Sky Striker Ace, but Symphogear

"Is that so? Then good luck. I'm going to the other side."

Seeing Chris take the showerhead, Raye paid it no further mind. She walked over to the shower on the other side, turned on the switch, and let the warm water flow over her body.

Her platinum hair clung together under the water. The stream ran over her jade-like skin, outlining the girl's perfect figure, while the thin mist half-veiled her alluring features like gauze.

All of it was reflected in the eyes of someone watching Raye from the other side.

"Gulp. No, no, I can't. I have to focus, I have to focus. Chris Yukine, you're not this kind of person."

Forcibly suppressing the stirrings in her heart, Chris tried to focus her thoughts on proper matters, such as thinking more about the days she had once spent living together with Raye...

Thud—

Chris struck the bathroom wall with her head. If she did not do something like that, she feared that her friendship with Raye would change into something else and make her do something irrational.

"Okay, Chris Yukine, you're fine. Think about your dream. Don't you want to eliminate all conflict in the world, and eliminate everyone who starts those conflicts? You don't need to, and you can't, become immersed in this pointless emotion..."

Chris Yukine conducted a difficult judgment within her heart.

P.S. Good afternoon.

P.P.S. Round two—(not really)

Chapter 80: Sprouting

"Mm—uh, wha—Hibiki, Tsubasa, huh...?"

In the spacious hall, Chris awoke from her dizziness with an intense pain in her forehead. Lying on the sofa, she muttered to herself, still unable to figure out what had happened.

"Chris, you're awake. The operation failed. You're still a girl."

Hearing a familiar voice beside her, Chris sat up and looked over. It was Raye, who had already changed into her regular clothes and was rummaging through a white first-aid kit.

"What happened? What's wrong with me?"

Still somewhat dazed, Chris instinctively asked Raye this question.

"I'd like to know that too... I really can't understand it, Chris. How did you manage to knock yourself unconscious against the wall while showering? Honestly, if you had that kind of idea, why didn't you just ask me for an anesthetic? It would have been easier."

Raye took out a medicated patch from the first-aid kit and half-explained, half-teased her.

Although Chris had made that promise to her earlier, after Raye finished washing, all she saw was Chris sitting on the floor in a duck-sitting position, looking completely dazed.

There was no need to say what happened afterward. With no other choice upon seeing the scene, Raye personally helped Chris finish cleaning herself, put her in clothes that had already been dried, carried her to the sofa in the hall, and finally searched through the first-aid kit for medicine until Chris woke up again.

"Ah, I remember now."

Prompted by Raye, Chris finally recovered part of her muddled memories. At the time, she had been completely immersed in her conflicted feelings, lost in confusion over what she should do.

That alone would not have been a problem, but she had thought of a way to resolve her inner conflict. Then, overcome with excitement from a sudden flash of inspiration, her already exhausted body protested by losing its sense of balance.

In the end, after the world spun around her, she regained consciousness here.

"Looks like you remember now. So, is there anything you want to say?"

Raye spoke while silently watching Chris, waiting for her explanation.

"I just, um... Fine, okay, I'm sorry. I really was in the wrong this time."

Under Raye's scrutinizing gaze, Chris had wanted to defend herself, but after such a foolish action, no explanation could sound very convincing.

"Don't do that again. Managing your mental state is also part of combat. When faced with problems that Snake Armor can't handle, the only thing you can rely on, Chris, is Symphogear. If you're confused, Symphogear won't be able to exert much power."

As she spoke, Raye leaned over the prone Chris.

"Uh... yes, I understand. Huh, Raye, what are you doing?"

Chris answered, then noticed Raye leaning toward her.

"You can see what I'm doing. I'm applying medicine. This will help it heal faster."

Raye tore open the medicated patch she had prepared and carefully stuck it to Chris's forehead. Her slender fingers gently smoothed it down, pressing the edges flat against Chris's skin.

"Mm..."

Feeling the gentle touch on her forehead and the girl's warmth so close to her, Chris experienced a strange, disorienting sense of helplessness.

"All done. That should do it. Chris, if you don't have anything else to do, go back and rest. Of course, you can stay a while longer too. After all, I did promise that you could take tomorrow off."

Taking her hand away from Chris's forehead, Raye calmly clapped her hands. As she turned to leave, she said this to Chris.

"Um... Raye, aren't you going to rest?"

Seeing Raye move, Chris asked her.

"I still have work to do. I need to process the information we collected in the studio, and I also need to think through our next steps. I may be resting a little late."

Raye replied.

Because of some unexpectedly heavy work and the time she had spent dealing with Chris's problem, Raye had been delayed and had not managed to finish some routine duties on time.

"Raye, can I come with you?"

Seeing that Raye was about to leave, Chris immediately made the suggestion.

"Come with me...? Aren't you going to rest, Chris?"

Noticing what Chris had said, Raye stopped and turned to ask her. She did not quite understand the point of doing that.

"I'm just curious about what you usually do for work, Raye. Just curious, that's all. I don't have any other ideas, so... can I?"

Chris asked.

"You can, as long as you don't interfere with my work too much. I don't mind. Besides, you're free to spend your rest time however you want. If watching me work helps you rest better, then go ahead."

Although she could not figure out what Chris was thinking this time, since it was nothing excessive, Raye had no reason to refuse.

"Mm."

Raye's agreement caused Chris to relax slightly inside.

The main reason she had made this request was because she had reached a conclusion while thinking earlier.

[The reason I'm so conflicted right now is that I was misled by those strange sights and sounds while investigating Raye. Taking in too much awful material made my thoughts this strange and weakened the resolve I once had.]

That was the conclusion Chris had reached at the time.

Although there might have been flaws in its logic, and closer examination would probably reveal it to be full of holes, there was no denying that to the somewhat dazed Chris of that moment, it was an indisputable truth.

And since she had reached that conclusion, she had to analyze it carefully and find the key to solving the problem.

Thus, after analyzing the situation, Chris came up with two solutions.

The first was to give up investigating Raye. As long as she erased the root cause, the various problems arising from it would naturally cease to exist.

[But that's impossible. How could I possibly leave her alone? She absolutely shouldn't be like this. I refuse to believe that the way she acts now is her true self.]

Naturally, the moment she came up with this plan, Chris completely crushed it in her own mind.

[Then I can only use the second method.]

After rejecting the first method, the only option Chris could choose—and was willing to choose—was the second plan she had thought of.

[Since investigating her indirectly only shows me indecent things and gives me useless information, I'll investigate her directly.]

[I absolutely refuse to believe that Raye can keep ignoring my presence. As long as I keep taking the initiative, I'll find her weakness sooner or later and discover why she became the way she is now.]

This was the second plan Chris had devised: abandon the shame that might make her weak and investigate Raye's information head-on.

What it ultimately amounted to was her current behavior—spending more time together with Raye so she could discover her weakness.

[That's right. I'm only doing this to uncover the truth. That's the only reason. It definitely isn't because I've become weak and want to spend more time with her.]

Thinking this, Chris followed Raye toward the studio.

P.S. Good afternoon.

Chapter 81: Work and an Accident

Behind a European medieval-style door, Chris saw Raye's workplace: a room filled with all kinds of metal instruments that looked highly technological.

"So amazing. Raye, do you really know how to use all these instruments?"

Looking at the various devices spread throughout the room, none of which she understood, Chris could not help exclaiming.

"Isn't that obvious?"

Raye did not think it was anything worth exclaiming over. It was not as if she had never demonstrated her abilities and fighting style in front of Chris.

"So, what exactly did you plan to do? You've already seen my work equipment. Has your curiosity been satisfied?"

Raye then turned to the Chris beside her and asked.

"Of course not. I still want to see what you usually do for work, Raye. There shouldn't be anything I can't see, right?"

Chris immediately made her position clear. Now that she had come here, she absolutely could not back down at a time like this.

"Is that so? Then do as you like. Just don't get in my way. As for anything you can't see, I won't let you see it. Find somewhere to stay. I need to get started."

Raye glanced at Chris, whose eyes held an inexplicable anticipation, then looked away. She walked over to the sofa chair she usually worked in, sat down, and turned on the screen in front of her, entering work mode.

"Do as I like..."

Watching Raye ignore her and enter work mode, Chris began thinking about what she should do next.

[If I want to understand her fully, I can't miss a single abnormality. Only by applying enough pressure can I possibly find the oversights Raye might make.]

Chris thought this over in her mind.

[Then the place I should go is obvious.]

Having reached a conclusion, Chris raised her faintly flushed face and looked toward the place she had chosen as her promised land.

"Then I'll go here."

With those words, Chris leaned against the spot she had chosen, somewhat awkwardly.

"...Huh?"

After Chris made this move, Raye, who had just begun getting into her work, looked at the girl's figure emerging beside her with a puzzled expression.

"W-what is it? This shouldn't be affecting your work, right?"

The girl's face was as red as that of a certain nightshade plant, and her voice trembled nervously as she whispered beside Raye.

"..."

Raye fell silent, unsure what she was thinking.

At this distance, everything about the two of them—their body heat, breathing, heartbeats, and scents—could be clearly perceived by each other's senses.

Even so, this quiet contact did not physically interfere with either of their actions. As long as they could ignore each other, it truly would not affect their movements.

"It doesn't. If you don't mind getting tired, Chris, you can stay like that."

After what seemed like a long time—or perhaps only a moment—Raye slightly tightened the collar of her shirt and did not object to Chris's behavior.

"Okay."

By deceiving her own heart, Chris obtained a boldness she had never imagined possessing. Because of that, the fragrance she had always yearned for drew closer to her than ever before.

Although the person she yearned for had changed in ways she could not understand, and her own circumstances had undergone earth-shaking changes, at this moment alone, Chris felt as if time had returned to a moment from her memories.

"Checking the network security logs... no abnormalities. Defense systems and network connections... no abnormalities. Airspace alarm system test... no abnormalities..."

Unlike Chris, who had no idea what to think, Raye did not seem affected by the extra person beside her. She continued handling her many tasks with a calm demeanor.

[No, Chris, you have to remember what you came here to do. You can't keep enjoying this—no, becoming immersed in it—no, damn it... It's all those indecent things' fault for making my feelings toward Raye strange. Whew. In any case, I need to shift my attention to observation.]

As Raye calmly and steadily processed her work, Chris gradually grew accustomed to Raye's clear skin, still glistening from the steam, and her body carrying the fragrance of bath products. She struggled to pull herself out of a certain illusion.

[There are so many terms I don't understand. What exactly has Raye studied all these years? I know she's always been a fast learner, but reaching this level is a little too absurd.]

After shifting her gaze to the screen Raye was working on, Chris sighed inwardly.

[All right, I understand now. These rolling symbols are completely beyond my comprehension. Perhaps only Fine can understand what Raye has written.]

Then, after shifting her attention to Raye's work, Chris gained an entirely new impression: she could not make out a single thing from it.

[In the end, I still can't figure anything out. No, I can't give up, Chris. As long as I keep going, I'm sure I'll find something useful.]

After being struck by the cruelty of reality, Chris was reinvigorated by some unknown driving force.

"...Whew. I didn't want anything to go wrong, but it looks like something still went wrong."

Just as Chris was searching for a reason to justify her lingering there, Raye's sudden comment interrupted her thoughts.

"What happened, Raye? Is something wrong?"