Chapter 29: In Her Own Right

Shiho watched the match on television in the living room of her home. She had considered coming in person, as she had for Oarai's match against Rinkai, but she had a great deal to think about, so she wished to be alone. To avoid any distractions, she told Kikuyo to do her chores, and said once she finished, she could watch the match on the guest room's television.

Miho had taken a great deal of losses, but had not been deterred just yet. To Shiho, determination was not the only requirement for being a successful tanker, but it was still absolutely necessary, and was the one thing she believed Miho had lacked. Shiho had to wonder how well Erika or many of the other Nishizumi disciples would do in Miho's circumstances, at this much of a disadvantage.

Perhaps Miho, by building a team from the ground up along with her friends, had accomplished something more significant than inheriting stewardship of the best school in the nation. Her battles were more difficult than those the Nishizumis had fought in many ways, and this time, Shiho did not see much hope of Miho winning, even compared to the past.

A part of Shiho accepted that, and the part of Shiho that was head of her school knew that Kinue and even Miho followed ideologies very different from hers. But another part still hoped that those odds were not insurmountable, and that if anyone triumphed, it would be Miho.

"I've long dismissed sentimentality toward my own family as a weakness that could potentially undermine my ability to lead my family's school," Shiho thought. "But when I think about it while my school is removed from the equation, perhaps I truly understand how much my family matters."

The Atago family watched the battle with rapt anticipation. Miho had taken a significant amount of casualties so far, but Kinue had suffered even more- seven of her tanks to Miho's four- so Pravda's advantage was quite tenuous. Oarai could not win a war of attrition, but they were inflicting more casualties than they were suffering, so perhaps the Pravda flag tank would be next.

"Kinue has lost quite a few tanks," Masaru said, "which is surprising considering how outnumbered her opponent is."

"So did I when I went up against Maho this year, Dad," Hiroe said. "I'm not much for the Nishizumi school's belief in sacrifice, but some losses are inevitable. And hey, it's just a game and no one's supposed to get hurt."

"True," Masae said. "Kinue once told me that she believed she could not have gotten this far without her subordinates behind her, so she resolved to win for their sake."

"That's something Miho believes quite strongly," Maho said with a smile. "To some degree, it's also something I believe in, and reason enough for me to want to win for the sake of Rhineland, Black Forest, Bismarck or any of the other schools and teams I play for. They may not share my goals, but they have proven quite helpful to me."

The others nodded, but Hiroko let off a sigh, and Masae glanced at Maho skeptically.

"Do you really feel that way, Maho?" Masae said. "In theory, it's a good belief, but in practice, I wonder how far that belief took you last year."

"What do you mean, Instructor Atago?" Maho said.

"I'm talking about the finals," Masae said. "You knew that if you had won, your sister's school would have been shut down, and you would have essentially proven the superiority of the Nishizumi style over your sister's own way of tankery. With a certain amount of discipline, people can force themselves to do things even if they do not want to, but I can hardly imagine that you were able to wholeheartedly commit yourself to defeating Miho back then, considering the ramifications of the battle and what was at stake."

Maho shrugged. The Nishizumi school did not believe that effort should be governed by one's emotions, although it did take into account troop morale. In spite of that, Maho did find it difficult to objectively determine whether she was wholeheartedly trying to win, but knew she did as much as she could.

"Maybe not," Maho said. "In any case, my loss was not for lack of trying. Miho was able to prevail in a one-on-one fight, thereby proving herself worthy in her own right against me. This battle may have different stakes, but it's entirely likely that Kinue will have to go through the rest of Miho's team in order to defeat her. Miho's still determined to win, and her friends, who share that resolve, will do everything in their power to protect her."

"I thought so," Hiroe said. "But while she has every reason to win, so does Kinue, and so this match will probably last until one side is completely wiped out."

The battle raged on in the hilly and forested area far from the cliffs. That area was primary ambush territory for Pravda, which was one reason why Maho had chosen to avoid it in the previous finals. Miho was aware of the risk she was taking by allowing the battle to spill over into the woods, but she believed that since she understood the risk, and why it was risky, she could take steps to mitigate it.

Kinue's forces once again got into position to attack Oarai's forces from the side, hoping to impede their advance and thin their ranks, so that they would not be able to reach Kinue's flag tank.

But Oarai's forces were making their counterattack as they got into position, firing on the opponents that had, while getting into a position to fire, exposed themselves to the enemy in the process.

The Hetzer fired, taking out a T-34/76 that was aiming at Oarai's tanks, and Anglerfish Team was able to disable a T-34/85 with a well-placed shot to the side.

As the Hetzer tried to escape down the hill, a KV-2 took up position on a nearby hill and fired, striking it on the roof. From the blast emerged a gout of smoke, and then, the white flag.

As Turtle Team was hauled off the field, the three student council members sighed resignedly.

"So this is as far as we can go in the tournament," Shizuru said. "I'd hoped not to put so much of the burden on Miho's shoulders."

"Unless I'm mistaken, Shizuru, the previous Turtle Team got disabled in every battle," Ayano said, "meaning that at some point or another, they were taken off the field, leaving the fight to the remaining tanks. In that regard, we're not much worse than they are."

"Does Takei-senpai count?" Natsumi said. "She and her teammates from Octopus Team had experience prior to coming to Oarai, and they performed significantly better than we did, for the most part."

Shizuru nodded. She believed in doing her part for the team, but she had no illusions of being the best. Like the other newcomers, she realized she had much to learn, and was prepared to sit out if her performance was inadequate.

"Her situation was different, and she was more comfortable going in," Shizuru said. "When it comes down to it, in tankery, and in student government, we really have more in common with the Kadotani administration than I thought.

"They couldn't do this alone, ether," Ayano said. "Shiina, Miho and the others are still out there, fighting. I only wish we could continue to do so alongside them."

"So do I," Natsumi said. "We've come farther than i thought, but we can't be satisfied with this level of performance, not while the others are still fighting against such long odds."

Oarai continued to advance onward, forced to leave its defeated tanks behind. This part of the battlefield was relatively safe, so nothing unfortunate would befall them until the Dragon Wagons arrived to haul them off the field. In spite of that, with each tank that was removed, Oarai lost one gun that could be pointed at the enemy, and one group of comrades would no longer be able to fight alongside the team.

As Oarai pulled into the clearing, the Pravda forces quickly took up positions on the hills nearby. Anglerfish and Anteater Team fired, taking out an IS-2 and a T-34/76, respectively. Some of the better vantage points were also open to attack, and if Oarai remained vigilant, they could take down many of their foes before they could get a chance to fire.

Unfortunately, a KV-2, in a somewhat more distant and significantly more concealed part, had already taken position and aimed at Mallard Team. A well-placed shot sailed through the air, and struck the tank, disabling it in a single blow.

Saro struggled to make sense of what she was seeing. Over the course of her battles, she had gotten used to the limited visibility inside a tank, and after being defeated so many times, she was easily able to recognize when it happened.

"You know, Sodoko never liked this part about tankery," Saro said. "Winning's often a matter of having the bigger guns, and the main strategy to offset it is by taking the opponent by surprise."

"I said as much to Akiyama-san once," Gomoyo said, "which prompted her to give a long and passionate speech about the strengths and weaknesses of various tanks, and how even a tank like the Maus can be felled by tanks like ours, in a David and Goliath situation."

"I heard about that one," Saro said. "I suppose it's a stroke of good fortune that we don't have to face that one this time, although the KV-2 is hardly better." Saro sighed. "But let's be realistic. When people talk about those who beat the odds, they're not talking about people like the three of us. Our commander isn't some rank amateur; she's done tankery since she was little and used to be vice-captain of Black Forest, after all."

"Perhaps so," Gomoyo said. "But Nishizumi-san has made her own decisions and chosen to bravely face the odds. The least we can do for her is similarly challenge ourselves, and, at least on that regard, we've succeeded."

Saro nodded. Oarai's success had been achieved together. Teams were only as strong as their weakest links, but on teams like Oarai's, even those weak links had their places. Saro had never been Oarai's most valuable player, but being part of that team was something she cherished, and reason enough for her to do her best.

Oarai advanced toward the slope at the back of their current location, hoping to advance upward, past the disabled Pravda tanks, to continue their pursuit of Kinue. But as quickly as they went, they were hindered by the other enemies opening fire on them. As such, they could not outpace the KV-2's loading, in spite of slow and ponderous the process was for the large Russian tank.

The KV-2 aimed again, this time at Anglerfish Team. But Anteater Team had seen the barrel stop in place a moment before the shell exploded forth from it, and knew what had to be done.

"Momogawa! Go left, NOW!" Shiina yelled frantically.

As soon as she heard the command, Momogawa turned the tank left... into the path of the KV-2's shell.

Miho heard the sound of the blast, but her tank was not the one that was taken out. She quickly peered out the top, and saw a white flag... but it was on Anteater Team's tank, not hers.

Once again, her participation in the match came at the cost of a friendly tank. She could not afford to be weighed down by regrets, but could only make the most of this opportunity, in order to seize the slim chance of victory that remained.

As Anteater Team was hauled back, they pondered their defeat, something that had happened to them many times while playing video games. In many of those cases, death was simply represented by a brief message, such as "You Are Dead", "The party has fallen", "Mission Failed" or the almost universally known "Game Over." Usually, the message was terse, brief, and to the point, simply a prelude to the player reloading their save or going back to the title screen, similar to how their white flag mainly served to signify that they were not to be attacked, and needed to be hauled off the field. Unfortunately for the gamers, there would not be any second chances for them or for Oarai in this match- the day would end with them as a champion or as a runner-up.

Misha was most reminded how, during her guild's raids, she was able to watch what happened to her guildmates once she died. In many cases, they were picked off one by one until the battle ended in their defeat, but in some cases, they were able to pull through without her. When the latter happened, she rejoiced, but resolved to ensure that she would make it through the next time they challenged the boss. Their victories usually took many attempts before they were successful, but there were no do-overs in tankery.

Anteater Team had come a long way, but still felt as though they were fighting outside their weight class, like a party in an RPG that entered a more difficult area without taking the time to grind for experience. Perhaps with practice, they would continue to improve in the future, and feel as though they played a more significant role in the victories to come, whether at Oarai or wherever their lives took them next.

Oarai's remaining tanks surged forward, in search of Pravda's flag tank, which remained elusive, hidden behind the many others that engaged Oarai. Only by defeating the enemies ahead of them or forcing their way past them could Oarai succeed in reaching, much less defeating, the flag tank.

The Porsche Tiger took a head-on shot from the KV-2, but deflected it off its front armor. Leopon Team delivered a punishing blast to their foe's more vulnerable lower armor at medium range, disabling it. It quickly fired on a T-34/78, disabling it.

Moments later, a second KV-2 arrived and took position behind Oarai's tanks. Aiming carefully, it fired a well-placed shot into the Porsche Tiger's side. That damage, combined with everything the tank had suffered up until then, took Leopon Team out of the game.

Oarai's remaining two tanks crested the hill, and saw Kinue's flag tank dead ahead, but several Pravda tanks obstructed Oarai's path. While by no means callous or cavalier to losing tanks, Kinue recognized that Pravda could more easily afford to take losses than Oarai, and a single tank being lost could impede Oarai at a crucial juncture, with devastating repercussions.

With a sudden shot, Rabbit Team got a glancing blow on one of them, and succeeded in securing their attention as Anglerfish Team surged by, firing at and disabling an IS-2. All the while, though, Pravda's tanks took aim at their opponents.

Three T-34-76s aimed at the M3 Lee, as it fired with both its guns. One shot struck squarely in the side of a tank and disabled it. The second shot struck the tank with a glancing blow and threw off its aim.

The third tank, undeterred, fired on and and disabled the M3 Lee.

As Miho's crew continued their pursuit, they saw a plume of smoke past the ridge, moments before Azusa announced that Rabbit Team had been rendered inoperable.

"That's the last of our allies..." Yukari said. "It's all up to us now."

Miho knew that the situation this time was perhaps even more desperate than it had been at the end of the finals last year. Every single active Pravda tank would be gunning for them, and even with the casualties they had inflicted on them, the enemy outnumbered them five to one. Perhaps Oarai might have won already if it had been the semifinals, but now, victory could only be achieved by surviving against all odds and defeating the Pravda flag tank.

Leopon Team sat in their disabled tank. While heavily armored, the Porsche Tiger was not invincible, and even though they could overcome its deficiencies, their enemies could take it out of commission the standard way.

"Does it sometimes seem unfair how easily the opposing crews can put out tanks with heavy armor and strong guns?" Nanami said. "It kind of nullifies our advantage."

"It could be worse," Tsuchiya said. "Last year, we got taken out by the Maus' main gun before we could accomplish much in the finals."

The three others girls had heard of the mammoth German tank, which vastly outclassed anything Oarai had to offer and could only be brought down by a cunning strategy and teamwork. Pravda did not have anything nearly in the Maus' league, but its tanks tended to outgun Oarai's, in addition to outnumbering them. As a result, Pravda had a great deal of leeway, resulting in less need for clever tactics when their tanks could win in a straight-up fight.

"I heard about the Maus, senpai," Gotou said, "along with how we took it down. It might be nice if we accomplish something like that for the team."

"You will, someday," Tsuchiya said. "The three of you have two years left in the club, so work hard and make them count."

"We will," Rokubungi said. "Everything we've accomplished is because we wanted to do so, and worked for it. The rest of the team has that spirit, too, so I'm confident there's still a chance, even now."

As Rabbit Team was hauled off the field, they were grimly aware of what the circumstances were. The next tank that joined them could only be Oarai's flag tank, which would signify their team's defeat.

"This is worse than ever," Ayumi said. "Ordinarily, while we'd hoped to do more, we could take solace in the fact that our senpais and teammates would keep up the fight. But now, only the flag tank's left."

"It's because everyone else has tried so far that we're still around," Yuuki said. "In matches like these, when were outnumbered two to one, all of our tanks must pull their weight."

A somber silence descended on the group. They recalled how they had fled their first match with another school, not even participating against the enemy. The other teams were at best inexperienced and at worst incompetent, but they had tried to fight against BC Freedom in spite of their disadvantages. Ashamed of their failure, Rabbit Team had promised to give their all and not run away again, even though many of their foes were much stronger than BC Freedom.

That courage and resolve had served them well thus far, but now, it seemed as though this was an enemy that took everything they had to defeat. The odds now looked as bleak as they did toward the end of the previous year's finals, but this time, Miho did not have the chance to fight the enemy commander one-on-one.

In spite of that, this was not the end. Rabbit Team would be the only team that would be entirely intact next year, but they would have one more year to fight for Oarai. There was still hope for the future, both in the next year, and even in the match.

"Do your best, senpais," Azusa said. "And know that if you lose, the six of us and our yearmates will pay Pravda back next year!"

The Atagos and Maho watched the match, almost on the edge of their seats. Oarai was down to its last tank, and while that one tank was Oarai's most skilled and resilient crew, it could not hold out forever. The Panzer IV was a piece of human technology, and its tracks could snap, its fuel and shells would eventually be exhausted, and with enough damage, the system would declare it no longer able to participate, even if the safety mechanisms protected the crew. Once it reached its limits, Pravda would be victorious.

Maho watched with silent solemnity. In most of Oarai's battles, they had been somewhat desperate to achieve victory, but Miho had ultimately been able to pull through. Maho still believed that Miho had what it took in order to win, but the chances of her being able to achieve that had become longer and longer, and perhaps she would soon reach the point at which it was no longer practically possible.

"Is something on your mind, Maho?" Masae said.

"I'm trying to find out if anyone can win under these circumstances, Instructor Atago," Maho said, "mainly whether Miho could have ensured that the present circumstances are more favorable- if she didn't win outright- or whether she can still win as she is."

Hiroko shrugged, finding it hard to imagine what Miho knew or did not know, or calculate her odds. Instead, she decided to speak from her experience.

"There are some scenarios in which victory is essentially impossible," Hiroko said. "Some professional analysts of tankery matches have looked at some battles, and concluded that, after a certain point, even a professional commander with a team of similar quality would not be able to win."

"True," Maho said. "But does it necessarily have to come to that point, Hiroko?"

"Maybe not, Maho," Hiroko said. "But having fought alongside Hiroe on more than a few losing battles, it's an interesting experience, and a chance for the leaders of the losing side to demonstrate many things about themselves."

"I agree, Hiroko," Masae said. "For a training exercise, I put some crews into an utterly hopeless scenario- facing several of their peers, along with a tank under my command- to teach them how to deal with defeat, and things not going according to plan."

"I, with a few of my colleagues, was the first one to take it," Hiroe said. "Of course, I was merely asked to help out with testing out a training exercise. I was always willing to help, and couldn't refuse an order."

Masae nodded. While her school was a far cry from the Nishizumi school, it valued discipline and she required the obedience of her subordinates, her daughter included.

"It was essentially a prototype, and some things had to be ironed out," Masae said. "To name one, Hiroe almost succeeded, although my tank was able to disable hers. I'd considered setting up a 'kill switch' for Hiroe's tank that I could operate remotely, but wanted her and those who took part in the lesson to experience actual defeat."

Hiroe paused as she thought back to the memories. It had been frustrating to lose, and she had feared losing face in front of her colleagues, but her mother had reassured her that she had done her best, and done as well as could be expected of her.

"It was something of a humbling experience for me," Hiroe said, "much like my first defeat as commander was. But I learned from that, and perhaps this match might also be helpful to Oarai in the long run, whether they win by the skin of their teeth or lose."

Maho nodded.

"That's possible," Maho said. "Learning from your mistakes is good, but I think the most important question while doing so is to ask where things went wrong. So, what do you think Miho's greatest mistake or stroke of misfortune is this time?"

The others pondered the question. They saw no potential for harm in answering it, since Miho would only hear about it after the end of the battle, if she had not figured it out already.

"I think the most important thing is that she hasn't had as many of the lucky breaks that she did last year," Masae said. "Even with the flag tank rule, defeating an enemy that outnumbers you two to one and often outguns you requires a fair bit of luck as well as skill. It took quite a few risky moves and the loss of the rest of Oarai's tanks for Miho to be able to get your tank alone, and even so, she barely defeated you. The same goes for her other matches, to various degrees, even if she did defeat Joghurt and Anzio relatively easily."

Maho nodded. She had anticipated Miho trying something like this, even if she hadn't anticipated her being able to seal the exit with the damaged remains of an Elefant.

"The tournament last year ended exactly as I hoped it would," Maho said. "Oarai was forced to fight until the end, but Miho triumphed. In a duel between her tank and mine, a situation enabled by her strategies, in which I fought without the superior might of my school, she was victorious. Her way of tankery was vindicated and her school remained open, while I had given my best for Black Forest, fulfilling my obligation even if I did not win. Things like the Nishizumi school's honor or Black Forest's winning streak mattered little in comparison."

Hiroe nodded with a reassuring smile.

"Don't get me wrong," Hiroe said. "Kinue sees Miho as a friend and was happy for her when she won the tournament last year. But unlike you, she's not the sort who sees Miho's happiness as her greatest goal, so that's why she can go all out against her without reservations."

"I know, Hiroe, and I respect your sister's resolve," Maho said. "But Miho has not been hesitating thus far, and has not given up yet. She still seems to be thinking through her options in hopes of finding a way for her team to win."

"I'd love to see her try," Hiroe said with a confident grin. "After all, it wouldn't be any fun for any of us if she just gave up."

Anglerfish Team pursued Kinue's tank through the woods and hills, with both teams exchanging fire. Their shots, hastily aimed at an evasive foe, fell short, striking the ground and trees.

Kinue's tank returned fire, and also missed Anglerfish Team, but Kinue's gun was not the only one trained on them. The four other remaining tanks- an IS-2, a KV-2, a T-34/76, and a T-34/85- were closing in. If Oarai stayed behind to fight them, they would be locked into a hopeless battle while Kinue escaped.

The nine eliminated teams, having been removed from the field and transported to the side of the arena, where they could watch the match, but not affect its outcome, watched with bated breath.

Unfortunately for Kinue, Oarai had an option to prevent such a battle from taking place, and it was more plausible than was comfortable for her. As Kinue made her way through a narrow path between hills, barely avoiding one of Anglerfish Team's shells, she knew that Oarai was getting closer, and she would soon run out of space to escape. Her four remaining tanks were in hot pursuit, but she worried that they would not be able to make the shot in time.

For a moment, all the doubts that Kinue had been able to overcome thus far about being able to live up to her sister surged back to her. Once again, she was in a precarious situation, and the slightest mistake could lead to defeat.

"Is it going to end this way once again?" Kinue thought. "Will all my teammates' hard work and sacrifices be for nothing because of my mistake?"

"Just hang in there a little longer, Comrade Commander!" Anastasia said to Kinue over the radio, from her IS-2. "We'll take out the Panzer IV soon!"

Kinue smiled and nodded. In two sentences, Anastasia had made it clear what she needed to do and why she needed to do it. When it was put that simply, it seemed easy enough even for her.

"Thank you, Anastasia-chan," Kinue thought. "My friends, my team and my school are counting on me, and this time, I will not fail them."

Anglerfish Team, however, had problems of their own. They were quickly running out of ammo, and were soon down to their last shell. Once again, they were the only team able to defeat their opponents once and for all, but this time, they would only have one more chance to do so.

"We only have one shell left," Yukari said. "We'll have to make our shot count."

"You can count on me," Hana said. "I will ensure that this next shot will be the last anyone fires in this match."

Anglerfish Team quickly pulled up behind Kinue's tank, taking it in their sights and aiming carefully. Hana, sure of her shot, reached for the trigger.

In the midst of all the chaos, a shell was fired. While many others were hastily fired and never reached their intended destinations, this one was carefully aimed, and flew, unimpeded, through the air to its target...

Oarai's flag tank.

The explosion could barely be heard above the din of the ensuing battle, but Anglerfish Team could feel their tank shake for the impact, before going still as the controls locked up. The rest of the Pravda tanks stopped firing upon seeing the hit, especially Suzu, who stared through the KV-2's sights to confirm that she had hit her target. Silence reigned for a moment, before briefly being broken by a single sound.

With a faint whoosh, the white flag raised on Oarai's last remaining tank.

"Pravda wins the tournament!" the announcer said.

Author's Notes

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

Out of curiosity, did you anticipate this outcome happening?

Part of what I was hoping to show is how the previous finals would have gone if Miho had not succeeded in isolating Maho's tank for a one-on-one duel; Oarai is simply not able to stand against the might of Black Forest without picking off its tanks. Kinue is not as skilled of a commander as Maho or Miho, but she is very much aware of her own limitations and those of her opponents, using Pravda's advantage in numbers against Oarai.

Four chapters remain, including the aftermath of the match, Miho making an important decision about her future, a concluding chapter and finally, an epilogue.

Character Analysis: Kinue Atago

Kinue is the third of Miho's three primary rivals in her final year of high school, and arguably the relative dark horse among them. While Emi and some of her schoolmates have won the tournament before, and Erika is a graduate of the Nishizumi school, fewer people expect much out of Kinue, a late-bloomer in tankery teams. It's not entirely unjustified, as Kinue has relatively less tactical aptitude than Miho, Emi, Hiroe or Maho (but more than Erika), but it's unfair to dismiss her solely because of that, as Kinue has strengths of her own. She's humble enough to not underestimate her opponent, cool-headed enough to keep her composure when things look grim, and cognizant enough of her own shortcomings to know where and how her opponents might try to gain the upper hand on her. These traits enabled her to play well enough for Erika to make a fatal mistake first, and enabled her to use her greater strength against Miho in a war of attrition that Kinue ultimately won.

Canonically, Kinue is an interesting presence on the Himematsu team. She and her sister have a fairly loving relationship and Hiroe shows a tender and affectionate side around Kinue. Kinue does feel in awe of her sister and mother, and a certain amount of self-imposed pressure to be of use to the former. Of course, joining the Himematsu regular team does involve outperforming the other aspiring regulars, and while Kinue is unsuccessful in her first year, she pulls it off in her second.

One thus has to imagine how she will fare and what she will do once Hiroe, a third-year in Saki, has graduated, presumably after Himematsu loses in the semifinals. Perhaps she will find her own resolve and work to prove herself in her own right, while leading her team to victory. In this regard, her development is not unlike what Miho has had to do since the end of Little Army, even if her family's values do not run counter to hers. It's an ongoing process, but for now, Kinue has triumphed, and will celebrate along with her family, friends and teammates.