Sky Striker Ace, but Symphogear: Budding

"Is that so? Then good luck. I'll use the showers on the other side."

Seeing Chris take the showerhead, Raye stopped paying attention and walked over to the shower on the other side. She turned on the tap and let the warm stream pour over her body.

Her platinum-blonde hair clung together beneath the water. The stream ran across her jade-like skin, outlining the girl's perfect figure, while thin mist drifted through the air like gauze, half-concealing her alluring parts.

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

"Gulp... No, no, I need to focus. Focus, Yukine Chris. You're not that kind of person."

Forcibly suppressing the flutter in her heart, Chris tried to focus her thoughts on something proper, such as the days she had spent living with Raye...

Thud—

Chris slammed her head into the bathroom wall. If she did not, she feared that her friendship with Raye would become tainted and make her do something irrational.

"Okay, Yukine Chris, you can do this. Think about your dream. Didn't you want to eliminate every conflict in the world by eliminating the people who started them? You don't need to, and you can't, immerse yourself in such pointless feelings..."

Yukine Chris made a difficult judgment in her heart.

P.S. Good afternoon.

P.S. Round two (just kidding).

"Mm... what...?"

In the spacious hall, Chris woke from her dizziness with an intense pain in her forehead. Lying on the sofa, she muttered to herself, still unable to make sense of the situation.

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

Chris heard a familiar voice beside her. When she sat up and looked over, she saw Raye, already changed into casual clothes, searching through a white medical kit.

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

Still somewhat dazed, Chris reflexively asked Raye beside her.

"That's what I'd like to know too... I really don't understand how you managed to knock yourself unconscious against a wall while taking a shower. Honestly, if you had that idea, why didn't you just ask me for some anesthetic? That would've been easier."

Raye took out a medicated patch from the kit and explained while half-teasing Chris.

Although Chris had given her that sort of assurance earlier, once Raye finished washing up, all she could see was Chris sitting on the floor in a duck-sitting posture, looking completely out of it.

There was no need to elaborate on what happened afterward. With no other option, Raye personally cleaned Chris up, dressed her in clothes that had already been dried, carried her to the sofa in the hall, and searched through the medical 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 become so immersed in her tangled feelings that she had fallen into a state of confusion, not knowing what to do.

That alone would not have been much of a problem, but then she thought of a way to resolve her inner conflict. In her excitement at the sudden inspiration, her already exhausted body protested through her sense of balance.

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

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

Raye spoke as she silently looked at Chris, waiting for an explanation.

"I just... um... fine. Sorry. This time, I really did mess up."

Under Raye's scrutiny, Chris wanted to defend herself, but after such a stupid stunt, any excuse seemed weak.

"Don't do this again. Adjusting your mental state is also part of fighting. When you encounter a problem that Snake Armor cannot handle, Chris, the only thing you can rely on is Symphogear. If you're lost and uncertain, Symphogear won't be able to display much power."

As Raye spoke, she leaned closer to Chris, who was lying down.

"Mm... yes, I understand. Huh, Raye, what are you—?"

Chris responded, then noticed Raye approaching.

"You should be able to tell. I'm treating your injury. It'll heal faster this way."

As Raye spoke, she peeled open the medicated patch she had taken out earlier and carefully placed it on Chris's forehead. Her slender fingers gently stroked it, smoothing the edges flat against her skin.

"Mm..."

Feeling the gentle touch on her forehead and the warmth of the girl so close to her, Chris felt an inexplicable sense of disorientation.

"All done. If you're okay, Chris, go back and rest. Of course, you can stay a little longer if you want. I promised you earlier that we'd take tomorrow off."

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

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

Seeing Raye's movement, Chris asked.

"I still have work to do. I need to deal with the information we gathered in the workshop and think through our next moves. I'll probably be resting a little later."

Raye replied.

The unexpectedly heavy workload and the time spent dealing with Chris had delayed her, leaving some routine tasks unfinished.

"Raye, can I come with you?"

Watching Raye prepare to leave, Chris immediately made the suggestion.

"Come with me... Chris, aren't you resting?"

Noticing Chris's words, Raye stopped and turned around to ask. She did not quite understand what Chris meant by this.

"I'm just curious about what kind of work you usually do, Raye. That's all. I don't have any other intentions, so... can I?"

Chris asked.

"You can, as long as you don't interfere with my work too much. I don't really mind. Besides, your rest time is yours to do with as you please. If you think watching me work will help you rest better, be my guest."

Though she could not understand what Chris was thinking again, Raye had no reason to refuse such a minor request.

"Okay."

Raye's agreement made Chris relax slightly.

The reason she had made that request was mainly because of a conclusion she had reached during her earlier thinking.

[The reason I'm feeling so conflicted right now is because I was misled by all those strange sights and sounds while investigating Raye. I consumed too much terrible material, which is why my thoughts have become so strange and my once-firm heart has become weak.]

That was the conclusion Chris had reached at the time.

There might have been flaws in its logic, and a closer examination would probably reveal it to be riddled with holes. But for the somewhat dazed Chris at the time, it was an indisputable truth.

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

So, after analyzing it, Chris came up with two ways to solve the problem.

The first was to abandon her investigation into Raye. If she eliminated the root cause, then naturally none of the problems stemming from it would remain.

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

Naturally, the moment this plan came to mind, Chris thoroughly buried it within her thoughts.

[Then I can only use the second method.]

After rejecting the first option, the only choice Chris could make—and the one she was willing to make—was the second plan she had devised.

[Since investigating from the sidelines not only exposes me to indecent things, but also gives me information that's completely useless, then I should investigate her directly.]

[I absolutely refuse to believe that Raye can keep ignoring my existence forever. As long as I keep taking the initiative, sooner or later, I'll find that girl's weakness and discover why she became like this.]

That was Chris's second plan: abandon the sense of shame that might weaken her and investigate Raye's information head-on.

Its ultimate expression was her current action—spending more time with Raye in order to discover her flaws.

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

Thinking that, Chris followed Raye toward the workshop.

P.S. Good afternoon.

Behind a medieval European-style door, Chris saw Raye's workroom, filled with all kinds of metal instruments and brimming with a sense of technology.

"That's amazing. Raye, can you use all these instruments?"

Looking at the various machines spread throughout the room, none of which she could understand, Chris could not help marveling.

"Isn't that obvious?"

Raye did not think there was anything worth marveling over. It was not as though she had never shown Chris her abilities and fighting style before.

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

Raye then looked at Chris beside her and asked.

"Of course not. I also want to see what your usual work involves. There shouldn't be anything I'm not allowed to see, right?"

Chris immediately stated this. Since she had already come here, she certainly could not back down at a moment like this.

"Is that so? Then suit yourself. Just don't get in my way. As for things you're not allowed to see, I won't let you see them anyway. Find somewhere to stay. I need to make up for lost time."

Raye glanced at Chris, whose eyes held a strange anticipation, then turned away. She walked to the sofa chair she usually used for work, sat down, turned on the screen in front of her, and entered work mode.

"Suit myself..."

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

[If I want to fully understand her, I can't miss a single abnormality. Only by putting enough pressure on her can I possibly find a lapse in Raye's guard.]

Chris thought this to herself.

[Then the place I need to go is obvious.]

Having reached her conclusion, Chris lifted her slightly flushed face and looked toward the promised land she had chosen.

"Then, here it is."

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

"...Huh?"

After Chris made that move, Raye, who had just begun settling into her work, looked in confusion at the girl who had emerged beside her.

"W-What? I'm not affecting your work like this, am I?"

Her face as red as a certain nightshade plant, the girl whispered beside Raye in a voice so nervous it trembled.

"..."

Raye fell silent, seemingly unsure what to think.

At this distance, everything about them—their body heat, breathing, heartbeats, and even scents—could be clearly sensed by each other's nerves.

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

"It really isn't. Chris, if you aren't afraid of getting tired, then keep that position."

It seemed as if a long time had passed, yet perhaps only a moment. In any case, Raye slightly tightened the collar at her chest and did not resist Chris's behavior.

"Okay."

By deceiving herself, Chris gained an initiative she had once never imagined possible. Because of that, the scent she had always missed came closer to her than it ever had before.

Although the person she missed had changed in ways she could not understand, and her own circumstances had undergone earth-shaking changes, in this moment alone, Chris felt as though time had returned to that point in her memories.

"Checking cybersecurity logs... no abnormalities. Status of the defense devices and network connection... no abnormalities. Airspace alarm system test... no abnormalities..."

Unlike Chris, who had no idea what she was thinking, Raye seemed unaffected by the extra person beside her and continued handling her many tasks with a calm demeanor.

[No, Chris, understand why you came here. You can't keep enjoying this—no, indulging in this—no... Damn it, it's all because of that indecent content. It's made the way I feel about Raye kind of wrong. Whew. Anyway, I need to shift my attention to observing her now.]

As Raye calmly and steadily handled her work, Chris gradually became accustomed to Raye's clear skin, freshly moistened by steam, and her body carrying the fragrance of body wash. With difficulty, she pulled herself free from a certain illusion.

[There are so many terms I don't understand. What has Raye even been studying all these years? I knew her learning ability had always been good, but this is way too exaggerated.]

After shifting her gaze to Raye's work screen, Chris sighed inwardly.

[Mm, I understand now. These scrolling symbols are simply beyond my comprehension. Fine is probably the only one who could understand what Raye is writing.]

Then, after directing her attention to Raye's work, Chris gained a new realization: she could not make sense of anything Raye was doing.

[In the end, I still can't tell anything. No, I can't give up, Chris. As long as I persist, I'll definitely gain something.]

Struck by cruel reality, Chris gathered her spirits again under the force of some unknown motivation.

"...Whew. I didn't want anything unexpected to happen, but it happened anyway."

Just as Chris was still searching for reasons to justify her lingering there, Raye's sudden sigh interrupted her thoughts.

"What is it, Raye? Did something go wrong somewhere?"