Chapter 17

“Come on you ugly son of a bitch” Ulrich shouted out between the swipes he made at Steel Monger.  The creature got in a few swipes it self at Ulrich, but the creature itself was quite bloodied.  It just was harder for Ulrich to take down than other men.  But nothing would stop him from avenging his men.

“You took my men’s lives from them that day nine years ago, now I am here to pay them back” he roared at the top of his lungs.  Both man-giant and man-beast charged at each other head on. Ulrich stepped sideways as he jammed the machete in the unguarded area underneath Steel Monger’s armpit.  It howled in pain, that’s when Ulrich climbed on its head and started pounding away at its head.

Again and again and again, he struck at the creatures head with his bare hands.  It was struggling to grab him and throw him off of his shoulders, but to no avail.  Finally with one gigantic hammer strike, the creature’s skull caved in.  The creature went into a pained frenzy that shook Ulrich off, the creature grabbed at its head trying to subdue the pain as it fell to its knees.  It looked up once more to see Ulrich with his eyes blazing and the bloodied machete in his right hand.

“For my men and all the innocent people you killed” he said before plunging the machete into the creature’s skull.  The creature stood up once more trying to remove the machete, but even in its death throes, it couldn’t be removed.  With its last ounce of strength, it finally collapsed on the wall near the castle gates.

Ulrich collapsed to his knees in exhaustion.  Finally after all these years, he would finally find peace.  “My comrades” he said to himself as he remembered the faces of his fallen comrades.  “You have been avenged"

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It was a true duel to the death between Hideo Sasaki, member of the Black Lotus Clan and Kurt Holden, son of Albert and Hitomi Holden, were locked in battle between good and evil.  They both had been cut badly by each others swords, but nonetheless, neither was willing to give up.

“You know my father failed to kill you?” Hideo spat.  “He had to commit hara-kiri because of his failure.  If it wasn’t for that bastard uncle of yours saving your life, he would have lived and I wouldn’t have to fight you for my family’s honor” he launched at Kurt.

“You call it honor to kill innocent people? Kurt replied coldly.  “Only if it preserves the purity of the Japanese people” Hideo replied acidly.  “I wonder how many Japanese would agree to that” Kurt said with a smile, as it made Hideo much madder.  “It doesn’t matter how must die, the purity of Japan is much more important than life itself, no matter how many thousands must die, Japanese should be Japanese, not foreign scum like you” he roared as he charged at Kurt.

It’s just what Kurt needed.  Hideo was so maddened by what Kurt had said and what he was, that he didn’t notice the tanto that he had hidden behind him.  When Kurt timed it right, he throw up the sword with his right arm to block Hideo’s attack and at the same time, gave a mighty thrust with his left hand, jamming the knife into Hideo’s gullet.  Blood poured out from his mouth as he grabbed at the wound around his stomach.

“Half-breed dog” Hideo cursed as he fell over the battlements and plunged to the earth below.  Kurt sighed as he looked over the side.  “We could have been brothers, but instead you choose to be my enemy” he said sadly.  He sheathed his sword once more.  “Mother, Father, Uncle, if your listening, I hope I’ve done you proud”.

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“That’s the last of the explosives, let’s get the hell out of here” Wolfgang shouted.  The troops along with Schwartz made a mad dash for the stairwell, when suddenly Wolfgang got hit.  “You bastards’ Schwartz shouted out as he fired back, taking out the Knights that got him.

“Hope they don’t cut off your leg” Schwartz joked as he picked up Wolfgang.  He chuckled “At least then we’ll have something in common then” he joked.  “Don’t expect an Order of the Black Eagle just yet, first we have to get out of here” Schwartz said as he picked up the wounded Corporal and helped get out.

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“You die now” Fallion hissed with his hand wrapped around Schroeder’s neck as he was pushing him against the railing that lead into the pit where Duchess had fallen in earlier.  He had given Fallion a good pummeling, but the body slam did take up a lot of his strength, Schroeder thought the same would be said of him, but much to his disappointment it had no effect.

Just as he was about to pass out, several thuds were heard.  Fallion seized up and let go of Schroeder.  When he fell to the ground he had seen who it was.  It was Helga with her steam-powered crossbow.  Fallion tried to charge at her but she had her weapon on full auto and unleashed a volley of bolts.

By the time she ran empty, Fallion looked like a giant pin cushion.  He stumbled backwards and fell into the giant pit.  Helga walked over to Schroeder and began to help him up.  “Looks like I owe you one” Schroeder smiled.  “Don’t worry Heinrich, we’ll find a way to make up for it” she said with a smile.  He then had a question “Duchess, Blackthorn?”

“That bitch is the same pit in hell with that albino colored freak and Blackthorn” she indicated to Harbin and Kruger who were carrying an unconscious Blackthorn “He’s no longer a problem” she said maintaining her grip on Schroeder.  “We have to get out of here; the explosives are set to go off any minute.”

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The explosions went off as Helga said.  Both the steel mills and God-Slayer went up in a series of fiery explosions.  The hot molten steel poured into the castle, destroying it from with in and from without of the castle, it covered the entire village in hot lead, but not before the remaining members of the Wulfkorp escaped the to where the tanks and suits were positioned to quarantine the area and prevent the virus from expanding beyond the village.

A series of tanks came in with the wounded upon which were loaded up after the first explosions were heard.  Dr. Schreiber was working on and infected trooper to make sure he was cured and others more poured in.  She was about to summon the next set of wounded when a familiar face plopped down beside her.

“Wolfgang!!!” she said as her face lit up.  “The one and only” he smiled.  She plunged right into him and gave him a whooper of a kiss.  “I am happy to see that you have survived” she said shedding tears of joy.  “I promised you I’d come back alive, didn’t I?” he said grinning.  She began wiping away the tears “Yes you did” she looked at him again to see his leg was wounded.

“Oh my god, we have to get you fixed up before you lose your leg like Cadet Schwartz” she helped him onto the bed.  He grabbed her arm before she could induce anesthesia “don’t cut off my leg.”  She smiled before injecting him.  “Don’t worry, your leg, we can save.