Saigo Kurena

Saigo Kurena (西郷紅) is a second year Lily who attends Odaiba Girls' School. She is a member of the Legion Heorot Saints. Kurena is a recurring character of the Odaiba series of stage plays, playing a major role in The Empathy Phenomenon.

Personality

True to her affluent upbringing, Kurena is pompous and ladylike in her mannerisms. Her vocabulary is posh and refined, and she adopts a prideful and boastful attitude, always referring to herself as a "gorgeous and genius Lily". However, despite her pompous and self-confident demeanor, Kurena is not altogether arrogant. She is fully capable of backing up her boasting with actual excellence in combat, and at the same time, she is not one to use her status or combat prowess to mock or belittle others, and will even acknowledge other Lilies who possess the same qualities as herself such as her Legion mate Otake Sunao, who is equally famed for both her power and her beauty.

One of Kurena's most notable traits is her empathy. She is known for pushing herself to the brink in order to guarantee the safety of her teammates or civilians, which as Boosted Lily possessing the Regenerator Skill, often involves subjecting herself to harrowing injuries that would be otherwise lethal for a normal Lily. This was best shown during her one-man stand against a swarm of Soldier Ants during the Odaiba Counteroffensive, where she took it upon herself to draw the's Huge's attention away from her division mates and the evacuating civilians, in a gambit that ultimately left her brutally mangled. Similarly, Kurena appears greatly perturbed at the prospect of bringing harm to others, even if unwittingly so. On one occasion, she attacked her Legion mates indiscriminately after succumbing to the effects of Negative Magie, and though she was quickly subdued and none of her allies were harmed, the event still left Kurena incredibly depressed, to the point where she was unable to even hold her CHARM again due to her fear of losing control of herself once more.

Kurena greatly enjoys fighting the Huge, a trait that she is particularly known for. Though insisting that she only fights in order to fulfill her duties as a Lily, Kurena does admit that she enjoys the thrill of battle, citing that she finds the act of fighting against powerful enemies and finding ways to defeat them "exhilarating". When under the effects of her Lunatic Trancer, Kurena seems to enter a state of euphoria similar to Sasaki Ran or Mori Tatsuki, although she differs from them in that even while under this trance, she still abides to combat tactics and maintains teamwork within her Legion.

History

Though little is known about Kurena's early life, she is noted to hail from a wealthy household. At an unknown point in time, she was kidnapped by GEHENA, and was transferred to one of their maritime installations, where she was subjected to the Boosting procedure and other inhumane experiments. Kurena remained under GEHENA's custody until her middle-school years, and during this period, she met Shiozaki Suzume. The pair became close friends, with Kurena giving Suzume the pet name "Mya", and Suzume in turn calling her "Niina".

As the older one, Kurena would often be the one to care for the much more shy and meek Suzume, and the pair would make a promise to one day escape the GEHENA facility together. At one point, Odaiba Instructor Akira Blanton infiltrated the maritime installation where Kurena and Suzume were held, however, for reasons unknown, she was only able to rescue Kurena. And so, Akira brought Kurena to Odaiba Girls' School, but though saddened at being the only one to escape, Kurena held onto the hope that Suzume had also survived.

During her time as a junior high Lily of Odaiba, Kurena met and befriended Funada Kiito, who was at the time the Student Council president. The pair particularly bonded over their shared love of spicy foods, and Kiito grew to respect Kurena for her fighting style. Kurena eventually came to integrate Kiito's Funada Reserve Corps, remaining a member of the team all the way until their final battle during their third year of junior high, in which they fought a flock of Soldier Ants at Odaiba's Wakasu Park. After a miscalculation by the team's commander, Kon Kanaho, led them to be surrounded, the Reserve was left with no choice but to undertake a fight to the death against the Huge's armies until they were rescued by Odaiba's Legion Heorot Saints.

Some time after the battle, Kiito stepped down as Student Council president after her "power-ranked" training regimen sparked intense backlash from the Garden's Lilies, including other Student Council members. As many of the Reserve Corps' members were also part of the Student Council, Kiito would declare the group disbanded after her resignation. Kiito and her twin sister Funada Ui chose to leave Odaiba for their first year of high school, while several of the Reserve Corps' members, including Kurena, would go on to integrate Legion Heorot Saints, which was at the time their Garden's single active Legion.

The Odaiba Counteroffensive

Main article: Assault Lily Wunder

Kurena was one of the Lilies present during the Odaiba Counteroffensive. She integrated the Fourth Division together with fellow Heorot Saints members Hirose Minato and Soga Suzuna, as well as one Homma Akehi of Kamba Girls' High School for the Arts. As the Fourth Division's primary role was to serve as a support team to the other four teams, they set off to the Aomi and Daiba areas in order to clear them of Huge and provide a safe evacuation route for the civilians of the area, hoping to later join the First and Fifth Division's assault on the Nestless Ultra. However, they were faced with a greater swarm of Huge while in Aomi, and after learning from Kondo Misaka that the Fifth Division was no longer capable of carrying out the plan, the Fourth Division's captain, Tithia Paumgartner, as well as Akehi, left to inform the First Division of the situation.

After the First Division's captain, Takegoshi Chihana, was informed by Tithia and Akehi of the Fourth and Fifth's predicament, she changed their strategy, which now involved the First Division drawing the Huge away from Uminori, and the Fourth Division being tasked with eliminating any Huge that made it past them and into Aomi. In Tithia's absence, however, the Fourth Division had been pushed back from Aomi and into Daiba. There, they encountered the Gigant-class Abyss Serpent. Rejoined by Tithia and Akehi, the Fourth Division successfully destroyed the Abyss Serpent with a Neunwelt Tactic, but after learning that several Gigant-class Soldier Ants had made it past the First Division, Tithia left Kurena, Minato and Suzuna to lead the military and a group of junior high Odaiba Lilies with continuing the evacuations in Daiba while the rest of the Fourth set off to intercept them.

Kurena as she is about to intercept the swarm of Soldier Ants

Shortly after, the trio learned that two groups of Soldier Ants were approaching them from both Aomi and Shiozake park, and upon hearing this, Kurena volunteered to lure away the swarm coming from Aomi so that evacuations could be finished, noting how during the Funada Reserve Corps' final battle a year prior, the Soldier Ants they faced also seemed to be unusually attracted to Boosted Lilies like herself. Despite Suzuna's pleas, Kurena insisted on facing the army of Huge by herself, trusting her and Minato to complete the evacuations in the meantime.

Kurena soon reached the swarm of Soldier Ants and promptly began her offensive. However, her advantage against them was short lived, as not only those Soldier Ants possessed the Regenerator ability, but her own Regenerator had begun to lose its efficiency due to her low reserves of Magie. Nonetheless, she continued to fight against the Ants, even as they viciously tore her body apart. After learning of Kurena's situation, Tithia ordered an air strike by Raguel, one of St. Mercurius' Airships, at the horde of Huge in Aomi, completely obliterating the Soldier Ants in the area and clearing the path for Suzuna and Minato to rescue Kurena, who despite surviving the Ants' assault and Raguel's air strike, was still left severely maimed

Kurena, as well as the rest of the Fourth Division, remained in Aomi while the Second, Third and Fifth Divisions finished off the Nestless Ultra. In the aftermath, the Fourth Division was celebrated as the group to have rescued the most civilians during the Odaiba Counteroffensive.

The Liberation of Niigata

Main articles: Assault Lily Glory, Assault Lily: The Raid for the Liberation of Niigata.

Note: this section follows the webnovel version of the story, and is therefore incomplete.

Now a second year Lily, Kurena and the Heorot Saints, as well as Kiito and her newly formed Legion Hronesnæsse, set of in an Expedition to Niigata, Japan following a request by Amatsu Marei that they join Legion Álfheimr and Ryuto Girls' Academy in taking down the Fafnir, one of the Seven Great Ultra-class Huge which had claimed domain to Niigata in the year following the Odaiba Counteroffensive. The Saints and Hronesnæsse initially arrived at the neighbouring prefecture of Tochigi, where Ryuto's Legion Kólga was locked in combat against a horde of Huge that suddenly emerged from Lake Chuzenji.

After rescuing Legion Kólga, the Heorot Saints were tasked with accompanying Legion Dúfa in retaking Niigata's harbour from the Huge's control, as Ryuto hoped to have a clear path towards Niigata's Sado Island, where the Fafnir was located. There, the Saints and Dúfa encountered the two-headed Gigant-class Restore Orthrus, and so, the two Legions agreed to each perform a Neunwelt Tactic in order to destroy both of the Gigant's heads. At the same time, Legion Hronesnæsse had joined Legion Kólga in returning to Lake Chuzenji, where they learned that the master of the Nest, the Gigant-class Cihuateteo, had since evolved into an Ultra-class, forcing them to retreat.

Now with two Ultra-class Huge to contend with, the Lilies devised the strategy called "Mission Drachentöter", which entailed separating their forces into two teams, as they ascertained that the Fafnir and the Cihuateteo would eventually converge, hence requiring them to be neutralized simultaneously. And so, with Legion Álfheimr and the leaders of Ryuto's Legions of the Nine continuing with their operation to neutralize the Fafnir, The Heorot Saints and Hronesnæsse were tasked with defeating the Cihuateteo together.

Stage plays

This information is specific to the stage play continuity.

The Singular Ability

Main article: Assault Lily: The Singular Ability

Kurena was presumably one of the Saints' members who joined Tsukioka Momiji in the Heorot Saints' Expedition to Makuhari.

The Empathy Phenomenon

Main article: Assault Lily: The Empathy Phenomenon

The Heorot Saints' deploy on a mission to neutralize one of the several Caves that have recently materialized in Tokyo. Faced with a Gigant-class, they begin performing the Neunwelt Tactic, and during her turn with the Magisphere, Kurena is joined by Suzuki Chinami, who had recently awakened to Laplace. Due to her unfamiliarity with her Rare Skill, Chinami struggles to follow Kurena's intense pace of combat, and at the same time, the Saints members soon notice that the Gigant-class possesses the Dominator Skill, which allows it to convert the surrounding ambient Magie into Negative Magie. Kurena is initially unfazed by the potential threat this poses to her, but the high intensity of Negative Magie in the area eventually causes Kurena to lose control of herself, leading her to begin attacking her Legion mates in a highly altered mental state.

Momiji, Hayami Katsura, Takehisa Nakaba and Kawanabe Nazuna continue their Neunwelt, seeking to destroy the Gigant-class as fast as possible to free Kurena of its effects. Meanwhile, the remaining Saints members collectively struggle to control Kurena's outburst due to their exhaustion from the Neunwelt, but they are eventually joined by Minato, who was now a member of Odaiba's Legion Coast Guard, and Kishida Hanabusa. Minato utilizes her Valkyrian Skirt Magie Reincarnation System to purge the Negative Magie from Kurena, causing her to fall unconscious.

In the aftermath of the battle, Kurena's rampage against her Legion mates drives her into depression, and she repeatedly refuses to join them in their training sessions. As such, she begins to take counselling sessions with the newly arrived Instructor Inaba Mayumi, to whom she reveals her fears that she might attack her teammates again should they encounter the Gigant-class a second time, particularly noting that she can't even hold her CHARM without being reminded of how she had lost control of herself. Mayumi tries to ease her concerns, and encourages her to return to training, telling Kurena that if she does not intend to retire from being a Lily, she might become even stronger than she was if she finds the willingness to conquer her fears.

Mayumi proposes that Kurena temporarily integrates Legion Hronesnæsse, noting how being a Lunatic Trancer user who has survived the Boosting procedure makes her a Singular Lily, and as such, by fighting alongside another Singular Lunatic Trancer user like Kiito, they would be able to produce the Empathy Phenomenon, which would serve to stabilize Kurena's mental state and allow her to fight again. Though Kiito has her concerns, she is convinced by her sister, Ui, who had been unable to join Hronesnæsse in combat due to suffering an injury. Ui argues Kurena being her temporary replacement would be fruitful not only for their Legion, but for the two of them personally, citing how Kiito and Kurena were old friends.

Kurena soon joins Hronesnæsse in a training session, and despite faltering at first, she is quickly able to match Kiito's pace. Ecstatic by her favorable performance, Kurena insists that they continue their training session, and though she is taken aback by her eagerness, Kiito agrees, much to the discontentment of several of Hronesnæsse's members.

During her next counselling session with Mayumi, the overjoyed Kurena tells the Instructor how she felt that in fighting together with Kiito, she was able to perform better than she ever did before thanks to the effects of the Empathy Phenomenon. While Mayumi appears happy that Kurena had fully regained her spirits, she notes that she will inevitably need to cede her place as Kiito's partner once Ui recovers, lamenting that she will need to step away from such an ideal environment for her, as Hronesnæsse has not only Kiito, but Shiba Tomoshibi, who has full control over her Laplace.

Kurena later expresses her gratitude to Kiito, telling her of how much she enjoyed fighting as her partner. However, Kurena also reveals that she is scared at the prospect of being left alone once again. Though Kiito dispels Kurena's worries, she grows increasingly concerned at the overreliance Kurena developed towards her.

Kurena speaks with Mayumi once again, revealing how she had been constantly worrying over Ui's eventual return. She tells the Instructor how she came to doubt whether she is truly needed in the Heorot Saints, noting how they were still able to operate without her due to possessing extra members. In response, Mayumi asks Kurena where she truly wants to be, and what is standing in her way but before Kurena can answer, Mayumi infuses her with Magie, causing her to fall unconscious.

Following the appearance of the Gigant-class Huge Gigafloat, the Heorot Saints, Hronesnæsse, as well as Minato and Hanabusa assemble to intercept it. Because the Huge possesses an energy shield, both Legions begin a Neunwelt Tactic, with the Saints' aiming to use their Magisphere to destroy the shield while Hronesnæsse destroys its core. As their Neunwelt continues, the Negative Magie in the area increases, and Kurena begins to feel its effects. After Maruyama Amane, another Boosted Lily, fully succumbs to the effects of the Negative Magie, Kurena is fearful that she might once again lose control of herself as she did before, but though Kiito assures her that the Empathy Phenomenon should render them immune to the Negative Magie's effects, Kurena wonders whether they had been able to activate it at all.

After Minato receives a report of an Irregular, teleporting Large-class Huge advancing in the direction of Odaiba's Light Walls, Kitto and Kurena set off to neutralize it by themselves while the other Lilies continue their Neunwelt. The pair reach the Irregular Huge, and as Kurena struggles to keep her focus, Kiito advises her to remain calm, noting that if they succeed in producing the Empathy Phenomenon, their senses should be heightened enough to counter the Huge's teleportation. Kurena is confused, as she thought their Empathy Phenomenon was already in effect, but Kiito responds that while they were able to produce a similar effect, it was not the full extent of it.

Suddenly, the pair is assaulted by an enraged Ui, who promptly begins targeting Kurena. Noting that Ui's Lunatic Trancer is active, Kiito presumes that, without the effects of their Empathy Phenomenon, she was left vulnerable to the effects of the Negative Magie, with Kurena adding that she may have done so on purpose in order to fuel her rampage. Just then, the mental suggestion Mayumi placed on Kurena takes effect, and she begins to fight Ui, believing she must do so in order to secure her place as Kiito's partner. Disheartened, Kiito attempts to separate the pair, but this in turn leads Ui to believe Kurena turned Kiito against her, and so, she immediately begins to fight her sister.

Kiito orders Kurena to chase the Large-class while she fights Ui. Kurena protests this, which causes Kiito to briefly snap at her. Kurena insists that she cannot fight without Kiito by her side, but the latter disputes the notion. She tells Kurena that she agreed to have her as her partner out of sympathy, as her meek and dependent attitude reminded her of her own past self. Kitio, however, tells Kurena that she is not someone who needs her pity, and urges her to return to the proud and powerful fighter she once admired her as. Motivated by Kiito's words, Kurena sets off to intercept the Large-class while Kiito continues to fight Ui.

Kurena reaches the Irregular Large-class, and after a brief skirmish, she is joined by Kiito and Ui, the latter of which had been freed from her trance. With their Empathy Phenomenon at full power, the twins make quick work of the Irregular Huge. Once they finish, Ui tries to apologize to Kurena, but she tells her that she is not bothered by what happened earlier. Kurena tells Ui that watching them fight side by side showed her that she is not a good match for Kiito after all, but that she is now also motivated to find a partner of her own. After reconciling, the trio reunites with the remaining Lilies, taking charge of their Neunwelt's final passes alongside Sunao and Nagasawa Yuki, ultimately allowing them to successfully destroy the Gigafloat.

In the aftermath of the battle, Kurena finds Kiito and Ui as they speak with Mayumi. After thanking the Instructor for her counselling, Kurena expresses that she has come to terms with the fact that she'll likely never be able to produce the Empathy Phenomenon with Kiito, however, she remains hopeful that she'll one day find herself the perfect partner to activate it with. Noting how Laplace is a Rare Skill with high affinity with Lunatic Trancer, Mayumi suggests Tomoshibi as a potential candidate, once again urging her to stay with Legion Hronesnæsse, but Kurena declines, telling her that she already has a place to return to with the Heorot Saints.

The Battle to Overcome

Main article: Assault Lily: The Battle to Overcome

As the Heorot Saints and Hronesnæsse deploy together to neutralize a Cave, they are once again met with a swarm of Soldier Ants, which like before, are particularly drawn towards Kurena. Though Kurena is able to maintain herself stable as they fight, Kiito notes that these Soldier Ants are of the same variety as the ones they've fought two years prior, in the Funada Reserve Corps' final battle.

After returning to the Garden, the second year Lilies of both Legions hold a review session, where they once again point out the fact that the Soldier Ants appeared to unusually flock towards Kurena. The Lilies note how the Ants appeared to have evolved since their prior encounter with them during the Odaiba Counteroffensive, and ascertain that they had since succeeded in taking permanent root in Odaiba by forming a Nest. Though Kurena remains unfazed by their threat, Hishida Haru evokes the possibility that, given their traumatic past with the Soldier Ants, their reappearance may be the deliberate result of a GEHENA experiment, theorizing that they seek to exploit their trauma.

With the experience reviving their memories of their past together, the Saints and Hronesnæsse second years ponder between themselves what would have happened had the Funada Reserve Corps never disbanded. Kurena is quick to point out that, with their offensive capabilities, they would have become an SSS-Rank Legion that rivaled the First Generation Álfheimr, but Igusa Subaru and Kawabata Hotaru note that power alone does not make a strong Legion, and that shared trust and experiences are equally as important. The second years ultimately reach the conclusion that they are the most content in their present arrangement in their two different Legions.

After the Soldier Ants are once again detected at Odaiba's Wakasu Park, The Heorot Saints and Hronesnæsse immediately assemble to intercept them. There, they are joined by Kanaho and Miyagawa Takane, their former teammates in the Reserve Corps who had since transferred to Kamba. The Lilies are met with a Gigant-class Soldier Ant just as Odaiba's Light Walls are placed in full admission mode, and Kiito, seeking to settle their unresolved past, proposes that they reassemble as the Funada Reserve Corps one final time. With all its former members agreeing to her proposal, the Reserve Corps takes charge of defeating the Gigant Soldier Ant before the Light Walls' full admission mode reaches its time limit. During Kurena's turn with the Magisphere, she admits to herself that, during her one-man stand against the Soldier Ants during the Counteroffensive, she had overestimated her own abilities, and regrets failing to have fought better. As Kurena fights, Subaru notes that, despite the high concentration of Negative Magie surrounding them, she appears remarkably stable.

Before the Reserve Corps is able to fire their finishing shot, they witness the Gigant-class Soldier Ant devour Instructor Mayumi. Noting the Huge's tendency to cannibalize their kin in order to boost their Magie, the Lilies conclude that Mayumi purposefully let herself be devoured by the Gigant Soldier Ant, surmising that she was the one responsible for the Soldier Ants' outbreak. Mayumi, now fused with the Huge, briefly speaks to the Lilies telepathically before her consciousness is completely assimilated by the Gigant Soldier Ant. Under Kiito's orders, the Reserve Corps continues their Neunwelt, and eventually succeed in destroying the Gigant-class, however, with the Ants' Nest still remaining, Kiito orders all Lilies present to keep the remaining swarm of Soldier Ants at bay while her and Ui move to destroy the Nest.

After the battle concludes, the former Reserve Corps members, including Kurena, reunite one final time to see Kanaho and Takane off as the pair returns to Kamba.

The Snowdrop

Main article: Assault Lily: The Snowdrop

Shortly after another joint deployment by the Saints and Hronesnæsse to destroy a Cave, the Lily Komai Sumire transfers into Odaiba Girls' School, and due to her past record in her previous Garden, Ambrosia Ladies' Institute of Secondary Education, Akira offers her a position in either the Heorot Saints or Hronesnæsse, and she very eagerly chooses the latter. Meanwhile, the Saints' second years are suspicious of her decision to transfer to Odaiba despite already being a Lily of great recognition in a Garden as distinguished as Ambrosia. With Momiji's approval, the second years agree to further investigate Sumire's circumstances.

The second years enlist the help of first year members Nakaba and Katsura, tasking them with covertly extracting information from Sumire during the first year Lilies' tea party. But after the pair ultimately fails to acquire any useful information, Kurena criticizes Momiji's choice of spies, pointing out Sunao would have been a better pick.

Later, the Heorot Saints and Hronesnæsse are dispatched to the battlefield following the appearance of a Great Cave, which appears similar to the one produced by the Nestless Ultra during the Odaiba Counteroffensive. Instructor Akira informs the Lilies that the master of the Great Cave is the Ultra-class Cihuateteo, which was able to survive their previous takedown of it during the Liberation of Niigata by fusing itself with the core of the Giant Zombie, the former master of the Nest in Lake Chuzenji. As all the Huge in the area share the Giant Zombie's Undead ability, Kiito proposes that they ignore the larger outbreak of Huge and focus solely on the group in the immediate vicinity of the Cihuateteo, and with Momiji in accordance to her plan, the two Legions briefly retreat in order to prepare themselves.

The Legions set off with a strategy consisting of fighting their way to the Cihuateteo in pairs. Kurena takes Sunao as her partner, and they advance, Kurena compliments Sunao's performance, acknowledging her combat prowess, and complimenting her as a "quite gorgeous and genius Lily, though certainly not on my level". The Saints and Hronesnæsse regroup after successfully making past the zombie Huge, but Tomoshibi and Sumire are yet to reach them. Still, the two Legions agree to perform a double Neunwelt while avoiding the Cihuateteo's nine tentacles, which can drain them of their Magie, while Akira takes it upon herself to destroy the Giant Zombie's core.

The Saints' progress with their Neunwelt, and Kurena, once again joined by Sunao, is yet again able to maintain herself stable despite the high concentration of Negative Magie emanated by the Cihuateteo. The Saints regroup with Hronesnæsse as they prepare to make their final passes, and since doing so would require them to approach the Cihuateteo, they agree to split the task of destroying its tentacles between themselves while continuing to make their passes, still awaiting for Tomoshibi and Sumire to return. Though incredibly exhausted, the Saints complete their Magisphere, and Tomoshibi and Sumire return just in time to allow Hronesnæsse to complete theirs, allowing Kiito and Momiji to finally fire them against the Cihuateteo. The ensuing explosion succeeds in exposing its core, which is swiftly destroyed by Akira.

Last Bullet

Chapter Five

Main article: Valkyries, Reunited by Fate

After Legion Sanngriðr and the Oshima Nest Survey Team successfully dispelled the Death Zone that permeated across the Izu Oshima island, several of Kanto's Gardens assembled a second task force, named "Oshima Nest Extermination Team", in order to destroy the Nests surrounding the island's perimeter. Among the Legions that integrated this task force was Legion Heorot Saints, as well as Kamba's Legion Gran Eple, which were both tasked with neutralizing the Nest in the Sagami seas. Kurena was the first Heorot Saints member to arrive at the scene, where, to her surprise, she encountered Suzume, who was able to escape GEHENA's custody, and had since become a student of Kamba, now integrating Legion Gran Eple.

Following a heartfelt reunion, the pair continued to clear the Huge present in the area, both ecstatic to be fighting side by side for the very first time. Haru and the remaining Saints members arrive, and the second year calls the Lilies' attention to a ship present in the nearby seas. The Legions are soon met with a group of Soldier Ants, but as they set off to fight them, Tamba Akari, who possesses an Aberration that allows her to see Magie, points out that the ship is surrounded by "nasty, scary colors", remarking that she sees the Soldier Ants and "something else" inside it.

The Lilies agree to split themselves into two teams, with one tasked with searching inside the ship, while another engages the Huge outside. Kurena and Suzume both volunteer to join the team entering the ship, remarking that they both feel an eerie sensation emanating from it, which they want to ascertain what it is. This sensation persists as they board the ship, but while Suzume remains uneasy, Kurena is optimistic, telling her that her joy at their reunion greatly surpasses her own anxieties. As they continue to fight the Soldier Ants on the ship, both Kurena and Akehi encourage Suzume to crush whatever it is that is instilling her with such fear.

The Lilies find their way into the ship's interior, and Kurena and Suzume soon notice its familiarity. As they hide from the oncoming Huge in one of the rooms, Suzume suffers a mental breakdown as she realizes that the ship is the same one where she and Kurena had been held captive. Kurena is incredulous, noting that immediately after she was rescued, the vessel had been completely abandoned. Suddenly, the entire ship begins to shake, and the team learns from the Lilies outside that the ship itself is part of the Gigant-class Huge they had been searching for, having merged it with its body.

The search team ascertains that the Gigant-class, which they nickname "Mary Celeste", is the master of the Sagami Nest, and therefore must be destroyed in order to neutralize the Nest. But before they can escape the ship's enclosure, Kurena senses the queen of the Soldier Ants nearby, and so, they request that the outside team keep the Mary Celeste restrained until they are able to exit. Suzume, however, is still paralyzed from shock, prompting Kurena and Akehi to stay behind in order to watch over her while the remaining Lilies set off to engage the queen Soldier Ant. Completely desolate, Suzume expresses her regret that, even after enrolling into Kamba and joining Gran Eple, she was still unable to get away from her place of torment, and upon hearing these words, Kurena declares that this time, they can fulfill their promise to escape the ship together, telling Suzume that while her own memories of her time in the ship have filled her with dread, she finds the prospect of wielding to this fear even scarier. Together, both Kurena and Akehi urge Suzume to join them in finally burying their painful past.

Kurena, Suzume and Akehi regroup with the remaining Lilies as they engage the Soldier Ant's queen. As they fight, Kiito scolds Kurena for attacking much more sheepishly than she usually would, and urges her to fight as relentlessly as she always has. Not wishing to falter when Suzume needs her to be strong, Kurena begins a vicious offensive against the Soldier Ant, and as Suzume joins her, their Magie experiences a massive surge while blending together. Kiito quickly assumes this to be the Empathy Phenomenon, but notes it to be different. Together, Kurena and Suzume unleash a barrage of attacks against the Ant, causing it to be shot out of the ship entirely.

The search team makes it out of the ship, and promptly begins the Neunwelt Tactic in order to destroy the Mary Celeste. Suzume receives the final pass, and with Akehi by her side, she takes the finishing shot, successfully obliterating both the Mary Celeste and the ship came to possess

In the aftermath, Kurena reveals to Suzume that she planned to invite her to Odaiba after they first reunited, but that seeing how happy she looked alongside her own Legion mates drove her to let go of the idea. Noting that she is content with being able to see her freely, Kurena asks that Suzume visits her anytime she wants, and using Suzume's real name for the first time, she asks that Akehi take good care of her. Noting that Kurena still appears saddened when watching Suzume and Akehi together, Kiito asks her if she truly is happy with her decision, and Kurena answers that she is, saying that she is already happy to see Suzume smiling, and that she couldn't ask for anything more. In response, Kiito tells Kurena that she still hopes that she finds a partner of her own one day, to which Kurena tells her that she still hasn't given up on it.

In the end, Kurena reminisces on her designation given to her by GEHENA, "MSL-B-027", noting how a title so dehumanizing was able to become a name that she cherished. Finally, she expresses her joy at both her and Suzume having survived those days, calling Suzume her "precious other half".

Kurena was later one of the several Lilies present in the final incursion against the Ultra-class Huge Azhi Dahaka.

Combat Style

Kurena's fighting style is incredibly vicious, said to be comparable to the remarkably violent Rokkaku Shiori's style. She is particularly known for her preference to use her CHARMs almost exclusively in Blade Mode, and because of it, she has developed a particular fondness towards first generation CHARMs. When performing the Neunwelt Tactic, Kurena is noted as a player who is incredibly eager to take the finishing shot herself, and appears to prefer firing it from afar in her TZ position, something that annoyed Kiito during their time together in the Funada Reserve Corps.

Kurena is regarded as a master of the Sonic Wave, a high level combat technique where, while maintaining her CHARM in Blade Mode, she is able to fire ranged energy attacks from the very edge of its blade, eliminating the need to transform into Shooting Mode. She is capable of unleashing energy waves in quick succession, and her proficiency in the technique is so immense that it may be comparable to an Aberration. Kurena will utilize her Sonic Wave in order to scatter large groups of enemies and force them to change positions to only then finish them off with melee attacks, as she holds that the majority of the damage she deals must come from those.

Trivia

• The pet names Kurena and Suzume give to each other presumably originate from their number designations as GEHENA test subjects:
  • Kurena was labeled "MSL-B-027". The onyomi reading of the number 2 in Japanese is "ni", while the kunyomi reading of the number 7 is "nana", therefore "Niina".
  • Suzume was labeled "MSL-B-038". The kunyomi reading of the number 3 is "mi", and similarly, the kunyomi reading of the number 8 is "ya", therefore "Mya".
• The GEHENA vessel where Kurena and Suzume were held captive also held Kurokawa Nady Hanna as one of its subjects. Though it is not currently known whether Kurena has interacted with her.
• Kurena's likes include aromatics and playing the piano.
• Kurena is noted to not be very good at cooking, with Fumi theorizing that due to her upbringing in a wealthy family, she never needed to cook for herself.
• Kurena dislikes needles, citing it as "something [she] does not like seeing for various reasons". She also extends this dislike to hospitals in general.
• When Kurena's design was first unveiled in 2020, she lacked the Magical Inscription on her chest. The Inscription was only later added in 2022.

Gallery

Designs

• 
  Kurena's original design, by nauribon.
• 
  Kurena's design in Last Bullet

Stage

• 
  As portrayed by Hoshiki Seena
• 
  As portrayed by Ando Chikana

Navigation

Legion Heorot Saints Members Tsukioka Momiji  ·  Kawamura Yuzuriha  ·  Hayami Katsura  ·  Hishida Haru  ·  Kawanabe Nazuna  ·  Saigo Kurena  ·  Suzuki Chinami  ·  Takehisa Nakaba  ·  Yokoyama Azusa Reserve Ito Urara  ·  Maruyama Amane  ·  Otake Sunao  ·  Uemura Warabi