Girl und Panzer: The Yankee's in Tank

Chapter 1

The audio of the Houston interview began to play, showing Shiho Nishizumi listening intently to Houston's voice as the reporter continued to ask him questions after the match of the finals.

"How do you feel about being ranked up to an S-tier class, Houston?" the reporter asked.

"It's very shocking to hear that I'm in an S-tier class," Houston's audio began, "which is to say I'm very humble. I worked so hard to earn—" The audio was abruptly cut off.

The recording was paused. Shiho remained quiet, her eyes closed and arms folded. She hadn't touched the tea sitting in front of her, which had gone cold. She sat still and silent.

Around the table, the Sensha-do officials discussed various important topics, including the next season and the funding for Ooarai Girls Academy. Despite the lively conversation, Shiho remained silent, her mind replaying the audio recording repeatedly. The idea of boys like the Americans wanting to participate in Sensha-do was, to her, a disgrace. Sensha-do was meant to help girls become more feminine and independent, not to involve boys.

Determined, Shiho resolved to find a way to stop or shut down the American Tankery match.

"Now that we have finished dealing with what needed to be addressed, Ms. Nishizumi, do you have something you wanted to say?" Ami asked.

"Yes, I do," Shiho answered.

She stood up, facing the officials, and then spoke up. "I have studied what I could find about the American Tankery match, and what I found is quite disgraceful. It ruins the very nature of what Sensha-do is meant to be. Men and young boys have no right to practice it."

"Wait, so you're saying we should stop the influence of another country's sporting event?" one of the Sensha-do officials interjected. "But, Ms. Nishizumi, I don't see anything wrong with the Americans using Sensha-do in their own style of sport. Remember, England and Australia have that sport called Rugby, and the Americans don't care about it. Why should we?"

Shiho took a deep breath, her gaze steady as she addressed the concern raised by the official. "Sensha-do is more than just a sport. It is a tradition, a cultural practice that fosters discipline, elegance, and empowerment among young women. Allowing boys to participate fundamentally alters its purpose and undermines its values."

Ami, seated beside Shiho, nodded thoughtfully. "I understand your perspective, Ms. Nishizumi. However, we must consider the broader implications. The world is changing, and so are the practices and traditions. We need to find a balance between preserving our traditions and adapting to new developments."

Chiyo Shimada, another prominent figure in the Sensha-do Federation, leaned forward. "I agree with both points. While it's important to uphold the essence of Sensha-do, we cannot entirely shut out external influences. Perhaps there is a way to distinguish our traditional Sensha-do from the American style without outright banning it."

"And this is why we send them an ultimatum," Shiho answered firmly. "Cancel this Tankery or tank tournament, or be forced to fight against us."

The room erupted in hushed but intense conversations among the officials. The tension was palpable until one of them, Sensha-do Official 3, spoke up.

"Wait, even if we decide to fight the Americans, do you even know who just got ranked up to an S-tier class of tank commanders?" the official asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Don Houston," another official responded quietly, the name eliciting a murmur of recognition. "He's the first best tank commander in the West."

Ami Chono spoke up, her tone measured but firm. "Ms. Nishizumi, we can't do anything to the Americans since their sport is not like Sensha-do. Besides, it is very different in how they play. For example, they don't use flag tank matches. What they play is Conquest or Annihilation. Mostly, they have to take major control points, and once they capture all the major points, they can either take over the enemy base or destroy it. And lastly, the Americans have no cultural value in that sport—they just play it for fun. This brings me to the conclusion that we have no reason to remove all that the Americans have made of this sport."