to keep this relic safe, so we can’t just go wherever we want.”

“Yeah, I know,” Hibiki said, and groaned a little. “Why can’t those big-shots hurry up and let us use this as second mobile base already?”

“Because this is a potentially dangerous relic,” Sakuya answered, “We don’t know if it has any weapon systems, or how powerful they are. If I press the wrong button, it could cause untold damages, and the translations aren’t entirely reliable.”

“Can’t you make the Skidbladnir print out a manual in modern Japanese?” Hibiki asked, and Sakuya paused for a moment. He stood up, walked over to a wall panel, and put his right hand on it. A tray came out of the wall, and he put the manual on it. The tray retracted into the wall, and when it came back out, the manual was in Japanese.

“Seems like I can,” Sakuya said, and took the manual. He sat back down next to Hibiki, and the two looked through the manual, although it was too technical, and Hibiki didn’t really understand what it all meant. Still, they found no sign of weapon systems, and the UN gave them permission to use the relic as second mobile base.

 

One Saturday afternoon, the newbies, Kirika, Shirabe, and Elfnein met in the abandoned city district. The Wielders all had their Symphogear active, while Elfnein stood a little away from them, for safety reasons. The newbies looked a bit annoyed, but also curious.

“So, more training?” Shiori asked, “What happened to being officially cleared for missions?”

“Just because we can go on missions doesn’t mean we’re ready,” Kuriyo said, and Yumi nodded.

“In anime, it’s the cocky ones who die first,” Yumi said, “Aside from mentors, that is.

“I also wanted to test out something Kirika mentioned,” Elfnein said, “Apparently, this book has a guardian. I’ll try to summon it, and then you try to fight it.” She took the book from her shoulder bag, and opened it to a specific page. The book was bound in light brown leather, with brass edges, and had golden pages.

“Yeah, let’s… fight that, dess,” Kirika said nervously. The newbies took a step back from the duo, to not be in the immediate vicinity of whatever Elfnein was about to unleash.

“Looks like I don’t have enough power yet,” Elfnein said, “So, I’ll try something else first.” She closed the book a bit too hard, and the pages spilled out of the front. They swirled around her, and completely hid her inside a whirlwind of knowledge. The Wielders stepped back and covered their faces with their arms.

“What is happening, dess?” Kirika asked. When the whirlwind subsided, Elfnein had her adult body, and wore footwear made from golden chains, a white body suit that flowed off of her like silk, and golden wrist bands. Ankh-shaped knots held the silk together at the sides, but still showed some of her undergarments. Another knot held the silk together under her bust, pulling the material tightly over her curves.

“A Faust Robe?” Shirabe asked, and Elfnein looked at the girls.

“Yes,” Elfnein answered, “I configured it to transmute excess Phonic Gain into arcane energy, and store it in my pocket dimension for later use.”

“So, we’re going to fight you?” Yumi asked, and Elfnein stepped back in shock.

“No, not really,” Elfnein answered, “I’m just going to watch, and take in any excess Phonic Gain you five generate during your fight.”

“I see,” Yumi said, then realized what Elfnein had said. “Wait, what?”

“Prepare yourselves,” Shirabe said, and her and Kirika’s duet started to play.

“Dess,” Kirika added, and both manifested their Armed Gear. The newbies scrambled to prepare, and the Zababa duo started singing. They shared their Phonic Gain with the trio, as well as Elfnein, and the Wielders had a little training match. However, despite the Zababa duo generating a lot of Phonic Gain, dividing it by 6 meant that there was little to go around, so the match was less intense than usual fights.