Assault Lily Wunder: Chapter 4

Assault Lily Wunder The Odaiba Counteroffensive

Chapter 4 A Duel to the Death

Part 1
After delivering her message to the Fourth Division, Kondo Misaka was running in the direction of Shinonome, where she intended to regroup with the others in the Second Division.

As she ran down a wide avenue, she looked around herself. Flames and black smoke rose from the buildings around her, showing her that the situation was worsening by the moment. When she turned her gaze to Wakasu Park, where the nestless Ultra was, she saw that the lightning there had grown even fiercer.

Misaka looked uneasily at the park as she continued to run. "It's so close, and yet we can't go there..." she muttered.

Though a Lily running at top speed could make it to Wakasu Park in mere moments, she would then be menaced by the hordes of Huge that had appeared, far beyond their expectations in both strength and number. And if they were overwhelmed by those enemies, that would spell the end of Odaiba.

I won't let that happen, no matter what!

The captain of Álfheimr, Takegoshi Chihana, would no doubt be able to devise a strategy that could secure them victory even in this dire situation. Following the Koshu Withdrawal, she had lead Álfheimr to victory in countless battles. Chihana, and the many Lilies from Kanto's strongest Gardens that were here, could through their combined strength protect Odaiba and all of Tokyo.

Holding firm to that belief, Misaka continued towards where her division was, but that was when it happened.

She heard a massive boom from the direction of Toyosu. "What was that sound?" Misaka wondered out loud, coming to a stop. It sounded as if a building had collapsed. She couldn't see well because of the buildings in the way, but the noise had come from the direction of Fujimi Bridge.

As Misaka wondered just what had happened, she suddenly heard a loud voice through the comm device in her ear.

"This is Takehisa Nakaba! Fujimi Bridge has collapsed. The Soldier Ants are now advancing towards Ariake Tennis Park! If any divisions are nearby, we need your support immediately!"

Misaka could hardly believe what she was hearing.

Fujimi Bridge was one of the bridges that connected Toyosu and Ariake. It was shocking to hear that it had collapsed, but she was even more shocked that the Soldier Ants had gotten this far.

"This is Kondo Misaka of the Second Division! Do you copy?" Misaka shouted urgently into her comm device, but she couldn't make out anything through the deafening static. All she could hear were voices screaming and shouting unintelligably. The Soldier Ants doubling back must have sent those in the area into a panic.

"Doesn't sound like this can wait until I've regrouped with the Second Division," muttered Misaka as she started running in the direction of Ariake Tennis Park.

Ariake Tennis Park was a large urban park in the approximate center of Ariake.

In the past, it had contained many tennis courts and other sporting fields. But when Odaiba was repurposed for military use, the tennis park was cleared as an open space in which gunships could land. It was one of the designated evacuation areas, so when the nestless Ultra had appeared, the population of Ariake had gathered there to be evacuated in armored vehicles and civilian buses.

Takehisa Nakaba, a third-year in the junior high school division of Odaiba Girls' School, stood next to a transport truck. "The Soldier Ants are coming, everyone!" she called out. "Please hurry and get aboard a vehicle!" As alarms blared around them, a great many military soldiers were filing into the transport trucks, of which there were ten.

The civilians had, for the most part, already been taken to Toyosu and Daiba and from there to the other side of the Light Wall. Those who were still here were the military personnel who had stayed behind to to help with the evacuation. But there were still quite a few of those people left, and the situation was growing more dire by the moment. Odaiba Girls' School had ordered Nakaba and their other junior high school Lilies to cull the Huge and help the military personnel get to safety.

Kawanabe Nazuna, another Lily from Odaiba's junior high, was coming back towards Nakaba at top speed. "Nakaba, the Huge are coming this way!" she shouted.

There was a low rumble coming from beyond the buildings in the direction of Fujimi Bridge. It was the horde of Soldier Ants, unable to cross Fujimi Bridge after it had been destroyed, and now returning in their direction. "At this rate, they're going to kill everyone here!" Nazuna said, her face deathly pale.

Nakaba looked around herself. Her fellow Lilies were trembling, with uneasy expressions upon their faces. The horde of Soldier Ants that was coming had a gigant-type at its center. It was an enemy that Lilies of their caliber couldn't possibly win against. But even so, they were Lilies, and they had a duty: to get every noncombatant to safety.

Nakaba reached out and took Nazuna's hand in hers.

"Nacchan, it'll be alright," she said. "The route to Toyosu is gone, but there's still a path between here and Daiba. Minato-sama and Kurena-sama are there. If we all work together, we can escort everyone to safety."

When Fujimi Bridge had been destroyed, with it had disappeared the very last route between Ariake and Toyosu. But the roads to the Daiba area were still intact. From Daiba, people could evacuate through the Tokyo Port Tunnel, an underground tunnel, to Oi on the other side of the light wall.

"Nakaba..." Nazuna said. She looked at her friend, and nodded. "Okay. I... we'll protect everyone."

"That's right," said Nakaba. "We'll do it together."

At that moment, they heard a booming explosion from the direction of Fujimi Bridge. The horde of Soldier Ants would be upon them at any moment. Nakaba turned to the commander of the military troops.

"We'll hold back the Soldier Ants as best as we can! Please head to Daiba via Nozomi Bridge, all of you. If you can get to Daiba, there will be other Lilies from Odaiba there!"

"Understood!" replied the commander.

Nakaba turned back to her sisters-in-arms. "Let's go!" she called out to them. Then she, Nazuna, and the other Lilies from Odaiba's junior high division—there were five of them in total—started running towards the Soldier Ants.

They soon arrived at the wide road that had lead straight to Fujimi Bridge. Ahead of them were dozens and dozens of Huge. They weren't just Soldier Ants, but had other small-types and mid-types mixed in. And in the center of them all was a gigant-type Soldier Ant.

"A... gigant-type..."

As they looked upon the monster, all the color drained from the faces of Nazuna and the other Lilies.

The gigant-type drew nearer, its body quivering, the ground shaking beneath it. As it made its way along the road, it pulverized the adjacent buildings. They were Lilies from Odaiba Girls' School, but as junior high school students, they had never fought a gigant-type. And there were only five of them here—too few to use the Neunwelt Tactic.

If they tried to fight that gargantuan beast head-on, it would kill them all in a single instant.

Somehow controlling the trembling of her hands, Nakaba called out to her sisters-in-arms. "We'll be all right, girls!" she shouted. "All we have to do is keep the transport trucks safe until they've gotten to Daiba. We don't have to fight the gigant-type. We can do this!" Nazuna and the others nodded in response to Nakaba's words of encouragement.

Soon, the vanguard of the Soldier Ants were upon them. With their Jötunn-Schwerts in hand, Nakaba and the other Lilies leapt at the enemy.

"Yaaah!"

Had the Soldier Ants come at them one at a time, even junior-high Lilies like Nakaba could have made short work of them. But none of them had much fighting experience. They quickly grew slow to cut down the enemy, and within moments, they were were surrounded.

"Nakaba, the gigant's coming!" Nazuna wailed. As she heard her friend's distress, Nakaba's expression grew grim. She willed, desperately, the trucks to arrive as fast at they could—and then, she heard the loud blare of a horn.

She whirled around to see the transport trucks carrying the military personnel speeding down the road. They were headed to Nozomi Bridge, the passage to the Daiba area. The ten trucks soon passed them by and, filled with relief, Nakaba called out to her fellow Lilies.

"Let's fall back, girls!"

The five of them ran in the direction of Nozomi Bridge, following after the ten trucks. The trucks crossed the bridge one by one, but the final truck rolled to a stop just before the bridge; its engine must have malfunctioned. Ten of the Soldier Ants closed in upon the stalled truck.

"Girls! We have to stop the Soldier Ants!" Nakaba shouted, and the Lilies prepared to fight in the truck's defense.

If only they had gotten a bit further...!

There was a defensive wall installed on Nozomi Bridge. If the truck had gotten there, they could have held back the enemy. But the Soldier Ants were already upon them.

"Kyaaah!" screamed Kawakabe Nazuna, as a Soldier Ant rammed into her and sent her tumbling.

"Nacchan!"

Alarmed, Nakaba and the other Lilies tried to get to Nazuna, but the other Soldier Ants blocked their way. Then the one that had attacked Nazuna earlier leapt at her. In a few moments, it would eat her alive.

''Someone... anyone... please save Nacchan!''

Nakaba wished that with every fiber of her being... and at that very moment, CHARM fire rained down from the sky. It found its mark against the Soldier Ant, blasting it away.

"That's as far as you lot are going!"

A Lily—just a single one—dropped down in front of Nazuna. She had a CHARM much like a katana in her hand, and as swift as the wind, she cleaved through all the Soldier Ants surrounding Nazuna with it.

Her uniform, black and white, was that of Yurigaoka Girls' Academy.

Her ponytail fluttered in the wind, her Huge Searchers looked just like a red ribbon atop her head, and she held a magnificent blade in her hand.

The girl brought her CHARM to bear, ready to protect Nakaba and the others with it.

"Sorry I'm late!" Kondo Misaka declared. Her smile grew wider and wider, until it was positively dazzling. "But now I'm here to help!"

As she stood before Nazuna, covering her, Misaka glared at the pack of Soldier Ants. "All right, you creeps, I'm your opponent now!" she shouted. Nakaba quickly made her way over to Nazuna and helped her up, then called out to Misaka from behind.

"Who are you...?"

"The name's Kondo Misaka!" answered Misaka with a smile. "I happen to be Yurigaoka's strongest Lily. Pleasure to meet you!" As the smiling girl's attention was on the other Lilies, three of the Soldier Ants leapt at her.

"Look out, Misaka-sama!"

No sooner had Nazuna shouted in warning than Misaka, like a whirlwind, turned and cleaved the Soldier Ants apart. But her effortless victories wouldn't last much longer, because the gigant-type Soldier Ant was approaching.

"It's not your turn yet!" Misaka shouted. Transforming her CHARM into Shooting Mode, she barraged the nearby buildings and trees with fire, felling them to slow the gigant-type's advance. As she bought time, the final truck finally got moving again and continued onto Nozomi Bridge.

"Nakaba-san!" shouted Uemura Warabi, a fellow Lily of Nakaba's from Odaiba Girls' School.

"Misaka-sama, please fall back!" Nakaba called out, and Misaka leapt backwards onto Nozomi Bridge. Once she'd done so, Nakaba hit the button to deploy the bridge's emergency defenses. A solid wall rose from the ground, blocking the gigant-type's advance.

But the small-type Soldier Ants merely climbed over the wall and attacked them. Misaka, Nakaba, and the other Lilies cut them down as they came. As they did, they heard the gigant-type ramming itself against the wall repeatedly, intent on destroying it.

''This is bad. That wall won't last forever...''

Just as Misaka was thinking that, she heard a voice from the comm device at her ear. "...This is Hasebe Touka of the Second Division. Lilies of Odaiba Girls' School, do you copy?..."

It was Touka, her friend from the Second Division.

"Perfect timing, Touka," Misaka said. "You really saved us. We're at Nozomi Bridge right now, fighting a bunch of Soldier Ants and a gigant-type. Come here as soon as you can!"

"A gigant-type?!" Touka exclaimed. At that moment, a Soldier Ant leapt at Misaka, and she cleaved it in two. "Touka, where are all of you at right now?" she asked.

"We're helping some junior-high Lilies from Odaiba and civilians get to safety, and fighting a gigant ourselves—one that's like a snake," Touka answered, her voice faltering. Through the comm link, Misaka could hear the roaring of the gigant Touka was fighting, and the report of CHARM fire. "It will take us a while to get there. Will you be okay?"

"There's a wall holding our gigant back for now," Misaka replied. "Since Fujimi Bridge is down, we're getting some civilians out through Daiba."

"Misaka, you should retreat too," Touka urged. "Just stay safe until we get there!"

Misaka looked ahead at her, where she could hear the gigant-type throwing itself against the defensive barrier again and again. The wall was already on the verge of giving way. "Hmm, I'd really like to, but I don't think you'll make it in time," she replied as she cut down another small-type with her sword.

"Don't be stupid!" Touka shouted, in an anguished voice. "You just said there's a gigant there!"

"There sure is," Misaka replied, with a grim smile.

"So don't try to fight it until we get there!"

"......"

Misaka was silent as she stared at the wall in front of her.

When that wall came down, the gigant-type would have a clear path to Daiba. And Daiba was still full of civilians that had evacuated from Ariake. The Fourth Division was in charge of defending it, but they were busy mopping up the Huge in Aomi, and wouldn't be able to reach Daiba on short notice. There was only one way to keep the evacuees safe—and that was for Misaka to stop the gigant-type right where she stood.

If the Second Division couldn't make it here, there was no one else who could check the advance of the Huge. She wasn't going to make a bunch of junior-high Lilies join her in a gambit as dangerous as this.

"Misaka! You can hear me, can't you?" Touka shouted. Misaka blasted away at the Soldier Ants crawling over the wall as she replied.

"Yeah, I hear you," she said. "Don't worry about me, there's some Lilies from Odaiba here as well. Just get here as soon as you can. Whoa, the comm's breaking up all of a sudden! Talk to you later!"

"Wait, Misaka!" pleaded Touka. "Don't do anything foolish! I'm begging you!" Her voice was filled with desperation. Since she'd known Misaka ever since the two of them were little, she could no doubt tell what Misaka was planning to do.

"Should've known I couldn't fool you, Touka," Misaka said. She knew that, despite herself, the expression on her face was a bitter one.

"You know, I couldn't have made it this far without you. It means the world to me that you believe in me... it really does, Touka. I'll be leaving the rest to you, okay?"

"Wait! You're making it sound like those are going to be your last wo—"

In the midst of Touka yelling desperately at her, Misaka cut off the call. Then she addressed Nakaba, Nazuna, and the other Lilies from Odaiba who were fighting the enemy with her. "Isn't it about time you got going?" she asked. "They're still evacuating people back there. You ought to lend a hand."

"But what about you, Misaka-sama?" Nazuna asked in a miserable voice. Misaka gave her a reassuring smile.

"I'm going to stay on the bridge and fight," she said. "Unless someone slows them down, we can't pull this off. Don't worry about me. The rest of the Second Division is on their way, so I just gotta keep the Huge busy until then. It'll be a piece of cake."

"Misaka-sama..."

Misaka looked at Nakaba. She reached out to the girl, who had an anguished expression on her face (though Misaka's own wasn't much cheerier,) and prodded her in the forehead. "Don't you look at me like that," she said. "I'm not planning on dying. Right, if some small-types get past me, keep an eye on the other side of the bridge and kill 'em for me, alright? And once everyone's done evacuating, you can come and help me."

Nakaba, Nazuna, and the rest of the five Lilies looked at Misaka. With a smile, Misaka nodded to them. Nakaba returned her nod, as if Misaka had finally convinced her she'd meant everything she'd said.

"I understand," she said. "We'll do what we can."

Together, the six of them went to the center of the bridge.

"Alright, I'm counting on you," Misaka said. "Hey, though... don't be too surprised if nothing gets past me at all."

One after the other, Nakaba and Nazuna took Misaka's hand in theirs, squeezing it. "Misaka-sama! May only victory await you!" they exclaimed. "Thanks," Misaka replied to them with a gentle smile.

Then Nakaba and the other Lilies from Odaiba Girls' School continued down the bridge. Misaka gazed after them, at their backs growing smaller in the distance, until she heard the boom of the defensive barrier shattering behind her. She turned around.

Emerging from a cloud of dust, the gigant-type Soldier Ant and its army advanced towards her. As she brought her CHARM to bear, Misaka glared at them.

"Let's have ourselves the fiercest duel there ever was!" she shouted.

Thus began Kondo Misaka's solitary battle.

Before her were the gigant-type Soldier Ant and several dozen other Huge. There were mid-types among the small-types, and even two large-types. The gargantuan Soldier Ant let out a roar, and the horde of Huge attacked as one.

"Open those eyes wide and take a real good look, 'cause I'm about to get serious!"

With that as her battle cry, Misaka charged forward to meet the enemy, cleaving through Soldier Ants again and again with the Sohaya-no-Tsurugi. A small-type struck back at her, but with incredible speed, she sliced it to pieces.

Kondo Misaka was a Lily from Yurigaoka Girls' Academy, one of the world's most famous Gardens—and even there, even back in junior high school, she'd been legendary for her strength in solo combat. They had called her the "Wunderkind Duelist." Enemy after enemy tried to attack Misaka, and with speed they couldn't match, she cut them down.

"When Touka and the others get here, am I ever gonna have a sight for them to see!"

Misaka was confident that on a narrow bridge like this, there wasn't much risk of the enemy surrounding her, and she'd be able to hold out until the Second Division came to back her up. But as she sliced through one Huge after another, the gigant-type Soldier Ant suddenly lashed out at her from above with its leg.

"Ugh!"

Misaka just barely managed to avoid that attack, only for a large-type that looked like a shark to swing a tentacle at her side. She blocked the blow head-on with her CHARM, but it sent her flying off her feet, and she slammed into the guard rail of the bridge.

"Gaaah!"

Five of the Soldier Ants leapt at Misaka, and she cut them down in a flash. But that flash was long enough for the gigant to be in front of her again—and for another leg to come swinging down at her.

"AAAGH!" screamed Misaka as the attack blew her off her feet again, this time sending her flying to the ground.

"...Gotta admit, fighting on my own isn't that easy after all," Misaka muttered. She exhaled, her breath ragged. Stabbing the Sohaya-no-Tsurugi down into the ground, she used it to lift herself back to her feet.

A small-type tried to slip past her, and she blew it away with a cannon blast. Then she spread her arms wide, as if to block off the whole bridge with her body.

"Not so fast. Who said you could come this way? If you want to cross this bridge, you'll have to do it over my dead body."

The gigant-type answered her with a roar—"JUAAAAAA!!!". Then it attacked.

In the midst of her own strike, Misaka tried to block the attack, but the gigant's leg sent her flying away. Afterwards, she struggled to stand, pain surging through her entire body. No sooner had she than she was blown away once again. But Misaka rose back to her feet, bringing her CHARM to bear.

"I'm not done yet!" she screamed.

Misaka slashed at the gigant-type, but her attack had scarcely any effect at all. Her attempt to fight a gigant-type and several large-types by herself was beyond reckless. It was only a short while before her magie, as well as her endurance, were all but gone. And yet every time she was flung off balance by the attacking Huge, she got back to her feet.

"What, is that all?" Misaka shouted. "Keep it coming. I've got plenty of fight left in me!"

Within Misaka, her warrior's heart was ablaze. This was the battle that she'd always dreamed of. She stood here, as a Lily, to protect her sisters and the innocent. Here, on Nozomi Bridge, she was fighting the most glorious battle ever.

"This, right here, is my crowning moment. The moment I've been waiting for all my life. So until one of us is dead, let me show you everything I've got!"

The gigant-type Soldier Ant and large-types pounded Misaka with attacks until her entire body was battered and bruised. And yet she kept fighting, until—

"GWAH!"

Misaka slammed into the ground yet again. She'd lost count of how many times it had happened. She tried to get back to her feet as quickly as she could, but found there was no strength left in her. The gargantuan Soldier Ant approached, spreading its mandibles wide as it prepared to feast on her. And the only thing she could do was watch.

''...Are you kidding me? Am I—I, of all people—really going to die here?''

Misaka's life flashed before her eyes.

''I haven't been able to make a single one of my dreams come true. I'm not a top Lily. I'm not the Brynhildr. I haven't formed the strongest legion...''

Ever since she was little, Misaka had always loved Lilies. She'd dreamed of being a Lily who could fight gloriously, who could protect people. It had been that Misaka who had enrolled in Yurigaoka Girls' Academy, and there, she'd been hailed as a genius and expected to become one of their finest Lilies.

In junior high school, she'd proven herself a talented warrior, with a true gift for dueling. The rest of the school had said of her, "She's definitely going to be the Brynhildr one day." And so Misaka had herself come to believe that someday, she'd become the Brynhildr, one of the three student council presidents of Yurigaoka.

But then, as the basic principles of anti-Huge warfare shifted, dueling became less important. And Misaka still had yet to awaken to her Rare Skill, an absolute necessity for a top Lily. Because of that, her future had gone up in smoke. Yurigaoka had deemed her to be a flawed Lily with a knack for duels, and nothing else.

Misaka had tried to form Legion Sanngriðr with her friends. But because she—a Lily with no prospects—was its captain, Legion Sanngriðr had never been officially approved.

They all believed in me, and yet...

When she was young, Misaka had promised Imagawa Homare, Kiko Totori, and Yamaguchi Chihiro that she'd make a legion together with them. Legion Sanngriðr. Chihiro had sacrificed her life before their dream had come true, and it still wasn't a reality. She'd promised her friends that their legion would be Yurigaoka's strongest. But now...

It was no use denying it. She was going to die here, before she'd become a top Lily, much less made the legion that she'd promised to.

As she waited for death to come, Misaka imagined the face that Touka would soon have.

When I die, she's going to cry, isn't she...

Touka was so very kind. Ever since kindergarten, she had stayed by Misaka's side. She'd believed in Misaka more than anyone else—believed that Misaka would become a top Lily. That's why Misaka had chosen to do everything she could for Touka. And now, by dying, she was about to break Touka's heart.

She couldn't stand the thought.

There was one thing Misaka would never, ever do, and that was make Touka sad.

"If it'd... make her cry..."

Fury coursed through Misaka. She gripped the Sohaya-no-Tsurugi tight in her hand.

"WHO WOULD LET THEMSELVES DIE HERE?!"

Misaka's scream resounded across Nozomi Bridge. And when it did, her entire body shined with the light of magie, as if she were wreathed in lightning. The blinding light shone not just from her body, but the whole of Nozomi Bridge. Her magie should have been gone, down to the very last drop, but Misaka felt it surging through her.

"HAAAAAAH!"



With a mighty slash, the Sohaya-no-Tsurugi cleaved through the gargantuan Soldier Ant's mandibles, and it let out a screech of pain.

Three small-types leapt at Misaka, but they moved through the air only sluggishly, as if she were seeing the world in slow motion. She easily cut down one of them with a diagonal slash, then sliced through both of the others at once.

As if they sensed something was amiss, the horde of Huge halted where they stood. Misaka, equally mystified by what had happened to her, stared down at her own hands. "What's going on?" she said. "My body's overflowing with power..."

Indeed, it felt as if her strength was without limit. Her body shone with the light of magie, and that same light surged around the Sohaya-no-Tsurugi like lightning. The air around her glowed with magie, as brilliantly as a star, and all of it was hers to command.

"GYUAAAAAAH!!!"

The gigant-type Soldier Ant let out a roar and tried to bite her, but Misaka deftly avoided its jaws. Then, as a large-type swung its arm down at her, she parried it with the Sohaya-no-Tsurugi. Compared to the attacks she'd endured earlier, this one seemed far weaker. The gigant lashed out at her with its leg, but even though the blow sent her flying, she hardly felt the impact and landed nimbly back on her feet.

"How do you like this?!"

Misaka went on the offensive, slashing at the large-type. With ease, she carved its massive body apart, the pieces of its body flying away from the force of her blows.

Her body like raging flame, her warrior's spirit burning just as bright, Misaka focused her attacks on the gigant-type Soldier Ant. Her slashes rained down upon its legs. Though the gigant fought back, hitting her with several blows, none of them were able to stop her.

"I don't really get why, but I've never felt better!" Misaka said. She landed on the ground, a fearless smile blossoming on her face. Then she thrust the tip of her blade in the gigant-type's direction.

"Hope you're ready, because now it's my turn!"

Twenty minutes later, Misaka was still fighting her solitary battle.

Although it was impossible for a single Lily to kill either a gigant-type or a horde of Huge this numerous by herself, she had fought them to a standstill and stopped them from crossing the bridge.

Misaka was hurt in countless places. Her magie was exhausted, and even her will to fight was wavering. But she kept on fighting, even so.

And then, in the distance, she heard a voice that she knew well.

"Misakaaaaa!"

Misaka looked towards the voice, and saw faces that she knew well leaping down from a building past the head of the bridge. They were her friends from the Second Division. Leading the way were Kiko Totori and Hasebe Touka, both of them running at her with panic on their faces.

When Totori saw the monsters Misaka had been fighting atop the bridge, entirely on her own, her eyes opened wide. "I can't say I'm surprised," she exclaimed, "but you really were fool enough to try to fight a gigant-type on your own!"

"......!"

Touka didn't stop running until she was right next to Misaka. Then she whirled around, unleashing fire from her CHARM upon their enemies. "We have to help Misaka-san, girls!" shouted Tsukioka Momiji, the Second Division's vice-commander.

Altea nodded. "But of course!" she replied, loading the special Neunwelt bullet into her Murglais. "Second Division! We will commence the Neunwelt Tactic!" she shouted.

Altea fired the magiesphere at Momiji, and Momiji caught it, passing it to the other Lilies of the Second Division. The Lilies passed it among themselves as they thinned out the lesser Huge and advanced towards the gigant-type.

"Misaka! I, Altea Alessandrini, shall be your vanguard!" Altea shouted, cutting down swaths of Huge in order to clear the path ahead of them. Even as they passed the magiesphere to each other, Sengo Yuna and Amatsu Marei glanced at Misaka, then spoke to her.

"You've been fighting a gigant-type by yourself this whole time?!" "Just how was that even possible, for you alone...?"

Seto Veronica Ichika had a wry smile, while Tejima Komachi's expression was grim when she spoke.

"Yurigaoka Lilies are really something else, huh?" "This is not the time to shower her in praise."

Amano Soraha pushed further into the enemy. "Let's go, everyone!" she shouted. They continued to pass the magiesphere around, Ichika and Komachi cutting down more Huge even as they did. Yuna and Marei barraged the enemy with CHARM fire, and Soraha sought to draw them off even as she fought. In due time, Totori passed the magiesphere to Touka, who got ready to make the final pass. "Soraha!" she shouted, but then—

"Ugh!"

One of the Huge hit Soraha full-on with an attack. She was in no state to catch the magiesphere. But Misaka let loose a barrage of CHARM fire to help her, then thrust her hand towards Touka in invitation. "Let me handle the finish shot!" she shouted.

For a moment, Touka looked conflicted about whether to pass the magiesphere to Misaka. She was no doubt worried about Misaka's wounds. Fully aware of what Touka was thinking, Misaka continued to hold out her hand, smiling brightly at her friend. "Pass it to me, Touka, and I'll put an end to this!" she said.

When she heard those words, Touka directed the final pass to Misaka. "Please, Misaka!" she shouted.

"You got it!"

Catching the magiesphere that her friend had passed to her, Misaka rushed towards the Soldier Ant. Then, when the gigant-type's massive head was looming before her, she unleashed its fury.

"It's all over for you!!!"

After she'd fired the magiesphere at the gigant's face, Misaka landed nimbly back on her feet. The Neunwelt explosion consumed both the gargantuan Soldier Ant and a number of the other Huge around it.

After confirming the gigant-type had been killed, Altea called out to the other Lilies. "Let us rid this place of the enemies that remain!" she ordered, and the Lilies of the Second Division moved to do so.

"Misaka-sama!"

Nakaba, Nazuna, and the other Lilies from Odaiba Girls' School came running towards Misaka from the direction of Daiba. They joined the Second Division in fighting the remaining Huge atop the bridge.

A few moments later, the enemies were all gone, and Nozomi Bridge was at peace once again.

"Ugh. I am so beat..."

The battle was over at last. Thrusting the Sohaya-no-Tsurugi down into the bridge beside her, Misaka dropped to her knees. Not long before, she had felt like her strength was without limit, but as soon as the danger had ended, it had all vanished. She'd been overcome by exhaustion in a single moment.

"Misaka, are you okay?!" Touka and Totori shouted, rushing over to her. "Just hold still. We'll patch up your wounds!"

"I'm not hurt that bad," Misaka said. "Don't worry about me. I'll be fine." She gave an encouraging smile, but when Touka got a good look at Misaka's injuries, she screamed.

"You are hurt that bad!" Touka exclaimed. "Why did you try to fight all those Huge on your own? I told you to wait!"

"Well, you see..." Misaka averted her eyes from Touka, looking as if at that moment, she would rather have been anywhere else. "All of you in the Second Division were busy fighting that gigant-type, and the girls from Odaiba had to help the evacuees get to safety, so there wasn't anyone who could stop them here but me... is what I figured..."

Totori grabbed Misaka by the shoulder, a flabbergasted look on her face. "It's nothing new, but you are such a hothead," she said. "What would you have done if things took a turn for the worse?"

"Well, I was thinking, 'As soon as everyone else gets here, it'll all work out...'"

Totori prodded Misaka's cheek with her finger, right where it was deeply gashed, and Misaka let out a yell of pain. "It'll all work out? How many times have you said that to me? I don't want to hear it from you ever again," Totori scolded.

"I'm hurt, you know! Don't be so rough with me!" Misaka protested. Totori heaved a sigh, then gestured for Misaka to look ahead of her. When she did, Misaka saw Touka there. The other girl was crying so hard that she could barely speak.

"Do you have any idea how terrified you made me?" Touka managed.



Misaka stepped closer to Touka, clearly unsure how to soothe her. "Um... Touka..." she began. That's when Touka hugged Misaka close, so suddenly that she couldn't help but be started. Her voice trembling, Touka continued to speak.

"I'm so glad... so very glad... that you're all right, Misaka..."

Touka was still weeping so hard she could barely get the words out. The tears soaking into her clothes, and the trembling of the arms around her, proved to Misaka just how afraid her friend had been for her.

"...Please. Never do anything like that again."

Warmth blossomed in Misaka's heart, spreading throughout her. Even on a battlefield like this, Touka's kindness knew no bounds, and that made her so very happy.

I'm glad that I'm alive, she thought. ''Because I got to see Touka again. Just because of that.'' I don't need another reason.

And so, Misaka wrapped her arms tightly around Touka, returning her embrace. "I won't," she promised. "I'm sorry, Touka."

It was only for a moment, but in each other's arms, the two of them felt at peace.