Kill la Kill Gaiden Part 2

Upon entry into the house, formal introductions were made between the heroes. Satsuki requested Soroi to prepare tea for the guests as they made their way to one of the several sitting areas in the home. They gathered in the main lounge where a large table capable of seating at least twenty people was oriented. A large fireplace had some embers burning within thus illuminating the room while small posts of dim lights burned to give the space a relaxing feel to it. As they sat down, a discussion started over what was to come.

"The Abyss Order prefers to overwhelm their targets with brute force using superior numbers to conquer a widespread area before any mobilization occurs. In addition, we believe that they observe targeted worlds first in order to best ascertain how to eliminate the heroes protecting them swiftly. The faster opposition is taken down, the easier it is for them to consume. I highly suggest that we quickly fortify a location to mount a defense since they could strike at any given moment," Reina explained in detail.

"I concur. To that end, I have something that could help," Satsuki agreed as she reached under the table to grab a small box. She brought it to the top of the wooden surface and opened it to reach inside. An audible clicking noise echoed out.

"Initiating lockdown, full autonomous defense protocol engaged," the feminine voice of a computer echoed out within the room. The massive estate started to quake in response.

The glass-paned windows were sealed off by steel plating instantly the second that followed. From there, the exterior of the mansion constructed from brick and mortar, stone, and other types of architectural design was encased in layers of steel and titanium. A laser field was projected over the lawn as giant searchlights popped on thus circulating the property like camera lenses. Defense turrets holding various casing of ammunition popped out of the ground on every corner of the grounds both on the lower level and on the roof. Then, giant anti-air cannons spawned on the spires of the tall estate like they were monitoring the air as well. Sentry robots were deployed from the garage areas paired with several large mech suits. The military grade units walked around in groups of two or three on set vectors. Various other forms of state-of-the-art machinations only seen in action movies all culminated together to turn the Kiryuin Estate into a maximum security location like it held the world's greatest secrets.

Back inside the chamber room where everyone was currently gathered, one of the massive bookshelves flipped around to show a plethora of monitors that were currently projecting surveillance images from the outside of the grounds.

"Jeez Satsuki, you really just turned your house into one hell of a fortress. That's a little overdramatic, isn't it?" Ryuko inquired as she looked at all the toys on screen ready and waiting.

"After what happened with Ragyo...I never go unprepared," she responded before taking a quick sip of her tea.

"Who is this Ragyo person?" asked a curious Stormbringer.

"Ragyo Kiryuin is my...I mean, our mother. She was a ruthless psychopath that almost destroyed the world with her ambitions," Satsuki put bluntly.

"Yeah...I still find myself questioning how my biological mother was that monster," Ryuko dismayed.

"Raizo-san, would you be able to project the memories of Ryuko and I to everyone here in the group? It would be better to show you than try to explain it all," pondered the matriarch of the estate.

"I never tried doing that one before, but I'm not against trying it," he responded, "It should be a matter of reversing the sensation...only one way to find out."

Raizo got up from his seat and walked over towards the two. He gently placed a hand on their respective shoulders and closed his eyes. Channeling a small portion of his energy, a tiny shockwave imitating their brain waves was projected outward from their minds to the others in the room. A series of flashes summarizing the girls' journey so far ensued.

A girl on a hunt for answers, looking for the person who killed her father; the other, an ironclad leader of an elite academy where only the strong survived--two forces of nature that wound up clashing head on for the masses to behold. A friendship forged in poverty, a rivalry born from a sense of duty; an unbreakable bond centered on faith and trust. Battles after battles starting from the bottom and climbing all the way to the top where a showdown of epic proportions took place. A crumbling regime in the wake of a coming rebellion now faced with a tyrant that breathed insanity. A terrible truth matched by forces beyond human comprehension; then a heartbreaking mystery solved. The shocking revelation of one's origin and the unexpected bond that was forged as a result, two sisters rising to the occasion to bring down the face of evil. Then, it boiled down to one final battle for the sake of humanity. A heartbreaking sacrifice that needed to be made in order for the future to bear fruit. At last, peace was achieved, but the hole where one's heart was filled still remained empty. Such were the lives of Ryuko and Satsuki - two souls born on opposite sides of the spectrum weaved together by a singular fate.

From Ryuko's fiery debut on campus, to the vivacious behavior of Mako Mankanshoku, the never-ending blaze of glory that was the Elite Four and the arena of Honnoji Academy, to the scheming underground rebellion of Nudist Beach. The discovery of Life Fibers, the truth behind Goku Uniforms, and the Advent of Ragyo Kiryuin; all of these factors boiled down to an all-out war that changed everything. All of which took place in the span of a year; one that passed by in a snap.

"Quite the tale, some of us can seriously relate to it in more ways than one," Akaro analyzed wholeheartedly.

"I know you guys want to protect our world and...it goes without saying that Satsuki and I wish to fight; however, without Senketsu...I'm not too sure how useful I can be against such a compound threat," Ryuko expressed regrettably.

"There might be something we can do about that...hang on, I just need to make a quick call," Akaro interjected as he reached for the communicator lodged in his ear.

"Yo Elfnein-chan, I got a new project for ya but I need you to examine two subjects. Mind prepping the transport beam for us? Great, see you shortly."

Akaro stood up from his seat and motioned for Raizo to follow him.

"Er...Aniki, what's going on?" Raizo raised an inquiry.

"We're gonna get these ladies ready for battle. Ryuko-chan, Satsuki-chan, come along too."

"Wait...whoa where are we going exactly?" Ryuko sputtered in concern.

"It seems like he may have a solution for us after experiencing our story. Most curious indeed. Apologies, this will make me seem like a terrible hostess but you ladies are free to explore my home as you see fit. If you need anything, then my butler, Soroi-san, will gladly assist you," Satsuki spoke in regards to the women staying behind.

Akaro and Raizo led the two sisters out of the mansion and outside in the front of the estate. At that moment, a great chasm of light seemingly appeared out of nowhere and wrapped the group of four up in its radiance. In a sudden blur of motion, they were transported aboard the main bridge of The Last Word, where the other members of the team waited.

"Everyone, I'd like you to meet our new allies in this world: Ryuko Matoi and Satsuki Kiryuin," Akaro introduced.

Semiramis, Alexis, and the Symphogear group extended the pleasantries of introductions and the like thus getting the two girls familiar with their future allies towards the coming struggle against the Abyss Order.

"So Ryuko-chan, you're in college? What's it like?" Hibiki asked the rebellious teen first.

"Er...okay I guess? Kinda trivial with all the lectures, but...due to some...events, I'm currently on a break so to speak," the female scratched her cheek with a wry smile.

"So...who'd you punch in the face then?" abruptly expressed Chris with a slight sigh.

"Yukine, manners! You just met the girl and you mean to insult her pride?" Tsubasa lectured.

"What? I recognize a hardass when I see one. We got the same kind of energy, that's all," the gunslinger of the squad shrugged.

"Well...she's not exactly wrong; damn...how could you have known?" Ryuko sighed heavily.

"Like I said, I felt the energy."

"Great...so two untamed beasts running around the bridge at the same time? Heavens help us all," Maria cheekily added in there and shook her head.

"HEY, WHAT THE HELL?!" Chris and Ryuko shouted in unison.

"Yep, it definitely makes sense," Miku passively observed.

"Ah, I see you're the wise one of your group. I take it you're an older sister as well?" Satsuki asked the pink, long-haired beauty.

"I was yes...I lost my sister many years ago, but these girls have become much like my new little sisters."

"I see, I sense the mature aura about you. You hold a great deal of responsibility in your heart. Just do not let yourself be crushed by its weight," Satsuki advised.

"I appreciate your astute wisdom," Maria smiled in response.

"Wow, it's like we have wild kids and responsible parents on board! Amazing-desu!" Kirika chirped happily.

"Kirika-chan...would you like a solid knock on your skull right now?" Chris gritted her teeth in annoyance.

"Eep! Save me from the violent one in the family!"

"Get back here you little…"

Chris proceeded to chase Kirika around the bridge then out of the room.

"Try not to destroy my vessel please, my goodness," Semiramis pressed two fingers to her forehead trying to shrug off the stress.

"There never seems to be a dull moment around here," Satsuki observed from the side, amused by the atmosphere.

"Indeed, despite our circumstances we do have some measure of peace here," Maria nodded approvingly.

"We may have lost our world, but at least we have one another. And thanks to those two over there, we have a second home to belong to," Tsubasa remarked whilst referring to Akaro and Raizo.

"It's nice to have all the crazy antics going on, but unfortunately we gotta get down to business. Elfnein-chan, do you have a machine that can analyze Ryuko's physical body to detect these things called Life Fibers? If Raizo and I can understand what they are, then maybe we can get these two armed for the battle ahead," Akaro proposed.

"That is very possible. I do have a pod ready for just that type of analysis. Come with me," the smaller female remarked as she hopped down from her chair and led the way. Akaro and Raizo followed, motioning the two sisters to come along as well.

Elfnein's lab was a massive cataclysm of state-of-the-art engineering at its finest. In this giant space, she had access to a wide variety of technology tools that allowed her to do just about anything biological, chemical, mechanical, and other engineering sciences in one space alongside every safety precaution necessary to ensure appropriate execution. This one room was everything she could have ever dreamed of in one general area. As the group entered the high-tech space, Elfnein immediately jumped onto a nearby computer console. At the command of a few keystrokes, the tile floor in the clearing opened up thus revealing a full-body scanning pod.

"Ryuko-chan, all you have to do is step inside and the machine will do the rest," Elfnein advised.

"Oh but you'll have to strip first!" Akaro called out.

"Wait what?! Hang on a second, that's…" Ryuko blushed instantly.

"He's joking, these machines have innate x-ray scanning capabilities. Nothing interferes with their sensors," Elfnein quickly reassured.

"Tch...Akaro-san...you're such a damn asshole," the girl mused.

"Leave it to Aniki to become a different kind of lady killer," Raizo shook his head.

"Ryuko, if you keep turning red in the face like that, you are going to appear as if you have a severe sunburn," Satsuki casually added.

"Can we just get this over with already?!"

With all the joking aside, the girl reluctantly stepped inside the giant machine. As the door gradually closed behind her, she stood still and closed her eyes. The mechanism generated a steaming sound followed by a few clicks. Then the ring around the pod spun around the outside shell as it rose up towards the top then dropped back down to the floor. This motion repeated itself a few times as the information was processed through the computer systems then transferred on Elfnein's screen.

On the display, Ryuko's bloodstream and chemical makeup was revealed. Attached to the midst of her cells were microscopic organisms taking on a scarlet red hue that stood out abnormally. They seemingly generated a pulse of their own and were linked together by several threads that seemed to complement the flow of blood in her body and not obstruct it. Elfnein immediately began typing on the keyboard to expand the views on screen and analyze the structure.

"The data indicates that the origin of these Life Fibers are extraterrestrial. In fact, they are an organism that seems to predate the foundation of humanity itself. It's almost like we are examining the living organism equivalent of what makes a Symphogear. Of course it is much more complex than that but the overall idea is somewhat similar," Elfnein explained.

"Do you think that the Life Fibers can be replicated to recreate a pseudo battlesuit?" Akaro asked.

"Given your understanding of projection, it is not impossible to do so. If you understand the basis of the core and apply it like you would with Phonic Gain to Symphogears, then the overall theory is not entirely complex. Of course the fact that we are dealing with living energy is moreso biochemical."

"Fair enough, yo Raichu, get over here and take a look at this with me," Akaro requested.

"Hmm...this is essentially my Janus Armor to a lesser degree actually," Raizo observed.

"I had a feeling you'd be able to get it right away," Akaro nodded.

"Yeah...it shares a similar concept at its core; a living sense of energy almost divine in origin is infused in the fibers of clothing which connect to the individual and are directly powered by their aura. This makes it unique to said individual and if worn by another, a certain chain of side effects will ensue."

"Right, so I'll work on Ryuko's and you take Satsuki's. You recall the image clearly right?"

"Aniki, if I did forget that image, you'd probably kick my ass all over this ship. Come on man, don't insult me."

"Yeah, yeah. So let's do this thing."

The brothers closed their eyes and focused their energy. For Akaro, the visage of a navy blue and red patterned uniform came to mind that was cut at the midriff and was matched with a lower-cut skirt. Underneath the collar on the right side was a black patch with a red X shape while the left side held a red and yellow eye shape.

For Raizo, the image of a white and blue sailor uniform was engraved into the forefront of his consciousness. The militaristic, regal nature of the uniform became clear as he saw the high collar, shoulder epaulets and gold adornments on the sides. The gold and red eyes that tied underneath the collar had an ascot knot draping down from the middle. Now that the image was set in his mind alongside his older brother's, their powers resonated.

A small smark of crimson energy wafted between them both as the fibers of clothing materialized in their hands. After a lengthy batch of seconds passed, Akaro held onto Senketsu while Raizo was holding Junketsu. The brothers presented the clothing to Ryuko and Satsuki respectively.

"No way...you mean...you…" Ryuko stammered over her words as she accepted the gifts. She looked at the uniform and felt that it was exactly like the original. Her memories with Senketsu flashed through her mind all at once bringing tears to her eyes.

"This...really is…" Satsuki pondered as she looked at the threads before her. The dominant presence she held over Honnoji Academy, her conviction that she maintained an unshakeable demeanor, and the long days in which the uniform bore a significant weight on her shoulders all washed over her at the same time.

"There isn't a living essence in them like the originals," Akaro started to explain.

"However, they do function a bit differently. They will draw their power from magic circuits in your body brought by your mana. In a sense, their functionality is like a Symphogear with the concept of a Heroic Spirit. Nevertheless, they should help you immensely in the battles to come," Elfnein followed up with a detailed analysis.

At that point, the doors to the lab suddenly opened as the six gear users stumbled inside having eavesdropped on the entire exchange.

"Ehehe...sorry, we got a little worried when it was taking a while. We kinda heard everything," Hibiki smiled wryly as she saw the two girls with the uniforms in hand.

"If you want to test out how well those will work, why don't we have a little sparring match? Symphogear against…" the God-Slaying Fist proposed.

"Jeez Bikky...you're always so quick to spar now," Miku sighed heavily.

"They're known as Kamui," Satsuki finished with a pleasant smile.

"Yeah...the best way to try 'em out is in a fight," Ryuko nodded along.

"I like it, here, take this then," Akaro said as he pulled out a red half-scissor blade that he instantly projected from memory before handing it to Ryuko.

"Heh, damn...you really have attention to detail," Ryuko smirked.

"Indeed, let us head to a training room then and see what these gifts are capable of," Satsuki smiled with anticipation.

After letting the duo change into the uniforms, the group shifted towards another location a short walk down the hallway from Elfnein's lab. Upon passing through some double doors, the chamber opened to a giant empty space paneled by unique black tiles with white outlines wedged between them.

"Okay ladies, welcome to the training hall," Akaro said, even though the entire room was like a blank canvas to the group.

"What is this place?" Ryuko asked as she, her sister and the gear users walked towards the center of the room.

"Oh yeah, this is like the last area we had a training exercise in. Except this is much bigger-desu!" Kirika cheekily caught on.

"That's exactly right. This is the Augmented Reality Simulation chamber. Here we will let you all duke it out to the fullest effect of your abilities without any cause of damage to the interior of the ship or towards anything outside of it. I'd go over the science of how all of this works, but long-story-short is this: It's recess and you're at the playground. Have all the fun, 'kay? Now what to make for a battleground…"

"Let's go with a ruined city tileset for maximum immersion, that way our new comrades can get a feel for what is to come, Aniki," Raizo suggested to his brother while giving a nod to Elfnein.

"Yeah...no sense in some pretty garden or anything like that," the Envoy nodded in agreement.

"Starting the simulation then," Elfnein said while running a few data entries on her portable table. The power cells activated the room in response.

Blanketed by a great white flash of light, the collective group had to shield their eyes for a brief moment as the technological masterpiece rewrote reality in the confined space. A brief period of five seconds or so passed. It was then that the participants of the skirmish opened their eyes to behold the ancient ruins of a once proud metropolis. As crumbled buildings and abandoned vehicles littered the landscape, swathes of green grass coated the wrecked steel and concrete structures telling the tale of an era long-passed. It was as if the once proud society returned to the stone age as there was no longer any trace of humanity.

"Heh...this kinda reminds of the Dystopian world in Fuyuki," Raizo said as he walked onto the scene drawn in by the sight.

"Yeah, that probably would have been a thing if another thousand years or so passed honestly," Akaro agreed, "But let's not reminisce about all that. Ladies, time to get down to business. So let's split the teams as follows:

Hibiki, Shirabe, and Tsubasa will be Group 1 facing off against Ryuko.

Maria, Kirika, and Madam Screw the Infirmary, Chris will be in Group 2 against Satsuki.

Miku-chan, you'll hang back with us for now."

"Oi Akaro-niisan, why did you have to bring up my medical escape? I was totally fine and fully cleared for duty, you know!" Chris protested.

"Yukine, you know you were told to take it easy but here you are regardless," Tsubasa sighed.

"Muscleheads just don't get it, desu!" Kirika chirped.

"Kirika-chan, would you like to meet a stray bullet?" Chris' eyebrows twitched in annoyance.

"Ladies, calm the memes, we got work to do," Akaro mused.

"Guess it's time to do this thing then," Ryuko smirked as she held up one hand covered by a red glove. She seemingly pulled a pin from the wrist activating a mechanism.

"Yes, I must admit, I feel some elation over what is to come," Satsuki remarked as she reached over to her left shoulder and pressed the metal buttons along a metal plate that mimicked the same function.

"Life Fiber Synchronize!" the sisters shouted in harmony.

Crimson flashes of sparkling light engulfed Ryuko Matoi's body as the navy blue and red sailor suit evolved on her body. Her hair stood up on end thus becoming more feathery with vibrant red undertones and horn-like clips. The 'eyes' of the uniform under the collar evolved into wing-shaped crests jutting out from her shoulders. The upper and lower portions transform into a black, skimpy suit of armor with red stripes. The top section covered her neck, lower-jaw, arms and upper breasts with a red, triangular ventilation grill centered along her upper back. The top armor piece connected to her skirt by three red garter belts - two in the front and one in the back - which left everything between the underside of her breasts and waist exposed. Her legs were covered by thigh-height, high-heeled boots.

"Kamui Senketsu!" her voice resonated upon completion of her transformation.

Sapphire flashes of light engulfed Satsuki Kiryuin's body as the white and blue military suit transformed. Her hair was held up by white horns on both sides of her head underneath her bangs. Giant, pointed plates of armor where Junketsu's eyes were previously located grew in size stood as blue vents jutted out from the conical base of the armor. Her arms were covered in white sleeved armor that had blue stripes going down either side with matching thigh-high boots on her legs. Her neck, upper torso, and latissimus dorsi area was grappled by the top vest area of the armor with the center of her breasts greatly exposed in the shape of a heart. Connecting the top section to the lower section were blue garter belts, two in front, and a white spiked spinal column going down her back from the rear. Her waist area and upper pelvic region was exposed in the front while much of her back including her glutes were exposed from the rear angle.

"Kamui Junketsu!" she boldly cried aloud.

"Whoa...those outfits are…" Hibiki gasped as she glanced over the two women.

"Showing so much skin-desu!" Kirika blushed and covered her eyes.

"Jiiiiiiii…." Shirabe colloquially reacted.

"I-Is that really a battlesuit? There's s-so much showing. Have some decency!" Chris stammered over her words in kind.

"Well...we are not too far behind in that regard," Tsubasa sighed.

"That is true, one could say that our outfits tend to be rather shameless. Then again, these two are going a little further beyond that," Maria observed.

"At some point, you just get used to it," Miku casually shrugged.

"Yeah it took some getting used to and all that but, once I accepted it, I felt a lot more connected to my partner. Heh, honestly I feel stronger than ever before," Ryuko grinned in delight.

"Yes, I do not feel any lingering effects like when I donned Junketsu in the past. And part of the reason why our bodies are so exposed is because of the heat we generate while wearing these outfits," Satsuki explained. "But now it is just so light...I feel like I can do anything…"

Feeling the effects of full synchronization with this particular version of Junketsu was something she only thought was possible in that ethereal dream world. She felt the fabrics of space and time wrinkle around her as she closed her eyes to bask in the strength welling up within her. She opened the palm of her hand and summoned a black-bladed katana with a white grip and silver crossguard. This was her storied blade that she wielded with pride while attending Honnouji Academy - Bakuzan.

"Damn…" Akaro murmured to himself as he looked over Ryuko's frame. She was such a rebellious figure that emitted a fiery, confident attitude. Add on a very fine figure and immense strength that was just brimming from her skin endorsed by the glint in her eyes made the Envoy's heart seemingly skip a beat.

Raizo witnessed the transformation off to the side as he leaned against a nearby rock. His thoughts were rather scattered for a brief moment as visions of his time training in similar rooms with the gear users, Kimi, and by himself ran across his mind. Training in an augmented space was a good way to find out where one stood with their strength. It was also a way to determine what would come next. Considering the current strength of the gear users compared to where they were before made him feel proud. Now, there was new hope with these new allies.

Snapping out of that stint of recollection, he observed the unique armors of the two sisters. His eyes fixated on Satsuki as he saw her generate a sword from thin air. It made him chuckle for a moment.

"Reminds me of when I learned how to do that…" he thought to himself. Then his eyes started to examine her physique. The toned definition of her muscles clearly indicated that she was a well-trained warrior; however, her body still held its feminine charms. She gave off a sense of dominance and pride, yet retained a mixture of grace and elegance of a refined beauty. His eyes continued to drift all around her body as he took note just how much skin was being exposed, especially around her rear. This made his face fill up with heat.

"Hmm?" Satsuki turned and noticed Raizo's distant gaze. She then walked over to the male nonchalantly intent on conveying her gratitude.

"Your rendition of Junketsu is simply impeccable; a flawless manifestation that far exceeded my wildest dreams. I cannot thank you enough for this gift and the opportunity to fight once again," she spoke with sincerity as a small smile washed over her lips.

"Oh uh...yeah, no problem really. I hope I got everything right about it...I'm uh still learning the depths of projection skills I guess...heh," Raizo stuttered a bit with a wry smile unsure of how to look at the woman considering how much he was glancing over her body.

"Is something wrong?" Satsuki asks as she leans closer towards the male and slams her hand on the rock's surface behind him. She raised herself up a smidge just so her forehead could press against his.

"Do you have some form of a fever?" she further inquired.

"E...Eh?" he blushed even more as he felt his body becoming overly conscious of her, thus his lower region reacted as a sudden tent brushed against her thighs.

"I see…" she noted before leaning in towards his ear and whispering, "We shall discuss this later. Shame is merely weakness that prevents one from embracing the root of their nature."

The girl retreated from the youth's position and rejoined her sister's side. The girls took up their positions as the gear users powered up into their respective Symphogear. Raizo rejoined Akaro, Miku and Elfnein as they stood a particular distance away from the area to watch the battle that was about to ensue.

Chris, Maria and Kirika were the first to prepare themselves for the fight against Satsuki. As they took up a set formation, they first elected to go for a ranged attack. Chris channeled Ichaival to unleash a full volley of missiles at her target which she nicknamed the Mega Death Party. Two massive side compartments along each flank of her armor opened up that released twenty-four missiles destined to home in and eliminate its target.

Maria used Airgetlam and transformed the armed gear to summon shorter swords linked to the originals. This was an attack that was originally only possible in her X-Drive form; however, thanks to the enhancement performed by Akaro and Phonic Gain taken from the Envoy and the Stormbringer, she and the other gear users had access to their full arsenal. As such, she used the move - Elegant Lumiere - to launch the blades as a giant barrage towards her foe.

Kirika went on to leap up in the air and increase the size of her black and green scythe. The armed gear opened up to generate a second blade which grew to the size of the original. In one fell swoop, she launched both blades at the same time like a pair of boomerangs using her trademark Kill Juliet maneuver.

The missiles alongside the various blades all honed in to strike Satsuki's location. It was a safe yet reckless tactic that was meant to both provoke and overwhelm the enemy before them. Satsuki took a deep breath and closed her eyes and she steadily walked towards the opening salvo. Just as the projectiles closed in on her location, she opened her eyes in a subtle glare whilst bringing Bakuzan up in a tight, two-handed grip.

Time slowed in her field of vision as she was able to perceive each and every individual projectile down to its most minute detail. As if placing a target on each of them, she swung her sword in a quick 3-count strike that batted aside all of them causing the missiles to explode and the blades to shatter upon impact. With a flick of her sword, it was like time resumed altogether instantaneously while she remained unscathed.

Maria and Kirika were quick to close the gap after realization that their first major attack was rendered useless on the dot. As Chris prepared her gear to use another big move from a fair distance, the duo elected to keep her distraction to give the Ichaival user time to focus and take advantage of a perfect shot. Kirika shrunk the size of her scythe and created two kusarigama while Maria pulled out a shortsword and small shield buckler for close combat. Both girls rushed in towards Satsuki at perfect rhythm and harmony. Learning to fight in sync using their agility was something they attributed to Raizo's teaching. Their overall speed infinitely dwarfed what they were capable of before. Fighting against the Tacet only afforded them to grow stronger even if that battle was considered a loss for their pride.

Satsuki was not without wisdom. She had a feeling that the first opening volley was nothing but a mere distraction to catch her off-guard. It was a predictable tactic in warfare to gauge your opponent's reaction and test out just a fraction of their strength; or to set up a potential ambush. Clever as it was, this was naught but child's play. She felt the presence of the two girl's approach within a few short feet of position. That was enough time to set up a perfect counter.

Mimicking one of her early battles against Ryuko, the woman merely released a single hand on Bakuzan and stabbed the blade into the ground. The sheer force caused the earth to buckle underneath the weight of the sharp edge as the plate of rock and soil crumbled apart. The shockwave destabilized the path that Kirika and Maria took causing their footing to waver by a slight inch. Just as they went to land a decisive strike, the momentum from the shockwave created a small air pressure to contort their bodies in which Satsuki took advantage. She flipped her sword in hand and tapped both of them with the butt of the hilt on their foreheads.

Maria and Kirika were sent hurtling through the air at an uncontrollable velocity. As Chris was about to fire a charge bolt from her longbow, both girls obscured her sight. Before she had a chance to cancel the shot, they crashed into her simultaneously. The trio was then forced into the wreckage of a moss covered building quickly rendering them unable to fight. Satsuki flipped her sword around and generated a white sheath for Bakuzan thus tucking the blade away signifying the completion of her bout.

Unlike her sister, Ryuko was not one to wait for her opponent to make the first move. She rushed headlong into the foray of combat at Hibiki, Tsubasa and Shirabe without a second's delay brandishing her signature, red scissor blade in hand. The twin-tailed girl in the Shul Shagana attacked by turning her circular blades of the armed gear into a massive wheel cutting through the ground towards her foe. The Extreme Sigma Style: Forbidden Full Moon allowed the giant buzzsaws to give her movement equivalent to a vehicle or an unstoppable force that would cleave its opponent in half.

Unabated, Ryuko continued her advance bringing her weapon to bear towards the circular onslaught. As the screeching echoes of the slicing buzzsaw came close towards the rebellious girl, the seasoned warrior swung her crimson blade at just the right angle directly at the sawblade; as the two edges collided, there was a river of sparks firing out. From there, Ryuko pushed forward which caused the giant weapon to break leaving Shirabe wide open. Unable to show restraint, Matoi leapt into the air and kicked Shirabe in the gut which sent the girl flying away towards a nearby building.

Tsubasa came in spinning at Ryuko with twin blades in hand infused with flames. The Wing Ring's Fiery Blades attack was a high velocity, controlled variant of a technique she would employ on a group of enemies at once. The sheer intensity of that righteous inferno would purge away evil just by sharing the same room. It was as if the flames itself carried Tsubasa's indomitable will and sense of honor. Though she harbored no ill will towards Ryuko, the once famous pop idol would feel ashamed if she did not showcase a taste of the best of what she had to offer.

Ryuko welcomed Tsubasa's intensity head-on feeling a similar sense of pride emanating from the wielder of Ame no Habakiri which was comparable to Satsuki. Acknowledging her as such, she held her scissor blade horizontally and glided across the ground propelled by the jet engines on her back. As the two collided, there was a brief moment of silence. Then Tsubasa's gear cracked and the girl collapsed after a moment's respite with a smile on her face.

Now there was only one girl left, the God-Slaying Fist of Determination - Hibiki Tachibana. The martial artist who boasted an air of invincibility against the rebellious brawler of explosive strength; two raging infernos of determination whose gale force fury was but a disaster on a different scale altogether. As the two shared a lingering gaze at one another to measure the others' willpower, they rushed at each other head-on.

Unlike the others, Hibiki would prove that she was not an easy one to bring down. In fact, as she and Ryuko collided, there was a brief engagement that had ensued. Ryuko's handiwork with her sword met against Hibiki's fists. The jabs exchanged between the two echoed in the air as air masses reflected off of their attacks creating a series of repetitious sonic booms that were comparable to a series of thunder claps. The exchange escalated as sparks of light shot out from their clash. Soon, the duo's motion became a blur that streaked through the skies as shadows as they collided repeatedly. It was almost as if watching two warriors duke it out from an action anime.

Both of them appeared to be having fun, Ryuko finally meeting someone whose determination matched her own. They did share similarities with one another, more than they realized. In fact, one could say that they were two sides of the same coin. Both of them being careless rebels in their own right that did not know how to go down in a fight, a fearsome will to keep fighting no matter what, supported by the one special person that mattered to them most in the worlds they came from. Both of the vigilant maidens conveyed this as their blows matched; however, Ryuko still possessed the overall edge in power at the end.

Ryuko's speed built up to a point where Hibiki was unable to keep track of. The Gungnir user eventually made a fatal mistake in her footing which allowed Ryuko to step in once they were on the ground and deliver a crushing backhanded blow with her blade square in Hibiki's jaw. The devastating strike destabilized her stance completely which allowed Ryuko to rush in, sweep the girl completely off her feet and knock her to the ground with the red scissor pointed at her throat.

"Now that was a spectacular display," Akaro applauded as he walked over. With the Envoy stepping in, this gave the girls a moment to recover and gather up where the man was standing alongside Miku, Elfnein and Raizo.

"We got utterly destroyed…" Chris whined feeling like she accomplished nothing.

"It's okay, we weren't supposed to show off anything of importance. It was just a test of our new allies' abilities," Maria tried to comfort.

"Kirika has never been sent flying in such a way. That was like a total BOOM-desu!" the girl in green cheekily commented.

"Sorry about that, it seems I let a moment from the past repeat itself," Satsuki admitted.

"Oi, so I wasn't hallucinating. You totally used the same shutdown move that you did on me. Wow Sis, that's harsh," Ryuko criticized.

"Coming from the girl who kicked me into a building…" Shirabe sharply responded.

"Er...oops," the guilty party blushed.

"That swordplay was something unexpected though," Tsubasa noted.

"Well...you do kinda remind me of Satsuki in a way," Ryuko shrugged.

"A fellow swordswoman with great discipline and technique I see," Satsuki observed whilst raising an eyebrow towards the blue-haired popstar.

"I try my best not to neglect my daily training."

"I'm glad our new friends are such strong individuals. Ryuko-chan, that was a great match," Hibiki smiled earnestly to which the girl in question reciprocated.

"Yeah, it was."

"Alright ladies, that was nice for a season opener but training isn't over just yet. Why don't we try a tag battle this time? Ryuko and Satsuki against Raizo and yours truly," the Envoy smirked. As the gear users moved over towards where Miku and Elfnein were standing, Akaro swept off his top layer clothing thus revealing his defined, muscular torso. The emblem of the dragon going up his arm was made visible overtop of his impressive physique as he stood there before them.

"You too buddy," Akaro snapped his fingers as Raizo's upper clothing dissipated revealing a physique that was not too far behind his older brother's. The Stormbringer's mark on the upper right corner of his chest with the unique pattern of angel wings emerging from a mysterious sword was bare for all the girl's to behold. The sight of the two shirtless pieces of man candy rendered the girls speechless.

"Jeez...is it that serious guys?" Ryuko pondered unsure of how to feel.

"Interesting, I am not against another bout," Satsuki smirked in delight, completely pushing aside the visage of their muscular framework.

"Wh-What the...I'm not sure how I...f-feel here...hang on, I don't wanna go back to the infirmary dammit!" Chris mused as her face turned as red as her armor that gradually reverted back to her regular clothes.

"J-j-jiiiiiiii…" Shirabe hesitantly tried to avoid staring but gave into temptation.

"So...much skin desu…." Kirika also noted from the side.

"A-Akaro-senpai...um...do you really have to...do such a thing...I mean…" Tsubasa fanned herself before turning away.

"Akaro...did you watch a lot of martial arts movies too or…" Hibiki playfully remarked trying to ignore the strong beating of her heart inside her chest.

"Behold...art…" Miku gazed happily in a daze.

"Raizo-san...you...um…" Maria stared only at the Stormbringer in question, feeling a certain urge waft over her.

"Aniki…seriously….what the hell...idiot…" Raizo turned away trying to hide a small sense of shame at the sudden exposure.

MEANWHILE…

It was just a few silent minutes after half of the group left the chamber. Reina, Arcueid, Musashi, and Nirvana were seated in the formal area enjoying the tea provided by the attentive butler, Soroi-san. The richness of the flavor from the hot beverage and the seemingly peaceful sense of silence was something the women present rather enjoyed. However, to sit by idly without any form of entertainment would eventually grow to be irksome.

"Ahh man...I like a zen atmosphere and all that, but I can't sit here and do nothing. I mean...I wanted to see what kind of cool stuff those two girls were gonna get from Akaro-kun. Man, I bet they are getting trained with some new gadgets as we speak," Musashi complained, folding herself over the table with an audible sigh.

"Musa-chan, now is not the time to behave in such a way. We must be vigilant and alert for any preemptive attack by the Abyss Order," Reina recommended whilst taking another sip of the tea provided.

"I concur with that sentiment Goddess of Fate; however, I too wish to do something to occupy the time. Without me by his side, I can only imagine just who exactly is trying to steal a march on my husband up there," Arcueid pouted in slight irritation.

"Knowing Master and those women, I can imagine they are all trying to find a way whether it be on purpose or by accident. Then again, I would not be surprised if those two new girls wind up getting interested in the boys," Nirvana chuckled.

"And just whom do you propose would go for who?" Reina raised an eyebrow out of curiosity.

"Well it's obvious that the Ryuko girl is going to wind up with Akaro. A hardass with a rebellious attitude is right up his alley after all; I mean the Knight of Treachery did find herself conquered by his charm," Arcueid observed.

"Wait, Mordred-chan? Really?" Musashi gasped.

"Indeed, I happen to glance over and observe all of the Heroic Spirits at random points in time while they materialize. Being the Overseer and Queen of the Throne of Heroes has its perks," the White Princess shrugged casually.

"Then I suppose by reason of deduction, the Satsuki girl would go for Raizo," Reina presumed.

"Ehh? You really think so? I mean, she's beautiful and all, but I honestly would not take her for the type to express interest in the opposite sex. She seems much more focused on her duties as a family head," Musashi countered.

"Come on now, the stern, serious types always have a way of displaying a chink in their armor around Master. I mean, look at Semiramis. Have ya seen how she acts when Raizo is concerned? She literally melts. Then one of those Symphogear girls, Maria, is almost exactly the same," Nirvana proved.

"If I may interrupt ladies," Soroi spoke up in that instant, "I have been Lady Satsuki's caretaker all of her life. While her sense of duty is without a doubt unyielding, she too is a maiden at heart. Though she focuses heavily on her responsibilities, I have hopes that she will eventually find a match that can serve as her comfort one day."

"Apologies Soroi-san, we have been speaking of your daughter in such a way without any consideration of your feelings," Reina bowed her head remorsefully.

"Think nothing of it, I took no offense. I may know little of you otherworlders and your affairs; however, my many years in life have provided me with a plethora of experience. Love comes in many forms and happens in a variety of ways. As far as the Young Mistress is concerned, I believe that she needs someone that displays strength in their own way without enforcing the idea that they are powerful. If this Raizo fellow displays something that sparks her curiosity, I believe that she will pursue him in her own unique way. It may not be as a girl fawning over a crush, or some maiden unsure of love that confesses in some clumsy way; but it will be in a way only Lady Satsuki can do," the butler emphasized.

"I'd wager that she'll likely just push her way onto Raizo and lay claim to him like he's territory," Nirvana raised her cup before taking a sip.

"I'll take that bet. I mean, it's totally what I'd do except in my own delicate way," Musashi chuckled.

"Well...Raizo-san does have a knack for attracting the dominant type so it is not entirely unfounded," Reina sighed heavily.

"You all make it seem like it's a regulatory pattern. Just how many times has this happened?" Arcueid raised an eyebrow.

"Hmm...let's see...Kimi-nee gives the impression she's done it, Addy-chan doesn't hide that at all plus there's Vesta-chan. Inari-chan played around, but I feel like she probably will someday. Then you got...well I probably wouldn't count the Symphogear girls since Maria, Chris and Kirika clearly lack experience. Raikou, Nightingale, Semiramis...it's just a day by day count I feel like," Nirvana recounted.

"Oh might as well add Nobunaga to that list with a few cheeky helpers whose names aren't as relevant for now," Arcueid chimed in.

"Wait, wait...Demon King of the Sixth Heaven, Oda Nobunaga? Are you serious? How the...oh wait, they do have similarities. Plus…" Musashi pondered a little more.

"If I recall correctly, Oda has a red-headed, tall, ridiculously dominant onee-san form...this is directly up Raizo-san's alley," Reina remarked.

"My husband is such an easy mark...perhaps I need to establish a hierarchy as his first wife," Arcueid proposed.

"Good luck getting that past Kimiko-sama, Adena-chan and Vesta-chan," Reina shook her head.

"I will make an exception for Kimiko-san. That is all. The rest fall in line after me," the White Princess declared.

"I see we will have to have a discussion about this in great detail then," Reina countered.

"Oh come now, Grandma. You put up a strong front, but I am pretty sure I could defeat you in a fight now," Nirvana provoked.

"Is that so? I suppose I could humor you since you managed to sprout an extra few feet and amass two bigger lumps of fat on your chest," the Sovereign goaded.

"Yo...sparring match? I'm down for this. Oi Soroi-san, this discussion has gone all over the place; but uh...is there an area where we can have a little bit of fun? I'd hate to see this lovely room get destroyed," Musashi proposed.

"Follow me ladies," the butler initiated as he then led the quartet of women to the same training area where Ryuko and Satsuki had their one-on-one prior to their arrival.

The girls took up their positions facing one another. In an ironic twist, the fight card was set up to be Musashi vs. Arcueid and Reina vs. Nirvana; the two leading warriors of the Syndicate against the Vampire sisters of the night; A duel of the outsiders of the Throne of Heroes paired with the duel between the eclipse blades. There could be no greater event of anticipation.

"I'll put up an Astral Barrier around the area so we can fight to our heart's content without any probable cause," Nirvana snapped her fingers.

"Indeed, we can restrict ourselves as much as we like...but Outer Physics will affect reality one way or another; extra precautions are a necessity," Reina nodded approvingly.

"Heh, ya know, I never really thought about climbing the tower myself; however, I am very curious to see just how far I can push myself against the fabled White Princess of the True Ancestors," Musashi boasted proudly as she drew her swords

"Ah yes, a battle against the strongest swordswoman in Japan; the Wandering Samurai of the Five Rings. Perhaps you will provide me with some entertainment then," Arcueid smiled whilst opening her arms to welcome the challenge.

Musashi smirked happily as she tightened her grip on both of her swords. In a flash of light, she immediately rushed at Arcueid in an instant. Unlike most of her situations where she would ascertain her opponents' skills by showing restraint and toying around for a bit, she understood that the infamous Golden Princess was far above any Heroic Spirit she battled against. As a samurai, she felt that hesitation in the slightest would spell her instantaneous defeat; therefore, she summoned everything she had to offer to make a statement.

As Musashi closed the distance between herself and the Vampire Queen, she slid into her first attack by slashing horizontally towards the woman's abdominal region with a spin and followed through with that momentum by the second attack. Arcueid cracked a smile as the action came towards her. She spun in the opposite direction on her toes with a flawless pirouette to evade the opening strike thus creating a set distance between them.

The famed samurai would not relent as she bounced from her location with a small leap dropping both of her blades down on Arc's head. The White Princess halted her motion instantly and raised both of her hands above her head to stop both blades with her palms. As Musashi landed promptly on the ground in front of her, the samurai gritted her teeth as she struggled to pull away.

"Come now, do you really think the parlor tricks of swordplay will ever reach me?" Arcueid taunted as she abruptly released the blades.

"Tch...well sorry if I offended ya; guess I need to take this a little more seriously then," Musashi said with a brief step back before steadying her hands.

The Samurai Maiden channeled energy into her swords; one generated a spiraling twist of crimson as the other cascaded with a flowing essence of aqua blue. A sharp glint filled Musashi's crystal blue eyes as her focus dialed in heavily on Arcueid's position. Then she leapt forward and struck once more.

"Oh?" Arc gasped as she had to take a quick step to evade the next attack.

Archetype-Earth found herself back pedaling for a stint as she was dealing with a flurry of slashes that were rapidly cutting through the air like a torrential downpour in a severe storm. The blonde ancestor was keeping up, but she expressed surprise at Musashi's adaptiveness and change in speed. It was worthy of praise, but one she would never profess openly. Instead, she would grace the samurai with an ounce of her power in return.

"Alt Nagel…"

Just as Arcueid performed yet another pirouette to evade Musashi's onslaught, her left arm swept through the air as if she was brushing something out of the way. On instinct, the samurai simply leaned her left shoulder back as she felt a strong pressure cut through the air and blaze past her before crashing into the edge of the barrier. With a raised eyebrow, the woman pondered about its origin but she quickly pushed it aside to maintain her focus.

Musashi pressed onward unimpeded by the forceful strike. As she began to follow up with another series of strikes, Arcueid tossed more spikes of wind pressure her way via the use of her ability. Freely manipulating the wind to generate these powerful projectiles was a tactic she also used on Raizo when they fought. She hurled more of the invisible spikes at her opponent with the utmost urgency.

The blade master's advance was ground to a stop as the woman found herself on the defense. She danced around the various projectiles launched her way before swinging her swords to cut the concentrated spikes. Cutting the wind or deflecting them outright was her current stance as Arcueid kept up with the counteroffensive. Seeing how none of her pillars were reaching through, the vampire amplified the intensity of her assault by increasing the number of spikes used whilst decreasing their size.

Musashi's body was engulfed in a sea of crimson and azure as she rapidly batted aside the hailstorm of wind pressure. As she took on the pressure of the attacks at full force, Arcueid smiled in greater delight knowing that she could continue to pile on more pressure without hesitation.

"Very well then...Blut die Schwester!" Arcueid cried out.

The atmosphere around the training room altered for a brief moment as reality distorted, thus transforming into Archetype-Earth's domain in the Throne of Heroes. A field of white flowers blanketed the ground while the sky was painted with the canvas of night decorated by the stars. Blazing down on Musashi's location was the moon as it grew in size descending upon her. The white, spherical object turned red with burning energy as it grew closer and closer towards her location.

"Hail the Tenmandaijizaitenjin, Nioh Kulika!" Musashi summoned the power of her Noble Phantasm in reflex. It was then that the giant four-armed, divine spirit appeared behind her wielding four swords in hand. With a firm stance, the master swordsmith took a deep breath. The heat from the scorching surface of the celestial mass increased as the wind pressure blew away the petals off the flowers beneath her feet. That intense temperature washed over her causing beads of sweat to run down her face while the tie in her hair blew away thus allowing her hair to fall freely.

She opened her eyes, seizing the moment to command the spirit to swing. In a flash, the false moon was cut in half then cut again into quarters; a split second later, the flaming object would be rendered into an innumerable pile of fragments. The force from the display of awesome might cut through the air as the shockwave overran Arcueid's position on the battlefield. In fact, it was such a decisive maneuver that the resulting energy brushed across the distance, managing to land a few cuts and abrasions across the vampire's skin and wardrobe.

Musashi took up one stance and focused her gaze solely on Arcueid alone. A streak of red washed across the center of her blue pupils as she activated her Heavenly Eye to achieve the desired end with the next blow, one that would reach Zero.

"Ishana Daitenshou!" she shouted aloud, swinging her blade down as a gleaming beam of light cut through the alternate reality down on Arcueid's location.

"Impressive, Miyamoto Musashi...truly one born of grace and discipline; however...I am afraid this battle is already over," the White Princess of the True Ancestors muttered.

The Golden Princess' eyes shimmered with a brighter shade of red as she activated her Mystic Eyes of Enchantment. Since they were still contained within her reality marble, she had the absolute authority to do whatever she wished. In normal circumstances, her mystic eyes would be able to compel whatever it was she made eye contact with and influence the subject at her will; however, she was not targeting Musashi in this case. Instead, she targeted the essence of the woman's sword instead. She isolated the blade that was meant to swing true to its intended target at the behest of its master by a mere glance.

"Marble Phantasm," Arcueid uttered next.

It was then that she manipulated the absolute chance that the strike would land on her and nullified it; she remade the concept of "certain" probability and forced it to become something that would miss as if it was never swung to begin with. The overwhelming contradiction layered on the strike shattered Musashi's Noble Phantasm thus creating an instability in her mana. The resulting blowback crippled the samurai where she stood as she collapsed instantly under the weight of her own presence reflected back at her.

"You made me use one of my signature tricks...at least I can acknowledge you that much. But alas, you lost the moment you drew your blades at me," Arcueid boasted as her wounds healed over and she flipped her hair back.

"Still...you truly are a phenomenal warrior, Miyamoto Musashi."

Around the same time that the battle between Musashi and Arcueid raged on, the duel between Nirvana and Reina began.

"Why don't we get straight to the fun part?" the cheeky blonde, vampiric spirit smirked as she snapped her fingers on both hands simultaneously.

The space around Reina women transformed as she was transported to the Astral Plane, cut off from the physical plane of the world the group currently visited. A canvas spread about their surroundings engulfed in a wide variety of forms and shapes indefinable by human comprehension. It was as if reality was in constant flux folding and morphing into innumerable objects constantly colliding with one another as if someone was constantly molding clay. An assortment of colors spread across thousands of hues throughout the value scale culminating together into this bizarre, artistic masterpiece of the woman's creation.

The canvas of forms and concepts became a den of deathly terrors as a storm of violence and chaos spiraled around thus launching nigh-imperceptible attacks towards Morana's location. The Sovereign of Cocytus was unaware that these attacks were not meant to harm her physical self, but her very existence; not as a being present in life but as a being brought to fruition by the definition of self. Her life story present in the great chasm of records called the Archaeus, the foundational white page, was being assaulted by this onslaught. Like numerous thorns pricking her skin, Reina felt every fiber of her being down to the core of each one of her cells vibrating with pain.

"I see...so you wish to demonstrate that you are not messing around right off the bat? So be it…" the noble warrior gritted her teeth feeling the pressure of the devastating technique weigh on her conceptual being.

"Zentai...no...Michi!"

The Queen of Purgatory invoked her Ultima Stance - The Path of Totality - in that instant. All of her studies under the principles of the Resolute Blade Arts fused into one being represented by the six-armed Tengu appearing as a phantasmal guardian behind the woman. In a single instance in which the ghostly entity swung all six of its blades in perfect unison, the Kaleidoscope of Myriad Forms was slashed away thus freeing her from its clutches.

"I'm not done just yet, Senpai. Allow me to take you to Nirvana," the girl followed up whilst placing a special emphasis on her own name drop.

In response, the myriad spirals of colors and forms reappeared, but it engulfed both of the women within its embrace. Following that phenomenon, Reina felt something dragging on her physical body and the accompanying Tengu spirit behind her. A white energy field reached out and wrapped itself around Reina's entire being thus devouring the ultimate entity that served as her protector and an extension of her discipline. The mystical spirit embraced the Sovereign like a lover would embrace the target of their affections after being without them for so long. As if cradling her, the being took on the form of a white, faceless silhouette seated in a meditative posture like a Buddha figure.

As the homunculus bathed in a rainbow aura enraptured the legendary swordsmith, she felt like something was being taken from her. She felt the sensation as if some burden was being lifted from her shoulders, like she was being freed. Then, she felt the sensation of gradual severance as all of her emotions were torn from her. In this world, she was experiencing the actual concept of Nirvana, achieving true freedom of the individual to the universal domain. All of her attachments to reality were being taken from her. Everything that she felt, all that she experienced, all that she was, is and would become was absconded from her being and forced to flourish in a field of flowers underneath her feet.

"And now you know just how much I've grown, Morana-senpai," Nirvana said as she gracefully twirled across the field of multicolored flowers representing the woman's sadness, regrets, rage, happiness and more of her emotions.

Reina's face, devoid of expression, gazed upon the kaleidoscopic atmosphere of forms and colors. In its abstract embrace, she witnessed a vision of a royal, purple butterfly landing on the index finger of the Goddess-Above-All. Suddenly, an overwhelming number of white flowers started to overflow the garden of colors.

"What? That's not possible...how? How can one person feel so many things at once?" Nirvana inquired in disbelief. Yet as she noticed that the new floral spread was basked in pure, immaculate white, her anxiety grew.

"If these are not emotions...then...what is flowing out of her?"

In a burst of absolute might, Reina broke free from the transcendent space absorbing her being. She held a singular flower in her hand as her unconscious self uttered something devoid of her own control.

"Akasha lo vult…"

Reina's eyes were filled with life as they were dyed in that royal purple shade with ephemeral butterfly wings of the same complexion.

"That is...Resonance. But this Aspect is not the Obsidian Wolf. No...that's not right. You should be carrying the mark of the wolf. If that's not the case...then...you are not that...then you are…" Nirvana pondered running through her sum of knowledge that she acquired during her period of training and evolution.

Reina snapped her fingers in dramatic fashion thus breaking the girl's train of hypothetical thought. The reality marble collapsed and shattered in a chasm of blinding purple light. The battle was finished in the following sequence as a conclusion was etched just moments after Arcueid claimed victory over Musashi.

"What...happened?" Reina came to as she found herself down on her knees back in the real world. Looking over, she saw Nirvana was completely laid out, reduced to her child form in a white dress.

"Well then...between our teams, it would appear that this is a draw," Arcueid observed as she reached down to nudge Musashi awake.

"Right…" Reina remarked whilst using her sword to stand up, then walked over towards the little girl to help her to her feet.

"The sad part is, I do not recall what happened after we went into that weird realm of yours."

"My little stunt caused me to run out of mana so everything I wanted to do backfired which is why I'm back in this form for now," Nirvana fibbed to save face over what she actually bore witness to.

"I see...well if nothing else, you definitely have grown. Perhaps you are no longer an annoying child after all," the Sovereign complimented in her own way.

"Yeah...right, thanks," Nirvana said.

"You okay?" Arcueid inquired as she noticed how Reina was rubbing her chest for a second.

"Yes I believe so, I just felt a weird burning sensation that is all."

"Hmm something going on in that valley of yours, shall I inspect it?" the Golden Princess teased.

"N-no...that is...quite alright, truly."

"Oho, I bet if I was Raizo, your answer would be different."

"W-What? What outlandish allegations are you insinuating here?"

Nirvana watched that area with a mindful eye as her eyes shimmered from a brief moment. Peering through the woman's clothing, she saw that a calm, purple aura appeared just above Reina's cleavage just where the mark of the Obsidian Wolf was. It was changing in real-time, becoming something else.

"I knew it wasn't a mere dream. Something else is going on. Did you really evolve into something else during a mock battle?" Nirvana thought to herself, but elected to keep things under wraps for now.

Back aboard The Last Word, the Crimson Brothers and the Life Fiber Sisters were engaging in a rather scintillating battle of the sexes. As their duel began, the earlier move of the partial strip tease was the informal declaration that the boys would not be using any of their abilities or weaponry at all. Of course Raizo had his objections due to the brashness that affected his dignity, but the Stormbringer often found himself falling into his brother's antics on more than one occasion.

"Come on now, Ryuko. I know you can do a hell of a lot better than that. What happened to that fierce attitude of yours?" Akaro mocked as he danced around his opponent's wild slashes at his person.

Seeing his movements gave off the impression that he was break dancing. He hopped from side to side, ducked, and weaved all around Ryuko's combination attacks. Lacking the precision and focus that she demonstrated just moments ago allowed the Envoy to make a fool out of her.

"Sh-Shut up! Obviously you have way more combat experience than me. I-I'm just doing my best to keep up, that's all!" the girl stammered over her words in annoyance.

"Really?" Akaro suddenly ceased his movements and abruptly brought himself close to her as his face loomed over hers.

"You could easily strike me from this distance, right?" he uttered.

Ryuko's nerves caused her heart to leap up into her throat as she felt a bead of sweat roll down her face. As she gazed up into the man's eyes, she could feel her pulse quicken. Then as her eyes began to wander, she took interest in the male's physique feeling a strong warmth well up inside of her.

"You're getting distracted!"

A swift open-handed blow to her gut sent her sliding back away from his position at this point. She gritted her teeth in frustration knowing she allotted herself to become distracted in the middle of a fight.

"Damn you, stop fucking around!"

The woman rushed towards Akaro once again with the scissor blade in tow. She performed a series of flips that incorporated many accompanying slash attacks designed to confuse and overwhelm her opponent. It was a methodical, yet brazen maneuver by the street fighter. However, it was definitely something that was up her alley.

"Heh," Akaro relinquished a small chuckle as he observed her moves. At different points, he merely toyed with her by tapping her on her shoulder, sliding a finger across her skin, or even going for a light pat on her exposed rear.

"H-HEY...DAMMIT!" she growled as her face flushed red with embarrassment and anger, yet her chest pulled at her tightly while something else was stirring her up beneath the pit of her stomach.

Opposite to their position, Satsuki and Raizo were engaged in their match up. The Stormbringer pushed aside his flustered demeanor for now as he peered at his foe. The steely gaze emanating from Satsuki suggested that no matter the circumstance, she could still count on her discipline as a warrior to maintain focus.

"It's like I'm staring at a mixture of Aka-sensei and Reina-san...she's definitely in their league. Ugh...I hate fighting hand-to-hand, it just doesn't feel as natural to me. Still...Addy would be pretty upset with me if all the training we did together focusing on martial arts went to waste," Raizo rambled in his mind.

In a streak of light, Satsuki rushed towards Raizo's position aiming to run him through with Bakuzan. The Stormbringer expected something to this extent as he let his mental fortitude take over. As he took in a deep breath, he steadied himself for her first strike. Then, just as she was about to hit him, the male stuck up one finger which held the tip of her sword in place.

"You…" Satsuki's eyes widened ever so slightly in shock. She knew he was strong, but this was something unexpected.

"I don't particularly care for hand-to-hand combat...honestly, I'd be more satisfied with a wooden sword in hand if I had to handicap myself; however, that doesn't mean I still can't hold my own here," Raizo remarked.

"Indulge me then," the Head of the Kiryuin family declared.

She followed up her initial thrust with a series of rapid slash attacks that blazed through the air like bolts of lightning. Using the familiar sword style of Iaido, she attempted to throw as many blows as she could at Raizo's position to force him into a state of discomfort.

Raizo stood and batted away the combination moves as his one arm moved around through the air to hold off all of the attacks. Appearing as if he was waving so fast that his arm disappeared in the motions of combat, he held off every single one of her attacks until he caught the edge of her sword between two of his fingers. With his free hand, he flicked the air thus knocking her away from his position as he released the weapon.

She glided through the air for a brief moment until she stabbed the edge of her blade into the ground to halt herself and pause a moment to catch her breath.

"You're really trained; that much is obvious. But I know at least three other sword masters that incorporate that style of swordplay in their combat. You'll have to do something much more unconventional to catch me off-balance," Raizo casually criticized.

"Come on now, Satsuki-san. Give me everything you got."

"So be it…" she uttered, gripping Bakuzan with both hands.

Satsuki kicked off the ground once more and closed the distance between herself and her target. She channeled a portion of her aura into the edge of the blade then swung the weapon prematurely to unleash a waft of compressed air at her opponent. The crescent airwave stampeded over the ground's rocky surface as Raizo sidestepped out of the way. However just as he dodged one, another followed and another after that one. As a result, the male was forced to contort his body in different ways to evade the onslaught of pressure rendering his feet to be gridlocked for a split second.

"Got you," Satsuki appeared off to the side as he was in the midst of recovering his posture.

She spiraled upside down and brought her blade around for a rotational attack. Raizo raised his hands up to meet the edge of her sword head on. Yet just as Satsuki noticed this and was attempting to shift her body, the male's hands wound up touching her body just above the exposed area of her breasts causing a chill to run down her spine.

Around the same time, Ryuko performed a singular dive technique with the edge of her blade to which Akaro raised his arm to deflect the oncoming strike. As she attempted to use her jets to shift out of the way to ensure her attack would break his defenses, she lost control of her center of gravity causing her to slip across the ground and bump into the Envoy.

A great chasm of dust wafted into the air as both fights came to a halt. Yet as the cloud settled down and the debris fizzled away, the two pairs of combatants found themselves in precarious situations which drew the shocked gazes of Elfnein and the Symphogears in response.

"EHHHHHHHH?!!!" the onlookers shouted out in shock and awe.

"My eyes, Shirabe, don't stare-desu!" Kirika attempted to cover her emerald eyes to look away.

"Scandalous!" Shirabe followed up before covering her mouth in shock.

"Tch...g-get a room already dammit!" Chris blushed as well.

"Surely this...isn't training as well, right?" Tsubasa stammered in disbelief.

"I...am just simply speechless...the audaciousness of it all," Miku gasped in astonishment.

"Not sure if...new training techniques or...freak accident but…" Hibiki raised an eyebrow of confusion.

"N..nnn…" Maria bit her thumb nervously.

"I cannot record this kind of data…" Elfnein blushed and turned away.

Akaro was currently in a position where his body loomed over Ryuko's. His right hand was layered abruptly over her right breasts and firmly ensnared while his left hand was grabbing onto her left side of her curved rear. In addition, his face was abruptly smashed between her ample chest. Ryuko's left leg was inadvertently wrapped around Akaro's waist while the right leg was spread out rather boldly. Her free hand was sliding down his chest as if holding him away or as though she was reaching for something else.

Raizo was in a position where he was forced onto his back. As he opened his eyes, he could see Satsuki's face was looming rather close to his; so much so that she could feel her breathing over his skin. Her breasts were pressed against his chest somewhile while her groin was inadvertently straddling his genital region. His hands were inadvertently groping her rear end as well as the curvature of her softness sunk deeply into his hands. All four parties involved had some form of fluster to some degree. As a result, the awkward and rather charged training session came to an end.

The pairings separate from one another delicately as no words were passed between them.

"It is...rather late, perhaps we should call this a night and rest for the days ahead," Satsuki suggested.

"Y-Yeah...I'm...gonna agree with Onee-chan on this one...I think that's enough hotheaded behavior," Ryuko nodded in agreement.

"Yep, sure thing. Totally agreeing there," Akaro tried not to smirk playfully as he snapped his fingers causing his previous outfit to appear.

"R-right…" Raizo nodded, summoning his armor to partly martialize to cover himself up.

The training session ended bringing the simulated battle to a close. Considering the end result, everyone was in silent agreement not to discuss how the training exercises concluded.

*****

Approximately one week has passed since the Last Word arrived over the Kiryuin Manor. During that time, Satsuki and Ryuko grew close with their newfound allies. Through moments of banter and private conversation, the sisters grew close to everyone that was aboard the ship. They trained heavily and improved their combat prowess using their newly enhanced Kamuis alongside the Gear users, and were even given private tutelage by Musashi and Reina to improve their skills with the sword.

After days of drill instruction for hours on end to get the girls as ready as possible, today was a designated day of rest. To celebrate their progress and the forging of new bonds, Satsuki organized a banquet for everyone aboard the Last Word as a formal gesture of gratitude for everything they did. With her resources, she allowed Mitsuzo Soroi to venture out and contract the best chefs money could buy on such a short notice to cater for the event. Utilizing the largest dining room in the estate, she made sure that the tables were arranged properly: the center section for all of the different courses and the accompanying rim of tables for the guests.

"There's so many graceful beauties in the room...this only makes me that much more remorseful over my uneventful love life," Sakuya Fujitaka sighed in dismay as he sipped from a glass of champagne to drown out his sorrows. He proceeded to take a bite out of the tenderloin steak that was beautifully dressed on his plate to provide further comfort.

"With everything that is going on, I'm pretty sure a dating life is the least of your concerns right now," Aoi Tomosato smiled wryly as she reached over and patted her coworker on his shoulder.

"Easy for you to say Aoi-san, you could easily find someone in no time at all if it wasn't for our jobs. Hell, weren't you also giving side glances as the man-candy in the room at one point?" the young man slurred whilst chewing his food.

"Heaven's no! Sakuya-kun, I think you've had quite enough to drink for tonight," the woman's eyebrows twitched.

"Besides, that's quite the competition going on out there…" she silently thought, looking out to see the faces of the Symphogear users, the vampire girls, the survivors of the Syndicate, and the sisters hosting the event before sighing gently.

"At least we can afford to have another joyous moment like this," Genjuro remarked as he happily nommed on a gourmet-style American Cheeseburger.

"Indeed, moments like these should be cherished to their fullest given what may come at any given time," Shinji agreed as he sipped on a chalice of wine.

"Yeah that much is true, but hopefully when all of this calms down, we can have another even bigger than this to celebrate," Akaro added as he enjoyed a whole rack of ribs to himself.

"Do you think the worlds lost so far can be restored, Akaro-san?" Shinji inquired curiously.

"Perhaps, it depends on the scale of the damage done. It may take some divine intervention on a grand scale, but I'm sure Alexis will find a way to resurrect the lost worlds. Either that or Lucy can turn back time on each world's destruction. Something to that effect. No matter what, we won't give up."

"Before we go home, perhaps we can visit your world, Akaro-kun," Genjuro proposed.

"That could happen. I mean, I'd love to see you and Adena have a nice match. Two martial arts enthusiasts trading blows for the sport of it? It would definitely be entertaining," Akaro chuckled at the thought.

"After that war against the Demon Gods and witnessing how she fights, I'm not even sure I would be able to hold a candle to her. Her style is overwhelming in a good way."

"Heh, maybe she will train you then so you can level up some more."

"That could also work. Record videos of her training regimen so I can watch them daily. It's how I've managed to attain the bulk of my techniques anyway."

"Really? So you didn't do anything like 100 sit-ups, 100 push-ups, 100 squats and a 10 kilometer run each and every single day?" Akaro raised a surprised eyebrow.

"Well...more like a thousand of each then maybe 50 kilometers or so. But I couldn't go overboard lest I lose out hours on viewing new martial arts movies," Genjuro assured.

"Goodness Commander, you are so matter-of-fact," Shinji shook his head with a smile.

"Are these two serious right now?" Reina remarked in disbelief and slight agitation.

"I cannot believe the famous Miyamoto Musashi-san would stoop to such levels. Perhaps this is some new form of discipline?" Tsubasa proposed in astonishment.

"Go Chris-senpai! You can do it-desu!" Kirika cheered on from the side.

"Gross…" Shirabe just glared in judgment.

Musashi and Chris were busy stuffing their faces with udon to determine who can eat noodles the fastest. It all started a few minutes ago as both girls were seated together. Musashi was trying out stir fried yakisoba, while Chris was enjoying teriyaki chow mein. As both women were slurping the noodles happily, they took note of each other's affinity for noodle dishes. Then one line passed between them: "Nobody loves noodles more than me."

"Oh yeah? Wanna bet? I could run circles around you when it comes to noodles," Chris taunted.

"Haha silly girl, I've been savoring the best noodle dishes around the world across multiple timelines longer than you've been alive!" Musashi retorted.

Eventually, this led to the udon eating contest.

"Perhaps Alexis-san and Semiramis-san were correct in choosing to skip out on tonight's festivities," Reina commented.

"Somebody is going to seriously regret this in the long run tonight. I picked tonight to enjoy human sustenance for once and now I am unsure as to whether or not I wish to partake," Arcueid chimed in before turning around and walking away.

"Oh Raizo dear, may I please bother…" she was about to say as she saw her beloved sitting down at another table when she caught the most annoying sight.

The Stormbringer was silently enjoying a plate of sushi and miso soup on his own before sitting back in his seat to take a break. While he sipped on a glass of cold water, Nirvana randomly approached him while no one was paying attention. The girl was still recovering thus she retained her smaller form. As she popped over next to her master, she took one of the man's hands and slipped it underneath her dress to grab her ass cheek.

"Master, what say we slip away so you can help me recharge?" she whispered to him.

"N-Nirvana...what are you thinking?!" he stammered with a slightly flustered expression.

"Oho? I come to ask my husband a favor and what do I find? A little runt, vampire-in-training trying to take advantage? Perhaps you and I need to 'spar' instead so I can teach you the hierarchy around here," Arcueid expressed whilst cracking her knuckles.

"Oh? So now another granny wants to have a go? You know...I'll gladly take you up on that if it so pleases you," Nirvana showed her fangs in kind.

As their auras emanated from them for a split second, one of the pieces that Raizo was saving for last fell towards the floor. This made the Crusader very annoyed.

"Oi...both of you, Knock...it...OFF!" he raised his voice as he chopped both of them on the heads.

The women rubbed their heads at the same time as he reached down with a napkin and picked up the fallen piece of tempura roll.

"Rest in peace, delicious one," he said, balling the napkin up and sitting it to the side, clapping his hands together in prayer.

The positive energy coalesced in the air as thoughts of the Abyss Order and their coming attack were deemed irrelevant for the moment. As the banter carried on, Ryuko looked on from her end of the table arrangements with a smile painted on her face. She proceeded to take a sip of water from her glass when she was gently tapped on the shoulder by a familiar face.

"Ah...Hibiki-san, what's up?"

"Oh come on, drop the formal stuff already, we're friends now right?" the radiant wielder of Gungnir smiled, taking a seat next to the girl.

"Right, sorry about that. Heh...seeing everyone so laid back in spite of the battle to come is reassuring. It kinda makes me have hope for the future; even though someone like me isn't worthy of one."

"What are you talking about? Of course you are! You and I have a lot in common, I can see it by the look in your eyes."

"What do you mean by that?" Ryuko tilted her head curiously.

"You give off a tough girl exterior, but I know deep down that you are kind. You have this badass persona because you'll do anything it takes to protect the ones you care about. I'm willing to bet that the source of your strength is because you have someone that you would more than happily risk everything for," Hibiki surmised.

"Well...yeah...you're right," Ryuko mused as her thoughts lingered over Mako for a second.

"I feel like both of us have lived some crazy lives. We got tossed into worlds beyond our imagination, thrown in the fray embarking on crazy adventures that normal people couldn't hope to entertain. Going back to a dull, normal life is just difficult. And regardless of all the struggles, well...we found family. Speaking for myself, Miku was and still is the most important person in my life. However, I also have the rest of the Symphogear gang and the people a part of S.O.N.G….and now, I have those brothers and their friends as well."

"Yeah...I can see that. You definitely have a lot worth fighting for, Hibiki-sa...I mean, Hibiki. Getting to know you guys over the past week has been a thrill. Honestly, it does feel good to smile again," Ryuko nodded as her eyes drifted over towards Akaro's position. At this point, the girl felt her heartbeat thump heavily in her chest as she looked away immediately.

"Wow, I know that look," Miku interrupted as she sat down and joined the pair.

"Heehee...I think I see what's going on too," Hibiki cheesed at the girl.

"Huh? Oi, w-what the hell are you talkin' about?" Ryuko blushed deeply, trying to deny their implied allegations.

"You should tell him what's on your mind, Ryuko-chan," Hibiki urged with a serious tone.

"Yes, we don't know how long this peace will last...and what the next battle is going to be like. Take whatever opportunity you can while you can," Miku advised in agreement.

"Is...that really okay?" Ryuko pondered as her gaze lingered on once more.

Catty corner to the Matoi table stood Satsuki and Maria. The more mature and older sisters of the groups were having a discussion themselves while enjoying the pleasant atmosphere of the room.

"It's nice to see you smile, Satsuki-san," Maria complimented as she sipped on a glass of light alcoholic wine.

"Hmm? What do you mean, Maria-san?" Satsuki raised her brow a bit in bewilderment.

"Take no offense to my words, but since I met you, you exuded this consistent serious demeanor as if you must bear the weight of the world on your shoulders. Even from your regal mannerisms, you embody this person that is willing to sacrifice anything of her own desires for the sake of the greater good or a higher purpose. Like you deny yourself and make way to do anything for others no matter the cost. Whatever it takes, you are a stern figure meant to be held as the epitome of strength; one that others can always look to for inspiration. With all due respect, it is quite noble, yet very tragic at the same time," Maria explained.

"I…" Satsuki went to counter, but held no argument as a result.

"I am not trying to chastise you, Satsuki-san. I empathize with you actually. I was the same way. I was prepared to forsake any source of happiness for myself for a greater cause. I was willing to lay down my life to become the next incarnation of something in order to save the world. I denied my own wants, my own beliefs, all for the sake of achieving a vision that I felt was greater than myself. Then I was made to realize that not every cause should have a sacrifice and that I needed to take my life and cherish it and share happiness with others."

"I see…" Satsuki remarked whilst looking down. She laddened herself heavily on making the world correct after what her mother did for the sake of Life Fibers. Having the Kiryuin last name was a gift as well as a curse. At this point in her life, it was a shackle; a noose around her neck that she had to lay down her life to break free from by serving others. To think of herself at any moment was to spit in the face of the world harmed by her family.

"It is all well and good that you carry such high regard for responsibility, but at some point, you need to consider what is best for you. You are one person, you cannot tackle the world's problems yourself. It is important to have a vision, but it is just as important to embrace who you are as a solitary individual and think about what you personally cherish," Maria detailed with a hand on the woman's shoulder.

"I learned this not only from Hibiki-chan...but also from Raizo-san," she continued whilst casting a quick gaze over at the male in question.

Satsuki merely nodded as her gaze also locked onto the Stormbringer's figure. It held its grip for a second as she found herself clutching at her chest.

"What is this strange feeling...I wonder," Satsuki said in a distant voice.

"Satsuki-san...if you really are set on something...you should go for it...even if it's a person," Maria whispered.

"Wait what? No, that is just...I have never thought of anyone in such a manner. It is just silly and absurd…" the former council president chuckled.

"No, it's not. It's a real sensation that isn't felt often. Even if it is not the aim you seek deep down; you should at least take a chance to express yourself. Not as Satsuki Kiryuin, the Fierce, Unwavering Head of the Kiryuin Family; but as Satsuki Kiryuin, the woman who embraces tranquility."

"Yeah...sure…"

Another hour or so passed before the party wound down to the closing statement of the night.

"Everyone, we may have been together for a short period of time, but this week has been a long, arduous one. We had to get to know one another, test out our strengths, and build up trust for what is to come. Though our time together has been short, I cannot express the level of gratitude I feel towards all of you for coming to this world to help us save it," Satsuki spoke.

"Whatever happens next is unknown, however, this Abyss Order will not find a world unprepared that will be scattered without a fight. No, they shall meet a fearsome resistance that will happily put them in their place!"

"In other words, my sister here is sayin' let's get ready to kick some serious ass!" Ryuko roused with a shout.

A resounding clamor of noise from everyone in the room echoed like thunder throughout the whole estate. With that, the party drew to a close. Thanks to the massive size of the estate, everyone was shown a room whether to share with someone or to have on their own without any conflict or need for any other amenities. Thus, the night drew to a close where much deserved rest would follow, or so one would think.