Tokyo

The JSF directorate gathered together in the HQ's meeting room. Despite their usual nature, you could tell this time that they were in serious trouble. They were sitting nervously, avoiding each other's look. They took their chances into account. All of them agreed that they couldn't do much if the IMAF launched its Sentoki-Do teams against them. This time it weren't their tanks in danger, but their facilities, tank garages, warehouses, factories, forts and other buildings. The IMAF literally threatened them that they will destroy the JSF's logistics and infrastructure.

The room was silent, even the buzz of a fly could be heard. Shiho herself was sitting with a trouble look on her face and folded hands on the tabletop. She knew as well that this scenario would be catastrophic. A week and a few days ago when she heard that warplanes unleashed their fury on her daughters she almost got a heart attack. She felt that she wanted to run to the battlefield immediately and bring them out of there. Now she was sitting here and she could do nothing, but hope the best.

"So?" Tsuji finally asked sighing. "Do we cease the war?" The directorate members didn't reply. They didn't want to or they were afraid to do so. "Who says yes?" he asked and raised his own hand for the other's surprise. Slowly, one by one other hands were raised as well, until only a few were left. "Alright. Then it's decided. I'll talk to Hamada Kyousuke. I dismiss the meeting." said Tsuji and stood up from his chair. Then he walked to his personal office, took the telephone and dialed the number to speak with a certain young boy in Matsuyama. Will he agree?

Miho's POV

Miho and her crew were checking their tanks in one of the few moments which weren't filled with gunfire. She was scared. What will happen if the planes come back? What will happen now at all? For how long will they stay here? Will this ever end?

She was thinking like this when suddenly Saori who was still sitting at the radio placed her hands on her headset. "Taichō! Incoming message from Tokyo!" For a whole minute she was sitting completely frozen showing her back to her friends.

"Saori-san?" asked Miho. "Saori-san! What happened?"

The orange haired radio operator slowly turned around and the others saw her face full of disbelief.

"What is it Saori-san?" asked Hana.

It took Saori long seconds before she could pronounce the words. "It's over." she whispered.

Katyusha's POV

Katyusha was staring down at the paper she was holding in her shaking hands. A moment later she leaned back in her chair in her T-34 and let out a huge scream.

Darjeeling's POV

Darjeeling was still fighting on the streets of Nakatsugawa when suddenly Bannockburn's fire dwindled. She narrowed her eyes. What is this? Then the Churchill's radio has begun cracking. She listened to the message and just like the time when she fought Miho for the first time she dropped her tea and the cup broke in many pieces.

Anchovy's POV

Anchovy was standing in her P40's turret when she heard one of her girls shouting from behind. "It's over! It's over!" she was shouting while running toward them. Anzio's commander just looked. What is over?

Maho's POV

A message has arrived from the radio. While Riyoko, Maho's radio operator was listening to it, Maho herself was observing the confederate line with her binoculars. Suddenly all she could hear was Riyoko's sobbing.

"Riyoko?" Maho asked surprised. The radio operator girl just looked at her with teary eyes and found it hard to tell.

Marie's POV

The situation of BC Freedom and Koala was probably the worst in the whole JSF army. Literally, since January they were surrounded in Tottori mainly by the forces of Uluru. At first they were able to protect the area around the city but by now they were pushed back to the suburbs and they had to protect themselves in a fort they've quickly built up. Ever since the siege begun artillery shelling was more or less a daily practice and by now the two girls' schools' surroundings looked like the Armageddon itself. The small generator house they had was completely leveled and they had problems with water supply as well.

It was after long months of this life when they received that radio message…

Miho's POV

"Cease all combat activity by 15 May, 12:00 a.m. A cease-fire has been achieved. Later we will inform you about the details of the withdrawal of forces."

Miho just couldn't believe her eyes. Like this? Out of nowhere? But she couldn't deny what she was seeing.

"Miporin. Tell me please it's not a dream." pleaded Saori.

"No Saori-san. It's not a dream." said Miho looking at her friends. "It will end tomorrow."

Next morning, Kiyoshi's POV

That part of the front was rather quiet. Kiyoshi and Aoto were standing next to each other resting their backs on the commanding general's Königstiger.

"What will you do first once this has ended?" asked Kiyoshi his vice-commander.

"My first thing to do? To drink a very, very big sip of sake." replied Aoto with a smile.

"Of course." nodded Kiyoshi with a weak smile. "And then?"

"Then nothing. Just go home and live my life with you and my other friends."

"How much time do you think it will take you to get costumed again to that life?"

"Don't know General. I hope not too much."

"Indeed." nodded Kiyoshi and looked at his wristwatch. It was 10:30 a.m. Ninety minutes and…

Miho's POV

Oarai and Mannerheim were battling in a long range duel with Oarai in the valley and Mannerheim on the side of Mt. Kurikoma. It was harsh and brutal. Shells were screaming and exploding in almost every second. Leopon Team got immobilized and had to fight stranded. The earth was ripped up by grenades. The roar of machineguns filled the air.

"Nishizumi taichō! Enemy units to the right!" Hippo Team radioed.

"Keep them under fire!" ordered Miho. "Shield our right flank!"

"HAI!"

"Target in sight!" reported Hana looking at another Panzer IV through the crosshairs.

"Fire!" commanded Miho. Just as she said this she looked at her watch for a moment. In that exact second the pointer reached the "12". It was noon. It was like turning down the volume on a television. A Stug of Mannerheim fired one last time and the shell struck the earth near Anteater Team and then… nothing. Nothing. All the soldiers of both sides could hear was the whistling of the wind. The tanks were standing facing each other with silent guns. Five minutes passed like this, without anyone saying a word.

Then hatches started to open up and heads popped out one after another. With careful movements many of the boys and girls slowly climbed out of the vehicles. They looked around. There was silence around them. Dead silence. Until the sides begun to cheer and scream and rejoice.

Some were kneeling on the ground and crying, some were laughing manically, some were hugging each other and some were just sitting and smiling at the sky.

It was happening. It was really happening.

Miho herself was sitting in her chair like a dead person. She totally lost her track of time.

"Are you alright Miho-san?" asked Hana placing a hand on her commander's leg.

"Yes Hana-san. Even if I don't look like I am." replied Miho. Meanwhile she re-lived everything. That cursed conference almost an entire year ago, the fear and uncertainty, the secession of the boys' schools, the first commotions, the very first battle at Nakajima Island, the loss of Hokkaido and northern Honshu, the countless battles, fights and struggles, the despair, that Christmas they spent with the enemy, the feeling of being lost between the mountains, the fear, the hopelessness and now… It was all over in the blink of an eye.

And it was the biggest relief she ever felt in her life.

Next day

The Japan Sensha-Do Federation and the Confederacy of Independent High Schools agreed to cease hostilities and begin negotiations with each other. The IMAF served as a mediatory in this. The sides agreed to withdraw half of their forces back to their home cities. The JSF gave back southern Honshu and northern Kyushu while the Confederacy evacuated northern Honshu giving Aomori back to Pravda and Muroran to Maple in Hokkaido. De Gaulle and Habsburg drew back to Shizuoka while Anzio, Chi-Ha-Tan and Maginot left the fields and returned to Yokohama where they were joined by St. Gloriana after they evacuated Nakatsugawa. All-Star University was commanded to line up between the two cities and act as neutral peacekeepers. The confederate blockade of Tottori was given up.

Miho and the whole team were commanded to return to Oarai. It was for real. They were going home.

On this morning the Oarai girls were preparing their tanks for the way.

"Mihosha!" Miho heard a familiar voice from behind.

"Ah, Katyusha-san!"

"Congratulations. You are lucky that you can go home." said the short girl. Pravda belonged to the other half of the JSF army which stayed in positions.

"Yeah… I'm sorry that the same doesn't apply to you."

"Never mind it." waved Katyusha. "I was expecting this actually. The stronger tanks you have the higher chance to stay. But at least… the next days will be quieter ones that before. Plus, it already feels heaven to at last stand up straight and walk around instead of crouching inside the tank."

"You have a point. Anyway, please tell Nonna-san and Klara-san that I wish them the best."

"I'll make sure to pass your message. Have a nice trip!"

"Thank you Katyusha-san!" bowed Miho.

An hour later the tanks of Oarai fired up their engines, turned around and left for Oarai. All of them were silent; they barely spoke with each other. They were still a bit hesitant to believe this. They were rolling down the roads of the Japanese countryside without the risk of being fired at.

"Hana-san. What are you doing?" asked Miho. Her gunner was sitting at her battle station instinctively ready to fire at every second.

"Oh… Yes, sorry taichō. I think it was an innervation."

"How do you think they'll greet us?" asked Saori.

"Who?"

"The folks at home. I'm a bit afraid that they will be angry with us."

"Angry? For what?"

"For not winning and liquidate the threat completely."

"Was it our task at all?" asked Miho.

"Than what do you think it was Nishizumi-dono?"

"I think it was to conquer."

"We will see when we make home." said Mako in a neutral voice. And for that they had to wait hours.

It was the middle of the evening when they were about to enter their hometown. All of the girls popped their heads out to see the familiar landscape they missed so much. Good God! They left this place nine months ago without knowing when they will return. Well… now.

They reached the top of a hill and there was it. Down there, was the city of Oarai, the seaport with the school ship and the wide, endless ocean. It was so beautiful. By this time, there were only a few people walking the streets. The girls drove through the city watching as their carrier ship was becoming bigger and bigger. Was it the same as before? They were getting closer and closer and also more and more excited. And there was the ramp! Miho's Panzer IV reached it and begun to climb up on it followed by the others. Just a few meters and they will be back on the deck of the ship at last. The girls reached the top and… they got very surprised. Literally the whole population of the ship was standing beside the road and greeted them with ovation. They were smiling, waving, cheering and even throwing flowers to them.

The team looked around. Do they deserve it? Possibly not. Then why?

"We did nothing. And still they welcome us like this." said Saori.

"Actually we did something Saori-san." said Miho. "We have finally come back to them."

Oarai training field, tank garage

The girls lined up their vehicles and climbed out of them. Then they were just staring at each other speechless. They were always together in the nightmare but now they will be separated. Well, not that much, obviously they can meet the next day already. But it was still hard to leave each other's side even for this short period of time.

"Then… good night everyone. Sweet dreams." Anzu was the one who finally said something. After that she turned around and left with slow, sluggish steps. n the next minutes the others did the same until no one left in the garage.

It was already late and dark when Miho was walking towards her apartment in the light of the streetlamps. She climbed the stairs, stepped to the door, pushed the key into the lock, turned it around and opened the door. There she was standing. In her own ante-room with her own apartment in front of her. Nothing has changed. Everything was like the day she went to war. She turned on the lights and went in. Miho stopped before the mirror on the door of the bathroom. She was dirty. Very dirty. And matted. And weary.

"Am I still the same person?"

She was moving around like a robot. First thing first she went to the bathroom, freed herself from her uniform and entered the shower. She turned on the water. Miho almost forget what it feels like when hot water falls over her body. She watched as it washed all the grime down from her. She could never imagine before that someone can be covered with this much of dirt, oil, sweat and soot. The commander was just standing there motionlessly.

After she finished she walked to her bed and fell in it like a dead person, falling asleep instantly.

Darjeeling's POV

Darjeeling was standing in her own ante-room leaning to the wall. After long minutes she finally moved and took down her boots. She got so used to their weight that she felt naked without them. Inside her room she looked at the kettle and the box of team beside it. She was thinking then shook her head. Tomorrow. What was really bothering her was the silence. She heard before that war is like a drug. Huge intensity then one day to the other nothing. She would have preferred to turn on her CD player and listen to some howler Judas Priest track even if it was not her personal favorite type of music. But even that would be better than this…

Anchovy's POV

Anchovy closed her apartment's door behind her then simply sat down on the floor and immediately bursted into tears as all the stress and tenseness left her body. The serious, sometimes even scary commander was gone; in its place was only a young, broken girl whose only wish was a huge hug from her parents and brother. For the first time in her life Anchovy felt that not even a slice of pizza could calm her down. Maybe tow… or three…

Maho's POV

Half of Kuromorimine has been withdrawn and Maho was among them. She was still scared that she could wake up in any seconds and the dream will be over. But it didn't happen. She passed the gate and entered the garden of their house in Kumamoto. She couldn't meet her mother however, Shiho was still in Tokyo. What would she say to her?

Maho opened the door and she was standing in the hall of the Nishizumi residence again. As she was looking around a person dressed in yukata came in from the living room. "Ms. Maho." she greeted the commander with a bow.

"Kikuyo." Maho said and she did something she was not used to. She rushed to her old nanny who took care of her and Miho many times when they were kids and hugged her tightly. "It's good to see you again." Maho said weakly.

"Same here Maho-chan." Kikuyo replied. "Same here."

After a long time Maho went up to her room and sat down on the edge of her bed. Her cellphone was lying on the nightstand beside her. She looked at it. Shall she call Miho? No. Like herself and all their friends Miho needs her time now. Later. So Maho just fell back and let her heavy eyelids to close down.

Kyousuke's POV

The confederate president didn't spend a minute on the battlefields but he had his own fights and was nearly as tired as his soldier schoolmates. She was sitting in his office in Niigata at Landsknecht Boys' High School with a cup of tea in his hand. But his thoughts were elsewhere and it went cold by now. They made it after all. They saved the sovereignty of their sport association. They could be proud. On the other hand however he knew that for this they needed fortune and the aid of the IMAF. In the past weeks it was questionable that they can hold their ground especially in the north. Fortunately it turned out well. But

Kyousuke knew that this was not entirely over. It was only a cease-fire not a peace treaty. What about their future relations to the JSF? And what will be with… those two girls' schools which denied Tsuji's orders? The JSF was still keeping them under blockade.

No readers, do not fear! It's not over!