Chapter 22:

As her Panzer gained speed, Yukari said, "I respectfully disagree, Nishizumi-dono. You didn't fail, and you're still the best Sensha-do commander in the whole world! This match isn't over, because I still have my special good-luck round and we'll be using it against your sister's tank real soon."

Miho smiled at her close friend who still remained loyal and supportive to her until the very end. "Arigatou, Yukari. But the odds are definitely against us. We'll know soon if we can improve them."

Hana kept her gun trained on the first Tiger, adjusting her aim with gentle nudges on the control handle as her Panzer raced ever-closer while the loader inside the enemy tank scrambled to rearm her gun.

. . . . .

"With that Chi-Nu out of action only Miho's tank stands between us and victory now!" Maho encouraged her crew. "It's time for us to end this debacle. Driver, follow the Panzer's path into the forest, where I'll teach my sister a lesson she'll never forget!"

'Hai! Let's kill that Panzer!" The Tiger I's engine roared, shoving the heavy Kuromorimine machine forward in pursuit of the distant Ooarai tank.

. . . . .

At the same time over in the tank-strewn field, Katyusha clambered down from her disabled T34 and stormed over to Kay's nearby Sherman. Saunders' commander watched the girl approach, opened her hatch and popped up from the turret, sporting a big grin.

"Wasn't that fun?" the blonde laughed. "Not to mention ironic! Two commanders killing each other and ending the match for both of our schools!"

Katyusha stood beside the Sherman, scowling up at the other girl. "Fun? Bah! How dare you defeat my glorious T34 with that inferior Sherman!"

"Um... isn't that what I was supposed to do?" Kay giggled. "Anyway, your tank and that Panzer killed my tank too, so that makes us even."

The furious Pravda commander angrily kicked a clump of dirt at the Saunders tank. "We will never be even! I won't forget this humiliation, Kay-san! You were merely lucky today! Dumb luck, that's all it was!"

"Chill out, Katyusha. After all, one side has to lose, and after Maho knocks out Miho's tank, you can get mad at Blue team all over again at the post-match party tonight!" Kay reached into her turret and tossed a red and silver can at the feet of the short-statured girl. "Here. Have a Coke on me."

"You dare insult me with this?" Katyusha fumed, bending over and snatching up the can. "Of all the nerve!"

"Go on, drink it. Your voice sounds a little dry. Probably from screaming at your crews all day!" Kay grinned.

The diminuitive teen glared evilly up at the other commander. "Very well. I shall." She popped open the can, only to have the soda inside gush out and spray the front of her uniform with sticky liquid.

"Gomen! I guess you should've let it settle first!" Kay laughed.

In a fit of rage Katyusha promptly flung the can at the Sherman, bouncing it off its hull. She spun around and stormed back to her tank, muttering about a week in the gulag for everyone on her school's team.

. . . . .

Mako raced her Panzer up to the Tiger, abruptly stopping so close to it that the muzzle of her tank's gun nearly touched the opposing machine.

Hana immediately pulled her trigger, blasting the front of the Tiger's turret. The round burrowed deep into the thick armor with incredible force before the stunned Kuromorimine gunner could react.

Mako revved her engine, sprinting away just as the second Tiger fired. Its shell whooshed behind the Panzer IV with centimeters to spare, striking the first Tiger instead of Miho's tank and raising its white flag.

"Minna, one Tiger down by friendly fire!" Miho cheered, scarcely believing her luck. "Reload, Yukari! Keep us moving, Mako!"

"Hai!" The curly-haired loader slid another round into the breech. "Why are we slowing down?"

"Too many trees this way" Mako muttered, pivoting the Panzer from side to side in a desperate attempt to find a sufficiently wide gap to pass through. "I can't maneuver away from the other Tiger, Miho. There isn't enough clearance."

Enraged at the loss of her teammate's tank by her own careless hand, the second Tiger's gunner viciously yanked on her control handle, traversing her turret towards the penned-in Ooarai tank. "Three more seconds and Ooarai is finished!" she vowed.

Hana also spun her turret towards the Kuromorimine tank as quickly as it could turn, knowing that her Panzer's slower traversal speed made her attempt all but futile. "They'll hit us first, Miho!"

The brown-haired teen sighed, well aware of her gunner's crippling disadvantage. "I guess this is how it ends." Miho heard the expected deafeningly loud boom of a gun, awaiting the jarring impact of a direct hit. But moments later, she was stunned to spy black smoke pouring from the rear of the Tiger, its turret abruptly grinding to a halt.

The young Ooarai commander stared at the white flag above it in utter astonishment. "Nani? How...?"

From the trees behind the knocked-out Tiger another familiar Panzer appeared, a crescent moon adorning both sides of its turret. Makoto's voice filled her headphones.

"Remember us, Miho-san?"

Miho grinned, "How on earth did you get back here so quickly, Makoto-san? I thought we were finished!"

"One word" the tall brunette chuckled. "Minako."

"I should have known!" Miho laughed. "Arigatou! Thank your driver for me, Makoto-san! And your gunner too! That shot Ami made was perfectly placed!"

The driver's hatch momentarily opened on Luna team's approaching tank and a hand appeared, Minako's fingers forming a vee-for-victory sign.

"We've still got problems, Miho-san" Makoto again spoke over the radio. "Our turret won't turn after we were hit and we spotted Mako's Tiger heading your way."

"We'll attack her together" Miho replied, feeling fresh new hope within. "At least with two Panzers we still have a decent chance of winning this match!"

. . . . .

Hearing the unexpected and stunning radio reports of defeat from her two dead Tigers, Maho cursed, angrily slapping the side of her cupola. "How could this happen? Kuromorimine has the superior machines and all the best crews! Those damned upstart rookies are to blame for this!"

"Should we keep going and engage the Panzers in the forest, Commander?" her driver cautiously asked, her earlier optimism now gone. "Apparently, Lady Luck isn't on our side today."

"No. Abandon the assault. Take us into the open field as fast as our Tiger will go" Maho muttered. "We'll finish this match the old-fashioned way and pick off those two Ooarai tanks from long range with our vastly superior firepower." She snapped an order to her gunner, "Point your weapon to the rear. Plan on knocking out that meddling rookie Panzer first, then we can deal with my sister at our leisure."

"As you wish, commander."

Our school's honor is at stake" she warned the girl. "Ooarai must not win! Do not fail me!"

"I won't let you down, Maho. Those Ooarai Panzers are as good as dead."

. . . . .