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01
General Lenz Marcelle grabbed the cup of tea and took a sip. At 3:00 am, Lenz heard a harsh knock on the door. His sip got stuck in his throat. He immediately swallowed, and swiftly said, “Come in”.
The door opened, and in came Colonel Lisa Bernstein. Lenz sighed in relief as he expected something wrong due to the manner of the knocking. Lisa was his secretary as well as the Colonel.
“General, we have been surrounded by the Lieutenant General's men. I think our crimes have been bared”. Lisa said.
Lenz became terribly perplexed after hearing this news, “What! But how? We killed the witnesses too… Didn't we? Did Gabhard die?”
“Yes, Gabhard and Aaren were both executed on your order… no other evidence is left,” Lisa said calmly.
The general was completely puzzled, but more than that he was worried about his own life. After thinking for a couple of minutes, he said to her, “Lisa, gather all the guards in here. We'll escape from the back gate. Are there any soldiers on the backside of this mansion?” Lisa answered that she hadn't received any information about that yet.
There was no other option than to escape, so Lenz risked his life and decided to flee from the backside of the mansion. Colonel Lisa gathered all the soldiers as Lenz had ordered, and instructed them to protect the general. First Lieutenant Edgar Vincent, who was also one of Lenz's secretaries, opened the gate that led out of that residence. The general, colonel, first lieutenant and the guards started walking. It was a dark passage and the guards were carrying bright torch-lights. While they were walking, Lisa, who was walking behind Lenz Marcelle, spoke.
“Sir wouldn't it be better to surrender… because it is possible if we tried to resist that they might harm you?” She tried to sound reasonable, but the general said that he would never try to spend the rest of his life behind the rails. After a while they reached the mouth of the hallway passage where a gate stood. Lisa opened the gate and told the general to go. Lenz slowly stepped through, and then the guards did the same, but just as he gained consciousness of the sight ahead he lost his ground.
Thirty to forty soldiers, led by the second lieutenants Norris Nyle and Reynal. G. Klaus, lined up before them. Norris commanded the general to surrender and if he refused, then he would show no mercy. Lenz was very terrified, as he was not a man of courage.
“Why are you arresting a general?” Lenz asked.
Giving a slight smirk, Noris said, “It's more like we're arresting a criminal than a general.”
Acknowledging the scenario, Lenz tried to run backward but became extremely astounded to see Lisa pointing a gun toward him.
“Where do you think you're going, General?” she asked.
The General was shocked to see his secretary pointing a gun at him. He glanced at her and said, “Who do you think you're pointing a gun at?”
“Who?” Lisa asked with an attitude to her tone. “A criminal… a murderer, I guess.”
“You, you are a traitor! You started working for the Lieutenant General,” Lenz screamed at her.
“I always worked for him,” she stated confidently. “Well, You shouldn't have trusted someone so easily because a person gets the biggest deception from his closest ones.”
Lenz was so bewildered by the situation that he wasn't even able to say a word. The Colonel then ordered him to hand himself over to her without resistance. He looked down in agony and rage began to bubble up inside him. He was being ferocious to realize that the person he trusted turned out to be betraying him. There was a complete silence, then suddenly Lenz took out his gun. He was about to shoot her before a bullet came dashing towards him and pierced his hand. The gun he was holding fell from his hand and he began to shout with pain.
The person who shot at him was Second Lieutenant Edgar. With a faithful smile on his face, he said, “I have your back, Colonel.”
Lisa rolled her eyes towards him and said, “Thanks, but we were not allowed to shoot or else I would have done it myself.”
Edgar innocently scratched his back, saying, “My bad.”
Lisa headed to Lenz who stared at her with fierce eyes filled with wrath. He bellowed in anger, “You'll know soon what it means to shoot at a general and accuse him of baseless crimes and guilts.”
Just then the colonel hit him on his chin with her knee and the general fainted. She put her gun back in the holster and ordered Edgar to tie him up and put him in the car.
02
Brigadier General Stefan Günter was proceeding back to his house at about 3:25 am. When he reached there, he became horrified to see that his house was surrounded by military officers. The idea struck his mind that maybe his crime has been discovered, but he stood calm and pretended as if he was devoid of suspicion. He got out from his car and commenced his false act. He spoke to the soldiers.
“What are you doing here? Did something happen? What's all this? Would someone explain to me?”
Just then he saw a boy emerging from between the soldiers saying, "Oh really? I thought you would be the one explaining to us how all this happened."
Stefan recognized him and said, "Willed-Head, who ordered you to do this and…why?"
"You know yourself why, and you'll soon see who gave this directive."
"I know exactly! The Lieutenant General, right?"
"Stop asking questions because culprits are not supposed to be asking the investigators."
"Culprit? Are you calling me a criminal? What proof do you have to prove me to be guilty?"
"Do you really want to hear your crimes? I'm not hesitating to dictate your sins, but don't just lose your temper and get mad at me."
The Brigadier General was at a loss for words, then Willed-Head continued.
"You contracted with General Lenz and the king of Belgium to murder the General of the Army, George Rin, on 17 October 1997. The meeting was held between 4 o'clock and I can tell the exact and accurate words and concord that were conducted in the meeting, but I won't make them public. You will witness your crimes in front of the Lieutenant General, and then he'll decide what to do with you. You're the criminal of your country's army…criminal of Germany"
Becoming nervous, Stefan said while stuttering, "Who told you all this?"
Willed-Head smiled with attitude and spoke. "Don't get a heart attack after hearing the name… Colonel Lisa Bernstein."
His eyes opened wide with astonishment. He couldn't believe his ears. He thought to himself, "W-What! The Colonel. She was a traitor? Then she would know each and every single word. Damn on me! That I trusted someone like her." Then the boy instructed him to surrender, but the Brigadier General cried out to his soldiers to shoot, but he didn't hear a single movement.
Stefan got startled wildly after looking back and acknowledging that all of his soldiers were lying on the ground. They had fainted by being hit on their backs by the Captain Juvia Ritcher. She uttered solemnly, "It's better to relinquish yourself." But Stefan went insane and drew out his pistol and as swift as a flash he shot at her. The bullet elapsed from her cheek, leaving a scar which started to bleed. That jiff left Juvia's orbs broadened.
Stefan fervently loaded his gun to send forth another bullet, but before he could do so, Willed-Head kicked hard on his back, causing Stefan to collapse to the ground. Willed-Head shouted violently, "How dare you shoot at my sister?!"
Stefan turned back to shoot at him but Willed-Head held the gun and, using his copper interfusion, he turned that iron gun into a copper-iron alloy spear. He raised the spear up and pushed it in the direction of Stefan's neck but ceased just an inch away, leaving Stefan's eyes extended with fear. Willed-Head said with his orbs burning with fury, "If only is it was under my will, I would have killed you already."
Then he took a quick glance at Juvia and asked if she's fine, so Juvia nodded her head. Then he removed the lance and grasped Stefan's collar, telling him to rise to his feet, but just as he uttered those words, an unendurable pain started in his head. He moaned with affliction and heard a voice from his interior self which said, "I am not fond of this man, Stone-Cold...end him here."
Are you insane? It's not the moment. The boy reacted to the voice. "Are you kidding?! I can't do that. The Lt. General has ordered me to drive him back to him alive and breathing. There's a lot we have to ask him. We need him!"
"Sorry, but I think you have utterly forgotten our commitment."
"I know! I remember! But try to understand!"
"I don't prefer the word 'understand' but if you're going to disobey me then I'm leaving your body behind." Willed-Head's breaths began to conclude, and he was gasping for air. His sister anxiously said to her brother, "Alvin! What's wrong?"
Willed-Head lifted his head up with his hands on his neck and replied to the voice, "Okay! Okay! I'll do as you say." The moment he said that, his breaths returned, and he clenched the lance and passed it out from Stefan's throat. The Brigadier General died right at the jiff. Juvia and the others present became dumbfounded. She reached near Willed-Head and queried her brother why did he do such thing.
"We were told to bring him alive." Her brother responded that he was forced to do that. After that, he ordered the soldiers to head back to the Military headquarters.
03
The door was knocked by someone. The voice on the other side asked, “May I come in, Sir?!”
The Lieutenant General permitted the person to enter. The person was a soldier. He came in, saluted and said, “Lieutenant General Aldrich, Colonel Lisa has returned with the General.”
The Lieutenant General's name was Jason Aldrich, better distinguished as General Aldrich because of his leading traits. Serious personality and unreadable expressions. Aldrich was sitting on the chair and the chair was faced to its rear side. The Soldier informed him about the Colonel's arrival with the General. When Aldrich heard the soldier, he slowly turned back with his chair and with his hands on the table, he gave a fine narrow smile and said, “As expected from the Colonel. Anyway, where is she now, as well as the General?”
“The General is in the prison and the Colonel is in her room,” replied the soldier.
“I see, you can go now… wait… haven't the valiant kin arrived yet?” The soldier responded in the negative and then walked out of the room.
04
Lisa was in her room and facing the window, observing the exteriors of the headquarters' building. Suddenly, someone gently stroked on the door of her room and Lisa allowed the person to come in. The person who knocked was Aldrich. He came in and Lisa saluted him, saying, “Lt. General.”
Aldrich beamed slightly and said, “Colonel… Reunion at last.”
Lisa returned the smile with hers and said, “Yes, General Aldrich”.
He walked up to her and started the conversation. “I really appreciate your hard work and putting your life on the stake for two years. That has given the military a great victory towards justice and veracity.”
“It's an honor for me to serve my country, even if it means venturing my own life. I'm glad that I was of some use to this nation and its military. It's what a soldier's responsibility and living purpose stands for. Besides, I'm grateful to this country which gave me a reason to live for… the reason of protecting my people.”
“It's what makes you different from others. Well, in these two years, what more did you attain?”
“All of Lenz's and Stefan's crimes have been saved in my journal. He hasn't only murdered George Rin but also done great corruptions with the late President of Belgium. His other crimes are stored in that journal.”
“That's worthwhile. Can I take a look at it?”
“Edgar has the journal. I gave it to him for safe-keeping so that, if anything were to happen to me, the information doesn't go to waste.”
“Better that you did”
Abruptly the door was struck with two light blows with the edge of the finger's bottom joint bone making a soft noise equivalent to knocking. The person asked permission to enter, and The Colonel granted him approval. It was Edgar. He came in and saluted both of them as he spoke. “Colonel, Lt. General Aldrich. Lenz has gained consciousness.”
So Aldrich said that it was time for investigations and all three of them walked out of the room to head to Lenz.
05
Colonel Lisa, Lt. General Aldrich and Lt. Edgar stepped inside the prison. Edgar had the journal in which all of his crimes were noted. Lenz's hands were tethered to the poles using chains. When he saw Aldrich, he became insane with rage and shouted aloud, “How dare you capture a General without any proof. You will pay for this, Aldrich!”
But without taking any consideration or even focus to his words, Aldrich serenely answered, “We'll figure out later who has to pay and who doesn't, but for now, Lenz answer what I ask but if you try to get on my nerves then you know what comes next.” Seriousness could be acknowledged from his facial countenance. Lenz shouted out emphatically that he hadn't committed any sort of crime, so Aldrich took the journal from Edgar and read out the key points registered in it to him. Lenz rejected all of them and declared that it was all falsehood.
Aldrich commanded Lisa to hand over the papers that she was holding at the moment. He displayed it vividly to Lenz and spoke. “If you refuse to accept your crimes, then what is this… This is the duplicate of the contract that you made with the president of Belgium, and your further denial will be of no effect or use because it contains yours, Stefan's and The Belgium's President's signature. How much more evidence do you need to prove you… A MALEFACTOR?!” Aldrich's last words were carried with a heavy burden of rage and wrath.
After seeing explicit attestation, there was no room left for Lenz to refuse anymore. “You won Aldrich… I accept my crimes.”
Lifting his head, Aldrich said, “Then now answer my questions.”
“Why would I? Will you let me go if I do so?”
“Firstly, you have to confess that all you did is unforgivable. Blood is paid with blood. All the things you did will lead you to death, and if you die doing one last good deed, then maybe your soul will lie in tranquility.”
Then the Lt. General looked at the Colonel and told her to begin, after which she said to Lenz, “Why was George Rin murdered?”
“He had come to know the agreement between me, Stefan, and the President of Belgium. We offered him partnership, but he rejected and said that he would make our deeds bare, so we unwillingly had to kill him.”
Lisa asked more questions, to which Lenz answered easily. After the last question had been asked, Lenz inquired about what would happen to him, so Aldrich responded that, that will be resolved by the court. Just then, a soldier put in an appearance there and informed them that the Valiant Kin had arrived. “General Aldrich, they have brought the Brigadier General with them, but not alive.”
06
Willed-Head, Juvia, Lisa, Edgar, and Aldrich were together in Aldrich's chamber. Aldrich was settled on his chair with the Lt. and the Colonel standing beside him, and Juvia and her brother were perched on the sofa in front of the Lt. General. Aldrich spoke to Willed-Head and said, “Well, Stone-Cold, If I'm right then I said to bring him alive, correct?”
“Yeah… Yeah,” Willed-Head replied without taking his words into consideration.
“So, why is he dead?”
“Ah! General. You know about me and still you're asking.”
“Stone-Cold, this is not what I mean.” Aldrich raised his voice a little and continued. “You should learn to control yourself or else you'll become the cause of a great loss to the military… and so I should learn not to send you on any sensitive missions. Now, I'll be careful onwards. Besides, you should only be sent to a kill or die combat.”
Stone-Cold, pushed his head down, looking at the ground and feeling a bit of grief. He calmly said, “You're right General, instead I shouldn't even be sent to a kill or die combat too… He will make me die there instead of progressing.”
Trying to encourage him, Lisa said, “Alvin. You're lacking positive emotion. Never think of something wrong unless there isn't a high possibility to that. Besides, you have held yourself till now. You're Alvin Richter. You should remember you are the son of a father who died saving this country from being ruined.”
Stone-Cold or Willed-Head, who's real name was Alvin Richter, looked at his mitt, on which the Copper Interfusion mark was made, then he looked at the Colonel and said, “I've held myself till now and have reached till here… I don't know when I'll fall, or when my hopes will tear apart. These seven sins are trying to back me from what I aim for, but I'll hold myself together for the expectations of those who brought me up to here, up to this day.”
Aldrich stood up from his perch and commenced to walk out of the chamber. He opened the door but before stepping out he looked back at Alvin and uttered, “Stone-Cold, remember whenever you think of giving up also think why you came so far.” After carving these words from his tongue, he walked away.
QUESTIONS OF THE CHAPTER:
1. Colonel Lisa betrays General Lenz. Was this a calculated move from the start, or did something change her mind?
2. Who do you trust the least in this chapter, and why?
3. Considering their powers, are Willed-Head and Juvia valuable assets or ticking time bombs for the military?
Answer any one or more to earn a follow
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