Chapter 46 - Consequences
[Exhibition Games Bleachers]
"He really just did the impossible..one against fifteen and won.." Pekoe said
"Shiroi Akuma.." Nina said
[White Demon]
"Looks like we saw it once again.."Katyusha said
"White Demon?" Darjeeling asked
"Kal said that before he fainted on that snowy mountain months ago that Gero-kun's eyes looked like a Demon's.." Katyusha said
"It's what the girls have been calling Gero-kun ever since.." Nonna said
"That's not nice! Gero isn't a demon!" Miho pouted
"S-Sorry..I know he isn't but when he gets angry he can be one.." Kal said
"Look, Gero-dono and his crew are walking towards the last tank they shot!" Yukari pointed
"And he brought two anti tank rifles?!" Assam reacted
"He's still not finished?!" Sencha asked
"Not yet..not until he gets what he wants.." Jajka said
"What? The win wasn't his goal?!" Barley said
"Winning is always secondary for Gero-kun.." Naomi smiled
"You'll see.." Jajka smiled
[Exhibition Games Field]
(As Gero and his crew walked towards the wrecked tank of Takayuki. Hajime pulled out a camcorder from his bag and started recording the events that were going to unfold. Takayuki then dismounted his tank to confront Gero)
"You won't get away with this..I'll sue you for this!" Takayuki shouted
"Don't worry I'll have some insurance.."
(Gero then aimed the anti tank rifle directly at Takayuki and was scaring him)
"What the heck are you doing!?" Takayuki was frightened
"What does it look like I'm doing?"
"Hah! You're bluffing!"
*CLICK *BANG
(The loud shot from the Panzerbüchse 39 hit the M22 Locusts's tracks and cut it in half. This forced Takayuki to fall on his ass because he was so scared of the shot)
"He said I was bluffing, did it look like I was bluffing Ono?"
"Nope..you are dead serious right now.." Ono smiled
(Gero then gave the anti tank rifle to Ono because it was now out of ammo. He then pulled the second anti tank rifle from his shoulder and aimed it at Takayuki who was trembling in fear on the ground)
"Now..tell the truth..during your match against Pravda did you or did you not shoot Kal-kun's tank on purpose to have him fall off the edge?!"
"W-What the hell are you talking about-"
"I'M NOT GONNA ASK AGAIN! LAST CHANCE!"
(Gero aimed the anti tank rifle right at Takayuki's head and placed his finger on the trigger. It may have been a hallucination but Takayuki saw Gero's eyes having a line as the pupil just like a tiger's eyes and was now convinced that he was going to die if he didn't fess up so he broke)
"Alright alright! Yes! Yes I shot him on purpose to make him fall off the edge of the hill! I shot him off the hill to win the match!" Takayuki shouted
(Hearing the confession and recorded it via the camcorder Hajime was holding the entire thing was broadcasted in the entire event screens where everyone watching the match has heard what Takayuki just confessed)
"Out comes the truth.." Darjeeling said
"How do we know he's not lying just to save his own ass?!" Takashi shouted
"When you're in a life or death situation where telling the truth can save your life..it wouldn't even cross your mind to lie.." Naomi said
"This is what Gero-kun wanted..the truth..so that the so called accident that this Pravda boy experienced will now have justice.." Jajka said
"You mean he did all that for Kal?" Katyusha asked
"Yes Katyusha-sama..he did that for his friend.." Nonna said
"Wait! Gero-kun is still aiming the rifle at the guy!" Barley pointed
"Don't tell me..he's really going to shoot?!" Sencha reacted
"No he won't.." Miho said
"How are you sure?" Alisa asked
"Because everything will be for naught if he did shoot.." Maho said
[Exhibition Games Field]
"See? It wasn't that hard to tell the truth now was it?"
"W-Wait..I told you what you wanted..why are you still-"
"Don't worry..if they asked me why you died I'll apologize to them exactly the way you apologized to me.."
(Takayuki knew what Gero was about to say and he regretted everything that he had done as Gero spoke)
"Sorry..my hand slipped.."
*CLICK
(As soon as Takayuki heard the trigger being pulled his face went pale and he literally pissed himself in front of everyone watching the live feed. There was no shot that happened for Gero only intended to scare him. Gero then lowered the rifle and crouched in front of Takayuki)
"What a shame..looks like I forgot to put a bullet in this rifle.."
(As Gero stood up Takayuki just straight up passed out as he walked away. Gero then saw Shiori standing by their tank because he ordered Ken to fetch her and have her watch the entire thing)
"You asked what was Kal-kun's condition..he is fine and he's watching the whole thing right now through this camcorder..this is your chance to redeem yourself.."
(As Hajime pointed the camera towards Shiori tears fell on her cheeks and she quickly bowed in front of the camera)
"I'm very sorry for what had happened Kal-san! I did not order him to shoot you! I would never order anyone to shoot someone in that situation. Please forgive me! And thank you very much for saving me from falling down that hill!" Shiori shouted
"You're the commander of this team, you have to take control or this will only repeat again..not everyone gets a second chance like this..do not waste it Shiori-san.."
(As Gero heard the apology of Shiori he then ordered the live feed to stop and then he just walked away towards their tank)
[Exhibition Games Bleachers]
(Everyone that were at the bleachers heard Shiori's public apology to Kal)
"See? Told you he wouldn't do it!" Miho smiled
"I never doubted Darling for one second!" Kay smiled
"And with this justice has been served.." Darjeeling smiled
"Stop crying Kal! You're going to make me cry too!" Katyusha said with teary eyes
(Everyone looked towards Kal who was clenching his fist and tears were running down his face. He was thankful for what Gero did and Shiori apologized properly. But he knew Gero was going to be punished for his actions and that brought him to tears)
"Don't celebrate just yet..more problems are going to show up now..it's going to be a rough road for Gero-kun.." Jajka said
"Why? He just showed everyone the truth and even got justice for Kal-san!" Tojo said
"That is one thing..threatening someone to tell the truth by pointing a gun at them is nothing short of a felony crime..Gero-kun may face charges against him by Red Wings Academy.." Jajka explained
"That's just wrong! Gero-senpai did the right thing!" Sakuraba shouted
"I agree..but does not excuse him from the law..he did this to tell everyone that this is what happens when you hurt the people he cherishes..so just keep that in mind..Pravda boy.." Jajka said
"I know that! I am very lucky to have him as my friend!" Kal shouted
(Everyone just gave a smile to what Kal said)
"But still that one man army was something!" Alisa said to change the subject
"Yeah..who knew he was this strong..and he can also be merciless.." Barley said
"Makes you wonder if he was holding back in our previous matches.." Sencha said
"Don't misunderstand him..I guarantee you he fought you all with everything he had..he never holds back.." Maho said
"I also know for a fact that he fights at a 100% based on our match yesterday..and to make things clear this is not him showing his strength..it's him showing everyone his weakness.." Jajka said
"How can destroying 15 tanks by himself be a weakness?!" Katyusha shouted
"Let me ask you all of this..if you fought against him and he did that..would you have fun?" Jajka asked
"Definitely not.." Nonna said
"Then there's your answer.." Jajka said
"Gero-kun does Senshado so that everyone can learn and have fun..but if he does this..then it would contradict everything that he has worked hard for.." Darjeeling said
"Imagine not being able to play at your best because everyone would not enjoy it due to your strength..I'm sure the one most suffering here is Gero-kun.." Jajka said
"You mean that somebody is sure to get hurt if Darling plays seriously?!" Kay frowned
"That's his Achilles' Heel.." Shizuka said
"That's just too cruel for Tiger-kun.." Takashi said
"Now I understand why he said that his power was not meant to be brought into the Senshado world..that's not a gift but a curse.." Jajka said
"Isn't it a bit too harsh to call it a curse?" Pekoe said
"Everyone has darkness in their hearts..we just saw Gero-kun's today..he's fighting the strongest foe for him which is himself.." jajka said
"But! I know Gero wants to play Senshado to have fun with all of us here! He doesn't want anyone to get hurt, that's why he doesn't show his strength! So please don't think wrong of him! Gero is..Gero is.." Miho shouted
(Everyone was surprised when Miho spoke up. They all saw Miho was on the verge of tears because she saw how in pain her brother was and she can't do anything to help him. All of them gave a smile and started to comfort Miho)
"Of course he is Miho-san..all of us know what kind of person Gero-kun really is.." Darjeeling smiled
"Cheer up Miho! I'm sure Darling will get through this! We'll get through this together!" Kay cheered
"Gero-kun is one of the few that I've fought and earned my respect right away Nishizumi Miho..I wouldn't think of him any lesser to what he did today..he is an incredible person.." Jajka smiled
(Everyone else agreed with Jajka and cheered Miho up)
"Thank you Jajka-san..Kay-san..Darjeeling-san.." Miho smiled
"See Miho..Gero-kun is surrounded by these amazing people..I'm sure he'll be fine.." Maho smiled
"Onee-chan.."
"Come on now..let's go check up on him..and you all need to get to your teams to prepare for your matches tomorrow.." Maho said
(All of them agreed and left the bleachers now. Just as Miho and Maho were going to head for the Kuromorimine tank garage Kal called out to her)
"Uhm..Nishizumi-san!" Kal shouted
"Yes Kal-kun? Did you forget something?" Miho asked
"Nishizumi-san! I would never ever think wrong of Gero-kun..I owe him so much..I also think this injury of mine is karma to what I did to you during our match from before..and I want to properly apologize to you!" Kal bowed
"It's all in the past Kal-kun as I've forgiven you already..and I don't think that it was karma that gave you that injury…"
"If it's not karma then what is it? Nishizumi-san?" Kal asked
"Just call me Miho..well everything happens for a reason..Gero told me that red hair is a sign of fate..I believe that fate is what brought us both here right now..I think both of our fates are intertwined in a way we just can't see yet.."
"I..I see..I didn't expect that kind of answer from you Miho-san.." Kal turned red and blushed
(As soon as Miho noticed what she had just said to call she quickly turned bright red as well and blushed. Now both Kal and Miho are blushing and was in an awkward silence but Maho got a chance to break the silence)
"Miho! You coming?!" Maho shouted
"Y-Yes onee-chan I'll be right there! See you Kal-kun!" Miho said and left
"See you..Miho-san.." Kal answered
"You alright Miho? Your face is kinda red.." Maho said
"It's nothing onee-chan!"
(Maho had a big grin on her face and had an idea what happened but decided not to say anything)
"What an embarrassing thing to say..I hope he doesn't think I'm weird or anything.." Miho said in her mind while still blushing
[Kuromorimine Tank Garage]
(Gero now has parked their tank in the garage as well as the others. When Gero dismounted Erika was their to greet her as well as Alice)
"Exactly five minutes huh..?" Erika smiled
"..."
"Hey don't make such a face..you're scaring Alice-san.." Erika said
"Nii-chan.."
(Gero saw that Alice had a frown on her face and so he forced a smile and to try and cheer her up)
"Yo Alice-chan..how were you during the match?"
"I'm ok.."
(As Gero was about to give Alice a pat on the head like he always does due to the training she underwent as a Shimada she instinctively slapped away Gero's hand because she remembered the killing intent that Gero made her feel during the match)
*SLAP
"A-Alice-san..?" Erika was surprised also
"S-Sorry Nii-chan! I didn't mean to.." Alice said
(Everyone in the tank garage heard the slap by Alice and they too were surprised and looked towards Gero. He was shocked and his face soon turned to a frown as he saw his teammates were also scared. Alice tried to grab Gero's hand but this time it was Gero that moved his hand away)
"Taichou I'm sure Alice-chan just got spooked that's all.." Hajime said
"I'm..so sorry..Alice-chan..and to everyone..I made you feel something very uncomfortable.."
(Gero then walked away leaving the garage and all Alice could do was stare at his back. She wanted to call out to him but her instincts as a Shimada was preventing her from speaking)
"Why?! Why won't my voice reach Nii-chan?!" Alice said in her mind
"Let him be for now..he's got a lot of things going on in his mind.." Erika said
(Just right after Gero left both Miho and Maho arrived at the tank garage just to see a very gloomy atmosphere)
"Miho..Maho-san..did you watch the match?" Erika asked
"Of course we did..congratulations on the win again.." Maho smiled
"Eririn..what happened? Where's Gero?" Miho asked
"Nii-chan left..because of me.." Alice said
(Erika then talked to Maho and Miho about what had happened and explained to them. The rest of Erika's crew were also there with Gero's crew)
"I see..so that happened.." Maho said
"Cheer up Alice-san! I'm sure Gero knows you didn't mean what you did!" Miho said
"But..Nii-chan looked so sad..like he was in so much pain.." Alice said with teary eyes
"So you guys also felt the killing intent Bakatora was emitting..all the way up to the bleachers?" Erika asked
"Yeah..the pressure was very intense.." Maho said
"If it was that bad then inside Gero-san's tank was much worse right!?" Sheska asked
"How were you guys during the match inside your tank?" Suzu asked
"Hmmm..well we could also feel the pressure from Matsu-kun.." Ken said
"But it wouldn't be the first time we've felt it.." Hajime smiled
"I know right?" Ono chuckled
"Wait what?! This is the second time he's done this?" Rin was surprised
"Then..when was the first time?" Leila asked
"During our match against Pravda in the 1st National Joint High School Senshado Tournament.." Hajime said
(Everyone was surprised to what Hajime had shared to them)
"But..Kal-kun said that it was the first time he felt that kind of pressure from Gero.." Miho said
"That's because it wasn't that strong before.." Ono said
"We could only feel Matsu-kun's killing intent inside our white tiger..the whole tank was filled with it..that's why Kal-kun and the other Pravda girls didn't feel it during that match.." Ken said
"Taichou really wanted to kill that Takayuki guy..but he was fighting himself in order to control and suppress his rage.." Hajime said
"But he's going to be ok right Ono-senpai?" Sheska asked
"Yeah..he's got it under control now..but I'm sure he's questioning himself again..doubting himself..blaming himself.." Ono said with a sad tone
"Don't worry..I have something in mind to cheer him up.." Erika said
"Really Eririn?!" Miho smiled
"Yeah..so let me handle him.." Erika smiled
"Thank you Erika.." Maho smiled
"We thank you as well Kommandant..you're the only person right now that we trust to take care of our Taichou.." Hajime said
"Gero sure is being spoiled too much by our Kommandant!" Ono chuckled
"He sure is.." Ken said
[Kuromorimine School Rooftop - Sunset]
(Gero was there alone just watching the sunset as he thought about many things until someone had joined him)
"I figured you'd be up here.." Erika said
"Yo Erika..What brings you here?" Gero said in a happy tone
"Was looking for a lost tiger that is probably sulking around.."
"Oh come on I"m not sulking.."
"Are you not? Not nice of you to watch this beautiful sunset without inviting me.."
"Ahaha..sorry sorry..a lot just happened so fast you know..wanted to relax my mind for a bit.."
"I understand..may I?" Erika gesturing if she could sit beside Gero
"Of course! No need to ask for permission you know.."
(Erika then sat beside Gero and watched the sunset also. Both of them were not talking and just gazing at the sun as it touches the horizon)
"Are you alright?" Erika asked
"I'm great! Why ask?"
"Well you're clearly giving me the "I'm not ok" look.."
"I'm fine Erika really! So don't worry about it!"
"Now you're showing me the "I'm lying" face.."
"No I'm not.."
"Do you remember when you hugged me during the rainy afternoon of the Siege Tank Battle event?"
"Yes..how can I forget?"
"Then do you remember what you told me during that time?"
"Hmmm..what are you trying to say?"
(As Gero asked that question Erika suddenly placed her hand on Gero's head and gently pulled him over to her and had him rest his head on her lap. At this moment Erika is giving Gero a sweet lap pillow while caressing his hair)
"I'm trying to say..someone is not being honest with me right now.."
"Ahaha..I guess you can see right through me huh?"
"Who do you think I am? I've spent countless hours just staring at your face to know what you're feeling just by looking.." Erika smiled
"I'm sorry for lying.."
"I want you to be honest not as the famous white tiger..but as Nishizumi Gero...the man I love very much.." Erika whispered in Gero's ear
(As Gero heard those kind words from the person he loves everything that he was thinking about just flashed in his mind all at the same time. He remembered how he hugged Erika and told her she can be honest and right now Erika is now the one telling him that. All the hardships and all the painful things that had happened recently he remembered and then finally Gero broke into tears as he laid on Erika's laps)
"There there..my little Bakatora..you did your best holding it in.."
"I did my best…"
"I know you did.."
"I worked so hard..so that everyone would enjoy Senshado.."
"It all paid off because everyone loves doing Senshado with you.."
"But I completely messed up today.."
"No you didn't..you proved that Kal's accident wasn't an accident.."
"I really scared Alice-chan..it's the first time I've seen her make an expression like that.."
"She's going to be alright..you know she was crying a while ago after you left the garage..she really regretted what she did.."
"And what about the others? The people watching at the bleachers surely felt my killing intent also..how..how will face them all now..?"
"They know what kind of person you are...they won't hate you for what you did.."
"I threatened to kill someone for my own selfish reasons.."
"He almost killed Kal-kun..he got what he deserved.."
"I hate myself so much that I had to do it that way…"
"Shhh..don't hate yourself…you are a wonderful person and you have a big heart.."
"I'm the worst.."
"No you're the best.."
"It feels like my heart is getting emptier everyday as the blood in my veins get stronger.."
"Then I'll just have to fill the emptiness in your heart with my love for you until it's full.."
(Gero just laid there crying still and letting out all the pain that he was holding in. Erika then placed her forehead on Gero's forehead to calm him down)
"No matter what happens..you will still be the amazing man that I love..I believe in you if nobody else will..even if the whole world is against you, I will be your ally..and I know you are stronger than this..because you are the mighty White Tiger..the heir of the great Nishizumi Family..we will get through this together..my Bakatora.."
(Gero felt very calm and relaxed as he listened to Erika's words. All the pain and doubt started to disappear from his mind then Erika gave a kiss to Gero on his forehead and let him rest for a bit)
[30 Minutes Later.]
(After taking a quick nap on Erika's lap Gero then wakes up and sees his girlfriend just watching him)
"Erika.."
"Hello there sleepyhead.."
"Sorry..I must've dozed off..your lap is just so comfy.."
"I knew you needed the rest..feeling better?"
"Yeah..thank you Erika..I owe you.."
"Hey we got each other's backs..and getting to see your sleeping face is already a reward for me..."
"Right..and tomorrow we're going to face another trial together..Red Wings will definitely press charges against me and the school.."
"Do you have a plan?"
"Yeah..it's a big gamble..but if it works..it will end peacefully for both sides.."
"I'll leave it to you then..want me to inform the Headmistress?"
"No I'll tell her tomorrow morning.."
"Alright..wanna head back now? They're probably looking for us and worried.."
"Yeah let's go..oh and Erika.."
"Hmmm?"
(Gero then gave a kiss on Erika's forehead and hugged her really tight)
"Thank you..for being with me..I love you so much.."
"I love you too..also don't lie to me again or else I'll be really angry.."
"Jawohl my Kommandant.."
(Erika and Gero then held hands as they returned to the dorms)
[Exhibition Games Meeting Room - The Next Day)
(The morning matches have been postponed due to the meeting that will happen. The first one to wait in the meeting room was Shiho, Erika, Gero and his crew)
"So you all know the plan..it's best that we're on the same page during the meeting.."
"We got it Taichou.." Hajime smiled
"No matter what they say we'll defend you Matsu-kun!"
"We all know what the truth is..and we'll use that to our advantage!" Ono said
"Great..sorry about this okaa-chan.."
"You beat Red Wings on your own..you got justice for your friend..I'm anything but mad..you did great.." Shiho smiled
"Thanks..you know the drill Erika.."
"You can count on me Bakatora.." Erika smiled
*KNOCK *KNOCK
(After the knock on the door Gero and the rest saw the next people to enter the room and it the Yamato Sisters and Takayuki along with an old man behind them which appeared to be in a bad mood)
"Long time no see Nishizumi Style Master.." said a woman
"Yeah..twelve years..Yamato Style Master.." Shiho replied
"Master? You mean she's.."
"Nice to meet you all..my name is Yamato Mai..mother of Shiori and Kaede.."
(This woman is Yamato Mai..she has long light blue hair and wears a formal office suit with a pencil skirt)
"This is a very awkward reunion wouldn't you say?" Mai said
"Agreed..it's all thanks to that uncultured brat over there.." Shiho said
"I beg your pardon?" said the man beside Takayuki
"And who might you be?" Shiho asked
"I'm Kojo's father..and I'm here to make sure the one responsible for my son's trauma will get punished accordingly!" shouted Takayuki's father
"I see that a rotten apple doesn't fall far from the tree.." Erika said
"What did you just say?!" shouted Takayuki's father
"You heard me.."
"Enough Itsumi-kun..save it for later.." Shiho said
"Understood Headmistress.."
*KNOCK *KNOCK
(Another knock on the meeting room doors and entered Kodama, Chouno, and Kikuyo as the head of the meeting)
"Looks like everyone is here.." Chouno smiled
"Then let's start right away..I don't like these kinds of meetings..it's bad for my heart.." Kodama laughed
"Everyone please take a seat..we will now start.." Kikuyo said
(As told by Kikuyo everyone sat down with Kuromorimine on the right and Red Wings on the left side)
"We will now hold the meeting regarding the incident that occurred yesterday after the match between Kuromorimine and Red Wings" Kodama said
"For those that we're not able to watch the match we have prepared a video of the match up to the incident for you to see.." Chouno said
"Great now we can watch how Bakatora destroys Red Wings again.." Erika smiled
"Erika! Not nice!"
"Hpmh!" Erika pouted
(A video then played on a screen in the room that played the match of Kuromorimine and Red WIngs from an aerial surveillance drone. They all saw how Gero fought alone against fifteen tanks of Red Wings and decimated them one by one. The faces of those seeing the videos the first time was priceless and all of them had shocked expressions especially Yamato Kaede)
"What the heck? This is the white tiger?! This is just too much!" Kaede said in her mind
"Wow..just wow..do you even need a team Gero-kun?!" Chouno teased
"Geez..don't say it like that Chouno-san!"
"You sure got yourself an amazing one.." Mai said
"Yes I did.." Shiho smiled
"Excuse me?! Can we not praise the criminal here in the room?!" Shouted Takayuki's father
"Funny..I don't recall praising your son.." Shiho said
"Pffft.." someone held in a laugh
(Everyone heard that someone held in a laugh and they all looked at each other to see who it was and they saw Yamato Mai just covering her mouth and looking at the floor. After a few seconds she just looked up and had a straight face on)
"Mother?" Shiori was confused
"Please continue.." Mai said
(The video continued and now it was showing the part of the match where Gero toyed with Takayuki's tank shooting blank rounds on it and then ramming it just before it shot the deciding shell onto its belly and making roll for a meters before stopping)
"Just look at the brutality this boy did to my son! Unforgivable!" shouted Takayuki's father
"I'm guessing you were pissed at him? " Kodama said
"I'm sorry.."
"I'm sure he has a valid reason for his actions.." Shiho said
(The next part of the video was now Gero pointing the anti tank rifle onto Takayuki's face then shooting at the tank tracks. After which Gero pointed the second rifle to Takayuki then after a few minutes of conversation Takayuki fainted)
"Was pointing the rifle at him really necessary?" Kodama asked
"I'm sorry..but yes it was necessary.."
"You just threatened to kill my son! I'll have you in prison for this!" shouted Takayuki's father
"Outsiders should just shut up.." Erika said
"I'll have you kicked out also you disrespectful little brat!" shouted Takayuki's father
"Who gave you the right to kick out the commander of my school? Know your place you ignorant sad excuse of a man.." Shiho said
(Shiho then gave a very scary look to Takayuki's father and it struck him fear and made him sweat)
"Order!" Kikuyo shouted
"Both of you please calm down..we will handle this professionally.." Chouno said
"Now pointing a gun at someone is considered a crime guilty of assault to the victim..Gero-kun you can really be imprisoned unless you give us a reason for your actions.." Kodama said
"Yes I do Kodama-san..I'll explain to you the reason for my actions with this.."
(Gero then showed them a USB Flash Drive)
"That is?" Kikuyo asked
"In this contains a video footage of the match between Red Wings and Pravda two days ago.."
"How does this tell anything?! This is ridiculous!" shouted Takayuki's father
(The video then was played and it showed the final moments of the match where Kal saved Shiori's tank from falling off the cliff and then Takayuki's tank and another shooting off Kal's tank)
"This was the accident that happened right?" Chouno asked
"Yes..but it was not an accident Chouno-sama..Takayuki-san waited for Kal-kun's tank to reach the edge on purpose before shooting at it.."
"You mean he wanted Kallan-kun to fall off the edge?" Kodama asked
"Yes he did Kodama-san.."
"That's impossible! This brat is lying to save his own ass!" shouted by Takayuki's father again
"Takayuki-kun..did you do it on purpose?" Mai asked
(Takayuki wouldn't say anything because he was too scared)
"Silence means yes right?" Erika said
"Shut up! You don't even have solid proof of what you say!" Takayuki's father said
"But I do.."
"What?!" Takayuki's father got nervous
(Gero then played a second video of the confession of Takayuki and him admitting to everything saying that what he did to Kal was on purpose. Everyone was shocked and Takayuki was just sitting their quiet on his chair)
"Well..well..cat's out of the bag now.." Shiho said
"This is the reason why I pointed the rifle at him..to get the truth out of him.."
"You threatened him to say that! He said that because you forced him to!" Mr. Takayuki shouted
"Your son has a lot of pride..I know he won't lie just to save his own ass.."
"My son shot a tank and it fell off! So what?!" Takayuki's father said
"So what?! This is what! Tell that to Kal-kun at the hospital with his fractured hand!"
(Gero then threw hospital documentation of Kal and his injury together with pictures of his bandaged hand at their tables. Everyone was surprised and Shiori couldn't feel any guiltier)
"The tank's cupola crushed his hand as they fell..it will take 3 weeks to heal..meaning he won't be able to join his team in the last week of this event.."
"This doesn't mean you have the right to point a gun at my son! You will still go to jail!" Takayuki's father said
"I never said it gave me the right..but know this..if I go to jail then your son joins me.."
"Why would he?! He didn't do anything wrong!"
"No..Gero-kun is right..this is video proof of your son confessing his actions in shooting Kal's tank off the hill..that is nothing short of a felony which could have resulted in Kallan-kun's death.." Chouno said
"If you decide to charge me..this video will be uploaded to every social media out there and they will know what your son has committed...also they'll know from what school he's from..he'll have a very painful high school life filled with paparazzi and people talking behind his back..do you want your son to live like that?"
"Of course not..I wouldn't want that.." Takayuki's father said
"Pravda will surely press charges to your school also and Red Wings Academy will be on the hot seat for a long time if this goes out..you wouldn't want that now would you?"
"Should I consider this a threat directly at me?" Mai asked
"Not at all..I'm just stating the possible outcomes of the situation unless we can reach an agreement.."
"Agreement?" Mai asked
"Yes..this can all go away peacefully..like water under the bridge.."
"How?" Kaede asked
"If he doesn't press charges against me..then I won't either..I'll even delete the video confession to sweeten the deal.."
"Wait! If you do that then how do you know he'll press charges against you after you delete the video?" Kodama asked
"Oh he won't..cause I have another card to play.."
"That is?" Kikuyo asked
"Mr. Takayuki..do you love your wife?"
"Ha? Yes I do..what does that have to do with this?"
"Then do you love your children?"
"Yes! Again why do you ask?"
(Gero then approached Takayuki's father and secretly showed him a picture of him together with a female prostitute in a bar somewhere. This shocked him so much that he went pale and he began sweating. Gero then whispered)
"Now if you violate the conditions of this agreement this photo will be released through the whole country..your family will know your dirty little secret..and I don't have to explain how that will turn out for you right?"
"Isn't this blackmail!?"
"Of course not..I'm helping you keep your secret safe..I honestly don't give a shit about what you do in your life..and I have no intention of meddling with it..this will only be between the two of us..so what do you say?"
(Gero then returned to his seat and all of them waited for Takayuki's father to say something. He was sweating so much and was actually nervous on the possible outcome of what he'll decide)
"I agree to the terms and conditions offered by this fine young gentleman. I will uphold my side of the agreement and will not press charges against him if he deletes the video.."
(Everyone was surprised at how Takayuki's father agreed without a second thought was suddenly praising Gero)
"Why the sudden change of heart?" Mai asked
"Oh nothing! I just thought that we shouldn't get this any worse than it is!" Takayuki's father said
"Father?" Takayuki was confused
"Now listen Kojo..what you did was wrong..you got somebody hurt..say your apologies to everyone for the trouble you have done.."
"I thought you'd be angrier.." Takayuki said
"I was..but Gero-sama here has shown me the brighter and bigger picture of this and decided that we can move on peacefully from here..so don't do anything like that anymore alright son?"
"I understand father..Matsumoto Gero-san..I apologize for my actions..I'm very sorry for all the trouble I caused to you and your friend..I too wouldn't want that to happen to any of my friends..I will personally visit Kallan-san at the hospital to apologize properly to him.." Takayuki bowed
(Gero still couldn't forgive him immediately for what he did. He didn't react to Takayuki's apology and just looked away)
"Please forgive me Kaede-sama, Commander Shiori, and Headmistress Yamato..I'll accept any punishment you'll give me.." Takayuki said
"I'll give you a week of suspension after this event..after that you can return to your team.." Mai said
"I understand..thank you headmistress.." Takayuki bowed
"As long as you are sincerely repenting on your misdeeds there's no problem.." Kaede said
"I'll also try my best to be a better commander to all of you.." Shiori said
(Gero then deleted the video evidence in front of everyone to show his side of the agreement was done. Gero's crew had big sweat drops on their heads and were wondering what Gero said to make him change his mind)
"Alright since both sides have now agreed and this will no longer be brought to court all that's left now is giving the necessary punishment to Gero-kun.." Kodama said
"Agreed..it is now decided that Gero-kun will be banned from participating in the rest of the Exhibition Matches in this event due to foul play..but you already knew that right?" Chouno said
"Yes I did Chouno-sama..and I accept this punishment.."
(Everyone was shocked that Gero just easily accepted the punishment without any violent reactions and his crew were not happy with that)
"Wait a sec! Why does he have to get banned?! Gero did the right thing!" Ono shouted
"That's right! Also if you're gonna ban him you should include us too for we're equally responsible for what happened as his crew!" Ken shouted
"I'm sorry but I'm going to have to refuse that decision too Instructor Chouno..shouldn't the one to be punished be that brat from red wings?" Hajime said
"Stop guys..this is an order from me..I'm the tank commander so all of the responsibility is on me..you were just following orders.."
"But Taichou!" Hajime said
"Gero is right..he did this himself and only he will take this punishment and that's final! Respect your commander's decision.." Shiho said
"Like I said in this meeting..the matter is now settled and he has admitted his actions to them..all of this will be forgotten after we leave this room..the incident between Pravda and Red Wings is now over..but my foul play against Red Wings is a different matter.."
"How is it different?!" Ono shouted
"Everyone saw what I did..it was clearly foul play no matter what we say..if I don't get punished for it or if he is the one that gets punished then everyone will start to question the authority of the Seven Seats and The Japanese Federation.."
"Gero-kun is exactly right..we can't officially give punishment to someone accused of something that never happened..but it doesn't mean that he won't face any consequences after this.." Chouno said
"We will be discussing Takayuki Kojo's punishment together with Pravda discreetly and how he can atone for what he did..is that fine with you Headmistress Yamato?" Kikuyo asked
"I have no problem with that.." Mai said
"Damn it! This is so wrong!" Ono said
"Are you sure Bakatora?" Erika asked
"Yes Kommandant..one of the reasons why I participated in this event was to fight Kal-kun and Ray..but since one of them won't be able to continue..then there's no point..so it's fine.."
"Alright.."
"I need you boys here to watch the team for me while I'm gone..make sure they don't run into trouble.."
"Then with that Gero Matsumoto of Kuromorimine is now banned from participating in the remaining Exhibition Matches. He will also not be allowed to enter the event premises namely the tank garages and the bleachers. But he may visit the food booths and other entertainment booths of the event. That is all." Kikuyo announced
"Case closed, this meeting is now over!" Kodama said
(As everyone was getting ready to leave Yamato Mai called out to Gero)
"Matsumoto Gero, may I ask why did you go through all that effort just to have it end up getting you banned? What did you gain from this?" Mai asked
(Without looking at Mai as she asked her question Gero just stood and answered)
"Gain? I gained nothing..I didn't do this to gain anything.."
"Then why?" Shiori asked
"Kal-kun is my friend..he was one of the first male commanders that I met along with Ray of Saunders..the three of us had a bond that only the three of us can understand..and then I saw him get shot down a hill which gave him an injury..if you saw a close of yours that experienced the same thing what would you have done Yamato Style Master?"
(Yamato Mai didn't know what to answer and just stood there quietly Everyone else also just listened to Gero)
"If I didn't compromised on this meeting then sparks would've been sent flying everywhere..more people would get hurt..and it won't end..so with this conclusion of me getting banned has prevented that and nobody else will get hurt..so the only person that should get hurt is me..this farce should end with me only.."
"Was self sacrifice the only way Taichou? Wasn't there more that we could've done?!" Hajime asked
"Who would step up to take all the blame for what happened? Who would voluntarily walk a thorny path just to get justice? Who will seek the truth hidden beneath all the lies? If not me then who Hajime?"
"But still..why only you.." Ono clenched his fists
"This isn't something new Ono..I'm used to it by now..."
"How can you get used to this kind of treatment?! What in the world happened to you?" Kaede asked
"I was right..so you did forget about me.." Gero whispered
"Excuse me?" Kaede was confused
"Nothing..if you'll excuse me..I have to say goodbye to my team before I leave.."
(As Gero walked away all of them just looked at him from afar and felt the heaviness of his words. Yamato Mai was in deep thought about what Gero said about seeking the truth and couldn't get it out of her mind)
"I believe I don't have to remind you how much you owe him now.." Erika said
"Why is that?" Mai asked
"Bakatora just did you a favor and buried your criminal acts by deleting that video confession..now nobody but us will know what you did yesterday..but his actions to get the truth out of you will forever remain to those that saw him aim that rifle at you.." Erika said
"Today you are the still same old Red Wings Boys Captain who will be seen as the victim..but for him..he will now be remembered as the guy that assaulted you mercilessly and brutally.." Ono said
"Come on boys that's enough...you all need to prepare for the afternoon matches.." Shiho said
"Yes Headmistress.." the three of them said
"It was great to see you Yamato Style Master..I hope we meet again in a much friendlier manner.." Shiho said as she left
(As everyone left the room Erika remained there for a bit and pulled out her phone. All this time her phone was connected to a call to Sheska's phone where everyone was listening in to the meeting)
"Did you get all of that?" Erika asked
"Yes senpai..loud and clear.." Sheska answered
"Alright..meet you guys back in the tank garage.." Erika said and disconnected the call
(On the other side of the call was everyone from the Kuromorimine Team and the other schools were there listening also namely Pravda, Saunders, Ooarai and St. Gloriana)
[Kuromorimine Tank Garage]
"Did we just hear that right?" Tojo said
"Yeah..Gero-senpai is now officially banned from the rest of the Exhibition Games.." Sakuraba said
"Can't the seven seats do anything about this?!" Kal shouted
"They never informed us that the meeting would take place already..I guess they predicted that we'd make a move to defend Gero-kun.." Darjeeling said
"Once Kodama-san and the rest have made their decision we can't do anything more to change that.." Maho said
"Damn it! Because of me..because I was so weak that Gero-kun had to go through this!" Kal shouted
"Keep it together redhead..Darling did this so that unnecessary blood won't have to be spilt.." Kay said
"That's right Kal-kun..if Gero-kun hadn't done what he did..things would've gotten a lot worse than it was.." Nonna said
"I'm sure Katyusha-san would've burnt Red Wings Academy to the ground if they didn't reach an agreement.." Pekoe said
"Damn right I would've.." Katyusha pouted
"Well..since you heard now the reason why Gero-kun had to be so cruel to that red wings boy..I hope you all in Kuromorimine will understand him more now.." Darjeeling said
"What do you mean?" Toshi asked
"My Darling did that so that none of us would get hurt in the future matches.." Kay smiled
"He made sure that the first and final incident was Kal-san's injury.." Assam said
"Let this be a reminder to all of you here..you're captain is the kindest and most amazing person that I have ever met..I understand if all of you are still afraid of him because of what he did during the match..but I assure you..he did that to protect all of you here..and us too.." Darjeeling said
"Darjeeling-san is right..the last thing Gero would want is to hurt any of you..he just wants to enjoy doing Senshado with everyone..so please continue being his friend!" Miho bowed
"Don't worry Miho-san..that's already a given that we'd still be friends with Gero-senpai!' Toshi said
"Yeah..we just got surprised by how strong he was that's all!" Sakuraba said
"I'll properly talk to Nii-chan when he comes later..I'll apologize to him and let him know that all of us here will be alright even without him!" Alice smiled
"Thank you Alice-san.." Miho smiled
"Alright then..since all questions have been answered and the doubts surrounding Gero-kun have now disappeared I say we all return to our teams to prepare for the afternoon matches.." Darjeeling said
"Second that! We all have to work twice as hard now for Darling's part also!" Kay smiled
"Yeah..I'm going to do my best for both Tiger-kun and Kal-kun!" Takashi said
"This is our chance to shine now that Gero-san has given us the opportunity and the momentum! Assam smiled
"Indeed..prepare yourselves Barley-san and Sencha-san.." Pekoe said
"Yes Pekoe-sama!" both saluted
"Is there anything I can help with?" Kal asked
"You can help us by staying at the hospital and recovering properly!" Katyusha said
"Y-Yes..Katyusha-neesan.."
"Making sure you heal up is the best way to respect Gero-kun's actions.." Nonna said
"Understood..good luck on your matches Nonna-san and Klara-san" Kal said
"Poskoreye popravlyaysya!" Klara said
[Get well soon!]
(As everyone else left the tank garage all that remained was the Kuromorimine team and they all waited for Gero to return. Along the way to the tank garage Gero was so nervous on how he will act in front of everyone)
"Alright here goes nothing.."
(As Gero entered the garage he was about to apologize until he was greeted by loud words from his team and surprised him)
"WE'RE VERY SORRY FOR HOW WE ACTED GERO-TAICHOU!"
"Haa?"
"We know that you did that to protect us!" Isamu said
"But we just got overwhelmed with the pressure.." Haruhiko said
"Please forgive us!" Endo shouted
"Senpai..regardless of what you did! I believe it was right..and we will always follow your orders and trust you!" Toshi said
"We'll show everyone what an amazing person you are!" Sakuraba shouted
(Gero was just speechless because his team totally beat him to the punchline)
"Looks like you were worried for nothing.." Erika said
"Erika.."
"Don't pay attention to what others think of you Gero-san!" Sheska said
"What's important is how we see you.." Leila smiled
"To us you'll always be our Kamerad!" Suzu said
"We got your back!" Rin smiled
(Gero smiled to what Erika's crew said and then he saw Alice walking towards him with teary eyes)
"Alice-chan.."
"Nii-chan..I'm sorry for slapping your hand..I didn't mean it..at that time I didn't want you to leave and I really wanted to hug you and...and.."
(Tears started to fall on Alice's cheeks then suddenly Gero hugged her and carried her)
"I'm so sorry Alice-chan..for scaring you..I know you didn't mean that..so don't cry anymore..you did great.."
"Nii-chan! Nii-chan! Please don't suddenly disappear again! Please don't hate me! Please pat my head like you always!" Alice started crying on Gero's shoulder
"Silly girl..I won't ever hate you for that..I'll pat your head as much as you want me to..I won't be going anywhere..I promise.."
(As Gero and Alice hug each other everyone just felt a warm and fuzzy feeling in their hearts and all the negative energy had disappeared completely. All of them were happy that they have made up)
Coming Up Next : Chapter 47 - Repentance
Author's Note:
Good day to you guys once again! There goes Gero's exhibition games! I hope you all enjoyed the read! What do you think about how the matter was solved? Did you think there was a better way? I wanted to portray how messed up the law is in some ways and how there are loopholes in it. Let me know in the reviews section!
Shout out to : "robloxian2456" thank you so much for the follow and favorite! Much love!
Shout out to : "Asheshuntox" thank you very much for the follow! Welcome!
Thank you for the wonderful support you all are amazing! As for the replies to your comments check the reviews section as always!
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