Chapter XXIX: Crossing Over Arirang Hill

Honam Tank Battling Ground

Jeollanamdo, South Korea

"KERR-POP!"

White-flagged risen as Shark Tank's Tiger finally succumb to the relentless attack by Cromwells. However, few moments earlier, one Cromwell has been white-flagged by Rabbit Team's shot. Despite the eventual white-flagged, the bulk of Shark Tank's Tiger is still more than enough to protect Rabbit Team's tank, but at the same time, restrict its movement. It only the matter of time before they could fire over the bulk of Tiger and white-flagged Rabbit Tank.

"What should we do now, Azusa-san?" asked Ayumi Yamagou.

"We can't stay here," said Karina Sakaguchi.

"Yes, we can't, but for now, we must be patient," said Azusa Sawa.

"The ammos are dwindling," said Yuuki Utsugi.

"Then please use each of our shot well, Ayumi-san," said Azusa, "while I'm figuring something out."

Despite the danger, Azusa climbed the turret to watch the battlefield by her own eyes. The Cromwells stop firing when they see Azusa's head emerge.

"Are you ready to surrender, Sherman commander?" asked Lee Ji-an, the leader of this detachment.

"Not yet!" said Azusa.

"You have nowhere to go! We would crush you one way or another, so if you surrender now, we would go easy on you."

Azusa stand in top of the turret. Lee Ji-an is correct, there's no way Rabbit Tank could escape this predicament, and one way or another their tanks would be crushed. There's nothing could provide a safe escape from this situation. She looked down on her crews below, that await for her command. A scent of fear hit her, and for some moment, she felt empty. However...

"What's your name, South Korean Cromwell's commander?" asked Azusa.

"My name is Lee Ji-an of Daegu, 3rd in command of Cromwell Company," said Lee Ji-an.

"Well, Lee Ji-an of Daegu, I am Azusa Sawa of Ooarai," said Azusa, "and if we shall be crushed, then so be it, but we will never surrender!"

Quickly Azusa dropped down back to the hatch. Lee Ji-an sighed heavily before ordering to commence bombardment. Inside the Rabbit Tanks' Sherman, everyone is gathering on Azusa.

"So we shall not surrender?" asked Yuuki.

"Yes, we won't surrender, Yuuki-san," said Azusa.

"Have you find a way to escape?" asked Ayumi.

"No, I don't," said Azusa.

"So, how are we going to get out safely from here?" asked Karina.

"Well, maybe we don't need to get out safely," said Azusa.

"So, you're saying..." said Ayumi.

"Our goal is to buy time for Nishizumi-taichou," said Azusa, "she's the one who will provide us victory. All we have to do is give it our all for her, even if it means dying."

Everyone silent.

"Remember, every tank we hold right here is the tank that can't be used to support Ahn Soo-jin," said Azusa.

"You're right, let's fight till the end!" said Karina.

"Yes! I'll shoot as true as I can!" said Ayumi.

"We'll hold them as long as we can!" said Yuuki.

Saki is no-word as usual.

Ayumi then go back to the gun and firing their remaining shells left. One of her shot grazing on one of Cromwell's turret. This led to the massive bombardment by all the Cromwells. Two shells grazing on their turret, rocking the occupants inside, so hard that Yuuki drop the shell she carried.

"Yuuki-san!"

"I'm alright, but we have a bigger problem, we only have 5 shells left," said Yuuki.

"I had to make it all count, then," said Ayumi.

Yuuki put the shell in the gun chamber. Ayumi then tried her best to target one of the Cromwell. With they're having space to maneuver, and Rabbits cannot move, most of the shells they fire always landed in empty space. Ayumi eyed a Cromwell in her crosshair, making few adjustment, when suddenly she saw a ball of fire filling her sight.

"What..."

Azusa then rushed up as she heard three explosions only a second apart. She startled. All the Cromwells are now white-flagged. Even Yuuki, Karina, and Ayumi, that coming out of the hatch are no less surprised (Saki is observing butterfly as usual). Then, no less surprising, coming out of the thick smoke, are 4 Tigers, belongs to Erika's detachment. Everyone of Rabbit Team cheered in joy as they have been saved from their impending demise.

"Rabbits, are you alright?" asked Erika.

"Yes, Senpai, thank you for saving us!" said Azusa.

"The timing cannot be more perfect," said Orange Pekoe, "and less 4 tanks to worry about."

"Make it 6 tanks!"

Suddenly two other tanks, Duck Team's Crusader, and Anteater Team's Sherman coming in and join them. It looks like they've been able to fight off their pursuers, or at least two of them.

"Sorry for the waiting, those Cromwells are very tenacious when it comes to field battle," said Noriko Isobe.

"Duck Team took care most of the work, but we managed to white-flagged two of them, nyaa~," said Nekonya, "the other one escaped, and we rushed here to help you guys."

"Thank you, everyone!" said Azusa while bowing.

"So, how many tanks are now chasing Taichou?" asked Erika.

"Last time we checked, Taichou and Hippo Team are being chased by 3 tanks, and one of them is Ahn Soo-jin's," said Azusa.

"If we could find them, it would be table-turn all over," said Orange Pekoe, "we had chance to eliminate Ahn Soo-jin from this game."

"But we still have to worry about Nam Bo-young, their remaining flag tank," said Assam, "I heard she's one helluva tanker, and 3rd in command of South Korean forces."

"Doesn't Rosehip and Koume out to hunt her?" asked Orange Pekoe.

"There's a big chance they've encountered Nam Bo-young right now," said Assam, "neither Koume or Rosehip are white-flagged yet, but they managed to kill one of the Chaffee. Nevertheless, it's still 2 vs 4 battle, with Nam Bo-young still alive."

"So what shall we do? Are we going to split our force to help both Rosehip and Taichou?" asked Noriko.

"Negative, we must join our remaining forces, and help Taichou to fight Ahn Soo-jin, this is our only way to victory," said Erika.

"And Rosehip?"

"We must trust that she will deliver what she promised to be," said Erika, "now let's go, since our window has gone."

In another place, Rosehip and Koume's tanks stand in top of the hill-like mound, with Nam Bo-young and 3 remaining Chaffees standing in front of them in a standoff-like situation. Through an intricate cooperation, they managed to kill one Chaffee, however, Nam Bo-young lived up to her name as one of South Korean best tanker after Ahn Soo-jin. The coordinated maneuvers of her Chaffees Company is hard to break, even for Rosehip and Koume.

"I never seen someone fighting like that," said Rosehip.

"Almost like our Taichou, is she not?" said Koume.

"Yes, almost like our Taichou."

"We need her to fight this one."

"No, we can't bother her, Koume-san. Taichou is currently fighting against Ahn Soo-jin, so we have to face Nam Bo-young to support her."

"But how? This girl has an immaculate skills of sensha-do, she rarely made any mistake."

"How to fight someone with skill close to our Taichou?"

"Isn't Darjeeling the only commander able to defeat Taichou? How she do it?"

"Darjeeling-sama?"

"Yes, she beat Taichou twice, isn't she?"

"Well, Darjeeling-sama beat Taichou by..."

Rosehip tap her own forehead.

"What?" asked Koume.

"Okay, do you remember the way Taichou defeat Alice Shimada in Hokkaido?" asked Rosehip.

"What? No, I won't do that!"

"We have to try."

"It's dangerous for you!"

"No other choice. The only thing matter is to defeat Nam Bo-young at all cost."

"But..."

"Koume-san, this is what I have to do. This is why Taichou and Darjeeling-sama kept me in the team, this what Taichou meant that I shall have important role in this game."

"What do you mean?"

"Because I'm not like any other in St. Gloriana, which make me as an unpredictability factor for them, to do something that no one else thought wouldn't be done by the elegant stereotypes of St. Gloriana, that caught them by surprise. That's a view that was shared by Darjeeling-sama, and also by Taichou."

"Rosehip..."

"Do it!"

Koume clenched her fist and angrily punch the wall of her tank. She then ordered her loader to switch to blank round, and have her gunner pointing the gun to the tail of Rosehip's tank.

"Are you ready?" asked Koume.

"Born ready," said Rosehip, "but can I ask you something?"

"Yes?"

"How fast your loader could load the next shell?"

Rosehip then reverse her tank so that Koume's gun muzzle stick to the rear end of her tank. She nod to Koume, signaling that she's ready. In the other hand, Kim Ye-na, the second-in-command, startled, as she have seen this kind of stage before.

"Do they really want to..." said Kim Ye-na.

"What?" asked Nam Bo-young.

Before Kim Ye-na said anything, Koume fire her blank, launching Rosehip's tank in lightning speed toward Nam Bo-young's tank. Nam Bo-young startled that she's unable to react. Seeing this, Kim Ye-na quickly dash her tank in the way of Rosehip's, which instantly rammed hers. The force of the impact, however enough to slide both tanks and hit Nam Bo-young's tank, which lifted up as Kim Ye-na's tanks dig her way under Nam Bo-young's. Both Rosehip's and Kim Ye-na's tank got white-flagged at once, but not with Nam Bo-young's, which now perched her bow on top of Kim Ye-na's. The crash led Nam Bo-young slide into her turret, tumbling down. But she quickly got up.

"Ye-na-ya, are you okay?" asked Nam Bo-young.

"Are you okay, Sojangnim?" asked Kim Ye-na.

"I'm fine, not even white-flagged."

"Thank's God. I've seen this maneuver performed by Miho and Maho Nishizumi when beating Alice Shimada. I just don't believe they have the guts to try it. Luckily you're okay."

"Don't worry, after I get down from here, I'll avenge you..."

Nam Bo-young silent as she pop her head out of the hatch. In front of her, Koume's tank has aimed her gun on hers. With the speed closing to the record loading-speed of Yukari Akiyama, Koume's loader able to switch into armor-penetrating round shortly after they fired their blank. Nam Bo-young's driver tried to move her tracks, but it stucked on Kim Ye-na's tank. And...

"BLAAAM!"

"Nam Bo-young has been eliminated! I repeat, Nam Bo-young has been eliminated!"

The news hit Ahn Soo-jin quite hard yet again. Japan, that once falling behind South Korea due to her plan, now has turned the situation. South Korean forces is scattered everywhere, and got picked easily by Japan, and she somehow felt that she's been falling into Miho Nishizumi's trap all along.

"Daejangnim, what shall we do?" asked Kang Hye-ri.

"I fear we might have fall into Miho Nishizumi's trap," said Ahn Soo-jin, "but since we each have one flag tank, we can't waste this opportunity. Send words to Park Twins, take all remaining forces to the area AR-18."

"What? The Arirang Hill?" asked Lee Yu-ra.

"Yes, the terrain there suit us for our style of battle," said Ahn Soo-jin, "it is at the feet of the hill that our fate shall be decided!"

Lee Yu-ra quickly conveyed message of Ahn Soo-jin to the detachment led by Park Twins and Im Mi-sook. At the same time, she also instructed her Cromwells group to led Anglerfish Team and Hippo Team to the what so called "Arirang Hill". This move, however, doesn't escape the watchful eyes of Anglerfish Team.

"They're changing formation, seems like they're bringing us up to somewhere," said Yukari.

"Yes, and from my prediction, I think they want us to go to AR-18 sector," said Miho.

"But, isn't AR-18 not very far from here?" asked Saori.

"Quite near to their reinforcement, quite far from ours, and the terrain there is suitable to the South Korean battle style," said Miho.

"What should we do?" asked Saori.

"We go there, of course," said Miho.

"But, doesn't that sounds like we're moving into their trap?" asked Yukari.

"Don't worry, things are going to be okay," said Miho, "beside, it's rude if we decline her invitation."

"Invitation?" asked Hana.

"Hm-mm," said Miho.

While saying that, two Cromwells quickly ganged on Hippo Team and, inevitably, white-flagged it, after attacking Hippo Team's flanks, which is blind-spot for turretless tank. Miho gasped, but she doesn't react too surprised.

"We're surrounded, Nishizumi-dono," said Yukari.

"I know, just take us through," said Miho, "the only thing we must do now, is to not get white-flagged before reaching the AR-18."

"Got it!" said Mako.

"What happened when we reached AR-18, then?" asked Hana.

"That..." said Miho, "is up to Ahn Soo-jin."

Everyone stared at Miho with question marks hovering over their head.