Chapter
4 – A Just Massacre
Our Schlachten envelops every
kingdom in the world with our allied kingdoms allowing us to dispense justice
without resistance while those even in our allied kingdoms uselessly try to
stop us from getting to our prey. Matilda and I are deployed to the Draco
kingdom which is currently giving us the most resistance. So far, we’ve managed
to easily carve our way through the kingdom because of the knights and guards
we have in it and we’re currently in the kingdom’s capital where Emperor Guo is
said to be personally defending our prey. Currently, our catapults have
peppered the walls and targeted the buildings of our prey with constant fire
while our guards protect them. We’ve also been making use of the cannons that
we got from the spoils of the war with Vicar Sylvatic to add to our bombardment.
From our vantage point, Matilda and
I see King Keule rallying the soldiers just as the final bombardment breaks
down several areas of the walls giving the army an easy way in. Before charging
into battle, Matilda and I kiss and then join our fellow soldiers in this
glorious battle. We cut our way through the streets careful not to hit any
fleeing civilians or our allies from other kingdoms and those from Draco who
are aiding us. Matilda and I make sure to watch each other’s back while also
not focusing solely on each other so we can help our allies. King Keule and our
leading officers lead our charge as we push back the enemy until we reach the gates
of the central castle, which have already been breached thanks to our catapults
and allied mages. Beyond the walls and rubble, we see Emperor Guo and the rest
of his army standing behind him.
“Stand out of our way, emperor,
unless you want to die like the rest of the trash,” King Keule says.
“I know that your kind honor duels like
my people do. If I slay you in a one-on-one duel, will your men retreat from
the city?” Emperor Guo says.
“If you know my kind, then you know
that we don’t follow rules or our superiors that well if we think it goes
against what we think is right.”
“That’s what I thought you’d say,
you savage.” Emperor Guo transforms into a large golden dragon dressed in his
royal armor. “You’re so predictable, and yet, that was what I was counting on,
so I could kill you and your men without holding back.”
“Heh, and you say we’re the savages.”
Charging at Emperor Guo’s men who
transform into beastmen, our forces clash in one big battle of blood, blades,
and magic. In this sort of battle, no amount of skill can save a man. The chaos
blinds him as he can only concentrate on saving himself first and those around
him second. Everyone from the rookies to the veterans is at risk of dying an immediate
and unexpected death from a spell fired from a mage out of sight or a knight
cutting their head off from behind. It’s times like these that remind men of
war and battle that your life is truly in God’s hands in every moment of life
and that it can be taken away before you know it, and by God’s graces, we’ve
won.
We may have lost many men, but the
majority of us are alive and the enemy lays dead at our feet. King Keule stands
above the dragon body of Emperor Guo whose head he cut off, raises his axes to
the sky, and we yell out in victory and praise God for it. Running over to
Matilda, I pick her up in my arms as we embrace and kiss. I then watch as his
hands shake spastically before clasping together in prayer. Seeing this makes
the cheering die down until it is quiet again.
“It…it is right to pray for our
enemies even if they fought for an unjust cause so that they may have a chance
at Heaven and we may not become the savages that they think we are,” King Keule
says as the rest of us do as he does.
After our prayers, we allow the
dead to be properly cared for by both sides. During this process, a legion of elves
aided by men from Draco and Phasianus approach the city bearing arms. They race
into the city seeing the damage that we did and are horrified by it.
One of their leaders, a high elf,
approaches King Keule and says, “This…all this…I hope you’re happy with this
atrocity you have committed because you will soon pay for it. You and your men.”
“Are you sure you want to do this?”
King Keule asks. “Look around you. You know that if you want to fight then you’ll
lose. You’re more outnumbered than you think and even if you manage to survive
there are orcs spread throughout the world who will hunt you down till the day
you die.”
The elf is visibly even more
nervous as he swallows and struggles to utter a word.
“Leave this place. Our Schlachten
is coming to an end and peace will be restored to the world and I suggest not
giving us a reason to turn our wrath onto you and your friends.”
After a few seconds, the high elf
turns away and commands his legion to do the same. We don’t even cheer over
this victory and instead laugh about it. Once we care for the dead and our
forces have confirmed that all of our targets are dead, we all head home to celebrate,
however, Matilda and I go our own way to be married by Pope Landsknecht. While we
wait outside the Vatican for everything to get set up, we look up at the
eternal night star-filled sky of Noctua in silence.
“The events that surrounded our
meeting and marriage have been eventful, to say the least,” Matilda says.
“That’s how you know it was meant
to be,” I say.
“Gunther, do you think we’ll always
be fighting or will there ever be a lasting peace?”
“I don’t think there’ll be true
peace until Christ’s second coming. People will continue to wage war and fight
because they love God or themselves. We can only create a more peaceful world
through our actions and continue to maintain it through the legacy we leave.”
“Then let’s do it. We’ll fight as
our ancestors have and raise the next generation to be just as noble if not
more.”
Matilda offers her hand to me. I take
it, kiss it, and hold it as I say, “We will. Our war is just getting started.
May God help us and have mercy on our enemies.”
“Because we sure won’t.”
I laugh with Matilda and continue
looking up at the sky with her with the hopes of a better future in my mind and
heart.
The End
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