All-Stars University battlegrounds - 2 days before the exhibition match

Shells whistled past, rounds exploded, and the greatest of bursts and flashes were seen all across the battlefield. Dozens of tanks, all in sublimely-organized symphony at the highest possible intensity, battling one another in a ceaseless and brilliant display of chaos and confusion, the epitome of those two words. In the heat of it all, you could expect next to nothing, everything was happening everywhere all at once, there was no room to think, no room for rest or any sense of relaxation. There was only tiring effort, quick thinking, anxiety, stress, confusion, determination, buckets of sweat, and the most extreme focus. Everything was happening all around them, countless shells were striking their vehicles, at any moment any one of them could be knocked out, even before they realized what was going on. It was impossible for a normal person to maintain this level of effort for an extended period of time, if they could even last that long before simply fainting from the stress of it all.

Yet, for these young women, barely adults, this was just another normal, albeit somewhat stressful and unpredictable round of practice, and for Alice, it was simply yet another normal, boring Monday, with those seemingly boring bonding times with her mother eliciting a deal more of fun than this annihilation match. Where Sensha-do had been fun at first, it had now grown to become a chore, an obligatory duty by this point, even if she was in the heat of battle, having done this sport since she was a mere toddler, and it clearly showed in her monotone voice and unenthusiastic expression. Standing out of her cupola as she surveyed the action from a far distance, she radioed her orders to the tanks of her choosing, able to view the entire battlefield from her elevated vantage point. By now, the battle was much in her favor, though the enemy was stubbornly holding on to their position, and making the match a slog for her side. Noticing a weak spot, Alice decided to just get this match over with.

"Tanks twelve, eight, and seven, their weak spot has been identified, attack that smaller group of Pershings and annihilate accordingly..."

"Received, Commander! Attacking now!"

Alice watched with disinterested eyes as her orders were carried out with the highest precision. Firing with their usual accuracy, the three tanks bored into the unexpecting group of Pershings, doing away with them with ease. Once this weakness was exploited, Alice indifferently ordered an all-out assault, and, wanting to get some action herself, ordered the Centurion to join the fight as well. Charging ahead of the formation, the Centurion barreled into the now-disorganized group of opponents, firing wildly as Alice directed her crew with clear and snappy commands. One tank after another was being knocked out by Alice's shells, and the rest of her team were equally charged up, firing wildly into the masses of their fleeing opponents. Dozens of shells bounced off the Centurion, some digging deeper than others, but it kept moving as if it didn't care, treating that superficial damage just as they were, mere flesh wounds and nothing more than that.

As the numbers of the enemy team dwindled, one of Alice's Pershings, bearing a blue triangle on its armor, surged forward, pushing ahead of the Centurion, and fired a single shot. The shell traveled the distance in less than a second, and struck the last fleeing Pershing, which instantly popped a white flag. Immediately after, a voice rang out across the entire battlefield.

"Practice match has concluded with Team A's victory! Well done, everyone!"

Immediately, all on either side exited their tanks, and thanked each other for the match. As everyone began to head back for the debriefing and break, Alice met with Rumi to congratulate her on getting the final kill, which Rumi happily thanked Alice for, chatting with each other as they rode back to the hangars.

Alice, however, didn't really feel any success or senses of accomplishment. Sure, she had won a 20v20, but what hadn't she won? So many victories under her belt, so many trophies and whatnot that the fun of the first few victories had simply disappeared. There was no charm to it anymore, it was just normal now, as normal as reading a book or walking. Alice wasn't having any fun anymore. It was just same old, same old, two hours every single day, and it had been the norm for eight years. Ever since Alice had first participated in a Sensha-do match at the age of five, she noticed how the fun and the excitement gradually wore out, how she had gone from absolutely excited at fighting a match to just wanting to do something else that she knew would be more fun than this sport, but for the sake of being a Shimada, she was unable to, forced to keep up this repetitive sport until her dying day.

Seated right next to Chiyo at the small bench, the Sturmi crew watched as the match progressed, finally able to witness an All-Stars practice round in person. Needless to say, it was a big wake-up call. At the same time, it was chaos and order, organization amidst disarray, something only the greatest of Sensha-do practitioners could hope to pull off in battle. But what was All-Stars without being Sensha-do's new definition of greatness, having dethroned LITERAL ADULTS WHO HAD MORE EXPERIENCE THAN THEM just a few weeks before. As the match concluded, the crew began to talk amongst themselves as Chiyo left them to their own devices to go deliver the debrief to the team, pleased to have seen another successful practice match that lived up to her demanding standards.

"So... you think we'll win?"

"Loff, don't be so pessimistic, of course we will!"

"Shh, not here! Shimada-san will hear us!"

"Oh, Frisbee, she won't mind, that woman basically has infinite patience!"

"While we baboons argue, my question's still hanging here, Jouko."

Jouko was still staring at the screen, clearly mesmerized by the match that had just taken place. It was the first time she had seen an All-Stars match, and it was just as what she had been told. Everything was so coordinated, organized, skillful, and all other synonyms qualifying those words. There was just something about All-Stars' combat style that brought a sense of awe and weakness in someone, intimidation. Jouko didn't put her feelings to words, but inside, she was with in agreement with Lofstrom in that they probably didn't have much of a chance in defeating Alice after all. If she could manage in that much chaos and confusion without effort, how easy could she manage in a one-on-one? Not to mention she also had much more experience than the Sturmi crew, even though she was younger.

"Jouk, have you seen a ghost or something?"

"Nah, it seems she's still gawking over the match."

"Let's just go eat, I hope she's learned a thing or two from the match, because I couldn't keep track..."

"Who can keep track of this, Frisell?! Everything's happening at once and, I swear, if I go through something like that again my brain will explode!"

"Bold words from someone who drives like she's downed eighteen shots of Karjala..."

"Oh, shut up, at least I wasn't the one who nearly broke her foot once!"

"More bold words from someone who nearly got us all killed from jerking levers too hard..."

"THAT IS NOT MY FAULT, BLAME THAT ON THE MAINTENANCE!"

"Yeah... sure..."

"Jouko? You're still in space?"

"Yep, she is... I'll take care of it!"

"Hannes, don't do it too loud!~"

"Relax... I'll make sure she doesn't go deaf...

HEY! BLONDIE! IT'S TIME FOR LUNCHIES!"

Jouko was jolted awake as Hannes' voice pierced her eardrums, bouncing and falling off the bench she was sitting on as Hannes and Lofstrom struggled to hold their laughter, and Frisell rushed to tend to Jouko, scolding them as she helped her friend up. Jouko rubbed her ear and wiggled her finger in it to try to clear it up. After that, saying nothing else, she joined the others in going to eat with Chiyo and Alice at the cafeteria, where the food was known for being some of the best in Japan.

The cafeteria was alive with chatter, chewing and crunching, and the sounds of silverware clattering on plastic dishes as lunch was in full effect. Thousands of students ate all at once, consuming thousands of pounds of food whilst talking about current events going on wherever. The Sturmi crew struggled to find a seat, having already spent almost two hours waiting to get served their food. At first, they had been told attendants would go usher them to a private lunch with the Shimadas, but having seen no sign of them for thirty minutes, just went ahead to get their on food, and now they were moving amidst a vast sea of adults whose larger bodies obscured their vision of the tables. Even the tall Jouko couldn't find a vacant seat, and one could wonder how on earth these adults were all able to find their seats, even those who were latecomers. If they had a memory system in place, then these adults' memories were truly something else. Jouko, struggling to catch a glimpse of a vacant seat, stood on her toes to try to get a better view, only to suddenly receive a rude awakening.

"OY! YOU, SUMMIE!"

Jouko jumped, almost dropping her dish and all the delicious food it possessed in the process. Quickly turning this way and that to find the culprit, she finally caught sight of a blonde-haired girl visibly trying to not show any signs of amusement as she continued eating. She looked like Darjeeling, the difference being that her hair was down instead of being tied in a braid, and, more strangely, having a saber tied to her belt. Right next to her, however, was a bunch of empty seats, which the Sturmi crew didn't hesitate for a moment to take, finally able to sit down and relax their arms after having spent so many minutes walking around and holding their dishes, which by this time were cold and not as pleasant to eat anymore, much to their frustration once they found out. But, at least they had seats, finally, although it would've been better to have had a more quiet method of finding them.

After saying a prayer, Jouko and the others began devouring their food like there was no tomorrow, stomachs aching after going so long since breakfast, so much so that the students next to them began to start shooting dirty looks. Eventually, that same blonde-haired girl spoke again, though fortunately not as obnoxious as a few minutes before.

"Hey, aren't you acting a bit... weird around here?"

"I mean, you did call us 'Summie' earlier, so I'd consider that a bit weird too!"

"Hannes, calm down..."

"Well, I'll apologize, and in case you didn't know, that was a play on how you usually call yourselves in your native tongue."

"No worries... no worries..."

"So, what's with the neanderthal-like style of eating you're going for here?"

"Sorry, we're pretty hungry, we ate breakfast early and now we've had to try to navigate this place, of course we'd be hungry."

"Well, that's how things are around here. Once you start living here, you won't be experiencing the same problems, you can take my word for it."

"I guess... mind telling me what your name is?"

"Me? Name's Earl Grey, former com-"

"EARL GREY?! T... THE EARL GREY?!"

"Hannes! You're too loud... people... ugh..."

Everyone within a 5-yard radius instantly went silent and at once turned their heads towards Hannes, who had shot up from her seat and was now on her feet out of a mix of shock and excitement, as Earl Grey, once again, struggled to contain her laughter as an embarrassed Sturmi crew, especially Hannes, continued eating to try to get out of the situation, which eventually returned to normal. With that little episode out of the way, Jouko continued her conversation with this Earl Grey.

"So, from what I've heard... you used to be St. Gloriana's commander."

"Bullseye, though what's funny is I originally wanted to do some stand-up comedy after graduating, but it got boring after two weeks since my punchlines weren't hitting, so I just enrolled here and here we are."

"Well... how's it going here, so far?"

"Eh, pretty mediocre, Sensha-do battles were fun at first, now it's just the same thing all over again every day for two hours, I won't be too surprised if Alice herself shares my sentiments. Only fun I've gotten is pranking some classmates; once, I strung a bag containing toilet water onto a door frame, and once my poor victim entered, woop, zoop, sloop, she was running down the halls, screaming and waving her arms like crazy as she ran for the nearest bathroom she could find. How I or anybody else in that room didn't die of laughter, science is unable to explain."

Inside, Jouko almost laughed, but mentally smacked herself to prevent her from laughing at a poor girl's shame and misery.

"Ouch... and I presume you never got caught? I mean, I have heard this school's rules are pretty strict."

"I did, she snitched, so I had to meet with the big woman herself as well as miss three consecutive Sensha-do matches as punishment."

"Oh, I guess things aren't as loose here."

"Eh, depends on who snitches and who doesn't, which is why, since then, I've been picking my targets more carefully. Anyone I know who won't snitch gets the Darjeeling skirt special, anyone I know who does snitch I obviously leave alone."

"The 'Darjeeling skirt special?'"

"Something, something, lifting up someone's skirt up to reveal their panties, classic trick I've done on my successor once to teach her a lesson."

"I must say, you've trained her patience well. I've watched her matches online, she never loses her cool, except for that one match against Ooarai."

"Oh, yeah, she's as impossible to break as Chiyo. Speaking of Ooarai, I'm actually thinking they may beat Kuromorimine. Pravda and Saunders already bit the dust, and I had a hard time struggling even when my numbers equaled theirs. I wonder how Ooarai's gonna handle it."

"Unfortunately, it seems you'll have to be watching my match with Alice first, and I'll admit after seeing you fight earlier I'm not as hopeful as I was before."

"I mean, it takes a great deal of skill to even be considered for an honor like this, though, and I mean no offense here, but I'm suspecting there was a bit of bias considering, well, you're Finnish, a foreigner from Europe."

"Yeah, I suspect that too, I think I'm the first foreigner to participate in Sensha-do."

"Nah, we already had one from Germany, name was Emi, and from what I've heard she was childhood friends with Miho Nishizumi. Speaking of which, you know her?"

"Yeah, we talk. Every night I give Bible studies with her-"

"Wait! Wait! Wait! Let me hear that again? You give what?"

"Bible studies."

"So, you're Christian."

"Mhm. Born and raised by devout Lutherans in northern Finland."

"Huh... interesting... not many of your kind here... Two things. One, how long have you been doing these 'Bible studies' for?"

"Ever since the tournament began, we first became friends at the drawing ceremony for this year's tournament, though we first met in a practice match last year. Obviously, we lost, but I think you know how it went down."

"Yep, I saw it all, I'll just tell you, you probably gave me some ideas with that ramming attack."

"Oh, thanks, then..."

"Of course!"

"Is there anything else?"

"I wouldn't want to really infringe on religion, not too good at that stuff, so I'll just move on."

"Sure, I'll respect your concerns."

"Two, how's Finland like? All I know about it is it's cold, it has a lot of good drinks, and that's about it. What's it like where you live?"

"We live in the middle of the woods, we have some animals like chickens, that originated form an overseas purchase before I was born, and some fish we grew in a pond. If it's spring and not snowing, then that's where we let the fish grow, but once it freezes over, we bring as many as we can fit in our small aquariums and kill the rest, a process that, once you know me, I don't like to do, same with the chickens."

"Why's that? I do that all the time with my chickens and pigs and other animals and I don't have a care in the world."

"Well... I'm a lover of nature and what God has created: the animals, the grass, the fields, the skies, the sun, moon, stars..."

"Oooookay... let's calm down a bit there, I get what you're saying, you love animals and nature."

"Yep."

"Back to Finland, how cold is it there? Lots of snow or little snow?"

"When it's winter, there's a lot of snow, basically a winter wonderland with all the snow there is around you, and with that snow comes VERY LOW temperatures. Sometimes it gets so cold that we all have to huddle tightly together to keep warm; fortunately, we later had electricity installed, so it wasn't as bad after that."

"Just as I expected. Last question, how's life at Continuation? Is it boring, is there drama, controversy, showbiz, anything?"

"Not really, just a normal school that does Sensha-do."

"Point taken, though man, I'm just disappointed you had to get sick right after the first match. I mean, even without you Continuation still did well against Kuromorimine, and that replacement crew that manned your tank almost got the flag tank, but I'm sure you would've gotten the victory if you were there."

"Honestly, I'm glad I got sick."

"Huh? Why's that?"

"First, Linder, that's the name of the commander of the replacement crew, managed to get some good experience fighting against a major school, and when she later came pretty depressed about the loss, I was able to lift her up and help her get a better view of life. Since then, she's been more happy and alive than before."

"Oh, that's pretty nice! Wish she could come here, I'd love to give her some tips."

"Well, she has to stay, unfortunately, this invitation was only reserved for us."

"Right, right. Maybe in a couple years or so, who knows!"

"I hope... oh, what's that?"

The conversation was immediately interrupted as the loudspeaker made an announcement throughout the entire cafeteria.

"The Headmistress Chiyo Shimada is calling the following students to her personal office immediately: Jouko Hällevanen, Lofstrom Pelakile, Hannes Velekkinen, and Frisell Tømmersson."

"Looks like you and the crew better get going. Was really nice talking to you, Jouko."

"Same to you... what was it again?"

"Earl Grey."

"Alright, see you, Earl Grey."

"Break a leg."

Continuation

"Mika-san... are you sure Jouko-san will be okay with this?"

"It is impossible for mankind to subjugate all of nature... and with nature is desperation, and with desperation is... creativity."

"I must repeat myself, Mika-san, once Jouko-san finds out, she'll be mad, and I don't want the team to be divided over this. Aki... maybe you can...?"

Aki's face was sullen as she solemnly gave her support for Mika, much to Linder's dismay.

"With all due respect, Yuri-san, Mika-san is our team commander, not Jouko-san."

Mikko had no choice but to agree, being Mika's driver and being more acquainted with her than Jouko.

"Sure, Jouko-san may be our best tanker, but ultimately, Mika-san holds the absolute authority, so I'm with her with this one. Sorry, Yuri-san."

"B...But... the Bible-"

"Yuri-san, we don't share your beliefs, but while I really agree with you in that we do not want Mika-san to go through with this, her word is final, I'm sorry."

"Maybe just pray about it, that's what I've heard Jouko-san tell you all the time."

Dejected, Linder left the room. In less than twelve hours, Continuation, or at least Mika, Aki, and Mikko, was going to embark on a daring raid on Pravda's carrier to steal one of their tanks to try to help boost their forces a bit. The target was very bold, an IS-2, but realistically, the best they might get was probably an ISU-152 or a KV-1. Entering her own room, Linder quickly messaged Jouko to ask for help, informing her of what had happened between her and the command crew and Mika. With her Christian devotion regrowing after her nightly Bible studies with the Sturmi crew, she had once again replanted several of the Bible's teachings into her mind, but seeing that her efforts weren't working, she couldn't try to argue any more, and without any other options, this was the best she could do. After dialing the number, she waited for Jouko to answer, but it didn't go through. Her second attempt, however, did go through, much to her relief.

"Jouko-san? You there?"

"Linder! I'm... uh... kind of in the middle of an important luncheon with the Shimadas..."

"My bad... but I have a pretty important situation here as well!"

"You sound a bit mad... that's not good."

"I am pretty mad right now because Mika's gonna try to steal something!"

"Oh."

"It's a tank. From Pravda."

For several seconds, there was silence from both sides, aside from the background chatter and sounds of eating on Jouko's end as the luncheon was continuing. Linder was growing anxious with each second of silence, so decided to just break it instead of allow it to continue.

"Uhh... any advice on what I can do? I've tried talking her out of it, I just got slapped with the 'higher authority' argument."

"Linder... I'm sorry, but let's just discuss this later, I'm in the middle of talking with the Shimadas."

"Let me guess, religion."

"Not yet, maybe later on."

"Oh, boy. Good luck."

"Don't worry, everything's cordial so far, and knowing Chiyo, I don't think we'll have too many problems."

"Good to hear... and now that I'm speaking with you I just got reminded of what you told me... I'll get to that."

"Good, always important to keep in touch with God."

"Indeed, thanks, Jouko, I hope this can get solved soon."

"Me, too. How's the team going, by the way? Has practice been going well?"

"Yep, no issues, though since Mika and her two friends are gonna be off casually breaking the Eighth Commandment and you're off at All-Stars, it seems I'll be heading the training tomorrow, so, be sure to pray I don't, you know."

"No worries, we'll definitely keep you in prayer."

"Thanks, Jouko, and I'll keep you in mine as well."

"I'll say thanks to you, too."

"Well, I'd better be going, it's almost the end of lunch and classes are starting soon. See ya, Jouk."

"You too, Linder."

As the phone cut, Linder went on her knees and began to pray, to pray for herself, for the team, for Mika and her friends, for Jouko and the Sturmi crew, and whatever else warranted a need for prayer, as well as giving the usual thanks for all the blessings and guidance and everything. After that, Linder spent the rest of the remaining rest time reading some verses from the Bible as her Bible studies had always recommended, spending most of it in the New Testament's Pauline letters. After that, feeling a bit more comforted, though still anxious about the situation with Mika, she headed off for her classes.

All-Stars University

"So... what was that all about, Jouko?"

"I'll tell you later, Fris... now, back to what we were talking about?"

"Yes... about Miho."

"Chiyo-dono, is it true Renta's gonna try to shut down Ooarai?"

"Unfortunately, it is true. Ooarai's become a financial burden that we can't really help."

"You're rich, why not donate some cash to fix it?"

"Lofstrom, don't get too private-"

"As much as I would like to, my possessions must be used for more important purposes, that being helping fund Sensha-do institutions such as shops and businesses. Ooarai, as much as it seems harsh to say, is more of a financial burden."

"But... surely you can help a bit... right? Won't it be right to lend a hand?"

"My hands are full, I cannot really offer any assistance."

"B...but, there's so many people that live on that ship that can't live anywhere else! Wh... how are they going to survive?"

"Not to mention that, knowing Miho personally, she loves Ooarai, it's a school where she's made many close friends, at this point she's friends with everyone."

"And if she loses Ooarai, she won't be able to see many of those friends again, and imagine how hard of a hit that'll be on her life."

"I apologize if I am coming about as heartless here, but I ask you this: what would be better? For me to go and use what I have to help this one girl's life, or to use those resources for a cause that is worth much more than what that one girl can ever hope to be worth? Shall I spend so much of my resources to something vastly smaller, than to something vastly greater?"

For a while, none could really offer any rebuttal, not even Jouko, whose mind had somewhat been exhausted in her conversations with Earl Grey, and further exhausted when Linder had given her the worrying news that Mika was intending to commit an act contrary to the commandments. She would usually be the one to give the rebuttal, the first to give a response, and usually it was quick and immediate, owing to her decade and a half of being raised in a devoutly Christian household, reading and studying the Bible with her family each day, and hearing and learning more from the priest every Sunday service and every Sunday school, but here, for the first time, she couldn't immediately muster a response, left trying to think and find one as fast as she could. The others had instinctively looked at her as soon as Chiyo finished her question, expecting that their "voice" would instantly deliver a witty rebuttal, a theologically and logically sound counterargument, supported by Scripture, but for several seconds, there was nothing. Not a word escaped Jouko's mouth.

As the Sturmi crew tried to find their rebuttal to this question, Chiyo, with Alice sitting quietly next to her, thought she had won, delivered a blow that could not be countered by these foreigners. She watched, outwardly indifferently, with inner satisfaction as they hastily glanced at each other, bearing uncertain faces for several long, tense, silent seconds. They couldn't respond, she felt she had caught them. It seemed that she was vindicated, that her judgement was sound, her conclusions correct, her opponents left unable to counter, not even the normally outspoken Jouko, who was by far the most taken aback.

But suddenly, a voice raised up. It wasn't Jouko, nor the equally talkative Frisell, or the loud, boisterous Hannes, but rather, it was Lofstrom, to everyone's surprise.

"I'll respond with a story, if you'd like."

"Oblige us."

"...eighty-nine, ninety. Just a few more, please, let not even one be missing..."

One by one, the last few sheep passed through the sheep pen that was their safety. It's high, sturdy walls and strong gate impenetrable by any man or beast. Any who dared exhausted themselves before they could even manage a chip on it's walls, such were the fine crafts of this particular sheep pen, and one which was entrusted to a young, yet careful and courageous Shepherd. His eyes were never dim. His ears were as keen as they could ever be. His energy was unmatched, His dedication unparalleled by any other shepherd. The trust that people had in this particular Shepherd was immense, so much so, that the dedication and courage He had shown in ensuring that all sheep under His jurisdiction were accounted for made Him the "Chief Shepherd" among all shepherds. Praises of His tender, very genuine love and consideration for every single sheep in His pen were many and close between, and justifiably so. On this particular day, He was almost finished in the count, watching and counting with remarkable accuracy as the last few sheep passed through the gate into the safety of the pen.

But suddenly, the revelation.

"...ninety-eight, ninety-nine... wait... where is the hundredth?!"

The Shepherd was shocked. He had accurately counted all of the sheep, for He never overestimated or underestimated, His counting was always right, everyone in town could be a witness to that statement. To find that He had lost one sheep, while having the trust of all to keep every single sheep accounted for, was a grave situation that He had found Himself in. Fearing the worst, and certain that the one sheep was still out there, left alone and helpless against the elements and the fowls of the air and beasts of the fields, mountains, and valleys, the Shepherd quickly shut the heavy gate of the pen, and, staff, lantern, knife, and horn in hand, rushed out into the wilderness, even as the sun set in the horizon, legs sprinting with the speed of a gazelle, to find that lost sheep, and bring it back safely to the fold with the rest of its companions, who must be equally worried for their lost brother, hoping to be reunited with him, hoping that he was still alive and in good health and condition, a hope shared equally, if not, more so by the Shepherd.

First the Shepherd searched the plains. The tall grass, spangled and adorned with the lilies and daisies and other beautiful flowers of the field, could so easily be able to hide such a small creature as the sheep. With a great exhalation, the Shepherd blew a loud blast of his horn, a blast heard across the vast fields. For several minutes he waited, hoping, praying to see the sight of the happy lamb bounding towards him, relief on his face at his Guardian's presence, happy to have been saved from the dangers outside of the pen. But as the echo of the horn's powerful blast faded into the peaceful, cooling breeze, no sign of a sheep could be seen, not even as far as the horizons surrounding the Shepherd. Once again, the Shepherd blew a great blast, but more minutes passed, and again the same result was seen. Again a blast, and again nothing. Only the rustling grass, the flowers, the occasional trees, and the distant hills were visible. Not the slightest sign of the sheep could be found across the plains where the Shepherd was then standing.

Saddened, yet further emboldened to find the missing sheep, the Shepherd ventured towards the steep, long valley. Stopping at a tall cliff that overlooked the entire valley, His horn in hand, the Shepherd blew with all His might, the great blast echoed through the walls of the valley, even audible at the other, distant side. With His keen eyesight, He searched all over the valley for the sheep, hoping to see it bounding happily towards his direction, ready to rush towards it to reunite with it and take it back to safety and home. There was still light, the sun had not yet fully set, but the valleys had darkened, yet a sheep could very well still be visible. The Shepherd hoped to see it before the light would cease to be, for his lantern could not burn for very long, especially in the coldness of the night, which also brought about its chilling winds. Yet, after another blow, the sheep was never seen. A third time, just as in the plains, the Shepherd blew, but still, there was nothing, no movement outside of the bushes and trees rustling in the gentle breeze.

Seeing the Shepherd's unluckiness, how He was unsuccessful thus far in retrieving this lost sheep, there was now the temptation to go back, to simply give up this seemingly vain, hopeless, wasteful effort of finding this lone sheep. Could he not so easily buy another and replace it? But no. This Shepherd was never one to be dishonest. The thought of evildoing was an affront to His character, His personality, and His thought. He would rather die than even allow the slightest hint of a thought of evil to enter His mind, and though the temptation was great and the enticements strong, the Shepherd refused the temptations that were thronging His mind. He would bring this sheep back, no matter if He lived or died. Taking one last view of the valleys, devoid of life outside of the trees and plants that dotted its high walls, the Shepherd continued on, further emboldened in His quest to find the lost sheep. There was nowhere else to look now, but the most dangerous, uncertain, deadly place of all, a place which was considered by the others to be impossible to come out alive from: the mountains.

The mountains were home to the most horrid conditions one could ever imagine. At the peaks, even the thickest, or most warm pieces of clothing were unable to prevent one from the subzero temperatures found there. Even halfway up the mountains, it was unspeakably cold. In a blizzard, it was impossible to see, even with the sun in full display in the sky, and in darkness, it was pitch-black, and thanks to the cold, a lantern was useless to use. On top of that, bears, wolves, and other carnivorous beasts resided on its rocky features, disregarding of human or fellow beast, thirsty for blood, hungry to eat the meat of other beings, their strength and viciousness enough to strike fear into the hearts of those who heard their stories, and could so easily tear a poor, innocent little lamb to pieces in a few short, grisly moments. Many a sheep had been lost here, and many a shepherd had lost his life in attempting to rescue it. Could this Chief of Shepherds be more fortunate, or would He meet the same fate as many of His companions had met when climbing these mounts?

Needless to say, the Shepherd went anyway.

Without consideration for His own safety or well-being, the Shepherd began the ascent. Using His staff as a means of hauling Himself up the steep cliffs, pulling Himself up by using the crevices or tiny ridges as a base for His staff or His hands. But sure enough, as He ascended further and further up the mountains, the cold grew greater, the winds grew stronger, and visibility began to wane. It grew even more clouded and faint, and darker as the sun finally set, leaving Him impossible to see anything, but nevertheless the Shepherd continued on. His blood was beginning to freeze, His nerves growing numb, and on several occasions death almost took Him. Once, He hung desperately on a ledge, unable to see what was below Him, He could hear a Voice inside His ear, telling Him to let go and fall. That Voice had never failed Him. He had always listened to It and found great success in doing so, but here, It was seemingly telling Him to fall to his death? Yet, when had the Voice ever failed the Shepherd? With great faith and effort, the Shepherd released both of His hands from his staff, and allowed Himself to fall freely down into the abyss.

However, the fall lasted much shorter than expected. Hitting sudden ground with a thud, the Shepherd grabbed His staff just before it could fall beyond, and seeing a cave in front of Him, ventured into it. Hoping the sheep was inside, the Shepherd, with what remaining strength He had, blew with great effort, the sound resonating throughout the cave. There was nothing. Again, the Shepherd blew, harder, but still, nothing. His worries pumping adrenaline into Him, emboldened by the desire to rescue this lost sheep, a third, powerful blow was loosed, the greatest of all other blows beforehand. Dropping to the floor in exhaustion, His horn and lantern shattering from the impact on the stony surface, His staff clattering onto the rocky ground beneath Him, the Shepherd lay exhausted, tired, on the verge of unconsciousness, which meant death in a place like this. He could no longer feel His hands, His feet, His face, or anything else on His body. It seemed that this would be His end, His quest left to remain unsuccessful, the sheep left to fend for itself in this unforgiving environment.

But just before the Shepherd could pass from consciousness into unconsciousness, He heard a distinct sound. It wasn't the raging winds, nor was it the distant dripping of the cave's stalactites. It wasn't his own heavy breathing, or his heart pulsing at a deathly slow rate.

Instead, it sounded like footsteps, quadrupedal, light, footsteps.

But with those footsteps, were heavy, menacing, wrathful footsteps.

The Shepherd realized what this could mean. His horn had summoned one of the many deadly beasts that inhabited the mountains, and here, one of the cave-dwellers here had been alerted by his loud blast. Again, a surge of adrenaline passed through the Shepherd, reactivating His nerves, revitalizing His heart, and getting Him back on His feet once again. Grabbing His knife, He readied Himself to face the beast. He could barely see anything, there was pitch-black darkness, the sun by now having far set below the horizon. His ears, however, gave Him the sight He needed. Judging by the volume of the attacker in each ear, the Shepherd began to turn accordingly, ready and waiting to meet the animal as soon as it tried to pounce on Him. The running was growing ever louder, and feeling ever closer, until all of a sudden the Shepherd could feel the familiar warm, wooly feeling, and hear the gentle baa's of the lost sheep. For a moment, relief set in the Shepherd, knowing that the sheep was okay and unhurt, but right now, neither of them were safe, far from it.

Suddenly, the beast roared, and leapt at the Shepherd. Hearing the direction of its attack, the Shepherd, alerted, with all His might plunged His knife towards the beast. With a great impact both man and beast tumbled toward the ground, but the knife hadn't found its mark. The beast was still alive and well, and pinning his prey, now attempted to scratch off the Shepherd's face, reeling its arm to perform the same acts its comrades had committed on other shepherds that dared to cross their territory. Mustering all His strength, the Shepherd pulled reclined his arm and knife, with his other arm pushing the beast away. His foe momentarily distracted by this sudden action, the Shepherd, grasping what felt like the shoulder to the neck, once again plunged His knife close to His own arm, sticking it into the beast's flesh as the warm outlets of blood once again rushed forth from the open wound. With His last remaining strength, leaving the knife inside the beast's flesh, the Shepherd pushed it away from Him, throwing it into the ground with a last great effort, but as He did so, the beast's left claw scratched His right heel.

Collapsing into the ground once more, the Shepherd listened as the frightened sheep timidly trotted back to Him. Lying down next to Him, the sheep snuggled himself under His arm in warmth, affection, protection, and gratitude. Although the Shepherd had been injured, both of them were now safe. Now, it was time for the journey back. It had been a long and perilous one, but finally, at long last, after almost a day of searching for His lost sheep, both man and beast were reunited, hopefully to never again be separated. For the rest of the night, the Shepherd and sheep slept peacefully, regaining their lost energy from the struggles that had occurred just before. Once morning had come and both had woken up, the Shepherd, now able to see with the blizzards over and the sun once again high in the sky, saw the remains of His foe. The wound had been a blow to the head, a deadly blow that had killed the beast instantly. As to His heel, a pool of blood had flowed out from where the wound had been. Using His staff to stand, the Shepherd cradled the sheep in His left arm as His right used the staff to support his weakened foot.

The journey back from the mountain, however, was much easier than the ascent. A pathway had formed starting from the cave, and it was easy to navigate and traverse. Making His way through the valleys, the Shepherd saw once more its beautiful grandeur, this time with the sun displaying its full radiance and beauty. Making His way across the plains, the rolling hills, rustling grass, the daisies and flowers that dotted the fields, all greeted the Shepherd as He made His way back to the sheep pen. This time, the journey was full of peace. Where the search had warranted worry, concern, fear, and determination to save the lost sheep, now that the quest had ended, the sheep rescued and in good condition, the return back was more peaceful and relaxed, and as the duo neared the sheep pen, the sheep began to baa more excitedly, knowing that soon he was to be reunited with his fellow sheep, and the Shepherd, noticing this, looked ahead, and to His surprise, found a welcoming party waiting at the gate of the pen. It was many of the townsfolk and the other shepherds, who had all heard of the Shepherd's quest and waited patiently for His return, and when the Shepherd caught sight of them, even before celebrations could break out, running with His sheep and not minding His wound at all, He cried out to them with a loud voice,

"Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost!"

"...And the Scriptures conclude the parable with the lesson: likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just persons, which need no repentance."

With Frisell's closing quotation, the Sturmi crew completed their story. Chiyo had listened to the entire tale in respectful silence, taking into careful consideration every aspect of the story, but Alice was quicker to realize that the story sounded rather familiar, that the both of them had heard, or rather, read it before, not too long ago. And Alice, her young memory serving her a bit better than her mother's, quickly recognized where exactly the story had come from, recognizing the book it had come from, and Who it was that was talking, and when the Sturmi crew looked at her, her eyes seemed to glimmer with a sense of excitement and realization.

"T...That's from..."

"Yes, Alice-san, it is from the Bible."

When Chiyo heard of Jouko's revelation, it hit her, and Alice, hard like a truck. Once again, somehow, this Bible had found the both of them once again, this time, in the form of these four foreigners, and once again, it seemed to go against the Shimada's teachings, prioritizing the few over the many, in Chiyo's eyes. It seemed inescapable, unable to be avoided for the rest of time once one encountered It. And yet, it was apparent that a message to be found in this story, a message which the clever Chiyo tried to piece together in her mind, as once again, the room fell silent, and all eyes were on her, waiting for her response.

"What you present to me seems to be this question: Shall I love even to the smallest individual, or shall I focus on that which is more important? Shall I help preserve even the smallest, or shall I help preserve something far larger? This Shepherd of this story is very, very dedicated to saving that one sheep, where it would've been easy to simply give up on that one sheep and focus on taking care of the other ninety-nine. Why that is... it seems to be out of love for every single one..."

Frisell was next to give her thoughts.

"Chiyo-dono, Sensha-do is thriving like never before, there are very few, if any areas that are in need of support. But here, there is a girl, with many friends, whose futures, and maybe even lives may be ruined should they lose."

Hannes, abnormally quiet, pitched in as well.

"You could say Sensha-do itself could represent the ninety-nine sheep, and Miho and Ooarai could represent that one lost sheep. And in the story, the Shepherd doesn't stay with the ninety-nine, He goes to look for it, and after great struggle, He finds it, defends it, and brings it back to safety. He did it because He cared, He loved every single sheep, and wouldn't stand with the thought that one could be lost."

Lofstrom joined to replace Hannes.

"The Shepherd was willing to go eighteen marathons just to get that sheep back. It was out of love, care, and devotion that He decided to search for it, rather than care for the other sheep that were already safe."

Jouko would be the one to close things off, with a question.

"Chiyo-dono, remembering this story, I want to ask you, if this Shepherd is willing to risk His life to save just one sheep, not even ten or five, just one, even if it could be easily replaceable, how much more would you be willing to send some aid to Ooarai in this time of need? If the Shepherd was willing to do what He did to rescue something that seemed so small in the grand scale of things, how willing are you to do something like this, something much easier and much less risky?"

"Jouko, if I may add..."

"Of course, Frisell."

"When I read about you, Chiyo-dono, I read about how kind, loving, tender you are to Alice and the rest of your family. You support them, care for them, worry for their well-being, you are the best mother one can be, yet... why are you unwilling to send Ooarai this much-needed aid? Even just a little, surely this is not the Chiyo-dono I've read about!

Please, Chiyo-dono, understand how Jesus, of our religion, taught us to love, to show compassion for others, no matter what they are or what they did. He never showed hate, and whenever He seemed to, it was because He loved those He was speaking to and didn't want them to suffer from what they were going to. He wanted to show them what was right, all because of love."

"If our Jesus could allow Himself to die because He loved everyone, and took the punishment intended for us, to be placed upon Him, again, out of love and compassion, I'm sure you're loving and compassionate to help Ooarai. It's the right thing to do, Chiyo-dono."

"Chiyo-dono, the choice is yours. If you wish to help Ooarai, so be it, if you wish not to, then so be it. We just wanted to share with you why we want you to help Ooarai, and we hope you'll make the right choice."

Once again, silence filled the room as Chiyo, closing her eyes, took in all she had heard. The story of redemption had once again been relayed to her, and considering her two options, the right choice, as they put it, seemed to weigh more in her favor. Although Ooarai didn't seem much right now, that one sheep in the story didn't mean much either, but the Shepherd thought otherwise, and nearly died from the rescue, but surviving with the sheep alive and well. Moreover, Frisell pointed out that should she refuse to help, it would be hypocritical of her, how she was being kind and loving to Alice and the other family members yet indifferent to a school whose life was on the line at that moment. It wasn't much to send aid, and Chiyo knew that Sensha-do was running alright, but she hesitated due to her wondering if it was worth it or not. Even if it was, how could the Sensha-do team function without Miho, or something? Thoughts like these are what were making Chiyo uncertain as to whether it was a good idea to send aid or not.

Alice suddenly broke her silence, and all eyes turned to her as her soft, meek, gentle voice spoke out.

"Okaa-san... I think helping Ooarai is the right way."

Chiyo softened. It was always soothing to hear her daughter speak, and looking into her eyes, they were full of care and concern. She had been touched by the story, how the Shepherd suffered and even bled in order to save the one sheep, and was convicted as the Sturmi crew explained and reasoned why Ooarai should be helped. She wanted to see people happy all the time, and logically, closing a school whose students were super devoted to would, of course, make said students unhappy. Inside, Alice decided that no matter her mother's decision, she would still send some of her personal savings to help Ooarai. Even if it weren't much, she would still be content with the thought that she contributed to keeping a school afloat. And as for Chiyo, her eyes seemed to be starting to share the same sentiment as Alice. After sharing looks with Alice, who looked right back, Chiyo delivered her verdict on the situation.

"Your arguments are most convincing. I shall put my donations under deep consideration... thank you for coming, and good luck in our upcoming match."

The Sturmi crew were taken aback. All that pointing out and Chiyo seemed to still be undecided. But Jouko's eyes had noticed how Chiyo seemed to be "broken", not in the depressive sense, but the realization of what had been pointed out broke her mind out into more of the realities and situations that lay beyond the Shimada Style. Hoping that this meant those donations would, indeed, be coming, Jouko and the others stood up, bowed, and filed out of the room in orderly fashion after accordingly disposing of their meals.

Continuation

It didn't take long for Linder's concerns to start coming back as she began her classes, leading to several issues regarding focus in her class as her mind was struggling with the possibilities and concerns on what this stealing drama could possibly become. Some classmates had to alert her to the task at hand on a couple of occasions, and despite all this, Linder finished classes and returned to her room for the break before the next class, where she could really start thinking about the future, what could happen with this upcoming controversy between her teacher and her team commander.

She knew that Jouko was a very devoutly religious Christian, and in Christianity there were the Ten Commandments, and one of them was not to steal, something which Mika was very blatantly violating. While Mika wasn't Christian, and therefore didn't know the Ten Commandments, wasn't it morally wrong to steal something that wasn't hers? And what was more was her statement that "it is impossible for mankind to subjugate all of nature." While true, and that stealing was a part of human nature, it was still morally wrong, an evil, a sin, and if you were a devout Christian, you were going to try your best to hate sin and avoid it as much as possible, and for someone like Jouko, well, Mika was going to have to deal with a pretty upset Jouko once she returned from the All-Stars exhibition match. But right now, Continuation was showing promise, its tankers were seeing an improvement in quality, and to have a schism right now, at this point when they were on the rise, Linder worried that it would undermine the school, maybe lead to a civil war? No, it wouldn't go that far, only a lunatic could think up of a scenario like that.

The possibility of a rift still remained, and it was very much possible. Linder knew that at this point, she might as well be the only one trying to hold everything together, the only rope preventing the ravine from expanding, figuratively speaking. Was she ready for it? She wasn't too sure, she had just started to come back to Christianity, and there were already some problems she was going to have to deal with that could challenge her faith. Jouko had told her to pray, she did, but even so the worries never went away. Worry, doubt, fear, anxiety, it was all still very much present in Linder's mind as she thought of this situation with Mika, wishing that she wasn't so hungry for better tanks or at least respectful of her and Jouko's beliefs in that she wouldn't try to steal anything, or something. Linder was growing stressed, she didn't want to have to go through all of this, yet here she was, trying to find a way to stop this trainwreck from becoming a thing in the first place, all because Mika was just hungry for more tanks, not wanting to get some more the legitimate way, though the funds were insufficient, but even then, couldn't she just bide her time and wait for more money to come in?

Linder's head was aching from thinking so much, her thoughts were becoming garbled up and her head was growing more weary. Quickly taking a glass, she began to gulp down a couple of glasses of water to clear her brain, and decided to just relax herself by reading her Bible, turning to the Psalms to get some uplifting. After that, with the next classes about to take place, she took several deep breaths to further calm herself, said a few more prayers, and went to her next classes, hoping to fully discuss the situation with Jouko once both of them were available to do so.

Kuromorimine

"Koume, are you feeling better?"

"Yeah, Emi, it isn't so bad anymore."

"We're fighting Ooarai in a couple of days... are you sure you want to do this, or skip out?"

"I know I'll be fighting her, but least I'll get to meet Miho-san again."

"Yeah, I'm just concerned because... well... you might get those memories again."

"Oh, they always come back, but I'm getting used to them now... though... it hasn't been easy at all..."

"I know how you feel, Koume."

Emi wrapped her arm around Koume to try to comfort her as she began pondering the upcoming battle with this new upstart school that had popped out of nowhere to now be finalists against Kuromorimine, beating giants like Saunders and Pravda to get here. They had started off with five tanks, still beat Saunders, six tanks, still beat Pravda, now they had eight tanks and were going up against Kuromorimine. If Ooarai could win outnumbered by such impossible odds, how much of a chance did Kuromorimine have at winning, judging by that logic.

"Koume, do you think we can win this next match?"

"I'm as unsure myself. Granted, we do have Maho-dono and Erika-san, and many powerful vehicles like the Maus and Tigers I and II... but in the end... Ooarai fought against vehicles of similar quality, and Pravda's commanders are very good. Katyusha-san, Nonna-san, their new addition Klara-san...they are very good, yet Ooarai still beat them."

"Looks like we agree on thought, then. I wonder if the others are the same, though I don't think Erika-san will agree, knowing her, of course."

"Oh, very much, but I think even Maho-dono can agree with us, somewhat."

"Yeah, I guess. Let's just fight this out, Koume, if we wanna regain that lost tenth win, we might as well start over as soon as possible."

"Right..."

"Meg, I'm not sure if I wanna go through with this."

"Yaeko, it is what it is..."

"I don't wanna fight against Miho-dono, she's been the nicest to me even though I get so easily mad, she's just that one who can easily keep someone restrained."

"I agree, but as I said, it is what it is. If we fight, then chances are we beat Ooarai. If we don't fight, Erika-san and Maho-dono, maybe even Shiho-dono, will be mad at us, more to you since you'll be taking out the Maus for the first time ever."

"That actually brings me to my second concern. Isn't the Maus a bit overkill? I mean, we already have the Tiger I and II, Panthers, Jagdtigers and Jagdpanzers, an Elefant, we have it all, and we're bearing on this tiny school that can't even muster half of our complement. As much as I wanna take it out, that's a bit overkill for me."

"I mean, I guess Maho-dono wants the Maus out, so we'll have to roll it out. I wonder how Koume's doing, she seems to have been handling the aftermath of that... I won't mention it."

"Can't blame you, Yaeko. Emi has been telling me she's doing fine and well, so that's good to hear."

"Alright, that's good. My third concern."

"Another one? Please tell me this is your kicking."

"Well, that's number four, but-"

"You really are the most problematic tank commander out of all of us..."

"Oh, shut up... anyways, number three."

"Yeah, go on."

"Do you think we can win against Ooarai?"

"What makes you say that?"

"Meg, have you even watched all of Ooarai's battles?

"Not really... just Anzio... the other matches are more fun..."

"Meg, Ooarai beat Saunders and Pravda just to face us! Think about that!"

"Wait, they did?!"

"Oh my... just look at the bracket! Is Pravda facing us? No! Is Saunders facing us? No! Who is facing us? This school that just restarted Sensha-do with a completely new and inexperienced team, save for Miho-san, is now facing off against us! I'll re-iterate: THEY BEAT PRAVDA AND SAUNDERS! OUT! NUMBERED!"

At that, voice from the other dormitory room could be heard screaming at Yaeko.

"Hey! Can you be less quiet, I'm trying to read Guderian here!"

"Oh, spare your piece of overrated junk..."

"What was that?!"

"Nothing!"

With that little episode out of the way, the conversation continued.

"So, do you think we have a chance? Ooarai beat their opponents even outnumbered two-to-one in every battle."

"Maho-dono is our commander, and Erika-san is a quick learner, almost as good as Miho-dono by now. Plus, we have so much high-quality materiel at our disposal, I'm sure we have a good chance."

"I hope."

"Maho-dono."

"Erika-san."

"What is the reason you called me here, Kommandant?"

Gesturing to the chair in front of her desk, Maho gave a simple order.

"Have a seat."

Erika took her seat in front of Maho as ordered, head upright, ready to listen to whatever her commander had to tell her. Before that, however, she had to point something out.

"Kommandant, it seems your facial wounds are healing. That's good to see."

"Yes... they are..."

"Now, what is it you brought me here for?"

Maho sat silently as Erika finished her question, allowing herself to plunge back into her thoughts. For too long, she had kept this situation only between her and her closest family. For too long she refused to speak out with anyone outside of her family. Her mind was tired of it all, so this was the time to just let it all out with Erika, to fully release all she had in her mind that she wasn't able to release to her mother. Sure, it was alleviating, but it wasn't complete. She knew Erika wouldn't be kind to her own thoughts, so Maho had to mince words carefully to avoid as much offense as she could. Or should she? Why not just be frank, be raw and transparent with what was going on with her, to let Erika, this devout follower and adherent of the Nishizumi Style, know what it meant to really be in the Nishizumi Style. All the pain, suffering, pressure, anxiety that Maho had to contend with every day, she couldn't accept it any longer. And Maho, tired of just hiding everything, decided that she would go with the latter option. Breaking back out of the sea of thought, Maho raised her head, and began to speak.

"Erika-san... what is 'good' to you?"