Chapter 39 - Blooming Talents
[Kuromorimine University High School - Student Council Office]
(Gero, Shiho, Maho and Erika were having a short meeting before the practice match)
"So we will be using this room to conduct meetings from now on..so that we won't always crowd Okaa-chan's office.."
"I really can't believe you guys have your own office.." Erika said
"Rank does have its privileges.."
"That's true..so what do we have to talk about?" Shiho asked
"Well I want to inform you of what happened during work yesterday.." Maho said
(Maho then told them about the background check that Kaede did and how Kikuyo reacted)
"I see..that happened.." Shiho said
"I never knew Kikuyo could get that serious..she was like a different person.." Maho said
"She did train under me so a part of her is Nishizumi..Kikuyo has a kind heart but can also be merciless if she wishes.." Shiho said
"I gotta get a gift for Kikuyo-neesan as a thank you for stepping up for me.."
"She probably didn't like it when you were insulted by that Yamato Style user.." Shiho said
"What about me onii-sama? I also stood up for you.." Maho pouted
(Gero patted Maho's head as a reward)
"Yes yes thank you my cute little sister for defending me..but don't do stuff that will get you hurt alright?"
"Yes onii-sama.." Maho blushed and smiled
"But still that Yamato Kaede did a background check on you..does the Yamato Style have that many resources to conduct such a check?" Erika asked
"Yes they do..the Yamato Family is one of the richest families here in Japan..it wouldn't be surprising if they knew everything about us by now.." Shiho said
"I did take that into consideration before I transferred and made sure any information about me being a Nishizumi was erased..so the only way for everyone to know who I am is if I told them.."
"Eh?! Really?" Erika asked
"You could've told me that earlier onii-sama so that I wouldn't have been so nervous yesterday!" Maho said
"Ahaha sorry sorry.."
"Well nevertheless I advise you all to be careful from now on..only talk about this topic inside this office and be discreet.." Shiho said
"Yes Headmistress!" everyone replied
"Alright..now what's the details of the practice match today against St. Gloriana?" Shiho asked
"It will be a 30 vs 30 Flag Tank Battle but with light tanks only..so that all new recruits can participate..the field will be a grassland filled with trees and hills with a small town at the east side.." Erika said
"What will be your approach?" Shiho asked
"Koume's tank will be the flag tank and we'll have 3 platoons of 10 tanks which me, Gero and Alice-san will lead..the plan in general is to have Koume stationed in the town with my platoon while Alice-san's platoon will secure the outside of the town and Gero's platoon will head for the enemy flag tank.." Erika explained
"I'm confident that you know what you're doing..my only orders are to learn a lot from this match and enjoy..nobody gets hurt..is that clear?"
"Jawohl Headmistress!" Erika saluted
[Saint Gloriana College - School Carrier]
"Pekoe-sama..we have received a message that Kuromorimine will be here in 1 hour.." Barley said
"Thank you Barley-san see to it that everyone is ready for the match.."
"Understood!"
"I hope that 1 hour comes quickly.." Darjeeling said
"Be patient Darjeeling-sama..you'll soon see your beloved white tiger.." Pekoe teased
"I-It's not like that..what do you mean Pekoe?"
"Darjeeling-sama has someone she likes?" a girl asked
"Yes Sencha-san...and that person is-"
"WAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH please stop Pekoe-san!" Darjeeling said
(Darjeeling started screaming and flailing her arms in the air and was trying to beg Pekoe from telling the truth. This girl Sencha is a new student of St. Gloriana and transferred from Drayton High School just like Barley. She is as tall as Rosehip and has long lime green hair)
"Darjeeling-sama never shows her expressions this clearly before..but ever since he met that person she started being very expressive.." Assam said
"They do say that love can change a person so that they can be noticed by the one they love.." Sencha said
"Geez you're all horrible for being mean to me!" Darjeeling said
"Forgive us Darjeeling-sama it's not everyday we get to fool around with you.." Pekoe said
"Well all kidding aside how's the mood of the team?" Darjeeling asked
"All of them are excited for their first practice..especially it being against Kuromorimine.." Sencha said
"Good..make sure to listen to your commander and trust your comrades in the field..this will be the first step of your Senshado journey..make sure to do your best always and make sure to leave no regrets..because I'm sure I don't have any.." Darjeeling smiled
"Yes Darjeeling-sama!" Sencha said
"I'm sure this practice match will be memorable to you all.." Assam said
"Why is that Assam-sama?" Sencha asked
"We're about to have a match with the strongest and most skilled male tanker in the history of Senshado..the commander of the White Tiger.." Assam said
"We'll be fine Assam-sama! We're confident that we can give him a run for his money!" Sencha said
"But that's the catch when you're against him, the stronger his opponent is the more dangerous he gets.." Darjeeling smiled
[Grassland Battlefield - One Hour Later]
(The Kuromorimine Carrier has now arrived at Kanagawa Prefecture where St. Gloriana is located. The tankers have now disembarked from their carriers and proceeded to the battlefield where the practice will take place)
"Commanders, Vice Commanders and Captain of the Boys Team please proceed to the middle of the field!" Remi Takashima said
"This match will be against Kuromorimine University High School and Saint Gloriana College! It will be a Flag Tank Battle consisting of 30 tanks for both schools!" Hibiki Inatomi said
"The team that destroys the Flag tank of the opposing team wins! Both schools bow!" Kanon Sasagawa said
"Yoroshiku Onegaishimasu!" both sides bowed and greeted
"Let's have a fun match Itsumi-san!" Pekoe said
"Yes we will Pekoe-san..let's do our best!" Erika said
"Yo Assam-san, Barley-san, and Pekoe-san! Long time no see!"
"Good day to you Gero-san!" Pekoe said
"Gero-san! Let's have another intense match of marksmanship!" Assam said
"Of course! Let's give it our all!"
"Gero-san it's an honor to have a match with you.." Barley said
"Do you mind if I call you Mugi-chan?" (Barley tea)
"Eh? Mugi-chan?" Barley asked
"Mugi-chan for Barley..right Gero-san?" Pekoe said
"Yup! You can just call me Gero! No need for honorifics!"
"Ahaha that's a weird nickname for me but I accept Gero.." Barley said
"What a cute nickname.." Assam said
"Geez..Gero-san why would you give that kind of nickname to a boy?" Koume asked
"Ahaha sorry about that..I wanted to break the tension between us..he's one of the first male captains that I became friends with so I thought giving him a nickname would be a great start.."
"It's alright..I also want to have a great match with you as friends and not as enemies.." Barley said
"I see..then let's have fun Mugi-chan!"
"Yeah.."
(Barley and Gero shook hands and the others just gave a smile as they saw a brand new friendship has been formed. The referees now sent them back to their tanks because the match was about to start)
"Alright you all know your roles..stick to your training..follow my commands..and have fun..that's an order!" Erika shouted
"Jawohl Kommandant!" everyone responded
(Everyone now boarded their tanks but Gero went to Tojo to talk to him about something before the match)
"Yo Tojo..did you get to pick your members?"
"Yes Gero-Taichou! Here they are.." Tojo said
"I'm Kawahara Kise! What can I do for you sir?"
"Hiroshi Kazu! Please call me Kazu!"
"My name is Murakami Itao! Ready for your orders Taichou!"
"They are the ones that I was with during our first mock battle back at the carrier.." Tojo said
"I see..well then Kise, Kazu, and Itao..you will now form a 4 man team with Tojo here.."
"Roger that!" all three saluted
"I have a very important role for the four of you later in the match..you are all that I can rely on to get this job done..you got it?"
"Jawohl!" all four of them said
"Good..now let's get to our tanks.."
[Viewing Platform #1 for VIPs]
"This will be a very exciting match! I wonder what Gero-kun will show us now that he won't be driving his White Tiger.." Chouno said
"You can expect that he will be able to manage that Panzer 38(t) just like his Tiger.." Shiho said
Tank Lineup
Kuromorimine - Panzer 38(t) x 30
St. Gloriana - Mk. VIII Harry Hopkins x10 Mk. VII Tetrarch x20
(As the tankers are now all ready for the match a green flare is fired into the sky as a signal of the start of the match)
"Panzer Marsch!" Erika shouted
"All tanks forward!" Pekoe ordered
(Both sides now have begun moving with their own tank formations. Kuromorimine is using the Panzerkeil Formation)
"My platoon will now enter the town, Alice Platoon go around the edges of the town and secure every entrance.." Erika ordered
"Jawohl!" Alice replied
"Sango, go find yourself a nice vantage point to detect any enemy movement coming near the town.." Erika radioed
"Jawohl Kommandant!" Sango replied
"Bakatora Platoon.."
"Yes my Kommandant?"
"Happy Hunting!" Erika said
"Jawohl!"
(As all platoons were given their orders Erika's platoon entered the town and went directly to the center. It was an open area where the could see any movement from all directions)
[Town Central Plaza]
"Platoon hold here..form a 3-Point Phalanx Formation..flag tank in the middle.." Erika ordered
(Immediately her platoon formed the formation ordered with Koume at the middle and Erika at the tip of the Phalanx)
"Status report all platoon leaders.." Erika radioed
"This is Alice..all entrances are secured and placed two tanks each as security..currently patrolling the west sector.."
"Good work..let me know if anything turns up.."
"Roger that..Alice out.."
"Bakatora? Status?"
"Yo Kommandant..found their flag tank.."
"Already? Where?"
"At the smack center of their whole tank formation.."
(Gero was on foot with Tojo, Toshi, and Maho just on top of a small hill overlooking a large valley. Using binoculars they saw all 30 tanks of St. Gloriana marching towards the town)
"Look at them go..not one tank is veering off the formation.." Tojo said
"That's the perfect tank formation of St. Gloriana.." Maho said
"So what's the plan Gero-senpai?" Toshi asked
"Erika..they'll be arriving at your location soon..we'll continue with the plan.."
"Copy that..be careful!" Erika ordered
"Don't worry I'll make sure to come back to you.."
"Bakatora!" Erika blushed
"Alice-chan..please take care of Erika.."
"Leave it to me papa...I won't let them get a scratch on her.." Alice said
"Hoy stop calling him papa! And protect the flag tank, not me!" Erika shouted
"Oh come on mama-san don't be mean.." Koume teased
"Koume!"
(Gero and his group now returned to their tanks and got ready for their attack)
"Alright..you know the plan..you got this Sakuraba-chan?"
"Leave it to me senpai!" Sakuraba said
"Let's go!"
"Jawohl!"
[Saint Gloriana Tank Formation]
"Pekoe-sama enemy tanks spotted dead ahead!" Sencha reported
"All tanks halt..how many?"
"One platoon of 10 tanks..800 meters away"
"Must be their force recon..don't worry they can't hit us from-"
*BOOM
(Suddenly the formation was hit by a volley of 37mm shells white flagging four tetrarchs and destroyed 1 track)
"H-how?! From that far away?!" Pekoe said
"Pekoe-san don't forget that he's there, they probably trained under him already.." Darjeeling said
"I already took that into account but this is just ridiculous.." Pekoe said
"I wonder if all of them are this accurate..this is getting great!" Assam said
"Pekoe-sama the enemy units!" Barley radioed
"What are they doing?!" Pekoe asked
"They're charging straight at us!" Sencha said
"What?!"
(Pekoe looked at with her binoculars and saw the force recon of Kuromorimine are now heading straight for them in a straight line shaping like a spear)
"Let's go spearhead formation! Don't let them breath!"
"Jawohl!"
"All tanks open fire!" Pekoe ordered
(A large volley of 2 Pounder shells were fired at the charging spear of Kuromorimine)
"Disperse!"
(Suddenly the spear disassembled and the 38(t) tanks dodged the shells with ease)
"Form up!"
(With one order they formed once again the spearhead formation and increased speed)
"They're gonna break through the middle!" Barley shouted
"All tanks fire at will!" Pekoe ordered
"Too late Pekoe-san.."
"Fire!" Maho ordered
"Firing!" Isamu said
(Two Tetrarchs at the middle were white flagged allowing the spearhead of Gero's platoon penetrate the tank formation of St. Gloriana cutting it in half)
"They're heading straight for the flag tank!" Sencha said
"Sencha-san, we'll handle this, get your platoon to the town and find their flag tank!" Pekoe ordered
"Roger that!"
"Barley-san you stick close to me and Darjeeling-sama! Your flag tank will be their main target!"
"Yes ma'am!"
*BOOM
(Suddenly a Mk. VIII Harry Hopkins was suddenly white flagged beside Pekoe's tank)
"Enemy tank west of our position on top of the hill!" Barley radioed
"That's a thousand meters from here!" Pekoe said
"Just how great are they at shooting?! Rosehip please take care of that tank!" Pekoe ordered
"With pleasure!" Rosehip replied
(4 Harry Hopkins suddenly broke away from the formation and headed towards the 38(t) at the hill)
"There they go..Tojo take your team and keep those 4 tanks from reaching Sakuraba-chan's position"
"Jawohl!" Tojo said
"Pop smoke!"
(With the cover of smoke four 38(t)s now broke away from the spearhead and went to chase Rosehip's tank platoon)
"Leila-san enemy tank platoon now headed to the town..be careful" Hajime radioed
"Roger that Hajime-san! You too!" Leila radioed back
"Aren't you two sweet?" Sheska teased
"Geez..it's not like that!" Leila blushed
"Round up!" Ono said
"FIRE!"
*BOOM
"Up!" Endo shouted
"Firing!" Isamu shouted back
(Gero was able to knockout the tracks of another tetrarch and was white flagged by Toshi's tank)
"Maho-san please keep Darjeeling-san busy for me! Toshi take the other two tanks and create confusion inside their tank formation!"
"Jawohl!" Maho and Toshi replied
*BOOM
(All of a sudden a 38(t) was white flagged beside Maho which came from a Harry Hopkins pushing through the wall of smoke)
"Gero-kun..it's good to see you again.." Darjeeling said
"You too Darjeeling-san..forgive me but I have to cut our reunion short for now.."
*BOOM
(A shell landed near Darjeeling's tank but her driver was able to dodge it)
"I'm afraid the one who you'll be fighting is me Darjeeling..you go on ahead Toshi-kun.." Maho said
"Roger!" Toshi said as he left with the other 38(t)
[Town Central Plaza]
(As Gero's platoon creates chaos in St. Gloriana's formation the platoon of Sencha has reached the town and already destroyed eight 38(t)s of Alice's platoon guarding the entrances and are now surrounding on Erika's platoon at the center of the town)
"Protect the flag tank at all costs!" Erika ordered
"How did they enter the town so easily?!" Koume asked
"They attacked every entrance with full force circling around the town before they entered..I'm currently fighting against enemy tank platoon commander.." Alice radioed
"How did we not see it coming?!" Erika asked
"Forgive me Kommandant! They approached the town by a blind spot from my position! They must have predicted we'd set up an outpost here!" Sango said
"Don't worry about it just get back here and try to flank them!" Erika ordered
"Jawohl Kommandant on my way!" Sango replied
"Looks like St. Gloriana also got great recruits this year.." Erika smiled
"Kommandant they're pushing from three directions!" Bauer shouted
"Hold your ground!" Erika shouted
"Round up!" Hanako said
"Fire!" Alice and Sencha ordered
(Both Tetrarch and the 38(t) fired at each other but both dodged the shot. Alice and Sencha continue to shoot and dodge outside the town)
"This one's better than the rest..need to take care of this quickly..we're doing that here..can you do it girls?" Alice said
"Yes Alice-chan!" all three replied
"What's with this 38(t)? It's taking me all that I have to barely keep up.." Sencha said
[Grassland Battlefield - West Side]
(Tojo and his squad had caught up to Rosehip just before she reached Sakuraba. Three 38(t)s and three Harry Hopkins have been taken out leaving Tojo and Rosehip fighting in a 1 vs 1 situation)
"Fire!" Tojo ordered
"Dodge to the right!" Rosehip shouted
"Damn she's good..I have to thank Gero-Taichou for giving me the opportunity to fight someone strong..move to its left then fire!" Tojo shouted
"Fire! Don't let him get a clean shot! I can't be tied here when my prince is fighting over there!" Rosehip said
*BOOM
(Another Tetrarch fell victim to Sakuraba's long range sniping)
"Sakuraba-san can you hear me?" Tojo radioed
"Tojo-san?" Sakuraba responded
"I need you to shoot at my tank when I say so..can you do that?"
"I can..but are you sure?" Sakuraba asked
"Yes I'm sure..the only way we can stop this tank from reaching you or Gero-Taichou..I can't stop it alone.."
"I got it..just say when.."
[Outside the Town - West Entrance]
(Alice and Sencha's tanks we're going into a spiral as they shoot and dodge)
"Fire!" Sencha ordered
"Driver stop..fire!" Alice ordered
(The 37mm shell just barely grazed the side of Sencha's tank turret making a screeching sound inside)
"T-That was close..a couple of inches more and we would've been out..is this how far I can go?" Sencha said in her mind
"Chinatsu-san...on my order.." Alice said
"Ready!" Chinatsu replied
"I'm not gonna go down here!" Sencha shouted
"NOW!" Alice shouted
(Alice's tank suddenly used Spontaneous Deceleration in front of Sencha's tank. But to Alice's surprise the gun barrel of Sencha's Harry Hopkins was aiming at her tank)
"She was able to predict it?!" Alice said in her thoughts
"FIRE!" both Alice and Sencha shouted
*BOOM
(Both shells were fired at the same time and collided in the air between both tanks)
"Hurry load the next-" Sencha said
"Round up!" Hanako shouted
"Firing!" Rio shouted
*BOOM
(The 37mm pierced the light armor of Sencha's tank. After a few seconds a white flag popped on top of her tank)
"Target destroyed..well done girls.." Alice smiled
"Nice shot Rio-chan!" Hanako said
"That was awesome!" Rio celebrated
"What was that..such a quick reload time..damn it.." Sencha started to tear up
(Alice then parked beside Sencha's tank)
"Hey take this.." Alice threw an ointment
"This is?"
"Use it to treat your bruises before it gets worse..that was a nice fight..your name is?" Alice asked
"Sencha.."
"I'm Alice..Shimada Alice.."
"Shimada? Of the Shimada Family?"
"Yes..it was a great fight..you have a lot of potential..keep working hard..I'll see you later Sencha-san.."
"Bye Shimada-san.."
(As Alice's tank left suddenly Sencha cried a little bit but not tears of sadness but of joy for she was praised and acknowledged by a Shimada. She found new strength inside of her)
"Hey Alice-chan what do you call the move we just did?" Rio asked
"Let's call it Decelerated Double Tap.." Alice said
"That sounds so cool!" Hanako said
"Nii-chan will be happy to hear about this, hehe.."
(As Alice makes her way to help Erika's platoon, Tojo and Rosehip's fight is about to end also)
"Driver get us as close as possible to that tank!" Tojo ordered
"Jawohl!"
"Get ready! They're going to try something desu-wa!" Rosehip said
"Now!" Tojo shouted
(Tojo's tank suddenly drifted to the right behind Rosehips's tank but Rosehip also predicted it and was already aiming at Tojo)
"It's over desu-wa!"
"Now Sakuraba-san! Tojo shouted
"Firing!" Sakuraba said
"Fire!" Rosehip ordered
*BOOM
(The shell roared through the sky towards Tojo's tank hitting it just above its tracks pushing it to the side tilting it but not white flagging it just enough to dodge the shot of Rosehip)
"Friendly fire!?" Rosehip was shocked
"Fire!" Tojo ordered
*BOOM
(The shell perfectly hit the rear armor of Rosehip's tank and white flagged it but Tojo's tank couldn't take the recoil and flipped over then a white flag popped on its belly)
"What a crazy plan desu-wa..you really are my prince's students...well done.." Rosehip said
[Town Central Plaza]
*BOOM
(Four 38(t)s from Erika's platoon has already been white flagged while trying to protect their flag tank and are being pushed into a corner by the platoon of Sencha)
"We're not gonna last long here! Where are you Alice-san?!"
"On my way..hold on Kommandant.." Alice radioed
*BOOM
(The 38(t) guarding the left flank suddenly got white flagged exposing Koume's flag tank and Erika saw the Tetrarchs aiming at their flag tank)
"Koume! Move-" Erika said
*BOOM
(To Erika's surprise the one that was white flag wasn't them but the three tetrarchs aiming at them at the left flank. Erika saw two 38(t)s behind the destroyed enemy tanks and it was Alice and Sango)
"Sorry we're late Kommandant!" Sango said
"I told papa I'd keep you safe so I'm here.." Alice said
"Alice-chan! Sango-chan!" Koume said
"Both of you are a sight for sore eyes! Sango join up with us and Alice-san flank the other sides!" Erika ordered
"Jawohl!"
"We're going to push them back now! Panzer Marsch!" Erika shouted
[Grassland Battlefield - East Side]
(Gero and Maho we're still battling with Pekoe and Darjeeling while being surrounded by St. Gloriana Tanks. Gero is trying to chase the flag tank of Barley while dodging incoming fire from six tetrarchs)
*BOOM
"Fire!" Maho ordered
"Driver move right!" Darjeeling shouted
"Looks like even after graduating time hasn't dulled your abilities Darjeeling.." Maho smiled
"You too Maho-san.."
"Maho-senpai! I'm here to assist! Fire!" Toshi shouted
(Toshi and the other 38(t) came back and took shots at Darjeeling but it was easily dodged by her tank)
"Don't Toshi-kun!" Maho shouted
*BOOM
(The 38(t) beside Toshi was suddenly white flagged from the flank. It was Pekoe's tank which Assam took the shot)
"Damn it from the side?!" Toshi said
"Toshi-kun move!" Maho shouted
*BOOM
(Just from that split second distraction Toshi's tank was already white flagged by Darjeeling from the front)
"Lesson learned newbie..always remain calm and focused in the heat of battle and never interrupt a battle between ladies.." Darjeeling said
*BOOM
(A shell landed again beside Darjeeling's tank fired by Maho but it was again dodged easily)
"Don't bully our new members!" Maho said
"Hey I'm not a bully..I even gave advice.." Darjeeling said
"Gero-kun won't like you if I tell him you're being mean to his students.." Maho teased
(This made Darjeeling blush and get flustered)
"Maho-san w-what are you saying!? I'm not being mean-"
*BOOM
(Darjeeling's tank was suddenly hit from the flank by Sakuraba. She forgot to tell her driver to not drive in a straight line because she got flustered by what Maho said)
"What was it you said? Always remain calm and focused?" Maho said with a grin
"That's not fair Maho-san! It's because you said something like that geez!" Darjeeling blushed again
"All is fair in love and war right? Byeee.." Maho said as she left
(Maho now approached Toshi's tank to see how he was doing)
"You alright?" Maho asked
"Yes senpai..sorry I wasn't able to help.." Toshi said
"Don't be too hard on yourself Toshi..we did our best.." Haruhiko said
"I won't be as kind as Gero-kun..what you did was hasty and not well thought of..which cost you your tank and your comrade's.."
"I'm sorry.."
"But to go and help your comrades without a second thought is just like your captain..keep it up and learn from this..understand?"
"Jawohl Maho-senpai!" Toshi saluted
(At the other side of the field Gero was getting close to Barley's flag tank and they ended up beside a big boulder and hit a tetrarch on its tracks with a well placed shot)
"Direct hit on the light tank!" Ken said
"Round up!" Ono shouted
"FIRE!"
(The 37mm shell hit a Harry Hopkins by the tracks and immobilizing it)
"Firing!" Assam shouted
(A shell was fired at Gero's 38(t) but with ken's quick movements it only grazed their tank turret)
"I see Assam-san's accuracy hasn't fallen.."
"What do we do now Taichou?"
"Ken keep on chasing that flag tank while you Hajime get ready to shoot that MG-34.."
"Roger that!" Ken and Hajime responded
"Round up!"
"FIRE!"
(Another tank was hit in the tracks rendering it immobile)
"Barley-san you're doing a great job at being the flag tank.." Pekoe radioed
"Uhmm..thanks I guess?" Barley radioed back
"Surviving is the flag tank's number one priority barley-san!" Assam said
"But is this really the white tiger you praise a lot? He hasn't done anything worth mentioning.." Barley asked
"You seem to not have noticed.." Pekoe said
"Notice what-"
*BOOM
(Another tetrarch has been hit now only leaving Pekoe and Barley's tank)
"Pop smoke!"
"Roger!" Ono said
(Gero's tank now release a smoke screen filling the whole area blinding everyone including themselves)
"Smoke screen!?" Barley was surprised
"Here he comes.." Pekoe said
"What's coming?!" Barley shouted
"Heighten your senses Barley-san..or you won't see it coming.." Assam said
(Barley didn't understand what Pekoe and Assam said at first but then he felt a grave chill staring at him from behind)
"There you are!" Barley shouted
(Barley's tank slowed down and it aimed it's turret behind him)
"Fire!" Barley ordered
*BOOM
(The shell landed at the direction of the cold stare he felt but there was nothing when the smoke cleared)
"In front of you!" Pekoe shouted
(Barley looked and saw the 38(t) suddenly in front of his tank)
"H-How is he there?"
"Round up!"
"FIRE!"
*BOOM
(The 37mm was shell fired and hit Barley's tank in the tracks and forcing him to hit the boulder)
"Hajime now!"
"Firing!"
(Hajime pulled the trigger to his MG-34 and Barley's tank was hit by a hail of bullets in 3 short bursts but not enough to finish the flag tank)
"Firing!" Assam shouted
*BOOM
(The 2 Pounder shell penetrated the 38(t)s side armor and white flagged it instantly. The area was still covered in smoke but Barley can clearly see Gero's destroyed tank in front of his)
"I'm saved..that was scary.." Barley said
"I guess the machine gun didn't work.." Ono said
"Nope..it worked just fine.."
*BOOM
(A shell suddenly impacted Barley's flag tank from the rear and white flagged it. As they looked towards where the shell came from it was from a 38(t) above the hill and it's gun barrel was smoking. A large siren now blew to signal the end of the match)
"Nice shot..Sakuraba-chan..perfect.."
"St. Gloriana's Flag Tank has been destroyed! The winner is Kuromorimine University High School!" Kanon Sasagawa announced
"That was nerve wracking..but so cool!" Sakuraba shouted
"Whoooo! We won!" Tojo shouted
"Yay! We did it Alice-chan!" Rio shouted
"Looks like Gero-kun was able to do it.." Koume said
"Yeah.." Erika smiled
(As the smoke cleared Pekoe's tank parked beside Gero's tank)
"Ughh..we got taken out..nice shot Assam-san.."
"Thank you Gero-san! It was a great match!" Assam said
"You just keep on thinking of the craziest plans Gero-kun.." Pekoe said
"I'm sorry Pekoe-san..I guess it's just second nature to me.."
"It appears so.." Pekoe smiled
"H-How did your tank suddenly appear in front of me when I felt you behind me and how did your comrade hit me through the smoke?" Barley asked
"Hmmm, I'll answer one question..pick one from the two.."
"Then the second one..the smoke was too thick for her to see me and even get an accurate shot on me.." Barley said
"Yeah I want to know also.." Assam said
"The answer is that boulder beside you and this MG-34 here.."
"Please explain it Gero-san.." Pekoe said
"The first step of the plan was to get you as close to the boulder as possible and the next step is to fire this machine gun at your tank.."
"You mean.."
"I used the machine gun as a signal to her from the top of the hill that you are beside the boulder which she took that shot and was successful.."
"But what if I was positioned at the other side of the boulder?" Barley asked
"If you could remember my gunner shot 3 short bursts meaning you were at the right side..if you were at the left then 2 short bursts.."
"And if he was behind the boulder?" Pekoe asked
(Gero smiled and pointed at the direction behind the boulder. All of them were surprised to see Maho's tank waiting there and aiming at the boulder meaning if the flag tank was behind it then Maho would've been able to take it out regardless)
"I see..so it was already a checkmate after you released the smoke screen.." Barley said
"Not really..if you had ignored the smoke and made a run for it..we wouldn't have been able to take you out..another option is for you to turn off your engine so I couldn't hear you.."
"But we still lost.."
"In a match nothing is certain my friend...so don't worry about it..let's have another match someday Mugi-chan!"
"Yeah..I won't lose next time.." Barley shook Gero's hand
(Gero then saw Erika and Alice's tanks approaching so he decided to walk towards them and greet them)
"See you later guys!"
"Bye Gero-san!" Assam waved
"Pekoe-sama.."
"Yes Barley-san?"
"How did Gero's tank appear suddenly in front of my tank when I felt him behind me?" Barley asked
"You didn't feel his presence..he made you think he was going to appear behind you..what you saw and felt was his afterimage.." Pekoe said
"Afterimage?! But how?"
"He has been chasing you the whole time ever since he broke through our formation..didn't you think it was strange that he never tried to overtake you?" Assam said
"I just thought my tank was faster.."
"The 38(t) has speeds of 42 km/h while your Harry Hopkins goes 30 km/h only..your tank is definitely slower..he purposely chased you slowly to give you a mental image of him always being behind you.."
"All that effort just to give me an image in my mind?"
"It worked didn't it? That's the commander of the white tiger..he might look like a carefree person but in reality he is one scary tactician and a great shot.." Assam said
"Tactician I understand..but a great shot? I think he didn't get any kills this match.." Barley said
"We told you earlier that you didn't notice something right?" Pekoe said
"Yes..what was it?"
"Look at the other tanks in the area.." Pekoe said
(Barley then gazed upon the battlefield of the wreckage of tanks and metal pieces on the ground and he notices one thing and it gave him chills)
"Do you see it?" Assam asked
"He..he only shot our tanks at their tracks?"
"Correct..he has been aiming this whole time at their tracks..he never aimed for the tank hull or turret..he even shot you at your tracks as well.." Pekoe said
"It's a lot harder to hit a tank's tracks among the chaos of the battlefield..much harder when moving.." Assam said
"But again I ask..why?" Barley said
"Gero-san did that so our tankers can experience fixing tracks in the field of battle..so that they can have another chance of being able to fight again.." Pekoe said
"He loves playing Senshado more than anything..and he will do it while teaching others and guiding them..just like how he gave the winning shot to his comrade instead of taking it all for himself.." Assam explained
(Pekoe and Assam saw a smile on Barley's face as he looked at Gero)
"Pekoe-sama.."
"Yes?"
"I want to fight him again..and I want to win next time!" Barley said
"That's how I felt when we fought in the finals last tournament!" Assam said
"Me too Barley-san..so get in line..there are a lot more people who want to fight him and beat him..come on now let's clean up so we can rest up for tomorrow's training.."
"Yes Pekoe-sama!" Assam and Barley saluted
(Meanwhile Gero has regrouped with Erika and Alice)
"Yo Erika, Alice-chan..great work!"
"You too Bakatora.." Erika smiled
"Naah..it wasn't me..it was Sakuraba-chan and the newbies..they did a very great job"
"What about me Nii-chan? I protected Kommandant like you said!" Alice said
(Gero then put Alice on his shoulders again)
"Yes Alice-chan..you did a wonderful job..thank you for protecting her.."
"Me and my crew also created a new move!" Alice smiled
"Ohh? Tell me all about it when we get back alright?"
"Yes Nii-chan!"
"You're spoiling her too much, you know that right?" Erika said
"Papa help..Mama is being mean to me.." Alice said
"Hey don't be mean to Alice-chan..I'm not spoiling her.."
"I'm not being mean! And stop calling him papa! Don't call me Mama either!" Erika blushed
(They are now joined also by Maho and Darjeeling)
"Maho-san! Otsukare!"
"Yeah..you too.." Maho smiled
"Gero-kun!" Darjeeling called out
"Yo Darjeeling-san! How have you been?"
"I'm great..happy to see you again..
"You too! I see you kept your hair down.."
(Darjeeling's hair was not tied and was let down because of still the Poem Gero before they left)
"Y-Yes..I thought it would be great to change hairstyles once in a while.." Darjeeling blushed
"It looks great..you look cute!"
(This comment made Darjeeling blush bright red in front of them)
"Papa that's bad..you shouldn't be cheating on Mama!" Alice said
"Ehh..I'm not cheating.."
"Papa? Why is Alice-san calling you papa?" Darjeeling asked
"Because papa is papa! That's why! He protects me from Mama when she is being mean!" Alice smiled
"Hoy Alice-chan!"
"Mama?! Tell me who's this mama!?" Darjeeling got serious
(Suddenly Erika grabbed Gero's arm and hugged it in front of Darjeeling)
"I am that mama..sorry for the late news..Darjeeling.." Erika said with a grin
"Oh so now you claim to be the mama- ouch ouch ouch!"
(Erika was secretly pinching Gero at his back)
"Gero-kun? What is the meaning of this?" Darjeeling asked
"I-I'm the papa and Erika is the mama while Alice-chan is our lovely daughter.."
"This is only an act right? Some kind of joke!? Tell me it's a joke!" Darjeeling said
"I'd say it's half an act and half practice.." Erika said
"Practice for what?!" Darjeeling shouted
"Well..me and Gero are dating so of course soon we'll be getting married and having a child of our own so this is a great way to get some practice before the real thing you know?" Erika proudly said as she bragged to Darjeeling
(This just shocked Darjeeling so much that she just stopped talking and just stared at both of them)
"And Erika just placed the final nail to the coffin..hey Darjeeling you alright?" Maho said as she shook Darjeeling back to reality
"I was just stating the truth.." Erika said
"Both teams line up and give thanks!" Remi Takashi shouted
"Come on Gero we better line up so we can go home.." Erika said
"Yeah..well see you again Darjeeling-san!"
"Come on Darjeeling..Pekoe-san will be looking for you.." Maho said
(Darjeeling was still in shock so Maho had to drag her to their line. Both teams have now lined up and all of the bowed and gave thanks)
"THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THE GREAT MATCH!" both teams shouted
[Viewing Platform #1 for VIPs]
"Well that was an amazing match! When you mentioned Gero-kun has been training the recruits I never thought they'd be this good!" Chouno said
"Yeah..they really exceeded my expectations..my son has trained them well.." Shiho smiled
"Not to mention that accuracy..if they can hit targets from long ranges with light tanks..imagine how much damage they'd do when they use the medium and heavy tanks.." Chouno said
"That Chouno-kun..is something we all have to look forward to in the near future.."
Coming Up Next : Chapter 40 - Exhibition Games
Author's Note:
Hi guys! How was a taste of the action? More to come as the Exhibition Games begin!
Shout out to : "s1137014" thank you so much for the follow and favorite!
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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