ARC II chapter 27

Takashi checked the tracks for the last time, before the match and sighed in relief, when he found no sabotaged links. After all, he had read about one foreign match, where someone did so to a IS-3's crew just because the crew was a boy one, showing that there still were those stubborn "Traditionalists" running around.

"We're good to go," he said as he climbed inside the tank, noticing that Traf and George nodded in response from the turret. And in the same setup as in the last two battles - George doubling as loader and radioman, but the latter only outside combat. That was to respond faster to enemy attacks.

"And just in time," Traf commented as the flare signified the start of the match and Takashi checked that the canteen, with hot chocolate next to him, was sealed properly, so the hot drink won't be spilled.

Jouko looked at the place that she chose to snipe the enemies from, satisfied that no one was there and tapped her loader's shoulder to get her attention, before using a quick series of hand signs, also adding one to pass it to the driver. After all, words felt like a waste of energy, when she was in the middle of a match.

"No enemies ahead. Proceed slowly to A point to avoid detection," she said to the driver and soon after that, the StuG III G lumbered forward slower than what the SHT of All-stars team could call its top speed. And yet, she was happy that they had to use their own training grounds, saying a mental thanks over and over in her head to whomever did it.

Taiga knew that something was very wrong about the village. For starters, there were way too many large snowmen and the enemy was nowhere to be seen. Not even a single T-26 or the BT-42 were in sight. And that unnerved her.

Suddenly, she saw a very brief reflection of light from one of the houses and sprang into action, knowing that it had most likely spotted them as well and is preparing to fire at the first possibility.

"Mikasa! Fire at the window on our 2 o'clock! Helena, load APCR!" she shouted and the Cromwell's gunner quickly aimed her sights at the house in question at the same time as the loader put the shell into the cannon breech, shouting that they're ready to fire.

"Target locked."

"Fire!"

And a second later, the 75 mm shell flew towards its target, tearing a small circular hole into the wall of the house, missing the window by a few inches, but the small fire that lit up the frame of an enemy tank and the white flag on it indicated the success.

"Kill confirmed. A heavy tank, KV-1 model," Taiga relayed to the rest of the team, before giving the order to retreat from their spot. And just in time, because ten T-26s, the BT-42 and 2 more KV-1s suddenly emerged from their hiding spots on the other side of the village.

Boris glared at the BT-42, when it drove out from its cover and carefully aimed at it, but he knew that anything short of point-blank shot would be a certain miss. And that reminded him of a certain someone he saw only once before, unlike Mika, whom he saw at least 4 times already.

It's like she's using some sort of a modified Shimada style. Some things are different, but it still bears a striking resemblance! Can she be… a rogue Shimada? he thought, comparing the faces of the boko-loving genius and the Thief from Jatkosota, before paling, when it hit him.

Similar shape of face, eyes and style of fighting… she is a Shimada! he realized and fired at a KV-1 that most likely had spotted his tank, taking it out.

"Retreat to the main group, or we're out! We can take out the Thief another time!" he shouted and the T-34/85 then sped away, turret still facing the enemies behind it. But, he couldn't forget the crucial piece of information he uncovered by chance, wondering what led Chiyo Shimada to abandon one of her children.

Viewing platform for VIP #2

Tsuneo looked at the screen with worry in his eyes. After all, the whole match so far was going exactly like Renta said it would, except the part where the Cromwell crew took out a KV-1, forcing the enemy out from hiding.

But then, his eyes wandered to the spot, where Miho and her two escorts were, knowing full well that the so-called "White witch" of Jatkosota would take out at least one of them from her hiding spot easily. It just had the right amount of cover and was positioned in a way that a sniper would be able to cover a big and open area with shells.

Miho looked around, fully knowing that the unknown tank was unaccounted for. But, it wasn't surprising that much, unlike those 3 KV-1s, one of which was taken down by the most green team on their side thanks to sheer luck.

And yet, she with her crew, the boys' Tiger I E and one of the Panther As weren't with the rest of their forces, which were facing off with Mika and her devil of a tank. They were trying to find the sniper and deal with them, before they get a shot on the Type 3 Chi-Nu, which was the flag tank for this match.

"Want some hot chocolate?" Trafalgar's voice suddenly broke her from her thoughts and she turned to see him holding a cup of the steaming liquid, his hand outstretched towards her and she took it, soon downing the drink and giving back the cup.

But not even ten seconds later, a shell impacted with the thin armor of the upper hull's engine compartment, her tank suddenly going to a halt, as the white flag popped out.

A few moments ago

Traf quickly gave the cup to George and looked back at Miho's tank just in time to see the incoming shell, but it was too late to warn her, even with Mako's exeptional driving skills. And then, the tank suddenly came to a stop, signalling that it wasn't an APCR shell, which would've most likely bounced, if it came from that 60 angle.

"The enemy sniper is about 1km away, hidden in the woods!" he shouted after he recovered from the shock as something told him that he'll be next, if he doesn't do something.

"Takashi! Sharp right turn! George! Load HEAT!" he commanded and just as his tank finished the turn, a shell impacted the spot, where the hull was a second ago, but unbeknownst to the enemy sniper, he knew from where the shell came after looking at Miho's tank and only confirming it with that failed shot.

"Feuer frei!" he muttered as he triggered the firing mechanism and sent the shell into the woods, watching its trajectory with binoculars that Tsuneo gave to every commander just a week ago with a small smile on his lips.

And then, his confirmation came in and Traf let out a breath he wasn't aware he was holding,happy that one of the two major threats was eliminated.

"Jatkosota's StuG III unable to continue!"