Tokyo, JSF HQ
It was the umpteen crisis meeting of the JSF directorate. The representatives were all silent. They had troubled faces and were avoiding each other's look.
Hokkaido was lost. Maple High School surrendered without a single shot. The northern third of Honshu was on enemy hands and two of the girls' schools defected. Still the situation was the best there. That front was about 120 kilometers away from Tokyo.
Jatkosota High School vanished without a trace.
In the south Koala Forest Academy, Bonple High School, Gregor High School, Blue Division High School, Waffle Academy and BC Freedom Academy were about to be pushed into the Inland Sea.
And the worst was probably the case of Saunders and Kuromorimine. They had to retreat to Nagasaki itself and the city was the only federal bastion left on Kyushu.
The situation was anything but great.
"Ladies." said gloomily Tsuji. "You don't have to be reminded about the facts, you all know them. Our armies… are retreating."
"You express yourself gently Director." said the headmistress of BC Freedom. "Outside of Honshu and north from Fukushima we practically do not have any considerable army. If the circumstances remain like this, we will be forced to pull back all our forces to the defense of Tokyo."
"And give up everything else so easily? Oh, use your head!" complained Waffle Academy's director.
"That's right! Use your heads and give support to my girls!" said Lady Grey. "They are already fighting for Tokyo!"
"For Yokohama…" said a secretary with a flat look.
"Which is the doorstep of Tokyo!"
"That's nothing! MY students are in the most desperate situation!" said the headmistress of Saunders. "I want them to get out from there right now!"
"They will get from out there! By pushing the invaders back!" said another schools director angrily.
"And can I ask how do you want them to do that?"
"What's the matter? The radiant star of Saunders is not so radiant perhaps?"
"ENOUGH!" slammed Tsuji his fist on the table. "We have far enough problems already! My directorate acting like a bunch of gooses is the last thing I want now! So? Any usable ideas?"
There was a minute of silence.
"Tsuji-san…"
"What is it Nishizumi-sama?" sighed the glassed male.
"I agree with my colleague from BC Freedom. We should gather all our forces here and give up the lands we cannot protect." said Shiho.
Everyone in the room went pale.
"YOU Nishizumi-sama? You're saying such thing?"
"I wasn't expecting this from you."
"Are you the same person I knew?"
"Indeed Nishizumi-sama." said Tsuji and folded his arms. "This is surprising from you. Can you explain what is in your mind?"
"Please ladies and gentleman." said Shiho. "Think rationally. It's not a time of blind pride. It's a time of sense. If out teams remain divided like now we literally have no chance."
"What is happening here? Nishizumi Shiho questions the strength of the Japan Sensha-Do Federation?"
"Our strength worth nothing if we cannot use it properly. A united army would have much bigger chance. The most important is still the defense of the central territories, isn't it? If we gather the teams in Tokyo, they might be able to push the enemies back from here and reconquer what we lost. If they remain in small army groups… I think you know what will happen if things keep going the way as now. That's what I think."
The representatives were speechless. Nishizumi Shiho, the demon of Sensha-Do proposed something that would have been weakness in her eyes before.
"…"
"…"
"…"
"Alright." said Tsuji.
"WHAT?!" yelled the directorate in union.
"I take Nishizumi-sama's advice. She has a point."
"But…" said one of the headmistresses.
"Yes?" asked Tsuji with a raised eyebrow.
"It's… nothing."
"That's what I thought. Now give order to the troops!"
Kiyoshi's POV
The confederate commanding general got suspicious. Minute by minute the gunfire of the JSF dwindled and soon it stopped entirely. Moreover they lost visual contact with their foe. The vanguard stated that the federal teams left the area. What could this mean?
"General Hasegawa to General Giertler. The enemy has suddenly vanished from before us. What about you?"
"It's the same here." replied Gustav. "We can't see Pravda anywhere."
"Hm. Strange." thought Kiyoshi. "Do you think it's a trap?"
"Not impossible. I suggest advancing slowly and preparing for any eventuality."
"Copy that. Shall I transmit this to the rest of us?"
"Ja, bitte."
But they met no resistance after this. It turned out that the same happened on all the fronts, except west from Yokohama, where St. Gloriana, Maginot and Chi-Ha-Tan were holding their positions.
That day was the day of fleeing for the JSF. Kuromorimine and Saunders boarded their school ships and left Nagasaki behind. So did Koala Forest Academy, Bonple High School, Gregor High School, Blue Division High School, Waffle Academy and BC Freedom Academy. They all sailed to the port of Tokyo, while the teams on the northern front lined up in southern Ibaraki and Tochigi Prefectures. The only exception was Viking Marine High School. They remained trapped and cut away.
The girls of Oarai were actually commanded to Oarai. According to the plan they were not meant to stay there for too long, for they had to launch the counterattack quickly to prevent the IMAF and the Confederacy to reach their current line.
"It's the second time we return here." sighed Miho. "And the third painful time we leave."
"When do you think this will be over Miporin?" asked Saori sorrowfully.
"It's already over Saori-san. We just don't want to believe it."
"We or… they?" asked the red haired radio operator gesturing with her head toward the capital.
"Maybe both of us. Hope dies last after all. Perhaps deep in our hearts we still hope that we can prevail."
"Isn't this hope a bit useless?"
"Time will tell. Panzer vor!"
With this the tanks of Oarai crossed the Naka River and prepared to engage once again.
Katyusha's POV
"Is everyone ready Nonna? Nonna?"
"Hm? Oh… Yes Katyusha. They are ready."
"Are you alright?"
"Huh… My cousin brother, Sora is somewhere there not too far away." said Nonna looking southwestwards where Habsburg Boys High School was. "I haven't been so close to him in the past one year. If I'd listen to my heart I would run to him right now."
"End this thing quickly and you'll meet him again sooner." said Katyusha consolingly.
"You're right…" nodded the black haired girl. "And you Klara. You will be also able to search for… you know."
"W-What are you talking about?" asked Klara with a slight blush on her cheeks.
"Search for what?" inquired Katyusha.
"Nothing. It's nothing Katyusha-sama." said Klara looking at the ground and decided to leave with quick steps.
"What was this Nonna?"
"I'm sorry Katyusha. It's a secret between friends."
"Nothing remains a secret before the great Katyusha for too long!"
Maho's POV
After anchoring down in Tokyo, Kuromorimine and Saunders headed to the west. Saunders joined Maginot and Chi-Ha-Tan at Mt. Mikuni, while Kuromorimine teamed up with St. Gloriana at Odavara.
"Maho-san. It's good to see you again." sounded Darjeeling's voice from the radio.
"I can say the same Darjeeling-san."
"Your presence is surely encouraging. Now together with you and Kay-san we can try a counterattack."
"I always say: do it or don't do it but do not try."
"Then do it Maho-san."
"I hoped you'll say that. I'll visit you in a few minutes to discuss everything."
"We'll be waiting for you. Of course with a cup of calming tea."
"Hehe… If only tea would be enough to help my nerves. But thank you anyway. I'll be there soon. Erika, please take care of the team."
"Verstanden taichō."
A few minutes later Maho and Darjeeling were sitting together on folding chairs opposite to each other.
"In my opinion it would be the best if all the five schools attack south from the Fuji. Dividing into two separate groups would make us weaker. What do you say?" asked Darjeeling.
"I agree. And you shall lead the attack together with Maginot while Kuromorimine supports gives fire-support from behind you. Our tanks are better in that than going directly into the enemy's face. Saunders and Chi-Ha-Tan can be our flanks."
"I see your competence is still the same Maho-san. We will do it like that."
"Thank you…" murmured Maho barely inaudibly.
"Excuse me?"
"I said thank you."
"Thank you for what?" asked Darjeeling.
"For finding me reliable enough to listen to my word."
"It goes without saying. You are the heir of the Nishizumi style and…"
"But that mean nothing in this aspect. I could be a divine princess or anything; I could still make bad decisions."
"What do I hear? Nishizumi Maho is not proud that she's a Nishizumi?"
"Don't get me wrong. I'll always be proud of my family. What I'm saying is that my name is not everything."
"You're right. That's really not why I or anybody else trusts you. People trust you because you're simply a great commander who was always worthy of my respect."
"Even in my early days in Sensha-Do when I… wasn't the nicest person in this sport?"
"Even then Maho-san. I could sense your true self."
"Wow… I… Not so many people told me things like that ever. It's hard to process it."
"I understand. But learn to accept praises. They give you them for a reason."
Maho nodded as an answer. "Now let's get to work." she said and stood up. "We have a task to do."
"We are with you as always." said Darjeeling and stood up as well.
"Darjeeling-san?"
"What is it?"
"Do you have a personal reason to fight?"
"I'm… not sure anymore. Maybe it's selfish but all I want now is to secure the position of my school and my friends once this war is over. And keep the foe out of our home."
"I see. I have kinda the same thoughts."
"Why are you asking?"
"Never mind. Now go and be victorious."
Eugen's POV
"Bloody hell…" whispered Habsburg's commander, looking into his binoculars. As far the eye could see, JSF tanks blackened the landscape and they were closing in a huge cloud of dust. "Napoléon! You see what I see?"
"Even a blind man would see this!"
"Artillery! Feuer frei!" The self-propelled guns breathed fire and fired a full salvo. Metal rained down on the federal army group, but they kept going.
The confederate tanks opened fire too but there were just too many enemy units than they could disable. There were five JSF teams against the two rebel schools. And the latters were about to be overrun soon.
"Not this shit again!" yelled Sora. "General! Do you think they can reach Shizuoka again?"
"I really would like to avoid that" replies Eugen. "Not to mention Napoléon and the boys of De Gaulle."
"He's right." said Napoléon in the radio. "We've been chased out from there once. That was way enough. I don't want the girls to do it to us a second time."
"In this case we shall fight back I guess."
"General! The medium tanks in the first line are already engaging!" reported Sora. "They are suffering heavy losses!"
"Verdammt… Boys! There's no reason to complicate this! Fight back with everything we have!"
"JAWOHL!"
"OUI!"
The boys' schools faced the counteroffensive with a brave heart, but by the end of the day they were forced back to Numazu at the coast and to the western side of the Fuji.
On the other hand however, Maho, Darjeeling, Éclair, Kay and Kinuyo couldn't be totally satisfied either. They could gain only a few kilometers of land with the first attack which was supposed to be overwhelming. The first day didn't bring the suspected success.
It was obvious that the possible victory will not come easily.
Gustav's POV
The unexpected attack surprised everyone. Oarai could be held at bay at Hitachiota, but Pravda and the other girls' teams were more successful.
After only a few days, Gustav and his friends found themselves back at Shirakawa. Good thing was however that the IMAF directorate sent them reinforcement. They were said to arrive in two days.
The teams from overseas had to keep their positions until then. But it wasn't so simple in practice. A day later they were almost back at the bank of Lake Inawashiro.
Luckily, on the said day the further teams arrived. And there couldn't be any complaint about their number. They were many.
The new army group which was sent to the northern front was led by a large group of M26 Pershings, Shermans, Caernarvons, Black Princes and Covenanters.
A girl with red hair, dressed in grass green uniform climbed out from one of the Pershings and asked to meet the leader of those who were already there. She was guided to Gustav.
She stopped before him and they saluted each other. "Aileen O'Brian. From Shillelagh High School, Dublin. We came to assist you." said the young girl with an Irish accent.
"Excuse me, what high school?" frowned Gustav for a second.
"Shillelagh."
"O…kay. My name is Gustav Giertler, general of this army group. Glad to meet you Aileen. We really needed you."
"Glad to meet you Gustav. We're always happy to help." smiled back the celtic girl and shook hands with Gustav.
"Who else did you brought?"
"Well, here we are, the Irish. Then we also have lads and lassies from Czechia, Denmark, and the Netherlands. Even from Iceland came a school with a few tanks."
"Every single vehicle we have is useful. Are you the commander of all of them?"
"Yes. But I am submitted to you. Can I ask how the situation exactly looks like?"
"Of course. Come with me and I'll tell and show you everything. You know, these Japanese ladies are tougher than they may look at first glance. I hope you are ready."
"We were born ready Gerry. Never fear as long as we are nearby!" said Aileen inspiringly.
"How could I fear if people like you watch my back?" smiled Gustav. "I'll make sure to watch yours. Now let's go and figure out our next step."
All the IMAF army groups got reinforcement. On the north Greeks and Portuguese showed up to assist the Hokkaido Battalion and the Russian Sensha-DO teams led by Alexandr. To the other fronts came Mexicans, Belgians, Egyptians, Serbians, Norwegians, New Zealanders, etc. The pressure grew even higher on the Japan Sensha-Do Federation. Yet, the terrain of the Japanese inland was still perfect for them to make things difficult for the coalition which was formed against them. Only the confederate boys knew the landscape as their own palm.
The job was far not over.
Here you go folks! Hope you enjoyed it! I shall thank you again for the great support!
Have a nice day!