40k: Midnight Blade.

Chapter 455 181. Terra (Forty, Wolf and Wolf, 7k)

Loken has read many books, some from their era, and some from earlier times, from a time when human beings had not yet stepped out of the star sea, and were even still in conflict between multiple countries.

He also let his mind wander, trying to imagine how the ancient sages wrote magnificent masterpieces in an era of material scarcity. The words in them can still shock readers even tens of thousands of years later, and their souls sing immortality in the words.

For example, Shakespeare's plays, and some poems. Comedy, tragedy, father and son fighting each other, brothers fighting each other. The final result was nothing more than a clash of swords. Looking back now, it seems that fate had foreshadowed something as early as that time, but he couldn't see it at the time.

Garviel Loken looked at Ezekiel Abaddon, staring from a distance.

His brother - his former brother - stood at the forefront of the elite Sons of Horus, the banner of the Eye flying high behind him.

There was no ash on their armor, no mud mixed with minced flesh on their boots. They had no wounds, no trauma, not even the slightest shake. Here they stood, standing in the place they had sworn to protect, above the burning remains of the Empire of Man.

Even proud.

Even, full of pride.

Loken saw Abaddon smiling.

He let go and dropped the Word Bearer he had strangled. He picked up his sword from the ground and ran towards the nearest enemy.

Judging from the appearance, it is probably a creature that is close to a cross between a demon and an Astartes. It is difficult to define which side it is on. The fleshy armor and crazy behavior pattern cannot distinguish the creature that was once an Astartes. The fact that it is unique has been erased from the creature, but it still possesses powerful characteristics of depravity.

It was fighting Harlankosen, and War Hound's captain didn't let it take any advantage. That's good, he creates space for Loken to sneak in.

The Luna Wolf ran toward it and swung a swift sword from behind. The decomposition force field wiped away the flesh and blood. Tens of thousands of muscle fibers disappeared in an instant, and unpleasant-smelling black blood burst out from the gap.

It roared in pain and turned around furiously, its hands that had become one with the weapon shone with cold light, and the two twisted blades stabbed Loken, and the war dog seized this opportunity to behead him.

Sometimes all you need to win is a slim chance.

"They're coming!" Loken roared at Harlan Corson. "We must be ready, Captain Harlan, we must!"

War Dog calmly retracted his decapitation sword, half of his face replaced by bionic parts was already covered with blood: "How many are there?"

Loken turned his head and smashed the viewing window with his fist, and the blood and soil on it flew together. He looked at the dark horizon and came to a rather credible conclusion.

"At least four companies." Luna Wolf said. "At least four, Captain Harlan."

"Dalian?"

"Dalian."

War Dog nodded: "It seems we can only retreat."

That's what he said, but his actions revealed another completely different idea. Loken caught up to him, still firing his bolter at another group of charging cultists.

He was already a little annoyed - he didn't know how to describe this emotion, but for him who was somewhat lacking in emotion these days, anger might be the word that best expressed his emotions.

"Aren't you going to call in the troops?" shouted Lorcan.

The sound of explosive bombs failed to cover up his voice, and the roar of the cultists seemed harsh. An Imperial Fist charged past and smashed all the bastards into pieces with an assault shield.

"I think so." War Dog's company commander turned his head and looked at Loken. "No, let's put it this way, Luna Wolf - the best destination for a warrior should be to die fighting hard, do you agree?"

Loken gave his answer in silence, and a feeling of sadness rose from the bottom of his heart.

"We can indeed retreat, Lorcan," Harlancosen said, almost sneering. "But we will be overtaken by them on the way back and killed one by one. You should know better than me what four large companies of the Sons of Horus mean, don't you?"

"They are obviously well prepared. Although I don't know why they picked the position we are responsible for to attack, but..."

The war dog shouldered the sword nonchalantly, closed his mouth, made a gesture silently, and walked to the other side of the trench. Loken watched him leave and looked around. Every loyalist he saw was fighting to the death.

The sadness gradually turned into an extreme indignation.

Loken turned off the disintegration field, sheathed his sword, pulled out the magazine of the bolter, and looked at the ammunition. After doing this, he put the gun back on the holster on his right leg and jumped to the top of the trench.

Almost no one noticed what he was doing, they all had things to do, just like him.

Lorcan started running.

It took him two and a half minutes to cross a distance of more than a thousand meters. For an Astartes, this speed was surprisingly slow. But he needed time to think, and the dangerous environments on the battlefield also made it more difficult to move.

He turned himself into a living moving target. The group thousands of meters away must have noticed him long ago, but they did not open fire. Lorcan didn't know the reason, and he didn't want to know the reason, he just ran.

In the process, he put aside all factors that might lead to an emotional outburst. Finally, he stood in front of Ezekiel Abaddon with complete calmness.

"What are you here for, Gavir?" Abaddon asked him, sword in hand.

Their reunion was not dramatic, had no foreshadowing, and was not as intense as imagined. It was just two people facing each other, and one of them asked in a normal tone, as if this was just another small conversation after sparring.

Although behind one there were only burning wreckage and ruins, behind the other there were majestic elite soldiers who looked as if they had already won.

Loken didn't answer his question, just drew his sword.

His two hearts began to beat faster in the process, and he was not worried that he would be shot. He knew these people and he understood they would give him the time to do it. But he was still a little worried, because those who remained in the trenches did not know him as well as these people.

What an ironic contrast.

But there was nothing he could do. Now, he could only hope for Harlan Cosen's keen observation. He hoped that the company commander would discover his departure and where he was going early. Then, realize the time he bought for them. .

What a stupid solution, so stupid, so stupid, just as stupid as Ezekiel Abaddon.

Loken held his sword and stared at Abaddon.

"You want a fight?" Abaddon asked.

His tone didn't seem to care much about it.

"Maybe." Loken said, holding the sword. "But it's not just a fight. It's not just a fight. Ezekiel, what I want to do more is to kill you."

This statement was true. From Loken's eyes, Abaddon could see the weight of this statement. Those eyes were once full of passion and filled with the intimate understanding between brothers, but now there was only a void of calm.

"Really? What a shame," Abaddon said. "I thought you were here to rejoin the Warmaster's service."

Loken calmly took a breath of air. He needed this terrible air full of burnt smell to calm his emotions at the moment.

Ezekiel Abaddon was trying to provoke him, and he didn't even need to think about it to come to the conclusion. They knew each other too well, just as Abaddon knew exactly what to say to make Garviel Loken lose control.

How can the brotherhood that has lasted for decades be so easily erased? Although both parties have this intention, this matter will never be easily achieved.

Only blood for blood. Return the blood they once shed for each other.

"Raise your sword," Loken growled. "Raise your sword."

Abaddon actually raised the sword in his hand. The sword once belonged to Horus Ashmand and was named Ghost Seeing Sorrow.

Horus the Younger once said that he threw his sword in front of Abaddon. Loken had known about this for a long time, but now, seeing Abaddon's expressionless expression when holding the ghost, Loken felt a sting for some reason, and this pain forced him to take the lead in launching an attack.

That's when they started fighting.

The four descendants of the Wolf God of the Great Company stared at this scene in silence. No one wanted to interfere with this duel, but it had been activated before they opened fire.

But isn't this duel absurd?

Garviel Loken, wearing the white armor paint of the Luna Wolves era, fights Ezekiel Abaddon, wearing the black armor paint of the Sons of Horus era, on the burning ruins of Terra.

There was no foreshadowing, no long speeches, just a few short conversations, filled with the kind of connection that can only be born under extreme tacit understanding.

Garviel Loken came to die, determined to sacrifice himself in order to gain a few more hours of meaningless life for the doomed lackeys of the false emperor.

Ezekiel Abaddon knew this clearly, but he did not order them to capture him or execute him. Instead, he risked his life and dueled with him to fulfill his last wish.

Many Sons of Horus felt uneasy. They did not like this scene. Even if this duel had not shed a drop of blood so far, it was already too cruel for them.

"Have you ever thought about today?" Loken asked in a low voice.

The blade of the sword collided with Eichmand's 'Ghost Seeing Sorrow', and the arcs of the decomposition force field began to beat and entwine with each other. New radiance burst out between the collision and friction of the blade one after another, illuminating the faces of the two. They were as white as two ghosts that had long since died.

Abaddon remained silent and suddenly attacked with his sword.

Guijianchou is different from most power swords. It is a sword that even using a two-handed giant sword seems a bit short of words to describe it. There was a time when Loken thought that only Eichmand could wield it freely. But now, he found that he was wrong - in fact, Abaddon could do it too.

But Abaddon has never been revealed before.

This caused him trouble.

Loken began to back away, his steel boots digging into the mud. Abaddon pursued the victory, and he did not hold back. His intention was very obvious - to seize this opportunity and kill Loken completely.

If you want to win, you must seize every opportunity that can turn the result into a 'victory'. No matter how insignificant it is, you must hold it tightly in your hands.

The teachings of Horus Luperkar were faithfully followed by Ezekiel Abaddon.

He caught up with Loken and struck three times in a row while even blocking perfectly, leaving no chance for Loken to counterattack.

His attack was so swift that Guijianchou spread lightning-like colors and tracks in the air, lingering around the dark armor.

The Sons of Horus, who had changed their paintwork following the Warmaster's new armor, suddenly realized who would win from the two high-speed moving opposing color blocks.

Some people rejoiced because it meant they no longer had to watch this disturbing duel. Others, however, shuddered and finally realized something.

Unfortunately, it's too late.

It's too late is the most helpless word in the world.

Loken blocked with his sword, cleverly predicted Abaddon's sword path, and killed him one by one. For the Astartes, this process is inevitable in all sword fights. If the two sword wielders are close in level, the battle will be drawn out to a certain extent. It only took Loken a second to reverse his situation, and his efforts brought life to the originally dead situation again. Abaddon's mouth showed a faint smile, as if appreciating it.

He suddenly retreated, the blade of the sword sinking deeply into the soil, cutting through the dried blood and broken armor, and raising dust with the help of the pause of less than half a second.

Loken's sight was not blocked, but Guijianchou was blocked. This huge sword suddenly disappeared in the mud and turned into an invisible sword.

At the same time, there was a heavy roar in Loken's ears. It didn't sound like the blade was about to be chopped off, but rather like the sound of a cannonball about to hit the ground.

At this moment, there was nothing in his mind, only a sentence from Tarik Torgadun.

"When you swing your sword, you always pay too much attention to how to kill your opponent, dear Ezekiel." Togaton said in a persuasive way. "You might as well lower your speed requirements for victory and achieve a certain degree of flexibility first."

Looks like he didn't listen, Tariq.

The dazzling white light roared and cut into pieces of the air, reaching Loken's face. Without any hesitation, the Shadow Moon Wolf raised its head to dodge. The sword blade chased after him, like a hungry wolf that didn't know what to give in.

Loken blocked the sword again with his backhand, and also seized the small gap exposed by Abaddon's eagerness for quick success. He swooped forward and began to chisel Abaddon's thick armor with the tip of his sword.

The first place to hit is naturally the abdomen, and then the small connection between the armpit and the neck. Ezekiel Abaddon was not wearing a helmet, just like Garvill Loken at this moment.

Both of them could see each other's faces naturally, and Loken noticed that Abaddon's expression became a little gloomy.

He suddenly smiled. He didn't hide his smile, and Abaddon probably noticed it.

A few seconds later, with a muffled bang, they separated from each other.

Abaddon's forehead was left with a small dent left by the fist, and blood flowed out, across his entire face, staining him dripping with blood.

Loken seemed to be unscathed, but if you look closely, you will find a deep sword mark on his armor, located on his right shoulder.

After all, he can't be completely uninjured. Just like Abaddon, they have fought against each other too many times. This deep understanding spans time and affects this battle.

The spectators were puzzled and did not understand how Abaddon's advantage was reversed in an instant. Only the two of them knew that this battle was destined to last for a long time.

They began to pace slowly, moving skillfully, keeping their eyes on each other, their swords raised or lowered, and the breeze blew by, bringing a message of destruction. The power of Chaos barks loudly, bringing dim light and torment beyond reason in the darkness.

The sounds in the trenches were transmitted to their ears, spanning thousands of meters, but they were as clear as if they were actually there.

A flicker of disgust crossed Abaddon's face, and Loken caught it.

"It seems that you know very well what you are dealing with." Shadow Luna Wolf taunted. "You are well aware of its greedy nature and its thirst for our flesh and souls, Abaddon, yet you persist in deceiving yourself."

"Traitor." Abaddon spat out a word coldly. "You are the one who deceives yourself, Gavir. You re-joined the false emperor, but you can't see clearly what a hypocritical liar he is. Don't you feel that Terra is different now? Do you need me to remind you, great Moon Wolf? Look at what you look like now, put on your old livery."

He sneered and drew a circle on the ground with Ghost. Loken responded with a mocking smile: "Revote? I have never really left him, and my loyalty has been unshakable from the beginning."

"What about Horus?!" Abaddon roared, and his roar sounded very similar to Loken's not long ago. "You turned your back on him!"

"He is not Horus," Loken said softly. "Horus Luperkar does not torture mortals to death, hang out entire ships with Vengeful Spirits, nor disappear at this moment. Where is he, Abaddon? Do you know?"

"He is winning for us." Abaddon replied in a low voice, his face looking a little ferocious. "And you - Gavel, why are you still so calm?"

"You really don't know the reason?" Shadow Moon Wolf asked back.

They stared at each other, and half a second later, they began to charge face to face, their swords clashing with each other again.

This was supposed to be the horn announcing the start of another close combat, but instead a roaring bullet was fired directly at the unprepared Ezekiel Abaddon - even Loken did not notice this bullet. Where did the bullet come from?

But it failed to hit the target. It took advantage of the right time, place and people. The sniper behind it must have carefully calculated before pulling the trigger, but it still failed to hit the target.

It suddenly shattered only nine centimeters away from Abaddon's head, and was easily crushed into slag by the surging power of chaos.

Abaddon's pupils shrank sharply, and while swinging his sword, he retreated continuously until he retreated to a safe distance. He wiped his face, took a deep breath, and looked at Loken gloomily.

"Despicable—!" he cursed. "You are tarnishing our glory!"

Loken smiled. He didn't know who was interfering with this duel, but he really didn't care at all. He even simply nodded and placed the blame on himself.

"Do you really think you and I have any glory to speak of?"

Abaddon roared and said nothing, and the Sons of Horus, who reacted to the sound of gunshots, also raised their guns and pointed them at Loken.

Abaddon continued to roar without looking back: "Put down the gun and let me—"

Before he could finish his words, another bullet continued to roar, accurately interrupting what he was about to say.

The burning, blood-filled sky was suddenly obscured by dark clouds at this moment, and a thick mist surged from behind the Sons of Horus, with shadowy figures in it. The attack of the Midnight Blade was without any warning, but it was extremely effective.

The elite warriors of the Wolf God were immediately dragged into the quagmire. One of them had a long-standing reputation in the galaxy and was so powerful that no explanation was needed. The other ones only have a terrifying reputation. Even if the relevant books have been popular for many years, they cannot hide the terrible fact that they are killers.

However, when the two armies collided, what Loken saw was a stalemate.

"You have really changed, Gavir Loken." Standing opposite him, Abaddon said sincerely.

"Shut up, traitor," Loken said scornfully, charging towards him with his sword raised.

In the fog and the roar of gunfire, they began to fight again, this time, hundreds of times more intense than every time before.

Because there is no reason or reason to stop them from treating each other in a hateful way, there is only hatred, and there is only the desire to kill each other. Everything else was left behind, even the original tactical purpose.

Loken no longer cared whether Captain Harlan Corson could escape with the remaining men in the trenches, just like Abaddon didn't care that the four large companies he brought were engaged in a bloody anomaly with the Night Blades. tug of war.

They are very focused and very eager to kill each other. This is the top priority. This is the only thing they care about now.

Abaddon roared and swung his sword, cutting Loken down: "You betrayed us!"

Loken quickly rolled back, stood up in the mud, and stabbed a sword with his backhand, his voice equally fierce: "Really? Think of Ashmand and Tarik! Don't talk about yourself as if you were abandoned, Ezekiel Abaddon!"

Blades collided, footsteps spun, and wolves stared at each other with incomparable hatred in their eyes. The only difference lies in their expressions, one is as cold as ice and the other is as manic as fire.

"You bewitched them!"

Loken almost laughed: "Listen to yourself, this is too ridiculous. You can't accept that all the members of the Four Kings Council are leaving, so you start to deceive yourself, right? Don't be too ridiculous, traitor, maybe I will give you more A little respect.”

"Only I am still standing by his side!"

"You're the only one who's so damn stupid that you can't see clearly!" Loken suddenly roared. "Only you really think he is your father after experiencing all the terrible things he has done, and you really think he is Horus Luperkar!"

"He is," Abaddon said stubbornly. “No one can lead us but him.”

"Speak to the Emperor, traitor," Loken cursed. "Go talk to your original creator."

"We only have--"

Abaddon took a deep breath, looking for a possible weak point between Loken's intensive attacks. He grabbed it and penetrated Guijianchou deeply into it, successfully forcing back Loken who briefly had the upper hand.

"——A genetic father!"

"But what if he is wrong?" Loken took a few steps back, stood there, and asked softly. "What if he is wrong, Abaddon? What was the original intention of the establishment of the Council of Four Kings? What's more, he is not him at all! Horus Ashmand saw his death with his own eyes and heard his last words with his own ears!"

Abaddon stopped answering, just roared and charged forward again. He didn't dare to ask any more questions.

However, at this moment, a huge decapitating sword played the sonata of another battle with a roaring sound through the air. Captain Harlan Corson of War Hound slashed into Abaddon's armor with one sword, and even Knocking him away without losing any force.

The adamantine frame of the Terminator Armor saved his life. If not, he would have been completely chopped open by the decapitating sword on the spot.

This was supposed to be the moment to pursue victory, but Loken was briefly stunned for a moment. He was so focused on this duel that he even forgot about everything else before the war dog reappeared.

But at this moment, those forgotten responsibilities burst out from the corners of his heart, crashing deeply into his thoughts, tearing everything to pieces.

Why would I - no - now is not the time to think about this -

There won't be a next time.

The Luna Wolf raised his sword angrily and strode towards Abaddon. However, the captain of War Dog stopped him with one hand, with astonishing force. His left fist even collided with Loken's chest, making a terrifying dull sound.

The next second, just opposite them, the dirt in front of Ezekiel Abaddon's seemingly empty body suddenly erupted, and several long and thick dark purple tentacles smashed into the ground, revealing the appearance. As if to protect him.

"Is this how you prepare for a duel, traitor?!" Loken growled and asked. "What a noble member of the Council of Four Kings, the great First Captain Ezekiel Abaddon!"

Abaddon didn't answer, he couldn't answer anymore. There was only incredible shame and anger on his face, and his hands were trembling in the mud, but the power of chaos ignored his struggle.

Darkness fell from the sky and enveloped him and the son of the Wolf God. The night blades followed closely and tracked away. The fog dissipated and the darkness faded, leaving only corpses on the ground and a group of midnight soldiers who had deliberately stayed behind. Blade, the leader's hands were equipped with lightning claws, his body was covered in blood, and he had achieved great results in battle.

"Fortunately, there are still them." Harlan Kesen laughed ferociously, pointing the beheading sword at the tentacle and the group of evil monsters that were continuously pouring out from the ground. "Hold your sword, Luna Wolf, we have another battle to fight."

Yeah, there's another battle to fight.

Loken held on to the blade as he said.

There is always another battle to fight.

　7k for this chapter, and another chapter later.

　　

　

(End of this chapter)