GIRLS und PANZER: Maho Arc

Chapter 11

"Maho," Erika said to her in a video chat, "is it okay for me to become the next Commander?"
"Don't let you fall over results." She replied, "You should find your own style."
"Yes."
Then, a moment later, she began to cry. Her tears fell over the table.
"Why do you cry?" Maho asked.
"Because..." She replied, trying to dry her tears, "if we see each other again... I don't know."
"Erika, we had great memories together, fighting in Sensha-do, and our winning streak was umstoppable."
"But..."
"It's time to find our own goal, build our own path, earn our own trophy, and make proud of ourselves. Erika, it's time to show them what you've got."
"Maho... I..."
"If we see each other again, we'll find out."
Then, the chat ended, leaving Erika alone and crying in front of it. Then, someone knocks at the door.
"Erika?"
"Who is it?"
"Zaika."
She approached the door and opened it.
"Yes?" She asked again.
"Any word from her?"
"Not yet. Please come in."
"Sorry but we need to prepare the Tiger to transport. We are putting it in the Gigant. Everything's ready, Erika. We need her word."
"Okay. I'll call you later."
"We'll expect that." Then, she began to walk away. But, she stopped for a while and said to her, "By the way, thank you, for your efforts."
She left. When she's out of sight, she looked around her. The streets were deserted.
"They are going to school." She said to herself, "What should I expect?"

At Ooarai, Maho and Miho are watching news on television.
"A lot of students," the female reporter spoke, "are crowding the Kuromorimine Girls Academy for an unknown but important event. The Grand Principal..."
"What event?" Maho thought to herself, "What is she thinking this time?"
"Erika Itsumi arrives." the reporter spoke and she saw her approaching the main building. The Grand Principal appears behind the main door and everyone became silent.
"Erika," she spoke through a microphone and the school's loudspeakers blared, "come forth."
When she is in front of her, she stopped walking and everyone became skeptical, even the Nishizumi sisters.
"Everyone," she spoke again, "let's cheer her for the first match that will be commenced tommorrow."
"Erika!" The crowd chanted as they clapped and cheered. Then, they sang her song.
"As you can see," the reporter spoke, "the students are singing her song. The population is evident on..."
"Miho," Maho said, ready to leave the house in uniform, "we must go."
"Okay." She turned off the TV and they left the room.

"You called me, Madam Principal?" Erika was summoned by the Grand Principal on her office just after she enters the school earlier.
"Yes." She then turn her office chair to face her, "It's very urgent." She looked serious and Erika felt that something bad will happen.
"What is it?"
"Your mother send this message for you." She showed the letter to her and she picked it up. She read for a moment and left the room to get back to her residence. When she opens the door, the Grand Principal said to her, "Good luck."

There, she eye-read it word by word. The letter stated as follows.
"Erika, It's been a long time since I wrote letters for you. How are you now? You may not be able to remember because it's a long time but if you read this I don't know what happened to me now. Neither of us can tell what we are doing now. Throughout the time, I heard about sensha-do and your popularity in that sport. I never knew it would happen. This makes me proud of you. Now, that you achieve the thing you want, just...keep going, like a tank. Love, Mom."
"Mother," She said, "thank you, for this."
Suddenly, someone knocks the door and she opened it.
"Erika," Zaika said, "we got a problem. The guards stops us. We need you now."
She immediately dressed up in her commander's uniform and raced with her.
"Where are you?"
"At the runway. The Gigant and the Tiger is there."

In her office, the Grand Principal watched a CCTV camera pointing on the runway at the Transportdivision HQ. By that time, Erika arrived there and asked them.
"What is going on?"
"They don't have the Grand Principal's  permission." One of them replied, "We have to stop them."
"I got her permission." Immediately she showed the access card to them.
"We're sorry for our interference. They have her permission and they can go." Then, they left.
"I knew it." the Grand Principal said after witnessing the event in her office, thinking that Erika is helping Maho.