Assault Lily: Schwester's Prayer

Assault Lily x Ludvico Private Girls Academy vol.1 "Schwester's Prayer" (アサルトリリィ × 私立ルドビコ女学院vol.1『シュベスターの祈り』) is a stage play created by AZONE International and acus in collaboration with the theater group Ludvico Private Girls' Academy. It is the first of four Ludvico stage plays. The original run ran from April 16 to April 24, 2016 at the Sun-mall studio, while the revival ran from May 28 to June 8, 2021 at the Theater Green Big Tree Theater.

A sequel, Schwester's Secret, released September 16, 2016. A revival also premiered on October 15, 2021. A second revival with an entirely new cast, known as the Lily Project version, premiered on May 18, 2023.

Prelude
The play begins with Kishimoto Maria Mirai asking her younger sister Kishimoto Lucia Raimu what kind of Lily she wants to be, in which Raimu replies by saying she wants to be like her. Mirai tells her she can, and she will look forward to fighting together. Several Lilies are then shown fighting Huges, including Mirai and Fukuyama Jeanne Sachie. Another time skip happens, showing Mirai quitting her job as a Lily. The next scene shows a Huge attacking Raimu and Amamiya Sophia Seren (the two sisters' childhood friend), but Mirai uses her rare skill Phase Transcendence and dies from the battle, saving the two. Seren swears that she will never forget that moment.

Prologue
In the present, in Ludvico Private Girls' Academy, Matsunaga Brigitta Kayo frantically yells about an emergency. Sachie and Seto Veronica Ichika ask what's wrong, and Kayo replies by saying that Ichinomiya Michaela Himari from Irma, known for being one of the strongest Lilies alive, has enrolled in Ludvico. Concurrently, Himari arrives and talks with Sano Matilda Kokoro, who calls her Sachie's "rival" to which Himari denies. She also tells her about the Temple Legion and that Sachie and Ichika are there. Lastly, Kokoro mentions that Tachibana Theresia Nagisa, another strong Lily from Irma, is enrolling in Ludvico as well.

Ichika calls Nagisa, and Nagisa is ecstatic about Sachie. They also talk about Mirai and how she was the strongest Lily in Ludvico before her.

Raimu and Seren enroll in Ludvico as first years. Three Lilies come to introduce them to the school: Saeki Julia Karen, Hasegawa Gabriella Tsugumi, and Haneda Catalina Mei. Everyone is surprised and excited when Raimu says she is the sister of Mirai. Later, Narumi Clara Yuko and her two friends Hanaoka Angela Moe and Nagase Marta Nonoka come into the scene. Yuko in particular is very interested in Seren and says it was fate to meet her. Yuko is also defensive about her bear, prompting laughter from Mei. Hojo Monica Asahi then appears and starts arguing with Yuko, showing their rivalry. Eventually Raimu states that she doesn't know about the Schwester system, so Nonoka and Moe demonstrate it to her. Yuko asks Seren who would be her Schwester, but she says she will only take the strongest Lily, which Yuko says is Himari. They also mention the Easter Festival tradition in Ludvico. Yuko says an insensitive thing about Raimu and Mirai, angering Seren who shouts that she won't forgive her. The bell then rings, and class starts.

The nun instructors Izumi Rosa Rina and Kosaka Anastasia Ryoko teach about the Neunwelt Tactic and Rare Skills. Training then begins, with Ichika instructing the Lilies. Kayo's Lunatic Trancer causes her to go out of control, but Kuroki Francisca Yuria is able to make her come to her senses. Sachie, who is also training as well, sees Raimu with her Asterion and starts breaking down. She yells at Raimu, saying that she isn't fit to be a Lily, and then runs off. Afterwards, Ichika reveals to Raimu that Sachie was the Schwester of Mirai, and a flashback of their Schwester contract occurs. It is also revealed that after Mirai quit being a Lily out of nowhere and broke her Schwester bond, Sachie was left saddened and alone, crying in present time. Raimu starts getting a headache from the memories, and Seren comforts her. Raimu then declares she wants to make Sachie happy and leaves, causing a flustered look from Seren, who is later teased by Yuko.

First Battle
Later, the nuns talk to GEHENA, who are interested in Raimu, Seren, and Himari. Suddenly a Cave appears, and the Lilies are sent to fight. While fighting, Seren's motivation is also revealed to want to carry on Mirai's will and protect Raimu. In another area, Sachie has another breakdown but is saved by Himari, who calls out her for running away after her Schwester's death. She eventually snaps out of it and fights the large class Huge, followed by Himari, Kokoro, and Ichika using their rare skills. Amatsu Marei appears and uses her rare skill Z to fight off the Huge in the first battle, to the joy of Kayo, who introduces her to the others.

Interlude
The next scene has Kokoro and Kayo sneaking into the GEHENA labs in Ludvico, learning that GEHENA is interested in Himari, Raimu and Mirai. Yuria and Himari have a conversation, talking about why Himari joined Ludvico. Seren recalls a memory that Mirai gave her a pendant to give to Raimu, but hears her mutter that she doesn't need to give her it anymore. In the present, Seren cries about her feelings while Ichika comforts her. At the same time, Raimu asks Sachie to be her Schwester. Sachie later calls Nagisa about it.

The Easter Festival starts, and the Lilies along with Ryoko celebrate. Meanwhile, Sachie is shown practicing in the training area. She talks with Ichika and Marei, realizing she forgot about the festival, and that she forgot to do something for Raimu. After this scene, Yuko asks Himari to be her Schwester, giving her her bear. Kokoro and Kayo are shown next realizing the truth about Mirai and discussing about whether to tell Sachie the truth.

Second Battle
Raimu, eager to see Sachie's response, waits on a hill and opens an egg only to get nothing, saddening her. Suddenly, another Cave appears near Raimu's location, and the Temple Legion is formed to fight against it while the other Lilies cheer them on. Eventually Seren finds Raimu and gives her Mirai's pendant. Sachie sees this and realizes they have the same pendant. The rest of the Temple Legion arrive and fight the Huge, doing the Neunwelt Tactic. At the last pass, Kayo tells Sachie the truth: Mirai was a Boosted Lily. This puts Sachie in shock, and Yuria confirms it, as she is also a Boosted Lily herself. She then calls Sachie out, and Sachie realizes she has to protect Raimu as well. The Lilies do the Neunwelt tactic again, and Raimu, who is also in tears from the revelation, lands the final blow on the Huge.

Epilogue
The nuns talk to GEHENA again, but this time Rina starts questioning them, stemming from her guilt of indirectly causing Mirai's death. Seren asks to be Yuria's Schwester, but she is dismissive. Kayo, in another scene, theorizes that Raimu has Shukuchi. In another area away from Ludvico, Mei, Karen, and Tsugumi are lost in an unknown area.

Himari and Yuko are shown becoming Schwesters. Sachie finally accepts the Schwester contract with Raimu, and they become Schwesters as well. A Huge attack occurs, and the play ends with all of the Temple Legion coming to fight it.

Differences

 * Akutsu Lucifer Maaya only appears in the 2016 original run.
 * In the 2016 original run, Kishimoto Maria Mirai only appears in voice, but in the revivals, she appears in person via flashbacks, and as such, she has more scenes. After Nagisa and Ichika talk, a flashback occurs, showing Sachie and Mirai as being very close, and Mirai telling Sachie about her dream to help humanity.
 * Amatsu Marei only appears in the revivals, using her rare skill Z to fight off the Huge in the first battle. Kayo is joyed to meet her. Marei meets Himari and admires her unique CHARM. She then talks with Ichika, wishing Sachie to have fun again and wishes the same for Ichika. Later, Marei is with Sachie and Ichika during the Easter Festival, and she calls Ichika "Miss Perfect" when she gets an egg from a Lily in the Easter Festival. When Temple Legion is called, Marei stays inside and wishes them good luck.

Production
The original draft is created by Obanazawa Kenei. For the rerun, it was directed by Sakuragi Sayaka and Hayashi Shuji, with screenplay by Sayaka Sakuragi, music created by Tani Naoki, action direction by Kato Manabu, dance choreography by Todo Mitsuyuki, and singing instruction by Kimura Wakana.