Girl und Panzer: The Yankee's in Tank

Chapter 45

The Last Hound Part 2

Shiho Nishizumi sat in her office, the weight of the past few hours etched onto her expression. Her hands covered her face as she stared at two letters resting on her impeccably ordered desk. Everything around her seemed frozen, the room silent except for the heavy silence that hung in the air.

These letters were from her daughters, sent off to war to prove a point about Sensha-Do and to defend their cultural pride against the American Tankery. However, Shiho's initial conviction had crumbled after she learned about the Dallas Incident and the subsequent formation of the American Tankery League. The promise they made to avoid the mistakes of the past Association had proven hollow, and the troubles faced by the League's S Rank Tank Commander, Don Houston, the Hero of Dallas and the last Dog of War of Vermont Tankery Academy, had shattered the illusion.

Reports of the hardships Don Houston endured reached Shiho through her network, with his aunt and uncle providing firsthand accounts. The revelation made her confront the consequences of her decisions – sending her daughters and other children into a war that had consequences far beyond what she had anticipated.

The guilt settled heavily on her shoulders. The pleas from parents in America and other families echoed in her mind, calling for an end to the matches so they could be reunited with their children. As the months passed, and December drew near, Shiho couldn't shake off the feeling that it was her fault. Her daughters, Maho and Miho, were far from home, and other girls had left the Federation to join Houston and the League.

Despite the weight of responsibility, Shiho couldn't bring herself to blame her daughters for their actions. Instead, she drowned her sorrows in a glass bottle of alcohol, contemplating the choices that led them to this point. As she reached for the bottle to pour herself another drink, the shrill ring of her phone pierced the heavy atmosphere. Glancing at the screen, she saw the caller was none other than her husband, Tsuneo.

Years had passed since Shiho and her husband, Tsuneo, last engaged in a conversation. The chasm between them had grown ever since that fateful night when Miho and Maho were mere children. The air had been thick with tension as they argued passionately about the best path for their daughters. Shiho clung to the desire for them to carry on the Nishizumi tankery legacy, while Tsuneo harbored aspirations of something more for their two girls.

In the aftermath of that heated night, a decision had been reached. No divorce papers were filed the next day, yet Tsuneo departed, knowing the obstinate nature of Shiho. He understood he couldn't change her mind about their daughters' future.

As Shiho stared at her phone, contemplating whether to answer the call, a wave of hesitation swept over her. The emotions that had been brewing within her for years now threatened to surface. Despite the tumult within, she slowly picked up the phone and, with a heavy heart, answered the call, ready to confront the unresolved emotions that lingered between them.

The phone call began with a moment of uneasy silence, as if the weight of the years apart hung in the air. Shiho hesitated before finally breaking the quiet with a soft, "Tsuneo."

On the other end, there was a pause, as if he, too, needed a moment to gather his thoughts. "Shiho," his voice carried a mixture of weariness and longing.

A torrent of emotions surged within Shiho, a tumultuous blend of regret, guilt, and an unspoken desire for reconciliation. "It's been a long time," she admitted, her voice betraying a vulnerability she seldom allowed others to witness.

"Yes, it has," Tsuneo responded, his tone softened by the years of distance. "How have you been?"

Shiho's gaze lingered on the untouched letters from her daughters as she spoke, "Lonely. Regretful. Burdened."