Death and destruction. Two words that are intrinsic to war, that are ingrained into the very concept. But not all death is equal, not all destruction alike. War brings out the worst of the two. No other type of conflict is so large, so encompassing and devouring. And there, in the darkest of times, in the moments when the cruel, horned and clawed beast that lurks inside all humans shows its abominable visage, that is when war truly becomes defined.
Smoldering tents. Wreckage of tanks, metal scraps and metal plating littering the scorched and trampled ground. The horrible silence after a battle, only interrupted by the creaking, crackling and breaking of the little that survived, be that wood, man or machine. Bodies on the ground, trapped in the wrecks of their broken contraptions, hanging upside down from the side of their vehicle, lying face down in the grass. Black smoke rising into the blue sky, signaling the massacre all beneath it.
Corpses dragged by their feet, searched for their dog tags without respect for the dead. Some of them covered in mud, covered in grease, covered in red. Their pride and devotion trampled upon, their ego broken and their resolve all but annihilated. They had not simply lost a fight, they had been destroyed. Their hopes, their dreams of a safe return home, simply gone to never return. Scarred eyes looking up at the sky, unmoving and yet the carnage that surrounded them in their last moments burned firmly within their sight. Death was them. Destruction was all around. Boots and machines still trampled the grass, the ground, the remains of what they had called their home. The boots and machines of those that had sprung on them were like nightmares from their own shadows, unrelenting, powerful beyond all imagination, truly monsters, undying and without the concept of mercy. Their eyes colder than the steel they commanded, their visages unmoving even in the face of the utmost resistance. They were like an army of ants in number and mind, every single one of them sweeping upon them like a demon, fearing nothing, never treating.
Their defense had been valiant. They had fought for their lives like only those that have no retreat behind them. Every meter, every step, every little bit of ground had to be claimed by their enemy, ripped from them by those monstrous hands. One by one, their comrades fell; shot, crushed, beaten and sliced to death. The enemy they faced knew not mercy, knew not reluctance and knew not the meaning of decency. For all they knew of war, for all they thought they knew of war, they were so sorely mistaken in their thinking. They still believed that their enemy, those they fought, were human. That they were living things. But their enemy, that abominable foe, did not think like them at all.
Their lines of defense were broken so easily, so swiftly, as if it was never there. They were outmatched in tactics, in experience, in numbers and most of all they could not match the ferocity and brutality of their opponent. It was not a matter of when they would break the final line of defense, of when they would annihilate every last one of them. Within minutes, they had all but broken their morale, their spirit. Even those that stood steadfast, that stood vigilant, valiant, unwavering, even they had fear written on their now frozen expression. Not merely the fear of dying, not simply the fear of being confronted by an enemy they could not beat. But the fear of that to fight back, that to turn the tide, they would have to become something that none of them were ready for.
It made little difference that their attackers were human just like them, flesh and blood, operating and wielding machines of their own design. To those that were routed, they were demons, covered in savage blood lust. If they still could tell tales, they surely would have described them as three meters tall, their skin black like oil and gunpowder, their eyes glowing red in broad daylight and their commander like the devil itself.
"Survivors?"
"One light tank. Their commander among them." A soldier, half her face hidden by bandages. In her right hand, an assault rifle that had killed at least six people. In her left hand, twenty-five chains that had identity plates, dog tags, attached to them. "Luck was not on their side. Camping right within the borders of the initial suppressing area." Handing over the dog tags to her commanding officer, the soldier briefly lowered just her head without bowing and then turned away.
That makes one hundred and seventy eight tags. That means there were no more than five survivors in that final tank that drove off after they realized they could not hold us off. Their commander has much to learn. The second she saw over a hundred tanks going into battle formation and approaching without so much as identification she should have ordered abandonment of the base and an evacuation. Only legendary commanders like Hannibal were capable of facing such a difference in numbers and experience. The second she decided that they should fight, their fate was sealed. "Round up the bodies! Demolish everything without permanent value! Scorched Earth!" Shouting her orders, she received a loud and almost synchronous Yes Ma'am from her troops in return.
It won't be long now before the news spreads. That from beyond their little world is coming an enemy that doesn't bleed or die as easily as they do. An enemy that even if they should all unite they would not be able to squash. But I am sure my foolish daughters will try nonetheless. Struggle and fight, Maho, Miho. Show me your determination, your skill, your growth.
As she stood there absorbed in her thoughts, she was approached by another soldier, this one without any injuries. "Commander. A message from the second punitive force." Handing over a small radio, one that was clearly newer than world war two, the soldier stood at attention.
Taking the radio, Shiho answered. "Inferno one, Hellfire one." It was the designation for her unit, the first punitive force that enforced a now ever shrinking area of warfare, and then her personal designation.
"Inferno two, Iceburn one." The voice on the other end of the transmission was one that Shiho knew all too well. "Inferno two has arrived at the designated limitation zone as planned without engaging the enemy."
Shiho listened to the transmission and looked at the soldier in front of her. "Losses?"
"Four dead, sixteen injured. Of those, all privates." While they were the punitive force, they were bound to the rules of combat the same way as their much younger, school going compatriots. The extreme difference in losses came from the level of their preparedness, their machines and their experience. Adults, trained as professionals and some of them even serving in the actual JGSDF, were too much for high school girls.
"Chi-Ha-Tan refused to retreat and engaged us in combat. All but three are confirmed killed. The limitation perimeter is being established."
"Shiporin! You just up and killed Chi-Ha-Tan?! You could have given them a warning first!"
Shiho's expression turned from serious to aghast to disbelief to annoyed in a matter of seconds and the soldier in front of her had the good sense to turn away and pretend she would not hear whatever was being said next. "Iceburn, if you could refrain from-"
"We're not part of the tournament, they're not listening in on this frequency. Shiporin, if we get a complaint from Chi-Ha-Tan later because you were itching for a fight and-"
"Chiyo-kichi, you were the one that was so excited to deploy that she went to the bathroom four times!"
"This and that are separate issues!"
Shiho's right eye twitched twice before she could collect herself. "This is all, Hellfire out." Hanging up, Shiho almost wanted to throw the radio at the soldier in front of her. There was only one person in the world that got under her skin like this and of course she had to deploy with her.
Before she could even hand it to the soldier, who was still politely turned around, another transmission came in. It took all of Shiho's composure to not shout into the radio. "Inferno one, Hellfire."
"Inferno three, Thunderstorm."
Shiho breathed an annoyed sigh of relief. Thank god it's Chouno and not Chiyo again. Giving Chouno the same report as her girlfriend, Shiho waited for a reply.
"Inferno three spotted a number of enemies during approach but ultimately they moved out of the target zone before we reached our assigned position."
"A number?"
"From what the lookout was able to discern, three."
What were three solitary people doing all the way at the southern border? Our information didn't indicate that any army exists that far south. "Keep me updated."
"Hellfire, I am going to speak freely." Ami sounded somewhat annoyed, much like Shiho. "I don't fully understand what your relationship with Shimada Chiyo is now, but I ask you to be professional."
"Chouno." Shiho's voice as cold as ice. "Have I ever been unprofessional?"
I am not going to answer that, the army woman thought. "The next move is in twenty four hours at six-hundred hours sharp. Thunderstorm out." Hanging up on Shiho, Chouno breathed a sigh of relief and put the radio back where it belonged, the station inside the tank. I don't approve of how all of this is going down. To close in on them with overwhelming force, without warning or explanation. The administration said it is supposed to mirror the involvement of a superior foreign power in a large war, much like the Americans joined the second world war late and then laid waste to everything. Still, I believe we could have simply declared zones off limits and disqualified teams. This is just spectacle for the audience at this point. "I hope that those in my path will have the good sense of breaking camp."
=== Tea and Cola ===
"[Sure is peaceful...]" Sitting on top of a tank, enjoying the strong breeze and the equally strong sunlight the day had brought, Kay was getting some much needed relaxation. "[Sleeping in was the best decision since kidnapping you.]"
Right there by her side was Darjeeling, enjoying one of the last cups of tea available to her. "[With how peaceful it is, I am quite expectant of fire to rain down at a moment's notice, that the ocean will split open and consume us, or that- Kay, what is the meaning of that look you are giving me?]"
"[Disdain. Disdain for nobles.]" Rocking back and forth for a little, sitting there cross legged and with her hands behind her on the metal roof of the tank, Kay hoped that her girlfriend hadn't jinxed her yet. "[It's still hard to swallow that we got outsmarted by the fools that don't know what a retreat is.]"
"[My, I believe you would fit right in at Chi-Ha-Tan if not for your blonde hair.]"
"[You don't like my hair color? Can you even imagine me with black hair? That would look so wrong, you know?]"
"[I will not even entertain the thought of a black haired version of you. It would bring shame to the Japanese.]"
There was but a breath of notice between saying that and dangerously shaking, her very self-control tested to the highest of limits, trying to contain her laughter and the tea within the cup. "[I- Stop, Kay, I command you- I am going to spill the tea! Kay, please!]" With ragged breathing and a flushed face, Darjeeling was spared from execution through tickling. "[I will remember this.]" Kay flexed her fingers and Darjeeling backed away, a contemptuous look in her eyes. "[Cease this foolishness this instant.]"
"[Who would have thought the lady Darjeeling had such a weakness?]" Flexing her fingers again, Kay faked an attempt to tickle her again but sparing her the agony of such. "[I wonder how often we will be able to enjoy peace like this before things get rough.]"
"[Rough?]" Darjeeling didn't follow Kay's jump to a different subject.
"[You know, the attack last night and everything that's been happening. I'd say we're just in the last big wilderness before the final dungeon and the final boss.]"
"[As usual, your analogies' meaning are quite lost to me.]"
"[The Axis is not gonna just sit around, now that they're all together. Kuromorimine, Ooarai and Bellwall is gonna be a tough nut to crack. And then there's Chi-Ha-Tan out there somewhere, not to mention Pravda. But hey, despite that big cloud of doom hanging over our heads-]"
"[Blade of doom. Derived from the Damocles Sword of fable, and-]" Darjeeling quickly returned to quietness when Kay made a threatening gesture that promised more tickling. "[Y-You're barbaric, threatening me like this.]"
"[I was gonna say Even with that cloud of doom hanging over our heads, I can't ask for anyone better to be by my side. But I guess I won't.]" Turning around and facing within the camp, Kay leaned back far enough to see the world beyond upside down. "[I am gonna give that stupid Nishi a greeting like she's never had.]"
"[Perhaps we ought to question her before you make a mess of things.]"
"[She'll just go I'll give you half the world and- Oh come on Darling, you don't even know that? It's the classic of all classics! Dragon quest! The dragon lord!]"
"[Just what kind of education did you have as a child?]"
"[Hey!]"
"[Americans are quite obsessed with video games it seems. No wonder that your code words are such an overly flavorful mess.]"
"[Wow, no trash talking my carefully selected code words!]"
"[Kay, I love you with all of my heart and mind, but Saunders' code language is quite possible the greatest affront to military communication within the last half millennium.]"
"[With all your heart and mind?]" Kay's smirk could have split the heavens.
"[I will take that back if you do not stop smirking.]"
"[No take backs on pro… pro… Hold on just a second!]" Rolling over and pulling a truly tiny dictionary, with even tinier writing on the tiny pages, out of her pocket, Kay feverishly flipped the pages, found what she was looking for and turned back toward her girlfriend as if that just now had not happened at all. "[No take backs in proclamations of love!]"
"[A proclamation is a public announcement regarding matters of great importance, Kay.]"
"[So? You said it out loud, that's public! And I can't imagine anything of greater importance to me!]"
"[Your exaggeration no longer affects me.]"
"[Your face says otherwise.]" At the time, Darjeeling could not have known that Kay was lying right through her teeth. The very idea that she was blushing without knowing was what ended up making her blush and she realized that just seconds after Kay's face lit up with a dirty grin. "[Tricking a lady is most despicable.]"
"[I didn't say anything specific about your face though.]" Kay was getting a handle on how to pull a fast one on Darjeeling.
"[I am no longer talking to you.]" Finishing her tea a little quicker than she intended, Darjeeling got back on her feet and was ready to leave. But something caught her attention. "[Kay.]"
"[I thought you weren't gonna talk to me-]" She was interrupted by Darjeeling kicking her shoulder, saying her name once again, with clear distress in her voice.
Kay looked to where Darjeeling was looking, there in the distance, beyond the camp. There, on the green pastures that were so peaceful, a singular entity was approaching at high speed, kicking up dirt and grass in its wake. A single tank. It was too far to tell what kind or what nationality, but there was one thing that stood out enormously. "[A white flag.]" The words came out of Kay's throat with disbelief. Jumping up, Kay took a breath so deep that air filled her lungs to the brim. And in the next instant, a horribly shrill whistle alarmed not just anyone nearby but made them spring to action. The whistle was delayed and within moments, the base was on high alert.
As the tank came closer, one of their subordinates supplied both Darjeeling and Kay with information. "[A single Type-97 Chi-Ha, identifiable as belonging to Chi-Ha-Tan, is approaching at roughly 29 km/h, indicating that the tank is possibly damaged or intentionally not running at maximum speed.]"
"[Ready the approached base border to open fire at the sight of any conspicuous or suspicious behavior. I don't care if they have a white flag raised or not.]" Kay's orders were not rebutted by Darjeeling, even though they violated the military code of ethnics of both countries. A white flag was a universal sign of surrender even now, but in the days of night raids, abduction and theft, such things were not was they used to be.
Leaving their vantage point, the two commanders met with Eclair, who was looking positively antagonized by this news. "Ces imbéciles! Comment osent-ils montrer leur visage!" Ranting in incoherent French for a moment, Darjeeling didn't bother to translate for Kay. It was little more than Eclair acting out, insulting Chi-Ha-Tan and shouting how dare they were to show their faces. "[We shall fire upon them!]"
"[If they make any suspicious moves, we will fire on them, but not without provocation.]" Kay still retained a small modicum of decency and dignity.
"[I believe this is a more serious matter than both of you anticipate.]" Darjeeling's thoughts had raced from one conclusion to the next. "[The uncharacteristic attack on us. The stealth and layered redundancy of their plan. The approach of a single, surrendering tank now just before noon. In any case, I am interested in what they are planning by approaching us.]"
"[Whatever it is, we're going to pay them back for-]" Kay clicked her tongue when one of their soldiers came running towards them, shouting. Coming to a sliding stop, she tried to salute properly and Kay just waved at her. "[Talk.]"
"[The tank has come to a halt roughly seven hundred meters outside the outer most defense ring. Due to the already reduced speed and the way it came to a halt, our observes believe the tank has run out of fuel.]"
"[Has anyone left the vehicle? Any sight of other forces?]" Darjeeling questioned the soldier.
"[No and no.]"
"[Ready a light tank for departure.]" Darjeeling watched Kay's face show objection and before those could be voiced, she killed them at the root. "[The plain is large, flat and easily surveyed. There is nothing that can hide another tank or troops within 1500 to 2000 meters of it.]"
"[I'm coming with you.]" Kay was not going to let her partner go out there alone.
"[Naturally.]" Darjeeling remained stern as she said so.
Within fifteen minutes, a single light tank from Maginot, a Renault R39, chosen not for the speed or armor, both of which were lackluster, but because even if abandoned, it would only be a small, negligible loss. But as the tank got closer to the seemingly abandoned Chi-Ha-Tan vehicle, the occupants became restless. There was no movement to see anywhere, and no sign of those within the enemy vehicle emerging.
Even when the two tanks were side by side, no movement was the only thing worth reporting. Darjeeling didn't trust this tank. It's quite possible it is rigged with explosives and was driven her by some means of automation. But that would be quite an easily thwarted scheme. But I cannot rule it out. Still, we need to ascertain the contents of that vehicle. "[Contact base, have a jeep drive up here and bring machinery to break open that tank.]"
Kay and Darjeeling waited in silence, the tank having driven away a good thirty meters to avoid a direct hit by a possible bomb. An assortment of six girls, four from Saunders and two from Gloriana, got to work on the tank. Checking the exterior for explosives was their first task, followed by trying to unlock the hatch conventionally. Finally, they had to resort to cutting through the hatch itself with specialized tools.
And what awaited the breaking crew was beyond their imagination. One of the girls staggered backyards, falling off the tank, hitting the ground hard and rolling over, covering her mouth. Another just fell flat on her butt, covering her mouth as well. The remaining four displayed various levels of disgust and quickly waved towards the tank that housed their commanders.
Kay and Darjeeling didn't wait for the tank to drive, left on their own and ran towards the unknown. They were greeted by the particular type of stench that only existed on the battlefield. Darjeeling had to cover her mouth and nose while Kay withstood the smell that came from within the tank.
Down there, in the dark, were bodies, riddled with wounds and a powerful smell of death, sweat, gunpowder, blood and other things emanating from within. And from what Kay could see, nobody was moving. Without asking any questions, Kay climbed into the tank, the stench now overwhelming, her gag reflex just barely suppressed. What the hell happened here? Being inside, Kay prodded the soldier that was leaned against the wall where the gunner would sit. Not even a groan came from her. Dead. "[One confirmed dead!]" Dragging the body from where it was, Kay shoved it a little up the ladder, where two other soldiers grabbed the corpse just under the arms, lifting it out.
The next body she tried was the radio operator right behind her, the girl hunched over her machine. Prodding her once, then shaking her, Kay still got no response and it became clear why when she pulled the body back. Her entire face was covered in red and her scalp was wet. She must have fainted and bled out after she got in here. The sight of the enemy combatant being in this condition turned Kay's stomach. This is way but… to die this way is inhumane. Lifting her out of the tank was a bit of a challenge because she smelled quite strongly of dirt and something Kay couldn't place.
The next one she tried was a girl on the ground, whom she had carefully stepped around. She had little hope that someone on the floor like that was still alive, so she hadn't bothered until now. Turning her over, she found a large gaping wound on the right side of her throat, her left hand covered in red, just like her throat and uniform. Shot in the neck…
There were only two more and at this point, Kay had little hope that there was anyone that had survived. The driver and a girl hunched against the back of the commander's seat. Trying the driver first, merely because someone had to have driven the tank until here, Kay prodded her, then shook her, and to her surprise, she got a response. A muffled groan, a wet, drowning cough accompanied a shaking body that couldn't move on its own anymore. "[We got a survivor!]" Kay shouted. "[Get a medic to come in from base now!]" There is no way this is a trap. Chi-Ha-Tan would not sacrifice their own people like this.
The girl, clearly on the verge of death, coughed violently and seemed to choke on her own blood from trying to say something. Chi-Ha-Tan being the Japanese army, she spoke in Japanese. "The… commander… help… her..." Raising her arm in what seemed to be pure agony, the driver pointed at the commander's seat, a girl with long hair hunched over behind it, before she fell off the chair.
Despite Kay catching her, breaking her fall, the driver's eyes were vacant and empty now. Kay had difficult breathing, difficulty swallowing. She had fought, she had killed and she had made hard decisions before. But this was the first time that someone had died right in front of her. She was the only one that had heard her dying words. And even though she was supposed to be an enemy, Kay couldn't hate her.
Putting her down for now, Kay attended to the girl she had ignored until now. She was hunched over so badly that Kay could not see her face, only a curtain of black hair that was oh so characteristic of the girls at Chi-Ha-Tan and so she hadn't thought much of it. But pushing her up, gently, Kay recognized the bloody face of Chi-Ha-Tan's commander. Her entire body was covered in blood, her uniform a grotesque dark red, a horrible smell coming from her. There's no way she's… Slapping the commander's cheek, Kay was surprised when she received a groaning reply. "[Where is that medic?!]"
"[Kay what is the situation in there?]" Darjeeling was looking down from above, unable to fully make out what was happening.
"[Nishi! Nishi is down here and barely alive!]" Kay couldn't believe that she thought about this as a positive thing. "[Hey, Nishi, what happened to you lot? Why are you here?]"
But Kay's words were just met by groaning and disorientation. The sensation of someone dying right in front of her was still vivid in her mind and she didn't want to go through that twice within minutes. "[Where is that bloody medic?!]"
The medic arrived only thirty seconds later and within a minute, Kay was back out on the tank, pale and a little bit shaken. "[I never thought seeing someone die up close would affect me so much.]"
"[All of this matches my worst assumptions. Someone stole from Chi-Ha-Tan to stage the assault on us and then decimated them. Accounting for their numbers and those who are left, I believe this has to be the work of Pravda.]"
"[Did you see the state the bodies were in?]" Kay was sitting on the tank, while Darjeeling was standing. "[Would even Pravda be that violent?]"
"[They might have sustained those wounds in a fire fight. If Nishi is in there, their base must have fallen. She would not escape if not all was lost.]"
"[Now that I'm not up close to it anymore, I am getting goosebumps thinking about the blood covered face of the radio operator or the horrible hole in the throat of what was probably their loader.]" Kay felt sick to her stomach. "[We're all guilty of murder here, it's war after all, but this just doesn't feel right. It's excessive. Nishi was covered in so much blood, it's impossible for all of it to be her own.]"
"[Leave us. Get back to base and arrange for the bodies to be rinsed off at the very least before we put them down.]" Darjeeling waited for everyone to leave and knelt next to Kay. "[I know this must be difficult, but war brings out great darkness within people. Whoever did this to Chi-Ha-Tan, they will not escape unscathed.]"
"[I feel like a movie character saying this but… my gut tells me that wasn't done by anyone normal. They must all have been alive in some way when they got into that tank, but now they're all dead. Just thinking about what could be so bad that soldiers from Chi-Ha-Tan would run away with their tail between their legs makes me feel ill. Everyone makes fun of them for never retreating and always ending up defeated because of it, but in some way, it's bravery. So think about what could be so bad that those brave idiots would run away, commander included.]" Despite the sun being high in the sky, Kay trembled a little. "[It's like there are monsters out there.]"
"[You think the Axis did this to them? Kuromorimine certainly seems like they could be heartless enough to do something like this.]"
"[If Nishi makes it, we'll find out.]" Looking straight at Darjeeling, the American smiled awkwardly. "[I had to open my damn mouth about there not being any more peaceful moments.]"
"[You are hereby formally banned from any more commentary that might doom us.]" Darjeeling took her partner's hand as she said so. "[To put it in your words Kay, get a grip. You are the Kinuyo Nishi of Saunders. If your morale breaks, if you are afraid, then so will be everyone else.]"
Kay sighed a little, then sighed heavily and finally slapped her own cheeks loud enough that it was like a bullet being fired. "[We'll get the bastards that did this, right?]"
"[One thing at a time. We will have to learn who they are before we can get them.]"
"[We'll just kick everyone's ass and that way we can be sure! You can call me Yoyo from now on.]"
"[Kay, I will disown you if-]"
"[Because I bounce back so quickly.]"
Darjeeling's face did a funny thing where it distorted in anger and yet, she couldn't help but grin at her partner's optimism and ability to joke in a situation like this. "[For now we will wait on whether Nishi will survive. A plan of action will follow the outcome of this situation.]"
=== Tea and Cola ===
Kinuyo Nishi was moved from the confines of her tank to the headquarters of the allied forces shortly after Kay regained her enthusiasm. A map that depicted the location of the Chi-Ha-Tan camp as well as other strategic points was found in the tank as well, in moderate condition. Darjeeling dispatched a number of their soldiers to track down the site of the base and ascertain what had transpired there in case Nishi would not live through the day and succumb to her injuries. This group of subordinates was led and commanded by Assam, with Rosehip by her side. Four girls from Saunders and three more from Gloriana formed a search and investigate coalition that had just now reached far enough into neutral territory to see smoke rising into the sky where Chi-Ha-Tan's base was supposed to be.
"[That's not a good sign.]" Rosehip was one of two soldiers on top of the tank, watching the area through binoculars, the other girl from Saunders and covering mostly their rear. "[Heavy black smoke up ahead, directly in the path of the target coordinates.]" Relaying the information to Assam, Rosehip felt her blood boil. They had all seen the bloodied bodies that had been retrieved from the tank. Their state had been likened to that of corpses mauled by wild animals.
"[Go into reverse and drive the tank into the forest patch at 9 o' clock.]" Assam didn't want to alert whoever might still be at the battlefield. Commander Darjeeling gave me explicit orders to bring everyone back alive, even if it means aborting the mission. But for now… "[Prepare for dismount and infantry operation. Light gear only. Silent protocol from here on out.]"
The nine of them, took a significant detour through patches of forest to the west of the Chi-Ha-Tan base, with two girls from Saunders at the helm and Rosehip covering their rear. Using trees as cover, they were within sight of the base after fifteen minutes of ground operation. "[Cover.]" Assam directed the girls with just gestures – the three from Gloriana getting in position for cover fire in case of an enemy attack. Assam and Rosehip themselves slowly advancing with the four girls from Saunders, crawling through the bushes. The first thing they all noticed was the smell. Something is still burning, they all thought. Rosehip felt a little out of place in a mission like this, but Assam had specifically asked for her. When push came to shove, Rosehip would be able to escape on her own, on foot if necessary. It was not just her way of commanding a tank that spoke of her addiction to great speed.
Getting closer, they could finally see past the trees and the base proper. And what a sight it was. It's completely in ruins. Tents, tanks, storage crates, it's all trashed. And there's people! Assam showed everyone a quick hand sign and they all covered even more, making themselves as close to invisible as possible in the bushes and between the trees. Carefully taking the binoculars she wore around her neck, Assam got the first good luck at the people that had destroyed everything.
Every single hair on her arms, neck and legs stood up when she identified the aggressors, their weapons and machines. She didn't need to be embroiled in an actual conflict with them to understand. No, even without that, fear grabbed hold of her heart just fine. Her intellect didn't serve her now, it worked against her. "[Why are they here...]" Questioning their presence under her breath, Assam caught a quick look of their leader. And when fear had grabbed hold of her before, now it was terror. She had participated in many tankery battles, in many prolonged conflicts and she had met many outstanding officers. And most of all, she served under Darjeeling, who she believed to be a genius at commanding. And even so, even with all that experience, what she looked upon put all of that to shame. A single look was enough to tell her that some things transcended normal human understanding. "[Nishizumi… Shiho...]" A retired pro league commander that was legendary for her ruthlessness and a policy of no mercy. What, what is she doing here? Why is she leading the pro league? Why did they destroy Chi-Ha-Tan? What is going on? Assam noticed how riled up she was when her vision shook – her hands were shaking and so was the binocular. Looking down, at the ground, she tried to calm herself.
There has to be an explanation for this. For their being here, for the destruction of Chi-Ha-Tan. Did they violate the rules and were destroyed for that? But that doesn't make sense. They could simply be disqualified. And Nishi and the others all adhered to the rules still. No, there has to be something else going on here. Looking up again, Assam had lost track of the adult Nishizumi. We cannot infiltrate them because the troops are entirely composed of adults. And their uniform is different as well. Isn't that the actual uniform of the JGSDF? Looking around, Assam was unable to find the enemy commander again. Focusing on the common soldier instead, Assam realized that the weapons and even the tanks they were using were all adhering to the standard pro league restrictions. So they destroyed Chi-Ha-Tan seemingly effortlessly while using the same machines and weapons that are available to everyone? That's a frightening difference in skill. But with lady Darjeeling commanding us… No, the enemy is Nishizumi Shiho. That Nishizumi Shiho. I heard rumors about her rising through the ranks by being the final survivor against an army of sixteen and taking out all of her enemies with just one tank. The black demon that never misses a shot. After spending years and years hearing about how dreadful and one sided battles were that Nishizumi Shiho participated in, Assam found that logic really didn't have much of a say in her interpretation of that woman and her capabilities.
"[Retreat.]" Assam's voice didn't reach anyone but Rosehip at first. Then she signaled the others, who had been making their own observations. As quietly as they had come they left, thinking themselves safe and sound. But this was merely their delusion.
Nishizumi Shiho was sitting further in the camp, on top of a large wooden crate that had survived the onslaught. She had nothing to do in particular so she read the combat reports of Kuromorimine and Ooarai since the war had started. For her, an enjoyable past time that illustrated how much her daughters had grown or had yet to grow. Also, it allowed her to claim she was busy reading important documents so Chiyo wouldn't call her four times an hour.
"The intruders have retreated." The report came to Shiho as no surprise.
Earlier, her security had reported an undefined group of intruders heading through the forests towards their camp. Shiho had foreseen the forests around their current position being a possible security risks so she positioned snipers with radios within the trees. "Affiliation and numbers?"
"Gloriana, five. Two were left behind a quarter click out. Possibly security for a retreat. Saunders, four." The soldier making the report was someone from the actual JSDF, who had served for six years. Taking part in this war game was not exactly what she had in mind when she signed up to serve. Doubly so because they were essentially beating on children. But orders were orders and as much as she would have liked to discredit the woman that was giving her orders, Nishizumi Shiho was famous for her military genius even in the actual JSDF.
"Proximity?" Shiho was very much a stickler for the rules.
"They came within fifteen meters of the boundary. As per your orders, we did not engage." It would have been simple to put all of them out of the game. As a proper soldier, no matter what the rules said, she would not think about what they did as killing. Anyone with actual military training wouldn't be able to confuse what they did here with real, deadly warfare.
"That is all. Dismissed." Shiho paused reading the records and started to think. Gloriana and Saunders. According to our data, we will reach their location within three days. Their appearance now is no coincidence. The escaped vehicle must have reached an area that the allied forces control. That is unfortunate but not beyond the margin of acceptable error. That girl from Gloriana… what was her name? Darjeeling, I believe. From the way she conducts herself, she lacks a decisive drive for victory in war, but she is otherwise somewhat capable. Given her influence over the Saunders girl, they will most likely opt out of fighting our advance. The Maginot girl will not attempt to mount a defense of her own. Within five days at most, this battle will be concluded.
Shiho returned to reading the combat records for a moment, then spoke up. "Private Higashi." Shiho was glad she didn't have to speak in a different language. As far as the official tournament factions were concerned, she was one of three leaders of the Imperial Japanese Army, striking down all opposition if they should not flee.
A soldier in her mid-twenties with dark hair stepped forward, having stood guard a few meters away. "Yes Ma'am?"
"Get HQ on the line."
"Ma'am?" The soldier was confused by this order that lacked a clear explanation and waited around just long enough for Shiho to look up from my documents. And she felt like an enormous snake was staring her down, ready to eat her. No words had to be spoken for her to realize she was expected to simply execute the order without questioning it.
Three clicks away, Assam finally felt the pressure of the new enemy pass. And finally, she lifted her earlier order of silence. "[What is the… what do I even call them?]" Assam was thinking out loud, for herself, for the sake of ordering her thoughts.
"[Their tanks bore the insignia of the Imperial Japanese Army, the rising sun flag.]" One of the Saunders' girls, with short blonde hair, spoke up. It was quite cramped inside the tank with so many people, but their commanders had insisted both on using only one tank and having an armed party with the Gloriana scouts.
"[The Imperial Japanese Army?]" That does explain the sheer force and brutality they displayed. Not to mention that they are made up of professionals. "[What is the IJA doing here then? They bear no involvement in this conflict.]"
"[Your guess is as good as mine,]" the same girl from Saunders replied. "[But at least we know who made short work out of Chi-Ha-Tan now.]"
"[You're taking this pretty well.]" One of the girls from Gloriana, a brunette with a brain, was having trouble keeping her hands from shaking. "[You saw her, didn't you? The demon that has metal flowing through her veins.]"
"[I did. But freaking out won't help.]"
I can tell she served under Kay. She has that same attitude that our Lady Darjeeling seems to find so comforting. "[In any case, we need to report back to base. Possibly get a highly mobile surveillance unit out here to monitor the situation.]"
"[Hey, you think the Imperial Army showed up because they got tired of sitting around and doing nothing?]" Rosehip didn't realize just how close to the truth her idea was.
"[They would require a much more… pressing reason than that. The Japanese government would not deploy them so easily. Not in a global conflict of this magnitude.]" It's a little bothersome to be creative with this. The pro league is invading our battle, but we can't treat it like that. It would completely ruin the immersion for everyone.
"[No, no, maybe it's because it's such a big war. They couldn't stand seeing Chi-Ha-Tan drop the ball and stepped in.]" Rosehip looked proud that she had gotten that saying correctly. "[Maybe they went after Ooarai too.]"
If they went after Ooarai, they would also clash with Bellwall and Kuromorimine. Even the pro league would have a hard time taking all three of them on at once. It would be different if they had Nishizumi Shiho to command them, but… "[For the time being we need more information. Speculation will get us nowhere. I am the ranking officer of this mission and I am deeming it too dangerous to leave anyone behind to observe the IJA. We are returning to base.]" I have a really bad feeling about all of this. Whatever they are here for, taking them on unprepared and in a direct fight is absolutely suicide. We might be able to whittle them down some in a tankery match through our sheer numbers, but if they storm the base and it turns into a fire fight, we… wait.. Without the pro league training in infantry operations, we might have an advantage. Even though they are physically superior, we have a greater understanding of the weapons and procedure.
The overly crowded tank departed with Assam still deep in thought. But what if this was designed to happen from the beginning? No, they would have definitely had to disclose something like this. And the fact that they are seemingly just idling at the ruins of Chi-Ha-Tan's base is bothering me. What reason do they have to just be there instead of pressing on while the element of surprise is still on their side? Their commander is not known to be a woman indulging in arrogance or overconfidence. No, there has to be some other reason. Thinking about this logically, there is really only one explanation for their stay there. They were ordered to. But who could give orders to Nishizumi Shiho? The tankery federation director? But is that really a person that is capable of directing an army? And even so, what would his reason for doing this be? To create tension on the battlefield? Why not announce their arrival then? Why destroy Chi-Ha-Tan, the Japanese representatives? And why display the flag of the Imperial Army? The more I think about this, the more question I have. Why now? Why there? Why aren't they moving? And there is something else that bothers me. The how. I didn't get a good look at their numbers, but even the IJA cannot make war without machinery and equipment. And where did that come from? Spares that were on board? That would be some excessive reserves. Privately owned vehicles? There shouldn't be enough of those to form an army, certainly not one so unified. Were they specifically brought in? But from where? Did the professional league order them shipped? Were they brought in before, making this a planned incursion? Now I am back to the why and why now. I simply don't have enough information.
"[Assam.]" Rosehip saw the deep frown on her girlfriend's face and tried to distract her by poking her hand.
"[We are still on mission, Rosehip.]" Assam wouldn't have any of it.
"[I know, I know. So I was thinking-]" The entire tank gasped in surprise. "[I am going to remember every single one of you. I'll make a list.]" Rosehip felt a little grumpy. She would take that kind of talk from Assam and Lady Darjeeling, maybe even from Ranko, but definitely not from those below her in rank. "[I was thinking, what if they're not the only ones out there? There is also… you know, that other army.]" Rosehip tried with amazing power to communicate the university league through just her eyes and she felt immensely accomplished when Assam picked up on it.
"[That would be quite a problem. But the battlefield is very large. We have no possible way to survey all of it. Even if we conducted a search sector by sector, they might simply go around us. But you're right… if there is another branch of the IJA out there, possibly on the other side, we might be in more immediate danger than we thought.]" Their idling there might be a distraction so we let down our guard or shift our defensive focus towards that side when the university league is on the other end. There is no basis for this other than that we cannot rule it out. More pressing still is the scenario that much like Nishizumi Shiho, the university league might be commanded by Shimada Chiyo. Between those two, Shimada might be even worse than Nishizumi, given the circumstances and options available in this war. Thankfully those two are quite hateful of each other. It would be a nightmare come true to have them work together. Perhaps we can deal with them one at a time. Maybe set things up so that the Axis becomes their next target instead, diminishing their numbers. Their… numbers. Are they even bound to the same rules as we are? I am getting nowhere. I need more information.
Back at the base of the allied forces, Kay and Darjeeling were receiving some uncomfortable news. "[Her injuries are severe. If we could get her to a hospital, that would be one thing, but out here, there is not a lot I can do.]" Gloriana employed six medics while Saunders had eight. Among those fourteen combined, two stood out as especially knowledgeable.
The medics had a largely thankless role in the war. Ascertaining the level and severity of injury and whether someone was fit to continue serving or not. Given the nature of the war and their fight, they had to take a special morality test where their impartiality was tested. Much like any other doctor or medic, the patient came first and allegiance to their army came second. Despite all of that, being a medic also meant being qualified to take life saving measures out on the battlefield. A double-edged blade.
Kay hesitated to open her mouth and say the words that needed saying. By the time she found her resolve, Darjeeling had taken the burden upon herself. "[We need to question her. Is there any way by which you can make her regain lucidity?]"
"[Not without most likely killing her shortly thereafter.]" The medic, the head medic from Saunders, wasn't comfortable with the idea of robbing a patient of the few hours they had left. But those hours would be filled with agony, internal bleeding and delirium. And she understood the importance of questioning Kinuyo Nishi. "[I will bring her around. Please wait for a moment.]"
"[Sorry.]" Kay apologized on the spot, more disappointed in her herself than anything else. "[Stuff like that should be my job, and-]"
"[Do you understand why it is that we both complement each other?]"
"[Because we're super duper in love?]"
Darjeeling could tell that Kay really didn't understand. "[Not compliment. Complement. Why we are more together than just the sum of our qualities.]" And after a moment of telling silence, Darjeeling continued. "[You are full of enthusiasm and vigor. You inspire the troops in a way I cannot. But you lack greater judgment and the stomach to make harder choices. That is why I asked the medic and why you hesitated. I am the mind, you are the heart of our army.]"
"[It's pretty rude to say I have no mind.]"
Darjeeling stepped on Kay's foot as covertly and strongly as possible. "[Quiet, you buffoon.]"
"[If we had an extra tank for every single way you call me a buffoon, we would already have won.]" Kay just took the pain of Darjeeling grinding her heel on her foot like a real soldier.
The medic came back out of the tent. "[She's lucid. I gave her adrenaline, magnesium sulphate and calcium chloride will most likely cause deadly hemorrhaging within a few minutes.]" The medic's expression was grim and her face was a little pale when she sat down on a nearby wooden crate, contemplating that she had basically just killed an enemy commander under her care.
Nishi's breathing was ragged and despite being lucid, she was metaphorically chained to the field bed. "[Darjeeling, Kay. L-Listen.]" Coughing briefly, Nishi tried to at least sit up but failed miserably, breaking into a more intense cough.
"[Who attacked you?]" Darjeeling was leading the questioning.
"[The Imperial Japanese Army.]" Nishi understood that even now she couldn't break the rules. Death was coming towards her swiftly. "[To end up like this after fleeing and leaving my subordinates behind to die for me… shame over shame upon me. How can I ever hope to f-face-]"
"[Tell me about the Imperial Army.]" Darjeeling realized that her scouts might be in serious danger.
"[They're beyond human.]" Nishi lost a significant chunk of her color, turning pale like a ghost. "[Tall, strong, unified. Tenacious, merciless, seemingly immune to fear and pain. They're like demons, commanded by the devil herself.]"
"[The devil?]" Kay didn't like the sound of that.
"[The woman said to crush her enemies so thoroughly that not even their soul remains.] Chi-Ha-Tan had their own rumors and nicknames for that woman. "[It was horrible. Silent, like puppets, they struck down my people. There was no stopping them. I wished to die among my sisters in arms, in battle, with glory. Yet, wounded and unable to resist, I was taken away, betrayed, by my own soldiers. A courageous mission to tell the closest force of the plague that was devouring us alive. That's what they called it.]" Nishi paused for a moment. "[It seems they fulfilled their mission.]"
"[We will see to it that their bodies are returned to your homeland.]" Kay was the one that figured out a nice way to tell her that they were already released.
"[I know how this will sound… how ironic it is of me to say this...]" Nishi's eyes suddenly flew wide open and she grabbed Kay's left wrist as hard as she could. "[Don't fight them! They overran us like we were nothing! They're not an enemy we can beat!]" Her eyes wandered for just a moment before she launched into a horrible coughing fit that lasted for all of seven seconds before she lay motionless, with mouth and eyes still open, on the field bed for a long moment.
One of the medics moved both of the commanders out of the tent just after Nishi had passed on. It was extremely rare for anyone but the medics to be present when someone was declared unfit to continue or declared dead, so they didn't exactly know what to do with their chiefs in commands other than get them out of the way so they could do their job.
"[We didn't really learn a lot.]" Kay was disappointed and a little weirded out by how that had gone. We definitely need better rules for instances like this. I saw one of the medics tapping their wrist to tell Nishi that time was up. "[The Imperial Japanese Army? Was there an army like that?]"
"[There is now. Which is worrying me quite a lot.]"
"[Think we should send someone after Assam?]"
"[Assam is quite capable to take care of herself. If they are as dangerous as Nishi made it seem, she will know to retreat without engaging them in any way.]"
"[You know who would be real handy to have around right about now?]"
"[The information brokers.]"
"[Stop reading my mind, I wanna look clever once in a while.]"
With Kinuyo Nishi and the five escapees from the battle dead, Chi-Ha-Tan was no longer a player in the war. Within hours they had turned from an important force suspected of pulling a significant fast one on the allies into a memory. Nishi's body was not even cold yet when Assam returned, loaded with enough questions to last a very long conversation.
Ten minutes after Assam's return, the three commanders and Assam had confined themselves in one of the larger tents, discussing what Assam had seen and what Nishi had said.
"[Considering the economic ramifications of this war, the IJA most likely stepped in to bring it to a close. Their overwhelming force is no surprise, considering.]"
"[The economic what?]" Kay didn't want to look this up in a dictionary, not now.
"[Our being here, all of us. Pravda, Kuromorimine, Bellwall, Ooarai, Saunders, Gloriana and Maginot. We are putting a great economic strain on our homelands. War is quite expensive and considering we are using the regional territory of the Japanese for our conflict it stands to reason that they are the ones most severely affected by it. In turn, they mounted a defense that-]" Darjeeling could see that both Eclair and Kay weren't able to follow her. Wiggling her index finger, having them come closer, she started over, with a quiet voice.
"The contest has gone on for longer than planned. They most likely didn't expect it to last this long. The media coverage, the carrier itself, all the schools, this all costs a ton of money. And we are probably running in overtime right now. So they sent in the professional league to put an end to the battle. There's a number of possibilities of how they are going to do it, but the one I believe to have the highest likelihood of being true is that they will gradually shrink the territory accessible to the remaining players. Assam said that Rosehip suggested that the college league might also be involved somewhere else. I find that to be highly likely. A one-sided elimination of territory would be the very definition of stacking the odds against certain schools. So I suspect they have two to four armies out there, taking over territory."
"How do you know all that?" Kay was even more impressed than usual.
"I do not actually know this, it is my best estimate of the current situation. To start, the administration most likely never expected different schools to form alliances. Kay's abduction and forceful seduction of me set off a chain reaction because no matter how large a school, fighting both Saunders and Gloriana combined without an ally of their own would be foolish. Then the weather stopped cooperating. Further, the information brokers seem to be deliberately creating mayhem among the other schools. All these factors together are pointing towards this contest lasting much longer than it was supposed to. That by itself would not be an issue if they had rules in place for such a contingency, but they do not. That means they need to bring the battle to a close. On the other hand, they cannot simply call it off after this much tension between schools has been created. All of our schools would put in complaints, not to mention that Japan, the host country of this first war game, would look quite incompetent. The Imperial Japanese Flag was most likely used to make it seem like this involvement of the professional league is like a foreign and planned incursion. Like a natural countdown that gradually diminishes the available territory."
The three that were inside the tent with her all stared at her with great intensity after that lengthy explanation. "In any case, given Chi-Ha-Tan's cultural standards, the way they conduct tankery and the personality of their leader… I suspect that if they had abandoned their base and fled from the approaching army, they would have lived a short while longer." Darjeeling could already see the questions on their faces. "To abandon base means to abandon supplies, places of rest and most of your fuel and ammunition. They would not have lasted long. Based on the location of Chi-Ha-Tan's base relative to the distance of the edge of the further most zones… if they advance the same distance every day, they will reach us in three days. If they advance until they have eliminated one contestant… that will make things much more difficult."
"Their intention most likely isn't for the pro league to get rid of everyone." Eclair was glad that for once she was not shackled by the English language. "I will bet that they are just shrinking the territory every day. There are some video games like that. If they never shrink the combat zone, some people will just hide forever and the game never ends. So most likely they're just gonna shrink the zones we can go to until we're forced to duke it out with Kuromorimine and the others."
"If they are shrinking the area, they have to be doing it from more than one point. That means everyone that is left is going to be forced into one small arena soon." Assam hoped that everyone knew what that meant.
"So what? We'll kick their butt! And I think this is actually an amazing solution to our alliance problem." Kay was fired up, thinking about finally getting to engage in massive combat with the Axis. "We beat the crap out of Pravda, take down the Axis and then we stick together and bring the fight to the adults."
"You wish us to fight the professional league? We did win against selection university, but we are talking about professionals, some of them with two decades of experience or more." Darjeeling realized what Kay was getting at just after she had given her response. "I am both surprised and not surprised at all that you would come up with something like that."
"We duke it out with them until there's only one school left. That way we won't have to fight each other and we get to test just how we compare to the pro league." Kay looked positively fired up. "I'm gonna leave the complicated logistical and information stuff to you, though, I'm really aware that I'm made for kicking butt, not pushing paper." Kay knew that wasn't really how the analogy worked. "You know what I mean."
"I hate to be a spoilsport but it is starting to look really suspicious, the four of us just whispering to each other." Assam wanted to remind everyone that the war game was still going on. "[These will be our final days together. We won't forget those that have fallen and we will not forget those yet to fall.]"
"[Assam, I am giving you full command and authority to handpick seven people beside yourself to establish a surveillance team just beyond the border of the IJA's territory. We need to be able to discern how far the troops will move come the next dawn or dusk.]" Darjeeling gave a clear order and then turned to Eclair. "[We need to make preparations for our departure. I do not wish to experience the same fate as the brave girls and women of Chi-Ha-Tan have.]" In plain words, this was an order to figure out how to drag everything they really needed with them and out of the way of the IJA's path.
"[Understood.]" Assam saluted and immediately left the tent to obey her order. At this point in their alliance there were very few soldiers that did not know the faces and names of the higher ranking people in the alliance's command hierarchy. This made it easy for Assam to command and draft even people from Maginot and Saunders without objection. But the first person she selected was for her own mental stability and general moral.
=== Tea and Cola ===
With Chi-Ha-Tan gone, the alliance spend most of their day focusing on logistics. News of the IJA spread through the ranks like a wildfire and after initial insecurity and fear, Kay's mood and enthusiasm proved once again to be contagious. With Darjeeling and Eclair looking like they had nigh a worry about the IJA, the soldiers at large started to look forward to proving themselves against the ultimate enemy.
Late in the afternoon, an hour before the appointed time for dinner, Kay had to step out because her head was about to explode. Darjeeling and Eclair made use of the opportunity that Kay created to take a break themselves. While Kay was out and about, doing some practice shooting with ammo they would almost certainly have to leave behind, Eclair and Darjeeling stuck together, enjoying the sunlight on top of a large crate a few meters outside the tent they used to plan logistics.
"[I can see what you like about her.]" Eclair's English had improved significantly through the almost non-stop use. "[I
"[Inconveniently for you, I am quite sure there are very few like her out there.]"
"[That's unfortunate.]"
"[What is it that you like about her?]"
"[She's kinda macho.]"
Darjeeling covered her mouth, little did it do to suppress her laughter. "[Oh dear, if you tell her that she will be making jokes about movies for days. And I'm surprised a French woman like you would find that quality of her attractive.]"
"[French girls lack the extreme individual… personality she has.]"
"[So you like tall, wild, American macho girls?]"
"[I am surprised by that myself.]"
Smiling, Darjeeling looked towards the sky. "[So a girl like Naomi would be exactly what you are looking for, yes?]"
A few days ago, Eclair would have hastily put up her hands and denied it, embarrassed beyond measure. But now, with everything that had happened, she was much more composed. Which didn't mean she wasn't blushing. "[What gave us away?]"
"[Naomi is close to Kay and Kay has a very poor concept of personal boundaries. From what I heard from Kay, Naomi can be a bit of a womanizer, but if you get her to commit to an actual relationship, she will not be unfaithful. Although I heard that the French are people of passion and-]"
"[That's the Italians. They're the impulsive, passionate ones. I wouldn't want to date someone from Anzio. If they get into fights, things start flying.]"
"[This sounds like something you experienced yourself.]"
"[Not I, someone I know.]"
"[Is that someone perhaps Naomi?]" Darjeeling could tell that she had hit bullseye with that. "[What are you planning to do after this war is over?]"
"[I don't know, maybe I'll transfer over to Maginot.]" Naomi answered jokingly in Eclair's place, having sneaked up on the two and hugging Eclair from behind. "[Cat's out of the bag it seems. I thought as much after I told Kay. She's the worst person on the planet to keep a secret.]"
As they spoke of the devil, Kay was racing towards them, with an angry Alisa chasing her, swinging a shotgun over her head like an enraged barbarian wielding a club. Naomi watched the two of them fly by, hearing and ignoring Kay's plea for help. "[You're not gonna save her?]"
"[She is my girlfriend, not someone to babysit. This kind of trouble she gets herself into and she has to get herself out of.]" Darjeeling heard Alisa shouting obscenities at Kay and a number of soldiers were watching the pursuit with growing amusement. When they were still at it a minute later, Darjeeling let out a big sigh and stood up. "[I suppose I can help her just this once.]"
=== Panzer Halt ===