Takegoshi Chihana

Takegoshi Chihana (竹腰千華) is a second year Lily who attends Yurigaoka Girls' Academy. Now a member of Legion Lohengrin, she was originally the captain of the First Generation Álfheimr. Chihana is the Schutzengel of Tachihara Sayu, and the Schild of Hayashi Kaoru.

Personality

Chihana is best known for her intelligence. She is hailed as "the greatest genius among the current second years", said to be "brilliant in every field". In addition to her extensive tactical knowledge, she boasts remarkable skill as a CHARM engineer, comparable to that of fully-fledged Arsenals. Furthermore, Chihana is also well-versed in literature, notably being a former regular of the "Salon Dianthus", Kojima Nadeshiko's classical studies club, and having developed a fondness for discussing political philosophy due to integrating Yurigaoka's Moral Study Board. Due to her excellence as both a fighter and a student, Chihana is considered one of the greatest Lilies Yurigaoka has ever produced.

Chihana is described as observant, insightful, and of quick wits, a set of traits best exemplified by her commanding of the First Division during the Odaiba Counteroffensive, where her tactical literacy, understanding of her teammates' capabilities and novel strategic approaches allowed her to lead the team with remarkable efficiency. Chihana is very levelheaded, said to possess an "unreasonably strong" degree of mental fortitude, and though she is somewhat pragmatic, she does appear willing to take risks if she is confident they will produce positive results. On the other hand, Chihana will still become hesitant when dealing with situations that her plans did not account for, or if either herself or her teammates' are not in condition to continue fighting.

Belying her usual composed and level-headed attitude, Chihana is said to be "incredibly" sadistic, but conversely, she is noted to be particularly kind towards Shirai Yuyu, being one of the few people Yuyu feels more at ease when talking to.

History

Chihana and her childhood friend Hasebe Touka were students of Yurigaoka since kindergarten, with Chihana in particular gaining recognition as a child prodigy. During elementary school, Chihana met Banshoya Ena, and the pair would constantly argue over what the role of a commander within a Legion should be, with Chihana advocating that they should undertake a defensive role, while Ena instead believed that a commander should be an offensive position. This disagreement sparked a rivalry between the pair, and Ena came to see Chihana as her "eternal rival".

At an unknown point in their elementary school days, Chihana and Touka would become regular attendants of Instructor Kojima Nadeshiko's study club, called "Salon Dianthus". There, she would become good friends with one Tsukamoto Hekiru. Likewise, Chihana became at some point associated with the Sigrún party of Yurigaoka's sub-branches of Garden policy, and presumably during this period, Chihana came to integrate Yurigaoka's Moral Study Board.

At an unknown point in time, Chihana met the senior Lily Hayashi Kaoru, and upon graduating into junior high, Chihana vied for the opportunity to become Kaoru's Schild with Ishigami Mio. Kaoru would ultimately choose Chihana in the end, and in an unusual arrangement for Yurigaoka Lilies, the pair took the Schutzengel's Oath while Chihana was still in junior high.

When Amano Soraha enrolled into Yurigaoka, Chihana often looked after her, and in time, the two of them grew very adept at working together in the field. Similarly, Chihana also guided Hata Matsuri when the Lily first arrived in Yurigaoka, and with the pair frequently conducting their training sessions together throughout all of their three years of junior high, they grew to be particularly close. When Chihana eventually sought to establish her own Reserve, the Takegoshi Reserve Corps, she personally invited Soraha to join it, which she agreed to, receiving the role of vice-captain. This prompted Ena, who was not only Soraha's roommate, but also her designated caretaker, to follow her into Chihana's Reserve.

The Koshu Withdrawal

Main article: Koshu Withdrawal

During Chihana's third year of junior high, the Takegoshi Reserve Corps had departed Yurigaoka to participate in a training camp arranged by the Sigrún party, which was set to be held in a region of Kamakura that neared the neighbouring Yamanashi Prefecture. Following a sudden outbreak of Huge in the Yamanashi city of Koshu, Kaoru was able to obtain permission for the Takegoshi Reserve Corps to be mobilized under temporary Legion status. As Kaoru was one of the mere two high school Lilies among them, she took control of the Reserve in Chihana's stead, with the latter acting as her vice-captain.

The provisory Legion primarily joined the efforts to deter the Huge's advance in order to allow the civilians of Koshu to evacuate from the city. After successfully leading the city's inhabitants to safety, the Legion was now free to advance towards the Nest which had since taken root in Koshu, however, its members were divided on whether they should proceed with exterminating it or retreat. Ultimately, the Lilies concluded that continuing towards the Nest would prove too great of a risk, and so they chose to retreat.

Despite of the success of their evacuation efforts, the Takegoshi Reserve Corps still suffered one casualty in the death of Kawazoe Misuzu. This loss deeply impacted each of the Reserve's members, and Chihana felt particularly responsible, as she had been the one to devise their battle strategies, the thought of whether it was her plan that caused Misuzu's death became a lingering regret of hers.

The First Generation Álfheimr

Soon after entering her first year of high school, Chihana was formally elected as the Sigrún, one of the three Valkyries that govern Yurigaoka's Student Council, being the first Lily ever appointed to the position while still in their first year of service. In the time following, Chihana settled on making her Reserve into an official Legion, having chosen for it the title of "Álfheimr". And so, Chihana extended invitations to all former members of the Takegoshi Reserve Corps, and was particularly keen on having Ena as her teammate once again, as during the Koshu Withdrawal, she had been able to prove the efficiency of her offense-oriented approach to the commander position.

Chihana reportedly made her request to Ena with the words: “As it is my hope to not only create the mightiest Legion in history, but to press for the liberation of Kanto, I shall reserve the position of Álfheimr’s commander solely to the Lily I deem more suitable for it than even I am. And by that, I mean there is no one else I would entrust this position to other than you, so please, Ena, I ask that you fight by my side once again”. Despite their past disagreements, Chihana's words drove Ena to ultimately accept Chihana's invitation.

Upon entering high school, Chihana had also become roommates with her longtime friend and now Álfheimr Legion-mate and partner Touka. At this point, the pair had grown to trust each other deeply, and Touka wholeheartedly devoted herself to helping Chihana rise to her current status. However, in her time taking the seat of the Sigrún, Chihana entrusted another one of Álfheimr's members, Akashi Manaka, with aiding her in duties pertaining to the Student Council, an act that stirred Touka's jealousy. Nonetheless, Álfheimr's members enjoyed an incredibly close friendship.

At some point during her first year of high school, Chihana met and developed an intimate friendship with the junior high Lily Tachihara Sayu, a prodigious Lily whose talents already had her be seen as a future candidate to join Álfheimr. Chihana and Sayu would grow very close, and eventually make a promise to each other to one day take the Schutzengel's Oath.

At an unknown point in time, Chihana personally designed one of Kaho's CHARMs.

The Liberation of the Boso Peninsula, and the Kanto Expedition Campaign

Staying true to her desire to liberate Kanto, Chihana would lead her Legion Álfheimr in a campaign of large-scale Expeditions across the region, and at one point, they would deploy to the overrun Boso Peninsula in the Chiba Prefecture, a region of personal significance to Chihana's Schutzengel Kaoru, as it was not only her hometown, but it was also where she had previously lost her own Schutzengel. Setting out to eradicate every Huge present in the Peninsula, Legion Álfheimr was joined by Oshima Suiren of Legion Rossweisse, as well as the freelancers Tominaga Shin and Hayakawa Yahiro.

Álfheimr would eventually succeed in freeing the Boso Peninsula from the Huge's control, a feat that earned them the fervent appraisal of the locals, who came to deify the Legion. Under Chihana's command, Álfheimr's campaign across Kanto would lead them to undertake a total of thirty large-scale Expeditions, which would prove vital in the efforts to overturn the Huge's control over the region. Eventually, Álfheimr would reach the SSS-Rank in the Legion World Rating, and would rise to the ranks of legend as the strongest Legion of all time.

The Odaiba Counteroffensive

Main articles: Assault Lily Wunder, Assault Lily Erwachen

Together with Altea Alessandrini and Tithia Paumgartner of St. Mercurius, Chihana was elected to oversee the Neunwelt Tactic Technical Conference, a three-day long training and studying retreat which was to be held in Odaiba, Tokyo. However, the event barely made it past its opening ceremony before the sudden appearance of a Great Cave above Odaiba's Wakasu Park.

As the Lilies of Odaiba were quick to presume the possible reappearance of the Huge variant known as Soldier Ants, Chihana swiftly formulated a battle plan, separating the Lilies present in the Conference into five different divisions, with the ultimate goal of mounting a coordinated assault on the Great Cave while also ensuring the safe evacuation of Odaiba's Civilians. As many of the Lilies present were still inexperienced first-years, Chihana selectively distributed Álfheimr's members among the five divisions in order to ensure the mission could be properly carried out, appointing herself as the captain of the First Division.

Before they could set off to battle, however, the Lilies were stunned as an Ultra-class Huge, the Nestless Ultra, spawned from the Great Cave. Though the majority of the Lilies were terrified at the prospect of fighting against an Ultra-class, they were still the last line of defense for the civilians of Odaiba. As such, Chihana urged that they continue with their battle plan, noting that the Nestless Ultra would remain mostly immobile while it focused on turning the Great Cave into its Nest.

Touka and Chihana share an embrace before leaving for battle.

Touka, who had been placed in the Second Division, was distraught, as their strategy would eventually have Chihana's First Division join the Fifth Division in a final assault directly against the Cave, which now meant she would fight the Ultra-class directly. Worried for Chihana's safety, Touka pleaded that she let her also integrate the First Division in order to offer her aid, but Chihana refused, insisting that Álfheimr must remain spread out evenly across the divisions to ensure the success of their strategy, and trusting Touka to safeguard Odaiba's civilians together with the rest of the Second Division. Though still reluctant, Touka agreed to Chihana's request, and as the swarms of Huge began pouring out of the Great Cave, the pair bid each other farewell with an embrace before setting out for battle.

Chihana's plan consisted on her First Division fighting their way through the hordes of Huge in a direct advance towards Wakasu Park, where the Nestless Ultra was located, with the Fifth Division holding back the Huge's armies in Shin-Kiba and the Second conducting evacuations in the area until they could reach their position. Before they were able to reach Wakasu, however, the First Division were brought to a halt at Akatsuki Port, where they engaged a horde of Huge in order to prevent them from advancing into Aomi, where the Fourth Division was. Just then, they were met by Tithia, the captain of the Fourth Division, who informed them that the Fifth Division was no longer in fighting condition, making their original strategy no longer viable.

Though reluctant, Chihana was willing to change their strategy into one that admitted casualties in order to ensure the Nestless Ultra's extermination, however, by the encouragement of Tithia and her teammates of the First Division, Chihana agreed to continue with a modified version of the original plan. This time, the First Division would work to draw the hordes of Huge away from Wakasu, allowing the Second and Third Divisions to carry out the attack on the Nestless Ultra in theirs and the Fifth Division's stead.

The First Division continued to fight the Soldier Ants at Uminori Park, while also working to destroy the Caves in the area. Upon encountering a group of Huge containing several Large-class, Chihana instructs Taniguchi Hijiri and Hibino Waku, the team's Phantasm users, to scatter and begin neutralizing them individually, noting that attempting to haphazardly have two Phantasm users fight in unison might cause confusion. Though Kawamura Yuzuriha is uneasy at having the pair engage the Huge without any backup, Chihana is certain of their capabilities to handle the battle by themselves, and urges Yuzuriha to focus on her own role.

As the battle progresses, Yuzuriha's Magie begins to emit a unique signature, and quickly taking notice of it, Chihana promptly restructures the First Division's entire formation around her, revealing that Yuzuriha's Rare Skill is starting to awaken. Shortly after, a new group of Huge led by two Gigant-class approaches the Lilies, and Chihana devises a plan to split their team into two halves in order to more efficiently clear out the surrounding Huge so they can perform two Neunwelt Tactics in short succession. Placing Yuzuriha as the central player of their operation, Chihana encourages her to fully embrace her awakening powers, trusting that they would allow for their plan to be successful. As the Lilies begin engaging the horde of Huge, Yuzuriha is eventually able to unleash her Rare Skill in full, which Chihana quickly identifies as Testament.

After the First Division sufficiently clears out the area, they begin their first Neunwelt Tactic, with Fukuyama Jeanne Sachie tasked with distracting the second Gigant-class in the meantime. After making their passes, Ichinomiya Himari proposes that they quickly move to support the members still handling the Magisphere, arguing that they should prepare for a worst-case scenario. Chihana disagrees, instead ordering the First Division to assume a formation that assumes the Gigant-class will be defeated, as she is confident their Neunwelt will not fail. Aligning with her predictions, the first Gigant-class is successfully destroyed, however, Sachie soon reports that she failed to keep the second Gigant-class in place, with it now advancing towards Aomi.

With the Neunwelt leaving the First Division members exhausted, Himari suggests that they split into two teams, with one pursuing the Gigant-class while the other stays put and holds the Huge in Uminori at bay, but Chihana once again disagrees, instead requesting that the Fourth Division take down the remaining Gigant-class while they continue to hold the line at Uminori, as fending off the horde of smaller Huge would allow them to better recover their Magie. Though struggling, the First Division continues to intercept the hordes of Huge in Uminori, and Sachie, not having participated in the Neunwelt, takes charge, hoping to compensate for her failure to keep the Gigant-class at bay. Sachie's frantic efforts eventually lead her to awaken to her Rare Skill Circlet Bless, and as she quickly wears down her provisional second CHARM to tatters, Chihana offers one of her own CHARMs for her to use.

The First Division continues to fight restlessly against the hordes of Huge, eventually leading Hijiri, Sachie and Yuzuriha's CHARMs to break. Chihana briefly retreats in order to repair the trio's CHARMs, leaving Shirai Yuyu to temporarily command the team, and ordering Mozuna Noa to pair up with Waku. In the meantime, another Gigant-class appears before the First Division. Chihana is able to mend the three Lilies' CHARMs just in time for the team to perform another Neunwelt Tactic, which proves successful thanks to Noa and Waku's remarkable degree of coordination. But though their Neunwelt succeeds in destroying the Gigant-class, the First Division members are once again left exhausted of their Magie.

Still holding their line of defense, the First Division is eventually driven by the Huge horde into the Aomi undersea tunnel, a place where several Caves had formed. Faced with ten Large-class at once, Himari and Sachie are eventually knocked down by their attacks, prompting Yuyu to make a solitary advance towards the horde. Despite Chihana's pleas, Yuyu unleashes her berserker Aberration, Divine Possession, allowing her to single-handedly obliterate the ten Large-class, as well as the several Caves present within the Aomi undersea tunnel, before falling unconscious. Motivated by the bravery Yuyu displayed, the First Division vows to continue holding the line until the Second can carry out their battle plan, with Hijiri retreating to take care of Yuyu in the meantime.

The First Division resumes fighting off the hordes of Huge, with yet another Gigant-class present among them. Chihana briefly engages the Gigant-class by herself, refusing to yield in the face of how far her teammates' efforts had brought them, an act that further encouraged the other members to continue fighting. As the team continues to engage the Huge's armies, Chihana ponders over the abnormal appearance of the Soldier Ants in Odaiba, as well as their seemingly endless numbers, noting how it appears unnatural. But just as Yuyu and Hijiri return, all the Huge suddenly stop their attacks and begin advancing in the direction of Wakasu Park. Though she notes that the other members to still seem willing to continue fighting, Chihana hesitates to pursue the Huge horde due to their exhaustion, but Waku motivates her to follow through with it, making a promise with the other First Division members to go out for cake after the battle is over.

Concluding that the horde had begun moving to Wakasu due to the other Divisions having begun their takedown of the Nestless Ultra, Chihana urges the First Division to prevent them from advancing into the park. Himari suggests that killing the Gigant-class leading the horde should prove effective to stop the remaining Huge in their tracks, and Chihana agrees to it, though noting they will still need to prevent the horde from scattering afterwards, recalling how a strategy should always account for its worst-case scenario. The First Division reaches the Gigant-class, and as the Lilies begin clearing out the smaller Huge near it, Chihana gives Hijiri, Waku and Yuzuriha a set of Magie recovery shots which had originally been provided for her exclusive use, with the goal of having Yuzuriha's Linker ability allow for Hijiri and Waku's Phantasm to work in unison.

After sufficiently clearing out the area, the First Division performs their final Neunwelt Tactic, and shortly after the Gigant-class is destroyed, they immediately begin intercepting the surrounding Huge, despite having yet again been drained of their Magie. Not long after, however, the Second and Third Divisions succeed in destroying the Nestless Ultra, causing all the Huge present in Odaiba to evaporate, and finally bringing their battle to a close. As the First Division members bask in their moment of rest, Chihana informs them that not a single casualty had been reported, and the Lilies, relieved, leave to reunite with the other Divisions.

Later in the same day, Chihana approaches Himari, and the pair talk. Himari expresses how much she was able to learn by fighting by Chihana's side and witnessing her prowess as a team captain, and tells her that she would like to once again join her in battle once again, with Chihana agreeing to it.

After the Counteroffensive

Following the events of the Counteroffensive, Chihana was impressed by Yuzuriha's performance enough to place her in Yurigaoka's Future Term Student Recommendation list. She also came to see Hishida Haru in similar high regard, and was among those who stood in defense of her decision to destroy Fujimi Bridge, stating that "even when placed in a position as difficult as that, Haru still kept her calm and chose to make what was the best possible decision." Due to the severe reproach Haru suffered due to the consequences brought upon by her decision, Chihana went as far as inviting her to come to Yurigaoka, her reported words being "if you no longer feel that you belong anywhere, then we'll gladly take you in."

At some point during this period, Chihana began relying on Sakaizawa Naru of the Moral Conduct Board for help in her duties as the Sigrún. This once again incited Touka's jealousy, though this time much more intensely, as Naru was not only a close friend of Chihana's, but she was also someone Touka would often compare herself to due to both of them sharing the same position, the right-side BZ (which directly complements Chihana, who takes up the center BZ), and Rare Skill, Heliosphere, leading Touka to develop an inferiority complex towards her. Touka particularly came to see Chihana relying on Naru instead of her to be a result of her own worthlessness, further driving her into self-loathing.

The First Defense of Oiso

Main article: The First Defense of Oiso

After the sudden, simultaneous spawning of ten Large-class Huge by the undersea Nest present off the coast of Kamakura, Legion Álfheimr was hurriedly deployed to the nearby city of Oiso, which was particularly close to the Nest. During this mission, Touka had retrieved an experimental Fourth Generation CHARM, the Einherjar, as she desperately hoped to prove her worth to Chihana. Touka would successfully take down one Gigant-class with the CHARM, however, due to the Einherjar's still unstable mind-coupling functionalities, she would immediately fall into a vegetative state due to the strain placed on her brain.

Though now acting with one less member, Álfheimr continued their offensive against the Huge rampaging through Oiso, and found success in killing them while also destroying the Caves that formed across the city. But as the battle progressed, Chihana made the decision to unleash her Gram's high powered buster cannon in an area where evacuations had not yet finished, an act that ultimately led to multiple casualties.

Aftermath

Chihana's reckless use of the Gram, coupled with her allowing Touka to use a Fourth Generation CHARM without permission from the Garden, incurred severe punishments from Yurigaoka's administration. Chihana was placed in confinement soon after returning from the mission, and though she was not removed from Álfheimr entirely, she was stripped from her position as captain, and barred from ever leading a Legion again. Furthermore, she was prohibited from leaving the Garden in the future. Though Álfheimr was allowed the choice to continue under new leadership, its members had already began to consider disbanding after the Odaiba Counteroffensive, and as such, they ultimately chose to dissolve their Legion entirely instead of electing another captain.

Among the casualties of the First Defense of Oiso was the elementary school Lily Yamada Uta. She was a childhood friend and future Schild candidate of Matsuri. Because of this, Matsuri, who at the time had temporarily assumed the position of Ortlinde from Yamazaki Meika, strongly condemned Chihana for her actions, and completely cut ties with her. Chihana would later resign from her position as the Sigrún, and though her true reasons were not known, this still caused Legion Herfjötur, which oversees the Moral Study Board, to antagonize Matsuri and her Legion Eir.

Despite this outcome, Chihana still remained in good standing with several of her peers. Notably, Ena and Sanngriðr's Kondo Misaka were vocal in their disagreement with the punishment dealt by the Student Council, and similarly, Chihana's resignation as the Sigrún prompted her friend Tada Shiera of Legion Schwertleite to also give up her seat in the Council. Outside of Yurigaoka, both Chihana and Matsuri still came to be viewed positively for their service in the First Defense of Oiso.

Joining Legion Lohengrin

Soon after Chihana abandoned her position as the Sigrún, Sayu, who had since entered her first year of high school, invited Chihana to join her own Legion, titled Lohengrin, which she had formed especially for her. Chihana accepted, and though she could not hold the position of captain anymore, she would still share the commander position with Sayu, bringing along her expertise from her time in Álfheimr into the newly formed Legion, particularly the variable formation system. Naru would also go on to integrate Legion Lohengrin, once again taking up the right-side BZ, the position she excelled at. Furthermore, Aoki Kaho, another former Álfheimr member, also came to integrate the Legion, having taken the Schutzengel's Oath with Sayu's friend and Lohengrin member Sejima Hiromu.

At some point, Chihana and Sayu took the Schutzengel's Oath, fulfilling the promise they had made a year prior.

Around this period, Touka finally recovered from her vegetative state, and she would soon learn that, with Legion Álfheimr coming apart, Chihana had since joined Legion Lohengrin. At first, Touka was intent on following Chihana into her new Legion, but she soon came to learn that Naru was also part of it, and not only that, but also that she held the right-side BZ position, the very same one she held during her time in Álfheimr, and the one just next to Chihana's center BZ.

And so, though Chihana would later personally invite Touka to join Legion Lohengrin, she refused, reportedly stating that "There’s no place by your side for me any longer, Chihana. [...] Your Legion is already at its strongest. Nothing that I can do would be of help to you,” and there, Chihana and Touka would part ways for the final time. Touka would go on to join Legion Sanngriðr, and upon entering their second year of high school, the pair ceased to be roommates, with Touka moving in with Sanngriðr's captain, Misaka, while Chihana began sharing a bedroom with Kaho. Nonetheless, Chihana still wished for Touka to find happiness in her new path, and she likewise held Sanngriðr in "very high" regard.

Anime/game

This information is specific to the anime/game continuity.

Bouquet

Chihana participated in Yurigaoka's combat exhibition festival, forming a team with Mio, Kaede Johan Nouvel, Kanabako Misora and Takasuga Tsukushi in the mixed-Legion target pole topple competition.

Combat Style

Chihana, and by extension the First Generation Álfheimr, are considered the pioneers of the approach to the Neunwelt Tactic most widely adopted in the present day. Chihana in particular is considered the very face of the Neunwelt combat doctrine, and is a known proponent of the variable formation system. Chihana's primary position is the center BZ, and she is noted to be proficient at controlling its dynamics, such as setting up the Neunwelt's passes, and understanding when to push forward or pull back the BZ line with precise timing and degree. Chihana particularly specializes at long-range passes, in a manner similar to Tsukioka Momiji of Odaiba's Heorot Saints.

Chihana possesses the Linker ability.

Family

Chihana's father was the president of a CHARM manufacturing company.

Trivia

• The Sigrún before Chihana, Rosalinde Friedegunde von Otto, notably also suddenly resigned for unknown reasons. Though it has not been confirmed, it is speculated that she stepped down with the very intention of having Chihana take her place.
• Chihana is very good friends with Goto Sakura of Legion Rossweisse, and is in good terms with Morishita Miyabi of Ambrosia Ladies' Institute. Furthermore, she is also particularly close with Tsumaki Natsumi, said to be "the one who supports her the most".
• Chihana is noted to use computers a lot, particularly in order to draft up CHARM blueprints. She is also said to possess several "gadgets"
• Although Chihana is rather short, standing at 153cm, Futagawa Fumi has stated that her "aura" makes her appear taller.
• Before taking the Schutzengel's Oath with Sayu, Ito Shizu of Legion Schwarz Grail was considered a potential candidate to become Chihana's Schild. Due to Shizu's level-headed attitude and logical approach to battle tactics, she would later become known as "Takegoshi Chihana's Successor"
• Chihana's interests include Shogi, as well as prehistoric and fantastical animals.
• Chihana likes light rain showers.

Gallery

Designs

• 
  Chihana's original design, by Yaegashi Nan
• 
  Chihana's design in Last Bullet