Redemption

Erwin Hollenfeuer sitting on a rock amidst the snowy forests during the winter period of the war. He reflects his mistakes and his past after his latest heroic action.

## "LET GO OF THE PAST TO CREATE THE FUTURE"

### Synopsis

4 months after the siege of Heilbronn and the revelation of Erwin, significant war progress was made following the fall of snow in Germany. Northern forces begin moving southward as Erwin lives in self-exile within the landscapes and forests of Mannheim. Following his betrayal of the Sentinels, Adolf Hitler summons the remaining Sentinels informing them of their failures.

## Details

### Goal

Locate a concentration camp in Nuremberg and liberate its prisoners.

### Location

Mannheim and Nuremberg, Germany

**Redemption** is the ninth chapter and fifth psychological chapter of **Descendants of Calamity.** It begins the third and final part of the Descendants of Calamity, introducing a pivotal event in the series. It is the first chapter to feature the conflict type of Man vs Self. It is December of 1943, Erwin Hollenfeuer continued hiding himself after his brother's death and his defeat in Heilbronn. Ashamed, he fears showing his face to society, hiding in Mannheim under a new identity for four months. As snow fell, the Descendants of Calamity search for him while another problem awakens itself.

## **Story**

### **Chapter 9:1 - Confederates**

#### **Chapter 9:1:1 - The Final Sentinel Gathering**

A month after the events in Heilbronn, the news of Simoun's betrayal reaches the highest of echelons, the Sentinels are yet again summoned to discuss their upcoming pivotal decisions regarding the current state of the war, which they are losing. Yet again, the marbled floor reveals itself within the golden fog. Remendado is summoned into the Doomspire, yet, the stench feels different. As the environment crumbles, ready to rise the pillars, a looming presence consumes everyone. Yet, he retains his structure and poise. The pillars rise, as the remaining three Sentinels elevate in the Doomspire, alongside another replacement.

The replacement seemed as if it was sitting, as Remendado looked closer, he noticed that it was a corpse. It was in uniform of a Waffen SS commandant. Unbeknownst to them, Adolf was at his peak paranoia, a condition that resiliently weakened and weakened as the war continued to rage. As their pillars peaked, they meet each other with speechless gazes as Adolf Hitler reveals himself to the crowd.

**Hitler:** "This is unprecedented."

**Gomer:** "What is, fuhrer?"

The looming presence continues to grow, as the ground subtly rumbles out of nowhere. Hitler is seemingly paranoid, something they only ocassionally witness.

**Remendado:** "Had the old man lost his mind?"

**Melone:** "No, I suspect something more grand than that."

The rumbling intensifies, it being felt by everyone as the sounds of metal screeching louden whilst the men retain their calm and attentive stances. Soon enough, monstrous roars vibrate beneath them.

**Hitler:** "It is here."

**???:** "I entrusted my legacy onto what I thought was worthy."

The spire illuminates, akin to a momentary flash, followed by mighty roars of different sound.

**Hitler:** "My fuhrer... You have been asleep ever since the oust..."

Much to the shock of the Sentinels, the leader of the Socialist Confederacy had awakened after years of slumber. Unsurprisingly, he is one of the most formidable people in the entire world. Though, in reality, he is undead, in fact, one of the first. He appears to be a regular German fellow from the Great War, dressed and groomed like a monarch.

**Fuhrer:** "Shame. For years, I entrusted my legacy on the finest Military in the world. Yet, I had to find out that I was mistaken."

#### **Chapter 9:1:2 - The Fuhrer**

**Hitler:** "It is unacceptable, and as such, we will redeem ourselves."

**Erronzein:** "Do not bullshit me, for years, I have been skeptical of you. What I wanted was a proper country, not a genocidal dictatorship."

**Hitler:** "Your empathy is lackluster, Fuhrer. The truth is that the Jews are the real cause of this incompetence, always protesting us and always condemning the truth."

**Erronzein:** "You are not one to determine who I am, your condescendence is unfathomable. Even I was unaware of your petty revenge against something so small. Shut your god damn mouth and sit down. You are not one to lead the country."

Despite Hitler's disapproval, he feared his death. For years, Hitler had wanted to achieve his Machiavellian status as the Fuhrer and leader of a reorganized Germany. His ambitions were crushed, however. In truth, he wanted the trust of Erronzein for his own benefit and not because he saw him as a companion. As such, he tempered his urge to argue against the man in the high castle, as he knew that he would die if he were to answer against him, especially if he delivers in a wrong tone.

Erronzein turns to the Sentinels, the marks on his face grow whilst the roars grow louder below. The ground shakes with anger, as Erronzein reprimands the Sentinels.

Surprisingly, there was the true strongest Sentinel. One that practices witchcraft akin to Serene Ziegler. Lexonomicon, or the Vengeful Caster is Erronzein's enforcer, commonly following his beliefs in honor and true politics. Yet, he holds a darker truth that no one is sure of.

**Lexonomicon:** "What you aren't certain of is scripting. A common yet potent craft in manifesting and attracting your desires. With this pen, I can write a prophecy to my desire, in a case, where it can be our victory and our enemies' defeat. However, I take note of how unpredictable it is, as I cannot mention specific names, otherwise it will not work. Rather, I will write novel, and each character and event will particularly represent a future I prophesize."

As powerful as Serene, Lexonomicon is able to use his craft to write the future. A rather cunning yet unpredictable ability. It can either lead to their goal or to their disorder.

**Erronzein:** "Yet, understand that I do not yearn for tears and blood. What I want is victory. Our conquest started with the urge to spread the truth of the Hollenfeuers and extinguish capitalist kleptocracy. Ever since then, I worked and shed blood, tears and honor to achieve the positions I've. Just when the public was suspicious with my age, I falsified my death and entrusted it to Hitler. As such, I summoned my vessels to oversee activity and to act as if they were my children or successors. Now, he has built killing machines, palaces of terror and chambers of fear. And you are all supporting it. We are given this power not by our predecessors, but the faith of the present. We are the ones that provide light, but also the ones to blind the optimistic."

**Hitler:** "Fuhrer, your desires are impossible without blood. If I were to remain a pacifist, the oppositions will continue to oppose. If one educated servant were to live and reinstate our ideas, our fires will be quenched. In truth, the people arrested and persecuted for their betrayal of the nation are ones that doubt us. Indefinitely, they contribute to continuous questioning of our ideas."

**Erronzein:** "No matter how much blood and tears you shed, it will be futile. The blood you wasted were the seeds of our future. The idealistic socialist future of peace and order. Now, you have wiped the nation and swept every servant to help our cause. Every man you employ as a soldier and every family you destroy, no matter what, there is no defending it. You are the cause of the nation's downfall."

Hitler was furious, still denying the truth. In fact, he was ready to debate with Erronzein. Yet, conscious of his place he kept his words to himself.

**Erronzein:** "The poor stay poor while the rich get richer. The mute remain silent and the ignorant remain deaf. The oppression I once wanted to cleanse remains in our motherland. Yet, what are you doing seeding the massacres and extinguishing bloodlines? If we acted earlier, this wouldn't have happened. If we weren't sloths, we would have scored victory. If we worked properly, human rights will be equal. The faith you all lack and the morality you all threw away disgusts me. Sleazy men in power, doing the littlest things they can and calling it work. Shame. Useless. Replaceable. We were once winning, yet, we lost more and more cities and territory, even the strongest encampments and major cities like Nuremberg."

Erronzein's skin hardens, as he awakens his true form. With all their might, the dragons ascend the Doomspire and release almighty roars that rumble the face of the earth. As his skin hardens, his facial hair lengthens, his hair turns into a firepit and he is encased in molten armor. He has awakened.