Girls und Panzers: A Thundering Evolution

Tsar Academy Story Arc

Summary

Miya Oktyabrskaya, a 6'3" tall, blonde, dark blue-eyed Russian, was once a rising star at Pravda Girls High School. At just 15 years old, she was commanding a T-34/85 tank with unmatched prowess. A childhood friend of the charismatic yet cunning Katyusha, Miya once believed they were inseparable. However, during the 61st National High School Senshado Tournament, Katyusha, who had been nominated as Pravda's Overall Commander, betrayed Miya and her crew by leading them into a trap. Both Kuromorimine and Pravda tanks opened fire, leaving Miya and her crew fighting for their lives. They survived, taking down several tanks but were severely injured. After their hospitalization, Miya and her crew severed ties with Pravda and left behind their former lives. Now, Miya commands Tsar Academy, a non-Japan Sensha-Dō Federation school with a powerful tank division that includes both boys and girls. Miya harbors deep resentment toward Katyusha and rarely communicates with her former best friend Nonna. Tsar Academy has a friendly rivalry with Liberty Union Academy (L.U.A.), whose Overall Commander, Anthony Grant, commands a T30 Heavy Tank.

Backstory: Miya Oktyabrskaya

The wind howled through the snow-covered fields as Miya stared blankly at the smoking wreckage of the tank before her. Her hands gripped the handles of her commander's seat, knuckles white, her heart pounding beneath her chest.
"Fucking hell, Katyusha..." she muttered under her breath, as another explosion echoed in the distance. The battlefield was chaos, with Kuromorimine's tanks closing in, and Miya knew that something was terribly wrong.
Her T-34/85, the pride of Pravda, was in an exposed position, and Kuromorimine's superior German tanks were moving with brutal efficiency. Miya's crew, four girls from her hometown of Abashiri, were panicking but held their positions. They trusted Miya. She had never led them astray before.
"Yelena, get us behind cover, now!" Miya ordered, her voice sharp.
"On it!" Yelena, the driver, slammed the throttle forward, the tank jerking to life as it rumbled through the snow.
"Incoming!" screamed Anya, the gunner, her eyes wide as she spun the turret to return fire. The tank's cannon barked, and Miya watched with satisfaction as a Kuromorimine tank exploded in a ball of fire.
But something was wrong.
-"Pravda! What the fuck are they doing?"-
Through her periscope, Miya saw something that made her blood run cold. Pravda tanks — her own comrades — were not covering her. In fact, they were in perfect position to open fire. A sickening realization dawned on her.
'It's a trap... That bitch set us up.'
Katyusha, her childhood friend, had lured them into a death trap.
"Fire! Take them all out!" Miya shouted, desperation in her voice.
Pravda tanks, Kuromorimine tanks — it didn’t matter anymore. Miya and her crew were surrounded, and they had no choice but to fight back. The battlefield became a blur of smoke, explosions, and metal tearing apart.
Anya pulled the trigger again, taking out another tank, but it wasn’t enough. The return fire was brutal, and Miya felt the impact as their tank took a direct hit.
"Fucking bastards!"
The T-34/85 shook violently as another shell tore into the side. Sparks flew, and Miya felt her head snap back as her vision blurred. Blood trickled down her face from a cut on her forehead, but she refused to falter.
"Keep firing, dammit!" she screamed, her voice hoarse.
Yelena was pushing the tank harder than it was meant to go, trying to avoid another deadly hit. Vera, their loader, was moving shells as fast as her injured arm would allow.
Another blast rocked the tank, and Miya saw Yelena slump over the controls. Her heart stopped.
"Yelena!" Miya crawled over, grabbing her friend. Yelena was unconscious, blood dripping from her temple. Miya gritted her teeth, her vision blurred by a mixture of rage and pain.
The battle raged on, but Miya knew they were finished.
One more shot from a Kuromorimine Tiger tank smashed into them, and everything went black.
Miya woke up in a hospital bed.
Bandages covered her arms, and her head throbbed. The sterile smell of the room made her nauseous, but it wasn’t the pain that made her stomach churn. It was the memory. The betrayal.
-"Why did you do this, Katyusha?"-
Her crew had survived, but barely. Anya had broken ribs, Vera’s arm was shattered, and Yelena was still unconscious. But they were alive. That’s what mattered.
"Fuck Katyusha..." Miya whispered, staring at the ceiling. She couldn’t believe that the girl she grew up with, the girl she once considered her sister, had set them up. All to prove herself in the tournament.
A few days later, Miya and her crew left the hospital. None of them wanted to stay at Pravda anymore. The betrayal was too deep, the scars too raw. They cut all ties with the school, with Nonna, and most of all, with Katyusha. The friendship they once had was nothing more than ash in the wind.
After leaving Pravda, Miya and her crew heard rumors of a new school in Russia, one that wasn’t part of the Japan Sensha-Dō Federation. Tsar Academy. It was said to be brutal, with boys and girls alike training for real tank combat, not just sport.
Miya didn’t hesitate. This was her chance to get away from the Sensha-Dō politics, from the corruption that had led to her betrayal. She enrolled in Tsar Academy at 17, becoming their Overall Commander after just a few months.
Tsar Academy was everything Pravda wasn’t. It was tough, gritty, and real. Miya thrived in this environment, her T-34/85 now modified with a 1,500 hp engine, the same used by the T-14 Armata. It wasn’t just a tank anymore; it was her weapon of vengeance.
But Miya wasn’t done yet.
She hadn’t forgotten about Katyusha or Pravda. One day, she would make them pay. For now, though, she focused on Tsar Academy’s rivalry with Liberty Union Academy, the American school led by Anthony Grant.
"That guy is fucking intense." Miya muttered, watching as Anthony commanded his T30 Heavy Tank with military precision. His tank was a monster, powered by the same engine as the M1 Abrams, and he was just as formidable.
Despite their rivalry, Miya respected Anthony. He didn’t play games. He was serious, disciplined, and a born leader. Their matches were brutal, and every time they faced off, it felt like life and death.
Miya stood on the snowy field, her breath visible in the cold air, as she prepared for another battle against Liberty Union Academy. She climbed into her T-34/85, her hands gripping the controls tightly.
"This is it, girls. Let’s show them what Tsar Academy can do."
Yelena, Anya, and Vera were right beside her, just like always. They had been through hell together, and nothing could break them now.
As the engines roared to life, Miya’s heart raced.
This wasn’t just another match. This was their war. Their fight for survival. And Miya would be damned if she let anyone betray her again.
“Ready for this?” Yelena smirked, her eyes gleaming with the thrill of combat.
“Let’s fucking do this,” Miya growled, her voice filled with raw determination.
The tanks rolled out onto the field.