Happy New Year!

So, this is the next chapter, and I hope to move the story further!


Girls und Krieg

Chapter 7: Guns and Steel

"Ah..."

The girls were out of the warehouses, and stood on top of the surface. Breathing in, they took in the fresh, oceanic air, which felt so refreshing and nostalgic. After all, it reminded them of their past lives.

"It feels like years," Saori admitted. "Since we're on the city-carrier, much like us on our old school ship."

"The tanks sure give us some nostalgia," Hana said a little dreamily.

"What about other AFVs?" Yukari interjected, looking around enthusiastically. "Like our artilleries?"

"Yukari-san," Miho said. "We'll just look around; I honestly think that after the tour of our Noran tanks, I think we're in the mood of just...enjoying the fresh air outside."

The others nodded, while Yukari deflated.

"Fine..." she groaned.

Miho giggled, as she herself looked around.

They were on top of a high area, which was quite tranquil. Despite having so many people onboard, the city-carrier was designed to have vast spaces, allowing the Norans to have some breathing space. Like most Senshazons, Norans did not mind sharing space, but did prize some privacy. A few Norans were chatting and walking, especially towards a busier section of the carrier. A single tank rumbled through.

"Coming through!" a voice echoed, as the Merkava Mk.5 Lev Ruach thundered. The 65-tonnes behemoth rolled down on the bio-asphalt (asphalt made from biodegradable materials), as the tracks creaked and groaned. Behind, it dragged a wagon full of crates.

"Oh!" the voice echoed again, as the figure of a young girl stood up to salute (the tank continued to move). "Nishizumi-sensei! Anglerfish-sensei! Good day!"

"Good day," the girls saluted back. In NOR, the Virago teams were also called "sensei."

"It feels weird," Saori admitted, as the titan thundered away. "That we're now the leaders, all because of being Virago."

"What is Virago again?" Hana asked randomly. "I know that we're leaders with special powers, but..."

"Magical Girls," Mako replied. "Senshadou-style."

The others stared at her.

"In other words," Miho said, giggling a little. "Virago is the term for the 'queen' of Senshazons. Much like the ant queen in her colony, the Virago is in charge of the welfare of her society. However, unlike the queen ant, the Virago uses magic to lead society. Unlike most Senshazons, who have a very limited ability to use magic, we can use it a lot more freely."

Miho then snapped her right fingers, and a tree nearby shook. Its flowers then blossomed, and a swarm of bees suddenly swarmed over them, then the flowers bloated. In the span of only about a minute, a few red apples appeared.

"We're not that strong at magic," Mako said, salivating a little as the girls picked them up.

"That's just a tip of the iceberg," Miho said, as she and her friends ate them. Five crunches echoed, as the girls relished the magically grown apples.

"But not all of us can do that," Saori noted. "Miporin is one of the strongest of us Virago. However, all Virago seem to have this 'mind-control' ability over our Senshazon girls."

"Or just pure charisma," Mako said. "I remember getting some Pravdan girls to get me zefir sweets, and it was actually nice. They obeyed without question."

"Mako!" Saori declared, annoyed. "You can ask them, but did you control them?!"

"I asked them," she replied, although she snickered. "I used my charm to tell them to get sweets for me."

Saori groaned in response.

"Ah," Hana said. "We nicknamed that power as 'Virago Charisma' or something like that."

"Which sort of disturbs me," Saori added. "But at least the girls have free will; Mako, you are at least right that charisma plays a role. Unfortunately, we have no boys..."

"We have no boys here," Mako said. "For obvious reasons, we don't need them; we have other ways to get more girls."

Saori glared at her.

"Speaking of more girls," Hana said. "Some of our girls are now enthusiastic about expanding our territories..."

The girls stood silent. Even Hana realized the gravity of the situation, as her words weighed a little heavy in their conscience.

Mako audibly gulped.

"That's...something we have to consider," Miho said. "Hopefully not; we're just focused on finding other factions, especially since the waters are now safe. Last time I heard from the captain, she said that we're going to stay a little off the coast, because they started to get a little too rocky."

"Rocky?" Hana asked.

"Too dangerous for our city-carrier," Saori explained. "And yes, now that we've been thinking about it, how long have we-"

"Coming through!" another voice echoed, as a K3 Zainichi rumbled by. Three drones, resembling futuristic satellites or floating robots from some science-fiction games, floated around, constantly inspecting the tank.

The Anglerfish Team moved away in response, but the tank suddenly stopped.

"Anglerfish-sensei!" a voice roared, as the face of a young commander got out.

"Oh hello," Miho said, waving at her. "Noon-chan, what's up?"

Noon was one of the youngest generations of Senshazons. Like most girls of her age, she had never seen anything outside of her city limits. Hence, for girls like her, the journey was the thrill of a lifetime.

"I have great news!" she shouted, as she got down. She had very long brown hair, hanging down to her groin. However, her hair color looked familiar to Miho.

Onee-chan, Miho thought.

"Sensei?" she asked, staring at her curiously.

"Oops," Miho said, shaking herself. "Sorry, so what's the report?"

"Our girls are pumping!" she cried with glee, showing her the report. "A good number of us are pregnant, getting ready to colonize an area!"

"Already?!" the girls gasped.

"Wait," Hana said. "How did they get pregnant?"

The others stared at her.

"We've been Senshazons for about 300 years," Mako said, clearly gawking at her. "And you have no idea?"

"Well," Noon began. "We have no boys, because-"

The other Anglerfish girls waved off and gave "X" signs, silencing her.

"Ah," Hana said. "I remember now. How did I forget?"

The others stared at her; even Noon made a facepalm.

"It's Family Life Education," Mako said. "You are the President of NOR; how can you forget this?"

"I guess I still feel like a human sometimes," Hana admitted.

"I guess you all are very serious about this," Miho said, giggling nervously. Noon simply shrugged; like most Norans, she was somewhat used to President Hana's...quirks.

"We've never done this before," Noon admitted. "But we've seen and read about all these crazy exploration and adventures about great explorers of the world! I hope to become like them, such as Leif Erikson, Zheng He, Ferdinand Magellan, and Christopher Columbus!"

The Anglerfish girls looked at each other.

"Not exactly," Miho said. "Remember that not all of them had clean or even...vaguely good motives."

"I understand," Noon said, deflating in a way that looked much like Yukari's (causing the team to giggle), then brightened up. "But yes, we hope to prove that we're not like normal Humans, just gunning down and stealing things and all. We are SENSHAZONS!"

She raised her left fist, and her teammates followed suit.

"Such is the vigor of youth," Saori sighed.

"We're still young at heart," Mako said. "But I have not grown; girls."

"Yes?" the K3 Zainichi crew asked.

"Will you-"

Saori shook herself, cutting her off.

"Aww..." Mako groaned. Apparently, Mako was trying to use her "Virago charisma" to tell them to "give her height."

"We will be in charge of the decisions," Miho said firmly, although she giggled at the girls' antics. "I...I do not want the reputations of us Senshazons to be tarnished or something."

Noon smiled.

"Don't worry!" Noon said cheerfully, as she got up into her tank again. "If that happens, then our Elohim will send us help!"

"Just drive safely!" the Anglerfish girls shouted, as the tank rumbled away.

"Elohim," Mako said. "Such an ironic name; it is one of the most popular names for the supreme god in our state."

"It is all the more ironic," Hana admitted. "Although we are still Japanese at heart, most of our girls have diversified in terms of religion."

"It's because of a myth," Mako said. "A myth very universal among the Norans and other Senshazons: that religion somehow helps them to wield magic more effectively and more efficiently. Except for us Virago, almost all girls in our state adhere to some form of religion. 'Elohim' is the most popular one, because it is the name of the God of both Judaism and Christianity. However, it literally translates to 'Gods,' so the Norans found it appealing, because they somehow interpreted it to mean that God is manifest in a variety of religious traditions."

"And look at our Norans now," Miho said, showing them.

As they were walking along, the girls sighted a variety of homes and businesses, but one thing that stood out was churches. Churches after churches lined a specific road, while they dotted other places.

"Unlike Human churches," Miho noted. "Our churches double as a variety of businesses, such as schools, meeting houses, and even warehouses. And Mako-san, you are right about that myth: the myth that being religious allows the girls to somehow control magic more easily. Although we don't really see it, the girls seem to behave better."

"I guess that's the magic of it," Saori inferred. "The magic not because of actually controlling the elements, but the magic of controlling how to be Senshazons."

"I wonder why?" Hana asked rhetorically.

"Who cares?" Mako said, yawning. "Churches are boring, but at least they teach the girls to behave and give them some sort of identity. It's almost as if the churches teach the girls to respect us Virago."

"But that alone can't be the whole reason," Hana said. "We go to shrines to pray to our gods."

"Not that frequently," Mako corrected. "We usually do that on holidays, not every week. Plus, we treat our gods more as genies, rather than as superiors who deserve utmost respect."

"That's another mystery," Miho admitted. "I believe that it is intertwined with us being Senshazons."

The others nodded in agreement.

"Tank coming!" a distant voice roared, as a Raio sped towards them. The girls backed away, as it rumbled and roared by.

"Huh," Mako said. "Unlike normal tanks, Senshazon tanks have a higher speed, both on road and off-road. Look at that Raio; it can move at speeds of up to 175 km/h, and that's its road speed. Off-road, that same tank can go at 140 km/h, which is actually impressive."

"And a game changer," Miho noted. "On average, our Senshazon tanks can go 2.5X the speed of normal tanks on-road, but only twice the speed off-road."

"I want to make sure," Hana said, trying to calculate with her hands. "The original Raio...what was it again?"

"Osorio," her friends answered.

"The Osorio drove at 70 km/h," Hana then tried to think. "And that is the maximum speed...but for our Raio, it can drive at 175 km/h on-road, but only at 140 km/h off-road. Am I correct?"

"You are spot on," Mako said.

"Thank you," Hana said with a curtsy. "There are some things that are still hard for me."

"You're not alone," Miho said, turning to watch the rest of the ship from a special balcony. "This is all still surreal."

The girls watched, as they walked towards a downtown. Down below, thousands of girls went about, doing their own usual business. Like the other two city-carriers, the people onboard the city-carrier all were of military age, in order to ensure that everyone could survive. Plus, they did not want to risk having their little children get kidnapped. Numerous tanks drove back and forth, much like the buses, trucks, and even civilian vehicles on Human nations. They stopped at lights, then drove on.

Miho watched, but her eyes focused on a specific scene.

"Hmm?" she noted, staring. "Mako-san, do you see something?"

Mako simply stared, but shook her head. Of the five, she had the best eyes.

"Nothing that I see," she admitted.

"Let's go down," Miho said, as she jumped down a balcony with ease.

"Wait for us!" the others yelled, as they all jumped own. However, only Yukari landed with ease, while the others stumbled; Mako literally fell on top of Saori.

"Watch it!" Saori groaned.

"Sorry," Mako said nonchalantly, as they all got up.

"You OK?" Miho asked.

"We're alright," Saori said. "We're all Senshazons, after all."

"Thanks," Miho said. "Let's go."


They walked around, and saw hundreds of tanks rolling about, much like buses, trucks, and even as personal vehicles.

"It's odd to use tanks as vehicles," Miho noted, as she giggled a little.

"Even I have to agree," Yukari, of all the people, admitted. "I love tanks, but this is a little crazy."

A long line of Xabra tanks stood, waiting in line.

"Aren't the Xabra that good?" Yukari asked. "Why are they waiting in line?"

"I think they're trying to upgrade them," Miho said.

"Wait," Saori said. "I didn't know that."

"Personal upgrades," Mako clarified.

"Oh," Saori noted.

Unlike Human tanks, Senshazon tanks and most AFVs could be bought as private property. In NOR, this basically meant that the girls could upgrade the tanks in any way they could, the result of a referendum. However, this was a recent policy, as the girls were still figuring out which upgrades were even...safe.

BOOM!

Miho giggled, while her friends sighed and facepalmed to various degrees.

"THAT WAS NOT EVEN LEGAL!" a huge voice roared from a warehouse nearby.

"SORRY!" another bellowed.

"Just like the old days," Miho said, trying to contain her giggles. It really reminded her of how when they were Senshadou members, except for her team, all of the teams decorated their tanks in...odd colors and all. In fact, she also realized that she and others also over-decorated their own interiors.

"What did they even add?" Saori groaned. "How many explosions happened there?"

"Based on the explosions," Mako said nonchalantly. "I believe that they tried to add a shower system into a Xabra, but the pressure system blew off."

"A shower?!" Saori screamed. "How is that even practical?! Did they add a water tank or something?!"

"Why do they have to add a shower?" Hana asked innocently. "But that sure sounds like a good idea."

"Is that even necessary?" Yukari groaned. "Man, the longer we live, the crazier our younger generations become!"

Miho giggled, but agreed. Unlike most factions, the Norans valued a lot of freedom and personal expression, which led to a lack of unity in the military dress code, and even in the tanks' appearance. Although all tanks had to conform to a certain "appearance code" (in order to ensure that they all worked as what they were supposed to do), the recent policy of allowing personal upgrades led to...very odd additions.

The girls watched, as a newly upgraded Xabra rumbled out, and the girls gawked.

"That's not a tank!" Yukari roared.

It was still the same Xabra tank. What Yukari was saying...was that the crew literally put on a wedding dress. Somehow, they designed a wedding dress, pure white and frilly, and turned it into something that covered the tank.

"OK," Miho said, giggling. "Maybe we should...amend our policy to make it more...appropriate."

Yukari scratched her hair in agony, as the "poor Super Sabra" (her nickname for the Xabra) was forced to "go girly." Miho giggled, as the Xabra rumbled into a street. A good number of girls gawked at it as well, with some doing a facepalm.

"Why a dress?!" Yukari groaned. "Man! Our girls are going crazy!"

"Aren't we all crazy?" Mako asked.

Suddenly, a few Togra tanks zoomed by.

"Wow!" the girls gasped.

"Former Chihanese girls," Mako groaned. "They still love to speed around. Even when they were assimilated into our nation, most still retained their former attitudes."

Miho nodded. After the Unity Tower fell, all of the foreign visitors, girls who were visiting NOR from other factions, were trapped. While a very few decided to venture out on their own, the rest decided to assimilate into the culture of NOR. They greatly enhanced the NOR's cultural heritage, in interesting ways. Chihanese were the girls of a Japan-ish faction based on the Chi-Ha-Tan Academy. Like them, they were big on honor and Japanese ideals. In NOR, they maintained Japanese customs, such as wearing kimonos, which appealed to the Virago, who were still Japanese at heart.

"Watch where you're going!" a few girls screamed from behind. They also drove the Togra, but more carefully and more deliberately.

"And former Pravdan girls," Miho noted.

Unlike the Chihanese, the Pravdans were girls from a Russian-esque faction based on the Pravda Girls High School. After suddenly losing connection with their faction, they suddenly found themselves...feeling odd. Being so used to being ruled by their leaders, they were reluctant to set base in NOR. However, after Miho and her friends gently invited them in, they decided to settle down. They made for very good farmers, and Mko frequently got them to make her sweets.

"Sorry about them," one of the former Pravdan girls groaned, as she and her friends drove their tanks. "Our Chihanese girls seem to have a hard time controlling themselves!"

"Just drive carefully," Miho said. "Please tell them."

"Understood!" the former Pravdan girls said, saluting in a Russian-esque fashion. Miho giggled, as they rumbled away.

"More tanks," Mako noted, as they continued to walk through the downtown.

A number of Merkava Mk.5 Lev Ruach tanks drove by, pulling carts and trailers. While some were carrying cargo containers, others pulled wagons full of girls.

"I cannot believe that we're using tanks," Saori said. "Both as trucks and as buses!"

Suddenly, a group of Reapard tanks drove by, in steady fashion. Miho recognized the way they were moving.

"Former San Glorian and Kuroman girls," Hana noted. "Still as elegant and serious as usual."

"Respectively," Mako added.

San Glorians were the girls from the UK-based faction, founded by members of the St. Gloriana Girls College. Like them, the Kuromans were girls from the Germany-based faction, founded by members of the Kuromorimine Girls Academy. Miho looked at the Kuroman girls, deep in thought, while the San Glorians drank from their teacups casually.

"How crazy can we get?" Yukari asked, then suddenly the Reapard group stopped. The lights turned green for another road, and a very large group of Oklo tanks thundered by, as if they were angry bulls in the running of the bulls.

"Former Saunderians!" Yukari squealed, her face changing from agony to delight.

Miho chuckled. Saunderians were the demonym of the former members of the Saunders University High School. Like the originals, they were enthusiastic, open, and quite rich. When they got stuck after the loss of the Unity Tower, some were penniless (since their accounts were in their faction), while others brought in loads and loads of cash. Soon, however, the former Saunderians became very avid farmers, engineers, and even innovators, becoming one of the biggest contributors to the advancement of technologies in NOR.

"Good thing we have them," Mako admitted. "They sure make for good maids."

"Mako!" Saori groaned. "Did you 'bribe' them again?"

"Nope," she replied with a sly grin. "I just asked, and asked, since they just love to give out great services."

"Don't rip them off," Miho said, giggling. More tanks drove by, with some of them being Oplot-X and Hashashin. Unlike most other tanks, these two were driven by former Pravdan girls, because they were close to the tanks that they were used to.

"Former Pravdan girls again," Mako said. "Zon, I love their zefir and Russian sweets."

However, Tarpan, Temper, and Kitten light tanks easily drove around. They dominated the streets, as they were smaller and easier to maneuver. Some of them had American flags flying on top of the turrets, while others had pizza delivery signs stamped to them. Some even had tea signs!

"Driven by some fast members," Miho said, giggling. "Some San Glorians, Anzians, and others adept at fast movement. Ehehe, they sure are young at heart."

"I don't see any Golem, Aryeh, or Merkava Gibor Ruach," Saori noted.

"That's because they are too big and dangerous to drive," said Yukari. "Mostly too big. But I don't see any Keto."

"Keto here!" someone yelled, as a single tank rumbled by.

"Careful!" the girls warned, as the tank almost collided with another. The larger Merkava honked its horn, as the commander got out to silently frown at the Keto. The commander of the smaller tank got out and apologized with a bow, and the other nodded.

"Zon," Saori groaned. "Sometimes, we are the parents, and they are the kids. Right, Miporin?"

Miho stood still, watching intently at something in the distance.

"Miporin?" Saori asked.

Suddenly, she ran.

"Miporin?!"

The others followed her, wondering what was going on.

"Where are you going?" Saori asked.

"Come!" she replied. "We have something to deal with.

"W-wait for us!" they followed.


"You crashed into me!"

"No, you did!"

"Wait! What just happened?!"

An incident like this was very rare, but when it did, it was serious business. Senshazon tanks were designed with safety measures, in order to prevent tanks from accidentally slamming into objects and others, especially people. Even though they were stronger and better than normal Humans, even the strongest of Senshazons still had to avoid getting squashed by the colossal weight of an average tank.

In this case, it was a collision between a Xabra main battle tank and a Hashashin main battle tank. This was not just rare; it was bad news.

"How dare you damage one of the few tanks of this kind!" a tall, bespectacled girl roared, coming out of her turret and seething. Red in the face, the contrast between her robust physique and her cute face made her anger stand out all the more. Her short, brown hair waved back and forth, as she shook with rage.

"Wait!" another girl, who was also remarkably as tall as the girl in the Hashashin, but slimmer and with long, blond hair, came out and spoke.

"I-I don't know what exactly happened!" the girl in the Xabra spoke. "But-but the Xabra seemed to have buckled or something!"

"That was clearly intended!" the girl in the Hashashin screamed. "I saw it! You stopped, then suddenly crashed your giant tank into my tank!"

"What's going on?" Miho spoke politely and softly, and everybody fell silent. She was not angry, just concerned and worried.

"Ahem!" the two girls cleared their throats, coming down to bow down at her. "Nishizumi-sensei! Please forgive us for distracting you!"

"No, don't worry," Miho said, as her team caught up to her. "But what just happened? Mako-san and Yukari-san, please talk to Sasha. Saori-san and Hana-san, please talk to Eliana."

Miho then checked both tanks, while her teammates talked to the commanders. Sasha, the girl with the short, brown hair, told her side of the story. A good distance away, in order to prevent overhearing, Eliana spoke to her superiors. She was the long-haired blond girl.

Miho carefully inspected the tanks, while a crowd gathered nearby. Some of them were taking pictures or recording with their smartphones and various electronics. A few were even recording with old-fashioned camcorders.

"Something's off," she mumbled, as she surveyed the damages. "Hmm..."

"Something wrong?" a very young Senshazon approached, only to be pulled away by a taller girl.

"Shush!" the mature one admonished her. "Respect them, please!"

Whenever a Virago girl was present, everybody was expected to behave. Even though they already behaved, the girls had certain standards whenever a Virago was around.

"OK," her teammates returned to Miho, who was deep in thought. "Miho-sa..."

The four girls waited, as Miho collected her thoughts.

"OK," she said, looking at her friends. "What's up?"

Saori and Hana explained what Sasha told them. According to her, Sasha was driving her Hashashin, which was a rare sight, with only about 20 of them onboard the entire fleet (normally, each city-carrier shared a certain number, but Hashashins were very rare, so that only a single carrier carried them all). However, she saw the Xabra stop, and she commanded her driver to keep driving, since the light was green for her side. Suddenly, the Xabra slammed into her.

"That's from Sasha's viewpoint," Miho said. "And what about Eliana's?"

According to Eliana, she was taking her Xabra to be upgraded, so that her team could make it a little more mobile. In fact, the street that she was driving on happened to have a long line of Xabra tanks. The line of Xabra tanks was in front of a special warehouse, where the teams were getting their tanks upgraded. Although the Xabra was one of the few models that fought off the invaders, the girls were not very pleased with the quality of the guns. Indeed, the Xabra was an upgrade of an older tank model, so that it had certain features that were a little out-of-date. So, when the accident happened, the line behind got stuck.

However, Eliana stopped, and her tank somehow kept going, despite the driver's efforts. Hence, the Xabra slammed into the Hashashin on the left side. Although both were main battle tanks, the Xabra had a weight of about 63 t, while the Hashashin was of 48 t. Hence, when the Xabra slammed into the other, its heavier weight crushed parts of the Hashashin's left track with ease. There was a good reason why the Norans kept their Xabra; while it was not very powerful, it had very strong armor, which helped to block off strong attacks. Unfortunately, this also meant that the Xabra was good at crushing certain obstacles, including the armor of a tank.

"Hmm," Miho thought, reminiscing. However, her eyes noticed something:

Sasha was marching back and forth, clearly frustrated. Her hands were flying around, as she was fuming about. Her teammates were also stressed out, as they were sitting around, hands in their faces. Only one of them, the driver, actively checked the tank, in order to find out what happened. However, even she was frustrated, as she was throwing a fit.

"I did drive!" she yelled out loud. "But I swore that I saw the Xabra stop..."

Miho overheard that; unknown to most Norans, Miho's butterfly-wing headphones, which she wore along with her winged tiara (they really were together as a single piece), could easily hear the sounds of other girls. Normally, Miho kept it off, but whenever a situation like this occurred, the headphone activated instantly.

She then looked at the Hashashin's crew. Eliana was standing there, serene and with a blank face. Her crew also stood, trying to stay calm. However, the driver of her tank was different; she was fidgeting very visibly.

Then, she raised her arms, putting her hands behind her hand, and made a few deep breaths. Miho raised an eyebrow.

"Alright!" Sasha yelled, trying to contain her anger. "Sorry, my Virago, but this was a tank that we just fixed yesterday. We were trying to get in and we've in trouble already before, and I did not want to pay another fine again and again, I-"

"Wow-wow," Miho said, hands off to calm her down. "Sasha-san, you are actually free to go."

"Eh?"

"You are free to go," Miho said, as a few Merkava tanks rumbled into view. Unlike normal tanks, Senshazon tanks doubled as engineering and recovery vehicles. Hence, each tank that was still functional could work to repair and carry damaged tanks. One of them opened up, and a crane appeared to mend parts of the Hashashin, so that it was easier to drag it away. The other two then dealt with the much heavier Xabra.

"W-why?" Sasha asked, blinking. "We-we're in an accident, you know, Nishizumi-sensei?"

"I know who did it," Miho said, then she huddled up with her team. After a few gasps and murmurs, the team then looked at the damages, inspecting both tanks. This time, Mako stared at Eliana's group, causing some of them to fidget.

"I see," Hana said darkly.

"This..." Saori growled.

"That's crazy!" Yukari said, aghast.

"I suspected as well," Mako said.

Miho frowned, then turned towards Eliana.

"Hello," Eliana began with a curtsy. "So, what is-"

"You are under arrest," Miho replied calmly, as a few Tarpan tanks in police colors rumbled into view.

"What?" Eliana blinked.

"You are under arrest," Miho said, as the officers came out, followed by Sodoko, who jumped out of one of the Tarpan tanks. "Sodoko-san, I need to file a report."

"What just happened here?" Sodoko asked, glaring at the Hashashin, but glancing up at the Xabra, only to frown. "Hey, that damage looks funny."

"It is," Miho said. "Because Eliana deliberately plowed into Sasha's tank, and more."


"A rare thing," Saori said, as the police officers dragged her away.

"It is very rare for a crime to exist," Miho remarked. "However, the few that happen usually happen when the girls have a grudge. I can already tell that Eliana held something. Normally, our girls are good at reconciling, but in this case, it festered."

"And Eliana forced her driver to ram," Saori said. "But why so sudden?"

"Guess she just snapped," Mako said. "I mean...she deliberately twisted the systems, both of her tank and Sasha's. When you showed us, it made sense."

"I cannot believe it!" Yukari admitted. "She was smart enough to slightly sabotage the Hashashin's systems, so that it kept going, instead of stopping, and then she sabotaged her own tank, so that it appeared to ram the other by accident!"

"She hoped that we're not there," Miho said. "But they cannot hide from us Virago, since we can easily understand the systems."

"But why would she suddenly go that far?" Saori asked. "Eliana is normally not the type to lose it."

"She did not attend church," somebody spoke.

They turned around. It was the driver of Eliana's tank.

"Huh?" the girls asked.

"Sorry," the driver said, clearing her throat. "I am Dana Pines, and she...forced me to drive it, because she had a grudge against Sasha. A few weeks ago, Sasha and Eliana both got into an argument."

"What was the argument about?" Miho asked.

"Over some useless stuff," Dana admitted with a sigh. "Girls' stuff and all. Apparently, my commander had repressed desires; even at our local church meetings, she refused to tell them outright. I tried to talk sense into her, but she refused to listen."

"And let the feelings fester," Saori whispered.

"That simple?" Mako asked. "It couldn't be that simple."

"Sometimes," Miho said. "Problems can that simple, so simple that it's hard to believe it. That makes sense; I heard from Eliana's crew that they were worried about their leader, because she did not come to her church for three weeks."

"For us," Mako said. "It's not a problem, but for many Norans, skipping church is often a sign of something off."

"We should have notified you," Dana admitted, lowering her head. "I am sorry."

"Don't worry," Miho said, raising Dana's head with her right hand. "You are forgiven. Just make sure to tell your local church next time."

"Th-thank you!" Dana cried, hugging her before running off.

"They sure like you," Sodoko groaned, coming over. "I mean, I am Virago, but why do they find it so easy to obey you?"

"Like I said," Mako said, almost mockingly. "She listens to the girls, while you try and impose your will on others."

Miho blinked.

Impose will on others, Miho thought, as Sodoko and Mako went into their usual "argument." Impose will on others...that's why Eliana did. I guess she was a little too...controlling. Isn't that what we Virago do?

She thought and thought.

"Miporin?"

"Ah!" Miho said, snapping out of her thoughts. "Sorry, where are we again?"

"Nishizumi-san," Sodoko said, handing her a notebook. It had hard covers, but had a few buttons. Miho clicked one, and a picture appeared. Although the notebook had real paper between the hard covers, the covers themselves were electronic, still in prototype stage.

"They want you to check our SPGs," Sodoko replied.

"Oh boy!" Yukari squealed.


"Just hold yourself," Miho said, as Yukari was shaking with excitement. They moved to the far edge of the ship, and inspected their naval guns...

...except they exactly were not.

"Look!" Yukari squealed. "Our own artillery units-no, our Self-Propelled Guns!"

"Known as SPGs," Miho said, smiling. "And both terms are accurate."

Instead of naval turrets, the city-carrier utilized artillery units. Some of them were the Artillery Gun Module turrets, or AGM turrets for short, which doubled as turrets for both vehicles and as naval guns.

"An odd thing," Miho admitted, as the girls watched them pass by. "They sure look like naval guns."

The AGM turrets were of German origin, but the Senshazon version was upgraded, especially by wielding a 210-mm gun. In fact, while some were standalone turrets, two vehicles passed by, the only types to carry the AGM turrets: the Donar NOR and the Boxer RCH 210 NOR.

"Donar NOR!" Yukari squealed with delight. "I like those, because they look like tanks!"

"More like a boxed truck with tracks and a giant turret on the back," Saori remarked, causing Yukari to deflate.

"I said they look like tanks," Yukari groaned. "They are obviously not tanks."

"The Boxer one is obviously not," Mako interjected. "It is more like a car with eight wheels and a giant turret on top."


Donar/Thunor NOR

Officially under both names, the Donar or Thunor NOR was based on the Donar SPG of Germany/USA. It was actually a gift from Freistaat Kuromorimine, the homeland of the former members of the Kuromorimine Girls' Academy, also known as the Black Forest Peak Girls' Academy. The Norans then modified it to suit their own needs, becoming the Donar that it was now. Like the old Donar, the new Donar was basically an Artillery Gun Module (albeit Senshazonized) turret on top of a specially modified tracked chassis (the original used a modified chassis of ASCOD 2, a Spanish IFV). It is one of only two SPGs that held the AGM turrets.

Boxer RCH 210 NOR

Simply known to most as Boxer SPG, the Boxer Remotely Controlled Howitzer 210 NOR was a Noran version of the Boxer RCH 155 of Germany. Like the original SPG, the Boxer SPG was basically an AGM turret mounted on top of a specially modified Boxer chassis. The original Boxer was a specially designed 8X8-wheeled AFV with modular design; thus, it could accommodate a variety of modules for different purposes. This meant that all variants of the Boxer shared similar traits and even a similar type of magic (still not known of what it actually was). However, the Boxer SPG was so modified, that it became a distinct "species" in its own right.


"Both are quite popular among the girls," Hana said, as at least 50 Donar and Boxer SPGs rumbled or sped by. "I think they like it, because they are so efficient."

"And each one requires a crew of only two," Mako said. "Allowing to have some qua-"

Saori elbowed her, silencing her.

"Sorry," Mako said, almost deflating.

They watched, as the Donar and Boxer SPGs moved into place. Like naval guns, they were stationed at specific parts of the ship, so that they could fire when needed. However, being mobile, they easily moved back and forth. Soon, a truck and a tracked vehicle appeared. The truck, however, had a gun on top of it, while the tracked one looked like a tank, but with a colossal turret.

"Ah," Miho said with a smile. "The ATMOS NOR and the Sholef Gadol."

The team gulped, especially at the latter. When the Sholef Gadol appeared, a few girls noticeably backed away, farther away than they did with tanks.

"I still don't get how a truck-mounted SPG," said Saori. "Can be so effective."

"It's because they are cheaper to make," explained Mako. "And easier to maintain; it is a truck chassis, not the heavier and more complex tracked chassis."

"But that Sholef..." Yukari trailed off. "It's still strong by itself, but with its magical power..."

The girls, including the team, gulped again.


ATMOS NOR

ATMOS NOR was the Noran version of the ATMOS 2000 of Israel. Like it, it was a SPG, with a gun on top of a 6X6 truck chassis. Like most truck-mounted SPGs, it was cheaper and more mobile than tracked SPGs. They also were much more mobile than towed howitzers. The gun of the ATMOS NOR, however, was Senshazonized, designed explicitly to be able to transition to three modes: 210-mm, 155-mm, and even 265-mm forms! The 210-mm was the default form, firing shells typical for its size. The 155-mm form fired weaker shots, but could fire faster. The 265-mm form fired bigger and stronger shots, in return for a slower fire rate.

The 210-mm form could fire 27 rpm. The 155-mm form could fire 36 rpm, while the 265-mm form could fire at 18 rpm. This gave the ATMOS NOR an incredible amount of flexibility, to a point impossible even by the original ATMOS' standards. However, its magical ability was a game changer; when activated, the ability enchanted the shells, so that upon firing, the shells could split into multiple shells, much like the fireworks (hence the affably nickname "fireworks shells").

Sholef Gadol

The Sholef Gadol was Hebrew for "Great Slammer." It was based on the Sholef ("Slammer") prototype SPG of Israel. It had a colossal 265-mm gun as its main gun, and it also possessed a great amount of heavy and advanced armor. The reason for this, however, was because it possessed a nuclear reactor! This allowed the SPG to function incredibly well, but that feature required extensive protection systems, both to protect the crew from the nuclear danger, and to protect the reactor from damage from the outside. Unlike the Oklo, the reactor was designed solely to power the SPG, making it safe to add in. Thanks to this, the Sholef Gadol could fire at 27 rpm, which is quite fast for a gun of this size. Its magical ability was a major game changer, so much so that some girls even objected that it was overpowered: when activated, the ability enchanted the impacts. When the shells hit the land or targets, the resulting impacts summoned blasts of energy, which rocketed up and then homed into nearby targets (hence the nickname "homing blasts upon impact")! This rendered the Sholef Gadol incredibly feared, so much so that Miho even forbade its use in most training practices!


"Both are from Israel," Saori said. "But with magic, they are even more fearsome."

"The ATMOS NOR is incredibly flexible," Miho said. "Unlike the original ATMOS 2000 of Israel, our ATMOS NOR can adjust its gun, based on the situations. But its magical power causes the shells to split, appearing as fireworks, which make them even more effective in destroying multiple units."

"And the Sholef?" Mako asked, shaking a little.

"That's a strong one," Miho admitted with a sweat. "Its 265-mm gun is incredibly powerful, but its magical power...just makes it too dangerous. Upon impact, the blast summons a strange ball of energy, which homes in like a living rocket. Sure, it does not attack friendly units, but it was so effective, that most of us are a little scared of it."

"In other words," Hana said. "A little too effective."

The others nodded.

"And those look weird," Mako said, as she noticed a large number of SPGs appear in the street.


Grand Primus

The Grand Primus was the lightest tracked SPG in Noran arsenal. In fact, at 28 t, it was one of the lightest SPGs ever, thanks to it being based on the SSPH-1 Primus of Singapore. Perhaps due to its light weight, the SPG appeared to have an over-sized turret; it technically was not, but the chassis was quite small for its size. Like all SPGs, it could technically charge into combat like shock cavalry. However, normally this was not recommended, as being a good shock cavalry unit required the ability to ram into targets easily and quickly, and then moving out. Its magical ability was also odd: it was super charge, allowing the SPG to double its protection potential, double its speed, and even cause explosions upon impact! This essentially rendered the Grand Primus an effective shock cavalry unit.


"It looks like somebody shoved in a giant 210-mm gun turret," Mako said. "On top of a tank chassis too small for it, but somehow it fit."

"We adopted it," Miho said, as they watched the "parade" rumble by. "Only because of its magical ability. We still don't know why that some of our AFVs have actual proven abilities, while others don't."

"Like the Donar and Boxer ones," Yukari said, deflating. "I KNOW that they have something special, because they work so well!"

"All of our AFVs," Miho said. "Have something magical about them, but because magic works from a different set of rules, it is hard for our science-oriented minds to comprehend. It's only because we're more accepting of magic, that we're starting to understand our own brand of magic."

The girls then checked the AGM turrets, then walked away.

"We have the following so far," Miho said. "We have the Donar NOR, the Boxer RCH 210 NOR, the ATMOS NOR, the Sholef Gadol, and the Grand Primus. We have three more...but I remember that we have them all, because they have something to contribute."

"What was the last three SPGs we have?" asked Yukari. As if granting a wish, they appeared.


GX Rhino

Known simply as Rhino, the GX Rhino was based on the various SPG models of South Africa, especially the G6-52, the G6-52L, and the G6 Rhino. Like them, the Rhino was a 6X6 wheeled SPG with an incredible amount of armor for its type. However, unlike them, it wielded not one, but two 210-mm guns on its turret, one on top of the other! Hence, it was also nicknamed the "Double-horned Rhino." Although not supposed to be used to charge, like most SPGs, it worked remarkably well as a literal rhino. However, it was greatly feared for its firepower alone, for the original model, the G6 Rhino, was a proven weapon of war. It fired 24 rpm, but its magical ability made them even more potent. Like the Sholef Gadol, the impacts summoned attacks! Unlike the Sholef Gadol, however, the Rhino's impacts summoned trails of energy, which varied in numbers, from one to as many as five! Hence, while the trails of energy could not attack air units, they could hit more units on land!

Alpha Fury

This was one of the most feared weapons, even for Senshazons. It was based on the G-52L of South Africa and the Al-Fao of Iraq. It resembled a colossal version of the Rhino; indeed, the two were related. Unlike the Rhino, the Alpha Fury was bigger, wielding a 320-mm gun on an 8X8 chassis! It fired only 10 rounds per minute, but each shell was a monster. Even crazier, its magical ability could temporarily boost accuracy, making the SPG even more effective!

Rammer

The Rammer was a Noran invention, and one of the least likely to even be used. However, it proved to be a battle-worthy model, and soon became a favorite. It was inspired by the Ro'em/L-33, an improvised SPG, in which a towed gun was mounted on top of a large, enclosed turret, which was atop the chassis of an M4 Sherman tank. However, the Rammer was a brand-new design, with a new type of 210-mm gun atop a specially modified tracked chassis.

The Rammer was the most effective of its kind: a literal battering ram. Its gun was shorter than most SPGs, but in return was very wide and heavy, in order to function effectively as a ram. It had an incredible amount of armor, in order to make it effective at ramming and attacking at close range. The Rammer was the only SPG without a turret, in return for having great armor. It could drive at speeds of 184 km/h, and could fire 20 rounds per minute even while on the move! With super protection as its magical ability, which boosted its armor, the Rammer was next to impossible to even stop. Once it reached a wall, it proved to be the wall's own death. In the past, the Norans used it to effectively destroy walls of hostile orcs and goblins.


"The GX Rhino!" Yukari shouted with glee. "The Alpha Fury! The Rammer! Oh boy-oh boy-oh boy!"

"Please calm down," Miho said. "They are also very useful. We frequently used the GX Rhino, because it was very mobile and easily killed off the orcs, and other enemies in the past. The Alpha Fury was primarily a long-range bombard cannon, as its huge cannon was very powerful. And the Rammer...it's unorthodox, but a very effective model. I am surprised that we still have it."

"Just in case!" Yukari said, as the three SPGs rumbled by.

The girls walked on, and saw more weapons. They saw a number of girls inspecting sets of towed howitzers, while others were checking what looked like wheeled tanks. Known as fire support vehicles, they were designed to have the firepower of tanks, but traded armor for mobility on 8X8 chassis. Nearby, they sighted their own rocket artillery units, especially the Menatetz "Smasher."

"The Smasher," Miho said. "That's our main rocket artillery unit; it fires M270 rockets and more. Our friends-San Glorians, Saunderians, Anzians, and Kuromans-use their own versions of it."

"But why do we have so many?" Mako asked. We have over 50 types of vehicles, from tanks to our troop carriers, more than any other faction. But we struggle with focusing on which ones to use? Why can't we simplify?"

"Because each one proved to be too useful," Miho said. "For example, remember the Oplot-X? We considered retiring that one, but its flattening power allowed it to avoid many shells. Even as our Sholef Gadol and bigger vehicles and tanks got hit hard, most of the Oplot-X easily avoided them by flattening."

"That's why we keep almost all of our models," Yukari said. "Maybe we're a little too crazy, like the goblins."

The girls giggled, then laughed together. Even Mako snickered.

"Well," Miho began. "We better get ready to check them aga-"

"LAND AHOY!" the PA system blared.

The girls looked up, then darted to the command tower. After a few minutes, the Anglerfish Team entered the bridge, and the captain soon saw them and saluted.

"Nishizumi-sensei!" the captain said, her hat shiny. "We have discovered a new coast!"

"Finally!" Saori said. "Hopefully we can find our friends again!"

They looked up. One of the floating screens revealed a zoomed image of something that looked like a coast with trees lining it.

"I honestly don't think so," the captain said, sounding a little nervous.

"Eh?" the others asked.

"We're not in Senshazonia anymore," she replied.


Alright, I hope this chapter has introduced my Self-Propelled Guns, or SPGs, more naturally than the previous chapter. Since at least two of my reviewers remarked that the chapter appeared like a "tank catalog," so I learned from that to try and introduce my SPGs more naturally.

Plus, I rushed over other vehicles; I originally wanted to talk about my own rocket artilleries, but I think that they were not very important, so I rushed them over.

Title is a reference to a famous book; I will tell the answer in the next chapter.

Reviews are appreciated, so yes...I am a fan of cliffhangers.

XD

Panzer vor!