Assault Lily: The Liberation of Niigata: Chapter 4
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Chapter Four
Ryuto in Chaos
A blanket of dense clouds loomed over Niigata.
The Naglfar soared through the skies as it approached Ryuto Girls’ Academy. Visible beyond its window was the bleak scenery of a once beautiful expanse now littered by the ruins left by the war. The city below had been completely devastated, and throughout its streets, countless Huge roamed freely, as if claiming their domain of the area.
Casting her gaze downwards, Kusumi whispered:
“.... This is heartbreaking.”
The other Álfheimr members joined her in watching over Niigata as it was overrun by the Huge. At that moment, their ears were assaulted by a roar so overpowering that it caused the very air around them to quake. The roar was immediately followed by a strong gust of wind, which made the Naglfar tremble.
“W-What is this!? A storm!?” cried Ena, tightly holding onto her seat.
“No! That sound came from a Huge!” Answered Tatsuki, pointing towards the sea.
As all Lilies all turned to face the sea, they caught a hazy glimpse of the outline of Sado’s shore. However, the one feature that immediately drew their gazes was the mountainous figure that currently walked the Island’s surface.
“Fafnir...” Uttered Soraha, as she watched the lumbering great shadow.
Eventually, the Naglfar successfully landed at Ryuto’s helipad.
Ryuto Girls’ Academy was located within metropolitan Niigata, and because the Garden’s culture was heavily influenced by the Vikings of Norse mythology, its facilities were all built out of wood, bearing a style similar to that of traditional Viking architecture.
Waiting at the helipad for their arrival was the one to request Soraha’s aid, Sengo Yuuna, as well as two other Ryuto Lilies.
“Soraha!” Yuuna exclaimed as she rushed to the girl’s side, firmly clasping both of her hands. “Thank you so much for coming!”
Soraha, in turn, laid her hand on Yuuna’s shoulder, showing the Lily a smile.
“I’m the one who should thank you, for putting your faith in me.”
The pair’s heartfelt reunion was interrupted by an unknown voice calling their attention.
“We’ve eagerly awaited your arrival, dear guests of Álfheimr.”
Greeting them was a girl of rather mature looks, her lips in a soft smile as she gracefully bowed in reverence.
“My name is Yakuwa Byakuren. I am the current president of Ryuto Girls’ Academy’s Student Council, and the captain of Legion Byrgja. It is a great honor to make your acquaintance”
The second girl soon followed with her own, cheerful introduction.
“I’m Takami Asuka~! I’m the head of the Disciplinary Committee and the captain of Legion Bára! Nice to meetcha!”
All of Álfheimr’s members introduced themselves, and once they finished, Byakuren inquired:
“Soraha-san, I’ve been made aware of this earlier, but is it true that you were in conversations with Odaiba Girls’ School?”
“I have!” Soraha responded vigorously, and Byakuren nodded in understanding.
“Well then, we shall further discuss this matter at our war room session later. But before that, I was told that Fubuki-sama would like to meet all of you.”
“Fubuki-san? How is her current condition?” Wakana asked, appearing unusually forward.
Miyairi Fubuki, Ryuto’s former Student Council president, was an old acquaintance of Maki Wakana, Soraha’s Schutzengel.
With a nod of confirmation, Byakuren continued:
“She is well. Though it is true that she had been unconscious for a long time, she did eventually awaken, and when we informed her that Álfheimr would be providing us reinforcements, she was very eager to meet you in person...”
“I understand. Is that all right, Sora-chan?”
“Of course.” Soraha answered with a nod.
Miyairi Fubuki was still hospitalized at Ryuto’s medical bay, the sight of which was not unlike a wartime field hospital, as it was completely packed to the brim with wounded Lilies. Ichi and the other first years couldn’t help but watch the horrid sight of their injured sisters with grimaced faces, and Kusumi in particular tightly held onto Soraha’s clothes as they walked by.
Finally, Soraha’s group arrived at Fubuki’s room.
“Oh, Wakana, and the Álfheimr dames. You really came.”
Sat on a wheelchair, Fubuki welcomed them into the room. The sight of her body still wrapped in bandages all over was heart-wrenching.
“Has it not been a while, Fubuki-san?” Wakana said in a cheerful tone, kneeling before her friend. “For someone of your strength to suffer such hideous injuries...”
“It was a loss humiliating, and it’s all because I'd been so wörthless. So many of my systers wound up hurt because I failed to act my duty proper. I’m an embarrassment for a leader...”
Fubuki clenched her hand in a fist, trembling in her shame.
“But well, if we’re graced by Álfheimr’s help, then maybe these tides can be turned. My wounds will fade with time, but until they do, I may leave in your hands Niigata and my homeland, yes? I’ve faith that true ‘heroes’ the likes of you dames will defend it well.”
“No. It is you who has earned the title of ‘hero’ after keeping Niigata protected for this long. So for now, let us take over until you’re in shape to return.”
Openly displaying her affection for Fubuki, Wakana enveloped her in a tender embrace, and as she did so, Fubuki wrapped her own arms around the girl’s back.
“Thank you. I trust your might to make my homeland safe.”
After parting with Fubuki, Soraha and the others left the room.
...
Ryuto’s Legion War Room was to be conducted in the Garden’s main building.
Though the captains of each of Ryuto’s Legions of the Nine were summoned, Yoshihara Nanoha of Legion Hefring and Enomoto Komomo of Legion Hrönn were still nowhere to be seen. As the Student Council President, Byakuren couldn’t help but let out a sigh as she declared:
“Such are the circumstances, so let this meeting begin without them. Asuka, if you could brief our guests on the current state of affairs.”
“You gotcha~” Answered Asuka, raising her hand as she began her presentation. “So the Fafnir had stopped moving after its last rampage, but now it started advancing again, so we probably can expect it to come back at us with full force at some point.”
“And none of us will survive if it does unleash another large-scale incursion like the one it did before.” Marei remarked, prompting Yuuna, representing her Legion Himinglæva, to offer a strong response:
“We won’t ever allow that to happen. Together with Soraha’s team, we’ll make sure that the Fafnir is brought down before it has the chance to attack a second time!”
Yuuna turned to face Soraha, who continued:
“I do bring you good news. We’ve been informed that Odaiba Girls’ School would be sending troops of their own. With the might of one of Tokyo’s Greats by our side, we’ll undoubtedly succeed in neutralizing the Fafnir!”
The news that Odaiba Girls’ School would come to their support caused the conference room to erupt in murmurs.
“Would Odaiba really send their forces to a territory this far? If memory doesn’t fail me, they are rather strongly opposed to Expeditions, no?” asked Imaizumi Rion, captain of Legion Uðr. Soraha, with a confident smile, answered:
“Momiji promised me that they would send us reinforcements no matter what, and I believe her in earnest. Which is why I think that, so long as we can hold out until then...”
“That won’t be necessary!”
Out of nowhere, a pair of Lilies unashamedly barged into the room, with their CHARMs still in hand.
“Captain Yoshihara Nanoha of Legion Hefring, and Captain Enomoto Komomo of Legion Hrönn, in attendance!”
Though the pair bowed down in formal reverence to Byakuren, in both of their faces was an expression of clear disdain. Similarly wearing her own displeasure in the open, Byakuren reprimanded the pair:
“Now how will you excuse arriving at the meeting this late? I am quite certain I informed you that Álfheimr would be joining us today!”
Nanoha, however, replied in a remarkably unbothered tone:
“I do ask for your forgiveness, it simply took us a bit longer than predicted to destroy the Cave in Sakata.”
Her remark once again led murmurs to fill the Conference room.
“The Sakata Cave!? But it took the Student Council’s top aces to merely get it under control!” Yuuna said in surprise, prompting Komomo to begin boasting.
“Oh, Yuuna-sama, it is but your mediocre way of combat you must fault for your failure to reach perfectly achievable victories. If you actually staked your own life the way a soldier ought to, you’d find there is no enemy that cannot be conquered.”
“Ehehe, fluent in barking, aren’t you?” retorted Amata Hanako of Legion Kólga, letting out an amused chuckle.
Nonetheless, Byakuren continued her chiding of the pair.
“Enough. I do not recall ever approving of such an operation. How would you explain yourself if one of your fellow Lilies met her death because of your caprices?”
“Then we would’ve dealt with it accordingly. In fact, there exists no greater honor for a Lily of Ryuto other than to offer her life for the battlefield. One only becomes a hero once they are felled at the end of their valiant struggle, am I wrong?”
“My companions and I are all more than willing to offer our own lives for the sake of protecting our homeland.”
Hearing the two Lilies’ remarks, Soraha and all of Álfheimr were completely dumbfounded.
(It’s like they don’t see any value in their own lives at all...)
Cutting between the air of brazen animosity surrounding the three Lilies, Yuuna declared:
“Nanoha-san, Komomo, we cannot take down the Fafnir ourselves in our current state. That is surely something we’ll only be able to do by joining our forces with Álfheimr and Odaiba.”
“And it is that very willingness to grovel at the feet of other Gardens, begging for their help before even facing the enemy yourself, that is utterly disgraceful for a true soldier!” Komomo snapped back in ire, and Nanoha followed with a stinging remark of her own:
“Yuuna, for how much longer are you intent on basking in the memory of your service in the Counteroffensive? Let us not forget that it is you that we have to blame for the many sisters we lost, and for the pain that Fubuki Onee-sama had to endure.”
“..............!”
The pair’s admonishment left Yuuna at a loss for words. Araya, meanwhile, could not stand watching their argument any longer, and blurted out:
“For heaven’s sake, defeating the Fafnir will stay as nothing but a faraway dream if this is how we find ourselves.”
“..............”
Soraha had known from Toono Natsuki’s report that Ryuto was experiencing an internal divide, with their withdrawal from Sado and Miyairi Fubuki’s injury as its primary instigators. Komomo had lost her older sister during the Fafnir’s first assault on Sado, and Nanoha had almost lost Fubuki, with whom she took an oath of sisterhood with, because of the Student Council’s ultimately flawed battle strategy.
With words not unlike a declaration of war, Nanoha spoke to Byakuren:
“You shall see that I’ll bring down the Fafnir without aid from any of you. True honor is only bestowed upon those who conquer the most difficult battles, and to do that is what a true hero of Ryuto should aspire towards!”
“I, too, will continue to fight until my very last breath, as a hero ought to. After all, I’m not like this coward who runs away and leaves her sisters to their deaths.” Added Komomo, swiftly turning her scornful gaze to a girl sitting at the very end of the table.
“.................”
On the receiving end of her gaze was Sumitani Miki, captain of Legion Dúfa. Miki attempted to avert Komomo’s gaze, but the latter then moved to an inch of her face:
“I won’t ever accept that the one who left my sister to die is worthy to be the captain of Dúfa. If you truly were a Lily of Ryuto, then you would have died together with my sister and all the others you abandoned!”
With a pained look on her eyes, Miki answered:
“.... Yaya Onee-sama and I had made a promise, no matter what happened to the other, we’d do all we could to keep on living.”
Komomo then screamed, burning with rage:
“Shut your damn mouth! Scum like you doesn’t have any right to think of yourself as her ‘sister’!”
Komomo attempted to strike Miki, but multiple of the Lilies present rushed to stop her.
“Dear me, I didn’t take Ryuto’s Lilies to be this effervescent.” Araya said, offering Komomo a smile. It was, however, reciprocated with a hateful glare.
“And what does Álfheimr think they’re doing here? I hear all the pretentious stories of you being a ‘legendary Legion’ and whatnot. So what, you came this far to steal away the glory of victory from someone else’s hands? When you can’t even deal with the Nest in your own backyard?”
“My, what a sharp tongue you have. Well, how about I show that little body of yours what I’m truly capable of?”
“Araya!” Warned Ichi, but Araya paid it no mind.
“Or is it only your mouth that can act so ferocious?”
“If you’re so eager to find out, then fine, I’ll show you what a true Lily of Ryuto can do!”.
Komomo pointed her CHARM towards Araya, and then...
“Enough of this foolishness!”
The entire room rang with the reverb of the booming exclamation. As all the Lilies turned to face the door, they were met with the sight of Fubuki, still in her wheelchair, and her eyes filled with anguish.
“Onee-sama!” Uttered Nanoha as she dropped her CHARM and rushed to Fubuki’s side. “Why have you come here? Please don’t tell me you’re pushing yourself again...”
“Well, if only you let me rest without being full of worry”
“I’m so sorry, I just wished to protect you so...”
Seeing Nanoha speaking on the verge of tears, Fubuki smiled at her.
“The only one to blame for these wounds is me and my own weakness, no one else. Listen, you and Komomo possess a strength indispensable for bringing Fafnir down, so please, if you could stay and work with Byakuren and Yuuna to make that happen.”
“..... I understand.”
Afterwards, it was decided in the conference that Álfheimr would be filling the vacancy left by Fubuki and her Legion, Blóðughadda, and they’d depart to destroy Fafnir’s Nest as soon as the reinforcements from Odaiba Girls’ School arrived. Until then, Ryuto and Álfheimr would together conduct the preparations for the upcoming battle, while also aiding in the defense of vulnerable areas.
Once the conference was over, Komomo approached Nanoha in an empty corner of the building.
“Nanoha-sama! Don’t tell me that you truly mean to surrender our own prey to the likes of the Student Council and Álfheimr, do you!?”
With an uncaring gaze, Nanoha brushed off Komomo’s concerns
“Rest assured that I have no intentions of trusting the Council and whatever outsiders they bring. I’m confident that even without their aid, a coordinated attack with all of Ryuto’s Lilies should prove more than enough to destroy the Fafnir.”
“And how do you intend to convince all the others to follow your idea?”
Nanoha turned her gaze to the mountain valley beyond the window.
“We will retake Sanjo. If we do that, then Ryuto’s Lilies will surely recognize that we are the ones whose might is truly befitting of great heroes. However, I’ll need you to lend me your power so that can happen, Komomo.”
Komomo vigorously conceded:
“Of course! So long as I can take my revenge for my sister’s honor, then I’ll gladly offer you all the strength that I have.”
A year ago, when the Fafnir had made first contact with Sado, the captain of Legion Dúfa and Komomo’s older sister, Enomoto Yaya, fought until her last breath to defend the island and its citizens from the Huge’s advance. Though her efforts made it so that not a single civilian casualty was reported, all of Dúfa’s members except Sumitani Miki perished in the battle.
Komomo recalled the last time she saw her sister’s smile. Her words were that you’ll surely grow to be a formidable hero, Komomo, but Yaya had been the one truly worthy of this title.
In Norse mythology, it is said that the most brave champions, who were felled in combat with the glory of a true warrior, had souls worthy to reside in “Valhalla”, the hall of heroes. If Valhalla was truly real, then Komomo was certain that her sister would be there.
“No matter what it takes, I will bring Fafnir down, and become a true hero like my sister was, even if that means sacrificing my own life.” Professed Komomo, with steel-clad resolution. At this, Nanoha smiled:
“Then, may one day we reunite in Valhalla.”
...
The next day, Soraha, Yuuna and Miki enjoyed a cup of tea together at the lounge.
“You see, Yaya Onee-sama, Komomo and I had been very close since we were kids. So much that I genuinely wished I could become their real sister...”
From under her collar, Miki removed a medal that she wore as a necklace. It was the medal of the “Gullinkambi Pact”. In Ryuto Girls’ Academy, when two Lilies make a pact of sisterhood between themselves, it is tradition for each of them to exchange and wear medals made by the other.
“Though I knew the moment we took our vows that it would be our last time together, Onee-sama still gave me that bright and beautiful smile of hers all the same.”
It was known that Miki and Yaya had exchanged their vows in the midst of the evacuation from Sado. Miki, I’m sorry for taking so long. Let’s make our pact right now, she’d said, and immediately after sealing their vows, Yaya ordered Miki, who was their only first year Lily, to undertake the defense of the civilians of Sado, ultimately allowing her to escape safely.
“The moment that I parted ways with Onee-sama, I swore to myself that I would save Niigata at any cost, and that I’d continue to protect Komomo in her absence. If Komomo’s hatred is the price I must pay, then so be it...”
Miki fiercely clenched her medal.
“But it is only true that those two’s presence is absolutely indispensable to defeat the Fafnir. So it worries me wheter we can truly convince them to assist us...” Said Yuuna in a concerned tone. Soraha, however, offered her a smile.
“It’ll be fine, all of us want the same thing here, so I’m sure they’ll understand if we just talk to them properly.”
“... Gosh, you never change, do you, Soraha?”
With an awkward grin, Yuuna showed a slight hint of optimism at Soraha’s remark. But then...
“Sora! I’ve got awful news!” shouted Ena, barging through the door. “Apparently, Nanoha-san and Komomo-san’s Legions have just deployed without clearance to attempt a recapture of Sanjo!”
“Komomo... and Nanoha-san!?” Said Miki, immediately standing up.
“It’s still way too soon to try reclaiming Sanjo. There’s Caves showing up at every corner because of the Fafnir’s presence, and if they encounter a larger one in the territory they’re headed to...!”
Yuuna’s words prompted Soraha to jump to her feet.
“We should meet with Byakuren-san immediately!”
And yet, what Soraha did not know is that this incident would only cause Ryuto Girls’ Academy to spiral further down…
To be continued