Chapter Four: Maternal Instinct
Kuromorimine, 3 km away from Bonple border
A dozen Panzer Is and Panzer IIs rolled down the stone street in a nice two-by-six column, their treads almost sliding against the smooth surface of the road. Once they were in front of a large courthouse they halted in unison.
From the front left Panzer II the hatch opened, and the figure of Akaboshi Koume came out. She wore a tall grey schirmmütze and a black Waffenrock too large for her. A bright pink Waffenfarbe ran through her collar piping, indicating her high status in the Panzerwaffe. Ugh, I hate these overly-fancy uniforms, she thought to herself as a soldier ran out to meet her, snapping to attention at the base of the tank. She raised her right hand in the air in a salute. "Heil Kuromorimine!" She exclaimed.
"Heil." Koume flipped her hand back in response as she climbed down the side of the Panzer II.
"What is the current situation?" Koume asked as she and the soldier walked up the stairs of the courthouse, their jackboots slapping against the stone slabs.
"According to our scouts, they have around two divisions across a 8 km front. They have over 60 tanks and tankettes spread across the border. Their air power seems to be negligible at the moment." The soldier replied.
The pair reached the top of the stairs, where two guards armed with MP34 Submachine guns saluted hastily before opening the large wooden doors. The soldier escorted her through a large hallway before turning the corner and up to a black door. "This will be your new room, General Akaboshi." She said.
"Please," Koume groaned. "Call me Fraülein Koume or even just Koume."
"But," The soldier protested, but Koume waved her hand. "I don't like long titles." She complained. The soldier saluted. "Yes, Fraülein!" She exclaimed. Koume smiled. "Nice working with you," She looked at the soldier's uniform. "Major."
Koume looked around her new room. At the edge there was a large queen-sized bed with white covers right next to the windows. This seems a bit much, She thought when she fell on top of it. Hm, nice and cushiony. There was a large wardrobe, and when she opened them, she saw several large costs already hanging there. Well, they're quite considerate, Koume chuckled to herself. There was a medium sized mahogany desk with three drawers. On the wall hung a flag of Kuromorimine. Above was a portrait of Maho, the Führer of Kuromorimine. Koume laughed as she jerked her right hand up. "Heil Kuromorimine! Heil Maho!" She shouted.
"General?" Koume spun around saw a young, handsome man with blonde hair standing at attention.
"What is it?" She demanded. The man recoiled. "Your suitcase is downstairs, and I am to be your new adjutant from now on." He said.
"Oh, really?" Koume said, suddenly interested. "What's your name?"
"Leutnant Eric Voller, Fraülein General." The man responded. Koume licked her lips as she stalked up to the soldier, swayinh her hips as she went. "Well Eric, let me tell you something." She stood right up to Eric, their noses almost touching. She leaned forward, caressing his chest. "Call me Koume, and I'll call you Eric. We are going to have so much fun together." She whispered before walking away, leaving the soldier standing alone, shaking.
Viggens High School
Two women walked down the dimly lit hallway. "So," The taller, more curvy girl asked, her beige colored hair tied in a French twist. The buttons on her uniform were almost popping out from How big her chest was. Her skirt was too short for her long legs. "How is our trade deals with Kuromorimine going?"
The shorter girl with a flat chest and wide-rimmed glasses looked at her paperclip. "They bought nearly 1,000 tons of steel for Anzio." She replied. The taller girl nodded. "Good. They are the best when it comes to business," She answered. "They're also militarily the most powerful neighbor besides Pravda."
"Why Don't we do business with Pravda? We do with Kuromorimine and Maginot." The shorter girl asked. The taller girl stared at her. "Are you kidding me? We can't make deals with Pravda," She exclaimed. "The only thing separating us and them is Keizoku! And you can say all you want about Keizoku, they won't last a week against the reds," She sighed. "The only thing that is keeping us safe is our business," She said slowly. "And we must keep it that way." She proclaimed.
"But commander Loki, St. Gloriana has been sending messages about halting our shipments to Kuromorimine." The shorter girl said anxiously. Loki scoffed. "Do they not understand the notion of business? Those fools. They can't even stop us," She spat. "At least Maho negotiates with us. Darjeeling tried to force her will on us, but we're not going to bend," She announced. "Do not worry, Aesir. We will try to stay away from bloodshed as much as possible," She told the shorter girl. "Tell St. Gloriana that Viggens has the international right to trade with whoever they want."
Aesir saluted. "Yes commander!" Loki turned and watched Aesir disappear within the long shadows of the hall.
Ooarai High School
Miho walked down the wide street by herself, looking at everything around her. To her right, there was a small garage crammed with armored vehicles of all sorts, pulled out of the garage or just delivered by other schools. Old men with megaphones distributed leaflets telling people to enlist in the army, as conscription was not enforced at the moment just as Anzu promised. Fighters lined up across runways of airports, ready to be scrambled just in case.
She shuddered. So everything she heard was true about the escalating conflict with Kuromorimine, and to an extent, Anzio and Pravda. She became wrought with worry for her older sister. I hope she's okay and won't do anything foolish, she thought. Before shaking her own head. She is not foolish, she is my sister. She will definitely make things better.
"Nishizumi-chan!" The cheery voice of Anzu made her turn around. "Kadotani-san." She said. Anzu grinned widely. "Perfect! I wanted you to do something for me, and for everyone in general." She exclaimed.
"What?" A confused Miho said as Anzu handed her a phone.
"Call your sister." She ordered in a serious tone, a complete 180 from just a second ago. This was a good trait of Anzu; she knew when to be a jokester, and when not to be.
"My sister? Why?" Miho asked quizzically. Anzu sighed. "This is actually a request from Darjeeling. She's getting really desperate. She's calling in basically all schools for a plan against Kuromorimine. She wants you to call your sister to back down from Bonple and out of the alliance with Pravda. She thinks you can put some sense into her," Anzu took Miho's hand. "I told Darjeeling Ooarai won't participate in an offensive operation against Kuromorimine, and she accepted it. So please, do it for my sake, Darjeeling's sake and your sister's sake." She begged, her eyes wilting.
Miho gave a firm nod, full of conviction. She opened the phone and punched in Maho's number. She placed the phone up to her ear, and waited impatiently as it rang.
"Hello?" Maho's cool voice filled Miho's chest with emotion. "Oneechan!" She shouted.
"Miho? What are you-wait a minute, I'm in the middle of a meeting," Miho stood silently as she heard the sounds of a door closing and footsteps resonating against a tiled floor. "Miho, I can't believe it's you. I haven't heard or seen you in a year. I'm so sorry, I've been so busy."
Miho shook her head. "No, I understand. Things have been really hard for you."
"Yeah, I've been so stressed. Just hearing your voice makes me feel better. I wish you never left us in the first place."
Miho began to tear up. "I'm so sorry." She whimpered. She heard Maho sigh. "No, I'm sorry for saying that. I know you have friends in Ooarai, and I'm happy knowing you're happy. Tell Kadotani that I send her my regards." Miho nodded. "Okay. I, I heard what was going on with you and Darjeeling." She said. There was a silence from the other end.
"Did she tell you to call me?" Maho demanded, and Miho could sense the hint of malice in her voice, and that scared her. What happened? They were such good friends, she thought as she glanced down at Anzu, who shook her head violently.
"No, she didn't." Miho answered sadly.
"Thank God. I'm relieved she would not resort to using my sister to manipulate me." Maho laughed from the other side.
"What?" Miho froze up.
"Look, I don't know what you were told, but I am doing everything in self defense of Kuromorimine. Darjeeling had put all of my neighbors against me. She has been using Bonple to provoke me, and it's got to the point where I can't leave things the way they are anymore. The only friends that I have right now is Anchovy and Nishi," Maho said, hesitating for a second. "I feel so alone right now. But I have to act with conviction. Sometimes I don't even know what I should do anymore."
"Oneechan, just do what you think is right!" Miho shouted. There was a long silence.
"Maybe you're right. I have to pull myself together," Maho said. "I'm sorry for all the trouble I'm causing you. Just so you know, I still love you."
"I love you too." Miho whispered as the phone line cut. She looked at Anzu.
"Nishizumi-chan." Anzu said glumly. She ran up and hugged her. "It's alright. Everything is fine." She said. Miho touched her face; she had been crying.
St. Gloriana High School
Darjeeling sat at the edge of the table, looking over a map of Japan. Next to her sat Eclair and Asparagus on the left. On her right was Bosphorus from Kebab, Oslofjord from Viking Fisheries, Dingo from Koala Forest, Trout from Maple, Boleslava from Gregor, and Kilimanjaro from West Kureoji Grona, the leaders of the schools that have been aligned together since After Collapse Year 1.
"Now, I called you all to discuss the problem of Kuromorimine, Anzio and potentially Pravda." Darjeeling started. Bosphorus raised her hand. "Where's Jajka?" She asked. Darjeeling frowned. "She is overseeing the build-up of her school, so I didn't seem it necessary for her to come." She replied. Trout shrugged. "Guess that makes sense." She said.
"Leaving her in the dust, I see." Dingo muttered. Asparagus perked her head up. "Did somebody say something?" She demanded. Dingo shook her head vigorously, her white hair swishing around.
"We will attack Kuromorimine while they are occupied with Bonple," Darjeeling explained, with Dingo nodding her head in confirmation. "Eclair, Asparagus, I want you to attack their rear. Strike quick and deep before they can react. Boleslava, I would like you to attack Kuromorimine from the east, you guys are the only ones with a clear shot to Niigata." Darjeeling pointed to the map.
"But Darjeeling," Asparagus interrupted. "We have Anzio on our flanks." She said.
"Same here." Boleslava concurred. Darjeeling let out a puff of confidence. "That's where Bosphorus and Kilimanjaro comes in," She explained,waving her hands in the air. "You will attack Anzio from the south, forcing them to fight on several fronts." She jumped out of her chair in a excited fashion.
"Darjeeling, did you drink coffee instead of tea?" Asparagus laughed. Darjeeling looked at her with huge eyes. "I will send you an expeditionary force to help you attack Kuromorimine. Dingo, Trout, I expect help from you as well. Dingo sighed. "I'll do something." She mumbled.
"Okay!" Trout shouted.
The blonde Oslofjord raised her hand. "What about me?" She questioned, not liking that she was ignored throughout the meeting. Darjeeling hit her fist against her hand. "I almost forgot. I want you to stop Viggens from supplying Kuromorimine." She said. Oslofjord gasped. "That's out of our capabilities. How are we supposed to do that?" She demanded. Darjeeling smirked. "Sabotage their factories and transports. We can't allow them to supply the enemy. I also want you to convince Keizoku and Yogurt to help us against Kuromorimine." Oslofjord furrowed her eyebrows. "I'll try my best." She answered somewhat hesitantly.
"Why isn't Saunders here?" Dingo asked. "Surely they can help, right?"
Darjeeling sighed heavily. "They're caught up in their elections, and rather not get involved in the war. They promised to send supplies to us though."
"What should we do with Chi-ha-Tan?" Kilimanjaro questioned. Darjeeling scowled. "We're figuring that out right now," She answered. "We're trying to arm the Blue Tigers as much as possible. They would push the Chi-ha-Tan armies out of their territories, while propping them up as the stronger power in United Front."
Kilimanjaro nodded at leaned back in her chair. "What do you think about Pravda?" She asked.
"We're going to place collaborationist governments in Kuromorimine and Anzio to put them against Pravda," Eclair explained. "It'll be a bulwark against the eventual red invasion."
"Well, here you all go." Darjeeling began passing out papers for every single girl present in the room.
"What is this?" Boleslava asked. Darjeeling waved her own piece of paper in her hand. "Why, to make our alliance official, obviously! By signing this document you will publicly support and participate in any action taken against Kuromorimine and Anzio. You can't back out once you sign it!" She cheerfully explained. "Oh, I already sent one to Bonple so they won't feel left out." She added.
They all looked through the paper.
"Military, material and moral support?" Dingo read off. "Fine, whatever." She signed it.
"Fine by me." Trout was the next to sign. Boleslava shrugged and took out a black pen. "Why not." She muttered.
Bosphorus smiled as she wrote her name. "More territory isn't a bad deal at all."
Kilimanjaro read one more time before she signed it. "Hopefully we won't even need this." She whispered.
The last one to sign it was Oslofjord. "I don't know about this." She said. She looked around. Everybody else had signed it. She didn't want to be the only one not to sign it. But she wasn't sure she was even up for the job. Even if I do have allies, I'll be separated by everybody else. I'll be easily picked off. She shook her head. I'm already separated anyways, better to have friends than be completely alone. She signed the paper with a huff of resignation.
"What are we going to call ourselves?" Kilimanjaro asked. "This is the most crucial part."
Darjeeling began to sweat. "I was thinking we should do it as a group." She said sheepishly. Dingo sighed. "Which means you couldn't think up one by yourself." She interpreted. Darjeeling turned a light shade of red.
"Don't feel bad. It's pretty hard." Boleslava said.
"It should have a punch to it." Oslofjord remarked.
"Makes us respectable." Kilimanjaro added.
"Something about united? Being United against Kuromorimine and all." Trout suggested.
"How about the elegant ladies?" Darjeeling offered. "We're all ladies and are-"
"I ain't a lady and I sure ain't elegant." Dingo shot the idea down, and Darjeeling looked down at her lap with a dejected look.
"How about putting in the word eternal? That will make it seem our alliance will last forever." Trout said. Eclair nodded. "Not a bad idea."
"Sounds kind of cheesy." Asparagus objected. Eclair glared at her. "Then what? What's your idea?"
Asparagus shrugged. "I don't know. Make it seem, I don't know. Just do something!" She threw her hands up in exasperation.
"How about….The Maternal Alliance?" Oslofjord proposed. Everybody swiveled their heads to look at her.
"Well, that is an interesting proposition." Darjeeling said.
"What does that mean?" Dingo asked. Oslofjord gulped. "Well, it would present us as the 'Mothers' of Japan, united in an alliance against the aggressive Kuromorimine." She explained. Darjeeling's eyes lit up. "That's it!" She shouted. "That is the perfect name!" She puffed out a breath of admiration. "The entire world will see us as the face of Japan."
"Okay, I guess it's fine." Dingo rolled her eyes. Trout nodded her head in excitement. "Yes!" She exclaimed.
"Seems good to me." Asparagus said. Eclair smiled. "I like it." She added. Kilimanjaro leaned back in her seat. "it's a fit." She muttered.
"I don't have a problem with it." Bosphorus said.
"And it's official! We are 'The Maternal Alliance'!" Darjeeling shouted. "We will become the protector of all other schools that are under threat!"
Kuromorimine High School
Maho slumped down against the table, resting her head on her arms. Erika walked up to her, some coffee in her hand. "Is something wrong, commander?" She asked. Maho straightened up. "No." She quickly replied. Erika frowned. "It's alright, commander. If you feel a bit down after talking to your sister, it's fine." She told her. Maho shook her head. "No, no. It's not that. I'm just a bit tired." Erika shrugged. "Alright, commander." She said.
Maho took out a map of Japan. "We're surrounded by enemies, we won't last long in a protracted war, I'll tell you that." She exclaimed. She set the map down on the table, with Erika peering behind her.
"It's already a fact that we'll be forced to fight on several fronts. In the southeast, We have Maginot and BC Freedom to fight. And obviously in the north Bonple is something we have to deal with. Gregor is also an obvious dangerous threat to our east," She said. But then she smiled. "Let them come. And whoever else wants to attack may come. We'll beat them back."
Erika stared at her. "Commander, how are we going to do that?" She asked. Maho smirked. "Well, our first priority is to take out Bonple. We're going to go on the defensive against Maginot and BC Freedom. Our positions are unbreakable in the south."
"But what about Gregor?" Erika pointed to the western half of Fukushima. Maho grinned. "Don't worry. I have insiders there. And Anzio could create a diversion for them," She replied. "We'll have to destroy Bonple quickly before Maginot and St. Gloriana can grow in strength."
Erika smirked. "Then we take out Maginot and BC Freedom in one swoop." She added.
"St. Gloriana won't be able to stop us once all of her allies are dead or maimed," Maho paused. "Then we destroy Pravda." She finished, drawing an x over Aomori with a pencil.
Several kilometers away from the Fortress City of Osaka, United front High School
Ikeda sat along with several other commanders, pouring over maps of Osaka and the surrounding areas.
"Hosomi!" Ikeda called.
"Yes?" The other commander responded.
"How many divisions do we have right now?" Ikeda asked. Hosomi called for a minute. "Around eight." She replied. Ikeda nodded. "Good. That should be enough."
"Are you sure? The Blue Tigers have amassed more than 200,000 troops in Osaka." Hosomi answered. Ikeda cleared her throat. "Do they have armor and air support?" She asked.
"From what I can tell, they have old tanks from Maginot, Saunders, Kuromorimine and St. Gloriana. I don't know anything of their air power." Hosomi answered. Ikeda gave a small laugh. "See, nothing to worry about!" She declared. "We must attack them at once."
"And their troops are no more than militia. They may outnumber us, but numbers are nothing against skill," Ikeda stood up. "We will smash their flanks and charge the gates. Our artillery and airstrikes will pulverise everything they have crawling outside! Our tanks will lead the assault that will destroy them!" She boasted.
The other commanders laughed and cheered. Ikeda sat back down. "In all seriousness though, we have to take Osaka. It's their main and only port, where they get a lot of their supplies," She said. "I want the 2nd division to keep Kashihara and Nara from Osaka. 11th division-" She turned towards a small girl with black pigtails. "-Kuroda, I want you to take Hanan, Senan and Izumisano. Izumi and Izumiotsu and Takaishi will be left to the 4th division under Kawabe. Hosomi, take the 9th and 17th divisions to attack Sakai. Tondabayashi, Kawachinagano, Osakasayama will be under the 7th division. The remaining divisions establish a perimeter against Osaka itself," She ordered. "Take it slow. Use our advantage of armor and airpower against them. If things get too tough, reorganize and attack again. But don't let the Blue Tigers rest even for a minute." She explained.
Several Hours Later
A platoon of Type 89 Chi-Ro Medium tanks rolled through the forest trails, while a column of Type 97 tankettes trailed from behind. Thousands of troops walked beside them. Their boots crunched against clumps of dirt and fallen branches on the ground. Their light brown uniforms blended them into the trees around them. They all were armed with Type 99 and Type 38 Arisaka bolt-action rifles, with a few Type 100s and Type 96 LMGs in between.
They advanced quickly, as they were the vanguard of the attack against Kawachinagano. The flag of Chi-ha-Tan fluttered against the wind at the front of the marching troops. The officer in front held a shin guntō in her hand. She looked around the trees surrounding her. The enemy could ambush us at any moment..she thought. We have to be prepared for anything.
But nothing came. They marched forwards unstopped by any enemy force, not even recon or screening forces. The officer realized she was tensed up, and relaxed her entire body. This is my first time out in the field. I can't disappoint my girls, I have to encourage them. She thought to herself. If I break down, what will happen to my subordinates?
They broke the forest and entered a large clearing. They saw the outline of tall buildings in the distance across the field, barren except for a few trees and fences.
And for the thousands of Blue Tiger soldiers, of course. Lined up in trenches and foxholes, they opened up as the first Chi-ha-Tan soldier came into view.
"Take cover!" The officer screamed as soldiers tumbled down like bowling pins. All soldiers scrambled to the ground while bullets whipped by them. Luckily for them they were on the other side of a slight hill, so most of the shots flew above them harmlessly.
The Type 89 Chi-Ros began lumbering up the hill, firing their 57mm guns. Puffs of smoke came out as the shells discharged, throwing themselves at the United Front defenders. Clouds of brown dirt all around the trenches forced the defenders to hunker down against their positions.
Infantry crawled up the hill and set their sights against the Blue Tigers. The crack of bolt-action rifles and the constant rattling of the machine guns made it seem the battlefield was engulfed by a thunderstorm. The thunderclaps of explosions threw soldiers into the air, tossing them around like a baby would with its toys.
One soldier aimed the sights of her Type 99 rifle at a Blue Tiger member below her. Her head was aligned perfectly with the little iron sight at the very front of her rifle. Sweat dripped down from the soldier's forehead, landing on the rifle. She began to shake as her finger slowly closed around the trigger. She shut her eyes tight when she pulled, and the violent jerk of the kickback pushed the stock of the rifle into her shoulder.
The bullet raced through the air to find it's target at an instantaneous speed. The bullet violently collided with the Blue Tiger's helmet, pushing through the steel cover and lodging itself into her skull. Her brain and skull imploded, splattering blood and brain matter all around like a watermelon. The headless corpse fell forwards, landing on the bloodstained ground below.
A Blue Tiger soldier fired her MG34 at the Chi-ha-Tan soldiers on the hill. She saw the bullet impacts on the foot of the hill, and raised her machine gun to correct her aim. A faint smile crept onto her lips as this time the rounds hit her targets. Several figures on top of the hill stumbled down the hill like ragdolls.
Her gun stopped firing, and she quickly realized she was out of ammo. Shit! She screamed in her head. Fuck! I'm done for!
"Are you alright?" A voice prompted her to turn her head. It was one of her friends. "Yes, I need more ammo!" She shouted. The other soldier nodded. "Okay, you take this. I'll get ammo." She tossed the MP34 she held at the machine gunner, and ran off towards the rear to get ammo.
She ran through the trenches, ducking under barbed wire and the occasional explosion. She shrinks her body as several soldiers run past her in the narrow trench, carrying MP18 SMGs and grenades over their backs.
"Enemy plane! Get down!" Someone shouted. The soldier craned her neck up and saw the unmistakable shape of a plane heading right towards her. She dove to the ground as the Ki-27 fired a burst of cannon fire. A few unfortunate girls were caught in the strafing run; each shell fired resulted in an explosion of blood. Girls staggered down, holding their intestines in their hands. One soldier had her right leg ripped off, with her shin bone being exposed outside of her flesh and muscle.
The soldier got back up and wiped blood off her face. She saw the carnage the plane had left behind: the entire trench was filled with mangled corpses. The soldier cursed as her foot slid in a pool of blood. She slipped and her face nearly landed in the gaping hole in a dead girl's temple, with her Brain leaking out. Startled, she stood back up and ran down the trench and sprinted full speed towards the supply trench.
The gunner pulled her head down as a flurry of bullets landed right next to her. She peeked over the trench and pulled the trigger of her MP34. She screamed when a bullet struck her SMG out of her hand. The gun clattered against the ground, and the soldier fell down, hyperventilating. She reached her hand to grab the snail magazine, but pulled back when a bullet pinged when it hit the magazine. She cowered down in her trench, curling up into a little ball. Little pieces of dirt rolled down her helmet, and her vision was covered with a brown hail of dust and earth.
The Chi-ha-Tan forces suffered pretty heavy casualties so far in the battle. Bodies that were soaked in their own blood dotted the hill. Artillery from the rear had begun their assistance, raining shells from on to the entrenched Blue Tiger forces. Little puffs of white smoke above the defensive positions, raining thousands of hot metal shards on the enemy below. Dozens of tanks lurched forward, firing their main cannons and machine guns. The Type 97 tankettes scurried ahead of the main army, their 7.7mm machine guns cutting through foxholes and entire trenches.
Slowly, the Chi-ha-Tan troops inched towards the first trench lines. Armed with Type 100 SMGs and grenades, two dozen girls crawled through open ground. Whenever a Blue Tiger soldier tried to shoot them, a line of troops would suppress them with a chorus of rifle fire.
As they got to the nearest trench they began their assault. They burst from the ground and threw their grenades. The grenades sailed through the open air, landing in several points across the trench. They exploded, killing Blue Tigers soldiers and smoking more out into the open, where they were gunned down. They ran down the trench, shoot down any enemy that stumbled into their presence. The Blue Tigers reorganized and tried to push them back, using old Springfield and Mauser rifles, but they lacked the firepower and were driven off.
The Chi-ha-Tan officer crawled up to the top of the hill and raised her head. The Blue Tigers have suffered very heavy casualties, and were being pushed back. Hundreds of bodies littered the battlefield, turning the once green field into an ocean of blood. The symphony of artillery and machine guns turned the rolling field into a crater-filled wasteland. She looked across the hill, where dozens of Chi-Ros and hundreds of infantry that were aiming down at the beleaguered defenders.
She stood up straight, in full view of the Blue Tigers. Bullets whizzed by her head as she stared down the hill. She looked back at the surprised Chi-ha-Tan soldiers behind her. "The enemy is on their last legs! One more charge and they will shatter. Girls, fix bayonets!" She ordered. The Chi-ha-Tan infantry attached their Type 30 Bayonets on their Type 99 and 38 bolt-action rifles, and Type 2 bayonets for their Type 100s while the Type 96 machine gunners continued to suppress the enemy below. The officer raised her guntō in the air. "This is the spirit of Chi-ha-Tan! Charge!" She screamed. The mass of girls rose up, and with a ear-splitting roar, they charged down the hill like a tidal wave of steel.
The astonished defenders tried their best to hold them back. But for every soldier they kill, another one replaced her. The charge reached the trench lines, where the soldiers jumped in waving their rifles, to the dismay of the defenders who tried to push them out but to no avail.
The fight quickly became a close quarters brawl. Girls from both sides wet their bayonets in blood, stabbing and gutting each other mercilessly. The officers swung their swords, slicing limbs and necks off in a fury of bloodlust. The occasional pistol was heard being shot in the ensuing chaos, which ripped through flesh and bone in the close quarter melee.
The Chi-ha-Tan attackers pushed the defenders back through the trenches, leaving a bloody trail of corpses. One Blue Tiger soldier, wielding a miaodao sword, lunged at the Chi-ha-Tan officer. The officer blocked it with her guntō, and pushed the soldier away with a powerful kick to the stomach. The soldier staggered back, and was unprepared when the officer jumped on her with the guntō. She swiped downwards, but the soldier raised her right hand up, and the two swords made a loud clang as they clashed together. The officer kicked the miaodao out of the soldier's hand, and it skidded away. She slashed across the soldier's chest, and thick blood spurted out of the huge gash that she had created. The soldier jerked her body up, shrieking in pain. The officer cut across her neck, before she got off the soldier and ran off. The soldier's spasmed while she gurgled out blood for the last few moments of her life.
The soldier who had run off to get ammo for the MG34 had just gotten a crate full of bullets when she heard the panicked shouts coming from the front. She looked over just to see several Chi-ha-Tan soldiers burst into the supply area. The soldier dropped the crate and pulled out her FN Model 1910 pistol in a quick reaction. She closed her left eye and aimed at at closest enemy. Firing once, a single Chi-ha-Tan girl crumpled to the ground with a bullet in her temple. One girl charged the soldier with her bayonet out. The soldier jumped out of the way, and the girl stumbled forwards. The soldier slammed the magazine of the pistol against the back of her nape. The girl fell down, and the soldier proceeded to pump a single round to the back of her head. Turning around, she saw she was she was alone against what she could only guess was a platoon of Chi-ha-Tan troops. She groaned, and began shooting.
Bodies piled around her, all riddled with bullet holes. The soldier backed into a corner, panting. She waved her FN 1910 out frantically. The Chi-ha-Tan girls looked at each other with a certain uneasiness. A single soldier had just killed half their platoon within minutes; this girl was a monster. The soldier aimed again and pulled the trigger. However, this time the gun only clicked in response. She realized in horror that she was out of ammo. The Chi-ha-Tan soldiers, realizing this charged her. The soldier grimaced, and charged in herself.
Using the pistol as a melee weapon, she smashed several skulls in before she was finally surrounded and taken down. She didn't even scream when half a dozen bayonets impaled her body. She collapsed to the floor, where the Chi-ha-Tan troops continued to thrust their bayonets in her lifeless body.
The remainder of the Blue Tigers streamed out of their positions in a panicked frenzy and back into the town of Kawachinagano, where there was safety. The Chi-ha-Tan officer jumped on top of a pile of dead Blue Tiger troops and raised her blood soaked guntō in the air. "Victory!" She exclaimed. The rest of the soldiers raised their weapons in the air as well. "Banzai!" They shouted in jubilation. One soldier climbed on top of an empty waved the flag of Chi-ha-Tan up high in the air. They all cheered over their victory against the Blue Tigers, surely a good omen for times to come.
Gallipoli High School
A tall woman marched through the large hallway, which was decorated by elaborate chandeliers and lights, with beautiful frescoes dotting the ceiling and floors. She wore a heavy brown military coat, and a bright red fez that covered her long black hair, which was tied up in a large bun. She touched her red ear piercings in reassurance as her military boots clacked against the tiled floor.
She walked up to two large doors, where two soldiers saluted and opened the doors. She entered the war room, where several officers were standing around, looking at a map-covered table.
"What's going on?" She demanded. The closest officer saluted. "Oh, Commander Mustafa! We are looking at the military situation before us." She replied. Mustafa nodded and walked over to the map.
"So how is it?" Mustafa asked. The officer saluted and pointed to the map.
"Both Anzio and Kebab has seen a growth of military movements around the region. And with recent events, it is feasible that one, if not both will try to expand their borders." She explained. Mustafa raised her eyebrows. "Are you saying we should strike first?" She leaned forward. The officer shook her head. "No, no, not at all! What I'm saying is that we should take a defensive posture. If one of the schools attack the other, it will disrupt the stability of the region."
"We can't let ourselves be maneuvered into a place of weakness," Mustafa agreed. "How about this; if one school attacks the other, we will align ourselves with the defending party and attack the aggressors," She said. "Tell both Bosphorus and Anchovy; We will not permit our neighbors to wage an aggressive war on our border. Or else we will come to the aid of the attacked!" She declared. The officer nodded her head and saluted. "Immediately!" She said. She turned around and quickly spun away.
BC Freedom High School Airport
The airport was bustling with activity as dozens of ginormous St. Gloriana military transport aircraft touched down upon the concrete runways. The bay doors of the planes opened, and a convoy of light and medium tanks rolled out of the insides, followed by throngs of soldiers. They wore khaki-colored battledress with bolt-action rifles, submachine guns, machine guns and antitank guns slung over their shoulders as they marched down the runway.
One of the vehicles that drove down was a Universal Carrier, which raced past the Matildas and Cruisers. It screeched to a halt in front of the airport terminal, where several BC Freedom commanders stood.
Assam jumped over the railing of the Bren Carrier with her beige, woolen blouse floating in the air for a moment behind her. With a soft tap, she landed on the patch of grass. She stood up straight, and a single woman stepped out from the rest of the line of BC Freedom officers.
"You must be Assam." She said, offering her hand. Assam smirked. "And you are Moules?" She accepted with her own right hand. Moules smiled. "It is an honor to meet you. I have heard much about you from Asparagus and Darjeeling," A light bow accompanied her words. "It is my pleasure to be working with you."
"The pleasure is also mine now that I am the supreme commander of the St. Gloriana Expeditionary Force." Assam replied.
"If you are wondering, we have enough tea to last your entire army half a year, if you can understand the concept of reducing your tea times." Moules said in jest. Assam put her hand over her mouth in mock offense. "We must have our tea times in the mornings, lunch, afternoon snack, dinner, before bed and midnight snack," She replied. "We cannot even dare to conserve our teas. There will be mutiny from the girls!" They both stare at each other, before bursting into laughter.
"Boy, you Gloriana Girls have it tough drinking your tea every minute of every day." Moules choked out, wiping tears with a handkerchief.
"But it's how we remain elegant." Assam retorted, wheezing heavily. Moules calmed down. "I guess you have a point there," She said. "You girls sure have it easy, don't yo,." She slumped down. "We've been bickering for the past year, somehow managing to avoid fracturing into two completely different schools."
Assam sighed. "On the outside we may seem perfect, but in the inside we are barely keeping things together. Darjeeling, Orange Pekoe and I have been working our asses-" She covered her mouth again, blushing slightly. "My apologies for letting such a vulgar word slip out." Moules waved her hand, dismissing her. "Don't sweat it," She said. "And?" She prompted, and Assam cleared her throat and continued. "We've been working nonstop, trying to keep the school intact. It is difficult running an entire country, but such times has come," She sighed. "And we're forced to fight former friends as well."
Moules nodded. "It is sad indeed the world has come to this. Sometimes I wish I was killed in the chaos after the collapse." She remarked with a certain bitterness.
"Oh well, that is in the past; the present is where we have to focus on." Assam redirected the conversation to a new topic. Moules groaned. "It seems we will have to take the initiative in the event of a war with Kuromorimine."
"We cannot hesitate for a moment against them. Once hostilities begin we will attack them from the west while you girls will penetrate their defenses from the east." Assam told her. Moules nodded. "How many troops do you have?" She asked.
"We plan to land at least 80,000 soldiers in the first two weeks." Assam answered.
"That might just be enough to break through Kuromorimine."
"What are you planning to do with Anzio?"
"We will send four divisions to defend the border against any attack from the east. Anzio will not be able to push through with the troops they have."
"I think you should not underestimate them."
"Don't worry. Our weapons are superior to theirs."
Assam sighed. "I suppose so. We have to concentrate all our resources on Kuromorimine."
They walked through the airport, and once they exited through the front doors a small car was waiting for them. A chauffeur stepped forwards and opened the doors, to which Moules and Assam got in.
The car drove out of the airport and was soon surrounded by a tranquil forest. Large trees race past them, and the concrete road transformed into a gravel path.
"Um, where are we going?" Assam asked, uncertain as to where her destination is. Moules smiled. "Just a small detour." The car bounced up as the wheels skidded over small pebbles. Assam opened the window and peered out. "Oh my God…" She whispered.
The scenery changed from a serene woodland to a blue lake, the sunlight reflecting off the surface like a mirror. The car drove onto a narrow wooden bridge that cut through the center of the lake. Assam looked down at the clear water and saw schools of colorful fish swim next alongside the bridge.
Assam looked at Moules with astonishment. "This is-"
"This is a little spot of untouched mother nature. It's my favorite." Moules said. There was a strange twinkle in her eye. "I wanted to show this to you as a sign of friendship."
"I love it!" Assam exclaimed. Moules chuckled. "Glad you do. Let's stop by the bank and have lunch there. Don't worry, there will be tea."
Hello peoplez. I hope you enjoy the latest installment of Blood vs Iron. I am still working on Projekt Apocalypse, so the people that are following that will have to wait a bit longer.
My (unofficial? Official? I have no clue) Co-writer RedSS asked me about what happened to the men of Japan, if they became ostracized or slaves. I came up with the idea that it all depended on each school. Schools like Sauders would have men be equal as to women, while in Kuromorimine men will be the lower sex. In St. Gloriana and Maginot men would be servants and butlers for the women, but would still fight in segregated units.
I have also figured out the borders for all the schools. At first I didn't really know, and was making the places really vague, but thanks to a review by a user(you know who you are hopefully) I finally got it done. It was pretty hard, figuring out which school went where. It took around 3 tries to really place them down. To name a few, Kuromorimine is the prefecture of Niigata, Ooarai is the lower half of Ibaraki, Bonple is Yamagata, Anzio is Gunma, BC Freedom is Nagano, Maginot is Toyama, the lower half of Ishikawa and the upper half of Fukui. Chi-ha-Tan is the entirety of Shikoku and Wakayama, while United Front encompasses Nara, Osaka, Mie, Kyoto, Hyogo and the lower half of Fukui. Akita(except for the coastline), the western half of Aomori, and the bottom half of Hokkaido belongs to Pravda, with the upper half being Maple. Fukuoka, Saga and Nagasaki is St. Gloriana, while Saunders has the remainder of Kyushu. Keizoku had the eastern half of Aomori. Okay, that is all. Later!