Chapter 98 - The Answer

[JNST Women Hot Springs - Aboard the JSS Hakugei]

(It was now evening and the team was finished with their hand-to-hand training. Before they proceeded to the lecture on strategies they went into the hot springs at the edge of the ship. It was big enough for the girls on the team to fit in one and the view was amazing)

"This is the best!" Sakuraba said as she stretched

"Nothing like a great dip in the hot springs after all that training!" Alisa said

"Do you think there will be hot springs at the Semisphere?" Koume asked

"There's a possibility!" Mauko said

"We're going to fight in a tournament and we're looking for hot springs, we must be crazy!" Sencha reacted

"It's a necessity!" Saori said

(The girls were just having fun conversation of their own while on the other side of the hot springs some girls were talking about their love lifes)

"Hey Sheska! Tell us how far have you gone with Ono-kun?" Suzu teased

"Eeehh?! W-Why are you suddenly asking?!" Sheska blushed

"Oh come on! They've been going out for 4 years already! Obviously Ono has reached home base already!" Rin said

"Geez..yes he has.." Sheska answered with a blush

"KYAAAA~!" the girls reacted

"What about you Sakuraba-chan? Things working out well with Toshi-kun?"

"We're ok! We decided to take things slow and think things through." she answered

"He seems more mature than I thought.." Assam said

"We didn't even do it until our 2nd anniversary! He's such a cutie!" Sakuraba blushed

"And you Rosehip? You and Tojo-kun seem to be hitting it off pretty well.." Darjeeling said

"Yes! We're both in love with speed and like racing with each other with our tanks!" Rosehip said

"I never thought I'd see the day you'd have a boyfriend, I'm so happy for you Rosehip!" Pekoe smiled

"Me too! Thank you very much Pekoe-sama!"

"Shiori! What about you?" Kaede asked

"What about me?" she answered

"Takayuki-kun has been making moves on you ever since we started training years ago! Don't tell me you never notice?"

"Of course I noticed. I'm not dense."

"And? Are you going to answer his feelings or not?" Kay asked

"I've told him before that I have no plans on being in a relationship as of now. A lot of things are happening and we have an upcoming tournament."

"What did he say to it?" Maho asked

"He said he'd wait..I'm sure he doesn't like me anymore.."

"That guy has waited for you for three years, believe me he still likes you.." Erika said

"And what about you white wolf? How was spending three years with the white tiger in a single house?" Shiori asked

"Anything spicy happen overseas?" Leila asked

"Every night was spicy, but you know what they say, no matter how spicy the food is, you just can't stop craving for more.." Erika said with an erotic voice

"KYAAAA~!" the girls reacted

"Geez Eririn!" Miho blushed

"Hahaha sorry Miho.."

"Tell us more! How would you describe Gero Taichou's performance?" Sango asked

(All of a sudden Darjeeling, Kay, Mika, and Kaede's ears got big and wanted to hear Erika talk about Gero and how good he was in bed)

"Hmmm..he's good..very good..he'd always take care of me first..he was both intense..and gentle at the same time..making sure I was comfortable..he won't stop until I reach my end.."

(Everyone started to blush as they listened to Erika's lewd story about her and Gero. Meanwhile Darjeeling, Kay, Mika, and Kaede's imagination was going wild and their faces were bright red)

"I haven't even talked about his cannon yet.." Erika blushed

"H-His cannon?!" everyone reacted

"Yes..it's just like his white tank's cannon..BIG, HARD, LONG, & POWERFUL.."

(After hearing those words everyone had an image of the Tiger I's 88mm cannon firing off a round. Everyone then had a comedic nosebleed and started to float within the hotspring. They were fine of course and were just shy upon hearing Erika's story)

"Eririn!" Miho shouted once more

"Ahaha sorry sorry..I got carried away in story telling.." Erika chuckled

"Was he like that from the beginning? How was your first time with Gero-dono?" Shizuka asked

"My first time..it was.."

(There was no way Erika could forget the first time she and Gero slept together. Twas the night before they almost died and all of the events that happened that night came flooding into Erika's mind. She just stared at the starry sky and smiled that both of them were able to survive from it)

"Erika-chan..?" Leila was worried

"That night felt so heavenly that I almost passed away.." she smiled

(For the other girls it seemed like just another dirty joke from Erika but for others it sounded very sad and scary after knowing what happened to her)

"Please don't joke like that Eririn.." Miho said

"Sorry..well I'm heading out now..I have to prepare for our lectures later.."

"Me too..I don't know if I'm getting dizzy from the heat of the hot springs or from the heat of Erika-senpai's story.." Sakuraba said

(As Erika stood up everyone was shocked. Just below Erika's chest they saw a long surgery scar on her stomach. Erika then saw that everyone was staring at her scar and noticed the grim expressions on their faces)

"Oh this? It was from the surgery..don't worry about it! I'm alright now and it doesn't bother me at all!" Erika smiled

"You know you can have the scar surgically removed.." Klara said

"I know..but I chose not to.." she said

"Why?" Nonna asked

"This is proof of my weakness and Gero's love..I will wear this scar for the rest of my life with pride.."

"You're really a strong woman. I'm happy to have met you Erika-sha.." Katyusha said

"You too Kat-chan!" Erika smiled

"Don't call me that!"

(The depressing atmosphere turned into laughter and smiles once again appeared on their girls' faces. Meanwhile in the men's side of the hot springs they were just horsing around and playing with each other without a care for the world. After cleaning themselves up everyone headed to the war room for their lecture on strategies.)

[JNST War Room - Aboard the JSS Hakugei]

"Everyone take a seat! Onigiris and tea are on the table at the sides so you may eat while we have our lectures!" Kaede said

"Yes ma'am!" everyone answered

(Gero and the guys entered the room now and greeted the girls)

"Hi everyone! How was the bath?"

"It was great! How about yours?" Erika asked

"It would've been great if we didn't splash each other with hot water.."

"Hey, you started it!" Kal shouted

(Gero then approached Kaede to ask her about the lecture. As he got closer to her she blushed harder as she remembered Erika's story at the hot spring)

"Are you ok Kaede-chan? Your face looks reddish!"

"Eh..? Ah..mmm..I'm fine Eiji-kun.."

(Gero then placed his forehead onto Kaede's forehead to check her temperature but that just made her even more embarrassed and flustered)

"You don't seem to have a fever.."

"Uhm..your face..is too close..E-Eiji-kun.."

"O-Oh..sorry.."

(Gero then noticed that the other girls were also blushing and getting all embarrassed. They can't seem to forget what Erika told them and once again their imaginations were going wild)

"What is happening?"

"Maybe the heat from the hot springs are making them dizzy.." Erika teased

"Oh that's not good! Boys open up some windows to let the air in for the ladies!"

"Okay!"

(They opened the windows to give the ladies a nice breeze of fresh air which helped calm their imaginations. Kaede started their lecture about what strategy they will be doing during the tournament. They discussed the capabilities of the other teams and what possible tanks they might field.)

"The next parts are still theories and possible routes since we still don't know what kind of map we will fight on and who will be our opponents." Shiori said

"How many plans did you guys make?" Nonna asked

"We only have 10 right now but we can make more by this week.." Kaede said

"You already have 10 with the little info we have?! That's amazing!" Yukari said

"That's my Kaede-chan!"

"Your...?!" everyone reacted

(Kaede blushed as she heard Gero call her as his. Of course the other girls were happy for her too and were laughing softly by the sides)

"Ah..ehem..please continue Commander Kaede!"

"Y-Yes..well each plan starts off the same! The Light Tank Platoon will be our force recon and will head out further inland first to find the enemy and mark important locations.."

"Roger that!" Rosehip answered

"Our priority is to always locate the enemy first so that we have the element of surprise. If we force ourselves to fight the enemy without proper information we will be wiped out." Shiori said

"So what do you suggest?" Sudou asked

"We will be conducting ambushes at different points in the map. We lie in wait for the enemy and hit them from different sides with as much firepower as we can."

"I can't say that I like the idea of doing cowardly acts to win but I guess there's nothing we can do in some situations.." Katyusha asked

"Our Senshado isn't about war but it was based on a war. Wars aren't won by blindly going head to head with every enemy we come across. It's won by careful planning and proper preparation before all our engagements! I'm not in command just to send you all to your deaths!" Kaede said

"Don't worry commander, we trust you! Right Katyusha-sama?" Nonna said

"Yeah. I'm putting all my faith in you so don't disappoint me! Order us as you see fit!" Katyusha smiled

"Thank you Katyusha-san!"

"Good! The next thing I want all of us to be mindful of are the famous Tank Aces of each team."

"Tank Aces?"

[Tank Ace of Germany]

Name : Beatrisa Schmidt

Tank : Jagdpanther Tank Destroyer

[Tank Ace of Italy]

Name : Cosima Costa

Tank : Semovente da 75/46 Tank Destroyer

[Tank Ace of Britain]

Name : Victoria Tinsley

Tank : Sherman Firefly Tank

[Tank Ace of America]

Name : Eugene Davis

Tank : M4A3E8 "Easy Eight" Sherman Tank

[Tank Ace of South Korea]

Name : Gwon Soomin

Tank : M24 Chaffee Tank

[Tank Ace of Russia]

Name : Aleksandra Ivanova

Tank : SU-85 Tank Destroyer

[Tank Ace of France]

Name : Amandine Baker

Tank : ARL-44 Tank Destroyer

[Tank Ace of China]

Name : Xiu Zhang

Tank : M4A2(76)W HVSS Sherman Tank

[Tank Ace of Canada]

Name : Olivia Anderson

Tank : Mk. XI Valentine Tank

[Tank Ace of Australia]

Name : Chloe Williams

Tank : AC4 Cruiser Tank

[Tank Ace of Finland]

Name : Amelia Koshkinen

Tank : KV-1 Tank

[Tank Ace of Romania]

Name : Adrian Lupu

Tank : Maresal Tank Destroyer

[Tank Ace of Brazil]

Name : Abilo Fontes

Tank : M4A1(76)W Sherman Tank

[Tank Ace of Bulgaria]

Name : Ivan Baharov

Tank : STuG III Ausf. F Tank Destroyer

[Tank Ace of Hungary]

Name : Gedeon Lakatos

Tank : 43M Zrinyi I Tank Destroyer

"These are the best of the best of every team. These individuals are awarded the title of Tank Ace for their achievements in Tankery." Kaede said

"No way! Beatrisa-senpai was a Tank Ace?!"

"You have known her for three years and you're just knowing this now?" Erika reacted

"She never said anything!"

"Beatrisa-senpai literally has her picture posted in our university building with a big title saying TANK ACE!"

"Eh?! Really?! Where have I been for the past three years.."

"What are the requirements to be awarded the title of Tank Ace?" Haruto asked

"The title of Tank Ace is given to a tanker that has the most kills accumulated through official matches. Since we have never fought in an official match before we don't have any records whatsoever!"

"I guess we better start racking up the tank kills at the upcoming elimination rounds!"

(They now brainstormed with each other and discussed different ways on what to do during the competition and the best ways to be prepared as much as possible when fighting against Tank Aces. They agreed with asking another team for a practice match to get a feel of how an international match is like. The question was who could they ask for this very important favor.)

"Who do you think would be nice enough to practice with us?" Shiori asked

"I have just the people! Erika, can you call the twins?"

"Sure, give me a minute!"

(Erika then went out of the room and brought out her phone. After a few minutes of phone call she returned back to the room)

"They said yes. We'll have the practice match the day we arrive in Africa!" Erika smiled

"Nice! Problem solved!"

"Twins? Who did you call senpai?" Sheska asked

"The Twin Stars of Germany! Ilse and Ingrid!"

"EEEEEEEEEHHHHHHHH?!" everyone reacted

"You mean the commanders of the German Team?!" Shiori asked

"Yup!" Erika smiled

"How do you know them?!" Ritaiko asked

"They were our classmates in the university in Germany."

"Is it safe to assume that we will have a practice match against Germany?" Kaede asked

"Yes Kaede-chan, we will go against the mighty armored forces of Germany!"

(Everyone was excited about being able to do a practice match against a strong team like Germany)

"Also everyone I'd like to make an announcement! We have two new comrades that will join us in the tournament!"

"Who are they?" Takashi asked

"Please welcome the Fighting Felines of JNST! Edel and Weiss!"

(The black and white cats entered the room wearing the white cap of their uniform. Everyone was happy to see the cats and enjoyed how cute they were)

"Nyaa~!" said Weiss

"Nyaw~!" said Edel

"SO CUUUUTE!" everyone reacted

"In war, animals have proven to relieve stress from soldiers and a lot have been decorated as heroes for what they have done. So if during the matches you need something to cuddle then give them both a hug and they'll love you back."

"I know they're awesome but don't rely on them too much alright? They too can feel stress and fatigue so take care of them!" Erika ordered

"YES MA'AM!"

(They now continued their lecture until 9PM before dismissing and going home. They repeated this routine of tank training, hand-to-hand combat training and strategy lecture everyday and before they knew it they had already arrived in Africa)

[Tanger-Med Port - Morocco, Africa]

"Welcome to the Kingdom of Morocco!"

"Wow! This place is beautiful!" Sakuraba said

"Look at the size of this port!" Anchovy reacted

"This is the largest port in Africa, the Tanger-Med Port! This is ranked 18th in the world!" Erika said

"I don't see the carriers of the other countries. Are we the first to arrive?" Haruto asked

"Germany arrived yesterday so we're not the first unfortunately.." Erika said

"Why can't we see their ship then?" Mako asked

"They decided that each country will dock at different ports. Sixteen ships may be too much for a single port.."

"Another reason is so that nobody will be able to spy on other teams to see what kind of tanks they have for the war.." Kaede informed

"Oh, well that makes sense.." Sango reacted

"I guess we're lucky to get the biggest port huh?" Ono said

"Yeah well we have friends here so they asked us to choose this port!"

"Friends?" everyone reacted

(Gero and the rest of the team disembarked on the port and they were met by four people. They were greeted by three African males, two of which were wearing suits and a tie and the other male was wearing a military uniform. The fourth one was a female japanese officer wearing the uniform of the JSDF or Japanese Self Defense Force and it was none other than Ami Chouno herself)

"Coach Chouno!" everyone was surprised

"Hi everyone! Welcome to Morocco, Africa!" Chouno smiled

"Ami nee-chan!"

"Gero-kun! We have very important guests here that just couldn't wait for the opening ceremony to meet you!"

(The two men wearing a suit and tie were Mohammad VIII the King of Morocco and Abdalla Ramaphosa the President of Africa. They approached Gero and shook his hand with smiles on their faces)

"Mr. President! King Mohammed! It's so great to see you two again!"

"You too Mr. Gero! It's been too long!"

"Welcome to Morocco Sir Gero! Please stay for as long as you like!" Mohammad greeted

(The third man wearing the military uniform approached Gero as well and saluted him with a smile. The man's name was General Nehanda and Gero saluted him as well then shook his hand.)

"General Nehanda! You look well!"

"Thanks to you sir! If it wasn't for you I might've not been able to greet you here like this!" Nehanda said

"Oh don't be like that! We all did our part! You remember Erika right?"

"Hello General!" Erika greeted

"How can I forget? Pleased to see you again ma'am!" Nehanda saluted

"How are the men?" she asked

"See for yourself! They're over there!" he pointed

(They looked to the right and a team of soldiers wearing their military uniforms saluted Erika and Gero. The team saw the whole thing and was confused why soldiers were saluting Erika)

"Coach Chouno! Who are those people?" Asparagus asked

"That would be the King of Morocco and the President of Africa! The guy in the military uniform is the General of South African Special Forces!" she answered

"SERIOUSLY?!" everyone reacted

"Why are they here?!" Jajka asked

"To meet you all of course!" Chouno said

"So the friends that Gero mentioned were them?" Ono asked

"Yup! You can ask Gero-kun and Erika-chan the details of their friendship since I don't know how much I can say! Haha!" Chouno laughed

"As usual you have a very free spirit coach.." Emi reacted

"Hey guys! What are you waiting for?! Come and meet the president of Africa and the King of Morocco! They want to meet you all!"

(All the members of the JNST then took the opportunity to meet and shake the hands of King Mohammad VIII and President Ramaphosa. The soldiers on the side were looking at them and one of them wondered who Gero and Erika were)

"Hey lieutenant! Who's that man and woman there that the General knows?" a soldier asked

"Oh right, you're new here so you don't know what happened a year ago." the lieutenant answered

"A year ago?"

"Last year when violence in Africa was at its all time high because of Boko Haram, those two, Captain Gero and Madam Erika arrived here in Morocco offering help. They said they can help end the violence all over the continent within half a year. Of course they sounded crazy and we told them that it would be impossible. But orders were orders so we followed them."

"What happened then?"

"They chose our company. Trained us for two months. Then commanded us in every country across the continent of Africa and brought us victory. They were always the first to enter the battlefield and they were there with us every step of the way. After a certain mission that turned the tide for good, they had to return back to Germany. Then here we are now, no more Boko Haram, no more wars, no more massacres. This is the closest to peace we could ever hope to be."

"Who knew a Japanese man and woman would be the solution to years of conflicts in our continent.."

"Those two are monsters disguised as humans. They fear no evil and show no mercy to those that spill the blood of the innocent. They're not the solution. They're the answer." said the lieutenant

(Greeting two hundred people took quite a while for the King and President but they all enjoyed meeting the JNST Team. After the greetings the team flew to a near beach via their V-22 ospreys)

[Agadir Beach - Morocco, Africa]

"Ohh! This is a pretty beach!" Tojo said

"The water is so clean and clear!" Pekoe said

"Taichou, what are we doing here?" Hajime asked

"You all have been training for weeks non-stop! I'm proud of all of you! We're all proud! That's why you get this week off! Take a vacation here at Agadir Beach! Have fun! That's an order!"

(Everyone erupted into cheers of joy and started running around the beach and splash water with each other)

"We booked a hotel for you guys to stay in! If you want to grab a room key then contact Coach Chouno! Five people per room so go with your tank crew! Is that clear?!" Erika shouted

"YES MA'AM!" everyone answered

"What about us Taichou?" Naomi asked

"Get some R&R while keeping an eye out. Look after everyone and keep contact at all times. Take turns dipping in the water. Report anything suspicious, even the smallest things."

"Possible threats?" Takashi asked

"Sanada and his team detected mysterious activities at one of the ports south of africa. Might be nothing."

"It's never nothing. Hope for the best and prepare for the worst." Klara said

"That's the idea! For now enjoy the vacation. Then we'll gather up the night before the opening ceremony. See you guys around!"

"You too!" Assam said

"I want to share a room with you Ro-chan!" Mika said

"Me too!" Kay said

"Nope! You spend time with your crews! I'll be doing the same!"

"Eeehh.." both were saddened

"But if you can wait a little bit, I have a very big surprise for you. Deal?"

(Mika and Kay's eyes turned into stars and hearts making them very happy after hearing what Gero said)

"Yes! It's a deal!" both answered with a blush

"Alright then. Go on and have fun!"

(As instructed the team had a week vacation at Agadir Beach and recovered their strength for one week. The following week they transported all their tanks to the Semisphere in preparation for the tournament. It was a busy week and before they realized it the opening ceremony of the 18TH INTERNATIONAL TANKERY TOURNAMENT EVENT was about to start)

[Semisphere - Sahara Desert, Africa]

"LADIES & GENTLEMEN! FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD! WELCOME TO THE SEMISPHERE!

(The whole dome erupted into cheers and applause)

This gigantic dome in the middle of the desert was created to host the 18th International Tankery Tournament Event! Sixteen countries! Sixteen teams! Eight winners! Who will emerge victorious and proceed to the Quarter Finals!? Let us all meet the contenders!" the announcer shouted

(One by one the countries entered the staging area wearing their tanker uniforms. Only the tankers walked in since they were concealing their tanks for the tournament. The last country to enter was Japan and they were about to be called by the announcer)

"NOW LAST BUT NOT THE LEAST! IT IS THEIR FIRST TIME EVER TO JOIN THIS TOURNAMENT! THEY CAME FROM THE LAND OF THE RISING SUN! THE MIGHTY WARRIORS OF THE EAST! LET US ALL WELCOME! THE JAPANESE NATIONAL SENSHADO TEAM! J.N.S.T!"

(The crowd was silent at first since they didn't know who they were. There was only a part of the audience that cheered and that were the supporters of Japan. After being called to the staging area Gero and his team were still not showing up and everyone was confused. After a couple more seconds the White Tiger came dashing out of the tunnel, surprising everyone. Gero and his crew were on top of the tank and they were holding big bags that contained sakura petals and they threw it up in the air and scattered it all across the staging area as they drove around every team. As the petals floated in the air the JNST team came marching down the line carrying the flag of Japan and displaying it to everyone. After scattering the petals they stopped their tank in the middle of all the countries and their own team stopped behind them. Gero stood on top of the White Tiger and smiled before suddenly shouting with the loudest voice he could've ever made. He pointed his fists up in the air doing a guts pose as he shouted)

" ORETACHI WA DAREDA ? !"

[ WHO ARE WE ? ! ]

" J.N.S.T ! J.N.S.T !"

" ORETACHI WA NAZE KOKO NI IRU ? !"

[ WHY ARE WE HERE ? ! ]

" TATAKAU TAME NI !"

[ TO FIGHT ! ]

"ORETACHI WA NAZE TATAKAU ? !"

[ WHY DO WE FIGHT ? ! ]

" KATSU TAME NI ! "

[ TO WIN ! ]

" NIPPON ! BANZAI ! "

[ LONG LIVE JAPAN ! ]

" BANZAI ! "

[ LONG LIVE ! ]

" BANZAI ! "

[ LONG LIVE ! ]

" BANZAI !"

[ LONG LIVE ! ]

(Their loud roar echoed inside the biggest dome on earth and entered the hearts of the people. The audience erupted into loud cheers and big applause for them and began to root for them. All of the teams were intimidated by this act of Japan and they know that this will not be an easy win for all of is the first time that the world has laid its eyes on the mighty White Tiger Team)

Coming Up Next : Chapter 99 - Iron Rose

Author's Note:

Hi to everyone! Here's chapter 98! The team has now arrived in Africa for the elimination rounds and they just made their international debut with a loud roar! It seems Gero and Erika have some history with the soldiers in this country, I wonder what it could be? Stay tuned for the next chapter!