DEATH BATTLE DOORS OPEN BACK UP
Wiz: The year is 1939, in the skies above Karlsland and its capital of Berlin a huge, dark, ominous cloud appeared out of nowhere. From these dark clouds dropped a black and red colored menace that proceeded to obliterate large sections of the city with a few shots of its red beams of death and destruction. The Neuroi, had arrived.
Boom Stick: With the not so age old question of "are we alone?" answered, these aliens began to cut a swath of destruction all across Europe and western Orussia. And these things were like they were pulled straight from a hard as balls bullet hell game. They were beam spamming machines, literally! Their beams could obliterate tanks and whole divisions of troops with a single shot, or could cut a battleship in half. While human weapons could inflict damage, the Neuroi have an insane regeneration factor and their fire power was just too overwhelming. They could easily swat fighter planes and bombers out of the air with ease too.
Wiz: In only a few months they had pushed the combined militaries of the surrounding nations to the coast where they then evacuated as many troops and civilians as they could to Britannia. The Second Neuroi war was well underway. This invasion caused the world to unite against this alien threat and combined world militaries tried desperately to push back, but to no avail. All seemed lost as the Neuroi threat just kept spreading.
Boom Stick: However there remained one hope for humanity as one sort of force remained a bane and constant thorn in the Neuroi's side. Witches! You know the kind! Women with magical powers that wore pointy black hats, welded magic wands, and could fly on brooms!
Wiz: Except now they were rolled into militaries across the world and were sent into battle with the Neuroi. Gone were their pointy hats, replaced with military uniforms; gone were their magical wands, replaced with modern arms like guns and rocket launchers; and gone were the brooms, replaced with their newest magical flying machines called "Striker Units."
Boom Stick: Yeah Wiz before we go any further I have to ask…. why aren't they wearing any pants? (record player screech to a stop noise)
Wiz: Yeah… this anime has a lot of… fanservice in it. That's the main reason. The in world reason however, is that the Striker Unit needs to have direct or near direct contact with a witch's skin to draw out their magical power to work. And since witches are on constant alertness to be ready to fight, it was just more practical not to wear pants.
Boom Stick: Yeahhhhh…. (looks a little to the left and downward uncomfortable along with Wiz) (music and footage starts playing again).
Wiz: Questionable source material aside, the Striker Unit became an invaluable piece of equipment for a witch. Based on real world fighter aircraft of the time, like the ME-109, Mitsubishi A6M3 Zero, and the P-51 Mustang, the Striker Unit combined both magical abilities with modern day mechanical might. There were even tank versions of it made, though that's a story for another time. Spearheaded by Dr. Ichiro Miyafuji from the country of Fuso, he helped to fast track the development of the Striker Unit a year before the Neuroi invasion. Thanks to his efforts in nearly perfecting the Units, they were able to field them just after the Neuroi invasion. Sadly he never got to see the fruits of his labor as he was killed after the Neuroi attacked Britannia.
Boom Stick: Still his efforts became undeniable. Witches in Striker Units were able to hold off the Neuroi long enough get many, if not most, of the very important personnel to safety. Still the Striker Units of the time of deployment did have one nagging flaw that hadn't been worked out.
Wiz: And that flaw was rather important. A Striker Unit used a tremendous amount of magical power from the witch just to operate, and prolonged combat would fatigue a witch rather quickly. And even the early prototypes could burn though a witch's lifetime supply of magic. Rendering them nothing more than a helpless civilian at that point.
Boom Stick: Still the flaw was eventually worked out in the coming months which means they could be massed produced. As such the world began to form squadrons around the witches themselves. These squadrons would become known as "Joint Fighter Wings" with the destination number of 500.
Wiz: The first, and arguably the most important, was the 501st JFW. Also known as the "Strike Witches." Lead by Fuso witch veteran Sakamoto Mio, and Karlsland witch Minna Wilcke. They were joined by other withes from around the world Including Gertrud Barkhorn (known as Trude by her squad-mates), Charlotte E. Yeager, Eila Juutilainen, Erica Hartmann, Perrine Clostermann, Sanya V. Litvyak, Francesca Lucchini, and Lynette Bishop.
Boom Stick: Wait? Yeager? Hartmann? Why do those names sound familiar?
Wiz: Well… the witches from this world are essentially reverse sex versions of famous WWII aces.
Boom Stick: … Wait seriously? Did any of the real ones know about this?
Wiz: Well by the time the series premiered only Chuck Yeager was still alive. And when told about it he's stated to have laughed it off and enjoyed that he "was the sexy one with big boobs."
Boom Stick: Man what a boss! I sure miss that guy.
Wiz: Anyway for several years Humanity and the Neuroi were at a stalemate. And it became apparent that no progress could be made against the Neuroi unless new blood was brought in to help fight. So Sakamoto headed back to her homeland of Fuso to recruit the witch who would become the linchpin to defeat the Neuroi and driving them off the planet. A young witch by the name of Yoshika Miyafuji. None other than the daughter of Dr. Ichiro Miyafuji, the very man who helped develop the Striker Units.
Boom Stick: Yoshika was born in a small village outside of Tokyo where she grew up under the care of her parents and grandmother and alongside her best friend Michiko. She worked at her family's small town clinic where her family specialized in healing magic.
Wiz: See every witch family line has a special attribute used by them alone. From super speed, to long range sight, to super strength, to casting lightning, there were a whole variety of powers in the world wielded by witches. Yoshika's family specialized in Healing.
Boom Stick: No offence Wiz but healing magic doesn't exactly sound useful when trying to take out laser spamming aliens. Unless it's to heal hurt solders of course.
Wiz: Well there was one thing that set Yoshika apart from all other witches. She had an insane amount of magic. So much so that it actually hindered her from being able to use her healing magic as she couldn't control such a huge amount. Often passing out from the force of it. This huge potential in magic would become key to her development later on however.
Boom Stick: Only problem is, is she was very adverse to war or even violence. Not too hard to understand given what happened to her father. But don't let her pacifist nature fool you. She is a certified BADASS! After Sakamoto had come to her, offering a position in their squad, Yoshika flatly refused. It wasn't until Sakamoto told her that her power would save a lot of lives that Yoshika agreed.
Wiz: See Yoshika had a strong drive to save people and not just healing them but by also protecting them and rescuing them from danger. She agreed to join the Strike Witches, but ONLY if she were their medic. She refused to fight. And apparently that was enough to satisfy Sakamoto.
Boom Stick: They boarded the aircraft carrier Akagi and were headed off to Britannia. But wouldn't you know it, on the day they were supposed to arrive, a pesky Neuroi decided to show up and wreck the welcoming party. Kinda like my Uncle Ruger when he's on his 5th bottle of whiskey.
Wiz: Riiiight….. Anyway the Neuroi quickly wiped out the Akagi's airwing and left Sakamoto out of ammo with nothing but her sword. Mind you Sakamoto could slice a Neuroi in half with it, but the Neuroi's regeneration was too much. So with little choice Yoshika donned Sakamoto's spare striker unit and took off with a new gun for her.
Boom Stick: However Sakamoto told her to use the gun instead and help her. And so she had her first taste of combat with the Neuroi. With Sakamoto's help, and natural ability to use a Striker Unit, Yoshika managed to open up a hole to the Neuroi's core which Yoshika's soon to be new bestie, Lynnete Bishop, was able to snipe it in one shot. And so Yoshika's first introduction to the Neuroi ended in victory and she came to realize that she had to take up arms to defend and save people.
Wiz: After arriving at the base, Sakamoto immediately began a training regiment to get Yoshika up to par. Which included daily distance running, sword swing practice, push-ups, and plenty of magic and weapons training. She would also be taught by the other members how to properly dogfight.
Boom Stick: Nearly the entire first season was dedicated to this alone. Yoshika would learn and train under the rest of the squadron while taking part in the aerial battles against the Neuroi. All this was done in order for her to be able to control her overpowered magic one day. But the one thing she could do well with her magic was her shields. She had the biggest and most powerful shields. All without it draining her too much.
Wiz: Every witch is able to put up a defensive shield to block on coming fire or reduce physical impacts. However using them too much can drain a witch of her stamina. But not Yoshika. With her sheer magical output, she could put up a shield so large it could shield her entire squadron from oncoming fire or an entire fleet without too much effort.
Boom Stick: And remember when we said that a Neuroi's laser beams could split battleships with just one shot? Well a witch's shield could take that force MULTIPLE times and still hold. And Yoshika's was even more powerful than that. Able to tank beams that were capable of wiping out an entire fleet! One of Yoshika's squadron mates, Shirley, was able to ram a Neuroi from the rear GOING PAST MACH 1 and shielded herself during the accidental ramming attack and came out of it practically unscathed… her bikini though… didn't. (Plays footage of Yoshika enjoying Shirley's boobs) Yeah… Yoshika has a thing for large breasts (not that I'm complaining). Later Yoshika pulled the same move and drilled her way through another Neuroi destroying it too. She can even shield herself from two sides at the same time from mass ramming attacks. Shit this girl can use her shields like a spartan!
WiZ: Character flaws aside… she's not immune to fatigue. Just using her immense amount of power was enough to tire her body alone and cause her to pass out. That's why Sakamoto put her through such rigorous training, to toughen up her body and improve her stamina. But it was still a long road. However that wasn't her only purpose in the training. See Sakamoto's time as a usable witch was drawing to a close soon. And she intended Yoshika to be her replacement.
Boom Stick: See witches with magical powers in plane legs and fighting laser spamming aliens may seem cool and all, but doing so sadly drained a witch of her lifetime supply of magic. And usually a witch in combat was only good until the ages of 19-21. And Sakamoto was already almost 20.
Wiz: Consider it a trade off. For defending humanity, a witch that took up arms with a Striker Unit would have her lifetime supply of magic drained in only a few years. One of the tall tale signs a witch's carrier was about to end was their shield would start to get weaker and would eventually get pierced easily. Sakamoto's shields would get pierced with dire results.
Boom Stick: After a Humanoid shaped Neuroi appeared and tried to communicate with Yoshika, Sakamoto attacked it but was attacked back. Her shields failed and a direct hit to her gun caused its ammo to detonate, causing her serious wounds.
Wiz: Yoshika worked tirelessly over the next day trying desperately to heal Sakamoto. She eventually found the resolve and strength to finally get control of her powers. Doing so she was able to heal Sakamoto enough to pull her out of danger.
Boom Stick: Unfortunately it was Yoshika's fault that Sakamoto ended up that way. So she got locked up in her room as punishment. But like all rebellious 14 year olds she snuck out of her room and flew off to the humanoid Neuroi again. While with the Humanoid Neuroi she learned that human scientists had found a crashed Neuroi core and had used it to create their own anti-Neuroi mech.
Wiz: A Mech that conveniently appeared and destroyed the humanoid Neuroi just as quickly. This mech was called "The Warlock." Made using a reverse engineered Neuroi core the Warlock was capable of jet fighter speeds, extreme maneuverability, and had a mix of both Cannons and Neuroi lasers as weaponry. Created by scientists under the control of General Trevor Maloney, some in the military wanted to disband the Witches and replace them. The Warlock was going to be the key to do so. And so Maloney took control of the Strike Witches' base and forcibly disbanded the squadron.
Boom Stick: While that was an epic dick move, initial results from the Warlock were actually good, exceeding expectations in fact. The Warlock Managed to obliterate the entire Neuroi nest by taking control of it and having the Neuroi inside shoot each other. The joy didn't last long though as the Warlock quickly turned on Maloney and humans and began to attack everything in site. Including the Akagi which Yoshika and Sakamoto were using to go home.
Wiz: Thankfully Sakamoto had a spare Striker Unit hidden in her wheelchair. Yoshika then took to the sky to fend off the Warlock. She went toe to toe with it for over 20 minutes before the rest of the witches, having arrested Maloney and beaten him, got their Striker Units back and went to fight.
Boom Stick: All seemed good when Yoshika and others managed to shoot down the Warlock which crashed into the Akagi. However it then merged with the Akagi and it became a gigantic airship. Spamming laser beams in every direction possible. But after a long battle they managed to blow a hole in it to get inside which Yoshika promptly Kamika-
Wiz: DON'T SAY IT!
Boom Stick: …. which Yoshika promptly crashed her Striker Unit into and destroyed the core and winning the day. After the Battle of Britannia was over Yoshika went back home to Fuso where, now that she had control of her powers, she returned to her family's clinic and became a master at healing magic and lived happily ever after…. or did she!?
Wiz: 6 months after she returned home Yoshika unexpectedly got a letter in the mail…. FROM HER FATHER.
Boom Stick: Wait, wasn't he supposed to be dead?
Wiz: He is but the letter Yoshika received had been stuck in mail limbo for almost 2 years.
Boom Stick: god I hate it when that happens!
Wiz: The letter contained blue prints and designs for a new magical engine for a Striker Unit. One that had a very special purpose. More on that later. Yoshika promptly delivered them to Sakamoto and she in turn sent them on the Fuso's R&D department. It was at this moment they received word that a new Neuroi nest showed up in Europe and had begun decimating the region around Romagna. And after seeing Sakamoto preparing to go off to war again Yoshika pursues in Sakamoto's old Striker Unit.
Boom Stick: The two arrive in Romagna just in time to be attacked, AGAIN! Yoshika quickly sortied to met it head on and Sakamoto even showed she was still able to fight without a shield using her new sword Reppumaru and its signature technique Reppuzan. This technique both blocked incoming fire and attacked at the same time. With it Sakamoto was able to fight on par once again. With it, and the timely arrival of the rest of the squadron, Sakamoto was able to destroy the Neuroi.
Wiz: However after being nearly 6 months away from combat Yoshika's abilities had gotten rusty. So Sakamoto sent her to train under her old teacher. An Elderly witch by the name of Anna Ferrara. While there she was taught how to properly *ahem* "ride" a broom… (plays video Yoshika getting the broomstick pushed into her crotch)
Boom Stick: Well that was another inappropriate fanservice moment…
Wiz: This training actually helped her get her magical abilities back under her control. With it she was once again able to fly her Striker Unit properly again.
Boom Stick: She once again was able to help the rest of her squadron, which begin to take out the Nureoi in the Romagna region one by one. Even helping out a Duchess have fun in the city of Roma, helping to take out a colossal Neuroi whose core was at the top of the stratosphere, and even helping Minna get her 200th kill… oogh not again! (plays footage of Minna's ass squishing the bug Neuroi). These experiences, along with continued training, allowed for Yoshika's power to start growing again.
Wiz: However Yoshika soon started to develop problems flying. She was in perfect health and her Striker Unit was working properly, but something was going wrong whenever the two tried to work together. When they received a distress call from the Battleship Yamato for a medic as they were making their way to Europe, Yoshika and Lynette flew off to help. Yoshika barely made it and began healing some injured crewmen after an explosion accident.
Boom Stick: Yet another Neuroi attacks sensing something aboard the Yamato that could be dangerous. Unable to take off again Yoshika stays on board the Yamato while Lynette took on the Neuroi solo. Yoshika "following a voice from her father" finds her way to the Yamato's hanger bay where she discovers a new Striker Unit.
Wiz: This was no ordinary Striker Unit however. It was the Striker Unit developed from the blueprints that her father had mailed her which the Yamato was delivering for testing. This one was a prefect fit for Yoshika.
Boom Stick. As soon as she strapped it on the unit began to work and she took off to face the Neuroi who had exhausted Lynette to the point of fainting. In one of her most badass moments Yoshika charged the Neuroi, going nearly the speed of sound, formed her shield into a drill shape and rammed the damn thing. She drilled right though it, firing her gun along the away and destroyed its core in a matter of seconds!
Wiz: It was later explained that the reason she was having trouble flying is that her continuously growing power output had eventually overwhelmed a regular striker unit's limiter. A safety device installed into striker units to prevent them from draining too much power from a witch. This new unit had no limiter and allowed it to bring out Yoshika's full power. With it Yoshika soon became the most dangerous witch to a Neuroi.
Boom Stick: Sakamoto even said it was like the striker unit had been designed by Yoshika's father for his own daughter, like he knew she would eventually be dragged into the war. This new unit allowed Yoshika's full power and traits as a Strike Witch to come though.
Wiz: With it she soon outclassed all the other witches in her Squadron, but for Sakamoto, her time was nearly up. See while her new sword and technique were powerful substitutes for shields, there was a VERY heavy cost to pay. Reppumaru and the technique Reppuzen were rapidly draining the rest of Sakamoto's life time supply of magic away. While she desperately tried to master the technique "True Reppuzen," Each time she used the sword it drained her powers further. Eventually it become very difficult for Sakamoto to even start her striker unit. Yoshika even secretly got a hold of Reppumaru and it quickly began to suck her magic away. But Sakamoto was there to stop her. The sword handle had actually left burn marks on her hands as a result. Sakamoto strictly forbade Yoshika from ever using her sword.
Boom Stick: Like that was ever going to stop her. However in the meantime the big wigs in the military had come up with a plan to destroy the latest nest. They had invented a new anti-Neuroi weapon that they BUILT INTO THE YAMATO! They took the lessons learned from the failure of the Warlock experiment and implemented a more basic version into the Yamato. They were going to transform the Yamato into a remote controlled Neuroi and uses its giant canons to blow the nest to bits! Somehow I don't think this plan seems very smart.
Wiz: You'd be surprised! However unlike trying to get rid of the witches they were going to use the witches in tandem with the Yamato. When they implemented the plan everything went just fine, until the ship crashed into the nest and ran out of power.
Boom Stick: Of course it wouldn't be that easy….
Wiz: With no other choice, Sakamoto, who had sat out the battle so far because her magic was failing, flew off to the Yamato and jump-started the magical dynamo again which reactivated the ship and fired its main canons.
Boom Stick: At first it looked like Sakamoto succeeded and destroyed the nest, but as the smoke cleared it was revealed she had only blown away the outer cloud layer and left the GIGANTIC Neuroi core exposed. But the Neuroi were one step ahead. It then absorbed Sakamoto into its core.
Wiz: By absorbing Sakamoto the Neuroi core learned how to use magic as well. As the other ships in the fleet fired on the core, to everyone's shock, the Neuroi began using shields to block the incoming fire. Nothing could get though but one thing.
Boom Stick: And that would be Reppumaru! Even though exhausted from battle, the 501st took off again to confront this threat. Yoshika flew off to rescue Sakamoto. After making a quick stop to pick up Reppumaru off the Yamato's bow she began feeding it as much magic as she could muster!
Wiz: Draining her magic quickly, Yoshika powered up Reppumaru and attacked, using the "True Reppuzen" technique on her very first try.
Boom Stick: She sliced cleanly through the Neuroi's shields like they weren't even there and cut the giant Neuroi core in two, destroying it! ABOSLUTLY BADASS.
Wiz: With the nest destroyed all seemed at peace again. However using the True Reppuzen drained Yoshika of all her magic. She was no longer able to fly or even use her shields and healing abilities again. With no other choice both she and Sakamoto headed back to Fuso.
Boom Stick: However just two short months after returning to Fuso, Yoshika received yet another letter in the mail. But this time not from her father, but from a revered medical school in the country of Helvetia. See even though she lost her magical abilities she still wanted to help heal people by becoming a doctor. What a noble pursuit!
Wiz: The scholarship she was given to the medical school gave her the chance to go back to Europe and learn much of western medicine as well. So she, and a new recruited witch by the name of Shizuka Hattori, set off on board the Aircraft carrier Amagi. And after hitting an iceberg and saving a crewman's life the two arrived in Europe safe and sound this time.
Boom Stick: But what she did on the Amagi had changed Shizuka's perception of Yoshika. See Shizuka had idolized Yoshika and thought of her as the perfect military heroic witch given her grand exploits. But Shizuka was shocked that Yoshika was as personable and kind as she was. Even finding her in the ship's galley helping to fix meals and disobeying orders when the moments called for it.
Wiz: Shizuka had been raised in a long line of military family members and was very by the book. She saw command as something that was never to be ignored. Yoshika's carefree nature really clashed with that. And the two witches' personalities clashed with each other. But after visiting both Lynette and Perrine, and they discovering she has zero cooking skills, they managed to convince Shizuka that Yoshika is the hero she is because of her personality. While still not very comfortable with Yoshika's nature Shizuka backed off.
Boom Stick: However not everything wasn't all hunky-dory in Europe. Strange and mysterious encounters with seemingly rouge Neuroi were increasing. Minna from the 501st thought something was up and she along with Trude and Erica began investigating the causes.
Wiz: It soon became apparent that the Neuroi were on the move again but how they were, no one could figure out. However it didn't take long before the Neuroi started to reveal themselves. They were secretly moving underground. One of which happened to appear near Yoshika and Shizuka near a village that had suffered a rock slide because of said underground Neuroi.
Boom Stick: So they did the only thing they could. They distracted the Neuroi away from the village. Unfortunately Shizuka got shot down, leaving Yoshika to deal with the Neuroi herself. And this turned into one of her most badass moments. As she took it on with nothing but a Jeep and a machine gun! AND SHE ACTUALLY TOOK IT OUT! No magic or backup!
Wiz: Unfortunately The Neuroi got off one last shot before disintegrating and nearly hit Yoshika with a direct hit. She was flown backwards several dozen feet and suffered severe wounds. All seemed lost as it looked like she would bleed out.
Boom Stick: But as with all fighting anime protagonists, the rest of her squadron soon arrived to support her and hearing their voices and calls for her to not give up, helped her to force her magical abilities back out. With it she healed her own wounds and got back to her feet…. Really? The power of friendship did it again?
Wiz: Yes, and, with a timely delivery by Sakamoto, Yoshika was reunited her striker unit which was now in its Mark 2 variant. With it she was finally able to rejoin her squadron and take down the massive sized underground U-boat Neuroi. After that was over, and though she had her magic back, she went back to medical school. She sure was dedicated.
Boom Stick: But it wasn't long before the Neuroi showed their ugly heads again. You see the big wigs in the military grew tired of a defensive war and they wanted to go on the offensive for once. So they came up with a plan to destroy the main Neuroi nest and take back Karlsland. However the Neuroi seemed to have gotten wind of it and sent a giant Iceberg Neuroi to the port of Antwerp.
Wiz: Yoshika, sensing trouble, and hearing though a friend of hers at school and, after borrowing a striker unit from the Helvetia airforce, raced off to investigate. It wasn't long before the Iceberg Neuroi showed it true colors and began to attack. Hell bent on destroying the port of Antwerp. However it quickly became clear that Yoshika was unexpectedly having trouble dealing with the Neuroi.
Boom Stick: Still, with the help of the battleship Doge, which had been coated in a new anti-Neuroi laser resistant coating, and the timely arrival of all the 501st witches, they managed to destroy the Neuroi.
Wiz: Unfortunately the momentum of the iceberg itself caused it to crash into the docks, damaging or destroying most of them.
Boom Stick: Yep, just like my uncle again who is unstoppable after drinking too much.
Wiz: You really have some issues with your family.
Boom Stick: I know….
Wiz: Still after the battle it was discovered that the issues Yoshika was having was because of her magical abilities still being unstable. Using the True Reppuzen had caused more damaged than previously thought. While her magical output had been fixed during the battle with the underground Neuroi, it was her ability to regenerate her powers that was causing the issue.
Boom Stick: The show gave us a great example of this. It's kinda like the plumbing in your house. You have pipes that run into your house and to your water heater tank. From there it gets distributed through your house to faucets and toilets and such. There was nothing wrong with Yoshika's "magical tank" and the faucet side had already been fixed. The issue was her ability to fill her magical tank in the first place.
Wiz: In other words, her ability to produce magic had been damaged and was only able to fill her tank up very slowly. It could take days or even weeks to get her powers back up to full strength. However the Military's plan to go on the offensive had the witches play a crucial part. Yoshika was going to have to fight, magical ability problems and all.
Boom Stick: Still after the attack on Antwerp the offensive was put on hold and this gave time to Yoshika to try and work out her issues. She would stabilize some of her abilities while helping to make some flowers bloom again…. yeah…. She later helps in rescuing Erica by aiding Trude, And then helps Sanya and Elia take out a fog producing Neuroi to capture another port so the offensive can go as planned.
Wiz: But as fate would have it, both Minna and Trude were beginning to show signs that their powers were failing. Minna more so as she was older. She was showing signs of fatigue just using her striker unit. And Trude's battle with a super maneuverable Neuroi had shown she was struggling to keep up. If the offensive didn't happen soon and was delayed further, they may run out of power before they could free their homeland. And by de facto the leadership of the squadron would have fallen to Yeager. Still after capturing the Port of Kiel the offensive could go on as planned.
Boom Stick: But the Neuroi weren't going to take that laying down, they began lobbing rocket powered V1 type Neuroi at the base and each strike kept getting more and more accurate. Minna, Trude, and Erica, along with Erica's twin sister Ursula, snuck into the area around Berlin and launched a her rocket type of striker unit, the ME-163 Komet. And after a hard fight battle, which Trude and Erica got to fight an old Neuroi friend of theirs, Minna was able to take out all the Neuroi rocket types, which saved their base from further attacks. Though it became quite clear that Minna's magic would not hold out much longer.
Wiz: With the port and base safe, for now, the massive military force finally went on the offensive. Unfortunately their first attempt didn't go so well as a massive wall of Neuroi prevented their forces from attacking the core directly. And after suffering severe casualties, General Patton reluctantly ordered a retreat but not before a massive bomber type Neuroi came after them. Thankfully Shizuka managed to destroy it all by her lonesome.
Boom Stick: However back at the port a second bomber swoops in and tried to crash itself into the base in hopes of ending the offensive then and there. With it not having its core in the same place as last time, the 501st didn't have time to search for it before it would crash. With no other choice Yoshika flies up and blocks the damn thing with all her might and magical power. She literally holds the damn thing up in the air BY HERSELF long enough for the others to find the core and destroy it. Unfortunately this left Yoshika completely drained and she faints. Her striker unit detached and fell to the ground where it was badly damaged.
Wiz: When Doctors told her that it would take at least 10 days before her power was back to full strength, she with Sakamoto and General Patton asked for the operation to be delayed. Unfortunately they were immediately turned down. Not even Patton himself could get any leeway for Yoshika.
Boom Stick: But instead of having to sit this one out she joined Patton in his new toy, a Landkreuzer P. 1000 Ratte, as their medic. Of course she did this without telling any of her squadron mates. As the operation got underway the 501st covered the Ratte as it made its way into Berlin to face off against the Wall Neuroi that was blocking the main core. Covered in Neuroi laser resistant armor the Ratte made short order of the giant walls all the while "tanking"… ha ha!…. hits that would have obliterated anything else. And it looked as though Patton and the Ratte would be able to finish off the core.
Wiz: Unfortunately the Neuroi then sprung a trap and formed a massive dome shield over the part of the city it was in and the Ratte forces. The 501st was blocked out leaving the Ratte forces to fend for themselves. Just before the dome formed though they discovered that Yoshika was on the Ratte. Desperate to help their comrades, the 501st took to the underground subway system to try and make their way under the dome though they had to send Shizuka back because her unit had been damaged. Meanwhile Sakamoto, along with Ursula, who had been traveling on a B-17, also found out that Yoshika was on the Ratte. Sakamoto had the B-17 turn around to try and help them somehow where they soon met up with Shizuka.
Boom Stick: During this time Yoshika had the forces take cover in the Zoo Tower. An ultra-fortified behemoth building made from the strongest reinforced concrete. While taking cover there the Ratte was destroyed leaving them with no way to escape unless help came soon. Under the withering fire of the Neuroi not even the Zoo Tower would hold out long. It was at this time though that the 501st came across an underground citadel that was one half of the main Neuroi nest and was formed into the city of Germania! It's here we learn that the crazy mustache leader had been ousted because they determined he was crazy.
Wiz: The 501st quickly started making quick work of the underground Neuroi. This began to weaken the barrier surrounding the area. As such Sakamoto saw their chance to attack the dome with their anti-neuroi bomb. And at this time Yoshika had made her way onto the roof of the Zoo Tower where she began to treat some wounded solders. One of whom destroyed a Neuroi all by himself. With the dome thinning Sakamoto dropped the bomb, but it needed to detonate at the perfect time or it wouldn't blow a hole in the barrier. Donning Yoshika's now Mark III variant of her striker unit, Shizuka took off to guide the bomb and detonate it herself.
Boom Stick: It was a prefect hit and a hole was blown open in the dome, but still the dome began to reform. With no other way to help, Sakamoto ordered Shizuka to retreat even though Shizuka could see Yoshika on the roof of the Zoo Tower and was in trouble. But for the first time in her life, she disobeyed orders and flew to help Yoshika. Who at this time had picked up the wounded solder's MP40 and took out another Neuroi by herself. By this time Patton himself came out and ordered her back to cover, but it was already too late. A bunch of Neuroi had Yoshika in their sights, but while in the process of firing, Shizuka made it just in time. She started taking out the mass of Neuroi surrounding the Zoo Tower.
Wiz: However Shizuka was quickly being drained of her magic. Using Yoshika's striker unit, which was made to absorb Yoshika's tremendous magical output with no limiter, was quickly sapping all her magic.
Boom Stick: While she managed to quickly destroy the Neuroi who threatened Yoshika, her shield failed at the last moment allowing the final Neuroi to get one good shot on her. The Neuroi punched a baseball sized hole in Shizuka's abdomen and she crashed onto the roof of the Zoo Tower.
Wiz: Bleeding out quickly, Shizuka said her final goodbye to Yoshika before passing out. At the sight and being traumatized at her friend dying in front of her, Yoshika forced her magic to come out through sheer force of will.
Boom Stick: The power of friendship at it again folks! She basically unclogged her own magical pipes though sheer emotional pressure! The massive release of pressure basically boosted her powers to the max and she instantly healed Shizuka.
Wiz: Essentially she had her own Super Sayin transformation moment.
Boom Stick: Which is pretty accurate. Because after handing Shizuka over to Patton she flew off in a wild furry of revenge for hurting Shizuka and proceeded to decimate all the Neuroi in her area using nothing but her Gun and shields to RAM through them. Shit don't mess with her when she's angry! She wrecked their shit so bad that the above ground Neuroi had to call in reinforcements!
Wiz: As such the underground Neuroi focused on support and sent them, this gave the rest of the 501st relief and they quickly dispatched the underground Neuroi who was controlling the dome barrier. With it destroyed the dome fell. Yet the threat continued. All the rest of the underground Neuroi merged with the ones above ground forming a new and larger Germaina Neuroi. The largest Neuroi on record. The Wolf finally showed its true fangs.
Boom Stick: But that wasn't going to stop the 501st. They attacked all at once and in quick order had isolated the main Neuroi core which then tried to escape into space at high speed; rocketing away from carnage. Shirley, who could be the only witch to catch it was too far away to try. As Minna, Trude, and Erica gave pursuit, it began to get away.
Wiz: But then Yoshika, nearly going the speed of sound, rocketed up, passed it, and, using her shield, stopped it dead in its tracks. This gave enough time for Trude and Erica to blow a hole open to the core which Minna quickly finished off. With the core destroyed the rest of the Germania Neuroi was also destroyed. Berlin and Karlsland were finally freed. Their objective had been completed.
Boom Stick: Yoshika had gone though a lot of batshit crazy stuff, but it was thanks to her that the Neuroi in Europe were now on the run. She went from new recruit to the most badass witch the world had ever seen.
Wiz: Along the way she used an number of weapons and striker units to aid her in her battles.
Boom Stick: She used a Type 99-2 Model Kai machine gun, which would became her go to weapon throughout her combat career. And though she turned down her first side arm, a Walther PPK, she was later seen in one of the anime's mid-episode art cards using an M1932/M712 Schnellfeuer left-handed variant which was later confirmed by the series producer as her canon side arm. In the manga she's also been known to use M24 Stielhandgranate grenades and even once used the improvised bundle charge version, the Gebalte Ladung.
Wiz: But more impressively is her striker unit, or units as she would go though 4 different versions. She started off using the Miyabishi Type 0 Carrier-based Fighter Legs Model 22 (No. V-139) in season 1, which was lost in the attack on the Warlock/Akagi craft, in season 2 she used the Miyabishi Type 0 Carrier-based Fighter Legs Model 22 (No. V-122) which was Sakamoto's old unit since she was upgraded to the Yamanishi Shiden Model 53. However Yoshika's next unit would be her most iconic.
Boom Stick: She got the most powerful striker unit ever created which was based on her father's blueprints she got in the mail. The Tsukushi Shinden! Which was based off of the real life Prototype Kyushu J7W Shinden!
Wiz: Boasting a speed of 450mph and a ceiling of 39,000 feet it was the most advanced striker unit ever created. Yoshika would later receive a MK 2 variant in the movie and the final Mk 3 variant in season 3. Which boosted the speed to 466mph with the same service ceiling, but improved handling. And when boosted with her magic could reach just short of Mach 1.
Boom Stick: Pair these up with her super shields that can easily take the force that can level city blocks or entire fleets of ships with ease, and her healing abilities to heal fatal wounds and you have probably the most unstoppable witch ever. Still I'm kinda partial to her "1947 What If" variant where her powers continued to grow. She winds up with a 4 prop striker unit and a ray gun that concentrates all her magical powers into a goddamn laser capable of one-shotting a Neuroi. It's a shame it's not canon though. And it's a good thing she's a pacifist in heart too. But this is a Deathabttle so her refusing to kill a human goes out the window.
Wiz: So watch out. Because even though she is kind at heart, she will fight for what is right with everything she has and will stop at nothing till she has victory!
DEATH BATTLE DOOR SLAM (KLANG!)