The alarm cut through the dream and she blearily reached out to turn it off. She didn't draw her arm back, letting it hang out in the cool air as her other hand as always reached up and felt her cheek. It was always the same dream. It wouldn't have been such a frustration to spend her nights there if her thoughts hadn't been drawn to the same place during the day.
Itsumi Erika drew herself out of bed and then went through her morning routine, struggling with the new regime as ingrained habit tried to guide her. She was used to showering and then dressing before having breakfast with other students. Instead here she made her own breakfast and ate alone before dressing. She drew comfort from uniforms but the white and green was strikingly different to the black and grey she was used to. The black neckerchief felt like a leash and also looked too cutesy. It didn't feel right. Not her.
It did however look right on someone else. Someone who double-checked their door was locked before turning and squeaking in fright at the sight of Erika standing by their own door.
"Good morning to you too, Miho." Erika said dryly.
"You need to stop doing that." Miho remonstrated gently.
"I'll stop doing it when you stop falling for it." Erika replied, allowing herself a thin smile. "How come…" She stopped herself. She had been going to ask how Miho could sense incoming shells but couldn't sense her standing silently beside her, but Miho did not need that reminder. "How come you're late?"
"Because I don't need to be on time." Miho answered and lit up in a way that made Erika feel numb. It was another reminder of just how unhappy Miho had been before. Another reminder of how she had been oblivious to that misery. Sure, she had had her own life to deal with but Miho had been her Vice-Commander; how could she not have seen how she was coming apart at the seams?
"Ready for your first day?" She asked.
"Yes!"
[][][][][][]
Her first impression of the schoolship had been its much smaller size. Oarai could have beem comfortably swallowed whole by Kuromorimine, possibly even twice over. The second was that the school itself had clearly seen better days. It was possible to see areas that had obviously required desperate repair because they were the parts that were now in the best condition, standing out amidst the drab surroundings with their fresh paint. It made her wonder what they had looked like before.
Her third impression however was that despite the shortcomings, there was no impact on the morale of the students. They didn't seem to notice or care about the impoverished state of their school and it wasn't because they were unaware of how short a stick they had; they were genuinely happy with their school. It was rather chilling to compare it to Kuromorimine where they had everything money could buy and yet the atmosphere had always been at best of apathy and at worst; light depression. Everyone was focussed on getting the best education their parents could buy and there had been little interest in frivolity while pursuing that education. Everyone had been cold. Dedicated. Disciplined. She had been one of them… For all the good it had done her.
Those Oarai girls stared at her face and abruptly looked away when she glared at them in response. Miho noticed their looks and they embarrassed her though it couldn't quite ruin her joy of her first day and Erika would have destroyed any girl who had even put a dent in that good mood. She was still aggravated she was in a different class and had to say goodbye to leave her to fend for herself. She looked eager enough though.
For Erika, that first lesson was a strain. Other girls staring at her face she could handle but the teacher being simultaneously unable to look at her or look away was a challenge; she couldn't confront the teacher after class and punch her in the face. The teacher was the worst and the girl to her right was puzzling. Her scar was on the left side, where that girl couldn't see it, so what she was staring at was a mystery. When she attempted to scare her off with a death glare, it made her squeak and look down. When she looked again, she did so by peering over the top of her text book, as if by covering her mouth and nose she thought she was invisible. As if the thick shock of her hair didn't exist. It was a relief when the class ended and she could head for lunch and find out how Miho was doing.
She arrived just in time to see her doing a pirouette and almost throwing her food across the hall. She was saved by two other girls and it was obvious they had already become acquainted. That was good. Good for her.
"Blending in?" She asked as she joined them.
"This is Erika." Miho introduced her. "We transferred together."
The pair introduced themselves. The tall elegant Hana whose hair was straight from a fairytale and Saori, who was bubbly in a way that simply didn't exist at Kuromorimine. Both girls looked at her scarred face, and looked on politely.
"You came here together?" Hana inquired. "Are you family?" She received a shake of the head from Miho. "Why did you transfer?"
"Did your families move for work?" Saori asked.
"Nothing like that." Erika answered, glancing to her left and placing her finger on her lips and they recognised Miho's discomfort. "Did you miss breakfast?" She asked, eying Hana's full tray.
"No." Hana replied without a trace of offence and Erika looked at Saori who gave her a look that said 'Believe it'. There was enough food on Hana's tray for the four of them and yet the girl showed no hint of it anywhere. Erika wasn't sure whether to be astonished or envious.
[][][][][][]
It was obvious that Miho was in good hands with Hana and Saori and it was a weight off her back. So long as they left the topic of what had brought them to Oarai alone, she couldn't see any reason why Miho would be anything other than happy. For her part, she found Saori's gregariousness a bit much but it was tempered by Hana's gentle teasing, especially when Saori began gushing about boys which was a topic it became apparent she had absolutely no personal experience of. She imagined her room containing a groaning bookshelf that was struggling to keep its form under the weight of cheesy romantic novels. She supposed there were worse hobbies.
In her own class, she decided to deal with the mop-headed girl by talking to her. And by taking hold of her wrist in a way that suggested she could snap off her entire hand. "Why are you staring at me?"
The girl stared aghast at her for several seconds before spluttering. "Itsumi Erika!"
Now it was Erika's turn to be surprised. "What?"
"Itsumi Erika. Kuromorimine Sensha-do club, Panzer III driver."
Erika sighed. "You follow high school Sensha-do."
"Yes." The girl said. "May I please have my hand back?"
Erika released it and the girl rubbed her hand vigorously as the blood shot back into it. Erika took several breaths to compose herself and marshal her thoughts before stating the question. "You know what happened in the last tournament."
The girl nodded.
"You want to talk about it?"
The girl looked as if she wanted to nod but decided she valued her hand more. She carefully shook her head.
"Good choice." She reached and patted her fluffy head which made the girl look up somewhat fearfully. "But if you do want to talk about tanks… Maybe another time." The girl couldn't disguise her leaping excitement and Erika shook her head, amazed that after everything fate had decided to seat her next to a Sensha-do fan. She would have to keep her away from Miho.
"Itsumi-chan!"
She jerked her head around sharply. Two strangers in as many minutes had spoken her name, except this one spoke as if they were friends.
There were three girls who were as different in appearance as it was possible to be. One had a mature, motherly look to her, the other looked like a smile would shatter her like glass and the third stood a head shorter than the other two but with impressive twin ponytails. She wore a friendly smile that seemed truly genuine and yet, Erika felt a deep sense of foreboding.
"Do I know you?" She asked.
"Kadotani-dono." The fluffy haired girl said quickly. "She's the Student Council president."
"Fascinating." Erika locked the little redhead with her best death glare, and it had absolutely no effect. Instead the president took a bite of a dried sweet potato chip she was clutching.
"We've a favour to ask you." She said and it was difficult to tell if she meant 'We' as in the three of them or if she was in fact employing the Royal We. "When you pick your elective, sign up for Sensha-do."
"Sensha-do?" Her long sleeves hid that her arms instantly became covered in goosebumps. "Oarai doesn't have Sensha-do."
"It's coming back!" The president declared cheerfully, wrapping her arm around her shoulders. "Isn't that great?"
"Make sure you sign up for it." The grim girl wore a monocle that in different circumstances might have been comical but instead gave her a Prussian severity that reminded Erika of her former home.
Erika gently prised the president's hand off of her and turned her head, presenting her scar. The matronly girl couldn't hide her discomfort. "Does it look like I'm interested in continuing?"
"You can't let one little accident get in the way of you pursuing your talents!" The president slapped her heartily on the back and her sheer audacity left Erika speechless. "Sign up!"
She would have thrown something at the trio as they walked away if she hadn't had a thought. Miho. She was prevented from immediately seeking her out though by the start of the next class.
"Sensha-do." She heard the fluffy girl murmur.
[][][][][][]
Before she could seek out Miho, an alert came through the PA system ordering all the girls to the gym for an assembly. She hoped that meant Miho would be there, unless she had fled and dived overboard and it wasn't completely out of the realm of possibility if the Student Council trio had ordered her to take up Sensha-do again.
Fortunately, she found her with her new friends. She looked shaken up but otherwise okay though she didn't have the chance to inquire before what could only be described as actual hell was projected onto a screen before them. Miho was already hugging her knees before a Panzer III and its crew appeared, looking far too reminiscent of Kuromorimine. Placing her hands on Miho's shoulders was the only reassurance she could offer and she could tell it meant little, she couldn't blot out the sound of the video that was intentionally an assault on the senses. The firing of a gun, amplified for dramatic effect, caused the rest of the gym to go 'Ooo!' while Miho shook. Erika found it was all she could not to leap up and take a run at the projector. What made it worse was that everyone else was clearly caught up in it, even Miho's new friends. For her, the sight of massed Panzer IIIs meant little, it was a normal day at their previous school but to these Oarai students, it was awesome.
Miho was locked in her own little world and so missed the end of the presentation with the trio of the Student Council explaining the perks of signing up. Perks that were bizarre and nonsensical. Vouchers for the cafeteria, tardiness excuses and triple credits. They were definitely desperate for recruits. Very desperate.
[][][][][][]
Miho had gone into the water to rescue Koume and she had gone down to yell at her for abandoning her command, the flag tank, which had paralysed the rest of the crew with indecision. It was a matter of raging debate whether Pravda had known what was happening and had taken advantage of it, or if they had simply seen the flag tank exposed and fired. Either way, Kuromorimine had been denied the chance to achieve a ten year winning streak.
Raging debate. So many details had been suppressed that few knew the truth. When she had gone to yell at Miho for costing them the championship title, she had thought official rescue could have reached Koume and her crew and Miho was just being… Miho… It wasn't until afterwards she had learned that the officiators had lost track of their team, had had no idea of the situation and that Koume would have been long dead by the time they were aware of it, let alone able to respond to it. She dwelled on that. A lot. What did it say about her that her first instinct had been to scream at someone for being concerned about human life? Was it because she had believed in the safety measures of Sensha-do that she had been unable to conceive of real danger having arisen, or had she just arrogantly assumed Miho had the need to play the hero, regardless of anything else…
But then, as Miho had dragged Koume to the surface and struggled against the freezing current, she had been able to push her toward her waiting team and then her strength had failed. The water had taken her. Erika wondered what reason had driven her to leap in after her; had she followed the same instinct Miho had, or had it been a conditioned response to aid her Vice-Commander? Had she in that moment suddenly grasped the reality of the situation and forgotten all about something as trivial as the sport they were playing?
When she had grabbed Miho and the water had slammed them against a rock, there had been no surge of adrenaline that meant she had felt nothing. Instead she had been fully aware of having her face torn open from her ear almost to the corner of her mouth. The doctors had later told her she was lucky and how difficult it would have been to stitch her entire cheek back together, as if somehow she should be grateful the immense scar stopped just short of her lips. It was like being told after a car crash that your vehicle was a write-off but you could reuse the wing mirrors. She really had no idea how she had kept a hold of Miho and dragged them both ashore, she only had a memory of red water. An image her dreams enhanced ten-fold.
Sensha-do had always been a dangerous sport. It wasn't called a martial art for nothing. Simply travelling in a tank was dangerous because collision with the terrain could throw the crew about and result in broken bones. When you added live-ammunition… Deaths were rare but common enough that it was always furiously debated that once a match began, crew could not leave their tanks until it ended. For any reason. This was especially true of Sensha-do in schools. But it never happened. People willingly took the risk. The same way rugby and American football players took the risk that if they were tackled and struck in a certain spot, it could kill them. Instantly.
Miho had been in a bad place before the accident. Before the match. The pressures of being a Nishizumi and living up to the expectations inherent in that name. With that knowledge, it was really no surprise that she gone to pieces afterward. What had happened would have left anyone shook up but Miho had it in her mind that she wasn't supposed to feel anything. That was after all the bedrock of the Nishizumi Style, never showing any fear in the face of anything but instead powering through. Erika had seen it in Maho, or rather she hadn't seen it. Perhaps when they were young there had been a few times when Maho had allowed her doubts to show on her face but never in high school. Her 'Game Face' as many called it was impenetrable. Once she was engaged in a match, even before it was started, not a single emotion would cross her face. Good news, bad news, a stampede of polka-dot rhinos; all would be met with pure stoicism. Not so for Miho; it was why so many had questioned her promotion to Vice-Commander. Why she, Erika, had questioned it.
Having her face torn up and having others consider it a suitable punishment for her 'weakness' had made her snap. Those people hadn't been there. They didn't know the real story and more importantly, they didn't care to. All they cared about was losing the championship. Many in the club had turned on them, others had refused to give their opinion and perhaps a tiny few had actually considered that if they were in a tank headed for the bottom of a river, they would want a Miho looking out for them, and an Erika watching that Miho's back.
But the alumni of Kuromorimine only cared about their reputation; that most precious of commodities in their society. If you wore last season's fashions to a party, it didn't matter how much wealth and land you had, all people would talk about was the clothing and what it 'meant'. Losing to Pravda and its chibi commander was a major embarrassment and with the Sensha-do Federation covering its tracks over the lapse in safety, they had made Miho their scapegoat and Erika's injury in helping Miho… Self-inflicted.
When Miho had made her decision to leave Kuromorimine, it had taken Erika no time at all to choose to go with her. It had surprised Miho completely and Erika had not been forthcoming about her reasons. As far as she was concerned though, if her getting maimed helping her Vice-Commander meant nothing to her school or anyone else, not so much as a 'good job' or a commiseration for her injury, what was the point? She was done with Sensha-do.
She knew Miho. She would be agonising about it right now, the Kuromorimine instinct to obey orders gnawing at her, trying to make her forget her ordeal, clutching one of her army of Bokos… Stupid bears… But she would make the right choice. She knew she would. She hadn't come this far just to return to that life, even if Oarai's idea of a Sensha-do club couldn't possibly be anything like Kuromorimine's. The idea of this school doing Sensha-do was ludicrous, they didn't have the money to keep the walls painted, let alone field a fleet of tanks.
[][][][][][]
Miho squeaked in fright once more at the sight of a silent Erika waiting for her though this time it didn't amuse her.
"So what did you choose?"
Miho kept her head bowed and it was impossible to tell what she was ashamed of.
"Miho?"
"I couldn't do it."
Erika reached out and put her hand on her shoulder. "You did the right thing."
"Did I?"
"Did you want to do Sensha-do?"
"No."
"Then you did the right thing." Erika said with her customary snap which made Miho look up. "Believe it."
"So why do I feel like I'm letting everyone down?"
"Because you're Miho." Erika couldn't help but roll her eyes though she squeezed Miho's shoulder as reassuringly as she could as she spoke.
"Miho…" She repeated, looking down. "My friends…"
"We'll see." Erika took her hand away. "They seem like your kind of people."
"But not yours?"
"I'm all people'd out right now. It's the only reason I'd want to see a tank again. So I could climb in and seal the hatches and enjoy the peace."
"Do you really want to do that?"
"It would be nice."
"You have your own room." Miho pointed out, confused.
Erika realised it too and the thought occurred that perhaps there was a different reason she wanted to see the interior of a tank again. She pushed that thought aside. "Stay strong."
[][][][][][]
She had rejected Sensha-do but she had said to her classmate she would talk about tanks with her and now that girl had signed up for Sensha-do, something she announced almost with tears of joy in her eyes, she was eager to learn everything she could. Not that Erika was given a chance to speak as she gushed about everything she knew about German tanks which as it turned out, seemed to be everything from the width of their tracks to the thickness of the armoured glass in their vision ports. It amused Erika that the girl was caught up in her happiness enough that she hadn't even given her name.
She was in the middle of rattling off the difference between the Tiger H1 and Tiger E when an alarm sounded. Not an alarm; an alert. A summons. For her and for Miho.
Erika seized hold of the girl's neckerchief. "Where's the Student Council room?"
She arrived what could only be moments after Miho, along with Hana and Saori who were holding her hands. Clearly she needed it, Erika hadn't seen her looking this shaken up since the first days after the incident.
"What is the meaning of this?" The monocled girl demanded, holding up their elective forms.
"You can read, can't you?" Erika replied coldly.
"We told you-"
"It's an 'elective'."
"Are you that dumb?" The president asked quietly, not looking at any of them.
"Do you want an honest answer to that question?"
"You're the only Oarai students with experience with tanks." Monocle remonstrated harshly, which set Miho to fresh quivering and earned her a special death glare from Erika which meant little; she was able to deliver her own just as effectively.
"That's your problem."
"It's over." The other girl moaned. "It's all over for our school!"
Saori cut in. "Stop trying to guilt her!"
"She said she didn't want to do it." Hana added, also speaking for Miho and Erika approved; she didn't need them to fight for her. "And now you're trying to force her?"
"Miho doesn't want anything to do with tanks." Erika declared and then turned her head. "Neither do I."
"If you don't join." The president deigned to look at them. "You won't be here for long."
Hana and Saori made sounds of disgust while Miho squeaked. Erika took a step forward which made both girls step back. "Are you threatening us?"
"You can hear, can't you?" Monocle replied, gazing at her steadily.
Before Erika could visit violence upon her, Hana, Saori, the other girl and the president all launched into a cacophony of argument and then Monocle joined in and they all attempted to shout over each other and all without covering any new ground. It reminded Erika sharply of the journalists who had hounded Kuromorimine for information regarding the events of the finals. Who had pursued her. Vultures eager for meat and uncaring about the source, just screeching and clawing for what they wanted.
"I'll do it!"
Silence. Yawning echoing silence.
"I'll sign up for Sensha-do." Miho declared.
[][][][][][]
The roof at Kuromorimine held a spectacular view, not just of the school, but of a considerable part of the ship as well. Being considerably smaller, Oarai's view was certainly not grandiose. Instead it looked… Normal. That described Oarai rather well, Erika thought. Many schoolships had adopted an identity based on another country so that the view from Kuromorimine's roof included several Berlin landmarks, just as Anzio's was of Rome. Oarai didn't have that influence and so their view was just of the town and hills surrounding the school. The view that would have been seen if they were on land.
It was the end of her second day at the school. The second day of a new beginning without tanks and on the first day she had been approached to re-join Sensha-do and on the second, Miho, someone who had been triggered by the sound of car engines, had decided to take it back up. Erika could only speculate on the Nishizumi mind as the two she knew contrasted sharply though there was certainly a contrarian streak to them. Maho had dictated a course of action only to change her mind later but her forcefulness meant no one had ever questioned the sudden U-turn. True, there had usually been good reasons to change strategy but others would have pursued their first move to the end rather than abruptly switch.
Abrupt. How appropriate to describe Miho. One moment shaking with anxiety and the next, forcefully declaring her resolve to take up Sensha-do once more. A window into her mind was needed, and a handbook to explain what you were seeing through that window.
She had made her declaration and the Student Council trio had turned to her expectantly. Instead she had left. That had been her abrupt action. She hadn't know where she was going and somehow had ended up on the roof. Instinctively seeking the higher ground for an advantage perhaps. Except there was no advantage to be gained taking refuge on the school roof. Instead it was just another reminder of how much Sensha-do had permeated her life. Was there any wisdom she possessed that didn't come from a battlefield?
Erika felt her face, wondering how many years it would take for the scar to fade. It would always be there but how long would it take before it was no longer a great banner advert splashed across her features that something awful had happened to her? How long before people flinched at the sight of her? Or worse, pitied her? How long before she wouldn't be forced to look at those people and feel like harming them?
She did miss it. She couldn't deny it. Sensha-do, panzerkraft, tankery; whatever you wished to call it was something she had loved. She was good at it. There was nothing else she was good at. It wasn't that she was a failure at everything else, it was that nothing else interested her. Learning facts and figures in history, technical terms in geography and maths that had no practical use outside specific fields; all would go into her mind but with all the enthusiasm of a toddler going to a museum. Nothing compared to the roar of the engine of a panzer as it tore across a field except for the boom of its gun. Whether driving or shooting, she had loved it.
Too much. People had told her she was too competitive. She had despised people who said such things. People who spoke those words were usually annoyed that she was showing up their inadequacies with her dedication. Calling it 'just a game'… Would you tell a great artist 'It's just a hobby'?
But then her first instinct to Miho rescuing Koume had been rage, for losing them the game. She had cared more for winning than a teammate's safety, for their life. And she had only begun to realise that when she had seen Miho start to drown, and only to understand it when with a maimed face people had criticised her for involving herself with the one who had lost them the game.
She and they had taken the game too seriously. 'Toxic' didn't begin to describe it. That had been her and it had taken serious injury for her to realise it. Leaving Sensha-do and Kuromorimine had seemed like the only path before her. Only now the person who had been walking it with her had doubled back.
On the edge of her view, she saw something. Proof that the universe had a wicked sense of humour. She turned and took it in. A tank turret with a cupola, disembodied and sitting for no apparent or logical reason up on this roof. She couldn't identify the tank but it bore a faded Oarai logo, proof that the school had once had a Sensha-do club. Faded… But still here.
[][][][][][]
Erika had some very conflicting thoughts upon hearing Miho knocking on her door and calling her name. Some were all too familiar. The old Erika. Others were new and in some ways worse. It hurt to realise she felt betrayed and it was confusing as well to feel betrayed by Miho of all people. Miho after all wouldn't and couldn't harm a fly.
"May I come in?"
"That's up to you." Erika said, enjoying the look of alarm that appeared on her face before she turned away from the door, leaving it open for her.
"Have you been drinking?"
"I'm not drunk." She answered. "You know what German wine is like." She flumped down on her bed. "What do you want to talk about, Miho? What's on your mind?" She asked as sarcastically as humanly possible.
Something that had always annoyed Erika about Miho was her squirminess. It was an infuriating quality, even before she began 'Um'ing and 'Er'ing. It was amazing to her that Miho was unflinching around massed cannon fire and wasn't afraid to expose herself to incoming fire by standing in her cupola but became anxious and nervous in any kind of confrontation with people.
"Why did you do it?" She asked when it became apparent Miho was not going to be able to speak for herself. "You quit Sensha-do, your mother allows you to transfer to a whole other school on the other side of the country and you say you don't want anything to do with tanks… And then you cave in on your second day to that Napoleonic power-monger and her cyclops?" She found that she had nothing negative to say about the third. "Seriously?"
"You don't understand."
"Well, obviously! Explain it to me."
Miho shuffled and squirmed and spoke to her feet. "They were defending me."
"Defending… You mean, Hana and Saori?"
"They knew me for a day and they gave up doing Sensha-do for me. They were willing to stand up for me, even if it meant expulsion."
"So they were stupid enough to fight a last stand for someone they don't know so you were stupid enough to throw yourself on the fire for people you just met." Erika shook her head. "It's very you. But nothing's changed."
"No…" Miho hugged herself. "Except…"
"Except what? The two people you just met have your back?"
"Yes."
"And that's enough for you?"
"Maybe…"
Erika jumped up, making her flinch. "You are the most infuriating human being I've ever known."
"Sorry?" Miho offered. "What are you going to do?"
"You mean am I going to sign up? Of course I am! You think you'll last five minutes without me?" This seemed like a saner reason to give rather than that the universe had given her a sign in the form of taking refuge in a place that just so happened to have a tank turret on it. She had a promise to keep too. "But you're a pain in my arse, Nishizumi."
All Miho could do was giggle self-consciously.
[][][][][][]
She honestly thought that the fluffy girl might explode upon learning she had signed up for Sensha-do and the resulting explosion would consume a considerable chunk of the building considering the sheer amount of enthusiastic energy she possessed. So much energy she seemed to leech it from people around her or at least that was how Erika felt, worn down by her sheer exuberance. The threat of a detonation that would shower the class with hair and tank trivia grew ever more likely as the lesson drew nearer its end and the first Sensha-do session would begin.
"Calm down." Erika told her, placing a hand on her shoulder as they walked in the corridor. It was a waste of a time. The girl murmured an apology and walked sedately for barely twenty metres before she started bouncing again and Erika realised it was a lost cause. She had never seen anyone so excited about anything in her life. There was something a little sad about that for herself.
Oarai's Sensha-do facilities were not impressive. The brick building looked like a warehouse from the 19th century and looked like it hadn't received any maintenance since then. The bricks were crumbling, the paint on the doors flaking and the windows were filthy, serving no purpose whatsoever. This was not however untypical. Erika had seen the facilities at many of the other schools and they were little different, just well maintained. It was only the Big Four of Kuromorimine, Pravda, Saunders and St Gloriana that kept their tank fleets in grandiose structures and seeing as each of them had more tanks than all the minor schools combined; that was necessary. Those schools were also built around Sensha-do, they had to look the part.
The building was not impressive. The small group of students who had signed up from the vast crowd who had seen the presentation in the gym were decidedly underwhelming as well. She saw Miho first, flanked by Hana and Saori, and she seemed… Happy. Those two girls seemed to be able to work miracles on Miho.
There were three other groups. The most numerous were a half dozen of first years who looked adorable, and also like a loud noise would make them burst into tears; not a good quality in Sensha-do practitioners. Oddly, there was a quartet of volleyball players who she could only assume were lost and confused. Three of them were very tall; another poor quality for Sensha-do as tanks were often cramped and so stouter girls were more comfortable within.
The other quartet she recognised as Reki-jo, one of whom she further recognised was dressed as Generalfeldmarschall Rommel. The impact of her hat, jacket and boots was off-put somewhat by her skirted bare legs but she was still striking, and made Erika feel a pang of homesickness.
Six, four, four, three and herself and fluffy. Which meant the Student Council had only succeeded in recruiting fifteen students conventionally. Seventeen she supposed if Hana and Saori had really wanted to do Sensha-do. Nineteen in total; not even enough to man four five-crew tanks. As the three of them were present, it pushed the number up to twenty-two. Tragic.
"Miho." She greeted her and detected just a slight hint of concern from the other two, making her wonder what Miho had said to them about her. "Hana. Saori."
"You made it then?"
"You doubted me?"
Miho made an awkward motion which seemed to mean that she wasn't sure what to think of Erika and her intentions. Admittedly, that was fair. "Hello." She said to the other girl.
"Ni-Ni-Ni-Ni-" The girl toned like a broken record until Erika slapped her on the back. "Nishizumi Miho!"
"Um… Yes?"
"Nishizumi Miho. Kuromorimine Vice-Commander. Tiger Commander. Daughter of Nishizumi Shiho; the Head of the Nishizumi Style." She recited with a clear note of awe. She then proceeded to list many other facts about her, beginning with her birthday, proceeding to her favourite tank, flower and food, her blood type and concluding with her size measurements; something that left Miho absolutely mortified while Erika couldn't help but grin. Neither could Hana and Saori. "I look forward to working with you." She concluded with a bow.
"Um… You too." Miho took a few moments to compose herself. "And you are?"
It startled the fluffy girl to realise she hadn't given her own name but knew everything about Erika and Miho. "Akiyama, Yukari!" She actually saluted and Erika found herself returning it before she knew what was happening while Miho was too shaken up still. Not that Yukari appeared to notice.
"The Sensha-do class will now begin." The cyclops declared.
It became immediately apparent to Erika that the Student Council hadn't thought to take a look inside first. It showed on their faces as the doors were opened to reveal heaps of junk, some of it obviously dumped by other students over the years, and a solitary tank. A rusty Panzer IV Ausf.D with a missing right track and a rotten mop sticking incongruously out of its cupola. To say that the assembly was underwhelmed and disappointed was a grand understatement. The first years voiced their thoughts while everyone else was silent.
"It has a transient beauty." Hana declared, which to Erika's mind was either a display of true optimism or full-blown denial.
"It's a heap of rust." Saori replied.
Miho however stepped forward and gently laid her hand on it. Erika knew what was in her mind, the Panzer IV was a mainstay of Kuromorimine and a basic model like this used for training first years. She also knew Miho had experience with them before high school. It was a good tank.
"The armour and wheels look good." Miho mused, loud enough for them all to hear. "I think this will work."
The collected students made an awed sound which told Erika how little they knew about tanks but was yet more proof of the spirit of this school. One bright proclamation from Miho and their previous disappointment had evaporated, just like that.
There followed a discussion about the state of the tank, the fact there was only one, and the Student Council saying they would have to find more.
"The tanks that were used should still be around." The cyclops declared and then amended her statement. "They are still around."
"We have to find them?" Someone repeated.
"We wouldn't have to search if we knew." The president declared with her relentless cheerfulness.
"You don't know at all?" One of the first years asked.
"None!"
Erika sighed. "They're around. I found a turret on the roof."
"You did?" Miho asked.
"It's there… For whatever reason…"
"Maybe it's a game." Hana suggested. "They left all their old tanks around for people to find. Like a scavenger hunt."
"Now we really are scavengers."
"Everyone should start searching now." The cyclops commanded and then gave out her phone number so they could report to her.
"Come with me, fluffy." Erika said. "You can tell me what the turret belongs to. And you can probably figure out where the rest of it is." It wasn't really flattery but it piqued Yukari's interest. "Have fun, Miho." She said and led Yukari away. The last thing she heard was the president assuring Saori that the instructor coming was very attractive.
[][][][][][]
"A T-50!" Yukari gushed. "A rare Soviet light tank! They only made sixty-nine originals!"
"Russian, great." She had had a suspicion when she had first seen it and it confirmed her thought that the universe had a cruel sense of humour.
"A T-50 had all-welded armour, sloped like a T-34's and the turret has this cupola. Other Soviet tanks wouldn't have them for a couple more years!"
"Fascinating." Erika toned. "But where do you think the rest of it is?"
"Oh." Yukari stood. "How did they even get it up here?"
"I did wonder." There was no evident means. "Getting it down should be easier though. But where's the chassis?"
"If the turret's up here… Maybe the chassis is down… There."
"Well that narrows it down." Erika rolled her eyes and gazed over the side. Maybe Hana was right about her scavenger hunt theory, perhaps the former Sensha-do students of Oarai had dispersed their tanks for people to find but if that was the case, at least one should have been in an easy to find place, so people knew there was a game at all. Or perhaps they had simply hidden them, hoping they would one day be brought back. Only a couple of years had turned to decades…
"Itsumi-dono." Yukari pointed. "There."
They descended and Erika stood back as Yukari enthusiastically pulled at branches to reveal that what looked like a thick hedge was actually a thin veneer hiding the chassis of the T-50. Students must have been walking by it for years with no clue what was hidden within. Having been left outside, it was in an even worse state than the Panzer IV although most of the wear-and-tear was likely cosmetic.
"Should I leave you two alone?" Erika asked because Yukari had begun nuzzling the glacis plate of the vehicle with her head. She didn't seem to hear, cuddling the tank lovingly. Erika decided not to interfere with what was clearly the beginning of a passionate love affair. Instead she pulled out her phone and sent a text.
If she thought she had seen everything Oarai had to offer, she was proven wrong by the arrival of a tow truck bearing four girls clad in jumpsuits who grinned at her, at Yukari who was still hugging the tank chassis and at the tank itself.
"I never knew this was here." One of them with bright green eyes remarked. "That's a funny looking tank."
"The turret's up on the roof."
"The roof? How'd it get there?"
"You tell me." Erika replied.
"No worries." This girl was younger than the other three and looked like she could rival Yukari for cheerfulness. "We've got a portable winch. We can bring it down."
They pried Yukari off the hull and used the tow truck to then pry the T-50 loose. The tracks had settled into the ground but fifteen tons of tank seemed to mean little to the engine of their vehicle. Enough to not only wrench the tank out of place but to free the wheels of their rust and run freely. That would save a lot of tedious work; wheel and track repair was the part of Sensha-do she loathed most.
Yukari had no sense of dignity, clambering up onto the hull and peering inside, oblivious that anyone on the ground could look up and make the discovery that she wore camo pattern underwear. Erika imagined the interior of the tank was absolutely foul but that seemed not to matter to Yukari as she leaned further in.
The jumpsuit clad girls set up their winch and carefully lowered the turret over the side and Erika tried to remain nonchalant at all the faces pressed up against the window staring at the sight.
When they returned to the tank hanger, the four mechanics provided her and Yukari with jumpsuits of their own so they could start work on recombining the hull and turret. The inside of the T-50 was waterlogged and needed draining, every moving part needed freeing up and lubricating and that was just the beginning. When she stated these simple, straightforward facts, Yukari gazed at her with uncontrolled awe that made Erika unsure whether she wanted to hide her face, or punch Yukari in hers. Anything to break her stare.
While they worked, the girls that Erika learned were part of Oarai's Automotive Club were called away to retrieve another tank. Before they left, their leader Nakajima cheerfully explained how they had been recruited to help out by the president. When they had said they didn't know anything about tank maintenance or restoration, they had been told they had a couple of days to learn. When they asked if they had a choice, the president had grinned and declared 'Nope!' before offering them some dried sweet potatoes. There was really no part of this operation that wasn't ramshackle.
They returned with Miho, Hana and Saori; and a 38(t). Even smaller than the T-50 and five tons lighter, with a 37mm gun, Erika nonetheless felt a surge of affection. Kuromorimine first years used them for training and they were good reliable little tanks, fast and agile, fun to bomb around in. They were hopelessly outclassed even by medium tanks, but she still had good memories of training in them.
"Good find." She declared.
"Hana found it." Miho replied. "She could smell the metal in the woods!"
"Useful talent."
"What did you find?"
"Yukari." Erika let her have the floor.
After a stammering start, she gushed about the T-50 and its various characteristics before turning bright pink and pulling at her hair. It was good to know her awestruck behaviour wasn't exclusive.
Over the rest of afternoon and into the evening, three more tanks were brought in and it took some time for her to believe the volleyball girls weren't messing with her when they insisted they had found theirs in a cave in a cliff side. A Type 89B that was called a medium tank but really, was another light tank to go with the T-50 and the 38(t).
The history girls meanwhile had found a StuG. In a lake. Judging by the state of it, it hadn't been in the water for too long otherwise it would have been useless but it still looked a sorry state. It was however a StuG F and its 75mm gun was deadly even against the best heavy tanks. Besides Miho, she doubted anyone understood the true value of what they had found.
The third tank was an M3 Lee that the first years found after dark. In a rabbit cage. This too Erika found unbelievable though the smell and the hay sticking from it was powerful evidence. It seemed to lead credence to Hana's scavenger hunt theory because at least people would have been able to find it easily enough, though what mind had conceived of putting a tank to use as a rabbit hutch; Erika could not imagine.
It was the end of a long day and everyone went home gratefully after traipsing about the ship in search of the tanks. Everyone except Erika. Anzu, Yuzu and Momo. She had learned their names from Yukari and now she had a bone to pick. Anzu was a waste of time, any confrontation with Momo would probably lead to bloodshed and that only left Yuzu, the one she hadn't been able to fault. The one who had first aroused her suspicions. It was easy enough to get directions to her dwelling.
"We need to talk." Erika said as she pushed past her into her home.
"Do you mean actually talking or… Something else?"
"If I wanted to hit something, I'd go to the gym. And I don't think I could get away with punching the Vice-President even if you do need me." She thought the room reflected the owner a little too well. Yuzu exuded gentleness and the complete lack of aggression did not say battlefield ready to Erika. "I wanted to talk about the other day."
"Which part?" Yuzu asked carefully. Too carefully.
"The part where you said it was all over if Miho and I wouldn't sign up for Sensha-do. I don't think you meant bringing back Sensha-do to Oarai. You didn't know there was only one tank in the hanger. You didn't know we would have to go looking for others. You didn't know just how much work it'll take to get them working. If you really were bringing back Sensha-do for the world championships, you'd be taking your time and you'd know these things. You'd be prepared for them. Instead you've rushed headlong into this and I don't think you'd be that sloppy. Something else is going on and I want to know what it is."
The girl looked her up and down before sighing. "What do you know about BC Freedom?"
"They use French tanks, mostly on themselves because they hate each other."
"Why do they hate each other though?"
"They used to be two different schools."
"Do you know what happened?"
"Why don't you just tell me?" Erika sighed now.
"Both schools suffered administration problems and severe budget cuts until they couldn't function properly anymore so the Ministry decided it would be best, economical, to combine the two."
"Right…" She hardly needed to be told that Oarai had financial issues. "They're planning to shut you down."
"We don't have wealthy alumni to give us big donations and according to the Ministry, we don't distinguish ourselves in any way." Yuzu slumped. "We're not special. We don't allow people to experience other cultures like Anzio or St Gloriana… We're just… This is our school!" She buoyed up and spoke fiercely. "We're not big and we're not flashy! Not like your school. But we care about it."
"What's Sensha-do got to do with anything though?"
"They said we don't stand out in any way but we did used to have a strong Sensha-do team. The President had the idea that if we brought back Sensha-do and won the tournament, they couldn't close us down. It would cause too much of a backlash if they went and shut down the championship school."
Erika nodded a few times. "Are you crazy? That's your plan? Just win the Sensha-do championship, just like that?"
"It is crazy. We know it's crazy. But it's all we've got."
"You want Miho to save your whole school. You think just because she's a Nishizumi she can do that? I hate to tell you this but you've got the wrong Nishizumi. Maho could do it. Her mother could do it alone. But Miho…" She felt her face without thinking and quickly pulled her arm down. "Even before the accident she doubted herself. It's why I hated her! The Nishizumi Style requires absolute confidence in everything you do. It doesn't allow for second guessing and hesitation. They made her vice-commander when she didn't even want to be a tank commander. And you think she can win you the championship?"
"We hope you both can."
"Great plan." Erika gave her two thumbs up. "Force two people who quit Sensha-do because they were traumatised and… maimed… To fight for you… You realise if you tell Miho, I'll end you?"
"We weren't going to tell her. Either of you. It wouldn't have been fair."
"That's the part you think isn't fair?"
"We know this is desperate." Yuzu said. "Momo believes in it. I have hope. Anzu…" Yuzu frowned. "It's her idea but I don't think she's willing to believe in it. That's why she's so-"
"Blasé?"
"She's always like that. If she doesn't take things seriously-"
"It can't hurt her when it doesn't work out." Erika concluded. "It can't be done. The first round of the tournament permits ten tanks per side and you only have six. Six! And the six you have, only the StuG can compete with the major school's heavy tanks. The M3's a great big target, the Type 89 has paper armour and according to fluffy, the engine on the T-50 will catch fire if you look at it too hard. Now if you're lucky, you go up in the first two rounds against minor schools with similar tanks but then you'll face one of the Big Four. Six against fifteen…"
"What would Maho do?" Yuzu asked and Erika realised her resolve.
"I don't know. I'm not Maho…" She sighed. "I don't know if you're lucky normally but you're going to need buckets of it to even pass the first round."
"You think it's a waste of time to even try?"
"I didn't say that. But I think your president has the right idea; it's better to do something than nothing but silly to think you might actually get away with it."
"Haven't you ever fought a hopeless battle?"
"I was at Kuromorimine." Erika answered with a wry smile. "We had a nine year winning streak; everyone else considered fighting us hopeless." The smile dropped off her face as she imagined one of their panzerkeils bearing down on the motley collection of Oarai tanks. They wouldn't even need to bring out their heaviest tank destroyers; Panthers and Panzers IVs led by Maho's Tiger would be more than enough. "I'd like one thing though. I'd like the chance to take on Pravda. Even if all we managed was to knock out just one of their tanks, they'd take it as a humiliation."
"I don't want to humiliate anyone. I just want to protect my school."
"If you want to protect your school, you'll have to be more aggressive than that."
[][][][][][]
The nightmare was different that night. Instead of Pravda tanks overlooking the river, it was the arrayed forces of all the major schools, including Kuromorimine. The incongruousness of it meant she woke up confused rather than distressed.
Yukari was impatient throughout the day and Erika wondered if the knowledge that her school was threatened would put a damper on her spirits. Somehow, she doubted it. The girl was so excited by just the thought of being around tanks that it wouldn't have mattered. All she could look forward to today was finishing up cleaning up their battered discoveries and helping the Automotive Club girls get them working, and yet that grim work seemed to appeal to Yukari. Perhaps the tedious reality would blunt her enthusiasm though she doubted it; it seemed there wasn't a single aspect of tanks that didn't appeal to Yukari.
If only the entire club had the same passion and dedication. Perhaps then the Student Council's insane plan might have stood a chance.
Instead she watched Saori hose Hana and Miho who squealed as the cold water doused them. The first years were doing the same. The Student Council certainly weren't setting an example, Anzu and Momo were 'supervising' while Yuzu… Yuzu was looking either incongruous or magnificent in a white bikini. A girl in a swimsuit on a tank; that certainly wasn't something that would have been seen at Kuromorimine.
The two of them finished the previous day's work and with the Automotive Club's help, reunited the turret with its hull. She listened as Yukari gushed about its specifications once more, taking note of its strong armour courtesy of its pyramidal shape. The gun however continued to look thin and stumpy. At five hundred metres, they could barely penetrate 60mm of armour and that was with a direct hit on a vertical surface. They would have to get closer, much closer, to even make a dent. Against tanks that could wipe them out with a single hit anywhere from two kilometres or more. If she considered the glass half-full though, they could be a terror amongst other light tanks and early war mediums.
Erika considered her new tank and then Miho's. She seemed happy restoring the vehicle but when Yukari enthused about looking forward to actually running them, she acquired that anxious expression that she was all too familiar with.
When Yukari suggested they all go to a Sensha-do shop, she seemed prickly being around it all but happy to be in the company of her new friends, and Erika. Erika inspected a cap as Saori committed the faux pas of saying all tanks were basically the same and Yukari launched into a loving spiel about the merits and diversity of tank design, not to mention the competency of their crews. She had always liked the side cap that was part of Kuromorimine's Sensha-do uniform, even if it had appeared too small, and being around Erwin had made her miss wearing a hat. Ultimately she chose a grey cap with Oarai's school uniform's white cross emblem on it. She felt that something that had been missing was now restored.
As Yukari played an arcade game and explained the safety procedures in Sensha-do, she felt an odd prickle and then heard a familiar name. She turned in time to see herself on a TV before it cut to an interview with Maho.
"I never give up, and I never run away. No matter what."
Author's Notes:
I was on Reddit when someone suggested the scenario of Erika having gone to Oarai with Miho. The scenario of Maho going in place of Miho is obviously a well-known story but Erika, a character with a contentious relationship with Miho as well as a dedicated, no-nonsense approach to Sensha-do would clash not just with Erika but all of Oarai.
As Oarai's line up consists of three German tanks and a Czech tank in German service, two Japanese models, American, French and British, I thought giving them a Soviet vehicle only logical. I chose the T-50 because of its rarity, its bad engine and because its strong armour and weak armament complimented Oarai's overall unbalanced nature. I did consider giving Erika the Type 3 but decided against it, as it means I can later write her annoyance at such a useful asset being overlooked despite being hidden in plain sight.
Pairing Erika with Yukari was necessary to avoid creating new original characters whose presence couldn't be easily explained away. Yukari and Erika have very different personalities and I'm enjoying their clashes thus far. I think they can be an excellent team without disrupting the friendship of the original Ankou team too much.