At Northern European Command in Helsinki, Rall is informed that the Brave Witches will be used to launch the main attack against "Grigori," the new Neuroi Hive that has appeared over the White Sea. Rall gives Rossman a week to get Hikari into shape or she will return to Fuso. Hikari performs poorly in a series of assessment exercises, but insists in not giving up. Rossman throws a hat on top of a giant obelisk and gives Hikari seven days to retrieve without using a Strike Unit. On the Seventh Day, following Rossman's instructions to channel her magical power only through her hands and with the encouragement of Kanno, Hikari finally retrieves it. A Neuroi then attacks and Hikari is ordered to participate in the defense. She accidentally touches the Neuroi which allows her to see its Core, similar to what happened in the attack while she was in transit to Europe. The Brave Witches easily destroy the Neuroi with this knowledge. Later, Hikari learns from Raul that her latent ability, Contact Eye, is too dangerous to use since it requires touching the Neuroi.
Tropes in this episode:
- Hard Work Hardly Works: Lampshaded, and then eventually subverted. The Witches constantly comment about how hard work and enthusiasm cannot overcome lack of magical power. Ultimately though, Hikari is able to overcome this liability and gain a spot in the squadron.
- Inspirational Insult: Type 2. Kanno berates Hikari while making her final climb in order to give her the determination to get to the top.
- I Shall Taunt You: Naoe deliberately trash-talks Hikari as a failure while the latter's struggling to retrieve the hat. Fortunately for her, Hikari finally gets to the top and retrieves the hat.
- My Greatest Failure: Rossman once trained another witch like Hikari who was determined to fight despite a lack of magic power. Feeling sorry for her, Rossman gave in and approved her for combat anyways, which ended in disaster. She is determined not to make the same mistake with Hikari.
- Training from Hell: Rossman pits Hikari through an intense seven-day training exercise to retrieve the hat from the obelisk without using a Striker Unit. It works.
- Trash Talk: Naoe deliberately angers Hikari into retrieving the hat to complete her training by taunting her as a failure.
