11:02 a.m., the Königsteuers poured out of the vulnerable choke point, and Erich immediately ordered his flanks to pull back and retreat. This battle, him winning it, was never the objective. What was most critical was…
Cries came from inside the city. Felix's army had infiltrated through the east gate by crossing the river. Street fighting broke out as Umstürzlers flooded the city.
Alaric, standing on the city walls, watched as the poorly defended eastern sector was completely overtaken. He began to applaud while looking at Erich's army being pushed farther from the city. Half of the soldiers from the north were immediately rerouted back into the city. Even with half of them gone, they still outnumbered the Umstürzlers' first army 2:1. He absolutely couldn't afford enemy reinforcements swinging back and hitting Felix.
As the Königsteuers continued their push, Erich saw hills that formed a valley behind him. He ordered an immediate retreat, and as the Umstürzlers began to flee, the Königsteuers gave chase. Erich then positioned himself in the middle of his formation and commanded that no one take a step back.
Unbeknownst to the Königsteuers, a small part of Erich's army had moved up behind the hills and swung back, cutting them off from retreating. Then, with the signal of his hand, a barrage of artillery and loxes came barreling down from the hills. The Königsteuers desperately climbed the hills, only to be shot down.
Erich couldn't help but pick up one of the soldiers' necklaces. There was a photo of a woman holding a child, sitting on the man who wore the brightest of smiles. There were no generals for the army, merely inexperienced conscripts who charged in on an order.
"Why, Alaric… these are our people."
Those the Umstürzlers killed were people they knew. They came from the same towns, some of them even grew up as neighbors. And with that, thousands of young men were sent to their deaths without a good reason. But there was no time to grieve over lost lives, the Umstürzlers had to march on. They trampled over the bodies of the Königsteuers, trying to reach the city before the reinforcements could arrive and stop Felix's advance.
There was no resistance up until the gates. The Umstürzlers were just a few meters from entering the capital. The breach had to happen now, otherwise Felix would be completely overwhelmed. They pushed and pushed, thousands dying trying to break through the front gate. But in a final, last-ditch effort to penetrate their position, they managed to spearhead through the gate and finally enter the city.
The Umstürzlers flooded the city, but the northern sector had been completely evacuated. There wasn't a single Königsteuer left. The sound of gunfire in the eastern and southern sectors had stopped.
The houses were empty, with nothing inside. Their families were not here.
An applause broke the silence. Everyone turned their eyes up to the city walls, where the Emperor stood.
"Umstürzlers! Rebels! You have done well to reach this far!" he said with both of his arms raised.
A soldier cocked his rifle and fired at the Emperor, only for the bullet to ricochet off an invisible barrier.
Eterna stood next to Alaric, holding up her hand, looking a bit sour.
"This is the end of your long march! The entire northern sector has been rigged with explosives! And as for your two other armies…"
He snapped his fingers, and Viego appeared from the south gate, holding Selina on his shoulder. She was completely unresponsive, hanging limp.
The gates of the east opened, and the Königsteuers let a person through. Eirlys couldn't believe her eyes as she saw two of her family members in the city.
"Why are… Selina and Lukas… in Wien?" She dropped her binoculars and started pacing in circles with her hand on her chin.
A blue-haired figure appeared through the eastern gate, holding something. Lukas strolled up to the Umstürzlers and threw it onto the ground. The round object rolled toward them, and their faces filled with desperation as they saw Lieutenant Felix's bloody head.
Viego quickly hid Selina's body before confronting Lukas. He commended Lukas' performance before tapping his shoulder.
"I have finished the job. Tell me where my sister is," Lukas said with a raspy voice.
"She is in Nautilus. Eyewitnesses say they saw her wandering the streets at night," Viego shrugged and walked back to the south gate.
Lukas immediately vanished from the city, and the gates were closed.
Soldiers carried Felix's head, wrapped in thin cloth, and handed it to Erich.
"Felix." Erich shut his eyes for a few seconds before closing Felix's eyes.
"Rest now. May the Aeon of Desire lead you to eternal peace."
Without a word, the Umstürzlers began digging a hole with the barrels of their rifles. Erich's hand trembled as he laid Felix down in the pit. They began filling the hole with dirt before all of them saluted their fallen lieutenant, and all those who died alongside him.
Not a single soldier abstained from showing their respect. Even those missing a hand or barely able to stand saluted, their hearts dedicated to the fallen.
"Umstürzlers! I offer you peace!" the Emperor declared.
"I will allow you freedom! You will be able to see your families again! All you need to do is lay down your weapons!"
Erich stood among his soldiers, all of them with a look of hopelessness in their eyes. The second, the third, the fourth, all divisions had fallen, and it was only the first army left standing. They were completely surrounded in the eastern sector and heavily outnumbered.
Their families were just a wall away.
The soldiers heard the words of the Emperor.
"You will be able to see your families again."
One by one, they dropped their weapons. Erich von Stapel watched as his soldiers laid down their rifles and raised their hands in surrender.
He bit his tongue so hard that it began to bleed. The sky seemed so beautiful today, he thought, as his fingers rubbed the cold metal of his revolver. If years of being a military general had taught him anything, it was instinct. Acting without knowing.
Hearing the words of the Emperor did not soothe him, nor did it convince him. But who was he to tell his soldiers not to see their families again? They had fought all the way here for that sole purpose. He had no right to take that away.
The Umstürzlers were disarmed and arrested by the Königsteuers. Corpses littered the streets, and as far as the eye could see beyond the gate, bodies of Wienians lay.
"O Aeon of Desire, Celestia. I wish for nothing more than peace for the people of Wien." Erich prayed as a soldier tied his hands and threw away Kampfer Frei.