Chapter 19: I don't know anything.
Anzio carrier school, 8:00 pm
Carpaccio and Pepperoni were climbing a staircase, heading for Anchovy's office, and they were chatting along the way.
"Tonight the pizza in the canteen was really delicious!" The blonde said.
"True, not to mention the fried potatoes. They should serve you more often! " Her teammate supported her.
"True ... Why do you think Anchovy will have summoned us so urgently?"
"There is only one way to find out: ask her directly."
Carpaccio snorted and then looked up to the sky, where the moon shone. She stared at her for a few seconds, then Pepperoni called her:
"Hurry up, Carpaccio! We don't have all evening!"
"Arrival!" She replied, resuming her journey.
When they reached their destination, the two girls saw their leader sitting at her desk, her gaze fixed on her PC and a grim expression.
"Duce?" She called her Carpaccio.
"Listen a little to the messages I receive on my Facebook page ... Kazuto Kirigaya says: Miho Nishizumi is a brave commander, she has managed to defeat the strongest teams such as Saunders, Pravda and Kuroromorimine. You not are at her highness, you are just a clumsy chatterbox."
"Don't mind ..." Pepperoni said.
"This is from Kanzaki Elsa: You from Anzio are the shame of sensha-do, a gang of losers as scarce as your tanks. You can never defeat the big names like Ooarai or Saunders."
"Don't get angry, it can happen to be criticized ..."
"Don't interrupt me! This is instead of a girl who signs herself Esdeath ... Miho Nishizumi has shown exceptional qualities of command, you can only wipe her ass with your tongue ... "
Furious, she picked up her riding crop and stood up.
"We are the laughing stock of Japan, do you realize that? Everyone insults and derides us, especially since we lost against Miho! " She exclaimed, furious.
"Anchovy ..." Pepperoni tried to say, being interrupted.
"Duce!"
"Duce, we've always had haters. We can't please everyone."
"The problem is that they are right! Our school is weak! With those wreckages we will always be destined to lose!"
"But we have the P40 ..." Carpaccio said.
"Is not enough! Is not enough! A single heavy tank does not guarantee us victory! Saunders, Pravda and the kuro have dozens!
"Having heavy tanks is not enough, you need strategies, tactics, a dose of luck."
Anchovy's face darkened at that statement.
"Are you calling me incapable?"
"But who says that?"
For a moment the gray-haired shuddered. She ran a hand through her hair, then sat down again.
"In a few months the 64th sensha-do tournament will take place ... And this time we should work hard to win. But, under current conditions, it is impossible. Ergo, we should get new P40s."
"They will cost quite a lot ..." Pepperoni said.
"I don't give a damn..."
She stopped, and then resumed:
"It does not matter! Either Anzio is renewed or will be destined to lose forever, without ever winning a tournament!"
The two girls preferred not to reply, aware that their leader was ready to explode at the first misinterpreted sentence. At that moment the cell phone of the aforementioned rang. Looking at the display, she noticed it was Miho. At the sight of that name she raised her eyes to the ceiling.
She chose the perfect moment….
She thought, responding.
"Cut short, I have no time to waste!" She exclaimed, annoyed.
"..."
"Please ... I'm not at all grumpy, it's just that I would like to finish my job!"
"..."
"No, I don't know anything about this story! And now sorry but I have work to do! "
Having said that, she ended the communication.
8.15 pm
Katyusha sneezed.
"Health." Nonna said to her.
"Thanks ..." She replied, wiping her nose with a tissue.
"Hell, I hope I haven't cooled down." She added, irritated.
"I hope so."
"And to make matters worse, for some time now I have been tormented by strange dreams ... I'm going crazy!"
"I didn't believe you the guy who gets influenced by dreams."
"Ah, you can't understand ... They are frightening dreams, real nightmares!"
"What kind of nightmares?"
"In one of them ..." She stopped, as if she found it unpleasant to talk about it.
"Come on, speak!" Her deputy urged her.
"In the dream I find myself in a kind of bar ... Together with my other colleagues ... There are Kay, Darjeeling, Anchovy, you, the student council of Ooarai and a couple of others. In front of us is Erika, tied to a chair."
"Keep on."
"Erika is beaten and tortured by some of those present, including Anchovy ... Then, at some point, the door of the room opens and a squad of kuro enter, led by Maho. She takes Erika away, the others attack us ... And at that point I wake up."
"The reason for these tortures?"
"We suspect her of murder ... But don't ask me whom, I don't remember."
"And what about the other nightmares?"
"I have vague memories of those ... One of them is set during the match against Ooarai. But it's not a normal match, it's a real war, with deaths in both teams. One particular scene has impressed me ... "
"Which?"
"At a certain point you aim a gun at the back of my neck, ordering me to order the surrender… I turn around and refuse. Then you pull the trigger ... "
"Katyusha ... These are simple nightmares. I could never hurt you."
"I know ... I won't repeat last time's mistake."
She was still embarrassed by what had happened ... Having exchanged evidence of a play for a plot against her. If only he had reasoned with a cold mind, instead of being governed by fear ...
At that moment her cell phone rang. Noticing the name on the display, her face lit up.
"Mihosha! To what do I owe your call?"
"..."
"No, I don't know anything about this DVD ... Actually it's the first time I've heard of it."
"..."
"Imagine." Communication ended.
"What did she want?" Nonna asked.
"Nothing important ..." Replied the blonde, carelessly, then smiling.
8:30 pm
Kay, in the company of Naomi and Arisa, was walking through the streets of the floating city, when suddenly her mobile phone rang. She stopped, looked at the number on the display and replied:
"Hi, Miho-chan!" She said cheerfully.
"..."
"Tell me."
"..."
"No, Miho ... I don't know anything about this." The blonde affirmed, glancing at Arisa.
"..."
"Okay, good evening."
That said, Kay ended the communication, taking on a worried air.
8.45 pm
Darjeeling was drinking tea in the company of Assam, Orange and Rosehip. Suddenly her smartphone rang and she, after seeing the number on the display, replied:
"Good evening, Miho."
"..."
"Tell me."
"..."
"No, I can assure you that I don't know anything about this story." As she said this she shifted her gaze to Orange.
"..."
"Now I have to say goodbye."
Communication ended.
9:00 pm
When Miho had finished the calls she snorted disconsolate and leaned back against her panzer.
"They all say the same thing: we know nothing about it."
"What did you want them to say? Have you discovered us?" Saori asked, annoyed.
Miho looked at her, then shook her head.
"Geez, the mere idea that one of them is behind this story makes me feel bad!"
Miho knew each of those girls well, and had learned to value them, both as friends and as rivals.
"What if it was the work of that guy?"
"Who are you referring to, Saori-chan?"
"To the man who wanted to close our school."
"You mean Renta Tsuji? Possible, given the hatred it has for our school. "
Suddenly the two girls felt observed. They turned, crossing their eyes with the girls of the team rabbit, who looked at them uncertainly.
"What do you want?" Asked their captain.
"The student council wants to communicate certain decisions to you. Follow us to the gym. " Aya replied.
"Ok…"
