Dein Weg ist Mein Weg

Chapter 39: Katyusha's Gambit

The rhythmic sound of the windshield wipers whipping back-and-forth was all that filled the large truck as it moved across the frozen battlefield, rocking violently as the cold winds buffeted it from all sides.

A superstitious commander would see it as an omen, but Katyusha was not a superstitious commander. She knew every strength and every weakness of both her own team and her opponents. She knew of the recent additions to the enemy's forces, and of Nishizumi's reputation.

Neither of which frightened her in the least.

If anything, she was far closer to laughter than tears. She was facing a school full of losers, with a second-rate commander at the helm. It was almost enough to make her laugh. She had defeated them last year, and she would defeat them again. The next ten, no, twenty years of the tournament belonged to Pravda, the powerhouse she had forged with her own two hands. Her legacy was all but secured. All that stood between her and true, immortal greatness was her pitiful excuse of an opponent, and once she had slain this dragon once more, it would be within her grasp.

"We have arrived, Katyusha," Nonna said calmly as the truck came to a halt, and turned off the engine. "But are you certain about this? It is not good to be overconfident."

"Hah, Katyusha is not overconfident. Katyusha is just the right amount of confident! The Great Katyusha beat her last year, and will beat her again this year! They are all inferior to the great Katyusha, and they need to know it! To understand how far below the might of Pravda these ants stand!"

"Very well, Katyusha" Nonna conceded. "[We still have a match to win, though, so at least try not to upset her,]" she added in Russian.

"What was that?!" Katyusha asked. "I've told you to speak Japanese!"

"I was just saying that our enemies should consider themselves lucky to be graced by a visit from great Katyusha," Nonna smiled, and exited the vehicle. The fresh snow creaked under her feet as she made her way around the truck to let Katyusha out, before the two marched the final few meters over to the enemy staging ground.

"Alright, where's your commander?!" Katyusha called with a scornful laugh at one of the tank crews in their dark jackets as they worked on the German tank before them. "Tell Nishizumi that the Great Katyusha will speak with her!" Some of the tankers looked over towards Katyusha and Nonna with some uncertainty, but no one moved to do as she had commanded. She was about to have Nonna clarify that it was not a suggestion, but then she laid eyes on her prey. "Nishizumi!"

A dozen or so meters away, the girl she had spent every waking moment of the past few weeks studying came walking out behind a German tank, her short brown hair fluttering in the cold wind. Nishizumi glanced up from the clipboard she was carrying with a dour, disinterested expression as she walked, and paused for a moment, seemingly puzzled at the sight of Katyusha, but without any of the interest that would imply. "Snowstorm Katyusha..." she said in the same disinterested tone that her expression conveyed, "You're shorter than I expected." With that, she returned her gaze to the clipboard and continued on the same trajectory as before, walking over towards another tank.

"How dare you..." Katyusha growled, and with a short series of quick, well-practiced movements made her way atop Nonna's shoulders. "You are all beneath the Great Katyusha! Your tanks, your skills, and your height, Kuromorimine Scum!" she added in a taunting and confident laugh.

If Nishizumi was intimidated or infuriated by Katyusha's comments, she didn't show it. She didn't even react, as if Katyusha, now that she was no longer of interest, had simply ceased to exist. Instead, Nishizumi simply continued her inspection and made a small, nearly unnoticeable nod to one of her subordinates as she walked. "Erika," she called quietly, and within moments a girl with snow-white hair was walking beside her, always keeping two steps perfectly behind as if she was a clockwork doll.