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 Tokyoko 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.

Part 2
The First Division was fighting at Akatsuki Port, at the tip of Aomi.

Beyond Akatsuki Port lay the artificial islands of Uminomori Park and the Central Breakwater. Those two areas were connected to Akatsuki Port by an undersea tunnel. Beyond them was the Tokyo Gate Bridge, which lead to Wakasu Park, where the nestless Ultra was.

Uminomori Park and the Central Breakwater were uninhabited, but a large number of Caves had appeared there, and from those, a vast quantity of Soldier Ants and stronger Huge had emerged. They had proceeded to infest the undersea tunnel.

The First Division had found themselves holding back the horde's advance on the Aomi side of that tunnel.

"Deal with the largest ones first!" Takegoshi Chihana, the commander of the First Division, called out to her allies.

The First Division was lead by Takegoshi Chihana, captain of Legion Álfheimr. Shirai Yuyu and Taneguchi Hijiri, veteran Lilies from the same legion, were also part of the division.

Aside from them, there were Ichinomiya Himari and Hibino Waku, two of Irma's Elite Four, and Fukuyama Jeanne Sachie, legendary even among the Lilies of Ludvico Girls' Academy. There were three other remarkable Lilies from Yurigaoka: Sono Mao, Izumi Botan, and Mozuna Noa. Finally, there was Kawamura Yuzuriha, who had made her name as a member of Odaiba's Funada Reserve Team.

"There's too many of 'em," said Kawamura Yuzuriha as she cleaved through a Soldier Ant with her Jötunn-Schwert. "We could keep fighting forever and we'd never kill 'em all."

Shirai Yuyu struck down a mid-type with her Brionac. "Chihana, we're getting nowhere. We need to break through them," she stated.

Blasting away at the horde with her CHARM, Chihana answered the two. "We can't do that yet," she said. "If we don't hold them at bay here, Aomi and Daiba will be in danger."

Chihana didn't know when the nestless Ultra would begin to move. She wanted, as badly as the rest of them, to cross the Tokyo Gate Bridge and enter Wakasu Park, where there main foe was lying in wait.

The First Division had strength enough that they could fight their way to Tokyo Gate Bridge. But if they did that, there would be nothing to stop this horde of Huge from swarming into Aomi. If this many Huge surged into the city streets, the flood of enemies would pose a dire threat to everyone they came upon, whether they were Lilies or civilians.

"The evacuation will be finished shortly," Chihana called out to her division. "When it is, we'll make straight for Wakasu Park. And when we're paired with the might of the Fifth Division, we shall defeat the nestless Ultra without fail!"

Ichinomiya Himari cast a worried look at the Shin-Kiba area. "That depends on whether the Fifth Division's still in any shape to fight," she said.

"......"

Chihana suddenly felt ill at ease. If there were this many Huge on the southern route, it wouldn't be odd for the northern route to have a similar number. And holding them back would be a true struggle. As the Fifth Division got closer to the nestless Ultra, she could only imagine that the enemy would only attack them all the more fiercely.

At that moment, Hibino Waku glanced at the street behind them, and let out a shout. "Someone's coming this way!" she exclaimed.

Chihana turned her gaze to the street, and saw two Lilies running towards them—Tiuccia Paumgartner, commander of the Fourth Division, and Honma Akehi trailing behind her.

"Tiuccia, what's happened?" Chihana shouted.

"I bear a message from the Second Division," Tiuccia said in a grave voice. "The Fifth Division has failed at their objective. The enemy was far stronger than they anticipated. As matters stand, if you continue towards Wakasu Park, you'll be in danger."

Ichinomiya Himari, who had been firing her CHARM nonstop, suddenly let it fall silent. "The Fifth Division failed?!" she exclaimed. "Are Komuku and Kaina all right?"

"Unfortunately, I don't know," Tiuccia said. "The comms still aren't working, and we haven't been able to reach the headquarters at Odaiba Girls' School, either."

As she listened to Tiuccia's report, a grim expression dawned on Chihana's face.

She had been right to feel ill at ease. She hadn't anticipated the enemy could possibly be this strong. And though she'd placed among the strongest Lilies they had in the Fifth Division, even they had been overrun by the Huge.

"The Fifth's failed? I can't believe it..." said Sachie in astonishment. Her unease began to spread through the Lilies of the First Division. As she watched their morale falter, Chihana addressed those in her command in a calm voice.

"Don't worry. I have no doubt Shinano and the Lilies of the Fifth are unhurt," she said. "No matter how hard-pressed she is to hold back the enemy, I know that Noguchi Shinano will prioritize the safety of those fighting with her. That's the kind of Lily she is."

It was clear from their faces that the Lilies of the First Division still had mixed feelings.

Though they didn't know the full situation, if the Fifth Division had been forced to retreat, they faced a crisis. For that meant the Huge advancing via the northern route would soon reach populated areas. Though Second and Third Divisions were evacuating the civilians there, and would also be able to intercept the Huge, they wouldn't be able to hold them back forever.

If the Huge got as far as the Light Wall and Odaiba Girls' School was forced to fully activate it, the remaining civilians in Odaiba would have nowhere to run, and all of them would die. Moreover, the Light Wall couldn't hold back the mightiest of the Huge. Those Huge would lead the hordes into mainland Tokyo.

That was the worst outcome Chihana could possibly imagine.

They were Lilies. They were humanity's protectors, their very last hope. And yet all that lay before them was despair.

Clenching her fist tight, Chihana made an announcement.

"...We'll change the battle plan."

It was no longer possible to fight in a way that didn't involve the sacrifice of any Lilies or civilians. That meant they had to adopt a strategy that acknowledged that reality. A strategy that, by sending people to their deaths, could save Odaiba and all of Tokyo.

But the moment she gave voice to that thought, Tiuccia shook her head. "Chihana," she said. "Isn't it too soon for you to give up?"

"Tiuccia?" Chihana asked, in surprise. When she opened her eyes, she saw Tiuccia wearing a smile, slight though it was.

"The original battle plan isn't a complete failure yet. Though the Fifth Division has been forced to retreat, the Second, Third, and my Fourth remain at your disposal. There's still hope."

"......"

It seemed that, somehow, Tiuccia had been able to tell just what Chihana had been thinking.

"But if the Fifth's failed at their objective, it's already impossible to keep everyone alive," Chihana protested.

"Have faith in the strength of my command," Tiuccia told her. "Have faith in your sisters-in-arms. They shall not suffer this to be a second Koshu."

At that, Chihana's eyes snapped back to Tiuccia's face. The words Tiuccia had spoken had great meaning to her.

One year ago, in Yamanashi, a major battle known as the Koshu Withdrawal had taken place. Much like here on Odaiba, vast hordes of Huge had appeared and sent the battlefield into chaos. Back then, she hadn't even known where her fellow Lilies were.

During the Koshu Withdrawal, Takegoshi Chihana, Amano Soraha, Shirai Yuyu and some other Lilies from the junior high school division of Yurigaoka Girls' Academy had just happened to be in Yamanashi. They had joined the battle, and it was during that battle that Legion Álfheimr had been born.

Chihana and her allies had gotten the residents of the area to safety, but she'd lost one of her dear companions, and they had been forced to retreat from Koshu entirely. It had opened a wound on the hearts of everyone in Álfheimr that had yet to heal.

And yet not only Álfheimr harbored regrets. Tiuccia and other Lilies from St. Mercurius had taken part in the Koshu Withdrawal as well. For a great many Lilies, Koshu was a place of mourning.

Could the Lilies here on Odaiba, with their combined strength, fight their way to a different outcome?

Chihana brought her hand up to her chest. Seeing this, Kawamura Yuzuriha smiled at her. "Don't worry," she said. "It's us here, so this is gonna work out."

"Indeed," declared Fukuyama Jeanne Sachie boldly. "Let us all, together, do our utmost to protect Odaiba!"

Hibino Waku smiled brightly. "I'm here, and so is Himari, and so are all of you," she said. "Together, we can do this."

"Let us show them how we fight!" said Ichinomiya Himari confidently.

"...Girls..."

Chihana gazed at her sisters-in-arms, and every one of them gave her a reassuring nod.

''Of course. This isn't like the Koshu Withdrawal was,'' thought Chihana. ''This time, I have so many allies I can rely upon. These girls are the pride of Kanto. They'll be able to do what, back at Koshu, we could not.''

Finally, Chihana turned her eyes to Shirai Yuyu, who was staring straight in the direction of the nestless Ultra.

"It's time for us to make our move, Chihana," said Yuyu.

Chihana made her decision. "I understand," she told Tiuccia and the other Lilies. "We'll proceed with the battle plan. Instead of the Fifth Division carrying it out, we'll have the Second Division advance into Wakasu Park and attack the nestless Ultra from the north."

"I know we don't have many other options," pointed out Taniguchi Hijiri, "but isn't that placing too great a burden upon the Second Division alone?"

"You needn't worry about that," replied Chihana confidently. "Our First Division will draw off the enemy. When we destroy the Caves in Uminomori Park, that will no doubt get their attention. It's at that very moment that the Second Division will deal with the nestless Ultra."

"So you mean we're going to make ourselves bait," said Mozuna Noa as she realized what Chihana's plan was.

When they went through the undersea tunnel to the vicinity of Uminomori Park, they could expect to face a vast quantity of Huge there—one in excess of the horde that had forced the Fifth Division to retreat. If the Second Division weren't able to take down the nestless Ultra, there was a real danger the First Division wouldn't survive this. The strategy relied entirely upon their faith that their fellow Lilies could kill the Ultra.

"A harsh battle lies ahead of us, but it is one that I believe we will win," Chihana said.

Kawamura Yuzuriha grinned, seeming amused. "Interesting," she said. "So we're leaving it all up to the Second Division? Momiji's there, so trust me when I say they've got this."

"...For me, this was a fight to the death from the start," said Shirai Yuyu, as she cut down another of the Huge.

Chihana looked at the Lilies in her command, and they nodded back to her, their determination clear. After she'd seen that, she turned her attention to Tiuccia.

"There's another danger in this strategy. When we enter Uminomori Park, the enemy will slip past us and make their way to Aomi through the undersea tunnel," she told Tiuccia. "Have your Fourth Division stop them from getting any further."

Tiuccia grinned fearlessly back at Chihana. "You have placed your faith in us, and we shall not allow that to be for naught," she declared. "Furthermore, I will ensure that the Second Division receives your instructions for them."

"I'm counting on you," Chihana said. Then she turned back to the First Division.

"Let's go, girls! We have our own part to play!"

The Lilies of the First let out a shout, and rushed into the undersea tunnel at the end of Akatsuki Port.

And thus, their strategy to save each and every life in Odaiba and in Tokyo commenced.

At that time, the Fourth Division was fighting in the Daiba area, near the old Tokyo Teleport Station.

The Tokyo Teleport Station was in the center of Daiba. It was a key strategic location to the military and was shielded by several fortifications. Behind the station was the entrance to an undersea tunnel that was part of the old Shuto Bayshore Expressway.

At present, there were a large number of evacuees who had come from Ariake and Shinonome, and their vehicles, gathered there.

To keep the undersea tunnel safe, since it lead to the other side of the Light Wall, the Fourth Division had been mopping up the Huge in the Aomi and Daiba areas... but then, more Huge had started coming up out of the sea adjacent to Aomi in daunting numbers.

The Fourth Division and some Lilies from Odaiba Girls' School had at first tried to intercept them, but when upward of twenty large-types had joined the fray, they had been forced to retreat to the point they were now quite close to the Tokyo Teleport Station.

Tiuccia had appointed Lialidell Eschenbach commander of the Fifth Division. Lialidell spoke to the Lilies in her command in a calm, clear and beautiful voice.

"Until the Holy Empress has returned, we shall protect Daiba at any cost."

Lialidell was Tiuccia's most faithful subordinate. Tiuccia had appointed her "Vice-Empress" and chosen her to be one of her handpicked "Twelve Sovereigns of the Holy Empress's Round Table." She loved and respected Tiuccia more than anyone else, and in order to repay her empress's trust in her, she was fighting fiercely together with the Fourth Division.

The Fourth Division was composed of Lilies from a multitude of Gardens: St. Mercurius International School, Yurigaoka Girls' Academy, Odaiba Girls' School, Alchemilla Girls' Academy, Ludvico Private Girls' Academy, and Kanba Girls' School for the Fine Arts.

"If they push us back any further, we'll have nowhere left to retreat to," Yamanashi Hibari of Yurigaoka remarked as she blasted away with her CHARM.

The Fourth Division was fighting as hard as they could to keep the Huge from advancing. Just behind them was the undersea tunnel, and if it fell to the Huge, the evacuees would be trapped inside the Light Wall with no way to get to safety.

"Kyaah!"

Everyone looked towards the sudden scream. It had come from Kishida Hanabusa of Odaiba Girls' School, who lay fallen on the ground. In front of her, a serpentine Huge over twenty meters in length was laying waste to the nearby buildings.

"Is that an Abyss Serpent?!"

Abyss Serpents were a variety of gigant-type Huge. They had elongated bodies, like a sea serpent from the watery depths. Buildings continued to fall as the Abyss Serpent drew nearer.

"Hold on! I'm coming for you!" shouted Kuroki Francisca Yuria as she moved to help Hanabusa. Soga Suzuna and Hirose Minato laid down covering fire for the two of them.

"Ugh. These large-types are such pests!"

There were three large-types in front of the Abyss Serpent, preventing the Lilies from stopping its advance.

"Then why don't I teach them some manners?" said Imagawa Homare. She leapt to the front and immediately attacked one of the large-types. "Haaaaah!" she shouted.

Homare's Rare Skill was Circlet Bless, and so she held one CHARM in each hand, an Asterion and a Charlemagne. She cut into the shark-like monster, ten meters long, again and again. It toppled over, causing the ground to quake with the impact.

"That was splendid," exclaimed Saigo Kurena. "And I do believe it makes for the twentieth large-type that you've slain!"

Homare looked delighted by Kurena's praise. "Heheh. When it comes to me, don't you dare expect anything less," she declared.

Imagawa Homare of Yurigaoka had a style of fighting that was hers alone. She'd had the grips of her CHARM modified, allowing her to handle it fluidly and attack unrelentingly even as she swiftly switched between Blade Mode and Shooting Mode. With this much control over her CHARM, she could always gauge the perfect attack distance and unleash all her firepower even when backed into a corner. This expertise would later lead to her being known as "The Sword-Saint of Yurigaoka."

Just then, there came a shout from behind the Lilies of the Fourth.

"Let not that zeal depart from you!"

The Lilies turned towards the voice, and when they did, they saw that Tiuccia and Honma Akehi had returned.

"Your Majesty!" shouted Lialidell, and Tiuccia smiled at her.

"You have all done well to weather this trial," Tiuccia said. "Lialidell has safeguarded those in my command, and I shall praise her duly."

Lialidell bowed, a smile appearing on her face as she did. "Of course, for I am Your Majesty's servant!" she replied. Tiuccia gave her a nod, then turned back to the others.

"I've spoken with Chihana," said Tiuccia. "We will be executing a new strategy to slay the nestless Ultra. All of the divisions will be involved."

This caused a commotion among both the Fourth Division and the Lilies from Odaiba Girls' School.

"All of the divisions are taking part in the attack on the Ultra?" asked Hirose Minato. "Is that even possible?" Tiuccia looked at her, her lips quirking in a smile.

"But of course," she replied, all but overflowing with confidence. "Nothing is impossible for me, the Holy Empress. If we join our strength together, we shall surely prevail over any enemy, no matter how mighty they be."

Tiuccia had the bearing of one born to be a sovereign, with all of the peerless ability that it required. It could make one feel that, with her by their side, it was within their means to defeat any foe whatsoever.

"But first, we have a pressing duty," Tiuccia said. "We must crush the enemy before us and ensure that the people can escape. To do so, I shall make use of your power."

"As you wish," Lialidell replied, bowing her head with one hand upon her chest. "I shall do all that you command, Your Majesty!" Tiuccia smiled in satisfaction, then turned to Yamanashi Hibari.

"Hibari. You will be our tactician," she said. "I have no doubt that you shall guide us to victory over the enemy." Hibari looked surprised at first, but when she saw the smile upon Tiuccia's face, she nodded.

"Understood," said Hibari. "Your trust in me won't go unrewarded."

Tiuccia then loaded the Neunwelt ammunition into her Chrysáor. "Fourth Division!" she shouted in a sonorous voice. "Let us commence the Neunwelt Tactic!"



At her order, the Fourth Division made for the horde with the Abyss Serpent in its midst.

"Chikage! Homare! Draw your swords and cut a path for us!" Tiuccia ordered. Shinkai Chikage, from Alchemilla Girls' Academy, activated her Rare Skill and dove into the throng of enemies.

"Lunatic Trancer!"

Chikage's eyes glowed red with madness, and her CHARM cut a deadly swath through the Huge. Her golden hair swung wildly around her as monster after monster tasted the wrath of her blade. Simultaneously, Imagawa Homare engaged the large-types and began cutting them down in rapid succession.

"I would have you show no restraint!"

As the two vanguards drew off the enemy, Yamanashi Hibari issued orders to the other Lilies, getting them into formation. "Suzuna, after Minato's passed to you, pass to Yuria," she instructed. "Yuria, you pass to Hanabusa. The enemy will be unaware that she's there. Akehi, Hifumi, Saori, you'll lay down supporting fire at that very moment."

Guided by Hibari's orders, the Fourth Division engaged in misdirection, passing the magiesphere in rapid succession to confuse the enemy and directing their passes to those Lilies well clear of the Huge.

"Wawah! Yuria-sama, I'm ready!" shouted Hanabusa.

Hanabusa was a Lily from Odaiba High School's junior high school division. Participating in the Neunwelt was difficult for her in particular, but when Yuria shouted "I've got you!" and covered her, she managed to pass the magiesphere along without issue.

Meanwhile, Homare was continuing to kill large-types, and Shinkai Chikage—along with her fellow Lilies from Alchemilla Girls' Academy, Ozu Hifumi and Itami Saori—were clearing the path to their target.

"The way's open!" Homare called to Minato, and Minato immediately ran at the Abyss Serpent as fast as she could. "Minato, do the honors!" shouted Lialidell as she flung the magiesphere through the air at Minato. The other Lily caught it, and promptly unleashed the finish shot.

"It's all over now!"

The magiesphere landed a direct hit against the center of the Abyss Serpent's head. Its body swelled with light and then detonated, the explosion taking out many of the other Huge near it.

Imagawa Homare cut down the last large-type, then sighed. "We took care of them somehow," she said, with a faint smile. She'd killed 23 large-types in total, while nearby, Shinkai Chikage was surrounded by the bodies of countless Huge.

As the Lilies of the Fourth Division took a moment to rest, Tiuccia spread her arms wide with a serene smile upon her face. "Magnificent work, ladies," she declared. "I hereby proclaim all of you to be my 'Knights of the Holy Empress'!" Unsure whether that had been a joke or Tiuccia had meant it quite seriously, the other Lilies responded with troubled smiles.

At that moment, in the comm devices at their ears, they heard a voice. It was Takegoshi Chihana of the First Division. "This is Takegoshi Chihana," she said. "Fourth Division, do you copy?"

"Hail, Chihana," replied Tiuccia at once.

"Seems you've killed the Huge that were causing the comm interference," Chihana said. "Indeed, and we've secured an escape route for all the civilians in Daiba," Tiuccia told her proudly.

Chihana spoke with urgency in her voice.

"There are several gigant-type Soldier Ants, and lesser Huge, headed in your direction as we speak. I need you to kill them."

When she heard the instruction, Tiuccia let out a sigh. "Those louts have not learned to dread the Holy Empress, have they?" she said. "Very well. It seems I must castigate them."

"Please do," said Chihana, and cut the connection. Tiuccia turned to the Lilies in her command.

"I trust you were listening. We'll hold the Soldier Ants off and finish evacuating the civilians," she declared. "Kurena, Suzuna, Minato. The three of you stay here and help with the evacuation. Also, ask the Lilies from Odaiba to make sure that the Second Division gets their new orders. The rest of you are my retinue, and together, we shall sally forth to vanquish the Soldier Ants. Understood?"

After Tiuccia issued her orders, the Lilies of the Fourth nodded to her.

"We stand on the threshold of victory," said Tiuccia. "And now, without fail, we shall claim it!" She set off to intercept the Soldier Ants, with most of the Fourth Division accompanying her.

Takehisa Nakaba and Kawanabe Nazuna, two Lilies from the junior high school division of Odaiba Girls' School, likewise set off to give the Second Division their orders. Three remained in Daiba: Saigo Kurena, Soga Suzuna, and Hirose Minato. Together with the military and some other Lilies from Odaiba Girls' School, they were to handle the evacuation.

Guided by the military, the vehicles holding the civilians began to enter the undersea tunnel in an orderly line. Among them were all the civilians who had come from Ariake to Daiba. The Rainbow Bridge had already been blocked off by the Light Wall, and there was no road left to Toyosu, so the sole remaining route out of Daiba was this tunnel—the Tokyoko Tunnel, which lead to the Oi area.

With their backs to the road that lead into the undersea tunnel, Kurena, Suzuna, Minato, and the junior-high Lilies from Odaiba began to fight the approaching Huge.

"Until all the evacuation vehicles have gotten to Oi, we must defend this tunnel with our lives!" Minato shouted to her companions. If the Huge entered her tunnel, the Light Wall would doubtless close and block the way to Oi, leaving the remaining civilians completely trapped within the Light Wall.

Suzuna cast a glance at the roadway leading into the undersea tunnel. "There's still a lot of 'em, huh..." she remarked.

If they could get all the civilians and the younger Odaiba Lilies to safety through the tunnel, the evacuation would be complete. The Light Wall could then seal Tokyo off entirely, and all the divisions could safely focus on attacking the nestless Ultra.

They had hoped to finish the evacuation earlier, but there were still a number of vehicles that had come from Ariake and Shinonome. Moreover, the Huge were constantly threatening them, and it had lead to the evacuation being slow-going.

Then, the Lilies heard Tiuccia's voice over their comms. "Minato, do you copy?" she said. "We've engaged the gigant-types. But their escorts are headed your way. You'll need to intercept them."

"Understood. We'll do that," said Minato, then turned to her companions. "We need to hurry towards Aomi and stop the Soldier Ants!" she told them.

But at that very moment, Kishida Hanabusa, who had been in contact with the military, spoke up. "This is bad, Minato-sama!" she shouted. "There's a horde of small-types coming from the direction of Shiokaze Park!"

"They're coming from Shiokaze Park too?!"

Shiokaze Park was a seaside park in the western part of Daiba. Not only was it in the exact opposite direction of Aomi relative to the undersea tunnel, it was near where the evacuation vehicles were waiting. They had to intercept the Huge coming from there immediately.

"But how can we intercept them..."

When she saw the worried look on Minato's face, Saigo Kurena of the Fourth Division spoke up.

"It seems none other will suffice," she said. "Do allow me, beautiful genius of a Lily that I am, to contend with the Soldier Ants."

"...Kurena? What are you planning to do?" Minato asked, her expression now a questioning one. Kureha sighed and shook her head. "Can't you tell already?" she asked. "I shall use myself as a lure to direct the Soldier Ants elsewhere."

"A lure!?" Minato exclaimed. Kurena turned her head, gazing in the direction of Aomi.

"It is in the nature of these Soldier Ants to chase Boosted Lilies such as I," she explained. "If I make use of that trait of theirs, it will buy time for the civilians to finish evacuating beyond the Light Wall. Kindly guide them to safety as I busy myself with the task of slaughtering the Huge."

One year earlier, when Kurena had been a member of the Funada Defense Team and fought Soldier Ants with them, she'd been attacked by many of the Soldier Ants and formed a hypothesis that they had a preference for preying upon Boosted Lilies.

And now, she could exploit that preference to distract the Soldier Ants, giving the other Lilies time to deal with the situation in Shiokaze Park and the civilians time to escape into the undersea tunnel.

But one of their number was opposed: Soga Suzuna. "Do you have any idea of how dangerous that is?!" she shouted.

With a fearless smile, Kurena reached out and prodded Suzuna squarely on the tip of her nose. "Quite an excellent idea of it, in fact," she replied. "But we are Lilies of Odaiba Girls' School. We cannot allow a single foe to reach this place."

"Then let me go with you!" Suzuna pleaded. Kurena shook her head.

"This is my duty and mine alone. Please see to it that every civilian leaves Odaiba safely. I will hold the enemy at bay until they have."

"......"

Hirose Minato had a troubled expression on her face, but in time, it hardened with determination.

"Once the evacuation is finished, we will most certainly come to your aid," Minato said. "Until them, we'll count on you to keep the enemy busy."

"Hehe. I fear I'll have slaughtered them all by the time you arrive," Kurena boasted. Then she set off in the direction of Aomi.

Running between the buildings. Kurena made straight for the Aomi docks. She reached an avenue, and at the end of it, dozens of Soldier Ants were making the earth tremble as they approached. As the horde drew close to Kurena, they paused. Then, just as she'd predicted, they turned their attention to her.

"Come to me!" Kurena shouted. "And then I, Saigo Kurena, shall deign to show you my power!"



Kurena brought her Jötunn-Schwert to bear with a splendid flourish, and as several of them let out an unearthly screech, the Soldier Ants fell upon her. She cut down a number of them in quick succession.

"Hah!" she exclaimed. "You hardly even make for sport. If this is all you can do, I'll be able to handle you on my own!"

But as she sought to strike the next enemy, a relaxed smile upon her face, pain suddenly shot through her thigh.

"Ugh! What happened...?!"

Kurena's eyes snapped to her leg. A Soldier Ant that she thought she'd killed had bitten her, with mandibles sharp as steel.

When she looked more closely at the monster, she saw that the wound she'd inflicted upon it was rapidly healing over. It seemed it was an aberrant kind of Soldier Ant—one which possessed the power known as "Regenerator."

At that moment, two of the other Soldier Ants leapt at Kurena, their jaws cutting into her body in multiple places. Despite the injuries, she managed to slice them apart with her Jötunn-Schwert and push them off her.

Kurena was a Boosted Lily. She herself had Regenerator, and could heal her wounds... but the ones the Soldier Ants had left on her weren't closing. The battle of attrition had left her low on energy indeed.

"Hehe. This won't be such a bore after all."

With that, Kurena activated her Rare Skill—Lunatic Trancer.

The Soldier Ants bit Kurena again and again, until her body was painted red with blood. But despite the wounds her body was covered in, Kurena slashed them with her blade again and again, laughing wildly as she did.

"It doesn't get any better than this!" she screamed. "My CHARM and I thirst to claim your lives!"

Meanwhiile, Tiuccia's group was battling a horde of Huge near the undersea tunnel at Akatsuki Port. A vast quantity of Huge had already come out of the tunnel; not just Soldier Ants, but mid-types and large types.

As she was killing the last of the stronger Huge, Tiuccia spotted a gigant-type Soldier Ant behind them. "Let us take down that gigant and return to Daiba at once!" she shouted, then loaded the Neunwelt bullet into her Chrysáor.

"Commence the Neunwelt Tactic!"

The Lilies of the Fourth Division passed the magiesphere swiftly among themselves. Though the division was made up of Lilies from several Gardens, when they executed the Neunwelt Tactic, they made precision passes in perfect sync. And the fierce fighting up until now had only improved their skills.

Looking upon those in her command and how strong they had grown, Tiuccia felt her royal blood burn with fervor.

"Lialidell, I shall fire the finish shot!" she declared.

Tiuccia charged forward, and with a shout of "Your Majesty!", Lialidell threw the magiesphere towards her with flawless aim and timing. Tiuccia caught the magiesphere running at full tilt and headed straight for the gargantuan Soldier Ant.

"Taste the divine wrath of the Holy Empress!"

She fired the finish shot. It hit the gigant-type squarely in the face, and the resulting explosion consumed many of the surrounding Huge.

Tiuccia let out a small sigh, but no sooner had she than more Huge began to pour out of the undersea tunnel. "For how long, upon my word, do you seek to entertain me?" she remarked with a strained smile.

Then she heard a desperate voice in her ear, through the comm device.

"Tiuccia-sama!" the voice shouted. "Kurena-sama... she's...!"

"Hanabusa, is that you?" Tiuccia replied, recognizing the voice as Kishida Hanabusa, who had remained at Daiba. "What's happened to Kurena?"

"Kurena-sama went off on her own to lure the Soldier Ants in Aomi elsewhere!"

"......"

Hanabusa was so panicked she sounded like she was in tears, but her words were enough for Tiuccia to instantly grasp the situation.

In order to buy the civilians time to escape, most likely, Kurena had gone alone to make herself bait for the Soldier Ants. She was a Boosted Lily, and could heal from her wounds with Regenerator. But she was by no means invincible.

"Has Kurena not contacted you since?" Tiuccia asked Hanabusa.

"I heard her say something on the comm just a moment ago, but then the call went dead," another voice replied; Hirose Minato, answering in Hanabusa's stead. Though Minato's voice was filled with despair, Tiuccia was not ready to abandon hope just yet.

"Have no fear," Tiuccia said. "I know, because it is her, that Kurena yet lives. And I vow to you that I, and Mercurius, shall bring her salvation."

"You will?" asked Honma Akehi. "But how?"

Tiuccia did not reply. Instead, using her comm device, she placed a call to the headquarters of Odaiba Girls' School.

"Come in, Odaiba HQ. Please direct the closest Mercurius airship, using the coordinates I will send you, to fire their high-powered guns at the horde of Huge in southern Aomi the moment they're in range."

When she heard Tiuccia give that order, Yamanashi Hibari interrupted her. "You're calling in an air attack? If you do that, Kurena will get hit by it too!" she protested.

"The gunships of Mercurius do not err," Lialidell told Hibari with a calm expression. "Their guns will fire true, and they will save Kurena."

With a fearless grin, Tiuccia gazed up at the dark and clouded sky.

"You shall now bear witness to the power of the Arks of Mercurius!" she declared.

Some minutes later, a large airship appeared in the sky above Aomi.

St. Mercurius possessed several large airships they called "Arks." Though they were airships, they bore little resemblance to the gunships that Yurigaoka and the military used, and were more like zeppelins or even ocean-going ships.

Mercurius had seven of these airships in total, and when Mercurius Lilies sortied, they did so as "Air Platoons." They were capable of flying not only to anywhere in Kanto, but anywhere on the island of Honshu. The sight of them meant that salvation was coming, and so they were known as the "Arks of Hope."

One of those Arks had descended through the clouds and toward the battlefield. It was Raguel, the ship used by the Fifth Air Platoon. All of the Arks bore the name of one of the seven archangels.

Raguel was equipped with guns large enough to be called cannons, and it trained those guns on the southern part of Aomi, where Kurena was believed to be. Then they began to fire.

With a boom, the sky flashed with brilliance like that of lightning, and gunfire rained down upon Aomi. Blast waves and the deafening sounds of impact erupted from the massive explosions. Clouds of dark smoke rose up, blanketing the entire area and hiding it from view.

Soga Suzuna stared at the explosions in abject shock. "Are they out of their minds?!" she exclaimed.

When all was once again still, Hirose Minato leapt into action. "Kurena!" she shouted. Along with Suzuna, she ran to where Kurena had been as fast as she possibly could. They plunged into the smoke, to ground zero of the bombardment, and found the area covered in giant craters—as well as the bodies of countless Huge, all scorched to death.

Had Kurena, too, been hit by the high-powered bombardment? And had she survived?

When the smoke cleared at last, they saw Kurena a short ways from the heart of the destruction.

"My goodness," said Kurena. She stabbed her CHARM into the body of the Soldier Ant in front of her, using it to steady herself as she somehow managed to rise to her feet. "That was a rather uncouth means of rescue, was it not?"

"Kurena! Are you all right!?" Minato and Suzuna shouted, running over to her. As they did, Kurena's knees gave out from under her, and she fell to the ground again. "I must confess that I've grown a little tired..." Kurena said.

When Minato and Suzuna got a good look at her, they were astounded by the sight. Fighting the Soldier Ants for so long had left Kurena's body in a ghastly state. They'd bitten her all over, leaving innumerable wounds on her arms and legs. Her left arm, in particular, was barely still attached to her body and looked like it would tear itself loose at any moment.

Suzuna hugged Kurena to her. "Kurena! Stay with us!" she pleaded desperately. "Help is on the way!"

Kurena let out a deep sigh. "You needn't wail right into my ear. It's really quite bothersome," she said, in a tired voice. "Have you forgotten that I'm a Boosted Lily? These wounds will not last. Look, they're already closing." Indeed, the flesh of Kurena's near-severed left arm was already beginning to mend itself.

Minato's face was a mixture of worry and relief. "I can't believe you..." she said. Suzuna let out a deep sigh, and gently nestled Kurena's head against her chest.

"Kurena, we were able to safely evacuate all the civilians and junior high school Lilies. And you're the one who made it possible. Thank you."

When she heard that, Kurena smiled blissfully. "That's what matters most," she replied. "Although I did take the opportunity to go on a most satisfying rampage."

Minato took Kurena's hand and squeezed it, heedless of the fact that it was covered in blood. "Your bravery won't be forgotten," she told Kurena. "It will become a story for the ages."

"My goodness. Was I truly that remarkable? Hehehe."

Despite her injuries, Kurena's smile was a content one. They had evacuated the civilians from Ariake and Daiba safely, and gotten the ones from Toyosu out, too. The time had finally come to attack the nestless Ultra.

Suddenly, a deafening howl resounded across the whole of Odaiba.

"Was that...?"

When Minato and the others looked at the Tokyo Gate Bridge, they saw that the lightning around Wakasu Park had grown fiercer. And at the center of all that light was the massive figure whose howl could be heard all across Odaiba.

"The nestless Ultra is getting restless, isn't it..." Kurena muttered, as she gazed at the distant lightning.

It was time for the Lilies to face the nestless Ultra in battle, and discover which one of them would prevail.