Chapter Twenty Four: Family Reunion
June 19th, Kuromorimine Girl's High School Carrier, 8:00 A.M.
Kaito slowly opened his eyes and raised his head. He looked around, and saw he was in a large room, in a pink bed. A fan gently turned above him, blowing cool wind. There was a large dresser with its doors open; there were several black uniforms hanging in there. There was a chair with a Panzer hat hanging off the back. In front of it was a desk, with a portrait of Miho and Maho together was on the center of the desk. Oh, this is Maho's room, Kaito thought. His eyes widened. Wait, why am I here? How did I get here? He rubbed his eyes and yawned. What happened with last night-He turned red as the memories of the previous night flooded back into him. Oh, God oh God oh God! He shook his head. Did I really do-
There was a knock at the door, and Kaito's back shot up. He saw the door open, and was surprised to see Tanya standing there, with a tray of food in her hands.
"Good morning, Kaito-sama," She walked towards him, placing the tray on the bed. "You should thank Maho for letting you sleep in her bed." She said.
"Then where did she-" Kaito began to ask, but Tanya interrupted him.
"She and Erika slept in the living room." She replied.
Kaito began shoving pieces of eggs into his mouth. "Hm, this is good food," He said.
Tanya nodded. "You know, it was quite troublesome of us to carry you back to the carrier. You two had quite a party together,"
Kaito heard a hint of resentment in her voice. He blushed. "Well, yeah we did. Wait, carrier?" He asked.
Tanya nodded. "We're on the Kuromorimine carrier, heading back to Kumamoto. There's going to be a parade for us," She quickly replied.
"Oh," Kaito said. "That's nice."
Tanya scoffed. "Whatever you say, Kaito-sama,"
Kaito looked up from the plate, and his eyes widened. "Why-why are you dressed like that?" He asked, pointing at Tanya.
Tanya looked down, and turned red. She was wearing nothing but her undergarments. "It's early in the morning, Kaito-sama, is this a problem for you?" Her eyes narrowed and a sly grin appeared on her lips. "Or is this arousing for you? Does this distract you?" Her fingers moved towards the straps of her bra.
Kaito shrugged. "No, not really," He replied nonchalantly.
Tanya recoiled. "Okay, fine. I'll just go then," She said in a somewhat dejected voice as she got up. "Get up after you finish that." She ordered as she closed the door.
"Huh, I wonder what's wrong with her," Kaito muttered as he shoveled more food into his mouth.
Nishizumi Mansion, Tokyo
Shiho knelt silently by the desk, flipping through papers. The door to the garden was open, the slight breeze floating inside. Wind chimes made echoing riing noises as they spun around. She barely heard the TV blaring from across the room.
"It is here in Kagoshima where the victorious JSDF and Kuromorimine Senshadou Teams are going to make their procession this afternoon. 20,000 men and women that have fought to protect our nation will march down our streets in a glorious return!"
Shiho ignored it, choosing to finishing her work. She signed the last paper off and placed it on the top of the stack of papers. She sighed as she leaned back, wiping her brow with her arm. She took the stack of papers and opened a small drawer. As she noticed a small book tucked in the corner.
Intrigued, she picked up the book and walked back to the table. She set the book down and opened it. It was a picture album of the past decade. She sifted through pictures of Maho and Miho when they were younger, playing on the beach and laying under the sun. She flipped to one page and saw a picture of herself and Kijiro, herself in a beautiful wedding dress, and Kijiro in a shiny black suit. A surge of anger built up inside of her, and she wanted to rip the little book into pieces. But she calmed herself down and turned the other page.
It was a picture of Shiho, Maho, Miho as well as two other people-an older man and a young girl. Maho and Miho were extremely young, around eight and six respectively. The older man was around Shiho's age, and the little girl around six years old. The old man wore a dark green military uniform, with several medals overlapping each other on his chest. Colorful ribbons were pinned above his chest pockets. His over the top peaked top was not on him, but instead plopped on top of the little girl, who sported a long ponytail and also wore a military uniform, except with a frilly dress. They were all standing in front of several large IS-2 Soviet tanks, lying in rows in the background.
They all looked happy without a care in the world. Everybody was laughing, staring at the camera. A wave of sadness hit Shiho like a tidal wave. With tears in her eyes, she closed the book shut and pushed it away. To think there were times like that...She thought. On instinct she looked at her phone, and her eyes widened when she saw the date. June 19th, that's when he died...
"Shiho-sama! Are you ready to pick up Miho-ojousama?" Kikuyo's voice called out. She walked into the room. "What are you doing, Shiho-sama?" She asked.
Shiho looked up at her as she stood up. "Just the anniversary of the death of a good friend of mine. Come one, let's go get Miho,"
Pyongyang Military Cemetary, North Korea
Mi-jing stood silently in front of the gravestone, holding a bouquet. She placed it in front of the gravestone, which was no different that the thousand other headstones in the cemetary. The only thing that set it apart from the rest was the name on the headstone: Ryuk Yong-gon.
Mi-jing sighed as a few flowers floated out of the bouquet. She bent over to pick them up and put them back. After stood back up, she stared at the gravestone. It's been ten years, she thought, Ten years since you've died, father. It's been too long since I saw you. She exhaled deeply. I joined the war and even became famous throughout the continent, She smiled faintly to herself. Well, infamous is the right word. Being the daughter of a tank commander certainly has its benefits. Tears began forming at the edge of her eyes. Father, I've been alone for ten years. You were the only person that cared for me after mother died. But after you died, I've been struggling all this time.
She composed herself. Father, you taught me well. I took everything you said to heart and fought in the South and Okinawa. I fought extremely long and hard to keep the country you loved together. I climbed through the ranks of the military, I had to just to survive. Father, I hope you are sleeping in peace. Please, if you already are, please keep watching over me.
"Mi-jing!" A raspy voice called out. Mi-jing turned around to see her uncle, Ryuk Song-thaek, a small, wirey man with bald spots standing behind her. He walked over to her father's grave. "Your father was a great man, loyal to the supreme leader and the nation," He put his hand on her shoulder. "To see his murderers still run around free makes me boil with rage." He looked down at Mi-jing. "I am glad to see you have grown up to become a loyal servant for our great nation."
Mi-jing looked down. "Thank you, uncle," She murmured.
Song-thaek smiled. "Good. Let's go back to the car,"
They drove away from the cemetary, through the urban center of Pyongyang. Mi-jing stared through the window, while her uncle was driving. Storm clouds began forming, and rain pitter pattered against the car.
"Mi-jing." Song-thaek said.
"Hm?" Mi-jing looked up.
"You got an invite from Lady Wu for a 'meeting' in a few months. It'll be in Beijing, with a few other girls. It'll be with the tank commanders from our allied nations," He said. "Are you going to go?"
"Yes!" Mi-jing shouted.
Song-thaek nodded. "Your flying expenses will be paid for,"
Mi-jing beamed. "Thank you, uncle!" Then a thought came to her. "But isn't she fighting in Malaysia?" She asked.
A wry smile crept onto her uncle's face. "The tide will turn down there soon," He muttered. Mi-jing stared at him, before shrugging and turning back to face the window.
Ooarai High School Carrier
Miho and her friends stood by the helipad, while the student council watched from behind.
Miho turned to look at Anzu. "Are you sure this is okay?" She asked.
Anzu gave a thumbs up. "Don't worry. Hijikata gave you the green light," She replied.
"We're finally going to meet your sister, this is so exciting," Yukari exclaimed.
"And your brother!" Saori added.
Miho chuckled. "He's just a half-brother," She explained.
"Same thing," Saori grumbled.
"I guess Saori is desperate for anybody," Mako commented, to which Saori karate chopped her head.
"He does seem like an interesting person," Hana said.
Miho nodded. "Yeah, I really want to meet him,"
They all heard the rotors of a helicopter, and looked up to see a sleek, black helicopter descended onto the helipad. The side door opened, and the figure of Nishizumi Shiho stepped out.
Miho stepped forward, looking down meekly. "Mother," She whispered. To her surprise, Shiho took her in a tight embrace.
"I'm sorry for all these years," Shiho muttered.
"I, um, ah-" Miho stuttered, not expecting this.
Shiho let go, facing Miho with a faint smile. "You really did grow up. Not under the my Nishizumi Style, but your own Nishizumi style. If it works for you, then I don't have a problem," She and turned to the rest of the girls, who all felt a cold shiver go down their spine. "You girls really helped Miho out, and I'm thankful for that." She bowed. "I know I'm a tough person, I do admit that. But I am now trying to bring back what I've pushed away for years," She turned back to Miho. "I'm sorry for being a bad mother. I understand if you don't like me, but just remember I'll always be here for you." She exhaled.
Miho shook her head. "No, it's alright. It really is. I'm just glad everything is fine now." She sputtered out.
Shiho took Miho's shoulder and steered towards the helicopter. She turned her head to the other girls. "Want to come?" She asked. Their mouths hung open.
"Can we?" Saori exclaimed.
Shiho shrugged. "Fine with me," She replied.
Saori twisted her head towards Anzu, who grinned. "Yes please!" she shouted with enthusiasm.
Kuromorimine Girl's High School Carrier
Kaito walked out of Maho's room, and found Maho sitting silently, next to a sleeping Erika on the blue couch. Maho was watching the news, which was showing footage of Okinawa.
"Morning," Maho waved.
Kaito nodded back. "Morning,"
"You're finally up," Kaito saw Tanya was now dressed in a light green military uniform with a short skirt, and wore long, white leggings. "Is this better?" she demanded.
Kaito shrugged. "I guess," He replied. Tanya glared at him before stomping off.
Kaito stared at Maho. "What's with her?" He asked.
Maho chuckled. "I don't know. Maybe because you ran off with sleepy head here to have a little drinking party," She said.
Kaito frowned. "But I thought it would be completely okay. Hell, even you urged us to go," He told her.
"Well, that was just me. I never was speaking for Tanya," Maho retorted.
Maho felt something move next to her. Erika stirred awake, and yawned.
"Morning, Erika." Maho said.
"Good morning, commander," Erika groggily returned the greeting. She wiped her eyes and looked at Kaito. Her eyes went wide and flushed red as blood soared into her head. "I, uh, good morning!" She shouted.
Kaito also blushed. "Morning," He muttered.
Maho's lips curved into a smirk. "Oh, did something happen?" She asked.
Both Erika and Kaito turned towards Maho. "No!" They both shouted, and Maho jumped up.
"Okay, of you say so," Maho rolled her eyes as she left the room. "I have to do other stuff right now, so you two hang out together."
The two teenagers stood silently, staring at each other.
"So, how did you sleep?" Kaito asked.
"Good. You?" Erika whispered.
Kaito nodded. "It's kind of weird to say it but, Maho's bed was comfortable," He said.
Erika chuckled. "The couch was comfortable too,"
Kaito sighed. "Today's the day," He muttered.
Erika leaned back on the couch. "Yeah. In just a few hours, we'll be back in Japan,"
"There's going to be a huge parade for us,"
"Really? Are we famous or something?"
"We're pretty famous back home. We did win the battle after all,"
"It was a tough battle for us,"
"It was. We went through some pretty crazy shit," Kaito said. He plopped down on the couch next to Erika, who scooted away. He eyed her. "Is something wrong?" He tilted his head towards her.
"No," Erika whimpered, "It's just that…"
Hiroi came strolling in the room whistling. He stopped when he saw the two sitting on the couch. "Oh, hey!" He waved his hand. "Hey Erika, you need to lighten up a little. Carrying you was such a pain." He said. Erika flushed red, and he grinned. "Teens these days, doing what they want."
"You're only nineteen," Kaito pointed out.
Hiroi laughed. "You've got a point there!"
"What are you even doing here?" Erika glared at him.
"Oh, I just crashed here." Hiroi answered.
"You just, crashed here?" Kaito repeated in disbelief.
Hiroi nodded. "Yeah. I mean, why not? Maho let me,"
"Yeah, Maho's really nice," Came a voice from out in the hallway. The figures of Nishi and Lasagna sauntered in.
"I slept in the bathtub while Nishi was on the floor," Lasagna mumbled.
"What the hell?" Erika shouted. "Why is everybody deciding to sleep in Maho's house?"
"Is that a problem?" Earl Grey and Naoki pushed Nishi and Lasagna out of the way. "We're all friends here."
"And where did you sleep?" Erika demanded.
Earl Grey giggled. "We had to sleep under the kitchen table," She touched Naoki's shoulder, who trembled.
"Why is there so many people in my house?" Everybody turned and saw Maho standing by the doorway with a perplexed expression on her face. "I don't remember inviting all of you into my home." She said in a low tone.
"Yeah, you're all creeps," Tanya added, and everybody stepped back.
"Then where did you sleep?" Maho asked her. Tanya blushed and took a step back.
Kagoshima
Miho was shocked by the amount of people that had come. Thousands of people lined up across the street, eager for the moment the Kuromorimine school carrier lands in port. Food stands were set up, taking advantage of the throngs of people to earn a few extra yen.
They walked through the sidewalk, trying to get a view of the street.
"There's so many people!" Saori exclaimed. "Wah, now we can't get a front row view!"she cried.
"I wonder what kinds of tanks I'll be able to see…" Yukari dreamily said to herself.
"With the cheering, I can't get enough sleep!" Maho angrily mumbled.
"Don't worry, we're going to stay at an inn after this-" Miho squealed as she bumped into somebody.
"Mihosha?" A shrill voice made Miho look up in confusion.
"Katyusha-san?" She exclaimed. The shape of Nonna with Katyusha on her shoulders peered down.
"Good morning, Miho-san," Nonna extended her hand.
Miho took it, and stood back up. "What are you two doing here?" She asked.
Katyusha grinned. "We're here to watch the parade, of course! And One of my subordinates has a sister in the Emperor's Regiment!" She shouted.
Two short figures popped up from behind Nonna. "Hello!" They said.
Yukari perked up. "Oh, if it isn't the loader of the KV-2!" She exclaimed.
The shorter of the two girls stared at Yukari with a strange expression, before a sudden realization hit her. "Geh!" She jumped back behind Nonna.
The taller girl stared at her. "Nina, what's wrong?" She asked.
Nina trembled. "Alina, I made a mistake. A very bad mistake…" She muttered.
Alina shrugged, before turning to Miho. "Nina's sister is in the army, and she'll be coming here real soon," She said.
Nonna nodded. "And they are complete opposites. Nina is short and clumsy, while her sister is tall and graceful," She added.
"I'm stronger than her though," Nina grumbled. "I can throw her over my shoulder."
Nonna looked down at her. "But your sister is as tall as me," She said with her eyes wide.
"Do you know how heavy a KV-2 shell is? I have to load the black powder too," Nina told her.
"We'll have a new Aleksandr Karelin," Klara seemingly teleported behind Nonna, and Katyusha let out an audible gasp.
"Klara, where were you?" She demanded. Klara looked at her with a confused look on her face. Katyusha groaned. "Fine, you don't have to tell me." She said.
"You have a brother in the army too, right? Along with Mahosha?" She looked back down at Miho.
Maho nodded sheepishly. "Yeah, I didn't know I had a half-brother,"
"I was very perplexed," Nonna said. "Your family is bigger than we thought." She chuckled. "We all have little surprises, don't we."
"Ah, hello Nishizumi and Katyusha-san!" Everybody turned around and saw Nishi Kinuyo, Fukuda and everybody else from Chi-ha-Tan had come over.
Miho bowed. "Nishi-san, good morning," She said. "What brings you here?"
"My sister is in the parade, and I am excited to see her!" Kinuyo answered. "Apparently she is in the same regiment with your brother." She informed Miho.
Her jaw fell. "What? That is really weird!" She exclaimed.
"What a coincidence…" Klara muttered.
"It would be interesting to meet up with everybody," Kinuyo said.
"Hey, Miho! Nice to see you!" Key jumped into the fray, followed by Naomi and Alisa. They all held popcorn, soda and cotton candy.
"Key-san?" Miho shouted in surprise.
Key grinned. "I just came to enjoy the party!" She exclaimed.
Alisa groaned from behind. "Please commander, tone down." She tried to pull Key back, but Key pushed her away as she hugged Miho.
"Ready to see your big bro?" Naomi prodded Miho's face with her finger.
Miho giggled. "Well, I've mentally prepared myself as much as I could," She admitted.
Key pulled Miho in closer. "I want to meet him myself, to be honest," She whispered.
"Hey! I'm going to meet him first!" Saori jumped into the conservation.
Key backed off. "Whoah, whoah. Competition!" She grabbed onto Alisa. "Hey, Alisa. Forget Takashi. Miho's brother is our new target!" She proclaimed mischievously.
"Half-brother…" Miho muttered in defeat.
"But is there any meaning to all of this?" The sound of a kantele drifted to the group.
"Oh, Mika-san. Do you have a family member in the army too?" Miho asked without turning her head around.
"No, where there is treasure, pirates are sure to follow," Mika's soothing voice floated back.
"What does that mean?" Kinuyo asked.
Mikko grinned. "Hey, there's thousands of people here. They won't notice a wallet or some food go missing," She mischievously answered.
"Oh, okay…" Miho said, taking in what she said.
"Hey, no, they didn't mean that!" Aki barged in, "I'm sorry if they are more abnormal than usual." She bowed profusely towards Miho. "We're bit in even more of a situation than usual." She explained. "But we will never resort to thievery!" She said.
"And when will you give back our tank?" katyusha narrowed her eyes towards Aki, who slid back with a pale face.
"Oh, I feel there is an air of elegance here," Darjeeling, Assam, Orange Pekoe and Rosehip walked over.
"Ah, Darjeeling, morning," Nonna said, "Fancy seeing you here."
Darjeeling smiled. "Well, I can't ever refuse an invitation to a public tea party,"
"Nobody invited you though," A gruff voice made her freeze. A Drill Sergeant placed his rough hand on her shoulder, and she shuddered. "You just had to run away don't you?" He glared at her.
"Please sir, a friend of mine is returning from the war, and I want to see her," Darjeeling, in a rare moment of losing her composure, almost began to cry.
The Drill Sergeant sighed. "Okay, fine. Do whatever you like. But when we get back you're going to do 200 push-ups and sit-ups," He turned around and disappeared in the crowd. Orange Pekoe got out a tissue and wiped her eyes.
"Thank you," She whispered. She regained her composure. "Pleasure seeing all of you here." She said, raising a teacup.
Katyusha sneered. "What was that, Darjeeling? Got some daddy issues?" She hissed.
Darjeeling's eyes once again begin to overflow with tears. "The Sarge is, the Sarge is such a mean man! Even to a delicate lady such as myself! He even banned teatime for a week!" She wailed.
Key gasped. "Oh my gosh," She mumbled, dropping a handful of popcorn.
Darjeeling wiped her eyes. "I'm sorry for being so emotional, but it has been a long time ever since I last saw Earl Grey and-" She pulled herself into Orange Pekoe and wailed, who patted her blonde hair. She and Assam were chuckling to themselves, putting their hands over their mouths.
"I've never seen Darjeeling-sama like this," Assam wheezed.
"You guys are sadists," Alisa muttered.
"Hey hey, you guys had a pasta party without me? What are you, crazy?" Anchovy sauntered in, flanked by Carpaccio and Pepperoni.
"Is Taka-chan here?" Carpaccio asked in a hopeful tone.
Yukari shook her head. "Sorry, but only the Anglerfish team is here today." She replied. Carpaccio nodded and slunk away.
"Your big bro's coming home, isn't he?" Pepperoni shouted.
Anchovy nodded. "He's a bit strange, but he's alright,"
"You have a brother?" Katyusha asked.
Anchovy nodded. "Yeah, he's got the Italian side of the family,"
"Italian side of the family?" Miho inquired.
"Mom's Italian. Dad's Japanese. They used to argue on what our names should be. They had to rock paper scissors each time. Mom won the first time, so my brother got the Italian name Rudolfo. When I was born, my dad won so I got Chiyomi," Anchovy explained.
"Oh, that's abnormal," Key said.
"What a group we have!" Nishi exclaimed.
"Yes, let's go get some front row seats!" Katyusha added.
"I want to see your brother!" Saori exclaimed. Miho smiled awkwardly.
They shoved and pushed their way through the crowd.
"Gah, Nishi-dono!" Fukuda cried, extending her hand in the sea of people. Being small as she was, she was slowly becoming separated.
"Fukuda!" Nishi shouted, her outstretched arm clawing to grab Fukuda..
"Noooo!" Fukuda wailed. She started panicking, struggling not to get trampled by the thousands of people. Then she felt herself being lifted in the air, and was plopped on the shoulders of Key.
"Don't worry little one! You're safe with me!" She grinned.
Fukuda beamed. "Key-dono!"
"I can't see!" Nina shouted. "I'm too small!" Klara bent over and threw her over her shoulder. She quaked on top of Klara for a minute, before stopping abruptly. She scanned over the ocean of heads in wonder. "Wow, this is what Commander Katyusha feels like everyday!" She said.
Katyusha turned her head to look at Nina. "It feels good, doesn't it?" She smiled brightly.
Mikko and Aki crept up behind Mika, their feet landing softly against the concrete sidewalk.
"Hey, watch this," Mikko whispered, putting her finger up against her lips. Aki watched with glee as Mikko launched herself and propelled herself onto Mika. To both their dismay Mika crouched down and caught Mikko with both her arms.
"H-how?" Mikko sputtered.
Mika smiled. "You may trick Mother Earth, but a human's soul you can never fool." She told them.
Yukari tugged at Miho's sleeve. "Can't we do it to? Pleaase? Everybody else is doing it." She begged.
"I'm sorry, but we're too big for it," Miho replied. "And the people that are doing it are the small people riding on the large people." The heads of Katyusha, Fukuda, Mikko and Nina swiveled to glare at Miho, who quickly turned away.
"Hey, most of the crowd is of young girls," Hana realized. Miho glanced around. She was right; everybody around her was around the same age, though with varying sizes and shapes. They were all clamoring for the front, even before the soldiers had even disembarked. Oh no, Miho thought. I hope they aren't all like Saori…
…..
Right next to the entrance of the port was a rolling camera, with a news reporter standing in the middle of the frame. He was a tall, lanky fellow with thick glasses. "Well, it is almost time," He said in a high-pitched voice, "The Kuromorimine carrier is within half an hour of Kagoshima. As we can see here, there are already many fans-" He moved out of the way to reveal the throngs of young girls screaming. "-that have congregated to receive our new heroes. But they aren't the only ones!" The camera panned to the left, revealing a large set of bleachers with a roof hanging over. "Over there are the top members of the JSDF and government. Even the Emperor himself have come to spectate the parade."
….
Shiho walked up the stands, looking at each row. She wanted to get the best view of the street below her. She clicked her tongue in annoyance as her high heels wobbled against the steps.
"Instructor!" Shiho turned her head and saw Ami waving her arm. Shiho walked over to Ami and sat down.
"Good day, huh?" Ami said.
Shiho nodded. "Yeah. How was your time in Australia?" She questioned.
Ami chuckled. "Not too bad, to be honest. We talked a few things. Most of the countries were represented, though Indonesia didn't send anybody for the first day or two. Eventually we got a few things done, signing a few documents and stuff," She said, "We got a formal alliance going with our neighbors in the Philippines, Australia, New Zealand, Indonesia and Malaysia."
"So we're going to send troops into Malaysia?" Shiho inquired.
"No, not yet. But we will be sending troops the the Philippines as a united force," Ami answered.
…..
"There's a lot of people here," Shiho observed.
"Yup, people from the government and military are here," Ami said. "Look, there's General Ayazaki." She pointed. Shiho turned around and saw the huge figure of General Ayazaki sitting a few steps back. Shiho spun her head back to Ami.
"Hm, what a surprise to see you here," Shiho twirled to face Sakurai sitting down next to her. "It's not like I wanted to come, but I was forced to." He grumbled. "I had things to do. I was forced by him." He nodded his head backwards, and Shiho and Ami looked up.
Shiho's face turned red with anger when she saw Kijiro sitting at the very top, chatting with the Emperor himself. He was laughing loudly, waving his hands in the air. The Emperor sat silently, smiling and nodding to whatever Kijiro was saying. He was a tall man, with short, black hair swept to the side of his head. Next to him was a younger boy, around the age of Miho, sitting quietly and staring forwards. He also had short black hair, which was split at the middle. They both wore black suits and tie, with shiny black shoes. The younger boy was leaning back in the seat, arms crossed.
As Shiho stared at the trio up above, the boy glanced down. Their eyes met, and were locked in a minute-long silence. Shiho was unable to turn her head away as she continued to stare up at him. The boy's eyes were narrowed, and so looked bored and apathetic. What the hell? Shiho thought. Is he…
"Instructor! Stop gaping at the Crown Prince!" Ami shook Shiho's shoulder.
Shiho's head jerked forward. "Oh, sorry. I don't know what got into me…" She muttered.
"Are you into those kinds of boys?" Ami jeered.
Shiho frowned. "No," She answered.
"Don't worry about it, Chouno. Those kinds of things run in the Nishizumi family," Sakurai said gruffly next to Shiho. She glared at him, and he quickly backed away.
The rest of the seats was quickly filled up as politicians and generals filed in. Shiho spotted through the crowd a tall man with glasses walking up the stairs. Renta glanced over and gulped as he saw Shiho staring at him. He quickened his pace, and took his place next to Kijiro.
"Instructor, the time is almost here," Ami said excitedly. Shiho nodded. At last, I get to see Maho, She thought to herself.
Kuromorimine Girl's High School Carrier
"It's almost time," Tanya said as the Emperor's regiment checked their uniforms and weapons for the last time on the streets that led to the ramp off the carrier.
"I'm so nervous," Erika panted.
Maho looked at her. "Yeah, we're going to be on national television,"
"And there's going to be a bunch of people waiting for us," Kaito added.
Maho straightened and put on her Panzer jacket. "Okay girls, get into your Panzers! We're going to put on a display that will show the world our strength and valor!" She shouted. The Kuromorimine Senshadou team quickly got into their respective vehicles and maneuvered into a column.
"Hey hey, don't forget about us!" Maho turned around and saw Francisca strolling up to her. "I did a good job too, right señora?" She leaned forward, forcing Maho to take a step back.
Maho smiled. "You're one of our comrades too,"
Kaito sharpened his guntō and slid it back into his scabbard. He touched his hair, which covered the bandages that were still wrapped against his forehead. His finger touched the bandage, and recoiled as pain singed through his entire head. Aw damn it, he thought. I guess I really should have held myself back…
"Kaito-sama," Tanya stood right in front of him. "You need to pull yourself together. Here." She knelt down and brushed Kaito's uniform down. She dug into her pocket and took out a small brush. "Hold still." She commanded as she pulled Kaito's head closer.
"Hey, I can do this on my own!" He complained.
"But you don't." Tanya curtly replied, to Kaito's dismay. Tanya began to pull the comb through Kaito's hair, straightening out the disheveled hair.
Kaito groaned as she continued to sift through his hair. "Gah!" he exclaimed as she took his hair in her hand. "Could you not?" He demanded.
Tanya dropped his hair. "I'm just trying to help," She muttered dejectedly.
"Oh, I just thought you should focus on yourself!" Kaito immediately backtracked as he took the comb out of Tanya's hand and began pulling it down Tanya's hair. She smiled as Kaito straightened out her hair.
Maho tapped her foot anxiously against the concrete road. Sweat poured down her face, and she wiped it off with her handkerchief. She sighed as she looked around her Senshadou team. Millions of people will be watching us, she thought, don't freak out, don't freak out…
"Are you guys all ready?" A voice called out.
Maho straightened up. "Alright, girls, panzer vor!"
Kagoshima
Miho stood in the middle of the crowd, looking out into the street. Everybody was in anticipation of the arriving soldiers.
"Attention everybody! The Kuromorimine High School carrier has just touched down in Kagoshima harbor! Let us welcome back our brave heroes and heroines!" A voice announced through the speakers.
The crowd erupted in a loud cheer, and Miho had to cover her ears. The AJYA marching band began playing as the first tanks and soldiers touched down on land.
"The moment is here!" Saori squealed.
"Ooooh, this is interesting," Katyusha noted.
Suddenly the once empty streets were now filled with marching soldiers and rolling tanks. The crowd exploded with cheering and applause as they passed through.
Miho's eyes widened when she saw the familiar shape of the Panzers of the Kuromorimine Senshadou team pass through the streets. She tiptoed over the heads of the dozens of girls screaming in front of her, just to see Maho waving at the crowds from her Panzer X.
"Oneechan!" She shouted.
Maho's head snapped to where Miho was, and a look of shock came over her. "Miho!" She exclaimed as the Panzer X drove forwards. Miho watched as the Panzer disappeared, feeling happy inside.
…
Maho had briefly seen Miho, and a feeling of happiness overcame her. She came over to see me, she thought, tears forming at the edge of her eyes. She wiped them and continued to wave at the crowds.
….
Kaito marched at the very front of the procession, his chest pointed high and his chin jutted outwards. He made prideful strides in his shiny military uniform, his guntō hanging from his hips. While he was uncomfortable being in the very front, he was also grinning as he saw all the girls screaming his name, reaching their arms out to touch him. So this is how a celebrity feels! He thought. He winked, and the girls squealed even harder.
Kaito heard grumbling next to him. He turned to his left and saw Tanya staring blankly ahead.
"Something wrong?" He muttered.
"No," Tanya hissed back. Kaito smiled and gave off a little salute to the girls in the crowd. He grimaced; all the noise was finally starting to get to him.
Then someone from the crowd threw a bra at him, landing on his shoulder. Kaito swiftly grabbed it and looked at it. Behind one cup there was a phone number and a "Call me" with a heart at the end. He stared at it for a minute before Tany grabbed it and threw it behind her.
"Hey," Kaito protested, "That was someone's-"
"Shut it, perv," Tanya hissed, and Kaito faced forwards, disappointed.
…
"Dammit, commander always gets the attention," Lasagna muttered, "I want girls to ogle over me."
"Yeah, it kinda sucks," Nishi added, "Not the girl part. Just the attention part."
"I think it's fine," Naoki said, marching behind them. "They still love us." He was right; the crowd was throwing flowers at all the soldiers, and Naoki caught a bouquet in the air.
"Yeah, they love you," Nishi grumbled.
…
Erika leaned against her cupola, waving at the crowds. Most of them were girls, but there were males as well. She turned red when some of the men whistled at her. She tried to shrink down, but Kanagawa poked her in the legs.
…..
Shiho watched with intent at the parade, trying to discern Maho from the rest. She leaned forward, and gasped when she saw Maho's Panzer.
"What a proud girl," Ami whispered.
Shiho smiled. "Yeah," She agreed.
…..
20,000 victorious men and women marched through Kagoshima, TV cameras broadcasting them to the entire nation, with millions at home watching with awe. But the They were not only the pride of their nation, but a ray of hope for the Allied cause of the war as well. Although the JSDF had suffered heavy casualties, they had dealt a heavier blow to North Korea, and showed the Allies that Japan would be an important player in this conflict. Before the victory at Okinawa, they had lost every campaign to the North Korea-China alliance. For the first time, they had shown themselves not to be weak, but that they were still in the fight, not ready to give up. They had shattered the invincibility of the North Korean military. Certainly, they were the beacons of hope and freedom of Asia.
…..
Several Hours later…
The parade was over, and the crowd slowly trickled back to wherever they came from. Except for one flock of girls, who surrounded Kaito.
"Kaito-sama! Let me take a selfie with you!" One girl screamed.
"Let me hold your sword!" Another one cried.
"My house is literally right down the street! Please stay the night, I'll reward you for your hard work!" A third one exclaimed.
Kaito waved his hand as he was being surrounded. "Alright, a few selfies are fine, I don't know what your referring to when you say sword, and no, I don't think I really can-" The girls squealed and rushed him. There were hundreds of flashes and clicking of cameras. He felt girls grab his arms, chest, face and head. "Oh jeez, can you girls relax? I need some breathing space." However, the girls continued to squeeze him.
…..
Alice was wandering through Kagoshima alone. Where did mother go? She thought, Why did she have to get lost again? She carried her Boko with her, looking for Chiyo. She crisscrossed streets packed with people, trying to find her way. I guess I'll go to the inn we're staying at. She's bound to be there…
She found herself at one street corner, where she saw a group of girls surrounding what seemed to be a man.
"Kaito-sama!" They screamed, and Alice froze. Kaito? She thought, No, that can't be. She quickly ran over to the group of girls, eager to take a look at herself. She tried to slide into the group, but was unable to make enough room for herself.
"Go away, little girl!" She shouted, pushing Alice to the ground. Alice landed hard, dropping her Boko.
The boko rolled into the gaggle of girls, where it was kicked around by the all the fangirls. Alice reached her hand out as the boko disappeared, and she let out a little groan.
….
"Please, girls! I understand but please back off!" Kaito shouted as he pushed girls away from him. One girl flashed him, and he instinctively turned away. "I need some personal space!" He looked down at the ground, and noticed a small Boko doll on the ground. He picked it up; it was dirty and ruffled, but he quickly realized whose doll it was. "Alice?" He exclaimed, "Where are you?"
…
Alice heard Kaito call him, and she shot up from the ground. She began shoving her way through the crowd, much to their surprise. "Kaito!" She shouted. She burst through the crowd, her hands on her knees, panting as she stared at the wide-eyed Kaito holding her Boko.
"Alice," Kaito said, looking amused at the girl.
Alice stood there, completely petrified as all eyes were on her. Her face was completely red. "Kaito," She mumbled, "you remembered me."
Kaito smiled. "Of course I did," He said, stepping forward right up to Alice. "We're Boko buddies, remember?"
Alice lit up, and sprung into Kaito's arms. "I missed you," She exclaimed, "I was really worried for you."
"Thanks, I really appreciate it," Kaito chuckled, hugging her back. "I really do."
He didn't say he missed me back, Alice thought sadly. "I can't believe your related to Miho," She whispered.
"Oh yeah, you fought her in Senshadou, didn't you?" Kaito asked, and Alice nodded. "Great! You can introduce me to her." He exclaimed.
Alice grumbled underneath her breath. She let go of Kaito and took her doll. "We're stopping at the same inn," She muttered.
"Oh, that's a coincidence. I'm staying at an inn too, along with my squadmates. It's for a rest long overdue," Kaito said. He leaned down to Alice's level. "In fact, I'm going there right now, but I'm trying to get rid of these girls." He whispered into her ear.
Alice nodded. "I'm going there too, because my mother is lost. If I go back to the inn maybe I can get to her," She whispered back.
Kaito stared at her. "Oh, she's lost?" He asked, "Doesn't she have a phone?"
Alice shrugged. "She has it off for some reason," She replied. She looked up at Kaito. "Maybe we can find her together." She suggested.
Kaito smirked as he swooped Alice off her feet and cradled him in her arms. "Alright then. Lead the way," He winked. He turned to the stunned girls around him. "Okay ladies, I have to take this young one to her mother, so if you can excuse us-"
A hand latched onto Kaito's sleeve. He looked over to see an obviously distressed girl. "You're going to choose her over me?" She screeched.
Kaito gulped, taking a step forward. "It's not that, really," He started but was interrupted by all the other irate girls, who began to close in on Kaito and Alice.
"So this is what Kpop stars experience," Kaito muttered.
"Kaito…" Alice muttered, grabbing onto his shirt.
The gaggle of teenage girls became a mob as they began grabbing at Kaito and Alice like a human tidal wave. The two struggled, but the strength of hormone-induced anger was too powerful. Screaming, the girls began grabbing Kaito all over his body, while Alice was being carried off to God knows where.
"What's going on?" Tanya's voice echoed, and everybody turned to see Tanya glaring at them, along with the other members of the regiment behind her.
"Yoohoo commander, found a date?" Lasagna sang.
Tanya aimed her gun. "You girls can go now," She threatened. The girls dropped Kaito and Alice and scattered.
"Are you two alright?" Nishi asked Kaito and Alice, who stood back up.
"Yeah, I am. I don't know about Alice," Kaito replied.
Alice stood up. "I'm fine," She mumbled. She grabbed Kaito's hand. "Let's go."
….
Kaito, Alice and the rest stood in front of the inn, or what it should be called-a manor.
"Huh, we're all staying at the same place," Naoki whistled.
"That's weird," Tanya commented.
"Wait, so this is where Miho is staying?" Kaito asked, bewildered.
Alice nodded. "Along with a few friends," She added.
"Alice!" There in front of the inn stood Miho, the Anglerfish team and all the other Senshadou team captains.
…..
A few minutes prior….
Miho and Maho stared at each other.
"Oneechan," Miho muttered.
"Miho," Maho said.
"Oneechan!" Miho hugged her, sobbing. "You're back! You're back!" She shouted.
"I'm home," Maho replied, wrapping her arms around Miho. Tears began trickling down her face. "I'm back."
"I was so scared," Miho cried, "I was so scared that you were going to get hurt."
Maho nodded. "I know. But I'm here aren't I?" She answered, "I'm sorry for not contacting you more."
"It's okay, you were busy so I understand," Miho shook her head, "It's just that, if you died, I, I-"
"If you have died, I wouldn't be able to forgive myself," Shiho said, stepping forward.
Maho looked at her, wide-eyed. "Mother-" She began when Shiho embraced her.
"I'm so sorry," She whispered, "I'm sorry you had to go through what you went through."
"It's not your fault," Maho said, "you tried your best."
The Nishizumi clan bearhugged in an emotional reunion while everybody stood around them.
"Nishizumi-dono," Yukari whimpered, wiping a tear from her eye. "this is so heartwarming."
"Commander…" Erika said.
Miho looked at her, before rushing her.
"What? What is this?" Erika shouted.
"I missed you too, Erika-san!" Miho exclaimed. "I'm so glad you're back!"
Erika turned bright red. "What? I, um," She flustered.
The other Kuromorimine girls looked at each other. "What...about...us?" One girl asked.
Miho nodded. "I miss all of you too!" She exclaimed, jumping into the throng of girls.
Maho smiled, before she was rushed by all the other Senshadou commanders.
"Welcome back!" Key shouted.
"I knew you would do well, Mahosha!" Katyusha declared.
"Thanks, all of you," Maho replied, hugging each and every one of the girls.
Miho turned her head. "Alice!" She shouted.
…
Everybody gathered in the inn's lounge room. Friends, brothers and sisters all reunited together.
"Rudolfo!" Anchovy shouted as she propelled herself into Lasagna's arms.
"Chiyomi!" Lasagna grinned as he caught her. "Energetic as always, I see."
Anchovy nodded. "Hey, that's what Anzio is known for," She replied. She pulled at Lasagna's goatee. "You gotta shave this thing off. It's disgusting." She said. "It's really gross."
"No way," Lasagna countered, "This is what brings in the ladies." He smirked. "You're just jealous," He poked Anchovy in the cheek. Anchovy frowned and turned away.
…
The Nishi siblings stared at each other.
Kinuyo bowed. "It's been a while," She mumbled.
Kaori smacked her younger sister on the back. "You're still rigid as hell," She exclaimed, "Lighten up!"
Kinuyo turned red. "Well, I was just brought up this way by mother-"
"Yeah yeah, I know. But you gotta do your own thing," Kaori said, "Drop the whole formal attitude, act like a normal girl."
"I'm sorry," Kinuyo mumbled, looking down at the ground.
"Hey, it's fine," Kaori grabbed Kinuyo and pulled her in for a hug. "I still love you."
"Love you too," Kinuyo whispered.
…
"Earl Grey!" Darjeeling cried, leaning on Earl Grey's shoulder. "It's been so long!"
Earl Grey chuckled as she patted her on the head. "It's okay, it's okay," She shushed, "I'm back."
Darjeeling detached herself from Earl Grey. "I-I'm sorry. It's just that I've been deathly worried for you," She said.
"I understand. We haven't seen each other in years," Earl Grey replied, "You've grown up."
Darjeeling nodded as she wiped her eyes. "You've seen all of my matches, right?"
Earl Grey smiled. "Yeah. You've become such a good commander," She said.
"It's all thanks to you," Darjeeling gave a slight bow.
"Hey, let's get this sappy stuff of of the way," the drill sergeant grunted, standing behind Darjeeling.
"Hey!" Darjeeling turned on him. "Don't say that!"
"William?" Earl Grey clasped her hands together.
"Earl Grey?" the sergeant gasped. Earl Grey rushed to him, hugging him.
"You know this brute?" Darjeeling demanded.
"Brute? No, no no, he is a sweetheart!" Earl Grey shouted, "We met at the Royal Armored Corps!" Darjeeling's jaw dropped.
…...
Tanya towered over Nina, picking her up by her arms. "You really haven't grown," She noted.
"Well, thank you!" Nina exclaimed sarcastically, "That's the first thing you say to me?"
Tanya shrugged. "It's true,"
"It's not my fault you're a giant!" Nina cried.
Tanya grinned. "Oh, you're so cute when you get mad," She snickered as she pulled her sister up against her face.
"Gosh," Nina muttered, "what is with you?"
"You know I missed you," Tanya teased, flicking Nina's head.
"Yeah, I missed you too," Nina rolled her eyes. Tanya gently put her back on the ground.
"Who's that cute girl?" Kaito asked, walking over. He looked at Tanya, then at Nina, who froze.
"That's my sister," Tanya answered, in an annoyed tone.
"Ooh, the one you've been talking about," Kaito said, turning to Nina. He looked over her. "Hm, okay. Not bad." He mumbled.
Nina flushed with embarrassment. "Huh? What is it?" She asked, taking a step back. She instinctively covered her chest. "What are you looking at?"
Kaito put his arm around Nina. "I'm Tanya's boss, but you can call me Kaito," He introduced himself, leaning in closer to the ever blushing Nina. "I knew you'd be cute, considering what Tanya looks like." He kissed her forehead.
Tanya pulled him away from Nina. "What is wrong with you?" She growled, "That's my sister!" She glared at Kaito, who looked at her with a smirk.
….
Alice was surrounded by the Bermuda trio, who were now crying with joy. "I get it," She said, "I missed you too. You guys are my friends." She muttered. The Bermuda trio squealed and hugged her even tighter.
"My, oh my, they're all like children, aren't they?" Chiyo asked.
Arai nodded. "Yes, ma'am," She replied.
Chiyo looked at her. "I'm surprised that you joined the JSDF after graduating the University team," She said.
"I thought that the skills I learned in Senshadou could be applied to the army," Arai laughed, "Though I just ended up on the officer staff. I'm not doing any fighting, but Hiroi is."
"Oh? Is he your boyfriend?" Chiyo asked, instantly curious.
Arai shook her head. "No, no, I will never with that buffoon. Besides, he's ogling at another girl," She explained, pointing. Chiyo looked over, and let out a little chuckle.
…
"It's an honor to meet you!" Hiroi furiously bowed at a stunned Miho. "I am a big fan!"
"Oh," Miho said, "Thank you, and nice to meet you." She bowed. "You've been helping my sister, right?"
"Yup!" Hiroi bumped his chest, "You could say I was her senpai!"
"Not at all," Maho countered, "You were my superior, but it's not much more than that." Hiroi shrunk down, disappointed.
….
After a brief reunion, everybody's attention was not turned on Kaito. All the Senshadou girls crowded him in an awed and impressed state, while the Kuromorimine girls watched with amusement.
"Hey girls," Kaito said, letting out an aura of confidence. "I've heard all of you before on the TV and news. It's an honor to meet all of you."
"Of course you would! I am the greatest after all!" Katyusha declared, staring right up at Kaito.
Kaito smiled. "Ah, the great Katyusha," He said, taking her hand and gently kissed it. "It seems your confidence soares higher than that little body of yours,"
Katyusha froze, a look of shock on her face. "You-you dare insult me?" She sputtered.
"I didn't mean it that way," Kaito added, "I was just saying that…"
"It's fine," Nonna picked up Katyusha and put her on her shoulders. "She is and always will be larger than life."
"Hey, you look pretty good," Key said, eyeing Kaito.
"You too. Your look has a wild flair to it," Kaito replied.
Key raised her eyebrows. "You like this?" She twirled in her Saunders High School uniform. "I see you have good tastes as well."
"Commander," Alisa said exasperatedly, "Please."
"What?" Key asked. "He likes it. Why don't you show off too? You might get the love you need!" She grabbed Alisa and pushed her in front of Kaito. "You like her?" She grinned.
"Hm, she's a bit small in places," Kaito noted. Alisa turned red and ran back into the group of girls.
Erika watched from the back, fidgeting awkwardly. This caught the attention of Darjeeling and Anchovy.
"Look at the way she looks at him," Anchovy whispered, "Is she jealous?"
"No," Darjeeling replied, "She's just the guard dog, that's all."
Maho wriggled her way through the crowd. "Okay, okay girls," She said, "Give him some space. You can all talk to him later." She turned to Kaito. "You, come with me." She ordered.
"What?" Kaito was caught off guard as Maho grabbed his wrist and dragged him out of the room. She hauled him into the hallway, slid open the door of the room across, threw him in and closed the door shut.
Kaito walked over to the low table and sat down on one of the pillows. He had just gotten settled down when the door opened again, and this time Maho had Miho under her arm.
"Have fun, you two," Maho sang before throwing Miho down.
"Wait, what?" Miho turned around to see the door slam in front of her face. Trembling, she turned around to face Kaito, face red. She slowly walked over to the tea table and sat herself across Kaito.
Miho looked at Kaito, who had a frighteningly cold stare directed right at her. What? She thought, Did I do something wrong? She shuffled in her seat, filled with worry and anxiety. She glanced at her feet, before looking back up at Kaito. His unemotional expression quite frankly scared her. So this is how a war hero's like! No wonder, he's been through a lot.
Kaito looked at Miho, who looked confident but inside he was in a panic. What do I say? He thought, What the hell am I supposed to do? He noticed that every time they made eye contact Miho would quickly look at the ground. Oh God, am I making a scary face? He coughed, and abruptly stood up, forcing Miho to jolt backwards.
"Miho," He started, "or, dear sister, it's a honor to finally meet you." He bowed. His hands were balled into a fist, and were sweating.
"Oh, Oniisan, it's a pleasure to meet you as well!" Miho squeaked.
Kaito turned red. "Oniisan…" He muttered, "That's a bit…"
"Oh, then what shall I call you?" Miho giggled, her nervousness swiftly fading, "Is oniichan better?"
Kaito's face burned up even harder. "That? Please, I don't think I can take that. Just call me Kaito!" He shouted.
Miho nodded. "Okay, Kaito-san," She said, standing up as well. She bowed in return. "I can't believe that I would have my half-brother and war hero in front of me."
"Hey, you're the best Senshadou commander in Japan," Kaito countered.
Miho blushed, turning her head away. "Aw, that's not true. I'm not…"
"Hey! You're so modest, you can admit it," Kaito said.
"Oh, my sister and Darjeeling are better than me for sure,"
"Oh, once or twice doesn't count,"
"My sister fought with you,"
"I guess that's true,"
"Did you know that I was your half-sister?" Miho suddenly asked.
Kaito nodded. "I was aware of our connection," He replied, "All those years where Kuromorimine won the Senshadou tournaments, when you beat your sister. I watched it all with fascination. I was enthralled to know that you were family, but knowing that we would never be able to meet," He sighed, "You could say I was a bit depressed about that."
Miho hugged him. "Well, here I am," She smiled, "I'm glad that you were there to support me, even when I didn't even know you existed."
Kaito wrapped his arms around Miho's back. "Miho…." He muttered, tears trickling out of his eyes.
"Don't cry, this is a happy day for both of us," Miho said, wiping his eyes.
"Why are you crying then?" Kaito grinned. Miho touched her own face; there were tears rolling down as well. The both of them let out a little chuckle.
"Kaito…" Miho sputtered, squeezing tighter. The two teenagers stood there, crying together out of happiness. Maho had the door slightly open, looking at their embrace, watching with tears in her own eyes.
….
"Excuse me," A cold voice interrupted their embrace. Kaito and Miho turned to see Shiho staring right at them, her arms crossed.
"Mother!" Miho jumped off of Kaito. "When were you-"
"For a while now," Shiho said, glaring at Kaito. He tried to maintain his composure, but even his usual unemotional expression cracked at Shiho's death stare, and he meekly sat back down at the tea table. "I would like it if you didn't interact with Miho in such a manner." She said.
Miho looked up at her. "Mother-"
Shiho held her hand up, before walking over to the tea table. She sat across Kaito, with Miho silently sitting next to her. Maho watched from the hallway this interaction between the three, annoyed by her mother's interference. But she entered in the room, and sat next to her mother.
"Aunt Shiho," Kaito sputtered, "I know what you might think of me, but please-"
"Silence," Shiho commanded, and Kaito shut up. She stared down at him. "I thought you would know that you shouldn't talk to my daughters-"
"I hope you aren't mistreating my son," A male voice laughed, and Shiho's face strained. Kaito straightened his back up, his face once devoid of all emotions. Kijiro made himself comfortable next to his son, letting off a sigh as he did so. Tanya silently joined them, sitting next to Kaito.
"You," Shiho snarled.
"Oh my," Kijiro smiled, "So hostile. It's been how many years?"
"At least ten," Shiho grumbled, "Without the vermin you are."
Kijiro smirked. "Well, here we are. Sitting across each other. First time meeting my daughters, as well," He looked at both Miho and Maho. "I see you've both grown up to be wonderful girls." He exclaimed.
"Don't talk to them!" Shiho snapped.
"I can talk to whoever I please," Kijiro retorted, "I am not a child you can control."
"Well, at least I don't send them into a war," Shiho pointed out, "Sacrificing your own child for a terrible cause. That's disgusting."
Kijiro shrugged. "Hey, weren't you willing to sacrifice an entire tank team for a tenth consecutive win in the Senshadou tournament? Didn't you disown Miho for saving her classmates and losing the battle? It seems you were quite willing to throw your daughter away for acting on her own volition, for valuing lives over something as trivial as Senshadou," He spat, "And I never forced Kaito's hand in joining the JSDF. That was his own volition, right?"
Kaito nodded. "Yes, father," He replied.
"See? I may seem like a horrible person, but at least I'm not a hypocrite," He stared at Shiho, who sat there, gritting her teeth in anger. Miho and Maho sat there silent, clearly uncomfortable. Kaito glanced at Maho, and they made eye contact. They conveyed their emotions through their eyes, and they understood that their parents were both unreasonable.
"You are a real bastard," Shiho muttered, "Good thing I left you. If my girls had grown up with you as a parent…."
"Oh, what? What would have happened to them? Would things have gone differently?" Kijiro exclaimed, "Are you such a stellar parent for them that you didn't need my help?"
"I admit, I wasn't the best of mothers," Shiho hung her head low, "But mothers are more close to their children that the fathers in a family. I think that says a lot."
"Are you saying I'm not close to my children?" Kijiro demanded, "I am very close to Kaito!" He slapped Kaito on the back, who jolted forwards. "I care for him more than anybody else in the world!"
"Thank you father," Kaito said.
"And yet you sent your daughter to Okinawa without hesitation," Shiho pointed out.
"Eh, I wasn't really close to them as you, so it wasn't much of a hard choice. And the lives of a million people were at stake. I have to make sacrifices for the own good," Kijiro grunted.
Shiho glared at him. "What if Maho died? That was a real possibility!" She slammed her fist against the table.
"Kaito almost died as well," Kijiro countered, "I was very worried for him."
"You sicken me," Shiho spat.
Kijiro chuckled as he stood up. "It was nice meeting you, dear," He said, "But I must go now."
"Dear…" Shiho muttered as Kijiro left the room.
Tanya stood up as well. "Kaito-sama, let us go," She suggested.
Kaito nodded. "Alright," He replied, letting Tanya help him to his feet. He was about to leave the room when Shiho stopped him.
"Do you love that man?" She demanded.
Kaito looked at her. "Of course. If I didn't love him, who would?" He and Tanya left the room, leaving the Nishizumi women sitting there silently.
Hoo boy! I am back baby! Have ya missed me? I really am sorry for this quite long hiatus, but oh am I back in the business! This story will only get more and more intense! This story has now over 400 pages, so yeah this google doc has trouble loading. Anyways, I hope to upload the next chapter soon, so until then! Also, please leave a review! I always appreciate it.
P.S. I'll also update Blood vs Iron as well, so look out for that!