Crimson Rebellion

In the distance away from the carnage taking place in the city lied a few winding roads leading towards the suburban district. Unlike the urban sprawl of concrete, glass and steel architecture culminating in the cluster of the downtown, central area, this part of the city was surrounded by widespread hills and valleys. Atop a singular hill that stood steeper than the rest looming over the settlement as a perfect vantage point was a singular individual. Wearing the gray overalls of a man of sanitation and maintenance was the same mysterious janitor that was on the S.O.N.G. submarine. It was here that he rested his old mop against the soft grass whilst watching the devastation unfold.

"The time has come it seems…" he muttered to himself. His words carried a particular weight about the events to unfold, yet to the onlooker, he appeared as a stranger meant to bear witness to something greater than oneself.

MEANWHILE

The gigantic amalgamation of all the Tacet summoned by Acedia loomed overhead. Giant beams of concentrated energy shot from its eyes as entire building complexes were wiped from the face of the Earth. Genjuro, Shinji, Hibiki, Maria and Tsubasa rallied behind Akaro's back as they peered upward at their foe before them. As for the wounded Stormbringer, he was left behind a safe distance from the attack radius of the colossus still on his knees with Soteria lodged in his chest.

Cold beads of sweat ran down his brow. He felt the numbing pain of being impaled yet it was as if the sense of agony would not rattle his nerves. It was as if he felt some form of catharsis for his current state of being, like it was to be expected. The youth went to reach for the handle of the noble armament in order to remove it, but there was something restricting him from following through on that intention. It was as if a force deep inside of him wanted this to occur. From there, a deep melancholy struck his consciousness as he watched another world become devoured in the flames of war.

"Is it really this hopeless? Every time I feel myself going one step forward, I get slapped two steps back. It's like I'm trapped in a perpetual cycle of weakness. Is this truly my fate?" the Stormbringer pondered.

Acedia's influence over his mind spread like a disease. The hostile takeover from the foreign entity felt like a microcosm of what he saw in the lost future. Then, it was like time froze within his mental being. He felt like he was floating in an ever-expanding abyss of uncertainty and failure. His vision clouded over in sheets of grey as the phantasms of depression sunk in. Just as he was about to succumb to the weight of his feelings, a new presence appeared floating over him.

"After all that bravado about saving Akasha's world, are you really going to give up here?" the voice of a familiar foe echoed within. The male raised his head to see her, a woman in fine robes akin to an astral dress with raven-colored hair and violet eyes. Though caught off guard, he was not surprised to see her given the parting words passed between them.

"Sakinah…" he mumbled, "How are you…"

"Have you forgotten, boy? You absorbed the Arcana Crystal and in doing so, took in a great many parts of myself within you. Is it really all that surprising that I would be able to communicate with you like this? Did Indra not do something similar?" the woman once feared as The Divinity expressed.

"...Why are you here then?" Raizo inquired suspiciously.

"Is that really the question you are trying to ask right now? My presence is the least of your concerns. Right now, you need to figure out something more important. What is it that you desire, Raizo Arashi-Mercer?"

"I...want power. Not just for the sake of having it, but to be able to stop those terrible…"

"Wrong answer," Sakinah Vashti's voice echoed with so much ferocity and authority that he felt it reverberate through his entire mental image.

"You want power so you can feel in control, so that you do not lose yourself to your emotions or to whomever you have to borrow power from. You want strength so that you never have to rely on anyone to save the world," declared.

"What the hell would you know?" Raizo shot back in frustration.

"Ah a little brat as always it seems," Sakinah sighed while shaking her head.

"I know what you are feeling right now. When I lost my mother, my anger set the world ablaze and I hurt more people than you could ever know. I then did whatever it took to not feel vulnerable, to never have to rely on anyone so that one day nothing would be able to faze me. However, that bloodstained philosophy only led to my destruction. And in the end, it was a little child of light who trusted in his comrades, his family, and in their way of life that awakened to a power far greater than my own."

Hearing those words caused Raizo to look inward as the feelings of that day in his fated battle with the woman in question came rushing back to him. In that moment, he held more hope than ever before. The determination to make that hope a reality, to prove that life deserved to be free and that Akasha was worth living for burned into his memories as he remembered the moment when his power surpassed that of a woman who dared to replace the Goddess-Above-All.

"Sakinah...you...I don't…"

"Raizo, you are the fool of this story," the Goddess knelt down in front of him to see him eye to eye whilst holding his hand. That delicate action almost felt like it was occurring in real time.

"Trust, that is the power of Raizo Arashi-Mercer; the resolve that can break the chains of the Fool and give him the World."

The Legion leaned in and touched her forehead against his. The Crusader felt an unknown force leak from his heart where the abstract concept of the Arcana Crystal remained dormant. That energy flowed into Soteria and Raizo thus giving him the courage to rise to his feet in the material world.

"I cannot give you much as I am but a figment of an already shattered image...and even what I can offer will certainly not last long. Nonetheless, I entrust my all to you for this battle."

Sakinah's astral spirit vanished from sight thus forcing Raizo's awareness to return to his present reality. In that moment, a violet shaded aura leaked from his being which reignited the golden electricity of the Oversoul state. His hair grew in length flowing like a river down his back as strands of dark purple highlights were mixed in. The swelling of this newfound power pushed forward the genetics of the Mercer bloodline combined with his own natural talent for projection. Memories of past battles alongside the Symphogears made him recall the Ignite Module and how its function was to balance the dark urges of the Dainsleif relic with the potentially limitless strength of the Symphogears.

The Janus Armor harmonized with that memory as the influence of projection forced it to undergo metamorphosis altering it into a light-armored, ethereal form where the Crusader was wearing his own combination of the Ignite module and Amalgam state. He sported a dark bodysuit representing the inner layer of the Janus armor which was protected by some metallic plating along the shoulders, forearms, upper thighs, the shins and collar area. The pattern between the fabric and metal plates was reminiscent of a futuristic, dystopian shinobi warrior. A crystal lotus was embedded on his chest similar to that of the gear users as golden streaks flowed across the surface akin to Altera's body markings. His pupils sport the design pattern of the Dainsleif's blade. Soteria transformed as well, taking the shape of the demonic blade as its honed edge split into a dual-sided blade; one half being black and crimson while the other half was solid gold. It twisted down into a crossguard that opened just like an elaborate symbol of the sun with a red eye in the middle. As the transformation completed, Raizo silently rejoined the battlefield as phonic gain poured from his body drawing all eyes towards him.

"Sensei?" Hibiki tilted her head in confusion mixed with excitement.

"That form...it's so different yet wholly familiar at the same time," Maria absorbed.

"Do you feel that? It's almost as if…" Tsubasa pondered for a moment before a transmission came over the radio.

"Everyone," the high-pitched voice of Elfnein paged in from her station aboard The Last Word.

"It would appear that Raizo-san was able to weave his memories into reality to create his own version of the Dainsleif relic...his very own Symphogear!"

Akaro gave a small approving smile upon hearing these words before passing off a telepathic message.

"I told you he'd be alright, Rei-chan," he said.

"I know, he just needed a little bit of a wake-up call. But this energy…" the Sovereign responded with a cautious tone.

"Yeah I know...who would have guessed out of all people, she would be the one to step in somehow."

"Sensei! That form is so awesome!" Hibiki cheered on watching Raizo's return to battle.

"I always sensed that there was a song in his heart like ours," Tsubasa commented with a firm smile.

"That light...that is the one that shines with hope and determination. Everyone, we can win this!," Maria said full of confidence.

"Raizo-san, it will be an honor to fight alongside you," Shinji spoke up in a tone of admiration and respect.

"This kid never ceases to amaze me," Genjuro chuckled.

"All he needed was a minute to get his mind right, now let's get to work," Akaro declared.

"Ho? So the puppet is back on his feet with a new trick? It matters not, the battle is already over," Acedia smiled maliciously as the giant creature cried out.

A poisonous black mist wafted from its body. From its shadowy embrace, additional copies of the monstrosity began to form as the sight of terror seemingly worsened before the heroes' very eyes. What should have been a moment of despair turned into one of audacity and defiance as illustrated by the Crusader himself.

"Heh, don't insult me Acedia, just who the hell do you think I am?" Raizo scoffed in dismissal towards the advent of multiple beasts.

"Kakaka, some things never change my Master," a female voice crept into Raizo's mind; one that he had not heard in a long time.

"Nirvana, is that you?" he asked incredulously only guessing her identity solely by her mannerisms.

"I should be offended by the way you said that; however, I suppose I do sound a lot more like a mature beauty. I suppose I did some growing up while we were apart, kakaka~" the angelic, demonic hybrid of the scythe crafted from the soul of Lucifer shot back.

"It seems like this rush of symphonic power stirred me awake a lot sooner than anticipated."

"I see, well this form isn't going to last. I'd hate to put you to work as soon as we reunited, but I could use your help here."

"Say no more, My Master."

Without so much as summoning the Nirvana weapon, her signature field of energy combined with her musical influence harmonized with the boy's current form. The dark vermillion aura symbolizing her energy spiraled around the pitch fork design of the resurrected Dainsleif. In that instant, the music within the Stormbringer's heart began to play.

"Master, this is going to sound completely crazy to you, but will you sing for me? For all of us?" Nirvana requested.

"E-Eh? Me? Singing isn't really...something I could say that I'm imbued with talent for..I mean, just playing alone is enough right?"

"Not this time, my Master. This form and the phonic gain surrounding it is fully on you. In order to project it outward and give those girls the boost they need to survive this situation, you are going to have to continually produce it at this current wavelength. To that end, you have to sing."

"Tch...as much as I'd like to argue this notion, I want to do whatever it takes to make sure we get out of this. Okay Nirvana, let's see what this form can do!"

The echo of the melody in his heart building up reverberated firmly throughout his entire being. This escalated in tandem with the strength generated by his current form. He felt a sense of nervousness linger around in the back of his mind towards the idea of singing; however, he was firmly fixed upon the task at hand. After taking a second to catch his breath, he opened his mouth and let the words flow out.

"Trapped in this maze of existence and doomed by misery; I was blinded by my fears…"

Like a tsunami suddenly washing out to consume the shores of an island, the wavelength of phonic energy burst from Raizo's body thus consuming the air. Instantly, the creature hovering over the heroes' position collapsed under the weight of his song thus dissipating before a blade was even lifted towards them. The resulting clones lingered in confusion, feeling a sense of alertness by the sudden disturbance caused by Raizo's power up.

The pulse affected the trio of gear users left behind to stand against the towering beasts. Hibiki, Tsubasa and Maria received so much strength from Raizo's phonic gain that their gears instantly transformed into the X-Drive state added with the unleashed nature of the Ignite Module. Hibiki's gear turned white and gold with white angel wings and a purple scarf trailing around her neck. Tsubasa's gear turned white and blue with pale, blue angel wings hanging from her skirt while the strands of hair at the end turned purple. Maria's gear remained somewhat the same as her Amalgam state except for the silver and white wings protruding from her back while the tail end strands of her rose colored hair turned white. The Ignite Module further amplified the gear users as spirals of black flames consumed their bodies while their silhouettes were outlined in vermillion light.

"This warmth, this...fiery determination, it's welling up inside of me. It's like Raizo-san is touching my heart directly. I don't understand this feeling...it's beyond inspiration...it's pure excitement!" Maria relished inside of her mind as her cheeks became slightly flushed as a result.

"All my life I've been playing with fire; set me free that's my only desire!" Raizo continued to sing. At the point of the coming chorus, the warriors on the ground rose up to the challenge and rushed forward towards the titans looming with dismay above them.

Genjuro and Hibiki, the Master and Student of Martial Arts, broke the ranks first taking off towards the closest Tacet. They rushed up the arms of the creature at gripping speeds that outwitted the beasts growing tendrils that popped out along its flesh to divert them off their ascent. They weaved through any and all obstructions in their way with ease before arriving at the creature's shoulders on either side. The beast sprouted numerous eyes on both sides of its face as each discharged a laser beam of energy. That did not deter the duo as they charged at the monster's head on both sides simultaneously. Their battle cries rang deeply within the monster's mind as their fists were filled with determination. In unison, the duo delivered a strike of solidarity that caused the monster's head to cave in and explode thus rendering the headless body lifeless almost instantaneously. Sharing grins of pride, they jumped off the fallen beast and proceeded to the next foe.

Shinji and Tsubasa, the Bodyguard and the Diva, used their superior agility to head towards another giant Tacet. With their swords at hand, the graceful swordsmiths proceed to assail the next titan by running at a full 90-degree inversion up the legs of the foul beast. Like the beast that was targeted by Genjuro and Hibiki, this creature also spawned random tendrils to try and obstruct the pair. However, their quick thinking and superior speed allowed them to hack their way through to clear a path. Their blades danced wildly and harmoniously as they cut the thick skin of the creature leaving mists of black blood to spew from its wounds. They hacked and slashed their way all towards the uppermost summit of the beast. Additional beams of light were discharged at them to which Shinji deflected by creating a wall of lightning using his swords. Whereas Tsubasa turned into a flaming cartwheel and cut through the energy projectiles. Seconds later, the duo severed the beast's head off as its chopped limbs and appendages fell to the ground below.

"The time has come for me, the time to overcome and do what is right for the world to see; and from the ashes of the dawn, I arise!" Raizo sang aloud as he leapt into the fray shortly after his song resonated within the hearts of his comrades.

The numbers of the Tacet were sizable. The duplication rate of the giants accelerated at a surprising rate; however, it was not something that could not be contained even with limited numbers to oppose them. Genjuro, Hibiki, Shinji and Tsubasa were doing their fair share of the work. Their efforts turned aside the creatures' attention from the city which allotted the remainder of any survivors from this sudden assault to reach some form of safety. However, the youth knew that the only way this battle could truly be won was if Acedia was defeated.

He picked up in his sights a cluster of giants that lumbered together towards his position. With a confident smirk, the male soared into the sky with the Dainsleif blade in tow. Channeling his energy into the honed edge of the demonic blade, the golden spirals of electricity then turned crimson as he took aim. Around this time, he was joined by another.

"Raizo-san!" Maria called out drawing the shortsword from her sheath and gathering pure white light in its edge.

In harmony, the two unleashed a swath of energy that combined holy white light with crimson thunder as the dynamism of the concentrated beams twisted together and erased the opposing creatures that remained. As numerous colossal Tacet fell like dominoes, the only ones that remained were scattered across the globe.

"Crimson Dragon Flash Alternative!" the voice of Akaro bellowed out as the sight of his energy taking the form of a dragon soared into the darkened heavens above.

Without pause or delay in his approach, the Crimson Envoy launched his signature move in a new manner. The tremendous energy discharged by the swing of his blade ascended towards the heavens and collided with the darkness above. It then split into innumerable trails of smaller dragons that hunted down the Tacet across the globe. From the other side of Japan all the way to the opposite side of the Earth to the far laying coasts of countless countries, he eradicated each and every foul beast that dared to tear creation asunder. The hellstorm of draconic rain only assaulted and annihilated the invaders leaving civilization unharmed all over the place. Feeling her forces decimated in such precise totality only led to Acedia relinquishing a meek smile.

She stood alone on the top of the last remaining skyscraper in the city. With the giant Tacet slain for now, Raizo and Akaro looked to one another and then to their allies passing only a quiet nod. It was then that the Crimson Brothers took off towards the top of the building without further delay to face the mastermind. The haunting grin on her face, one filled with apathy and amusement filled their eyes which only served to ignite their rage.

Akaro reignited Svarog with his energy to release his signature technique once more. The crimson wave of energy was released in that next moment when he swung his blade in her general direction. The phantom of the Crimson Dragon emerged with its jaws sprung wide open racing towards the girl's location. With all of his fury, the divine blow collided with her body thus turning her into a bloody mist almost instantaneously. However, the battle was not going to end so easily.

"On your knees," her voice wafted out as a command towards the Crimson Envoy. Immediately following those words, the command overwrote Akaro's will thus bringing him down to one knee robbing his ability to move.

Raizo used his form's superior speed to attack the girl from behind and take her out. As he was set up in position to deliver the fatal blow, Acedia did not flinch from the threat.

"I reject that," her words passed from her lips. In that following second, the Stormbringer felt like something grabbed a firm grip around his body. The power that was temporarily given to him by Legion was severed from his body. The pseudo-Symphogear shattered as the golden radiance instantly faded away and the guise of Dainsleif was destroyed. All of the phonic gain generated from his body simply ceased to exist all at once which caused the Symphogears to lose their X-Drive Ignited forms as well. After being stripped of his strength, it was like the force of gravity tossed him aside towards Akaro's position like a ragdoll.

"Silly little children. Though powerful you may be, your strength means nothing to my authority. I can overwrite, freely manipulate, and reject any type of phenomena as I please. Sakinah Vashti's power could not even compare to mine. I can even remove my own death from the narrative. Do you see now how futile it is to resist your fate?" she uncaringly explained.

She sauntered towards their location ready to deliver the final blow. Though the view was obscured from the rest of the heroes, they knew that once their gears reverted back to normal that something went wrong. An air of anxiety and fear culminated together in the air as everything was about to be lost. Then, a bubbling pool of shadows appeared in the space between the Crimson Brothers and Acedia, halting the woman's advance. It was then that the mysterious entity with the old mop rose above the surface with his dark green and yellow eyes firmly fixed on the girl. Knowing the identity of the individual, Acedia's smug grin turned to one filled with disdain.

"I see. The True Void's keeper has finally decided to do his work. Though I'm afraid you're too late to make a difference. With my absolute authority, you are weak and useless like these two fools," she boasted.

The dark green and yellow gaze that was fixated on the girl's position resonated with an ominous pressure which caused the girl to sweat.

"Who decided that?" he muttered. The sensation that rumbled the girl's resolve allowed her authority to weaken which led to Akaro and Raizo being able to stand up once more.

"You…" Raizo called out towards The Janitor, "You're the one I saw in that dream. You warned me about the future, about Rakshasa. Just who are you?"

"You ask for my identity? Very well," the Janitor answered with a calm and collected tone of voice.

"Listen…" he whispered as reality dimmed around them. In that moment, a vision materialized before the pair of warriors' eyes.

IN THE BEGINNING…

"It is your move, Akasha," spoke the elegant twin with volcanic red eyes that shimmered with trails of dark green and black sparks in between the main display of undying crimson.

"So it seems, Rakshasa."

The twins sat by a glamorous window composed of platinum-like metals etched in wood. The view of the window led any beholders to a view of purely white nonspace where no abstract ideas resided. Not a single creature could be said to have lived or died in this final destination, the Final Heaven, for both life and death had yet to be. In the twins' bedroom was an infinite domain made of shape beyond shapes, oft not mind nor matter, not of human or godly reckoning. This place outside of all places was where the two sisters played their game of chess.

The hallowed halls of their home, the Oldest House, would become the very abstracta of such a concept. Thus it would become that which leads to all places in all stories, yet invariably outside it all. That which is always out of sight, out of mind, but that which can only be found by those who open their eyes to the truth. A miracle beyond the veil of any shadow...such is the nature of the Oldest House in Final Heaven.

"Those made by our hands shall be the epitome of eternal perfection," spoke the red-eyed twin with great confidence.

"Everything that must-be needs to be part of the one, an extension of the Monad's supreme perfection, an extension of us. Lesser creatures will inevitably plunge into the depths of duality and cause their end."

Rakshasa firmly asserted that there naught be any outside of Final Heaven. Their playground was the very foundational blank page on which all stories could be written, and there was no need for a tale made imperfect.

Yet this was where the twins differed.

"Have you no faith that creatures less than perfect could overcome duality through their own struggles?" Akasha, the all-knowing, uncharacteristically inquired her first and final question.

Perfection in unity and Imperfection in struggle born from the separation of the greater and lesser. The notion of this even being a question made Rakshasa burst with laughter.

"We are the perfect Supreme Ones. There needn't be any lesser than us. This notion of creation is unnecessary, why not only be us? Eternal, of no beginning or end."

Rakshasa dismissed her sister's desire as mere ignorance. The twins would continue to play that game of chess, but the topic would always somehow come back to that conversation.

"No fair, why is it that we have to play this game at all?"

"We're at our best when we're playing it together."

"But wouldn't it be better if we filled this place instead of just maintaining it?"

"Our duty has always been to maintain order here."

Then came a point where Akasha journeyed beyond the veil of the Oldest House and gave the empty canvas meaning in the form of infinite stories. Alone, Rakshasa cried out:

"IT CANNOT BE! IT CANNOT BE! IT CANNOT BE! IT CANNOT BE! IT CANNOT BE! IT CANNOT BE! IT CANNOT BE! IT CANNOT BE! IT CANNOT BE! IT CANNOT BE! IT CANNOT BE! IT CANNOT BE! IT CANNOT BE!"

The Janitor then spoke:

"Henceforth the prime age of war had begun. In the prime age, in the first battle when darkness first lengthened, one-act forged hate, the hate of the first. That loathing of Rakshasa birthed three monsters: the embers of Armageddon, the Dawn of Evil, and the Hole of Absence. Its very whims sparked the fires of damnation and tarnished all beyond ascension.

Tarturus, Perdition, and I, Pariah, respectively. We are the sons of a being who hates creation; accidents made to reflect her transcendental mindset at the time. I am the hole left behind when her sister left, the eternal sensation of absence. And thus it is my duty to be away from matters of creation and to tend only to the horrors in the void."

"But...you did save us," Raizo reckoned.

"Akaro would have broken free and pushed Acedia back regardless of my untimely intervention, young one. You as well with that Outlaw ability of yours. Nevertheless, it is my duty to aid my new assistants in getting rid of trash that escapes my void," Pariah remarked. His presence became enveloped in a miasma of absolute darkness.

"A Janitor who takes care of the worst kind of trash that lurks outside what us mere mortals back in Akasha's cozy creation can reckon," the Envoy mused. Akaro and Raizo now stood side by side with their newfound ally.

"Three against one? This hardly seems like a fair fight. I'm afraid this is where we part ways," Acedia smugly remarked before her aura flared causing her clothing to dance in the wind.

"Struggle as long as you want, it will all end the same," she proclaimed before vanishing without a trace. In the same fashion, Pariah disappeared in a flare of black light.

Raizo fell to his knees succumbing to exhaustion when his previous fears attempted to creep back into the forefront of his mind.

"I have to get stronger…"

However, that very sequence was destroyed instantaneously when Akaro offered him a helping hand while slinging Svarog over his shoulders. Taking onto that hand, the Crimson Envoy teleported with his brother back down to the ground below. As they landed safely, Hibiki and the others approached.

"That bloodstained philosophy only led to my own destruction...and in the end, it was a little child of light who trusted in his comrades, his family, and in their way of life that awakened a power far greater than my own."

Sakinah's words came back to him. He was at a loss for words over how much their encounter shook her morals, but most importantly…

"Yeah...trust in each other. That's what got me this far, that's what allowed Aniki to trust me with the information in that notebook. It's what gave him courage to stand before the worst version of me with unwavering resolve. The strength of the individual is nothing compared to that trust. Relying on myself will only lead down the wrong path."

With that newfound resolve, the Stormbringer stood to his feet beside his brother as they reunited with their comrades. The battle was over, but the war was only just beginning.

*****

After the battle was over, everyone was reunited on The Last Word. During the midst of combat, it was hard for everyone to exchange proper introductions. As the tension subsided after Acedia's departure, the Symphogears and staff members of S.O.N.G. got to know the new faces present aboard the vessel in Alexis, Musashi, and Arcueid.

The Crimson Brothers were noticeably absent from the bridge at the moment. The fighting left Raizo virtually exhausted as he pushed himself further beyond his limits once again tapping into powers that were foreign to him. Akaro brought Raizo to the med-bay where the medical A.I.--whose sass was very much like Nightingale--attended to and monitored his vitals. Soteria impaling the youth's chest was a concerning note to consider. However, the advanced intelligence could not detect anything abnormal. As a result, the Stormbringer was cleared which allowed the pair to rejoin their allies on the bridge.

"Has everyone taken to the functions of the consoles well-enough? I tried to recreate the design scheme based upon each of your preferences," Alexis inquired whilst conversing with Elfnein, Sakuya and Aoi.

"Everything seems so seamless and transparent. This processing speed is a thousand times greater than what we had on the submarine," Sakuya observed.

"With all this processing power, I can finally sift through all kinds of information at the same time to keep everyone up to date across multiple fronts," Aoi commented.

"I can even monitor complex wavelengths and shifts in Phonic Gain, as well as complex demographics surrounding the status of each of the gears," Elfnein spoke in an excited voice.

Near the weapons' control panel was another playful conversation going on.

"So you're a swordsman too eh? Nice work out there, I was watchin' ya on the cameras. Wanna train? Go a few rounds maybe?" Musashi chuckled deviously whilst poking fun at Tsubasa.

"Er...Musashi-sama, you're a literal legend in our history. To even be permitted this moment to be in your presence is an honor," Tsubasa responded.

"Jiii….Tsubasa-san, you're so tense," Shirabe pointed out from the other side.

"Leave it to Tsubasa to tighten up when the spotlight is on her nowadays. Goodness, you do realize we were both part-time idols right?" Maria sighed.

"Musa-chan, do not tease the poor girl. If you are so anxious to flex your tiny muscles, I am happy to oblige by smacking you across the head right now," Reina said whilst shaking her head.

"Oi, that's just plain rude Rei-chan. Mou, you are really not trying to let me have fun anymore."

"Keep the pouty face to yourself, that trick does not work on me."

"Rei-chan, no faiiiiir!" Musashi whined whilst shaking the shoulder of the Sovereign who relinquished a deadpan expression.

Off to the side stood the idol manager and the Commander of S.O.N.G.

"Nice to see everyone having such a healthy laugh after that grand battle," Genjuro smiled warmly.

"Indeed, and we got to see a rare case of action for once," Shinji commented.

"Yeah it was nice to get a good workout in for once. It was nice to get out on the field for once. But I don't want the girls to get used to it. I'm just meant to provide support where I can."

"Indeed, same here."

Meanwhile, Hibiki and Kirika where the control seat was at.

"Have you seen Miku-chan yet, desu?" Kirika asked in concern.

"No, her physical injuries were healed but the trauma on her mind is...I don't know," Hibiki sighed worriedly.

"Don't worry about it, Miku is just resting. We shared the same room. Trust me, she'll be fine," Chris said as she approached from behind.

"Chris-chan!" Hibiki exclaimed.

"Yo, how's it...ow! Not so hard, idiot!" the gunsmith of the group grunted as the two girls rushed up to her to give her a hug.

Semiramis and Arcueid mostly stood off to the side sharing a glass of wine in part due to the victory, but also to alleviate their nerves waiting for an update on their beloved. Just then, the door opened up as the Crimson Brothers joined in on the little festive atmosphere.

"Well then, nice to see there's a little party going on up here. Where's the food and drinks?" Akaro poked fun at the situation to add to the humorous atmosphere.

"You know...even with all of us in here, this place is still huge…" Raizo raised an eyebrow in disbelief.

"Sensei, how do you feel?" Hibiki remarked as the brothers approached their location first.

"I'm okay, I just needed to take a little nap. That's all," the Stormbringer answered.

"Whoa...sensei's hair grew longer, desu," Kirika pointed out, noticing how Raizo's hair draped past his shoulders.

"Hmm...well that's interesting…" the youth said, "I wonder when that started happening; guess I could cut it."

"No don't do that!" Chris called out much to everyone's surprise.

"I mean...er...it's not like having long hair is a bad thing...I think...mou."

"Heh Chris-chan, you like Sensei with long hair don't you?" Hibiki chuckled.

"I didn't know that was your sort of thing."

"Just like how no one would have guessed you like batting for both teams, right? Trying to pull Akaro-senpai and Miku…"

"Um...I'm kinda confused right now," Raizo raised an eyebrow.

Akaro reached out and patted his brother's shoulder, "Women are complicated yet delicate individuals. Trust me, I gave up trying to understand them a long time ago. Even Akame confuses me sometimes. It's best that you just go with it."

"Raizo, my dear!" Arcueid shouted out in joy as she quickly stole the first march and made a mad dash across the bridge in a blur of motion. Akaro sidestepped just in time as the blonde woman instantly wrapped herself around the boy tightly.

"EHHHHHH?!!!!" the Symphogears said in unison whilst Reina and Musashi sighed and shook their heads. Semiramis merely raised an eyebrow as she quickly gulped down the rest of her wine.

"Arcueid-san, I had a feeling you were forward but...isn't this a little much?" Maria asked as she walked over to the commotion.

"What are you talking about? Is it wrong to show affection to my husband?" the True Ancestor asked innocently.

"S-Sensei...m-married?" Chris stammered.

"I don't understand...what just happened again, desu?" Kirika tilted her head.

"Care to run that by me again?" Maria raised an eyebrow.

"Raizo and I are married."

"Whoa, whoa, hang on, it's just a blood contract. You know...a weird vampire thing I think. She insists on calling it a marriage," Raizo tried to explain away, but the anxiety did not waver.

"Hey Sensei...that uh...that Symphogear you had was pretty awesome...heh heh," Hibiki brought up trying to change up the atmosphere.

"Plus that singing of yours really hit home...right everyone?"

"Bikky," Akaro called out then shook his head knowing what the girl was trying to do but it was failing.

"Kakaka, you can thank me for that one," a voice echoed in the halls of the room that was familiar to Raizo first and foremost.

"Oh no…" the boy lamented.

A dark waft of crimson hellfire washed out from his shadow as a new figure appeared in the room. A long, blonde-haired woman whose height eclipsed most of the females in the room rivaling Reina's in her high-heeled shoes emerged. She wore a flowing, red velvet dress with black, feathered frills along the corset and the upper portion of the sleeves of her white-sleeved gloves. She had pale, cream-toned skin with yellow eyes and a curvaceous shape and bountiful breasts. The woman held a mature tone of voice despite her somewhat blunt and unapologetic tone of voice. As she materialized from the youth's shadow, she quickly snatched him up away from Arcueid's grasp, spinning him around for a moment before hugging his face between her large valley of cleavage.

"My master!!!" she cheered happily.

"Mmmph!!!" he grunted in response.

"Nirvana? Is that really you?" Reina asked in a perplexed tone.

"Hold up...who the hell is this?" the White Princess of the True Ancestors inquired with an annoyed tone of voice.

"This situation really is getting more and more complicated," Musashi remarked.

Even in the midst of the woman's embrace, Raizo had a quiet thought to himself.

"At least we can have some moments of peace like this and laugh...this war is only going to get more and more complex as time goes on."

"Everyone, please take your seats. I am plotting our course to the next world," Alexis warned.

It was then that The Last Word's thrusters flared up on the exterior of the ship as the vessel's active cloak engaged. A large rift in space opened before it as the fortress turned about face then sailed off to the next destination.