Kaiser had witnessed Natalya come to his aid by diverting the Panzer IV. He handheld no foolish hopes that it would buy him much time, however. With their rear temporarily secured, Natalya following him up and Oarai's main force temporarily diverted, it was time they had a little fun with their contemporary.
The Porsche Tiger was keeping neck and neck with the Tiger. Kaiser dared not give any orders lest he distracts Westhoffen. The stretch of road showed both drivers admirable skill.
Nearly in sync, both vehicles shifted gears in response to the road. A rough patch, a slight curve, or a need to max out their speed to get the slightest edge ahead of their opponent. The rumors of Oarai's mechanics were certainly true. Kaiser watched as the black plumes of smoke emerged by the Prosche Tiger which should have performed worse than his prized vehicle yet it kept neck and neck.
Even when His vehicle pulled ahead slightly, as its turret was still facing the rear, neither vehicle's gunner attempted to fire on the other. Perhaps signs of respect to the drivers themselves amidst their camaraderie so as to not interfere by firing and slowing themselves.
Despite the sportsman-like show, Kaiser was plotting just how to discard the Porsche. He could only assume the commander 'Nakajima' was doing the same. It may have been a spot of friendly competition but both still had to think of the larger picture.
Soon the end of the road was in sight. Kaiser watched the steep wall of earth come closer as the road winded left. Both Tiger's shifted gears again, their chassis kicking as their speed decreased slightly, preparing for the turn.
"West?" called Kaiser.
"What?!" demanded the driver, too focused to care for courtesy.
"Can you make this turn?"
"It'll be tight."
"Do you mind a little help?" The silence was telling of his displeasure at the thought. Failure, however, was far more appealing to him. Kaiser took the silence positively as he would've given it regardless of his answer.
"Belle, rotate the gun forty degrees right, prepare to fire on my mark."
The turret gave its telltale mechanical whir as the gun adjusted. The turn was fast approaching. A glance outside showed the Porsche's forward-facing gun shifting to the right slightly. They had the same idea. It brought a smirk to his face, thinking how their crews \must have acted so differently yet they were so similar in action.
Both vehicles shifted gears once more. A lurch along with a drop of speed as both preemptively rotated their steering wheels to the left. The vehicles shifted, tracks churning dirt and stone beneath their treads as their colossal weights dragged on, seeking traction.
"Fire" ordered Kaiser. Belle pulled the trigger and the 88mm projectile was sent careening off to their rear with no intended target. The impact wasn't large but the recoil did help counter the vehicle's momentum slightly as it synched cinched the turn and Westhoffen shifted gears to gain speed again.
The Porsche Tiger attempted the same. Shifting gears at the same time and turning its wheel, the moment f truth came as they fired. The strain of the turn on the transmission caused the black smoke from the engine to thicken. Finally, the cannon fired. Dirt exploded upwards from the wall of dirt ahead. The Porsche had nearly finished its drift but the Transmission gave.
With no power steering, transmission, and the engine practically gone, the Porsche Tiger drove face-first into the dirt wall. Its barrel narrowly avoided being snapped off as its turret was wrenched to the right by the impact. Further breaking its traversal.
Kaiser gave the order to halt. With difficulty, West stopped the vehicle and quickly shifted the chassis sideways under Kaiser's order. Emerging from his hatch, he noted that Natalya's IS-1 was drawing close and looked down at Belle. With an exchange of nods, she fired a round into the side of the Porsche.
Black smoke billowed out from inside the vehicle as its flag and crew emerged, hacking up the fumes. Kaiser waited until the crew looked his way and their commander made eye contact. As a short sign of respect, he nodded, waving his cap at her as well.
The freckled girl slumped over her cupola, seemingly relaxed. The IS-1 had now joined him as he proceeded to move when the unexpected struck again. The Panzer IV emerged from the treeline. Practically flying off the elevated dirt wall and firing mid-air as it landed roughly and began careening down the road and where Virtanen was.
The 75mm struck the Tiger's side to no effect but startling his crew. The sight was certainly intimidating but Kaiser cared not as he angrily instructed his crew and Natalya to move. They soon came under fire from the rear as well. Oarai's main force was catching up.
Hopefully, Virtanen and Sokolov were prepared.
They were not. Sokolov was fiddling with the hefty piece of improvisation as Virtanen Impatiently tapped his index finger atop his turret.
"What are you making anyway?" he asked.
"The Lieutenant Colonel ordered me not to inform you."
Virtanen hummed, displeased with the response. "Then I order you to tell me."
"The Lieutenant Colonel informed me that matters of confidentiality and security require clearance."
"Through who?" demanded VIrtanen.
"Through Lieutenant Colonel Kaiser" deadpanned Sokolov.
Virtanen threw his head back in distress. Having nothing to do as his vehicle just idled on the road left him feeling anxious. Piper was watching the crossroads prepared to warn him of any threats but that only left him with less to do. Knight meanwhile was further up the road, scouting the area.
As the road climbed in elevation it swirled along the circumference of the hill it lay upon before coming to a sharp turn and going down the other side. Knight had reported that it had steep slopes near the top and advised caution as he began to make his way back to the formation.
Sokolov wiped his sleeve across his forehead. Beads of sweat formed on his brow as his anxiety spiked while fiddling with the object. It was done, now it had to be loaded. The Pz sfl IVc was to be the carrier. Its crew assisted Sokolov in loading it onto a tarp and hanging it off of the awkward square frame of the vehicle.
A shot rang out. Sokolov jerked his head to the side and saw the ARL-44 moving and firing again. He looked to Virtanen who was listening to his comms and nodding.
"Sokolov!" he called. "They're here! Whatever it is you're doing, get it done!" With that, the Panther departed. Virtanen didn't seem too pleased with the matter either, perhaps Kaiser advising him to do so.
Sokolov ran to his vehicle where his crew hurried to their positions. Scrambling to get his headset on he looked out to see A Panzer IV avoid the ARL-44's cannon once more and speed past it unbothered. His Stug and the Pz sfl IVc crews were unprepared. The Panzer IV sped past their positions in pursuit of the Panther unabated.
Soon after the Tiger with Kaiser out of his hatch followed in pursuit. Urgency apparent on his face he waved Sokolov to orient towards the crossing. There he saw the IS-1 lagging behind with the rest of Oarai coming in hot.
Kaiser had heard Knight's information on it. It was too thin for both his and Natalya's heavy tanks to proceed up and so he ordered here to remain and hold the crossroads. The IS-1 struggled to reorient itself as it crossed the point, leaving the two tank destroyers to put their plan in motion as the ARL-44 was left to give resistance.
To buy time for her team, Piper had her vehicle cross to the other side and engage Oarai. It was a merciless engagement. The daunting sight of five vehicles coming at full speed overwhelmed her.
Her gunner tried to lead their shots but with their limited view, they would have their sight cut off by another vehicle moving past the intended target. Firing on sight or trying to lead the shot led to misses by fractions of a hair.
Despite this, Piper ordered her vehicle to proceed slowly. Ever loyal she intended to at least be an obstruction on the road if she could not stop their breakthrough. Oarai seemed to have noticed her intentions. As the chassis began to turn in an effort to block the road, the Chi-Nu delivered a decisive shot to the ARL's right track. The Hetzer followed suit in destroying its left track immediately after.
Now the ARL was simply stuck in the middle of the road, its armor facing its foe but immobile and nearly helpless. A small reprieve came as the Stug and IS-1 began to fire. Oarai still held the advantage in numbers however and returned every shot in kind if not with more. To further show their prowess they began staggering their fire in near-perfect sync.
Though the IS-1 and Stug IV wished to help their ally, they were the last line of defense and could not risk their positions to provide any further support. Left to dry, Piper watched as the zig-zagged column approached her, their shots tearing more and more damage into her hull.
A loud holler came over the radio. A cacophony of other shouts followed the friendly voice as the M18 came barreling down the road.
"Div?!" called Piper in surprise.
"That's right! Big man himself told me to come on down and make something happen! And I aim to please!" shouted O'Diveley as his M18 whipped around the ARL and drove straight at the Hetzer leading Oarai's charge.
Piper could practically hear the devilish smile plastered on his face from the liberating order. In awe, her crew watched as the M18 ramped its left track off the Hetzer front and proceeded to ride along Oarai's column, one track on the road and the other grinding against their hulls.
The B1 Bis headed off the M18's advance, ramming it. The M18 acted quickly, regaining its bearings before driving off the crossroads bridge. The Mark IV fired its side cannon, missing the M18 as it slid in front of the vehicle and stopped before its right side cannon fired. The M18 then swung its turret left as the Chi-Nu tried to face it. The small American tank destroyer was too quick as it pounded a round into the side of the Chi-Nu, defeating it.
The B1 Bis then reversed, attempting to strand the M18 in a precarious position, trapped between it and the Mark IV as the COmet and Hetzer held the front. Fighting to escape, the ARL's 75mm gun busted the Mark IV's track leaving it to slowly turn in a circle.
"Thanks for the help Dotty!" called O'Diveley.
"Stop commenting on my freckles!" retorted Piper, dismayed at her superior's incessant taunts. With a sigh, her tone softened. "I think that's my parting shot anywho."
Her final shot had saved the M18 another moment but the Hetzer had closed the distance and leveled its barrel at the ARL's lower glacis. The Comet, still unable to shift its turret appropriately, had turned itself around and now engaged with the M18.
The lithe tank destroyer danced for a few a little longer but could not receive much in the way of help. The IS-1 and Stug IV had no clear shots due to the disabled vehicles and incessant movement at the crossroads. The IS-1 tried to assist but the Stug remained still, it's gun quiet. In fact, it seemed to have disappeared.
Finally, the M18's time was up. The Hetzer fired back at the IS-1 as the remaining three vehicles rammed the M18 into the Mark IV, immobilizing it. All three vehicles delivered the final blow.
Those of Oarai who could still move, reorganized as the Mark IV shimmied its way with a broken track to provide supporting fire. Transcendence's incessant resistance didn't lighten up to their chagrin. As soon as they had cleared the ARL, another cannon fired on them.
Valerya's KV-85 had finally caught up after following the M18. Pushing up the road she was on course to intercept as her sister's IS-1 was perched underneath a low-hanging tree on a rocky outcropping, hidden by the low hanging branches.
The two 85 mm cannons were a severe deterrent for the Oarai girls who huddled behind the disabled vehicles. Biding their time the Mark IV shimmied itself straight once more and fired at both Natalya and Valerya with its 57mm cannons.
The IS-1 fired, forcing the lead Hetzer to hunker down but Valerya was irate at presumably being left behind and was none too keen on being harassed by fire. With a stomp and a shout, she ordered her gunner to "Erase that Nuisance!" letting her facade slip slightly.
The KV-85 steadied its barrel and fired. The projectile flew and impacted the flat, front plate of the Mark IV and disabled it. Oarai pounced on the opportunity. With both vehicles reloading the small formation pushed ahead. Starting as a single line column they moved side by side.
Their goal was to have the Comet and B1 Bis peel to both sides and engage the two Russian tanks and create a path for the Hetzer as they presumed the Stug had departed to assist in attacking their flag tank.
In smooth synchronization the three vehicles drove in line and covered the Hetzer he pushed ahead as its two allies engaged Natalya and Valerya. Out from their flank came a large square obstruction. The Pz sfl IVc fired, drawing attention to itself as its barrel could not lower enough to strike the Hetzer.
TH vehicle then rushed at the Hetzer who reversed back to its allies. Going downhill the Pz sfl IVc outpaced it and then passed it? To Oarai's confusion, the large tank destroyer ran between their three vehicles with a large cloth object hanging off one side.
The object then fell off with a loud thud into the earth beneath it as the Pz sfl IVc tried to escape. The Comet briefly exposed itself to stop it. Even with a locked barrel, the crew was able to steady its aim and fire into the retreating Pz sfl IVc's rear, disabling it ten meters from its payload.
The Comet then rotated its chassis 180 degrees narrowly avoiding Natalya's shot. Despite the odd occurrence the Hetzer tried to push uphill once more. As the former student council looked ahead the missing enemy Stug IV was there in the middle of the road, looking down.
Its 75mm gun roared, the projectile skimming past the Hetzer's angled armor and impacting the dirt behind them. To be precise, it hit the mysterious payload.
As Sokolov watched the shot fly out he thought of how ludicrous his vice commander was. He recalled the exact words he told him after relaying the instructions.
'I'd like to return Oarai's sentiment. For their sacrificial lamb, I'd like to give them a surprise. But only as a last resort.'
His commander had a rather intense look as he concocted the convoluted ploy, leaving Sokolov to nervously nod and no room for refusal as he picked the lucky volunteer in the form of his fellow Pz sfl IVc. Yet here he was and the effect worked. The IED, if it could be called that, exploded with a deafening eruption. Dirt plumed into the air covering the three Oarai vehicles and for a moment leaving him worried they were concussed.
The girls proved to be hardier than Sokolov considered himself. Despite the crater between them and dust-filled air they continued to struggle. The B1 Bis brought up the rear as the Hetzer engaged the Sokolov's Stug. The Comet was now making its dash for the hilltop.
Sokolov stood defiant receiving fire from both the Hetzer and the Comet. Valerya was pushing the B1 bis whose top turret was turned to fire on Sokolov as well as its main gun fired on her KV-85.
Natalya would not be ignored and emerged from her concealment. The IS-1 stormed down its small slope and engaged the helpless Comet which could not turn its turret. The ramming drove the Comet off course, burying it into the roadside ditch. Natalya's side was now exposed and she received a crippling hit from the Hetzer to its engine.
Sokolov's Stug took the opportunity to silence the Comet for good. A well-placed hit into the side of its chassis between the tracks and its flag of surrender emerged. Sokolov's Stug then Pushed ahead and rammed the IS-1, clipping its front with the corner of its chassis and driving its front to face downhill. The Hetzer no longer had any weak points to fire one.
The B1 Bis was now solely focused on Valerya who was creeping closer under its fire. Sokolov's Stug IV peeked from behind the IS-1 as the two fired down on the HEtzer who now cautiously retreated downhill.
Oarai's breakthrough had been halted. Cut off and with no hope of rejoining their leader, their hopes now lay in said flag tank, the Panzer IV and Miho against Transcendence's three commanders and their vehicles.
-Transition-
The hilltop
Knight had become comfortable with his crew and his precious Panzer IV. Days of training, teamwork, and battles led him to believe they were a cohesive crew not to be trifled with.
Despite his newfound pride and the fact that their current opponent was operating the same vehicle, he knew when he was outmatched. He had never seen such tenacity aside from Kaiser and even then it was of a different breed.
Where his vice commander was calculative and vicious, the 'anglerfish team' was unpredictable and fierce. It was as if a beast of steel was chasing them down, biting at their heels, just waiting for them to succumb to fatigue.
Virtanen's Panther stayed ahead of him as they traversed the winding road uphill, the successive turns perhaps being the only reason Oarai had not taken both of them out. Ironically the momentum was on Oarai's side here as they pushed uphill. No reprieve was given to VIrtanen or Knight.
No hasty ambushes or defenses as the enemy Panzer IV pursued, undaunted by the sheered metal on their vehicle nor the fire being sent their way. Their crew's performance was perhaps the most terrifying.
As his crew rushed to complete their tasks, the anglerfish crew seemed in another league. The commander kept her head low in the cupola to maintain an alert awareness f her surroundings. The driver took each turn without faltering shifting gears and maintaining her speed, slowly shortening the gap. The gunner fired without a miss, though she had not disabled them each shot crept closer to a vital. Knight's Panzer IV had nearly been trimmed of all its shirzen skirt. The loader was no slouch as she rammed shell after shell into the breach, allowing the gunner to consistently fire.
He could only assume whoever the RO was, they were equally amazing. As another round slammed into the top of his turret, popping the hatch off it, his admiration dwindled. In a cold sweat he wondered, 'is there anything I can do?'
They were soon nearing the summit of the hill where the sharp turn would arrive, with their enemy encroaching so close there was no safe descent.
"Knight!" ordered Virtanen over the radio. "Fired at the tree on the next turn and knock it down!"
"Y-yes sir!" responded Knight directing his gunner's aim. Another round graced the cheek of his turret as they took the sudden turn. His driver slipped the gear shift slightly and lost some speed. The gunner made up for it as the lapse in speed provided a small window of opportunity. The 75mm projectile ripped the left half of the tree's bark off, leaving it to slowly totter over into the road.
Knight's driver corrected his mistake and began gaining speed again. The small barricade didn't even faze their foe. In a demonstration of complete mastery of their vehicle, the driver maneuvered towards the roadside, propping a track upon the dirt burm and proceeding over the thinner top half of the fallen tree. Barely losing speed in the short maneuver they easily overcame the obstacle. Then Virtanen's Panther fired, waiting for the opportunity to strike.
Before the enemy Panzer IV's suspension had settled, the Panthers 75mm fired. The shell skimmed the top plate of its chassis, averting its course slightly upward and ripping off the armored plating on the left side. The high-velocity projectile sent the large metal plate careening into the air with a wondrous spin.
The anglerfish team returned the favor sending a shell up at Knight. The projectile ripped through his own plating and towards VIrtanens rear, luckily scraping alongside his chassis and only ripping some spare track off.
They were near the peak, the slope had smoothed out and Oarai was no more than 50 meters behind them. No more turns, no more rough terrain, or ascents to ruin their aim. Oarai's Panzer IV sent a round into the rear of Knight's vehicle. The loss of speed was instant. The Panther was already over the precipice and approaching the final turn as Oarai's tank overtook them. Knight fired to slow them down which they easily avoided.
His turret could not rotate fast enough to fire on them again, his vehicle was losing speed and barely make it over the hill. His mind went into overdrive, trying to recall anything, training, advice, a scrap of wisdom, to salvage this predicament. It was shallow but he did not want his school's first defeat to be on his shoulders. Some may defend him, Diana certainly would, but his partaking in defeat would be undeniable. Many would say he choked at the most crucial moment.
Perhaps his commanders would be the only ones to take a loss harder than he. It was hard to imagine Virtanen beaten up for long, but Kaiser's fury would be another-
"It's better to ask forgiveness than permission"
He recalled Kaiser telling him such a thing once. Why was he already pondering defeat? In such a dire situation was he not obligated to do whatever he had to, just as Kaiser demanded of himself?
His Panzer IV clambered onto the hilltop, hardly any power to its tracks as it took the sharp turn. He then caught sight of Oarai's Panzer IV cutting off the Panther's escape and forcing it against the cliff's edge. His turret still rotating and Oarai was about to deliver the final blow there was only one thing Knight could think of to do. He called his commander and apologized briefly.
Virtanen looked through his viewport to see Miho out of her vehicle, her shorter barrel pointed at his vehicle and just out of reach of his longer gun. Suddenly Knight radioed him "Sorry sir."
Virtanen looked to see Knight's vehicle charge forward with what little speed it had and ram his vehicle, sending the tottering Panther over the other side. The last thing he saw as his tank went skidding down the forty-degree incline was a surprised Miho and Kight in his own cupola with an expression mixed with fright and belated regret.
Knight had seen the peaks cliffside as they ascended earlier. It was a generally steep slope for tanks but the drop-off for the cliff was a decent distance from the road's edge. As his commander was granted temporary safety Knight caught sight of Oarai's commander riddled with confusion. He cast an awkward smile as their gun fired. Having rammed the panther over the crippled Panzer IV was now in the guns way and received its final blow to the left rear.
Knights flag erupted from his vehicle as his tank skidded 180 degrees over the burm, before sliding to a halt. He was now out of the match but he had down what he could. Even if they lost, even if he was condemned for his performance, he could be content with himself at the least.
Knight's sacrifice had only bought time for the Panther, who was now doing all it could from descending any further towards imminent danger. Hitting the brakes, sliding downwards at a slight angle before turning around completely. hey finally came to a stop with unwanted help.
Oarai's Panzer four was after them and fired a shot. With the Panther's front armor now facing them, they aimed for its tracks. The left track snapped clean off from the impact. The Panzer IV now descended carefully at an angle to strike the Panther from the left side.
Virtanen's gunner followed them and fired, the round missed by a hair as the vibration from the gun shook the tank and loosened the soil beneath it. The Panther slid downhill some more, saving it from a harsh strike from the persistent Panzer IV.
The anglerfish team then began outpacing the Panthers turret, circumnavigating the medium tank to finish it with a strike to its side. As the Panther's gun trailed behind their elusive opponent, the final combatant joined the fray.
An 88mm round slammed into the dirt near the Panzer IV, embedding itself with a fountain of earth spraying into the air upon its arrival. Kaiser's Tiger was approaching quickly. The heavy tank, instead of reaching the hilltop and descending, had skirted the hillside in a straight advance to the two flag tanks, and none too soon.
Between a rock and a hard place, the Panzer IV whipped its tail around and began to gain distance between itself and the Tiger while visibility was still limited by the falling soil. In its rush the medium tank crossed the Panther's line of fire, risking itself for a moment of truth.
The gambit paid off. The Panther fired as the Panzer IV came into its sights, the 75mm impacted the rear left of the turret and unfortunately only struck a nonvital storage compartment. The Tiger had used its weight as an advantage for descending the slope but now had come into a disadvantageous position.
The Panzer IV once again was outmaneuvering the Panther's gun and had succeeded in placing the Panther between itself and the Tiger's sights. Uphill, the Panzer IV simply had to get a favorable angle on the Panther's right side before the Tiger could reposition, an easy enough task as the lumbering giant would be ill-advised to take any quick maneuvers so close to the cliff edge.
Miho stood adamantly out of her cupola her eyes closed. As Hana watched carefully for an opportunity to strike, the sun had begun to set over the mountains in the distance, her foes were now shaded while the edge of sunlight began to creep up to her vehicle. Her eyes remained shut until the darkness covered them, her pupils no longer affected by the bright sunlight, she was prepared to guide Hana's aim. Yet In the dim light, the Tiger proved to be as reckless as the rumors of its commander.
The heavy tank whipped itself around the rear of the Panther and came face to face with the Panzer IV who now held a flat angle against the Panther's flank. Now or never, Miho directed Hana to fire as a blinding light emerged from below, their eyes which had been peering into the dark now dilating from the sudden flash.
The Tiger had turned on its flood lights. The Panzer IV's crew was temporarily blinded but their aim had been set, trusting her gunner's skill and instinct, Miho gave the order to fire. The 75mm projectile flew at the Panthers flank, a flat impact inevitable yet the round whizzed by harmlessly.
What the anglerfish team had failed to see after being blinded was what the Tiger's weighted tracks had done. Tearing through the loose soil at such a speed not only sent their vehicle unsteadily sliding about, but it also loosened the soil around the Panther causing it to descend a few more meters to Virtanen's utter horror as he watched the cliff come closer,
The Panzer IV stopped its descent, pulling a harsh turn so its tracks were parallel to the drop-off. Their eyes adjusted to the light once more as the Tiger's floodlights died off, and the crew of the Panzer IV was met with the sight of the Panther settled in place and its barrel turning.
Below them and still sliding, the Tiger had its barrel pointed upwards and aimed directly at them. Despite the confusion and fiasco, Yukari fulfilled her duties admirably and having not been blinded, had already loaded the gun once more. With a hand raised from blocking the Tiger's lights, Miho shouted to Hana. "Fire!"
Kaiser's gunner had done so a fraction of a second sooner. The 88mm struck the Panzer IV's barrel, biting a chunk out of its lower portion. As the Panzer IV's 75mm gun fired, the projectile rattled within the distorted barrel and blew off the latter half. The barrel spun in the air before banging against the hull of the Panther, whose sights were now settled firmly on the Panzer.
Miho stood firm in her cupola, a strong yet comforting smile on her face as the shot rang out. The Panther's round impacted center mass against the Panzer IV's front plate.
As sirens rang in the distance announcing the end of the match and all crews breathed a sigh of relief, a slight motion unnerved the crew of the Tiger. It was slow, then became very noticeable. The ground underneath the tiger was giving as it slowly descended towards the cliffside.
"Get out" demanded Kaiser as his crew turned to him in shock.
"Get out!" he demanded, opening his hatch. He would do whatever he could to save his vehicle, a staple in their outcome for this year's competition but would not endanger his crew's lives.
Before he had even requested, Virtanen seemed aware of what was happening and threw a lifeline in the form of a tow cable. As Kaiser ran for the cable, he was surprised as another set flew towards him and his crew disobeyed his order.
The Panzer IV provided itself as an anchor while its crew ran a cable to Kaiser's loader and gunner. Before he could reprimand them and shout for them to get to safety, Katya was tugging at his arm and the cable as West shouted out from his hatch. "Hurry up! I don't want to be the only one to go down because you were too slow!"
Kaiser took off into a sprint, nearly dragging Katya along with the cable. West tried to carefully turn the tiger so its chassis was parallel to the cliff, providing more traction as the two cables were attached. The Panther shifted itself on its one good track to get the same traction as both it and the Panzer IV were slowly being dragged along.
Prepared for the worst, Kaiser ordered the girls to go to the Panther and Panzer IV to prepare to cut the cables if the Tiger was about to fall off. Kaiser stood a foot away from his prized vehicle prepared to send it off and save West from going with it if need be.
Miraculously the precarious situation came to an anti-climatic halt along with the three vehicles. Finding a solid patch of earth beneath it, the Tiger came to a rest. To be safe Kaiser extended an arm to West and promptly ripped him out of the vehicle.
The Senshado federation would have its work cut out retrieving these three vehicles but for now, the three crews slowly proceeded uphill and waited for retrieval. There was no malice as they watched the sun shift its position nor words of excitement. Patiently and contently they understood each other more in those final moments than any conversation could tell.
-Chapter End-
