Chapter 20: The Reason She Must Win
At practice the day after Miho's meeting with the Student Council and Kikuyo, Yumi approached Miho for a private meeting, leading her to an isolated part of the tank garage.
"Nishizumi?" Yumi said. "If it's not too personal, what exactly did the Student Council want to talk with you about last night?"
Miho shrugged.
"Nothing of any importance," Miho said. "They called me in to the office, had dinner with me, and shared some stories with me about their time at Oarai, on the Student Council. Some of it was what Hisa-senpai had told me before, but other stories were new. That's all they told me."
Yumi glanced at Miho skeptically, but was not prepared for what Miho had to say next.
"I was actually hoping that you could answer my questions, Kajiki-senpai," Miho said. "You seem to know a fair amount of what's going on at this school. There's this subject that the Student Council seems reluctant to openly address, and it's somehow related to the tankery tournament. I wonder if they were going to tell me that evening, but couldn't bring themselves to do it."
"I've noticed that as well," Yumi said, "even though I'm missing a few critical pieces to this puzzle, and as such, I realize that I don't understand it entirely. I mainly thought that you, as commander, were in a position where you could have access to information that I did not have. But that's a good theory, and I have to wonder; maybe there's some reason why we shouldn't know it. It seems simplest to just do what we can to win the tournament- or at least that might be what they want us to think."
"Maybe so," Miho said. "But most people naturally try for victory in a competitions, and there are only three distinctions between them in that regard- why they want to win, how far they're willing to go and how successful they ultimately are."
Yumi nodded in understanding, having exchanged one competitive game for another. The conversation reached a stanstillas both Miho and Yumi realized that while they had some new insights on the situation, they would ultimately end up doing what they had done before. Miho then silently excused herself.
"Oh, and Nishizumi..." Yumi said, but trailed off.
"Yes, Kajiki-senpai?" Miho said.
"Sorry... it's none of my business," Yumi said. "But I'd like to let you know that I'm willing to go as far as is necessary to win... for both of our sakes."
"Thank you; I'll also give my all," Miho said, and walked off.
Yumi pondered what she had been told.
"I think she might have known what you were getting at, Senpai," Momo said, appearing near Yumi.
"If she did, she's not letting it on," Yumi said. "It's eerie how well she's pretending that nothing is wrong, like a sheet of ice over a river appears to be more thick and sturdy than it is. I often pretend to be completely calm and all business, but I often let my feelings through- especially around you, Momo."
Momo nodded.
"But the Student Council slipped up ever so slightly yesterday~su," Momo said. "They seemed to be on the verge of telling us what it was they were hiding. I doubt the Commander can keep a secret much better than they can. Just a little bit more, and one of them will crack and let the secret slip~su."
"Maybe," Yumi said. "But we've had some close calls in the tournament, and it's becoming clear that our resolve is different from theirs. Maybe they're afraid we'll lose, and don't want us to find out what happens if we do."
Momo paused to consider what Yumi was saying.
"You know, I have to wonder about the Student Council," Momo said. "Maybe the secret they are hiding is as difficult and heartbreaking to talk about as what that poor woman in the kimono had to say to the Commander~su."
"It could be, but I'm not sure," Yumi said. "But I know that the Student Council hasn't given up yet. Surely there's still hope, for them, for Nishizumi and for us. At the very least, Nishizumi has a possible solution, albeit a difficult one- win and she doesn't have to worry about anything else."
Momo nodded.
"It seems almost unbearable to go through life while having to win all the time~su," Momo said. "But if the Commander can avoid being disowned by winning, I think that's what she'll do."
That evening, Kikuyo got a call on her cell phone. Checking the caller ID, she noticed it was from Ami, who had been friends with her since they were students in the Nishizumi School together over a decade ago.
"Hello, this is Kikuyo," she said.
"Hey, Kikuyo, this is Ami," Ami said as she sat in her room, having taken off her hat and blazer, undone the top button of her dress shirt and loosened her necktie.
"It's good to hear from you again, Ami-san," Kikuyo said. "I was hoping to talk with someone."
"Is something the matter?" Ami said.
"Let me put it this way, Ami-san," Kikuyo said, deciding to tell Ami what was on her mind. "Have you ever been given an order you didn't like?"
"Sometimes," Ami said. "There are some things that my superiors can't legally tell me to do, nor can I legally obey them in those cases. I'm grateful I've never run into a situation like that. But sometimes, I get told to do something that, to me, doesn't make sense, and all I can do is say 'Yes, sir," or 'Yes, ma'am' and comply."
Ami left unspoken that she had to give her fair share of orders, including to her friend from the JGSDF, Kainou Yoshiko, during the time when Ami outranked Yoshiko. As a result, Ami resolved to be as reasonable as possible while getting her job done, and appreciate subordinates who respected and obeyed her, even if they didn't always agree with her.
"That's a feeling I know well," Kikuyo said. "But while I owe the mistress a debt of gratitude, I wonder whether inaction is truly the right thing to do, especially when Miho-sama will be disowned if she loses the next round."
Ami paused, trying to comprehend what she had just heard.
"Are you serious, Kikuyo?" Ami said, horrified. The two Nishizumi school alumni were well aware that many of their classmates had failed to meet Shiho's strict standards and flunked out, but Ami was shocked to discover that Shiho would put such strict standards on her daughter, especially the one who would not inherit the school.
"Absolutely, Ami-san," Kikuyo said. "The mistress ordered me to relay this message to Miho-sama last night, and she had previously told me that I would receive an order of this sort when she made a decision on this matter. She has made her decision, and it's the worst one I can reasonably imagine."
"Instructor Nishizumi was always strict with us," Ami said. "And while I became a different kind of teacher to both my civilian students and my JGSDF trainees, I believed, as you did, that her training was beneficial to me, helping me become good enough so that I could help others. This... is something else entirely."
"Please do not misunderstand; I am still grateful to the mistress for everything she's done for me," Kikuyo said. "That's why I don't want her to make the decision to cut herself off from her own daughter. It would be incredibly painful to Miho-sama, but I also believe that if the mistress does that, a day will come when she will regret doing so, perhaps when it's too late for reconciliation. But how can I tell her that in my position?"
"I understand what you're saying," Ami said. "The only question is- do you think you can solve this problem?"
"What do you mean?" Kikuyo said.
"Firstly what do you want to see done?" Ami said. "Do you want me to tell Instructor Nishizumi? I'm thinking about doing that, but there's two problems with that. First, who do you think Instructor Nishizumi will conclude told me about this?"
Kikuyo's silence indicated to Ami that she understood that she would be implicated, and what the consequences might be.
"Second, and more importantly, do you honestly think we could talk Instructor Nishizumi down from something like this?" Ami said. "I'm sure you know that whenever she gives you an order, she expects to hear nothing other than 'Yes, mistress,' in response."
"No," Kikuyo said. "I know that there may be nothing I can do to affect the outcome of this situation, but does that mean I should do nothing?"
"I'm not sure," Ami said. "I don't want to see Miho-san get disowned, either, but at the same time, don't know what we can do, much less what we should."
Ami paused for a few seconds, unsure of where to proceed with the present conversation. It was yet another conflict between the idealist in her and the realist in her, and as much as she was unable to accept what Shiho was considering, she realized that she could not think of any viable solutions. The idealistic part of her wanted to try even if there did not seem to be any hope of success, but the other part did not want her friend to get in trouble without accomplishing anything.
"And Miho-san's up against Saunders next?" Ami said. "That might be difficult. When we faced Saunders a decade ago, they were quite a challenging opponent despite having a relatively new tankery team, and have only gotten stronger since then."
"Then you might remember the person who's coaching them this year," Kikuyo said. "It's Akado Harue-san."
"Yes, I remember her quite well," Ami said. "She almost defeated me in the finals of that tournament, but seemed to fade away afterward. I'm actually glad to hear that Akado-san is doing tankery again, just like I was to see Miho-san return to tankery."
"Yes, that's good to hear," Kikuyo said. "And speaking of our old friends, what about Takako-san? I know the two of you haven't spoken in three years, but now might be as good a time as any to start again, especially if she might oppose the idea of disowning Miho-sama."
"Is she still slapping her students?" Ami said, almost rhetorically. Kikuyo declined to answer, understanding where Ami was going. "Then I'm not sure she'd be of any help. There were people at Black Forest who supported Miho-san's decision last year, but Takako wasn't one of them."
"Takako-san, being Black Forest's coach and a Nishizumi School student, couldn't support Miho-sama publicly any more than Maho-sama could," Ami said, feeling compelled to defend her friend even if she did not agree with her methods of discipline. "But now that I think about it, while she and the mistress don't always see eye to eye, they have never been able to convince the other of their opinions. So who would the mistress listen to?"
"I... don't know..." Ami said.
The line went silent for a few seconds, as the conversation ran down, with neither having an answer to that question. Ami, reaching a decision, broke the silence.
"Kikuyo, let's hold off on doing anything for now with regards to Miho-san," Ami said. "If the Instructor decides not to disown Miho-san, there will be no immediate need for us to act. If Miho-san does get disowned, I'll speak to Instructor Nishizumi about this, mentioning that 'a concerned teammate' of Miho-san's spoke to me about this, and ask her to reconsider. But if she didn't listen to Maho-san, I don't think she'll listen to me, regardless of whether we act now or wait."
"Yes, Maho-sama was quite disturbed by this development as well," Kikuyo said. "While she's not much happier now, I think she's realized that she can only watch and believe in Miho-sama."
"Exactly," Ami said. "If you've watched Miho-san's matches or heard from her, you know that she's determined and talented. She won't give up or lose so easily."
The two former students of the Nishizumi School realized they had run out of things to talk about, having exhausted all the possible ideas to discuss.
"I'll think about this some more, but I don't think I will come up with any halfway decent solutions before the finals," Ami said.
"Neither can I," Kikuyo said. "I wish we had some more time."
"The two of us and Miho-san can only do what we can," Ami said. "In spite of Instructor Nishizumi's high standards, Miho-san does have a solution, so we can only hope she can win."
"I'll talk to you soon, Kikuyo," Ami said.
"Until then, Ami-san," Kikuyo said, before hanging up.
Kikuyo sighed. She still found it difficult to accept the risk Miho was facing, or the fact that there seemed little she could do about it. But she stood by what she had said to Maho, and that while believing in Miho was not the ideal solution, it was the best one available to her at the moment. She had done all she could and considered all her options, so she could now only watch and hope for the best outcome.
The day of the semi-finals arrived, and many people were anxiously awaiting its outcome. Black Forest's tankery team knew that the winner would become their opponent in the finals. Miho, Shiho, Maho, Kikuyo and a few others who were not meant to be privy to the information knew that Miho would be disowned if she lost. Nodoka knew, as always, that she would have to win in order to stay at Oarai Academy, and her friends were also aware of this. And the Student Council knew something about what was at stake and why Oarai had to keep winning, but did not disclose this information.
Mihoko, however, was looking forward to it, and was glad to see Hisa greet her at the staging area, as she had hoped she would three years ago.
"Hello, Hisa," Mihoko said, as she was accompanied by Darjeeling, Orange Pekoe, Kana and Miharu. "I'm glad to see you here."
"Thanks for coming, Mihoko," Hisa said, "as well as for bringing your friends here."
"It was the least I could do for my former opponent, as well as to honor the promise I made three years ago," Mihoko said. "Arakawa-san of BC Freedom has also taken an interest in your progress, and is attending as well."
"I've heard," Hisa said. "Their coach told me that they've also taken an interest in how we're doing. I'm glad to hear that, though it's a bit surprising that others are taking an interest in us."
"Your commander seems to be that sort of person," Darjeeling said, "one who makes friends with those she plays against. She will likely get along well with Kay-san."
Hisa nodded in agreement, but realized that, amicable or not, they were still rivals competing to win the tournament. Both had their own reasons for wanting to win, and yet, only one of them could succeed. Hisa had nothing against Kay, her school, or her style of tankery, but still fervently hoped that Oarai would win the day.
The pre-match ceremony started almost immediately after Saunders arrived, as they had been delayed. As such, there was no time for the teams to meet each other before the match, so Kay mentally decided to invite Miho over at a later date.
The pre-match greetings began, with fifteen Saunders commanders and eight Oarai commanders assembling on a field.
"Let's have a fun game this time," Kay said, as she shook hands with Miho before the match.
Kay then looked around at the assembled commanders, before looking back to Arata, who stood behind her, and shaking her head. Arata gave a slight frown in disappointment.
"Oh, and one more thing," Kay said, turning back to Oarai's commanders. "Is there a Haramura Nodoka here?"
"She's in my crew, and is my driver," Hisa said.
"Great!" Kay said excitedly, in English. "Tell her that there are some people who'd like to meet her after this is done- they've been waiting a long time for this."
Arata nodded in acknowledgment, before heading back to relay the news to her teammates.
At their starting point, Saunders discussed its strategy for the match. Their plan was to keep the flag tank hidden while analyzing their enemies' movements and taking them down one by one until they could flush out the flag tank and force it to where it could be easily taken out.
Arata spoke with her team as they assembled near their Firefly.
"I heard from Oarai's vice-captain, Takei-san that Nodoka's here," Arata said. Having talked about Nodoka a great deal with her old friends, the Matsumi sisters, as well as her newer friends, Shizuno and Ako, Arata found herself referring to Nodoka by her first name when she talked about her, like the rest of Nodoka's friends did.
"That's great!" Shizuno said. "It's a bit of a shame that we didn't get in earlier, though."
"Well, we didn't want to keep the spectators waiting, and there were some last-minute preparations," Ako said. "We can always talk to Nodoka later, but for now, we've got to focus on the match."
"That's right, Ako-chan," Kuro said. "So, Arata-chan, which of us is the flag tank this time?"
"It seems it's our turn this time," Arata said. "Apart from the obvious, do you know what this means?"
"Oh, yes," Ako said. "Harue was commander of the flag tank ten years ago, and my sister was on her crew."
The significance of that statement spoke for itself among the group of friends. They were facing the same challenge their mentor had a decade ago, and were determined to succeed where she had failed.
Arata reflected on how Harue had said that she was the best suited to be commander of the group of friends who sought out Nodoka, and would quite possibly one day be a good team commander for Saunders- she was "reliable."
"Everyone's hopes are riding on us," Arata thought. "I'll show them that they can count on me."
At Oarai's position, Miho outlined her initial strategy.
"We should be careful in this match," Miho said. "If we advance too quickly, Saunders could catch us with an ambush in the woods, or snipe us from atop one of the hills."
Hisa nodded in agreement, and the rest of her team silently concurred.
"You've clearly learned your lessons from Black Forest, Miho," Hisa thought. "Winning streaks can make people overconfident, and overconfidence can be a strong team's downfall. And who, in this tournament, is more overconfident than a school that won every match for almost a decade?"
But then a voice broke the silence, as well as the consensus in favor of caution.
"We should attack," Caesar said. "It's worked well for us in the past, hasn't it?"
"I'm not sure..." Miho began, but was cut off by the rest of Hippo Team interjecting in agreement.
Soon, they were joined by Duck Team, with Noriko saying that, "As long as we protect our flag tank, we'll be fine," and all but one member of Rabbit Team voiced their approval as well- the sole silent person was typically not one to voice anything.
"It's good to see that you've conquered your nervousness, Rabbit Team," Hisa thought, "but fear is an emotion derived from survival instincts. Like all emotions, it has the potential to cloud your judgment, but ignore it at your peril."
From Sparrow Team, Satomi concurred, while Kaori nervously remained silent, Mutsuki attempted to interject, and Momo and Yumi exchanged glances.
"Right, let's go with that," the PR rep said.
Hisa glanced at the PR rep with a disbelieving expression on her face.
"Momo, I'm aware that you've always been impetuous, but you know why we have to win," Hisa thought.
Hisa turned back to her team, and noticed that all of them seemed doubtful. Three of them had done tankery in the past, while Mako, even without her knack for memorizing small details, knew enough from her reading that recklessness could cause strong opponents to lose to weak ones.
"Well... I..." Miho said hesitantly. She was best suited to make points when it seemed as though most of her listeners were receptive or in agreement with her. And she knew that there were times when others were right, or at least, unwilling to bend, and she could accept that. But this time, she remained unconvinced by the others' points, but was not sure how to convince them without potentially sparking an argument. Perhaps Anglerfish, Sparrow and Octopus Team would support her, but would it be enough to overrule the others?
Hisa stepped forward, toward Miho.
"Can I confer with you for a moment, Miho?" Hisa said to Miho. She knew that she would only convince the others to fall in line with the help of her commander, and that her commander agreed with her on that regard. The only question was how to get Miho to say what she needed to say.
"Ok," Miho said and walked away, out of earshot, with Hisa.
"You don't agree with what they're saying, either, do you, Miho?" Hisa said. Miho shook her head.
"I think it's wrong to go ahead recklessly this time," Miho said in a soft voice. "But I can't think of what I should say to convince everyone else of that."
"This isn't a democracy, Commander," Hisa said sternly. "Whatever you say should go."
"I know that..." Miho said. "But most of the team has made up their minds. Even if I say to be careful, will they do it? Should they always blindly trust me?"
"You do have a point; the reason I'm conferring with you is that we'll have to be a united front to get everyone in line," Hisa said. "And it is true that Oarai is less disciplined than a place like, say, Black Forest, the unauthorized charge against Pravda notwithstanding. But this time, I can say with full confidence that you're right and the people who want to go on the attack are wrong."
"The others have come up with good ideas on their own before," Miho said. "But how do I convince them that they're making a mistake?"
"Simply put, just put your foot down," Hisa said. "You know you're right, so act like you know that and have full confidence in the orders that you give."
"No one's expecting me to do that," Miho said. "They know the only reason I'm commander is that you gave the position to me."
"Then it should be all the more of a surprise when you do, and as a result, all the more effective," Hisa said.
"I suppose..." Miho said.
"Remember, Miho, you're the one who led us well so far," Hisa said. "I know that; that's why I'm your second-in-command. Yukari and the others on Anglerfish team know that. Despite how bossy Momo usually is, she trusts you, and even if the president is lazy, she also knows you're better suited to lead than she is. Yuzu's the same; she's also taken a liking to your way of tankery. The rest of my team and yours also know how skilled you are. So just as we believe in you, believe in yourself."
Miho walked back, along with Hisa and stood before the others. She glanced at Hisa, cleared her throat and spoke.
"Everyone," Miho said. "We will proceed forward, with caution. The odds are longer this round. We're facing an opponent who not only has more tanks than we do, but more than our previous opponents as well. They're the one people expect to go on to the finals. But I think we can do this, and I will show you the way."
Hisa, standing at Miho's side, nodded to concur with her point.
Miho took a deep breath and hesitantly looked around, hoping no one would further challenge her plan. She saw a nod of approval here and there, as well as smiles all around.
"I agree," Nodoka said. "Caution is important in a tank battle." Saki nodded to concur.
"We won't get any second chances here," Yumi said, "so we can't afford to be reckless."
"I'm with Senpai," Momo said.
"Many people are watching us," Hana said. "Let us give them our best."
"We're with you, Nishizumi-dono!" Yukari said enthusiastically.
The rest of the team nodded in agreement, looking to Miho for their guidance. Miho nodded.
"Thank you, everyone," Miho said. "I'll do my best!"
As Miho went to her tank, Yumi pondered what she had just heard. Miho was unusually assertive this time, and Yumi had to wonder whether it was because she had been threatened with being disowned.
And yet, as Yumi had concluded immediately after hearing this, there was only one thing she could do- to try her best, to stay in the game and help Oarai win the match. She still trusted Miho, and believed that she could win the match for Oarai, whatever the stakes were for her or anyone else.
Yuri sat with Shinzaburou in the stands. Even though Shinzaburou had convinced her to come, she could still hardly believe that she was watching a tankery match, and in person.
"Hana-san's the gunner of the Panzer IV, right?" Yuri said, albeit while having no idea which tank was the one that her daughter was crewing.
"Yes, mistress, although it has since been upgraded to the Ausf F2. version, if I'm not mistaken," Shinzaburou said. "But in any case, every time that tank's cannon fires, the Miss is pulling the trigger."
"With the very same hands she uses to arrange flowers," Yuri said. "And if she's still arranging flowers, the disgusting odor of oil and iron will mix with the pure scent of the flowers."
As Yuri thought over the reasons why she disliked tankery, she realized she had never gone into much detail when talking with Hana about them. Another book she had read about parenting warned her about creating "forbidden fruits," by declaring things taboo without helping one's children understand why. Perhaps Hana had come into tankery because her mother disliked it, or at the very least, not understanding why Yuri would.
But Yuri realized that part was no longer relevant. Hana had gotten involved in tankery, and stayed there, after hearing her mother state her objections to it, and hearing her disown her unless she stopped doing it. Perhaps there was not anything Yuri could say to convince Hana to forsake tankery. And perhaps the time had come for her to see why Hana enjoyed tankery so much.
Elsewhere in the stands, Sumire and Teru sat down to watch the game. In previous matches, Teru would have had a chance to run into her father, but this time, he was gone, having been unexpectedly called in to work on the day of the match. Teru, unaware that he was watching Saki's matches, did not notice his absence, and her mind was instead on her commander's decision not to come to the game with her.
"I don't see anyone else from Black Forest here, Teru," Sumire said. "Don't you usually go with the Commander and Erika?" While she was touched that Teru had accepted her invitation to watch the match, she had to wonder what was going on with her other superiors.
"I spoke with Erika, and she said the Commander hadn't mentioned any plans to attend this match," Teru said, sounding slightly disappointed. "Since the Commander doesn't seem to be going- at least not with us- and Erika only comes along because the Commander tells her to, she clearly doesn't want to bother."
"Erika doesn't much care for schools like Oarai, but you'd think the Commander would want to get a look at her next opponent in action, whoever that is," Sumire said.
"Maybe the Commander is doing this 'off the record,' so to speak," Teru said.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Sumire said.
Teru shrugged. She believed it would be a breach of confidentiality if she told Sumire what she had discussed with Maho, and suspected that even that was not the entire story.
"I'd say it's not for us to know," Teru said. "Just like how there are many parts about myself that I've only shown to you, and some that I don't show to anyone at all."
But Teru had spoken with Maho, and knew how important this match was to her, even if she was not one of the participants.
"Commander, I hope you never come to regret the decisions you made for Miho's sake," Teru thought.
Masae, having arrived to the match somewhat late, looked around for a seat. Masaki, while having done tankery in the past, was only truly interested in the matches in which her daughter and her nieces were competing, and chose not to attend. Masae's husband, similarly only interested in his daughters' and niece's matches, also had work. Hiroe, Kinue and Hiroko were watching the match on TV with the rest of Pravda. In a somewhat inconspicuous part of the stands, with a decent view of the screen, she saw Maho seated, barely noticing her presence. Since Maho was not wearing her school or tankery uniform, she was relatively inconspicuous.
"Nishizumi Maho?" Masae said. "It's a surprise to see you here. Is your mother around?"
"I'm here by myself, Instructor Atago," Maho said. "Even I don't know why my mother's here- one would think she would at least come here, given the circumstances…"
"Pardon?" Masae said, as she sat down next to Maho.
"Nothing, I'm just thinking out loud," Maho said.
"In any case, congratulations on your victory in the semi-finals," Masae said.
"Thank you," Maho said. "Your daughters, your niece and their team put up a good fight."
"I appreciate hearing that," Masae said. "Hiroe and Hiroko have been trying for a long time to defeat you. Kinue wants to support her sister, and enjoys fighting alongside her cousin and other friends from school."
"I see," Maho said. "Those sound like good goals, ones worth pursuing even if you don't manage to succeed."
Masae noticed something was off about Maho, who was unusually open about her feelings.
"Is something on your mind?" Masae said. "You seem troubled."
"I suppose I'm wondering is… if winning is a means to an end for your goal, what happens if you win and you don't get what you want?" Maho said.
Masae remained speechless, having difficulty believing that Maho would say such a thing out loud. Unsure of how to answer the question apart from what she taught at her school, she decided to find out why Maho would ask it.
"Those are some… unorthodox statements coming from the Nishizumi heiress," Masae said. "Most Nishizumi style practitioners would consider victory to be the end in and of itself. I have to wonder- why would you make such a statement in the presence of a person your family considers one of their ideological enemies?"
Maho paused to consider her answer, knowing that her initial response had given Masae much to think about. Perhaps Masae was not ignorant of the inner workings of the Nishizumi family, and perhaps she could be trusted with what Maho had on her mind.
"Because for you, it's not about winning the war against us, but providing an alternative," Maho said. "Because you've made it clear that it's not even a contest between us and you. Because Mother only started considering you a rival after your victory in the tournament last year, and stopped after Black Forest defeated Pravda again. Because you are not my enemy and my mother's ideology is not my ideology- I've only followed it for one person's sake, and what do I do if that person is cast out of this family?"
Masae nodded her head in confirmation of each of Maho's statements, then paused as Maho asked her final question.
"It's about your sister, then," Masae said. Maho nodded. "Hiroe had her theories about you being less enthusiastic about the Nishizumi school ideology than we thought, and seeming somewhat sad about Miho's absence from the team, but I didn't know for certain."
Maho nodded.
"At best, I knew I was going into the battle without my sister at my side," Maho said. "At worst, I feared Mother would conclude that my victory would validate the idea that we did not need Miho- and I was correct."
"So that may be why you were not acting like yourself early on in the battle," Masae said. "And when you recovered, you seemed to be improvising, rather than using the Nishizumi style."
"For the most part, I'm fairly confident in the Nishizumi family style," Maho said, "although you could say I believe I have no other choice."
"How so?" Masae said.
"The Nishizumi style is the way of tankery I'm expected to practice," Maho said. "It's also largely the only style I've known. Not going out on a limb with unconventional strategies also seems to be the most reliable way to achieve my personal goals. In that regard, I can understand why they would want to have a surefire method of victory, and why they would fall back on that method."
"That seems quite inflexible, as one might expect from the Nishizumi school," Masae said, "as does their vigorous enforcement of their rules and expectations. It's one thing to enforce those rules on one's students, who have to both sign up for the school and be admitted, but quite another to enforce them on children who cannot choose their own family."
Maho looked at Masae, and noticed that while she remained calm, anger was seeping into her voice, even if it was not directed at Maho.
"Do you hate the Nishizumi School, Instructor Atago?" Maho said.
"Hate it?" Masae said incredulously, before calming herself. "Oh, no, not at all. It's just a way some people choose to do tankery. While some are arrogant enough to think it the only true way, I don't consider it 'heresy' or anything of the sort, even if I hope that no one comes to harm over the Nishizumis' obsession. I simply see it as an alternative way of doing tankery, and believe that my school attracts different types of students- albeit not necessarily inferior ones. As for you and your sister, I mainly felt pity for the two of you, having to grow up under Instructor Nishizumi's thumb. I hope you're not offended by that sentiment."
"Why would I be?" Maho said. "You are correct, Instructor Atago; it is very difficult and often unpleasant to live up to such standards, especially for Miho. My hope was that if I fulfilled the expectations placed on me, she would have none placed on her, and have as close to a normal life as she could hope for."
"I understand," Masae said. "But why did Miho not find this unbearable sooner? Why exactly would she want to stay in her mother's good graces?"
"Simply put..." Maho said. "Miho, even after all she's been through, sees us first and foremost as a family. The idea of being separated from any of us is too painful to bear. There are some prices she will not pay to avoid it, but she is determined to remain as part of the family, enough so that she would do everything short of paying those prices. As you said, Instructor Atago, neither Miho nor I can choose our family, and Miho is devoted to those close to her."
"I understand the feeling," Masae said. "I'm willing to keep the specifics of what you say to myself, although my daughters and niece have begun to realize your true character. As such, I think they won't be surprised to realize that they were right."
"Thank you, Instructor Atago," Maho said. "I didn't seek you out, but I wasn't sure who else to speak with about this."
"You're welcome... Maho, if I may?" Masae said. Maho nodded.
"Since you trusted me enough to share this, can I trust you to not disclose what I say next?" Masae said after a pause.
"You have my word, Instructor Atago," Maho said. "Just as you can keep my secrets, I can keep yours."
"I'm glad to hear that," Masae said. "It's not a secret, per se, but it's somewhat sensitive, so I wouldn't have told it to you, unless it were relevant to your present situation."
"In what way?" Maho said, already worried about where Masae's story was going.
"My husband's family... did not approve much of tankery," Masae said. "So when they heard he was marrying someone who was as involved with tankery as I am, they opposed it. They made it quite clear they disapproved of me, and finally gave their son an ultimatum- break up with me or be cast out of the family. In the end, he chose me over them, proposing to me instead of breaking up with me, and he was disowned. I will always love him and be grateful for what he decided, but I regret that he had to pay such a high price for his decision."
"I'm sorry to hear this," Maho said. "Is there any chance of reconciliation between him and his parents?"
"He believed so, until his parents died in a car accident eight years ago," Masae said. "Of course, there were... certain other conflicts between him and his parents, even before he met me. I think he always hoped he could have one day worked out his differences with his family, but after he married me and they stopped talking to him, that possibility was sealed off."
"That explains a great deal," Maho said.
"It does," Masae said. "That's a large part of why he took on my name after marrying me- I'd hoped to keep my maiden name, but I never expected he would take it, too, or our daughters would end up having it as well. And the fact that my husband loved his parents even if his relationship with them was strained in the best of times, is why I understand your sister's desire to remain in the family, and hope she does not make fruitless efforts at reconciliation until it's too late. I hope your family can stay together, even if I despise Instructor Nishizumi for putting her style of tankery ahead of her daughters."
Masae paused as Maho remained silent, unsure of how to respond.
"I'm sorry, Maho, that last comment must have come off as quite blunt to you," Masae said.
"No, I understand how you would feel about my mother, especially now that she's prepared to do to Miho what your father-in-law did to your husband," Maho said. "Your elder daughter is far more forthcoming with such opinions."
"I think Hiroe gets that from her father; it takes a special kind of brutal honesty to stand before your parents and say that you choose your fiancee over them," Masae said. "But while she has a sharp tongue and doesn't mince words, she is kind at heart, and I think she actually has started to like you, since she's realized that you're more than an inheritor of the Nishizumi school."
"So is Miho," Maho said. "I hope Mother realizes that, as well, and also comes to recognize Miho's potential."
Masae smiled and nodded, as they watched the match begin, anxiously awaiting the outcome.
The match officially began, and Oarai's tanks advanced forward through the grassy yet sparsely wooded hilly region cautiously, sending scouts to keep an eye out for any Saunders tanks. Miho's preliminary efforts to assess the situation had seemingly been fruitless, as the Saunders troops did not appear to have a clear formation or set ambushes. It was almost as though they were anticipating Oarai's actions and reacting accordingly.
Most of the teams did not end up encountering any Saunders tanks... save for Sparrow Team, the flag tank.
Three M4 Shermans approached the Cromwell and fired near its position, missing it.
"This is Sparrow Team," Yumi said. "For some reason, the enemy is focusing all their attacks in our direction. It's like they know where we are."
"There's a break in their defenses," Miho said. "Head toward there."
Seemingly on cue, tanks surged into position near the area that had appeared to be most vulnerable.
"Now what?" Yumi said over the radio.
"Never mind, just get out of here!" Miho said.
Meanwhile, inside the Tas, Hisa pondered her situation.
"Is something wrong, Treasurer?" Mako said.
"Something seems off about this," Hisa said. "They're predicting our movements too well, closing in on Sparrow Team like that and plugging the hole in their defenses instantly. Thankfully, Miho's order to Yumi's group was vague; let's see how they react to that."
Waiting in an isolated section of the forest, the trees and a few small hills making them invisible to anyone who was far away from their position, Arata and the crew of the Firefly that was Saunders' flag tank, received a surprising communication from Alisa.
"Arata, the enemy Type 89 is approaching your location, apparently as a scout," Alisa said.
"Really?" Arata said. "How do you know?"
"My female intuition," Alisa said.
"Right, female intuition..." Arata said, rolling her eyes. She was all but certain Alisa was telling a lie, but could not tell what Alisa was trying to prevent her from realizing. While the secret might prove detrimental to Saunders' chances of winning, interrogating Alisa about it would have to wait until after the battle.
"Wait, Arata-chan, I hear a tank coming!" Yuu said. "Alisa-san is correct."
Shizuno took a look, spotting the Type 89 as it passed through, trying to intercept the foes that were after the Cromwell. Shizuno quickly popped back inside the tank, and reported her findings to the others.
"And it's the Type 89," Shizuno said. "Shouldn't we get out of here?"
"Our position has been compromised, but the Type 89 isn't a threat to us if it can't pierce our armor," Arata said. "Ako, can you take care of it?"
"Got it," Ako said. After Shizuno loaded a shell, Akotook aim and quickly fired on the Type 89.
Just as Duck Team noticed their attacker, they saw a flash out of the barrel, and heard the roar of the shell that sailed through the air, striking their tank and taking it out of the game.
"This is Duck Team, we've been taken out by the enemy's flag tank!" Noriko said over the radio.
"They know where you are; get out of here!" Alisa said over the radio to Arata's Firefly. "All teams, Oarai has found the flag tank!"
"Already?" Kay said. "Alisa, meet up with the flag tank and escort it out. Everyone else, Oarai should be headed to where they found the flag tank- get ready to cut them off."
As Anglerfish Team rushed through the forest to help Sparrow Team with its attackers, Miho, sensing a lull in the combat, peered out the top of the tank to see if anyone was pursuing them. What she found was not what she expected- looking up in the sky, she noticed a radio interception balloon, floating above the tree tops. It was conspicuous enough that anyone looking for it could have found it, but since most contestants would be looking around for signs of hidden enemies in the densely wooded area, they would not think to look upward.
"Everyone," Miho said to the others in the Panzer IV, "don't say this over the radio, but Saunders has deployed a radio interception balloon."
"What?" Hana said. "Isn't that illegal?"
Yukari shook her head.
"If I recall correctly, there's nothing in the rule books against this," Yukari said.
"Just like you said there was nothing in the rule books against you sneaking into Anzio," Mako said dryly.
"Still, it may not be against the rules, but it seems like an unfair advantage, doesn't it?" Saori said. "They know everything we're talking about, so nothing is secret from them.'
Miho shook her head. She was not one to complain about her circumstances, especially not when she had a solution in mind.
"I don't think it's unfair," she said, "and it isn't necessarily an advantage now that we know their secret. I've got a plan."
On a separate wooded path, Sparrow Team sped ahead of the pursuing Saunders tanks, hoping to prevent them from getting a clear shot on them.
"All teams, fall back to Point M-23!" Miho said over the radio, before giving a destination that seemed to put them where Hippo Team had spotted an enemy formation earlier.
Yumi heard the orders over the radio, and found them confusing. Sparrow Team was barely evading their attackers at the moment, and she believed that following that order would lead her into certain doom.
"What's going on?" she said out loud, but not over the radio. "We'd be falling right into the enemy's trap if we did that!"
Kaori then tapped Yumi on the shoulder, and showed her a text message from Saori.
"Disregard radio message; our communications are being intercepted," the message said, before giving Yumi an entirely different set of directions.
"Understood," Yumi said over the radio. "We're heading over there at once!"
Kaori then texted a response to Saori, almost absentmindedly using the radio instead. While not quite up to Someya Mako's level, and still relatively inexperienced, Kaori had gotten used to using the radio to communicate, and was pleased that she had. She had initially been reluctant to get involved with Satomi in mahjong, believing the difference in their skills was too great, and believed that in tankery, the discrepancy between her skills and her rivals was even greater.
But while she was not a master yet, she had progressed to the point at which she felt confident in her skills, and could perform her duties on at least a basic level. Once she stopped worrying about whether she was the weak link among all of Oarai's radio operators, she could do her job without any hindrances, and the same was becoming true for her playing mahjong.
"Thank you for letting us know, Takebe-san," she replied. "We will head over at once."
Inside the Tas,which was coming over a large hill in search of the flag tank, Mako got the latest orders from Saori on her cell phone.
"I'm kind of glad Saki's not the radio operator," Mako thought to herself, knowing that Saki, improbably, did not even have a cell phone.
"Good catch, Miho," Hisa thought. This was not the first time she had heard of a radio interception balloon being used, but this was the first time it had been dealt with in such a way. Usually, the ideal solution was to take out the tank with the equipment that received the intercepted signals- which was often the flag tank, to ensure that it was protected- minimize radio chatter, or use a code system, but Hisa had not considered a way to turn an enemy's tactical asset into a liability.
"All right, Nodoka, head to the ambush point," Mako said. "This is Octopus Team, we're accompanying the flag tank on its escape route," Mako said over the radio.
"Sparrow Team here," Kaori said over the radio. "We're heading along the route, toward the others' position at Hill 17"
The unit that included the Firefly under Mairu's command advanced through the woods, according to Alisa's directions, hoping to cut off Sparrow Team before they could reach the others.
But as they reached the narrow pass that, according to the intercepted radio chatter, was Sparrow Team's escape route, they could not find any sign that it had been used. If they were late, they would have seen track marks of some sort. If they were on time, or perhaps as early as they thought possible, they would hear the engine of another tank running. But they were instead greeted by silence and an empty path.
"I don't see any of Oarai's forces," Mairu said. "Even though Alisa said that this was the exact spot on the map in which they were heading."
"What's going on?" Himeko, the gunner of Mairu's Firefly, said. "Alisa's been advising us almost perfectly until now."
Meanwhile, the flag tank, accompanied by the M4 Sherman under Alisa's command, advanced to the exact point where Sparrow and Octopus team claimed to be over the radio. They eventually reached a clearing, surrounded by several hills. There was only one feasible escape route for a tank, through a small pass, but there were no signs that Sparrow or Octopus Team had taken it.
Instead, Hippo Team was waiting in ambush, aiming at the approaching tanks. At the moment, they only had a clear shot on Alisa's M4 Sherman, but it would have to do for the moment.
The StuG's cannon fired, striking Alisa's tank in the side, and causing the white flag to raise.
"What the hell?!" Alisa exclaimed. "This school's tanks and crews are so much weaker than ours! They can't even put out enough for a 10-tank team, let alone the three full teams that Saunders has. Their school should be shutting down- why is it still open? Why the hell are they beating us?"
"They haven't beaten us yet," Alisa's gunner said. "The flag tank's still in operation."
"But they will if Arata's team doesn't get out of there, fast," Alisa's loader said.
The Firefly under Arata's command sped away before the StuG could reload. As it passed through the small valley between the two hills, it released a cloud of smoke to obscure which way it was turning.
"They aren't following us," Yuu said.
"We only managed to temporarily elude them," Arata said. "They'll be on us again before long, so we'll have to hold on until our teammates can help us."
"This is Alisa, I'm out of the game," Alisa said over the radio, officially announcing her elimination for her teammates.
The flag tank, under pursuit by Oarai's forces, heard the news over the radio.
"Girls, Alisa's been taken out, so I'll be advising you from now on," Kay said, before issuing a pursuit order to her teammates.
"Sounds like bad news," Ako said. "With Alisa-san out, we don't have as good of an idea of the enemy's positions."
"Really?" Arata said. "I think we might have a better chance now."
"What do you mean, Arata-chan?" Yuu said.
"The enemy's clearly been figuring Alisa out," Arata said."Perhaps our commander can turn things around."
As the Dragon Wagon hauled Alisa's tank off the battlefield, the gunner and the loader looked at each other, trying to make sense of what had just happened to them.
Alisa was a decent strategist, able to make effectively analyze the enemies' moves, but she fell apart when faced with pressure. Perhaps that was the reason why she decided to use the radio interception balloon in the first place, even against supposedly weaker schools. She detested the mere possibility of losing, and if the opponent had next to no chance, she aimed to reduce that to no chance at all. The weaker the school, the more humiliating she believed it would be if they defeated Saunders. There was no school she looked down upon more than Oarai, the opponent they could least afford to underestimate.
Suddenly, the gunner was reminded of something.
"Um..." she said, "Aren't we forgetting something?"
"It's too late to go back for that now," the loader said. "We can only hope that it's not discovered by Oarai, or worse, by our commander."
Alisa trembled in fear, dreading the possibility of either possibility coming true, much less both.
Discovering the track marks left by the Firefly as it escaped to the left, Miho had Saori text Mallard Team orders to cut off the flag tank on the other side of the river, while saying over the radio that they were to fall back to the flag tank.
The Char B1 Bis reached the ambush point at the edge of the river... just in time to get sniped by Himeko and Mairu's Firefly. A shell flew across the river, striking Mallard Team's tank in the front, and with a loud explosion that startled the unsuspecting disciplinary committee members.
"They don't just intercept radio communications but engage in sneak attacks?" Sodoko said. "They really play dirty, don't they?"
Meanwhile, their attackers were pleased with the results.
"Did they really think we wouldn't anticipate this?" Himeko said after Mairu, peering out the top of the tank with a pair of binoculars, confirmed the kill.
"Maybe not," Mairu said as she resumed her command seat. "Alisa assumed Oarai was incompetent, so I wonder if they still thought we were underestimating them."
After crossing the river, Anglerfish Team resumed its pursuit of the enemy, firing a well-placed shot that disabled the Sherman on the flag tank's left.
But they realized that one of their tanks had not made it across the river.
"This is Octopus Team," Hisa said over the radio. "We're experiencing engine failure!"
Yuu glanced out of the rear hatches of the Firefly as the sounds of Oarai cannon fire stopped. She could no longer see the enemy pursuing; while she needed glasses for reading, her vision was good at a distance. While the flag tank no longer being in danger was a good sign, it also meant that their plan to lure the enemy flag tank into the danger zone was no longer on track.
"Is something the matter, Yuu-san?" Arata said.
"The enemy's stopped their pursuit for some reason," Yuu said. "We have to let the others know." She then began contacting the other tanks to let them know that the assumption on which they built their plan was no longer in effect, the entire plan would likely come crashing down.
Two Shermans pursued Sparrow Team through the woods near the river, with the Cromwell's path further limited, as the rocky area near the banks did not seem to be conducive for a tank, and they would be exposed to enemy fire if they tried to cross the river. The deceptive instructions Miho and the others had given over the radio, intending for the other tanks to pursue the flag tank had failed, especially after the two Shermans had resumed their pursuit and spotted the Cromwell. Yumi concluded that the crews of the tanks that were pursuing them trusted their eyes more than they trusted their ears, but in any case, they had to be dealt with.
"They're on to us!" Yumi said. "They must have realized we know about the interception system!"
"It's just a little farther, Yumi-chin," Satomi said optimistically. "Then we'll reach the main group and take out our tail."
Suddenly, the two Shermans stopped, aimed for a moment, and fired parting shots that barely missed the Cromwell. As the blasts faded, Kaori looked and saw that the Shermans were no longer following them."That's odd..." Yumi said. "They didn't fall for any of our tricks after we took out the tank near the flag tank, but now they believe us when we said we're meeting up with the group? This makes no sense."
"I have to wonder..." Yumi said. "Is it possible they know what's happened to Octopus Team?"
Inside their Firefly, which had taken an ambush point at the top of a small hill across the river, Himeko and Mairu's team waited for the ambush, only to hear that the Oarai pursuers were no longer following them.
"Impossible!" Himeko said. "I thought we weren't seen as we got into position."
"Yes, that is quite odd," Mairu said. "Nishizumi is a shrewd commander, but our trap shouldn't have been that obvious."
"It's all the government's fault!" Ezaki Hitomi, a Saunders third-year with curly hair who was the radio operator, said.
"Well, our plans don't always work out," Kirame, the loader, said nonchalantly. "I can't imagine what went wrong, though."
Yasukouchi Yoshiko, a third-year who was the Firefly's driver, nodded, nervously pondering what else would not go according to their predictions.
"Everyone!" Kay said over the radio. "I know why they're not attacking! One of their tanks is in trouble!"
"Shouldn't the two we sent after the flag tank have taken it out by now?" Naomi said.
"No," Kay said. "They're on their way back. A little further and they'd have hit the main Oarai group and gotten taken out- we've got the advantage in numbers, but can't throw tanks away willy-nilly. And besides, I don't want to take advantage of them in the situation that they're in."
Mairu sighed, prompting Yasukouchi Yoshiko, the tank's driver, to glance at her.
"You know, Mairu, the commander has always been this way," Himeko said. "She doesn't believe in playing dirty, in large part because it isn't necessary to win; she believes in us and our strength as a team. After Oarai gets out of trouble, let's show them that they only earned a brief reprieve from us, and just because our commander's kind doesn't mean she's weak."
Mairu nodded, finding her best friend's analysis of their commander to be very reassuring.
"Well said, Himeko," Mairu said. "Everyone, stay ready for when we get another opportunity to attack."
Oarai reacted in distress as they heard about the peril Octopus Team was in, most of all Hisa's friends on the Student Council.
"Hisa! Hang in there!" Yuzu cried out.
Momo bit her lip as she was overwhelmed with conflicting emotions. A part of her wanted to save Hisa, her friend and fellow Student Council member. She had also heard about what Miho had done in the last tournament from the defeated Anchovy, and was unable to fault Miho for what she did. But Momo and Hisa also fought for the same cause, and Momo had to wonder- would Hisa be happy to be saved, if it meant abandoning that goal? On the other hand, were there prices too high to pay for the sake of victory? Momo K. was doing what she was doing for the sake of every Oarai student and member of the community member, but did the needs of the many outweigh the needs of a few in a time like this?
"I told you we should have let Nishizumi know what's at stake here," Momo thought.
The PR rep, unable to contain it any longer, and not wanting Miho to make a decision she believed Miho or the school would regret, spoke out.
"Don't even THINK about surrendering or abandoning the flag tank this time, Nishizumi!" Momo said over the radio. "If you do… our school will be shut down!"
Author's Notes
Thank you for the reviews, favorites and follows. I would also like to thank severstal and Stalker117 for beta reading this.
Sorry for the delay; this was a fairly long chapter.
The scene between Ami and Kikuyo is one that I wanted to explore, showing how how two people who seem to legitimately, and not without good reason, respect Shiho would react to hearing of Miho being threatened with being disowned. Granted, neither may be able to change Shiho's mind, but if it came to that, they would likely try to do something.
I decided to take an alternate approach to the "let's all attack" scene, showing how it might go with people who also don't think it's a good idea (in comparison to canon, where Miho's the only person who actively favored caution, with the rest of Anglerfish Team just going along with her judgment). On a minor note, I decided to cut down the dialogue, since a lot of it consisted of "Let's do it!"
The scene with Masae and Maho was a way I chose of contrasting the Nishizumi and Atago families and schools, and providing a more nuanced anti-Nishizumi perspective than I often see in other fanfics, with OCs foaming at the mouth over how the Nishizumis don't care for the lives of those under their command. Masae doesn't agree with the Nishizumi policy, but doesn't find it as bad as Shiho's methods of parenting.
It can be difficult to give out directions for coordinates in a text-based fic, largely because we can't see the maps in question, but after some consideration, I decided to give random coordinates. It's one of those cases in which the characters know what they're talking about, while the readers will have to take their word for it.
One has to wonder how Alisa, in the middle of all her rambling, correctly stated that Oarai was going to be shut down two rounds and two episodes before Oarai found out. It's a nice blink-and-you'll-miss-it case of foreshadowing.
