Masae 8: A Clash of Ideals

As Masae finished the last of her dinner, and looked around to see that most of the others were almost done, she decided that it might be best to segue into the conclusion of the tournament.

"The rest of the tournament went well," Masae said. "Leading the entire team was a step up from serving as vice-captain, but it wasn't completely out of my comfort zone. Because I had succeeded in the first round, I believed I could do so in the matches to come. We won the next two matches, and advanced to the finals."

"And, of course, we met each other again on that day, for the first time in almost a year," Shiho said.

"How did it go?' Miho said, thinking about how she had crossed paths with some of her former schoolmates from Black Forest in the recent past. While Erika was cold and dismissive, Koume was overjoyed to see the girl who saved her and her crewmates again.

"As well as could be expected," Masae said. "Instructor Nishizumi and I had never been friends, so the reunion was on less than amicable terms, but it was not complicated by having a relationship that had soured in the past. To put it somewhat bluntly, I went from being just another one of Instructor Nishizumi's subordinates to being just another one of her enemies."

"Perhaps 'enemy' is an overly strong word, Instructor Atago," Shiho said. "To the Nishizumis, achieving victory without fail is our goal, and those who would stand in the way of that- whether by actively opposing us or not doing enough to further our cause- are nothing more than challenges that must be overcome."

"That's not all that different than why I was fighting, Instructor Nishizumi," Masae said. "I had never fully agreed with your style of tankery, so I appreciated the chance to pit mine against it."

23 years ago

As the greetings between Pravda and Black Forest began, with all the commanders from both sides present, Masae stood across from Shiho, unsure of what to do in the encounter. They had served together for a year and a half in Black Forest, and Masae worked directly under Shiho for much of that time.

But Masae felt as though she had never truly gotten to know Shiho as a person. There were those she had known for less time at Pravda with whom she had a deeper connection. Masae only knew of Shiho's style of tankery and leadership, both of which she did not share but couldn't personally hold against her. She felt as though both of them were things that any sufficiently avid fan would know about, without even getting to meet or talk with Shiho.

Masae assumed that Shiho had heard about her becoming commander, and believed Shiho likely regarded her as nothing more than another enemy to defeat. So Masae extended her hand for a handshake, and with it, the same courtesy she showed to any other commander she faced in tankery battle.

"Let's have a good game, Nishizumi-san," Masae said.

"Likewise, Atago-san," Shiho said, shaking Masae's hand.

Nothing more needed to be said. The two former comrades were now meeting as rivals, both striving to win for the sake of their respective schools. On a individual level, Shiho fought for victory because it was what her family and her school expected of her. But why was Masae fighting?

Masae remembered how she had asked Shiho whether all the effort she put in and all the ruthlessness she had exhibited were necessary to win, and whether winning was the be-all and end-all. Masae believed the answer to the latter was 'no,' but felt compelled to give her full effort in the battle, not just for the sake of her teammates, but also to prove that Shiho's way was not infallible. It was a clash of ideals between the two, and Masae hoped to prove the worth of hers.

The battlefield was in a largely urban setting, with buildings that were roughly two to three stories tall in relatively even blocks. It was abandoned and in disrepair, but those who looked closely could tell what used to be there. Masae could imagine a time when people lived and worked in the city.

Masae's forces set up around what may once have been a small park; she could see what appeared to be a sandbox, a slide and a few picnic tables. Knowing that she would likely not have long to set up before Shiho arrived, Masae sent forces to hide in the alleys, hoping to launch an attack that would throw Black Forest off balance long enough for her to gain and keep the upper hand.

Masae was more than a casual observer of Black Forest, or just another player on the team. In her time there, she had attended all the commanders' meetings, and helped Shiho plan for the matches. She had some idea of what decisions Shiho typically made, as well as the processes by which she made them. Since coming to Pravda, she had worked alongside Kazumi and others who had faced Black Forest in battle.

In spite of that, she also realized that many who had come before her had similar levels of experience and knowledge about Black Forest, and they had failed. No matter how well prepared Masae felt, success was not guaranteed. The thought was humbling, and Masae wondered if it had ever come into Shiho's mind.

But perhaps this degree of doubt would be an advantage over opponents that thought themselves infallible. Perhaps if Black Forest did not think they would lose, they would avoid taking the precautions necessary to protect them against that.

The Black Forest tanks, which seemed largely similar to those Masae had fought alongside over the year and a half she spent at the school, advanced into the large park. Masae noticed that the new arrivals were not like insects unsuspectingly going into a spider web, but were soldiers, vigilantly searching for the enemy. Masae's advantage of surprise was not absolute, but she would have to spring the trap quickly to have that advantage at all before she was discovered.

Masae knew that there was a certain amount of comfort in falling back on one's modus operandi, but it was also possible for standard tactics to become a crutch, leaving one unable to even stand without them.

So Masae's ambush had been launched with the hope of forcing Shiho to play her game. The Nishizumis' orderly formations did nothing if they were facing an enemy that attacked unexpectedly. And the strong guns of their German tanks were useless if they were defeated before they could fire a shot.

Pravda's Russian tanks fired almost in unison, knocking out a few of the lighter German tanks at the vanguard, including a Panzer III, a Panzer IV and a Pz 38. The shots had been carefully aimed, taking full advantage of the element of surprise, even if the flag tank was further back, and could only be reached by cutting through the rest of the formation.

The Black Forest tanks advanced forward to cover the flag tank, and returned fire, taking out a few of the Pravda tanks while they were reloading. But as the Pravda forces returned fire, cutting down the Black Forest tanks even further, they seemed to realize that their position was untenable, and backed off, firing as they retreated.

"This retreat seems as though it wasn't pre-planned," Masae thought, "not to mention uncharacteristic of the Nishizumis."

Masae was faced with a difficult choice. Shiho had lost more tanks than Masae had in the shootout, and was now on the retreat. Perhaps Shiho was luring her into a trap of her own, but it was equally likely that with Shiho on the retreat, she would come back in full force with her primary hiding spots scoped out, and flush out Masae's troops, knowing where they were and no longer vulnerable to being taken by surprise.

In order to defeat Shiho before the window of opportunity closed, Masae ordered her tanks to purse the fleeing Black Forest forces down a wide road that she suspected was once the main street of the city.

Masae's tanks fired, and a few more of Black Forest's tanks were disabled, among them a StuG and a Panzer IV. The survivors moved onward with barely a backwards glance at the fallen. Masae noticed that her tanks were having trouble keeping up, but reasoned that the more losses she inflicted, the better position she would be in when she closed in on Black Forest.

Suddenly, the Black Forest forces stopped and turned around, forming a defensive line across the wide main street of the town. From what looked like an abandoned shopping center, a single tank, larger than any Masae had ever seen, emerged, announcing its presence with the loud clattering of its tracks.

Masae immediately recognized it as the Panzer VIII Maus, the largest superheavy tank in history, and a secret weapon Black Forest had never brought out in any of its battles while Masae still attended there. Clearly, at some point, Pravda in general or Masae in particular had made enough of an impression on Shiho to inspire her to bring it out. Masae could not help but take pride in being recognized as a threat, but also realized her task had become more difficult.

The Maus emerged from the large warehouse. and aimed its cannon at the advancing Pravda tanks before firing. The blast rang out and when the shell struck it disabled a T34/78 in a single hit. Evidently, while Black Forest's tanks were relatively light, they kept the superheavy tank around to contend with stronger tanks that they could not deal with in a head-up fight. That move had paid off, and would help influence Black Forest's lineup for years to come.

But Masae was, at this time, only concerned with her efforts at the moment. Rather than worry about how Black Forest would change after she graduated, she wanted to defeat them this time.

The Black Forest forces, formerly retreating, returned into the fray, focusing their efforts on exposing Masae's flag tank. Shots rang out, falling closer to their targets than before, and inflicting some solid hits on the Pravda tanks. Masae had temporarily robbed them of their advantage by throwing the into disarray, but now they had regained the advantage, and were fighting like the champion usually did.

Masae realized that morale was a crucial factor in battle, one largely influenced by circumstances. Her soldiers had fought hard while they were winning, but Black Forest's recovery was a blow to Pravda's confidence, enabling Black Forest to gain the advantage once again.

Even as some of her allies began to despair, Masae could not help but smile. This was far more challenging than any of the battles she had fought before in high school, and unlike the battles she had lost in middle school, she saw more hope of turning it around and winning. She felt as though she'd improved, both as a tanker and as a leader, since coming to Pravda and facing more challenging battles. Black Forest was bringing out their biggest guns against her, so now Masae would respond in kind.

Masae's forces fired back, and disabled some of Black Forest's tanks, even as they advanced in a wide line across the street, causing gaps to form in the seemingly impenetrable wall of tanks. Perhaps Black Forest was beginning to attain the advantage, but Pravda would not surrender it to them without a fight

Masae then spotted an opening in the encroaching Black Forest forces- the road through which Shiho's tank was retreating. She could potentially kill two birds with one stone- ensuring her own survival and defeating the enemy.

A T34/78 and another IS-2 accompanied Masae's crew on her pursuit, while the fighting raged. Shiho's Tiger I was light enough to stay ahead of Masae's heavier tank, but she hoped to corner and finish off Shiho before long. Perhaps Shiho would run into a dead end, but Masae feared that Shiho would succeed in luring her to a more opportune location.

A quick glance at the map confirmed Masae's fears. Shiho was planning on looping around, behind the warehouse from which the Maus had emerged, and joining up with the main body of her forces. If she succeeded, then Shiho's forces would once again be united in an advantageous position, while Masae's would be slowly but surely picked off. From what Masae heard, her teammates were making relatively good efforts to fight against their Black Forest foes, but were not able to take down the Maus. It thus fell on her and the allies she brought with her to defeat Shiho while they still could.

The Pravda tanks fired, taking down the two tanks accompanying Shiho as a rear guard. As they struggled to get around it, Shiho's tank aimed and fired on the T34/78 that went first, disabling it. The two remaining Pravda pursuers swerved around it, and hastily fired on the flag tank, but missed.

The Tiger fired behind it, making a somewhat improbable shot while moving, but a successful one, nevertheless. Masae's crew felt their tank shake as the shell exploded. But as their tank rolled forward, they realized that the IS-2 beside them had been struck. Masae was unsure whether Shiho was aiming for that tank or hers, but suspected that it was not an entirely undesirable result for Shiho.

The last of Masae's tanks in her pursuit unit had fallen but she now had a chance to defeat Shiho before the remaining Black Forest tanks closed in on her position, or before she was able to loop around to the area where her forces had relocated.

Of course, Masae realized Shiho would not go down easily, nor would she surrender without a fight. The flag tank was not only a vital strategic asset, but also as combat-capable as any of the other strong German tanks. Its armor served to save it from attacks that might eliminate it, while its gun was capable of eliminating any tanks that tried to take it out of the game.

Short on time, Masae ordered her gunner to fire on the Black Forest tank. The loader and gunner quickly complied, understanding the urgency of the situation. If they missed, they would never get another shot. And if they hesitated too long, they would never get the shot off at all.

The shot was done somewhat quickly, and hit the flag tank in center mass. It was a less than optimal spot to land a hit, but anything was preferable than a miss, and Masae believed that at close range, the shot would be effective. As the shell struck home, creating a large blast that produced a large cloud of smoke and seemingly caused Shiho's tank to shake under the impact, Masae had no reason to believe otherwise.

As the smoke cleared, Masae saw that she had scored a clean hit on Shiho's tank. All seemed well...

...but the white flag had not raised. Immediately after noticing that, the crew noticed the barrel of the Tiger I's gun pointing at them.

"What the hell?!" Masae's gunner said.

"Stay calm, everyone!" Masae said. "Masaki, evasive maneu-"

Shiho's Tiger I fired a retaliatory shot, the sound of the blast drowning out and cutting off the frantic chatter of the crew. Silence reigned for a few moments afterward.

The white flag raised on Masae's IS-2.

"Black Forest wins the tournament!" the announcer said.

The crew sat there in stunned silence, which was broken by Masaki saying the only thing that came to mind.

"I'm sorry, Nee-san," Masaki said.

"Don't be, Masaki," Masae said. "In ideal circumstances, you would not have had to escape so quickly in so little time."

"I agree with Masae," the gunner said. "If the damn damage detecting system worked like it was supposed to, we'd have won right then and there."

Masae shook her head. She hardly found winning by the skin of her teeth much better than losing on a technicality, and believed that both seemed to be likely outcomes. Black Forest and Pravda were near the same level, and Masae could have overcome Pravda's slight disadvantage, but had not.

"There were a few points at which we could have guided the match to a more favorable conclusion if we had done better," Masae said. "We could have defeated the flag tank earlier, before it got this far. We could have possibly withstood Black Forest's counterattack. We could have ended this pursuit sooner, or in more favorable conditions. But still, this is quite an accomplishment, to come this far and force the champions so close to defeat."

Masae said those words sincerely, and with great conviction behind them. She had gone a long way in the tournament, together with her sister and the rest of her friends, proving herself as an equal to Black Forest. Perhaps standing at the top was not as important as standing on her own merits. The two were not mutually exclusive, but the latter did not require the former, as much as Shiho believed otherwise.

But in many regards, Shiho's opinion no longer mattered to Masae, nor did her belief in winning at all costs.

Masae and Shiho stood before each other as the closing ceremonies began, and both teams bowed to each other.

"Congratulations on your victory, Nishizumi-san," Masae said, extending her hand for a handshake.

"Thank you, Atago-san," Shiho said, as she took Masae's hand and shook it. "But if I may say so, you do not seem entirely bothered by this loss."

"Should I be?" Masae said inquisitively, hoping her question would be recognized as sincere, rather than rhetorical. "Of all our opponents, we thought you would give us the most trouble, and knew victory was not guaranteed. Because things weren't always easy for me at my new school, I had to improve. And by broadening my horizons, I increased my confidence. I think those things, more than anything, matter more than victory."

"Perhaps that's a good thing," Shiho said, "but all those qualities are means to achieve success, which is the end those who do tankery strive for. Only those who remember that can triumph. "

Masae simply nodded. She considered asking Shiho the question Toshi had asked her long ago, but her mind was made up, and had seemingly been that way for a long time. Masae knew back then that Shiho would one day inherit her school, and her students would follow her ideology. Perhaps she would raise daughters in her own image, and Masae shuddered at the thought of what kind of methods Shiho would use to achieve this end.

Masae turned back to her friends on the tankery team, whose expressions matched their own. None of them seemed angry at or disappointed in her. Some of the older members knew what kind of enemy they had faced, and some of the younger ones were determined to try again.

Masae looked back to Shiho, who was rejoining her teammates, wondering how many among them were people Shiho considered good tankers, but did not necessarily see winning as the only thing worth striving for. Perhaps some of them were looking for answers of their own, like Masae had been.

It then occurred to Masae, at that moment, that perhaps one day she could set an example to others, to help others to learn what she had learned throughout high school. That day was still far off, though, and at the moment, Masae hoped to speak with one person who had been a great influence on her.

In the aftermath of the game, Masae and the rest of the Pravda crew walked off the field, much like the rest of the runners-up did.

"Welcome back, Masae," Toshi said. "I saw the entire match, and I think you did your best."

"Thank you, Kumakura-sensei," Masae said.

"Kumakura-sensei," Masae said, "I think I've found my answer. All this time, I'd been thinking about the result- whether it would satisfy me, or whether I could accomplish more. I now see that it's a matter of the journey, of enjoying the matches that you go through as you head toward the championship, of constantly getting better and going farther."

The rest of the Pravda tankers nodded in approval, as did their coach.

"Excellent," Toshi said. "Does Nishizumi Shiho understand that?"

"No, ma'am," Masae said. "She sees victory as coming before all else, and has difficulty understanding why this is not the case. It may be possible that she will see something that challenges that perception, but she will not likely do so today."

"I see," Toshi said. "Then it seems the day is yours in one sense, Masae. You've learned a lesson that Nishizumi Shiho has not, and in some ways, you're the better tanker than the heiress to the top school in the nation. I'm proud of you."

The rest of the Pravda team briefly applauded. There would be time to reflect on their mistakes and find out where they needed improvement later, but for now, they could celebrate their commander's success in finding the answer she'd been searching for over the course of three years and two different high schools. They had been defeated, but they could learn valuable lessons for when they tried again, and that was what truly mattered most.

Present day

"After the match, there was, quite naturally, a group of people who spoke out, claiming that Black Forest had somehow cheated, or the damage detection system had failed to work properly," Masae said. "As commander, I did my part to discourage these accusations out of a sense of good sportsmanship, but some people came to that conclusion anyway."

"Were they necessarily wrong, Aunt Masae?" Hiroko said. "I did recall you saying at some point that the early versions of the systems that declared tanks out of the game were less than reliable. Granted, they supposedly had only one failure to declare a tank out per several thousand deadly hits, but that one time could happen at a critical moment."

"Yes, I did say that, Hiroko," Masae said, "and it does occasionally happen. On the other hand, it's fairly difficult to contest a failure to activate. The judges saw no reason to contest this, citing that although my team had scored a hit, it was not enough to disable the Tiger I, whereas their hit was indisputably enough to disable my tank. There was nothing more I could do about it, and I had no desire to win by arguing about a technicality."

"No, I suppose not," Hiroko said resignedly. She, like Hiroe, had been unsure how to feel when the judges had accepted the results of the match between Black Forest and Pravda in their second year.

"Yeah, I know how you feel, Hiroko," Hiroe thought. "But even if we can't change the past, Kinue and I know that our mom was the real champion back then, even if she didn't win the game."

"In any case, the result seems beside the point," Masae said. "I believed I had fought as well as I could, even thought I had room to improve. I had improved a great deal over my time at Pravda, as a tanker and as a leader. And, of course, I had more fun than any tankery match I'd been in before. We were trying our hardest for victory, not taking it for granted, and I was able to go all the way through the tournament with my sister at my side."

"So, believe it or not, that defeat, by helping me finally understand what was truly important about tankery, was fulfilling for me," Masae said. "So now, I'd like to understand your perspective, Instructor Nishizumi, and hear what the battle meant to you."

Author's Notes

Sorry for the wait for this chapter.

I'd like to thank Stalker117 for beta reading this.

Shiho is many things, but she does not seem to be the type to develop grudges against her opponents. In large part, it's because she doesn't acknowledge most of them as legitimate threats, but it's also because the opposition, in and of itself, means little to the Nishizumis. The only reason why she seems concerned about Miho is as a possible liability to the Nishizumi school; note that her only response to Miho becoming Maho's opponent in the final is to expect Maho to defeat her, like Maho was expected to defeat any other enemy.

There's one more chapter in Act I, a return to Shiho's perspective.