Chapter 30: For the Sake of the Future

In the immediate aftermath of the match, Miho looked around at the rest of Anglerfish Team, still processing what had happened. In tankery, under the flag tank rule, matches were often decided by a single well-placed shot. Oarai's typical modus operandi was to, through various gambits, risks and sacrifices, gain an opportunity to make that one shot and win the match, while denying their opponents the opportunity to do the same. If they could defeat that one tank designated as the flag tank, while protecting the one tank on their team with the flag, they would be able to prevail against any school.

In spite of that hope, Oarai knew that they were vulnerable as well, and their luck would not hold out forever. Even as they felled Pravda tank after Pravda tank, more kept coming, and downing Anglerfish Team's protectors. They had almost succeeded in reaching Kinue, but one of the enemy's shells had made its mark on their tank, thereby dashing their hopes.

Miho looked around the battlefield, seeing many enemies and few friends in the vicinity, with a resigned expression on her face. It had been a long journey this year, and while she wished it could have ended differently, she had fun throughout the entire process.

"Don't feel down, Miporin," Saori said. "You did what you could."

"I suppose so," Miho said, comforted slightly. "In spite of that, I do believe that had I done better, we might have been victorious."

"Not many can honestly say the same, Nishizumi-dono," Yukari said. "Few else could have taken us this far with the tanks and people we have. I must say, though, that I'm glad you've realized that you can do this, too."

"You really think of it that way?" Miho said.

While Miho was always aware of how much her friends had supported her, from when they had defended her decision to abstain from tankery to when they comforted her after her most recent loss, she was surprised to hear her own words being viewed in such a light. For the longest time, she had judged herself in comparison to her sister and the rest of her family, and by the standards of a tankery style that was at odds with her as a person. Over time, at Oarai, she had taken charge of a team that was entirely unsuited to the Nishizumi doctrine, and led it to victory in the championship, thereby fulfilling her sister's advice to find her own way of tankery.

So when had Miho changed? When had she become able to express her belief that she could have defeated a school that severely outnumbered and outgunned her, and had won the tournament in the recent past? Perhaps it was when she had accomplished that feat the previous year. Perhaps it was as a result of fighting alongside teammates who only vaguely knew of the Nishizumi name's prestige, and knew too little of the school's tenets to judge her by them. Perhaps it was a long process that began when Miho began making decisions for herself, rather than for the sake of her family or the Nishizumi school. The only thing she knew for certain was that it had happened, and she had only just realized the process by which it had happened.

"Yep, Miporin," Saori said. "Perhaps the only piece of good advice I can give regarding love is that confidence doesn't need a long list of accomplishments or a body of experience, just you, yourself."

"From what we heard from you, I believe Atago-san realized this, as well," Hana said, "and so chose to do things for her own reasons, separate from her family."

"She did," Miho said. "For a long time, she found it difficult to catch up with her sister, and follow her mother's footsteps, but in the end, she succeeded."

Mako gave a rare smile.

"Even if she's not doing it for their sake, her family must be proud of her," Mako said wistfully, knowing that all of her own family was now dead and of Miho's family, only her sister could take unconditional joy in her accomplishments.

"I believe so, too," Miho said, "as is the rest of Pravda."

As Miho reached the side of the arena, she saw all her comrades in arms waiting for her, all of whom had seen the result on the large screen. Like her, they had time to process it, so they had come to terms with it. There was disappointment on their faces, but none of their blame was directed specifically at Miho.

Shizuru stepped forward, evidently aware of what was on Miho's mind, and had a slight but warm and reassuring smile on her face.

"Thank you for your hard work, Commander; you did your best," Shizuru said, a formal show of support that was no less indicative of her true feelings.

Miho smiled and nodded.

"Everyone did," Miho said. "Unfortunately for us, we can say the same about Pravda. Ultimately, though, because we can say that, we must accept the outcome gracefully and respect what they have accomplished."

The tournament had ended in defeat for Oarai, but unlike last year, defeat would not result in their school shutting down. While Miho hoped to excel for the sake of building a strong team, in the end, once that was taken away, this was nothing more than another tankery match, and Oarai was just another one of the runners-up in the tournament.

There was only one thing left for to do; the same thing all of those they had defeated had done for them. It was time for the loser to honor and congratulate the victor, as a show of good sportsmanship after the end of a long struggle.

As the battle ended, Kinue looked around, at the few remaining tanks she had. Of the twenty tanks she started out with, only five remained in action at the end of the match. Had this been the semifinals, and Oarai had faced fewer tanks, Oarai would likely have prevailed.

Kinue's victory was not one that she could have accomplished without the effort and sacrifices made by the rest of the team. In that regard, she owed everyone who had come here on this day, and everyone else who had helped them in various ways, her gratitude.

But it was also a victory that she accomplished standing on her own. Her sister, her mother, her cousin, her coach and the senpais she admired had helped her in the past, but in the end, Kinue had led on the field. She drew from what they had taught her, but in the end, she had to find her own solution to the problem of defeating the opponents before her, Oarai and Black Forest in particular. In hindsight, it no longer seemed as daunting as it was when she first accepted the position of commander.

Kinue felt as though she still had some ways to go before she could truly match many of those she admired, and still had to prepare Pravda for after her graduation- allowing Anastasia to ease into her responsibilities as commander, training newer members and continuing to practice, among other things. But for today, she felt as though she could stand on her own and do her part, triumphing her own way with the help of those closest to her.

"Everyone, we are victorious," Kinue said over the radio. "Before we head back for the post-game, I would like to congratulate you all... and thank you."

Inside the stands, Pravda's fans celebrated. Katyusha and Nonna let off cheers in Russian, while Ryuuka and Sera cheered in Japanese. Toki, sitting up, simply gave a weary but satisfied smile as she saw her more energetic friends' celebrations.

Suehara Kyouko, an old friend and senpai of Suzu's, confidently smiled. She was the one who had convinced Hiroe to give Suzu a chance, even considering Suzu's less than impressive beginnings as a gunner, and even though she had a sort of "tough love" for Suzu that involved writing on her head with a pen, she always believed in her. As such, Kyouko was glad, for both their sakes, that her trust in Suzu had been well placed.

"Well, what do you know, Suzu?" Kyouko thought. "It looks like I forgot my pen this time."

As the Atagos celebrated, Maho let off a soft sigh. It had been a little over a year since she had, in the hopes of fulfilling her duties as heiress for Miho's sake, shot Kinue's flag tank, resulting in Pravda's defeat and causing Kinue to blame herself. Back then, while Kinue was a stranger rather than a friend, Maho felt a sense of empathy for her, but did what she must. So, too, did she feel this way in response to the current tournament's outcome, even though Miho had been defeated.

"As much as I had hoped for a different outcome, I can't fault you for striving for victory, Kinue," Maho thought. "Not after I defeated your team last year. Not since you have a similar goal to Miho's. In any case, congratulations."

"AWESOME JOB, KINUE!" Hiroe cheered at the top of her lungs. She then stopped suddenly as she noticed a tear of joy running down her mother's face, which also had a beaming smile on it. "Mom?"

"It's nothing, Hiroe," Masae said. "It's just that I'm so proud of both of you."

While disappointed that Miho had lost, Maho could not help but be touched by seeing a mother express pride in her daughters.

"Kinue and her team did quite well today," Maho said. "I'd like to express my congratulations to them."

"Thanks, Maho, " Hiroe said, "but I don't rest on my laurels, and neither does Kinue. Perhaps I'll get to face you again next year, this time with both of our sisters on our side. That'd be quite a match, wouldn't it?"

"Yes, it certainly would," Maho said. "It's been two years since I last fought alongside Miho, one year since Kinue has been on your team, and we haven't ever had both happen at the same time."

Maho left unspoken how she realized Miho would not necessarily be on that side at that point. The decision of where Miho would go once her time in high school ended was hers to make, and Maho could only believe, as she did in the past, that Miho would make the best choice for herself.

Miho's friends, witnessing her defeat, had a variety of reactions. None of them hoped for this outcome, but all of them had to concede that it was likely to happen.

"Scheiße..." Emi muttered. "Miho was so close..."

Rinkai had, among all its opponents, paid special attention to Black Forest, Oarai and Pravda. Pravda's performance had impressed Emi, particularly defeating Black Forest but she believed that Miho could have prevailed against them.

"Still, that is quite something," Hitomi said. "Miho-chan definitely got a lot further than my school could, and did better than we did when we lost to Emi-chan and the others."

"Yeah," Chihiro said. "You can't win all the time, in soccer or in tankery, but when you lose, I'd rather have it be this way."

Emi nodded.

"That's happened to me a lot, now that I think about it," Emi said, "from the time Maho and her crew beat us when we were little kids, to when Miho's school beat mine. I probably wouldn't have ever gotten good enough to win the championship if I hadn't gotten my butt kicked so often, which is why I think the Nishizumi school's tenet of 'victory without fail' is a pile of..."

"Yeah, I get it, Emi-chan," Chihiro said, cutting Emi off. "I've certainly never heard of a soccer team on the high school level winning three years in a row, much less ten."

"I know that I heard the girls from the Nishizumi school have to train really hard," Hitomi said, "but I also believe that failing and not getting what you want can force you to improve yourself and keep trying until you do. Even if you don't succeed, I think you'll have gotten something worthwhile out of it in the process."

"You're probably right, Hitomi," Emi said, "which is why I think Oarai will do just fine without Miho around."

The Rinkai girls watched with a variety of emotions. All of the girls who watched the match knew that if things had gone differently, they might have been the ones facing Pravda. Of course, when some brought up that possible scenario, others said that in another possibility, Black Forest might have been the other contender.

"There's no denying it; Oarai did deserve their victory last year," Satoha said. "Of course, Pravda also deserved their victory two years ago, so it's not unreasonable that they would be able to triumph again today."

"Oarai did well, all things considered," Hao said. "Most schools with this few tanks would be unable to lose with any dignity, much less nearly win."

"True; it's not as though Pravda's victory was guaranteed, either," Satoha said. "We were left guessing until the end, just how we wanted it. We might be merely spectators in this, but a level playing field doesn't just give more schools a shot at the championship, but it makes for better entertainment."

"Yeah," Emi said. "It's a shame I can't stick around to see how we'll do against them, next year."

"You can leave that to us, Emi," Myeonghwa said. "Our work in building Rinkai's tankery team up is far from over, so we'll

Koala Forest watched the outcome, sitting on blankets near the screen. As the rest of the team was frozen in shock, Touka angrily thrust her fist into the sky.

"This cannot be!" Touka said. "Nishizumi Miho is forbidden from losing to any opponent other than I, desu wa!"

Hajime chuckled slightly.

"I'm betting that you're angrier about this defeat than anyone on Oarai's team is at the moment, Touka," Hajime said. "Since Nishizumi-san doesn't believe in victory above all else, it's understandable that she'd be more or less fine with this outcome."

"Well, we don't really believe in that, either," Jun said. "And it's still kind of frustrating to lose, even if such matches can also be quite fun."

"There's something humbling to see so many out there who are better than you," Tomoki said. "The ranking system on the online game I play minimizes the likelihood that I'll face an opponent far above your skill level, but I still face many difficult opponents. Just as Anteater Team had difficult matches with me, I once narrowly lost to a professional player."

Koromo smiled.

"Then that is most pleasing," Koromo said. "There will be plenty of worthy challengers for Koromo next year!"

The five girls, all in their second year of high school, all were grateful for yet another year of high school, and yet another chance for Koala Forest to prove itself against its rivals. Oarai would likely be similarly eager to try again, so the five girls relished the chance to face their rival one more time, while watching Oarai take on all comers.

Kei and Kazue, sitting together not far from the Koala forest group, watched the end of the finals, still unsure what to think of the outcome.

"For a long time, I was not certain who I was rooting for, or who would win this match," Kei said. "This year, I lost to both Nishizumi-san and Atago-san."

"Having hard feelings over the loss does not seem very much like you, Arakawa-san," Kazue said.

"That's not it, Nanpo-san," Kei said. "When I face an opponent, I experience their determination first-hand, come to know their skill and get some idea of what they're fighting for. When I lose to a worthy opponent with a good reason for fighting, I can't help but cheer them on."

Kazue nodded.

"That's a good perspective," Kazue said. "For too long, I believed that my comrades' motivations, to say nothing of those of my rivals, did not compare to mine. But seeing Oarai fight so hard and come this far has given me some idea of what I can do."

Kei found Kazue's sentiments understandable. She, too, had faced little competition for the position of commander at her school, and at times found her teammates' lack of motivation frustrating. But rather than give up or imagine herself superior to her teammates, she pressed on, hoping to inspire them to accomplish something significant, knowing that what she was asking of them was not unprecedented.

"My high school career has been an interesting time," Kei said. "For nine years, Black Forest has reigned as the undefeated champions, and for the past three years, it has been defeated every time. Naturally, the hope of being one of the schools that succeeds at that is an encouraging prospect"

"I have noticed that as well, Arakawa-san," Kazue said. "But in two of those cases, Pravda, a school comparable to Black Forest, was the victor. Having fought against Black Forest in the quarterfinals, you should understand their strength."

"I do, Nanpo-san," Kei said. "But while underdogs' chances of success are often slim, as long as they have nothing to lose by trying, they have no reason not to take it.

Kazue nodded with a resolute smile on her face. Perhaps, all this time, she should not have been thinking of how her grandmother would fare, but thinking about those in similar situations as her.

"I have no idea how far I will get in my third year, or even what I should consider a good target" Kazue said. "But I'll put all of my effort into seeing it through to the end, and ensuring I do as well as possible."

Oarai and Pravda's commanders exchanged bows at the match. The struggle had been a long and hard-fought one, but there were no hard feelings. The two sides had fought for the same purposes, so they chose to part on good terms, as they went their separate ways once the year ended.

"Congratulations, Kinue-san," Miho said, extending her hand for a handshake.

"Thank you, Miho-chan," Kinue said, shaking her hand. "But, if I may ask, how are your teammates taking this?"

"Fairly well," Miho said. "They knew that it would likely happen at this point, in spite of their efforts. They had hoped it would not end this way."

"I'm glad to hear that," Kinue said. "As someone who started out as a benchwarmer, I can say that your junior members of the tankery team, and the newcomers who will arrive in years to come, will be your team's future. The efforts they make in persisting, improving and contributing to the team will ultimately determine how enduring, strong and healthy your team will be."

Miho thought of the various benchwarmers on her team, who were unable to accompany them into tankery battle, but were still part of the team. Their turn to help would come in the future, and until it did, Miho would do what she could to help them learn tankery.

"I believe in my teammates, as I always have," Miho said. "That's why our team was able to prevail against Koala Forest without me, and why I believe Oarai will remain strong in the future."

"That's good to hear, Nishizumi-san," Anastasia said. "Perhaps your school and mine may yet have the chance to face each other next year."

"I'm looking forward to the prospect," Nodoka said.

"That will certainly be worth watching, Haramura-san," Kinue said. "Show me what you can do in the future."

Oarai's commanders nodded in response. They had been defeated in their first match with BC Freedom, and often teetered on the brink of defeat in the matches they had ultimately won.

As the two teams began to disperse, Kinue and Miho walked toward the stands. As they approached they were greeted by the other Atagos and Maho.

"Congratulations, Kinue," Masae said. "You, your sister, Hiroko and everyone else on your respective teams did a wonderful job this year."

"Thanks, Mom," Kinue said.

Masae then turned to Miho.

"You also fought well, Miho," Masae said. "Having the courage to face those odds is commendable, and being able to progress as far as you did is no mean feat. Having fought Black Forest and narrowly been defeated, I understand and respect those who do their best, even in a losing battle."

"Thank you, Instructor Atago," Miho said.

Hiroe nodded.

"Yeah, even if I was hoping Kinue would win, I was hoping you'd give Kinue a hell of a fight, Miho," Hiroe said. "I wasn't disappointed, and the only regret I have is that I never got to face you myself."

"Yes, I agree," Miho said. "But you may yet get another chance in the future."

"Sounds good," Hiroe said. "You, Kinue and some other people I know are moving on up to the next level. Be they family, friends or rivals, I'm looking forward to seeing them there."

Miho nodded in agreement, before saying goodbye to the Atagos, and leaving them and Pravda to their celebrations.

As the Atagos walked off to celebrate their victory, Maho turned to Miho, hoping to allow Miho to express anything she felt she couldn't express in front of her teammates or rivals. Miho had become a commander, much like Maho was, and while Oarai had none of the strictness associated with Black Forest or the Nishizumi school, Miho did, at times, have to be mindful of the image she presented.

"You did as well as you could, Miho," Maho said, placing a hand on Miho's shoulder.

"I know, Onee-chan," Miho said. "But what about Mother? What is her perspective on all this?"

"I haven't heard from her yet," Maho said. "Before the match, she bitterly noted that no matter who won, one of those who had humiliated her school would take the championship."

"I thought so," Miho said. "That's how she'd feel as head of the Nishizumi school, about a match that cannot possibly advance the school's interests."

Maho nodded, but Miho could tell that she was not finished talking about their mother.

"This may just be me, but I think a part of her wanted you to win," Maho said. "In the end, when her school isn't on the line, she hopes that you succeed. Once she steps away from her school, she's another parent and, at least on some level, roots for her daughter."

"I know," Miho said. "I simply wish Mother would be able to gain the perspective needed to do so more often."

Maho paused to consider what Miho had said. Miho did not see tankery as a zero-sum game, with one side winning and all others losing, but one in which all could benefit, and her own defeat had not diminished that belief. In the same regard, she had some understanding for her mother's desire to keep her school strong, but did not believe that the entire family had to be subordinate to that goal.

"For better or worse, Mother has always put the school first," Maho said. "She believes that it's a mission to which all of us must contribute, and which will benefit all of us." Maho paused. "In spite of that, I do have to wonder whether the way Mother has gone about supporting it over the years is the only way to do so, and I believe Mother is starting to realize that as well."

"I hope so, too, Onee-chan," Miho said.

The two sisters said goodbye for the moment and parted ways. The two of them, as well as their mother, knew very well what they valued most, but how would they go about achieving it? For Shiho, the answer no longer seemed to clear, and there was hope for her.

As Oarai's school ship pulled out of the harbor, the student council walked up to Miho, who was staring out at the sea, accompanied by the rest of Anglerfish Team.

"So, Miho, how are you holding up?" Shizuru said, stepping out of her student council persona to confirm something of a personal nature.

"Fairly well, all things considered," Miho said. "Everyone was quite supportive in the aftermath of our defeat."

Miho's friends nodded in agreement.

"I think I have some idea of how they felt," Ayano said. "They understood that you were doing your best, as were they. Perhaps they realized that not everything you did was perfect, but they didn't have any ideas of what they could do differently. "

"Perhaps not," Miho said. "But just as Shizuru-san was inspired to lead so that she could do better than her predecessors, I hope someone else will be similarly inspired to replace me, and lead Oarai to victory next year."

Shizuru nodded. For both her and Miho, their desire for the school's well being did not end with their tenure in their respective leadership positions. Even if they were no longer able to directly effect change, they would continue to watch over it in years to come, even as their own lives took them in separate directions, far away from each other and Oarai.

While Miho was hardly an ambitious individual, her time in tankery was a long process upward, from commanding a tank full of her friends as a young girl to commanding a championship-winning team in high school. Before long, she would graduate and be separated from her friends again, and once again have to adjust to a new school the same way she had adjusted to Oarai. Miho counted herself fortunate to have found a niche at a school like Oarai, and wondered whether she could say the same about her new one.

The future ahead of Miho was uncertain, and her decisions would not be easy, but she knew what she wanted, and needed only to understand how she wished to get it.

Author's Notes

It's interesting to see how Miho develops over time, even in canon, when she becomes noticeably more confident as the tournament goes on. Of course, even when she was younger, she did not blindly do things for the sake of her family, as shown in Little Army, when she resolved to find her own way of tankery in the end, and transferred to Oarai over her parents' objections. In short, Miho is a stronger individual than many fanfic writers give her credit for, and it can at times be challenging to portray her as a relatively meek yet determined individual.

There will be two more chapters and an epilogue before this story ends.