Side-Chapter 4: Back to the Living

Initially, Kanade sought revenge, but somehow she began engaging in idol activities and other endeavors. She realized her actions could prevent others from experiencing the pain she once felt, which propelled her forward. Even as she lay dying at the hands of her partner, her only concern was for that partner's future without her, leading to her final words:

"Please go on and live for my part too, Tsubasa."

It was her hope, though she knew she couldn't make it convincing enough, which is why she spoke those words then.

The moment she opened her eyes, the world was different. There was an overwhelming amount of Noise, and two other people were beside her. One was clearly younger than the other, but both were younger than her. While she didn't know why she was there, she noticed that the three of them were wearing Symphogears. Furthermore, the girl in front of her looked different compared to herself and the youngest one.

Then, she remembered that when a Phonic Gain reached a certain level, they gained access to a more powerful form. Kanade began to connect the two, but the girl interrupted, saying they didn't have much time and asked both her and the youngest to sing their Swan Song. Kanade had no reason to refuse, as they were indeed in a dire situation.

But she was surprised that the moment she and the youngest finished their Swan Songs, it wasn't the normal boost she received. Instead, her form changed as well, and she recognized it as the X-Drive form. It filled her with so much power that she began to wonder what might have been if she'd had this power back then.

Time didn't allow for such thoughts, as the girl suddenly threw what she was holding to the youngest, saying it was their gateway to escape. She instructed the youngest to open the gate, and asked Kanade to retrieve her after she used a final strike against the giant enemies approaching them.

Kanade complied and followed the girl. Suddenly, the girl glowed brightly while shooting a beam toward the giant, red enemies, which weren't Noise. But perhaps because she was reaching her limit, she failed to completely destroy the monster, only slowing it down considerably. The enemies no longer glowed red, but a tentacle from its remaining hand attempted to capture the girl. Kanade rescued her just in the nick of time before finally trying to escape.

On the way out, she carried the youngest as well, since she was rather slow. But when she saw the other side of the gate, she was surprised to see so many Symphogear users. The most surprising part, however, was that Tsubasa was there. They fought the Noise that were slipping away from the portal before the youngest threw the device they used to open the gate. Finally, the gate closed, and they let out a sigh of relief.

Then Kanade started to hear a lot from an energetic Tsubasa, surprised that she seemed to have changed so much. But when she glanced at the others, who were also reacting with surprise, she realized this wasn't the usual Tsubasa.

Still, some things hadn't changed. For example, Mr. Genjuro was there, but she noticed some faces she'd never seen before. When she asked Tsubasa about it, she began to explain even more.

Genjuro was no longer her manager; instead, Shinji was the new manager. She then introduced every staff member and announced that she had a new partner in her idol activities, which surprised Kanade. But when she inquired, Tsubasa simply said that her partner was the girl who had appeared before Kanade, the reason Kanade was there in the first place.

The most surprising information was that Sakurai was Fine and the mastermind behind the incident that day. What's more, that girl's name was Mei, and she was the first male Symphogear user. At first, Kanade didn't believe it, thinking they were pranking her, until they showed her the video of Mei transforming from Mamoru, a guy whose appearance was the same.

In the end, Kanade believed it. As they entered the medical room where Mei was resting, she noticed a blonde woman. Kanade was confused at first until Tsubasa introduced her as Fine, formerly Sakurai. At first, Kanade didn't believe it, but Fine acted like Sakurai and even changed her form, which convinced Kanade. Now, there were so many surprising things that she felt like she wouldn't be surprised anymore.

But she was wrong to say that, as Tsubasa told her that she had died once, and the same went for the youngest, Serena, both of whom had died and been brought back to life by Mei's actions.

Kanade's mouth was wide open in disbelief. Then Tsubasa asked what she last remembered before meeting Mei. She tried to remember and then recalled her final moment before turning to dust, realizing that she had died then and there. Still, this didn't explain things.

Tsubasa didn't know why either, but she was glad that Kanade was back now, and that was all there was to it. She didn't care why she had come back alive. Looking at Tsubasa like that, Kanade decided she wouldn't pursue it further.

But instead, she focused on Tsubasa's activities while she was gone, and the result surprised her a lot. Tsubasa, who used to be an anxious crybaby, had somehow become a cold princess after her passing, which surprised her that Tsubasa managed to transform this fast just the moment she lost Kanade.

What was more surprising was when Mei came into the picture, and she noticed a subtle but large change in Tsubasa's expression. While the majority of people probably wouldn't notice, Kanade, who had already spent a lot of time with Tsubasa, knew that Mei had managed to thaw the ice in Tsubasa.

At first, Kanade was glad that Tsubasa had found someone she could get along with. But then the video started, and she was stunned, unable to believe what she was seeing.

"Since when did Tsubasa become like that?"

"Oh, you'd be surprised how much Mei has changed Tsubasa's life."

"You're... Shinji, right? Or should I call you Ogawa, like Tsubasa does?"

"Oh, whichever you prefer, Miss Kanade."

"Stop calling me 'Miss' like that. It doesn't suit me at all."

"Yes, but you are, in fact, the sun for Tsubasa—at least, that's how I see it."

"While that may be true, she still shines without the sun. Besides, she already has a new partner, even though she's become a bit much for her, if you ask me."

"That's good and all, but Mei was planning to retire."

"Why?"

"You'll find out if you watch further."

Then the video continued, showing how much lower in status Mei was compared to Tsubasa. The idol scene seemed darker than Kanade had thought. What's more, the teasing and the blatant insults directed at Mei were enough to make Kanade angry, even though she didn't know Mei that well. She knew, at least, that Mei was a kind girl.

But what was even more shocking was the last part of the video, where Mei transformed when enemies appeared. Kanade was confused as to why the enemies were now on the same ship as them, but the news reports were what truly shocked her.

It was as if the entire world had decided to turn against Mei, bullying her to the point where she wasn't even allowed to share her opinion, even though she was doing it to protect people, as in the video she had just watched. But the media had found a way to turn it into a scandal.

Because of this, Mei, even though she was partnered with Tsubasa, became isolated. Kanade could see Tsubasa trying her best to support her, but Mei slowly shook her head during one of the shows before finally disappearing from all future shows.

"Shinji, I think I understand what you're trying to show me."

"Yes, Miss Kanade, even I think this was a bit much. Mei's songs really resonate with people, even though she doesn't realize it."

Shinji then opened his phone and showed Kanade that, while small, there was some support for Mei, even from her classmates. Kanade started grinning, remembering why she continued to be an idol: this small support.

"But you probably showed Mei this, right?"

"Yeah, but it didn't move Mei. She said the support would slowly die down. So, can you at least convince her to release some solo songs?"

"Wait, you mean?"

"Yes, Mei has never released an original song of her own. Most of the time, she either sings your songs, Tsubasa's songs, or Maria's songs, but she's never released her own."

Hearing that, Kanade scratched her head. She had been given a difficult task, but knowing Mei, she somehow knew how to convince her.

"Sure, I think I know how to convince her to sing a song, at least. But doesn't this usually come from a songwriter?"

"Yeah, but I feel like Mei has a song inside her that she isn't singing, maybe because it's from her original world. She probably has some songs from her original world that she could sing, but she fears stealing them. I want her to at least sing a song that isn't from this world."

Hearing that, Tsubasa sighed, feeling sorry for the composer who was going to make a song based only on Mei's singing. But she was also curious about the song Mei planned to sing.

So, after hearing that, she decided to pay a visit to Mamoru. He was still in his male form and still asleep. When she asked why he was still asleep, Fine explained that Mamoru was a bit special and in deep sleep because the relic inside him was recovering.

While Kanade was surprised at first, she finally understood why Mei had achieved some impossible feats, like resurrecting the dead. What surprised her even more was when she entered the medical room.

Every Symphogear user she knew was already inside, from her partner Tsubasa to the new girls. She knew that Mamoru had probably done a lot for them to worry about him like this, and this made her smile as she started to explain her plan to the rest of them.