Chapter 9: A Test Of Ideology And Experience
The day of Oarai's first tournament match came. Their school ship pulled into port, they disembarked from the ship with their tanks, and headed toward their designated staging area.
The routine had become standard fare by this point, as they were no longer the amateurs that they had been at this point the previous year. Their opponents had taken note of this as well, and Oarai would no longer be able to take advantage of small vulnerabilities in their strategies, created due to laxness under the assumption that rank amateurs would never be able to out-think them.
While many of those opponents had previously never given Oarai a second thought, some of them had come to watch, and even root for, Oarai. Arata and her friends from Saunders had come to cheer on Nodoka. Kei was watching the school that had recently defeated hers. Mihoko and Hisa were once again watching, along with many other recent graduates. Carpaccio eagerly watched both schools, one of which was her old friend's school, and both of which had defeated her.
Oarai had come a long way, from an underdog school to a champion. The expectations had risen, but they had no intention of disappointing those who were watching; friends, family, people from their school and town, and even their former opponents.
At Oarai's staging area at the side of the arena, Teru approached as Oarai finished their preparations. Her younger sister, standing near the Tas along with Miho, spotted her and waved to her as she approached.
"Hi, Onee-chan," Saki said. "I'm glad you came to watch us today."
"Hi, Saki," Teru said. "I decided to come by to wish you and the others luck against Joghurt today." She then turned to Miho and Saro. "Miho, Maho wanted to do the same for you; she'd come if not for her match today. The same goes for Sumire, who'd wanted to see her cousin."
Miho and Saro nodded.
"I know, Teru-san," Miho said. "My sister and I discussed it when we talked on the phone earlier."
"But, Teru-san, isn't it the same as yo..." Nodoka began, but then came to a realization. "Oh..." Nodoka had gotten to know Teru well enough to realize that she was going to university alongside Teru and Maho, but was not privy to all the intimate details of her life.
"Well, taking a hiatus from tankery does have its advantages," Teru said. "It does mean that I get to watch Saki's matches without having to worry about them conflicting with practice or my own matches."
Miho nodded. Her original plan after coming to Oarai was to continue keeping up with her sister's exploits in tankery at Black Forest so that she could support her sister, even if she was no longer fighting alongside her. Back then, Miho had never imagined that she would get involved in tankery at her school, much less defeat her sister and her old school.
"I believe coming to Oarai was the right decision," Miho said, "but even so, I regret having to part ways with my sister. Of course, with the year between us, we are sometimes separated, such as three years ago, when my sister was starting high school. It's unfortunate that the school ship system not only separates children from their parents, but siblings from each other."
Teru solemnly nodded, as she wondered whether her graduating and moving on to university without reconciling with Saki would have rendered their relationship virtually irreparable.
"Yes indeed, Miho," Teru said. "While Saki and I have been talking more, I don't see quite as much of her as I would like to, for the sake of reconnecting with her."
Saki shook her head, simply thankful for being able to talk with her sister. For three long years, this much had seemed to be little more than a memory, so she felt the utmost gratitude for being able to have even the awkward initial conversations she and her sister had as they began the process of reconciliation.
"In any case, Teru-san," Saro said, her expression stoic, "we can only do what we can do. I'm sure Sumire has similar things on her mind, but she's determined to win for her team today, just like I am."
Elsewhere, Maho was at the opening ceremonies for her match, her first in the Japanese university tournament. This match was of greater interest for her mother, not only because Maho fought for the Nishizumi school, but because her opponent this time was one of the Nishizumi school's rivals.
Kumano Mahiru, the eldest daughter of the head instructor of the Kumano school, stepped forward, a girl with shoulder-length raven hair who was dressed in an olive uniform similar to Chihatan's. Her school, Momotaro University, was Japanese-themed, but was significantly stronger for its level than Chihatan. Most of the members of the tankery team had significant experience at the university.
"It's a pleasure to finally meet you, Nishizumi-san," Mahiru said.
"The pleasure is mine, Kumano-san," Maho said, offering her hand. After a moment of hesitation, Mahiru took it and shook it.
"So you managed to become head of the team in your first year," Mahiru said. "The Nishizumi name certainly commands a lot of respect, even in light of... recent events. Your becoming commander in your first year is all the proof that is needed."
Despite, or rather, because of her knowledge of the hidden meaning behind Mahiru's words, Maho refused to take the bait.
"I have my responsibilities for my school- both Rhineland University and the Nishizumi school," Maho said. "As always, I do what I do in order to live up to my expectations and fulfill them."
Mahiru gave off a soft snort that was almost inaudible. She wondered if Maho had hoped to impress her by saying what she did, and found that idea ridiculous.
"So have I," she said. "I look forward to seeing which of us is more worthy of that trust, Nishizumi-san."
As she walked back to her tank, Maho let off a soft sigh. There were many things she would rather do than deal with someone like Mahiru, especially on this particular day, when Miho was competing alongside her team once again.
While she hoped to be at Miho's match, she also knew that while there were valid excuses for commanders not being able to lead their teams on the day of a match- recovering from illness or injury, family emergencies, and others- watching one's younger sister competing was not one of them. Miho had an obligation to be there for her team, and the same went for Maho.
As much as she cared for Miho, Maho had duties and responsibilities of her own, which often forced her to be somewhat distant from her; after Miho left Black Forest, the required distance also became physical. Now that Black Forest had lost two years in a row, she would have to redouble her efforts as Nishizumi heiress so that her mother would continue to see her as worthy of the responsibility.
But in the end, she knew what she wanted and how she would go about achieving it. Maho was unable to go to Miho's match, but she could win her match and live up to her responsibilities as the Nishizumi heiress so that Miho could continue to do tankery her own way. Victory was what she owed her comrades on the team, even if she considered few besides Sumire friends. It was also what she needed to prove that her loss against Oarai was neither a fluke nor proof of her incompetence, but the natural outcome, brought about by Miho's skill and Oarai's strength.
It was clear what Maho needed to do in this match, as it was when she set out to be Nishizumi heiress in Miho's stead. In both cases, the only question that remained was whether Miho would do what she needed to do, but Maho believed in her sister, and was confident that Miho would be able to prevail yet again.
"You've proven throughout the last year that you can stand on your own in tankery, Miho," Maho thought. "I hope my promise to watch your match later is good enough this time."
In the stands, Shiho was attending Maho's match, wanting to see how Maho would do at the university level. Going up to a new level of schooling meant facing more difficult opponents, and Shiho was particularly invested in seeing how Maho would do against them, for the sake of offsetting Maho's losses two years in a row. Shiho believed that while Maho's defeat in her second year could be blamed on Miho, she would need to redouble her efforts to save face after losing to a no-name school in her third. The fact that the scion of an opposing tankery school was leading Maho's' opponents this time was all the more reason for Shiho to desire Maho's victory.
But while Shiho was interested in the outcome of Miho's match, she did not have anything invested in it. Miho had made it clear that she could not follow Shiho's way of tankery or devote herself to victory the same way most Nishizumis did, and while Shiho had pondered disowning her to disassociate herself from Miho, she realized that it was not a solution, and that Miho would continue to do tankery her own way. The damage had been done, as most people saw that her daughter had chosen not to follow her family's style of tankery, but it was not as severe as Shiho feared, nor would disowning Miho have the effect Shiho hoped it would have. Those who kept up on tankery's developments were talking about Miho as an individual, not as Shiho's daughter, and so did not judge her by her family's standards.
Shiho, too, had followed suit, once she had realized that perhaps Miho''s deviance from the family style was not as harmful to it as she had once believed, even if Shiho's belief in the Nishizumi style remained largely the same. She hoped to see how Miho would do with her own style of she also believed that Miho would not lose at such a juncture, after defeating Black Forest the previous year.
"You still can't fully understand what it means to devote your life to something, putting it ahead of everything else and paying whatever costs are necessary, Miho," Shiho thought. "But while your sister's match requires my attention today, I'm interested in seeing how long you'll be able to keep winning."
In the stands, Ami looked around, trying to find a seat, and saw Aiko, who stood up to greet her. The two women were friends and fellow officers of the JGSDF, and, seeing each other in their dress uniforms, realized that it would be most appropriate to treat each other as the latter role. The two made conscious efforts to keep their professional and private lives separate, which included behavior that was appropriate for each role.
"Hello, Instructor Chouno," Aiko said, greeting Ami with a salute.
"It's good to see you here, Instructor Takahashi," Ami said, returning the salute. "Did you come here to see your team participate?"
"I did," Aiko said, as she motioned for Ami to sit down, and Ami sat down next to her. "I imagine it must be somewhat complicated for you, seeing teams that you've taught before fight against one another."
"That's how it is," Ami said stoically. "And that's not even getting into how we might feel if one of the schools that we served as a teacher goes up against the ones in which we were students."
"I see," Aiko said, realizing that Oarai could potentially face her alma mater, as well as the school that her teacher's daughter was attending.
"Still," Ami said, "if Joghurt does better this year, then perhaps they've learned something from me, and I've done my job. And if Oarai- particularly the newer members- continues to improve, you've also done yours."
"That's true," Aiko said. "These two schools have a great deal to prove, so it's unfortunate that only one will have the chance to advance in the tournament and continue proving itself."
Ami solemnly nodded. The Nishizumi school had taught her everything she needed to win, but her time teaching others had taught her about the gains that could be made in even a losing season. Perhaps only one school would achieve success according to the Nishizumi standard, but she hoped that Oarai and Joghurt, both of which were her students, came away from the match stronger than before.
Elsewhere in the stands, Satoha and Emi sat down to watch the match, promising to report back to the others later about how the school that advanced to the quarterfinals fared.
"So how do you think Oarai will do this time, Satoha?" Emi said.
"I don't see any reason why Oarai can't win," Satoha said. "Joghurt lost to Saunders last year, and they lost to Black Forest two years ago, both of which Oarai was able to defeat."
"They lost to Black Forest two years ago..." Emi said thoughtfully. "In other words, while Miho was still there. They got a new commander last year, but they're still fundamentally the same school, even if Miho has a very different team now."
"Perhaps the main challenge for Nishizumi-san will be dealing with them differently than she did at Black Forest," Satoha said. "After all, when you wield a dagger, it requires a starkly different fighting style from wielding a greatsword."
Emi couldn't help but chuckle at Satoha once again referencing her interest in swords, as well as the implication that Black Forest was powerful yet unwieldy.
"Well, that won't be a problem," Emi said. "Miho really does her best thinking when she thinks for herself, rather than conforming to someone else's school of thought. That much was true while we were little kids, and it's true today."
Satoha nodded. She had various teachers and role models from her years doing tankery in Germany and Japan, but did not think of herself as fighting in any person or organization's name, save that of the school she was attending at the moment. Perhaps Miho, who had come to find her own way of tankery, would be at an advantage on that regard, although Satoha was hesitant to count Kazue out, since it was equally possible that she had come to a similar realization.
Elsewhere in the stands, some adults, whose children were members of Anglerfish Team, had met by chance and sat together. Isuzu Yuri, Hana's mother and the head of the Isuzu school for flower arranging, wore a blue kimono, and was accompanied by her servant, Shinzaburou. Reizei Hisako, Mako's grandmother, was an elderly woman who wore a green kimono. Yukari's parents, Akiyama Jungorou and Akiyama Yoshiko, a man with short dark hair and a faint mustache, and a woman with short brown hair, wore the dress shirts, slacks and aprons they wore to work at their hairdresser salon on board the Oarai school ship.
"So, it would seem that apart from the Takebes, who told me that they couldn't make it this time, and the Nishizumis, all of Anglerfish Team's families are here," Hisako said after introductions were finished.
"Yes, ma'am," Yuri said. "It is an honor to meet all of you."
"You're certainly well-mannered, just like your daughter," Hisako said. "My granddaughter could learn a few lessons in etiquette from you."
"Perhaps either of those girls could teach us some things about tankery," Jungorou said. "Yukari's been crazy about tanks since she was little, and in spite of that, I don't quite understand what the big deal is about it."
"Neither do I, dear, and I attended Oarai when its tank program was about to shut down," Yoshiko said. "If I recall correctly, so did the elder Isuzu-san."
"That is true," Yuri said. "But I do believe that all three of you are above me in one regard. Despite your ignorance about tankery, you have never tried to judge it, or prevent your daughter from doing it. I was repulsed from tankery because of the smell of the oil and iron, the barbarism of fighting in a mass-produced war machine and that it was a perversion of established martial arts. This irrational hatred formed a rift between my daughter and I, and I would have never realized that tankery actually was beneficial to her flower arrangement if she had not reached out to me to show me herself."
"And now?" Hisako said.
"Now, Hana-san will, ideally, be doing tankery for her own sake," Yuri said, "just as she is once again passionate about flower arranging. She should do it well, for the sake of her teammates, but should also be doing it because she enjoys it."
"Enjoying tankery certainly isn't a problem for Yukari," Yoshiko said. "She's always passionate and serious about anything that she chooses to do for herself, especially tankery."
"Mako's not entirely different, as shiftless as she can be sometimes," Hisako said. "It's a bit like when she ate broccoli for the first time as a child; once my daughter-in-law got her to do it, Mako actually liked it. Now it's time to see how Mako does without being motivated by tardiness passes or determined to save her school."
As the commanders met each other at the base of a small hill, Kazue and Miho saw each other again. They had come to understand a great deal about each other in their recent meeting, particularly their reason for wanting to win, and were prepared to do what was necessary to prevail. With that understanding in mind, they reached an unspoken agreement to keep things relatively brief, save for introducing Kazue's vice-captain to Oarai.
"It's good to see you again, Nishizumi-san, Haramura-san," Kazue said. "I'd like to officially introduce Maya Yukiko-san, my vice captain, whom I told you about earlier. Maya-san, these are Nishizumi Miho-san and Haramura Nodoka-san, commander and vice-captain of Oarai."
Kazue gestured to Yukiko, who had changed greatly in the past year, as a result of a makeover that her friends, crewmates and senpais had given her. Her hair remained long, but her bangs had been cut and the rest was more neatly combed, and she had changed her glasses for contact lenses. She wore the same Joghurt tanker uniform as everyone else- the same as the school uniform, but with a gray panzer jacket instead of the blazer, and a black necktie instead of the ribbon- but her friends said they were in the process of customizing a uniform for her.
"It's nice to meet you," Yukiko said.
"Likewise," Miho said. "I hope we both do well in this match today."
"But love ye your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again; and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the children of the Highest: for he is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil," Yukiko said. Her time at her middle school involved a great deal of Bible study, and she developed a knack for quoting Bible passages from memory.
"Ah, a Bible verse," Miho said. "Matthew 5:44, I believe. I think I get what you're saying."
"Yes, and I agree with the sentiments expressed in it," Kazue said. "I do not see my opponents as enemies, but rivals who strive for the same goal, hoping that the best woman will win."
"The same can be said for us," Nodoka said. "That's why, however this ends, both of us will do our best."
Kazue nodded. She had come to realize that there was no point in winning against an opponent who was not truly trying, and no shame in losing to a worthy opponent in spite of one's best efforts. In spite of that, she did not believe winning against Oarai was outside the realm of possibility, so as long as her flag tank was still on the field, all her efforts would be dedicated toward bringing down Oarai's flag tank.
Before the match, Oarai's teams went over their assignments and the plan for the match one last time. For Anteater Team, their role was more important and difficult than most, and in spite of their inexperience, they understood its significance. They were the flag tank, the focus of all the other team's efforts, and once they were taken out of the game, the match would end in victory for the other team.
"So we're the flag tank this time," Nekota said, audibly nervous as her quiet voice quavered.
"Is that a problem?" Shiina said. "We will need to stay out of trouble, but at the same time, our teammates will be protecting us and trying to flush out our counterpart among the enemy."
"Well, we got taken out almost immediately in the finals last year," Nekota said. "We were also eliminated in most of our practice matches, and against BC Freedom. We're obviously going to have to do better here than in the past, lest our defeat spell doom for the entire team's efforts in the tournament."
"I know," Momogawa said. "Still, some of my classmates from Rabbit Team mentioned that they were also defeated without putting up much of a fight in their first practice match, and abandoned their tank when BC Freedom attacked with 10 tanks, rather than 15 they had this year. But when the time came for them to serve as flag tank, they survived the first match of the tournament, when doing so was crucial for our success."
Shiina nodded in agreement.
"Yeah, so if some of us are newcomers or subpar tankers, we'll also have to rise to the occasion, like the veterans of the team did," Shiina said. "Cheer up, Nekota; our task may not necessarily be easy, but there's no reason to believe it's not doable."
"No, there isn't," Nekota said. "I wonder if Joghurt's having the same problem."
Among the assembled Joghurt tankers, Yukiko's group discussed being the flag tank as they stood near their tank, a Pz 38(t).
"We're the flag tank in our first official match?" Yukiko said. "That's a bit of a surprise."
"That happens sometimes," Sawaya said. "I was among the flag tank's crew in my first year, too. There's a lot of pressure, but someone has to do it, so I don't mind."
"I agree," Yukiko said. "There are those who see it as an unenviable responsibility, but I strive to fulfill my responsibilities to the best of my ability."
Sawaya could not help but smile. Yukiko was taking to her responsibilities more easily than many of the previous vice-captains had, which boded well for Joghurt.
"The commander once believed most of us lacked the ambition and the competitive drive necessary to win," Sawaya said. "But I'm always willing to go all out and do whatever I must for the sake of the team. Let's put in an effort that makes her confident in us"
As the battle began, Oarai's forces were situated in a flat plain at the base of the hills, with a river, spanned by a few bridges, some distance away, near a valley.
Oarai advanced, keeping an eye out for the enemy. In Miho's experience, Joghurt tended to do reconnaissance early on in the match, hoping to discern the enemy's position without being found, before launching a carefully executed strike on the flag tank. Of course, said tactic had failed against Black Forest, resulting in the enemy flag tank retreating and being picked off. Furthermore, Kazue had come to Joghurt after Miho had left Black Forest, so Miho could not afford to make any assumptions about when and how Joghurt would attack.
Half of Oarai's forces, consisting of Mallard Team, Anglerfish Team, Turtle Team, Rabbit Team and Leopon Team, encountered what appeared to be a small Joghurt scouting division, looking for a vantage point from which to attack Oarai. They did indeed find Oarai, but only after Miho's division had emerged from the woods near the hill.
The tank that was the vanguard, the S-II variant of the Stradisvagn M/41, tried to cross the hill, but Anglerfish Team shot it from below, and the Joghurt tank threw up the white flag. Others emerged from behind.
"It looks like most of Joghurt's tanks are here," Yukari said.
"For now, stand your ground," Miho said. "We should be able to pick them off."
As the Joghurt tanks unleashed a salvo of gunfire, Hippo Team was the first to fall against the Joghurt assault, with a TACAM 60 firing from on high and landing a hit on top of the tank, charring the tank near where the white flag came out.
"Already?" Erwin said, her reflexive shock at her sudden defeat overpowering any ability she had to make a historical reference. She could not help but think of how many unsuspecting soldiers in historical wars had been picked off by snipers, blown away by artillery shells or cannon fire, or silently dispatched by a hidden enemy with a knife, with even less warning than she and her team had.
But Oarai had come a long way since its early matches, and knew how to respond to an enemy bombardment. Their tanks returned fire with another salvo that was almost in unison, with Anglerfish Team striking Hippo Team's attacker in the side with a devastating blast that forced it to raise the white flag. A well-placed shot by Turtle Team knocked out one of the Joghurt tanks, a Pz 38(t) as it crested the hill, halting the Pz 38(t)'s turret as it tried to target the Hetzer.
Another Joghurt Pz 38(t) pulled up close to Leopon Team's side, and fired quickly, at point blank range, with the barrel of the gun almost touching the Porsche Tiger. The shot struck a sensitive spot and caused the engine to overheat, disabling the tank just as surely as a strong hit would. Black smoke started rising from the engine along with the gray smoke from the blast, as the white flag rose.
As the sound of the white flag precluded any attempts to work on the engine, the junior members of the auto club sighed. Since the practice match, they had slowly, but surely, started to come to terms with the fact that they were in the team for the long haul. This was not a level of performance they could be satisfied with, but it was likely the best they could deliver until they were able to master their tank.
"Nobody said this would be easy, girls," Tsuchiya thought. "But we will get it eventually; we have to."
The enemy Pz 38(t)'s efforts had succeeded in removing Leopon Team from the game, but it had also left it vulnerable as Rabbit Team approached from its side. Noticing the enemy closing in, the Joghurt crew hastily tried to begin evasive maneuvers.
Aya and Ayumi fired both the M3 Lee's guns, and took out the Pz 38(t) with two shots to the right side while it was reloading and aiming.
"Nice shot, girls," Azusa said.
"We did it!" Aya said. "We took out the same tank that the old student council used!"
"Good observation, Aya-chan," Ayumi said. "I didn't think any other schools fielded tanks like ours."
"Still, we should be careful," Azusa said. "They know their limitations, and will do what they can to try to surpass them."
"Yeah, and they're certainly better shots than Kawashima-senpai was," Yuuki said with an amused grin.
A Stridsvagn L-60, taking aim at Anglerfish Team from some distance away, fired and scored a glancing blow with its weak main gun, but it failed to penetrate the tank's armor, and the Panzer IV advanced toward the shooter, undeterred.
As Anglerfish Team emerged from the smoke and closed in on their enemy, Hana's counterattack was swift and decisive; she'd taken aim as they fired, and pulled the trigger just as they finished reloading. Her shell struck the turret, the explosion blowing apart the enemy's gun barrel and causing the white flag to raise.
Kazue's tank, a TACAM R-2, slipped away from the melee, hoping to rejoin her comrades before the group of Oarai tanks that had defeated her could catch up. She was not willing to write off the entire match as hopeless, but knew that if she stayed, she would accomplish nothing other than getting herself taken out of the game.
"Grandmother once told me that refusing to retreat from a losing battle is not a courageous act," Kazue thought, "since those who do so are scared of showing weakness, admitting that they're wrong or giving up. But while this engagement may be hopeless, this battle hasn't become impossible to win just yet."
Kazue, looking around at her crew, and seeing resolve in their faces as they silently did their duties, got the radio operator to get a secure line to Yukiko's' tank.
"This is the commander," Kazue said. "My division has taken severe losses engaging an Oarai division. The flag tank is not among them. I will be meeting up with you."
"Understood, commander," Yukiko said. "I think I see the rest of the Oarai forces near our position, including the Chi-nu. Meet up with us, and you can take them out"
Kazue nodded. She knew that she could not yet live up to her grandmother's achievements, or do everything the same way she did, but she could follow her example. Kazue believed that her grandmother would never give up or stop trying to find a way to win, even if said way was not one she had done before, and so chose to do the same as long as she could fight for her school.
Black Forest's commander and vice-captains watched, having come to see Oarai for the first previous year, Erika had dismissed Oarai as an unworthy opponent, and only came to watch its matches because her commander had asked her and her former fellow vice-captain, Teru, to accompany her. Now, Oarai had Erika's attention, and when she asked her vice captains- Akeboshi Koume, who was commander of the tank Miho had saved in the previous year, and Morita Kuroko, commander of a Jagdpanther- to come, they had eagerly accepted.
"Joghurt's putting up quite a fight," Kuroko said. "This isn't as one-sided as it was in our first year."
"But Miho-san has things well in hand, as always," Koume said. "Even when things seem desperate or dangerous, she's always thinking of how to find a solution."
Erika nodded, having come to tolerate Koume and Kuroko's support for Miho so long as they continued to prove themselves assets to Black Forest, which would include fighting against Miho when the time came. While Miho knew many of the team at Black Forest, none of them, not even Maho, who had the most misgivings about being tasked with defeating Miho's unique style in the Nishizumi school's name, had shied away from facing her in tank combat.
"Well, Joghurt's hardly a strong contender," Erika said. "I'd certainly hope that Oarai wouldn't lose to them after everything they accomplished and everyone else they defeated."
"That may be true, Commander," Koume said, "but is it wise or fair to dismiss other contenders so easily?"
"Respect is earned, not given," Erika said. "Oarai has won the tournament, albeit only once, but Joghurt has not managed anything close to that in any of our lifetimes."
Koume nodded. She recalled that Erika had once been skeptical that someone like Miho could become vice-captain in her first year. That skepticism faded over time, until the incident in the finals and Miho's departure from Black Forest, although Miho had proven herself once again. That was the most Koume could hope for as far as Erika's perception of Miho went.
"There was a time when I believed that Oarai would be shown its place," Erika thought. "But now, I hope Oarai will never lose to any school except mine."
Some distance away, Teru watched the match unfold with her mother, separate from Erika's group, while her father was watching it on TV. Teru, chancing upon Erika, had said hello to her, but had not asked to sit with her. Part of the reason was that she had come with her mother, and part was that while she and Erika had gotten along, as Erika had shown her more respect than she showed to most people, they were little more than colleagues.
Teru had come to watch and support Saki, but a part of her wondered whether that was really reason enough for her to watch tankery. The one thing that had been most fulfilling about tankery, her reason for her to oppose her father and live up to her mother's expectations, was her ability to do it with Saki and Mizuho, her biological and adoptive sisters. Then Mizuho had died in a tragic accident, and Teru had pressed on in hopes of working through her pain, while closing her heart off from Saki, whom she believed had not only contributed to Mizuho's death, but had forgotten about her as well.
Over the course of the last year, Teru realized she was wrong about many things, and was shaken to her core. The process of reconciling with Saki was a lengthy one, but it was one of the easier parts. She had also begun to wonder why she did tankery, since both of her reasons for doing it until now were gone.
Saki had returned, even once her goal of getting through to her sister had been accomplished, finding enjoyment in tankery that she had rarely found in the years leading up to Mizuho's death. But could Teru, who had always done tankery with a driving purpose in mind, do the same? Perhaps if she continued watching Saki continue on in tankery, she would find the answer.
Kazue sped forward in her R-2, filled with a sense of purpose. She disliked thinking of her decisions as being in vain, and this applied to her decision to apply to Joghurt, even when she felt the most doubtful about the tankery team.
"Stop that tank!" Mutsuki said, and her crew quickly moved to comply, each understanding what they needed to do.
Muro quickly moved to intercept the R-2's path, obstructing its line of fire, while Momo aimed for the tank that was coming straight for them. As Anko quickly slid the shell into place, not a moment too soon, Momo fired the gun at the TACAM as it reached point-blank range and fired at the tank in its path.
The two shells struck the opposing tanks at the same time, causing two large explosions, and a thick cloud of smoke that briefly obscured the white flags.
Seizing upon the opportunity that their commander had created, a CKD AH-IV surged forward, aiming for Anteater Team.
Kazue smiled. She had not granted the order, but the crew of that tank knew what had to be done, and was instinctively working towards victory. Unfortunately for Kazue, the same went for Anteater Team.
"Enemy incoming from the left!" Shiina said.
"Take her down!" Nekota said.
Shiina quickly fired the Chi-Nu's main gun and scored a devastating direct hit on the front of the enemy tank, stopping the CKD AH-IV in its tracks before it could fire, and causing it to throw up the white flag.
As her desperate assault on the flag tank was thwarted Kazue let off a sigh. While she knew that what would happen likely would happen, that did not mean she had to like it. She knew what she was up against, but hoped that the match could have gone better.
In this battle, Oarai's first against an opponent that had the same number of tanks as they did, Oarai had seized the upper hand early on, and continued riding the momentum, enabling their advantage to snowball even as Joghurt fought back fiercely.
Still, the battle was not over yet, and perhaps she could see what her subordinates were capable of on their own. Oarai had defeated stronger opponents in worse odds, so victory was by no means an impossibility for Joghurt.
On the side of the arena, the two JGSDF instructors watched the recent developments, as Joghurt's best- and possibly last- hope of winning faded.
"At this point, things are all but over," Ami said. "If this were a real military operation, Maya-san's best course of action would be to retreat or surrender, lest her remaining troops be annihilated."
"That's hardly standard Nishizumi doctrine, Instructor Chouno," Aiko said.
Ami chuckled slightly. She and Aiko had come from very different tankery schools, but found they had a great deal in common through their experience in the JGSDF.
"I hear that a lot, Instructor Takahashi," Ami said. "I've found that adhering too rigidly to one ideology or set of tactics isn't practical for all situations... which is more or less what you taught me before my first high school teaching assignment. As such, I've been advising Nanpo-san to open her mind to new approaches and think outside the box, so to speak."
"How successful do you think you have been with that?" Aiko said. It was clear that the battle was not going well for Joghurt, but Aiko could not discern whether it was because Kazue had not heeded Ami's advice, or in spite of the fact that she had.
"Somewhat," Ami said. "Nanpo-san has improved substantially since I first met her, although, truth be told, Miho-san is a superior commander. If nothing else, though, Nanpo-san has started to understand her limitations, and the potential of her subordinates."
"Then, like you said, Instructor Chouno, you have done your job," Aiko said. "Now, all we have left is to see how Maya-san plays the hand she is dealt. She may yet be able to give Nishizumi-san an unpleasant surprise."
Inside the flag tank, the crew heard about the loss of Kazue's tank over the radio, and immediately realized the ramifications of it. Not only were they responsible for staying in the game, but they had to command the remainder of Joghurt's forces as well.
"The commander's out of the game," Yukiko said despairingly. "Our plan was a failure."
"You know what that means, Yuki," Yuan said. "You're in charge now."
Yukiko nodded. This had happened to her before in an exhibition match, and she had led the remainder of the team to victory. The part about reading the Bible she liked the most was stories of ordinary individuals who became destined for greatness, particularly a boy with a sling who slew a giant- with the names of both combatants becoming synonymous with an underdog defeating a champion- and 300 men causing 120,000 to slay each other.
Yukiko knew that the difference between Oarai and Joghurt was far less drastic than between David and Goliath, and they were able to face each other as fellow warriors with equal numbers, unlike Gideon and the Midianites. The situation was dismal, but it was not hopeless,
"And that was merely Plan A," Sawaya said. "I've seen quite a few defeats in our time; in those cases, things were significantly bleaker for much longer."
Yukiko had to wonder whether Sawaya was being overly optimistic, about the situation, or was less than accurate in describing her previous defeats, but realized there would be time for it after the match. At this moment, her job was to lead Joghurt, whether to victory or to go down fighting.
"All remaining tanks, head toward the bridge at point A0063," Yukiko said. "We'll set up an ambush and make our stand against Oarai there. Victory is not beyond our reach just yet."
Yuan nodded and smiled. By all accounts, Yukiko had always been a girl who could not say no to others, but at this moment, she was starting to sound like a leader. What she was saying was a last, desperate plan for victory that had a small chance of working, but the troops looked to her for guidance, and believed that she had the potential to make this plan work.
"Yes, ma'am," Yuan said, as she complied with her orders.
As Miho's division met up with the flag tank's division, Joghurt's three remaining tanks had already escaped the scene, and were heading along a winding dirt path toward the bridge. The enemy was putting their full efforts into evading the shots fired against them, and any counterattacks they made seemed to be afterthoughts, at best, as the shots fell far short of the intended targets, or landed off to the side.
Joghurt stood virtually no chance of effectively hitting any of Miho's tanks this way. In spite of that, Miho knew that there was more to this tactic than desperately flailing around in a vain hope of victory; Joghurt was planning something.
"Is something wrong, Miporin?" Saori said. "The enemy's almost done for."
"I suppose so," Miho said. "In spite of this, I can't help but wonder what they're planning to try next."
"At this point, running's all they can do," Mako said. "They only have those three tanks left, so they can't take us in a head-up fight."
"Still, they're likely to try something," Miho said. "We never gave up when faced with much stronger enemies, and neither will they. Perhaps they're planning some means of overcoming their disadvantage."
Anglerfish Team continued to pursue the three tanks, while Rabbit Team and Octopus Team accompanied Anteater Team for protection, and the others tried to head off the fleeing Joghurt tanks, in order to ensure that the final clash would be on Oarai's terms, rather than Joghurt's.
But while Miho suspected that they would eventually corner the flag tank, it was also coming into range of the Hetzer. Now might be a good time to end the match more quickly, and see what Turtle Team, which had taken up position atop a nearby hill, could do.
"Turtle Team, the flag tank is coming your way," Miho said. "Can you take it out from your location?"
"We can, Commander," Shizuru said, all the while preparing to aim.
"The shell's loaded, Shizuru," Ayano said. "It's all in your hands now."
Shizuru took aim and calmed herself. Perhaps she was new at tankery compared to the others. Perhaps her team had a long way to go before they could match Anzu's team at their peak. But they had a responsibility to the school, and it was up to them to fulfill it at this critical moment for the match.
"There was a time when I thought you were merely lazy, Kadotani-senpai," Shizuru thought, "but now I understand what motivated you to step up when things looked grim."
Shizuru pulled the trigger. The shot flew through the air, and struck the flag tank in a weak spot, causing an explosion that was both visible and audible from so far away. The tank shuddered to a halt as its occupants looked around, startled that their attackers had made a shot like that from so far away.
As the crew of the two accompanying tanks looked on in horror, the Joghurt flag tank's white flag raised.
"Oarai wins the match!" the announcer said.
Inside the tank, Yukiko sighed slightly, and stared at the direction of the attack contemplatively. Oarai had read the situation, prepared for her escape, and struck her with a shot that few would be capable of. To most, that would seem like an unlikely plan for success, but for Oarai, that flexibility and initiative had won them most of their battles thus far, and had won the day for them yet again.
"Nishizumi Miho-san, you did not disappoint," Yukiko thought.
Author's Notes
I'd like to thank Stalker117 and KMT4ever for beta reading this
I'd also like to thank Stalker 117 for some of the ideas behind Joghurt's tanks.
Most probably would have guessed that Oarai wouldn't be taken out in the first match. It's somewhat inevitable for stories like this, just like how Oarai wins the first match in Episode 6 out of 12 in canon, and similarly, if you happened upon this match when the rest of the story is published (it's probably a little over a third of the way through the story), it's easy to tell that it's not going to end here. In spite of that, I did what I could to have Joghurt give Oarai a challenge, in spite of the fact that they're not an especially strong school.
I also decided to resist a common temptation among sequels to have the first major enemy be more difficult than the final opponent last time, and believe that, in the tournament drawings, it's more likely for Oarai to get a relatively weak opponent off the bat. That, however, can be a good test for Oarai in and of itself, testing its ability to face an inferior opponent without getting overconfident or careless.
Yukiko's habit of quoting Bible verses is derived from something the Usuzan team does in canon. I wonder if Usuzan is a Catholic school, since it's implied to be at one point in the Saki manga.
Edited a few minor mistakes.