The Encroaching Nightmare
The Encroaching Nightmare (悪蝕のナイトメア, officially titled Evil Eclipse Nightmare) was a mini story event in Assault Lily: Last Bullet, starring Serizawa Chikaru, with Aizawa Kazuha in a supporting role. It ran from May 19, 2022 to May 31, 2022.
Premise[edit | edit source]
"One morning, Chikaru takes a dose of the Stabilizers that keep her under control, after obtaining them at the infirmary as usual. However, during a mission later that day, strange things begin to happen."
"Hervör is temporarily afflicted by hallucinations after suffering a psychic attack from a Huge. But while the others were able to recover after the end of the battle, Chikaru continued to behave oddly."
"Chikaru's symptoms not remain, but continue to worsen as time goes on, even causing her to hear nothing but judgement in the voices of the other Hervör members. As her affliction continues, Chikaru's grasp in reality withers away bit by bit."
"Will Chikaru ever be able to find herself once more...?"
Summary[edit | edit source]
I'm beyond repair. It's not just my senses, but my soul... it's all of me.
We can't go back to what we were like before. I can't ever be part of them anymore... part of Hervör.
...
Wait just a little longer, Makoto. I'll be joining you soon.—Serizawa Chikaru, The Encroaching Nightmare, scene 3-1
One morning, Serizawa Chikaru visits the infirmary for her usual checkup, and the doctor remarks that while she has been doing particularly well as a Lily, she appears somewhat worn out, and Chikaru is advised to keep both her physical and mental health in good shape. Obtaining a refill of her Stabilizers, she briefly encounters Kazuha, who also remarks that she looks somewhat exhausted. Saddened that she made others worry about her, Chikaru takes her Stabilizers, reminding herself that her worth comes from her ability to fight properly, and that she should strive to remain that way.
Later in the day, Chikaru leaves on a mission with Legion Hervör, where they run into an Irregular Huge possessing the ability to disorient their senses with psychic attacks. While they attempt to resist it, Hervör is completely out of any fighting condition, and they resign to dealing with the surrounding Huge after the Irregular flees into a cave. Returning to Herensuge shortly after, Hervör, still mildly disoriented, reflects on the Huge and its ability. Kazuha leaves to make her report to the Garden, while Renka is notified that one of the prototypes for their new Legion outfits, which she had commissioned from the designer of Sielulintu's outfits, were ready.
The next day, Chikaru remarks that even after sleeping, she still feels symptoms; particularly, she feels a sharp pain in her left eye, and her vision from it is completely shaded red. While initially worried that she might not get better, Chikaru reassures herself that she'll be fine. After taking another dose of Stabilizers, Chikaru sets of for her daily errands.
Sometime after, Hervör meets up in the cafeteria in order to try a prototype for their new Legion outfits, though only Kazuha, Ran and Chikaru's outfits were ready. still bothered by her eye, Chikaru makes the impromptu addition of an eyepatch to her outfit. While the other members unanimously compliment her looks, Chikaru instead hears them viciously mock her for a brief moment, before coming back to her senses. Though still bothered by what might be happening to her, Chikaru decides to think nothing of it and simply continue with her day, not wanting her Legion mates to worry.
Renka proposes that they leave to town for a proper feel test of the outfits. Their outing proceeds smoothly until Ran seemingly disappears. While the other Hervör members react normally to such an usual occurence, Chikaru becomes frantic, convinced that something might have happened to Ran. Kazuha proposes they split up and search for her, and Chikaru leaves with Yoh to search in the suburbs while Kazuha stays with Renka in the city. The pair discuss Chikaru's odd behavior and conclude that the Irregular Huge must be the reason for it. After searching for a while, Chikaru is surprised by Ran, who reveals that she went in secret to buy Chikaru's favorite Mango smoothie in order to cheer her up. The pair talks for a bit, and after shortly becoming deeply emotional, Chikaru finally calms herself down, and she returns to the others together with Ran.
Again reunited, Ran suggests that they take pictures together after spotting a photo booth, which everyone agrees to. In the following moment, however, Hervör once again encounters the Irregular Huge, and they engage in combat. During the battle, Chikaru continues to hallucinate, which eventually leads her to shoot Kazuha, seeing her to be a Huge. Chikaru breaks into complete panic, but despite the other members’ pleas for her to calm down and see that Kazuha was not seriously injured, Chikaru hallucinates them severily admonishing her for what she did. Horrified at herself, Chikaru runs away as Kazuha wakes up, and the remaining Hervör members return to fighting the Irregular Huge, determined to bring Chikaru back to their side.
At night, Chikaru sits by herself, thinking back on her time as a middle schooler in Koshu, where she had made a promise with her best friend, Makoto, to become Lilies together and eventually Instructors at the local Garden of Kaiseizan. Makoto would later die during the Koshu Withdrawal, with her final request to Chikaru that she saves as many people as she can in her stead. Looking at the picture she took with her friends earlier, Chikaru breaks down further upon realizing that she can no longer see her friends’ faces. Chikaru concludes that Makoto's death was the catalyst for the instability she displayed ever since, and sinking into a deep depression, she convinces herself that she is too worthless and damaged to ever belong anywhere, be it Hervör or Herensuge, and that the only thing she can do now is die, so that she may be reunited with Makoto.
Chikaru returns to the city, where she intends to give her aid to Hervör one last time by eliminating the Huge in the surrounding area, hoping to eventually die during combat. However, she encounters the Irregular Huge, and seeing it seemingly unscathed, she assumes it to have successfully killed her comrades. Chikaru's mental state further deteriorates, and she begins to viciously attack the Irregular Huge in a fit of rage. However, because it appears to possess the ability to become intangible, Chikaru's advances are all but useless. Frustrated and exhausted, Chikaru drops her CHARM, and waits motionless for the Huge to finish her off.
The Huge is interrupted by Kazuha and the other members of Hervör, arriving just in time. Kazuha urges Chikaru to stand and fight once again, reminding Chikaru that she is an irreplaceable part of their Legion, and that even if she loses all hope in herself, she can always believe in them, just as she didn't rid herself of the picture they've taken together, even after she put her own CHARM down. Regaining motivation one final time, Chikaru resumes fighting, but is still unable to land a hit on the Huge. Concluding that she cannot rely on her senses to determine its true position, Chikaru closes her eyes, relying instead on her Legion mates to properly guide her. After finally detecting the Huge's actual location, Chikaru hurls her CHARM at it, finally destroying it once and for all.
With her vision no longer distorted, and all other symptoms alleviating, Chikaru breaks down crying, apologizing for her actions and asking that Kazuha and all other Hervör members remain by her side. Kazuha assures her that they'll always be wihin her reach should she ever need them. Chikaru then speaks to Makoto, telling her that she still has duties to fulfill in the world of the living, and that so long as she has friends to bring her back into the light whenever she falls into darkness, she cannot reunite with her just yet.
Meanwhile, the infirmary doctor meets with a pair of researchers in an unknown location, revealing that they purposefully switched Chikaru's Stabilizers for a hallucinogenic drug. In discussing the results they've obtained, they mention that the Irregular Huge also briefly affected Makino Mitake of Legion Cuélebre, but the doctor dismisses this, stating that the "dream" Chikaru experienced was hers alone. The doctor authorizes the researchers to continue to the "next phase”, mysteriously stating that they have an entire “paradise of sleeping maidens” at their disposal.
Event Items[edit | edit source]
Outfits[edit | edit source]
Memoriae[edit | edit source]
Translation[edit | edit source]
Video recording of the event's official airing in Last Bullet W (Youtube)
A fan translation can be found here in Google Doc format.