Chapter 30: Ragna-Mail

It was somewhat ironic that while my memories of the past were starting to blur, a few remained vivid: the anime I'd watched, the novels and manga I'd read, the music I'd heard, and the movies I'd seen.

I could still recall all of it, even as the finer details began to slip. This thought came to mind because, in front of me, stood a perfect replica of the AW-CBX007 Ragna-Mail, ridden by the protagonist of the anime Cross Ange.

"How was it? While your drawings suck, I somewhat understand your vision. I must say, this is an impressive machine. Although I'm not familiar with the original, so I can't speak to its accuracy, Fine and I tried our hardest to replicate it. Which makes me wonder: is this a weapon designed to fight Noise in a parallel world?"

I slowly shook my head as I walked closer to the Ragna-Mail in its flight mode. It was ridden like a motorcycle, the key difference being that it had no wheels and could fly.

"In fact, this machine is from an anime in a parallel world. Knowing I had both you and Fine, who are master alchemists, I thought you two could bring this to life. It looks like I truly underestimated alchemists!"

"WHAT?!"

I could hear Fine starting to say something, but I was already admiring their work, which made me wonder how close to the original they could truly make it.

Unlike a Para-Mail, this Ragna-Mail can unlock and 'power up' with the song of its rider. The more emotion the rider puts into their singing, the more powerful it becomes. This is because the machine was created in a unique way, which is why, in the anime, there are only a few of these machines, and even fewer who can ride them.

"DO YOU HEAR ME?!"

"Sorry, I was so amazed by this that I completely blanked out. But you did your best. Now, just inform Fine I'll take this thing for a ride."

"Oi, WAIT!"

Before she could finish, I hopped onto the seat and looked at the cockpit, which was almost like a racing bike. The only difference was the handle, which could be moved because there's a distinction between its flight mode and assault mode—a defining feature of this vehicle/robot.

Just as I anticipated, the machine whirred to life, its wing-like engines glowing blue. I piloted it out of the hangar and into the sky. A surge of adrenaline prompted me to try out various maneuvers I'd seen in anime.

For instance, switching between flight mode and assault mode felt exhilarating as I soared higher. A thought then crossed my mind: had Fine and Carol managed to replicate that system? This led me to begin singing.

It was "El Ragna," the protagonist's song.

The first verse alone made the machine's engine surge and glow. While I could have sung "Hikari no Uta" or "Kaze no Uta," "El Ragna" simply felt like a better fit.

Excited, I continued singing, observing the machine's color change. I also noticed Morgan begin to sing along. Finally, the machine's hum steadied, revealing its new look: now purple with a golden tint.

Even the angel statue on the head compartment had transformed, now resembling a fallen angel. I then noticed the wings were leaking not blue particles, but purple and greenish ones.

While I knew the original machine's color shifted based on the user's emotions and needs, this was the first time I'd seen it turn purple. To my knowledge, the original only had three modes besides its initial form.

These were: Ariel Mode, focused on speed and enabling dimensional leaps; Michael Mode, which reinforced the blade to create a massive energy blade; and Uriel Mode, which unlocked its special Convergence Space-time Cannons.

Was this purple hue a characteristic of a replica, or was it because of me? I didn't have the answer, but I was certain now that the machine was responding to my feelings. Just then, my communicator rang.

"How was it, Mei? Lil Carol and I did our best replicating the machine. In fact, because it was so interesting, I even made some upgrades for it."

Fine's words instantly gave me a bad feeling, yet at the same time, I felt an unprecedented excitement. What upgrades had she made to this vehicle?

I decided to test every technique the machine offered, starting with the dimensional leap, which utterly surprised me. I was supposed to be in the Indian Ocean, but then a distortion appeared in my view. The next thing I knew, I was above Tokyo—I was sure of it because I could see the Tokyo Tower.

(Well, this isn't good.)

Thinking this, I slowly activated the dimensional leap again and reappeared above the ocean. Still, if I remembered correctly, this power could transcend parallel worlds. This meant I now had a personal ride to parallel worlds without relying on a Gjallarhorn relic. Yet, I felt conflicted.

While this was a significant boost for those who primarily used long-range attacks, like Chris, Miku, and Serena, I didn't think the melee-focused girls, especially Hibiki, would use it for anything beyond a quick ride to their destination. While that was fine, the original Ragna-Mail didn't have a built-in AI, so I slowly called Fine.

"Fine, can you put an AI inside the Ragna-Mail?"

"An AI? Well, I'm not an expert on that, but I might be able to make it work. Why?"

"I've noticed that most of the girls prefer close-quarters combat. They'll probably just use the Ragna-Mail for transport. While that's fine, the Ragna-Mail will just fall if no one's piloting it."

"You've really thought this through! Knowing the girls, they'll probably do exactly that, especially Hibiki and Kanade. I'm sure Tsubasa and Maria would at least try to park it, but yes, I'll work on it."

Fine blew a kiss at me. Still, I slowly released the throttle, and the Ragna-Mail began to descend toward the water. Before it touched the surface, I grabbed the throttle and engaged Assault Mode. Wings burst forth, particles streamed, and the Ragna-Mail floated slightly above the water.

I was about to head back when I remembered I hadn't tested two of this Ragna-Mail's abilities: the energy sword and the Convergence Space-time Cannons. While I thought I could test the energy blade's length, I didn't think I could test the Cannons, as they were too destructive.

Besides, I didn't foresee using them anytime soon, except perhaps in outer space. But now I wondered, could this thing fly in outer space? In the anime, if I remembered correctly, its space travel capability was never mentioned. Although the games Super Robot Wars V and X showed it could, I didn't think I could rely on that, as those crossover games often power up mecha beyond their original versions.

Well, when we go to outer space, we can just transform, since Symphogear allows you to breathe in space anyway. Still, for now, I slowly rode the Ragna-Mail back. I realized I needed to name this Ragna-Mail, as "Ragna-Mail" is just the machine's type. I wondered what name would be good.

Since my Symphogear is from Greek legend, should I base its name on Greek mythology? But what should it be...?

Well, let's go for something simple and choose from the Anemoi, specifically Euros, the east wind. So, from now on, this machine's name is Euros, though it will be a temporary name in case I come up with a better one later.

But when I arrived at the hangar, I saw an angry Carol and remembered I had just taken off while she was still inside. In the end, I got scolded pretty heavily until Elfnein came to my rescue, as my legs started to feel numb from sitting in seiza on top of the grated wood.

"Fine, can you put an AI inside the Ragna-Mail?"

"An AI? Well, I'm not an expert on that, but I might be able to make it work. Why?"

"I've noticed that most of the girls prefer close-quarters combat. They'll probably just use the Ragna-Mail for transport. While that's fine, the Ragna-Mail will just fall if no one's piloting it."

"You've really thought this through! Knowing the girls, they'll probably do exactly that, especially Hibiki and Kanade. I'm sure Tsubasa and Maria would at least try to park it, but yes, I'll work on it."

Fine blew a kiss at me. Still, I slowly released the throttle, and the Ragna-Mail began to descend toward the water. Before it touched the surface, I grabbed the throttle and engaged Assault Mode. Wings burst forth, particles streamed, and the Ragna-Mail floated slightly above the water.

I was about to head back when I remembered I hadn't tested two of this Ragna-Mail's abilities: the energy sword and the Convergence Space-time Cannons. While I thought I could test the energy blade's length, I didn't think I could test the Cannons, as they were too destructive.

Besides, I didn't foresee using them anytime soon, except perhaps in outer space. But now I wondered, could this thing fly in outer space? In the anime, if I remembered correctly, its space travel capability was never mentioned. Although the games Super Robot Wars V and X showed it could, I didn't think I could rely on that, as those crossover games often power up mecha beyond their original versions.

Well, when we go to outer space, we can just transform, since Symphogear allows you to breathe in space anyway. Still, for now, I slowly rode the Ragna-Mail back. I realized I needed to name this Ragna-Mail, as "Ragna-Mail" is just the machine's type. I wondered what name would be good.

Since my Symphogear is from Greek legend, should I base its name on Greek mythology? But what should it be...?

Well, let's go for something simple and choose from the Anemoi, specifically Euros, the east wind. So, from now on, this machine's name is Euros, though it will be a temporary name in case I come up with a better one later.

But when I arrived at the hangar, I saw an angry Carol and remembered I had just taken off while she was still inside. In the end, I got scolded pretty heavily until Elfnein came to my rescue, as my legs started to feel numb from sitting in seiza on top of the grated wood.

With Tsubasa on hiatus from idol activities due to the Bavarian Illuminati, and Maria assisting her, both were unavailable. Somehow, I ended up becoming the sole idol. This felt ironic, considering I barely possessed any idol qualities compared to the three of them. Still, Kanade sympathizes with me and sometimes, when she's not busy, she joins me on the show.

Even now, I feel scammed. Shinji barely trains with me anymore. But I can't really blame him, as he's been on missions while simultaneously managing me, which only highlights his exceptional multitasking skills. Nevertheless, I can't help but glare at the chat group now.

[Hibiki: I can't wait for the show, Mei.]

[Chris: Make sure to act cute as usual, Mei.]

[Tsubasa: Mei, I'm truly sorry I left you alone on stage, but I can't focus with the Bavarian Illuminati still lurking.]

[Maria: Sorry, Mei, but I can't leave Tsubasa alone; I feel like she'll make a mistake.]

[Tsubasa: Hey, I'm not that bad compared to Hibiki, okay?]

[Hibiki: Tsubasa, that was mean! I'm doing a good job on the mission, okay?]

The conversation continued, becoming even more chaotic when the rest of the group joined. Kanade poked fun at both Tsubasa and Hibiki, leading Hibiki to seek comfort from Miku. Then Serena leaked a mistake Maria had perfectly covered up. At that point, I simply looked up.

"Mei, it's almost time."

"Yeah, coming, Shinji."

Why did I, originally a man, end up doing more idol work recently compared to the original idols from the group?

I can't deny that Shinji's ninja skills are incredibly useful, so I need to repay him for all his lessons. Yes, that's it! I'm repaying him. It's not as if I'm stuck and can't go back now, after all.

I slowly glanced at the popularity ranking, which showed me in third place, below Tsubasa and Maria, but above Kanade.

I had thought that once my identity as a Symphogear user leaked, I wouldn't be needed for idol activities anymore. Instead of being a deterrent, however, it became a support. Somehow, Shinji concocted a background story for my becoming a Symphogear user that struck a chord of pity.

In the end, I slowly started thinking about the Ragna-Mail instead. According to Fine, the AI is almost finished. I had asked them to build Ragna-Mail for all the girls, which delayed the project, but it should be worth it, as the girls will now have easy transportation.