The Tigers of Chi-Ha-Tan ReRise Volume 4: The Scars of a Warriors Past

A Duel for Tigers and Bears Part 1

A groan filled the air, making Éclair, commander of Maginot's Sensha-do team, chuckle. She turned to look over her shoulder at the source.

"What's wrong, Fondue?" she asks of her friend and sub-commander of the team.

The girl in question was of average height, with large rounded glasses over her light brown eyes, her long hair matching the color tied up in a neat ponytail with a yellow ribbon. She wore the proud uniform of her school's Sensha-do team, a blue jacket with two rows of gold buttons, gold stripes on the sleeves, gold and blue epaulets and collar badges, a white blouse with a red tie underneath the jacket, a white short tight skirt, and a pair of boots.

Fondue spoke with a skeptical look at her friend. "Do we really need to meet up with her?"

The annoyed tone wasn't lost on Éclair, who replied with a gentle smile. "What's wrong?"

"Do we really need to go visit her to watch the match? Can't we just stay on the Surcouf to watch it with the rest of the team?" Fondue ask.

Éclair rolls her eyes humourously. "It was an invite, which means it would have been very rude to turn down; besides, she is an old friend of mine."

The answer did nothing to ease Fondue's agitation. However, part of her not wanting to go might have been simple jealousy since she considered herself Éclair's best friend after everything they had been through together. Yet for the sake of her friend, she pushed her worries to the side and was grateful Éclair had asked her to come along.

The two continue their walk down the streets of Tottori, where they had made port. It was one of Japan's most attractive tourist spots due to the Tottori Sand Dunes stretching for 14 Kilometers, which is fitting for the very carrier school that calls this their home port.

Being Koala Forest Academy.

"You think she would have come greeted us when we dock, at least, instead of making us walk all the way to their carrier," Fondue complained.

"Oh, you know, Bluey. She's probably setting up a big cookout. She's fond of them, you know," Éclair replied.

The answer made Fondue groan. "I know, a Koala Forest tradition, but she seems to have one every day from what I hear."

"That's just idle gossip around the carrier schools, don't buy into it. Bluey is not one to overdo something, especially if it might get tiresome from repetition," Éclair said, though as much as she hated to admit silently to herself, Fondue might be right.

The two girls finally found their way into the wharf, the loading and resting area for the Koala Forest Academy's carrier, The Sydney Express. However, the name was not the first given to the carrier, as it had once been the founding carrier for St. Gloriana during the earliest days of Sensha-do, called the HMS Glorious. As time passed and St. Gloriana received hefty donations from wealthy and influential families, they transferred to a newer ship. They saw Glorious handed over the newly created Koala Forest High, who quickly renamed it, as they wanted their own identity as they set off on their maiden journey into Sensha-do, and the rest is history.

Taking a moment to observe, Éclair looks over the vast carrier ship with a keen eye. It was definitely larger than their school's by a large margin, making some envious feelings bubble to the surface for Éclair since it wasn't just her Sensha-do team she wanted to improve but all their school's facilities. It didn't help that their rival, BC Freedom's carrier, dwarfed theirs as well, with much more expensive accommodations to boot, which was always flaunted over Maginot.

Damn, even I never had a chance at the final, beating that pompous Marie would have been just as good," Éclair thought bitterly, as she had tried to make good with the BC Freedom commander during the National Drawing, but old rivalries never faded. Marie simply smiled with indifference and walked right past her.