Narrator pow:
"Hey, weren't you that taiyaki seller back at BC Freedom? I heard your stuff was actually good." Ella asked, while the whole Sensha-do group of French Guiana clan wad socializing in the restroom.
"I did, and even earned a Yen or two to keep my finances in shape." Andou responded, yawning from the sofa. "Since I came here, I only make them for myself or when someone asks me to do it. Cost of life here are suprisingly low even for school-supsidised everything that can be subsidized if not already provided by school ship as standard." She added, moving her body from lying to sitting.
"Anyways, we don't participate against Chi-Ha-Tan-Tategoto duo, so we might aswell get some practise and check how much are our tanks really worth." Eclair suggested, coming with Angela from the kitchen.
"After we get ready please! It's lunch time in a minute." Ella opposed, rushing past them to where they came from.
"Sure, we don't need to go forward so hard." Andou responded, looking to the right where Maken and Beatrice had a discussion going on the inner yard of their district's flat.
(Theporar scene change to the outside)
"I told you this exact sentence six times now. Trust builds longer than it's getting destroy." Maken responded to Beatrice's pleading with annoyance, having absolutely enough of her asking for any position. "You broke my trust, got my punishment lowered by the people you betrayed and had to do stuff without you and now want to just jumpstart the redeem by returning to state before you and Reggia started to make a mess." Maken continued, pushing her towards the wall with my forward momentum and serious body posture. "So I tell you one last time. No, positions, for, you. And next time you ask me for it, you're kicked form this school without return. Because I cannot afford to not care about your obnoxious attitude anymore." He ended, walking away throu the tunnel inside the block used for walking inside the square and leaving both Beatrice and evasedropping Andou speechless.
(Back to the restroom)
"Yup, if I don't speed up the investigation something bad will happen. And just as he, I can't afford to not care anymore when it comes to school I'm in." Andou thought, getting up from the sofa and heading towards the kitchen where a waiting order was already formed.
Andou pow:
"All right then... This place is really occupied." I said as my group came up to Sensha-do district, whole place busy with tanks, crew members and matches ongoing or preparing to be started.
"Wow. So this school is capable of hosting that many tanks." Eclair commented, sidestepping towards us so FT-17 of Suriname clan could pass by us towards their own battlefield.
"Anyways, how about we go to our hangar and see what we can do?" Temidena asked, dragging her three sisters behind herself, rest of us nodding to it and following her on our way to our tanks.
Narrator pow:
"Look at these slopes! Even Kuromorimine shells would bounce from these godly angels!" Ella exclaimed, jumping towards AMX-40 as French Guiana clan Sensha-do group entered the hangars and decided fmto further examine their tanks.
"The armor is also good. Flanking it could eaisly be turned against the enemy." Eclair added, looking at the back of the tank while holding the technical soecification list in hands.
"And The AMC-34... It's okay. We can use it for recon and provocative skirmishes." Andou added, looking over the rectangular shapes of the third tank their team had to use.
"Makes sense, we still however need to figure out how this plays in the practise." Cayenne said, spinning her fan in the right hand as she looked over the gun of tank she was given to command. "Schedules are a bit cramped and giant size of what was given on this ship for Sensha-do clubs isn't enough for nearly a hundered tanks at once to manage, especially with current spike up in popularity." She added, looking behind herself at bickering duo of Dominican clan FT-17, the crew being two short boys with short brown hair called Marino and Mariano.
"Nonono, I'm telling you for the last time. Cuban clan will turn us inside out with their T-34's! We don't even have four tanks but jsut one and others aren't willing to just come and halp our sorry asses." Mariano said, facepalming as the SIGN of disapproval.
"Then shame on you because I am the commander and I will make them regret their words." Marino responded, carving up his shirt on the arms to reveal multiple tattoos related to maritime and warrior culture.
"Good luck trying to do it alone bro, good luck." Mariano said, disencouraging him from the goal.
"Then how about we join you guys? We're looking for a solid practise and you seem to have a match at hand." Ella asked out of a sudden, joining their argue as her own group followed after her.
"Sure! All help is appricieated." Marino responded happly, leaving his brother on the position of lost cause.
"All right all right. We can try and have them apologise." Mariano said, shruging his shoulders. "As for your group, we owe you only if we win." He added, turning towards the people in hangar.
"Fair enough, beggars can't be choosers for a reason." Louis responded, putting his hands into pockets and smiling weakly. "Now tell us how it goes."
Andou pow:
"This it the time for us. All units roll in after me to zone number ten!" I commander on the radio as my team passed last dragged back CTMS-1TB1's and enter the battlefield alongside four T-34/85 belonging to Cuban clan.
"So, this is our brave group of competetors? Unique lineup you got there." Sarcastic voice came from the radio, giving me an idea about who was our opponent.
"Whatever, we talk about it after the match." Nene boasted, abruptly ending the radio call and leaving most of our group in shock.
"Nice one youngling. Never let a douchebag talk about his antics." Angela prasied her, earning a grateful hug from Nene in response.
"Whatever, whatever. We still have to know a thing or two about them." I concluded, picking the radio myself as we had our Dominican friends calling in.
"This guy who called you is called Castro. He's Cuban clan overall commander and a very driven person. And while he is an annoying humorist, he does this mostly because enraged opponents tend to turn their thinking off. At least that's what Maken told me when he was teaching him the mystical arts of toxic radio speaking." Marino said, giving me a little more information about who we had to deal with.
"No radio communication with him then, got it." I responded steadly, nodding at the given intel. "Anyways, let's go to the sector B-2 and get ready for the match, we have an actual stakes here." I added, rising up from the seat and taking the look outside, seeing the rough, flat desert that was our battlefield.
Maken pow:
"Yup, scars and burns are finally healing. Still suprised that it took them nearly a whole calendar year to begin." I thought while touching myself under the shirt and pants, taking the luxury of observing the match between French Guiana and Dominicana against Cuba in a friendly Sensha-do match on our desert battlegrounds. "And even better, I'll see how does it look with Andou's form after all the stress I gave her. If she believes in herself, she has this in the bag. And if she doesn't then the opposite happens." I thought, looking at the wide camera system mounted into my personal room alongside all other unnecessary things common man imagines as things that go to secret goverment facilities or security rooms. But then again, I had my reasons for it and the finances to make this real so why not?
"And now what?" I asked myself, distracted by the phone call before I picked it up.
"Caudillo?" A good boy that was known as Osvaldo asked from the other side making me smile a little.
"Yes my boy, it is me." I responded with amusement, taking my eyes back at the screens where both teams were getting close to the starting positions. "You're here to tell me about your build-a-bear level of craftsmanship while building your Hetzer?" I asked jokingly, getting on his loose sense of having fun.
"*nervous laugh* No, Caudillo." Osvaldo responded, the thuds of rapidly moved paper and metal pieces hearable in the distance. "We made some... Accidents and mishaps on the way and... In the end we got Panzer IV/70 (E), whatever that means." He added, now with the background noises turned to aggressive keyboard writing and carving up cardboard boxes.
"Osvaldo you geniuenly lucky boy! You just made a german hybrid self-propelled tank destroyer! Besides, we surely could use more obscure constructs to our lineup to pretend we are special or something..." I praises him, mostly because I felt like he deserved it for accidentaly making better tank then planned. "Anyways, your tank is approved and your pioneer status mandated by history and me. Good luck in future life, projects and battles my dear friend. Also, tell your team I said hi." I said to him before he retuned his 'thank you, see you soon' and ended the call, leaving me back to ongoing battle that just started.
Andou pow:
"Here is my plan. My tank stays at the backline around this small hill and I try to take them out with my 105mm cannon. AMC-34 and FT-17 stay with me for close range protection while AMX-40 goes forward and uses his creatively sloped armor to deflect Cuban shells while they focus on them. Any opinions?" I asked after I presented my plan of operation, taking the last minutes before the start on radio consultations with the others.
"This tactic isn't balanced enough. We need to take our stands in this city and fortify in it's main square. Then we can give you free shooting practise thanks to only three ways leading to it and counterattack afterwards." Cayenne opposed, her nails hitting the metal of the tank she was in.
"We can always go all forward in triangke formation with Andou in the middle and turn our attention wherever we need it." Marino said, throwing his own idea to the mix.
"Emm... I stay with Andou's plan. It just seems like the safest option given how far away the city is and general lack of terrain irregularities on this map." Eclair added on her own, giving her own analysis of the battlefield.
"Two votes on my plan, one vote for each one of yours. It's settled then." I concluded, seeing the visual communication inside my tank to turn on 'Match Begins' signal. "And since we're at, all tanks forward!" I shouted at the end, letting my team go forward as my tank tagged alongside the others.
"Just In case we better wait around the hill until Cuban clan shows up, then we will put the rest of the plan in motion." Eclair said, opting for defensive approach with realisation.
"Sounds about right. But I thought you were afront of defensive tactics." Cayenne added, rather confused by her approach.
"Straightforward attacking definitely does some damage to enemy, but without heavy armor it can only get you so far." I said, justifying Eclair. "I learned that myself back in BC Freedom, Souma 35 is just clearly weaker than ARL 44. Both in armor and firepower." I added, giving the real life example from myself.
"Oh, ok." Cayenne responded, agreeing that this subject was done.
Maken pow:
"Oh golly, oh gee or whatever. Castro is really made out for this." I commented, looking at how medium-sized boy with dark hair and short, curly beard gave every tank in his group free will to act, resulting in each one of his T-34/85 to go in a diffrent way. "One goes south, one goes middle, one goes north and Castro himself heads towards the city. Our school's spirit at it's highest with promotion of self-reliance and individual initiative." I smiled, seeing him implement what I taught him over the last year. "But now we have to see how Andou holds up to the next rising star." I thought, looking at the screens where French Guiana clan came to the stop on the lone hill and around it. "But now that I think about it, Andou took herself a nice position to see how many sand a tank can left behind. She just had the right shot with opening so I won't be putting money now. Especially that beating Castro is like beating me when I was first year back at Bonple but without extra steps..."
Narrator pow:
"Pass me a cigar and a large glass of brandy!" Castro laughed, he and his company having a good time on their way to the mockup city.
"My fat majesty! We have good news and the bad news!" A radio sounded, the person on the radio being one of the boys under his command.
"Hmm... Tell me the bad news." Castro replied, not even noticing how he was called.
"We have just been taken out on our way towards the middle of the map." The guy on radio responded with sorrow voice.
"And the good news?" Castro asked in response.
"We have spotted the enemy around the hill in a middle of sector F-5." Radioman replied, his emotional state returning to neutral.
"Ahh, fantastic... What do you mean you've been taken out!? WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU'VE BEEN TAKEN OUT!?" Castro shouted after a short triumph, unamused by his companions results.
"Their heavy hitter on top of the hill just has good gunner! Don't ask me how because I don't know!" The boy responded, his nervois attitude impossible to hide of fake.
Andou pow:
"That solves one issue." I commented as I observed with binoculars smoking wreckage of T-34 as it lied on it's left side after my shot from 105mm howitzer connected to it's engine.
"And three to go. They can come aaaaaany second now." Ella added, looking outside alongside me and violently turning to inspect the surroundings.
"The can't be close to us. The sand would give them away with ease." Temidena added from below, grabbing the radio and contacting the others in case new orders were needed.
"Actually, I think I see some." Ella responded, pulling my shoulders to turn me left.
"And what that would be?" I asked her, taking a look into general direction she pointed at.
"And?" Diana asked from below, her and Olivia busy with minor maintenance and checking in case any sand got inside.
"One T-34/85 on our left! Eclair, go get him while I give you fire cover." I ordered while Angela already begin turning our tank to the left.
"Oui! I do my part!" She responded, her AMX-40 rushing towards the enemy in a instant.
"Dominicanian duo and Cayenne, look for our other directions. They might and try to attack us from behind." I quickly added, switching my attention to other two tanks at my disposal.
"Roger that!/Understood." Two response came to my ear in response, granting me a little more calm life with having my back secured.
Maken pow:
"So you think you can play tower defence game with him?" I asked out loud, seeing as Andou's tanks diverged and grabbed their new orders. "I do however need to see how she reacts to this..." I added to myself, seeing as Castro somehow managed to team up with his T-34/85 on south, despite the fact that the city he headed to originally was on north-east. But then again, I did more ridiculous manouvers-like things in tanks slower than T-34's, so I didn't wanted to judge.
My boy was growing so fast. And dear lord so did Andou...
Narrator pow:
"Go as fast as you can and take a low angle in comparison to their gun! The shot will ricochet after sliding off our armor." Eclair advised as her tank rushed forward towards Cuban T-34/85, getting his gun barrel pointed towards his opponent in a meantine.
"Got it!" Felice responded, taking adjustments with her driving as she went for the flank against the enemy from the right.
"Load an AP and be aware." Eclair said to Orlean, who obeyed and did the thing. Which, given that he swapped Jobs of gunner and loader with Eclair earlier, made enough sense.
Ping* A loud sound of screeching metal and bouncing followed, as shell from T-34 skidded of AMX-40 side armor while Felice made a sharp left turn on instinct. In result stopping at 45-degree to the right with Cuban tank charging straight at them.
"3...2...1..." Eclair counted, turning her turret towards incoming opponents as fast as she could with help from Orlean. "Now!" She shouted after making sure she aimed for the charging tank, firing her shot straight at opponent's gun barrel, ripping it out open like a candy bar's package.
"Is he out?" Orlean asked, grabbing an He shell for a quick reload.
"Mmm... White flag popped up." Eclair responded, looking throu her gun optics at the gunless tank.
"In that case we got him." Orlean added, passing to Eclair incoming radio contact.
Cayenne pow:
"Yo! Incoming!" Marino shouted, spotting two T-34's coming our way in the distance.
"We need time to turn around and Eclair is a bit away. Try to stall them!" Andou ordered, herself being in a bit hard position.
"We know what to do. Load AP shells and wait for them to come!" I ordered, taking my fan to relax amidst growing suspense. After all, panicking and letting stress take control over you was a bad thing for a reason or two.
"We're loading an HE! We wilk shot the sand and confuse them." Enthusiastic command from Marino came to my ears, letting me know he plans to encourage Cuban clan to come into my cannon's sight.
"Fair enough, just shot first to confuse them." I added, taking a brief look around at two small but steepe hills in front of us with ten meters wide gap between, throu which enemy tanks just had to come if they wished for taking us out in smaller groups.
"Cool we will shot on our own violation." Marino resoonded, ending the call with a loud thud of loaded shell.
"Wow, I didn't expected you to be so casual about yourself." Louis said, propably being sarcastic towards me.
"Oh, you know, having a fan in hand and trying to be fashionable with it doesn't mean that I got aristocratic tendencies. Girls in BC Freedom just make stereotypes from people like me." I scoffed lightly, explaining to him how wrong he was.
"BC Freedom you say? Marie is a decent person..." Noumea responded with slight offense, looking throu her viewfinder at the space in front of us.
"Marie is a good person. But since Escalator students are who they are, small fans to take with yourself are just considered as another aspect of 'Big rich degenerate bad'." I responded, sighing at the end as the sand going into the air grew more and more. "Now get ready, they are coming right now." I ordered as my team and I took our positions and went into full focus for the task at hand.
Maken pow:
"Clever. Waiting for them to go up this gate just to shoot at them to heart's content." I commented out loud, seeing two T-34/85 fo the Cuban clan gong towards the trap prepared by FT-17 and AMC-34. "Now let's see how it holds in practise." I thought, looking at two tanks crossing revealing themselves from the right side of defenders perspective.
Then the events went quite fast. FT-17 shot an HE shell at the first tank, taking him out with a big hole in the side while second one came out quickly behind him, missed AMC-34 and rushed past them, leaving them confused as they turned around to give chase. The remaining T-34 then went towards the hill lone hill and it's occupant somehow having his shot at now ready FCM 1A bounce, taking a solid hit to frontal armor in return and effectively losing the match as a result.
"As I expected, beating Carlo is like beating me without extra steps." I thought with satisfaction, seeing the white flag pop out from the last Cuban tank while all remaining tanks went back from the battlefield. A bit annoying way for our school to keep up with demand for friendly matches and training practises, but such were the times and limitations of my school.
Narrator pow:
"Phew! That was a close one." Andou pouted, coming out of the tank as it stopped at the garage.
"I also got lucky. If they just went for first me back there, it could be diffrent." Cayenne added, walking up to her tank while her overall commander walked down to the ground.
"One time they get blinded and rush at the big prize, one time they eliminate one by one." Louis said, grabbing gently Cayenne by the shoulder. "Next time we will be ones to get the kill."
"Anyways, how does it look with the M-brothers? Are they finished with Castro?" Ella asked, jumping out of the tank and landing on the engine compartment.
"I just had talk with them, it's all fine and sorted out." Orlean responded, walking into the garage with a bag of charcoal. "Anyways, I'm paying for grill tonight!"
Maken pow:
"Let's see how many tanks I have to asset to this match..." I said to myself, taking my time with bureaucratic organisation before my school's match against Chi-Ha-Tan and Tategoto dual team. "Yeah... Nahuel Dl-43, five M-3 Stuart, three FT-17, A1E1 Independent, AMR 35, Vickers Medium Mk. II, Archer, Matilda I, Matilda II, Cruiser Mk. I because Anguilla was kind towards Turks and Caicos clan, Cruiser Mk. II, T1E4 Cunningham, Vickers E Type A, Strv L-60, Ford 3-ton Tank, Vickers Medium Mark I, CV 33, two Type 3 Ho-Ni III, Tetrarch, TMCA Salinas... That's twenty-seven tank minimum I have to field. Shucks." I said to myself, looking at the personal messeage canal with Sensha-do federation officials. "I remember Chi-Ha-Tan bringing while twenty-two tanks for sake of saving Oarai, so combined with Tatetogo they should be capable of matching the forces I need to deploy." I told myself, writing my text about the limitations on my part for the match regarding minimal number rof participants.
"Aaand send." I told to myself again, submitting the messeage and informing the right people in the right tone.
"We can make the match be a thirteen against thirteen if you agree for Tatenashi High School to join the side of Tatetogo and Chi-Ha-Tan." The response came after a minute, making my eyes go wide with passion.
"Haven't expected this unformal reply, but I'll take the bet." I said, smiling as I firstly agreed to the proposition without a room for understatement while on the other hand adding another trio consisting of Nahuel Dl-43, CV 33 and whatever tank could be brought to Trinidad and Tobago clan on the list.
"Sir, may I inquire for something?" Nakiyama asked me, politely walking in and closing the doors behind.
"This is why I have my own office to begin with, shoot." I responded happly, turning my head from the tesk towards him.
"My daughter happen to just find a KW-85 tank on sell, but they need your financing and support for it." School principal said, giving me just what I needed.
"Consider it done as long as they come with it for tommorow match. We will need them a lot more than they think." I responded with steady face, taking the small note from Nakiyama's hand and signing it without hesitation. "Now then, we got a real hard hitter for the mix. They won't even see us coming..."