Finale: Paths Toward Victory

As the waiter came by and collected the checks, Masae looked at Shiho expectantly, as she had remained silent for a few minutes..

"So there you have it," Shiho said. "That is everything that has made me the person I am today. Do you have any further questions, Instructor Atago?"

Masae shook her head. There was another day for the convention, but she had all the answers she was looking for.

"No," Masae said. "I think I have, at long last, found the answer I was seeking about you."

"I'm listening," Shiho said, certain that she already knew Masae's answer.

Masae took a deep breath while composing her thoughts, before finally speaking.

"I've learned a great deal about you over the past few days, Instructor Nishizumi," Masae said. "Make no mistake- I still cannot approve of what you have put your daughters through, or agree with your ways of teaching. But I have come to understand you, as someone who has been influenced by many factors, and does what she thinks to be best for her children and her school. I, however, intend to do things differently as a mother and a teacher."

Masae's daughters and niece silently concurred with her judgment. As Shiho viewed the expressions the four outsiders had on their faces, her own remained unchanged.

"That's understandable," Shiho said. "You are not the first and most likely will not be the last to say that you find my way of tankery or methods of raising children to be unacceptable, or that you intend to succeed on your own terms."

Shiho gave her response with a calm tone, but Masae noticed more resignation than arrogance in it. Shiho had indeed heard her methods being condemned many times over the years, but persisted in them nevertheless- largely because she believed she was right, but possibly because she knew no other way. If people disliked or even hated her for this, Shiho would simply live with it, as one more thing to endure for the sake of her family's mission.

Hiroe nodded. In spite of remaining unfavorable toward Shiho, she had to admit that there were times when she honestly sympathized with her leading what was likely a lonely and unfulfilling life. Even so, Hiroe reserved the lion's share of her pity for Shiho's daughters.

"I see," Masae said. "And while I hope my story has given you something to think about, I know I cannot reasonably expect to convert you to my way of thinking, however much I would like to. You feel the same way about convincing me, do you not?"

"I do," Shiho said. "I've always known, ever since that day you met with me in the office to discuss my demoting your sister. In fact, I don't believe in 'converting' people to the Nishizumi style unless they have sufficient talent and resolve to do things well enough to meet our standard."

"Then we have fundamentally different views of teaching, Instructor Nishizumi," Masae said. "For me, teaching is mainly about providing instruction to those who need it, and giving them the knowledge they need to reach their goals- whatever they may be- while getting them to also enjoy the process of reaching them and exercising good values." Masae glanced at Shiho's daughters. "In this regard, I hope you'll permit me to say a few things to your daughters, things that I believe I expressed before."

Shiho reluctantly nodded. Her daughters were already committed to their respective paths, so nothing Masae would say could dissuade them, and Masae would most likely speak even without Shiho's permission.

Masae turned to Maho.

"Maho, I hope that you become a better tanker, teacher and mother than Instructor Nishizumi," Masae said. "Of course, I do hope my daughters will also surpass me, and Masaki has the same hope for Hiroko."

"I understand, Instructor Atago," Maho said, "and I'll do my best."

Masae then turned to Miho.

"Miho, I hope that you always have the wisdom and courage to do what is right," Masae said, "and that when you make those decisions, you are rewarded, rather than punished."

"I'll do what I can," Miho said, "although the right choices aren't always clear."

Masae nodded in agreement.

"I can't tell either of you what to do or how to do it," Masae said, "since it's ultimately up to you to find that out for yourselves, as you're each on paths very different from my school. But you must never lose sight of what is important to you or stop being true to yourselves. I wish you the best of luck in your endeavors, and hope you remain good friends with my daughters and niece."

Hiroe had mixed feelings. She had always had an unfavorable impression of Shiho, and hearing that she was entirely unrepentant of everything she had done infuriated Hiroe. But she also had sympathized with her father's desire to reconnect with his family, in spite of knowing how it had ultimately ended in failure. Perhaps Miho had the same love for her parents in spite of the way they treated her. Perhaps neither Miho nor Masaru was wrong to feel that way.

Kinue found herself thinking about how things might have gone had she and her sister been raised by Shiho and Homura. Would the Nishizumis have been as supportive of her taking as long as she did to find her path in life? Would Hiroe be the same exuberant and caring older sister she loved so much? She ultimately found herself coming back to one conclusion above all others- how lucky she was for her family.

For the moment, they would be going their separate ways, back to the families they had grown up in. They had their own separate problems to deal with, some related to their families and some they faced as individuals, but the five teenage girls hoped to stay in touch, and that the others would fare well in the face of whatever came their way.

"See ya later," Hiroe said.

"Goodbye, Miho-chan, Maho-san," Kinue said. "I'll talk with you again soon."

"I look forward to seeing you again soon," Hiroko said, letting a slight smile cross her face.

Miho and Maho then walked out of the restaurant with their mother.

The Atagos returned to their hotel room.

"Finally, it's over," Hiroe said, untying her necktie, taking off her blazer, and unbuttoning the top button of her dress shirt while untucking it. She then flopped down on the bed. Having spent most of the last two days on her best behavior, she was honestly glad to relax.

Hiroko and Kinue followed suit. While Kinue found politeness easier for her than her sister did, she adopted a more cheerful, relaxed and somewhat playful demeanor around those who were at or below her position. Hiroko also tended to be more willing to express her opinions around those of equal or lower standing.

"Indeed," Masae said, as she sat down in a chair. "Girls, I appreciate your patience tonight; Instructor Nishizumi is far from a good conversationalist, or the most likable person, but you put in a good amount of effort toward tolerating her. Hiroe, I particularly appreciate your increased restraint tonight."

"Thanks, Mom," Hiroe said. "But, didn't Instructor Nishizumi's rationalizations also set you off?"

"They did," Masae said, recalling her angry tirade the first evening. "I suppose the part I found most difficult to accept was Instructor Nishizumi's seeing herself as a good or even acceptable parent even after everything she put her children through, not even regretting threatening to disown Miho."

"Yeah, that's exactly how I feel," Hiroe said. "To make an analogy, if she put a gun to Miho's head, threatening to pull the trigger unless Miho did what she wanted, and spared Miho after she complied, she wouldn't be thanked, but would end up in prison. Hell, even having the damn gun would be enough to get her arrested."

"In all fairness, Hiroe," Hiroko said, "so far, Instructor Nishizumi has not carried through on her threats. In spite of what Uncle Masaru's father did to him, the idealist in me believes she would back down before getting to that point, even if it's not much better to be someone who makes empty threats."

Hiroko had difficulty describing her maternal uncle's family except for being in relation to him. She had once told Masaru that was the most she could do to him to fulfill his request that he think of his estranged parents and siblings as part of her family, since her only connection with them was because of the bonds with him that they had severed themselves. In response, he said that he understood her point and was content with having good relations with his wife's family.

"Now that I think about it..." Kinue said, "I do have to wonder how I would have turned out in the Nishizumi family, being forced into tankery from a young age, without knowing why, rather than finding it on my own. Perhaps it would have been a bit like what Miho-chan went through."

"That's possible, Kinue," Masae said. "Of course, your father and I had no desire to find out when we established this family."

"And neither did my parents," Hiroko said. "The fact that Instructor Nishizumi had very different goals, and saw her family as, in large part, a means to achieving them, doesn't really change no matter how much of her life story you hear. She has her reasons for doing what she does, but they're not ones we can accept."

"That's true, Hiroko, but , I may have misjudged Instructor Nishizumi to some degree," Masae said. "There are many people who willingly follow and respect her, like the Nishizumi school graduates I met today. And some of what she was saying was not too different than the expectations I have for my students, although they're taken to extremes."

"But there are many who follow you, Mom," Hiroe said. "And I as you said, you aim for a happy medium of sorts. You're confident without being arrogant. You have high expectations without being obsessed with perfection. You're principled without being unreasonable."

"And I think we've uncovered something important today, Aunt Masae," Hiroko says. "There's one pillar that supports everything that Instructor Nishizumi has done- success, or at least, her definition of it. As long as the Nishizumis and their disciples keep winning, she naturally believes that everything she's done is justified. Unfortunately, that means that Maho's efforts to be heiress, while for a noble purpose, end up maintaining the 'legitimacy' of the Nishizumi style, and justifying Instructor Nishizumi's treatment of her and Miho."

"I've also noticed that, Hiroko," Hiroe said. "But does that mean that the success is always a result of those methods?"

"Maybe not," Hiroko said, "but people don't necessarily change their ways when they're doing well at the moment. Not only does repeated success invite complacency, but you're also hesitant to try anything that risks your present success."

"I guess not," Hiroe said. "After all, it was because we weren't able to win against the Nishizumis that we ended up trying new things. We potentially had something to improve through changing ourselves"

"I also agree that's a good point, Hiroko," Masae said, "and a possible explanation for why the Nishizumi style is so stagnant and reactionary. But I have another possible explanation. Instructor Nishizumi may believe that if she admits that the Nishizumi style is wrong, it will mean that all her efforts, as well as those of her mother and those who came before her are meaningless. There's something called the 'sunk cost fallacy', meaning that when people invest a great deal in a given undertaking in which giving up means forfeiting everything they spent thus far, they will continue to invest more, regardless of how much they must spend or how faint their chances of getting something that will justify it are."

A moment of somber silence descended on the four. They had some idea of what it meant to invest in a long-term undertaking, but they had never devoted their entire lives to one pursuit. Despite constantly re-evaluating their goals and methods- or perhaps because they did so- they never had to deal with the crushing realization that they had been wrong all along.

"Is she wrong to be hesitant to admit this, Mom?" Kinue said. "The Nishizumi School is entirely about victory, and if you're obsessed with victory and can't win, what meaning is there in your efforts? To use an example, my teammates from the soccer team in middle school were always afraid of being unable to fulfill their dreams, and of their efforts coming to naught. I think only the fact that I was not quite as ambitious saved me from falling into that trap, so i can see why Instructor Nishizumi feels the way she does."

"I don't think she's wrong to think what she does, Kinue," Masae said. "I'm merely saying that realizing that she is wrong or that the Nishizumi style is not infallible will not be easy realizations for her to make. And yet, now that the Nishizumi School has been defeated twice in two years, where will that take them now? Surely they realize that there are other paths toward victory than the one they walk, and that theirs is no longer infallible?"

"I'll do what I can to find out," Kinue said. "It will be one more reason for me to lead my school to victory against Black Forest."

As her daughters and niece excitedly began talking about the next year, Masae excused herself, first to go to the bathroom, and then to call her husband. She had not raised her daughters with the express purpose of them becoming tankers, but they had ended up that way in the end and she was proud of them.

"Hello, dear," Masaru said. "How was your day?"

"Quite good," Masae said. "I was able to get quite a bit of support for the adult classes, and should be able to launch them next year, as I planned. And...I think that I understand Nishizumi Shiho much better now. I still don't like her, but I find it easier to know where she's coming from and why she thinks the way she does... for now."

"That's good to hear," Masaru said. "But what do you mean 'for now?'"

"It's possible that her faith in the family style of tankery is no longer as unshakable as it once was," Masae said. "I'm not sure what could overturn it, save for another series of defeats, but I can't rule out the possibility."

"Is that so...?" Masaru said, intrigued. "Then there may still be time for her. Perhaps she cannot make up for what she has done to her daughters, but she can change herself, something my parents failed to do."

"I hope so, too," Masae said.

The two talked for a few more minutes about life back at the Atago family's house.

"I'm going to be turning in for the night soon, but before I hang up, are the girls around?" Masaru said.

"They are," Masae said, and passed the phone to her daughters and niece, to let them say hello.

Masae knew that the Atago school would change in the coming years, and would continue to do so after her time passed. Organizations, just like people, had to adapt to the times, but Masae believed it was possible for both to grow without changing who or what they were, and to become better able to carry out their chosen missions without giving them up.

Masae wondered if the Nishizumi School had lost its way at some point, and abandoned its original principles in the ruthless drive for success, whatever they once were. Perhaps Maho, or even Miho, were closer to the spirit of the original Nishizumi school ideology than their mother was. But whatever happened to or would happen to the Nishizumi school, Masae had faith in her family and her students, to carry on her mission and guide many tankers in the future.

After the Nishizumis returned to their hotel room, Maho met with Miho again, in the bathroom for another private discussion.

"So, Onee-chan, you wanted to talk to me about what you learned?" Miho said.

Maho nodded.

"After hearing Mother tell about her upbringing, I've come to two realizations," Maho said. "The first is fully understanding just how grateful I am to you."

"For what?" Miho said, honestly confused.

"You, more than anyone else, have seen me for what I am apart from my various responsibilities," Maho said. "Because I have people with whom I can relate- you, Kikuyo-san, Teru, Instructor Atago, Hiroe, Kinue, Hiroko, and I hope many others in the future- I'm able to keep sight of who I really am and what really matters to me. That's why I go as far as I do, so you can remain true to yourself, and can keep doing tankery your way."

"It's my pleasure, Onee-chan," Miho said, but paused a moment. "But what's the second realization that you've made?"

"For a long time, I had thought of inheriting the Nishizumi school as a burden that was mine to bear so you would not have to," Maho said. "But then I heard of why Instructor Atago chose to establish her school, and why Hiroe chose to succeed her, along with Mother's deviations from Grandmother's example. I then had a realization that perhaps I was thinking of it the wrong way. Perhaps there was something I could do with my status as Nishizumi heiress."

"Like what?" Miho said.

"I don't know yet what I can or will do," Maho said. "But I believe planning for the future, embracing my destiny as heiress rather than being resigned to it, and doing something positive with it is a better mindset than going with the flow. I believe that the Nishizumi style will have to adapt for the times. I even believe in the possibility that Mother realizes this, too."

Miho nodded. She believed in the potential for people to change and improve themselves, which is why she despaired when her mother proved so unyielding in her support of the Nishizumi style even when it resulted in her treating her family coldly. The possibility that her mother could change and become the parent Miho hoped she would be was one of the most encouraging thoughts Miho had ever harbored.

"I hope she has, too, Onee-chan," Miho said.

The sisters exited the bathroom to speak with their mother and find the answer to that question.

Inside the Nishizumi hotel room, Shiho sat on the bed, pondering the events of the past two days, and what she had discussed over the previous two dinners.

"Is something on your mind, Mother?" Maho said, as Shiho's only acknowledgment of her daughters' arrival was a silent shrug.

Shiho took a deep breath while considering her answer.

"For the longest time, I did what I did because I believed it was the only proper way to raise a family that could uphold the tradition," Shiho said. "I assumed that those who did otherwise did so because they lacked the commitment and resolve to see things through to the end."

"And now?" Miho said. "Are you no longer sure of this, Mother?"

Shiho shook her head.

"Don't misunderstand, I'm not reconsidering my ways just yet," Shiho said, much to Miho's disappointment. "But after hearing Instructor Atago's story, I've come to realize that those who disagree are not always motivated by mere sentimentality. Instructor Atago could not accept my ideology or the family raising methods of people like me, and set out to do things differently- not unlike what you did. She may lack the resolve to pursue victory to the same degree true champions, but her principles are not alien to me."

Shiho sighed as she paused, with Miho on the verge of saying something. Evidently noticing what was on her daughter's mind, Shiho spoke first.

"And no, it has not been lost on me that the winner this year was your team, and Instructor Atago's daughter won the year before," Shiho said. "As much as I hope the Nishizumi style will reassert its dominance next year, with Erika in command of Black Forest, I'm no longer absolutely sure of what the outcome will be."

Shiho realized that for the first time she could remember, she was honestly unsure of whether she could succeed, which was a testament to the opposition her students and her heiress were facing. But there was no question in her mind that she had to. From the beginning, the Nishizumi school had demanded that its students spare no effort in the pursuit of victory. If they did not achieve that, what was left? If the Nishizumi style was no longer suited to modern tankery, then what meaning did all the efforts Shiho and her mother invested into their school have? Shiho realized that winning saved her from having to answer those questions, and wondered how long she could avoid them.

Miho could not help but smile. Having heard her mother's life story, she had not seen doubt in Shiho since that day when she, as a small child, had wondered whether inheriting the Nishizumi School was worth the sacrifices she would have to make for it. She had heard how Masae's husband had hoped for the slightest sign of doubt in his parents, and realized that as her mother was beginning to doubt herself, hope remained alive.

"I look forward to showing you my answer, Mother," Miho thought.

On an international flight from Germany to Japan, two high school girls sat next to each other, looking through a tankery magazine they had bought at a news stand at the airport. One of the two had moderately long dark hair, while the other had long red hair.

"So the Japanese tankery convention should be wrapping up fairly soon," the first girl said. "It must have been an interesting one after Oarai's unexpected victory."

"Are you feeling bad about missing it, Satoha?" the other girl said.

"It can't be helped, since I knew what I was getting into when I signed up to study abroad," Satoha said. "But what about you?"

"Well, Japan isn't my home country, and I wasn't about to go all the way back just for that," the other girl said. "Still, I had some good times there when I was younger, and I'm looking forward to going back to Japan for next year."

"As am I," Satoha said. Our new school's mission seems fairly promising, so I'm looking up to building up their tankery team. I'd like to get ready for university back in Japan. It's also nice to come home after two years studying abroad."

"Yeah, I get where you're coming from," the other girl said. "I'd also like to see Japan again, but more specifically, there's a friend of mine I haven't seen in years, the one I told you about before. I'm looking forward to seeing Miho again, so I hope she still remembers me... and the final lesson I gave her."

Satoha could only smile in response, before saying what was on her mind.

"So do I, Emi."

Author's Notes

Thank you for reading, reviewing. beta reading, favoriting and following this fic, as well as voting in the polls.

I've heard theories that the original Nishizumi style is more like Miho's way of tankery than Shiho's. I suspect that it was originally demanding and ruthless, but not quite the same degree as Shiho takes it (although with the change having happened gradually over time, none of the characters are aware of this).

The following is some of what I'd planned to include, but didn't for several reasons, notably the practicality of implementing it. Incidentally, I've noticed that a lot of "cut scenes" segments are missing the reasons why the material was cut, which can be interesting to hear (a potentially good idea, on its own, may not work out well with the rest of the work).

*Two extra chapters for Shiho between when Masae leaves and the final match with Black Forest. I decided not to include them, because I couldn't decide what to include that wasn't in Shiho 6 already.

*A few additional matches in Act II- at least one for the three Nishizumi students and one for Harue- before I concluded that they didn't show enough about their development to show in depth. Generally, most of the tank battles in this series aren't just a means of matching one school against another that hasn't been seen in canon or giving a canon opponent a rematch against Oarai, but are meant to have significance of some sort for the participants.

*Additional POVs from other characters on the matches they had in common; Shiho's final POV chapter in Act I was originally going to have her POV of the battle with Pravda, and there was going to be a chapter showing the Nishizumi students' perspectives on the battle with Saunders. I cut them out when I realized that it would essentially be retreading the same events, and the people hearing the story would not have much to add.

*Some cameos by other characters, such as Shino, Kanna and Hayari, three of the main characters of Saki Shinohayu: Dawn of Age (which inspired this). Those three were going to play a larger role, since they are some of the main characters in Dawn of Age (Harue has only recently started appearing, and we haven't heard from Sukoya- who serves Ami's role- apart from the prologue).

*A scene with Arata and Harue in Intermission II, in which Arata promises to win for Harue's sake. Arata will be returning in the sequel as Saunders' commander, so you can see whether she makes good on that promise in the next two years.

*The fic was originally going to be titled, "Dawn of Age", but I didn't like the odd construction of the title, and wanted a subtitle that fit with Necessary to Win.

I made a few changes to remove some of the mistakes.

There will be a brief Introductions segment for this. I've also posted the first chapter of the final installment in the series, Necessary to Keep Winning