Gate of Dimensions

[Act 2] Chapter 5: Dawn

Salomon had stopped pretending this was a real urban battle after the first hour. Like every battle before, it was like a symphony, orchestrated by the chaos of warfare. The ground was littered with fallen bodies, their lifeless eyes staring up at the sky, sounds of gunfire and explosions being their dirge. He walked through the streets with the same experimental weapon he had since Guinevere but held it with no enthusiasm.

The city was called Lancelot, one that sat closest to Guinevere, several kilometres from the main German line. Surprisingly, it was spared from Luftwaffe bombing but, it wasn't because of mercy. With an entire army of Mordred's Imperial Army boxed inside its walls, this was a training ground to test both the strength and mercy of the Freikorps.

The soldiers were charging right past him into the city, Kar98k rifles in hand, bayonets gleaming. Entire squads split off from the main street, shooting at every swordsman and spearman that dared get in their way, using classic German formations to mow down their opponents with deadly precision. The clash of steel against steel filled the air as the Freikorps soldiers relentlessly pushed forward, their training evident in their coordinated movements.

Of course, they weren't invincible. Archers and crossbowmen on the rooftops managed to pick off several Freikorps soldiers, their arrows finding their mark on the cotton uniforms. But the Freikorps soldiers adapted quickly, utilizing the cover of nearby buildings and scattered debris to dodge and deflect the incoming arrows. They fired and the archers fell from the rooftops and down to the cobbled roads.

Salomon joined them in firing back, taking cover near the walls of an intersection building. Pulling himself away from his thoughts, Salomon aimed at one of the archers who was firing his entire quiver at the men below, missing every time as he seemed to panic, his finger tightening on the trigger of his prototype weapon. He managed to shoot an archer right through the heart, burning a hole in his chest, watching as the man fell from the rooftop and onto the cobblestone street below. Only the Lord knows why the archer continued to fight back instead of finding a way out of the city. Perhaps he was simply too devoted to his cause, or perhaps he had no choice.

Salomon felt nothing but pity, even though he had already killed so many up to now. It got so tiring he found himself resting up against the wall of an undamaged building.

"Salomon!" A voice called, from above him.

The Finn looked up and saw another Finn from the top of a balcony. It was Simo Häyhä, another officer assigned to keep an eye on the Freikorps. Curiously, his sniper rifle wasn't in his arms but slung on his back. Did he not even consider it worth holding?

Simo directed the Major towards a ladder that led to the balcony. With the sounds of violence echoing in his ears, Salomon tore his gaze away from the archers and made his way towards the ladder. He climbed up in rapid succession as the men of the Freikorps seemed to run right past without noticing the high-ranking officer.

When he entered the balcony at the top, he saw Simo wasn't there anymore but was inside the apartment room, surrounded by dead swordsmen with bullet holes, signalling to him to a wall ladder that led upwards. When the White Death climbed it, Salomon ran inside and climbed it too.

The Finn found himself on a roof that overlooked the city. It was absolute hell. The city was in ruins, engulfed in fire and smoke. Gunshots and explosions echoed through the air as chaos consumed the streets below. He felt as if he was a Soviet invader.

"Sit down," The White Death said. He was sitting down on the roof tiles, almost relaxed. He had a grim look on his face as he stared off into the city, visibly trying to make sense of the chaos that unfolded before him.

"Sit down?" Salomon asked, puzzled. "We're in the middle of a battle. An archer could shoot us from here."

"Only if a hail of arrows rushed over us. Bows don't shoot like guns; that's why they were replaced."