My eyes!
Medic! Someone get me a medic!
It's no good! The reinforcements are just a random group of mages!
A mage?
What are you doing, Visha?
We can't provide air support anymore!
What are the platoon commander's orders?
Sh-She cannot allow us to retreat.
We are to continue delaying the enemy till the end.
Believers, have faith in the Lord's blessings.
For the Lord will not abandon us.
Give me the power to destroy the enemies of the Fatherland.
An explosion spell...
If you have time for idle chatter,
spend it doing all you can to survive.
Platoon Commander?
We are soldiers.
If the brass tells us to do something, we do it.
Second Lieutenant Tanya Degurechaff.
Amidst the downpour of shells and bullets,
she flew high and nobly.
Like a fairy of the battlefield.
In a cursed world, always engulfed in the flames of war,
there was a nation known as the Empire.
Its vast military and industrial power made it virtually synonymous with victory.
It possessed a large number of brilliant military minds and mages,
but it was surrounded on all sides by strong potential enemies.
For this reason, its military formulated Plan 315,
wherein border forces carried out delaying actions in all theaters,
buying time for a highly mobile, concentrated main force to travel
to each area and defeat the enemy there.
At least, that was the plan.
Unified Year 1924, Imperial Capital Berun
Imperial Strategic Headquarters
What is the situation in the Rhine theater?
When will the main force be deployed there?
Vice Director of Strategy and Operations Lieutenant Colonel Erich von Rerugen
Movement from the northern areas is being delayed.
Deputy of Strategy and Operations Brigadier General Kurt von Rudersdorf
We must adjust the rail and ship schedules,
so the deployment will take another two weeks.
We must pull back the lines even more?
The western industrial areas will be endangered.
We don't even have enough reserves to send reinforcements.
We've been caught totally off-guard.
From the start, a major offensive against the Entente Alliance was a mistake!
If we'd kept ourselves to a limited mobilization...
We were the ones who failed to convince
the higher-ups that they were wrong about the Republic's not mobilizing.
Vice Director of Strategy and Operations Brigadier General Hans von Zettour
Plan 315 is no longer viable.
Since our attempts to delay the enemy aren't working,
we'll have to move to a mobile defense, right?
But that will be difficult, given the state of the Rhine theater.
Our forces are depleted and exhausted, so it's beyond their capacity.
We've already grabbed every spare soldier we could to send there.
That will buy some time.
I suppose it helps to have a talented contemporary, huh?
Isn't that statement premature?
What?
Reports say we've lost over half the units we've deployed.
They say the Rhine theater is now a living hell.
Imperial Army 205th Assault Mage Company Platoon 3 Commander Second Lieutenant Tanya Degurechaff
Enemies sighted on the ground, two o'clock.
Artillery spell.
Fire!
R-Right!
Platoon 3 Member Corporal Viktoriya Serebryakov
It's coming from above!
Damn the bastards!
Die! Die!
Platoon 3 Member Corporal Harald von Vist
Take this...
You Republican bastards!
Platoon 3 Member Corporal Kurst von Walhorf
Artillery...
Take out the artillery.
Come with me, Harald!
Roger!
Both of you corporals, get back here.
Our mission is to delay the enemy via flanking attacks.
Let us go, please.
Now's our chance!
Your chance to what?
Get back here!
This is an order!
Take this!
All right!
Did you see that, Commander?
We'll keep going and crush the artillery!
Too tired to eat, huh?
Force it down if you have to.
You won't last otherwise.
They say the 202nd and 203rd Companies were wiped out.
I volunteered to come to the front lines.
And now I've gotta work for that lieutenant?
Platoon 3, of the 205th.
Your captain is calling you.
We're being sent back home?
I would say you're getting off lightly.
Be grateful.
The army has no need for officer candidates who disobey orders.
But we were trying to take out the artillery!
You know how many of our infantry they took out, don't you?
Is that all you have to say?
An army is an organization.
And organizations are nothing without rules!
Dismissed.
I... I refuse to accept this!
I volunteered to come to the front lines!
My only choices are victory or death!
Me, too.
I agree with Corporal Kurst.
A man of the Empire is expected to be brave!
Then you're saying you'll disobey your superior officer's orders again?!
Lieutenant!
I'll take your opinion under advisement.
But you'd best be prepared to face some punishment.
Corporal Serebryakov,
Imperial Army 205th Assault Mage Company Commander First Lieutenant Ihlen Schwarzkopf
is something wrong?
Sch... Lieutenant Schwarzkopf!
Um, I don't see Corporal Kurst or Corporal Harald.
That's right.
You were in their class, weren't you?
They've been transferred to the rear as of today.
To the rear?
Yeah.
They must be standing by in a pillbox now.
This was at the suggestion of Lieutenant Degurechaff.
I heard they made her angry.
Y-Yes.
I was sure they'd be harshly punished...
I see.
They're being sent to the rear, where it's safe.
If you're wearing that uniform, contribute to your country.
The Empire doesn't have resources to waste on weak soldiers.
R-Right.
Corporal Serebryakov!
Yes?
Call an emergency meeting.
Bad news, everyone.
Our 403rd Mage Company suddenly encountered
and entered combat with two companies of enemy mages.
And they can't use artillery because the observer mages were targeted,
meaning they can no longer spot the shells.
Enemy observer-hunters?
Oh, right.
You've encountered them in the north, Lieutenant Degurechaff.
And I never want to go through that again.
We will leave immediately to rescue the observers.
Any questions?
We can perform a delaying action,
but rescuing them will be difficult.
Even with that Type-95?
I can still fight, but Corporal Serebryakov is at her limit.
I don't want to be the kind of incompetent who goes to rescue someone,
only to lose them and her soldier.
Company Commander, I volunteer for this!
I volunteer for the rescue mission!
Stop.
You can't do it.
I-I'm an Imperial soldier, too.
I'm certain I can complete the mission!
Corporal!
Company Commander!
Please, please let me go!
You heard her, Second Lieutenant.
I understand your concerns, but she says she's all right.
Roger.
I'll do the best I can.
Lieutenant Degurechaff!
Thank you.
Corporal,
you're really ready for this, right?
Yes, ma'am.
Understood.
Time for work, then.
Right!
Command Post, this is Bravo 01.
Enemy mages are stopping us from artillery spotting!
How much longer will reinforcements take?
Command Post to Bravo 01.
The 205th Mage Company is en route.
403rd Mage Company, continue spotting.
Damn it!
Don't they understand what's going on?!
Republican Army 106th Recon Mage Company
Republican Army 106th Recon Mage Company Commander First Lieutenant Augustin Hosman
I'd heard the Imperial mages were good.
Guess you can't trust rumors...
Troops, find the remaining observers!
I've been trying, but they appear to be hiding in the trenches.
Then blow away anywhere you think they might be.
But a wide-area explosion spell will drain our magic.
It doesn't matter.
Maximum firepower.
"A-Attention, all units. We've lost contact with friendly observers."
What a mess.
Sh-Should we turn back?
No, it's a shame we weren't in time,
but we're inside enemy firing range.
We've gotta earn our pay.
W-We only have one platoon.
We can't fight a whole company.
You said you were ready for this.
Our enemy is on an exhausting, long-range mission.
And they've used a lot of firepower to take out our observers.
There's a good chance we can win.
But I guess losing new troops already would hurt my promotion chances.
You are to rendezvous with Lieutenant Schwarzkopf and provide support.
I'll go ahead and destroy three platoons.
The rest are yours.
Man, it's rough being a salaryman.
S-Salary...?
I pray unto God.
Lord, save my Fatherland.
Magical signature, probably hostile, approaching at high speed.
Visual confirmation on enemy target.
Distance, 2,000 meters.
1,800... 1,600...
She's fast!
They've gone mad, huh?
Prepare to intercept!
Fire!
What are you doing?
Unable to maintain flight spell! Leaving the battlefield!
Scatter and climb!
Get as high as you can!
Commander!
Damn it.
Payback for Sean!
How high up is she going?
Commander, this is our max altitude.
Impossible.
She's over 10,000 meters in the air.
Attention.
You are trespassing on Imperial territory.
An open comms channel?
And this voice...
So she is just a kid?
This is our sky!
Our home!
If you would stand against the Empire,
we shall eliminate you without mercy.
This is our task!
What an amazing patriot she is.
Answer me!
Why do you invade the Empire, our homeland?
If you want to play more,
I'll give you some lead toys!
Fire!
A decoy.
No room to negotiate, huh?
You bitch!
Spatial coordinates identified.
Calculating stochastic evasion routes for all targets.
Magical energy in chamber within normal parameters.
Attention, all allies. Prepare for impact.
Oh, Lord... Save our Fatherland from these faithless invaders.
At the end of our long road,
we shall reach the promised land!
Detecting massive magical signature!
Is she the devil?
A diffusive magical explosion,
caused when magic under maximum pressure mixes with the surrounding air.
Even if you dodge the impact,
you can't escape the oxygen deprivation or carbon monoxide poisoning that follows.
We didn't need to provide any support.
In this cruel world of wars,
there's no mage you can count on like her.
The battle is over.
Surrender now, and we'll guarantee your rights as prisoners
under the Treaty of Worms.
Republican Capital Parisee
Ministry of Defense
This is the record of a computation jewel,
Republic Army 2nd Mage Company Lieutenant Colonel Severin Bientot
which was recovered after a certain battle.
This single mage wiped out the 106th Company.
Her appearance was first confirmed two months ago.
She's a named mage whose background is unclear,
but our soldiers call her...
"The Devil of the Rhine"?
Redeployment of our central forces to the Rhine has been completed.
So we somehow made it in time.
We put pretty heavy demands on you, huh?
Don't worry about it.
It's all for our country's sake.
I must thank you somehow.
How about one of my best bottles of wine?
I'm afraid I've put off drinking until our victory.
Stubborn...
Lieutenant Colonel Rerugen,
is something wrong?
No, it's just...
Just what?
W-Well, this report says
that Second Lieutenant Tanya Degurechaff was sent to the Rhine theater.
Kurst and Harald are dead?
While they were on standby, an enemy shell struck their pillbox.
It's a shame.
No.
Does the platoon commander know?
No, probably not yet.
The one called "White Silver"?
The one who was awarded the Silver Wings Assault Badge?
It's surprising to see an ace at her age.
What about her?
I once had the opportunity to see Lieutenant Degurechaff.
Excuse me.
There's something I want to report.
What is it?
Corporals Kurst and Harald—
They're dead?
Wh-Where did you learn that?
It's self-evident.
A pillbox doesn't move. It's an ideal target for artillery.
A perfect place for men who wanted to die.
If I may be so forward as to give you my opinion.
You didn't know this would happen, did you?
She is...
a monster in the form of a little girl!
Episode 01 The Devil of the Rhine
This program is fiction. All persons, groups, places, laws, and names appearing in it have no relation to the real world.