Chapter Text
Saariselkä forests, Upper Lapland
"A bit more to the right, Jouko, always mind the wind."
The distant dead tree was over a kilometer away, it was relatively small and very hard to hit. There was nobody else in the general vicinity of this section of the forest, just father and daughter and the few animals in the area roaming around, curiously looking on from varying distances. The air was still, save for the occasional blowing of the wind and the rustling and whistling of the trees that resulted from this blowing.
For the past 6 months after she had turned 7, Jouko had been practicing with her grandfather's old Mosin M91/30 rifle, seeking to emulate Simo Häyhä in possessing his legendary aim. She had always admired him, the great Finnish sniper of the Winter War, how despite his use of iron sights rather than scope was able to rack up so great a kill count, around 500, if his personal memoirs are to be believed. It turned out he was a good friend of her grandfather, and by extension, her own family as well, and he had trained her father in the ways of shooting, even before she had been conceived. Now, it was her turn to continue the tradition, and this was her final trial. She eagerly wanted to pass it as soon as possible, excited to finally get that recognition from her aging grandfather, and after weeks of practice, today was the day.
But at this crucial moment, Jouko's mind began to wander to possibilities of the future. In the eight months since she learned of this sport, or martial art, called "Sensha-do", a sport involving girls fighting using old tanks from the Second World War, she had expressed interest in going to high school in Japan, just to see if she could emulate her hero, but with tanks. She would also, of course get to meet new friends, and though she already had several good friends, it definitely wouldn't hurt to get some more along the way. However, those thoughts were quickly dispelled.
"Focus, Jouko, this is your longest shot yet, don't let your mind drift to other things."
With the stern words of her father snapping her back to reality, Jouko's eye peered down the scope, the tree on her crosshairs. With a very deep breath, she held it, took careful aim for a few seconds, moved her rifle a degree to the left of the tree to mind the soft wind, and, now confident that a hit was inevitable, pulled the trigger, the primer slamming into and igniting the propellant of the bullet, launching it towards its target as the small, yet deadly piece of metal whizzed through the air at thousands of feet a second. A loud crack echoed through the thousands of trees surrounding the two beings, startling the animals looking on and forcing them to run in all directions.
Seconds that felt more like eons passed by as the shot traversed the distance, but still peering through the scope, Jouko watched as the small twig in the distance snapped in half, a very subtle "tick" coming seconds later: the sound of the poor thing breaking in two. Pats on the back shortly thereafter came from her father, proud of this feat from his young diamond, and the two exchanged a bout of laughter, happy to relieve some stress.
In the previous few months, Jouko had shown improvement in shooting targets from longer ranges, practicing with another target that was farther away if she hit the previous target three times in a row. From 50 meters, to 100 meters, 250, 500, now, she had hit the kilometer-long shot at last. But, there was still one challenge her father had for her, one she knew well was coming up right now.
"You've finally hit the distance! But now, let's see if we can do it using the good old iron sights."
Pulling another rifle from the bag, this was the same class of rifle, albeit without a scope, the aim now simply iron sights, like what Simo performed with when out shooting green-clad Soviets and their absent-minded officers.
"My grandfather's friend Simo always used iron sights, he feared a scope would expose his location; even with that, 500 enemies fell from his bullets, at least, according to him. It's important to get used to this, should you find yourself in a similar situation, one's eyes must be sharp as always."
Jouko took one long look at the rifle, and again her heart beat at a faster rate. Now, there would be no scope, just the iron sights, around 100 times harder to hit the target, at least to her. But, Jouko was prepared. She had worked with iron sights before, although not at this distance, the last time being 500 meters, she hadn't even tried a kilometer-long shot with the iron sights before, but she was going to give it her best shot. Nodding to her father affirming her readiness, Jouko stood up and followed her father to a different location in the dense forest.
The two trudged through the thick snow, leaving prints of contrasting sizes behind them that would soon dissipate once the snow fell again. Along the way, father and daughter exchanged some banter or witty remarks, joking about this topic and that topic or that thing and this thing, even poking fun at each other, and, of course, their unknowing mother. After spotting another dead tree around the same distance off, Jouko tugged on her father's hand, and indicated its position. She had practiced indicating positions and finding the perfect place to use as a firing position, training her eyes and mind to be quicker in identifying these specific and impromptu locations. Both assumed sniping positions as Jouko's father pulled out his old pair of binoculars once more, watching closely and waiting patiently for the old tree to snap after the shot was fired.
Holding her breath and memorizing her previous pose, as well as making calculations in her head about the wind, trajectory, and speed of the bullet, she angled her rifle ever so slightly upwards, and, after waiting for the wind to die down, gently pulled the trigger, causing the rifle to recoil and make her heart skip a beat. The bullet whizzed through the air speedily approaching its target. Jouko was sure of a hit, but her heart almost failed as the bullet whizzed by the tree, and landed only a few mere inches to the left from the target, causing Jouko's father to let out a huff of frustration, while Jouko, short-tempered and easily prone to anger, let out a scream of agony.
"Jouko, it's alright, try again! Don't behave so!"
Embarrassed, but reassured by this rebuke, Jouko swiftly reloaded, took several deep breaths to calm herself, held the last one, and took careful aim again. This time, she aimed more to the right, and fired a second time. With baited breath she waited for several seconds again. She wanted to hit this shot, it was what she had been working towards for the past half year of her life, her passion to be like Simo the main motivator for her efforts, and to see it come to naught would cause her to be distraught for however long she would be. Silently praying for her shot to land on target, it took several seconds for the round to make the distance. After what felt like a century, the small tree fell over and a distinctive snap was heard, eliciting a jump of joy from Jouko, who sprung up from her lying posture. It more than pleased her father, who tightly embraced her daughter, who eagerly returned the favor.
"All bravos to you! Excellent shooting, dear, you are a fast learner!"
Jouko couldn't help but stretch every facial muscle to a grin.
After packing everything back into the bag, the two traveled back to eat a well-deserved dinner, exchanging more jokes and punchlines, but talking greatly about what had happened.
Jouko's family home
That evening, once all had taken their showers, cleaning them of any dirtiness or bacteria that could have climbed onto them from their outdoor venture, as well as enjoying a well-deserved relaxation and relief at the sauna, the family-of-three gathered for dinner: the usual fried vendace and loimulohi, with a side of Baltic herring and some rye. For dessert, pulla and kiiselli, with a few pihlaja bars as sweets, as always, cooked by Mother. It was a relatively heavy meal for a normal person, but for Jouko's family, it was perfectly normal, which could explain their bigger-than-usual sizes. Normally, the table was full of chatter about this happening and that happening at school, the adults talked about politics and shenanigans and complex things only an adolescent would understand, among other issues. But, tonight, the focus was, of course, on Jouko's achievement.
"And I aimed to the right, and the tree snapped in half! I never felt so good before!"
"Yes, but don't forget to control your emotions, dear, it may affect you."
"Don't worry, Mother, I'll be okay!"
After excitedly boasting of her achievement earlier that day, to the bemusement of her parents, she brought up her interests of going to Japan for high school, specifically to take up the sport of Sensha-do, which quickly changed the mood at the table.
"Simo, but with tanks, Mama! Think of it!"
Caught off-guard by this sudden want from their daughter, there was silence from both adults as they thought of a way to diffuse the situation, which got Jouko from excited, to rather concerned. Finally, Jouko's mother spoke up.
"Well, Jouko, we'll have to talk about it first, Daddy and I."
There was much deliberation behind Jouko's back after dinner, expressing their concerns, but also the potential that came with their daughter pursuing such a sport. On one hand, Aiko, the father, wanted to support Jouko's endeavors, seeing it as a good way to help her be a more independent woman, as well as see more of the outside world. On the other hand, Maina, the mother, wanted her to stay, not willing to be separated from her precious child for so long, and for good reason.
"We can't afford to lose her, she'll be in a completely different environment and... please, Aiko, let her stay with us, it will be unsafe for her to go alone."
"Maina, she wants it so much, I know you and I don't want to see her sad. Besides, it is a great way to help nurture her on becoming the perfect woman for her adult years, if what they say is to be believed."
"Aiko, I don't know. 'If what they say is to be believed' doesn't help."
"Well-"
"Plus, aren't we already raising her to be a good Christian lady, with the Bible's teachings and the theological doctrines relating to how to raise a child? So far, I'd say we've done extremely well!"
"Well, Maina, I think we should honor her wish. Besides, she said she wants to become Simo, but with tanks. I feel that's a good way to honor our late friend."
"I suppose, but I just don't want to see her leave us for such a long time... I'm just worried, because..."
"Maina, she won't be gone forever, just be comforted by that. We'll see her again for sure."
"I know."
"Besides, you know how Japan is mostly non-Christian, right?"
"Yes, again, that's what I'm concerned with! People there may bully her because of her, and our faith! I've already heard many examples of that around the world, and I don't want it to happen to our Jouko either!"
"I can understand, but we still have half a decade left with her. That's a lot of time to nurture her, and help her grow in the faith, and keep it strong."
"I suppose so... We'll pray about it, together, God will always find a way."
"As He always has."
Both parents announced their decision to Jouko on a Monday breakfast, shortly before she was to go to the local elementary school, dropped off by Aiko in his old truck.
"We've decided to let you go to Japan for high school. Sensha-do seems a very giving opportunity for you to grow to become a strong woman, and that's what this family is all about. For now, though, focus on your studies and feel free to roam the forests for training your skills. Your grades are good so far, which we are proud of."
Jouko excitedly nodded, beaming and grinning from ear to ear, before a voice from her mother added to the joy.
"And, I'm sure Simo would be very proud of you."
This further increased her excitement. Only 6 more years, then she'd be heading off to Japan. Each day would pass with growing excitement, for she dreamed of doing Sensha-do once she had learned what it was, and reading more about it further fueled this eagerness.
Six years later
Years had passed since the triumph in the forest, as Jouko continued to mature, improve, and expand on her shooting skill. An eager eater, she ate large amounts of food, though healthy, but balanced it out with much exercises, though there were some accidents involved doing so, including accidentally falling into an ice pond and falling off a fir tree, snapping a few branches as she was doing pullups, though there weren't any injuries to worry about. Her love of food helped her grow to taller-than-usual heights, as by the time she exited middle school she had grown to a remarkable 5'8", rather tall for her age and gender, giving her a rather intimidating presence for those around her, and always making her the center of attention at school, something she didn't like, being a more reserved individual, owing to how isolated her house was in the forest.
She remained transfixed to her studies when she wasn't busy sniping, or hanging out with her closest friends. She knew her parents weren't really concerned about keeping those grades high, and they were content as long as she didn't fail, but Jouko wanted to make sure she didn't get anything below a B, for she was a diligent perfectionist, to a fault. Granted, she wasn't perfect, as she still got a few tests that ended up below 95, even getting one below 90, a result of exercising rather than studying, but chalking all grades to an average, she was around 94 in her elementary and middle school days. Each day, in addition to school, she continued to progress on learning Japanese to prepare for her journey to Japan, but never once did she forget her Christianity, almost always reading the Bible and talking about theology with her teachers.
Being informed of her Sensha-do plans, Jouko's fellow female friends were excited upon hearing of her move. Jouko had many friends, but none could compare to her three closest friends. There was Löfström, a dark, long-haired, very strong, tough girl who was known for putting dents in the thickest and healthiest of trees, the densest of bricks, caring not for their smooth or rough surfaces, or the toughest of metals, always emerging without the slightest scratch on her knuckles, if the tales are to be believed, that is. Though she may be the strongest of all the students of the school, she wasn't the brightest mind, always ending up at a C or B, the lowest she ever got in a quarter being D-, a single guess being the deciding factor between that and an F grade, though by the time she finished middle school she had ended the fourth quarter with an 87, her highest yet, though that was possible thanks to help from her friends. Her short stature at only 5'3" was a bit laughable, but when up against in a fight, you could expect to be toothless in a single punch, no matter your background. She was quiet and reserved, though it was more indifference than shyness that made up this personality.
Secondly, there was shoulder-length, blonde-haired Frisell, a quite eloquent communicator who was also very skilled in conversation, often winning class debates (though her record against Jouko was much more mixed, many times "fighting" to a standstill) and willing to engage in philosophical discussions, ranging from Nieztsche and Schopenhauer to the Ancient Greeks like Plato, Socrates, and Aristotle, with an inside joke being that it was nigh impossible to engage in a philosophical discussion with Frisell and not fall asleep, given how long and how strenuous discussions like these could become. A friendly, wholesome person otherwise, she had a special charm in a lovely voice that could soothe even the hardest-hearted of men. She was very calm, collected, refined, and extremely patient, well-known to have only lost her temper less than eight times throughout her whole life, and the most intelligent of the four, always getting grades ranging from 94-99 every quarter, frustratingly unable to reach 100. As to her physique, she was taller than Löfström, though only by a couple inches, making her relatively average height for her age and gender. Evidently, contrary to her muscular friend, she was many times more brains and intellect than strength.
Finally, there was medium-length, auburn-haired Hannes, who was taller than the others, though two inches short of Jouko's height, who knew her way in navigation and exploration, well-versed in the old styles of celestial navigation, as well as hoping to be a taxi driver or a ship captain once she grew up. Out of the four, she had the most outward personality, the polar opposite of Frisell. Easily excited, hyperactive, and possessing a rather loud voice, if not restrained properly, a bout of excitement could mean an entire classroom being flipped upside down, but that was Hannes for you. To see her calm, even slightly calm, was considered a sight as rare as seeing Halley's Comet or the simultaneous alignment of the all planets of the solar system. Even so, she was quite the intelligent one, her grades averaging around the 89-93 level, though if she entered her more manic phase, excitement would absorb much of the intelligence that Hannes usually possessed, which could explain some of her tests performing poorly, with visible damage to the paper. As she grew older, this behavior softened to the point that damage was preventable, but there was still that extra excitement to be found in her every day.
These three friends were each different in personality and quality, but Jouko could see that together, they could work like the most well-oiled machine in Finland, maybe even the whole world. They were the closest to Jouko, meaning they would be the ones to come along. When they had all collectively decided to join Jouko in her journey to Japan, it was something Jouko was very grateful for. Little did she, or any of them know, this would be the team that would change Sensha-do history for many, many years to come, and in a way they didn't expect.
Saariselkä forests
Bearing her trusted iron sights rifle, Jouko was taking a peaceful trek across Saariselkä, looking for more dead trees to practice on. Before this shooting session, however, she had been given a thick helmet by her father, for some reason. Not minding this seemingly unimportant detail too much, other than better safe than sorry if she fell off a cliff or another incident that could get her a possible skull fracture, she trudged along the familiar pathways and across the woods she knew like the back of her hand.
She had just graduated 8th grade with flying colors: she had been tied for valedictorian with another bright student, none other than Frisell, but voluntarily allowed Frisell instead to be valedictorian, being the humble girl she was raised to be by her parents. She was second across the stage, grinning ear to ear as she received her diploma and certificate of being in the Honor Roll, with highest honors, as well as her graduation certificate. That was to be her last day in a Finnish school, however. Once the vacation had wrapped up, she would be flying thousands of miles across Europe and Asia, all the way to Japan to join a new and completely unfamiliar school and environment. This was one of the last walks she would take in her familiar forests of her old Saariselkä home before the time came to leave it for three years, or, if circumstances suddenly changed, a longer time. The snow was now gone, replacing the former winter wonderland with a lush scene of pure green, mixed in with many other different colors ad the flowers and plants bloomed into liveliness once more.
As she made her way to a more mountainous area of the forest, she was listening to some classic pieces by Sibelius on her small headphones, a very good accompaniment when making your way through an area surrounded by nothing but pure nature and a peaceful atmosphere. She was navigating through a more elevated area when she felt something whizz by, dashing the atmosphere to pieces. Instinctively, she paused the music, packed her phone and earbuds into her small pouch, and ran to find suitable cover as more objects shot through the air, some coming inches from her head.
So that's the fuss about the helmet.
Frantically searching for a training plate in her sack, she lifted it above her head, firmly gripping it, and a few seconds later, felt impact as the plate recoiled. It did not shatter the plate, but merely cracked it. Quickly taking out her compass and looking at the impact effect to determine the direction, she began assessing her situation.
It's very far away then, and it appears that it came from the west.
Grasping her rifle after placing back the compass, she loaded a dummy bullet into the chamber. Taking aim in the general direction of where she calculated the shot had come from, peering through her iron sights that she had, by now, effectively mastered, she saw very subtle movement in the far distance combined with a slight flash. Another bullet whizzed past, but Jouko finally had her target. Aiming accordingly, she fired a single shot. A few seconds passed before she caught sight of the object shooting upwards, waving his hand.
Standing up to move, she was met with another bullet. It whizzed by her, forcing her to duck for cover into the ground, but remembering the direction of its travel, she steadied herself, peered through the iron sights, aimed a couple more degrees towards the right, and, seeing more movement, fired a second dummy bullet. The figure sprung up as well, waving his hand in similar fashion to the previous one. The two figures afterward seemed to be bickering, which made Jouko giggle a bit. Aarne and Antero were known for that when not in Jouko's presence. How they stayed friends remains a mystery, but they still stayed strong despite all their petty disputes.
Too easy.
The family sauna, Saariselkä
"Ai ai ai, it looks like we've got the next Simo Häyhä sitting right in front of us!"
Aarne belted out hearty laughter as his friend Antero handed Jouko a hot cup of coffee. The sauna was a source of great relaxation and relief after many hours in the cold, snowy winter. Aarne and Antero were two of Jouko's best friends, they were experienced snipers who also practiced using dead trees in their free time, though not as good as Jouko, of course.
Aarne continued: "Say, you're going to Japan soon, to practice that 'Senshi, Sendash, whatever' stuff, what do you expect from it?"
After a short giggle, Jouko corrected him.
"'Sensha-do', and I don't know, but from my research it looks like the big high schools who participate there are based off of real-life countries. Saunders is based off of America, Chihatan off of Japan, Kuromorimine off of Germany, minus the, you-know-what, there's even a Finnish-style school called 'Jatkosota', or Continuation. I think I'll be joining that, obviously."
Antero, the quiet type, spoke up: "I've heard stories that Continuation always steals tanks from other schools, and they call it 'borrowing'. Pretty similar to what we did in the Winter War, right?"
"Eh, I'm sure they're just rumors. Plus, once I and my friends get there, maybe they'll be considerate, or something."
As the conversation dragged on, the three friends left the sauna and went to Jouko's home for more delicious dinner.
"Are you sure it's for girls only? Handling tanks is usually a male business or whatever."
"Well, from what I've gathered, Antero, it is, indeed a female sport and considered girly there, like how dolls are considered girly."
"Well that sucks, was hoping to teach some kids there how to drive tanks, but, I guess what goes goes, though that doesn't really make sense to me."
"Ai, don't worry about it, Aarne. Just focus on sniping, Antero, you as well, it seems that's you two's calling here. I'll be fine in Japan, don't express any worries."
Aarne belted another hearty laugh. "What worries? For a girl of your caliber you'll be more than fine! Get it, caliber?"
The others shared a groan as Aarne chuckled.
Ainola, near Helsinki
Two months passed, and Jouko was ready to fly to Japan to start high school at Continuation High School, but there was something she needed to do, or rather go somewhere to first. Being a lifelong listener and admirer of Jean Sibelius, the great Finnish composer, as well as a decent violinist who could play some pieces of Sibelius and even the Sibelius concerto, she traveled to visit the great composer's home of Ainola, not too far from the Finnish capital of Helsinki, shortly before her flight from the city's international airport.
Walking through the peaceful, quiet landscape was a source of great relaxation to Jouko only equaled by her treks through the Saariselkä forests, staring across and admiring the great Lake Tuusula that was a short walk away from the house. Inside the house, she gazed at that infamous fireplace where Sibelius was purported to have burned his Eighth Symphony, deeming it imperfect and insufficient to his standards. She gazed at that piano where so many ideas must have sprung up from its keys, that sauna the Sibelius family regularly used, and the private study where pen and paper met an artist's mind to create much genius music.
Finally stopping at the grave of the great Finnish icon, it was a simple large slab with Sibelius' name engraved in massive letters, whilst to the corner was the name of his beloved wife Aino. She laid a flower on the grave, paying respects to her hero of music. Spending a few moments more at the residence, Jouko continued to reminisce and imagine what life was like in that house, almost seeing Sibelius walking about with Aino and the children, which brought a smile to Jouko as she imagined the fun and antics they must've gotten themselves into in some points. Throughout the visit, Sibelius' most famous composition, Finlandia, was playing in her mind, that great piece that so perfectly encapsulated the Finnish spirit, written in a time of oppression and censorship by a foreign power.
Here, in Jouko's mind, it was playing as if it was heralding a new age.
Helsinki International Airport
At the airport terminal's assigned gate for Tokyo, Jouko and her friends met to bid farewell to their own friends and families shortly before they boarded the flight. Aarne and Antero wouldn't be joining them as Sensha-do barred male participants. Taking this final opportunity to talk in person for the next three years or so, Antero spoke first.
"We're gonna try to improve our sniping, and hopefully get Finland some coveted gold medals at the Olympics!"
Aarne chimed in, "Better not disappoint the big man himself, he's watching us from above, you know," followed by a chuckle from everyone.
Jouko's parents were there as well to greet her goodbye. Her rifle, clothes, gadgets, and other necessities had already been packed and shipped off for Kanazawa City, and she expected them to arrive within 5 months.
"I'll keep in contact with you all as much as I can. I'll focus on my studies, and I'll try to make some new friends. I hope we can meet again in person soon."
But there was one last thing Aiko needed to tell his daughter.
"One more thing: win some souls, will you?"
Taken aback, understanding what her father meant, Jouko struggled to put together a cohesive sentence, but a rub from her father quickly calmed her down.
The family and friends tightly embraced one another, and watched as Jouko joined Löfström, Frisell, and Hannes lined up at the gate. Waving goodbye, the four boarded the Japan Airlines plane bound for Tokyo.
Jouko spent the journey listening to pieces by Sibelius and Dvořák on her tape recorder and headphones, the latter's 9th Symphony bearing symbolic meaning as she was traveling to a place she had never been to or seen in person before. The flight itself was uneventful, save for a few spots of turbulence per usual, but overall it was a smooth, peaceful flight to Japan, the four friends all sharing center aisle seats and conversing about whatever topics came up in their mind or watching whatever movies or playing whatever games were on the plane's screens that best suited their mindsets, or taking some time to get some sleep to pass the time.
Japan
After landing in Tokyo and admiring the scenery and the city, and visiting and climbing Mount Fuji the day of their arrival, the four boarded a domestic flight to Kanazawa City a couple of days later, to the port where Continuation's school ship, which was essentially a full town on a massive, miles-long carrier, was stationed. Two hours later, they arrived at the motel where they would be staying for the next 3 days as they waited for the school year to begin.
Over the next 5 days, all tried their best to adjust to the new time zone as fast as possible, going sightseeing and meeting some of their future classmates. They also took to better studying Continuation's Sensha-do roster, to get an idea of what possible tanks they could be able to crew that fit their size and their qualities. There was an issue with Jouko's nosebleeds, however. Arriving at a new climate meant that you would have to deal with such occurrences on a semi-regular basis at first.
The time finally came for the school year to start. The fresh morning air greeted Jouko and her friends as they rode from their motel to the large ship awaiting them and hundreds of other students milling about at the harbor. There was a stark height difference between the Finns and the Japanese: Jouko had grown healthy and strong during childhood, eating and exercising a lot, and stood at a rather tall five feet nine, nearly at ten inches, while her friends ranged from 2-5 inches shorter than her. In contrast, many of the students were at most 5'5" or shorter on average, and the students murmured about these veritable giants, save for Löfström, standing in their midst and almost unrecognizable, her head barely visible above the others, as she stood at a mere 5'5".
"Look at those students over there, they're skyscrapers compared to us!"
"I've seen many tall people before, but I never felt what it was like having some as classmates!"
"I wish I was as tall as them..."
"And they're from Finland, too! Especially that tall one there, is that the average height there?"
"Her other friends are shorter."
"I think it has to do with the upbringing."
"I should've eaten more!"
Turns out they weren't lying when they said people from Asia were usually shorter than people from Europe or America. Here, they were all like skyscrapers compared with their peers, which got Jouko and Hannes some unwanted attention, being the tallest of the group.
The four's thoughts were interrupted by an announcement that boomed from the carrier's loudspeakers in Japanese. Jouko, being the only one of the four to really understand Japanese, served as translator.
"The carrier doors have been opened. Please make your way towards the school assembly hall. Please follow those who are holding signs to guide you to the assembly room."
Jouko watched as the carrier opened its doors, allowing the students to begin flooding in. She could see the signs that would serve as her guide to the assembly hall. Taking several deep breaths, taking in what was about to happen, she walked up the gangplank into destiny, her three friends following close behind her.
Nishizumi Residence
"Foreigners from Finland, hm?"
"One of them is said to be related in some way to the White Death himself."
"Unfounded nonsense. No matter what, Continuation remains a pushover for Kuromorimine. Am I correct, Maho?"
"Yes, Mother."
"Now, Maho, this is your first year as Sensha-do Commander. Many will be opposed to you, seeing you as a mere familial appointment influenced by our standing in Sensha-do. I want you to prove them all wrong. Prove that the Nishizumi Style does not care about ties or biases or what else, only the quality of the mind, of prowess, of stern, iron discipline and ruthless, yet effective efficiency."
"I will prove them all wrong, Mother! I'll see to it that under my tenure, Kuromorimine will get that tenth consecutive win!"
"Good. Do not disappoint me, Maho. Much lies on you as the heiress to the Style. I trust my training and faith has not been in vain."
"You are never mistaken, Mother, and you will certainly not be mistaken now!"
"I've truly raised you well, then. As for your sister..."
"I trust she will do well, I give her my full support to be as good, if not, perhaps superior to me."
"You will remain the supreme daughter. Miho is simply the lesser sister. You are more important, you must be the best out of all. Do you understand me, Maho?"
"Yes, Mother..."
"This year, Miho will be joining, the year where we will be hopefully gaining our tenth consecutive win. I trust you will enhance her skills enough to ensure our victory."
"I'll see to it, Mother."
"Good. This talk is concluded, you may dress for bed. If you need anything, I'll be here, reviewing the documents regarding these... foreigners."
"I understand. Good night, Mother."
"Good night, Maho. Greet Miho for me."
"I will."
As Maho left the room, Shiho sat back down in her desk, and stared at the documents regarding the four new students from Finland. Jouko, Löfström, Hannes, and Frisell. Jouko was one that particularly interested Shiho. A granddaughter of a friend of the White Death himself, she was quite popular at school from this status, as well as her rather tall height, even taller than Shiho, who stood at a rather respectable 5'9". Her grades were also remarkably excellent, demonstrating academic prowess that could assure a waive of an entrance exam from Keizoku. But, that would be the decision of the headmaster, not her. Still, it was remarkable grades from this large girl from the other side of the world.
What stuck out the most, however, was reports detailing her shooting abilities. She could hit a target a kilometer away, even without a scope, a remarkable feat rivaled by very few, and accomplished somewhat often by that White Death. If she was capable of this, what things could be accomplished on the battlefield? The amount of kills she would rack up each match would make it so her barrel would be completely painted white, full of kill rings in no time. She was well-versed in forested areas, meaning that if Kuromorimine were to go against her in a match, there was a chance their Blitzkrieg tactics would be checked, and in a worst-case scenario, countered and destroyed.
But they had just arrived, she hadn't seen anything from them yet. One shouldn't allow their expectation to rise too high, for it could be dashed to pieces at the first test. However, there was something to this particular foreigner. Judging by school behavioral reports from her school with an unpronounceable name, she was very charismatic, bold, and encouraging. She never gave an insult or harsh reprimand for a failure, she simply addressed the mistake, gave quick solutions, and moved on, just like that. It was different from the Nishizumi line of thinking, which usually involved a lengthy reprimand, or worse, a beating for failure. It was an intriguing behavior, but something Shiho could also scoff at. What kind of advising and teaching was that? Utter nonsense, that was what it was to Shiho.
As she continued to pour over the documents, Shiho was starting to get weary. It was already past her usual bedtime, and Kikuyo was now knocking on the door, ready to inform her that her bed was ready, and everything was set to go to sleep. It would be a good idea to catch some final hours of sleep before Maho would leave for her first day of high school. After brushing, washing, and changing into her nightwear, and bidding Kikuyo goodnight, she lay down, intent on sleeping, but again, the same feeling of loneliness had come.
Ever since the fateful dispute and separation with Tsuneo back when the sisters were mere toddlers led to him leaving the house, presumably for good, Shiho had felt more lonely than before. Granted, she still had her daughters, but without Tsuneo, the environment wasn't as warm as it used to be. However, that was what the Nishizumi Style was. Cold, iron, hard, tough-as-nails discipline that resisted all attackers. Tsuneo had dared to criticize the Nishizumi Style, and his departure was a necessary evil to preserve the integrity of the Style. Yet his parting words still rang clear in Shiho's ears.
"All you need to do is warm up and listen! Stop being this cold, heartless woman and be the Shiho I knew for a decade again!"
She remembered how she slammed the door, locked it, and ordered Kikuyo to bar all the windows and the other possible openings to the house. She had tried to repress those words, but they refused to leave her mind. In fact, it seemed the more she tried, the firmer it was founded in her mind.
Yet, she had to power on. The Nishizumi Style stopped for nothing, no matter the scale. Hit the target when you fire, let your defences be of iron, and advance in perfect order... That is the way of Nishizumi Style. Those were her own words. If she broke this saying, it would be hypocritical, a veritable crime in Nishizumi culture. For the sake of the Style, she had to keep going. No loneliness was going to stop her from pursuing her duty as the Mistress of the Nishizumi Style.
Even if all her acquaintances turned against her, she thought, she would never bow. A Nishizumi bowed to no one.