Chapter 48 - Upgrade
[Kuromorimine School Carrier - Tank Garage]
(The week passed very quickly as the Exhibition Games ended yesterday while the awarding ceremony was today. Unfortunately Gero was still not allowed to participate at the ceremony so he was stuck at the tank garage waiting for his team to return. He was both nervous and excited at the same time as he waited with Chief Matsumoto)
"What's taking them so long?!"
"Oh calm down will you? They'll be here any moment.." Matsumoto said
"How were they this week? Was anyone hurt? How did they handle their matches?"
"I'm not telling.."
"Why not?!"
"Your Kommandant told me to keep it a secret so that you'd get more nervous as you wait.."
"That's so mean!"
*RUMBLE *TREMBLE
"Looks like they're back" Matsumoto smiled
(As Gero was ranting they felt the ground shake as the numerous Panzer 38(t)s of Kuromorimine arrived by the garage. All tanks lined up perfectly in front of Gero and everyone dismounted their tanks and lined up as well with Erika and Maho at the middle)
"Okaeri everyone..h-how were the matches?"
"Tadaima Gero-kun..hmm I wonder how the matches turn out?" Maho teased
"Geez Maho-san!"
"Ahaha sorry sorry..well then everyone..ready and..now!" Maho said
(As Maho gave the signal two flags were raised on the left and right and a big banner was raised behind them. The banner said CONGRATULATIONS and the flag on the right was Kuromorimine's flag which Ken was holding and on the left was the Exhibition Games flag that Ono was holding. Erika then placed Alice on her shoulders that was holding a golden trophy)
"Look Nii-chan!" Alice smiled
"Kuromorimine University High School is the Exhibition Games Champion and now have returned to celebrate Bakatora!" Erika smiled
(Gero was just awe struck at what he saw and was speechless at first as he gaze at his team that was victorious even without him)
"I'm not dreaming right?"
"No you're not senpai! This is very real" Toshi shouted
"How many wins did we get?"
"We fought against a total of 29 schools and we won against all of them..we didn't lose a single match.." Maho smiled
"A flawless victory senpai!" Sakuraba said
"Did anyone get hurt? How is everyone's condition?"
"Casualties are zero Taichou..nobody got hurt.." Hajime said
"We watched each other's backs so that everyone will be alright!" Leila said
"Alice-chan made sure that we were safe all the time!" Rio said
(Erika then walked towards Gero while still carrying Alice on her shoulders. Alice then gave the trophy to Gero which he grabbed slowly from her hands)
"We all did our best for your share also Nii-chan!"
"She's right..everyone went past their limits and outdid themselves..the Headmistress saw everything and was very happy with them.." Erika smiled
(Before the rest could say what they wanted all of them were surprised when they saw Gero's expression. He gave them a big smile as a little bit of tears fell on his cheeks)
"Nii-chan?"
"Thank you...thank you everyone..not for winning..but for staying safe..for returning here without a scratch.."
(All of them were surprised that instead of being happy for the win he was a lot happier that everyone returned safely. Now they all understood what Naomi said about winning is only secondary for Gero and that his number one priority was everyone's safety)
"Senpai was worried about us all this time?" Endo asked
"Yeah..every time we got back to the dorms he kept asking about you guys but we never told him.." Ono smiled
"Geez Matsu-kun now you're gonna make me cry!"
"You can cry all you want just don't pass out.." Hajime teased
"I won't!" Ken shouted
(Both the girls and boys laughed with joy as they celebrate their win together with each other)
"Listen up! The excitement is just getting started! I have a surprise for all of you! Consider it a gift from me for winning and being safe!"
"OOOOOOOOHH!" everyone reacted
"A gift for me Nii-chan?!" Alice was excited
"Yes Alice-chan..I have a very special gift for you so be happy!"
"YAAAAY! Thank you Nii-chan!"
"As you can see there are three tank garages behind me! We shall open this one first!"
[Kuromorimine Tank Garage #1]
(As the garage doors opened they could see a lot of tanks that were covered by a white cloth. Gero and Chief Matsumoto went to both opposite sides and pulled the cloth to reveal the mysterious tanks)
"Everyone! Say goodbye to the light tanks and say hello to your new heavy tanks! The Panther Ausf. A tank!"
"OOOOOOHHHH! SO COOL!" everyone reacted
"This is what you replaced our old tanks with?" Maho asked
"That's right! Aren't they awesome?!"
"But what's the difference with this panther from our previous panther tanks?" Mauko asked
"The previous panthers were Panther Ausf. G which was the latest model of the series..this however is the Panther Ausf. A which was the first model of the series!"
"Doesn't that mean it's older and weaker?" Sango asked
"No it doesn't! It has the same armor and gun! But what makes this baby above the latest model is it's speed! The Panther A is faster than the Panther G which makes it more agile! Remember what I said about not relying on our armor? This is the reason why I trained you like that for these!"
"Ohh I see..then this is really great! This will definitely match our current style of fighting!" Sakuraba said
"These tanks will need 5 members as her crew so you need to add one more member to your crew when you drove the Panzer 38(t)s..we'll start training with these after the weekend!" Erika said
"Jawohl Kommandant!" everyone replied
"Well don't be shy now..go ahead and take a look inside the tanks..choose whichever one you like!"
"Yaaay! Thank you senpai!" everyone replied as they rushed towards the tanks
"Ohh Alice-chan's crew, Toshi and his crew, Tojo, Kise-kun, Kazu-kun, Itao-kun, and Sakuraba-chan come with us! Your gifts are in the next garage!"
[Kuromorimine Tank Garage #2]
(As they proceeded to the next garage all of them were filled with excitement as to what they were about to see. Gero then opened the second garage door all of them were very surprised at the tank that they saw)
"Nii-chan is this?"
"That's right Alice-chan! This is my gift to you guys!"
"They look so cool! But what are these tanks senpai? I've never seen them before!" Toshi asked
"Well I'll get into detail regarding these tanks after the weekend. I just want to show them to you for now..this tank is yours Toshi-kun..I hope you and your crew like it.."
"Yes we do senpai!" Endo shouted
"It looks so strong and wild!" Isamu shouted
"I'm going to enjoy driving this for sure!" Haruhiko said while hugging the tank
"So are you up for the task Toshi-kun?"
"I won't let you down senpai!" Toshi saluted
"Next will be this one..this is yours Tojo-kun..as well as those at the back..you three will have one each.." Gero said referring to Kise, Kazu and Itao
"Gero-Taichou this is.." Tojo said as he approached the tank
"I know it's not quite what you had in mind but I chose you guys to have this because I know you will be able to use these to their maximum potential.."
"No Gero-Taichou..I absolutely love it! This makes us very unique from the rest, right?!" Tojo had stars on his eyes
"Yes you could say that..you four will be a team and Tojo will be the leader.."
"You can count on us Taichou!" Kise said
"We appreciate you choosing us to drive these wonderful beasts!" Kazu saluted
"Thank you very much! It's an honor!" Itao bowed
"Don't forget to always support each other always, alright?"
"Jawohl!" Kise, Kazu and Itao responded
"Good now on to my special gift for my dear Alice-chan! Ta dah!"
"Senpai this looks very familiar.." Sakuraba said
"Well..I bet it does..but don't worry this baby is much better than what you think it looks like!"
"How so?" Hanako asked
"Well first off it's got a bigger and stronger gun! So I know Rio-san will enjoy shooting this!"
"I definitely will!" Rio smiled
"Next is the traction and the speed is far greater than its predecessors..so Chinatsu-san will be enjoying driving this!"
"I can't wait for it senpai!" Chinatsu smiled
"Well this makes it a special gift for Alice-chan because I fine tuned this one myself..this is the first tank that I've ever done maintenance on and fine tuned.."
"Really Nii-chan? That makes me very happy!" Alice said as he hugged Gero
"If you're happy then I'm happy! Go on and get a feel for your new tank!"
"Jawohl!" Alice and her crew saluted
"Oh and just to inform you beforehand, next week all of you will be training with me inside the Den..I'm sure you all know by now what that is right?"
"Really senpai!?" Toshi asked
"Yeah..after the usual training menu we'll head down the Den to work on your skills and bring them to the next level! You'll all be under my direct command in the upcoming tournament so prepare yourselves!"
(Hearing those words lit a fire under everyone and gave a smile on their faces. All of them felt proud that the great White Tiger has chosen them under his command)
"What about my gift Gero-senpai?" Sakuraba pouted
"Of course I haven't forgotten about you Sakuraba-chan! This will be your new tank!"
(As Sakuraba looked at the tank it was none other than the famous Kuromorimine Jagdtiger)
"This is..the Jagdtiger!" Sakuraba shouted
"You are correct Sakuraba-chan..starting now you'll be the gunner of this monster..and your commander will be her.."
(Gero then introduced a girl that was very familiar to her and to everyone else also)
"Hi there Sakuraba-san! I'm Kojima Emi! I look forward to riding this beast with you!"
"Me too Kojima senpai!" Sakuraba bowed
"Kojima-san was a previous Jagdpanther commander and was promoted to being the commander of the Jagdtiger..you may know her as Ritaiko.." Erika said
"Ritaiko?" Sakuraba asked
"Well in the last tournament her Jagdpanther got hit in the tracks twice hence the nickname.." Erika chuckled
"Ahaha how embarrassing.." Ritaiko blushed
"So you two will be partners in this Jagdtiger and will be part of a special four tank team..you'll have three Jagdpanthers in your team.."
"What will be our objective in this team Kommandant?" Ritaiko asked
"You'll be our Sharpshooter Team..your task is to cause as much damage to the enemy team without getting spotted then pull out as fast as possible..understand?" Erika ordered
"Hit and run strategy?" Sakuraba asked
"Yeah..if this Bakatora and his team is my right hand then that makes your team my left hand..I expect big things from you!" Erika smiled
"Jawohl!" Sakuraba and Ritaiko saluted
"Well then you guys stay here for a bit and gaze on your new tanks and gifts..just remember to lock up the garage after you leave..come on Erika we got one more garage.."
"Eh? There's more?" Erika asked
[Kuromorimine Tank Garage #3]
(Gero and Erika then went to the third and final garage. Gero opened the door and both of them entered. It was dark and they couldn't see anything)
"Hey Bakatora what's in here?"
"Let there be light!"
(Gero then flipped the switches to turn on the lights. Erika was blinded a little by the sudden brightness of the lights. As her eyes adjusted and saw what was in the garage she suddenly was surprised and had a big grin on her face)
"Gero..this is.."
*HUG
(Gero then gently hugged Erika from behind and he rested his cheek on the side of her head as both of them looked at the newest tank of Kuromorimine which was the mighty Sturmtiger)
"It's your favorite tank..I got it for you..it just arrived this morning.."
"A Sturmtiger..I never thought I'd be able to see one! Where the heck did you find it?"
"It wasn't easy..I had to dig up very very old files of past tanks that the school had..then I found out they had sold this one somewhere and traced it then re-bought it again..and now it's here!"
"Why did you go through all that trouble?"
"Well it's your favorite tank duh! Of course I had to get it! It's my gift to you..the Federation also approved of it's use so we'll be able to bring her to the tournament.."
"Really? Thank you Gero..this is a wonderful gift.." Erika smiled and blushed
"You're very welcome..do you forgive me now?"
"Nope.."
"Eeehhh..then what was the way that you said for me to get forgiveness?"
"Oh about that..are you doing anything this tomorrow?"
"Nothing in particular except wanting to spend time with you.."
"Great! We can spend time together at my house!"
(It took a couple of seconds for Gero to process what his girlfriend just said)
"Eh?! Y-Your house you mean.."
"Yup! It's time to introduce you to my parents!"
"Eeehh?!"
"What? You don't want to?!" Erika pouted
"No no no it's not that I was just surprised! I'd love to meet your family!"
"Good! Well then look sharp for tomorrow! I'll send you the address later, come lunchtime! If you're going to cook then Mom loves seafood and Dad loves wine! See you tomorrow! Oh and don't be late!"
*KISS
(Before living Erika gave Gero a quick kiss on the cheeks. As she left Gero was still standing deep in thought inside the garage)
[Itsumi Residence - The Next Day]
(Gero then arrived at the address provided by Erika and in front of him was a very big house. Gero was a little bit surprised because he knew that Erika came from a wealthy family but not this rich. Gero then walked towards the front door and rang the doorbell)
*DING DONG
(As the door opened Gero was suddenly hugged by a young woman who looked like Erika but Gero was sure it wasn't his girlfriend. Gero's face was suddenly buried by the young woman's chest)
"Oh my a very handsome young man has appeared in front of our house..are you my fated one?" the young woman teased
"Uhmm..I'm Itsumi Erika's boyfriend.."
"Ohh so you're-"
*HIT *HIT
(Before the young woman could finish her sentence she was suddenly hit in the head by Erika. Unfortunately Gero was also hit on the head because Erika got a little jealous)
"ANEKI! Get your claws off of him this instant!" Erika shouted
"Hey that hurt! You didn't have to hit me that hard!" Erika's sister shouted back
"W-Why did you have to hit me too..?"
"Gero..sorry about my stupid sister..and it's your fault too for letting your guard down!" Erika shouted again
"Sister?"
"I'm Itsumi Alexa! I'm Erika's older sister! Currently single! Nice to meet you! " Alexa said
"Nice to meet you too...Erika never mentioned she had an older sister.."
"That's because she's never home..and she really picked a bad time to come home today.." Erika said
"Hey that's mean!" Alexa pouted
"Anyways..welcome to our home Gero..come in come in!" Erika smiled
"Thank you..ojamashimasu!"
(As Gero entered their home he was soon greeted by Erika's mother. She had the same hair color as Erika with light blue eyes and still had a young face)
"Ara ara irashai.." Erika's mother said
"Hajimemashite! My name is Gero..it is nice to finally meet you Mrs. Itsumi!"
"You too Gero-kun! Thank you for always taking care of my daughter!"
"Geez stop saying things like that Mom!" Erika blushed
"Ahaha I should be the one thanking you for Erika has taken care of me a lot more!"
"Gero! Not you too!" Erika blushed more
"Hey hey Gero-kun! What do you think of me and our mom? Don't you think we look like Erika also?" Alexa said
"Yes I do! Both of you are beautiful!"
"Oh my.." Mrs. Itsumi blushed
"Really?! If you tell me that directly that makes me a little embarrassed!" Alexa teased
"But Erika is way more beautiful!"
"Gero…" Erika blushed
"Ehh..so I lost to Erika this time huh.." Alexa pouted
"It makes me happy that the first boy Erika has brought to our home is this sweet and romantic.." Mrs. Itsumi said
"Geez! Let's not loiter here and let's have some lunch already!" Erika shouted
"Yes that's right! I hope you're hungry Gero-kun!" Mrs. Itsumi said
"Starving! I also made these! Erika told me you like seafood so I cooked Shrimp Tempura and Unagi! Please help yourselves!"
"Woooow! That looks so yummy!" Alexa had stars on her eyes
"Why thank you very much Gero-kun how thoughtful of you! I love seafood!" Mrs. Itsumi said
"Then I'm glad!"
"You really went all out on cooking huh?" Erika teased
"Of course!"
"Who's there?!" a voice came from the living room
(Gero then looked towards the living room and saw a man walking towards them and he already knew it was Erika's father)
"Who the heck are you?"
"Hey Dad that's not a nice way to talk to him!" Erika shouted
"Hajimemashite Mr. Itsumi! I am Gero and I am currently in a relationship with your daughter! It is an honor to meet you!"
(Gero then bowed as respect to Erika's father and he was surprised. Gero then offered a bottle of Red Wine from Germany to Erika's father)
"Please accept this as a token of my gratitude for having such an amazing daughter.."
"Hmph..of course she's amazing.." Mr. Itsumi said
(Erika's father then grabbed the wine bottle and headed to the dining room with a slightly better mood but still frowning)
"Sorry about that Gero.." Erika said
"It's alright..he's a great father.."
"Don't worry about Dad! He's just nervous that his daughter brought a man into the house.." Alexa smiled
"Alexa is right! He's just afraid that his precious little daughter will be taken away from him" Mrs. Itsumi teased
"I heard that!" Mr. Itsumi shouted from the dining table
"Ahaha well then we better join him for lunch before he gets cranky.." Alexa said
"Come on Gero!" Erika smiled and blushed
"Yeah.."
(Gero then had a delicious and peaceful lunch with the Itsumi Family. Erika's father particularly loved the Unagi and the wine the Gero brought. After the meal Gero asked to have a talk with everyone in the living room. Gero sat beside Erika while on the other side of the table was Erika's family)
"What did you want to talk about Gero?" Erika asked
"I wanted to properly introduce myself to your family.."
"You mean introduce yourself as Erika's boyfriend? I thought you already said that!" Alexa said
"There is one more thing that I have to say..it wouldn't be right if I didn't.."
"What is it?" Erika's father asked
"My name is Nishizumi Gero of the Nishizumi Family..it is a pleasure to meet you all properly.."
"G-Gero?!" Erika was surprised
"N-Nishizumi?! You mean.." Alexa reacted
"That Nishizumi Family?! The head of Erika's school?" Mr. Itsumi reacted
"Yes..I am the eldest and the heir of the family.."
"I didn't know that they had a son.." Mrs. Itsumi said
"Due to familial reasons I was kept away from public eyes..for twelve years..only recently have I returned.."
"Did you know about this Erika?" Alexa asked
"Yes I did..even before we started dating.."
"This is quite a surprise..who knew that the heir of the strongest Senshado school would be a boy.." Alexa said
"Does anyone else know about this?" asked Erika's mother
"Only a handful of people know about it..my tank crew, my sister's tank crew, those in my family and Erika..you are the first ones I have told about this outside of the school.."
"State your reason for telling us this.." Mr. Itsumi demanded
"I valued trust in my life..but now I value your daughter more than anything..even more than myself..I wanted you to know who I really am..you are Erika's family..I would never tell a lie to you just to hide my selfish reasons.."
"Gero.." Erika smiled
"My how admirable.." Erika's mother smiled also
"Erika is it alright if I fall in love with your boyfriend?" Alexa teased
"No! Shut up baka-aneki!" Erika shouted
(Erika's father just looked at Gero straight in the eyes and Gero did the same. Erika was very worried about how her father would react)
"Judging from your eyes and your tone of voice I can say for sure that you are not lying.." Mr. Itsumi said
"My eyes and my voice?"
"Dad works for the police as a professional interrogator so he knows when a person is lying just by looking into their eyes or when he listens to their voices..so if he says you're telling the truth then you really are!" Alexa said
"I see..thank you for believing in me.."
"You know..if you introduced yourself as someone else I would've known straight away that you were lying and I would've thrown you out of my house immediately.."
"Ohh..well I'll keep that in mind then.."
"But instead you told the truth without a second thought regardless of the risks that we may expose your secret the moment you leave this house.."
"Dad! You wouldn't do that right?!" Erika shouted
"Of course not! I hate that you brought a man into the house..but I don't dislike honest people..I do hope there are more people like you out there.."
"I can name a few worth mentioning.."
"I see..then that's great..is there anything else you want to tell me?" Erika's father asked
(Gero then looked at Erika with a smile which confused Erika. He then stood up and looked at Erika's father again)
"Your daughter is the most amazing and most beautiful girl I have ever met. Erika means the world to me and I love her very much.."
(After hearing this Erika was just blushing bright red)
"After finishing all our studies, graduating high school and a university..I'll make her the happiest person in the universe! So please give me permission to take your daughter's hand in marriage!" Gero then bowed
"Ehh?" both Alexa and Erika reacted
"Oh my..how bold.." Erika's mother blushed
(It took a few seconds before Erika could process what Gero just said to her father before reacting)
"EEEEEEHHH?!" Erika reacted
"Now that's what I call a man!" Alexa cheered
"W-W-What the h-heck are you asking my Dad suddenly?!" Erika was getting flustered and started flailing her hands in the air
(Erika's father then just let out a big sigh after he listened to Gero's request)
"Unfortunately I still am certain that you are not lying to me..you have guts saying that to me on the first day we meet.." Erika's father said
"Well..you asked.."
"All I can say is.."
*THU-THUMP
(Both Gero and Erika's heart were beating fast and they were nervous on his reply)
"I'm proud that my daughter found herself a proper man to be with.." Erika's father smiled
"You mean..?"
(Erika's father then bowed to Gero as a sign of respect and acceptance)
"Nishizumi Gero-kun..please continue taking care of Erika and may you two find happiness together.."
"Dad.." Erika blushed and got teary eyed
"Thank you..thank you very much Mr. Itsumi.."
"But..the final decision still lies with my daughter..if she's happy then I'm happy.."
"That's right..no need to rush into things! Take it slow and enjoy your youth together..continue discovering things about each other as you grow fonder of each other..this just the start for the both of you.." Erika's mother said
"Mom..thank you.." Erika hugged her mother tightly
"I can't believe my little sister scored a great man before me..that makes me lose confidence in myself a bit ahaha!" Alexa said
"Don't worry Alexa-san! I'm sure you'll find the right one for you!"
"I do hope so! Anyways..welcome to the family Gero-kun..also congratulations Erika.." Alexa smiled
"Thank you aneki.." Erika smiled
(After the very tense conversation that happened everyone was happy in the end and they all had a joyful conversation with each other. Gero and Erika's family grew closer as they got to know each other that afternoon. Time flew by quickly and it was already getting dark and Gero decided to go home)
"Are you sure you don't want to stay for dinner?" Erika asked
"Yeah..thank you for the offer..I've been away from home for a long time so I thought about having dinner there again.."
"I see..well come by again next time..I'd love to have another fun conversation with the heir of the Nishizumi Family.." Erika's dad said
"Ahaha..me too Mr. Itsumi..I'll come by again soon..thank you very much for your hospitality.."
"Thank you also for the seafood and the wine Gero-kun! Please come again!" Mrs. Itsumi said
"Gero-kun! Want to exchange mail I.D? We can mail each other everyday-" Alexa said
"NO HE DOESN'T!" Erika shouted
"Ehhh...why so stingy?" Alexa pouted
"Shut up! Come on Gero I'll come with you to the gate.." Erika said
"See you again Alexa-san!"
"Hurry it up Bakatora!"
"Bakatora?" Erika's family said in unison and was confused
(Erika then walked with Gero to the main gate of their house and this is were Gero would leave alone because he didn't want Erika to walk back all by herself)
"Thank you for today Erika.."
"No..thank you for coming here..I'm really really happy.."
*TIGHT HUG
(Erika then gave Gero a big and tight hug before he leaves)
"Were you serious about what you said? About marriage?"
"Yes I am..you don't have to give me an answer right away..just like how your mom said..let's take it slow…"
"What if I already have an answer?"
"What is it then?"
*KISS
(Erika suddenly kissed Gero on the lips and surprised him)
"How's that for an answer?" Erika teased
"That's the best answer you could've given me..I love you very much Erika.."
"I love you very much too Gero..mail me as soon as you get home ok?"
"I will..see you at school!"
(Gero then left and waved goodbye one last time to Erika and she as well waved back before heading back inside the house)
[Kumamoto Prefecture - Nishizumi Household]
(After his trip home Gero finally arrived at their home. All he could feel was nostalgia and joy for returning back home)
"Twelve years..huh.."
(Gero then entered the gate and he was welcomed by the Shiba Inu dog of the Nishizumi Family. He then opened the door to their house and what he saw gave a big smile to his face. It was Maho, Miho and Shiho waiting for him)
"Ohh look who's back!" Shiho smiled
"Onii-sama! Okaeri! How was your day?" Miho smiled
"Onii-chan! Did you have fun with Eririn?" Miho asked
"Come on hurry up and come in, dinner is ready..I made your favorite Nikujaga.." Shiho said
(Gero just smiled and thanked God that after a very long time he was finally home again with his family. He then brought out his phone and sent Erika a mail and said)
"Tadaima.."
[I'm home..]
Coming Up Next : Chapter 49 - Love Bite
Author's Note:
Hello hello! The team now how new tanks to play with! And Gero's team got mystery tanks! Does anyone want to take a guess what kind of tanks Alice and the rest got from Gero? Leave your guess in the reviews!
Also an introduction on Erika's family! And a smooth declaration of marriage by Gero haha!
Shout out to : "LJKN808-H1" thank you so much for the follow and favorite! Do enjoy your read!
Shout out to : "BigBoyOdaenathus" and "NCWriting" thank you very much for the follow!
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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