Chapter 293: Knowing More Than You Don

“Strange…”

Sakurai Riko, on the other end of the phone, held the latest test report and wore a look of deep confusion.

“No matter what method we use to test it, the person is undeniably made entirely of gold—but not even a speck of tissue can be damaged…?”

Impossible.

This substance cannot be destroyed by any ordinary physical or chemical means.

And yet, why does everyone, the moment they see this statue, instinctively perceive it as gold rather than something else similar?

It’s as if the very concept of “gold” covers him—he is the incarnation of “gold.”

With Phine’s knowledge, she could immediately recognize this as the work of alchemists, but shouldn’t “Gold Transmutation” be different? This isn’t transmutation—it’s become gold.

Yet, all she could do was stop there.

She is a shrine maiden, not an alchemist, and of course she has no idea how to turn gold into a human.

And if Jia Ji continues like this and never returns to normal…

“The plan may need to be restarted.”

Phine thought silently to herself, “I hope things don’t turn into the worst-case scenario.”

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“Keep pushing! Keep pushing!”

The three remaining Symphogear wearers in Base Two were encouraging each other and sparring.

“Imyuteusamenohabakiritron—”

(The Light That Strikes the Heavens with Wings)

This was Kaze Naru Tsubasa’s sacred chant; after transforming into her cold sword-wielding form, she drew a long blade from her leg armor and charged forward like a gale, straight toward Amanoha Kanade, the oldest among them.

“Ya-Haiya-Haiya-Haiya-ie Amanoha Hachiri yea—”

A voice sang in a distinctly Sengoku Basara style; the blue-haired songstress leapt high into the air and slashed at Amanoha Kanade with her sword, a brilliant blue blade of light slicing through the air.

Meanwhile, the battle maiden with fiery red hair gripped her golden-red spear tightly, launching herself like an arrow released from a bow, rushing toward her partner.

Ding ding ding ding ding!

A storm of clashes erupted; sword and spear swung wildly in blinding light, sending waves of blade glows and spear radiance flying in all directions. For a time, the space was filled with sword shadows and spear lights, the air exploding with shockwaves and the clang of metal on metal.

This went on for an unknown length of time before ending.

As Jia Ji had said, each of them, after watching countless anime, seemed to be nurturing something new within.

Amanoha Kanade was the first to notice it; though this was merely a sparring match, pure martial exchange without any skills activated, she clearly felt her transformation burden had lessened and her combat endurance had increased.

The other two also noticed their strength, stamina, and recovery had all improved to varying degrees. Hibi had previously heard Jia Ji call this—

—“Battle Maiden Immortality!”

After transforming into Battle Maidens, they possessed life force and combat power far beyond ordinary humans.

The average adult male of Blue Star has a composite life strength of about 0.6; every adult North Star man is born with over 1.2 life strength—nearly equal to a Blue Star boxing champion. In the wasteland timeline, most survivors who consumed radiation doubled that again.

As for the Cursed Children, averaging ten years old and now about eleven or twelve, who carry Orphic Gene, their base life strength is at least 10. Trained orthodox martial artists average over 15 life strength—roughly the level of ordinary demons, capable of punching an African elephant as easily as swatting a HakiMi.

Yet, after transforming into Battle Maidens, even without any training, they exceed 30!

A single finger could lift hundreds of kilograms—stronger than sumo wrestlers, effortlessly pulling steel coils, capable of sending a hundred-ton truck on the national highway spinning backward, crushing it from front to rear into pulp.

If they faced Orphic Beasts or Hazardous Species, except for Level 5 Zodiacs and Super Hazardous Species, all others would be one-hit kills.

This extraordinary vitality was being further unleashed, invisibly.

“This kind of power…”

Hibiki, the Symphogear wearer, knew clearly how immense her power had become—the power sufficient to achieve her goal.

After learning Jia Ji might never return to normal, the girl who had once nearly lost something made up her mind: she would use this power to do one thing now!

Go to Lunduncheng!

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“I’ll come back as soon as I can.”

The day before boarding the plane, Hibiki smiled as she bid farewell to her friend, hiding her inner worries as best she could.

“Hibiki…” The girl, with a simple single braid and eyes as clear as lake water, had a beautiful face but an expression suppressing something. As Hibiki turned to leave, she could no longer hold back: “What happened to you?”

Since the day Hibiki suddenly vanished from the hospital, she had changed.

Every night she returned home exhausted, covered in fresh bruises or wounds, her habits, style, and interests all altered.

The less time they spent together, the fewer words they exchanged; the distance between them seemed to grow ever wider.

“I’m sorry, Mirai… but I can’t tell you.”

Hibiki’s voice grew quieter; though the existence of Noise was public knowledge, the Symphogear wearers were under a gag order from Division Two, and ordinary people were forbidden from learning about them.

So she had kept this secret from her best friend, secretly becoming a Battle Maiden—and now she was about to do something dangerous.

But vague words like these would not be accepted.

“Aren’t we friends? Don’t friends hide nothing from each other?”

Mirai’s eyes held something new as she stared at Hibiki.

Hibiki opened her mouth, clenched her fists, her face twisted in agony… but finally, she slowly shook her head and fell silent.

“Hibiki—I don’t understand!”

Her attitude triggered a sudden outburst from her usually gentle friend!

“Like you said before—what’s so cool about a tank top and a cape? What’s so cool about punk wasteland? I don’t get it! And what’s this martial arts thing? What’s with the thick pants? Is North Star just better? You say you’ll use your power to protect everyone—what’s that, just a fool? And Greek mythology, Norse mythology, Japanese mythology—don’t just glance at them and drag them in! If you won’t tell me the content, I won’t understand! If you’re going to tell me, tell me properly! Don’t talk about weapons from myths—I have zero interest! What’s Gungnir? Nehushtan? Excalibur? Durandal? Amanoha Hachiri? I don’t understand any of it!”

The girl’s voice grew more frantic, her emotions spiraling out of control; she grabbed Hibiki’s rigid body as if begging.

“I don’t get what’s cool at all! I don’t understand any of those English-Japanese hybrids! Half-baked explanations mean nothing to me! Don’t quote fighting game lines or references I don’t know!”

“I don’t know what you’re trying to say—use your own words, please! Say something I can understand! I don’t get it, I don’t get it, I don’t get it—I don’t get it, I don’t get it!”

“Hibiki… everything you’ve said… I still don’t understand even one sentence…” Clear tears slid down the girl’s face; her hand slipped helplessly from Hibiki’s shoulder, her eyes dimmed.

Though she’d never thought dumb Hibiki could keep a secret, the information she’d unintentionally revealed was too much!

This isn’t knowing more than you don’t know?

(End of Chapter)