Chapter 87 - Resonance

[Industrial Town - South of the Battlefield]

"Now Sakura-chan! FIRE!" Kojima ordered

"FIRING!" Sakuraba shouted

*BANG

"FIRE!" the Jumbo commander ordered

*BANG

(Again at the same time both tanks fired their cannons towards each other. One was a 128mm shell and another was a 76mm shell flying through the air and slowly went by each other reaching their targets)

*BOOM *BOOM

"Hey what just happened?! What was that explosion!?" Sango asked

"It was our Jagdtiger!"

"Sakuraba-chan and Kojima-san? Did they make it in time?"

"I don't know..there is still smoke around the flag tank of Red Wings.."

(It was a painful wait for them trying to find out if the flag tank of Red Wings was finally taken out. It was a mixture of fear and hope for them as they looked at the battlefield. Slowly they saw first their own Jagdtiger taken out by the 76mm shell of the Jumbo and had a white flag on it. Then their gaze slowly turned to the Jumbo and they saw smoke coming out from it and on top of the turret was a white flag waving in the wind)

"They did it.." Sango said

"RED WINGS ACADEMY FLAG TANK HAS BEEN DESTROYED!" Chouno proudly announced

(The whole stadium erupted into cheers and screams as they heard that Red Wings' Flag Tank was destroyed meaning the last tank they have to take out in order to win is Shiori's command tank. Of course upon hearing the announcement Shiori was shocked and did not expect that their flag tank was the first to go down)

"No way..how could this happen?" Shiori said

"Commander? Commander! What are your orders?!" Takayuki shouted

(Takayuki tried to communicate with Shiori but she was too shocked to answer. Meanwhile Erika and her crew were overjoyed hearing the announcement and their morale skyrocketed)

"They did it!" Suzu cheered

"But how? Who took the shot?" Sheska asked

"Sango-senpai? Can you hear me?" Leila radioed

"Leila-chan? Is that you?" Sango responded

"Yes! Are you alright over there?!"

"We're fine but already white flagged.."

"I see..did you guys take out the flag tank of Red Wings?" Erika asked

"No Kommandant..it was Sakuraba-chan and their Jagdtiger! They made it in time!"

"That's the White Tiger's disciple for ya!" Rin cheered

"But..our own flag tank is.." Sheska said

(They all looked again towards the field to look at the White Tiger that was fighting Shiori while Sango and Mauko were fighting from the other side of the battlefield. Their joy disappeared when they gazed at the beaten up tank of Gero. The white paint was almost scraped off from the body due to numerous hits from shells. The tank tracks were hanging by a thin thread and it looked like it was about to come off every second. This was the most they have been damaged since their fight against Darjeeling)

[Seven Seats of Senshado Viewing Platform]

"I never expected that their duel would be this one sided.." Katyusha said

"This is the first time I've ever seen Darling's tank this beaten up and all his moves countered.." Kay said

"But they haven't been white flagged! It's not yet over!" Asparagus said

"That's right! Don't give up Whitey!" Anchovy shouted

"There's got to be some way he can win.." Darjeeling said

"Unfortunately there is no way to win.." Kaede said

"Is that your pride speaking or is that your honest opinion?" Maho asked

"I know I have spoken out of line with regards to your brother but I admit that he is strong..nobody has ever pushed Shiori to this state and have survived this long while Overwhelm is active.."

"Then-"

"But it is just impossible for a Nishizumi to win against a Yamato when Overwhelm is active..I'm sorry.."

"My mother was able to defeat your mother before..and my onii-sama will do the same.." Maho said

"Shiho-sama was able to defeat the current Yamato head?!" Kal reacted

"As expected of Tiger-kun's mother.." Takashi smiled

"That's a different story..back then my mother didn't know that Overwhelm was active and she didn't know what was happening..your mother took advantage of that and won.."

"But since your little sister has experienced Overwhelm before Gero-kun will not have the same advantage as Shiho-sama?" Darjeeling asked

"That's right..unless.."

"Unless what?" Asparagus asked

"It's nothing.." Kaede answered

(Maho noticed that something was bothering Kaede but she never said anything since she too was unsure)

[Ooarai Viewing Platform]

"Something's wrong..onii-chan's moves are not fluid for some reason.." Miho said

"I noticed that too..he's slower than the usual.." Shizuka said

"He's slow with all that movement?! I could barely keep up with their duel!" Saori reacted

[Jatkosota Viewing Platform]

"Hey hey this is not looking good for Kuromorimine!" Aki said

"What do you mean? They just took out the flag tank of Red Wings!" Mikko smiled

"At what cost? They lost their Maus, Sturmtiger, and the Jagdtiger!"

"So what..they still have the White Tiger..and..and..wait a sec.."

"All that's left is Ro-chan's tank.." Mika said

"Then it's really really bad for them!" Mikko suddenly reacted

"That's what I said!" Aki shouted

"Ro-chan..don't you dare lose.."

(As everyone watches the final moments of the match with Gero and his crew being the last hope for Kuromorimine. That hope slowly withers away as they stand in front of seven Jumbos and Shiori's Easy Eight. Inside the tank Gero was exhausted from using Sacred Possession continuously. His crew also were fatigued from battling it out against the Yamato Heiress with all they got)

"You guys look like shit.."

"Shut up Matsu-kun..you look way worse than us.." Ken smiled

"I'm fine.."

"Ken's right..you're looking pale Taichou..you too Ono-kun.." Hajime said

"Well, we did just got back without proper rest.." Ono smiled

"Where did you guys go anyways?" Ken asked

"We'll talk about that later, first we have to win this.."

"It's eight against one and how much time do you have left on your Sacred Possession?" Hajime asked

"One minute.."

"Considering that Yamato Shiori was able to fend off our every attack even with the help of your skill..I can't see a way to get through this winning.." Hajime said

"Don't worry..everything is going as planned.."

"It is?" his crew asked

(Gero then closed his eyes and entered the Sacred Realm)

"Right Byakko?"

"Yes master, all preparations are done.." Byakko said

"Alright..let's do it.."

"Master, I'd like to confirm again. Are you sure you want to do this?" Byakko asked

"You were the one that suggested it.."

"I did but I thought you'd decline after I told you the risks.."

"It'll be alright! I have complete faith in you that you'll do what's necessary to keep the damage at the minimum.."

"I just don't want this to be our first and last fight together.."

"It won't be the last, trust me ok? Besides how can I win this fight if I don't put everything on the line.."

"As you wish, master.."

(Gero then opened his eyes to inform his crew of what's about to happen)

"Listen to me boys, I'm about to do something crazy again, and I'm gonna need your help.."

"Let's do it!" his crew suddenly said

"O-Oh..you're not going to ask me what is it?"

"Nope.." Ken said

"It'll be a waste of time convincing you anyways.." Hajime chuckled

"Let's just get on with it!" Ono smiled

"Hahaha! You guys are the best!"

(As Gero and his crew were just nonchalantly goofing around in their tank Shiori was still in shock after hearing that their flag tank got destroyed. Takayuki rushed to her side and shook her to snap her out of her daze)

"Commander! Commander!" Takayuki shouted

"..."

"Shiori-san!" he shouted once more

"Y-Yes?!" Shiori answered

"Are you alright? Are you hurt?"

"No..I'm fine..I was just startled upon hearing what happened to our flag tank.."

"Me too..but it won't matter..all that's left is the White Tiger and their immobilized command tank.."

"You're right..forgive me.." Shiori smiled

"Go and finish it commander, let's win this tournament!" Takayuki said

"Yeah.."

(Shiori's tank now moved forward toward the White Tiger and aimed their canon directly at them)

"Fire!" Shiori ordered

"On the way!"

*BANG

(The 76mm shell was fired as ordered and was now about to hit the white tiger but suddenly they too fired their 88mm shell and it hit the 76mm midair)

"Tsk..still stubborn I see..switch to open comms.." Shiori said

"Switching to open comms now ma'am.." the radio operator said

"Can you hear me great White Tiger, Nishizumi Gero?" Shiori radioed

"Loud and clear..what can I do for you?"

"Oh I don't know, how about giving up? It is impossible to win now..you're all that's left of the mighty Kuromorimine.."

"Giving up was never an option..sorry about that.."

"Haven't you already noticed? The mighty White Tiger is no match for that Yamato Style.." Shiori bragged

"Is that so? I don't know about that but what I did notice was you're still the same old spoiled brat when I first met you.."

"STOP CALLING ME A SPOILED BRAT!" Shiori shouted

"Yeah well..I guess it's time to teach a very spoiled girl a lesson.."

"And how the hell are you gonna do that huh?!" Shiori taunted

"If one White Tiger isn't enough..then how about four?"

"W-What? Four?! What in the world are you saying?!"

"Instead of telling you, we'll show you..over and out..alright boys..take deep breaths and just let your minds go blank.."

(After turning off their radio Gero and his crew closed their eyes and focused on their breathing. As they concentrated on this final attack that they will soon be doing everyone in the battlefield felt the atmosphere change. Even the audience watching all the way up in the stands felt a big chill in their spines. Shiori once again was baffled at the sight of Gero's aura which she suddenly couldn't see)

"His aura..it disappeared again!?" Shiori reacted

"Commander?"

"The White Tiger's intense aura that I've been battling against suddenly vanished again.."

"W-What's going to happen?" Takayuki asked

"I don't know..but it's giving me a very very bad feeling.." Shiori said

"Senpai! What's with the weird atmosphere?" Sheska asked

"It looks like it's coming from the White Tiger.." Suzu said

"Yeah..that Bakatora is up to something crazy again.." Erika said

"They're not known as the craziest tank crew in the history of Senshado for nothing.." Leila chuckled

"Very true.." Rin smiled

[Sacred Realm - Inside Gero's Mind]

(As Gero's crew closed their eyes and focused they suddenly found themselves at a very familiar place that they remember all too well)

"This place again.." Ono said

"What are we doing here?" Ken asked

"Taichou! We know you're here! Care to answer Ken's question?!" Hajime shouted

"Over here!"

(The three of them looked behind them and were completely frozen in shock as they were greeted by Gero. They were frozen because behind Gero stood the mighty Byakko who was now at least 15 feet tall and was looking down on them)

"G-Gero..what is that?" Ono asked

"Weiss wasn't the only new member of our team..I'd like you all to meet my partner Byakko!"

"Nice to meet you all, my name is Byakko..my master has spoken highly about all three of you!" Byakko greeted

"Byakko?" Ken asked

"Yes..I'm the servant of the Nishizumi Family and I look forward to being with you.."

"T-This is.." Hajime reacted

"I know it's a bit scary but I assure you-"

"SO COOL!" his crew suddenly shouted

"Eh?"

(Gero looked at his crew and was already playing with Byakko without hesitation. Ken was riding his back like a slide while Hajime was sitting on top of Byakko's head and Ken was hugging Byakko's tail as he wags it up and down. Byakko had a big sweat drop on his head because he didn't expect this kind of reaction and so did Gero)

"I've never seen a White Tiger before let alone this big! I'm Ono!"

"Me too! And we even get to do these kinds of things to him without having to fear being eaten alive! Nice to meet you too Byakko! Call me Ken!"

"I'm Hajime! Forgive us for being this excited because this is really something that doesn't happen everyday.."

"Uhm..it's quite alright Hajime-sama, Ken-sama, and Ono-sama.." Byakko said

"Hahaha! I knew you guys would get along just fine! By the way Byakko why did you get this big by the way?"

"In preparation for what we are about to do I gathered Sacred Energy which made me increase in size..rest assured that after this match I shall return to my normal size.." Byakko answered

"I see..well boys how about we get started?"

"Wait a sec! We have one more thing to do!" Ono said

"What is it?"

"Byakko can you lie on your back for us?" Ken asked

(As requested Byakko then laid on her back with her belly up)

"Like this?" Byakko asked

"Yup! Alright guys one, two, three, now!" Hajime said

(Suddenly the three of them started to gently rub Byakko's belly. Byakko at first was embarrassed and was unsure of what was happening but after a while she started to feel good and enjoyed the belly rub)

"Lucky for you huh Byakko?"

"Yes master..it feels very very heavenly.." Byakko smiled with a blush

"This is our welcome gift for you.." Hajime smiled

"Gift? For what?" Byakko asked

"Welcome to our family Byakko!" all four of them said

"E-Eh? Family?"

"That's right..from this day forward you are part of our family.." Ono smiled

"We'll look out for each other like brothers!" Ken smiled

"Trust us to have your back as we'll trust you to have ours.." Hajime smiled

"Family..Trust.." Byakko said

"Well Byakko? What do you say?"

"I am honored to be a part of your family! I swear my loyalty only to you, my family!" Byakko smiled

"Alright! Then let's go!"

"Yes Master!"

(Byakko then stretched out his big paw in front of Gero and his crew. All four of them then placed their own hands on top of his paw and focused once more)

"Nishizumi Style: Sacred Possession.."

(Once again Gero's eyes glowed golden yellow as the possession took over but this time it was different)

"Resonance.."

(All of a sudden an enormous amount of aura burst from within the Sacred Realm and it leaked all throughout the tournament stage. The normal audience felt a grave chill on their spines while the veteran players of Senshado felt differently. Some knew that it was Gero's aura that they felt but something about it was different)

"This presence..it's Gero's..and.." Erika said

"Ono-senpai's?" Shesksa said

"Hajime-kun's also.." Leila said

[Ooarai Viewing Platform]

"Ken-chan..I can feel Ken-chan..." Mako said

"Mako? What do you mean?" Saori asked

"I don't know..somehow I suddenly felt Ken-chan's presence from way out here.."

"I know what you mean Mako-san..I too can see and feel onii-chan's aura right now.." Miho smiled

(For others they could only feel they're auras but for the members of the Three Great Families they can see it clearly)

[Seven Seats of Senshado Viewing Platform]

"Onii-sama's aura..it's so intense.." Maho said

"Can you see it Maho-san?" Darjeeling asked

"Yes for some reason.."

"I want to see it too!" Kay shouted

"For us we can only feel it.." Katyusha said

(Suddenly they heard a chair fall down beside them so they all looked just to see Kaede up on her feet with a very distraught expression on her face. Not only that but she was also letting out an intense aura around her as if she was ready to join the battle herself)

"What's wrong?" Anchovy asked

"You okay?" Takashi asked

"Hey what's with the sudden aura?" Maho reacted

"..."

(Kaede wasn't answering and was just staring at the battlefield where Gero and Shiori were. They all didn't know what was happening until Naomi spoke up)

"You can see his aura as well right?" Naomi asked

"That's impossible.." Kaede said

"I see now..so that's what happened.." Kal said

"What do you mean Kal?" Katyusha asked

"She activated her own Overwhelm skill when she saw Gero's aura from here..hence the aura she is releasing right now.."

"Eh?!" everyone reacted

"Is that true Kaede-san?!" Kay asked

"I didn't activate it!" Kaede shouted

"Stop lying already..we can clearly feel your aura.." Naomi said

"Lying? I never denied that my Overwhelm activated..I denied activating it of my free will!" Kaede retorted

"Wait..wait a minute..so you're saying that.." Takashi said

"Seeing my brother's aura forcefully activated your skill? Didn't it?" Maho asked

(Kaede did not respond to Maho's assumption but the silence just confirmed it for everyone. They all couldn't believe that Gero was able to do that with just his aura but Kaede is the most shocked out of all of them because she can see Gero's aura clearly and it seriously frightened her)

"I've never heard of a high school student having this much aura..it's just physically impossible.." Kaede said

"Impossible? Why?" Anchovy asked

"Right now at this very moment..Nishizumi Gero has the same amount of aura as the Masters of the Senshado Families.."

(Again they were surprised hearing what Kaede had said to them. Just hearing it wasn't enough for them to believe it and they wanted to see it with their own eyes but they couldn't. Kaede wasn't the only one that can see Gero's aura of course Shiho and the rest could too and they also were in shock)

[Viewing Platform for VIPs]

"Hey..just what in the world did your son do?" Mai asked

"Is this the surprise you said?" Shiho asked

"Yup! It's amazing right?!" Tsuneo cheered

"Amazing?! He's emitting a tremendous amount of aura that should have been impossible in the first place!" Mai shouted

"Mai-chan is right..right now Gero-chan has the strength as the three of us..but we attained this strength through years of training and experience..both of which Gero-chan do not have!" Chiyo said

"And you're wondering why my son who just started Senshado half a year ago is now on the same level right?" Tsuneo said

"Yes! So an explanation is needed for us to understand!" Mai replied

"It's called Resonance.."

"Resonance?" all of them asked

"The Sacred Realm is a place where only those with Sacred Blood are allowed to enter..therefore those that have set foot in it are the only ones that gain knowledge about it..my son getting past the third stage of possession enabled him to harness even more power from it compared to the last time.."

"So he's resonating with it?" Shiho asked

"Not with it..with HIM.."

"Him? Who are you talking about?" Chiyo asked

"Before we got here Gero wanted to test it out so I assisted him.."

"What happened?" Mai asked

"I was able to enter the Sacred Realm even though I didn't have Sacred Blood in my veins.."

"No way...I don't believe it.." Chiyo said

"I couldn't believe it either..it was only for a few seconds but it really did happen.."

"So who are you talking about? The person that our son is resonating with?" Shiho asked

"It was a faint sound but I'm sure I heard a voice.." Tsuneo shared

"A voice? Did Gero-chan hear it too?" Chiyo asked

"I don't think so..after the resonance he never mentioned it so I just kept quiet.."

"What kind of voice was it?" Mai asked

"It sounded like a young man's voice maybe in the mid 30s..and it said only one word.."

"What word?"

"Master.."

(Back to the battlefield where the remaining tanks of Red Wings are staring at the unmoving White Tiger. Shiori was in awe of the sight in front of her and couldn't begin to understand it)

"How?! Why?! Why is his aura suddenly larger than my sister's! He could even be as strong as mother right now!" Shiori said in her thoughts

"Commander! What do we do now?!" Takayuki shouted

"Fire.."

"Eh? What?"

"I SAID FIRE!" Shiori shouted

"R-Roger!" All tanks open fire now!" Takayuki ordered

*BANG *BANG *BANG *BANG *BANG *BANG *BANG *BANG *BANG *BANG

(With Shior's rushed order to suddenly open fire all eight tanks of Red Wings fired one round each at the White Tiger. Smoke filled the field as the shells landed towards the location of the White Tiger)

*BOOM *BOOM *BOOM *BOOM *BOOM *BOOM *BOOM *BOOM

"Did we get him?" Takayuki asked

"I don't know..can someone confirm the kill?!" Takayuki radioed

"Can't see from here!"

"Negative!"

"Too much smoke!"

*BANG *BANG *BOOM

(All of a sudden two consecutive shots from the smoke were fired and two 88mm shells impacted one of the Jumbos white flagging it suddenly. All of them were unable to react to this sudden surprise attack from the White Tiger)

"What the hell was that?!" Takayuki reacted

"An accurate blind shot through the smoke..in this situation!?" Shiori said

(The smoke had faded and they saw craters all around the white tiger but it wasn't white flagged. It only had moved a couple of meters backwards to avoid fatal shots. Inside the white tiger Gero and his crew reacted to what had just happened to them)

"That's one down.." Ono said

"Seven to go.." Hajime smiled

"That was an awesome shot Matsu-kun!" Ken shouted

"Not as awesome as your driving Ken!"

"Thanks! For some reason I could predict the trajectory of their shells and I just needed to move only a little bit to avoid getting white flagged!"

"I see..so that's how Resonance affected you.."

"I gotta say..this is a very amazing skill Taichou.." Hajime said

"Yeah..all my fatigue is gone and my reload speed even got faster!" Ono said

"We only got 60 seconds after that we won't be able to move for a bit.."

"That's enough to win..so Taichou? Shall we?" Hajime smiled

"Yeah..all set Byakko?"

"Yes master!" Byakko said

(All of them opened their eyes and their eyes were glowing golden yellow. This meant that Ono, Hajime, Ken and Gero had the effects of Sacred Possession which Byakko gave them. They eyes had the pupils of Byakko which was a tiger's pupil)

"I am now sharing a portion of my strength with all four of you..use it wisely before it runs out! You have my golden eyes and all of you have shared senses. You see what the other sees, you hear what the other one hears, and you feel what all of you feel.." Byakko explained

"Thanks Byakko!" Ono smiled

"Armor Piercing Tracer Rounds loaded and ready!" Hajime said

"Ken turn on the headlights.."

"Roger!"

(With a flip of a switch the two headlights in front of the White Tiger turned on. It was as if their tank too had Byakko's golden eyes)

"We live together.." Hajime smiled

"We fight together.." Ono smiled

"We die together.." Ken smiled

"WE ARE THE WHITE TIGER!" Gero and his crew said in unison

"Best of luck!" Byakko smiled back

"LET'S FUCKING GO!"

*CUE MUSIC: ENTER-SANDMAN METALLICA INSTRUMENTAL*

(Ken then stepped on the pedals and the White Tiger accelerated at full power towards Shiori and the Jumbos)

"Here he comes! FIRE! FIRE!" Takayuki shouted

*BANG *BANG *BANG *BANG *BANG *BANG *BANG *BANG *BANG

(All 76mm shells missed their target because Ken was able to predict their trajectories just by seeing them. The shells didn't even touch their tank and they just kept on going as if nothing happened. At the same time Hajime was shooting their machine gun accurately at the gun sights of the Jumbos blinding them with the tracers)

"Fire now gunner!" Takayuki shouted

"I can't get a clean shot with all the tracer rounds!"

"Back it up! Back up! Keep moving and don't stop!" Shiori shouted

*BOOM

(An 88mm shell suddenly penetrated the Jumbo behind Shiori's tank white flagging it instantly. After a couple of seconds another 88mm shell hit another Jumbo and it was so fast that Ono's reload speed was like an auto-loader)

"Damn! Pull back! Don't engage him!" Shiori shouted

"But commander!" Takayuki said

"You're no match for him! He's too strong! Get back! I'll handle this!"

(Shiori's Easy Eight then rushed after the White Tiger in an attempt to defeat him. As the Jumbos reversed away from the field the White Tiger went up a rocky hill and stared at them from above with the yellow headlights that look like eyes. It opened it's vents on top of it's engine block and hot steam exited and it looked like the tank was breathing)

[Viewing Platform for VIPs]

"Amazing..every move they make is minimal and un-wasted.." Chiyo said

"Perfect synchronization and chemistry.." Mai said

"You all noticed it as well right? It wasn't just my son's aura that we felt.." Tsuneo said

"Yeah..his crew's aura was mixed in as well.." Shiho said

"Wait..you're saying his crew is also Resonating with him?" Mai asked

"That's right..the driver, loader, bow gunner, and gunner, all four of them now are the White Tiger.."

"Right here, right now, that White Tiger tank is alive.." Shiho smiled

(Shiori's tank FURY now was again on a one on one duel against Gero but this time it was different)

"No matter how strong you get I'll just overwhelm you!" Shiori shouted

*BANG *BOOM

(The 76mm shell was fired again towards the White Tiger but it was easily dodged and Gero returned fire immediately. The 88mm shell hit Shiori's tank on the side and bounced off but it shook them and scared them. This continued for a while of back and forth exchanges of shots with Gero hitting his shots while Shiori kept missing)

"Looks like my guess was right, master.." Byakko said

"Yeah..she can't keep up..how did you know?"

"The moment you said that the Yamato heiress we are about to face was the second daughter and not the eldest there was a 90% chance she had an inferiority complex.."

"Wow you literally guessed what kind of person she was without meeting her.."

"I just got lucky master.." Byakko smiled

"I don't understand! What's happening!? I can't predict their moves even with Warrior's Arena.." Shiori said

(Another 88mm shell grazed the right side of their Easy Eight and forced their tank to spin out of control. Shiori couldn't believe what was happening since their first duel she was the untouchable one but know it's the opposite)

"This is impossible! No matter what I do my Overwhelm keeps getting left behind! I'm the one getting overwhelmed?!" Shiori reacted

[Viewing Platform for VIPs]

"Oh how the tables have turned.." Tsuneo smiled

"I never thought I'd see the day that the Yamato Skill is getting rekt by a Nishizumi.." Chiyo smiled

"Me too..I thought it's impossible for your skill to be losing like this?" Shiho asked

"It is..but there is one problem that I had forgotten about.."

"What problem?"

"That Yamato Ceiling.."

"Ceiling?" everyone asked

"As the name sounds it literally is a ceiling that every member of the Yamato Family hits.."

"What is this ceiling?" Shiho asked

"When a member of the family arrives at this point it means they have been pushed to the very limit in using their skills and strength..and they will no longer be able to go higher than this ceiling until they are able to break through it.." Mai explained

"So you're saying that Gero-chan was able to push Shiori-chan to reach this ceiling?" Chiyo asked

"Yes..and right now Gero-kun's aura and strength has gone above and beyond that ceiling because of Resonance..that's why she's losing.."

"I see..then my next question is why hasn't your daughter reached her ceiling up until now? Shouldn't you have been training them to break through it as early as possible to avoid this kind of situation?" Tsuneo asked

"Kaede has already broken through her ceiling when I was training her but Shiori hasn't because she never wanted to train with me or her sister.." Mai said

"Why? Did you get into a fight?"

"No..but Shiori was always compared to Kaede all her years when they grew up together..this gave her an inferiority complex..so she trained by herself and never approached us for any help..she was able to reach this level all on her own.."

"That's why she's strong..your daughter and my son are very similar in that sense.." Shiho smiled

"I know...thank you..by the way..I reached my ceiling when I fought you Shiho-chan all those years ago.." Mai smiled

"Yeah I figured.."

"Does she even know that she reached the ceiling?" Tsuneo asked

"Of course not..I'm sure right now she's getting really confused about what's happening.."

"So is this already a win for Gero-chan?" Chiyo asked

"No..because it's only a matter of time before Shiori will be able to break her ceiling..the moment she surpasses that ceiling she'll be able to overwhelm Gero-kun again.."

(Just as Yamato Mai explained to them Shiori was still losing to Gero and is being cornered slowly)

"Byakko! How much time before she breaks through her ceiling?!"

"Not long now! If we continue at this pace she'll soon break through!" Byakko answered

*BOOM *BOOM *BOOM *BOOM

(Explosions suddenly impacted all around the White Tiger but they weren't hit because of Ken's maneuvers. Gero the saw that the four last Jumbos of Red Wings started to charge straight at them in an attempt to help out Shiori)

"Commander! We're here to back you up!" Takayuki shouted

"DON'T! GET BACK! HE'LL TARGET YOU-"

(As Shiori tried her hardest to prevent her teammates from attacking she saw from her peripheral vision an 88mm shell fly past her left side and impacted directly a Jumbo and white flagged it. The on her right she saw the White Tiger accelerate at full speed completely ignoring her tank and now headed to the Jumbos)

"NO! STOP!" Shiori shouted

"Fire at will!" Takayuki ordered

*BANG *BANG *BANG

(Three 76mm shells were constantly being fired by the Jumbos aimed at the White Tiger. All of their efforts are wasted as Ken just easily dodges all of them with elegant maneuvers as he quickly closed the gap in between them)

"Why can't we hit it?!" a Jumbo gunner reacted

"They're so fast!" Takayuki reacted

"Help! Help us! He's about to-"

*BOOM

(The White Tiger was suddenly in front of them and then drifted to the right then fired a 88mm shell point blank to the side of the Jumbo forcing it to turnover to its side and white flagging it. Only two Jumbos remain and both were terrified as they witnessed one of their teammates get brutally taken out)

"Takayuki-kun! Get the hell out of there!" Shiori shouted

"I'm sorry commander but I'm not running away! Let's settle this White Tiger!" Takayuki shouted

*BANG *BANG

(They fired at the White Tiger with their 76mm canons but it was immediately countered by Gero and Ono's combination of accuracy and speed reload. Two 88mm shells were fired and destroyed the 76mm shells midair)

*BOOM *BOOM

"Huh..Déjà vu.." Takayuki smiled

(It was the exact same situation during the Exhibition Games where Gero hit their shells midair and it again repeated in this match hence the Déjà vu. Ken then stepped on the gas and accelerated once more towards the last two Jumbos before they could fire off another shot. The White Tiger drifted in between them and then immediately fired two consecutive shots and white flagged the last two Jumbos. Once again they fell over to the side due to the force of the point blank shot)

"Takayuki-san! Are you alright?!" Shiori radioed

"Y-Yes ma'am..we're fine but we're out sorry! It's up to you now commander! I know you can beat him!" Takayuki radioed

(Shiori then looked up towards where the White Tiger was and it was the very first time that she thought about how fearsome the White Tiger is. The 88mm cannon was aiming at them ready to unleash hell upon them. The bright headlights in front of the tank that look like the eyes were staring down at her. The steam coming out of the tank's engine block as if it was breathing. Then the sound of the strong engine can be heard from afar and it was like the White Tiger growling)

"Commander?" her gunner called out to her

"W-What?" Shiori answered

"You're trembling.."

"Huh..?"

(Shiori then looked at herself and she was shaking in fear. The worst part is that Gero's skill wasn't activated which means he isn't sending killing intent to Shiori. She was genuinely afraid of the amount of power he was showing right now. And it was the first time she ever thought she was going to lose)

"Am I going to lose? Am I about to be defeated right here?" Shiori said in her thoughts

"They're aiming at us, commander!" her driver suddenly shouted

*BANG

(Shiori gazed upon a shell that was fired at them by the White Tiger. She was still unable to move and just watched as the shell hit their tank)

*BOOM

"Is it over?" her loader asked

"The pedals are still working! We didn't get white flagged!" the driver said

"Then what the heck did we get hit with?!" the gunner asked

"A smoke shell..they shot us with a smoke shell.." Shiori answered

"But why?! They could've ended it there!"

(As much as Shiori was confused another emotion emerged from within her and it was rage. She was angry because she felt like she was being mocked again by Gero by firing a smoke shell at them)

"How dare you mock me once again.." Shiori whispered

"That's right..get angry..get motivated.."

"Are you telling me that..if you had shot us with an AP round..this battle would've been over?" Shiori said

"Get up and fight us!"

"IS THAT WHAT YOU'RE TRYING TO TELL ME?! WHITE TIGER?!" Shiori shouted

(As Shiori's anger took over the fear she was feeling she was once again motivated to beat the shit out of the White Tiger no matter what. Enormous amounts of strength and power suddenly flowed throughout her body. This only meant that she had finally broken through the ceiling that was holding her back. Gero and his crew could feel and see Shiori's aura growing larger and larger until it was as big as theirs)

"You just had to piss her off huh?" Ono asked

"That's more like it..it wouldn't be fun if it wasn't this way.."

"Did she break the ceiling Byakko?" Hajime asked

"Yes Hajime-sama..from here on out it will be a downhill fight as it drags on..we only have one chance to win.."

"Don't worry we're used to fighting an uphill battle!" Ken smiled

"This is the final seconds of the battle! Give us everything Byakko!"

"Yes master!" Byakko smiled

(The White Tiger crew's auras started to spike up even more and clashing with Shiori's aura)

"Nishizumi Style: Hunter's Domain.."

"Yamato Style: Warrior's Arena.." Shiori muttered

"Here I come Yamato Heiress!"

"Come at me Nishizumi Heir.." Shiori said

(Both the White Tiger and FURY then accelerated at max speed towards each other)

"ROUND UP!" Ono shouted

"FIRE!"

*BANG *BANG

(Two consecutive 88mm shell were fired at the Easy Eight but this time Shiori can clearly see the shots)

"10 degrees up..steady..fire.." Shiori ordered

*BANG

"Again.."

*BANG

*BOOM *BOOM

(The four shells collided in midair but both of them were unfazed as if they were already expecting the outcome. As the smoke faded both tanks then drifted around each other exchanging shots that wouldn't hit their targets because of the skill of both drivers. Everyone watching could feel the intensity of the duel but they could also feel how much fun both Gero and Shiori were having)

"ARE YOU HAVING FUN YAMATO SHIORI?! BECAUSE I KNOW I AM!"

"I will admit Nishizumi Gero! Right here right now! YOU ARE STRONG!" Shiori shouted with a smile

*BANG *CLANK

(A 76mm shell hit the side of the White Tiger's turret but it bounced off. It was the first shell that hit it's target after they started duking it out)

"Master! Yamato Shiori's aura has now overwhelmed ours!" Byakko reported

"Yeah I noticed! This is it boys!"

"Round up!"

"FIRE!"

*BANG

(The 88mm shell was fired again but this time it was dodged effortlessly by Shiori's tank)

"Fire!"

*BANG *BOOM

(A shot by the Easy Eight landed a clean hit on the White Tiger's left tracks. They should've lost control at this point but for some reason ken was still able to steer their heavy tank with ease even with broken tracks)

"How the hell are they still able to move like that?!" the gunner asked

"They have one helluva driver that's for damn sure!" Shiori smiled

"They're circling around us!" the bow gunner shouted

"Intercept them!" Shiori ordered

"Hey Ken I think our tracks got taken out.." Hajime said

"I know I know..I can still manage to drive it straight but if you want to make a drifting move we only have one chance before the right tracks give out.." Ken said

"Then screw dodging! Drive straight at them and we'll put our thick armor to good use!"

(Both tanks were now driving straight at each other at full speed. They were still continuously firing their shells at each other without any hint of stopping. The White Tiger was tanking the shots with their thick frontal armor while the FURY was dodging every shot)

"Gunner, aim under the turret mantlet.." Shiori said

"Up!" the loader said

"Fire!"

"On the way!"

*BANG *BOOM

(The 76mm shell was fired as ordered and it hit the White Tiger under the mantlet and it wedged the round in between the top armor and the matlet jamming the turret rotation)

"Well..this is a problem.."

"What is?" Ono asked

"Our turret won't rotate.."

"What now?"

"We improvise! Load smoke and wait for my signal!"

"Roger!" Ono said

"Ten seconds before Resonance deactivates!" Byakko said

(The White Tiger and FURY was getting near each other and both was ready to do a drifting move to make their final shot at each other to end the match)

"Get ready! They can't rotate their turret anymore! Once we drift to their side it's over!" Shiori said

"Yes ma'am!" her crew answered

"Smoke Up!" Ono shouted

"FIRE!"

*BANG *BOOM

(The smoke shell exploded in front of the FURY tank blinding them temporarily. Shiori's FURY was about to enter the smoke cloud until she felt a change in the direction of the White Tiger's aura)

"Five seconds!" Byakko said

"Now Ken!"

"Aye aye!"

(The White Tiger then suddenly drifted to the right out of the smoke at an angle so that the turret was already aiming at the FURY tank. But this was already predicted by Shiori and their Easy Eight was already drifting to the right as well and aiming at the left side of the White Tiger)

"Four seconds!" Byakko said

"Fire!" Shiori ordered

*BANG

(Just as the76mm shell was about to hit the White Tiger their right tracks suddenly broke and it tilted the White Tiger slightly just enough to bounce the shell off the side of the turret)

"Three!" Byakko reported

"Well that's both our tracks gone.." Ken said

"At Least our gun barrel didn't get blown off.." Ono chuckled

"It's now up to you Taichou.."

"Tsk..they really have the luck of the devil!" the gunner said

"But all that luck has now run out! They can't dodge now!" the driver said

"Yeah..reload now then take the final shot.." Shiori ordered

"Two seconds!"

(Victory was now within reach of Red Wings and they were so confident that the loader took her time in loading the next shell. But Shiori thought that it wouldn't just end like that. She then felt a grave chill behind her back like something was gnawing at her but she couldn't figure it out. Then she saw all that intense aura that the White Tiger was releasing was suddenly decreasing and would soon disappear)

"One..now deactivating Resonance.." Byakko said

"Huh? Where did all that aura go?" Shiori reacted

"Thank you Byakko..you did well.."

(The moment Shiori heard Gero's voice from behind her sent chills down her spine. Shiori slowly turned her head around to confirm whether or not she really heard Gero's voice or if she was just hearing things. But as she turned her body around she saw Gero standing on top of their tank's engine compartment holding two Panzerbüchse 39 Anti Tank Rifles on both his hands)

"H-How the hell did he manage to climb up our tank?!" Shiori said in her thoughts

(Shiori then recalled the events that happened and deduced a logical explanation on how Gero ended up on top of their tank. She remembered that a smoke shell exploded just before the White Tiger drifted to the right then the FURY drifted to the right seconds after it. Just before the white tiger drifted Gero had jumped off their tank and hid in the smoke and when the Easy Eight finished their drift Gero just casually climbed on)

"His aura was so big I would've seen it from a hundred meters! How did I not detect his presence?!"

(The sound of the cannon firing made it easier for him to climb undetected by Shiori but the main reason why his presence was unnoticed was because Gero had already turned off his own Sacred Possession before he jumped off the White Tiger. Since Resonance was still active Ono, Hajime, and Ken had the same aura as Gero which Shiori was focused on therefore she couldn't see anything else)

"I shall now defeat your strongest skill..with my own original skill.."

(Shiori couldn't do anything as she watched Gero aim the two anti-tank rifles on top of their engine block at point blank range. She saw his eyes we're no longer glowing golden meaning Sacred Possession wasn't activated. But what she did saw was a figure of an enormous white tiger behind Gero looking down on her which was Byakko)

"White Tiger Style: Hidden Fangs.."

*CLICK *BANG *BANG *BOOM

(Two 7.92x94mm anti tank rounds buried deep inside the FURY's engine block destroying it completely and a small cloud of black smoke emerged from it. As the surveillance drones flew over the FURY to confirm what had happened Ami Chouno grabbed the microphone in front of her and took a big breath of air)

"LADIES AND GENTLEMEN! THE WINNER OF THE 64TH NATIONAL SENSHADO TOURNAMENT IS.."

(As the smoke faded a white flag was seen by everyone on top of the FURY signaling it's defeat)

"KUROMORIMINE UNIVERSITY HIGH SCHOOL!" Ami Chouno shouted

*CUE MUSIC : Alfakyun. -ERROR (Cover)*

(Everyone suddenly jumped out of their seats as they cheered for the winners of the tournament. Mixed emotions of happiness, sadness, cheers and tears filled the entire stadium. Confetti and fireworks filled the air to celebrate the glorious win of Kuromorimine. Back at the field Gero was tired and breathing heavily so he no longer had the strength to hold the two heavy anti tank rifles so he just dropped them on top of the FURY)

"Are you alright master?!" Byakko got worried

"Y-Yeah..I'm alright.."

"Who are you talking to?" Shiori asked

(Gero completely forgot that Shiori was in front of him)

"O-Oh nobody..just talking to myself.."

"Weirdo.."

"Shut up! Shit I'm so tired.."

"Oh come on it wasn't that tiring..besides you won so why complain?"

"Who said I was complaining?"

"Well for what it's worth it was the most fun I'd had in a long time..congratulations.." Shiori smiled

"Thank you..I had so much fun too!"

(Gero then stretched out his hand because he wanted to shake Shiori's hand for the amazing match. Shiori was about to shake his hand but her hand fell short as she noticed the blood and bandages on his hands)

"What happened to your hands?!" Shiori reacted

"Oh..uhm..yeah well before I got back things happened and..yeah this is how I ended up..the stitches must've ripped during the match..maybe I'll shake your hand another time when mine aren't dirty and bloodied.."

(Shiori saw the look on Gero's face and she noticed how tired he really was and how pale he looked. She wanted to ask what happened but she thought that it wasn't the time and place to ask so she didn't. All she needed to know was that Gero gave his all to win their duel to the point he ended up like this)

"I don't mind.." Shiori said

"Are you sure?"

"Yup..I'm not scared of blood and I'm not a clean freak either so.."

(Shiori then extended her hand and grabbed Gero's wounded hand and shook it)

"It was an honor to fight and win against the strongest in Japan.."

"Me? The strongest? How can I be the strongest if I lost?" Shiori asked

"Look at it this way..you may be the STRONGEST..but you're not the BEST.."

(Gero just gave a big smile to Shiori then came down their tank and walked towards the White Tiger)

"Are you saying that you're the BEST in Japan?" Shiori smiled

"Oh I don't know about that..I just got lucky.."

(As Gero arrived at their tank he saw the tracks were already fixed by his crew and they were waiting for him)

"Both left and right tracks have been patched up Taichou!" Hajime smiled

"That was fast.."

"Well it's just temporary repairs but it should get us to that peak over there.." Ken said

"Hurry up Gero! We have one last job to do!" Ono shouted

"Yeah! Let's go!"

(Gero then climbed up the white tiger and it drove away towards one of the highest hills on the battlefield. Everyone watched and wondered what was the reason why they headed there. They parked the white tiger before the edge of the hill then all four of them came out carrying something with them. The cameras was able to clearly see that what they had was two big flags of Kuromorimine and the flag of Japan)

"On the count of three..we're going to plant both flags here..ready?"

"My hands feel so heavy right now that I don't even know if I can manage that.." Ken said

"Mine too.." Ono said

"We can do it..I know we can.." Hajime said

"One..two..three..NOW!"

(The four of them now planted the poles into the ground and pushed with all that's left of their strength. Their knees were shaking and their grips were loosening as they tried to push both flags up. The crowd then cheered for them as loud as they can and waited for them to put the flags up)

*TORA *TORA *TORA *TORA *TORA *TORA *TORA *TORA *TORA *TORA *TORA *TORA *TORA *TORA *TORA *TORA *TORA *TORA *TORA *TORA *TORA *TORA

*KUROMORIMINE *KUROMORIMINE *KUROMORIMINE *KUROMORIMINE *KUROMORIMINE *KUROMORIMINE *KUROMORIMINE *KUROMORIMINE

(As the cheers of the people echoed all around them Gero and his crew felt joy that everyone was cheering for them. But they were still too tired to push more than they could.)

"COME ON! PUSH!"

"We are! It's so heavy damn it!" Ono complained

"I think my legs are gonna give way.." Ken said

"Maybe we should've brought a smaller flag..the four of us can't plant these two big flags.." Hajime said

"Hey don't forget about me.." Byakko suddenly whispered to them

"Byakko?!"

(All of them felt Byakko leaning up against their backs and gave them a push they needed. The five of them finally managed to raise the two big flags over the battlefield for everyone to see. The flags waved in the air and everyone cheered once more)

"We did it.."

"Thanks Byakko!" Hajime smiled

"You're very welcome.." Byakko smiled

"I guess we'll be written inside the history books again huh?" Ken chuckled

"That's for sure.." Ono said

"Hey..take a look down there.."

(Gero pointed below them and as his crew looked all of them saw their teammates running towards them with smiles on their faces. The whole team of Kuromorimine were running towards the white tiger and the flag of their school to celebrate their victory. Gero and his crew were blown away with this sight and it brought big smiles to their faces)

"How this is something I'll never forget.."

"Me too.." Ono said

"Yup!" Ken smiled

"Will cherish this moment for as long as I live.." Hajime smiled

"How about we answer to their cheers our way?"

"What did you have in mind?" Ken asked

"A loud shout perhaps?"

"I'm in.." Hajime said

"Care to join us Byakko?" Ono asked

"With pleasure..but I can't shout so how about a roar?" Byakko smiled

"That's perfect..ready?"

(The five of them took deep breaths and readied their lungs. Gero then raised his hand and clenched his fist in the air then all of them shouted with all their might towards their teammate. At the same time Byakko gave a loud roar to celebrate together with his family. Their shout sounded like a real roar to all those that heard it. A loud roar full of accomplishment and vigor was forever etched inside the hearts and minds of everyone. They will all remember that this day was the day the White Tiger made history once again)

Coming Up Next : Chapter 88 - Can You See Me?

Author's Note:

Hi all! Here is the end of the tournament! I had so much fun writing this chapter! It was so intense and awesome! I hope you all listened to the music while reading because it is more epic with the music!

Thank you to those that sent a message asking how I was! I'm alright and the typhoons have passed. Still having internet problem though since a lot of ISPs got wrecked during the typhoon. Take care everyone!

When Gero forcefully activated Kaede's Overwhelm all the way from the observation platform was so epic. I want to say more regarding the chapter but I'll save it up in another update so look forward to the last remaining chapters of this arc!

Let me know your reactions about this chapter as always in the reviews!

Shout out to : "Spectre177" thank you for the favorite! Welcome!

Shout out to : "Cobalt Striker Gundam" and "ahmadrivai7810" thank you for the favorite and follow! Welcome!

Thank you for the wonderful support you all are amazing! As for the replies to your comments check the reviews section as always!

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