Sympho-Saber: Song of Swords

AXZ: EP03 – Horoscope, Hunger, Humanity

"What the hell were you thinking?" Legeiel questioned as he and Zooous were currently staring down Storious in the main room of their base, both of them having been informed by their ally of what had happened while they were gone, "You just thought because we were out of country you could use our Megid behind our backs, huh?!"

"Is it really as you say if I've told you what transpired?" Storious asked, the answer being obvious.

"That doesn't matter," Legeiel narrowed his eyes, "You only told us after the fact."

"Are you trying to make another one like Desast?!" Zooous questioned as he slammed his hand down on a table.

"Perhaps," Storious replied as he glanced at a projection that was displaying the fight between Charybdis and the Riders in Japan, alongside Saikou's debut, "You should be happy, it's thanks to your help I was able to create such a special Megid."

"Special?" Legeiel asked, his anger nearly leaving entirely as the footage had been repeating for a while, this now being the fifth loop of Saikou easily handling Charybdis. The Phantom Beast leader could only let out an insulting laugh as a result, "In the end, that special little Megid of yours still lost to that Seiken turned Rider!"

"Let me guess…" Zooous trailed off as his head hung, soon directly staring at his ally, "You're not done, are you?"

"Indeed," Storious soon had a smile creep onto his face as he brought out the half completed Alter Ride Book, "I still have half of my special ingredient, after all."

"What the hell did you even use as a base anyway?" Zooous questioned, having seen the footage enough times to notice that Charbydis didn't have a true host, "It's like our new breeds except not really."

"Carol's been such a great help even after her defeat," Storious explained cryptically as his smile grew wider and more sadistic, "Which is why I plan to make use of everything she left behind."

"And here I thought we had it rough," Miku admitted as she was currently brushing Hibiki's hair, the two currently in Lydian's locker room, "I knew you were fighting a war while we held down the fort, but to think the situation escalated that much."

It had been a few days since SONG's mission in Val Verde was completed, and while Tsubasa and Maria stayed behind, everyone else had returned home to Japan. Of course that also meant resuming school life, so returning from the other side of the world made for a hectic transition, which meant there was a lot of catching up that had to be done between everything else taking place.

"Yeah, and that's where we ran into those alchemists," Hibiki nodded, having finally had the time to tell her friend about the finer details of what had happened.

"So their goal is the same as Ms. Ryoko's?" Miku asked, wanting some clarity.

"Yeah, but that means they might feel they have no other choice," Hibiki said, trying to figure out their enemy's motives further, "But that doesn't make it okay to hurt people in the process."

"Hibiki," Miku spoke up, noticing her friend audibly sigh while being fairly deep in thought, likely about the events that took place, "There's something else worrying you, isn't there?"

"O-Oh I'm just worried about Tsubasa and Maria, since they stayed behind to investigate further!" Hibiki panicked and quickly began rubbing the back of her head as she entered her patented 'ramble mode', "But they said they'd be back for Lydian's opening ceremony, so they should be here pretty soon! Besides, you still need to tell me about that weird Megid you said ate Daishinji, and apparently Yuri has a cool new form too?!"

Miku could only give a slightly bored stare at this, already knowing how her friend's self-defense mechanism worked when it came to trying to brush off certain subjects. Hibiki realized this as well, relenting near instantly as a result.

"Actually, there is one other thing…"

Kirika and Shirabe were currently in a secluded area of Lydian, the duo having had enough of a break to meet up there. Of course they had chosen the area also because of the cover it provided and how no one would really show up or pass through. Kento had made mention of the area after he had heard they were enrolling at Lydian, having remembered it from the FIS' brief infiltration stint back during the Frontier Incident.

"And you're sure she responded, dess?" Kirika asked as she went to lean near the tree that was in the area.

"She did," Shirabe nodded as she walked over, "It shouldn't be too much longer."

"You know, I may be an alumni but considering my current status makes that moot it means that this is still a pain in the ass to pull off…"

The two looked up towards one of the roofs in the area, Kanade sitting on it with her sunglasses and ponytail disguise in full effect. She went to drop down and land near them as she put her hands in her jacket pockets.

"See," Shirabe looked over at her friend who gave a sheepish smile.

"So what's this whole thing about?" Kanade asked as she kept her voice low enough while making her way over, "Must be pretty important if you have me trespassing on school grounds."

"You could say that, dess," Kirika said as she and Shirabe glanced at each other.

In an instant the two had stepped forward and past Kanade, quickly pushing her towards the tree as they spun on a dime.

Kanade let out a yelp as she caught herself before turning, soon seeing that she was pinned between the tree and the two Symphogear Wielders, "Uh…"

"We know you used to work for Master Logos," Shirabe said plainly as she wanted to get through this as quickly as possible, "And you were aware enough to give us information on him and the other Riders."

"Uh, yeah…" Kanade replied, "But I don't know what this has to do with-"

"Then you've seen Reika, dess," Kirika said as she drew out a picture, in particular the picture they had taken with the alternate Serena Cadenzavna Eve from the World of Lunar Reckoning, soon pointing directly at the alternate Wielder in it, "She looks exactly like Serena, doesn't she?"

"Whoa, hold on now…" Kanade's eyes widened behind her shades as she realized what this sudden interrogation was about, "What exactly is making you two even consider-"

"We fought Sabela and heard her voice finally," Shirabe narrowed her eyes, "We wouldn't forget Serena's voice, even if it did seem a bit different."

"But it was familiar enough all the same," Kirika added, "Even Maria agreed, dess."

"Wait, wh-?!" Kanade was about to shout in surprise only for her yell to be instantly muffled by the duo of Wielders clasping her mouth shut with both hands. She realized her mistake and began to calm down as the two removed their hands, soon speaking in a near whisper, "You all heard her and you didn't immediately tell anyone about this? Even Maria didn't?"

"She told us not to and that she'd take care of it by going to the Commander once she returned from Val Verde," Shirabe explained.

"But we weren't about to let a chance slip by us," Kirika replied, "Especially for Maria's sake."

"Well that explains why the boss didn't warn me," Kanade realized, "Otherwise I wouldn't have sprung this trap."

"Maria also figured that the Commander likely knew," Shirabe replied, "Considering he's one of the only ones to come in contact with both Sabela and the alternate Serena."

"But if he knew, we guessed he likely tried to confirm it with you too," Kirika pointed out, "So that's why we decided to corner you like this, dess."

"Actually, I was the one who figured it out first," Kanade admitted much to her friends' surprise, "When I saw the photo Maria had… I instantly recognized that Reika looked almost exactly the same as the alternate Serena."

"Why didn't either of you all tell anyone anything, dess?" Kirika asked.

"Because there wasn't enough evidence," Kanade answered simply as she crossed her arms only to falter slightly when Shirabe stared directly at her, the usual 'Jiiiiiii' sounding off as she felt her soul being stared deeply into, "And uh… because of Maria…"

"Wait, what?" Kirika asked.

"We weren't exactly sure how she'd react to this news," Kanade admitted, "Especially since the most we could say is they look and sound similar. But we were only going based on personal accounts. We just didn't want to get her hopes up and also cause her to act erratically when it came to missions involving Sabela… though on that second one…"

"Thankfully she didn't seem to act too brashly from what little I saw," Shirabe replied, "Though I think when it came to all of us, we were just shocked to hear Serena's voice come from Sabela."

"Yeah, yeah," Kirika nodded, "So dess…"

"I've told you all I can, and if Maria's going to confront the boss in due time then I can almost guarantee he'll also spit out everything," Kanade replied before stepping forward and placing a hand on both of the younger Wielders heads, "Just promise me you two won't do anything too reckless when it comes to Serena, alright?"

"We can't make any promises," Shirabe said before giving a soft smile while Kirika simply gave a slightly silly grin, "But we'll try at least."

"Close enough," Kanade ruffled the duo's hair before walking past them, "Now if you'll excuse me…"

"Kanade, wait," Shirabe turned as the Swordswoman of Void paused, "Does Serena… or rather Reika…"

"I don't think she remembers anything, whether or not that's because of Master Logos I can't say," Kanade answered honestly as she figured what the younger Wielder was trying to ask, "But I can say for certain that if she knew her past she likely wouldn't be against us."

Kirika glanced towards Shirabe, the two nodding before she looked back towards the phoenix Rider, "That's all we needed to hear, dess."

"Then I'm off," Kanade said with a small smile as she went to scale the school buildings in order to take off into the sky.

When it came to the Bavarian Illuminati's base of operations within Japan, they had gone for something fairly lavish, that being a luxurious resort hotel. Walking throughout the halls with a clear sour expression was Ryoga, having been transferred over in order to assist with what was needed. He didn't mind, but what he did mind was Reika being sent to Val Verde, especially given she'd likely be in contact with the Symphogear Wielders.

They had managed to avoid any incident thus far, but it was unknown when their luck would start to run dry, especially since Master Logos had shifted their goals slightly. While gathering the Ride Books and Seiken was still a priority for them, they would now have to assist in wider battles.

"Aren't you concerned?"

"Whatever do you mean?"

"While there's no guarantee anything will happen with her, that doesn't mean the others, especially those from the FIS, won't take notice of her."

"Do you really believe they'll recognize her after all these years?"

"It's a high possibility, so why didn't you let me go instead of-"

"If they do by chance recognize her well while she doesn't, that will make our job easier. She'll remain clueless and our enemies will fall into disarray."

"Brother?"

"Huh?" Ryoga looked up to see Reika down the hall from him with a concerned look, "Reika?"

"Is everything alright?" Reika asked as she began to walk over at a fast pace, "You have a grumpy look again, is the Master not pleased by our work?"

"No, it's nothing to…" Ryoga trailed off before letting out a light shout, "Grumpy?! And what do you mean again?!"

"I mean you're already stone faced," Reika admitted with a giggle, "So it's hard to read you, but you do look grumpier than angry most of the time whenever you're upset."

"I'm not… upset," Ryoga cleared his throat as he let out a light blush while fixing his collar, "I'm just concerned…"

"You are too, huh?" Reika asked out loud before yelping and covering her mouth, "I mean…"

"What's wrong?" Ryoga asked.

"It's just…" Reika sighed as she wasn't sure how to word this, but she knew if anyone would understand it'd be her brother, "I know what we need to do to secure our future as the Master has repeated it over and over. But why is it when I see the atrocities committed, that I feel so disgusted?"

"It just means you have a kind heart," Ryoga reassured as he put a hand on her shoulder, "And that's what makes you, you."

"What makes me… me," Reika muttered as she went to place a hand on her chest, "I see… so you don't?"

"I don't blame you for feeling like this, this is a tough duty bestowed upon us after all," Ryoga answered before turning away, "How was your mission in Val Verde? I haven't had a chance to ask yet."

"We managed to retrieve what we needed," Reika replied, "Saint-Germain should be putting on the finishing touches now that both pieces have been obtained."

"Good," Ryoga replied, "Anything else?"

"Aside from having a fairly easy time with the Wielders there, not really," Reika admitted as she thought of her brief battles against Maria, Kirika, and Shirabe, "Though they seemed distracted at times, I'm not sure why."

"Distracted… I see…" Ryoga nodded before walking off, "I should probably check in on Saint-Germain, make sure the process goes smoothly."

"I was on my way to see if she needed anything," Reika admitted as she went to walk after the Swordsman, "We can go together."

"Right, together," Ryoga muttered as he kept from making eye contact with Reika.

Saint-Germain was currently in her own room with Tiki lying before her, having broken the immobile Autoscorer out of the amber prison it had been trapped within. She raised a hand, bringing out an alchemic circle that in turn shifted Tiki's chest-plate, opening it up to reveal a circular gap within.

'Tiki is an Autoscorer created to precisely record the movements of the planets on a star map, originally deactivated to protect the secrets contained within.'

Nearby was the chunk of stone she had retrieved during the Alexandria incident with the Ousama Megid, the Antikythera Gear. It began to shine as it was lifted upwards, the rock shattering and giving way to an actual mechanical gear-like piece underneath.

'But with the Antikythera Gear, we can reboot the system, bringing her back to life.'

Saint-Germain performed a couple of hand motions, inserting the gear into the open chest before allowing it to fully close up. The mask-like visor that was on Tiki's face began to open up, shining brightly and revealing dozens upon dozens of star systems within the room via a projection before fading.

Tiki's body began to twitch and convulse as she slowly but surely worked her way into sitting up, soon taking off the mask and letting out a breath.

"It's been a long time, Tiki," Saint-Germain greeted.

"Saint-Germain…?" Tiki asked before letting out a little gasp, "It's been four hundred years, but you haven't changed a bit!"

"That's right. The times may change, but I do not," Saint-Germain answered.

"So you're still always going on about boring stuff, like freeing mankind from the yoke of oppression?" Tiki asked in a blunt manner as she hopped over to her comrade, "That's good. Glad you're doing well."

"You haven't changed either, Tiki," Saint-Germain added, already noticing how the Autoscorer was looking around and guessing what was about to be asked next.

"Where's Adam?" Tiki asked as her tone became slightly whiny, soon hugging herself, "Without my beloved Adam, I can't stay me!"

As if on cue the curtains in the room suddenly blew open to reveal a balcony. On the railing of said balcony was a rotary phone that probably wasn't there beforehand.

Saint-Germain walked over and went to answer, "Lodgemaster?"

"What? Is that Adam on the line?" Tiki asked as she hurried over, quickly taking the phone and looking it over while speaking into it, "Adam, is that you?"

"I've missed your voice all these years," a voice responded, being the very same person who had called Tassel.

"It is you!" Tiki called out in joy, "It's me, TikI! Just say the word, and I can do anything!"

"You're as boisterous as ever, I see," Adam chuckled at this, "But I have business to attend to. Let's talk afterward."

"You're so mean, always rejecting me!" Tiki pouted only to turn around and immediately smile afterwards, "But that's the one thing I love about you."

With a simple motion she held the phone out to Saint-Germain who went to continue the prior call.

"I can't apologize enough, Lodgemaster," Saint-Germain continued, "The divine power infusion experiment was successful, but we failed to sustain the result and it was lost."

"Finé certainly left us no end of trouble with these Symphogear of hers," Adam admitted with a sigh, "And those Riders who wield fragments of the Great Book are likely to be just as, if not more annoying too if prior events are anything to go by."

"Our creation was by all means invincible, and yet they tore through it with one punch," Saint-Germain recalled what had happened, having only stepped in due to witnessing it herself, "We will need time to analyze the inner workings of this mechanism."

"The way they work is unimportant," Adam replied, "We simply need to destroy both parties and collect whatever Rider tools are left in the aftermath."

"Understood," Saint-Germain replied, taken off guard by the remark but not letting it show in the slightest, "Cagliostro and Prelati have departed for a preemptive strike. I will join them as soon as I am able."

"Then I'll leave you to it," Adam said before choosing to hang up as knocking was heard.

The door of the room opened up as Ryoga and Reika walked in, the sibling Riders taking note of the now reactivated Tiki.

"We were just dropping by to see if you needed assistance," Ryoga spoke up first, "But it appears as though your project was a success."

"I appreciate the courtesy at the very least," Saint-Germain said as she turned towards the duo of Riders, having to keep from staring at Reika as she recalled what Prelati had mentioned.

"Basically, I believe Reika holds some relation to Maria Cadenzavna Eve."

"It wouldn't be too surprising, given how that man likes to pluck his candidates for subordinates…"

"Woah," Tiki said as she stared down the two Riders before her, "You two are like, super young, it's so weird to see a bunch of spring chickens in this kind of company!"

"I… excuse me?" Reika asked, caught off guard by Tiki's remark.

"Pay her no mind," Saint-Germain replied, "But yes, Tiki's reactivation means we can accelerate our plans while devising any strategies to counter our opponents if need be."

A burst of fire occurred as Kanade landed on a rooftop, her communicator ringing as she quickly answered, "Hey, what's up?"

"Falchion, we happened to notice you were the closest one," Sophia said though there was a lot of shouting happening over her, "We've got Alca-Noise intercepting-"

Sakuya's shout interrupted her, "We've lost all trace of Special Flight 206!"

An explosion occurred at that moment high in the sky, it was fairly far away but clearly still close enough for anyone with enough height to catch. Kanade had immediately turned when she heard it, her eyes widening.

"No need to finish that sentence!" the redhead called out as she hung up while running towards the edge of the building, preparing her transformation, "Henshin!"

[BATTOU! ETERNAL PHOENIX!]

Her transformation completed itself as she leapt off the rooftop while bursting into flames. The fires took the shape of a fiery bird that screeched and launched towards where the explosion had happened at high speeds. Upon closing in, Falchion could hear Tsubasa singing, watching as flashes of blue cut through the sky, with a rain of blue blades striking down most of the opponents.

Well that was except for a couple of Alca-Noise that managed to avoid getting skewered. She wasted no time in rushing through them, ramming and burning them apart to cover her friends. She began to slow down, her fiery bird-like form circling in the air to keep anyone away.

Below a splash occurred, Tsubasa having used her Symphogear's ankle blades to properly brace and glide across the water. She currently had Maria in her arms, carrying her bridal style as Maria herself held a thick silver briefcase.

"That was quite the welcome," Maria admitted.

"Were they after us, or were they after our cargo?" Tsubasa questioned, while the obvious answer was that it was both, that still didn't make the situation any better, "At the very least we aren't alone."

Another screech occurred above the two as the firebird floated downwards before slowly diminishing to reveal Falchion with fiery wings.

The Rider lowered herself and held up a hand, "Yo, sorry I'm late, was a bit farther out than I thought."

"If anything, your presence will keep them from trying to do anything hasty," Maria replied as she looked over at the Rider, "But yes, you were very late."

"That said, it didn't seem like it was too bad," Falchion said before giving a chuckle before gesturing towards how the two were, "But, I didn't think you two had gotten so close by now. Guess that alone time in Val Verde sure was something, huh?"

"I…" Tsubasa stammered as she realized what her friend was implying, "That's not…!"

Maria's blush could only deepen when she realized the position she was in, "That's none of your business you damn rooster!"

"Wow, taking a page out of Chris' book," Falchion muttered with a low whistle as she grinned behind her helmet, "Guess I got you good."

It didn't take long for the three to head to SONG HQ, reconvening on the bridge with SONG's main crew. Of course when word of the attack spread, the remaining Riders and Wielders of SONG hurried in despite being reassured everything was alright.

"Dess! Dess! Dess!" Kirika jumped for joy, hugging Maria in the process.

"Don't worry," Maria reassured as she held up the briefcase, "We got all the intel the Val Verde government had."

"Splendid work," Yuri said as he gave a thumbs-up.

"That's not what we were worried about! You were attacked" Hibiki called out with clear concern, "I'm just glad you two are alright!"

"At the very least it was just Alca-Noise," Rintaro tried to reassure her.

"Hibiki's right to be worried though," Miku admitted, "Only one of them can transform right now."

"Sorry to bring such undue stress with our arrival," Tsubasa apologized, "We appreciate you looking out for us."

"It's what friends are for, right?" Touma asked, receiving a nod back.

"Unfortunately, we can't relax just yet," Genjruo said.

"Please, take a look at this," Sophia said as she gestured for them all to look at the main screen where images of Tiki encased in Amber were seen.

"What is it?" Hibiki asked.

"A puppet we photographed during our infiltration of a Val Verde government facility," Aoi explained.

"Hold on," Touma said as the design was distinctly recognizable, "Is that an Autoscorer?"

"During the great war, in search of an energy source to replace fossil fuel, Germany is believed to have accumulated a number of Relics," Genjuro explained, "Some of them made it to their then-ally Japan for research."

Hibiki let out a light gasp, "Like my Gungnir?"

"Not to mention the Nehushtan armor and Yukine's Ichaival," Tsubasa added.

"If I recall, in the sorting process there were a couple of Ride Books that ended up in the mix that were eventually given to the Logos Sector," Sophia said as she thought on the subject.

"A number of items however were thought to have been taken to South America by fleeing Nazi officials," Ogawa explained further.

"We suspect that was how this puppet made it to Val Verde too," Elfnein spoke up.

"I wouldn't be surprised if some extra pieces of the Great Book that weren't converted into Ride Books were also scattered in a similar manner," Daishinji mentioned.

"You really think so?" Kirika asked.

"Well there was the Book of Ruin that became Emotional Dragon," Miku reminded.

"I think Master Logos has one too," Kanade replied, recalling the book that the mysterious man would always carry, "And considering those in particular can look unassuming then it'd be easy for them to be lost in a shuffle."

"To find out more, we'll have to analyze these classified documents from the government," Ogawa said as he went to take the briefcase from Maria.

"Given the attack on Tsubasa and Maria, it is clear the Bavarian Illuminati are already in Japan," Genjuro said, figuring he'd give everyone further heads up, "Exercise the utmost in caution."

Everyone seemed to acknowledge this though Chris herself seemed the most distracted, something that Rintaro, Hibiki, and Miku took note of.

With the meeting done, everyone had decided to go their separate ways. When it came to Maria, she had asked to speak with Genjuro in private, the two deciding to head to the main workshop since Daishinji and Elfnein were out at the moment.

"I'm a bit surprised," Genjuro admitted, though he did have an idea of what this was likely about. They had been monitoring her group's battles in Val Verde and he was aware they had faced down Sabela. But he decided to not jump to conclusions, "Did something not go as planned during your extended trip?"

"No, everything was fine aside from the ambush upon our arrival," Maria replied, "But there is something I'd like an honest answer to."

"What would that be?" Genjuro asked, not denying her request.

"Reika Shinda, Kamen Rider Sabela," Maria said, instantly making her intentions clear, "She's really Serena Cadenzavna Eve, my sister, isn't she?"

"If from what I've gathered so far isn't a trick, then yes," Genjuro confirmed as he stared directly at the Wielder under his command, keeping an unflinching gaze to show he wasn't lying, "Reika is likely your sister."

"Why didn't you tell anyone when you discovered this?" Maria asked.

"Lack of any real evidence aside from what I heard and saw alongside what Kanade saw," Genjuro replied, "This was also around the time when Gaze initiated his final plan with the Ganmaizers."

"Even so, I had a right to know!" Maria called out in near frustration as she stepped forward as she put a hand on her chest, "My sister who I thought was long gone for years is still alive, why wouldn't you-?!"

"Because I've seen firsthand how rash you can act when it comes to her!" Genjuro interrupted as he raised his voice as his expression grew harsher, enough for Maria to back off almost instantly, "You blew our cover upon seeing alternate version of her, got distracted by her safety and got turned into a puppet via Argus' Eye, and were ready to rush headlong into danger the minute you saw her fighting a Ganmaizer."

"I… even so I…" Maria took a step back and looked away as these instances were all listed off. She wasn't sure what to say only for a pair of hands to grasp her shoulders gently as if to reassure her, "Huh?"

"Maria, I understand how important this is to you," Genjuro replied with a soft smile as he kept his grip firm but comforting, a far cry from how he had looked seconds earlier, "But your life is just as important as hers, and I don't want you to needlessly risk it in an attempt to get her back."

"But…" Maria trailed as she looked down.

"If that really is Serena, I promise you that we'll get her back," Genjuro continued as Maria looked up towards him in surprise, "But the safety of everyone under mine and Sophia's command is also my primary concern. Understood?"

"Yes sir," Maria said as she looked up with a smile, "Is it alright if I tell Kirika and Shirabe?"

"So long as you make sure they stay out of trouble as well," Genjuro replied as he pulled away and crossed his arms.

"I'm sure they'll listen, even if they'll be unreasonable at first," Maria replied with a smile.

Outside of the workshop was Kanade who was leaning near the door and listening in. She went to kick off from where she leaned, turning and walking away.

'Better than I figured it would go, granted there's no telling how she'll react when she actually sees her,' she thought as she kept her pace, 'Still, for her sake I'll try my hardest to get her back Serena and not Reika.'

Miku could only sigh as she was waiting in the city, having wanted to go out to discuss some things with Hibiki and Touma after the meeting. Of course they would have immediately headed off, had Touma not had to rush back to his store to lock up since he had failed to do so when rushing over to SONG HQ.

Of course Hibiki wanted to tag along just in case, and that's what led her to this point, staring at her phone to look at the time.

Yuri was nearby, simply wanting to take in the sights while trying to keep an eye out for any suspicious activity. He had managed to find a high spot in the area, simply keeping an eye out… and also attracting some attention though most people assumed he was a street performer.

"Miku! Thanks for waiting!" Hibiki called out as she hurried over with Touma.

"Yeah, sorry about that," Touma said as he clasped his hands together while bowing.

"Just don't make it a habit," Miku chided as she went to lead the way, "While I understand you were concerned for Maria and Tsubasa, we did get the call after it was all said and done."

"Again, sorry," Touma apologized as he rubbed the back of his neck before his ear perked up, taking note of one of the larger screens displaying the news.

It was a report talking about a plane that had crashed in America, containing Val Verde refugees making it likely that it was the same plane Kirika and Shirabe had helped achieve take off.

When it came to their destination though, it was fairly close by, the group making their way to a diner to place their orders. While Hibiki had gone for a modest iced tea, Touma had a fruit smoothie while Miku went for a fairly large shaved ice dessert with raspberry syrup drenching the top of it.

"I know it's getting a bit cooler but man does this still feel refreshing," Touma admitted with a light gasp of relief, the cold smoothie refreshing and cooling him down from all the running he had to do.

"Okay, so…" Miku spoke up finally, "Want to continue from where you left off this morning?"

"Yeah," Hibiki nodded, realizing she was being addressed, "I told you about what happened in Val Verde, right? Chris's been so down ever since. I want to cheer her up, but-"

"Don't even bother!" a familiar voice was suddenly heard from the booth directly behind where Touma and Hibiki were sitting. Chris lifted herself into view much to the surprise of the Rider and Wielder.

Hibiki turned, "Eh?!"

Touma let out a gasp as he held his chest and scooted back near the window of the seat, "What the fudge?!"

"You're being rude, Yukine," Tsubasa was heard next, "She's worried for you."

Touma had to lift himself up onto the booth as well, soon seeing that behind him and Hibiki was Chris, with Rintaro and Tsubasa on the other side, the Swordsman of Water giving a polite wave when he saw the Rider and Wielder looking over.

"Wow, even Tsubasa and Rintaro too!" Hibiki called out.

"Huh, this kind of takes me back," Touma admitted, recalling how for the longest while before the Frontier Incident, it was the six of them, even if Miku wasn't Espada at that point.

"I had approached Tsubasa about wanting to take Chris out and talk a bit," Rintaro explained, "And she suggested this place… but to run into you all…"

"You know it's not just those here that are worried for you," Tsubasa continued as she gave a nod of acknowledgment to the others, "Everyone's worried, Yukine."

"I know, but leave me be," Chris frowned as she went to sit down again, "I'll be fine. There was nothing else I could do for Stephan, and if I were in the same situation, I'd do it again."

"If it was the old Noise then he would've been an instant goner," Touma muttered as he went to sit back down and think on what had happened, "With the Alca-Noise if there's luck on someone's side, then they may get to live, even if…"

"So that was the moral choice for you?" Tsubasa asked.

"Yeah," Chris replied, though she still seemed unsure.

Hibiki looked down at Chris, "The moral choice?"

Rintaro though seemed to notice a change in Chris' expression, a more mischievous smirk crossing her face as he could only pale at what she was about to say.

"Now that I think about it," Chris said in an almost superiorly smug tone, "Don't you still have a pile of summer homework on your plate?"

"She's right!" Hibiki nearly choked at these words as she immediately sat back down and clasped her hands while begging her closest friends, "What do I do, Miku, Touma?!"

"Good luck," Miku encouraged, "Try to finish it before your birthday."

"She's right, you've got to go full speed, non-stop!" Touma called out as he held up a fist before suddenly slumping as he slammed a palm into the table as he was clearly distressed, "But here I thought my tutoring was helping you…!"

"Ah, Touma don't give up on me please!" Hibiki begged as she tried to shake her friend out of his depressive funk, "It has! It absolutely has! It's just sometimes it feels like this work is a bit too overwhelming!"

"I mean considering what I've helped on…" Touma trailed off, his distress fading as he recalled the numerous advanced lessons that school was teaching for whatever reason, "What even is that curriculum sometimes…?"

"Is her birthday soon?" Tsubasa asked, honing in on the mention of Hibiki's birthday.

"Yeah, it's on the 13th," Miku confirmed.

"Oh, that's rather soon right?" Rintaro asked as he got excited, "It's been a while since we've had a proper big celebration."

"While we've celebrated birthdays here and there, the last proper celebration we had was when Maria and I returned," Tsubasa recalled.

"Only two weeks away though?" Chris asked as she got excited for different reasons, mostly in that she could continue her teasing, "Sounds like someone's spending their birthday doing home-"

Everyone paused when they heard their communicators go off, Hibiki answering almost instantly, "Yes, Hibiki here!"

"We've detected Alca-Noise," Sophia reported "They're in the northwest of area 19, point A! That's near your current location. Please hurry!"

Yuri continued to keep watch outside only to feel something was off, he then turned to see that his allies were rushing out of the restaurant they were in, "I see…"

"Are you sure about this?" Elfnein asked as she was currently walking along the streets with Daishinji, Kirika, and Shirabe.

"Absolutely," Daishinji nodded, "While our work is important, if we ourselves aren't at our best condition, then we can't hope to help the ones we need to support."

"Yeah, breaks aren't all bad dess," Kirika agreed, "They let you come out refreshed and ready to do anything!"

"Which is why I suggested this, just a bit of a dinner between friends," Daishinji added, "And I know how much you like Nachi's Oden."

"I suppose so…" Elfnein trailed off.

"Thank you for inviting us again," Shirabe spoke up, "I've always been curious about Oden, and this is my first chance to ever try some."

"I'm sure you'll enjoy it," Daishinji said as he went to take the lead again, "It shouldn't be too much further-"

"Oh dinner sounds lovely," Storious said as he was suddenly leaning from a nearby wall in his monster form. The group barely had a chance to turn as he waved his hand outwards, unleashing a concussive force that sent the Wielders, Rider and Alchemist tumbling back, "However you'll need a fairly big stomach for sure…"

"Storious…?" Daishinji gasped out as he went to reach for Suzune, "What are you…"

"Now, now, just let the story play out," Storious said as he held up the half-completed Alter Ride Book, suddenly warping away before appearing in front of Elfnein while lifting her upwards, "It's time for this remnant to be put to use."

"Elfnein, dess!" Kirika called out.

"Let her go!" Shirabe shouted as she drew out her pendant alongside Kirika.

"Don't! You can't transform without LiNKER, remember?!" Daishinji called out as he quickly took aim with Suzune, "Storious, let her go!"

"I'm afraid I can't do that," Storious said as he kept Elfnein close, knowing that she was likely the reason that Daishinji wasn't firing immediately, "She's very important to the next stage of my plans."

"W-What…?" Elfnein gasped out as she struggled against Storious' grip, "What are you talking-"

"Just allow the story to overwhelm you, and devour everything in your path," Storious said as he shoved the Ride Book into the alchemist before letting go of her and vanishing.

Elfnein gasped as she fell to the ground, soon letting out fast and heavy breaths before screaming out as dark wisps began to overtake her body.

[CHARYBDIS!]

Out from the dark energy erupted Charybdis, the chimera Megid rising up from where it was laying as it now had a strange large hatchet-like blade as a weapon.

Daishinji gasped, "Impossible… that Megid!"

Kirika's eyes widened, "Elfnein's become a Megid, dess?!"

"Elfnein, can you hear us?!" Shirabe called out.

Charybdis didn't respond, simply trying to take in its surroundings as it slowly but surely wandered off.

"You two, call HQ immediately! Have them send Touma and Yuri!" Daishinji called out as he prepared his transformation, the two Symphogear Wielders surprised by the Swordsman of Sound's passion, "I'll stall as long as I can… Henshin!"

[JUUKEN GEKIDAN! ONJUUKEN SUZUNE!]

Hibiki led the way for her and the others, the two groups of Riders and Wielders eventually making a stop at the designated location. Numerous Alca-Noise had been summoned, all standing at the ready to fight against the heroes that had just arrived. The six glanced at each other and simply prepared their transformations, the Riders drawing out their blades in unison while the Wielders sang.

[REKKA/NAGARE/IKAZUCHI BATTOU!]

"~Balwisyall nescell Gungnir tron~"

"~Imyuteus Ame no Habakiri tron~"

"~Killter Ichaival tron~"

"Henshin!"

Flashes of red, yellow, and blue all happened in unison, fire lashing out, electricity striking, and water flowing as three of the lights faded to reveal the Wielders in their Symphogears.

{SG-r03': Gungnir}

{SG-r01: Amenohabakiri}

{SG-r02: Ichaival}

The bursts of elements all began to fade as well as Kamen Riders Saber, Blades and Espada stood between the Symphogear Wielders.

[BRAVE DRAGON~!]

[LION SENKI!]

[LAMP DO ALANGINA!]

Espada launched forward, striking through numerous Alca-Noise while unleashing bursts of electricity. The enemies were launched upwards, Hibiki letting out a shout as she leapt up and launched forward to punch straight through several of them.

Sparks danced around as water began to flow, Tsubasa and Blades back to back as they worked on slicing through the Alca-Noise in tandem.

Chris meanwhile unloaded her energy arrows into the Alca-Noise, tearing them apart as Saber closed in while lighting Rekka on fire, cutting through any others before they had a chance to even think about retaliating.

"Starting the party without me I see!"

Yuri soon leapt into view, X-Swordman drawn out alongside the Kougouken Saikou in its complete state. He slashed through several Alca-Noise before loading the Ride Book onto his main buckle, tapping the pommel of his Seiken against the button on the buckle to open it up, "Henshin!"

[SAIKOU HAKKOU!]

The comic panels that made up his armor were summoned and spiraled around, knocking any nearby Alca-Noise away. He then performed a cross-slash that cut through several more enemies, the panels turning into armoring and latching on as his Shadow bodysuit formed. It didn't take long for the slashes to hurtle back and latch onto the helmet to form the main mask.

[GET ALL COLORS! X-SWORDMAN!]

"Whoa, it really is a big blob of colors!" Hibiki called out in awe, recalling Miku's description of it.

"It sure is…" Espada muttered.

Saber and Blades noticed this and gave sheepish chuckles while Chris looked at Saikou for a bit before giving a shrug and going back to shooting

"It's an honor to have you joining us physically," Tsubasa said as she went to slash through several more of the enemies before her.

"The honor is mine, I won't let you down," Saikou gave a thumbs-up before shoving an Alca-Noise away that tried to leap on him. He then sliced through another as he went to start dealing with the stragglers that were between the different pairs fighting.

Watching the group were Cagliostro and Prelati, the two on the roof of a building to keep tabs on their opponents while staying out of sight. While this was more of the same, the two were admittedly curious on Espada and Saikou, since the former was a newer addition while the latter having an actual physical form was something they weren't expecting. Of course when it came to expecting, it wasn't long before a flash occurred as Saint-Germain appeared.

"You took your sweet time," Prelati said as she glanced back.

Saint-Germain stepped forward, "Status?"

"We only just lured them out," Cagliostro replied, "Though we've been seeing a few of their new tricks."

"New tricks, you mean the new Espada?" Saint-Germain asked.

"Basically, but also not exactly," Prelati said, "It's their seventh member."

"Oh?" Saint-Germain had already caught sight of Saikou upon realizing how out of place he looked, "Is that the Sword of Light?"

"It seems he decided to update himself for the modern day," Cagliostro remarked, "Not exactly a fashion king, but I can respect it."

Saber let out a yell as he cut through more Alca-Noise before hearing a crackling in his ear, "Huh, Command?"

"Saber, we need you and Saikou to break off immediately!" Sophia called out, "There's a new Megid incident and it sounded urgent!"

"Eh?" Saber was a bit confused, "Someone reported it?"

"Shirabe and Kirika did, they're with Daishinji but they need help," Aoi replied, "So we need you to hurry!"

"Understood," Saber nodded as he went to hurry over to Saikou, "Sorry everyone but I need to get going with Yuri, it's a Megid!"

"Do what you need to!" Chris called out as the others agreed with nods of their own, "We'll clean up here and join you afterwards!"

"Thanks," Saber said before holding up the Diago Speedy Ride Book, "Now Yuri let's-"

"That will take too long, I've just sensed the Megid," Saikou said as he pressed down on the side of his Seiken, "Let there be light!"

[SAIKOU HAKKOU!]

In a flash of light the two Riders were gone, leaving the three Symphogear Wielders and two Riders on their own to finish up the Alca-Noise.

"Oh, looks like two of them had business elsewhere," Cagliostro realized, "Didn't think the Megid would still be playing around with us in the picture now."

"But basically, this cuts down their firepower," Prelati said, seeing no reason to find this sudden change an issue.

"Indeed, as it's time to test out the specialized-series prototypes," Saint-Germain said as she brought out a cylindrical tool, utilizing an alchemic glyph to open up the dial lock it had. The cylinder opened up to reveal a few Alca-Noise crystals, with her taking out one and holding it up, "Show me what you're capable of."

It was tossed down towards the battlefield, creating a bright light on a rooftop.

Tsubasa turned, "Alca-Noise?"

"The big one's showing itself, huh?" Chris asked as she kept her weaponry ready.

Everyone was preparing for a large Noise to show itself, but a sudden flash occurred and they were suddenly stranded on an odd planet's surface in the middle of space seemingly.

"We were in town just a moment ago!" Hibiki called out as she stared in shock, "What happened?!"

Tsubasa meanwhile caught notice of something approaching, that being more hordes of Alca-Noise. Of course when it came to confronting them, the Riders and Wielders were quick to notice that their attacks were barely doing much damage, and in fact were doing so little damage that the Alca-Noise were managing to regenerate with ease.

"Why the hell aren't our attacks working?" Chris questioned as her bullets hit but only barely scratched her enemies, "Is it Anti-LiNKER?!"

"I don't think so," Espada called out as she slashed through an Alca-Noise, pushing the electricity out of her Seiken further and tearing it and a few others apart, "I'm having to put in just a bit more power than usual!"

"She's right, if it was Anti-LiNKER then we wouldn't be affected," Blades added as he cut through a few enemies only for them to regenerate.

"They disappeared?" Sophia asked as Genjuro, Maria, and Kanade had just made their way onto the bridge after hearing the alert sound off.

"We've lost visual of the Gear users!" Sakuya called out.

"The inbuilt mics allow us to pick up sound, at least," Aoi replied, "Thankfully even the mics for the Riders are working, but that should be a given since they're derived off the Wonder Ride Books."

"An Alca-Noise that can warp space though…" Sophia trailed, surprised to see that Alca-Noise could be specialized to that degree.

"It seems as though our opponents are a lot craftier in their use of Alca-Noise than Carol was," Ogawa noted, "But…"

"If this was the only issue we were dealing with I wouldn't be worried," Sophia admitted, "But now…"

"What happened?" Kanade asked, "We kind of just got here but we assumed it was just the Alca-Noise."

"We've got a Megid issue," Sakuya spoke up, "The one that was dealt with by Yuri the other day has re-emerged except there's an issue with who the host is this time…"

"Last time it didn't have one," Aoi explained, "But this time it's…"

"Wait a moment, Elfnein isn't here?" Maria said as she began to look around.

"That's part of the issue," Sophia admitted.

"What do you mean?" Genjuro asked, a grim expression crossing his face.

The Riders and Wielders continued to try and force their way through the Alca-Noise dimension they were inside of, but there wasn't any headway being made.

"Do you all copy?" Genjuro's voice called out through their comms.

"Just what's going on old man?" Chris questioned.

"You seem to have been trapped in a subspace pocket created by the Alca-Noise," Genjuro explained.

Tsubasa raised a brow, "A subspace pocket?"

"The Alca-Noise's phase shift has been fractalized there," Aoi spoke up, "Which in turn blocks your tuning on touch."

"That's why it feels as though the output of the Gears has dropped," Ogawa added, "No doubt even a minor change is affecting the Seiken there too."

"So we just need an explosive burst of power that we can use to bust our way out!" Hibiki called out as she landed in a clear spot, giving a simple but rather effective solution, "Simple enough!"

Chris leapt back with Tsubasa, landing near Hibiki, "Time to draw the cursed sword then!"

"Ignite Module! Bakken!"

{Dáinsleif}

In a burst of black and red the three Wielders leapt upwards and towards the Alca-Noise as they assumed their Ignite forms.

Hibiki was easily piercing through Alca-Noise with her punches, Tsubasa was tearing through them with ease with her blades, and Chris despite only using handguns was blowing apart the Alca-Noise that got near her.

"Miku," Blades said as he drew out King Lion Dai Senki, "Shall we?"

Espada nodded as she drew out Golden Shinjukyo, "Let's!"

[NAGARE BATTOU! KING LION DAISENKI!]

[IKAZUCHI BATTOU! GOLDEN SHINJUKYŌ~!]

The two assumed their upgraded forms, Blades immediately launching blasts of energy that exploded outwards and knocked the Alca-Noise back. Espada meanwhile dashed to cover him from behind, aiming her folded fan out and unleashing a beam of light with electricity crackling around it, piercing through numerous Alca-Noise that tried to get near them.

'With the power of the Ignite module, we can pierce their defenses,' Tsubasa realized as she noted the display of power from Blades and Espada, 'Likewise it's a similar situation to our Rider allies and their upgrades… but…'

"We're cutting through them good but there's no end to them!" Chris called out as she realized they were still stuck at square one.

"I can only hope Touma and the others are doing well," Blades admitted, "Because at this rate we likely won't be able to back them up."

"I can't be too reckless," Slash muttered as he took aim with Suzune, watching Charybdis continue to walk away from him. It had just been walking and wandering around while the Rider kept aiming at it, but he knew he couldn't let it get further…

Without any hesitation he aimed at the ground around the Megid, shooting at it.

Sparks flew around Charybdis, the Megid being forced to its knees. That was until it stood up, using its hatchet blade to lift itself up with a disturbing giggle as it turned towards the Rider. The Megid charged forward despite Slash's attempts to impede it, lazily swinging its hefty blade around numerous times.

Slash let out a light gasp as he kept on the defensive, backing away and dashing as several pillars were cut through in the process. He had assumed it was going to go for another swing only for the Megid to kick its blade into his stomach, gripping the extra handle to shove it further against Slash's armor.

The blade was shoved away but Charybdis simply went for another swing, Slash leaping over it as he shot around it again, sparks flying all around. This didn't impede it however, a teeth-filled tendril lashing out from its arm and eating the air/space between it and Slash.

"Huh?" Slash could only yelp as he was dragged towards Charybdis in an instant, his collar grabbed by it as he was launched up and slammed away by its hatchet blade, "What?!"

Kirika and Shirabe quickly ran over as they saw Slash slam against the ground, the two hurrying to check on him.

"Daishinji are you okay, dess?!" Kirika asked.

"You're playing too defensively," Shirabe added.

"I know I am!" Slash called out, the frustration clear in his voice, "But!"

Charybdis began to approach the three, letting out a giggle only to gasp as the front of its body began to warp, revealing the pained expression of Elfnein's face trying to get out before she was pulled back in.

"Help… me…"

"Did you call HQ?" Slash asked as he looked towards the two who nodded. He grunted as he pushed himself up and switched his weapon to its Sword Board state, "Good work, I'll keep up my part then."

"You're going to get yourself killed!" Kirika called out.

"She's right," Shirabe replied, "I know we don't have LiNKER but-!"

"Even if you did, this is my fight!" Slash called out, interrupting her as both Wielders could only widen their eyes in shock, "Elfnein… she's my junior… someone I promised to protect no matter what… I may not be able to free her on my own, but I can at least try and stall…"

"Daishinji…" Kirika muttered.

Charybdis went to approach the three, at least until a sudden light in the corner of the area caught its attention. Slash, Kirika, and Shirabe turned as well, the four watching as the light faded to reveal Saber and Saikou.

"Whoa," Saber said as he looked around, "That was…"

"Thanks to this new form I can use certain powers more liberally," Saikou admitted before looking at the scene before them, "It appears as though we're just in time… though didn't I deal with this one already?"

"You did?" Saber asked.

"I did," Saikou nodded as he stared long and hard at Charybdis, "It has a host now though."

"Then we'll need to save them," Saber reaffirmed as his ally nodded.

"Whoa," Kirika had sparkles in her eyes at Saikou X Sword Man, "It looks cooler up close!"

"I can see what Miku meant when she talked about this form…" Shirabe admitted as she squinted her eyes, feeling as though the colors Saikou had now were a bit too straining to look at.

"You two sure took your time!" Slash called out, some frustration in his tone alongside a clear relief that could be heard, "Get to work!"

"Right," Saber nodded as he and Saikou were ready to charge forward only to feel a strange sensation, suddenly turning and backpedaling, "Huh?!"

Saikou was quick on the draw as well, turning and taking a few hops back as Storious appeared behind the two, his sword slamming down into the concrete as he tried to strike at them from behind.

"Sorry to say, but this is one story I wish to see to its end," Storious said as he brandished his blade, "So if you could please back off…"

"Yuri…" Saber stepped forward before rushing towards Storious and clashing blades with the Megid leader, "Deal with the Megid!"

"Got it," Saikou said as he turned towards Charybdis, the Megid opening up its mouth and eating the space between them to force the Rider closer. He let out a yelp as he blocked a swing from the Megid, forcing the blade away, "How nice of you to bring me within slashing range!"

[IDOU SAIKOU! UDE SAIKOU!]

Charybdis was forced back as Saikou shifted his armoring over to his left arm, the Swordsman easily deflecting the Megid's swings while initiating his finisher.

Saikou let out a shout as his bladed arm shined brightly, "Let there be light!"

[SAIKOU POWERFUL!]

A slash of silver and a slash of gold struck against Charybdis, Saikou channeling his power to separate the host from the Megid only for Charybdis to simply fall down.

"What?" Saikou asked in confusion, "There's a host in there this time, so why can't I separate them?"

Charybdis quickly lifted its hatchet blade, spinning around with it and managing to force Saikou's guard open before going for another spinning slash. Sparks flew as Saikou reverted to his form's base mode.

"So that's how it feels to have bodily pain," Saikou nearly whined though he was more fascinated than anything by this new quirk, "I haven't felt that in quite a while, how splendid."

"Not good," Slash hissed out as he got up despite Kirika and Shirabe's protests, quickly hurrying over to help Saikou as Charybdis went to advance.

"That Megid is a rather special specimen," Storious admitted as he clashed blades with Saber, "After all the one inside technically isn't human to begin with."

"What?" Saber asked, "What are you even…"

"It's Elfnein!" Slash called out as he managed to shove Charybdis away from Saikou, "I'm not sure how, but Storious managed to turn her into the Megid we faced while you were in Val Verde!"

Saber let out a light gasp as he was forced back, "What?!"

"That explains it…" Saikou muttered, now realizing why he wasn't able to separate Charybdis from its host.

"Actually, the first variant had a host, or rather the broken remains of one," Storious replied, "I utilized what scraps of Autoscorers were left behind to give Charybdis form. The fun thing about even the prototypes Carol created was that they were specifically tuned to receive her emotions and memories. Which meant as long as I used something related to Carol again, I could revive Charybdis in an even more enhanced state."

"That's why you targeted her?" Slash questioned, "But Elfnein is-"

"The homunculus is a special existence at the moment, having been given new life by another sacrificing theirs for hers," Storious interrupted before chuckling, "Or at least that's what I thought…"

"What do you mean?" Shirabe asked.

"I thought the theory was that Carol gave up her body for Elfnein to keep living," Saber spoke up, "At least that's what we assumed."

"Yeah, dess," Kirika nodded, "If it's not that then what is it?"

"That… isn't the case," Saikou spoke up much to everyone's surprise, "Because I was there that night alongside an old friend of Carol's."

The Riders and Wielders there remained silent as Storious let out an amused chuckle.

"I try to take great care in my plans so I research thoroughly," the Megid leader remarked as he turned towards the Swordsman of Light, "I knew something was off with her, but please do go on…"

"Carol was no longer mentally stable, Elfnein's body was failing her, so the simple solution was for Carol to give up her body so Elfnein herself could live," Saikou explained, "Carol's mind would be lost and Elfnein's body would vanish forever… however…"

"They're fused now, aren't they?" Storious asked, though from his tone he had already guessed.

"Yes," Saikou answered tensely as everyone let out light gasps, "In order to give them the chance to fully recover later I used a technique similar to when I fused myself with the Seiken of Light. Carol's body and Elfnein's mind would be the dominant portion while Elfnein's body and Carol's mind would go into a deep sleep to recover."

"That's…" Slash trailed.

"And thus the reason becomes clear as to why you can't separate her from the Megid," Storious chuckled as he walked over to a more docile Charybdis before patting the Megid on the shoulder, "While one at the moment there are still two people within that Megid. They're near identical beings that go beyond the standard definitions of humanity, so much so that not even the Sword of Light can separate them from an already inhuman being."

The Riders and Wielders could only remain silent at this, the chuckles of Storious and the light giggles of Charybdis echoing through the area as the Megid Leader very much assumed his victory was at hand.

"Isn't there anything we can do?" Espada asked as she unfolded her fan to create a shield, unleashing a burst of electricity to fry several Alca-Noise that had slammed into it, "Especially since last I recall, Ignite is on a time limit!"

"She's right," Tsubasa said, growing a bit worried about how HQ was remaining silent, "This is Tsubasa, is there a solution present?"

"It was a bit hard to do without the usual help, but we might have figured something out!" Aoi called out, "You need to find the center of that space!"

"We've observed it to be a half-sphere," Sakuya added, "Which means the control mechanism is likely to be right at the center!"

Chris responded by spinning around while launching numerous bullets all around. She seemed to be firing wildly however as all of her shots missed any and all Alca-Noise and embedded themselves in the rock around them.

"Chris, firing blindly won't win this!" Hibiki called out.

"She's right," Blades nodded, "We need-"

"We Wielders just need to keep singing!" Chris called out as she glanced at the two, "I was planting speakers connected to our mic units! Use the Gears to pick up the song as it echoes through the area!"

"I see!" Tsubasa realized what her friend was getting at, "By using it as sonar, we can ascertain our location and the shape of this space!"

"We'll support you then!" Espada said as Blades nodded, the two Riders continued to assist the Wielders who began to sing with all their might.

It didn't take long for their song to echo loud enough as a large Alca-Noise could barely be seen via the echoes.

"Found you!" Chris shouted as she opened up her skirt armor to unleash dozens of missiles outwards, Blades unleashing his own cannon blasts as well to assist.

{MEGADETH PARTY}

The resulting attacks didn't destroy the Alca-Noise but removed its cloaking to reveal its true form. It was a squat body with a v-shaped head, long arms and long legs allowing it to tower above the Riders and Wielders before it.

"That's the Alca-Noise that's generating this space?" Tsubasa questioned.

"Sure looks like it!" Sakuya called out.

"You know what to do!" Aoi encouraged.

"Shindo, Tachibana, Kohinata!" Tsubasa called out as she held her blade out, extending it into a large launch platform, "We'll combine the techniques we've been practicing!"

"Right," Blades nodded as he leapt towards the platform with Hibiki and Espada following after him albeit higher. He and Espada both went to initiate their mode changes via their Ride Books.

[KING LION DAI CHANGE!]

[GOLDEN SHINJUKYŌ ECHOING!]

Blades had landed on the platform blade in his mechanical lion form, Espada shifting to her Gungnir themed transformation and landing on Blades' back alongside Hibiki. Chris went to stand behind Tsubasa, extending her gear outwards to form rockets on the blade itself.

{QUINTUPLE RESONANCE}

Blades made sure his four paws were set on the launch catapults, the devices springing back as Tsubasa had another sword stabbed into the platform in front of her.

"This is our chance," the Wielder of Ame No Habakiri declared, "Let us bet it all on this one strike!"

The platform blade launched forward thanks to the rockets that Chris provided, shooting towards the giant Alca-Noise before the launch catapults flung Blades forward who began to charge energy in his cannons.

Blades let out a yell as Hibiki and Espada leapt off of his back and in front of him, "GO!"

The Wielder and Rider were engulfed in blue energy that launched them forward at an even faster rate, the two spheres of energy hurtling towards the body of the Alca-Noise. The energy burst apart, revealing the duo kicking outwards with fire, light, and electricity erupting from their left and right legs respectively.

[GOLDEN SHINJUKYO HISSATSU GEKI!]

The two pierced through as lightning began piercing out from multiple angles of the Alca-Noise's body. Blades had shifted back to his humanoid form, landing on the blade as it continued to hurtle forward, Tsubasa and Chris leading it directly into the Alca-Noise to skewer it further. The result was near instant as it exploded in a bright display.

With the boss Alca-Noise destroyed the space around them began to peel away via hexagon-like panels as they were returned to the area where they were fighting, albeit at a later time of day.

Hibiki and Espada both looked towards the other, letting out a soft chuckle and giving each other a high-five. Tsubasa and Blades looked at the sight fairly pleased while Chris made sure any remaining Alca-Noise were dealt with.

"Looks like we did it," Hibiki said.

"Indeed," Tsubasa nodded.

"Sorry to bring down the celebration but we've still got another issue," Genjuro spoke up via everyone's radios causing them to share brief looks of concern.

"Carol… and I… are fused…?"

Elfnein was just barely aware of the conversations going on as she was trapped in darkness. She felt like she was falling through an endless abyss as a crushing weight could be felt. She could barely keep her eyes open as she saw a light far above her, the light thinning and thinning as she felt herself losing consciousness.

She could only let out a soft chuckle at those words as she began to fully close her eyes.

"That's reassuring but… I don't think I'll ever be able to meet you again… not if things go like this… but even then... will anyone even miss me…? I still haven't progressed enough with the LiNKER research… maybe it'd just be better if I just…"

"NO!"

"Touma…?" Elfnein gave a light startled gasp as she recognized the voice, her eyes opening barely.

"I don't care what you say! Even if Carol based Elfnein off of herself, those two are as different as you can get! They may be fused right now too, but that doesn't mean they're the same!"

The light turned a bright red as it began to grow in strength, warmth overtaking her just via the words alone as her eyes began to open further.

"Elfnein, don't worry! We'll save you!"

Touma…

"That's right, dess! You still have so much you want to do, right?!"

Kirika…

"You can't give up! Even if it hurts, try to do what you can!"

Shirabe...

"As your senior I'll keep supporting you! But you have to keep fighting however you can!"

Daishinji…

Lights of different shades of pink alongside some green began to shine through alongside the red. But there were more shades of the already present colors, yellow, blue, purple, and orange… a rainbow of colors began to brighten up the void as Elfnein felt herself fully waking up.

"Everyone…" Elfnein trailed as she tried to lift herself up despite being unable to find her footing, "I… I… want to…!"

"Come on now," a familiar voice spoke up as a blond haired figure in a red dress appeared behind Elfnein to support and lift the alchemist up. She then held her black gloved hand forward as alchemic circles began to appear all around them, "I'm not about to let you waste your chance at a new life because of some stupid Megid plot… but I'll at least take some pleasure in this, since I was enjoying my nap before those rude Megid woke me up."

"Eh?" Elfnein let out a yelp of surprise as she saw the arm and glanced back, "You-!"

In an instant the alchemic circles shined brightly all around them, illuminating the area as everything went white.

"What meddlesome fools," Storious scoffed as he went to place a hand on Charybdis' head, "No matter what words you give, it won't change what's about to happen!"

"Are you sure about that?" Saikou asked, sensing something off but also willing to back up the others, "It seems you have much to learn about humanity."

"What?" Storious asked, "What are you-"

"Hurt…" Charybdis had finally spoken up after staying silent all this time, stumbling forward and away from Storious as it held the front of its body, sudden bulges expanding and shrinking as water, fire, wind bursts, and chunks of rocks could be seen escaping from the zipper-like lines running along its body, "It hurts…!"

It wasn't long before a familiar yell was heard, Elfnein shouting with all her might as her upper body became visible from Charybdis' back as she tried to force her way out of the Megid's body.

"Elfnein, don't worry!" Saber called out as he ran forward, Kaenken Rekka shining a bright red as he slashed past despite Charybdis trying to swing its blade at him, "It won't be much longer!"

Red electricity began sparking as Elfnein's body began to further separate from Charybdis, though it was clear there still needed to be one more push.

"No you don't!" Storious called out as he tried to move forward only to get shoulder-checked by Saikou and sent stumbling back, "What?!"

"Daishinji," Saikou said as he initiated his finisher, colorful energy erupting from the Kougouken Saikou as he tossed it towards the Swordsman of Sound, "You're up!"

[FINISH READING!]

Slash let out a light gasp as he caught the Seiken of Light, gripping it tightly as he nodded and sped towards the stunned Charybdis, "ELFNEIN!"

[SAIKOU COLORFUL!]

Slash performed a cross slash of multiple colors that dug into Charybdis further, a burst of gold and silver energy occurring as Elfnein was launched out of the Megid.

Kirika and Shirabe quickly went to move forward, the duo managing to catch Elfnein before she could hit the ground.

"Thank goodness," Slash muttered before turning and tossing the Kougouken Saikou back to its wielder, "Finish it now Yuri!"

"Right," Saikou said as he caught his blade before turning the page of his Ride Book to its third and last page, "Let's go!"

[IDOU SAIKOU! ASHI SAIKOU!]

Saikou's armoring began to detach itself before latching onto his right leg, his mask being placed at the center of the shin.

[FULL COLOR GOES TO LEG!]

[Episode 3: Strike down with the Colorful Kick!]

Switching his sword into a reverse grip, he initiated his finisher, "X-Sword Break!"

[FINISH READING!]

An array of comic panels went to surround Charybdis on both sides as Saikou leapt up into the air, the Rider performing a flying roundhouse kick that struck through in an instant.

[SAIKOU WONDERFUL!]

The armoring reattached itself as Saikou stood up, Charybdis letting out a screech as it exploded. Storious let out a gasp as he held an arm up to brace against the explosion, something suddenly sticking to his palm. He turned his palm to look at it before chuckling and gripping his fist tightly, soon vanishing without much fuss.

The Riders went to dismiss their transformations with Daishinji immediately going over to Kirika and Shirabe, taking Elfnein from them as he went to check on her.

"Elfnein, hey, Elfnein can you hear me?" he said as he began to shake her slightly to try and make sure she was fine, "Elfnein!"

"I'm… alive…?" Elfnein asked as she began to open her eyes.

"You are," Daishinji let out a breath he didn't know he was holding as an expression of clear relief could be seen, "Thank goodness…"

"Hey, you guys alright?!"

Everyone turned when they heard Kanade's voice, her and Maria hurrying over as they had left SONG's base as soon as they heard what had happened. Despite their worry the two looked to be relieved that the fight had ended with the best possible result.

"Yeah, Yuri and Touma managed to free her dess," Kirika explained as Shirabe nodded.

"Not entirely," Yuri spoke up, nearly everyone turning towards him, "It was also thanks to Elfnein's own strength that we were able to separate her from the Megid."

"Is that so?" Maria asked as she looked over.

"Never give up, never give in, that's something I learned from everyone here," Elfnein spoke up with a smile as Daishinji helped her sit up, a clear new determination crossing her face, "That's why I'll finish my LiNKER research!"

"But first some rest," Daishinji insisted, "You've been through a lot."

"And that's fine," Maria said, figuring she'd speak up now, "We'll wait however long we need to."

"All's well that ends well, huh?" Kanade asked as she looked over at Touma who nodded.

"Everyone!"

It wasn't long before the other Riders and Wielders that were already out on the field arrived, hurrying over to express their relief at the situation working itself out.

"What a total bust," Zooous remarked in a mocking tone as he watched Storious walk into the main room of their base, "But hey, you decided to try your hand at another Desast, not surprised."

Legeiel meanwhile hissed a bit in annoyance, "How dare you waste our Megid-!"

"Not quite, it was very much a success," Storious said as he still held a confident aura and a smug smile while holding up his closed fist, soon holding it out and opening his palm to reveal a chunk of Charbydis that hadn't been destroyed, "Truly… an exquisite Megid!"

[CHARYBDIS!]

Dark energy erupted from the piece as it began to grow and expand outwards, soon transforming into a White covered Super Alter Ride Book with golden pages and a grey base. The title on the cover was labeled Charybdis while the front symbol was a different one than the other three categories, signifying it as a chimera class Alter Ride Book.

The alchemist trio had chosen to stick around despite watching the Riders and Wielders hurrying off, figuring that they were likely heading to wherever Saber and Saikou had gone.

"Aww," Cagliostro put her hands behind her head in disappointment, "I had my hopes up, but I guess that's that. At least we achieved our objective."

"Must be nice to be so carefree," Tiki said as she walked over.

"Tiki, I thought I told you to stay at the lodge," Saint-Germain said as she turned, soon noticing Ryoga and Reika hurrying over, "Did she really give you all that much trouble?"

"You severely underestimate her tenacity," Ryoga said as he and Reika were nearly out of breath, the duo having tried to keep Tiki in one place only for her to easily outmaneuver them.

"Why did you even want to come all the way out here?" Reika questioned between breaths.

"I was hoping I might get to see Adam!" Tiki admitted before spreading her arms out and spinning in place, "But don't be angry! I found out something cool!"

"What?" Saint-Germain asked, a bit caught off guard.

"Believe it or not," Tiki said as she spun to the perfect position before spreading her arms out, the excitement clear as day in her voice, "This is a great spot to pick a fight with God! The best, even!"

Her eyes glimmered with a constellation star chart, projecting it above the group for them to witness.

To Be Continued…

Author's Note: We continue through AXZ as a steady pace, though of course not without some usual quirks when it comes to this crossover. When trying to figure out who would play host to Charybdis I wasn't sure at first, but I knew I wanted it to be someone important. Eventually I figured that Elfnein would end up fitting the role well, especially for the second half of Charybdis' introduction. Of course this allowed me to reveal to the cast, and the readers, what exactly Tassel and Yuri did at the end of GX regarding Carol and Elfnein. I'm sure that will make wondering about future events later all the more interesting, haha. That's about all I have for now though, so thanks for reading and I'll see you all next time.