Girls und Fury
Chapter 4: The Nobles and the Ruffians
Ooarai Girls school,Hangars row…
"Miss Saori, What is the meaning of this?" said Akiyama as she pointed at a floral seat cushion being placed inside the cockpit where the driver would sits.
Saori fidgeting as she replied "Oh that, It's kinda hurting my butt when the tank moves so I think…"
Akiyama frowned "How can you do this? I mean, it's ruining the soul of vehicle itself"
Saori shrugs "Oh c'mon, as long as its fun"
Akiyama screamed in frustration "It's not the same! Sitting next to each other in a tight space, on a rusty seat…inside of a moving steel plated hunk a metal with a cannon that can level a small villa and flatten a Hummer on impact… gaining strenght that leads to victory… THAT! Miss Saori, is a vital part of Sensha-Do"
The girl then turns to Hana who was sweating awkwardly and said "And miss Isuzu, you can't just go and put a-a-a-a flower vase inside to 'ease our minds'… I mean… if this keeps up, we'll ended up like THAT"
As she said so, Akiyama points at the StuG III, with a whole new look, being painted light red, with Japanese's traditional flags and floral décor vinyls on the hull. In addition, there was a Roman SPQR emblem and the phrase Veni-Vidi-Vici being painted on the front hull.
Akiyama then went over to the StuG, collapse to her knees and shouted "Oh WHY? Why-hy-hy-hy-hy? Such a WWII beauty! Disgraced by the poor taste of common folks! Oh what did the StuG ever do to themmmm?"
Saori was rubbing her chin as she said "You know, I won't mind if we repaint our tank…"
Akiyama then snaps at Saori "NO miss Saori, I forbid it!"
The girls was then startled when they saw Miho chuckling as she saw the StuG before she said "Holy Howitzer! I didn't know you can actually do THAT to a tank"
Miho then said "It's… actually looks…fun"
Akiyama suddenly calmed down as she said "Oh… well…uh… if you say so miss Miho…"
Akiyama then said "Still… This Sunday…"
Flashback…
It was just after the first training match, Momo,Anzu and Yuzu was standing in front of the girls and Don's crewmembers with Momo speaking loudly through the bullhorn "Attention everyone,Firstly, I would like to say that you've all done well in today's drill and I, as well as the council president are hoping to see more progress in the coming time… Secondly, It may comes as a sudden surprise… But we're going to have another traning match this Sunday… That's not all, our partner… will be the St. Glorianna Girls Academy… We'll be confirming the formation of the match…and any commander of the named teams shall report to the council office once being called… dismiss!"
Akiyama can be seen exclaiming "AW SHIT" as she heard the name of the school they'll be up agaisnt.
Grady on the other hand was gluing his eyes on Momo as he said "Ohh I can use a bed made from her voice…"
Back to the present…
The girls on Miho's crew aswell as the guys from Don's crew,except for Bible was sitting in their classroom. With Miho murmuring "The St. Glorianna…"
Saori tilted her head as she asked "What's so special about them?"
Akiyama then said "What's so SPECIAL? They're the runner up of the National Tournament… one of the Powerhouse of Japan's Sensha-do...and now we're going up agaisnt THEM"
Rezei still haven't spoke a word as she just sat there,napping peacefully with her head wobbling around.
Akiyama then shot up and said "BUT, We don't have to worry much… firstly, our team is a nobody… so they'll most likely lower the guard completely…plus we have the Grand master Miho Nishizumi herself…"
Don suddenly budged in "I don't think we should ever expect such things from any opponent, miss"
Miho then added in "Mister Collier is right Yukarin… not even our opponent would likely to underestimate us whether we're a nobody or not… we should be on our best shape by Sunday…"
As Miho said so, Bible bust in, gasping for air as he said "You guys are NOT gonna like this…"
As everyone look at the young man, Bible then sat down and said "… I was using the bathroom…when suddenly I accidentally heard Anzu talking to Momo about the punishment they got planned for the losing team…"
Everyone lean their head toward him as Bible continue "… The loser will have to do the Sea devil dance… Now of course… I don't know what that was so I look it up… by… borrowing… her computer as she went out…without her knowledge…and the dance routine…it's… kinddddd of erotic…"
Grady then asked as he picking his ear "How erotic are we talking here?"
Bible bluntly reply "Hula dance…erotic"
Grady then shot up and shouted "WE CAN'T LOSE TO THEM, I'LL ONLY WEAR A COCONUT BRA FOR ONE PERSON! ONE!"
Don smirked "That's nice to hear Coon but eh… I don't think miss Momo would want to see you in a grass skirt… let alone a fuzzy coconut bra…"
The girls was all blushing as they picturing themselves doing the dance, with Miho saying "I can't even handle the blurry images…"
As she said so, Saori then wraps her arms around Miho and Akiyama's shoulders and said "Oh c'mon girls, it's not that bad… we're a team, if we're gonna be doing that dance…embarrassing ourselves in front of a large crowd… we'll embarrass ourselves TOGETHER!"
Yukarin then awkwardly cheered "Uhh Yayyyy…."
…
Sunday, Japan's mainland dock…
Miho and the girls was strolling among the dock's containers lot with Saori said "Hey, after the match…and possibly the dance… can we go shopping? I mean, we haven't been to shore for quite a while"
Miho smiles "We..well, sure.. it is quite a while since I've been here too…"
Hana then asked "Say… anyone seen mister Collier's crews? I haven't seen them since we got off the battleship.."
Yukarin quickly answers "Oh they drove off into town in the Sherman… Don says he and the guys want to explore the place a bit and to…spend some cash"
As the girl said so, they saw a group of tanks heading towards them, 3 tanks to be precise, and they're not Ooarai's tanks.
Yukarin screamed "EEEKKK here they come! The main Tanks of the St. Glorianna… Infantry Tank Matilda Mk II, aka the Queen of the desert"
Saori sighs as she look at Yukarin "Least she's stop worrying about the dance…"
Miho then look at all the other students, they're all cheering excitingly as the three Matildas pulled up just in front of the crowd.
The hatch of the Matilda in the middle pops open, and a young girl with blonde, neatly braided and tied up hairstyle. She wore a red military uniform jacket with black collar and and a matching black skirt and boots.
As the girl jumps off the tank, the crowd cheered louder. Miho can hear some of the girls shouted "Miss Darjeelin!"
A girl with long hair, wearing a maid outfit got out of the tank aswell as she handed the blonde girl a elegant looking glass of tea.
Then, the other two Matildas hatches pop opens, and two more girls with matching uniforms, one with the similar hairstyle as the blonde one, save for the dark hazel color, and the other one with a long slick-n-tied back hairstyle emerges from them.
The moment the two girls got off their vehicles, two other maids quickly handed them two glass of tea.
The crowd went wild as one of them can be heard screaming "Miss Assam and Miss Orange Pekoe! The Noble Sisters are all here! Eeeekkk! Omgomgomg!"
Saori seems to be weirded out as she said "What the heck… is up with these people?"
As she said so, the crowd suddenly went silent as they heard the loud engine of the M4A3E8 Sherman approaching from afar.
The tank speed pass the three Matildas and made a 90 degree drift stop, right next to Miho and the girls.
Everyone's eyes was on the Sherman as its hatches pops open, then Don and the guys emerges from it.
The Sherman's Commander then look at Miho and smiled "Sorry we're late… me and the guys ran into a very… exotic antique store on our way back…actually thanks to Gordo here, who took the wrong turn that we discovered it..lying humbly in an alley…Did you know they sells authentic WWII firearms that was slightly modified to fires rubber balls and paintballs? To be honest they got everything… tank parts, uniforms, accessories, helmets, gloves, miniature models… Everything"
Don and the guys then notices the girls from the St. Glorianna, with Don saying "Who're the fancy skirts?"
The entire crowd seems shocked as they all glares at Don and his crew.
Momo then quickly bow to Darjeeling and said "We would like to thank you all for participating in this training match with us"
Darjeeling then replied "Don't mention it"
She then look at the Ooarai's roaster of tanks, then the Sherman before she smirked "And I have to say… those are a very… unique set of tanks you girls have…especially that Sherman"
Momo's eyes widened as she realized that Darjeeling have just insulted her school's set of vehicles.
Darjeeling then said "But make no mistake, a lion will always use all of its might to catch its prey, even if its just a slow,puny rabbit"
Anzu's eyes was burning with rage as she heard those words, however before the Ooarai student council president about to retort. Don suddenly spoke loudly "But this rabbit have outsmarted lions,hawks and hunters who have tells it that very line before…" with a smirk and a challenging look on his face pointed at Darjeeling's arrogant smug.
The leader of the St. Glorianna then smiled "Remember, mister… foreigner, we won't allow any coarse combat… we expect you to treat your opponent with chivarous respec…"
Before she can finish her sentence, Don cuts her off "Chivarous respect? Hah, that's the biggest load of bullshit I've ever heard! An insult is an insult, whether you put a truckload of whipped cream and a sweet,juicy strawberry on top… it's still an insult… YOU fancy skirts disrespect OUR school first… we don't see why any of us should respect you…"
The whole crowd were silent as Don said so.
Darjeeling's smile disappeared when she heard his comment, her eyes glues on his eyes for a whole minute before she turns around and said "See you on the battlefield mister foreigner"
Don then shouted after her "WARDADDY! They call me Wardaddy!"
There was no answers from the noble sisters as they enter their tanks and drove away.
While Akiyama was sweating like cats and dogs since their nobody status have been provoked, Anzu approaches Don with a coy smile on her face as she said "Nice little speech mister Collier…I mean it…"
Momo then turns to the girls of the Ooarai school's Tank teams and said "Alright you maggot! I want each and everyone of you to do your best in this battle… miss Nishizumi,mister Collier we counting on you… let's prepare ourselves and shows that smug lion that we ARE NOT it's average prey! Dismiss"
…
Training match battlefield…
This one is very similar to the deserts of Africa, with cliffs, dunes and small canyons, with addition of some building ruins and most of all, vast open space.
Team Ooarai was rolling their tanks across the desert with Momo from the student council team asked Miho through her radio "Ok Miho… what's the plan?"
Miho then said "Everyone stop your vehicles"
Once all the tanks pulled over, including the Sherman, Miho and Akiyama got out of their Pzkpfw and head over to a nearby dune, both lie down on their stomachs,with Miho took out her binoculars and look through it and began scouting the terrains ahead.
It wasn't long before she spotted the St. Glorianna's team approaching from 3 km away. The team consist of 4 Matildas and 1 powerful but slow Churchill heavy tank.
Miho then said "This is gonna be a tough one… the noble sisters must be driving that Churchill… not only that, the matilda formation is going to be hard to disperse… their front armor are too thick to penetrate with one shot…"
As Miho look away from her Binocular, she saw Don, lying next to her, silently looking through his binocular aswell. The guy didn't say anything before he look away from his gadget and said to Miho "You just tell them your plan… we have a backup plan…"
Miho quickly protest "No mister Collier that's…"
Don quickly cuts her off "…Risky, I know, THAT churchill is not to be taken out in the open…even with a skilled driver, those Matildas won't just simply let us blast them… You're thinking of drawing them into that low center then surround and starts firing correct?"
Miho nodded, prompting Don to continues "…That's what worries me… to be honest miss… the others…lack what it takes to execute that plan… and my crew have been blasting enough Matildas, Churchills, Lees, Grants and being blasted enough by Tigers, Panthers and Jadgpanthers with that formation back in the States to suspect that those broads have some trick up their tea stained sleeves…"
Miho didn't know how to answers to that, Don then continue "…Listen… even us can't guarantee victory with this odd, we've been decimated before… but we can get us a higher odd at turning the tide IF something went wrong with your plan… Please Miho… trust us…trust ME…"
Miho bit her lips for a moment before she reluctantly nodded her head and asked "What do I have to do?"
Don then said "Just follow your plan… BUT, keep the enemies thinking that our Sherman are also in the ambush squad, keep out of sights as much as you can… if they noticed that we're not in your formation, we're a 100 percent screwed"
Miho then said "Ok…good luck"
Don then said "You,the others and us all are gonna need it" before he stood up and get back to his tank.
Miho can't help but looking at the young man as he climbs into the Sherman and drove away.
Miho and Akiyama then quickly returns to their vehicle and spoke to the others through the radio "Ok everyone, Mister Collier and his crew have a backup plan to prepare for… this is what we're going to do… Spread out and form a circle, the Matildas and Churchill's front armor is too thick for us to penetrate, but the sides and rears are vunerable, aims for the tracks,sides and rears… wait til' they got into the middle of the dunes circle then fire…"
As the Ooarai tanks gets into position, Miho receive a radio transmission from Don "Listen Miho… we're almost in position, we'll know when your plan fails and execute the backup one… you'll know when we do so… Then, you guys need to get into the urban area up ahead as fast as you can…"
Miho nodded as she replied "I understand, Wardaddy…we're counting on you"
There was a short pause before Don's voice can be heard through the radio "No…we're counting on you…be careful"
The view then show the inside of Don's Sherman with the commander himself put away his radio, Garcia, who was driving the tank asked "Tank sniping?"
Don smirked in reply "Yea, tank sniping" as he pat Norman on his shoulder, who didn't even replies as he look through the sight of the cannon with his dark and focused eyes.
Garcia then look at a path that leads to a fairly high cliff overlooking the battle and the approaching Matildas and Churchill down below and said "Okkk… that one looks good" as he floor the gas and speed toward the path, climbs it and pull over just near the edge of the cliff.
Don then took a long exhale and said "Now… we wait…"
Back to the Pkzpfw down on the ground, Yukarin was pouting as she look at Hana, who was aiming through the sight. Miho spoke to the others through the radio "Ok guys… steady… steady…"
Then once the 5 tanks from St Glorianna enters the blast zone, Miho shouted "GO LOUD!"
Right then, the StuG, the Type 89, the M3 Lee, the 38(T) and Miho's Pkzpfw showered their targets with shells.
At that moment, Don, who was watching from above said "Dammit… not good" before he got back inside.
The view then show the battle on the ground, most of the shells missed or just hit the thick armor layer on the Matildas, the othe shells just harmlessly bounces off of the thick front armor of the Churchill.
In the meantime, the Matildas and the Churchill quickly form a flower formation, pointing their thick frontal armor toward enemy's fire and quickly fires back.
When the barrage of shell from the 'fishes' they've trapped began to rain down upon Miho's tank and her teammates, the young girl was struck by a realization as she though to herself "Oh no…"
Then as she heard the other girls shouting panickingly through their radio she continues "… Wardaddy was right… this is too much for us… we might have them in our trap but… this is not a salmon… it's a great white shark…"
As Miho was alone with her though, Akiyama was shaking Miho by her shoulders as she shouted "Miss Nishizumi! Miss Nishizumi!"
Miho then got out of her own head and look at Yukarin as the girl asked "Miss Nishizumi! What now?"
Just then, Miho heard the girls from the Type 89 said "Aw shit! We're out!"
Then, just seconds later, the girls from the Lee also said "Comander! We're out aswell"
Miho've just lost two tanks, things aren't looking good for her crew nor her teams.
The girl then shouted to the radio "REGROUP, drive in zigzag route to avoid the shells!"
The girls quickly does so as they all steps on the gas and head back to where Miho's tank was while manuveuring through the field of exploding shells.
The view then show the sight of the Sherman as it aims at the flower formation down below.
Machine didn't say a word as he carefully adjust the center dot, Don was observing through the binocular as he said "Gordo, the moment Machine fires the first shell… whether it's a hit or not… floor the gas and head toward the urban area…"
Machine then spoke, but not with his usual soft and shy voice, his voice was low and dark as its comes off of his tongue "Don't ever question my aiming Don" before he steps on the trigger.
The cockpit shook as the shell flew out of the barrel. Gordo then steps on the gas aswell.
The shell flew across the burning desert and land right on the back of a Matilda, disabling it instantly.
The moment the white flags pop out of the first downed Matilda II, the 4 remaining tanks suddenly stops firing, as if they've never expected this would happen.
As the Sherman speed down the path they come up from, Machine aims at the 4 remaining tanks as they're still confused while Grady loads another shell.
Miho of course have witnessed the shot made by Machine why she have her head out of the hatch for a brief moment before she got back in and said to herself "That shot… I still can't believe it's that shy, cute as a button Norman guy made that shot…"
The girl then pick up the radio and said "Alright everyone, heads toward the urban area… it have many narrow streets and corners there… we'll be able to get a better shot at turning the tide in there…once you guys' are in,spread out find any alley can cover your cannons from eyesights, turn off the engine and wait… once the Matildas, or better yet, the Churchill rolls by with their sides fully exposed and unaware of your presence… shoot" before her tank and the others speed toward their destination.
Meanwhile, the 3 Matildas and the Churchill reform their straight side-by-side line formation as they pursuing the Ooarai's 3 escaping Tanks.
The Matilda on the far right rotate its cannon toward the cliff where the shot comes from, it didn't take long for the far right Matilda's crew to spot the Sherman which have just fired another shell at their formation, just as the same time the Matilda itself fires a shell at the Sherman.
The shell from the Sherman bounces off of the front armor of the far right Matilda and land on the side armor of the turret of the Matilda right next to it.
The shell from the Matilda also landed on the side armor of the Sherman's turret.
At that moment, only the 2 remaining Matilda and the Churchill were still running. Both the Sherman and the Matilda that it shot at were both eliminated as two white flags pops out from the tanks turrets.
As the smoke cleared, Norman leaned back agaisnt his chair and said with his normal voice "Welp… We done what we can…never though we'll get shot by a Matilda…"
Grady then said "Meaning more upgrades works for me… Those girls better not be losing… those fancy skirts are pretty good shots too…"
Garcia then asked "Hey Don, wanna get some Takoyaki after this?"
Don shrugs "Sure, why not? I'm starving…"
He then look at Norman and said "Hey Norman… that ricochet shot…was it…"
Norman look at Don and his teammates for a bit before he said "… it was a lucky shot… guess I missed heh?"
Bible chuckled "Yea right…lucky shot…show off…"
The guys then just laugh awkwardly at each other before Don pick up the radio and said "Hey Miho… sorry we couldn't make it to the town's tank throwdown… We eh… kind of… gotten careless back there…"
Miho's voice then can be heard through the other side "We understand, You've done your best mister Collier, thank you"
Don then said "Even if we lose… show them that we're no mere rabbit ya hear?"
Miho then replied "You got that right"
Don the put down the radio and said to the guys "Okkk, anyone up for some poker?"
…
10 minutes later…
As the guys was playing poker, Don was observing the battle in the urban area while he sits on the turret of his Sherman.
The view then shown what he sees through the sight of his binocular, which was a StuG III backup and conceal itself in a small alley just as the 3 Matildas was about to pass by.
Don's voice can be heard as the view stays in 1st person behind the binocular "Nicee… good ol' Hi Jack bye Jack manuveur…Now aim for one in the middle, the middle…"
Then as he saw the StuG fired at the leading Matilda, disabling it on impact, Don grunted "Aw dammit…"
Then the two remaining Matilda stops and aim their cannon at where the StuG was hiding and open fire. The tank didn't stand a chance as a white flag pops out of its turret after it took 3 shells in row to the front hull.
However, Don spots the Pkzpfw and the 38(T) speed pass the road behind the two Matilda and open fire at their rear armor, disabling them both.
Don almost jumped with joy as he saw it. But his joy didn't last long when he saw the Churchill bust through a wall and fire at the 38(T), disabling it.
The Churchill then made a pull stop and points cannon right at the Pkzpfw IV. There was a long pause before Don saw the Pkzpfw and the Churchill both speed toward each other with their cannon staying on target, as if it was a medieval joust.
Don and his teammates, who have now took out their binocular and look throught it's heart almost stopped as as they saw both tanks open fired at point-blank range.
As the smoke clears, there was a white flag, but it's not on top of the churchill.
That pretty much seal the result. Grady gritted his teeth as he said "Great… I'm gonna need some amnesia pills after tonight's humiliating event…"
Don sighs "Couldn't blame them… they're still new to this… It's amazing that we got that far… Beside…remember the Tigers squad 2 years ago? We lost but we did show them we ain't no pushovers didn't we?"
…
An hour later… back at the dock…
"Ughhh… I can't believe we lost…" sighs Saori as she sat on a crate next to her friends.
"But we did our best…" said Hana
Rezei was busy napping on Miho's lap while Yukarin was trembling as she said "Omgomgomgomg! I'll never be able to get married after tonight's dance"
Don and the guys was chatting to each other, not even knowing that Darjeeling and a maid have just walk passed them.
Miho and the girls seems shock and nervous as the leader of the team that've just beat them approaches Miho as she asked "Were you the one commanding the match?"
Miho was fidgeting as she answers "Well uh… ye..Yes"
Darjeeling then asked "What is your name?"
Miho then said "Uh… it's Nishizumi, Miho Nishizumi"
Darjeeling then asked "From the Nishizumi school?"
Miho then answered "Uh…yes"
Darjeeling then said "I've fought agaisnt your big sister in the past… but I would never though she would have such a little sister…"
Yukarin was still dumbstruck as she watches the two having their conversation as she though "Oh man~~~~ It's like a dream comes true… Nishizumi and Darjeeling are talking to each other…Directly…right in front of ME… This is too good to be true EEEKK"
Darjeeling then signal the maid following her to hand her a basket full of boxes of tea leafs as she said "This is a signs of my gratitute" and hand the basket to Miho.
Before Darjeeling walks away, she then look at Collier,who was doing the same and said "Mister Wardaddy… you've made your point… you're and your crew are in no mean,a mere rabbit…" with a smile before she left.
Yukarin's eyes shines bright as she said to Miho "Miss Nishizumi! She gave you teas! TEAS… The St Glorianna only gave teas to those who they deemed a worthy opponent"
That news seems to put a smile back on Hana, Saori and Miho's face as they hug each other.
But their cute, heartwarming moment didn't last long. Anzu and her crew then approaches the girls and said "I would like to say A DAMN GOOD JOB out there maggots! But… we've lost… so you still own us that Sea Devil Dance…"
Before the girls can say anything, Anzu continues "BUT, I, the president will also join you in the dance routine…"
Momo then took out a measuring tape and approaches Don and his crew as she said "Now stand still… we need your measurements for the outfit"
As Momo wraps her measurement tape around Bible's chest, the young man asked "Wait… wha…what outfit?"
Later that night… at the beach…
Miho and the other girls, Don and his crew members, along with Anzu was dancing around the bonfire in front of the cheering crowd as they sang the Sea devil folk song. The guys and girls wore a very funny and extremely embarrassing bodysuit that highly resemble an eel.
The girls have to keep a smile on their face and keep the tears in their tear duct as they dance through the routine while Grady whispered to Don "Please shoot me after this…or throw me down a cliff… it's either death or amnesia…" as he awkwardly dances.
…
End of chapter 4