Author's Note
Well I finally got it up. If you were patiently waiting this whole time then you are one awesome human being to be able to put up with me like this. Hats off to you! Again sorry that I am half a month late. Maybe I should just push the update towards middle of the month. What do you guys think? on a side note, I m returning to first POV. I may consider third POV again in the future but nothing is set in stone at this point. Or maybe I can mix both together into one chapter. Do you guys think that is doable or its just going to be a pile of mess? I think I'll end the questioning here.
So like the usual, any comment and review of the chapter and the story as a whole would be greatly welcomed and received so don't be shy with the reviews.
Now, on with the story!
Chapter 11
"And that my dear listeners, is the origin story of Shinamura Keiji, The Wounded Wolf ." Suzaku announced as he proudly crossed his arms at the front of a classroom with Kyoji. They received a round of applause from Sparta High's entire Senshado's team who were seated in the classroom.
"Tell me again why are the two of you telling that story?" I asked in a tired tone.
"Well, our guest is curious about the topic in question so it would be rude of us to not provide her with the information we have." Kyoji explained proudly.
"And why did Suzaku joined in half way through?" I asked almost dreading the idiotic answer that is coming.
"Because I invited him." Satoshi said raising his arm.
"So Ms Nishizumi. Do you have any question?" Soujiro asked looking over to his left.
"I am fine thank you." Maho answered after processing the story. She had come to Sparta High to offer her thoughts and knowledge on Saunders' battle tactics as well as to look into her own tactics for improvements. While she was waiting for her second in command, Erisa or something, to get the briefing files and thumb drive that was left on the helicopter they arrived in, someone had the bright idea of telling the story of the match that made me famous in SurCom. I was also running late and so had no way of stopping Kyoji or Suzaku, who joined in half way.
This is what I get for being five minutes late. Is someone in heaven intentionally trying to screw with me? I bet they get some sick enjoyment out of my suffering. Note to self, always be early and never leave these monkeys alone with anybody.
"Yeah. So that's how I the nickname 'The Wounded Wolf' and the insignia you saw on my helmet the other day." I said with the hope of wrapping up that side story.
"You really not going to tell her that part?" Suzaku asked faking disbelief. "I am disappointed in you Keiji! You are better than this!"
"Apparently I am not but please do add that part in if it makes you feel any better." I said giving up hope that Suzaku will be leaving anytime soon.
"What is he talking about?" Maho asked me out of curiosity.
"You see, TOR High's captain, a third year student, was so impressed by Keiji's performance that he gave Keiji his sidearm, a Smith and Wesson model 29 .44 Magnum. It is a sign of respect in TOR High." Suzaku said proudly. "They hardly ever do that and to do that to a Junior Year speaks volume to what Keiji did. I believe his mother even frame it or something after he took it back."
"That's great and all but why are you still doing here?" I asked in an annoyed tone.
"Because I am here to issue a wager to you and your team!" Suzaku declared to me and the rest of my Senshado team. "Because of what you did, I lost a wager and had to do the Drag Dance with my squad when we docked back at Fukuoka. And now its the right time for some payback!"
"What is a Drag Dance?" Maho asked seeing that a few of the guys in the room were chuckling at the mere mention of the word while Suzaku and some others shivered at the mere mention of it.
"It's a punishment. Sparta High has this tradition where a wager can be issued by a club to any of the other clubs. The loser of the wager would have to do a Drag Dance along with all the others who lost a wager once this ship docked in Fukuoka." I explained to Maho before tuning towards Suzaku. "So what is the wager? And please not something stupid."
"Of course I won't be asking for something impossible. My challenge is simply. All your team to do your best and not regret the outcome of your first match." Suzaku announced. "How's that?"
"Though I feel some unease in this, that sounds about right." I said giving it some thought. "But is it okay for us to actually participate? You know. With us being the black sheep of the school and all."
"It's fine. I spoke with some of the club's representative and student council as well. All of them are okay with it. Plus majority of the school is curious to see what you guys can achieve." Suzaku convinced me. "Besides, The Drag Dance is a school's traditional event. Usually grudges and hatred of any kind would be set aside for these events."
"You have a good point there." I said before turning to the rest of my team that was still seated in the classroom. "What do you guys think?"
"It'd be a good bit of fun." Fukuda answered with a shrug while the others also showed signs of agreement.
"Well, you got your answer Suzaku." I said getting up from my seat to shake Suzaku's hand to accept the wager.
"Sorry for the wait!" Takashi announced in a flat tone as he slams the classroom door wide open with his left foot while both his hands are still on his gaming device. "This school is a damn maze as it is."
"I find it amazing that you can say that when you lead someone through the school without taking your eyes off that device of yours." I commented as Takashi came in and took a seat.
"Sorry for my carelessness Commander! It would not happen again. I am ready for any punishment you deemed-" Maho's second in command rushed in and apologised mid-sentence as she stared at me slacked jawed. "K-Keiji!?"
"Ah...Eri?" I asked after a stunned silence.
"Keiji! You're the one who suggested Senshado become a mixed gender sport!?" The girl asked in disbelief.
"Uh...yeah. You know. I was always wanted to do Senshado when I was younger so here I am." I explained myself.
"Oi Keiji! Who the heck is this girl! You cheating on Maho-chan here!?" Satou said standing on his table and pointing his index finger at me accusingly. You cheating dog!"
"Yeah! It's bad enough you have a girlfriend and now you parading your mistress in front of us!? You double traitor!" Someone else yelled to add fuel into the fire. By this time everyone else in the class decided to pitched in to make this campfire into a raging forest fire.
"God damn it Satou! It's Eri here! Don't you remember her!?" I yelled back at Satou while having a foot on a chair. "And Maho is not my girlfriend okay you fucking idiots!?"
Satou...To toss me under the bus like that, what a nice childhood friend you are.
"This seems familiar." Maho said to herself, somewhat accustomed to the teasing I was getting in her expense, before turning to Erika. "Erika you know him?"
"Yes. My maternal grandparents live in Fukuoka and I visit them at least once a month. His mother runs a small Senshado dojo there and I would normally go there when I was in town. That's how I got to know him and that guy on the table." Erika explained uncomfortably at the ruckus as she pointed as Satou. "Commander, are these these the ones who are going to be doing the best three out of five matches? They are rather..."
"Undisciplined?" Maho asked already know what her second in command is going to say. Although Maho thinks that Erika can be a good commander and that she has mellowed out since their match with Miho and the Oorai team, she felt that her second in command can still be quick to judge and a bit too uptight.
"Alright guys that's enough fun. Our guests are here for our benefit so let us not waste anymore of their time." I said in a serious tone and everyone quickly settled down. I then lowered my voice to address Erika and Maho who were beside me in front of the classroom. "I am really sorry for this. They just like to make fun of me. Eri, can we catch up later? Anymore and I will not hear the end of it."
"Its fine. So should I start or do you want to do the introduction?" Maho asked as Erika handed her the briefing files and thumb drive.
"The two of you are guests so it's only appropriate to do an intro first." I explained before turning towards my team while Erika and Maho set up the presentation they had on the thumb drive and start up the projector. "Afternoon. As you all know we will be having a match with Saunders High in a week's time. They are a national level team so to have a match that is remotely respectable we need to at least look at their tactics. To help us in this endeavor are representatives from Kuromorimine. You all have met Ms Nishizumi. To her right is Itsumi Erika, Ms Nishizumi's second in command. In return for their time we would also be discussing on Kuromorimine's battle tactic and so on. Ms Nishizumi, the stage is yours."
"Thank you Shinamura. Gentlemen, thank you for having us here and your patience. Again I would like to apologise for the wait." Maho said as she and Erika both bowed. Once Erika manned the computer Maho starts her presentation. "As we all know, Saunders is a school that uses mainly American tanks. Most of these are some variants of the M4 Shermans. The ones we seen are the M4, M4E6 and Sherman Firefly. But they also have some tank destroyers. These are the a few Wolverines and a lesser number of Hellcats. Last count of their tank is a total of sixty."
"Question. You mentioned Wolverines and Hellcats. Aren't those open top vehicles?" Tetsuo asked. "I remember Senshado rules banning open tops."
"They bought them and modified them to be closed top vehicles. The modifications were expensive and they had it done in a short period of time. It was not to The Senshado Council's satisfaction and they redid it twice before it getting approved." Maho explained. " To them finance is not a problem so you can expect the tanks to have the best equipment and well maintained." Maho explained. "As mentioned before there were around sixty tanks. But there are rumours indicating that they may be looking for new tanks to purchase. At the moment we are not sure what tanks they are planning to purchase but it is safe to say that they would be looking for tanks with better armour and armament. Modifications within a week is a bit rush but it is safe to say that they may rush it and deploy some new tank in the upcoming match."
"Yes. I think this is where we can help out in." I said looking at Ryoji. "Can you check Saunders' budget and work an out an estimate of what they may get?"
"Looking into it. But I need their current tank ratio for a better answer." Ryoji said pulling out his personal laptop and went to work.
"Last count was twenty M4, twenty M4A6, five Sherman Firefly, ten Wolverines and five Hellcats." Erika answered showing a slide of the numbers she mentioned. "But those are based on estimation and manually counting the vehicles they take into matches. They may have sold and bought some without us knowing."
"It's fine. They can twist and turn all they want but the school's financial statement says it all. I just need to give the numbers some meaning." Ryoji mumbled.
"If I recall that is Ryoji." Maho whispered to me.
"Ya. Former head prefect. He was caught organising various betting pools and running a side business." I explained. "He and his group are very good with numbers."
"This may take a while. Hey Yuuta help me with this." Ryoji said nudging his driver. "You guys continue first. I will announce the result when I get it."
"Of course. Next would be their battle tactics. Their standard practice is to bring in the maximum allowable vehicles into a match to overwhelm their opponents with numbers. They would start off with scouting followed up by sending most of their tanks to stop their opponents from advancing. Once they had the main force pinned whey would send some tanks in a flanking attack. That is if they had numbers on their side." Maho explained. "If they do not, they would try to achieve local numerical superiority by encircling a portion of the opponent and overwhelming them. Besides that hey are known to concentrate their numbers on one flank, overwhelming it, and then proceed to encircle the rest.
Their tanks are more focus on speed so it is to be expected.
"Under their new commander, Kay, the team tends to rely less on number and more on maneuverability in matches. Furthermore, their ace gunner Naomi operates a Sherman Firefly. You can expect accurate long range gunnery from her even when she is on the move." Maho said now going through notable figures of Saunders. "Lastly we have Alisa. She operates a Sherman tank modified to carry additional radio equipment. She usually relays orders from Kay to the entire team and coordinates the team's movement and effort using the mentioned radio equipment. With her being the central hub for radio traffic, it is common for her tank to be the flag tank. This is so that Alisa can focus on coordination since they would have the flag tank hidden. There is also a...controversial role she would play."
"Controversial?" I asked curiously.
"I cannot confirm this but according to my sister, Alisa, without knowledge from Kay, would intercept the opponent's radio transmission and then alert Kay of the opponent's movement. It is not mention that this practice is banned in Senshado but it is avoided by many teams because it is considered underhanded. To put it short, it is a grey area." Maho said. "As far as I am told, Kay preferred fair play and she found out what was Alisa doing and had put a stop to it."
"I can actually imagine anyone else in this school exploiting that grey area. I mean it is not illegal afterall and it would increase the chance for a win." Fukuda pointed out. "Luckily for us Keiji is not the sort to exploits grey area to win right Keiji?"
"If it annoys you I might actually consider it. Can we get back to the topic at hand?" I joked with Fukuda getting some chuckle from some of the guys as Fukuda smiles and shrug his shoulders.
"Grey areas are usually frowned upon. Please refrain from using them." Erika stated a bit chafed at the mention of said topic in such a manner.
I see she's still as stuck up as she was five years ago.
"Right. Sorry for the interruption Maho. Please do continue."
"It's fine. So, moving on to our battle tactics. For us, it is preferable to engage and break the main body before we could be flanked. But in the unlikely possibility that events does not turn out as hoped, we would have our vehicles on the flank to turn and face the flankers while the centre engages the main body. Because we would use Panzerkeil, we need not worry as the leading tank's flank and rear is covered by those on the flank. For added precaution we would have at least two vehicles trailing behind to help deal with the flankers." Maho said explaining her school's method on dealing with Saunders. "To sum it up we would aim to break the main body while the flankers are held off."
"You are speaking of a frontal assault on an opponent who is probably dug in with purpose is to stall while they flank you." Soujiro said. "Won't your team take heavy casualties?"
"If we are not careful with the range then yes. Our armament out range them and as long as we have our front armour facing them there is a low chance of them scoring a hit." Maho explained but still getting some confusion from Soujiro and a few others. They understood the range but they do not know or comprehend why Kuromorimine's armour would be able to withstand a close range shot.
"If I may explain." I volunteered already knowing the source of confusion. "You see, Kuromorimine uses heavy German tanks. So they have very thick armour. I am not sure at what range the front armour would not be effective but it would be ridiculously close and using a high calibre and high velocity gun. As long as their front is facing the incoming fire they would be fine." I explained getting understanding looks from the group.
"I understand that our battle tactics is not applicable to your group since the armour on your tanks may be lacking. But it is recommended that you break their encirclement with as much force as possible and use the initiative to end the match." Maho said getting a few nods. "For training, it is best to focus on accurate gunnery and coordination within the team. This is because Saunders tend to use mass volley of gunfire to overwhelm their opponents while their better gunners pick off their opponents. That is the end of my presentation. Are there any questions?"
"If there isn't I would like to add in my bit now." Ryoji said raising his hand. "Base on my analysis I'd say that there's a high chance that they could get at least ten Easy Eight and five M36 tank destroyers. But it should be noted that they may trade in ten of their older M4s for an additional five Jumbo."
"Thank you very much Ryoji. Since there's no questions you guys are dismissed. Get some rest and start practicing in fifteen minutes. Focus on vehicle handling and maneuver as well as gunnery. Soujiro will supervise." I said getting up and giving Soujiro a nod. "I will join you guys after some further discussion with our guests."
"Just say that you want to fool around with you lady friends!" Satou yelled out as he and the rest exited the classroom. A chorus of boos and insults were hurled my way as everyone else also poked fun at me. Erika just glared at Satou who poked his head back into the classroom. "It's nice seeing you again Erika."
Just you wait Satou...I'll get you back one of these days...
"Again...I am very for their behaviour." I said bowing in apology at both Maho and Erika.
"As a commander don't you think you should be stricter with them?" Erika asked in a chastising tone. "How irresponsible can you be?"
"Erika that's enough. We are his guests after all." Maho reminded Erika. Taken aback, Erika quickly apologised to Maho for overstepping. Maho then turned to me. "I see they haven't change since I last saw them."
"Yeah. I think they actually gotten worse." I said as I pushed some desk together at the centre of the classroom. "Come. Have a seat. Any of you thirsty?"
"I am fine thank you." Maho answered taking her seat while Erika just shook her head and sat down quietly. "Though I like to ask. You are actually acquainted with Erika before today?"
"Yes. I am actually surprised she didn't tell you about it." I said looking at Erika smugly. "So how do you explain yourself Eri? Are you really that embarrassed that you know me that you intentionally kept it a secret?"
"I didn't thought that it was actually you okay!?" Erika answered angrily as she got up and slammed both her hands on the desk in front of her. Realising her outburst, she cleared her throat and sat back down with her face flushed. "Sorry. I thought you were someone else. And please stop calling me Eri. You know I don't like being called that."
"Right." I said sarcastically. "Just like how you weren't crying when I found you in the woods with your ankle twisted. Or that you asked me to call you Eri when I piggyback you all the way back to my house."
"I was only five okay!? And I told you not to bring that up ever again!" Erika yelled with a redder face. Feeling the blood rushing to her face, she quickly turned away and tried to cover her face out of embarrassment.
"You two seemed like close friends." Maho pointed out looking at her second in command with great interest. Even after having Erika under her for so long, it was the first time Maho has seen her so flustered.
"No commander we are not." Erika answered trying to regain her composure. "I just know him through my visits to a Senshado dojo at Fukuoka."
"Don't be so cold Eri. I remember you even invited me out to play a few times." I teased resulting in Erika shooting me a 'keep your mouth shut' glare.
"I take it that this is the relationship you two share?". Maho asked me.
"When she is this uptight, yes. And it's quite fun. But we get along fine most of the time." I said. "She's a can be uptight and a stickler for the rules while I am more easy going. The two of-"
"Wild. I believe the term to describe you is wild. And I am well behaved. Not a stickler for the rules or uptight. " Erika said cutting in bluntly. "But we do get along well most of the time."
"It's good to know." Maho said with a smile. "So shall we get started or should I let the two of you have your privacy?"
"M-Maho?" Erika asked with a shocked red face. "You're joking right? Keiji and I don't have that sort of relationship. Keiji tell her. Tell her we're just childhood friends" Erika asked, almost in a begging tone. "K-Keiji? Maho you believe me right? You were joking right?" Erika asked looking at the two of us with teary eyes. Maho and I only looked on with amusement.
"See? Fun isn't it?"
"You are right. It is quite fun to tease her." Maho answered covering her mouth as she giggled.
"Uuuuu…" Erika whimpered as she looked down on her clasped hands that were on her lap. "Keiji...you always do this...and now Maho too."
"I am sorry Erika. I got carried away." Maho said handing her second in command a handkerchief.
"I am sorry too Eri. It's been a while since I saw you. I can't resist bullying you." I apologised patting her head like how an adult would console a sulking child. "I see you're now second in command of Kuromorimine. How've you been?"
"I...hick...I am doing okay. It is fun doing Senshado. And I...hick...I made many friends in Kuromorimine." Erika said wiping, what I assumed to be tears, off her downcast face. "And I wasn't crying okay?"
"Nobody said you were." I said still petting her.
"You can be quite cute at times Erika." Maho said looking on. "Seeing this side of you is something nice."
"You think I am cute?" Erika asked still rubbing with the handkerchief.
"Yes. You are quite cute like this." Maho answered patting the other side of Erika's head.
"T...hick...Thank you." Erika said returning the handkerchief to Maho. Erika took a little while to calm down. Once she clears her throat, Me and Maho removed our hands and allowed Erika to readjust her sitting posture. "Thank you. And sorry for the outburst."
"It was my fault anyways." I admitted with a shrug. "So should we move on with our discussion?"
"I think we should." Maho said handing me one of her files while Erika took out hers. "So, what are your feedbacks on our countermeasures for Saunders?"
"Base on what you said, I am assuming that you would have the centre engage Saunders' main body, which is in front of you, while the rest watch the flanks and possibly one or two tanks at the rear of the formation as rearguard. Am I right so far?" I asked getting a nod as confirmation. "Well, at first I would be gambling on, my flankers to do their part. But it takes time for them to actually reach and realise that they cannot do anything. At that point I would pull out the flankers while the main body would targets the tracks of your heavy hitters. Once the flankers are out, the main body would also use their speed to get out of gun range and stay just barely out of it. What would you do?"
"I will not be catching up with you. That much is certain. After a short chase I would send a scout to follow you while I recover the disabled tanks." Maho answered without a second thought. She probably have known that I would use her heavy armour against her. She placed her right elbow on the desk and rest her head on it as she looked at me. "Are you going to do what my sister did?"
"Isn't that just blatant plagiarism Keiji?" Erika asked.
"You mean a trap followed by withdrawal for a final showdown while some of her team run a series guerilla attacks to slow you down." I said rolling my eyes. "To be honest, the guerilla part as well as the fight in town is quite nice and what I would consider. But the part where she splits her team up in the town and allowing the match to be decided in a one on one tank combat is not really what I would agree with. To me it does not bring out the full potential of her team so no I will not be doing what your sister did. My method would be more heavy handed."
"Oh? Then what would you do?" Maho asked with interest.
"When your whole formation is giving chase, I would be using what remains of the flankers to rush into your formation from the rear and fight in close quarters." I said looking up at Maho. "When your team try to deal with them, the main body will split into two groups and attack from the left and right. At that time your formation would be a mess and would struggle to react towards the new threat."
"Can the flankers actually get to the rear in the first place? Can't our flanks turn around to deal with them when they come into sight?" Erika asked crossing her arm. "With our long range guns they won't be getting close to us."
"Then the main body would split into three group. One group would keep your centre busy while the other two would attack both the exposed flanks." I countered. "What I am looking for is an opportunity at your flanks. Your tanks turn to deal with my flankers I can take shots at their side armour.."
"Then we will just break through your line as discussed earlier." Erika argued.
"And have your rear shot up. And that is if you can agree on a direction to break out from."
"You have a point Keiji." Maho said giving what I said some thought. "Kuromorimine focus on formation and accurate gunfire. This is so that our slow tanks can support each other within the formation and engage the enemy from a distance. We need accurate gunnery because our tanks are slow to react to enemy that got in close. By entering our formation and breaking it, our advantage would have been taken away. That is why we have so much trouble when Oorai's Hetzer got into our formation while we are attacking Oorai on the hill during the finals. Did you notice how quickly our team became confused and how easily Oorai broke through our formation Erika?"
'Well...um...yes." Erika unwillingly admitted. "The section where the Hetzer infiltrated broke apart very quickly and we even lost a tank destroyer because of it."
"That's the point I am trying to make. You rely too much on your armour to take a hit, your gunnery to keep the enemy at bay and your formation to keep you safe." I explained. "By getting in close, I can basically take all that away. And one of the bigger issue is that the formation itself being too difficult to wield in a fluid situation. It would be best to alter your tactics and doctrine. Make it more flexible and to suit your preference more."
"As much as I like to, I can't." Maho said after a moment of silence. "As the heiress of the Nishizumi Style, I am to adhere to its teachings. I am to learn from it and to pass it on. Perfect formation, accuracy and synchronised fire are its trademark. "If you shoot, you hit. If you defend, you defend strong. If you advance, you advance without faltering. Iron rules and a heart of steel.' That is the Nishizumi Style and that is how I am to fight. No matter the circumstances, I am to follow it. It is my duty as it's heiress."
"Didn't you indicate that you wished to correct some of its deficiencies?" I asked. "As far as I can tell those are the issues for your style."
"I understand that. But to change the fundamentals is not something that I can do lightly." Maho said uncomfortably. "I-I am sorry. I can look into having ways to deal with the issues you mentioned but that is all I can do. To change the fundamentals would end up with an entirely different style and I..." Maho struggles to explain. Clearly I have hit a nerve here. From where I was sitting I can tell that she had balled her hands into fists and clenched them tightly.
"Right I think it's a good time for a break." I suggested clapping my hands to interrupt Maho in the midst of her mumbled justification. Our interaction so far has shown her to be calm and composed whilst her speeches being precise and to the point. To see her as she is now is really something unpleasant. "Eri, can you be a dear and go to the cafeteria to get us some of their homemade ice cream? They only sell it once a week."
"What? No! You always ask me to get stuff for you!" Erika objected. "You should go get it yourself!"
"In my defence that is because you complain me to be slow." I said handing over some money to Erika. "Plus I heard they are making vanilla flavoured this week. My treat."
"Berightbackbye!" Erika said in a hurry as she rushed out of the classroom, closing its door with a loud bang.
"Same old Erika." I said with a chuckle. I then walked across the classroom and brought out a cooler bag that Soujiro has brought with him earlier and took out two cans of coffee. "I have black and normal. Which would you prefer?"
"Black is fine." Maho said accepting my offer. "Thank you."
"Now that your ever loyal follower of Nishizumi Style is gone...Probably an understatement when considering how much Erika looks up to you and your family's style, let's have a little chat." I said sitting across the table from Maho. "What seems to be bothering you? All this while you were always happy to discuss about Senshado itself. And I can tell that you love the sports and to some extent, even eager to have a match with me and my team. But when it comes to the Nishizumi Style itself and changing it, you seemed depressed about it."
"I am fine. I was just figuring out how to remedy these deficiencies."
"And I am offering you coffee because I want to talk to you about how I drove a tank through my home when I was five." I said sarcastically. "You are not lying to anybody here Maho. Even the blind could see that."
"..."
"Let's talk about your sister then." I suggested after seeing no response from her. "Your match with her was quite exciting. And I can see that you were quite happy with her. Especially when you congratulated her after the match."
"She is my sister. She is soft, gentle and kind. I used to drive her around in the family's Panzer 3. She talks about how she enjoys seeing my matches and how she was going to follow the path I took in Senshado." Maho said reminiscing about her childhood. "But the Nishizumi Style wasn't something she could agree with. Even as a small child that much was clear. For our mother this would be a problem because she needs someone to inherit the Nishizumi Style. My sister was like a fall back in case I was deemed unsuitable. Considering how my sister is, she would not be happy if she were to inherit it. This became apparent during Kuromorimine's match with Pravda. I am sure you seen it."
"Yes, the one where she jumped in to save some of her teammates."
"Yes. So in order for her to freely choose her own way of Senshado I have to be the best at the Nishizumi Style. If I am good at it, I won't be deemed unsuitable to inherit it from our mother and thus she won't need Miho to inherit it." Maho explained toying with her canned coffee. She then gave a sad smile as she looked at me. "I got what I wanted. I am to inherit the Nishizumi style and Miho gets to practice her own Senshado. In the end even our mother is fine with her doing that. I should be happy."
"But you know you are not."
"I-I don't know. All this while I am only focused on being the best at the Nishizumi Style. Nothing else mattered." Maho said staring at her coffee. "My sister was able to have her own style at the last tournament. But now what? Am I to practice what was set in stone long ago without being able to change it?"
"Leaving your sister for the time being, how do you feel about your situation now? Do you enjoy the style you are practicing now?"
"I-I am not sure of how I feel. I mean I am okay with inheriting the Nishizumi Style. But to practice it as is, I sometimes find it frustrating. The rules are so rigid and restricting." Maho said with a sigh. "The problem is the core value itself. It leaves glaring weakness for others to exploit. I can put in some small fixes like having a reserve force behind the Panzerkeil but those are just temporary measures. Measures that are flawed and easily exploited. As long as the core value does not change, there's no way to properly improve on the Nishizumi Style. And I hate it. I hate this. Knowing that I can do better. Knowing that the Nishizumi Style can do better. But all I can so is to sit and watch. I want to change it. I want to change The Nishizumi Style. I want to improve it. But I can't." Maho said with quickened breath as she twiddled her thumbs.
"To bear something this heavy for the sake of your sibling, Miho is very lucky to have you as her older sister." I commented after giving Maho some time.
"She is my sister and I love her." Maho replied. "Won't you do anything for your sibling?"
"I was an only child. But yes, I would do anything for my family." I told Maho before taking a sip of my coffee. I readjusted my posture and looked Maho in the eyes. "Look, I don't know the inner workings or the values of the Nishizumi Style that well, but what I understand is that core values are interpreted and then only used for application. It can vary from person to person because it is a subjective matter. Especially when the subject for interpretation is vague."
"I didn't know you were an only child. Sorry."
"Its fine. Anyways, what I am getting at with the interpretation bit is that there is no right or wrong when it comes down to it. I think the core values are fine as they are. They teach you how to approach Senshado and to some extent, life. That is what the values of the different styles are. To aid its user in figuring out an approach to Senshado and life. It is not to shackle them down. The current interpretation, which I assume is your mother's, is a more literal one. You should go through the values on your own and come to your own interpretation. This means you are not deviating from the Nishizumi Style." I explained.
"But what I am taught was passed down from generations. Changing it like that is-"
"You are not changing it. You are adding to it. That is how a style grows." I said interrupting Maho as I reached out and grabbed both her hands with mine to get her attention. "You are the heiress of the Nishizumi Style. Don't you think you have a say in the direction it should go in? Don't you think you have a right to look through its values yourself and come to your own conclusion on how to do Senshado?"
"But then what about my sister? If my conclusion is not acceptable to my mother, she may aim to groom Miho to inherit it again. I can't risk that." Maho argued trying to pull away physically and mentally from the topic at hand. "I-I think it would be better if I were to just keep to what I have been doing."
"You are already the heiress. It is impossible for your mother to change that now. Think about it. She has already poured in so much effort into you, do you honestly think she is going to just switch like that? Your sister already has her style and you even told me that your mother is okay with it. At this point aren't you just afraid that your hard work in getting what you want for your sister will go to waste? Aren't you just making excuse at this point because you're afraid?" I countered holding her hands tighter. "You already got what you wanted for your sister. There's no reason to fear that that would be taken away. Your mother has even given her blessing on the matter. You are the heiress and as the heiress, don't you think you have the right to have a say in your family's style?"
"I-I don't know." Maho stuttered as she broke eye contact in contemplation. Is that all to it? Without realising it, was she just afraid that her hard work would result in nothing if she were to ask for a change? All this while she only wanted what was best for her sister. Has she really achieve it? Is she free to do as she please now that her sister has got her freedom? Is it really alright to do what she want? Maho bit down on her lower lip as she thought about what I said. Was her fear really unfounded? "Perhaps I was scared of nothing. But will it really be okay for me to do this? What if my mother actually reject it? What if that is actually the only way for me to practice Senshado? What if she decides to retrain Miho because of it?"
"If it makes you feel any better, I can go through your suggestions before you showing it to your mother and I can be there with you when you talk to your mother about it." I suggested. "You know that sounded better in my head but now that I've said it, it sounded like I am making an opportunity for me to get closer to you. Let me assure you that that is not the case. I am sincerely offering my help here. God, why does it sound worse to more I explain it. You get what I mean right?" I said after giving my offer some thought. The more I think about it the more I wanted to cringe at it.
"What would that do to help?" Maho asked, quickly covering her mouth with her right hand as she tries not to laugh at the grave I dug myself into. "I am sorry for laughing but I understand that you are trying to help."
"Thank god for that." I said with an awkward smile as I let go of her other hand. At least she is in a better mood now. "As for me being there, if things do go bad I can always say that it was my idea and all and that I manage to con you into considering it. Barring the conning part most of it is true anyways."
"That was a terrible suggestion. My mother is not so easily lied to and I don't think it would be right to push the heat onto you." Maho giggling. "But I would appreciate it if you are there for me when I discuss it with my mother."
"I am hurt. I can be quite convincing when I need to." I replied faking hurt before sharing a laugh with Maho. "Good to see you smiling again. So about the issues I pointed out earlier, I will need time to figure out the finer details of it and any other flaws in your battle tactics. Plus I am only partially through some of the matches you participated in so it will take some time. But once I am done I can email you my findings and we can go on from there."
"Yes...Uh...Thank you. Not just for the help in looking at my battle tactics. But also for encouraging me to do what I want." Maho said smiling at me. "Thank you."
"So you're going to go through with it? The changes to the Nishizumi Style?" I asked for confirmation.
"Yes. But only if you would be there to take the blame if things don't go as you thought." Maho joked.
"I seem to remember you saying that I don't need to take the blame."
"I never said anything like that." Maho countered as she gives me her most innocent of smile.
That's a bit cute. But considering the context behind it, its a bit unsettling.
"Excuse me. I am coming in~" Erika announced blissfully as she opened the classroom door and entered. She seemed quite proud of herself as she walked towards her seat with a plastic bag dangling on her left arm while it holds her cup ice cream and her right arm scoping the treat into her mouth. Her clothes were ruffled and her hair a mess. "These are delicious Keiji!"
"I see you made it pass the crowd. Was it difficult?" I asked as Erika gave a cup of ice cream to Maho.
"You okay Erika? You looked like a mess." Maho enquired looking at her second in command.
"I am fine commander. It was just crowded. There was some pushing and shoving. Some even jumped queues and there was even some arguments. I had to get physical at that point." Erika explained with her spoon in her mouth.
"Did you injure anyone?! You shouldn't get physical! Are you hurt?" Maho said in a panic as she examined Erika who was sitting beside her. "I am sorry for Erika's behaviour Keiji. Is she going to be in trouble?"
"It's fine Maho. The scuffle is normal when it comes to that homemade ice cream. Don't worry about it. And don't worry about Eri. She can be forceful when it come to what she likes. Right Eri?" I said as I reach for the plastic bag she placed on the table. There was still a cup ice cream in it. Without even batting an eye, Erika's right hand shot up and smacked my outreached hand. "Isn't that mine?"
"You get none. That is punishment for having a delicate girl like myself to run errand for you." Erika said looking away from me.
"Come on Eri~ Don't be such a meanie~" I cooed. "Plus you wouldn't trust your precious ice cream to me would you?"
"Here you go then." Erika said after a moment of silence. "Thanks for treating us."
"Really I am beginning to suspect that the two of you are in a relationship." Maho commented.
"Cough cough cough…Please commander. Don't joke about that." Erika said after choking while I snickered. "We are really just friends."
"Alright alright. Just friends." Maho conceded.
After our break, we move on to discuss about the advantages and disadvantages of Saunders' battle tactics and analyze a few of their more recent matches. At some point we even speculated on Saunders' possible deployment of the tanks they considered to purchase. In the end we concluded that it would be impossible to engage Saunders' on favourable conditions once they start to surround and overwhelm their opponents.
"So all I need to do is to get them while they are spread out and trying to surround my team." I said ending our discussion. "That should be all to it. Want to grab a bite before the two of you head off?"
"Thank you for the offer but I think we have taken enough of your time." Maho politely declined as she helped Erika packed up their stuff.
"I think it is the reverse. Thank you and Erika for coming today and for your advice. It is quite insightful." I replied shaking Maho's hand and then Erika's. "Hope it wasn't too much trouble."
"It wasn't. And we did also gain some new knowledge on Saunders so it wasn't all a one sided benefit." Maho added before giving Erika a playful smile as I led the way out of the classroom. "And now that I know about this side of Erika, I can start teasing her without having to worry about her being too uptight about it. Maybe she can even loosen up a bit during Senshado practice."
"I-I am not that strict am I commander? Commander?" Erika asked desperately as she chased after Maho and I. "M-Maho? Keiji I am not that uptight right? Keiji? Maho?"
"Good luck in your match with Saunders Keiji. I heard some of the other schools will be attending in addition to some of the Senshado representative." Maho said to me while intentionally ignoring Erika.
"Will you be there too?" I asked savouring Erika's torment.
"Erika and I will be there."
"M-Maho!? Keiji!?"
Ending Note
Well guys...there you have it. Erika's debut to the story! Ever since seeing her in the anime being...well mean...I was wondering how would she react to someone who knew her when she was a child. And no, I don't think the Nishizumi sisters as that (referring to the mange here). She may know them as a child but I don't think Maho or Miho does. With that said, the part in the anime where she flips out during a match gave me the idea that she maybe easy to bully. Don't ask me why but bullying that short tempered girl seemed like it would provoke some interesting reaction. And after writing it I quite enjoyed it. Please note I am not condoning bullying here so put down your pitch forks and torches.
Also in this chapter I was aiming to bring out more emotions from Maho. She's great in the anime and manga but she always seemed to lack any emotion so that took some effort in figuring out. But I eventually reached a result I am happy with. What do you guys think? Is this side of Maho something interesting or is it just more cringe material from yours truly? Ha ha!
Let me know what you think!
I'll be getting on with the next chapter now! See you when I am done!