Chapter 15

The Wulfkorp Battleships Barbarossa and Odoacer unleashed a five minute salvo fire upon the the headquarters of the Blood Knights.  The attacks played hell on the moral of the Blood Knights, killing a few Templars and many more regular troops, but the castle was so fortified by the fact that it was built within the mountain, that the shells could not damage the fortress as bad as it could have been.  But destroying the castle wasn't the plan, for the role of the battleships was to merely damage the defenses of the castle and district the defenders long enough so that Schroeder landed on the castle battlements along with the other Wulfkorp troopers, including Helga, Schwartz and Wolfgang. 

 He had lost his assault rifle just earlier when a Black Wing grabbed it away from him and forced him to draw his sword.  When he began slashing away at what he thought was a person, he instead found out that it once was a man, but now it was fang-toothed grey skinned creature that hissed loudly at him. Nonetheless, he managed to slay the creature before hitting the chute and landing on the castle walls.

Blood Knight Troopers came at him with swords and guns so fast, that Schroeder didn’t have the time unhook his pack.  With a quick left draw he drew his sidearm and switched it to triple shot. Few troopers fell as they got close enough for him to use his sword.  He slashed and hacked the remaining Knights as if he was slicing through butter.  “Ulrich makes a damn fine sword” he said to himself.  “Heinrich” a voice shouted out.  It was Helga who had just finished dispatching a group of Blood Knights along with Harbin.

Schroeder undid his pack and sheathed his sword before going over to Helga.  “You dropped this” she said as she handed him the assault rifle he thought he lost.  “Nice of you to find it for me” Schroeder said with a brief smile.  “There’s no time for pleasantries Heinrich, we need to blow these guns, so that the rest of the troops can drop in.”  “The rest of the shells used for these guns can be used as explosives” Wolfgang chimed in.  “Excellent, take off the tops and dump the gun powder, then light it up” Helga commanded.

The troopers that had already arrived began ransacking the storehouse where the remaining shells were stored to attend to the task.  It didn’t take long for them to grab the barrels of gunpowder and make several lines that lead to the powder kegs.  Once the fire was lit, Schroeder and the group made a mad dash into the castle just as the fuse reached its limit.

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A large explosion sounded from within the castle as Lord Blackthorn was making preparations within the steel mill.  “They’ve infiltrated the castle” Blackthorn howled.  “Not to worry my lord” Fallion said keeping his cool “This is where they die” he said as he pulled a switch.

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The loud explosions threw off Ulrich for only a mere second, when he had seen where the explosion came from he grinned.  “Commander Braun and her troops are in, let’s give these maggots hell, Wulfkorp style” he shouted as he smashed an infected villager with his mini-gun.  Upon crashing into a building that was once a church, he and the troopers unloaded with a volley of death.

“I can’t imagine these Blood Knights ever coming here on a Sunday” Sheila joked as she spat out some tobacco.  “That’s only because they want to look innocent, when in reality their nothing more than a bunch of Satan loving scum” Kruger spat as he kicked a downed infected in the head.  ‘”Never pegged you for religious type, Kruger” Bruckner said as he smashed an infect Blood Knight in the head with the butt of his rifle.  “After seeing all this at the end of a mission, a man’s got to keep his sanity somehow” Kruger said as he took out a group of infected with his rifle.  “I usually settle with a bottle of Whiskey when it ain’t Sunday” Sheila said as she finished reloading her irons to dispatch a few infected ones.

Upon emptying the church full of infected, they moved out.  The town looked rather simple, French countryside style housing with vineyards.  Except for the fact that it was crawling with infected, it would have looked less like a facility to the Blood Knights and more like a simple village with castle over looking it.  A Wulfkorp trooper came up to him “We have the front half of the village secured sir.  What are your orders Sergeant?” the trooper asked.

“Shack up with us and let’s secure the town, let the rest know that they need to remain with the armored suits and wipe out the rest of the infected” Ulrich commanded.  Before they could move out they heard several screams come form a distance, when they saw what was happening Ulrich grinned.  A group of Blood Knights were getting torn to shreds by infected ones and fighting a desperate battle to escape.  “Looks like it’s hurting them more than us” Ulrich chuckled.

At that same time, large rumbling sound could be heard.  For a moment the sound of gunfire went silent.  When Ulrich’s squad looked up to see where it came, it was Sheila who pointed it out “it’s coming from the castle” she said as she nervously pulled out some tobacco and handed some to Bruckner.  It was as if there was a large door on the castle wall.  “I got a bad feeling about this” Kruger said as he looked nervously as he took a few pot shots at some infected that came close.

What came out of the castle side was possibly the largest man-made artillery piece known to man.  It was as long and as wide as a The Zweihander of the Sea.” “Ohhhhhhhhhhh Shit!!!” Ulrich said to himself.

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“Steel Monger, Ivan, you may go down and destroy to your hearts desire” Blackthorn grinned.  “But my lord won’t we get shot at too?!!!!” Ivan said as he had a look of panic on his face at the size of the cannon that had taken years to make.  “Then stay out of the way if you don’t want to get hit” Duchess said coldly with a sadistic smile.  “But I…” he was cut off in mid sentence as Steel Monger grabbed him and jumped down the side of the castle, axe in his left hand, a screaming Ivan in his right hand and a new attachment to his left shoulder. “Now, let’s test the power of the God-slayer” Blackthorn said chuckling.  “Fire when ready."

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When the cannon fired, it was as if the heavens itself was getting ripped apart.  The sound was deafening to the point where everyone below thought they lost their hearing.  Ulrich and his unit were prepared for the worst and had their ears covered even before the shot went off.  “Man oh man” Sheila said as she tapped her left ear with a gloved hand “that’s the loudest one of those I’ve ever heard.”  “Then let’s hope that Heinrich and the rest of the troops dismantle it, before it fires again” Bruckner replied.

As they left what was an abandoned tavern, they heard a large noise coming down from the side of the castle side.  When Ulrich looked up he grinned once more, it was Steel Monger and he was carrying a man who was screaming his lungs out.  When Steel Monger came down from the castle, he dropped the screaming man.  He looked different than he did last time.  He noticed a large tube-shaped object on his right shoulder.  Ulrich knew what it was “take cover!!!!!!” he shouted out loud.  Just as everyone ducked for cover, an explosion erupted where they had once been standing.

“That cowardly monster” Ulrich spat “I almost bested it the last time, now it thinks that it’s not going to win this round against me, so it goes and gets itself a shoulder mounted rocket launcher.”  Ulrich looked around to see that only five troopers made it, including the trooper that reported in to him.  He was glad to see Sheila, Bruckner and Kruger had made it.  “Alright, here’s the plan.  Sheila, you and your new boyfriend take Kruger along with the remaining troopers and get into that castle and help Commander Braun spike that damned cannon, I’ll draw that creature’s fire.”

“You sure this ain’t one of your “I’m taking him on alone” speeches?” Sheila said as she spat some of her tobacco out.  “You know what needs to be done” Ulrich bellowed “Now go and help the Commander and her friends.”  Ulrich began to undo the straps around his back and dropped his mini-gun.  “This will make him harder to catch me” Ulrich grinned.

“I hate it when Ulrich does that” Kruger sneered as he led Sheila and Bruckner along with the rest of the troops around what was left of the town.  Sheila looked around and just as they left from the burnt out house they had ducked out of the way into.  Sheila looked around and noticed someone was missing.  “Where’s Kurt” she asked.

After Ulrich crashed the tank into the side of the church, Kurt snuck away from the rest of the group when he knew they’d be able to handle themselves without him.  He made a mad dash for the castle, while slaying a few infected on the way.  “This ends today Hideo, your going to pay for what you did to my parents” he said to himself angrily as he cut down another group of infected just before reaching the castle drawbridge which was down.

“Kurt” he heard someone saying.  He turned around to she it was Sheila and Bruckner along with Kruger and a small group of Wulfkorp troopers that managed to join them.  “Sorry Sheila, I have my own matters to attend to, in the meantime, this may be my last task for the Wulfkorp” he said as he turned around to take a forward flip that went so high, that he landed on the barbican.  A few gunshots could be heard here and there, but it died down shortly before the castle gates opened.

Sheila was dumbfounded by what Kurt had said and done, but what was important is that he was still carrying out his mission to the last.  “Alright, let’s move out” Kruger ordered.  He managed to round up a few troopers here and there while traveling through the village.  Sheila still stood there silently as the troops moved into the castle.  Bruckner noticed she hadn’t moved.  “What’s wrong?” Bruckner asked sympathetically.  “I think he’s going to die” she said as she began to shed tears.  “You really care about him don’t you?” Bruckner asked.  “Ever since I joined the Wulfkorp, he’s been like a brother to me.  If it wasn’t for him five years ago, I wouldn’t be here.” she took off her cowboy hat and began to wipe away the tears that she had been shedding.

‘We all die someday love, what matters most is that we remember how we cared about them in this life” Bruckner said as he took Sheila into his arms and hugged him.  “Thanks sweetheart” she said as she finished sobbing.  After Bruckner finished hugging her she put her hat back on.  “Alright, let’s kick some ass” she said as she and Bruckner made way for the gates.

Just before they could enter, a great wall of fire erupted in front of them.  “I have a feeling of déjà vu” Bruckner said to himself.  “That’s right you puny insect” a loud cackling sound said as a figure “and it’s time for you to burn’ as Mad Ivan stepped out the fire and began spewing death as Sheila and Bruckner jumped out of the way and into the moat.

“That firefly just doesn’t know when to quit” Sheila said as she had surfaced.  Bruckner surfaced after her “Well today is the day we snuff out this firebug.”