Warhammer: Black Emperor

Chapter 544 Akulduna abandons his instincts for the first time, emulating Nimrod.
Lucius ran like the wind, driven by his desire to fight the alien powerhouse and his obsession with witnessing Lord Nimrod's swordsmanship, which made him run faster and faster.

The sword flashed, and the aliens fell one by one, but his pace did not slow down in the slightest.

Even so, the gold and purple armor in front of him still reminded him of the gap between him and Akulduna.

Akulduna's composure and elegance made Lucius wonder if he still had energy to spare.

Lucius recalled the stories of Akulduna that were widely circulated in the Legion.

The young Akulduna, before he possessed the superhuman body of the Astartes, shamed the veteran Thunder Warrior Tauriel Collins, who was in charge of teaching him.

Akulduna defeated his instructor time and time again, each time effortlessly.

His fighting skills were innate, as natural as breathing, requiring no instruction from anyone.

When a peerless swordsman enters the battlefield, he will charge towards the most powerful enemy and move through the heart of the enemy formation.

He has never lost a game, not even a scratch.

He was the perfect swordsman, Fugen's proud eldest son.

As Lucius pondered, a black reflection of gold suddenly appeared in his vision.

Lucius's gaze immediately fell on the shimmering blue-white light.

Lord Ninglu's sword spun swiftly, like lightning. As its sharpness flashed, energy ripples transformed the surrounding dust into billowing clouds.

Lucius angrily kicked away the alien that had entered his line of sight. He saw that the alien he had just seen was now trapped inside something that looked like amber.

He angrily swung his sword, tearing the alien apart.

Lucius didn't even glance at the aliens around him; his gaze was fixed on the distance.

Finally, we saw Lord Ninglu's surging sword blade, swiftly slicing down the alien crystal longsword.

In a swift afterimage, he raised his power gauntlets, accompanied by a blinding golden light. The brain-eater he had only recently learned of was bound in a prison cell.

Akulduna spun his twin swords, and no alien could obstruct his view.

He calmly observed the battlefield; every move of Lord Ninglu possessed a natural sense of artistry.

The perfect balance between swift movement and heavy force is breathtakingly beautiful.

Sparks of inspiration ignited in Akulduna's mind, bursting forth like fireworks.

In order to preserve the inspiration and imprint Lord Nimrod's painting in his mind, he charged toward a brain-eater who had bypassed the lines.

When Akulduna was five meters away from the brain-eater, he suddenly stopped.

Lucius, who was close behind, rushed forward, but suddenly felt a bitter taste in his throat and his steps became heavy.

Lucius involuntarily slowed down, his eyes narrowed, unwilling to witness the peerless swordsman's first injury.

Just before his eyes were completely closed, he suddenly opened them, facing the moment when the myth shattered.

He saw Akulduna suddenly raise his arm, and Athena's straight sword blade blocked the crystal sword.

Timur's curved sword followed closely, stabbing towards the bent arm.

As their swords clashed, Lucius keenly noticed that Akulduna's movements were a little slower than usual, as if spider silk were wrapped around him.

Akulduna's eyes shone; for him, fighting had always been as natural as watching the sunrise or listening to music.

It's effortless, but it can get a bit boring after a while.

The music was suddenly interrupted, giving him a completely new opportunity.

For the first time, Akulduna abandoned his fighting instincts and followed the trajectory of Lord Nimrod's sword, wielding his blade.

Timur and Athena spun rapidly, and he used his twin swords to put into practice the imprint left in his mind by the blue and white blades.

The crystal sword slipped from his hand, and his personal energy shield shattered.

Akulduna slept as he killed the brain-eater, his body trembling slightly as he felt his steps become lighter.

He suddenly turned his head and looked to his left.

A figure in black armor appeared and disappeared in his sight in an instant.

That's Zaharie.

In a single second, a brain-eater's personal energy shield shattered, and its body broke into hundreds of pieces.

In two seconds, hundreds of alien bodies shattered.

Three seconds later, Zaharie reappeared in sight, his speed noticeably slower.

Zaharel felt a chill run down his spine as he saw a brain-eater charging toward him.

The "Midnight Poet" opened his mouth and recited the poems he had written, inspired by the book "Meditations".

That was the work of the chivalrous poet and philosopher Aureas, and it was the favorite work of his former mentor, Master Ramirez.

"In the ancient pulse of the secluded forest, a mysterious aura is shrouded in a veil of mist."

The knight's warhorse trampled the murmurs of fallen leaves, its armor shimmering like stars in the night sky.

The sword at his waist gleamed coldly, concealing untold tales of heroism. The knight's gaze was sharp, piercing through the misty forest.

The fearful knight rallied his resolve and roared a challenge to the behemoth.

The poems of sleep, ethereal and echoing, cause a momentary daze in those who hear them, as if they see the tranquil moonlight and the peaceful, gently rippling lake.

Those who eat brains feel their bodies rapidly become heavier, as if they could fall asleep standing up.

Zaharel, in his chanting, rekindles his memories of the lion-like beast, and in his fear, he kills the most powerful creature.

The "Midnight Poet" saw the brain-eater slow down and continued chanting while brandishing his longsword.

"The clash of sword and claws was accompanied by a thunderous explosion."

The knight's conviction is as firm as a rock, his sword stands tall amidst the storm.

His conviction was stronger than steel.

A spark illuminates the darkness, and courage makes even the mightiest beasts retreat.

Just as the brain-eater regained consciousness, the atmosphere of the poem abruptly changed, filling him with fear.

Zaharel had already reached him and swung his longsword down.

Two brain-eaters attacked from the left and right. Zaharel drew his longsword and was about to meet them when two figures flashed out from his side.

Balsa Kuturi, the think tank of the Nineteenth Legion, raised his hand and unleashed a psionic shield, green flames colliding with flashing lightning.

Glenn Worsotto, the First Warband Commander of the Ultramarines, raised his hand and fired a series of explosives at the Brain Eater.

Lord Nimrod's honor guard followed, and the knights, having received support, looked into the distance.

He sensed an evil will suddenly appear in the distance.

Zaharel's consciousness, the moment it touched that will, was struck as if by lightning.

He used his sword to support his body and did not kneel down.

Not far away, Balsa's body convulsed, and he knelt on one knee.

The think tank was defeated by the evil will, and he was fortunate enough to see the brain-eater in front of him also collapse in exhaustion.

Wosoto easily killed the fallen brain-eater with his combat knife, then looked ahead.

He saw Akulduna and Lucius rushing through the crowd, following Lord Nimrod and charging forward.

Lucius struggled to catch up with Akulduna and approached a construct.

The construct's tentacles extended out sharp, bony blades at will, as if six swordsmen were attacking simultaneously.

Lucius's vision was filled with the sharp blade, and he excitedly unleashed a barrage of slashes and thrusts.

As the blades clashed repeatedly, Lucius was forced to use the shield on his left arm to defend himself.

Amidst the crashing of the raging waves, he suddenly leaped up, his sword deflecting three bone blades, while his shield blocked three more.

The sword spun, severing the head full of sharp teeth.

Lucius, now in mid-air, finally saw what lay ahead.

He saw Akulduna spin and kill four constructs before charging towards a worm-man wrapped in a cloak.

Lucius stared in astonishment, feeling as if he were in a dream.

He saw the worm-man swing his scepter, and in the collision, he sent Timur flying.

His other arm reached around Athena and gripped the power armor.

Akulduna was then sent flying.

Akulduna suffered his first injury.

The peerless swordsman was defeated instantly.

The slimy tentacles of the Destroyer of Sloth reached out like pythons toward Akulduna on the ground, and suddenly a blue-white light flashed.

Nimrod flashed to Akulduna's side and swung the Vaal Sword to cut down a swarm of worms.

The Destroyer of Sloth let out a painful scream, his arm suddenly swelled up, and he swung the Necrotic Scepter at Nimrod's leg.

The "Corrupted Baron's" eyes flashed, and the worm-man's outstretched arm slowed down, retracting due to the "Twisting" force.

Akulduna used Athena to support himself as he stood up. He paid no attention to his injuries, his eyes fixed on the spinning blue and white sword blade.

With a flick of his wrist, Ninglu unleashed a blade of light like unstoppable starlight, leaving streaks of light on the Destroyer of Sloth, while hissing worms scattered in swarms.

Every swing of Ninglu's sword was as dazzling as the stars.

A perfect painting, imprinted with blue and white starlight, shone in Akulduna's mind.

The necrotic scepter fell to the ground, and golden light leaped before his eyes.

Akulduna squinted, and when he opened his eyes wide again, he saw that the amber contained worms that had been cut open by the sword blade and scattered into clusters.

(End of this chapter)