Sky Striker Ace, but Symphogear

The scent of disinfectant drifted past her nose, and Hibiki Tachibana quickly realized that where Tsubasa Kazanari had stopped seemed to be a place for treating the wounded.

"Wait here for me. Once I come out, I'll take you outside."

Ignoring Hibiki's confusion, the blue-haired girl left those simple words behind, walked straight into the room, and casually shut the door.

"O-okay."

Watching the door gradually close, Hibiki responded without even knowing who she was speaking to.

"Phew... I finally survived. That atmosphere just now was seriously suffocating."

Only after the door had fully closed did Hibiki let out a long breath, as though she had been granted a new life.

"But if that's the case, Miku will definitely worry for ages when I get back."

Leaning against the wall, Hibiki thought that to herself.

Although she had received Miss Tsubasa's help, she had already wasted far too much time. Going back after curfew was only natural now.

"And going to sleep this late means I'll definitely be late tomorrow... Forget it. As long as it hasn't happened yet, it doesn't exist. Yeah, it doesn't exist."

Hibiki consoled herself, then turned her attention to her surroundings.

"Hmm, even if it might be a little late to say this, this place really does feel like some kind of secret organization."

Even though she had already been here for quite a while, Hibiki still found everything around her somewhat novel.

Whether it was the sci-fi automatic metal doors that opened with keycards, the glass screens scattered throughout the corridors whose purpose she did not know, or the female researcher in a white lab coat lying on the floor, everything carried the atmosphere of a mysterious organization.

Hibiki pondered.

"Um, Miss Ryouko Sakurai, don't sleep on the floor! You'll catch a cold!"

Seeing the female researcher somehow sprawled across the floor, breathing steadily and deeply asleep, Hibiki kindly stepped forward to remind her.

However, Hibiki's call did not wake Ryouko Sakurai. Under her gaze, Ryouko simply turned over and promptly fell back into a deep sleep.

"Miss Ryouko, Miss Ryouko!"

With no other choice, Hibiki went over to the woman she knew and vigorously shook her, trying to wake her up.

"Ugh... spare me, let me sleep for a few more minutes... Can't you just decide the defenses yourself... I'm sorry, I'm really sorry for only cheating with Heresy Technology..."

After being shaken for several minutes, and repeatedly drifting between wakefulness and sleep, the woman on the ground finally opened her bleary eyes while muttering things Hibiki could barely understand.

"Thank goodness, Miss Ryouko, you finally woke up. Honestly, I know you've all had a lot of work lately, but you shouldn't push yourself this hard."

Seeing that Ryouko Sakurai did not seem seriously hurt, Hibiki let out a sigh of relief.

"Work, yes. Such abundant and complicated work. Even a capable woman like me can be exhausted to the point of fainting."

Freshly awake, Ryouko Sakurai spoke with a tired expression, though she still forced a faint smile.

"Work... Come to think of it, Miss Ryouko Sakurai, did you have something you needed to do before you fell asleep?"

Hibiki asked because she had noticed that Ryouko had collapsed facing the automatic door Tsubasa had just entered, as though she had been heading there to do something.

"Ah, right. I was going to check on Little Kanade's condition."

At Hibiki's reminder, Miss Ryouko Sakurai suddenly remembered the task she had meant to do before falling asleep and attempted to get up and head for that room.

"Kanade... Wait, does that mean this is the room where Miss Kanade is recuperating? So Miss Tsubasa came to visit Miss Kanade?"

Hearing Ryouko's explanation and thinking of Tsubasa's actions, Hibiki realized the room's purpose.

"That's right. But you mentioned Tsubasa... so that child came to visit Little Kanade again."

Ryouko confirmed Hibiki's words. At the same time, realizing Tsubasa was currently in the room, she stopped walking toward it.

"What's wrong, Miss Ryouko?"

Seeing Ryouko stop, Hibiki was completely baffled.

"Well, if Tsubasa is in there, it wouldn't be very good for me to go in right now. Don't let her appearance fool you—Tsubasa is actually a fragile child who cries easily. If anyone saw her like that, hehe~"

"Huh? Cries easily? Miss Tsubasa?"

Hibiki found Ryouko's words utterly unbelievable. She simply could not connect the words "tearful" and "fragile" with the current Tsubasa Kazanari.

"That's right. Let me tell you, back then, Tsubasa used to—"

Seeing Hibiki's reaction, Ryouko leaned closer with a gossiping grin, while Hibiki wore an expectant expression.

Bzzzt.

Just as Ryouko was about to have a heart-to-heart talk with Hibiki, the mechanical door to the room beside them suddenly made the sound of opening.

Not long afterward, the expressionless Tsubasa Kazanari, still dressed in her school uniform, appeared in the doorway and spotted Ryouko Sakurai and Hibiki whispering together.

"What are you doing?"

Tsubasa asked. Seeing that Tsubasa had emerged, Ryouko wore a regretful expression and quickly moved away from Hibiki.

"Nothing much. I merely wanted to offer Hibiki some adult life experience. But since you've finished your business, Tsubasa... I'll go in first."

Ryouko answered, then walked past Tsubasa and entered the room she had just exited.

"Still, Tsubasa, I suggest you have a proper talk with Hibiki. If you keep everything bottled up inside, you'll turn into a terribly stiff and boring child."

Bzzzt—

As Ryouko entered, the mechanical door slowly shut. Only Hibiki Tachibana and Tsubasa Kazanari remained in the corridor outside.

The Past

"Talk with Hibiki..."

After hearing Miss Ryouko's words, Tsubasa fell silent for a moment, seemingly considering something.

"Um, Miss Tsubasa, are we going back now?"

Seeing Tsubasa remain quiet for so long, Hibiki, unable to bear the atmosphere sinking into silence once more, took the initiative to ask.

"Let us return. Since I promised to take you out of this place, I will not break my word. Come, Hibiki."

Glancing at Hibiki, who for some reason appeared somewhat at a loss, Tsubasa spoke thus, then immediately turned and walked in one direction.

"Ah, okay, Miss Tsubasa."

Seeing Tsubasa move, Hibiki immediately followed after her.

"Um! Miss Tsubasa, may I ask some questions?"

To prevent the mood from becoming as oppressive as before, and because she truly had many things she wanted to know, Hibiki decided to take the initiative and start a conversation.

"Mm... You may."

After hearing Hibiki's request, Tsubasa hesitated slightly before agreeing.

"Did you just go to visit Miss Kanade, Miss Tsubasa? Um, I want to know how Miss Kanade is doing now. I only heard that she was seriously injured, and that Miss Raye hurt her."

Having received permission, Hibiki asked her question.

From their previous conversation, she had learned some vague details—such as Raye having injured Miss Kanade, Raye stealing something very important, and Kanade remaining severely wounded ever since—but she had never understood the full story.

"Is that so? You wish to know this?"

Tsubasa said as she stopped in front of an elevator door and pressed the up button beside it.

"Yes, I do."

Hibiki, who had also stopped to wait for the elevator, answered.

"...It began with the Zwei Wing concert two years ago. That day, in order to obtain enough harmonic gain to activate the relic, the Bronze Serpent Armor, Kanade and I held a Zwei Wing concert together."

As they waited for the elevator to arrive, Tsubasa began speaking.

"Zwei Wing... That was the concert where I was saved, right?"

As Tsubasa spoke, Hibiki recalled that concert, which had also brought tremendous change to her life.

"At first, everything was perfectly normal. The concert proceeded according to schedule, and Kanade and I were both immersed in that atmosphere. Just as I thought it would end peacefully... an explosion erupted in the center of the venue, and an uncountable number of Noise flooded into the concert hall."

"Then, Kanade and I equipped our Gear and fought the Noise fiercely to protect the civilians. After that, perhaps to prevent the Noise from spreading into the city, Kanade used Swan Song."

Tsubasa continued recounting the events of that concert, while Hibiki saw her expression grow increasingly unpleasant.

"Um, Miss Tsubasa, if it's painful, you don't have to keep talking."

Regretful, Hibiki spoke with concern. She had not expected her question to cause Miss Tsubasa such pain.

"Do not worry, Hibiki. If I cannot overcome even the pain of mere memories, then I am unworthy of calling myself a protector of this nation."

Forcing down the pain in her heart, Tsubasa continued telling Hibiki about what had happened that day.

"Swan Song is a method that allows Symphogear armor to unleash tremendous power, but using it places an immense burden on the user. In severe cases, it can endanger one's life. Thus, Swan Song could also be called a final song that burns away one's life."

As she spoke, Tsubasa's thoughts returned to that day—the day she could never forgive herself for.

She remembered it clearly. Amid the ash left behind by the carbonized Noise, when that crimson figure holding a spear sang that final song, she had felt agony in her heart. And when that final song was interrupted by a black grappling anchor, she had felt shameful relief.

She remembered the scene from that time...

[Who are you!?]

Leaning weakly on her spear, Kanade Amou spoke thus, questioning the golden figure that had suddenly emerged from somewhere underground during her Swan Song and instantly bound her with a strange grappling anchor upon seeing her.

[So that's it. You used Swan Song to eliminate these Noise...]

Yet the blonde girl did not answer Kanade's question. She merely muttered to herself.

[Tch, what a nuisance... Fine.]

The blonde girl paid Kanade Amou no attention at all. She simply picked up the transparent container in her hand and checked it.

[Wait, that's the Bronze Serpent Armor.]

At that moment, Kanade Amou also noticed the transparent container in the other girl's hand and saw the strange object, tightly sealed within it, that she knew so well.

[Could it be that you're the mastermind behind these Noise?]

Kanade Amou guessed, but still received no response from the blonde girl.

[Is that your answer? Damn it, do you have any idea how many innocent people have been killed and injured because of what you've done!?]

Receiving no answer, Kanade Amou forced her weakened body forward and charged at the golden figure in fury.

[To choose to consume your own life for something like this... Kanade Amou, you are a truly dangerous person. Armed Request, Tiger Shark Cannon, level up.]

The blonde girl spoke, effortlessly evaded Kanade's attack, then casually retrieved a waist-high double-barreled cannon from a polygonal portal that had somehow appeared behind her.

[What? Damn it.]

Under Kanade Amou's unwilling gaze, the blonde girl stepped on her. Her weakened body made it impossible for her to rise. This was an unquestionable defeat.

[Tiger Shark Cannon, level one.]

Without any unnecessary movements, after summoning the double-barreled cannon, the blonde girl aimed its muzzles at Kanade Amou, who was pinned beneath her foot and unable to move, and began charging it.

[Kanade!]

At the same time, entangled by the Noise, I could only watch as Kanade was completely swallowed by the orange-yellow beam unleashed by that double-barreled cannon.

"Ah! Does that mean Miss Kanade died just like that!?"

Upon hearing this, Hibiki could not help crying out.

"No, of course not. Hibiki, have you forgotten that I just went to visit Kanade?"

Tsubasa denied Hibiki's baseless assumption.

"I'm sorry. I got too worked up."

Realizing her impropriety, Hibiki apologized to Tsubasa in embarrassment.

"You merely became too immersed in the story, Hibiki. In truth, I believed Kanade had been killed as well. But after Second Division examined her afterward, it seemed that the beam which struck Kanade was more inclined toward completely destroying Heresy Technology itself. Therefore, Kanade did not lose her life because of it. She was merely so badly injured that she had no choice but to enter cryogenic sleep for a long time."

Emotions and Reflections

Hiss—

During their conversation, the elevator had already descended to the floor where they were waiting.