Judge the Resonance, Part I: Through chaos, you rise (The World of Symphogear)

"Music is a moral law. It gives soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination, and charm and gaiety to life and to everything."  -- Plato

Year 20XX

Time: 1:00 P.M. (1300 Hours)

         The sun glistened spiritedly overhead in the open, crisp blue sky reciprocating its warmth from its mighty rays down upon the island chain paradise in the midst of the Pacific Ocean.  Home to a population of over a million people, the heavenly oasis was known by the name of Hawaii—the 50th state of the United States of America.  Boasting a booming business in Tourism, the territory that had eight distinct islands of note:  Niihau, Kauai, Oahu, Maui, Molokai, Lanai, Kahoolawe, and the Big Island of Hawaii; each island had their own features that made them ideal for any vacation but Maui was the location where a certain group elected to take their vacation.

         The Squad of Nexus Guardians (also known as S.O.N.G.) was a response force managed by the United Nations that specialized in the handling of disasters that were too great for regular human beings to overcome.  One could say that this group was the hub in which people with supernatural abilities were gathered to help with protecting mankind for malevolent entities but regardless of their nature, even these people needed a break from their duties.  After the issue with the Bavarian Illuminati a few weeks back, the special tactics group was given just that.  Given a section of the beach for their own private use, six maidens that belonged to the elite group were currently basking in the sunlight and enjoying some fun in the ocean.

         The first one was a 17 year old girl with dark orange eyes and light orange hair fastened with two red clips on either side of her head.  She was the outgoing, friendly and overwhelmingly optimistic type that treated everyone with kindness and sought to understand everyone around her, even if they were her enemies.  Although she can be dense at times and bull-headed, she was the dependable type that one could always count on even when they least expected it.  She was known as Hibiki Tachibana.

         The second female was a 19 year old famous pop singer with dark blue eyes and blue hair.  She had a notable side pony-tail on the left side of her head that was longer than the rest of her beautiful locks.  Initially the cold type after she lost her previous partner a few years ago, she has opened up considerably over time being much more caring with her friends as well as outgoing and protective of her friends.  She also has an air of dependability as well as a greater atmosphere of maturity than her juniors but she has her quirks about her.  Her name was Tsubasa Kazanari.

         Next up was the shorter yet fiery in persona female by the name of Chris Yukine.  She had purple eyes and long, silver hair that fell to her knees, separated into twin-tails that further split into three curly strands each.  She has a hot-headed and aggressive temperament born from her traumatic past but with her friends, she has a gentler edge to her and an open and honest nature about her.  She can be quite the overprotective type when it comes to her juniors but she is considerably quick-witted.

         The next two were an inseparable pair.  One was a 16 year old girl with blonde hair and green eyes known as Kirika Akatsuki.  She was the cheerful and upbeat type that could make just about anyone smile just by being around her.  The other was a 15 year old girl that was almost the opposite of the former party being very silent and calm, almost emotionless.  With pink eyes and long, straight black hair bound in two pig-tails tied with pink ribbons, her name was Shirabe Tsukuyomi.

         The last female of the group was the eldest of the six and ironically the tallest.  She was 22 years old and also had a similar career in pop music in which she toured with Tsubasa.  Cyan colored eyes and long, pink, hair with the top styled up in two horn-like curls while the rest of her hair hangs loose down to her hips, she was a very enigmatic woman at times.  She had a harsh tone at times when it came to being serious but she was also kind and sincere, almost like she had an older sister or even a motherly attitude.  The stunning woman was known as Maria Cadenzavna Eve.

         Each dressed in their own particular swim wear; the girls were casually playing beach volleyball as the gentle tides of the ocean washed over their feet.  They were relishing in the free time that they had to enjoy even if it would be a brief one.  Proof of this sentiment lied in the fact that the steel vessel that was part destroyer-class ship and part submarine loomed in the distance anchored safely in case of any emergencies in this area.  Regardless of that, the girls were still given time to enjoy to themselves as they pleased.

         Their last major conflict was with the group known as the Bavarian Illuminati who was responsible for numerous acts of terrorism in past conflicts as well as a major opponent against the Symphogear project over the years.  Their leader, Adam Weishaupt nearly caused the destruction of the world but the six warriors managed to pull over a massive win averting any escalation in crisis.  That event occurred only a few weeks ago and it did manage to leave a considerable scar in everyone's minds and hearts but the grace in surviving and being alive would be enough to bring people through.  After such events, the United Nations granted S.O.N.G. the right to take leave but to be on standby for any emergency deployments if necessary.  Unfortunately, that reality would come sooner than later.

         A violent shaking occurred rattling the entire area.  Way off in the distance by margin of less than 100 miles, a giant plume of black smoke rose high into the sky.  The thickness of the smoke and unique shape of it suggested that it was not an ordinary fire that caused it but something much more dire.  Catching the attention of the six girls, the game of beach volleyball abruptly halted as they walked ashore grabbing their towels to dry off feeling like their vacation was about to be interrupted.  Sure enough, a high-pitched beeping noise came from the groups' communication devices that they sat aside while they played in the water.  Each one of them picking it up, the face of their commander came on the small digital screen.

         "A volcanic eruption just took place on the Big Island and first responders don't have enough time to get people out of the way of the lava flow.  We just got word to move in and use any means necessary to get the people to safety.  I'm sending you a chopper so get ready to move out," the husky individual ordered.

         Nodding in affirmation, the six females each took hold of six pink jewels respectively known as relics.  These relics were the cores of legendary armors known as Symphogears.  Each Symphogear was unique as well as the abilities contained within.  In order to access this power, a chant in the form of a song was used to activate them before imbuing users with immense power fueled by the resonance of music.  All at once they called out chants to activate their devices.

         "Balwisyall nescell Gungnir tron," Hibiki spoke out before being engulfed in an orange light.

         "Imyuteus Ame no Habakiri tron," Tsubasa sang out then was embraced in a blue light.

         "Killter Ichaival tron," Chris called then was imbued in a red light.

         "Zeios Igalima raizen tron," Kirika echoed then became bathed in a green light.

         "Various Shul Shagana tron," Shirabe summoned aloud before being surrounded in a pink light.

         "Seilien coffin Airgetlam tron," Maria evoked then was basked in silver light.

         As the colors dominated the scene, the six maidens were all enveloped in various armors that were fused with combat dresses.  Each one of them held distinctive similarities in which they all had headgear similar to the Valkyries' helmets from Norse mythology; a protective vest that secured their busts; armor that covered the midsection as well as the upper thigh area; however, the shoulders and legs were left exposed for maneuverability.  In a gleaming array of beauty and ferocity, the six women went from appearing like innocent and delicate flowers to ferocious warriors ready to protect mankind from destruction.

         The Gungnir worn by Hibiki had orange and white as the dominant shades in color.  She had a distinctive scarf that wrapped around her neck and draped in the breeze like a cape.  For her weapons, she used her hands and feet in the form of martial artists although she particularly favored the strength of her fists.  As a result, she had a pair of oversized gauntlets that one may consider to hit function like pistons in an engine with the way she can hit you.  She had a variety of methods to use her gauntlets such as turning her fist into a giant drill among other things.

         The Ame no Habakiri armor of Tsubasa was blue, black and white in tone which featured long sleeves on the arms stretched up to the upper shoulders and curved pieces of steel that looked like blades coming from the heel area.  The main weapon of the older female was based around the katana in which she also held a variety of techniques to utilize as well.  The flexibility of the way the sword could be used was something that the girl could convey with grace and precision.

         Ichaival was the red, black and white armor worn by Chris.  The most stand out feature of this armor was that the back of her dress armor.  These pieces were shaped like rhombuses but appeared to act as wings and greatly supported her weapon of choice being artillery.  Currently she was equipped with two crossbow pistols that could fire like submachine guns.  These two weapons were only just one pair of what weapons she could create to blow away her targets in a hail storm of fire.

         The green and black shaded armor of the Igalima gave the shorter female, Kirika, a surprisingly dangerous edge.  Along with a uniquely curved shape hat reminiscent of a magician from a card game, she had four metal petal-shaped wings that moved about on her back.  Her weapon of choice was a dangerously large scythe that could grow for a wider swing or be split into two for duel-wielding purposes.  Despite being the goofball of the group, the girl who used "death" (desu) as a catchphrase was like the grim reaper.

         Next there was Kirika's counterpart, the pink and black Shul Shagana worn by Shirabe. Her armor had the distinctive feature of metallic twin-tails that not only protected her hair, but also maintained the wielding of her weapons.  The tools she used in battle were honestly shaped and used like yo-yos but were actually saw blades that she could use in different ways as well.  She could change their size and adjust their utility such as riding around on wheels for quicker transportation.

         Lastly in the lustrous silver and white armor of Airgetlam was Maria.  The defining characteristic of her armor was the lone train of cloth that draped from the girl's right thigh.  In addition, she had a gauntlet that tucked away her weapon.  Its initial appearance was like a dagger but could be extended into a one-handed sword.  With further enhancement, the girl could use it like a bladed whip as the segments of the blade could come apart thus giving the female the ability to dominate her foes at many different ranges.

         With all of the women ready to get to work, the air fills with the loud noise emanating from a black helicopter ready to carry them over to the scene.  Not wasting a single instance of time, they jump in and head off to the scene of the disaster that was about to unfold.  A sudden incident like this was bound to have numerous casualties but these girls have managed to do the impossible and overcome bleak odds time and time again.  Fate had not deemed their failure so far and hopefully not anytime soon.

         On the Big Island mass chaos began to spread.  As the landmass shook violently from the unpredictable wrath of the volcano looming in the distance, the population scattered about like ants whose nest was disturbed.  Volcanic activity was not something of great surprise in the state; in fact, many thought of it as the island growing in size.  Lava flow hardly ever threatened the general populace but that was when the summits were only yielding less-than-concerning movement.  However this was not the case and consequentially, no one was prepared for it.

         As billowing waves of ash and bits of lava burst into the sky, it was only a matter of time before the intimidating summit would release its pyroclastic flow yielding to the instantaneous destruction of the various settlements below.  Sirens wailed telling people to get to safety but being trapped on a small landmass in the middle of ocean made it seem like only a feeble endeavor.  But little did the currently—and rightfully—terrified populace know that they had help in the most unlikely of forms approaching the area.

         The sky was filled with music as the six girls dressed in mystical armor dropped down from above the area descending towards the bubbling formation of Earth protruding from the ground.  Their voices rang out like angels as their songs sought to ease the hearts of the fearful human beings.  As they skydived down below, they were already formulating a plan to prevent the city from being damaged by the imminent lava flaw that would eventually come rushing down the summit.  The current thought that simultaneously ran through their minds was to somehow redirect the molten flow of magma away from the area towards the ocean.      The volcano yielded another violent shake before a thunderous boom emerged from it as a flood of scorching, liquid earth came from its mouth and began its journey towards the city.  There wasn't much time to work with so the girls would have to act swiftly to prevent casualties.

         Approaching the ground after a seemingly long and endless glide, Chris transformed her crossbow pistols into two large Gatling guns.  With this, she unleashed a hellfire of bullets down onto the mountain's surface as fast as she possibly could to cause a pit to form in it.  From there, she dragged her bullet storm down the mountain and quickly across to trace a path for the lava to flow into; however, the trail wasn't wide enough for all of it to flow into.

         "Shirabe-chan, I need your help!" Hibiki called out to the twin-tailed girl having an idea to reinforce Chris' initial move.

         Upon hitting the ground, Shirabe used her weapons as wheels as she rode behind Hibiki who was making great strides to head to the crater that her friend in red had made.  As they reached the location, the martial artist took a look at the location of the flow of lava to gauge its speed.  Albeit it a slow descent, it would not take long for it to reach their location and inevitably the population of people that were trying their best to escape the area right now.  She wasn't one for math but her instincts told her that they had a few minutes at most before this area would be compromised.

         "Hibiki-san, I think I know what you want to do!" the quiet girl called out as she suddenly used her armor to generate a large saw blade like a wheel and spin it into the ground.

         "That's exactly right, I'm gonna hop on okay?" Hibiki shouted out.

         "Go for it!"

         The Gungnir user jumped on top of the small girl's shoulders balancing herself in a way so that her weight would not disturb the younger female's movement or concentration.  As Shirabe began to move forward along the path using her circular blades, Hibiki turned her right fist into a drill and thrust her fist forward opening the path that Chris carved out for them.  Meanwhile, Tsubasa and Maria were on the far sides of the lava flow and began to cut up the rock formation into the shape of a giant funnel so that the fiery trail could channel itself down the way.  As for Chris, she was dashing across the island still firing her rounds into the mountain to finish what she started.  Kirika was close behind hacking away any falling debris so that the gunsmith would not have to worry about being crushed.

         With hardly any words passing between them just the presence of unwavering trust and belief in their songs, the Symphogear girls worked together flawlessly focusing on their roles to protect the people from certain eradication by the natural disaster.  As time passed by, the lava flowed into the mouth of the funnel created by Maria and Tsubasa now traveling down the channel that was forged by the teamwork of the other girls.  This would be the defining moment that would make or break the fate of the lives present.  Presently, the magmatic flow was being irrigated successfully towards the ocean.

         Aboard S.O.N.G.'s ship, the situation was being monitored by the commander of the special response force.  Standing at the helm of the ship on the bridge, he was a tall and muscular man with a stern look upon his face.  He had gold eyes, spiky red hair, and a goatee to compliment his serious demeanor.  Wearing a red dress shirt with rolled up sleeves, a pink tie with its end tucked into the left breast pocket, light beige trousers and black and blue athletic shoes; he was a blood-related relative of Tsubasa Kazanari.  His name was Genjuro Kazanari.

         "It looks like they seem to have things under control.  Manipulating the landscape to create an artificial canal was a genius move.  How's the situation in the city?" he asked requesting a report from one of the other officers in the room

         "It looks like first responders are on the scene making sure the citizens are out of the immediate perceived strike zone.  However thanks to the efforts of the girls, no lava has managed to spill out into the general population area," a woman responded with dark blue hair and purple eyes wearing a dark blue uniform.  She went by the name of Tomosato Aoi.

         "In addition, aside from minor car accidents due to the sudden panic and cracks in the road and foundation of buildings from the initial threat of eruption, I'm getting reports of no major damage or signs of casualties in the area," reported a young man with brown hair and hazel eyes dressed in a similarly colored uniform suited for males; he was called Sakuya Fujitaka.

         "Acknowledged, and what about the status of the girls?" Genjuro asked while turning his attention to another member on the bridge.

         "Their Phonic Gain output is stable, nothing abnormal to report as of now," spoke up the smallest voice coming from a tiny girl by the name of Elfnein.  She had short, blonde hair and green eyes wearing a white lab coat over a yellow sundress. She served as S.O.N.G.'s top researcher on the Symphogear technology and maintained the relics of all the girls.

         "Alright, let's move the ship into position to provide support.  Knowing those ladies, they'll be done soon enough," Genjuro ordered signifying the operators to get the ship over towards the island.  Given how well things were going, it appeared that they would be able to get back to their vacation after this incident was resolved but not everything typically went as planned.

         Back on the scene, the Symphogear users gathered together on the far side of the island upon finishing out their respective tasks watching the lava pour into the ocean.  Large clouds of steam floated into the air as the cool waters off the coast instantly hardened the magma turning it to solid material which would add to the island's size.  Keeping a distance so that they wouldn't inhale any toxins from the natural occurrence, the girls had smiles on their faces patting each other on the back on a job well done but their celebration was eventually interrupted.

         A loud, ear-shattering screech rang out in the air as the ground shook intensely underneath them.  Something was about to emerge, something big at that.  The team's faces went from being filled with joy to being filled with worry and caution as they peered around the area wondering what that noise was.  The deafening, high-pitched scream came once again as a sudden bang came from the top of the volcano.  To their dismay, a creature came forth from the volcano the size of a 5-story building.  It appeared like some amalgamation birthed from the depths of the Earth itself as its fiery, molten body covered in oozing, blackened fragments of clay and dirt gave it its shape.  Great horns protruded from its skull like a demon along with large bat wings coming from its back.  It was almost as if the beast was a monster from the pits of Hell.

         "What the hell is that thing?" spoke Chris gritting her teeth but clenching the handles of her guns tightly.

         "That's nothing like we've ever encountered before," analyzed Tsubasa with a serious expression upon her face.

         "Just when one problem seems to be solved, another one pops up," Maria spoke.

         "Desu, desu!" Kirika cheekily coined her phrase but in a disheartened tone of voice.

         "-jiiiiiiiiii.." Shirabe stared with no words to be spoken.

         "It doesn't matter what that thing is, we have to stop it before anyone gets hurt!" Hibiki spoke up balling her fists up ready to fight.

         "Wait a second everyone!" Elfnein called out broadcasting a transmission to the squad's earpieces.

         "Elfnein-chan? What is it?" Hibiki asked in response.

         "That monster isn't something I'd recommend you go and fight right off the bat.  It's generating some sort of frequency that is like the Alca-Noise but on an entirely different wavelength.  I don't think your Symphogears will be able to damage it!" the scientist spoke out in protest for everyone to hear including those on the bridge of the ship.

         "Even so! The lives of the innocent can't be left to suffer so you can't expect me to do nothing!" Hibiki spoke out.

         "Then it looks like we'll have to go all out on this bastard from the gate," concluded the wild child in the red armor.

         "Then let's use the Ignite Module," Tsubasa affirmed for a decision.  The girls all nodded in agreement and went to grab the pink crystals in the center of their chests to combat the beast but something insane occurred.

         In the blink of an eye, the giant monster disappeared before reappearing before them by just a matter of about 50 feet.  Catching them completely off guard, the girls were left to look up at the sinister beast in horror.  With one loud roar, an invisible wave of energy in the form of a massive sonic frequency hit the group of females rendering their armor completely powerless.  Observing the phenomenon on screen, Genjuro and the others were left to watch in fear.

         "T…That's impossible, whatever that creature is depleted the Phonic Gain contained within their armor.  Despite of being able to keep it equipped, they can't do anything offensively.  They're completely helpless!" Elfnein shouted in despair.

         "Dammit, arm the railguns on the main deck.  We have to distract that thing so we can get the girls to safety.  Send out a chopper immediately to recover them," Genjuro ordered in reaction.  The scenario was going from bad to worse by the second and they could not afford to spare a single sliver of time.  Feeling tense, the muscular commander was left with one single thought in his mind.

         We could really use a miracle right about now…

         It was at this moment that the skies over the area grew darker than before; like a sudden storm had risen in result of the atmosphere of chaos and fear.  However it was not a natural storm that was about to take place, but the harrowing of someone's arrival…

*****

         "Four fragments down, two more to go…soon this journey will be over and I can go home back to my world.  I just hope my home is still intact given the state of affairs when I was taken from it…" Obsidian pondered to himself as he burst through the cosmos now approaching another universe affected by the influence of the Arcana Crystal.

         He was trying to avoid any feelings of longing given the task at hand with his journey along with the enemies he had to deal with but in this one small space of time, he could not help himself.  The assassin didn't know how long it's been since he began this journey.  It could be as small as a few hours to a few days but given how time was different with every universe he visited and every separate age he found himself in as a result, it was far longer than he knew.  The young man figured that there would be some time that has passed as a result of his disappearance which he was prepared to accept but the people he left behind…both friend and foe made him concerned.

         His biological mother was on a psychotic break when he last saw her so he didn't know how she would act should her mental stability cave in completely, plus there was the devilishness that got him into this mess contained within Orion.  Then there was the desperation of the Empire which could make a last stand against the Revolutionary Army; however that could be easily solved due to whom all fought for the rebellion now. 

But, he could not forget about those individuals who composed the main forces of Neveir.  They were a threat that was infinitely above everything else that could be classified as a problem in the world.

         "Addy, Vesta, Akame, you all got this right?  I'm sorry you all have to constantly clean up my messes.  Heh, I really am irresponsible aren't I?" he softly chuckled to himself.

         He knew that his universe wouldn't crumble easily.  Those three that he named before were leagues above him in power and if things got dicey, well he was sure that the rest of Team AKARA would be there as well.  But that still didn't stop him from being concerned…especially because of that one person in particular.

         "That Hikari Hanate…she…she terrifies me to no end," he murmured.

         The Crimson Harbinger held very few instances in which he felt the sting of fear.  Rias was one of them, any member of his family getting pissed off was another, but Hikari was something else.  If there was a clear and cut definition of pure, unadulterated hatred given form and was consolidated into a singular being, then that would be the Devil Queen herself.  His anxiety over the safety of his home was caused namely by her existence in itself.

         [Boy, the universe where the fifth fragment is located is approaching.]

         Indra interrupted the Son of Mercer's chain of thought which led to him to refocusing on the job at hand.  For now, he had to push his concerns away and prepare to track down another piece of the Arcana Crystal.  It was all he could do at this point.  Once that was done and he had the means of getting home, he could consider how to face the other challenge.  As he dashed his way towards Earth in this universe, he felt the energy signature already but could not pinpoint it exactly.  However, a trace of the abnormality came from a small chain of islands in the middle of the ocean which was where he was determined to start.  In the end, the skies filled with the violent crackling of lightning like before in other universes.

         "Report:  Our exfiltration team is having trouble getting close to the island due to the interference of a sudden thunderstorm.  They're trying their best to advance with caution without being struck by lightning," Sakuya stated communicating the current happenings on the bridge.

         "Our ship is about five minutes out from the island and the artillery is read and locking on to the strange beast but the targeting computers are experiencing some interference due to the severity of the weather as well," added Aoi.

         "Damn, what on Earth is even going on right now?  Elfnein-kun, what's going on with the girls?" Genjuro asked seeking some form of good news.

         "I'm still picking up their life signs but their vitals are beginning to experience some abnormalities due to the air quality right now.  The gases from the volcano erupting coupled with the steam rising from the lava flow in their general area could potentially suffocate them," the small scientist reported.

         On-screen, the monstrosity that threatened the lives of the Symphogear users came into view looming with a voracious demeanor.  The beast had not made a move to attack the girls after rendering them helpless or even advance on the city.  It just stood there as if waiting for something.  It was unlike anything that they've seen before; the signature it emanated was off the charts.  Without the girls, nothing stood a chance but it was then that the creature turned its attention towards the far right when a massive beam of lightning struck the ground.  The illumination was so strong that it literally caused everything on the island to stop as if seizing the breath of all present.  Silence wafted over the entire area and time seemingly stood still for everyone present. The seconds passed on then the pillar of light dissipated and the storm seemingly calmed down.

         "Get me a visual of what the hell just happened!  Is the chopper team still on route to the area?" Genjuro yelled out.

         The screen on the bridge changed as the team radioed in pointing observation cameras over the area.  The beast seemed to divert its attention towards the area of impact but was clearly tense over something.  The camera then switched over to the smoking impact zone where the light struck and as the faint clouds of smoke disappeared, a silhouette of a man appeared. In a black, hooded cloak with unique armor as well as a red and steel mask concealing his identity, something had made its appearance on the island.

         "Who the hell is that?" the stern commander whispered in awe.

         Back on the surface, the girls were covering their faces trying to gradually retreat from the area without the creature taking aim at them.  It appeared distracted from the sudden change in weather which gave them a chance to move out of its sights.  Running as fast as they could, they hurried over to a small bundle of trees nearby to try and hide and wait for extraction.  The toxic gases from the area had infiltrated their lungs though so it was getting hard to breathe.  When the pillar of light came, they shielded their eyes to prevent retinal damage.  After it faded, they could catch a glimpse of the person in the distance.

         "Whoa…" gasped Hibiki as she peered around the tree.

         "Looks like we have another guest," Tsubasa spoke softly while observing the silhouette.

         "Yeah but is it friend or foe? We're already helpless without our gears right now so we really can't afford to fight right now," Maria commented as well.

         "Man this pisses me off; I don't like the feeling of being helpless.  How the hell did that damn monster drain our armor in first place?" Chris pondered in frustration.

         "I don't know but I don't like the looks of this right now-desu," Kirika remarked.

         "We just have to wait for the chopper right?" Shirabe asked.

         "Yeah but it seems like they couldn't get close before due to the weather interference. We just have to stay hidden from the creature's line of sight for now," Tsubasa further added.

         Suddenly, the demon unleashed one of its hellish, bone-chilling screams towards the target before it spreading its wings apart and crouching down towards the ground like a predator about to pounce on its prey.  To be accurate, it had taken the stance of a territorial beast ready to tear a foreign creature impeding on its turf.  But little did the creature know the target of its wrath was less than impressed by its so-called threat of intimidation.

         Well then, this is unexpected…

         That thought ran through Obsidian's mind as he cast his gaze around the would-be tropical paradise thrown into chaos by the volcanic eruption.  He tilted his head as he examined the shape of the volcano and felt the heat from the lava passing through the area.

         Adena would enjoy this for a vacation spot.

         That thought made him chuckle a bit to himself recalling the enthusiastic redhead's natural affinity for everything fire related but such laughs didn't last for long as his eyes then turned to take note of the beast.  The Gargoyle-like beast tried its best to advocate an atmosphere of terror over the male but the armored warrior only held a deadpan expression on his face underneath the mask.  As the traveler scanned the monster's energy, he could tell that the thing was clearly born of a mutation courtesy of the fragment that he was seeking.  Although there was clearly something else there as well, he could clearly feel the dark energy of another Demon God infused in it.

         "I wonder which deity I'll be running into this time," he spoke aloud with an annoyed tone of voice.  It was then that he took another hard look around the area to gauge the immediate threat there was to the people nearby.

         From his perspective, the people were out of danger for the moment.  The volcano's lava was cleverly irrigated away from the city towards the ocean which was commendable but the presence of the monster was something that needed to be dealt with.  It shouldn't take too much effort in its elimination but he wanted to be careful that no civilians were in the area.  As he traced his eyesight towards the small bundle of trees in the distance, he sensed the presence of six individuals.  He didn't understand why there were only six people in this isolated space when it seemed like everyone else was being evacuated elsewhere but that was not something he could deal with thinking too hard about.  As a result, he just had to make sure that the monster did not pull anything that would put them in jeopardy.

         "Alright then," the assassin spoke reaching his blade unsheathing the Vajra sword, "Let's put you to rest in one shot."

         The beast quickly rushed at Obsidian without further delay using the surprisingly agile speed that it displayed before.  It barreled towards the hooded warrior with full killing intent as it dripped hot lava from its fangs destroying the landscape it trod upon. The swordsman merely gripped the handle of his weapon tightly taking a deep breath.

         "It's not every day that some minion is actually fast but…"

         In one single arc motion with his blade, he bore his blade down upon the oncoming beast allowing the creature to pass over him but was bifurcated in half.

         "I'm infinitely faster than you."

         The horrendous beast that came from the fiery summit was dispatched without a single care.  As the creature melted into a pile of clay and ash, Obsidian took a moment to observe the environment feeling like there was something more he could do.  The lava that was flowing on the ground was still hot and could potentially pose an extended threat over time if it didn't cool anytime soon.  In addition, the giant cloud of ash in the distance would pose a threat to every living thing on the island as well.  As a result, the youth dashed into the sky.

         He took his blade and swung it once in a hard sweeping motion.  The motion of his blade released a strong backwind that blew away the large cloud dispersing the toxic air.  It was then that he raised his blade into the air above his head.  Influencing the storm clouds that he came in, he forced rain to fall down on the island in a gentle fashion to forcefully solidify all of the molten contents that was exposed.  As the steam rose from the area causing a smokescreen again, he reciprocated his sword swings dispersing the clouds that rose from the island's surface.  After a few minutes, everything seemingly calmed down.  Satisfied with this, he tucked his sword away and let the storm clouds fade from view before landing on the ground.  Concerned about the ones hiding in the trees, he made his way towards them at a brisk walking pace.

         "That was…that was insane," Elfnein commented watching all of what just took place on screen in the room.  She wasn't the only one who thought this as literally everyone present on deck stopped what they were doing stunned from the incomprehensible display that just occurred on the monitor before them.  A situation that had escalated in danger and difficulty by the minute without a solid countermeasure or resolution was just cleared up in less than minute; anyone who was not in awe of this right now clearly was not paying attention.

         "As much as we owe our thanks to this person, we have to make sure we get to the girls.  There's no telling if they are still in danger and I don't want to take any chances on this stranger's good will," Genjuro commented with some awe over the deeds that he just bore witness to but was more concerned over his team on the ground which have yet to be seen.

         "It seems like the girls' communicators are back online and the chopper is making its approach vector," Aoi reported.

         "Good, I'm going to make a transmission to one of them.  We need to know more about our visitor should this person make contact before their extraction."

         The Symphogear girls were rendered speechless as well on their end.  They didn't know what to do or say about the whole ordeal but their concerns were seemingly washed away in a snap. The stranger was approaching their general location which caused some anxiety to rise up within each of them. He just saved their lives and the lives of everyone present but did that mean he was a friend or was he just setting them up for something?  None of them could guess.  However, being the one who believed in the good within everyone regardless of their agendas, Hibiki was the first to step from behind the tree going out to meet the masked individual.

         "H…Hey knucklehead, what the hell are you doing?!" shouted Chris towards the girl who fearlessly stepped forward.

         "Tachibana-san, that's not very wise of you," Tsubasa cautioned as well.

         "Now is not the time to play hard-headed!" Maria shouted.  As for Shirabe and Kirika, they just nodded in agreement with the others' sentiment.

         "This guy just saved our lives, surely that's gotta count for something right?" Hibiki responded with a slight turn of the head before continuing her advance.

         Obsidian casually advanced towards the group as nonchalantly as possible.  He was conscious over how he advanced given the fact that the armor probably made him intimidating to others.  Since the beginning of his journey, every universe he visited was in some dismal land where humanity was suffering in some capacity or there was nothing but ruination around him from war.  Being in this world and seeing an active populace gave him some solace but at the same time, increased his urgency to want to obtain the fragment here before anyone was put in danger.  Seeing other humans placed in harm's way so close to the area where he just had a little skirmish made him cautious over his actions going forward so for his own peace of mind, he wanted to make sure the perceived pedestrians were okay.

         He could see a girl approach him.  Given her appearance, the assassin surmised that she was at least his age or possibly younger.  That was something he wasn't expecting but then again, his world is vastly different than this one so their upbringing was vastly different.  Another thing that stood out to him was the armor that the girl had worn.  Given its structure, he had a guess that they had some sort of fighting potential to them but they didn't emanate any auras at the moment.

         Hibiki and Obsidian eventually stood before each other.  The girl was at least a foot shorter than the man in armor.  Silence passed between them for a few seconds but the girl still had a hopeful glow contained in her eyes.  She touched on hand to her chest about to speak up but the man in the hooded cloak swiftly spoke first.

         "Are you and the others okay?" he asked in a calm tone.

         "We're fine now thanks to you.  That was quite the display you put on.  Who are you?" she asked curiously.

         Before he could answer, a large, black helicopter appeared over the scene lowering itself to the area.  The insignia belonging to S.O.N.G. was engraved along the tail as a man in a suit waved at them to come.   The other girls haphazardly came out from behind the trees and ran over to the vehicle motioning the girl to come along as well.  She felt conflicted on what to do because she wanted to know more about the man but she also had her own obligation as well.

         "Listen, I…I don't where you've come from or anything but I'm sure there are other people who'd want to meet you…" Hibiki began.

         "Hibiki-kun," Genjuro's voice rang out over her communicator.

         "Gyah, Genjuro-san?!" the girl chirped in surprise.

         "Listen to me, are you okay?" he asked ignoring the girl's astonishment upon hearing her voice.

         "Y…Yes, I'm actually standing before the person who saved us."

         "I see. So I'm guessing he isn't hostile at all?"

         "No sir, he was actually having a small conversation with me."

         "See if he's willing to come aboard the ship."

         "Eh?!"

         Meanwhile, Obsidian was just standing there with his arms folded tilting his head to the side a bit over the display going on before him.  The obnoxiously loud and peculiarly shaped vehicle in the short distance was something he was only vaguely familiar with.  After all, the last time he saw one of these machines was back when he unexpectedly visited his brother's world.  Seeing it up close was rather interesting to the individual.  In addition, hearing some person's voice come from the strange device on the girl's wrist also made him curious as well.  However, he couldn't afford to get caught up in the world of technology.  His enhanced hearing allowed him to understand the words of the man's voice; he felt like this would be an opportunity to find some information.  Plus, his suspicions that these girls weren't ordinary individuals were being proven true since they had some organization clearly protecting them.

         "I'll go," Obsidian responded swiftly while hearing the man's request. Hibiki looked up in shock.

         "Wait, what?"

         "Your…commanding officer wishes to speak with me right? Then that benefits my own objectives so I'll go with you."

         "Did you hear that Genjuro-san?" she asked while nodding at the man.

         "Yes, bring him on the chopper then," the man said before cutting the communication line.

         Following her directives, the girl merely waved towards the masked person to follow her as they began to walk towards the chopper.  Seeing the foreign individual approach, it was needless to say that everyone in the vehicle became nervous.  Without saying a word, the assassin slowly boarded the foreign vehicle unsure of what to really expect while riding on top of one these things then kept quiet to himself peering out at the gorgeous oceanic view.  The crew on board couldn't help but to stare at him in silent awe and anxiety over what was to happen next.  Beneath the mask, the youth glanced over their faces once but then paid them no attention for the ride.  He was also nervous of them and a little apprehensive about this world but at this point he was blind to the workings of the society therein.  So he just maintained silence to wait and see how things would play out.

*****

         "What's the status of city?" Genjuro asked seeking details of the happenings on the Big Island to determine whether it was still necessary to bring the ship any closer to the city than it already is.

         "It seems like First Responders have calmed the masses.  I'm getting reports that the people are being allowed to gradually return to their homes.  In addition, there haven't been any reports of casualties or extreme cases of damage.  However, the press is all over the scene trying to determine the strange phenomena that happened since the time of the beast's arrival to that stranger managing to defeat it in one go.  Some people have been uploading photos and clips of the battle to the Internet," explained Sakuya.

         "Looks like our vacation is going to be cut short sooner than I had previously anticipated, the higher-ups will be contacting us soon I imagine," Genjuro analyzed placing his hand under his chin.

         "The extraction team just landed and the girls are being led to the medical bay to get checked out.  The guards want to know what to do about our unexpected guest," Aoi spoke up.

         "Tell them to escort the stranger to the bridge.  Also, delay the medical screening of the girls for a moment. I want them present as well.  Before any heat comes in from above, we need answers."

         "Roger that."

         About 15 minutes or so passed before the steel doors to the command room of the bridge opened up and the six girls walked through all wearing S.O.N.G. uniforms after getting changed along the way.  Behind them came the taller figure in the unique armor and robes that none of the people present could ascertain the origin of.  As the six users stood on the far side of the room, all eyes—including Genjuro and the other staffers on deck—were now focused on the masked individual.  A strong awkward silence lasted for quite a few seconds before anyone began to speak.

         "My name is Genjuro Kazanari and I am the commander of S.O.N.G. Thank you for saving the lives of everyone on the island and the lives of my team," the muscular man spoke graciously.

         "Yes thank you, my name is Hibiki Tachibana," the girl with dark orange eyes spoke.  The other girls introduced themselves immediately after.  Some were reluctant to do so, being Chris and Tsubasa, while the others were either nonchalant or shy about it.  The two bridge operators and Elfnein also introduced themselves before Genjuro resumed speaking.

         "As grateful as we are that you came to the rescue, I have to ask.  Who are you and where did you come from?"

         "He said he was just a lost traveler when I asked him," Hibiki interjected.

         "You're not seriously going with that are you? What's the point even asking him? It's not like this guy is someone we can trust you know.  And what kind of traveler does the crap he did?" Chris cut in showing her blatant distrust of the man before being given time to answer.

         "Yukine, we should at least hear him out before jumping to conclusions," Tsubasa spoke.

         "She does have a point though.  As impressive as that power display was, we still don't know if he's trustworthy," Maria added.

         "Desu~" Kirika nodded while Shirabe just stared at the being.

         "That's enough everyone, give the man a chance to speak," Genjuro ordered calmly causing the room to go silent.

         Obsidian took a moment to think of what would be the best course of action right now.

I could go about with my usual routine that I've done before and introduce myself using my codename and what not but this world is vastly different from the others that I've visited so far. 

[Are you sure you want to continue with that train of thought, boy?]

Indra…now isn't really a good time to spark up a conversation.

[You're going to have to deal with it right now.  But are you sure you really want to be unveiling yourself in some universe you know nothing about? Who knows whether or not doing this will be something you regret over time…]

Would you shut up already? Unlike the past places I've been to, I can't detect the energy of the fragment at all.  It isn't like last time where I felt the aura and the damn thing was in another timeline.  This time it's complicated.

[Yes, the miniscule signature that came from that creature was quite troublesome.  Once you eliminated it, the trail just disappeared in an instant.  But that doesn't justify the unnecessary exposure you're willing to take.]

I'm probably going to be here longer than I previously anticipated.  This world is unique and probably the most advanced civilization I've been to so far.  To understand it and prepare myself for what is to come, I'm going to need allies and they are more than likely going to need my assistance as well.  To build a relationship, one needs a foundation of trust.

Dismissing the concerns of the deity in his mind after that, the youth made up his mind on what to do.  The male reached for his mask with his left hand and flipped his hood back with his right.  A few mechanisms on his armor unlatched allowing him to remove the mask.  Once that was done, he pulled down the obscurities underneath the mask to further protect his identity before revealing his tanned face, red eyes and heterochromia hair to everyone in the room.  The youthful yet mature features of the handsome visage hidden by the anonymity of the disguise before now filled the eyes of those present causing an air of astonishment to settle in.  For those who had a mind for such notice among the females, he was indeed good looking.  In fact, two of the girls actually felt that notion a little more than the others.  Maria coughed slightly turning to the side a bit while Chris just gritted her teeth and looked down.  Not taking note of this, the facially exposed assassin opened his mouth to speak.

         "My name is Raizo Mercer.  I come from a place of a different time in a universe vastly far away from this one.  I came here looking for something that should not be here and if left unaddressed then your world will be in grave danger that no one present will be able to stop.  Normally I prefer to keep my identity hidden and use my code name being 'Obsidian' but I need you to trust me for everyone's sake," the Crimson Stormbringer stated honestly waiting for how they would react.

         Another strong silence washed over the entire room again as they had to process what was just said. It seems like the concept of the Multiverse Theory was at it again.  After all, dealing with alternate timelines was something that had a run-in with at one point in time. Could this day not get any more bizarre for them?  Yes the organization was called the Squad of Nexus Guardians whose sole purpose is to deal with supernatural threats but this was an unexpected bomb and everyone was caught up in the blast radius.

         "So…when you said you were a lost traveler, you really meant it in more than one sense?" Hibiki asked trying to process the man's words.

         "That's quite the definition of being a 'lost traveler'," Tsubasa sighed heavily.

         "Well I never really gave any one definition to the term in itself.  As I said before, my intention is to normally remain anonymous," Raizo spoke plainly.

         "If you're from another universe then how on Earth did you get here without a spaceship or something?" Chris asked with slight hints of disbelief.

         "I ran…or would it technically be flying? Either way no other method of travel was involved.  Besides, what is a spaceship anyways?"

         "Err…you've never heard of a spaceship-desu?" Kirika questioned in shock.

         "No, should I have?"

         "Raizo-san, what kind of world did you come from?" Maria then asked in curiosity.

         "Earth but in my universe, the year is 1026."

         "EHHHHHHHHHHH?!!!!" everyone in the room yelled out in shock. If what he said was true then it would mean that in the current era, this youth would be at least 1,000 years old.  How could such a thing be fathomable? Raizo merely tilted his head not thinking it was a big deal dismissing the entire shock value of the situation for the sake of the bigger conflict at hand.  Before the conversation could even continue, alarms went off on the bridge detecting signatures of the mysterious creation that popped up before as S.O.N.G. monitoring agencies across the globe was sending in visuals of strange portals tearing open; this included the current area where the ship was located.

         "Whatever that strange beast was from before, the same unknown wavelength is being reported worldwide across all of our sensors.  They're all showing similar matches of a distorted Noise frequency," Elfnein explained quickly turning her attention to the computer.

         "Dammit, that's way too many to respond to even with our resources," Genjuro cursed in frustration observing the visuals on the wide monitoring display.

         The unmasked assassin felt the energy of a shard of the Arcana Crystal leaking out from these portals which led him to tense up a bit.  To his surprise, the portals then closed up without warning leaving no trace of its existence behind.  It disappeared in every location simultaneously yielding not a single creature to be left behind in its wake.  The unpredictable nature of that moment left the youth to think of one thing that could organize or influence something on this scale and not do anything as a result.  It was almost as if it was a message reserved solely for him.

         "A Demon God is here…" he sighed with distraught. He balled his fist up in slight anger knowing that the stakes were higher now than before.

         "Wait…what? What are you talking about?" Tsubasa asked catching Raizo's words.  It was then that the attention was refocused his way.

         "A Demon God…an evil deity hell bent on finding what I've come to this universe to obtain.  It seems like whichever one it is has already sunk its influence into your reality and it also knows that I'm here.  Things just got even more complicated now.  Listen whatever this threat is, you're going to need my help to stop it.  Work with me so we can save your world and prevent anyone from suffering," the Stormbringer offered sincerely.

         "We should take him up on this.  Whatever this danger is can render the Symphogear system to be useless so I need to take time to analyze the data retrieved from our monitoring devices as well as work on something to enhance the relics again.  That means that our hands are going to be tied and if…Obsidian?" Elfnein was explaining before pausing on how to refer to the male.

         "You can just call me Raizo," the Harbinger replied.

         "If Raizo-san is willing to help us then we'll need his power to handle whatever this Demon God and the Distortion is going to throw at us," the small scientist proposed.

         "I'm inclined to agree.  It's going to be hard to explain this to the United Nations but we're going to need every bit of help we can get.  Although your story is one of incredible nature to digest, I will believe in you Raizo-kun.  Please help us in any way you can," Genjuro nodded while turning his attention to the armored male.

         "With pleasure…but um…may I ask for a few things?" the Stormbringer spoke with a slightly embarrassed expression over what he was going to say.

         "Sure."

         "Can I have something to eat and a place to shower and get changed in? It's been a while since I've been able to take off this armor and my stomach is practically in knots right now," the youth requested scratching the back of his head.

         "Pfft! That's great; the guy who's over a thousand years old sounds like such a flustered kid right now!" Chris burst into laughter which led the others in the room to do the same.

         "Tch…d…don't laugh. I'll have you know that I'm only 19 years old in my universe.  Idiot…" Raizo responded while crossing his arms.

         "Wait, he's got the same dishonest demeanor as Chris-chan!" Hibiki pointed out.

         "What's that supposed to mean, blockhead?!" the irritated girl responded.

         "It means that you and Raizo-san are both alike," Tsubasa concluded.  It was then that both Raizo and Chris spoke at the same time.

         "WE ARE NOTHING ALIKE DAMMIT!"

         "And point proven, twin tsunderes confirmed," Maria nodded with a sly smile.

         The pair of individuals then locked eyes for a moment upon speaking at the same time then crossed their arms and turned away from each other.  Even though the situation that they were going to face was a dire one, it was a relief to have a brief respite away from the tension and impending conflict.  More than likely this would be the last time any of them could share a smile like this so it was to take advantage of it.  As the comedic atmosphere calmed down, Genjuro walked over to Raizo and tapped his shoulder.

         "Follow me, I'll find you a place where you can get situated and we can get you everything you asked for.  We've got a long road ahead of us I imagine; it's best that we all rest up before the battle unfolds," he explained to the tall youth then he turned towards everyone else.

         "That goes for you all as well.  Get checked out by the medical staff to make sure you didn't suffer any after effects from the sudden loss of phonic gain and get some rest.  The vacation is over; we've got work to do."

         Genjuro walked out of the room with Raizo following behind him.  The girls then looked to each other and nodded in unison before making their exit.  Elfnein downloaded the data from the happenings of the afternoon onto another server and had the records transferred to her laboratory's server so that she could get to work analyzing a countermeasure against the new threat.  The curtains were rising on a new conflict greater than anything the Symphogear team has ever faced before.

*****

         In an unseen reality that mimicked the infinitude that was the void of space was a dimensional space known as the Treasury of Babylonia.  This space was home to the phantasmal creatures known as Noise.  They were beings that weren't alive or dead but some form of creature that just merely existed.  They targeted humans without warning and 'consume' them but not in the means of devouring like food.  Instead, these creatures just touch human beings and turn them into carbon before dissolving themselves.  It was hard to understand what exactly it meant to be one of these creatures because they have no means of communication or display any signs of free thought.

         These creatures could not be killed by any conventional means save by the relics of the Symphogear users.  Phonic Gain and the power of a song were used to destroy them and that task was the primary purpose of being in S.O.N.G. once upon a time.  After a battle in which the girls took the fight to the noise and defeated a mutated relic known as the Nephilim, these creatures seldom wandered outside of the dimensional space.  Any time the Noise appeared after that was when they were summoned as altered versions known as Alca-Noise by alchemists.

         Currently the creatures were being mutated into something else entirely as the realm became filled with poisonous, miasmic soil absorbing each of these creatures into new hybrid beasts that were now being labeled as the 'Distortion'.   Ranging from simian type creatures large mythological creatures such as Hydras, three-headed dogs, Scylla, Kraken, giant dire wolves, among other behemoths, something was corrupting all of them and causing them to transform into these phantasmal monstrosities.

         On top of a throne made from golden skulls oozing with dark soil and clay adorned with blood rubies in the various eye sockets sat one lone individual.  She had insanely long, platinum blue hair that would drag on the floor if she walked around with two long braids that draped to her knees on either side of her skull.  Two, great draconic horns that had yellow jewel-like eyes springing from either side of skull forming a heart shape almost that was green, gold, and black in nature resting just above her pointed elven-looking ears.  She had pale, alabaster skin, dark pink eyes and a slender, yet somewhat curvaceous body.  Wearing dark blue leggings with leather, high-heeled boots, and lace-like leather underwear that hooked to her boots using thin straps, then a sweater on the top that was cut just below the breasts with the entire valley of her womanly features on display, she was the embodiment of lust and seduction.  She had a cunning nature and a masterful way of manipulating others regardless of gender using her skilled tongue that spoke like honey but whispered poison.  Known by titles throughout various mythologies as the 'Maternal Sea', 'The Beast of the Sea', 'The Unholy Mother', and more, she was the Demon Goddess known as Tiamat.

         As she sat on her throne, she observed the happenings occurring in the realm of man specifically in the Pacific Ocean where she caused a natural disaster of her own volition and sent one of her minions to do her dirty work.  In her left hand, she juggled a yellow crystal that was a fragment of the Arcana Crystal she discovered floating around the shattered asteroid-like pieces of the moon.  Being able to perceive things that many tried to hide, she found the Treasury of Babylonia by accident and began to corrupt it for her own means to lure the Son of Mercer to her clutches.  As she felt the presence of the young man arrive and watched him easily dispatch the chaos she created, she could not help but to bite her bottom lip.

         "Ahaa, so this is the one that Elysium has been so excited about?  The Child of Light, son of the great hero Alexander Mercer, and the Seventh, so many monikers and so much power but only to be hidden away by a mask.  But I already know who you are my dear sweet Raizo Mercer, you cannot escape from my eyes. Oh how I want to eat you up and make you mine.  Getting you would be the first step in my quest to have all of Team AKARA for myself," she spoke in a sultry heated tone.

         The crazed demoness then lifted her leg on the throne and began to run her right hand down her skin grabbing at her body before eventually heading south where she began to rub her feminine area.  She began to moan without delay fantasizing about the Crimson Harbinger becoming aroused by just the mere sensation of feeling the child's power.  His energy signature was too intoxicating for her to resist doing what she was doing.  She maneuvered her fingers faster and faster before bringing herself to a climax.  After she felt liquids flow out of her, she took a moment to catch her breath rubbing her womb.

         "I know that I must gather the other fragments but I will capture you and have you in my bed before I make my delivery to Lord Ars," Tiamat spoke in a wanting tone looking at a close up on her screen seeing through the mask of 'Obsidian' catching the face of the boy underneath.

         "I'll use every creature in this dimensional space to terrorize this universe and draw you to me.  Then when we battle, I will lay claim to you before devouring this wretched world," she declared with a lick of her lips.

         "Bael, Asmodeus, and Lucifer were simply too small in more ways than one and foolish to try and compete with you my dear Raizo Mercer. I can hardly contain myself over the days to come."