Authors Thought:

Hello dear readers, back again for the next part, glad to get this out to you.

The battle of Oarai vs Chi-Ha-Tan is heating up now, with Oarai now looking to counterattack, as the battle takes to air and ground as both teams give it their all.

Thanks so much for taking some time out of your day to read, and I hope you enjoy. Till the next Author Thought.


With the battle between Oarai and Chi-Ha-Tan Academy heating up, the cold bite of this overcast day still hung in the air. One such young girl feeling the bite of the cold was laying on her stomach watching the road some 700 meters away from her hiding position, while peeking through a gap in the bushes in front of her with binoculars.

This young girl was a Chi-Ha-Tan tank commander whose name was Miya, first-year tank commander of the newly acquired Type 5 Na-To. She was of average height, with long black hair, that was tie into a double French braid. That went along well with her blue eyes and her lightly tan skin.

The light tan was a product of her former life in track and field during junior high, she had the makings of being a national level sprinter at the time, during life on the mainland at her junior high school in Chiba Prefecture. Nothing in her life she wanted more than to make nationals, while possibly competing for her nation in the Olympics, which she knew would make her family enormously proud of her.

Yet fate can be a cruel mistress, when during practice going about her usual practice time run in the 100m sprint, she suffer a freak accident with a torn meniscus in her knee, ending her final junior high year of track, and her chance at joining one of Japans premier high school academies for track and field since she was out for the final year of junior high. With this dream crush, it also crush any hope in her mind of being at the Olympics representing her nation.

She fell into a deep depression, feeling she had let down her team and her family, no matter how hard they try to convince her that wasn't the case. Locking herself up in her room, she wanted to forget everything existed. Forgetting school, her friends, and her dreams. Her family desperately try to break her out of this with therapy sessions, but none of it work, leaving them in a state of sadness to see their daughter so down and seemingly no way for them to fix this.

That all change one day, when Miya left her home on a chilly autumn day to go get something to drink at a convenience store just down the street from her house. Her surgically repair knee began to act up with the cold and Miya fell before she got to the convenience store.

Laying on the hard cold pavement, feeling frustrated at her powerless self now, Miya began to cry about all that had been lost to her. Yet her sadness was soon replaced with warmth when she felt a soothing hand on her shoulder, and turned to take in the sight of then first-year Kinuyo Nishi, smiling at her. The Chi-Ha-Tan student was in town at the time, as the Akagi had made port for supplies.

Miya was then helped up by Nishi and the two went to get drinks together. Nishi was so warm and inviting, her graceful personality opened Miya up, which was a welcome change for this girl who shut herself off from the world. Because of this opening up, Miya told Nishi about her injury and how she had given up track. About how she locked herself up, ignored her friends and family, and practically was only barely hanging onto to school because her grades were near perfect before her injury.

Though this meeting with Nishi seem to be fate, as said girl invited Miya to join the Chi-Ha-Tan tankery team. Miya was skeptical of how safe that kind of sport was, which went double for her with a surgically repaired knee, knowing shells would be shaking the tank all the time.

Yet Nishi explain the finer details of its safety while also explaining of the chance to be a tank commander, since Miya had been a captain of her junior high club and needed someone with leadership skills would be a great help to their team.

Whether it was because of how earnest Nishi was or the still-burning desire to compete again in some form or fashion, Miya took the offer by Nishi. Miya went back to school, to bring her grades up, and apologize to her friends and family, while shocking them, after she told them she was joining the Chi-Ha-Tan tankery team. She had thought they might try to talk her out of it, yet they just cheer her on, glad to see her competing once more.

In the short time after her arrival to the school carrier and joining the team, Miya had been part of the modernist group who wanted to change Chi-Ha-Tan's ways, but didn't dare to go against their upperclassmen that had been set in the old ways, before they change. That change happen when Miho join the team officially, even if there had been some initial push back to her more modern ideas, the team finally took hold of these new tactics that had propelled them to two wins.

Yet Miya and most the first years had all been watching from the stands, though happy to celebrate their upperclassmen's success, all of them were chafing at the bit to get into the fight. To prove they could stand tall with their big tankery sisters, and now the chance was here, right in front of them. In most cases, first years in Sensha-do would be nervous, but for Miya and her fellow first years, all they wanted to do was get put into the chaos and earn their veteran badges.

Don't worry commander, I won't let you down

Miya thought, as she continue to scan the road from the bushes. The land here was mostly flat earth, with some odd bushes or low-hanging trees here and there. The sky was still its gloomy self with overcast, and a chill in the air, making Miya glad that commander Miho had the girls wear dark yellow leggings to keep warm, and that match their tankery skirts as well.

The sudden sound of a twig snapping made Miya turn around to see her secondary loader and radio operator coming up to her now, keeping to a crawl, so they wouldn't be spotted by the enemy.

Her name was Akoto Maekawa, a short girl, sporting a long pixie brown hair cut, with deep steel eyes. With a very skinny build of a body and a pale complexion. The girl crawl close till she was even alongside her tank commander hiding under the bushes.

Even on her stomach, Akoto saluted her tank commander, then drop the salute to speak. "New orders came in."

"New orders?" Miya ask in a perplex tone.

"Yes, seems Oarai isn't playing to our tune. They've sent their air force against Nishi's Kampfgruppe, with Oarai and those American tankers moving to break their scouts out of our encirclement," Akoto relayed.

"Damn," Miya said as she clench one of her fists in frustration. "So what are our new orders?"

"Commander wants us to keep watching this road, Oarai will most likely use it to get around our team's western flank, she also wants us to still take out the first tank in the column. Yet she added in that we must hold our ground as long as practicable," Akoto said, with excitement in her voice about a possible fight.

"What do we do if we need to retreat?" Miya ask, wanting every detail to be clear to her.

Pulling out a map from her tankery jacket, Akoto laid it in front of them to see, as the secondary loader explain, "If we have to fall back, the commander says were to head to point 0345."

"There is a river there though?" Miya question, using her finger to find the point that indicated a small river nearby.

"Yes, she wants us to head over the bridge there. Uenishi is going to come to support us with the Type 3 Ka-Chi," Akoto stated.

Miya nodded at that, "alright, lets g-."

The Type 5 Na-To tank commander stop talking, as she could hear tank engines in the distance. Shifting her body while in the prone position, Miya brought up her binoculars to take in the sight of the tank column coming down the road to the south. Just coming off a slight bend in the path, a gray color Type 3 Chi-Nu came down the road first, followed by a dark green A43 Black Prince, and lastly a light brown Panzer 4 Ausf H with armor skirts. The column came down the road slowly, but were also lax with their security keeping their guns forward at the moment, maybe thinking they were safe.

Miya was about to make them pay for that.

Turning to her secondary loader, Miya spoke. "Alright, let's get back to our tank and give Oarai a nasty surprise they won't forget."

"Roger that," Akoto said, matching her tank commanders determination.

They both crawl away from the hole in the bush, and then down into the dried-out creek bed behind their observation point. It acted as a natural trench for them, with the deepness of it keeping them completely out of sight. The downside though, was the many rocks that were scattered all over the floor of the dried creek bed, which made navigating it a really difficult endeavor, but an acceptable one for them and their tank.

Traveling as fast as they could without falling over, they soon came up to their Type 5 Na-To, that was situated sideways in the dried out creek bed, completely hidden from sight, with a large buildup of foliage on it, as was the practice of the Chi-Ha-Tan tankers to do with their tanks under Miho's command. Their powerful Type 5 75mm gun was currently depressed down onto the folded out gun rest since it was not in use.

Miya's crew was outside the tank, doing double checks on the tracks, looking over the engine block located at the front of the tank, and also their tank gun, yet upon seeing their tank commander, they quickly finish up their duties. Then line up in front of their tank, ready to receive their orders.

Coming up to them, Miya smirk. "Alright ladies, as usual, the commander was right on the money. The enemy is coming down the road adjacent to our position. Let's mount up and give it to them."

"Roger!" they said back, and move to their fighting positions.

Most of them enter through the back of the tank into the crew compartment, with her driver and bow gunner taking their places in the driver cab area. Miya was the last of the crew to mount up, closing the double doors behind them, inside the compartment, it was a bit stuffy, since it was supposed to be open hatch tank that had been given a modified closed hatch to keep in mind of Sensha-do's only close hatch tank usage in the sport.

Another annoying feature of the tank, was its seats, only some improvised fold-out ones to the side on the compartment for them to sit in while traveling, but when they had to fight they had to stand up. Their ammo racks were located at the back half of the tank as well, in two large built-in crates. One was for high explosive shells, and the other was armor-piercing which they brought more, since their role for the battle was to be a tank destroyer.

Because of the ammo racks being so far to the back of the compartment, was why they needed a secondary loader, to help grab the shell, to then pass to the main loader to get it into the tank gun's breech. It was an annoying feature for sure, but with such a powerful gun they had, it was worth the annoyance. They also had a radio install near the right rear rack, as the secondary loader had to act as a radio operator as well.

For extra vision, a long periscope had been added to the roof over the two areas. One behind the gunner's area, which was for the tank commander to watch and adjust the gunners aim. While another had been added over the secondary loaders area on the right side to help spot any threats to their tank if the tank commander ask them too. With also some vision slits on both sides of the hull for extra help if the crew needed to see out.

While they had the impressive Type 5 75mm gun, a Type 97 heavy tank machine gun was installed over the assistant driver cab area. Historically the Japanese Imperial army hadn't added one in the prototype version that was found by Taro Kataoka, but had modify it to have one, which had been approve by the Sensha-do Federation. Giving the girls a secondary gun if they needed it during a battle.

"Alright, load our AP shell," Miya order, holding one of her hands up to take hold of an arm handle located above her, to help her stay stable when the tank move, others were located around the compartment for the other crew members as well.

Akoto, as the secondary loader, grab a shell from the AP rack container, then handed to the main loader Shioko, who then loaded into the Type 5 75mm guns breech.

"Loaded," Shioko confirm.

Miya nodded at that, then look to her gunner. "Nanami, how's your sight? Got a good view of the road from here?"

Standing sideways towards the gun, Nanami had her hands on the elevation and traverse hand wheels, as there was no power traverse in this tank. Yet they still had pretty good horizontal traverse at 20 degrees, which was pretty helpful for a gun mostly stuck in a forward fix position.

"Yep we're good here, the gun is just looking over the crest of the rise of this dried-out creek bed. My sights are on the road are clear," Nanami said, as her head was buried in the monocular gunner sight.

"Alright, target will be 700 meters away from our position. Will wait for them to past, and then hit the lead tank first, then from there we keep hitting them. Our job is to keep them away from flanking our team," Miya explain to her crew.

"Roger that, ready to deliver some fury on our foe," Nanami said happily.

"Yea, I bet you are. You even got praise from the commander in the speech before the match, I'm jealous," Akoto joke.

"I know right, I've maybe only spoke to her once. Yet she knew my name and how good of a gunner I am, she's the real deal," Nanami said.

Miya nodded at that. "She really is. Commander Miho cares for all of us, she train us to be better than we ever thought we could be, so let's show the world what makes her Sensha-do style best."

"Yea!" Miya's crew yell back with determination, as they were readying to roar their names to the sky and let the Sensha-do world know Chi-Ha-Tan's resolve.

XxxxX

Can't believe I get paid to do this

The exciting thought past through the mind of ace pilot Jun Nasik, or more affectionately known as Mama Jun, being the oldest female pilot in the 54th Wing and its second in command. Her A6M Zero had a base color of white, with the Ooarai schools logo emblem painted near the tips of each wing.

The reason for the thought, was due to her immense enjoyment again as she push her A6M down for another slope dive to unleash her 20mm high explosive rounds on the Type 4 Chi-To that was situated on a small hill, that was overlooking the village where the Oarai scout force had been ambush. Tracers splash into the ground, kicking up dirt and dust, as Jun walk her rounds up to the Type 4 Chi-To. The rounds finally found their home on the Japanese tank, sparking and pinging off its armor with deadly accuracy as Jun fire in short bursts to keep her guns under control.

As her gun run came to an end, Jun pull the stick up and pulling her A6M Zero out of its slope dive, pushing upwards then level out. Turning over her left shoulder, she watch as the poor Japanese tank was again subjected to another gun run from Jun's squad mate Rumiko's A6M Zero, while letting loose one of her 60kg bombs that exploded around the tank, covering it in dust and dirt.

Jun smile as she open a net call. "That got her, nice job Rumiko!"

"Thanks captain! On your wing," Rumiko said, throttling her A6M Zero to catch up to her squad leader, and then match her speed off to her left, as both planes climb up to 2,000 meters.

Pulling her plane to the left, which was matched by her squadmate, Jun look down to the destroyed village that the Oarai scout force was hunkering down in. She could just make out the M3 Lee, AC1 Sentinel, Type 89, and the M18 Hellcat. The crews seem to be out of their tanks, working on the AC1 Sentinels broken track as fast as they could, thanks to Jun and her air force suppressing the enemy for now and not allowing Chi-Ha-Tan to keep firing on them. Feeling good that they had done their job, Jun level her plane out to head south.

"Give me a sit rep," Jun said over the overall squad net.

"Waki here, empty on bombs, 20mm dry."

"Maru here, empty on bombs, 20mm dry."

"Kimi here, empty on bombs, 20mm dry. I'm on overwatch now for Chi-Ha-Tan's air force, no sight of them."

"Rumiko here, still have one 60kg bomb left, 20mm just under full as well."

Jun nodded at that, then relay orders to her squad. "Alright, I'm dry on bombs and 20mm, so Rumiko your job is to suppress the western hill with those two Type 97 Shinhoto's. Me and the rest of the squad will deal with Aozora and her girls."

"You sure, I know I'm a rookie pilot here, but don't you want all of your squad to deal with her, I won't hold you back," Rumiko said over the net.

That made Jun smile, as Rumiko had only recently graduated from flight academy to join the 54th Wing. She was still in her training phase with the group, but then all of the sudden had to drop all of the learning she was doing on a more advanced fighter jet to learn how to fly a A6M Zero, not something easy for any of the pilots to pick up right off the bat, and that went double for a fresh graduate like Rumiko.

Yet the girl was a workaholic, studying late into the night on how to maneuver her Zero to peak proficiency, especially since she was being added to Jun's squad, which was an immense honor for the rookie. Rumiko had more than earn Jun's and her fellow squad mates respect as they battled together in the qualifier and the first round of the tournament, even earning a few takedowns of enemy Zeros. Yet like with any rookie, Rumiko was often subjected to pranks from her seniors, as was tradition in the 54th Wing.

"It's alright Rumiko, me and the girls can at least tie them up. Keep those Chi-Ha-Tan tanks from that hill on the west from sniping at our girls," Jun order.

"Roger captain," Rumiko said back over the net, then pull her plane off to do her duty.

Climbing now, Jun brought her Zero up to 4,000 meters in the air, hooking up with the rest of her squad. They took a stagger formation, which was easier to maneuver together and break out of when the enemy appeared. Quickly they began to scan around in all directions for their foe they knew were on the way, and a deadly foe as well.

"We'll be nice to boast over drinks about taking down Aozora right in her face," Maru said over the net.

"Not if she drinks you under the table first," Kimi joke over the net.

"No one can outdrink our Mama Jun," Waki boasted over the net.

That made Jun chuckle along with the rest of the squad, then spoke. "Sorry ladies, my drinking days are over. Promise my youngest to stop, and she is just too cute to say no too."

"The great Jun, defeated by a cute face, wouldn't have thought it possible," Maru said over the net.

"When you have kids, you'll understand one day," Jun said back over the net.

"I don't think I ever….hold….enemy planes 10 o'clock! Dropping out of the clouds!" Maru said excitedly over the net.

"Break off! Stay with your wingmates!" Jun order, as she turn left just in time to see the enemy.

Five Chi-Ha-Tan A6M Zeros drop out of the clouds above Jun's squad, at fast speeds, thankfully Maru had just made the call out, a few moments later and they could have caught them out. Jun pull hard right on the stick to dip the right wing down, while working the pedals to get her plane making the sharp turn away from the ambushers, with her wing mate in Waki following her movements.

Quickly leveling her plane off, Jun look over her left shoulder to see 3 Chi-Ha-Tan Zeros closing in on their rear, while the other 2 went after Kimi and Maru. They were outnumbered here, but Jun trusted in her pilots flying abilities that could make up for the numbers while Rumiko was gone for now. This way they could still support their ground forces, while keeping the enemy in the air tied up.

"Waki, stay on my wing, will break when we need to," Jun order, while constantly checking over each shoulder for the enemy planes now on their six.

"Roger!" Waki said, staying off to the back left of her captains Zero.

The Chi-Ha-Tan Zeros close the gap through the air to 100 meters with Jun. They were keeping their guns silent for now, as they began to line up their reticles on Jun and her squad mate, just as they wanted. Still checking over her shoulders constantly, Jun felt the moment for their movement had come, and give their juniors a lesson in expert flying they would never forget.

"Waki break left!" Jun order over the net.

"Got it!" Waki reply, while pitching her Zero left hard, causing one of the Chi-Ha-Tan Zeros to pitch with her and follow.

Good, one less to deal with

Now Jun had to deal with the other two, who stayed on her rear. They finally let loose their twin Type 97 machine guns, which were fitted with paint rounds. The rounds came out in short burst that look like red tracers flying through the air. Instinctually, Jun anticipated just the right moment to bank left, to get out of their tracers flight path, then bank right as another short volley follow as her foe was on her, salivating at the chance to bring her down.

Constantly checking her six, Jun could see the two Chi-Ha-Tan planes getting closer to her, which was playing to her strategy to beat them. Feeling the moment was right, Jun pull on the stick upward to go vertical, while pushing for full throttle. The sudden shift cause her feel weightless in her plane for a moment, but this was just a norm for her with flying. The two Chi-Ha-Tan Zeros went vertical with her, but they were making a mistake.

Pulling the stick upward still some more and a bit to the left to put her plane into position for a corkscrew turn, Jun was putting her Zero into a loop and just reaching the top it. For a brief moment the world was upside down for her, while now picking her moment to pull back on the throttle to almost stalling her plane out, while her two enemies on the sticks were still full throttle with their planes at the top of the loop, and completely overshot Jun's Zero.

A perfect Hineri-Komi maneuver, guess Aozora must have skimped on learning this maneuver or they would have realized what I was up to when I went vertical

Jun thought, now coming down off the loop, the Oarai air force captain throttle up, coming in behind the Chi-Ha-Tan pair who must of realized their error, and coming down out of the loop to level out, broke left and right. Knowing her plane had a tighter turn going left, due to the propeller engine going clockwise, putting less torque on the engine in a left turn. Going right would be slower and less sharp, so Jun pull hard on the stick left to follow her adversary.

Time to hunt was on for Jun, as she follow the Chi-Ha-Tan Zero through the skies, that panic bank left to right to not be an easy target. Yet to Jun this was nothing but a slight deterrence, as she match the enemy plane's movement, careful not to over bank her Zero, since she could tell that the plane was stalling and hoping for her wingmate to come to help her, so Jun needed to finish quickly.

Pushing full throttle, she got within 200 meters, the optimal range for her twin 7.7 mm machine guns, fitted with paint tracer rounds. Waiting for just the right moment, Jun bank left with the enemy Zero, playing to her planes better propeller pitch in that direction, pulling hard left while working the pedals so her crosshair could be placed ahead of the hard turning plane, so she could lead her rounds.

Finally she had the lead, and pull the side lever trigger, unleashing her furious machine guns. Though these guns weren't as loud as her 20mm cannons, due to them using paint rounds, she could still watch them smack into her foe, as she fire in short burst accurately, with the result of the paint rounds splashing over the top of the plane in different places.

"Enemy plane destroy."

A voice sounded off in her cockpit to let her know she had done enough damage. Jun watch a white kill flag pop up on the rear of the Chi-Ha-Tan Zero, who now bank off to the right to get out of the fight. As Jun tally up another kill to her record, though she had to still catch up to some of her juniors at other schools who had more than her, to which they love to tease her about.

Pulling off now Jun up a net call. "I'm clear, who needs support!"

"Waki here, that enemy plane that came after me took me down. I'm out of it, sorry captain!" she said sadly over the net

"Don't mind, get yourself back to the air base safely. Maru and Kimi, you up!" Jun ask.

"Maru here, Kimi and me are still evading those two that came after us, heading do south," she said over the net.

"Roger that, keep baiting them away till either your fuel runs low to get out of the fight or you beat them. Our job is done for ground support, so let's finish our fight in the sky," Jun said over the net, while scanning left to right for the second plane that bank away earlier to get away.

A frantic net call came in. "Rumiko here, I got a Chi-Ha-Tan Zero on my six. They came after me before I could get another gun run on those Type 97 Shinhoto's, I can't lose her!"

"Rumiko, Jun here, calm down, tell me what direction your heading and I'll come to support you," Jun said over the net to try and cool her rookie down.

"Heading northwest captain, sorry I screw up!" Rumiko said back over the net.

"Don't mind, just stay in the fight, I'm on my way!" Jun said then cut the net call, as she pull the sticks to bank towards the north now. She did one check on her fuel gauge, which was showing almost low enough that the alarm in the plane would signal she was done, since dogfighting took a lot of the Zeros fuel because of the intense maneuvers.

Hang on kid I'm on the way

Jun thought, as she push her plane to go save her rookie.

XxxxX

"Stay down!" Nishi said, placing her body over her driver and bow gunner who were under their Type 4 Chi-To chassis, as an Oarai A6M Zero flew over them.

The vice commander had seen the plane fly in their direction, while her crew had been trying to repair their broken track. Which led her to grab both crew members and forcibly drag them away to get under the tank for protection, then place her body over them to protect them, fearing the plane was going to attack them again, yet saw it fly over seeming not to care about them anymore.

Now the trio climb out from under the tank, slowly, while double-checking to make sure no more planes were coming to bomb them or spray them with 20mm high explosive bombs. Seeing that was not the case Nishi then let out an exasperated breath that they had been spared an attack. Now they had to get back to repairing the track, since it seem their own air force had come into play and forced the Oarai air force to engage them.

"Thank you Nishi!" her driver Mae said, while hugging her tank commander.

"Thank you vice commander for looking out for us," her bow gunner Taru said, while hugging her as well.

Nishi smile, while using both her hands to softly rub their heads. "There, there, I was just looking out for my crew. I know you would have done the same for me."

"Of course!" they both said together while clinging to their tank commander tighter.

"Alright, let's get back to repairing the track, Ooarai will most likely be counterattacking soon," Nishi order.

"Ma'am!" the driver and bow gunner confirm, then move off to repair the track once more.

After watching them off, Nishi touch her throat microphone to open a net call with her Kampfgruppe unit. "Report, everyone alright?"

The net calls came in shortly.

"Kimura here, crew good, Type 97 Shinhoto is a bit beat up, but ready for another go!"

"Ishido here, crew good and ready to get back in the fight, Type 97 Shinhoto is ready to go!"

"Junko here, crew safe and sound, Type 3 Ho-Ni 3 is clean, they never saw us, thanks to the foliage!"

"Ichioka here, crew safe as well, Type 3 Ho-Ni 3 is also clean, never saw us after we stop firing."

"Fukuhara here, crew is raring for another go, Type 97 Short Gun is a bit scorch, but combat ready."

Nishi nodded at that, grateful that her fellow tankery sisters were alright, then open another net call to them. "Alright, looks like we overstay our welcome. I want all tanks to begin phase three of Operation Phantom, move back to phase line Alpha and set up defenses. I and Fukuhara will cover you, so don't wait on me."

"Roger!" The tank commanders said back.

"Fukuhara, bring your tank alongside mine," Nishi order over the net.

"Roger that, on the way, I also got Fukuda and Maita here with me, they just finish bringing fresh ammo for my tank. I'll bring them along," Fukuhara said.

Nishi nodded, then turn to her two girls. "Mae, Taru, I'm going to leave the track fixing to you while I keep an eye out."

The two saluted their tank commander, then quickly got back to work on the Chi-To's track, using the extra one's they had attached to the side of their tanks turret for such an occasion. Nishi now climb up her tank, till she was situated back in her commanders cupola. Taking out her binoculars she look to her front at the mostly destroyed village, a product of the intense firing Nishi's battlegroup had subjected it to.

It had been laid to waste by their high explosive shells that they had completely fill their tanks up with, and not any armor piercing. Again relying on their resupply to bring them ammo that would allow them to refill their tanks with the much needed armor-piercing once their suppression job was finish. Fukuda had been acting ammo carrier, bringing back ammo for them from their supply base in the village some ways back from the fight.

Maita as well came back on her Valentine Mk 4, mark as the operator tank to help bring shells for the Type 3 Ho-Ni 3's and the Fukuda brought her load for the Type 97 Shinhoto's. They were lucky to have just finished when the airstrike had come in, or they might have been targeted first by the attack. Fukuda had just returned back with fresh shells for the Type 97 Short Gun, and now they had to get ready for the real fight they knew was coming.

"Nishi," Maita said, bringing her Mk 4 Valentine alongside Nishi's tank.

"Yes, Maita," Nishi said to her operator commander.

"I got a net call from the commander earlier. Seems Tamada isn't responding to net calls, so we don't know how the city assault is going," Maita said at first.

"That's not good, she should be in range for our radios," Nishi said, touching her chin in thought.

Maita nodded. "The commander feels the same way about it. Especially since Oarai call in their air force to deal with our ambushing force and not our air force attacking the city. She believes the enemy is trying to flank around us and wants us to double time back to Phase Line Alpha, Miya has already reported an enemy column moving by Point 0389 and is going to keep them in check for as long as possible."

"That's way closer than we expected. Damn Oarai moves fast, alright will keep covering our girls then move out back down the other side of this hill and head north," Nishi order.

"Understood Coma-," Maita try to say.

"Company Commander! That M18 Hellcat is leaving the village and coming after us!" Ishido aboard a Type 97 Shinhoto, said wildly over the net.

Nishi frantically brought her binoculars up. She watch as the speedy tank broke out from the center of the village, heading west for her 2 teammates Type 97 Shinhoto's, that were heading along the hill to the north, yet stop now to rotate their tanks to aim down the sloping hill at the oncoming American tank.

"We need to support them. Sumi traverse right 1 o'clock, 700 meters, aim for that Hellcat climbing the hill," Nishi order to her gunner, then call down to her crew working on the track. "Mae, Taru, cover your ears, were going to fire!"

The two crew members did so quickly, stopping their work in the process.

Sumi quickly use the power traverse to get her gun on target, and as soon as she got the M18 Hellcat insight, she call her shot. "On the way!"

The shell bark out of the Type 4 Chi-To's gun to its foe, with its tracer shell traveling over the distance in a semi arc, but Sumi's lead was no good, as the shell splash just behind the M18 Hellcat, who continue on unimpeded up the hill to take out Type 97 Shinhoto's for some payback for their ambush earlier. Both Chi-Ha-Tan tanks now depress their guns to fire at the oncoming enemy, letting loose their 47mm guns. Yet the Hellcat swerve right at just the right time, missing the volley but its gun remain silent as it climb the hill some more.

Sumi made her own adjustment to the guns range, while getting her lead right for another shell, then call her shot. "On the wa-."

Yet was cut off as explosives shells came flying at them on the hill from the village, as the rest of the Oarai scout force was going to do their best to cover their American ally, firing explosive shells to suppress the enemy on the hill. Nishi had to take cover in her cupola as the shells landed just in front of her tank, causing dirt and grass to be thrown in the air, while her tank shook from the shock waves of the explosions.

After the Oarai volley was over, Nishi was instantly back out of her tank, looking not to the enemy, but to her crew members who had been working on the track. "Are you girls alright?!"

"Were good!" Mae said, leaning back so Nishi could see her face.

"Forget the track, get in the tank now!" Nishi order.

"We're almost done, give us a few more momments," Taru said, just as another explosive shell crash near the crest of the hill, making her and Mae cover their heads.

"I don't care, now get in the tank!" Nishi order with more vigor, taking a hard voice that both girls had never heard from this almost always graceful young lady.

Yet the two could see how scared their tank commander was for them, so they quickly drop the track and move to climb the tank. As more explosive shells came raining in, with Fukuda, Fukuhara, and Maita's tanks throwing back return fire at the foe with armor piercing shells trying to take down the Oarai tanks firing at them, developing into a firefight with both sides just missing each other.

Once her driver and bow gunner were back in the tank, Nishi pull her binoculars up to look past the village to the west just in time to see the M18 Hellcat come over the crest of the hill and chase off both Shinhoto's who knew they were no match in a up close fight. Yet unfortunately watch as the Hellcat took out one of her teammates down with a shell into the rear of the tank that stood no chance to a 76mm gun, leaving it smoking in defeat with a white kill flag coming up.

"Kimura here, I'm out of it. Sorry Company Commander," the girl said in a solemn voice.

"Don't mind, you fought with honor that you and your crew should be proud of," Nishi said back over the net.

Another net call came in quickly. "Ichioka here, should we bring our Type 3 Ho-Ni 3's back into the fight?!"

"No keep retreating, hook back up with the command-," Nish began to say.

Yet was when the scream of several shells came not from the front, but from the rear. They splash against the crest of the hill behind the Chi-Ha-Tan force, causing mounds of earth to be kick up onto the back of their tanks as, as the shells ricochet over them onto the other side of the hill.

"What the hell!?" Maita said, confuse where the shells came from for a moment.

"Enemy behind us!" Fukuda said, then order her tank to pivot and turn around on the hill to see the enemy coming now at their rear.

Turning in her commanders cupola, Nishi turn to look behind her tank down the hill to take in an intimidating sight. That sight was an M36B2 in the middle of the line with M4A3E8 and M4 Sherman on either side coming on slowly to the hill some 800 meters away. All three Wolverton tanks open fire once again but again splash their shells in the crest of the hill, trying to find their range as the Oarai scout tanks in the village took more pop shots at the other side of the crest of the hill, now pinning the remaining Chi-Ha-Tanks in.

"Nishi, what do we do!?" Fukuhara ask, not knowing which enemy to deal with first.

The Daredevil company commander didn't take long to decide. "Fukuhara and Maita, buy me some time, rotate to our rear, and fire at those oncoming American tanks!"

"Roger!" Fukuhara said, then got to work on her tank firing at the oncoming American tanks, who soon broke formation, due to the huge explosions caused by the 120mm guns high explosive shells the only one the tank could use.

"On it!" Maita said, then order her driver to pivot her tank as well, adding her QF 2-pounder gun to her teammates.

Nishi then switch over to her crew net. "Sakue load a smoke shell!"

"Loaded!" Sakue said back.

"Sumi fire at the center of the village 500 meters, near the base of it," Nishi order.

Now depressing the gun down to the village below, Sumi got the reticle near the middle of the village, then call her shot. "On the way!"

A furious roar of the Chi-To's cannon sent the smoke shell out and scream across the battlefield till it hit just outside the village, plastering a large area in white smoke. Several muzzle flashes lit up the in the smoke, with shells from Oarai's scout force firing blind, yet the smoke did its job as their rounds were wild and inaccurate never touching the crest of the hill.

"Alright their blind, Fukuda, Maita, and Fukuhara head down the hill and then head north to get back to the commander," Nishi order.

"We're not leaving you!" Fukuda said back defiantly.

"Maybe I can tow you?" Fukuhara ask.

"Yea we can tow you together!" Maita said, liking the far fetch idea.

Nishi sadly smile, since she knew how loyal her girls were, but she had a job to do. "Girls don't argue, get down the hill before the Americans get here, and while the Oarai team is blind."

"Bu-," Fukuda try to argue.

"Fukuda, I know the commander is going to need you badly for the coming fight. We can't lose any more of us now, so please follow my orders," Nishi ask, taking a more gentle tone with her junior.

Fukuda grip the brim of her commanders cupola, as shells still scream through the air around them, then brought her head up, with those eyes filled with a fighting spirit born from the new era of tankery for Chi-Ha-Tan Academy.

"Yes ma'am, it's been an honor to have fought side by side," Fukuda said with a salute, just able to hold tears back, then order her driver forward down the hill towards the village.

"Show them the fighting spirit of a tigress that won't back down ever," Maita said with a salute, then order her driver down the hill.

"It's been an honor as well Miss Nishi, there is no finer sub commander Miss Miho could ask for," Fukuhara said standing tall in her commanders cupola also saluting, while her Type 97 Short pivoted around and headed down the hill towards to the village.

Nishi saluted them back as they left her. Then she drop the salute, feeling uneasy about being left behind, but she had to do what was best for the team. Miho had done the same in the Saunders match, holding off the Sherman Jumbos alone as her team move to save their flag tank. Her selflessness just seem to be infectious.

Then Nishi got her mind right, looking back in her cupola to the rear of her tank, to still see the American team tanks coming over the flat grassland at great speed, while firing on the move. Their shells were either just high or too low at the crest. Feeling they were the biggest threat to their team, Nishi was just about to order her gunner to rotate the turret to the rear, but was stop when said gunner call to her.

"Nishi! An Oarai tank going after our girls from the village!" Sumi call while looking her gunner sight.

Nishi turn back to the village in her cupola, while bringing her binoculars up to see the AC 1 Sentinel breaking through smoke, and putting its tank into highest gear to go after her teammates. Her grip on the binoculars tighten a bit at the sight of the tank, the same one that had injured her in the practice match with Koala. Though she had forgiven Bluey for it, there was still some bitterness in her heart over what happen, which wouldn't be settled till they met them on the field again and won.

The AC 1 Sentinel fired at the fleeing tanks, with Fukuda putting her Type 4 Ke-Nu at the rear with her gun pointed to her 6 o'clock, protecting the Operator tank while firing to deter the foe, while the Type 97 Short gun couldn't fire on the move, due to the 120mm gun on it that would shake the tank hard when it fire since it was a larger gun than the tank was intended for. It even might tip over on its self or break the anti-recoil cylinders, so unfortunately Fukuhara could only keep pressing forward as the enemy pester them.

Would they call this poetic justice?

Nishi thought with a grin, then laid orders down to her crew. "Sakue load AP!"

"Loaded!" Sakue reply.

"Sumi I'll guide you onto target, traverse right, 400 meters," Nishi said, while traversing with the gun, keeping an eye on the barrel of the gun, then when she felt the lead on the enemy tank was enough she spoke. "On, fire when ready!"

Sumi got the Koala tank in sight, feeling the same bitterness as her tank commander seeing it. She had been the one to pull Nishi down before the Koala team mass fire on their Type 97 Chi-Ha, it had been just in time, but her forceful pull had made Nishi's head snap on the brim giving her the concussion. She felt guilty about that till this day, and now here was a chance to avenge that day, if only a little.

With her lead good, Sumi call her shot. "On the way!"

The roaring of the shell from the cannon scream its anger across the ground, flying in the blink of an eye towards its foe. The lead was good from Sumi, who watch it smash into the side the AC 1 Sentinel that had no chance to survive the velocity of the Type 5 75mm gun that cut through its armor and overloading the systems which cause the white kill flag to pop up, over the defeated smoking tank.

"Got her!" Sumi said excitedly.

"Nice shot Sumi, alright traverse to our 6 o'clock, will give those American tanks the taste of the Chi-To," Nishi order.

"You got it," Sumi said, matching her tank commander's determination as she rotated the gun to the rear, ready to give these foreign tankers all she had, and show how great their Sensha-do team was.

Sorry Miho, you'll have to fight on without me, but I know you will find a way, you always do

Nishi thought, while bringing her gun to bear, waiting to meet her destiny on this battlefield.

XxxxX

"Azusa here, our Wolverton reinforcements have arrived, and Miss Garcia with her Hellcat drove the enemy off from the western hill, even took one Chi-Ha-Tan tank down," The Rabbit team tank commander said over the net, with explosion and cannon fire echoing in the back ground.

With both hands on her headphones, Saori nodded happily in her seat, then touch her throat microphone. "Good job, the commander is ordering a counteroffensive. She wants all tanks to drive the enemy north till they are destroyed, once done link back up with us at point 0303 and will look for the flag tank."

"Roger that, will relay orders to our American friends," Azusa said happily, then cut the net call.

With her job done, Saori pop her head out of her open hatch, turning to look back at her friend standing tall in her commanders cupola. "Yukari, Rabbit team reports that Wolverton has arrived to reinforce our scouts and is pushing the enemy back. They'll carry out your orders to drive the enemy north."

That made the Oarai commander smile at her friend, as their Panzer 4 continue on at the rear of the column with A43 Black Prince in front, and the Type 3 Chi-Nu in the lead of the marching column. They hadn't been able to carry their flanking movement out, due to a river they had to cross, but found the large wooden bridge destroy, and by the look of it, had happened sometime before they got there.

Making Yukari's column have to find a ford some ways down the river, which led to them just getting half way to the point of attack they had plan on. Yet things had work out due to the Wolverton girls finding a unmark dirt path wide enough for them to cut through the woodland in the east, and with their highly maneuverable tanks, made record time and help save their girls. Unfortunately, they had lost Crab team in the AC1 Sentinel due to Shina getting overzealous when her track was fixed and went chasing the enemy.

"I'm surprised how quickly Wolverton got through those woods. Got to hand it to American tank design when it comes to a maneuverable tank," Kisa said, leaning out of her hatch over the loader area, resting against the armor skirt surrounding the turret.

"I figure Miss Fitzgerald would make it through. She's a really good leader for their Wolverton team," Yukari said, having talk with her days prior to the match, thanks to Fukushu translating between them, and had come to respect her command style.

"I hope we can beat Chi-Ha-Tan soon, I want to go to sleep," Mako said, then yawn as if the emphasize how tired she was, though she drove the Panzer 4 smoothly down the road.

"Jeez, you took a two hour nap on the way here on the transport train. How can you still be sleepy?" Saori whine in her hatch across from her friend.

"Is that even a question?" Mako ask, giving her longtime friend a sidelong glance.

"It is," Saori said, while rubbing her forehead like she was dealing with a troubling child.

"Well I hope we get in on the action soon, I hate to be left out," Hana said, leaning out of her gunner's side hatch, while also leaning on the armor skirt surrounding the turret of their tank.

"I know right, my arms our antsy to load for you Miss Hana," Kisa said, bouncing in place with excitement.

Hana turn to smile at her junior she care for deeply. "Yes, know I couldn't ask for a better loader. Just remember to pace yourself, I don't want you to get cramps during an engagement."

Kisa saluted Hana, as she spoke. "No worries, I've been working on my fitness regime. I'm the strongest loader in the entire Sensha-do world."

"Yes you are, no one can top our Kisa," Yukari boast, smiling down at her junior with pride.

"Than-," Kisa try to say.

A sound of a screaming shell came from the columns left, with the tracer shell finding its home in the side of the Type 3 Chi-Nu in the lead of the column. The velocity of the shell smacking hard into the Japanese tank, causing it to lurch sideways almost tipping over, with the sensors aboard reacting to the shot as a kill with the white kill flag popping up on the smoking tank.

"Nyaaaaaaa!" Nekonya scream over the net, surprise by the sudden shake of her now defeated tank.

Yukari instantly went into action opening a net call to Tortoise team in front of her. "Asira, left stick and hard reverse! That shot came from our left, get our frontal armor to it."

"Roger!" Asira said, relaying her orders down to her driver.

"Mako! Left stick and then reverse hard!" Yukari order down to her own driver.

"On it," Mako said calmly, shifting gears into reverse, while pulling on the left stick to get their tank turn armor front to the unknown foe.

Soon both tanks were completely turn left, then began to reverse back from their foe and off the road. They didn't get far, as another tracer shell came screaming towards them, but this second shot's accuracy wasn't as great as the first, as it slam into the ground between the space of the two Ooarai tanks. It crash into the dirt and grass, then ricochet into the distance, while spraying earth in all directions from its bounce.

Yukari had to bear with the rainfall of dirt on her in the cupola, while her crew had closed all hatches on their tank. The Oarai commander quickly and calmly brought up her binoculars to begin to scan left to right for the mysterious attacker, but could find no tank, which was strange when the ground was mostly flat and open, with nothing more than a couple of bushes around.

"It's the Tiger 1, isn't it?" Asira said over the net, her tone oozing fear of not just the Tiger 1, but also who commanded it.

Asira and the rest of the Oarai girls had watched film on the Chi-Ha-Tan team, which Yukari wanted them to learn how to deal with them. They were impressive obviously, but the one thing on everyone's mind was the Tiger 1, commanded by Miho Nishizumi and her ferocious first year cubs who had been shredding teams. All of them understood she was on a different level then them, and only by working together could they beat her.

"No, it's not the Tiger 1," Yukari said over the net, still scanning the area to their front with her binoculars for the enemy tank.

"How can you tell?" Hana ask, while scanning through her reticle for the tank.

"I've heard what an 88mm cannon sounds like from watching Miss Nishzumi's matches. That sound is not as loud, maybe a smaller caliber, but still powerful. Don't let your guard down," Yukari order.

Asira aboard her Black Prince spoke over the net now. "Commander, get behind my tank. I know our frontal armor will stand up to whatever is firing at us."

"Roger," Yukari agree, then relay orders down to her driver. "Mako, keep reversing but slight right and will get in line behind the Black Prince."

"On it," Mako said, while working the driving sticks again.

It was just as Mako was working the sticks once more that another shell came flying in, splashing in just in front of the Panzer 4, spitting up dirt at the front up of the tank. Yet Mako wasn't deterred, keeping her usual cool backing the tank till Yukari let her know she was in line, and then straighten the tank out to stay behind the behemoth Black Prince that dwarf their tank, keeping them protected.

As they got in line, a flash from the enemy cannon bark another round at the Ooarai girls. Though the enemy tank seem to find its range as it bounce right into the Black Prince's frontal armor, but the shell was no match for Tortoise team's tank, which had 152mm of frontal armor, as the enemy shell bounced pitifully away. That made the Asira and her crew grin, feeling pretty invincible to see the enemy shell do nothing but scratch their tank.

"Whatever it is, it can't penetrate our armor commander, let me deal with this tank. You cut across the land and hook back up with our team and find that flag tank," Asira said confidently.

"I'm not leaving you behind," Yukari said back defiantly to her teammate.

"You're not, this tank is obviously just stalling us. We need you at the most critical points on the battlefield, and that point is with the rest of our team driving the enemy north. Every second counts here commander, please trust me that will come out on top," Asira said.

Yukari ground her teeth knowing her teammate was right, as another enemy shell came in smashing into the Black Prince once more, while again it bounce away. Asira had caught a glimpse of the flash from her binoculars while standing tall in her commanders cupola, and began to hand down orders to her crew.

"Kuwa, full stop, then pivot our tank to 11 o'clock," Asira order.

"On it!" Kuwa said, pulling to a stop, then rotating the tank right, then brought her tank to the clock direction angling the Black Prince and making it ten times harder to penetrate their tank.

Asira now handed down the gunnery orders. "Orimi load AP, Ryoko, 700 meters and I'll guide you to target. Traverse left!"

"Loaded!" Orimi confirm over the net.

"Got it!" Ryoko said, then grip the power traverse control to rotate the gun left, with her left leg bouncing, ready to step on the firing pedal.

"On, Fire!" Asira said in one smooth motion.

Stopping the guns power traverse, Ryoko call her shot as she step on the firing pedal, "on the way!"

The Black Princes QF-17 Pounder furiously roar with the firing of its gun, sending a hot shell back to the enemy, to return in kind what they had been doing earlier to them. Asira watch the tracer shell fly across the space in the blink of an eye, then bounce into the ground in the distance. Yet no black smoke rose up from a defeated tank, meaning they miss their target, making Asira curse, but resolute to outduel this sniper.

"I got this commander, now go!" Asira said again, as she turn in her cupola to look Yukari in the eye.

Looking at her teammates eyes, Yukari could see her resolve that could not be broken. That was just the sort of fighting spirit that had been built into the team in a short time, and it made Yukari proud to fight side by side with them. She would trust her teammate to come out on top, as she move to help the rest of their team drive north and hopefully eliminate most of Chi-Ha-Tan's tanks.

"Alright, good hunting. We will see you soon when we win this thing," Yukari said, while snapping off a salute, then order Mako to completely turn the tank around and head east over the countryside to their team.

Asira watch her go for a moment, then refocus herself back to the enemy sniper tank, while grinning like a fool, ready to prove her crews worth to the Sensha-do world, that even as rookies, with their heart and determination, they were a match for any team. That included these tigresses who were blocking their climb to the top.

"Come on girls," Asira call over the crew net. "Lets show the strength of Commander Akiyama's own Sensha-do Style!"

"Right!" Her crew shouted back, matching their tank commander's determination to win this day.

XxxxX

"Ow! Would you let go of my shoulder Nishihara!" Kubota yelp, as her friend next to her suddenly grip her shoulder as the battle play out in front of them on the large screen in front of the bleachers that held the suspended tankery members, students, cheering section, and casual viewers.

Nishihara didn't immediately let go, mostly because she was feeling anxiety, watching the match now turn against their team, as Oarai and their American allies were now on the offensive. With Tamada and her tanks now stunted from the city attack by enemy artillery and now their ambush forces broken first by the Oarai air support, then driven from their positions by the well time arrival of the American tanks and the M18 Hellcat going solo to drive the other snipers off their perch while taking a Type 97 Shinhoto out.

There was a definite shift in mood for the crowd watching the match play out between the two teams, with Chi-Ha-Tan now on the backpedal from the Oarai and the American teams who were driving them off. With many wondering where Commander Miho was during all this, as the cameras were mostly focused on the Chi-Ha-Tan ambushers on the run from their foe.

All of the Chi-Ha-Tan students, suspended members, and the cheering section, whose excitement earlier was now turning into pure anxiety as their team was looking to be in the worse of it now. While the suspended tankery members be it, tank commander, loader, gunner, driver, or bow gunner was having to restrain themselves from openly voicing their frustrations, not at their little tankery sisters or their commander, but at themselves for getting suspended in the first place, and wanting desperately to be in the fight to help their team out.

Hosomi seeing that Nishihara wasn't listening to the pleas of her friend, reach down from her seat in the bleachers behind the two to touch Nishihara's hand, gently though. The soft feel of her hands seem to bring the Iron Kraken platoon leader back to reality as she let go of Kubota's shoulder.

"Sorry," Nishihara mumble out, embarrassed by her own action.

Kubota roll her sore shoulder, but then just smile at her friend. "Jeez, forgot what a grip you got. That's got to be a grip a lady of fishery should have, right?"

"Of course, boy or girl, our family demands we never lose our fishing rods, no matter the weather or how big the catch is. You hold on no matter what," Nishihara boasted, proud of her fishing family back home.

"Is that how they choose wives in your hometown, by a ladies fishing ability?" Hosomi tease, hoping to fluster her ocean loving friend.

Nishihara turn around in her seat with an embarrass look on her face. "How do you know our secret wedding ceremonial customs."

That made all the Chi-Ha-Tan girls around Nishihara look baffled at her. Especially Hosomi since she had just made it up as joke, but to actually see that was something that was real, made her wonder what life was like back in Nishihara's hometown.

"OK look, let's focus on the match alright. Yet we're going to grill you on that later," Hosomi said with a smirk.

Now all the girls focus back on the match, but Ikeda spoke up. "Oarai has the advantage now."

Nagura with her hands clench in her lap spoke up now. "It's worse that Tamada got caught up in that artillery strike."

"I know," Hamada said, speaking with passion for their fiery leader of the proud Tozen platoon. "What the heck was up with that Oarai Japanese tank she ran into. That fire rate is unreal, I've never seen a crew be able to load a gun that large that quickly."

"It's a Type 5 Chi-Ri," Hosomi said casually, going from what she had studied in their library at the academy that had a few books on advanced type Japanese World War Two tank, with the Chi-Ri supposedly lost to the American forces when capture, yet judging by what she had seen that wasn't the case.

"What?" Kubota said turning in her seat. "There was only a prototype made right, they never install the Type 5 gun on it in the end."

"Well seeing is believing," Ikeda said, while watching the screen intently.

"Did Oarai just find it lying around their carrier too?" Nishihara ask, while touching her chin in thought.

"It make sense, since they somehow had a Porsche Tiger on their carrier. Maybe their ship is just full of prototypes on them," Hosomi said with a shake of the head.

"Well when we win this match, we should make that tank our capture reward," Hamada said confidently.

That made the group turn to look at the buoyant teammate of theirs, making Hamada speak again. "What?"

"Sorry, just reminded us we need to stop feeling so anxious about our team's chances," Nagura said with an abashed smile.

"Yea, Oarai hasn't even met our Tigress yet," Kubota boasted with a wide smile.

"It will be a rude awakening for them," Nishihara said, matching her teammates boast.

"Oarai and those Americans have had it easy up till now. They'll get a feel for why were the Tigress Corps soon enough," Ikeda said with a confident smirk.

Hosomi beam with delight at her teammates. "That's right girls, because we know Miho's style is the best in the world. She is going to reunite our tankery family once more, so we can go to the top together, just how she wants us to fight."

"Together," the group said back as one, as they refocus on the screen, waiting to watch their Tigress show the fury of Chi-Ha-Tan for all the world to see.

XxxxX

Damn why is she flying so damn low

The thought past through Aozora's head as she chase the Ooarai A6M Zero over the landscape at full throttle. She had recently broken away from her three wing mates after they had chased two Ooarai Zeros, with one breaking left to which Aozora sent Tamaki after her, while Kataoka and Aozora had stay on the lone Ooarai Zero heading straight.

It prove to be a costly decision to chase the lone Ooarai Zero who at the last moment went vertical, with both Chi-Ha-Tan Zeros going with her, but was a mistake as the enemy plane slightly stall just at the top of the loop. While Aozora and her wing mate went by her at full throttle letting the enemy plane close now on their rear from the momentum achieved at the end of the loop. Aozora had broken right trying to bring the enemy plane with them, but they prove to understand the better left pull of the Zero going after Kataoka who headed left.

Aozora was just about to go aid her distressed wingmate, when she just caught sight of a Oarai Zero going for another gun run on 2 Type 97 Shinhoto's. Making the Chi-Ha-Tan air force captain, have to make a hard decision. It didn't take long to decide, as she open a net call to apologize to Kataoka to say she was going after the plane targeting their team's tank, in turn, breaking the rule of military aviation to never leave your wingmate's side.

Kataoka just told Aozora to go save their little tankery sisters, while she kept the enemy plane at bay. With the resolve to not let her teammate's sacrifice go to waste, Aozora push the sticks to go after the plane, and was just in time to drive it off before it sent some more 20mm explosive tracers towards the Type 97's. Though it had let go of its last bomb nowhere near the target, as a way to alleviate some weight from the plane for a dogfight.

Now they were here, as Aozora was chasing the Oarai Zero across the landscape that was doing all it could to shake her off its six. Yet Aozora was razor focus on the plane, pulling the plane left to right to match their movement, while Aozora could practically feel the enemy pilots panic as their movements were frantic trying to break away.

Watching her reticle carefully, Aozora eye the enemy Zero just getting nice and line up, then pull the lever trigger to let loose her twin 7.7 machine guns, watching the paint round soar through air looking like a tracer to her. Yet the Oarai Zero had picked the right time to bank hard left, missing the short burst, causing Aozora to curse as she pull the sticks left to follow, which was developing into a turn fight. Yet since they were using the same model plane, with the same characteristics, there was no advantage in trying to outturn one another. All they were doing was flying in a circle.

Alright, time to be a little reckless

Aozora thought, then pull out of the circle turn and headed straight hoping the pilot would take the bait, and take the bait they did, as they came out of their turn. Then put full throttle into their plane to come onto Aozora's tail looking to get the kill. It fire a quick succession of burst at Aozora, who coolly move left and right to dodge the overzealous shooting, giving away that Aozora was facing a rookie pilot with such snap shooting.

Feeling the moment was right, she pull back on the throttle, then shifted the plane into a corkscrew roll upward by pulling back left on the stick. With the engine almost completely stalling, and the wing flaps pull up causing Aozora's Zero to lurch upward as the world went upside down for her. From her upside down position, and the loss of momentum cause the foe on her tail to shoot by them.

With her maneuver completed, Aozora push the throttle to full as she level the plane out, as now she was once again on her foes rear. The space was no more than 100 meters from each other, and the move seem to baffle the rookie pilot who look to bank once more to get out of the crosshairs, but Aozora wasn't going to let that happen as she pull on the trigger lever to send her paint rounds all over the tail wing of the Oarai Zero.

"Plane destroy."

A voice sounded off in Aozora's plane to let her know to stop firing, which she did. The white kill flag pop up on the Oarai Zero, who now bank off to the right to get out of the battle. Now Aozora lean back in her seat feeling fatigued after such a long chase and dogfight, while feeling a little lightheaded from that maneuver that had put some strain on her because of the sudden turn on a dime. She knew she probably catch some flak from the officials, due to rules stated to them before the tournament about such maneuvers not to be used for the pilot's safety.

Yet telling an eccentric fly girl like herself to not use such maneuvers was impossible.

Looking down to her fuel gauge Aozora could see that there was only enough for maybe 15 more minutes left to stay in the air space, before she had to head back for the hangar. The clouds above were also getting darker, with the possibility of rain coming on finally. Aozora was hoping against hope that would happen since that would make them go back to base, while allowing any planes still active to return to the match after refuel and rearming.

Turning back with a southwest heading, Aozora plan to help out where she could be it in the air or the ground. Pushing her plane engine to full throttle, caring little that she was chipping off flight time in her Zero, because of fuel consumption.

Though as she headed back, something off in the far distance in front of her came into view. It was an Oarai Zero coming straight at her. Aozora knew she couldn't engage it from the front, as the Federation deem it too dangerous for the paint rounds to plaster the front window of the cockpit, blinding the pilot and making it hard to land.

As the two planes came close, the Oarai Zero began to bank its planes wings slightly up and down. It was the 54th Wings call for a duel, which they did before one on one simulation dogfights during training with the Zeros before the tournament. That made Aozora grin like a madwoman, as nothing was better than to get an actual request for a duel, especially fighting in these legendary planes of their home nation.

Aozora also started to bank her plane's wings up and down slightly, to show acceptance of the duel. Both pilots then bank hard left as one, as if they knew each other's intention. Coming into line side by side, where Aozora could see the face of her mentor and commanding officer Jun Nasik, who saluted her. Making the Chi-Ha-Tan air force captain salute back.

Yet just as the two were about to pull away to begin their duel, nature decided to be a cruel mistress, as a call over the net came in.

"All planes, this is Air Control, disengage and return to your respective airfields. Rainfall has begun, those who were not taken down will be allowed to return to the air if conditions warrant a safe return."

Frustration ran through Aozora, but she knew the Federation was looking out for their safety, so she throttle down. She talk to her commanding officer and an enemy ace with sigh language since enemy planes can't tap into each other's nets, and the 54th Wing also had the girls practice in case of radio failure in the air and needed to signal their teammates.

I'll be back, Aozora signal.

Be waiting on you, I owe you for taking down my rookie, Jun signal.

She put on a good show, but guess patience isn't something you taught her, Aozora signal.

We'll you were no better you brat, be seeing you, Jun signal one last time, as she bank her plane off.

"Yea be seeing you," Aozora said with a wide grin, pulling her plane off now to head back to base, already feeling anxiety about being on the ground as her team fought on. Yet when the time came, she be back in the saddle and be their guardian in the sky once more.

XxxxX

A single raindrop came down from the overcast sky and splash on top of Fukushu's M1938 Tanker Helmet. It made the girl aboard her M4A3E8 Sherman in the commanders cupola, turn to look up at the sky, as now more rain drops came down slowly, making Fukushu put on her tanker googles to keep the rain out of her eye, as her tank along with the rest of her platoons tanks in Jasmine's M4 Sherman and Ellie's M36B2 finally crested over the sloping hill, to now look down to the destroy village below where their scouts tanks had been taking cover when they got ambush.

As they were coming down the gentle slope, they passed the smoking and defeated Type 4 Chi-To. That made Fukushu smile to see the tank destroyed, that had been taken down by Ellie's M36B2, after finally finding the range. The American tank destroyer fired a shell from its 90mm gun right into the engine block of the tank to put it down, though Fukushu had fired just after Ellie and hit the tank as well. Yet Fukushu knew her friend got the shell in first, and was glad for her to earn her first tank kill.

There was no bitterness in the young Nishizumi, mostly because she only wanted one kill on her record in this match, and that was taking down her half-sisters Tiger 1.

As the Wolverton tank column roll over the hill, they got a good look at the Japanese tank with the right track blown off. The immobile Type 4 Chi-To had to rotate its gun to its 6 o'clock to fire at them. Now that's where the gun would stay, as it was depressed down on top of its smoking engine block in defeat.

Fukushu saw the Type 4 Chi-To's tank commander standing tall in her commanders cupola. Cover in soothe and most likely some minor bruises, was Nishi herself looking at the Wolverton tanks as they passed her to go down the hill to the other side. Even being in the rear of the column, Fukushu made sure to look the girl down with a sneer, glad to have put this Chi-Ha-Tan tanker who defended her half-sister down.

That's what you get for defending that girl belonging to a monstrous family, now I'll go get the rest of your team and you can watch me tear them to pieces.

Fukushu thought with venom, as the Wolverton column rolled past the tank. Yet was surprised when the Chi-Ha-Tan tank commander didn't sneer back at her or made any gestures. Instead, she saluted the passing Wolverton girls, shocking Jasmine and Ellie standing tall in their tanks, who were quick to salute back. Yet Fukushu as she pass, decided not to salute back, hating the fact the girl was trying to play like she was respectful, which couldn't be the case if they follow the Nishizumi style.

The poor showing from Miho's half-sister, made Nishi bristle, then spoke out at the passing M4A3E8. "You're wrong about your sister! She'll show you her tankery style that will take the world by storm!"

"Blow it out your ears, your nothing without her! That's why your team almost fell apart because my instructor pulverize your pathetic team. If anything you luck out that she came to your academy, and that's me being nice even giving her that much credit!" Fukushu said back, letting out some of Linda's varied teaching play into her voice.

That made Nishi go wide eye, knowing who the commander was of Saunders team back then when they destroy their seniors in the 62nd national tournament. Linda Sickle, that name held so much pain in the hearts of all the second year Chi-Ha-Tan girls who watch her and Saunders humiliate their team. Now it made sense why the girl held such a low opinion of Miho and the Chi-Ha-Tan team.

"You don't know anything about our team! You don't know Miho! You're the one whose pathetic for following that witches teachings!" Nishi yell back at Fukushu, losing her cool.

That made the bastard Nishizumi growl, as she turn to verbal spar with the girl once more. Yet Jasmine's voice now came over the net, cutting off any such thing from happening. "Fukushu! Why are you shouting at that Chi-Ha-Tan girl!?"

Jasmine only ask that, since she couldn't understand the Japanese language, but could tell from the shouting the two were having, that they obviously weren't trading pleasantries with one another. Making the platoon leader want to stop the fighting now before it got too serious.

"Nothing Jasmine, she was just trash talking and I was throwing it back in her face," Fukushu said back, lying to her platoon leader.

"Really, she just saluted us with respect," Ellie said in a baffle tone aboard her M36B2

"Don't wor-," Fukushu try to reply over the net.

"No, I do worry," Jasmine cut in, making Fukushu wince to hear how angry she sounded, as the platoon leader continue to speak. "I don't get what's going on with you. Yet right now you're disrespecting our academy by acting like you are."

"I'm not acting like anything," Fukushu shot back over the net.

"Yes you a-," Jasmine try to say, but a net call came in cutting her off.

"Morena here, the Chi-Ha-Tan ambushers are on the run. Azusa is asking for backup from you Jasmine. If we keep the pressure up will break them here and now," Morena said over the net.

The Wolverton platoon leader didn't respond right away, looking up to the sky to see the steady downfall of rain. It was going to turn the roads soon into a muddy soup soon, though Wolverton girls had logs on the side of their tanks to help with getting their tanks out of the mud, yet they were still going to get bog down soon enough. Yet the same apply to the Chi-Ha-Tan team, who was going to find it difficult to stay on the road as the rain kept pelting down.

Making up her mind, Jasmine open a net call to Morena. "alright, let Miss Sawa know we're on the way."

"Roger, will keep the pressure on them," Morena said back over the net.

"Just don't be reckless please," Ellie said over the net.

"Don't say it like you care amiga," Morena joke over the net.

"I don't care, get taken out for all I care. That way I can get more tank takedowns than you," Ellie argue back over the net.

"Sure, sure, see you when you finally get that so call runway model of a tank up here. Don't keep me waiting, over and out," Morena said back over the net, then cut the call.

"Alright girls, lets move it. Full speed down this hill and let's get on the road heading north and catch up to our scouts," Jasmine said over her platoon net.

"Roger," Ellie and Fukushu said together.

As they push down the hill quickly, Fukushu took one last look back to the Chi-Ha-Tan girl with a scowl. It didn't matter if in the end Miho wasn't like what Fukushu thought she was, because there was an even deeper purpose to destroy her in this match and her family. One that might help bring her closure on something that destroy her own personal happiness, with Shiho, Miho, and Maho all needing to fall to make that happen.

I'm coming half-sister, we'll settle this in the only way your damn family knows how, with iron and fury.

XxxxX

The roar of the Tiger 1's engine was evident as Miho push her tank across the open countryside, disregarding the roads now in favor of trying to get to her distressed teammates being hunted. With the rain coming down steadily, which was doing no favors for her tank that went over the grassland, through small woods, and over recently a large amount of hedgerows. Things weren't made any better when Watabe got a radio call from Maita to tell her that they had to leave Nishi behind to the mercy of the enemy since her track was blown out.

Losing her friend and Vice commander was a tough blow for Miho, which didn't help when Tamada also hadn't been responding to net calls since she started her assault on the city. Being it was her lover who was possibly hurt, made Miho even antsier, but she had to keep professional here. Think of the whole team, knowing Tamada would rather have that be where her focus was.

As her Tiger 1 smash over another hedgerow, Miho admitted to herself, the rain was giving her flashbacks to the day, the day that changed everything for her. The final of the 62nd National Tournament, fighting Pravda in the rain, making her for some reason always feel uneasy whenever it rain. Now she would have to fight in it, against Oarai who were now on counterattack with their American allies.

Thankfully Miya and her Type 5 Na-To had to stop the other Oarai rescue column flanking in the west, taking the Type 3 Chi-Nu out. While also keeping both the Panzer 4 and A43 Black Prince in check. Though she reported the Panzer 4 had gotten away and was heading over the countryside as well to catch up to their forces. Miho knew Yukari commanded the Panzer 4 and if she arrive to the fight, it would only makes things more difficult, but Miho wasn't going to be deter.

Pushing over what seem like the umpteenth straight hedgerow, coming on to a flat land mostly with some trees and bushes spread out. In the far distance, she could see rising hills covered in thick woods. Yet what she drew her attention was the road running adjacent to her position, some 1600 meters away. Bringing up her binoculars, she could just spot the outlines of her teams Japanese tanks, in the 2 Type 3 Ho-Ni 3's in the front of the column, with the Mk 4 Valentine following, and both Type 4 Ke-Nu and Type 97 Shinhoto riding each on the side of the roads, with their guns angle to the rear to fire at the oncoming enemy.

"Moteki, bring us behind that large bush, bearing 11 o'clock," Miho order while touching her throat microphone to talk on the crew net.

"You got it," Moteki said, working the wheel to turn the tank to the left, then brought it behind the bush that cover most of tanks hull with only it's deadly 88mm gun sticking over it. Practically one with the bush since Miho and her crew had cover it up with some foliage earlier, which help when you had a great camouflage scheme Chi-Ha-Tan use for their tanks.

Now fully stop, Miho look intensely to the road to her front. If there was something else Miho was thankful for, was not just her photographic memory, but her excellent vision. Even in her grade school days, the teachers always praise her for being able to call out even the smallest letters from all the way from the back of the room, during some physical examinations they had to do as kids. No one could top her, and as she grew up and became a tank commander, use it to help target tanks from distance.

She would need to do that here, as her vision just pick up the Oarai tanks following her teammates. Strangely enough, they were outnumbered, though they were the pursuers. However, Miho could understand why they felt confident in their chase. One reason was they had the imposing M18 Hellcat, with its 76mm gun firing at them, that could cut through their armor with ease, coupled with its speed which was closing the distance quickly. Following in behind, were the M3 Lee and Type 89 who were firing from the sides of the road to help their M18 Hellcat keep the pressure up as it close the distance.

It also didn't help the fleeing Chi-Ha-Tan tanks that both Type 3 Ho-Ni 3's were stationary guns that would need to turn their whole tank around to fire at the enemy, while the Type 97 Short Gun couldn't fire on the move due to the recoil on the powerful gun and Maita's Mk 4 Valentine needed to be protected because she was the operator tank. Leaving it up to Fukuda's Type 4 Ke-Nu and Ishido's Type 97 Shinhoto to keep the enemy back.

We need to help our team, but I can't keep advancing over the ground. Firing on the move from here is just a waste no matter how much Nomi has improved, but we got a chance to take out one of the enemy's most deadly tanks without them ever firing at my Tiger 1. Alright here goes nothing.

Miho thought, then took a deep breath knowing she was once again asking a lot of her gunner as she open a net crew call while touching her throat microphone. "Alright, we need to support our team. Nomi were firing from here to take the M18 Hellcat, you'll have clear lines of sights."

"Uh, Commander, I'm glad you have such faith in me. Yet this is well over 1500 meters," Nomi said nervously over the net.

"I know, but there's no point to keep advancing over the ground. Even in the highest gear, we won't catch up to our teammates and the enemy is pressing them hard. We need to take one of their tanks out to stop their advance," Miho said over the net.

It was understandable why Nomi felt apprehensive about such a long shot. The distance was well past anything a Sensha-do gunner would try, Naomi of Saunders, Assam of St. Gloriana, and Nonna of Pravda were the only ones to be considered ace snipers that could at least fire from just over 1000 meters effectively, with Naomi being the masterclass in that regard.

Yet Miho was asking for an accurate shot from 1500 meters on a moving target. Something Nomi, who could say she was improving her long-distance firing over time, felt comfortable she could hit a moving target over 800 meters at best. With almost twice the distance being ask of her now, made Nomi sweat a bit again.

"Really sis," Nene said from her loaders chair. "All that boasting about being the world's greatest Sensha-do gunner seems to be nothing but talk."

"Why you. How about you get in the gunners chair and do this if you're so confident," Nomi shot back at her twin.

"I could, but who would load? Those noodle arms of yours can't lift shells," Nene tease, hoping to get her sister back on track by aggravating her.

"You want to rethink that statement before we get out of this tank. I got a long memory sis," Nomi growl at her twin.

"Oh really, I thought you had the memory of a goldfish here, any wonder you haven't flunk a test in school by now," Nene kept pressing.

"Alright, that's it!" Nomi yell, looking to get out of her seat to strangle her irritant twin.

"Girls enough!" Miho said over the net.

That shut down both of them, while Moteki and Watabe shook their heads at the twins, who just couldn't help but agitate one another. Though it was their own weird way they knew from the time they spent together, as a way to show they care about each other.

"Sorry," they both mumble out.

"Nomi, I know you can do this. Stay persistent and fire as many times as you need," Miho said with encouragement over the crew net.

"Roger that!" Nomi said, not wanting to let her mother figure and commander down.

"Alright, set for 5x magnification on the sights," Miho said at first, taking advantage of the Tiger 1's Turmzielfernrohr TZF 9c optics, that allow for 2.5x and 5x magnification. Miho was also glad that the Imperial Japanese army had purchased this later version of the Tiger 1 with the better sight, since D version had the 2.5x magnification only.

"Set," Nomi said over the crew net.

"Target the M18 Hellcat, set for 1500 meters, then use the far right stritch on the aiming reticle to compensate the lead of the shot we need," Miho said over the net.

Nomi's left leg bounce nervously, as she use the hand wheel elevation to get the distance match on the aiming reticle, that lowered the inverted triangle stritch to adjust where she would need to aim. Looking through the 5x magnification, the M18 Hellcat chasing her teammates was a little more clear for her. Making her thankful to German tank engineering for making such an optic.

If I remember my field manuals from Kuromorimine, they would say trying to hit anything over 1200 meters on the move was nothing but a waste of ammunition. Guess I need to break that rule, but I guess I did that a lot at my former school.

Miho thought, as she traverse with her Tiger 1's turret, as Nomi use the power traverse to get the M18 Hellcat line up with the final far right inverted triangle stritch she was using as her target indicator. Making sure to get the tip of the reticle right on the front end of the Hellcat, adding a little more lead on for her shot. Then lightly pull on the trigger, with Nomi taking a deep breath knowing a lot was riding on this first shot that she could absolutely not miss, in her mind at least.

In that moment, Miho felt her instincts take over, with something screaming within her to do something, as if she herself knew she would miss with her gunners current shot. Focusing her binoculars once more on the Hellcat pushing harder, Miho knew it could reach a max speed of 89 km on road, but seem to slow down some as the fleeing Chi-Ha-Tan tanks kept firing at it, making them a little cautious.

Knowing why she had felt something was off before, Miho touch her throat microphone for a net call. "Nomi, I'm going to ask you to do something weird. I need you to picture another stritch on the target reticle past the final one, and then fire."

Still traversing the gun but now with the hand wheel traverse, Nomi spoke back over the net. "Imagine another inverted V on the sights?…oh…oh…ok got it."

Nomi now picture in her mind where another lateral stritch would be on the aiming reticle past the final one on the right. The twin had to admit it wasn't easy imagining such a thing, but trusted her tank commander who always gave her great adjustments to her aim whenever she miss, always putting her back on target quickly.

Feeling as ready as she would ever, Nomi place the speedy Hellcat onto an imaginary inverted V reticle, then call her shot. "On the way!"

The Tiger 1's 88mm gun roar with its shot. Miho still standing tall in the commanders cupola watch the tracer shell fly from the cannon in a high arc, even with the great velocity, the distance require its high flight. Watching through her binoculars, Miho held her breath wondering if she had save her teammates or miss that would leave them to the mercy of the Hellcat.

XxxxX

Morena aboard her M18 Hellcat was having the time of her life right now. Standing tall in her modify hatch cupola, she stare straight ahead at the fleeing Japanese tanks. They were running in fear of her, and her M18 Hellcat, whom she nicknamed the Honey Badger, due to its small size, yet fierce nature with the 76mm gun on it. Behind her the Oarai M3 Lee and Type 89 were supporting her as best they could, but because of the Hellcats powerful Continental R975-C1 engine, she was leaving them in the dust.

Yet Morena needed to keep the pressure up and harass the Chi-Ha-Tanks to not let them rest. She also wanted to show off a bit, since her whole family back in California were watching her on the Sensha-do Battle Network that broadcast all games to the world. She could practically picture them jumping all over the living room, watching her fight in this beast of a tank for her academy, and more importantly for the nation she called home now. She make sure to fight with all she had for both.

Morena brought her wire communicator up to her mouth, speaking on the crew net. "Lilly, load AP, Savannah hit that Type 97 Shinhoto, just like we did to its sister tank earlier."

"Up!" Lilly said, from her loader chair.

Savannah now use the gunner sights to lock onto the call out target, knowing she had to fire on the move, which would be difficult since the tank lurch vilonetly with every shot, since they were using a gun way bigger than it was meant for. The gunner quickly use the hand wheel traverse to rotate the turret right and get her second kill of the day, feeling all their months of hard work was paying off and were showing they were ready to be in Sensha-do.

That feeling of invincibility was only held on for only just a moment longer.

Suddenly a roar from somewhere to the west got Morena's attention, who turn to her left wondering what it was. In what must of felt like a long drawn out moment, but was only a split second, the latin girl saw a tracer shell come flying down from the sky it seem like, then scream right into the side of her Hellcat's hull giving the crew such a hard shake it sent them careening off the road.

Smoke billow over the M18 Hellcat, as the white kill flag shot up. The crew inside the defeated tank were in a state of shock, as at one moment they were chasing the enemy team, with seemingly nothing able to stop them. Then the next their sitting off the road bruised and cover in soot, with the Honey Badger smoking in defeat, its ferocity dash away by the fury of a Tiger.

Morena who was shaking off the dizziness from her head, a product of the sudden violet shake on her tank, now look off to the west, into the mostly open land, with a few sparse trees, bushes, and hedgerows, but for the life of her couldn't find where the enemy tank could be hiding. The attack was so sudden and devastating, yet there was no sight of the tank that had fire on them, like a ghost or something.

Yet Morena knew well by the sound of the gun, that was an 88mm, and the only enemy tank that was carrying that was the dreaded Tiger 1.

Is that the power of the Chi-Ha-Tan commanders Tiger 1? I thought it was frightening good on the T.V., yet feeling its paws striking you is a whole another beast. I hope my girls can beat her

Morena thought, as she begrudgingly accepted she was out of the match, and now needed to check on her crew, knowing her part in this battle was over. Yet felt like she had given her nation and her academy something to be proud of.

XxxxxX

"Target destroy, nice shooting!" Miho said happily, seeing the smoke billow up into the air.

There was no response from the twin gunner, who was still shock she made the shot. Her crewmates were also in awe, till Nene who couldn't be more proud of her twin, now climb out of her loader chair and came around the breech of the gun to hug her sister from behind in her seat.

"Ladies of Sensha-do, this is my twin, who has no equal as a gunner!" Nomi boasted, while nuzzling her face against her twins.

"Hey, stop that Nene," Nomi said, while chuckling, glad though to have made her sister proud of her, as there was nothing better than having your family look at you with such pride.

That pride was share by Moteki as well, as she spoke. "That's our lovable ace sniper! Good thing she made the first shot, or she would have started bawling her eyes out."

"Jeez you can't help but ruin the mood," Nomi complain, but a smile remain on her face, as she knew her tankery sister was always going to give her a hard time, if only because she care about her gunner so much.

"No…Nomi...is be…be…better…than Naomi of…Sa…Saunders," Watabe said, while working her way out of her seat to join in on the mass hug being lay on Nomi.

Nomi smile at her stuttering friend. "Thanks, Watabe, glad for you always believing in me."

"I…it…its what…fam…fam…family do," Watabe said back.

"Yea, family," Nene said with a nod.

"Family," Moteki repeated.

"A tankery family like no other," Nomi said, though she turn to look at Miho, but was surprise to see only her legs, as she was still standing tall in the commanders cupola.

Yet before Nomi could ask what her commander was doing, the sudden screaming from a shell could be heard, then the shockwave of it making the tank shake. Now Watabe and Nene move back to their fighting positions, as Nomi buried her head back into the gunner sights wondering what shot at them now.

"What are we looking at commander?" Nomi question over the crew net.

Miho didn't respond at first, as she was looking to the right, down the road to where she had seen the muzzle flash. It was from an American tank, the M4A3E8 Sherman. It had returned a shot in quick succession, having seen the Tiger 1's muzzle flash that had taken down its teammate. Now its tank commander wanted revenge.

Yet that revenge wasn't just for her fallen teammate, but for the fallen women of the Nishizumi family. Every one of them use as nothing more than a power grab, to be thrown aside because of their failure. Now it would be a bastard child, one who had train hard for just this moment, in what seem like years, and was now here to right those wrongs that she believed was her duty to do, especially to her adoptive mother.

As the young Wolf bear its fangs at the Tiger in rage, ready to hunt, and finally in her mind end the terror that was started so long ago.