The original work is a fantasy light novel by Kei Sasane, "You and I's Last Battlefield, or the Holy War That Begins the World," commonly known as "Kimisen." It has been published by Fujimi Fantasia Bunko since 2017, and was adapted into a manga in Young Animal in 2018. An anime adaptation is scheduled to begin airing in October 2020. After the great witch Nebulis engulfed the Empire in flames, the military state "Empire" and the witch nation "Nebulis Imperial Court" engaged in an endless war for world dominance. On the battlefield, the protagonist Iska, a soldier of the Empire, and Alice, the "Ice Calamity Witch" and royalty of the witch nation, meet. Despite their antagonistic relationship, the two are drawn to each other and realize they share the same goals. However, their relationship is like that of Romeo and Juliet, and it was impossible for them to be together. Their fateful encounter leads them to the battlefield for their own purposes. This time, ahead of the anime adaptation, we'd like to share a fascinating synopsis of the story. This post contains spoilers, so if you haven't seen it yet, be careful!
The 907th Squadron's Final Vacation
Iska and the rest of the 907th Squadron were given a vacation before their boss, Richa, launched a major mission. While everyone else was having fun at the casino, Iska was the only one who looked gloomy, worried about Alice. The two had always met by chance, but their shared interests—opera, famous pasta restaurants, and art exhibitions—led to their meeting. This time, the casino wasn't Iska's favorite place, and Alice likely didn't either. Unable to believe Alice was there, Iska sighed deeply.
Why Captain Mismis Chose the Casino
After a crushing defeat at the casino, Mismis wonders why Jin chose the casino for his vacation. Nene also wonders why this was an unusual choice for a captain. Mismis's goal was to win the latest tank, the "Franco-made Merkava Tank MI-62." She thought that if she won the jackpot at the casino, she could buy a custom-made tank. When Lisha granted her vacation, she said, "This is your last vacation..." These words made Mismis realize that their next mission would be extremely dangerous. Mismis, who prioritizes the lives of his teammates above all else when conducting missions, thought that purchasing a custom-made tank would ensure everyone's safe return. Considering the possibility of winning the jackpot, this was a completely outrageous move, but it was typical of a captain who cares about his teammates above all else.
Two people passing each other
After hearing that Nene had received a large amount of coins from a beautiful, princess-like woman, Isuka heads out to look for her, hoping that maybe it was Alice! However, no matter how hard he searches, he can't find her. By coincidence, the two had their fortunes read by the same fortune teller and were in close proximity, but they left the casino district without meeting. Perhaps their fateful encounter didn't happen in a casino, a place neither of them liked.
Vacation in the Next Life: Imperial Soldiers Urgently Called Up
Misumisu lost everything at the casino and was left penniless (lol). While resting at an inn, she received a call from Richa. A sudden vortex was predicted to appear, and an emergency call was issued to all nearby Imperial soldiers. The event occurred northwest of Jurak, where the casino is located. Naturally, the 907th Squadron was called into action. They had planned a five-day vacation, but they gave up their vacation and headed to the site to retrieve the vortex.
Miraculous Celestial Energy: Vortex
A vortex is a magma-like eruption of celestial energy, occurring at the whim of the star. It transforms humans who come into contact with its light into witches, and witches who are exposed to the light gain increased celestial power. It is the root cause of the war between the Empire and the Nebulis Imperial Court, and is believed to be the source of all the trouble on the planet.
The Commander is the Invisible Man's Apostle Saint, Nameless
Imperial soldiers gathered at the First Temporary Base in the southwest of Mudol Valley. This emergency call included the conscripted group, including Mechanics III and V, and the 907th Division. Mismis's classmate, Shanolotte, was also at the base, and they were delighted to reunite after a long time. Everyone was chatting, but Shanolotte urged them to hurry to the meeting, saying that Commander Nameless would arrive earlier than scheduled. Upon arriving at the meeting point, Miss Miss is relieved to find that Nameless hasn't arrived yet, but she just can't see him; he's already seated in a chair. Wearing optical camouflage clothing created by the Imperial Capital's Suppression Weapons Research Institute, Nameless disappears like an invisible man, making him indistinguishable at first glance. However, if you pay close attention to the shadows, you'll be able to see his true form.
The Imperial Soldiers' Mission and Nameless's Objective
The mission of the assembled Imperial soldiers is to secure or destroy the Vortex before the Imperial Palace. Nameless refuses to give any other instructions. However, he does issue one order: "Stay out of my way." Nameless's goal is to destroy the Celestial Spirit Units that are coming in search of the Vortex. It seems like Nameless has some kind of connection to the Celestial Spirit Users.
Nene's Intuition
The 907th Unit is in charge of District D-4, but Nene is curious about District J-3. Because it's in charge of another unit, Misumisu urges her to give up, but Nene is so curious she decides to take a detour. Nene has been tasked by the Suppression Weapons Development Department with test-operating the experimental satellite "Tetrabiblos Planet." The satellite was set to fly directly above the ring Nene was wearing, and its camera captured a mysterious light near District J-3 last night.
A vortex resembling a waterfall of light
Unit 907 explored District J-3, but found nothing suspicious and decided to return to their post. Unable to give up, Nene ran off, saying she was curious about what was on the other side of the cliff. Unable to leave her alone, Jin accompanied them. Isuka and Misumisu decided to wait for them to return. When Mismis leaned against the rock, it collapsed, revealing a cavity within. Entering, she found something resembling a waterfall of light. Nene's intuition was correct: a vortex existed in District J-3.
Pureblood Kissing
Iska and Mismis discovered the vortex, but they found themselves in the middle of enemy territory. The Nebulis Imperial Court had discovered the vortex first and hidden it behind a rock wall. A girl named Kissing, ordered to eliminate the Imperial soldiers, attacks Iska and the others with powerful spikes. However, Iska calmly analyzes his opponent's attack and launches a counterattack. Just as the attack hits Kissing, Iska's sword suddenly reveals Mismis at the tip! Iska instantly stops his sword. With the arrival of a purebred capable of creating a "doorway across space," Mismis is captured, and the situation is reversed.
The Reason for Kissing's Defeat and Iska's Strengths
Kissing's celestial spirit is a thorn that obliterates anything it pierces. It's an incredibly powerful spirit, and a conventional fight would undoubtedly be a struggle. However, Kissing made frequent use of it. Isuka instantly grasped its capabilities and switched from defense to offense. Isuka's strength stems not only from his use of the Star Sword and his high combat skills, but also from his ability to calmly make decisions in any situation and never underestimate his opponent's strength.
Isuka and Miss Miss are swallowed by the Vortex
The new Pureblood that rescued Kissing threw Miss Miss into the vortex and left. Isuka jumped into the vortex to rescue Miss Miss. Nene arrives as Iska and Misumisu are dangling in mid-air, their swords stabbed into the wall. She attempts to rescue them, but a vortex erupts from below, engulfing them. The eruption dissipates the vortex, and the troops mustered in an emergency retreat.
The Witch's Star Crest
Unit 907 returns to the neutral city of Ein. Jin tells Iska to check for the "star crest." When a person is exposed to the light of the vortex, they are possessed by a star spirit and become a demon. When this happens, a "star mark" appears somewhere on their body. In reality, this does not happen to everyone who is exposed to the light, and the probability is extremely low. Isuka also says that it is rarer than winning the jackpot. However, when Mismis appears, the "star mark" is clearly visible on his left shoulder. Mismis was aiming for the jackpot at the casino... There's no need to be so vague about this... (lol)
Captain Misumisu's Choice
Star crests only appear on humans possessed by star spirits. Upon seeing the star crest on her left shoulder, Misumisu is unable to hide her confusion at having become a witch and falls into a panic. Nene also begins to panic, thinking about Misumisu. Isuka and Jin calm the two down and offer Misumisu two choices. One is to keep this secret and continue as captain of the Imperial Army as before. In this case, there's a risk that she'll be labeled a spy for Nebulis the moment her star crest is revealed. The other is to turn herself in. The unit will be disbanded, but they will be spared execution. Since this happened due to an accident during a mission, they will be able to live a decent life if they explain the situation. Faced with the ultimate choice, Mismis considers the risks to Iska and the others if he continues as commander. However, Jin tells her not to worry about them, but to think about himself. Mismis then comes to the conclusion that she will continue with the unit together with everyone. Iska and the others gladly accept this, and the 907th Unit will now be burdened with a big secret.
A Long-Awaited Reunion
Iska and Mismis went to see the opera, but they missed the time and decided to rest on a bench. While Mismis went to buy a drink, Alice appeared in front of Iska. Alice was so happy to finally meet him that she confessed that she had been searching for him for three days (lol). Though they are enemies, the two are secretly happy to be reunited after such a long time. Alice is a specialist in celestial spirits. She might know how to erase the star crest. Perhaps she could ask Alice for advice... Isuka thought, but decided that it would be too risky to tell a talkative 17-year-old.
Iska's Arrest
Rin interrupts Iska and Alice, who are having a friendly conversation. After bringing Alice a drink, she hands one to Iska as well. Perhaps Rin, who has always been wary of Iska, has finally opened up to him? ...Not at all. Rin had slipped a sleeping pill into Iska's drink. Just then, Mimizumi returns. Seeing Iska being taken away in a coma, Mismis becomes emotional and nearly unleashes astral magic. Alice's compassion prevents Mismis from going berserk, but Iska is taken to the Nebulis Imperial Court.
Jin's fine play with the artificial star crest
After learning from Mismis's report that Iska has been taken hostage, Unit 907 decides to infiltrate the Nebulis Imperial Court and rescue Iska. However, they need the star crest to cross the Nebulis border. For a hundred years, the Imperial Army had been trying to infiltrate the Nebulis Imperial Palace by forging star crests, only to be discovered. After extensive research, they finally developed a device that could temporarily create star crests. Using this device, they could create temporary star crests, so they wouldn't be identified as Imperials even after infiltrating. Richa tried to place a star crest on Mismis, but Jin offered to do it himself. If Richa were to discover the real star crest, everything would be over. Jin then placed an artificial star crest in the location where one already existed, fooling Richa. Thanks to Jin's brilliant move, there's no need to worry about Mismis's star crest for a while. And so, the 907th Unit infiltrates the Nebulis Imperial Palace to rescue Iska.
The anime adaptation is finally here! Check out the exciting content! Part 2 (Spoiler Alert!!) Summary
What did you think? This time, there wasn't much interaction between Iska and Alice, and the 907th Division, especially Captain Mismis, stood out! Mismis managed to hide the star crest for now, but I can't help but feel like Lisha will eventually notice. I'm also really curious to see how Iska's rescue will turn out!
