Author's note: Welcome to the first chapter of my first story for the 'Girls und Panzer', a series that I've really come to adore and cherish ever since stumbling upon it by accident in late 2012, which is kind of ironic as I really didn't think much of it at first, to the point that to date it's my favorite anime series and I'm hoping that there will be more GuP goodness to be released in the coming years for us all to enjoy.

But that aside this is my giving it a go at doing a fic for this series, I expect this to be become a pretty hefty story as there is a lot for me to cover. I have so much planned for this story and with some luck there will be those of you willing to join me on this little trip.

So without any further ado, let's dig in shall we. Panzer Vor!

A new journey, a new adventure!

Ooarai school carrier- Miho's apartment- 06.35h Saturday

"… Morning… already…" Miho gave out a soft yawn as she rolled over before she slowly opened her eyes, outside, the warm sun rays were already coming in through the window; even with the curtains closed the room was already well lit. "… I guess… it's…"

It took her a while before she began to realize that she was actually awake, her mind only partially aware of her surroundings. "… I… have to…"

Gazing at her clock through hazy eyes, Miho could tell that she had woken up a little earlier than she needed to, but at the moment she was okay with that. It would allow her to have a good breakfast and then leave at her leisure, today she wouldn't have to worry about being late.

Rolling onto her back she began to gaze at the ceiling, it had only been a short while ago since Ooarai had managed to achieve a feat that had been deemed impossible by most people, and by doing so they had saved their school. Now a couple of weeks later Miho still wasn't yet entirely used to it herself and on several occasions, she had asked her friends to pinch her just to make sure that it wasn't all just a figment of her imagination.

It was anything but a fleeting dream, they had won the national tankery tournament, defeating teams who not only had an impressive history but also many victories under their belt. However, their school's moment of victory had been short-lived, as MEXT had gone back on their promise. And by doing so the team, in a last desperate throw of the die, had chosen to accept a match that by all accounts, they should have lost, but hadn't. They had won, and in doing so, they had saved their school for real this time. She had made friends for life, and with their help and understanding, she had gained a new view on Sensha-do.

Miho had found her own way; it hadn't been easy and at times she came close to giving up, but her friends and teammates had all given her a sense of feeling at home. This school was where she belonged now; it had given her a purpose in life.

Pushing aside the blanket, Miho got up, otherwise, she might risk being late for school. The thought of seeing all of her friends again made her smile with anticipation.

Still, she couldn't rest just yet. There was no doubt in her mind that Anzu had plans, not only for her but for the team as well. There were going to be regional competitions, as well as the preparations for the nationals next year. She wasn't certain if the team could pull off a second victory again, but knowing Anzu's burning desire to keep their school open, she had no doubt that at some point she would find herself making it happen. Besides, they also needed to work hard on making sure that the future of this school would be guaranteed.

Well, those would be worries for later. Right now, she wanted to focus on her happy school days and spending time with her best friends. To be able to spend the remainder of her time at school with them, to get to have fun with them every day. That was what she truly wished for.

Thinking about her friends she began to wonder how they were doing, even if they had come to visit her yesterday since she had been struck with the mild flu following their celebration party. Missing a few days of school was unfortunate; however, there was not much she could do about it. Now that she was feeling all better, it was time to go to school with them again, and spend some time at the club as well. Miho smiled, she was already looking forward to it.

"Everybody, I'm looking forward to seeing all of you! Let's make this a beautiful day! The weather's nice, and maybe we can go out together after school," she said to herself in a soft-spoken yet still excited tone as she was looking forward to spending the afternoon with them all.

They didn't have many classes on a Saturday, so they should be finished early today. That meant they would have plenty of extra time to go out and enjoy themselves. There were just so many ways for her to spend an afternoon with her friends. They could go shopping, or perhaps go see a movie. No doubt Saori would call for them all to have dinner at Miho's place, it made her giggle with anticipation just thinking about it. She definitely needed to ask them what they preferred.

As opposed to staying on the ship that would remain docked in the harbor, maybe they could even go and visit the town itself. Apparently, this was one of those routine stops that the ship needed to maintain in order to acquire new stock and materials. Despite being able to keep its crew and citizens well supplied for an extended period of time, the ship still needed to come in every now and then to refuel and resupply. It was also a welcome period to the students as it would allow them to spend some time with their families. "Well I should get going, I can't keep the others waiting," Miho said to herself as she began making breakfast.

Ooarai school carrier- trophy room- 07.00h

Inside the, until recently, restored trophy room, there were heartfelt and muted talks being exchanged by various people. The flag that signaled Ooarai's stunning victory in the tournament was proudly being displayed behind them, with those present being excited over their most recent victory. The principal, the staff, and members of the Ooarai's public administration and of course several other prominent members of the Sensha-do league board were also present as well for the celebrations.

"First of all, I would like to first give my congratulations to the members of Ooarai's team for their stunning victory in the National Championships, as well as for their achievement in securing this school's future! It is with great pride as chairman of the league, that I may hereby congratulate your team on such a splendid achievement!"

A round of applause went about in response, but Anzu and the other members of the student council weren't really that festive enough to join in it as well. They had already celebrated this before, and now it was just some formalities between adults that needed to be sorted. Once Anzu had gotten the notes and reports from these people, she could have Yuzu go to work in finding out to what degree their new funds could be applied to.

First off, they would need to prioritize, only then they could start with determining which resources could be allocated where. Though, of course, before any of this could happen, they would need to require the documents from the man's secretary, who still seemed to be holding on to those.

Anzu looked back and did her best to return her attention to the discussion, though it was a bit hard since she was feeling a little bored by it all. Other than the papers there wasn't any reason for her to be here, she would rather be somewhere else catching a break.

"And as such, that hereby I can present to you not only the cheque but also on behalf of the Ooarai's public administration a further funding for which you can expand your Sensha-do team with. We have great expectations of Ooarai in the coming competitions."

Momo mimicked Anzu's reaction and raised just like her an eyebrow at that last part. So, they were already planning to have the school participate in other competitions. Apparently, there was a small catch attached to them gaining the additional funds. That wasn't good, so Momo made a quick mental note to have Yuzu check every letter of those documents. The last thing they wanted right now was for their school to be held back in its revival.

The talk went on longer than Anzu could care. She honestly would much rather be in her own office right now, enjoying the sun and her cherished supply of dried sweet potatoes, and a few drinks at it than this. She was relieved when the men finally bowed and were handed the documents. Kindly offering a quick bow herself in return, when she accepted them it was only followed quickly by gesturing to both Momo and Yuzu to come with her. They had a job to do. The rest of the formalities could be handled by the adults anyway. Once the last of their guests had left the room, Anzu winked at Yuzu and told her with a slyly expression on her face, "Koyama, I've got an important job for you."

Ooarai school carrier - streets – 07.30h

"Good morning Miporin!" Saori greeted her from across the street, as she stood there waving at her. A warm smile, which caressed the gentle features of her face, appeared at the sight of seeing her friend again. In her excitement and joy she shouted, "Over here! I'm here Miporin! Miporin!"

Standing next to her, making a gracious bow, was Hana. Miho went to greet the pair, seeing that it was alright for her to cross the street, but Saori beat the brunette to it as she lunged forward and gave her a big hug.

"Oh Miporin, I'm glad to see you! Hana-san just told me something wonderful and we have to share it with you as well!" she giggled, her face shining with a warm smile gracing her features.

Miho wasn't sure what to make of it, but if it was good news to them then she would be happy to hear it as well. Besides, if it made one of her friends so happy, then it had to be good!

"Well let's hear it then, it must be really good if you are so excited about this, Saori-san."

"It is. It is! Now that you're all better, you've got to hear this," she quickly nodded her head in return. "Oh, Miporin! You so have to hear this, it's-." Saori didn't get chance to finish her what she wanted to say, as she was stopped by the timely arrival of Yukari, who came from across the street.

"Morning everybody!" As always, she was in her usual cheerful mood. "Nishizumi-dono, I'm glad to see you back on your feet! How are you feeling today? I was planning on coming over to visit, but seeing that you're all better now mean I won't have to! I'm so looking forward to today!"

"Yukarin's right," Saori proclaimed quickly, adding to it as she heard that. "You know, we should celebrate having Miporin back with us! Why don't we all have dinner together?"

Collective sounds of agreement went around; they all considered that to be a splendid idea. Of course, they would have to inform Mako of this as well. After all, it wouldn't be right if she wasn't there as well.

"Takebe-dono, Isuzu-dono," Yukari bowed as she greeted them now as well. "Nice to see you! Can I ask though where Reizei-dono is? I haven't seen her on my way to school."

Waving her hand frantically, Saori was quick to inform them that Mako had, much to their surprise, called her yesterday on the phone to let her know she was going to be absent for a few days. It seemed she had left on a visit to her grandma. To think that she had even gotten special permission from the student council was equal, if not even more perplexing.

"But, shall we go? We're going to get late if we keep standing here," Miho offered as she gazed at her watch. It was going to be pretty tight for them to make it in time as it was.

"Midoriko-san is going to be upset if we all were to show up late for school."

The rest agreed on her suggestion, seeing as they could always talk on the way to school anyway. They weren't exactly looking forward to having to explain it to Sodoko, even if she was a member of their team she was still the head of the Public Morals Committee, it was a position that she took very serious. She could get really scary if she wanted to, and getting late was often good enough reason for her to do so.

"Then let's get going Miporin! Besides, I still need to tell you about it," Saori mentioned in excitement, beginning to walk ahead with the rest following her lead.

Ooarai school carrier - class 2-C - 10.30h

A few hours after they had arrived, just in the nick of time, at the school, and had broken up Yukari was watching as their teacher began to explain again the subject, honestly, she was already looking forward to when the class was over as then she could go to the hanger and have lunch with her friends.

They had said their farewells when they had all separated and she was certainly feeling a little hint of jealousy towards both Saori and Hana in that they were able to be in the same class as Miho, oh how much she envied the two of them for that but perhaps she would be lucky next year. To her, it felt good to see their tanks as well as it had been a few days since she last seen them, with the national competition over that meant there was going to be less pressure on them but that didn't take away her desire to ride in them.

Still, she wanted to spend more time at the sheds, right now she could well imagine that their tanks were getting a little lonely as after all they hadn't used them now in a couple of days. Maybe it wouldn't be such a bad idea to have her and the others spending some of the afternoon taking their beloved panzer IV out for a ride, even it was a short one. She just needed to hear the roar of its engine, the clattering of its tracks and maybe, just maybe, have Hana shoot the main gun a couple of times.

Those thoughts certainly brought a smile to her face; oh she was already getting pumped up just by thinking of it. Then to make the day even more perfect they would be having dinner at Miho's place, that sounded even better and it would certainly make for a wonderful conclusion to this day.

With that her mind started to wander off thinking about others matters that she was feeling excited about, gradually losing any interest in the subject being explained. Feverishly she was hoping that Ooarai was also going to participate now in the regional competitions as well and of course, she was filled with the excitement of thinking about preparing for the qualifications for next year's national championship. Oh, the thought of all the teams and rare tanks being present there was already enough to make her completely forget that she was still in class.

"Akiyama-san! Please pay attention while class is in session!" The teacher called out to her, it seemed she wasn't entirely happy about Yukari's doodling off. "I'm aware of you having won in the nationals but that gives you no excuse for dozing off in my class!" A stern lecture followed as her teacher made it clear that she did not appreciate it.

Snapping up from her dream she watched at her before standing up, Yukari made a deep bow. "I'm deeply sorry Saitou-sensei," she made sure that her bow was deep enough as the teacher was right, for now, Yukari made a promise to herself to try and keep her enthusiasm in check, at least to some degree, while she was in class.

"Make sure that it doesn't happen again, it's really important that you understand the subject otherwise you're going to have trouble during the exams" With the teacher accepting her apology she sat down again and focused her attention back to the board, she could always daydream after class was over.

For all that is was worth she was really looking forward to the rest of the year, despite all of her previous hardships this school had become a place that she really loved now. With her friends who appreciated her for who she was and a club that gripped her passion, there was no place she would rather want to be. Well except maybe for being inside a tank right now.

Ooarai school carrier – student council office - 12.00h

Sitting there in her office overseeing the entirety of the school, and the soothing calm sea at that as well, Anzu was busy in doing what she enjoyed the most at times like these, chewing on some of her favorite dried sweet potatoes. Meanwhile, Yuzu kept on talking about how the upcoming changes, that were noted down in the report they had been handed were going to affect their finances. There were some considerable clauses and unless they went over them closely they risked missing some of the conditions.

"Currently we can expect more than enough funds to support all of the current clubs as well as being able to maintain the school. Even with those costs calculated in we should have a good reserve available for the next year though it's best if we give careful thought to our spending."

While their victory had bought them extra time and prevented the school from being closed for the foreseeable future she was also aware that it was only a temporary solution. That said their school was still being faced with the cause of their problem, the ever declining amount of students they got each year. That was Ooarai's real problem, which they needed to solve. They needed to come up with a solution for that and then there was one more problem that kept approaching and one they couldn't postpone any longer.

"Prez?" Yuzu stopped as she noticed it, next to her Momo waited as well. "Do you think we should tell them? It would be the polite thing to do as they'll be the ones who will have to carry on. The school is going to require more funds and far more new students if it wants to survive."

"That won't be easy," Momo interjected to that statement. "Although we've gained a lot of positive media coverage thanks to the nationals and our victory, much to the surprise of so many, it hasn't yet led to a large influx of new students we would need to secure the school's future. We still have to find a way for us to attract more future students if we want to survive."

She was right, extra students had sent in their applications for entering the school and although it was well above their quotas of previous years it was still not enough. "We also don't know to which degree our situation will improve over the course of the next year but that's something none of us will be able to see for ourselves."

Anzu sighed at hearing that. "Yeah, none of us is going be here next year, it's a shame really as I wouldn't mind seeing how they'd do. But that isn't up to us anymore."

The collective mood in the room suddenly dropped, they all understood the implications. For them the year, and thus their time at school, was gradually coming to an end, the school was not only going to lose their student council but their Sensha-do team would also lose a crew.

But that wasn't all, there were other students who would also graduate this year and their loss was likely going to be felt hard by the team.

Next year's competition was going to become a lot more troublesome, for the team captain there was going to be a big responsibility.

But with Miho in charge, Anzu was confident that the team would prevail, that she was a more than capable commander who had already proven her worth as she had been instrumental in their victory.

All that really remained was to inform her of this and allow her to prepare well in advance, as team captain there was going to be big responsibility weighing down on her shoulders. It would be crucial that she became aware of this well in advance and prepare.

"Kawashima? Could you be so kind to call for Nishizumi-chan for me and have her come to the office? It might best if we were to tell her so she can prepare for it. As captain of the team, it will be her responsibility for selecting and training the news teams," Anzu asked as she looked over her shoulder.

There was a nod from Momo as she turned around and grabbed the phone, somehow in her heart it felt painful to do but she kept up her stoic appearance. Right now it would do more damage if it was found that the student council was having trouble itself, a strong and composed leadership would help make the transition easier for all of those involved.

They all loved their school and the time they had gotten to spend here was cherished by all. Switching to the intercom she mentioned Miho's name, requesting that she would come to their office at the earliest opportunity which to her meant now.

Ooarai school carrier – tank sheds – 12.15h

"Standard Class I, 2-A, Nishizumi Miho. Standard Class I, 2-A, Nishizumi Miho. Please come to the student Council room immediately. I repeat. Please come to the student Council room immediately."

It went around the whole school premises, even in the hanger they could all hear the announcement, it did surprise them to learn that even in the hanger they had this setup but then it did make sense after all.

Craning up her neck as she heard her name being mentioned throughout the intercom Miho was puzzled as to why the student council was calling for her at a time like this.

"Miporin?" Saori asked, just as confused as she was. "Do you want us to come with you?"

Hana and Yukari were waiting as well for an answer; it seemed that if she wanted then they would all accompany her. Even before she had a chance to object Yukari was ready for it.

"Nishizumi-done, you just need to say it. We'll accompany you," boastfully Yukari claimed as she was already in the process of cleaning up her lunchbox.

"That's very kind of you all but I don't think that the president has anything planned for me. My guess is that she just wants to talk to me on how to proceed with the team, there's still a lot that we can do," Miho answered them as she politely declined their offer. "Please continue with your lunch and don't worry about me. I'll be back soon." She excused herself.

Getting off the tank with caution she gave out a short bow before leaving the hangar. Although the others were not certain if they should stay they decided in the end to respect Miho's wish. That said they were still feeling uneasy about this sudden announcement and with some reluctance they resumed with their lunch, Miho had assured them it was alright.

"Do you have any idea what the president could want of Nishizumi-dono? Could it be related to Sensha-do? Wasn't everything supposed to be fine if we were to win that match against the UST? Why did they call Nishizumi-dono?" Yukari unleashed a barrage of questions but neither Saori nor Hana could come up with a suiting answer for that, much like her they were in the dark on what it could possibly be.

"Why don't we finish our lunch first and then go and wait for her outside the office. If it's nothing then I'm certain that Miho-san will be out quickly and then we can always ask her," it was Hana making the suggestion, "She wouldn't want for us to worry about her for no reason, we should respect her wish. Also if she doesn't want to talk about happened then we shouldn't ask her any further. Let's put our trust in Miho-san."

They could all agree on that, besides Hana had made a good point. If it was something really important then surely Miho was going to discuss it with them at some point. For now, they resumed with their lunch, what came after that, they would see for themselves.

Then they were called out. "Hey, Senpai!" It sounded from across the hanger and as the trio of girls looked up they could see Azusa and the other members of rabbit team standing there next to their beloved M3.

"Senpai, can we talk to you? Senpai, there's something we want to ask you?" Waving with their hands it was clear they were pretty anxious about something. Not certain who they were referring to now the three of them watched as the girls approached. "Hello senpai," they said in unison as they bowed. Then they all turned their attention towards Yukari. "Senpai we've got a really important question for you?" Azusa was the first to speak.

Aya was the next one to ask a question almost interrupting Azusa in the process. "Senpai, it's about our tank, we want to get better at taking out other tanks. Do you have ways to help us? We need more firepower senpai."

The others started to call for help as well now. "Senpai! We need your help! You know everything about tanks! Senpai what can we do to improve our chances?"

Taken aback by this Yukari was stumbling in her effort to come up with answers, scratching the back of her head as she was wondering about some of those points herself. "W-Well the most obvious is for you to do your best at training and hone your skills in gunnery. Then you can go and study the weak spots of tanks you might face. Other than that you're limited to the performance of the gun."

Then Yuuki held up a book for them to see. "Then senpai, why do these tanks look different than ours? See their turrets are different on some and their main guns as well," she mentioned as she tapped her finger on the photo's in question and as she gazed at them Yukari could see they were right.

"Well, the different turret is because that model was built for the British, as for those photo's all of the later production models of the M3 carried a longer gun which was more powerful than the one that's mounted on yours." And then it hit her, a way to how they could help the rabbit team but the question that popped up was how they were going to find it.

"So senpai would that then be an option for us? If we were to get that gun we would become even better at taking out tanks, right? Do you know how we can get it?" They all started asking, adding to the confusion.

Saori and Hana were giggling at her. "So Yukarin, you've become very popular all of a sudden. So what will you be doing?" she teased her while Hana did her best at turning away to avoid either of them seeing her laugh. Her hand covering her mouth she smiled wryly.

For Yukari this was an odd situation, she hadn't really spent all that much time with rabbit team. She knew now how to help them but that didn't mean it was going to be easy. "Well, we'd first need to look if we can find such a gun. There are some shops we could try and see if we can order it but we'll need the part codes for it. Also, we're going to need Leopon to help if we want to get it them to install the gun in the tank."

A cry of excitement came from the girls in response as they heard that, with that, they would surely become better tank killers. "Thank you, senpai!" After that, they quickly left, dashing towards the exit as already the next class about to begin, their little conversation had taken up more of their time than they had noticed.

"Oh my, I think we should get going as well. Sensei doesn't appreciate it if we're late for class, we'll have to see how Miho-san is doing later," Hana offered as she neatly cleaned up, for now, they were going to have to wait.

Ooarai school carrier- trophy room- 12.30h

Still somewhat confused by it all Miho found herself staring at the flag, for some reason Anzu had decided that they would keep their little discussion, not as Miho had expected it to be in her office, but rather and much to said girl's surprise in the trophy room.

However, it was the most recent addition to the trophy room that caught her attention, hanging there was an enlarged example of the photo that had been taken after their fierce battle against Alice Shimada. Leaning in closer to have a better look Miho was again reminded that it was only a week ago when the little girl had come to visit her school.

"I really would've liked it if you had stayed here with us, Alice-san. It would've been nice having you with us, training together, I've really wanted to go visit the Boko museum with you," she said to nobody in particular, not that it mattered as she was for the moment alone.

Letting her hand rest on the photo Miho whispered, "I hope that you've found what you're looking for in a high school, Alice-san, I hope you're going to meet wonderful friends there. Nothing would make me happier than knowing you did."

As Yuzu came in offering her some refreshments she waited until Anzu was going to give her an explanation, surely if they were going to keep their little meeting here than something else had to be the reason. She wasn't sure what that reason could be but she was hoping that Anzu would fill her in.

"Ah, Nishizumi-chan relax, don't look so worried," Anzu remarked as she noticed the apparently concerned look on her face when she walked into the room. "Don't worry it's nothing serious. In fact, you could say that it's really good news especially for you," she grinned before taking a bite from one of her sweet potatoes.

Nervous and uncertain Miho just kept smiling, not sure what to make of this. As was often the case she was lost as to what Anzu could be hinting at.

"The school is saved for the time being. Our finances have become a lot better now and we even have the chance to expand the team, but that said there's going to be a big change that will affect us all. That's also the reason why I had you called here."

Holding her breath Miho waited, well having the resources to expand the team was indeed good news as it would strengthen their position, still she felt confused what the big change was.

"Nishizumi-chan you're a second year, right? That means next year will also be your final year at this school after which you'll graduate, right? And your friends as well, right?"

Miho nodded in response that was true. All of them were in the second year.

"Myself, as well as Koyama and Kawashima, are third years, which means at the end of this year we'll graduate and leave this school. The same applies as well to several others students on the team such as Sodoko, Piotan-san and all members of Leopon, they will all graduate along with us."

Her eyes wide open Miho didn't know what to say, she hadn't given thought to this. It was sad to know that a good nine members of the team would be gone when this year in school ended. Two entire teams would be gone and two teams would be severely weakened.

"But what'll happen then with the team? Can it actually continue with all of you gone? Somehow it doesn't feel right to me to carry on without you, you all helped in saving this school."

Momo interrupted her. "We're aware of that but there's nothing that we can do about it. It's a heavy burden that we'll leave on your shoulders but we also feel confident that with you, the team will be in good hands. Naturally, we'll do our best to make the appropriate arrangements with the next student council to make certain that they'll cooperate with you, and to provide you with the support that we can still offer you."

Even with such a reassurance if still made Miho feel uneasy, she was going to miss them.

"We'll also need you to start looking for additional crews, training them should start soon,"

Anzu filled her in. "Now they have time to learn about the tanks from their current crews. We'll also be participating in the regional competitions which will help them gain experience, meanwhile, the current teams will help with qualifying for the preliminaries."

Startled Miho watched, apparently, for some reason, Anzu had her sights set on something big even in her final year, well that did fit with her. She smiled. "I-I'll do my best then, I won't let this school down." Standing up Miho was feeling a sense of pride washing over her knowing what responsibility was given to her but she was feeling confident. "I won't let you down, I'll do what's best for the school."

Anzu burst out laughing all of a sudden. "Oh Nishizumi-chan, don't be so tense," she chuckled much to Miho's confusion. "Please sit down. You don't have to start with this right away, next week will be fine. I'll have Koyama let students know that we'll be looking for additional members."

Yuzu nodded her head; already it seemed she was busy in making the notification though she wasn't going to finish it today, most likely it would be placed in the next few days.

"I'll also see if with our extra funds we can look at acquiring a few extra tanks, that way the new teams can already learn to operate a tank. Extra parts can also be stocked to make it easier for the students who will take over from the automotive club."

And with that the discussion went on as they started to discuss some of the finer details that they would need to take into account in the coming months, a lot of preparation had to be done as well setting up a set of guidelines to determine suitable candidates. Being this busy meant that they lost complete track of the time and by the time they noticed the sun had already started to set.

"Let's call it a day, for now, Nishizumi-chan thanks for coming today," Anzu thanked her. "We'll continue with this once we have more of the report checked, in the meantime go and enjoy yourself. You have earned it. Bye, bye."

And with that, before she could even blink with her eyes Miho was swiftly pushed out of the trophy room. "Guess I'll go back then, they'll likely be wondering where I've been all this time." Unable to go back Miho decided that it would be high time for her to return to her friends, it was well over time, class and school for that matter had ended by now. Gazing at her watch she was starting to feel a little guilty about having kept them all waiting this long. "I'll need to apologize and make it up to them." As her footsteps echoed through the hallways of the ship she noticed many others trophies hanging around, looking at them they sure brought back a lot of good memories.

Ooarai school carrier- school entrance- 16.15h

Already waiting for their friend at the entrance Saori, Hana, and Yukari had already spotted Miho as she left the building. "Miporin!" Saori yelled as she waved her over. "Over here!"

"That must have been a long discussion she had with the prez if she has been there until now. What do you think they could have been talking about for so long?" Hana remarked as they waited for Miho to join them again. "Miho-san? How was it?" Making a polite and concerned question as she noticed the look on her face. "You seem a little exhausted to me."

"Miporin you look a little pale. Did something happen? Don't tell me they threatened you with something else this time?" Saori gasped, her hand shooting in front of her mouth.

"A-Ah. No. No, no." Miho objected, waving her hands as she made it clear that it was no such as thing, they didn't need to be concerned and tonight at dinner, when Mako would be present as well, was she going to explain it to them. "First of all, I want to apologize to you all for having waited for me so long, if I had known this I would have let you know. Second I would like to ask you to please be patient until then? Is that already with you?"

Gazing at each other for a moment the three of them agreed to her request, for now, they decided not to address the matter until it was the appropriate time for it. "Miporin's right."

Yukari was the one who then made the question they were all having. "What are we going to do now? It's already getting late for any shopping, we also need to hurry if we want to go shopping for groceries."

"EEHHH!?" Saori cried all of a sudden. "Oh, my god! I forgot to call Mako! I need to call her now!" She was in a panic to get her phone, her hands shaking as she did. "I need to call her now. I need to let her know otherwise she's going to miss it all."

As they watched in amazement how the ginger haired girl's fingers quickly dashed across her phone and before they could even understand Saori did in one quick move send the message. "And done with that, phew," she sighed exasperated. "I decided to send her a message, it's faster for me to type. So what are we going to do next then? Yukarin's right as most shops are likely closed by now. Groceries shouldn't be a problem but for anything else we would have to wait for tomorrow, I also think that there won't be much to do anyway. Perhaps we should just go and watch a movie at your place Miporin? What do the rest of you think about that?"

"Eh but I…" Miho tried to persuade them otherwise but it was agreed by the others that her place was the only right place to watch anyway. With a sigh she gave in and with a dread she asked what kind of movie they wanted to see, they would need to rent one anyway.

Naturally, it came as no surprise to any of them that Yukari suggestion contained tanks, of course, she also suggested that they could all perhaps learn a few things from one. Which wasn't a surprise either was for Saori's suggestion to get a romance movie.

Hana unlike them remained stoic, to the point of not offering any suggestion at all except that she would agree to the movie picked by Miho. For the rest it didn't matter to her just as long as they could all enjoy it, that would mean a lot more to her. That was what counted.

"I'd rather do something else, something we can all participate in," Miho made the suggestion which caught them by surprise. "I want something which would involve all of us doing it together, you know what I mean?"

They were all stunned, Saori the most, it appeared. "M-Miporin…?" she asked, not sure what to say. "W-What do you mean? What else can we all participate in together other than Sensha-Do? Does anybody else have an idea?"

Yukari was bold. "I don't know but I know that Nishizumi-dono is right. We all need to participate in it, to make our bond even stronger!" She proclaimed as she punched the air.

"T-That's not what I meant." Doing her best to calm Yukari down it was in vain as said girl's spirit was up. "Akiyama-san please calm down, ehm…" Unable to bring her friend down to earth again Miho was forced to use her last resort. "Panzer halt!"

Yukari snapped back to reality almost immediately at hearing the command. "Oh, did I do it again? Sorry about that." Yukari's head dropped at the shame.

"Don't be," Miho comforted her, letting her know that she didn't mind it. It was just one of those things they had all come to expect of their friend, but that didn't take away that each time it took them by surprise. "You're who you are, let's go then. I'm getting hungry and we still need to do our groceries." Miho led on with the rest of them following her.

"What do you all say about curry then?" Saori proposed as she got in front of them, holding a finger up. "We can all make it together, I'll make the curry while you all can work on the rice, vegetables, and the meat. Oh, and somebody needs to set up the table as well."

They laughed as they realized that Saori had just suggested exactly that what Miho had wanted, something they could all participate in together but then their previous attempts at cooking hadn't been entirely successful much to Saori's chagrin.

"Takebe-dono? You think that's smart? We're not so good at cooking as you are." Yukari was the one who pointed that out which made Saori let out a deep sigh.

"I know. Which is why we're first going over to my place so I can get a book on how to make curry for you all to read. I'm going to help you all to become better cooks," she smiled as she winked at them. "With my skills at communicating, you'll all grasp it in no time!"

There was a collective sigh between the three of them, Saori going to teach them was going to end badly for them.

Ooarai school carrier- Miho's apartment- 17.05h

Mako was already waiting for them at Miho's apartment, she had gotten Saori's little text message earlier and accordingly had went straight to the apartment. There was simply no need for her to go home anyway as there would be nobody there waiting for her.

"You're late," she remarked as she saw them approaching her, they sure had kept her waiting for some time. "I have been waiting here for you. Can we please go inside? It's chilly."

"I'm really sorry Mako-san, we were held up at the grocery store," Miho nodded her head in agreement, yeah it was starting to get chilly outside but given that their autumn had been rather pleasant so far it had come as a surprise to her, then again with their school positioned on a ship seasons started to mean less as they could just alter their course a little and stay in warmer waters. "Let's go inside and enjoy a nice dinner together."

The rest all nodded and followed Miho to her room, they were already looking forward to being able to spend the night together.

"So Reizei-dono?" Yukari asked as she came next to her. "How's your grandmother doing? Is she still fine? I hope that your visit to her wasn't because of anything serious."

Mako couldn't help but smile at hearing that question, it meant a lot to her to know that her friends had been worried.

"Oba-chan's fine, the reason I went to visit her was so that I could tell her how I was doing at school and how things are going with you all. She specifically asked about that on the phone before I left. She told me to give you get her best wishes for the year," she informed the group as she further explained why she had gone to visit her grandmother.

It was nothing serious at all and just one of her regular visits she made every few weeks in order to inform her grandmother how things were going for her. With all of the commotion that had gone on she hadn't had much time for it much to her own dismay, but that was all over now and with more time on her hands she wanted to go visit again more often.

They all agreed with her that she had made the right call, after all, family was important in life. Going up the stairs towards Miho's apartment they started to discuss how they were going to cook the groceries they had bought, more than one way to prepare potatoes and meat.

Well there was no need for them to rush with it, the evening was still young and they were going to make it a pleasant night together, Miho was looking forward to it herself, spending the night with her best friends in school.

Ooarai school carrier – tank sheds – 20.15h

"Phew," Suzuki let out a short exasperated sigh as she moved in to get a better look at the component, only now with other parts removed had she and the others finally been able to get a better look. "This has been harder than I thought it would be."

Leaning in next to her Hoshino nodded her head in agreement with her. "I think we may have underestimated the amount of damage she took when we suffered that breakdown," she said as she handed a wrench to Suzuki. "We definitely need to remove it and get a better look at the damage. I can't believe it turns out to be this bad."

Behind them, with their arms crossed across their chests, Nakajima and Tsuchiya were exchanging worried looks with each other. Ever since its repair during their trip back to Ooarai their tank had been having troubles, the first signs started to appear when their drive through the town's streets was nearly at an end. It hadn't seemed so severe at that time as other damaged components, or for that matter, the other tanks of the team, needed repairs first but now this problem couldn't be overlooked.

"This already makes it the third time in as many days, I don't think it's going to worth it anymore for us to keep trying to repair it. Maybe it would just be better to just have this part replaced and while we are at it, we should also do an inventory on what parts we still have left," Hoshino remarked as she watched Suzuki struggle in getting the bolts loose.

Giving a nod of approval Nakajima knew they were going to be very busy for the coming days if they needed to make a complete check on their inventory, it would be pretty bad if they were to find themselves out of parts during a tournament.

"Well we'll need to look into that tomorrow, it's already getting pretty late and if we are to go through all of the parts then we could use some extra help. I'll discuss this with the president and the captain first thing in the morning."

Reluctantly Suzuki and Hoshino got back on their feet. "If it's alright with you then we'd prefer to have the part removed, at least we don't have to worry about it then tomorrow. You can already leave if you want to go home, no need to wait for us."

Hearing that Tsuchiya stepped forward, wrapping her arms around Hoshino's neck as she said, "As if we'd let you go further on your own. We're going to help you get that part dismantled and only then will we leave, you're going to come with us."

Rolling up her sleeves Nakajima smiled. "She's right, this club does everything together."

"Now let's get to this, I'm going to get that hydraulic wrench as there's no way for to get loose those bolts, make sure we also get a cart ready as it's heavier than what we can lift," Tsuchiya let out with a wide grin on her face. With her taking the lead the rest of the club sprang into action, each taken to what they knew best. Leopon remained to be a temperamental beast and it was going to take some serious effort and sweat to pacify it again.

"All right then!" Holding the wrench Tsuchiya was already looking forward to getting herself covered again in grease. "It just doesn't feel right without getting dirty at the end of the day, so what do you all say we work off some sweat and get her back into shape. I still want to try out that drift you know." They all laughed at her remark but the mood was getting better even though the work was becoming harder for them.

"Once we're done with her she'll be even better than before, I can't wait to test her out after we're finished with the repairs. We're so going to take her out for a spin." They all smiled at hearing that, they all longed to take Leopon out for a good test-drive after they had finished the repairs.

Ooarai school carrier- Miho's apartment- 20.20h

"Really?!" Saori gasped as she heard that, come to think of it, she hadn't actually thought about the students in their team who would graduate this year. "So we have until the end of the year and then they'll be gone? That's so sad, I would've liked to spend more time with all of them. Who's going to take over from them?"

It gave them all something to think about, in over a year it was going to be their turn to graduate and what would happen to their friendship if they weren't going to see each other again.

"For me, I'd be really sad if all of you were gone, I like you as my friends. Thinking about never getting to talk to any of you again just feels wrong to me," the brunette whimpered as her head hung low, cheerful as she had been Saori had grown more forlorn as did they.

Miho had started to talk about what had been discussed but sadly the effect it had was one she had feared, namely that it would darken the mood when it had been planned to have fun together. "I know but that's how it's going to be, for us it'll be the same. But just because we no longer go to the same school doesn't have to mean the end of our friendship. There are a lot of ways for us to stay in contact with each other."

Yukari got up. "Nishizumi-done is right, we'll always be together thanks to Sensha-do. Our friendship is as strong as its armor. It'll be as focused as its main gun and-." They all just gazed at her, dumbstruck by her apparent odd choice of words. Taking their sudden silence for what it meant she sat back and apologized.

The rest of them could do little but laugh, they had all come to expect such actions from Yukari though that didn't take away that it still surprised them to no end. "Akiyama-san it's alright, there is no need to apologize for who you are," Hana informed her, her hand still in front of her mouth. "Besides you were right in what you said, I agree."

Miho was the first to nod her head in agreement, the rest followed quickly after that, Yukari had been right; their friendship was strong, it wouldn't buckle nor yield to what life might throw at it. Already in the short time they had been together they had already been through so much, such events could do little other than to strengthen the bond between them.

"Ahem," Mako made a quick cough, attracting their attention for a moment. "Dinner's going to be cold if we keep on talking." She pointed at the table, her chopsticks already in hand.

"Mako's right, we should eat first and besides we still have the rest of the night to talk anyway so let's dig in shall we." Thrusting her chopsticks in the air Saori made it clear what needed to come first.

Town of Ooarai - town centre- 10.55h Sunday

Miho had to blink with her eyes as she found herself staring at the bathhouse, sure enough, she had visited those before but even then she was feeling pretty tense about it. This new one apparently wasn't just exclusively for those of the school but to people of the town as well. Earlier she along with Saori, Hana, and Mako had split off from Yukari and the first years as each of the two groups went in their own separate directions. She wondered how her friend was doing at the moment.

"Come on Miporin, let's go inside quickly," Saori cheered her on as she pulled on her sleeve. "I want to take a good bath and I have a coupon for this one," she insisted as the brunette began to pull even harder now as her excitement knew no bounds. "Come on! Let's go! Hurry! I want to go inside Miporin!"

Hana and Mako were just watching it, quietly moving along. "Saori-san, we understand that you're feeling excited but you should give Miho-san a moment." Politely reminding said girl that Miho was still in need of some time to get used to her suggestion. "Besides is it really a good idea to come here, isn't the one we have at the school good enough? Is there something special about this one that made you want to come today? Surely it can't be just because of the coupon as the one at school is also free of charge for us."

Saori snapped to the attention almost immediately in response to that question. "Ah but this one has new specials," she answered her friend as she snapped her fingers while holding up the brochure she had acquired. "See it has mud baths, beauty treatments, a brand new seaweed treatment and much more." Her eyes twinkling in response, she was completely lost in the moment.

"They say right here that it'll do wonders for us, our skin's going to get super soft and our natural youth and beauty will be preserved for years to come," her finger was tapping on the add and strangely enough they all just kept listening to her.

Well maybe it wouldn't be so bad to try out this new one, besides that it was still pretty hot for this time of year and getting themselves refreshed before they would board the ship again wasn't such a bad idea anyway.

"Well Saori-san does have a point, let's just go inside and enjoy ourselves before we go back to the ship," Miho admitted which prompted the others to agree with the idea as well.

Wrapping her arms around them Saori guided them further towards the main entrance of the spa. "Oh I'm telling you're so going to love this, this will be the best afternoon ever for us. Oh, this is just so exciting don't you think?"

Somehow they were already starting to get second doubts about this, they didn't know why but it might have had something to do with the sheer excitement that Saori was having about the place.

Town of Ooarai – shopping district- 11.35h

Yukari took in the warm rays of the sun as she got off from the bus, the weather was pleasant though she certainly could have done without the extra company that had been tailing her. Dressed in some simple khaki shorts, matching shirt and her trusty backpack she had picked something that felt comfortable in for a walk through the city, though it had earned her a few remarks from Azusa and others that she should have picked something cuter, which when she looked at how said girls were dressed made her feel a little uneasy about her own sense of fashion as theirs were very different. That said she did have to admit that the first years looked really cute.

"Senpai! Do you really think they may have what we seek?!" Azusa and the others almost yelled as they exited the bus as well. "Senpai do you think that store has what we're looking for?!" They certainly were enthusiastic about it even though Yukari had informed them that she wasn't even sure if the store they were heading to could actually help them, getting parts for tanks wasn't easy and the ones they had already visited could only acquire general parts and not more dangerous components like guns.

Apparently, a special permit was required for it but in hindsight that did make sense, it was, after all, a very dangerous component. She had been informed that this store did carry such a permit but already she got a nagging feeling that it was also going to become pretty expensive, guns were, after all, the most expensive component of every tank.

Looking at her map and the directions she had gotten it was supposed to be just around the corner, the others simply following though they kept up with their questions. Well, somewhere she did share their excitement, after all, who knew what sort of treasures she could find in that store. Stopping at the corner she looked around, oddly enough there was no sign as one would expect of a store of its kind. Was the information she had gotten wrong or had the shop closed down? Scratching the back of her head she wondered what to do next.

'Nishizumi-dono would know what to do. I've got to think like Nishizumi-dono does.' Miho wasn't going to give up just because there wasn't a clear sign, and as such Yukari would carry on. Besides she couldn't just go and disappoint Azusa and the others, no she had to look better even if it was going to take the rest of the afternoon. "Alright, it has to be here somewhere!" She exclaimed. "Look closely if you can see a sign, that's where we need to be." Taking a good look she found it difficult, without an obvious sign it proved to be harder than she had thought at first.

"Senpai?" Azusa was pulling on her sleeve. "I think that Saki found it," she hinted towards where said girl was standing, not saying a word though the short haired brunette was pointing towards a large building.

Somewhat confused but willing to take her suggestion Yukari and the others walked towards it, it came as no surprise to her why she hadn't noticed it before; the sign was just too small.

Unless somebody were to be standing right in front of it, it was just too easy to miss especially if a person were to just give it a quick glance. Nevertheless, they all felt excited about it in the knowledge they had found the store they were after, the anticipation already building inside of her at the prospect of stepping into a completely unfamiliar store to her.

"Senpai? Should we go in?" Azusa and the others waited for her to answer, it seemed they weren't entirely certain if it would be alright to go inside, besides that they had no idea on how to order the new gun.

Yukari had to steady herself, this was going to be such an exciting experience for her but she also felt pretty anxious about it. Her heart was beating wildly in her chest as she stepped inside. Already dreaming about the myriad of rare and beautiful tank components she could see in such a specialized tank shop, oh her mind was working overtime. The excitement in her heart was building up, she considered herself to be so lucky.

Even though it was pretty warm outside the store's air-conditioning certainly made it rather pleasant inside. Yukari was pleasantly surprised by it which didn't do all that much to make up for the rather disappointing sight of seeing precious little components lying on the shelves.

Other than rather standard parts there wasn't really anything that would suggest this store had a permit to sell more unique items.

Azusa reluctantly approached her, mirroring Yukari's disappointed look as she took notice of the rather empty looking shelves. "Senpai? Are you sure this is the right store? This sure doesn't look like it," she sighed as they kept on looking, there was nothing that gave them any hope.

Yukari felt hesitant on what to say to them, yeah the shelves were a disappointment but that didn't mean that this was the wrong store or that their trip had been in vain. There still existed every chance that the store simply did not carry such items in their stock.

While the rest of the first years carried on searching through the remainder of the store Yukari gathered her courage as she decided the only thing that remained to her was to approach the counter and ask the store owner himself.

Walking past shelves filled with drive sprockets, road wheels, idler wheels and even return rollers she noted that in terms of automotive components it was well supplied. Even transmissions and much to her surprise complete Maybach HL230 engines were stored.

Making her way towards it, she noticed a man standing there, he certainly seemed far older than most of the other store owners who had been rather young. "E-Excuse me sir? I have a question," she mentioned and then she waited for a response.

The man gave her a warm smile in return as he greeted her. "Ah yes young lady, what can I do for you? Is there something I can help you with, any purchase you are looking for?"

For some reason, Yukari felt relieved. "Oh yes, we are actually looking to purchase the main gun for a tank in our team. I've read that you have the permit to sell those correct?"

The man eyed her, not saying a word. He looked at her again and then he spoke. "Excuse me miss but are you from Ooarai? You wouldn't happen to be a member of the team that won the nationals this year?"

She nodded her head and her chest swelled with pride. "Yes, yes we are."

"That was a fine match; I don't think I have ever seen a match that kept me on the edge of my seat for its entire duration. I'm honored to have you visit my humble store, so how may I help the winning team? You said that you were looking for the main gun? What gun exactly do you need and for what tank is it?"

Nodding once more Yukari was starting to feel excited about this as it seemed the store could help them. "We need a new gun for our M3 Lee, if possible we would like to go for the 75mm M3 main gun to replace the current 75mm M2 that we are using on it."

Turning his back to her the man started to go through a pile of books situated against the wall.

"That's an American tank, right miss? I can order it yes if I can find the part code. You see every component for a tank has its own standardized code which makes it easier to order and to keep track of where it goes," he explained to her as he pulled one and placed it on the counter.

"Now let me see, M3, M3, M3," he kept on repeating as he skimmed through the pages.

Fascinated by what she was seeing Yukari couldn't keep her eyes of the book. Undaunted and feeling the courage build up in her she asked the man why he didn't have any guns in either the store or the storage for that matter.

"Regulations," he told her, "The last few years they have become very strict with regards to the storage of main guns. Apart from the certificate one also needs to have it renewed each year and new safety demands prevent any store from actually storing a gun. It can all be ordered, though."

A huge weight dropped off her shoulder at hearing that.

"Ah yes here I have it," he tapped his finger on the page, gesturing for her to have a look as well to make sure that he had picked the right part. "Well here is the part code, if this is the item that you're after do you want me to order it for you?"

By now the rest of the first years had gathered as well following a rather fruitless search, attracted by Yukari apparently drooling over a book had caught their interest. "Senpai? Did you find it?"

"Well, all I need now is the registration number of the tank and an official sign of approval of your school miss. I need both of those to validate the order, otherwise, it'll be rejected."

They all froze on the spot, looking at his outstretched hand it dawned on them they had neither of those. How could they have overlooked such crucial documents, their entire trip was void if they couldn't order as they had no idea as to when exactly any of them would come back to port.

"… C-Can we order it now and sent the required documents later? Our ship will leave port in a few days and it might be a while before it returns," Yukari stuttered as this was going to become troublesome, who knew when the ship would come back to port and allow them to make the order, it could take weeks.

Shaking his head the man made it clear that he needed all of that before he could even make the order as it all needed to be verified, the slightest issue and the entire order would be declined and a fine would be applied to the store. With safety regulations in place, this wasn't taken lightly. He couldn't take such a risk as not only would he be the one paying for the fine he would also risk losing his certificate to sell gun components.

"I am really sorry miss, but I simply cannot do that. The best I can do is to ready the order as far as I can bring it so when you come back with the papers I can order it right away."

Agreeing to that as it was the best they could make of it for the time being Yukari offered her thanks to them man and along with the first years left the store. She could understand their disappointment; honestly, she shared their feelings about having to leave without being able to do anything. Well, they couldn't change that anymore.

"So senpai? What do we do next?" Aya asked, looking around confused, as she and the others turned around to give one last look at the store. "Without that gun, we can't get better."

How was she going to tell them to just wait, the girls obviously were just as anxious to get an upgrade in firepower so they could help the team even more? "We just have to wait, I don't like it either but we first need those papers. Those are crucial so we should ask Nishizumi-dono and the prez when we get back to the ship. I'll see if I can make it back to the store before we depart from port." That seemed to lift their spirits for now. "Let's also get some ice-cream before we head back, we should have some time left before the ferry leaves."

All of the girls cheered as they thrust their arms in the air and with that, they set off, they would head back to the ship and get some rest before explaining the situation to the student council and Miho. Yukari began to wonder how many additional funds the school would have available now for such purchases given that they had won the national tournament, well a single gun likely wasn't going to cause any trouble anyway. Or for that matter break their budget.

Town of Ooarai – bathhouse- 11.50h

Saori almost let out a squeal as she lay down and the first piece of seaweed was wrapped tightly around her waist. Well, his was definitely a new sensation for her alright, she hadn't been aware that it needed to be wrapped this tightly around her but it was going to be worth it, she kept telling herself. 'With this treatment, I'm bound to get a boyfriend,' she kept repeating it almost like a mantra in her mind, hoping to overcome the increasingly weirder sensation of having her body wrapped unexpectedly tight in the seaweed.

So far she had been the only one to take this treatment, Miho, and the others seeming to prefer to just stick to the more familiar hot spring or perhaps they had kind of expected it to turn out this way and had wisely chosen a safer option. Saori, against her will, let out a squeal once more, this was certainly starting to reach a new and frightening height.

Her body was unaccustomed to this and yet she persevered, her will to gain a boyfriend being stronger that her bodies' objections. To think that after this there was also going to be the hot mud bath and only after that was there the opportunity for her to see the others back at the hot spring but she wasn't going to let that deter her from achieving her goal, she would find herself a boyfriend.

She had made that promise and she was going to do her utmost best to get it fulfilled. Though for now she would first have to try and get through this. Panting heavily as by now the seaweed was being wrapped around her chest the sensation had become rather intense.

"Are you alright, miss?" One of the women attending her asked, had they noticed her distress? Surely her body's reaction wasn't making such an obvious statement now or could it? "Do you need a break or something? Is it too uncomfortable for you to go further with the treatment?"

"A-Ah… no, no. I-I'm fine, thank you for asking," she uttered hurriedly as she got up, holding the bath towel firmly in front of her. Why did she say that all of a sudden, her body was recoiling from the sensation. There was no shame to be had if she decided to just stop with this and move on to next one.

"I-I'm going further with this. Just could you be a little gentle with it." Her face taken on several hues of pink shade as she said it, her body struggling to relax as she slowly lay down again. 'This is some intense treatment alright. I wonder if the others are finding it easier to relax than I am, oh I so want to go into a hot spring after this is over. This is just getting weird and a little scary.'

"Are you ready miss? We will start with wrapping the seaweed around your chest. If you could please sit up and raise your arms a little? Thank you kindly, miss."

Letting out a big sigh Saori first raised her right arm followed by her left arm, always making sure that she had at least one hand free to prevent the towel from falling off. 'Let's do this.'

She wasn't just going to quit with this, no if she wanted to succeed in life then she would need to pull through and keep on going, that applied to Sensha-do and to love as well.

And then the first piece was wrapped tightly around her chest, she squirmed as she felt it.

'Oh, this just feels so wrong to me.' Was all that went through her mind as strip after strip was wrapped tightly around her body. 'I really should have gone with just the hot spring, I really should have…'

Miho gazed at the ceiling and the rather wonderful fresco that was painted on it; she had to admit that it was a nice place to relax with the nice surroundings. Still, she did enjoy the one they had back at the ship more as they could actually gaze at the sky.

That said she certainly could enjoy this bath, it felt refreshing and for the moment she wanted to make the most of it. Tilting her head to her left she saw that both Hana and Mako were also enjoying themselves at the moment, taking in the relative tranquility and peacefulness.

'This is nice, it feels good being here with them though I wish that Yukari-san was here with us as well,' went through Miho's mind as she leaned back a little and allowed her head to rest on the edge of the bath.

Looking up at the ceiling again a warm smile caressed her face as Miho felt content about herself, she felt confident that she was going to have a wonderful time here however she could not get the words of Anzu and the student council out of her mind. 'They'll be gone, how will the team manage without them? They've done so much for us, it's hard to imagine school without them. I wonder if it's even possible to go on without them.'

It was troubling her, and even though she had come here with her friends in order to relax those thoughts wouldn't leave her alone. 'We'll need to find new students who can take over, I wonder if there's still people left with an interest in joining the team. Still, we don't have any tanks to spare but we have to hurry, right now they can still train alongside the rest.'

Turning to her side seeing the familiar shapes of Hana and Mako sitting there as they were relaxing Miho was reminded that this was more important, whoever was going to become part of the team was going to have to feel at ease with them. 'That's right, they should join the team because they like Sensha-Do, and they should do it because they love doing Sensha-Do from the bottom of their hearts. They should be having fun, enjoying themselves, yeah that's it. Training new teammates, it does sound really exciting, I hope we can become friends.'

Just thinking about meeting new people and making new friends was enough to bring back a smile to her face, somehow it made her feel a little better about the friends she was going to lose. And even if they would out of her sight, they would never be out of her heart, as long as she would hold on to the cherished memories of her friends she would forever be with her.

'Thinking about it, it might not be so bad after all, still, there's going to be a lot of work cut out for us, we're going to be really busy if we want to make this happen. I wonder what kind of people our new friends are going to be, I want to meet them and welcome them.'

There was enough reason to give Miho hope for the future and finally she was able to allow herself to relax as she submerged her shoulders, as she felt the tension in her body loosening, finally giving herself the opportunity to be at peace.

However, her peace was short-lived as a bloodcurdling shriek could be heard that send a chill down everyone's spine, startled by it all three of them jumped up in terror as they began to look where the cry had come from. Still, in a state of shock, they all waited with baited breath for what would come next.

Author's note: Well folks, there you have it, the first chapter of my newest story. I can only hope that you all enjoyed reading my ramblings, I would very much appreciate it if you did enjoy the chapter if you could leave a review, a fav or a sub, as I'm always eager to hear your thoughts.

Please don't hesitate to let me know if something bothers you or if you have a question just send me a PM. I enjoy talking to reviewers and people who have an interested in what I write, if you also have a suggestion I'm more than willing to listen to you.

Now I can't say with any certainty on when you can expect the next chapter will be released though I do want to get at least 2 more chapters posted before the end of this year. That said I have another story in the 'Elfen Lied' section that is currently my main focus so updates to that story will come first, still I do want to post updates to this story on a regular basis.

I'll leave it at that, I've likely already subjected you poor souls to more than enough of my ramblings for the time being. Until next time and I'll be hoping to you see all again. Take care folks.