Chapter 5: A Second Chance At Victory
The exhibition match between Oarai and BC Freedom took place in a wooded area north of Osaka, with both sides starting in separate positions in the forest.
Residents of BC Freedom's home port watched on large viewing screens in designated viewing area. The battlefield was farther out of town, but various parts of the city were still cordoned off in case the fighting spilled over into it.
The crowd was larger this time, partly because of the larger urban area, and partly because of the hype associated with a champion coming to town, although few people that Oarai knew were among them. The many banners, posters and flags inside the town proudly proclaimed that the winner of the last tournament had come. The locals were excited to have a match against a champion, and even more excited at the prospect of their home team winning against Oarai once again.
At Oarai's starting point was in a more densely wooded part of the battlefield, the team prepared for BC Freedom's attack. Since their opponents were on their home turf, they would know the terrain better, and would not easily be caught off guard. In spite of the enemy having that advantage, Oarai could still turn things to their favor with the element of surprise.
"All teams, keep an eye out for the enemy," Miho said over the radio.
Seven of BC Freedom's tanks approached from far off in the distance, with Miho barely able to see all of them through the trees; she suspected that they would be hard-pressed to see her tanks in the denser part of the forest. The group of largely French tanks were not particularly impressive for the most part, but they were too far away for Oarai to hit. While they were fewer in number than Oarai, a group of that size would inflict casualties on Oarai, weakening them for when the other shoe dropped and the other tanks closed in. If the first group did their job well enough, the second would finish Oarai off, so Miho carefully looked around.
The other shoe soon dropped. Far off in the distance, the other eight BC Freedom tanks advanced on Oarai's rear. Miho immediately recognized it as a pincer attack, using their greater numerical strength against Oarai, and using the terrain to head off any escape. Unless this was dealt with effectively, Oarai would not even be able to escape from the attack like they had in the previous match.
There was not enough time to escape from the encroaching enemy forces, but there was enough time to react to their approach and ensure that Oarai would be able to survive the coming assault.
"Everyone, the group of eight tanks should reach us first," Miho said. "Get into position and we should be able to take them off guard."
Miho's forces quickly got into position, with a few of her tanks behind trees and other terrain, and the others out in the open. They were waiting for the enemy
The Chi-nu emerged from its hiding spot as the tanks approached and fired, hitting the AMC 35 that had once been commanded by Fujiwara Rise, who had since graduated. The shot struck the tank in the side and disabled it.
"Yes! We got one!" Shiina said.
At the same time, Anglerfish Team fired a well-placed shot, striking a Char B1 in the front. The shot caused a large plume of smoke, but the tank did not emerge from it; as the smoke cleared, the white flag rose.
"Another enemy has been defeated," Hana said.
As she saw her allies fall, Ranko advanced toward Oarai in her AMC 35, worried about how Oarai was putting up more of a fight, but relieved that she was not going to be the first one to be disabled this time. Kei was by no means a strict commander, but she still had certain expectations of her subordinates, and Ranko had no desire to disappoint her. Ranko's teammates, who had been in the same as her since they had all entered BC Freedom's tankery team together in their first year, shared that sentiment, and strove for victory.
However, Ranko's tank shook as two shells struck it from the left- from the opposite direction that the Char B1 had been hit.
As the white flag raised on her tank, Ranko looked at the tank that had disabled her; the M3 Lee. She recalled that it had been the first tank to fall to BC Freedom's attack, without firing a shot, and she had realized that its crew had abandoned it.
"Are they really the same girls who chickened out and ran when facing enemy fire?" Ranko thought. "If the rest of Oarai has improved similarly, 15 tanks won't be enough to win."
Ranko's crew had been together since their first year of high school, and had faced many challenges together. They had grown significantly over the years, but clearly, it was not as much as their younger opponents.
A barrage of gunfire came from the advancing BC Freedom tanks, signifying their recovery from the surprise attack. Glancing behind her, Miho saw the rest of BC Freedom closing in. She realized that while they had been able to fend off the enemy thus far, their superior numbers would overwhelm them in a direct fight.
Leopon Team blasted a Renault R35 with its powerful main gun, striking its frontal armor with such force that the frontal tracks were blown off and it was disabled. As it was no longer able to keep pace the others, a hole opened in BC Freedom's lines.
"Slip through that hole!" Miho said to the tanks, and Anglerfish Team advanced, followed by the others in single file. BC Freedom's tanks made some hastily aimed shots that fell short, trying to shoot Oarai's troops without risking hitting their own.
But not all of their shots missed their mark. A SAMUA S35, with a well-placed shot, struck Mallard Team in the side as it headed toward the vulnerable spot in the formation. The shot was enough to overcome the Char B1 Bis' armor and force it out of the match.
"I'm sorry, Saro, I couldn't make it," Gomoyo said.
"Don't be," Saro said. "Reizei-san and the others only make this look easy. I heard a good portion of the team got taken down without even putting up much of a fight in various matches in the past."
"That's hardly something we should be aiming for," Gomoyo said.
"True," Saro said. "But we do have time to improve, and this match is one of many possible learning experiences. Perhaps someday, Oarai's chances of victory my hinge on us staying in the game. For now, though, we should be thankful that the day hasn't come yet, and prepare ourselves so that we will be ready when it does."
The last of Oarai's tanks surged through the hole in BC Freedom's lines as soon as the other half of BC Freedom's forces got in range of their previous position. As BC Freedom regrouped, Oarai pulled far ahead, moving toward the road near the forest to escape more quickly.
As the column of Oarai tanks escaped, the last tank in the line threw up a smoke screen, blanketing the arena in smoke. It went out as a trail behind the tank, tracing its path, but as the smoke enveloped the BC Freedom forces, throwing them into disarray, they were unable to determine where Oarai had fled to.
But during the retreat, the Porsche Tiger sank into a large patch of soft mud, which some of the lighter and more reliable tanks had been able to pass over without any problems. The BC Freedom forces paused, firing a barrage of fire into the Porsche Tiger's side armor, a relative weak spot in the heavily armored tank.
The barrage was getting them nowhere, but as the crew struggled to escape from the mud, the engine overheated, spewing smoke into the air along with the smoke from the exploding shells. The white flag soon raised, and a casual observer would have concluded that it was the result of BC Freedom's attack.
As her teammates cursed the "piece of junk," Tsuchiya let out a sigh. It was true that she had various difficulties with the tank throughout the last academic year, to the point at which the team was not confident about their ability to field it until the final round. But what was also true was that Oarai had to work through its many disadvantages, in terms of numbers, firepower and crew experience. They would once again have to make the Porsche Tiger usable, and ensure that the three newcomers would be willing and able to do so.
Oarai exited the forest and reached a deserted road, closed to traffic for the match. As their tanks reached the flat and level ground, they picked up speed, enabling them to evade their BC Freedom pursuers, which were still winding their way through the forest after defeating the Porsche Tiger. As Oarai reached a bend in the road, they cut through the forest again, to set up an ambush spot.
The BC Freedom team sped through the road, determined to find out where Oarai had fled. They had eagerly watched Oarai's progress through the tournament, and knew Oarai's general modus operandi when faced with an overwhelming enemy force was to either retreat or strike at the flag tank. Since the annihilation rules precluded the latter tactic, it was obvious that Oarai was only willing to fight when they had an advantage that would offset their lacking the numerical advantage.
Spotting some tracks that went off the road, Kei ordered her forces forward, and, entering the forest, saw several possible ambush points. Oarai's planned tactic immediately became clear to her.
"It seems quite like Nishizumi-san to try to ambush us," Kei thought. "We won't be taken in so easily this time."
The BC Freedom forces spotted some of the Oarai tanks lying in wait and opened fire in a barrage of shells that seemed precisely aimed at Oarai's hiding spots in the woods, firing a volley of shots that blew apart the foliage.
One of those shells found its mark on the Chi-Nu bringing it to a halt and disabling it. The tank lay still, with black smoke rising from the point of impact and the white flag raised. It was a less spectacular defeat than many of Anteater Team's defeats in video games, but it was no less frustrating.
"This sucks," Shiina thought. "Then again, we always knew that we can't go up against a school that outnumbers us and has defeated us before without some things going wrong."
Oarai returned fire, though, with the blazes of guns firing through the trees making BC Freedom aware of tanks that they had not noticed before.
Hippo Team's shot struck a Renault R35 in the side, disabling it, and Sparrow Team defeated a SOMUA S35 with a shot to the rear. Explosions rang out as the shots hit their mark, and BC Freedom became aware that the advantage had once again slipped away from them.
The remaining BC Freedom tanks then began to withdraw, leaving behind their disabled comrades. They had more tanks, but they knew that, against an opponent like Oarai, they could not frivolously throw away their forces. In order to outlast their enemies, they had to make each loss count, and Oarai was felling them far more easily than they had a year before.
"Oarai had always done surprisingly well," Kei thought, "but now, many of its teams are performing far better than they did before. It looks like I'll have to change tactics if I want any hope of surviving this."
Oarai noticed BC Freedom's tactical retreat, and momentarily celebrated. It was always enjoyable to see the enemy's efforts falling flat, and them forced to retreat and react to Oarai's plans.
"The enemy is routed," Erwin said. "They are falling before us like Poland fell to the Blitzkrieg."
"This is great!" Saori said. "It's nice that we're no longer the ones running for our lives."
"It's true that we have gained the advantage for the moment," Miho said. "But I think BC Freedom's hoping to lure us to a battlefield where they have the advantage."
Miho realized that the fight had not gone out of the nine remaining BC Freedom tanks just yet, though, and they were headed toward the city to engage in urban warfare. The tactic had served Oarai well in their match with BC Freedom, as some of Oarai's team knew the streets of their town well. But they were no longer in their home port, as the "visitors" in this game, as Noriko, herself an Oarai native, would put it.
It therefore seemed obvious that the best way to stop BC Freedom from gaining the advantage was to prevent them from moving the battle, and that the best way to ensure that the battle ended in their favor was to ensure that the current status quo remained the same.
"Duck Team, Turtle Team," Miho said over the radio, "can you head off the enemy?"
"We're on it!" Noriko said.
"Yes, ma'am," Shizuru said.
Both teams sped on ahead, before turning to face the enemy.
Turtle Team fired, taking out an AMC 35, while Duck Team fired and detracked a Char B1 Bis. Ayano quickly reloaded and Shizuru fired again at the motionless enemy tank, disabling it.
Hatsuse's Char B1 took aim and fired, eliminating Duck Team, and Kei's Char B1 Bis took Turtle Team from behind, disabling them.
Two tanks had been lost, but the enemy's retreat had halted. Kei had realized that Oarai had seen through her plan, and now had to come up with yet another alternative. The chances of it working when the previous strategies had failed were slim, but this was all Kei could do, and what she owed to her team at thisjuncture.
In one of the designated areas for watching the game, Yasuko, Hisa and Mihoko watched the match. Yasuko ate a bowl of katsudon for lunch, and Hisa and Mihoko ate a small meal that Mihoko had prepared. Mihoko was renowned as an excellent cook at her alma mater, St. Gloriana, as Hisa, who had often tasted her cooking could attest. After tasting a small sample of what Hisa had made, Yasuko also had to admit that she was impressed.
"It seems things aren't going nearly as swimmingly for us as last year," Yasuko said, after chewing and swallowing some of her meal. "Not only is Oarai not nearly as amateurish as they were a year ago, but even their commander seems more responsive to our tactics."
"It seems Nishizumi-san is quite cognizant of what others are thinking," Mihoko said. "She anticipated that Arakawa-san would expect her to do something similar to last time, and, rather than fall back on a strategy that could be anticipated and used against her, adapts to her situation."
"That makes sense, Mihoko," Hisa said. "Essentially, if you can think of a tactic, you can imagine it being used against you. Miho has a good head for what strategies other schools use."
"The same is true for her competition, of course," Yasuko said. "Other schools are cognizant of the ways Oarai overcomes its disadvantages, and are preparing countermeasures accordingly. Kei might have been unable to succeed with this tactic, but she still has the advantage of numbers, and her bag of tricks isn't empty just yet."
"That's true," Hisa said. "Of course, Miho knows quite well that tankery matches don't end until all the tanks you need to take out are out of the game. That's why Miho can persist in the face of many setbacks, and why she doesn't count her enemy out when they suffer some of their own."
The crew of one of BC Freedom's tanks, a SOMUA S35, scanned the forest for any sign of the enemy. Their crew hoped to find and defeat the enemy before they were seen and fired on, knowing that their tank's armor would most likely not stand up to any of the Oarai tanks except for the Type 89.
They noticed the barrel of the StuG, pointing out from a hastily applied layer of camouflage that resembled a large patch of shrubbery, too late. They were halted in their tracks as a shell struck them in the side, and as they futilely tried to turn the turret to take out the enemy, they realized they had been disabled.
Kei heard the casualty report over the radio, making note of where they were- very close to her current location.
"It seems you're better suited to the environment this time," Kei thought. "But I learned from Rise-san's defeat, and you won't get the advantage of surprise again."
Kei's Char B1 Bis circled around Hippo Team, who, realizing they had been discovered, attempted to flee. But Kei had prepared, and her gunner and loader were already taking aim at a vulnerable spot at the back of the StuG. The shot through the trees was difficult, but Kei's gunner, Tsuiki Moko, had a knack for hitting difficult shots that few others would take.
A shell sailed through the trees, striking the StuG, and taking it out of the game.
Shortly thereafter, Kei heard reports of another AMC 35 being eliminated by the Tas.
"All tanks, form up on me," Kei said. "We're making our last stand against Oarai Academy."
The battle soon spilled into a clearing off the road. Their initial plan having failed and their secondary plan having been thwarted, BC Freedom was now being forced to play it by ear in desperate hopes of defeating her enemies.
A Renault R35 emerged from the tree line and was picked off by Anglerfish Team, with Rabbit Team doing the same to an AMC 35. A Char B1 got a shot on the Panzer IV's Shurzen, but Sparrow Team fired, delivering a heavy blow to their weak side armor and succeeding where they had failed.
"We're doing better than last time," Mutsuki said. "Two kills and we're still in the game."
Kaori confidently nodded, as she operated the radio to inform the others of their kill. Over time, using her radio had become second nature to her, and nowhere was it more apparent than in this match, now that they were facing their first real opponent again.
Hatsuse ordered her tank to advance toward the Tas, trying to exploit any vulnerability she could.
Her mind briefly flashed back to how she had reacted when Ako, her friend and her schoolmate from middle school, had told her of her intentions to go to Saunders. Hatsuse, less than confident in her tankery skills, had believed she had no chance of getting onto a regular position on a strong team, and so chose a weaker one, forgoing all hopes of being able to win or get very far in the tournament.
But she had persisted, tried hard for her school's sake and done better than she had expected, getting Kei's notice and an offer to become her vice-captain. BC Freedom had not won the tournament or even advanced past the first round, but the school that had was one that had lost to them, and was unable to field the maximum amount of tanks at any point in the tournament. Hatsuse realized that even if her abilities were limited, she still had to try as hard as she could.
But Nodoka and her crew had a similar resolve in mind, having chosen to bring their humble school as far as they could. So while Hatsuse was circling around her, Saki was drawing a bead on her, and fired just before Hatsuse could outpace her. The shot struck Hatsuse's tank in the side, toward the back, sending it skidding and tearing the tracks off. It was obvious before the white flag raised that it was no longer in the game.
"Char B1 neutralized, Nodoka-chan," Saki said with a smile. It had been a long time since she had learned the truth behind Oarai's participation in the last tournament, and she had more recently learned about the ongoing struggle for the tankery team to maintain itself for years to come. But she was in one of those modes when none of that mattered to her, enabling her to do her best and have the most fun. She had accomplished what she had set out to do in the process, and started to enjoy tankery, so she did her best so that future generations of students could also.
Nodoka, having heard about Saki's sentiments before, nodded in approval.
"Good work, Saki," Nodoka said. "There's just one left, Miho-senpai."
"All right," Miho said. "Everyone, surround and take down the remaining Char B1 Bis, but be careful; BC Freedom hasn't given up yet."
Kei, facing Oarai's four remaining tanks, realized she was in a situation not unlike what Miho had been in a year ago. Most would conclude that she was hopelessly outnumbered, and write her off as a lost cause. But she still had the means by which she could win, and the will to turn a certain defeat into an unlikely victory.
"It seems you won't be taken off guard so easily, Nishizumi-san," she thought. "That makes sense; you were the one who taught me about persisting when all seems lost."
As her tank rushed forward, Kei's crew quickly fired at the Panzer IV with the turret gun, causing a loud clang and an explosion. While the shot inflicted a glancing blow on the Schurzen, it failed to disable or significantly damage the tank.
As Kei tried to rotate her tank to attack with the 47mm gun, four shells, from Anglerfish, Octopus, Rabbit and Sparrow Team, struck her Char B1 Bis at once, resulting in a cacophony of explosions and four fiery blazes. Her tank, charred and burning in a few places, emitted smoke from its engines and threw up the white flag.
"Oarai wins the match!" the announcer said.
Kei sat in her tank, pondering the result for a moment. She had anticipated the possibility of defeat, but she had hoped to do more against Oarai before she was vanquished than she had. Losing to Oarai was no longer a humiliating failure, but BC Freedom had the advantage of numbers, so Kei had imagined herself to be a reasonable match for them.
But in the end, her defeating Oarai, however narrowly, had been their impetus to get better, and BC Freedom had also improved after only barely defeating an underdog. Perhaps the same would happen this year, and both teams would continue to develop and strengthen their teams.
"You've never been one to let failure get you down, Nishizumi-san," Kei thought. "Should we meet in the tournament, you will learn that the same goes for me."
Author's Notes
I'd like to thank Stalker117 and KMT4ever for beta reading this.
I had a few reasons for wanting Oarai to fight BC Freedom again; to give them a second chance to succeed where they failed, allow both sides to use their prior knowledge of the other to their advantage, and to show how far Oarai has come since the previous year.
Of course, the battlefield is different, resulting in different tactics being used by both sides, even if BC Freedo mbreifly gets the idea of turning Oarai's previous tactics against them, once they're sufficiently desperate.