Boots on the Ground: Volume 2

by florentinomain00f

With Krasnaya Zvezda achieving their first victory in the Hohei-do match, it can be said that for them, a new hope arises. However, they would still have to face a lot of problems, both externally and internally. Even still, with tenacity and brotherhood as their guide, they shall rise to the challenge and prevail. Though... the finale of the tournament isn't just the club's goal.

3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3. IFAK for the Soul

"And that's a wrap for another nail biting Hohei-do match, this time with Lapland High School coming out on top against Gwangmu Academy." The commentator narrated as the cameraman directed the audience towards the summer's blue sky, a red flare shining brightly with great contrast to the backdrop. "As expected, the two teams were very equal in terms of capabilities and the general game state had a lot of back and forth exchanges. But it seemed that the Finnish school was able to win their game with their most important play that is blowing up a 3-squad worth truck, instantly ending the game there and preventing any further combat losses, which looks to be exhausting Lapland quickly. Now… let us get down onto the field for an after action interview with the soldiers that happen to make that important play."

The scene switches to another cameraman, the camera now looking to a woman wearing a casually professional outfit, her hand holding a mic. "And here we are, speaking on the ground right now as our participants have finally started recovering from their ordeals in the match and are currently packing things up for the train home. Thankfully, it seems we have a good number of available interviewees, to which… Here they are." She gestures towards a certain, to which the camera also turns. Now, in front of the adults are two young, foreign boys, one with a TRG-42 hanging onto the rucksack, the other inspecting an anti-tank weapon with firm hands. "Hello there!" She waved.

Upon hearing the reporter greeting them, they look to her before directing their attention to the camera and waving at it, with one seemingly way more energetic and extroverted than the other.

"Hello!"

"Hey."

Knowing she finally has their attention firmly in her hands, she moves close to them. "Congratulations on your victory against Gwangmu Academy today! It was definitely a hard fought win, don't you think?"

"Yeah, I guess you can say." The guy with the sniper rifle answered, taking the initiative. "We were struggling quite a bit, especially since we were given a warning about their specialty being that of an abnormal chain of command. If I were to describe, think of their team as an earthworm. You can cut off their supposed head all you want, but it won't do much given their heads don't have much importance. However, completely smashing them certainly works well, isn't that right Antero?"

"Yeah." The guy holding the LAW rolled his eyes. "Thanks for finding the range by the way, couldn't have done it without you?"

"Yeah, that's right! Now you get why I don't want you on another squad?"

"Yeah, maybe…" Antero gazes at the reporter. "Mutta älä ajattele, että on hieman töykeää, että puhumme näin? Unohdat kaikki käytöksesi, Aarne."

"Ah, olet oikeassa!" The guy called Aarne then looked to the camera, letting out a sigh. "No, jos Jouko sattuu näkemään tämän ja kieltäytyy uskomasta … Jep, me, Aarne ja Antero, olemme täällä Japanissa!"

The interviewer suddenly intervenes. "Sorry for the intrusion, but how long have you two been a participator of Hohei-do? I, as well as the audience, are just curious, as what you two just did can only be described as sublime. Have you been doing it for quite some time?"

"Well…" Aarne, being the extrovert, took the lead. "First of, thanks for the compliment. Without him, we wouldn't be able to hit such an impressive shot from far away. And second, we're quite new to this, actually. It has been…" The brown hair boy directed his attention to the blond. "Odota, kuinka kauan on lukuvuoden alusta, Antero?"

"Noin 2-3 kuukautta, Aarne." Antero counted on his finger, responding back in Finnish also. "Lisäksi se ei ole vain me. Älä unohda, että Herralla on myös käsi menestyksessämme."

"Kyllä kyllä, Herra. Täytyy ylistää Herraa tästäkin…" Aarne wagged his head.

Antero can only remain nonjudgmental of the marksman's attitude on the matter. "Ja silti olet syntynyt suomalaiseksi …"

"Hei katso, unohdin vain, okei? Kaikkea ei voi muistaa, tiedäthän?" The guy simply waved it off, switching back to Japanese. "Anyway, we're pretty new to this whole thing. Been over 2 months or so, but I guess that's beginner's numbers still."

"If so…" The reporter widened her eyes. "Wow, that makes what you two did even more impressive. Also… I suppose you guys are foreigners, since I think you were speaking to each other in a language that's not Japanese?"

"Kyllä! And we're Finnish, too!"

Suddenly, someone calls out the two from the crowd surrounding the train. "Oi! Aarne! Antero! You guys should pack it up, sergeant's calling!"

"Got it!" Aarne shouted back to the source of the call. "Anyway, it seems we have to go now. We wish you a good day, female reporter!"

"Yeah, good day to you, too." Antero also raised his hand up, before being pulled by Aarne towards the carts, leaving the reporter be.

With her now fulfilling her job, she turns to the cameraman once more. "Well, that does it for today's after action interview. We'll be back to our commentator in the station, and as always…" She winks. "Stay frosty, soldiers!"

The program takes a moment to switch things up from the ground reports back to the studio, the commentator now seated in his chair. "Well, it seems like these two are going to be very promising contestants we have to look out, especially if it involves vehicles. But for now, we're going to switch to the after match analy-"

The TV displaying the program is all of a sudden switch to a channel. "In today's weather news, many prefecture of Japan will be experiencing heatwaves, as the summer approaches. This instance is most apparent in the southern prefectures of Japan, of which includes Kumamoto, Miyazaki, Fukuoka, Nagasaki…"

"Man, so the Finns got through, huh?" Ryunosuke exhaled. "Well, I guess that doesn't matter much right now, so long as we haven't gotten through the round of 16 yet."

"Indeed." Hanzo aimlessly looked around. "I wonder how is Koume doing at Kuromorimine now? I hope she is alright, at least. That incident… It was just cruel, honestly."

"You have a point, Hanzo. But that's life, and we all know how much of an ass life is. I'm confident that little sister of yours is all fine and dandy though, especially when she has continued doing Sensha-do even after it."

"Hmph, she is a very dedicated girl at heart. She didn't just get into Kuromorimine for no reason, you know?"

"Sure… Man, it's really getting hot lately, huh? I wonder if it's because of our Hohei-do matches getting so heated."

Hanzo smirks. "Oh, you and your puns." He shakes his head and sighs.

Just then, someone knocks on the door. "Can I come in? I want to discuss some stuff." The voice sounds as sweet as a honey glazed apple and as soft as a cotton mattress, both of which are unmistakably ways to describe how Nanako sounds like when she is talking.

"Come on in, you're not interrupting us of anything, sis. The door's unlocked also." Ryunosuke invited.

"Sure thing." Nanako opened the door, before looking around for a seat. Once she was able to find her place on the comfortable couch, she brings out from her clear bag a map of Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden, with various markers and arrows drawn on it. "This will be our battleground for the upcoming match we will have against Nambusaka Academy with the decided game mode being Skirmish, as you two may have already been aware of. Here's what I managed to muster up. What do you think about it?"

The two lieutenants give an eye on the captain's detailed battle plan, thinking about the way she decided to execute different kinds of tactics reminiscent of the Nishizumi's style, which is unrelenting offense. However, after a while inspecting and pondering on the work, Ryunosuke displays a face of disappointment. "It's just not it, sis. This won't work against Nambusaka."

"Why?" The female Nishizumi asked, her voice while sweet remained stone cold. Within her though, a sense of failure started to musters. "I think if we make sure that Nambusaka is never able to form a defensive line in the first place, wouldn't we be able to have an easier time?"

"No, Nanako." Ryunosuke disagreed. "You're just playing right into their hands. You really don't know how fast they can do it. Plus, they may play a defensive style of Hohei-do, but that doesn't mean they're turtling. Nonono, they're the total opposite of turtles."

"Well…" Nanako took a deep breath. "I know you are an older brother of mine, alongside the fact that you already have been doing this a year earlier than me, but how come you are able to come to that conclusion, brother Ryunosuke?"

"Those kind of assessment can only come from experience, captain Nishizumi." Hanzo intervened. "And I can attest to your brother's skills and experiences as a practitioner of Hohei-do. I don't understand why you feel the need to detest his thoughts on the matter."

"Ah, I… You can think of it as me wanting to make sense of things, lieutenant Akaboshi. Forgive me if I made any hasty judgements." Nanako slightly inched away from the boys on the couch.

Seeing that, Hanzo quickly added. "No worries, captain Nishizumi. I can understand why you would ask such thing. It is a good way to learn more of things, after all. As many like to say, in doubts there are opportunities, opportunities for us to understand why things are the way they are."

Nanako's lips curls up upon hearing the wise words from the third year. "Thank you for your opinion on the matter, lieutenant Akaboshi."

"Don't think too much of it, captain Nishizumi. After all, it is my responsibility to serve the Nishizumi family." The lieutenant said with a seriousness so great, she thought he was for real of which made her feel incredibly embarrassed and awkward. However, Ryunosuke immediately turns to Hanzo, face full of shock.

"I didn't remember you promising us that when I joined! And I'm pretty sure none of Otto von Krieger's students have to have an absolute loyalty for us! Actually, it's even worse because- Oh, you're trying to screw my sis around, huh?" Lieutenant Nishizumi smirked with annoyance.

"And I can say it was to great effect." Hanzo smirked back at the young boy, before looking at the captain now flustered, her eyes dilating around.

Knowing Nanako is trying her best to get herself out of this, the brother quickly picks up the battle plan. "Anyway, I guess I'll have to redo this."

"You're going already, lieutenant?" Hanzo looked at him.

"Yeah, I am. Best to correct it now, else when shits hit the fan the guys on the field won't know what to do." He then pats his sister's head. "Don't fret too much about it Nanako, you did the best you could. Got the right idea too, though I wouldn't say to constantly assault them would be the way to go about it. They'll likely just try to exhaust you out with pincer attacks in return whilst forming a layered defense. Still, good effort from you. You got that, Nanako?"

"Thank you." Nanako's face remained unaffectionate, but she didn't seem to be annoyed by his action.

"Well then, I guess I should take my leave also. I've got to watch over the drills and train our troops for close quarter fighting. That match we had a while ago showed we need to improve further in regards to fighting without armor support. Are you aware of it too, captain?" Hanzo also stood up, leaving only Nanako on the couch.

"I am, yes. I guess I will leave it to you then, since you are the most reliable." Nanako weakly smiled.

"I see… Let's get to work then, Ryunosuke." Hanzo got his arm around the male Nishizumi.

"Same goes to you, Kamerad!" Ryunosuke nodded, and in no time, they left the room, leaving the captain alone.

Now, in this place, only Nanako and her own thoughts remain. Her own thoughts… of how much of a useless bitch she is, contributing little if any to the betterment of the club. And yet, only because she bears the surname of Nishizumi, was she even able to rise to the ranks of captain so fast, especially with the previous commander leaving for university. Everyone keeps saying how skilled she is as a Hohei-do practitioner, how the maneuvers she can pull with the Puma can sound so fantastical unless witnessed by eye, how the cannon of the Schützenpanzer is somehow always pointing at where the enemy is, how she can see targets even with them being concealed, and just plain how talented she is. She knows they are not lying, because there is no reason to. It's not like she will give special treatment to those that praise her a lot. But somehow, she feels those beautiful, sugar laden sentences are merely lies, that they are just acting nice to get something good from her. It makes sense though, she's the captain of the team, and a first year too. With how impressionable she is, of course people would want to win over her, would want her to view them in a positive light, and thus would get-

No, that is wrong. This feeling that is rising within her, it is not speaking the truth, not at all. It is merely trying to paint her in a bad light, trying to make her feel bad, trying to downplay her talent and success. It has been present ever since the Ryunosuke's denouncement of Nanako's battle plan. She knows this rising anger, it is all too familiar. But, too late, it has already managed to take over, or at least in a long enough duration to have her smacked the poor, innocent table. A small indent appears on the location of contact as she lifts her fist. Ah great, she did it again.

With a sharp exhale, she mutters to herself, her cheek muscles twitching. "You are an idiot, Nanako… And that is probably all you will ever be capable of anyway if it were not for the gifts that the heavens above have given you." She huffs suddenly. "Not like you are any better with them anyway…"

---

Even with the summer atmosphere of Kumamoto actively reminding of the inviting break to come, school is still a constant in many of the students' life. The crickets can play their symphonies, the sun can try its best to make the place as hot as possible, but the curricular grind must continue as scheduled. However, the cricket noises seem to be getting louder than normal, the green leaves look more green than usual, the sky seemingly clearer than it usually is, all this culminate for Nanako to be aware that today is a Saturday summer morning, of which to the one walking besides her is the worst day to go to school.

"Ach, ich kann nicht glauben, dass jemand wirklich dachte, es sei eine gute Idee, trotz dieser Hitze noch zur Schule zu gehen. Die Hitze... Sie fordert mich nur dazu auf, stattdessen direkt zu den Stränden zu springen!" She complained with great passion.

"Ja, es tut mir leid, dass auch Du das ertragen musst. Es ist zwar hart, aber angesichts der Menge an Schulaufgaben, die für das Jahr geplant sind, ist dies die einzige Möglichkeit, sie rechtzeitig zu erledigen, Karin." Nanako answered back in monotone, somehow able to show her sympathy with her fellow's cause.

"Im Ernst: Der Sommer ist die Zeit, in der Sie sich ausruhen können, in der Sie wirklich Sie selbst sein und tun können, was Ihnen Spaß macht. Auch wenn ein bisschen Sommerarbeit für Sie vielleicht unangenehm ist, ist es zumindest viel erträglicher, als tatsächlich das Äquivalent dessen zu besuchen, was viele Menschen in Deutschland als Strafe ansehen – den Sommerkurs!" Karin continued with her tangent as Nanako never really stopped her from doing so. The captain herself is used to this constant talking though, since… Karin is the driver for her Puma.

Karin is fluent in Japanese, indeed, but whenever she wants to vent, she usually does so in German so as not to bother the people around her too much. They can't be annoyed if they don't even understand much of what what she is saying, that's her logic. This is even more compounded by her weird Bavarian accent whenever she rants, of which only Nanako and her Puma gunner is accustomed to after all the time spending with her. She sometimes does not quite catch what she means, but for now, they are at least mutually intelligible. Thankfully, her constant need to vent is backed up by her skills as a driver, able to abide by Nanako's frequently implausible requests and live up to her surname of Wittmann. It would be an understatement to say they have great chemistry with each other, in and out of the Schützenpanzer. Her rants can be overt at times, Nanako can admit, but it's nothing compared to her inner prosecutor, of which she has to deal with on a semi-daily basis anyway.

While Karin switches the topic to how boring May and June are due to the lack of local festivals, as opposed to the monthly festive vibes that Germany somehow possesses even with them being stereotyped as workaholics, Nanako looks to the far western docks, where the imposing aircraft carrier of Kuromorimine anchors itself every time the weekends arrive, before sailing to the sea beyond this city when Mondays come. The morning sun shines brightly on it, but it only makes the dull grey easier to be observed. That was where Nishizumi has made their names as a Sensha-do powerhouse, her mother said. That was place of which the Nishizumi tankery style was given birth to, and until this day, adopted by generations upon generations of prideful practitioners, believing the style to be infallible. It was a truth, a little twisted, but a kind of truth nonetheless. Such great faith in the style would have remained at such heights, had it not for the familial and inhuman tradition of Panzer Ketto being exposed to the public. Turmoil already appeared before, correct, but this was the moment where it can be determined that, yes, the Nishizumi's reign has come to a complete stop. Indeed, they still are a powerhouse, but it is unlike the former glory they have. From the driver seat, they have now been forcefully moved to the passenger seat, as the rival Sensha-do family and other board members takes turn forming the Sensha-do that they have envisioned. While the Nishizumi still plays a major role in the council, they can now only, in their desperation, stops Sensha-do from becoming more than just tanks shooting at each other. At this point, it would not be hasty to assume that for them, Hohei-do is an utterly disgusting concept. An infantry combat based martial arts initially reserved for boys, that at the turn of the millennia, opened its gate for girls to join in, to contribute in their special ways via Schützenpaner, thus evolving the arts to the first level of combined arms warfare? Abhorrent for them, perhaps. This is not even mentioning the fact that the equipment they make use are all modern, too. That surely can make any Nishizumis of the Sensha-do sides have their blood boiling just simply giving thought about it. It is because of this assumption that her family has basically cut all ties with the original clan, though keeping track of the Nishizumi's situation still. But atlas, what happened has already happened, and there is not much point dwelling on it.

"…Und deshalb halte ich es für dumm, dass wir auch im Juni noch zur Schule gehen müssen, denn selbst die Deutschen haben den Anstand, pubertären Mädchen wie uns tatsächlich Zeit für sich zu lassen. Findest du das nicht auch, Nanako?" Finally concluding her rant, Karin looked to the captain for an answer. None came, yet she was not surprised one bit. Nanako always has this habit of zoning out at times like this, after all, not to mention it would be better if the girl ignores all that she is saying, it is meaningless in the grand scheme of things anyway. And understand it is about time she stops being a negative Nancy, she switches topic again, speaking Japanese this time as to be more accommodating of her fellow girl. "Hey, I think your brother is a very cool person, especially after that match we had against Nambusaka. I cannot believe he was able to beat them without our help, though I suppose we do not have as much of a problem regarding vehicle reliance as Krasnaya Zvezda."

Karin has a point regarding this. No matter how many times she has read his battle plan that he has redone after seeing hers, she can only think about how she did not come up with it in the first place. The solution was just too eloquent, splitting them up with an initial bait, before defeating them in detail, tearing each squad apart one by one. And the worst part is that she herself would have come to the same conclusion, had she knew about it earlier. No, it is clear she is already aware of defeat in detail, the problem is that she did not make use of it, and that is her greatest. And yet, she is somehow the commander of Otto von Krieger… What an absolute disgrace she is! Perhaps she really is just as a puppet for Ryunosuke to control, a medium for him to realize his ambitions. That is all she is good for, anyway…

Nonono, she is at it again, is she not? Her hands are already clutching, her veins are already popping out partially. She feels none of her face muscles really tense up, that is good. Her breathing is getting ragged again though, that is not good. Okay Nanako, you have already been through this before, remember? You have to control it, that anger inside you… It is merely you overreacting and being an asshole to yourself for no particular reason. You can do it, just take it easy Nanako, take it easy… One, two, one, two. That is right, just count your steps. Take your mind off the source of anguish, and do not break in front of these kinds soul. They do not deserve your wrath, Nanako, none of them do.

She practices the typical ways to cool her mind down, of which she can memorize so well with how much she has to do it. But unfortunately, like all the times before, her emotions get the better for much longer than she wanted, this time making each of her step on the ground gradually transforming into stomps.

When she finally breaks out of her trance and stops the stomping, she sees that everyone is looking at her all weird and worried, including Karin. But they soon continue their treat to school as usual. Karin cannot do the same, however, her pupils shrink to a mere dot on her eyes, her lips curling down, and her body shakes like she is feeling chills down her spine, even if it is dead set in the summer. She then speaks up, her voice sounds frightened by what she saw. "I… I-I…. I am sorry, d-did I make your angry? D-Do you n-not like him o-or… W-Was I invading your p-privacy, captain Nishizumi?" Oh, poor girl was scared for her life from Nanako's body language, telling the German girl she is moments away from being violated upon and that she should back up now.

Mentally giving herself a face palm, Nanako comforts Karin. "No, no you are not Karin. You are not at fault for me being so insolent with my act earlier. I apologize for not being accommodating with you."

"S-Soso." Karin felt unnerved, but she also calmed down, her voice getting less shaky. She did not quite understand what Nanako just said, especially with her extremely polite and esoteric choices of words, but she knew at least the Nishizumi girl walking besides her will not blame her for what she did. "But… weren't you angry at your brother?"

"No, I was not angry at him or anyone in particular, Karin." Nanako wagged her head sideways.

"Then…" Karin all of a sudden stumbled upon an opportunity to lighten the mood up. "I guess you were angry at something?"

"No." A sniffle can be heard as Nanako covers her mouth. "I was not angry at anything also. Do not give too much thought about it, Karin. I am all good."

Karin feels more at ease, but she is still concerned. "Ja? Geht es dir eigentlich gut?"

"Ja, wirklich." The girl responded. "Denken Sie nicht zu viel darüber nach. Und das liegt nicht an deiner Schimpftirade, Karin, du musst nicht damit aufhören."

"Ah… Ja." Karin agreed, but she remained silent afterwards, not wanting to provoke her again.

Well, that is plain not great, huh? Once again, because of her own self-hatred being projected out, someone becomes wary around her again, thinking she is not ready to accommodate them. This is very much becoming a big problem, and it is likely not going anyway soon, even with how much more of lone Marder driving around town she has been doing lately. That statement she hears from her brother is being used as concrete proof by the persecutor within her to accuse Nanako of being a total reject, that she does not deserve her current position of captain within the institution. And the defense is running out of counter-proofs and bluffs to convince the judge that indeed she is capable of something good for once. If only there is a way…

Wait, what if she tries to go see a member of that Sensha-do Nishizumi family, and sees if she can fix up the relationship the two families have. It has been decades as far as she is aware, but it is not impossible right? And if she is able to do it, maybe the defense will be able to prove her of her own believed competence. This is not even mentioning that she has come across the residence by herself from all the time wandering around in the IFV she has at home. The route, she has already memorized, and she even knows how to get to it via public transportation alone too! Oh, this is a totally great plan, right? Well, if it goes wrong then it can be disastrous, she understands. But right now, she remains idle about the idea any longer, her mind would eventually drown itself in conflict, and she would legitimately be unable to do anything decently, thus making the prosecutor's stance an even more correct one for her mind. And then she will fail ever harder, and she would think of herself as a failure even more. It will become an endless loop of negativity that she has little chance of getting out of. So, as she weighs her choice with that gifted intelligence, she finally decides to risk it.

Turning to Karin and spooking her out a little with her sudden movement and deadpan expression, she requests assistance from her dear driver. "Verzeihen Sie, dass ich so plötzlich bin, aber... Können Sie mir helfen?"

Though Karin's stomach is making up butterflies as she meets Nanako eye to eye again, she answers, trusting on her gut instinct as it advises her to accept the request regardless of what it is. "J-Ja klar. Was brauchst du, Nanako?"

---

It's another day, of another weekend, of another week, of another month, and of another year the Graf Zeppelin docks itself in Kumamoto. Everything is going as planned, as the maintenance crew on the aircraft carrier turned floating piece of Kumamoto would like to say. Of course, this means that Nishizumi Maho has to make her weekly visit back home to her estate and maybe helps things out with her mother if needed. It is monotonous, yes, but she enjoys it. It's comforting how the repetition of events keeps on going and going and going, even after what is thought to be the most horrible loss Kuromorimine has ever suffered for decades or so. The students were enraged, the adults were disappointed, and Miho... The mere thought of her sister makes her want to clench her fist and asks a lot of questions to herself that mostly start with 'Why'. "Why did it rain that day? Why did the Panzer III have to fall into river? Why did the landslide even happen? Why did I not have the courage of a Nishizumi to save those drowning students? Why did the upperclassmen gang up on Miho? Why did I stay silent when Miho needed me most? Why!? Just why, oh why, oh why!?" Thoughts began to stir in the commander's mind as she made pace on the walkway leading to the stairs down the Zeppelin, her hand clutching even tighter upon itself, so much so her veins were popping out on her wrist. "Just why!? Why was I such a coward!? What was- No, what is wrong with me!?" She introspected with spite, her eyebrows sloping down to the noze bridge. At that moment, she almost forgot she was a Nishizumi, and it's not like she feels she is worthy of being one anyway, especially with her display of cowardice. But atlas, someone has to remind her she is the sole heiress of the Nishizumi style now, no matter if she wants to bear the role or not.

"Good afternoon, commander Nishizumi!" The students doing her security duty saluted, noticing Maho in front of her. She has been in the line for quite some time, her eyes staring with great focus upon the horizon. Commander Nishizumi is clutching her fist very tightly, probably somewhat angry about... the finals last year perhaps? Who knows really, the security girl isn't telepathic, there's no way she knows what's going inside there. It is best she doesn't bother her though, else trouble would be calling her.

As Maho hears the greeting of her subordinate, she realized she isn't acting like how a Nishizumi should be with all the anger festering in her mind. Thus, she quickly clears all of her unsavoury thoughts and reset her acts, easing herself a little but maintaining the intimidating demeanor of a Nishizumi. "Good afternoon to you too!" She keeps it brisk. "I will be gone for the weekends, as always. The reason is homecoming."

The girl on duty quickly notes down everything, before giving her the pen and notebook. Without a question asked from both parties, Maho signs her name onto the paper, her handwriting quick but beautiful as always. The signature even looks like something you would find to be made by a calligraphist.

"Thank you, commander. Gute Reise!" Salutes was quickly exchanged between the two before Maho walks down the stairs leading to Kumamoto's port. It is clear to Maho that for now, she should keep focus on the goal of reclaiming the Victory Flag for Kuromorimine. It will at least satisfy her mother's wishes, and perhaps make her a little more at ease and give ground for self-forgiveness to flourish, if possible. Filling her minds on the what ifs and whys, and hows aren't going to bring Miho back anyway, so it is best not to ponder the thought.

The monotony continues ask she takes the trains, and the bus to the mountainous area of Kumamoto - Nishi Ward. And the infamous Sensha-do family's estate lies in an even more remote area of an already sparsely populated location. You can even describe it as on the edge of civilization. It's just close enough to the city that a hop, a skip and a jump should get you to the centre of Kumamoto though, and the trip to the nearest seaside town isn't too long either. The pearly blue and the luscious green forest contrasts heavily one another, yet both form to be a beautiful symbiosis of colors, colors that has met Maho's eyes for as long as she can remember.

Soon enough, being too carried away with her thoughts and appreciations of her hometown as always, the long haul of the bus from Kumamoto station quickly passes along with time. Without being too aware of it, she is already standing on the bus stop she is way too familiar with. It's when they went in the town to buy stationary, when they had a trip to the beach nearby for when mother needed a break from work, or when they played hide and seek with tanks, her mother in the Tiger and her cubs in the Panzer II. "It was such a fun time. And yet... where did it all go?" Maho pondered solemnly, but deep down she understood how. Simply put, while Maho didn't dare to say it, even to Miho, she always felt like Shiho had slowly distanced herself from them. Maybe it was work engulfing the bold, yet sweet mother, maybe it was her not knowing how to talk to them without the topic slowly coalescent into just Sensha-do, maybe it's even because of mother's early divorce with father. She can't pinpoint which one is the true one, but to think so is to be narrow minded. Perhaps it's all of the above, to varying degrees. Still, Maho has to tread the trail that she can recite by heart, being covered from the sky above with leaves of maple, chestnut, cherry, silk, tallow and probably a lot more types of trees she hasn't known yet. But as she approaches the small, humble gate leading to the spacious estate inside, something catches her eyes - a feminine figure, dressing herself in a gray suit combined with a collared cyan shirt, a bespoke blue tie and a pencil skirt of the same shades the suit is. The figure also has something besides her, something in the shape of a square, likely a luggage.

As Maho walks closer to the entrance, the figure stands there, her eyes before looking around the scenery and probably appreciating them, now lases onto Maho's. Her gaze oddly reminds her of her own mother, which really doesn't startle her one bit. She's used to it. Her long hair also extends the similarity up a notch or two, but it quickly ends with its color being somewhere in the middle of the road between Maho's and Miho's. With the distance closed, she can start to observe more of the uniform with her naturally sharp eyes, of which one detail catches her attention - an emblem on the gray suit, shaded in navy blue, its shape reminiscences of the Iron Cross, with a helmet loosely placed on top. Maho doesn't know who this stranger is, but her instinct doesn't act upon it. In fact, she feels familiarity. "Peculiar, indeed." She muttered as she steeled herself to meet the person.

With long strides, Maho hastily meets the girl in question, eye to eye. The more she looks into, the less unfamiliar the girl becomes, like she is some long lost kin she has never met before or something. The other girl looks to be having the same reaction.

After a long showdown of the girls via eye contacts, the stranger politely bows and comments offhandedly. "It seems mother was right all along. That you would be at the estate during this time, I mean." She maintains a stern face, but her voice sounds as sweet as water candy freshly extracted from rice. "It is a pleasure to meet you, miss Nishizumi. My name is Nishizumi Nanako." She then stops, giving Maho time to think it over in case she is a little shocked.

Maho takes time to mull over the realization of meeting her sister after so long. She tries to formulate what exactly to say, but can't find the correct words, and fair enough, since this was a most unexpected encounter, catching her off-guard in a rare case of shock. "I…. am…. pleased to meet you as well…."

Taken aback by Maho's stuttered response, even if Nanako knew this might happen, the girl in grey raises her eyebrows. But knowing she is probably tired going from the port to what anyone would describe as the middle of nowhere, Nanako moves herself to the entrance block, a hand touching on the door. "Do you mind if... you open this door for me? I want to make a visit here today, probably staying here overnight at least." Then, as something she has done many times, she tilts her torso down again. "I promise I will not cause you trouble, miss Nishizumi. If you don't want to take me in, I will oblige."

Maho, recomposing herself, replies in her usual firm tone, "No, it's fine, you may come in."

Opening the door, Maho leads Nanako inside the residence, helping her with whatever belongings she had brought with her when she came in. The two didn't interact during this, save for Nanako clarifying which was which and which went where, but with the initial shock of their first encounter over with, they began to unravel in their insecurities.

---

After having been guided throughout the obscenely large estate and helped with unpacking her stuff for the night, Nanako mentions how big of an impression was left on her on the size of the place. "Wow, this house is so big, miss Nishizumi. And it is well kept, too! The maids you have around here are certainly great at what they are doing, if I had to guess. Just looking by the way they clean the floor, and you can already tell it is going to be squeaky clean soon after." Then, the girl starts observing Maho's room, being decorated with some pages of calligraphy above the bed, the various tank models scattered across the room with order and a bookshelf filled with materials, most of related to general warfare and tank operations. "And... not out of the ordinary, a Nishizumi should be surrounded with tanks, big or small. Am I right?"

"We Nishizumis are forged in the art of Sensha-do, so it shouldn't take a genius to figure out why all of our rooms have much to offer in terms of tanks," Maho replies, flashing a very slight smirk to dissuade any hint of passive-aggressiveness, even though she knows Nanako is affected. So, just in case, it was best to offer an apology. "My apologies if I offended you, my subordinates act so on many an occasion, so I fear I've grown to it, unfortunately."

Nanako covers her lips as sniffles break through. "No, I understand. It's what your family has been doing for decades, after all. Probably even centuries under a different form." It is weird how she literally carries the surname of Nishizumi, and yet she talks about the family like she is an outsider to it all. But it's probably just a coincidence she bears the same name, or at least that's what Maho has theorized on the fly, with the information she has been given up until now.

As Nanako carefully takes in the view, something suddenly catches her eyes - a portrait of Maho and someone that resembles her, but has a big smile on her. Next to it is one of her favourite plush that she herself owns - a Boko bear. She looks at the Boko with endearment, but the picture brings her with questions, making her gaze upon it with intensity and thoughtfulness. She may not display it on her face, but Maho can tell something is up. After all, Maho herself also doesn't like to overtly show unnecessary emotions just because.

"I see my sister and her favorite plushie has grabbed your attention," Maho pointed out.

"Your sister? That... That is her?" Nanako called, her voice raised up a semitone because of surprise, not understand how such a gleeful person can exist in a family like the Nishizumi. The way she smiles, the way she laughs, the warm aura she has around her, making even the most frozen of hearts melty in seconds. It's just... a complete anomaly to Nanako! The mention of Maho's sister engulfs all of Nanako's attention completely, so much so she gives little to no regards about the mention of the plushy.

Maho let out a sigh, understanding Nanako's never meeting Miho, but also disappointed that she hadn't heard anything about Miho's background. "Yes, that's Miho, my younger sister. If you don't know what happened, I'll be happy to brief you… though I'd much prefer not to…" Maho turned her face away from Nanako to hide her emotions, with the memories of that infamous match still rather fresh in her mind.

"Nonono, it iss not that I do not know her. In fact, I actually know a lot more than you might think." Nanako pauses mid-sentence, likely to actually confirm that what she witnessed isn't just her hallucinating. "But I would have never known that Miho was... so different from everyone else. It feels like she was born in the wrong Nishizumi household, at least to me. She doesn't belong here." The girl spoke like it's a matter of fact, but the vocabulary used definitely implies it's not. "Nishizumi Miho doesn't belong in the Nishizumi that is entangled in the art of tanks. She deserves better."

Not letting Maho have time to comprehend what she just said, Nanako takes her clothes and moves her body like she is planning to go to the bathroom in the estate. "Now... is it okay if I take a shower? It won't take long, I promise. I know it has been a tiring day for you too, miss Nishizumi, so I will make sure that you get to use it as soon as possible."

"Yes, yes… do what you need…." Maho watched as Nanako left to do her business, before shifting her gaze to the various pictures on the shelves, mulling over what Nanako had said about Miho, and considering her point.

Miho was nothing like their mother, the polar opposite, in fact. It was like she had been adopted from a family where the only emotion she had known was happiness. In every family photo, there was Shiho and Maho on one hand, stern faces with iron gazes, and then there was Miho, her face beaming brighter than the sun with a smile that could melt an iceberg. It felt unnatural, something totally unlike the Nishizumi way of living. It just didn't fit in. "Maybe Nanako is right… does Miho really fit in…?"

But the moment for Maho to ponder about it didn't last long, and soon Nanako returns to Maho's room, now dressed with what is probably an oversized T-shirt with the face of Boko imprinted on it, the bicycle shorts barely sticking out the underside of the T-shirt. Her face seems to have eased up considerably from the bath, the eyebrows curving upwards. "Thank you for the bath, miss Nishizumi. It was very refreshing."

"Yes…. it appears so…." It was hard, no, impossible to tell from the outside, but inside, Maho struggled to keep herself from breaking down laughing at the sight of Nanako dressed in such a manner.

The girls silently observe each other, looking like they are ready for another staredown again, but once again, Nanako breaks it. "You seems tired today, miss Nishizumi. Was it because of school?" She asked as if she was raised in a maiden's household, full of respect for distance, and also care. This is what mother has taught, and what Nanako herself has learned working at the Nishizumi inn, so it is very easy for her to spot fatigue, even from a person that actively tried their best to appear energetic and full of life.

"N…no, I'm fine… it's just…. those clothes…." Maho pointed to the large Boko face on the shirt to clarify what she found ridiculous.

"Oh..." Nanako looks down on chest and realizes something. "Right..." Her face turns a little redder as a result. "I think it's best you take a shower too, miss Nishizumi. Then maybe we can have dinner." While Nanako still maintains her stern look, it's clear she is a little embarrassed about it. Like seriously, who likes Boko still at the age of 15?

The awkwardness slowly festers within Nanako, her body language suggestion she would rather be out of sight right now as she feels she might be bothering Maho with what she is wearing. There is no way Nanako knows Maho is silently giggling, especially with how seriously she looked when she pointed at Nanako's probably obnoxiously large Boko face on the T-shirt. It's hard for Maho to know, but the body language helps to give it away.

"Well, this is getting rather awkward… I've prepared some food, though I fear it was only for myself, as I wasn't expecting you to be here. I hope you can wait for a few minutes while I make a second serving."

"No, it's okay. I can cook for myself, you don't have to. Just get a bath, miss Nishizumi. You look like you really need it." Nanako continues to insist, her suggestion looks not to be just an excuse to get away from Maho for a bit either and rethink. And the droplets of sweats appearing on Maho's face doesn't help the older girl to refuse with reason, either. "So... Are you going to take a bath, miss Nishizumi? I can prepare the meal myself, don't worry."

"Yes, yes… I'll try to be quick, I'm positively starving." Without another word, Maho rushes to her room, grabs her clothes and towel, and makes for the bathroom to likewise have a refreshing shower, while Nanako heads for the kitchen to get to cooking a delicious meal.

---

After a very thorough bath for what could be half an hour or so, Maho emerges from the bathroom, only for something to hit Maho's olfactory system -a mix of delicious smells, from nutty, fresh to strongly of curry. Something is definitely being cooked up in the kitchen, probably katsukare with a side dish.

Maho's mind whirls as a distant memory becomes unlocked. Shiho, aside from being a strict Sensha-do mother, was also a cook in her pastime, a trait inherited from her own mother, often cooking meals through watching videos of recipes or reading various recipe books, and when the family wasn't busy with Sensha-do, she would teach them how to cook. And judging from how glorious the smell of the food was, Nanako had definitely gotten a high cooking prefix.

Soon enough, Maho has finished putting on her night dress and walks into the kitchen, the smells only intensifying. Right by the girl with the white T-shirt is the head maid Idegami Kikuyo helping Nanako with table preparations. Maho staggers a little, likely wanting to appear the moment everything is placed up on the decently sized table in the dining hall. The dishes are neatly put, the main dish and the simple cabbage and tomato salad showered in sesame dressing put on opposite to give space for the people dining. The commander doesn't know whose idea is this, but she is grateful someone thought about it.

Standing on the upper floor without peeking the below, a short exchange between the guest and the maid was made with a polite attitude from both parties.

"Thank you for helping me. I would not have been able to get it done in due time without your help." The cute voice from Nanako rang throughout the house.

"It's not a big deal. Maidens like us are used to the miscellaneous work around the estate. As long as it means miss Nishizumi's guest enjoys the stay, I am willing to give a hand." Kikuyo replies with her usually soft voice.

"I understand." The guest told. "But it is quite late already, and I would be happy with the stay more if you were to be well-rested, so..."

Kikuyo softly giggles at the suggestion. "My my, the way you asked me to get rested was like you were a worker at an inn and I am the guest. You don't have to."

"You could say so... But oh well, a great suggestion should not be taken lightly, don't you think?"

"I would say you are wise to think so."

"Heh, that's a good way to put it. I guess I should be following it now then..." Some footsteps that slowly become less audible can be heard, but then they come to a stop. "What about the dishes after the meal? Isn't it my job to take care of them?"

Nanako was about to reply to the head maid. "It's alright, I can wash it for you. I will even guarantee them to be so clean you can see lights reflecting off of it."

"Are you sure of that, my guest?" Kikuyo thought of it as a challenge, but soon Maho interrupts, her hair now bonedry after the nice, weekly homecoming bath.

"Don't think I haven't been taught in the art of dishwashing myself… for I'd say that since I have been with Okaa-san more, I feel I can make the dishes shine enough to ruin your vision," Maho interjected with a smirk.

"Is that an invitation to a duel, I hear?" Nanako looked up eye to eye with Maho, her expression not changing one single bit. Maho returns back with a stern face not dissimilar from the young girl. The sight certainly humours the head maid and fills her with intrigue.

"Now now girls, that can be left for later, once dinner is eaten first." Kikuyo had to stop, out of duty and out of the fact that she knew the staredown would never end for probably a long time unless anyone intervenes, or that was how she thought of it. "And Maho..." She didn't waste her chance to jab at the girl. "How come you're getting so competitive all of a sudden? You haven't been like this ever since... Well..." It turns out to be a bad idea, and reminds Maho of things she doesn't want to think of, doesn't want to remember because of how painful it is to do so. Miho and Maho was almost inseperable, they thought. But then during last year, stuff happened and... they won't be seeing each other again, at least for the time being. Sure, they saw each other during the drawing ceremony face to face. However, neither of them dare to open up to one another, not even for an awkward talk about the weather or the food.

"I just miss playing with Miho… We always had friendly competition, and that included dishwashing to see who could finish first. Since she left, things have been pretty lonely, I have no real companion to have fun with, except you, Kikuyo, but you're unfortunately busy all the time. It's not that I want to be competitive to be better, I just miss the fun and happiness that came with Miho…. though… maybe you're right, Nanako. About Miho not fitting in here. The Nishizumi style is too strict, too hard for a sweet sister like her. All I can hope for is that her new school is treating her well, and her classmates vindicate that hope… Things just aren't the same without Miho." Maho sat silent and sullen, her mind flashing back to all the fun memories they had with each other, playing and going around wherever, as long as Shiho kept them at bay, having many, many competitions with each other over who could please Mother the most, or be the superior sister. Some of those memories made Maho smile from amusement, others disheartened her as they reminded her that she may never experience those memories again, now that Miho was gone.

Nanako, noticing the eyebrows sloped up to the middle of Maho's forehead, reaches her hand out to the sullen girl to comfort. But then Kikuyo stops her with a hand gesture before giving the girl a pat. "I understand miss Nishizumi. I'm sorry for not choosing my words carefully. I promise I will try to avoid it." The maid apologizes, her voice indicating great sincerity. Soon after, she makes herself brief and gets out of the two girls' sights, leaving the guest and the future heir together in the dining room.

"Thanks, Kikuyo…" Maho took a while to calm her emotions, trying to think happy thoughts to divert herself from all the negativity. After a while, she lifted her face, turned to Nanako, and with a slight smile, repeated her friendly challenge. "I'll see you at the sink after dinner?"

"See?" Nanako thought the response was weird, but as usual, no emotions were displayed on her face. "I am not going anywhere, miss Nishizumi. You do not have to worry. In fact, is it okay if we-" Nanako was going to suggest them having the late dinner together, but Maho beat her to the punch.

"I meant after we eat dinner, we'll be having that dishwashing competition I challenged you to earlier, remember? Of course, it's fine if you won't do it, but it's been a while since I last did a competition."

"...I accept the challenge." Nanako quickly scoops up some rice and curry after she agreed to the competition. A sigh of relief can be heard as she enjoys the spoonful of curry-flavoured rice, her face smiling up. "Hah... I was starving making my way to the estate. It did not help I also did practice at school today, so an empty stomach is guaranteed." Then she takes a bite out of the cabbage salad. "And the rich sesame dressing along with the fresh cabbage and tomatoes definitely helps to cut the richness of the curry." Next, a loud crunch rings throughout the room. "And to top it all off, a perfectly fried piece of breaded pork fillet." But then, she suddenly snaps into a freeze frame of a person when she notices Maho looking at her with endearment, a strange aura of warmth that wasn't felt before suddenly appeared all around the senior Nishizumi.

"You know, Nanako, you kind of remind me of both Kay and Miho. You seem to have a love for food, and you're also a sweet and kind person, like the both of them, judging by our encounter so far. I'll admit that this is a breath of fresh air given all the iron Nishizumi persona I have to maintain every day when Okaa-san is around or I'm at Kuromorimine. The food is great too, it seems Okaa-san has taught you the art of cooking very well." Maho, too, was crunching and munching on the fillet, enjoying it very much.

"Thank you for the kind words, and yes I am grateful mother has tutored me well on making food." Nanako grabbed another bite as she conversed. "But isn't it in the Nishizumi's teaching to be like iron? 'Hit the target when you fire, let your defenses be of iron, and advance in perfect order. Our laws are of iron, and our hearts are steel. That is the Nishizumi Style.', correct? You would not be following your ancestor's way if you just think of it as a facade." The way Nanako was able to recite the sacred passage with incredible accuracy makes Maho's eyes widen. Is she a fanatic of the Nishizumi style? There's no way, given how similar she is to Miho.

Seeing how Maho was shocked, she saw an opportunity for a breakthrough, and as always, took her chances. "But even if you do not fully agree with it, why make it so infallible? I do not think some tiny adjustments here and there would not hurt. Just sticking true to your ancestor's ways can be detrimental if you do not give much thought about it, right miss Nishizumi?" Her voice turns stern again, but there is a hidden softness behind it. She's not judgemental, she just wants answers on why her side of the family even left the family in the first place. The best way to start? Strike at their ideals first.

"Say, I'm impressed… you are very familiar with our creeds, it seems… though… as to your other arguments…" Maho turned her thoughts to the other statements Nanako had made. Should she consider them offensive? They did seem to criticize how her and Shiho were so fixated and dedicated to upholding every pillar of the Nishizumi style. But, perhaps it was also good advice, advice that may need to be taken in order to fix some stuff in the Nishizumi way, or, perhaps, maybe even save it, because of some major underlying issue she wasn't aware about or something. Maybe her and Shiho were taking this whole Nishizumi doctrine a bit too far, and that some change was needed. It was hard to decide which consideration to agree with. "Nanako, these statements of yours, relating to change, remind me a bit of Miho. She was open to change, she told me in secret, and I took that as a sort of offense, given how much I've dedicated myself to this family's teachings. And now that you put it this way, I don't know what to say, or feel, or this or that, you've got me in a bit of a corner… Okaa-san taught me that I should never compromise, to never agree to anything that, in the slightest, modifies Nishizumi Sensha-do. I don't know if I should be offended, or take this as good advice, because, and I mean no offense here, but… I can see both of those aspects… in those words…"

Nanako remains silent, thinking about what Maho has to say. She certainly makes good points, and given her upbringing, faulting Maho for upholding what she views to be an outdated, somewhat bigoted tradition would be very inconsiderate. Then, she speaks, remaining steadfast of how the style needs changes. Not super drastic changes, just small ones that help to fit itself alongside newer values that time has brought to their society. "I understand where you are coming from, miss Nishizumi, but it doesn't have to be that way. Not in the way you, and your mother thought of it, I think. Defense can be of iron, offense can be of perfect order. Laws can be of iron, hearts can be steel. However, pure logic doesn't always help us." As she brings up her last scoop of curry, fillet and salad combined, she locks in onto Maho. "Miss Nishizumi... What if I tell you that there is such an accursed world where you cannot make defense of iron, advance of perfect order, laws not of iron and hearts not of steel, that it has existed from time immemorial, and that it is right under your nose this entire time?" Then she puts the spoon into her mouth, chewing with great pleasure, either from the food, or from the argument she has given. It is clear Nanako is awaiting something from the future heiress.

"An… accursed world?"

Nanako keeps the silence up, still chewing the last of her food in a nonchalant fashion. It's like she wants Maho to figure it out on her own first.

Maho stops to think, pondering every detail of Nanako's description of this so-called "accursed world".

"Cannot make defense of iron" …Was there anything like that outside of tanks?

"Laws not of iron and hearts not of steel" ...That sounded quite heretical, from her mother's view at least.

"Existed from time immemorial" ...It is as old as Sensha-do?

"Right under your nose this entire time" …And nobody had ever heard of it before in Sensha-do?

"Tell me… who else knows about this… accursed world you speak of?" Maho asked in an inquisitive tone.

As Maho starts to use her natural intelligence and ponders about the 'accursed world', Nanako finally answers one of the girl's question, having done her chewing of the food. "This is not me belittling you, but there is an entirely different combat sport that exists independent of Sensha-do, likely completely out of your limited view of the world. In it, armoured vehicles are constantly under threat from every directions regardless of how safe it seems. In it, we cannot simply just rely on the beasts made of metal we command. And in it, a defense of iron and an offense of perfect formation is an impossibility. Thus, laws of iron and hearts of steel are, in layman's term, not the way to proceed." She mentions the mysterious world like it's some kind of forbidden knowledge no Sensha-do players should have never been aware of, that just a glimpse into it would turn their world upside down, in ways they cannot imagine. Maho has some doubts about this, but curiosity has her in its grasp now, and she wants to learn more.

"Please, do tell me more about this world," Maho replies, ignoring the last few portions of her food, her mind fully focused on what Nanako has to say.

"I hope you are not going to be offended for what I am about to say." The young girl brings her dishes to the washing tub, submerges it in water, then turns back to the future heiress. "But you Sensha-do players have it easy, for you only have to worry tanks, and just tanks alone."

"Just tanks alone, you say… It seems there is more than tanks where you come from…"

"Well... Yes, but also no." Nanako then turns to the sink and washes, conversing with Maho simultaneously as she does her part of the work. "We don't have Panzer in our part of the bubble, miss Nishizumi. But we have armored assets that we like to refer to as Schützenpanzer. In fact, it is one of the core pillars of our battlefield." The young girl places heavy emphasis on the word 'our', likely wanting to double down on how the sports are so segregated from each other, both just barely acknowledge each other's existence as mandatory electives of similar combative nature.

Maho's mind went back to work, making an effort to figure out what Nanako was trying to talk about. For one, Schützenpanzer, as far as she was aware in armor knowledge, referred to an IFV, something that Sensha-do never used, ever, outside of transportation for knocked-out crews and the referees. Only something involving infantry could utilize an IFV, and infantry was obviously not a part of Sensha-do. But in this world Nanako talked about, it was one of its core tenets.

Secondly, the emphasis on the word "our" did work on pointing out just how segregated and separated this world was from Sensha-do, and that was clearly evident given Maho was just now learning about it, and how nobody she regularly interacted with never brought it up in the slightest.

"The Schützenpanzer is an infantry fighting vehicle… only found when infantry is in use… It seems that your world must involve the use of infantry. If IFV's are, as you say, a core tenet of your world, surely infantry must play a large part in that world, or am I mistaken and IFVs are the primary, or only usage of your world?"

On Nanako's face form a slight smirk, signaling her satisfaction on Maho's very accurate and educated guess. Her hands carefully scrub down all the dirty stuff off the plates as she nods her head back and forth answering. "That is indeed exactly what our world is, and what we intend to honor, for we think many underestimate the importance of foot soldiers. Yes, armored vehicles are very important assets on any kind of combat zones, but they are all there to serve for the infantry. Without infantry, you cannot take points. Without infantry, you cannot clear cities. And without infantry... warfare becomes incredibly stagnant and rigid. There is nothing that can offer the operational flexibility of infantry formations, no matter how light and nimble your Panzer can be, miss Nishizumi."

Then, all of a sudden, Nanako drops what she is doing and looks at Maho, her gaze pierced straight through the girl's soul. "And it is because of them that no defense can be of iron, for their fluidity can overcome any static defense. Because of them, advance of perfect order is doomed to fail against the overwhelming advantage of concealment and cover they can have. Laws of iron? You cannot rely on that when the battlefield is constantly shifting at speeds even Schützenpanzer cannot keep up with. And finally... A heart of steel will never get you the camaraderie you need to overcome your challenges." Then she turns back, finishes up the dishwashing activity, turns off the tap, cleans her hand and sits opposite of Maho. She gazes upon the future heiress with a stern attitude, likely trying to instigate another staredown and giving Maho time to think more about the 'accursed world' she brought up. She keeps bringing up the creed, wanting to punch it down how outdated and narrow it truly is, and that it needs a long overdue improvement.

"Nanako, what is it that you have against us? You seem to be attacking our beliefs using the beliefs your world has," Maho questioned, inquisitive once more. "I tell you, if Okaa-san finds out what you've been saying to me, if you step in this house again I will guarantee she'll hunt you down. This…. all that you've said…. Okaa-san takes them personally, and she expects me to do the same…. and yet, here I am, actively considering what you're saying."

"Oh, about her?" Nanako becomes smug. "I actually want her to hunt me down. That way, we can truly talk things out. But it is not like she is at home right now, or even often for that matter." However, upon mentioning the absent of Maho's mother, she feels a little awful about her, keeping her own mouth shut before switching to a more digestible topic. "Miss Nishizumi... I thought you want to compete with me on dishwashing to see who can wash it cleaner." Her tone of voice all of sudden goes from cold and calculating to considerate and caring.

Maho simply waved her hand to acknowledge this, and with a smirk, decided to just eat this gut punch that she felt Nanako was waiting to give her. "Of course, but first…. tell me the name of this world you speak of."

The younger Nishizumi all of a sudden becomes a lot more playful, and answers like she is her biological sister, though Maho highly doubts she even bares any similarity to Miho. "You have to beat me at the sink first if you want me to tell." She didn't smirk while saying it, but her posture of turning her back to Maho expresses a challenge to the senior girl's request. The future heiress knows she is not being disrespectful for the sake of it, she just wants the situation to be less intense and suffocating. That's very nice of her, really.

Maho's smug look increases, loving the sassy energy that this girl is emitting. "Hmph. Looks like it's come to be that type of game, hasn't it? I'll see you at the sink." Maho coolly finishes her dinner, consuming the final contents on her plate, as Nanako passes by, flashing a wink. Once done, Maho joins Nanako in heading for the sink, where, preparing their respective set of dishes, they prepare to begin the duel.

As Maho approaches the sink, she can already see Nanako's dishes being cleaned, so clean in fact not even a particle can be found on their surface even if she inspects it with a microscope. They are also neatly put to the side and stacked on top of each other, setting up an example for Maho to compete with, which is to outwash the one that challenged to a washdown for pride, and perhaps for learning even more about Nanako's world. Something about how Nanako acted as if it's accursed and that it doesn't fit with the old ways of the Nishizumi just makes her full of intrigue.

'She's as good as I do it!' Maho couldn't believe her eyes. 'Only Okaa-san and those whom she teaches can clean those dishes like that!'

Quickly recollecting herself, Maho resumed her indifferent nature. "Quite impressive… but, you're dealing with a girl taught well in the art of washing dishes. I'll show you how a true Nishizumi does them."

"Go ahead," replied Nanako pompously, "I'm watching."

Without hesitation, Maho turned on the tap, grabbed the first plate, and ran it through the flow of water, lightly using the rough surface of the sponge to wipe off any resistant materials, while ensuring that the plate wasn't scratched. Once that was done, Maho turned off the tap, and set the plate into the sink, where there was no mess or anything that could make Maho repeat the same action.

Placing the soft end of the sponge beneath the dispenser of the soap dispenser, she lightly pressed down on it several times, and allowed half a dozen millileters of soap to pour onto the sponge. Lifting up the plate once more, she began to scrub the edges of the sponge thoroughly, holding the plate with a firm grip as her arm moved at the rate of a machine gun, pausing every now and then to adjust the plate before continuing, a technique mastered after over a decade of tutelage.

Once she felt the edges were appropriately cleaned, she moved to the center, and began to scrub it as well, performing fast, circular, sweeping motions on the plate, pressing it in order for the sponge to catch anything sticking to the plate. Once the top was finished, she proceeded to the bottom, performing the same action. When it came to the bowls, she formed a fist and "mixed" the sponge as if her arm were a mixer, while on the bottom, the sponge was brought around and around the round walls of the bowl, before thoroughly scrubbing the flat bottom.

Once the plate was sufficiently scrubbed, she waited several seconds for the soap to do its work in separating the germs and bacteria from the plate, before turning the tap back on to begin rinsing. It was the shortest part of the job, for all one had to do was wash off the soap. Using her hand to help sweep the soap off of the dish, she made sure that the dish contained no trace of soap, as it had served its purpose. With the dish now sufficiently cleaned, she placed it to the side, on a clean area of the sink, in order to move on to the next dish.

For the next four or five minutes, Maho washed her dishes in the same manner, each dish taking around forty-five seconds to a minute to wash, but despite the speed, they were also thorough. By the time Maho had finished, she hadn't even broken a sweat, a testament to how well Shiho trained her offspring in doing chores.

"Well, here you go. Feel free to examine them yourself."

Just taking a glance at the work Maho has done, Nanako instinctively has to block her eyes, the light reflecting a fair bunch. It's like the ceramic plates were glazed with silver while they were being washed under the skilled hands of an expert maid. However, as far as Nanako is aware, Maho is not working in any kind of service industry. But that just makes her effort of dish washing even more impressive. The young Nishizumi walks forward with little to no expressed feelings and carefully inspects the plates and bowls, squinting her eyes throughout the process because of the strong light bouncing off of them. They look satisfactory enough, but she quickly swipes her index finger off the bowl as a final test. The finger, even though all the water still present, has some resistance sliding off the surface, indicating a lack of fat and grimes sticking to it. The inspection quickly comes to an end as the young Nishizumi directs her attention to her older cousin. "It seems the unthinkable has happened, M- miss Nishizumi. You have beaten me at my own game, as many like to say." Something accidentally was muttered out of Nanako's mouth, but she quickly corrected it. However, Maho can feel her young cousin is getting sick of calling her 'miss Nishizumi'. It is understandable though, they are warming to each other rather quickly.

"There is no need to call me 'Miss Nishizumi' anymore, it seems you're growing quite tired of it. You may just call me Maho, I won't mind."

Nanako sighs like she has finally closed the weird distance between them. She doesn't know why she even bothers to set up one in the first place, they're family! But, this is a stranger that she has only met once. They get together quite fast though. "Thank you... Maho." The young girl finds it a bit hard on the change of vocative, swallowing saliva as she mutters 'Maho'. It's too personal, at least for a first meeting with her even arguably being rude saying how the Nishizumi style is not as good as it likes to be portrayed by the many of the followers, no matter their relationship to the family being biological or not. "So... as promised, I'll answer all questions, at least for the entirety of tonight."

"You impress me, Nanako. You know the ways of the Nishizumi quite well. But, there is still that condition I agreed to earlier, and since the dishwashing business is out of the way… Mind telling me now?"

She turns to the hallway leading to Maho's room. "I will. But it is late already, right Maho?" She's obviously insinuating them to go to the future heiress' room first. With how personal some of the topics they may bring up while talking later, it is best they have some privacy. Plus, the late hour really has the power to make those deep talks happen more often than they have any other right to be.

"Aye, it is. The bed has a sleeping bag underneath it, so if you plan to spend the night here, you may feel free to get it and enjoy a good night's sleep here… Though I must warn you that Okaa-san may arrive at any time, so when you or I see or hear her at the door, rush to Miho's room and hide in her pile of Boko dolls, I guarantee Okaa-san will never find you in there. I'll give you the key to go inside. She never checks there, anyways."

"Ah... Then maybe we should be in Miho's room together then, at least for a night; unless..." Nanako inhales strongly at the mention of Miho, knowing she willingly tread into an emotional mine field. "If you don't want to talk and just sleep, we can spli-" It is here that Maho cuts her off suddenly.

"Wait." The sudden sound of a car parking at the driveway outside alerts the two of them, the lights flashing briefly through the windows. Maho, with usual instinct, acts swiftly. She presses the key to Miho's room into Nanako's hands, and gives snappy orders as if she's commanding one of her tanks.

"Okaa-san is here! She isn't expecting anybody! Get to Miho's room and do what I told you earlier! I'll greet her and delay to give you time. Now go!"

Nanako, likely used to being issued with orders without reasoning and doing it herself, quickly obliges and makes a swift, little run up the stairs and straight to Miho's room. Her hand holding the key shakes a little from the adrenaline of the situation, but she calms down as per basic training and opens the door with little to no margin of error. Soon, she gets inside the room of the future heiress' sister and locks the door, making as little audio cue as possible so as not to attract unwanted attention from the supposed brutal, and cold-hearted heiress of the Sensha-do Nishizumi family - Shiho.

Observing the room inside, she can see the room is neatly kept, not a lot of dust inside it. There are also a bunch of Boko bears, all scattered on the bed. Various Boko merchandise can be seen lying all over, intersecting with various German tanks of WWII. Pictures of her smiling for the take alongside the ever apathetic looking Shiho and the future heiress are observed by Nanako. Of course, the more she goes back in time with the pictures, the happier Maho and the mother is. It's so propped up, but it's understandable why. Miho probably just savoured the good old days, and this is her way of telling herself that it was better then, consciously or not. It's a nonverbal story that looks to end as a subtle, emotional tragedy. That may be true, but it's only for now. Things can always change, just like how her side of the family has completely transformed themselves beyond the encapsulating wires of the tradition while maintaining what little bit of their ties left to the warrior lineage. But alas, she finds herself sitting comfortably on a foreign bed definitely not meant for her, she remains completely still as Maho deals with her mother coming home. If she doesn't want to get Maho in trouble, she should listen to her advice.

Maho walked towards the door to greet her mother, who was in the process of opening it. Bowing as she entered, she gave the customary greetings and inquiries. "Good evening, Okaa-san, I'm glad to see you're safe. Shall I get Kikuyo-sama to prepare dinner for you?"

"You don't have to, Maho. I already had dinner with members of the Federation today while we discuss the future of Sensha-do. And I don't think I like where it is heading to, personally." Shiho gets her signature black suit off her body and puts off her high heels to the cupboard, with the collared, buttoned shirt and the inky pants remaining. "I still don't get how the director thinks that it is good we put additional supports like artillery, air support and supply drops. That's just adding fluff to an already perfect form of the martial art that is Sensha-do." The mother pinches her forehead. "What is wrong with mister Kodama, seriously? Is he out of his mind? Is he that desperate for more viewership? It's not like we lack much funding either. And the final net is not guaranteed either. This is not even mentioning how he can employ artillery and bombs safely for the participants too! I know carbon lining is safe against tank shells, so it should also be too against artillery rounds and bombs, but what happens when the students are caught outside their tanks?"

"Okaa-san, do tell me more of what happened. How did Chiyo-sensei reply? I'm sure, being your close friend and all, she more or less supports our sacred traditions."

"Miss Shimada? Her reaction was... mixed, to say the least. She was excited for the new prospect added to Sensha-do like mister Kodama, but she also has the same safety concerns that I have. She thought it would be best if this year's tournament - the 63rd National High School Sensha-do Tournament - remain the same like many other tournaments in the past, as it is a little too drastic of a change for participants to get used to. Having those assets on the field also decreases the individual skills needed from each tanker, and deemphasizes skill impression if allowed too frequently. That point, I agree with miss Shimada. And of course, there are also safety concerns as I have mentioned previously. Overall... It was a bold idea to perhaps make Sensha-do exciting, but for me, I consider it all unnecessary. Just tanks alone fighting each other are already exhilarating as is, don't you agree Maho?" She looks at Maho, her gaze tired and exhausted from the work. "Why do people like to complicate things so much? Wouldn't it be better if it can remain just tank on tank combat?"

"I know… sometimes there are people who want to make things more… interesting… to the detriment of several people…"

Nanako's words, still fresh in her mind, clawed at Maho. This was what she had been talking about, that there was a fun in Sensha-do that tradition and rigid rules were preventing. But Shiho was, as her family taught her, more simplistic and preserving of those old traditions passed down over countless generations. It was here that a thought suddenly crossed Maho's mind. "Okaa-san? Do you know the Ship of Theseus?"

"Ship of Theseus? What is it? Why do you mention it specifically, Maho?" Shiho questions her daughter, knowing what she means by it. Years of abiding by tradition and training to be a Sensha-do master really don't leave her much room to read foreign literature.

"It's a philosophical paradox, created by the Ancient Greeks many centuries ago. There is a ship that, as it continues on its voyage, replaces its individual parts step by step, until not a single part of the ship remains unchanged. Now here lies the question of this paradox: Does the ship remain the same ship, or is it different because it's parts are completely different?"

"Hm... Well, I think it's a different ship altogether that just happens to carry the same name." Shiho spoke. "But what does this have to do with what I said earlier, Maho?"

"If we change the components of Sensha-do, replacing everything with new things… can it really be called Sensha-do anymore?"

"Well... It wouldn't be, because it isn't just tanks fighting tanks anymore. It is important not to forget Sensha-do literally means 'the way of the tank' so to speak." Shiho puts heavy emphasis on the transliteration of the sport's name. "But this isn't just changing the components of Sensha-do, but more so adding to it. It's like if I add sloped armor to the Tiger I. It wouldn't be the Tiger I anymore, it's the Tiger II now. Even then, that's just of the less outrageous ideas some of the members of the board have come up with..." Shiho bitterly mentioned as she walked up the stairs, intending on finishing the conversation quickly. She is simply too tired to say anything of much value right now. "But I advise you should rest for now. It's already quite late, Maho, and a sleep deprived tanker is a bad tanker, no matter the skills she possesses."

"Yes, Okaa-san, we can discuss this further at a more appropriate time. Goodnight." Bowing once more, Maho left to prepare for bed, wondering about that remark Shiho had made about those changes being the "less outrageous things" brought up by that meeting. If those proposed big changes were the least of Shiho's concerns, she didn't know if she even wanted to know the worst parts of that board meeting. Shiho appeared to be on the verge of collapsing when she arrived back home, so it must've been horrible.

After brushing her teeth and changing her clothes, Maho moved to take a peek to make sure Shiho wasn't anywhere close to Miho's room. Sure enough, no sign of her, but knowing that she was still awake, had to wait for her to go to sleep, which usually didn't take too long, especially tonight, given how much Shiho needed that rest. Maho estimated she'd be out cold within 15 minutes.

With a slightly louder than normal open of the door and a thud from the other far end of the hallway, it is very obvious to Maho that whatever Shiho had to deal with today, it was mentally exhausting, something too big for Shiho to even chew. The closing of the door also has the same, angry smack, as if Shiho wants to pin her fatigue much more to the figurative fridge inside the future heiress' mind. She's not having any more of those preposterous comments on how Sensha-do can be changed, how it can be more exciting and how it can garner even more viewership. Not now, and probably not ever in the foreseeable future.

With the most dangerous person in the house now fallen to their deep slumber at an unimaginably hasty pace, Nanako cautiously unlocks the door, doing the best she can not to awake the irritated tiger with unnecessary, foreign noise. If she is caught now, this little operation she had to meet the future heiress in person would boil over so bad, it could rival the flooding of the raging Tama river. Soon with her side of the untold deal done, the young cousin awaits, feeling a mix of curiousity and worry as her senior makes her way to the room with lithe.

Maho arrives at the door to Miho's room, tiptoeing and moving as quietly as her legs can take her. Even with Shiho's rather soundproof surroundings, her signature loud snoring is very much audible throughout the house. It normally annoys Maho and prevents her from immediately sleeping, but in this case, she's glad to be hearing it, knowing her mother won't be noticing their uninvited guest in the house. Knocking at the door, Maho patiently waits for Nanako to answer it, hoping she hadn't fallen asleep…. though…. perhaps it would be a good thing? No, she might get out when Shiho is still in the house and everything goes up in flames, so it was better to be completely sure that she would comfortably be safe and undetected.

The door creeks slightly as the young cousin with the Boko T-shirt stands right behind, her face somehow not indicating a single bit of fear inside. "It is you!" She whispers with glee. "Thank goodness it went well. But still... That was close!" She exhales then gestures for her cousin to come in. "Now quickly, before anyone else sees you here, Maho!"

"Yes… I'm afraid you can't stay the night. Okaa-san will be staying all day tomorrow, so if you want anything I'll be sure to give it before your departure, same goes vice versa. Now, you still haven't told me about that thing with the IFVs… mind telling me now, or will some unexpected circumstances deter me from learning of it again?"

Maho quickly lets herself inside the room and soon after no one is outside in the hallways, Nanako closes the door and locks in, ensuring at least a chance to high tail out of the estate the moment something goes south. With the older cousin finally in the room, Nanako pretends to be secretive about it, trying get another reaction from Maho. "Hehe, not unless you answer me this one question: have you ever wondered if boys had their own equivalent to Sensha-do, Maho?"

"Sometimes, but Nishizumi instinct has taught me to shoot those down before they take up too much space in my mind."

"Ha, I see. But I would not fault you for not considering it. Not many normal Sensha-do participants are even wary of it anyway, so you are not missing out much, Maho. But I will not beat around the bush for any longer." Nanako then takes a brief pause before continuing. "It's Hohei-do, cousin..."

"Hohei-do… Way of the Infantry… Is this sport of your boys only, or are you about to tell me that both boys and girls participate?"

It is at this point that Nanako nervously laughs inside her head, thinking about the age old proverb that circulates within foot soldiers: Crewmen are pussies. Outwardly however, she remains steadfast and serious. "It used to be boys only at its inception and it remained so for some time, but then things change." She stops, leaving Maho hanging. If it isn't obvious enough, Nanako doesn't want to spill the beans completely yet, not without giving the future heiress time to process.

But seeing how not interested Maho is in playing along with her goose chase, Nanako decides to loop back. "Notably in 1999, a partnership between the venerable nonlethal ballistic company Jolly Lads and the Japan Hohei-do Federation - the one and only governing body of Hohei-do in the entire world - was spurred, bring many sweeping updates to the sport as a whole. With the changes from laser engagement systems to true ballistic come along two heaviest assets that have ever graced Hohei-do: Armored Personnel Carriers and Infantry Fighting Vehicles. And if it is not clear enough on why there are no tanks in the infantry sport as of now, it is presumably because of the JHF not wanting to get in trouble with their tankery counterpart, though the more pronounced answer is because it is clearly redundant. And as per usual, being the crewman of an armored vehicle is considered feminine by all of Japan." It is from here that the young cousin lets her senior have time to organize her thought on the matter and reflect on the facts.

"So, you say that men used to be the only participants in this sport, like Sensha-do and girls. But… you also mention that being a crewman of an armored vehicle is considered feminine, which is true… and given that you brought up the fact that things change… in regards to your statement on… boys' exclusivity… Oh. Oh my goodness. No wonder nobody in Sensha-do knows about it… this…" Maho pauses to rub her head, feeling more offended than before, yet trying to find a way to get her words across without making that offense apparent. Girls and boys participating in what used to be a boys-only sport? All hell would break loose should that happen to the sacred art that was Sensha-do; who knows how Shiho would take a change like that. But then, something clicked in her mind, that memory of their earlier conversation. "You know… when I was talking to Okaa-san earlier… she mentioned that while it was incredibly stressful dealing with proposed changes to Sensha-do… that wasn't even the worst of it. She never told me, and I don't think I want to know what it is…"

Nanako doesn't really quite catch on with what Shiho means by that comment of how the proposal of fire support incorporation being the 'lesser evil' of the ideas some of the Sensha-do's board members came up with, but she has a few educated guesses of her own from extrapolations of Shiho's traditionalist view of the tank fighting sport. "This might be just me, but do you think they suggested..." Nanako mentally and physically braces herself for impact from Maho, her voice not shaking one bit with her mind steering her towards the very alteration of Sensha-do that her cousin's mother despises the most. "A change in vehicles' specifications?" She purposefully told it in a vague manner so as not to tick Maho off too quickly, hoping she isn't as sharp as the tank commander she is on the battlefield.

"Like you said, vehicle specifications, maybe modifications in the rules to, I don't know, balance things out or whatever. Maybe they might go so far as to add some more vehicles from a wider time period. She might tell me everything tomorrow, unless she wants to keep it to herself, which I'll respect. Beyond that, nothing except that there was much worse that came from that meeting aside from those proposed changes that she mentioned."

"Perhaps it's something related to the time period that doesn't bode well with her? Like say, instead of just add more vehicles from a wider time period, they just... make it completely free for all and schools can acquire any tank they want, as long as they actually exist that is." Nanako made another push with her luck, seeing that Maho hasn't caught on with what she is thinking to be the most outrageous thing JHF's board members has ever come up with, according to the Nishizumi heiress.

"Okaa-san's extremely dedicated to preserving each original aspect of Sensha-do, down to the littlest aspects… any suggestions with slightest modification get her immediate opposition, that's how dedicated she is to the art."

"Even still... There are experimental tank models present in Sensha-do that were only blueprints during the war, right? I don't think she would be too accepting of loose specification adhering to those tanks in particular." Nanako argued, directing Maho towards the anomaly that is the infamous Centurion, of which Shimada Alice is currently commanding. "That is unless she is really fine with experimental tanks and what was suggested was even more appalling..."

"The part with the plans and models made before the end of the Second World War were added after the foundations and core tenets of Sensha-do were established, I'll admit, but that was before she was even born, long before that, even. Now that you mentioned it, that aspect of experimental tanks and whatnot is one of the tenets that Okaa-san, and the core family as a whole, is still fighting against, and she expects me to fight it too. Here's why: When the proposal was first brought up decades ago, my great-grandmother, who was the family head at the time, was considered the biggest traditionalist, fighting against anything that went against or added onto the original format of Sensha-do… or at least, anything that disagreed with the family beliefs, this plan being one of them. So, she gave argument after argument in her meeting, and when the vote finally came, obviously, she lost. What made it worse was the fact that out of the entire committee, she was the only one to vote against the new additions. So, seeing this as a stain on the family's honor, each new generation is raised to continue the fight against that addition, even if everyone opposes us in the process; at least, that's what Okaa-san told me. I won't be surprised if she exhausted herself on that stuff during her meeting, she always makes a big deal out of it when it's mentioned."

Nanako then sighs upon hearing the story that spanned across generations. "Oh, Nishizumi... Always the conservatives they are... I would not even want to think about what would happen if post-Second World War tanks were to be allowed, much less modern tanks. Don't you think so too, Maho?"

"Sure, sure... But that just makes our meeting even more egregious, because... Schützenpanzer did not exist or fully realized as an actual classification of armored vehicles on the battlefield up until the production of Federal Republic of Germany's Schützenpanzer Lang HS.30 in 1960." Nanako then pauses for a moment. "Cousin... I think this is probably another reason why the participants of Sensha-do never know much about their counterparts."

"Mhm… I'd say their parents never wanted them to know, perhaps. How big is Hohei-do, by the way? Is it still up-and-coming, with hundreds, perhaps a few thousand participants at most? Or does it have a large following due to its allowance of both sexes? I'd understand if it's the latter, given it's not girls only, and the former, if it's relatively new."

"Uhm... Let's just say that a Hohei-do club at minimum has to have 300 people for reasons, and typically there is a whole lot more per school. It was popular even before the desegregation, but now... news about it are being casted simultaneously as Sensha-do's news. It has quite an international following also, I heard, but that's probably more due to it being exclusively available in Japan. There are lots of foreign participants though, probably outnumbering foreign practitioners in Sensha-do even." Nanako took her time to analyze the information she has repeated to herself many times before when she heard it from someone close, who is very engaged with the once male oriented sport. "And currently in the Hohei-do League, there are 16 schools, all with different equipment, fighting doctrines and cultural inspirations."

"Yep… definitely the parents…."

"Yes, as you say." Nanako suddenly addresses one of her statement earlier. "Though to say it has existed since time immemorial is certainly an exaggeration from my part…" She then giggles, her hand covering her peachy lips.

"Has it existed before Sensha-do, at least? Or were they founded around the same time, or what? Look, I'm too focused on the actual sport instead of its history to fully know the details, plus, during orientation, they never let us know about Hohei-do, so I hope you can understand me and my colleagues' predicament."

"Well, it's actually younger, way younger even, since Sensha-do predates the Second World War, if I remember correctly..."

"Oh, so around after the war, got it. Makes sense, really, with the changing times, there's bound to come new things eventually."

"Actually, it was established right around the most important turning point of modern history: the end of the Cold War. And as such, the JHF has a drastically different view on equipment specification. The effect of such decision also ripples to the schools in the League, with some finding little to no common ground with their equivalent." Nanako ceases talking before she finds an example that is as clear as day. "A great demonstration of this is Nambusaka Academy - the supposed Hohei-do counterpart of Chi-Ha-Tan Academy, adopts a doctrine that places heavy emphasis on defense in depth and conventional attrition warfare. Doesn't that ring something within you, cousin Maho?"

"Hm… if only our Chi-Ha-Tan had that sort of intellect- Wait a minute… Did you just call me… 'cousin' Maho?" Maho couldn't tell if this was an accidental slip on Nanako's part and she was experiencing the biggest reveal of her life, or simply a mistake in wording thanks to the lateness of the night. Either way, she was in for something big.

"Ah... What do you mean I called you cousin Maho?" Nanako hadn't quite caught on with what Maho meant. Her sudden jump on the voice definitely doesn't help to sooth the confusion either. "Do you not like it or-" But then Maho has to cut in midway, her mind now laser focused onto the supposed odd choice of words.

"How you addressed me, after you told me about this Nambusaka Academy. You called me 'cousin Maho'. Do you not realize what that means if it's true?" Maho's composure was slowly giving way to shock as the realization was setting in, and unlike before, this time it was evident on her face. It wasn't pure coincidence that she shared the same surname with Nanako after all.

"Ah... Right, I forgot..." Nanako's eyebrows were raised up for a moment before it immediately sloped to the sides. "I... We... My family... We are related to you, blood related even." Nanako unwillingly exposed herself, swallowing every of her words and her regret that would soon come to her after this revelation she brought upon her cousin herself. If Maho is getting her world view completely turned upside down, might as well go all in, or so she thinks.

"B-Blood related…? …Okaa-san never told me about you, I thought that it was just her, myself, and Miho that constituted the whole family… Suffice it to say that it is foolish to think that way, but Okaa-san's words are final, and I have to believe them…. and now, I have to cope with this new realization…" Maho could hear Shiho's snoring start to grow quieter as she seemed about to wake up to use the bathroom. Urged on by fear and concern, not only for her newly-discovered cousin, but also for her own safety, knowing that Shiho would do whatever was necessary to erase this memory from her mind, she quickly gave Nanako her orders. "…You must go now, Okaa-san will kill me if she finds out you've been here, and she's waking up now, it seems. Do your best to leave no trace as you leave the house. You sound like Kikuyo, so pose as her just making sure things are tidy outside… or whatever excuse your clever mind can come up with, just in case you get spotted. Come back here the day after tomorrow, at 4pm. Okaa-san will be busy after lunch. I can't talk to you about this now since we have a long schedule of practice tomorrow, and I'll need all the rest I can… and time to process this discovery… Good night, dear cousin… please try not to get caught."

Instead of following Maho's sound advice, Nanako remains completely stationary, not making even as much sound as audible breathing. She, as serene as a dove, first brings her index finger to Maho's lips, before putting it onto her. She gradually lies herself down Miho's bed, her arm already wrapped around her cousin's torso beforehand now pulling the girl down along with her. While it is understandable what she is planning to do, Maho can't help but to be terrified for the off-chance of her cousin being discovered, and for the safety they possess via concealment of the cousin's true presence in the estate.

The footsteps get louder and louder, pounding Maho's heart harder and harder. Even with many years facing various anxiety-ridden situation both in Sensha-do and in daily life, this is the few times she is scared. Her pupils dilate rapidly from one place to another, her breathing is a little ragged than the usual for the calm person she is, and in that moment of fear, she does something that is unusual for a future heiress - she clutches Nanako's soft, yet jagged and bony free hand with her own with forces that can make the other person yelp out of a sudden pain inflicted if they are not prepared for it. Maho fully expects the worst that can happen because of her out of the blue action. However, Nanako is different. In the place of a slight pained emotion on her face is a smile that slowly widens, as the younger Nishizumi also clutches harder to Maho's rough exterior that is in contact with hers. She initially looks at her lovingly, a complete 180 from her usual stern face, but her cheeks are soon pushed up as the widest smile that can only come from her little sister Miho is plastered onto the cousin's expression. Maho cannot help but to also respond with a little bit of emotional sweetness of her own. They keep looking at each other for who knows how long before even realize that they both fall asleep in one another's loving arms. The heavy atmosphere that was palpable in the air before soon disappear, the cousins now breathing lightly and easily in their slumber.

The footsteps slowly become loud again as Shiho finishes her midnight bathroom business and makes her way to her room again, but as quick as they got loud, they become quiet again. Then, an audible thud makes itself known throughout the estate, not much door opening sound is heard, indicating the doors leading to Miho's and Maho's rooms were never opened, which means a lack of suspicion from the heiress' part. It is not that this can never happen as Shiho was just too exhausted from dealing with the board members and generally work, just that it is nice for the events to transpire as it. Time passes without waiting for anyone though, and sooner or later, the early morning comes, the sun barely shining of its blinding light that tries to make its way to the city in sleep only for the mountain ranges to the east to block it all up, instead partially reflecting it back to where they came from.

---

As the sun slowly rises over the mountains, revealing itself to be floating in the sky for the next twelve hours or so, the first rays of sunlight pierce through the window of Maho's room, one beam striking her dead in the eyes. It's enough to wake her up, and wake her up it did, jolting her up and dashing to get sight of the alarm clock, hoping that it wasn't too late. It was 5:48am. Shiho would wake up at 6 AM.

Frantically, Maho rushed back to Nanako, and frantically began to jolt her, swaying her, tapping her face, anything to get her to wake up faster as she whisper-yelled at her. "Cousin, wake up! You there?!"

But what meets Maho's eyes isn't her cousin, but just the empty space that she occupied last night. Frantically looking around, Maho doesn't see Nanako anywhere, but only things that are of the usual for Miho's room - stuff about Boko bears and tanks. However, as the senior Nishizumi heiress is about to sigh with relief, the door inches open.

Not soon after, the door is fully pushed to the side, revealing who is behind it - a girl probably younger than her, her hair carefully combed and tied up, her clothes now resembling the greenery outside more than the brown woods of the house, in place of the soft, light skinned hands are now black gloves that got mixed with some brown tones via dirt from countless hours of workout and training, a raven beret and a pair of military headphones held in her left hand. She greets Maho, her face going from as cold as steel to as welcoming as a German housewife. "Guten Morgen, Maho. It is perfect timing that you are awake now, though given your status as a prodigy commander, this is to be expected."

Maho just barely restrains herself from screaming out of shock, the breath audibly coming close to exiting her mouth, and with a look of utter bewilderment on her face at what on earth is going on, stutters as she tries to make a coherent sentence. "What… U…um…. you… I…."

"What's wrong, cousin? Is it not wise to get out of before well... Okaa-san found out about me, and I do not want t-" Maho, once again, jumped the gun and cut Nanako mid-sentence.

"Oh, never mind that! Get out before Okaa-san sees you and beats us both to death!" Maho's quiet yet firm voice, though sounding authoritative, contained much more compassion than annoyance at her cousin, even though her wording indicates otherwise, which isn't her intention. "Don't you dare make a sound."

Grabbing Nanako, she pulls her through the halls as quickly as she can without making too much noise, bounding down the hallways as quietly as possible, and hurriedly making for the door. Shiho's snoring is starting to grow more inconsistent, meaning she's starting to wake up.

With haste, the two make their way out of the house, and soon enough, they are now out of the estate's boundaries, standing right on the entrance to it. The cousins breathe heavily, the fear of being discovered still fresh in their mind, but for now, they are safe. Walking by the trail to get to the bus station nearby, they remain silent, not knowing much to talk about for some time. It would have continued so all the way to the bus stop, had Maho not started with a typical comment of her about the surrounding area.

"You know… Miho and I always drove our Panzer II through here as kids… We'd go fishing, sometimes with Okaa-san to help us. Before, we couldn't bring Hanzo with us since he'd get too excited near the water, but now that he's older and tamer, we bring him along… But it really gives me those memories going through this road."

"Mhm." Nanako absent-mindedly nodded as she makes a call on flip phone, her ear now focused if the person on the other side will even respond. "You mean Akaboshi Hanzo, right Maho?" She didn't pay too much attention to it, but she asked a question just to keep the talk up. Just walking alone would have been a little distanced, and she currently doesn't have the mind to observe the nature around, especially when it is still partially shrouded in darkness.

"No, no," Maho rebutts with a chuckle. "Hanzo is our dog, he's been ours for around eleven years. We adopted him when he was just a puppy; we found him in one of the rice fields close to here, either he lost his mother or escaped a shelter. Either way, he was happy to have our company."

"Ah... Aw, you have a dog, cousin Maho? That's cute!" Great aura of warmth surrounds Nanako. "I can only imagine how lovely it is to grow alongside a good boy..."

"Believe me… he's been a great help ever since Miho left. I'd go even so far as to consider him a brother with how close we've grown."

As Nanako slowly eases herself into talking with her cousin, especially with the mention of the dog by Maho, the person on the other side finally answers. Nanako repeatedly nods, makes grunts and talks in a low volume as not to dissuade Maho from opening, her face immediately reverting into her usual stern persona. "Mhm... Yes, that will do... Alright... Thanks for the taxi, by the way... Indeed, I am thankful that you take the call... No, it is clear that I am in your debt. You are of great help, driver... Mhm... Alright, we will meet at the location we have decided... Yes, Karin... Yes, I know. For now, I will put the phone down, since I have some unfinished business... Thank you for the words. I will meet you later." Then, she puts down the call on the phone.

The talk on the phone definitely peaks Maho's interest for a bit, leaving her wondering of what they even conversed about. Maybe it's just someone picking Nanako, like her parents, or her siblings if she has any. Perhaps it can be even someone else Maho is not aware of.

Soon enough, Nanako turns back to Maho, still remembering what she said ealier. "That is great you have him then. I'm not aware how hard it is to be separated from your kin, but it must be painful, don't you think cousin?"

"Definitely. Even with Hanzo, I just feel much emptier. When I'm at home, I have nobody to talk to except Okaa-san and Hanzō, and Okaa-san won't like hearing me say anything negative about myself or anything about the family. I can't do the same at Kuromorimine because, you know, everyone looks up to me. It's a hard life alone."

"Yes... And it is what my grandmother has experienced too..." Nanako then brings the topic back to what they had last night. "For her it is a little different but generally... This is probably a reason why she left the household. The over competitive environment, the constant need to meet expectations, the tiresome feeling of having to perform great to receive love and care, all that just to be discarded away the moment you are not of use..."

"Huh. I presume she was an only child? I'm sure the biggest reason I haven't run away yet is thanks to Miho. In families like this one, it's great to have a sibling to help you. If your grandmother, or, I should say, grand-aunt, never had siblings, then I'd understand why she'd leave."

"Well... Yes, it would not wrong to suggest that is the case. But it is not the main reason she left the family. She didn't leave because of her disdain for Sensha-do either. Rather, she left because of... Panzer Ketto." It is when she uttered the very factor that started the fallout of the branch from the mother tree that her eyes all of a sudden loses its liveliness, indicating a great terror being emanated from it that grasps at her very soul.

Maho, seeing how Nanako's personality changes in an instant, and knowing exactly what she is talking about, shudders as well, and remains silent, not wishing to press the issue and hurt her cousin even more. Instead, she stops Nanako, and the two stand in the same spot, staring into each other's eyes for several tense seconds.

Filled with that sisterly compassion she always showed to Miho, and by now finding Nanako to be a second Miho to her, Maho stepped forward, and embraced Nanako, hoping to give her a sense of comfort to alleviate the bad memories she had had.

Nanako returns the favour, hugging her cousin with appreciation and love. They keep at it as time passes, before the young cousin actively distances herself and elaborates more. "You must be aware of samurai duels being a thing in feudal Japan, correct? Well then, Panzer Ketto can be thought of as a continuation from it, though instead of two man dueling with their swordsmanship, it was two adolescent girl dueling with their tank cannons. Of course, the purpose of the tank duel is to decide the head of the Nishizumi family, the heiress as many like to call it and weed out those with undesirable traits from leading the household, preventing the worst that can happen to us, so to speak. However..." Nanako chokes midway, somehow successfully containing tears from flowing from the windows to her soul. No matter how many times she recites the story, it hurts as much as the first time she heard it from her mother when she asked why they shared the same surname as one of the famous tankery families. "The path to hell is paved with good intentions and Panzer Ketto has led to a self-extermination of the warrior bloodlines. Many young girls had their livelihoods ruined, their futures gone, their familial bonds broken and their trust for anyone worn. Parents started to treat their dear children as nothing more than pawns to make ends meet, wanting to achieve the position of heiress out of lust for power or out of spite. Infighting began to ensue within the Nishizumi and... It was only a matter of time before the clan became fractured. The friction was not known to the public though, and every member agreed to keep their mouths shut about it somehow. But inevitably, an outsider knew about it and got to work on exposing it to the public, which they succeeded even with how much the Nishizumi was actively making life hard for the reporter. And fortunately, by the Kami's will or not... Panzer Ketto was outlawed, forever and ever after."

Maho can see how angered she is by the fact with the veins starting to pop out of the girl's small wrist, and therefore how much she values her kin. The older Nishizumi was about to interrupt Nanako, but Nanako suddenly locks in on Maho's eyes, within those brownish pupils reveal burning pain she experiences. "It is okay, cousin Maho. I can continue." She insisted, not having second thoughts about her decision. And with that, she goes on. "However, the damage has already been done, which leads to the complete teardown of the family, with only one branch of the household remaining loyal to the creed until this very day. And it is correct to say that, you are part of that branch, Maho. The other branches... They all splintered off, either because they could not achieve their wish of becoming the heiress or because they could not bear seeing the constant aggression and rejection of their own blood. Sadly, most fell to the former category, but my grandmother is one of the few who left the family for the latter reason. I do not know much of the details as it has been many years since her departure, but one thing is for certain: We as a branch family of the Nishizumi clan swear to never step inside a tank ever again as a way to keep the main family from tracking to us, and also to prevent further bloodshed within our own. But atlas, the warrior lineage flows within each of us, and we could not hide ourselves away from our past, from our dormant propensity to answer the battlefield's calling..." The young cousin took hold of Maho's left wrist with her right and pressed her thumb onto the vein leading to the hand. "Indeed, it was only eventual that we found ourselves funding another school that participates in a warfare-based mandatory elective again, though only this time it is Hohei-do. Maybe it is out of Kami's kindness, maybe not. All I know is that I am glad to be sitting within the confines of metal, oil and gunpowder." She serenely smiles, gazing the horizon.

Maho remains completely quiet as Nanako tells her all that Shiho would never have told her, and it all deeply rocks her to her core. The way she seemed to be painting the Nishizumi family, or, at least, Shiho's branch, in a negative light, Maho, as heiress to her family branch that had dominated Sensha-do and served as the sapling from which these other family branches had sprouted, had every single right to take offense at how the family name seemed to be badmouthed, and slap Nanako right then and there, and nobody could blame her too much if it were for that fact alone, but she didn't.

Now knowing the full story behind her family, how it challenged her upbringing and how it all made Maho's life and effort seemed to be all in vain, any anger or hate that could be brought up on Nanako was instead filled with great questioning, doubts, worries, and shocks, and it was enough to completely freeze Maho in place, leaving her unable to move a muscle, as her mind was too focused on what she had just heard and learned to give commands to the other nerves of her body. She didn't know what to feel, what to make of it. This challenged the things she was taught as a little girl, things she was expected to uphold no matter what, and those challenges were proving too much to resist.

Sitting on the ground as her legs began to give way, Maho just stared into the distance, her only movements being the blinking of her eyelids and the expanding and retracting of her chest as she breathed.

In the distance, a vehicle with a strange silhouette appears from behind the alpines, its shape not similar to any of the normal civilian cars and its paint job works better to camouflage itself than to express any kind of personal taste. And the young Nishizumi looks at it with awaiting eyes, being very aware that the planned pickup would soon arrive. However, she turns to see Maho, now down on the ground, her pupils tighten and her breathing becomes automatic. It seems that whatever revelation that the older cousin has seem to be so shocking that even as a normally calm and unexpressive person, she falters to the ground. And Nanako... She can't bear with herself seeing her kin in such a state, not so much leave her there with her mouth wide open. As such, she feels a painstaking obligation to lift her up and comfort her, both as a way to solidify their relationship and to prove to Maho that indeed she places great value on her relationships and makes great effort to preserve and develop them. And before Maho is even aware of it, the young cousin gives out a hand, patiently waiting for the heiress to accept it. No word is spoken between them, they just trade each other gazes - one filled with anguish, the other full of compassion.

Seeing how Nanako doesn't seem to act like she despises her at all, Maho decides to speak up, directing her attention away from the conundrum she was experiencing, from how her life was very much turned upside down. "So… come back the day after tomorrow?"

"Why? Would you not be busy on the Graf Zeppelin, Maho?"

"You can always pose as a tourist. We'll be docked in port, while Okaa-san will be attending another of her board meetings, so you can meet me either after school or during breaks. Preferably after school, since we don't want to get unwanted attention."

"...What? I thought the Graf Zeppelin only docks at weekends?"

"The board meetings are why. The Dracke can't be used either, there was an accident that happened that resulted in a few injuries… no deaths, thankfully… but it can't be in use for another two weeks or so."

"That's unfortunate... But I think your suggestion is good. The only problem is well, her." Nanako quickly gives a look at the direction they just walked away from.

"Okaa-san will be attending an all-day board meeting in Kumamoto City, so she'll be gone all day, coming back late at night, probably around the same time as last night. She'll be leaving in the early morning, around the time classes start. All I can hope for her is… actually… erm… nevermind." Maho's face becomes troubled as the lingering thoughts of Nanako's revelation remain strongly in her.

Nanako covers her mouth again, a soft giggle can be heard from behind it. "You're so silly sometimes, Maho. Maybe you can be like this a little bit more often than usual."

"Eh… maybe once Okaa-san starts developing a sense of humor of her own," Maho retorts, a sense of apathy in her voice.

Time passes so quick with the two chatting with each other that once a period of silent overtakes them, a constant purring of the engine burning fuel hit their ear, turning them towards the source of the sound. On the early morning road, in the supposed middle of nowhere in Kumamoto, a military vehicle that looks way too modern for it to have any right to appear leisurely follows the asphalt.

"Oh, it looks like my taxi is here." Nanako hastily took note of the situation, looking at the vehicle with endearment. Somehow, right now, the green blob that is constantly getting bigger and bigger is a sign of her homecoming from the small expedition to the Nishizumi estate. Maho finds it very unusual, not because it is military hardware, but because of how... new and recent it looks to be. The offset turret is especially something she immediately notices. "Cousin…. what is that?"

Nanako looks back at Maho. "My taxi?" She answers matter-of-factly, acting as if this is completely natural. "I mean, don't you get picked up via tanks sometimes from school in the past?" This is a completely blind guess from the young cousin, and an attempt to make humor of the situation.

"Yes…. that something unlike I've seen in Sensha-do, let alone anywhere! And it looks so… modern."

"Oh... Right, I forgot the most recent hardware you have is the Centurion Mk. 1." Nanako then checks her phone quickly. "It seems I still got some time left, so I'll guide you on it. That thing... is the newest Schützenpanzer we have at Otto von Krieger. Its name? Puma, and yes it is very modern. It has great protection as an IFV, and I would argue it can be on par with your Tigers and Panthers if it is put in the right place, at the right time. Right now, we only have a single model of it at our school, with the Marders remaining as our primary heavy armor asset. In the future however, we plan to replace all Marders with Pumas. This constant modernization is normal though, as all the Hohei-do League's schools, including us, receive military hardware directly from their home countries' Ministry of Defense. Because of that, we also don't really have a problem in terms of budget and can allocate it to other areas like education and arts."

"Right… Hohei-do uses more modern vehicles… and they go up to this millennium, or remain in the twentieth century?"

Nanako takes some time to dig inside her own memory pool before answering. "You won't be seeing the Russians with BMP-1s and BMP-2s, as they considered those Schützenpanzer vintage goods. The same can be said for the Americans too, though they had employed some of those Bradleys you have seen on TV while the US Army was deployed to Iraq for, you guessed it, the Iraq War. They were phased out in favor of newer Bradley variants though. Of course, all of us are in a constant arms race, sort of. Modernization and equipment changes are the norm, not the exception for us. So, to answer your question Maho... Yes, they do go up to this millennium."

"Wow… Now that you mention it, Sensha-do could be able to field more tanks should we modernize, and I think you know why."

"Why?" Nanako is a little confused, her not quite getting the reason they can field more tanks.

"Well… a little modification that's called… autoloaders. You see where I'm going here?"

"Ah... Surprisingly enough, autoloaders never catch on with German tank designs, at least for now. Apparently tanks still prefer to have a loader inside. But the statement remains true with whatever your Russian-themed school is, Maho."

"Of course. Pravda's been known for its love of numbers."

"I can worry for you when the day Sensha-do allow modern tanks, cousin. Imagine having to face against the likes of T-90s, T-80s and T-72s. But that wouldn't be the only threat to your acclaimed position in Sensha-do."

"What else can pose as a challenge? Well, there's my sister…. she's good at being an effective administrator. Ooarai may have a subpar tankery team right now, but give her enough time, effort, and energy and we'll have another good contender. And given their versatility when it comes to tanks, a 'multinational' force will be scary."

"You're forgetting the American and the British, aren't you? It turns out you are still vulnerable to the insidious killer that is overconfidence, Maho." Nanako said with a little judgment, not missing a chance to take a jab at the senior Nishizumi.

"Saint Gloriana narrowly beat us, I'll admit, Darjeeling and those before her are very much capable; and Saunders somehow does good when they fight. I don't know how, but they seem to predict our moves. I have some suspicions, but the rules are well-knit, Okaa-san has assured me of that. I doubt they'd play dirty."

"Hm, that's fair. Abrams and Challengers should suffice for them then. But you, Pravda, St. Gloriana and Saunder won't be the only one benefitting from this change."

"Oh, definitely. The other schools, now that they have actual good tanks, will make things more interesting, for sure. Currently, they fight well, but it is the limitations that obviously give them a hard time."

"I must warn you, though, you have to be wary of the Polish, if they even existed in the first place of course. The Italians can prove themselves to be a hard rock to crack too."

"Mhm. Oh, speaking of the Poles. Bonple is actually pretty good in this specific part of Sensha-do. I'm worried I won't be able to tell you everything about it in time, since your ride is almost here."

Nanako looks at where the IFV is at, only for it to be parking right in front of her face, the driver popping out of the hatch. "Hey, I'm glad to see you captain Nishizumi. It's quite nice around here in Nishi Ward, don't you think?"

"Ah, right... Yeah." Nanako nods to the driver, then turns to Maho. "I think I should be going now, cousin... I hope to see again, as promised."

"I wish you well… Don't hurt yourself, I'll be expecting you the day after tomorrow," Maho said with a smirk, before waving goodbye as Nanako began to drive off.

Instead of going inside the Puma from the backdoor, she mounts herself upon the hull and occupies the space the offset left, which fits her body frame like a glove. The Schützenpanzer then drives off to the alpines before Maho, and soon after disappear as the sun finally rears its head from the mountain range, shining its warm light upon Kumamoto. And right now, with the rays lighting up the cousin, Nanako appears to be rather similar to a wandering samurai of the old, riding a horse as they head back to where they started their journey as warriors. Maho can't help to realize how much of the Nishizumi bloodline flows within Nanako and within herself as she inspects the vein on her wrist. She then looks up at the alpine curve of the road, the Puma now nowhere to be found. But Maho doesn't feel empty, scared or mournful. Rather, for the first time in her life ever since the absent of Miho, she feels something warm within her chest - a pleasant emotion of hope and longing for the cousin. A day ago, they were nearly complete strangers to one another, but right now, they are cousins that look to be seeing each other for years on end. If things keep going as this pace, in no time the bond they forged can be a catalyst that leads to the return of that family Nanako is a part of to the now battered clan. And maybe, just maybe, will the idea of infantry and tanks working in tandem of each other to achieve a shared goal be more than a mere, glamorous dream.