Season 2 Episode 6: A Miracle Is a Cruel Thing

奇跡ーーそれは残酷な軌跡

Hibiki pulled back on her gauntlet before slamming her fist into the Nephilim's chest, sending it shooting back. Zero-One vanished before reappearing several times around the Nephilim before striking it, sending it upwards. Slipstream loaded a progrise key into the Attache Longbow, pulling back on the firing arm before releasing. Slipstream fired a single arrow that split off into multiple until a volley of arrows pierced the Nephilim's body before it landed back on the ground. "Even if you can protect a few, think of how many will fall in the crossfire!" Ver summoned Noise to block Hibiki's path as the girl rushed towards the Nephilim. Zero-One dashed towards the Noise taking them out as he listened, stopping in his tracks once the Noise was gone.

Hibiki stumbled a little as she went for the next hit against the Nephilim, hesitating a little as she recalled what Shirabe had said before. "That's why you're a hypocrite!" When Hibiki went for the next hit, everything went silent as the Nephilim got back up to its feet, clenching its jaws around Hibiki's arm. Everyone's eyes widened before they heard the crunch followed by the sickening tear. Zero-One watched as the Nephilim slowly pulled away just as blood gushed from what was left of Hibiki's arm. "HIBIKI!" He shouted, in utter shock at the scene. Hibiki could just hold her shoulder, watching the Nephilim slowly devour her arm before she screamed at the top of her lungs, distressed.

(Play Vitalization Tv-Size by Nana Mizuki)

Several relic crystals hovered by the screen, stopping for a few seconds longer on one that held a prominent crack in it. Around them fell various progrise keys, but one hung by the screen, a black key dangling by black ooze.

Onegai kikasete...

(Please, let me hear you...)

Boku wa koko ni iru kara

(Because I'm right here beside you)

The camera zoomed out, showing the silhouette of two figures with their hands clasped, floating in a room of white. They were the silhouette of Hibiki and Takiyama, looking into each other's eyes.

Umareta mama no kanjō wo kakusanai de

(Don't hide your feelings, only through them are you alive)

Hikareau neiro ni riyū nante iranai

(We need no reason for the notes that draw us to each other)

The blackness began to erode away, leaving them both floating in separate spheres of energy. Bodysuits formed around the two, Gungnir's inner wear on Hibiki and Zero-One's base suit on Takiyama. It then changed to Chris and Takuya back to back, nano machine capsules surrounding them as they slowly looked over each other's shoulders to look at each other. In a flash, it changed to Inei and Tsubasa reaching for each other, their fingertips brushing against each other.

Atsuki omoi ten wo tsuranuke true song

(Pierce the heavens with passionate hopes in a true song)

Both Hibiki and Zero-One - Shining Assault Hopper appeared on screen, getting into pose as their silhouettes, orange and blue respectively, became the images behind the title.

Senki Zesshou Symphogear G X Kamen Rider Zero-One

In The Distance, That Day, When The Star Became Music...

Images of Hibiki, Tsubasa, and Chris appeared alongside each other before flashing to images of Neo-Metsuboujinrai (Horobi, Jin, Naki, and Ikazuchi) all together, Zero-One - Shining Assault Hopper and Slipstream - Soaring Eagle, and lastly Vulcan - Shooting Wolf and Valkyrie - Rushing Cheetah.

Itsu kara darō? Kokyūsuru yō ni

(When, I wonder, did seeking you out?)

The users and rider began appearing in pairs, first starting out with Tsubasa and Horobi, both of their blades down and crossing each other.

天羽々斬 - Ame no Habakiri

仮面ライダー滅 - Kamen Rider Horobi

Dōshite darō? Kimi wo motomeru

(Become as natural as breathing?)

Next was Chris and Vulcan, who stood back to back with their weapons drawn.

Ichaival

仮面ライダーバルカン - Kamen Rider Vulcan

Kowareta kokoro uzukidasu sakebidasu start it up!

(My broken heart begins to ache, begins to shout, to start it up!)

Lastly was Hibiki and Zero-One, both launching towards the screen.

Gungnir

仮面ライダーゼロワン - Kamen Rider Zero-One

It then flashed between various different groups of people. First was Section Two with the rest of Neo-Metsuboujinrai, and then Miku.

Afuresugita noizu wa itsumo

(The overwhelming deluge of Noise is always)

Riaru wo tōzake azawarau

(Distancing itself from the reality it mocks)

Nozomu hodo ni surinukeru hikari mabushisugite...

(The more I reach for it, the more the light filtering through dazzles me too much...)

The screen filled with Noise of different kinds, before it showed Chris, covered in vines. In a flash of blue light, it changed to Chris cowering behind a large mechanical blue wolf.

Yasuragi mamoru tame ni kodoku erabu yori

(Rather than choose solitude to protect the peace)

It changed to show Kirika, Shirabe, and Maria donning their Symphogears, staring at the screen as if they were ready to attack.

Hitori de wa shiru koto no nai

(I want to feel the warmth of my hands)

Te no nukumori kanjitai kara

(That I could never know on my own)

The screen flashed to black before a crimson glow came from the center, the ARK Riders now standing on screen. They were connected to strings held up by a large satellite, ARK. It changed to a stark white Progrise Key with a gold face, shattering to reveal Slipstream with his arms around Serena, his wings closing around them and then the heart of the Nephilim.

Kimi dake ni sasagu inochi no senritsu

(The melody of life that I dedicate to you alone)

Utsukushī niji wo egaku towa e no joshō

(Is the prelude to an eternity where we paint a beautiful rainbow)

It then showed the Symphogears and riders fighting at the concert hall. Shirabe launched saw blades at Hibiki, which deflected them with a variety of hits, Zero-One dashing past her to clash against Zero, sparks flying as the Authorize Buster clashed against the Attache Calibur. It then showed Kirika deflecting multiple bullets from Chris. Shifting, it showed both Vulcan and Valkyrie clashing with Scatter and Majikku. The wolf and coyote clashing against each other, with the latter proving faster on his feet. Cheetah on and fox on the other hand were having a more one sided fight with Majikku used various illusions to disorient Valkyrie.

Kono mune no chikai wa dare ni mo ubaenai

(Nobody can take that vow in my heart away from me)

Tobitatō koe wo kasanete

(Let's take flight, combining our voices)

Sora ga matteiru kara

(Because the sky is waiting for us)

It then changed to Maria and Tsubasa clashing weapons, spear against sword. When they backed off, Rinjuu dashed in, attempting to swing at Tsubasa only for Horobi to dash in, slashing at her upwards. Slipstream then dashed in, kicking her back towards the stage. It then showed the Symphogears and riders floating in the sky, clasping hands while looking at each other. Lastly, it ended with all the good guys standing together, ready.

(Op End)

Everyone was stuck watching in dismay, unable to look away as the Nephilim enjoyed its meal of Hibiki's arm. "Amazing!" Ver shouted, overjoyed with how well the plan was going already, "It ate the very Symphogear itself! And now...!" Hibiki fell to her knees, trying to suppress the immense pain that was spreading through her body. Zero-One slid across the ground to her side, attempting to hold her despite his shaky hands. Not far away, FIS' base was stationed behind a steep cliff, keeping itself hidden as the occupants minus Zero and Serea, who was in the back in an induced sleep-based mode. Kirika slammed her fist against the wall, sickened by Ver's display. "How far off the deep end is he desu?!" she exclaimed. "When he said to feed fragments of relics to the Nephilim... He meant this?" Shirabe questioned. Maria stepped towards the screen, caught between horror and disbelief. Watching made her think of just how similar Zero and Ver were, both seeming to have absolutely no regard for any forms of life besides their own ego and goals. Shaking her head, refusing to watch any longer, she turned towards the door, being stopped only by Nastassja's voice.

"Where do you think you're going?" The older woman asked, "the orders were for all of you to remain here on standby." Soshi rolled his eyes, scrolling through his risephone as he had no interest in watching whatsoever. "He's just toying with the lives of others!" Maria argued, turning back, "Is this really what we should be doing?" "Oh honey, are you really that ignorant? You can't create peace or save anyone without a little bloodshed. It's just the misfortune of the world," Soshi explained, rolling his eyes when his words got him a very menacing glare from Setsuna. "We're... doing the right thing, right?" Kirika muttered. "If so... then why do I feel so uneasy?" Shirabe questioned, looking off to the side. "Let today be the last day you spend shackled to your compassion," Nastassja answered them, her tone and expression unchanging, having already accepted the cold reality of their path, "We have no need of smiles or laughter."

Maria, unwilling to stay, left through the door with Setsuna watching her leave. She would check on her later, so a little alone time wouldn't hurt. Maria leaned against the door, catching her shaky breath before she slid down to her knees. Slowly, she reached into her pocket, pulling out a pendant that was cracked and decayed, losing its brilliant ruby color. "Everything is falling apart... If I continue down this path, one day I, too, will break..." She muttered, her voice soft as tears threatened to well up in her eyes. "Serena... What should I do?"

Back on the battlefield, Zero-One was holding Hibiki's cheeks, trying to keep her focus fixated on him. "Hibiki! Hibiki! Just focus on me! Come on!" He had already pushed the emergency call for reinforcements and medical treatment through to Section 2, but keeping her okay until they got there would be a scary task. Dr. Ver couldn't help, but laugh, overjoyed. "The Nephilim, in its complete form, is like a self-regulating breeder reactor!" Ver shouted as the Nephilim began to react to the consumed energy of Hibiki's arm, a red glow emanating from its body, "It voraciously devours other forms of energy, absorbing them to further increase its own output!"

Slipstream stood still, his body shaking as he battled his own fear. Something about this seemed familiar, sickening familiar. "Are you just gonna continue to let him shout his nonsense? Surely, you can call his bullshit, can't you?" A voice spoke in the back of his head, being the same as his own. Quickly, he looked behind him, seeing nothing. "W-Who?" "You know who I am, but that doesn't matter. Look at it. Recall what you repressed for her sake." Slipstream looked back, seeing the Nephilim once again, but his vision began to blur, seeing two of them that faded in and out, overlapping. One was the one they were facing, growing and glowing red, and the other was white, surrounded by smoke and fire. Slipstream gripped his helmet, gasping for air.

At the same time, Hibiki's breathing became more ecstatic, becoming heavy as her body shook violently in Zero-One's arms. Ver slowly stopped laughing, confused. "Hibiki?" Zero-One muttered before covering his visor, blinded by a bright light coming from Hibiki's chest. The rider quickly stood up, backing away while Hibiki's body was bathed in darkness, her voice growling as she stood up. "No... You weren't..." Zero-One muttered in disbelief. Ver could only gulp in fear, knowing what this meant. Hibiki finally looked up with sharp teeth and glowing red eyes, staring down the mutated Nephilim and Zero-One, who stood between them. The FIS ARK riders were also shocked, though Soshi whistled in interest. "This phenomenon... It matches the description in Finé's observational records," Prof. Nastassja said, "Tachibana Hibiki..." Even Section Two. "She went berserk?!" Genjurrou shouted, knocking his chair back as he stood up. Section Two had two different displays up, the first being the battle happening at Kadingir and the second being AIMS and Metsuboujinrai enroute.

"Biki!" Zero-One shouted, readying himself to make an attempt to stop her if meant snapping her out of it. Hibiki growled in response before roaring, energy pulsating from her stub. The energy acted bestial in nature, taking the form of large, clawed arm before it appeared to situate into a regular arm for her. "She was able to focus her Gear's energy into the shape of an arm? It's as though she were manifesting an Armed Gear!" Tsubasa gasped, still stuck in the web strapped with Chris and Vulcan. Hibiki leaned down on all fours, ready to charge forth, which prompted Zero-One to raise the Authorize Buster in anticipation. "N-No way!" Ver exclaimed, unprepared for this outcome.

Hibiki then leaped forward, Zero-One doing the same, but neither crossed paths. Zero-One slammed his foot into the ground, grinding to a stop while turning around. Hibiki has leaped past him, towards the Nephilim. She slammed a fist into the creature's abdomen before another into its jaw. "S-Stop! Stop it!" Ver shouted, watching in horror, "We need the fully-grown Nephilim in order to realize our new world! And you... You!" Hibiki didn't seem to care as she struck again before being knocked away, catching herself without an issue. It was then that reinforcements arrived, several AIMS soldiers accompanied by Horobi and Jin. "What's... going on?" Jin questioned, his eyes widening when he saw the Nephilim and berserk Hibiki. "I'm not sure on the details, but we need to intervene, now!" Horobi said.

The AIMS soldiers went in to pacify Hibiki and capture Ver, but many of them were knocked aside by the Nephilim before they could get close, the creature even cleanly devouring two of the humagear units in half. Hibiki on the other hand leaped over the soldiers that blocked her off, hitting the Nephilim in the stomach, making it cough up the machine parts, before somersault kicking it in the jaw. "No! Stop! Stop it!" Ver shouted, summoning a mass of Noise, cutting off Hibiki from continuing her assault. "Are you just gonna let him continue to cry and moan like a baby? That pet of his ate your friend's arm. Shouldn't you repay his kindness?" Slipstream continued to hear his own voice replay in his head, his vision still hazy. It was just like back then, at the concert. He heard it then too, but faint, miles away even, when he blacked out. Slowly, he looked up from the ground, his vision focusing on one thing in front of him. A reflection of himself, red dancing around the edges of the visor. "Don't forget what else that thing has caused. Come on, let your friend on the other side give you a hand." His reflection reached out to him. Slowly, Slipstream reached back, taking his own hand.

"Perfect."

While Hibiki launched herself into the Noise's mouth, attacking it from the inside until it practically disintegrated around her, someone called out to Ver from behind him. "Yo Ho Hoi~!" Ver spun around, still in his crazed state of horror, before blood splattered across the left side of his glasses and coat. Shaking, he slowly looked to his left, trembling before his eyes widened. His arm was cut clean off from the shoulder, leaving nothing but blood to stain his white coat. "How's it feeling, doc?" In front of him, now covered in blood himself, standing out against the vibrant green and black, was Slipstream, his entire visor glistening red, and not just from the blood. The others who weren't focused on Hibiki looked at Slipstream in shock, not expecting the jokester of a bird to go seemingly bloodcrazed.

The FIS were bewildered at the sudden turn of the eagle-based rider, Kirika and Shirabe covering their mouths in shock. Soshi whistled, finally paying attention. "Look at birdbrain go everybody. Guess the good guys aren't all goody two shoes," he scoffed, looking back to his risephone. "What kind of phenomenon is this..." Nastassja wondered, confusion mixed with hints of shock on her face. Ver fell on his ass, holding Solomon's staff close while he began backing away. "Aw, what's wrong? We were just playing around, that's all. Need a hand?" Slipstream taunted, treading the bloodied blade of the Attache Longbow across the ground before kicking the doctor, knocking the cane out of his hand and the doctor a few feet away. Scared shitless, Ver attempted to stand up, before finding out he couldn't. Shouting in pain, he looked down to find an arrow impaling his thigh, keeping him stuck to the ground

"Can't stand? What about talk? You seem to love doing that. Cat's got it?" Slipstream mused, holding the Longbow up, "Maybe I should get it out for myself. That get you talking?" "H-help! Help! Come help me already!" Ver shouted, making the rider scoff. "And here I thought you didn't know the word. Much less," Slipstream's wings jetted out, detaching and forming a shield together at his side before he brought his weapon in the same direction, tanking an attack from someone.

Dark! Starfall!

Zero impacted Slipstream's defense, putting the rider on guard in an attempt to overpower him. "Calling for a washed up, junkyard excuse of an AI!" Slipstream shouted, forcing Zero back. The Dark rider left tracks in the ground where he skidded away, gazing blankly at Slipstream. "Oh come on, someone give me more than the silent treatment. These insults are used for a reason," Slipstream sighed, retracting his wings and leaning the longbow on his shoulder. The core of the Zero Driver glowed before printing an Attache Arrow copy in Zero's hands, arming him. Slipstream whistled as the two of them circled around, only appearing half interested. The signal that set both of them off was Ver raising his hand, attempting to remove the arrow from his leg only for Slipstream to fire another one, this time, sticking his hand to the ground. "No moving now," He said before clashing the blades of the longbow against the arrow.

At the same time, Hibiki had leaped onto the Nephilim, bringing its whole body crashing down to the ground. Hibiki growled as she jabbed her fist into the creature, tearing through its durable hide, making it writhe in pain, before she tore out its heart, snapping the veins connecting the two. Tossing it aside, Hibiki leaped back into the air, her right gauntlet morphing into a large spear that she then dove into the opening she had made in the creature. Upon penetration, a bright light began to emerge before energy surged forth in a large explosion, shaking the ground. The energy was almost surreal, practically taking Zero-One off the ground as he was the closest had he not stabbed his weapon into the ground while several of the AIMS units were sent flying back and any remaining Noise nearby were completely evaporated. This freed Vulcan, Tsubasa, and Chris, the latter just coming too.

On the FIS plane, Maria and the others felt the shake, the pinkette covering her ears and holding her head as if to suppress remembering that day. "Perhaps her near-death experience caused the relic in her chest to go out of control. No Matter," Nastassja theorized, thinking of the conclusions that could've resulted in Hibiki's berserk state, before coughing into her hand. Looking at it, she and the others became alarmed at the sight of blood. "No, not now," she muttered before coughing once more. Seeing this, Setsuna bolted out the door, running to Maria, almost scaring her when the door suddenly opened. "Maria! It's the professor!" Setsuna exclaimed, watching Maria's face turn to distress. It was all she needed to hear to get up, following Setsuna back to the cockpit.

"Tachibana..." Tsubasa muttered as the scene turned back to the Symphogears and riders. "What's going on..." Chris muttered, her eyes fluttering open. "Trouble," was all Vulcan said as he stood up, letting her see. Hibiki was very much still in her berserk mood, snarling at the soldiers that began to surround her, even Zero-One. "Biki..." the president spoke softly, setting the Authorize buster on the ground. She growled, crouching down. He slowly approached her, ready to quickly act if needed. Before he could get closer, she leaped at him, rearing her arm back to take his head off. Seeing this, he acted fast enough to dodge her attack, wrapping his arms tightly around her and circling the shine system around them as if to keep her from getting away. "Biki! Snap out of it!" Zero-One shouted, tightening his grip while Hibiki struggled, using her only free arm to start tearing at the armor on his back.

At one point, she finally breached his armor, her claws penetrating exposed back, drawing blood. "Come on! Come back already! This anger! It doesn't suit you!" He grabbed her arm, yanking her claws out as he winced in pain, before intertwining their fingers. "Look at me! Focus on me! You're fine! Everything is fine!" Slowly, she started becoming less erratic, slowly softening in his grasp before becoming limp, leaning on him as they both fell to their knees. The darkness already began retracting as well as her Symphogear deactivating, leaving her in her school uniform. Sighing in relief, Zero-One held her close, slowly lifting her left arm. 'Her arm... it's intact...'

With Slipstream and Zero, the two were clashing with each other, until they both were forced back by the other, the only human catching his breath. Slipstream looked over at the others, seeing they had stopped Hibiki. "Well, looks like the main show's over, but the aftershow still has-" Slipstream spun his weapon in his hand before suddenly collapsing onto a knee, becoming short of breath. "Damn it, already?! Guess I can't keep going much longer myself," He muttered, looking at his hand. His vision was starting to become hazy. "We'll have to continue this another time if that's alright with you." Zero didn't say a word, backing up towards Dr. Ver. "The silent treatment, still? You really are cold. At least let me give you something before you go." Shakily standing up, Slipstream plugged and progrise key into the longbow, igniting the blades of it.

Progrise Key Confirmed, Ready to Utilize! Phoenix's Ability.

He stabbed one of the blades into Ver's cut off arm, setting it ablaze before kicking it towards them. The fires cackled, ash floating off in the breeze. "Sayonara... Junkyard..." Slipstream said before going limped, collapsing as his armor disengaged. "Seth!" Jin shouted, catching his fellow rider, placing a hand on his neck. His pulse was elevated and his breath was rigid, but nothing seemed wrong on the surface. Letting out a small breath of relief, Jin looked up to set Zero leaping away after having collected Ver, Solomon's staff, and the Nephilim heart.

On the FIS plane, Maria and Setsuna returned to the cockpit, Maria rushing to Nastassja's side and holding her hand. Blood dripped from the professor's mouth and onto her dress, seeming just barely there. "Just hold on, Mom!" She turned to the others, getting serious, "Bring the doctor here now! Setsuna, I'll need your help!" Setsuna nodded, taking off one of her talisman cases and crouching next to Maria. "You mean..." Shirabe muttered, both her and Kirika watching. "Me and Setsuna can cover first aid, but we need him here for her now!" Maria said, keeping focus on the older lady's pulse while Setsuna used what healing talismans she had. Understanding her distress, Kirika nodded, exclaiming, "Understood!" before leaving with Shirabe. Soshi left too, preferring to not be in the middle of it. Maria looked at Nastassja's face, hoping she would be okay as she thought, 'This is all because I was too weak to bear Finé's soul..."

Later, both Hibiki and Seth were taken to emergency care, worrying everyone on both of their conditions. Each one of them were concerned, seeming to express it differently. Takiyama for example, immediately went to the labs upon return, keeping to work as fast as he could to finish his project. It was of importance, one that could potentially save Hibiki if only he could finish it for once. Others, like Tsubasa, were trying to keep their frustration to a minimum, struggling however as it was easy to tell. As Hibiki and Seth rested, both seemed to have dreams of their own, but Seth was the faster one of the two to wake up. The rider seemed in a normal state of mind, waking up with heavy breathing and holding his head. Once he realized where he was, he began to calm down before slowly curling up. Hibiki on the other hand started having flashbacks, to back then; to two years ago.

'Huh? Where's Tsubasa-San and Chris-Chan? Toki-Kun? Seth-Kun?' Slowly, her mind came to, bringing up her old middle school, a few days after the concert. 'Oh, this again? It's been so long since I had this dream.' A young Hibiki hovered over her desk, staring sadly at all the newspapers left on her desk as she heard the taunts coming from her classmates. "I'm amazed she has the gall to still be alive." "Yeah, after killing so many people." "Haven't you heard? If you're attacked by the Noise, you get a big payout just by getting injured. They call it 'Special Disaster Compensation'." "Doesn't that come out of the tax our moms and dads pay? No wonder she's doing so well after almost dying. What a waste of our tax money." Suddenly, the papers were swept into a trash can by Seth who had arrived late, his outfit a mess. It was one of the lucky days he ended up attending school, being busy with other things in his life despite being her upperclassman. "Ignore them Biki. Everything's gonna be alright." Seth told her.

Even when Seth was there and walked her home, the signs were there too. They came across Takiyama at her house, tearing off several of the signs people had posted to her front gate. When walking in, they were greeted by Hibiki's grandmother before the window was suddenly shattered, people on the other side shouting at them. "Murderer! Murderer!" When Hibiki's mother and Seth ran towards the window, the people ran, scared. "Run! She'll kill us too!" Before going any further, both looked back to Hibiki. Hibiki's mother pulled her into her arms, comforting her as she cried. "It's alright. Your grandmother and I are happy just to have you with us. Okay?" "We won't leave either." "Not even if you tell us too, Miku too." Seth and Takiyama comforted her as well. 'I just wanted to get through rehab and go back to my old self so they'd be happy, but...'

Slowly, the memory faded away, leaving Hibiki to wake up in her hospital bed. Slowly, she turned to her side, seeing a card left by Miku and Takiyama, sleeping with his head in his arms resting on the side of her bed while seated.

Get well soon ~ Miku

'Is what I'm doing hypocrisy, like Shirabe said?' Hibiki wondered, turning back to the ceiling, 'Though I try my hardest to bring happiness, will I just bring pain and sadness to others in turn?' Slowly, she began to sit up, being careful to not wake Takiyama. She failed however as the president was hardly even asleep, lifting his head. Seeing Hibiki okay, a smile came across his tired face, muttering, "Thank goodness you're okay." Seeing his smile brought one to hers, reassured that he remained at her side. "Hmm?" Seeing Takiyama suddenly get confused, she raised an eyebrow before she blushed when she saw him reach towards her chest. But she became more confused when he plucked something off of her scar. "Huh? A scab?" She questioned.

An hour or so later, Takiyama and the others were checking up on Seth. Hibiki remained in her room for a little while longer, cleared to leave soon, just to make sure nothing else was wrong and the other girls were already gone. "Hey, how are you doing?" Kasai was the first to ask when he knocked on the open door before entering, followed by some of the others. "A bit shaken up, on edge... but I can't seem to remember why..." Seth answered, still curled up in his bed. The others looked at each other before Takuya spoke up, "At Kadingir, do you remember what happened?" Seth shook his head, "No, at least, not really... It's all pretty hazy if I'm honest. All I can remember is hearing a voice."

This confused them. "A voice? It... wasn't the ARK, was it?" Takiyama asked, concerned. Seth shook his head, allowing Takiyama to relax. "No, it... it was my own voice, but... it wasn't mine? It kept telling me to make Dr. Baliw pay... to let it take a turn... I..." He explained before suddenly grabbing his head, feeling a sudden tinge of pain. It went away right after however, allowing Seth to catch his breath. "Can... Can you tell me what happened?" Seth asked, curious. They all looked on edge then, wondering if they should tell him. Takuya was the one who finally let it out, sighing. "You attacked him, severed his arm. You could've done worse, but ARK stepped in the way. It wasn't long after Hibiki calmed down did you too," he explained.

Seth was taken back by that, his eyes wide. "I... I did that? S-Sure, I don't like the doctor, hated him even in that moment, but... to do that..." "It's the truth unfortunately. Be lucky I didn't cuff you to that bed as assurance," Takuya stated bluntly. Hearing it laid out as plain as day, even bluntly with Takuya's way of putting it, no wonder he had woken up on edge. That voice was gonna start scaring him now. "I-I gotta go!" Seth suddenly said with emergency, swinging his legs off the side of the bed and taking out his IVs. Takiyama went to stop him, grabbing his shoulders. "Seth! You need to rest!" he told him, but Seth just looked at him with a look he's only ever seen in Hibiki. "Please..." Seth muttered.

"Alright," Takiyama said softly, letting go, "But take Kasai with you just in case." Seth nodded, agreeing to the terms before carefully removing the IVs he was rushing carelessly moments before. Kasai walked over, helping him stand at first before leading him to a changing room. Along the way, Seth's reflection followed on the walls, a grin slowly forming on the reflection.

Later that day, by midday, Hibiki had finally met up with Tsubasa and Chris, greeting them with a smile to reassure them. "I'm so sorry! I bet you two were worried sick," Hibiki said, bowing to her friends. "You look surprisingly healthy," Chris commented, "Well, you should take this opportunity to get some rest." "Never fear!" Hibiki exclaimed in response, "I'm Tachibana Hibiki! Lazing around and spacing out are my specialties! Leave it to me!" Tsubasa finally spoke up, keeping a serious look. "Are you really alright?" She questioned, "You're not just putting on a brave face so we won't worry, right?" This caught Hibiki a little off guard, answering nervously, "No, of course n-" Tsubasa suddenly grasped her wrist, staring at her hand. "T-Tsubasa-San..." Tsubasa seemed to snap out of it, letting her go. "G-Gomen..."

"What's up with you? You're not just being a dope to try and tune into her wavelength, are you, Tsubasa?" Chris questioned, confused with her senpai's behavior. "Gomen..." Hibiki responded, holding her hands together as she meekly looked down. "As long as you're alright, that's what matters," Tsubasa softly replied, peering off to the side. Thoughts ran through her head about what had happened after they had returned. Genjurrou and the entirety of Section Two were trying to figure out everything they could about the moon's trajectory, to see if Ver's words were true. They couldn't rely on Hiden's satellite due to its failure to predict such information. It was chaotic, voices shouting about, councilmen and other higher ups trying to give orders to Genjurrou, the distress, she found it hard to remember anything similar to it. Later on, Genjurrou had confronted her, among a few select others privy to the information, and explained what was happening with Hibiki. "What is this?" Tsubasa questioned, holding a container of sorts while using a private room among the base's sub. "Part of Hibiki's bodily tissue that we collected during her medical checkup," Genjurrou explained, holding up an x-ray to the light. It was of Hibiki's internals, various growths formed and expanded within her body. "The fragments of Gungnir in her chest?" Tsubasa questioned, peering at the x-ray.

"Her repeated use of the artifact by breaking it into energy and reconstructing it as her Symphogear has caused it to further spread through her body," he said, unsure of how to feel about it himself. "The fusion of a human body and a relic..." She muttered, silently in shock. Genjurrou sighed, "That is the source of the explosive power wielded by Hibiki, surpassing that of any mere wielder." Tsubasa stiffened up at the thought, but addressed what was on her mind. "What kind of effect will this fusion have on her body?" "It will kill her before too long..." Genjurrou stated, answering as softly as he could despite it being a bit blunt. Tsuabsa's hands shook, thinking back. She had almost lost Kanade before, she was just lucky that someone could stop her in time, but now she was most likely going to lose Hibiki? Who's life close to her was gonna teeter on the edge next? "Tachibana's going to die? That can't be!"

"Even if she lives, should the relic continue to fuse with her body, can we say she will still live on as a human?" Tsubasa didn't want to think about that, almost leaving if it wasn't for her being unable to move her shaking legs. "How ironic," Genjurrou weakly chuckled, "It was only because she went berserk that we found out her life was in grave danger." "Tachibana is broken... just like the moon..." Tsubasa muttered. "The FIS may be true on saving the world from the fall of the Moon, but they're leading the charge with the ARK and endangering human lives. We can't just let them do as they please... but, without Hibiki... What can we still do to stop them?" Genjurrou said, shaking his head "Even so, we can't let Tachibana fight anymore," Tsubasa said, her hands threatening to drop the container, "Any threats that come our way will meet the point of my sword!"

Snapping back to reality, Chris tilted her head, confused still. "Hey, did that geezer tell you something?" Chris asked, recalling Genjurrou talking to not just Tsubasa, but a few others such as Takuya, Inei, and Takiyama privately. Tsubasa tsked, but sterned herself, "Only that those who cannot maintain their self-control against their toughest foes are worthless as warriors. I'm telling you to never set foot on the battlefield again." It was a practical lie from Tsubasa, but a necessary one. She had to be more stern than she had been in the past to make sure Hibiki wouldn't endanger herself anymore. "You're just a burden. You may clothe yourself in a Symphogear no longer," Tsubasa declared, pushing Hibiki back.

Chris stepped in the way, irritated at how rude she was being. "What the hell? Are you serious?" Chris demanded, only to be met with silence. "Hey! The hell's with the silent treatment?!" "Chris-Chan!" Hibiki snapped her back, showing just how uncomfortable she was getting. She believed Tsubasa's words as if they were the truth, holding her arm. "She's right. I really did go out of control, and I really am useless," Hibiki spoke, her voice practically on the edge of becoming too quiet to hear. "Yukine and I can fight the FIS and ARK with the others alone," Tsubasa stated, cutting off Chris before she could retort, "AIMS is launching an investigation into the whereabouts of Dr. Ver. We can get by without whatever little help you have to offer." Having said her piece, Tsubasa stepped past Hibiki and into the school, keeping her stern persona up despite it hurting on the inside to tell the lies she had spoken. "Hey! Where do you think you're going? What are you even thinking?" Chris barked, following after her Senpai, leaving Hibiki alone.

In a lab among the many, but few rooms among Section Two's submarine headquarters, Takiyama stood over a table, looking at a machine before him. Under the machine was Durendal's handle, still in the rough shape it's been in since their battle with Finé, but crystallization had begun around the edges of the blade, slowly being expanded by the machine's lazer at a snail's pace. Any faster and the machine would seize up before combusting in his face, which it has before. But any slower and the crystallization wouldn't alter the relic's structure, which wouldn't be the first time either. His goal? Turn the remaining fragment of Durendal into a Symphogear in an attempt to better understand them. Behind him on a different table with various objects thrown about, there was a folded up paper with a small, round container on it next to two semi-large cases, both of which were open. On the side of them were classification numbers, though too poorly written to be legible. In one of the cases as the other was empty was a broken, dusty bow arm with a cut string tied onto the edge. It was even partially covered in small rocks.

Takiyama glanced slowly at the table, seeing the round container before turning back to the machine. He looked tired, having discarded his jacket as he was drenched in sweat from behind around the hot machine all day. He hadn't gotten any sleep since they returned last night, only a few minutes when he went to check up on Hibiki. Genjurrou also tried to talk to him, recalling the moment. Genjurrou had let himself into the room as Takiyama didn't seem to be answered. The president was busy fixing his machine while running various tests on the relic. "Takiyama..." Genjurrou said softly at first, but he didn't seem interested in talking. "It's about Hibi-" Before the commander could even finish his sentence, Takiyama abruptly told him, "Leave."

While he understood the CEO was under a bit of stress, it seemed like a first for him to react like that. "There's-" "I said leave!" Now Genjurrou needed to get a bit serious or else he wouldn't be able to get any of this through to him. "This is important! Don't you-" "Of course I care!" Takiyama shouted, shoving his tools off of the table out of anger. "Hibiki's happy to help people! To hold people close! But she didn't ask for any of this and look what she's getting out of it!" He turned around, letting Genjurrou see his red eyes, evidence of him crying. "All she's ever wanted for a regular, boring life, it's what she strives for, and yet... all she has is one that berates her at almost every turn." Genjurrou was silent, unsure of what to say. There wasn't much he could say in that moment, not that wouldn't make him worse for wear than he already was.

"Y'know... Hibiki probably wouldn't be the same person, or... probably even be here... if it wasn't for the family she has left, Miku, me, and Seth," Takiyama choked up at saying that, sitting on the now cleared table as he looked down. "So please... just leave... whatever it is that you have to show me is just another reason for me to finish this as fast as possible... for her sake." Genjurrou sighed and nodded, turning to leave. Before he did though, he folded up the x-ray sheet and set it on a nearby table, placing the container with Hibiki's tissue on top of it. Takiyama didn't even pay attention enough to figure out he was alone again.

Back to the present day, Takiyama looked down, biting his lip. He was a bit harsh then, but he was serious. Ever since that concert years ago, life wasn't the same for her, and all he wanted was to give her the best life he could. He slowly sat down in a chair, looking back up at the machine. It would be a while before it would finish... or most likely fail. Maybe... maybe he could get some shut eye. He rested his arms on the table just far enough away to be safe, watching the laser work as his eyes began to shutter. Slowly, his head fell into his arms, his eyes shutting as he drifted off. In the hallway, Izu was heading towards the lab, carrying a suitcase with her. Allowing herself access with her own credentials as Takiyama's assistant, the door opened before closing behind her as she entered, the camera slowly panning out.

At FIS headquarters, both Maria and Setsuna were resting in Nastassja's room, having taken care of her throughout the night. Maria sat down on a nearby bench, gently stroking a sleeping Setsuna's head as she rested, using her lap as a pillow. Maria was singing softly, singing the song that she held dear.

Ringo wa ukanda osora ni...

(The apple floated in the great sky...)

Ringo wa okkochita jibeta ni...

(The apple fell down to the earth...)

Hoshi ga umarete uta ga umarete

(The stars are born, the songs are born)

Ruru ameru wa waratta tokoshie to

(And the Lulu Amelu smiled for all eternity)

Hoshi ga kisushite uta ga nemutte

(The stars kiss and the songs sleep)

Nastassja turned slightly in bed, watching Maria, with closed eyes, sing. It had been a minute since she had heard her sing so sweetly. A small smile came onto the professor's face, turning back to the ceiling. 'She's a good girl. And it's not just Maria. I'm trying to make those three gentle girls carry my cross,' Nastassja thought, slowly sitting up in her bed, 'Maybe I'm in the wrong.' The call device then came on, alerting Maria and causing her to pause on singing, but she didn't move. Setsuna was still asleep and she wasn't about to willingly wake her. "It's me," Nastassja answered, getting a surprised voice in return. "C-Could that... Could that be you, Mom Desu?" First was Kirika's followed by Shirabe's. "How are you doing?" "I was able to get through the worst of it thanks to Maria's and Setsuna's care," Nastassja said.

Kirika and Shirabe were out in town, walking along various pathways that still hadn't recovered fully from the lunar attack months ago. "Thank goodness. A-Anyway, Mom," Kirika stuttered, nervous about telling her, "I know you said to stand by, but we ended up having to-" "I understand," she told them, already understanding what they had to do, "Maria's orders, right?" "The only one who can figure out what's wrong with you and treat it properly is the doctor," Shirabe explained as it transferred back to base, "But we haven't been able to get in touch with him. Zero said he departed without medical treatment, saying he'll return soon, but we were too worried." "Thank you, you two," Nastassja said softly, smiling a little which surprised Maria, "Let me know if you're able to reach him. I will send you the rendezvous point." "Roger that desu!"

Kirika let out a sigh of relief, pleased that their 'mom' was alright. "I never thought she'd answer," Kirika said, looking at a smiling Shirabe. "I'm glad she's alright, though," Shirabe commented, earning a nod of agreement and a stomach growl from Kirika. Kirika nervously giggled, rubbing her stomach. "Oops. The moment I calmed down, I realized how hungry I was," Kirika giggled, blushing. "Well, we haven't had anything to eat since this morning," Shirabe pointed out. "Did you want to look for something around here desu?" Kirika asked as they looked around. "Yeah... But we have to find the doctor as quickly as we can," Shirabe said. Kirika nodded before taking Shirabe's hand. "Alright, let's do it desu!"

The two then ran off, eager to find the doctor, but bumped into someone rather quickly before they could get very far. "Hey, watch-" Someone began to say before stopping. The two sides looked at each other with one person getting up. It was Kasai and Seth, the latter being the one knocked down. They had come out of the flower, presumably after talking with Seth's boss. "Sorry, I haven't been... oh, it's you two..." Seth acknowledged, looking at them in surprise. They hadn't expected to bump into someone from Section two so fast, especially him. Kasai was the one who addressed them beforehand, but he had gone silent as he substituted his words for a minor glare, which said all he needed to.

Slowly, the two attempted to push past them, not eager for a fight. "G-Gomen," Kirika muttered, her voice almost a whisper. Seth reached out to them before they could get past, but retracted his hand when he saw them flinch still. "O-Oh... Guess it would be naive of me to assume you guys weren't watching... that," Seth muttered, his own voice getting quiet. They were mostly afraid, fearing that he could just... snap like he did last night. "I... I know we're enemies, that we shouldn't, but... could... you tag along with us? I wouldn't mind having more people with me," Seth shyly asked, figuring they'd just turn him down. It would make sense, giving the history both sides had so far. "Seth, I don't think bringing them along would be best," Kasai whispered to Seth, grabbing his shoulder.

"Let me handle this Kasai-Kun," Seth said with as much seriousness he could muster, which wasn't much at the moment. Kasai sighed and removed his hand, trusting Seth for the time being. "Well?" Seth asked, showing a meek smile, "I'll even treat you guys to breakfast after." The two girls looked at each other, curious, but anxious. What were they planning? It wasn't an ambush right? Would they get attacked if they tried to run? On edge in case of the worst and not willing to pass up on a free meal, Kirika turned back to him and nodded. "Just this once," she said.

A small sigh of relief escaped from Seth's lips before he began walking away. "This way. We have a stop to make first before we get there," he told them before he got far. Kasai followed closely behind, peeking over his shoulder to keep a watchful eye on the duo as they joined. Along the way, they stopped at a flower stand, Seth stepping away from them to buy from it. The owner seemed to recognize him, greeting and sharing a little bit of small talk before handing him a bouquet. Joined back up with them, they were able to see that it was a bouquet of bluebells. The two were even more confused until they arrived at a hospital. It started to make a little more sense why he had bought the flowers now.

"A hospital?" Shirabe questioned. "There's someone here I came to see," was all Seth said as they walked in. Along the way, Seth greeted a few of the nurses who apparently knew him. After getting clearance, the two headed down a special hallway before arriving in a room. Upon entering, they could see an older, but still young and beautiful woman resting in the hospital bed, an oxygen mask placed on her. "Hey, I'm back. I hope you don't mind that I brought some friends along," Seth said as he went to the side of the bed where he picked up a vase. He carefully took out the withered flowers, replacing each one with one from the bouquet. The others couldn't say anything at first, just watch as he pulled up a chair and sat next to the bed, taking the woman's hand in his own.

Shirabe and Kirika didn't know who this was, only that she seemed to matter very much to him. Kasai had an inkling of who she was, but he preferred to keep the silence in this delicate moment. "Everyone... I'd like you to meet Charlotte Midorikawa, or Shirley if you're close to her. She's... my mom," Seth introduced, his gaze unmoving from the woman. The girls were silently shocked just like Kasai was, though it didn't appear completely on the surface for him. After another minute or so of silence, Kirika spoke up, asking, "Is... I-Is she okay?"

Seth didn't answer at first, pushing a lock of his mother's hair behind her ear. "My mom and dad were in a car crash when I was younger. Dad had a few injuries, but he made it out with little problems. Mom," Seth explained, his voice teetering a little before he took a deep breath, calming himself, "She experienced most of the crash. Since I was 10, she's been like this, comatosed." They didn't have anything to say to that, just remain silent. Was what Shirabe said before worth anything now that they knew? If this was just one of them, then what about the rest of Section Two?

"I-I'm sorry," was all Kirika could muster, trying to sympathize. "After my dad recovered, he went to work abroad, leaving me in my aunt Karen's care so he could pay for Mom's expenses. The doctors don't have much trust that she'll wake up, but we believe otherwise," Seth said, placing his mother's hand on his cheek, believing she could feel his warmth, "Mom's always been a fighter and she hasn't given up yet." "You said we don't know what it means to suffer... to have a reason to fight for what we do," Kasai said, grabbing their attention this time, "We do. We all do."

Seth gulped, choking down his slowly rising emotions as he said, "I come off as happy-go lucky, springing jokes and having fun, but... I'm scared... Scared Mom won't wake up, that I won't get to see her smile again, that... I won't get another chance to do everything we promised we'd do." The girls could see tears welling up in his eyes, threatening to fall. "But... since becoming a Kamen Rider, I..." Seth wiped his tears, taking a deep breath as he stroked his mother's hand with his thumb, "I'm determined to fight for the day where I can see her again, where we can take a walk together again when the Noise are gone, where we can be happy again."

The girls didn't know how to feel anymore at that point. Now more than ever were they questioning if what they were doing was right or not. "We're sorry... for what we've said before desu," Kirika muttered, Shirabe nodding. "Ignorance... It goes both ways. You guys didn't know about our troubles, and neither do we know yours. We never know," Kasai said, turning slightly to them. His gaze seemed to soften just a little, lessening the pressure they were feeling. "Not unless we give everyone a chance," Seth finished what Kasai was saying, turning to them too. "So apology accepted." The room seemed to calm down, until Seth popped a question.

"So... What will you do now? Are you going to report this to the others?" Seth asked, worried about their answer. Kirika just shook her head, showing a smile that made Seth blush just a little when he saw it. "Report what desu?" She said, feigning ignorance. "That you have a loving mother?" Shirabe joined in. Both of them were willing to act like they were never told this, keeping Seth's mother safe. He smiled at that, letting out a small laugh as he returned to his regular attitude for the moment. "Then how about we get to know each other then? 20 questions anybody?" He suggested, making Kasai facepalm. "I swear, you always seem to surprise me," Kasai sighed. "Come on, it's not everyday we get to do this," Seth laughed. Kirika couldn't help but feel her cheek heat up at his laugh. Shirabe saw this, mentally storing it for later.

However, their time was gonna be short as Kirika and Shirabe's communicators cut back on. Something was said to them, catching them by surprise. "A-Ano, we're sorry, but we have to go. It's important desu!" Kirika said, both her and Shirabe bowing before quickly departing. The two birds watched them leave before looking at each other. For a moment, they seemed to understand each other without saying anything. Seth stood up and kissed his mother's forehead, muttering, "Mahal kita," before departing quickly with Kasai to follow the girls.

At the same time, Hibiki was with her friends, departing from the playground where they were hanging out prior. "Aren't you eating way too many carbs for a young high school girl?" Yumi asked as they went down the stairs. When she didn't hear Hibiki's answer, she called out to her, "Hey!" "Y-Yeah!" Hibiki finally answered, snapping out of her trance, "My friend just makes the best okonomiyaki, though! I can't help it!" "It's a good thing we asked you along then," Shiori giggled. "I'm glad the old lady has Seth-Kun to help her. It must be hard running the shop if it was just her," Miku commented. "We can't just drop in anytime like we used to, after all," Kuriyo pointed out, "But you're looking a bit brighter, don't you think, Bikkie?"

Hibiki looked back, confused, which made her friends laugh a little. "You're as dense as the main character of a harem anime. I'm surprised you even managed to snag someone like a CEO," Yumi revealed. "A certain someone was worried that you might be feeling a bit down, so that's why we all got together to hang out and eat like old times," Kuriyo explained. Knowing one other person in her life that would've felt like that, she turned to them once they reached the bottom, glancing at Miku. By the time the others got down, several cars drove past, catching Hibiki's attention in particular, before an explosion came from further down the road. "What was that?" One of them muttered.

Hibiki began running towards it, followed by her friends. The cars were all tipped over with carbon dust scattered across the road. In the middle of it was Ver and several Noise. The doctor's left sleeve was tied in a knot at the shoulder, a large part of it dried with blood. Bandages were wrapped around his chest, keeping a bundle of some kind close to himself. He seemed to have gone crazy, stumbling as he walked and using Solomon's staff as a cane. "I-I won't hand this over to anyone!" He said, his eyes shifting down to the bundle. "Dr. Ver!" Hibiki buttered, gritting her teeth.

Ver finally realized their arrival, his eyes widening when he saw Hibiki. "W-What?! Why are you here?!" Ver exclaimed, shocked and scared as he raised the staff at them. It glowed before spitting out a Noise at them. Hibiki rushed in front of her friends and towards the Noise, discarding her school bag as she sang.

"Balwishyall Nescell Gungnir Troooon!"

Hibiki punched the Noise when she finished, alarming her friends as her armor hadn't even appeared yet. "Hibiki?!" Miku exclaimed, worried. "She touched the Noise... Without transforming?!" Ver gasped, confounded. As the Noise began to evaporate, Hibiki's Symphogear formed itself, the shockwave from her punch almost making Ver fall over. "This fist... My life... They are Symphogear!" Hibiki exclaimed, tightening her fist as she glared at the Doctor.

Season 2 - Episode 6 - End