"Saori-san, what-"

"Miporin! I..."

"No, no, it's just... woah!"

Saori had been jolted by Miho's sudden appearance that she accidentally tossed the Bible up in the air, barely catching it with her hands. Fortunately, it escaped harm, though Saori began to apologize in consequence.

"Miporin, I'm sorry! I didn't mean-"

"Don't worry, Saori-san, I'm not mad!"

"Alright..."

"But... why did you start reading my Bible?"

"Well, Miporin, isn't that what Christians read all the time? I'm surprised to see you with one, and since I haven't read it I got curious, since you read it now."

"That's... I expected to show it tomorrow, but, here we are, I guess, heh!"

"Now, would you... like me to get Hana, Yukarin, and Mako-san as well?"

"To read it, too?"

"Of course!"

"Have they eaten yet?"

"No, but they can bring their food along if they'd like!"

"Okay... I'll be waiting here."

"I won't take long!"

Miho was sitting nervously on her bed while she watched Saori run outside to gather the rest of Anglerfish Team. This little affair was supposed to be done tomorrow, but here she was, all because she forgot to lock her door. Her friends could freely visit her room if they wished, but they never went inside while she was there, due to the door being locked. They were permitted to view whatever Miho had inside, as long as they didn't view anything more private to Miho, such as her clothing, photos, or such things, a rule they, of course, followed diligently. In Saori's case, the Bible ended up being in plain sight, though it was a bit of a rule violation. Curiosity had gotten the better of her, and curiosity was something to be found in everyone.

Shifting her mind to the upcoming, premature Bible study, Miho was beginning to regret presenting the Bible to all of the crew at once, considering the option of doing it one at a time, but withholding things from her teammates could breed distrust and cause cracks to form, not something they needed right now. But, by now she had learned much from her studies and readings, and seeing her situation, knew that for her the best option right now was to pray that all would go well, and pray she did. Hands folded and eyes closed, Miho uttered a brief, simple prayer, asking for guidance in her interactions as well as understanding from her friends. She tried to reassure herself that everything would go well, trying to build her faith that everything would be okay.

Finishing her prayer and self-reassurances, Miho opened her eyes to find Anglerfish Team standing in front of her, silently looking at her, though without a sense of judgement or negativity present in their eyes, save for Mako, though such a look was normal for a girl like her. Jolted, Miho quickly sprang into action, gesturing for her friends to make themselves comfortable in her room as she began flipping through the pages of her Bible for a proper introduction to her friends. Several options now presented themselves as Miho asked herself the question of where to start. Perhaps they should start at the very beginning, the Book of Genesis, or perhaps with some of the promises found later in the Old and in the New Testaments. Seeing the trouble Miho was encountering, Saori, having gotten a little headstart, made a suggestion.

"Miporin, might I suggest holding a vote? You give us the options and we'll see what we want."

"Sure, sure! We could start from the beginning, or we could skip ahead to some of the promises here, given our situation. Please raise one finger for the first option, and two for the second."

Everyone held up two fingers, meaning that it would be the promises that would be the proper introduction of the Bible to the rest of Anglerfish Team. As she flipped through the Bible, Miho's mind shifted to what verse should be the starting one. There were many options, especially the Beatitudes, the verses that had first gotten her to this place, which were a serious contender, but ultimately, she decided on Hebrews 11, one of the most well-known chapters of the Bible, at least to those who were its more avid readers.

This chapter was a little recap of previous stories told earlier in the Old Testament, but it was more of a commendation of the faith of the characters found in those stories. Starting from the first victim of murder, Abel, and giving examples of such faith, then Enoch, then Noah, to the pivotal figures who were Abraham, his wife Sarah, their son Isaac, and his son Jacob, going all the way to the age of the prophets, the chapter put great emphasis on faith, as the phrase "by faith" would appear and re-appear a total of 16 times throughout the chapter.

Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. For by it the elders obtained a good report. Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear.

By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts: and by it he being dead yet speaketh.

By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death; and was not found, because God had translated him: for before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God. But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him...

Anglerfish Team listened intently as Miho read, though it was divided between whether it was out of respect or actual interest, though gradually it shifted more to the latter camp, hearing the stories of the people of the Old Testament, how faith shaped them to what they went on to become, and how big of a part they had played in the large, interconnecting stories of the Bible. It gave them an interest about those characters, and it distracted them from Miho's real aim of building up confidence for the upcoming battle, as evidenced when Saori immediately asked Miho to start reading about all the men in the Bible, or when Yukari wanted to hear more of the battles of David or Joshua, much to Miho's private frustration.

"We'll get to those soon, but for now I want to focus on faith!"

"Aw... I wanted to hear the strategies..."

"Honestly, they could be useful for our upcoming match, Miho-san."

Caught off-guard by this sudden discovery, Miho abandoned her former plans and decided to flip over to some of the stories of the battles fought in the Bible, to see if there were any clues for an approach to Pravda's battle. There was Abraham's battle against the armies of Shinar, of Genesis 14, of Moses' rod delivering the victory in Exodus 17, of Jonathan and his armor-bearer's stunning defeat against the Philistines in 1 Samuel 13-14, of the famous duel between David and Goliath, and many, many more. Anglerfish spent much time studying each battle, trying to formulate a strategy that could work against Pravda. Many of them were underdog stories that fit well with their current situation, and any inspiration they could get was useful.

In the middle of this, however, the focus was broken by the sound of a ringing phone. Grabbing her phone, Miho saw that it was Jouko who was calling. Checking the time, 8pm, it was supposed to be her nightly devotional with her. Caught in a bit of an awkward situation, Miho answered the phone, formulating her answer about a few visitors being present with her in her room as all previous discussion died down. Anglerfish returned to eating their meals or engaging in small talk amongst each other as Miho conversed with her caller.

"Miho, how's it going so far?"

"Uhh... Jouko-san, I have visitors."

"Wait... I thought you never had any at this time? You're always available right now."

"Well, I got discovered."

"Oh, boy. How did they react?"

"They're thankfully receptive."

"Phew, that's good to hear. Well, are you doing a little study of your own, or something?"

"Yeah, but we're trying to apply the stories of battles to our own predicament, to try to get ideas."

"Your original intention being?"

"U-um..."

"Don't worry, I'm not mad."

"I wanted to focus on faith, but Hana-san brought up the battles argument, so we decided on that instead."

"Well, I would've preferred the former, but given your current circumstance, I can't blame you."

"Sorry, I'll try to get back on track after the tournament, or at least after the match against Pravda."

"You do you, Miho. Mind if I drag your friends into our study?"

"Oh, well, since we're already studying... by all means, Jouko-san!"

"Alright, hit 'em up, and let's really start."

Alerting her friends to the new change in course, Miho changed her volume to speaker, turned up the volume for all to hear, and as the others gathered around, Jouko held the first Bible study with Anglerfish Team.

Shimada Residence

Alice exited her room as soon as she heard the voice of her mother calling her. Excited, she ran out to see what there was to discuss. So far, university had been kind to her, she was managing despite all the stresses expected. However, her mood quickly shifted from joy to concern at the sight that greeted her. There was no sound from the television, which would be playing right now, and her mother sat silently, face sullen and somber. What had happened that Chiyo, who was usually cheerful, now appeared sad and down? Did it have to do with a close family member passing away, or perhaps something bad had just happened that threatened the family's integrity? Slowing to a walk, Alice sat next to Chiyo, who began caressing her daughter lovingly as she always did, but this time, it felt rather different from before.

For a while, the room was silent, save for the slight ruffling sound of Alice's hair as she hugged her mother tightly. She was looking at her mother's face, which didn't look back at her, only at the black, empty screen in front of her. Chiyo was trying to formulate the words she would speak to her daughter, trying to make it so what would be said wouldn't hurt any of them. But it was proving a hard endeavor, and the prospect of ruining the mood of her daughter was growing ever larger and more possible, but at the same time hard to comprehend. Breaking her gaze, she stared into the concerned face of Alice, who was staring right back at hers. Clutching her daughter more tightly, Chiyo's eyes began to fill with tears as she prepared to give her what could be some of the most devastating lectures she would give in her entire life.

"Alice, I want you to listen well to what I'm going to say."

As Alice straightened herself to properly listen to what her mother had to say, eyes and mind focused on her, Chiyo began her speech.

"Ever since you started reading that Bible, Alice, I've been feeling conflicted. It's been months since we bought it, and now, I can't find you not reading it during your free time, and I understand that you've grown very attached to it. Now that I've read it myself, as you probably know, I..."

Chiyo paused, trying to find the correct words to tell her daughter so as not to sound too blunt and hurtful, but the pleas of her daughter dissuaded her.

"It's okay, Okaa-san, you don't have to worry."

"Alice... it's just... I despise it."

Alice was taken aback as Chiyo bowed her head in shame, knowing she had done it now.

"Okaa-san... why? I... why did you let me read it if you hate it?"

"Because I didn't want to see you hurt, Alice, I don't want to see you hurt at all, whether emotionally of physically. That's how much I love you, but, it seems I've come to the breaking point now. I can't allow you to shift from the traditions of this family, as much as I want to spoil you and give you want you want. You're a Shimada first and foremost. The family must always come first, and knowing what is in that book it is a contradiction to the foundations this family was built on."

"S...So... that means..."

"I'm doing what Nishizumi-sensei did with hers, that is, throw it out. As much as I love you, Alice, I can't allow our ancestors to be dishonored."

"But, Okaa-san, I-"

Chiyo kept silent, not wishing to argue with her daughter and further hurt her feelings. Instead, she leaned forwards and tightly embraced her daughter, allowing the tears built up in her eyes to flow freely, to drip either onto the sofa or the clothes of Alice. She felt guilty, full of regret, devastated at what she was now doing to her daughter. But, if it was to preserve the integrity of the family, its name, and its sacred traditions, then what must be done must be done, even if it would hurt either of them. The ancestors were not to be dishonored in any way, at any time, for to do so was disgraceful to any member of the House of Shimada. Chiyo had a duty as the head, and she had to meet what was expected of her.

Alice, on the other hand, was taken aback at the sudden embrace, but dutifully, and tearfully, she returned it. She was upset, deeply upset that the Bible had to go, as she had grown into it, even if she felt its teachings contradictory to family traditions and values. She had read and re-read it several times, enjoying its stories and its tales of heroes and legends, and the books of songs, wise sayings, and philosophy. But now, seeing what must be done, she had little, if any choice. For centuries, it was family before anything, to honor the ancestors, and to uphold sacred tradition, for that was what was expected from her as the heiress to the Shimada Style, in addition to perfecting the Sensha-do field of her upcoming role.

However, the Bible meant much to Alice, it had helped in giving her some sort of comfort and ease as she continued her University studies, as the promises she read in it contributed to helping her reduce her stress. Without it, what now? The Bible had to be erased from memory and considered nonexistent in the records of the family. How could she cope with the stresses of university without those promises to help her? Or, perhaps, it was a test, a test of loyalty and devotion that should she pass she would be greatly rewarded. That was probably what her mother wanted her to think. If that was so, then it was best to go along with what her mother said. After all, she was the one that introduced her to Boko and the greatest bear in human history. As a young child still maturing, she had to follow what her mother told her, as she knew she knew best.

With the chat finished and the embrace broken after a while, Chiyo's mind quickly reminded her that it was around time for the usual Boko programme for television. Seeking to lift their spirits a bit, and wanting to see the sight of a happy Alice again, she turned on the television and ventured to the appropriate channel just as the show was beginning. Alice's face brightened up as she saw the all-too-familiar beat-up bear she idolized, and sat raptly, eyes glued to the screen, fully engaged with the show, doing the usual as Chiyo watched with muted happiness.

Hours later, after Alice had gone to bed and her now sound asleep, Chiyo snuck into her room and grabbed the Bible on the nightstand, to dispose of it just as Shiho had. As she left the room and neared the trashcan to do the deed, she felt a strange aura of resistance with each step closer to the can. Pushing on, she found herself in front of the trash can, Bible in hand, ready to do away with it and move on. But, she couldn't find the strength to toss it in. She tried harder, but it was as if there was a forcefield around the trashcan that prevented her from moving any closer. When she tried letting it go, her fingers felt as if they were glued on, unable to loosen their grip on the book. Frustrated, Chiyo went to another trash can, but suffered the same result.

By now, her usual composure was starting to thin, and she began coming up with other methods. When she attempted to slam it to any surface, her hand stopped before the Bible could hit that surface. Trying to bite and chew it, the forcefield traveled to her mouth, preventing it from coming close to her teeth. Trying to rip it apart, she couldn't extend her hands any further than comfortably opening it. When it came to crumpling it, her hands never got tighter than like that of holding a normal book. It refused to be discarded, it seemed. Acknowledging this, but fuming over it's determination to keep itself out of a state of being thrown away, Chiyo simply set it on a spot on the countertop where it wouldn't be so prominent, intending for it to be left alone without having to touch it again, and where Alice wouldn't be able to find it. This effort, to her relief, worked. After it was all over, she went to bed, intending to put this incident behind her and continue on the path she felt she was assigned to.

Kuromorimine Girls' Academy

At the newly-built Memorial to the Drowned Students, which had been constructed on the large, empty park inside the campus and contained the buried bodies of the two girls killed during the Finals, the first Großer Wachaufzug ceremony was coming to a close. The 3rd Battalion, the name given to the four tanks of which Koume was part of during that infamous match, was given the honor of being the first to do this particular ceremony, greatly inspired by the Großer Wachaufzug ceremonies of Berlin which had first been started in 1818. Koume herself was supervising the ceremony, shouting out the appropriate commands, though initially she had been a bit reluctant to do so, finally being convinced not long before the ceremony was due to take place. Shiho, Maho, and Erika looked on amongst the crowds of students and civilians who had gathered to watch this ceremony. No speeches were to be given.

With the burial having taken place in private earlier that morning, the ceremony begun as, to the music of the Marsch aus Petersburg, the 3rd Battalion marched onto the plaza in front of the memorial, it's design inspired by the Neue Wache in Berlin. Halting in front of the entrance, the battalion executed a left face, now facing the memorial. To the music of the Preussischer Präsentiermarsch, three students then emerged from the battalion, marching towards the entrance of the memorial in a wedge formation, before the student in the center halted, as if she were supervising their movements from afar. The other two continued on, stepping towards their positions on the memorial steps, before halting at their assigned positions and executing an about face, after which the central student marched back to the formation alone.

Once the guard of two students had been mounted onto the steps of the memorial and the central student had returned, the rest of the battalion snapped to present arms with their parade rifles as the plaza was silenced, the battalion's standard being dipped in reverence. A slow, solemn rendition of the Panzerlied was then played by the band in memoriam of the students. Afterwards, the battalion executed a snappy right face as Koume made her way to the head of the formation, before marching off the grounds, first to the Defiliermarsch of Carl Faust, followed by the interludial Parademarsch der Spiellute, played only by the fifes and drums, and finally the Yorckscher Marsch. With that, the first such ceremony came to an end, with these being scheduled to take place every Wednesday, the same day the Finals match had taken place.

At the ceremony's conclusion, Shiho left, intending to return to her usual administrative business. Maho and Erika stayed, however, taking in the ceremony that had just taken place.

"So it ends."

"Mhm... It does..."

"Too bad Miho wasn't here to do this. Would've loved to see her mess up her lines."

"...Erika?"

"Yes, Kommandant?"

"Are you still butthurt over Miho?"

"Why not? That traitor ruined what would've been a glorious moment in our history!"

"A glorious moment tarnished by the deaths of a future successor and four others? We were fortunate to have saved two."

"Deaths that would've been worth it. Nothing should stand in the way of victory, right?"

"Yeah..."

Erika was noticing that ever since the incident and Miho's departure, Maho was far less charismatic than she had been before, and that was getting her concerned. It seemed that she was severely affected by Miho leaving, something that she was glad to have happened, as not only did it remove what she perceived to be a stain on Kuromorimine's history, but also freed up a spot to get her that coveted Vice-Commander position, a position that she feared she would never attain due to her being older than Miho and therefore graduating before her. To see Maho grow more down as the days passed had been bothering Erika, and now she felt the time to bring it up.

"What's wrong, Kommandant?"

"What do you mean?"

"You've been getting more, well, depressed lately."

"Nonsense. I've been as charismatic as I've always been."

"But during matches, your voice is dimmer than it was before last year's Finals. Don't tell me Miho leaving is a result of your mood now."

"No, no, it's just... the students... it's regretful that they died."

"Of course, but... what's with me overhearing you wishing for Miho to come back?"

"I never said such things."

"B-But, Kommandant, what about that incident at the cafe, why were you-"

"That's enough, Erika. Our discussion here is ended."

"Kommandant- wait!"

Before Erika could catch her, Maho had disappeared into the rapidly dissipating crowds of people. This was getting more and more suspicious. Did Maho really want to have Miho return? Even if Erika were to keep her Vice-Commander position, she still didn't want her to show her face in Kuromorimine ever again. Thanks to her, the 10-year winning streak was gone, and to leave after that did not sit well with Erika. If Maho was sympathetic to Miho, in Erika's eyes that meant that Maho only cared about the well-being of her family, not Kuromorimine as a whole. And that she considered treasonous as well. But, loyalty and respect for her Commander was still strong, so she kept the more optimistic thoughts in her mind. But, Maho's attitude was seriously fueling her suspicions. Only time would tell what was really going on, however.

Returning to her room for a brief break after the ceremony, Erika sat down and began contemplating the events of the tournament. After Ooarai's upset match with Saunders, she had been requested by Maho to use the Drache to fly one of the crew members of Miho's tank, one Mako Reizei, to the mainland to visit her hospitalized grandmother. In that encounter, the atmosphere had been tense given the incident at the cafe, Miho's crew ready to defend her, but when reassured, they eased. Erika had objected to having to do this, but Maho had told her it was part of Sensha-do, to which she couldn't provide an argument, though she still detested having to do it, still going through with the flight anyway. That hospitable act had been one of the indicators that Maho was still sympathetic to Miho. And more noticeably, Miho was more happier than she had been in Kuromorimine.

Normally, Miho would be deeply missing life at Kuromorimine, and even with her new friends and having a "better life" at Ooarai than Kuromorimine, she would still harbor a sense of melancholy at missing her old school, and her demeanor wouldn't be as bright. Just what was it that was making her more lively, outside of her classmates? While she wanted to know what it was, Erika couldn't know it at the moment, as whatever was up with Miho was only known by her, and perhaps her closest friends, but once again, her hateful thoughts formulated a possibility. All this time, Miho had detested Kuromorimine, and intentionally made the team lose the Finals just so she could get out of there for a better life.

Soon enough, Erika grew to embrace this, which made her hatred of and desire to utterly annihilate Miho even greater, and with both Ooarai and Kuromorimine now at the Semifinals, all they had to do was beat their respective opponents before fighting it out in this year's finals. As much as Erika wanted to see Ooarai defeated, the only way for her to have complete satisfaction would be if Kuromorimine would be the ones to deal that death blow to Ooarai, to get that full, sweet revenge that she wanted to exact on the one whom she viewed a traitor and disgrace to the greatest school that ever embarked on Sensha-do, and show her that she was more worthy of being a Vice-Commander than her. The thought of it was making Erika's heart swell with enthusiasm.

That, however, would have to wait. Tomorrow, Kuromorimine would fight against St. Gloriana, and knowing them, they would provide a hard fight. The day after that, Ooarai would fight against Pravda, the champions of the previous tournament. Erika was almost certain in Ooarai's defeat, which made her disappointed in how things had gone for the tournament so far, wishing to face them now than never, and to add to her misfortune, she couldn't be able to attend that match due to her having to oversee a special event regarding the foundation of one of the minor school departments. But, such was life, and as long as Erika saw Miho unhappy, it pleased her, for to her, that was what she deserved for what she had done to Kuromorimine and it's integrity.

Erika broke from her thoughts, glancing at the clock to check the time. It was already 1pm, meaning that it was time to eat lunch, as in an hour it would be time for practice, and Maho was intending to practice hard. St. Gloriana was a tough nut to crack, but she was confident in victory. Getting up, Erika changed into her Sensha-do uniform before heading downstairs for a hearty lunch.

Pravda school carrier

"Comrades! We shall not allow our defeat against our honorable opponents in Continuation to deter us! That will be an exception, not the norm! They have taught us in the arts of battle well, so make sure that you will fight your hardest!"

"WE WILL, COMRADE KATYUSHA!"

"Good! Our next opponents may have won upset victories, and their commander may be that Nishizumi that so generously gave us victory last year, BUT THEY WILL BE NO MATCH FOR OUR STEEL! THIS TOURNAMENT WILL BE OURS FOR A SECOND YEAR!"

"URAA!"

As the cheering continued on the large practice field, Katyusha descended the podium, enthusiastically greeted by her loyal followers at the foot. It was the usual way to close a practice session, and Katyusha knew how to get the crowd riled up. Outside, she maintained her usual confident, egotistic persona that she was well-known for, but inside, she harbored a sense of dread, and she had good reason to. The match with Continuation had been a serious reality check for her and Pravda. The fact that she had been defeated despite outnumbering the enemy 4-1, all the while they had previously gone undefeated against an opponent of inferior quality for several decades up to that point, was nothing short of humiliating for the Sensha-do team, and many were now questioning whether they could be able to win this year after a loss like that, and Katyusha was sure her leadership was once again under question behind her back.

Now, so far in the tournament, Pravda had been facing relatively easy opponents, and Ooarai was supposed to be no better. But, as evidenced by their battle against St. Gloriana, then Saunders, they were proving to be much more than what they first appeared. If they could be able to at least wipe a great number of the tanks of the teams they fought against, which, mind you, were of equal quality like Pravda, how would Pravda fare? If they lost while outnumbering an opponent 4-1, here they would be outnumbering their opponent by almost 3-1, it being a 6v15, but would numbers really matter? Many instances in history featured quality winning over quantity. Ooarai was a school that had been learning very well ever since their debut. They were individually increasing in skill, and Miho's guiding hand was playing a large part in it, not to mention they had just gotten a new addition to the team. This was going to be much harder than anyone anticipated.

Retreating to her personal quarters amidst great tumult, Katyusha rubbed her head, clearly stressed and closing in on the brink. She couldn't help it but worry, worry, and worry more. A lot was hanging on this match, as not only would Pravda move on to battle for the Finals, they would also preserve their reputation. To lose to a minor school like Continuation was bad, to lose to a team with absolute beginners was a nightmare. Pravda was well-established to be one of the best in Sensha-do, but the recent setbacks were not only testing that statement, it was also making people consider if Katyusha really was the best choice for Pravda, or if someone else was more suitable for the task. She had to make sure that she stayed on her spot as Commander, no matter what. Pravda needed stunning, overwhelming victories if she was to stay. Otherwise, she'd be replaced, and without her all-powerful position, who knows what the new girl would do to her. The thought sickened her.

"Tovarisch, shall I bring you borscht and kvass?"

"That... will not be necessary... Comrade Nonna..."

"You seem stressed, Tovarisch."

"I'm not stressed! I'm just tired, we did some hard practicing today and I'm glad the team is doing well! That's all!"

"Alright, I shall agree with your views."

"Good. Now, get me Comrade Klara! I'd like to see this new, foreign addition of ours."

"I'll be on it."

Nonna pressed several buttons on her touch-pad, which sent out an announcement throughout the carrier summoning one of the students to Katyusha's quarters at once. After several minutes of waiting, a blue-eyed, blonde-haired girl walked through the large doors to Katyusha's quarters. She was almost as tall as Nonna, short by an inch. A native of Novosibirsk, Russia, her family was known for intelligence, something that, when Katyusha learned of this, she took great note of. Standing in front of the short commander, Klara snapped to attention, saluting her before easing up.

"Comrade Klara, pleasure to see you here!"

"It is equally a pleasure to see you in good health, Comrade Katyusha. Your speech was magnificent today!"

Remembering that Klara still was not too fluent in Japanese, Katyusha begrudgingly asked Nonna for a quick translation. Nonna dutifully obeyed, and acted as a translator between the two.

"Why, you are too kind! Now, for the matter at hand, I want you to make sure our counterintelligence here is good. I've had... insiders... inform me about espionage operations carried out by, coincidentally, the next school we're fighting. I want you to make sure we do not have those incidents happen to us. If I learn of ANYTHING that may have gotten secrets exposed, I will be sure to sack you from the Sensha-do team! Am I understood?"

"You have not misplaced your faith, Comrade. I will make sure that this place will be safeguarded from intruders."

"I'm glad I can trust you, Comrade Klara. You may go."

Klara again saluted before leaving the room in a hurry to begin her new duties. Katyusha, however, was not content. Even if the spies were dealt with, there were still to be that Nishizumi to deal with. Thanks to the fact she was no longer restricted by the strictness of Kuromorimine, she would have more liberty to be more creative and experimental with her tactics, meaning that not only would she be more versatile, she could also be able to counter all of Katyusha's movements, as thanks to the Finals match, she had experience against her, and could likely read her like a book. If that happened, then Katyusha wouldn't stand a chance against her in the next match, her movements predicted, and Pravda's numerically superior forces would once again meet disaster. What seemed to everyone a curb-stomp was, in reality, a very uncertain, and very taxing affair.

"You are stressing yourself too much, Tovarisch. I ask you eat a meal."

"Nonsense, I'm fine!"

"Then, perhaps I won't sing you that Cossack lullaby you always-"

"NEVERMIND! I'LL TAKE SOME!"

Without further hesitation, Nonna went to prepare dinner as Katyusha was once again left alone. However, something clicked in her mind at that very moment, related to what just happened. Through the lure of her favorite lullaby, she had been baited into accepting something she initially didn't want, and that gave her an idea, an idea that seemed to instantly solve her problems. When that idea clicked in her head, Katyusha's stresses disappeared, and she regained that confidence that she had had for much of her life. Rising to her feet, body rushing with adrenaline, feeling as if she had miraculously grown two feet at that very moment, she let out one of the loudest screams in her whole life, easily heard from across the entire carrier.

"I'VE GOT IT!"

Moments later, Nonna, still bearing the food prepared for her Commander, emerged through the door, cooly placing the dish on Katyusha's table before expressing her curiosity at what Katyusha was making such a fuss about.

"Might I inquire why I suddenly heard you yell, Tovarisch?"

"I've got it, Nonna! I've got how we're going to beat Ooarai!"

"That is...?"

"Gather all the commanders, NOW! WE MUST DISCUSS IT ALTOGETHER!"

"Isn't Darjeeling going to be here-"

"That walking enigma-spitter can wait! This is a hundred times more important! Call them now! NOW!"

Nonna dutifully obeyed the order, summoning all of Pravda's Sensha-do commanders, tank commanders included, to Katyusha's private quarters as the Commander got a map of the Semifinals battlefield. Outside, Nonna maintained her cold persona, but inside, she, too, was excited for how the match would go, especially the massive mood swing to positivity that had just come over Katyusha, confidence renewed that the little commander was going to pull off a victory tomorrow.

Continuation school carrier

Another grueling yet well-done practice session came to a close with Jouko's usual knockout of the last tank remaining on the opposing team, said tank being in this case Linder's. For the Sturmi crew's first practice session after their sicknesses, they had done very well, which had everyone's spirits up. Their quality wasn't up-to par with before, but that would improve in the coming days as the crew made a full recovery. Within a short time, the practice grounds were vacated as everyone parked their tanks and dispersed for things such as dinnertime, rest, and preparation to go to bed for the next day of practice and to watch the next match of the tournament, that being Ooarai vs. Pravda.

For Jouko and crew, however, this was going to be yet another of their nightly prayer meetings, but this meeting wouldn't be just any ordinary prayer meeting. This would be the first one with Linder actually being in attendance, sitting with them and being more involved in the study. Before, it was just the four of them, the Sturmi crew, doing these studies, but with Linder joining in, that number would now be going up to five. She was the first person who wasn't part of the original quartet, and the crew were confident that she wouldn't be the last one to hop in. Of course, in accordance with their customary Christian hospitality, they all made sure Linder felt very welcomed and comfortable. Frisell, always outspoken, was the first to greet.

"Glad to have you, Lindy!"

"'Lindy'?"

"It's a little thing of mine, nicknames are my specialty!"

"Oh, well, you're kinda good at it!"

"Aww, you didn't have to!"

Lofstrom, owing to her gruff nature, nudged Linder on the shoulder before tightly locking her arm around her in a hug, much to Linder's surprise and concern, feeling that she was about to be squished. Lofstrom was barely an inch shorter than her, but her strength was something else, something that you wouldn't expect to see from a 5'6" girl no less.

"L...Lofstrom... let go... please..."

"Mph. Nobody likes my hugs..."

"Probably because you're doing it too much-"

"I do not."

As Hannes and Lofstrom began their usual bickering, Frisell was next to give her welcome. The soft, gentle persona she bore was reminiscent of Linder in her earlier years.

"We're very glad to have you with us, this time!"

"Thanks... oough, I think Lofstrom did me too hard..."

"Oh, don't worry, you'll get used to it soon. In the meantime would you like some cold water? That practice was pretty hard."

"Yes, please!"

After Frisell left to grab Linder some cold water, Jouko was last to welcome their visitor.

"Well, well, well! I hope you're not as depressed as you were before."

"I've... gotten better. Nobody's been mad at me, thankfully."

"Great to hear. Come, take a seat, we'll be starting soon. We'd love to hear how you've been doing so far."

"Right!"

Linder quickly grabbed one of the many pillows in Jouko's bed, sitting down and making herself comfortable on the makeshift cushion just as Frisell returned with the cold water, which Linder gulped down in no time, refreshed and relaxed from the cooling nature of the water upon her heated body. Dinner had also been prepared for the meeting, and dishes were passed around the group. It was the usual Finnish food which included different types of bread rolls and other desserts, as well as a side of Asian culture which got rice in the mix, topped off with delicious fish bought from the school fish market. This would either be consumed during the Bible study, typically during the testimonies, or after.

Once the preliminary pre-study discussions and whatnot had quieted down, the Bible study began with the customary prayer. This time, it was Hannes' turn. Her voice was somewhat stressed after arguing with Lofstrom for a while, but she kept her emotions under control, for the most part. After the prayer was done, it was time for the daily testimonies. No matter the seating arrangement, the clockwise pattern remained the same, starting with the head, Jouko. However, Jouko instead allowed Linder to kick things off with her own testimony, not just throughout the day, but to also let the others know the full background of this lost sheep which was now being returned to the fold. Linder was surprised, but she duly obliged to the gesture.

"Well, thanks for letting me start off... I'll be telling quite the lengthy story, so, you might want to sit back and eat.

Back when I was living in Oulu, I used to be a good girl, you could say the living example of Christian living. I was obedient, loved reading Bible stories, had verses memorized to recite to my teacher in Sunday school, and sometimes sang or played the piano for my church, which I attended as much as I could, only missing it once or twice, much to my frustration. I was a very loving and very sweet girl, as my parents often told me, and in school I was the best to be around. Looking at me back at that point in my life, well, you couldn't imagine what I would grow to become as I grew older, my mentality shifted with age, and I got more and more exposed to the world around me and what it had in store for me.

It was when I was sixth grade that some friends of mine were listening to some rock music. I was raised to detest that sort of music, and at first I did, but the music never stopped being played and listened to, so naturally I decided to go listen to it for myself. Of course, I didn't like it at first, but everyone still pushed it at me, and needless to say their efforts gradually worked. I got more and more into it, the band in question being the Leningrad Cowboys, and fast forward a few years I got into them. I changed my hairstyle after theirs, stopped listening to classical music almost completely, and couldn't stop talking about them at school. As you can expect, I began to change in my personal life.

Rebellious, arrogant, stiff-necked, stubborn, hard-headed, and every synonym, adjective, and adverb qualifying those words were what I became. My parents told me not to listen to that stuff, but, at first, I didn't listen, and later on, I began to yell at them, call them names, insult them, and soon enough, curse and swear at them. I stopped going to church and Sunday school, getting angry when my parents told me to go when I was in the middle of listening to a Leningrad Cowboys album, I just didn't want to conform to their ideals anymore, and I wanted to live on my own terms. My parents never stopped trying to make me come back to my old ways, but I had enough of it all. I didn't want to be a Christian anymore.

I wanted to leave, to go somewhere far away from their home in Finland, and I found myself going here, to this particular school in Japan to escape. It turns out by then I had become big into the Leningrad Cowboys that I got some classmates to adopt the hairstyle and we'd spend our free time jamming and singing their songs, sometimes long into the night because of how much we loved them. We branched out to other popular rock bands as well, and once we got some instruments, we'd play songs nonstop. At first it seemed great, I didn't have a care in the world, I was living the high life. Today, I would've still been living that way of living, but then, I stumbled across you guys.

You were still being what I failed to grow up to be, devout, Christian, and generally what I was like before I turned. I saw how friendly you all were, and even if you were having arguments I could see it was all in good fun and the arguments that became serious were handled with more civility than I usually handled mine. I got reminded of all the love my parents showed me, how much they cared and that they didn't want me to fall into sin. Because of what I did, I got estranged from loving individuals who spent the better part of over a decade taking care of me, feeding me, and nurturing me. I felt guilty, as the thoughts in my head kept telling me, 'They did all the stuff they did for you, and this is how you repay them?'

Finally came the match against Kuromorimine. Before that, well, you know what, I won't talk about it. I'm sure Frisell told you all about it already, and the rest is history. I know the journey won't be too easy from here on out, but I'll try my best. If I told my past self from three years ago that I'd say this, she'd definitely call me crazy, but, I miss Jesus, I really do. And now I just want to ask you all for your prayers. I'll definitely get some flak for going back on my ways, but I'll be relying on your support. I know you'll be able to give me the encouragement I need to keep going. Thanks."

After a brief moment of silence, Frisell affirmed the team's support for Linder, but Lofstrom interjected with a reminder.

"You shouldn't look to us, God's the One you need to go to first."

Everyone else agreed, though Linder was a bit embarrassed that that thought never came to her mind. She was reassured, however, nobody couldn't really blame her too much given all the things she had gone through. With her testimony over, everyone rushed towards her to give her a warm bear hug. They hadn't even touched their food.

After the hug broke up, the others shared their own testimonies, the crew generally being thankful that they were back in good health, of course. Once that was all done, the studying part of the Bible study began. The verse, Luke 15:3-7, was chosen for this study, as they all felt it was the most appropriate for this study.

The verse was the Parable of the Lost Sheep, one of the great parables told by Jesus in the Gospels, which was the story of a Shepherd that left his 99 sheep to find one sheep that had gone missing from the rest of the flock. Taken in context of the time of Jesus, such an endeavor was very perilous and risky, as wild animals and natural obstacles could be lethal. Nevertheless, the Shepherd managed to save the missing sheep, much to His rejoicing, throwing a celebration with His friends, family, and others for them to share the joy of His success. Jesus then went on to say that it would be like that in Heaven, great rejoicing over one lost sinner who repented and turned back to God than 99 who were righteous and didn't need repentance.

During that Bible study, Linder felt a greater conviction to fully change her ways, to put aside what she so desired on earth in favor of things that pertained to her salvation. Her earthly obsessions had led her to be estranged from loving parents, in favor of listening to music that would only bring her temporary happiness. Now, she had a chance to right her wrongs, to come back to the fold, and emboldened by the Sturmi crew, Linder was determined to make it count. She was convicted, and while change wouldn't be immediate, she would be working hard to make that change in her life work and be worth it. This was to be the close of the worst chapter in her life, and the opening of what she hoped would be a better one.

Ooarai vs. Pravda

"No, stay back! We can't!~"

Miho's pleas merely fell on deaf ears. The rest of the team, emboldened by their success of knocking out three tanks early in the match, and seeing how exposed the flag tank was, had charged ahead, confident that victory would be achieved easily, leaving Miho and Anglerfish in the dust. Pravda was on the retreat, apparently frightened by Ooarai's early success, fleeing back into an abandoned town. This was the Semifinals, and already Ooarai had a good start. Pravda was on the run, and Ooarai was gaining ground. However, it had all been a bait, a bait Miho had seen coming when the kills had been suspiciously easy, and a bait she had tried earnestly, yet in vain to stop her team from falling for. Now, they were about to see what it was like to experience the trap they had fallen into.

Inside the town, Ooarai was ambushed, completely surrounded on all sides with little hope of breaking through in their current situation. Forced through the streets of the town, the team was shot at from all directions as they made their way to the safety of an abandoned church. It was devoid of its paint, it's stained glass, the seats were piled in a corner, there was no altar or podium. Its interior was completely empty, making it a good spot to take shelter, not that it was an actually good spot, it was effectively the only available hiding place for the team, and without much time to think, they had to go with what they had at their disposal. Organizing a retreat, Miho led Ooarai to the church for refuge, all while shells rained on them.

Somehow, some way, not a single tank from Ooarai had been knocked out yet. Several shells had impacted, but most those shells had hit the stronger tanks, and they were unable to really penetrate as good as they would with the weaker tanks. That didn't mean they were safe from major damage. In the attempt to withdraw, Rabbit Team had lost their main gun to a shell, barely surviving the impact. Despite this, Ooarai retreated in good order, but just before they could enter the church, Hippo Team's tracks were blown off. Initially, Anglerfish tried to serve as a buffer to protect the StuG in its retreat, but soon, Hana reported problems with the main gun, forcing both tanks to withdraw into the safety of the church.

But even inside, the barrage never ended. When they couldn't score a hit on the tanks, Pravda decided to simply bury them alive. The weight of the falling roof would surely be enough to knock them all out in a single blow, and so they began to fire everything at the church building. Dust was falling on the tanks inside, bits of stone and masonry soon following. Cracks were beginning to form all across the roof, enlarged with each impacting shell and every explosion. It seemed that Ooarai would, indeed, be buried alive, and everyone braced for the falling debris that would surely hit them, but all of a sudden, the bombardment stopped. Everyone was confused at what had happened, and why they would simply stop at their moment of victory, but all were alerted to the entrance.

Two individuals, trudging through the snow, were making their way towards Ooarai. One was carrying a white flag of truce. Everyone began to pop out of their tanks, wishing to get a look at what was going on. Miho and Momo climbed from their tanks to greet the two delegates from Pravda, one of whom said that Katyusha had a message for them. Unsurprisingly, it was Katyusha demanding their surrender.

"Please surrender," the envoy said, "I will forgive all of you if you bow before me. So she says."

While Miho was taken aback, Momo reacted with anger.

"What was that? Nuts!"

The envoys, undisturbed, resumed their delivery of Katyusha's message.

"The Captain says she has a big heart, so she will wait three hours for your response."

With a bow, the two delegates turned and left, their mission complete, leaving an agitated Ooarai, insulted by the offer and willing to fight on to the end, girls such as Erwin and Asuza wanting to try to battle their way out. Miho, however, was not as optimistic, pointing out the fact the team was surrounded on all sides. Should they try to break through, losses would be incurred, and owing to their status as a numerically inferior force, casualties were the last thing Ooarai wanted to suffer. Even if they broke out, how would they win with half their force remaining, against forces that still outnumbered them? It was simply not going to work, this was the end of the road. Despite this fact, however, Anglerfish didn't seem to mind their looming defeat too much, reassuring and comforting Miho.

"I don't care if we have to bow to her."

"It's impressive that we made it to the semifinals."

"Don't overdo it!"

Everyone seemed to agree with them, but a sharp voice broke everyone's thoughts.

"NO! WE CAN'T LOSE! WE'RE FIGHTING UNTIL THE END!"

Miho attempted to interject, but Momo continued.

"WE'RE GOING TO WIN! WE'RE GOING TO WIN THIS! WE HAVE TO WIN!"

Everyone was taken aback by Momo's burning desire to win the match. It was as if she were fighting for her life, something bad happening should they lose. Some began to question Momo, finding her attitude rather trivial.

"Why do you want to win so much?"

"We made it so far when it was just our first time out here. I think that's amazing."

"Sensha-do isn't war, there are more important things than winning."

Momo, struggling to hold her urge to reveal the news, would have none of it.

"WHAT IN ANY SINGLE PART OF THE WORLD COULD BE ANY MORE IMPORTANT THAN WINNING?!"

Miho was more than happy to oblige.

"I came to this school, met all of these people, and learned for the first time what it meant for Sensha-do to be fun. I also made friends with people from other schools, and I started reading a book that with my friends has helped me get through my struggles. I've fallen in love with both this school and Sensha-do, as well as that book I read. I'm now living a much better life than I was at Kuromorimine. That's why I want to end this tournament keeping those feelings intact."

Momo appeared insulted by this.

"What are you saying?!

Our school is gone if we lose!"

This bombshell was met with incredulousness from everyone, especially Miho.

"Our school will be gone?"

Momo, on the verge of tears, couldn't even bring herself to confirm the news, simply bowing her head, trying to hold the tears back in, leaving Anzu to do the solemn, grim deed.

"Kawashima is right. If we don't win the Nationals...

our school will be shut down."

Pravda's positions

Inside the town, surrounding the church, Pravda had gone into a period of rest and recreation. Warm campfires were set. Some crews slumbered to get as much sleep from the three-hour truce as they could, others passed the time by playing games, and a couple even spent time dancing the famous hopak around their campfires as other crew members played music or clapped along to it, encouraging their comrades in their endeavors. For Katyusha and Nonna, however, they would be part of the group who slumbered, at least for Katyusha, who sat upright, ready to sleep in her sleigh bed to get some well-deserved rest after several minutes of coordinating the trap. She was almost finished with her borscht, and Nonna was giving her the last spoonful.

"Are you confident in your decision to have this truce, Comrade Katyusha?"

"Do not question me! I am perfectly sure that they will bend the knee to me by the end of it!"

"What if-"

"They won't be that suicidal! All of our positions are secured, there's no way they'll be able to penetrate our lines!"

"One cannot be too sure..."

"Oh, quit it with the pessimism! Even if Nishizumi somehow breaks out, we'll win, there's no doubt about it, then we'll defeat whoever wins the other Semifinals and we'll get a winstreak started for Pravda, one that'll dwarf Kuromorimine's!"

Nonna simply nodded to show her agreement with her Commander, even if she disagreed with her, before starting her Cossack lullaby to get the energetic commander to sleep and get her much-needed rest. As with all other attempts, this one was a success, and within a minute Katyusha was sound asleep. Nonna stayed with her to ensure her safety. A blizzard was going to form soon, but Pravda had been well-accustomed to cold weather, so they would likely not mind it.

So, here was Pravda, sitting in the most advantageous position one could dream of. They had their outnumbered enemies completely surrounded, leaving them no hope of escape. Either they would go out with a bang, or with a whimper. Either way, Ooarai was doomed, Katyusha, her confidence levels on their usual loftiness, was sure of it. She had baited them right into her trap, and although she had almost been knocked out herself, she had managed to bottle Ooarai into an impossible situation, one that would only be solved by nothing short of a miracle.

What Katyusha failed to take in mind, however, was the fact that her opponent was a girl who was an avid reader of the Bible. And as anyone who is an avid reader of the Bible may know...

...miracles are a big part of many of its most prominent figures and stories.

Author's Note: School is tough, that's all I'll say regarding the amount of time this took to get out, but that hasn't deterred me from writing this! Brainstorming and thinking up situations has really helped me in the development of the story, and while it may take around a month to grind out a chapter, any progress I make I'll be happy with. So far, the story, for me, is going well, and I've finally found a breakthrough in my brainstorming for the All-Stars match, but I won't spoil it, of course. I'm really excited to start getting into Der Film, but that may take another chapter or two to get to.

Special thanks to PRMSA 855 for the reviews, it's definitely helped in the story's development. Again, any feedback is appreciated, whether that be praise or criticism, I'll take note and try to improve on what's wrong. Don't expect a consistent schedule, as making this depends on my mood or energy. I'll make this clear for any writers out there: DO NOT GIVE YOURSELF ANY UPLOAD SCHEDULES! It is a HORRIBLE idea that will only end up doing more harm than good. TAKE YOUR TIME, it isn't the end of the world if you don't upload consistently, as PRMSA has advised me.

I hope the read so far has been good. Judging the current pace, this is chapter 10 of the revamp, where the events in the original story are in chapter 6. In total, the OG story has 27 chapters. If we keep the current rate, we may end up at roughly 40 chapters, and if the plotlines get further developed, maybe even hit 50, or even 60. We'll have to see until then. Regarding future projects, I've considered doing a rewrite of one of the most famous GuP fanfics, Burning Sensha-do, once I finish this revamp, though judging by my current pace it may take a year, so hopefully I'll keep that idea in mind as I work. In the meantime, all focus on fanfiction will be on this one, and regarding my other fanfics, I'm afraid I may have to leave them incomplete. I cannot really work on them anymore, I'm not really motivated for them at the moment, so they'll be left abandoned.

I've talked too much, so I'll now leave it here. Thanks for the support, and happy reading!