Sky Striker Ace, but Symphogear

"Miss Tsubasa!"

Hibiki Tachibana anxiously looked toward the huge crater Tsubasa Kazanari had been thrown into.

"You have no time to worry about anyone else. Today is the day of your defeat. Ammunition loaded. Commencing multi-stage strikes."

At Raye's command, the cannons within the teleportation devices scattered across the sky began firing in batches at the Second Division members on the ground under the control of an advanced fire-control system.

"Not a chance. We'll be the ones who win!"

Tsubasa Kazanari said as she used her sword to prop herself up from the crater, then raised one hand toward the sky and pushed the Symphogear formed from Ame-no-Habakiri on her body to its limit.

[Heaven's Reverse Scale]

A massive broadsword appeared from thin air and transformed into a shield as it descended before Tsubasa Kazanari, providing a safe corner for her and the other three gathered beside her.

Rumble—

The second Tsubasa Kazanari completed her giant sword defense, deafening explosions like a New Year's fireworks show began ringing out without end. In contrast, her massive sword trembled continuously.

"Cough... Hah... As long as we endure this barrage... No, one sword isn't enough. I need more... Cough, cough. Damn it, did I push myself too hard while rushing here?"

Although she had temporarily blocked the artillery fire, the sword shield would not last long under such ferocious firepower.

Tsubasa Kazanari wanted to create more sword shields, but perhaps because she had traveled at excessive speed, her body was already beginning to give out after consecutive battles.

"In this situation, if possible, we should retreat for now. Could we try the sewers?"

Seeing her team's poor condition, Commander Kazanari began considering methods of retreat.

As long as they could leave this place, according to Raye, they would no longer have to face such intense firepower. The first thing Commander Kazanari thought of was the sewer pipes spread beneath the city for drainage.

"Sorry, Commander, I'm afraid that won't work. Bad news: I just checked the underground waterways and found that they've already been occupied by Raye's small aircraft. I'm afraid we can't use them as an escape route."

However, the moment Commander Kazanari said this, Shinji Ogawa suddenly appeared, now bearing several more burns, and reported some extremely grim intelligence.

Because of Shinji Ogawa's earlier decoy operation, Raye had realized that the Sky Striker Airspace she had deployed had a blind spot underground.

So during the earlier battle, she had also used the Hornet Drones to bring the underground within the control range of her airspace, eliminating the battle's blind spots.

"Then what if we use the buildings as cover? If we use the dust and smoke to block her vision and escape amid the chaos?"

Commander Kazanari still wanted to try, a faint impatience seeping into his words.

Under Raye's relentless pressure, he was beginning to have no idea how to deal with an enemy like her.

"I'm afraid that won't work either. She seems to be monitoring this area through an independent surveillance method. I just tried to go outside and seek reinforcements, but when I slipped to the edge of the street, a large portion of the artillery fire suddenly redirected toward me."

Naturally, Shinji Ogawa had also tried what Commander Kazanari could think of. As for the result, the new burns on his body were the answer.

"Even you couldn't find a way out, Ogawa? So unless we defeat her head-on, or one person draws her fire, we have no way to leave this place?"

After Shinji Ogawa said that, Genjuro Kazanari finally realized that unless they paid a certain price, it would be impossible for them to retreat unscathed under Raye's oppression.

"Then, as commander, it is necessary for me to shoulder this responsibility. I can still handle mere artillery fire."

Having realized this, Commander Kazanari immediately proposed a new evacuation plan. Although facing such blanket artillery fire would be extremely taxing for him—

If he pushed himself, he could still carve out a path forward for everyone present.

"Ugh..."

This conflict happened because of me. Why can't I do anything? I'm... far too weak.

Watching Commander Kazanari voluntarily take on the burden, Hibiki Tachibana once again felt deeply powerless because of her own weakness.

"Then it's settled."

Commander Kazanari said, about to gather his strength and prepare to open a path for everyone to break through.

"No. Let me do it, Uncle. You can't deal with the Noise she controls, can you? So let me."

However, just as Commander Kazanari was about to put that plan into action, Tsubasa Kazanari, having recovered from her temporary weakness, rose to her feet and said this.

"Miss Tsubasa, wait! Is your body really all right?"

Seeing Tsubasa Kazanari forcing herself onward, Hibiki Tachibana asked worriedly. Tsubasa Kazanari did not immediately answer her question, merely looking at Commander Kazanari—her uncle—with resolute eyes.

"Tsubasa... Have you made up your mind? Are you going to use that?"

Seeing Tsubasa Kazanari like this, Commander Kazanari understood what she intended and knew her resolve.

"Yes. What Kanade failed to do before, I will accomplish in her place this time. Only then can I wash away the humiliation she brought me and reclaim something that belongs to me."

Tsubasa Kazanari said.

"Huh? What? What are you talking about?"

Hibiki Tachibana could not quite understand the riddle-filled conversation between the two.

"Hah... Hah... On this moonless night, she and I will decide the victor."

After taking one last long breath, Tsubasa Kazanari turned to look at Hibiki Tachibana, her gaze complex yet resolute.

"Hibiki Tachibana, today, I'll show you how I live and what resolve I possess as a guardian. Engrave it deep in your heart!"

Tsubasa Kazanari raised the sword in her hand and offered a blessing very much in her own style to this still somewhat immature new Symphogear user, who was also the central figure swept into all these events.

"Huh?"

Hibiki Tachibana could not understand at all why Tsubasa Kazanari would say something like that to her now.

"Uncle, Ogawa, please cover me so that I won't repeat my mistake."

After saying that, Tsubasa Kazanari no longer paid attention to Hibiki Tachibana. She turned toward Shinji Ogawa and Genjuro Kazanari, who had already prepared themselves, and spoke.

"Miss Tsubasa, I understand. If this is your resolve."

Faced with Tsubasa Kazanari's unwavering determination, Shinji Ogawa understood her thoughts despite the deep sorrow in his heart. He forced his battered body upright, picked up his pistol with only one magazine left, and prepared to cover her.

"Yes, Tsubasa. We won't let your sacrifice be in vain. I won't let her interfere with your final song."

And Genjuro Kazanari, the least injured of the group, finished warming up and spoke with equal resolve.

"Then let's begin. Hibiki Tachibana, stay here. Witness it properly—the Swan Song that belongs to me."

With everything, including her resolve, fully prepared, Tsubasa Kazanari threw those words at Hibiki Tachibana and leaped out from the area protected by Heaven's Reverse Scale's giant sword. Shinji Ogawa and Genjuro Kazanari followed close behind.

"...I see. Tsubasa Kazanari is charging straight at me to perform her Swan Song, while you two will restrain me and prevent me from using Widow Anchor to interrupt it... But do you really think such a simple tactic will work on me?"

After seeing the three emerge from beneath that turtle shell of a sword shield, Raye observed them through her surveillance units, understood their strategy, and spoke.

"Whether it works isn't for you to decide. Hah!"

Genjuro Kazanari said as he dodged Raye's artillery fire with agile footwork. At the same time, he grabbed construction debris produced by the bombardment in each hand and hurled it at Raye, who stood at the edge of the building, with a standard throwing motion.

Although Raye's bombardment was equipped with an advanced fire-control system, these physical powerhouses moved in completely irregular patterns. Until it analyzed their movement patterns, there was still a chance it would miss.

"Such little things are useless."

However, before Raye even needed to dodge, the fast-flying rubble was caught by the fire-control system and shattered completely in midair, becoming brilliant dust fireworks.

"I told you, it's useless... What?"

Before Raye could finish speaking, she saw a burly man in red leap out from the shattered dust, stepping on the rubble.

"So that's it. But you're merely an ordinary human. Before the Noise, you can only turn into carbon dust!"

Raye said without the slightest panic. Several portals opened around her, and several Noise transformed into missiles shot straight toward the airborne Genjuro Kazanari.

"I'm leaving her to you, Tsubasa!"

But the moment Raye did so, Tsubasa Kazanari, who had been hidden behind Genjuro Kazanari, appeared by stepping on his body and used him to accelerate a second time in midair.

Not only did she close in on Raye even faster, but she also carried Genjuro Kazanari out of range. As for the Noise Raye had fired, they were each destroyed by the starlight-transformed blades around Tsubasa Kazanari.

"What a fierce charge. But my attack speed is faster. And Shinji Ogawa, I haven't forgotten about you either. Multitasking is no hardship for me."

Facing Tsubasa Kazanari's second death-defying charge, Raye used the Sky Striker in her hand to knock aside the incoming flying blades while speaking without any panic.

The next moment, she moved the portals around her, making them fire more than sixty anchors toward Tsubasa Kazanari, while also redirecting part of the sky's firing points toward Shinji Ogawa's location, which she was monitoring through surveillance units, and unleashing blanket bombardment.

"With this, your offensive has been completely neutralized... Hm?"

Just as Raye believed their assault had been completely resolved, she discovered that a patch of rubble had somehow appeared beneath Tsubasa Kazanari's feet. Using it, Tsubasa Kazanari performed a third jump in midair.

Not only did she evade the anchors' restraint, but she also arrived above Raye. She transformed the blade in her hand into a broader sword, fired sword energy, and pressed down upon her with the blade itself.

"Hm. She borrowed momentum from the rubble that guy threw up after falling and performed a third jump."

Raye quickly noticed where Tsubasa Kazanari had gotten her leverage. It could only be said that, in terms of pure physical ability, Genjuro Kazanari was indeed absurdly strong.

"Still, this is getting a little irritating. I'll end you right here."

Faced with one frustration after another, Raye raised the Sky Striker in her hand, preparing to execute Tsubasa Kazanari in close combat.

However, just as she was about to do so, several bullets shot toward her shadow, forcing her to use the Sky Striker to block them.

It was Shinji Ogawa, who had broken through the blanket bombardment using the rubble and reached the rooftop, firing the tools of Shadow Stitch at Raye's shadow.

"You actually weren't shot down by the bombardment. Is this what a ninja is like? What a nuisance..."

Having noticed his presence, Raye immediately activated a considerable number of firing points again, continuously pursuing Shinji Ogawa with gunfire and forcing him away from the area.

"Hah, isolation complete. Now I'll deal with you last. Armed Request, Sky Striker Mecha - Widow Anchor, LEVEL UP."

Raye first readied Level One Widow Anchor, preparing to suppress Tsubasa Kazanari's Swan Song at any time. At the same time, the Sky Striker cut apart the sword energy Tsubasa Kazanari had sent toward her, and she prepared to engage.

"She vanished? Where is she?!"

Raye miscalculated once again. Tsubasa Kazanari, who should have been behind the sword energy, had disappeared.

"I won. My victory."

Tsubasa Kazanari's voice came from behind Raye, accompanied by the signal of Level One Widow Anchor being destroyed and the sound of a blade piercing the ground.

"My body won't move. Shadow Stitch? So you've learned this technique too. But I'll soon be able to..."

Raye tried to struggle free from her restraints.

"There is no soon. Now, I will end your chance at victory here and erase my humiliation."

Now that Raye's body was restrained, Tsubasa Kazanari remained vigilant against new anchors even as she destroyed the existing one. Here, as long as she attacked with sufficient force, she could seize the victory before her in one stroke.

"This is retribution from four years ago, the result of my training all these years. Behold my Swan Song."

Tsubasa Kazanari glared furiously, then activated the finishing skill every Symphogear possessed—the skill that ended everything: Swan Song.

P.S. Good night.

Empty Ultimate (4k)

[Gatrandis babel ziggurat edenal]

A melodious, ethereal song, a melody of grief and sacrifice, emerged from Tsubasa Kazanari's throat and began to resonate with the Ame-no-Habakiri Relic on her body.

"Don't think you'll succeed. Ngh... I can't break free."

Noticing the ever-increasing String Gain on her opponent, Raye tried to break free of Tsubasa Kazanari's Shadow Stitch. But if Shadow Stitch were so easy to escape, she would not have guarded against it so carefully all this time.

[Emustolronzen fine el baral zizzl]

As the second line began, Tsubasa Kazanari, keeping a close eye on Raye's movements, fixed several more small knives into Raye's shadow. With the multiple reinforcements, Raye soon could not move even a finger.

"...Then how about this?"

Raye attempted to mobilize several Sky Striker Mecha to help her break the Shadow Stitch.

However, Tsubasa Kazanari had made countless preparations and undergone endless training for this moment. Her Swan Song did not stop, while starlight-transformed blades shot outward and intercepted every Sky Striker Mecha trying to reach them.

[Gatrandis babel ziggurat edenal]

Tsubasa Kazanari raised the blade in her hand high and walked step by step toward Raye. Infinite power gathered around her, gathering...

"Not enough time. Don't be ridiculous. At the very least, I need to reduce the damage..."

With her entire body restrained, Raye opened portals around herself, and several small aircraft positioned themselves between her and Tsubasa Kazanari.

Now that her body could not move, even using Widow Anchor might be dodged. The Wasp Unit was more flexible.

[Emustolronzen fine el zizzl]

The song ended. Tsubasa Kazanari smiled, bright red blood flowing from the corner of her mouth. Infinite power reached its peak at that moment, and massive String Gain converged upon the blade in her hand.

"So this is Swan Song? Mm, this power... I've finally witnessed it. As expected, it's truly... an immensely powerful force."

Perhaps knowing that she could no longer stop it, Raye's expression became calm as she murmured to herself.

She did not pay attention to Raye. Or rather, Tsubasa Kazanari no longer had the energy to care about anything else.