Song of the Heart: Redux-GX Arc-

Author's Notes: Welcome back to GX arc, everyone, and again, apologies for the lengthy delay; real life gets in the way sometimes like that. Things are starting to ramp up, and it's not just Leiur that Chris gets to deal with, but now Micha as well. Meanwhile, Tsubasa is up against Phara in a mobilized battle. And we can't forget about what happened in London, where Hibiki and Maria are left up in the air. There's a lot to cover this time, so let's get to it!

I'd like to once more thank the author of the original "Song of the Heart", Ada1229, for allowing me to adopt her story and idea and make it into my own from there. Also, I'd like to thank both solopy567 and StealthyTanub for being beta readers on this chapter, as well as being amazing help sorting through ideas when needed. Let's go.

Disclaimer: I do not own Senki Zesshou Symphogear, Senki Zesshou Symphogear G, Senki Zesshou Symphogear GX, Senki Zesshou Symphogear AXZ, or Senki Zesshou Symphogear XD Unlimited. It is owned by those who own it. I also do not own any music used as insert songs here; they are owned by the respective songwriters and artists.

Please note: the record label used in this fic, Galactic Music Japan, is NOT a real music label as far as I know, but is a parody made solely for the purposes of this story. The same goes for JAM TV; as far as I know, it's not a real music channel on TV, again a parody made up for the purposes of this story. This also applies to the EUROBEATS Festival as well; I don't believe that it's a real festival, but I could be wrong.

Also, no music quoted within the story belongs to me. The rights to any and all pieces used belong to their artists and record labels. I did buy a copy of the single CDs that the songs are from though, so thank iTunes for that.

'Insert thought here'=character thoughts

Flashback Is in Italics with nothing around it

-Song lyrics are shown in italics between dashes-

GX Chapter 3: Stray Sparks

Bayside Park, Odaiba, Tokyo

"What the hell?" Chris asked, eyes locked onto the figure standing in the smoke as it slowly dispersed, revealing them to the early morning air. As if not hearing her question the figure spoke, their high-pitched voice sending shivers down her spine.

"Aww, Leiur, you almost took all the fun," Micha said, eyes glancing at her counterpart, a childish pout on her face. "Micha wants a turn to play with the bang bang girl too!"

'Bang bang girl? Whoever she is...if that attack came from her, she's dangerous…' Chris thought, eyes narrowing as she brought her weapons up to bear at the duo across from her. Eyes narrowing in caution, she remained silent as Leiur spoke up, a small hint of amusement in her voice as she dropped from the archway to the ground and walked over to join her companion.

"Now now, Micha. Mistress Carol wouldn't like it if you interrupted one of the others' playtime, would she?" At the other autoscorer's hesitant nod, Leiur continued, her eyes locking onto where Shirabe and Kirika stood beside Chris, their armed gears drawn and ready for action.

"However, if you're that desperate to play, I'm sure that the other two of them will be more than happy to entertain you."

"Really? Oh goodie, Micha gets some new toys to play with!" Micha replied, a vicious smile emerging on her face as she turned toward the trio. Her blade-like claws glistening under the glow of the park lights, she continued to speak, what looked to be flames making themselves known in her hands. "Micha hopes that they won't break too quickly. What's the fun in getting new toys if I break them too soon?"

"Let's see you try it then," Chris replied, eyes narrowing in a mix of frustration and determination. Stepping up next to her with scythe in hand, Kirika nodded, her olive eyes not leaving sight of the duo across from her, even as Shirabe stood to join them, a pair of what appeared to be yo-yos held in her hands.

"Don't mind if I do!"

With that, Micha sprang forward before lashing out, a sphere of flame appearing instantly in hand and forcing the trio's eyes to widen. Leaping away just as Micha's flame covered fist slammed into the ground she stood on, Chris opened fire, a rain of energy arrows springing forth from her weapons at the new arrival and forcing her on the defensive, even as she landed near the edge of the park. As she willed another set of arrows to appear she found herself back under attack, a fresh barrage of golden coins streaking toward her. 'Shit!'

Before they could connect however, a barrage of saws intercepted the attack, the blades meeting the coins mid flight and detonating in mid-air. Turning her head in the direction where the intercepting blades had come from, she let out a small smile as Shirabe stood ready, the doors on her pigtail armor open and yo-yos in hand as she shot a glare toward Leiur.

"You're not the only team here. Let's show her what we've got, Kirika!" Shirabe said, her eyes locking onto where Leiur stood. Taking advantage of the opening her friend created, Kirika closed the gap on Leiur, scythe blade glinting wickedly in the early morning moonlight.

"We got you!" she called out before she brought the blade crashing in from the side, the weapon cutting through the air toward Leiur's body. But before it could make contact, Leiur bent backward, her body moving at an unnatural angle that caused the blonde's eyes to widen. 'What the...what is she?' she thought, blade passing harmlessly over Leiur's bent back. Not allowing an opportunity to go to waste, Leiur struck back, delivering a quick blow to Kirika's stomach that sent her stumbling back before leaping away and unleashing a hail of coins that forced her opponent backward, her scythe's blade spinning desperately in an attempt to deflect the assault.

"Kirika!" Shirabe called out, her eyes wide as her friend danced away, the scythe blade knocking the last of Leiur's coins away before she came to a stop, a reassuring smile on her face as she looked at Shirabe briefly. Before Kirika could reply however, her eyes widened as Micha closed the distance between them, her glaws aglow as a brilliant red crystal shot forth toward her, forcing her on the evasive once again.

"Aww...I missed…oops," Micha said, a manic look on her face as the projectile she had shot at Kirika made impact with a nearby boat, exploding on impact and consuming it in a brilliant blaze.

"I won't miss this time."

Not waiting for a reply she continued on the attack, glowing red circles appearing in front of both palms before she thrust them forward, streams of flame bursting forward toward Kirika.

"Kirika!" Shirabe shouted as the blonde leapt out of the way of the assault again only to come to a skidding stop near a pavilion by the docks. Taking note as the flames consumed another vessel at the dock, Shirabe went on the offensive, the saw blades on the bottom of her boots whirring and propelling her forward. Lashing out with both yo-yos toward Micha's head, Shirabe's eyes narrowed as Micha batted her weapons aside almost casually, the bladed disks retracting almost instantly at Shirabe's command back to her waiting hands. "Well...try this then!"

Not letting up the attack, she spun in place, a pair of larger sawblades unfolding from within her ponytail armor and whirring to allowing Micha to react, she brought them forward, the blades converging on Shirabe's target in a flash and a vibrant whir.

"Is that all you have? It's not going to be any fun for me to play with you if it is," Micha said, a vicious smirk on her face as she took note of the incoming blades. Before Shirabe could reply, the autoscorer grinned widely before catching the blades with ease. Taking note of the look of frustration on Shirabe's face, Micha continued, even as her claws dug into the sawblades themselves, filling the air with the sound of metal grinding against metal.

"You're too slow for Micha's taste...and too weak too. Micha's going to enjoy playing with YOU," She said, before another pair of scarlet circles appeared around her hands. Grinning viciously, she clenched her fists, the blades held within them shattering with ease. Before Shirabe could react Micha was on her, her mechanized fists wreathed in flames as they struck home, raining blow after blow to her stomach and body.

"Shirabe!" Kirika shouted out before springing toward Micha, her scythe blade raised and ready to strike. But before she could get there, a hail of bullets forced the autoscorer to go on the defensive and leap aside as Chris re-entered the fray, double-barreled gatling smoking from her brief burst.

"Shirabe, you okay?" She asked, her eyes locked on where Micha had landed before a glint of gold grabbed her attention. Bringing her weapon to bear at where Leiur stood, she opened fire just in time to meet a fresh barrage of the autoscorer's coins. "Damnit...what the hell are these two?"

"Whatever they are, they're tough," Kirika replied as Chris' bullets made contact with Leiur's attack, filling the air with fresh explosions. "You think Maria-nee and Hibiki-san ran into something like them earlier?"

"I don't know," Shirabe said, finally climbing back to her feet just as Micha darted toward Chris, her left claw glowing a brilliant orange. "But we can't lose to these two!"

Stepping in front of the onrushing autoscorer, Shirabe willed a fresh saw blade to appear from her armor, the weapon spinning to life in front of her just in time to meet Micha's fist with a resounding clang. Digging her heels into the ground to stabilize herself, Shirabe scowled, Micha's smile growing bigger as Shirabe was pushed backward, saw wheels carving chunks out of the park's grassy surface.

"Ooh...so you DO have more that you can do! Micha likes that!" She said, disengaging from the stalemate and spinning around in an attempt to get a fresh angle of attack. "I like my toys to be stubborn. It makes it all the more fun to break them!"

"We're not your toys!" Kirika shot back, scythe blade swinging in and deflecting the autoscorer's attack away from Shirabe. Spinning around and going on the offensive, Kirika continued, her eyes briefly meeting Chris' own as she spoke, the older girl engaged in another long-range shootoff with Leiur. "Chris-senpai, leave her to us! Just worry about the other one!"

"You sure you two can handle that bitch?" Chris asked in reply, her eyes showing a brief flash of concern for the two younger girls. At Kirika's nodded response, she turned her focus back to Leiur before firing a volley of missiles toward the taller autoscorer, forcing her to dance away. 'Damnit...she's definitely not human...not even my best skills can hit this bitch!'

"We're sure, Chris-senpai," Shirabe answered as she unleashed a fresh volley of sawblades in Micha's direction, hoping to create an opening for Kirika to attack. "Just leave her to us!"

Nodding slightly and taking one last look as Micha danced out of the path of Kirika's scythe once again, Chris spoke up, a quiet concern in her tone that didn't go unnoticed.

"Then be careful you two. I don't wanna tell Maria about how you two got hurt fighting this one, got it?"

At Shirabe's determined nod, she smirked briefly before unleashing a fresh volley of missiles, the projectiles streaming toward both autoscorers and forcing them both to leap away. Following Leiur's movements, Chris leapt away in pursuit, leaving Shirabe and Kirika to themselves as Micha unleashed a rope of flame from her claws, destroying the remaining missiles with ease.

"She's strong," Kirika said, eyes narrowed in focus as Micha turned her attention to the duo, the manic smile on her face growing wider. "But so are we!"

"Aww...bang bang girl left to play with Leiur," Micha said, the grin on her face causing both girls to tense up. "Oh well. At least I still have a pair of toys to play with."

Raising her claws up into a fighting stance as Kirika and Shirabe slid into their own stances, she continued, her voice filled with childish glee.

"Now...let's see just how durable Micha's two new toys are!"

Operations Center, S.O.N.G. Headquarters, Tokyo, Japan

"Get Tsubasa on the line! I want an update as to her status!" Genjurou called out, his eyes narrowed at the images being displayed on screen in front of him. Resisting the urge to wince as he watched Shirabe and Kirika re-enter combat against the being who had identified herself as Micha, he spoke up again, even as he glanced toward the video display showing Chris in a running shootout against the original opponent, known as Leiur.

"On it, sir!" A bridge bunny replied, causing Genjurou to nod in response. Turning to where Aoi sat, he spoke up again, the sinking feeling he had felt previously still hovering in his stomach despite his best efforts.

"Aoi, is there anything regarding Hibiki and Maria from Ogawa?"

"No, sir. They arrived at the hospital a few minutes ago," Aoi replied, her voice echoing softly through the room over the sound of the rest of the crew working on the various tasks and assignments. Looking up from her monitor to where the main display feed showed Kirika engaged in close quarters against Micha, she continued, a nervous expression on her face. "Sir, both of the opponents Chris and the others are facing. The signals we're getting from them are almost identical to each other. And not only that, but they're close to whoever the hell it was that Maria and Hibiki faced over in London."

"I know," Genjurou answered, the frown on his face deepening. Crossing his arms in front of the crimson dress shirt he wore, he continued, the news he had received from Ogawa previously meshing with the words of Chris' opponent from earlier. "And then we have to consider what Ogawa said about the state of both Hibiki and Maria's relics. If this Alchemy we're up against is that powerful...then we need to come up with some sort of countermeasure."

A pause, Genjurou considering his next course of action as Shirabe released a barrage of discs on screen, the saws slicing through the air and forcing Micha on the defensive before she could take advantage of having knocked Kirika away. 'And that's not even mentioning how Shirabe and Kirika are still on Linker…' he thought, shaking his head slightly.

"Sir, I have Tsubasa on the line now!" The Bridge Bunny from earlier called out, summoning Genjurou's attention back from his thoughts. Nodding as he reached up to his earpiece, he spoke into the attached mic, the sound of his niece's motorcycle engine audible over the line.

"Tsubasa, what's your status?"

Near Rainbow Bridge, Minato, Tokyo, Japan

"I'm a bit busy right now," Tsubasa replied, a single sword drawn from her Symphogear armor as she raced down the bayside road. Bringing her blade up as her opponent closed the gap on them, she forced the bike around, her vehicle's rear wheel coming off the ground as she swung the vehicle around a full one hundred eighty degrees without slowing down. Returning her rear tire to the ground and shifting the motorcycle into reverse, she returned her focus back to the fight at hand, bringing her weapon up just in time to deflect Phara's broadsword away in a shower of sparks. "How are the others doing?"

"They're holding up so far," Genjurou replied, bringing a concerned look back to his niece's face as she stared at Phara. Bringing her katana back up and parrying another one of the autoscorer's attacks, Tsubasa replied, her eyes glancing at the road and then back to her opponent as they clashed, buildings and vehicles passing by the two fighters in a flash. "Still, they could use a little extra backup."

"I'll be there as soon as I can," she grunted out, pressing herself flat against her bike and avoiding a quick slash from Phara which had been aimed at her neck. Popping back up into a riding position, she counterattacked, the katana in her hand humming with an azure light as she slashed back at Phara. Watching in frustrated silence as the autoscorer tilted her vehicle, causing her attack to fly over Phara's head, Tsubasa reached up and ended the conversation before quickly bringing her weapon back around to guard. As her blade clashed against her opponent's she worked desperately to keep her vehicle from tipping over, the force of Phara's blade slamming into her weapon threatening to knock both her and her motorcycle off balance.

'She's strong...and her technique is sharp too…' she thought, taking a glance over her shoulder briefly to check for any traffic and finding none. Bringing her blade back up, she reengaged the autoscorer, longsword clashing against katana again and again as sparks flew. 'But even though she's strong, I won't lose here...I won't let her get to the others…'

"For someone who's supposed to be a protector, you're not doing anywhere near a good enough job of protecting yourself," Phara taunted, earning a glare from Tsubasa in response. Raising her damaged weapon toward the sky as she zoomed past the autoscorer, Tsubasa brought the weapon crashing toward Phara's head, the blade shining brightly with a brilliant azure glow.

"I'm disappointed in you, miss Sentinel," Phara said, a sinister smirk emerging on her face. Raising her weapon up as an emerald glow shined brightly around its edge, she went on the attack, the longsword meeting Tsubasa's weapon with a resounding crash before a shower of sparks filled the street between them as Tsubasa struggled to maintain control of her vehicle. "I was expecting more of a fight out of you. Was I wrong to think that?"

Taking advantage of the opening, Phara went on the attack, the emerald glow around her weapon flashing outward as she lashed out. Eyes wide in surprise, Tsubasa reacted, bringing her katana up in an attempt to deflect the blow only for it to shatter on contact, Phara's blade smashing the weapon into pieces as the wind generated went unimpeded toward Tsubasa herself.

'How is she-' Tsubasa thought before the edge of Phara's blade seemed to extend right at her. Throwing her vehicle slightly to one side, she tried to dodge only for the emerald glow to cut into her shoulder, forcing her to let out an agonized scream.

"Was I wrong? Because it looks like I was," Phara said as Tsubasa struggled to maintain control over her vehicle. "What's wrong? Where's your conviction?"

Refusing to let up the offensive, Phara swung her blade once more, a brilliant circle appearing over her blade as she slashed downward before a small tornado of wind appeared, the glowing emerald winds streaking toward Tsubasa's vehicle as they carved out chunks of asphalt.

'Gotta move...I can't get hit by that!' Willing herself to ignore the pain coming from the bleeding gash that had been opened on her shoulder, Tsubasa threw her bike back around before revving the accelerator, her vehicle gaining speed just in time to get out of the way as the tornado passed by. 'That was too close…' she thought, the tornado making impact with the building that had been next to her and tearing into it, brick and concrete flying everywhere as the lower level was ripped asunder.

'I can't let her hit me again…' Tsubasa thought, revving the engine on her vehicle as the slash wound on her shoulder throbbed. Before she could race off Phara kept up the attack, her blade flashing once more as another wall of wind cut through the asphalt. Gritting her teeth as she swung her bike's rear wheel out of the way just in time, Tsubasa prepared to make a counter attack, drawing a new katana from its storage inside of her symphogear and pointing it toward the autoscorer.

"I thought you'd have more for me than this, sentinel. Or do you want to admit that you're outclassed?" Phara said, a taunting tone to her voice. Refusing to give in to the autoscorer's provocation, Tsubasa raced toward Phara and raised her blade to the sky, the little remaining moonlight reflecting off the blade and casting it in an ethereal glow. Before Phara could react, she swung the blade downward, an azure wave of light lashing out toward the autoscorer and forcing her to swerve her bike out of its path. "That attack was so predictable. What a failure of a guardian you've become."

'Predict this…' Tsubasa thought as she tried to ignore Phara's continued taunts, her previous attack slamming into a parked car and causing it to explode. Before Phara could react further, she continued the assault, a storm of azure blades raining down toward Phara and cutting into the road before detonating, asphalt spraying upwards as her opponent was hidden from view by the smoke. 'No way that got her…' she thought, eyes locked onto the smoke cloud she'd created. Bringing her sword into a defensive posture, she narrowed her eyes as Phara burst free from the smoke, her vehicle dented and scratched up, but still fully functional.

"Now that was more like it. That's more of what I expected from you," She said, broadsword raised and ready to strike. "But now I want you to show me more!" Revving her engine once again she raced in, broadsword swinging wildly with an emerald glow surrounding the blade. Ducking down and pressing her body flat against her machine, Tsubasa allowed the blade to pass by overhead before lashing out with a kick toward Phara, the autoscorer twisting out of the way before bringing her weapon back around in a horizontal slashing motion. Reacting quickly, Tsubasa brought her own weapon up to block, the katana blade catching the broadsword and parrying it away.

Glancing toward the nearby bridge, Tsubasa's eyes widened slightly, her plan changing in her mind as a fresh idea emerged. Swerving out of the way of another tornado Phara created and allowing it to smash into a parked car nearby, she raced past the autoscorer, her engine squealing in the early morning air. Looking back over her shoulder as Phara started to pursue her again, Tsubasa's eyes narrowed before she swerved to the side, a fresh blade of wind cutting through the asphalt where she had been just a second before.

"Running away, are you? Or is there something else at play?" Phara asked, her eyes following Tsubasa as she rounded a nearby intersection. Revving her motorcycle's engine, she moved to follow, a vicious smirk appearing on her face. "Alright, I'll play along, miss former idol. And this time, there won't be any escape for you."

-GX-

Explosions filled the air as bullet after bullet met coin after coin. Gritting her teeth as she threw herself to one side, Chris opened fire again, the double-barreled gatling on her left arm spewing round after round into the pre-dawn sky. 'It's like she's getting faster...I don't have time for this shit!' she thought, the frustration over her opponent's abilities mixing with her concern over the events of the night. Taking note as Leiur leapt into the sky, she switched tactics, a fresh group of missiles unfolding from her Symphogear before shooting out at the autoscorer.

"You're at least providing me with some entertainment," Leiur called out as she floated in midair, the missiles approaching her as she spoke. Spinning in place to dodge the first couple, she went on the offensive, a fresh group of coins lancing forth into the remaining missiles, impacting them and filling the air with smoke and flames. Taking advantage of the smokescreen created, she continued the attack, a quartet of golden rings appearing around her as the smoke began to disperse.

"But it's time that we bring this charade to an end, don't you think?"

At her words, the glyphs shined brightly, their glow brightening the sky around Leiur. Eyes widening slightly, Chris threw herself to one side just in time to evade as a fresh barrage of coins shot forward, slamming into the park turf where she had been standing and detonating it on impact. Not letting up, Leiur opened fire again, another group of coins raining toward Chris and forcing her to open fire in response, projectiles meeting in midair and once more filling the sky with smoke. 'Damn it...What the hell do I have to do?' Chris thought, returning her gatling to its stored form before shifting back into her paired crossbows. Taking a glance toward where Leiur's previous attacks had made impact with the ground, she paused, the smoke clearing out and revealing the autoscorer as she stood atop the park marina's office.

"I can see it in your eyes," Leiur spoke, breaking the silence that had fallen between them. "Your frustration...you're barely keeping up, aren't you?" Bringing her crossbows up toward Leiur, Chris opened fire, fresh bolts of phonically-charged energy lancing toward the autoscorer. Grinning widely, Leiur shook her head before moving, bending backwards and causing the bolts to fly just over her body. Standing back up, she returned fire, the coins streaking forth and impacting the ground around Chris. Smirking slightly, she snapped her fingers as Chris' eyes widened, the snow-haired girl leaping away just in time to avoid the explosion that erupted beneath her feet.

"Shut the hell up!" Chris snapped back. Combining her crossbows into a single weapon, she opened fire, a barrage of energy bolts shooting forth toward the autoscorer and making contact, sending Leiur staggering back. Not letting up the assault Chris changed weapons, this time going back to her gatlings as she darted forward, her workout sessions with her girlfriend coming in handy. Leaping into the air, she opened fire, the bullets streaming forth through the early morning air toward her staggered opponent.

"Good, but not good enough," Leiur replied, recovering as she darted forward, the barrage of bullets missing their mark by a matter of inches. Summoning a smaller group of coins into her hands as concrete sprayed into the air behind her, she went on the attack, the coins lancing toward Chris' weapon before she could react and cutting through the barrel, severing it effortlessly.

'Shit!' Chris thought, her mind racing at the ease that Leiur's assault had sliced through her weapon. Gritting her teeth in frustration, she spun in midair as she returned her weapons to her armor, the remaining group of Leiur's coins missing by inches. Landing on the rooftop opposite from her opponent, Chris summoned another weapon into her hands, the forearm armor of her gear shifting first into a crossbow before making another shift into a shotgun-like form.

"Well, this is interesting…changing approach, are we?" Leiur asked, her words drawing a frustrated glare from Chris in response. Summoning another small group of coins into her hands, she went on the offensive, the projectiles streaking across the roof only to be shot out of the sky by a return shot from Chris' weapon as they approached. Taking the opportunity to close the distance, Chris threw herself into another spin cycle as Leiur closed ground as well, another small group of coins flying past her within inches and cutting through some of her hair in the process.

Chris would not relent however. Bringing her weapon to bear, she pulled the trigger, shotgun barking loudly and unleashing its payload at Leiur. Spinning out of the way as the shell passed by her before detonating, she closed the gap further before unleashing another small group of coins Chris' way and forcing her to leap out of the way as they made impact with the surface below her, detonating and filling the air with concrete spall.

Regaining her balance, Chris returned fire, the shotgun's payload forcing Leiur to twist to one side to let it pass. Leiur wouldn't let her continue the attack however. Before she could reset, the autoscorer closed the gap, knocking her weapon aside before throwing a volley of punches Chris' way, her fists glowing the same brilliant gold as her coins as they made contact with Chris' stomach, air leaving her lungs in an instant. Taking advantage of the opening, Leiur spun around, grabbing the wielder by her arm and flipping her over the edge of the building and onto the park turf below, causing her to scream in pain.

"I told you...there's only so long that you can keep up. But thanks for providing me with so much entertainment," Leiur said as she stood at the edge of the building, a fresh group of coins appearing in her hands as another quartet of glyphs appeared in the air around her. As Chris tried to climb to her feet, Leiur opened fire, a barrage of coins and stone columns streaking forth toward her...only to crash into a barrier that appeared in front of her, the translucent light shield crackling brightly as Leiur's attack made impact against it, shrouding Chris in smoke.

"Oh? So you decided to stop hiding, did you?" Leiur asked, her eyes glancing toward the park's entrance. Seeing nothing there, she returned her focus to where Chris had landed, the smoke dispersing just in time to reveal Elfnein standing in front of Chris, arms outstretched toward Leiur as the barrier faded. Glaring up at Leiur with a defiant look on her face, Elfnein spoke up, the young woman's words quiet, yet pointed.

"I'm not going to let you hurt her," Elfnein said, her cobalt blue orbs staring up at Leiur. Glancing quickly behind her to where Chris stood, she continued, a determined look on her face. "Carol is wrong about this world, Leiur. Don't you understand that?"

"It's not my place to be concerned with how my mistress views the world," Leiur said, an annoyed look crossing her face. Bringing a fresh group of coins into her hands, she continued, even as she slid back into a fighting stance. "All that matters to me is if she does whatever she's trying to do in an entertaining way."

'Her mistress? What is she talking about?' Chris thought, eyes narrowed in focus at Leiur. 'And what is this girl doing here? I told her to run!'

"Hey, what are you doing here? I told you to get to safety, didn't I?" Chris said, her words causing Elfnein to look back towards her briefly. Pausing for a moment to consider her words, Elfnein spoke up, her voice remaining soft, even as she stared toward the Autoscorer.

"You did. But I can't let you get hurt by her," she said, her words causing Chris' eyes to widen. "I know I won't be much good in a fight, but I can at least try to defend us. And besides...there's something I need to do."

A pause, as Chris processed what the woman in front of her had just said. Nodding slowly and not looking away from where Leiur stood, she could feel her body tense up as she evaluated her options. 'I don't have a weapon besides my missiles…if she can stand up against that bitch's alchemy, even just briefly so that I can get my weapon back, we might have a shot though...'

"Okay. Just don't get yourself killed!"

Silence fell, Elfnein nodding in response to Chris' words. Frowning at their interaction, Leiur spoke up, an annoyance making itself known in her voice.

"If you're done talking…" she said, a vicious grin coming back to her face. "Then let's dance, shall we?"

-GX-

"What the hell is this chick made of?" Kirika asked, her words earning a glare from Shirabe. Ducking under another attack from Micha's claws and letting their heat wash over her briefly, she continued even as the autoscorer pressed the attack. "She's crazy strong!"

"Kirika, concentrate!" Shirabe shouted back, saw wheels grinding through the turf beneath her as she struggled to defend against another blow from Micha. Spinning to the side and allowing her to go past, Shirabe countered, forcing Micha to leap away in order to dodge the giant rotary saw that threatened her. 'She's insanely strong...she can't be stronger than the Nephilim was, could she?'

Nodding at her friend's words, Kirika stepped in front of Micha with scythe blade already in motion. Reaching up and grabbing the blade, Micha smirked widely before clenching her fist, the blade snapping into pieces.

"You're being such naughty toys," she began, an orange glow encasing her claws as she moved to attack. "Let Micha show you how it's really done!"

It happened quickly. Before Kirika could react Micha was on her, a flame encased claw streaking in and catching her in the stomach. Not letting up an inch, Micha followed up instantly as her other claw swept in, sending Kirika tumbling away.

"Kirika!" Shirabe shouted, eyes widening slightly before spinning to the side as a blazing crystal passed by where she'd been standing. Refocusing on Micha, she summoned a pair of large chainsaws just in time to catch the oncoming attack, their weapons clashing loudly.

"Micha likes to play with you," Micha said as she disengaged from their clash. Spinning away as Shirabe's saws cut the air behind her, she summoned another blazing rod in one hand as Shirabe leapt away. "You're such a good pair of toys! Micha wants to break you even more!"

"You're not gonna touch her," Kirika called out, her eyes smoldering with anger. Summoning a pair of smaller scythes into hand she leapt forward and engaged Micha, her weapons meeting Micha's own in a shower of sparks. "And we're not toys for you to 'play' with!"

"Oh? Then prove it to Micha," Micha replied, the wicked grin she wore growing wider. Showing Kirika's scythes upward and away from her body, she spun in place before making contact, the heated rod striking Kirika directly in the side

Pressing her advantage she followed up, landing a flurry of blows to Kirika and leaving her reeling. Stepping out of the way of a hastily-fired disc barrage by Shirabe, Micha brought the flaming rod back around, the glowing weapon striking home and sending Kirika tumbling away in agony.

"To Micha, you're all just toys to be broken. After all...Micha's the strongest of Micha's family, so most things are just toys to Micha!"

'What do we have to do? She's just so strong…' Shirabe thought, eyes glancing toward where Kirika struggled to climb back to her feet. Shaking her head, she returned her focus to the battle as Micha went on the attack, a sphere of flame erupting from her mouth. Eyes widening as she figured out the target of Micha's wrath, she went on the move, willing her symphogear to move faster. 'Come on...gotta get there…'

"I won't let you touch Kirika!" She called out, the sawblades attached to her foot armor whirring faster and tearing out chunks of the park turf as she raced to intercept the attack. Sliding to a stop just in front of her friend, she quickly summoned a pair of circular saws, placing them in the path of the flames. 'Please hold up….' she thought as the ball of flame slammed into the first of the saws, warping it on impact. Feeling the ground underneath her give way, she willed herself to hold firm, the sphere of flame slowly melting through her saw but shrinking noticeably.

Micha wouldn't give her the chance to relax however. As the fireball dispersed, taking Shirabe's first saw with it, the autoscorer charged in with her claws ablaze. Ducking under the first strike, Shirabe quickly brought her remaining saw around in an attempt to get the autoscorer's attention. It wouldn't work though. Bringing up her claw and deflecting the disc away, Micha stepped closer before lashing out, her boot catching Shirabe in her stomach and sending her skidding back.

"Come on, come on! Micha wants to play with you more!" Micha called out, her claws igniting once again. Gritting her teeth, Shirabe brought her single saw blade back in front of her just in time to defend herself, Micha's claws crashing against the rotating saw shield again and again.

"Back off!" Kirika called out, darting back toward the fray with paired scythes in hand. Ducking under the blow and stopping her attack, Micha grinned widely before countering, her claws meeting Kirika's weapons and sending sparks falling to the turf beneath them as they resumed their bladed dance of death.

'Kirika...I owe you one…' Shirabe thought as she gathered herself. Taking note of how her circular saw had become warped under Micha's assault, she ejected the disk before returning the arm that held it to her Symphogear armor. 'At this rate...we're in trouble…' she thought, eyes not leaving the fight as she looked for an opening to step in. Deciding to step in as Kirika leapt back to avoid a strike from Micha's claws, she opened fire, a fresh barrage of discs shooting through the dawn sky.

"Ooh, so you're ready to play some more?" Micha asked as she brought her arms up, a scarlet circle glowing brightly around each before ropes of flame shot forth, meeting the discs mid flight and detonating them before they could make contact. "Okay, Micha will play with you more then!"

"Shirabe, look out!" Kirika called out, her words reaching her friend's ears as Micha leapt closer, claws a brilliant orange. Spinning out of the way of the first strike, Shirabe ducked under the second before Micha found an opening, her elbow crashing into Shirabe's back and sending her to the turf. 'Insane strength…' she thought before rolling to the side, a blazing crystal rod slamming into the turf where her head had been just a second before.

Pushing herself back to her feet, Shirabe found herself back under pressure as Micha kept up the attack, a single clawed fist hitting home and sending her skidding backward again. Before she could fully recover, Micha opened fire again, another orb of flame streaking forth from her mouth toward where Shirabe stood.

'...I don't have time to get a shield ready…' Shirabe thought, her mind racing. Throwing herself to the side as the fireball passed by her, she found herself right in Micha's path as a barrage of blazing crystals headed her way. 'She baited me?! No time…!' she thought before bringing her arms to cross guard in front of her face just in time for the first of the pillars to slam into the ground, kicking up dirt and shrouding her in a cloud of smoke when the pillar detonated.

"Shirabe!" Kirika shouted, eyes wide as the remaining pillars joined in, exploding on contact. Glaring at Micha, she went on the attack, combining her mini-scythes into a fresh weapon before engaging the autoscorer once again, scythe blade clashing eagerly against Micha's claws. Disengaging from the clash and leaping away, Kirika continued her attack, a pair of additional blades appearing from her scythe before she slashed out, the added blades streaking toward Micha directly.

"You two are so much fun to play with!" Micha called out, her smile growing wider. Batting the pair of scythe blades to the side, she attempted to close the distance between herself and Kirika, fist cocked back. Not backing down Kirika moved to meet the attack, splitting her scythe into a pair of weapons and slashing upward. Leaping aside as the smoke from the attack on Shirabe cleared, Micha's eyes widened slightly as she continued.

"Aww...no fair. You cheated!" she yelled, her claw pointing toward the dispersing smoke as a ruby glow filled the area. As Kirika turned to look at what Micha was pointing at, the glow faded from view to reveal Shirabe, her arms crossed in front of her face. Dropping her arms back down to her sides, Shirabe spoke up, the exertion taking its toll.

"We're...not...done here," She said, her breathing unsteady. Turning toward where Kirika stood, she smiled softly, an unspoken gesture that caused her friend to perk up. Pouting at her words, Micha spoke up, a clear agitation to her voice.

"Only because you cheated! But don't worry, Micha will fix that!"

"I won't let you!" Kirika cried out, paired scythes crossed in front of her. Charging in and slashing upward she re-engaged Micha, the autoscorer twisting out of the way before countering as their dance resumed.

-GX-

'That's right...follow me…' Tsubasa thought, eyes glancing briefly over her shoulder as Phara resumed her attack, blade slashing downard. Swerving to the side just enough to evade the produced wall of air as it passed her by and cut through the pavement, she returned her focus to the road in front of her, maneuvering her vehicle into the on-ramp for the Rainbow Bridge. 'Come on...just gotta get there…'

"A change in venue won't help you, if that's your plan," Phara taunted her, her voice echoing in the tunnel as they emerged onto the bridge. Revving her bike's engine and quickly catching up to Tsubasa, she lashed out, her blade being met by Tsubasa's own. "And I'm starting to get tired of this little game of tag. You're proving to be more of a failure than I thought."

"We'll see about that," Tsubasa replied, slowing her vehicle and breaking their clash. As Phara shot ahead, she slashed upward, a wave of azure light shooting from her blade and forcing the autoscorer to slide her vehicle sideways, the wave cutting through the pavement and missing her by inches. A frown written on her face, Tsubasa refused to relent, slashing downward after Phara as she caught up to her, only for her blade to be met mid-swing.

"How lackluster an attack. You sure you can't do better?" Phara asked, a cruel smile on her face. Instantly her blade was shrouded in an emerald glow, catching Tsubasa off guard and forcing her to release her weapon, Phara's own cutting through the katana with ease. Taking advantage, she contorted her body and kicked out, making contact with Tsubasa's side and knocking her off balance. "I expected so much MORE from you!"

Gritting her teeth as Phara raced ahead of her before turning around, Tsubasa regained control over her vehicle before going back on the attack. Summoning a new blade into her hand and revving her motorcycle's engine, she raised the weapon skyward as a large group of azure blades appeared behind her. 'I won't let her get to the others...I CAN'T let her through…' she thought, swinging her weapon downward and sending her projections at her opponent.

"Is that really the best you can do right now?" Phara asked, annoyance in her eyes. Raising her blade, she lashed out, a wave of green energy surging from the blade and meeting Tsubasa's swords in mid-air. "Come now, oh former idol. Where's your creativity? Where's your sense of flair? Don't tell me you've lost it since you retired!"

"I've lost nothing," Tsubasa replied, her frustration in her voice. Revving the throttle as her vehicle's tires squealed on the blacktop, she continued, her eyes narrowing in determination. "I chose to take my life in a different direction of my own free will. And now I'll show you the resolve that allowed me to do so!" At that, she kicked off the ground, her motorcycle racing toward where Phara waited. Pressing a button on her bike's console, Tsubasa pressed herself against its back, the dark blue panels along its sides flipping forward and combining into a blade.

"Then let's see just how far that resolve will take you!" Phara called back. Swinging her vehicle around toward Tsubasa's onrushing motorcycle, she revved the engine before moving to intercept. Raising her blade toward Tsubasa's vehicle, she stabbed forward, a fresh burst of wind lancing toward the vehicle and missing by a matter of inches. Before she could launch a second attack Tsubasa reacted, throwing herself off of her vehicle as it crashed headlong into Phara's own and consuming both vehicle and rider in a sphere of flames.

'Did that get her?' Tsubasa thought as she rolled to a stop nearby. Pushing herself off the pavement, she turned towards the site of the crash, the cloud of smoke from the incident hiding any sign of survival from view. 'No. There's no way that got her…' she thought, drawing another blade from her Symphogear's storage. Narrowing her eyes, she brought her weapon up in a defensive position as a figure emerged from the smoke and flames, blade drawn.

"Now that was more like it," Phara said, a vicious smile on her face. Swinging her sword to one side, a gust of wind erupted, dispersing the smoke around her and revealing the minimal wear she'd received. "Show me more fight like that, sentinel!"

"As you wish," Tsubasa replied, transforming her sword into a second mode, the now larger blade shining a brilliant blue. Without hesitation, she swung the blade downward, a massive wave of azure light slicing through the pavement toward Phara. Stepping out of the way and allowing the wave to pass, Phara went on the counter attack, closing the distance between them before she brought her blade downwards, meeting Tsubasa's own in a shower of sparks.

"I wonder what skill you've been hiding, sentinel. Was that it, or is there something else?" Phara said, the grin on her face growing wider. Before Tsubasa could react, a glyph on Phara's blade glowed brilliantly, her weapon digging deep into Tsubasa's own before shattering it into pieces. "But here's a little secret. It doesn't matter what type of sword you use. I'll just keep destroying them all!"

"We'll see about that," Tsubasa replied, ducking out of the way of Phara's blade as it cut through the air around her. Sweeping her leg out in an attempt to take the autoscorer's legs out from under her, Tsubasa quickly countered when Phara leapt over the attack, her armored fist rising upward and hitting home in Phara's stomach.

Climbing back to her feet as Phara stepped backward, Tsubasa pressed the advantage. Her blades deploying, she cartwheeled into a handstand before rotating, the blades flashing brightly under the bridge lights. 'Let's see how you handle this…' she thought, Phara bringing her weapon up to defend repeatedly against her strikes, the wind-shrouded weapon deflecting each attack.

"I'll give you some credit: you don't back down. However, you don't have what you need to defeat me, sentinel." Phara called out before moving to counter attack. Leaping away from Tsubasa, she slashed downward, a literal wall of emerald wind slamming into the pavement in front of the bluenette, sending her tumbling back.

'She's countering me perfectly…I need to do something...' Tsubasa thought, pushing herself off the pavement just in time to avoid a blade of air as it cut through the pavement. Drawing another katana from storage, she lashed out in a kick, ankle blade meeting Phara's sword just in time to knock it to the side. Phara was unphased however, her sword glowing brilliantly as she slashed it back upward, slicing through the ankle blade and cutting it into pieces, the wind it created throwing Tsubasa backward again.

Not to be deterred however, Tsubasa tried a different approach as her boots dug into the pavement beneath her. Raising a hand to the sky, she brought it swinging downward as a sword the size of a bus streaked toward the pavement from above Phara's head.

"You're getting desperate. I can see it in your eyes now," Phara said, the cruel grin she wore not leaving her face. Bringing her sword up and meeting the attack, she was forced downward slightly, her knees bending with the added weight. ".It shows in this attack, too. You've lost, Kazanari-san. This battle's been mine since before it even started!"

At her words, Phara's sword glowed brightly, its emerald shine filling the area with light as the massive weapon Tsubasa had summoned began to collapse while still driving her downward. Phara grinned, her sword cutting into the massive blade as she pushed against it, her weapon's emerald shroud only glowing brighter. Seconds later, the giant blade finally gave out, cracks appearing all along its surface before it exploded in a flash of crimson light.

'How...how does she keep…' Tsubasa thought, eyes narrowed in anger as her opponent walked clear of the explosion, sword at her side. Stopping just in front of the freshly-made crater, Phara spoke up, a haughtiness to her words.

"You can keep struggling all you want, but it won't matter."

"We're not done here," Tsubasa shot back, her hands grasping her weapon tightly. Rolling her eyes at Tsubasa's words, Phara frowned before speaking once more, weapon gleaming wickedly.

"That's where you're wrong, Kazanari-san. You'll never win. And do you want to know why that's the case?" Charging forward, blade raised into the air, she went on the attack, her greatsword crashing into Tsubasa's katana and shattering it in an instant before she raised it once more. "My weapon is a philosophical weapon designed with just a single purpose: the destruction of any and all swords that I come across. And unfortunately for you, guess what most of your weapons are?"

Stepping in closely as Tsubasa's eyes widened at the implication, she continued her attack, her blade swinging downward toward the bluenette's upper body and cutting through the relic pendant's active state along with her armor. The crystal cracked instantly when it was struck, Tsubasa's symphogear armor dissolving as blood began to flow from the wound Phara had left behind.

Before Tsubasa could even react, Phara continued her assault, stepping in and grabbing her by the arm while flipping her overhead and driving her into the pavement as her Symphogear returned to its pendant form, leaving her exposed.

"But let's dig beyond just that. Your resolve has been far too lacking, Kazanari-san. Even if you DID use something other than swords, it wouldn't matter without that. I wonder...are you still not sure what to do with yourself after what happened with your clan? Or do you still think that you're nothing more than a tool?" Stepping on the fallen wielder and grinding her heel into Tsubasa's stomach, she raised her blade once again, the tip of the weapon held just over Tsubasa's neck as she took in the downed wielder's angered expression.

"It's too bad. Maybe if you actually had moved past whatever it is that's holding you back, this fight wouldn't have ended up this way. But I doubt it. Between my wind alchemy and my sword breaker, it wouldn't have mattered. But I did expect MUCH more from you."

'I'm sorry, everyone...I failed…' Tsubasa thought, eyes glaring defiantly at Phara as she raised her blade, ready to strike. But before she could bring it down through Tsubasa's neck, Phara stopped, her eyes widening slightly as she stopped moving.

Shaking her head slightly, Phara stepped off the injured Symphogear adaptor, though not before stomping on her stomach just one last time for good measure. Her weapon vanishing in a flash of emerald light, she spoke up, her eyes glancing toward Tsubasa as an emerald cyclone spun up around her.

"Looks like you have luck on your side, sentinel. I won't kill you today. But next time we meet, there won't be such mercy."

Vanishing along with the cyclone, Phara's words hung in the early morning air. Pushing herself off the asphalt, Tsubasa stared into the burning flames left by the explosion, the autoscorer's words hovering in the front of her thoughts and playing over and over again. Reaching up and grabbing the now cracked relic where it hung around her neck, she stared into the fire before closing her eyes, her fist clenching in anger.

"Damnit…"

-GX-

"Get a transport out to the Rainbow Bridge now! And send a medical team along with them!" Genjurou shouted, Fujitaka nodding as he sprang into action. As the bridge bunny's fingers raced across his keyboard, Genjurou fell into thought, his arms crossed in front of him. 'Damnit...a philosophical weapon? And one perfectly able to counter Tsubasa, too. Do they have more of them?'

"Sir, transport is preparing to head there now. Do you want me to send another one to Chris, Shirabe, and Kirika's location?"

"Do it," Genjurou replied, snapping out of his thoughts. Returning his eyes to the main monitor as Shirabe and Kirika barely managed to get out of the way of a sphere of flame spat by Micha, he continued. "I want to get them out of there as soon as possible. Do we have anything from Ogawa?"

"Nothing new. They've taken both Hibiki and Maria in for initial examination, but there's nothing more available." Aoi replied, ehr eyes reading over her monitor as it displayed the status of both Shul Shagana and Igalima.

Frowning in response as his eyes continued to monitor the battles on screen, Genjurou could only watch as Chris opened fire with a fresh group of missiles, Leiur rushing away from some and shooting down the others with her coins before returning fire. As the autoscorer's coins slammed into the barrier projected by Elfnein on screen, Genjurou spoke up, fingers tapping loosely on his arms.

"Whoever that woman who's helping Chris is, she seems to know something," he muttered, voice low as he watched what was happening on screen. Taking note as Kirika ducked under a swipe from Micha before landing a kick to her stomach, he fell into thought, even as Aoi spoke up, the screen in front of her aglow.

"Sir...we're getting readings when that barrier appears which match the readings we were getting last night," She said, her eyes darting back to the monitor as an alert appeared. Turning to Aoi, Genjurou nodded, his mind racing to incorporate the information provided.

'Then the question becomes what does she know...and if she's willing to help us.'

Before he could speak however, the image of Leiur freezing in place after landing a blow caught his attention. Watching closely as Chris skidded backward, he frowned before speaking up.

"Tomosato, get everyone who could be of help in this situation in here as soon as possible." Stopping as Aoi nodded, he sat back down in his seat before continuing, his voice quiet but clear. "I get the feeling this is only the beginning, and that we'll need all the help we can get."

-GX-

"Looks like my entertainment is over for now," Leiur said, a reluctance to her voice as she stirred back to life. Another group of gold circles appearing around her, she continued, the circles flashing brightly. "It's too bad that we have to cut this so short."

Before Chris could react, the glyphs shone brightly, unleashing a fresh barrage of coins toward where she stood. Leaping backward as her missile racks unfolded with another barrage, she opened fire, her shots impacting against the oncoming storm and filling the air with explosions, but only catching some of the oncoming assault.

'Shit!' She thought, her eyes widening as the remaining coins burst through the smoke. Gritting her teeth and crossing her arms in front of herself, Chris prepared to defend herself as Elfnein stepped in front of her, a brilliant silver glyph of her own shining around both arms.

"What are you-" She called out as Elfnein thrust her arms forward, a fresh barrier appearing just in time to intercept Leiur's onslaught, the coins crashing into the shield before detonating. Glancing toward where she had seen Leiur leap away from, Chris noticed a brief flash of ruby light shine before it disappeared from view, the smoke from the blast obscuring her vision as the last coins exploded.

"Damnit, she got away!" she said, her frustration boiling over as the smoke began to disperse, revealing nothing but the battered park landscape. Turning to where Elfnein stood, she took a deep breath before continuing, tension slowly starting to exit her body.

"Hey...I owe you a thanks, don't I?"

"Ah…" Elfnein replied, letting the barrier drop before she turned toward Chris, her face showing the signs of exertion. "I couldn't allow you to get injured or possibly die here, so it was nothing."

"Maybe, but I still owe you a thanks anyways." A pause, Chris looking through the slowly dispersing smoke. "You said there was something you had to do earlier. And that bitch we just fought off seemed pretty dead set on killing you."

"Just who the hell were they, anyways?" Kirika asked as she made her way over to join them, Shirabe right beside her. "I know the one we fought said her name was Micha, but...she was WAY too strong to be human." Nodding in agreement, Shirabe prepared to speak up, only for Elfnein to cut her off, her voice quiet as she spoke.

"I'm willing to answer what I can, but I need to meet with whoever the head of your organization is," she replied, her eyes glancing away from the group. Letting out a small sigh, she continued, her eyes turning toward where she had been watching from earlier. "I think...it may be better to just answer things once."

Narrowing her eyes in thought, Chris frowned, her eyes taking in the sight of the blonde woman in front of her. 'They were coming after her for a reason. Question is, what...and does it have anything to do with what happened in London?' Shaking her head slightly as her Symphogear deactivated, she spoke up, eyes looking over Shirabe and Kirika carefully.

"You two okay?"

"Yeah, just a bit tired…" Shirabe said, her gear deactivating in a flash of light. "Took a couple of blows, but I'll be fine." A pause, her eyes gazing away from Chris and toward where the sun was rising.

"I'm fine too, but it was close," Kirika said, her normal energy slightly lacking as she spoke up,gear deactivating itself as she took in the damaged landscape. "Whoever that was, it took everything we had to get out of there in one piece. Hell, Shirabe even had to use Asga-"

"Kirika, didn't we say we wouldn't talk about that?"

"You did WHAT?" Chris said, her eyebrow raised in agitation and disbelief. Bringing her hand up to her face and sighing in exasperation, she continued. "I thought Genjurou-taichou told you two that using those skills could be cause for suspension, and not to do it under any circumstances?"

"I know he did," Shirabe answered, her voice quiet and barely audible. "I just...panicked and it happened."

"Maria's gonna be pissed at you for doing that," Chris replied, her eyes softening slightly. "Let alone Nastassja-san. You know that."

At Shirabe's silent nod, she turned to where Elfnein had stood, the taller woman making her way back with a small box under one arm.

"What the hell is that?" she asked, an eyebrow raised. Rejoining the trio of gear wielders, Elfnein spoke quietly, her eyes locking with Chris' own as their helicopter appeared from behind the nearby apartments.

"Part of why Leiur was after me," Elfnein said as the helicopter approached before descending toward the ground. The rotors buffeting the group with wind, she continued, even as Chris looked at her skeptically. "If I'm right, it could be a key to stopping her."

"Stopping who?"

Elfnein paused for a second, the delay in her words causing tension to flow through Chris' body before she finally spoke up, her words drawing the attention of Shirabe and Kirika as well.

"The person who's behind Micha and Phara. The alchemist, Carol Malus Deinheim."

Nodding slowly in response, Chris fell silent as a sick feeling arose inside herself. Turning toward where Elfnein stood, she signaled her to join them as they made their way to the helicopter, her thoughts running wild as she half-consciously grabbed the phone to call HQ.

'I have a bad feeling that whoever this Carol is, she had something to do with what's going on in London. And if that's the case, then who knows what else she might have in store. Hibiki...if that was who attacked London, you better not have done anything reckless…'

Unknown location, Unknown time

"Why did you call us back?" Phara asked, a tinge of annoyance in her tone as she stood on the platform assigned to her. Across from her, Leiur and Micha appeared, displeased looks on both autoscorer's faces. "We had them beaten. If you would have given even just Micha and Leiur a little more time, we could have trounced them completely!"

"You may have been able to, but now isn't the time," Carol replied, standing up from her throne. Walking down the steps slowly and making her way to Phara's platform, she continued, a coldness to her voice as it echoed through the silent chamber. "Or did you forget your orders tonight?"

"I know what my orders were, mistress," Phara said, her eyes glancing away from Carol's own. "But at the same time, we had an opportunity to take at least one of them out for good. We may not get that opportunity again."

"You'll get that opportunity sooner than you think," Carol shot back, a certainty to her words. Turning to look at where the other autoscorers stood, she continued, her words echoing around the chamber. "So please, TRY to be patient. I know that's such a tough concept for some of you."

"But Micha liked playing with them," Micha spoke up, her voice filling the area. "If they wouldn't have cheated, Micha would have won for sure!"

"Quit being a spoiled brat," Carol shot back, her gaze meeting Micha's with a cold fire inside of them. "You had your orders. And you executed them. The plan is more important than you breaking your toys. Or did you forget that too?"

"Leiur, Mistress is being mean to me…" Micha whined, her head turning to look at the taller autoscoreer. Shaking her head slightly, Leiur spoke up, her voice showing her displeasure.

"Don't look at me to bail you out. Whatever they did, now you know about it, so next time you see them, it can't catch you by surprise. You did remember to not show every skill you had, didn't you?"

Nodding slowly, Micha fell silent, her eyes looking away from where Carol stood.

"Then the next time you face them, they won't stand a chance, will they?"

"...they still cheated…"

"ENOUGH!" Carol shouted, her voice echoing through the chamber. Making her way to the edge of the platform as a glyph appeared, she continued, her frustration evident. "Next time you meet them in combat, you can do whatever, I don't care. But don't question me on my plan! I'm the one who created you. Don't think that I can't also destroy you. Is that clear?" Glaring in silence as Phara and Micha fell silent, she turned back to the glyph at hand before continuing.

"We'll begin phase two of the plan soon, so don't worry. You'll be getting plenty of opportunities very soon. Now if you'll excuse me, I have a meeting with our benefactors that I have to attend."

At that, she departed quickly, the chinese dress she wore barely rustling as she passed through the glyph, leaving the autoscorers to themselves. Rolling her eyes quietly as Carol disappeared, Leiur spoke up, her eyes sharp as she glared at Micha and Phara.

"The two of you acted like brats just now, I hope you know that."

"Oh, like you're much better," Garie said, finally breaking her silence. "Then again, considering that you and I are the only ones that Mistress didn't yell at...I guess we played our parts successfully, didn't we?"

"Says the one who's the mistress' pet," Phara said, earning an eye roll and a glare from Garie in reply. Taking advantage of the opportunity as Garie glared at her, she continued, a smug look on her face. "I bet the mistress had to punish you again, didn't she? What, did you have too much fun, Garie?"

"You would have enjoyed the looks on their faces, I'm sure. They seemed to enjoy my services before the end. Not like you'd know about that."

"That's enough," Leiur said, stopping their conversation from blowing out of control. "What Garie was doing for her part of the plan doesn't matter at this point. What matters is that we be here for when the mistress returns, and that we be ready to fulfill our roles when we do."

At that, the four of them fell silent, the dull groans of the gears around them replacing their chatter, the sound of the rotating gears counting down the time until their mistress returned.

-GX-

"So, care to explain what that display in London was about?" A hooded figure asked, her voice causing Carol to frown as she turned to face her. "While I have to give you credit on the amount of phonic gain we were able to record, it didn't exactly make much sense, given what we're working with you on."

"Nice to see you too, Prelati," Carol replied. "And to answer your question, I figured it could be a good way to see just who it is we're up against."

"And your conclusions are?" Prelati asked, reaching up and removing her hood, allowing it to hang loosely behind her. "I'm sure you can guess that Adam isn't pleased with what you did, which is why he asked me to speak to you."

"They're not anything to be afraid of," Carol replied, a small smile making an appearance on her face. "Maybe the most impressive of them was the one in Orange, but even then she didn't really seem like anything special to me."

"I'll take your word for that. But keep this in mind: you basically blew our cover tonight with that stunt of yours. Do not make a mistake like that again, or it won't be me who comes to visit next time."

'If everything goes right, there shouldn't be a next time…' Carol thought, nodding in agreement. Silence fell over the two of them as Prelati stared out at what the structure in front of them, her eyes taking in the construction before speaking again.

"I see that construction seems to be going smoothly on the Chateau."

"About as well as I expected, given the support that you and the rest of the illuminati have provided," Carol said, her eyes taking in the sight of what looked to be a massive structure. "Hopefully it will be ready soon though. Do you have any update on the feature I'd asked about?"

"It's basically ready, although I'm not quite sure of its purpose," Prelati replied, her eyes narrowing slightly. "Carol, don't forget that this is an alliance. If this plan of yours gets in the way of our own, then…"

"I'm very well aware that our agreement could be annulled if I get in your way. I asked for that feature so that it could accelerate the search for that divine power your boss keeps talking about. You know that."

As if calculating what Carol's words could mean, Prelati remained silent as she stared at Carol. Frowning slightly, she shook her head before speaking, a threatening tone entering her voice.

"Then we expect results. This plan of yours...Basically, it had better succeed."

At her companion's words, Carol merely nodded before looking back at the looming structure in front of her. Clenching her fist that was out of Prelati's vision and training her eyes on the shorter alchemist in a glare, Carol fell into thought, even as the other alchemist looked unconcerned.

'Oh, I'll succeed alright...but when I do, there won't be any need for you or the rest of the illuminati. You'll all be dead just like the rest of this world, and I'll have what I'm after...'

"I've said what I needed to, Carol," Prelati said after a few minutes of looking over the structure in front of her. Turning to leave as she brought her hood up over her head, she continued, a glare making its way onto her face. "Remember though, we're watching you closely. Whatever that show you put on was about, Adam won't be so lenient the next time you do something like that."

With that, she pulled a pink crystal from her cloak before tossing it to the floor, a glyph appearing under her feet before she disappeared. Glaring at the spot the other alchemist had occupied, Carol spoke up, a confidence to her voice as she turned to depart herself.

"Like you'll be able to stop me. All the pieces I need are falling right into place...and soon, the truth I seek will be known to everyone."

Author's Postscript: Once again, I'd like to apologize for the delay. Real life has gotten in the way at times, which pushed this chapter back a LOT. I ended up cutting short a bit so that I could get this out to you sooner, so next chapter you'll get to see the aftermath more fully. Thanks for taking the time to read this chapter, and i'll see you next time.-ZBD15