Chapter 28: Putting the Past to Rest

As Miho expected, the last round of the tournament took place on the same battleground as two years ago, a rocky area with a series of cliffs with a river running through the middle, at the bottom of a deep canyon. The battlefield was mostly rocky, but away from the cliffs, there were some wooded and hilly areas.

There were two ways to cross the river. The first was a high metal bridge atop the cliffs. The second was at the base of the cliffs, there was a small pass that, once traversed, would lead to the other side. Two years ago, Miho had tried to reach that crossing, but they had never made it. One tank had slipped off the path and into the river, and the rest, as they say, was history.

But while everyone in Pravda and Oarai's teams were aware that history sometimes repeats, none of those who had competed on this battlefield back then wished for the events of the past to happen again

Miho and Kinue, along with the rest of their teams, stood across from each other and exchanged bows before the game.

"Before we begin, Miho-chan, I'd like to confirm something," Kinue said. "What exactly is at stake for you and your school in this match?"

Miho glanced at the others, and they shook their heads together. She then turned back to Kinue.

"Nothing apart from what most teams fight for, Kinue-san," Miho said. "Perhaps by defeating you, I can succeed where Black Forest failed, but in the end, wanting to win your own way is a widely held desire, even if one's reasons vary from person to person."

Kinue could not help but smile. The fact that Miho could describe her goal in these terms indicated that she was still her own person, rather than fighting for someone else's sake or using borrowed ideals.

"I see," Kinue said. "I have a proposal, if you will. Since both of us know what happened two years ago, we could avert that by staying away from the water at the base of the cliffs."

"That sounds like a good proposal," Miho said. "I discussed it with my team, and they thought of something similar."

Miho nodded. There was always something difficult about going head to head against someone she already liked, whether her sister in a practice match, or Kinue, a friend of hers, today. Kinue had no love for the Nishizumis' ruthlessness and high standards, but she was highly competitive and determined to win in her own way, for her own reasons.

Of course, Miho saw a great deal of herself in Kinue, and shared Kinue's resolve. She was severely outnumbered and outgunned once again, but, as always, strove to overcome those odds and win for her school.

Ami and Aiko sat down in the stands, dressed in casual clothing. As they were off duty, Ami had waved for Aiko to come to sit next to her, not bothering to stand up or salute.

"So, what are your thoughts at the moment, now that your most recent students are facing off against your alma mater?" Ami said, a question Aiko hesitated to answer. "You don't have to answer if you don't want to- or can't- but I'm honestly interested in knowing."

"I'm not here on business, Ami," Aiko said. "They say that you leave your private life at the door when you're acting professionally, but I'd also like to note that I'm not here as Oarai's temporary instructor or as part of my duty for the JGSDF.

"I see what you mean, Aiko," Ami said. "And I suspect that you're in a situation not unlike mine last year."

"To some extent," Aiko said. "Regarding my professional side, I'd like to point out that I became a teacher because I chose to, and it is my desire to do well at it. The same goes for serving my country."

"As did I," Ami said.

"Regarding my private side, though," Aiko said, "that's where things get more complicated. I remember first seeing a picture of Atago Kinue-san when she was five years old and I was a student in Instructor Atago's school. I first met Kinue-san when she was about six, and watching one of her first tankery games; she's about as old as one of my cousins. Kinue-san and I know each other somewhat well, and I've watched her grow up, get involved in tankery and develop as a commander. She's come a long way, much like I have, and I respect her for it."

"I see; that sounds quite impressive," Ami said out of polite interest. "And... you never met Nishizumi Miho-san before you arrived at Oarai?"

"That's true," Aiko said, "and more to the point, I may not have met her apart from my job. She and I are nothing more than student and teacher, but at the same time, I've grown to sympathize with her and root for her. I suppose that sort of thing naturally happens, since I know her better than the other fifteen commanders this year."

Ami nodded.

"The Nishizumi school stresses professional detachment," Ami said. "I don't think it goes so far as to say that we, two fellow officers of the Self-Defense Forces who first met while you outranked me, can't be friends, but it would have certainly stressed staying professional above all else." Ami sighed as she carefully considered her next words. "The principle is good, but I think it doesn't fully grasp the reality of how people feel about each other."

Aiko nodded. The Atago school had recently incorporated such lessons on how to relate to the others. Hiroe helped teach the class and candidly talked about her relationship with her mother and the instructor, changing terminology as appropriate, but always directly addressing Masae as "Instructor" while among students. In Aiko's time, however, the school was still in its infancy, and provided a more basic lesson on professionalism and discipline. While Aiko believed the expansion of the curriculum was an improvement, she did not believe the Atago school could teach everything about tankery.

"I suppose it's one of those lessons that you have to learn yourself," Aiko said, "just like how Nishizumi Miho-san and Kinue-san had to find their own ways of doing tankery."

"That's true," Ami said. "Now, we shall see which one of their answers proves superior."

Many of Oarai and Pravda's former opponents had turned out to watch the match, whether to cheer on the one that had defeated them or hope that their opponent would succeed where they had failed. Others were graduates of Oarai and Pravda, and hoped to watch their schools' performance.

Katyusha sat next to Nonna in the stands. In spite of the fact that she was now a university student, she had hardly grown at all. On the positive side, she was still able to ride on Nonna's shoulders. On the negative side, she was still mistaken for a young child, and her excellent grades and displays of immaturity only lent further credence to the idea of her being some sort of child prodigy. Her role in winning the tankery tournament had earned her some respect, but some still judged her by her appearance.

At the moment, though, Katyusha's mind was on her alma mater, and those who carried on her efforts to win the tournament for Pravda.

"You know, I'm kind of jealous of Kinue," Katyusha said.

"Is it about something other than her height, her figure or her becoming commander?" Nonna said.

Katyusha frowned for a moment, even as she knew that Nonna's words rung true. Everyone who had a casual conversation with her knew about her desire to be taller, most who knew her well were aware that she was sensitive about her flat chest, and she had confessed to Nonna that, while she respected Hiroe and appreciated her recognizing her talent, she had hoped to become commander. In the end, however, Katyusha sighed, as if to concede Nonna's assumptions were reasonable, before answering her question.

"Yeah," Katyusha said. "Not only did she beat Black Forest, but she's also facing off against Oarai. The latter is an opponent that would have been fun to face once."

Nonna nodded. At this point, it seemed a futile endeavor to remind Katyusha that her strategies had played a key role in defeating Maho's school, because that school was not nearly as dominant in the university level as Black Forest had been on the high school level.

"Oarai was not always as strong as it is now," Nonna said. "Perhaps if they had gone up against us in the first round, we might have been able to defeat them as easily as we did Bosporu, and we would not have had any satisfaction out of it."

"Well, yeah," Katyusha said, silently acknowledging that she had once been dismissive of Oarai. "But crushing the weaklings can be fun in its own way, too. If a bunch of amateurs comes before my school to get pounded by us in a practice match, then I'm all too happy to oblige them. And if we happen to face a weak school in the tournament, we smash them and move on to the next round."

"You never change, Katyusha," Nonna said, amused. "But you do have a point. Ten tanks of various quality do not generally stand much of a chance against twice as many Russian tanks, which is why the tournament limits the numbers in early rounds. Even Nishizumi Miho will have a very difficult time in this match."

"Yeah," Katyusha said. "Kinue and Katyusha talked on the phone a few days ago, and Kinue admitted she was nervous about her chances. I did what I could to reassure her my way, but she wasn't fully convinced."

"Perhaps that degree of humility is, in and of itself, a strength," Nonna said. "By knowing her weaknesses, Kinue can overcome them. By not blinding herself to the possibility of defeat, Kinue is better able to avoid it. The commander won the tournament because she learned that over the years, and perhaps that, more than any of Pravda's other advantages, will be what enables Kinue to win today."

Maho, once again on her own to the finals, chanced upon the Atagos, as well as an empty seat nearby. Many people from Oarai and Pravda, both schools' previous opponents, many locals, and others interested in seeing an important and exciting high school tankery game.

In the Atagos' case, they were eagerly watching Kinue's most important tankery game, and the first time she had come to the finals without her sister and her cousin. They had given their maid, Sakura, the day off, but Sakura had respectfully declined their invitation to watch it together with them, feeling it improper given her position as a servant. So Maho saw Kinue's mother, father, older sister, cousin and aunt sitting in next to each other, with an empty seat next to them.

"Hey there," Maho," Hiroe said, and the rest of the family responded with their own greetings.

"Hello, everyone," Maho said, as she noticed the empty seat. "Do you mind if I sit here?"

"You're certainly welcome to join us, Maho," Masae said, "as long as you're fine with us rooting for Kinue."

"I'd be disappointed if you and your family weren't, Instructor Atago," Maho said. "Blood is thicker than water, after all."

Masae nodded approvingly, glad that Maho understood. As much as Masae hoped her daughter would win, she also liked and sympathized with Miho, and understood Maho's desire for her sister to win.

"Excellent," Masae said. "I'd like to introduce you to my husband, Atago Masaru, and my sister, Funakubo Masaki. Dear, Masaki, this is Nishizumi Maho, Instructor Nishizumi's older daughter"

"It's nice to meet you," they said.

"My wife and daughters told me a great deal about you, Maho," Masaru said. "I'm pleased that you're getting along with my daughters and niece, which is more than I can say for your mother."

"I appreciate hearing that, sir," Maho said, "and I... know where you're coming from."

Masaru sighed. While he despised Shiho and knew that her daughters had a less than happy upbringing under her, he was aware that they still held a certain amount of love for her, just as he had for his parents from when they cast him out until- and even after- their deaths. His wife, as a fellow tankery teacher, had a certain amount of professional respect for Shiho and understood what it meant to teach tankery and manage school, in spite of their many disagreements. Masaru understood their perspectives, but had no such regard for her, and did not see anything that would excuse or justify the decisions she made that he saw as despicable.

"Let's just say that Masae's early outburst against that woman would have been mild compared to what I would have said," Masaru said. "Furthermore, I consider the recent turn of events for the tournament to be insufficient karmic retribution for her; she must be shown, beyond all her ability to deny it, that she is a failure as a teacher and a parent."

"I know, Atago-san," Maho said. "I heard about your experience with your family, and I offer my condolences."

Masaru smiled as he shook his head.

"My family is virtually all here in the stands today," Masaru said, "save for my younger daughter, who is competing, and my mother-in-law, who is watching from home. I appreciate your sentiments, Maho, but I know who the people dearest to me are, and... have come to terms with... my parents and siblings."

Masaru left unspoken how his uncle, Suzuki Kariya, had died from a stroke four years ago, and his father-in-law, Atago Makoto, had passed away in his sleep after a brief illness three years ago. He wished for more time with them, having only come to know them in adulthood, but he parted with them on good terms, and did not have the same sense of regret that he had with his parents, nor the same irreparable distance he now had with his siblings.

A moment of awkward silence descended on the group as the conversation entered a somber subject, before Hiroe broke the silence.

"But yeah," Hiroe said. "From what you heard from Dad, he's harsh on your mom and school in all sorts of ways that even I wouldn't be."

"That's in part because I do hope that the adversity they will endure will teach them beneficial lessons, Hiroe," Masaru said, "just as you were driven to improve yourself after being defeated many times in the past, until you eventually prevailed. Black Forest had grown somewhat complacent and arrogant, so the time had come to shock them out of it."

Maho stopped short. Hiroko, making eye contact, turned back to Masaru.

"Does this include the Nishizumi heiress, Uncle Masaru?" Hiroko said. "It has been quite difficult for Maho to meet Instructor Nishizumi's requirements."

"By most people's standards, Hiroko," Maho said. "And yet, the fact that they are difficult gives me reason to do them, so that Miho will not have to."

"I believe that having to struggle in order to win, and rise up past failure is good for everyone," Masaru said. "As much as I've enjoyed Oarai's ascent from an underdog to a champion, their winning streak has to end someday. What better time is there than now, and who is better to do it than my daughter?"

Maho silently nodded, perfectly understanding Masaru's perspective. Perhaps the Atagos were closer to being considered normal than the Nishizumis were, but the idea of looking out for and cheering on one's own resonated with her. As such, while she was rooting for the other side, she felt comfortable sitting in the company of those who had that in common with her.

As the match began, Oarai's forces set out cautiously in a hilly area; the river was not far from them in terms of horizontal directions, although vertically, it was far below. The Oarai crews were hoping to avoid getting pinned against the large rocks or backed into a corner at the edge of the cliff.

Miho realized that with the number of hiding spaces, it was easy to get ambushed in the terrain, but it was also possible for would-be ambushers to be taken by surprise themselves. Some passages were more obscure than others, though, which was why the team had considered going along the base of the cliff at the riverbank to shelter the flag tank, realizing too late the natural hazards, and that Pravda had anticipated that tactic.

Once again, Pravda was the first to attack, as a few tanks fired from atop small and sparsely wooded hills, hoping to inflict damage on Oarai's forces before they could get to cover. Oarai countered by moving evasively in a serpentine pattern, ensuring that most of the shells did not reach their targets, falling where the tanks used to be, or never had been.

Oarai returned fire. The Tas stuck a T-34/85 in the turret, disabling it, and the StuG was able to take out a T-34/76 from below by striking its side as it tried to get in position on top of a hill.

Meanwhile, a lone KV-2 took aim at Oarai's tanks, scanning its potential targets. Most of them were fleeing, and some were fighting back, so finding an opportune target was difficult. It was most tempting to aim for the flag tank, and a good idea considering that the entire match was at stake, but it was not feasible at the moment.

Unable to hit the flag tank, it chose the second highest priority target- the Tas. Octopus Team had a powerful tank and had used it well in the matches, so once Oarai was deprived of that asset, they would be significantly weakened.

The KV-2 fired a carefully aimed shell, striking Octopus Team in the right side, near the back. The Tas came to a halt and threw up the white flag.

Nodoka let off a deep sigh of disappointment as her tank ground to a halt. The battle was hardly getting off to a good start, and to her, it was shameful that her team was the first to be taken out.

"Don't be so hard on yourself, Nodoka-senpai," Maho said. "You tried your best."

Nodoka paused a moment to consider Maho's perspective. In stark contrast to the Nishizumi who bore the same name, who had won several tournaments on the national and international levels, this was her friend's first time in a tournament final. In spite of her tireless enthusiasm and boundless energy, she was also excited to have gotten this far.

Nodoka understood that much, but while she was hardly as ruthlessly dedicated as many Nishizumi style practitioners were, she recognized that results often mattered. If she had failed to win the tournament, she would have been forced to leave her school, her friends and tankery behind. If Saki had failed last year, her best chance at reconciling with her sister would have faded. Perhaps it was for the best that Maho had not come onto the team that year, but Nodoka believed she needed to understand.

"Trying isn't always enough, Maho-chan," Nodoka said. "You have to not only try your best, but keep improving yourself so that your best gets even better. I think you understand this by now."

"Maho does," Maho said. "Maho's been trying hard all this time, to get Nodoka-senpai's acknowledgement, and be of use to her, Yuuki-senpai, Miyanaga-senpai and Someya-senpai."

Nodoka nodded approvingly. While she did sometimes come off as stern and slightly cold where Maho was concerned, she did hope her friend and kouhai would succeed, and was able to recognize how much progress Maho had made.

"Everyone has that sort of resolve, Maho-chan," Saki said. "That's why we're confident our teammates will do everything they can to help us pull through."

Meanwhlie, in the stands, Sumire and Teru had come to watch the match. They were hoping to see their respective cousin and younger sister in action, and had not anticipated that the latter's team would leave the battle first.

"There goes Saki's tank," Sumire said, hoping to gauge Sumire's reaction. "What's on your mind, Teru?"

"It seems Oarai is off to a less than optimal starting point," Teru said, "albeit by no means an insurmountable disadvantage."

"That much is clear," Sumire said. "But what now, Teru? What are you going to do now that you can't watch your sister?"

Teru shrugged.

"Obviously, I'm not going to head back just yet, after coming all this way," Teru said, "since doing so is rude to the rest of the team, and not worth the effort. In spite of that, I do think that this can be an enlightening experience."

"How so?" Sumire said.

"Most would not consider struggling against such odds entirely pleasant," Teru said. "For a while, I wondered why Saki had chosen a school that had such a weak tankery team for the purposes of reconnecting with me. Perhaps she could even have come to Black Forest, and might have succeeded in reaching out to me, had I not been too hardhearted and stubborn to listen."

Sumire shook her head. She had no desire to argue with Teru about her regrets, but she believed her old friend's supposition was mistaken.

"Not everyone necessarily enjoys a strict, demanding and competitive tankery team like Black Forest's," Sumire said. "From what you told me, I don't think Saki would have fared all that well in that environment."

"Yes, that's true," Teru said. "Saki, like Miho, is a person who mainly does tankery for fun and a sense of camaraderie."

"I know," Sumire said, "While I initially did tankery because my parents expected me to do it, I've learned that tankery itself is fun, when you do it with others that enjoyed it with you. Essentially anyone who, like I did, didn't get involved willingly can eventually find both the desire to do tankey and their own reasons for doing it on their own."

Teru nodded.

"That makes sense," Teru said. "When we started speaking again, the first things Saki and I discussed with each other were stories from our respective schools. In my case, I started with when I came to Black Forest with you. In Saki's case, she started with when she first met Nodoka, how she became close with Octopus Team, and becoming friends with Miho as well. Experiences like those are what I miss most about tankery, and perhaps what I've most lost sight of in the last four years."

"True," Sumire said, pausing slightly. "But in all fairness, though, you did lose one of your friends who helped teach you that. That tragedy was hard on our entire middle school, even those who did not know Mizuho well."

"Yes, but this is hardly what Mizuho would have wanted," Teru said. "In any case, I'll try out for the team for next year, and take whatever position Maho gives me- if she does give me one at all. Perhaps it might even be fun just to start off as yet another beginner and work my way up from there."

Sumire nodded. Her parents had drilled tankery into her, and by doing so, had prevented her from experiencing the joy of finding something new. In spite of that, tankery had eventually proven to be fun for her, in large part because of Teru's influence.

"But enough about me," Teru said modestly. "Let's see how Satomi and the others fare."

As Oarai's tanks headed forward, hoping to keep Pravda on the defensive, Miho realized that the terrain was not easily passable, making it difficult to reach the Pravda tanks. Oarai had been able to defeat a few of them by returning fire, but they did not have the strategic advantage, and so would be picked off before long.

They thus took on evasive maneuvers, hoping to reach the end of the valley and fight the Pravda tankers on more even footing. In most circumstances, Oarai could not face the enemy in a straight-up fight, and so had to find many ways to turn situations to their advantage.

Kinue was aware of that, though, having watched Oarai for a long time, and having realized from her battle with Black Forest that advantages could easily be reversed. She thus ordered her tanks to fire on Oarai's tanks, and stop them in their tracks.

Pravda's tanks intensified their assault, hoping to stop Oarai's forces short, or, failing that, further thin their ranks. As Oarai's forces continued undeterred, the former was clearly a failure, but not the latter.

An IS-2 fired a shot at the Cromwell. The shot struck squarely in the turret, halting its advance and forcing up its white flag.

Inside the flag tank Mutsuki sighed as she realized that the end had come for her crew, if not for the team.

"So this is as far as we can go, huh?" Mutsuki said. "Even though we've all improved this year, this seems to be the extent of how far our skill can take us."

"You were there when we, under Yumi's command, were taken out in the previous finals, President~su," Momo said, "so I'd say that you performed about as well as she would in this situation."

Mutsuki smiled, having gotten perhaps the highest praise possible from Momo as far as tankery leadership went.

"Right," Mutsuki said. "Of course, I could never be fully content with how I was performing... and I suppose the same was true with Kajiki-senpai. Perhaps you'll always face situations that you're not quite prepared for, and the only solution is to get better. Perhaps we are out of our depth against Pravda."

Kaori solemnly nodded. She realized that she had come a long way since she did not even know the basics of using a radio, but was aware that there were many out there who were better than they were.

"Although..." Mutsuki said. "I am starting to realize that I can improve myself, and that I have done so. The tasks before me, as well as the battle our school is in, are difficult, but by no means impossible."

The others nodded in agreement. The team had started with very little, but had grown quite powerful. The match had a less than optimal beginning, but it did not have to end unpleasantly for Oarai. Sparrow Team could no longer affect the outcome, but the remaining crews had their spirit, so they believed in their comrades.

Oarai surged through the valley, only to find the Pravda forces waiting at its end, unleashing shot after shot in an attempt to keep their foes at bay.

Duck Team, however, taking the initiative and fueled by their guts, was able to slip through a gap in Pravda's lines, which quickly closed behind them, as two T-34/85s shifted toward each other, nearly colliding in the process.

Seeing the Type 89 approach, Kinue realized that it was by far Oarai's weakest tank, which was saying something. Oarai was surprisingly lucky to find ten unsold tanks laying around the ship, and even more so to find tanks that were not only in working order, but higher quality than might be expected. The Type 89, however, was of surprisingly little use in the conventional sense, and Oarai often had to think outside the box to put it to any use beyond being a target for the enemy.

Because Oarai did not follow conventional thinking, Kinue recognized any of Oarai's tanks as possible threats, and knew that if she underestimated Oarai at any point, especially when she had a tank so close to her flag tank, she would pay dearly. As the Type 89 took aim at Kinue's T-34's tracks, she quickly ordered her gunner to turn and fire on the tank.

The Japanese tank's weak armor could not withstand the Russian tank's shot at such close range, and threw up the white flag.

"That was close," Kinue thought.

However, Oarai, taking advantage of Pravda's momentary disarray, fired and disabled two tanks, a T-34/76 and an IS-2, the well-placed shots and resounding explosions cutting off any chance Pravda might have had to celebrate their stroke of good fortune. With the front line down, Pravda began to retreat, to meet up with some of the tanks that had ambushed the Oarai forces.

As the retreat began, some of the ambushing forces met up with them as they sped into a wooded area.

A IS-2 turned and fired at the nearest tank, which happened to be Hippo Team. A single shell stopped the StuG in its tracks and forced up its white flag.

Kinue heard the report, and dispassionately accepted it.

"Sorry, Takako," Kinue thought. "If this were another time, I'd have hoped to have a one-on-one tank duel with you, a hope I heard that Carpaccio-san shared as well. But this is a matter of winning for my school and my friends, so I'll have to give it my all. Don't you agree, Miho-chan?"

Duck Team sat in their disabled tank.

"I've watched a lot of sports movies," Akebi said, having occasionally joined Rabbit Team for their movie nights when they put on sports films, "but I've never seen one in which the 'team to beat' had both greater numbers and better equipment than the underdog."

"Technically, Black Forest was the team to beat, and Pravda was able to defeat them this time," Shinobu said. "But your point still stands, Akebi; they fight them on a significantly more level ground than we are."

"True," Taeko said. "I hope that our teammates aren't letting up because the school isn't at stake, or giving up in the face of these odds."

Noriko confidently shook her head.

"They won't," Noriko said. "If we can accomplish as much as we have with a tank like this, then I think they can still beat Pravda. Pravda may seem to have all the advantages, but guts will prevail in the end."

Miho heard the news of Hippo Team being taken out.

"Hippo Team, are you alright?" Miho said.

"Jawohl," Erwin said. "The same goes for the others."

After completing their final radio transmission, Erwin and the others sat back and waited for the Dragon Wagon to haul them off the field.

"How many times has it been that we've been taken out, anyway?" Saemonza said.

"With all the practice battles we do, I've lost count," Oryou said. "But I do recall a quote saying that you don't win wars by dying for your country; you win them by making the other..." Oryou cleared her throat "...guys die for theirs."

"It must be Patton," Erwin said, prompting a chorus of "That's it!" from the others. The four history club members had their own areas of expertise, but they were all generally well-versed in history. Because of their similar personalities, they were often on the same wavelength, and thus worked well as a tea.

"True," Caesar said. "But while making sacrifices for a cause is celebrated in fiction, history's written by the winners, and is more favorable to those who defeat their enemies. Perhaps if things had differently, and Pompey had won the civil war, Caesar would have been a mere footnote."

The others solemnly nodded. They were fully aware that while effort was important, no one was granted prizes just for trying. Had they failed to win the tournament last year, their school would have been shut down. And this year, if they did not succeed in defeating Pravda's flag tank, then all the team's efforts and sacrifices in this match would be for nothing.

Author's Notes

I'd like to thank KMT4ever and Stalker117 for beta reading this.

A large part of the final battle will deal with how Oarai deals with an overwhelmingly and constantly desperate situation. They won't have the same strokes of good fortune that they did in the previous year's finals, and will have to struggle in order to stay in the game, much less win.

The final battle will conclude in the next chapter.