The chaos that had reigned in the aftermath of the accident had not been clear-cut. The few that had witnessed it first hand and understood everything that had occurred hadn't all been on their side while those who had had to learn what had happened from the great mixing bowl of accounts from Kuromorimine and Pravda crews, what the audience had been allowed to see and what had been officially declared to have happened, had likewise been mixed in their views. Perhaps it would have been easier if everyone had been against them, then she wouldn't have been left guessing which girls secretly despised her and Miho. She could fight the ones who were open about it.

Worse perhaps than the bad feeling was the collective sense of guilt. Everyone had blamed themselves for the defeat; that somehow their own personal actions could have prevented the scenario from playing out the way it had. Kuromorimine had been confident in their superiority for such a long time that the defeat had absolutely devastated them. It had devastated her. They had lost a match. Koume and Miho had almost drowned. She had been injured. They had fed off each other's misery and seeing Miho and Koume's visible trauma had been as bad as her stitches.

With considerable cajoling, Erika had pried from Miho her mother's feelings about everything. She knew she was a hard woman, terrifying was the word many used, but Erika struggled to believe she could really condemn Miho for abandoning her post to rescue those in mortal peril. Had she been in denial about the lapse in safety as much as everyone else? Or did she believe, as Erika briefly had, that the Vice-Captain should have delegated the responsibility to another? Or was Nishizumi Shiho really that cold and would sacrifice the life of a student for a tenth consecutive championship win? The only person who had the answer to that was Shiho herself and she did not deign to explain herself to teenagers. Miho had said she wished for her to 'become strong' and Erika wondered if what that really meant as unfeeling as she herself apparently was.

She had allowed Miho to leave Kuromorimine though. Not just to leave Sensha-do but the school as well. There was no denying the kindness of that act. She knew many parents who would not have tolerated weakness and ordered her to 'deal with it', as it were.

Erika knew how Shiho felt through Miho. How Maho felt… She hadn't been able to discern anything from her impassive exterior and according to Miho, the only feeling she had expressed had been discomfort at hearing the other Kuromorimine students referred to them as the 'Nishizumi ladies'. Everything else… She had remained her usual closed book self.

"I never give up, and I never run away. No matter what."

The words washed over her as the river had, only this time the cold seemed to cut inside her as well. She could not believe the words were aimed at anyone, they were only the creed of the school but that didn't mean they didn't hurt. And as much as they stung her, they struck Miho far harder. Erika placed her hands on her shoulders and felt her quiver and not from her touch.

"Miho!" Soari's cheery voice called out. "Can we go hang out in your room?"

"I'd like to visit too." Hana added.

Erika put her hands down, sensing Miho relax immediately with the distraction of social anxiety to occupy her. "Yes!" She gushed and out of the corner of her eye, Erika saw Yukari tentatively raise her hand.

"Of course you can come, Fluffy." Erika told her and tried not to smile as Yukari gave one of her formal bows. Instead as Miho turned away, she caught Saori's eye and tried to convey her gratitude without speaking. Saori gave the slightest nod and then as she stepped forward, gently placed her hand on Erika's shoulder as she had for Miho, and Erika regretted ever looking down on her for her sunniness.

[][][][][][]

She hadn't seen Miho's room after she had unpacked and if she hadn't already been aware of her love of Boko, it might have been extremely unsettling seeing a room full of bandaged and wounded plushies. The other three took it in their stride, Hana and Saori cooing over how cute they were while Yukari… She was happy but happy in such a way she looked as though she might cry. It passed though as Saori began giving cooking instructions and she eagerly offered to prepare the rice. Erika wondered just how lonely the fluffy little oddball had been before Sensha-do.

Saori had other concerns. "Why do you have a soldier's mess kit?" She asked as Yukari revealed the contents of her pack.

"So I can camp outdoors anywhere anytime." Yukari answered, as if this was a completely normal thing to say. Saori looked as if she had trouble accepting this was an actual part of her reality and seemed almost grateful when Hana provided a distraction in the form of cutting herself attempting to peel potatoes. Less grateful when Yukari revealed she also had a medkit in her pack and Erika tried to get a peek at just what else she had in there. She had a brief glimpse of what looked suspiciously like a stick grenade.

Erika had never given much thought to cooking. Food had always been provided for her and so she had never seen a use for the skill. Now though she paid rapt attention to everything she saw, which appeared to thoroughly unnerve Saori though whether it was because she was unused to someone taking such an interest in her obvious talent or because she didn't know her and found her scarred face unsettling; she couldn't tell.

Whatever Saori's feelings about Yukari's unconventional dinner service and Erika's rapt attention, she led them to create a sumptuous feast that had them all fighting hard to maintain their dignity and not visibly drool. She was not at all surprised to learn that Saori ascribed to the belief that the way to a man's heart was through his stomach and tried not to smile as Hana pointedly asked when exactly Saori had ever seduced a boy using this technique.

"It's the practice that matters!" Saori declared huffily.

"Do boys even like Nikujaga?" Yukari inquired, apparently in total innocence.

"I think it's an urban myth." Hana however was obviously trolling Saori.

"Of course it's true!" She tossed her hair and pouted in a way that was clearly practiced. "I read it in magazine."

"Well that settles it." Erika announced and Saori beamed, apparently missing her sarcasm even if a giggling Hana did not.

The conversation remained girly, with Miho complimenting Hana's meagre flower arrangement and Hana apologising as if somehow she should have been able to conjure a small greenhouse. This then led, inevitably, to the connection between Erika's name and flowers. Yukari began to hum the song and was oblivious to the glare she received although it made Miho giggle.

"I would like to have a theme song." Saori declared.

"It gets old. Fast." Erika assured her, unaware she was pouting just as Saori had. "People always think they're the first to refer to it."

"But doesn't it make you stand out?"

"Not in a good way. Not in Kuromorimine. Some people thought it was my parents trying to get me favouritism. From the moment I was born."

"You were a driver?" Hana asked.

"I was. First Year I took every role but Third Years always take the commander's seat for tournaments." She flicked her gaze briefly at Miho. "Usually."

"So you both know how to do everything in a tank?"

"'The best way to understand a command is to perform every role yourself once.'" Miho quoted. "A driver knows what a gunner needs for stability, a gunner knows how heavy the shells are for the loader and the loader knows how important it can be to maintain a high rate of fire."

"And the commander knows what their crew is feeling and what they're asking of them." Erika added. "It does work. But at Kuromorimine and Pravda, the Third Years look down on their lowerclassmen even if they're skilled enough to be picked for the tournament crews. Somehow a year or two of training makes a huge difference in their minds." She rubbed her shoulder, remembering the kicks she had received to signal direction that had been entirely unnecessary with their modern headsets. "You won't have that here. The little ones and the big ones are equally clueless."

"Clueless?!" Yukari protested.

"Not you, Fluffy." Erika assured her. "You probably know more about tanks than we do." She admitted and whether Yukari turned pink at the praise or being called 'Fluffy' was anyone's guess.

They left the subject of tanks as Miho made inquiries about Oarai and Erika found she had questions of her own. While Miho was interested in the school and its day to day life, Erika gently probed about the conditions to see how far the financial woes went. With their highly optimistic outlook on life, Hana and Saori had hardly a negative thing to say, putting a positive spin on everything. Yukari meanwhile was hesitant to speak up at all if it wasn't about Sensha-do and she wasn't willing to criticise anything when Hana and Saori were able to make everything have a silver lining.

What she could get them to say was that for all their antics, the Student Council did keep the school, the ship, running smoothly. It was no small task keeping a schoolship operating, let alone efficiently and balancing the demands of the school with their own personal and professional lives was a serious burden. Considering what she knew, this meant more to her than the girls. The little President and her minions would be hard-pressed now maintaining their normal routine and resurrecting the Sensha-do club. That did not mean she was willing to forgive her any time soon.

Miho would probably have made it a sleepover if she had had the nerve to ask. As it was, they stayed late and Erika thought she might faint from happiness and vigorously waving them off. "I'm so glad I transferred schools."

"Clearly." Erika replied, and a raging blush filled Miho's cheeks.

"I didn't mean-"

"Yes you did. You weren't happy at Kuromorimine." She shrugged. "I don't know why you think you need to pretend with me."

"You're um…" Miho squeaked the syllables. "You really cared about Kuromorimine."

"Doesn't mean I'm still loyal. If I was, I wouldn't have signed up for Sensha-do." There had been a time when her dedication to Sensha-do, to Kuromorimine, had been called fanaticism. It was hard to believe that feeling had faded to a bitter resentment. "You don't have to apologise for liking Oarai."

"Sorry, Erririn." She said and then realised what she had done and giggled, regaining her good mood. "We should go to bed."

"Yes we should." Erika agreed, bemused by the name she had been called and then by Miho starting to skip back to her room.

[][][][][][]

She slept badly. Perhaps it was talking about how things were done in Sensha-do in Kuromorimine or Miho's joy at her new life. Either way it was a rough awakening. She was still up and ready before Miho however and she listened at her door to the sound of her rushing about in her usual frantic state. She watched her rush out and make for the stairs before remembering she had to lock the door. When she turned back, she squeaked at the sight of Erika lounging against the wall.

"You waited for me?"

"Why not?" She decided not to let her know she had also overslept. Better for her to think she was still the old iron-disciplined Erika and not a girl having sleepless nights.

They took off speedily to make up for lost time and the townspeople were startled as they flew by, unused to seeing such activity in their sleepy settlement. No, they were used to the sight of a girl who made the pair of them skid to a halt. Erika's first thought was that she was drunk and had taken the odd decision of going to school anyway. She certainly staggered and swayed like a drunk, as she could attest only too well… But she was also muttering to herself and her words, while melodramatic, weren't drunk talk. They were the words of the weary.

"Painful." The girl declared. "Life is painful." Like she was after Erika's heart. "I wish this were all…" She dropped to her knees. "Just a dream." She addressed the sky.

While her words amused Erika, their melodrama seemed entirely lost on Miho who appeared to take them entirely at face-value. "Um… Come on!" She attempted to lift the girl back onto her feet.

The girl seemed entirely unaware of them and stood by herself. "But I'll go. I must go!" She reached out with her hands like an Egyptian mummy and staggered forward.

Miho turned to look at her, her eyes distinctly large and puppyish, which was decidedly ironic considering what they were dealing with.

"It'll keep coming back for more." She warned and then sighed and took an arm as the histrionic girl dropped to her knees again.

Any hope they had of arriving on time was shattered but Erika really could not care less because of just how entertaining the sleepy girl's ramblings were. She made the act of waking up and walking to school sound like an Andean trek or Polar expedition and seemed to honestly believe every word of it. A part of her wondered if it had a deeper cause, something that made her own sleep difficult to come by, or if she was simply just not a morning person.

Whatever it was, the girl watching the gate was unimpressed though she could hardly take a stand against people looking ridiculous with her kappa haircut.

"Congratulations, Reizei." She proclaimed in the traditionally nasal voice of the pompous and uptight. "You're late for the two hundred and forty-fifth time. In a row."

"Wow." Erika couldn't help herself.

Reizei meanwhile addressed the ground. "Why must morning come?"

"Morning always comes." It became apparent that this was a regular exchange between the two as the girl continued scolding, saying that high grades did not forgive tardiness and declared she might have to repeat a year, as if a girl with high grades wouldn't be aware of that. It made her slump between the two of them though.

"Are you okay?" Miho asked, though Erika's question would have been 'Have you heard of caffeine?'

"Itsumi. Nishizumi." The overzealous hall monitor snapped. "Next time you find a stray Reizei, just leave it and get to school on time."

Erika appreciated the girl likewise saw Reizei as a cat, while Miho meekly offered agreement to be on time. Reizei meanwhile seemed to finally wake up. "Sodoko…" She muttered.

If the kappa had hackles, they would have looked like peacock feathers. "Did you say something?" She hissed.

"… Not really." Reizei continued in a way clearly meant to infuriate the other girl. It worked though it only seemed to provoke a fiercely written note on the monitor's tablet, allowing them to carry on their way. To carry her on her way. "I'm sorry." She said when they were almost at the doors, finally acknowledging their existence. "I'll return the favour."

Erika tried to catch Miho's eye and failed and then considered the ludicrousness of being owed a favour by someone who couldn't wake up in the morning. The eccentricity of Oarai's denizens really did know no bounds.

[][][][][][]

The sight of a Type 10 being subjected to a low-altitude parachute-extraction into the teachers car park made Erika wonder if perhaps Oarai's madness was catching. Yuzu it seemed was immune as the she was the only girl to react to the sight of a Ferrari being sent flying across the lot, though it did provoke a reaction from the President when the Type 10, having smashed the car apparently decided to finish off the job by reversing over it, flattening half of it almost perfectly smooth. As always Anzu was nonchalantly chewing on a dried sweet potato but now she made a strange noise and her eyes went shockingly wide as perhaps she realised that this was something she couldn't just blithely power through. Erika focused on the detail that it was the principal's car… How did a principal's salary pay for a Ferrari at a school that apparently couldn't afford a new coat of paint for much of its facilities? Perhaps that was why Yuzu was alarmed, the destruction would draw even more attention to Oarai's financial woes, and a possible source for them; making eliminating a scandal-ridden ship seem very palatable.

The Type 10 was magnificent. Its commander even more so though Erika heard audible disgust come from Saori that their Sensha-do instructor was in fact a woman. This came as a surprise only to Saori who really should have grasped the President's duplicitous nature by now. She doubted there was anything Anzu wouldn't say to motivate them, telling them what they wanted to hear. Devious little thing.

Momo introduced Captain Chōno Ami and Erika thought she wasn't alone in standing a little straighter though when Chōno said it was a pleasure to meet them and that she knew many of them were new to Sensha-do. She wondered if perhaps the woman owed a debt that she was now paying off with this less than prestigious assignment. Hopefully when she said they would work extra hard, that didn't mean she would be taking out her frustrations on them. And then she recognised Miho.

What were the odds that the Student Council would acquire a tutor who was a former student of Miho's mother? A coincidence, or the incentive that had brought her here? She gave the Student Council a sharp look but their attention was entirely focused on the Captain and Miho.

It was all Miho could do to answer the pleasantry of the inquiry of her sister's well-being with a muted 'Yes.' Chōno then explained to the buzzing students the significance of the Nishizumi Style, its influence and her belief it was the premier doctrine of Sensha-do. Words that served only to crush Miho's spirit though no one seemed to notice.

"Instructor!" Saori asked with raised hand. "Are you popular with boys?"

The triviality of this question meant that Erika could scarcely believe she had actually heard it, and then Captain Chōno actually took the time to think about it and answer it, with a somewhat alarming proclamation. "I have a kill rate of 120%!"

For a moment, Erika wondered if this meant for every five men she pursued, she would take two home with her at the same time. She pushed this intriguing thought aside as she had another, that Saori's vacuous question was meant as nothing more than a means to distract Chōno away from Miho. There was no question now that behind Saori's bubbly exterior, there was a keen intelligence. The only question was whether Saori didn't realise how smart she was or if she deliberately concealed it.

Chōno's intelligence was immediately up for question as at Yukari's prompting she declared their very first Sensha-do lesson would be a battle. In the uproar that followed, Erika noting that the Student Council seemed taken aback, the woman cheerfully declared that "You'll be fine!" and confirmed Erika's belief that Oarai's strange positive outlook on all things was contagious.

Predictably, Yukari was bouncing with excitement at the prospect of not just her first time operating a tank but operating it in battle. Erika knew she had absolutely no chance of easing that excitement so didn't even try, she just had one thing to say. "I guess you know how to start this thing."

Of course she did.

"Itsumi-dono, you're going to drive?"

"Have you ever driven a tank before?" Erika asked pointedly. "You can shoot." She said and then tried to ignore it as Yukari began fluffing her hair in apparent joy.

Yukari and her deep well of knowledge let her start the engine of the unfamiliar Soviet vehicle and then after a few tentative movements as she got her bearings and an understanding of the Soviet controls, they were the second tank out of the hangar. They followed in the wake of the Panzer IV where presumably Miho had given them a run through of how to operate the German machine. Had she taken her rightful and fitting position as commander? Erika hoped so. If she was still having her doubts, it seemed likely she might have been in the driver's seat or even the loader's chair. That would not sit with the Student Council and their plans for her. She left the wake of the Panzer IV and ventured into the woods.

She had to admit, the T-50 was a good runner. She had seen other Soviet light tanks in action and while they were certainly agile, they seemed to lack control but this machine was far more precise though the forward position of the turret made it feel unbalanced to her. She felt she was learning to drive all over again. She would have preferred to have practiced driving in a dedicated session and not this baptism of fire but here they were, plunging into the woods in preparation for an actual battle. She imagined the others with no experience of driving tanks were having trouble negotiating the trees, if they had even yet left the grounds. It was either a good challenge or unnecessarily difficult. Much like Chōno's entire tuition strategy it seemed.

Yukari had a question "How do we know if we're in position?"

"I've no idea." Erika answered truthfully. "This is the weirdest training session I've ever been through."

"How do you think everybody else is doing? Nishizumi-dono?"

Erika thought that Miho was probably doing her best to keep it together but couldn't help but instruct her two friends. "I want to take a shot at the President." She said instead.

"Why?" Yukari sounded more than a little scandalised.

"She said I had a little accident." She could hear her own savageness. "A little accident. I'll show her little…"

The T-50 came to a halt under a low-hanging branch and even with a different shade of green, it faded into the background. Kuromorimine rarely camouflaged its tanks, the Nishizumi style was about relentless advances; not lying in wait in the shadows. Even their scout tanks travelled brazenly. Their tank destroyers, some of which had been designed specifically with ambush tactics in mind, advanced openly.

Chōno announced everyone had reached their starting points which surprised Erika, she had thought it would take much longer for the others to figure out their machines. They were far more resourceful than she had given them credit for. Chōno then explained the rules of an annihilation match in brutally simple terms. "Go forth and shoot up a storm!" She declared and Erika could tell she was genuinely enjoying herself. "Sensha-do begins with a thank you, and ends with a thank you. All participants, bow."

She obeyed the command without a second thought, lowering her head and speaking the words. "Thank you for a good match." She heard the reverence with which Yukari spoke them but Erika remembered the last time she had heard them, when Kuromorimine had been forced to utter them to Pravda after their defeat and she hadn't been able to speak them because they had been stitching her face back together.

"Itsumi-dono? Can I try firing a shot?"

"Do you know how?" She was grateful for the distraction. "Of course you do. Just load for now, it's…" She tried to think of a way to put it that didn't sound arrogant. "It's amateurish just to fire off shots randomly." And a waste of money the school doesn't have, she thought. She was impressed they had been able to stock the ammunition for all the disparate tanks at such short notice.

She was spared any uncomfortableness at having called Yukari amateurish by the sound of a gun firing. She didn't recognise it, which eliminated the 38(t), Stug III or Panzer IV. "Someone's enthusiastic." She mused aloud. "Load up." She ordered and then set them on the move.

There was more firing and she guessed they weren't landing any hits. She guessed a chase had begun and there was no hope of a moving tank landing a hit on another moving tank in this battle. Without gyroscopes to compensate, the barrels moved about wildly and it took real skill to aim accurately in that situation. There was a louder report; the StuG. Did that mean two tanks in action, or three?

"Two o'clock!" Yukari called out and Erika smiled at having the Sensha-do fan and tank nut who knew the language on her side. She turned the vehicle so she could see clearly for herself and the distinctive shape of the M3 appeared. She thought it was a hideously ugly machine, like two different vehicles welded together, though it seemed the inexperienced driver had some natural talent as it was travelling smoothly along, if at a decidedly measured place. Erika assumed the young girl had trouble shifting to a higher gear.

"Now you can try a shot." Erika said and allowed herself another smile at the slight squeak of anticipation that issued from her fluffy companion. She braced herself and then the 45mm shouted its defiance and the shot rang off the turret of the 37mm. "Lower." She advised dryly, trying not to smile as the girl had a moment over experiencing her first shot; the noise, the smell, the power.

The M3 slid to a halt, just in time to take Yukari's second attack. She watched the tank turn one way as the 37mm gun rotated the other. The First Years were panicking, and rather than taking pleasure in an easy kill, Erika found herself feeling a surge of pity for them. They had been clever enough to figure out how to operate their tank without, so far as she knew, any knowledge of any kind of vehicle. They had been able to get their ungainly machine into position. They had then been told 'ATTACK!' and minutes later their steel box had been rung like a bell, the sound of their vehicle being hit roaring like thunder in their ears and then lightning had struck twice. She doubted they even knew where they were being attacked from. Their introduction to Sensha-do had been an assault on all their senses and if they all decided to quit, she wouldn't be able to blame them. She could however blame their gung-ho tutor, and the fates that had decided the First Years had come up against one of the only two experienced club members as well as a girl who knew more about tanks than both of them.

Yukari proved that third time was the charm. She struck the M3 directly on its port hatch which served as an overly convenient target. The system registered it as a penetration and the flag popped on the M3's turret.

"One less." Erika said and then squeaked as a weight fell on her from behind.

"WE GOT THEM, ITSUMI-DONO!"

In Kuromorimine a kill would garner an exchange of smiles. Never would a gunner glomp the commander and yet, that was how Erika found herself. It was easier to believe that Yukari was trying to strangle her. She was too shaken up to pay attention as the girl released her, gibbering apologies and instead made sounds of her own before hitting the accelerator.

The T-50 leapt forward and she made for the exchange of fire she could hear. She found a road and followed it, the Soviet tank fairly flying along and she saw before Yukari the 38(t). As to be expected of amateurs, they had driven straight into the open but then she saw the river and the bridge, and inexplicably; Miho's tank stationary on the bridge. She looked on and could only assume they had been chased onto it rather than foolishly deciding to cross it for no good reason because the StuG and Type 89 were advancing upon them from behind. It seemed the only reason the Panzer IV was still operational was the complete lack of gunnery experience of the other two tanks; the 89 was even firing their machine gun on it.

"They're all going for Nishizumi-dono!" Yukari squeaked, somewhere between shock and outrage. It was obvious to Erika however that the others had deemed the medium tank with its experienced member the biggest threat, more than her in her light tank with one other crewmember. It was however bad form to form an alliance in a free for all.

Then in utter astonishment, she watched the Panzer IV charge forward before the turret traversed around one hundred and eighty degrees, lining up on the StuG. The tank screeched to a halt on the bridge, metal grinding on metal, and then its gun roared. The shell was too fast to follow but the flash of light upon the StuG was followed by the thump of the impact. She could just about make out the flag appearing over it.

"Fire on the 38!" She snapped, both at Yukari and at herself for forgetting the situation.

"Yes!" She heard Yukari fumbling behind her, the sound of the turret rotating and the Student Council was oblivious to them, going for the exposed Panzer IV that had its attention focused on the Type 89 now. The trusty little Czechoslovakian tank trundled forward and fired, and even for a moving shot it went wide. But that didn't matter because Yukari fired and her shell slammed into the rear of the 38(t)'s turret, into the thinnest armour of the vehicle, like a hand slapping the back of a head. The little tank bucked forward, smoke rising from the hull, and then the flag snapped up from the turret. There was another shot, and she saw the Type 89 also smoking, also knocked out. Already the Panzer IV was turning its turret forward. "Nishizumi-dono." She heard Yukari say.

"Fire!" Erika snapped and the Panzer IV's gun continued to turn their way and then Yukari stopped hesitating. She fired. Erika just about registered the pencil streak of the missile flying and then it slammed into the turret to the right of the gun. The turret ceased turning but the tank roared forward. "Again!"

Yukari had to load her own weapon and lost precious seconds as the Panzer IV raced across the bridge, its gun pointing away from them and presumably jammed. Yukari had to fire again and finish them off before they could line up a shot by aiming the tank.

"Fire!"

Yukari fired again and whoever was driving the Panzer IV anticipated it, slewing the machine around so that the shell ricocheted and the German machine was now lined up on them.

"Verdammt!" She swore and the T-50 lurched forward so that the Panzer IV's shell missed their turret by what had to be centimetres. The Soviet vehicle flew forward, faster than the Panzer IV could turn on the spot and the driver realised this and advanced. It had to be Miho at the levers; she couldn't imagine Hana or Saori being able to react this quickly. Which meant one of them was manning the gun. Yukari fired again as Erika circled and her gentle grunt signified she had missed as the Panzer IV fired again and she thought that she felt the heat translate through the armour, and then realised it wasn't the shell. It was the engine of their vehicle. She could smell smoke. She hit the brakes and slewed them around so that the Panzer IV appeared in her vision again. The gun was still jammed and so she had no second thoughts about taking a leaf from the Chi-ha-tan strategy page; and charging.

Fourteen tons met twenty-five with a tooth-shattering crash followed by the deafening bellow of the 45mm gun firing point-blank into the Panzer IV's turret flank. Smoke filled the light tank, from outside and in.

"Erika!"

"Out! Out!" She threw open the driver's hatch and scrambled through, falling into the space between the glacis of the T-50 and the tracks of the Panzer IV. The Panzer IV was knocked out, the flag flying overhead, and behind her she heard the sound of the T-50's snapping out as the engine burned.

The next few minutes were a blur as Hana and then Yuzu attacked her tank with fire extinguishers until the mixture of foam and CO2 smothered the diesel engine. How a diesel engine could burst into flame so suddenly she didn't know. Yukari had said it was unreliable and now they knew what that really meant.

It was only then that she realised they had won.

[][][][][][]

The overly cheerful Automotive Club came to collect their tanks while they had to return to the hangar on foot. Despite their defeat, the history girls seemed delighted by the events, the volleyball club were eagerly discussing what they would do right next time and the Student Council appeared happy with the outcome. Miho meanwhile had acquired a team member in the field, the sleepy girl they had met that morning who apparently had decided the best place to bunk off class and take a nap was a tank range. After almost flattening her they had taken her aboard, where as it turned out she had taken over the driver's controls and been the one to skilfully aim the disabled turret using the hull and to dodge the incoming fire. The girl was a prodigy. A sleepy, dispassionate prodigy who leaned on Saori's shoulder as they walked.

That left the First Years who were all noticeably subdued. They had lost and hadn't witnessed the clash by the bridge so all they had to think about was the sudden violent assault that had fallen upon them.

Erika thought their commander looked like a Mini-Miho though there was less anxiety and more concern on her face. With Yukari busy gushing to Miho about how much of an honour it was to defeat a Nishizumi, she was free to walk up beside the First Year girl. It was hard to say what alarmed the girl most; her scarred face, the smell of smoke coming from her uniform and cap, or just the fact she was an older girl.

"Today wasn't fair." She said to her. "You have the most complicated tank to operate. There's six of you and your tank's supposed to have seven. You've got two gunners to oversee, two guns with very different capabilities and you're all trying to learn each other's roles before you've had a chance to understand your own. I'm impressed you worked out how to even get started."

"Aya asked online." Azusa replied, subdued. "With her phone."

"Smart. You didn't just sit there pushing buttons and pulling switches. You should have had a chance to practice driving and then shooting, even just to know what it feels like. Did you even get a chance to shoot today?" She asked and Azusa shook her head. "You will. Today was just Chōno testing the water. You'll get a proper lesson soon."

Azusa didn't look reassured, nor did the rest of her team though it was difficult for Erika to say whether it was because they were all still shook up from her and Yukari's onslaught or because she was far from a reassuring person. They certainly seemed to perk up though when Chōno said pretty much the same things she had, only perkier and with some gratuitous English thrown in. She bowed with the rest of the girls and then tried to maintain her dignity as Hana and Saori suggested they visited the school's baths. It was difficult; she stank of smoke from the fire and her butt hurt from the unfamiliar seat of the T-50. A bath sounded heavenly.

[][][][][][]

Hana and Saori revealed how things had played out for the Panzer IV team as they gushed about their experience. They had drawn straws to decide who took what role with Erika guessing Miho's anxieties had overwhelmed any push to make her commander. Saori had taken that role which made Erika smile, she had the imperiousness down, but as they revealed she hadn't known what she was doing. How could she? Miho had been the gunner and Hana had been the driver until after they had picked up the stray girl, Mako, and taken a hit trying to cross the bridge. Two miracles of luck had occurred. The first had been taking a hit from the StuG's 7.5cm gun in the rear and their tank not being knocked out. The second had been Hana only being knocked out as she had rang her head on the side of the driver's hatch. Upon hearing this Erika alarmed them by standing and then writing in the air with her finger, watching Hana's eyes and noting her polite inquiry.

"You should still see a doctor." She said after explaining her concussion test.

"It was still fun." Hana replied. "Despite that."

"We caught fire!" Yukari made it sound like a proud accomplishment and then actually stated one. "And we defeated a Nishizumi!"

"Yes." Miho conveyed a mixture of affection and amusement in a single syllable. That was great. Erika had worried she might feel she had further let down her family but instead it seemed to amuse her that Yukari held her in such esteem.

"All that time at Kuromorimine and I never beat you once." Erika mused. "Then I find a failed Russian tank in a hedge and I finally do it." She noted Miho's minor blush. "I had an advantage though, I had Fluffy on my team." Yukari's full blush meanwhile was very amusing. "Things could have gone worse. They didn't do too badly today. Everyone just needs to know their jobs."

"Speaking of, I think Miho should be our commander." Saori declared, making Miho squeak.

"We don't know much about tanks." Hana added.

"Itsumi-dono knows what she's doing." Yukari threw in her piece. "That's why we won today, because I had someone who knew how to lead. You should have that benefit too and Nishizumi-done knows how to lead."

"I… I do?" Miho asked, as if she had suddenly forgotten her years of experience. She made some more noises that might have been words but it was hard to tell as she addressed the water.

"Please." Hana bowed her head gracefully.

"Please!" Saori splashed them all by waving her arm.

"Please." Yukari made Hana's respectful bow look slovenly by comparison.

"Just do it." Erika sighed, sinking into the water up to her eyes, closing them. She wished she could close her ears as a moment later, Miho erupted in one of her anxiety overcoming episodes. She felt her sink beneath the water too as the other girls giggled at her passionate declaration to do her best for them.

"What about the rest of us?" Hana asked.

"What do you think I'm best at?" Saori put the question out there and it took considerable restraint for Erika not to retort with 'preening'. She settled for being nice. In a roundabout way.

"Cooking." She said. "But it's a tank, not a battleship, so you can't be the ship's cook."

Saori pulled a face, irked at being teased but also appreciating the compliment that was in there.

"Well, you are good with people." Miho suggested. "Unlike Eririn."

"Ha." Erika deadpanned, amused by Miho's unexpected barb.

"You could be the radio operator. You would have to be the loader too."

"I don't know if I can handle those heavy shells."

"Imagine you're in the gym doing your work out and a cute boy's watching." Erika suggested. She didn't need to look at her this time to see her pout.

"You'd be a good radio operator." Miho pressed on. "Everyone will listen to you."

"That does sound nice. And I can text really fast too."

"Why would you need to text if you have a radio?" Hana asked, Saori-baiting being something she obviously had far more experience with. Saori made a sound of disgust at being ganged up on.

"Um, Itsumi-dono-" Yukari began but Erika cut her off.

"You stay as gunner. You made three kills today."

"But-"

"I can order you around from the driver's seat." Erika pointed out wearily.

"Oh." Yukari was left to figure out whether she had come out on top or not.

"Miho-san." Hana made her jump with a most un-Hana burst. "May I be the gunner?" She suddenly seemed ashamed. "I loved how it felt whenever we fired a shot." Because a girl full of such grace and elegance admitting she had enjoyed something loud and violent was out of her comfort zone. "I feel like it could help me become a stronger woman."

Her words made Erika think of the Student Council's presentation for Sensha-do. All the qualities they claimed Sensha-do imbibed in young women, Hana already possessed in spades and it seemed rather redundant for her to think she could improve. At least to her anyway. Miho however agreed with her. "You should do it then, if you think it'll help you."

"Thank you!"

"Now we just need a driver."

Erika opened her left eye to witness the others turning as one.

Mako had chosen to bathe separate from them and at first she had thought it was because she was being unfriendly. But then she had realised it was because Saori and Yukari's energetic personalities gushing with enthusiasm exhausted her, and she just wanted to relax. She couldn't blame her. In the short time she had known Yukari, she had found herself sapped by her nuclear-powered excitement and Saori's vivaciousness once she got going was a similar force of nature.

Perhaps sensing the attention was about to be focused on her, Mako had already been in the process of moving on; wrapping a towel about herself.

"Mako!" Saori called at her cheerfully. "You should be our driver!"

"I'm signed up for calligraphy." She replied dispassionately, heading for the sauna.

Miho appealed to her better nature. "You'd really be helping us out, Reizei-san!"

"Please, Reizei!" As did Hana.

"I'm sorry, I can't." Mako replied and Erika knew why. Just the thought of operating a tank exhausted her. Hell, the thought of holding a paintbrush for calligraphy probably exhausted that girl but it was clear which the easier choice was. She closed the sauna door behind her.

Saori however did not appeal to her better nature. "Mako!" She snapped in a strident tone. "You don't have enough credits because of all your tardies! Remember the benefits they promised Sensha-do students? Two hundred excuses for tardies and triple credits! You need this! Do you want to repeat a grade?!"

There was a pregnant pause, and then Mako's skinny silhouette appeared. She looked as if she had been asked to climb Mt Fuji and her shoulders were slumped low as she declared heavily. "Fine… I'll do Sensha-do…" Making Miho's team and also Yukari light up. Mako wasn't finished though. "Because Itsumi and Nishizumi helped me. I need to repay them."

Saori saw right through her. "You need the credits."

"I'm merely returning the favour." Mako retorted coldly, and then bowed.

"Miho's right." Erika addressed Saori. "You are good with people." She had neatly backed in Mako into a corner and then bent her to her will. Once again Erika reassessed her. Saori had the awareness to know what was troubling people and the empathy to help them, but as she had just demonstrated it also meant she knew their weaknesses and knew exactly where to hit them if she needed to. Perhaps with a little training she would have made a fine commander. She certainly appreciated that the ebullient girl was on their side.

"Okay then." Saori announced. "You know where we have to go now."

[][][][][][]

"Why did we come here?" Mako asked in the tone of a sulky child.

"I thought we were going to the Sensha-do shop." As did Yukari.

In fairness to both of them, a home store hadn't been Erika's first thought for outfitting tanks either. In fact, she doubted any mind besides Saori's could have made this decision.

"Don't you want to be more comfortable inside your tank?" Saori asked Yukari breezily. "My butt really started to hurt sitting in there so long."

"You're putting down cushions?" Miho asked incredulously as Hana looked delighted, Yukari's hair seemed to droop in disgust and Mako meanwhile looked as if she was contemplating climbing onto a shelf and curling up for a nap.

"Can't I?"

Miho had to think about it. "… I don't think it's forbidden. But I've never seen anyone bring a cushion into a tank."

"Isn't this cute?" Saori held up a heart shaped cushion.

"This is cute too!" Hana gushed, clutching a lilac one. The expression on Yukari's face meant Erika had to momentarily pull down her cap over her face so she could take the opportunity to grin broadly, before replacing it and maintaining her stoicism.

"Itsumi-dono!" Yukari appealed to her.

"I'm with them." She said, making Yukari gasp and also surprising Miho. "That Russian seat was horrible. It'll cripple me if I have to sit in it every day." She selected something less girly and more functional, but it still made Saori beam as she added it to the trolley.

"Also, how about we buy slippers and make our tanks shoe-free zones? We don't want to track in dirt after we spent so long cleaning them up."

"Now you're going too far." Mako told her, saving Erika from doing so. Slippers… In a tank… Now that was crazy.

"Okay." Saori had already moved on. "How about the outside of the tank? How about painting it a different colour? Grey is so drab!"

Yukari's patience and previous deference flash-evaporated. "You can't do that! The tank has that colour for camouflage!" She had raised her fists passionately and as Saori did the same in frustration, for a fleeting moment Erika thought they might actually fight and it was a spectacle she definitely wanted to witness. Then Hana brought them back to reality.

"How about air freshener?" She asked, delighting Saori and sending them soaring back out of reality fast.

If it wasn't for the fact that Erika knew she wasn't that imaginative, she would have thought she was having a very surreal dream as Hana and Saori then went through all the ways they could possibly accessorise their vehicle as Mako and Yukari looked they wanted the deck to break beneath them and the ocean to swallow them. Miho meanwhile looked utterly bemused.

Later. Much, much later. So much later it felt as if time had warped, she and Miho finally it made it home.

"Today was interesting." She said, wondering if there actually were any words that could do the experience of the day's events justice.

"Everyone seemed to have fun." Miho replied.

"I don't know if the First Years did. And my tank caught fire."

"You scored three kills."

"Yukari did. Girl's a natural gunner. She spent her whole life dreaming of taking part in Sensha-do and today she got three victories to her name."

"You like her." Miho teased.

"The hero worshipping thing is tedious but I'll take it over being told 'Shut up, First Year.' And she knows everything about that Russian firetrap so we didn't lose any time trying to figure it out. Maybe we should pass her around, let everyone benefit. Especially if our tutor's plan is for everyone to keep learning by doing."

"Chōno-dono is… Enthusiastic." Miho said diplomatically.

"Reckless. If we'd been given a chance to drive around for a while we would have known about our engine troubles when we weren't being fired on."

"Maybe."

"Oh stop being nice! I'm too tired for it! Be mean! Say it was unfair they ganged up on you and made you commander! Say Saori's interior decorating plans are crazy!" Instead Miho giggled at her. "I don't know why you're laughing! Your crew now consists of a flower arranger, a self-proclaimed love guru, a narcoleptic and you!"

Miho only giggled more. "It's different."

"Do you think this school is a little bit… Strange?"

"No." Miho replied and her animation took Erika back. "I think this school is normal and Kuromorimine was strange. Everyone here is just being themselves and everyone at Kuromorimine was trying to be who they had to be."

"How profound." She tried to sound sarcastic but couldn't stop her voice cracking. Miho was talking about herself but she had no idea how apt her words were. "Go to bed. It's been a long day."

[][][][][][]

The Automotive Club had repaired their tanks the night before but they had left it to the teams to take care of the paintwork. For Erika and Yukari, that meant dealing with the blackened rear of their machine but it didn't take long to touch up the mossy green paintjob. It meant they could sit on the turret and observe the other teams, and Erika could watch Yukari lose her mind as the other teams transformed their tanks.

The Type 89 was the least offensive. The volleyball players kept the original colour but added white slogans and volleyballs that would be convenient aiming marks in the future. They seemed downright restrained compared to the others however.

The First Years painted their M3 a florid pink which was fitting in some ways; Erika knew of several tanks around the world that had been painted pink, either as monuments or as civilian vehicles. This was no consolation to Yukari however who could actually name the locations of those monuments, such as Prague and South London.

But the pink skinned Lee was nothing compared to the gold the Student Council had coated their 38(t) in, making it impossible to look at in direct sunlight. So long as the day remained bright, they might dazzle a gunner but the moment a cloud passed in front of the sun they would stand out even if they were on the distant horizon. Passengers in passing planes would be able to see their tank.

And then there was the StuG. Perhaps the history girls had been knocked senseless the previous day because it was the only explanation Erika could come up with for why a group with extensive historical military knowledge would look at the concept of camouflage and drop kick it out of the window. It was especially nonsensical as they had Erwin in their ranks who certainly should have known the StuG's history as an ambush vehicle. Instead they had painted their hull a deep red with golden Roman motifs and wheels. As if this wasn't enough, they had then stuck four flags into it so that they had a profile just as tall as the M3.

Yukari was making a keening noise so Erika massaged the back of her neck with her finger and thumb which also served to restrain her if she decided it was too much and threw herself at them all. "Just look at the Panzer IV, Fluffy. Look at the Panzer IV." Maybe Miho had put her foot down because like their T-50, the Panzer IV remained unmodified, retaining its Panzergrau colour which Erika mused meant it was also conspicuous in Oarai's forested training grounds. Grau Grun would have been a better choice. She said as much to Yukari.

"Olive Grun." Yukari replied and she was right.

"Maybe we'll suggest it. When Saori stops throwing a tantrum."

After the previous day's action-packed introduction, Chōno's lesson plan today was now that they knew what their vehicles could do to get to proper grips with them. It did make a certain sense even if Erika would have swapped the two days around.

Yukari cheered up though when they hit the firing range. Yesterday she had been shooting at point-blank ranges and now the two of them practiced at a kilometre, taking it in turns to load for one another. The unfamiliar Soviet markings on the sights meant she had to relearn the skill but she was still leaps and bounds ahead of the other teams' gunners. Yukari had a natural talent as did Hana while Erika thought the next best gunner was the Type 89's Akebi which was a pity as she was working with the Type 89's low velocity 57mm that would struggle even with the armour of other light tanks. That left the First Years, the history girls and the Student Council. The First Years and history girls were where they could be expected to be but the Student Council… How they had decided the girl with a monocle was the right choice as gunner, she couldn't imagine. Erika felt confident that the safest place on the firing range when Momo was shooting was directly in front of the target.

Wary of the engine, neither of them pushed it too hard. Once again they took turns because with their two man crew Erika wanted them to both be able to do everything so if anything happened to either of them, their tank wouldn't be deemed inoperable. She kind of regretted it when Yukari took to driving with equal enthusiasm and even though she didn't overtax the engine, she did tax the torsion bar suspension as she made them fly. She had to admit though that the tank had spectacular cross-country abilities and they would definitely be able to run circles around other heavier tanks.

When they returned to the hangar, the engine was making some godawful noises which made the Automotive Club cluck at them.

"You need to be gentle." Tsuchiya chided her. "Armour can take a beating but an engine needs love."

"According to her." She pointed at Yukari. "The engine never worked properly."

"That just means it needs more love."

Erika turned on Hoshino. "Is she winding me up?"

"You're a very suspicious person." She replied.

"We just need to learn the harmonics of this engine and then she'll sing sweetly for us." Nakajima assured her.

"I'd rather give it a good beating."

"Okay, bad energy away from the engine."

She suddenly found herself lifted into the air and then borne away to the Panzer IV.

"What did you do?" Miho asked.

"I have bad energy…"

"Okay." She noticed Miho didn't disagree. "We were going to go eat."

"I'll tell Fluffy. If they'll let me near her." She could see that Yukari was having a great time discussing the mechanics of her tank with the Automotive Club. "I think she's in her happy place though."

[][][][][][]

Over the next week, Oarai's Sensha-do program approached something that could be called normalcy. Captain Chōno took a hands off and then hands on attitude to them, letting them try things for themselves before stepping in and giving advice and corrections. She spent one whole session with the First Years which seemed to do them a world of good. They graduated from practicing driving by themselves to attempting formations. Erika was trying to maintain a stoic demeanour but it was difficult as she compared the precise formations of Kuromorimine to the chaos of Oarai. They had radios for commanders to speak to one another but the sets for the crews still hadn't arrived, meaning they still had to yell at and kick each other to communicate and the delay in relay of orders meant more than once the tanks bounced off one another. As the M3 weighed twice as much as the 38(t), Type 89 and T-50 this was quite alarming and an impact would invariably send the lighter tank flying off to strike another tank.

The only person who didn't find any of it amusing was Momo. She ranted and railed from the cupola of the 38(t), using a loudhailer rather than the radio which made her easier to ignore. The only thing that tempered Erika's amusement over Oarai's eccentricities was knowing the truth. Momo wanted them to shape up so they could achieve the impossible while all the other members wanted to have fun. Not knowing meant they did stupid things that would make the impossible goal even more unlikely, like painting their tanks garishly. And yet, if they had known the fate of their school depended on them, their performance would probably be even worse from the stress. The smile that seemed to never leave Miho's face these days would be crushed.

She kept thinking about what Miho had said about how here people were themselves and at Kuromorimine they were who they had to be. What did that make her, knowing what she did? Was she being what Oarai needed her to be now? Or herself? That was the question that dominated her thinking. During the match she had yelled at Yukari as she would have done at Kuromorimine, as she always had. She was caught between amusement and frustration with the club's amateurism. Was that because she knew the stakes? Or because after everything that had happened, she still cared about winning above all else? If Oarai was to stand a chance at even passing the first round, they needed a major shake-up and she couldn't deliver it because she couldn't send Miho back to a dark place when for the first time she actually seemed to be enjoying being around tanks. She had promised to take care of her and turning Oarai's Sensha-do into what they both knew and run away from would take a hammer to that promise.

There had to be some middle ground but she had no idea how to find it. How did she make people who painted their tanks pink and stuck flags in them take the sport seriously without becoming too serious? Fortunately for her, she didn't need to think about it. She received an invitation from Yuzu, which she assumed was to be diplomatic, to come visit the Student Council.

"Yuzu told us you know everything. That's good! That saves us some work." The President declared cheerfully with the ever-present sweet potato chip in her hand. How the girl was so tiny when she appeared to eat her own weight in the things every day was a total mystery.

"What do you want?"

"Straight to business, I like it!" Anzu beamed while Momo glowered. "How do you think the club's shaping up?"

Erika looked at her and stretched out the silence until Momo and Yuzu were squirming. Anzu however was implacable. "I think there's potential."

"Potential. You and Nishizumi wiped us all out in our match. And you defeated Nishizumi."

"I have Yukari. That made the difference. …Although that driver of hers, I don't know how she picked up driving so fast. You'd think she'd been doing it for years."

"Reizei? The Public Morals Committee said I shouldn't have allowed her in." Anzu grinned. "They think she'll fall asleep at the controls and demolish a building!"

"You let her shoot." Erika replied, meaning Momo. "I'm starting to think we should have the airspace cleared over the ship so we don't blast anything out of the sky."

"Kawashima!" Anzu interceded before the fur could start flying. "Do you think what we're doing is pointless?"

"Do you?" Erika asked pointedly.

"I asked you. And I outrank you." The words were spoken impudently, not arrogantly and once again Erika wondered at how the girl seemed to take nothing seriously, and yet here she was because she did.

"We have six tanks and only three of them aren't seriously flawed. Mine caught fire and I know it'll breakdown again. The M3's too tall and struggles off-road. The Type 89 wasn't designed to fight other tanks! That leaves you with your light tank, the StuG and the Panzer IV, which also wasn't meant to fight other tanks. That's not a championship winning line up. I don't know what kind of line up that is! Do you even know why the old club had such a strange mix of tanks?"

"They didn't. We think that most of the tanks we have are… Collectibles."

"Collectible?"

"Yeah! Like the cars rich people buy but never drive. We think the original Sensha-do club used German and Japanese tanks for their main line up which is why half of ours now are German. But the rest are-"

"The ones they couldn't sell when they disbanded… Scheisse…" She shook her head and then without an invitation, she sat down. She needed to sit down. "Do you know what your main advantage is? Do you? It's that everyone you face will think you're a bunch of stupid amateurs without a clue what you're doing."

"Like you do?"

"I think you know a lot more than you let on." Erika said and they both narrowed their eyes, challenging each other. "I think you want people to believe you're just some silly girl who likes playing at politics and barking orders, so that when you actually want something they don't know what hits them. I think you like it when people completely underestimate you. And if that's going to be the bedrock of your Sensha-do style, you might just make it through the first round before we're all crushed."

"Koyama, make a note. Itsumi not recommended for promotion to morale officer."

It was a poor joke. Both for mocking her and for confirming Erika's accusations. But there was something of a peace offering in it. "What did you really want to talk about?"

"I wanted to make sure we're all on the same page."

"Your page?"

"The school's. We're all here for the school. We want to save our school. You want to protect your friend now she's happy here at our school."

"Miho-"

"She doesn't have to know anything. She does enough just being here. They've all Googled her, they know all about her mother. They all seem to think she is her mother."

"You disagree?"

"Have you met her mother?"

"Have you?" Erika countered.

"I've seen interviews." Anzu smiled slyly. "They explain why Nishizumi looks so nervous all the time."

"If she was here-"

"I know; fire and blood. And that's what they all think Miho will bring to a real match. And you." She pointed the sweet potato chip at her. "You beat her. And you scare them. All of them. They're glad you're on our side."

"They are?"

"You hit us and the First Years so hard we never saw it coming. We heard you shouting commands in our tank! We told them if it scared them to fight you to just think about how outside of training you'll be watching their backs. You! If Nishizumi looks worried, she's got you to bark for her."

Erika did not appreciate being compared to an attack dog, especially with the words intended to be complimentary. "So this is the page? I keep Miho happy, and unknowingly focused on achieving your goal?"

"Exactly!" Anzu beamed. "We're doing great already. We've decided we need a proper practice match."

"I disagreed." Yuzu piped up.

"They're not ready for a real match." Erika said.

"By the time they are, we'll be in the breaker's yard." Anzu replied with a hard edge and Erika was forced to agree and she nodded stiffly. "We've arranged a match with St Gloriana Girls' College."

Erika lowered her head down onto the table and ground her forehead against it for a few seconds before lifting it again. She took a moment to straighten her cap. "Your idea of a good first real match for your… circus out there, is against St Gloriana? One of the Big Four of high school Sensha-do? You want them to go up against that?"

"Yes!" Anzu beamed and folded her arms. "St Gloriana will beat us fair and square but it'll be fair and square. Everyone will know we never stood a chance because it's our first ever match and they're one of the big schools. No one will be upset if we lose. But if we fought against a school like Viking or Anzio and lost, they would be upset because they'll think we had a chance. If they know they'll lose going in, they won't stress about it. And Darjeeling's so polite that when she tells them she's sorry they lost, she'll make it sound like they won. It's a win for us, even if we lose."

It had been a little difficult for her to follow this ramble but the gist she got made sense, in a twisted kind of way. She could however see a flaw. "If they lose to St Gloriana and shrug it off because it was their first match and they're a major school, if we're drawn against a major school in the first round of the actual tournament they'll go in thinking they can't win and it won't matter because it's their first tournament."

"True." Anzu mused. "But there's fifteen other schools competing. What are the chances we'll end up going against one of the four big ones in the first round?"

"Nearly one in four, actually." Erika pointed out dryly. "It's just basic maths."

"Koyama, underline that note." Anzu responded with her best cheeky grin.

"I'm a realist." She said coldly. "And like I said, at the moment your main advantage is that no one will take you seriously."

"Then we do have an advantage." Anzu countered.

"How the hell do you put up with her optimism?" She asked Momo and Yuzu.

"It's infectious." Yuzu answered with a smile.

St Gloriana. She was right about them fighting fair and square, there would be no ego in it, no desire to humiliate the newbies. But she thought about the juggernaut they would face and the under-gunned and thin-skinned line up they would put up against it and it seemed that no matter what they would all feel they had been relentlessly and easily crushed. Defeat would however have the benefit of teaching them some lessons that they all desperately needed.

Author's Notes:

Real life got in the way of writing for awhile. I'm experiencing some writer's block with Spring and Autumn at the moment; I know what I want to write but it's just not coming. This is easier as the plot obviously is already there. Observant readers may have noted I'm lifting dialogue directly from the series and that's because I don't see much point rewriting it when it gets to the point and only needs a few minor modifications to fit with Erika's presence.

Based on previous feedback, I've no interest in writing slash stuff. While there certainly may be an undercurrent to Erika and Miho's relationship and I'm certainly portraying… something… in Erika and Yukari's interactions, I won't be writing anything explicit. Though I'm sure people will read into Erika massaging Yukari's neck, even though I based that explicitly on something I used to do to one of my old dogs when they were in a combative mood. An element inspired by the frequent portrayal of Erika and Yukari as Maho and Miho's attack dogs. Mostly I'm keeping with my interpretation of the series that Yukari has an innocent girl-crush on Miho.

Also, I have no plans to introduce Shark Team early. I was never a fan of the team and I don't see the value of introducing the Mark IV into the battles of the series.

St Gloriana is up next and with six tanks in Oarai's line up to begin with, that will mean one familiar face showing up early.