Chapter Six: Failure of Appeasement
August 7th, Eastern Kuromorimine-Bonple Border 7:23 A.M.
It was a peaceful day for the people in the small town just a few kilometers behind the border. They woke up as always, ate breakfast and tended to their fields. The elderly were also up, doing their daily morning exercises. The soldiers assigned to the small town watched with ease, waving and chatting with the locals. Those not in duty would escort the children to the local school or would help out with the farm work.
One such soldier was walking through the fields, watching the people plant and pick crops. Her Kb wz 98a bolt action rifle was slung behind her shoulder as she strolled down the dirt pathway. She was quite tall, around 167 cm, and had long, blonde hair tied up in a crown braid under her Hełm wz. 31 helmet.
"Kutia!" She turned around and saw two of her squadmates run up to her. "Wait up." the shorter friend panted. Kutia smiled. "You guys are just slow."
"Why do we always get the worst days for patrol? It's hot as hell." The bigger girl complained. Kutia groaned. "It's not that bad, you know." They walked through the neighborhood, where they were greeted by a pair of elderly men walking into the town park. "Hey, ladies!" They called out. "Rare to see the young ones up so early." The soldiers waved at the old men. "Mr. Sakata, please don't injure your hips any further!" The bigger girl shouted. Mr. Sakata gave a toothy grin. "I don't think I can any further!" He replied.
They continued walking down the neighborhood, and encountered three children running down the street. "Hey, you three!" Kutia called. "Don't run out into the street!" The three children looked at the soldiers and waved their hands. "Go to school!" The shorter soldier shouted. The kids grinned and ran off.
"Damn kids…" The bigger girl muttered with a smile. Kutia laughed. "Yeah, they're the lucky ones."
They walked over to their barracks, which was bustling with activity. Dozens of soldiers ran around, carrying crates filled with various materials. Some soldiers were milling around, smoking cigarettes and having an early morning drink. Cars and IFVs were lined up against the parkway.
They walked into the HQ, where staff officers ran with stacks of papers in their hands. Radio operators sat by their radios with annoyed expressions on their faces. "What the hell is with this?" One of them shouted.
"What's wrong?" Kutia asked. The radio operator looked up at her, the huge headphones hanging off her head. "Everything! I can't make contact with mother base or the front outposts." She waved her hands in anger. "There's nothing but static! It's as if we're isolated!" She stood up. "It must be these radios." She muttered as she rapped her fist against the radio. "We need new ones."
The bigger girl suddenly perked up. "Do you guys hear that?" She asked. "Hm?" The younger soldier cupped her hands. There was a low roar in the background, barely audible behind the bustle of the HQ. "It isn't anything." She said. "Probably just some construction."
There was a loud honk from the entrance of the barracks, followed by several shouts. Shrugging, Kutia and the other soldiers rushed to meet the car outside.
There was a Fiat 518 with its engines still running at the gates. The lead officer in charge of the garrison ran up to the car, where three soldiers stumbled out. One soldier had blood seeping out of a wrapped bandage.
"What's the matter?" The officer demanded. The driver of the Fiat 518 looked at the officer, her hat torn to shreds and her clothes in tatters. "Evacuate now!" She shouted as a crowd of soldiers surrounded her. "We're under attack!" At that the crowd began to murmur.
"What? Under attack?"
"Right now?"
"What do you mean?" The officer narrowed her eyes at her. The driver nodded. "Kuromorimine artillery and airstrikes destroyed our radio towers. They're isolating each little town from each other!" She exclaimed. "The town I was assigned to was the first to be hit. Most of our garrison was wiped out by their Panzers and dive bombers. Only a dozen of us survived, and we escaped to warn the other towns of the danger."
"What? How long ago was this?" The officer asked. The driver took a gulp of water that a soldier gave her. "Just around forty minutes ago. I need to go now, I have to warn the other towns." She got into her Fiat. "You have to evacuate the civilians now! Kuromorimine is coming soon!" The two other soldiers jumped in the back of the car, and drove off.
The officer and the throng of soldiers stared at the cloud of dust that settled back down on the road. The officer looked back at the soldiers with a look of horror on her face. "Well?" She shouted. "Get to it! Evacuate the civilians!"
Air raid sirens began screaming all throughout the town. The garrison began banging on all doors, going to every public facility to gather the populace. Dozens of Ursus A lorries parked in the main plaza were filled by hundreds of civilians, overseen by the police and army personnel. Men and women carrying everything they could fit into suitcases and bags piled into cars and drove out of the town.
Then began the artillery bombardment. People looked up at the sky as several high-pitched whines grew closer. Entire houses and blocks was thrown up in a hurricane of steel shells and bombs churned up the earth. People screamed as thousands of tiny pieces of shrapnel riddled their backs.
"Take cover!" Kutia dove to the ground as a plume of dust erupted next to her. She felt crumbs of concrete roll down her helmet and uniform. More whines, and the school and library collapsed on itself. Kutia rolled out of the way as a brick wall fell down with a crash.
An artillery shell hurled itself at the ground, tearing a patch of trees apart. "Shit!" One soldier exclaimed, grabbing her head with her hands, slouching across the ground. "We're going to die!"
"Shut up!" Kutia shouted, taking cover against a pothole that was created by the bombardment. "We need to wait this out…" She glanced at the plaza. All the trucks were on fire, and the civilians were sprawled across the entire town, blood spilling out of them.
As suddenly as the bombardment began, it suddenly ended. Kutia got back up and wiped off all the dirt and grime that was on her uniform. Other soldiers and civilians got back up warily as well. "Fuck." Kutia stumbled down the street, coughing as she went back to the barracks.
She saw the barracks in chaos. Several buildings had gaping holes in them, with smoke pillars billowing out of them. Bodies littered the grounds, and soldiers had pulled white sheets over their dead comrades. Trucks and tanks were in ruins, their armor and chassis crushed.
"Treat the wounded! Get your weapons and man your tanks!" The officer in charge bellowed as she ran through the barracks. She stopped in front of Kutia and looked at her. "Soldier, get to your station!" She ordered, before running off and yelling at the other soldiers.
Kutia unslung her rifle and rushed to the entrance of the town. Her two comrades also joined her with their Karabinek wz. 1929 bolt action rifles. "What the hell happened?" The bigger girl asked, not quite understanding the severity of the situation. "We were attacked…" Kuita muttered. "And the enemy is getting closer."
They heard a low groan from above them. They turned their heads up to the sky and saw several black planes above them. "What the hell?" The bigger girl said with her jaw wide open.
The planes dipped down, and began diving towards the ground. As they charged downwards, a loud, ear-splitting scream emanated from the sirens that were attached to the undercarriages of the plane.
"Shit! Stukas!" The soldiers scrambled as the dive-bombers roared closer, dropping their payload over the frightened soldiers. The ensuing explosions launched several girls into the air. Kutia's eyes widened in fear as dismembered limbs landed on the ground, a light drizzle of blood splattering against the concrete a few seconds later. The Stukas also began firing their machine guns, cutting through soldiers that remained standing.
"Get up and take cover!" A soldier dragged Kutia back up on her feet. "There's more of them to come!" The sky was covered by the incessant buzzing of propellers, the screaming wail of the jericho trumpets and the grumbling of explosions. Kutia panted as she ran through the mass of dust, eventually reaching a bombed out house. She rolled behind the front wall and gripped her rifle and glanced over the crumbling bricks. Her eyes broadened as she saw through the clouds of thrown up dirt, the dark silhouettes of vehicles slowly approaching the town.
Eight Sdkfz. 251 armored halftracks, followed by six Panzer Is and five Panzer IIs rolled through the fields up to the bombed out town. "Kuromorimine Panzergrenadiers!" Kutia shouted. "We need additional troops!"
The Sdkfz. 251s stopped several hundred yards away, and began firing their MG34 machine guns, its barrels blazing away at the defending Bonple soldiers. The rear doors opened and dozens of panzergrenadiers armed with Karabiner 98k bolt action rifles and MP38 submachine guns jumped out. They wore gray stahlhelms and dark green field uniforms, with grenades hanging off their belts. An officer waved her Luger P08 pistol in the air, encouraging the panzergrenadiers to advance.
Kutia aimed her Kb wz 98a rifle and began firing, pulling the bolt several times and slamming a new magazine in the rifle. Other soldiers began firing as well, forcing the panzergrenadiers to get down on their stomachs. However, the MG34s from the Panzer Is and SdKfz. 251 halftracks suppressed Kutia and her comrades, allowing the panzergrenadiers to crawl up close to their positions.
One panzergrenadier peeked her head over the wall, only to be shot in the face by Kutia. The girl staggered downwards, her face turned to a bloody pulp and unrecognizable. A cartridge flew out of the chamber as Kutia pulled the bolt back and forth, aiming the sight at the panzergrenadiers in front of her.
A panzergrenadier fired her MP38 at Kutia, who took cover as bullets hit the brick wall. Kutia stood up and aimed at the enemy, and fired at her chest. The soldier froze, and looked down at her chest to see a blotch of dark red blood forming in her right breast. Her dead body crashed onto the ground with a thud.
"We have to pull back!" A soldier cried before getting shot to ribbons by an MG34. Kutia gritted her teeth. She's right. We do have to retreat. All around her comrades lie in pools of their own blood. She knelt down, just so she wouldn't present herself to the enemy beyond the wall, and dashed out of the house.
She glanced backwards, and saw other soldiers beginning to retreat, putting their hand over their helmet and running full speed to more defensible positions, while the Kuromorimine Panzers roared forward, firing their machine guns and cannons.
There was a heavy sandbag position at the end of the street, where a Ckm wz. 30 heavy machine gun was set up. It began firing when Kutia and the other soldiers emerged into its vision, providing fire support to the retreat.
Kutia rolled behind the sandbag and slouched down. She was tired and sweaty, and wheezed as she rolled her head back. "Where is our artillery support?" She gasped out. The soldier next to her scowled. "We don't have any." She replied grimly, wiping her forehead with her sleeve. "The bombardment and the Stukas destroyed all our guns."
Another soldier ran behind the large pile of sandbags. Kutia looked over and saw her younger friend. "Sernik!" She exclaimed. Sernik grinned. "I had to get this baby!" She held up a Mors submachine gun. She stood up and fired off a burst of gunfire. She crouched back down as k98 fire hit the sandbags.
"We have to hold here!" Kutia said, reloading her rifle. "If the enemy passes,they will be able to catch up to retreating units." She leaned over the sandbags and fired off a shot in the general direction of the panzergrenadiers. The Ckm wz. 30 continued to pour out hot lead at the attackers, killing two and injuring several more.
Then the first Panzer II crossed the street. It turned its cannon toward the machine gun, and began firing. The shells ripped through the gunner. Her limbs and torso imploded into tiny pieces of flesh and blood, which sprayed in all directions. A soldier screamed in shock when blood splattered against her face. As the Panzer II showered the street with shells one more Panzer II and a Panzer I came driving in, its barrels trained on the sandbags. Shit! We can't move because of the Panzers. Do we even have an answer for them? Kutia thought as bullets whizzed above her head.
She glanced up at the building right at the corner, and gasped at the sight of a soldier carrying an oversized bolt action rifle with a bipod, while a second soldier carried a normal rifle at the balcony. The first soldier set the Wz. 35 anti tank rifle against the balcony wall and aimed down at the firing Panzer II. He fired, and the anti tank rifle jerked backwards with a loud bang. The Panzer II shook violently before turning motionless. The anti tank gunner pulled the bolt back hard, and aimed at the turret of the Panzer I.
The Panzer I turned to face the anti tank gun, but it was too late. There was a loud clang, and the Panzer I halted its movements.
The Wz. 35 reloaded again, but this time was too slow against the second Panzer II. The Panzer II fired ten rounds up at the balcony, and when the dust cleared all signs that humans were standing there had disappeared.
Two more Panzer Is and and another Panzer II pushed the smoking Panzers out of the way. The panzergrenadiers pulled the cords of their Model 24 Stielhandgranates and threw them over the sandbags.
A grenade landed by Kutia's feet, who kicked it with her left foot. She tried to get up, but was showered by dust and felt sharp pains across her entire body. She fell back down on the ground and began coughing. She rolled over and her head hit the sandbags. A hot, sticky liquid dripped down her head, completely covering her entire left eye. She swiped her hand against her head, and saw it was covered with blood. Her hands trembled as she reached out for her rifle, just out of reach. She leaned forward, and grasped the stock of the rifle. Her vision was once again buried in a storm of dirt. She grabbed her rifle and stood up, her entire body shaking. She couldn't hear anything except for the faintest shouting and gunfire, her hearing impaired by a loud ringing noise. As she turned her head she saw her friend Sernik collapsing to the ground, a mist of blood spraying out of her head. A wave of fear overtook Kutia, and she stumbled backwards and waved her gun around in front of her.
"Freeze." The cold tip of a barrel touched Kutia's forehead. The dust cleared, and in front of her stood an officer, in an oil black uniform and Schirmmütze pointing a Luger P08 pistol at her head. "Drop your weapon." She ordered, pointing the gun at her hands, where the Kb wz 98a rifle rested. She promptly dropped the rifle, to which it clattered on the ground. Kutia slowly placed her hands over her head. The hauptmann holstered her gun and grabbed Kutia by the collar. She began dragging Kutia back to the fields, where the other prisoners were being gathered up, guarded by several troops with MP38s.
The officer tossed the severely wounded Kutia to the ground. "Get her a medic." She ordered, and a short girl with medical supplies rushed over and began treating Kutia. "Wh-why?" She muttered out. "I'm just an-"
"Shut up." The officer ordered. "You could be use of us later." She smirked in a way that unsettled Kutia very much.
Eastern Bonple Frontier, Several Kilometers in, 8:27 A.M.
The volkswagen stopped, letting the columns of Panzers and armored carriers bustle past it. The entire field was covered by the advancing Kuromorimine army. Thousands of troops trudged forwards, while formations of dive-bombers buzzed overhead.
"Nice day for a war, huh." Eric put his hand over his eyes to block the bright sun, taking out a map from the glove compartment. "The invasion was a success, General."
"Yup." Koume looked at the endless procession of armor and personnel. She grinned with her black sunglasses and field cap. "It was a complete surprise. They only ran in the face of our assaults."
"But they did manage to hole up in Mount Asahi. We surrounded them, but I don't think they're going to give up that easily." Eric said with a worried tone. Koume chuckled. "Don't worry. I got Kitayama to take care of them for me." She waved her hand. "Besides, they won't last for that long. Our luftwaffe and artillery corps will pulverize them."
Eric smiled. "Okay, Fräulein Akaboshi." He said, starting up the car. Koume leaned forwards and flicked him in the back of the head. "How many times have I told you to just call me by my name?" She teased. Eric looked back. "We are in a professional setting right now." He replied, pushing the gas pedal. The car groaned alive and trailed behind the marching army. "How long do you think the campaign will last?" He asked. Koume shrugged. "A few weeks at the most." She replied optimistically.
St. Gloriana High School, at around 10:43 A.M.
Orange Pekoe and Rukuriri stood by the wooden door, looking worried. Orange Pekoe looked at Rukuriri.
"She's not coming out, is she?" She sighed out. Rukuriri nodded. "She's been moping in her room for a few days, ever since the announcement of 'The Iron Front'. I think she believes she caused Kuromorimine to sign an alliance with Pravda, of all the schools possible."
"And Chi-ha-Tan is a growing threat as well." Orange Pekoe nodded. "I don't know about Arrow Cross or Anzio…"
"Anyways, Darjeeling isn't seeing anybody except…" Rukuriri trailed off as a tall brown-haired man with short cropped hair in a butler uniform walk past her. "Ah, good morning, Rukuriri-sama and Orange Pekoe-sama." He bowed as he knocked on the wooden door. He rapped his fist against smooth surface. "Darjeeling-sama, it is time for your morning tea." He said in a loud voice.
"Oh, come in William!" Darjeeling's voice piped up from the other side. "It seems you are just a replacement for Assam." Orange Pekoe muttered softly as William opened the door. "No, I'm just her right hand man." He said with a wink before closing the door. "He's even worse than Assam." Rukuriri grumbled under her breath.
William closed the door behind him and walked up to the window, where Darjeeling was sitting in a chair. "How are you feeling?" He asked. Darjeeling looked at him. "Much better, thank you. You're the only thing keeping me together." She answered softly. William bowed. "I am just doing my job."
"You're doing a bloody good one at that." Darjeeling told him as he placed a cup of tea on the table. "I do say I severely underestimated Maho. Who knew she could grab an alliance so quickly."
"But you have more allies." William reminded her. "And they surround Kuromorimine. Even if Bonple does fall, there are still plenty of more schools to defeat them." William sat at the opposite chair. "You should not mope around like this. You have a school to lead." He told her.
"Rosehip what are you-" Rukuriri's voice was cut off as the door crashed open and the figure of Rosehip raced in like a lightning bolt. "Red alert emergency desuwa!" She shouted. "Rosehip, calm down, what happened?" Darjeeling commanded. Rosehip gasped for air. "Kuromorimine invaded Bonple!"
Darjeeling dropped her cup; William shot out of his chair and caught the teacup in his palm.
"Thank you, William." Darjeeling slumped down in her chair. "I should have seen it coming...but this early? How could they…" She muttered.
"Orange Pekoe!" She shouted. Orange Pekoe flinched. "Yes Darjeeling-sama?" She asked. William handed the teacup back to Darjeeling, who took it with a smile. "Go call Kuromorimine for me." She said. Orange Pekoe nodded. "Of course."
Orange Pekoe whipped out her cell phone and dialed Maho's number as she reach the end of the hallway, uncertain of what she would say. She knew that Maho would not listen to her, but it was worth the try. The phone rang for what seemed like ten minutes until somebody picked up.
"Hello?" It was Erika. "Who is this?"
"It's been a while, Erika-san." Orange Pekoe's voice remained cool and collected, but her face showed a certain degree of panic. Oh no, it's Erika. She's a wild card...She thought. How would this turn out?
There was a slight chuckle from the other side. "I knew you would call sooner or later."
Orange Pekoe frowned. So they did expect this after all. "Well, then I hope you know that if you don't pull out of Bonple within 24 hours the entire ' Maternal Alliance' will declare war on you. It's your choice, choose wisely." She growled.
To her shock, Erika began to laugh loudly. Her gasps for air cut through Orange Pekoe like a sickle through grain. "What's, what is so funny?" She demanded aggressively, but her voice was shaky and filled with concern. "This is serious! What you are doing will destroy everything we have built up. Everything will go to chaos because of you!"
"Oho, oooh, that's hilarious." Erika wheezed. " 24 hours is a long head start. Are you sure you want to wait that long?" She stopped for a minute, regaining her composure. "Let me tell you something." Her voice suddenly turned low and malicious. "Go take your 'Maternal Alliance' straight to hell. Within a year most of your friends will be either dead or with us." She snarled ominously. "So,I suggest you think. Think hard before making a rash decision."
The phone slipped out of Orange Pekoe's hand as it hung up, clattering against the tiled floor. Orange Pekoe stood there with a blank stare, trying to comprehend what Erika said. Rukuriri rushed over and held Orange Pekoe by the shoulders.
"Things really have turned against us." Darjeeling sipped her tea. William nodded in agreement. "But we have a clear advantage in manpower and material over them. If we overwhelm them all at once, they will not be able to protect every flank." He said. "It might be tough at the beginning, but if we persevere we will win."
"That's what I like about you. You're so optimistic." Darjeeling exclaimed, clapping her hands together. William chuckled. "I get it from you." He poured another cup of tea while Darjeeling blushed. "You are the most worthy to lead St. Gloriana, as the head of the tea garden and the most ladylike, only you can manage such a task." He continued. "It is an honor that I may be your humble servant."
"Don't say that!" Darjeeling playfully hit William in the shoulder. "You could be so much more!"
"Oh, really?" William looked up. There was a strange gleam in his eyes. Darjeeling coughed. "Of course." She replied.
William stood up and walked over to the door. "Good." He smiled at Darjeeling as he opened the door. "I look forward to my promotion." With that he closed the door.
How would I promote a butler? Darjeeling thought to herself as she took a sip of tea.
Kuromorimine High School, 10:48 A.M.
Erika hung up the phone and handed it back to Maho. "What did they say?" Maho asked. Erika sighed. "The same thing BC Freedom and Maginot called us for. They really are serious about this, aren't they."
"Such a quick response." Maho mumbled. "Anyways, the advance is going well."
"It is commander." Erika pointed at the map. "Our armies have met little resistance. Heeresgruppe Ost have encountered the most resistance around mount Asahi, but they said they'll take it within the afternoon. Heeresgruppe Nord is literally waltzing through open fields and forests without a care."
"Bonple will be finished in a few weeks at most. They were abandoned by their allies." Maho said with a smirk. She slouched down in her chair, exhaling loudly. Erika noticed the dark lines under Maho's eyes, and how pale her face was.
"Commander, are you ok?" She immediately rushed over to Maho's side. "I'm fine. I just overworked, that's all." Maho pushed Erika away. Erika however persisted. "Commander, you need to rest!" She exclaimed. "You also need to eat more and take time off."
"But who will work for me?" Maho asked. Erika sighed. "Just take some days off. It's what you need."
Maho groaned. "Okay fine. I found a nice cafe a few blocks away. Why don't you join me there in about a week or so?" She suggested. Erika beamed. "Yes, commander!"
Ooarai High School, 11:26 A.M.
The three girls of the student council watched as dozens of trucks back up into the garage. The backdoors of the trucks swung open and men wearing plain blue uniforms rushed over and carried the enormous crates out of the back. The student council stared at the nearly one hundred wooden crates that piled up across the garage.
"There we go, president. That's all of them." An old man walked over to Anzu. "I hope you have storage space for all of these." He whistled at the amount of crates. Anzu shrugged. "No, we have too much empty space. I hope I can fill it all up." She replied. The old man smiled faintly. "But this costs a lot of money, you know. Do you even have the funds to pay for this?" He asked quizzically.
"I have my ways, right Koyama?" Anzu winked at Yuzu, who nodded in response. The old man sighed and rolled his eyes. "Okay. Just don't let these all of these get covered in dust."
Anzu waved her hand in annoyance. "Okay, okay, don't worry about it." She said. The old man crossed his arms. "You know, you bought a lot of different guns. You also bought new tanks too. You're wasting a fortune if these don't see the light of day."
"Just how many guns did you buy?" Momo asked suspiciously. "You said a few, but just how much exactly?"
"Hm, the Mendoza C-1934 LMG, SIG MKMO, Solothurn S-18/1000, K31, LMG25, SIG Neuhausen KE7, Labora Fontbernat M-1938, Obregón pistol, Ballister-Molina, Halcón M-1943, Lehnar submachine gun, Lettet–Forsøgs submachine gun, Weibel M/1932, The Madsen MG, MG30, and MG29." Anzu quickly replied.
"What!" Momo's jaw dropped, and Yuzu's eyes widened. "What is wrong with you! Don't you understand the concept of standardized weapons? Do you know how many different types of ammunition we'll have to buy and produce? That is too many different parts we'll have to deal with." She threw the files she carried onto the floor. Anzu forced out a sheepish laugh, rubbing the back of her neck. "Well, I like how they look, I couldn't help it."
Momo groaned. "Please, make up your mind about which guns to use." She told her. Anzu grinned. "Don't worry about it. I'll do something about it."
"Uh, you also ordered new tanks and aircraft as well, right?" Yuzu inquired. "Eh?" Momo turned her head from Yuzu to Anzu. "President…" She narrowed her eyes at Anzu, who chuckled with a light smile. "Oh boy…" She muttered softly.
An hour later they left the garage and through a large courtyard, where they were met by a throng of girls.
"President!" They screamed as they surrounded the three girls in an ocean of students. "Hey! What's up guys!" Anzu cheerfully waved her hand as she marched forwards, the students parted like the Red Sea. "Momma Anzu!" Somebody shouted. The others picked it up, and within minutes the courtyard was echoing with the chants of "Momma Anzu!"
"President sure is popular." Momo said. "Yeah, though I don't think President is the mother." Yuzu added. Momo stared at her. "What do you mean?" She asked. Yuzu giggled. "Well, I think she's the child, and we're the parents." She exclaimed. "So, do you want the mother-role or the father-role?" She leaned onto Momo, who backed away with a panicked face. "Don't say things like that!" She shouted.
"You two." Momo and Yuzu saw Anzu beckon them with her hand. They jogged over to the president. "We should get going." She said as several hands were caressing her face and hair. "They're treating me like a little child." She remarked. The trio walked out of the courtyard, still followed by a horde of girls, where a Porsche was waiting for them. Anzu waved at the crowd as she got in the car, flanked by Yuzu and Momo.
Anzu sighed in relief as the car drove off, leaving a trail of smoke as the mass of students disappeared. "Popularity has its flaws." She mumbled.
Miho was walking alone down the block, slinging a blue and white bag over her shoulder. She looked around, and saw what she was looking for: a park. It was small and wooded, with several trails that snaked around the area.
She walked through the entrance of the park, a little black wooden sign surrounded by shrubbery. She walked past a little playground filled with little children. She smiled as the kids run around the jungle gym. She went down a large gravel path surrounded by large trees, with long benches sitting at the edge of the trail.
Miho glanced to her left and saw several girls sitting on a bench eating lunch together. One of them noticed Miho, and tapped the shoulders of her friends. They all stopped talking and began glaring at Miho. Miho quickly walked away, feeling the intense stares piercing her back.
She found an empty bench and sat down. She sighed as she sat down and took out a bento box and began eating. Why did those girls stare at her? Miho chewed glumly as she wondered if she did anything wrong. Maybe she looked like she hadn't taken care of herself. She had been overwhelmed with worry and been forgetful of everyday chores for the past few days. Her mind was filled with the thoughts of her sister, and the events that transpired in the last few days. She read the surprise invasion of Bonple by Kuromorimine in a paper earlier in the morning, and was thoroughly shocked by the news. She initially couldn't believe it, how Maho would initiate a war of conquest. Is this the result of the strict Nishizumi style? She thought to herself. What is she thinking?
"Oneechan, what are you doing?" She muttered to herself. "I don't understand what you're trying to do."
She ate all of her rice balls, consumed by thought. What was going to happen to her now? Is she going to conquer all of the school? Then what? The rest of Japan won't accept it without doing something about it.
"Why did you do this, oneechan?" She clutched the box. "Why are you doing this?" Tears formed at the edge of her eyes. "Why are you forcing everybody else to fight you? We were all so close back then." We can't go back to those times anymore, she thought sadly. We're all separated from each other, and you're only separating us farther apart.
"What are you trying to do?" She asked, raising her voice. "What's your objective? I don't understand!"
"What happened to you, oneechan? Are you even the sister I knew anymore?" Her head hung low, letting the teardrops fall into the empty bento box. "Did something happen?" She mumbled.
Something did happen. This isn't her fault. A thought flashed her head. It was the collapse that caused all of this. She doesn't want to do this. She wiped off her tears and put the empty bento box in her bag. "I'm not blaming you for anything." She said out loud. "You're doing what you think is best, and even if everybody hates you for it, I'll still be there for you. Even if it's just in your thoughts or your heart, I'll be there…"
She stood up and began walking out of the park. She left the trail and was about to leave the park when she saw from the corner of her eye the same group of girls from before. Increasing her speed she tried to avoid their gaze by shuffling past them, but to no avail.
"Hey!" A voice called out. Nervous, Miho slowly turned her head. "Yes?" She replied slowly. The source of the voice was the girl in front of the group, most likely the leader. She had long, choppy brown hair, with several hair pins clamped to the right side of her head. "You're Nishizumi Miho, right?" She called out in a somewhat hostile tone. Miho nodded meekly.
The girl scowled. "What the hell do you think you're doing at our school?" She demanded. "What?" Miho was taken aback.
"Who do you think you are, just showing your face around like nothing ever happened?" The girl stepped closer, followed by her posse. "I don't understand what you're saying." Miho stammered out, growing scared of this big girl. The girl loomed over Miho. "Don't pretend like you don't know it. Your sister is Nishizumi Maho." She growled. "She's the tyrant of Kuromorimine. And she attacked Bonple. She's a damn fascist."
"But what does that have to do with me?" A now terrified Miho tried to step back, but the girl grabbed her by the collar. "You're her sister. So you both have the same, cold blood running through you. You two are just the same. The whole Nishizumi family is a tribe of emotionless animals." She snarled. "No, I-I-" Miho stuttered, but the girl threw her to the ground. Her body landed against the hard dirt, and the contents of her bag spilled out.
"You don't belong here, Nishizumi. Go back to Kuromorimine, back where you belong." The girl kicked her stomach as she lay on the ground, and Miho body jerked backwards, making a sickening thud. "We don't want bloody warmongers in our school. You could be a spy for your sister for all we know. Anyways, you're not one of us." Another hard kick landed in Miho's gut.
The girl smirked as she looked down at the twitching Miho. "That's right, you pathetic bitch. Stay down there, where you belong. Stop acting like you're an equal." With that, she spat on Miho and walked off, followed by her friends. They began throwing things at her limp body, including an empty soda can. She flinched as the objects hit her. Then she felt something hard against the back of her head, and a hot pain shot through her entire head. One of the girls had kicked a rock right at Miho's head. The girls walked away, giggling and cackling to themselves, leaving Miho alone on the ground.
Miho didn't move from the spot, unable to get up. A storm of tears rolled down her face and into the dirt. She was crying not only from the pain and humiliation, but from anger as well. She was angry at the despicable girls for treating her this way, angry at Maho for being the cause of this pain, but mostly at herself for not being able to fight back. She continued to chide herself as she lay on the ground, silently weeping and curling up into a little ball.
Four girls walked down the street, looking for a place to sit and eat. "Say, is there a park or somewhere like that around here?" Saori asked. "I wish Nishizumi-dono could join us…" Yukari whispered in a disappointed manner. "There is a small place for us to sit down." Hana said. "It's got trees and beautiful flowers."
"There better be a place for me to sleep." Mako grumbled. Hana looked at her. "You could sleep on the slides, if you like." She told Mako. Mako shrugged. "I'll pass."
"We should call Miporin when we get there." Saori said. Yukari nodded in agreement. "It's such a nice day to be out." She exclaimed.
They continued walking until they could see the entrance just over the corner. "There it is!" Saori shouted. They ran towards the park until they froze, seeing the person lying on the ground. Saori gasped when she recognized who it was. "Mi-Miporin?" She asked tentatively. The figure stirred, and the tear-stained face of Miho stared at them. "Saori-san, Yukari-san…" She slumped back down.
"Oh my god, what happened!" Saori shrieked as she bolted towards Miho. The others jogged behind as Saori knelt down. "Miporin, what happened?" She asked again. Miho looked up, and latched onto Saori's shirt. She began sobbing uncontrollably, to Saori's bewilderment. "There there, it's alright. Everything is okay now." She whispered, gently stroking the back of Miho's hair. She stopped when she felt a sticky liquid trickling down her nape. To her horror, she looked at her hand to see blood smeared on her fingers.
"Who did this, Nishizumi-dono?" Yukari, who saw the wound wailed in despair. Miho sniffled. "I don't know. But she said something about Maho." She answered, which Saori almost missed due to Miho's voice being so quiet.
"Whoever did this is the worst." Mako said. "How could somebody have done this?" Hana knelt down next to Miho. "Miho-san, we will get you fixed up, so don't worry." She told Miho, who nodded weakly. Yukari and Saori picked her up, and carried her out of the park.
Mount Asahi, Western Bonple, 1:46 P.M.
"Get down, artillery!" Soldiers scrambled as dozens of explosions erupted around the mountain top. Girls rolled down the steep mountain side, while tankettes were flipped over onto their backs. Bofors 40mm auto cannons blasted away at the metal birds that dropped their deadly ordinances and fired their two 7.92mm MG17s at the soldiers entrenched on the mountain. Even when a Stuka went down in flames, another two would replace it. Entrenched Bonple soldiers fired at the Kuromorimine soldiers and Panzers that crawled up the mountain. Both sides launched artillery strikes against each other, covering the once green surface with a thick layer of brown dirt. Bonple gunners armed with Browning wz. 1928 light machine guns sprayed gunfire down on the Kuromorimine troops, who responded with model 24 grenades and MG34s.
"Shit!" Commander Oscypek slammed her fist against the table in the HQ tent. "We're stuck up here surrounded!" She shouted. She took out a pair of binoculars and looked down the mountain. From the lenses she could see the hundreds of tiny black dots slowly moving up the mountain, representing the advancing Kuromorimine soldiers and Panzers. Little puffs of white clouds blocked her vision. She ripped the binoculars away from her eyes, and cursed under her breath. "Don't let them advance any further. We'll have to hold them as long as possible. We can't win this battle, nor attain reinforcements. But we'll kill as many of them as possible." She ordered as she sat back down in her seat. "Fuck…" She muttered. "We're fucking dead. So fucking dead."
In the trenches dug across across the crest of the hill, the Bonple girls desperately fought off the Kuromorimine attack. Ckm wz. 25 Hotchkiss machine guns aimed down on the gray colored soldiers squirming across the ground. Riflewomen with Karabinek wz. 91/98/23s took potshots at any stahlhelm that peeked over the grass.
"We can't hold them off for much longer!" One soldier shouted, firing her Karabinek wz. 91/98/23. A single Kuromorimine soldier fell forwards, a bullet tearing through her chest. The soldier ducked down as bullets bit the dirt. She got back up and fired twice more before kneeling back down. Another soldier ran up to her, carrying a Mors submachine gun. "Private, we need more troops on the right flank." She shouted. The private gritted her teeth. "We're already tied up over here." She said. The submachine gunner groaned. "Dammit. What the hell are we supposed to do?" She exclaimed. She lowered her head just as a bullet whizzed by. "Shit, that was close." She muttered. She stood up and took aim at a pair of grenadiers inching closer with grenades. "Not on my watch." She grinned as she pulled the trigger. She watched with glee as a hail of bullets tore through the two soldiers, who fell down the mountain. "See, that's how you use this thing!" She exclaimed, waving the smg in the air like some sort of a banner.
She suddenly staggered down, moaning in pain. "Those bastards got me." She shouted. Blood poured out of her shoulder, where there was a large hole that clearly ripped through her muscle and clavicle. "Shit! Medic! Medic!" The private cried.
A medic came stumbling down the trench with basic medical supplies. "You think you can fix me with that?" The submachine gunner asked, her face completely pale. "Gotta take you to the rear." The medic replied sternly. She picked up the submachine gunner and sped back out of the trench. The private carefully peered over the trench.
She saw what looked like thousands of soldiers running up the hill. Hundreds of Panzers steamed up the hill, firing their cannons and machine guns. Even more Stukas were bearing down on the beleaguered defenders. And the artillery at the foot of the mountain rained death and destruction upon them. The private looked behind her, and saw the innumerable amount of dead scattered across the mountaintop.
We're screwed, she thought to herself. I didn't want to die in some useless last-stand, but oh well. She shrugged in defeat, completely at peace with the fact that she was most likely going to die. She aimed her rifle and fired. The rifle pushed against her shoulder blade, and the bullet found its mark in the breast of a short girl holding an MP38.
If I'm going to die, I might as well as take some enemies with me, she laughed at herself with that thought. But I wonder if my family will even get the news of my death? Probably not. I doubt they would care either way. I was nothing more than just a burden to them. What better way to get rid of your problems than to have the military deal with it! She thought bitterly to herself. And how does the army deal with their burdens? By having them fight to the death in a pointless battle, where we'll only become useful by becoming martyrs for the country! Even an idiot can become a hero if placed in the perfect situation. Her smile turned into a scowl. The damn school always trying to control our lives, even controlling our deaths for their benefit. Well, I'm not going to play by the rules. I'm not going to die today. She silently promised. I'll live, and laugh at the idiots who praise the pointless sacrifices of people braver than they.
She reloaded her rifle and scrunched up against the trench. The noises of battle were overwhelming. She could barely hear her own thoughts. I wish they would quiet down.
Her eyes widened as she saw the nose of a Stuka diving right towards her. She rolled into a ball and hoped for the best. The Stuka, with an earsplitting wail fired its machine gun, raking the trenchline with bullets. The private stared as the bullet impacts threw little clumps of dirt into the air. The struck down dozens of soldiers, tearing through their helmets and flesh. The trench became a river of blood, filled with countless bodies.
The Stuka flew away, chased away by a Bofors. The private stood up, hyperventilating and began firing down at the attackers.
"I sure wish we had more cover." The oberfeldwebel(Master sergeant) moaned, clutching her MP38 as she crawled at a steep angle, only stopping to fire a couple rounds at the enemy above them.
"Shut up!" A hauptmann(captain) ordered from above, firing her MP35 smg from a prone position. "Stop complaining! We have the advantage here!" The rocky terrain wasn't even that bad of providing cover. And with the occasional patch of trees they were in a good spot.
The hauptmann yanked the horizontal magazine out of her smg and pushed in a new one before jumping over onto a steep rock.
She was immediately under fire from several sides, and got on her stomach. She aimed her MP35 at the first girl she could find and pulled the trigger. The flurry of bullets hit the girl like a hailstorm. She crumpled down in the trench, her blood seeping into the ground.
The hauptmann smirked as she advanced, squeezing the trigger every few seconds, taking down an enemy soldier each time. She ducked her head as a machine gun fired her way, the rocks making a crackling sound as the bullets hit them behind the hauptmann.
A soldier armed with a K98 scrambled up next to the hauptmann, firing at the enemy positions. However, she jerked backwards when a bullet ripped through her neck, dark blood spurting out like a fountain as she fell. The hauptmann watched as the body twitched for a few more moments. The hauptmann raised her smg and fired back in the direction from where the bullet came from.
Jesus, I don't know why the Luftwaffe and artillery just destroy this entire place. Why do we have to knock every little mountain down? She thought angrily, but she calmed herself down. We're just the cleanup crew here. The frontlines need the air support more.
She gripped her MP35 and creeped along the edge of the ridge of the first Bonple trench. She looked down and saw a soldier crouching right below her, clutching a Karabinek wz. 91/98/23 like it was a baby. The two soldiers stared at each other for a minute, before acting. The soldier swiftly got up and swung her rifle towards the hauptmann, but the hauptmann jumped back. She Slammed the butt of the MP35 into the helmet of the soldier, who staggered backwards. The hauptmann leveled her smg and emptied her magazine, but the soldier stumbled back across the trench, and the bullets made their mark in the ground.
Holy shit, holy shit! The private screamed in her head as the Kuromorimine soldier blasted away at the ground before her. She stood back up and fired blindly, missing the soldier by a longshot. The private looked in shock as the soldier jumped in the trench and swung her smg once more. The private ducked her head as the smg passed above her. She lunged forward and thrusted her rifle out. The barrel of the rifle slammed into the soldier's gut. She collapsed down on the ground, and the private bashed the stock of her rifle against the her stomach. The private grinned as she raised the rifle above the soldier's head. Got you!
The hauptmann looked at the soldier towering over her, the wooden rifle butt descending upon her vision. She rolled out of the way and with a swift movement of her hand to her hip; she procured out a Sauer 38H semi-automatic pistol and fired twice at the Bonple soldier's direction. One bullet grazed the cheek of the soldier, who winced as she twisted her neck. A thin red line appeared on the girl's cheek, and blood began trickling down her face. She grimaced as she bashed the rifle against the hard ground, but she was too late; the hauptmann had escaped. She got back up and aimed the pistol at the soldier's head.
Before she could pull the trigger, she flinched as she felt a lock of hair fall across her shoulder and felt the blood ooze down the side of her head. She narrowed her eyes at the Bonple soldier who held a Nagant wz. 30 revolver in her hands, smoke dissipating away from the barrel. "You little…" The hauptmann grunted. She stepped forward and fired again. There was a loud pop, and blood gushed out of the soldier's side. The soldier began to chuckle at the hauptmann, who took a step back in surprise. "What the…" She scowled, and fired twice.
Two bullet holes appeared in the private's chest. She staggered down to her knees, coughing out blood. Despite this, her laughing increased. "What is wrong with you?" The Kuromorimine soldier demanded, shaking with confusion. "What the hell is wrong with you?"
The private continued to laugh, her chest burning with pain. "I don't know!" She choked out. "I don't fucking know!"
The hauptmann stared at the hysterical girl. Hyperventilating, her finger twitched around the trigger, before pulling it back with a bang. The soldier in front of her collapsed onto the ground.
The hauptmann sighed out a breath of relief. Her solace was immediately broken by a tight grip on her ankle. To her horror, the soldier had grabbed her with her left hand, looking up at the hauptmann with hollow eyes. "That...won't...kill...me…." She uttered with a grin, blood dripping out of her mouth.
The hauptmann yelped in fear and recoiled back, unhesitantly pulling the trigger. The soldier's head shuddered as a red bullet hole formed on her forehead. She slumped forward, letting more blood pour out of her. The hauptmann continued firing at the corpse, each shot causing the body to jerk around. The gun clicked as the final body left the barrel. The hauptmann slid down onto her knees, dropping her pistol. She cradled her head with her hands, her eyes wide with shock.
The oberfeldwebel fired her MP38 from the hip, managing to hit a Bonple riflewoman across her body. She ducked down as the Bonple defenders returned fire.
"Fräulein, please don't be reckless!" One of the other soldiers, armed with a K98 screamed at her. The oberfeldwebel waved her hand. "It's fine!" She said. "We have to be reckless to push these stubborn bastards out of here." She took out a grenade from her belt and chucked it towards the enemy. She watched the shower of pebbles of dirt, and emptied her magazine into the cloud of dust.
However, she jumped back into cover when orange tracers cut through the grey smoke. "Shit, machine gun!" She shouted. She panted as the tracers flew by her harmlessly into the open air. "Jesus." She muttered, while the other soldiers stared at her.
She looked over and saw through the clearing smoke the silhouette of a small rectangular shape just 1.23 metres tall sitting in the open.
"Is that a-" She ducked down as the thing fired its machine gun, with a loud tok-tok-tok towards the Kuromorimine troops.
"That's a TKS tankette!" The oberfeldwebel exclaimed. "Where is our armor support?" She demanded. "Probably fighting at the more tougher defenses." One of the soldiers replied. The oberfeldwebel groaned. "Fine, but what about air support?"
"They have to refuel and rearm." The soldier answered. "Fine, whatever." The oberfeldwebel grumbled under her breath. "Then we have to deal with that little thing ourselves."
The tankette continued to fire its Hotchkiss wz. 30 7.92mm mg towards the hunkered up attackers. "I don't think regular guns can penetrate its armor. We need an anti tank rifle." The oberfeldwebel remarked.
"Got one right here, oberfeldwebel." A large girl holding a long rifle. Huh, a Panzerbüsche 38, what a lucky coincidence, the oberfeldwebel thought to herself. "I have an idea. I need two rifles." She ordered, and two soldiers with K98s stepped forward. "I need you to go over to the right and distract the little metal box. PzB 38 over here will take it out by hitting it on the side. Got it?" She explained, the rest of the group nodding their heads.
The two infantrywomen dashed to the right flank of the tankette and began opening fire. The bullets pinged off the armor, and the TKS turned to face the two girls. The machine gun blared away as the two girls scrambled to cover.
With its flank exposed, the tankette failed to realize the anti tank rifle slowly setting her sights on the side armor. The anti tank rifle fired, and the gun lurched backwards against the gunner's shoulder. The tankette made a loud gong as the round penetrated the light armor and killed the two crewmembers inside. The gunner yanked the bolt back, and from the breech a huge cartridge came flying out.
"Alright! Let's advance!" The oberfeldwebel called out. The twenty or so girls got up and ran out of their cover and out in the open.
At the bottom of the mountain, surrounded by a dense forest, there was a flurry of activity. In the center was a . 251/6 command halftrack, where a tall girl with short dark hair looked at a map of mount Asahi. Kitayama, or more known by the annoying nickname "Ritaiko-chan", sat as radio transmissions from the battle told her the situation up above.
"The enemy right flank is weakening. They're trying to pull back to more consolidated positions."
Kitayama sighed as she looked at the map. The right side of the mountain was a steep ridge. "Have the 8th and 12th regiments deal with them. Tell the 5th and 13th Panzer companies to assist them as well." She ordered. Several staff officers relayed the order up to the troops. Kitayama pointed at the center of the mountain. "Their positions in the middle is the most vulnerable. When the Stukas are ready I want them to concentrate on the central point. The 5th regiment and 9th Panzer company to spearhead the assault. Keep the defenders on the left flank from reinforcing the center or right flank."
She leaned back in her chair. Initially, when Koume had asked her to clean up this little mess, she was a little more than frustrated. But now she smiled, for even an easy victory is still a victory.
The Panzer II arched forward as it climbed over a large rock. "Damn." The commander mumbled. "Why do we have to fight in such uneven terrain?" She sat in her seat in the cramped turret. She opened up the hatch and looked out into the hot, humid summer air. The noises of combat overwhelmed her ears, and the dust and smoke pillars covered the mountain. Groaning, she slunk back into the dark interior. "I wish they put in a fan in here." She mumbled.
The Panzer II suddenly made several loud pinging noises, and the commander jolted in shock. "What the hell was that?" She shouted into the voice tube, which connected into the driver's position. "A, an enemy tankette!" She answered. The commander cursed. "I guess I actually have to do something today…" She grumbled as she turned the turret to face this nuisance. A small TK3 tankette stood in front of her, firing its machine guns while retreating back. The commander smirked as she fired the cannon; the tankette caught fire, and exploded.
The commander leaned back. "Phew. That's done and over with. Time to support the infantry." She muttered.
The Panzer II advanced, followed by three more Panzer IIs and five Panzer Is towards the trench lines. They raked down the stunned Bonple troops, who scrambled to find an answer to the armored push. hundreds of feldgrau girls followed the Panzers, clearing the bunkers and foxhole with submachine gun fire.
The Bonple soldiers began falling back, running back to their final defenses. Nearly a dozen TKS and TK3 tankettes attempted to stop them, but they were quickly destroyed by the Panzers.
The hauptmann sped through the abandoned Bonple positions. Bloody corpses filled the trenches. The hauptmann aimed her MP35 at the back of a sprinting Bonple soldier. After a pull of a trigger, the soldier collapsed to the ground. The hauptmann lowered her smg and jumped out of the trench.
"Defend this line! Not one step back!" Bigos roared, blasting her Mors smg at the final determined attack by Kuromorimine. Several dozen troops huddled together, firing their Karabinek wz. 1929 rifles, Karabinek wz. 91/98/23, and Kb wz. 98a rifles at the attackers. But one by one, they fell as blood poured out of their bodies.
Bigos unlatched a wz. 33 defensive grenade and tossed it over the wall. She heard the ensuing explosion, and raised her Mors smg as she fired at the enemy troops. She recoiled as bullets slammed themselves against the brick wall. "Shit…" She muttered, reloading her gun. She scowled as she saw the enemy move closer. She stepped back as a Kuromorimine soldier walked into her sights. Half a dozen bullets found their mark in the girl's body, and she fell down like a puppet without its master.
Bigos looked around and saw most of her friends have been killed. Blood flowed out of the holes of the punctured bodies, and their eyes stared blankly at her. She dropped her smg in fear and started breathing heavily. All around her were dead soldiers. Shot to ribbons, torn apart by grenades, she was the last one standing.
Not one step back! Her own order repeated in her mind. She grimaced and picked back up her smg. She stepped out of her cover and with a loud yell spraying the surprised attackers with her smg, waving it around like a gangster. Within seconds twenty rifles and smgs aimed their sights at her, and in a crescendo of thunder gunned her down in a grand execution.
Oscypek heard the gunfire and explosions grow closer, while the screams of pain and fear resonated around her. She sighed. It's over. It's finally over, she thought. The roar of treads a engines told her of her imminent end; the sounds of war was replaced by the noise of grass being stomped on by boots. The clicking of reloading guns surrounded the command tent.
"Surrender. The battle has finished. The last soldiers have given themselves up, and as their commander, you should follow them." A commanding voice shouted from outside. "Surrender, and we shall treat you as an honorable warrioress. There is no shame in surrendering."
Oscypek chuckled to herself, then began laughing out loud. The voice outside was understandably perplexed. "What is funny?" She demanded. Oscypek continued to laugh. "Whay is so damn funny?" The voice demanded angrily.
Oscypek continued to laugh as she unholstered a FB Vis pistol from her hip. She placed the barrel against her temple, and pulled down the hammer.
The hauptmann, and everybody else listened in surprise to the one last gunshot that echoed throughout the silent mountains.
Saunders High School, 5:26 P.M.
Kay sat at her desk, grumbling to herself. There were several blank papers lying on the desk, while there were many crumpled up papers rolling on the floor.
"God dammit!" She shouted, slamming both her fists against the table. The pencils and erasers clattered onto the floor.
"What is it, commander?" Alisa walked into the room. "I can't think of a good speech!" Key groaned. "It's much harder than I thought."
"Where is your usual enthusiasm?" Alisa took one of the papers and scanned it with her eyes. She put it down with a sigh. "Look, I think you have a good start. You just have to elaborate more on the subject. And you have to exaggerate things too."
"But that's not-" Key started but was interrupted by Alisa. "Campaign promises aren't made to be kept. You just have to tell the people what they want to hear." Alisa glanced over and saw Key was about to protest. "But, if you really want to, write down what you believe in. Just make sure it sounds good."
"Hey, have you heard the news?" The girl with the helmet closed the door behind her. "About Kuromorimine and Bonple and what not?"
"Oh, May. Of course we have. We have more important things to do right now." Alisa replied with an irritated voice.
"Why don't you include that in your speech?" May suggested. "What?" Key shot up from her seat. May strolled over. "Well, why don't you address the problem in United Front and Bonple?" She said. Key thought for a minute. "Maybe." She finally answered.
Tsūtenkaku, Osaka, United Front, 7:28 P.M.
A lone girl looked out the observation deck, towards the south where all the fighting was taking place. She could see all the black pillars of smoke reaching for the heavens all over the city, and the flashes of gunfire that was prevalent throughout the week.
She was fairly short, and her small eyes saw the entire scene before her. Her long, flowing hair reached her lower back, and it was cut in a perfect line across her forehead. She was wearing a dark green military dress, with several large medals covering her undeveloped chest. She almost had the appearance of a little girl, had it not been for the aura of maturity flowing around her. The mind behind the powerful gaze was complicated and intricate; nobody knows what she was thinking. Her mouth wielded enormous power, and her very presence was an authority of no other. She was a woman filled with conviction, confident of her ability to accurately calculate positive results.
That was why Zhejiang had decided to send her to defend Osaka from Chi-ha-Tan. With overwhelming troops, a defensive urban environment and a tactical genius they could not lose! That was the idea that gripped Zhejiang and the others.
But as the girl stared down, her confidence in herself began to waver. This situation was not a good one; though her troops did certainly outnumber the enemy, they were not equipped to deal with a modern foe. With their armored forces lacking in all things considered and air force virtually nonexistent, the situation was impossible for anybody, even for her. And it especially made things harder as she was a fan, an admirer of Chi-ha-Tan. She visited Chi-ha-Tan before, and was impressed by their military parades. She had argued against provoking them, but now here she was fighting against her very admiration.
She furrowed her brow as there was an explosion at the east side of the city. She heard the low roar, and the red mushroom cloud billow up. Sighing, she walked over to a chair and sat down.
"Lady Mengjiang!" A girl saluted as she entered the observation deck. "What?" Mengjiang answered in a bored tone. The girl gulped for air. "The 14th division have been wiped out defending Matsubara." She reported. "Our forces are crumbling and are falling back into the city itself."
"Is that it then? You may leave." Mengjiang said. The girl nodded and ran off down the stairs.
Mengjiang turned to face the descending sun. It was her job to protect the city, but how many people will die to keep it from falling? How many people will die fighting Chi-ha-Tan? She shook her head as the thought entered her mind. I must defend the city, to protect our school. They are invaders. But will we all lose our lives against this foe?
She slumped down onto the table in front of her, her resolve and conviction all but gone.
Bonple High School, 9:14 P.M.
Jajka sat alone in her room, wearing a bathrobe and pouring a glass of red wine.
There was a knock at the door, and Jajka's lieutenant, Uszka walked in.
"Grandmaster, now is not the time to be idling." She told Jajka sternly. Jajka frowned. "What am I supposed to do at this hour?" She asked, waving the wine glass. "How am I supposed to turn things around when I let my school be attacked?"
"Well for one thing, you could be taking command. And we will be able to field the Armia Yonezawa, our best equipped army in a few days." Uszka said. "And fortunately most of our eastern airfields were not hit, so we will be able to contest their air supremacy by tomorrow."
Jajka's grim expression lit up into a large smile. "Once we reorganize ourselves, we will push out the invaders and invade Kuromorimine along with St. Gloriana, Maginot, Gregor and BC Freedom." She enthusiastically added.
A male officer stepped in the room. "Grandmaster Jajka-" Jajka pulled herself over to him. "You seem nice." She said. "Why don't you join me for a drink?" The officer gave a questioning glance towards Uszka, before slowly nodding his head.
Jajka looked at Uszka. Her eyes displayed the same question. Uszka shook her head. "No thanks. I'm good." She politely turned down the offer.
Uszka left the room, and the door shut behind her. From the other side she could hear giggles and squeals of delight. She rubbed her eyes and groaned when she heard the springs of the bed and loud moans from inside.
Grandmaster Jajka, what are you doing? Uszka thought to herself as she walked down the hall.
Well, it finally started. It took six chapters, but the Great War had begun. How will Darjeeling and co. fight Maho? Will Maho lead her school to victory or destruction? And what will happen to Ooarai? Tune in next chapter for more action!