Assault Lily: The Empathy Phenomenon

For the ability, see Empathy Phenomenon.

Assault Lily: Odaiba Girls' School Edition -The Empathy Phenomenon- (アサルトリリィ・御台場女学校編 -The Empathy Phenomenon-) is a stage play created by AZONE International and acus. The sequel to The Singular Ability and taking place after Lost Memories, The Empathy Phenomenon is the ninth stage play in the Assault Lily franchise, and is the second stage play centered around Odaiba Girls' School.

The Empathy Phenomenon ran from February 17 to February 28, 2022 at the Kinokuniya Southern Theater in Shibuya, Tokyo. A sequel, The Battle to Overcome, premiered on February 3, 2023.

Though minor in nature, the play shows loose connections to the Assault Lily: Last Bullet event Ensemble of the Eldren Valkyries. Furthermore, the events portrayed in the play's opening sequence are continued in Chapter Two of the game's main story.

Plot

Prologue/First Battle

While the twins Funada Kiito and Funada Ui, heads of Odaiba’s Legion Hronesnæsse, are on an Expedition to Tokyo, Instructor Nakahara Mary Tomoyo speaks with Inaba Mayumi, an old acquaintance of hers, who was recently appointed as a student counsellor in Odaiba. Tomoyo notes how multiple Caves have been forming in Odaiba’s territory, and ponders if Mayumi has any involvement in their creation. The pair then watches on as Legion Heorot Saints begin their takedown of one of the Caves, with Mayumi showing a particular interest in the Boosted Lilies among them. Encountering a Gigant-class Huge, the Saints begin performing the Neunwelt Tactic, over the course of which Brave user Otake Sunao notices something is amiss, and after making her pass, she rushes to meet the Saints’ Lunatic Trancer user and Boosted Lily Saigo Kurena.

During her turn with the Magisphere, Kurena is joined by Laplace user Suzuki Chinami, who struggles to keep up with the former’s fast pace of combat, as she is not yet fully able to make proper use of her Laplace. As the Instructors watch the pair fight, Mayumi is particularly impressed by Kurena, as it is a rare occurrence for Lunatic Trancer users to survive the Boosting procedure.

The Saints’ captain, Tsukioka Momiji, notices that the Gigant-class Huge they face is abnormal, and the Lilies soon conclude it to be an Irregular possessing the Dominator Skill, which allows it to turn the surrounding ambient Magie into Negative Magie, actively wearing down the Lilies as they fight. As Boosted Lilies are highly susceptible to the Negative Magie's draining effects, Saints member Maruyama Amane is shown to be particularly debilitated. Kurena is initially unbothered, as Lunatic Trancer is a Rare Skill that actively makes use of Negative Magie. However, she is eventually overtaken by its effects, leading her to begin attacking the other Saints members in a fit of rage. Witnessing this, Chinami is particularly disheartened, blaming herself for failing to Laplace to purify the surrounding Magie.

Despite their attempts, the Saints are unable to appease Kurena, and so, they split themselves in two teams, with the first, led by Momiji, continuing the Neunwelt Tactic in order to destroy the Gigant-class as quickly as possible, while the other, led by Kawamura Yuzuriha, holds Kurena in place and away from the Huge until it is destroyed. Yuzuriha’s team is joined by Hirose Minato and Kishida Hanabusa of Odaiba’s Legion Coast Guard, who use their unique Valkyrian Skirt Magie Reincarnation System in order to purify the Negative Magie overtaking Kurena, finally allowing her to be subdued.

The two Coast Guard members carry Kurena to the medical bay, while Yuzuriha’s team moves to rejoin Momiji’s so they can finish their Neunwelt Tactic. Just as they are about to take the finishing shot, Momiji’s team is met by the Funada Twins, who take the Magisphere in order to finish off the Huge by themselves. Ui, however, has not fully recovered from the leg injury she suffered during their previous Expedition. As such, Ui stands back as Kiito takes the finishing shot by herself, as her mere presence allows them to avoid the Negative Magie’s effects due to their Empathy Phenomenon.

Though Kiito’s shot is a direct hit, the Gigant-class Huge is not destroyed, merely retreating as the remaining Saints members finally arrive at the scene. Yuzuriha promptly taunts Kiito for letting the Gigant-class escape, but Ui takes the blame, citing how Kiito’s worry for her prevented her from unleashing her full strength. Though Momiji still shows her gratitude for her assistance, Kiito is still bothered not only at the Huge’s escape, but also by the fact her sister had injured herself in order to protect her.

Act Two

In a flashback sequence, Tomoyo speaks with Ludvico Private Girls’ Academy’s Toda Eulalia Kotohi, who informs her that their experiment with the “Infestator” Gigant-class Huge has proceeded accordingly, and though Kotohi assures her that the Legions present would likely still take a while to defeat it, Tomoyo sternly tells Kotohi that she will not tolerate any failures. In the present, Tomoyo recalling how Kotohi was ultimately unable to follow through with her orders, and mocking the Lily, she calls Kotohi a “mere imitation standing below a true Princess”.

The commanding Lilies of the Saints, Hronesnæsse and Coast Guard hold a joint mission review, led by Igusa Subaru. As they reassess the effects of the Gigant-class' Dominator Skill, Chinami is once again saddened to learn that her Laplace would prove insufficient to offset it in full. Finally, they ascertain that, due to Kurena being both a Lunatic Trancer user and a Boosted Lily, she was particularly vulnerable to the Dominator’s effects. When inquired about Kurena's absence in their meeting, Momiji and Yuzuriha reveal that she had been completely heartbroken at having attacked her friends, having declined to join them even in training ever since. Momiji proposes that they give Kurena time off so she can recover, but Kiito disagrees, appearing unusually concerned, she worries that keeping Kurena away would cause her to view herself as no longer needed by her teammates.

Meanwhile, the Hronesnæsse and Saints’ first years skip Subaru's meeting in order to have a tea party together. There, they discuss Ui’s injury and how it affected the previous mission. While Shiba Tomoshibi is adamant that Kiito was not at fault for the Gigant-class’ escape, Kawanabe Nazuna and Hayami Katsura posit that her failure was the result of not having Ui’s active support as she usually does during combat.

Still depressed, Kurena has a counseling session with Mayumi, revealing that she is scared that she'll turn on her friends again should they encounter the Dominator a second time. Mayumi advises her to return to training, pointing out how that it's a risk-free environment safe from the Huge's risk. Kurena, however, responds that merely holding her CHARM causes her to remember her rampage. Mayumi insists that she do it, encouraging her to not let a one-time mistake lead her astray from her duty as a Lily, and telling her that she can only stand to become stronger by conquering her fears.

At the same time, Ui consults with Tomoyo on her injury, with the Instructor telling her that it would likely take a full month for her to recover. Though Tomoyo encourages Ui to take the opportunity to rest, Ui is incredibly sullen, particularly worrying for Kiito’s safety when deploying on her own. Tomoyo agrees that, with one less member, Hronesnæsse would likely be more reliant on the Saints and the Coast Guard in the meantime, but though she still urges Ui to focus on her recovery, the Lily remains greatly anxious.

Amane speaks with Nagasawa Yuki on Kiito’s previous finishing shot, and though Amane assures Yuki that she didn’t notice anything out of the ordinary, Yuki still worries for the twins, noting how both of them have a strong sense of responsibility, she fears that their failure to carry out the orders they were given may cause the pair to become exceedingly harsh on themselves.

Kiito and Ui talk, with the former admitting that she’s unable to focus on training without her sister by her side. In response, Ui urges Kiito to keep on following through with her duties as captain, even by herself. As they speak, the pair is approached by Yuzuriha and Momiji, who ask that Hronesnæsse take in Kurena as a temporary member. The idea was proposed by Mayumi, theorizing that her unusual nature as a Boosted Lily and a Lunatic Trancer user makes her a Singular Lily, and as such she should be able to activate the Empathy Phenomenon by fighting together with Kiito. This would allow not only her abilities, but her mental state to be stabilized enough so that she can fight again. Though Kiito is unsure, Ui agrees to the idea, pointing out that Hronesnæsse is in need of a replacement for her while she recovers, and as Kurena and Kiito are old friends, it would be a beneficial experience for the two of them to fight together. Ultimately, Kiito agrees, however, she appears somewhat unsettled by the idea.

Act Three

Tomoyo and Mayumi watch as Legion Hronesnæsse undertakes a particularly harsh training session, led by Subaru as a punishment for the first years for skipping her mission reveal. The Lilies carry on their training session in pairs, with Kiito being followed by Kurena. Though she initially struggles to match Kiito’s pace, Kurena begins to improve before long, leading her to regain her spirits. Excited, she asks Kiito for their training session to continue, and though initially worried by her enthusiasm, Kiito agrees. The Hronesnæsse members dispute her decision, exhausted from the session's difficulty, but recalling how her own performance has dwindled in Ui's absence, Kiito ultimately decides to increase the difficulty of all their training sessions.

The Heorot Saints also hold a training session of their own, and as they carry on, Chinami is particularly focused in making proper use of her Laplace, hoping to improve enough so that Kurena can rely on her more once she returns. Though appreciating her enthusiasm, Momiji and Sunao urge Chinami to not overexert herself.

The Hronesnæsse members are left completely battered after their training session, and as the Lilies express their disapproval with Kiito’s methods, Yuki presumes that she is insecure about whether she is still capable of unleashing her full potential without Ui, and encourages her Legion members to stand by her for the time being. However, Fujita Asagao is particularly unhappy with their current predicament, as well as Ui's absence

Ui speaks with Tomoyo once again, noticing how Kiito appeared to perform well during her training session, she remarks in a lonely tone how her sister is doing well even without her. Tomoyo, however, presumes that Kiito is simply going above and beyond for her old friend’s sake, believing that by activating the Empathy Phenomenon, she was able to help Kurena regain her confidence and drive to fight once again. Though Ui is somewhat saddened that Kiito was able to activate the Empathy Phenomenon with someone else, Tomoyo assures her that theirs was much less potent to the one between her and Kiito. Telling her that she's the only one able to bring out Kiito's true self in battle, Tomoyo once again urges Ui to focus on her recovery so she may return to her sister's side.

The first years hold another tea party, discussing the Hronesnæsse's discontentment with the changes in their Legion since Kurena joined them. Though they are hopeful that their troubles will be resolved once Ui recovers, Katsura worries about whether Kurena will want to return to the Saints once that happens. Tomoshibi declares that she will make sure that happens, much to the concern of the other first years.

Kurena speaks with Mayumi once again, excitedly telling her of the progress she was able to make ever since partnering with Kiito, and being particularly impressed by how much more stable she had become thanks to the Empathy Phenomenon, as she feels she now fights even better than she used to. Though Mayumi is happy at her student's recovery, she brings up how this progress will inevitably be cut short once Ui fully recovers, being particularly saddened that Kurena would have to abandon what she believes is her ideal environment: fighting beside Kiito and the Laplace user Tomoshibi. Though Mayumi does not push the matter further, Kurena appears concerned about the eventuality of it.

After Kurena leaves, Mayumi is approached by Tomoshibi, who immediately questions whether she was ordered by GEHENA to place Kurena with Hronesnæsse. Mayumi dispels the idea, telling Tomoshibi that she wholeheartedly means to help Kurena. Questioned on why she suddenly transferred to Odaiba, Mayumi reveals that she was asked to be stationed in the Garden precisely to provide mental health counselling to the many Boosted Lilies it holds, including Tomoshibi, who Mayumi points out is not only a Boosted Lily, but also a Princess of the Huge.

Tomoshibi is incredulous of Mayumi's well-meaning reasons, and the Instructor drops her facade. She reveals to Tomoshibi that she had previously met her during the Lily’s time at Kuramayama’s Research Facility, where she was subjected to GEHENA’s experiments. She tells Tomoshibi of how one of their staff betrayed them in order to allow her to escape, but after witnessing her being killed, Tomoshibi lost control of herself and killed all of the researchers in the facility. Learning that the single researcher who showed genuine care for her was murdered because of it, Tomoshibi suffers a breakdown, while Mayumi continuously taunts her.

Finally, Mayumi points out that as Kurena is a Lunatic Trancer user who was able to withstand the Boosting procedure, she would be a good candidate to be made into a Princess. As a shaken Tomoshibi leaves, Mayumi recalls how Shirai Saaya, the ultimate figure amongst the Princesses, attempted to make her own sister, Shirai Yuyu, into a Princess by subjecting her to the same procedure. This leads Mayumi to conclude that her ideal candidates are actually the Funada sisters themselves, as they meet the very same requirements.

Kiito speaks with Kurena, who thanks her for helping her improve as much as she has. Kurena, however, admits that she returns to feeling insecure when they’re not together, leading Kiito to realize that Kurena had developed a dependence on her. Meanwhile, an increasingly uneasy Ui vents to Tomoyo, revealing that she feels scared of losing her place as Kiito’s lifelong partner. Tomoyo once again assures Ui that she and Kiito belong by each other’s side, but this time, she encourages the Lily to “simply remove” anything that stands between the two of them.

Yuki assembles the remaining Hronesnæsse members, telling them of how she worries that Kurena’s dependence on Kiito is taking a toll on her. Asagao is particularly furious at how Kiito had been neglecting them in order to watch over Kurena. As they are joined by Momiji, Yuzuriha and Amane, Asagao declares that Kurena cannot continue under Hronesnæsse’s custody, pointing out that she’d likely fall into depression again once Ui returns. The Hronesnæsse members hope that she would return to the Saints once the Dominator Gigant-class is defeated, but Yuki and Amane point out that as other Huge with the Dominator Skill exist, she would instead need to overcome her fear of losing control of herself so she can once again feel safe in her own Legion. With Chinami earnestly working to refine her Laplace, Momiji assures Hronesnæsse that the Saints are preparing themselves to accommodate Kurena’s return, asking that they stay with her at least until Ui recovers.

Meanwhile, Kurena speaks with Mayumi, telling her of how she fears she’ll no longer have a place where she is needed once Ui returns, arguing that as the Heorot Saints have a surplus of members, they are perfectly able to function without her. Mayumi cryptically asks Kurena where she truly wants to be, and what is preventing her from being there, but before Kurena can respond, Mayumi uses her Magie to knock her unconscious.

Second Battle

The Cave alarm goes off, with a new Irregular Gigant-class immediately making its appearance. Hronesnæsse, the Heorot Saints and the Coast Guard soon arrive at the spot. Minato tells the other Lilies how the Gigant, “Gigafloat” is a larger version of the “Megafloat” Huge they’ve previously encountered. She points out how it required the aid of Legions from other Gardens in order to defeat it, as it possesses a shield that renders it impervious to their attacks. And so, the Saints are tasked with destroying the shield so that Hronesnæsse can later destroy its core, while the Coast Guard clears the battlefield of the smaller Huge pouring out of the Cave.

The Two Legions begin their Neunwelt Tactics, and watching Kiito and Kurena fight in perfect synchronicity, Momiji concludes she was able to fully recover. The first years Nazuna, Sunao, Yukari and Kozue West are tasked with destroying the Huge’s light tentacles, and watching their teamwork, Chinami is motivated to fight her hardest as well. However, she finds herself unable to activate her Laplace as the area is suddenly flooded by Negative Magie. Tomoshibi uses her own Laplace to mitigate the effects before admonishing Chinami for being useless, blaming Kurena’s dependence on Kiito on her unreliability. Though saddened, Chinami is reassured by Katsura, who points out that Tomoshibi is unusually irritable, something the other Hronesnæsse members have also noticed. Despite Chinami and Tomoshibi’s joint efforts, the intense Negative Magie eventually causes Amane to collapse again. Minato uses her Valkyrian Skirt to purify her, but as it is a single use system, she is unable to do it again.

Kurena is once again overcome with anxiety after watching Amane, and though Kiito assures her that their Empathy Phenomenon should keep them safe from the Negative Magie's effects, Kurena wonders if they were really able to activate it. With only Hanabusa’s use of the Valkyrian Skirt system left, Minato advises the Lilies most susceptible to Negative Magie to maintain their distance from the Gigafloat. Suddenly, however, Minato receives a report of a teleporting Large-class Huge advancing towards Odaiba’s Light Walls.

With a cooldown time of five minutes between its teleports, the Lilies predict the Large-class would succeed in breaching past the Light Walls in around 30 minutes. And so, Kiito proposes that she and Kurena leave to intercept it alone. With the other Legions in agreement, the pair sets off, with Kiito once again leaving Hronesnæsse to Asagao and Subaru’s command. In the meantime, Haru worries that the sheer number of Irregulars they’re faced with means the situation was also likely engineered by GEHENA.

Back at Odaiba, Tomoyo tells Ui of how Kiito and Kurena set off to battle an Irregular by themselves. Ui likewise worries that GEHENA is responsible for the Huge they've encountered, and Tomoyo presumes they’re testing whether the two of them can truly activate the Empathy Phenomenon. Ui responds that they were already able to do so during training, but Tomoyo once again points out that it was weaker than the one between her and Kiito, and maliciously presumes that they likely seek to use the opportunity to capture Kiito and make her into a Boosted Lily in order to remedy that.

Tomoyo points out that Lunatic Trancer users have particularly low chances of surviving the Boosting procedure, and that even if it is successful, it causes them to become even more vulnerable to Negative Magie than usual. As Ui once again blames herself for failing to stay by Kiito’s side, Tomoyo presumes that GEHENA purposefully engineered this situation in order to isolate her from her sister. Ui is furious at the idea of someone forcefully bringing her and Kiito apart, and as she begs Tomoyo to take her to Kiito and Kurena’s location, Tomoyo uses her Magie to knock her unconscious.

Hronesnæsse and the Saints continue their fight against the Gigafloat, but they struggle to keep up against its light tentacles. Nazuna attempts to use her Phantasm to predict their course, but as soon as she does it, Momiji is immediately targeted by the Huge. Though Yuzuriha intercepts the attack, she is knocked down, causing the pair to be captured by the Gigafloat, who brings them inside its shield together while still carrying their Magisphere. Despite her teammates' assurances, Nazuna blames herself for failing to activate her Phantasm in time. With no other choice, Hronesnæsse decides on using their own Magisphere to destroy the shield, in hopes they can retrieve Yuzuriha and Momiji and use their Magisphere to take down the Huge. But with Kiito and Kurena absent, they are forced to make their passes as close as possible to the Huge in order to compensate for their absence with the local Magie Intensity.

Kiito and Kurena reach the teleporting Large-class Huge. With Kurena struggling to maintain her focus, Kiito asks that she keep her calm so they can activate the Empathy Phenomenon, as it should heighten their senses and allow them to keep track of the Huge’s movements. This surprises Kurena, who thought it was already in effect, and Kiito reveals that while they were able to produce an effect similar so far, it was not as potent as the one experienced between her and Ui.

Before they can begin battling the Large-class, the pair is suddenly interrupted by Ui, utterly consumed by rage. She begins unceremoniously attacking Kurena, and realizing that she has fully lost control of her Lunatic Trancer, Kiito presumes that she became vulnerable to Negative Magie once again due to not experiencing their Empathy Phenomenon. Kurena, however, wonders if she purposefully allowed it to happen in order to boost her anger. As the mental suggestions placed by both Tomoyo and Mayumi take effect, Kurena and Ui begin to fight each other, as each of them refuse to allow the other to take Kiito for themselves.

Kiito is in total disbelief, and immediately attempts to stop the pair, however, this in turn leads Ui to believe her sister had been turned against her. Kiito orders Kurena to hold off the Large-class, and as Kurena protests, Kiito briefly snaps at her before stopping herself, in shock at her own anger. Kiito begins to battle Ui, and Kurena is not confident she can fight the Huge by herself, prompting Kiito to reveal that she agreed to become her partner out of sympathy, as Kurena reminded her of how her younger self was completely helpless without her sister by her side. Kiito tells Kurena she does not need her pity, and urges her to reclaim the confident and powerful fighting style she once knew her for with her own hands. Motivated, Kurena leaves in pursuit of the Huge, while Kiito continues to fight her sister.

Meanwhile, as Hronesnæsse and the Saints continue battling the Gigafloat, a light rain begins to pour, with the temperature around the Lilies increasing. Recalling how the same event happened during the Funada Twins’ fight against Haru, the Lilies worry for Kiito and Kurena’s safety. Though beginning to show their exhaustion as they make their passes, the Hronesnæsse members are ultimately able to complete the Magisphere with Minato and Hanabusa’s aid. Imamura Yukari receives the final pass, and successfully destroys the Gigafloat’s shield, allowing Momiji and Yuzuriha to escape. Haru retrieves the pair’s Magisphere, while Hanabusa uses her Valkyrian Skirt to purify the Negative Magie they were exposed to while inside the shield. With their leaders retrieved, and Hronesnæsse nearly fully exhausted, the Saints take the lead in fighting the GigaFloat, continuing their Neunwelt together with Minato and Hanabusa.

Final Battle

Kiito continues to battle an increasingly erratic Ui as the rain around them intensifies. Ui is convinced that Kiito had abandoned her due to feeling she no longer needs her, but Kiito insists that she cannot bear the mere thought of being away from her sister, reminding Ui of the pact they made to keep on defending the world together. Ui asks Kiito why she protected Kurena before, and Kiito responds that she did not wish for her sister to hurt someone else. In response, Ui asks that Kiito kill Kurena for her, telling Kiito that she is ready to kill anyone for her sister’s sake.

The two sisters continue to fight, with Ui telling Kiito that she would prefer being killed by her than lose her to someone else. Kiito, however, refuses to hurt her sister, Ui declares that she cannot kill her, then she will kill Kiito instead. She eventually succeeds in disarming Kiito, but is likewise unable to go through with hurting her sister. With her emotions in conflict, Ui begins to spiral further, and Kiito rushes to her side, and as she holds her sister in her arms, the rain around them immediately stops. Kiito once again professes that she never wishes to be separated from her sister, and as Ui finally returns to her senses, Kiito breaks down in tears, begging her sister to never leave her side. Ui finally apologizes to her sister, telling Kiito that she was completely consumed by her fear of losing her. As the twins share an embrace, their Empathy Phenomenon is once again unleashed in full.

Fully recovered, the Funada Twins regroup with Kurena, taking over in fighting against the teleporting Large-class Huge. With their Empathy Phenomenon, the pair is able to successfully predict its movements, allowing them to kill the Huge with little issue. Ui tries to apologize to Kurena, but the latter is not bothered, telling her that watching the two of them fight helped clear her head. Though realizing that she is, ultimately, unsuited to stand alongside Kiito, Kurena is now motivated to find a partner of her own. After reconciling, the three of them set off to their Legion mates in taking down the Gigant-class. They quickly arrive at the GigaFloat's location, and forming a team with Brave users Yuki and Sunao, as well as Laplace users Tomoshibi and Chinami, the Funada twins and Kurena take the lead as the group makes the Neunwelt’s final passes, allowing Kiito to successfully destroy the Gigafloat.

Epilogue

Ui and Kiito meet Mayumi as they visit the medical bay, and the Instructor tells the pair that she’ll be taking over Tomoyo’s role as Odaiba’s physician as the latter had since transferred away from the Garden. Ui tells Mayumi that she has little recollection of her time in recovery, but still wished to show Tomoyo her appreciation for the help the Instructor provided her. As they speak, Kurena arrives at the bay, and equally thanks Mayumi for her counselling. Kurena tells them that she has accepted that she’ll likely never be able to fully experience the Empathy Phenomenon with Kiito, she is motivated to find a partner she can properly activate it with. Realizing that Tomoshibi would be a suitable candidate due to Laplace's high affinity with Lunatic Trancer, Mayumi once again proposes that Kurena join Legion Hronesnæsse, but Kurena responds that she already has a place to call home with the Saints.

Tomoshibi finds Tomoyo just as she is about to leave Odaiba, once again telling her of how they’ve experienced the “Emergence” phenomenon during their previous battle, presuming it to have been a part of her experiment. In response, Tomoyo tells Tomoshibi of her hope that “untainted Lilies” will be the ones to ultimately save the world, pointing out how there is a power in the human spirit and its emotions that the Huge lack. She tells Tomoshibi of how the Funada Twins are a remarkable example of such untainted Lilies, and as she begins to take her leave, she admits that her experiment was close to being a success, but ultimately, it needed further research. Tomoyo assures Tomoshibi that her plans do not involve “imitations” that carry Huge cells such as herself, and Tomoshibi in turn inquires why Kurena was targeted, presuming that she and Mayumi acted together. Though Tomoyo assures Tomoshibi that she and Mayumi had no business together, she confirms that the Instructor was, in fact, a researcher in Kuramayama, telling Tomoshibi that “she is someone you’ve killed once before”.

Kurena officially returns to the Saints, apologizing to her teammates for the worries she caused them. They meet with Hronesnæsse, and the two Legions exchange their appreciation for the support they offered each other during this incident. Minato and Hayabusa approach the two Legions, informing them of how due to the high frequency of Cave and Irregular Huge appearing in their territory, Odaiba is faced with a potential crisis, which she hopes their Legions can overcome by continuing to closely work together.

Meanwhile, Mayumi is ecstatic that Tomoyo has finally gotten out of her way, gleefully declaring that Odaiba is now her personal testing ground, as she aspires to resume the research that Tomoshibi had cut short in the past. As the Cave alarm goes off, The Heorot Saints, Hronesnæsse and the Coast Guard leave for battle together.

Cast

Legion Hronesnæsse

Ishii Haruna / 石井陽菜 as Funada Kiito
Saiba Mizuki / 西葉瑞希 as Funada Ui
Nomoto Sora / 野元空 as Shiba Tomoshibi
Hasegawa Rimo / 長谷川里桃 as Nagasawa Yuki
Yoshimiya Ruri / 吉宮瑠織 (Formerly Umino Ruri / 海乃るり) as Igusa Subaru
Shibata Mari / 柴田茉莉 as Imamura Yukari
Harusaki Non / 春咲暖 as Fujita Asagao
Hirosawa Mai / 広沢麻衣 as Kawabata Hotaru
Arisawa Mifū / 有沢澪風 as Kozue West

Legion Heorot Saints

Yano Hinaki / 矢野妃菜喜 as Tsukioka Momiji
Awatsu Mai / あわつまい as Kawamura Yuzuriha
Hayashida Mahiro / 林田真尋 as Hishida Haru
Hoshiki Seena / 星希成奏 as Saigo Kurena
Kawauchi Misato / 河内美里 as Kawanabe Nazuna
Shiraishi Mayumi / 白石まゆみ as Suzuki Chinami
Kanna / 栞菜 as Hayami Katsura
Yamamoto Shiori / 山本栞 as Takehisa Nakaba
Kitazawa Saki / 北澤早紀 as Otake Sunao
Imamura Miho / 今村美歩 as Maruyama Amane

Legion Coast Guard

Tanoue Marina / 田上真里奈 as Hirose Minato
Shirakawa Mizuna / 白河みずな as Kishida Hanabusa

Faculty

Onose Mirai / 小野瀬みらいas Nakahara Mary Tomoyo
Ishihara Misaki / 石原美沙紀 as Inaba Mayumi

Additionally, Tanoue Marina reprises her role as Toda Eulalia Kotohi in a prerecorded, voice-only performance. Actress Kiyohara Chitose (雪原千歳) also appears in an uncredited, voice-only performance as the GEHENA researcher who freed Tomoshibi.

Production

Production of The Empathy Phenomenon was led by both AZONE International and pius, with Obanazawa Ken'ei (尾花沢軒栄), the author of the Assault Lily series, in charge of the primary draft. The screenplay was developed by Sakuragi Sakaya (桜木さやか) of the Ludvico Private Girls' Academy theatre troupe, with Sano Mizuki (佐野瑞樹) of Bushiroad Music in charge of stage direction. Hayashi Shuji (林修司) of Ludvico served as the play's executive producer.

Composer Tani Naoki (谷ナオキ) was responsible for the score and music direction, and though the play did not see a soundtrack release, its main theme, "The Blossoms Dance by the Side", was included in the vocal track compilation albums "Assault Lily: Odaiba Girls' School - Stage Song Selection", released exclusively as a physical CD on February 3, 2023, and "Stage Selection - Sortie One", which was released as a physical CD on April 18, 2024, and later made available on streaming services on April 25, 2025.

Trivia

Commenting on Amane’s combination of her Rare Skill, Shukuchi, and her Subskill Stealth, Tomoyo remarks that it makes her “ just like a ninja”, likely in a nod to Sano Matilda Kokoro.
The Gigant-class Huge that escapes during the play's opening sequence is one of the Irregular Gigant-class Huge that serve as primary enemies in Chapter Two of Assault Lily: Last Bullet. There, it is hunted down by Legion Hronesnæsse with the aid of Legion Gran Eple.
In Assault Lily: Lost Memories, Gozen was ever only referred to as a unique Boosted Lily boasting a power "greater than that of Lilies and Huge alike". In this play, Mayumi confirms that Gozen was herself a Princess of the Huge.
At the end of the play, when Kurena wonders if there is someone she could activate the Empathy Phenomenon with, Ui suggests Sasaki Ran as a potential candidate, as both her and Kurena are Boosted Lilies with Lunatic Trancer. Mayumi, meanwhile, suggests Tomoshibi, pointing out the high compatibility between Lunatic Trancer and Laplace. In Assault Lily: The Fateful Gift, Ran's Magie is shown to be tremendously amplified whenever she comes in contact with Charisma user Kishimoto Lucia Raimu, with the latter remarking that it was "as if I attacked [the Huge] myself". Later, Amatsu Marei theorizes that they were able to produce an effect similar to the Empathy Phenomenon due to the high affinity between their Rare Skills.

Gallery

Official Poster