The Nishizumis and The Shimadas.

Two families, fair alike in dignity.

They are the true essence of the sport of Sensha-dō, each with their own style of operating the tanks.

Spearheaded by Shiho Nishizumi, the Nishizumi style is calculated, refined, and orderly. Utilized by Kuromorimine Girls Academy, they have an iron grip on the world of Sensha-dō, making the school (and family) the most formidable foe in the sport. Maho Nishizumi, Erika Itsumi, and (formerly) Miho Nishizumi respectively have been taught this style.

On the contrary, their Shimada counterparts, led by Chiyo Shimada, are unpredictable, ruthless and ninja-like in their tactics. Their style is utilized by the All-Stars University team, based in Greater Tokyo and led by Chiyo's prodigal 13-year-old daughter, Alice Shimada.

With that in mind, it's not a huge surprise that both sides have an intense rivalry with one another, stone cold bitter until the very end. One might expect the children that grew up in each of the families to have a bit of resentment towards each other.

Not in the case of Miho Nishizumi and Alice Shimada. At least, for now…


BOKO MUSEUM; 0930 JST

"It didn't work?!"

"Alice, I'm sorry. I tried, really!"

The fun-filled Disney-inspired Boko Museum isn't the first place one would call an important meeting, especially pretty early in the morning. But for two fangirls of the famous bear, it was the only place where they could get away from the fast-paced reality of Sensha-dō.

At least, not today could they get away from that reality.

Sitting at a table in the main courtyard of the premise were the two girls, worriedly looking at each other. The Shimada girl looked tense as she continued to question Miho.

"Miho-san," she said with a soft voice, "did you tell them everything that I wanted to be said?"

"As much as I could, I tried but Darjeeling wouldn't budge," the Nishizumi girl answered. "And now… They're moving on with other plans."

The two girls awkwardly looked away from each other and sat silent. After what felt like an eternity, Miho decided to quell the silence and spoke up.

"So… Barring the fact that it didn't go through, I have to commend you for doing something like this," Miho said to Alice. "I think what you're doing is completely right."

"How is that supposed to make me feel better after Darjeeling supposedly rejected it?" Alice pouted.

"No, I'm just saying how it's great to see you helping Mika out even if you two don't seem to talk at all-"

"Talk?"

Miho suddenly felt a weird aura around Alice and she tried to quell it. "Well," she stuttered, "from what I could remember when I talked to Mika, she never mentioned you, and you don't seem to mention her either."

"Just because I don't talk about her doesn't mean we don't talk at all," The Shimada bluffed rather monotonously.

"Alice, I know you're disappointed about it, but your tone kinda isn't helping right now."

"I'm not disappointed! I'm… rather bummed out."

"That's the same thing."

"It really isn't."

Miho shrugged her shoulders and took a sip of her hot cocoa; after a hard night, this was something she definitely needed to perk her up.

"What's even this 'Operation: Horizon' exactly?" Miho wondered. "Like, are they going to supply them only?"

"Yes," Alice replied. "But, they'll only supply up to the bare minimum, as I've heard from Rumi. It barely helps."

"Even though you two are so far from each other, it's so cool how you're so concerned about your sister's school," Miho remarked positively.

Unfortunately, Alice didn't reciprocate the praise from her friend. "Miho, don't bring up my sister again."

The Oarai commander initially raised an eyebrow, but after a while, she nodded. "Alright, fine," she said. "But, I'm just curious, that's all."

"Curious about what?" Alice asked with confusion.

Miho placed her cup down and looked up to the massive screen that hung across from their table; it displayed highlights of a previous Sensha-dō battle.

"You're doing everything for your sister," she said softly. "Even if she is distant from you and you're distant from her too, why are you doing something like this to a person you haven't interacted with since you were young, knowing full-well your mother would be angry if she found out?"

Initially, Alice didn't say anything. However, Miho could tell that butterflies fluttered in her friend's stomach and wondered if she laid too much info onto her. She felt a sense of guilt that reciprocated into an apology towards the Shimada.

"Sorry," she apologized. "I didn't mean to-" Then, out of nowhere, Miho was interrupted by the childish voice of her friend.

"…Why are you saying something like that to me when you're not even close to your own sister up until now?" Alice mumbled with a tinge of anger in her tone.

Miho was confused. "…I'm sorry, but what?"

Alice looked up to Miho with an intimidating glare. "Your sister, Maho," she began. "You mentioned how you were bullied and ostracized in Kuromorimine. I realize now that your sister was never there to pull you up. She let you rot in that school until you transferred to Oarai. She didn't care about you at all."

The Nishizumi didn't know how to react, but she knew for a fact that whatever her friend said was: "Untrue."

"Miho, if your sister even cared about you, she would've defended you in Kuromorimine. She would've been right behind you when you got stabbed in the back."

Miho sent an annoyed glare towards Alice. "I don't know what you're talking about-" she clenched her fists tightly, "-but my sister loves me."

Alice stood up from her seat and placed her hands onto the table. "If she loves you, then why hasn't she convinced your mother to bring you back to your own family? As I said, your sister doesn't love you!"

That was the last straw for Miho. Without even realizing it, she blurted to Alice, "You're telling me that my sister doesn't love me when you ratted your own sister and her friends out and inadvertently sent them across the Pacific Ocean, away from their friends and family, just so you could keep this damn museum open?! Is that love to you?"

She was out of breath when she finished shouting. Luckily, there was no one around them to hear this quarrel, but it still felt completely awkward to the both of them, especially to Miho, who hasn't yelled this much in a while.

And regret set in for her.

"Shoot…"

As for Alice, like her friend earlier, she didn't know how to react after hearing this. However, being the heir to one of Japan's most prolific sensha-dō families and stressing over the fact that she has to choose a high school to go to soon (typical 13-year-old stuff, right?), she did what any sensible person would do…

She walked up to Miho and told her to hunker down, so she could whisper something to her. Her friend obliged and did so… and was immediately met with a powerful slap across the face from the small hands of the prodigy.

The Nishizumi lost her balance and fell to her knees. She kneeled silently and refused to look at Alice.

"I'm going home," Alice said to her (now estranged) friend before she walked to the exit. "And don't follow me!"

Miho didn't follow suit, as per the requests of Alice and continued to sit on the cold ground.

"Why… Why did I say that?" She mumbled, defeated and filled with regret.


SHIMADA HOUSEHOLD; 1130 JST

Well, that hangout ended… abruptly.

Alice laid on her bed, face down on a pillow, wallowing with spite. Everything Miho said, although she didn't want to admit it, was completely correct. And that slap, oh, that slap! She regretted ruining things with her Boko Buddy and now there could be no turning back.

"Augh…" she groaned heavily.

The volume of her groan attracted a maid of the house. "You alright, Miss Alice?" The Maid asked politely.

Alice simply gave a thumbs-up and the maid left her, not before dropping a sizable box off in front of her door.

The loud thud startled Alice and she jumped from her bed and onto the ground. "Ow…" she mumbled quietly as she inched herself to the box.

It was an old wooden box, made out of pure Japanese birch. The colour was still a radiant white, almost if it hasn't been touched in ages, and gave off the essence of a snowy vista. Splinters were there, but they were few and far-between. Alice sat up properly and was mesmerized by the wood patterns of the lid.

She opened the box to find something familiar inside of it.

"…You?"


Faint but still somewhat comprehensible was the feeling of this memory. Parts were blurry, while others seemed as clear as day.

She was only a year old. She couldn't walk or talk. She couldn't even move. She was relegated to a stroller, restricting her.

But, she could remember her sister looking at the overblown shelf filled to the brim with Boko and his animal friends. Her sister was only three years of age, and as bright as a summer's day.

Her memories shuttered similar to a camera, each "photograph" showed her sister turning around, revealing a Boko plush wrapped in her arms, which she then proceeded to hand to her.

That feeling of high-quality materials collected to create "The Bear That Never Gives Up" and the cutely-designed essence enthralled her even at a young age.


Alice sat in silence as she stared at the old Boko plush. Its left ear was missing and the colour of its fur was now washed out in contrast to its bright beige from its heyday. Boko had seen better days, but there was still a certain charm to it, especially because it was the first one she ever collected.

The prodigy hugged the bear tightly and closed her eyes. She whispered to herself, "I wonder how you're doing right now…"


CLEVELAND PARK, NORTH VANCOUVER, CANDA; 0638 PST

Fueled by chocolate crispy rice cereal, a glass of almond milk, and distorted Michael Bublé music from the radio, Mika expected her morning to be at least somewhat bright.

Of course, as always, this wasn't the case.

She stared blankly at the horror that had unfolded in front of her eyes as she witnessed Aki running to the harrowing scene.

"MIKKO!" Aki's voice boomed from a distance. "MIKKO! YOUR ARM!"

What just happened?!