Fighting for our Glorious School

Kapitel Ein

Das Ausstellungsspiel

XXXXXXXXXX

A teacup was visible with some tea stalks at the bottom of the current filling of tea within. One of the stalks then came to the top and stuck above the tea itself.

"The tea stalk is standing up," Darjeeling remarked. She was in her Churchill Mk VII holding said cup of tea. "You know this saying? 'If the tea stalk is standing, a great guest will arrive.'" She then took a sip.

"Forgive me for interrupting, but they're already upon us up here," she heard Arthur inform over the radio. "Regardless of whether they're great or not..."

Up above, Arthur was in his Spitfire LF Mk IX. Outside of his plane, three other Spitfire Mk IIas were flying in a tight defensive circle with him. The Saint Gloriana group of four was currently under heavy attacks from many different directions and altitudes. The Mk IX had the crossbones marking on it, signifying it as the marked man.

One group of attackers included Orkan-Drei, Wildkatze-Fünf, and Blitz-Sieben. There were five other fighters attacking along with them as well. Four of them were radial-engined fighters with very large ailerons on their wings with distinct framed canopies that provided good vision, and there was also a small stinger-like extension on their tails. The other fighter was very similar in appearance, but it had longer cannon barrels that stuck out of the wing leading edges.

All five of them were painted in a camouflage typical of late-war Imperial Japanese Navy aircraft, which consisted of a dark green topside and fuselage sides with a white underside. They each had markings of their school on both sides of the wings and the fuselage sides. The marking itself was circular and had some white markings backed by a woodland-like background camouflage. The planes appeared distinct as different models of the Japanese Mitsubishi A6M.

Behind the group and higher up was Messer-Ein. Erich was busy watching over the attacks and keeping an eye out for anything unexpected.

From another direction, Würger-Zwei and Hornisse-Vier were watching over some other Zeroes attacking the British fighters. The Zeroes had attacked, but the British were able to stay untouched, and the A6Ms climbed away having achieved nothing.

XXXXXXXXXX

Down on the ground, many spectators were watching the trapped Spitfires being picked at on the Leopold, and there were many cheering.

"Good job!"

Soon after, one of the early Spitfires had to pull evasive maneuvers to avoid another attack, and the crowd cheered some more.

"Attack!"

Some of the spectators were students of Ooarai High School, as evidenced by their uniforms. Nearby, a banner was hung up. It read, 'Ooarai High School Victory Exhibition Match.'

"Be careful!"

Further out in some hills, four Finnish people were watching the match from a Soviet 72-K GAZ-MM flak truck, most likely captured. Two of them were Mika, who was playing her kantele as always, and Aki. There were two more boys with them as well. One of them had very light blonde hair of average length with dark brown eyes. The other had darker brown hair with blue eyes. The two boys were wearing light blue uniforms highly reminiscent of the Finnish Air Force uniforms used during the wars against the Soviets.

"This exhibition fight looks so cool!" the brunette commented as he watched.

"Cool..." the blonde contemplated thoughtfully. "Is coolness a part of Jägermeistern?"

"Huh?" The other turned to face the light blonde with confusion across his face. "Well why did you take up Jägermeistern, Ilmari?"

"All of the most important lessons in life can be found within all of the Arts of Warfare. Most people do not realize that."

The brunette's confusion did not falter. "What does that even mean?"

XXXXXXXXXX

Far up high in the sky, the Saint Gloriana Spitfires were still being attacked and forced on the defensive. The bulk of attacks came from the mixed group of Ooarai fighters and Japanese fighters that Erich was watching over as they performed passes en masse.

"Even though this is just a friendly, isn't this a little too careless?" Dennis asked over the radio. He was down on the ground.

"They can't break into the offensive as easily as a scone can be broken," another responded over the British channel. He was Scottish in appearance and was also on the ground.

"Don't fret," Arthur calmly replied in his Mk IX. He was eating an English muffin, but he then put it away to eat for later. "'Keep calm and carry on.' This is Saint Gloriana's way for the Arts of Warfare."

XXXXXXXXXX

Down on the ground within Ooarai city, Anton was watching the fight above from the Acht-Acht. He lowered his GwZF4-fach he was using to observe the fight. "They're not counterattacking," he noted. "What are they waiting for, anyway?"

"They're probably drinking tea up there, eh," Nathan suggested from his post.

"Should we also have some Delicatessen then?" Herz proposed from his position.

"Give me a milkshake!" David spoke up from his post.

"I think there are some eggs and milk around here somewhere," Nathan informed. "Milkshakes should be no problem, eh!"

"Thank God."

"That sounds great!" Herz similarly responded.

Anton then listened into the radio to remain up-to-date on the two concurrent battles going on. "Alright, looks like we'll be needed soon," he observed. "Let's get up and ready!"

XXXXXXXXXX

Up in the air, Erich began to issue general orders. "Stop attacking for now," he ordered. "It'll take some time for any reinforcements of theirs to arrive." It was noticeable that his plane also had a crossbones marking, making him a marked man as well.

The others of the team along with the pilots of the Japanese fighters listened closely as he continued. "Use this time to get above them and prevent them from retreating. If the opportunity presents itself, attack and destroy the enemy if possible while remaining safe."

"Understood!" one of the Japanese pilots confirmed. He was piloting one of the earlier A6Ms. He himself had very dark, almost black, hair along with a dark brown left eye. Why only one eye is described is because the pilot also had an eye patch over their right eye. He was wearing a white uniform that highly resembled an officer uniform of the Imperial Japanese Navy, but he also wore a brown pilot's jacket that was left open. The jacket had the Japanese hinomaru on its shoulder.

"Time is our friend right now. We have plenty of it, so remain wary of any enemy attacks," Erich continued. "Start!" He then started climbing higher while watching over everything else.

The Me 410 and Fw 190 D-12 started to climb as well, as did the Ki-10, F4F, and N1K2-J. The other Japanese fighters, however, did not as they continued on their previous flights and did not follow. Erich noticed before he got a message over the radio.

"Hartmann-taichō, what does 'start' mean?" the eye-patched pilot asked over the radio with some confusion.

Erich put a hand to his head in exasperation. 'I can't believe they haven't figured it out already," he thought. He then returned to normal and answered. "It means 'start,' 'take off,' or 'begin.'"

"Oh, so that's what it means! A lesson well learned!"

In his Fw 190, Aprikose was eating another strip of jerky when he heard Pfirsich over the radio. "What's up with Chi-Ha-Tan Academy anyway?" he heard him ask with annoyance.

"I'll admit that they feel a bit weird," Aprikose relented.

"I have to give it to them, though," Zitrus began. "They look pretty brave and determined."

"Kaishi!" the eye-patched pilot ordered over the radio.

"Hai!" the other Japanese pilots replied. The A6Ms then followed the Ooarai fighters higher into the skies to get into a more advantageous position. The other Japanese pilots were also wearing white uniforms, but they did not have pilot's jackets. But they still had the hinomarus on their shoulders. They were stitched in this time, however, instead of being patches.

Erich simply shook his head with a smile. "Well then, once again, start!" he ordered.

The wise woman said,
'Once you're hardened in battle
There's no coming back.'
(Fight or fall)

And before the attack
Feel your blood start to boil in your veins as you charge
(Hundreds fallen)

He then continued on with climbing above the British Spitfires while he also kept an eye on them for any signs of them trying to attack.

As the fire inside
Is ignited by bloodshed
In berserkers from North

Fighting for our Glorious School

Could it be as was said
When the serpent be woken
Fenrir howls

The rest of the mixed group did the same as Erich stayed above on overwatch duty.

Swedish Pagans
Marching ashore
Forged in Valhalla by the Hammer of Thor

Out from Asgard
Our Viking ship sails
Never to turn back again!

There was the Ki-10 that had the cyclone marking on its tail, otherwise known as Orkan-Drei. The Japanese sesquiplane continued its climb while keeping an eye out for any attackers.

Where brothers have passed
Is where we will be proven
On ground stained by blood
(Standing tall)

And we know if we fall
Our comrades await in the Hall
(Odin's calling)

There was the Me 410 with the hornet marking on its tail, also known as Hornisse-Vier. The Pulkzerstörer was also steadily climbing into a more advantageous position.

As the fire inside
Is ignited by bloodshed
In berserkers from North

Could it be as was said
When the serpent be woken
Fenrir howls!

There was the N1K2-J that had the purple lightning bolt painted on its tail, known also by the name of Blitz-Sieben. The Shiden-Kai was taking good advantage of its good climbing abilities as it quickly climbed higher to gain the advantage.

Swedish Pagans
Marching ashore
Forged in Valhalla by the hammer of Thor

Out from Asgard
Our Viking ship sails
Never to turn back again!

There was the Fw 190D with its unique tail marking of a shrike appearing to perform a roll, also called Würger-Zwei. The Langnasen-Dora was already very high up and was waiting for the others to get into position.

(First to the battle
First to the feast)

There was the F4F with its unique tail marking of a wildcat holding two M2 Browning machine guns, also known as Wildkatze-Fünf. The American naval fighter was also slowly but steadily climbing higher up.

(Destiny waiting
No retreat)

There was the D.520 with the storm cloud marking on its tail, also called Stürmer-Sechs. The French fighter was elsewhere in the skies also climbing.

(Retreat)

There was the Me 163 with its comet marking on the tail, known also as Komet-Acht. The rocket-powered fighter was currently taking off again from the airstrip before it went into a steep climb. It began climbing so fast it seemed to be heading for the stars.

Swedish Pagans
Marching ashore
Forged in Valhalla by the hammer of Thor

The largest of the groups were getting closer to their desired positions, and the Bf 109, also known as Messer-Ein with the knife on its tail and the distinctive black tulip on the nose, was trailing behind and above them.

Out from Asgard
Our Viking ship sails
Never to turn back again!

"Everyone, hold," Erich calmly ordered. The Ooarai and Chi-Ha-Tan fighters both obeyed and held their positions above the British. Their positions were such that the Saint Gloriana Spitfires could not dive away from them without putting themselves at great risk.

"Orkan-Drei ready to attack!" Ron reported over the radio.

"Wildkatze-Fünf is ready, as well!" Matthias similarly reported.

"No problems here," Nevi reported.

"Prepared to attack!" Wolf informed.

"I'm ready at anytime!" Aprikose notified.

"Ooarai and Chi-Ha-Tan are in position to attack," Erich broadcast for everyone. "How's the defense holding up?"

"They're attacking pretty cautiously," Yeager informed. He then looked down at his fuel gauge. "I'd say we have about five minutes before I have to head back again and our defense weakens."

As he spoke, his Me 163 was being attacked by enemies in a different area from Erich's group. The D.520 along with another later A6M and another Japanese fighter of a different type were also under attack. They were above all of the enemies, though, and they managed to stay alive for the moment with their greater energy levels.

The different Japanese fighter had fixed landing gear fitted with spats and a very narrow fuselage, such that its radial engine looked much too large in comparison. There were also some large bulges under the fuselage at each wing root that looked somewhat like bladders. It was painted the same way as the other Chi-Ha-Tan fighters. Overall, it resembled a Japanese Nakajima Ki-27.

"Understood," Erich acknowledged. "Begin attacking."

The fighters part of the offense then carried out their own attacks on the Saint Gloriana Spitfires as the attackers split up. First up was one of the later A6Ms along with the F4F and Ki-10. Following from another direction were the Fw 190D and Me 410. Another of the later A6Ms followed from another direction. With the main group from earlier, the eye-patched pilot began an attack in his earlier A6M. Following were another early A6M and the N1K2-J. Finally, the Bf 109 attacked.

The three earlier Spitfires were attempting to counterattack wherever possible without breaking apart, but such a feat proved to be too difficult. As the swarm of bullets came to his group of fighters, Arthur did nothing more than leisurely fly along as he bit off a piece of his English muffin.

From his viewpoint after recycling energy from his previous attack, Erich found an opportunity to attack as two of the early Spitfires tried to attack. One of them went for him directly, but it was too far below to launch an effective attack. Erich swept down and briefly fired off a burst from point-blank range, and he destroyed the enemy Spitfire and triggered its red smoke. He then climbed away to recycle energy again.

Soon after, the other attacking Spitfire was also shot down, and it started to trail the red smoke as well.

"Chi-Ha-Tan fighter number 2 got a Spitfire Mk IIa!" one of the earlier A6M pilots called out over the radio.

"We got a Saint Gloriana fighter!" another early A6M pilot remarked. "That's a real feat!"

"Incredible!" the eye-patched pilot awed. "That's the first Saint Gloriana fighter we've downed since that P-40!"

"Sakai-taichō, we need to charge!" one of the later A6M pilots urged.

"That's right! Charging is our school's tradition!" another Japanese pilot agreed.

"There's nothing to do but charge now!"

"Well, how do I say this..." Sakai, the eye-patched pilot, began unsurely.

"Tennōheika Banzai!" a few pilots called out as the other Chi-Ha-Tan Zeroes stared heading back for the Saint Gloriana Spitfires.

"We'll charge in, even if it means our deaths!" another pilot declared.

"Wait, wait! We can't abandon the plan!" Sakai tried.

"We need to show the world Chi-Ha-Tan's spirit!" a later A6M pilot emphasized.

"Victory is ours!" another proclaimed.

"Well then..." Sakai began before he became more sure. "All right, let's charge!" He then started for the British Spitfires like his comrades.

To the dawn!
They hold on!
Only forty are left at the end

Erich noticed. "Wait, Sakai!" he tried, but it was to no avail. The Zeroes continued on.

None alive!
None survive!
Shiroyama!

The five A6Ms continued heading for the British, all determined to shoot them down. Soon they got within striking distance and began attacking. Another A6M joined in from another direction, and a large turn fight began as a result of the Japanese fighters' sudden attack.

Imperial
Force defied
Facing five hundred Samurai!

The maneuverable and powerful Spitfires were able to give them a run for their money, though. They managed to evade the Japanese attacks using vertical maneuvers as they wore down the Japanese fighters' energy levels.

Surrounded!
And outnumbered!

"Looks like the scone opened up by itself," Arthur remarked. "We just need to enjoy the taste now." As he spoke he maneuvered into position to attack an enemy while the lone Spitfire Mk IIa did the same.

Sixty to one
The sword face the gun

"The sandwich is about to be done, too," Arthur continued. "Let's do it." The lone Mk IIa opened up on its chosen target, and Arthur did the same with his Mk IX. The earlier Spitfire struck one of the earlier A6Ms and eliminated it as red smoke trailed from its rear. Arthur managed to take down one of the later A6Ms. He then turned to take on another later A6M head-on, and he effortlessly took it down.

Bushido
Dignified
It's the last stand of the Samurai!

"Kuso!" one of the defeated Japanese pilots cursed.

Surrounded!
And outnumbered!

Soon enough, the two British Spitfires claimed two more early A6Ms and eliminated them from the fight.

Sixty to one!
Facing the gun!

Sakai was now under attack, and he maneuvered to avoid the fire. "We almost got them..." he depressingly noted. "Should we really do these things?" He continued dodging attacks as he came to a decision. "No, no way. It's still good!"

Sixty to one!
Culture undone!

Erich was watching from higher up within his Bf 109. "Oh, boy," he observed. "This isn't going to end well for us."

XXXXXXXXXX

Elsewhere, the Ooarai-Chi-Ha-Tan defensive fight was still continuing on.

"Chi-Ha-Tan's first shotai charged?" the pilot of the later A6M with the group spoke up as he heard the report. "We can't lag behind! Tennōheika Banzai!"

"Um, wait..." Yeager tried over the radio.

The A6M pilot then turned back to attack the enemies again, but he was shot down within seconds.

The Ki-27 tried to engage as well with the A6M, but the D.520 fired off its machine guns in its direction, which forced the earlier Japanese fighter to break off their attack.

"What is this?!" the Ki-27 pilot exclaimed. He had black hair with very dark brown eyes.

"No, this is why we're shooting you!" Yeager pointed out. "You're far too impulsive!"

"Let me attack! I can't face my comrades if I don't go!"

"An aggressive attack is good, but it's not so good if you get taken out in the process."

"But we at Chi-Ha-Tan-"

Lemu interrupted as he joined in over the radio. "Didn't Staffelkapitän Hartmann order us to hold them at bay? An order is just like a rule!"

"But-"

"Rules are to be followed!"

The Me 163, D.520, and Ki-27 then turned to head away. "Our defense will be destroyed if we stay as we are! Retreat and regroup!" Yeager ordered.

"Okay, let's go!"

"What are you doing?!" the Ki-27 pilot demanded as the D.520 stayed behind him. Lemu was ready to fire when need be to pull the Japanese pilot back in line.

"Yeesh, calm down already," Yeager remarked.

Following to climb after them and ending the massive furball were some of Pravda's fighters painted in the Soviet summer camouflage. In the middle of the group now were Sasha and Nudelmann in their La-5 and Yak-9 respectively along with a new face flying another La-5FN. Nudelmann's Yak-9 had its black number 15 painted white instead, now.

Onwards comrades! Armies of the Soviet Union! Charge!

The new guy was Russian in appearance with short black hair and brown eyes. He wore the same clothing Nudelmann wore.

Oh Mother Russia
Union of lands

"Kept you waiting, did I?" Sasha radioed over their team's channel with his typical smirk of confidence. He was wearing just the red button-up shirt under his unzipped jacket, as the warm weather in Ooarai city didn't warrant any additional clothing.

Will of the people
Strong in command

"I've been waiting for so long that my muffin is already finished," Arthur replied over the channel. Sasha appeared to be annoyed by his remark.

Oh Mother Russia!
Union of lands!

"I can't help that! I thought it'd be easier to crush them!"

Once more victorious
The Red Army stands!

"We could have just bypassed them," Nudelmann calmly suggested.

"Anyways, can you surprise the enemy as soon as possible?" Arthur requested.

"Leave it to me!" Sasha accepted. "Once I arrive, everything is finished!"

Sasha, Nudelmann, and the new Russian were flying in a vic with two Yak-1s to their direct front. There was a Yak-1 to the direct right of Sasha, and another La-5 was to his direct left.

"Everyone, take down their marked man!"

"Itak, my seychas vedem reshitel'nuyu bivtu?" the newcomer contemplated over the channel.

"Da, khorosho yesli vso poluchitsya," Nudelmann responded.

"Nudelmann, Alexei, speak English!" Sasha demanded over the radio. "When we're allied with non-Russians, we're speaking English!"

The end of the Third Reich draws near
Its time!
Has come to an end!

"Chto?" the new Russian, Alexei, replied over the radio in response.

The end of an era is here
It's time!
To attack!

Over in his Spitfire, Arthur was listening to his own team over the radio.

Into the motherland
The German army march

"We have 1.4 times as many fighters than the enemy," he heard his Scottish ground crew member notify. "Firepower is nearly twice as much. We have the advantage."

Comrades stand side-by-side
To stop the Nazi charge

"Our help is arriving soon," Arthur broadcast. "Your turn, Sasha."

Panzers on Russian soil
A thunder in the east

"Don't steal my lines!" Sasha barked in response as Pravda's fighters continued pursuing the retreating Ooarai-Chi-Ha-Tan defensive fighter screen. "I'm the one giving orders here!"

One million men at war
The Soviet wrath unleashed

XXXXXXXXXX

Back with Arthur and his remaining comrade, the two of them both took advantage and proceeded to escape from Ooarai's trap created by Ooarai's changeover to defense.

"Don't let them get away!" Aprikose ordered as he saw the scene unfold from above. "Let's get them!"

As his Fw 190D prepared to attack alongside the Me 410, a few shots came at them from the side. A few shots soon turned into multiple shots, and they were forced to abort their attacks.

Passing by them at high speed were four fighters of a different design. The silhouette was similar to that of an Fw 190A from a glance, but it was much different up close. It appeared to have an inline engine with a large radiator underneath the nose. The wing was also thick, and it had a slight gull shape only observable to a good eye. Protruding from the wings were four cannon barrels covered in fairings much like on Arthur's Spitfire. There was a bubble canopy installed, as well.

They were all wearing the Saint Gloriana markings on both sides of their wings as well as the fuselage sides. They were pained in an early war RAF camouflage consisting of fuselage sides and topsides painted in a tan-green combo with white undersides. The camouflage appeared to have some notable wear. The paint looked like it had been there for a very long time and not maintained as extensively as the Spitfires.

"What are those?" Aprikose wondered. "And why do they remind me of my old 190?"

"Those are Hawker Typhoons," Wolf informed as he and Aprikose took off after them. "They're fast down low, so pay close attention!"

"Alright, got it!"

From the northeast of Ooarai's main force, Pravda's fighters were close enough to engage, and the leading Yak-1s did so. From the southwest, the two remaining Spitfires engaged as well. Ooarai's main force moved to evade in response. All of this was visible on the Leopold down on the ground.

"Verdammt," Erich cursed as he saw everything happen.

Close by, Sakai was clearly abusing the A6M's maneuverability for everything as he tried evading the onslaught of attacks from both Pravda and Saint Gloriana.

"Hartmann-taichō, what do you suggest?" he radioed in.

"Fighting as things stand now will just end in our defeat," Erich determined. "Let's get out of here!"

"Hai!" Sakai responded as he and Ooarai's N1K2-J, F4F, and Ki-10 followed Erich out of the area.

"I'm not retreating!" the Ki-27 pilot stated in defiance. The D.520 shot off another brief warning burst in response so as to keep the Japanese pilot on the right path to follow the rest.

"Orders are orders!" Lemu reiterated.

"We'll get our opportunity to fight back!" Yeager assured. He was not with them right now, but he was instead much closer to Ooarai's airfield as he headed to refuel yet again.

"We'll be taking this down to lower altitudes for the time being," Erich continued. "Try to split them up once we get out of this situation."

"Understood!" he heard in reply from everyone. They all then disengaged and tried heading away from the enemy. The enemies chose to try and follow.

XXXXXXXXXX

Down from their area, the Finns observed the new development.

"Argh, they missed such a good chance..." the brunette boy lamented. "What are they even doing?"

"Humans are fallible creatures," Ilmari responded. "It's important that we instead learn from those mistakes we make."

In agreement, Mika strummed her kantele again.

XXXXXXXXXX

The wise woman said,
'Once you're hardened in battle
There's no coming back.'

Up above, the combined Ooarai-Chi-Ha-Tan fighter force was currently flying away down to a bit of a lower altitude to evade the Pravda-Saint Gloriana fighter force. Among the force at the moment was the Bf 109 K-4, the Ki-10-II, the N1K2-J, the F4F-3, the Ki-27 with the D.520 still aiming at it, the Fw 190 D-12, the Me 410 A-1/U4, and the early A6M.

(Fight or fall)

Coming after them were most notably a few La-5FNs, Nudelmann's Yak-9UT, and the Typhoons.

And before the attack
Feel your blood start to boil in your veins as you charge

After a bit of time, the F4F and Fw 190D broke off from the main force. "I'm at the airstrip. I'll see you soon," Yeager notified over the radio.

(Hundreds fallen)

Pravda was leading the way with their Yak-1Bs and La-5FNs, and they chose to follow the bigger combined force instead of the two that broke off.

As the fire inside
Is ignited by bloodshed
In berserkers from North

With said larger force, Erich was now at the head with his Bf 109.

Could it be as was said
When the serpent be woken
Fenrir howls

Soon after, the N1K2-J, Ki-27, Ki-10, and A6M broke off from the force in a different direction. The Ki-10 and A6M, however, took one last chance to attack the enemy.

Swedish Pagans
Marching ashore
Forged in Valhalla by the hammer of Thor

"Taste my two 7.7 mm killers!" Ron taunted. "Take this!" He and the A6M that Sakai flew attacked the leading Yaks of the Pravda-Saint Gloriana force, but their attacks either didn't land or didn't do any noteworthy damage.

Out from Asgard
Our Viking ship sails
Never to turn back again!

In response, the Pravda-Saint Gloriana force chose to follow Erich's group instead of the four that had broken off, which left Ron and Sakai confused.

Where brothers have passed
Is where we will be proven
On ground stained by blood

"Huh?" Sakai commented in confusion.

(Standing tall)

With Pravda and Saint Gloriana, the two teams chose to split up into their respective factions as they headed for the Bf 109's group. Saint Gloriana chose to ascend a bit above Pravda.

And we know if we fall
Our comrades await in the Hall

"I can't say the same for Schwarzwaldspitze, but I'm not going to fall for that ruse," Arthur commented in his Spitfire with another English muffin in hand.

(Odin's calling)

With his group that now consisted of just his Bf 109, the D.520, and the Me 410, Erich saw the Typhoons start heading to them ahead of the two remaining Spitfires and above Pravda. The four Typhoons were beginning to catch up to the three Ooarai fighters.

As the fire inside
Is ignited by bloodshed
In berserkers from North

"Those guys are fast. They'll catch us no matter what down here," Erich thought aloud. He then got on the radio. "Stürmer-Sechs, Hornisse-Vier, we're heading back for them. You two take the Typhoons head-on. You have accurate weapons at range, so just charge straight for them."

Could it be as was said
When the serpent be woken
Fenrir howls!

"Understood!" Lemu responded.

Swedish Pagans
Marching ashore
Forged in Valhalla by the hammer of Thor

"Jawohl!" Wolf acknowledged.

Out from Asgard
Our Viking ship sails
Never to turn back again!

During the meantime, the three Ooarai fighters were pulling up into an Immelmann to head back for the enemy force.

(First to the battle)

As the Typhoons closed and tried their luck, the lead Typhoon was forced to evade the D.520's brief but concentrated fire. The rest of the Typhoons saw the Me 410 also approach with its extremely intimidating 50 mm gun, and they chose to evade it rather than attack and risk getting utterly annihilated.

(First to the feast)

Because of their reactions, the Me 410 and D.520 simply sped past the Typhoons that were still trying to figure out what to do. During that time, the Bf 109 pierced through the screen of Typhoons and all of Pravda's fighters.

(Destiny waiting)

Arthur saw this and slightly widened his eyes as he observed the Messer. The 109 continued on as it headed straight for his Spitfire LF Mk IX plus the last Spitfire Mk IIa following him.

(No retreat)

The Spitfire LF Mk IX chose to evade rather than attack, and the Mk IIa chose to attack in response to the Bf 109 closing with them. The early Spitfire fired a short burst at the 109, but the burst missed. The Messer chose not to retaliate with its own attack. Instead, it headed in its same direction and built up speed to escape.

(Retreat)

"Don't let them provoke you!" Sasha ordered over the radio within his La-5. "Just chase after their marked man!"

While he said that, all of Pravda's forces chose to follow the Bf 109. Saint Gloriana's Typhoons broke away from the chase while the Spitfires followed behind the Russians. A few of the Russian fighters tried to get an attack in, but the Bf 109 was outrunning them.

"Well, looks like diversion isn't working here," Erich thought aloud in his Messer. "Taking on their marked man isn't so smart now, considering all the protection he has. So let's try this instead."

The Bf 109 continued onwards in level flight while all of Pravda's and Saint Gloriana's forces followed. Pravda chose to lead while Saint Gloriana's Spitfires trailed behind. Eventually, Erich changed heading as the Pravda lead elements tried attacking, and he spotted the Typhoons now heading straight for them. The 109 chose to head straight for them and pass them while they tried getting a shot in. Erich was able to evade, and he left them behind after passing them.

In the cover of the sun, the F4F was waiting higher up. "Wildkatze-Fünf here," Matthias began over the radio. "Can I get the rear elements?"

"Go for it," Erich granted. "Just be careful."

"Yes! Time to get moving!"

The F4F then dived out of the sun onto its target, the Yak-9 that was now around the rear of the group. He fired off a burst at the Russian fighter and forced it to evade, which in the process separated it from the Pravda-Saint Gloriana force. In response, the Yak-9 began turning upwards to engage the F4F that began to climb away.

Swedish Pagans
Marching ashore
Forged in Valhalla by the hammer of Thor

"Just try and get me!" Matthias taunted as he turned around to engage again. He deliberately avoided remaining in the Yak-9's sights, but the Yak-9 turned to follow with relative ease. The Russian fighter was able to work its way to gain an attacking position on the F4F as Matthias tried shaking it. The Yak-9 used vertical maneuvers to get the opportunity for high-deflection shots.

Out from Asgard
Our Viking ship sals
Never to turn back again!

"Man, that's a real tough opponent!" Matthias remarked as he tried shaking it. Soon enough, he discovered the Yak-9 pulling up again and getting on his tail. "Au Scheiße."

As he tried to evade again, the Yak-9 was able to stick to him with ease. "Bastard! What to do now?" he wondered hastily.

"Hey, Bastian has something to say!" he heard over the radio. He chose to listen with intent.

He eventually heard, "Schmetterling."

Matthias nearly dropped over his control stick in response, and immediately after Nudelmann annihilated his F4F with a short burst of his heavy armament. The F4F lost all power as the shots annihilated the engine completely, and the red smoke eventually tripped as the Wildcat descended.

"Nudelmann! Where the hell are you?! What's going on?" Nudelmann heard Sasha bark over the radio.

"It's nothing," Nudelmann responded as he passed over the descending F4F.

XXXXXXXXXX

Down below on the ground, Miho was busy on the radio ordering her Panzers.

"We're going to pass through point OY12," she informed.

"All clear!" Anton responded at said point. He then addressed his crew. "Reverse out from behind Leopon."

David accordingly backed their vehicle out from behind the VK 45.01 (P) just enough to give the gun full coverage of the area, but it also gave some decent protection for the 8,8 cm Flak 37 Sfl. in the process. The rest of Ooarai's and Chi-Ha-Tan's tank force was set up around the area waiting in ambush.

From up through his hatch, Anton saw the Panzer IV H of his commander's girlfriend approach, and behind it were many Pravda tanks protecting a couple of Saint Gloriana tanks.

"Fire!" Anton commanded, and Herz accordingly fired the infamous Acht-Acht at a T-34 and deposed of it with ease as its white flag popped. As Nathan, Kolari, and Satiainen loaded the gun, David pulled the FAMO behind the Tiger (P) for protection.

The other tanks opened fire as well. After the Acht-Acht was loaded again about five seconds after firing, David reversed to give Herz a good shot. Herz next picked out a T-34-85 and struck it with the 88 mm Flak gun, which took the Russian tank out of the fight.

David pulled behind the Porsche Tiger again as the gun was loaded once more. After the FAMO pulled out again, Herz took aim at another T-34. He took it down with ease once again as its white flag popped up.

"Man, Herz is on fire today!" Anton noted with an adrenaline-filled smile.

XXXXXXXXXX

Up in the air, Erich was busy ordering his team.

"Is everything set up?" he asked.

"Nai!" Leonidas responded in the Me 410.

"Alles klar!" Wolf similarly confirmed.

Higher up in the air, the rest of Ooarai's Jagdwaffe along with the two Chi-Ha-Tan fighters was preparing to strike the Pravda-Saint Gloriana fighters. The Me 163 soon came up to them and cut off its rocket engine. "Sorry for the hold-up," Yeager said over the radio as he came into position.

As the Bf 109 neared with Pravda's fighters on its tail, Wolf gave the signal to the rest of them, "Angriff!"

Wolf led the attacks as he dove with his massive 50 mm cannon. He fired off a shot and completely annihilated a Yak-1. The Russian pilot accordingly bailed out and parachuted down with a red smoke trail coming out of his ass.

The rest of the force attacked as well. Pravda quickly organized itself as they began to defend themselves and the two Spitfires, but not before Wolf attacked again. He fired off another 50 mm shot and decimated an La-5.

The combined force attacked in small groups. The Me 410 and Me 163 attacked together, as did the Fw 190D and D.520. Pravda and Saint Gloriana continued to organize into a better defense as the attacks continued. The Ki-10, Ki-27, A6M, and the N1K2-J all attacked together, and the Shiden-Kai managed to take down a Yak-1. The Russian fighter tripped the red smoke as it trailed a load of oil and coolant as well.

"Yeah!" Nevi celebrated as the Japanese fighters climbed away for the moment. "My first shoot-down in a fight! I'm getting stronger, alright!"

As the four of them turned back into the fray, Sakai remarked, "When can we charge them?"

"Now what is your plan, Sasha?" Arthur calmly asked over the radio in his Spitfire.

"We're taking them on, of course!" Sasha sharply retorted in his La-5 as the Russian fighters continued fighting on in the large furball. "We're going to take these little guys and peel them off bit by bit before we make them into side dishes for our pirozhki!"

Meanwhile in his Yak-9UT, Nudelmann heard Alexei over the radio, "Mozhet byt', khudshiy mozhet zasadit' Spitfayr vo vremya khaosa?"

"Dumayu da," Nudelmann responded in agreement. "Erikh na takoye sposobna, Alexei."

"How many times must I say it?!" Sasha barked. "Speak English with non-Russian allies! Nudelmann, get moving and take them on!"

"Da." Nudelmann then addressed Alexei. "Nakroyte otmechennyy chelovek!"

"Ponyala!" Alexei responded.

As the Yak-9 came in to fight the enemies, Arthur hung back in his Spitfire. "Oliver, the Messer is aiming for me," he notified over the radio. "Take that into consideration as you make precise moves. Don't obsess yourself with speed."

"Of course!" the pilot of the lead Typhoon responded elsewhere as he held a crumpet in hand. The other three Typhoons were with him. The lead pilot, Oliver, had an appearance like that of a Welshman. He had short brown hair and brown eyes to go off of, as well.

As the large furball continued on, Pravda and Saint Gloriana slowly started gaining better positions as the Yak-9 entered the fray with its great performance.

XXXXXXXXXX

Elsewhere, Erich had noticed a few more enemies coming for him. "They're back again..." he noted.

"Found him!" Oliver announced. "I'm gonna destroy you!" He and the other three Typhoons unleashed their armaments at the Bf 109 from head-on. Erich braved through the fire as he evaded, and the Typhoons broke away to avoid ramming the 109. As the Messer continued on, the Typhoons doubled back to chase after it.

XXXXXXXXXX

Down below at the OY line, the Pravda tanks were continually pressing on as the IS-2 absorbed the enemy's shots.

"Don't push yourselves, everyone," Anzu commented in her Jagdpanzer 38(t) while she ate another dried sweet potato and did absolutely nothing.

"President, you should push yourself!" Momo responded as she and Yuzu did all the work.

The IS-2 continued pushing forth to the line with its big 122 mm cannon and very thick armor.

"They're lining up!" Anton announced over the radio. The FAMO was with the VK 45.01 (P) and StuG III. "Pull back a block!"

In response, the Acht-Acht started driving back a block while Herz kept the gun pointed in Pravda's direction. The mere sight of an eighty-eight wasn't enough to dissuade the IS-2 as it continued forth steadily while absorbing all of the enemy's shots.

XXXXXXXXXX

With the large furball above, Nudelmann and Sasha were systematically taking on the enemy force alongside the rest of Pravda as they used their planes' low-altitude capabilities to their advantage.

"Don't push yourselves guys," Aprikose said over the radio as he ate another strip of jerky in his Fw 190D.

Yeager then noticed the enemies gaining the advantage. "They're getting the advantage!" he notified over the radio. "Climb up higher!"

Accordingly, the mixed force began climbing higher after their most recent attacks, but the Yak-9 continued pressuring them in the process.

XXXXXXXXXX

Orders from the Iron Maiden
Get the islands back!

Meanwhile with Erich, he was being chased by the four Typhoons. The British fighters continued firing off very brief bursts to try and land a hit while they chased, but they could not hit the Bf 109.

Failure will not be accepted
Call for artillery strike

"Where are our lead elements?" Oliver questioned. "Sir Arthur's muffin is getting spoilt!"

Launch attack

Soon, the Bf 109 grew enough distance and sharply turned back before Erich unleashed a very brief burst at point-blank range on one of the Typhoons. The British fighter's Napier Sabre engine was finished as the plane started trailing oil, coolant, and the red smoke of defeat. The 109 then sped off into a climb.

We are back!
In control!
Force them to surrender
Take!
What is ours!
Restore law and order!

"Are you for real?" Oliver wondered, stunned. He quickly recovered and got on the radio. "John, break off and get him from below! Edward, chase him with me!"

Back!
In control!
Push them further out to sea
Falklands in our hands!
Back under British reign

One of the Typhoons broke away while the other two followed after the Bf 109. The Messer then turned to dive, and Erich picked out the Typhoon that broke away as it came from below to try and attack. The 109 destroyed the Typhoon with ease and triggered its red smoke while the chasing Typhoons continued to follow.

XXXXXXXXXX

Down at the OY line, the Ooarai-Chi-Ha-Tan tanks were still bitterly holding out as Pravda's IS-2 and two of their T-34-85s led the slow push to their line.

"About time to fall back!" Anton notified over the channel as he continued standing out of his hatch to keep an eye on the situation.

"Understood!" he heard the rest of the Ooarai Panzers acknowledge.

As they all pulled back, Anton noticed the lone Chi-Ha pull out onto the road and head straight for the Russian spearhead. "What is that idiot doing?" he wondered as he watched on. He then saw the Chi-Ha get turned over from the IS-2's extremely powerful 122 mm shell. "Well serves them right. What a dumbass."

As the Ooarai-Chi-Ha-Tan retreat carried on, Nonna hummed in her IS-2 as she calmly aimed her 122 mm D-25T at the FAMO.

XXXXXXXXXX

Back with the furball above, Pravda's fighters were still fighting bitterly against the Ooarai-Chi-Ha-Tan group. The Ooarai-Chi-Ha-Tan group continued attacking the Russians, but Pravda was still slowly turning the tide.

"I think it's about time to get going again!" Yeager said over the radio in his Me 163 while he kept an eye on the enemy fighters.

"Got it!" "Jawohl!" and "Rógiros!" was what he heard in response from the other Ooarai aircrews.

In his A6M, Sakai was listening through his radio, but he didn't catch the message as his radio cut out. He tapped his radio to try and get it working again, but it stayed dead. "Oh, it's broken..." he remarked. He then pulled up alongside the Ki-10 and raised his hands in a gesture that asked what was happening.

Ron pointed away and Sakai pointed the same way, gesturing if that was correct. Ron pointed again more fiercely to confirm, but Sakai saw him point to some Russian fighters that had just finished another pass and started climbing again. He then lit up and gave off a salute. He then turned back to take on the Russians.

"Huh?" Ron asked over the radio. Sakai couldn't hear him, though, because of his broken radio, and he continued on.

"Huh?" Lemu similarly wondered.

"What is he doing?" Aprikose wondered.

"Tennōheika Banzai!" Sakai proclaimed as he headed straight for the Russian fighters.

In the meantime, the Ki-27 pilot was watching his Staffelkapitän with great excitement.

The Yak-9UT headed straight for the A6M, and Nudelmann unleashed a very brief burst at point-blank range that set the A6M ablaze. Sakai quickly jumped out with a parachute.

"It hurts!" Sakai remarked as he pulled his parachute cord and the red smoke emanated from his ass. "Sorry! I am not a capable flyer!"

"Here they come!" Ron called out as he and the N1K2-J booked it to escape.

"Run!" Nevi similarly called out over the radio.

"Sakai-taichō! How dare you...!" the Ki-27 pilot growled as he tried to attack.

Ron, however, shot off a brief burst at him and stopped him. "Wait!" he requested.

"Don't stop me this time! If this continues, it'll just be shameful!"

"It'll be shameful if we get taken out after getting this far!" Ron responded as he and the Ki-27 turned back to the rest of Ooarai's Jagdwaffe. "We'll pay them back properly later!"

As the rest of the Ooarai fighters continued their escape while fending off any enemies, Nudelmann hummed within his Yak-9 as he calmly lined his sights up on the Me 163 that had by now run out of fuel.

XXXXXXXXXX

Elsewhere, the two remaining Typhoons were still chasing the Bf 109, but the Messer was managing to evade all of their attacks.

"You can't run away from Saint Gloriana's top Tiffy ace!" Oliver taunted. He and the other Typhoon then lined up shots of their own to attack.

The two then unleashed their attack, but Erich sharply pulled up and quickly rolled to engage one of them as they both overshot. He fired off a brief burst that struck the Typhoon he picked out. The British fighter began trailing lots of oil and coolant as its red smoke tripped.

Oliver then decided to run with his Typhoon and get away from the Bf 109.

XXXXXXXXXX

Down on the ground, the remaining Crusader tank had just run away from the Panzer IV.

"Yes!" Saori celebrated. "There's just one left!"

"Messer here!" she heard Anton over the radio, and she tuned in the radio in response. "The OY line's finished!"

"We also got destroyed, sorry," Anton continued. Indeed, the Acht-Acht was shredded by the Pravda tanks that now rolled past the defeated heavy halftrack. Alongside was the VK 45.01 (P) that was similarly destroyed.

XXXXXXXXXX

Up above, Erich was contemplating the current situation.

"Just one of those guys left," he noted.

"Komet-Acht here!" he heard Yeager report. "We had to get out of dodge!"

Elsewhere now resting on one of the streets was the Me 163 completely shredded apart and barely holding together. "I was also taken out, sorry about that!"

XXXXXXXXXX

The Ooarai fighters had made their escape, but they were still being pursued. The Fw 190D and D.520 had to hold off the Yak-1s while the Ki-10 and Ki-27 were being hunted by the remaining Spitfire Mk IIa.

With Oliver, he had run into the rest of the Pravda fighters, that being Nudelmann's Yak-9UT and Sasha's and Alexei's La-5FNs.

"Ohoho, it's a turnaround!" Oliver remarked as he pulled around to accompany the Pravda fighters.

"Got you!" Sasha remarked with his typical confident smirk.

The Bf 109 broke left as Erich saw the enemy force approach, and Nudelmann and Sasha took off directly after him.

While Erich was evading the two Russian aces, he saw another stream of red tracer fire head across him from the left. He turned his head to find the other La-5 had committed to an attack. He pulled up to evade.

"Ya ne dam tebe uyti!" Alexei said determinedly in his La-5 as he maneuvered to take on the Bf 109 again. Erich turned to meet him.

The two passed each other again before Erich chose to try and climb away. Alexei followed and fired off a few brief bursts that kept Erich on his toes during the climb. Erich then steeply dived his 109 and Alexei tried to follow. Soon, Alexei widened his eyes in realization, and he tried pulling out of the dive to avoid locking up and to avoid ripping his wings. He managed to pull out, and he breathed a sigh of relief. He then reacquired the Messer that was climbing again, and he rose to try and take it on.

Oliver was also climbing to take the Bf 109 on, and he noticed Alexei starting to stall out ahead due to the energy he wasted trying to pull out of his dive and to chase the Messer. Oliver was beginning to stall out in his Typhoon as well, and he soon noticed how he was heading straight for the La-5.

"Nononononononono!" he panicked as he approached, but he could do nothing but wait for the inevitable.

He soon ended up dramatically colliding with the La-5, and the result was a ripped-off wing for the La-5 along with a lot of damage to the Typhoon. The La-5 was eliminated because of its sustained damage. Alexei bailed out with a parachute, and the La-5 continued heading for the ground. It eventually crashed into a very specific house within the city that currently had a T-34-85 stuck under it, and the Russian fighter blew up from the crash.

"Yes!" one member from the crowd jumped up and cheered excitedly.

"It's your house again?" one next to him remarked.

"Why is it always your house? I'm so jealous!" another on his other side said.

Up in the air, Sasha's La-5 and Nudelmann's Yak-9 continued chasing the Bf 109.

"It's time to end this!" Sasha determined.

As the two Russians continued after Erich and sporadically attacked, Erich evaded their attacks as best he could.

Soon, Nudelmann broke off his chase, and Sasha continued chasing the 109 by himself.

XXXXXXXXXX

Elsewhere in the air, the Ki-10 and Ki-27 were trying to evade the Spitfire Mk IIa as much as possible, but it was becoming difficult to do since they couldn't outrun it.

"Orkan-san, what do we do?!" the Ki-27 pilot desperately asked as they avoided another attack.

"It's too dangerous for us now! Follow me for now!" Ron responded.

XXXXXXXXXX

At yet another spot in the air, the Fw 190D and Me 410 were being chased by the Yak-1s at lower altitude.

"Verdammt, we had such an advantage in numbers!" Aprikose cursed. "And these things aren't any better than what they have down low!"

"Come on, Wolf!" Leonidas said as he fired his MG 131s at the Yaks. "Get them to overshoot!"

"You don't think I'm trying?!" Wolf responded.

As Wolf tried to get the Yaks to overshoot, one of them got into a firing position and aimed at the underside of the Me 410.

"Not from below, gamóto!" Leonidas cried out as he noticed the Yak get to their underside.

The Yak-1 fired off a brief burst that struck the Hornisse and took it out. The Me 410 trailed the red smoke after being defeated.

XXXXXXXXXX

Higher up in the air, Erich was still being chased by Sasha. Sasha tried to get into an attacking position, but Erich did not allow him to.

"Hey, Miholein, help is on the way for you," Erich informed over the radio.

"Verstanden. Danke, Bubi," Miho responded on the other end.

A little later, Erich noticed Nudelmann's Yak-9 coming after him from the side. Erich chose to head straight for him. As Nudelmann closed and prepared to fire, Erich abruptly bunted down his nose and evaded. Nudelmann turned to follow, but upon getting behind him, he was already far behind the Bf 109 and could not use his heavy armament.

XXXXXXXXXX

Elsewhere in the air, the Ki-10 and Ki-27 had arrived over Ooarai's airstrip for the match. The Spitfire Mk IIa was still pursuing them. Down below, the Fw 190D was also seen. It had taken off after rearming and had built enough speed to get away. It was difficult to make out, but there was an extra cylindrical object under the fuselage.

"Go ahead!" Ron granted over the radio. In response, several anti-aircraft guns filled the sky with tracers.

"Damn you blokes!" the Spitfire pilot cursed as he tried avoiding the fire and attacking the enemy fighters at the same time. "So underhanded!"

Down below, Ooarai's Sonderkraftfahrzeug 6/2, M15 CGMC, and Type 94 were all firing along with a number of Japanese So-Ki AA tanks.

The Spitfire Mk IIa was trying to avoid all of the AA guns' fire, which was being made increasingly difficult as the two Japanese fighters continued to stay around the airfield. The Spitfires soon managed to attack the Ki-10, but Ron was expertly avoiding his fire.

"Orkan-san, what now?" Ron heard the Ki-27 pilot ask over the radio.

"Maybe we can try a carry, just stick with me," he responded.

"Understood, Orkan-san!" the Ki-27 pilot replied as he and the Ki-10 made their way out of the area. The Spitfire gave up on trying to chase them for the moment as it instead tried to just get away from the AA fire.

"Yeesh, can you not call me that? That's a little too weird."

XXXXXXXXXX

Down on the ground, the Chi-Nu was being chased by one of the T-34s.

"There's Anteater Team," Aprikose spotted from above. "Let's do it."

He then went into a dive with his Fw 190D, and he eventually released a 500 kg SC 500 bomb down to the ground as he pulled out of the dive. The bomb landed close enough to the T-34 and briefly tossed it upon exploding. The T-34 then caught fire and raised the white flag in response.

"Yeah!" Aprikose whooped as he observed his handiwork before he climbed away again.

XXXXXXXXXX

Higher up in the air, the N1K2-J was being chased by a Yak-1.

"Blitz-Sieben is ready!" Nevi notified over the radio.

"Understood!" Lemu responded from above. "Get ready for the Morals Committee Super Attack!"

The D.520 then dived down. "Now!" Lemu cued, and the N1K2-J sharply pulled up in response. The Yak-1 followed, and the D.520 opened up its guns on the Russian fighter. The shots struck and set the Yak-1 ablaze. The Russian pilot jumped out and pulled his parachute cord, which also triggered the red smoke trail from his ass.

"Nice going, dude!" Nevi congratulated as he turned to continue alongside the D.520.

XXXXXXXXXX

Up even higher in the air, Erich had managed to drag Sasha and Nudelmann to higher altitudes.

"There we go," Erich spoke. "Let's see how they fare now." He then bunted down into a steep dive as he quickly gained speed.

Behind, Sasha and Nudelmann were still heading after him, but they had stopped their chase momentarily as they watched Erich. "Is he stupid?!" Sasha exclaimed. "Erikhyok is being a real pain in the dick again!"

"Do we break off and try again later?" Nudelmann asked over the radio.

"We're going directly for him!" Sasha determined. "If Erikhyok's aircraft can do it, so can mine!"

"Ponyal."

Sasha then started down for Erich as Nudelmann followed behind. But the Bf 109 had put a good amount of distance between them.

XXXXXXXXXX

Lower down, the Spitfire Mk IIa was patrolling the skies after escaping the AA fire. He soon noticed a speck up above and he climbed to investigate.

Some distance behind the British fighter, the Ki-10 was closing with the Spitfire from a bit above.

"Idiot!" the Spitfire pilot called out as he quickly turned around to face the Ki-10. "I won't fall for that again!"

He then looked around and noticed the speck from earlier had turned into a Ki-27. He then panicked as he tried turning to engage the Chi-Ha-Tan fighter, but it was too late. The Ki-27 opened fire and managed to take down the Spitfire. The British fighter then popped the red smoke as it descended with many deposits along its canopy where the bullets had struck and disintegrated.

"Yeah!" the Ki-27 pilot heard Ron celebrate over the radio. "Nice going!"

The Ki-27 pilot was at a loss for words after his victory.

XXXXXXXXXX

As Erich continued to descend, he looked back as best he could. Although rearward vision for him was very bad, he was able to make out that Sasha and Nudelmann were still far behind him.

"Looks like it was worth it," he observed.

"Hey, we got to their marked man!" he heard Aprikose over the radio.

"He's just leisurely snacking on his muffin here," Aprikose continued as he led the D.520, N1K2-J, Ki-10, and Ki-27 after Arthur's Spitfire LF Mk IX. They were getting attacks in, which was able to prevent Arthur from running away so easily.

"Verstanden, I'll be there soon," Erich responded over the radio.

With Sasha, he was also on the radio while he tried to chase after Erich. "Arthur, lead them to our trusty ally!" he ordered.

"Understood," Arthur replied from his Spitfire.

"Can we trust them?" his Scottish ground crew member asked over the radio.

With Erich, he pulled out of his dive after he got down low enough to join the fight against the Spitfire. Sasha and Nudelmann broke off their chase and remained at higher altitudes.

The remaining Ooarai-Chi-Ha-Tan force continued chasing after the Spitfire as they got down to very low altitudes. The Fw 190D and Bf 109 led the way while the others remained further behind ready to attack when needed.

Soon after, the I-16 Type 28 appeared from ahead of the Spitfire as it closed to engage Ooarai.

"Don't worry, just pay attention," Erich told the rest.

The other fighters were all on their toes as they watched the I-16 head for them. The I-16 then got close enough to fire, and the other fighters broke away from its fire. The Ki-10 and Ki-27 chose to attack, however.

"Take this!" Ron taunted as he fired off a burst that struck the engine area.

"Take this!" the Ki-27 pilot also said as he attacked the Ishak. His burst also landed near the engine.

The I-16 responded with a torrent of cannon fire aimed for the two Japanese fighters, but the fire missed.

"Proklyat'ye, davay!" the I-16 pilot cursed as he tried getting another shot at the other Ooarai fighters. The lane then entered a spin as the pilot tried aggressively getting into position, and it took him out of the picture for the current fight. The engine then quit after taking fire from the two Japanese fighters earlier, and the red smoke tripped.

Down below, the Acht-Acht crew was watching the fight after getting knocked out.

"Oh, boy," Herz said after seeing the I-16 bite it.

"The I-16 will spin if it's not handled carefully enough!" Nathan noted.

"Break!" Erich called out over the radio. In the air, the La-5 and Yak-9 were coming down on the Ooarai group in a diving attack. Nudelmann didn't fire because of a lack of a good shot, but Sasha managed to fire a burst and take out the N1K2-J. The Shiden-Kai sputtered after getting hit in the engine, and it had its red smoke tripped.

The other Ooarai fighters maneuvered to evade until Erich got on the radio again. "Just go after their marked man!" he ordered.

As ordered, all of them focused on heading for the Spitfire LF Mk IX with the crossbones marking.

"Come on..." Aprikose said as he closed with the Spitfire. He fired off a brief burst, but it missed as Arthur jinxed to evade.

The low-altitude chase was also being broadcast on the Leopold for the spectators to see. Off to the right were the line-ups for each team, as well. The A6Ms brought by Chi-Ha-Tan were apparently a mix of A6M2s and A6M5s. The Ki-27 was specifically a Ki-27 otsu. The Typhoons were revealed to be the Mk Ib's later production version.

Down below, the freshmen were all cheering for the rest of the Ooarai force left.

"Do your best! Do it for us, too!" Matthias called out.

"Good luck, Aprikose!" Christoph wished.

"Kill them!" Julius inserted.

"Good luck!" Erik wished.

"Get him!" Mesut cheered in support.

In the meantime, Bastian was staring off at a butterfly.

Up above, the Spitfire pulled into a very steep climb, and the rest of Ooarai followed.

Erich, however, came to a realization quickly. "Incoming!" he alerted.

But it was too late for the D.520, as it was quickly taken down. It was hit by a large-caliber shell that ripped through the fuselage and through the engine, which managed to set it ablaze. The French fighter activated its fire suppression system, which put the fire out, but it was too crippled to continue and it trailed the red smoke in defeat.

The other fighters broke away from climbing as they tried instead to retain their speed. Above them were Sasha's La-5 and Nudelmann's Yak-9 that were protecting the Spitfire.

"Looks like this fight is decided!" Sasha cockily remarked over the radio. He rigged it to talk to Erich again. "How about it then? If you apologize, I'll let you go!"

Erich instead chose to climb up after the Spitfire, and Arthur was a bit surprised at that. He widened his eyes a bit and set his muffin down.

Arthur tried firing at the Bf 109, but he missed. Erich then came close to him, but he just noticed out of the corner of his eye the Yak-9 turn to fire at him, and he chose to break off his attack to evade. Arthur then tried to evade, but Erich doubled back and got behind him.

In the meantime, the other three remaining fighters jumped at the opportunity as they climbed to engage.

Sasha was gritting his teeth as he tried to follow the Bf 109. Arthur had grown a more serious face after realizing he had to fend for himself.

Erich had gotten in behind the Spitfire, and Arthur tried to maneuver and get away. Erich, however, was able to stick to him like glue. He ended up frustrating Sasha's and Nudelmann's attempts to shoot him down, as they ran the risk of hitting Arthur.

As the Fw 190D began building speed again, the last Typhoon of Oliver managed to come back into the fight after getting fixed at his airfield. He was approaching from lower altitude as well.

"The real fighter is here, now!" Oliver proclaimed as he held a crumpet in his hand.

In his Fw 190D, Aprikose noticed the last Typhoon. "Oh, no you don't," he said as he maneuvered to attack it. He fired off a short burst and struck it, which took down the Typhoon for good.

"Sasha, can I leave it to you?" Arthur requested over the radio in his Spitfire.

"I guess I have no choice..." Sasha determined in response.

The Spitfire and the Bf 109 were now in a rolling scissors, and on the upward run of one of his passes, Erich opened fire and struck an enemy.

But as the brief cloud of debris dissipated, he noticed he had taken down Sasha's La-5 instead as the Russian fighter popped the red smoke.

"Fick!" Erich exclaimed as he tried to maneuver and get into position again, but Arthur beat him to the punch and opened fire first. The Bf 109 was riddled with holes and taken down as its red smoke trail tripped.

Further behind, Nudelmann was flying in a more defensive manner, evidently serving to prevent reinforcements from intervening.

Up above in the air was a Mitsubishi F-2 equipped with drop tanks and marked with unique emblems. The emblem was circular and had a black circle running the circumference. Within the circle was a black silhouette depicting a generic low-wing monoplane with the wings contacting the edges of the circle. The circle's filler was white.

"The marked man of Ooarai-Chi-Ha-Tan had been shot down!" Captain Muto Honda announced from within the cockpit over the radio. "Therefore, victory goes to Saint Gloriana-Pravda!"

The victory was displayed on the Leopold, and the crowd had mixed reactions to it.

With the Finns, they had their own reactions.

"Oh, they lost..." the brunette Finnish boy lamented.

"Seems so," Ilmari replied.

"We should have joined the fight." The other Finn then turned to Ilmari. "Why didn't we?"

"So what if we joined?" Ilmari vaguely replied.

"But isn't it all about participating?"

"There will be important moments in life." Ilmari then turned to the other Finnish boy. "But this is not one of them," he finished with a smile.

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Part of Projekt Jägermeistern.

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The author doesn't claim to own "Girls und Panzer," the music used, or any other references made. "Girls und Panzer" belongs to Actas. The music belongs to Sabaton. Any references made belong to their respective owners.

Feel free to ask any questions if you have them. Please note, however, that questions asked without being signed in will not be answered. The author would prefer to address questions outside of the story, and leaving questions while signed in provides that ability.