Chapter 25: On One's Own Terms

Black Forest approached where Pravda's forces were lying in wait. With relatively little cover available, the Pravda tanks fired once their Black Forest opponents approached the edge of their effective range. The shots fell short of their targets, but less so than most would have expected. A few of the Black Forest tank crews had to check to confirm that their tanks had not been struck.

Erika surveyed the five tanks waiting, including the flag tank, with a measure of suspicion. She realized that the fight had not gone out of Pravda just yet, and they were not simply going to leave the flag tank right there. The only question was: what was Pravda planning?

Too late, Erika realized, as two tanks on each side attacked, striking two of her tanks down almost instantly. The German tanks had powerful armor and devastating guns, but the former was still vulnerable to well-aimed shots from strong shells, and the latter was of no use if the tanks were take out before they could fire. The Nishizumi school thus trained its students well, so they could make the most use of what they were given, but it seemed to Erika as though the training of the crews of the two tanks that had been disabled had been inadequate.

Pravda's tanks continued shelling the enemy, firing with renewed vigor and determination at their taste of success. The shots came more quickly, and fell closer to their intended targets, often where they needed to land in order to disable the tanks.

More Black Forest tanks fell to their onslaught as their leader failed to direct them. Black Forest's formation was no longer invincible, and was falling apart as it collided with Pravda's tanks.

The Pravda forces were reinvigorated by the losses they had inflicted on the enemy, and pushed on, once again advancing forward and firing. In the stands, Black Forest's fans cheered, while Pravda's sat in silent terror and dismay.

Slowly, but surely, the tide of battle was turning in Pravda's favor.

In the stands, the Atagos watched Kinue seize the advantage with eager anticipation, albeit tempered by the knowledge that Black Forest would not be defeated this easily.

"It looks like Black Forest is faltering," Masae said. "It's hard to say whether it says more about their commander or Kinue, but nevertheless, it is a pleasant development."

"Yeah!" Hiroe said eagerly. "Go get 'em, Kinue!"

"It's not over yet," Hiroko said. "Ultimately, both sides have taken a fair amount of damage, but their most important tank- the flag tank- remains in the game. The one that makes a mistake first will be defeated."

"Yeah, I suppose," Hiroe said. "But who do you think's going to make that mistake first, Hiroko?"

Hiroko smiled slightly and nodded. While in most cases, she preferred to base her decisions on pure logic and hard data, she recognized what Hiroe was getting at. She believed in her cousin, just like Hiroe believed in her younger sister, and hoped Kinue would prevail this time.

Erika seethed with frustration. She believed that she had known her opponent's strength, and how it compared to hers. Under most circumstances, Pravda would have fallen by now, so Erika wondered whether the fact that it had not said more about her team or her opponents.

Erika's offensive, however, was not entirely in vain. Erika's attacks on the tanks around the flag tank succeeded in taking out an IS-2, getting Erika closer to exposing and defeating the flag tank.

As Erika's tank downed another T-34/76, the kill brought no joy to her. Erika knew Black Forest was stronger than Pravda, and she believed herself more talented and dedicated than Kinue.

The Nishizumi style tended to believe that with enough talent and dedication, anything was possible, including a single dominating the national high school tankery tournament for a decade. This idea was empowering, but it was also at times difficult to live up to; Erika knew of some peers who failed and had been expelled.

Erika had prevailed thus far, but it was because she had never compromised or settled for less than her best. Perhaps this was arrogant to people like Miho's friends at Oarai, but Erika did not care for what others thought. She had a goal- win to restore the good name of Black Forest and the Nishizumi school- and she would achieve it by any means necessary.

Meanwhile, as Kinue's attack continued, she realized that it had been a while since she had thought about what her mother, her aunt, her sister, her cousin or her senpais would do in this situation. The battlefield was different from the times she had faced Black Forest in the past, as was the enemy commander. She was also fighting with a brand new set of tankers, most of whom had not faced Black Forest before.

For Kinue, victory would not come by going on the trail others had blazed for her, but by following her own path. She had her own problems, which required their own solutions, and the opponents she faced, different than those who had challenged her mother or sister in many ways, required different tactics to defeat.

As she saw her opponent still struggling to adhere to the Nishizumi style, Kinue sighed and shook her head. As much as she hoped her rival from Black Forest would learn what she had, Kinue was also there to win, and could not make any allowances. The result of the match for Erika- defeat at worst or narrow victory at best- would have to be her lesson, and Kinue hoped Erika would learn it.

As Maho watched her alma mater alongside her mother, she looked up and saw Shiho's typically stern visage slip as the battle turned against Erika. The Nishizumis believed that victory mattered above all else, but also believed in decisive victory, rather than pulling through by the skin of one's teeth.

"Erika's having a lot of trouble against Pravda," Maho thought. "She's still likely to win at this point, but even if she does, it will not be a victory that Mother considers satisfactory."

Of course, Maho recognized that the bar for Shiho's approval was high and people rarely succeeded. A flawless victory would merely warrant a "Well done." A decisive victory would result in Shiho delivering criticism. A narrow victory would lead to a lecture about tactics. And defeat was simply unacceptable.

So why did Erika want to please someone whose praise was almost impossible to earn, and whose approval Maho saw as a means to an end for Miho's sake? The very fact that it was difficult to obtain was one reason why Erika wanted to possess it. But Erika also took pride in being part of the Nishizumi school, and while she knew she could never inherit it, she wanted to be its champion, of a sort. Erika thus stuck alongside Maho, trying to live up to her and support the school better.

Maho then came to a conclusion. She wanted Erika to come to terms with herself, and find some way to step out of her shadow, doing tankery for its own sake, rather than for the sake of the Nishizumi school or its heiress.

Did that require winning the match? Maho did not think so. Perhaps the greatest changes required adversity, even if Miho's sacrificing victory and suffering backlash for it had almost driven her away from tankery for good.

"Regardless of how this match ends or how decisive the outcome is, I'm sure you'll keep on going in tankery, Erika," Maho thought, "since not even losing here should be enough to discourage you. The only question is whether you can learn the lessons that you must."

As Erika's offensive closed in on the flag tank, Kinue realized that, while mainly a reaction to the enemy, she would soon be defeated if she did not respond appropriately.

"This is the commander," Kinue said. "Anastasia-chan, retreat along the path to Point R1017."

"That point?" Anastasia said reflexively, hoping the disbelief in her tone appropriately conveyed her doubt. She and Kinue had discussed that a possible escape route earlier, since it was a narrow route, which only could be traversed by one tank, but both of them knew that taking it was only a means to buy time.

"I know that it's merely a desperate stratagem," Kinue said, "but it's all we have left. Just do your best... and don't blame yourself if the worst happens."

"да, Comrade Commander," Anastasia said. She and Kinue had prepared for this match for weeks, spent many planning sessions discussing the finer details of their strategy. In the end, however, they realized that how well they could perform on the day of the match would be most important, and they could not afford to doubt themselves or hesitate at crucial moments.

Knowing this, Anastasia ordered her IS-2 to follow the commander's orders with only one goal in mind- surviving as long as possible.

On the side of the field, a trio of Pravda alumni sat on blankets, watching the game. Toki lay with her head in the lap of her best friend, Shimizudani Ryuuka, while their mutual close friend, Eguchi Sera, sat nearby. Ryuuka and Toki, honorary graduates of the Atago school, wore the school's uniform to the games out of solidarity with Kinue and Anastasia, and gave Sera a bit of light-hearted teasing for opting to wear more casual attire instead, as a result of Sera disliking skirts, even though Sera had actually studied at the school.

In contrast to the exuberant Sera and the fairly cheerful and friendly Ryuuka, Toki almost looked as though she was asleep, as she suffered from chronic fatigue as a result of health problems. In spite of that appearance, she was watching the game intently. She saw a little of herself in Kinue and Anastasia, both individuals who had to try hard to make the cut for Pravda's team, much less excel as Hiroe, Hiroko, Katyusha, Nonna and some of the other recent graduates had.

"Hey, Sera, didn't you go to the Atago school together with Anastasia?" Toki said.

"Yeah, but we didn't go at the same time," Sera said. "She's what, two years younger than I am?"

"She is," Toki said. "Do you know how she did?"

"Ok, I guess," Sera said, prompting a quizzical stare from Toki, leading her to clarify. "Don't get me wrong; she passed and wasn't in any danger of flunking out, but she didn't do anything particularly well, except maybe working hard."

"I see," Toki said. "As someone who wasn't 'good enough' for a long time, I do have to wonder how well I'd have done. Perhaps I'd have been on her level, if not lower."

"Instructor Atago was quite proud of your performance last year, Toki," Ryuuka said. "By contrast, I was mainly honored for being a good teammate and supportive friend."

"That's still quite something," Toki said. "Trying hard may not necessarily be enough at this point, but from what I've heard, Kinue and Anastasia, as well as the rest of the team, have been giving their all. And, of course, Instructor Atago made a point of honoring good sportsmanship, so that's not an insignificant achievement."

Sera nodded in agreement.

"In any case," Sera said. "Anastasia and all our other kohais inherited all of our hopes, and are essentially fighting to avenge us. Because they're giving their all now, like we did last year, I believe in them."

"So do I," Toki said. "Their time has come, just like mine did, and I know they'll make the most of it."

Koume ordered her tank to avoid the enemy fire while staying on the path and out of the small ponds and wet spots in the arena. If the tank sunk into one of those, even for a moment, it would be exposed long enough for the Pravda tanks to take a shot that would disable it, ending the match in defeat for Black Forest.

Koume knew, all too well, that one moment could determine the outcome of a tankery match, and a simple mistake could spiral out of control. The driver Koume had two years ago had been severely traumatized by the incident and her belief that she was responsible for it. Following Koume's example, she had tried to take part in her university's tankery team, but had failed the tryouts.

Koume had no desire to judge her old friend and senpai for what she could not do, as she believed the issue was not about that. Following what had happened, she had sworn to do her best for the team, to make up for what had happened. Some had blamed her, and Koume had pondered quitting the team, but she ultimately considered Black Forest her home, and had resolved to stay, and redouble her efforts for the sake of her comrades. That resolve had enabled her to face her old friend Miho's forces in the finals. It had also earned her a certain degree of respect from Erika, as well as the vice-captaincy, perhaps the greatest gesture of trust Erika could offer. Koume thus was determined to prove that trust was well-placed, and see her school to victory.

Erika turned her tank and began to pursue the flag tank, by herself, rapidly turning as she cut a corner and put herself in a position to take a shot at it.

Erika's zealous pursuit, however, cost her dearly, as her tank slid to the side and threw a track. As she steadied to right herself, Erika furiously shouted orders to her crew, hoping to keep her crew on task now that victory seemed so close at hand.

"I will not be defeated here!" Erika thought. "I did not lose to Waffle and I did not lose to Chihatan, so I will not lose to Pravda because of a thrown track!"

Too late, Erika realized her mistake as the flag tank went off, unprotected, into the waiting Pravda forces, which immediately trained their guns on it.

"This is my chance!" Kinue thought, and quickly ordered her tank forward at top speed, intercepting Koume's Tiger II.

Kinue's T-34/85 rammed into the flag tank, causing it to tilt forward, toward the guns of the other Black Forest tanks. As it did, she ordered the gunner to fire, striking at point-blank range and causing an almost deafening roar as it struck the German tank.

Both tanks came to a stop, save for the rising white flag from the Black Forest flag tank.

"Pravda wins the match!" the announcer said.

Author's Notes

I'd like to thank Stalker117 and KMT4ever for beta reading this.

I'm curious as to whether you expected the match to end this way.

Both Kinue and Erika are not as skilled as their predecessors. Kinue, however, possesses strengths that Erika notably lacks; the knowledge of her own limitations, as well as the ability to keep a cool head. They kept her in the game long enough for her to gain this opportunity, and enabled her to make the most of it. These qualities also make them interesting foils for each other, and makes for perhaps a more interesting showdown than Miho against Erika. It also helps that Miho has already defeated Maho, one of the few people Erika respects; Erika's downfall is in part due to not fully respecting Kinue as an opponent.

In any case, it's an important match, and I wanted to show it in its entirety. One fic had Black Forest's defeat mentioned in passing as Oarai prepared to face the school that had defeated it (it wasn't Pravda, but another school Oarai had defeated in canon), so I had no desire to gloss over an event like this.

Two chapters will follow, dealing with the ramifications of the outcome and setting up what will come next. After that, the final battle between Oarai and Pravda will begin.

Character Analysis: Anastasia

Once a school's tankery team's leaders and top performers graduate, who's left? Often, the answer is: people like Anastasia.

Some schools, like Oarai and St. Gloriana two years ago, have rising stars on the team, ready to take over once their seniors graduate. In other cases, the junior members of the team may be relatively mediocre by comparison, having lived in the shadow of their senpais. Anastasia has always been in that position, from her time at the Atago school to her first year at Pravda.

Now, everything has changed. As a vice-captain, she must assist Kinue in leading Pravda's team. As commander of the flag tank, her defeat is the team's defeat. She has succeeded for now, but her most difficult trial lies ahead, once she faces Oarai.