Onomachi High went first and performed in the above-average range. The other teams observed how they ran the course to get a slight edge, but it still boiled down to their shooting skills in the end. Hiroshima was up next, and they ran and shot very well. Each team picked their shooting order, and Saiyori went last to anchor her team.

  Ayako and Chiyo carefully watched Saiyori. Their eyes weren’t the only ones focused on her; everyone expected her to perform really well. Saiyori ran between shooting positions quickly, her rifle ready for fast pointing, and she shot the targets with precision. Her fluid motions and transitions between targets happened with mechanical precision. She ran the course in a clean 155 seconds with no targets missed but did take two shots to hit one of the medium-range targets. There was a round of applause and cheers from her team at her great performance. When Saiyori walked by the Odewara team she looked at Ayako and gave her a haughty look that challenged her to beat that score.

  Chiyo saw the look she gave Ayako. “She seems pretty confident. That was a really good score.”

  Ayako nodded. “She is arrogant, but she is a good shooter. She scored 159 at the last meet, and I just edged her out by one point.”

  “I guess having a rival can really motivate you.” Chiyo tried to cheer her friend on. “I know you’ll do really well, Ayako. You always do.”

  “I’ll have to,” Ayako replied grimly. “The 158 I scored was a personal best last time.”

  “Of course, you’re going to beat her,” Karen chimed in too cheerfully. “We’re both going to beat her. We can’t lose to someone like that.”

  Ayako liked Karen’s eager and direct approach to everything. It differed from the Japanese way, embodying an American style, even if sometimes it seemed ruder or more annoying. She thought back on the things that Yuriko taught them. Your mental attitude was very important. You needed to believe you could win to win. Karen had that in abundance, whereas she was a little too pragmatic. She was confident in her skills, though, and had plenty of motivation to win, so she willed herself to beat Saiyori.

  “You got it, Karen. Let's go and win for the team!”

  The two bumped fists and readied themselves for their turns.

  Hikaru, Sarah, and Nami led off for Odewara. They shot competently and scored in the 180s. A few other girls shot, then Chiyo, who also did well at 170, and then another girl shot. Karen went second to last and ran the course very well to get a score of 160 because she fumbled on a reload and had to shoot multiple times at several targets. It was a personal best for her, so she was both happy and sad that she hadn’t beaten Saiyori.

  Ayako high-fived Karen as they passed each other, leaving and going to the course. “You did really well.”

  “Not good enough, but there’s always next time. It’s up to you now, Ayako. You show her.”

  “I will,” Ayako firmly replied.”

  Ayako walked up to the starting line. A judge stood nearby with an electronic starter that would give off a beep and start the timer on the big scoreboard at the range. Ayako readied her rifle and was off in a flash when she heard the beep. All the competitors started with their rifles unloaded, and their first task was to load their rifles. She ran forward to the first wall while pulling a magazine out of her front pouch and loaded her rifle with practiced ease. Ayako reached the marked firing position to shoot over with her rifle, ready to go. She smoothly sighted and panned her rifle over humanoid silhouettes at short range. Five shots rang out in rapid succession. The steel poppers embedded within the five targets made a metallic pinging sound for each of the shots. Without wasting a second she was off to the second position on the wall and fired from a crouched position around the right side of the wall at the same targets. Each of the targets made their pinging noises when hit by her rounds again.

  Right after firing her last shot, Ayako headed to the next stage. She ran around several sets of barrels to make it to the second stage, which was set up for medium-range targets. The first position made her shoot from behind a low wall at five targets, randomly spaced apart at various positions and distances. There were two at 50 metres, two at 75 metres, and one at 100 metres. She sighted down her gunsight, aligning the upside-down red V reticule with ease on each of the nearest targets first and fired. Pinging sounds rewarded her hits, and she switched over to the next set and shot them with ease. The 100-metre target took more concentration, but she didn’t have to compensate for the drop until there were longer-range targets, like in the target shoot that morning. Ayako turned and ran to the next position to stand and shoot through a window at the same targets. Her aim was good again, and she finished off the targets rapidly.

  Following arrows, Ayako dodged around additional walls to get to the next stage, which was set for 200-metre targets. She engaged ten targets from a prone position. Compensating for bullet drop, she methodically picked off the targets from right to left. Ayako was doing really well for time and got up to run to the next stage. As she ran, she ejected the empty magazine from her rifle and slapped in a fresh magazine from her ammunition pouch. If any target was missed, it would force an extra magazine change, and most competitors needed to change magazines three times.

  The next stage was another close-range stage where Ayako shot five targets again from around the left side of the wall and then ran to the next position to fire from a standing position at the same five targets again. Her score was perfect so far, but she breathed heavier from the running and the adrenaline in her system. She forced herself to slow her breathing to stay calm and precisely engaged the targets again. Stage five next, Ayako thought, with more 100-metre targets. She dodged more obstacles and reached the next stage.

  This time, there were five targets, with one at 50 metres, two at 75 metres, and two at 100 metres. She shot all the targets from a standing position and smoothly did so. Her rifle barked at rapid and precise intervals as she aligned on each target. Ayako moved to the next position and engaged the targets again from a kneeling position through two small holes in a wall. With a limited line of sight, she shifted her body to use both holes to engage all the targets. She was sweating now but still in full control. Shift, aim, shoot, she thought on the last 100-metre target. She pulled the trigger and shifted away when she realized she hadn’t heard the ping. Shifting back, she fired a second shot but wasted no time cursing at the miss. The popper went ping this time.

  Ayako knew she needed to reload to finish the last stage. There would be ten more targets and only nine rounds in the magazine. She ran around the last few obstacles and readied herself for the 200-metre-long stage. The long stages lost time for most of the competitors as they needed more careful aim, adjusting for bullet drop. I’ll make up the time here, Ayako told herself. Ayako completed her magazine change as she arrived at the first shooting position. She would have to engage five targets from a crouched position. This would be a little harder as she only had her knee to brace against. She gently exhaled and began to pick off the targets in succession. Five more gunshots and pings rang out. After her success, she ran to the last position and went prone to engage those targets again. Her shooting was quick and careful, and she shot the targets successfully. Getting up, she ran for the finish line, and another electronic beep sounded as she crossed.

  She slowed down, took a deep breath, and exhaled just as deeply. She did well except for the one mistake. Looking over to the scoreboard, she saw her time come up as 157. She had beaten her personal best but was still two seconds behind Saiyori. If only she hadn’t missed. There was a tinge of disappointment in her thoughts, but she still smiled. Ayako didn’t dwell on it for long. She was distracted by Yuriko and Chiyo clapping enthusiastically along with the cheering from her teammates, who thought she had put in a great performance.

  One thing she knew to avoid was looking up at the stands where Saiyori was sitting. Ayako knew she would have a satisfied smirk on her face and wouldn’t give her any extra satisfaction.

  *****

  The rest of the teams finished shooting in the next 90 minutes, and the final scores for the singles combat drills were tabulated. The teams performed well, but it was obvious Hiroshima spent more time training than the other GGAs. They came in first, but their lead was only a few percent better than Odewara. Both of these teams were much better than the other GGAs.

  Event staff began breaking down the stages and setting up the final doubles combat drill stage. The teams and crowd had a half hour to stretch their legs, chat, or get food and drink in the hot afternoon sun.

  The crowd knew that Odewara was Hiroshima’s only real competition this year, and there was much discussion about how much the team had improved over the last year. Other coaches and teams came around to talk to them. The Odewara girls remembered Yuriko’s teachings about teamwork, humility, and working hard to avoid bragging. The Hiroshima girls revelled in the fact they ranked as the best. People still talked to them, but there was more of a constant crowd around Odewara.

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  The coach of the Hiroshima team, a man who looked like an ex-soldier in his build and demeanour, came over to talk to Yuriko. They had met at previous shoots before and greeted each other warmly. Ayako watched them talk and saw that the man was quite respectful of Yuriko. His respect was something that didn’t seem to pass down to Saiyori, who briefly came by to gloat and congratulate her personal best at the same time. Again, Ayako didn’t take the bait and just let it go with congratulations on Saiyori’s winning performance. Her restraint chafed at her, but Yuriko’s lessons on keeping a level head calmed her.

  *****

  Yuriko had her girls clustered around her for a final pep talk before they started. “You’ve all had a chance to look at the stage now. The doubles combat drill is one long stage that has you advancing down a street. Not exactly the best tactics in real life, but this is a shooting challenge, and it’s worth the most points in the competition. We only practice short stages on our range, so be doubly aware this is more than three times longer. Don’t run your weapons dry, as there will be more popup targets here. Focus on your sectors and let your partner handle theirs. So, keep focused on the task at hand. I know you’ll all do well.” She looked at Ayako. “Any other words, Captain?”

  Ayako took a breath. “Girls. Our team’s done really well so far. We’ve only gotten better since the last tournament, but we’d have to knock it out of the park to take the lead from Hiroshima. I know I’m a little nervous myself, maybe even a little sweaty, but I’m going to just do my best. Yuriko’s trained us well, so let’s make her proud.”

  The girls nodded and cheered in response.

  “I’m already proud of you.” Yuriko smiled. “You’re all sisters who support each other in the GGA, and that makes you winners already.”

  That brought smiles to the girls, and they split up into their pairs to get ready.

  *****

  The team captains drew the shoot order from a box. Odewara drew the first position, with Hiroshima in the fourth position. A group vote decided the shoot order within the team. Ayako and Chiyo would go first, with Karen and Sarah shooting in fifth to finish for the team. Everyone wanted a strong start to buoy their spirits.

  Chiyo checked her safety to make sure it was off and made sure her magazine was properly seated again. She had her lips pressed together in a determined look.

  “Loosen up a little,” Ayako said in a relaxed tone. “That’s the second time you’ve checked your rifle.”

  “Easy for you to say,” Chiyo replied as she gripped her rifle firmly. “Why did we have to go first? There's so much pressure.”

  Ayako gave a short sigh. “I know. But if we do well, it’ll really encourage the other girls. Try to pretend it’s just another practice run.”

  “I suppose. This can’t be any worse than the mukade or the sorcerer. It just seems strange that this worries me more than those.”

  “I know exactly what you mean. We just did what was necessary then. Here, we’re putting on a show for everyone, and they can see any mistakes we make.”

  Chiyo gave a small chuckle. “Embarrassment is worse than death!”

  “Who knew!” Ayako grinned. “Well, there’s no one I would rather be embarrassed with than you.”

  “Same here.” Chiyo relaxed a bit. “I know you want to beat Saiyori. I’ll do my best to keep up with you, Ayako.”

  “Don’t be silly,” Ayako earnestly replied. “Beating her would be satisfying, but never think you’re going to drag me down. I couldn’t ask for a better partner and friend. If I had to choose between competition or you, I’d choose you with no regret. So, let’s just shoot for fun.”

  Chiyo swallowed. She felt a tear forming but brought her emotions under control. “Thanks, Ayako. You’re my best friend, too.”

  “Get ready!” The starting line referee spoke out.

  Both girls adjusted their stance on the starting line and readied their rifles for a dash.

  The starting buzzer sounded.

  They both ran to the first shooting position of the stage. It was a rectangular box marked with white chalk in the middle of a faux street. Building facades made out of plywood stretched downrange on both sides of the street. Ayako always thought these setups looked a little like the main street in a cowboy movie with a gunfighting showdown.

  When they entered the box, two sets of five human silhouettes appeared on each side of the street from behind low walls. Both girls shouldered their rifles as they entered the box. Chiyo fired on the targets on the left while Ayako fired on the right targets. They knew who would engage which side from their training sessions.

  Overlapping rifle fire, coupled with metallic pinging sounds and the thuds of targets falling over, indicated the accuracy of their rapid shooting.

  “Clear!” Ayako shouted.

  “Clear!” Chiyo shouted a moment later.

  Ayako ran forward to the next obstacle in the street marked as the next firing position. As she ran forward, Chiyo covered her. As soon as Ayako left the first position, five popup silhouettes appeared in windows or rooftops on both sides of the street. Chiyo shot the left-side targets first and then the right-side targets. She then ran to where Ayako was. Ayako engaged five more popups in front to cover Chiyo.

  Ten more targets appeared from behind barriers in the street when Chiyo reached Ayako. Both girls fired, shooting the targets as fast as they could. When the targets were down, Chiyo alternated with Ayako to run forward to the next shooting position behind a short, low wall. Ayako covered and shot five silhouettes in the upper windows, then joined Chiyo at the wall. Chiyo shot another five targets to cover Ayako’s run.

  When Ayako arrived, ten more targets appeared in front of them. The girls expertly engaged the targets in their zones and shouted, “Clear!”

  “Reload!” Ayako shouted when they were done. Magazines ejected from both of their rifles, and fresh ones were pulled from their front ammunition pouches and slapped into their rifles.

  The wall had a large arrow marked at both ends. This meant both girls were supposed to advance to the next shooting position at the same time.

  “Moving!” Ayako called out as she went out the right side at a fast walk. Chiyo advanced from the left side at the same pace. Chiyo’s rifle covered the left side of the street again while Ayako covered the right side as they moved. Silhouettes appeared in windows or flipped out from behind walls into doorways as they went. There was a steady, rapid cracking of rifle fire as they went. They each engaged ten more targets along this long section between two firing positions. The targets here would only stay revealed for a few seconds before flipping back behind cover if not hit. The girls fired multiple times at each target to ensure they hit the target zone.

  When they reached the last shooting position at another low wall, they saw two arrows crossing over each other marked on it.

  “Reload and switch over!” Ayako called out. Fresh magazines were inserted into the rifles again.

  The girls swapped sides of the street to watch as they advanced. Ayako covered the left side this time, while Chiyo covered the right side. Each girl engaged ten more targets. A few of them appeared in rapid succession here. A shooter had to quickly hit the first target to be able to engage the second target before it flipped back. Ayako managed to hit all of her targets, but Chiyo just missed the popper in the kill zone before one of the second targets flipped back. She didn’t pause or curse, though, and didn’t break her stride as she tracked onto the next target that appeared and shot it. Finally, both girls crossed the finish line to stop the timer.

  “I’m sorry. I messed up.” Chiyo’s gaze was downward; her lips pressed together. I missed one of the targets.”

  Ayako put her hand on her friend’s shoulder. “Chiyo, look at me.”

  Chiyo looked at Ayako’s face to see she was smiling.

  “You did just fine, and I’m proud to have you as my partner. Part of the fun here is having you by my side! I don’t think Saiyori gets that, so in my books, we’re already winners.” Ayako gave her friend a big hug, which Chiyo returned. She grabbed Chiyo’s hand and raised their arms in the air to show everyone they were winners! Cheers came from the benches where their teammates sat.

  On their way back to the stands, they saw their good score of 125 based on their time and shooting, but it included a 5-second penalty for the missed target. If Saiyori got a perfect score, they would come in second, but their time was still really good. They wouldn’t be the only pair to make mistakes, either. They high-fived the next set of shooters from their team as they passed and saw Yuriko waiting for them in front of their seats in the stands.

  The girls wore smiles, but Yuriko noticed Chiyo felt like she had let Ayako down. She put her arms around them. “You both shot well out there and got a good time. And Chiyo, you performed better than you have ever shot, you know.”

  “That’s what I told her, too,” Ayako said.

  “It just doesn’t feel that way, though,” Chiyo weakly protested.

  “This isn’t the Chiyo I know,” Yuriko said. “This is about competing with Saiyori, isn’t it?”

  Chiyo gave a slight nod.

  Ayako squeezed her friend’s hand. “I’ve already told her it's okay and that I don’t really care about Saiyori.”

  “Well. If your best friend is telling you that. I think you should believe it. I can also tell you it's pretty hard to beat Saiyori. She’s very good at shooting, but remember, you girls went from a third or fourth-ranked team to second now. That is something to be proud of. And… I think you girls would do just as well, if not better, in real-life situations. In fact, you’ve proven yourself already, so don’t be down on yourself.”

  Chiyo nodded again. “I guess it wasn’t just Karen who was mad at her. I was, too, because she was baiting Ayako.”

  “Protecting your friends is important. But remember, I’ve told you girls to keep your emotions back and think rationally. That’s advice for everyday life, not just on the range. So listen to Ayako. Now go sit down and watch the rest of the competition.”

  The little talk perked Chiyo up, and they soon started talking strategy with Karen and Sarah about the stage they had just finished. Karen and Sarah gave a strong finish to the paired shooting for Odewara. The entire team performed well and set an example for the other teams after them. Onomachi, a long-time favourite for second place, came in third. Hiroshima Higashi High finished strongly in first place again with excellent performances. Saiyori’s paired shooting was just a few points better than Ayako’s and Chiyo’s score because her partner also missed a target.

  Ayako watched Saiyori and her partner walk by them to reach their section of seats. While she couldn’t hear what was being said, Saiyori had a stern expression on her face while she talked to her partner, who walked with her head down. Saiyori had obviously chastised her over her performance because the girl rubbed away a tear streaming down her face. Ayako kept her mouth shut and shrugged off the smug look Saiyori gave her when she passed by. Saiyori had won, but Ayako knew she had done her best and would never act like her, which was enough to be content.

  There was a short break after Hiroshima finished for the final scores to be tabulated. First place went to Hiroshima, with a score difference of just fifteen points between them and Odewara. Onomachi, the next closest team, was twenty-four points lower than Odewara, with the other teams trailing much lower. Ayako collected the second-place trophy at the awards ceremony with a haughty Saiyori who talked up some reporters about her first-place team afterwards. The Odewara girls celebrated a successful match at a restaurant later that day. First place would have been outstanding, but a close second was more than satisfactory.