Season 1 - Episode 12: Symphogear and Kamen Rider
シンフォギアと仮面ライダー
Two beams of fire spiraled against one another, the first coming from the dual power of Vulcan and Chris and the other came from the Particle Cannon Kadingir. But even there, it didn't seem like enough as cracks formed through the barrel of their weapon, rising up before it went through the Shotriser and even through their armor, a spurt of blood escaped both of their mouths. A crack formed in the moon as in the far distance, their bodies cascaded through the sky, tangled with one another as they had used up all that they had. 'They left... Without even saying goodbye...' Miku thought as she watched on in horror at the scene, trying to hold back her tears. Even Genjurrou had trouble staring at the screen. Takuya was a valiant partner, being a stern and hard working soldier in AIMS and Chris... There were so many responsibilities he was left with when her parents passed that now... Now he only hoped she had found the dream that he wanted her to find for herself. "Yukine..." Tsubasa's voice was soft as she saw the last remaining specks of their energy vanish as they hit the ground. Hibiki's voice then echoed through the night air.
Episode 12: Symphogear and Kamen Rider
Finè was pissed. Her plan didn't work as she wanted to, at least initially. The first shot was derailed, but at least two pests were out of the way. "No... We were finally becoming friends..." Hibiki silently weeped as she fell to her knees, "This isn't fair... This can't be happening..." "Takuya-San..." Zero-One muttered, still staring off in the distance. Everyone else was silent, unsure of how they should feel in a moment like this. Hibiki's hands gripped at the dirt under her, her body slightly shaking as she fought her tears, "I wanted to talk with her more... If we can't talk, we can't fight... And we can't become even better friends!" Her heart pounded. "Chris-Chan... You said you had dreams... But you never got to tell me what they were..."
"They killed themselves to stop the Moon strike... What a waste," Finè scoffed. Flashes of red streaked by and quickly, Finè sprung back, dodging a large swing as the ground shook, cracks emitting from the point of impact. Right where she was standing seconds ago, Zero-One hovered over the location, his hand tightened around the Authorize Buster as its head was stuck inches deep in the rocks. Her intention was the anger and power that was drawn upon from Hibiki's unnatural fusion of human and relic, but for a so-called hero of justice to act out in anger, that was surely surprising. Behind Zero-One, Hibiki's body and armor had begun to darken as she began to stand up, her teeth sharp, fits of growls escaping her clenched mouth. "The Gungnir fragments, fused in her, have gone out of control. Soon, her consciousness will be overwhelmed by a power she cannot control," Finè explained.
This came as a recollection as Tsubasa remembered what Finè had said as Ryoko before. "You... You were experimenting on Biki, weren't you?" Zero-One's voice came out before Tsubasa could let the words escape. "Not just her," Finè giggled, "Aren't you curious? To watch her be taken over by Gungnir? To cease being human?" The others looked at Hibiki, shocked at the revelation. Hibiki launched herself at Zero-One and Finè, intending to leap over the former, but the Rider released his hold on the Authorize Buster and jumped into the air himself, twisting so his kick met Hibiki's clawed fist. The resulting impact sent her back as Zero-One landed, staring at her. He shared a similar feeling, the anger towards Finè, the desire to hit her until she couldn't fight back, but... he didn't want Hibiki to become like that, not in a state like this. "Hibiki! Snap out of it!" He shouted at her, slowly standing ready incase she charged again. "She isn't human anymore. She's pure destruction in a human package," Finè taunted.
Hibiki crushed the ground under her when she launched again, this time heading right for Zero-One. The president grabbed the weapon that laid behind him and swung it hard. It didn't feel right to attack her, but in this state, she should take the hit reasonably well. He only hoped it hit hard enough to knock something in place. The girl went flying back once more, this time with her fight skidding across the ground. Hibiki growled before jumping once more, Zero-One gritting his teeth behind his helmet as he came at her, vanishing with multiple predictions appearing around Hibiki. "What's happening to Hibiki? She's not normal!" Miku cried as they continued to watch the fight in the underground bunker. "It's all over... We're finished," Yumi said, her voice shaky and scared as she downcasted her vision, "The school's destroyed, and Hibiki's gone nuts." "That's not it! Hibiki's trying to protect us-" Miku tried to reason, but her friend's scared nature overwhelmed her faith. "That's what protecting us looks like?!" SLAP!
An audible slap rang through the bunker as Shizuru had gotten up, biting her lip through the pain, and slapped Yumi clear across the face. "I don't know you... And you don't know me... But regardless of how it all seems, the only way you can get through it is with hope and faith. Letting fear overwhelm you will only make it worse," Shizuru told her. The girl wasn't to just curl up and cry, but all she could manage were the strain of tears that came from her emerald colored eyes. "I... I want to believe in her too.." She meekly got the words out, shaking, "I want to believe this'll work out..." "Then trust in them. If anyone can save us from this mess, it's them," Shizuru said, placing a hand on the girl's shoulder. The fight continued outside, Rider clashing against Symphogear, either side trying to overwhelm the other to either find reason in the other or to clear the obstacle in front of them.
It was beginning to become difficult to continue, Zero-One breathing heavily from not just battle exhaustion, but also from the stamina toll Shining Hopper took on him. One of the blades of the Authorize Buster shattered in front of him, but he stood ready even as his body shook, determined to knock something straight. "How's it feel crossing paths with Hibiki? Doesn't it just make your heart ache?" Finè taunted, watching. This brought on the attack of someone else, this time being Slipstream who had come at her. "How could you do this to her!?" He pushed and pulled the Force Executor twice, his wings detaching from his back and encircling his foot as he went in for the kick.
Soaring! Utopia!
He shot straight through her, drilling a hole through her chest. He grinded against the ground behind her, carving a path until he came to a stop. That should stop her, put an end to this charade... But "Your attempts at retaliation aren't going to lead you anywhere." Slipstream's eyes widened behind his helmet as he sharply turned around. The hole that Slipstream had created was sealing up without even a trace of a wound. "So, even you've ceased to be human," Horobi called out, staring at the woman. A chuckle escaped her lips as she grabbed Slipstream with one of her hips, pulling him towards her and slamming him against the ground. As he struggled against her hold when she grabbed his neck in a tightening grip, Finè grabbed his driver and tore it off, piercing it right after with her other tendril. This reverted him back into Seth who she threw back at the others, Horobi and Tsubasa having to brace themselves as they caught him.
"It's the regenerative power of the Nehushtan, which is fused with me. Interesting, isn't it?" Finè said, looking at her claws. In the background, the cannon began to light up again, having had enough time to reset and begin recharging for another blast. "No way!" Tsubasa exclaimed, seeing Kadingir still working. "Don't be so surprised..." Finè told her, enjoying her shocked look, "No matter how great a weapon Kadingir is, if it can only fire one round, it's a failure. It can fire as many shots as it needs. That was why I gave it the immortal blade, Durandal, to power its energy reactor. An infinite heart that never stops beating." The revelation was shocking. To use the perfect relic to power such a destructive weapon... Could they really stop it? Horobi stared on, silent as he had been for the majority of the fight. He let go of Seth, who had already begun to regain his bearings and begin to back up since he lacked any sort of offense at the moment.
Horobi glanced over his shoulder, looking at Tsubasa with a side eye, nodding slightly. She almost didn't realize what he was thinking, but... It had to be done. Tsubasa stood up, drawing out a blade to replace her previously disposed of one before the armor on her hip opened up, releasing several knives that Horobi grabbed and flung. One landed in Hibiki's shadow, immobilizing her. Seeing this, Zero-One began to release a breath of relief, but when he went to move, he found his body paralyzed as well. "Inei, Tsubasa, What are you doing?" Valkyrie questioned when she finally worked up the nerve, having been distraught at the sight of Hibiki and Gungir. Before she could gain an answer, a knife landed in her shadow as well, stopping her too.
-Shadow Weave-
"Kana-San... Hiden-Sacho, please... Leave this to us. This is something we ask of both of you," Horobi said, using his stinger to retrieve his discarded katana. "Inei..." Zero-One spoke weakly, unable to fight against his restraint. "Tachibana..." Tsubasa walked up to the berserk girl, staring into her crimson eyes as she suddenly hugged her. Slowly, she lifted one of her hands, crossing their fingers with each other. "This power is supposed to bring people together, right?" Her voice sounded almost as if she herself was on the verge of tears, but she held a smile. "Don't use the power Kanade gave you for this..." Tears began to well up in Hibiki's eyes while Tsubasa stepped away and past her, walking towards Finè. Horobi followed her, holding his blade tightly at his side as he walked next to her. "Do the both of you intend to fight alone? Do you plan to die like they did?" Finè taunted. "Regardless if we die as a blade or as a person, we'll stand true against malice of any kind," Horobi declared, cleaning his blade by running it between his arm through the elbow. "We'll continue to see another day! Kazanari Tsubasa does not only sing on a battlefield!" Tsubasa declared, pointing her blade at Finè. "Humanity will never accept a blade and a worthless animal!" Finè shouted, throwing both of her tendrils at them.
(Play Preserved Roses by T.M. Revolution/Takanori Nishikawa x Mizuki Nana)
Mijikai yume wo kasanete
(Pressed under every brief and fleeting dream,)
Eien ni shite yuku hana no
(The flower becomes a piece of eternity.)
Itsuwari ga setsunai
(The deception pains the heart.)
Tojikometa inochi no
(It will present to you)
Kodoku wo kimi ni sasageru Preserved Rose
(The loneliness of a caged life. Preserved Rose...)
Tsubasa leaped over top, dodging it completely, while Horobi deflected both whips with his blade, charging in right after. The blades on her ankles extended as she spiraled downward, aiming right at Finè. The woman retracted her whips and attempted to block the incoming Symphogear, only for both to be knocked away. Horobi came in at the opening, surprising Finè as he attacked her with his stinger, piercing her chest. It was only barely, a thin trail of poison leaking from the impact, allowing Finè to back out of the way, but this landed her right in Tsubasa's attack.
-Blue Flash-
Karada no oku afureru mono wo hito to kaeteiru dake
(You only need to take what flows forth from deep within and change it into human form.)
Subete ga "Tsumeta sugiru" nante yubi wo hodokasenai de
(Everything is "too cold", you say - then don't unclasp your fingers from mine.)
Finè raised both her arms, bracing the attack before the smoke cleared, anger present on her face. Seeing Tsubasa land next to Horobi, she attempted to attack both of them, but they both ducked under her whips, charging towards her. A single attack from both of their blades sent her flying into Kadingir, cracking the cannon around the small impact, before falling back down onto the ground.
Hikari to yami no dochira ni demo ireru
(We can exist within either light or darkness.)
Kowagaranai de nozomanu asa wa mou konai
(Don't be afraid - the morning that you dread will not come.)
Azayaka dake wo kurikaeshi
(We'll repeat only brilliance.)
Tsunagari owari kimi wa mata...
(Connecting, then ending - once again...)
Tsubasa's blade shrunk down to normal size, prompting them both to leap into the air with Horobi activating his first finisher.
煉獄滅殲 Sting! Dystopia!
Throwing Tsubasa's blade, it began to enlarge past its usual state, transforming into its Heaven's Dragon Scale form. Horobi's stringer then came out of his arm and spiraled around the blade, stopping at the front before both of them kicked the blade, aiming directly for Finè.
-Heaven's Dragon Scale-
Sting! Dystopia!
-Scorpion's Heavenly Descent- スコーピオンの天下り
Mijikai yume wo kasanete
(Pressed under every brief and fleeting dream,)
Eien ni shite yuku hana no
(The flower becomes a piece of eternity.)
Itsuwari ga setsunaku
(The deception, ever so painfully)
Kobamu sekai wo kizutsukeru
(Cuts deeply into the world that rejects it.)
Finè looked at the attack in anger, using Nehushtan's whips to form a three layer shield in defense.
-Asgard-
The blade hit the first shield, seeming to stop that only for cracks to form, shattering the first line of defense before stopping at the second. They pushed on however, the blade tipping against the shield until it stood tall. Using this as leverage, Tsubasa drew out two more blades before leaping, pressing her legs together, while Horobi began to use his stringer as a grapple to begin climbing Kadingir. Flames spiraled around Tsubasa's blades and feet, appearing almost like a bird, soaring higher.
-Phoenix Slash-
Negau nara misaseru
(If you wish, I'll let you captivate me)
Dakara tooku kienai de
(So don't fade into the distance and disappear.)
Kimi ga miru ashita no
(I'll greet with open arms)
Atarashii ibuki wo
(The new breaths of life)
Nobashita ude ni mukaeru hanasanai
(Of the tomorrow that you see. Don't let go...)
'They were after Kadingir the whole time?!' Finè looked on in disgust when she figured out what they were planning all along, sending both of her whips after them in an attempt to stop them. Horobi turned around however, extending his stringer to its limit to grab the left behind Dragon Scale, pulling it with all he could manage to pull the blade, dragging it up just enough to knock her whips aside, resuming climbing right after. Upon reaching the top and flinging himself high into the air, Tsubasa flew up to his side, dropping both of her blades to grip onto Horobi's katana. Both of them held it high, the blade spiraling with Tsubasa's left over fire before it began to burn an azure blue, brighter than any flame could. They then brought the blade down, slicing through the cannon. The built up energy was released earlier than intended, sparking through the cracks that now ran through the tower, releasing pulses and waves of energy. Everyone could only watch, stricken with fear. The tower then imploded, releasing the contained energy in a large boom.
When the smog faded, the damage was soon revealed, showing the half destroyed cannon that was once Kadingir. Did... Did they survive? The blades that were used to immobilize Hibiki, Zero-One, and Valkyrie vanished, freeing them only for them to fall to their knees. Hibiki's berserk state and armor vanished, revealing her distraught look. Zero-One fell due to exhaustion, his transformation canceling out as he lacked the energy to maintain it any longer. Valkyrie... She had angrily tossed her Shotriser aside, opting to scream out Tsubasa's name in favor as she had feared the worst immediately. Those underground couldn't handle the stress either, finding it hard to swallow like the rest. "Ame no Habakiri and Sting Scorpion's signals have vanished..." Sakuya stated, his voice shaky. "So you sacrificed yourself to destroy Kadingir, Tsubasa?" Genjurrou muttered, having watched his niece sacrifice her life alongside the leader of Neo-Metsuboujinrai. Kasai slammed his fist against the wall, drawing blood from the knuckle. "Inei-San... Was this the only way?"
"I don't understand," Yumi whined, her weak heart showing once more, "Why do you all fight? You get hurt! You get scared! Are you fighting so you can die?" "Is that really all you can see?" Shizuru's voice was calm, steady, showing no sign of being disturbed despite the tears that ran down her face as well. "You've watched all of this with us, and that's all you can see?" Shizuru's eyes turned to her, but they didn't seem to be the same stern ones that looked at her before. Instead, they were soft, caring, relatable. This only prompted her to hug the stranger, letting out her tears while the AIMS soldier rubbed her back. Outside, Finè repeatedly attacked the ground in anger, shouting, "I hate you! I hate you all! The destruction of the Moon would have removed the curse of Balal, while causing a gravity collapse. Humanity was supposed to tremble, as natural disasters shook the planet, and then return to me and the power of my relics!"
Finè turned towards the remaining people, walking towards them. "Pain is the only thing that can bind human hearts together. It's the only thing that's real. And you... And you... You!" She went to kick Hibiki, only to kick two figures instead. Takiyama and Hibiki rolled across the ground, the former protecting the latter, while Seth had ran up, grabbed Finè's leg and went for an attempt to punch her. The woman caught his fist before slapping him aside with her whip, lacerating his side. "But still," Finè continued, striding towards Hibiki and Takiyama, "You've been good for something. The first union between a living being and a relic. Because you went first, I was able to unite my body with Nehushtan." She went to peel the two apart, but was hit aside as Kanade had run up to her, slamming her knuckles against her face. Finè glared and wrapped her left whip against Kanade's neck, lifting her up and slamming her against the ground before tossing her aside. Even more angered, she kicked the dup again, spiraling them into a crater.
"Tsubasa-San... Chris-Chan... Even Inei-San and Takuya-San... They're all gone." Hibiki's voice was soft, almost straining itself to come out as she laid in Takiyama's arms motionless. "And the school's gone. Everyone's gone... What... What am I doing this for? What am I fighting for?" "Did you forget that easily Biki?" Takiyama's voice came to her, the male lifting himself up so he could properly look at her. "In spite of everything, you've always persevere. We all have," He told her, his body fighting to stand as he shook to take even a step, "You've connected all of us. Those connections, they don't die easily." He stood before Finè, his bruised and cut face staring at her with determined eyes. He spat out a bit of blood, his injured body unwilling to move. "And neither will we."
Underground, Shinji had shown back up with other survivors, both students of Lydian and otherwise. "Commander. I found survivors in one of the nearby shelters," he informed. "You did? Thank goodness," Genjurrou let out one breath he held, relieved that there were people that were safe. The little girl of the group saw the screen, seeing the people that were on it. She seemed to immediately recognize them. "Ka-San! It's the cool Onee-Chan and Onii-Chan!" the girl said, stepping away from the group and towards the screen. "Huh? Hey... Wait!" A woman, probably the girl's mother, stepped forward at her daughter moving away, "I'm sorry." "Do you know Biki and Takiyama-Kun?" Kuryio questioned, curious. The woman took a moment to think on it before answering, "I can't tell you the details, but both of them saved my daughter. They saved her, without regard for their own safety." This explanation was a silent shocker to Yumi.
"Hey, can't we save Onee-Chan and Onii-Chan?" The girl asked, looking at the other girls. "We'd like to," Shiori said, "But there's nothing we can do. We can't do anything." "Then let's all cheer them on!" The girl suggested, looking at Sakuya, "Hey, can't we talk to them from here?" At first, Sakuya couldn't think of anything, "No... I don't think we can." "The school's intercoms might still be active. If we can tap into them then," Sora suggested, recalling the speaker system that he saw when he had headed into Lydian when chasing after Finè. Outside, Finè was recalling an old story as she stared at the two before her, speaking loud enough for the others to hear as well.
"I was a priestess in His service. But one day... I fell in love with the creator God," Her gaze drifted to the twilight sky, the sun having begun to rise ever so slightly. "But I couldn't tell Him what I felt. Before I could, language was stolen from me, from humanity... The Curse of Balal took from us the one language we could use to communicate with the creator! I struggled for millennia, alone, trying to fight the Curse of Balal... So I could share my feelings with Him, in the one true language." "There's other ways to express how you feel," Takiyama said, but his face met the ground as soon as he said anything, Finè letting out her anger and tears. "Where do you get off telling me I was wrong! You don't even understand what true love is!" She grabbed the male again, aggressively beating him for the others to watch before she even dragged Hibiki into it too.
Underground, Shinji, the girls, and Neo-Metsuboujinrai were investigating deeper inside, coming to a sealed room with barely an opening. The doors were stuck, only barely open to form the small hole. "We just have to flip a switch on the other side?" Miku repeated, confirming what she heard. "If we route power through here, we may be able to reactivate the school's facilities," Shinji explained, trying to jimmy the doors any further for a bigger opening. "But you can't fit through here, Ogawa-San..." Miku pointed out. "I'll do it then!" Yumi suggested, "Even if an adult can't do it, I can get through. If this were an anime, this would be a job for the tiny character. If I can help Hibiki that way..." "But that's-" Miku stopped when she felt Shizuru's hand on her shoulder. "You all will have to go, to give us the best chance at helping them," Shizuru said, earning a nod from the other girls and a smile from Yumi.
After a moment of squeezing through, the girls formed up on the other side, trying to keep steady as three of them formed a platform that Yumi stood on. The short girl desperately reached for the switch, barely making shy of hitting it. They were starting to struggle to keep steady, shaking as time went on. They had to do this, no matter what, and they weren't about to give up. "All together..." Yumi exclaimed when she leaped off with one foot, hitting the switch and turning on all the power through the system. She landed, causing the four of them to collapse before sharing a laugh, pleased they were able to do it. "We're able to connect to the school's power," Aoi said, looking at the console. "The school's speaker system is online," Sakuya declared.
"The biggest problem with the Symphogear System is the Climax Song's backfire," Finè said, tossing Hibiki aside. Takiyama laid a few feet away, struggling to stand up as he coughed up blood, his body in so much more pain than before. "As a unified being, I'm curious how much of the built up stress required can you withstand, but I'm afraid I'm finished with you," Finè scoffed before looking at the president, "As for your Rider System, I'm pleased to find something so advanced without relying on Relics, but there is only one downfall. There's a limit to how far it'll let you push yourself, and you've long since hit that, haven't you? Well, the world only really needs one new human and intellectual mind, me. Anyone else like me will be destroyed."
She prepared both whips to pierce their hearts, ready to end the obstacles that have strayed in her way for far too long. A song hit the air however, stopping her from making her attack. Just where was it coming from? "What an awful sound! What is that?"
Aogi miyo taiyō wo yorozu no ai wo manabe
(Look upwards at the Sun, and learn the myriad ways it loves)
Asa na yū na ni koe takaku shirabe to tomo ni tsuyoku ikiyo
(Morning and evening, raise your voice, and live strong with its melody)
Haruka na mirai no hate tatoe namida wo shite mo
(Though at the far end of the future, you may be overcome by tears)
Homare mune wo haru otome yo shinzu yume wo uta ni shite
(O girls, fill your hearts with pride, and sing of the dreams you believe in)
Down below, the girls of Lydian were singing for the speakers, letting their voices be heard. They had to show that they were alright, to give them the strength to keep going. This was their favor back for saving them. The field around Finè and the others began to fill with energy, shining brightly as the girls' voices rang out. "Where is this awful song coming from?! Wait, song!?" Finè demanded, becoming irritated as the Noise continued. "I can hear it. I can hear their voices..." Hibiki muttered, her lifeless eyes slowly returning to normal. She tightened her hand into a fist, finding her energy returning. "I'm so glad... Everyone's always been there for me. Everyone is singing. So... I can still sing. I can still do this. I can still fight!" A surge of energy surrounded Hibiki, forming a barrier that shocked Finè.
"She can still fight? What's keeping her going? What does she hold that gives her power? Is it because of that horrible song? Impossible. What are you wearing?" Finè tried to find the reasoning that she was still standing, that she was still going as she saw Hibiki's Symphogear reactivate, "Your heart is destroyed. So what are you wearing? Is that what I made? What is it that you're wearing? What is it?" Takiyama managed a chuckle as he climbed back up to his feet, using a nearby rock to keep his balance for a moment. "Don't you understand? This song.. It's those bonds crying out to us, telling us everyone's safe. And as long as they are, we'll keep fighting!" He reached into his pocket, pulling out a small grip, removing Shining Hopper and attaching it to the end after closing it. He activated the key, holding it over the authorizer before flipping it open, holding it towards the sky.
HYPER JUMP! Overrise!
The sun began to shine in the sky, illuminating through the key. A golden beam descended from the sky, meeting the key before something materialized in the shine of the sun. It was a man sized mechanical grasshopper, made of yellow and blue armor, red eyes gleaming like the sun. Beams of light shot into the sky, filled with power and energy. The Riders and Symphogear users who had attempted to sacrifice themselves stood once more, though it was only Chris and Tsubasa who stood ready to transform as the backlash of energy had destroyed both Takuya's and Inei's drivers.
"HENSHIN!" "SYMPHOGEAR!"
Takiyama inserted his progrise key as the Symphogears took to the sky, donning new white armor with their appropriate colors, flying gracefully with newly apparent wings. The Zero-One bodysuit formed around Takiyama, missing any sort of armor. However, the grasshopper's eyes began to beep before it began to open up, revealing itself to be a set of armor. It lowered onto Zero-One, clasping into place before the legs closed up, forming into fins as it completed the transformation. A new Authorize buster even formed in his hand, his new armor reflecting the sunlight's rays. They were ready, revitalized, and rearmed.
Warning! Warning! This Is Not A Test! Hybridrise! Shining! Assault Hopper! No Chance At Surviving This Shot!
Season 1 - Episode 12 - End