Chapter Seven: Then the Winged Hussars Arrived
On August 8th A.C. 1, at approximately 8:19 A.M. The 'Maternal Alliance' led by Darjeeling of St. Gloriana declared war on Kuromorimine for their surprise invasion of Bonple. Everybody thought this would be a swift war.
Oh how very wrong they were.
Capital City of Nagano, BC Freedom High School, 8:30 A.M.
"War is declared against Kuromorimine! Come get the exclusive paper now!" Street vendors called out to curious passerbys.
"Hm, this will be an easy job." One man remarked. "I almost feel bad for them Kuromorimine folks." An old man laughed. "I bet we'll beat them in three weeks." A well shaven man exclaimed.
Assam and Moules watched them gossip among themselves.
"How do you feel about it?" Assam asked with a smirk. "We're finally going to go kill some people."
"Don't say it like that." Moules drily replied. "We're going to do our job."
A girl in a green uniform stood in front of a propaganda poster waved a megaphone.
"Join today! Join the army and fight in the greatest campaign of the century!" She exclaimed. A crowd of girls surrounded the speaker, eager to become a part of the crusade against Kuromorimine.
"They're so eager." Moules said as the two girls turned and walked down the street. "Maybe they think they won't actually be sent to the front." Assam looked at the road and saw a Renault R35, covered with joyous soldiers with rifles and flags driving down the street, throwing leaflets to the civilians on the sidewalk.
"It's not going to be a cakewalk as they claim." Moules watched with disapproval. "Maho must certainly have deduced this would happen beforehand. She has something up her sleeve." She muttered.
"Are you sure? They have most of their forces in the east. I doubt they would have a strong presence on our borders." Assam said. "And how would she even fight a two-front war?"
"I have no idea, to be honest." Moules signed in resignation. "I just have a feeling something will go terribly wrong. Things will not turn out the way we would expect, or how we would like." She muttered.
St. Gloriana High School, 8:30 A.M.
Darjeeling stood at the helm of a podium, overlooking thousands of students, civilians and soldiers grouped into a tight mass.
"Ladies and gentlemen!" Darjeeling shouted. "Kuromorimine has broken the promises we have all vowed to keep a year ago! They have lied and deceived the rest of Japan! Now they have attacked a fellow school, after blatantly expressing their wishes for aggressive expansion!" The crowd held their breath as Darjeeling stopped for dramatic effect.
"Yet they still play the victim! They claim we have forced their hand. I say to that: No! They have forced us to exert our strength upon them! We could have been neighbors, friends and allies. But no, their refusal to conduct themselves in a negotiable manner had called the hand of justice to punish them! We shall punish them for the crimes they have committed!" She hollered, and the crowd blew up with a roar of jubilation. Darjeeling raised her hand, and everybody went silent.
"And there are ones who support the treacherous Kuromorimine. I warn them now: Halt your actions. You are aligning yourself with criminals. Separate yourself from them, or suffer the same consequence! I do not want an unnecessary war with anybody else." She continued with a calm tone, a change from the previous statements.
"This is a war of justice and freedom. This is for our allies in Bonple, and whoever else is in need of aid. We will destroy the evil that has thrown away their civility and respect. We will bring back the order that has been so carelessly thrown aside by the cowards. We will punish those responsible with the sentences they deserve. We will show them liberty shall prevail!" She ended the last phrase with a raised fist.
The crowd went wild. Cheering and whistling, they expressed their joy, welcoming the declaration of war. They shrieked with delight as Darjeeling waved and left the podium.
"Jesus!" She exclaimed, stumbling down into a room behind the podium. Orange Pekoe and Rukuriri rushed over with some tea. "Thank you." Darjeeling mumbled.
Clap clap clap "Extraordinary! Just marvelous!" William walked over clapping his hands together. "Wonderful speech!"
"Thank you." Darjeeling smiled. "I didn't think the people would accept it like that…" Sweat poured down her face and she groaned loudly. "Sometimes this job is too much." She proclaimed. Orange Pekoe chuckled. "Nobody else can manage like you." She said.
Rukuriri nodded. "You have the most experience among us already. You are perfect for this role."
"You are the most elegant and graceful." William pitched in as well.
Darjeeling blushed. "If William says so…" She mumbled. "Glad to hear it." William smiled as Orange Pekoe and Rukuriri stared at him.
Southern Bonple, around 9:00 A.M.
A large formation of cavalry, more than 3,000 girls and horses, trotted through the yellow cornfield. Though they were a relic of the past, they could be a potent danger to any unsuspecting victim. Their mission was to disrupt the Kuromorimine forces long enough to allow the main army to retreat to more defensible positions. They raced towards the unaware Kuromorimine field encampment, where thousands troops were eating breakfast by their posts or by their campfires, their weapons and vehicles strewn to the side. The encampment was protected by barbed wire and a trench filled with machine guns and mortars. Mines were placed in front of the barbed wire to protect the camp from a surprise attack.
The captain of the Bonple cavalry was a girl with swirly, golden hair. Captain Napoleonka was a senior and the champion of the cavalry, a prodigy of her time. She was so good, in fact she was hailed as the best rider of not only of Japan, but the entirety of Asia. She was even supposed to join the show jumping team for the Olympics, but the Collapse changed all that. Now her expertise was used to train the cavalry force of Bonple.
Sweat trickled down her face, and she gulped down her nervousness. Her shaking gloved-hands gripped the reins. The saddle bounced up and down, while her black boots was firmly in the stirrups. She adjusted her hat, and her sword swung from her hip. Her gaze was kept forward, and listened to the thunderous hooves of horses pounding the earth. Overwhelmed by anger and sadness, she bit her lip, knowing that this mission was most likely her last. All she wanted to do was to train and live with horses her whole life. Her future was set in stone; but that was all taken away from her. And now the school took advantage of her mastery of horse riding to train girls and horses in the art of war. Her love of horses wasn't supposed to end up like this.
She looked down at her brown stallion, and stroked his mane. "I don't know what to think anymore." She whispered. But she swallowed down her fear and calmed down. I have to do this. It's my job. Her eyes narrowed as they neared their objective. I have to protect my school from the invasion. She patted the stallion's head. "You're a good boy, Casimir. Just a little bit farther and it'll be all over." She murmured.
"Captain Napoleonka!" Her subordinate said. Napoleonka glanced back and nodded. "Hundred meters until the enemy positions!" She shouted. She unsheathed her Szabla wz. 34 saber and raised it in the air. The sunlight glinted off the metal sword. "Ready your weapons!" She ordered. The other cavalry riders unsheathed their swords, unholstered their pistols, carbines, rifles, even lances and axes were present. They began to canter through the field, gaining speed every time they took a step closer.
They were almost at the edge of the cornfield, and Napoleonka's entire body tensed up. She swept her hand through Casimir's mane one last time. "It's almost time." She told him. "All right, charge!" She shouted.
The thousands of horses turned into a fast gallop and broke through the field. They emerged out of the cornfield like a tidal wave, hollering and brandishing their weapons. The Kuromorimine troops looked up from their meals in shock to see the cavalry rolling towards them.
They quickly set up their Machine guns and mortars, raining down a torrent of shells and bullets toward the charging cavalry. The wall of steel and gunpowder collided into the cavalry, cutting down horses and girls by the hundreds. Both humans and animals crashed down to the ground, filled with bullet holes. Explosions rocked the charge, throwing riders into the air. Horses stopped moving, before falling down onto the ground. Riders were thrown off their steeds, only to be crushed by horses behind them. Horses tripped over dead corpses and fell to the ground, struggling to get back up. One horse flipped onto its back, its stomach riddled with shrapnel. Mortar shells plunged themselves into the ranks of the cavalry, creating huge gaps in the formation.
But this did not stop the charge. Even the minefield failed to stop the charge; though it threw chunks of horse flesh and blood across the field.
Though hundreds of riders have already died, more appeared from the fields, only to be killed by the epic barrage. The wave of horses crept closer to the trench, finally breaking through the minefield and reaching the barbed wire. All around the field, dismounted soldiers executed their critical wounded mounts by shooting them in the head with their sidearms. The once green field of grass was now a sea of red, blood seeping into every square feet of ground.
Napoleonka galloped through the corpse-filled field, jumping over bodies and across the minefield. She covered her face as dust clouded her vision. Her hearing was covered by the roaring of the mines and mortars, as well as popping of rifles and machine guns firing coming from the trenchline. Her friends were killed beside her, blood splattering against her face. She wiped her face with her hand, turning her white glove dark red. Bullets zipped by her, grazing the side of her hat. She saw the barbed wire loom closer, their pointy teeth no doubt cause tremendous pain to any living thing it touched.
"Alright Casimir, jump like you've never jumped before." Napoleonka told her stallion, who snorted as if in response.
The first wave of cavalry met the barbed wire; the riders failed to leap over the wire, and had gotten tangled. The horses neighed in panic as they squirmed around in the wire, allowing the barbs to dig deeper into their skin. Riders shrieked when they felt their steed buckle forwards, throwing them face first into the wire. All this while the entrenched Kuromorimine troops poured lead into the charge. The horses and girls were helplessly entangled in the wire as they were gunned down by MG34s. Some barbed wire placements were completely covered with the corpses of soldiers and horses, allowing other riders to use them as stepping stones. Mortar shells landed among the barbed wire, throwing them up into the air. They landed on unfortunate riders that were beneath the falling wire.
Napoleonka tapped Casimir's sides with her stirrups, and he gracefully flew into the air, over the barbed wire. He landed with a dull thud, a small cloud of dust coming from under his hoofs, and continued onwards.
The riders maneuvered around the maze of wires and finally was in reach of the trench. Defenders looked up in horror as the cavalry loomed above them, raising their sabers into the air. They slashed down, cutting through the defenders' chests and heads. Many of them slid down the trench, where they cut down many a Kuromorimine soldier. Some punched through bodies with lances under their arms. The defending infantry retaliated by shooting the horses in the trench, forcing the rider to collapse onto the ground, before firing point blank at them. Soldiers with bayonets stabbed the riders as they struggled to get their mounts out of the trench. Riders with pistols would shoot down any opposing enemy. Submachine gunners would stand above the trenches and pepper the cavalry below with dozens of bullets.
Mortar shells and grenades blew up both Bonple cavalry and Kuromorimine infantry, as ordinances do not differentiate between the two sides. Bodyparts of human and horse litter the trench, and the blood is now an Inch deep. The trench was filled with bodies riddled with bullets and bloody gashes.
Napoleonka spurred Casimir faster as she neared the trench. A Kuromorimine soldier aimed her K98 right at her. Casimir jumped over the trench, and to the bewilderment of the riflewoman, flew over her. As the soldier gaped at the horse above her, Napoleonka sliced down, cutting the soldier's face in half. She landed on the other side of the trench, landing on an unfortunate soldier.
Other cavalrywomen began jumping over the trench as well, firing down at the infantry below. Kuromorimine infantrywomen crumpled down as they were killed in their posts. The infantry jutted their bayonets and barrels in the air, firing and stabbing into the abdomens of the horses. They whinnied in pain, entrails and blood raining freely into the dirty trench. For the riders whose horses were killed in midair found themselves flying towards the earth, crashing down and breaking their bones, only to be killed by the Kuromorimine troops on the other side. Horses that managed to land on the other side began to create havoc in the encampment, slicing and trampling through tents. Soldiers scrambled out of the way as cavalry charged through the Kuromorimine garrison. The cavalry used carbines, pistols, axes and swords, whatever they had to kill the infantrywomen.
By now the trench was overrun; bodies of horses and soldiers stacked on top of each other, and the defenders were scrambling out of the trench, only to be sliced and gunned down from behind. Their bodies slid back into the trench to join the slowly rising floor of the dead. The cavalry now only had to walk across the trench, which was nothing more than a little dip.
The garrison reacted swiftly, setting up machine gun and field gun positions, gunning the cavalry down. The cavalry fell by the dozens as riflewomen and submachine gunners turned their sights toward them. The horses and girls staggered back, their heads and torsos ripped to pieces.
Napoleonka stabbed the chest of a Kuromorimine soldier and pulled out, throwing the body onto the ground. A soldier tried to take down Napoleonka down from behind, but with a swift kick from Casimir shoots the soldier into the sky. She lands on the ground, and a sick crack could be heard from her skull. Napoleonka looks around and saw a machine gun team firing at a team firing at five horsewomen. They screamed as they were penetrated by hundreds of bullets, and collapsed to the ground. Napoleonka urged Casimir forward, who snorted and galloped towards the machine gun. Too late the machine gun team noticed Napoleonka and turned their gun towards her as she bore down on them.
They raised their barrel up at Napoleonka, but Casimir reared up, crushing bones and skulls with his hoofs. The other crewmembers tried to run, but Napoleonka swung her saber, and their napes cut open, light-red blood spraying out. She turned Casimir, and was met with bullets zipped past her. Girls aimed with their rifles at her, but Napoleonka sped away.
Several Kuromorimine girls dragged a field gun and began firing at a mass of a dozen horses. The explosion sprayed them with dust and shrapnel, killing one girl. The remaining cavalry wheeled around and galloped full speed towards the field gun. After quickly reloading, the gun fired again, landing in the midst of the advancing formation. Four horses buckled down, killed by the blast. The other seven girls fire their pistols at the crew, putting bullets into their chests.
A cavalrywoman stops her horse and aims her carbine at one Kuromorimine soldier with a MP38 smg. She staggered back as she took a shot, killing the soldier instantly.
Dismounted cavalrywomen got back up from the ground and picked up their weapons and fought the Kuromorimine infantry on an equal plane. One girl swung an ax into the face of a Kuromorimine officer, splitting her head in two. The brain matter flew out as the body fell to the ground. Picking up Kuromorimine weapons from fallen soldiers, they engaged in firefights, though they were usually on the losing side. Some retained their sabers and participated in duels with enemy soldiers who had picked up blood-soaked melee weapons.
The Kuromorimine troops were being slowly pushed back, and eventually started to run in a frenzied panic, throwing their weapons away. They ran through their encampment, chased by the empowered cavalry. "We can do this! After them!" One girl shouted, and the others whooped out a war yell as they ran down the routing infantry. Napoleonka joined them as she pulled on the reins of Casimir. Maybe things are going well after all, she thought. They ripped through tents as they trampled down their enemies in a final charge.
The infantry were seemingly aiming for the forest just beyond the edge of the encampment. The cavalry spurred their steeds to annihilate the now broken foe.
Gunfire erupted from the forest, cutting hundreds of cavalry down. From the trees appeared Panzer Is, Panzer IIs and Kfz 13 armored cars. The cavalry charge halted as a storm of machine gun and autocannon fire tore through the ranks of the cavalry. The cavalry panicked as the screams of horses and girls echoed throughout the entire encampment. Some threw grenades, but they exploded harmlessly away from the Panzers.
Napoleonka wasn't able to process what had just happened when she felt her entire body jerk around, and a terrible pain coursed through her torso. She looked down and realized blood was pouring out of her, her uniform turning red.
There was a horrible neigh, and she landed onto the blood-soaked grass. She was face-up so she could see the sky. She craned her neck to the left, which caused immense pain for her. She saw Casimir next to her, laying on his side. His enormous face looked straight at her. Blood was streaming down his entire body. He neighed softly as Napoleonka caressed his snout, cringing in pain every time she did so.
"It's alright. Everything is fine now. The pain will go away soon." She muttered, tears flowing down her face. Large tears welled up in Casimir's eyes as well, as if in response to his owner's pain. He whinnied, and Napoleonka smiled. "Shhh. I'll be with you, so don't worry." She muttered. She coughed, and spat out blood. "You've done an amazing job. You were the best horse I've ever had the joy to handle." She nuzzled her nose against his. "I-" She stopped as her stallion whinnied one last time before going silent. His big glassy eyes stared blankly at her.
Napoleonka let the tears roll out, as a Kuromorimine officer stepped up to her and put a bullet in her brain.
"Retreat!" The frightened girls took that order to heart, made a U-turn and galloped away as quickly as they could, all the while being mowed down from behind. Horses and riders fell down as their bones and muscle were shredded apart. The infantry regained their composure and fired at the backs of the cavalry, killing even more.
The retreating cavalry diminished as they jumped over destroyed tents and bloody corpses back to their home. By the time they reached the cornfields, only a few dozen cavalry remained. The rest were either dead or dying on the field, laying over the trenches and torn to bits from the field guns.
The Kuromorimine troops began cleaning up the mess, picking up hundreds of the bodies of their comrades to be buried, while tossing the corpses of the Bonple riders into mass ditches, with Napoleonka among them.
Kuromorimine High School 10:42 A.M.
Maho sat alone in her study, reclining back in a chair. She took out her phone and dialed a number. She put the phone up to her ear as it rang.
"Maho." It was Géza on the other side. "It's quite early."
"Is it?" Maho questioned. "Anyways, we need to talk."
"About this morning?"
"Yes. I'm the only one that they've gone to war with."
"Not the entire-" Géza tried to ask, but was interrupted.
"No, just me. And everything is going smoothly." Maho chuckled.
"What?" Géza's puzzled tone made Maho smile.
"I want you to hold off for a few days. Anchovy told me she will act by tomorrow. And Nishi is busy with United Front."
"Why me? And what about Anzio?"
"To put them in a false sense of security. And in Anzio's case to force Kebab to attack them. Even if Anzio does go to war, but takes a defensive posture, Kebab will be forced to act. And that will prompt Gallipoli to join us. They will be their own downfall." Maho explained.
"But what about Viking Fisheries?"
"What about them? We'll just land a naval invasion and fly some fallschirmjägers in or something." Maho cooly told her.
"Sure, fine. But what do you want me to do?"
"Wait until Gregor commits most of their military towards us, then you'll strike from the rear, forcing them to pull back. Then we'll push forward and we'll squeeze them until capitulation."
"Alright. And if I send soldiers to Bonple, will we get to keep the territory we take?" Géza said after a minute of silence.
"We'll see about that." Maho replied.
"Ugh, whatever. We'll need to talk more on this later, I have to do something right now." The phone hung up, leaving Maho quite satisfied.
Gregor High School, 11:25 A.M.
Boleslava watched the column of troops march off to the border with Kuromorimine. Tanks and armored cars followed them in formation, while the onlooking crowd cheered them on. The officers marching through the streets looked up at Boleslava and saluted. Boleslava returned the salute.
This was going to be an easy war, there was no doubt about it. With most of their military in Bonple, Kuromorimine opened itself up to an attack by Maginot and BC Freedom from the south, and Gregor from the east. Maybe Bonple will launch a counterattack and push Kuromorimine out of their territory. And then they will all converge into Niigata and split the prefecture for themselves. It wasn't a bad plan to Boleslava. With the arms of Bonple, St. Gloriana, Maginot, BC Freedom, Gregor, Maple, Grona, Koala Forest and maybe Viking Fisheries and Kebab, their armies outnumber Kuromorimine at least three to one.
But maybe, Boleslava thought to herself. Maybe they anticipated all this and prepared their own plans to counteract ours. We can't underestimate Maho too much, no matter how much we have the advantage. We need to beat them quickly.
She sighed as the army continued to march past her. Anyways, we could mobilize most of our army, and within the week attack the Kuromorimine border. "I better get a big share out of Kuromorimine." She muttered under her breath.
Ooarai High School 12:18 P.M.
Miho and the rest of the girls walked down the cafeteria in the school. There was a large bandaid on the back of Miho's head.
"Are you alright, Nishizumi-dono?" Yukari asked. Miho nodded. "I'm fine. Thanks for asking." She said.
"I'm going to find whoever was bullying you and give her the worst scolding in her life!" Saori shouted. Miho gently grabbed her shoulder. "It's fine. Really." She told Saori.
After they got their lunches they walked around to get a seat. As they looked for open spots, they listened to the conversations of the other students.
"Did you hear about what happened this morning?"
"Yeah. St. Gloriana went to war with Kuromorimine."
"What do you think will our school's going to do?"
"I hope we join the war, Kuromorimine is going to lose so badly."
"Yeah, they have no chance of winning."
"The war is going to be over in a matter of weeks I tell you! How would they win?"
"I can't actually believe Kuromorimine attacked Bonple!"
"They're actually killing people with tanks and other stuff."
"Wow, that's really scary."
"I know. Their leader in particular is scary."
"Nishizumi Maho?"
"Yeah, that's her. She's their military dictator. She literally controls everything."
"And now she's trying to get more power. What a greedy person."
"I know. She is horrible for attacking another school."
"When they lose, I hope St. Gloriana and the others execute Maho and her lot. They deserve nothing less!"
"Doesn't she have a sister that goes to this school?"
"Really? Oh my God, what if she's a spy for Kuromorimine!"
"Wait, I think that's her!" People point and whisper as Miho walks by.
"She looks really uncomfortable."
"Maybe she really is a spy, and is trying to keep it a secret from us?"
"Should we report her to the Public Morals Committee? If she is a spy that is breaking the law."
"Oh, that captain's going to go crazy."
"Good thing she only leads the Public Morals Committee, and doesn't have the presidency itself. God knows how she'll abuse it."
"Probably she's going to torture and execute the spy."
"Good riddance. I don't want any rat to be running around freely."
"Maybe she's heading a spy ring?"
"She sends information back to Kuromorimine using secret code only she and her sister knows!"
"People are so rude." Hana said. "I know! Talking about Miporin behind her back like that." Saori grumbled. "They misunderstand Nishizumi-dono so badly." Yukari muttered. "It's alright, Nishizumi-dono! We will always be with you no matter what!" She said to Miho, who was walking rather slowly. "Thank you." She said. "I found a spot!" She exclaimed, pointing to four empty spots by the edge of a table.
"Things are going badly for your sister, you know." Mako said bluntly. "I doubt Darjeeling will give her a second chance."
"Mako! Don't say things like that!" Saori scolded. Miho sighed. "Honestly, I don't know what she's thinking right now." She muttered. Saori slapped Mako on the head. "Look what you did!" She hissed, and Mako slunk down. Miho chuckled. "It's okay. This isn't the first time I felt like this. Besides, I believe that she knows what she's doing."
"It's those kinds of remarks that makes us think that you're not one of us." A voice called out. The four girls turned their heads and saw the girl from yesterday with her posse, standing in front of them with smug expressions on their faces.
"So I see you still like to think you belong here." The girl said, and Miho flinched.
"Hey, what the hell is wrong with you? Stop bullying her!" Saori stood up, facing the girl. The girl smirked. "I'm putting a rat in its place. Why are you defending an outsider?" She asked.
Saori flushed red with anger. "Don't you dare call her that! She is a part of this school!" She shouted.
"Bullshit! She still a part of the Nishizumi family. I know how strict the style and Kuromorimine is! And she was brought up there! She is different from the rest of us!" The girl exclaimed.
"Miporin left Kuromorimine because she didn't fit in! It wasn't her style!" Saori growled.
The girl grinned. "So she's a coward that ran away from her own kind."
"Stop using that kind of language!" Saori screamed, making the entire cafeteria turn silent and swiveled their heads to the argument.
"How dare you treat her like that! Miporin is the nicest girl you will ever meet! She is nice, respectful and is willing to help anybody! She even cares about scum like you!"
The girl laughed. "Me? Scum? Funny hearing that from you. You're just a little whore. You prostrate yourself to guys, but even they don't want to catch AIDS from a dog like you!" She shot back.
Saori's face turned a light purple as people sniggered behind her. "Why, you little bitch!" She took a step forward, but was pulled back by Yukari. "Please, let's keep it civil!" She shouted.
The girl leered. "Oh, I know about you, tank freak. I bet you like tanks so much you have wet dreams about them! You want to lose your virginity to a Tiger I bet."
Yukari took a step back at the insult. "I will not let you belittle Nishizumi-dono or anybody else!" She said.
"Oh, Nishizumi-dono? You call her Nishizumi-dono?" The girl chuckled. "Do you hear that guys? What are you, Nishizumi's slave or something?" The girl leaned in closer. "I know. You want Nishizumi to ride you like a tank, right? How about penetrating your front armor, huh? I bet you want that too! And don't forget about engine!" She cackled, and Yukari shuffled back with tears in her eyes.
"Hey, why don't you stop being such a bitch?" Mako stumbled forwards. "Seriously, don't you have anything better to do? How about sucking your dad's dick?"
The crowd gasped, and the girl looked surprised. She then smirked at Mako. "Damn, that's a good one. You look like a damn zombie. You seem like a lazy slob. Maybe that's why your parents left you!" She roared.
Mako froze and her eyes widened. Saori looked down at her shaking fists and realized Mako was now angry, something that rarely ever happens.
"Your such a waste of space that your grandma's going to die of a heart attack!" The girl continued.
"You-you-you fucking bitch!" Mako exploded. "How could you! My parents are dead!"
There was a loud audible gasp from the crowd. "And my grandmother is in the hospital right now!" She screamed.
A second, louder gasp came from the onlookers. A friend of the girl tapped her on the shoulder. "That was too far, Kana. Maybe you should apologize…"
But the girl waved her off. "How was I supposed to know? Maybe if she wasn't such a lazyass this wouldn't have happened!" She shouted.
Mako stepped forward, her gaze becoming more dark. "I'm going to make you suffer." She growled, and the girl stepped back, now genuinely scared of Mako. Her voice was now emitted in a low snarl, and her eyes was filled with malice and hatred towards the girl in front of her. "When I'm done with you you're going to wish you were dead."
The girl stepped forward as well. "Fine. Bring it on."
They pounced on each other; they pulled at each other's hair and scratched and kicked. The crowd looked on with shock as the two girls slammed each other's heads against the tables, spilling food and drinks. Blood trickled down both faces. The girl punched Mako in the face, who fell down. Mako jumped back up and lunged at the girl. They both fell to the ground. Mako leaned down and bit down on the girl's neck, who screamed in pain. Blood bubbled out of the wound. The girl kneed Mako in the gut, but she would not let go.
Suddenly there was a loud screeching noise. Somebody had blown a whistle from across the room, and everybody looked up to see several girls in uniform running towards them.
"Shit, it's the Public Morals Committee!" The girl shoved Mako off of her, and with her friends ran off in the other direction.
"What the hell is going on here? Was there a fight?" A girl stopped in front of Mako. "Reizei-san, what happened to you? Were you the one fighting?" She demanded. Her eyes widened as she saw the state Mako was in. "Oh my God! You're bleeding all over!"
Mako crumpled to the ground, and the girl stooped down to catch her.
"Sodoko!" Mako wailed. The girl frowned. "It's not Sodoko." She mumbled. "Tell me exactly what happened."
Sono Midoriko, or as everybody called her "Sodoko", was the head of the Public Morals Committee, the police force of Ooarai. After the student council itself, Sodoko was the most powerful individual across the school.
Anzu was munching on sweet dried potatoes as usual as she talked on the phone.
"So, how's the life, Key?"
"Good. I'm really busy right now with the election campaign and stuff."
"Huh, must be pretty hard work."
"Yeah, it is. Alisa has been a great help, surprisingly."
"Ah, the cheater."
"Well, I suppose."
"So are you winning so far?"
"Can't say for certain right now. It's been pretty even for quite some time."
Anzu grinned. "How about a smear campaign against the opponent?"
"No. I can't do that." Key replied. "We have to do this in a respectful manner."
"Even if she is open about it? Whatever, you do you."
She emptied the bag, and took out another one from the desk.
"I have to say, this morning was quite the surprise."
"Haha! Darjeeling hyped herself up with that one!"
"She is going to win, right?"
"How could she not? The whole alliance declared war on just Kuromorimine, and besides for Pravda the other schools can't do much!"
"Maybe." Anzu answered as her phone rang while talking on to Key. "Oh, sorry. I got another call. Can I put you on hold for a sec?"
"Yeah, go ahead."
Anzu pressed a button and answered with a cheery "Hello!". But her expression quickly turned dark. "So, explain this carefully to me, Sodoko."
Viggens High School, 1:14 P.M.
Loki and Oslofjord sat from across each other.
"So, what's so important? Usually I don't have time for this." Loki tapped her finger against the armrests impatiently. Oslofjord gulped. "Well, as you know the 'Maternal Alliance' is now at war with Kuromorimine." She started. Loki signed. "I have no interests in your little conflict."
"You are helping our enemy! Cease your activities immediately." Oslofjord demanded.
"It is our school's right to trade with whoever we wish." Loki coolly replied. "I. Will trade with whoever wishes to trade with me."
"But Kuromorimine is a threat to the stability of Japan." Oslofjord explained.
Loki rolled her eyes. "By your logic I shouldn't trade with you because you are an enemy of Kuromorimine." She retorted.
Oslofjord frowned. "Then you are collaborating with criminals!" She shouted.
Loki scowled. "That is some accusation. If you think you can come over to my school and demand and order from me? You must be sorely mistaken." Her patience with Oslofjord was quickly running out.
"Then you, you are a threat as well! Don't force me to take action!" Loki exclaimed.
Loki chuckled at that. "Really? You and what army? Look, I don't know why you and your friends have some God complex. Why do you believe so much that you are the supreme authority? You have no such power over me."
"Don't underestimate us!" Oslofjord said, glaring at Loki. "You will regret this!"
Loki groaned. "I've had enough." She muttered. "Guards! Escort this young woman out!" She shouted, and two burly men appear from behind her. They picked up Oslofjord, who has a look of disbelief as she is taken out of the room. Loki stood up and walked out of the room, not at all pleased about what just happened.
Kuromorimine-Maginot/BC Freedom Border, Southern Front, 2:41 P.M.
The Kuromorimine border was a fortress. Hundreds of concrete bunkers, dozens of kilometers of trenches and barbed wire, anti tank ditches and dragon's teeth lined the border. Dozens of cloches dotted the defense, while retractable turrets stuck up from the ground. Thousands of landmines littered the landscape. AA guns defended the line from the air. Entire towns were incorporated into the defense. Camouflaged artillery guns were secretly deployed behind the line, while hidden airfields could scramble aircraft when necessary. To prevent gliders or parachuters from landing behind the line, there was iron netting that spread out for hundreds of meters placed in strategic locations. There were machine guns and mortar positions. Tank garages allowed immediate armored support. Casemates and tunnels were interwoven together like an ants nest.
This line was manned by tens of thousands of soldiers, trained specifically to defend their fortress. To accommodate them, underground barracks were built for them, with cafeterias, bathrooms, and even lounge rooms available. There was enough food and ammunition to last them a lifetime.
This magnanimous fortress was to protect Kuromorimine's southern frontier from all invasions. The defensive line was dubbed the "Sheska Line", after its commander, General Sheska, who had become a rising star within the ranks after the collapse.
Sheska sat in her bunker, looking out of a window that faced BC Freedom. Over the fields and forests was the enemy, preparing to attack the border this very minute. The test will begin in a few days at least, a week at most, she thought. How my creation will withstand their attacks, I don't know for sure. But I hope we'll stop their attacks anyhow.
Sheska stood up and walked out of the bunker, into the green fields outside. Maybe this is going to be the last time I'll be able to step outside in a peaceful world. She watched the garrison do push-ups and run laps around the fields. It's only a matter of time…
"General? What are you doing?" A subordinate tapped her on the shoulders. "Oh." Sheska turned around. "Sorry, I was just stuck in my own thoughts."
"Well, we made some stollen. Want some?" The subordinate asked. Sheska nodded. "Sure."
And here is Chapter 7! Poor Miho and her friends, having to deal with rumors and ridicule from fellow students, how will they pull through?
The cavalry scene was particularly fun to write. I was inspired by the little scene from War Horse(good movie btw) and a story I wrote earlier. I also felt it was appropriate as the Poles in WWII used cavalry to an extent(but the story of the Polish cavalry charging Panzers is a myth).
And a 'new' character for Kuromorimine! Sheska is a minor character from Little Army II, a generally underappreciated series in my eyes. So I hope sheska(as well as other characters from that series) will become major players in this story.
If you have any suggestions, criticism, or anything in general review this story or PM me! I will almost always answer any message I get!
And now, I shall go. Until next time!