Chapter 43: Between anxiety, sadness and disagreements.
Tokyo, 8:18 pm
Leila and Akito were in their apartment, watching the evening news, sitting on the sofa. Suddenly someone knocked on the door.
"I go to see." He said, standing up.
When he opened it, he found himself faced with a man of severe bearing, probably a military man or something.
"Are you Akito Hyuga?" Asked the newcomer.
"Yup."
"My name is Soichiro Takagi, defense ministry. Can I come in?"
"Please, take a seat."
Akito escorted him to the living room, inviting him to sit on an armchair nearby, while introducing him to his wife:
"Leila, Mr. Soichiro Takagi is a representative of the defense ministry."
"Right, and I'm here to ask you some questions."
"Say." Leila invited him.
"To begin with, did your daughter tell you about the capture of two spies?"
"No, also because when it happened my husband and I were already staying in the hotel."
"Not even a hint?"
Leila shook her head in denial.
"What kind is she?"
"A very intelligent, polite and kind girl. She is very popular with her companions, and she loves them."
"I don't doubt it ... Have you ever gone aboard lately?"
"We have always been here in the hotel." Akito replied.
"So if they told you to swear that your daughter is foreign to this affair, you could not do it."
"Hilda has already provided the necessary explanations at this morning's press conference. The torturers of those two poor girls have acted without her knowledge!"
"So you say, lady. But if there is one thing I have learned, working in the defense ministry is to be wary of official versions."
"If you have any evidence to support these suspicions, I invite you to show it!"
"For now I have nothing in hand ... But let's move on. Does your daughter suffer from any ... Pathology?"
Both Leila and Akito stared at him indignantly.
"Are you suggesting that she's crazy?" The blonde woman asked, irritated.
"Just answer my question."
Leila, intimidated by the firm gaze of her interlocutor, lowered her eyes.
"She suffers from anxiety ... She contracted that syndrome after the death of a her dear friend, Eva Raubal."
"How did she die, and when?"
"Falling into the sea during a storm ... Her body has not been found. It was a year ago."
"I guess it was a big blow to Hilda."
Leila's face darkened further.
"For a time she was never the same again ... She wandered aimlessly through the school, like an undead, for hours and hours. In her eyes I read only pain. It was so destroyed that it temporarily delegated much of its powers to her deputy Himmler. Often, when she was alone, she would burst into tears. And I think she is still crying today, at the thought that her best friend is no longer with her."
"But she recovered, right?"
"Luckily Yes. Even if you never fully recover from certain tragedies, I know from experience."
"Have you also suffered a loss?"
"Exact."
"What kind of loss, if I'm not indiscreet?"
"Kate Clement, a my dear friend, daughter of a wealthy industrialist."
"You mean the daughter of Henri Clement, the president of the industries of the same name?"
"Exact. Their private jet crashed into the Caribbean Sea due to a breakdown, and unfortunately there were no survivors. "
"I understand…"
"Do you have any more questions?"
"No, and I apologize if I've been rude."
"Apologies accepted."
Leaving the apartment, Soichiro headed for the elevator.
Falling into the sea during a storm? If she had been aboard a lifeboat I would have believed it, but to fall from a super carrier, it would take a tsunami.
He thought suspiciously.
At the same time, after dinner, Hilda retired to her office, turning on the laptop and connecting to FB; after taking a look at the notifications, she checked the messages one of which read:
Between the various teams there is a climate of strong tension, if not of open enmity. It will not take much to break the thread that holds them together.
The blonde smiled, opened another window, connecting to Youtube and clicking one of the videos on the home page.
watch?v=MijW2PqR0S0
As she listened to music a memory surfaced in her mind.
Flashback start
Hilda was on the bridge of the Flugzeugträger B, which at the time was in the Black Sea, intent on staring at the clear sky.
"Mein führer!" A voice called her.
She turned, noticing Eva, her deputy and best friend, who stared at her smiling.
"Eva, how many times do I have to tell you to call me Hilda? Certain formalisms between us are superfluous."
"Sorry, it's the force of habit." She justified herself.
"Were you looking for me?"
"Yes, I wanted to ask you how much is missing in the final."
"A week or so. We will have to face Kursk. "
"Like last year."
"And the first one. It has now become a regular appointment."
"You know? Some schools, such as Sedan, El Alamein or Romanitas complain that we win too much, leaving no opportunity for them or other schools."
Hilda waved a hand carelessly.
"It is not my fault that they are too weak compared to us. Try harder instead of whining!"
"Do you think we can win?"
Hilda turned to her interlocutor, smiling at her.
"We have won the previous nine editions, we will win this too."
"Right, that's true."
Suddenly Eva hugged her, taking her by surprise.
"E-Eva ..." She said, surprised.
"I am proud to have you as a friend and as a führer. You are a special girl who gave glory to this school, like your mother before you. Everyone here loves you, you know?"
"I know it very well." The blonde replied, returning the embrace.
"And I'll tell you one thing: I'm also proud to have you as a friend ... In fact, I consider you a sister."
Eva looked at her in surprise.
"A sister?"
Hilda nodded.
"You are the person I care most about, and to whom I have the greatest trust. It's normal after all, we've known each other since we were kids. We practically grew up together."
Eva was struck by those words, so much to be moved by them.
"You flatter me with these words ..."
"You deserve them, my friend."
Eva stared at her with shining eyes.
"We ... We will be friends forever, right?"
"You don't even have to ask ... Of course yes!"
End flashback
Hilda let out a sigh, then took a small plastic photo from the desk, which portrayed Eva smiling. On the back it bore the inscription:
Do not mourn my absence, I am blessed in God and pray for you. I will love you from heaven as I loved you on Earth.
Eva Raubal
June 4th 2000 - September 18th 2018
She shook her head, then abandoned herself to a silent cry. Copious tears streaked her cheeks.
8.45 pm
"We are very grateful to you for the hospitality." Kay said.
"We are grateful to you for your help." Miho replied, bowing.
"Wait to thank us, the game is not yet won." It reminded her of Maho.
"True, my sister. But if we fight together we will do it!" She retorted, convinced.
Upon hearing that statement Marie and Eclair exchanged a threatening glance, while Jajka did the same with Katyusha.
I have the impression that the group is anything but united.
Darjeeling thought, worried.
"When do you start?" El asked.
"First we must launch our challenge to the Black Sun. If Hilda accepts it, we will begin to train actively in view of the clash."
"Where will we train?" It was Katyusha who asked that question.
"In the sacred valley of tanks."
"Where did you defeat Kuromorimine?"
Erika winced at that phrase, while Maho remained impassive.
"Exactly, Kay-san."
"Very well. But now we really have to go ... to resent."
Having said that, the saunders students took their leave, imitated by the delegations of the other schools, each headed for their own aircraft.
