Chapter 109 - Scent of Lavender
[JSS Hakugei - Hospital]
(For the first time in a long time Gero was able to sleep through the night without waking up in a cold sweat because of a nightmare. When he woke up he realized that his bed was again moved to the floor and the girls were sleeping next to him.)
"Good morning Gero-kun!" Darjeeling greeted
"Good morning! Did I wake everybody up again?"
"Hmm? Oh no, don't worry, you slept like a log last night!"
"Really? Then why is my bed down here again?"
"Because we got used to sleeping next to you so we decided to do it again."
"I see, that's a relief, I thought I had nightmares and caused you girls trouble again."
"You'd cause us no trouble even if you still did have nightmares. Would you like some tea? It's freshly brewed!"
"Yes please."
[Semisphere - Sahara Desert, Africa]
(More than a week has passed and the elimination rounds have finally ended. Gero spent all that time in the hospital recovering and being nursed by the girls. They were now back at the Semisphere to see which teams will be going to the quarter-finals)
"LADIES AND GENTLEMEN! THE LONG WAIT IS NOW OVER! AFTER TWO WEEKS OF INTENSE TANK BATTLES WE FINALLY HAVE OUR FINAL EIGHT TEAMS GOING TO THE QUARTER-FINALS! PLEASE GIVE A ROUND OF APPLAUSE TO THE FOLLOWING TEAMS!" shouted the announcer
Quarter-Finals Participants
Japan
Britain
Italy
Germany
France
Romania
South Korea
America
(The entire stadium erupted into cheers and applause for the victors in the elimination rounds)
"Romania beat Australia huh? Good for them!"
"I wanted to fight Russia! Why did they have to lose!" Katyusha complained
"They were up against the Terrific Twins so it can't be helped." Nonna said
"WE WILL NOW START DRAWING LOTS TO SEE WHICH TEAM WILL FIGHT WHO IN THE QUARTER-FINALS! I WOULD LIKE TO CALL ON THE OVERALL COMMANDERS OF EACH TEAM TO THE STAGE!"
(Kaede then went to the stage along with the commanders of the other teams. In front of them was a brown box filled with the names of the countries participating. Since Japan Team was the first team to win the elimination rounds they will be the first to draw lots. Kaede went up to the box and grabbed a piece of paper and gave it to the announcer)
"THE TEAM THAT JAPAN WILL FACE IN THE QUARTER-FINALS IS…..FRANCE!" shouted the announcer
"Oh! We're up against the French this time!"
"I'm getting excited!" Ken said
"WE WILL NOW FLIP A COIN TO DETERMINE WHO WILL BE THE AWAY TEAM AND WHO WILL BE HOME TEAM! I WOULD LIKE TO CALL ON THE OVERALL COMMANDER OF FRANCE TO JOIN US!"
(Commander Amandine then stepped forward and join Kaede and the announcer at the middle)
"Ms. Kaede, please pick which side of the coin you want. If you get it right then you get to choose first but if you get it wrong then Ms. Amandine will be the choosing first. Is that acceptable?"
"Qui." Amandine said
"Yes, I choose Heads." Kaede said
"Very well, I will now flip the coin."
(The host then flipped the coin up high in the air and they all waited for it to fall down. It bounced three times on the ground before going into a spin. The coin then spun around for about five seconds before stopping. When they all looked at the coin it was Heads meaning Kaede will be the one to choose first)
"It is Heads! Ms. Kaede, please choose, Away or Home?"
"The JNST chooses to be the AWAY Team!" Kaede said
(Everybody was surprised including Amandine because normally you'd want to choose to be the HOME Team so that you'd have the home field advantage. Instead they chose to be the AWAY Team and challenged the French Team on their own land)
"A-Are you sure, Ms. Kaede?" the host asked
"Yes, I'm very sure."
"YOU HEARD IT LIVE HERE FOLKS! THE QUARTER-FINALS MATCH BETWEEN JAPAN AND FRANCE WILL BE HELD WITH THE HOME FIELD ADVANTAGE OF THE FRENCH! THIS IS THE FIRST TIME THAT THE WINNER OF A COIN FLIP HAS CHOSEN TO BE THE AWAY TEAM! LET ME HEAR YOUR LOUD CHEERS FOR THE BRAVE CHALLENGERS OF THE JAPANESE TEAM!"
(The stadium erupted into loud cheers once more for the JNST. Keade then went down from the stage and she was followed by Amandine)
"Please wait, Commandant Kaede!"
"Commander Amandine, is there something you need from me?"
"You could've fought us in your own territory that you know better than anyone else. Home field advantage means that millions of your fans would've cheered for your team and booed ours. Why did you choose to be the AWAY Team?" she asked
"We didn't join this tournament so that we could fight our opponents back in Japan. We decided to fight in this tournament to challenge the world and show everyone that our Senshado will not lose to anyone. I will command my team and take them, take him, that man, the White Tiger to the top. That's the only reason."
(Kaede looked at Amandine with fierce eyes and she strongly felt her intense strength. The French commander knew right away that Kaede was not someone she can underestimate.)
"I'll see you soon in France, Commander Amandine."
(The rest of the teams then continued drawing lots and the lineup for the Quarter-Finals has been decided)
[Quarter-Finals Schedule]
Japan (Away) vs. France (Home)
South Korea (Home) vs. Britain (Away)
America (Away) vs. Italy (Home)
Romania (Home) vs. Germany (Away)
[J.N.S.T War Room - Aboard the JSS Hakugei]
(Gero then had their whole team gather in their war room aboard the Hakugei Carrier.)
"Is everyone here?"
"Yes, Eiji-kun." Kaede answered
"Alright, let's start."
"Why did you gather us here, senpai?" Tojo asked
"There's something I need to tell you all. Something that I, that we have been keeping a secret from you all."
"Is this about your recent disappearance and hospitalization?" Jajka asked
"Yes, I've made you guys worry and it's been unfair of me to have kept you guys in the dark all this time."
"Knowing you, there must've been a reason why you kept it a secret right?" Akane asked
"Yes, I need you all to keep an open mind and listen carefully to the things I'm about to tell you. Some of you already know what I'm going to say so for those that don't, I'll answer all the questions you have for us after I'm done."
(Gero then started telling his team about himself first. The blood in his veins and about Sacred Possession. Then he told them about Pandora and the war he has been fighting with the others. His team had different kinds of expressions on their faces as they listened to him. Most of them have shocked and surprised faces while the others have confused expressions)
"I never told you because of what happened with Kenji in Crow's Nest years ago when he was hypnotized and used by Pandora, I thought it would be the best way to not get you all involved and protect you. That's also why I left for Germany with Erika so that Pandora wouldn't have a reason to set their sights on Japan and to give you guys time to get stronger. I had you all train under the Shimada, Nishizumi, and Yamato Families for the last three years not just for Senshado but also to teach you all how to sense danger and defend yourselves. I originally planned on ending this war before the International Tournament but our near death experience in Korea slowed down the progress which is why we are in this situation now. I hope that you could all forgive me for keeping this all a secret from you!"
(Gero bowed his head in front of his team as an apology. The first one from the team to do something was Takayuki. He got up from his seat and walked towards Gero. He grabbed his shoulder and when Gero looked at him he had a smile on his face)
"You did nothing wrong so there is no need for you to apologize and no need for us to forgive you. Thank you for trying to protect us and wanting us to get stronger." Takayuki said
(Both Gero and Takayuki had a bad first impression and also had that incident during the Exhibition Games in the past so everyone was so surprised that Takayuki was the first person who would do and say something like that. Both of them shook each other's hand and the rest of the team were glad for them)
"He's right Gero-san! If it was anybody's fault then it would be those bastards in Pandora!"
"Just tell us what to do and we'll kick their asses too! We'll help you!"
"We have to make them pay for what they did to you and to Chief Matsumoto!"
"Let's run them over with our tanks!"
"See? Everyone felt the same way!" Takayuki said
"All of you..are just the best!"
(Gero then explained to them the situation and told them that he would not risk the team's safety just to fight Pandora. However, if he needed help he said that he wouldn't hesitate to ask the team for help.)
"So, what's the plan for now?" Jajka asked
"We'll head to France first via plane while our carrier catches up. Once we arrive there we'll book a hotel and rest a bit. After that we'll do information gathering about our new opponents, the French Team. When the carrier arrives in France we'll compile the data we gathered, formulate a plan, then start practicing. Understood?"
"HAI!"
"Alright then, pack up a week's worth of clothes and necessities and get ready for our flight tomorrow morning!"
"Roger!"
[Charles de Gaulle Airport - Paris, France]
(Morning came and the JNST boarded a Boeing 787 Dreamliner Plane enroute to France. After three hours of flight time they now arrived safely in Paris and were greeted by the Tank Meister of France, Commander Leo along with the Minister of the Armed Forces of France, Sébastien.)
"Ladies and Gentlemen of the JNST! Welcome to Paris!" Leo greeted
"Thank you for having us Commander Leo and Minister Sébastien!"
"We are so honored to have you all here! Your presence here brings us a lot of joy after all that you have done for us!" Sébastien smiled
"The honor is ours Minister, I see that you prepared a lot of security for us!"
"The safety of you and your team is our number one priority! We can never be too careful!"
"We appreciate the thoughtfulness of your people. Where shall we go next?"
"A private hotel has been booked for you and your team. No other guests will be there except for you and the security will also be top notch!"
"Great! Let's head there now!"
[J.N.S.T Private Hotel - Paris, France]
(The team now rode buses provided by the French and arrived at the hotel after an hour. It was a beautiful and luxurious hotel and multiple guards could be seen guarding every entrance.)
"Alright listen up! We'll be applying strict rules now that we're here! First rule, nobody wanders off alone both inside and outside the hotel. Always stay in groups of five or more."
"Second rule, if you are going to leave the hotel, be sure to notify Commander Kaede, Vice Commander Shiori, your platoon leaders, and coach Chouno. Inform them where, when, and who you are going with."
"Third rule, we have given each of you a panic button. You press that button and it will send a signal to the nearest authorities and it will also send a signal to me and my team allowing us to track your location. Use this in case of emergencies only."
"Fourth rule, if something bad happens to any of you or are caught in a dangerous situation, you press that panic button and you RUN. Do not fight, you RUN as fast as you can back to the hotel or to the nearest police station. We will give you the locations of all the police stations in the city. If you are nowhere near a police station then you find a good hiding spot and stay there. We will come for you as fast as possible."
"Fifth and final rule, take care of yourselves and each other. But most of all, HAVE FUN! Is that clear!?"
"HAI!"
"Good, now go to your assigned rooms, unpack, then head to the dining area for breakfast."
(The team then did what they were told to do and after eating breakfast they headed out to gather information about their opponents while sightseeing. They visited different kinds of places and enjoyed their time to the fullest exploring the City of Lights. Gero and his crew went to the Eiffel Tower since Kin really wanted to see it up close. Erika and the girls went shopping around the city and ate at a lot of restaurants. The next day they did recon on the French Team's training stadium and gathered necessary info while the other groups rented a whole cinema to watch the previous matches of the French Team. A week passed by quickly and their carrier finally arrived at the Autonomous Port of Paris. They checked out of the hotel they were in first thing in the morning and went back to the carrier to start their meetings and practice)
[J.N.S.T War Room - Aboard the JSS Hakugei]
"How was your week in Paris guys?"
"VERY FUN!" the answered
"Happy to hear that! I hope you didn't forget the main objective we went here early, have you?"
"Of course not! We got loads of info for you!" Emi said
"We could tell you what the three sizes of their commander are if you want!" Sheska teased
"I don't want to get killed in my sleep so I'll pass on that.."
"What about the size of their vice commander?" Akane asked
"Wha-I am not going to ask how you found that out and no I don't want to know."
"Thought you'd be interested.."
"Why hell would I be interested?!"
"You said all kinds of information!" Toshi said
"Not that kind! Information about their Tankery Team!"
(The whole team was enjoying teasing and making fun of Gero since it's been a while)
"Alright alright, that's enough teasing the TsunTora.." Erika teased
"Stop calling me that!"
"Let's get down to business shall we? Platoon leaders please present all the data you have gathered and we'll start the meeting." Kaede ordered
"HAI!"
(They started presenting the data and information they gathered for the past week. Gero was really amazed at how much information they gathered and everything was very useful and detailed. This made it easier for Kaede and Shiori to formulate a lot of plans and counter-measures for different scenarios.)
"Thank you for all of the wonderful information everyone! I can see the effort you all have put in based on the details." Shiori praised
"So here's what we have gathered so far.."
[Overall Commander and Tank Ace of France]
Name : Amandine Baker
Tank : ARL-44 Tank Destroyer
[Vice Commander of France]
Name : Antoine Lambert
Tank : Char B1 Bis Heavy Tank
"Their commander is also their Tank Ace?" Erwin asked
"Looks like a very aggressive commander!" Nakajima said
"Their commander, Amandine Baker, prefers to lead their team out on the field while their vice commander, Antoine Lambert, stays at the back and observes the battlefield."
"Does this mean that the vice commander is the brains of their team?" Fukuda asked
"It's possible but they could also be both the brains and their commander just prefers to join the fight instead of being at the rear. So consider both of them as high value targets during the match."
"HAI!"
"Next is their tanks!"
[Tank Lineup]
SOMUA S35 Medium Tank
Renault AMC 35 Medium Tank
Char B1 Bis Heavy Tank
ARL-44 Tank Destroyer
"It's almost the same as our lineup back in BC Freedom!" Marie said
"Yeah, but they don't have any light tanks." Andou said
"That's because they use recon on foot instead of tanks. This has been their strategy for a long time. They send one member from the tank crews and find the enemy themselves. This decreases their chances of getting detected and increases the chances of them finding the enemy tank formation." Assam said
"So what should we do to counter this?" Nagura asked
"Simple, we do the same, we send out recon on foot and take out their eyes through hand-to-hand combat!" Kaede said
"Finally some physical action! Been waiting for this!" Shinji said
"Don't get ahead of yourselves now, if you seriously injure one of their tankers then we'll be disqualified right away! So knock them out properly and place them in a safe place! Understood?"
"HAI!"
"Good, now on to their tanks, their hardest hitter would be the ARL-44 with its 90mm cannon. The Char B1 also has a formidable armament with its 75mm howitzer. It's a good thing that we have already learned our lesson thanks to the Brazilians. We were caught off guard with their sudden M10 tank destroyers and we suffered badly because of those. This time it won't happen because we have information that France has a hidden tank that they are saving for the semi-finals it seems. But after how we showed them our capabilities during the elimination rounds there is a high chance they'll be using it already in our match."
"Assam-senpai, do we have any more detailed information regarding the tank they are hiding? Sencha asked
"We only caught a glimpse of it during recon and it was covered up so we don't have any specific details. All we know is that it is big and has a powerful gun which I know can be anything but that's all we have."
"I guess we'll see it when we see it in the match." Barley said
"What about their overall strategy?" Asparagus asked
"Their strategy is called the Moving Defensive Line. As the name suggests, it's a defensive line that conducts ambushes and moves forward after every engagement. You could look at it as a big net that captures its prey then covers the ground in front of it then ultimately cornering their opponents to the edge of the battlefield where they can no longer retreat." Assam explained
"So, if the Brazilian Barrier was a big boulder rolling down the hill, theirs is like a High Tide that gradually eats up the beach overtime?" Hajime asked
"Yes, that would be the perfect way to describe it."
"By the way. What's the Game Mode for the Quarter-Finals?" Anchovy asked
"The game mode is Annihilation Match. We need to wipe out all 50 of their tanks in order to win or have more tanks than them when the time limit ends." Kaede said
"Looks like it's going to be a long match.."
"Agreed, so we'll have to retrain our stamina this week so that we are all ready in case it becomes a war of attrition."
"HAI!"
"Okay, let's now discuss our strategies for the upcoming match."
(The team then brainstormed on how they would counter this strategy by the French and they eventually came up with a plan so they decided to end the meeting already.)
"Before we dismiss you there is one more important announcement we have to make!" Shiori said
"Everyone, please give a round of applause to our comrade, Jouko-san, who has been officially given the title of Tank Ace of Japan by the I.T.A!" Kaede announced
"Congratulations Jouko!" everyone cheered
"Thank you very much everyone! I will do my best to live up to the title given to me!" Jouko bowed
"How many tank kills do you have now?" Koume asked
"Officially, I have 147 tank kills!"
"Wow! All that in two weeks?!" Pepperoni asked
"So you averaged about 10 kills per match! That's amazing!" Sakuraba said
"I think that if the White Tiger's commander didn't get hospitalized maybe they would've been the Tank Ace and not me." Jouko said
"How many tank kills did my dear little brother get the whole time I was away?"
"I only got 96, sorry aniki!"
"Damn, there's a lot! No need to apologize! I'm so proud of you!"
"Hehe, thanks aniki!"
"Alright then, that's all for today! We'll begin training tomorrow! Dismissed!"
"Otsukaresama Deshita!" everyone bowed
(As everyone was leaving the war room Gero then called out to Erika, Kay, Darjeeling, Mika, and Kaede for something important)
"What is it darling?" Kay asked
"Would you all like to come with me somewhere?"
"You mean like a date?" Mika asked
"Yes, exactly."
"We'd love to! Where are we going?"
"It's a secret for now, get changed for now and remember to bring comfortable shoes!"
(All of them then changed to their desired clothes for a date. The girls dressed to impress Gero and gave it their all)
"You all look beautiful!"
"Thank you Gero-kun!" Darjeeling blushed
"Where to now?" Erika asked
"Follow me!"
(They then boarded a bullet train and took a three hour ride down towards the south of France to the city of Aix-en-Provence. From their they went to a restaurant that has been reserved by Gero beforehand to have lunch)
[Le Vintrépide - Aix-en-Provence, France]
"Wow! This is such a great restaurant!" Kaede smiled
"I'm glad you liked it! Order all you want!"
"Really? Anything, Ro-chan?"
"Yes Mi-chan, anything!"
"Yay! You're the best darling!" Kay cheered
(They then ordered all they wanted and ate very delicious food offered to them by the restaurant. They also opened a couple bottles of vintage wine and drank together. After filling up their stomachs they decided to take a walk throughout the city and enjoy themselves once more. They visited different tourist attractions and took photos to commemorate their first ever date in France. They then traveled to a place that Gero kept a secret from the girls. He asked them to hold hands and blindfolded them.)
"Don't let go of each other now, we wouldn't want you girls to get separated!"
"What are you planning Bakatora?" Erika asked
"You'll see soon enough!"
"Are the blindfolds really necessary?" Kaede asked
"It does get me excited for some reason though.." Darjeeling reacted
"Stop revealing your kinks all of a sudden.."
(They walked for a couple more minutes and then they started smelling the sweet scent of lavender. They could feel the cool breeze of the air on the skins and it made their hearts beat faster.)
"You can take the blindfolds off now."
(When the girls removed their blindfolds they immediately saw a mesmerizing sea of purple. Before them were enormous lavender fields in full bloom and beautiful blue skies above them. The girls were stunned and speechless sa they stared at the beauty in front of them)
[Lavender Fields - Aix-en-Provence, France]
"So? How is it?"
"This is beautiful.." Kaede said
"I didn't know such a place existed.." Mika said
"Are these all flowers?" Erika asked
"Yes they are. Beautiful lavender flowers."
"This scent reminds me of the lavender tea my mother makes." Darjeeling said
"Thank you for letting us see such an amazing thing, darling!" Kay smiled
"You're welcome! But there's more."
"More?"
(The sun was setting and the golden light from the sun started to envelope the purple color of the lavender fields. Gero looked at each of the girls in the eyes and smiled)
"Erika, you are my first love, the day I saw you at that Yakisoba stand was fate. Your silver hair and ice cold blue eyes just sent chills down my spine and I knew from then on that I wanted to be with you."
"Kay, you are my second love, when I met you after our first ever Senshado match was honestly overwhelming! You suddenly hugged me and started calling me darling. I didn't know how to interact with you but after more interactions with you I started longing to see your cheerful personality. It always brought a breeze of fresh air for me each time we met."
"Darjeeling, you are my third love, I still remember our first match against each other during the Joint Tournament. I was amazed at your graceful and mature demeanor. You were calm and collected and yet brazen and fierce at the same time. I always looked forward to hearing what mottos or idioms you will say next!"
"Mika, you are my fourth love, you are my childhood friend and my best friend. You were the first person to ever know my real identity even when I still didn't have my memories. I still haven't forgotten about how you spent years trying to find me after I disappeared. I wonder sometimes if I had not disappeared would you have been the commander of the All-Star University team instead of your sister Alice? Your life could've been a lot different than what it was now. Still, thank you for not giving up on me."
"Kaede, you are my fifth and final love, but I think that you were my first Puppy Love back when I was in Red Wings. I enjoyed our small competitions and I liked seeing you get a higher score than me. I want you to know that I never blamed you or your family for what happened to me. I know that this has been weighing on you still after all this time. You and your overwhelming personality saved me from loneliness even if it was for a short time. I thank you from the bottom of my heart for that."
(The girls started crying after hearing those words from Gero. They felt that all the years of waiting for his answer had finally paid off. Gero then knelt in front of the five ladies and looked at them each in the eyes)
"My name is Nishizumi Gero and I'm 23 years old. The only good things about me is that I can cook, I'm confident that I'm good at Senshado, I know how to fix things, I know how to do chores, I can protect you and I have an insane amount of good luck. But I'm also a very possessive type of guy even if I may look like this, I get jealous when the person I like gets too close to another guy, I tend to jinx myself a lot, I suck at arcade games or in any kind of games for that matter, I have cursed blood in my veins that could turn me into a monster, I have killed people and my hands have blood on them, I often get myself into very crazy and dangerous situations, and I have target painted on my back by an evil organization called Pandora. Taking all of those things into account, I can't promise you everything, but since you were all there for me in my darkest moments, I promise I'll be there for all of you in both your darkest and brightest moments, if you give me the chance. Erika, Kay, Darjeeling, Kaede, and Mika, will you accept me as your husband?"
(The girls were surprised by Gero's sudden proposal. At first they looked at each other to confirm if what they heard was real and if they were dreaming or not. They realized that Gero was subtly shaking which told them that he was still afraid of the possibility of being rejected. They looked at him one last time but this time with serious expressions on their faces)
"Before we answer, we'd like to correct you in some of the things you just said."
"Even if you list a hundred bad things about you then we'll just list a thousand things good about you!"
"You are a caring, thoughtful, kind, and warm person!"
"It's alright to be possessive at times! It means you truly cherish us!"
"You are a great comrade and an even greater leader!"
"Being jealous is normal, that shows us that you want us all to yourself!"
"You are brave and fearless in the face of pure evil!"
"The blood in your veins is what saved me from certain death."
"You can be an intense person at times but the most gentle one at the same time!"
"The only people you have killed are evil people and the blood on your hands are not of the innocent's."
"You have big and sturdy hands that reach out to the weak and inspire them to be strong!"
"Even if you get into those kinds of situations, we can overcome it all together! May it be against Pandora or even the entire world! We'll win against them all!"
"And finally, this decision we're about to make, is the decision we will never ever regret, in this life, or even in the next."
(Erika, Kay, Darjeeling, Kaede, and Mika then extended out their hand towards Gero with smiles and blushes on their faces)
"Please make us your brides!"
(Gero's heart started beating faster and couldn't contain his smile after he heard that the women he loved accepted him as their husband and asked him to take them as their brides. He then took out five engagement rings from his pocket and put them on each of the ring fingers of his fiancés. His fiancés stared at the rings given to them by Gero with smiles and tears of joy. Gero then gave each of them a sweet and passionate kiss on the lips and a big warm hug.)
"I love you all so very much! I'll take care of you always and forever, my loves!"
"We love you too, so very much! Our one and only White Tiger!"
(Before heading home one of the hired photographers of Gero gave them a photo of the entire moment and they were happy with how amazing the photo came out. They then decided to make their own Grasse or perfume using the lavender notes from the field. This bottle will forever remind them of this day when Gero proposed to them and they became engaged to each other. This Grasse isn't just a bottle of perfume but is also a bottle of memories that they will never forget. They will always remember this day each time they smell the sweet scent of lavender)
Coming Up Next : Chapter 110 - Nishizumi Tigers
Author's Note :
Hi everyone! Sorry for the long wait again! Have been very very busy again and will be uploading as fast as possible given the free time I'll have. In this chapter we saw our White Tiger finally declare his love for the girls and propose to them which the girls accept without a second thought. Let us all wish them a happy life together and support their future endeavors in their relationship and in Senshado! See you all at the next chapter!
