Emperor's Bane

Chapter 233 Hello, Guilliman ([-])

Here are the five times Robert Guilliman No. 20 tried to kill his blood relatives.

He longs for victory.

Before that, he had tried 24 times: he didn't like that number, especially when it didn't include a single real victory.

He had been a winner, but he hadn't won: he knew the difference.

[Hand of Domination] made an undetectable trembling sound accompanied by the kinetic energy that cannot be completely suppressed, while [Red Sword of Sincerity] was tightly held by the Primarch in the other hand, the combined explosive bomb The gun [Arbiter] was also hung on Guilliman's waist, as a second plan when necessary.

In this way, the Primarch fully armed himself, and the [Armor of Reason] protected all vital points except the head, and also gave him extraordinary courage. He stepped on those broken marble stairs, stepped across After the scattered corpses, these dead are all dressed in power armor, some in blue and some in silver-white, performing silent dramas about mutual death.

The casualties were heavy, no matter which side you stood on, the casualties were heavy: just a casual glance in the tense nerves, the Primarch identified at least two thousand sons who died in battle, and about five hundred who were not part of the war. The dead of Macragge and Ultramar.

But in general, the Lord of Macragge can barely call himself a victor: beneath his feet is the last bastion of his blood, and among the corpses scattered left and right, the silver-white ones are the last defenders , the blue ones are but the more elite of the limitless army of the Ultramarines.

Outside the marble fortress, intermittent intense gunshots and artillery shells proclaimed that the war was still not completely over, but in front of the Primarch, he could no longer see any more obstacles, the only thing that could temporarily cover his sight Yes, only the scalding white steam that he constantly spewed out, they rose like winter smoke, slapping on the broken marble pillars that were already covered with bullet holes.

The Primarch gazed at the once splendid supporters, and he exchanged the shortsword for a bolter, and pointed into the endless shadows at the top: he remembered well that in the fourth duel, several squads The assassins slashed out of those shadows, waving their claws, and their interference caused Guilliman's throat to finally be slashed by the curved blade of Avalon.

After that, the same scene appeared in eight different duels, but it never let the Lord of Macragge suffer a bit, and there was always enough firepower to target any strange shadow approaching Guilliman .

After checking those broken ambush sites one by one, the Primarch glanced around him again, looking for any site that refuted common sense. He was very vigilant. Although he seemed to be winning, he knew that he had There were at least three times when they fell at the last second before the victory.

The gunfire outside the fort continued intermittently, but the battle cry from the Ultramarines was able to cover up the last struggle of the resisters. Following the victory beat of the No.13 Legion, Guilliman walked slowly into the After entering the last hall, the short blond hair behind his neck stood up involuntarily because of the coldness behind the door, making the roar of the power fist even louder and harsher.

"Have you no more plans, my blood?"

Carefully pushing open the door, the Primarch stepped into the messy command room. He replaced the bolter with a dagger, and listened carefully to every commotion in the air, with only the cold breath and the tactics of the public channel in his ears. report.

"Your last line of defense has also been completely breached, and the Terra warriors stationed there are still very strong, just like every time before, they withstood the siege of eight times the troops I sent, but after all, they also Can't stop the shells and the fire."

"And your old guard, the private guard you chose for yourself. I remember that they only had more than 200 people, but they wiped out my vanguard army of more than 800 people. I could only mobilize three times as many troops as before to capture here."

"Up to now, I still have about fifty strategic reserves, as well as supporting armored vehicles and fire cover: well, it's your turn, my blood relatives, tell me, what else do you have? What else have you prepared ?”

"How do you plan to save this world you rule, this country, this burning ruin?"

The muffled voice of the Primarch echoed from the crumbling dome, and he was answered only by the faintest trembling hiss in the air: they were caught by Guilliman, and he knew they were the signal for war.

After all, Lord Macragge clearly remembered that the silver-white corpses that fell on the courtyard and the marble steps were still about ten people short of the actual number, and they were unlikely to turn into ashes and indistinguishable pieces of flesh: and All this was the conclusion drawn by the Primarch in that inadvertent glance.

Guilliman breathed: his last icy breath.

The next moment, his pupils captured three anomalies at the same time: on the other side of this vast hall, in the blind spot of his vision, and in those corners covered by light and shadow, four fully armed Dawnbreakers emerged from their Emerging from cover, the Primarchs could clearly see the bolt guns in their hands, the flashing white light at the muzzles, and the screech of the mass bombs piercing the air.

At the same time, at least six auras appeared in the shadows on his left and right: everything was just a fraction of a second, but it was enough to make Guilliman act.

The Primarch turned to the right, avoiding the fire, and attacking at the same time: he could feel that there was one breath less there, and the short sword in his right hand growled and roared with the discovery.

The speed of the Primarch is unimaginable by all. Like an irresistible hurricane, he tore apart the plots hidden in the shadows: No. 1 ambusher at close range was killed in his protective color , didn't even get out of the darkness completely, and when his comrades hesitated briefly because of this too abrupt sacrifice, the roaring power fist killed another person in the shadows.

A safe rear, and when Guilliman had it all, his victory was only a matter of a very short time: the four shooters occupying the far seats were crushed by the more swift and precise arbiter, while in The power fists took the lives of three more attackers before their dying bodies fell.

There was one more, one last, Guilliman could remember that name: Lanar, his kinsman's chosen Chief Praetorian, with a prowess befitting the title.

This time is no exception.

Roaring in the fearless battlecry of its wielder, the Seiko power sword caused real trouble for the Primarch: before his power fist crushed the Old Guard's torso, bringing his fighting spirit along with his heart Before they were wiped out together, several hideous scars had destroyed the perfection of the Primarch's power armor, and one of them could even reach Guilliman's unguarded neck.

The Lord of Macragge's silent mourning for the enemy lasted for a moment: although this was not the first time, even though he knew that this was just a pure fantasy in his head, if he could, he still wanted to use his short sword to give this An honorable death and portrait of a valiant warrior.

But he knew that there was no time now: the moment Lanar fell, the stasis bomb hidden behind him appeared in front of the Lord of Macragge.

Again.

Guilliman sighed in his heart, and his body had instinctively hid in a safe corner: at the next moment, the empathy effect from the quantum field echoed in his mind, and the bomb hidden under Lana's body The stasis bombs quietly dimmed, followed by the successive explosions of more than fifty bombs of various types placed in various places in the hall.

a trap.

The white-hot flames and skyrocketing explosion lasted less than a second, and the crumbling building was sentenced to death. When the smoke and lime from the explosion were swept away by the sudden influx of air, a sturdy road The voice suddenly stood among the ruins.

That was Guilliman: he was covered in smoke, but unharmed.

"Any other moves, Morgan?"

Facing a cloud of pale gray smoke, Guilliman yelled loudly, and before he finished speaking, the Primarch rolled around to the left without hesitation: a black and blue terrifying beam of light rubbed against his shoulder armor, Blast the place where the Primarch had just stood.

"That blow wasn't enough to kill me outright, you know."

Guilliman was still shouting, and he carefully watched the figure that appeared in the dust, wary that he was another realistic prop used to attract and deceive him.

"Didn't we try it on the ninth time: I can resist the same spiritual impact at least three times, although my armor doesn't seem to be able to resist the ensuing negative electricity."

The Primarch yelled, his eyes scouring the chaotic space until he saw the figure move and draw the weapon: a double-bladed lance that was just right for her, held between the two sides. The lower end of a gun head is connected with two ax blades.

That, it seemed, was indeed Morgan: the man he had fought 24 times.

Thinking of this, Guilliman couldn't help frowning. He walked out of his ever-changing hiding place and faced the blood relative who was holding the weapon, feeling a little unhappy.

"what happened to you?"

[I just want to change the method. 】

Morgan showed a smile, which made the Master of Ultramarines instinctively feel nervous, and he knew too well how many times he had fallen in front of this kind of smile.

[Do you still remember how many times we played against each other?Killiman? 】

"24 times."

The Primarch articulated the records and figures in his head.

"Eleven to ten, in addition, there are three more draws: I wiped out your legion, and you wiped out me."

"You beat me eleven times, Morgan. That's never been done before."

Speaking of his own failure, Guilliman's face did not show even a single bit of disappointment. On the contrary, a different kind of passion and eagerness occupied his entire face, which was the desire and greed for the more unknown.

[Yes, eleven victories. 】

The Spider Queen sighed softly, without any joy on her face.

[But it is also eleven intermittent victories: every time I use a method to annihilate your army and offensive, you can immediately win back a victory in the next round, so that I can no longer take advantage of the same tactics. 】

[Do you still remember the situation in our No. 20 confrontation? 】

"Of course, the intensive advance and the uninterrupted fire bombardment, the various troops tore apart my legion in the precise turn of battle: you broke through the defense line of my fortress in such a way, I really did not expect you to use it so profligately The crowd tactics to attack, very beautiful style change, that time I lost convincingly."

[Yeah, it’s a beautiful tactical style change, and it should be concealed: after all, in reality, I don’t have the capital to play this kind of Olympia tactics. Twenty thousand casualties are enough for me to retire to Holy Terra. 】

"Are you worried about the number of your legion?"

[There is indeed such worry. After all, you know, Guilliman, 2 people, even if it is [-] Astartes fighters, in this turbulent era, it is not a number that can completely ensure safety. 】

[However, I don't think you can empathize with me on this issue, master of Ultramar and Ultramarines. 】

"...Well, there are indeed some, but you can get my help at any time, my blood relatives, I now have 12 descendants, they are a powerful force."

[Yes, yes, I have experienced this powerful force more than 20 times: No matter how my tactics change, in the final analysis, it is your beheading. Yes, the recovery speed is also extremely scary. 】

"In fact, this can also be regarded as a genetic disease, isn't it... After all, such a mutation should not exist in a gene seed. Although it can be regarded as benign, it is still a defect."

【…】

【Whatever you think. 】

A cold snort from the blood relatives, accompanied by the final rumble of artillery fire in the distance, made Guilliman react suddenly: this is still a battlefield where you can live and die in theory, not a hall where you can discuss at will.

"Okay, Morgan."

The Primarch gripped his sharp blade, watching his kin grip the weapon as well.

"This time, are you going to compete in swordsmanship with me?"

[Yes, Guilliman, too many sand table operations have made me feel a little bored. Squads, tanks, aircraft and cannons, these have never been the things that attract me, especially after going back and forth more than 20 times. 】

"But you're really good at it, aren't you?"

A hearty smile occupied the face of the Primarch, Guilliman clenched the blade tightly, and took a sharp step forward, while the ax that greeted him continuously neighed with a phase force field, which quickly transformed into a sharp howl of metal collisions Call.

Charged from the foot of a mountain of rubble, the Ultramarines Master, eager to push his blood-kin back to the other side, fought with short swords and power fists instead of his own bolter.

In Guilliman's field of vision, he could clearly see Morgan's long white dress. The power of psionic energy shone on the defenseless and delicate fabric, allowing it to easily turn roaring bombs into The lost ship deviated from its course, and the sleeveless half-body armor made of fine craftsmanship firmly protected the most important upper body, turning any long-range firepower into useless roar.

Morgan was holding her large and somewhat exaggerated polearm. Her slightly thin figure seemed to declare that she could not exert the full power of this brutal weapon, but the Lord of the Ultramarines did not underestimate the enemy in the slightest: he He has already fought ten times with his blood relatives, and he knows very well that her martial arts are not bad, and she is not an opponent he can easily take down.

The blue-black ax blade changed its state during stabbing and slashing, and built the adamantine wall belonging to the Lord of the Second Legion in the cautious defense and wild offensive. Guilliman cautiously fought against his blood relatives , but also to take energy to guard against that terrible psionic energy.

【Your swordsmanship is much better than I imagined, Guilliman. 】

After another fruitless attack, Morgan temporarily stopped the attack. She was panting heavily, and the sticky sweat dripped from her earlobe and chin, and wet the snow-white dress, like a hot summer day. Delicious icing that keeps melting under the sun's rays.

"I have received 12 years of education, my blood relatives, including swordsmanship and various martial arts."

Guilliman clenched his fists tightly, and he didn't dare to relax his vigilance, because he knew very well that his blood relatives had used words as weapons to relax his vigilance and defenses: that was the last round of confrontation, and what happened just now matter.

【Education... This is really a rare treasure. 】

"It's not rare, Morgan. In Macragge City, every citizen has to receive nine to 12 years of basic education. This is the right that every ordinary person has."

【…】

The Spider Queen who wanted to say something suddenly fell into a stagnation.

[I suddenly want to hit you, Guilliman. 】

"I'm right here: like most of our matchups, right here."

[But you never really beat me, never knocked me to the ground in a one-on-one duel, so this has become your obsession to come here again and again, isn't it? 】

"Yes, Morgan."

"Ten of my victories have been in tactical and soldiery engagements, and I have been able to draw from each of my defeats to break your line of attack or defense on the field: but I have never outmatched you in real combat. , I am a winner, but my victory is not complete."

[You care too much about this, my Ultramar brother, you could have defeated me three times, but you insisted on coming to me to fight it out, thus dragging the battle to victory, but you fought Dead draw. 】

"I'm just not good at escaping."

Guilliman smiled, a smile so proud that it was almost instinctive.

"I admit that cunning and evasion can bring victory, my blood, but there are some things that these cowardly methods cannot bring us: just like you always sit here waiting for me, in On this issue, we have the same views.”

"And I have to admit, Morgan, if I hadn't insisted on knocking you down head-on, I wouldn't have seen your full strength. Do you still remember our No. 17 confrontation, your legion was defeated on the battlefield, but While you defeated me in battle, you launched at least four hundred attacks against my command hierarchy, turning the tide of battle in one fell swoop: impressive, my sister, very impressive."

[It's just a helpless move. 】

Morgan hummed softly.

She raised a hand.

【Then, tell me, great honorist, have you found a way to fight against my spiritual power? 】

"……No."

As soon as the words fell, a beam of bright light shot out from Morgan's palm. Although the Lord of the Ultramarines instinctively dodged to the side, one side of his shoulder armor was still hit, and the cobalt blue brilliance and honor blinked. The room became tattered black coke.

[I don't understand, Guilliman. 】

Morgan frowned. She waved her psychic light beam casually, watching her blood relatives dodge more and more skillfully. Although she was hit and knocked away from time to time, she was always able to stand up quickly.

【During our first duel, you came straight to me, asked for a duel, and was crushed to death by me together with the entire hall: This is why our score was eleven to ten. 】

[And so many times have passed, you should also know that with your strength, you can't fight against my psychic power at close range: What makes you come here again and again? 】

"Like I said."

Guilliman spoke intermittently, because he had to rely on the cover of broken walls, and the arbiter who fired from time to time in his hands, to fight against the too terrifying psionic power of his own blood relatives.

"It's a duel, Morgan, and I have no reason to run from it: psionic power is far from enough reason."

[Then you should always find a way: every tactic of mine will be quickly deciphered by you, but only my psionic power has an effect on you from the beginning to the end, haven't you considered a way to deal with it?For example, you also use psionic energy to interfere with me in reverse. 】

"I don't have psychic powers, Morgan."

The voice of the Lord of the Ultramarines came from behind a nearly shattered marble column, and Morgan glanced at it, then slapped the bomb that Guilliman used to interfere with her, whittled the column to the ground.

[No Primarch would be an absolute psychic, Guilliman, even that blunt Barbarusian. We are not Sisters of Silence, our birth contains supernatural power. 】

"No, that's what an aristocrat is."

"Isn't there one in front of you?"

Guilliman's voice came from behind another low wall, causing Morgan to lower her brows helplessly. She didn't know what was going on with her inexplicable preaching habit, but she didn't know either. Concern: There are enough strange things that have happened to her, enough to make her a bit of a mess.

【...As long as you are happy, Guilliman. 】

【So now, how are you going to fight against my psionic power, just hide like this? 】

"This is observation and organization, Morgan."

"Through trial and error again and again, try out the power given to you by psychic energy, and thus sum up a set of real coping methods. The victory may not be this time, but it will always come."

[Arabian Nights. 】

"Everything is a fantasy at the beginning, isn't it?"

A few wisps of disdainful air came out of Morgan's nostrils. She waved her hand, and Guilliman, who was heading towards the next hidden point, was put into a portal that was suddenly discovered, and at the other end of the portal, It was a blazing wall of fire, enough to threaten the life of the Primarch.

But at this critical moment, Lord Macragge's seemingly unavoidable movements suddenly stopped strangely, and his power fist slammed to the ground fiercely, pushing himself back with great force. On the flip side: it's as if everything is going as Guilliman expected it to be.

The ends of the Primarch's hair scratched against the greedy long tongue of the wall of fire, leaving a few strands of faint black, and before Guilliman could take a breath, he rolled quickly and dodged in mid-air An invisible thread that cuts mercilessly.

"Their venom really made me suffer. My impression of this kind of thing is second only to your ruthless steel torrent that joined forces with Mechanics to attack."

The Primarch chuckled and mocked himself. He tilted his head and dodged the unstoppable psychic lightning and molten flame beams. Then he jumped up quickly, threw away his bolter, drew his sword out of its sheath, and The boulder that came straight to his forehead was cut in half.

"I've died once each way."

He was talking to himself, and then he took out a handful of medicine from nowhere and threw it all down his throat, so that the various physical indicators in his body that had started to deteriorate for no reason returned to normal.

"Is that all you have, Morgan?"

【of course not. 】

An ethereal voice came from afar, and against the light, the Spider Queen stood on the hill at the end of the Primarch's field of vision.

[You are more stubborn than I thought, brother. 】

The Primarch laughed.

"Stubbornness itself is nothing more than a manifest reluctance, and no one is ever put off by real learning."

【So... are you looking forward to my true skills?Killiman? 】

"you can say it this way."

【Then I won’t let you down. I really hate the countless red tapes of commanding operations. Now, I just want to beat you up. 】

Morgan flicked the bangs that didn't exist on her forehead, and that smile made Guilliman feel a little uneasy again.

"You mean another duel?"

【Do not. 】

[Have you ever heard of biochemical psionic powers?Killiman? 】

"I know that a psionic spell that specializes in manipulating biological energy and processes can change or affect the physical form of oneself and the enemy to form a blow."

[Yeah, let's try it. 】

Morgan smiled, and slowly took off her sleeveless half body armor, only the long skirt soaked in psionic energy wrapped her.

Then, she started walking.

Every time he took a step, the ground shook more and more.

Guilliman opened his mouth, and he looked at the scene in front of him in disbelief. The heavy boulders beside him also began to tremble as the Lord of the Second Legion walked.

Without colliding muscles, and without a vicious face, Morgan's figure and appearance are still so slender and beautiful: except for one thing, every time she takes a step forward, her body will grow taller for no reason, which violates the fundamental Any law of physics that Liman knows.

One step, one step, another step.

Three meters, four meters, five meters...

When the shadow of the Lord of the Second Legion completely enveloped Guilliman, her body was no different from that of an imperial knight. When she spoke again, the cold voice seemed It turned into a rumbling thunder.

[So, are you ready to fight, Guilliman? 】

The mammoth sound stung the Primarch's ears, and he couldn't help raising his head, trying to see the face of his blood relative, but the distance was so close that he could only see the two fat dolphins perched on Morgan's body.

"Uh……"

In a rare moment, the Primarch of the Ultramarines hesitated, then looked at his power fist with some relief.

【Are you prepared? 】

"It's just a precautionary measure. After all, I know the power of biochemical psionic energy."

Before the words fell, the ax blade in Morgan's palm, which was no different from a toy, was thrown towards Guilliman's face, and the hair on the back of the Primarch's neck stood on end. Wake, then waved his short sword, and went up to him.

In an instant, the flames splattered, and the blue-black ax blade was smashed into pieces, scattered at Guilliman's feet, and the Primarch quickly pressed a button, with his center of gravity lowered, a naked eye The solid shield quickly surrounded him.

It wasn't until here that Lord Macragge's voice came, and the calm tone did not seem to be frightened at all.

"Just like you said, Morgan."

"I'm not unprepared."

[Private void shield? 】

Morgan's voice was no different from that of the gods above the clouds.

"Not exactly, but the effects are not too different, and you did choose a wrong fighting style for yourself, Morgan, the bigger the body, the better."

"Have you forgotten, your legion has been defeated, all my artillery can be aimed directly at this place, before my shield is weakened by the artillery, you will fall first, after all, your target is too conspicuous gone."

[Is this in your plan? 】

"Not really, I planned hundreds of possibilities in advance, and this is just one of them."

Guilliman frowned. He felt that his blood relative was a little too calm. Even her previous actions: this sudden increase in body size without warning, and the current questioning revealed a joking attitude.

"...and you, Morgan?"

"Aren't you going to start your attack? There are still ten seconds left for the first wave of fire."

【attack? 】

Morgan laughed like a Venus at a banquet.

The next moment, a figure slowly walked out of the giant and walked in front of the shield of the Lord of the Ultramarines: it was Morgan.

Guilliman glanced suspiciously at the blood relative in front of him, and then at the huge human body above his head.

"phantom?"

【Who knows. 】

"It's true that you haven't used this in previous duels, Morgan, but this psionic technique is too famous. I have a plan, and you can't use it to defeat me."

The Primarchs spoke eloquently, and above their heads, the first shell strikes were already accompanied by sharp roars, close at hand.

[Who said I would strike with phantoms, my Guilliman?My attack has already been completed? 】

"... what attack?"

[A dagger on the back. 】

"?"

"Is this an adjective?"

The Primarch frowned, and in the next second, a sharp pain came from the back of his neck: his throat and spine were pierced by a sharp blade, which the Primarch ignored, so The fragments of the ax blade shattered by hand, it is exuding an invisible malevolent light, while depriving Guilliman of his breath, while injecting poison into the Primarch mercilessly.

And in Guilliman's pupils that quickly sank into gray, there was only the roar of approaching shells, and Morgan's smile.

【Do not. 】

[This is a noun. 】

------

[The illusion is indeed very famous, my Guilliman. 】

[But who said that an illusion must be an illusion? 】

When such words were captured by Guilliman, Lord Macragge could only sigh helplessly in his heart.

Ok……

Learning again.

(End of this chapter)