Spectator stands

For the past several hours, the match's thousands of spectators had been treated to the greatest match they would most likely ever see in their lifetime. It had everything you could hope for in a sport like this, from nonstop action, to thrilling explosions, to a series of crafty tactics, and unexpected twists and turns, seemingly every minute, to the point that it seemed impossible what could happen next. Throughout the match, just as the scales tipped back and forth, here at the stands, it was just as much of a rollercoaster of noise and sentiment, from wild cheering at a knocked-out tank to loud groans of disappointment to shouting advice that would never be heard. And now, with the match entering its final phase, and with many of the tanks on both sides knocked out, the Ooarai compound team held the advantage. It seemed that, somehow, against all odds, Ooarai would really emerge victorious over All-Stars, and Ooarai would stay open after all, even after Renta's many exploitations of the law and codes. But, there was still the Centurion, which was yet to be committed, and as long as that Centurion and its crew were still in the match, All-Stars was far from defeated. Now, with All-Stars' tank force depleted, the time had finally come for the two trump cards to enter the match, and with the Sturmi joining in the fighting for the second time, driving side by side with the Centurion, the time had come for Ooarai to get the most severe reality check of their lives, one to be delivered by two of the best tank crews in the sport, and as the two tanks began moving, the crowd began to erupt in shouts and screams and all sorts of wild noise out of excitement, eager to see some of the best Sensha-do these two crews had to offer, and in a more private area in the stands, even the two matriarchs had to stop their ears to protect their eardrums from how loud the crowds were getting, lest they risk suffering ear damage should they endure the loud noise without the proper protection. Once the noise was dying down and it was safe to return to normal, the two engaged in conversation.

"My, it really is the end, isn't it?"

"Mhm. Looks like we're about to determine which family is better."

"Well, I must concede that if it were only Alice, it wouldn't have really been fair."

"Correct. But, here we are."

"Nishizumi-san... do you think it's enough?"

"Mm... I don't know. We'll have to see the rest of the match through first."

Elsewhere in the stands, Ooarai's students, faculty, and parents were the most enthusiastic of the crowd, jumping up and down and losing their marbles with each knocked out All-Stars tank. There was no respite to their excitement, as everything seemed to be happening at once, tanks falling every few minutes, even within a few seconds at a time. Who could blame them? With their school on the line in this match, any knockout was a massive victory for them, and with the difference in numbers being in Ooarai's favor, they were over the moon, confident that the school would remain open. However, the joy was not to last long, for upon seeing what was unfolding on the screen, their wild cheers were soon turned into deathly silence once the Centurion and Sturmi began moving out. Everyone feared the worst, for although a numerical advantage was still being enjoyed by Ooarai, they couldn't expect it to last much longer. Two of the deadliest tanks fighting together was enough to spell disaster for those who ended up on the receiving end of those two, but some still held out hope that somehow, some way, Miho and whoever was left would be able to clutch victory from the jaws of defeat, but that possibility was getting smaller and smaller. Brains or a miracle would have to carry the day, or perhaps a mix of both. Many of those from Ooarai could be seen praying their hearts out, imploring their respective deity for some divine intervention to allow Ooarai to win. The same could be seen for those who were part of or parents of the students of one of the participating schools which were part of Ooarai. Hundreds, perhaps thousands of people, even those who hadn't prayed in a long time, even some who hadn't even prayed before, were praying at that moment, hoping that their prayers would be answered in some way, no matter how it would be answered. But then again, would it really be enough?

Battlefield

"Shimada-san and Jouko-san are entering the battle!"

As that transmission from Anchovy came through, everyone's blood ran cold. Immediately, all of the high spirits that had taken over Ooarai in light of their recent success dissipated like a morning fog. For all of Miho's subsequent attempts to raise everyone's spirits, they were all coming to naught. They couldn't do the Anglerfish Dance, or maybe even spare to sing some hymns or uplifting songs or whatever else, given how busy everyone was in actively trying not to die. She was running out of options, and needed to think of something fast. However, she couldn't really find any options. Was this really the end of the road? No, it couldn't be. Perhaps the others might have a lightbulb moment? Looking to the rest of her crew, hoping for ideas, she was disheartened to find that they, too, weren't much better. Not even the walking encyclopedia, Yukari, could find a solution, being too disheartened by the news to really dig into her history knowledge and use a historical example to provide some basis for a possible plan. Sinking back into her commander's seat, Miho began to think of what to do, thinking back on the past, beyond Ooarai, returning to the old Kuromorimine days. However, the pressures soon began to mount, knowing that there wasn't much time to waste as Alice and Jouko began their rampage, hindering her train of thought. Peering through the cupola's slits, Miho struggled to think, while also keeping a close eye on where the two aces would be. Then, five plumes of smoke were visible in the distance.

The two tanks made their way down one of the roads of the theme park, both commanders going over the plan they had gone over before. The target was to have a final fight with the Nishizumi sisters only, and that if they should encounter either tank commanded by either of them, it was to be spared, but if they encountered any other tank, either idling or seeking to fight, that was an instant target to knock out. For the fight against the Nishizumi sisters itself, the goal was not to utterly crush them and curbstomp them and toss them into the dirt, but to try to make it so that it was possible to call a draw, while at the same time not making that intention obvious. The goal, again, was not to win, but the goal wasn't really to lose either. All-Stars' stainless prestige was on the line, as well as Alice's need to save the Boko Museum, even though she knew that wouldn't really matter either way, but still. Needless to say, reaching such a conclusion to the match was going to be quite difficult given the caliber they were dealing with on the other side.

"Uh, Jouk? We got contact!"

Hannes diverted Jouko's attention away from the plan, notifying her of a new threat ahead of them. Straight ahead were five enemy tanks, the same tanks led by Duck Team which had knocked out two of All-Stars' tanks a few minutes earlier. However, for Jouko and Alice, who had, by now, a good idea of how to combat any sort of tank, it didn't really matter, because to them, since they were all light tanks, aka non-significant threats, this would be a clean sweep.

"Here we go, Lofstrom, get ready."

"How many?"

"Five. They're light tanks, though. They should be no problem."

"Gotcha."

"Frisell, anything from Alice?"

"Emerge to coordinate."

With a nod, Jouko stood upright from the cupola, keeping her eye on Alice, also standing out of her cupola while also getting her throat mic ready to communicate to Hannes. The two sides were closing in rapidly fast, with Alice maintaining a close focus. Flashing Jouko a look, she made sure her companion was ready, and seeing that she was, waved her hand. Immediately, Jouko dropped back down and gave the order, and as if it were clockwork, both tanks drifted in opposite directions, ending up behind the charging formation, momentarily leaving their opponents as sitting ducks, catching them off-guard. Taking advantage of this, both tanks fired at once, and both shots rang true, knocking out two Type 97s within a split second. A third attempted to ambush the Centurion, but Jouko ignored it, focusing on the other tanks, knowing that Alice got it covered. Indeed, all it took was a turn from the Centurion, and the pest was dealt with. Meanwhile, the Sturmi charged another Type 97 which attempted to shoot the Centurion. Unfortunately for its crew, Jouko was faster, and one shell later, the Type 97 met the same fate as its comrades. All that was left was the tank with the paper-thin armor: the Type 89, which, seeing how badly things had gone and how unwinnable this battle had now become was now trying to make an escape. After assuring Alice that it wouldn't last long, Jouko prepared to take it out from a long distance. Hannes lined up the shot, Jouko took careful aim, and with one well-placed shot, the Type 89 was knocked out, the blast enough to flip the lightweight tank upside-down. Just like that, five Ooarai tanks were knocked out, and the fight didn't even last half a minute.

As both commanders approached each other, they both flashed each other a thumbs-up, congratulating each other on a job well done, before continuing their journey down the road to the main areas of fighting, moving at a rather leisurely pace as if nothing had happened a minute earlier, leaving behind them five smoldering wrecks. Neither of the two tanks had even suffered a scratch during the entire engagement. The fact that the surprise attack had done no damage only rubbed more salt into the injury suffered by the crews of the knocked-out tanks. As the two tanks made their way into the city, however, Alice gave another signal, nonverbally telling Jouko that they would split up. For now, they would each go hunting individually on their own, but they hoped to meet up again to have the final fight.

"All our Chi-Has are down! Duck Team is also down!"

Miho buried her head in her hands, seeing that the tragedy was now beginning. Not only was she still being forced to deal with a group of All-Stars tanks which included their super-heavy tank, now she had the whole Alice and Jouko situation to deal with. As she refocused on the situation, she could see a gate that appeared too narrow for the T28 to drive through. Should the T28's escorts follow them through the gate and leave T28 behind, it would be much easier for her and the others to deal with the lesser threats before moving on to deal with the bigger threat. Looking back as she and the others passed through the gate, initially, it appeared that her conclusions proved to be correct, with Darjeeling giving some reassurance as well, as confident as she was that the T28 would be unable to make it through the gate. However, the rollercoaster ride was far from over.

Small explosive charges then detached the T28's outer tracks, leaving it small enough to fit through the passage. Once its outer tracks were discarded, the T28 moved through the gate, forcing Ooarai to get on the run again. Yet again, the balance was tipped in All-Stars' favor, but that wasn't to last long.

"Miho-san, Assam is informing me of a weak spot in the T28, a 'soft underbelly', if you will."

"Alright, try to position yourself below the bridge, so you can shoot into it! Naomi-san, shoot at the section where Darjeeling-san will position herself so she'll get a clear shot!"

"Will do."

As the Churchill left to do its work, and the Firefly fired its shot at the right moment, resulting in a cloud of dust, Miho kept an eye on the T28, which, once the dust cleared, was seen to still be slowly limbering towards her. However, it was rolling onto the bridge, all according to plan. A Pershing and Chaffee were diverting off the bridge, however, and headed for where Darjeeling was. As the anxiety built up in her, Miho began to hit the metal of her cupola, urging the T28 to hurry up. Her sights shifted from the T28 to the Pershing and Chaffee and back to the T28, trying to analyze who would fire first. Clutching the cupola, it felt as if Miho's blood vessels were about to burst, and they might as well have, if the climax didn't hit right then and there. The audible sigh of relief from Miho as the T28 burst into flames as an explosion rocked it from underneath, coupled with a white flag popping up seconds later, was heard by everyone in the Panzer IV, who shared the same sentiment. Moments later the Churchill was found, and promptly dealt with, but it had served its purpose. Now, it was up to Miho, Maho, Katyusha, Anchovy, and whoever else remained to finish the fight. The good news doesn't last long, though.

"This is Anchovy, they've spotted us! We're on the run!"

"Anchovy-san, how many?!"

"One, wait, no, two! We're sandwiched!"

"Hang on, maybe Rabbit Team can help!"

"They're… YEAH! AGAIN, AGAIN! YES!"

"Anchovy-san, what's going on!"

"Kiss them for me, Miho-san! Both Chaffees are gone!"

"Oh, that's good-"

"No! Ugh! Pepperoni, get us out of here! JUST SLAM IT! GO! GO! GO! WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU'RE AT THE SPEED LIMIT?! THIS THING CAN GO FASTER, YOU IDIOT! JUST SLAM IT!"

"Anchovy-san, what is going on?!"

"IT'S ALICE HERSELF! GET READY!"

"...and that's two more Chaffees gone. M3 Lee is down, though."

"Eh… alright… could be worse."

The Sturmi, having found nothing in its patrol so far, turned to the direction of the rollercoaster ride, noticing the CV.33 hop onto the back of a Char B1, hoping to help Alice get another good catch of two. However, with new developments on the other sections of the battlefield, Alice was giving them a new set of instructions over the radio, communicated by Frisell.

"Wait. The Bermuda Trio is meeting up. Looks like they're going for a unified attack. Alice wants us all to meet at the central plaza. I guess that's where the final fight will be."

"Alrighty, then, change of plans, Hannes!"

"Yep!"

Not even a minute later, however, and there was yet another update from Alice.

"More news, Alice has spotted two tanks! Hetzer and Chi-Nu. She's headed towards some Ancient Egypt-themed area in the park right now. We can rendezvous there!"

"Alright. Got the map, Hannes?"

"Yep, trying to see… okay! Headed there now!"

Once again, the Sturmi changed course, headed for the section of the park that bore symbols and other images of Ancient Egypt. The trip there was relatively uneventful, as by this point, of course, there weren't many tanks left, but Jouko was always ready for anything, checking each side of the Sturmi just in case there was some elaborate ambush planned for her. But, nothing, except a few distant explosions, followed by reports of three downed tanks from Saunders. The trip took a few minutes, but arriving at the given section, the Sturmi was just in time. The Hetzer and Chi-Nu emerged from a corner, traveling at high speeds, followed closely by the Centurion. The two Ooarai tanks prepared to fire, hoping to break through Jouko and not only escape, but provide Miho much-needed breathing room. However, seeing Alice signal through her gunner's sights, Jouko took aim at the Hetzer, and fired. The shell struck the bottom plate of the Hetzer, the explosion enough to cause it to flip over. A second later, the Chi-Nu was hit from the rear as it seemed to lose control of its directions. As the two tanks united once again, Jouko gave her thanks.

"Well… that was a bit close. Thanks for saving my rear there, A second later and I would've been toast."

"Always welcome. Now, let's get to the middle. The others are waiting for us."

"Right… oh, and that's the last Chaffee gone."

"Mhm. We'd better hurry."

"Okay, then. Hannes, follow Alice's lead!"

"On it, boss!"

Leaving two more smoldering carcasses behind them, the two tanks began making their way to the center of the park, just as the battle was drawing to a close. After some uneventful traveling, the two spotted some of the most ridiculous stuff they would probably ever see. Bursting out of nowhere, the CV.33 drove into the pool before it, but instead of sinking, it skipped across the water like a rock, forcing the Pershing chasing it to slow down, only to get hit from behind and tumble into the water. Jouko waved off the shock, however, and fired as soon as the CV.33 entered her sights, the shell barely zooming past the Centurion, and hitting the CV directly in its rear plate. Alice, meanwhile, directed Mizuzika to target the culprit who was responsible for knocking out the Pershing. Within seconds, the Char B1 was out of the game, having missed its shots. However, more reports were flooding in of losses on both sides. With some more threats dealt with, both tanks continued onto their objective.

"Heh, you'll never catch me, amateurs."

Rumi, looking behind her, watched as three of Ooarai's tanks tried in vain to catch up. It was a bit amusing, seeing how slow they were compared to her. However, that confidence suffered a hit as one of the tanks, which seemed to be the Porsche Tiger, miraculously started speeding up. For a moment, Rumi was worried, that worry shifting to anxiety as the Porsche Tiger drove nearer and nearer to her Pershing. However, just before it appeared to fire, an explosion from its engine compartment shut it down. The engine must've overloaded, probably from activating something that wore it out too much. Rumi couldn't help but giggle at the sight.

"Well, that's one down-"

Suddenly, Rumi was jostled in her chair, almost falling off her seat as two powerful blasts rocked her Pershing, and a white flag popped out from one of its hatches. As she recovered from the hits, she peered through the cupola's slits, revealing the culprits: the two remaining tanks: a T-34/85 and a Tiger II. Her face, which had previously been one of smug confidence, was now transformed into one of utter shock, and it was exacerbated as the two tanks proceeded to knock out the rest of the Bermuda Trio, the others having dithered upon seeing her knocked out, and the enemy using that precious time to outmaneuver them and knock them out as well. That wasn't the end of the story, however, as seconds later, two more blasts were heard.

Looking through her cupola again, the T-34 and Tiger II had been reduced to scrap metal, with the Centurion and Sturmi passing by, having dealt with them, though not in time to save the Bermuda Trio. Nonetheless, it brought Rumi some belief, knowing that with none but the two Nishizumi sisters left on the opposing team, it wouldn't be too hard of a battle to come.

Or would it?

"Firefly, Sherman, and M-Four knocked out! Matilda knocked out! Crusader and Chaffee knocked out…"

With each report, Miho grew more and more uncertain. Across the battlefield, what was left of Ooarai's tanks were fighting to the bitter end as the two Nishizumi sisters linked up in the central plaza. Not only had Turtle and Anteater bit the dust to the two aces, but now, Bermuda Trio was active and wreaking havoc wherever they went, seemingly unstoppable. First, they wiped out all three of Saunders' tanks in a matter of seconds. Then, slowing just before they could impact, the Trio fired at a group of Ooarai tanks, though it was only Rumi's tank which scored a hit, knocking out a Matilda. Elsewhere, the Crusader had fought a duel with a Chaffee, leaping over a river to knock it out in a suicide run, both tanks getting knocked out in the process. That was far from the end, as not long after, Ooarai's Porsche Tiger suffered a motor explosion in the middle of a battle against the Bermuda Trio, rendering it inoperable as well. However, there was still some good news.

"Pershing knocked out! Another, and another!"

In the middle of that same engagement, Katyusha and Erika had dealt a severe blow, knocking out the first of the Bermuda Trio: Rumi's Pershing. A few seconds later, there was even better news. Using the momentary shock of the Bermuda Trio's loss to their advantage, Katyusha and Erika outmaneuvered the other Pershings, going in between them, drifting, and firing at the same time. With brilliant bravado, the rest of the Bermuda Trio was knocked out. There was still hope for Ooarai-

"Tiger Two and T-thirty-four-eighty-five knocked out by Centurion and Sturmi, respectively!"

Shoot.

"Looks like it's just us now, Saori-san. Everyone else, get ready. This is going to be the fight of our lives."

As sounds of affirmation sounded throughout the Panzer, Miho began taking deep breaths, and as she sifted through her rosary, she watched the unfolding scene. On the side opposite of her and Maho, the Sturmi and Centurion were entering the grounds. The Centurion continued going forwards, whilst the Sturmi turned around, and began moving in reverse, moving directly behind the Centurion, prepared to cover its rear in case of a flank attack. At first, neither side shot at the other, circling each other, driving along the perimeter of the plaza as if they studied each other.

"Onee-chan… should we hit first?"

"Yes. Unified attack. Leopard's strike."

Both commanders nodded to each other, understanding which course of action to use next, and relaying the orders to their respective crews.

"Right! Mako-san, turn us right, and head for the Sturmi!"

"Sophie, turn us right, and head for the Centurion!"

Both tanks turned, and moved around the artificial mountain, charging towards their opponents, who, seeing this, turned to face them as well. The final duel was about to begin.

"Hannes, switch to drive! Get ready to move forward and turn around!"

"Gotcha!"

Rapidly halting the tank, Hannes switched the gear to drive, and began moving forwards. Right behind them, an explosion was heard, the shockwave enough to bump them a bit, though upon recovery, Hannes turned the Sturmi around, finding the Panzer IV slowing just before striking the wall. Jouko had a clear shot, and was just about to land a killing blow. But, just as she pulled the trigger, the Panzer quickly reversed, causing the shell to nick off the frontal plate and slam into the wall, blowing it into a million pieces. The Centurion, too, had avoided the Tiger's attack, and fired at the same time as the Tiger's second shot, but both shells ricocheted off both turrets thanks to both tanks moving and angling the turrets at the last second. With the initial chance to end the match in a heartbeat now gone, a chase began.

"Lofstrom, how many shells are left?"

"Quite a bit, maybe you can afford at least thirty more shots."

"Good. We're about to use them all."

"Uh… you don't mean…"

"We're lighting this place up. We're not gonna let them play their games."

Using the terrain around them to their advantage, the Nishizumi sisters proved an annoyance to the two aces, who merely resorted, in Jouko's case, at least, to blowing everything up, depriving them of anything to operate with. Stalls, props, chairs, anything present in the plaza, nothing was spared from the Sturmi's shells, as if each of them was an enemy tank. Alice, meanwhile, sat a bit stunned at how unhinged Jouko was. However, knowing that it was for the sake of bringing this match to an end, she acquiesced to her comrade's strategy. In the meantime, she continued to engage Maho, chasing her to the top of the artificial mountain, only to be forced down as the Panzer came into view from her left, gun pointed at her. Moving back as it fired, the shell just barely missed. Going around the mountain, Alice noticed the Sturmi showing up behind the Panzer. Noticing this, and thinking quickly she decided to make things interesting.

"Jouko-san, shoot the Tiger instead! Let the Panzer knock me out!"

"You sure?!"

"Yeah! You want to fight Miho-san, don't you?"

"Uhh…"

Jouko's dithering, however, prevented that plan from being put into motion. Before long, the Nishizumi sisters had gotten around, and were threatening to hit Alice from behind. Seeing this, Alice ordered Ruzuku at full speed forward. The moment the Centurion had left the area it had been positioned at before, an explosion rocked the mountain, the shell exploding right behind the Centurion. Meanwhile, the Sturmi had ventured into the mountain's tunnel, intending to try to sneak around and land a knockout blow on one of the sisters. As it emerged on the other side, however, a shell nicked its rear. Looking back, Jouko spotted the Tiger on the other side, barrel smoking, and looking ready for another shot. Swerving left just in time, the Sturmi moved through the exit and avoided a second shell that shot through the tunnel, striking the walls behind.

Moving around the mountain, the Sturmi proceeded to encounter the Tiger moving out of the way, while at the same time, the Panzer IV was moving up the mountain, with the Centurion on the other side. The Centurion, seeing the Panzer, attempted another shot, but both tanks moved out of the way before they could fire, with the Panzer dropping back down, and starting to move around the mountain, while the Centurion did the same. The Tiger, meanwhile, seeing the Sturmi, fired back as well, though Hannes made sure that shot missed. With another attack failing, the Tiger was now making its way into the tunnel, entering through the entrance furthest from the Sturmi, though Jouko elected to try to chase down the Panzer, finding that easier to do than try to spend some time turning for a clear shot into the tunnel. The battle was a chaotic, confusing mess, but as Frisell continued to work wonders in transmitting the radio transmissions to Jouko, and Jouko's messages to Alice, things were prevented from getting any more chaotic.

Soon enough, however, it was becoming evident that just fighting here wouldn't really produce any results. Although different paths were found in trying to pull off sneak attacks or hide for a short while, and even though Jouko was blowing up everything that could be used as cover, the Nishizumi sisters were still coordinating their movements quite well, dancing around their enemy, but two, or in this case, four, could play that game too. With ammunition running quite low, the battle would have to be resolved fast.

Maho's eyes never left the Centurion, trying to find a way to force it into a position that provided a clear shot. However, Alice was making things quite difficult, and with Jouko having destroyed much of the surrounding props and booths, there wasn't much she could work on. Looking back to Miho, however, in a brief moment of assurance, she wasn't having much luck either. Jouko was not allowing a single opportunity, having the Sturmi move erratically and unpredictably, messing with Miho's train of thought as she, too, tried to find a way to deal with it. It was nothing but a game of cat-and-mouse now, and frankly, both sides were getting really tired of it. They needed to find an opening, and fast.

"Onee-chan, in front!"

Miho's cry diverted Maho's attention forwards, and, seeing Alice going around the mountain, she saw the perfect opportunity for a strike. Signaling to Miho to stay her course in moving around the mountain, Maho once more entered the tunnel, and with a measured speed, prepared to fire as soon as the Centurion came into view. The plan was almost perfect: Miho would be standing in the way of the Centurion, while Maho would deliver a killing blow from a place it didn't really expect. But there was a risk in the plan, since Jouko was still on the prowl, and would likely take one of them out as soon as the Centurion went down. However, risks were taken for a reason, as the old saying goes, fortune favors the brave, and here, Maho felt it appropriate to take such risks in order for Miho to win. She just had to get a good shot now, or else, this would have to drag on for longer.

Alice circled the mountain once again, having seen Miho gone around as well. Her eyes were also focused on the mountain itself, knowing what Miho might try, but hearing nothing coming from the top of the mountain, she decided to focus on her front. She was also wary of the tunnel of the mountain, knowing that Maho might try to ambush her from there. Jouko, meanwhile, was starting to go up the mountain, probably to intercept Miho from the top. The Centurion stayed its course, however, intending to maybe get Miho from two sides. Soon enough, Alice saw it. The Panzer IV, in all its glory, was going around the mountain as well.

"Ruzuku-san, increase speed!"

The Centurion sped up as Alice prepared to give Mizuzika the order to fire. As the Panzer came into full view, Alice, in a fit of excitement, raised her hand, intending to slam it down as she gave the order to fire. Miho was dead to rights, she was hers, and all it took now was for her to give the order.

However, something caught her eye.

"B-Boko…"

A Boko ride, which had been activated during the fighting, and somehow left untouched amidst the destruction and chaos of the past several minutes, suddenly came into view.

"R-Ruzuku-san, stop us! Quickly! Complete stop! Mizuzika-san, hold your fire!"

Ruzuku, though struck dumb with confusion, nevertheless obeyed, stopping the tank right in front of the entrance to the tunnel, and Mizuzika's fingers hovered over the trigger, the gunner just as confused by what was going on. The battlefield fell silent for several brief moments as Alice allowed the Boko ride to pass by, and as it moved to safety, she was about to give the order to fire, to finish off Miho before she, too, could recover from that shock, when all of a sudden, something crashed into the right of her tank, followed up by a blast. Rocked to the core, Alice was knocked back down, landing with a bit of a crash, causing some pain to her rear end. As she looked up, though, she heard the distinctive sound of a white flag being deployed. That sound was confirmed by the slight fluttering of a white piece of fabric. As she clambered back up the cupola, another blast was heard, almost knocking her back down as the object that had rammed her tank recoiled from the explosion.

As the smoke cleared, she beheld the sight of what had just happened. Right in front of her, the Tiger I sat a smouldering wreck, but so did her own Centurion. Looking to the left, she could see Miho's Panzer moving into the tunnel as the Sturmi, with its barrel smoking, moved down the mountain to give chase. Turning back to the Tiger, however, she saw Maho climbing out, navigating through the smoke, attempting to get onto the Centurion. Alice, too, climbed out of her tank, meeting Maho in the middle of the two tanks. For a while, the two stared at each other in silence, as if they were examining each other, or trying to find what words to speak to each other. As more distant blasts sounded, distracting the two as they looked to the source of the explosions. Turning back to one another, though, they each could see their respective crews also emerging from their hatches, looking to see what the two commanders would do next.

Maho, willing to be the one to break the tension, bowed, acknowledging her opponent's skill and tenacity during the fight. Alice, on the other hand, accepted that she had been outsmarted, and she too bowed. Extending her hand, Alice invited Maho for a handshake, to which the elder Nishizumi gladly accepted. Turning back around, Alice decided to try to catch that Boko ride she had spared earlier, to maybe try to have some fun while the rest of the match was going on, much to the amusement of everyone else.

Maho, however, quickly resumed a serious look. Sitting down on a nearby pile of rubble after making sure it was clean and safe to sit on, she rested her head in her hands, and began to pray, hoping that whatever deity was up there, that Miho would emerge victorious.

"Hannes, it doesn't look like we're gonna make any progress here. Get us out of the plaza!"

"Where to, Jouk?!"

"Move us towards the maze! That's our best chance of pulling a surprise!"

"Jouko, isn't it the objective to try to make this a draw? It seems that we're playing for a win here."

"Well, nobody likes an anticlimactic ending, right?"

"True…"

As shells whizzed past, the Sturmi made its way through one of the plaza's exits, the Panzer closely following behind. Hannes listened closely for Jouko's callouts, driving as erratically as she could to mess up the Panzer's gunner. However, traveling through more narrow passages proved incredibly risky with the Panzer being allowed a clear shot, and Hannes was trying to cut as many corners as she could to prevent that from happening, turning as fast as she could around any corners she came across. However, Jouko was committed to the plan, seeing it as the only feasible one at the moment.

However, Jouko saw that those plans were about to change.

"Wait… Hannes, stop us!"

"What?! Aren't we in the middle of a chase right now?!"

"The Panzer is stopping! Miho's climbing out, she looks like she's telling us to stop!"

"Uhhh…."

"Just hit the brakes!"

"Alright…!"

Hannes, not knowing what on earth was going on, put the Sturmi to a full stop, allowing Jouko to dismount and meet Miho, who was also leaving her tank. The battle settled down as the last two commanders left their tanks, approaching in-between them to talk. Jouko didn't know what Miho was thinking here, whether she wanted to offer a draw or maybe concede. Either way, there was only one way to find out, and as both crews looked on, their commanders walked to each other. The Panzer crew appeared to be tired, but rather excited, while the Sturmi crew's faces bore a sense of uncertainty and doubt. Elsewhere in the stands, Ami monitored the situation carefully, ready to call a result should the commanders agree to one.

Meeting Miho in the middle, the two commanders initially held out their hands to shake, but Miho decided to upgrade that to a hug, to which Jouko responded in kind. After exchanging some compliments and praises with Jouko, Miho got to the point.

"Jouko-san… mind if we move to the fields, that way we can have… well… a proper battle?"

"Uh… um… wh… why?"

"Why not? I'd like for things to be rather climactic. After all, it's not like Ooarai closes either way."

Hearing this, Jouko bit her lip, disputing within herself whether or not to tell Miho of the reality of the situation, or just keep playing along. Doing her best to hide her inner conflict, Jouko thought for a moment, weighing her options. On one hand, if she hid the truth, it wouldn't be as exciting of a fight, but Miho wouldn't be too downtrodden. If she told the truth, however, it would provide for a more exciting fight, now that Miho knew the risks involved, though it would demoralize her by quite a bit. As Miho stood there, wondering what was the holdup, Jouko stamped her foot, and decided to tell the truth.

"Miho, when I called you that night, I'm sorry, but I got proven wrong. No matter what you do, the school's shutting down. Chiyo-san told me a lot about how this nation handles its money, and it's just not gonna work relying on crowdfunding to handle a full city on water for a long time.

The only way to win is either beat me, and by extension All-Stars, or make Chiyo-san deem you worthy to have her support."

Miho was shaken to the core, fearing that after all she had done, the fighting, the planning, the efforts by the Student Council, everything, she wasn't going to get out of this with Ooarai still in existence. Letting her head droop down, she began to struggle with the prospect that she would be saying goodbye to the school that had sheltered her for the past year. Now that Ooarai was gone, where would she be going next? Back to Kuromorimine? Maybe another school? Or just leave Sensha-do entirely and live the rest of her school life in some remote, backwater school?

However, as she took in Jouko's words, the part about Chiyo deeming Ooarai worthy to receive her funds stuck out to her. As she thought back through the events of the match, Ooarai's crews and allies had dealt some heavy blows to All-Stars through their innovation and creativity. In her book, that was enough to judge someone worthy of a reward, right? Hope was now starting to return to her, and looking back up, she saw Jouko looking at her as if she were waiting to be allowed to speak, probably wishing to give Miho some more reassurance. Miho, giving a slight nod, permitted Jouko to continue.

"Okay… so… you've probably thought this already, but I'm pretty confident you and the others have proven yourselves to Chiyo-san. If that wasn't enough, though, I'll try to argue in your favor and secure that funding. In any case, I'll do my best to keep you open."

"No, no, Jouko-san… I think we're staying open."

"Well, I love your confidence, but… there's only one way to find out now."

"Right. So… shall we?"

"Yep. Now, how should we do this? Should we do it the old-fashioned way, through jousting, or maybe long-ranged dueling, or whatever else?"

"I'm fine with jousting, unless you want to add some more elements to it."

"Hm… Maybe we'll allow either tank to fire three shots before we split off for another pass, like a test to see how much you can conserve your chances, or something like that. During that, we can do whatever we want, maybe go around and try to outmaneuver each other or what have you. One of us will fire to signal the start. I'll let you go first."

"Okay. We'd better hurry, then, before the judges decide to forfeit the match."

"Okay, I'll take your lead?"

"Sure!"

"Gotcha. Don't forget to radio the judges, too."

"Don't worry, I'll make sure Saori-san does it!"

"Alright. Let's make it awesome."

With that agreement settled, both commanders ran back to their tanks, and assumed command once more, informing their respective crews of the format that had been decided. Both radio operators gave the necessary updates to Ami, and for the last time, they cut communications, having nobody else to communicate with now that they were the only ones left. With that, both tanks activated their engines, the Sturmi turned around to follow the Panzer, and what followed was a rather pleasant ride, both commanders popping out of their cupolas to chat and discuss whatever they wished, as well as making guesses as to how the other fights had gone, judging by the wrecks they passed by and drawing some conclusions. For a while, it seemed like the fight was over, that they were merely just having a leisurely ride, examining the remains of what was a great battle. Sometimes, they encountered some crew still in their tanks, both woman and beast still waiting to be extracted. They seemed bewildered to see what was going on in front of them, but nevertheless waved back as the two commanders greeted them, some shouting encouragement to either side, or both.

Soon, the two had left the park, and were making it towards the great field where Jouko had first engaged in combat, clashing with the BT and chasing it off the field and into the nearby forest, while also bullying St. Gloriana for a bit beforehand, picking off one of their tanks and probably making Darjeeling scream for the first time in ages. When they had arrived, the tanks that had been knocked out were gone, leaving the field empty, save for the many craters left on the field, leaving the field almost looking like the surface of the moon, plus the green grass and brown dirt. Pausing in the middle, both commanders finalized the preparations, pointing out where to position themselves before the duel, as well as spending a few moments of silence thinking over their respective plans of attack. Once they were sure of everything, they both exchanged one final look, and waved to each other as their tanks moved away from each other, split off to prepare for the duel.

Spectator stands

The crowds, previously wild with excitement, were now hushed, anticipating whatever result would come from this final duel. It was reminiscent of the final duel of the tournament, with the same stakes and the same format, though with a different environment. Both tanks positioned themselves opposite each other, a far distance separating the two. The flat terrain provided a perfect setting, and as both tanks revved their engines, tens of thousands of people watched as both tanks started moving. However, none were more tense or anxious as those from Ooarai, many of whom were clinging onto each other, hugging each other as the anxiety of the match was getting too much for them to handle themselves. Anzu appeared to be stoic and confident, but one could notice her hands trembling and her lips quivering.

The other schools that had come to help also looked on in fear. Everyone was trembling, many were praying or holding their breath, or otherwise trying to console one another, reassuring one another that victory would come, though one couldn't be so sure. The All-Stars students, on the other hand, didn't really seem to care too much, excited to see some one-on-one action from two of the best, though some were still surprised at how Alice had been knocked out, something that never really happened. There was a lot of debate over what went wrong, how this knockout happened or that tank crew got outmaneuvered, but overall, the level of worry wasn't nearly as high as the levels from Ooarai's team.

Finally, the two matriarchs, observing the events as they played out, now bore witness to this final duel. Shiho was still fully attentive to the battle, seeing Miho prepare for the first pass in what seemed to be a jousting format, while Chiyo, having seen Alice get knocked out, was more relaxed and laid-back, due to not having to worry at what her daughter was doing, though it was rather questionable what she was doing at earlier points in the match. But, that talk would have to wait. Now was the time to watch the final duel, and once again witness Jouko and her band in action.

"Chiyo-kichi?"

Chiyo sighed at being called that.

"Shiporin."

"So, is it enough? Have they proven themselves?"

"Hm… We'll allow this to play out first. There is no applause until the end of the symphony."

Shiho huffed in frustration, but that's Chiyo for you.

Battlefield

Jouko took one long look at the battlefield, preparing herself for the final battle that was about to commence. At the same time, Miho was thinking of her plan, going over the details and the plan of attack, discussing with everyone else as they prepared their first charge against Jouko. Mako didn't contribute, but the rest sure did. Hana was in favor of trying the same tactic they had done against Maho, while on the other hand, Saori was in favor of a ramming attack, dodging and weaving before slamming into the Sturmi and dealing the final blow, a plan which had Yukari's support. After some deliberation, Miho decided on the latter plan, knowing that Jouko, who had definitely seen her matches against Darjeeling and Maho, would be anticipating that maneuver should she try to commit to it. So, with that settled, Miho signaled that she was ready, waving to Jouko to signal this.

Jouko, meanwhile, had decided on no real plan of attack, relying mostly on her improvisation and chemistry with her crew to win the day. Seeing Miho's signal, Jouko waved back, and sank back into the Sturmi with a prayer on her lips. Looking to her crew, she made sure everyone was prepared, although Frisell wouldn't really be doing anything but sit as a spectator. Getting confirmation from Hannes and Lofstrom, though, Jouko nodded, and got ready to give the order to begin moving forward. It had been roughly two hours since the start of the match, and now, with nothing else left to do, it was time to end it all.

For a few moments, the stillness held as both tanks waited for their first joust. Keeping a close eye on the Panzer, Jouko patiently, yet anxiously waited for it to fire its cannon to signal the start of the first charge. Taking deep breaths, pursing her lips and gripping harder her cannon's grip, her eye locked onto the target, Jouko hardened her entire body in preparation for the duel, not wishing to let a sense of fear ruin the fight.

BANG!

The Panzer's gun fired, and immediately, both tanks revved their engines, both drivers hitting the accelerator. Smoke shot through both tanks' exhaust pipes as the engines' activity went from 0 to 100 in a matter of seconds, and both sides sped up as they continued. The distance between the two decreased more and more with each passing second, but the question was the same: who would shoot first?

The answer was… neither.

With a blast, the Sturmi, which had approached in a straightforward manner, roared with life as its cannon fired, propelling its projectile towards the tank opposite. At the exact same time, the Panzer, which had otherwise been dodging and weaving in a manner contrary to the Sturmi, fired as well, its shell escaping the barrel just as the Sturmi's shell slammed into the Panzer, striking the armor of the Panzer's turret. However, the Panzer's shot had rang true as well, a testament to Hana's focus, as thanks to her keeping a lock on the Sturmi during the unsteady approach, her shell impacted the Sturmi right on its frontal armor plate, the longer cannon providing enough propulsion to break through the concrete armor, and hit the armor itself hard. In an instant, both tanks were brought to a halt, and two large blasts reverberated throughout the nearby forests.

A dense cloud of smoke covered the battlefield, completely obscuring the view of the two tanks to the rest of the world for several moments. Just like the tournament finals, nobody would know who won or who lost immediately. Everyone watched with bated breath as the smoke slowly but surely dissipated, revealing the destruction of the first and only pass of the duel. Both tanks had been completely stopped in their tracks, shattered concrete was scattered all around the Sturmi, and the section of the Panzer's turret where the Sturmi's shell looked as if a man's fist had slammed into a piece of cake. But that wasn't what everybody cared about. Everyone was straining their eyes for what would really decide the match: which tank would have a white flag waving, and which one would not.

Emerging from inside the tank, Jouko, having been somewhat incapacitated by the blast, and slowly recovering, climbed out of her cupola, hoping to get a better look at the result of her hit on the Panzer, only to look towards her right, and be greeted with the sight of a white flag softly fluttering in the breeze, signaling that her tank was knocked out. Looking towards the Panzer, however, she saw Miho, also climbing out of her tank, standing right next to a white flag as well. It seemed that both tanks had knocked out each other at the same time, leaving only two options: let the judges decide via video, or let both commanders reach an agreement of sorts, whether to forfeit or count a draw.

"Well, uh…"

"Will it be a draw, Jouko-san?"

"Maybe… I dunno what Alice wants, though I think she'll be up to decide a draw. I was talking to her before the match, and she said that a draw was one of the results she would be most comfortable with."

"We'll have to wait and see, it seems… By the way, uhm… wait a moment, please."

Miho then climbed back into the tank, deciding to use this opportunity to get something that would make her now-angry stomach content. And who better to get that something from than the grocery store bankrupter herself?

"Hana-san, do you have any food?"

"Oh? Well… I have some rice balls and taiyaki. Saori-san also brought some chips, though that's it from us."

"That's fine, as long as we have food to eat."

Climbing back out, Miho called to Jouko, who was still standing out of the cupola, staring into space with nothing to do now.

"Jouko-san, do you have any food?!"

Jouko, snapped awake at this sudden question, stuttered, before giving her answer.

"Woah… I… uhh… give me a second!"

Dropping down, Jouko quickly got the bag she had placed underneath her seat, spent some time rummaging through it, and grabbed some of that good old kanelbullar from the neighbors next door, as well as a few cups and packets of coffee powder, in addition to the usual water. The others, seeing this, decided to get some from the bag as well, though supplies were a bit limited, and they were left with only one kanelbullar each, making them hope that the other crew had some food for them as well.

The two crews, joining together, walked away from the burning wreckage to a clear spot in the field to sit and enjoy lunch, as small as it was. The Sturmi crew decided to break their food into smaller pieces to allow everyone to have a taste, and Hana had enough rice balls for everyone to eat four, in addition to the taiyaki, having initially planned to eat them all, given her massive appetite, though it was better, in this case, to share it all. Spending the next few minutes filling their stomachs, the two crews got along with each other, marking this the first real meeting between them, except, of course, for Jouko. Laughs were shared, stories were told, jokes were made, the experience was a far cry from what they had just done a few minutes before. Above all, though, everyone enjoyed the kanelbullar, with even Saori admitting that she couldn't cook something like this, and she had a bit of a reputation as an up-and-coming cook.

By the time the truck assigned to transport the crews had arrived, the two crews were relaxed on the ground, either laying on their side, on their belly, or on their back, staring at the sky above them, trying to make out cloud formations or just think about things. Mako, soaking in the atmosphere, instantly fell asleep as everyone else continued to talk and discuss whatever topics they wished. The transport driver, who had just arrived, upon seeing this, dismounted and made her presence known to everyone, which was enough to get them to realize what was going on, prompting them to board the truck. However, that didn't come without its problems.

"Mako-san… come on! We can't leave you behind!"

"This is paradise… I'll sleep here forever…"

"No, you won't~! Wait… huh?"

Saori was surprised as Mako's resistance suddenly disappeared, replaced with the poor girl's loud protestations.

"Oh, come on, now! I was having a good sleep! Put me down! I"m no baby here, have you seen my… uhh.. My GPA… and my straight As! Check that out before you~!"

Looking towards the sound, Saori was shocked to find Lofstrom carrying Mako in her arms as the girl in question was trying to let herself be put down, upset that her peaceful, idyllic sleep was being disturbed. Not that they worked, as Lofstrom, in typical uncaring fashion, plopped her down on Miho and Yukari's laps before taking her seat next to Frisell, who promptly admonished the strong girl's lack of respect, though Miho quickly brushed it off, reassuring the crew that no offense was taken at all. Mako's complaints continued, though it wouldn't take long before she fell asleep once again, putting an end to that little episode. Once all were accounted for, the truck began the drive back, leaving the two tanks behind, still smoldering from their impact sites, and a few traces of smoke still rising from the last few embers that still burned on the tanks.

Spectator area

"Ooarai Girls' Academy tanks remaining - zero! All-Stars University Selection Team tanks remaining - zero! Both commanders, as well as Federation officials, are requested to report to the Director's tent for confirmation of the results!"

The stands erupted in a flurry of noise as a fuming Renta struggled to believe what he had just seen, and it was almost comical to see him now. Just a couple hours before, he had been what you might expect from a government official: serious, no-nonsense, crafty, and emotionless. Now, with his entire world having collapsed around him, he now had choice but to be forced to wait for the results, results which, unless Alice did what he hoped she would, would end up being either a draw, which wouldn't meet either requirement, though he would have to think up a way to bypass that loophole, or a win, which left him going home empty-handed like a pathetic loser, and that latter option was not what he wanted. On the other hand, Kodama, who had also been quite hooked to the match, and was obviously rooting for Ooarai, now waited to receive the delegations. A few minutes passed as both sides converged on the tent, and as the commanders of both teams arrived, everyone was hushed, placed under complete silence as the negotiations began, with the three girls entering the tent, now obscured from the view of everyone outside.

Alice and Miho stood before each other once again, as well as Jouko, this time in the presence of Kodama, Renta, the matriarchs, Ami, and the judges. It was a bit overwhelming for Jouko, as she had never been in the presence of all of the heads of Sensha-do before, plus the man who held the fate of every school carrier in the palm of his hand. However, snapping everyone back to the task at hand, Kodama introduced the motion of a draw.

"Per the Federation guidelines, should two tanks be rendered inoperable at the same time, it will be required for the commanders to attempt to negotiate a settlement, whether one will forfeit or both will agree to a draw. Should these negotiations fail, the match results will be decided through video evidence. Should that fail… then… we will have a coin toss. Do we understand?"

The three commanders nodded in affirmation.

"Very well, then, you may begin deliberation."

The three turned to each other in order to begin the talks, though as Alice and Jouko exchanged looks, it was clear what they were going to propose. They had spent a chunk of the pre-match planning and the breaks during the match itself talking about it, so it was better to put it into practice instead of doing something contrary to what you decided to do. All that was left now was to decide whether or not Miho would accept the proposal.

Turning back to Miho, Jouko and Alice gave their offer.

"We've decided to offer a draw. This way, All-Stars may retain their reputation, while you may have the chance to keep Ooarai open, as technically you haven't lost."

Miho thought for a bit, knowing that if she refused, she would have to leave Ooarai's fate to chance, and that was something she didn't really want to do, given she had worked her life off in keeping Ooarai open. Taking a deep breath, Miho only gave a nod, and outstretched her hand. With smiles on their faces, the three commanders joined hands, and shook, agreeing to call the match a draw, much to Renta's dismay, and much to the relief of everyone else inside the tent. However, that wasn't the end. Far from it, in fact.

"Just a moment, if you all please."

Once again, silence fell over the assembled party as Chiyo began to speak.

"Miho-san, I decided prior to the match that should you prove yourselves worthy in this match, I will act as a sponsor for you and support Ooarai with the funds that I have, in the event that you lose, or, in this case, have a draw."

Chiyo looked to Shiho, who replied with a smile and a nod, knowing full well the outcome. Taking over from Chiyo, the Nishizumi matriarch decided to give Miho the good news herself, audibly and visibly holding her emotions together as she did so.

"Chiyo-san has decided you are worthy, Miho… Ooarai will be safe, thanks to you." Shiho, fighting back tears, extended her hands to allow Miho to hold them. As their hands held each other, Shiho knelt, and with a bit smile on her face, nodded, and spoke the words which she had wanted to say to Miho ever since she had won the tournament, now being granted this chance to start anew:

"Congratulations, Miho. A well-deserved victory."

Then, taking Miho into an embrace, whispering into her ear, without the hearing of anybody else,

"I'm sorry for what I've done to you. I was wrong… we were all wrong... please... forgive me..."

Miho, stunned by this, couldn't help but break down in tears, allowing Shiho to open her own floodgates as well. Mother and daughter hugged each other tightly, and Miho did her best to comfort her as she cried harder and harder, letting go of all of the pain and pressure and regret she had been forced by her persona to store up in herself. Miho, too, couldn't stop crying, and as the two buried their faces into the other's shoulders, Chiyo, too, began to tear up, while Ami was breaking down in tears, sobbing into a smiling Shinchiro's robes. Even Renta, who was furious that his plans had failed, softened a bit, though quickly escaping through the back of the tent, a completely defeated man. Jouko and Alice, meanwhile, exchanged smiles, and stepped forward to comfort the two Nishizumis, though Jouko, feeling the circle incomplete, left the tent to get a special someone.

"Maho-san… just… just come in, please."

Maho, not knowing what was in store for her, and seeing the tearful yet happy face of Jouko, entered with high expectations. As she entered, she saw the happy sight of Miho and Shiho's reconciliation, and, unable to control herself, threw herself into the hug, causing all three of them to tumble onto the ground, though nobody cared. Shiho, now reunited with her two daughters, clung to them tightly. For the past year, thanks to her selfishness, she had willingly divided the family, separating Maho from one of the few things that made her happy. Now that they were all united together, it was nothing short of complete fulfillment. Everything was now resolved, and now, the Nishizumi could move on to a better era. As Shiho's tears left her eyes and fell onto the ground, never more to return to the place where it came from, so, too, did the things which had made her evil leave her, nevermore to torment her or her family again.

Leaving the happy sight, Chiyo stepped out of the tent to announce to the world the results of the match.

"It is my duty to announce to all of you that both commanders have agreed that the match will be a draw!"

Immediately, everyone erupted in a variety of noise, but they were quickly silenced by Chiyo as she raised her hands to call for silence.

"And… after having witnessed the match that has just been fought, I have decided that, in regards to my proposal to become a patron of Ooarai Girls' Academy, therefore giving it the necessary funds to stay afloat…"

Another burst of noise interrupted Chiyo, who quickly silenced the crowd again.

"...I declare, in terms of Ooarai Girls' Academy's worthiness of this patronage…

They are worthy!"

"AXIOS!" exclaimed Klara in response, eliciting the same shout from Nonna as well, repeating the phrase in Russian, giving way to a cacophony of cheering and shouting and screaming as the crowd went wild with excitement, especially from the Ooarai team. St. Gloriana's students, save Rosehip, who literally couldn't be controlled as she ran in circles screaming at the top of her lungs, and Mika had, by far, the most reserved reactions, though it was evident by their shaking bodies that they were struggling to contain their excitement. Pravda, on the other hand, had erupted into a flurry of dances and drinking and feasting and shouting "URA!" over and over, Kuromorimine's students shook hands vigorously, Saunders screamed like fangirls, and Chi-Ha-Tan was nonstop performing Banzai salutes.

Ooarai's students were as, if not, even more over the moon as everyone else. Anzu was doing backflips and frontflips and all kinds of flips as she screamed at the top of her lungs, Momo couldn't stop crying and sobbing her eyes out, while Yuzu hugged everyone around her. Rabbit Team was tightly embracing each other as they squealed and cried into each other's clothes, Hippo Team danced marched and waltzed around like they were in a victory parade, Duck Team formed a ring and hopped around as if they had just beaten an enemy volleyball team, Leopon Team gathered around to comfort a sobbing Nakajima, Anteater formed a giant A as Nekota and Piyotan allowed Momoga on their shoulders, and last but not least, well, let's just say that Mallard Team was the complete opposite of their usual on-school persona. Who could blame them, though?

Inside the tent, Chiyo stepped back inside as the reunited family now sat up, being given water to refresh themselves by Alice and Jouko, who congratulated Miho on her victory, even though the match, officially, was a draw. As chaos continued to erupt outside, Jouko put her hand into her pocket, only to find that there was still an uneaten kannelbular. Breaking it into three pieces, she gave them to Shiho, Maho, and Alice to eat. Enjoying the meal very much, a now-happier Shiho asked if Jouko had more, to which Jouko, feeling guilty, replied in the negative. Not minding one bit, Shiho and Maho quickly consumed the kannelbular, loving the taste, whilst Alice was savoring it, keeping the tasty bread inside her mouth for an extended period of time, much to the amusement of everyone else, and much to the enjoyment of the younger Shimada. But, all good things must come to an end, and with nothing left to do but leave now that the whole affair was done away with, Shinchiro stood up, and invited everyone out, leading them into the sea of people, who went even crazier as they went out. Immediately, they began to chant Miho's name, hailing the name of the commander who once again had seemingly done the impossible, snatching victory out of the jaws of defeat, as well as the name that she bore, the Nishizumi name, the name that had, once again, proven its supremacy on the battlefield.

Though, in reality, it was thanks to the Hallevanen and Shimada families that this victory was even possible.

Except, if you asked Jouko and her crew, there was only One to Whom the credit belonged: none other but the Triune God.

Continuation High School

"YES! YES! YES!"

Linder bounced around her room as the announcement came. Ooarai was saved, the affair was over, Renta was defeated, what other happy ending could you ask for? Jouko looked so happy, too, which added even more to her excitement. Her celebration knew no bounds, and struggling to contain herself, burst out the door and began shouting throughout the halls, "OOARAI'S WON! OOARAI'S WON!" causing a commotion, and some annoyance from her roommates, which quickly gave way to celebration, as everyone in Continuation, though rooting for Jouko, heard of Ooarai's predicament, and hoped for a positive result to come out of it. And now, with Ooarai securing a draw with All-Stars, and Chiyo agreeing to provide the necessary funding to keep it up-and-running, Ooarai had survived yet another threat to its existence. Truly, nothing was going to bring this school down, and immediately, students rushed out of their rooms, going out to spread the word, both of the victory and to make preparations to give Jouko a triumphal entry back to Continuation.

As she completed her run, Linder, now exhausted, dragged herself back into her room, closed the door, gulped down a bunch of water, and laid flat on her back, breathing deeply in order to refill her lungs with much-needed oxygen. It was during this period of resting that her phone suddenly vibrated with her distinctive ringtone. Checking the notifications, it was from one of the two boys Jouko had befriended back in Finland, namely the quieter one, Antero. Jouko had given Linder their contacts to help her get more associated with her own family, which was a pretty sweet thing to do. However, the resulting message was anything but sweet.

"A picture? Huh…"

Opening it, though, Linder's expression turned from one of bored curiosity to devastating shock. As she read the letter pictured, she struggled to believe her eyes, and soon feared how to relay the news to Jouko. The news in question?

The bishop had removed Jouko's father from his post as parish priest, citing, among other things, "insubordination" and "harmful language" as the reasons for this decision. The sheep were now left without a shepherd, left to fend for themselves, for the new shepherd would most likely be one who wouldn't care for them, and leave them to the wolves.

Allowing her arms to fall limp, Linder closed her eyes, fearing the arrival of Jouko, and almost regretting ever getting the news out in the first place. What had used to be a moment of triumph had now turned into a time of worry and grief. No doubt Jouko was going to be hurt. The question was, would it be worth it telling her, or letting her find out herself? Linder couldn't decide. She didn't want to decide. Allowing herself to give in to her exhaustion and fall asleep, she entered dreamland in a state of uncertainty and doubt, something which now clouded the flock of Saariselka.

Author's Note: Well that was some fast writing, wasn't it? Felt really motivated, and in fact I could've gotten this done yesterday, but I got a bit distracted drawing St. Mark of Ephesus for his belated feast day, in addition to having to do something less fun, namely memorize the entire Book of Romans for an upcoming competition. However, pretty good progress, though I dunno how long the next chapter will take.

As always, please go give some love to florentinomain00f and thegreatthapa, to check out their works. Thanks to them for proofreading and giving me support along the way.