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leagueofgardens · 1 year ago

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Legion Álfheimr, Past and Present

The nine headliners of the second-generation Legion Álfheimr

Two legions at Yurigaoka Girls' Academy have borne the name of Álfheimr, one of which is still active, and both in their time have been believed the strongest legion in the world. Though most Assault Lily stories focus on different and less mighty legions, within the setting as a whole, none are more important than Álfheimr.

The influence of the first Álfheimr was so great that it set the standard of other legions, on average, having 13 members. They are also considered to be the originators of Neunwelt Tactic-focused battle strategy as it exists today.

Let's review the stories of both Álfheimarnir, past and present.

The First Legion Álfheimr

Legion Álfheimr began as one of Yurigaoka's reserve teams, composed mostly of third-year junior high school students with a few first-year high schoolers among them. Reserve teams like these are generally kept away from live combat and not considered "legions" at all. At Yurigaoka, the purpose of forming these teams is first and foremost that of preparing the younger girls to stand on the front lines later, after they enter high school (and also to take part in some inter-Garden competitions like firepower reviews.)

In Álfheimr's case, the battlefield found them before they were ready.

In 2050, two years before the events of Assault Lily Bouquet, Álfheimr was in Koshu for a training camp when the Huge invaded in force, seeking to build a Nest and establish a new foothold. The local Gardens failed to mobilize in time to push them back, and soon enough, the Lilies present found themselves not defending Koshu but leading the evacuation of its civilian population.

Álfheimr joined in, dividing their thirteen members into several smaller groups so that they could save more people. One of their number—Kawazoe Misuzu—died during this battle, but they did succeed in rescuing people, including a certain girl named Hitotsuyanagi Riri and her friend Kayu.

After that, Álfheimr became a formal legion and was sent on more missions. Of the roughly 30 combat missions they took part in, every one was a victory. Their final mission was the Odaiba Counteroffensive, in which not a single person died despite the overwhelmingly hostile odds, leading to it being considered a miracle.

The Odaiba Counteroffensive happened in early 2051, and shortly after that, the first Legion Álfheimr disbanded. In the typical Assault Lily fashion, we have multiple contradictory reasons for why this happened:

According to the defunct Assault Lily blog in an entry from 2016, Takegoshi Chihana lost a power struggle in the student council, and as she was captain of Álfheimr, the legion was forcibly disbanded.

In the early novels, Álfheimr fell apart as a direct result of Hasebe Touka being put into a vegetative state by an experimental mind-coupled CHARM she was testing on Mashima Moyu's request.

In Bouquet and more recent stories, the legion is said to have broken up due to regrets its members felt ever since the Koshu Withdrawal.

Later in 2051, one of Álfheimr's former members, Akashi Manaka, disappeared during a battle and has not been seen since; most people believe she's dead, but a few like her Schild candidate Ban Kaya are still hoping to discover her alive and well some day. The other members of Álfheimr eventually joined new legions.

Takegoshi Chihana, captain of the first Álfheimr

The members of the first-generation Legion Álfheimr were:

Hayashi Kaoru, currently a 3rd-year Lily, the Schutzengel of Takegoshi Chihana, and a reserve member of Legion Lohengrin. She was the original captain of the first Álfheimr. It's unknown when or why she stepped aside in Chihana's favor.

Takegoshi Chihana, currently a 2nd-year Lily and a member of Legion Lohengrin. In addition to being the captain of the first Álfheimr after Kaoru vacated that position, she's well-known for taking command during the Odaiba Counteroffensive and leading the Lilies there to victory. She was also, at one time, the Sigrún.

Akashi Manaka, who has been missing in action for a year. If she hadn't disappeared, she'd be a 2nd-year Lily.

Amano Soraha, currently a 2nd-year Lily and the captain of the second-generation Legion Álfheimr. She was vice-captain of the first Álfheimr.

Aoki Kaho, currently a 2nd-year Lily and a member of Legion Lohengrin.

Banshoya Ena, currently a 2nd-year Lily and a member of the second-generation Legion Álfheimr.

Hasebe Touka, currently a 2nd-year Lily and a member of Legion Sanngriðr.

Kawazoe Misuzu, Yuyu's Schutzengel, who died during the Koshu Withdrawal. If she were alive, she'd be a 3rd-year Lily.

Niinomi Nodoka, currently a 2nd-year Lily and a member of Legion Reginleif.

Shirai Yuyu, currently a 2nd-year Lily and a member of Legion Ráðgríðr (Team Hitotsuyanagi).

Taniguchi Hijiri, currently a 2rd-year Lily, the Schutzengel of Rokkaku Shiori, and a member of Legion Reginleif.

Yoshimura Thi Mai, currently a 2nd-year Lily and a member of Legion Ráðgríðr (Team Hitotsuyanagi).

Watanabe Akane, currently a 2nd-year Lily and a member of the second-generation Legion Álfheimr.

The Second Legion Álfheimr

The current Legion Álfheimr owes its existence to Tanaka Ichi, one of its 1st-year members. She's attended Yurigaoka since kindergarten and has a group of childhood friends known as the "Gang of Five." Along with her, this group includes Egawa Kusumi, Kanabako Misora, Takasuga Tsukushi, and Watanabe Akane.

When Ichi and the other first-years in the Gang of Five entered high school, the five of them decided to form a legion of their own, which received the official name of Legion Skuld. As Ichi was the captain, it was also popularly known as "Team Ichiban."

The reason Legion Skuld became Legion Álfheimr relates to Egawa Kusumi. An incident in junior high school, which we know few specifics about, nearly shattered Kusumi's friendship with the rest of the Gang of Five (though they later reconciled with her) and made her so depressed that she wasn't sure if she could continue being a Lily. Because of this, Yurigaoka temporarily moved Kusumi into the "special dormitory", a place for those Yurigaoka Lilies who need extra accommodations in their living arrangements (either because of their mental health, or for other reasons, like because they are Boosted Lilies.)

After the first Legion Álfheimr dissolved, Amano Soraha became disillusioned with being a Lily and planned to retire. She was moved to the special dormitory for similar reasons to Kusumi, and there, the two of them found themselves neighbors. They soon became close with one another. According to Soraha, she thought it would be a shame for all of Kusumi's ability to amount to nothing, decided "I want to be a Lily together with this girl," and changed her mind about retiring. The two of them, Soraha and Kusumi, then became Schutzengel and Schild.

Soraha using her Rare Skill, Heliosphere

Soraha decided to join the legion that her Schild was in, and she was followed by her roommate; Banshoya Ena, another veteran of the first Álfheimr.

Although not part of the Gang of Five, Endo Araya has also attended Yurigaoka since elementary school and joined the legion because she was interested in Ichi and Kusumi. She turned down an invitation from Shinobu, the Brynhildr herself, to join the elite Legion Brynhildr Line in favor of joining Legion Skuld.

Mori Tatsuki, the final headliner, likely joined because she was friends with Araya and Misora, though this hasn't been stated as fact anywhere. Tatsuki is also Araya's roommate.

After they proved their strength, Yurigaoka offered to let Legion Skuld change their name to Legion Álfheimr on the condition that Ichi stepped down as the captain and Soraha took over. They accepted the offer, and are now commonly known as simply Álfheimr, sometimes "the second-generation Álfheimr", and sometimes "Team Ichiban" as they were at the start.

Currently, Legion Álfheimr is one of Yurigaoka's four SSS-ranked legions—the strongest legions at the Garden and perhaps in the entire world. One of their major accomplishments was the liberation of Niigata, carried out after Sado Island was invaded by an incredibly powerful Ultra-type Huge given the name of "Fafnir", and Ryuto Girls' Academy in Niigata sent a request for aid to Yurigaoka. Álfheimr mounted an expedition to Niigata and played a key role in the defeat of Fafnir, though they were aided by several other elite legions.

Left to right: Tatsuki, Tsukushi, Misora

The headliners of the second-generation Legion Álfheimr are:

Amano Soraha, a 2nd-year Lily and the captain. She is also known as the "Wielder of the Blue Moon." Her Rare Skill, Heliosphere, allows her to create a powerful defensive barrier to shield herself and her allies. She is known for her friendly demeanor and large appetite.

Watanabe Akane, a 2nd-year Lily and the vice-captain. Nicknamed the "Conductor", her Rare Skill is Testament, which expands the range of other Rare Skills. Lilies with Testament normally have weak defenses, but Akane has mastered a technique called "Just Guard" to shield herself from attacks. She also plays the flute beautifully. She is Tsukushi's Schutzengel.

Banshoya Ena, a 2nd-year Lily and the commander. Her Rare Skill is Circlet Bless, allowing her to wield two CHARMs at once, and she is titled the "Princesse." She likes keeping aquariums and terrariums, and has a pet African lungfish named "Nyoro." It is a widespread rumor that she'll become Ichi's Schutzengel someday, though neither of them have proposed the oath to one another yet.

Egawa Kusumi, the "Child of the Gods", a 1st-year Lily. Her Rare Skill is Phantasm, giving her the ability to simulate countless futures and choose the one she desires (also, she is thus far the youngest ever Lily to have awakened Phantasm.) Her combat style is sometimes called the "Fairy Step," as she tends to look at her feet rather than her surroundings and twirl around like she's dancing. She is one of Yurigaoka's best cooks.

Endo Araya, the "Fenomeno", a 1st-year Lily. She has the same amount of magie as the average Boosted Lily, despite not being one herself. Her Rare Skill, Phase Transcendence, is familiar to anyone who watched Bouquet; unlike Miriam, however, Araya can keep fighting even after using it. She's well known for aggressively hitting on other Lilies at Yurigaoka, but people of every gender have been known to catch her eye.

Kanabako Misora, the "Little Alchemist", a 1st-year Lily. She is an Arsenal with a deep knowledge of both CHARMs and Lilies. Her Rare Skill is Regista, which boosts the magie available to her allies. She shares this Rare Skill with Kaede Johan Nouvel, but she has strong opinions on legion tactics and is viciously critical of Kaede's defensive command style, calling it "anti-Neunwelt."

Mori Tatsuki, the "One Who Hears", a 1st-year Lily. Tatsuki is a Boosted Lily who was rescued by Yurigaoka, and can understand the voices of the Huge, including their battlefield orders. This unique power doesn't make her less eager to fight and kill the Huge in the slightest. Her Rare Skill, Lunatic Trancer, is familiar to anyone who watched Bouquet. She is also an Arsenal who specializes in building and tuning CHARMs.

Takasuga Tsukushi, the "Wildschwein", a 1st-year Lily. Like Ena, her Rare Skill is Circlet Bless, allowing her to wield two CHARMs at once. She is a talented frontline fighter who is especially good at working together with Kusumi, and is one of her closest friends off the battlefield. She is also Akane's Schild. Unfortunately for Akane, who is afraid of the supernatural, Tsukushi loves stories about ghosts and other paranormal phenomena.

Tanaka Ichi, the "Heavenly Wolf", a 1st-year Lily. Her Rare Skill is The Way of the World, allowing her to perceive the movement vectors of allies and enemies alike and predict their future positions. As the president of Yurigaoka's Camellia class, she is strict with many people, but is kind and indulging towards her friends, especially Kusumi. She likes to play the piano and sing.

The reserve members are:

Maki Wakana, a 3rd-year Lily. She is Soraha's Schutzengel. Her Rare Skill is Regista. Uncommonly for a 3rd-year Lily, she has a good understanding of the Neunwelt Tactic and is an excellent commander. She, Soraha, and Kusumi are often said to be the strongest trio of Norns* at Yurigaoka.

Okada Kisara, a 3rd-year Boosted Lily. She is Ena's Schutzengel. Her Rare Skill is Zenon Paradoxa, an ability often described as a combination of Shukuchi and The Way of the World which makes unbelievably swift attacks possible. In contrast to Wakana, she prefers one-on-one dueling to the Neunwelt Tactic, though she can handle both. Because of her pale appearance and sadistic nature, Kisara is nicknamed the "Vampire".

Mozuna Noa, a 2nd-year Lily. Her Rare Skill, Charisma, is familiar to anyone who watched Bouquet. Noa's fighting style is unique, and Kusumi modeled hers after it. Off the battlefield, she's said to be very sweet.

*When a Yurigaoka Lily's Schild has her own Schild, the three of them are known as "Norns".

Final Notes

You might have noticed that Assault Lily has a lot of football (or soccer, if you're an American) references. This article contains three such references. Can you spot them all?

Hint: They're all in the final list of second-generation Legion Álfheimr members.

Edit: After I first made this blog post, Akashi Aika's name was changed to Akashi Manaka by official sources, so I've changed it here too.

#assault lily #assault lily lore #assault lily meta #legion alfheim #legion alfheimr #lore #assault lily bouquet

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