Girls und Panzer: Nishizumi

Chapter Three

Jiro ran through the forest, stumbling and falling to the ground, his uniform getting muddy in the process, the Stuttgart emblem being covered in the earth. But he got up and continued running before coming to a clearing, panting before collapsing in the center, falling unconscious.

His vision was black. It was warm, comforting, yet it was yanked away as quick as it arrived, revealing a ruined landscape.The skies were blood red, with dark clouds forming in the distance. On the ground, about six hundred meters away from each other, two lines of tanks stared each other down in a stand-off.

One line was aflame with Purple Flames, and all bore the scorched emblem of Stuttgart, and most importantly, they were all M26 Pershings. The other line was a mix of tanks and tank destroyers, also bearing the Stuttgart Emblem, mainly made up of M4A2s and M18s.

As if on an unspoken queue, the two lines fired and started the charge each other. Jiro could only watch the scene unfold, unable to take control, or so he thinks. A flaming image of himself appeared beside him, but not the one he dreaded, but one that looked at him in pity. His flames were of an orangeish color, and his eyes showed similar confidence. "Jiro, you cannot continue like this. We are Nishizumi. We rise from the ashes of failure. Just accept me... and you will be reborn!"

Jiro whipped towards the flaming image. "And what do you know of my struggle? My commands and actions cost my crew their lives! I simply... cannot move on from that..." The flaming image only shook his head before simmering down to an ember and vanishing. His voiced echoed, "If you do not try.... then this will replay until your death...."

Jiro turned back to the battle, only to see that Pershing, the one that always faces him, the one that dominates his nightmares. The Purplish Devil jumped from the tank before striding towards the man and smirked. "You understand... give in... and seize your fate by the hands!" The image then went to strike Jiro, whom deflected the hook. However, the knee and then a a jab sent him to the ground before the Devil got on top and wrapped his flaming hands around Jiro's neck. "Give in...." The flames were scalding, and Jiro struggled to scream, but because of lack of air, Jiro could only open his mouth before his vision went to white....

Jiro shot up into a sitting position, grasping his throat, only to find it wasn't burnt, wasn't crushed, and fully able to sustain him. The man leaned forward and let his face land in his hands, sobbing quietly. "Damnit... I shouldn't have abandoned them.... They would still be alive.... I failed as a Nishzumi..."

Koume watched from a hidden position, listening to the sobs with sympathy. The woman silently sighed before pulling out her phone and sending a text to the Commanders of Kuro and resumed her observation. The contents:

He's in E4, seems to be suffering emotionally. Says he's failed as a Nishizumi.

Koume sighed again as she continued to see a broken man suffer, and she knew she couldn't reveal herself...

A/N: A flashback chapter is in the works, don't worry!