Rebellion of Skjaldmær

Rebellion of Skjaldmær (叛逆のスキャルドメール) was a story event in Assault Lily: Last Bullet, starring Legion Hervör. It ran from February 10, 2021 to February 19, 2021, and was later made permanently accessible as the "legion story" of Legion Hervör.

Summary

I don't know your name, miss. But I know you are my inspiration.
I want to be like you. You, who kept reaching out for others until the end. You, who cried for me.
To be like you…!
To protect everyone, and everything to the very end! As a Shieldmaiden!

—Aizawa Kazuha, Rebellion of Skjaldmær, scene 5-4

Aizawa Kazuha is chosen by Herensuge as this year's Rank 1 Lily, making her captain of their top legion, Hervör. She immediately causes a stir by publicly announcing that she is opposed to Herensuge's view that their Madecs and Lilies should lay down their lives, without question, if ordered to do so. Kazuha selects Iijima Renka, Hatsukano Yo, Serizawa Chikaru and Sasaki Ran to be members of Hervör; they struggle to grow used to Kazuha's rigorous training and her lofty ideals.

Some early successes bolster Hervör's spirits, but on a day off, they find themselves fighting an unexpected battle against overwhelming odds. Kazuha orders the rest of the legion to protect civilians while she holds off three large-types on her own. She is soon overwhelmed, but Yo disobeys orders and comes to fight with her, resulting in Yo being grievously wounded and falling into a coma. Heartbroken, Renka blames Kazuha for what happened to Yo.

Yo eventually recovers, but Kazuha is unable to regain her confidence, even as the Huge attack Herensuge itself and Hervör is ordered into combat. Amidst the fight, Kazuha remembers the Madec who saved her life and inspired her long ago, and vows that she will once again strive to protect everyone and everything. Hervör performs a Neunwelt to defeat a powerful enemy, winning the battle. Afterwards, the five Lilies swear an oath that they will forever fight together as Shieldmaidens.

Plot

The event starts with Aizawa Kazuha remembering the time when, at the Hinode Tragedy two years ago, she was trapped, injured and unable to move. A Madec from Herensuge comes to her rescue, after which the two are attacked by one of the Huge. The Madec stands firm and bravely shouts that, no matter whether she can or can't, she'll make sure everyone gets out of there alive. The Huge easily overwhelms the girl, who gasps, injured, that she has to save everyone. After that, Kazuha's memory ends.

In the present, the school year is just beginning. Based on her previous accomplishments, Kazuha has been evaluated by Herensuge as this year's Rank One—the strongest Lily at the Garden. This has earned her the right to be the captain of Legion Hervör, Herensuge's top legion. When asked to make a speech before the student body at the entrance ceremony, Kazuha tells the other Lilies of her dream of protecting everyone and everything. She declares that she is opposed to Herensuge's view that their Madecs and Lilies should lay down their lives, without question, if ordered to do so.

Kazuha is lectured by an instructor for what she said in her speech, and warned that her ideals will have consequences. She then goes to meet her handpicked legion members: Iijima Renka, Hatsukano Yo and Serizawa Chikaru. Renka reacts to Kazuha with a mix of cynicism and amusement, while Chikaru believes that her outlook is wonderful, and the quiet Yo keeps her thoughts to herself.

Not long after they've first met, the legion is ordered to respond to a Huge attack. Kazuha directs the legion to engage a large-type in order to stop it from destroying people's homes; when Renka protests it's too dangerous, Kazuha says that she'll do it alone. Chikaru and Yo join her, and so Renka reluctantly does too. As they fight the large-type, they're surrounded by other Huge and trapped, but are saved by the timely arrival of Sasaki Ran, who slaughters most of the Huge using Lunatic Trancer. After they return to Herensuge, Kazuha asks to have Ran as a member of Hervör, and the Garden allows it.

The Lilies begin to train rigorously together. Renka chafes at the demanding routine and also at the embarrassing training methods—like centipede races and dancing—that Kazuha has selected, though the childish Ran finds them fun. While chatting with the others, Ran proudly tells them that she isn't scared of dying. This worries the softhearted Chikaru, and she gets Ran to promise that she won't die, lest that make Chikaru sad.

As their "secret weapon", Hervör trains to perform the Neunwelt Tactic, an unusual practice at Herensuge. They soon have the chance to use it when they're directed to kill a large-type. Though they nearly execute a successful Neunwelt, Renka is injured protecting Chikaru, which causes Chikaru to have a panic attack and lose the Magisphere. Afterwards, Chikaru loses confidence in herself and prepares to withdraw from the legion out of guilt, but Kazuha speaks to her and convinces her that Hervör needs her kindness. When the large-type reappears, Chikaru is determined to make up for her earlier mistake. She uses herself as a decoy and stuns the Huge with focused fire as it charges her, after which Hervör takes it down together.

While Hervör relaxes at the mall together on a day off, Renka warns Kazuha that her way of doing things won't work forever, and some day she'll be forced to make sacrifices. Kazuha isn't convinced, but just then, the mall comes under attack by Huge. Hervör requests reinforcements, which Herensuge informs them will take several hours, and then begins fighting to protect the nearby civilians.

Hervör at first holds their own against the Huge assault, but then three large-types appear. Kazuha orders her legion members to defend the evacuation shelter while she attempts to hold off the large-types on her own. Renka shouts at Kazuha that the people here were already doomed to die and she'll accomplish nothing except for getting herself killed too, but traumatized by her memories of her helplessness at Hinode, Kazuha ignores Renka's protests. She is soon overwhelmed by the large-types, but Yo disobeys orders and comes to fight with her, resulting in Yo being grievously wounded and falling into a coma. Heartbroken, Renka blames Kazuha for what happened to Yo, and Kazuha begins to question her ideals.

Renka visits the unconscious Yo in the hospital, confessing to her that she can't stand Kazuha's idealism and has always hated her. At that moment, Yo awakens, telling Renka that it's her own self she hates, not Kazuha. The others are overjoyed at Yo's recovery, but Kazuha is still unable to regain her confidence. Yoh asks Kazuha to visit her at the hospital, and tells her that Renka was once exactly like her, back when she was a provisional member of Hervör in middle school. At the Hinode Tragedy, when the captain of Hervör ordered the Madecs to cover their retreat by sacrificing their lives, Renka argued with her, telling her that the Madecs deserved to live too. The Huge attacked in the midst of their argument, and Renka still blames herself for the many deaths that happened at Hinode.

Some time later, the Huge attack Herensuge itself and Hervör is ordered into combat. However, Kazuha is still wracked with self-doubt, and finds that she's unable to even activate her Rare Skill. Ran gets angry at Kazuha for her inability to fight and shouts that she'll fight to protect all of their loved ones, then runs off on her own to do just that. Deciding that they'll be able to fight more effectively on their own than as a legion, the other members of Hervör decide to split up as well. Before she leaves, Chikaru tells Kazuha that she's always been an inspiration to her, and still is. She begs Kazuha not to give up on her ideals.

Kazuha remembers the Madec who saved her life and inspired her long ago, and how that girl knew she was powerless, yet protected her anyway. Determined to be like that Madec girl, Kazuha vows that she will once again strive to protect everyone and everything.

Elsewhere, Renka has run out of Magi, and as a Huge prepares to kill her, she wonders if her death will make up for the cruel words she said to Kazuha. She's saved by the sudden arrival of Yo, who tells Renka that she should have stood with her at Hinode and helped her carry the guilt—since she failed to do that, she'll stay right by Renka's side, now and forever. The two decide that if Kazuha rejoins the fight, they'll trust her with their lives; if not, they'll quit being Lilies. Moments later, the two feel Kazuha activating Regista, and the five members of Hervör all regroup to fight together.

A large-type appears, and Hervör performs a Neunwelt to defeat it, winning the battle. A few days later, in their lounge, the five Lilies try on their dress uniforms. While wearing them, they swear an oath that they will forever fight together as Shieldmaidens (and, on Ran's insistence, that they will eat taiyaki together every day.) Embarrassed, Renka points out that their oath sounded an awful lot like a marriage vow; the others joke that they're now Kazuha's wives, which flusters her greatly. She declares that she'll honor them through all the days of her life.

Trivia

• Rebellion of Skjaldmær was written by Nishimura Yu, who went on to write the related event stories Ensemble of the Eldren Valkyries and Prayers from an Ancient Sky.
• The reading play Echoes of Skjaldmær adapts parts of the Rebellion of Skjaldmær story, and includes new material where Matsumura Fuka shares her private thoughts about Kazuha and the new Hervör.

Translation

The complete English translation of Rebellion of Skjaldmær can be found here in Google Doc format.

There is also a full set of subtitled YouTube videos by GEHENA Subtitle Labs.