AN: I'M BACK! I'll explain it more at the end, but I'm wishing for the best to everyone in Ukraine, and may this pointless conflict end already. Slava Ukrayini!
That's all for now, and enjoy the story!
A large room is shown. It appeared reminiscent of the ones in European castles which belonged to powerful monarchs. Large windows with long drapes, expertly crafted and comfortable furniture, a fireplace with expensive-looking ornaments on top, a chandelier, and the overall elegant atmosphere within made it look like what it is.
In the center of the room was a table with many different pastries and a full tea set on top. And around it sat five men. The first had black hair and dark blue eyes. The second had red hair and golden eyes. The third had orange hair and green eyes. The fourth had chestnut brown hair and blue. And the last one had similar features to the fourth except his were a bit darker and sharper. All of them wore the blue and black uniforms of their school while sitting up straight, drinking tea, and having a pleasant conversation. Until the phone on the table rang, making the sharper man pick it up to answer it.
"Hakodate? So, you've started your Sensha-do team back up, huh? Congratulations!... No, that's fine. St Victoria does not run from a challenge. We'd be honored to have a match with you… We'll see you then," He said before putting the phone back down with a mysterious smirk.
"Who was that, Commander?" The orange-haired guy asked.
Their Commander continued to smirk. "Hakodate Boys' Academy. They've restarted their team after a long time."
"Hakodate Boys' Academy? I've never heard of it," The red-haired guy said.
"It's an old school from Hokkaido. They used to have a Sensha-do team before until it was shut down a long time ago," The other chestnut-haired guy answered.
"But it is quite strange for them to restart their team in the middle of the year, isn't it?" The first guy wondered.
"Quite so, but I believe it's more than that," The commander said before taking a sip of his tea.
"Oh? Care to enlighten us then, Commander?" The second guy asked.
He finished his tea and then spoke.
"Gentlemen, I encourage you all to be prepared. For this may very well be a phoenix rising from the ashes."
The four others just stared at him, wondering what that could mean.
"Alright, listen up. According to Instructor Kanagawa, we've been trained enough. So it's time that we test our new skills in a practice match against another school."
All the tank commanders of Hakodate's Sensha-do team along with the Student Council gathered in the office within the depot to discuss a plan for their upcoming practice match. Kyoko was out running other errands, so it was just them. And as the Commander, Yuu Ishihara led the discussion while the others just listened as he spoke. He also had a whiteboard with the blueprint of a Churchill Mk VII infantry tank taped to the side.
"Our opponent will be St. Victoria Boys' College. They're a tough opponent to beat. Using their heavy armor and firepower, they will most likely try to steamroll through our lines. And since we're inferior to them in every way, they will succeed if they try. So, we have to improvise."
Yuu then drew a diagram of the plan of his plan on the board. Boxes that symbolized tanks, a larger box that symbolized a raised position of sorts, and a circle that was marked 'kill zone.
"We have to lead them to a position where we have the upper hand. So, we set up an ambush, have one of our tanks as bait to draw them into our kill zone, and crush them," He explained, banging a fist on the board for emphasis.
The rest of the commanders seemed to agree, however, Kenji was deep in thought.
He's hit the nail on the head with St Victoria's battle doctrine, I'm impressed. But his proposed plan to counter it though…
"Something on your mind, Kanagawa?" Kaede asked abruptly.
He was startled a bit but quickly recovered. He then glanced at everyone else in the room before speaking.
"You're spot on with what St Victoria might do. But they're also going to anticipate that we'll try something like that and then move to counter it. They're a weird bunch of people, especially their commander, but they're perceptive and cunning as well," He explained.
The other commanders nodded in agreement; from a tactical standpoint, it made sense. However, not everyone was happy about Kenji's comment.
"Don't complain about my plan! If you're gonna complain, then YOU BE THE COMMANDER!" Yuu yelled suddenly with a finger pointing at him.
The 'Commander' was annoyed that someone would dare pick on the plan he'd worked tirelessly on for a few nights now. Clouded by annoyance and frustration, he snapped. Kenji wanted to retort and show the asshole his place but remembered the weight a commander must carry; he knew that it was quite heavy. A commander must always remain calm and address everything with a cool head, but everything must've been taking a toll on the poor bastard. No one was perfect, right? So, he just sighed and relented, allowing him his moment. Besides, the humiliation from his own outburst would be enough of a punishment.
"Yeah, yeah, I get it. I'm just stating what I know," He told him.
"Oh, don't be like that, Ishihara! Besides, I think that Kanagawa would make an awesome commander!" Kaede said whilst giving him a thumbs up.
"Eh, why me?"
"Well, you've already got this more figured out than the rest of us. So naturally, we'd trust your judgment more," Atsu told him.
"Exactly! What about the rest of you?" Kaede asked.
The others just nodded before one by one each of them started to clap. Kenji couldn't help but smile at the praises but inside he was conflicted.
"Well, there it is! Get us a win then, Kanagawa!" Kaede said and the others cheered.
"Hey, what about my plan?!" Yuu yelled.
"I didn't say your plan was bad, Vice Prez. But it can use a bunch of tweaks," He replied.
"Alright, what do you got in mind?"
Kenji then tapped his chin in thought. "Hmmm…"
Kenji leaned against the railings of the ship, staring out into the horizon, the island of Hokkaido now coming into clear view. The day of the match has finally arrived. Although it was just a practice match, Kenji will treat it as if it was a tournament match. That was one of the marks of a great commander; that was how to win. But now that all is said and done, he still felt like something was lacking.
"Something on your mind, Mister Kanagawa?"
He turned to see Akio walking up to him. He was also dressed in Hakodate's issued tanker uniform like him. It was a dark blue jacket, with a white collar that has a red stripe, and black cuffs. The uniform also had a white undershirt, black pants, matching tanker boots, and a dark blue side cap with red linings and the Hakodate emblem on his head. The loader also had a holster for a Mauser C96 slung across his shoulder. Kenji had a regular holster on his belt with his Walther P38 inside it, pouches for extra G36 magazines, and other things.
"Oh, hey, Fujimoto. Uh, I don't know. How's our beautiful Tiger Zwei-Eins-Sieben?" Kenji asked.
"She's hungry and ready to go hunting, Commander. All preparations have been completed. We're just waiting for the go-ahead to disembark, and your order of course," He answered.
"Ah, that's very good. Thank you, Fujimoto."
"Anytime, Commander," He said before leaning on the railings like him. "Now, what's really bugging you, Kanagawa?"
Kenji sighed. "We've made all the preparations, so everything should be fine, but I've still got butterflies in my stomach anyway. I feel like the plan's gonna blow up in our face, no matter what we do. And I don't like that."
"Well, you know what they say: 'the plan never survives first contact with the enemy.' And it's probably already too late to make any major changes to the plan, so it won't matter anyway. Besides, this is just a practice match, right? It doesn't matter if we lose."
"That line of thinking isn't right, Fujimoto. You have to always have your sights set on victory, otherwise, you've already been defeated. No matter the scenario, no matter the cost, you must always win…" He paused. "Although, that doesn't mean you should let go of your morals or not have fun. If you're not having fun, then what's the point?"
Akio nodded. "I understand, sorry about that."
"Besides, if we lose we'll have to that thing," Kenji reminded and he winced.
"... and that's it," Kenji finished.
The others mulled over his proposal for a minute before nodding one by one.
"Alright, that's the plan then! If you win us this match, Kanagawa, then I'll give you an awesome prize!" Kaede said.
"Oh really? What is it?" He asked. If there was a prize, then why not?
"A week's supply of potato chips!"
Kenji frowned but then shrugged. "Well, depending on what brand of chips it is, I guess it's not so bad. But what if we lose?"
"Then I guess I'll have you do the Ika Dance at the Port Festival," The President replied.
"The hell is that?"
All he got was a sly grin from the Prez, a neutral gaze from the Vice Prez, and uneasy looks from everyone else in the room. But before he could ask someone else about it, Kaede ended the meeting and dismissed everyone. He knew that the commanders needed to brief their respective crews on top of doing school work and other non-tankery-related things. So, he opted to ask his own crew when they went out for some burgers. They were less than happy…
A soda can hit the ground with its contents spilling out the contents when it did. Kenji winced at his friends' reaction. They all had looks of horror and dread etched onto their faces, most especially Kobe since he was the one to drop his soda.
"The Ika Dance?! That's too goddamn embarrassing! I can't do it! Screw that!" Kobe exclaimed.
"It is quite awful, not gonna lie. You'll never be able to live it down," Goro said.
"Right," Ogino agreed. His tone had a little bit more energy in it as well as more emotion on his face because of the disturbing news.
"Someone will definitely record it and post it online for the whole damn country to see. Maybe even beyond that," Akio added.
"I got the vibe that it was bad from earlier. But is it really that bad of a dance?" Kenji asked with a confused and slightly nervous expression.
"You have no idea," Ogino said.
"Anyway! It doesn't matter if it's bad or not if we win! So let's just win alright?!" Kobe demanded.
"Right!" The rest of them agreed.
"Just tell us what to do, Commander! We got this!" Akio told him.
"Yeah, I understand clearly now. We have to win this at all costs," He replied.
"Is it really that bad?" Kenji questioned.
"You'll probably get years taken off your life from the cringe of just watching it," He answered.
"Kay, I'll take note of that."
A horn sounded and the two looked to see the massive vessel slowly moving into the docks. A moment later, Kenji moved away from the railings before stretching.
"Well, that's our signal. C'mon, Fujimoto, let's go kick some tea addicted ass," He said before putting on his own garrison cap and walking away with the loader following close behind.
They headed back to the tank depot and saw everyone already there with their uniforms on and preparing their respective vehicles. Kenji went over to his Tiger and saw his crew doing the same, but he made some last-minute checks on his tank to correct anything that may be wrong with it before they deploy. A couple of minutes later, he finished the checks just in time for Yuu to call on their attention.
"Alright, can I have everyone's attention please!" He announced. Once everyone turned to him, he spoke again.
The Vice-President/Commander gave a long speech about their first match as a team. He talked about how the match was important even if it was their first match, adding quotes from famous people about victory, his personal explanation for them, and then a conclusion which is just a summary of the whole speech. After that, he allowed himself a smile as he adjusted his aviator-style glasses. He felt like a pro, maybe he is cut out to be the commander of the team.
The whole team cheered as they were all pumped up to engage in their first match. Everyone except Kenji, of course, just shrugged while continuing his routine checks.
"Good enough speech, I guess. I'll give it a 7.5/10," He said while checking the ammo for his personal weapons.
"Good to see everyone so pumped up! You're all going to need it!"
They turned to the entrance of the tank depot to see Kyoko walking inside. She had her usual black instructor uniform on, but she had an extra armband with the JSF logo on it. Seeing her, the Student Council (SC) and the commanders went to greet her.
"Good morning, Instructor," Yuu greeted.
"Good morning!" She greeted back with a wave and a smile. "So, how're you boys doing?"
"We're doing just fine, Instructor. As you saw, the boys are all eager for some action. Once we've docked, we'll be heading straight for the match grounds," He answered.
"I see. It seems everything's in place then," She said before walking past him to face the team. " For most, this will be your first ever match. I won't say much more since I'm pretty sure your commanders have already covered everything. So, here's this instead: whether you win or lose today, the only thing you have to do afterward is to learn from it and move on. So do your best out there, all of you. And be safe, have fun, and kick-ass as well!"
The team erupted in cheers again, this one much louder and with more energy than the previous one, much to the slight annoyance of Yuu. Kenji also smiled and clapped at his mother. Afterward, the team spent more time checking their gear or doing other things. Meanwhile, Kyoko pulled her son aside to talk to him.
"And your emergency flares?" She asked.
Kenji nodded. "Checked too. I already have a red flare loaded."
"Okay, that's good. That's good," She said and looked up at him. "Are you going to be alright?"
Kenji smiled sadly. "I'll be as alright as I could be, I guess. Besides, I have to move on sooner or later, anyway. It's not just the Kanagawa Style, it's just how life is. That's the truth and I know that."
"I understand. But will you be alright?" She asked and he nodded. She then smiled and put a hand on his shoulder. "Good. Just stay safe and have fun, you and your whole team, okay?"
He nodded. "Yes, mom. I promise."
She nodded before wrapping her arms around Kenji to hug him. He returned it in kind and they stayed like that for a few moments before separating.
"I gotta go now, mom. We're heading out soon."
"Ah! Aren't you forgetting something?"
He sighed and leaned forward to kiss his mother on the cheek before turning to leave.
"I'll be overseeing from a judge's perspective! Bye, Kenji! Have fun and good luck!" She waved.
"Bye, mom! I'll see you later!"
The two parted ways with Kenji heading back to his tank. A few more minutes of waiting later, a horn was heard which they all took as the signal that the docking process was now complete. Almost in unison, the engine of each tank came to life before they all drove out of the depot and towards the unloading station.
As they were driving on the bridge to the lifts that would lower them onto the ground, another horn was heard just a shadow enveloped their whole convoy. Kenji, and anyone else who could, looked up to see another school ship sailing into the dock parallel to them. This ship was significantly larger than Hakodate in every way. This ship belonged to their opponent for this match.
"Oh, so those are St Victoria's tanks," Nakasone remarked, pointing at a column of vehicles running along the side of the ship inside one of its large bellow-deck hangars.
Although it was quite far, Kenji had memorized the silhouettes of almost every tank there is. And he immediately knew what they were facing. This fight was going to be a tough one.
In the city down below, many people roamed the streets, filled with expectation. A good chunk of them was setting up banners and decorations, others were setting up vendor stalls, and the rest were casually roaming around as they waited.
One of the signs being put up read: "HAKODATE BOYS' ACADEMY VS ST VICTORIA BOYS' COLLEGE. TANKERY MATCH."
Along it were announcements by city officials through loudspeakers.
"Ding dong. The Tankery match will start at 8 a.m. The grounds will be blocked off, so please be mindful of where you go. Please stay out of the combat area for your safety. There are many places to watch the match, including the outlets. So if you wish to observe, please use those locations," The female announcer announced in a bit of an excited voice which was explained why by a patron.
"It's been a while since Hakodate's had a Sensha-do match," The patron told her friend.
Back with Hakodate's tankers, they had gathered at the outskirts of town where there were forests and little infrastructure. The tanks were arranged in a line formation with the SC and commanders assembled at the front. Yuu was at the center, clad in his tanker uniform, but what sets him apart from the rest was the dark blue M43 field cap on his head instead of a side cap like the others.
They all looked on to the approaching column of tanks from St Victoria. Each tank sported the St Victoria Boys' College emblem on its hulls or turrets. A shield shape that's divided into two within, a Union Jack on the right, a teapot, and a teacup on the left. There was also an image of a crown on top, and a ribbon with the letter SVBC at the bottom.
Kenji exhaled as he continued to watch. Five infantry tanks and three cruiser tanks. More specifically, one A43 Black Prince, two Churchill Mk VIIs, two Valentine Mk Xs, two A27M Cromwell Mk Vs, and one A30 Challenger. The most dangerous opponents are the Black Prince and Challenger with their 17pdr guns that can slice through their tanks from anywhere, especially if they have sabot rounds. They need to take them out immediately, or at least be wary of them. He'll figure something out later.
The column stopped just a few meters away from them and the commanders jumped out. Their uniforms consisted of a red jacket with black highlights and gold buttons, shoulder epaulets, a white undershirt, a black necktie, black pants, and matching boots. They also had a black pistol belt with a holster for an Enfield No. 2 revolver around their hip, and a black beret with the SVBC logo on it.
From the Black Prince, a young man with brown hair and blue eyes hopped down and walked forward. He wore the same uniform as the rest but wore a white Sam Browne belt with a holster with a Webley Mk IV .38/200 revolver inside instead. These differences made identifying the commander of the whole unit easier.
"Commander London," Yuu greeted with an outstretched hand. "Thank you for accepting our request for a match today, especially on such short notice."
London took his hand with a smile and give it a firm shake.
"We don't mind at all. The lads could use the extra training," He said and then glanced at Hakodate's tanks, his eyebrow curling. "Wow, I see you've obtained quite the selection."
"We aim for the best," Yuu said.
"Of course you do," London replied with a smile and spoke some more. "However, we always commit all of our strength, no matter who we face. But, I can assure you that we will not fight dirty like Roosevelt or Pobeda. Let's fight each other with chivalry in mind."
"Of course. We look forward to seeing you on the battlefield," Yuu said.
From the side, three men stood idly by, watching and waiting for the initial greeting to subside. The first had blonde hair and brown eyes, the second had black hair and blue eyes, and the last had dark purple hair and golden eyes that were behind a pair of aviator-style glasses. They all wore the same uniform; a dark blue jacket, white pants, black boots, and a gorget with the word 'JUDGE' on it, similar to the ones used by German Feldgendarmarie in WW2. They also had a black pistol belt with a holster that has a Browning Hi-Power inside of it, two extra magazines, a radio, and a taser.
"We will now start the match between St Victoria Boys' College and Hakodate Boys' Academy," The guy with the glasses said. "I am Kunio Matsuyama."
"I am Mamoru Yamagata," The black-haired guy said.
"And I am Ryota Shiraishi," The blonde-haired guy said. "And we will be your judges for today. All athletes, bow."
All the participants bowed and exchanged formalities before retreating to their vehicles and driving to their designated starting points. Once there, they just waited tensely for the match to begin and the match to start. The locations and statuses of each vehicle from both sides Kenji sat on the commander's seat with his eyes closed, going over the plan again just to make sure nothing was off.
"You ready, Commander?" Yuu asked suddenly, bringing him out of his reverie.
"Huh? Oh," Kenji jumped a bit but immediately recovered, putting a hand on his throat mic. "Yeah, I'm ready."
"Remember, this all depends on you. Take it from here," He told him. Kenji didn't reply but gave a hum and a nod of acknowledgment.
"Match start!" The announcer said, and with those words, all eight of Hakodate's vehicles were underway.
"Here we go!" Akio said excitedly from his spot in the Tiger and Kenji nodded.
"So, can you explain what we'll do again? Just to be sure," Kenshin asked from his spot as a radio operator in the M6A1.
"Well, as I explained to all of you in our meeting, the total annihilation rules are in effect. That means that the team the game won't end until one team has no working tanks left. We in Tiger team will lure them into the trap while the rest of you standby until all the targets are at least 100 meters from your positions to maximize lethality," Kenji explained to which everyone sounded off an acknowledgment.
"Kanagawa, you got some cool op name for this?" Kaede asked whilst eating from a bag of potato chips.
"Uh, I guess can call um, let's see… Ah, let's call it 'Operation Pancake' because we're going to flatten them like pancakes," He answered.
"Got it! I think I'll go for some pancakes after this match," Kaede replied.
"It doesn't sound like much thought went into that op name," Yuu remarked.
"I kinda want some pancakes too," Atsu said, completely ignoring his friend's remark.
The eight tanks continued forward towards their objectives with their crews tense with expectation.
Hakodate Boys' Academy
Tiger E - Tiger
KV-85 - Bear
M6A1 - Armadillo
T-34-57 (1943) - Falcon
Panzer IV/70 (V) - Hound
M4A3R3 - Sloth
M24 - Goose
BT-7M - Raccoon
St Victoria Boys' College
A43 Black Prince
A30 Challenger
Churchill Mk VII x2
Valentine X x2
Cromwell V x2
Meanwhile, on the side of St Victoria, their tanks have yet to move. London, the commander of the team, stood atop the turret of his Black Prince with a teacup in hand. He took a sip of his favorite Darjeeling tea as he observed lands in front of him with a smile with another guy orange-haired guy having his upper half poking out from the hatch.
His orange-haired loader, Bristol, looked up at him from his spot and he returned the glance. The commander finished the rest of his tea and the two boys lowered themselves back into their tank. Edinburgh, their brown-haired gunner, sat ready for action with his hands on his lap.
"All tanks advance," London ordered.
The eight tanks then lumbered forward and arranged themselves in an A formation. The Challenger was at the front tip, the two Churchills flanking it, then Valentines, and then the Cromwells with the Black Prince at the center within. They advanced at a steady pace so as to not break their formation while turning their turrets to scan for threats.
Sometime later, the formation of British tanks was seen from a ridge about a thousand meters from their location. The tanks continued to move at a steady pace while their observers scanned them carefully to gather as much information as they could while also remaining undetected for the time being.
"Tally eight St Victoria tanks moving eastward at a steady pace of about 20 km/h. They've got quite the tight formation," Akio remarked.
"Damn right, considering their composition and speed it's amazing how they can keep it up," Kenji said as he looked through his binoculars.
"Our gun should slice through the cruiser tanks and the Valentines, but it's gonna have a tougher time with the heavies. APCR would do the job from the front, if we had any," Akio added.
Kenji put his binoculars down. "Well, that's where tactics and skill come in."
Akio chuckled. "Right!"
The two boys stood up from their prone position and ran back to their tank. Akio immediately hopped inside and placed himself in the loader's spot while Kenji stopped at the front for a moment to wake up their
"Ogino, get up it's game time! We're deploying immediately but make sure the engine doesn't echo," He told him with a shake of the shoulder.
"Mhmm," Ogino replied sluggishly before starting the engine.
The Maybach HL230 came to life just as Kenji hopped into the cupola and they were underway again in the next moment. They drove to another location where they could set up the bait.
"Eight enemy tanks advancing at a straight and steady pace. Light 'em up when you're ready," Kenji said as he looked through his binoculars.
Akio slammed an 8.8 cm shell into the gun. "Gun loaded!" He said before picking up another round and preparing it for loading.
Goro had his eye on the sight with the middle triangle on the heaviest tank. "Um, the length of the Black Prince is?
"3.44 meters."
"They're at four Strich, so 860 meters. I'm adjusting for lead," Goro said before setting the gun to its intended position. "Gun set!"
"Fire!"
Goro pulled the trigger and the shell left the gun, sailing towards its target in a fraction of a second and in between a Churchill and Valentine. The shock of the resulting explosion shook all the nearby tanks.
"Short. Give it just a little bit more elevation. We've got time for one more shot," Kenji said.
"Gun loaded!" Akio said.
"Fire!"
Another shell sailed across the distance between the tanks. This one slammed into the turret of the Black Prince, but it did not penetrate or cause any damage.
"They've begun their attack, it seems," Bristol said. He was in the middle of pouring himself and his commander another cup of tea when the shot landed. It was a miracle they hadn't spilled any of their tea yet.
"So let's react accordingly then," London said with a smile. Then the turrets of all of SVBC's tanks started.
"That was a hit, but it didn't penetrate," Kenji said and focused on the guns pointing right at him. "Unfortunately, that's all we can give for now! Go! Let's go!"
Ogino hummed a response before releasing the brakes and reversing from their spot just in time to dodge the first volley of shots thrown at them. As the Tiger retreated, the eight British tanks started turning in their direction.
"All tanks, pursue and eliminate the Tiger I," London ordered. "Manchester, break off and cut them off."
"You got it, Commander!" Manchester, the red-headed commander of the Challenger replied.
The three cruiser tanks broke off and drove in another direction while the infantry tanks continued the pursuit. Kenji noted this and spoke through the radio.
"The cruiser tanks are breaking off to the east. Berta Platoon, intercept them," He ordered.
"Got it, Kanagawa!" Mino replied.
"Ogino, try to zigzag as much as you can," Kenji told his driver who complied just in time to dodge more shots. "We're done for if they hit anywhere that isn't the front."
"Roger," Ogino said unenthusiastically as ever before shifting gears and accelerating.
"They're a lot better than I thought. Increase our speed, we're running them down," London ordered, and all the tanks accelerated. "No matter what you may try, we will not allow a single drop of tea to spill."
Bristol loaded another 17 pdr shell and Edinburgh set his sight straight on the rear of the enemy Tiger. With a smile and a sip of his favorite Assam tea, he sent one away. Kenji turned his head just as the 17 pdr fired and watched the shell sail through the air and slam into the ground next to them. He had to lower himself to avoid the flying dirt.
"Shit, that was close," He remarked as he straightened up again. "Typical Tuesday."
A hatch opening was heard and he followed it to see Kobe nervously poking out from his spot.
"Dude, are you sure about this?" He asked nervously.
"Don't worry! The interior of the tank is coated with carbon, so it'll be fine," He assured with a smile.
"No! You sticking out like that! What if you get hit?!" He clarified.
"Relax, man! People rarely get hit in matches, but if they do, Tankery grade munitions are designed to be non-lethal. If I get hit right now, I'll probably break a few bones but I'll live. Besides, I can see things better like this."
"Uh, i-if you say so. But you get injured then you're out of the team! And we're screwed because we have no Commander!"
Kenji remained silent for a moment before smiling. "Thanks for worrying. I guess I'll come inside then."
Meanwhile, four tanks of Hakodate's Anton Platoon remained parked and idle on top of an elevation. The crews were outside their respective tanks while doing completely different things. The history club of Falcon team was poking out of their hatches while waiting expectantly, the first years of Armadillo team seat on the engine deck of their M6 playing cards, the basketball club of Goose team practiced their drills, and the SC of Racoon team lounged around. Yuu was sticking out of the hatch, Atsu was leaning against the tank while looking through his phone, and Kaede was laying on a beach chair on the engine deck of the tank.
"They're late," Yuu remarked.
"Calm down, I'm sure they have a good reason to be," Kaede replied casually as he continued to lay down with his hands behind his head. Yuu grunted at that but didn't say anything else as the radio crackled.
"This is Tiger team. We've succeeded in baiting the enemy and are bringing them to you right now. ETA three minutes," Kenji reported through the radio.
"Tiger team's inbound with the enemy in tow! Everyone back in your tanks!" Yuu ordered.
Words of protests were uttered by some of them but hastily complied anyway, and all of them were back in their vehicles within a minute. The gunners trained their sights on the entrance and waited tensely. And after what seemed like forever, a single silhouette of a tank appeared.
"FIRE!" Yuu ordered.
Shells of different calibers shot out of their guns and slammed onto the ground around the entering Tiger I, startling its crew.
"Whoa! Hey! Blue on blue, hold your fire!" Kenji ordered through the radio but was met with more fire.
"KEEP FIRING!" Yuu demanded as he pulled the trigger without thought. The man was acting purely on impulse.
"CEASE YOUR FIRE GODDAMNIT! CEASE YOUR FUCKING FIRE GODDAMNIT!" Kobe screamed into the radio. It seemed to work as some reoriented their guns while others continued.
"I guess I now know what to put in the post-match report," Kenji mumbled as their tank drove out of the kill zone.
Behind them, the five St Victoria tanks followed closely. London calmly observed the scene in front of him while sipping his tea. At this point, he had already long realized what Hakodate was trying to do and was acting accordingly.
"Unfortunately, your bait plan won't work as well as you thought it would," London said and noticed something. "I only see five of eight tanks. All units, keep an eye out for the rest."
The other tank commanders acknowledged and London issued some other orders. The five SV tanks split up into two groups with two going left and three going right to ascend the hill. They had now passed the kill zone and were at an area where it was harder to hit with their guns. Despite that, shots kept being fired without any effect.
"FIRE! FIRE! FIRE!" Yuu ordered frantically as he sent another shot that missed.
"Remember your training! Don't just shoot all over the place! Aim for weak points like their treads!" Kenji reminded as they drove into their own firing position.
"KEEP SHOOTING! GIVE IT ALL YOU'VE GOT!" Yuu yelled, ignoring him.
"Statistically, they should've hit something by now. Especially at this range," Ogino remarked but was ignored.
Meanwhile, the three tanks of Berta Platoon drove across a field towards their objective. It had been some time since they'd been given the order to intercept St Victoria's breakaway force and they started to become somewhat agitated from the lack of action.
"FIRE! FIRE! FIRE!" Yuu's order was heard by all through the radio.
"Looks like Anton Platoon's engaged," Mino replied from his position in the lead tank. He keyed in the mic and spoke. "Stay sharp, boys. They're around here somewhere."
He received replies of acknowledgment and continued scanning the area while sticking out of the cupola of his KV-85. A minute passed by with nothing happening when something caught the corner of his eye. From the tree line to their 3 o'clock, something was there and it was definitely not a tree. Picking up a pair of binoculars, he looked through them to see whatever it is more clearly. His eyes widened and he dropped the binoculars to put a finger on his microphone.
"CONTACT THREE O'CLOCK-" He didn't get a chance to finish his sentence as something slammed onto the side of his tank with the engine exploding half a second later. Then the dreaded white flag popped out from the top of the turret. "FUCK! This is Bear team, we're down!"
"Shit! Reverse left!" Taro ordered and the remaining two tanks turned to face their armor in the direction the shot came from. His tank was the second on the column, so the responsibility fell on him.
"What the hell was that?!" Kanai demanded right two shots landed close to them. He then spotted something in the treeline. "Tanks! 12 o'clock, three-hundred meters!"
"I see them! Let's pay them back then!" Taro said and pulled the trigger, sending a 7.5 cm shell towards the column.
"No mercy to rule violators! Eat this!" Kanai yelled just as the 75mm gun fired.
Their shots landed short and St Victoria returned fire, their shots also landing short. The M4 and the Panzer IV/70 fired another salvo of shots that were short but created a thick dust cloud which they used to cover their retreat.
Manchester observed the retreating tanks through the periscope while sipping his favorite Rosehip tea. The tea was supposed to be a sedative-like drink, but it never affected him in any way. Many questioned why he'd drink something that did nothing, and he'd answer that it tasted good.
"Enemy tanks are running! I'm going after them!" He reported.
"Very well. Make sure that they are crushed, but be a gentleman about it," London ordered.
"Got it, Commander!"
The five tanks of Anton Platoon stood their ground while they were slowly surrounded. Many of them started to panic while their 'commander' continued yelling out orders that didn't make sense. Kenji already knew this was gonna happen so he remained calm while everything fell apart around him.
"St Victoria found us first before we could find them! We're falling back, Commander!" Taro reported through the radio.
"What a mess. Ogino, be ready to bug out when I tell you," He told him and received an acknowledgment before putting a finger on his throat microphone. "Commander, they have us in a pinch. I suggest we pull out now while we still can."
"SHUT UP AND KEEP FIRING! WE CAN GET OUT OF THIS! AND DON'T TELL ME WHAT TO DO!" Yuu yelled back at him.
Kenji sighed. "Well, I tried. Guess we'll be doing it the hard way."
"All tanks advance," London ordered calmly with a grin, and the SV tanks began advancing as if to squeeze Hakodate between them. "Attack."
With that order, SV let loose their own volley of shots toward Hakodate. The shots landed short but close, further agitating the shaken-up crews inside.
"They're really going for it!" Shin exclaimed nervously.
"This is too much!"
"Screw this! Let's get out of here!" Kanai ordered and the M6A1 began reversing from its firing position. But a shell hit a track and disabled it a moment later. Yasushi reported the damage and he made a decision. "We're done for! Everybody out!"
All six crew members of the M6A1 jumped out of their tank and started running away. A moment later, a 17-pdr shot slammed onto the side of the vehicle and took it out, the white flag popping out of its turret. To their side, a shell impacted the BT-7's track and took it off.
"Eh, what's going on?" Atsu wondered nervously out loud as he tried to
"Oh, we threw a track. The BT-7's track comes off pretty easily," Kaede remarked as the tank drove into a ditch. "This is Raccoon team, I think we're out."
"Armadillo team is down and Raccoon team is disabled," Kenji said as he looked through the viewport. "If we stay here any longer, we'll be finished too."
"Well then tell us to do something about it then," Goro told him.
"You're the commander, Kanagawa. We'll follow whatever you say," Kobe added and the others agreed.
A grin formed on Kenji's face for a moment before it switched to a more serious expression before putting a finger on his throat mic.
"Anyone who's not down, listen up. We're finished if we stay here any longer. So, follows us and we're getting the hell out of here!" He ordered.
"Got it, Kanagawa!" Nobu replied.
"We heard you, Komandir!" Georgy replied.
"WHAT?! I WON'T FORGIVE YOU FOR THIS!" Yuu screamed.
"New operation now in effect! This time, we're trying to not be the pancakes!" Kenji announced and they were underway. He popped out of the hatch and threw smoke grenades on both sides to cover their retreat.
They had been able to put some distance between them and St Victoria as they retreated into Hakodate proper. Shots were exchanged on the move but none of them hit their marks, only creating more work for repair crews later. They passed by the airport, the JGSDF camp, the port where both school ships were docked, and into the heart of the city. All this while the citizens watched from the buildings or through the big screens.
"We've entered the town proper. Use your knowledge of the city to your as much as possible," Kenji ordered.
"Hakodate's our town! Leave it to us!" Nobu said.
"We got this, Komandir!" Georgy said.
"We've also entered town, Commander. We've lost St Victoria for now and we'll be doing the same thing as you guys," Taro reported.
"Very well."
The three tanks of Anton Platoon and two tanks of Berta Platoon split off in multiple directions around the town. St Victoria tried to follow, but after a few bends, they lost them.
"Hm, they vanished," London mumbled into his teacup.
"Commander London, it seems the enemy can turn invisible," Manchester chimed.
"I noticed. All tanks, find them and eliminate them, but proceed with caution," London ordered and all the tanks split up to find Hakodate's tanks.
A single Churchill drove down a small road running along some residential buildings. It moved at a slow steady pace while the turret turned to scan both of its flanks. The commander found no targets until it passed by an alley next to a store. A BR-271K 57mm APHE round embedded into the Churchill's side, making it lurch to a stop and the white flag pop out of its turret. Within the alley, the T-34-57 lay hidden behind some crates and boxes for concealment.
A Valentine commanded by a black-haired young man named Liverpool drove down a street with the commander sticking out of the turret. The noise of an alarm was heard and he turned to see it coming from one of those fancy parking garages that had elevators and single underground spaces. The alarm was meant to warn anyone that someone was going to be coming out of the elevator and to make way. Liverpool grinned and ordered his tank to face the elevator.
"Imbeciles," He said to no one in particular.
As he waited for the elevator doors to open up, he failed to realize that the underground parking space behind him was also coming up until it was too late. The elevator doors opened to reveal an empty space and the reflection of the enemy M24 Chaffee in the mirror. His eyes widened and whirled around.
"Oh, bugger! Behind us!" He yelled as he dropped into the turret.
"BASKETBALL!" Nobu and his crew yelled before sending an M61 75mm APCBC round at the Valentine's turret. The white flag popped up soon after.
"This is Church 2, we've been hit and are down," The Churchill's commander reported.
"This is Val 1, we're also down," Liverpool reported.
From inside the Black Prince, London gasped and dropped his teacup which shattered on the floor.
"They're better than I thought," He said with slight frustration and a little sweat on his forehead.
"I heard that St. Gloriana fell for the same plot when they fought this year's girls' champions," Edinburgh remarked as he poured himself more tea.
"And just like them, we shall stand triumphant in the end."
Elsewhere, Hound fired a shot which took out a Cromwell before retreating. However, they were spotted by Manchester who immediately ordered his gunner to take aim.
"You're not getting away from me!" He said as the Challenger's 17 pdr gun set on the tank destroyer's rear.
Meanwhile, from the side, Sloth team was having some issues of their own.
"The shifter's stuck!" Kichiro yelled frantically as he tugged on the gear shifter.
"Pull harder, man! They're charging us!" Eiji demanded as he looked through the viewports.
"This is way more difficult than the games!" Hideki yelled.
A moment later, the shifter finally moved but it moved too far and the tank started reversing.
"Fire!" Manchester ordered.
The 17 pdr fired, sending a shell at the Panzer IV/70's rear. But before it could connect, the Sherman blocked the path and ended up hitting it instead. The M4 tumbled to the side and the white flag popped out of the turret. The 'sacrifice' would also be in vain since the other Cromwell was able to flank the Panzer IV/70 and hit it from the side. The white flag popped up to signal defeat.
"This is Sloth team, it's game over for us," Eiji reported dejectedly.
"This is Hound, same here," Taro reported.
The Cromwell that took out Hound team was ambushed and subsequently taken out by Goose who drove past them.
"Alright, now let's head to the 3-point line and finish this!" Nobu ordered and the others cheered.
However, their retreat was cut short when a shell hit their track and made them spiral out of control which in turn made them fall into the Kameda river. Manchester drove past them with a smile on his face a moment later. They were headed to link up with London and the rest of the team. It was time they finally crushed the pests.
"I think it's just us now, Kanagawa," Kobe said. "What do we do?"
"We continue with the plan. It could still work despite everything," He told them before keying in his mic. "This is Tiger team, anyone who's still not down, link up with us and we'll finish this together."
"This is Falcon team, we shall come to assist you, Komandir!" Georgy replied.
"Thanks and hurry please!" He replied before looking to their rear and spotting the three silhouettes of St Victoria's remaining infantry tanks. "Here they come! If we're surrounded, we're done for!"
"What do you want to do?" Ogino asked.
"Just shake off for now. We can't allow them to flank us."
The driver then shifted gears and stepped on the accelerator. "Right."
The Tiger began accelerating down the street with St Victoria following close by. Tanks exchanged fire on the move while constantly changing directions and turning corners. In one such turn, St Victoria's remaining Churchill went too fast and crashed into a sushi place. The owner laughed gleefully when he saw it happen on the big screen.
"HAHAHA! That was my shop! Now I can get a new place!" He proclaimed.
"That's good luck, I heard," Another one said.
"I hope they run into my place too," Another one said.
Kenji observed the crash and knew that wouldn't do much to slow them down. Then, they ran into a problem.
"Uh oh," Ogino said as he slowed the tank to a halt.
"Oh goddamnit! Why'd they have to be fixing this road now?!" Kobe yelled frustratedly. In front of them was a roadblock because of ongoing road work.
"Turn around now! We have to get out of here!" Kenji ordered.
Ogino started turning the tank, but once they were able to turn, it was already too late. The three tanks had caught up to them with each gun trained and hot. The three tanks stopped and London came out of the Black Prince's cupola.
"It seems it's the end of the line for you right here. What a shame, I had fun," He told him.
Kenji didn't reply, looking to the left and right and brainstorming for a way to get out of their situation now. But whatever he thought, he concluded unable to work. To escape, they needed a miracle. However, before he could accept defeat, a vehicle burst through a fence on their left.
"It's the Student Council team, they're still alive!" Goro said with joy as the BT-7 entered the view of his gunsight.
"They were able to fix their tracks," Akio added.
"Sorry we're late, but we're here! Don't worry!" Yuu told them as the tank charged at St Victoria. It stopped right in front of them and he aimed the gun. "FIRING!"
The 45mm gun fired but still missed, even though the target was literally right in front of them. Not that it mattered because the shot wouldn't have penetrated their frontal armor. Still, it was quite pathetic.
"Seriously, you missed right here, man?" Atsu asked flatly.
The three St Victoria tanks aimed their cannons at the helpless light tank and unleashed a volley which took it out. The white flag went up a moment later.
"They got us," Kaede reported with a weak voice.
Kenji just blinked. Not the kind of miracle I was expecting, but okay, He thought to himself before quickly issuing his next set of orders.
"Advance! Down the alley Raccoon team came from! Go!" He ordered.
Ogino complied and drove the Tiger according to Kenji's instructions, disappearing into the alley a moment later.
"Cut them off! Don't let them flank you!" London ordered and the tanks began reversing.
"Go out into the street and head over to that alley over there! Make it quick!" Kenji ordered as the silhouette of the Black Prince was seen in between the buildings. "Move to the right and hug the wall, then quickly halt at the end."
"Right!" Ogino acknowledged.
A moment later, the enemy Churchill drove in front of them, and Goro sent a shell at its side, taking it out before continuing forward. A chill went down his spine and he ordered Goro to turn the turret to the left and fire. The shell hit a Valentine that was trying to be sneaky and took it out. They couldn't even celebrate as another tank came out of nowhere and crashed into their tank, hitting the gun barrel and deforming it, rendering it out of action. It was the Challenger.
The cruiser tank landed on the ground and drifted a bit before turning its turret towards the Tiger. But before it could fire, a 57mm shell slammed into its side and the engine burst into flames. The white flag went up. The T-34 came out of the shadows towards the Tiger.
"We've come to your aid, Komandir!" Georgy said.
Kenji would've been relieved if he didn't see the looming figure in his peripherals.
"WATCH OUT!" He yelled.
It was futile. A 17 pdr shell embedded itself onto the side of the T-34 and its engine burst into flames. The white came up shortly after. And from the side, the Black Prince approached them. Kenji frowned, he knew this was it. Even if they could escape, they can't fight back because their gun was damaged. Sticking out of the turret, he faced the enemy. The Black Prince stopped right in front of them and London emerged from the cupola. He had a big smile on his face and chuckled.
"This had been fun, it truly was," He said and a glint formed in his eyes. "Have you ever heard of this saying: 'all is fair in love and war?'"
For a moment, Kenji didn't answer. Then, he grinned.
"Trust me, London. I know that saying very well," He said and raised a hand.
London raised an eyebrow in confusion, wondering why he was doing that. Then, he looked up and his eyes widened. He was only able to register what it was just as something slammed onto his engine deck making it burst into flames. And a moment later, the white flag popped out of the turret.
From the top of the building adjacent to the tanks, Nobu stood with an M1A1 Bazooka on his shoulder. He then retreated back and put a finger on his throat mic.
"Sorry I'm late, Commander. They almost had us back there," He said.
"That's fine, you still fulfilled your task anyway. Thanks for that," Kenji replied. "As a reward, let's play ball later."
Nobu smiled. "We'll be looking forward to it."
The first-year captain of the defunct basketball team made his way down from the building's roof. He thought back to the little complication they had earlier. Despite being hit, the referee system did not register it as a killing blow. Not only that, but they fell into a dry area of the river too. So, with that they were able to quickly repair their track, drive out of the river, and head to where they intended to set the trap.
Meanwhile, the judges and referees surveyed the grounds a bit more before coming to a decision.
"All St Victoria tanks have been eliminated. Therefore, Hakodate Boys' Academy wins the battle!"
Elsewhere, the eliminated teams cheered especially Armadillo team who had climbed a tree to spectate the match. Kanai had a smile on his face, but it threatened to turn into a frown once he was able to think more clearly. As the commander of his tank, to disobey orders and abandon their vehicle in the middle of the match, nothing was more embarrassing.
The same could be said for Kyoko who was on top of one of the buildings. While she was now happy that her son and his team had won their first match, she was worried that it would get into their heads and they'd end up making a mistake during the real deal because of their arrogance. She had hoped that they lost so that they may learn humility, caution, and what it takes to achieve victory.
Ultimately, they chose to stay quiet about it and enjoy the achievement. A victory is a victory, whether it be great or small, especially for a very inexperienced school like Hakodate. They'll work it out later. Besides, it would suck to spoil the overall good mood. However, they both knew one thing.
It's not over yet. And it wasn't, not even close.
AN: So yeah, I'M BACK!
As you know, some really funny shit (it's not) is happening in Ukraine and it only keeps getting funnier (it's getting even more depressing by the hour.)
In one of my other stories, I have Russian and Ukrainian characters and I make them spout references to the standing of their respective countries. So, I had to go update that story and say a few things so it doesn't get nuked.
It's really sad, all of it. I don't know what the hell Putin thought when he did what he did, but it's definitely not making Russia a better place. Sure there are reasons that make sense but they still barely justify the infringement of the sovereignty of a nation. Not only that, but higher-ups of the Russian military seem to be cartoonishly dumb too. Why would you launch an airborne operation if you can't support it? Now, they're just needlessly sending their men to die.
And let's not forget about the war crimes. For a country that sacrificed so much fighting the Nazis, they've become Nazis themselves. They've successfully spat on the sacrifices of their ancestors.
But that's not all of Russia. To call every Russian a Nazi is stupid and doesn't improve the situation at all. I know of the protests happening across many cities, and I also know the risk of protesting. The people are angry, and why wouldn't they be? Their 'leaders' are screwing around and it would be them to suffer the hits.
Of course, their suffering cannot be compared to those in Ukraine. But why should you even compare it? Would it even matter who sufferers the most or less?
Anyway, my thoughts and prayers go out to everyone who has suffered. May this pointless conflict just end already.
But enough of that. This is supposed to be a happy story.
I also posted chapters called BGuP: Encyclopedia and Character Profiles. The first one contains information relevant to this story that I didn't bother putting in the story proper because it'll take too much time. The second is just a list of other characters so you have something to better keep track of the names of the characters. And both of those chapters will update every time there is new information as the story progresses. I'll be placing a reminder in the beginning of each real chapter when a change has been made.
Anyway, thank you for reading this far, and I'll see you all in the next one. Peace out.