AN: Sorry for the long duration of the update work is currently taking me fully ^ ^"
Next chapter will probably go a bit faster (I'm already writing)
Have fun with the chapter
Panzer vor!
"No, I do and will not accept that!"
"But you have to consider it ..."
"I agree with Anchovy, even if she is a very important friend for me, she has brought shame and is a disgrace for this army…"
"I abstain because I did not experience it"
"It's irrelevant that we keep our face"
"I also think it's none of Akaboshis business because she just keeps the Russians at bay and does nothing except ..."
"HEY! That's mean…"
"SHUT UP NOW!" Maho roared into the room and everyone fell silent immediately
"Koume is important because she is also an officer and has decision-making power," murmured Maho, glaring.
For hours it was hotly debated what should happen to Miho for Maho it was a difficult decision because she knew that because even the thought of executing her was the most logical thing to do. But since it's her little sister, Maho wanted to punish her, but not let her go scot free. Therefore, she asked for advice from her highest officers hoping that they would bring something, but somehow two out of the four ideas were quickly denied for the safety of Miho.
"I would suggest we listen to Erika…" Koume tried diplomatic interjection but was interrupted by Emi
"She is self-conscious! because it's about her bed-mate," Emi said contemptuously over the radio, fortunately because of this remark, Maho's left eye twitched and in Maho, anger aroused.
"Unfortunately, I have to confirm that ..." Anchovy said sheepishly and saw Maho furiously turning her head in Anchovy's direction.
"Except for the bedtime game of course ... because we do not know if that's true at all or something" she tried to defuse the situation but Mahos gaze was still dark. Only a smiling grunt of Emi came over the radio. Koume listened to everything in peace, over the radio.
"So, let's just say Miho really fucked up." Maho said with teeth cracking and heard the approval of the other parties.
"Emi ... when you handed over parts of the werewolf unit ... did Miho seem strange to you?" Maho asked, taking down a few bullet points.
"Except that she was stuck to Erika like shit on a shoe? Not really. I told her what you told me and gave her the assigned units..."
"Wait!" Maho hit the table with full force. Emi stopped talking immediately.
"Please do not tell me you told her to win by any means." Mahos gaze was now blank. Anchovy stayed in her seat this time, she knew what would happen with great certainty.
"I-I just passed the command of the Wehrwolves to her..." Emi said uncertainly and waited for Mahos voice but there was only silence.
After what felt like a few hours, Maho sighed and breathed heavily.
"Say are you alright in your brain! EMI!" Maho hissed over the radio.
"You cannot say that she should use all sorts of things to win a murderous revenge plan that follows ... that has been a carte blanche for Miho's crimes!" Maho roared into the radio that it was so loud that Emi had to turn her device down.
Emi did not answer she heard the heavy breathing of Maho over the radio. Then it clicked and there was deathly silence with Emi.
"Runs as planned" she thought and began to giggle and left the radio room on the front line.
"Did you know anything about this shit Anzai?" Shouted Maho towards Anchovy. But Anchovy just shook her head.
Maho ran up and down the length of the room like a wild tiger, pondering over the conversation with Ami. After a few laps she stopped and looked at the flag at her desk.
"I will not execute Miho ..." Maho said monotonously to Anchovy and Koume
"... I cannot do that as said she is my sister ..." Maho dropped into her chair without taking her eyes off the flag of Kuromorimine.
"I-I welcome your loyalty to your sister Maho but ... but you have to do something!" Anchovy said forcefully and tried to face Mahos field of vision.
Maho knew that Anchovy was right. If she did not make an example now then there would be many other imitators and should it get that far their enemies would stop at nothing it would be a massacre on the fronts and in the prison camps.
"Let's move Miho to me then it's from the Allies' point of view," Koume said over the radio, trying to find a solution that would please everyone.
"Hmm" came from Maho who thoughtfully thought it over.
"It would be an option" confirmed Anchovy but she did not agree to one hundred percent with that.
"But we cannot give her a command," she added.
"She could be my adjutant ..." Koume said with hope that it would be a good suggestion.
Maho scratched her chin and looked into Anchovy's eyes. Anchovy shook her head because it would not take long to make it round and there would be an uprising if a commander of another school was used as a helper.
"Your idea is good Koume ... really ... only then we have to put troops on the fronts under arrest because they are going to rebel ... and not only Ooarai soldiers would break away too many of Anzio and Bellwall as well" Anchovy explained for Maho. Maho grimly nodded in agreement.
There was an awkward silence and no sound except the crackle of the radio. Until a chair began to squeak and Maho got up and took a document out of her desk and added a few lines, the last thing she added was her the signature on it.
"That's all I can do for you right now Miho" Maho thought, handing the document to Anchovy.
Anchovy carefully read the document and looked at Maho in surprise.
"Are you serious?" Anchovy asked because she wanted to be sure that what she was holding in her hands was meant seriously.
"It's the only solution that does not break the axis and still makes an example," Maho said monotonously, lowering her head.
Anchovy jumped up as the radio cracked to life because she had forgotten that there was someone else on the line.
"With this order I, Lieutenant Nishizumi Miho, have been punished for fatal actions that have damaged the army's view and endangered the alliance. To be handed over to a punitive battalion. The convicted loses her rank and her privileges as an officer within the Axis Army. The duration of the sentence is set at forty days punitive battalion and 60 days renunciation of rank and privilege. The new rank of the condemned will be Sagittarius and stay until the penalty is over. Signature Nishizumi Maho and Anzai Chiyomi"
There was silence but the radio cracked. Maho and Anchovy stared at each other, waiting for Koumes reaction.
With a sad voice, it was just "... yes ..." on the radio and then the connection was broken. Both knew that was the consent of her to put Koumes name under it.
Maho blinked a few times and breathed only a soft "do it" to Anchovy and buried her face in her hands.
Anchovy took her coat and immediately left the room, seeking out the MP officers to give them the order.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Anchovy was amazed how the MP officers benevolently received the order. The officers joked as they found the name of Miho on the order.
"A big fish," one of the officers said, relishing a cigarette and unable to hide the malicious grin.
"Do not attract much attention - this is the essence of this operation," Anchovy warned, staring at each of their faces in turn.
All MP officers nodded, but grinned slyly as they picked up their weapons and began to move. Anchovy was not sure that they would treat this matter discreetly so she followed the troop safely to the took cover as she saw that Miho surrendered without a fight and the MP obediently followed her instructions. Anchovy saw that some of the MP soldiers did not fit and their faces twisted as they loaded Miho on the back of a truck before they got on themselves and the truck started driving away.
In a way, Anchovy was sorry for her, but on the other hand, Miho has really screwed up a lot and more importantly, Maho is saddened. Anger now rose in her.
"What does this slut imagine to hurt Maho like that?" She thought, looking behind the group.
"Could not she have skipped that stupid Itsumi?" Anchovy walked slowly toward the command seat and stopped moving.
"Fuck ... ITSUMI" she was pale in the face and looked wide-eyed to the hospital.
"II need to tell her something else ..."she thought for a moment. Sweat ran down from her forehead.
"I have an idea!" She said and now smiled sweetly and went to the hospital.
Erika was lying in her bed and read a newspaper that a paramedic brought her on her request.
As the curtain moved, she beamed and immediately put away her newspaper and wanted to receive Miho sincerely.
"Miho?" She asked cheerfully and her blue eyes searched for her little Smurf, but her gaze stopped at Anchovy who came towards her.
"Hey-Hey, how are you?" Anchovy asked with a feigned smile and, in Erika's opinion, interest.
Erika narrowed her eyes and looked past Anchovy, looking for Miho. Anchovy looked behind her before she turned back confused to Erika.
"Are you looking for someone?" She asked, forcing a smile.
"Did you see Miho?" Erika asked, looking coldly at Anchovy.
"Yes, I have," Anchovy said softly, avoiding Erika's eye contact.
Erika put her head to one side
"Yes, go ahead?" She asked Anchovy to tell her the information.
"She's on her way back to the front," Anchovy said, shifting from one foot to the other.
"Hmm" Erika closed her eyes and tried to sound friendly.
"Without saying goodbye to me? That does not sound like Miho ..." she said coldly, opening her eyes and staring at Anchovy coldly.
Anchovy gave a brief shrug and a puzzled face.
"You know how Maho sometimes is," she said with an embarrassed smile, waving her hands in derogatory terms.
Erika clenched her teeth and tried even harder to keep her composure.
"If I were able to get up, I would kill that cow" Erika thought, clenching her fists
"How long are you still here Itsumi-san?" Anchovy asked in an over-friendly voice.
"About five or seven days", she replied curtly and did not take her eyes off Anchovy.
"Perfect" Anchovy thought about what Erika said "the faster you get well the faster you can get back to the front"
"And very far away from my Maho" she thought, chuckling inwardly.
"Yeah ..." her voice was cold and an annoyed undertone crystallized
Anchovy looked down at Erika in amusement.
"It should be a surprise ... but I think you're not a friend of it anyway ... so you're awarded the EK1 and the Wound Badge in Gold." Anchovy turned around and headed off to leave the hospital.
"That worked well" she laughed in her thoughts and was satisfied with herself.
"You know ..." Erika started and Anchovy stopped abruptly and looked over her shoulder and looked into two steel-blue eyes that sparkled as if a blue fire was spraying out of them.
"... I underestimated you a little ... you are really cunning and sneaky ... that I underestimate you again that will never happen again ..." Erika said in a monotonous but menacing voice. Anchovy began to swallow.
"...it's no secret that we both cannot like each other ... only for Maho and Miho we hold it back but ..." Erika took a deep breath. Anchovy started shivering slightly and just wanted to get away
"... if something should happen to Miho, I will blame you and then God help you ... I will find you and ..." Erika became silent and looked contemptuously at Anchovy.
Anchovy hurried from the hospital her face was pale her back was hot and cold at the same time. She looked back at the hospital and her only thought was "Damn it!"
5 days later Pravda Front
Koume stood on her Panther tank and looked through her binoculars towards the horizon if the enemy was moving. She was glad that she did not have any real fighting as of yet, she heard rumors about what was happening on the other front.
And then the message that Maho's little sister was sent to a punitive battalion because she allegedly struck the strings.
"I still cannot believe that little Miho would do that..." thought Koume and took a long sip of her freshly brewed coffee.
"I'll talk to Erika about it" she decided thinking to herself and looked through the binoculars again
"Commander!" came a voice next to her panther so loud that Koume almost dropped her binoculars and cup of coffee. Startled, she looked at the soldier who stood right next to the Panther and saluted to her.
With a nod she gave the soldier to understand that he should continue.
"We saved someone who was supposed to come from the prisoner convoy"
Koume looked puzzled
"What about the convoy?" She asked excitedly because she knew that Miho was in this convoy.
"The convoy was attacked ... and only one of the guards has made it this far ... after fainting for almost 2 days ... so she said it ..." the soldier reported. Koume jumped off her Panther and grabbed the soldier by the shoulder. Koumes face showed fear, anger, and despair.
"Where is Miho?!" she asked with a voice that was way too high.
"Miho? The little Nishizumi? Should she have been there?" Asked the soldier puzzled.
"..." Koumes eyes darted over the soldier's face.
"Take me to the soldier!" Commanded Koume and urged the soldier to leave.
Koume and the soldier ran quickly to the shelter where the MP soldier was needed to transport them
When Koume entered, she immediately searched the room to find the said person. Only when she lowered her eyes did she see the person lying on a cot. The soldier had an arm over her eyes and moaned a bit maybe because of a headache.
Koume did not care which rank this person had or where she was. With wide eyes she grabbed the soldier lying on the field bed.
"Where is the prisoner?!" Koume almost shouted at the soldier and began tugging at the soldier's collar, her eyes filled with despair.
Totally confused and panicked, the MP soldier tried to break loose but Koume fixed the soldier and repeated the question.
"I…I do not know ... I think the big one from Pravda took her with her, I think I was out of action..." the MP soldier trembled and landed on the cot rudely. Koume had turned chalk-white and her eyes were staring straight ahead. Her mouth opened and closed but no sounds came out.
"Commander?" The soldier asked confused that the message astonished Koume this much in this situation and wanted to know what to do now
Koumes thoughts literally rolled over, what should she do now she knew she had to report this to HQ. She stormed out of the compound to the mobile radio station.
"Quick connect to HQ!" She yelled as she entered the radio station the soldiers were terrified and one fell down from her chair and looked with horrified eyes towards Koume.
The radio operator who was still sitting in the chair responded immediately and made a connection to HQ.
"Connection stands, Commander!"
Koume picked up the microphone and was about to speak when she fell silent.
"What if the enemy is listening? Or someone else it's none of your business" she thought and put the microphone back on the table
"Disconnect!" She said aloud and mentally went through all of her options again.
She would stop by for a personal visit and immediately sprinted to the vehicle fleet to take her car to the HQ.
In the HQ
Erika was sitting in a chair in front of a mirror, looking at herself suspiciously.
"Such nonsense all of this crap" she thought as she thought of the upcoming ceremony. In a way, she was proud of herself that she was so honored, especially by Maho, but it left her with a harsh feeling in the stomach since Miho was not here let alone that she did not know where she was even at now. This poor copy of an Italian said that she was on the front again but could you trust her? Too many inconsistencies Erika always remembered and always there was SHE.
Erika sighed and pulled on her uniform jacket and examined the EK2.
Too many memories came from the award she and Miho got when defeating the French, the hot night with her, the misunderstanding and the face when she shouted at Maho that she loved Miho.
Erika laughed a little as she thought of Mahos face and Miho's face after her confession.
"Good, better to have a good mood than to stand there with a bad mood," she thought and tied to tie her hair in a braid. When she was done, she put on her officer's cap.
She sighed, looked at herself in the mirror and put on a smile.
"Panzer vor!" She thought, nodding briefly and walking slowly to the guide shelter.
"I am proud to have you in my troupe Erika and that you are so capable I would like to present you with the awards of the EK1 and not only because you have sustained a terrible injury, I would like to give you the wounded badge in gold." Maho said extra loud for the propaganda team and held out her hand to Erika.
Erika smiled and took her hand and shook it.
"We are all proud of you Erika Itsumi please keep it that way and we will achieve a glorious victory. If you want then you can say something to it" Maho pointed inviting to the propaganda team.
Erika cleared her throat a little and nodded to Maho.
"Thank you, Comman- I'm mean High leader, it's an honor to receive this award," Erika said, and Maho began to smile at these words of praise.
"And I also have to thank all the soldiers on the fronts that fought under my command and for their perfect cooperation," continued Erika and some soldiers who were there with them began to clap.
"But especially to Miho, who always gave me the courage and incentive to fight harder. Miho this is for you: As soon as I'm back at the front with you we'll let it crash on the front!" And finished the interview. Maho's smile was gone, including that of Anchovy and the propaganda company.
Maho nodded and disappeared without saying a word then the blond witch started talking into the microphone. Anchovy handed the medals to Erika and whispered in her ear.
"Do not overdo it, Itsumi!"
A few minutes after the propaganda team left, they all were inside Mahos office once more.
Erika saw Maho throw herself in her chair and Erika did not pay any attention. Erika started to move and pushed Anchovy aside.
"Where is she?" Erika asked, smiling at Maho with a faked smile.
"At the front," Maho answered coldly
Erika cocked her head to the side slightly.
"To Emi?" She saw Anchovy hurry to Mahos side and stand between the two and looked at Erika with angry eyes.
"No," Maho said, sighing in frustration.
Erika's smile vanished in an instant, she had a bad feeling in her stomach.
"Koume?" She tried to make sure that she was wrong
"Stop It now Itsumi!" Hissed Anchovy and walked up to Erika. Erika continued not impressed by this one bit.
"Do not tell me ... no, you have not!" Erika pushed Anchovy aside and stood face to face with Maho.
Maho stared into the blue eyes of Erika relentlessly and did not reply.
"You have… you have! Are you stupid! You cannot send her to a punitive battalion, she will not survive that!" Erika's voice grew louder and shriller.
"It's for the good of all allies ..." Maho lied, avoiding Erika's piercing gaze.
Erika opened her mouth and closed it again immediately her eyes scurried wildly in the room. She could not think clearly. Her eyes stopped at Anchovy.
"You!" She hissed and stood up, pointing at Anchovy. Anchovy avoided the approaching Erika and started to panic. Erika knocked over a chair as she headed for Anchovy. Her Headache made itself felt but she did not care anymore.
"Stop this now!" Shouted Maho and jumped up from her chair.
Erika ignored her and started a final attack. Miraculously, she managed to grab Anchovy at the last moment and pulled her close. Anchovy saw the cold murderous glare in the eyes of Erika and how Erika clenched her fist and raised it to hit her. Anchovy closed her eyes and waited for the pain.
She noticed that the grip loosened and she escaped Erika's grip as she looked up at her, seeing that Maho was standing behind Erika and pulling her fist up with a police grip on her back and fixing Erika like that
"I said STOP IT NOW!" Maho hissed. Erika acted after the self-defense basis of Kuromorimine and gathered all her strength together and freed herself from the grasp. With a skillful footwork she pulled Maho off the ground under her feet so that Maho lost her balance and landed roughly on the back.
Erika did not continue to attack as she saw the guards running towards them with an MP officer.
Maho raised her arm to signal that everything was alright so the guards and the MP left the room once more. She cleared her throat and brushed her uniform of dust.
Erika shook her head and started to leave. She was almost at the door when it was pushed open and Koume came running in, followed by some guards.
"MAHO, MIHO WAS TAKEN BY THE RUSH!" she yelled into the room as she stormed in and immediately gasped. The next moment she saw a puzzled-looking Erika standing in front of her.
Erika turned her head to Maho and threw her a reproachful look that said, "Look what you've done!"
When Koume saw Erika's gaze, only a thought crossed her mind
"OH ... FUCK!"
Erika shook her head in disbelief and fumbled with her new award and threw it into a corner, leaving the room with great anger. She murmured something no one could understand the murmur not even Koume, who was standing close to her.
"At last," Yukari sighed and sat down with a deep sigh to Erwin who was about to cook a food ration.
"I do not know what this Emi wants, but all these maneuvers are exaggerated," she complained, and Erwin nodded in agreement, she started pouring water into her pot to make a soup out of the ration for herself and Yukari.
Yukari watched as she massaged Erwin's shoulders. She felt how tense they were and used all of her strength to loosen the knot.
Erwin enjoyed it a lot as she leaned back and cuddled into Yukari.
"Did you hear anything from Miho?" Erwin asked, watching the food cook. Her voice had a worried undertone.
"No, how come? Have you?" Yukari asked and stopped with the massage. Erwin just shook her head.
For five days they had not heard or seen her when they asked Emi where their commander was, they were just put off by the fact that they did not care what officers do.
Yukari sighed and looked to the entrance of the tent and saw that the sun had risen. From outside you could hear the everyday noise of cursing soldiers and vehicles passing by.
"I'm sure she'll be back soon ..." Yukari said and hugged Erwin. Erwin remained silent and heard that Yukari pressed her harder and harder.
Suddenly, light broke into the tent and a shadow appeared. Yukari and Erwin stared in shock at the shadowy figure and before anyone could speak, a familiar voice broke the silence.
"Hey Yu-Yusa-Yuzu-oh damn, shaggy head, bring all the Ooarai soldiers together, we are moving to another front! And you are under my command and since I do not know anybody else you will be my adjutant shaggy head! Come on, we have no time to lose!"Whispered the voice and turned around and walked away.
Yukari blinked a few times and both looked at each other in surprise until Yukari broke the silence.
"Erika?" Both said at the same time and jumped up.
Panzer Halt!