Chapter 14: Lasting Effect

"Rei Shénshòujìng, rei zizzl."

Just like in the anime, Miku managed to become a Symphogear. I panicked a bit, thinking she wouldn't be able to transform since her body hadn't been messed up by that crazy doctor. Well, at least that's one good thing, because now that Miku can change on her own, Hibiki doesn't need to force her to erase the relic. So Hibiki is completely cured, while Miku keeps the Symphogear.

Funnily enough, the beam doesn't work for me, or more like it feels like the crystal inside my body is absorbing it. So, from the outside, it looks like it's not working, but the effect is still there; I'm just saving it. This means I can use it, though if my relic hits its limit, there's a chance the effect will be used up.

At least it was good news for me, but not for others. I could see Tsubasa making a grim face, while the others just looked sad, and Miku bowed to me.

"Sorry, Mei, I can't cure your body."

"It's okay. I already doubted it would work for me in the first place, since, you know, my origin is from a parallel dimension, so the laws governing how a Symphogear works are slightly different. But well, at least now I don't need to worry about being useless, since I really need to do something."

I patted Miku's head and slowly smiled at her, but somehow she started to cry, which confused me, and then the others started to cry as well.

"Oi, oi, why are you guys crying? It's not like I'm suddenly going to drop dead or something."

"But...but..."

"No buts. Besides, you're usually the emotional support here, Hibiki-senpai. Why are you the one crying now?"

"Wait, since when is this idiot the emotional support one?"

"Because she's always so energetic? Well, because she's so cheerful that she helps just by being herself. Besides, you guys haven't seen what a cold Hibiki looks like, have you?"

"Mei, there's a parallel world where Tachibana is a cold person?"

"Well, there are so many parallel worlds. In fact, there's one where you end up dating Chris over there."

I slowly pointed at Chris, and Tsubasa slowly gazed at her. Chris did the same, and suddenly she was pointing at Tsubasa.

"Me? Dating her? Ahahaha, your joke is good, Mei."

I watched her face as her laughter faded, and she swallowed hard before meeting my gaze.

"You're not joking?"

"Nope. In fact, the reason you two became a couple in that world is because everyone except you two died, including Miku. As for the other Hibiki, she became cold after Miku ended up leaving with her parents, leaving Hibiki to face the criticism alone."

"Wait, what do you mean by that, Mei?"

"While I can explain it, I feel like this is something either Hibiki or Miku should tell you. In that world, even though Hibiki is alone, she's still kind. While she's cold, her heart is still kind."

At my explanation, Chris and Tsubasa slowly turned to Hibiki, who scratched her head with a laugh. Miku gently took her hand, staring at Hibiki.

"Should I tell them, Hibiki? Or should I keep quiet?"

"Thanks, Miku, but I want to tell them myself."

I could see Hibiki's hand trembling as she took a deep breath and slowly explained her past: how she was bullied as the only survivor of the Zwei Wing concert that ended in disaster because of a Noise attack, about her father leaving her family, how her mother and grandmother were her only support, and finally, about Miku helping her get through it all.

When Hibiki finished, Tsubasa was holding back tears. Chris was already crying since the bullying and became an uncontrollable mess when she mentioned her family problems. I ended up patting her back, but she dodged it and hugged Hibiki instead.

"Sorry, I was being harsh with you, ueehh."

Well, that was a weird sound, but I guess that's normal when you're already a mess. Seriously, though, I wonder what the other trio is doing. Because of me, they shouldn't need Dr. Ver's help that much. But I already explained to Nastassja that they really need Dr. Ver's help to succeed in their plan to divert the moon.

As for why I asked them to do it and not Genjuro, the moment Genjuro noticed it and asked for help from the prime ministers of all the countries on Earth, they would be busy debating, even though the world is going to end, which is hilarious if you ask me.

It just shows how terrible humanity can be. At the same time, I understand their feelings. Helping is great, but the aftermath is what people want to avoid because the scale of this disaster is so massive that they don't want to take responsibility after everything is over.

Seeing the recorded video, for example, I see some ministers planning to prioritize themselves, which makes me want to kill them. But I hold myself back. Seeing that only makes you lose hope for humanity, which is why I understand why Genjuro didn't mention it to the group, as they are still high schoolers.

Now that I think about it, wasn't I an adult in my previous life? It feels weird now that my age shouldn't be that different compared to Shinji, but the problem still exists: the moon is going to fall.

Suddenly, Tsubasa looked at me with a serious face.

"Mei, from now on, please don't participate in any fights."

"I'm fine, Tsubasa. You're too worried. Besides, if it looks dangerous, I'll stop."

"Are you? Because from what I've seen, you're not planning to stop."

Hearing that, I sighed. Tsubasa was staring at me with serious eyes, just like when she gets mad at Hibiki in the anime when she starts joking about the crystal.

"First of all, it's useless to worry about me when there's a huge thing to focus on. Besides, my plan is still going, so no need to worry. I'm not planning to die just yet and leave you all with a mental burden. In fact, my final plan is going to be a big surprise, especially for you, Tsubasa."

If it works, that is, since it's the only thing I think will work, because that place is special. While at first, I only planned to revive Serena, Maria's little sister, there's a chance I can revive Kanade as well, though the chance is small. But I'll know if it works or not when we get there.

Besides, I already gave more energy when I was using the swan song to the relic inside their base, and I already told Nastassja, so I think it's only a matter of time before she brings the Frontier to the surface. At the same time, I told her to be careful of Dr. Ver, though funnily enough, she already knows how dangerous Dr. Ver is.

Then suddenly, I felt a hand on my shoulder. When I looked to see who it was, it was Genjuro, smiling.

"Basically, Mei is acting like this because she doesn't trust we have enough power, so there's only one thing left to do, which is..."

"Which is?" x4

Somehow, I have a bad feeling about this.

"TRAINING."

"Training?" x4

Yup, just as I thought. But still, I wonder if you can achieve that kind of power through training alone. After all, Genjuro isn't human—and I will never accept him as such—because of how broken he is. He's not using any relic, yet he can punch a boulder into dust.

I underestimated how intense the training from the anime would be. By the end, Miku, Chris, and I were having trouble breathing, our stamina far lower than the other two. As for Genjuro, I wouldn't even bother comparing myself to him. I noticed Chris seemed to be pondering something.

So, I decided to talk to her at a restaurant.

"So, what's the deal with you suddenly calling me here alone? Oh, you're paying, okay?"

"Sure. Even though things look bright for you now, this is where you belong, so you don't need to worry about anything. That includes the fact that you're the one powering Solomon's Cane."

Chris fell silent, stopping her meal. She slowly stared at me, and I stared back before sighing.

"Seriously, you're too serious in your own way, but don't worry. Everyone has stuff they don't want others to know, and you're not really that dark compared to me."

"What do you..."

"Well, let's just say that because of one of my plans, thousands are already dead by this point. Do you think I'm a bad guy for that?"

Hearing my question, Chris went silent again. It was true; because I accelerated their plans, thousands could die, especially the military, since they'd probably be sent to investigate the Frontier only to end up dead at the hands of that maniac, Dr. Ver.

"Can I really stay?"

"And here I thought that's what you were going to ask. Yes, you can. I mean, they're a bunch of softies. They're even planning to forgive Fine, you know? While it's true that her research saved thousands, her plans also led to the deaths of thousands. So, you don't need to worry about that."

Chris slowly laughed, wiping the tears from her eyes.

"What's with that? You suck at comforting people, Mei."

"Well, sorry about that. If you want comfort, go to Hibiki instead. I'm sure seeing her do something idiotic will cheer you up plenty."

"You're not wrong about that."

"Good. At least you're not burdened with that stuff anymore. And don't worry, it was my fault in the first place that Dr. Ver still has Solomon's Cane, since taking it back will be very easy for me. That guy has zero fighting power besides controlling and spawning Noise, after all."

"Wait, I can't just let that slide. What do you mean by that?"

"Basically, it's part of one of my plans. That's why I said a thousand people probably died by this point. I won't shy away from that fact, and I will carry it with me forever as my stigma until my death. So, how was it? Starting to feel hate for me now, since I'm basically the same as Fine?"

I smirk at Chris, who looks shocked before letting out a sigh.

"I forgot this group is full of crazy people."

"You're one of them, so welcome to the group. But still, for now, it should be fine. Though, if my plan works well, I can finally be free from Tsubasa as well."

"Seriously, just be careful that your plan doesn't blow up in your face."

"Fufufufu, Chris is really kind to worry about someone like me."

"Tch, I'm not worried about you."

"Thank you for the tsundere reaction."

"I don't know what 'tsundere' is, but I know you're making fun of me. Let's fight."

"You sure? While I am indeed weaker now, I'm basically your counter, you know? Since ranged attacks are basically useless against me."

"Tch, I hate you."

"Yes, I love you too, Chris."

Yeah, this is how Chris should be, the usual tsundere whose cheeks start to get red when she's embarrassed. But I know she has a kind heart since, from what I hear from Hibiki, she sings for her classmates, just like in the anime. And this is enough for me, since I am like a good ending to a story.

Now that I think about it, every female season villain has a dark past that feels like a punch to the gut. Carol's father, for example, died at the hands of the people who drove her to darkness, and watching her story unfold brought tears to my eyes.

Saint-Germain is similar, though it was her mother's death that devastated her. The trio from the last season is even worse, as they are the result of a failed experiment. It pains me to know that I can't give them a good ending, and I feel the same way about all the victims who will die because of my actions.

In the end, I'm not really cut out to be an evil mastermind, so I hope this will be the last time I try to control how the enemies act. For now, I'm enjoying dinner with Chris. I noticed she was watching me, and her cheeks were still flushed.

I'll ignore the implications for now and focus on something else, as I feel like asking and confirming my suspicions will only make my heart heavier. Tsubasa alone is already a heavy burden.

Suddenly, the communication system turned on, and we received a report that the enemies were making a move, which probably meant they had already activated the Frontier.

As I was thinking about that, Chris and I entered the submarine, preparing for our next course of action.