"You have done well," Burgdorf said, "your belief in me true. Once our new world comes to pass, the only wars will be bidding amongst petty traders. Even if my name falls to ruin, you should have no problem taking those who stood under its banners for yourself. Fegelein, Hitler, Goebbels, Jodl … you have no lack of good, strong men."
"And to think, if you would have said as much just once, they would have wept in joy," Günsche sighed.
Burgdorf chuckled disagreeably. He glanced at the sword he had brought, just for this reason. "If I would've done that …" He placed his hands on the sword. "... I would have been no fun at all." He drew it quickly, leaping to his feet and slashing at Günsche.
Günsche leapt back, dodging it just in time before quickly planting to his feet. "Burgdorf, what are you …"
"You were right about me," Burgdorf hissed. "Did you think I was going to be honest with you?"
Günsche's eyes widened. "I have no idea what you are talking about."
"Then … I shall make sure you do." Burgdorf adjusted his grip, taking another step forward. Then, he slashed forward, switching hands when Günsche fell to the floor, lancing him through the right shoulder.
Burgdorf ignored Günsche's grunt. "Wilhelm Burgdorf … after being attacked by Otto Günsche at the Kaiser Wilhelm Church … will commit suicide."
Günsche knit his brows at Burgdorf's declaration, resonant with pride. "T-that is simply a ruse to allow you to discard your name and conceal yourself to …" He let out a relieved breath, convinced simply by hearing himself say so. "Do not tell me you honestly intend to die?"
Burgdorf didn't say anything.
Günsche halted. "So … you deceived me in order to make a hero of someone, then …"
"Finally figured it out, huh?" Burgdorf asked.
"I …" Günsche staggered to his feet, staring at his blade. Burgdorf watched it. He had given it to Günsche after his mother had given him two. Günsche drew his sword, as if willing his strength to return.
Burgdorf watched him.
"You will not! You absolutely will not! I have brought my armies in order to destroy the influence of 'Wilhelm Burgdorf'. But even still … there is no world left to rule if you are no longer in it!" Taking his sword in his left hand, Günsche turned on Burgdorf. "For the sake of the name of the Reich … no … for the future of this land! Even if you strike me down, I will stay your hand."
"This should be fun. Try me." With a ruthless laugh, Burgdorf relentlessly attacked Günsche. However, even with only having the use of his left hand, Günsche still matched him blow-for-blow, even if the one thing he would not do would land the death blow, stepping back every time he got close.
"What?" Burgdorf's eyes were venomous blue flames. "You think you can fight without the heart to kill?"
"You did this to provoke me …" Günsche bit his lip, realizing for the first time that he had been set up from the very start. They had fought for so long that both thought it may turn out as a draw … until Günsche gradually started to falter, crippled at last by the loss of his dominant hand.
Finally, Saliege spoke from where he sat, watching the entire thing. "No man's life is eternal." The words came as soon as Günsche's blade flew from his hands. It stuck in the floor as Günsche collapsed, grasping his right soldier while he looked up at Saliege.
"So, you knew, Saliege," Günsche uttered.
"All I do is see what man should not." Saliege met Günsche's eyes.
"But he is right," Burgdorf rumbled. "No man's life is eternal. That is why we need heroes who remain to tell the tales of those who are gone." Burgdorf produced an old paper, on which he had written the words of 'He whose authority proves the mandate of God.' "Which is …" A man who prays earnestly for understanding rather than the carnage I leave in my wake. A man whose kindness knows no bounds … kindness that he gives happily to anyone and everyone. "... You." Burgdorf's blade pierced the floor in front of Günsche's knees, pinning the paper in place.
Günsche's screech resonated through the room, even as its walls were steadily starting to burn.
"I leave my divine mandate in your hands," Burgdorf said. He turned his back on Günsche, disappearing into the inner sanctum.
Günsche, unable to move, watched him vanish into the smoke, weakly pleading with what little voice he had left. "Someone … stop him …"
Saliege said nothing.
"General Burgdorf …"
However, no one knew more than Günsche himself that no one could stop him … not anymore. After all, he was the one who had gave the order to sever his ties with the Reich, he was the one who told his men to attack Burgdorf.
"No … no!" Günsche yanked Burgdorf's blade out of the floor in a swift movement, ignoring the pain when it freed itself from his knees. His leg dripping blood with every step, he chased Burgdorf into the inner sanctum.
"What?" Burgdorf spun around. "You're still here?" The flames were now engulfing the room Burgdorf was in.
Günsche's blade was in his hand. "General Burgdorf, please!" With Burgdorf's blade in his left hand, he aimed for his back, but Burgdorf already had his short knife drawn, slashing effortlessly across Günsche's stomach.
"You'll die of blood loss with a wound like that. Get out of here and let your men save you."
"Please, wait!" Günsche pleaded. "There is no need for you to throw your life away like this … there is no need for you to die!"
"You can't tell me you don't know how our people absolutely detest the name of the Reich," Burgdorf growled. "To protect them all, you must crush the Reich. To do that, you'll need my head, whether you like it or not."
"You cannot possibly believe that your people are asking for you to die, General!" Günsche screamed, his screeching voice echoing through the walls so fiercely that Burgdorf thought it would shake the place. He had never heard, or seen Günsche like this before.
"Soon, the Reich will meet the same fate as Rommel did," Burgdorf told him.
Günsche's eyes widened at the mere mention of Burgdorf's enemy.
"Surely, you should know more than anyone what awaits those who hold too much power," Burgdorf said. "To prevent that from happening, I should have protected every last one of you. However … 'Burgdorf' made others hate him far too much for that."
He recalled back to when the townspeople had screeched at them after they came back from destroying the cathedral. Burgdorf could still hear their voices, dripping with malice and disdain, feel the stones that they rained down upon him …
Saliege's voice came back, about men seeking for life in eternity. Burgdorf focused himself back on Günsche. "As long as Burgdorf still lives, the people will never know divine rule. But you … by taking my head, and putting the name of Günsche in place of my own … You will be the hero who has defeated the Lord of Hell … and bring about a new era in your wake." If I leave all of this to you … I know you can. "The way that you still care for everyone even after they have scattered to the winds is why you have no problem drawing them to you. For the sake of them all … you must now become their hero, and bring the peaceful new era they have longed for …"
Günsche's blue eyes flared with fury. "You're so damned irresponsible!"
Burgdorf's eyes widened.
"To create so much to simply pass it off upon others is nothing more than running away from what you have done."
"What did you just say to me?" Burgdorf's voice was a roar.
"I have simply said that all you wish to do is abandon all responsibility," Günsche snarled back at him. "All you want to do is make it easy for you to run away from the duties that you have been given in this life …"
"You!" Burgdorf lunged, bringing the blade of his short sword against Günsche's throat. How dare you say whatever you like to me … simply out of the fact that you know nothing? But … if I can run away … I run before anyone notices I am gone. If I can run away from the destiny that has been afforded to me … it has to be in a place like this! The blade against Günsche's throat came toward it again, leaving a trickle of blood behind. "You are the one who did nothing but leave me with all of your expectations without my asking you!"
"And I have forgiven you everything you have ever done with them, lacking the strength to do much else!" Günsche snapped.
"You … you momentous, insufferable, foolhardy little bastard!" Burgdorf roared, kicking Günsche smartly and swiftly.
Günsche grunted.
"Don't you get it?" Burgdorf exclaimed desperately. "You're all I …" You're all I have! But … he still knows nothing … even so. He has no idea how many times he has saved me and others … given us strength when there was none to be had … Burgdorf paused, his eyes widening. Ah … now I see. Krebs was trying all this time to get me to realize just how much he is to me … he was trying to do that for me.
The gash in Günsche's shoulder had begun to drip, the crimson bloom in his robes unable to hold any more as he laid there, powerless. Burgdorf looked down upon him, returning his shallow, aching breaths. "Reflect upon yourself. See the true strength that resides in you. And … take care of Krebs." Leaving those words with Günsche, who could no longer move to follow him, Burgdorf continued forth, closing the door behind him.
Once in the inner sanctum, Burgdorf collapsed against the wall, reciting a foreign song. "A human life of fifty years … In the eyes of God is but a whisper of an ethereal dream. How transient is the world of men …" Breathing the words to no one, he drew the blade he had prepared for his suicide. I wonder who will finally divorce my head from my shoulders. I wonder if Krebs will ever forgive me for what I have done. Turning the blade upon himself, he closed his eyes, quiet.
The vision of Krebs' smiling face rose from the darkness behind his eyes, staying his hand.
What am I so hesitant about?
Even though discarding his lis life and leaving everything to Günsche would protect Krebs, why was he faltering? That's a foolish question. A general so reviled as he should not have one such as him. So, he drew the blade against his throat, thinking of how his death would save the world.
Again, Krebs' smiling face appeared from the corner of his memories. That was when he heard the distant clamor of gunshots.
"Get Günsche out of here, quickly! Burgdorf is probably in there."
"He's still breathing! Günsche, please don't talk, you'll just make things worse!"
Burgdorf knew that Günsche had succumbed to his wounds, carried from this place without being able to speak the truth of what had happened. Burgdorf shut his eyes. If I cannot kill myself now … it will be my eternal shame. I have to do it quickly, before Günsche gets the chance to be an idiot and say something he shouldn't. However, Krebs' face refused to leave him. Suddenly, a tremor started to take his hands, small but powerful, the blade clattering to the floor in front of him. What are you doing, you fool … accept the responsibility of doing the one thing you can do for anyone.
He looked down at his hand, that had taken up the blade once more. If only I were not a soldier. If only I could stop being General Burgdorf, and put on a fake rebellion as Günsche said we could. If only I could become nothing more than a nameless man, and stand by Krebs as a lover stands by his lover. In truth … that is what I hoped for, isn't it ever since the day I was born … that's why I spent my whole life desiring a world where I could be free of being myself … But thinking of such things now will no longer save me. He sighed, resignedly, fixing the blade against his throat once more.
There, before his eyes, the door opened with a great clatter, gaping open from left to right.