In the middle of April this was the situation in the world of Japanese Sensha-Do: Hokkaido and Shikoku were under confederate control. Kyushu was completely occupied by the JSF. And the biggest island, Honshu was in a state of total mess. In the south Kuromorimine and Saunders were fighting Diamondback, Seinarukaze, Conquistador, Szent István and Sherlock Holmes. Uluru were keeping Koala Academy and BC Freedom under siege in Tottori now for months. In Nakatsugawa it was still a deadlock between Bannockburn and St. Gloriana. Between Shizuoka and Yokohama De Gaulle and Habsburg were facing Anzio, Chi-Ha-Tan and Maginot. And finally in the north Oarai, Pravda, Viking Marine, Jatkosota, Bonple and Maple pushed Landsknecht, Stromboli, Tsar Peter, Mannerheim and Odin far back.

The girls were desperate. They were tired, overwrought and hopeless. The boys at least knew what they were fighting for but the soldiers of the girls' school started to question the point of the whole war. Their parents were raising their voice louder and louder. After all of these months they wanted to get their daughters back.

Even other sport associations spoke out against the conflict, including the biggest one: the IMAF. As for the cause of the war, most of the public begun to see the directorate of the JSF as aggressors, who were not willing to consider and resolve their male schools' grievances and demands.

What perfectly demonstrated the thoughts of most was a war report broadcasted in TV. The reporter woman walked to a Panther of Kuromorimine which was in watch and its commander who was standing in the cupola.

"Excuse me."

"Yes?" asked the girl in the black uniform barely looking at the other woman and with a stoic yet depressed look on her face.

"How are you?"

"How the hell do you think I am?"

"Tell me please, do you understand your assignment?"

"All I know is that they keep shooting at us."

"Who is shooting at you in the moment?"

"The boys' schools, who do you think?"

"So what's this battle about after all?"

"What do I know? Supposedly, they are trying to leave the JSF, and supposedly we are trying to stop them. Would you mind stop bothering me?"

"Y-Yes. Of course… Thank you." said the interviewer timidly and left.

No the girls, nor the boys, nor the parents, nor the interviewer nor anyone knew what will happen in the close future.

Soma, Fukushima Prefecture

It was a nice, sunny spring day at Count High School. Though it was an all-girls JSF school, it wasn't mobilized when the war started because the directorate didn't think that it was necessary. It looked like that in mean time they forgot about them because even when the boys occupied the prefecture and they were surrounded by hostile land they didn't get any orders from Tokyo. The girls of the Romanian styled school though prepared their tanks and took positions around the city when the battle was raging nearby but eventually the boys did not attack them. Therefore they had the luck to stay technically neutral until now.

On this day Count's Sensha-Do commander, Marina was just walking on the corridor of the school building between two classes. Outside she was a sweet, kind and friendly young girl. And actually she was. Her teammates were always the most important things for her and they loved her very much and trusted her with all their hearts. However when it came to Sensha-Do, Marina always became far scarier. Her tactic was using the cover of dark forests to suddenly appear and disappear and stop for firing at advantageous times. Sometimes their opponents didn't even know where is the tank that is shooting them and all these feelings usually drove them crazy bit by bit as fear begun to overmaster them. Because of these, soon after she became commander, she got the nickname "Strigoi" by others for being as fearful as these demon/witch-like creatures in Romanian mythology.

So, as we said Marina was wandering on one of the corridors when suddenly a voice called out for her.

"Căpitan!"

"Ah, buna dimineata (good morning) Mizuki! What can I do for you?" asked Marina.

"Can you please come with me? The student council president would like to have a talk with us." said Count High School's vice-commander.

"Did we something bad?"

"No, it's nothing like that. But she says that it's important."

"Then let's go, shall we?"

They walked together to the student council room. Marin knocked when they arrived.

"Enter!" a voice said from inside. "Welcome here girls." Hattori Ayaka, the student council president greeted them when they stepped into the room.

"President." bowed Marina slightly. "Why did you call us?"

"Tell me, what the two of you think about the war?" asked Ayaka sitting behind her desk.

"What do you mean President?" asked Mizuki.

"How do you see it?"

"Well…" said Marina. "To be honest, at the beginning I've strongly thought that we have to do anything to keep the Federation together."

"And now?"

"Now I'm not sure. I don't support the separatism of the boys' school but I can understand their motivation now. On the other hand I see the problems of the Federation too. It seems like it's… rotting from the inside. Furthermore, the situation on the fronts is not necessarily the greatest. So after all I'm glad we are left out of this."

"Mizuki?"

"More or less the commander summarized my thoughts." replied the vice-commander.

"I see. Before we continue I must tell you that I feel the same. That's why I don't like these news." said Ayaka and she took out an envelope from her drawer. "This came today morning from Tokyo."

Marina took the envelope and took out the letter in it. When she finished reading she let out a huge sigh and handed the paper over to Mizuki who reacted the same way.

"To the leadership of the Sensha-Do team of Count High School.

As the tide of the war has recently turned on the northern front we command you to prepare your team and tanks for engaging the rebel forces in northern Honshu to support our troops in continuing their advance. Finish all preparation in two days and move to the border of Miyagi and Ivate Prefecture.

From: Egami Amaya, headmistress of Pravda Girls' High School, official of the Japan Sensha-Do Federation."

The three girls changed looks in silence.

"So… our time has come?" asked Marina.

"Looks like." said Ayaka. "It seems we have to fight for the Federation after all. Or maybe not?"

"I have a bad feeling about this President."

"You're not the only one Marina-san." Just as Ayaka said this, the telephone rang in the council room. "Hallo? Oh, Izumi-san. What can I do for you?" Ayaka was talking with the student council president of Viggen High School in Uonuma, Niigata Prefecture. Like Count, Viggen was not mobilized either before, and like they were not attacked by Landsknecht or Stromboli even if they were located right at their doorstep. "Aha. Uhm… do you mind if I switch on the speakerphone? Our commander and vice-commander are standing next to me. I think you should discuss this with them too. Okay." said Ayaka and pushed the button.

"Morning Marina-san. Morning Mizuki-san." Izumi greeted them in the phone.

"Good morning Izumi-san."

"I'd like to ask you if you got a call-up from Tokyo. Because we have been commanded to join the war."

"You girls are not alone." said Marina.

"Oh. And what is your standpoint?"

"We are not too enthusiastic about the idea. What about you?"

"I haven't spoken with our Sensha-Do commanders yet. Would it be okay for you if I call you back in an hour from now? I'm going to ask them until then."

"Fine. And I'll ask my girls in mean time." said Marina.

"Alright. Bye!"

"Bye! Ayaka-san, could you please call all the Sensha-Do team members into the tank hangar?"

"Of course." nodded the president.

Marina and Mizuki were the first to arrive to the hangar. Inside their Panzer IV Gs, Panzer III Ns, Stug III Gs, R.2s, T-38s and Mareşal tank destroyers were standing.

One by one the girls of the team have arrived and they lined up before their commander.

"Thank you for coming." greeted them Marina. You must be wondering why I called you here so suddenly in the middle of the day. The reason is this." she said and showed them the letter. "We've got order from the JSF Headquarter to join the war in the north." Hearing this, the girls started whispering between each other. "You do not have to be informed about the current situation out there, you know everything. So I ask you directly: do you want to go to war?"

"No way căpitan!"

"I haven't gone mad!"

"I'd prefer to stay out of this!"

Al the girls were shaking their heads.

"I think it is decided then." stated Marina. "Viggen High School has got the same order too. Their student council president will soon tell us their opinion. Can I tell her that it is a clear "no" from you?"

"Da comandor!" the team shouted.

"You know that denying the directorate's order could be dangerous right?"

"We do not fear comandor Marina!" shouted Karin Nachimagi, the loader of a Panzer III. "We know what is best for our school and the best for our school is if we do not get involved in this fight!"

"WE DO NOT FEAR!"

"Okay. If that's your wish, I'll protect you decision. Dismissed!"

After that Marina and Mizuki went back to Ayaka. Soon after they arrived back, the telephone rang again. It was now Semla, Viggen's Sensha-Do commander on the other side of the wire.

"I don't know what you've decided my friends, but we disobey this order." said the commander of the Swedish styled school.

"I'm glad, because we do the same."

"Good news. However, I'm sure that the Federation will not like this."

"My very words." replied Marina. "I don't think it's impossible that they'll possibly use force against us."

"Then what do you think we should do?"

"What about a partnership of the two schools of ours? We can make a common statement that we reject the command."

"Hm, not bad. And we could agree that an attack on one of us is an attack on both of us." continued Semla.

"I like it. Then go and make the statement."

"Let's wish the best my friends. Bye!"

"Bye!" said Marina and took down the telephone. "Ayaka-san, please answer this to Tokyo: At the beginning of the conflict between the Japan Sensha-Do Federation and the Confederacy of Independent High Schools we didn't get a supreme command for mobilization. Therefore we cannot accept the call-up by Egami Amaya and we do not consider Count High School as an enemy of the Confederacy."

"Understand Marina-san." said Ayaka with an uneasy look on her face.

"Don't worry President, we will protect this city and this school from anyone if we have to!" told her Mizuki.

"I'm not worried girls." replied Ayaka as she took a piece of paper and a pen. "Alright, maybe a little bit. But if I may: I'd like to offer my help if there will be such a need. I'm ready to go to the battlefield for our school."

"That's very kind from you President." smiled Marina. "I'm sure we will find a position for you."

"Thank you. I send this letter right now."

"Anything else?"

"Nothing in the moment. You may leave now. I'll inform you about everything."

"Yes President!" bowed Marina and Mizuki and they left.

"Comandor?"

"Hm?"

"Can I ask something?"

"Sure Mizuki."

"What scenario do you think is possible?"

"The boys' schools didn't attack or threatened us even when the Prefecture around us was occupied by them. I don't see why they would do it in the future if we do not cross their ways. What's going to happen is depending on how the Federation will react."

It didn't last long before they learnt the attitude of the JSF. In the afternoon Ayaka called them again to the council room. This time they've got a message from the director, Tsuji himself. In that he ordered them again to attack the boys' schools and he warned them that if they do not follow the instruction and they do not support the unity of the JSF they'll have to face certain consequences. It turned out that the girls of Viggen High School got the same answer.

Now the situation got really serious. They were openly threatened by their own leadership. At first the girls in the two schools got scared. But only a few minutes later anger and intrepidity took over them. They felt betrayed. They felt their schools and Sensha-Do teams in danger. And they wanted to save them.

"If you accept a suggestion from me Marina-san: order our tanks and crews to stand by." said Ayaka.

"I accept it President. There is a chance that we'll need them."

The next day Count and Viggen got another warning. But they replied the same. They do not want to go to war so they're not going to go to war.

Finally the JSF directorate in Tokyo run out of patience.

Katyusha's POV

Pravda was still battling for the land around Mt. Kurikoma. Though they were pushed back with a few hundred meters they managed to reorganize their line.

"Commander Katyusha! We've got a message from the HQ!" her radio operator said.

"What do they want again?" grumbled the short girl.

The telegram said: "Separate forces and send them to Count High School and make them to join you at the front by force if it is necessary."

What on earth? Count High School? What's with them? Attack them if it's necessary?

"And I thought that this nightmare cannot be worse." sighed Katyusha. She didn't really wanted to deplete her army but she had to. She assigned two platoons and sent them to soma. In mean time the soldiers of Viking Marine got the same order.

In west Japan tanks of Bonple High School, Mika and her BT-42 and unites of Maple were sent against Viggen. Many girls were confused. What is this sudden change in their task?

Soon, this war will enter a next level.