Feast of Champions

This chapter is a tie-in with chapter 1 that explains what was going on just before and after Red's arrival.

Also a little easter egg for all of you: Red's full name "Redab Salguod", is actually an anagram for a famous WW 2 flying ace. Can you guess which one?

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"Everyone, well done winning the national tournament!"

The Student Council President had just walked into the garage where the entire Oarai Panzerfahren team was trying to get their tanks back in working order for the celebration parade back in Oarai proper, and her sudden, spontaneous outburst caught everyone off guard; thus it was several heartbeats before everyone responded and cheered.

"Now it's time we celebrated our victory with a grand party!"

That brought some confusion to the girls.

"President, didn't you say we were having the celebration after the parade?"

The bespectacled freshman, Aya, was always one of the first to ask questions, and when it came to the President, who was as predictable as the weather, there were always a lot of questions.

Anzu's seemingly permanent smile impossibly grew broader when she responded.

"That's the celebration for winning the tournament, this will be about defeating Kuromorimine; both are great accomplishments so they both deserve to be celebrated independently!"

The Oarai girls all shared the same expression of uneasy compliance. The expression that said Anzu's suggestion was in some way outlandish, or absurd, but resistance was futile so they had no choice to go along with it.

"So then", she continued. "Does anyone have any ideas for a party?"

Suddenly everyone's exasperated expressions evaporated, replaced with youthful excitement.

"Volleyball tournament", Duck Team shouted.

"Another party is unnecessary! Things will get too rowdy" Sodoko objected!

"Tank drifting competition", Leopon cheered!

"All girl frag fest", Anteater suggested quietly.

"A slumber party would be nice", Saori said to the rest of her group. "Group gossip is important for girls our age."

"That sounds nice", Hana said. "I've never been to a slumber party before."

"Me neither", Miho admitted, "Though I've always wanted to."

"Then that's definitely what we should do", Yukari said excitedly.

"I vote for slumber party", Mako said sleepily.

Of course Mako's response was no surprise. Although her circulation and demeanor had improved noticeably since starting Panzerfahren, she was still rather lethargic; even now she was having a hard time staying awake. The other teams however were still outputting their own ideas.

Oryou crossed her arms and closed her eyes thoughtfully. "I believe a fireworks display would be suitable."

Caesar grasped her chin. "The Romans would often hold orgies when they wanted to party." Her cheeks turned a soft pink as she smiled. "Lots of wine drinking, lots off….

"Rejected", Sodoko yelled! "That's far too lewd, against the Rules!" Sodoko's face had become a dark red colour and she was starting to pant from the strain of her yelling."

Caesar smiled at her, though there was a hint of mischief in her expression.

"I wasn't making a suggestion, I was just thinking out loud. I don't know why you're so flustered."

Sodoko gawked, suddenly being put on the spot for her assumptions.

"Sodoko's a pervert", Mako announced in her usual deadpan voice.

Impossibly Sodoko's face got even redder.

"That's not it" she squealed, (something unusual for her), "those thoughts are inappropriate and should never even be thought much less said out loud! This is still a school activity!"

"Then how about a beer drinking party", Erwin suggested with a smirk.

Sodoko whirled around instantly. "Nein!"

"How about a pizza party!"

The room went silent and they all looked at Ayumi from Rabbit Team who stood with her hand raised.

"Mmmmhmmmm, I like that idea", Anzu said. "Let's do that!"

The other teams, while mildly disappointed their suggestions didn't get picked, had no objections; however there was one main problem, one that Yukari was quick to point out.

"But President, there are no pizza delivery places on the ship."

Rabbit team began emitting sounds of distress at this distressing revelation.

"Ehhhhhh?"

"No way!"

"Relax, relax",Anzu said in her usual laid back tone. "Just leave everything to your trusty Student Council."

The other girls all shared worried looks. The "trusty Student Council", had a tendency to make troublesome situations that could normally be avoided, if for no other reason than Anzu's amusement, or Momo's desire to throw their weight around. Poor Yuzu was always just along for the ride.

Anzu clapped her hands together. "Now everyone, please clean up and get some picnic blankets. Also figure out what Pizza you would like to order, and tell Yuzu when you're done."

Yuzu gawked at her. "But Momo's the one with the clipboard."

"Don't worry about it, you'll do fine Yuzu", Anzu said. With that she and Momo left, leaving the beleaguered Vice President behind.

The girls excitedly began cleaning up the mess from the repairing of their tanks. Most of the cosmetic damage had been repaired but there was still plenty of mechanical work to do.

"A pizza party sounds fun", Hana said. "I've never had pizza before."

"I haven't either", Miho admitted.

"Ehhhh, seriously" Saori said in schock! "Going out for pizza is one of the 'must do' activities for girls in their school years. Going out for Pizza with your friends is a one of a kind experience, and it helps you associate with American boys if you ever meet one."

"Everything leads to boys with you", Mako said with a hint of annoyance.

"At least I have goals", Saori huffed.

"Now, now, let's just try and have fun with this", Miho said.

Yukari, wanting to lighten the mood, decided to jump in.

"I have a tarp at home we can use as a blanket."

Saori objected. "Wouldn't an actual blanket be more comfortable?"

"Well, this floor is pretty dirty, and even if we clean it, it's still the floor of a tank garage", Yukari explained.

Saori grimaced. "Yeah, I guess I wouldn't want to do that to a blanket."

"We should probably tell the vice president what pizzas we want", Miho said.

Yuzu was already busy trying to write down all the orders with a dull pencil and a tiny writing pad.

"I feel sorry for her", Yukari said.

"It's alright", Saori told her. "Reliable, hard-working girls rarely have trouble finding a husband, and she's got good looks on top of that so she'll be fine."

"So then it's Karma", Hana asked?

"Maybe we should decide what pizzas we want before we get sidetracked", Yukari said.

"I don't know anything about pizza, so I would very much appreciate it if you ordered for me Yukari", Hana said.

"Eh?"

"I also don't know anything", Miho admitted, implying she also wanted Yukari to order for her.

"Even Lady Nishizumi", Yukari squeaked? "But I could order the wrong thing, and you wouldn't like it."

"I'll just have whatever you're having Yukari", Miho replied, assuring her friend, but this only made Yukari even more nervous.

Miho trusted her so much that she would let her order food for her, but what if she ordered something she was allergic too, or she really didn't like. Yukari liked her pizza with a lot of meat but she had never seen Miho eat much meat.

"You know what I want Saori", Mako said.

Saori sighed. "Come on Yukarin, let's go."

Snapped out of her thoughts, Yukari anxiously stood up and walked with Saori over to Yuzu, who was still crowded by the other teams.

"So I guess Mako and I will share a pizza, and you and Miporin will share one, so that means we'll order three large pizzas."

Yukari smiled nervously. "Yeah, I don't think Miss Hana would be satisfied with anything less."

Saori sighed. "Her metabolism makes me so envious."

When Yuzu left, everyone started cleaning up while each team sent someone to retrieve a blanket or something for everyone to sit on.

Rabbit team had a classic red and white checkered picnic cloth, Leopon team simply laid down some cardboard, Hippo team brought some tatami mats, Duck tuck team brought towels, the Sodoko clones simply brought a mat for each of them and set up a cardboard box as a table. Finally, Yukari brought her forest camouflage tarp.

As Yukari lay it out on the floor, Saori still looked unsatisfied.

"Don't you have a softer one?"

"Tarps aren't really meant to be soft", Yukari said.

Saori pouted but Miho had a brainwave.

"What about the pillows we bought to put inside our tank back when we started? We should still have those in here somewhere."

Saori's frown turned upside down instantly. "Great idea Miporin!" Suddenly ecstatic, Saori ran off towards the pile of boxes stacked in the corner of the room.

"It's great to see Saori happy", Hana said.

"She complains too much", Mako grumbled as she lay on the tarp.

The other girls thought that was, 'the pot calling the kettle black', rather a bit, but regardless, Saori found the box of pillows in no time at all and was soon as happy as anyone else.

The student council soon returned and announced their pizzas were on the way, then quickly set up a table, with tablecloth, candles, and even chairs.

"As expected of the Student Council" Saori said with a sigh.

Hana put her hands together. "Isn't it wonderful to see how everyone is different?" The other Anglerfish girls didn't look so sure.

"I wonder how they're bringing in the pizza", Yukari said, changing the subject. "If we can't get it on the ship then the only means would be delivery by sea, or by air."

"How would they bring it by air" Saori asked?

"There's an airstrip just portside of us here", she answered.

"That's right. That's how I got here originally", Miho added. "I went from the small airstrip near Oarai town straight here."

"I've never been flying before", Hana said.

"The only time I went flying is when I went with Mako to see her grandmother", Saori said.

"I've never flown either", Yukari admitted. "Dad's afraid of flying."

The sound of deliberate knocking on the garages large doors resounded through the large, open building like geriatric thunder.

"Is that the Pizza", Yuuki asked excitedly? Apparently she never had pizza either.

"Everyone calm down", Yuzu said as she stood up. "I'll go check, please remain calm."

Some of the girls raised eyebrows at Yuzu's unusually cautious behaviour, but Momo's piercing gaze told them that she had something to do with it. Was whoever delivering the pizzas dangerous?

Yuzu finally reached the small door built into the large garage door and opened it. The girls could hear someone call, "pizza delivery" from outside and were relieved when Yuzu held the door open without a hint of concern.

The person who was delivering the pizza however was a bit of a surprise for some of them.

"It's a guy", Saori whispered happily. Her hands were clasped together, her face was lit up and her eyes were practically sparkling.

Not much of his physical features could be made out because his delivery uniform - a cap and jacket of white and red with a slice of pizza with wings and a halo on both-covered him well. His hair appeared to be a short dark brown, and his eyes were a dark green.

He eyed the line of tanks briefly before Momo walked up to him and asked.

"Are you from Angels Pizza?"

The Oarai girls gave her strange and exasperated looks. He was wearing the regalia of the Pizza place and he had the pizza in insulated bags in the cart he brought in with him. It was baffling how Momo's mind seemed to work sometimes.

The delivery boy looked equally exasperated but said nothing. He simply pulled a slip of paper out of his breast pocket and handed it to her.

"Your bill."

Momo rather rudely snatched it from him and then walked over to Anzu.

The delivery boy meanwhile started looking around the room, moving his gaze over the crowd of girls gathered.

Almost in a panic Saori took out her compact and checked herself over.

"Do you really expect to get lucky", Mako asked her?

"I need to always be prepared", she insisted.

"Doesn't look like you're the one he's interested in."

Indeed when the girls looked to see what Mako was referring to, his eyes appeared locked on the History club members.

"He has odd taste", Mako observed.

"Hey you!"

Momo walked back up to him, snapping the boy from whatever he was thinking. Momo handed him a sizable wad of cash.

"I guess the pizza was expensive", Miho said with a concerned look.

As the delivery boy started counting he asked Momo what the occasion was.

"You're here to deliver the pizza. Just do your job and get out!"

The girls bristled at Momo's abrupt remark. Why was she acting so rude? She was normally such a professional.

"Everyone line up to get your order", Momo commanded.

Obediently all the girls stood and started to line up in front of the cart that contained the pizzas.

"Hey Colonel Klink; you're 200 Yen short."

Everyone froze, and watched as Momo whirled around.

"Impossible! You miscounted."

"I counted it twice" the boy argued. "You're short!"

"Senpai!"

Everyone turned to look at Karina who was crouched down between the cart and the Student Council's table. She held up a small handful of money.

"This was on the ground."

Ignoring, or bypassing Momo, the boy walked over to the small girl and took the money from her.

"What do ya know, it's 200 Yen."

Momo regained her composure and put her hands on her hips.

"There, you have your money, now do your job and get out."

The boy grunted, but nonetheless went about his task of distributing the pizza to the girls standing in line.

The Anglerfish girls returned to the tarp with their pizzas and sat down.

"Looks like the PR Manager put him in a bad mood", Saori said.

"Being treated like that when you're just trying to be friendly and do your job, would put most people in a bad mood", Mako said as she helped herself to the first slice of pizza.

"But that might be a good thing", Saori said with a hint of excitement. "It makes him more vulnerable to a girl's charms."

Worry wormed its way into the other girls as they slowly realized what Saori was about to try and do.

Miho tried to politely get her to change her mind. "Saori, maybe you shouldn't."

"Don't worry", she said getting up. "I found an excellent technique in a magazine just a short while ago."

The girls watched with trepidation as Saori left them and went to the delivery boy, who by now had completed his delivery and was getting ready to leave.

"Can I help you", the boy asked in a professional tone. He sounded like a waiter.

"Ah um, I was just going to ask if you wanted to stay."

Mako face palmed. "It's like she leaves her brain cells in the magazines she reads."

"Also, I don't think he would want to stay with the PR Manager around", Yukari added.

Mako was content to simply listen while she ate her pizza, having already predicted its inevitable outcome. The other girls in the Anglerfish team continued to watch with increasing concern.

"Sorry Ma'am, it's against company policy to party, or mingle with customers while on duty."

The girls sighed in relief, hoping that Saori would give up and leave it at that; Mako however knew Saori better.

Saori went even further by grabbing his arm, an action that put all the girls on alert. Was she mad?

"Aw come on, it's boring here with just girls, and I bet you could tell us about all kinds of things. You're a pilot right? That must be a well-paying job."

Mako groaned and face palmed again. Such expression from the normally stoic girl spoke volumes about Saori's error.

The boy tore away from her and backed away cautiously, as though Saori was a dangerous animal. Well in some ways she was. Now the entire room was fixated on the exchange between the two.

"Hey, don't be like that", Saori said with a child-like whine. "I just want to get to know you better."

The boy reached for a small object attached to his belt and swiftly brought it forward. The object emitted a bright spark from its tip making Saori the one to jump back this time.

"A stun baton", Yukari whispered.

The rest of the room was deathly silent, and Saori stood perfectly still as the hunter after a deer suddenly realized it was actually a bear.

The boy looked around, apparently concerned about other threats. He must not have seen any because he grabbed the cart and pulled it outside, closing the door behind him.

Saori, feeling dejected returned to the rest of her team.

"You really are hopeless", Mako said to her.

"It worked for everyone else who tried it", Saori defended. "I can't understand why it didn't work for me."

"What exactly were you trying to do", Yukari asked?

"The magazine said that the best way to hook a boy is to inflate his ego, and one of the best ways to do that is to complement their job and make them feel impressive."

"The way you did it made you sound like a gaijin hunter", Mako commented. "Didn't he look like a foreigner to you?"

Saori looked at her appalled. "Come on Mako that is such an old term. In this age when there are so many mixed families, especially on this ship, there's no such thing anymore."

"Have you forgotten about the state of the economy right now", Mako countered? "Other countries may have been hit hard by the economy too, but they have a greater illusion of money. Just a little tip for you."

"Oh, no", Yukari exclaimed! "We never gave him a tip!" Yukari quickly gobbled up the slice she had in her hand, then got up and ran out the door."

Saori groaned. "Why didn't I think of that?"

"Because you're too eager", Mako answered.

Saori crossed her arms and turned her head away indignantly. "It's not my fault. Men are too complicated."

"Everyone listen up!"

Everyone looked up at Momo as she addressed them.

"This was really expensive, so any team that doesn't finish all of their pizza will be forced to do 200 push-ups!"

The girls all moaned in protest.

"Whatever happened to bringing leftovers home", Saori protested?

"I'm sure it won't be a problem", Hana said.

"It will be if Yukarin doesn't get back soon. What's taking her so long anyway? Didn't she just go out to give him a tip?"

"Jealous because someone might be getting somewhere with a boy and it's not you", Mako teased?

Saori whined in annoyance.

"My, Mako is chatty today isn't she", Hana said with a giggle.

"Y-yeah", Miho agreed nervously. It was certainly apparent that Mako and Saori were close friends. Only close friends could bicker like that.

"Mhhmmmm, pizza is sooooo gooood", Hana moaned.

"Y-yeah", Miho said with even more nervousness. Now Hana was the one acting a bit out of character; though it wasn't too dissimilar to how she reacted to their tanks gun firing for the first time.

Miho's own pizza had been ordered by Yukari. It had a great deal of different meats in it and the cheese was thicker than on anything she had ever eaten, but based on everyone else's pizzas, that appeared to be the norm.

Although she wasn't the biggest fan of meat and she still found the food delectable, she could understand why one shouldn't eat too much of it.

The girls passed the time with idle chatter, talking about how they hoped the victory would change things for the better, besides saving their school of course. Miho hoped that the people of Oarai wouldn't mind a parade of tanks going through town.

More time passed and Miho started to worry about Yukari, she had after all been gone for a long time. Feeling full she closed the box of pizza and decided to try and save the rest for her, hoping that wouldn't cause them to do 200 pushups.

"Awwww, I'm stuffed", Saori groaned, holding her stomach.

"Me too", Mako added. "But we weren't able to eat it all."

It was true, there were three whole slices remaining, and the two girls looked ready to burst. Even Mako was unable to hide just how full she was.

"I'll finish it if you don't want to", Hana offered.

Miho looked over and gawked when she saw that Hana had already finished her entire pizza by herself. Though she always knew Hana was a big eater she had no idea she could eat so quickly. She must have really liked the pizza.

Saori and Mako didn't seem to pay it any mind as they simply slid their box over to her.

"Thank you very much."

Almost immediately afterwards, Yuuki from Rabbit team walked up to Hana, holding more pizza.

"Senpai, would you like to share the remaining pizza with me? Everyone else is full and we don't want to do pushups."

Hana smiled at the younger girl. "Of course, please join me."

Thrilled that she had been accepted, Yuuki sat down next to Hana and started eating out of the boxes she brought.

Saori shuffled next to Miho and whispered to her.

"Yuuki also grew up in a traditional home, like Hana, so I imagine this is also her first time having pizza, and since they're both considered Yamato Nadeshiko, she probably looks up to Hana."

Miho looked back at the two girls munching on the remaining slices of pizza.

Yuuki let out a small burp and turned beat red with embarrassment.

Hana laughed and put a reassuring hand on her head.

"They look like sisters", Miho whispered back.

"Don't they though."

Miho ended up looking back down at the half-full box of pizza in her hands, and her mind drifted back to wondering what happened to Yukari.

"I wonder if we should go looking for her", Miho wondered.

Saori could see the concern etched into Miho's face. She had learned early on that Miho was sensitive when it came to her friends. There was only one thing to do.

"Yeah, we definitely should. Oh, and we'd be able to hide the pizza at the same time", Saori whispered. She stood up and addressed the Student Council across the room.

"We're going to go look for Yukarin. Don't mind us."

She hauled Miho and Mako up and pulled them towards the door.

"Hey why are you bringing a pizza" Momo yelled at them?

"Because Yukarin hasn't eaten hers yet", Saori said. And then she shut the door.

"I'm not sure we got away with that", Mako said as they tried to put distance between themselves and Momo.

"It'll be fine if Yukarin can eat all the slices left", Saori answered.

"But even if we find her, will we be able to help her" Miho asked?

"I know right? That boy was kinda scary."

"He's a boy", Mako said. "So you'll scare him away like you always do."

"Shut up!"