Chapter 5

The next morning Traf walked straight to his tank. The headmaster was already there and even the Student council prez. He turned to him. "This tank is now officially the property of Oarai Girls High School." he announced with a giant smirk. Traf responded with his own. "Not today, tomorrow, next week, this year or until I die. My parents had friends in high circles and this," he pulled out the papers from his pocket, "is their last will as well as an Ownership confirmation on this tank." The headmaster snatched the papers with trembling hands.

"They're real..." the older man muttered and handed them back. "Very well… Until you have a full crew, you aren't allowed to join a match." Anzu sighed in relief at that. "Instructor Chono wants to see you." Traf nodded. "Lead the way then." Of course, the Public Morals Committee must choose that exact moment to show up. "No boys are allowed in the area of this school!" their leader shouted. "Sodoko, quit it now. Instructor Chono sent for him." This shut the girl immediately.

It took them about 15 minutes of walking and ignoring weird stares to get into Chono's office. Anzu knocked on the door and opened it. Traf walked in and looked around. There was a couch around another one of those small tables, a desk and a chair. On it was sitting instructor Ami Chono. "Thank you, Kadotani-san. You may leave." The Student council president nodded and left the room.

"You wanted to see me?" Traf asked. "Yes. Sit down please." He obeyed and sat on the couch. "Darjeeling's informants found two suitable crew members. They will arrive in a week." Traf nodded. "Their specializations?" "Driver and Radioman." Well… let's search for a Loader and a Gunner. This will be fun. "I think that I should infiltrate Kuromorimine. Miho told me that my tanker jacket looks like their uniform and her sister might help me." Instructor Chono narrowed her eyes. "This is too bold. But, it also has a bigger chance of finding someone suitable than sending a spy. Very well… when do you want to leave?"

He looked at her with determination. "The sooner, the better. Miho can handle their training. She is a seasoned Kommandant after all." Instructor Chono nodded. "Right. They don't need basic training anymore, so I have plenty of free time. I can transport you there in my helicopter today and distract Shiho." Traf smirked. "Good enough. I will have only to look out for Miho's sister and the other one to avoid getting caught." Chono nodded and gestured to him to get up.

But, before he went, he wrote a quick note of explanation for the girls.

8 hours later, Graf Zeppelin

Erika Itsumi, vice commander of Kuromorimine Sensha-Do team, was angry. There was an unannounced arrival of an instructor from another school. Does she want to take over the Headmistress' position as our trainer?! Definitely yes, she thought and fought over the urge to wipe her nose. She knew the compensations for such an action and she didn't want to suffer them.

The helicopter finally descended on the ground and a woman in between her 30s and 40s went out. She hugged the Headmistress like a friend at a reunion after several years. Erika rolled her eyes at that. But, something suddenly caught her eye. "Kommandant!" she whispered to Maho. "I think that we got an intruder. Should I-" But, she got interrupted by her Kommandant's arm. "I will deal with the intruder alone."

Erika slightly nodded. "As you wish." If I catch the intruder on my own and bring her or even worse, him to the Headmistress, I'll be praised. And with these thoughts, she waited for the welcoming ceremony to be disbanded.

Traf managed to find at least two good candidates for the position of Loader, when chills went down his spine. He turned around and saw a girl about his age with almost white hair and blue eyes. Her entire posture was intimidating. "Halt! I got you, spy!" she shouted and rushed at him without warning. He managed to dodge her in the last second and gulped. So, this is the girl, Miho warned me about.

He tried to find the fastest and also safest escape route to the helicopter, but that was enough for the girl to tackle him. "Who sent you?!" He chose to remain silent in response to that. "Sprechen Sie!' she commanded and raised a fist to be at the information if needed. He smirked back at her. " You will never know this. Hit me if you want it so badly." Traf tensed his body and turned his head to prepare for the impact, but the fist never met him.

Traf looked back and saw a brunette with an almost identical hairstyle to Miho's own. "Good job finding the spy, Erika-san. I will handle it from now on." Erika growled, but released him. "Come with me, bitte." Maho said as soon as he was able to stand. And he obeyed just to stay safe. If I talk correctly, it will still end as a success.

The walk was not too long and soon, he found himself entering a behemoth of a tank garage. There is the Maus hidden. Nothing else needs that much space. "Why did you lead me to the garage, where you hide the Maus?" he asked. She turned to him, her eyes hard as steel. "I am the one who should be asking questions. Not you." Traf gulped at that. "First things first, why are you here?" she continued.

"I am a part of an experimental crew, founded by Ami Chono in secret. I was looking around for a suitable person for either the position of Loader, Gunner or both." The steel mask of the older one of Nishizumi sisters seemed to melt a bit. "Which school is housing you?" she asked. "Oarai Girls High School. The same one, where Miho is. She is alright." Maho let go of her mask completely and showed shock mixed with happiness.

"And how many crew members of the team are in there?" Traf gave her a sad smile. "I am the only one there for now. Two others will arrive in a week. That is all I know about the others." She nodded. "I believe you. What is your position and tank?" The tank part must stay hidden! he reminded himself. "I am the Commander. Information about the tank is… classified. All I will tell you about it is: I have the Ownership papers for it." And with that, he showed part of the papers.

"Well, you are free to go." she announced and he sprinted out the garage after folding the papers back into one of his pockets. I should tell Miho that her sister is worried about her. And that my mission was a success.

Maho waited for five minutes before leaving the garage. And she bumped right onto Erika. "Got anything from him?" she asked. "Just that he knows where Miho is: Oarai Girls High School. I have a strange feeling about meeting her again." Erika snorted. "Oarai? They revived their Sensha-Do team?! They should have only some weak things, unable to penetrate our tanks. It will be my pleasure crushing her und her Freundlinchen."

Maho resisted the urge to facepalm. "There is one thing that you forgot. Miho is, was and will be a Nishizumi. And you know what that means, Richtig?" Erika nodded with surprise visible in her eyes. "Gut. Now, go train with your crew. I'll join Okaa-sama in her meeting. She is definitely getting worried." Both of them smirked at that joke. Shiho Nishizumi was all things, but worried when it came to her children. "Jawohl, Kommandant!" Erika saluted and left her alone.

Maho sighed. I should secretly watch the boys closely and when I find the best chance, send him to Oarai. No one must find it out, or the Nishizumi name dies out and both Oarai and Kuromorimine will be closed for supporting it… she thought and went home after managing to regain her mask of determination and no emotion.

Ami sat down on a couch in her mentor and friend's (in one person) office. It had no decorations. There were only the necessary pieces of furniture to keep it somehow less Spartan, but also more scary at the same time. "Long time no see." "Yes. Long time indeed, Ami. I heard that you are the instructor appointed for Oarai. Why are you here?"

She was ready for that question. "Well, the Oarai team is a quick learner. They also have Miho and-" "You believe in her? Even after she lost?!" Shiho cut in. Ami responded with her own glare of anger. "She managed to lead a ragtag team in a Panzer IV D to victory in a mock battle. And I believe that she went full Nishizumi on her future teammates."

Shiho slightly smiled at that. "And I heard about a boy, who claims to own a Tiger I. Did he surrender it to the team?" Ami held in her urge to smirk and sighed. "No, he didn't." Shiho's expression darkened. "But, he will give it soon. I will make sure that it happens." Her friend and mentor nodded. "The sooner, the better. If even a single boy enters Sensha-Do, it will be ruined." So, the propaganda of MEXT got you completely. Our gender is easier to control, when we are young, while boys are more stubborn… This leads the idiots from above to ban for them the only source of possible fun…

Suddenly, someone knocked on the door. Ami turned right as the door opened and almost paled. Trafalgar was dragged in by the commanders of Maus and Panzer III and he also had some fresh bruises on his face. "Frau Nishizumi, we found him sniffing near the garages. He claims to know Miho Nishizumi and that's all we got from him." The one called Sangou announced and threw him forward.

About 15 minutes ago, Kuromorimine tank garages

Traf was lost and he knew it. Surely there's a map of this behemoth somewhere… he thought. He looked around and noticed two groups of girls chatting with each other. They were too far for him to actually hear something. Luckily, he was not yet spotted and he wanted to keep it that way, so he tried his best to sneak away to the nearest street.

Suddenly, he heard a cry of alarm and ten pairs of running footsteps. Damn it! Traf froze on spot and sighed in defeat. Right after that, he was tackled for the second time in an hour. But, this time he was grabbed by his hands and pulled up by four pairs of hands. "Mein Gott! He is heavy!" one of the girls complained. He smirked for a second and looked up.

Two girls with very angry expressions stared at him. "Who are you, spy?! Why are you here?! Who sent you?!" Traf turned to the speaker. She had short black hair and brown eyes. "Sprechen Sie!" He rolled his eyes. Miho forgot to warn me about this one… and then, sudden pain erupted on his left cheek. "If you want to know something so badly… I know where Miho Nishizumi is. I know nothing else."

Suddenly, another girl came into his view. But, before she could speak, she was cut off. "Kuome! Go find Kommandant and tell her that we will take the spy to the Headmistress!" The girl nodded and ran away. "People like you are unfit for commanding-" he snarled, which earned him several punches on both cheeks and his forehead.

"Say just one more word and I'll personally gut you alive and force you to eat your own guts!" The second girl showed him a worried look for a second, but quickly changed it into the mask that Maho and Erika wore. And after that, the speaker gestured something and he started moving in that uncomfortable position towards the lair of his (for now) biggest enemy.

Shiho looked at the boy in disgust. How such a low creature dares to even wear a tanker jacket?! "Danke for handling him, you two." The successful duo nodded and sprinted out from her office, while Ami walked over to him and grabbed something from his pocket. It was a sheet of papers. The instructor put the papers on her desk and sat back down on the couch.

Shiho stared curiously at the papers. Ownership certificate for Panzerkampfwagen VI Tiger I?! And then it hit her. That document could ruin Sensha-Do. "So, this is the boy, the Oarai's headmaster was complaining about. Why is he here?" Ami gulped and seemed to think of her next words. You are with him, huh? Traitor! "He didn't show me those papers, but he asked me for a favor. That favor was simple: visit this school and tell Maho that her sister is safe in return for being the maintenance chief of the Tiger."

The headmistress of Kuromorimine almost busted out laughing. That idiot wanted to do only that in exchange for his tank?! "He also requested permission to join the mock match, where Miho won. His skills as the Gunner are… exceptional. He managed to shoot down a Type 89B I-Go from almost 1100 meters. But, he still stood no chance to her." Damn it! Why of all people must a single boy with a Tiger I get that much luck in shooting down a tank?! That makes no sense!

Suddenly, the boy stood up and bowed. "Your younger daughter is like Rommel reborn." That shocked her even more. Did he just… no. It must be my imagination. Boys would never praise anyone, but themselves! Suddenly, the door opened again and Maho entered the room. "Okaa-sama… He got punished enough by Sangou. Kuome-san told me about it." Shiho glared at her older daughter. She protects him? Oh, that means that he found her and told her about Miho… she realized after a while.

She suddenly put her mask down without even realizing it. "Renta Tsuji wants to close Oarai, no matter what." The stares from Ami, Maho and the boy immediately brought her back to her senses. "So, he would most likely accuse Oarai of cheating or put Miho against all other schools in an Annihilation match." They all looked at the boy. That sounds like Tsuji. I can't let him harm Miho, even after she enrolled somewhere else after her fault. "I guess that I can tolerate only one boy tank crew in the Tournament and later to help Oarai, until Renta gets fired. No one will mess with a Nishizumi. Ami, you and the boy can leave. Maho, we will have a talk later."

"Yes, Okaa-sama/headmistress." And after Ami and the boy left, she realized that he wasn't even trembling with fear, when he faced her, unlike any other boy she ever had the chance to see in her office, accused of spying. If I ever had a son, he would be more like him than Miho, Maho or me. Just like my husband… minus his 'always busy abroad' trait.