Girls und panzer: Carolus rex the emperor of steel

From the stands, I watched the battle with my eyes shining with excitement. This reality was different from the canon. The Maus had fallen earlier, Miho's movements were more aggressive, and there were still more tanks left on the battlefield. Every small difference made my heart race.

Beside me, Nonna and Klara remained silent, but I could sense their interest in the battle. On the other side, the girls from Carolus Rex had settled next to Pravda—a subtle yet clear sign of the alliance between our academies.

But at this moment, that didn't matter. On the battlefield, the real fight was about to begin.

This time, the Maus fell in a different way, but the result was the same.

The roar of the fallen Maus still echoed across the battlefield as the rest of Kuromorimine's tanks continued advancing under Maho's command. The impact of losing their steel monster had disrupted their mindset, and Miho wasted no time in taking advantage.

Following her lead, Ooarai's tanks adopted an evasive maneuver pattern, heading towards the residential area and slipping into narrow streets, avoiding direct lines of fire from powerful enemy tank destroyers like the Jagdtiger and Elefant. These tanks tried to catch them, but Ooarai's speed was superior, allowing them to circle around and flank the enemy tank destroyers.

Miho: "Divert the attention of the tank destroyers! Move the light units to the flanks and pressure their rear!"

The Elefant attempted to turn towards Ooarai's more agile units, but the narrow streets prevented it. Before it even realized, it was already under fire. A direct hit from Team Rabbit's M3 Lee pierced its side armor.

— "Direct hit!" the M3 Lee crew shouted.

Meanwhile, the Jagdtiger and Ferdinand pulled back, trying to regroup with the remaining units. But Miho had planned every move. Leading her team toward the center of the school, she lured Kuromorimine's forces into a tactical trap.

And then, it happened.

The Tiger Porsche advanced with its thick armor, positioning itself at the school entrance, blocking the path. Its silhouette loomed like an impenetrable wall between Miho and victory.

With the earlier fall of the Maus, Erwin's StuG III, Midoriko's Renault Char B1 bis, and Anzu's 38(t) Hetzer were still in play. This last one hadn't been sacrificed as a decoy, giving them an impressive tactical advantage.

Taking advantage of having three more tanks than in the canon, they managed to take down more Kuromorimine tanks using my usual strategy—waiting at a point and then harassing them from the flanks.

Inside the school courtyard, Maho's Tiger I advanced, positioning itself in front of Miho.

The tension in the air was palpable.

Maho Nishizumi and Miho Nishizumi.

Sisters. Rivals.

The battlefield around them emptied. Every other tank was too busy fighting each other to intervene.

Maho aimed her cannon.

Miho did the same.

A battle between the old and new generations of the Nishizumi Sensha-dō.

And only one of them would emerge victorious.

The roar of engines drowned out the world around them. Maho's Tiger I advanced with the precision of a trained beast, its thick armor absorbing the superficial damage inflicted upon it. On the other side, Miho's Panzer IV H moved with agility, but its margin for error shrank with each passing second.

Sweat slid down Miho's forehead, causing a strand of hair to stick to her temple, but she couldn't afford the luxury of brushing it away. Her hands gripped tightly, feeling every vibration of the tank, every jolt beneath her feet. Her teammates shared the same tension: Mako, her face serene but her fingers rigid over the controls; Hana, gripping the cannon with almost mechanical precision; Saori, her lips pressed into a tense line.

Maho, on the other hand, clenched her teeth, her eyes sharp like blades. Her Tiger I controlled the situation. Every turret rotation was calculated, every shot aimed to corner Miho against the schoolyard walls. Inside, her crew worked with perfect coordination, each order executed within seconds. But despite that, panic slowly seeped into their voices.

— "She's moving too fast!" her gunner shouted.

Maho: "Keep her in sight," she ordered firmly. But even she could feel it. Something was wrong. Miho was too calm.

The Panzer IV H's radio crackled.

Miho: "Mako, circle around to her rear."

Mako: "That's risky, the tracks might break."

Miho: "It doesn't matter. It's all or nothing."

The tank swerved violently, accelerating in a final attempt to reach the Tiger I's rear. Maho saw the maneuver and reacted instantly.

Maho: "Rotate the turret! Fire before she gets behind us!"

The Tiger I's cannon turned, its heavy mechanism creaking under the pressure of time. Hana held her breath, her finger tensing over the trigger.

Then, a metallic crash.

The Panzer IV H's tracks snapped with a deafening crunch. The tank lost stability, skidding over debris. Inside, the girls were thrown around violently, but their hands never left their stations.

Miho saw her chance.

Miho: "Now!"

But as the cannon aligned, the world seemed to slow down.

From her seat, the Tiger I's gunner saw the enemy barrel aimed directly at their rear.

Her blood ran cold.

The roar of the shot drowned everything else.

The Panzer IV's shell struck the Tiger I's rear armor—its weakest point. For a second, silence. Then, the explosion's roar.

Flames burst from the Tiger I's back. Inside, Maho and her crew felt the shockwave, the violent tremor shaking them in their seats.

— "Hit to the engine!" one of the crew members shouted as smoke began to fill the cabin.

Maho closed her eyes for a moment. There was no going back.

On the turret, the white flag was raised.

Absolute silence.

Miho exhaled, releasing a breath she hadn't even realized she was holding.

From the stands, a choked gasp of disbelief escaped Katyusha's lips.

Katyusha: "Eh…?! That shouldn't have happened! Maho had the advantage!"

Nonna, arms crossed, observed with interest.

Nonna: "But Miho had the determination."

Maho emerged from the Tiger I, her face expressionless, but in her eyes, something deeper. Resignation, perhaps. Or maybe… respect.

Miho descended from her tank, cautiously approaching her older sister. For a moment, they stared at each other, the distance between them more symbolic than physical.

Finally, Maho extended her hand.

Maho: "Well done."

Miho looked at her in surprise, but then, a light smile crossed her face as she shook her sister's hand.

The battle was over.

Miho Nishizumi had found her own path.

POV Erik

Miho Nishizumi had achieved the impossible. But beyond victory… she had proven that her path in Sensha-dō didn't have to be the same as her family's.

I exhaled, releasing the breath I hadn't realized I was holding.

On my shoulders, Katyusha was left speechless.

Katyusha: "Huh…?! That shouldn't have happened! Maho had the advantage!"

Her small body leaned forward, fists clenched over her knees. She stared at the screen in disbelief, as if her mind refused to accept the result.

Nonna, on the other hand, remained impassive, though her gaze was fixed on Miho, as if reevaluating her. A subtle smile tugged at her lips.

Nonna: "She changed."

Katyusha glanced at her sideways, still frowning.

Katyusha: "Tch! Even so, it wasn't a clean victory. She lost her tracks."

Nonna: "But she was still able to shoot."

That seemed to silence Katyusha for a moment.

Meanwhile, in another section of the stands, Darjeeling watched with an enigmatic smile, elegantly holding her teacup.

Darjeeling: "Victory belongs to those who are willing to sacrifice everything for it."

Beside her, Orange Pekoe nodded, though she seemed slightly puzzled by the quote.

Darjeeling: "Miho Nishizumi has finally found her own path."

Mika, on the other hand, was watching the screen with a half-smile.

Mika: "Fascinating."

She softly plucked the strings of her kantele, letting a gentle, melancholic sound float through the air.

Mika: "The river does not fear the sea, for it knows its destiny is to merge with it."

Aki and Mikko exchanged glances.

Aki: "Does that mean… you expected this?"

Mika smirked.

Mika: "No. But I'm not surprised either."

I leaned back in my seat, letting the weight of the finished battle settle in my chest.

This reality was different.

And for the first time, I wondered just how far these changes could go.

General POV

The atmosphere was electric with emotion as the Ooarai girls celebrated their victory.

Surrounded by her teammates, Miho received hugs, words of congratulations, and even joyful tears.

Yuzu: "We won! We did it!"

Anzu: "Thank you, Miho! Thanks to you, our school won't be shut down!"

The rest of the Rabbit, Duck, Dog, and other crews cheered enthusiastically.

Meanwhile, the president of the Moral Committee, Midoriko, pulled out her tablet and showed it to Mako. Without saying a word, she began crossing out Mako's absences in her notebook.

Midoriko: "With this, you have no more absences."

Mako's eyes lit up, and she immediately lunged at Midoriko, hugging her in gratitude.

But the one who couldn't hold back was Momo, who burst into tears, wiping them away with the sleeves of her uniform.

Momo: "Miho! You really did it! I don't even know how to thank you!"

Miho smiled shyly, feeling the warmth of her friends and team.

But there was still something she had to do.

In the distance, Maho Nishizumi was boarding one of Kuromorimine's vehicles, preparing to leave with the rest of her team.

Miho took a deep breath and walked toward her.

Miho: "Onee-chan!"

Maho stopped, turned to look at her younger sister, and then congratulated her.

Maho: "Congratulations on your victory." Then, she smiled. "I admit defeat."

Maho extended her hand, and Miho clasped it as they exchanged smiles.

And though Maho was about to say something else, Miho interrupted her.

Miho: "Thank you." She lowered her gaze with a smile, then looked Maho in the eyes again. "But I still have unfinished business with you."

Maho raised an eyebrow, not quite understanding.

Miho: "I want you to come with me."

Maho frowned, surprised.

Erika, who had been silently observing, felt she needed to go as well.

After all, her defeat against Erik and Kuromorimine's downfall had left a knot in her stomach. Something inside her had changed.

Miho turned toward her teammates.

Miho: "I have something to do. I'll see you later."

Saori, Hana, and the others looked at her curiously but nodded.

Saori: "Don't worry, go ahead."

And so, Miho, Maho, and Erika started walking toward Erik.

POV Erik

From my seat in the stands, I watched as Miho, Maho, and Erika walked determinedly in my direction.

Beside me, Nonna, Klara, and Katyusha also noticed their approach.

Katyusha: "Hey, Erik! What do you think they want?"

Her tone was a mix of curiosity and suspicion. After all, Katyusha had some reservations about the Nishizumi family.

Nonna, on the other hand, simply observed in silence with her usual calm expression, while Klara remained neutral—though she seemed slightly intrigued.

I had no intention of having them present for this conversation, as it was a matter between the Nishizumi and me. So I simply gestured with my head.

Erik: "Go on ahead. I have something to discuss with them."

Katyusha frowned, but before she could complain, Nonna easily lifted her onto her shoulders.

Katyusha: "Hey! I'm not a sack of potatoes! Put me down!"

Nonna: "Let's go, Katyusha."

Klara just smiled slightly and followed them without a word.

Once they disappeared into the crowd, I turned my attention to Miho, Maho, and Erika.

Miho was the first to speak, her voice firm but carrying her usual kindness.

Miho: "Erik, do you remember our bet?"

Erik: "Yeah, I remember."

Miho nodded.

Miho: "You said that if I won, you'd take Onee-chan and me into consideration."

Maho, who had been silent until now, frowned, clearly confused.

Maho: "What?"

Miho looked at her.

Miho: "You left before hearing the bet." She spoke in a tone different from what I remembered, carrying a newfound determination to get what she wanted.

Maho looked directly at me, expecting an explanation.

Don't look at me like that. I wasn't entirely sure what she meant either.

Erika crossed her arms and remained silent, but the way she clenched her jaw made it clear she had something to say. However, seeing the situation, she chose to stay quiet.

I sighed and crossed my arms.

Erik: "Yeah, that's true. I said it. And you won."

I glanced at the Nishizumi sisters with a slight smile.

Erik: "So, tell me, Miho… what exactly does 'taking you into consideration' mean to you?"

I said that because, honestly, I didn't fully understand.

You might say, Hey, how can you not tell what they want just by looking? But my answer is: I can't, even if I want to. It's hard for me to interpret people's intentions unless they spell them out for me.

Miho's expression went blank for a moment, as if her brain had momentarily shut down trying to process my response.

Did I really not understand? Well, no.

Maho and Erika, noticing Miho's bewilderment, simultaneously brought a hand to their faces and let out a sigh full of frustration.

Maho: "For the love of…"

Erika: "This guy…"

What!? Did I do something wrong!?

I just blinked, still confused. I had an idea, but I wasn't 100% sure.

Come on, Miho is way too cute, and Maho has always been a serious person. It seemed impossible to me that both of them were interested in me, which is why I needed them to say it directly.

Miho, realizing my confusion, sighed and gathered her courage to explain it clearly.

Miho: Erik... What I mean is... I want you to consider us as women.

Silence.

I just stared at her. The tenderness in her expression and the slight blush on her face said more than her words.

Erika and Maho didn't say anything, but both averted their gazes uncomfortably, as if they didn't want to admit they agreed with that.

I let out a sigh.

Erik: Let me see if I understand...

I pointed at Miho.

Erik: You want to be with me?

Miho nodded slowly, her face turning even redder.

Then, I looked at Maho.

Erik: And you too?

Maho looked away, crossing her arms.

Maho: ...I won't deny it.

Finally, I turned to Erika, who was biting her lower lip, unwilling to say anything.

Erik: What are you even doing here!?

Erika clicked her tongue and looked away, frowning.

Erika: Tch... What do you care!!

Oh well...

I ran a hand down my face. This was getting more complicated than I expected.

Erik: Alright... I guess I need to process this.

The three of them were watching me attentively, waiting for my answer. They had taken the first step—now it was my turn.

I kept wondering what the hell Erika was doing here. Was she just interested in the event, or did she have something else to say?

I crossed my arms, still processing everything that had just happened.

Miho was looking at me with that mix of tenderness and determination that was too dangerous for my sanity. Maho had her arms crossed and a serious look, but there was a slight blush on her face. And Erika… well, Erika was still there, even though I had no idea what the hell she was doing here in the first place.

I sighed.

Erik: Alright, Miho. What do you propose?

Miho looked me straight in the eyes, without hesitation.

Miho: I know you won't leave Nonna and Klara. I understand that.

Oh. So she already knew.

Miho: But... I want you to add us too. Onee-chan and me.

Silence.

Erika's eyes widened in shock as she looked at everyone with a "WHAT?!" expression, clearly not expecting this.

Erika: Wait, wait… What the hell are you talking about!?

Maho sighed.

Maho: Exactly what you heard.

Erika blinked, looking at Miho, then at Maho, then at me, then back at Miho.

Erika: …Are you fucking kidding me?

Miho just smiled sweetly.

I ran a hand down my face. This was getting more and more surreal.

Erik: Look, it's not that I'm against it, but there's something you need to understand.

I pulled my phone out of my pocket and held it up slightly.

Erik: Nonna and Klara are important to me. And if you're going to be part of this, I need their approval first.

Without wasting time, I sent Nonna a message explaining the situation.

Erika: I still can't believe we're having this conversation!

Maho: Well, believe it. –She glanced at Erika with a slightly teasing smile, which contrasted with her personality.

Miho just waited patiently.

A few seconds passed before my phone vibrated with a response.

Message from Nonna:

"I have no problem."

That was it.

Erik: Well... that was fast.

I looked up again and saw Miho smiling at me with a mix of satisfaction and sweetness.

Miho: So, what do you say?

I sighed, feeling a bit like a condemned man.

Erik: I guess you're part of this now.

Erika: WHAT THE HELL?!

At that moment, I felt something strange in my free pocket.

I reached in and pulled out a small clip-on microphone.

Oh.

So Nonna had put a microphone on me before leaving.

I stared at the device in my hand before letting out a small chuckle.

Erik: Seriously, girls? You didn't even try to hide it this time. I'm disappointed—I expected something more creative.

Soviet tricks during the Cold War.

Erika, on the other hand, was still perplexed, her eyes wide open and her mouth slightly agape, clearly processing what she had just witnessed.

I crossed my arms and looked at her.

Erik: Alright, putting that aside… what are you even doing here in the first place?

Erika blinked a couple of times, as if she had completely forgotten the reason for her visit. Then, she clicked her tongue and looked away awkwardly.

Erika: Tsk… I came to apologize.

Erik: Apologize?

Erika sighed, crossing her arms and frowning.

Erika: For how I behaved before. I was too aggressive and inconsiderate. I wanted to clear things up, but… —She gestured toward Miho and Maho— I definitely didn't expect something this surreal.

I let out a laugh.

Erik: Yeah… honestly, neither did I.

I raised my hands in a gesture of resignation.

Erik: But still, sorry for dragging you into this by accident.

Maho, who had been silent until now, slowly nodded and looked at Erika.

Maho: Same here.

Erika looked at her in surprise.

Erika: You don't have to apologize, Commander. You did nothing wrong.

Maho just closed her eyes for a moment and then looked away, as if she wasn't used to this kind of interaction.

There was a moment of silence. Then, the four of us looked at each other and just started laughing.

Erika: This is ridiculous…

Miho smiled sweetly and suddenly took my hand.

Maho followed a second later, grabbing the other one.

I stared at both hands for a moment, feeling the warmth of their fingers intertwining with mine.

They both looked at me with determination.

Miho and Maho: Take good care of us.

I could only sigh.

Erik: Yeah, yeah… You're in this now, so I'll do my best.

And just like that, without even planning it, my life had just become even more chaotic.

Extra:

Nonna and Klara were in their room, sitting quietly with a cup of coffee in hand, listening attentively to the conversation being transmitted from the small microphone Nonna had discreetly placed in Erik's pocket before leaving.

They both listened to Miho confessing to their boyfriend, but they simply took a sip of coffee as they continued listening.

Klara: Looks like they finally gathered the courage. –Speaking in Russian–

(Author's note: I got lazy translating, so from now on, just assume Klara is speaking Russian like in the canon.)

Nonna: You can say that again.

At that moment, they heard Erik say:

"Nonna and Klara are important to me. And if you're going to be part of this, I need their approval first."

Nonna raised an eyebrow with a slight smile.

Nonna: How considerate.

Klara smiled too.

Klara: That's sweet of him.

Nonna calmly picked up her phone and typed a short message:

"I have no problem."

Klara looked at her in disbelief.

Klara: That's it? Not even a warning? Not even a "think it over"?

Nonna glanced at her with her usual stoic expression.

Nonna: Why? If they truly want to be with him, they know what they're getting into.

Klara let out a sigh and leaned back on the sofa.

Klara: Well, I guess Erik's harem just keeps growing...

Nonna barely smiled.

Nonna: More like the little wolf is being devoured by his own pack.

Both remained silent as the transmission continued. But then, Erik found the microphone in his pocket.

"Oh."

"Seriously, girls? You didn't even try to hide it this time. I'm disappointed—I was expecting something more creative."

Nonna smiled calmly as she took another sip of her coffee.

Nonna: What a perceptive man.

Klara, on the other hand, could only shake her head and laugh.