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Death came for her with the roar of a lion, the clank of metal wheels on metal tracks, and the breath of a dragon.

She watched them as they rolled along, their dark green hulls standing them out amidst the brown steppe grass.

"Yonoka! Tango-Three-Four at Ten o clock!" she shouted over the howl of the engine. "Range!"

The Tiger's turret slowly traversed to the left. "I've got 'em El-tee! Four kilos!"

Miho nodded. "Set to transmit directly to Maho." She waited a few seconds before depressing the transmit button.

"Forest Actual, this is Woodland Actual. Be advised, I'm tracking a contingent of T-34s about four clicks to the north-west of me, across the river. Looks to be reinforced platoon, maybe two in size. Over."

"Forest Actual copies, Woodland Actual. Be on the lookout for friendlies moving in from the east to support. Charlie Mike. Out," came the unemotional reply.

Miho popped her head out of the commander's hatch and looked around. Her platoon was in the same situation it was when she last poked her head out; rolling along a treacherous riverside trail, barely wide enough for the Jagdtiger behind her.

Then the sky overhead let loose another bolt of lightning and round of thunder. Oh yeah, that's right, it's fucking raining.

"Woodland Actual to all elements, status report, over," she ordered, standing straighter in the cupola, exposing her upper half to the elements, not caring about the skimpy black and red uniform she wore.

"Woodland Two copies Actual! We're green across the board!" Marichia shouted, all smiles as she waved at Miho from the Panzer III leading platoon. "Those damn ruskies won't know what hit 'em!"

"Woodland Three copies, Lieutenant. We're five by five. Out," Kaname replied from the depths of the tank hunter behind Miho.

"Woodland Four here Lieutenant. Status is green. But be advised, there's dust trails along the river bank, directly to our nine," Anna replied. She commanded the Panther at the back of the convoy.

"Copy that. Allcon, ignore dust cloud. It's probably from the T-34s to our ten," Miho ordered, and made herself as comfortable in the hatch as it was possible to get.

"Roger that."

"Alright."

"As you command."

Her eyes drifted to the rear quarter of the tank as the com channels went quiet in her platoon, where the damning blue flag flew, marking her tank as the most precious vehicle in the entire formation Kuromorimine was fielding this day. After staring at the offending object for a minute, Miho decided to rejoin the command circuit to listen into anything that Maho might have told everyone else but her.

"-so when we get back, we're meeting up at your house, right?" Miho recognized the voice of one of the rising stars in Kuromorimine; Ericka.

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"Yes. My mother's prepared everything we'll need for tonight." Maho

"Did she get the good stuff?"

"We are Kuromorimine and the face of Panzerfahren. There is nothing she can't get."

"Anything interesting going on in your sectors?" Miho asked innocently.

"Nope," Ericka replied quickly. "You comin' to the party later tonight?"

"Miho, stay off this channel," Damn. She's colder than normal today. What's got her panties in a wad? "When I need you to do something else, I will let you know. And yes she is Ericka. Family duties, same as I."

"Hey! I'm just asking if anything's happening! The only thing I've got to stare at is the ass end of a bunch of T-34s! And hell no, I'm not going to another party. I don't do the whole naked-and-drugged-up shit."

"We are not having this conversation now. We will discuss it with Mother when we get home, and you will go to that party. It is what Mother demands."

Still angry, Miho switched back to the platoon circuit. "What mother fucking wants. What a fucking joke."

"You alright up there, Miho?" Marichia asked suddenly.

"Yeah, fine."

"Good. Because there's something poking through the trees just up river from us. Looks like a tank. Orders?"

Miho didn't bother asking for a second look. There was always something supernatural about the scout's judgement. "HALT! Deploy for deflection! Secure the perimeter!"

The crews wasted no time deploying. The Tiger and Panzer III faced upriver, while the Panther faced downriver, and the Jadgtiger did its best not to show the weakened flanks, by squeezing between the Panther and the Tiger.

"Miho, it's definitely a tank. And not one of ours. Looks like a…T-70. Shit. It's looking straight at us."

Miho, along with the rest of her platoon, anxiously waited for the bark of a Russian gun. But none came. It was all quiet.

"This isn't like Katyusha," Miho muttered as she watched the T-70 train its gun on them. Then a thought struck her like a lightning bolt.

She ducked inside, grabbed her magnoculars, and peered off in the distance, at the T-34s moving to the nearest river crossing.

Indeed, with the magnocular's powerful magnification level, Miho was able to pick out the little devil sitting atop her tank as she personally led the assault.

Which meant that she was facing a separate unit. And only one girl was allowed to deviate from Katyusha's command.

The Ice Sniper.

"Buckle up! Brace for impact!" Miho shouted as she pulled the hatch closed behind her. Ten seconds later, the barrage began.

Fifteen seconds later, Marichia was screaming for help.

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