Fenie said that a huge amount of phonic gain is required for the activation of completed relics.
I spent half a year preparing for the Staff of Solomon,
yet she could handle it instantly.
And that's not all. She made a crazy display of her power!
That monster!
Listen to my song
Can you hear me?
Please tell me
I look at the sky, devoid of answers and made to deceive
fly far away
Words are not enough
so accept all I am
I can't control myself... nor do I want to
I've always known that
With my song I will bring about
the beginning of eternity for you
So smile
I will embrace you tighter than anyone else
I will never let you go
Yes, never
I hope that you're the one to shake
my heart in doubt
That would start something greater
Ever since we were born, we looked for our meeting
I think of you when the wind howls around me at night
and the song of the life we lived together blasts through the heavens
Fenie even detained me... How can she be so obsessed with her?
And I'm all alone again.
I know. I know what you're expecting of me.
I can do what you want without using stuff like this!
I'll prove that I'm better than she is.
I'll crush everyone strong with my own two hands!
That's my goal!
Kanade, I want to see it too...
Otherwise, I just can't see things the way you do.
What's out there, beyond fighting?
I want to find out.
Ms. Tsubasa, you've just left the ICU!
You shouldn't...
I'm sorry.
Tachibana
The scary thing about Durandal's wild power
isn't that I can't control it,
it's that I swung it at her without any hesitation.
I'm always such a weakling.
I can't stop at the goal.
I've got to aim for even farther!
Farther! Farther!
You are way too eager!
Sorry, I just spaced out thinking...
You're really weird, Hibiki.
Sorry for making you tag along on a Sunday morning.
Nah, it reminded me of my junior high days. Felt good.
But we ran so much!
You just can't deny that track team past of yours.
I was dead worn out, swimming in sweat.
Hibiki!
You've changed since we entered Lydian.
You never liked putting effort into anything before.
I guess, yeah... Though it's not like I intended to change.
Huh? You've gotten muscular!
And you're covered in wounds!
What happened?
Even here, and here!
Stop stop stop stop!
Hey, treat me to pancakes at the Flower later,
in exchange for me tagging along on a Sunday.
But you know she really has to put all her might into it to make them taste good...
Then it's decided!
I'm looking forward to the Flower pancakes.
Are you really fine with it?
Yeah, definitely fine.
It was Defense Minister Hiroki's memorial service, right?
Yeah. We had our differences, but he always had our back.
We've lost a great pillar of support.
How is our progress?
Seventeen percent ahead of schedule.
I'm kind of relieved that the transfer plan's been pushed back.
It's great that we have the time to upgrade the HQ's defenses.
This place was designed so that it could be upgraded with minimal external help.
We submitted the plans to the government for this ages ago.
I remember there was one strict member who opposed it.
That opposition was from Defense Minister Hiroki.
He didn't agree with pumping immense amounts of tax money
into an entirely secret organization that also controls information.
He opposed it because he was trying to protect us
from external interference, making us follow procedure.
Chief, who's Defense Minister Hiroki's successor?
The Secretary of Defense has been promoted.
He was the lead supporter of this upgrade plan.
However...
Is something wrong?
The new minister is pro-American, and an advocate of international cooperation.
Which means that the American government has an even bigger influence on our national defense plans.
You think the Americans had a hand in the minister's assassination?
Looks we have some trouble.
I'll go check it out.
Yeah.
Yes. Yes. Me?
I'm a bit tied up here.
I'm sorry, but could you do it for me?
You're the only one I can ask.
Okay, I get it!
Well then, excuse me...
Ah, hey Miku! What is it?
I'm going shopping later, and wondered if you wanted to come along,
then maybe drop by the Flower afterwards.
Sorry, but I just made a promise...
I see.
It's really kind of you... I think I'm cursed.
It's okay.
Next time then.
Don't worry about it.
I have a book to get from the library, so I'll just go by myself today.
I'm really sorry.
Excuse me!
Tsubasa—
No way! That can't be.
What are you doing?!
Are you all right? Are you really fine?
You're seriously asking a hospital patient if they're all right?
But when I saw this...
I thought you'd been kidnapped!
The people at the second branch were talking about international conspiracies too...
Er...
You don't have to do that.
Mr. Ogawa asked me to look after you,
so please let me clean up at least.
I just... I can't really care about stuff like that.
That's a bit surprising. My perception of you is that you're someone who does everything perfectly.
Couldn't be further from the truth.
I only know how to fight.
I'm done!
Thanks.
Usually Ogawa does it for me...
A... A guy?!
Well if you think about it, it really seems a bit problematic.
But I don't think it's worth it, letting that sort of thing bother you.
I know I'm like this for the time being, but I'm still reading the reports...
That you're doing a good job taking my place.
That's not true at all!
The second branch people are helping me constantly!
Be Honest With
Yourself
I'm really happy you feel that way.
Though it's for that reason that I want to know why you fight.
The war against the Noise isn't a game.
You should know that now though, having faced death yourself.
I dunno, really.
Helping others is kind of my hobby, so...
So? Is that it?
Y'know how if you want to have the best results in sports or studies, you have to compete with others?
There's no competition when it comes to helping people.
I don't really have any talents or things worth being proud of,
so I want to be useful to others, doing what I can.
The reason...
The reason might be that incident.
That show two years ago where Kanade burned her life away to save me.
And not just her. Many people died there, that day.
But I was allowed to live. And even today I can eat, I can laugh.
So I want to be useful to someone at the very least.
Cause I want to be able to eat and laugh tomorrow, too.
I want to help others.
An optimistic reason, as expected of you.
But that optimism might become suicide.
Suicide?!
Like sacrificing yourself for someone else, just to be free from the pain of old wounds.
It might be just a way to punish yourself.
Did I say something wrong?
Wrong or not, it's not for me to decide.
Think about it and decide for yourself.
No matter how much I know, I'm still full of questions.
When I touched Durandal, I was swallowed by darkness.
Before I knew it, I was pointing that power at a person.
If only I could use the armed gear, it wouldn't have had to come to that.
Knowing how to use your power means you've become a warrior.
A warrior?
And that's all. It distances you from life.
Are you determined to do that?
I have things I want to protect.
My uneventful, typical everyday life. I want to cherish those everydays.
But I'm just thinking, not actually doing anything.
What do you think of while fighting?
If the Noise is attacking someone, I want to help them!
As quickly, as shortly, as directly as possible.
And if the opponent is not the Noise, but a person,
I want to make them understand the doubt in my heart,
over whether or not we really have to fight.
Focus on and express the feeling that's in your heart now as much as you can.
That, itself, is your armed gear.
Welcome!
Good afternoon!
Where's your friend, the one who always eats three times as much as normal?
It's just me today.
I see.
So you want me to eat her portion today?
You don't have to, just fry it please.
Oh, my.
I'm hungry. I wanted to come here for dinner, so I didn't eat anything all day.
If you think about things while hungry, you'll only get bad ideas.
That might be it.
I don't know anything for sure. I'm just over-thinking it.
If I talk about it with her, then...
Thank you very much.
Never you mind. Drop by anytime.
Of course!
Even if you put it that way, I really don't get how to use the armed gear!
Did you know, Tsubasa?
If you think about things while hungry, you'll never get any good ideas.
What does that even...?
A pancake bar lady told me that earlier.
It's great wisdom!
Okay...
All right! I should go and grab some pancakes from the Flower!
If I fill my stomach, I think even someone like me can figure out how to use armed gear!
I'm sure you'll like it too!
Hey, wait! Tachibana!
The girl in the Nehushtan armor is heading this way!
Issue an evacuation order for the areas concerned!
And get a hold of Hibiki!
Yes, understood! I'll be right there!
Hibiki!
Miku?
You!
Don't come closer!
Was there someone else there too?!
Hibiki?
I'm sorry.
Why is it that against all odds
fate has led me here in such a vast world?
The friendly wind just brushed my hand
Are you trying to piss me off, you dumb little bitch?!
Why is Hibiki...
and carried me all this way when I held on
Hibiki is in battle!
She's on the move, trying to lure the enemy away!
Now that I'm here, instead of
Don't lose her for a second, keep the video stream up!
standing idly by with a fake smile
I'll put all my feelings
I'll beat you, dumb little bitch!
That isn't my name!
I'm Tachibana Hibiki, age 15!
My birthday is September 13, my blood type is O!
According the latest checkup, I'm 157 cm tall!
I'll tell you my weight if we get to know each other better!
My hobby is helping others, and I love food and more food!
Also, I've never had a boyfriend in my life!
What the hell are you talking about?
Unlike the Noise, you can understand what I'm saying!
I want to talk to you!
This isn't the time or the place to be so naive!
Her
movements changed.
Is it determination?
Let's talk!
We mustn't fight!
We can talk, so we should—
Shut up!
Humans can't understand each other!
We're not made like that!
I hate you! I hate you! I hate you!
I hate you for blabbing about stuff you don't know shit about!
I was ordered to kidnap you, but I don't care anymore.
I'll beat the shit out of you with my two hands!
I'll turn you to dust!
I won't go down that easily!
Drop dead!
And another!
Because of you, I'll be... Again...
Now that I'm here, instead of
standing idly by with a fake smile
This won't work...
I'll put all my feelings
I can't materialize the energy like Tsubasa can.
into facing you honestly
She's already trying to use armed gear?!
My heart and my body are
I have the energy. If I can't shape it into the armed gear...
fighting to convince you
I should just put all that energy into my punch!
This overflowing power will help us understand
Dream on!
I'll stay by your side now
and listen to your heart's troubles
What?!
I just have to crush the thunder!
It must be fate that we met
and we should go on together
Fast! Short! Straight! Direct!
To let you hear my feelings, the scream of my heart...
to a brighter future straight ahead
No way... The Nehushtan armor...
Hibiki...
The Swan Songs of the Valkyries
To be continued
Here we are, where I used to belong, but
when I turn around, only the wind is with me
Don't let me down, don't make me confused
I will drown in despair
The sky from here is like a nightmare
and it comes to chase me
Dreams and reason and all my feelings
are once more erased
I can't wait for the end to these sad days
Lost and deep in my agony
I still wish to try to win
Although my hands are covered in wounds
they hold a little star that will never die
This light that fell from the heavens
shines for me faintly even now
I will reach out to others no matter how often I have to
although I can't imagine
how mere faith could ever be a strength
Shine for me, shooting star!