Water Lily: Purely of Heart

Water Lily: Purely of Heart is the first episode of the anime Assault Lily: Bouquet. It originally aired on October 2, 2020.

Synposis
After being saved from a Huge by Shirai Yuyu, Hitotsuyanagi Riri enrolls in her school Yurigaoka Girls' Academy to become a Lily. However, things aren't as she thought it was. Things become complicated when Riri goes on a mission to find a missing Huge, accompanied by Yuyu, who has become more cold and distant, and Kaede Johan Nouvel, a Lily coming from a wealthy and prestige family. With no experience, will Riri be able to handle it?

Summary
In the past, a Lily fights against a Huge while a girl and her friend stare in awe. Two years later, the young girl, Hitotsuyanagi Riri, enrolls in Yurigaoka Girls' Academy in order to become a Lily. While she internally monologues the purpose of Lilies and their fight against the Huge, she takes a train from Koshu to the garden. Riri arrives but is interrupted by a car that parks in front of her. A girl, Kaede Johan Nouvel, steps out of the car and greets her. Although Kaede believes Riri is just there to accompany her, the latter clears up the misunderstanding, and the two head off into the academy.

In the outskirts of the academy, a confrontation between Endo Araya and Shirai Yuyu occurs. Riri recognizes Yuyu as the Lily who saved her, while Kaede, who is infatuated with Yuyu, leaves Riri to go watch. Meanwhile, Tanaka Ichi, Amano Soraha, and Egawa Kusumi, who are friends with Araya, watch from the distance as well. With Kaede gone, a young girl named Futagawa Fumi approaches Riri. Fumi explains that Kaede is a talented Lily and that her father is the head of Grand Guignol, a famous CHARM manufacturer. She also introduces Araya as a Lily with a reputation since junior high, and Yuyu as an aloof Lily with no legion.

Araya draws her CHARM, but Kaede interrupts, asking Yuyu to be her Schutzengel and wanting to take the place of her in the fight. However, Riri intervenes, exclaiming that Lilies shouldn't fight each other. A mysterious girl, Miliam Hildegard von Guropius, compliments Riri, but warns that one wrong step could lead to her doom. The sound of a bell rings and Izue Shinobu arrives, scolding everyone and reporting that a live Huge specimen from an on-campus research facility. The Huge has an ability to mimic its surroundings, so Shinobu partners Yuyu with Kaede, much to the dismay of the former. Riri volunteers to help as well and Yuyu agrees. Riri notices that Yuyu was a much nicer person back when they first met in Koshu.

The girls head into the ruins of a town where the Huge is, while Kaede complains over Riri's presence not letting her spend alone time with Yuyu. Kaede explains that the academy lures Huge to attack from the sea, and that the landscape prevents damage from spreading to nearby cities. Eventually they encounter the Huge, but Riri is unable to activate her CHARM, forcing the three to escape with only Riri having a cut on her arm. Kaede calls out Riri for her recklessness, but Yuyu takes the blame for allowing an inexperienced Lily to join them. Yuyu then teaches Riri to make a pact with her CHARM. The Huge appears and Kaede fends off it. Suddenly, it creates a smokescreen and tricks Kaede into attacking Riri and Yuyu, but Riri pushes her away and the two dodge it, and Yuyu attacks the Huge by using Riri's ribbon. While Yuyu struggles against the Huge, Riri is able to finally activate her CHARM and, along with Kaede, strikes a blow against it. This allows Yuyu the opportunity to finish off the Huge. The destruction causes rocks to fall from the landscape, forcing Riri to push Kaede away to save her.

Back in Yurigaoka, Riri and Yuyu, stuck in quarantine, have a conversation together in a room, and Riri tells her that she was the one who saved her during the Koshu Evacuation and that she was the reason why she wanted to go to Yurigaoka. It is revealed that Yuyu was accompanied by another Lily during the evacuation. Soon they are allowed to leave, but before that, a eccentric girl enters the room, introducing herself as Mashima Moyu. She confesses that she was the one who accidentally let the Huge get loose and apologizes. Finally out, the two meet up with Kaede, who hugs Riri and declares that she has found the "girl of her destiny." The three girls arrive at the entrance ceremony expecting to be late but surprisingly, all the Lilies are still there. Fumi explains that it was delayed for "today's most meritable students." She has also published the events in her newsletter called the Weekly Lily News. In her room, Yuyu skips the ceremony while her partner is shown teasing her.

Characters
List of characters in order of their appearance:

Trivia

 * In the stage play Assault Lily: League of Gardens, Kaede is shown to have fallen in love with Riri at first sight. Here she initially is in love with Yuyu but switches to Riri after the latter saves her.
 * The flower name for the episode title, water lilies, represents purity, innocence, and chastity. This also refers to Riri, who is a completely inexperienced Lily.