Date: May 31st, 1944
Location: English Channel, Europe
The Akagi keeps on moving with its siren alarm still sounding. A voice is heard over the intercom. "All ships: Break formation but remain in sections in maximal operational speed for evasive action." The Neuroi flies over it. Black clouds of smoke over the sky. A destroyer fires at the Neuroi which responds by firing back, missing the ship.
In the bridge, a man with grey hair & eyes and wearing a full white uniform with three stars on the patches on his shoulders gloances at the alien. "Damn it! Why don't those bastards hurry up and finish us off?" The man behind him speaks. "Maybe they enjoy taking us apart piece by piece, Captain." "Prepare all fighter squadrons for take off now. It's time to show those alien scum that we're not gonna give up without a serious fight." "Sir."
In the sick bay, Yoshika is sitting on a bed covering her ears while looking down. The sound of guns firing is heard. The ship rocks a bit. Mio and Keita enter the room and look around until they see her. "Miyafuji." The girl looks up to them and uncovers her ears, still afraid. Mio gets surprised. "I won't have that. Get that fear out of your eyes. You're at sea now, young lady. At war." "Sorry." They walk to her and Yoshika looks down. Mio has a hand on her hip. This is her first time seeing a battle between humans and Neuroi so of course she's scared, Sakamoto... "It's just that... the shaking never stops." "You'll get used to it." Mio gets down. "Here. I need you to look up at me for a minute." "Huh?" Mio has her left hand cup Yoshika's right ear. "Stay still." She brings her face close to hers. Yoshika looks at her while getting nervous. Keita looks out a window.
Mio moves her hand until Yoshika flinches. Mio removes her hand, revealing a blue earpiece with a gold five-pointed star on it. "It's an intercom. Now you'll be able to communicate to me and Mitchell whenever you want with that in your ear, okay?" "Okay." Yoshika looks to the piece and back to Mio who stands up. "However, you should only use it when it's an emergency. Is that understood?" "Yes." The ship rocks again. Yoshika gasps. The three look up. "Well, we should really be getting back up to the flight deck."
"Major Sakamoto, Captain Mitchell, um... are you gonna fight them for real?" "Of course we are. We have a duty and we're going to honor it." Yoshika stands up. "What do I... should I just..." "You should stay right here." "Don't go outside no matter what happens." "What if-" The ship shakes again. "Are you worried something's going to happen to us? Don't be scared. We'll be just fine."
On the flight deck, 17 A5M planes are getting ready for take off. SWailors are preparing the planes "Restrict 20 mil and 50 cal, fire broadside or past the fleet during take off. All hands: prepare to launch." Mio and Keita stand in front of the squadron, wearing their Striker Units. The two look at the horizon. Mio has the stock of her gun touching the deck while her right hand is holding the barrel. Keita is just holding his in his right hand. The Neuroi appears in front of them and screeches while flying up.
Mio has her eye closed and her ponytail moves a bit. The engines are heard all around. Two magic circles appear underneath them. "Major Sakamoto, prepared to launch." "Captain Mitchell, taking off." The two hover fast towards the bow and when they do, they fly up. An A5M pilot looks to the plane on his left and his steel bird starts moving towards the bow as well, the plane goes up as well.
A beam fired by the Neuroi misses the destroyer that's still firing at it. It fires 14 small beams at the ship, hitting it.
In the bridge, a voice is heard from the intercom, "The destroyer Yukikaze has been hit! No response!" The elder man says, "Forget it. All units: take off now."
Three A5Ms fly with Mio and Keita. Mio is instructing them. "The Neuroi can regenerate indefinitely unless their core is destroyed. All fighters: draw their fire while we search for the core." The alien flies to them. Keita speaks. "Distance to track: 300. We're on the ceiling." A pilot responds. "Roger." They break away from the two. The alien fires beams at Mio and Keita, missing them. The two fly high up. "There's less defenses up here." Mio flips up her eyepatch.
Four red patches are seen on the Neuroi's topside, two on its right and two on its left. The red patches near the front edges are larger than the ones below them near the center. Red beams fire at them. The beams are blocked by blue magic circles that appear in front of the fliers. The beams push them back. "This thing's like a porcupine. I can't even find an angle to try to look for the core." "I can say the same thing."
An A5M falls down with smoke trailing it and fire covering it. "Receiving incoming transmission from Britannia. 501st Joint Fighter Wing and Black Mask sub-unit A dispatched. ETA to your position: 20 minutes." "Damn. They're so close. Order all ships to continue evasive maneuvers."
Below deck, Yoshika looks to a window while looking concerned. "Major Sakamoto and Captain Mitchell are out there..." Beams hit the waters, missing the ships. "But I'm in here." The battle is shaking some small bottles nearby, catching Yoshika's attention. "Hmm." She looks determined now.
The Neuroi sreeches again and fires at Mio & Keita, pushing them back while they block the beams with their magic circle shields. They hear, "Major Sakamoto, Captain Mitchell! Are you okay? Major, Captain?" The two gasp and look down at the Akagi. They see Yoshika looking up at them while holding a bag full of medicine and bandages in her left hand. She has her right hand covering the earpiece Mio gave her. "What are you doing out here?!" "I told you to stay put. Now go back inside." "Major Sakamoto, Captain Mitchell: I'm so glad that you haven't been shot down." "Miyafuji!" The shout startles her. "I'm ordering you to go back inside immediately. You can't do any good out here. You're only going to get in the way." The two fire their guns at the Neuroi. "But I can't stand by and do nothing!" Keita speaks. "There is no time for this. Get back in sick bay before you get somebody killed."
Red beams miss the Akagi. "Major Sakamoto! Major? Captain Mitchell! Captain? Answer me!"
Mio looks down and smiles. She's a reckless little girl but she certainly has a lot of heart. I better show the same. She and Keita fly around above the Neuroi which fires at another destroyer, hitting it like it did the Yukikaze earlier. A voice is heard. "The Isokaze has been hit!" The two fire at the Neuroi again. Mio's gun barrel is glowing red from overheating. It clicks a few times. She throws it away and brings out her katana that was strapped to her back. "Time to finish this!"
She flies towards the large alien. Keita follows her and shoots at the red patches. "Hiyaaaaaaaahhhh!" Mio's blade connects with the Neuroi, causing a bright cyan light. Everyone below looks up at the sight, being amazed. Yoshika is now on the flight deck. A part of the alien's right wing separates from the body. Mio is smiling after cutting a piece off of the Neuroi. White fragments surround her and Keita. Wow... that's how a witch fights... Yoshika thinks while watching.
The Neuroi regenerates. The two go back above it. Mio flips up her eyepatch and her purple-glowing right eye is seen again. In her vision, everything turns to dark blue except for the Neuroi which becomes teal and a red dot is seen at its center. She smiles. Both she and Keita say at the same time, "Found it." They look at each other and back to the Neuroi just in time as it fires beams at them. They block the attacks at the last second. The beams push them back. Keita talks while blocking the beams. "We can't do this for long."
"Sakamoto! Mitchell!"
A crash is heard and felt. Yoshika flinches and turns back to see smoke rising below the deck. Sailors run towards the site while shouting about. One voice calls out, "I need a medic! I need a medic!" Yoshika gasps.
A sailor is laying on amat and he's been roughed up. He's covering his tomach with his right hand, whihc is bleeding. He grunts with eyes clsoed and is gritting his teeth. "Hold on!" Yoshika stops next to the injured man and kneels down. "I'm going to help you!" She puts her hands on his. A cyan glow voers their hands and his stomach wound. She slightly separates her hands from each other. Mame shiba inu ears and tail sprouts from her head and lower back. She starts panting. Concentrate... She looks at what's in front of her. Breathe...
The man grunts in pain. Another sailor appears, puts his right hand on Yoshika and moves her away. "What are you doing? Back off!" She flinches and looks at the man. "Wait. I was trying to use some healing magic." "Are you trying to tell me you're a witch?" He looks at her cyan-glowing hands on her legs. "Your powers are weak. I can do a better job without your magic. Stand back." Yoshika looks worried. "No. I have to be able to do something to help out." "Don't be stupid. This is a slaughter, kid. There's no place for you here. Get back down to sick bay." The injured sailor grunts in pain again. "I won't go! There must be something I can do!" Yoshika shakes her head and looks at the man. The sailor looks at her and looks down. "Fine, kid. Bandages, okay? Get as many as you can carry and bring them here. Got it?" Yoshika gets surpirsed and looks determined. She nods. "Okay."
Up above, Mio and Keita pant as they look at the Neuroi. Two A5Ms fly to them. "Major, Captain: we'll try to buy you some more time." Another pilot says, "Just make sure you find that core, get me?" Keita talks. "We're counting you." Mio finishes up. "Godspeed, lieutenant." Mio flips up her eyepatch again and sees the two remaining planes fly and strafe the alien. In her vision, everything once again turns dark blue and the Neuroi teal. The red dot is still at the center of it.
The large black-and-red alien fires at the four flyers. A beam slices off the left wing of one plane and disintegrates the propeller of another. The two pilots yell out, "Damn it!" "I'm hit!" Mio and Keita bring up their shields and deflect the beams. "You haven't won yet!" "Don't understimate us!" It fires more beams at them. The two scream. "HAAAAAAAAAAHHH!"
Back at the bridge, "All fighters are down except for Major Sakamoto and Captain Mitchell, sir." The captain slams his right fist on a counter. "Damn! Where are our reinforcements? Can't those Strike Witches and Black Masks fly here any faster?" A red flash catches their attention. A red beam strafes near them, causing an explosion in the water. "That was too close! The next one will cripple us for sure!" "They just need to stay afloat until the calvary gets here." The elder man covers his mouth and nose with his right fist.
In a hallway, bandages are rolled all round. Voices of several sailors are heard and they sound desperate. Yoshika is down on her knees and looks scared and lost. The voices of the sailor, Mio, and Keita ring in her head. "This is a slaughter, kid. There's no place for you here." "You can't do any good out here. You're only going to get in the way." "There's no time for this. Get back in sick bay before you get somebody killed." She gets up and walks forward while leaning against the wall on her right. I guess... there's nothing... I can do...
The Neuroi fires a large beam at the Akagi, hitting it. The officers in the bridge hold on. Below, Yoshika hugs the wall and screams as the ship shakes.
"The Akagi!" The two look at the damaged carrier and see smoke rising from the deck. "Miyafuji?! Miyafuji?" "Come in, Miyafuji! Miyafuji!"
Where the beam hit is now where Yoshika is at. She's laying down, knocked out, in a doorway. Next to her is a Striker holder holding a Striker Unit. The voices of Mio and Keita are heard from the intercom in her ear. "Miyafuji! Miyafuji!" "Miyafuji!" Another voice is heard but not from the intercom. "Yoshika." The three voices reach out to her but the flyers are drowned out. "Miyafuji!" "Yoshika." "Miyafuji!" "Yoshika." "Miyafuji!" "Yoshika." Daddy... I'm sorry... I can't do anything...
-Flashback-
Yoshika's father is seen looking at her. "Yoshika. Know that you have a great power inside of you just like your mother and grandmother. Promise me when you grow up, you'll use that power to protect everyone." He walks away.
"Daddy..." Yoshika looks at the photo of her father, Mio, the five scientists, and the Striker Unit.
-Flashback End-
Yoshika opens her eyes. She gets up and looks at the metal plane-like legs. Her hands are glowing cyan. The sun shines on the Unit. She closes her hands.
Back to the fight...
A destroyer is hit by the Neuroi. "Direct hit to the destroyer Tanikaze! No response!" The captgain lowers the brim of his peaked cap. "Well, looks like this is finally the end. Damn..." He closes his eyes. "All right, men: prepare to abandon ship." A second later, "What is this? Who gave that authorization?" The captain opens his eyes. "Huh?" One of the officers turns to him. "Captain: there appears to be someone operating the central elevator." The captain goes to look. "What?"
Steam rises from the square hole in the deck. I have to do what I can... Mame shiba inu ears and tail sprout from her again. With what ever power I have... The platform is almost to the deck. Yoshika opens her eyes. I promised I'd protect everyone.
The steam starts disappearing, revealing Yoshika in the Striker Unit. "Who is that? How can she equip a Striker Unit?" "That's the girl Major Sakamoto brought. Her name is-" "Miyafuji Yoshika." "Miyafuji? As in Dr. Miyafuji?" The captain and the officer next to him are surprised by Yoshika. Three blue propeller blades appear just above teh small vertical fin on the lower legs. They start spinning. A blue magic circle appears underneath her. "It can't be..."
Up above, Keita and Mio gasp and are surprised by what's going on. "Miyafuji?" They see a large magic circle almost covering the Akagi.
Yoshika looks at the horizon. "Hmm..." After two seconds, "Let's go!" She goes fast towards the bow. The Neuroi flies by and fires at the bridge, strafing the whole top, disintegrating it. The officers are all miraculously alive. It fires two more beams at its port side, causing two explosions above the seamen on the lifeboats. The explosions interrupt Yoshika gaining speed and make her almost lose her concentration. The captain yells at her. "Pull up! You got to pull up now!" Yoshika goes past the bow and has her arms spread out. She screams. "AAAAAAAAAAIIIEEEEEE!"
Mio shouts, "Fly! Come on!" Keita does so as well. "You got this Miyafuji! You can do it!" Yoshika goes down and flies just above the waters of the English Channel. She later flies up. Yoshika opens her eyes after having them closed. She gets surprised and gasps. "Ah... I'm flying... I can flyyyyyy!" Keita and Mio watch on. "She's actually flying." "I can't believe. It's the very first time she's worn the Striker Unit."
They get a little surprised when Yoshka flies to and past them. "Cptain Mitchell! Major Sakamotoooooo!" They turn to her. "Hey! Where are you going?" Yoshika spins around away from them. "I'm here to heeeeeellppp." The Neuroi fires at her. "Watch out!" "Look out!"
Keita flies to her. Yoshika puts her hands in front of her and a magic shield appears, deflecting the beams. "That shield is incredible. She has more power than I thought." "She might make an excellent witch if trained right." Mio has a determined look. "Interesting." Yoshika flies to them. Strapped to her back is a gun. Mio smiles. "Glad to have you on board, Miyafuji." Keita flies next to Mio. "Glad you're okay." "I brought you another gun." Yoshika grabs the barrel. "I think you should keep it." Yoshika gets surprised. Keita talks. "What?" "You want to help us, right?" Yoshika looks at her. She nods. "Yes ma'am." "Excellent." Keita just looks at the Neuroi. "Not going to try." Can't believe Mio let her use that Type-99 Mk II...
Mio gets close and wraps her right arm around Yoshika who gasps. "Let me show you." She presses her face close to hers. She points her katana at the center of the alien, where the core is. "Its core is hidden unter the surface right there. You expose the core while we draw its fire." She looks to her. "Think you can?" "I'll try and do my best." "Okay. Two seconds. Then follow me."
The two fly towards the large Neuroi. Mio slashes at it while Keita shoots it. "Hyaaaaah!" The two flyers scream. The Neuroi fires its beams above and under it. It then changes the direction of the beams, making them go down and up to hit Mio and Keita.
Yoshika watches. She aims the gun. The Neuroi fires more beams at her while still firing at the two. Yoshika brings up her shield to deflect the attacks. They push her back. Mio looks to her gasps. The two fly to her. "Are you okay?" "Yes, I'm fine. I'm sorry, ma'am. I-I... I can still fly. Just give me a second." She pants. Mio looks at her. It's her first flight. Her first battle. She's had enough. Yoshika looks at them. "One more time. Please let me try." "Alright then. This is our last chance to destroy it." "Right." Mio and Keita fly back to distract the alien.
Yoshika looks on. If I do it the same way, I'll get hit again. I have to think. The two fly right above the Neuroi which tries to hit them with its beams but they keep moving around. She gasps and is surprised. I see... She flies down and gets dangerously near it. I have to get close to it. It fires at her. She brings out the Type-99 Mark II. Hold it together, Yoshika. She aims. I can do this. She glares at while looking determined. I'm going to protect everyone. She fires the gun at it. The bullets hit and one exposes the core. She looks back at it. That's the core! She turns around and aims at it. She doesn't fire at it while flying away. No... I can't... The brunette gets scared again.
A shot is heard and a bullet flies to the Neuroi. It hits it. More bullets pound the alien. White smoke comes out of the other side of it, along with white fragments. Yoshika once again is surprised and gasps. She watches the alien get hit. Its icosahedron core gets destroyed. White fragments float around her. Did I... did I do it? The mame shiba inu ears and tail sink back into her. She closes her eyes. Keita goes and holds her. He gently hands her to Mio. Unbelievable... she's had no training and she pulled it off.
Nearby...
"Core destruction confirmed." Lucchini closes her eyes and chuckles. "That makes me ten-for-ten. Not bad, huh?" She waves her left arm while holding a gun in her right hand. "Confirmed here as well. The Neuroi has been taken out. Good job. The operation is a success." Another brunette says and is holding two guns in both her hands. The blonde flies past them. "Major Sakamoto! Are you arlight?" Lucchini watches her. "Perrine always turns into a complete suck up to the major after every battle's over." She laughs and closes her eyes again. "I'm gonna make sure to tease her later on." She stops once she sees Mio holding Yoshika. Perrine notices what's in front of her and freaks out. Mio is holding Yoshika while flying through the fragments with Keita next to her. "Hmm... Ah! Who is that and why is she touching the major?!" Smoke pops out of her Striker Unit.
Yoshika slowly opens her eyes. "Did I..." Mio smiles at her. "Good to have you back." "Major Sakamoto..." "Thank goodness you're okay." Yoshika looks to Keita. "Captain Mitchell..." "We're proud of you. I don't know how much longer we could've survived if you hadn't shown up when you did." Yoshika is lightly holding onto Mio. "But I'm supposed to destroy the core and in the end all I did was shoot around it, right?" "What are you talking about, Miyafuji? This was your first battle. You did great." The three fly over the Akagi. "Come on. Look." The sailors and officers on the aircraft carrier and lifeboats are looking up and cheering. Yoshika looks at them. Daddy... she closes her eyes and starts tearing up. I did it... I...
Location: Dover, Britannia, Europe
The three are back on land. They're in front of what remains of a building. Yoshika is holding an envelope. "Are you sure this is the address?" "Yes. Until 5 years ago, this was Dr. Miafyuji's lab for the Striker Unit. Up until the day of the accident." Yoshika drops her arm that was holding the envelope. "Major... did you know all of this before?" Silence fills the air. After awhile, Mio says, "I'm sorry..." Yoshika turns to her and smiles. "You don't have anything to be sorry for. I'm so grateful that you brought me all the way here even though I acted so selfishly from the moment I met you." Keita looks at Yoshika and then Mio. The one-eyed woman just blinks.
The three walk away. "I used to live here with him a long time ago. That letter was probably sent back then and just got lost." "My Dad really has terrible timing." Keita stays silent. "He left on my first day of school. I found out he died on my tenth birthday. Suddenly this letter arrives... and for a second I thought maybe... I can see we're supposed to be father and daughter but I just don't know him." The three stop at a gravestone right at a cliff. She gasps. She places her hand on the gravestone and slides it down. She looks at the kanji at the bottom. "Use your power to protect everyone." Keita looks to Mio. "That was one of his favorite phrases he'd say. It's why invented the Striker. He just wanted to protect everyone." Yoshika starts tearing up again. "Daddy..." She starts crying.
The two look at her and at the horizon. Mio closes her eye, opens it, and looks up.
The sun sets. "Shall we get going?" Mio and Keita look at Yoshika. "Yes." She turns to them. "Umm..." "Hm?" "Major Sakamoto, Captain Mitchell: if it's okay, I'd like to join the Strike Witches." Keita looks to Mio and to Yoshika. "Are you sure?" "I want to stay here and finish my father's work. I want to use my power to protect everyone I can." "Miyafuji..." She looks ot the setting sun with a smile. "I'm sure... It's what my father would have wanted me to do." "I see." She gets surprised and gasps. She smiles and laughs. "Alright then. You better get ready. I'm going to push you until you turn into a real witch. A true witch. Are you ready?" "Yes." Mio laughs. Keita just chuckles. Everyone at the base are in for a big surprise.
Location: Dover, Britannia, Europe
It is now night. At the front of the castle base, 14 people are standing by and five of them are wearing the same outfit as Keita except one of them is wearing a bird mask. "As of today: the 501st Joint Fighter Wing has a new member, Yoshika Miyafuji." "Let's get along." A dark redhead smiles, the brunette who confirmed Lucchini's kill looks at the three, Lucchini hops up and smiles, a light brunette smiles, Perrine glares, the platinum-blonde girl sticks her tongue out playfully, the silver-haired girl looks at the platinum-blonde next to her, a short-blonde girl yawns, the bright redhead smiles and waves, and the five remaining... one nods, the second waves, the third rubs the back of their head, the fourth crosses their arm, and the fifth with the bird mask just waves as well.
"I'm Yoshika Miyafuji. I'm happy to meet you!" The brunette smiles.