Echoes of Skjaldmær
 | This article contains major spoilers for Assault Lily: Last Bullet. Unless you're confident that you know them already, read further at your own peril! |
Assault Lily Last Bullet READING & LIVE: Echoes of Skjaldmær, subtitled Proof of Existence ・ Resonance towards the Future (アサルトリリィ Last Bullet READING & LIVE 残響のスキャルドメール 〜命の証明・未来への共鳴〜) is a stage reading created by AZONE International and acus. It was held on October 20, 2024 at Showa Medical Universary Kamijo Memoria Hall. It is the first stage reading in the Assault Lily franchise.
Summary
[edit | edit source]Echoes of Skjaldmaer is a stage reading of portions of various Assault Lily: Last Bullet stories, primarily Rebellion of Skjaldmær and the Legion Hervör segment of chapter 3 of the main story. It also contains short excerpts from Prayers from an Ancient Sky, Lamentation of Chrysáor and The Encroaching Nightmare. These stories and excerpts were reworked into a single narrative with Tamegai Hana as Matsumura Fuka delivering short monologues to join the scenes together.
Between some scenes, the stage reading pauses and the main actresses perform a song live on stage. The songs performed were Resonant Hearts(by Hervör), Fringed iris(by Hervör) and REFLECTIONS(by Hervör and Fuka). After the ending talks, all six main actresses perform Never Ending Dream(Daytime performance) or Edel Lilie(Evening performance).
Plot
[edit | edit source]Rebellion of Skjaldmær
[edit | edit source]Main Article: Rebellion of Skjaldmær
Aizawa Kazuha awoke amidst the ruins of a devastated battlefield, her body completely paralyzed. A Madec girl from Herensuge, also severely wounded, discovered her and attempted a rescue. However, upon seeing the extent of Kazuha's injuries, the Madec burst into tears. She apologized sorrowfully, blaming herself for the situation; the Herensuge command had abandoned everyone on the battlefield, and as the final link in the chain of command, she had ceased receiving orders. Just then, a colossal HUGE loomed behind them. Overwhelmed with grief yet clinging to her sense of justice, the Madec cried out that she would protect everyone and attempted to attack the HUGE, but was easily struck down and defeated.
Time passed by, and the entrance ceremony for the new semester was underway in the hall of Herensuge Institute for Girls. After offering words of encouragement to the student body, the instructor announced that the selection for the top legion, Hervör, would take place. The new rank 1 of the Herensuge sequence, Kazuha, took the podium. After delivering a speech on the state of the world and the resilience of humanity, Kazuha publicly criticized Herensuge's doctrine of "sacrificing one's life for the Academy." She declared her hope that Hervör would live up to the name of the "Shield Maiden" (Skjaldmær), becoming a legion dedicated to protecting all that is precious. Kazuha then nominated three members she believed could uphold this conviction: Iijima Renka, Hatsukano Yo, and Serizawa Chikaru. While Renka and Chikaru were visibly surprised, Yo accepted the nomination calmly. Watching from the sidelines, Matsumura Fuka remarked that Kazuha was ignorant of her own precarious position, doubting how long such ideals could last. She vowed that if Kazuha strayed onto the wrong path, she would crush her without hesitation. Kazuha subsequently gathered the five members of Hervör, briefly noting that Sasaki Ran joined later.
Between the scenes, the five members of LG Hervör delivered a live performance of the song Resonance Hearts.
Due to the appearance of HUGE in Roppongi, Hervör sortied. During the engagement, Kazuha received orders from the Herensuge commander requiring the legion to handle a Large-class HUGE detected in the area. Hervör quickly decided to execute a Fünfwelt tactic. Upon confirming the target, Kazuha ordered the "Pony Formation"-a name Renka immediately mocked for its lack of taste. Starting with Renka, the Magisphere was passed through the team, eventually reaching Kazuha. To clear the Small-class HUGE obstructing the path for the finish shot, Renka expressed her absolute trust in Kazuha's determination to protect her comrades before activating her Rare Skill, Phase Transcendence. As Renka collapsed from exhaustion, Kazuha proposed they perform the finish shot together. Combining their strength, the two successfully destroyed the Large-class HUGE.
Kazuha noted that while Hervör faced friction and arguments during its inception, the battles had gradually forged their unity. She expressed a firm belief that this legion could change Herensuge. However, the narrative shifts to reveal how naive this sentiment was; the members were unaware of the darkness festering within Hervör.
The Dragon Xana and the Shield Maiden
[edit | edit source]Main Article: The Dragon Xana and the Shield Maiden
The screen lights up to display the profiles of the legion members, revealing the experimental horrors they endure. First, Sasaki Ran (coded HL-A05, current status "Princess of the HUGE / Enhanced Lily") is identified by Fuka as a vital subject managed by Auñamendi Sistemas who continues to undergo combat experiments even after joining the legion; the scene depicts Ran fighting endlessly against waves of HUGE, becoming increasingly agitated and terrified (referring to the event Prayers from an Ancient Sky). Next is Hatsukano Yo (coded HL-054B, current status: "Enhanced Lily", processing completed in Middle School Year 2), who Fuka explains is the unaware subject of "Body-Mind Integration Equipment" and "Extremely Boosted CHARM" experiments; the scene depicts Yo's internal suffering under the influence of the Guardian Suit (referring to the event Lamentation of Chrysáor). Finally, the profile of Serizawa Chikaru (coded HL-057B, current status: "Enhanced Lily", drug enhancement experiment in progress) appears; Fuka reveals that the "stabilizers" Chikaru takes for her grief are actually experimental enhancement drugs causing the mental pollution visualized in the scene (referring to the event The Encroaching Nightmare). Fuka concludes that Hervör is nothing more than an experimental legion arranged in the shadows-puppets dancing on strings held by GEHENA. She waits to see if Kazuha can rebel against this destiny.
Between the scenes, the five members of LG Hervör delivered a live performance of the song Fringed Iris.
The screen then displays the profile of Aizawa Kazuha, coded HL-047B, currently applied as an "Enhanced Lily" (Processing completed upon death of the host body). The experiment involved extracting the consciousness and Rare Skill of a specific Lily and fixing these memories within a vessel body, coexisting with the vessel's original spirit.
The scene shifts to a confrontation between Kazuha and Fuka, blades locked. Fuka is at a disadvantage. Kazuha declares Fuka an enemy of Hervör, prompting Fuka to express disappointment that Kazuha could not break her brainwashing. Resolving to use her final trump card, Fuka reveals the truth: Kazuha is not "Aizawa Kazuha", and her memories and experiences do not belong to her. Kazuha begins to doubt her own existence, her mind teetering on the brink of collapse. The other four members of Hervör arrive, and Renka is filled with regret for not supporting Kazuha sooner. Fuka explains that the current "Kazuha" is an Enhanced Lily created by the radical faction of GEHENA-the result of the installation of the consciousness and Rare Skill of the real Kazuha, who died in the Tragedy of Hinode, into the body of the Madec who died in the same tragedy.
Shieldmaiden of the Abyssal Flame
[edit | edit source]Main Article: Shieldmaiden of the Abyssal Flame
Kazuha's inner world reverts to the battlefield of the Tragedy of Hinode. This time, no one comes to save her. Kazuha undergoes a mental breakdown, losing her sense of self. Suddenly, Renka's voice echoes, calling out to her (in the outside world, Renka is utilizing Magi Sympathetic Exchange). Renka reveals that the LG Hervör during Hinode was also a victim of experimentation. She laments that while knowing the truth earlier might have changed things, regret is now futile. Renka declares she was able to stand back up because of her Hervör comrades, and Kazuha must do the same.
However, Kazuha insists she has lost her meaning for existence, believing her actions were merely implanted programs that brought misfortune to others. Renka vehemently denies this, emphasizing that Kazuha brought happiness, not misfortune, to her team. She urges Kazuha to remember the vow they swore when the legion was formed. "As long as you recall that scene, your heart can be strong." Kazuha recalls the oath taken by everyone in Hervör. Yo, Chikaru, and Ran appear in her inner world, assuring her that the days they spent together were not false or manufactured. Kazuha finally realizes that her convictions became her friends' strength, and in turn, their strength has restored her true personality. Fuka declares that Hervör is finally liberated from its chains, and they head toward the final battle against the mastermind of the experiments, Head Instructor Nishimura Noemi.
In Noemi's laboratory, Hervör executes a joint Neunwelt Tactic with Legion Cuélebre. The members of Hervör reaffirm their determination to move forward, fully charging the Magisphere. Fuka entrusts the finish shot to Kazuha, allowing her to settle the score with Noemi. As Kazuha, having just recovered, struggles with the heavy Magisphere, Renka rushes in to support her. The CHARM glows, and Kazuha senses the consciousness of the Madec within her body lending her aid. Reconfirming their shared justice, Kazuha and Renka fire the Magisphere together.
Between the scenes, all six actresses delivered a live performance of the song REFLECTION.
Back in the Hervör lounge, Renka appeared to be in poor condition. Ran sorrowfully asked her, "Why is it?" to which Renka replied, "I really can't do it anymore." It is revealed that Renka, immediately after recovering, had gone to three different ramen shops and was now too full to honor the legion's new rule proposed by Ran: "Everyone eats taiyaki together every day." Having weathered the storm of recent events, the five members gather together. At Renka's suggestion, they repeat the ceremony from the day the legion was truly formed, swearing a new oath to one another.
Cast
[edit | edit source]- Fujii Ayaka / 藤井彩加 as Aizawa Kazuha
- Ishitobi Erika / 石飛恵里花 as Iijima Renka
- Mimura Haruka / 三村遙佳 as Hatsukano Yo
- Nonaka Mio / 野中深愛 as Serizawa Chikaru
- Natsume Aimi / 夏目愛海 as Sasaki Ran
- Tamegai Hana / 集貝はな as Matsumura Fuka
Others
- Naruse Suzuka / 成瀬鈴夏[1] as Madec Girl
- Mizuguchi Matsuri / 水口まつり as Instructor
- Oda Karin / 小田果林 as Herensuge Commander
Gallery
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