Sky Striker Ace, but Symphogear

My dream was to end the wars in this world together with Fine.

For that, I could endure any pain, as long as I could ultimately create the world without war between people that Fine spoke of.

I had always believed that I was Fine's only favored partner, but recently, I discovered that things didn't seem to be that way.

It happened by chance during my daily routine. I saw the deeply satisfied expression on Fine's face while she was on a call—a smile she had never shown me.

At that moment, I realized that I wasn't Fine's only partner. In terms of reliability, I might even be inferior to that other person.

You've got to be kidding me! Wasn't that basically saying I was someone who could be replaced at any time?

I wanted to endure it in silence, but the expression on Fine's face made it increasingly impossible.

So I kept waiting, waiting for a chance to prove that I was the better one.

And then I got my chance.

Today, Fine gave me a mission: stay at the estate to receive her partner if she came by, and have her wait here until Fine returned.

I had finally found my opportunity. I made up my mind to give that so-called partner a proper warning when she arrived and let Fine know who her most reliable partner really was.

That's what I thought, and that's what I did. I lay in ambush at the estate entrance for an entire night, determined to establish my authority the moment she arrived.

But why did that person just fly past from the sky? Didn't that make me look like an idiot for standing outside in the cold wind all night?

Even after suffering that setback, I still didn't give up. As long as I defeated her head-on with the power of this Bronze Serpent Armor, I could still prove that I was Fine's most reliable partner.

With that thought in mind, I immediately rushed back to the estate. Before long, I saw the blond partner standing before Fine. I realized this was a rare opportunity, and immediately launched a challenge.

But why was a black-and-red blade pressed against my neck? What was happening?!

After the thick cloud of smoke kicked up by Chris Yukine's attack cleared, the scene left behind was Raye holding her Sky Striker against the neck of a strange, white-haired girl with a striking figure.

"How could this be? When did you get behind me?"

Feeling the searing sensation against her neck, Chris Yukine realized that she had severely misjudged the difference in their strength.

Raye did not answer her question. She merely brought the Sky Striker in her hand even closer to the girl's snow-white neck.

"Damn it!"

Somewhat flustered, Chris Yukine began retracting the long whip she had fired to attack the girl behind her while reaching for the blade at her neck. She couldn't accept being defeated so helplessly.

After all, if she failed like this, Fine would definitely think she was useless.

"Weapon request: Widow Anchor, level up."

In response to Chris's movements, Raye merely issued that command.

The next moment, a polygonal portal abruptly opened directly above Chris Yukine. A black grappling anchor shot out of it at incredible speed and firmly seized Chris Yukine's body.

"Hah! You think this scrap metal can take me down? You're underestimating the Bronze Serpent Armor! I'll break free—ah! Why can't I break free?"

Just as Chris Yukine tried to escape her restraints, she suddenly felt her body grow weak and limp. Her control over the Bronze Serpent Armor also no longer felt as smooth as before.

"Widow Anchor, Level One."

When Raye had first obtained the Sky Striker, the only equipment in her possession had been the most basic Sky Striker Mecha. Although it possessed considerable power, its strength was limited and did not match the power of a Complete Relic.

For that reason, Raye spent a long time exploring the Sky Striker's functions. In the end, she discovered that it seemed capable of strengthening itself by integrating Heresy Technology.

That was why Raye had tirelessly collected Heresy Technology, even going so far as to work for others.

After carrying out a simple integration of Heresy Technology, Raye was now able to consume the power within the Sky Striker and produce a Sky Striker Mecha one level stronger.

The ability of the Level One Widow Anchor was to suppress the operation of Relics and machines.

This meant that when a target was captured by it, their ability to control the Heresy Technology in their equipment would be drastically weakened. Aside from a small amount of physical enhancement, they would no longer possess any special abilities.

"Fine, is she your subordinate or an outside invader?"

Ignoring the inexplicable girl who had lost the ability to resist, Raye asked Fine, the master of this place, about the girl's identity.

"Ah... Chris Yukine, what are you doing? You stole the Bronze Serpent Armor to attack my partner. Chris, have you betrayed me?"

Faced with the scene before her, Fine's expression darkened as she questioned the girl on the ground.

"No, that's not it—Fine, I just wanted to prove..."

Hearing Fine's questioning, Chris immediately tried to rise and explain herself. But the moment she raised her head, Fine's terrifying gaze forced her back down.

"...prove that I'm your most reliable partner..."

The more the white-haired girl spoke, the quieter her voice became. She seemed to have realized what she had done in the heat of the moment.

"Sigh, Chris, you've disappointed me so much. It seems I'll have to discipline you accordingly..."

Fine was displeased by Chris's disobedience. She raised her hand, preparing to punish the unruly Chris. Seeing this, Chris fearfully closed her eyes and prepared to endure the pain that might follow.

"Wait, Fine. I have no interest in watching your family drama."

Raye, who had remained behind Chris, spoke up. At the same time, she retracted the anchor clinging to Chris and sent it back through the Warblade Mecha's portal.

"Since she's yours, instead of wasting time on something as trivial as disciplining her, I suggest we discuss the exact layout of this place first. That will also make it easier for me to establish targeted defenses."

Raye said this, and Fine stopped her punishment upon seeing Raye's expressionless face.

"That makes sense. In that case, Raye, let's discuss it together~"

Fine said this and sat down in a chair, ready to begin.

However, she failed to notice that when she spoke Raye's name, Chris—who was still struggling to rise—looked as though she had heard something astonishing. Her face was filled with disbelief.

[Image: Raye]

P.S. Hehe~

Chapter Eleven: Lost and an Unexpected Encounter

"Did I make Miss Tsubasa angry yesterday?"

That was what Hibiki Tachibana thought as she rested in the underground base of the Second Division.

After undergoing a physical examination, Hibiki Tachibana was told that the reason armor had emerged from her body was because a fragment of a Relic called Gungnir existed near her heart.

According to Miss Tsubasa's companions, Relics were Heresy Technology artifacts made from materials that were still not understood. Most of them were objects appearing in myths and history, and their types included weapons, machines, auxiliary tools, and life forms.

The Gungnir Fragment inside her body seemed to have accidentally remained there after the concert incident two years ago. She had also heard that it was equipment especially favored by Kanade Amou, whom she admired just as much.

Although she barely understood any of the explanations above, she simply assumed that something inside her had given her power, and that this power could defeat Noise and protect innocent people from them.

Naturally, since helping others was her usual hobby, she charged onto the battlefield when a Noise alarm appeared and asked the Tsubasa Kazanari she had always admired to fight alongside her.

Up to that point, she had still been very happy. After all, she could save people with her own hands and fight alongside the senior she admired. And then...

She had once again had a blade pointed at her face. Huh? Why had she said "once again"?

In any case, it seemed Miss Tsubasa believed that she lacked the resolve to step onto the battlefield and wanted to fight her. But how could that possibly work? Fighting Miss Tsubasa was unthinkable.

Fortunately, thanks to Commander Kazanari's mediation, she and Miss Tsubasa had not ended up fighting. Even now, however, she still didn't know what to do whenever she encountered Miss Tsubasa.

"Ugh... What should I do? I get a little scared whenever I see Miss Tsubasa now. And my performance in today's simulation training was terrible too. Sigh..."

Hibiki Tachibana sighed, her entire body drooping even more.

"In that case, Tachibana, why don't you take the day off?"

Commander Kazanari, who had passed by at some point carrying a huge stack of documents, made that suggestion when he saw how dispirited Hibiki Tachibana looked.

"Ah, Mr. Kazanari, I'm fine! I am a little tired, but I can still keep going, so there's absolutely no problem!"

Hearing Commander Kazanari's words, Hibiki Tachibana immediately stood up and declared confidently that she was fine.

"Is that so? Still, Tachibana, if you feel something is wrong with your body, you must say so in advance. This isn't a place that forbids people from resting. Besides, you haven't undergone much training yet."

Seeing how energetic Hibiki Tachibana looked, Commander Kazanari said no more.

"Haha, I'm fine. By the way, why are you carrying so many documents, Mr. Kazanari?"

After assuring Commander Kazanari that she was all right, Hibiki Tachibana noticed the enormous number of documents in his arms.

"These? Mainly because we lost Durandal. Because of the loss of Durandal, the entire Special Disaster Response Team Section 2 has recently come under pressure from many sides.

"Although things basically won't be a major problem after the explanations and discussions, we still have to submit some explanatory reports for filing. That's why there are so many."

Commander Kazanari explained, and Hibiki Tachibana noticed the dark circles under his eyes.

"Mr. Kazanari, how long has it been since you last slept?"

Hibiki Tachibana asked worriedly. Even someone as powerful as Mr. Kazanari had dark circles under his eyes. Just how heavy was his workload?

"Don't worry, Tachibana. If I couldn't overcome even this minor difficulty, I wouldn't deserve to be Commander."

Commander Kazanari spoke with great vigor, showing no sign of fatigue.

"No, this is still really worrying. Mr. Kazanari, why don't I deliver these documents for you? You should go back and rest."

Hibiki Tachibana offered enthusiastically. It might be a small contribution, but she wanted to lessen everyone's burden somehow.

"This... all right, I'll leave it to you, Tachibana. Just take these to the table in room F-38 on Level F. The staff there will file them."

Seeing the girl's spirited smile, Commander Kazanari thought for a moment before accepting Hibiki Tachibana's help. He set down the huge stack of documents and told her where to take them.

"Yes, sir! I'll complete the mission! Ah, these are heavy."

After receiving permission, Hibiki Tachibana happily picked up the heavy stack of documents and left the room.

Before long, Hibiki Tachibana delivered the documents to the designated room, handing them to a black-suited employee who also had dark circles under his eyes and looked as though he was about to work himself to death.

"Haha... Adults really do seem to have it hard. Ugh, will I turn out like that when I grow up?"

Hibiki Tachibana thought this after receiving a small shock from the overworked employee in the archives.

"Never mind. I should hurry back. If I return late, Miku will worry. Wait, which direction did I come from?"

Hibiki Tachibana shook her head, trying to clear her thoughts, and decided to hurry back to the warm little home she shared with Miku. But when she turned around, she realized that she seemed to have forgotten the way back.

"Hmm... I'll just walk forward for now. Once I find a sign, I'll be able to find my way back."

After hesitating for a few seconds, Hibiki Tachibana decided to try walking first. After all, how could she possibly get lost in a place this large?

With that thought, the flaxen-haired girl began walking in what she believed was the direction she had come from. And then...

"Huh? Have I been here before?"

Looking at the nearly identical rooms around her, spiral circles gradually appeared in Hibiki Tachibana's eyes.

Perhaps because she was tired after a day of studying and training, her judgment had seriously deteriorated. Combined with the blandly constructed Second Division corridors, which had been designed for neatness, the result was simple: she was lost.

"What should I do? Miku is still waiting for me in the dormitory."

The more Hibiki Tachibana failed to find the way, the more anxious she became. The more anxious she became, the less she could find the way.

"Tachibana, what are you doing here?"

Just as Hibiki Tachibana was struggling with the inexplicable situation, a familiar female voice came from behind her.

"Miss Tsubasa?"

Hibiki Tachibana turned around and looked at the tall, blue-haired girl before her, not knowing what to say for a moment.

The good news was that her problem of being lost had been solved. The bad news was that the person who solved it was Tsubasa Kazanari, who had pointed a sword at her only the night before.

Chapter Twelve: The Visitor

"So that's what happened. You got lost here."

Tsubasa Kazanari confirmed.

"Yes. I'm very sorry."

Although she felt somewhat embarrassed, Hibiki Tachibana still explained her situation to Tsubasa Kazanari.

"Then follow me for now. Once I've finished what I need to do, I'll take you out."

After hearing about Hibiki Tachibana's troubles, Tsubasa Kazanari told her to stay by her side.

"Thank you very much."

Hibiki Tachibana politely thanked her, then followed closely behind Tsubasa Kazanari.

The atmosphere along the way was somewhat oppressive. Tsubasa Kazanari was not a talkative person. As someone who considered herself a sword, she would not take the initiative to start a conversation. As for Hibiki Tachibana, Tsubasa Kazanari's actions the previous day had left her with some lingering psychological trauma, so she did not dare say much either.

Thus, Tsubasa Kazanari walked ahead while Hibiki Tachibana followed behind. After a somewhat torturous journey, Tsubasa Kazanari stopped in front of a room.

"What is this place? The infirmary?"