Disclaimer

I do not hold the intellectual property rights to the Strike Witches franchise, or any other book, comic, song, movie or other work of art i reference. Original Content created by me is copyrighted by me alone. All brand names are property of the respective parties owning rights to them. This disclaimer is valid hereinafter and won't be repeated in the following chapters.

First of all, I want thank Doran Maya for being my 'beta reader', heh… Without him, I wouldn't have the energy to power through. Be sure to read his stuff!

I would also want to thank Seiko1979. I don't know why, but I have this gut feeling it's necessary. :P

Sup! Welcome to the sequel to The Chosen One! If you are reading this, and haven't read it, do stop, go to my profile, find it and read it, or you'll miss out.

This fic is a change of pace, and almost wholy original content in terms of what happens. I only adapted a bit from Kimi to Tsunagaru Sora, and the Witches of The Sphinx doujins, that's all.

Be warned, the M rating isn't just for shits and giggles. Profanity will be a part of this fanfic, but in a rather 'toned' manner, so it doesn't get defenestrated for being too lewd or abusive.

So… I won't be blabbering on anymore, onwards!

Panzer Vor!

Oh, and one more thing... If you didn't see the news...

HOLY SHIT THERE WILL BE A THIRD SEASON OF STRIKE WITCHES! THEY ALSO SAID THERE WILL BE AN OVA!

HALF-LI... THE CHOSEN ONE 3 CONFIR... Nope... SW3 will be a different Unit's story... Maybe the OVA...

Chapter 1 - Consequences

It was February 9, 1945.

Snow was covering the fields, roads, mountains and roofs of Yokosuka with a thick veil. The wind was blowing heavily, stirring up the snow, and carrying new one from the grey clouds that were covering the sky.

A mysterious man in a snowsuit and goggles was going through the fields, red scarf covering his face. He was singing a song to keep up his spirit.

Yuki no Shingun, kori o funde (Marching in the snow, treading on ice)

dore ga kawa yara michi sae shirezu. (we can't tell rivers and roads apart.)

Uma wa taoreru sutete mo okezu (The packhorses died, but we can't leave the load behind.)

Koko wa izukozo, mina teki no kuni. (Everywhere we go, we're in the midst of the enemy.)

Mama yo daitan, ippuku yareba! (Hey, let's be bold! Let's smoke!)

Tanomisukuna ya tabako ga ni-hon! (Alas! There are only two cigarettes!)

The man stopped at one place. The scarf unraveled itself a bit, revealing a smile of sorrow and discontent on his face. He wrapped the scarf around his head again, and went on.

The man continued his march, and passed through the streets of the small city to the big gate of the Naval Base.

A guard was to be seen in his booth. A faint orange light was flickering on the interior walls, indicating he was using a miniature stove to keep himself warm.

The man went through the opened gate, but suddenly the guard rushed out of his booth and made an uproar.

"Halt! Who goes there?"

The man turned around and introduced himself, "First Lieutenant Toshiro Akayama."

"Huh? I don't know anyone by that name…"

"Are you new here, private?"

"Yes. I came here just a week ago from Enoshima, because the previous guy has gotten injured. Anyway, I can't let you pass until I get you verified."

"Sure, be my guest. But please phone Major Mio Sakamoto for that occasion."

"I can do that. Please, stay where you are."

The guard rushed back into his booth and picked up his phone.

"Should we eavesdrop?"

"No need, Yuki."

After a minute, the guard came out and said, "Please, the Major is waiting for you at behind hangar number two. She said you will know the way, sir."

"Have a nice guard duty, Private."

"Yes sir, will do!"

Toshiro slowly treaded to the backside of the hangar. The snow was creaking under his insulated shoes. Just as he went around the corner, he heard a wild shout.

"UNYOU!"

A shadowy figure in white rushed at him with a sword held high. The swords tip was brimming with magic, ready to cut him in half.

Toshiro didn't have a choice. He extended his hand and summoned his sword, Aganaimaru. He twisted it to the side in a block attempt. The sword of the assailant slammed against his blade. A powerful magic explosion shook the ground and the attacker was blown away several meters in a flurry of snowflakes.

Toshiro approached the lying assassin. The figure in a white snowsuit was on the ground before him. The hood of the suit came off, revealing the dark, long hair of the one clad in it.

"Mio, do you always great your guests like that?" Toshiro asked sarcastically, extending his hand to her.

"It… It is you… You… You are alive!" Mio said with her voice failing her.

"Don't lie on the ground like that, you'll catch a cold."

"Humph…" She huffed.

Mio grabbed his hand and pulled herself up.

"Mio, did my disappearance cause any… events?"

He could see that Mio's face changed into a grim mask, and that she clenched her shaking fists.

"Come to my office... This story is long…"

"Okay."

They both went to Mio's office. She had a single barrack all for herself. After opening the door and turning on the light, she let Toshiro in.

"Have a seat."

She pointed out a chair before her desk.

Toshiro took a seat.

"Why don't you pull of that suit, it's rather warm here." She said while stoking the fire in a small stove.

"Right, good idea."

He pulled off the hood first. His waist long white hair fell down along his body. After taking off the goggles, his crimson eyes were revealed. Then taking off the snowsuit and scarf, Toshiro showed that underneath it he was wearing a crimson red battle suit, similar to that which experienced shinobi wear.

"Toshiro… You changed…"

"First, tell me what happened from your point of view. Then, I'll do the same from mine."

"Okay, listen carefully what happened in the last four months." Mio started with a serious voice. "The day after you finished that enhanced plane engine you didn't show up in the base. Miyafuji went to visit you, and not finding you home made her worried, so she ran off to me. I explained to here that maybe you had a relapse of depression after your mother's funeral, and that you may have secluded yourself somewhere. We both believed in it. But days passed, and you were nowhere to be found. After a week, an official search party was sent to scour Yokosuka high and low. Needless to say, you weren't found. A search order was sent to the military bases in whole Fuso afterwards. A month after your disappearance, the search was interrupted, and you were pronounced missing.

After the next two months, you were declared dead… The news spread like wildfire in a pine forest after a drought. The press was supposedly hammering the phones of the military. Fortunately then I was meeting my old comrade, Ayaka Kuroe. She was the one who showed me the technique you saw just a moment ago. It was somewhat funny, because I already knew it, just didn't had an occasion to use it, afraid that my Masakuni could break… Our blades cut each other in half… Although she has no shield anymore like me, she still can pull of such a feat. I'm close to perfecting that move and making it even stronger…"

"Mio, we are detouring…"

"Oh yes, pardon me. So when I returned to the base, they broke the news to me. I couldn't believe they gave up on you so easily… The funeral was held a week afterwards, three weeks ago from now. You'd wish you were alive to see it… Press from all around the world and a variety of guests that would normally be a nightmare to organize. To cut it short: you had Miyafuji with her mother, grandmother and cousin as guests. A delegation from the base and the rest of the military. Eisenhower, Churchill with your friend Horbie. Even the Emperor of Karlsland came, with Galland and that shady photographer… And me of course... Oddly enough, nobody from the old 501st appeared… Anyway, you were posthumously promoted to the rank of Major, in honor of your deeds and your father. But you know what shocked everyone? The Kaiser held a eulogy for you. It was a passionate speech, and he ended it with the words, 'Rest in peace, my dear nephew…'

"So he finally said it…? Poor uncle…"

"This was the 'state secret' you were keeping from us?"

"Yes. What was the reaction for the world to those words?"

"After your funeral, the Kaiser gave an official press statement, revealing who you were, and who your father was. From what I know, almost all of Karlsland backed up the Emperor in mourning. The people probably came to a conclusion that there is no sense in beating on the current ruler for the mistakes of his father…"

"What a considerate nation… So, this is it? What… What about Yoshika?"

"She was deeply struck by these events. Her grades went from average-average to below average… She became a shut in…"

"I have to repair that… Yoshika has suffered because of me…"

"You still have something to explain, Toshiro. For instance: where in all kami were you?!" Mio raised her voice.

"I was literally off this world, in the realm of the goddess… I had undergone a years' worth of training, both with sword and without. I could probably kill you with my pinkie now, heh…"

"Your sense of humor degraded seriously… But why didn't you tell anyone about this? You made everyone worried sick you moron!"

"I couldn't. I was warned of the possible consequences, but I didn't even think that it would end up like this…"

"I see… By the way, where is your sword? It was two times the size of a normal katana, and you somehow managed to hide it…"

Toshiro lifted his hand and summoned the sword.

"This sword?"

"Yes… What…"

"This sword is magical in every aspect. I can summon it at will and…" Toshiro made a gesture, and the sword split into two smaller ones. "…it does this thing."

"Incredible… What is its name?"

"Aganaimaru."

"Perfect redemption?"

"Yup." Toshiro fused the swords together in one.

"I can't wait to see it in action… Will you show me your progress? Maybe tomorrow…"

"Sure, why not."

"I have another question: your eyes?"

"Yes… It is a side effect of the training… Nothing to worry about, it's only a visual change, nothing underlying… But there's a plus side to it: my eyes don't change with magic activation."

"Okay… What will you do now?"

"First I want to ask what became of my… home, if you can even call that shack a home."

"The last blizzard destroyed it; your possessions are in my office for safe keeping." Mio pointed to the lump under a rag in the corner.

"I see… Well, since I'm officially dead, I don't belong to the navy anymore, and you know what that means?"

"That you are now a bum without education?"

"Ha… Ha… Just bring me to the comms room."

"Huh?"

"Trust me on this one."

"Okay, let us depart then."

They traversed the snowstorm and ended up in the comms room.

"Good morning Major, who is the guest with you?" Said one of the radiomen.

"Somebody belonging to the past." Mio answered

"What a cryptic answer, Major…" The second one grumbled.

Toshiro unraveled his clothes.

The two radiomen started screaming in panic and ran out.

"It seems that they knew you, Toshiro…"

"I was with them on the same radioman course."

"You now have the whole room to yourself then. Should I wait outside?"

"Nah. Have a seat and listen."

Toshiro and Mio took seats. He picked up the phone and turned on the speaker.

"Connect me with Neue Karlsland." Toshiro said to the phone.

"A minute please." A voice answered.

"Neue Karlsland? Wait… Are you planning what I'm thinking?"

"I don't know what you are thinking; I didn't learn mind reading…"

"Neue Karlsland Headquarters, what can I help you with?"

"I need to speak with Adolfine Galland."

"What is your business?"

"Personal matters."

"I don't think I can get Brigadier General Galland out of her office for such a matter…"

"Listen to me, soldier…" Toshiro raised his voice. "If you don't give me Galland in a minute, you'd better start looking for a branch and rope to dangle from, because your military career will be forfeit…"

"Okay… Okay… Please wait…"

"Toshiro, I don't recognize you…" Mio said.

"You obviously have forgotten what was going on in Britannia…"

"Right… If it came to some matters, you were really hell-bent on pulling it through…"

"Galland speaking. Who is this? My adjutant was scared shitless when he approached me."

"Mortī te salūs (The dead one salutes you), Adolfine." Toshiro said with a calm voice.

"Nein… Unmöglich (Impossible)! Toshiro? You are alive?!"

"Yes. I'm sorry for my disappearance, but I had little choice…"

"You cause quite an uproar you know… The Kaiser is glum because of what happened…"

"I can imagine… Listen, Adolfine, remember our little conversation after Erica's commendation?"

"Refresh my memory…"

"You wanted for me to jump ship from the IFN and join the Wehrmacht."

"Ah yes… Wait, are you phoning me because of this?"

"Yes. Since my country gave up on me, I'm changing boats now."

"Wunderbar (Wonderful)! I will do the paperwork right off the bat! Any requests?"

"Yes, I have a few. I want my rank of Major, which I was given posthumously. I want Karlsland citizenship, and my surname changed to Edelweiss."

"Quite a lot of demands for someone who has risen from the grave…"

"Well, it's not a lot to be honest. You'll have more work calming down uncle after you tell him the news. He'll probably want to make me a General and want me to stay in Neue Karlsland…"

"With your kill count you already deserved a Knights Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords you know?"

"Really? So they counted all those cubes back then near Calais, and the cubes plus small Neuroi during the battle with the Warlock as separate kills?"

"Yes. Your kill count is now two hundred seventy."

"Wheeew… Nice… Have a nice day, Adolfine; I have to visit Yoshika now."

"Your girlfriend? She looked so sad at your funeral…"

"I plan to cheer her up. Auf Wiedersehen (Goodbye)!"

"Auf Wiedersehen, Toshiro. I will contact you in a few days."

"And that's that." Toshiro said.

"So we are now equal ranked, huh?"

"Does that bother you, Mio? We were only respecting military hierarchy at the beginning of my journey."

"True. You could say we are good friends now…"

"Because we are. Want to accompany me to Yoshika?"

"No, thanks… I have enough emotions for one day. However, be warned, her mother could not react positively to you appearing suddenly. You caused her daughter much sorrow after all…"

"I'll think of something. Thanks for the tip though, Mio."

Toshiro exited the base unbothered by anyone.

"What do you think about putting up a foreigner act?"

"It may or may not work, Toshiro. Until your face I hidden your chances are very good actually. You'll have to change your voice a bit though."

"Don't worry about that."

Toshiro went on through the snowstorm to the Miyafuji clinic.

And so, the first chapter is finished! Await a next one in three days!

Notes:

Unyou (Cloud Spark) – a technique only showcased in Kimi to Tsunagaru Sora, chapter 7. Basically a gimped, melee version of the Reppuzan.

By the way, if you are desperately searching for chapter 7 and 8 of the aforementioned manga, just look at the talk page of Kimi to Tsunagaru Sora at the Strike Witches Wiki, 'What chapters 7 and 8?' section.

If you want to praise/rant about my story, please leave a signed review, so we can continue via PM's. Seriously, I don't bite. Unless provoked :]

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