Forlorn and Shipwrecked

Nikolas' first tears in years

### Synopsis

A year after the death of Erwin Hollenfeuer, Nikolas Klinge continuously improves the way he sees and feels things as Ezekiel continues to fight his cancer and persist through the pain, yet struggles with the guilt. Threats continue appearing as the Sentinels recover drastically from the continuous losses.

## Details

### Goal

Identify and neutralize the threat in Hurtgen Forest (initially), Rescue and correct the threat in Hurtgen Forest, Find Ezekiel Hollenfeuer

### Location

Hurtgen Forest (part one), Outer Heilbronn (part two)

**Forlorn and Shipwrecked** is the seventh chapter and third psychological chapter of **Descendants of Calamity** and serves as **Part Two's Exposition.** It also contains two parts featuring two different villains. A year after Erwin's death, Ezekiel copes with survivor's guilt and struggles to kill himself after recently gaining an undead body. On the other hand, Nikolas has been improving the way he thinks and is slowly unlocking more and more of his feelings.

## **Story**

### **Chapter 7:1 - Extinguished**

#### **Chapter 7:1:1 - Guilt, Remorse, Pessimism**

September 5, 1943, approximately a year and a few months after the preceding chapter, **Erwin Hollenfeuer** has been declared **dead** and **killed in action.** Ezekiel's cancer had reached his lymph nodes, affecting his health negatively. Wassersaule has been busy with his personal life and is currently in official leave for a month.

All the while, Nikolas actually had just began attending therapy sessions. Aiming to understand more about humanity, morality and social principles, Nikolas devoted most of his training onto his emotional and wise departments. He believes that he had already peak strength due to his status as a new all-star, unless a predicament requires and eventually forces his strength to continue to grow.

In the morning, Ezekiel recently signed Erwin's death confirmation papers. Wassersaule and Serene respectively consoled him, yet to no avail. He appears with more depressed eyes, worse facial features and stubble. He is described to have no more odor, in contrast to his fragrant minty perfume he usually wore on him. Ezekiel walks in the hallways, pacing around to relieve his depression. Nikolas suddenly encounters him.

**Ezekiel:** "So... Nikolas Klinge... An All-Star?"

**Nikolas:** "Good morning, Zeke."

**Ezekiel:** "It's barely a good morning."

**Nikolas:** "I know, I just wanted to try and brighten things up for you. I know for a fact now that being positive can help spread it, right?"

**Ezekiel:** "...There's a lot more you need to learn. It's a hard concept."

**Nikolas:** "I know your emotions feel heavy and they burden the way you work as a person. I want to feel what you feel and finally understand why you still persist."

**Ezekiel:** "No... Nikolas..."

Ezekiel sighed, for a brief moment recollecting his thoughts as he walked away, before pausing.

**Nikolas:** "..."

**Ezekiel:** "To put it on an easier note, you can't feel the heavy burden I carry."

Ezekiel shortly walks away, remembering his dear brother, reminiscing the pain they both went through. Nikolas was in a short pause, feeling an ounce of sympathy for his cousin. He decided to not intervene with the current state of their relationship, believing that Ezekiel will soon recover from the pain that burdens him and that he'll become a better and stronger person.

#### **Chapter 7:1:2 - Reflection, monster in the mirror**

Ezekiel yet again took time to reflect to himself in his room. For the past year, he never cried. He mustered all of his courage and attempted to overshadow his weak and sad self. However, the more he bottled up, the more his heart broke. With a recent argument from Serene, he was completely alone to himself, with only him to comfort himself and console him from the pain. Finally, Ezekiel's tears welled up in his eyes as they begin to fall from his eyes.

Ezekiel reminisces to himself of the mistakes he had done. All of the neglect he had performed. The way he saw himself was just an immeasurable piece of filth. A man who was corrupted by his ego, resentment, hatred and anger. Yet, in reality, that was far from the truth.

***An excerpt from Ezekiel's past:***

When Ezekiel was a child, he promised himself to live a moral life. Due to his belief that performing good things shall do you good in return. For all his childhood, he focused on using his charisma and charm to do good for others. To help them become better versions of themselves and to teach them the way of wisdom. He refused to believe that he will rise above the weak, instead, he believed that he will help those in need. As such, he devoted most of his life to care for others than he cared for himself.

For most of his adolescence, he felt hate from his mom's parenting. As such, he felt no love. He felt alone. Even his brother disregarded him due to the resentment and envy. As such, he resorted to spreading his love for his classmates and other people. He began performing small acts of kindness and compassion, expecting nothing in return. At a tender age, he began pursuing girls romantically. Yet, to no avail. He was repeatedly rejected for the way he looked, the way he was short and the way he was overweight. He felt nothing but hate, rejection and unrequited love. Tired with all of the inequality, his emotion of hatred consumed him.

He observed that most of his rejections were because the girls were lesbian. He understood that he wasn't able to change the way they felt, but resented and hated the bisexual girls for not giving him a chance. Despite his understanding, he began to resent and completely hate the LGBTQ community. He resented and hated the fact that the pride month overshadowed the men's mental health month, seeing it as brash and unequal. Yet, he held back his hatred and kept it to himself because he knew that it wouldn't do any good.

One day, his hate for people corrupted himself even more. It became his entire personality, hate, hate, nothing but hate, especially after the end of his relationship with Aina. As a result, his decisions were now based on impulse and he began to kill people that he deemed "weak" and "unworthy of life". These people included activists, sexists, false feminists and overall hypocritical narcissists. Yet, he also began killing men that he related to. This meant that he mainly preyed upon lost and hopeless romantic men, believing that he frees them from the same pain he experiences.

#### **Chapter 7:1:3 - Hating yourself**

He remembers his ignorance. He remembers how he hurt his family. He finally recalls a vital memory. During the revolt, the palace of the Hollenfeuers were invaded. As such, the rebels were significantly threatening the well-being of the Hollenfeuer family. During that raid, the Hollenfeuers and some other relatives escaped. Yet, they left the youngest child of the new Hollenfeuer generation. Ezekiel and Erwin's younger sister was brutally molested and murdered during her capture. As such, it brought great trauma to the brothers. Similarly to Nikolas, due to the weight of the pain, they seemingly forgot about it and wanted to move on. Yet, Ezekiel recalled it and is unable to live with himself.

Ezekiel began loathing himself for his immoral and impulsive nature. Reminiscing his younger/older self, that was once a completely moral person. Filled with guilt for simply still being alive. He caressed himself to comfort himself, not having felt even an inch of consolation from anyone for a year. He truly saw himself as a weakling despite his overarching knowledge in life, love and emotions. For the first time in such a long time, he attempted to humble himself but had no significant effect.

#### **Chapter 7:1:4 - Suicide**

Claude Fabonnaci reminisces his interactions with Erwin Hollenfeuer. He is currently secluded and confined in his office. For context, Claude had been friends with Erwin for a while. Claude's past was depressing, ignored and mostly disregarded by people. No individual was ever interested in becoming friends with him. He felt grief and absolute solitude. As such, resulted into enforcing the law to also fulfill his moral desires. Yet, his loneliness was fulfilled by Erwin. They were both an incredible dynamic despite having their respective problems, managing to help each other at every turn.

However, one day Erwin stopped making his usual daily appearances in his office. Yet, Claude was determined that he will one day appear and that he was only taking a break for himself. Claude waited for Erwin's attendance, day by day, month by month for a year. Disheartening news then reached Claude. One of his subordinates informed him of the death of Erwin Hollenfeuer. It is explained that Erwin refused to surrender once he was overpowered by a Sentinel-level opponent. As such, he received a death penalty for his refusal to betray, causing his death and being buried somewhere underground within Heilbronn. The evidences provided some dried blood spills, correlating with Erwin's DNA, some hair strands and pieces of skin and flesh present around the area.

Claude had no more hope by that point. He lost the one person that valued him. He felt alone, hopeless and incomplete. He completely relied on another's presence to feel like a human being. Deep down, he knows that he won't be able to survive as a person by himself. In his final thoughts, he remembers a heartfelt conversation he had with Erwin, during a time of relaxation and Erwin's sudden stoicism as they drank alcohol to escape reality.

**Claude:** "I have been thinking for a while."

**Erwin:** "What is this thought that bothers you?"

**Claude:** "Do you think we have failed as a society?"

**Erwin:** "On several different occasions, yes."

**Claude:** "It is terrible that some people are threatened even if an action meant comfort."

**Erwin:** "The real question is, how much has society failed us that we to feel fear from comfort?"

**Erwin:** "Yet, I still believe that in some way, showing kindness and hope can cure the world of its sicknesses."

The blood drips from the skull of Claude, the lead completely obliterating his brain matter. His head bowed down onto the table, stiff hands and cooling skin. As the soldiers enter the room, most were horrified at the sight of Claude's suicide. Claude shot himself in the head due to depression and the feeling of utter loneliness, his depressing life finally ending despite his persistence and passion for others.

#### **Chapter 7:1:5 - Heart of Stone**

Shortly after, Ezekiel has been informed about the death of Claude. The death of Claude was heavily kept secret, with only the Descendants of Calamity and the Military Police knowing of it. Guilt shortly covered Ezekiel, as he recalled and thought to himself. He repeatedly asked himself: *"Why do I still have enough will to live?" .*

*"Why is it that despite how much hardships I face, I never once contemplated ending my own life? From the very beginning, I felt as if the world was against me. My mother only bared up with me because I was potentially smart and talented. She only saw that I must be kept alive because I am the successor to my father, hating me for being incompetent and curious as a child sometimes. My talents and love for writing were just nothing to her. I was disregarded, told mean things and called mean names. I hated it. I didn't even know where my Father was, but my siblings kept appearing from nowhere."*

*"I absolutely hate myself, not that I am negative and that I doubt what I am capable of but because I am so weak as a person. I always let the pain of my past haunt the stability of my present. I am always so sad, anxious and weak, I hide it all with a big smile and my strong words so that I make others happy. If I can make other people happy, why can't I make myself happy? As if I didn't have a heart in the first place."*

*"For most of my life, you were there for me. Despite how much pain I keep getting myself into, you still stay by my side and you're willing to listen to me. I have no doubt that both of us care about each other the same way. Yet, I hate the fact that I am still weak to the point I still don't know how to stop hurting you. No matter how hard I try, I still find a dumb way to hurt you due to my ignorance and vainglory. I have many sentiments toward you, I think you're really special. You are one of my top motivations, you keep me going everyday. In some way, I always keep returning to you. No matter how much I try to move on from you, I keep returning to you. I think you're just the prettiest and sweetest girl I've ever met even if you can also be the meanest."*

*"But I know that I'll be stronger. I'll be better, I'll be the person that doesn't know how to hurt others. I will soon be the embodiment of true morality."*

Ezekiel again allowed his pride to consume him, excusing his current sadness with motivation to become "moral and heroic". He completely coped with his problem by falling into delusions. Yet, his feelings seemed genuine rather than false and manipulative.

### **Chapter 7:2 - The New Sentinel Rank Five**

#### **Chapter 7:2:1 - A new Mission**

During the afternoon, Nikolas, Sivart and Harvey had recently finished meeting up to discuss a potential deployment. At this time, Sivart, Nikolas and Harvey have been friends for a year. They met after the disappearance of Erwin and teamed up to patrol the outskirts of Heilbronn on a secondary objective to search for Erwin. Nonetheless, they bonded casually over the months and had ended up being close to each other. They were one of the core reasons of Nikolas' emotional wake up call.

The trio march into the court of Heilbronn, in hopes to meet with the Ghost Man. However, due to his unavailability, the Ghost Man again opted to summon his Ghost human vessel to meet. In the dimly lit court, the cold air is absorbed by darkness, the light only reflecting from Nikolas' white hair. With two taps on the Ghost Man's vase, the grotesque figure emerges from his pot.

**Ghost Man:** "What is the matter requiring my presence?"

**Nikolas:** "We request for your permission on another intervention."

**Ghost Man:** "I am afraid you do not meet the requirements. You are not an All-Star yet, correct?"

**Sivart:** "You are mistaken, sir. Nikolas is the newly appointed All-Star representing Aerokinesis."

**Ghost Man:** "Aerokinesis? Where had Heinrich gone?"

His question was met with silence, which in the culture of the mercenaries, means commemorating the dead. Ghost Man was surprised to hear that news.

**Ghost Man:** "I believe he fought valiantly until the end, had you been taking charge of the Golden Eagles in this case?"

**Nikolas:** "Without a doubt and a new leader of the Golden Eagles have been appointed. I came here to propose that I and my fireteam are willing to find and hunt down a Sentinel."

**Harvey:** "We thought that you would have recent information regarding sightings or possibilities of a Sentinel."

**Ghost Man:** "Recently, the Socialists had been focusing more on their military than the Sentinels. Lesser murders and massacres occurred over the year. However, more attacks were launched into our territory and Manheim has been taken back by the socialists. More recruitments occurred, which makes it impossible for us to track down a Sentinel that went haywire. Hurtgen Forest and a nearby Belgian town reported mass murders and multiple deaths. Investigators found wood chips, hammer pieces and metal pieces. Intense fog also clouds up the area. That is abnormal and is most probably a Sentinel using his art. If you wish, you may proceed to Hurtgen Forest."

**Sivart:** "Are we given permission to be transported by the Golden Eagles?"

**Ghost Man:** "As you wish. Begin communicating with their transport teams and their commander. Although, I do wish to have a talk with you first, Nikolas."

**Sivart and Harvey:** "Yes, sir."

The two enlisted men bid farewell with a salute before sprinting out of the court to request transportation. The Ghost Man looks back at Nikolas, examining him and looking at him with empathetic eyes. As if the Ghost Man knows something peculiar about him.

**Ghost Man:** "What emotion drives your Kinetic Art?"

**Nikolas:** "I say this with a straight face and of all seriousness. I do not feel such emotions."

Ghost Man, shocked, takes in the information and makes up a presumption.

**Ghost Man:** "So... you are a *true* descendant of calamity?"

**Nikolas:** "What do you imply?"

**Ghost Man:** "True descendants of calamity came from a man widely known as Calamity, the progenitor of Kinetic Arts. People who have his blood are destined to master their craft without the need for a specific emotion. Since Kinetic Arts lie in the heart, they are heavily influenced by what you feel. But Calamity's is different, it can be controlled at will, yet it is much stronger with emotion. In your case, it is already powerful without much emotion."

**Nikolas:** "Would that mean I'm special?"

**Ghost Man:** "Precisely. Although, I do want to ask. What has Heinrich taught you that made you grow?"

Nikolas thought for a moment, yet his face displayed a sprinkle of sadness and remorse. Yet, he answered with a straight face and voice.

**Nikolas:** "He noticed my continuous resilience and stoicism. It motivated me. That's all."

**Ghost Man:** "I see. Just never give into the corruption of the world. What Heinrich truly wishes is for you to survive, thrive and continue living. You may go now, Nikolas. Welcome to the All-Stars."

Nikolas quickly saluted Ghost Man before he hid back into his pot as the court fell into silence. Nikolas shortly and calmly walked out of the court to catch up with his fireteam.

#### **Chapter 7:2:2 - Hurtgen Forest**

By the wake of the afternoon, Nikolas and his fireteam had began marching into Hurtgen Forest. The grass rustles as the fireteam advance through the muddy terrain. The fog is thin, yet still daunting. The knowledge that the threat lures its victims into the thick smog haunts the soldiers. Yet, dauntless, the soldiers stand up against the strong aura they feel and continue.

It is no doubt that the new rank five is exceptionally powerful. Despite this status, like Nikolas, he doesn't rely on his emotions in order to emit his Kinetic Art. This art mainly focuses on concealment and the desire to hide. He summons his art by producing enough sweat and summoning his desire to hide or conceal himself. Combined with his art focusing on complete stealth and agility, he is able to proficiently fight with small hammers to inflict lethal blows onto his adversaries. He completely relies on breaking and fracturing important bones of his enemies to eventually overpower and kill them.

As the night falls, Nikolas and his fireteam stay by a nearby hedgerow. Sivart is providing overwatch and is alone at a vantage point. He calmly observes the fog gradually thickening. Nonetheless, Harvey and Nikolas chatter in order to pass the time.

**Harvey:** "Captain, you said you were emotionless, right?"

**Nikolas:** "Yes, why so?"

**Harvey:** "What do you feel about "doing the right thing"?"

**Nikolas:** "My morality is in spotty places. But I believe that we need to do actions if it's important for the future. If it means we have to sacrifice a baby, a child, a woman or an ill man for a better future, I would do it. I can't empathize, I can't sympathize, I go by logic. I go by what makes sense rather than what others feel."

**Harvey:** "How do you react to the cries of the people? How about those you kill?"

**Nikolas:** "It's a natural reaction for humans like us. It's the emotion of fear, cries are a response. I don't know how to feel about it. I just know that once my adversary doubts, once they are scared, I must help them escape from the suffering."

Astonished by the dark philosophy, Harvey has no comment about Nikolas' thoughts and ideologies. Nonetheless, he can't help but agree to the concrete logic of the emotionless man. The fog continues to gradually thicken as Sivart stays atop the vantage point. The threat continues to be absent and ambiguous. It hides and lurks within the dark forests, yet no person is aware of its presence. It is surely there as it waits for the perfect time to strike.

The full moon continues to rise as the fog is as thick as it gets. Yet, the fireteam's light source is just a simple bonfire that is keeping them warm. The silence grows louder and louder, the spirits of the Corporal and the Sergeant are eerie, filled with fear. Yet the Captain decides to stand valiantly. A rustle within the thick foliage sounds off and without hesitance, Nikolas checks as he approaches the hedgerow.

#### **Chapter 7:2:3 - Mistborne ranger**

A figure dashes out from the hedgerow as Nikolas quickly draws his new swords. The attacker opts to lunge toward Corporal Harvey first though, with no time to react, Corporal Harvey looks in shock and is completely motionless. However, Nikolas quickly shoves Harvey away to prevent his death as Nikolas quickly parries the attacker, but the attacker seems to have completely disappeared into the fog. For 3 seconds, it conceals itself before showing up again and attempting to smack Nikolas, who quickly reacts by dashing forward and knocking the attacker away. It disappears into the fog yet again. This time, for five seconds, it shows itself and launches another attack.

Nikolas then performs a split attack with his swords as the attacker is launched away. Both pause from their fight as Harvey barely stands up and draws his pistol. Nikolas quickly assumes a battle stance as the attacker raises one of his hammers. Nikolas quickly turns to Harvey and asks him to run and provide cover for Sivart. He follows the order and runs into the hedgerow to keep the vantage point's location as a secret. Nikolas then assumes an awkward stance, as Sivart observes it, distancing his finger from the trigger. The attacker swiftly throws his hammer at Nikolas at an unprecedented speed.

Nikolas deflects the hammer as fog covers the entire area, taking Nikolas by surprise. However, he responds by summoning **Aerokinesis: Power Gale!** and blows the fog away, revealing the attacker attempting to flank. Nikolas then slashes the attacker's unarmed arm off as he launches another slash, cutting the the attackers lower chest. The attacker kicks Nikolas away and conceals himself in mist, Nikolas catching a glimpse of the arm slowly regenerating, but is unable to make it up due to the fog.
The attacker returns to clash with Nikolas, trading blows and parrying every attack, preventing a real vital attack being launched. However, due to a slight mistake of Nikolas, the attacker quickly emits mist and surrounds the area in fog. Due to this, Nikolas is unable to see the attacker fully, but is able to see the incoming attacks and blows. To improvise, Nikolas emits large bursts of air.

Nikolas is kicked away as the attacker continues to hide its regenerated arm. Nikolas doesn't notice the arm's regeneration and is knocked away to a tree. Harvey continues making his way up to the vantage point as he pitifully watches Nikolas take the blow. Nikolas' jaw is broken as his mouth begins to bleed. But Nikolas regained his footing as he threw an array of wooden shrapnel toward the attacker's eyes as it misses its follow-up attack on Nikolas. As a result, Nikolas frees himself and avoids getting pinned down as he follows up with an array of concoctions of multiple shards of fulminated mercury, causing a small explosion onto the attacker.
The attacker pretends to be weakened by the explosion as it drops its hammer to false a shock. Nikolas eagerly rushes toward the attacker and prepares a devastating slash to its neck, as it quickly grabs its hammer and smacks Nikolas' goggles away, revealing his face. The attacker reacts... strangely as if it was shocked by the face of Nikolas, yet eagerly retains its atrocious spirit, clashing with Nikolas once more. This time, Sivart feels the need to take action as he completely focuses on the situation. His eyes as sharp as needles, observing every movement of the fight. Nikolas is pushed away by his own gust of wind as Sivart activates his kinetic art: **Chronokinesis.** He speeds up his movements, and in his point of view, time is slowed down although physically, he is actually just faster and his actions are thrice as fast. He aims his sniper rifle at the attacker's abdomen.

As Nikolas takes a heavy blow to the head, for the first time, he screams in pain. Sivart quickly reloads his rifle within a second and prepares another shot, but hesitates due to Nikolas being knocked out from the deadly blow. The attacker, presumably thinking that Nikolas has died, conceals himself in mist and wanders off somewhere, but Sivart knows that something his imminent. Harvey continues advancing up to the vantage point, a bluff nearby the terrain. However, once he makes it to the edge, the attacker was following him all along. Harvey is knocked off of the bluff, dying from the fall. **Corporal Harvey ==DECEASED==.**
Sivart then quickly draws his machete and challenges the attacker to a duel.

#### **Chapter 7:2:4 - The origin of Nikolas Klinge**

Nikolas, concussed and experiencing mild brain injury, began remembering his past. Due to the sudden shift of his brain, his memories were rearranged properly. As he lies down, knocked out on the ground, he completely remembers his childhood.

***"As if my academic experience were any better. From the start, I observed how others acted. I treated everyone with respect, I showed them what I felt and how I cherished them. With how troubled I am with emotions, I didn't know what to feel. That was why I always tried to tell others that I am happy, that I was okay. But in reality, that was never the case. I observed every single person I met, ever since I was a preschooler. All I know is that every single one of them are bad, pitiful, dumb and just straight up unintelligent with what they do. I am saddened by the fact that they only approach others if they need something to benefit off of."***

***"My brother barely made anything better. All he did was attend his trainings somewhere in Switzerland so he can hone his skills and summon his Kinetic Art. I was okay with that, I wanted the best for him, but I still felt alone in absolute solitude. I didn't know what to feel or what to say. I just hated everyone, I hated how they acted and how picky they were, it made me sad. Barely anyone made the effort to talk to me, I felt so alone, depressed, anxious and I remained ruminating in my own little world. It was so depressing. But I continued living because I know that killing yourself is just a dumb idea. My parents motivated me, until a tragedy struck."***

***"Yet I felt like I had nothing. Absolutely nothing. Despite how powerful I was from the day I was born, how potent and overarching I was, all I wanted to do was be happy, to live and to understand why I was born. But because I always felt so sad and vulnerable because of the way others treated me, I felt terrible. Apart from this sadness, all I felt was hate and guilt. I always thought to myself, with how much pain I went through, how much strength I used upon others, am I really the villain? With all the people I killed, the people I barely empathized with, the lives I took, was I the bad person?"***

***"No... I just wanted to feel important for once."***

#### **Chapter 7:2:5 - Freezing Depression**

Nikolas completely regains consciousness as tears well up in his eyes, flowing down as he regains his footing, breathes ice-cold breaths and exhales blizzard-like breaths. He leapt upwards to the bluff as Sivart and the attacker continue sparring with Sivart slowly losing due to the exponential power of the attacker. Yet, Nikolas slowly freezes the vapor and fog around the area through the physical reaction of deposition. As such, hindering the movements of the attacker due to the ice.

The attacker is taken aback by the words as he exclaims in pain, standing steadily yet shakily. Sivart is held back by Nikolas who is currently slightly crying, standing in front of his long lost beloved brother. Filled with guilt, the attacker feels nothing but remorse and anger.

**Ross:** "You were never supposed to know."

**Ross:** "This... was never supposed to happen."

#### **Chapter 7:2:6 - Undesired Fate**

***"I didn't disappear because of a bad impulsive decision, I disappeared due to an unfortunate event. You may think of me as a vigilante, but in reality, I participated mostly in street fights to help with our income. I made my money off of hustling with some degenerate delinquents. Yet, I did also do some heroic work. During some uprisings, I helped save some innocent civilians from rapists and other ill-willed rebels or law enforcement personnel. But I wanted more, I wanted to save more people, I wanted to prevent more sadness. As such, I teamed up with powerful vigilantes like Stuttgart Saxon and Frieda Muller, making a small organization specializing in crime-fighting. I eventually had a higher profile, fighting more and more deadly opponents that had significance in our society."***

***"As such, for the rest of my days, I lived regretting my decisions. I lived like a slum and I openly took the blame for killing many people, despite the hidden reality. I couldn't fight the propaganda because there were just too many people believing it, as if it is one sided and biased. That's why I never even tried to grasp upon reality again, I knew I would be rejected and only this false image of me will be seen."***

***"Even if that wasn't the case, I will feel nothing but guilt for always failing top live up to other's expectations and to my duty. I will completely loathe myself for being so weak, vulnerable and powerless. I will loathe myself and resent myself for failing to complete my duties and missions as a person."***

As Hermann explains himself to Nikolas, a mysterious shadowy figure with a sniper rifle atop a nearby vantage point aims cocks their firearm and cleans their scope. Before looking through it, seemingly aiming at the crowd.

Adolf Hitler had went on a personal assassination mission, coincidentally also during the intervention of Nikolas and his fireteam. Hermann had been a kill-on-sight ever since he refused to follow his seniors' orders. As such, he is assassinated by the UnterFuhrer himself. He falls onto the ground, completely dead from the lethal shot as his brains are completely decimated.

As he falls to the ground, Nikolas immediately runs and cradles him in his arms. Hitler disappears into the night, not even suspected to have been the shooter. Sivart meanwhile checked the perimeter for possible threats as shortly, friendly forces suddenly appeared within the vicinity on the same mission as Nikolas and his fireteam. The mission has been accomplished, yet Nikolas is heartbroken. His emotions finally manifested upon years of its absence and non-existence. He reflects to himself as he cries, losing a brother he had been wanting to meet for years.

The battle ends in a victory, yet, a victory Nikolas didn't want. But alas, it was too late to resolve, another battle ending in the Federalists' favor

### **Chapter 7:3 - The New Sentinel Rank Four**

#### **Chapter 7:3:1 - Fires of Hell**

Back in outer Heilbronn, Dellion Howitzer has deployed himself upon a warning he received a warning from a patrol team. A Sentinel-level threat has entered their premises, not only that, a possible siege might occur on the town of Heilbronn. He runs in the plains and hedgerows of outer Heilbronn. Up until he sees a glimpse of fire in the distance, so he hides himself to observe the light. Using his advanced goggles, he enhances his sight and zooms in, confirming that the light source is a human. He concludes that this has to be the Sentinel.

He repositions himself to a perfect range to launch a range attack onto the presumed attacker, aiming his gauntlet toward the figure. Charging up his electrical gauntlet, he uses **Electrokinesis: Death ray** and launches laser beam toward the threat. The threat however notices and avoids the beam, as they draw their sickles and preparing in a fighting stance. Dellion quickly leapt in front of the presumed Sentinel, assuming a battle pose as he adjusts his gauntlets. The night falls, the moon above, shining down the dark plains.

**Dellion:** "You're well equipped with some of those special sickles, you seem very powerful."

**Simoun:** "Looks can be deceiving, yet some speak the truth."

Simoun wastes no time and throws his sickles toward Dellion, who quickly deflects them and charges toward him before he evades and pulls his sickles toward him again, which slashes the sides and gauntlets of Dellion, who in turn reacts barely and absorbs the damage.

**Simoun:** "How does it feel to be one of the best?"

**Dellion:** "Have you asked yourself that question?"

**Simoun:** "No, that is why I am asking you. I envy the way you took my sickles, most people would've screamed in pain from the heat. You're that strong? I loathe you, I envy you and I resent you."

Simoun then lashes out completely, embers growing stronger around his sickles as he repeatedly swings them, summoning slashes of fire.

As the two clash, Simoun attacks relatively irregularly and it seems that he has no strategy. Dellion powers his gauntlets up as he continuously lashes out at Simoun, who just parries with his fiery sickles. Due to his agile movements, Simoun breaks free from the clash and attempts to slash Dellion, but failed to do so. Simoun repositions himself far away from Dellion as he inhales calmly, yet, quickly. Dellion simply looks back at Simoun as he pants from exhaustion.

**Dellion:** "Well... I can tell that this won't be easy."

**Simoun:** "Condescendence should be quenched. Yet I loathe and envy your overarching confidence."

**Dellion:** "That's because I have hope, and you don't."

**Simoun:** "Hope? No matter how much you have, it won't do much for you. You'll just stay the same, think the same and be broken because of your optimism."

**Dellion:** "It's better than being a sad-sack."

**Simoun:** "We'll see."

Out of rage and resentment, Simoun unleashes more rampant fire sickles toward Dellion, who quickly ignores them. However, Simoun catches him by surprise by bending and manipulating the direction of the fire sickles and homing it toward Dellion, who was overwhelmed and got hit a few times, yet his armor withstood it which furthered the resentment and envy of Simoun. Simoun then launches himself toward Dellion and starts a back-and-forth clash. With each blow being parried, the fight is clearly equal. However, both are mutually running out of stamina but Dellion thinks that his gauntlets will overheat if he keeps clashing like this.

As a response, Simoun slashes Dellion's gauntlet, significantly damaging it. Dellion quickly responds by summoning an outburst of electricity, which launches Simoun away for a short time. However, for five seconds, Simoun continues his absence before suddenly appearing after another rampant fire slash was launched, starting another clash with Dellion. Dellion's left gauntlet completely overheats as he channels some of his remaining left gauntlet's energy into his right to make a last-resort blow.

**Simoun:** "Tell me, despite how much you've probably lost, how much you failed to achieve, why do you keep going? Why are you so motivated?"

*"..."*

*"He has a point. I already lost so much, yet why is it that I continue living?"*

#### **Chapter 7:3:2 - Ashes**

***"I don't even remember who my parents were. Yet, now that I'm beginning to remember, our house caught on fire. The heat from this guy's attacks reminded me of the burning ashes I smelled and inhaled when I was a toddler. My mom was cooking dinner, when she accidentally poured alcohol onto the stove. That escalated quickly and caught fire to the cabinet, the next thing we know, the wooden walls and floor. The fire was so quick, my mom ran away from the fire yet, tripped, the fire completely encased her and she burnt alive. My father meanwhile embraced me as he wanted to die with me. Yet, just in time, the firefighters came in and rescued me, but my dad already died from too much carbon dioxide."***

***"Eventually, I was raised by a gentle technician, I considered him to be my master. I was his student and apprentice, from a young age I already fell in love with technology. Yet, because I admired the firefighters that rescued my family, I quickly wanted to become a serviceman. As such, I chose to become a soldier, and so, my master taught me how to use my engineering skills to eventually be an engineer. I succeeded and eventually became a field technician in the army."***

***"One day, I was off-duty. My master called me into his office. Next to him, was his niece. He asked me a question."***

***Master:*** *"Dellion, have you ever considered falling in love?"*

***"If I remember clearly, his niece had admired me for almost a year. She desired to marry a man that is good-willed, smart and valiant."***

***Master:*** *"You very much fit her standards, would you be comfortable with marrying her?"*

***"I didn't know what to feel. I didn't know that a selfish person like me would ever get to fall in love. I loathed myself for having no guilt for what happened with my mother and father. All I did was live because that's what my mother and father wanted. But maybe, they wanted me to also feel love and start a family of my own and correct their mistakes. I accepted the offer."***

***"Years went by, I was getting older but I somewhat retained my young face, and I don't know why, but I was always called handsome by my townsfolk. Yet, something worse happened. I just learned it by that time, it was that:"***

**Simoun:** "Yet, may I ask, why is it that you were amputated?"

**Dellion:** "I don't want to reinstate, it was part of my efforts to make the memory chip."

**Simoun:** "Does it hurt you? That no matter how much you do, you end up getting ignored by others? That's what I was trying to say with hope."

**Dellion:** "What matters is that I try. Would you have been stronger than your weaker self if you didn't try?"

**Simoun:** "I am only strong because I know what pain feels, I know how it sucks when others hurt you despite your efforts."

**Dellion:** "What are you trying to tell me?"

**Simoun:** "I want you to join me. With how strong you are, you will just waste it dying to me. Your pain shaped your strength, to the point I already envy you for going this far. Do you really want to waste your strength and potential just for people that barely care about you? People that reject you and dislike your ideas?"

**Dellion:** "What degenerate do you take me for? A traitor? No. I may be hurt, but I am not that desperate."

**Simoun:** "Really... Not giving into temptation... That infuriates me... What fucking willpower do you have??? IT'S MAKING ME WAY TOO FUCKING ENVIOUS, MAN...!!!!!!"

Simoun exclaims and screams out of anger before tearing more rampant fire sickles toward him as it rapidly increases in number, but Dellion's determination powers his movements. With one arm, he deflects and weaves through the fire sickles as he finally lands a brutal hit on Simoun's chest, who quickly responds by unleashing multiple circular fire slashes around his body to smack him away, however Dellion completely ignores it and allows to be slash, in turn, launching an incredibly electrifying blow to Simoun's side, allowing electricity to rupture his skin and violate his body. Yet, Simoun bursts out of fire and regains his footing, before leaping upwards and landing behind Dellion.

Simoun then launches more sickles of fire toward Dellion, who instead launches a powerful blow toward the general direction of Simoun, annihilating the fire. Simoun can't accept that he's losing to a guy with just one arm, distracted by his thoughts, he is quickly tackled and shoved away by Dellion, who then attempts to follow up and this time smacks the right side of Simoun. Eventually, Simoun had enough of it and decided to go 100%. He then slashed Dellion's face and armor, trying to break it as he accepts some of Dellion's blows. The exchanges were critical and brutal, yet both mutually stood their guard.

Dellion is still amazed by Simoun's lack of strategy. However, Simoun then lashes more and more hellish sickles toward Dellion's body and gauntlet. As a result, overheating and overcharging his gauntlets which led to some short circuits, but Dellion refused to give up. The clash became an exchange of parries, as both are now mutually standing their guard, performing quick and agile blows while attempting to end one another. Screams, yells and clamors are thrown at each other.

**Simoun:** "YOU'RE GOING TO DIE! YIELD NOW! THESE FLAMES ARE GOING TO BURN YOUR GADGETS AND FUCK YOU UP IN THE LONG RUN! JOIN ME! YOU CAN'T BE WASTED!"

**Dellion:** "DON'T FUCKING TALK TO ME! I WON'T YIELD TO A DEGENERATE LIKE YOU! I AM A SOLDIER, NOT A MERCENARY!"

With not much hope, they all are now on equal ground in a sudden turn, so they are just throwing what they can in hopes to grab the victory.

#### **Chapter 7:3:3 - Smoke**

Simoun had stuck his sickle through Dellion. This was exponentially critical and lethal. Dellion's heart is burnt and decimated, his chest completely burnt and his body turning into an oven. Dellion exhales his last breaths before all of his blood spews out and burns in the fire. Dellion's eyes run out of light, before Simoun watches in agony, sadness, empathy and guilt. Simoun does not extract his sickle just in case Dellion lives, but the situation was hopeless. Dellion has died. As such, Simoun extracts his sickle from his body as the lifeless body of Dellion kneels before him.

**Simoun:** "It's... Done..."

Frieda Muller, now with shorter hair and a more developed body, appears out of nowhere in a futile attempt to save her senior. Yet, when she got there, he had already died. Simoun watches in fear and hesitation, as he slowly steps away from Frieda, who continues to talk and insult Simoun's dishonorable spirit. Simoun hides his sickles as he takes more steps backward out of fear.

In a quick second, Simoun leaps into the air and makes a run into the forest.

**Frieda:** "ALL YOU DO IS RUN, ALL YOU DO IS COWER FROM A REAL FIGHT! ALL YOU DO ARE HURT OTHERS, YOU ARE NOT HUMANS, YOU ARE JUST SACKS OF FILTH GIVEN PITY BY NATURE AND CONSIDERED BY OTHERS AS HUMANS! YOU ARE FILTH! THE REAL WINNER IS THIS MAN! HE NEVER RAN, HE FOUGHT UNTIL THE END! AND NOW, YOU ARE TRYING TO RUN AWAY AS IF YOUR LIFE WAS WORTH MORE THAN HIS! THAT'S DESPICABLE, SHAME ON YOU!!!!"

**Simoun:** "I can't hurt this girl. She did nothing wrong. I only hurt those who defy me, my beliefs and what I believe to be right. Just shut up! I am the winner. I won because he died, and I lived. Simple as that. We are no different from animals. You people will never understand. All you know what to focus on are yourselves and not others. That's what I resent. I begrudge all of you for being ignorant and barely empathetic."

Simoun had completely fled from the battlefield as Frieda weeps and sobs at the loss of a warrior. Wassersaule appears out of a bush alongside Serene Ziegler. Yet, all they could do was watch and request for Medical Evacuation. Serene decided to use her inhuman sight to detect who Simoun was, and much to her knowledge, she was shocked. It seemed familiar, yet she didn't know how. At 0545 hours, the battle ended, and as such, at the loss of an all-star and the victory is ambiguous.

### **Chapter 8:0 - Preview**

In a diner, Ezekiel sits drinking warm milk. He enjoys the serene feel as papers on his table are present. Sitting in front of him is the First Rank sentinel himself. Yet, none show aggression, as both are enjoying their breakfasts.

**Remendado:** "So, Ezekiel. My gratitude for this breakfast. Had you considered joining the Sentinels yet?"

**Ezekiel:** "Consideration is important. I want you to listen to my proposal."