The Legends Still Live On

by der Jagdexperte

The Arts of Warfare aren't just about the fights. It's also about everyone that participates in them, including what they do every day outside of combat. What happens when the Panzerkraft girls are let loose in their everyday lives? Very interesting things. What about if the Jägermeistern guys are included as well? Get ready for a lot of tomfoolery. Part of Projekt Jägermeistern.

121. Kapitel 26,2

The Legends Still Live On

Bogen Sechundzwanzig: Besuche

Kapitel Zwei: Vorschau – Gegenschlag

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"Please tell us, Nishi-taichou!" a flurry of reporters swarmed Chi-Ha-Tan Gakuen's Taichou of their Kikoubutai, Kisho Nishi. "Chi-Ha-Tan Gakuen is going up against Germany's best! How do you plan to prepare your team for the battle?"

"Hey-wait-please," the dark brunette and brown-eyed Japanese captain tried to interject without rudely interrupting the journalists that were hounding him presently, so far to no avail.

"Nishi-taichou, what are your thoughts on your team being put up against Germany's Black Forest Peak Gymnasium?" another reporter asked. The big topic of the day was about the recent drawings for the International High School Arts of Warfare Tournament, particularly how Chi-Ha-Tan Gakuen had been put up against the elite German school of Schwarzwaldspitze Gymnasium. The overall mood amongst the Japanese press was that of eagerness, as having their representative school go up against Germany's best was sure to be worthy journalism.

Kisho immediately took advantage of the brief reprieve in the excessive questioning given by that particular reporter's inquiry, and answered, "Well, our basic objective is to hand the Germans another defeat." The Japanese Taichou then continued with great confidence for his next words. "The people of Japan are ready to fight."

Isabel-Justina Hartmann shut off the television after watching the news and seeing one of her next foes being paparazzi'd so heavily. His last words, though likely not intended as such, sounded like a direct challenge to her, considering he was invoking nationality into the fight now. Well, she would call his raising of the stakes. "Ad victoriam, ex machina, non sibi sed, patriae," she softly muttered her long-time favorite Latin phrase as she slipped her jacket on. She then repeated the words again with a different tongue, this time stopping on the way out to stare at a photo of her and her younger sister Erika-Dietlinde Hartmann. "To victory, through the machine, not for ourselves, but for our country."

With those words to herself, she strode out of the quaint house she and Michael Nishizumi shared aboard the Graf Zeppelin with purpose. It was a new season in the high school circuit of the Arts of Warfare, meaning it was another chance to take home the golden glory of being victorious. And let it be said that Isabel still had that instinctive habit of hers to constantly vie for victory. This year was no exception, though the circumstances were. It was a dangerous line of thought she was going down whenever she thought of her sister these days, so she immediately shut that line down and brought her full focus back to the next foes needing conquering.

She was not the only one preparing for the battle against the Japanese. Michael Nishizumi was also spending his time to prepare for the battle, at the hangars. It was ironic to him that he would be taking on what was once his ancestors' countrymen while he himself was as German as they came. Family trees were interesting, to say the least, when it came to the Nishizumi nameplate.

But that was not what he was preparing for. No. Instead, he was doing a readiness check of the Panzers equipping Schwarzwaldspitze's Panzerabteilung, including the newest models that were acquired during the break from last year's finale to this year's beginning. There was, as always, his personal Tiger number 212, and the highly numerous Panther Gs, and the Panzer III J1s. The previous year's Panzer IV Js were greatly modified into the Vomag production version of the Jagdpanzer IV/70. Newly acquired this year were a number of special vehicles, but the ones paid closest attention to were the new Henschel-turreted Tiger IIs, one of which was commanded by the new Vizekapitän of the Panzerabteilung, Erik Ignatz, or as Michael remembered Erika derisively calling him last year, Schneeballkopf. Snowball-head, after his very light blonde hair color.

Kickstart!
Fighter launch
Throttle set to full!

When the day came for Schwarzwaldspitze's Jagdgeschwader to launch into the skies of Japan from the Graf Zeppelin to win the pre-battle contest in achieving air superiority, the German school's aviation branch was in high morale all around. Isabel took off in her custom-painted Bf 109 G-6 to lead the way, and following after were the rest of her loyal subordinates. It spoke measures about her abilities as a captain that she was able to turn around the massive backlash that took over the Jagdgeschwader at the end of last season's frustrating loss at Prokorovka, especially considering she had suffered the most of all.

Speed kings!
Race to win
Pistons and jets roaring!

And, like the Panzerabteilung, the Jagdgeschwader also received plenty of new toys over the break. Isabel's unique Bf 109 G-6 stuck around, as did the Bf 109 F-4s and vastly plentiful Fw 190 D-13s. Freshly converted from the previous year's Bf 109 G-14s were new Bf 109 G-10/U4s.

There were other fighters, too, but by and far the most anticipated additions were the fighters that were practically generating a tornado with their jet-blasts as they took off. The school had acquired a handful of the infamous Me 262 jets, specifically the main fighter variant, the Me 262 A-1a. One of those was given the yellow number 14 on its side, signifying it was now the steed of Hanna Jochen. Despite having the permanent burns on her face from the Prokhorovka incident, her perseverance in team matters convinced Isabel that she was worthy of being her Oberleutnant that year.

All of Schwarzwaldspitze's fighters took on a tropical camouflage this year, with a distinct orange-tan upper layer and cream white lower layer. In the case of Isabel's black-tulip-decorated 109, the black tulip nose art was retained with the new scheme, making her Gustav especially distinctive.

Flash-like!
Blitzkrieg strikes
Takes them by surprise!

When the scheduled fight against Chi-Ha-Tan arrived, war between the two schools raged on in the southern portions of Kyushu island. Despite the Japanese school's unrelenting morale, the fight proved extremely one-sided when faced with the German school's might. That was proven when Michael's Tiger number 212 ended the fight with a graveyard of utterly destroyed Chi-Has before him. The Japanese tanks were out-gunned, out-armored, and out-maneuvered by the German Panzers. A quick dash to the high ground by the agile and numerous Panthers effectively sealed Chi-Ha-Tan's fate on the ground, and afterwards it was merely shooting fish in a barrel as the rest of the Panzers coupled with airstrikes picked off the Japanese tanks one by one.

Score three-hundred seven
Black Forest rules the heavens!

The air war was just as brutally quick. Schwarzwaldspitze's Jagdgeschwader had plenty of practice beforehand, having managed to collectively score three-hundred seven victories as a team in the short time spent between getting in range and waiting for the day of battle to arrive, and without a single loss as well.

During the fight itself, it was the infamous 109 marked as Karaya-Ein that made the skies rain with fire: Isabel had shot down at least half of Chi-Ha-Tan's aviation singlehandedly, with the destroyed Zeroes usually streaking across the skies while engulfed by a blaze of flames. It was so terrible, yet so captivating also, seeing the destruction Isabel was mercilessly dishing out. It was one after another, like a chain. A very long chain.

The Finnish attacked
Black Forest crushed that futile attempt
Controlling destinaaaaay

After handing the Japanese a decisive defeat, it was a few months before Schwarzwaldspitze next saw combat, with the Jagdgeschwader intercepting a small probe of fighters over the Gulf of Suez. The enemy fighters belonged to Jatkaminen Peruskoulo, hailing from Finland. Both Schwarzwaldspitze and Jatkaminen were well-antiquated with each other, having had practice fights with each other in the past, and with that experience, Isabel knew that even just a small number of their pilots could wreak havoc.

The probe of Finnish fighters consisted of just some rather worthless I-15s, which were easily disposed of, but Isabel knew that this probe was just that: a probe, meant to gauge Schwarzwaldspitze's abilities. Having as low of a supply on equipment as they did, Jatkaminen preferred to conserve their best assets until they were needed. Really, the German ultra-ace already had the Finnish strategy figured out by now: as they didn't have the advantage of fighting on their home turf this round, being as the second round took place in the deserts of eastern Egypt, the Finns would need every advantage they could get. And Isabel was in a perfect position to deny them the ability to gain intel for that purpose.

The second round battle between Schwarzwaldspitze and Jatkaminen was the most anticipated of all the second round fights by the spectators, considering Isabel had publicly acknowledged that Jatkaminen was a tough nut to crack, even for such a well-prepared team as Schwarzwaldspitze. Another reason to explain the anticipation was that the fight was taking place in the desert, which presented unique challenges to both sides to ensure their equipment could handle the harsh environment.

Though there was also the issue of making sure nobody got heat stroke, either. Schwarzwaldspitze solved this problem by breaking out the so-called Afrikakleidung for everyone to wear. The Afrikakleidung were much lighter and desert-oriented uniforms in a sandy color. Isabel's outfit in particular consisted of some sandy tan combat boots, a sandy tan short skirt that was just long enough to cover the essentials but leaving little of her legs to the imagination, along with a white tank top that, because of its shortness, left her entire midriff exposed. Rounding out the outfit was a sandy tan short-sleeved jacket that was just as short as her tank top, with all the identifying emblems her normal Schwarzwaldspitze aviator jacket had.

She didn't feel uncomfortable in the least bit with the amount of skin she exposed, for three reasons. The first was that she was luckily blessed to not have any skin problems that would make her averse to uncovering her skin. The second was because of the heat of the desert, which she felt made her outfit fully justifiable. The third was that she just didn't care: she did whatever she wanted, and nobody told her otherwise.

Drive back!
Surprise attack
Put up armored wall!

On the ground as the fight against the Finnish came in earnest, the Panzerabteilung came under a sudden and concentrated attack from enemy armor. Despite losing a couple of tanks, the Panzerkeil formation used by the Germans minimized losses due to the concentration of the heavier Panzers at the tip and base. The wings, made up of the agile Panthers, quickly fanned out to envelop the fast attackers that came from the sides, while the heavier Tiger I and Tiger IIs concentrated at the more heavily-armed tanks of Jatkaminen coming from the front.

In the end, the Finnish attack had run itself flat into the armored wall that was Schwarzwaldspitze's Panzerabteilung. The air war fared no better for Jatkaminen, as despite the talent of the Finnish pilots, none could take on the talent of Isabel-Justina Hartmann or Hanna Jochen, nor could they do anything against the sheer performance advantage of the German fighters. It was a lose-lose outcome no matter which way they went.

Next rain!
Give them pain
Over El Alamein!

Several weeks later within the Schwarzwaldspitze camp in the desert several miles south of El Alamein during the black of night, a very particular Englishman was discreetly snooping through the German school's equipment. With some shoulder-length blonde hair that was quite wild in its styling plus blue eyes, this lean Englishman was Aston, a member of St Gloriana High School's Tank Battalion. He was the go-to guy for gathering information via secretive means thanks to his skill in infiltration. Currently, he was gathering intel on Schwarzwaldspitze's aviation when he was interrupted.

"Worst. Spy. Ever," the Englishman froze at the English-spoken words laced with a mature and feminine German speech pattern. Aston turned his head enough to look behind him to find the Black Demoness herself standing there alone, appearing to be amused in a condescending way by the Brit's efforts. Isabel-Justina Hartmann knew something was off when she faintly heard a multi-engine aircraft fly through the area, and it looks like she found the reason why as she slowly strutted towards the English spy. "Am I correct, 'Mister Bond?'"

The British!
Last in line
Head for the raised heights!

Isabel didn't allow St Gloriana to have their spy back until the day of the fight, when it would be too late to capitalize on the intel Aston had gathered. She had him stay in hers and Michael's quarters until then, as her prisoner. By this time, everybody knew of when Kolenka, Pravda's Kapitan, had kept Erika-Dietlinde Hartmann prisoner during the time before the final battle at Prokhorovka last year. Isabel swore to herself she wouldn't descend down to the brutish Russian's level of torment, out of regret for not listening to her sister tell her about her own experience being held prisoner by said Russian.

To Aston's surprise, she treated him with much more kindness than he thought the Black Demoness was capable of showing. When asked why, Isabel stiffened and replied with effort, "It was something I should have done last year." That gave Aston a lot of perspective into the kind of person Isabel truly was, behind the front she put up for the cameras.

When the semifinal fight between St Gloriana and Schwarzwaldspitze came around after a few weeks spent probing one another's defenses, the German Panzerabteilung quickly dashed for the higher ground. The higher ground held a massively commanding view considering that from the direction the British were to approach from, the terrain was all flat, giving quite the advantage.

Strike without a warning!
See the British forces falling!

At the top of the heights, Schwarzwaldspitze's Panzers opened fire from tremendously long ranges, reaching 2,500 meters in distance. These ranges were so far away that it was extremely difficult to just see the enemy, let alone hit them.

But that was perfectly within the range of the German guns, and the shells fired by the long-barreled guns still maintained enough momentum to penetrate the armor of St Gloriana's numerous Matilda IIs. As a result, scores of unprepared and surprised Matilda IIs succumbed to the Schwarzwaldspitze barrages early on. The Churchill Mk VII was a different story, however, because of its incredibly thick armor, but even that armor wasn't necessarily safe from being clawed through by a Tiger II's fire, even from such a range as over 2,000 meters. It was sheer luck that the heavier infantry tank survived.

The British attacked
Black Forest crushed their lines of defense
Conquered El Alameeeeeiiiiin!
Three rains of fire!
One victor stands!

However, St Gloriana's Tank Battalion had a trick up their sleeve in the form of some Cromwell Mk VIIs. These quick cruiser tanks dashed back and forth across the sand, far enough away to avoid being effectively tracked by German Panzers, and threw up a huge cloud of dust to hand the British some visual cover. The unconventional tactic worked, as it allowed them a reprieve from the intense fire.

Michael's response to that was to send off his Panzers in two pincers, one to strike from each side, while he himself stayed atop the heights to provide a distraction. The end result was practically the entirety of the British Tank Battalion being demolished.

Somehow, though, against all odds, the commanding Churchill Mk VII of St Gloriana was able to get to the heights through a combination of stalling actions as well as concealment: the remaining infantry tanks had bitterly held out as long as possible while the remaining cruiser tanks, of the Crusader Mk III and Cromwell Mk VII variety, helped generate a large cloud of dust to conceal the Churchill's movements.

Darrence, the blonde English commander of the Tank Battalion with no aversion to taking heavy fire, ascended the steep incline with his Churchill, but was caught off-guard at the top. Upon cresting the top of the hills, he found Tiger number 212's 88 mm cannon pointed straight at him. At this close a range, the 88 mm round penetrated the Churchill's thick hide and knocked it out, therefore giving Schwarzwaldspitze an overwhelming victory for their third fight in a row.

Path of redemption
Earning respect
Controlling destinaaaaay!

The common consensus after Schwarzwaldspitze emerged victorious against St Gloriana was that they were going to go all the way and win the tournament. Their three victories so far were so extremely quick compared to the other fights thus far that it was hard to imagine even Pravda being able to hold out against them. Schwarzwaldspitze was looking to avenge themselves for the loss last year, and they certainly looked capable of doing so with an overwhelming efficiency.

Against Chi-Ha-Tan on Kyushu Island, the Germans had practically no way to lose. The Japanese armor was worthless against the German Panzers. While the Japanese aviation was not to be taken lightly, the Germans were so superior in equipment and skill that it was not an issue whatsoever. Hence, Schwarzwaldspitze's first battle was predicted to be a slaughtering.

That did not mean Chi-Ha-Tan's morale had plummeted. In fact, it was quite the opposite: Chi-Ha-Tan was actually honored to face off against Schwarzwaldspitze, because the German school was so prestigious. It made the Japanese want to try even harder against them.

Isabel could easily attest to that, as Chi-Ha-Tan's Hikou Shidan proved to be very fierce in battle. Their captain, Sakai-taichou, full name Sachi Sakai, was very insistent on wanting to take on Isabel herself. She had very dark, almost black, hair that had some of it tied into a thinly-stranded ponytail, and a similar dark brown eye. Yes, 'eye,' in the singular form. That was because over her right eye was an eyepatch, white with a diagonal light blue stripe.

"Faszinierend…" Isabel fascinatingly observed during the battle against the Japanese while she was deliberately climbing away from Sachi's A6M2. She was fascinated by how different yet similar the Chi-Ha-Tan forces were proving to be to Schwarzwaldspitze in terms of attitude: just like Isabel's own girls, Sachi's Hikou Shidan was unwaveringly loyal to her. Isabel would have to ask Michael about Japanese culture later. She figured he had picked up on some things from his ancestors.

Then Isabel ended the fight by sending Hanna in her Me 262 to buzz Sachi's Zero, giving the black-haired ultra-ace the time and distraction necessary to double back and shoot down the A6M herself and turn it into a fireball. Sachi was just another of the numerous tally marks added under Isabel's name, a name that would claim half of the Japanese girl's teammates by the time the battle was over.

The ground war was trying on the patience of anyone that wasn't in a Panther. The Panther crews were able to do as they could do against any other opponent and simply run circles around them, with the added bonus of being completely invulnerable from the front. Even when shooting at its sides, only half of Chi-Ha-Tan's tanks were able to penetrate the Panther's armor.

Meanwhile, the couple of Panzer III J1s could keep up with the Panthers but lacked the armor protection to be completely invulnerable from the front, as Chi-Ha-Tan's Chi-Ha Kais that made up half their forces could punch through the 50 mm frontal armor if close enough. The other Jagdpanzer IV/70s were slow enough that they had to be on watch for Chi-Ha-Tan's charges, compounded even further by their self-propelled gun design. The Japanese knew the land they were fighting on, which made their banzai charges more dangerous to get caught in than they normally would be. The Tiger IIs, while slow, were nigh invulnerable to the Japanese tanks. The worst they could do was take out the tracks.

Michael's Tiger number 212 was a well-oiled machine as always, dropping Chi-Ha-Tan's various Chi-Has, Chi-Ha Kais, and even the rarer Ha-Gos, like they were nothing. That led to the creation of the Japanese tank graveyard at the end of the fight.

Against Jatkaminen in the deserts of eastern Egypt, Schwarzwaldspitze leaned further on the side of caution. The German school had taken on the Finnish school in practice matches before, and Isabel and Michael both drew the conclusion that the Finns were difficult to fight. Jatkaminen was a champion of guerrilla warfare and just generally being able to hold out against far more numerous opponents.

But the relatively gentle desert terrain was a big disadvantage to Jatkaminen on the ground, as they weren't used to driving on such surfaces. Nevertheless, Michael kept everyone in the Panzerkeil arrangement, as the way it was arranged allowed for an easier defense and counterattack if necessary. Putting the agile Panthers on the wings allowed for a quick double envelopment to play out when cued, and everyone else could survive with ease against the most likely fast attackers, the BT tanks that belonged to Jatkaminen. The heavy armor at the tip and base could easily take down Jatkaminen's heavier Panzer IV Js, Sturmis, and their T-34s, both 76 mm and 85 mm models. Their T-26s were practically worthless, as they were too slow to be of great use.

Even in the air, the Finnish still had the disadvantage. The desert skies were extremely clear, meaning each side could see much further due to lack of any kind of clouds, therefore making it easier to spot the opponent. And as both sides had highly-skilled pilots to take advantage of such circumstances, that meant the advantage went to the side with superior equipment, which was Schwarzwaldspitze. Jatkaminen was able to muster together enough numbers to be on parity with the Germans, though a majority of those tanks and fighters were vastly inferior, like the T-26 or I-15, for instance.

"Voi, perkele," Jatkaminen's Rykmentinkomentaja cursed at her luck of being the sole remaining fighter against the entirety of Schwarzwaldspitze, though the way it was said was very nonchalant, as if it was like shrugging in indifference. That was how Ilmatar was by nature: she was mystic and ambiguous, and just generally not well understood. She had very light blonde hair, a typical Nordic trait, reaching to the middle of her back, and dark brown eyes.

The Finnish girl flew one of the Bf 109 G-2s gifted to Jatkaminen by Schwarzwaldspitze after last season came to an end. It was in the distinct dark green and black woodland top and sky blue bottom camouflage that was utilized during the Continuation War, along with having an orange number 4 on its side. The camouflage scheme itself demonstrated how inadequately prepared Jatkaminen was: they still had their woodland and snow camouflages even though they were fighting in the desert.

Though soon enough, Ilmatar was relieved of having to fight any further, because Isabel shot her down while the Finn was performing evasive maneuvers to avoid all the other German fighters. It was a miracle and a testament to her skill in remaining untouched that she survived for so long.

Three foes have fallen
In three too-quick wars

First, it was the woodland-kanji emblem of Chi-Ha-Tan that fell to Schwarzwaldspitze's Blitzkrieg. Next, it was the light blue-dark blue shield of Jatkaminen that fell to the unrelenting German advance. And then it was the teapot shield of St Gloriana that capitulated under the unrivaled German prowess.

Each of the Rising Sun, white-blue Nordic Cross, and Union Jack banners successively fell to the Schwarz-Rot-Gelb tricolor. The three victories were nearly flawless on the German side, with only a handful of losses total after all three battles were won.

Jokers of last turn
Disproved in desert!

Isabel took this stint of battles personally, because it was obvious that the entirety of the Arts of Warfare High School circuit was mocking them for losing the previous year, none more so than St Gloriana. The British school was proud of its refined image, but that was really another way of saying they were extremely aristocratic. They looked down on Schwarzwaldspitze over their noses like they were unworthy, even though the British had still lost to them in their previous encounters. Though Isabel didn't see the British school's commanders ever being so disrespectful, their underlings and common students were a different story. The Anglosphere was simply toxic towards the Germans.

It was simply insulting to the black-haired ultra-ace, because such prejudice she interpreted as being aimed at her younger sister, and Isabel refused to acknowledge her as being the cause of their defeat last year. She felt as if everyone was mocking Erika, and Isabel wouldn't stand for it, hence her aggressive fighting during the battles. It felt so good to silence that mockery.

Under the sun
In the dust of the war

Lynnette, having been recommended as Group Captain for this year, held up a hand to shield her eyes from the intense sun as she looked up from her place on the ground after her Spitfire LF Mk IX was shot down. She squinted up at one particular Messer, the one that had the black number 1 on the side and the iconic black tulip nose art.

She thought she had a chance against Isabel this year, considering she had an improved Spitfire LF Mk IX this year and had managed to set up a one-on-one dogfight with the German. But the Black Demoness prevailed yet again.

One team still standing
Stronger than before!

Schwarzwaldspitze sure was a force to be reckoned with, as Lynnette had come to figure out. And the Englishwoman also noticed how Isabel was able to silence all of her naysayers with her actions. Lynnette wanted to guess that the reason the Germans were fighting so determinedly was because they were unified in their cause for vengeance.

For Isabel herself, the Englishwoman smiled as she deduced the German girl's reason for fighting so hard: it was all for her sister. Lynnette had met Erika earlier in the year after a practice fight against Ooarai, and after that meeting, she could now see why Isabel tried so hard for her sake.

First took Chi-Ha-Tan
And sent them to hell!
Then moved to take down Jatkaminen

After the Schwarzwaldspitze-Chi-Ha-Tan fight was finished, the battle was well-described by the various images of the Japanese tank graveyard in front of Tiger number 212. The images of Zeroes-turned-fireballs flying through the sky also accurately detailed the fight's extreme one-sidedness.

If anyone had doubted Schwarzwaldspitze's skill, those doubts were rescinded after they decisively defeated Jatkaminen. The Finnish school was not an easy foe to defeat, requiring good tactics to break them apart and take them down. And the German school proved capable of that and more, as they suffered very few losses.

To El Alamein!
And Saint Gloriana

The hot and dry desert was a very unfriendly environment to hang around in, but for the sake of achieving victory, such hardships had to be endured for Schwarzwaldspitze during the fight in eastern Egypt against Jatkaminen, and again during the later fight at El Alamein against St Gloriana.

The El Alamein fight in particular was highly publicized and spectated both on the British side as well as the German side, as it was portrayed as a historic rematch, the so-called 'Third Battle of El Alamein.' The score for battles at El Alamein was even, with the Germans winning the first battle and the British winning the second battle with the help of the Americans. Therefore, the third battle was a tiebreaker of sorts.

Break them in no time
PROTECT REDEMPTION!

It was a tiebreaker that the German side had claimed victory in without breaking a sweat it seemed. Though St Gloriana did their best to try and prolong the fight, in the end Schwarzwaldspitze prevailed in a spectacularly overwhelming victory, losing only a handful of their own compared to the British losing everyone they had.

This win was sorely desired for the German side, as they wished to seek redemption for last season's humiliating loss. For some, there was even more to that redemption. Isabel-Justina Hartmann was one such case, as she hoped to use the victories as her own personal form of redemption. She greatly wished to make up for her mistakes made last year toward her sister, and the way she saw to do that was to win in a humbling manner. She wanted to prove that she didn't think winning meant everything, as that was the mindset that caused her sister to run off.

Three rains of fire!
One victor stands!

To the rest of the world, Schwarzwaldspitze was pure fire, burning everything in its path with no discrimination. Their Panzers always marched on, either absorbing enemy fire with their grand armor or blowing their enemies to smithereens from a distance that would make them appear as mere specks on the horizon. And their aviation was absolutely merciless in their targeting, setting fighters ablaze and cratering the ground with their bombs. Because, as proven in competition, there could only be one victor, and the Germans strove heavily to earn that glory.

Path of redemption
Earning respect
Controlling destinaaaaay
Three rains of fire!
One victor stands!

But Isabel had nothing less to try and strive for than her sister's forgiveness, and the way she saw to do that was by winning. It was the way she and Erika had always solved problems when they were growing up: fight each other, and whoever won gets what they want, to which the loser had to cede to the victor's demands. To make it even harder, Isabel had to prevent herself from becoming obsessed with victory itself, to just take the victory and leave it at that.

Of course, she never told anyone that was her real reason for striving so hard in battle. Erika was still a sensitive topic around Schwarzwaldspitze, but Isabel saw that as yet another reason to strive so hard: to try and clear her sister's unfairly-earned bad rap.

But those were her reasons, and she kept them in mind during every occasion she shot down a Zero, every time she shot down an I-16, every time she downed a Spitfire, every time she crippled an La-5, every time she downed a Bf 109, every time she ripped apart a Tempest or Typhoon. Every single time she shot down an enemy, she was thinking of Erika and how those kills were done in her name.

In hindsight, she was glad to have such a revealing and, more importantly, light outfit as she did, as she was positive that in any heavier outfit, she would've collapsed already from overexertion. She was pushing herself so hard that any outfit that was heavier would've been enough to cause her to overheat and faint. It showed in her combat habits, too: on every sortie, she was fully dedicated to air superiority, never taking a ground attack mission or a recon flight. She only wanted to destroy the enemy's number one resource: its aviation.

Path of redemption
Earning respect!
Controlling destinAAAAAAAAAAY!

Isabel-Justina Hartmann was the undisputed number one fighter pilot in the world, and her most recent displays in the air against the Japanese, the Finnish, and the British all cemented that as fact. The fact that she could tangle with the world's other top aces and come out on top with hardly any effort also played into her reputation as number one.

Chi-Ha-Tan's Sachi Sakai was quite an aggressive pilot when Isabel fought her, but she was too hasty in her decisions. She was someone who, compared to Isabel, let her emotions get the best of her and influence her thinking. Instead of trying to lure the Black Demoness into a trap, Sachi tried to take her heads-up, which went poorly for the Japanese ace seeing as Isabel could simply outrun her A6M2 if desired.

Jatkaminen's Ilmatar was very talented, particularly in evasion, and her Bf 109 G-2 put her on roughly equal footing with the Black Demoness. Nobody could land a shot on her all fight except for Isabel. Ilmatar's downfall at the hand of Isabel was caused by the Finnish ace's lack of offensive action. She had preferred to hang back to wait for a perfect opportunity that ultimately never came. With a horde of fighters pouncing on her, Ilmatar was determined to go down regardless.

St Gloriana's Lynnette stood the closest shot out of all of them for taking down Isabel. Lynnette was a level-headed person that knew how to fly, and her Spitfire LF Mk IX had better dogfighting performance than Isabel's Bf 109 G-6 did. But the English-born ace made the same flaw Ilmatar did by being too cautious early on. Her loss was aggravated by her sudden spur of aggressive flight when she had come upon Isabel, the same mistake Sachi had made. That mistake caused her to carelessly throw away her energy in maneuvers that wasted away that energy. Well, that and Isabel was a very good shot, hitting a massive deflection shot to take down the British ace.

One, two, three. Zero, Messer, Spitfire. Three more aces to add to the Black Demoness' long, long, long list of victories. And underneath that outer shell, Isabel-Justina Hartmann really hoped that her sister could be proud of her for that. Despite being the elder of the two, it was somewhat ironic that she wished for approval from her younger sister, but nobody would laugh about it if they knew exactly why Isabel sought Erika's approval.

The reason why was for forgiveness, for a horrid mistake on Isabel's end that drove Erika to run away from her. Isabel wished for nothing more than to have Erika, her dear little sister, back in her arms. And she would go all the way to the stars if needed to make it happen.

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Part of Projekt Erika.

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The author doesn't claim to own "Girls und Panzer," the music used, or any other references made. "Girls und Panzer" belongs to Actas. The music belongs to Sabaton. Any references made belong to their respective owners.

Feel free to ask any questions if you have them. Please note, however, that questions asked without being signed in will not be answered. The author would prefer to address questions outside of the story, and leaving questions while signed in provides that ability.