Interlude 13: Kazue
Kazue approached the gates of Oarai Academy. Saro, on weekend guard duty, eyed her somewhat suspiciously, noticing that she was not wearing Oarai's uniform. Kazue wore Joghurt's uniform, which was a charcoal gray blazer, a green skirt, a white dress shirt, and a red neck ribbon, with the school's logo on the right breast pocket of the blazer. While the school followed a Bulgarian theme , it did not adopt a uniform of that nation's theme, instead going for a somewhat Western style uniform, similar to what some schools without national themes or tankery teams used.
Kazue's dark blazer was in stark contrast with the white sailor fuku that Oarai's students wore, and as such, she was immediately identifiable as an outsider. Saro's first order of business was to find out what, if any reason she had to be at Oarai, seeing her to her destination if she was a guest and removing her if she was a trespasser.
"State your name and business," Saro said with cold civility.
"Nanpo Kazue, second-year at Joghurt and commander of the school's tankery team," Kazue said, producing her school ID from her wallet. "I have an appointment to meet with your commander, your vice captain, and Miyanaga Saki-san."
Saro quickly glanced at her tablet PC, and saw that Kazue was scheduled to arrive. Kazue was a few minutes ahead of schedule, and while Sodoko was tempted to say that this was more than could be expected of "a certain someone," Mako had improved her punctuality since last year.
"We've been expecting you, Nanpo-san," Saro said, her tone turning more cordial as she recognized Kazue as a guest. "Please take this visitor's badge, and don't take it personally if the students seem on edge; they're on the lookout for someone trying to pay us back for the 'Sergeant Oddball' incident."
As Saro handed Kazue the visitor's badge, a piece of laminated paper with a metal clip that Kazue attached to her blazer's lapel, Kazue recalled hearing about the incident from Carpaccio, whose school had been infiltrated by Yukari, before the match between Anzio and Oarai.
"So someone in your school is a fan of Kelly's Heroes," Kazue said with a smile, recognizing her grandmother's favorite movie.
"To the degree that she thought it would be a good idea for an alias when sneaking into Anzio," Saro said. "I've heard of some half-baked plans for sneaking in, but this has to take the cake."
"Well, you needn't worry about that," Kazue said. "I don't know how incompetent you think this 'Sergeant Oddball' is, but I don't think any infiltrator would do so with their own school's uniform."
"So this is one of the stratagems that Oarai used to offset their disadvantage," Kazue thought, realizing that it never had occurred to her to do something like that. Because of her experience in tankery, she knew where to look to find information on her opponents' tanks.
Kazue suspected that the infiltrator, whose name she did not know, was similar to rest of Oarai, in having a great deal of enthusiasm for tankery and a willingness to think outside of the box, but relatively little experience. Kazue had called to arrange for a visit to Oarai, in hopes of learning a little about how Oarai came up with those tactics, and why it was able to persist in spite of the odds against it, knowledge that would prove useful for her school.
Kazue reached the meeting room of the tankery team, where Miho, Nodoka and Saki were waiting, sitting at a small table for four. The three girls stood up to greet her.
"Thank you for seeing me, Nishizumi-san, Haramura-san, Miyanaga-san," Kazue said, bowing. Her three hosts returned the gesture.
Nodoka, meeting Kazue face-to-face for the first time, immediately was struck by how Kazue carried herself with an almost aristocratic air. Kazue was polite and graceful, yet proud and determined, not unlike Nodoka herself.
"I'm here for what might be called an exchange of non-tactically sensitive information," Kazue said. "I would like to understand how Oarai musterd the resolve to win the tournament, and in exchange, I will share some of what motivates me. Again, does that work for you?"
"Yes," the three Oarai girls said together. They took their seats and invited Kazue to do the same.
"Just to clarify, though, we didn't always think we'd win the tournament," Miho said. "In fact, we thought we'd be lucky to win even one or two rounds, before we learned of our existence being on the line. We were able to get that far by realizing that we could only succeed together, with everyone learning their roles and doing their best."
"That's what most teams aim to do, although you seem more successful than most in that regard," Kazue said. "But I must admit that I'm surprised to hear you of all people say this, Nishizumi-san, considering your family."
"The fact that I can't do things the Nishizumi way is the reason why I'm at Oarai to begin with," Miho said. "My sister, the next head of the school, hopes I will find my own way of tankery."
Kazue paused to process what Miho had said. Clearly, the heiress of the Nishizumi school had a very different mindset from the woman who was currently running it. She thus had to wonder what the future held in store for the school, but realized that no one could say for certain at this point, if they were willing to talk about it at all.
"I must admit that I was, for a moment, surprised to hear that she feels that way, Nishizumi-san," Kazue said. "But then I recall my grandmother, and believe that it makes sense."
"Is it different for you, Nanpo-san?" Nodoka said. "I remember that you're the granddaughter of a famous tanker, Nanpo Shizuru-san."
"I am," Kazue said. "To be honest, it is somewhat difficult to live up to Grandmother's accomplishments. In my case, however, no one else is expecting me to do so. In spite of that, I find myself compelled to try, anyway, but am forced to reconcile my lofty ambitions with the limitations reality places on me."
"I'd like to know what you mean," Miho said. Kazue had essentially given the story of her tankery career in a few sentences, but it was a series of contradictions, and Miho wished to hear more.
"My story essentially begins when my father was born," Kazue said. "Grandmother, while accomplishing a great deal in her day, had no desire to establish a tankery dynasty or anything of the sort. As such, she was content when she had only one son, and did not expect her daughter-in-law or her son's daughter- I, in other words- to follow in her footsteps."
Miho nodded. She remembered that in some dynasties without an heiress of the proper gender, the heiress' spouse would be chosen instead. The current head of the Shimada school was the daughter-in-law of the previous head, as well as one of her former students. Kazue seemed to have the same sort of determination that the new head of the Shimada school did, hoping to become the steward of a tradition and pass it down to the next generation.
"But you chose to do so, didn't you, Nanpo-san?" Miho said.
"Exactly, Nishizumi-san," Kazue said. "Many people naturally emulate those they admire, especially when those individuals are in their own family."
"I look up to my sister, and once tried to emulate her," Miho said. "But she knew I couldn't follow in her path, and encouraged me to blaze my own. A friend of mine, Atago Hiroe-san, also strives to emulate her mother, while her sister, Kinue-san, hopes to follow Hiroe-san in turn, even if Kinue-san has more recently started trying to lead her own way, with her sister's encouragement."
"That's wise advice," Kazue said, "and it's advice my grandmother gave me when I was a young girl, but which I only truly came to understand recently."
8 years ago
On a trip to visit their grandmother's apartment, Kazue noticed an old photo of Shizuru's tankery team from high school, as well as a certificate commemorating her winning the tournament in high school. When Kazue had last been there over a year ago, she had trouble reading the certificate, but now could read it well enough to recognize that it was for tankery.
"Grandmother, is it true that you were once a tanker?" Kazue said.
"I was, a long time ago, Kazue," Shizuru said, wistfully looking at the old photo and feeling a sense of nostalgia as she did. "Now I mainly serve as a consultant, helping to advise and teach girls not much older than you. That's what people mainly know me as, and what they'll remember me as, if they do so at all."
Kazue found the idea of one's accomplishments fading into obscurity disturbing.
"But... schools like the Nishizumi school have continued teaching and passing down their ideology, skills and traditions for generations," Kazue said. "They aren't forgotten so easily, nor are those who founded them."
"They have those who are willing to take up the style, and pass them down from generation to generation," Shizuru said, "but this was not my intention. This is why I was not troubled when I had a son rather than a daughter, and why I believed that your mother's lack of interest in tankery was not a point against her when she and your father came to me, seeking my blessing."
"Mother once told me about this," Kazue said. "But while I respect the decisions you and she have made, my desire to do tankery someday is something I have decided myself."
Shizuru chuckled softly, pleased that her granddaughter was ambitious but knowing that there was much Kazue did not yet understand..
"Oh, I'm not against you doing tankery at all, Kazue," Shizuru said. "I only believe that if you do it, you should do so for your own reasons, your own way."
Kazue pondered her grandmother's advice. But she already understood that some people spent their entire lives devoted for another person's sake. Perhaps it would not be so bad to to tankery in her grandmother's name, so that people would remember her accomplishments and the Nanpo family name would be associated with excellence in tankery.
Present day
"It took some digging,but I was able to find some more about my grandmother," Kazue said. "About 50 years ago, she, in her final year of high school, won the high school tankery tournament, before Black Forest was truly established as the champions."
"That's impressive," Miho said. "I must confess that I didn't hear much about it, since my family and Black Forest do not like to dwell on their failures."
"That may be so, Nishizumi-san," Kazue said, "but I believe the more relevant fact is that it's old news. To provide an example, last year, there was an armed robbery on the Joghurt school ship, a somewhat shocking incident. Everyone was discussing it when it happened, but it's less talked about this year, and I believe that five years from now, only those who were there when it happened will know about it. Similarly, after Grandmother passes on, how many will remember the kind of tanker she was when she was alive?"
Miho nodded. Fame- whether in her lifetime or after she was gone- was not something she fought for in tankery. But when Kazue described it in terms of her beloved grandmother getting the credit she deserved for her accomplishments, she felt as though she could understand, and wished she could have known the elder Nanpo better.
"Essentially, I had no desire to let my grandmother's style of tankery become a relic of the past that only the curious or the well-versed knew about," Kazue said. "So I asked her to teach me what she knew, and she agreed; it was part of her job, after all."
"So you also got an early start in tankery?" Miho said.
"Not as much as you, Nishizumi-san," Kazue said. "I wasn't able to train on a tank, and as such, wasn't far ahead of my peers when I entered middle school. I tried and failed to become commander of my team, and was foolish enough to believe that if I had been commander, we would have been much more successful."
"I'd say feeling that way is human nature," Saki said. "My sister once told me that people have an unfortunate tendency to dwell on what might have been, and tend to be overly optimistic when it comes to the chances of things turning out as they had hoped."
Kazue, being in the same year as Saki, had heard of the tragedy that had resulted in Mizuho's death and caused a rift between the Miyanaga sisters. She wondered if Saki had that in mind, but knew better than to ask about it. So she simply nodded and continued with her tale.
"Eventually, the time came for me to choose a high school," Kazue said. "Most people would be interested in a school with a prestigious team, such as Black Forest, but I ruled that one out, as well as Pravda."
"Were you not able to get into them?" Nodoka said. "Or did you have friends who decided to go to Joghurt?"
"Unfortunately, neither is correct, Haramura-san," Kazue said. "Back then, I believed that I could get into any school I desired, and believed I didn't have time for allowing anything as sentimental as friends to have any weight when it came to choosing a school." Kazue described her motives with a self-effacing tone. She paused to let it sink in, then turned to Nodoka. "But I believe that you had a different mindset, did you not?"
"I did," Nodoka said. "Going to middle school, I had to separate from my friends and the town I lived in. The school I went to didn't have much of a tankery team, but it was fun and I made friends there, even if I didn't get far in the tournament. One of those friends, Kataoka Yuuki, chose to go to Oarai, and I followed her there, even though another of my old senpais went to Saunders."
"I see," Kazue said. "As far as I recall, Konishi did surprisingly well for a school of its caliber, better than what most would expect. And while I didn't choose my school for the same reasons you did, I must say that if you got what you wanted, I'm happy for you, Haramura-san, and please tell Kataoka-san and the others this as well."
"Thank you, Nanpo-san," Nodoka said.
Saki remained silent, grateful that Kazue was not asking about her middle school tankery career. Her accomplishments were far less impressive than those of Nodoka or Miho, and on a personal level, it was not a story she felt comfortable telling to just anyone.
"So, what, then were your reasons for choosing Joghurt, Nanpo-san?" Miho said.
"The first and second reasons were somewhat arrogant," Kazue said. "First, I believed that in schools like those, strong ones with predominant ideologies, I would be unable to lead according to Grandmother's style. Second, I knew I would be at a disadvantage in a school like this, but didn't think it was entirely hopeless."
"But you couldn't" Miho, Nodoka and Saki thought, but decided against saying it out loud. They knew Kazue was well aware of this fact, and would likely get to it soon. They were, however, curious as to why Kazue specifically chose Joghurt.
"The third reason is more personal in nature," Kazue said. "Grandmother lives in Joghurt's home port, which was my home town until Father had to move because of a transfer at work. He had to choose between providing for his wife and daughter, and looking after his mother, and chose the former. He goes to see Grandmother when he has time and when she needs him, but is less than happy with this arrangement."
"That's understandable," Nodoka said. While she was sad about having to leave behind her friends in Achiga, she could understand her parents having to move.
"That said, I had not completely made up my mind by the time I came aboard Joghurt's ship," Kazue said. "But as I saw more of the ship, I became certain that it was the right place, without any of the doubts that would later develop in my mind."
Two years ago
Kazue took a tour of the Joghurt school ship, walking alongside other girls in various uniforms as their leader, a girl in Joghurt's uniform, showed them around the Joghurt school and community. In a note pad, Kazue jotted down various observations about the school based on what the tour guide said and the deeper meaning she heard.
She walked through a residential district, and noted that it seemed more reminiscent of a small town than a large city. The tour only had time for a brief excursion to the city, but Kazue felt as though she had seen a larger portion of it than the tour guide had implied; over the course of the tour, they had gone from the port side to the starboard side in a relatively short amount of time.
Joghurt was neither the best nor the worst school as far as tankery went, but it fit Kazue's purposes. It was not especially successful in the tournament, but was at no real risk of being shut down, so Kazue believed it had room for improvement. There were no established cliques or entrenched ideologies, so a determined, talented and well-respected girl could rise to become commander without needing connections.
Kazue pondered what she had heard. The tour guide had not oversold the school, but conveyed a fair amount of enthusiasm. Perhaps, in that regard, Joghurt had a better team than her middle school did, and more potential for improvement under her.
Perhaps this school would be the best fit for her and her way of tankery. She would not be overshadowed by other tankers, but would rise to the top, and from there, would take her team to the top of high school tankery.
Present day
"In hindsight, my perspective does seem foolishly optimistic," Kazue said. "I weighed a few criteria for my decision, and assumed that Joghurt, the one best suited for being able to visit my grandmother, was at least passably suited to the others, as well."
"No, I believe it's understandable," Nodoka said. "Hindsight is 20/20, after all, and the decisions that often turn out to be mistakes often seemed reasonably sound at the time. I do have to remind myself sometimes that our success in the tournament was never guaranteed, and often seemed- with good reason- to be a near impossibility. I certainly didn't predict anything like this would happen when I joined a school with a new tankery team"
"Perhaps," Kazue said. "It seems we don't see clearly enough to understand our decisions until after it's too late to undo them, although we can't always know this. You seemed to understand what kind of school Oarai was when you joined, Haramura-san, but didn't know that it was, among other things, living on borrowed time."
Miho nodded in agreement. When she had come to Oarai, she was less concerned about what it had than what it did not have- namely, the tankery team and the pressures related to it that she hoped to escape from by leaving Black Forest. Of course, Kazue had an entirely different and more ambitious mindset, so Miho was interested in hearing how Kazue's expectations were defied.
"The first indication I got about how mistaken I was appeared when I was encouraged to apply for the commander position in my first year, something that I had not expected would happen even in my most optimistic fantasies," Kazue said. "What kind of school would turn to an untested newcomer like me as a leader? To put it bluntly, not the kind I was hoping for."
One year ago
Kazue, shortly after being appointed commander, met with Sawaya, who was then a second-year, in the tankery garage. The garage seemed relatively empty, both in terms of tanks and people, so outside of practice, it was a possible place to have a semi-private conversation.
Unlike most schools, Joghurt appointed commanders at the start of the year, meaning that Kazue was an eligible candidate despite just having arrived. When Kazue was selected, while she expressed the appropriate gratitude and determination to make the most of her position, she was still determined to find out why she was selected. She had experience leading, but was an unknown quantity in the eyes of most of Joghurt, whom she believed would be more likely to choose a third-year, or, in the worst case scenario, a second-year, to lead them.
"Congratulations, Commander Nanpo," Sawaya said.
"Thank you, Shishihara-senpai," Kazue said. "But, if I may say so, there did not seem to be much competition for the position."
"Well, first, not everyone's the leader type," Sawaya said. "Some of us start out in one position, getting used to and enjoying it throughout our three years of high school. It's all we know and all we want."
"I see," Kazue said. "But for me, that one position is commanding. I believe that there are those who would feel the same way, enough so that they would take it to the natural conclusion of commanding the entire team."
"Maybe so," Sawaya said, "which brings me to my second point. It's more difficult than many think to be the leader of the entire team, essentially being making all the major decisions and being the team's pillar of strength. Few can do it successfully, and fewer here even want to try."
"So does that mean I am different from the majority here, senpai?" Kazue said.
"Maybe it does, Commander," Sawaya said. "All in all, it's great that you're so enthusiastic about leading us. But if you want to do so well, you'll need to understand what kind of school it is that you're leading."
Kazue was briefly at a loss for words. She had never thought of herself as particularly "enthusiastic," as she took to most pursuits with what she would consider due diligence. But another question was more prominent; was it possible that she did not truly understand the school she was going to lead?
Hoping to find out more about what Sawaya was talking about, Kazue struck up a conversation with her vice captain, Yamoto Yukino, a third-year, in the commander's office. Yukino, who had held her position since the start of the previous year, had not only not applied for the commander position, but was actually grateful that Kazue had, since otherwise, she would have been named acting commander until a permanent commander could be found.
"Is there something I can help you with, Commander?" Yukino said.
"Yamoto-senpai," Kazue said. "May I ask why you never applied for the position of commander?"
"I didn't feel up to it," Yukino said. "Two years ago, when I was a freshman, we got easily defeated by Pravda, and last year, the first in which I was vice-captain, we lost to Black Forest in the first round. The latter was especially disheartening, since it showed us the difference between the champions and ourselves."
"But the champions eventually were defeated in the finals," Kazue said. "No one is invincible, not even Black Forest."
"Black Forest lost, that's true, " Yukino said, "but they lost to their strongest rival, and as a result of their vice-captain leaving the flag tank defenseless due to a freak accident. The odds of something like that happening aside, do you really think a school like ours can last long enough to reach the finals, and keep the champion at bay long enough for an opportunity like that to present itself?"
"I believe we can," Kazue said defensively. "The only question is whether you and the others are willing to go this far, senpai."
Kazue took a deep breath to compose herself. She realized that her tone was not one she should be using on someone who was older than her and ahead of her in school, even if she was also her subordinate.
Yukino sighed, evidently more over what Kazue asked of them than over the tone she used to ask for it.
"We are trying, Commander," Yukino said. "What I'm saying is only..." Yukino trailed off with a sigh. "It's something I believe you'll have to see for yourself to truly understand."
"I see," Kazue said, before bowing in apology. "Please forgive my rudeness, senpai."
"I'm actually not offended, Commander," Yukino said, with a reassuring smile. "There was a time when I felt the same way you did, after all, and you remind me of myself back then. I may have been overly optimistic, but even after everything that happened, I'm not so sure that way of thinking was wrong. It's just that it's hard to keep it up in the face of repeated defeat."
Kazue nodded. Regardless of whether her teammates' skills or resolves were weak, they were still her teammates, and it was up to her to make it work. She would not let the school's past failures deter her, but she vowed she would succeed, to show the nation that Joghurt could rise above mediocrity to become the champions.
Present day
"In hindsight, I was overly harsh on Yamoto-senpai," Kazue said. "But even knowing what I do now, I couldn't accept that it was hopeless and resign myself to inevitable defeat."
"Nor should you, Nanpo-san," Nodoka said. "I, too, have faced opponents that were beyond my ability to defeat, but have never given up."
"Your school has many things that mine does not, Haramura-san," Kazue said. "The one that most comes to mind, however, as well as the one I've noticed in this conversation, is that you, Miyanaga-san and Nishizumi-san understand the odds against you and what you need to do to overcome them. That's why you succeeded against Saunders where we failed, even in the face of a greater disadvantage."
Last year
The first round of the tournament pitted Joghurt against Saunders, on a somewhat rocky and hilly battlefield.
From the moment she first had drawn her lot, Kazue realized that Saunders was a less than optimal opponent for the first round. It was not on the same level as Black Forest or Pravda, but it was well beyond most of the newcomers. Essentially, if Joghurt failed to defeat them, not only would their participation in the tournament end, but they would likely never have stood a chance against the stronger opponents.
But for the sake of her team and the cause she hoped to advance, Kazue put that nervousness aside as she and Yukino approached Kay, who was flanked by Alisa and Naomi, in the pre-match ceremony.
"Let's have a good game," Kazue said.
"Yeah, let's!" Kay said enthusiastically, as she took Kay's hand.
Kazue looked over Kay and wondered what was going through her mind. She seemed quite relaxed and informal, hardly the sort who could take charge of an entire team. Kazue, knowing that it was at times difficult to keep the much smaller Joghurt team together, had to wonder why Kay was so laid back with a larger task on her hands, even if the match ahead of them would not be particularly difficult for Saunders. Was it how she acted towards opponents she knew to be weaker, or all opponents?
"Perhaps they're looking down on us and not taking this seriously," Kazue thought, "or maybe this is how Kay-san typically operates. Either way, I may still have a chance."
As the battle went on, however, Kazue found herself getting outmaneuvered and outfought at every turn. Kazue suspected that Saunders had better basic skills than most of her teammates did, and the battle so far seemed to confirm her suspicion. But while Kazue tried to use the terrain to her advantage, it seemed as though Saunders was somehow anticipating her moves.
Were her subordinates that inferior to Saunders' team? Were her strategies that predictable? In either case, Kazue realized the current situation was untenable, and decided to re-engage Saunders on more favorable terms.
"We're taking heavy losses!" Kazue said in the radio. "Retreat and regroup at point F15."
Elsewhere, Alisa, commander of the Saunders flag tank, heard the casualty reports and orders on her tank's radio interception system. Saunders and Joghurt used the same maps of the battlefield, so Alisa was quickly able to find point F15 on her map. It was a reasonably defensible position not far from where they were, so it was fairly easy to predict where. The radio interception device, however, removed the need for guesswork in this case.
In most cases, she would have simply told Kay where to go, but she had to keep her source of information secret, as Kay had made her distaste of such tactics clear. Alisa had tried to convince Kay otherwise, but Kay refused to budge on this subject, so Alisa decided to keep her use of the radio interception secret.
"Kay, you might want to cut them off before they get to cover in the forest," Alisa said.
"Alright, Kay said. "I'll send Naomi's group over. Nice female intuition, as always."
With her radio interception device, Alisa essentially had eyes and ears in every single enemy tank. The latter had been sorely reduced, though, and before long, the flag tank was defeated by Arata's team, who lay in wait for them on Kay's orders, which had been based on communications Alisa had intercepted.
"Saunders wins the match!" the announcer said.
"I'm sorry, commander," Yukino, who was commanding the flag tank, said. "They were waiting for us; I think it was the group of four first-years and a third-year in the Firefly."
Kazue let off a sigh. Just how many skilled first-years were there? She was glad that she was not in the same age group as the third-years, with well-known tankers like Maho, Hiroe, Kay and Mihoko, but the realization that there were many strong up-and-coming first-years whom she could not defeat was both sobering and humbling.
Perhaps she had been thinking about it incorrectly all along, seeing faults everywhere in Joghurt but herself. Perhaps rather than try to live up to her grandmother's example, she should focus on doing her best for her teammates. These lessons were difficult pills to swallow, but if she learned them, she would go farther than most would expect of her, if not as far as she had originally hoped.
Present day
"So you didn't know that Saunders was using radio interception, Nanpo-san?" Saki said.
Kazue shook her head.
"I had my suspicions but didn't know for certain," Kazue said. "As far as I know, it was a closely guarded secret."
Nodoka nodded in agreement.
"Apparently, no one in Saunders except Alisa-san and her crew did," Nodoka said. "Sagimori Arata, a friend of mine and the commander of the tank that shot your flag tank, told me that she only saw the radio interception balloon midway through the match, after Miho-senpai stumbled upon it by accident."
"Even if that was a stroke of luck, your ability to turn that against them is quite something," Kazue said. "It's quite possibly a tactic that only those without much experience in tankery would think of."
"Even so, the match against Saunders was a difficult one for us," Nodoka said. "Some of Arata's crew were personal friends of mine, who are skilled and determined, which gives me some idea of their performance. Their commander that year was laid-back, but nevertheless quite capable of winning."
"Ah, yes, that certainly sounds characteristic of Kay-san," Kazue said. "Perhaps it's partly because she doesn't struggle as desperately for victory that she's more easily able to keep a cool had and achieve it. Perhaps, when all was said and done, she had the right of it, and was better off than I was, even knowing that her final chance to win the tournament was gone."
"Most people never get anywhere close to winning the tournament in high school," Miho said. "Many of them simply accept the fact that other schools have better tankers, equipment and overall performance than they do, often as a result of going up against and losing to those schools. When I faced Joghurt in my first year of high school, while I was still vice-captain of Black Forest, they had this in mind. For them, it was unfortunate that they got Black Forest in the first round, but they struggled to win, even in spite of how slim the probability of respect was."
Kazue nodded. She had started to understand this concept, but while she was no longer blind to it, she was not resigned to being on a second-rate tankery team, either.
"While I became painfully aware of the limitations of the school on that day, I, too, decided not to give up," Kazue said. "And after my loss, I decided to take my grandmother's advice after the match to heart, knowing that I had much to learn, and a great deal of untapped potential at Joghurt.
"That's good to hear," Miho said. "We at Oarai only succeeded by making the most of the people and the resources at our disposal."
"This year, we also got a new vice-captain, Maya Yukiko-san," Kazue said. "She previously did tankery at Saint Catherine Middle School, one of the few Catholic schoolships in Japan."
"I've never heard of that school before," Miho said, "much less seen it in the tournament."
"That's because it doesn't compete in the tournament, Nishizumi-san," Kazue said. "However small and humble Joghurt's team is, Saint Catherine's is even more so. They had six tanks and barely enough people to crew all of them. As such, they only went on exhibition matches against opponents of similar caliber. When larger schools deign to compete against them, they usually do so with teams consisting of their junior players, who may not be part of the regular team, so that Saint Catherine would stand a chance of winning, and the challenger's players might improve enough to become regulars."
Miho thought back to Erika's remark about how schools that were too weak to put up a good performance stayed out of the tournament. Kazue's previous arrogance had reminded Miho of Erika, but rather than becoming upset at that familiarity, Miho was glad that the Kazue who sat before her today seemed humbler and more content with her school.
"And yet, there are those who are simply happy to do tankery," Nodoka said. "The size of the team doesn't matter, nor does how successful they are, they simply enjoy tankery. I personally take tankery seriously, but I respect those with this perspective."
"Maya-san was one such person," Kazue said. "As such, you can most likely imagine how excited she was to join a school that was participating in the tournament, despite being well aware of our disadvantage."
Earlier this year
Shortly after Yukiko arrived at school, Kazue called her into her office. Yukiko's appearance back then was a far cry from the present. She had long hair, but the bangs were uneven and partly in her face. She wore glasses on her face,and a sky-blue sailor fuku.
"Thank you for coming, Maya-san," Kazue said. "I called you here because I need a volunteer to serve as vice-captain, and I believe you possess the qualities I need."
"I'm honestly glad that you're asking me, Commander," Yukiko said. "But I'm not sure what the scope of my duties will be exactly."
"You will mainly accompany me, assisting me with various duties," Kazue said. "You might help manage the team training schedule, observe practice matches and do other various tasks."
Kazue's answer came naturally, as she listed the duties Yukiko's predecessor had filled for her. Yukiko's answer came just as naturally,
"I've been doing odd jobs for much of middle school," Yukiko said. "Pretty much everyone goes to me when they need help with some of their errands. Some of my friends are concerned, but I reassure them that it's an opportunity to be useful, and proof that others value me."
"And... how do you feel about our school?" Kazue said. "It's not very likely that we'll win or even make it far in this tournament."
"It's still quite something to come this far, and do tankery on the national stage," Yukiko said. "But whether I'm doing tankery with my classmates at Saint Catherine or competing in the tournament here, I'm always glad to do it with my friends."
Kazue pondered her decision. Yukiko was still inexperienced, albeit significantly beyond most of Joghurt. But she had the personality she needed, and would likely go far in the future.
Present day
"Some schools differ in their use of a vice-captain, and what they believe the position means" Kazue said. "In some, the vice-captain might mainly serve as the leader of a division or as a possible substitute for the commander. In my case, however, Maya-san was my adjutant, helping me with my duties. But the most important thing was her humility and enthusiasm, which were quite refreshing."
Miho nodded. She valued those qualities, and believed that they were important for leaders in many ways. Some leaders won the obedience of their subordinates by being strong and determined enough to sway them, while Miho believed that being approachable, and not thinking herself better than others, she could gt them to relate to and trust her.
"Of course, it takes more than enthusiasm and hard work to make a good tankery team," Kazue said. "We also need someone to direct our efforts and teach us how to fight."
"So did we," Nodoka said. "Miho-senpai and I, along with some of the more experienced members, helped show the others how to use our tanks but Instructor Chouno oversaw some of our earlier practice matches and training."
"She ended up coming to ours as well, as you may have heard," Kazue said. "We requested the help of an instructor last year, and was able to have her assigned to us temporarily this year."
Miho nodded, remembering what she had discussed with the student council.
"But if I may ask, Nanpo-san, how did you feel about someone associated with the Nishizumi school?" Miho said. "I recall you saying that you had great faith in your grandmother's way of doing tankery, were reluctant to introduce outside influences, so to speak."
"Naturally, the events of last year broke me of that belief," Kazue said. "So did what Instructor Chouno had to teach me."
"How so?" Miho said.
"Instructor Chouno, as a teacher, saw what she had learned as a guideline more as a set of absolute and non-negotiable commandments," Kazue said. "Not everyone who studies under the Nishizumi school necessarily does things their way. Isn't that right, Nishizumi-san?"
"It is," Miho said. "Instructor Chouno is many things apart from a Nishizumi disciple; she's a JGSDF officer, a teacher of new tankery students and a fairly cheerful and fun-loving woman."
"Yes, and that is why she chose to teach us the way she did," Kazue said. "She recognizes what sort of background we have and what we're trying to accomplish, and so tailors her training to that."
Earlier this year
Kazue, in the Joghurt commander's office, spoke with Ami over the phone, hoping to finalize some details.
"Before we begin, I have a few questions I'd like to ask you so I can determine where the team stands now," Ami said. "How many of your team has experience in tankery?"
"A fair amount, Instructor," Kazue said. "We were eliminated somewhat easily against Saunders in the first round last year, though, so we are in need of improvement."
"I see," Ami said. "Perhaps you're better off than most of the schools I teach in that regard, although I can still help you. I believe I can begin with exercises to improve how well you work together as a team, and critique you on your performance in certain areas."
"That might be a good idea, Instructor," Kazue said. "Is it true that under your guidance, Oarai went from a team of newcomers to the champions?"
"I was only around for a short time," Ami said. "They had a talented commander and a vice-captain, but the team as a whole was quite committed and eager to learn."
"I see," Kazue said, somewhat disheartened. Perhaps this was proof that she was nowhere near Miho and Hisa's league. And while she had come to realize that she could not solely blame her teammates for her defeat, could she count on them the same way Miho could count on her teammates? Only time would tell, but Kazue had little hope of the answer being one she would like.
"I was also quite surprised Oarai managed to win," Ami continued. "Most of the schools I teach don't do all that well, and mainly call upon the services of an instructor to help train the students, ensuring that there are some knowledgeable students who can lead the team. The students who learn from me pass on their lessons to their juniors, and the team often gets stronger over time. It's thus our hope that a short-term assignment has long-term benefits."
"So I may not be around to see the full extent of how much my school benefits?" Kazue said.
"I wouldn't discount the possibility so easily, Nanpo-san," Ami said. "You're still only a second-year, and a great many surprises happened last year. Who knows where you will be in your third year?"
Kazue smiled and nodded. Hope for the future was always a good thing, and while what they were discussing might not be everything Joghurt needed to become a serious contender, it was a way for them to improve, and take small steps toward that goal.
"Perhaps I'll one day become a tanker as good as you were, Grandmother," Kazue thought. "Perhaps someday Joghurt will take the championship again."
Present day
"Per the instructor's advice, we had many practice matches and exercises among the team," Kazue said. "We eventually faced Anzio in an exhibition game."
"Ah, yes, that's why they weren't available," Nodoka said.
"We were looking for an opponent that would be a reasonable but not overwhelming challenge for us," Kazue said. "Fortuitously enough, Anzio was in the same boat as us, so to speak, hoping to improve themselves after an unfortunate previous loss."
A few weeks ago
As the few remaining Anzio tanks fled, hoping to elude their pursuers and strike back, Kazue realized that, for the first time in a long while, she was actually enjoying fighting another school, and she believed that it was not entirely due to the fact that she was winning.
Perhaps it was because there was less at stake. The reputations of the schools that were involved might be on the line, but because there were fewer people watching, the matches and their outcomes were less noteworthy, unless something especially shocking happened.
Kazue thus did not think of this match as part of the struggle to uphold the honor of her grandmother's style of tankery, but a means by which she could improve herself and improve her team. If she thought about it that way, then virtually any outcome was favorable to this end.
Kazue's tanks fired, and knocked out the remaining tanks, one by one.
"Joghurt wins the match!" the announcer said.
After the game, Carpaccio and Kazue faced each other, exchanging bows and shaking each other's hands.
"Thank you for the game," the commanders said.
"You put up a good fight, Carpaccio-san," Kazue said.
"As did you, Nanpo-san; it seems we have a great deal to work on," Carpaccio said. "As such, I appreciate your enabling us to find that out now, rather than in the first round of the tournament."
Carpaccio glanced at her watch to confirm whether she and the Joghurt girls had time for what would come next. The sun was starting to set, and after a long match, the players were undoubtedly getting hungry. The time seemed to be right for Anzio's true specialty.
"Would you like to have dinner with us?" Carpaccio said. "We've adopted a new tradition; after games, we throw a meal for our team, our opponents, and those who put on the game."
"Yes, please," Kazue said with a polite smile. "I've heard a great deal about Anzio's Italian style cooking."
"It's our school's pride and joy," Carpaccio said. "Duce Anchovy saw victory as something that the team shared, and while I believe that it's important to strive for that, it's not the only thing the school shares. From fighting tankery battles to cooking a meal, anything you do well with your comrades is a fulfilling process."
Kazue nodded in agreement, before turning back to her teammates to invite them to the meal.
For the first time, she saw Joghurt as something other than a school that was close to her grandmother, a school she could whip into shape, or a school with a team full of people who were holding her back. Joghurt was her school, and her home in a sense. She wanted to win for their sake, but also saw enjoying the process as much as possible as important as well.
Present day
"Our victory over Anzio was good for morale," Kazue said. "While we still are a long way from being a worthy contender for the championship, we had been able to win. And I also started to see my comrades in a new light. I was not fighting for my own personal pride, or my desires- which, despite being for the sake of my grandmother, were mine alone- but wanted to help them achieve victory."
Miho nodded, remembering when her school defeated Anzio. At the time, she had wondered whether Oarai would be able to get very far at all, even if she could not agree with Erika's dismissal of the team as worthless. But Oarai was her school, and she wanted to prove its worth, whether to the rivals who dismissed it or the MEXT officials who saw it as expendable.
"I'm glad that you did, Nanpo-san," Miho said. "One time, I went to Oarai to get away from tankery. But I met many good people there, and came to love the school. I'm glad our school can remain open, and has a tankery team to be proud of."
"Yes, and people are starting to take notice of it, Nishizumi-san, like I did when I happened to draw the team that triumphed against the one that defeated us easily last year," Kazue said. "I'm no longer arrogant or foolish enough to think that the odds are on our side."
"They never were on ours last year, Nanpo-san," Miho said. "All of our opponents outnumbered us, and most of their tanks were better than ours. The same still largely applies this year."
"Perhaps so," Kazue said, "but I doubt that it applies with our school. If you won against so many strong opponents last year, what does that say about our chances of victory?"
Miho, Saki and Nodoka remained silent, unsure of how to respond to Kazue's point, before Miho broke the silence.
"I'd say that it means that anything is possible, Nanpo-san," Miho said. "I have some idea of Joghurt's combat capabilities, but don't think you should think of yourself as weaker than us, or believe that victory is unattainable."
"Fair enough," Kazue said. "Still, this is a valuable opportunity. I hope to see first-hand how you fight, Nishizumi-san, and learn lessons that I can use to fight stronger opponents in the future. The road to building a strong team takes time, and both of our schools have a great deal of room for improvement."
Nodoka, Saki and Miho nodded in agreement. Despite winning the tournament, they still had accomplishments they had yet to make, and despite defeating the strongest tankery team on the high school level in Japan, there were many more opponents out there. Those prospects were challenging, but also exciting and worth facing.
The meeting soon adjourned, as both parties had run out of things to say.
"Thank you for coming, Nanpo-san," Miho said. "I feel like I learned a lot from hearing your account."
"As did I, Nishizumi-san," Kazue said. "I wish you the best of luck in the coming match, and in the future."
As Kazue walked away, she realized that in the coming match, one of their hopes at winning the tournament would be dashed, most likely Joghurt's. But regardless of what happened, both schools would continue onward next year, hoping to strengthen their teams for the future. Perhaps Joghurt had a longer way to go than Oarai did, but she vowed to ensure that it became a worthy contender in the tournament someday. Perhaps she would no longer be at the school when that day came, but she hoped it would come for the sake of future generations of Joghurt students, and for the sake of her school. She was not yet up to her grandmother's level, but this was something she could do as she was at this moment, for the sake of the school and those who looked to her for leadership.
Author's Note
Kazue probably has the greatest role expansion in the sequel, apart from those who debuted in this installment. I chose her because of her potential for character development seemed to be the greatest, particularly since she was hit the hardest by those who were defeated in the first round and who can try again this year. There's a great deal that has not yet been told about her story, from the distant past to the events leading up to her defeat, to what happened afterward, and characters with such untold stories tend to make good Interlude material.
On a side note, I have to wonder whether the advent of the school ship would lead to different family dynamics, with grown-ups possibly living apart from their parents, having done so from middle school until their graduation (although there are families like the Akiyamas that live on the school ship, since it's a community in and of itself, and some of the adult residents have families). It's interesting to consider the societal ramifications of the school ship.
Character Analysis: Kazue Nanpo
Kazue makes a brief appearance in Saki, as a formidable challenger in the Individuals. Frustrated by being in a weak school, (which her grandfather- the character on whom her grandmother is based- blames himself for), she seeks to prove herself and the strength of her grandfather's style in the individuals without any weak teammates to hold her back. She's meant to serve as a strong opponent who only enters the individuals (contrast Achiga, which refuses to enter the individuals because they want to compete together), and is one of the strongest opponents, but doesn't advance to the nationals; only Mihoko, Nodoka and Saki do.
Did you read all that? Good, because now you essentially should forget it. First, tankery being a purely team sport means that Kazue will have to put up with her teammates even if she considers them beneath her. Second, her defeat is a severe blow to her pride, and forces her to recognize that she's not so infallible after all. So now Kazue stands before Miho a much humbler individual. She knows she's at a disadvantage, but is prepared to go down fighting, and possibly learn from it. It doesn't hurt that one way or another, one of her most dangerous rivals will be graduating at the end of the year.