Mein Krieg (Youjo Senki/Tanya the Evil OC)

[Vaermina]

"It would be a pleasure, sir." she beamed. "The concept for a more powerful magic shield came to me about a week ago, during the lightning operation scheduled at the Kurten salient…"

Click to shrink...

By which she means she stole it from someone else and then took all credit.

 

[NuclearBird]

By which she means she stole it from someone else and then took all credit.

Click to shrink...

Well... It's Tanya, so who knows?

 

[ComradeH]

SO, it is that time of the day again, where I'm tired, bored, and I'm currently munching on a pack of dry military ration (think nutrition-rich biscuits with chocolate flavor).

What can possibly go wrong?

One, our MCs accidentally wander on the main thrust of the future attack from the Republic, cueing a large mage contigent hiding there. They do what they are best at, Tanya blitzing ahead while Fred keeping everyone under a cohesion command.

Two, the two banters and bickers against each other, and somehow everyone understands that as "lovers' quarrel". Then a patrol of Republic mages arrives and the two of the demolish the enemy while still bantering.

Three, Fred and/or Tanya gets bored.

 

[Trunko]

SO, it is that time of the day again, where I'm tired, bored, and I'm currently munching on a pack of dry military ration (think nutrition-rich biscuits with chocolate flavor).

What can possibly go wrong?

One, our MCs accidentally wander on the main thrust of the future attack from the Republic, cueing a large mage contigent hiding there. They do what they are best at, Tanya blitzing ahead while Fred keeping everyone under a cohesion command.

Two, the two banters and bickers against each other, and somehow everyone understands that as "lovers' quarrel". Then a patrol of Republic mages arrives and the two of the demolish the enemy while still bantering.

Three, Fred and/or Tanya gets bored.

Click to shrink...

You forgot another possibility...

 

[Trunko]

Chapter 31: Why we die​

As I walked through the muddy streets of the camp, back to my command tent, I could not help but think about the mission that the general himself had entrusted to us personally. It was not a particularly important mission. It was neither more nor less than a reconnaissance mission, like the ones I had completed so many times, aimed at establishing the consistency and status of a given enemy position. Routine, under many aspects.

Yet…

Yet, something inside me kept telling me that it could only be my big chance to prove my worth to my superiors. When the operational meeting took place, many senior officers had turned their noses at me, a clear sign that they greatly doubted me and my qualities as a soldier and officer. Instead, if I succeeded in completing the mission, their distrust of me would turn into surprise, which would allow me to gain more prestige in their eyes and possibly guarantee me a promotion, to a position far away from the front lines.

For a brief moment, I imagined how my life would be once I attained a safe position in the rear. I saw myself in a luxurious office, away from the combat zones and safe from air raids whilst enjoying Berun's pastry sweets from the oven and reading one report after another, enjoying the fact that while many others lived in the midst of mud and death, I was safe.

The fantasy fueled my steps and brisk walking pace until I finally reached my command tent. As soon as I entered, I noticed something that should not have been there. Hana was sitting in my chair, reading something I could not identify at first glance. She did not seem to have noticed me.

"Uh-uhm!" I muttered, as if to clear my voice.

She looked up, and I saw her gaze change from bored to deer-in-headlights frightened within the blink of an eye.

"S-sir!" she said trying to get up from my chair. "I was not…I was not expecting you to-ah" she stumbled and fell back on the chair, almost falling to the ground.

"Sergeant Hana." I said, looking at her with a very severe glance. "What were you doing on my chair?"

"Sir! I am sorry for that, but I needed a place safe from the rain. I needed to write a thing and your tent is the only place where…"

"Oh yeah?" I said, keeping glaring at her. "What were you writing, then?"

"It was… a personal letter, sir. I needed it to…"

"You are lying!" I suddenly shouted making her stare at me in silence. "Do you know that, as your superior officer, I have the right to censor every letter or writing of my subordinates? What if I ordered you to give me the letter so I could read it in full?"

She stared, silenced. I smiled.

"Got you!" I continued, assuming an affectionate expression. "You should have seen your face while I was glaring at you. Priceless!"

"S-sir." she blurted out, starting to laugh nervously. "You…you…"

"Yeah. Well now, this one time I will not report your unprofessional behavior. However, I have an order for you…."

"Sir!" she said, straightening herself up in attention. "What is it?"

"Gather the unit and order the others to show up here in front of my tent, in ten minutes. We have a mission!"

"Yes sir!" she gleamed..
​

---

Once the men were gathered, I explained to them the details of the mission, pointing out how the general's eyes were on us and how it would be to our advantage to successfully complete the mission.

I was hoping that with enough enthusiasm I would have had at least some volunteers. Luckily, I did.

"Sir!" said Tragen taking a step forward. "I want to volunteer for this mission."

Internally, I was smiling. If there was one person I wanted for sure to protect my back during this mission, it was him.

However, I did not show it.

"Sergeant Tragen, are you sure about this? This is a very dangerous mission. If the stronghold of the enemy is as active as the reports say... we may find ourselves in in a difficult situation."

"Sir, can Tragen express himself?" he asked.

"Hum, sure. What do you want to say?"

Tragen assumed a very harsh and furious expression. In a sense, I was glad that we were allies, because I would not have liked to have him in front of me as an enemy.

"The Republicans are scum, sir. They just want to conquer and pillage our beautiful land, our nation, that our people founded and built with hard work, determination, fatigue, suffering and blood. They are like locusts. They arrive when the blond wheat is in the fields, they come to eat it and they leave only after having destroyed everything. It is our rightful duty to kill every last of them!"

"Tragen is right." Hana said, a similar expression on her face. "If our new offensive will allow us to win faster, we cannot back out. I want to volunteer myself too!"

My interior smile was growing wider. Until then, Tragen had been my best chance to get along with honor, but even if Hana had joined the group, my chances of being noticed by the high officials actually doubled.

"Very good!" I said, moving my hand as to try to pat them on their shoulders. "Welcome to the hero squad! Now, there is only one other soldier..."

I turned my face around, and looked in direction of the remaining members of my squad. Which of them could help me more during this mission? If she were here, I would chose Corporal Heider without hesitation, but she wasn't here. The injuries sustained in the clash in which I had ended up saving her life turned out to be more serious than expected, and she was still in a hospital in the rear to regain her strength after a difficult operation. Since she was not here...

I looked carefully at the two soldiers. Neither of them seemed intent on following Hana and Tragen's example, a sign that nationalistic fervor had not yet erased their conscience. Therefore, the decision was up to me.
Which one of them can be more precious for my plans? Which of them can bring me more benefits? Who...

"Stauffer! Klemm!" Hana suddenly shouted, looking at them with angry eyes. "Why haven't you volunteered yet?"

"Sergeant" responded Klemm with a lost look. "I don't think I'm the best person for this kind of mission. Moreover..."

"Bastard! Coward!" she hissed, marching toward him. "You are not worthy of the uniform you wear!"

"Sergeant." I interrupted her tirade, trying to appear authoritative. "Please step back. I want to talk for a moment with the corporal, in person."

Hana nodded, retreating to the side of Tragen, yet keeping a look full of anger towards Klemm.

"Tell me, soldier." I said, once I was right in front of Klemm. "Why this sudden fear? Are you afraid that the Republican wizards will ruin your hair?"

"What? No, no sir. The fact is…"

"I am not interested in listening to your excuses. Consider yourself exempted from the mission."

"What?" he asked in shock.

"What?" Hana and Tragen repeated.

"This way, when the officers of the Military Police will come and ask me why I brought just two soldiers instead of three, I will say that one of them was too afraid to die to do his rightful duty as a soldier… yellow!"

"Sir, I am-"

"Yellow!" I repeated, looking at him with distain.

"Yellow!" Tragen repeated, looking at him with a glaze that would have pulverized a Panzer.

"Corporal Stauffer!" I said, looking to the only remaining soldier.

"Yes sir?" he responded.

"Congratulations: you have just been promoted!"
​

---

After Hana and Tragen had delivered "yellow" Kemmler to the nearest section of the Military Police, where he would remain in internment until the arrival of the correspondent officer of the Martial Court, we (namely me, Hana, Tragen and the recently promoted Sergeant Stauffer) headed toward the tent of Colonel Metze, ready to meet with Tanya's soldiers and start the mission.

My head, however, was elsewhere.

Part of me kept thinking about what had happened before with Kemmler: I still couldn't believe I had done such a thing.

I had handed over one of my soldiers to the Military Police out of cowardice, something that was exactly the opposite of my pacification policy towards my subordinates. In fact, if I could, I would have acted differently, but with both Hana and Tragen accusing him of cowardice, I could not stay idle. Had I not acted the way I had, the voices that would surely be emboldened would seriously compromise what remained of my reputation. An officer can afford to be lenient with his own subordinates, but not to the point of allowing them to escape missions out of fear.

My thoughts lay with Tanya, and with the mission that both she and I will be forced to do together. It was clear that neither of us would tolerate the other in office, and it was therefore necessary to clarify once and for all, before the mission had begun, who would be the officer in command. Unless command had already chosen an officer of a higher level than ours, who would have the honor (and the burden) to guide us, of course.

Then my thoughts turned towards things that even I could barely understand.

We proceeded past a light artillery position, turned to the right of a small field hospital and, continuing straight ahead, we finally came to the tent of Colonel Metze.

The colonel's tent, I had to admit, was in a very safe position. It was located far from possible targets of interest to the enemy (which could be supply depots or fuel for vehicles) but despite this it was within the protective area of heavy anti-aircraft batteries. Any wizard or enemy plane that attempted to violate the local airspace would be intercepted and knocked down within minutes by the powerful anti-aircraft guns, whose bullets could bring down an aircraft at almost ten thousand meters altitude.

In front of the tent, looking nervous, was a young girl with long brown hair, dressed in a soldier's uniform. Although the girl had her back turned to me, I could tell she was wearing the insignia of a sergeant on her shoulder.

Intrigued, I stepped forward, approaching her.

"I'm sorry…"

The girl turned around abruptly. It was then that I realized that, in addition to the long brown hair, he also had a pair of large blue eyes, and a round face.

"Eh!" she squeaked, looking at me. "Who are you? What are you doing here?"

"Calm down, miss." I said, raising my hands to make her calm down. "My name is Frederick König. My squad and me are here for a meeting with…"

"Wait. Frederick König? Is that you?"

"Uh-uh."

"And you… are a second lieutenant?"

I pointed to my rank insignia. "What do you say?"

Her eyes widened as if she could scarcely believe what she was witnessing.

"Hey? Are you Ok?"

She gulped, before suddenly saluting me and starting to babble.

"I'm sorry sir! I did not recognized that you were the one I was expected to meet here. I am also sorry for not saluting you the second I saw you, but I did not realize that…"

"Woah-woah-woah-woah, calm down soldier!" I said, putting on my friendly face. "Why so nervous?"

"Sir?" asked Tragen, coming forward.

The young sergeant looked at Tragen for a second, before looking back at me.

"You said you were waiting for me, sergeant." I addressed the newcomer. "Are you with Colonel Metze? Perhaps… you are his secretary?"

"N-no sir! My name is Sergeant Viktoriya Ivanovna Serebryakov and I am part of the attack squad of second Lieutenant Tanya Degurechaff. She sent me forward in order to inform you that she'll be a few minutes late."

I almost laughed. Tanya… late? It was almost an oxymoron, a phrase that contradicted itself. I could hardly believe it.

"Sir, are you ok?" asked Hana, coming forward along with Stauffer.

"Lady and gentlemen, I have the honor to introduce to you Sergeant Vicotr… Victorj…"

"V-Viktoriya, sir." she said, almost motionless as a young recruit would have been in front of a terrible Hartman-style sergeant.

I looked at her once again and got the impression that she was actually afraid of me. It didn't matter that I looked younger, she only saw my rank. What could have caused her such an attitude of servility?

And then I realized it: Tanya.

I remembered too well the inflexible and cruel way in which she had managed the recruits when we were at the Academy. I still remembered how, if not for my quick intervention, she would have killed a soldier just because he had shown signs of indiscipline.

While I was trying to establish a relationship of cohesion and friendship with the soldiers under my command, she had forged iron discipline, based on fear and on the most rigorous respect for the rules, into her subordinates. And the girl in front of my eyes was now the most perfect example of it.

Suddenly, I had an idea. If I succeeded, through my friendship strategy and my charisma, in developing a sincere bond of friendship with Viktoriya, I could make her a solid ally for my plans. An excellent outpost in the heart of Tanya's Empire of Pain, through which I could be informed about what she did and organized.

"Sergeant Viktoriya, can I ask you a question?"

"Yes sir! What is it?"

"How is Second Lieutenant treating you? I mean, is she a role officer? Or do you have complaints against her leadership?"

"Wha- Absolutely not, sir! Lieutenant Degurechaff is-"

"Right behind you, sergeant" came an unmistakable voice from behind her.

Viktoriya froze, and her face took on an expression of terror. She quickly turned around and saluted.

"S-second Lieutenant!"

"Tanya!" I said, looking at her. "What a joy it is to see you again!" I lied. "Are you ready for this night of adventure?"

She gritted her teeth, a sign that my teasing and semi-impertinent tone wasn't pleasing for her.

"Frederick..." she responded in a very dark tone. "Do I have to remind you that this is not an adventure? It is a mission that command has asked us to complete!"

"Uh, sir?" Hana asked, approaching her mouths too my ear so Tanya would have not been able to listen. "Is she…"

"Yes." I responded, still looking at my old, aquaintance. "A friend."

"And who is she?" Tanya asked, marching toward Hana. "State your name and rank!"

"Sergeant Hana Lindemann, sir! I am part of the squad under Second Lieutenant König's command, and I volunteered to accompany and escort him during this mission."

Tanya looked at her for a few seconds, narrowing her eyes, before looking at me with a stern look. What was she thinking?

"Please, allow me to introduce to you the sergeants Linus Tragen and Augustin Stauffer. They, alongside sergeant Hana, will escort us during this mission."

Tanya grimaced. "These are what you got as wizards?"

I nodded. "And they are the best kind of magical soldier you'll ever meet!"

"The best kind of…AH! I always suspected you were too soft with your underlings, Frederick. These soldiers seem too well cared to survive."

"At least my underlings do not look like they just got back from Hell." I retorted, turning toward a couple of soldiers who had appeared behind Tanya's back "What are your names, soldiers?"

The two looked at me for a moment, unsure what to say. Then, one of them started to respond.

"Sir, I'm…"

"I didn't authorize you to make conversation, von Walhorf." said Tanya glaring at him.

"Sir, I'm sorry, sir!"

"Very well!" Tanya replied, focusing again on me. "Now, I believe we have a mission to do. Do we want to enter before daylight?"

The other soldiers nodded, following Tanya inside the tent. The last one to enter was Viktoriya, who still was looking at us while following Degurechaff.

It is done; I said to myself, the seed is planted. Now it is just a matter of time before I will be able to turn her into my mole…

"Well, what a young, cordial girl" I said, moving as to follow Tanya inside the tent "What do you think of Sergeant Viktoriya, Tragen?"

"Sir, can I talk outside the protocol?"

"Sure, why?"

"I believe I like her…"​

 

[DaLintyGuy]

Well, I guess we know who the real redshirts on this mission are.

 

[krahe]

"Well, what a young, cordial girl" I said, moving as to follow Tanya inside the tent "What do you think of Sergeant Viktoriya, Tragen?"

"Sir, can I talk outside the protocol?"

"Sure, why?"

"I believe I like her…"

Click to shrink...

Well, it's not Tirpitz, but sure a one adorable Leipzig

 

[Lovhes]

Viktoriya is a girl that everyone could love after all.

That said, I like this si acting as a foil to Tanya, in a way. And since they're in the same side, Frederick have less chance of getting killed by Tanya!

 

[Trunko]

Chapter 32: Blasted Mission​

When we came out of Colonel Metze's tent, Tanya and I were in low spirits.

Each of us had expected to receive command of the military operation and to consequently be the commanding officer (with the other as a subordinate). Instead, surprisingly, Headquarters had decided that while we were both among the best soldiers on the Rhine front we would both be under the command of an officer that, until then, we had not had the opportunity to meet in person.

His was First Lieutenant Isaak Jahnke, and both Tanya and I hated him since the first moment we dealt with him. We both had the chance during our military career to meet despotic, inefficient, corrupt and generally incompetent officers. First Lieutenant Jahnke was different. He was not a bad commander because he made bad decisions. He was a bad commander because he made no decision.

Already during our first meeting under Colonel Metze's tent his ability, or should I say inability, of his began to manifest itself. During the mission briefing, he was evidently confused and barely reacted to the information the Colonel gave us about the mission.

In a way, it reminded me of a particular type of boss that I had already had the opportunity to meet during my previous life: the kind who takes all the credit for his underlings' success but pins the blame of his own failures on them. The kind that barely understands the situation around him, but for some reason he has more power than the one who knows better. This kind of man will sink to any depth to protect himself or his career, even by cutting the knees out of his subordinates to make himself look competent.

The one of a kind boss nobody wants to have.

I still remember the moment when my (already scarce) sympathies for him ceased completely. We were observing the explanation of the the operation we should have led when suddenly Tanya raised her hand.

"Uh, sir?" She asked, looking at the colonel. "Can I make a little observation?"

"Sure, Second Lieutenant Degurechaff: feel free to express yourself." the colonel said, giving her a warm smile.

"I apologize for my interruption," She said, giving the colonel one of her typical cute-candy face. "but during the briefing, I understand that the plan expects our team to approach the enemy fort from the south, that is, in the opposite direction to the wind. Is that correct?"

"Yes. Why do you ask?"

"I am asking because I believe that we could approach the fort from the north, maneuvering around it. This way we would not only enjoy an advantage due to the atmospheric effects of the rain, but we could easily bypass numerous positions of light machine guns and anti-aircraft that defend the fort in its southern sector…"

"Lieutenant Degurechaff is right." I said, still uneasy to give her credit. "The enemy expects our sorties to come from the south. Acting in this way, we could catch him off guard and-"

"Nonsense!" Suddenly said First Lieutenant Jahnke, punching the table. "Command expects us to attack from the south, so we will have to attack from the south. We cannot violate orders in such a way!"

"But, sir!" I said, not realizing who I was facing. "This is not a violation of the orders. Lieutenant Degurechaff was just thinking…"

"Thinking?" he said, with a very angry tone. "You two are imperial wizards. You are not expected to think, you are expected to obey, to follow orders! To carry on what the HQ commands you to do! You're not here to discuss the narrow strategy of war, you're here to do it, have I been clear?"

"But sir…"

"No but! You will carry out the mission as the command requested to execute it that is attacking from the South. And you will do it under my command, because I am your superior officer! Otherwise, I will bring you both to the court martial, and Silver Wings or not, I will make sure that you will never escape it! Got it?"

"…got it, sir" We both responded defeated.

"Good!" He replied "Hope I never have to go back to the subject!"

I looked at Tanya. And for the first time since we parted, we agreed on something.

First Lieutenant Jahnke needed a little "accident"
​

---

It was the second hour after midnight when we were ready to start the mission. The rain, though much weaker than before, still continued, so we all stammered from the cold and water that washed our faces. Unfortunately, we could not enjoy the comforting heat of the fire (due to the aforementioned rain and the almost absolute prohibition of lighting fires on the front lines, to avoid attracting the attention of the enemy), and therefore we were forced to find alternative solutions for conserving heat.

And here we are: a composite team of imperial magicians, faces painted black to be less visible in the night, in the cold, in the rain, waiting for our commander to come to start the operation.

In the preceding hours, Tanya and her subordinates had illustrated in detail the technique by which to produce stronger and more resistant magic shields, which should be used to protect ourselves from the sudden force of wind and rain. The basic idea was not bad; on the contrary, it was quite good. So good goo in fact that I almost doubted that Tanya had conceived it. I knew very well what kind of person she was: rigid, completely compliant with rules and suffocating in her subordinates of any impulse that could sprout in an idea. It was therefore easier for me to imagine that this idea had come either from one of Tanya's subordinates or from some other soldier, and that then she had made it her own by stealing the credit.

However, I was careful not to reveal my thoughts: not only would Lieutenant Jahnke never listen to me, but I would also put all my new training with Tanya at risk, undermining our long-term revenge plans.

How was that old saying? Keep friends close and enemies even closer, and that was exactly my intention.

A murmur warned me about the arrival of Lieutenant Jahnke. Immediately, I stopped fighting the cold and froze, ready for the mission. Even my men, seeing me stiffen, did the same.

"Very well." he said once he was within earshot. "The mission starts in exactly five minutes. Second Lieutenants Degurechaff and König, your units are ready?"

"Yes sir!" Tanya said. "We are all eager to take action and hit the enemy!"

"Good! Remember our primary objective: to determine if the enemy fort is in operational condition and to report. I do not want heroism today. Lieutenant Frederick König?"

"Yes sir?"

"You and your team will be the first to take action. Reach operational altitude and head north passing over the Munchen salient."

"Yes sir!"

I closed my eyes, concentrating on controlling my magical energies. I let the mana flow through my veins

"Ready to take off in three…two...one…"

I reopened my eyes.

"Zero."

With a push, I flew up. To the sky.

Of course, as soon as I started to climb high enough, the rain began to compromise my balance, jeopardizing my flight path. To counterbalance it, I concentrated on the shield, raising my hands to increase its power and endurance. It took a few seconds, but I finally managed to create a shield strong enough to allow me to fly without worrying too much about the rain.

I continued to rise in the air. The trenches below me became smaller and smaller, more and more difficult to recognize. For an instant, I wondered if anyone in the Republican trenches had noticed my departure. In different meteorological situations, if this happened, the result would have been a team of enemy wizards on an intercept route, but now?

Now, the sky was mine.

"Lieutenant, lieutenant!" I heard a voice I could recognize.

Mine, and of my allies, I corrected myself.

"Tragen, what it is? Is there some kind of problem?"

"No Sir, I was the second one to get off after yourself and everything had gone smoothly until now. I just wanted to catch up with you…"

"Hey, you're not a bad flyer yourself…"

"Sir!" said Hana, appearing alongside Tragen. "I'm here!"

"Me too!" this time was Stauffer's turn. "The squad is complete! Now what?"

"We follow our orders." I said, in a formal and hasty manner. "Remember men: keep your eyes peeled and senses sharp. If you notice something that could be a possible indication of the enemy's presence... let me know!"

"Yes sir!"
​

---

Finally, after half an hour of flying with tense nerves, keeping alert for every possible sign of enemy presence, we came in sight of the area for the operation. This had once been (according to information from the mission briefing) a zone known for the production of fine grapes, which was then used for the production of fine wines. Now, the arrival of the Republican army had turned the region into a vast desert of rubble, mud and dust, where even weeds struggled to take root.

"Sir, it is quiet… Too quiet."

"Tragen, do not tell me you are actually sad that we have managed to avoid any possible combat with the enemy and going smoothly with our mission!"

"No, Hana." I chastised her, trying to look more in detail the area under us. "I believe what Tragen is trying to say is that the situation under us is…suspicious, to put it mildly. We have penetrated several kilometers deep into enemy lines, yet we have not met even an enemy patrol…"

"Sir, maybe Lieutenant Degurechaff was right: the Republicans simply do not possess the skills, the technology or the guts to fly in this tempest!"

I looked at her. "Let's hope that is the case."

We continued. We flew over a crumbling and apparently abandoned building, from which emanated heat and light, betraying the presence of a campfire. Through my binoculars, I noticed that there was a patrol of five Republican soldiers inside the building, intending to warm up around the fire.

What idiots! I thought looking at them; they pay no attention to the sky!

My team could have killed them all with one shot. A couple of Bombardment Spells and the idiotic republicans would never leave the building where they had taken refuge.

Unfortunately, my team had its orders. And if the Republicans weren't alerted yet, they would surely be once they heard our explosions. A pity, it could have been a pleasant pastime…

"Sir!" said Stauffer, looking through his binoculars. "Visual contact with the alleged fortified artillery position of the enemy. Ten o' clock, to your left!"

Immediately, I turned my binoculars in the direction indicated by Stauffer. In fact, I could see something, but visibility was bad because of the rain and I could hardly distinguish its shapes.

"Second Lieutenant Frederick König to Tanya Degurechaff. Can you hear me, Tanya?"

"I hear you, Frederick" Tanya's voice came from my earphone "What's the situation?"

"Eye contact with what appears to be the enemy fort. Unfortunately, visibility is too bad to allow long-distance reconnaissance. We ask permission to land and approach the location."

For a few second, I could not hear anything. Then Tanya's voice returned.

"I've asked to Lieutenant Jahnke: permission to land granted. However, you are forbid from coming closer to the position of the fort until we will are there too. Confirm the command."

"Command confirmed. We will land and we will try to gain as much information as we can."

"Tanya Degurechaff, out!"

"Sir!" asked Hana, coming closer. "What are the orders?"

"We need to land and carry out a long-distance reconnaissance operation. Apparently, our commander does not want us stealing all the glory…"

Hana nodded.

We began to fall in altitude, paying attention to the smallest sign of hostility. In particular, we kept an eye on the fort: so far, it seemed abandoned, but this could also mean that they had not yet located us

However, nothing happened. The fort remained silent as we landed in an old abandoned trench and began to study it carefully

"Hana, Tragen. What do you see with your binoculars?"

"Nothing new, the fort's dome is not moving at all. I strongly suspect that our so-efficient reports were mistaken and the Republicans are not doing anything with it…"

"I'm not of the same opinion." said Hana. "Look at the dome well. Its armor was evidently reinforced, recently too! Perhaps the fort is not yet active, but the Republicans are certainly strengthening it…"

I once again took off my binoculars, and looked at the motionless dome. Hana was right; the armor was too recent to deny enemy involvement. Were the Republicans still repairing it? In this case, it was our duty...

"Tanya Degurechaff to Frederick König. Answer, Frederick!"

"I'm here Tanya. We took shelter in an old trench, about three hundred meters from the fort. Where are you?"

"We positioned ourselves about fifty meters from your position, on the right. We are inside the old abandoned house."

With my binocular, I checked their position. Certainly, it was well hidden, but not very sheltered: if cannons and artillery fired on the house, it could bury them alive.

"What do you see from your position, Tanya? The fort seems abandoned, what do you think?"

"I do not know. The fort appears completely abandoned, yet it gives clear signs of having been modernized. Maybe... one moment! What is happening?"

"Tanya, Tanya! What is happening?"

"The fort's dome ... it's rotating!"

Once again grabbing my binoculars, I looked with fear at the fort, fearing that Tanya was mistaken.

Sadly, there was no mistake. The fort's dome was indeed rotating to the left, uncovering a massive cannon, which at first sight must have been at least 12 feet long, on the other side.

I was completely still as the cannon began to move almost as if it had its own life, pointing straight…

…at us.

"Sheisse!" I exclaimed, realizing what was going to happen. "Tanya, we need to…"

And then he heard a rumble and the cannon discharged a shell towards us.​

 

[krahe]

I'm shocked with this twist! Shocked! Well, not that shocked

 

[JuliusClonkus]

Bloody Francois! Stupidy oversized superguns are an Imperial field of expertise!

 

[DuManHeiu]

I'm shocked with this twist! Shocked! Well, not that shocked

Click to shrink...

Shell shcoked even.

The cannon kinda reminds me of the RA 2 grand cannons tje french employ. Bloody things always seemed so invincible given enough troops surrounding them.

 

[Trunko]

Chapter 33: Like flies and a flyswatter​

The shell fell a few meters from the trench where I and the men under my command were hidden. I know it was close, because the shock wave of the explosion made all my teeth vibrate.

"Dammit!" I screamed in my earphone "Tanya! We are under heavy fire! What are we going to do?"

"Take off with your men and try to put their artillery piece out of use! Try to hurry though, we don't know if they know about ..."

Another shell hit the ground, closer than the first one. The Republicans inside the fort were fixing their shot.

"Move, move, move!" I yelled to the others "Get off and try to increase your altitude. Fly around it like flies! They cannot him you if you're too fast!"

"Yes sir!" my soldiers shouted, getting up in the air.

A part of my mind could not help punishing me for falling into such a simple trap. The Republicans evidently had noticed our presence, but they had made the decision not to attack us, until we had been in the field of operation of the cannon. Ready to be destroyed with one single shot.

Yet…

Yet, there was something in that situation that did not come back to me. Artillery guns were powerful weapons, but they were also very slow both in loading, in aiming and firing. On the contrary, wizards were among the most agile and fast units. It was unthinkable for any soldier to think of using an artillery cannon to fight a platoon of enemy wizards.

Theoretically, it was like thinking of fighting a swarm of mosquitoes with a large club. Of course, if you could hit a mosquito with the club, it would have been crushed and killed instantly. However, mosquitoes never stand still. They would be constantly moving around, buzzing around the same object that was supposed to kill her, hitting the enemy with quick punctures and hit-and-run, tormenting and annoying him.

In the same way, my wizards and I. We could have flown around the immense cannon, hitting it with our artillery spells until it was completely destroyed. Of course, we would have attracted a lot of attention, but...

A lot of attraction?

My mind froze as I suddenly realized the true meaning of those words

"Tanya" I practically screamed, "The soldiers inside the fort are just trying to distract us!"

"Frederick, what are you trying to say?"

"I believe there are enemy wizard approaching our position! I repeat, enemy wizard approaching our position!"

"Scheisse, Officer Frederick is right!" I heard the alarmed voice of Stauffer "I see at least three platoons of enemy wizard incoming from west! They are heading toward us!"

The cannon of the fort opened fire again. But this time, instead of shooting at us or at our previous position, it hit the old abandoned building in which Tanya and the others had taken refuge until that moment.

"Tanya, you ok?"

For a few seconds, I heard only the sound of static electricity, which made me fear the worst. Then, finally, Tanya's voice filled again the earpiece.

"This is Tanya! Lieutenant Jahnke is dead! We must fall back!"

"Ok, Tanya, get out of your shelter and try to open the way for our lines with us. We have to..."

A bullet flew right a few centimeters from my face, gaining back my attention.

"Forget it. We will try to contain the attack of enemy wizards. However, you move out of there!"

"You are not the officer is command, Frederick!"

"Neither you, Tanya. However, I strongly suspect this is not the best time to discuss about leadership!"

"Tanya, out!"
​

---

The fight became furious and violent in a few minutes. Our situation was ... quite difficult. Not only did we have to face a much higher enemy in number, but we also had to pay attention to the cannon that, below us, continued to shoot lethal shell.

It was vital, if we wanted to survive, that we abandoned the position as soon as possible and retreated to our lines. Unfortunately, it seems that this time, we had no way out.

"Hana! Report on the situation!" I said, shooting to another Republican wizard who got too closer.

"They are crushing us sir! We have to retreat immediately, or we won't have the chance to do it anymore!"

"Hana is right, sir!" this time was Tragen "The enemy is simply too much, and the more I kill, the more they come to kill us!"

I nodded "Hold your position, soldiers! We must try to resist as much as possible!"

New bullets flew off close to me, signaling to me the presence of three Republican wizards who were launching themselves at me. Without thinking twice, I raised the barrel of my gun in their direction, and fired.

Most bullets missed the targets, but some, thanks to a good dose of luck, hit their target. Two of the enemy wizards immediately started to fall to the ground, their lifeless bodies no longer supported by magic.

The surviving wizard, however (although my bullets had wounded him too) was not yet dead. He pointed his gun at me and fired. I know that not all his bullets missed the target, because while I was moving to avoid them, I felt a sudden bump on my shoulder and, an instant later, a very strong pain came from the narrow point. Instinctively, I put my hand on the painful spot, and when I pulled it back, I saw that it was dirty with blood.

My blood.

Even a bullet wound, this was a fact I knew, could be lethal. For now, I still felt good, thanks to the adrenaline I had in my circle, but I knew I was risking a lot. Even more, if I considered the rain, the dirt and the lack of rapid cure of my wound.

Suddenly, another gunshot echoed and the remaining Republican soldier felt to his death as well.

"Sir, are you hurt?" asked Hana, appearing alongside me.

"It is nothing" I lied, still holding my hand over it in an effort to contain the pain "Focus on the battle, we must try to resist! We have to…"

"Aaargh!" exploded Tragen's voice in my earpiece "They got me! They got me! Mayday, I am crashing!"

"Tragen!" both Hana and I exclaimed as we saw our faithful comrade falling from the sky, right into some ruins under us.

"Tragen! Tragen!" I tried to contact him through my earpiece "Respond. Are you ok?"

No sound, except the irregular noise produced by magical energy, reached my ears. from that, I could only draw one conclusion ...

"Bastards!" Hana exclaimed, turning right towards the enemy "You damn bastards! Come and get me!"

"Hana, don't…"

However, she was not listening, and in a few seconds, she was flying right into the enemy formations, trying to kill as many of them as she could.

I, for one, was tempted to fly toward Tragen's point of crash and confirm if he was dead or maybe still alive. There was a good percentage that he had survived. If the magic shield had held up while he fell ... if the stout build had withstood the impact ... if...

However, I could not dwell on those thoughts for a long time, because immediately after the noise of the battle and new bullets that I missed by a whisker reminded me of where I was and what was happening.

I could not devote my attention to Tragen: we were in the middle of a battle, and we had to focus as much as possible on the enemy. I could only hope that, if he was alive, he could stay there until I could go back and get him. And if he wasn't...well, the only thing I could ever hope it was that he had died fast, and painlessly.

And maybe, that he would have not met Being X.

"I seriously hope you're still alive, my friend" I murmured under my teeth "Because if you aren't, I'll have to severely punish you for this…"

Suddenly, another explosion hit the skies, and another man of my squad felt to the ground

"They got me sir!" screamed Stauffer into the earphone "I'm crashing down, oh God!"
​

---

It was hell, and we were losing. After Tragen, the first to fall was Stauffer. I remember hearing him scream as he fell, and I would swear I heard him say a prayer before he touched the ground. Perhaps his last comfort before the certainty of death.

Then it was Hana's turn. I well remember what happened to her, because I was close to her when she was hit. A magic bullet shot straight through the lower part of the abdomen, piercing her from side to side. The blow must have caused her tremendous pain because she screamed when she was hit and screamed even more as she fell.

That left me all alone.

I do not remember what I was thinking in those tragic moments. Perhaps I was saddened by the death of my comrades in arms, or maybe I was angry at the enemy for destroying everything I had gained through my policy of friendship and comradeship with my underlings.

Whatever the reason was, I now wanted one thing and one thing only.

Revenge.

I wanted to kill as many Republican mages as I could. I wanted to wash my hands into their blood and reduce their mighty fort into nothing but rubble.

I knew that I would not be able to do it. I knew for sure that I would die before managing to reach such a goal.

But I did not care. For the first time in a long time, I was not afraid. I just wanted to get over with it.

"Imperial Wizard!" came a voice from the Republican's forces. "You are surrounded. There is no point in continuing to fight. Surrender and you will be treated well!"

For a single second, I almost found this proposal… funny. I mean, they really thought that I would believe their words and surrender to a fate worse than death?

Then anger took over.

"Nein!" I screamed as louder as I could, using almost all the air I had inside my lungs. "You want my surrender? Come and get it!"

Once again, the bullets started to fly. It was a battle lost at the start: the only hope was that Tanya and her team immediately intervened to give me support, but even so, the chances of survival were very poor.

And yet, the prospect of dying didn't scare me.

Of course, meet Being X again or being condemned to disappear into oblivion would be really bad, especially if he would take advantage of that to rub my failure into my face. However…

Another bullet hit me. This time, it was in the leg. I instantly felt a great pain, but I managed to fight it back the few second needed to make another shot.

My bullet was no faster or more powerful than the enemy's, but it was more accurate. And the wizard who got hit by it in his head surely would not recover.

"Come and get me, cowards! Come and get…"

Then, all of sudden, something I did not know appeared in front of my eyes.

The vision lasted only for a second, but it was enough for me to realize it was an orb. A black orb, perfectly spherical, on the surface of which light white waves formed and disappeared.

"What? What the h…"

Then, the orb exploded and the world went black.
​

---

When I regained my senses, my first thought was: what the hell happened? Then, little by little, my vision cleared, and I realized that I was still on the battlefield.

Aching from the wounds I received, I tried to get up. It was a difficult and painful effort but in the end my hand found something sturdy to hold on to, and I managed to sit down. Looking around, I realized I was sitting in the middle of the rubble of a small building, probably the ruins of an abandoned chicken coop.

Where am I? I was fighting the enemy wizards when… the enemy!

With fear, I looked toward the direction of the enemy, expecting to see the Republican wizards capturing or executing whatever was left of Tanya's soldiers and mine.

But they were not there. Even more unbelievable, nothing indicated that they were there in the first place.

Clinging to the ruins of the chicken coop, I managed to get to my feet. The leg, although still hurting from the bullet wound I received, I managed to hold it and so, despite pain I managed to direct myself where I wanted.

Nevertheless, after taking care not to fall or stumble, I reached a good vantage point and I saw something I never expected to see.

The enemy was no more. The enemy wizards were nowhere to be seen. And the republican's fort… was totally destroyed.

The lower part of the armor of the fort was still intact, I could clearly see it. However, the upper parts, including the dome and the cannon… they had been destroyed. Twisted and ripped off, as if subjected to aggression by something endowed with very long fangs or claws.

Whatever had happened, the fort had been completely destroyed. And whoever managed it during the battle… was dead.

Suddenly, I hit my right foot on something. Looking down, I saw that it was the body of a Republican magician, his face and his body torn at the same time and large pieces of meat missing.

Almost immediately, I took a step behind, looking at the disfigured body with horror.

What could have mutilated and killed the Republican wizard is such a manner? I seriously doubted it might have been a human being. And there were no wolves or bears of such size as to leave similar signs of claws.

For a strange second, I wondered what kind of creature managed to do this. A Dragon? A Hellhound? A Demon?

They were not so absurd hypotheses. I mean, I had met an elemental being able to control reality, and with a heavy god-complex and an intolerance for anyone who refused to worship him. The idea of meeting a real dragon or something even more terrible would not have surprised me that much.

"S'il vous plaît ... aidez-moi ..." came a voice from a few feet to my left.

I looked in that direction and I saw another Republican wizard. Well, at least, half of it. The lower part of his body had in fact disappeared, and only a few intestines remained in its place. I knew that with such a wound, the man would die in a few minutes of full pain.

A part of me wanted to rebel against what I was about to do, telling me not to do it, to have pity on that man. However, my mind knew perfectly well that there could be no greater pity than I was about to give him.

I took my sidearm and pointed at his forefront. The man, looking at that, did not even say a thing, just as he was expecting my coup de grace.

I swallowed, and then I pulled the trigger. The bullet flew in seconds through the enemy's brain, killing him instantly.

"I'm sorry" I said to the now lifeless body "But we two soldiers in a war, and our nations are at war. You and your friends tried to kill me, and I can't afford any mercy for those who try to hurt me."

"Good words, young boy! Good words!"said a voice I did not recognize, coming from behind me.

Immediately, I turned back on myself and looked into the direction where the voice had came from

There was no one.

Just the empty ruins, some dirty green grass brushes, and a couple more of bodies of enemy wizards, one of them reduced to a skeleton.

Then, I realized something that was not right. The rain… was not falling.

And could me only one thing…

"Being X!" I immediately screamed, looking around me with a pure rage face "Show yourself!"

"The one that you call being X is not there. However, I strongly suggest to you to not keep calling him, as my power alone is not powerful enough to hide both of us from him should he focus his attention here…"

"Who are you? And where are you?"

"Right here, young one" suddenly spoke the skeleton standing up and looking at me with a dreamy face.

I immediately froze, looking at his. Who was he?​

"My name is not important now," the skeleton kept saying, while a superb uniform of a green officer appeared on him, complete with a hat and boots "Instead, I believe we should talk about our … common enemy…"

 

[JD.Forums]

I can't tell if being Y is smart or not for not going to Tanya. She's violently apposed to being X and would probably do anything to kill him...

 

[Trunko]

I can't tell if being Y is smart or not for not going to Tanya. She's violently apposed to being X and would probably do anything to kill him...

Click to shrink...

I can assure to you there will be a good plot-related reason for this...

Also, the name of Being X's nemesis will be revealed... in the next chapter...

 

[DuManHeiu]

the name of Being X's nemesis will be revealed... in the next chapter...

Click to shrink...

It being Y! Cause y not?

Reading the chapter. I cant help but feel like the MC has all but annihilated his work. His troops are dead, and if Tanya made it back, she could paint him in a bad way since he pushed for holding the line despite being outnumbered.

 

[krahe]

My name is not important now," the skeleton kept saying, while a superb uniform of a green officer appeared on him, complete with a hat and boots "Instead, I believe we should talk about our … common enemy…"

Click to shrink...

Always love to see Horsemen in fancy outfits, my personal favorite is War the Arms Manufacturer in a nice suit, with party pin and what not

 

[Trunko]

Reading the chapter. I cant help but feel like the MC has all but annihilated his work. His troops are dead, and if Tanya made it back, she could paint him in a bad way since he pushed for holding the line despite being outnumbered.

Click to shrink...

I would like very much to explain how he will get out of this, but I do not want to spoil the next chapter...

 

[DuManHeiu]

I would like very much to explain how he will get out of this, but I do not want to spoil the next chapter...

Click to shrink...

Quit the military, join the alleged granpappy and become an industrialist all while Tanya has yo deal with living in a trench for four years?

 

[Trunko]

Quit the military, join the alleged granpappy and become an industrialist all while Tanya has yo deal with living in a trench for four years?

Click to shrink...

If you want to , I can tell you what will I plan to make happen into next chapter, but only if you actually want it...

 

[Vaermina]

It being Y! Cause y not?

Reading the chapter. I cant help but feel like the MC has all but annihilated his work. His troops are dead, and if Tanya made it back, she could paint him in a bad way since he pushed for holding the line despite being outnumbered.

Click to shrink...

True. But on the other hand he also destroyed an enemy mage squad on top of accomplishing the mission.

 

[Mish]

Also, the name of Being X's nemesis will be revealed... in the next chapter...

Click to shrink...

I'm willing to bet it's the Devil.

 

[Manperor_32]

I'm willing to bet it's the Devil.

Click to shrink...

Probably so

 

[Sanyam]

Wow, that cliffhanger is great.Looking forward to the next update

I think its "the devil" or Being Y. The grandfather is definitely one of his minions and him trying to separate you from Tanya is because you would be easier to manipulate and giving Tanya the power to kill being X means a possible future opponent for Being Y.

Being X is trying to use an association between prayers and power to get you to be more faithful. Real life example being Ax body spray ads. I wonder how he is going to convert us while staying under X's radar. Can't give more power without X finding out. Political and monetary support?

 

[Trunko]

Chapter 34: General War​

"Our common enemy?" I asked, looking at the now well-dressed skeleton. "Who are you talking about?"

"The one you call Being X, child." he said, bending over the body of a dead soldier "Ah! I love the smell of the human bodies when they start to decompose. Smells like… carnage!"

I stopped, unclear about his words. Being X… had an enemy?

"B-but… how? How it is possible that…"

"Pipe it down, pipsqueak: I am not the Devil. And I'm not here to take you to Hell. Honestly, how could I? You are already there!"

I froze once again. "You mean that you brought me to…"

"No!" this time his voice was annoyed. "I have not brought you to a dimension resembling the battlefield where you supposedly died. In fact, you are still on Earth and I just saved your ass!"

I was stunned. "Saved my- wait! Are you telling me that what had just happened to the enemy fort and the wizards…"

"Yep!" he smiled. "Personally, I would have preferred to remain in the shadows for a while longer, but in the end you were in difficult spot and then... a snack of violence and conflict like this does not happen every day..."

Once again, I looked at the nearest enemy cadaver. To the way his flesh had been torn, cut, scratched, and in some places even burned or melted. It was possible that the being in front of me was capable of such atrocities?

"You…you feed on humans?" I said, with a good mix of shock and disgust.

"What? Are you crazy! I do not eat junk. The human bodies are not good to eat. They are beautiful to look at, to smell, and to use as garden decorations, but eat them? Never!"

"But then why…"

"What I was trying to say, my young and lethal friend, is that I feed on conflict. I feed on war, famine, civil strife between ethnic groups and religions, disease and pandemics! Until recently, I was trapped in another dimension, one devoid of war and conflict, where the little negative energy I was able to absorb only served to prolong my hunger. But now…"

He came closer to me, his empty eye cavities matched with my eyes. I could almost see his insides!

It was not pretty.

"Now, thanks to the actions of you and your little blonde friend, I have managed to channel enough famine and conflict to give myself the power to escape my prison, and settle my score with the one you call Being X once and for all!"

"So, you are… being X's nemesis? Some kind of… being Y?"

"You clearly have no imagination for names." he sighed. "I should have expected this, because I have not yet formerly introduced myself. Let me fix this: My name is General War, and I was once an almost-omnipotent entity, just like Being X."

"So, you are some kind of… Satan?"

"Not exactly. Satan is a mythological figure created by your churchmen in order to scare their followers into obeying what they judge to be the right path to the Eternal life after the Death, and to give hope to the more miserable of them that their enemies and oppressors would face eternal punishment for their actions!"

He looked away for a few second, gazing to the ruins of the Republican Fort. Then he stood motionless, leaving me unguarded.

"You know what? It is a very strange way the churchmen of your old world try to reconcile the image of an all-loving God who is ready to forgive everyone with the images of a place of misery and pain, where the guilty must face eternal punishment. At least there were religions one time where even the most evil culprits would face, at worst, a very long but finite, sentence. But no, people want to see their enemies suffer, so why do not just tell them that their enemies' suffering will have no end!"

"C-can I ask you a question?" I said, coming closer.

"Sure!" he said, turning back in a few seconds "I enjoy being able to speak with humans once again! What do you want to know?"

"I wanted to ask… how long have you known Being X?"

"Since the day we both acquired our powers, young Frederick!" his hands raised to the skyn "There was a time… where both he and I enjoyed fighting each other in argument, out of boredom or just for the hell of it! When this happened, I was so powerful that I could create entire new dimensions, just by snapping my fingers!"

"B-but then…what happened?" I asked, curious.

General War stopped and for an instant I had the impression that he was... saddened.

"He… stiffened." he finally spoke after a minute of awkward silence. "As he created new worlds and universes and populated them with new peoples and ideologies, he became more and more convinced that the people had to worship him and follow his teachings. Pff, he practically told himself that free will is not worth a cigarette. He convinced himself that since he was the one who created them, they had to obey every whim and do as he decreed. And if they didn't obey... they had to be punished..."

Seriously? I thought to myself while I heard the general's words. Our misfortune and suffering is because the absolute creator of the World… has a God Complex?

"Let me guess..." I spoke up again. "You tried to make him see reason and he refused to listen. And then…

"We had a fight. A big one. A couple of dimensions were destroyed and almost a trillion of human souls were vaporized in an instant. For a while I actually managed to keep up with him and put him into dire straits. However… as I found out… all that prayer he demanded from his followers wasn't just feeding his ego. It actually boosted his power. Not by a massive margin, but enough. Enough for him to have more power… than me…"

I stopped cold, thinking about this. So, actual worship gave Being X, our common enemy… strength? Multiplying this for every human who worshipped him, for every dimension or world where such feeling existed…

"You realize it now, right Frederick? You realized the true extent of my power… and his…"

"Well, yeah…" I said, no more able to think logically.

"You also realized that, should he decide to use all his powers against you, you would stand no chance. Alone, at least."

"So… you are saying my only chance to win this battle… is allying myself with you, right?"

From nowhere, he materialized a cigarette and a lighter. He lit up the cigarette and breathed through it for a few seconds before blowing a cloud of black smoke that smelled of death and suffering.

"Yeah, but not in the way you think. Do you know the "let's fight our enemy together as allies" kind of alliance? Well, this is not that kind of alliance!"

"But then, what kind of alliance do you have in mind? Do you by chance want me to accept becoming a humble servant and to serve you until the end of time? Because I have not refused some kind of God just to serve another wannabe…"

He looked at me for a second, making me fear that I actually managed to make him angry. Then all of sudden he started to laugh.

"Congratulations on your courage, Frederick. This is exactly my kind of thinking. No gods. No religions. No hope-ium for the weak minds of men. I do not want to destroy Being X just so I can take his place as God. Moreover, I have no interest in being God. What I have in mind is different kind of vision…"

"How different?"

"I just need you to recover some artifacts for me, where Being X has stored most of my power. You recover the artifacts, then you give them to me so I can gain back access to my full power and assist you better. Until…"

"Until the moment where you have regained all of your power, when you will no more need of me and you can easily destroy me!"

"Destroy you? Why would i do that?" General War spoke again, looking a little offended. "I only destroy my enemies, the people who get in my way. But you… you are much too precious to be destroyed!"

Precious? I thought with uncertainty. What the hell is that supposed to mean?

"What do you mean by that?"

"I mean that you are an investment, young boy, like the money that you used to put in your bank account before being reincarnated into this world. You know how it works, right? You put the money in the bank and you watch your account grow and grow until the day when you collect! And if the bank account is big enough, you can afford many new things that you otherwise would not have been able to enjoy."

"So, you have further plans for me?"

"Absolutely, yes." he said, taking another puff oh his cigarette. "And if you help me without making plans to double-cross me or trying to steal my power, I will be happy to give you everything you want..."

"Everything I want? Like the total destruction of Being X, or a return to my previous life?"

"Sadly, no. Your life in your old world is lost forever. There is no way for you to go back. As for the destruction of Being X… I believe it is too soon to speak about it. However, I can help you with some more… materialistic desires…"

"Materialistic desires?" I parroted.

"Yeah. Let me put it this way. I could make a deal with you… the kind the people of your old world depicted in Faust."

Faust? I wondered for a second. But what… oh. Oh! I suddenly realized.

"You mean… that you want to give me unlimited power and riches, knowledge beyond the normal limits of Humanity's capacity to understand, the love of my mortal friends and the ruins of my mortal enemies… in exchange for my soul?"

"Your soul?" the General almost laughed again. "Do not be such an idiot. I have zero interest in human souls. Instead, I want something that you can help me accomplish…"

"Stop talking in riddles and tell me exactly what do you want. I'm sick of trying to decrypt every word that goes out of your mouth!"

He smiled.

"I want suffering. I want pain. I want desolation. I want to see families torn apart. I want to see young, pretty girls asking their fathers if their hands are going to grow back. I want to see fathers and mothers crying over the dead bodies of their children. I want to see a world where only the strongest and the cruelest survive. I want to see a world drowing in War."

I looked at him. "Well, your wish is granted. I already live in a world of war!"

"No, boy! I admit: the conflict you are enduring here is one of the most beautiful and bloodiest times of carnage I have ever seen but like every war, it has a defect: it will end. Maybe it will take a year, two, ten or a hundred. However, I already know that one day, the people of this planet will be so sick of war and violence, they will throw away all their weapons and live in peace and harmony, at least until they will grow so happy and fat that nobody will ever remember the suffering. A war that occurs every ten years is a good thing, yes, but what I really want… is an eternal war!"

"A forever war? Like… a war that goes on forever, with no side able to overcome the other and win?"

"Exactly. Tell me, Frederick: in your old life, did you actually read George Orwell's book 1984?"

"I used to read it… when I was in high school." I admitted.

"Good! Then I suppose you remember the conflict between the three great nations Oceania, Eurasia and Eastasia, right? The one where every time a side is on the brink of gaining the chance to end the conflict, a rapid change of alliances avoids it and plunges back the world into war?"

"Yeah…but…that was an example of a dystopian world. It was a warning of the author of the dangers for the future. It was an example of a world where everybody suffered!"

"Exactly what I had in mind." commented the General, grabbing me and pointing his skeleton finger to my face. "I want to turn that vision into reality. And you, you will be my Big Brother!"

I stopped, looking at him. I knew from the look on his face that I had absolutely no chance to refuse or avoid it. However, if there was no way for me to avoid it, I could still gain something useful from it.

"So, you want my help to turn this world into a total dystopia?"

"Yes! Once I get my powers back and reclaim my rightful place, nothing will stop me from unleashing Humanity's worst nightmare!"

"Okay then. I accept to be your dragon for these plans of yours. However, I demand three little conditions from you…"

"Ohh?" he said, gleaming at me. "What do you want? Fame? Power? Untold Riches?"

"No. At least, not yet." I said, moving on the former battlefield. "First, in my effort to pursue you dream, I will call for your aid. You will answer every time and you will help me in any way I ask."

"Help you? Just how, for example?" he asked, still gleaming.

"Well..." I spoke. "Let's suppose that someone, either in the Republican or in the Imperial Army, is obstructing my career or my plan to fulfill your orders. Couldn't you…"

"Kill him in any way?" he laughed. "That's fine. However, since my powers are still too weak to hide me from Being X, I promise I will help you only once. Because, on the second attempt, he would detect my presence."

"Only once?" I repeated with anger. "I face obstructive obstacles almost every day. How am I supposed to get through them?"

"Consider it a one-time favor, by someone who clearly has more power than you…"

I gritted my teeth, but in my heart I knew I just had to deal with it. Either I accepted the agreement as he proposed it, or I would suffer without it.

"I accept. I will contact you only once, therefore I will try to make the best of it. Still, how will I be able to contact you?"

General War came closer. In a few seconds, his mouth had moved closer to my ear and he was whispering words to me that I had never heard.

Words full of evil.

"The words I just gave you make up a dark spell. Whenever you use it, it will give me your exact location and it will warm me of your need for my power. And I'll be able to intervene. Either to kill an obstructive general or to sink an enemy fleet. Naturally, the spell is one-time only: after you have used it, the memory of it will totally disappear from your brain and you'll never be able to remember it…"

"Fine! Still, I still have two conditions…"

"Let's continue then. What else do you want?"

"My soldiers. Tanya and her underlings too. I do not know that happened to them, but…"

"I suggest you look around, Frederick." the General smiled.

I did so, and I was quite shocked to see now the bodies of my comrades lying all around me.

"Tragen? Hana! Tanya!" I squeaked, hurrying towards them.

"Is this what do you wanted? You wanted to see them?"

"No, I want them to live!" I turned back toward him, fuming.

"Live? They are not dying. Well, not all of them…"

"I do not care. My second condition is for every one of them, except Lieutenant Jahnke, to survive this battle!"

The General muttered a little "Everyone? Even this…" he said pointing to Hana.

"Everyone!" I repeated.

"Granted." he finally said, "Still, you'll have to kill as many enemy soldiers to compensate this loss…"

"Deal."

"And the final condition? What is the last thing you want from me?"

I smiled.

"Something I will enjoy…"​