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Tanya von Degurechaff has been through a lot of different situations from both of her lives. Though it was indeed difficult and hard to grasp, her past life as a male office worker or simply a “salaryman” ended abruptly by a divine intervention and now she has to live a life trying to survive a dark time in history. She then decided to join the military to earn a good and relaxing life in the rear but things don’t necessarily go as to how she planned it.
“I want to join the military to save the Fatherland.” That was the first and last honorable statement a soldier made during an interview. As Tanya was making sure that the mages that will be part of her 203rd Aerial Mage Battalion would be decent and worthy to be called a soldier, she encountered a young girl who was only two years older than her yet had the same determination as any other.
“The ad slogan was just propaganda, sorry to bother you.” Tanya still remembers saying those words with a disguise using her magic. She expected a lot of things from the recruited member but what she did not expect was her smiling:
“How foolish of you to use a simple decoy.”
That was the first time Tanya was honestly impressed during an interview. The disguise then wore off to show her smirking widely. “You seem to be quite promising, Private Sue.”
Time went and they were finally properly trained. Through her hellish tasks and her kind adjutant, Viktoriya Ivanova Serebyrakov, that served as a guide for the lost souls, the battalion was starting to form. What shocked Tanya the most is that all of them didn’t give up and one of them was the most eager out of them.
“Mary Sue, what are you doing?” The battalion commander asked with a raised brow.
“I’m simply helping them out.” The young girl named Mary looked at her with an innocent smile after she spoke a prayer and used her magic. Used it to heal the other soldiers’ wounds and supply them the energy they needed. Tanya never forgot the irritation and regret she felt when the girl was part of the soldiers that the battalion certainly needed.
As she reminisced those times, Tanya sighed out. “It’s hard enough to be sent out to the battlefield every time… but now I have to take care of a pet I never wanted.” She mumbled to herself as she glanced at the newly-promoted Warrant Officer. “Mary Sue… her father used to be an outstanding mage and now she is twice of what he is. Exceeded training flights from 8,000 ft going to 11,690 ft and even had no evidence of pressure or tension whatsoever. Her magical aptitude is overflowing and her mana is the best of the best.”
Her eyes then shifted at the said soldier’s gun. Mary aimed her gun, kept her head at the right angle and pulled the trigger. “...But she’s the worst shot of them all.” The bullet entirely missed any possible hit points and a hole was seen on the very edge of the wooden dummy. Tanya felt her eye twitch. “Pathetic.”
“Warrant Officer Sue,” Captain Degurechaff said in a low tone as she walked towards Mary, “what do you think you’re doing?”
Mary shot her head up and placed her gun down to meet Tanya’s eyes. “Shooting a target.” She briefly replied, her usual radiant face turning sour.
“So you're saying your target is a fellow Imperial soldier?” Tanya curled her lips to a mocking smirk. “I didn’t know you were that blind of a shot.”
Mary mumbled a few things to herself before standing up from her crouched position. She towered over Tanya, her green eyes dark. “Ma’am, though I am inferior to you, I would like you to know that I wouldn’t just stay silent.” She said in a low tone that almost sounded like a threatening whisper.
“Oh, you have guts.” Tanya said with her smirk becoming more wide. “Just because you have confidence doesn’t mean you should use it against your superior, you useless sad excuse of a mage.” Her lips were smiling but her eyes weren’t.
There was silence between the two.
A few months after the training, the two young girls started to debate, argue, and even fight at any time and day. There were moments that the men of the battalion would wake up to their commander yelling at their comrade. There were also times where the infamous Devil of the Rhine seemed like she found a worthy opponent, which was the kind and angelic Mary that would also seem to have horns when they start to fight. But the most disturbing of them all is how they fight.
“Though I appreciate the effort of you insulting me, my dearest commander, I’m only confident because of how you held onto me as you screamed my name last night.” Mary’s smile dropped and it turned into a scowl.
“That never happened, why do you always try to make things awkward and disgusting?” Tanya’s smirk also dropped and her brows were now knitted tightly.
"Ah, how you hurt me with your denial. I understand though, knowing how much you can beg on your knees." Mary's forced smirk and words started to bring discomfort to the battalion.
"If anyone's begging that'll be you." Tanya's glowering stare started to freak out the soldiers.
"You making me beg would be a unique type of entertainment knowing that you're so cute and timid in bed."
"Hah, watch me make you beg for your life you disgusting and perverted wannabe-soldier."
“Y-You two, stop this.” The peace-maker and beloved Second Lieutenant Serebryakov said in a small voice as she pushed the two away from each other. “Everyone else is watching, this isn’t a good look for a Captain and a Warrant Officer.” The other members of the battalion secretly thanked her in their minds for always having the patience to control the situation.
“Tsk, you’re lucky this time. Get your aim straight already.”
“‘Get my aim straight?’ You can’t even keep yourself straight.”
“I said stop already you two!” A sigh came out of the Second Lieutenant’s lips. “Just carry on with the training everyone." She said out loud. "Captain, permission to oversee and pilot the training.”
Tanya looked at Viktoriya with an acknowledging smile. “Permission granted Serebyrakov.”
“Why are you so nice to her and so mean to me?” Mary mumbles with folded arms as she watched Viktoriya walk away to lead the battalion’s practices. “I’m not even doing anything wrong to you, commander.” She said while wiping her fake tears.
"I'd say talking back to your senior officer is inappropriate. Imagine how greater of a violation it would be if what you've been saying is more inappropriate than the action. Tell me, have you done nothing wrong whatsoever?" Tanya said with a scoff as she glared at the woman who simply shrugged.
"I'd say seeing your cute flustered face is worth it." Mary smirked proudly before she dropped a wink and walked off, leaving Tanya with her jaw dropped. She did not expect such a gesture to follow.
"Warrant Officer Sue! Get your sorry ass back here!"
"Haha! It’s your ass who’d be sorry tonight!”
Tanya surely did NOT like her own Warrant Officer. Even more so when Mary keeps joking and teasing her in a manner that is problematic and very very unprofessional. The Captain took a deep breath, shook her head, and started to walk back around the training grounds. In the end, she still can’t believe Mary just overheard Grantz, Weiss, Neumann and Koenig talk to each other about mature topics and she had already adapted those kinds of words and actions. If Tanya was the one to speak, she’d say that the true demon here is Anson Sue’s daughter - not her - for that woman was a nightmare wrapped around Being X’s word and ‘wisdom.’
Luckily, Tanya had a plan. It’s quite hard to pull off with this tiny body of hers but one day - definitely someday - she’d intimidate that woman and make her beg for forgiveness for all the humiliation and confusion she experienced. A smirk came to her face as she thought about it.
“You’re thinking of something lewd aren’t youuu?” Mary whispered behind her before laughing like the 13-year-old she is. How the hell did she sneak up behind Tanya unnoticed? That, she annoyingly can’t answer.
“You’re the only one who does that, dammit!!!” The 11-year-old whispered back angrily, face flushed.
That’s how the two always acted around each other no matter how long time passed by. Sucking up this situation might be the worst nightmare Being X has ever given to her and she wonders if it’s better off that they were enemies instead. With a groan, she fixed her cap.