As a part of Operation Trajan, Lieutenant Junko Takei of the 504th Joint Fighter Wing attempts a peaceful negotiation with the Neuroi over Venezia. A new gigantic Neuroi hive appears, eradicates the existing Neuroi, proceeds to devastate the Ardor Witches, and leads the occupation of Venezia and northern Romagna. Desperate for help, Gallian Central Command calls for aid from the Fuso Empire to defend unoccupied southern Romagna. Major Mio Sakamoto, formerly of the Strike Witches, leaves for Romagna despite her powers beginning to fail her. Meanwhile, Sergeant Yoshika Miyafuji graduates from middle school and receives a mysterious letter from her father. Determined to understand the contents, she visits Yokosuka Naval Base and overhears the situation in Europe. Despite Sakamoto's orders, Miyafuji steals her old Striker Unit, and convinces her to let her rejoin the war effort.
Tropes in this episode:
- 10-Minute Retirement: Technically, she remained in the Naval Reserve, but after leaving active duty at the end of Season 1, Yoshika jumps at the chance to rejoin the war once she learns of the situation in Romagna and that Sakamoto is going back despite her rapidly diminishing powers.
- Bears Are Bad News: Subverted. Yoshika saves an injured bear cub lying in the middle of the road. When the angry mother shows up, she just picks up the cub and leaves. It certainly spooked Yoshika though.
- Big Badass Battle Sequence: The episode opens with the Ardor Witches attempting to peacefully negotiate with the Neuroi in the skies over Venezia. Then, a new Neuroi hive thwarts the negotiations by eradicating the previous hive and subsequently curb-stomping the Ardor Witches.
- Call-Back:
- Like in "Magical Girl" and The Stinger of "Strike Witches", Amaki Suwa sends Yoshika some information which once belonged to the late Ichiro Miyafuji.
- Yoshika once again disobeys Sakamoto's orders so she can rejoin the war effort, like how she disobeyed Sakamoto's orders to stay in the Akagi's sick bay to fend off the Neuroi in "That Which I Can Do".
- Dynamic Entry: Suwa makes her entrance by crashing right outside the Miyafuji Clinic.
- Forging Scene: Sakamoto is introduced this way, forging her new sword Reppumaru.
- Gondor Calls for Aid: This sets off the plot after the Neuroi victory over the Ardor Witches at the Battle of Venezia, when Central Command is forced to call for help from the Fuso Empire to save what's left of Romagna.
- Opening Narration: As with the first season, the second season opens with a brief monologue recapping the Strike Witches' efforts to liberate Gallia from the Neuroi:"In 1944, the Gallia region of Europe was captured by a strange alien enemy known to humankind only as the Neuroi. However, thanks to the courageous resolve of the 501st Joint Fighter Wing, the enemy Neuroi were wiped out and Gallia was saved from destruction. Nevertheless, the battle was still far from over."
- So Last Season: The type of Neuroi that were the antagonists in Season 1 promptly get wiped out by the new much stronger Neuroi in about the first minute.
- The Worf Effect: The Ardor Witches appear soley to get beaten soundly to establish the main Neuroi threat for the season.
