Chapter 2: Urgent Call

Yuriko's Point Of View

Few Months Passed

The sun is going down, I have some things needed to be finished.

We are in the 2nd Quarter and I was elected as President of the Student Council.
It's still 2nd Quarter and being Student Council is hard.

"Being a Student Council is a pain eh?" I stretch my back to relief.

Yuki Nods " Yeah… and you are the president after all.."

I'm very glad that Mutsuki is very loyal to the Student Council for 3 years.

About Lina, she decided to be a normal student anyway.

I'm having a little break to manage some projects…

The phone just rang and it was coming from Ms. Sara, she said there is an Urgent meeting with the principal and a Guest. I'm included also, Ms. Sara said it's Urgent it seems there's something important.

Ms. Sara said we will meet at the convenience store first to guide me to the Principal's house.

I was confused why not in the school office anyway?

But I have to go.

"Yuki I have a meeting with Ms. Sara today, I leave this to you, Vice President."

Yuki replied with a nod.

I'm already outside of the school and locate at the convenience store that Ms. Sara said

It takes me a few minutes to get there and I saw Ms. Sara drinking a slushie.

"Good Evening Ms. Sara."

"Good Evening too." She takes a sip of the slushie.

"You are finally here, Principal wants us to her home and meet with the head of the Ministry of Education he is coming in a few hours" Ms. Sara Replied.

"Head of the Ministry?"

"I will explain it to you while we get there." Ms. Sara said.

I nod to reply to her back.

"Follow me, so you won't get lost." Ms. Sara walks out while drinking her slushie.

And I follow her.

A few minutes after the walk she threw her cup into the bin and I asked her back.

"Ms. Sara…What is the meeting all about?"

"Oh, You will know it later."

We continue to walk… I'm so nervous about the meeting…

We ride on the railways… Some Guys here are fallen asleep…

"While you have time and youth Yuriko, you should enjoy your life." Ms. Sara talks to me.

I have nothing to say but, I nod to her as a response.

After a few minutes of travel…

"This is it." guided me.

The train stops and we are off the train and follow her.

The principal's house is far away eh?

"We're here."

We got to the Principal house…

Wait it's not a house, it's a mansion, and it's huge!
I'm shocked and my jaw dropped in surprise.

"Come in" Ms. Sara disrupt my shock and I came in the gate of the mansion.

There is a huge green field, a circular fountain in the middle of the circular pathway, and some statues of cute angels.

It looks like the Principal is rich...

Ms. Sara knocks on the door and a guy with formal attire let us in with a formal greeting, with that formal greeting it feels like he is a professional!

The principal came in "Ms. Sara and hi there my darling, how are you?"

"Umm...Umm.."
I'm Stuttering I feel so embarrassed, shocked, and nervous at the same time and I can't reply to her.

"We've been a long walk, Mrs. Aimi." Ms. Sara answered to help me.

"Oh, I see." She giggled.

" Ms. Sara can we have a little chat in my office room and my darling, you may go to my dining room to send you some treats ok? The Head of the Ministry of Education will come here in a while."

I'm completely frozen, the principal is so nice…

"Daiki, can you serve a treat for the young lady?"

"Yes Madam"

"Ms, can you follow me?" I nod to the butler and follow him.

I'm amused by this mansion's size there are some paintings and pictures of tanks, our school, students with tanks in their background, and she has a painting of our ship.

I'm in the Principal's dining room gotta say it's not big like I saw in cartoons it's a normal dining table with a fancy chandelier.

"What do you want, Ma'am?" The Butler asked me… I feel royal hehe….
"Umm… I want some Ice cream." I request Ice cream, why not?

"Small bowl or in the cup Ms?" I didn't expect he can serve a bowl of Ice Cream.

"Small Bowl please." I request nicely

"Thank you for your request, please have a sit." I take a sit, I didn't prepare and became clumsy because I thought someone ghost push my chair, but the butler gently pushes the chair not the ghost…

"I'm very sorry, Ms…" The Butler apologize.

"Umm, There's no need to apologize." I forgive the Butler.

He goes into the Kitchen to serve me ice cream.

Sara's Point of View

I'm already inside her office, It's been a few hours since the Head of Ministry is still not here, I don't even know what little chat she wants,

She is asking what is the good dress for the meeting

and has she been in the closet for so long?
Aimi kicked her closet door to come out

Does she wear the Highschool Uniform?

"Are ready now Sayate chan?" She can't hold her laughter.

I'm pissed when she calls me that again.

"That's not even a meeting dress Aimi." I mocked her.

She laughed "Sayate is the best nickname I ever invented, ahahaha!" She continues to laugh

"Call me Sara, not that crap!" I'm pretty pissed.

"You never changed since we met at high school."

She stopped laughing "Alright, Alright… Do you already know what to say to the Head of Ministry? Sayate chan?"

I have no choice but to accept that crappy name once again.

I sighed… "Yes.."

The Door is Knocking

"Come in!" Aimi respond

The door has been opened and the butler replied

"Ma'am the Head of the Ministry of Education is already here in your living room."

"Serve him a tea and open the windows to let the breeze in, he is sure exhausted on that Travel and call the young lady and guide her to the living room."

I stand up to go to the living room.

"You know where the Living room Sayate chan."

"HELL, NO!" I'm pissed that I shout at her.

Yuriko's Point of View

"Ms, Did you like the Premium Chocolate Ice Cream?" The butler asked

"Yeah…" I feel so filled and wait he said Premium Ice Cream it means a High Quality Ice cream, the principal is crazy rich!

Anyway, I enjoyed the Ice cream I ate, he said a small bowl it's like a medium-sized bowl, anyway I enjoyed it and I'm in the Principal's waiting room, waiting for the Ministry guy.

"Ms, sorry for interrupting Mrs. Aimi wants you to go into the Living room and please follow me."

The butler pulled the chair for me, I stood up and follow the Butler.

The Butler opens the doors for me.

"Hello there my darling come here and take a seat." the Principal calls me.

And there is a guy with formal attire in front of them who drinks tea.

"Your Tea is Impressive Mrs. Aimi" the guy gives feedback to the principal.

"Thank you, I am glad you liked it." The principal happily accepts the feedback.

"I have to introduce myself I am Sara Hayate A History Teacher of Highschool." Ms. Sara Introduced herself to the guy.

"Introduced yourself my darling." The principal asks me.

"Oh… Umm… I am Yuriko Onoda, a 3rd Year Class 1A Student and a President of the Student Council." Finally, I introduced myself.

"Onoda? Sounds familiar to me, Ok then I will Introduce myself, I am Shinzo Tsuji, the Head of the Ministry of Education." The Head of the Ministry of Education Introduced himself.

"About the school, I heard a lot of positive things about here, Students are increasing in number which is positive news."

"We are glad to hear it, Mr. Shinzo." The Principal thanked Mr. Shinzo.

"The ship became a tourist attraction every school vacation, I hope I can stay here for a few days."

"You can stay here as you liked Mr. Shinzo."

"Ms. Onoda I heard that you have impressive performance and that your projects in the school community are very good." Mr. Shinzo mentioned my performance as a President of the School Council.

"Thank You, Sir." I thank Mr. Shinzo.

"Ms. Sara, Your Performance of being a History Teacher is quite good according to the polls of the students and I would've thanked you for teaching students some interesting History."

"Thank You Too, Sir" Ms. Sara Thanked.

", Your Management is good enough however, this is why I am here to tell you."

"What is it, Mr. Shinzo?" The Principal replied.

Mr. Shinzo gives images to the Principal.

"According to Shipwrights the ship must be decommissioned next year, due to complex and high cost of maintenance of the ship, It will no longer last long, it will sink and collapse after 2 years without a fitted budget, decommission it for the safety of the people onboard."

The principal was dismayed when she heard and look at the images.

"I'm very sorry Mrs. Aimi I know your ancestors founded the ship, But there some maintenance crew has been injured and it was reported yearly and those accidents yearly happened."

The principal tries to calm down and put down the image on the table.

"Is it possible to fix it with the experts?" Ms. Sara asked Mr. Shinzo.

"Yes, Shipwright experts are very few in Japan so hiring is very expensive"

"I know you paying for its maintenance, Mrs. Aimi, with your budget, won't help or fit the ship and we are trying to help the ship maintain it."

"I Like this ship a lot since it's the oldest school carrier in service and the advanced tech of its time the ship tech is almost similar to today's modern carriers."

"Mrs. Aimi... I wanted to Apologize, I think it's time to let it go for the safety of the people on board."

"Mr. Shinzo I'm not yet prepared to let go of the ship and our new carrier is not yet finished." The Principal Respond

"I Understand..." Mr. Shinzo Paused.

"Is there a way to Save our ship?" I asked Mr. Shinzo.

"That's the good question," Mr. Shinzo sips tea and puts down his cup on the table.

"There is a way to extend the ship's lifetime until the new school carrier is finished, here read the header." Mr. Shinzo gives me a Paper and I read what he said

"JSF…. Japanese Sensha-Do Federation…" Both and the Principal were Shocked.

"Yes, You heard it Right, JSF has enough budget to extend the ship's lifetime, If your school wins or loses in the tournament, the budget will be paid for the ship."

"If losing JSF gives you a budget it's enough to repair the ship, the best thing is to win and participate."

"The reason why I include Ms. Sara in this meeting and I know you a lot back then, Ms. Sara, You are the infamous Black Panther, The Mother of Scorched Earth tactic."

Ms. Sara gulped "Yes… you are right Mr. Shinzo."

"It's your time to teach the girls, how to use the tank and inherit your tactics to them."

"Yes, I will inherit it to them precisely as I can." Ms. Sara Replied.

"Mrs. Aimi, Are your tanks still here?"

"Yes, They are in good condition."

"Fair enough" Shinzo replied to the principal's information,

Mr. Shinzo looked at me and I fix myself.

"I also include the President of the Student council since she will be one of the students who will be a ride to those tanks and the only hope of your school."

"Why sensha-do Mr. Shinzo?" I ask Mr. Shinzo.

"One of the main reasons School Carriers exist is because of sensha-do If the school never participates sensha-do there's no point the school has carriers, little participation is also considered."

"last decade most school carriers are shut down due to the inactivity of sensha-do" Mr. Shinzo changes his position.

"Some schools them aren't performing sensha-do, because they have enough budget to keep it maintained and some of them are unlucky met their fate to scrap it, Most schools that participating sensha-do no matter lose or win they remained afloat, to ensure the ship lifetime it is time to open this school sensha-do.

"How about other clubs," I asked him again.

Other clubs also give a little help, however, but most of the help will be in the sensha-do and the school sensha-do has been inactive for 2 decades, Just like I said the main reason why school carriers exist is because of sensha-do." I have to accept what he said….

"So are you going to accept it, Ms. Onoda?" Mr. Shinzo asked me.

I know this is the school where I met Lina and my Friends… I don't want everyone upset when the school and ship have been closed and decommissioned…

"I will accept it!"

and the Principal was surprised with joy.

Mr. Shinzo Smirk "Ok then that's our agreement."
Mr. Shinzo has very close connections to the JSF and one of the reasons why School Carriers exist is because of Sensha-Do.

Aimi's Point of View

"You may dismiss," Shinzo asks Yuriko and Sayate to dismiss the meeting.

The door has been closed.

"Mr. Shinzo…"

"Hmm?"

"It seems you are very interested in ships like I heard earlier."

"Ah…Yes, I am interested in ships…"

" I'm very interested in the navy, unlike ground forces of Japanese it reminds me of my brutal bloodline member." Shinzo Put down the cup loudly "Which is Disgusting and I don't want to be one of them!"

He has an uncle known as an Imperial Officer that has dirty war crimes…

"I'm sorry about that Mrs. Aimi." Shinzo Apologizing.

"Don't worry about it."

"Anyway, You know what ship we are in or what is the ship's based on?" Shinzo is Testing me.

"The Ship is Based on Nassau…" I answered him.

"You are correct, It is known as a First German's Dreadnought, that's why it's very interesting to discuss this ship and yet I'm so surprised it's still hold up on many decades"

"Your new ship Mrs. Aimi what is it?" He is asking a Question.

"It's Bismarck" I answered it confidentially

"How Fancy, is it laid?"

"Not yet the shipwright said it takes time to design it."

"How long?"

"2 years if the resources are transported quickly and proper numbers of builders…"
I Shrugged my dress "But… It will take 3 years due to the current state of the world…"

"Oil Crisis, I Understand." Shinzo Understands me.

Now it's my time to ask questions.

"Why we can't modernize the ship again, as other ships do?" I ask a question.

"The Ship's Hull is already on its limits, your school is known as the only remaining of the first-generation School carrier and also the only oldest active school ship today."

"The ship has been modernized 4 Times until it reaches its limits."

.
"So it means…." The door knocked

Shinzo Interrupted

"Mr. Shinzo, You have an incoming meeting at the Red Butterfly Academy." His Assistant informs.

"Oh! Thank you for reminding me, Ming, I'm sorry Mrs. Aimi I have to go to the other meetings, and thank you." Shinzo Thanked me.

"You're Welcome." Shinzo is dismissed…

He has another meeting on other schools too? Does it seem other ships have the same fate as us?

1st Generation of sensha-do happen… Sayate chan and I are also young in those days.

It means this is 2nd Generation, I might call it the Great Age of Sensha-do!

To be continued