"Everything is falling apart before our eyes.
Is there any grace to save those who have lost their way out there? When this war ends, where will the fate of those people go?
No, they will no longer exist, their names, their fates will be erased by history once and for all. Not a hand lend to them, Berlin is already within the range of the Red Army's artillery.
The fateful moment has come."
The reserve officer wrote hastily in his diary, then closed, and put it in his inner pocket. He looked up at the sky, mottled with black and gray streaks of anti-aircraft artillery, he looked down at the ground, the alarm siren was blaring, strangely no one in Berlin had evacuated, no, they were not allowed to evacuate, they were forced to stay inside and fight.
Looking at his comrades leisurely smoking a cigarette, their lips kept mumbling the words: "soon, this will end."
He just stood there, watching the hurried crowd, the anti-aircraft guns overhead still firing continuously.
It's here, it is here now.
"That's right, that day has come..."
Looking up at the black sky again, and looking down at the rubble at his feet. Is this Berlin? Is it still the capital of the empire?
"..."
In the other world, in Mondstadt, Eula finally woke up from her long coma.
"At that moment... Everything looked so terrifying, even after the battle..."
Eula was scared when she had to recall the memories on the hill that day, she trembled and said to Jean:
"That commander... He must be a powerful person, willing to kill and be brutal for his goals. We must be wary of his actions..."
Grasping some of the context that happened that day, Jean began to piece together from what she saw, and from Eula - who directly confronted Schneider at the artillery batteries. She nodded, thanking her:
"The information from you will more or less help us... Right now, we need to be more careful in the next confrontations."
Hearing that, Eula also felt somewhat reassured and more confident, she realized that she was no longer alone in this battle, together we would overcome all the difficulties and challenges.
"Eula, can you describe Schneider or his accomplices?"
Eula hesitated, everything happened so fast, she didn't have the heart to pay attention to the details around her.
"I... I don't know!" — Eula said confusedly.
Seeing that, Jean had to change the topic, after all, Eula had just recovered, she couldn't rush her to remember everything.
"What did you see there?"
"... Everything happened so fast that day, I..."
Eula continued to tell about the encounter, her words showing seriousness and concentration as she began to describe in detail the uniforms and fighting style of Schneider's soldiers.
"Unlike the ones who attacked us before, this time they wore military uniforms like green camouflage shirts with leaf-like patterns, along with hats painted exactly like them to blend in with nature... If you don't pay attention, you might miss them without knowing...!"
She continued:
"Their fighting style is also very different from last time. This time they have a certain level of professionalism, not only relying on overwhelming numbers but also on tactical organization and the precision of their weapons..."
Eula hesitated again, it seemed that her mental wounds were still there, she recalled the fierceness of the encounter:
"In addition, they mainly used guns, the long cannons were a bit like the Fatui's, extremely accurate... And they were also like Fontaine. The black guns they carried with them were smaller but could fire continuously, however, the sound was quite small so it was probably weaker than the brown ones. There was one more thing, that was..."
Eula kept hesitating, making Diluc even more impatient, he asked curiously:
"What is it? Tell us!"
"They probably possessed Inazuma's cannons... it was those weapons that caused that tragedy..."
Eula emphasized this description, her words were a bit more reserved, showing a stern warning about the power and potential danger of the enemy war machine that was gradually showing. She knew that to deal with such soldiers, they needed to coordinate their operations and fight more intelligently.
Jean was also surprised by Eula's story, were those guns that powerful? Obviously their technology was miles ahead of ours, in this war, without magic, it would probably be impossible to confront them head-on.
"Let's stop here... The people I have designated in advance are requested to be present move to my office."
"Yes, Captain!"
Jean turned to Eula and said:
"Get some rest, you did excellent."
Jean turned away, shouting loudly to her teammates:
"Alright, please follow me!"
Jean and everyone returned to her office, the danger of the mysterious force to the world would have been completely cleared up if she hadn't ignored Klee's warning earlier. Jean stood in front of the desk, her eyes looking sternly at everyone. She started the meeting:
"According to the information that Eula told us, that commander's full name is Schneider Emeric, he is the one behind everything."
Noelle gave her opinion:
"If we catch him, I want to... Oh well. Sister Jean, please continue!"
Jean continued, turning to the description of Schneider's soldiers' uniforms:
"According to Eula, Schneider's soldiers wear green camouflage uniforms with leaf-spotted patterns and painted helmets to blend in with their surroundings. Their weapons are different from ours and the way they fight is also highly coordinated..."
Jean paused for a moment to make sure everyone was on her, then continued:
"It is necessary having discussing to plan how to deal with them in the future... Does anyone have any ideas?"
Venti leaned back, as if he was thinking about something, then he spoke:
"Well... They are indeed formidable opponents... We should have reforms in counterattacking strategy more effectively..."
Everyone in the meeting room agreed, indeed, the last time they attacked, the Mondstadt garrison had suffered heavy losses due to overreliance and underestimating the enemy. This time, there must be new reorganizations, avoiding the same mistakes as before.
"For now, let's start making some adjustments to the formation. In addition, we will arrange more soldiers to stand guard in shifts. What do you think?"
Diluc agreed, he thought for a moment and said:
"But the problem is that he is not only strong in tactics, but also seems to have the support of a formidable organization. I suspect Fatui is pulling the strings behind the scenes..."
"And above all, can Venti go to other places to warn them about it?" — He continued.
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Venti replied:
"I am very willing."
"So does anyone else have any comments?" - Jean asked.
Everyone was silent, considering that they had agreed with the policies proposed in the meeting.
"Then let's agree! Now we will make a detailed plan for each step. We will start by strengthening Mondstadt's defenses, then find a way to approach and learn more about the enemy. Is everyone clear?"
Everyone shouted in unison:
"Understood!!"
Jean looked around, in those eyes she saw everyone's determination. She knew that with the coordination and efforts of the whole team, they would be able to deal with any challenge and protect Mondstadt from danger, only when everyone had each other, no obstacles could defeat them.
"..."
The call came from the other side, it must be Demian. Günter picked up the phone, unlike every other day, it seemed like the other end of the line was in a state of great chaos.
"Hallo? Hallo! Is Lieutenant General Günter here!?"
From the phone, he could hear distant artillery fire, gunfire, and even sirens, and it felt like everything in Berlin was spinning out of control.
"Demian!"
"Thank God, Günter! You're here."
Demian's voice was different from usual, as if he had just experienced something terrifying.
"Berlin is under attack! They're coming!"
Günter was stunned, he reacted immediately.
"It can't be...!"
He never expected that Berlin would become the front line, Germany should have... He was speechless when he had to say it, but the truth was that Germany had been defeated, had lost, and was certain to lose, why was Adolf still stubborn, and then it turned out like this?
Suddenly he heard a scuffle on the other end of the line.
"Dr. Demian! Come with me to the bunker! The bombs are about to fall in this area!"
He pushed the man's hand away and shouted:
"Can't you see I'm busy! You go down first!"
"But..."
"Hurry!"
The other doctors had already gone down to the bunker, only he and a few others remained, they were clinging to the achievements they had built up all their lives.
"Günter! The new directive has just been issued—"
At that moment, a bomb hit the roof of the research building, the loud explosion caused the old doctor to temporarily lose his hearing, the reinforced concrete was also shattered, and shards were scattered everywhere, the radio also suffered some damage, and the connection was lost right after.
"Demian? Demian! Damn it!"
He patiently waited for Demian to reply, it was already dusk and he still couldn't catch any signal.
"..."
Günter sighed, he prayed that his loved ones and his comrades would survive the war, the clock was ticking down to the very last minute, if he lost his life like that then...!
Finally, he got the radio signal from Berlin, happily, he immediately picked it up.
"Demian?!"
"That was close... It's me, Günter."
"What was your order before?"
"Request the 3rd Division to move in front of Mondstadt, to the open ground."
"...! You're crazy!"
"This is an order, Günter, you're a soldier, you have to follow orders."
"..."
The signal suddenly died, leaving Günter angry at that strange order.
"Damn it! Do they really understand what they're doing!"
From behind the camp, Amber hid behind the stacked wooden crates, secretly eavesdropping on the entire conversation between him and Demian from beginning to end, she was naturally shocked when she heard those words, but she absolutely did not dare to say it out loud.
"..." — Amber whispered something.
This cannot be ignored! They promised not to harm the people, yet they planned to attack Mondstadt once more. How treacherous! They dare to take advantage of the enthusiasm of the Teyvat people to do whatever they want!
"Tsk..."
The radio turned off, he clicked his tongue out loud, then sat down on the chair, the table was still littered with papers and documents, he turned to Chadrick and Schneider — who were also in the tent, all three of their eyes showed obvious helplessness.
They just kept doing whatever they wanted, there was no way to stop them, sooner or later the SS would kill the innocent people here again. All their "merits" would eventually become "following orders."
No one said anything to each other, but they understood that when Germany was defeated, those people would also evacuate to this continent and continue the unfinished massacre on Earth. Was it true?
When did the other two people go out, Günter stayed behind, the oil lamp still burning on the table, a dim yellow glimpse glow on his tired face, the long-standing fatigue pressing down on the lieutenant general's shoulders.
He left when there was no one else outside, he looked up at the stars above, as if they were also waving to him from a high place.
Those small glimpses looked so splendid, a sky full of stars that was not always seen in the city, he took advantage of the quiet nights like today to enjoy the scene alone.
"... There's a fallen star on the ground? Amber! What are you doing here!?"
His intuition told him that someone had been following him for a long time, he was skeptical about that strange feeling, but now he was sure that it was true!
"...!"
"Did you hear our entire conversation?"
Knowing that she could no longer hide, Amber stepped forward and questioned Günter.
"Why did you allow them to come to the Windrise Land !?"
"Windrise Land?..."
Amber approached him with an angry face, as if she was about to jump over him.
"Little girl, that was an order that I had to obey, I—"
"That's not the reason! You could have objected! You could have not follow them! But no! You chose to listen to them, just because of your stupid order, other innocent people..."
"I..."
He felt that his words became harder to come out when he heard those words, as if his heart wanted to hold back the words. Günter was silent for a moment, then turned to Amber:
"... I will do my best to protect everyone, but I need your help in that too."
Feeling satisfied, her wish, the scout softened her voice.
"You better keep your word, Günter."
"I promise, so go back to the tent."
Günter stood there, silently watching her back as she left, he seemed to see the image of his daughter also disappearing towards the horizon. An indescribable feeling ran through his heart, making him lose a breath, why? The war was almost over, why were there still innocent people falling?
He laid down on the mattress, thousands of thoughts still running through his head, making him unable to sleep. Tonight he did not sleep, because he was worried about one thing, the biggest concern, was how to save those innocent lives from the vortex of war.
"The end is right before our eyes, why do they still have to die?..."
A cursed fate, he silently blamed.
Then a gentle breeze blew by, carrying Günter's sobs away, the moon tonight hung high in the sky, round like a ripe fruit, as if waiting for someone to pick it up and make it their own. alone.
Dawn had just appeared, behind the trees, the birds were chirping, behind the trees, the animals in the forest were waking up, the morning sun had risen.
The rays of sunlight entered the window, accidentally waking up the person who had fallen asleep on the table while still working on a pile of papers. Jean raised his head to look around, strange, how could it be morning already?
Eula gently opened the door and stepped in.
"Jean, are you awake?"
"Mhmm..." - Jean yawned.
"Is your wound healed yet?"
"I'm fine now."
"That's good."
A peaceful morning, rarely did she have such a day like today. Really! This was truly a hopeful start to a new day after the storm!
On the other side, the rays of sunlight shone through Günter's huts by the sea. He stood by the rock, listening to the gentle waves, looking into the distance, he had barely slept last night because of his constant anxiety.
The SS camp was not far from here, no matter how much he hated them, he could not deny their discipline and training, 'demons' were indeed worthy of their name.
A soldier approached his camp, handing Kuro an envelope.
"My commander sends this to Lieutenant General Günter."
Kuro passed it to Schneider, he passed it again to Günter, when he opened the letter to read, he could not help but tighten his grip on the hand holding the letter.
"Dear old man
You must be lucid enough to know who wrote this letter, it's me, Jürgen. You must have listened to the OKH yesterday, right? About our move to the empty land over there.
Remember to take some of your resources with you, you understand what I mean, right?
Regards.
Jürgen"
The attitude when speaking and writing would always be different, but this brat... No filter even while writing! How dare he writes a letter to someone old enough to be his father like this!
Günter was furious, shouting at Chadrick:
"Damn him! Clear the way for the vehicles immediately! This brat is really...!"
The 3rd Panzer Division's formation advancing towards Fengqidi consisted of: 3 Tiger II ausf H vanguards as shields, 2 Kugelblitzs providing fire support, 4 Zugkraftwagens for logistics, Tiger II sla. 16 as tank, and a captured American tank — Panzer M4 748 (A) commanded by Jürgen and Hitomi respectively.
He deliberately passed by the Günter camp, leaving a contemptuous look at the people below.
"... Tch..."
"Chadrick! Activate all Panthers. I will assist them."
"Lieutenant General, you..."
"This is an order!"
From afar, the steel monsters rumbled towards the castle. The iron chorus, built by the steel choir, all charged forward.
"Monsters! Monsters!"
The soldiers on the watchtower rang the bells in fear.
"They! They're coming again...!"
"Report to Jean immediately!"
The convoy continued to move silently, the iron machines roaring their engines, as if they were huge Far Eastern lions, charging towards their prey. Taking advantage of the fact that they were still far away, Venue — the soldier on the watchtower quickly ran back to the town hall to report.
"What!? Impossible!"
Jean quickly mobilized all the soldiers to guard the city gate. The triumphant Jürgen opened the hatch of the command cabin, arrogantly holding the radio and saying:
"Immediately surround this city! Not a single soul can escape from here! The infantry will follow the armored units, as planned!"
"Immediately surround this city! Not a single soul can escape from here! The infantry will follow the armored units, as planned!" [https://img.wattpad.com/15909005321d4c9b58a972c0b0b162418954846d/68747470733a2f2f73332e616d617a6f6e6177732e636f6d2f776174747061642d6d656469612d736572766963652f53746f7279496d6167652f57715746745f484e374c445268513d3d2d35362e313830613535383830636466333738613337363636393136333430392e6a7067?s=fit&w=1280&h=1280]
Everyone in the city immediately reacted, they prepared, urged everything, ready for a great war. But unlike last time, Jean did not deploy the infantry in front of the city gate, but placed spikes and dragon teeth in front of the entrance.
Jürgen and Günter were two people, two separate worlds, his tactics this time were even more unpredictable than Günter's.
"Are they moving to the Windy Land?"
"Aren't they going to attack us...?"
Everyone watched in silence, as the saying goes: "A frog that is slowly boiled does not realize that it is being boiled. It just lies there, waiting to be boiled."
In just a few minutes, Mondstadt was surrounded on all sides by Günter and Jürgen's troops [https://img.wattpad.com/65d4087ec3738872fddc9bdc7a613f203ac47098/68747470733a2f2f73332e616d617a6f6e6177732e636f6d2f776174747061642d6d656469612d736572766963652f53746f7279496d6167652f5271654e6151786339705f5a70413d3d2d35362e313830613535383233353437663061323939303533353035353031372e6a7067?s=fit&w=1280&h=1280]
In just a few minutes, Mondstadt was surrounded on all sides by Günter and Jürgen's troops.