Emi is in class (a relatively rare occurrence for Girls und Panzer), and is amazed at having a desk and chair to sit in. Hitomi tells Emi that she should be used to it after three days, but notes how shocked she was at the "industrial department." Emi says that it would be more surprising to not be shocked by the state of the school, but says she's getting used to it, and wants to begin her tankery.
Bellwall Academy is described as a "large school" with 3,000 students. As the name implies, there's a wall separating the industrial department and the school, and on the former side, there are many Delinquents.
While eating lunch, Emi asks about what happened to the team. Hitomi, while eating what Emi describes as a large meal, says it was strong in the past, but this year, they haven't chosen a captain. Kita and Yuu arrive, and mention that there's a struggle between two candidate- the "shark-like" Yamanori Neko (whom we saw at the end of the previous chapter), and the bear-like Doi Chifuyu, their personality descriptions vaguely hinting at a Red Oni, Blue Oni dynamic. They have a fierce rivalry, and both are Sore Losers. Since the captain transferred away without picking the successors (It's hard to tell if she's irresponsible, couldn't decide between the two or both) the dispute won't be easily resolved.
Emi's curious as to why they're telling her this, and Kita says that they saw how she raced against the motor vehicle club, which inspired her to ride on a tank again. She says she's counting on Emi.
At that point, Neko's gang calls Kita over, and she dreads the meeting. The four girls are brought to Neko's headquarters, and one of Neko's subordinates, a girl named Koharu, scolds Emi for betting the tankery team, which belongs to Neko (she has something of a point that it's not right to be what belongs to someone else, although it technically isn't "her" team just yet) on a match with the motor vehicle club, and for picking a fight with the motor vehicle club. Emi angrily tells her accusers that they did nothing to help, and she was able to win, but Koharu ignores her and asks Neko what her punishment will be. Much to her subordinates' shock, Neko asks them to get her anpan for a week. Neko explains that it's her idea of a punishment.
At that point, someone throws a nut, and Chifuyu arives, chiding Neko for "acting idiotic," and an argument breaks out between them. Emi rues meeting both of the combatants so soon, and freezes up a moment as Hitomi tells her to ride a tank. Emi then has a "Eureka!" Moment, and, annoyed, notices that "this fight has nothing to do with tanks." Emi explodes and tells them to "stop screwing around," and to settle their dispute with a tankery match. Neko is intrigued, but Chifuyu notes that they have no tanks, and Emi offers to prepare them. The two sides then depart, leaving Emi with the task of procuring the tanks.
The scene shifts to the Kashiwaba sisters, still angry over their loss to Emi and Hitomi. While ordering subordinates around, they plot vengeance against Emi, but when Emi arrives, they have no choice but to do her bidding.
By the next day, the team comes up with a Jagdpanther and Elefant, and Emi says that the match will decide the captain, and resume tankery. Emi proposes a one-on-one match, but Neko pre-emptively shoots it down, instead favoring a "bout." It turns out to be a game of rock paper scissors to determine which tank shoots and which must avoid the shot.
As Emi is bewildered by all this, Kita tells her that the people who do tankery at Bellwall are the kinds who don't fit into normal schools, causing Emi to have a flashback to her old school. Kita describes Bellwall as a group of people who do stupid stuff but love tankery, even if that's an impediment to choosing the next captain. Emi decides to see more of it. It's an interesting bit of Character Development, and a good look at the Hidden Depths of a school that is lawless and disorderly at first glance.
Much later, the match ends with both sides exhausted and no victor. Emi says that the contest will probably continue, and she's fine with that, as long as the winner is someone who loves tanks. Emi notices that everyone at the school loves tankery, and says that whoever wins the contest must defeat her, who loves tankery the most. Both of the contenders are intrigued, and say, together, that Emi will be their leader. Emi's surprised, and to a lesser degree, Neko and Chifuyu are, as well, that they'd both reach that conclusion. On the other hand, it does seem natural that when two bitter foes who are introduced at the same time and are either identical or superficially different, and compete for one position, the winner will be someone no one was expecting.
Hitomi congratulates Emi, and after a moment, Emi rejoices. Meanwhile, Neko and Chifuyu note that a traditional annual match is coming up, one that Bellwall can't back out of. Their opponent is St. Gloriana, and it cuts to Darjeeling, in an uncharacteristic display of cruelty, ordering a departing tankery team member to never appear before her again. I personally hope that ends up being some kind of Superdickery moment, or else it will be quite the Out-of-Character Moment for Darjeeling (and to a lesser extent, Assam, who appears to be enjoying it)
- Next Installment: Emi expands her team before her match, and one of her new recruits is forced to decide where her loyalties lie.
