Chapter 101 - Tiger and Princess
[Practice Arena #7 - 3:30PM]
"TIME UP! THE MATCH'S TIME LIMIT HAS BEEN REACHED! SINCE BOTH FLAG TANKS ARE STILL OPERATIONAL THIS MATCH ENDS WITH A TIE!" the announcer said
"HHHHHAAAAA?!" everyone reacted
"Time up?! Has it already been one hour?!" Shiori asked
"Nope, it only has been 30 minutes according to my stopwatch." Kaede said
"Then why?"
"This is probably Eiji-kun's doing.." Kaede chuckled
(Back to where the terrific twins were fighting the Nishizumi sisters, their battle was hard fought but in the end both Miho and Maho were white flagged because they couldn't keep up. They were very frustrated and filled with regret)
"Damn it! Damn it!" Maho shouted
"It was a fun fight, raise your head up high Maho-san.." Ingrid said
"We still lost.." Miho said
"In our ways, there is no losing in tankery, only winning and learning. You may have lost today but you are now stronger than who you were yesterday, so learn from this loss so that you'll even be a lot stronger tomorrow." Ilse said
"Thank you very much for the match!" Miho and Maho bowed
"Thank you as well! Oh and we apologize for the harsh words we said, it was the only way to push you both past your limits." Ingrid said
"We know, was it onii-sama that suggested it?" Maho asked
"Of course not! You think your brother would put you through all that?"
"Then who?"
"Erika-sama asked us to do this since she knows that your brother wouldn't."
"I see, it was Eririn.." Miho smiled
"Please don't hold it against her! She was only thinking of you! It's your brother's fault for being overprotective of you!"
"Onii-chan has been through a lot so I understand why he's doing this much to protect us."
"I guess it's also our fault for being too dependent on onii-sama. From now on we'll get much stronger on our own!" Maho smiled
"You'll definitely be stronger! If it makes you feel any better, the last moments of our fight was so intense that we thought we were fighting the White Tiger himself." Ingrid said
"Really?!" Miho asked
"Really really! Your moves were just like his! Only a little more and you'll be able to catch up to him!" Ilse said
(Ilse and Ingrid then saw the sweetest and brightest smile on Miho and Maho's face after hearing those words)
"I'm so happy!" Miho and Maho smiled
(Meanwhile, Erika was interrogating Gero of what just happened)
"Please tell me this was planned?" Erika asked
"Yup! I made the time limit to 30 minutes on purpose when I reserved the practice match.."
"Why though? We would've won if we had more time."
"Winning this practice match will have more demerits than merits for us. If we win then rumors will spread that we beat the almighty Germany Team and the other teams will be more cautious of us after this. Not to mention the rumors about the Terrific Twins losing to us while you and I did not even fire a single shell will also spread which would damage the reputation of their team."
"Aww, despite you saying you hate the twins, you actually care for them huh?" Erika teased
"Ha?! I just didn't want to cause any trouble for Alonso-san, that's it! I could care less about the terrible twins!"
"Look who's being a TsunTora now~"
"TsunTora?!"
"Tsundere Tora, TsunTora for short!"
"Oh please don't let the others hear this especially the twins.."
"Hey there TsunTora!" Ilse suddenly said through the radio
"TsunTora!" Ingrid teased
"How did they know?!"
(Erika then raised her hand holding a radio which was broadcasting their conversation to everyone)
"Oops~" Erika said with a teasing smile
"TsunTora!"
"TsunTora-san!"
"TsunTora-senpai!"
"TsunTora-sama!"
"TsunTora-dono!"
"TsunTora-nii-chan!"
"TsunTora-nii-sama!"
"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! STOOOOOPPP!"
(All of a sudden everyone started chanting gero's new nickname over the radio which haunted him for the rest of the tournament. Strangely, his new nickname spread even faster than the news about their practice match. There was one individual however that wasn't interested in the rumors but was interested in the White Tiger himself and that person was the Conquering Princess. Everyone went back to their respective War Rooms and the J.N.S.T were having a small celebration)
[Semisphere - J.N.S.T War Room]
"I'd like to offer this toast! To all of you here! The members of the J.N.S.T! The people that supported us! The people that trained us! KANPAI!"
"KANPAI ! !"
(There was a big feast for everyone with different kinds of food. Gero and his crew then came inside the room carrying big boxes. Everyone thought it was more food but it wasn't.)
"May I have your undivided attention please!"
"What is it, senpai?" Sakuraba asked
"I've done this before in Kuromorimine so some of you may know this already but to the majority of you it will be new!"
"Oh! Are those perhaps presents nii-chan?!" Alice asked
"Yes! Me and my crew made this a couple of weeks ago! Ta-dah!"
(They opened the boxers and it was filled with pairs of white gloves that had the Hinomaru logo on top. This was the same thing that Gero did before with the Kuromorimine logo but this time it was a symbol of J.N.S.T)
"Ohhh! These are so cool!" Akane cheered
"You made these yourselves?" Jajka asked
"Yup! Pretty neat huh?" Ken said
"Those are made from the same fabric as our uniforms so they're stain free!" Ono said
"This will be the last time we'll be making these gloves so only us will have them in the country and the whole world. This is a symbol of our team being the first National Senshado Team!"
"Thank you very much white tiger crew!" Pekoe said
"You said you already did this when you were in Kuromorimine right? Is there a deeper meaning to these gloves?" Mikko asked
"Yes there is. When the matches start there will be times that we won't be able to help you. If you ever start getting scared or nervous please look to those gloves as a source of strength and continue fighting!"
"Every single one of those gloves were stitched together with our skills!" Hajime said
"So even if we're not near you or you can't see our White Tiger, we'll always be beside you all in battle!" Ono said
"All of you wearing the gloves are now given a portion of our strength! You'll be unbeatable!" Ken said
"Also there will be times that it will get very cold during the matches so those gloves will keep you warm! Think of it as the White Tiger's warm fur!" Kin said
"We're all in this together and we're going to win this together! ORETACHI WA DAREDA ? !"
" J.N.S.T ! J.N.S.T !"
"I feel stronger already!" Anchovy said
"You're just full of food nee-chan!" Haruto teased
"Hoy!"
(As they were enjoying the gloves given to them, Erika and the girls approached him with the desire to give him a present)
"Darling!" Kay called
"Yo! What's up? Why are you all gathered up?"
"Well we are here to give you a present!" Darjeeling said
"A present?"
"Here!" Kaede said
(Gero was given a new katana by the girls. The scabbard and the handle were colored white with customized designs. Gero couldn't help but smile for he was so happy with the gift)
"But why?"
"You've given us so much already, we figured we'd give you something as well!" Kaede said
"How did you know I loved katanas?"
"Erika told us!" Kay said
"I mentioned that you left your old katana back in Tokyo and then they wanted to get you a new one.." Erika smiled
"I chose the shop where we got the sword! It was the best one in Africa!" Kaede said
"I chose the blacksmith that made the sword! He was the most skilled in Africa!" Kay said
"I chose what kind of steel was used in the sword! It's 1060 Carbon Steel making it very durable and will not break easily. Just like our love for you Ro-chan!" Mika said
"I chose the color and design! I had it in white not because you are known as the White Tiger but because you yourself embodies the color. You are pure, equal, and open." Darjeeling said
"Thank you! Thank you so much! I'll treasure it forever! I'm so happy!"
(Gero's smile was better than any thankful words the girls could receive from him. His happiness is their happiness. Gero started showing off the sword to everyone in the room expressing his joy without hesitation)
"I'm definitely going to bring this with me all the time and all the way to the finals!"
"Is that even allowed? I thought the rules said only I.T.A weapons and equipment." Kal asked
"Kal's right, It said using weapons and equipment not provided by the I.T.A is prohibited!" Ono said
"Don't worry, we already submitted a request to I.T.A and they agreed as long as you don't use the blade on other people then you can bring it along." Erika said
"Awesome! You girls are the best!"
(Gero wore the gloves and equipped his new katana on his belt then.)
"How do I look?"
"Very cool!" Kay blushed
"You look fantastic!" Darjeeling blushed
"You look like a proper captain now!" Erika said
"Did I not look like a proper captain before?"
"Nope!"
"Ehhh..."
(The fun evening continued on and while everyone was distracted, the White Tiger crew snuck out of their war room and headed towards the practice arena.)
[Practice Arena #7 - 7:30PM]
"Aren't we going to get in trouble if we sneak in here aniki?!" Kin asked
"Only if they found out otouto-kun! Don't worry! We didn't get any action this afternoon so I'm itching for some!"
"If we start shooting our tank's cannon in here then they will find out though." Hajime said
"It's fine! Every practice arena is covered with high quality sound proof materials! Even if a hundred tanks were to fire their cannons all at the same time, the sound won't be heard from the outside and they'll only feel a slight vibration! Relax guys!"
"Wow, that sounds expensive.." Ken chuckled
"I know right?" Ono said
"Alright, let's go and blow shit up!"
(The White Tiger crew now started to train by themselves and about 10 minutes later one of the gates inside the practice arena started to open)
"Hey the gate is opening! Somebody is coming!" Ken shouted
"Told you they'd find out.." Hajime said
"Oh come on! Can it get any worse than it already is?!"
(As they waited for the gate to open a single tank emerged from inside. It was an A30 Avenger tank with the flag of Britain on the side of its turret. It also had a small flag on top of its engine meaning it was their flag tank. The hatch on top of the Avenger opened and there came out a blonde woman and they all recognized who it was)
"Yup, it just got worse.." Ono reacted
"The Conquering Princess?!" Ken reacted
"So she finally showed up..I gotta stop jinxing myself.."
"Looks like we have the strongest tanker in Europe right before us.." Hajime said
(Charlotte didn't say a word and instead took off her right glove and threw it on the ground in between her and Gero. This was a clear declaration of a duel to Gero which was a one on one tank battle. Gero then got off his tank and walked towards the glove and picked it up as a sign of accepting the duel. As he returned to the tank his crew were worried about his decision)
"Are you sure about this?" Ono asked
"Yup, you guys with me?"
(They all saw a very excited and eager expression on Gero's face showing them that he was definitely not going to pass up this opportunity)
"Always!" his crew answered
(Gero then mounted the White Tiger but even he was a little worried since they don't know how strong would the Conquering Princess would be)
"Alright boys, get your game faces on and focus up! We're in for a very chaotic fight for the first time in a long time!"
"Good thing I didn't eat a lot or else I might puke.." Hajime said
"Are you ready little brother? You're about to experience your very first tank on tank fight of your career! Our opponent is the best of the best so I'm going to need you more than ever!"
"Don't worry aniki! I'm ready as I can be and I promise I won't let you down!" Kin smiled
"Alright! Get ready!"
(Both Gero and Charlotte now got ready and started revving the engines of their tanks. They also prepared their anti-tank rifles with Gero holding the Type 97 and Charlotte holding her Boys Anti-tank rifle.)
"How do we signal the start of the duel?" Charlotte asked
"Hmm, how about I fire this red flare up in the sky and we wait for it to disappear? Once the red flare is completely gone then the duel begins."
"Ok, sounds good to me, fire when ready!"
(Gero then aimed the flare and fired a red star cluster up above them. It takes 5 seconds for the flare to burn up and the moment the flare was gone they started)
"FIRE!" Gero and Charlotte both shouted
"Firing!" Kin answered
(Both the 88mm from the Tiger I and the 17-pdr from the Avenger shot at the same time and collided mid air. After that both tanks accelerated towards each other and started to make maneuvers. Both tanks shot again and this time it was dodged beautifully by their drivers. Gero shot his anti-tank rifle aiming at the tracks of the Avenger but it was dodged again. Charlotte did the same and shot her anti-tank rifle and it grazed the side of the White Tiger's turret. For some unknown reason somebody found out about their duel and eventually the Japanese Team heard of it as well)
[Semisphere - J.N.S.T War Room]
"Hey everyone! I heard someone from the British Team talking out in the halls about the princess and the white tiger are currently fighting!" Kenji shouted
"What?! Are you sure?!" Kaede reacted
"Well I mean there is only one princess and one white tiger in this building right?"
"We gotta see this!" Emi reacted
"Where are they now?" Darjeeling asked
"Practice Arena 7 is what I heard."
"Everyone on me!" Erika ordered
(Everyone rushed towards the practice arena and the audience was soon filled with the Japanese Team and British Team. Everyone was in awe of this amazing moment of two of the strongest tankers in the world clashing against each other)
"Amazing! They're so fast I can barely keep myself still!" Kal reacted
"So this is what the strongest tanker of Europe looks like in a fight..being able to witness this close up is a once in a lifetime honor!" Assam said
"Darling and his crew are so cool! They're actually on equal terms against her!" Kay shouted
"No, they're on the edge right now. One wrong move and they lose." Erika said
(They all looked at Gero's expression and he was so serious and started to sweat. While in comparison to Charlotte's face was so calm and collected. She wasn't showing any signs of frustration and had the perfect poker face. The Avenger shot its 17-pdr again and it hit the White Tiger's turret again but it bounced off. Followed by a shot from her anti-tank rifle hitting barely just above the tracks almost disabling them.)
"Shit! Her shots are so accurate and fast! It's so hard to dodge them completely!" Ken complained
"Round up!" ono shouted
"Firing!"
(An 88mm shell came flying towards the Avenger grazing the left side and taking a chunk of its armor off. The Avenger shot as well and took off a piece of the White Tiger's side skirts. Ken did a sudden drift maneuver and ended up right behind the Avenger giving Kin a clear shot on its rear. The turret of the Avenger was still rotating so it didn't have a chance to counter the shot)
"FIRE!"
"On the way!"
(As the 88mm shell exited the barrel and was on its way to take out the Avenger it suddenly exploded just between them. Gero and his crew were so shocked that it took some time before they could process what happened. The Avenger rotated its turret and took a shot at them but Ken was able to reverse quick enough to dodge the shot)
"What the hell happened?!" Ken shouted
"She shot it.."
"How? The turret was still rotating!" Hajime said
"She just shot my tank shell with her anti-tank rifle.." Kin said in awe
"That's impossible!" Ono reacted
(Charlotte just did an impossible thing and shot a tank shell midair with her anti-tank rifle. Everyone watching was flabbergasted and couldn't comprehend what happened. The British troops that were watching started to cheer louder for Charlotte while the J.N.S.T's mood started to go down after that. But all the tension broke when Gero suddenly started shouting in joy)
"WOW! DID YOU ALL JUST SEE THAT?! SHE SHOT A TANK SHELL WITH HER RIFLE! THAT WAS SO AWESOME! EVEN I CAN'T DO THAT!"
(Everyone was so surprised at the amount of praise and joy that Gero was saying that even Charlotte didn't know how to react. Erika and the rest started laughing as well seeing Gero enjoy himself and seeing him smile like that made their hearts flutter)
"You really are something princess! Thank you very much for challenging me today! I knew it, nothing can beat a blood boiling fight in Senshado, nothing will!"
(Charlotte then noticed the dramatic change in Gero's aura and it sent chills down her spine. Gero then aimed his anti tank rifle towards Charlotte's tank and she was suddenly hit with a burst of killing intent from Gero.)
"Nishizumi Style: Murderous Impulse.."
"Such bloodlust! I actually saw myself die right now just from that burst of aura.." Charlotte said in her mind
(Kin then suddenly shot an 88mm shell towards the Avenger and even though Charlotte was affected by the intense killing intent she was able to order her gunner to shoot and the shells collided again mid air. But this time the shell that Kin shot was actually a smoke shell and a huge cloud of smoke engulfed the area between them)
"A smokescreen?!" she muttered
(Then two anti-tank rounds came through the smoke hitting the right side of the Avenger's turret while the other one was dodged by the driver. Charlotte was about to return fire when suddenly her loader shouted at her)
"On our right commander!"
(The White Tiger was all of a sudden on their right flank like it teleported. Kin fired another 88mm shell at the Avenger but the driver was able to reverse in time. The shell grazed the front armor of the tank making screeching noises inside. Charlotte couldn't believe the speed the white tiger flanked them not after receiving an attack from Gero's anti-tank rifle. She had a good look at the white tiger then she realized that Gero was no longer inside the cupola.)
"I get it now! The moment the gunner shot the smoke shell he already dismounted and hid inside the smokescreen!" Charlotte reacted
"Where do you think you're looking at princess?"
(Gero then fired off two more anti-tank rounds while standing in the smoke landing a direct hit on the side armor of the Avenger which should have white flagged it but the driver was able to maneuver and angle their tank forcing the shots to bounce off. Gero now ran out of the smokescreen and sprinted towards Charlotte's tank while the White Tiger was accelerating from the other side. This time Charlotte's facial expression changed from calm to a devilish smile)
"What an absolute madman! He's charging at a tank like it's nothing!" Charlotte said in amazement
"Round up!" Ono shouted
"Send it little brother!"
"Firing!"
(Charlotte then aimed her rifle not towards the white tiger but towards Gero this time while the Avenger's turret remained its aim towards the white tiger. Both Gero and Kin fired at the Avenger sending an anti-tank round and a shell towards both sides of the tank. Charlotte did the unthinkable again and this time she shot Gero's anti-tank round midair while the gunner of the Avenger shot the white tiger's 88mm shell midair.)
"She did it again! This is crazy!" Alisa shouted
"That perfect aim and timing, that's not normal.." Erika reacted
"What do you mean?" Mika asked
"It looks too natural.." Darjeeling said
"It's as if time slows down for her to perfectly aim for the bullet.." Kay said
(The white tiger now accelerated even faster towards the Avenger shooting its mighty 88mm gun but to now effect. The Avenger maneuvered out of the way while dodging the shots then Gero jumped high in the air and boarded the White Tiger like a knight mounting his mighty steed.)
"Crank it up Ken! Time to get up close and personal!"
"Close and personal! Got it!" Ken shouted
(Both the Avenger and White Tiger now we're drifting and maneuvering all over the field while taking shots at each other. Gero and Charlotte were about to shoot with their anti-tank rifles again but both Kin and the Avenger's gunner made an amazing shot and they hit each other's tracks off at the same time. This made Gero and Charlotte miss their rifle shots completely due to the unexpected derailment of their tracks. Both tanks now spun around and ended up crashing into one another side by side. The turrets rotated in an attempt to aim at each other but their turrets were too long and ended up parrying each other. Both commander saw an opportunity and immediately aimed their rifle on top of the other's engine block and pulled the trigger)
"Who won?! Did darling do it?!" Kay shouted
"I don't know! I didn't hear anything!" Erika said
(When the smoke cleared they saw both Gero and Charlotte aiming at their targets but not a single white flag could be seen. Everyone was so confused except for the two commanders that fought. They were so focused on the duel that they didn't realize the number of shots they fired from their rifles. They both just smiled at the fact that they ran out of ammo on their anti-tank rifles at the most important shot they could've made in the duel)
"What kind of bad luck is this?! Both of us had to run out of ammo at the same time?!"
"Right? I guess this duel ends in a tie then. Unless you still want to continue?" Charlotte said
"I think that's enough for a formal greeting, wouldn't you agree?"
"A greeting huh..I guess you're right.." Charlotte smiled
(Immediately loud cheers and shouts were heard from behind them as their comrades enjoyed the duel they had just witnessed.)
"That was an amazing fight! That's Whitey for ya!" Anchovy shouted
"Gero-dono! You are just insane!" Shizuka shouted
"What a brilliant match! Long live Princess Charlotte!" the British tanker shouted
(Of course Gero's crew was tired as well form the match and the crew of the Avenger were also breathing heavily)
"All of that..just for a tie.." Ken said tiringly
"Otsukare! All of you did great!" Hajime said
"You too Hajime nii-chan! Your call outs were awesome!" Kin smiled
"You were a lot more awesome Kin-kun! Your shots were so amazing that I thought Gero was the one sitting on the gunner seat!" Ono said
"Really?! That makes me so happy!"
(Gero and Charlotte stood on their tanks and waved at their comrades as a sign of thanks. After which Gero returned the hand glove that Charlotte threw at the start of the duel back to her and shook her hand as they properly introduced each other.)
"It is a pleasure to meet you, my name is Charlotte Artura Georgina, commander of the British Tankery Team. May I know yours?"
"I am Nishizumi Gero, the pleasure is all mine!"
"Nishizumi? I see.." Charlotte smiled
"I gotta say, your reputation precedes you, Conquering Princess of Britain."
"So does yours, White Tiger of Japan."
"That was the first time in a very very long time that I had fun, I thank you for that, your majesty."
"Please, call me Charlotte, and the same goes for me, thank you for the fun match Mr. Nishizumi."
"Then call me Gero as well! No need for formalities! Looking forward to more fights with you Charlotte!"
"Me too, Gero. I see the rumors were true about you carrying a real Japanese katana in battle!"
"I could say the same about you carrying that British sabre.."
"Never leave home without it!" Charlotte said with a smile
"I see, well I expected you to do some crazy stuff but damn, shooting a shell with your anti-tank rifle? Really?!"
"Just a lucky girl.."
"Yes, a lucky girl indeed.." a scary voice came from behind Charlotte
(They both looked and saw a very angry Victoria with her arms crossed and reeking of bloodlust towards Charlotte who was shivering in fear in a funny way)
"Ah..V-Vi-Victoria..n-n-nice of you to drop b-by.." she said in a scared tone
"Oh yes, how nice of you to go behind my back and go all the way out here without me, and challenge the White Tiger to a duel, even though I clearly said last night to forget about it!" Victoria shouted
"I'm so sorry!" Charlotte said in a cute way
"I don't know whether to be happy that it ended the way it did or be scared that there is someone like him that's strong enough to fight you!"
"You should be happy about it since Charlotte here had tons of fun!"
"C-Charlotte?! How dare you casually use her majesty's name!" Victoria shouted
"Ehhh.."
"It's okay Victoria, I allowed Gero to call me that way." Charlotte said
"Gero?! Were you really fighting or flirting?!" the vice commander shouted once more
"We were doing no such thing!"
"If not then why are five ladies behind Mr. Gero oozing with jealousy and bloodlust directed towards him?"
(Gero looked behind him and saw Erika, Kay, Darjeeling, Kaede and Mika with their arms crossed with very scary expressions on their faces that sent chills to Gero's spine)
"Ah..y-yeah..I guess it's a good time to call it a night?"
"I agree! Uhm..we'll take care of our side and we'll let you handle yours!" Charlotte said with an awkward smile
"Ok deal! Well then, it was nice meeting you both, Charlotte and..?"
"Victoria Tinsley, vice-commander of the British Tankery Team!"
"Have a wonderful day to the both of you!"
(Gero's and Charlotte's tank crew started to repair their tank tracks so they could leave as soon as possible. As for Charlotte she was being scolded by Victoria on their side while on the other side Gero was sitting seiza in front of Erika and the girls)
"Looks like you had an amazing time shaking the hand of the princess huh?" Erika said
"I prefer your beautiful hands more.."
"Just hers?" Mika asked
"All of your hands are very beautiful!"
"Something tells me that you'd have continued talking to her if that other woman didn't show up.." Darjeeling teased
"Of course not! I was so bored out of my mind and so thankful that Victoria-san arrived to take Charlotte back!"
"Charlotte? Hmmm..so you two have gotten close enough in a very short amount of time to call her by her name without honorifics huh?" Kay pointed out
"Ah..no..well yes..but..she said I can call her that.."
"Ha?" the girls said in a scary tone
"Ah.."
"Isn't there something you're supposed to say right now, Eiji-kun?" Kaede said with a scary smile
"I'M VERY SORRY, PLEASE FORGIVE ME!" Gero said as he bowed to on the ground
(A couple of seconds later the girls started to chuckle and laugh because they were successful in pranking Gero)
"We got you darling!" Kay shouted
"We were just joking Gero-kun! Please lift your head up!" Darjeeling said with a smile
"Geez..I was so scared!"
"We're sorry Ro-chan! We wanted to tease you a bit, that's all.." Mika smiled
"That was an incredible fight! Never doubted you for a second!" Erika said
"Not bad for our first tank on tank action after three years huh? Not to mention this was Kin's very first tank on tank fight of this level!"
"I wonder what the princess' expression would be if she found out about that!" Kay said
"Perhaps the same old poker face, she was probably not even serious during that fight."
"What about you? Were you serious?" Darjeeling asked
"Maybe a little..I was just having so much fun! And so was her!"
(The girls saw the biggest smile Gero made ever since the start of this tournament and that genuinely made them happy as well. Seeing the man they love enjoying Senshado was the best thing they could see at this time. The White Tiger was now repaired and they all headed back to their rooms)
Coming Up Next : Chapter 102 - Brazilian Barrier
Author's Note :
Hi everyone! How was the first ever fight between the White Tiger and Conquering Princess! It was both intense and breathtaking as two of the strongest tank crews duke it out! Next chapter will be the start of the elimination rounds so expect another fight!