Girls Und Panzer: World Tournament!
Chapter 27: Regroup, Another Chance!
Center of town, France
"Get those tracks fixed now!" Momo cried out in the lull of the fighting. "Now! Now! Now!"
"Momo, please help out at least…" Yuzu said as she handled a track block for their Jagdpanzer 38(t).
The pause from Suvorov's withdrawal was an opportunity, not a break, and so the girls of the StuG III Ausf. F, Jagdpanzer 38(t), P 26/40, and the Semovente swiftly worked to get their broken tracks fixed.
For the other girls keeping watch, found the new suspense unnerving.
"What's going on?" Some asked.
"Did we get them?" Those unaware asked.
"Where's Ms. Nishizumi?!" Those concerned asked.
Miho remained collapsed at the church door on her knees as the rest of Anglerfish caught up.
"Miporin! Don't strain yourself!" Saori called out towards her as she and the others put her in a rest position on the ground.
She was hard at breath, the stress of the situation and her condition exacerbated the feeling. The situation flux was hard to comprehend on what this meant for Ōarai.
"Ms. Nishizumi?" Kinuyo said from the doorway. "What should we do now, ma'am?!"
"M-make sure everyone is combat ready..." Miho gasped out.
"Roger!" Nishi replied as energetically as ever as she ran back out. Miho collapsed again.
"Miho, is your condition getting worse?" Hana asked.
"I just keep feeling this... feeling down here..." Miho pointed towards right under her right breast, wincing as her hand hovered around the area.
"Is it painful?" Mako asked.
"I... It was first, but I don't think that's the word I'd use now..."
"Hey Miho?" Kay's voice echoed as she made herself known inside the church. "We have two Russian dudes outside under a white flag and uh... well there's a bit of a language barrier."
"Let me out there," Miho said. Her friends reluctantly helped her up and out the church as she watched the scene.
The team was in an unorganized mess in the plaza. The several combat-capable tanks keeping watch could be counted with fingers, the rest are in various other states of unreadiness, especially the ones that are repairing their tracks.
Right between Leopon and Kay's M4A3E2 (76) W tank were two Suvorov members. Their difference in stature had an indication of seniority, if it wasn't for the uniforms. The one on the left, the taller one, had a red gilded rank patch on his gymnastyorka uniform while the other had the familiar bland yellow uniform with no bling nor flair, but carries the large white flag of truce.
Two Saunder girls were keeping them from approaching any further into inspecting the tanks, but the senior kept talking in Russian that no one understood. Miho stumbled towards the scene as she regain strength in her legs.
"What's going on?" Miho asked as she entered the conversation.
"Oh, Lege-, I mean Ms. Nishizumi," One of the Saunder girls replied. Miho recognized her from the training on Ōarai that called her by that nickname. "These guys are-"
The Suvorov member interrupted with his language which Miho couldn't understand. Next to the man, the junior holding the white flag rolled his eye at this language barrier.
"W-where's Nonna and Klara?" Miho asked Kay.
"We don't know, I'll look again. Nonna! Klara!" Kay shouted out loud.
The junior finally spoke in English, "We thought you had Russian interpreters at hand."
"замолчи ученица!" The senior chastised as he maintained his height advantage over the junior, the latter did not budge.
"I can speak English too," Miho said.
The senior looked back, sighed, then spoke a few words to the junior. "Our commander wishes to relay a message to the Ōarai commander!" The junior then presumably translated with an authoritative voice.
At the same time, a crowd was drawing by Miho Nishizumi as the delegation between the team started.
"He wants to say he is quite disappointed with your overall performance in this battle! Especially with the stakes on hand for you, he expected better!"
Miho flinched on that announcement. Besides her, she could feel Kay give her a funny eye of curiosity.
The senior continued to speak for the junior to announce. "He does not wish for it to end this way! He wants to offer a three hour ceasefire for both of us to regroup our forces! In this time, there will be no open conflict as we reorganize! If you truly think this is hopeless for your cause, you are also free to withdraw from the competition in this time period!"
"Who does he think we are!?" Some girls cried in the crowd.
"You are also free to cut the cease-fire short by instigating an attack on our forces!" The junior continued. "This cease-fire will start on the conclusion of our delegation."
Before any of the girls could reply, the two men were already on their way out through the main road out of the town.
"A cease-fire?" Some girls asked for confirmation.
"Disappointed in our performance?! How dare they!" A girl from St. Gloriana's Cromwell crew spoke out.
"What should we do now, ?"
Miho wallowed in her thoughts on that announcement.
"Hey, Miho," Kay approached Miho. "What does he mean by 'stakes on hand'? What's going on here?"
Miho wearily turned her head towards Kay, before she collapsed again.
"Hey! Miho!" Kay caught her. "Damnit, someone get a doctor up here already!"
The Mi-26MS helicopter landed in a patch of land made open in the plaza, its ramp opens to reveal a mini-hospital. All set up with partitions set up via curtains. Miho found herself in one as a local medical professional examined Miho.
"Does it hurt when I press here?" The physician asked during the examination as she pressed on Miho's wounded area with her gloved hands.
"Yeah..." Miho winced, it felt...
"What kind of pain?"
"Like raw numbing feeling, spreading out around," Miho explained.
"Mmm, how about anything piercing? Like poking?
"No, no it doesn't feel like that," Miho assured.
"Mmokay," She said as she took off her gloves, meanwhile contemplating on the possible conditions. "So from the sounds of it, you don't have anything broken in there."
Oh thank god, Miho sighed a breath a relief.
"But I can't confirm unless we get an X-ray done. You definitely have something damaged inside, be it as tame as bruising to a light case of internal bleeding. I highly recommend getting checked in at a hospital right now for an examination."
"Thank,, but I can't leave my team." Miho said earnestly, the physician understandably nodded back.
"Very well. Try not to agitate that area. If it isn't so serious, it should recover in the next few days. I do recommend checking yourself in after the match."
"Okay! If you excuse me," Miho adjusted her uniform as she started her leave. She found herself back in the fuselage of the [helicopter], its construction and size is enough to forget that it was just a helicopter interior, not that of a room.
As she disembarked the [helicopter], the wind picked up as the rotor blades started up. Outside, Miho saw her team waiting outside in anticipation.
"Are you alright?!" The team said in near unison.
"Y-Yeah, I'm fine!" Miho said quickly to dissuade the crowd. "They said its nothing too serious." In fact, it's starting to feel better after that diagnosis, Miho thought. A placebo effect?
She walked out to the crew's delight. Behind the hard workers inside the tanks, the team leaders stood steady with a sour look on their face.
Uh oh, Miho thought as she walked through. "Uh, everyone. Please get back to your tanks and make sure their combat ready!"
"Why? Aren't we in a cease-fire?" Someone asked as Miho passed by.
"Well, there you are! Miss Miho Nishizumi," Kay said in a forceful tone, she doesn't sound pleased, which is very easy to determine with her daily hyper self. Nearly all the commander and vice-commanders are present. Darjeeling stood nearby without a tea cup, with Rosehip, Orange Pekoe, and Assam eyeing curiously at the situation. Kinuyo and Fukuda also stood there, but she looks as if she was dragged along with the crowd than with any malicious intent. In between them were Anzu and Katyusha, Katyusha's face is filled with guilt, another unusual face to see on the team leaders. Nonna and Klara were nowhere to be seen.
"Uh, hello. Is there something?" Miho asked nervously.
"We need to talk," Kay said as she approached. "What's the jig here? There's something else going on with this tournament, isn't there?"
"Uh, I…" Miho said, moving about to ease off Kay.
"I had Katyusha spill some of the beans, but she won't tell me everything." Kay ruffled Katyusha's hair. Katyusha's eyes pleaded for forgiveness. "What's this about the Suvorov deal, huh?" Kay was getting up to her face.
"Listen, I uh," Miho backed up until she found herself on the hull side of her Panzer IV. As she shifted to the side, Kay used her arm in a kabedon fashion and shocked Miho into place.
"What's going on?" Yukari ran up from the crowd into the fray as the leaders ganged on Miho.
"What's going on Miho Nishizumi? What are you hiding?"
"What are you doing? She doesn't need to say-"
"You stay out of this fluff hair!" Kay spoke up. "What are you hiding from all of us, Miho Nishizumi? Why is it only you and Katyusha know about it?"
Miho's hands fidget together as she contemplated the situation.
"Tell us, Miho!"
Spectator Stand, France
"So, we're half an hour into this Suvorov-initiated ceasefire," Anderson spoke on the announcement. "A report from the medical personnel on site stated that Ōarai commander wishes to continue the fight! So we won't see any premature ending here!"
"Power to them, Anderson. It would've been a shame to see them end right here right there like that. But let's be honest here, we saw this cease-fire coming from eons away as soon as they surrounded them, Katukov is known for that." George continued.
"With that topic, George, with Ōarai being your new go to team after their victory over the 3rd cadets, how do you see them getting out of this predicament?"
"Well, that's done," The German commander stood up from the seat.
"Whot?" John Montgomery reacted as he saw the Axel Kraus stood up.
"It's all over from here. There's no way our little sideshow, Miho Nishizumi, can get out of this little 'situation' here."
"Aw come on, mate," Montgomery said. "Just because your army couldn't get out of, uh," John then counted off his fingers, "Stalingrad, Falaise, Minsk, Ruhr, and… uh, Berlin! That doesn't mean that Nishizumi couldn't break out of this encirclement."
Kraus scoffed, "It does not matter, I have invested too much time into this. There is a match tomorrow to prepare for, I'll be off now."
"You'll be missing quite a show!" Daniel Marshall shouted to the leaving man, then under his breath, "Ya little kraut…"
"Argh, that guy is such an ass!" Emma grunted. "How is he the face of Tankery here? I mean, he's a disrespectful flying piece of c-"
"A-hem," Hans Wittman coughed loudly as he stared towards the blasphemous girl from speaking any more. Emma stared in stunned silence before looking back at John, which he simply expressed a body language of "your fault."
"Umm… excuse me," Emma sheepishly said.
Wittman altered his gaze back to the screen. He has made no noticeable movement since arriving for the match. He has taken off his overcoat for the standard black uniform underneath with his black M43 cap. His brown belt contrasting on the black uniform showed a mighty holster strapped on his front right side, housing his revolver.
"You're not following your commander?" John spoke at the boy.
"There is no need," Wittman spoke dryly and slowly, his hands clasping around the words as they were produced. "Our match tomorrow is only towards Southern Europe,".
"Wait, how far is that?" Daniel asked, but more towards the group than directly to Wittman. "European travel is so weird! The time it takes to drive from Cali to Nevada, I'd be in Berlin by now here!"
"Daniel, jus… please," Isabelle said as Daniel let his mouth run free.
"I can be there in... a couple of hours," Wittman answered nonchalantly without batting an eye away from the screen.
Emma was the next to attempt a conversation. "You seem very interested in Nishizumi's performance, unlike Kraus. What's got you sticking your nose in?"
"There's... a lot you can learn from your opponent," Wittman explained "just by watching their moves. For my unternehmen to win, I must be one step ahead for my battalion... "
"Alright, Imma gonna have to stop you right there," Daniel interrupted. "Your battalion?"
"Yes."
"Yours, as in you own it."
"Yes, it is called 'Wittmann Battalion'. What is so weird about it?" Wittman asked, as if this is some extraordinary thing these people haven't heard about.
Meanwhile, Daniel seemed ready to burst in laughter. "Dammmn dude, you that big of a cheese at home? Got your own battalion for you?"
Wittmann scratched his nape, around where his hair grew to."It is, umm, not really a battalion actually," Wittman muttered, twiddling his hands. "It is only a platoon. They only call is that name in the newspapers."
Daniel was definitely laughing now as Isabelle tried to control her loud-mouthed commander. John took the next interest. "'Wittmann battalion', huh? So you appear on the newspaper often?"
"Yes," Wittmann replied.
"Well, alright then Mr. Wittmann. But, here's the thing, why haven't I heard of you all this time before? If you're famed enough to have your own 'unit' I'm certain I would've heard your name before on the news or television. Tell me Mr. Wittman, why is it all this time, I've never heard of you from the Tankery media, who only talks about your commander Kraus?"
"Perhaps you've just been looking at the wrong news," Wittman suggested.
"Yes, maybe we should subscribe to the German papers, huh?" Emma asked. Wittman just shrugged. "Interesting piece of work, ain'tcha?"
Wittman returned to his attendance of the screen while the other commanders are left contemplating on what they've just heard. Daniel with an incredulous laughter, Isabelle with indifference, and Emma and Montgomery started to sprout a curiosity.
Center of town, France
Miho explained everything.
She told them how her sister has been missing since the tournament started. How the mystery has been crushing since she had no communication with her for the better part of a month.
She also told them about the stake against Suvorov, how they allegedly know what happened to her sister and the Kuromorimine school carrier.
"So that's how it is…" Darjeeling said softly.
"Wow, uh, you have it harsh, don't you?" Kay spoke.
"I'm so sorry…" Miho said with repent. "I'm not suited to be the commander. There's too much on hand for me to continue unbiased."
"That's not true, Nishzumi-dono. You-"
"You should know, Yukari," Miho interjected. "I put my desire to win over everything else, and now we're stuck in this situation because of my hubris. I'm not qualified to continue leading this team."
The team leaders looked between each other confusingly on that remark. Kay let out a heavy sigh, breaking the silence.
"And what makes you think anyone else are more qualified?" Kay spoke her input. "You don't actually expect any of us to do the same things you can do, do you?"
"It's true we got into quite a predicament," Darjeeling said. "But you better than any of us know how to put a reversal on this situation."
"Our style of sensha-dou has always been for the spirit of fun and entertainment," Anchovy chimed in, "but this high-stake game isn't in our league."
"I'm confident in the spirit of Chi-Ha-Tan!" Nishi explained, which garnered a few funny looks from the other members. "But...we've never been able to win without Ms. Nishizumi at the helm…"
"Tch, it's not like this is nothing you've seen before. Look at what I, the greatest tactician here, did to your team before you boldly run us over back a year ago!"
"Look around, Miho Nishizumi," Darjeeling said. "Notice your accomplishments. Look away from your one misstep and focus on everything you had right."
"That's right!" Kay pumped her arms in encouragement. "Our doctrines are nothing in this world of tankery. What we need is a commander fluent in its methods and execution to get us through. And it's not just your practice of the Nishizumi style that makes you best abled for this role, but your degree of adaptability in any situation to best exploit our abilities for the win!"
"Any commander can do that…" Miho countered.
"Any? I don't think so Nishizumi-dono," Yukari reinforced the argument's front. "Have you seen anyone else here able to change tactics quickly for the situation? Kay is always freely attacking, Darjeeling is slow and methodical, Katyusha exploits firepower and numbers, Anchovy does whatever she likes, and Nish's like a wild card for charging!"
"Umm, I-"
"The point is Miho Nishizumi," Darjeeling interrupted "Is that we all have our different quirks on how to conduct on the battlefield."
"Yeah! Just like in the match with Selection University, we coordinated our efforts to beat a team of Pershings. But even though we could've match with an entire team of Pravda tanks, we can't achieve that level of teamwork without a…" Katyusha took a deep breath, "...talented, strong-willed, dedicated commander…" it looked like it took effort from Katyusha to say it, "to lead all of us!"
"Girls, I-... I don't know what to say," Miho Nishizumi said.
"Don't worry about saying stuff," Kay said. "Command us. We still got a bit over two hours to make this right. Help us, help you, win this battle and get to your sister. We're all in this together, more than ever."
The sight of Kay's smile started to blur as Miho realized she was tearing up. She wiped a blob of liquid from her right eye.
"Ōarai's also got your side, Miho!" Anzu said, perhaps finding herself withdrawn from not being a team captain, but acted as a school representative. "You've saved our school multiple times! It's only fair we return the favor!"
Miho let out some nervous giggles as she tried to dissipate the emotions inside her swelling up. She sniffed a few times as she calmed down with deep breaths. "Thanks, everyone…"
Overhead from the Panzer IV Miho was backed up against, Anglerfish listened to the scene with wholesome hearts.
"Our Miporin is going to be fine," Saori said through the intercoms.
"She has such a strong heart and mind," Hana remarked.
"Never doubted her," Mako said with a smile.
"That's the spirit Nishizumi-dono!" Yukari cried out in encouragement, which Miho blushed under. "What's our next move?!"
Miho swelled in her heart, "Give me a status report on our team. I want to know everyone who is still in this match, their condition, their tanks, damages, if they're hungry, all that. I also want a report on all suspected enemy vehicles and tactics! I want this all within the next 20 minutes!"
"Copy that!" All the team leaders say as they dispersed. Miho sighed a breath of relief as she regained her personal space.
"Really inspirational out there, Ms. Nishizumi," Hana said poking out the turret hatch.
Miho smiled, "Oh you girls are all always a handful."
It took a little less than the 20 minutes Miho called for before everyone was ready to present their findings.
"Everyone, please meet with me inside the church building!" Miho told the team captains.
The report was compiled and an operational map was laid out on the ground as an impromptu strategic meeting was made.
"So from what I'm hearing," Miho said to the circle of team captains gathered around. "Is that we have 21 tanks left. My Panzer IV, Rabbit's M3, Turtle's Hetzer, Mallard's B1, and Hippo's StuG from Ōarai. Three M4 76 mm, a Jumbo, and a Firefly from Saunders. A Black Prince, Churchill 7, and two Cromwells from St. Gloriana. Two T-34-85 and an IS-2 from Pravda. A P 26/40 and a Semovente from Anzio, and a Chi-Ha and Ha-Go from Chi-Ha-Tan. Is this right?"
The team captains agreed on this arrangement.
So we still have some semblance of firepower, Miho thought. The 85 mm and 122 mm have good stopping power on their own, the 17-pounder and 76 mm can reach parity with high-velocity ammunition. "What about the enemy formation?" Miho asked.
"Well, we know now that they've got themselves a platoon's worth of T-44s," Kay said.
"With one loss!" Nishi proudly stated, thanks to the effort of one of her tank crew.
"Right, one lost T-44," Kay corrected herself, "but there's still a whole lot of self-propelled guns."
"SU-85?" Anchovy asked.
"Let's talk 122 and 152 millimeters," Katyusha responded, to which Anchovy gulped. "Not only that, but they made them an organic part of their tactics."
"Excuse me, but what does that mean?" Nishi asked, raising her hand.
"It means they've got them integrated into their overall battle plan," Kay explained. "Bastards got a more solid combined-arms maneuver than the yanks did."
Darjeeling concurred, "Their infantry usage has been limited to two manuvres. Anti-tank riflemen and spotters."
"And snipers too," Miho said as well. "Though the former two are their more frequent work. We can reduce the risk of their anti-tank rifles in this town, they don't have the concealment of the hedgerows here."
"What about the spotters?" Anchovy asked. "They're the ones directing those artillery fire on target."
"They've been doing it with smoke grenades," Miho held up a spent blue smoke grenade that was thrown at her tank early in the match. "There seems to be three color-coded signals being used: red, blue, yellow. I don't know what these colors mean, but they're most likely being directed towards individual artillery groups."
"So assuming the case, meaning we're dealing with at least three batteries of artillery vehicles…" Kay said.
"Darn" Katyusha scoffed, "and I thought America with their 105 mm M7 were bad."
"They've been using smoke this whole time, but we should consider that they might bring radios next time," Miho suggested.
"Wait, why didn't they bring radios the first time?" Kay asked.
"Manpower channeling," Darjeeling said. "All those knocked out T-34? Their crew left and they went to conduct their little war."
"Oh yeah!" Kay said in an eureka moment. "We have a phrase for something like that, 'Little Groups of Tankers'... or something like that."
"Quite so Kay. So if they came fresh from the T-34 tanks, they probably did not have time to take any radios, if they had any to begin with."
"So the more tanks we kill, the more we expand their foot soldiers," Nishi summed it up. "How nefarious."
"The only thing we can do is try to stop their effectiveness against us," Miho stated. "But Suvorov won't burst into the town with an infantry force, but armored one, and that's my next main concern with what Katyusha met."
"Yeah…" Katyusha agreed, "The Iosef-Stalin 3."
Miho grimaced at the thought of the beast. Back in Kuromorimine, the prospect of that machine in Pravda's hand was enough to even give the Tiger II tank crews a worry. It was the main reason why they invested so much in the Maus.
Pravda never did obtain the IS-3. There were a variety of deduced reasons why from Kuromorimine intelligence. First was the cost in the Sensha-dou market, with the IS-3 production limited and exclusive in Russia, it was hard to obtain one for Japan. Second was the rather troublesome driving mechanism due to contorted driving space, its very hard to make the most out of the tank. Third was the intensive maintenance care as the initial versions suffered from poor attachments of the automotive parts, with the engine able to rattle itself loose according to user reviews. It was more economical for the school to obtain the more numerable IS-2 for the students that retained the same firepower.
Still, that didn't stop Kuromorimine from obtaining a Maus.
Except now Miho didn't have a Maus at hand for this predicament.
"That IS-3 can take anything we throw in front of it," Katyusha spoke like a living encyclopedia on the piece. "Probably the only thing we had that could do real frontal damage was KV-tan's 152 mm, but the IS-3 knocked her out the first instance it showed itself."
"I'm sorry, the 'first instance' it showed itself?" Kay asked, followed with Katyusha's nod. "Like literally the moment it popped out it fired and destroyed a tank? You sure you're not mistiming that?"
"No!" Katyusha shouted her belief. "As soon as he popped out of that hedgerow over there at full speed, it blasted away at KV-tan just like that!"
"What does that IS-3 have? A D-25T2S? There's no way an IS-3 can make an hit like that!" Kay said in disbelief. "Even with the M4 Sherman's stabilizer, we're talking about a 60% hit rate."
"Either way," Darjeeling mediated between the two. "The point is that our problem vehicle, which happens to be the flag tank of the enemy team, has exhibited pin-point accuracy when moving at its maximum capacity while being protected in front armour thick enough to resist anything we have. So that begs the question, how do we destroy this tank?"
"Our strategy now is centered on taking out the IS-3," Miho summed up. "Even though our numbers and with Suvorov is roughly the same, we can't win from a a battle of attrition against their heavier firepower."
She pointed at the map in front of them. "Here's our position. We're in a major disadvantage in movements with Suvorov surrounding us in the bocages." With a pencil, she traced in arrows on all the major artery leading in and out the towns, with Miho pointing to each one of them. "They can move in from here, here, here, and here." The familiar roads on the north-west, north-east, south-east, and south-west were highlighted.
"We can defend with about five tanks per side?" Anchovy suggested.
"I disagree," Darjeeling said, "He who defend everything…"
"...defends nothing," Miho finished. "And Darjeeling's right, with only a limited amount of our tanks able to do real damage, splitting them up over the area will split our forces too thin. Suvorov probably has the same idea, they won't attack all four entryways at once, they'll plane for a concentrated attack."
"So what should we do then?" Kay asked.
"We'll have to draw them in," Miho said, "We have to make them attack through an area of our choosing."
"Where?"
Miho pointed to the south road arteries on the map. "We can channel the most firepower angles on these two areas, just like before!"
"How the hell are we suppose to make them do that? Making them attack the same place twice?" Anchovy asked.
"With their headstrong spirits, they'll definitely charge in to attack us at our strongest if we invest everything there!" Nishi shouted.
"No, we'll be making those positions the weakest," Katyusha said.
"Eeeh?!"
"She's right," Miho affirmed. "The Russians are not dumb. Their doctrine is not just envelopment, it's the aspect of Maskirovka. They are going to exploit our weaknesses. They did that already, we had our strong point in the south-east and so they kept us busy there… right as they send a company on our undefended left side."
She circled the north-east and north-west path. "So we have to make them think we're reinforcing these sectors instead. If they think we committed most of our forces up here, they will most likely strike from the south with all their might."
"That sounds great and all," Kay said. "But you're not planning on letting them just waltz in like that, right?"
"Yeah, we could position some units there as our forward guard with heavy AT power. But… they'll be carrying the whole match on their shoulders. It is unlikely we will be able to quickly shift our forces once we've committed them to each sectors. If and when Suvorov attacks through there, the opportunities they can use to get to their IS-3 will be crucial!"
"Really nerve-racking," Anchovy remarked. "We're treading a thin line here with this chance."
"'A single rice can tip a scale'" Darjeeling said, "One tank can be the difference between our victory and defeat."
Miho looked at the team captains. Their faces were apprehensive, but there was no disagreements. The situation was precarious, but they were all ready to do their part for Miho's win.
"Now then," the serious discussion was coming to a close, and Miho felt there was only one way to break the ice and equilibrate the team back to its own self. "an operation of this scale in the middle of the match, I believe warrants its own name."
Everyone's eyes beamed at this. Names started spouting out like a fountain.
"Operation Down Under!"
"Operation Tall Nose!"
"Operation Ice Cream Cone!"
"What, why?"
"You eat from the bottom!"
"WHAT?! YOU DO NOT!"
The argument got heated up as usual. As some squabbled over certain names, others kept them going until Miho heard one.
"Operation Stalagmite…. who said that?" Miho asked. Katyusha raised her hand. "I think we'll go with that one!"
"Operation Stalagmite it is then," Darjeeling said in agreement.
"Oh-kay!" Kay put out a thumbs up.
"Right-o then everyone!" Anchovy cheered as she put her hand out, "We're all in this together! Let's bring the team and Miho to victory!"
Miho chuckled as the team captains brought their hands together, putting hers on top. She no longer felt alone in this effort of hers against Suvorov. She has the backing of the team, more than ever. "Fight on!"
The girls cheered, laughed, and rumbled with their camaraderie as they began to dismiss, that was when one member became notably absent
"Hey, where's Mika?" Miho suddenly realized. "She's not out, is she?"
"Huh? No she's still in…" Anchovy said. "Only one left from her school though."
Miho kicked the ground as she rolled up the map, "I was a fool, I didn't even realize she was missing! Everyone, get your team ready to position yourself according to the plan! I'm gonna find Mika and brief her on Operation Stalagmite!" She looked at her watch, "we still have a hour and forty minutes!"
She made herself halfway out when Katyusha called for her, "Miho-sha!"
"What is it Katyusha?" Miho asked, looking down at the girl.
"I haven't seen Nonna and Klara, have you?"
Miho thought about it, "No?"
"They weren't knocked out from before either. I saw their tanks, but no one's seen them since the cease-fire."
"We'll look for them, Katyusha," Miho said reassuringly.
"Thanks Miho-sha."
First Mika, now Nonna and Klara? Where could they be? Miho thought on their absence. Their disappearance from the whole spiel was actually rather startling, Nonna wouldn't let Kay close of Katyusha like that before if she was around.
She passed by her Panzer IV, there was still time and there was more information needed to be had.
"How are you, Miporin" Saori said out of her hatch.
"Pretty fair, Saori," Miho replied with a smile.
"You have a new strategy to beat Suvorov, Nishizumi-dono?" Yukari asked.
"Yes we do! I'll tell you about it later. Right now I have an important task to ask of you."
"What is it?"
"I need some scouts in Suvorov's line so we know what they plan to throw at us when they start."
"Won't they view that as a form of attack?" Hana asked.
"Depends," Mako answered. "On how they'll take it. No one said scouting was exactly an 'attack.'"
"I agree, plus I have no doubt Suvorov has got some eyes watching us at this time. Can you do it, Yukari?"
"Nishizumi-dono, I spend a night crawling around Suvorov's base," Yukari exclaimed. "This is nothing! I'll do it!"
"Bring some extra eyes, and the machine pistol just in case!" Miho said, referring to the MP40. "I need to find someone now, so good luck!"
Miho waved off as she left. She got to her problem, the location of the missing girls. Mika should not be too hard, her whole crew is missing so maybe she was with her tank, a large white structure easily found.
But Nonna and Klara were out of their tanks as far as she knew. Finding a person in this town will prove difficult if they were among the buildings. Speaking of which, Miho was passing by the wreckage that was the south-east road where the major fighting of the first wave occurred. A good portion had been demolished from high caliber fire from the Suvorov artillery and assault guns. So this landscape is easily destructible, Miho thought, keeping the landscape trait in mind.
The search around the area brought her to the familiar white and blue colors of Continuation's BT-42. It was in perfect shape, with the three crew members outside it. Why are they all the way out here?
"Mika!" Miho cried. Aki and Mikko turned their attention towards Miho, but Mika remained undisturbed. As Miho got closer, Aki and Mikko approached.
"Hello Miho," Mikko spoke up, "what's up?"
"Where were you girls this whole time? Why are you all the way out here?"
"We, uhh…" Aki stammered. "We were just refueling! You know, PLO? Yeah…"
"We were all gathered in the center, you didn't have to be out here. Mika missed our operation briefing!"
"Oh really? I, uh…"
"Let me just talk to Mika," Miho brushed between the two as she approached the kantele playing girl. "Mika! Oi!"
"Miho Nishizumi," Mika said as she plunced a string.
"What are you doing out here?" Miho asked
"Isn't the scenery beautiful here, you can just take in from the surrounding."
Miho glanced around, "That's not it," she returned to the subject at hand. "You should've been able to hear us and- Mika, will you stop playing that so loud?"
"Hmm?!" Mika said with blissful ignorance. She was playing the kantele much louder with their conversation, playing a familiar tune on it.
"Why are you playing that so loud? I'm talking with you," Miho asked again. The kantele entered a crescendo, Miho felt her frustration do the same.
"Mika, please stop it," Miho and another voice said. Miho noticed the double speak and looked for its source, though it was nowhere from the ground. She looked up at the BT-42 and saw the other missing figure.
"Nonna?" Miho asked of the girl sticking out of the BT-42 hatch, she simply waved back. "What are you doing up there?"
"Apologies," Mika said, bowing towards Nonna. "I couldn't mask your presence."
"That's alright, we needed the moment. She is ready now" Nonna said and beckoned towards Miho. "Please come in."
Miho gestured to herself. Me? In? She used a rudimentary hand language pointing to herself and towards the BT-42. Nonna nodded, and with Mika's urging, she climbed the assault gun, bringing the maps with her.
Into the BT-42 large turret, it was still only meant for two people, and she found herself cramped in the turret with Nonna and Klara. Whatever happened in here, it was a private conversation as Klara was curled up in a ball and did not move as Miho climbed in through the commander's hatch.
"Klara?" Miho didn't expect her in here as well. She didn't stir and remained in a upright fetal position.
"Klara," Nonna said, before speaking in Russian towards her. It was in a smooth tone, one that would be expected in an attempt to encourage.
Klara let out a heavy sigh before she spoke. "Miho Nishizumi."
"Klara, are you hurt? Is something wrong?" Miho asked.
Klara paused again, "I'm sorry. This whole mess… it's my fault."
What? "Don't say that Klara, I'm the one in command here. It's up to me to get us out."
"I know Suvorov's commander…"
Miho was silent. She had considered Klara's relationship with Suvorov, especially with her "healthy" conversation she had with the paratrooper on Ōarai carrier during their night attack. In her mind, there was no doubt that Klara had some intimate knowledge with how the Russians conducted their armor doctrine. Being close to the enemy commander was also in consideration, but not the top.
"Erik Dimitrevich Katukov," Klara stated his name. "He's been the commander of Suvorov the last three years. I've even served under him for a time when I was in Russia."
Miho listened intently. Klara was pouring a life story out and interrupting would be beyond rude.
Southeast bocage, France
Yukari and Erwin marched through the hedgerow paths, singing on the way:
Uma wa taoreru, sutete mo okezu
Koko wa izuku zo, Mina Teki no Kuni
The MP40 clacked on her back with each pace.
"How far you figure their gathering point is from the town?" Yukari asked.
"Hmmm…" Erwin channeled her thoughts. "They could be as far as several kilometers, for operational flexibility."
"Urgh, we don't have much time left either." She checked her phone, "only about a hour and twenty minutes left."
"Why don't we switch it up a bit?" Erwin said. "Different song?"
"Hmm, what about 'Ballad of the Green Berets'?" Yukari said.
"Mmm, I'm not sure about that. Oh! I know, what about 'Westerwaldlied', Guderian?"
"Great idea, Erwin! I got my best German with me!" Yukari exclaimed.
"Okay, a one, a two, and…
Heute wollen wir marschier'n
Einen neuen Marsch probier'n
*CRACK*
The singing stop under that threatening noise, Yukari instinctively dived down. "Erwin, down!"
"Huh?!" Erwin responded before the air ripped apart.
*RATATATATAT-CRACK-RATATATA*
The two dived into the ditches by the tall hedgerows, the bullets ripped through the foliage, tearing off leaves and branches that rained on the girls.
"Agh! This is just like on the carrier!" Erwin shouted.
"We must've drawn a patrol's attention! Fall back!" Yukari shouted as a machine gun rang out its tempo. A DP machine gun!
She and Erwin ran back from the lines.
"Of course, it's when we start singing German when the whole world falls apart!"
Southwest Bocage, France
The sound in the distance sounded like a loud sewing machine, its startling appearance shaking Sodoko.
"You scared, Sodoko?" Mako boringly said.
"You would be if you've been under fire!" Sodoko shouted.
"Shhh," Mako shushed, "they'll hear us…"
"Brr…" Sodoko shuddered as she held onto the Karabiner 98k rifle as Mako walked with a MP40. Her submachine gun clacked around, nervously affecting Sodoko with each part movement.
"Loosen up Sodoko."
"Stop calling me that, Mako! How would you like it if I called yo-"
"Shh!" Mako ducked down into the ditch, "come here."
"Don't shush me, I'm not gonna-" The sound of an approaching engine came and Sodoko quickly complied. A dull green car with a gun drove by in the next intersection of the hedgerow.
"A car?" Sodoko identified.
"Maybe an armored car," Mako wrote on a notepad. "It's got a turret."
"It's heading towards the sound of gunfire," Sodoko listened to the continued fire.
"I hope Yukari is alright."
"On the other hand," Sodoko beamed, "They're taking most of the heat off us! Let's go!"
Center of town, France
"He and I… we had a strained relationship and…" Klara's voice trailed off as she went back to her thoughts.
"Is that why you left Russia?" Miho asked.
"There was… an accident," Klara continued. "I nearly tore the Katukov family apart. I was given an opportunity, stay and face further persecution for my failures, or transfer overseas away from the wrath of the Katukovs."
Miho couldn't help but feel sorry for Klara, her experiences… it was something she could sympathize with.
"Miho, let me help you beat Erik Katukov," Klara said. "It's the least I can do for everything that has happened."
"Klara, I don't want you to think this is your fault," Miho said. "If you haven't given them any vital information about our fight earlier, this has nothing to do with you, regardless of your relationship with them."
"You mean it?" Klara asked.
"Of course," Miho said. "In exchange, I need you to give us all you know about Suvorov against our strategy here."
Miho pulled out the map and laid it out on the turret floor of the BT-42. She explained her plan to Klara and Nonna, with Mika poking in from above to listen as well. Nonna and Klara sporadically converse in Russian as Miho told them her idea of force allocation.
"It's not too bad…"
"Really?" Miho replied.
Klara pointed to the south area, "It's really hedging on the bet that you can bait him into this attack. Not only that, you'll have to target the IS-3, his personal tank. I must warn you, Miho, the Katukovs have an uncanny ability to maneuver that IS tank across the battlefield."
"Why's that?" Miho asked.
"I'm not so sure," Klara said, scratching her head. "It mostly on the way its driven. The IS-3 is hard to drive as is, so anyone being able to move it as I've seen must be supernatural. Stories go that the tank can maneuver against enemies that it shouldn't even be able to see yet."
"We've noticed that too," Miho said, "the IS-3 has near pin-point accuracy as well."
"Even if we do chip away at all their other units, we won't be able to beat the IS-3 in a fair match. This is a hard battle you've given to the forward guard units at the south if they attack from there."
"I know, Klara. That's why I put you with them as well."
"...какой?" Klara said with a surprised look in her face.
"Yes, Klara. You know them the best, I'm trusting you to be able to read their movements once they've attacked."
"But… my allegiance…You know our relationship. Do you trust me to be able to take the shot?"
"Who do you serve for now Klara?" Miho asked. Nonna took a look at Klara as well as she briefly thought about it.
"...Katyusha."
"Then you'll be fine with her up in the front," Miho folded up the map. "Meet in the town center when you're ready, we need to start positioning our troops within the… hour and ten minutes."
She climbed out of the BT-42 through the gunner hatch as Mika looked on. Rolling off onto the ground, Miho made her way as Klara shouted, "Miho-sha!"
"Hmm?"
"T-thank you."
Southwest bocage, France
"Is that tank stuck?" Sodoko asked.
The two girls had come across a group of assault guns in a ditch dug in the hedgerow. Their rear end dropped in and their gun barrels point up towards the air as the vehicle laid back.
"It doesn't look stuck…" Mako noted, "it looked more like it backed up in there."
"The gun's just pointing up though!"
"A 152 mm… its in an artillery fashion. I've seen pictures of tanks like this in an artillery role. Loading that against the gravity must be a pain..."
"There's another one behind it too!"
"A battery…" Mako continued writing this all down. The presence, the caliber, and the location.
"What do you mean battery?"
"Nevermind Sodoko. Let's keep moving, we're running low on time. Only got roughly an hour left!"
"Hey wait! There's some tanks over there that looks like the one those Continuation students have!"
"Hmm? A BT tank?" Mako asked.
"No, the big one!" Sodoko clarified.
A KV? Mako thought. For a force with all their rather modernized vehicles, why was there a KV in the mix? "I'll write it down."
Southeast bocage, France
Yukari and Erwin were running low on breath as they continually duck and cover when a volley fire their way. Under pursuit, they continually weave about.
"Guderian! Something's coming!"
The two dove again, listening as their firearms point up in a worst case scenario.
In the ditch, their breath were steady but coarse as a running engine became louder.
The car started coming by, followed with a platoon of Suvorov cadet squad, brimming with firearms meant against infantry.
Those must've been the anti-tank riflemen from earlier… Yukari thought. Gosh… they're so menacing up close!
The car carefully drove down the street as the riflemen started poking about around the ditches, rifles pointing down. There were at least seven men on each side of the road.
"That's a BA-10 armored car," Erwin gritted under her breath.
A BA-10 armored car. While its armor is nothing in the current affairs of armored warfare, it still has a 45 mm gun, a coaxial DT machine gun, and a well-protected crew against small arms. Even if they could trounce the squad, which itself was a slim chance, the car would annihilate them.
"Let's go," Yukari urged on as they tried to crawl.
*Crik...crack*
"No good, dry greenery!" Erwin winced as the twigs and leaves snapped and rustled under their movement. The squad was getting closer.
"What do you think they'll do to us?"
"Guderian, shut up and hide!"
Yukari felt her heart race as the wheels started to roll closer. They were at least 50 meters out now. Back in her missions, she felt she could get a degree of concealment under her stealth suits from the Americans. Here, she was practically naked with her school sensha-dou uniform on the green. All that was there to hide them was the shade the hedgerow provided against the sun, a minimum one at that with the noon placement of the sun.
Time scrolled by slowly with each steps. The cadets on a search seem to be on a radio transmission. Communications, so even if they could evade, back up will surely arrive.
Then something pounced on the scenery, a bombastic orchestral music blared throughout the air. The music echoed as the sound waves showed its source from heavy loudspeakers.
Если на Отчизну нагрянет беда,
Позовёт солдата труба.
Армия моя, ты на страже всегда!
Ты - моя любовь и судьба!
"Erwin, run in now!" Yukari shouted as she stood up and ran into the hedgerows. She could hear, barely under this new music, as Erwin followed swiftly.
They forced their way through the thickest brush of the hedgerow and bursted on the other side to the open fields in the center of the bocage.
The two froze on the ground of this open area as they intently listened, or tried to listen under this new music, at the patrol. No excitement, no alerts, the patrol continued their merry way under this blasting music.
The music was of orchestral performance in Russian. Yukari couldn't instantly recognize the music, but it sounded of a military purpose.
The moment the music sounded, the opportunity was given as it muted the battlefield under its loud field while attracting the cadet's attention brief enough for Yukari and Erwin to move unnoticed. The patrol continued searching the road, but missed the two's new position inside the bocage.
"Good call Guderian," Erwin remarked.
"It's getting too hectic for us here," Yukari said.
"Should we head back?"
"Probably the safest move now."
Center of town, France
"And I need you to plant the tank destroyers in the building! Yes, inside! There's more cover and concealment that way!" Miho commanded through the radio as she examined the map. She shouted, having to penetrate through the loud music that Suvorov has put up.
"Miho," Klara said as she approached. Miho nearly missed her voice under this music.
"Yes Klara?"
"This music, its a Suvorov tactic," Klara stated.
"So it's not just to drown us out?" Saori said, holding her ears like they were aching.
"Partially that," Klara stated. "But also to drown out the sound of Suvorov positioning their forces."
"So they're moving their pieces into play," Miho said. "We have to continue to do the same!"
"What music is this anyways?"
"Right now… it is 'My Army', a Russian marching song," Klara said. "Though I'm sure they'll bring out new music to avoid feeling stale."
"That's sure what we need, some background music. Alright, get your tank with Katyusha, you two will be working together in tandem."
"Nishizumi-dono!" Yukari's cry came from behind in a running loss of breath, with Erwin following suit.
"Yukari! You're back and safe!" Miho shouted, almost wanting to give her a hug.
"Yeah, it was very close out there! We got spotted by a patrol and they opened fire!"
"Vigilant as always," Klara commented.
"Were you able to find anything?" Miho asked.
"No, sorry! Patrol was rather heavy there! They even got a BA-10 armored car there!"
"An armored car? They'll probably use it in a recon role," Klara spoke her thoughts.
"They've got a variety of weapons to choose from. Cars, T-34, and T-44. They have a good range of vehicles they can expend with priority," Miho said. "If they're heavy over there, there's a good chance a bulk of the enemy is there too."
"Not so fast, Ms. Nishizumi," Klara interrupted. "It is very possible Suvorov is hoping for you to fall to this bait as well. Maskirovka is more than concealing their movement, but misleading the enemy as well."
"I see," Miho acknowledged. "We'll stick with our original plan then.
"Miho," Mako's low and monotone voice was audible through all the bombastic music.
"Mako! You're back."
"Here's the notes I took," Mako said, handing over her notepad.
"It suuuurre was dangerous out there!" Sodoko said as Yukari and Erwin gave a funny look. "So make sure this info is useful!"
Miho read through the notes. "Artillery placements… I guess that explains how they use assault guns to make those strikes at these ranges. Klara, what are your thoughts?"
"Artillery has always been a core of Suvorov's battle doctrine. How they're used ranges from commander to commander though… but the current views them more as a supporting arm than a decisive one though.
"Alrighty…" Miho continued reading with that in mind. "...KV tanks?"
"What?" Klara and Yukari asked as she got a look on the paper itself, crowding around Miho. Erwin and Sodoko excused themselves in this moment.
"A KV? Why would they need that still?"
"A KV-1 from the sounds of it as well," Yukari put in her thoughts. "If Suvorov has access to all these vehicles, why do they need those specific heavy tanks still? They're better off with T-34-85s.
"Mako, anything else about these KV?" Miho asked. Mako simply shrugged. "They were with the artillery batteries… maybe we can assume they are just guards from enemy stragglers?"
"The safest bet, I think," Yukari said.
"Klara?"
"I'm not certain…" she said. "We never had those before…no, maybe it really is just nothing."
"Hmm… this changes some ideas of the enemy composition though," Miho analyzed. "At first I thought it would be a full enemy group of IS heavies, T-34 and T-44 mediums, and assault guns between 122 and 152 mm. Now, we can add armored cars and KV heavies into the mix. Depending on their allocation, it seems they do not have as many of powerful tanks than we think, some made up of the cars and KVs."
"This is a good thing, right Nishizumi-dono?"
"Only one way to find out," Miho handed back the notepad to Mako. "And we still have a lot of readying up to do. Man the tanks."
"Yes, Ms. Nishizumi," Klara said as she dismissed herself. Miho got back onto the radio.
The hour ticked away as Ōarai Compound team got set and ready.
The majority of the team has been set up on top as originally planned to guard the north passes. The west has Saunders and Chi-Ha-Tan guarding the entry while the east has a mash-up of Anzio, Continuation, and Ōarai teamed up with St. Gloriana. Their vehicles were set-up in their best defensive positions that the tank commanders at the field could best manage.
The main shield of this defense was the small contingent of tanks on the South. Pravda's T-34-85 and IS-2 were in the mix, plus the StuG III, Jagdpanzer 38(t), and the Panzer IV. Six tanks, a quarter of the Ōarai force, is left defending the entire south. The IS-2 were positioned towards the south end of the town plaza while the tank destroyers waited implanted into buildings at chokepoints. Pravda's two T-34-85 remained as the fireteam to respond to the events. Miho positioned her Panzer IV closer to the town center for the time being, by the church, as she examined the placement of the team.
The forces were flexible, and units can be shifted around. The problem is if the time provides for such movement. That was why the forward guards on the south were the most crucial to this operation.
Now the most suspenseful part of the operation was the waiting, heavily accompanied with the speakers from the hedgerow blaring Russian military music.
Эх, пусть же в колхозе Дружная кипит работа, Мы дозорные сегодня, Эх, да мы сегодня часовые.
Девушки, гляньте, Девушки, утрите слезы. Пусть сильнее грянет песня, Эх, да наша песня боевая!
"Why are they doing that?" Saori asked.
"To drown out the noises when they reposition their forces," Yukari answered. "...and maybe to annoy us."
"It's so annoying!"
"That's 'Polyushka Polye' playing right now," Miho said, getting that from Klara.
Miho looked at the watch, about 10 minutes left.
She ran through a personal checklist in her head. Everything was set in place the best manner she could think of, though she couldn't help think that something was missing, something could've been done better.
She got onto the radio. "Anglerfish here. 10 minutes to go time. Everyone ready to go?" Miho listened deeply, trying to hear over the music.
"A-oh kay here, Miho!" Kay shouted through.
"Set-up and ready," Darjeeling replied.
"I'm alright! No need to remind us every minute!" Katyusha replied hyperbolically.
A sound of chewing came by the next transmission by Anchovy, "Lunrched urp urnd reeady tro gooo!"
"I'm ready Ms. Nishizumi!" Nishi shouted in attention.
Miho sighed as she listened to the replies. Everyone was ready to give their best. Miho watched the clock tick closer to the three hour mark, officially ending the cease-fire they have been protected under.
About five minutes now. In this time, the music from the hedgerows came to an abrupt stop. For a some seconds, silence returned to the match as the Russians fumbled with the music. Suddenly, a new one came, a different tone.
Unlike the others, this had a swelling music tone as the singing grew.
Россия – священная наша держава,
Россия – любимая наша страна.
"The national anthem," Klara named the theme.
"This must be it," Miho said as she looked at the watch, four minutes left. "How long is the song, Klara?"
"Four minutes."
"Ready up team!" Miho shouted through the radio. The replies came in as Anglerfish team, relaxing in their positions, take up battle-readiness. Miho adjusts herself in the seat as she viewed through the cupola.
"Nishizumi-dono? You alright?" Yukari looked up from her loader's position. Miho looked down and saw something jitter. She realized a moment later that it was her own legs jumping up and down in anticipation. She pressed a hand against the leg to calm it down.
"Yeah, I'm fine."
"Alright alright, or okay alright?" Yukari asked back.
"I'm good, everything is going to be okay," Miho said back.
"We'll win this, Ms. Nishizumi," Hana reassured.
"I'm certain we will!" Miho said, with a charm of excitement missing before.
"That's the Miporin we know!" Saori exclaimed.
Miho prepped up. Everything was ready.
The clocked ticked down the final minute. Miho opened up and peered out the cupola. The split hatch opened up the way as she saw the force arrangement from where she was. The crucial moment was coming.
The minute was up.
*RREEOOWWWRR-REEOOOWWWRRR-RREEPOWWWRRR!*
The air filled with such nasty noises! But everyone listened to this unfamiliar noise. Miho quickly got onto her radio.
"KATYUSHAS!"
"WHAAAATTT?!" The little girl from Pravda shouted.
"NOOOO! KATYUSHA ROCKEEETTTTSSSSS! COVER! HANA, DRIVE INTO THE CHURCH!"
*KRREEOOWWWRR-REEOOOWWWRRR-RREEOOWWWRRR!*
While the Panzer IV lurched back, Miho quickly closed the cupola hatch as the town erupted. Explosions shook the ground like an earthquake, the blasts sending dust and rubble flying around the town. The noise rocked the girls' minds and the building around them as it fell all around them.
After less than a minute, the terrible grinding noise of rockets receded, followed by the insufferable sound of destruction surrounding the girls.
Dust flew inside the Panzer IV, causing the crew to cough. Once the explosions stopped, Miho cracked open her cupola for air, but more rubble ended up falling into her lap, coating her in a shade of dull grey. The entryway of the church building was blocked by rubble, but luckily the building still seemed standing. The same cannot be said for the rest of the replica town. The town was a shadow that it once was, its pristine buildings blasted apart from the rocket waves. It was perhaps easier now to count the number of buildings still standing than those that were destroyed.
"*cough**cough* Status report! Is everyone alright?!" Miho shouted.
"We've got some losses!" Kay screamed through. "Two M4s are toast here!"
"Rosehip lost her wingmen," Darjeeling said, the loss of one Cromwell.
"Carpaccio is down!" Anchovy yelled.
"We've got some trapped tanks here!" Turtle team said from under rubble.
"Where did those come from?!" Katyusha shouted.
Miho did some quick deductions. We're down to 18 tanks now! "Everyone, recover quickly! Mako, try to drive out. We'll make Hana blast it apart if we have to."
"Roger that."
Suddenly, as the silence returned in the devastated town, the sound of chaos emerged from the bocage. The rattling BOOMS of artillery guns thundered in the distance and the mighty roar of diesel engines sounded all around, surrounding Ōarai. The time was now.
"Here they come, everyone!"
Happy New Years!
Well, for where I am when I wrote most of this chapter. Overseas vacation (FFN is also blocked here), but also means I celebrate New Years a lot earlier than America.
Nevertheless, here it is! And a HAPPY NEW YEAR!