Chapter 1: FNG

It was late spring in Aomori. Petals of cherry blossom flying around, birds chirping as they start to reproduce en masse, with the apple season in the prefecture coming around. This was of the usual for Yamamoto Araki, a person who was born and grew up in the city himself. However, this year seems to be quite a big turn of events for him, especially when he manages to somehow wake up before 6:15 AM.

"That's a record, if I say so myself." He thought while doing the morning routine, then came back to the room and took out the new uniform still folded nicely with not much dust. He received this ever during the spring break months, its wave-green still bright, and its smell pristine. The bright red splashed onto the chest does make a nice contrast to the green.

Once he finishes examining the uniform, he then thinks back to the day the announcement of his enrollment onto Krasnaya Zvezda. It was unreal to say the least, as he never really views himself as a talented individual, even if many around him think otherwise. Still, getting into a good school should help ease the worries his parents always have on him. "I wonder why I enrolled into Krasnaya Zvezda?" He ponders. It's not like the school is that elite anymore, given its recent track record in Hohei-do. Hell, a guy like him would can easily clear the benchmark needed to get into Soudainakyoukoku, no problem. But there is something that makes him attached to the Russians, especially their undying will to succeed, their guns, their BMPs, their BTRs, and their songs. "Perhaps this is a consequence of me listening to too much Soviet music." He chuckles and starts dressing himself up in a swift manner. It fits nicely, like a bespoke suit just for him only. His alarm clock soon rings, the time - 6:30 AM. "Guess it's time to get going." Araki pushes himself off the floor, folds up the futon nicely, places it in its usual spot and leaves to downstairs. Sounds of sizzling, crackling and fragrant smells enter his nose; his mother is making breakfast in the kitchen. "Must be something good today." He continues walking; then, with the grumpiest face possible, he takes a seat in the table.

"You're awake?" His mom asks, her eyes not leaving the sunny side up.

"Yeah. Just egg and toast, mom?"

"I figure anything extravagant isn't worth it. Don't want you to be late on the first day."

"Yeah. Just some egg and toast will do. You mind me getting some kompot?"

"Feel free to. Apple as always?"

"Apple as always."

Then before he was even aware, breakfast was done, with the only sign of him ever eaten it was the empty platter with some egg yolk and butter slathered and an empty cup. "I'm done. I'll do my dishes, alright?" He brings the plates up to the kitchen sink.

"No, you don't have to. Just go or you'll be late for the train." The mother waves her hand off

"It'll be fast, don't worry about it. Just some hot water and rinsing would suffice." He insists with a shrug.

"But I think doing it all in a batch would be more efficient, don't you think?"

"Y-You know what? Fair, I'll be going then." He leaves the dishes in the sink. "Bye, mom!"

"Bye! Remember to have fun at school, okay?"

"No worries!" He responds from the doorway, smiling to himself as the sleepiness goes away. "I'm sure it'll be fun, mom!"


As he was sitting on the train reading 'Zinky Boys', all eyes were on him with his striking uniform with words being thrown around at a pleasant volume.

"Hey, you see that boy over?"

"Yeah, he's of Krasnaya Zvezda, right? Heard that school still getting fresh recruits, even with their continuous problems?"

"Let's not act like it's only the Russian school in the League having some problems alright? Plus, they make good borscht, so don't bad mouth on them."

"Oh come on, you're defending them just because you get to taste some cabbage soup during their spring break festival?"

"Well, no! Of course not! It's not just that, but their skills too. You've seen what they can do in the previous tournament?"

"What? Failing miserably and not even getting through the quarter finals? Yeah, I saw it!"

"No, not that! The shot that the anti-tank made aiming at the KTO Rosomak! It was 500m, you got that!?"

"And what? That RPG-7 didn't do much against the front armor of the IFV, and then they reveal their positions and got themselves wiped out?"

"Oh really, you're no fun!"

"You're delusional!"

"No, you're delusional! Just accept that Krasnaya Zvezda still has a chance this year!"

"Only if hell freezes over."

"That's lame!" As the boy arguing shows his dissatisfaction with his face.

Araki chuckles at the two boys fighting over as he was getting to the meat of the story. That kind of ruins it, or does it? He doesn't know. It was then a girl get onto train with the same uniform he wears, though in place of the pants was actually a skirt. She has typically Japanese features, but the first word she mutters made him a little flabbergasted. "Здесь есть место? (Is there a seat here?)" It didn't take him long to answer back, however. "Да, конечно. Я говорю по-русски, так что не испытывай меня, пожалуйста. (Yes, of course. I speak Russian, so don't test me, please.)"

"Ах... Извини." The girl responds, which makes Araki shoot back a glare.

"I said, don't test me please." He repeated, this time in Japanese, with a more forceful tone.

The girl's eyes dilate around with nervousness, thinking she may have crossed some unwanted boundaries. She then clears her throat out and speaks fluent Japanese. "Ah, sorry. I just figured, since you looked to be a student of Krasnaya Zvezda, I wanted to see if you can."

"I know, I know. Russian is a beautiful language, after all. But I'm not super good at speaking it. Still taking my time to learn the grammar properly." Araki closed his book, his eyes now focused on the girl sitting next to him. "So, you're going to Krasnaya Zvezda, too?"

"Yeah. I'm super excited for today, actually." She throws a smile at him. "You too?"

"Yeah…" Araki answered as he observed the area outside the train. There it is, Krasnaya Zvezda in the flesh, with its uniquely wide building built in Orthodoxy architecture, its bright red star on the top of the building with yellow borders. "Looks like the school we're going to is over there, at the southern part of the town."

"Uh huh." The girl answers back, also being mesmerized by the fluttering view of the campus. Then she suddenly turns to him. "Wait, we haven't introduced each other, have we?"

"No? What's with it? You want to?"

"Yeah. Sorry for being impolite before, my bad. Anyway, I'm Fujihara Kyoko. Nice to meet you."

"Fujihara Kyoko…" Araki repeated the name in his mind. "The name's Yamamoto Araki. It's good to see you, too."

"Ooh, Yamamoto. Interesting... That reminds me, you know the attack on Pearl Harbor?"

"That? I heard it was the final straws that got the Americans involved with World War Two. What's with that?"

"Well… there was this commander-in-chief who shared the same surname as you that directed the attack, and the Battle of Midway too. He got killed by American aircrafts during the US's Operation Vengeance though."

"Yeah… Well uh, I'm not really into World War Two stuff, you see." Araki lets out an awkward chuckle.

"What kind of history are you into then, mister Yamamoto?"

"Anything beyond 1945, really. Like, you can see here…" The boy gestured to the book he is holding. "This book here contains accounts of the Soviet army veterans on the Soviet-Afghan war. There's not much combat here though, it's more on the humanity side of things."

"Ah, interesting… The name's Zinky Boys?"

"Yes. It refers to the coffins the dead Soviets were transported on. Pretty grim, right?"

Kyoko lightly nodded. "But that's the usual stuff."

"Yes, it is."

"Anyway, you want to talk about the Type 97 Chi Ha? That… pile of metal was good for its purpose, but it quickly fell off."

"Unless you let me rant about how revolutionary the BMP-1 was for combat vehicle design, though it has its shortcomings as well. So deal, miss Fujihara?"

"Deal!"

The couple then continues their exchanges on historical matters, with both parties gaining new insights on the topic in question.


It wasn't long until they have arrived at Krasnaya Zvezda's school gate with a little bit of time to spare. The biome inside the perimeter is completely different from the outside, with pine trees planted near the stepped entrance to the main building. Even stepping inside the place makes Araki feels a cold breeze going through his spine, though that is likely more placebo than anything. In the middle of the pine row is the school's emblem: a Russian Ground Forces emblem drawn cartoonishly, with the bird holding an AK-74M and a RPG-7 in its claws, the cavalry image in the shield replaced with a BMP-3 viewed from the top. The school is filled with students all over, wearing the same uniforms. It is lively, there's no going around it.

"Well… I guess we should part ways from here." Araki mentioned, moving away from Kyoko.

"We should be." Kyoko seemed disgruntled by that fact, however.

"What's wrong?"

"Oh… Nothing! Just… Hope we're in the same class!" Then she walks away waving.

"Yeah, hope so." Araki replied in an admittedly less than enthusiastic tone, though the girl's love the history did rub him the right way, somewhat. Anyhow, class is starting soon, and he should start looking for the class he is in.

Making his way inside, the number of student don't go down by much. They all are surrounding something. "That may be the bulletin." Araki guesses and heads down to check where his class is in. Apparently he's in class 1-4, which is apparently where Kyoko would be too. "Ain't that just convenient?" He snickered.

Going around to see the map of the school as the building was gigantic, Araki suddenly bumps into a student who seems to be in a rush. Paperwork falls all over the floor. Araki and the guy he bumps into are now both on the floor. "Ow, that hurts." He audibly notes, massaging his temple. Opening his eyes to see, Araki can observe that the boy seems to be of Caucasians descendants, not out of the usual for Krasnaya to have foreign students, especially Russians. Still, the guys quickly pick up the papers spreading all over the floor. Once that is done, Araki stands up and talks to the guy. "Hey, watch your steps, alright? You might hurt yourself not looking around one day."

The guy simply nodded with a meek face. "S-Sorry! I won't bother you again!" Once the boy checks through the pile to make sure nothing Is missing, which impresses Araki for his speed and accuracy, he quickly bows and leaves to the upper floor. "Must be some dude in the Student Council." Araki presumed, but continued on with his day.


Just through the windows of class 1-4, Araki can already see a familiar face he meets this morning.

"Hey, long time no see!" Kyoko called out with a joking tone, which got the boy to smirk up and shake his head.

"My goodness, do you think we're in a romcom or something?" Araki walks into class and approaches Kyoko's desk.

"I don't know, you tell me. Maybe Kami really wants us to be together, don't you think?"

Araki rolls his eyes. "I think you read too many mangas, miss Fujihara."

"Hey, I'm not the shallow type to read such lame mediums! I rather read war stories that has romantic elements in it!"

"How's that any different?"

"Well… There's war in the background, I guess."

"Oh suck it, don't romantic stories also have that too to justify killing someone off?"

"But at least it's based on real life. Plus, don't you know the saying 'Reality is often stranger than fiction'? There are plenty of stories that will make you raise your eyebrows."

"Oh no need to. Anyway, hello. Didn't expect you here."

"Me neither, though it is a pleasant surprise."

"For sure."

But just as the duo was about to go on a tangent on their favorite subjects again, the school bell rings to signify the beginning of the class. That cut the conversation short, but Araki has no choice but to get to his seat. It would be cumbersome to be disciplined right on the first day.

The first subject of the day is physics, taught by the homeroom teacher. However, she decides it would be a better use of time to familiarize everyone in the class. She was nice to let the class simply gloss over their books, write down some rules for the homeroom and do some quiz on mechanics. After all, it's all for the introduction. Names are thrown the class, with some catching Araki's ears like Takeba Kanata (likes playing modern military games so wanted to try Hohei-do), Fukushima Ringo (great at making Slavic food and drinks, also loves MREs for unknown reasons), Mikhail Degtyarov (son of a military engineer at Izhmash, a small-arms company), Tanaka Ichiro (future engineer in the making, love taking things apart and putting them back together), Sato Moteru (always dreamt of participating in Hohei-do because of how awesome soldiers are to him or something), Suzuki Hikaru (likes Russian artistic works, is very knowledgeable of Russian history), Kobayashi Kisaragi (if it wasn't for his voice, Araki wouldn't even notice he was in front of the class), Andrey Kalashnikov (friends of mister Degtyarov, of the legendary Kalashnikov descendant, though he wanted to be involved in the medical field instead) and Nakajima Rudolfo (of Russian-Japanese descents, with his mom from Vladivostok).

"Well, that was interesting…" Araki thought it over, not knowing he is going to form an unbreakable bond with in the future.


Eventually, the end of the day soon approach, but there was a notice sent to the students that all must attend at the auditorium after class has ended, and so here Araki is, just slowly trudging his way to the designated room with the flock of other pupils. He takes time to look more around, seeing many more flora and faunas that are an odd mix of the taiga biome and the temperate broadleaf biomes that Aomori city is known for, though the European red pines take up the majority of the woodland around here. Looking further, he can see that the mixed biome even extends far to the south, with an open field that has targets of all shapes and sizes. That is where the shooting range is located at, with some barrack-like structures a little to the west. North of the shooting range, however, is the large auditorium itself, with its plain Soviet design contrasted with colorful streaks of red and blue alternating. This place also witnesses large amount of students, but the architect looked to already have that planned out, especially if the line leading to the entrance did not stop even by a little.

Just continuing as usual, Araki bumps into his classmates he met in the morning.

"Ah, hey there." He greeted, moving closer to the Russian guy.

"Привет. (Hey.)" The boy simply greeted back. "Ты говоришь по-русски? (You speak Russian?)"

"Да, но совсем немного. Я бы не возражал, если бы ты говорил по-японски (Yes, but just a little. I wouldn't mind if you are willing to speak Japanese.)" Araki then clears his throat out.

"I see." The boy switches to Japanese. "The name's Mikhail. I think we met already, yes?"

"Yeah… You're Mikhail Degtyarov, right?"

Mikhail answers. "Yes, and you're… Yamumata Aruki?"

"It's Yamamoto Araki."

"Sorry, just not great with names. Japanese kanji is still pretty confusing to me."

"It should be."

"Oh, so you're the discouraging type?"

"Not at all, just playing it straight. Even us Japanese don't even understand all the written kanji."

"Huh… So even the natives have a hard time with it? Why even bother upholding such a complex writing system?"

"Because uh… tradition?"

"But like… why uphold tradition?"

"…I don't know, maybe ask the damn historians or something."

"Maybe… Anyway, I thought the Japanese were supposed to be polite people."

"Not me. I don't like the way we talk sometimes, I admit. Just feels freakishly fake. That's why I like Russian, it's clear, concise and it gets straight to the point."

"I can see where you are coming from. Anyway, when did you start learning?"

"I'd take it… 3 years ago."

"Wow, you sound good… for a Japanese speaker, that is."

"Well now you're just being demotivating."

"It's a Russian trait, you know? It's in our blood."

"Миша, ты здесь? (Misha, you there?)" Suddenly, another boy shouted out from the crowd.

"Да, я здесь! (Yeah, I'm over here!)" Mikhail shouted back.

Then just as the two located each other, the other boy with black hair and blue eyes speeds through the crowd and comes straight for Mikhail. "Ах, мой друг! Миша! (Ah, my friend! Misha!)"

"Андреы! (Andrey!)" Mikhail responded and the two hug each other dearly, patting on their backs. Araki was astounded to see such intimate actions taken in such crowded space. No one seems to bat much of an eye, however.

"Uh so… are you guys friends?" Araki asking the much needed question.

"Yes." Andrei answered.

"Since we're 5." Mikhail continued. "We met each other during one of the time my dad brought me to work one day. I didn't know it back then, but this little guy was actually the grandson of sir Kalashnikov here."

"Ты подружился со мной не только потому, что я бник извесного боенного инженера, не так ли? (You didn't befriend me just because I'm the grandkid of a renown military engineer, did you?)" Andrey made a snarky remark.

"Нет, ни когда, жопа! (No, never, you fuck!)" Mikhail swore, though judging by his tone, he was just playing around too.

"So uh… are you boys planning just stay around here, or are you going to get going? The ceremony is going to start soon!" Araki rallied and went into the auditorium first.

"Alright, we should go too, Andrey?"

"Разумеется! Of course!" Andrey followed suit and moved into the building with Mikhail.


It didn't take long for the students of Krasnaya Zvezda to settle down, but small talks are still thrown out left and right.

"Hey, what mandatory electives did you select this year?"

"I haven't done that yet."

"That's unusual."

"How's that unusual?"

"Aren't mandatory electives selected before the school years just like how it is for other schools in the Hohei-do and Sensha-do League?"

"Apparently with the heartbreaking loss our Hohei-do team suffered, our commander last year straight up quit doing anything. The guy even said there's no way to save this Hohei-do team. Don't you agree, miss Yamagata?"

"Well, the first year guy in the Student Council did say he understand where the commander is coming from, and therefore, he decided to make one of the first year to be commander for this year. He thought they would be able to bring about some kind of reform to the club, which should be his second year by now."

"That's crazy! You think he has a screw loose in his head?"

"With all the kompot he drinks, I'm pretty sure that might be the case." The girls giggle, then continue.

"But for me, I think that could prove to be push needed to us to be something more than incompetent. It's not like our soldiers are bad, but Krasnaya is led by… donkeys."

"Yes, indeed. The officers really are donkeys sometimes. Even I have to wonder about the decisions they make."

"I… Yeah. Anyway, what are you planning to choose this year?"

"Me? I want to join the chemistry club. They seem to thriving as always, having close ties to the Chemical Society of Japan. I heard some students there even have scholarships and are currently studying in St. Petersburg majoring in chemistry. What about you?"

"Oh, for me? Well, I'm going to continue my pursuit in cooking. I am satisfied with what we put out during last year's spring break festival."

"Heck yes! Your borscht was a hit with the residence here, you know? What ingredients you put in the soup anyway?"

"Let's see, it's…"

"Hey, finally found you!" A girl suddenly sat beside Araki, eavesdropping at the girls on the front rows.

"Ah, it's you…" Araki responded in a less than enthusiastic manner, again.

"Yep, yours truly here, mister Yamamoto. What kept you from getting here anyway? Didn't see you in here until now."

"Got stuck with some Russian classmates we have."

"Ah, Mikhail and Andrey, yes?"

"Mhm. They seem to be close friends."

"Yeah…"

Looking beside him, he can see some of his other classmates – Kisaragi and Ichiro. Ichiro was easy to spot, but Kisaragi was the exact opposite. It is only by him talking with Ichiro that Araki even notices him, a sentiment also shared by Kyoko.

But the sounds bouncing around the auditorium suddenly stop when a figure walks onto the stage. The silence is deafening, to say the least.

"Attention!" The man said with a commanding voice, prompting all students to stand up, their hands close to their torsos. The room's wild atmosphere was suddenly killed off, leaving behind a moment for students to adjust their mind. It was like that for 30 seconds, though that 30 seconds felt more like 5 minutes.

"At ease!" The principal told, and all the students sat down. Then he bows and steps to the stand with a microphone attached onto it. He plays around with it, testing to see if there is any problem, then speak up. Then, clearing his throat, he starts. "Good afternoon to all students of Krasnaya Zvezda. It is an honor to speak to all 2253 students present in the auditorium here. My name is Inoue Tetsuo, and I am the principal of this beloved academy. If you do not know already, all Hohei-do League schools are to hold a start-of-the-school-year ceremony once the first day of school has finished. This is a tradition that we have upheld for years, and we are proud, as it is a symbol for a fresh start. Though we have experienced both ups and downs the previous, it is important to remember both, for they would be our motivations to create a wonderful year ahead of us. Now, I understand your concerns about our… misstep last year, but that matter is being addressed now. Plus, we shouldn't let that event ruin our mood for the new year. Anyhow…" Suddenly, the same Caucasian boy Araki met this morning steps onto the podium and whispers something to the principal, of which the man nods. "I see that since we haven't compiled our mandatory electives, I'd say it is about time we do it now."

Then, a group of students coming from the stage goes through the seats, giving each pupil a piece of paper to choose the mandatory electives. With a glance, Araki sees that the mandatory electives are: chemistry club, theoretical physics club, cooking club, engineering club, humanities club, history club and finally, the Hohei-do club.

Now, Araki did have to think for a little, but quickly he chooses the Hohei-do electives. He himself enjoyed playing war games while he's young, and he did just spend his entire spring break playing Defusal matches in the shoot house near the center of Aomori. There is something exhilarating about combat to him, though he does not understand his attachment to it. It could be his ancestors' gene acting up, but he doesn't believe in that kind of shenanigan.

"Hey, what elective did you choose, mister Yamamoto?" Kyoko asked, veering to his side.

"Hohei-do. I had some early contacts with it playing Defusal during middle school, so I reckon it would be somewhat similar too. What about you?"

"Hohei-do too."

"Hohei-do? I thought that sport is for boys only."

"First off, that's kind of sexist. Second, you're right, but not really. Third, look at that asterisk on Hohei-do."

Araki inspects to see the asterisk just like Kyoko said. Apparently, there's a note with an asterisk on the bottom. "Girls can participate Hohei-do too, though only in roles where they suit best to their physical abilities."

"But like… are you good at anything else?"

"Well… I'm decent enough at Sensha-do, but I figure I wouldn't like the way it is now."

"Any reason?"

"Kuromorimine keeps on dominating the competition for 9 years straight until last year when Pravda wins, though to me, that's more like a dishonorable fluke. Katyusha taking the shot at the Tiger I while its commander was coming to save their teammates was just the worst."

"Got it… Why didn't you choose history though? That fits you like a glove."

"Let's just say I like it when I get to actually touch historical relics, alright? Plus, I'm more into military history, which wouldn't bode well with the guys there."

"Yeah… Yeah, that's fair."

"We also choose Hohei-do too!" Ichiro called out.

"You? You're Tanaka Ichiro, correct?" Kyoko asked.

"Yes, and this is Kobayashi Kisaragi. Say hello to everyone, mister Kobayashi."

"Hello, i-it's nice to meet you. I-I'm Kobayashi Kisaragi. I hope w-we can good friends." Kisaragi meekly greeted.

"Me too. The name's Yamamoto Araki. And don't be shy around me, okay? It'll be better if you don't make yourself so small all the time. It's hard to acknowledge you."

"N-No! I-It's not my fault I'm sh-short!" Kisaragi was offended at the remark.

"A-Ah! Sorry, sorry! That was insensitive!" Araki apologized, which makes Kisaragi a bit panicked.

"N-No no, it's fine! I-I understand where you are coming from."

"Anyway, mister Tanaka… Why does he keep stuttering like that? Any issues?"

"Nothing really. He's just not adept at talking with people, I think. Anyway, it seems all four of us share the same electives, yes?"

"All four?" Kyoko interjects.

"Y-Yes! I signed up for it too! Mister Tanaka said that my ability to-to… disappear could prove useful."

"Wow… Are you actually serious?" Araki snapped back with a questioning expression.

"O-One hundred percent!"

"Well, alright! That makes it four then!" Kyoko happily remarked.

"Alright alright, everyone! It's time we take back those papers." The principal notify, with the same group of student getting the elective choices back. The compiling was very fast, 5 minutes max. Then the principal steps down, with the one replacing him having a menacing gaze upon the students. A simple gaze from him can make someone feels freezing.

"Alright, so… it seems we have finished on choosing our electives. I'm truly sorry for this inconvenience, but it is necessary since we didn't have time to do it before the school year starts. Anyhow, as President of the Student Council, I – Arahata Hajime – request for all students who signed their electives as Hohei-do to stay in the auditorium. Everyone else, feel free to go home for today. The mandatory electives, which occur during the extracurricular period of the school in late afternoon, will start from tomorrow. I wish everyone a safe trip home, and I thank you for your presence here." The figure said, then stays on the podium, while the principal leaves to his office.

Students start leaving the room, with their footstep fasten as their excitement grows when they finally got to get home. For the group that stays behind however, something nags on them, like a great danger is approaching them. It didn't take long for the students to clear out, with the auditorium now only containing roughly 500 people.

The Student Council President who stayed behind clears his throat and speaks up again. "Attention to all members of the Hohei-do club, new and old, I am truly sorry to hold you back like this, but there is something important that a member of the Council wanted to say, of which I have already agreed to. To that, please welcome Alexander Margelov."

Then, that Caucasian boy with red-brown hair and brown eyes steps up the speaker, though some of the senior members of the club look at him in a disgruntled way.

"Спасибо, спасибо! (Thank you, thank you!)" He bows, then talks again in fluent Japanese. "As you may know, our previous commander Kolya has left his position vacant, to which I occupy in his stead, as he wishes himself. I think all of our senior members know this, but I have promised him to reform our club, as our defeat last year was an eye opener as to how far we have fallen down. The fact that we can't even get through the quarter finals is a shame, in of itself, but the fact that our Polish brothers beat us so cleanly with their signature hussar tactics and our clumsy responses show that we have to change, or else we would be the Chi Ha Tan of Hohei-do, a title I think none of us wanted to taint this beautiful institution with."

When Alexander mentioned that, Araki cannot help to clench his fist. If Krasnaya Zvezda were to ever be called as that, it would be, plainly put, dishonorable. It seems the senior officers also share the same thought on the matter.

"I see we all seem to agree on it. Good." Alexander nods in satisfaction. "I understand the way I found myself leading the club can be… preposterous for some of our beloved members here, but know I do not intend to actually lead the club this year, which is also why I haven't given myself a Russian name for myself yet."

"Hey, you think he's going through that plan he laid out to the commander?"

"Probably, there's a reason he was given this position after all."

"Man, I should have been the one leading this club."

"Not when you keep on chewing that baklava in your mouth."

"Заткнис! (Shut up!) With that mouth, you are not getting anyone on your side if you're the commander."

"Man, I hope he actually succeed in his objective."

"This little guy is letting the power getting into his head, is he?"

The President, seeing things going out of control, decides to clears his throat loudly, which effectively silences the room.

"…Thank you." Alexander smiled at Hajime and continued. "So, I have decided to organized a competition for the first year at this club to compete for the commander position, which will take place 3 weeks before the 18th National Hohei-do Tournament." Which by Araki's count, is roughly more than a month from now.

The auditorium almost erupted due to the controversial decision, but Hajime's glare made the seniors nervous to even snap back.

"I understand how upsetting it is for you, but I think to actually fix our command chain, a first year commander is necessary. The new insight they have could be the renaissance we needed all along. So… here are the list of the candidates I have." Alexander swaps the paper around and reads them out one by one. They all seems to be odd names from other first year classes, but then suddenly, at the 10th candidate, Araki hears his named spelled out. That was also the last candidate ever named.

"Ah shoot, that high score I had on history is really coming back to bite my ass, hadn't it?" He thought, annoyed and happy at the same time.

'So, that's all the name I have finally decided. All 10 of you will compete in two stages: theoretical and practical. The theoretical stage has you play a game of Company of Heroes against an AI. Your goal is to win with a low casualty number. The two with the lowest numbers of casualties will advance to the practical stage, where you will get to command the club's soldiers. The distribution will be placed even to make sure both side are balanced, even if it could be asymmetrical. I'll make sure to directly oversee the placement of the squads allocated to the candidates. The match will be of the usual small size skirmish, 40v40. Any question?" Alexander stopped to see if there is anyone.

Araki raises his hand. "Hey, what is skirmish, anyway? I'm not entirely familiar with Hohei-do."

"Ah, well no worries. That question will be answered over the course of the rookie training period, which starts from tomorrow and ends when I initiate the competition. Should fit in nicely." Then Alexander checks his wrist, that has a watch on it. "Alright, I guess that would wrap it up nicely for today. Again, the training regimen will start from tomorrow. We'll get you updated on rules of Hohei-do, roles on the battlefield, weapons and vehicles you're going to operate, and we'll make sure all members are battle ready. Is that clear?" Alexander looks at the crowd in the auditorium.

"Clear!" The room responded, but the enthusiasm was less than stellar.

The guy clears his throat again, and speaks loudly in Russian. "Понятный? (Clear?)"

"Так точно, понятый! (Yes sir, understood!)" The room shouted back.

"Хорошо! (Good!) Keep up that spirit and I believe we'll be able to bounce back. Anyhow, I wish us a good year playing in the League. За красную звезду! (For Krasnaya Zvezda!)" Alexander bows and steps down from the podium, giving way for the President to step up.

"Okay, that marks the end of this personal announcement we have for the club. You're free to go home now. I wish you all to succeed in this new school year. Good luck out there, soldiers!"

And thus, the meeting is dismissed.


"Heh, so that's what happened to them. That sucks." Miss Yamamoto notes to herself watching the news on TV about the details of the incident that happened during the 62nd National High School Sensha-do Tournament's finals. The interviewer is asking Nishizumi Maho about matters relating to the coverage.

"Miss Nishizumi, is it true that Akaboshi Koume is able to participate in Sensha-do again now?"

"Yes, I can assert that Vice-Commander Koume is now in good conditions to return to the club, thankfully. It is thanks to our solidarity that we were able to help her go back into a tank in the first place."

"Then what about your sister Nishizumi Miho? Where is she right now?"

"Ah… I see you are getting into very sensitive territory right now."

"Ah, my mistake. I don't mean any harm to you, her or the Nishizumi family, but I think all of us are very curious about her disappearance after Kuromorimine's lost."

"Yes, I would be too, I must admit. But right now, she needs some time for herself to sort things out. Experiencing something of that caliber must be very heavy to process, don't you think?"

"Yes, I agree."

"Then I think you understood how important it is to give her some space. For now, however, I must go now. It is currently training time, and my teams need me."

"I see, hard at work to regain the Victory Flag. So… do you have special plans for Pravda this year?"

"No, not really. I feel that the previous year's failure simply happenstance, and I want to prove that the Nishizumi style will rise above all and bring us to victory. Anyway, I reckon you are out of time here?"

"A-Ah, yes actually. I think we are overstepping boundaries here. I apologize for that, miss Nishizumi."

"No worries. Now, let us part ways from each other."

And just like that, the commander of Kuromorimine left the camera. It is also right then that ruffled sounds can be heard from the door way.

Araki walks through the living room where his mom is in, which offers her an opportunity to ask him. "Hey, how's school today?" She asks, still focusing on folding the clothes.

Araki smirks slightly, unbeknownst to him. "It was okay, mom. Met some friends, joined some club. That's all."

"That's it?"

"Yes. Anyway, I'll be home late from now. Club needs me to stay back at school. And I'm going to be at my room now."

"What are you doing there then? Homework?"

"No, not just that. I'm also busy with other stuffs too."

"Oh, okay. Remember to come down once dinner is done, okay?"

"Sure." And Araki makes his way to his own beloved room.

Once he is in his room, he places down his backpack, storing the relatively light homework already done in class. He then turns on the PC in his room, takes out some military strategy books and puts it on the table. His mouse hovers the icon, its name reads 'Company of Heroes'.

"I can't believe this day would come…" He mutters to himself, shaking his head as he double-clicks onto the game.