Strike Witches: Fallen Humanity

Phyrric Victory

There was some dissent, but at the end both tails and ears of all the Witches of the 509th were cut.
Then came a second phase: Installing cores.
Andrea personally tested for weeks the abilities and differences between the Witches with and without cores installed, the results were clear, the core the better.
Other dissent came, but nothing would have stopped him from opening their chests and constructing cores into them.
The process was painless, more fear than anything, but they still had to hide it, the world and especially the rest of the military didn't had to know what happened in Moscow that day.

The improvement was almost immediate, all mentally connected to each other and coordinating perfectly even at hundreds of meters of distance. They even stopped trying to commit suicide and completely forgot of their past friends.
Even if it was painful at the start, separating from their old comrades and partners to improve their minds worked just fine at the end.
Even the Witche from the music squadron didn't tried to commit suicide when they learned of the accident who killed all their ex-comrades.

An army was being built, growing stronger and stronger at every battle.
Rommel's death didn't stopped them, they liberated both Orussia and Fuso, gained more and more support from the people. The sacrifice of the Patton Girls for Nagasaki didn't stopped them. Hell, it made them more willing to destroy for once and for all the Neuroi.
The Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building was just 3 kilometres distant from them, the Neuroi Hive over it wasn't ready to face the entire JFW, the outcome was already written.
They felt unstoppable.

Then the bomb came.

Outskirts of Tokyo, 22 November 1946.

Andrea: We are approaching the target, are you all ready for Tokyo?

Kanno: Today we'll drink sake at Sensō-ji Temple!

Kunika: Why not in Asakusa's Temple? It's such a nice place.

Suwa: The important is that you share the drink with us.

Yuno Talking about sharing, can we borrow it from the local restaurant? I mean, if no one drinks It...

Yoshika: What about some medical books? We lack some.

Inori: We also lack of instruments!

Takami: Maybe I'll get a new dress for me and my sister.

Emma: Those Fusoan seems hyped today.

Aleksandra: Yeah, they remember me of Georgette when Gallia was liberated.

Georgette: Hey, you Orussain also cheered a lot when we liberated your country.

Eila: Yeah, I can still remember how much we danced to celebrate.

Martina: Fer, do you remember when Romagna was liberated?

Fernandia: Yeah, it would seem that years have passed.

Francesca: Well, almost two.

Lynette: Really?! It's already been so much time?

Patricia: Yep, by this time the world will be free in just another year.

Harriet: What if they invade Liberion?

Carla: Ohi! Don't you even try to bring the same luck as Nikka!

Nikka: I've heard you.

Ottilie: Come on, people! Cheer a bit, we're almost there!

Galina: You seem cheerful as a Fusoan today, Otty.

Erica: Isn't she everyday like that? Ah ah!

Ursula: Kinda, today is more as usual.

Raisa: Hey Helma, don't you want to teach them some discipline?