The sun is high in the sky but its light cannot reach the earth. The sounds of artillery firing and their shells landing and exploding are constant. It's been over four or five hours since the first British artillery was fired onto the German trenches. Many who could move further back into the reserve trenches while those who stayed in the frontlines hid in what cover they could find, not risking exposing themselves. After five hours of constant bombardment, the artillery ceased, a signal for an attack in a long bloody game of offense and defense, trying to break the enemy's defensive line.
The officers and high-ranking NCOs of the German trench begin to shout orders. The Germans rush to their defenses in a scene that one calls chaotic yet a typical response when an artillery barrage breaks the monotony of trench life.
"Marsch, marsch, marsch! Los, Los, Los! Los geht's Männer! Hinkommen den Frontgraben vor die Britannische kommen!" (March, march, march! Let's go, let's go, let's go! let's go men! Get to the frontline trench before the British come!) A major and several officers shouted their orders in the sea of officers' orders. The soldiers have made it to their defensive positions, but much of the nests and trench walls were damaged. Then artillery is fired a few more times in their direction. Some of the shells land in and outside of the trench, throwing dirt and bodies into the air. "Halten!" (Hold!) Another officer ordered. Then the artillery ceased, but the whistling sounds of death were replaced by the cries of the advancing British soldiers with their Mark IV landships covering their advance. "FEUER!" (Fire!) An officer shouted out. In a desperate attempt to rid of the Mark IV, several grenadiers bundled their grenades into one and threw it at the landships, field guns are used to destroy or cripple the Mark IV tanks allowing the infantry to climb aboard and take over the landships.
With the artillery destroying some of their defenses, the Mark IV landships created several gaps before being destroyed. The British soldiers managed to get into the German trench which resorted to hand-to-hand combat.
Johannes and the soldiers of his platoon are forced back from their frontline trench. Several of his comrades are killed by the British knife, bullet, grenade, bayonet, or axe. A British soldier jumps in front of Johannes with a spade. He swings the spade from the upper right but Johannes perries to the left. Johannes takes the opportunity to bayonet the British soldier, retracting his rifle bayonet before pushing forward. In his view he sees a British soldier already bayonetting an older German soldier, the British soldier doesn't get a chance to recover his bayonet before being shot and bayoneted by Johannes.
"Los geht's Genossen. Weg mit diesen britischen Soldaten!" (Let's go comrades. Away with these British soldiers!) Johannes yells out. "Angriff!" (Attack!) Johannes orders his soldiers of not only his platoon but others as well whose officer was killed. Then the reserves of the German trench begin to move in, forcing the British out and back to the other side of no man's land.
"Alle Männer, antreten!" (All men, line up!) The major ordered his troops. "Nach unserer Artillerie ist vorbei, wir werden angriffen die Britannische Linien. Wir haben ihren neuen Panzerkampfwagen und Panzer." (After our artillery is over, we will attack the British lines. We have their new Panzerkampfwagons and tanks.) Then the artillery from the Germans begin to fire.
After an hour of constant bombardment from the German side, a whistle is blown. The motors of the German's Mark IV tank have arrived and begin to move forward, rolling over the trenches and into no man's land. Making a quarter of the way, the German captured tanks begin to run into problems, becoming stuck in the mud or craters, some were soon left abandoned while others carried on. Then the infantry begins to move forward, following behind and then surpassing the tanks. As the Germans slowly approach the British line, they begin to encounter an eerie sight that some weren't used to, until the British begin to open fire from their craters and trenches. This surprise attack catches the advancing Germans off guard causing many to fire back and scatter back to their trench.
Whilst retreating, Johannes fires a few rounds at the British, hitting a couple. While retreating, the British artillery is fired once more, and a shell explodes only a few feet from Johannes, throwing him into a small impact crater, and knocking him out.
Johannes jerks awake from his slumber, breathing heavily from memories from days prior, perhaps it may have been the same day-to-day life in the trenches was the same. "Was war das?" (What was that?) Johannes asks himself as he steadies his breathing looking around the small enclosed space of the tower he's in. Outside he can see the sun, barely cracking the horizon, a good time if any to make a run for his trench line. "Ja, mich erinnern an nun… Das war gestern, ich denke?" (Yes, I remember now, that was yesterday, I think?) He looks around of his surroundings, looking down he grabs his helmet and gloves, placing his helmet on his head and putting his gloves away in his bag, at last he grabs his rifle. It wasn't long until he heard a female voice calling out to him.
"Are you alright, Johannes?" Akame announces herself, sitting on a walk adjacent to him. "Appears you were having a nightmare?" Akame asks Johannes. Confused, Johannes looks up and sees Akame more clearly, his confused face turned to one of shock. For in front of him is a young woman, wearing a German overcoat and a painted stahlhelm, speaking to him in English.
Johannes becomes frightened, raising his rifle at Akame. "F…F…Feind! Feind! Feind! Britannischer Spion!" (E…e…enemy! Enemy! Enemy! British spy!) He aims his Gewehr 98 at Akame getting ready to shoot her. Akame quickly grabs Johannes' Gewehr and tosses it to the side. She places her hands on his shoulder, shaking him.
"Calm down Johannes! It's me, the Fräulein that you keep calling me, calm down." Akame attempts to calm Johannes down, using the nickname he called her. Johannes calms himself and Akame backs off.
"Was, wie?" (What, huh?) Johannes looks at Johannes and remembers now that Akame is an ally. "Fräulein?" Johannes asks, Akame nods n return. Johannes then simply chuckles raising his right hand to cover his eyes. "Es tut mir leid, Fräulein. Es tut mir leid." Johannes apologizes.
"It's nothing to apologize over." Akame reassures Johannes. "You were having a nightmare, that's all." Akame sits back down across from Johannes. "Are you alright at least?" Akame asks, Johannes simply nods.
"Ja, I'm fine." Johannes tilts his head back and removes his hand from his face. "I'm fine." He repeats again. "I don't know how to describe it," Johannes tells Akame. Tears develop in his eyes and once more he raises his hand, removing the tears. "It's like I'm back there once again. Either in the trench or in no man's land."
"Rest easy, I doubt any soldiers from any side would come around here." Akame responded. Johanne calms down his breathing.
"That is good to know because it leaves one, how do you say it? Leaves one to be in danger of an attack." Johannes responded.
"You mean vulnerable?" Akame asks.
"That's the one." Johannes snaps his fingers. "Now then since it's about to be morning, I say we leave before the sun fully rises. Both sides are most likely eating breakfast and not doing much." Johannes proposes to Akame. He gets up and grabs his rifle. "Well, Fräulein, if anything, this should be a perfect time to send you to your home world. At least I believe. But firstly we should make it to my trench."
"If that's the plan today, then I think we should get going," Akame responded. "What about those snipers of the enemy?" Akame brings up a concern in mind.
"I doubt they would be awake," Johannes looks out. "But the sun is breaking through. So we shouldn't waste time here." Johannes promptly tells Akame. The two then begin to leave the church, under what little darkness is left. Yet the area they're in has a concentration of infantry and machine guns, they get low to the ground the second the sun rises over the horizon. As they continue through the hell of no man's land, Akame comes to notice a large concentration of shell fragments and corpses of the fallen. Johannes pays no mind to this as years of fighting had left him and many others in a state of sensitization. To Akame it's similar, but to see this many bodies go unburied and left to rot begins to leave a sort of raw sensation in Akame.
As the two continue, they come to notice that the church and the village itself was close to a forest. Much of the leaves had been decayed from its branches yet the trees still stand, giving them optimal cover. Seeing that the sun had risen about halfway from the horizon, the two-take chance to run over to the bombed-out forest. Upon arriving, the sun had fully broken through, and soon gunfire begin to crack the air as did the same with artillery, but only fired periodically from mortars.
Through luck, Johannes and Akame entered the foxholes in the forest that leads to a small but abandoned trench, they entered the mere second a sniper got onto their periscope. After entering the abandoned trench line, Johannes quickly and briefly inspects it.
"From whose side is this?" Akame asks, a bit curious about the trench they're in. She looks around and sees that it's well built with wooden walls, and roughly two meters deep. Yet one thing is clear, the trench took damage as part of its wall is exposed.
"Kein Ahnung. Either British or German." Johannes responded. Looking around, he comes across an old sign that still has lettering. Though its roughed up, Johannes can almost recognize its lettering. "Das ist deutsche Schreibung," (This is German writing.) Johannes answers Akame's question. "We're in a German trench. It seems to be abandoned. Warum?" (Why?) Johannes then lays on one of the walls, keeping himself low to not get shot by a sniper.
Akame enters the only dugout and all around she sees nothing much of interest, except for a map. "What is a map doing here?" Akame asks herself. She grabs it and takes a closer look. The map is almost clear as day but it was heavily dirtied by rain and dirt that had fallen on it. It made clear positions of multiple positions of both friend and foe, yet one date stuck out to her. September 1917. To Akame it's clear as day. She was initially skeptical of the date, she had accepted the fact of her being in another world, yet the date surprised her more. If she hadn't known beforehand of her being in another world, then she would've thought she was in the future of her world, 900 years after the Revolution. Yet, Akame takes the map and folds it neatly, and stuffs it into the inner pocket of her German trench coat. Soon, she leaves the hideout and meets with Johannes again.
"Da sind Sie ja." (There you are.) Johannes welcomes Akame. She looks at him confused. "Judging by the distance. I'd say we're about close to the German trench. All we need to do is go east and we'll be safe." Johannes responded.
"Are you sure about that? It's possible still to be shot at by either side." Akame brings up another concern. But Johannes silently shakes his head.
"Möglich, but no." (Possibly) Johannes downplays her concerns. Then, before Johannes can hear anything, Akame draws her Imperial Arms: Murusame.
"Someone's coming," Akame announces. "They're coming from the east." Akame further adds on. Johannes instantly grabs his rifle and points it eastward. After a few seconds had passed, Johannes begins to hear the mud in front of him move, buts its more than that. Johannes concentrates his rifle until a voice break through the tension.
"Wer reitet so schwer?" (Who rides so late?) A German voice breaks through the tension, causing Johannes to lower his rifle in response. A passphrase was spoken and Johannes promptly recognized it from a German poem.
"Durch Nacht und Wind." (Through night and wind.) Johannes gives the response phrase. After the answer phrase was given, four Germans then climbed into the abandoned trench. The first to enter was a young lieutenant, followed by three men of the private rank. Seeing this, Akame quickly sheathed Murusame, and buttoned a couple of the buttons of her German overcoat. "Guten Morgen, Leutnant." Johannes greets the lieutenant with a salute.
"Guten Morgen." (Good morning) The lieutenant quickly looks at Johannes' rank on his shoulder straps. "Unteroffizier." The lieutenant saluted back. "Sie sind in der Infanterie Regiment Nummer. 171, ja? Was machst Sie hier? In diesem Sektor mit den Jäger Regiment Nr. 14?" (You're in the Infantry Regiment Number. 171, yes? What are you doing here? In the sector of the Hunters Regiment Number 14?) The lieutenant asks Johannes.
"Wir waren verloren, für viele Stunden und viele Kilometer. Wir waren versuchen zu unser Lienen Zurück." (We were lost, for many hours and kilometers. We're trying to return to our lines) Johannes answered.
"Wir?" (We?) The lieutenant asks, a bit confused about what Johannes is talking about.
"Ja, sie ist mit mir." (Yes, she's with me.) Johannes points to Akame. The four men of the German squad turn to Akame. Johannes then gestures to Akame to remain silent and to let him do the talking, hoping that if she pretends to be mute so she wouldn't be killed the second she spoke English. The lieutenant turns to her and asks her.
"Du bist sehr jung, wie alt bist du?" (You're young, how old are you?) The lieutenant asks. Akame remains silent. "Dein name, wie es?" (Your name, what is it?) The lieutenant looks at Akame closely. "Und wer hat den Mantel und Stahlhelm gegeben?" (And who gave you the coat and helmet?)
"Ich hatte, Herr Leutnant. Der Stahlhelm kommt von einem toten Soldat." (I did, lieutenant. The helmet came from a dead soldier) Johannes responded.
"Wirklich?" (Really?)The lieutenant asks.
"Ja, aber sie kann nicht auch sprechen. Sie war Stimmlos geboren und ist auch eine Waise." (Yes. But she can't speak either. She was born mute and is also an orphan) Johannes speaks up, titling Akame as an orphan and a mute to give her a plausible defense for why she remains silent.
"Wirklich, dann du kannst deutsch verstehen, ja?" (Really, then can you understand German, yes?) The lieutenant asks. Keeping up with the facade Akame nods. "Ich verstehe. Es tut mir leid um deine Familie." (I'm sorry about your family.) The Lieutenant apologizes to Akame. "Jetzt die zweite sind, sind kommen mit uns. Wir haben zu dem Graben gekommen, zu finden eine Karte von Yperns. Aber wir haben die zweite hier gefunden. Warum es?" (Now the two of you are coming with us. We have came to this trench, to finde a map of Ypres. But we have found the two of you, why is that?)
"Ich war in die dritte Sektor und" (I was in the third sector and) As Johannes is answering to the Lieutenant's question, Akame begins to think to herself.
"It's the first I'm hearing them speak to each other fluently. But I don't know if I should still remain here." Akame debates on whether she should remain with Johannes or leave and try to find the way back herself. "I know one of two things will occur, if I join him then I would have to continue the façade of being a mute until I learn what they're saying. But either way. My main objective is to return back as soon as possible to Night Raid." Akame thinks to herself. Getting a nostalgic feeling once more of being with Night Raid, especially with her comrades. Then her train of thought ends when Johannes calls her Fräulein once more.
"Na, Fräulein. Sie lassen uns beitreten." (Hey, Fräulein. They're letting us join them.) Johannes tells Akame. But with a few hand gestures, Akame quickly gets it. After some convincing, they're able to leave and return to the German frontline trenches. But they'll have to be quick since daylight broke out and the enemy is already at their post.
"Jetzt. Wie ich habe vorher gesagt. Sei leise, sei ruhig, und unten bleiben. Aber wir müssen beweglich behalten. Keinen halten, verstehen?" (Now. As I've said before. Stay quiet, stay calm, and keep low. But we have to keep moving. No stopping, understand?) The lieutenant asks his men and both Akame and Johannes. The men nodded, and Akame nodded as if she had understood everything that the lieutenant had said. The six begin to slowly climb out of the abandoned trench one by one. First the lieutenant followed by the other four men. As the last man climbed over, Akame quickly asks Johannes.
"Hey, are you sure this is right? Will they lead me back to my world?" Akame asks.
"I do not know. As for you being able to return back home, I do not know. But if anything, when that circle comes once more. Then I would suggest that you are to remain near it. But not here." Then Johannes climbs over the trench wall, crawling his way back. After listening to what Johannes said. She doesn't know if wishes to continue on with this journey. No teleportation circle has been made, but it may be certain, she either accepts her new reality here or continue on forward and hope for the circle to come back once more. Then Akame grabs her Imperial Arms by the sheathe and decides to follow. If need be, then at least she shall remain in the area where the circle had originated in.
As the six crouches down and continue moving, keeping themselves crouched low. One can sense that tension has been building up for a time, yet the forest itself remains silent. As they continue on, one of the private German soldiers accidentally activates a tripwire trap. A grenade explodes immediately by him, killing him instantly, and sending debris out as well.
"Scheisse!" (Shit!) The Lieutenant reacted. Yet their troubles don't end. Soon another trap was set but not a grenade trap. A red flare is sent up to the sky, exploding multiple times in the sky, almost as if it gave away their positions.
In the British and German lines, the officers and soldiers see the flare flying in the sky. The officers begin to give their orders as the soldiers begin to mount up on the firing step. The British soldiers, seeing a group of Germans, begin to open fire, while the Germans, seeing their own in the middle of no man's land, begin to give covering fire. The British, close to the trench begin to fire mortar rounds at the German lines. Taking out and wounding several who are in the opposing trench. "LAUF!" (RUN!) The lieutenant commanded. Soon the remaining five begin to run for their lives. Another German private is killed by gunfire. Soon a whistling sound comes from the sky. Artillery shells land and explodes on impact killing one of the privates and leaving the other heavily wounded.
Seeing this, Akame starts to understand why Johannes, the lieutenant, and the other soldiers from before, had taken caution in this fight. She was not used to this style of combat as most of her missions were simple in-and-out missions with the occasional duel. Yet to see bullets fly by, artillery exploding, and the never-ending cries of the wounded bring a new perspective to what war can be.
Turning around, Johannes sees Akame had stopped. He sees that he isn't far from the relative safety of his trench. Bullets fly past him, as the remaining lieutenant and private manage to get back. In the brief time, he knew her, he knows that her world and his are different. War remains the same, yet technology has changed how one reacts to it. Hearing his own call out to him, telling him to quickly get to the trench, Johannes decides to risk it all.
As the reality of war hits Akame. Johannes grabs Akame. "Snap out of it. Was machst du?!" (What are you doing?) Akame looks up and sees Johannes. Another artillery shell lands just a short distance from them. "We have to go, now!" Johannes tells Akame. "Just follow my lead and you'll be ok!" Soon, Akame reanimates herself and decides to follow Johannes. He points to the direction of his trench line and soon the two begin to run once more, with Johannes keeping pace behind Akame.
"What was I doing back there?" Akame asks herself. "Not once have I hesitated. But doing so nearly had me killed. I know that an assassin like myself, hesitation will kill me." Akame thinks to herself. "No matter. I must continue forward." As Akame thinks to herself, she can hear the artillery fall closer to her and the calls of the Germans gesturing her to run faster. As Akame nears the trench line, debris and shrapnel fly past her, cutting her in several areas. Akame jumps into the German trench safely, followed by Johannes.
Yet as Johannes makes it to the edge of his trench line, an artillery shell explodes a yard behind him. The force of the blast violently tosses Johannes to the trench as wood and metal fly, wounding several on the fire step. "Johannes!" Akame cried out. She rushes over to his side and checks on him. She sees he's badly bruised and cut up by the debris as well as some of the shrapnel lodging itself inside of him. "You there!" Akame points to a German soldier who had stopped firing to check up on Johannes. "Help him! Can anyone can?" Akame asks. Looking around her surroundings, she sees that she has broken her façade.
The Germans in the trench begin to clearly see Akame now. The initial sight made them belove she was another soldier of the Army, just like any of them. But upon hearing and seeing Akame closely, they now realize and become a bit confused by the young woman who can speak English, wearing a German coat and helmet, and carrying a sword. The men begin to clear the way to allow medical teams to collect the wounded and the dead.
Seeing that she's surrounded, in a foreign territory, with people she can't understand. Akame decides on the best course of action, running. Akame then grabs her Murusame which was dropped, and soon Akame begins to run in the trenches. The space is tight but she follows the signs east to get away from the frontlines where the fighting is happening. Johannes did all that he could do to get Akame out of no man's land, now it's left to Akame to, in a way, find a way back to her world.
Night Raid's Secret Hideout
Night
Najenda looks out of the window, with depression in her eyes. It's been over several weeks since Akame's forced disappearance and over a night since the rest of Night Raid did too.
"What else is there to do? Leone and I are the only ones left to fight against the Empire. The Revolutionary Army is keeping Esdeath busy and we can't get any more members to join. Night Raid has also been under threat of being disbanded." Najenda thinks aloud. "Leone is too depressed to do much and here I remain. Yet I still hold out hope, that they would be able to come back to our world safely." Najenda, though seeing the situation for Night Raid starting to become hopeless, remains in a sort of optimistic mood. Not letting nihilistic thoughts enter her mind. She saw what each member of what Night Raid can do. Depending on where everyone else is, then it's possible that they will survive and be able to return back so that the revolution can take place and a chapter of a new life can begin.
Author's notes:
This chapter was originally going to be in one chapter with Chapter 4. But I decided to split it since it would be way too long.
Aside from that. I would also like to apologize for not uploading anything. It's just that my time has been tied up lately with university which sometimes leaves me tired to write. But don't worry, I'm still working on chapters for Kill the New Order and I am hoping to upload them before the end of September 2022.
Aside from that, the written German and translations are provided by me. Which means they would be rough in grammar, so if you know German, dm me if any corrections are necessary. Anyways.
Comments are appreciated. Thank you for your support.
NighKingster.