Next up on this liveblog is the Maginot battle manga. You may not have heard of Maginot; they're one of the schools that get eliminated without facing Oarai, but had they defeated Anzio, they would have been Oarai's second opponent. All this is somewhat inevitable for a Tournament Arc, in which, depending on the rules, only a small fraction of the contenders will face the protagonists, but it also allows the creators room to expand on the others.
The manga spinoff begins with the Student Council discussing the state of affairs. They recall their match with St. Gloriana, which they narrowly lost, and conclude that it was a decent showing for their lack of practice, but they can't afford to lose even once during the nationals. They then decide to have another practice match.
Unfortunately, there's a problem; no one is willing to face them and "show their skills" prior to the nationals, and a list of several schools that declined is shown. It's an interesting suggestion as to why some schools might be hesitant to do practice matches, but one could imagine that it would be possible to fight and improve one's skills while limiting how much the enemy learns about one's strategy, or switching tactics according to the match.
Momo, however, argues that where there's a will, there's a way, and Yuzu agrees, suggesting that they'd feel anxious going into the nationals the way they are now (possibly referring to how their only external match ended in defeat). At practice, Anzu calls Miho by her title (which Yukari is tickled by) and summons her to a meeting. Anglerfish Team wonders if they're really going to participate in the nationals, while Rabbit Team wonders if they'll get a "commemoration" just for showing up, much to Momo's irritation.
Interestingly enough, the student council never says or implies anything about the school being at risk of closure. I wonder if they're writing this manga for those who haven't necessarily seen all of the series.
Momo then takes the opportunity to confirm that yes, they are taking part in the nationals. She says that since they're aiming for the championship, they must become even stronger and training will get even stricter. Momo's rhetoric rings hollow when you consider that she's arguably the least useful member of the team, and stays that way as long as she's gunner/de facto commander of Turtle Team; it seems she doesn't contribute much to the team or student council apart from ordering others around.
The student council team sets up some two on two mock battles, since they will be absent. Two pages then reveal the members of the four teams besides Turtle Team- Anglerfish, Hippo, Rabbit and Duck- as well as their respective positions. Of course, there's one alteration; since Miho is meeting with the student council, someone else has to lead. As all eyes turn to Saori, she vehemently refuses, loudly enough for Rabbit Team to hear some distance away.
Yukari points out that Saori is the best choice for the commander, since she's the only one who has done it. Saori suggests that Yukari do it instead, since she loves tanks so much, but Yukari says that loading is a tough job. Saori argues that it's a simple job, but Yukari doesn't want to burden anyone else with the job of lifting heavy shells. Mako tells Saori to give up, derisively suggesting that Saori's not cut out for driving. Hana points out that switching people's roles around would be too much to handle at this point, so she, Yukari and Mako select Saori as commander. Saori laments choosing commander at first, and Yukari reminds her that she was the one who came up with the idea of drawing straws.
Meanwhile, the student council asks Miho for her opinion, saying that everyone's trying hard but asking if it's enough. Miho says that they are trying hard, but there are some things that they can only impove through actual matches, and having matches will also show their strengths and weaknesses. Miho apologizes, but Yuzu reassures her that they asked for her input, and Anzu concludes that a stray cat is stronger than a house pet. Yuzu worries about whether a defeat will crush their morale, but Miho says that defeat can teach them a great deal, and Anzu agrees that there are no consequences to losing a training match. Momo whispers to Anzu that Miho essentially is recommending what they have planned already.
In the training battles, Saori proves to be a completely ineffective commander, panicking at whatever happens, and proving useless to her allies. Even Rabbit Team is emboldened by the Panzer IV being useless, and even the Type 89 somehow takes out Anglerfish Team. Saori runs off, her only solace being the fact that her point about being unsuited to being commander has been vindicated. Momo is furious about how the rest of the team is negligent in their training, forgetting that she wasn't helping out or working on improving herself. She then informs them that the next training match is in a week.
Miho meets with the others, and is in a good mood, as the student council listened to her input. The other members of Anglerfish Team surprised, although Yukari points out that Miho is a trustworthy advisor. The student council, watching the auto club servicing the tanks, notices that the others are motivated, but Momo points out that they're "screwed" if no one accepts their request for a practice match. Anzu, as might be expected, decides to wait and see.
It cuts to Maginot Academy, where Eclair, evidently the commander, is joined by her subordinate Fondue while watching some footage. Eclair hears Oarai's request, and eagerly says yes.
Next Installment: A look at Oarai's newest opponent.
