Maho looked out over the ocean. She watched the waves crest and fall, and then break against the side of the school ship. She looked up, shielding her eyes from the sun. It was a beautiful day, if only in appearance. She reached into her uniform and pulled out two envelopes. Their contents were identical this time, save for one letter. That letter made all the difference.

Leaning over the edge of the ship's massive deck, she looked down at the waves beneath her. Holding out the first envelope, she released it, letting it fall down, carried by the ocean wind until it landed on the surface of the water. It slowly soaked and sank out of sight. She wanted to let the other one go too, but she still had a job to do.

Putting it back in her jacket, she stepped away from the edge and headed back towards the school. It had taken her a while to run all the way back to Miho's apartment, and then back past the school to a forested part of the deck where no one would see her. She knew it was likely the military men would have already arrived at the garage to acquire the tanks by the time she got back. She hoped Miho wouldn't blame her for not being there.

She ran up beside the garage building, slowing to a walk just before turning the corner. Between the heat of the sun and the running, her sweat was starting to soak through her clothes. She was worried about it soaking into the envelope and ruining it, but she was more worried about appearing in front of everyone looking like she'd just run a marathon. Miho was certain to notice and ask her what she'd been doing.

They were all there. Ooarai High's entire Tankery team was there. The sense of helplessness was pervasive as they all watched the StuG III being towed out. It appeared that the girls had not even been permitted to stand in front of any part of the garage. The Hetzer and the Panzer IV were already out, and a large truck was waiting nearby for the tanks to be loaded on. It didn't look like the truck would be able to hold any more than three tanks, though.

This, she knew, was a disgrace. Taking the tanks these girls focused so much of their time around without more than a day of warning. If what had happened at Kuromorimine was any sign of what was to come, taking the tanks was hardly the biggest disgrace. From across the distance in front of the garage, she saw Miho. The look of despair on her face was the last straw for Maho.

Straightening her back and making like all the running, in her uniform, in the heat of the day, had no effect on her, Maho stormed over to the man directing the others. She stopped right behind him and waited. Another man silently pointed her out, and the man turned to face her.

"I thought you girls were told to stay clear while we're moving these. We don't need you getting in the way."

Maho hadn't thought about what she was going to say to him, but thankfully another man walked up to them and addressed him, giving her time to construct some sort of sentence in her head.

"Major, there's something else in there that I don't recognize. It looks like some sort of customized Tiger. Definitely based on a German design."

From the sidelines, Nakajima shouted at them. "Don't you talk smack about my tank!"

Hoshino piped in. "Only Ooarai's automotive club knows how to operate the Tiger (P)! It's useless to you without us!"

Suzuki joined in. "It's not modified, you idiot! It's a Tiger prototype!"

Finally, Saori shouted at them for good measure. "I'm never dating any of you! You hear me! Never!"

Maho called the Major's attention back to herself. "What are you planning to do with the other tanks?"

He looked down at her. "Their coming with us as well. The Type-89 is going straight into service as soon as it's cleared and crewed. The other three are going in reserve for now." He noticed her uniform. "You're not from this school. Who are you?"

Taking a deep breath, Maho reached into her jacket and pulled out the envelope, handing it over. "That will explain it."

He opened the envelope, taking out the paper and quickly scanning it over. "Hmm… Nishizumi, huh? Well then… we'll be loading the tanks onto our ship tonight, but we're setting off tomorrow morning at nine. You should be there."

She took the envelope back when he handed it to her, letting out a low sigh as she did. "I know."

"Now stand back with the others. You're just in the way right now."

As Maho walked over to the rest of the girls, most of them cheered her. They thought she was brave, and that she was standing with them. She felt like she was walking with her tail between her legs. There was nothing she could do. Nothing she could do to save their tanks, and nothing to stop what was coming next. She walked through them and continued on through their confused looks.

Miho ran to catch up with her. "Wait!" She stepped in front of her sister, blocking her way. "What was in that envelope?"

Maho's eyes glazed over, and she stared over Miho's shoulder. She couldn't look her sister in the eye. "You don't need to worry about that."

"But…"

"It's not your problem. I made sure of that." She tried to step around Miho.

Miho stepped in the way again. "What does that mean?"

"I've done what I can. We'll talk back at your place." With that, Maho pushed past her. After a moment of staring after her in disbelief, Miho ran to keep up with her.

The Major turned to the remaining girls, looking over them for a second. "You all have far more important things to focus on right now. You should go home."

A shorter girl, Midoriko Sono, placed her hands on her hips and shouted back at him. "In the middle of a school day? Are you crazy? Surely you of all people understand the concept of being absent without leave!"

"You have leave. Now leave." He waved them off as he turned back to his work.

The finality of his dismissal left them all in a state of disarray. The first year students and the volleyball team were the first to wander off, followed by Midoriko's team and the automotive club.

Erwin adjusted her hat and half-turned away. "Do we secede with dignity or keep fighting?"

The rest of her team considered their options carefully. It was Saemonza who found the solution. "Seppuku?"

Saori shoved her way between Oryou and Caesar. "How are number puzzles supposed to help?"

Mako appeared beside her, addressing the others and ignoring her own teammate. "Death before dishonor. Let's take our tanks back."

Anzu Kadotani, president of the school's student council, called them all over. "Come on. Everyone go home for now. We'll figure this out later. Right now, we're all too stressed out and upset to do anything smart about this."

The rest of them slowly wandered away, some heading home like they were told, others heading back to the school. Those that tried to return to their classes found that they had the rest of the day off. Confused and a little concerned, they too went home.

Maho finally stopped just outside Miho's apartment. She turned to look at her sister. "Miho… our mother… she may have been strict, but you know she did love us." Miho nodded. Maho let out a long sigh. "I never told you, but during your match with Pravda, she was there. She was watching the match with me."

"I see."

"No, you don't see. Miho, when I asked her, she said she was there to disown you." Maho cut off her sister before she could make any sort of disbelieving outburst. "But she didn't. It still bothers me why she didn't. When Pravda had you cornered and trapped, and we all thought you had lost, she just got up and left. She said it was a waste of time to keep watching, but… if that had been the end, then it would have been all the more reason for her to stay and to do what she told me she was going to do."

Miho shook her head, confused. "What are you talking about?"

"You were more important to her than the family name, Miho. Even at your lowest point, she had to leave because she couldn't bring herself to do it." Maho looked away. "That's what I think, anyway."

"Why are you telling me this?"

Maho surprised Miho, grabbing her shoulders. "Listen to me. This is important. She wanted us to stay away from the war. She didn't want us to ever have to live through that. Never. I want you to promise me that you won't try to join the fight. Okay?"

"What?" Miho tried to break free. Her sister was starting to worry her. "What are you talking about? How would I even get there?"

"Miho, I mean it. They're running out of options over there, and they've started drafting people. Anyone who is already able to operate military machinery. They're taking vehicles from Tankery teams, but they're also taking the girls who operate them."

Miho gasped, stumbling back several steps. "What? How could they… How?"

"Desperation, Miho. They drafted Mom. They-" Maho reached into her uniform and pulled out the envelope. "They drafted all of us."

"Is that…" Miho covered her mouth with her hands, too shocked to finish. "No…"

"This is where I need you to promise me something, Miho." She held up the letter. "This is yours. The ship leaves tomorrow with the tanks, and everyone who has been drafted. Miho, don't go to the ship. Find someone you can stay with, because they'll look for you here."

"You… you want me to… I'm supposed to just hide?" Miho jumped forward, grabbing her sister and quickly searching through her pockets. "Where's yours. You can't go and leave me behind!"

Maho pushed her back, holding her at arm's length. "We don't have much time, so listen closely." She took a deep breath. "Tomorrow morning, Miho Nishizumi will be at the docks, and she'll get on the ship with her classmates. She'll prove it's her with these draft orders, the same ones I showed the Major earlier. I'll go, so that you don't have to. My draft orders are somewhere in the water behind the ship, so they can't find it anywhere. They'll be looking for me, but I'll be you, and you be… anyone else. Whoever you want to be. Just don't be me."

"But-"

"Let me protect you this way, Miho." She reached up and straightened her cap, resting her arms at her sides. Miho could see the sad determination in her sister's eyes. "This is how I'll protect you. But I can't protect everyone, so I do have to go. By now, your friends have all read their own draft orders. If I'm you, I can be there to lead them. I can protect them too. Your team, and mine."

Yukari Akiyama opened the front door of her family's barber shop. "I'm home." She didn't have the energy and wasn't in the mood for any cheerful greetings. The loss of the tanks, those precious tanks, was too much for her. That she knew what awaited them, probably being smashed apart by mortars and missiles, just made it all the harder. She headed right past her parents, making her way to her room where she could curl up in a blanket and cry.

"Yukari."

She stopped at the sound of her mother's voice. She didn't want to explain why she was home from school so early, but they probably deserved to at least know. "Yes, Mom?" She didn't turn around, not sure she could look at her parents. She didn't want them to see her suddenly start crying.

"You got a letter."

"What?" Yukari finally turned around, seeing her parents both standing there behind her, worried looks on their faces. "From who?"