Masae 7: Toward Greater Responsibility

"As my third year at Pravda began, I was no longer an unknown or 'the new girl' on the team," Masae said. "I had done well in exhibition matches, as well as in the team's practice exercises, in which I was sometimes not just commander of my crew, but also of a group of tanks."

"So how exactly did you become commander, Instructor Atago?" Miho said.

"I first became vice-captain at the start of my third year," Masae said "The vice-captain graduated, and Kumakura-sensei encouraged me to apply for the position. I did so, and I was ultimately chosen. But I didn't realize at the time that it was merely the first step toward greater responsibility."

23 years ago

Not long after Masae was officially appointed vice-captain and it was announced to the team, Toshi ushered Masae into her office and shut the door. As Toshi often met with the sisters together, Masae knew that the meeting was sensitive when she alone was called into the office.

"Again, Masae, I'd like to congratulate you on your appointment," Toshi said, after sitting down at her desk and telling Masae to take a seat across from her.

"Thank you, Kumakura-sensei," Masae said, as she sat down.

Toshi nodded appreciatively, but continued from where she left off, making it clear that her initial remarks were mere pleasantries.

"You're welcome," Toshi said, "but that's not the reason I called you in here. I'd have invited your sister if this were a mere friendly chat about your promotion."

Masae was starting to read the mood of the situation. At Black Forest, meetings with the coach were purely business, often for those who were in trouble in some way.

"What I'm about to tell you is both of the utmost importance to the team and strictly confidential, so it can't leave this room," Toshi said. "Can I trust you to keep this between us?"

"Yes, ma'am," Masae said.

"Good," Toshi said. "Forgive me if I'm beating around the bush, but have you noticed Kazumi's attendance rate?"

"Commander Zennou?" Masae said. "Now that I think about it, she's been absent a fair amount; not enough to cause her to run afoul of our attendance policies, but it is noticeable. Is there something I should know about?"

"Kazumi has had some chronic health problems that have increased in frequency lately," Toshi said. "As such, she has been absent from class from time to time, and...some question whether it will get to the point at which she can no longer continue as commander.

"It's that bad?" Masae said, incredulously, immediately understanding why she was called in, and realizing that Toshi was hoping not to disclose anything more than necessary. Toshi sighed and nodded. "Then why would she continue?"

"For Kazumi, it's not an easy decision," Toshi said. "At this point, her doctors say that she is still able to go about her daily routine- and most likely should. She also greatly enjoys being commander, and feels a sense of responsibility toward those under her command, most of whom are confident in her performance as commander. On the other hand, the latter is also why she feels somewhat conflicted about staying on."

"How do the others feel about this?" Masae said. "My sister arrived at the same time I did, and is not judgmental by nature. And most of my friends are not willing to discuss this openly- and possibly will be even less so now that I'm vice-captain and working even more closely with Commander Zennou."

"Kazumi still possesses the approval of most of her subordinates," Toshi said. "A few, who shall remain anonymous, have privately confided in me that it might be better if she stepped down, but there is no outcry demanding her resignation. On the contrary, most would be sad to see her go, and would be hesitant to see a relatively untested newcomer take the reins."

"Like me?" Masae said. Toshi did not nod or shake her head in response, but simply sighed.

"You've done well so far, Masae," Toshi said. "But speaking from personal experience here, it hasn't always been easy to fill someone else's shoes, even if the others are relatively confident in you. And it's not necessarily easy to hand off your responsibilities to someone else."

"So no matter what Commander Zennou does, she will not be fully at ease with her choice?" Masae said.

"That's essentially it," Toshi said. "She meets with me regularly to keep me apprised of new developments. She believes it would be for the best if she remained on the team- and she hopes that it is."

"She hopes so?" Masae said as she pondered the idea of expressing doubt in one's decisions. The way Shiho had presented it at Black Forest, doubt was a sign of weakness, and Masae knew that it was difficult to convince others of something she was not sure of herself, even from a position of authority. And while Kazumi was hesitant to be completely open about this, it was clear that she was less than certain about her decision. Why, then, would Kazumi make that choice?

"You will understand someday, Masae," Toshi said. "You will not always be certain of all your decisions, nor should you be. Doubt can paralyze us at crucial moments, but it's also a reminder that we all make mistakes, as well as often a way to prevent us from doing so."

"Yes, ma'am," Masae said.

"In any case, Masae, I didn't choose you for being perfect," Toshi said. "I chose you because you're steadfast, reliable and do your utmost to support the team, just like Kazumi does. If she continues to lead, I'm sure you'll do your best to support her. And if she steps down, you're the best choice to take her place."

"I won't let you, her or the team down, Kumakura-sensei," Masae said.

The conversation then turned to Masae's duties as vice-captain, most of which Masae had heard before, but emphasis was placed on the possibility of becoming a substitute commander. Masae then resolved to do the best she could so that she could assist Kazumi to the best of her ability- or replace her, if necessary.

Present day

"It may sound harsh, but I think at Black Forest, Kazumi would have been replaced a while ago," Masae said. "She ran the team well, and helped create a good environment, but she didn't quite fit the Nishizumis' standards in a few regards."

Maho and Miho solemnly nodded.

"You would be correct, Instructor Atago," Shiho said. "If she doubts her ability to continue, then she should not do so at all. She has a responsibility for the team, and if she cannot fulfill it, she should pass it on to someone who can. For all concerned, doing so is for the best."

Masae could not help but sigh, never having expected to agree with Shiho. Did Shiho know what exactly had happened? The fact that Masae had replaced Kazumi would seem to be proof of this.

"I agree, Instructor Nishizumi," Masae said. "But understand that Commander Zennou's choice was by no means clear-cut- was it worse to walk away or get to the point at which she could no longer reliably perform her duties? I don't think she liked either possibility, or that she predicted that things would go wrong so soon. I certainly did not, and I believe hindsight is 20/20."

Masae subconsciously adjusted her glasses, the only way her vision would be anywhere close to 20/20. Most of the women of the Atago family, save for Hiroe, had relatively poor eyesight, but they considered themselves fairly fortunate health-wise, at least compared to Kazumi.

"In any case," Masae said, "when I woke up on the morning of the day before our first match in the tournament in my third year, I had no idea that Kazumi would not be showing up that day... or that she would never return."

23 years ago

In the morning, two days before the first round of the tournament, Masae stepped out of the shower in the apartment she shared with her sister. As she put on her school uniform in the bathroom, she heard a knock on the door from Masaki.

"Nee-san, Kumakura-sensei wants to talk with you," Masaki said. "It sounds important."

Masae opened the door, and Masaki handed her their cordless phone.

"Thank you, Masaki," Masae said, taking the phone. "Hello, Atago Masae speaking," Masae said into the phone.

"Masae?" Toshi said, "A problem has arisen concerning Kazumi. She wasn't feeling well today, and had to go in to see the doctor. I'll need you to lead the training session and the pre-match strategy meeting."

"Really, Kumakura-sensei?!" Masae said, incredulously. She remembered the last time she had seen Kazumi, in the previous day's strategy session. Kazumi had seemed oddly tired, causing Masae to ask about it, only for Kazumi to insist that she was fine.

"Unfortunately, yes," Toshi said. "I'll make an announcement. You can also stop by my office before class to pick up Kazumi's planner."

"I'm on my way over," Masae said. "Goodbye, Sensei."

Toshi said goodbye and Masae hung up, before turning to Masaki.

"Masaki, I'll have to head over to school early," Masae said. "The commander is out sick, at least for today, so I'll be filling in for her."

"I'm sorry to hear that and hope she gets better," Masaki said as Masae gathered her school supplies. "Take care, Nee-san."

After picking up Kazumi's planner and attending class, Masae got to practice early, hoping to finalize her preparations before she began. Being vice-captain involved a considerable amount of work, and it would be exacerbated by also taking on the commander's duties and dealing with the fallout from Kazumi's sudden absence.

A part of her hoped that Kazumi's doctors had let her go back to school. Masae was not averse to responsibility, but she had not wanted to take it on so suddenly, and on the eve of a tournament match.

Unfortunately, Toshi's expression indicated that was not the case.

"Good afternoon, Kumakura-sensei," Masae said. "Have you heard any news about Commander Zennou?"

"Yes, but unfortunately, it's not good news," Toshi said. "The doctor says that Kazumi is being hospitalized for the time being, for at minimum a few days. There's no chance of her being able to come to the match with Maginot, and they essentially told me so before I even asked."

A few different questions came to Masae's mind, but she realized that it was futile to blame Kazumi or their circumstances at this point. Instead, she wanted to know what she could do to help the team at this juncture, and chose the question that was most relevant to her.

"So what happens now, Sensei?" Masae said.

"For the moment, you'll need to serve as acting commander," Toshi said. "If we win the match with Maginot and the situation hasn't resolved itself, we'll decide what to do then."

Masae's expression turned grave. The near future seemed to resemble a series of branching paths, most of which did not lead anywhere good for Pravda. Masae knew she would have to make many decisions in this time, but could not predict what she would have to choose between, much less what the right choice would be.

But there was only one thing to do. Her responsibility had increased, but she still had to fulfill it to the best of her ability so that the team could win the first round and continue onward.

"Yes, ma'am," Masae said.

As tankery practice officially began, Toshi called everyone to the assembly area to deliver her announcement.

"May I have your attention, please?" Toshi said. "I'm afraid I have some bad news today. This morning, Zennou Kazumi, our commander, has been hospitalized as a result of long-standing health issues."

Concerned murmurs went up from the audience, until Toshi motioned for silence.

"As such, until she returns, I name our vice-captain, Atago Masae, acting commander of the Pravda tankery team until further notice."

Masae nodded, but could not help but frown. She had run the team on the days when Kazumi was absent, but it had become clear that this was no ordinary absence, both in its length and its timing.

A part of her, however, the part that had driven her to do her best at Black Forest, knew that in spite of the excuses that one might make, the tournament was a question of whether one could do better than one's rivals. Without Kazumi around, that task now fell on her.

As the strategy meeting for the upcoming match began, Masae walked into the meeting room. The room had a long table, which was approximately long enough to seat ten to twelve people per side on the wide ends, and two people on the narrow ends. Without thinking, Masae sat down in her usual seat to the commander's right on one of the narrow ends.

"Um, Acting Commander..." the commander of a KV-2 said, gesturing to the commander's chair. Masae, blushing slightly in embarrassment, got up and sat down in the commander's chair.

Silence ensued for a moment, as Masae realized that while she, having attended all the strategy meetings since she first arrived, knew where it was headed, and would have to direct the discussion by herself.

"Let's resume from where we left off last time, shall we?" Masae said, before turning to Kodaka Sayaka, commander of a T-34, one of her friends. "Sayaka, I believe you were discussing the possibility of an ambush point in the rocky hills near our starting point, correct?"

"I was, Vice Cap- I mean, Acting Commander," Sayaka said. "But upon further consideration, it doesn't seem like a good option. The cover for our tanks is less than we had thought, and if our initial attack fails, we won't be able to escape." Sayaka slid a file across the table to Masae, containing topographical information Sayaka had obtained since the last meeting, while browsing a filing cabinet full of maps in the Pravda tankery archives. "You can look at the information there; I made copies for everyone."

Masae thanked Sayaka in Russian, since she had learned a few phrases since her transfer, but sighed as she looked at what she had been handed. The possibility had seemed to be the most viable when it was brought up in the meeting the day before Kazumi fell ill, so Masae and Kazumi had expressed interest in it. So what would Kazumi do now, in light of this new information?

"Whatever she feels to be best for the team," Masae thought, in response to her own question.

"Then perhaps we shouldn't use it," Masae said. "I suspect the enemy knows this as well, so it seems less than likely that we could trick them into using it."

"Maginot has a fair amount of heavy tanks, so they probably won't try anything of the sort," Sayaka said. "A direct confrontation would not necessarily end well for us with what we have."

Masae took another look at the file, and wondered what they had to work with now.

But upon further examination, there was a choke point near the hills, that served as a possible ambush point. Masae's confidence was tempered by how she had trusted in the possible lead on the village, but she was confident that the information she had was more reliable.

In any case, the time had come for Masae to make decisions on her own, and she believed Kazumi would have made the same choice with the information she had just received.

The meeting eventually adjourned, and the team leaders began heading home for the day. One, however, stayed behind.

"Acting Commander, do you have a minute?" the girl, who had medium-length light purple hair said. Her name was Yuriko, and years later, she would marry, take on the name Suehara and have a daughter named Kyouko.

"Certainly, Yuriko," Masae said.

"Commander Zennou and I are fairly close, and I respect her abilities a great deal," Yuriko said, "so, I suppose you can imagine that it's hard on all of us, both seeing one of us so ill, and... not having our leader."

Masae nodded, knowing full well Yuriko's ties with Kazumi. Yuriko and Kazumi had been close friends since their first year, and Yuriko had insisted on calling Kazumi "commander," out of respect for her position.

"I understand," Masae said.

"All the same, I hope you don't take it personally," Yuriko said. "I would say that we respect you because the commander chose you for this position, knowing that you might have to step in like this, but that's not all. We've seen what you can do, and we have faith in you."

"I won't let you down," Masae said confidently.

"I believe you, Acting Commander," Yuriko said. "And to be honest, I first got my position as a tank commander when my own commander had to drop out of the tankery team because of personal troubles, so I understand what you're going through."

Present day

"I couldn't help but wonder if perhaps Instructor Nishizumi had scenarios like this in mind when instilling her teachings in her students," Masae said. "I faced a relatively steep learning curve, and had no second chances. Regardless of whatever excuses I made, the situation would remain the same and the outcome would not be affected. So that's why I didn't make excuses, but rather, decided to face my challenges."

Shiho nodded.

"The results matter most of all to the Nishizumis," Shiho said. "And on that regard, I must say that you succeeded, albeit in a situation that would be manageable to us."

"Perhaps so, Instructor Nishizumi," Masae said. "But at the time, it seemed like a highly unfavorable set of circumstances for my first battle as team commander- filling in for my commander against an opponent who knew us and how we fought. And yet, they were circumstances that I would ultimately have to overcome for the sake of my team"

The match

The day of Pravda's first match in the tournament that year soon came, and Masae realized that if she made a mis-step, it would also be their last match. Hoping that Kazumi would resume leadership of her team, and that she could continue on in the tournament, Masae vowed to do everything she could to win.

In a forest clearing, Masae stood before the commander of Maginot, a Japanese girl who went by Anne-Marie at school, a moniker chosen in honor of her French grandmother. The two and their subordinates exchanged bows.

After rising, the two commanders sized each other up, wondering how to approach the subject of Kazumi's absence.

"Um..." Anne-Marie began somewhat awkwardly, evidently not sure how to put what she was saying. "I was under the impression that Mademoiselle Zennou was commander of this team."

"She isn't feeling well, so I'm commanding in her stead," Masae said.

"C'est vrai?" Anne-Marie said, taken off guard; Masae suspected that she did not know about Kazumi's health. "Dommage..." she added, mournfully.

Masae knew a small amount of French, but even the commander's tone and expression were enough to get her message across.

"It... came up somewhat suddenly," Masae said.

The opposing commander simply nodded. Masae wondered if she was secretly rejoicing her good fortune, since regardless of however she and Kazumi knew each other, their schools were competing for the championship.

"Mademoiselle Zennou once once told me that while a commander must lead well on the day of the battle, but the truly important work comes from building the team over time," Anne-Marie said. "I'm interested in seeing how you do."

Anne-Marie and Masae shook hands. It was clear to Masae that Anne-Marie saw Kazumi as something more than an acquaintance, if not quite a friend. Perhaps Anne-Marie saw Kazumi as a worthy rival, and Masae hoped not to disappoint her.

The battlefield was a wooded area with many gorges and ravines. A river went through the center of the arena, spanned by a short and somewhat narrow steel bridge, albeit one wide and strong enough to support even the heaviest tanks.

Masae had recognized the bridge as a possible choke point. By controlling it, she could control the battlefield, if she could get there first and successfully hold it once she was there. Pravda's lighter tanks made the first task easy, but she doubted her team's capability for the second task.

Masae recalled what she had heard of her opponents' lineup. Evidently, their commander had been prepared for Kazumi, fielding a group of relatively heavy tanks, including the super heavy FCM F1. Masae knew from personal experience that Kazumi preferred to stand her ground rather than retreat, but now, doing so would be a poor idea against Maginot.

In a straight up fight, her tanks would be at a disadvantage. If both tanks unleashed a volley of shells at each other, the one with the heavier and stronger tanks would be more likely to inflict casualties on their enemies while surviving their enemies' attacks.

But what if the enemy tanks never fired that first shot? What if Pravda's first shots could be aimed where they were most vulnerable?

Masae then proceeded with an alternative plan that she had thought of in the preparations for the match, sending her tanks to ambush positions on the sides of a narrow ravine midway between the Pravda and Maginot starting positions. The lighter tanks were able to make it to the position more quickly

As Masae saw the FCM F1 at the vanguard of the approaching Maginot forces, she suspected that they were expecting Pravda to come out in force, leading with a tank that was the most heavily armored.

"Perhaps my first strike won't take out that behemoth," Masae thought, "but my shells can do a lot more than simply disable the tanks."

Masae then gave the order to attack.

Off in the distance, a well-aimed shot by a JS-2 detracked the FCM F1 in the middle of the ravine. Masae faintly saw the smoke at a distance, and heard the radio operator of the tank report success.

The JS-2 immediately retreated; Masae's plan was to disrupt the enemy's advance without incurring excessive casualties. But while the FCM could not move, it could attack. Its front turret turned and fired, striking and disabling the retreating JS-2 in the back and causing it to throw up the white flag.

As Masae heard the casualty report over the radio, she let off a sigh. Perhaps she had underestimated the enemy's ability to counterattack, and .

The Maginot advance, however, ground to a halt, their path blocked by an immobile superheavy tank. As if on cue, the Pravda tanks emerged from the forest and opened fire with carefully aimed shots, striking a few of the Maginot tanks in the side, causing them to throw up a white flag. Masae's one casualty had bought her four enemies disabled and one unable to move, with many more soon to follow.

The cohesion present in the Maginot unit fell apart, as the tanks desperately tried to get into position to make a counterattack, more like a mob than a group of disciplined soldiers that moved as a unit. They hastily fired into the woods, and their shots more often struck the nearby trees than the tanks they were aiming at, and which were calmly reloading and preparing for their next shot. Masae wondered if one of her shots had struck Anne-Marie's tank, since she was not in the flag tank at the moment. The same went for Kazumi's former crew, which was commanded by the former radio operator, with a benched player filling in for the radio operator's position.

Masae saw the Maginot flag tank, a Char B1 Bis, breaking off from the others. It had formerly been ensconced in Maginot's defensive formation, safe from enemy fire but still where they could keep an eye on it. Masae recalled that Kazumi had once told her that she saw the flag tank as her primary target, and thus did not want to lose sight of that priority. Perhaps Anne-Marie had chosen to play somewhat defensively with her flag tank to counter that strategy.

Now, as the team retreated, it was exposed as it moved across the less densely wooded path. Its allies hastily moved to cover it as it fled toward the thickly wooded area off to the side of the ravine.

Masae knew that area well, as it was an ambush point she had considered, but upon reviewing Sayaka's information, including a more detailed map of the area, she had realized that it was essentially a one-way route that essentially led to a dead end when the vegetation became too thick to advance. Masae recognized that for what it was; buying time.

"Either the enemy has a plan, or they're hoping to get enough time to think of one," Masae thought. "Let's bring this to an end before either can come into play."

A shot that disabled a SOMUA S35 next to the flag tank forced it to change its course, as it knew its current plan was untenable. At this point, the few Maginot survivors seemed to be merely reacting to Pravda's moves, too busy retreating from the Pravda shells to effectively retaliate.

The fight had not gone out of the enemy's forces just yet, as an enemy Char D2, with a lucky hit, had succeeded in taking out a T-34/76 that was pursuing the flag tank, before being struck with a few shells and being disabled, having made itself vulnerable as it stopped to aim.

Masae frowned slightly at the casualty report, but recognized that things could and often did go wrong with good plans. Perhaps she'd never have the ideal strategy for all possible situations, or a foolproof means of defeating her enemy. She could only adapt to challenges as she faced them, while realizing that she would not always succeed.

A few more shots rang out and, save for the FCM F1, which, too late, was slowly backing out of the ravine in an attempt to rejoin its companions, only the flag tank remained, and it was rushing back the way it had came.

In accordance with Masae's plan, a KV-2, watching near the bridge that Maginot had crossed on the way over, now a route of escape that Masae's forces controlled, took aim at the flag tank and fired. Masae's own tank fired on the enemy flag tank as well.

The Char B1 Bis was struck from the front and the side at the same time, two explosions happening almost in unison. The front gun barrel was almost sheared off, while the turret was damaged and immobilized.

Both bits of damage, while severe, were also beside the point, because the white flag had also raised.

"Pravda wins the match!" the announcer said.

"You did it, Comrade Commander!" Masae's radio operator, a girl named Sakura said, briefly forgetting that Masae's title was temporary.

"I knew you could do it, Nee-san," Masaki said.

Masae smiled, enjoying this official victory more than the ones before it. The others had been counting on her, and with her help she had lived up to their faith in her.

"Thank you, everyone," Masae said.

The two sides came together for the post-game ceremonies in the same forest clearing where the match had started, untouched by the battle. They exchanged bows once again.

"It looks like we lost," Anne-Marie said. "Mademoiselle Zennou chose her vice-captain well."

"I appreciate hearing this," Masae said. "And I'm sure Commander Zennou would be happy to hear that her choice worked out well this time."

"I feel as though I owe you an apology, Mademoiselle Atago," Anne-Marie said. "I kept thinking in terms of what Mademoiselle Zennou would do, and how you might compare to her, without thinking of you as your own individual, when many others were also comparing you to her."

"There is nothing to apologize for," Masae said. "I, too, am trying to fill her shoes, in a sense, to effectively replace her and ensure the team remains in good hands."

Anne-Marie paused for a moment, considering Masae's remarks.

"Well, to use that analogy," Anne-Marie said, "you can only wear shoes that fit your feet, in a sense, and work well with your purposes. You should lead your way, Mademoiselle Atago; if you do so, I believe you'll find solutions so that everything else works out."

Anne-Marie then extended her hand.

"Merci beaucoup, mademoiselle," Masae said with a smile, as she shook Anne-Marie's hand.

Pravda's celebration for the victory in the first round was a relatively small affair compared to the victory in the finals, typically not going beyond the post-game bows and handshakes, and congratulating everyone who had helped in the victory, but Masae felt it was enough. She had fulfilled her responsibility to the team, led her new friends to victory, and could give good news to Kazumi.

Present day

"Maginot fell relatively easily," Masae said. "I'm not sure if I overestimated them, or the difficulty of the task before me."

"Pravda seems fairly strong, even back then," Miho said. "It sounds as though you had a lot of good people, Instructor Atago."

Miho's tone was slightly wistful. She had made quite a few friends at Oarai, and was glad for their commitment to the team. But the one thing she missed from Black Forest that she couldn't have at Oarai was having her sister at the same school as her.

"True," Hiroko said. "And I think it's a task you could probably manage with your school as well, Miho, although your solution would likely be different from Aunt Masae's, given the tanks and people you have at your disposal."

"Quite right, Hiroko," Maho said. "I think Miho probably understands better than anyone here the necessity of leading her own way, rather than trying to emulate someone else."

Miho and Masae nodded in agreement, while Kinue's expression turned pensive.

"You do know Miho-chan quite well, Maho-san," Kinue thought. "But now that I'm commanding Pravda, I'm starting to make the same realization that she and Mom did. There are many people I respect and look up to, but I can't win merely by emulating them."

"In any case," Masae continued with her story, "a few weeks passed. Our turn in the quarterfinals came around, and, like last time, I had to oversee practice, facilitate the strategy meetings, and lead the team to victory without our commander."

"You didn't hear anything since then?" Miho said.

Masae shook her head.

"Unfortunately, no," Masae said. "After the first match, Kumakura-sensei told me that I should proceed under the assumption that I would still be commander by the time the quarterfinals came."

Miho realized that commanding had gotten easier for her over time. Over the course of the tournament, she gradually started facing more powerful and more experienced opponents, but she was also used to the idea of commanding, and understood that she could succeed with what she had.

"The second time was easier than the first," Masae said, "since commanding was something I had done before, and my previous worry- filling in for the commander- was gradually being remedied as the team came to accept me. There were even a few people who privately confessed that they hoped I'd stay as commander once Kazumi recovered."

Masae let off a sigh, recalling how bittersweet those comments were. She was glad to do a good job and win her subordinates' approval, but she had sought to stand in for Kazumi, not supplant her, even if that ended up happening.

"But the position became permanent," Masae said. "It was a great honor to be entrusted with leadership of the team, and I learned a great deal doing so, but I couldn't help but feel sad that things came to that."

23 years ago.

As practice came to an end one day, Kazumi, on her first day back at school, sat in the observation tower, observing the training exercise along with Toshi. Kazumi was multitasking between watching the practice and doing some of her schoolwork; once she returned, she had a great deal of catching up to do.

Masae walked up the spiral staircase to the tower to report to Kazumi and Toshi.

"Welcome back, Masae," Toshi said. "Practice went well out there."

"Thank you, ma'am," Masae said. "I feel as though I benefited from my past experience, as well as supervising drills before... well, as vice-captain."

"I choose capable people for the vice-captain position," Kazumi said, "especially since the vice captain stands in for the commander when she is unable to perform her duties. You've done quite well for that so far, so I also believe I made the right choice."

"Your responsibility is a considerable one, Comrade Commander," Masae said, "which is why I hope you'll be able to resume command soon."

Kazumi let off a sigh.

"That's not going to happen," Kazumi said sadly.

"What?!" Masae said, incredulous. The possibility of Kazumi stepping down had always been one that Masae, Toshi and everyone else had to consider, even if they hoped it would never come to that. But now it had come to that, and a part of Masae found it difficult to accept.

"I'm only barely back up to the level at which I can attend school," Kazumi said. "And that's because if I miss any more class, I might not graduate. Tankery is out of the question for now between my health and my workload, and even if it wasn't..."

Kazumi looked around wistfully, seeing some of her teammates milling about down below, discussing practice. Masae knew that Pravda's team was large enough that the commander could not personally know all her subordinates, and she struggled to remember some of her teammates' names and faces. Masae had to wonder whether Kazumi had forgotten some of her faces during her time away, and whether some of the newer members had also forgotten Kazumi.

"The team has moved on without me," Kazumi said, her resigned tone indicating it was difficult for her to say that out loud, even if she knew it to be true. "They've accepted you as their commander, and I'm glad for that, but it also means that I no longer have a place in it. Perhaps, if I'd known all along that it would end like this, I should have stepped down sooner. I suppose I clung to hope that I'd be able to continue."

"Comrade Commander..." Masae said sadly. Kazumi had always been torn over what would be best for the team, and had served the team well. Masae had hoped that Kazumi would be able to continue as commander, and do so without any doubt as to whether she was doing the right thing.

"Kazumi, please," Kazumi said. "I spoke with some of my friends, and when they mentioned the commander, they were not talking about me, but about you. They've found a good leader now, so the team is in good hands."

"Very well, Kazumi," Masae said. "What will you do now?"

"I'm going to call the team together tomorrow at practice," Kazumi said, "and officially announce my decision to resign and promote you to permanent commander. That should be a formality at this point, since I told Kumakura-sensei that I'm stepping down, but I'd like some time to prepare a statement for the team. I think we all considered this might happen, but now that it has happened, I'd like the transition to be as smooth as possible."

"Well said, Kazumi," Toshi said. "Masae was made aware of this possibility after being appointed vice-captain. She seemed troubled by the possibility, but was prepared to do whatever was in the best interests of the team, including leading it, if necessary. Am I correct, Masae?"

Masae nodded solemnly, realizing the truth of it, but finding it hard to accept.

"Yes, ma'am," Masae said.

"You won't see me much around the tankery grounds," Kazumi said. "But I hope to see more of you, Masae, and I'll be watching how you do from here on out."

"Thank you, Kazumi," Masae said. "This team is as much yours as it is mine, and I hope to succeed for both our sakes."

Masae rejoined Masaki on the walk home.

"Thank you for waiting, Masaki," Masae said. "Let's head home."

Masaki nodded. By now, Masaki was used to her sister being late coming home as a result of her new responsibilities, but Masaki noticed that Masae seemed unusually somber.

"Is something on your mind, Nee-san?" Masaki said.

"Kazumi isn't coming back as commander" Masae said. "My position just became permanent."

Masaki's expression indicated confusion, being torn between being happy for her sister and sad for Kazumi.

"Congratulations on your promotion," Masaki said. "But how's the comm- Zennou-senpai taking it?"

"As well as one might expect," Masae said. "She knows it's the right thing, even if it involves sacrifice on her part. But it's also a decision she wished she never had to make."

"And what about you, Nee-san?" Masaki said. "You didn't originally intend to take her position, so how do you feel now that it's yours?"

"I've been thinking, Masaki," Masae said. "Some would consider Kazumi's tenure as commander a failure, or think that she never should have been commander in the first place."

"But you don't believe that, do you?" Masaki said. Masae shook her head.

"No, quite the opposite," Masae said. "The leader of Maginot, who faced Kazumi once, told me that winning tankery teams are built over time. For the sake of all the effort Kazumi put into this team, I hope to win the tournament."

As she said this, Masae realized that she had also helped build Black Forest through her efforts there. But she felt as though while doing tankery at Pravda, she was being truer to herself than she was at Black Forest. Even if people like Kazumi were unable to continue, people like Masaki were able to participate at Pravda.

The road ahead of Masae in the tournament was long, but she had all the reason she needed to lead her school to victory.

Present day

"So what happened to Zennou-san?" Maho said.

"Kazumi hasn't done tankery since ceding command of the team to me," Masae said. "She married a few years after graduating from university and works as a freelance writer for tankery magazines. I don't think it's a path that's entirely traditional for tankers or women in general, but it's one that she's happy with."

Miho wondered what sort of careers her friends would take. Hana, despite being disillusioned with flowers for some time, had revitalized her interest in it through tankery, and would likely inherit her family's school. But how would Yukari translate her love of tankery into an actual job? Would Saori end up as a housewife or make a career out of her skill with communication? And what job would be best suited to Mako's brilliance and sleeping schedule? Miho did not know, but hoped tankery would help them find the answers.

"Over the years as a commander and a teacher, I've noticed people falling behind or not quite rising as far as they could for various reasons, and it's not always due to laziness," Masae said. "Sometimes they struggle against their own deficiencies. Sometimes various events in their life hinder them. In any case, those who endure such difficulties earn my sympathy, and those who overcome them earn my respect."

Miho nodded, as the idea resonated with her.

"There's Zennou Kazumi, the commander who always thought of her teammates, and might have continued to serve us well had she been able to do so," Masae said. "There's Takahashi Aiko, who, after some initial difficulties at my school, led Pravda to victory over Black Forest a little over a decade ago and is now an instructor in the JGSDF. There's Onjouji Toki, who, after failing to make the team in her first two years and being hospitalized, became one of the most effective gunners for Pravda in her year. And there are many others like them. who might not have had a chance at Black Forest, but who, through determination, accomplished something meaningful in ts own way."

"The Nishizumi school doesn't necessarily believe that such individuals should never do tankery," Shiho said, "simply that they were unlikely to be part of any first-rate tankery team, one in which all its members pull their weight. For every champion, there are countless runners-up, and many who are content with their status as such."

"I thought you would say that, Instructor Nishizumi," Masae said. "But one of the many reasons I wanted to win against you was to prove such individuals have a chance to win. Pravda may not be an underdog like Oarai is or Saunders once was, but many of its strong performers were underdogs in their own ways at one time. I believed that it was possible for a team to be both 'first-rate' and inclusive, and to win without the Nishizumis' drive for victory."

"And yet, the champions are not simply given their championship, but win it because they fight as hard as they can for it," Shiho said. "The Nishizumis do not believe in sparing any effort or tolerating those who are not fully committed to and capable of achieving victory."

"That's true, Instructor Nishizumi," Masae said. "Of course, my point is that such individuals are not necessarily liabilities, but rather, assets, toward that goal. So what better way is there to prove that than leading a team with people like that to the championship?"

Author's Notes

I'd like to thank Kao Vamp and Stalker117 for beta reading this chapter

This is a somewhat long chapter for Paths Toward Victory, but roughly the average length of a chapter from the original Necessary to Win. I suppose length is relative to the story.

Character Analysis: Kazumi Zennou

Little is canonically known about Kazumi in Saki except for her appearance, the fact that she's coach of the Himematsu team (The Atago sisters' team) and that she's on medical leave some time before the start of the series, replaced by Akasaka Ikuno (who is a bit airheaded and playful while Masae is serious, and unlike Masae, doesn't like being reminded of her status as a temporary replacement).

Kazumi, who has the qualifications to perform her duties as Pravda's commander, but is not always able to perform them, faces a difficult decision- step down and entrust her team to someone else, or continue as long as she can. She chooses the latter, and is eventually no longer able to command; while Masae rises to the occasion, Kazumi cannot help but feel as though she made the wrong choice.

But Kazumi's efforts are not necessarily in vain, and she also has an impact on Masae, in showing determination and desire for the well-being of those under her command, even if it never wins her any tournament or even allows her to stave off being forced to resign.