Alright, I decide to tell you all:

I was hoping to finish this story with a bigger, epic finale. Unfortunately, after some thinking, I realize that I made a few big mistakes, especially in not keeping the themes consistent.

So, I am going to finish this story to the best of my ability, and then start on a brand-new story.

To all of the people who gave me 43 reviews, 13 favs, and 19 follows, thank you for all your hard work!

I hope that the next story is more consistent.

Therefore, let us finish this story.

Girls und Krieg

Chapter 15: Future Glory

"Are you sure about this?"

"I am, Miho-san."

"Well, thank you so much, Darjeeling-san."

"That's what we should be saying, Miho-san. We are the ones who should be thanking you."

"Well..."

"You are so nice, Miho-san. Or should I say this: Miho-senpai?"

"Ehehe, you don't have to call me 'senpai.' We are technically equals."

"We are all Virago, in search of true glory, even in the future."

"Huh?"

"MIHO-SAAANNNN!"

Multiple voices rang out, as the girls said their last words with each other. Miho turned around, as she greeted more of her Noran comrades. Meanwhile, Darjeeling shook hands with Gabriel, who bowed down in gratitude.

"I believe you are leaving soon?" Gabriel asked. "My lady?"

"Well," Darjeeling hesitated, stunned by him calling her "lady." Now, she started to understand how and why Miho was bothered by her calling her "senpai."

"Don't worry," he said, chuckling. "We may meet again, Miss Darjeeling."

"Well," she replied, blinking. "Thank you."

Gabriel tipped his hat, while Miho returned to them. Miho then shook hands with Darjeeling, who reciprocated deeply.

"I wish you well," Miho said. "My friend."

"I wish you well," Darjeeling said, a little louder and more casual than usual, then made a smirk. "My queen."

Miho blushed, and the two laughed.

"I wish you well," Darjeeling said.

"Me too," Miho said.

Darjeeling nodded, and the two looked at each other, as the last words resonated...

30 minutes ago...

Miho stood, looking at a board, then at the table. She was hosting a special meeting, in order to discuss what to do next. Of course, after the Battle of Dry Grass, the victors wanted to be ready for the next attacks, if they were going to appear.

All of the Virago of NOR were in, and Darjeeling and Orange Pekoe were in too. Gabriel also was present.

"Alright," Miho spoke. "Based on our reports, the old territory of San Gloria Empire is now occupied. Fortunately, over 95% of all San Glorians managed to escape, and are now in an area that seems to be Nigeria from our world. There, they are working to re-create their society, something that we are used to for centuries.

"We are deeply saddened at the turn of events," she continued. "However, I am thankful to any higher power that has helped to save them all. All of the Virago of San Gloria are alive. We Norans will help in any way we can to keep them alive and well."

"Thank you for your help," Darjeeling said, sipping her tea. "But we wish to try and re-establish it on our own first. That way, we know what we really need. Then, we can go from there."

"Blimey," Pekoe said, as she poured more tea (for everyone). "So many things have happened."

"I don't blame you," Saori said (as everyone drank tea in relief). "It has been three days since we've released them all. Gabriel-san decides to mete out his own form of punishment. Some were executed, while others were released, with nothing to help them. Those loyal to him, especially those who realized the whole situation, then stuck by him. They then helped us to clean up the mess, while some of our girls interacted with them well."

"And once again," Hana said. "We are now back to normal."

The girls then drank again, and laughed.

"Well," Momo said, drinking her own tea (she secretly liked it, for it was citron tea). "This tea is...interesting."

She drank and drank it, then gulped everything down. Pekoe then passed a teapot, which Miho took and poured it.

"Thank you," Momo said, and gulped down, then made a face, as she forgot that the tea was hot.

"Hot-hot-hot!" she hiccuped.

"Here," Hana said, handing a plate of cold desserts.

Momo ate, and sighed in relief.

"Wow," Miho said, drinking hers. "This is really nice tea."

"A special mixture to celebrate today," Darjeeling said. "Especially for you, Miho-san. Rooibos, yerba mate, and hibiscus tea."

"Why that combination?" Sodoko asked, as she drank her own tea, then frowned. "Vanilla tea with...rooibos again?"

"Well," Orange Pekoe said. "You girls are Norans, and you all use a variety of South African vehicles, so it makes sense to have rooibos."

Sodoko frowned, then smiled.

"Thanks," she said.

"Thank you!" various girls shouted in appreciation.

Wow, Gabriel thought. These girls are so...nice. Much nicer than our real Human girls...

"Except that our girls," Yukari said. "Really want more combat."

"Really?" Gabriel asked, both to himself and to the question. "How is that possible? You girls do not seem to get tired that easily, or even...traumatized."

The girls looked at each other, then shrugged.

"We are Senshazons," Mako said. "We are not exactly human in that regard."

I guess he's still learning, Miho thought. I wonder what more can we expect?

I am still learning a lot, Gabriel thought. Maybe I need to rethink my expectations.

"And from you guys," Sodoko said. "It seems that this is not going to be the first time, or the last, that we'll meet those Cratonic folks."

"Well," Gabriel said. "We are crazy and unpredictable, after all."

"How crazy?" various Virago girls asked in unison, and the conversation suddenly went chaotic.

"Alright-alright!" Momo roared, silencing the crowd. "OK, we need to get back to the point of this!"

"Said the girl who asked a random question previously," Yuzu teased, causing her to throw a fit, as others laughed in the background.

"Which is what to do next," said Noriko, and the others agreed.

The whole crowd became silent, and Gabriel blinked.

"Umm..." he tried to say something, but Miho eyed him. Correctly interpreting it, he stayed quiet.

"There is a time for war," Erwin broke the silence. "And...what was next?"

"And a time for peace," replied Miho.

"That's right!" the Hippo Team declared.

The crowd then laughed again, and the girls settled down.

"Alright," Hana said. "Ladies and gentleman, we now are going to talk about the matters today. I believe that Anzu-san knows what to say. Anzu-san?"

"Alright, let me get this straight," Anzu said, crunching on her dried sweet potatoes. "All of our friendly factions, from Saunderia to Jatkosota, are either still around in Senshazonia, or are establishing bases on this continent."

"That is correct," Darjeeling said.

"But we still need to find and maintain contact with them," Sodoko said.

"Correct," Darjeeling answered.

"And they are all alive and well," Miho said.

"Very true," she said. "Everybody else heard the news of my capture. Because of this, I overheard from the soldiers that the Senshazons suddenly changed plans, preventing the Virago from getting captured. Apparently, the Craton tried to put the Virago into a trap. Somehow, they knew that we Virago prefer to lead the charge, so they took advantage of that. Without being able to trap the Virago, all other factions have safely protected their Virago."

Miho thought something over, then stood up.

"And how can we contact them?" Miho asked. "If they are well, just in case?"

"That is a good question," Darjeeling admitted.

"Oh..." various girls asked.

"How did you all know in the first place?" Momo asked.

"We did answer that," Yuzu said. "She said that she heard from other soldiers."

"And that is true," Gabriel said. "We Cratonians soon learned that your Virago are somehow very important, far more than just capturing a king or queen regnant. That's why they wanted to draw as many Virago as possible. Well, they failed to realize that the news of a Virago captured by enemies will suddenly alert other nations."

"As if some magic acts as an alarm," Miho said.

"Yes!" the others agreed.

"Good point," Gabriel said. "But...I have one question: how can we defeat the Craton?"

"Umm..."

"We'll figure it out someday," Miho said. "For now, let us explain more..."

Back to the present

Darjeeling sat on top of the turret of her Challenger 3, as it rumbled away. In the distance, the former battlefield of the Dry Grass was now spotless, green with fresh grass. The Senshazons did a great job at cleaning up the mess, and many were even playing sports.

"I am amazed at what you all can do," Gabriel said. "You Senshazons are amazing. You appear to be masters of some magitech."

"Magitech?" some of the Norans asked.

"Our term for a fusion of both technology and magic," Gabriel explained. "And you girls can play in the same areas where much blood was shed."

"We are Senshazons," many of them replied, shrugging. The Virago, however, were more human in their response.

"Ehehehe," Miho said, nervous. "Well, Gabriel-san, what about you? I know you're leaving, but..."

"Don't worry about us," he said, as he packed up his belongings. "We humans are tenacious and adaptive. We will do what we can."

"Robin Hood!" some of the men shouted in the distance. "We're waiting!"

He smirked, while most Norans (except for the Virago) tilted their heads, confused at the reference.

"I am coming!" Gabriel called out, bowed quickly to the girls, and left.

However, he did not run far. He then turned around, and stretched his right hand. Understanding the reference, Miho reached her right hand, and Gabriel took it and kissed it. Although her hand was at least 25% larger than his, it felt very natural. Miho blushed.

"DARJEELING-SAMMMMMAAAAAAA!" a sudden roar broke the atmosphere. Multiple girls jumped, and many looked in the direction of the voice.

"Eh?" Gabriel asked, surprised as he turned around. "Who was that?"

Miho blinked, then remembered.

"She's back," Miho remarked.

"Oh zon," a few girls replied.

"Ro-Rosehip-san!" Pekoe's tiny but audible voice echoed in dismay. "That-that's not the way to present San Gloria! Mind your manners!"

Darjeeling merely giggled, as a tiny tank rocketed into the field, as an army marched from behind. Gabriel and his men whistled in awe.

"San Glorians," Yukari said, watching with glee. "They are famous for their consistent formations, which are great for show and protection, but a little rigid."

"And we are Norans," Ogin noted. "We are quite complicated in our formations, but that is our strength: unpredictability."

The Norans watched, as the Challenger 3 eventually met up with the army. Rosehip's tank, however, went back and forth, as Rosehip flailed about. Orange Pekoe was trying to calm her down, while another Challenger 3 approached from the moving formation.

"Rosehip-san!" Assam roared from the other tank. "Get your manners in order!"

"Well," Mako said. "I guess they're back to normal."

"Normal?" Hana asked. "What is normal?"

The girls looked at each other. At first, they were concerned. Then, they suddenly laughed.

"Well," Miho said. "I guess the peace that we have is normal, that war is normal, and that we may be Senshazons, but we are...sort of normal in a way."

"What is normal?" Sodoko sarcastically asked.

"Let's not go philosophical," Miho said. "Anyway, we give you our blessings, Gabriel-san. I wish you all well. Knowing the history of what had happened, I think that you all will have to deal with whatever will happen."

"Don't worry about us," Gabriel said. "We've seen plenty of wars and all, and we can survive. If you girls can survive, then we can."

"Say," Miho began. "What is the Craton like-"

"Warning!" a reconnaissance unit screamed through the PA system. "We are under attack!"

The girls looked in the direction of the sound. A single Boxer reconnaissance vehicle flew into view, jumping up and down the hills.

"Well," Miho said. "It looks like we'll face more."

"We will try and take a detour," Gabriel said, kissing her right hand again. "And we'll see if we can distract them."

"Thank you," Miho said. "Darjeeling-san, don't worry about us. We'll handle this."

"May Kamisama or God be with you," Darjeeling said, waving a goodbye. "If we can muster enough forces, we'll help you!"

"Thank you!" Miho called out, then turned to her army, which was already mobilizing. "Norans, are we in this?"

"Yes!" the rest answered in reply.

Miho then ran to her Crucigon, but suddenly in front of it. She caressed the front with her right hand. Suddenly, four more hands stacked on top of each other. Miho looked around, and smiled.

"We are all in this together," Mako said.

"Let's go and rock!" Yukari declared.

"Let us rise and shine," Hana spoke.

"And show them who we are!" Saori shouted.

Miho smiled, then nodded.

"Panzer vor!" she cried out.

"OI!" the rest of the girls roared, as they rumbled through the fields, moving in the direction of the Sun, as it rose higher and higher, brighter and brighter, smiling down upon the new world...

"We may not know what will happen next," Miho said rhetorically. "But...I guess in times of war and peace, we will stand and rise. Whether we can return to our old home or not, we may not know. All we know is this: let's do the best we can to be strong and courageous, and help to make this world a better place to live in."

She made a deep breath.

"Panzer vor."

Mysterious Epilogue

"Sir."

"Yes?"

"We have found the Norans."

"Hmm."

"Sir?"

"Yeah?"

"Aren't we going to attack them?"

"The Norans?"

"San Glorians."

"They're not worth our money or time."

"But we can use them, like distracting the Nor-"

"Silence."

"Eh..."

"..."

"..."

"I understand. We can lure them, but that is too predictable. After what we did to San Glorians, and the Craton, we better keep a low profile."

"I hope no one is hearing this...but what is your future goals?"

"What do you think?"

"You really have not been clear lately, like you somehow finish your projects, but cancel some others."

"Life is all about learning from everything. Even from hobbies, we learn what works, and what does not."

"Ah, I see."

"If so, we'll be ready for the next steps, Master Controller."

"My Master, you don't have to call me that."

"You are worth my respect, because you are the only one of my generals who actually understands what I am saying."

"But I have yet to know more."

"Exactly, that is why I tell you this: the Senshazons are a part of my plans, a bigger plan for the world of Alterra, but that is in an alternate dimension."

"Sorry?"

"Ahem, that's a problem of concern."

"Umm..."

"Don't worry about it; you will eventually know, so go: maintain the balance, for the Senshazons are among those against it."

"But why even uplift them?"

"As long as they don't go 'overboard,' and especially are not aware of me pulling the strings, we are in control. So, be on your way, and may the Balance be always strong."

"Yes, my Controller. May the balance be always strong."

Thump-thump-thump...

"Hmm, I know how you feel. To be honest, I have already crossed the Rubicon. I cannot turn back. However, there may be salvation, from a group that I have never intended, but they may be the source of salvation...or destruction. That strange alliance, which is going to get the Senshazons on their side, is going to be interesting...but I cannot see the future. Well, no matter, I have already made my decision. I better go and deal with Nishizumi Miho. She's a very interesting person...Who are you, Miho-san?"

So, I apologize, but this story officially ends.

The mysterious dialogue above is basically my way of returning back to some elements of what made my writing so good. It's also a cliffhanger, not for this story, but for a future story. The new mysterious people (if all goes well) should appear in my next story.

The mysterious dialogue is basically my way of focusing on what makes my stories so good. I have noted that some things of my writing style have worked, and have not.

You all may note that I am an amateur writer, with a specialty for fantasy. This is because fantasy is not thought to be "scientific," so there is more room for imagination. However, I am a fan of Lord of the Rings and Chronicles of Narnia, so you can see a few themes from there. I am still into science, but I realize that "science fiction" requires "sounding" like real science, which I am no fan of.

I was hoping to finish this with a longer story, but instead of suddenly cutting off the story, I decide to officially end it with this ending. That way, it does not feel like a rude "cancellation." I have done this a couple of times before, and I don't want to offend you all, so thanks for understanding.

And I wish the girls well in a brand-new story!

And may God bless you all, panzer vor, and see you all soon-ish!

;)