Chidori, this is goodbye, huh?
Yesterday, that was a close thing.
Kanno-san!
For a minute, I thought you might win.
Were you cheering for me?
Of course not.
Yesterday, you just had a lucky day.
To begin with, you're no match for Takami.
Yeah.
What?
Doesn't it bother you?
You really wanted to be strong.
It bothers me, but I did what I could,
so I feel satisfied.
My sister really is amazing!
Hikari...
Chidori, thanks for everything.
Do your best with my sis.
Hey!
These gloves...
You wanted them, right?
A farewell gift.
Episode 11 "We Won't Know Until We Try"
Are you really going to Suomus, Hikari?
Yeah.
Don't break your Unit when you get there.
Yeah.
I'll be sure that they don't make me kneel.
I made you rice balls.
And something to drink.
Shimohara-san...
Georgette-san.
Thanks for everything!
Hikari-san...
Everything you did here didn't go to waste.
Sensei...
You were moving pretty well yesterday.
Thank you very much, Rossmann-sensei!
Hikari-chan...
It's best that you have this.
Th-That good luck charm!
I heard about it from Nipa-san.
This is actually a weapon, isn't it?
You found out?
It'll feel more like a good luck charm if it has at least one bullet.
Thanks, Krupinski-san.
Everyone, stay safe!
Hikari!
Nipa-san...
Hey.
The strategy meeting is starting.
Why aren't you chasing after her?
Will chasing after her change anything?
She's one of us, right?
Wasn't she your partner?!
My partner is Takami.
Aren't you cold?
N-No, I'm just fine.
I'm honored to be able to carry a Witch of the 502nd.
But I'm not in the 502nd anymore.
Hikari left.
How was she doing?
If you were concerned, why didn't you see her off?
It's covered with scratches...
Those scratches prove that Hikari was here.
I can't believe she was able to fight on the front lines like this.
She worked really hard, didn't she?
Yeah, she really did.
But what I want is a strong Witch who can complete the mission.
That's all.
I shall fulfill that role. I promise!
As you know, Grigori is moving southwest at 5km per hour.
Its target is Petersburg and the 502nd base.
We're changing our normal strategy of responding to enemy attacks,
and launching our own major counterattack.
That is Operation Freyja.
The northern armies have succeeded in scouting inside of Grigori.
At the center of the cloud lies a massive main body.
That is where the Neuroi are coming from.
A Neuroi factory, huh?
Our ultimate goal is destruction of that main body.
And this is our trump card.
The ultra-large railway cannons Gustav and Dora.
Those?
They're huge.
Karlsland Engineering Labs has developed
an 800mm-caliber artillery piece, the largest in the world.
800mm?
I didn't know you could make something so big.
Gustav will fire first,
launching a newly developed HE round.
We'll use this to destroy the cloud that hides the nest.
Dora will then destroy the exposed main body.
Dora has been loaded with an anti-Neuroi magic AP round.
Magic AP round?
This magic AP round contains the magical power of several hundred ground Witches.
We'll pound it right into the enemy core and end this.
But to accurately strike Grigori, which is several hundred meters off the ground,
we must get within a minimum of several dozen kilometers.
That's inside the enemy attack area?
502nd Joint Fighter Wing,
your mission is to escort the railway cannons inside the firing area.
And then, Sub-lieutenant Karibuchi will ID the core's location!
You'll take the train from here.
Suomus Station, Petersburg
I'll be on my way.
Yes, thank you very much!
Let's see...
Someone's supposed to come from Suomus.
Hey!
Eila-san! Sanya-san!
You came to meet me?
Listen up.
Don't think about leaving until Grigori is down.
502nd Joint Fighter Wing, head out!
Roger!
Hikari...
Nipa-san said she wanted us to meet you.
Nipa-san said that?
She was so worried about you!
Sanya?
The sky...
The 502nd took off?
Yes!
That's the flight leader!
That's Sasha-san!
And Rossmann-sensei,
Shimohara-san, and Georgette-san!
I'm amazed you can see them...
To the left is Krupinski-san,
Nipa-san, and Kanno-san!
And...
Your sister?
Yes.
You can do it, Sis!
Don't get so down.
Look!
When you're feeling down,
you can have yummy sweets to cheer you right up!
Chocolate!
Thanks!
It isn't chocolate.
It's salmiakki.
S-So much!
It's good...
H-Hey, Hikari!
Hikari-san!
Takami.
You beat Hikari to become my partner.
We have to win.
We have to!
Right!
Of course, Kanno-san!
Gustav and Dora sighted.
They're what we're protecting?
Ten o'clock.
Grigori sighted.
It's here?
That's Grigori?
I'll send you crashing to the bottom of the sky!
Ultra-large Railway Cannon Giant artillery pieces that the Engineering Labs of the Empire of Karlsland created. They are giant weapons measuring 47 meters long, weighing 1,300 tons, with a 800mm-caliber barrel and run along a rail. Currently, two of these weapons, Dora and Gustav, are at Murmansk Base and are a part of Operation Freyja.
That's a huge force...
Of course.
Everything depends on this mission!
Northern Command Front Line Command Center
Contact carriers in the White Sea.
Tell them to launch planes.
Roger.
We will now begin Operation Freyja!
It's started.
Right.
Gustav and Dora will enter enemy combat range in thirty seconds!
That surprised me...
Are you okay?
Good stuff, right?
Looks like it's started.
You can't see it from here.
I wish we could go, too...
The Suomus force is backup, isn't it?
Sis...
Ta-dah!
A radio!
Just wait...
Air Wing 8 has engaged ten small-sized Neuroi in Zone B05!
We're inside enemy attack range.
They're coming!
No matter what, protect the railway cannons until they reach the firing area!
Roger!
Watch me, Hikari!
I'll win and return safely!
How are there so many beams?
It just means the enemy's serious.
Your quota is one every five seconds!
No need to tell me!
Those two are amazing!
They're in perfect harmony!
Air Wing 1 has been wiped out.
AA Battalion 11 has been wiped out.
Regimental losses have reached 30%!
The amount of Neuroi appearing every minute has been halved.
Keep attacking.
Give 'em all we've got.
No holding back!
Gustav and Dora will reach firing range in one minute.
Prepare to fire super HE round!
Stay away from us!
Don't get in our way!
You can do it, Sis!
Shut down engines.
Adjust sights.
Load round.
All safeties disabled.
Deploying magic inside cylinder in three, two, one...
Ready to fire.
Gustav has reached target area.
Fire!
The impact's incredible.
The super HE device activated successfully.
The clouds around Grigori have dissipated.
It worked!
So far.
Huh?
It was just getting good...
There's so much jamming.
That's the enemy's main body?
It's huge...
Normal weapons can't scratch it, huh?
Sub-lieutenant Karibuchi, ID the core.
Let's go, Takami!
Roger!
We'll escort Takami until she's close enough to locate the core!
Roger.
Did you see it, Takami?
Yes... Initial targeting lock!
Adjusting targets.
Final adjustment.
Targeting lock complete!
Grid H2541! T0429!
Grigori core identified!
Dora, prepare to fire!
Dora, spells deployed.
Ten seconds to fire.
Nine, eight...
Damn it! Damn it!
Dora is damaged!
The barrel's melted, and we can't fire!
What? We can't fire?
Then use Gustav!
Prepare the spare round!
Roger.
Grigori has initiated movement toward Petersburg!
What?
How long until we can fire?
We need twenty minutes to finish deploying the spells.
That's too long!
If it leaves firing range, we're finished!
What's going on?
Sis...
The attacks have stopped.
So it isn't interested in us now, huh?
If we wait twenty minutes, it'll move out of firing range...
Our weapons can't touch it!
What do we do?!
Takami?
That's...
The magic AP round?
She can't mean to...
She's going to carry it!
And slam it straight into the enemy?
That thing weighs close to a ton...
I-It's impossible!
This is what Hikari would do...
So I can't give up!
Ever!
Dummy...
You can't do it alone.
That's right.
Kanno-san! Nipa-san!
Georgette-san!
Everyone!
I'm better on offense than defense.
This is more likely to succeed.
You're just like your little sister.
They're both dummies, huh?
I don't mind idiots...
The 502nd plans to directly strike the enemy with the AP round.
It will take more time to fire Gustav!
They're our only hope now!
Ready...
It came up! Yes!
Let's go!
Never thought I'd go into battle hauling something like this...
They haven't seen us yet!
They think this'll be easy.
Let's show them they're wrong!
We're 600 meters above the enemy.
We've arrived at the location.
Core location remains the same!
Target lock!
Drop!
Let go!
What are you doing, Takami?
I'll make sure it hits!
Did they find us?
Let's go, Takami!
Kanno-san!
Right.
Go!
We did it, Takami!
Yes!
Grigori is still functional!
It's regenerating!
Grigori's regenerating?
Why?
Didn't we destroy the core?
That's...
I c-can see a core inside the core!
What?
It has a true core inside its core, too?
Unless we strike the true core directly, we can't defeat it?
Gustav is ready to fire!
This is our last attack.
We won't get another!
Sub-lieutenant Karibuchi, can you see the true core?
I can! Grid H66—
What's wrong, Takami?
I-It disappeared!
I can't detect it!
I can't see the true core!
What?
The core is blocking my Absolute Eye!
What do you mean, Sub-lieutenant?
There it is!
You can't locate the true core?
The true core?
What's that? What's going on?
Sis is going to use that...
Use what?
Hey, Hikari!
I have to stop her!
Where's my Unit?
I told you, the cargo train is different...
I'm going!
Going how?
And without a Unit, even if you go—
We won't know until we try!
To Be Continued
Take flight. And fly to where you go.
Believe and jump, as high as you can!
All the way to the sky, from your promise on that day.
Next time on Brave Witches, Final Episode: Shining with Light...
Episode 12 "Shining with Light..."