Assault Lily: The Liberation of Niigata: Chapter 6
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Chapter Six
An Oath Forged in Hardship
Deep in the forest that surrounded Sanjo city laid alone one Yoshihara Nanoha.
Not a single one of her teammates could be found next to her, and her body was constricted to the ground by a web of gigantic tendrils.
“.... Hah, hah...”
Standing just before her was a variation of the Irregular Huge known as The Drains. And though Nanoha held a CHARM in each of her hands, the poison that flowed out of the Drains’ tendrils prevented her from imbuing them with any Magie.
(... How pathetic of me, falling victim to the likes of this monster.)
Nanoha and Komomo’s battalions had fought incessantly in hopes of retaking Sanjo. As they did, they encountered the very same Irregular Huge that had maimed Miyairi Fubuki, the “Mandragora-RYTα”. Though Nanoha fought in full force to bring it down, she realized that Komomo was about to be ambushed by the Drains, and ultimately decided to jump in the way of its attack so that Komomo could escape.
And so, the Drains took her away and into the woods as a hostage.
(I cannot die here, I absolutely refuse to, not until Niigata has been reclaimed...)
Mustering all the strength she had left, Nanoha attempted to break free of its hold, but that instead only prompted the Drains to fasten its grip and increase its absorption of her Magie.
“Aaaaghhh!!”
Tears ran down both of Nanoha’s cheeks. She had left Tamao and the others to their deaths in order to continue her battle, yet now, she couldn’t even fulfill her mission of reclaiming Sanjo. She had no right to title herself a hero.
(I’m so sorry, Fubuki Onee-sama...)
Though Nanoha had now accepted that she would not survive, something happened the moment the thought rose to her mind.
“Haaaaahh!!”
From amidst the trees emerged a lone Lily, who swiftly severed the Drains’ tendrils and freed Nanoha from its grasp. Laying eyes on the girl’s face, Nanoha exclaimed in surprise:
“Yuuna!? Why are you here?”
Carrying Nanoha in her arms, Yuuna escaped away from the Drains’ range.
“We came to rescue you and Komomo-san, and we detected your CHARM’s signal soon after arriving at Sanjo, so me, Tsukushi-san and Akane-san decided to come search for you.”
After fully regenerating its limbs, The Drains shot all of them at once in Yuuna and Nanoha’s direction. In turn, Yuuna began striking them down with her Dragvandil, but no matter how many she’d cut down, they would all regenerate in an instant. Furthermore, because she was also carrying the immobilized Nanoha, she was unable to fight at her full capacity.
Then, one of the tendrils attempted to snatch Nanoha away.
“....Nanoha-san!”
Yuuna tightly wrapped her arms around Nanoha in order to protect her, and in that moment, her body began to glisten with a gentle glow, which scattered all around them like flower petals in the wind. As that light touched the Drains’ body, it let out a screech as it writhed in pain.
“..... Charisma.” whispered Nanoha, watching the glow flourish around them.
“Charisma” was Sengo Yuuna’s Rare Skill. It granted her the ability to purify Negative Magie, which could be used to convert the ambient Magie produced by the Huge into a form that could be absorbed and utilized by her allies. This also had the effect of boosting the morale of the Lilies around her.
Because of this, the poison that corroded Nanoha’s body began to be gradually purified by the light emerging from Yuuna.
Yet, the Drains insisted on advancing towards the pair.
“Yuuna, get away from here at once! I will not admit that you die here as well!”
“I refuse! I’ll do whatever it takes to keep you safe!” retorted Yuuna, still holding Nanoha in a tight embrace. At that moment:
“That’s the spirit, girl!” spoke a loud voice that echoed from above the pair. Soon after, a single Lily descended from the canopies and promptly began severing the Drains’ tendrils. Nanoha had a faint recollection of the identity of the figure before her.
It was Takasuga Tsukushi, one of Álfheimr’s members.
“Tsukushi! I told you not to jump ahead on your own!”
The second figure descending from the trees was Álfheimr’s vice-captain and Tsukushi’s Schutzengel, Watanabe Akane. As she landed, Akane turned to Yuuna and Nanoha, uttering:
“Yuuna-san, you can leave us to take care of the rest.”
Letting out a furious roar, the Drains shot out a viscous sludge from several of its limbs, which flew towards the Lilies with the speed of bullets. But without taking a single step back, Akane deflected every single projectile as she swung her CHARM with incredible speed.
“Was that the ‘Just Guard’!?”
This was a technique Nanoha was familiar with.
Pioneered by Akane herself, it consisted on infusing the CHARM with a high concentration of Magie for only a brief moment in order to bolster its deflective capabilities. This was a highly advanced technique that the average Lily could not even hope to replicate.
“Now, Tsukushi!”
Immediately after Akane’s command, Tsukushi dashed forward like a missile. A holder of the double-wielding Rare Skill “Circlet Bless”, Tsukushi used her two CHARMs to relentlessly slash against the Drains’ body. As fast as its limbs were able to regenerate, Tsukushi’s attacks severed them off even faster.
(.... Takasuga Tsukushi. The rumors truly don’t do justice to the unparalleled speed of her blades.)
As Nanoha continued to watch in awe, Tsukushi impaled the Drains’ fully unguarded main body, and successfully brought it down.
“In the bag, Aka-nee!” Tsukushi said with a wide smile, making a “V” sign with her hand.
“Very well done.” responded Akane, stroking Tsukushi’s head.
“So this is what Álfheimr is like...” Nanoha uttered, watching the pair in complete astonishment.
“Are you unhurt, Nanoha-sama?”
With the battle now behind them, Yuuna attempted to speak with Nanoha once again. In turn, Nanoha pushed her away as she snapped back to her senses.
“I did not ask for this... why did you save me? I cannot accept that I would ever be rescued by a nobody like you...”
“Nanoha-san, I think you’re going a little too far...” Akane attempted to interject, but Yuuna stopped her, shaking her head to the sides.
“Your strength is absolutely necessary if we want to destroy the Fafnir. So please, Nanoha-sama, come to our side.”
Despite Yuuna’s desperate plea, Nanoha swiftly shot her down.
“And live the rest of my life in utter shame? I would have preferred death a hundred times if it meant staying true to my honor as a Lily of Ryuto!”
“I don’t want that! I want you to live!”
The tangible pain in the words Yuuna screamed left Nanoha in shock. With tears rolling down her face, Yuuna clinged onto Nanoha’s body.
“I wanted to be together with everyone more! I wanted to spend my days with them by my side! I don’t want to have to say goodbye to anyone else, not to you, not to Komomo! I want the two of you to live...!”
“.... Yuuna.”
This fragility was exactly what Nanoha hated so much about Yuuna.
She was supposed to be a Lily of Ryuto, and yet, instead of choosing to die honorably, she stubbornly insisted on keeping on living. And yet, she would still stake her own life if it meant the ones close to her would be spared.
(Those naive words will bring you nothing but regret...)
Yuuna refused to change her ways on that matter, regardless of how many times she was told to by other Ryuto Lilies. It was for that very reason that she earned Fubuki’s respect, and was granted the position of captain of Legion Himinglæva. That fact was something that infuriated Nanoha to no end.
However, she felt that she could understand why Fubuki would choose her for a position as grand as the head of one of Ryuto’s Legions of the Nine.
“A Lily of Ryuto mustn’t sully her face with tears, you know?” said Nanoha, wiping away Yuuna’s tears. “.... Do not think that I ever wished for this, but since this occasion left me in your debt, then I’ll agree to fight alongside you. For now, however, we must rescue Komomo and the others.”
Yuuna tightly held both of Nanoha’s hands in her own, and said:
“Thank you so much, Nanoha-san!”
Flustered, Nanoha turned her gaze away from Yuuna.
“Keep your niceties for after we retrieve Komomo, understood?”
Now with the task of rescuing Komomo, Nanoha and Yuuna made their way back to the remaining members of Álfheimr and Himinglæva.
...
At a grass plain within the limits of Sanjo City, Enomoto Komomo and her squadron fought against a particular pair of Huge: the Irregular-type Mandragora-RYTα that previously mauled Fubuki, and the Gigant-class Catōblepas. The former’s appearance was that of a repugnant, plant-like beast, while the latter was reminiscent of a gigantic ox. Together, the pair had driven Komomo into a corner.
(... This really isn’t good.)
Turning to both of her sides, Komomo saw that the members of both Legion Hefring and of Legion Hrönn were incredibly exhausted from the incessant battles they faced. Furthermore, Nanoha’s capture had severely diminished their spirits, after all, she had been the one leading them on their battles thus far.
“We cannot let this be the end of us!” Declared Komomo, attempting to continue fighting by herself. But then...
“All of you, stand up! Are you truly Lilies of Ryuto or not!?”
From behind her resounded a firm command, and when Komomo turned around, she saw Nanoha and Yuuna together, and accompanying them was Legion Álfheimr.
“Nanoha-sama!!”
In an instant, the light returned to the eyes of the Ryuto Lilies.
“Soraha-san, if you would!”
Replying to Nanoha’s command with a simple “On it!”, Soraha led all of Álfheimr in a charge against the pair of Huge. At the same time, Nanoha and Yuuna ran straight to Komomo and her team.
“Komomo, girls... are all of you all right?”
Dumbfounded, Komomo instead offered Nanoha a question of her own:
“... Nanoha-sama, what is the meaning of this...? Why are Yuuna-sama and Álfheimr together with you...?”
“Explanations can wait, now, our priority should be taking down those Huge. We’ll leave Álfheimr to deal with the Catōblepas, and bring down the Mandragora ourselves!”
As Nanoha spoke, she turned to the Mandragora with a scornful gaze.
“The Mandragora possesses a Negative Magie area of effect. Any Lily that enters its range has their Magie completely nullified, and that likely means the Neunwelt Tactic would be completely ineffective. Therefore, our only option is to keep our attacks at long range.”
Komomo then inquired to Nanoha:
“But the Mandragora is incredibly agile. It was able to completely avoid all of our ranged attacks so far...”
“Not an issue. The rest of Himinglæva is currently on standby at a sniping point. If we can only lure it into their range, then victory shall surely be ours.”
Nanoha then declared to her Legion mates:
“Yuuna and I shall act as the lure, the rest of you are to stay here and recover!”
Hearing this, Komomo vigorously shook her head in disapproval:
“I can still fight! Let me go with you!”
Likewise, the remaining Lilies equally proclaimed in quick succession they were still in fighting condition. Seeing this, Nanoha’s lips curled in a grin.
“Truly, you’re all Lilies worthy of Ryuto’s glory.”
Nanoha then turned to Yuuna, and responding with a nod, she immediately activated her Charisma. As the glimmer of Magie blossomed out of Yuuna's body, Komomo and her teammates felt their own Magie be reignited from within.
“Now, Soraha!” called Yuuna to Soraha.
“Let’s go, everyone!” commanded Soraha to the rest of Álfheimr.
“This way, demon!”
Tsukushi and Tatsuki began relentlessly bombarding the Catōblepas, causing it to turn in Álfheimr’s direction.
“We should get started too!”
Shortly after, Nanoha and Yuuna also began firing at will, and as their shelling detonated upon the Mandragora, it let out a repulsive scream. With terrifying speed, it then dashed towards the pair in a juggernaut attack.
“Our bait was successful. The rest of you, go on ahead and leave Yuuna, Komomo and I to intercept it.”
“May your blade prevail!” Answered the Lilies of both Legions Hefring and Hrönn before completely dispersing out of the area.
“Now then, Yuuna, Komomo, let us show how unyielding the Lilies of Ryuto Girls’ Academy truly are!”
In order to lure the Mandragon to the gorge where the snipers were stationed, the three Lilies had to keep their shelling of it constant, so that it would keep its focus on them. In turn, the Mandragora would attempt to strike them with its vines, but Nanoha was able to gallantly avoid them all, while returning fire at every opportunity.
“Yuuna! The Mandragora has a preference for dodging to the right! Take the chance to fire at it whenever it does!”
Nanoha was the holder of an “Aberration” which allowed her to instantly identify the unique behavioral patterns of any Huge, even ones she had never encountered before. This ability was further compounded by her doctoral knowledge of combat tactics.
Eventually, the three Lilies made their way to a steep, rocky hill, and then, Yuuna shouted
“Now, Marei!”
Quickly revealing herself, Marei used her Gjallarhorn to fire upon the rocky hill, causing it to completely collapse over the Mandragora. With it now unable to move, the Legions Himinglæva and Hrönn simultaneously opened fire upon it, and in the meantime:
“Begin the Neunwelt Tactic immediately!”
Nanoha and her Legion Hefring made the Neunwelt’s passes with incredible haste, and ensured that the finishing shot would be fired from their most powerful CHARM cannon.
“Say your prayers!”
Their colossal arrow of light pierced the Mandragora directly at its core, and in an incredibly bright explosion, the Huge was completely obliterated, leaving not so much as dust behind.
“.... Phew. At last, that wretched thing was felled.”
Having finally conquered her old enemy, Nanoha breathed a sigh of relief.
Soraha and Álfheimr quickly rushed to their location after finishing their own battle, and just by looking at their faces, Nanoha knew that they didn’t so much break a sweat to achieve their victory. Though she could only muster a bitter smile at this fact, Yuuna was quick to offer her praise.
“Your power truly is peerless, Nanoha-sama!”
“Not at all. This would not have been possible without the help you gave me.”
Turning to face Yuuna, Nanoha bowed her head down in complete earnest.
“Yuuna, I ought to apologize for how much I’ve disrespected you.”
“You don’t really need to...”
“I’m also indebted to you, and to Álfheimr, for rescuing Tamao and defending the Kaetsu district. For the sake of fully recapturing Niigata, I hereby pledge to fully stand alongside you in battle.”
Hearing her words, Yuuna once again held Nanoha’s hands tightly in her own.
“Thank you so much, Nanoha-san!”
Nanoha smiled awkwardly at the sight of the overbearing happiness visible on Yuuna’s expression.
“You can just call me ‘Nanoha’. I’ve been neglecting formalities with you for all this time, so it is only right that you also call me purely by my name.”
“Alright, I’ll do that, Nanoha.”
Nanoha held Yuuna’s hand with an equally firm grasp.
Komomo, meanwhile, watched the pair with a dissatisfied look when she was unexpectedly called by Araya:
“Well, I hope we can get along from now on, Komomo.”
As Araya extended her hand, Komomo quickly pushed it away.
“.... Don’t think this means you’ve proven your worth to me.”
With Komomo still acting as distant as she had been, Araya shook her head in resignation. Meanwhile, as Soraha watched over their banter, she then turned to the other Lilies, and declared:
“Now then, our true counter strike is just about to begin!”
...
Meanwhile, in the mountains of southward Chuetsu, Amata Hanako and her Legion Kólga were locked in battle.
Out of nowhere, a swarm of Huge had emerged from Lake Chuzenji, located in the Tochigi Prefecture, and began advancing towards Niigata. Legion Kólga had been deployed to stop them in their tracks, but their horde contained multiple of the Drains, which were quick to spread their poison, and Hanako was among the Lilies who struggled against its effects.
“Nnngh. I guess this is it for us...”
Contaminated by the poison, Hanako was hardly able to move her body. Fully prepared to face her death, she spoke to her Legion mates:
“I must say, this life of mine? It wasn’t at all a bad one. I mean, I had the opportunity to fight alongside you all. I truly cannot wait to see all of you again in Valhalla.”
With her companions by her side, Hanako once again took a stand against the horde of Huge.
“Well then, let’s begin. Our Legion Kólga’s very last battle.
But just as they were about to begin their suicide mission:
“My, I don’t believe it is yet time to give up.”
“Looks like we made it in the nick of time. ‘Sup, everyone? Backup’s here.”
Standing atop the rocky peak behind Hanako was a pair of Lilies, and though Hanako could see them clearly, she could not believe her eyes. The two Lilies hailed from one of the famous Three Great Gardens of Tokyo, one that, much like her own Ryuto Girls’ Academy, prided itself in its tremendous military capabilities.
“You’re... Tsukioka Momiji and Kawamura Yuzuriha, from Odaiba Girls’ School!? Have the Heorot Saints come here as our reinforcements?”
Hanako had been aware of Soraha’s news that reinforcements would be sent from Odaiba Girls’ School, but she certainly did not expect the Student Council president and her vice to come in person.
And as if this wasn’t enough, a second pair of Lilies joined them above the rocky hill.
“You ask for our aid, and yet what do we find as soon as we come here? A group of Lilies just about to throw in the towel. I suppose the rumors that Ryuto’s Lilies have a death wish were not mistaken, after all.”
“Gosh, Kiito, do you understand how rude it is to greet them with such words?”
This was yet another pair of highly famed Lilies. A duo of twin sisters, whose great valor in the battlefield was matched by none.
“The Funada Sisters!? Hronesnæsse is here as well?”
Not only had one of the three strongest Gardens of Tokyo sent them reinforcements, but they had sent them two from their trinity of most powerful Legions.
The youngest of the Funada Sisters, Funada Kiito, spoke to Hanako in a condescending tone:
“If you’re that much desperate to throw your life away, then by all means, carry on with it. It’ll be my pleasure to see you off to the next life.”
Impressed as she was, this remark still stirred Hanako’s ire, and after shooting down a Small-class, she retorted.
“The nerve of you to even imply that I, Amata Hanako, would surrender myself in battle.”
Kiito, however, replied to Hanako’s rage-filled eyes with more self-conceit
“We wouldn’t have needed to come to your aid otherwise, now would we?”
“Alrighty then, let’s do this!” Said Yuzuriha, lightly tapping her foot behind her. Then, with a displeased side look, Kiito uttered:
“Do be sure you don’t hold us back either, Yuzuriha.”
“What!? Try saying that to my face, Kiito!”
As the pair exchanged insults between themselves, they were soon reprimanded by Momiji and Ui.
“Let us not begin an argument here, alright?”
“We’re here to show our might as Lilies of Odaiba, are we not?”
Almost as if the latter remark had been a call, several of what were Odaiba’s finest Lilies came into view, all assembling atop the rocky cliff.
“Now then, shall we begin!?” Momiji and Ui loudly proclaimed in unison. And with their command, the strongest Lilies in all of Tokyo had formally joined the operation for the recapture of Niigata.
To be continued